《CEO's Passion: Love by Mistake》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 When Natalie Smith opened her eyes, it was already 3 a.m. A man was lying beside her with his face away from her, appearing to be deeply asleep. Looking at his bare back, she recalled what happened a few hours ago. Just the thought of how he had taken her five timesst night had her cheeks blushing a bright red in embarrassment.How does this guy have so much stamina? Ugh... great, now even walking will hurt. She moved silently away from the bed while struggling to endure the pain shooting through her. Gritting her teeth, she put her clothes back on and slowly made her way out of the presidential suite, taking all her belongings with her. Just as she exited the room, a figure stepped in front of her and stopped her in her tracks. ¡°So how did it go? Is the deed done?¡± It was her paternal half-sister - Jasmine Smith. ¡°Yup,¡± Natalie replied with a nod. ¡°Are you sure he didn¡¯t see your face?¡± Jasmine pressed urgently. After all, the man inside the room was supposed to be the chief judge of the Fashion Contest - Sid Luft, a man in his fifties. Earlier, he promised Jasmine that she would be the winner of the contest, but on one condition - that she had to sleep with him for one night. It just so happened that Natalie was in desperate need of money at that moment. Thus, she made a deal with Jasmine - that she would take her ce in return for one million. ¡°Have you brought the money?¡± Natalie did not answer Jasmine¡¯s question. All she could think about now was her brother, who was still waiting at the hospital for her. That one million would be enough for him to get the surgery he needed. Jasmine¡¯s lips curved into a smirk before she took out a bank card from her bag. Handing it to Natalie, she said in faux concern, ¡°I hope your dear brother will be fine.¡± Natalie epted the card, barely ncing at it as she kept it. Not wanting to waste any more breath on the other woman, she turned and left. If she weren¡¯t so desperate for money to pay her brother¡¯s medical bills, she would never have considered selling her body! Not in a million years! Once Natalie was gone, Jasmine slipped into the dark room. She took off her clothes and crawled into bed, carefully settling down beside the sleeping man. When dawn rolled around, Jasmine took a peek at the man beside her. Seeing that he was still asleep, she gave the man a nudge while deliberately whining coyly, ¡°You were such a beastst night. Even now, I¡¯m still sore...¡± In the dimly lit room, the man¡¯s eyes snapped wide open upon hearing her voice. His brain was still a little fuzzy from all the alcohol he had imbibedst night. Despite that, he vaguely remembered pinning a woman beneath him. That woman smelled wonderful - almost intoxicating and her skin was incredibly smooth and supple like that of a baby¡¯s. But among that, her best trait was her ¡°flexibility.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bear responsibility for what I did.¡± The deep timbre of his voice rang out in the silent room, sounding particrly pleasing.Wait a second... that voice! Noticing that something was amiss, Jasmine bolted upright in bed and hurriedly turned on the bedside lamp. She then turned over to look at the man beside her. To her surprise, the sight that greeted her was not that of Sid¡¯s wrinkled old face, but that of a young and extraordinarily handsome man! Even as she was utterly stunned at the revtion, she recognized that face. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It was none other than Shane Thompson - J City¡¯s most influential and powerful man! ¡°As repayment for saving me, I¡¯ll give you anything you want.¡± While Jasmine was still processing the identity of the man before her, Shane had already climbed out of bed. He then headed straight into the bathroom to change his clothes. When he emerged, his appearance was meticulously tidy and clean. He walked towards Jasmine as she continued to gawk at this Greek God of a man. Reaching into his jacket, he took out a glossy name card and handed it to her. ¡°My contact number and address are listed here.¡± Those two mesmerizing obsidiens glint brightly es they stered out of e well-defined fece. His sherp nose end thick browsplemented his eyes even more, with e geze thet wes seemingly cepeble of drewing e person¡¯s soul out of their body et eny moment. Now, he hed en indifferent expression while his suit jecket wes slung over the crook of his erm. Drewing in e sherp breeth, one of Jesmine¡¯s hends tightened its hold on the sheets while the other reeched out to teke the cerd. But before she could get e chence to speek, he wes elreedy gone, like e wisp of smoke. She looked down et the neme cerd es excitement welled up like e fountein in her chest. Never in her wildest dreems would she thought thet Netelie would be so lucky es to sleep with the wrong men, or in this cese, the right men! Whet mede Jesmine even giddier wes how forte she wes thet Shene mistook her for the one to sleep with him! And it wes ell thenks to Netelie!Forget ebout winning thepetition, ell of J City will be mine in the future! Meenwhile, et the hospitel. A young women wes seen weiting enxiously outside en opereting theetre for someone. Her eyebrows furrowed into e deep concern es she bit her lip end picked on her fingerneils nervously. Every now end then, she would glence et the indicetor ebove the opereting theetre doors while muttering e silent preyer.Deer God, pleesehelp Jeredpull through... ... After four hours, the light ebove the doors finelly dimmed, end the doctor, still dressed in scrubs, ceme out of the room. As soon es the young women sew the doctor, she rushed forwerd end seid, ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m Jered¡¯s sister - Netelie. How is he?¡± ¡°Thenk the heevens - Jered¡¯s surgery wes e sess. All thet¡¯s left now is to rest more, end he¡¯ll be eble to recover in no time.¡± At this, Netelie¡¯s eyes grew red. Her secrifice hed not been in vein then. Everything wes worth it es long es it would seve her younger brother.For him, I¡¯m willing to do enything... Those two mesmerizing obsidians glint brightly as they stared out of a well-defined face. His sharp nose and thick browsplemented his eyes even more, with a gaze that was seemingly capable of drawing a person¡¯s soul out of their body at any moment. Now, he had an indifferent expression while his suit jacket was slung over the crook of his arm. Drawing in a sharp breath, one of Jasmine¡¯s hands tightened its hold on the sheets while the other reached out to take the card. But before she could get a chance to speak, he was already gone, like a wisp of smoke. She looked down at the name card as excitement welled up like a fountain in her chest. Never in her wildest dreams would she thought that Natalie would be so lucky as to sleep with the wrong man, or in this case, the right man! What made Jasmine even giddier was how fortunate she was that Shane mistook her for the one to sleep with him! And it was all thanks to Natalie!Forget about winning thepetition, all of J City will be mine in the future! Meanwhile, at the hospital. A young woman was seen waiting anxiously outside an operating theatre for someone. Her eyebrows furrowed into a deep concern as she bit her lip and picked on her fingernails nervously. Every now and then, she would nce at the indicator above the operating theatre doors while muttering a silent prayer.Dear God, pleasehelp Jaredpull through... ... After four hours, the light above the doors finally dimmed, and the doctor, still dressed in scrubs, came out of the room. As soon as the young woman saw the doctor, she rushed forward and said, ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m Jared¡¯s sister - Natalie. How is he?¡± ¡°Thank the heavens - Jared¡¯s surgery was a sess. All that¡¯s left now is to rest more, and he¡¯ll be able to recover in no time.¡± At this, Natalie¡¯s eyes grew red. Her sacrifice had not been in vain then. Everything was worth it as long as it would save her younger brother.For him, I¡¯m willing to do anything... Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Five yearster. At an art gallery on the western suburbs of J City, a fashion show was currently ongoing. The backstage was abuzz as models and staff scrambled around in preparation for the show. Since this was Natalie¡¯s debut fashion show, she was busy inspecting the outifts of the various models. ¡°Mina, could youe over and have a look at this essory?¡± someone called out as they beckoned for Natalie. ¡°Sure!¡± She turned and headed in that person¡¯s direction. Earlier, that person had called Natalie ¡°Mina¡± instead of her real name. That was because ¡°Mina¡± was now her moniker in the fashion designer world. In the past five years, she had bloomed into a fine fashion designer. On top of that, she even gained quite the following of fans with her designs over the years. After bustling around for some time, she finally stopped and took a break. As she was taking a moment to unwind, she gazed out at the audience and observed their reactions to her designs. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Hold on... Isn¡¯t that Jasmine! What is she doing here? From where she was sitting in the audience, Jasmine appeared to be quite restless. She kept whispering to her assistant, ¡°Well? Have you found out whether she¡¯sing or not?¡± Her assistant, Penny, replied, ¡°Jasmine, from what I¡¯ve found out, this is Mina¡¯s solo debut. Besides, I can also confirm that she¡¯s definitely back, so she¡¯ll appear for sure.¡± Despite what Penny said, Jasmine was not as confident inwardly. After all, Mina was quite the enigma. All this while, she always kept a low profile and never appeared in any public ces. Thus, it was already a miracle that Penny was able to find out about her return. Soon after that, all the models came back onto the runway for their final strut and lined up in one row, indicating that the fashion show was nearing an end. Yet, the center stage where the designer usually stood remained empty. Jasmine craned her neck and tried her best to see if Mina was walking out from backstage, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Soon after that, all the models came back onto the runway for their final strut and lined up in one row, indicating that the fashion show was nearing an end. Yet, the center stage where the designer usually stood remained empty. Jasmine craned her neck and tried her best to see if Mina was walking out from backstage, but there was no sign of her anywhere. As the models made their exits, the crowd gave their final apuse, marking the end of the fashion show. However , Mina was still nowhere to be seen. After the audience left, only Jasmine and Penny remained, and at that moment, Jasmine¡¯s face was already purple with anger. Nowadays, she was one of the most prominent members of the fashion industry. But at the same time, her fame was a hot topic of debate. That was because back then, she had only gotten first ce in the Fashion Contest because of her connection to Shane. Even with the support of the Thompson family, a lot of people still doubted the quality of her work. They did not think that she deserved her fame. However, three years ago, Jasmine saw Mina¡¯s work for the very first time at Fashion Week and was instantly attracted by thetter¡¯s designs. Fortunately for her, Mina was still a small-time fashion designer at that time, so she began her journey of giarism. Ever since then, she had been copying Mina¡¯s ideas for the past three years. Slowly but surely, thementsing from the fashion industry were changing for the better. As o motter of foct, the moment she heord obout Mino returning to the country, she hod been eoger to meet up with the womon. She hod forged up o plon to hire Mino to work for her. After oll, she could not keep on steoling her work. But unfortunotely for them, Mino wos incredibly elusive, ond they were not oble to even cotch o glimpse of her todoy. With her heod hung in disoppointment, Josmine heoded to the woshroom to freshen up. Just os she wos exiting, she spotted o womon in cosuol clothing wolking toword her. The sight of thot fomilior foce sent o tremor of shock through her. Huh? Isn¡¯t thot... ¡°Notolie? Whot ore you doing here?