Chapter 69


    The private room was aplete mess, with everything that could be smashed now lying in ruins,


    Refusing to be defeated, Mia retrieved her phone and swiftly dialed Natalie’s number With a


    mischievous glint, she could not resist yelling. “Aren’t you curious to know who was behind the incident


    where you were drugged at the Foster family?”


    There was silence on the other end, indicating that Natalie was listening. Mia felt a sense of triumph


    and continued to provoke her, “It was me. Aren’t you surprised? Do you want to know if Mr. Wilson is


    aware of it? Well, let me tell you, not only does he know, but he even had someone send me the


    information to keep it safe. You see, he didn’t want you to find out. Why do you think you have the right


    topete with me? Just because you think you’re Mr. Wilson’s woman? Would he allow me to drug


    you if he truly liked you?”


    With her objective achieved, Mia felt great satisfaction, and her mood significantly lifted.


    As the call ended, Natalie’splexion turned ashen, a wave of unease washing over her. Her chest


    tightened, making it difficult to draw a steady breath. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and she


    fought to hold them back.


    Sensing Natalie’s distress, Sherri swiftly located a nearby parking spot and unfastened her seatbelt.


    Leaning closer, she looked at Natalie with genuine concern and asked, “Natalie, what happened? Who


    was on the phone?”


    Sherri pondered, “Natalie is a strong woman. Besides Mr. Foster’s passing, no one had made Natalie


    lose her cool like this. She is clearly trying her best to suppress her emotions!”


    After a moment of silence, Natalie turned her head and looked at Sherri with her bloodshot eyes as she


    asked, “Sherri… do you know who is responsible for drugging us at the Foster family?”


    Sherri shook her head; she genuinely did not know. It would have caused a major rift if she had known,


    especially considering her


    involvement with Hackett ckwell.


    In a trembling voice, Natalie whispered, “It was Mia ckwell”


    “That woman is utterly despicable! Is shepletely unhinged? I am going to find her,” Sherri


    eximed as fury surged through her veins. She unlocked the car, readying herself to step out, but


    Natalie swiftly grasped her arm, preventing her from leaving.


    In a muted voice, Natalie pleaded, “Don’t go. Trevon Wilson is determined to protect her. What could


    you possibly do to her?”


    Sherri rose her voice, “What? Trevon Wilson not only knows about it but is actively protecting her. This


    is uneptable! I don’t care if he’s Mr. Wilson or Mr. Theo. We cannot simply let this go. We must hold


    that woman ountable. Natalie, you wouldn’t let her escape unscathed, will you?”


    Sherri never viewed her best friend as someone who would back down in the face of bullies.


    Throughout their lives, she recognized Natalie as a person who would never hesitate to seek retribution


    for any wrongdoing inflicted upon her.


    Natalie gathered herposure, carefully navigating her delicate emotions. She shifted her gaze to the


    tranquil scenery outside, drawing sce from its calming presence. Returning to Sherri, she asked,


    “Does Mia happen to be Trevon’s love interest?”


    Instead of offering an immediate response to Natalie’s question, Sherri countered with her own.


    Sensing Natalie’s somber mood, Sherri observed that it was particrly pronounced that day. She


    responded, “I can’t say whether Mia is considered a romantic interest, but… she happens to be Mr.


    Wilson’s ex-girlfriend.”


    Natalie nodded understanding and pondered, “No wonder he’s fiercely protective of her. That exins


    how she essed Trevon’s phone and effortlessly examined the chat history. It also rifies how she


    could send me a screenshot of my message!”


    At this moment, the weight of heartache settled upon Natalie. The realization pierced through her as


    sheprehended the depth of the betrayal. Her supposedly devoted husband had been aware of his


    ex-girlfriend’s role in the drugging incident, yet he willingly relinquished the evidence into her hands.


    Natalie contemted, “What is there for him to fear? Is he concerned that I will bully his precious


    darling? How devoted is he!”


    Sherri looked at her dejected friend and asked carefully, “Natalie, are you… in love with Mr. Wilson?”


    That seemed to be the sole exnation that Sherri could fathom for her friend’s deep distress.


    Otherwise, why would Natalie be so upset by Trevon’s betrayal? Natalie would not have reacted if she


    were not concerned about Trevon’s rtionship with another woman. She might have stated, “It’s none


    of my business.”


    In matters of love, it is often said that the one who falls first is the one who suffers the loss.


    Natalie knew that she had lost her cool. However, the profound sense of heartbreak and distress was


    inevitable as this marriage had


    been chosen for her by her grandfather.


    She felt like aplete failure. Despite mentally bracing for an amicable divorce, she never anticipated


    the profound devastation coursing through her veins. It seemed as though her husband, in


    coboration with his mistress, had orchestrated a cruel conspiracy against her. It felt surreal as if her


    life had been transnted into a dramatic television series unfolding before her bewildered eyes.


    Natalie went over everything in her mind with a wry smile and mused, “How absurd. I never anticipated


    developing any feelings for him. Perhaps it’s because Ick much experience with men.”


    Noticing Sherri’s surprise, Natalie continued with her self-deprecation. “Don’t give me that look. Please,


    don’t worry. I’m perfectly fine,” she assured, masking any hint of vulnerability. “I haven’t fallen in love


    with him. At most, it’s just a fleeting fondness. Now that I see things clearly, I can cut my losses in time.


