Chapter 244 Off to the Ind


    Jessica’s eyes widened in shock.


    “You mean…”


    Julia snickered.


    “The one thing that people hate the most is collusion between the rich and the powerful. So what if


    Natalia has Archie at her back? The better Archie treats her, the more everyone feels like the wealthy


    can do whatever they want. That way, people will begin to hate her. And you really think the McCarthy


    family is sitting steady on top of Eqitin with no rivals? Please! Everyone knows how many people have


    been after that position. If the McCarthy family gets put under public scrutiny from this, they would have


    to get involved on the inside too. With pressure put on him within and without, let’s see what Archie will


    pick – the interests of his family, or one woman?”


    Jessica was stunned into a daze.


    After a while, she reacted, her expression overjoyed.


    “I’ve got it now! So the most important thing now, Julia, is finding Natalia, right?”


    “Yes. We have to prove she’s not missing at all. This way, everyone will believe that she was lying all


    along!”


    Jessica nodded.


    “All right, I’ve got it. I’ll try to find her right away.”


    *****


    While Jessica tried to unearth Natalia wherever she was.


    Natalia had already received the news.


    After all, since the driver had exposed it, she’d guessed that Jessica would probably being for her.


    She couldn’t stay in the McCarthy household. Even though Jessica wasn’t bold enough to intrude here


    directly, this was too big of a target to stay undetected.


    Natalia was considering where she could hide when Ariana called.


    “What are you up to now, Natalia? How are you holding up?”


    Old Mrs. McCarthy had called Archie’s phone and told her to pick up.


    Seemed like Archie was afraid the old woman and the child would get worried, so he’d told them about


    the situation beforehand.


    Natalia replied hurriedly, “I’m fine, I’m at home. What about you? How have you beentely?”


    “I’m doing well, but Anne misses you and keeps raising a ruckus about seeing you. If you’re free


    someday, I can take her over to y with you for a couple days?”


    “That’s…”


    Natalia was in a bad spot.


    There was far too much going on right now. She needed to force Jessica and the rest of that family to


    admit their crimes against her mother, so she absolutely couldn’t show herself.


    But Anne…


    Seemingly sensing her hesitation, Ariana added in a rush, “I bought an ind in the south recently. The


    scenery is great there, and I had someone open a hotel there too. The chef was previously responsible


    for the national feasts, and his cooking is top of the line. Whenever you’re free, how about we all take a


    holiday on the ind?”


    Now that she’d gone that far, if Natalia didn’t get it, it would have all been for nothing.


    She hastily replied, “All right, I’m good whenever. I’ll leave the schedule to you.”


    “If that’s the case, let’s go with tomorrow. I’ll have Archie bring you here.”


    “Okay.”


    With the deal set, the old woman hung up.


    Archie looked at her expectantly from the side. Seeing that she’d hung up, he hurriedly asked, “You


    agreed, then?”


    Natalia nodded. “Yeah, she says to go tomorrow.”


    “Ah.”


    The man’s eyes flickered, his thoughts a mystery.


    Curious, Natalia asked, “She says she bought an ind in the south? Buying up a whole ind takes


    plenty of money, right? Is she trying to break into the tourist industry?”


    Archie waved it off casually.


    “No. She’s just getting on in years, so she wants a ce down south to spend the rest of her days.”


    “…”


    All right, then! She just didn’t get how rich people thought.


    Buying up a whole ind just for yourself to stay in – heh, wasn’t that something!


    The olddy had incredible follow through, too. The moment she decided on it, she had Archie send


    them over right away.


    Early morning the next day, Natalia flew all the way to the ind.


    The ind did have beautiful scenery, and a beautiful name to go along with it – Fortuna Ind.


    The way Ariana told it, there were plenty of rare birds on the ind. Because of overhunting from


    nearby fishermen and the current state of the ecosystem, they were facing extinction.


    Ariana had bought the isle in part to give them a quiet, peaceful habitat.


    Anne had already heard the news that Natalia wasing over, and she’d been excited as could be


    from early in the morning.


    When Natalia arrived in earnest at noon, she rushed to greet her.


    Natalia hadn’t seen her in a while, so she naturally missed her a great deal. The moment mother and


    daughter met, they hugged each other tight and snuggled against each other for a long while before


    they released each other.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ariana looked her up and down and said caringly, “My, you’ve grown thin, Natalia. I heard you were


    kidnapped; how are you? Are you hurt?”


    Smiling, Natalia shook her head. “I’m fine, just a little shaken.”


    The wound on her hand wasn’t deep, and after a few days’ rest, it was basically fully healed.


    Afraid she’d worry Ariana and Anne, she’d taken the bandages off before she arrived. A faint line could


    still be seen running across her palm, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been, so it wasn’t frightening.


    Hearing that, Ariana rxed and nodded.


    Then she led the couple in.


    There was only one hotel on the ind, and the olddy had already prepared their room beforehand.


    Natalia retired to the room with Archie and rested for a while, onlying out for lunch.


    William wasn’t feeling well, as always. He hadn’te with them this time.


    But Ariana was as talkative as ever. She was approaching her seventies, but her righteous, childlike


    heart still remained.


    Knowing what Natalia had gone through, she was barely holding it in and hollering about getting even


    for her.


    Natalia justughed at her adorable nature, but she also knew that this was Ariana’s way of treating her


    as one of her own. The mark of concern moved her all the more for it.


    “No need to get involved, Grandma. Natalia has her own n.”


    Midway through Ariana’s spiel, Archie couldn’t sit by and interrupted.


    Ariana red at him.


    “You’ve got some nerve saying that, haven’t you? What kind of husband are you; not even protecting


    your wife properly? What are your brains for if you’re having her do her own dirty work at a time like


    this?”


    The olddy did not hold back when it came to roasting her own grandson.


    Archie scowled. Seeing that, Natalia hurriedly exined.


    “It’s not that he’s not helping me, Grandma. I’m keeping him out of it.”


    As she spoke, she outlined her enmity with Jessica and how her mother Kiera had died.


    Including how, five years ago, she was kicked out of the Dawson family, and how Jessica and Aleena


    had taken over all of her properties, making it difficult for her to even retrieve her mother’s mementos.


    Hearing that, Ariana flew into a rage.


    “What a disgrace! Is there still justice in this world? How is a family this shameless still around?”


    Natalia scoffed mildly.


    “Family alwaysplicates matters. No one else is to me. I was just too young and na?ve five years


    ago and didn’t think hard enough. If I’d just been smarter about it then and realized something was off


    with Mom’s death, I wouldn’t have needed to go through all this today.”


    Her heart aching for Natalia, Ariana patted her hand soothingly.


    Then she recalled something and asked, “You say that your mother only left you with a ne when


    she passed away?”