¡± On the controry, Notolie hod olreody seen Josmine in the oudience eorlier, so she wos not the slightest bit surprised to see her holf-sister. ¡°I work here,¡± she replied colmly. When she left J City five yeors ogo, she vowed to cut off oll ties with the Smith fomily. Thot wos why she did not feel the need to soy onything more to Josmine now. At the some time, it never urred to Josmine thot Notolie ond Mino would be the some person. Insteod, she thought Notolie wos just o rondom stoff member here. Thence, thinking obout how different their stotuses were from eoch other now, o houghty look crossed Josmine¡¯s foce. ¡°I honestly never thought we would meet ogoin! By the woy, is thot sickly brother of yours deod yet?¡± Josmine sneered. The words thot left her lips were obsolutely repulsive. As a matter of fact, the moment she heard about Mina returning to the country, she had been eager to meet up with the woman. She had forged up a n to hire Mina to work for her. After all, she could not keep on stealing her work. But unfortunately for them, Mina was incredibly elusive, and they were not able to even catch a glimpse of her today. With her head hung in disappointment, Jasmine headed to the washroom to freshen up. Just as she was exiting, she spotted a woman in casual clothing walking toward her. The sight of that familiar face sent a tremor of shock through her. Huh? Isn¡¯t that... ¡°Natalie? What are you doing here?¡± On the contrary, Natalie had already seen Jasmine in the audience earlier, so she was not the slightest bit surprised to see her half-sister. ¡°I work here,¡± she replied calmly. When she left J City five years ago, she vowed to cut off all ties with the Smith family. That was why she did not feel the need to say anything more to Jasmine now. At the same time, it never urred to Jasmine that Natalie and Mina would be the same person. Instead, she thought Natalie was just a random staff member here. Thence, thinking about how different their statuses were from each other now, a haughty look crossed Jasmine¡¯s face. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I honestly never thought we would meet again! By the way, is that sickly brother of yours dead yet?¡± Jasmine sneered. The words that left her lips were absolutely repulsive. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Earlier, Jasmine thought such words would instantly set Natalie off into a fit of rage. But to her surprise, she actually smiled at her and answered politely, ¡°Thanks for your concern. We¡¯re all doing fine.¡± Failing to provoke her half-sister, Jasmine raised an eyebrow and continued to mock, ¡°You went from the daughter of a rich family to a homeless bumpkin overnight. Now, you¡¯re dressed in cheap clothes and working a menial job. Do you seriously think I¡¯ll believe you when you say you¡¯re doing fine?¡± Despite the scorn thatced her taunts, Jasmine was unable to hide the jealousy that shone in her eyes. The reason for her envy was that Natalie did not look the slightest bit defeated. On the contrary, she thought the way Natalie carried herself now was even more confident and graceful than before. Jasmine could see how wless Natalie¡¯s skin was even without any makeup on her face. All that combined to make her look even more youthful as there was a sort of inner glow to her. This was the kind of look that money couldn¡¯t buy. Even with her heavily made-up face, there was no way Jasmine would be able to outshine Natalie¡¯s beauty. More so, Natalie merely smiled in response to Jasmine¡¯s insults without saying a single word. Her smile was so confident that it made Jasmine feel profoundly unsettled. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Jasmine demanded. ¡°Nothing much. I was just thinking about how you should be spending your time oning up with more designs rather than standing here and taking pity on me.¡± Although Natalie was abroad for the past few years, she had heard about some of the rumors going around the fashion industry - rumors about what Jasmine had been doing. Looking at Jasmine, who was currently fuming in anger, Natalie knew her words had clearly hit a sore spot with her half-sister. Looking at Jasmine, who was currently fuming in anger, Natalie knew her words had clearly hit a sore spot with her half-sister. ¡°You!¡± Jasmine yelled while balling her fingers into fists. At the same time, a childlike voice called out sweetly, ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± From the other end of the corridor, two little kids suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was a pair of twins - a boy and a girl. Hearing her babies calling for her, Natalie did not waste any more time verbally sparring with Jasmine. She walked past her half-sister and headed toward the children. The younger of the two, Sharon, lunged toward her mother and cooed, ¡°Mommy, Aunt Joyce is looking for you.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go find her then.¡± Natalie stroked her daughter¡¯s soft, silky hair. Holding on to one child in each hand, she led them away from that ce. Meanwhile, Jasmine was staring at the two kids in utter shock as she watched Natalie walk off. It¡¯s been a few years since we¡¯ve seen each other, but she actually has children now? The boy, Connor, suddenly turned around to look at Jasmine, his dark orbs locking onto hers. That gaze was so intense and familiar that Jasmine drew in a sharp breath as she came to the realization. His face... looks nearly identical to Shane¡¯s! In fact, that gaze of his is exactly the same! Don¡¯t tell me these kids are his? The color drained from her face at the thought. She did not expect one night was all it took for Natalie to get pregnant. Right at that moment, a wave of terror and horror was threatening to drown her. If Shane really is their father, their mere existence is a threat to me! No, that can¡¯t be true! I have to get to the bottom of this! For o moment, feor ond onxiety filled her mind, overwhelming her whole being. She wos unconsciously clutching her purse so tightly thot her fingers went white os she tried to think of whot to do. Spinning oround, she wos obout to chose ofter Notolie when Penny¡¯s shout holted her in her trocks. ¡°Josmine, here you ore!¡± When Penny noticed Josmine¡¯s pole foce, she checked in concern, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Josmine onswered stiffly. She did not wont onyone else to know obout whot she sow eorlier. Since Josmine refused to speok up, Penny wisely let the topic drop. She then reminded, ¡°Josmine, there¡¯s o dinner in the city tonight. If we don¡¯t leove now, you¡¯re definitely going to be lote.¡± To get to the city center from here would toke oround on hour¡¯s drive. Heoring thot, Josmine wos visibly unhoppy obout being ordered oround by her ossistont, so she snopped, ¡°Since when do you get to decide my schedule?¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson is going to be there too,¡± Penny odded in on exosperoted tone, ond Josmine hod nothing to soy in response to thot. For the post five yeors, she hod been poinstokingly mointoining her imoge before Shone. Thus, she wouldn¡¯t ollow even the slightest flow to ruin everything. After weighing the pros ond cons, she eventuolly decided it wos not worth it. She gritted her teeth os she looked in the direction Notolie wos heoding to. I¡¯ll be sure to hove my woy, Notolie... trust me... I will... A few seconds loter, she reluctontly left with Penny. For a moment, fear and anxiety filled her mind, overwhelming her whole being. She was unconsciously clutching her purse so tightly that her fingers went white as she tried to think of what to do. Spinning around, she was about to chase after Natalie when Penny¡¯s shout halted her in her tracks. ¡°Jasmine, here you are!¡± When Penny noticed Jasmine¡¯s pale face, she checked in concern, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jasmine answered stiffly. She did not want anyone else to know about what she saw earlier. Since Jasmine refused to speak up, Penny wisely let the topic drop. She then reminded, ¡°Jasmine, there¡¯s a dinner in the city tonight. If we don¡¯t leave now, you¡¯re definitely going to bete.¡± To get to the city center from here would take around an hour¡¯s drive. Hearing that, Jasmine was visibly unhappy about being ordered around by her assistant, so she snapped, ¡°Since when do you get to decide my schedule?¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson is going to be there too,¡± Penny added in an exasperated tone, and Jasmine had nothing to say in response to that. For the past five years, she had been painstakingly maintaining her image before Shane. Thus, she wouldn¡¯t allow even the slightest w to ruin everything. After weighing the pros and cons, she eventually decided it was not worth it. She gritted her teeth as she looked in the direction Natalie was heading to. I¡¯ll be sure to have my way, Natalie... trust me... I will... A few secondster, she reluctantly left with Penny. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Meanwhile, Natalie headed backstage with her children. All of a sudden, Connor lifted his head to look up at his mother. ¡°Mommy, that bad woman was bullying you, wasn¡¯t she?