    I’m not at aplete loss. The only aspect that troubles me is that my grandfather arranged this


    marriage. He had only wanted me to find happiness, but it seems this union is shaping up to be an


    even greater disappointment than my mother’s. I can only apologize to my grandfather for failing to live


    up to his well-intentioned efforts.”


    Sherri, ovee with empathy for her dearest friend, felt her eyes welling up with tears. Unsure of how


    to offer sce, she leaned in and enveloped Natalie in a heartfelt embrace and sincerely consoled, “It’s


    alright. Our lives don’t have to revolve around men. I am here with you, and we should never settle for


    any scumbag. Natalie, you deserve someone far better. Your world will be imbued with beauty once


    you distance yourself from these toxic rtionships. In just over a month, you will blossom into a


    radiant flower once more, and the men who truly appreciate you will go to extraordinary lengths for you,


    even if it means circling the entire city of Athana.”


    Natalieughed lightheartedly at the ttering words, yfully patting Sherri on the shoulder. Stepping


    RêAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    out of Sherri’s embrace, she teased, “What’s gotten into you? Do you think I’m some beauty wandering


    around Athana in endless circles? Why not im I’ve circled the entire Earth while you’re at it?


    Besides, aren’t you the one getting married? If you decide to be a nun because of me, I can


    already picture your mother hunting me down in the dead of night!”


    Sherri yfully scratched her head, a warm smile gracing her face, “Isn’t that just stating the obvious


    truth? If you truly decide not to marry, I’ll be right by your side. I’ll stand by my best friend no matter


    what, even if it means putting my life on the line.”


    “Let’s go for pizza!” Natalieughed.


    Sherri nced at her best friend and, seeing that Natalie’s emotions had calmed down, she started to


    move forward.


    Sherri was not surprised that her best friend, Natalie, had developed feelings for Trevon. It was hardly


    surprising, considering his handsome appearance and well-built physique aligned perfectly with a


    woman’s aesthetic. This allure proved irresistible for Natalie, who had not been exposed to many men


    before. Moreover, the significant amount of time they spent together day after day only deepened and


    intensified those feelings.


    The length of time spent together does not necessarily determine the development of feelings. Some


    individuals can spend years. together without forming any emotional connection, while others can


    instantly and profoundly bond from their first encounter.


    Love and emotions cannot be quantified by time or constrained to a linear progression. They are


    deeply personal and subjective, transcending rigid timelines or predetermined sequences. Guided by


    the desires and inclinations of the heart, they are often ignited by a profound sense of connection and


    attraction between individuals,


    Although Sherri had not been in any romantic rtionship, she had watched numerous TV dramas that


    depicted various types of love, and she had learned many lessons from these shows.


    Furthermore, Trevon yed a significant role in Natalie’s life. He had been involved in moments of


    intimacy, including assisting Natalie with changing clothes and sharing meals, and recently, they even


    engaged in a physical rtionship. The first time is important for a woman, and Mr. Wilson can be


    regarded as Natalie’s first intimate partner.


    “Oh, he is not a good person,” Sherri quietly sighed while carefully analyzing the reasons for Natalie’s


    attraction to Trevon.


    At this moment, the unsuspecting man sat in his chair, scrolling through his phone.


    He thought to himself, “No messages all morning. By now, this woman should be awake. Hasn’t she


    seen the news?”


    Opening the chat interface, he discovered it still disyed thest received payment information.


    Revealing a glimmer of coldness, the man’s deep pupils shifted towards Jim, who sat across from him.


    He inquired, “Is the news still trending?”


    “Are you referring to the trending topics about you and Miss Mia? Yes, they’re still trending. Do you


    want them taken down?” Jim


    carefully asked.


    After a minute had passed, Trevon cleared his throat and posed the question, “Has she sent you any


    messages?”


    A little confused, Jim rified, “Who?”


    Trevon chose not to dignify the foolish question with a response. Instead, he cast a disdainful nce,


    leaving the other person to interpret it for themselves.


    Fortunately, Jim was not oblivious and swiftly grasped the underlying significance of the look. “Ah,


    you’re referring to Mrs. Wilson? Let me check,” he promptly offered.


    Muttering to himself, he unlocked his phone to check. “No, she hasn’t. Mrs. Wilson didn’t send me any


    messages today,” he confirmed.


    The man’s face darkened, and he cast an unfriendly gaze upon Jim. “Do you frequently exchange


    messages with her?” he inquired.


    Jim quickly replied, “No, absolutely not. How could that be? I always seek your approval before


    responding to Mrs. Wilson.”


    With a softened tone, the man instructed, “Alright, you may leave.”


    Jim Hawk pondered silently, “So Mr. Wilson is waiting for a message from Mrs. Wilson? He’s quite


    stubborn. Why doesn’t he take the initiative and message her himself? Does it always have to be Mrs.


    Wilson initiating the conversation?”


    As Jim was about to depart, the man interjected, “Remove the trending topics. Clear them entirely.”


    “Okay,” Jim replied. However, this time he intentionally dyed action, purposefully taking half an hour


    to remove the news