Chatper 419


    Overwhelmed by the recent events, Natalie instinctively embraced him tightly, seeking sce in his


    arms. She buried her face in his ch*st, findingfort in his familiar warmth and scent. The encounter


    with the ghostly caller had rattled her deeply. Natalie had always been afraid of ghosts, and thete


    hour of the call only heightened her fear. If the woman on the phone had kept up the act, she might


    have believed it was Charis. Thankfully, knowing that Brandon was waiting downstairs gave her the


    courage to face anything.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    “What’s wrong? Are you still thinking about that movie we watched?” Brandon held her tightly, gently


    r*bbing the back of her head.


    Natalie looked up at him, a mischievous smile ying on her l*ps. “Yes.”


    Brandon pinched her cheek affectionately and k**sed her tenderly. He had a sense that things were


    falling back into ce, as if they were returning to their old selves. Holding onto Brandon’s arm and


    leaning against him, Natalie spoke sweetly, “Let’s go home, honey.”


    Lately, Natalie had be more clingy, and Brandon found himself enjoying this familiar closeness.


    Although he couldn’t remember their past yet, he felt an overwhelming happiness. It seemed their


    rtionship was only growing stronger.


    “What would you like for dinner?” Brandon asked, p**ssing his l*ps against the back of her hand.


    “Let me think. What do we still have at home? How about we stop by the supermarket first? That way, I


    can also grab some snacks,” Natalie suggested. As she spoke, a billboard above suddenly broke free


    from its frame and hurtled toward them!


    “Watch out!” Brandon shouted, his eyes sharp and reflexes quick. He lunged at Natalie just in time as


    the billboard crashed to the ground behind them, sending fragments flying in all directions. The


    surrounding people screamed and scattered, creating chaos.


    “What the hell? What just happened?” Natalie eximed, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.


    “That billboard just fell! It could have hit someone!” a concerned passerby eximed, joining the


    growing crowd of riled-up onlookers.


    Natalie looked up towards the direction from which the billboard had fallen. Amidst the smoke and


    commotion, she caught a glimpse of a petite figure on the rooftop. Squinting her eyes, she thought it


    resembled Charis, but she couldn’t be sure. The woman seemed to be staring straight at her, and


    Natalie even felt a faint smile directed her way. Brandon followed Natalie’s gaze and frowned.


    “Who’s up there?” he questioned, his eyes fixed on the figure.


    “Don’t go,” Natalie pleaded, grabbing Brandon’s arm to stop him. She noticed scratches on his hands


    and face caused by the flying debris. Concern filled her as she realized he was injured. “Let’s go to the


    hospital first. You’re hurt.”


    Brandon, seemingly unaffected by the pain, nced back and saw several strong men in casual


    clothes rushing to his side. They were his bodyguards in disguise. Pointing towards the top of the


    building, hemanded, “Go upstairs and find out who’s responsible for this.”


    The three bodyguards swiftly obeyed, racing upstairs to investigate. However, their search yielded no


    results. Frustrated, Brandon wanted to continue searching, but Natalie intervened.


    “Since your men couldn’t find her, it means she has escaped. But she’ll try again since she failed this


    time. We’ll find another opportunity to catch her,” Natalie concluded, her priority shifting to Brandon’s


    wounds.


    Returning home, Natalie couldn’t help but feel saddened by the cuts and scrapes on Brandon’s


    handsome face. She knew he had gotten hurt because he wanted to protect her.


    “We should call a doctor. Your face needs proper treatment to prevent scarring,” Natalie suggested


    worriedly.


    “No, it’s fine. Thepany is already in chaos, and I don’t want to add to the problem. Going to see a


    doctor might lead to rumors spreading,” Brandon refused, disying his stubbornness. “It’s just a minor


    injury. We can handle it ourselves.”


    Aware of his determination, Natalie ceased her attempts to persuade him. Instead, she carefully


    disinfected his wounds with iodine and applied ointment. One particr wound near the end of his


    eyebrow split it into two sections, making it look slightly awkward. Natalie wondered if the hair would


    grow back normally in the future.


    After treating his wounds, Natalie let out a heavy sigh. “I had hoped our life would return to normal now


    that Charis is out of the picture. I was wrong.”


    Brandon was about to offer words offort when his phone rang, interrupting their conversation. His


    exp**ssion turned serious as he listened to the caller.


    “What’s wrong?” Natalie asked anxiously, sensing something troubling.


    “Have they found the person responsible for tampering with the billboard?” Brandon replied, his voice


    filled with concern. After hanging up, he shook his head. “No, it seems the billboard didn’t meet today’s


    safety standards. The police believe it was just an ident.”