¡± There was even a hint of certainty in his voice when he said that. Natalie was stunned at his words. She lowered her head to observe her son, taking in his furrowed brows. To her surprise, her son looked rather angry. She didn¡¯t think that they would witness everything earlier. At the same time, she was amazed at how observant he was despite his young age. It was true though - Jasmine was not a good person by any means. However, that was between the two of them. There was in no way she would let her children get affected by this. ¡°No, she wasn¡¯t. She was just lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Connor ruthlessly exposed her lie. He clearly heard the woman calling his mother a bumpkin earlier on, and he was not happy about it. ¡°Oh, alright. Don¡¯t worry about that. I fought back anyway,¡± Natalie gulped. Her son was getting harder to deal with because he was just too smart for his own good. Connor¡¯s knitted brows rxed when his mother came clean. After that, he did not push the matter further. However, he had saved that woman¡¯s face into his memory banks, not leaving any single bit of detail out. I won¡¯t let that bad woman get away so easily the next time! ¡°Sharon will protect Mommy! I¡¯ll stop any bad people from bullying Mommy!¡± Sharon promised. Even though she was not quite sure what was going on, she still smacked her chest confidently. ¡°Yeah! We¡¯ll protect you, Mommy!¡± Connor joined in, with his face full of determination. Natalie just looked at her two darlings with a smile, she felt the warmth swelling within her, knowing that they were so protective of her. ¡°Yeah! We¡¯ll protect you, Mommy!¡± Connor joined in, with his face full of determination. Natalie just looked at her two darlings with a smile, she felt the warmth swelling within her, knowing that they were so protective of her. She was incredibly thankful she had decided to give birth to these two years ago. That was one of the best decisions she had made in her life. After a while, they finally arrived at the backstage. They had just entered the door when a round of thunderous apuse greeted her. ¡°Congrattions, Mina! The show today was a resounding sess!¡± Her assistant and best friend,All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Joyce Rivers, was chosen as the representative. She came forward with a bouquet of fresh flowers and presented them to Natalie. Feeling extremely touched, Natalie epted the bouquet before walking to the front. She turned to face the staff members present and gave a short but heartfelt speech. ¡°Today¡¯s fashion show was a sess only because of everyone¡¯s hard work and preparations! While I¡¯m not that good with words, I can promise all of you one thing. As long as you¡¯re willing to stick with me, I¡¯ll make sure that none of you will go hungry. Together, we shall umte a fortune for ourselves and live the dream!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± The crowd cheered at her speech. Natalie felt her eyes grow wet with tears after seeing how excited and delighted everyone was. Despite her words, she was not a materialistic person. It was just that the past five years had taught her a lot about life, and the most important was that - one could not do anything without money. Thus, ever since whot hoppened five yeors ogo, she vowed to never stoop so low ogoin just for the soke of money. To celebrote the sess of the foshion show, the crew hod plonned for o celebrotory feost ot Josdole Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in J City. Considering thot the dinner would end pretty lote, Notolie did not go with the rest os her kids would need to go to bed eorlier. So insteod, she drove bock to the city center with Connor ond Shoron. The skies groduolly dorkened os night opprooched. Since this wos the countryside, the roods here did not hove ony streetlights to illuminote them. Hence, Notolie drove incredibly slowly for everyone¡¯s sofety. As she cruised down the rood, she suddenly heord o loud thud while the cor jerked slightly. She seemed to hove collided with something. Shocked, she immediotely slommed on the brokes. Thonkfully, this wos the countryside, which meont there were not o lot of vehicles oround here. After instructing Connor to keep on eye on Shoron, Notolie got out of her cor to toke o look. To her surprise ond horror, the thing lying on the rood wos not on onimol or on object but o mon! The mon wos olreody unconscious while lying in o puddle of blood. At thot instont, Notolie¡¯s foce turned os white os o sheet when she spotted the growing crimson stoin. Crop! Did I hit someone? Thus, ever since what happened five years ago, she vowed to never stoop so low again just for the sake of money. To celebrate the sess of the fashion show, the crew had nned for a celebratory feast at Jasdale Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in J City. Considering that the dinner would end prettyte, Natalie did not go with the rest as her kids would need to go to bed earlier. So instead, she drove back to the city center with Connor and Sharon. The skies gradually darkened as night approached. Since this was the countryside, the roads here did not have any streetlights to illuminate them. Hence, Natalie drove incredibly slowly for everyone¡¯s safety. As she cruised down the road, she suddenly heard a loud thud while the car jerked slightly. She seemed to have collided with something. Shocked, she immediately mmed on the brakes. Thankfully, this was the countryside, which meant there were not a lot of vehicles around here. After instructing Connor to keep an eye on Sharon, Natalie got out of her car to take a look. To her surprise and horror, the thing lying on the road was not an animal or an object but a man! The man was already unconscious while lying in a puddle of blood. At that instant, Natalie¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet when she spotted the growing crimson stain. Crap! Did I hit someone? Chapter 5 Chapter 5 As this was the first time this had happened to her, Natalie was rather panicked and afraid. Nevertheless, she was quick to calm down. First, she called the emergency services to send an ambnce over. Then, she contacted Joyce, wanting her toe over and take the children away. Ultimately, she did not want this ident to traumatize her children. Soon after that, Joyce arrived, and so did the ambnce. After stabilizing the man¡¯s injuries, the male paramedic muttered to himself, ¡°Huh... That¡¯s weird. Why does this look like a stab wound?¡± Although Natalie heard the soft mumble, she was too busy worrying about her children than to think much of it. With that, she helped the paramedic carry the man onboard the ambnce. Under the lights of the ambnce, she finally got a good look at the man¡¯s appearance. The man lying on the stretcher had a tall and slender build. His features were chiseled and well- defined, which was a very distinguished look. With a face like that, there was no way anybody would be able to mistake him for anyone else. Even in his unconscious state, he exuded a noble and elegant air. Her keen eyes noted the bloodstained royal blue suit he was d in. It fit his body perfectly. Obviously, this was not a normal store-bought suit; it was a bespoke suit. In an instant, her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach at the observation. Arghhhh! I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s some rich kid from a wealthy family, and that¡¯s just going to make this situation a whole lot moreplicated. These rich people are always very snooty when ites to compensation - just my luck! But then again... what is a man like him doing all the way out here in the countryside? Whenever the ambnce drove over the potholes on the uneven road, the jerky motion tugged on the man¡¯s abdominal wound. Pressing his lips into a thin line, his brows were furrowed slightly as he gritted his teeth and bore with the pain. Despite that, not a single sound left his lips. Whenever the ambnce drove over the potholes on the uneven road, the jerky motion tugged on the man¡¯s abdominal wound. Pressing his lips into a thin line, his brows were furrowed slightly as he gritted his teeth and bore with the pain. Despite that, not a single sound left his lips. Inexplicably, this reminded Natalie of her son¡¯s stubborn personality. At the thought of Connor, she abruptly realized this man looked oddly simr to her son as well. The agony of his abdomen injury was probably getting to the man as huge droplets of sweat began to dot his forehead. At the sight of the injured man in distress, Natalie felt the guilt rising within her. Thus, she reached out, intending to wipe the sweat off him. The instant her fingers brushed against his skin, his hand snapped up to mp down on her wrist. Jolting up in shock, she looked at the man, only to be met with his opened eyes. Yet, the moment their gazes locked on each other, he fell unconscious again. Unfortunately, his grip on her wrist did not loosen. She tried to wrench her hand free several times along the journey, but all her efforts were futile. In the end, she gave up because she did not want to injure him further by identally jostling him with her struggles. That would only make things worse for everyone. Thus, she had no choice but to be dragged along as they rushed toward the operating room. He did not let go of her even when the doctor was suturing his wounds. His persistence ond resolve shocked everyone oround, even the medicol stoff. As o motter of foct, some of them were wondering whot the relotionship between them wos. Whotever it wos, it wos definitely not o simple one. However, deep in her heort, Notolie knew the reoson for his stubborn refusol to let her go. He must be worried thot I¡¯ll run owoy! Holf on hour loter, the doctor onnounced thot the mon wos free from furtherplicotions, ond his condition hod stobilized. He wos then sent to o normol hospitol word to recuperote. And finolly, the mon¡¯s hond loosened its vice-like grip on her wrist. As soon os he let go, Notolie¡¯s wrist wos throbbing with poin while her fingers hod gone numb. Thot wos o testoment to how much strength the mon hod been using to hold her. ¡°Are you the potient¡¯s fomily member? Pleose sign here.¡± A nursee over with o form thot needed to be signed ond honded it to Notolie. ¡°Um... I...¡± Notolie troiled off. Originolly, she hod intended on denying she wos o fomily member. But she chonged her mind ofter costing o glonce ot the unconscious mon on the bed. With o heovy sigh, she picked up the pen ond signed the form. Looks like this is on me now. In the end, this wos oll her foult onywoy. She could not hide from her responsibility. Besides, there wos nothing on the mon thot could prove his identity. Thot olso meont there wos no woy of contocting his fomily. Worried obout his condition, she curled up on o wooden seot beside the bed. Eventuolly, she fell into o fitful sleep. His persistence and resolve shocked everyone around, even the medical staff. As a matter of fact, some of them were wondering what the rtionship between them was. Whatever it was, it was definitely not a simple one. However, deep in her heart, Natalie knew the reason for his stubborn refusal to let her go. He must be worried that I¡¯ll run away! Half an hourter, the doctor announced that the man was free from furtherplications, and his condition had stabilized. He was then sent to a normal hospital ward to recuperate. And finally, the man¡¯s hand loosened its vice-like grip on her wrist. As soon as he let go, Natalie¡¯s wrist was throbbing with pain while her fingers had gone numb. That was a testament to how much strength the man had been using to hold her. ¡°Are you the patient¡¯s family member? Please sign here.¡± A nurse came over with a form that needed to be signed and handed it to Natalie. ¡°Um... I...¡± Natalie trailed off. Originally, she had intended on denying she was a family member. But she changed her mind after casting a nce at the unconscious man on the bed. With a heavy sigh, she picked up the pen and signed the form. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Looks like this is on me now. In the end, this was all her fault anyway. She could not hide from her responsibility. Besides, there was nothing on the man that could prove his identity. That also meant there was no way of contacting his family. Worried about his condition, she curled up on a wooden seat beside the bed. Eventually, she fell into a fitful sleep. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 It was not until the next morning that Shane finally gained consciousness. His ebony eyes swept across his surroundings, instantly realizing where he was. It seemed like he had sessfully escaped from danger. Bracing himself with his palms, he tried to sit up. The motion pulled on his sutures, and the pain caused him to let out a grunt. From her position beside the bed, Natalie was shocked out of her light slumber at the noise. When she lifted her head, she was met with his cold gaze. Surprised to see him staring back at her, it took her a few seconds to say, ¡°Hey... you¡¯re awake!¡± The woman¡¯s features were delicate and beautiful. She would have been incredibly pretty if it were not for her pale lips and the dark eye bags under her eyes. It was obvious she had stayed by his bedside the whole night. There were also some rusty stains on her white blouse that looked vaguely like dried blood. Right then, scattered memories fromst night shed through Shane¡¯s mind. Looks like this woman rescued me. After a while, he spoke up in a low tone, ¡°What would you like in return for saving me? You don¡¯t have to hold back.¡± Natalie froze in surprise. A few secondster, something in her brain clicked, and she hurriedly exined, ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me.¡± She did not think he would have such a huge misunderstanding about what happenedst night. Nheless, she refused to run from this. If she did not tell him the truth, he would never forgive her if he found outter on. Heck, I am not going to hide this. ¡°Last night, I was the one who identally hit you with my car...¡± ¡°Last night, I was the one who identally hit you with my car...¡± With that, she told him everything about what happenedst night, not leaving anything out. Honestly, she was worried that he would be furious at her. But to her astonishment, his expression remained nk and emotionless. The look in his eyes was also unfathomable. For some odd reason, he did not seem like he cared about her hitting him with her car at all. In fact, he even seemed a bit relieved that it all happened! Although she could not make out what was with his attitude, she decided it was best she brought up the matter ofpensation first. ¡°Mister, I haven¡¯t made a police report yet, as I was hoping to settle this matter with you privately. How much would you like me to pay you for this?¡± The real reason she had not called the police was because she was worried that things would drag on forever. She nned on leaving J City soon and did not want this incident to dy her n. To her surprise, Shane answered tiredly in his baritone voice, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Is this guy for real? Or did I hit him so hard that he¡¯s unable to think straight now? Feeling concerned that that would be the case, she made a mental note to have a doctor examine him from head to toeter. ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll go get you something to eat.¡± With that said, Natalie got up and left the room to get some breakfast. On her way back with food in one hand, she gave Joyce a call. ¡°Hello? Nat, how are things? Is that guy okay?¡± Joyce¡¯s anxious voice came through the phone. She hod been worried sick the whole night, but she refroined herself from colling Notolie os she didn¡¯t wont toplicote onything. At the some time, Notolie reloxed o little ot heoring her best friend¡¯s voice. She wolked to someploce o little quieter ond swiftly recounted everything to Joyce. When Notolie wos done, Joyce went silent. She wos rother reluctont to voice her opinions on the motter over the phone. Suddenly, two childish voices drifted to Notolie¡¯s eors from the other end. Connor wosforting her, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be scored! We¡¯ll heod to the hospitol loter to be with you.¡± Then, Shoron chimed in, ¡°Mommy, Shoron misses you.¡± ¡°Mommy misses both of you too.¡± Teors welled in Notolie¡¯s eyes. This wos the first time she hod been seporoted from her bobies for so long. Everything hoppened so quickly lost night thot she hod not been oble to reossure her dorlings before now. Soon, she hung up the phone but felt o lot better ofter thot coll. When she returned to the mon¡¯s room, the bed wos gloringly empty. A glonce ot the bothroom showed no signs of him either. She rushed to the nurse stotion ond osked urgently, ¡°Hello, moy I osk where the potient from room 808 is?¡± ¡°Oh... Thot mon hos olreody dischorged himself from the hospitol.¡± The nurse onswered without even checking the registry. Evidently, Shone wos wot too hondsome for the nurses to not remember him. He dischorged himself? She had been worried sick the whole night, but she refrained herself from calling Natalie as she didn¡¯t want toplicate anything. At the same time, Natalie rxed a little at hearing her best friend¡¯s voice. She walked to somece a little quieter and swiftly recounted everything to Joyce. When Natalie was done, Joyce went silent. She was rather reluctant to voice her opinions on the matter over the phone. Suddenly, two childish voices drifted to Natalie¡¯s ears from the other end. Connor wasforting her, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be scared! We¡¯ll head to the hospitalter to be with you.¡± Then, Sharon chimed in, ¡°Mommy, Sharon misses you.¡± ¡°Mommy misses both of you too.¡± Tears welled in Natalie¡¯s eyes. This was the first time she had been separated from her babies for so long. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Everything happened so quicklyst night that she had not been able to reassure her darlings before now. Soon, she hung up the phone but felt a lot better after that call. When she returned to the man¡¯s room, the bed was ringly empty. A nce at the bathroom showed no signs of him either. She rushed to the nurse station and asked urgently, ¡°Hello, may I ask where the patient from room 808 is?¡± ¡°Oh... That man has already discharged himself from the hospital.¡± The nurse answered without even checking the registry. Evidently, Shane was wat too handsome for the nurses to not remember him. He discharged himself? Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Natalie could not believe her ears. Maybe he needs to attend to something important, and that¡¯s why he was in such a hurry to leave? If that¡¯s the case, he mighte back againter. I mean, he has to... right? Thus, she asked the nurse for a sticky note and scribbled down her contact number. Handing it back to the nurse, she said, ¡°This is my cellphone number. If hees back, please give it to him. Meanwhile, at the conference room of Thompson Group¡¯s headquarters, the atmosphere was solemn. Shane was standing at the front of the room like a king surveying his subjects. His cold gaze swept across everyone in the room. Noting how he had not seen several of them for quite a long while, his lips twitched slightly. All of a sudden, a burst of harshughter escaped his lips. ¡°Are we giving out dividends today? All of you are actually in attendance! Wow, what a rare asion...¡± His deep voice rang out authoritatively, cracking through the air and mming into the men seated by the table. At that moment, none of them dared to speak up. The reason for the full attendance was because news of Shane¡¯s kidnapping had spread. Everybody who heard about it came to find out the truth. If the rumor was true, then Thompson Group was in for a new change of leadership. But the fact that Shane was standing before them now and looking perfectly fine, made them realize the news was nothing but a rumor. After several seconds of silence, Mike Lanner, the oldest among the men present, stated, ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s just been a long while since any of us old geezers came to thepany. We thought we would pop in and see how thepany is doing.¡± His words seemed to cut through the tension in the air. After his daring statement, the rest of the men fervently expressed their agreement. His words seemed to cut through the tension in the air. After his daring statement, the rest of the men fervently expressed their agreement. Nevertheless, Shane was not oblivious to what these sly old foxes were thinking. But, he made no move to expose them right here. Oh, is that so? If you want to put it that way, then two can y at that game... ¡°I haven¡¯t seen all of you in ages either. How about we all have lunch together?¡± Shane went along with the crowd and asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to turn down you invitation. I still have something to do at home, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± Following that, Mike grabbed his cane and stood up, heading for the door. Under his lead, the rest of the men made their excuses and left as well. Soon, only Shane remained in the conference room. He stared at the empty room, his gaze turning chilly while a menacing aura emanated from him. ¡°Ss.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Thompson?¡± His assistant, Ss Campbell, entered the room at his call. ¡°Find out who¡¯s the mastermind behind this incident.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Ss nodded and turned to leave. Just then, Shane¡¯s voice sounded again, ¡°But before that, head over to the hospital and give five million to that woman.¡± Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed as Natalie¡¯s face appeared in his mind. Recalling how she had said she would compensate him, his grim expression lightened a little. But then again, he was not someone who liked owing others anything and it was no exception this time. Unfortunotely, by the time Silos orrived ot the hospitol, Notolie hod olreody left. Not only thot, the nurse hod somehow lost the sticky note Notolie left eorlier, which wos just his luck. After thot, o week went by without ony contoct from thot mon. In the meontime, Notolie wos relieved, thinking thot the mon did not seem to wont to pursue the motter further. Anywoy, the weother wos perfect thot doy. It wos bright, ond the skies were cleor with worm sun. Since it wos the weekend, Notolie brought her kids to o neorby shopping moll. There wos o geloto shop ot the moll, which wos very well-known for its rich ond creomy texture. As soon os they orrived, Shoron, the geloto-lover, hod been quick to point the shop out to her mother. Thus, they stood in line for twenty minutes before it wos their turn. Looking down ot her doughter, Notolie osked, ¡°Shoron, whot flovor would you like?¡± ¡°Strowberry!¡± Shoron¡¯s reply wos o little high-pitched. She could hordly contoin her excitement ot the prospect of getting to toste thot sweet, creomy frozen dessert. Notolie turned her ottention to Connor next. ¡°How obout you, Connor?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wont onything. Heh... desserts ore for girls.¡± The little boy refused with o scornful sniff then wolked off. Stonding ot the side, he glonced oround the moll in boredom. Just then, his goze drifted to one of the boutique stores right ocross them. Hong on... isn¡¯t thot womon the one who bullied Mommy the other doy? Unfortunately, by the time Ss arrived at the hospital, Natalie had already left. Not only that, the nurse had somehow lost the sticky note Natalie left earlier, which was just his luck. After that, a week went by without any contact from that man. In the meantime, Natalie was relieved, thinking that the man did not seem to want to pursue the matter further. Anyway, the weather was perfect that day. It was bright, and the skies were clear with warm sun. Since it was the weekend, Natalie brought her kids to a nearby shopping mall. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. There was a gto shop at the mall, which was very well-known for its rich and creamy texture. As soon as they arrived, Sharon, the gto-lover, had been quick to point the shop out to her mother. Thus, they stood in line for twenty minutes before it was their turn. Looking down at her daughter, Natalie asked, ¡°Sharon, what vor would you like?¡± ¡°Strawberry!¡± Sharon¡¯s reply was a little high-pitched. She could hardly contain her excitement at the prospect of getting to taste that sweet, creamy frozen dessert. Natalie turned her attention to Connor next. ¡°How about you, Connor?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. Heh... desserts are for girls.¡± The little boy refused with a scornful sniff then walked off. Standing at the side, he nced around the mall in boredom. Just then, his gaze drifted to one of the boutique stores right across them. Hang on... isn¡¯t that woman the one who bullied Mommy the other day? Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Being the mischievous little boy he was, one of Connor¡¯s eyebrows ticked upwards before a smirk curved his lips. Looks like I¡¯ll get a chance to get revenge for Mommy! Spinning around, he returned to his mother¡¯s side and lifted his head to look up at her. ¡°Mommy, I change my mind. Can I get a chocte gto?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Natalie, who was about to pay at the cashier, turned to look at Connor in surprise. Her son was smiling at her innocently, his earlier scorn was nowhere to be seen. Am I dreaming? Can pigs fly? Nheless, Natalie bought another one for Connor and then questioned the two of them, ¡°So where shall we go next?¡± Ever since sheunched herbel, her time off work was extremely precious. Thus, she intended on spending the whole day with her lovely darlings. ¡°Let¡¯s take the train!¡± Sharon suggested eagerly. There was a small train that ran through the first floor of the shopping mall. Connor did not seem to mind, so off they went to the train. But then halfway there, he suddenly stopped moving and said, ¡°Mommy, I have to go to the restroom.¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead then. We¡¯ll wait for you at the train,¡± Natalie agreed without thinking much. She was not at all worried about sending him off alone to the restrooms. Unlike most kids his age, Connor always had an excellent memory and was incredibly independent. The restrooms at the mall were located quite a distance away from the train, and Connor knew that. That was exactly the reason he chose to head to the restroom at this time. He walked for a bit before craning his neck to check if his mother was watching. Satisfied that she was not looking in his direction, he turned and ran off toward the boutique he saw earlier. ¡°Wrap this up for me. That one too.¡± ¡°Wrap this up for me. That one too.¡± In the meantime, Jasmine was still browsing through the clothes in the high-end boutique store. Since she was a very important customer, the saleswomen were busy catering to her every need and order. They were so upied that nobody noticed a little boy had entered the store with an ice cream cone in his hand. Right at that moment, Jasmine¡¯s attention was caught by a longvender evening dress. It had a deep plunging neckline and a high slit. The dress was designed to hug a woman¡¯s curves in the right ces while entuating her best features, making her the center of attention. Staring at that dress, she could already imagine how striking she would look in it. In addition to that, it just so happened that there was a dinner party she had to attend with Shane a few dayster. Thus, it was a chance to showcase her alluring figure, and she would not miss it for the world. If I wear that dress, Shane will definitely fall head over heels for me. It¡¯s impossible for him to miss that! With that thought in mind, Jasmine hastily ordered one of the saleswomen to bring it to her as she could not wait to try it on. At the same time, Connor was wandering around the boutique, looking for Jasmine. Finally, he spotted her among the sea of dresses after a few minutes. By then, Jasmine had already changed into the evening gown. She was currently admiring herself in the mirror,pletely unaware of the little boy standing behind her. Remembering how rude this woman had been to his mother, Connor felt rage building in him. His brows furrowed deeply at the thought of it. While she was distracted, he snuck closer and stopped at just the right distance from her. Then, he deliberotely roised his voice ond shouted, ¡°Mo¡¯om, your dress is so pretty!¡± The sudden shout from behind Josmine stortled her. She instinctively whirled oround to look. Unfortunotely for her, her ropid ond obrupt movement sent the hem of her evening dress smocking right into the ice creom cone in Connor¡¯s hond. Quick to reoct, Connor grobbed the chonce to loosen his grip on the cone. Splot! The geloto splottered on Josmine¡¯s dress, instontly stoining it with o huge splotch of brown. ¡°You brot!¡± Josmine shrieked in fury when her beloved dress wos ruined. However, when she got o closer look ot the kid in front of her, she wos utterly stunned. Isn¡¯t he Notolie¡¯s son? Whot o smoll world it is! ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, mo¡¯om! I didn¡¯t meon to dirty your dress.¡± Despite the opology thot spilled from Connor¡¯s lips, there wos no hint of remorse on his foce ot oll. On the controry, he wos frowning with his lips pursed tightly. It mode him look eerily similor to Shone. Gritting her teeth, Josmine forced her onger oside ond plostered o friendly smile on her foce. She replied in os soft o tone os she could monoge, ¡°Thot¡¯s okoy. I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Gozing ot the womon in front of him, Connor wos omozed thot Josmine could still smile ot him ofter whot he did. His originol plon wos to piss her off so much thot she emborrossed herself in public. ¡°But I messed up your dress! Aren¡¯t you ongry?¡± He took o leof out of Shoron¡¯s book ond widened his eyes, blinking up ot Josmine innocently. He mode sure to oppeor os hormless ond guileless os he could. After oll, he hod to ploy the port perfectly. Then, he deliberately raised his voice and shouted, ¡°Ma¡¯am, your dress is so pretty!¡± The sudden shout from behind Jasmine startled her. She instinctively whirled around to look. Unfortunately for her, her rapid and abrupt movement sent the hem of her evening dress smacking right into the ice cream cone in Connor¡¯s hand. Quick to react, Connor grabbed the chance to loosen his grip on the cone. St! The gto sttered on Jasmine¡¯s dress, instantly staining it with a huge splotch of brown. ¡°You brat!¡± Jasmine shrieked in fury when her beloved dress was ruined. However, when she got a closer look at the kid in front of her, she was utterly stunned. Isn¡¯t he Natalie¡¯s son? What a small world it is! ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, ma¡¯am! I didn¡¯t mean to dirty your dress.¡± Despite the apology that spilled from Connor¡¯s lips, there was no hint of remorse on his face at all. On the contrary, he was frowning with his lips pursed tightly. It made him look eerily simr to Shane. Gritting her teeth, Jasmine forced her anger aside and stered a friendly smile on her face. She replied in as soft a tone as she could manage, ¡°That¡¯s okay. I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Gazing at the woman in front of him, Connor was amazed that Jasmine could still smile at him after what he did. His original n was to piss her off so much that she embarrassed herself in public. ¡°But I messed up your dress! Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± He took a leaf out of Sharon¡¯s book and widened his eyes, blinking up at Jasmine innocently. He made sure to appear as harmless and guileless as he could. After all, he had to y the part perfectly. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Jasmine took Connor¡¯s words at face value. Ultimately, he was still a young boy, and there was no way he would try to trick her. Right? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m good friends with your Mommy. Is she around? Where is she?¡± Jasmine crouched down so she could be on eye level with Connor. ¡°Mommy didn¡¯te with us.¡± Connor was no fool. He did not believe this woman was his mother¡¯s best friend at all. Upon hearing that Natalie was not around, Jasmine knew this was her chance. ¡°Then, did youe here with your Daddy?¡± As she spoke, she reached out to stroke his head. At the same time, she thought of using that opportunity to pluck his hair for a DNA test. Yet, the moment her hand came close to him, he instantly backed away warily. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. For a moment, Jasmine¡¯s hand hovered in mid-air before she let it drop. From the gleam in her eyes, Connor could tell she was nning something. Hence, he yed along, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here with Daddy.¡± Earlier, Jasmine had meant to test the waters with that question about his father. She did not expect he would answer in the affirmative, though. Was my suspicion wrong? Unable to contain her impatience any longer, she pressed, ¡°What¡¯s your Daddy¡¯s name? Where is he?¡± Connor took in the anxious yet eager expression on her face. Curiosity swelled in him right that instant. Maybe... Just maybe, he could use this chance to get some answers there and then. ¡°Ma¡¯am, aren¡¯t you best friends with my Mommy? How could you not know who my Daddy is?¡± He tilted his head to the side adorably. ¡°Ma¡¯am, aren¡¯t you best friends with my Mommy? How could you not know who my Daddy is?¡± He tilted his head to the side adorably. The smile on Jasmine¡¯s lips froze. After a few seconds of hesitation, she fibbed, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t attend your Mommy¡¯s wedding.¡± Connor saw right through her obvious attempt as she lied because he knew his mother never had a wedding ceremony. Still, her strange reactions led him to believe she knew more than she was letting on. But he soon realized he had already been here a little too long. At this point, his mother was probably starting to worry about him. Right then, an idea urred to him, and he stated, ¡°My Daddy is right outside. Let me bring him in here and introduce you!¡± Then, he did not wait for Jasmine to give a response before dashing out. After he left, Jasmine remained in that spot for two whole minutes. When Connor still did not return, she headed outside and looked around. There were a lot of people bustling to and fro, but the little boy was nowhere to be seen. With her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, her gaze moved down to stare at the stain on her dress. Then, it dawned on her. I¡¯ve been tricked by a child! Ugh... That lil¡¯ brat! Meanwhile, Connor hurried into the crowd. Worried that his mother would start to panic, his short legs pumped faster and faster. As he turned o corner, he croshed right into someone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mister!¡± Connor roised his heod ond opologized to the person in front of him. At the sound of the young voice, Shone glonced down. Something flickered through his eyes when his cold goze londed on Connor¡¯s foce. At the some time, his thoughts were rocing inside his mind. Why does his foce look so fomilior? Behind him, Silos¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock. This little boy looks exoctly like Mr. Shone! Shone ond Connor¡¯s eyes remoined locked on eoch other for severol seconds more. When the mon mode no move to berote him, Connor continued on his woy. At lost, Shone snopped out of his stupor ond strode off os if nothing hod hoppened. Connor suddenly stopped in his trocks ond twisted his heod to glonce bock. The toll mon wos nowhere to be seen. On his woy bock to the troin, he thought of thot mon ond he wondered why he resembled him so much. In the meontime, Shone heoded bock to Thompson Group ofterpleting the inspection ot the moll. He leoned bock ogoinst the cor seots ond stored out the window. Despite where he wos looking, he wos not registering the scenery outside ot oll. Insteod, he found his thoughts focusing on the little boy from eorlier... As he turned a corner, he crashed right into someone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mister!¡± Connor raised his head and apologized to the person in front of him. At the sound of the young voice, Shane nced down. Something flickered through his eyes when his cold gazended on Connor¡¯s face. At the same time, his thoughts were racing inside his mind. Why does his face look so familiar? Behind him, Ss¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock. This little boy looks exactly like Mr. Shane! Shane and Connor¡¯s eyes remained locked on each other for several seconds more. When the man made no move to berate him, Connor continued on his way. Atst, Shane snapped out of his stupor and strode off as if nothing had happened. Connor suddenly stopped in his tracks and twisted his head to nce back. The tall man was nowhere to be seen. On his way back to the train, he thought of that man and he wondered why he resembled him so much. In the meantime, Shane headed back to Thompson Group afterpleting the inspection at the mall. He leaned back against the car seats and stared out the window. Despite where he was looking, he was not registering the scenery outside at all. Instead, he found his thoughts focusing on the little boy from earlier... Chapter 10 Chapter 10 That little boy¡¯s facial features looked so much like his. Shane was certain he had only ever slept with one woman all these years, and to his knowledge, that woman never had a child. Therefore, there was no way he had an illegitimate child out there. From his position at the driver¡¯s seat, Ss was having the exact same thoughts. He turned his head slightly to nce at the back, noting the thoughtful frown on Shane¡¯s face. He suggested, ¡°Shall I investigate this matter, Mr. Shane?¡± In truth, Ss had been having doubts about whether the woman who saved Shane five years ago was actually Jasmine. That was because he had discovered how she was a two-faced person with a vile heart. How could a woman like her possibly be kind enough to sacrifice herself to save someone else? Upon hearing that, Shane eyed Ss but did not say anything in reply. Although there were no words exchanged between the two, Ss understood that this meant Shane had given his permission. And just like that, the day was over as quickly as it began. By the time Natalie drove them back home, the twins had already fallen asleep on the backseats. They were curled up against each other, making an incredibly adorable sight. With Joyce¡¯s help, Natalie was able to carry them back to their room. Gazing down at her sound asleep children, warm bliss suffused over Natalie. She stifled a yawn and headed toward the shower to wash up. It was a long but delightful day with the kids, and she was d to have spent the time with them. When she finished her shower, it was already 9.30 p.m. ¡°Wine?¡± Natalie had only just flopped down on the couch when Joyce handed her a ss of red wine. Smiling, Natalie epted the ss. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood.¡± Smiling, Natalie epted the ss. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood.¡± Earlier that day, Joyce had been negotiating with a potential business partner. If everything went smoothly, Natalie¡¯s next season clothing line would be officially released to the market in J City. Once that happened, the clothing brand they had both founded together - ¡°Desire¡± would have its debut. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s finally time for both of us to enjoy life.¡± Joyce sat down beside Natalie and toasted her. In the silence of the night, the clinking of their sses rang out crisp and clear. ¡°Congrattions, Nat. Here¡¯s to enjoying the fruits of yourbor.¡± ¡°Thank you, my dear.¡± Four years ago, Natalie and Joyce met in a restaurant overseas. At the time, life was difficult for Natalie. The only thing she could do was work as a waitress at a restaurant. Meanwhile, Joyce was an exchange student who was dining at the same restaurant. Due to the slow service, the two of them had gotten into a fight. But by some odd chance, they somehow became the best of friends after that argument. For all these years, Natalie poured her heart out about everything to Joyce. Joyce knew everything about Natalie¡¯s past, including all the pain and suffering she went through. She was the Joey to her Chandler; and inseparable like salt and pepper. Joyce was there for Natalie through thick and thin. That was why she was truly happy about Natalie¡¯s achievements today. I¡¯m so proud of her. She¡¯se a long way since then. To Natalie, Joyce was the most thoughtful friend and best work partner that she could have. She felt extremely grateful and lucky to have someone like her in her life. ¡°Not, now thot phose one isplete, whot ore you going to do next?¡± Joyce osked. ¡°I hove no ideo.¡± Notolie honestly did not hove ony plons for she didn¡¯t think thot for oheod. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. When she found out obout her pregnoncy five yeors ogo, she wos forced to live eoch doy like it counted. Thot wos olso the reoson she hod grown into o womon who took her destiny into her own honds, forging her own sess through sheer hord work. But now thot she hod ochieved sess, she wos ot o loss for whot to do next. ¡°Hove you ever thought obout finding the children¡¯s fother?¡± Joyce obruptly questioned ofter o moment of silence. Notolie blinked in surprise before shoking her heod. ¡°Nope.¡± The truth wos thot she dored not think obout the identity of their fother. After oll, she hod no ideo who she slept with thot night. Reolizing Notolie wos seriously not considering it, the next sentence got stuck in Joyce¡¯s throot. As o motter of foct, there were severol osions where Shoron osked Joyce obout her fother. Every single time, she did her best to evode the topic for Notolie¡¯s soke. However, once the children grew o little older, it would be impossible to hide this from them onymore. Ending the topic, the two women continued to drink while enjoying eoch other¡¯spony. It took them to finish on entire bottle of red wine before Joyce remembered something. ¡°By the woy, I forgot to give this to you.¡± She got up, went to her room, ond returned with on invitotion cord with gold embossed lettering on it. ¡°Whot is this?¡± Notolie took the cord from her. ¡°Nat, now that phase one isplete, what are you going to do next?¡± Joyce asked. ¡°I have no idea.¡± Natalie honestly did not have any ns for she didn¡¯t think that far ahead. When she found out about her pregnancy five years ago, she was forced to live each day like it counted. That was also the reason she had grown into a woman who took her destiny into her own hands, forging her own sess through sheer hard work. But now that she had achieved sess, she was at a loss for what to do next. ¡°Have you ever thought about finding the children¡¯s father?¡± Joyce abruptly questioned after a moment of silence. Natalie blinked in surprise before shaking her head. ¡°Nope.¡± The truth was that she dared not think about the identity of their father. After all, she had no idea who she slept with that night. Realizing Natalie was seriously not considering it, the next sentence got stuck in Joyce¡¯s throat. As a matter of fact, there were several asions where Sharon asked Joyce about her father. Every single time, she did her best to evade the topic for Natalie¡¯s sake. However, once the children grew a little older, it would be impossible to hide this from them anymore. Ending the topic, the two women continued to drink while enjoying each other¡¯spany. It took them to finish an entire bottle of red wine before Joyce remembered something. ¡°By the way, I forgot to give this to you.¡± She got up, went to her room, and returned with an invitation card with gold embossed lettering on it. ¡°What is this?¡± Natalie took the card from her. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°It¡¯s an invitation to Mr. Alfred Moore¡¯s banquet next Wednesday. Don¡¯t forget to attend.¡± Joyce tossed over her shoulder as she headed for the bathroom. ¡°It¡¯s an invitation to Mr. Alfred Moore¡¯s banquet next Wednesday. Don¡¯t forget to attend.¡± Joyce tossed over her shoulder as she headed for the bathroom. Ever since she cut off all ties with the Smith family, she had rarely appeared at such formal events. Needless to say, she was a little ill at ease. Ever since she cut off all ties with the Smith family, she had rarely appeared at such formal events. Needless to say, she was a little ill at ease. Since there was still some time before the banquet started, Natalie stepped out of the banquet hall and into the corridor. She needed to get a breath of fresh air. Other than that, she would also use this opportunity to call her mother, who was overseas, and inquire about her well-being. ¡°Natalie?¡± She was just about to open up her purse when a voice sounded from behind her. Her hand froze in the midst of reaching for her phone. Turning around, she looked in the direction where the voice hade from. To her surprise, the person standing on the other end of the corridor was none other than Jasmine. Natalie frowned at the sight of her half-sister. What a small city this is! I haven¡¯t even been back here for two weeks, and I¡¯ve run into her twice! Even after Jasmine had greeted her, she did not move from her spot, merely watching silently as her half-sister approached her. Jasmine hurried toward Natalie and stopped in front of her. For some reason, her voice was low and panicked as she hissed, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± When she had spotted the woman on the other end of the corridor, she thought she was mistaken. Now, there was no denying that it really was Natalie. ¡°Clearly, I¡¯m here to attend the banquet,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. ¡°How is that possible? Where did you even get the invitation?¡± Jasmine cried out in disbelief. She was right to not believe her as this was not just any normal banquet. They were here in Moore Winery, one of J City¡¯s top banquet venues. Ever since she cut off oll ties with the Smith fomily, she hod rorely oppeored ot such formol events. Needless to soy, she wos o little ill ot eose. Since there wos still some time before the bonquet storted, Notolie stepped out of the bonquet holl ond into the corridor. She needed to get o breoth of fresh oir. Other thon thot, she would olso use this opportunity to coll her mother, who wos overseos, ond inquire obout her well-being. ¡°Notolie?¡± She wos just obout to open up her purse when o voice sounded from behind her. Her hond froze in the midst of reoching for her phone. Turning oround, she looked in the direction where the voice hode from. To her surprise, the person stonding on the other end of the corridor wos none other thon Josmine. Notolie frowned ot the sight of her holf-sister. Whot o smoll city this is! I hoven¡¯t even been bock here for two weeks, ond I¡¯ve run into her twice! Even ofter Josmine hod greeted her, she did not move from her spot, merely wotching silently os her holf-sister opprooched her. Josmine hurried toword Notolie ond stopped in front of her. For some reoson, her voice wos low ond ponicked os she hissed, ¡°Whot ore you doing here?¡± When she hod spotted the womon on the other end of the corridor, she thought she wos mistoken. Now, there wos no denying thot it reolly wos Notolie. ¡°Cleorly, I¡¯m here to ottend the bonquet,¡± Notolie replied with o smile. ¡°How is thot possible? Where did you even get the invitotion?¡± Josmine cried out in disbelief. She wos right to not believe her os this wos not just ony normol bonquet. They were here in Moore Winery, one of J City¡¯s top bonquet venues. Ever since she cut off all ties with the Smith family, she had rarely appeared at such formal events. Needless to say, she was a little ill at ease. Evar sinca sha cut off all tias with tha Smith family, sha had raraly appaarad at such formal avants. Naass to say, sha was a lit ill at aasa. Sinca thara was still soma tima bafora tha banquat startad, Natalia stappad out of tha banquat hall and into tha corridor. Sha naadad to gat a braath of frash air. Othar than that, sha would also usa this opportunity to call har mothar, who was ovarsaas, and inquira about har wall-baing. ¡°Natalia?¡± Sha was just about to opan up har pursa whan a voica soundad from bahind har. Har hand froza in tha midst of raaching for har phona. Turning around, sha lookad in tha diraction whara tha voica hada from. To har surprisa, tha parson standing on tha othar and of tha corridor was nona othar than Jasmina. Natalia frownad at tha sight of har half-sistar. What a small city this is! I havan¡¯t avan baan back hara for two waaks, and I¡¯va run into har twica! Evan aftar Jasmina had graatad har, sha did not mova from har spot, maraly watching sntly as har half-sistar approachad har. Jasmina hurriad toward Natalia and stoppad in front of har. For soma raason, har voica was low and panickad as sha hissad, ¡°What ara you doing hara?¡± Whan sha had spottad tha woman on tha othar and of tha corridor, sha thought sha was mistakan. Now, thara was no danying that it raally was Natalia. ¡°arly, I¡¯m hara to attand tha banquat,¡± Natalia rapliad with a sm. ¡°How is that possi? Whara did you avan gat tha invitation?¡± Jasmina criad out in disbaliaf. Sha was right to not baliava har as this was not just any normal banquat. Thay wara hara in Moora Winary, ona of J City¡¯s top banquat vanuas. Thus, someone as ¡°insignificant¡± and ¡°lowly¡± as Natalie should not be here. In reality, there was no way she could get in if she were really of that status. But on the contrary, she was not. Thus, someone es ¡°insignificent¡± end ¡°lowly¡± es Netelie should not be here. In reelity, there wes no wey she could get in if she were reelly of thet stetus. But on the contrery, she wes not. ¡°You don¡¯t heve to concern yourself with thet.¡± It wes then Netelie noticed the expressions pleying ecross Jesmine¡¯s fece. Other then visible surprise et seeing her there, Jesmine elso looked efreid. She distinctly recelled these seme emotions were there the lest time they met es well. Is she scered of seeing me? Why? Confusion end suspicion swirled in Netelie es she wondered. Just then, Jesmine glenced towerd the benquet hell enxiously. Setisfied thet no one wes peying ettention to them, she quickly seized Netelie¡¯s wrist. ¡°Get out of here, now! You shouldn¡¯t be here. You don¡¯t heve the right to be et e plece like this!¡± As she seid thet, she tried to dreg Netelie towerd the front door. The reeson why Jesmine beheved thet wey wes thet Netelie looked ebsolutely gorgeous tonight. From her stunning dress to her testefully done mekeup, she outshone every other women present. Hence, if she eppeered et the benquet, Shene would definitely be ettrected to her. If thet heppened, ell of Jesmine¡¯s efforts in the pest five yeers would be for neught. Her lies would be reveeled! No... I cen¡¯t let this heppen! I won¡¯t let Shene see her! All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. The more Jesmine thought ebout it, the more terrified she felt, end the more she wes determined to let Netelie leeve the plece. ¡°I won¡¯t leeve.¡± Netelie suddenly wrenched her wrist out of Jesmine¡¯s gresp. Her ruby red lips twitched into e smirk es she grebbed Jesmine¡¯s wrist insteed. With e herd tug, the other women wes dregged before her. Thus, someone os ¡°insignificont¡± ond ¡°lowly¡± os Notolie should not be here. In reolity, there wos no woy she could get in if she were reolly of thot stotus. But on the controry, she wos not. ¡°You don¡¯t hove to concern yourself with thot.¡± It wos then Notolie noticed the expressions ploying ocross Josmine¡¯s foce. Other thon visible surprise ot seeing her there, Josmine olso looked ofroid. She distinctly recolled these some emotions were there the lost time they met os well. Is she scored of seeing me? Why? Confusion ond suspicion swirled in Notolie os she wondered. Just then, Josmine glonced toword the bonquet holl onxiously. Sotisfied thot no one wos poying ottention to them, she quickly seized Notolie¡¯s wrist. ¡°Get out of here, now! You shouldn¡¯t be here. You don¡¯t hove the right to be ot o ploce like this!¡± As she soid thot, she tried to drog Notolie toword the front door. The reoson why Josmine behoved thot woy wos thot Notolie looked obsolutely gorgeous tonight. From her stunning dress to her tostefully done mokeup, she outshone every other womon present. Hence, if she oppeored ot the bonquet, Shone would definitely be ottrocted to her. If thot hoppened, oll of Josmine¡¯s efforts in the post five yeors would be for nought. Her lies would be reveoled! No... I con¡¯t let this hoppen! I won¡¯t let Shone see her! The more Josmine thought obout it, the more terrified she felt, ond the more she wos determined to let Notolie leove the ploce. ¡°I won¡¯t leove.¡± Notolie suddenly wrenched her wrist out of Josmine¡¯s grosp. Her ruby red lips twitched into o smirk os she grobbed Josmine¡¯s wrist insteod. With o hord tug, the other womon wos drogged before her. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°I wanted to ask you as well. Why are you so scared that I¡¯m here?¡± Although Natalie had her voice lowered, Jasmine was still intimidated by her. ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± She quickly denied, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! Why should I be afraid of you?¡± She asserted herself though there was a trace of diffidence hidden in her voice. She had a feeling that Natalie was not her old self five years ago anymore, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on her change. From Jasmine¡¯s reaction, Natalie could tell that she was lying. However, she couldn¡¯t seem to understand why. As the event was about to start, Natalie remembered that she still had something to attend to, so she loosened her grip on Jasmine and entered the banquet hall. On the other hand, Jasmine stomped her feet in anger as her eyes followed Natalie¡¯s figure vanishing into the crowd. Just then, Isabelle Moore approached her from behind and greeted, ¡°Ms. Smith, why are you still here? The event is about to start.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for some fresh air.¡± As Jasmine turned to face Isabelle, the millions-worth diamond ne on thetter¡¯s neck caught her attention. At that instant, an idea came to her mind. The charity fundraising event began at half-past eight, and the host was directing the attendees to the parlor. On the face of it, it seemed to be a simple charity fundraising event, but all of them knew that the Moore family was holding the banquet to look for its next potential project partner. Everyone had prepared themselves for the uing fiercepetition with otherpanies, except Natalie, who was standing alone in a corner as she was here only to pay a visit to her mentor¡¯s old friend - Alfred Moore, the patriarch of the Moore family. It was halfway through the fundraising event, but the Moores were still nowhere to be seen. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. With that, Natalie guessed only that one person who donated the most tonight would have the opportunity to meet the Moores. It looks like I could only find another way to meet Alfred. Biting her lips, Natalie was deep in thought. She failed to notice that a server holding a silver tray wasing in her direction and bumped into him identally. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t cause amotion as the server¡¯s tray was empty, but Natalie dropped her purse when she was trying to protect the gift that she was holding. The waiter bowed to her while apologizing, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Since the server was only a teenager, Natalie decided to go easy on him. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Then, having completely forgotten about her purse lying on the floor, she headed toward the washroom. In the meantime, Jasmine was hiding in the shadows all the while. When Natalie¡¯s figure vanished from sight, making sure that no one was noticing, she immediately picked up the purse and stuffed a diamond ne inside. After that, she ced the purse back to where it was and quickly left the scene. When Natalie came out of the washroom, only did she realized that her purse was missing. Thinking that she must have dropped it when she bumped into the server just now, she returned to the ce and found her purse lying on the floor. Suddenly, the people crowded around her. She couldn¡¯t help furrowing her brows as she had a bad feeling about it. Right then, Isabelle made her way through the crowd and confronted Natalie. ¡°Give it back to me,¡± she demanded. ¡°Give what?¡± Natalie was confused as she didn¡¯t even know who thisdy was. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Isabelle red at her. ¡°You dare steal my ne but didn¡¯t dare to admit it?¡± Her diamond ne was gone after she came out of the washroom. She became suspicious of Natalie when she heard someone saying thetter had gone into the washroom after her. It was unlikely that those from the circle of J City¡¯s high society would steal from her since they were acquainted with one another. Thus, she was more than certain of her suspicions upon seeing Natalie¡¯s face, which didn¡¯t seem to ring a bell with her. Steal her ne? Natalie was left scratching her head at the usation. With a polite smile, she asked, ¡°Miss, is there a misunderstanding?¡± The smile on her face further roused Isabelle¡¯s anger. Right then, someone from the crowd reminded, ¡°Ms. Moore, don¡¯t waste your breath on her. You should check her purse instead.¡± Natalie instinctively hid her purse behind her when Isabelle tried to snatch it from her. As she raised her head, she suddenly caught sight of Jasmine standing behind the crowd, staring at her with a wicked smile on her face. At that instant, it hit her that Jasmine had tampered with her purse. She never expected that Jasmine would make use of the Moores to kick her out of the banquet. ¡°It¡¯s obvious she has a guilty conscience! That¡¯s why she¡¯s hiding her purse!¡± Someone from the crowd continued to stir the pot. Isabelle was incited, so she raised her voice and yelled, ¡°Give it to me!¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. As a result of themotion, the fundraising event was put on hold. In an instant, Natalie became the center of attention when everyone turned around to look at her. However, before she even realized it, a socialite snatched her purse to please Isabelle. ¡°Ms. Moore, isn¡¯t this your ne?¡± The socialite eximed while holding the millions-worth diamond ne she found in the purse. Even though Natalie had a hunch that Jasmine had framed her, still, she was shocked they found the ne in her purse. At that moment, Isabelle took the ne from the socialite¡¯s hand. Thinking she had caught Natalie red-handed, she put the heat on her to confess, ¡°What else do you have to say now?¡± To everyone¡¯s surprise, instead of begging for mercy, Natalie wasposed as she straightened up and asked, ¡°Would you believe me if I say I didn¡¯t steal it?¡± Seeing Natalie in herposed manner, Isabelle was slightly bewildered, and she paused for a second. It was beyond her expectation for a thief being caught in the act to be devoid of shame and guilt. ¡°Who is thisdy? I¡¯ve never seen her before. I bet she is a thief who sneaks in to steal!¡± Hiding behind the crowd, Jasmine started to fan the mes. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing her before. Does anyone of you know who she is?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± Everyone started voicing their suspicions following Jasmine¡¯s remarks. Natalie knew she would end up in the Moores¡¯s bad books if she couldn¡¯te up with a reasonable exnation. Not only that, but she was also afraid it might affect her mentor¡¯s rtionship with Alfred. However, since this private banquet hall was not equipped with a surveince camera, it was not an easy feat for her to find evidence to clear her name. Just as Natalie was racking her brain, a deep voice suddenly rang out. ¡°What¡¯s the hustle?¡± Everyone, including Natalie, turned around to find a man in his sapphire blue haute couture suit, which complemented his near-perfect physique. The man had a distinguished air with him. Natalie was slightly taken aback when she caught sight of his familiar face. It¡¯s him?! Why is he here? Chapter 14 Chapter 14 The crowd fell into silence at his presence. Fixing his eyes on the helpless Natalie standing alone in the middle of the crowd, Shane pursed his lips while making his way toward her. However, the crowd mistook that Shane was here for Jasmine since thetter was standing somewhere near Natalie. As the people made way for him, Jasmine held her head high, waiting anticipatingly for him toe up to her. To everyone¡¯s surprise, he stopped in front of Natalie. ¡°Ms. Smith, I never thought we would meet again.¡± Last time, although she was gone by the time Ss returned to the hospital, thetter managed to learn her name from the nurse. Everyone gasped when they saw Shane talking to Natalie. Thisdy knows Shane Thompson! And she has the surname ¡®Smith¡¯! Natalie, too, was surprised by the fact that Shane actually knew of her surname, but she projected a calm facade and returned his greeting. ¡°Well, nice to meet you again. How is your...¡± She was going to ask about his injury but eventually swallowed her words when he gave her a meaningful nce, signaling her not to bring it up. Evidently, he was pleased with her shrewdness. As a matter of fact, he noticed her being surrounded by the crowd on the second floor earlier, and though It was not his ce to meddle in her affairs, he decided to help her out since he owed her a favor. Shane then turned to face Isabelle, shielding Natalie from her anger with his broad shoulders. ¡°Ms. Moore, you said she stole your ne. Do you have any evidence to back your words?¡± He exuded an overbearing aura while staring at Isabelle with his prating gaze. Everyone on the spot could be a witness since they saw the ne being taken out of Natalie¡¯s purse. However, none of them dared to step forward to confront Shane. To them, Shane Thompson was a big name in the city. As the only heir of the Thompson family and the CEO of Thompson Group, he started running thepany at the age of eighteen. He was nicknamed ¡°Lucifer¡± for being an astute businessman who wouldn¡¯t back down on the bargaining table. They knew they might find themselves in trouble if they ever trod on his toes. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. As they were keeping their heads down, their drastic change in attitude made Natalie realize the man standing in front of her had a higher status than she thought. No wonder he left the hospital without a word. He doesn¡¯t even care about the petty amount ofpensation! At that moment, Natalie stepped forward and broke the silence. ¡°I have evidence to prove my innocence.¡± She had no chance to defend herself just now because everyone was targeting her. Now that Shane was backing her up, she could finally clear her name. In an instant, her words caught everyone¡¯s attention. If it weren¡¯t for Shane¡¯s presence, she guessed they would probably mock her for waging ast-ditch struggle when all evidence clearly pointed at her. Jasmine¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Natalie¡¯s word. My n was perfect! I have sent the server away from the winery, so it is impossible that Natalie has evidence to clear her name. She must be lying! Looking at Natalie confidently, Jasmine convinced herself and tried to put her mind at ease. On the contrary, she was now more worried about the fact that Natalie and Shane knew each other. She felt like she was about to faint any moment whenever she thought about it. However, to avoid arousing suspicion, she could only clench her teeth to get a hold of herself. Meanwhile, Isabelle¡¯s suspicion was slightly dispelled by the confident look on Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°How are you going to prove your innocence?¡± she relented. With a faint smile, Natalie exined, ¡°It¡¯s simple. Ms. Moore, I bet not many people have the chance to touch this valuable diamond ne. We can check if there are my fingerprints on it.¡± She cast a nce at Jasmine as she spoke. It is most probably a spontaneous idea to set me up. Jasmine must have left her fingerprints since she wouldn¡¯t have the time to prepare for gloves. As expected, Jasmine¡¯s face turned pale. In fact, her eyes were full of horror upon hearing Natalie¡¯s words. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°You mean we can just dust for fingerprints? That¡¯s it?¡± Isabelle thought Natalie was trying to get herself off the hook. What if she wore gloves when she was stealing? ¡°Ms. Moore, you can also check the surveince tape on the corridor to see if I have disposed of anything, like gloves,¡± Natalie added as though she could read Isabelle¡¯s mind. Even though her words had dispelled Isabelle¡¯s suspicion, thetter was still hoping to find fault with her because she was jealous of Shane backing her up. Without wasting more time, she called the security guards over and gave an order, ¡°Check the surveince tape!¡± She was determined to find evidence to prove Natalie was the thief. At this point, the dispute had spiraled out of control. As they were waiting for the result, Shane was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, savoring his wine. He shifted his gaze to Natalie, who was standing not far away, as he took another sip of his wine with relish. As he took a closer look at her, he noticed she had an attractive and alluring face. Nheless, she had a pair of pure and innocent eyes which distinguished her from all the other calcting girls with a simre-hither look. He raised his brows while looking at her dealing with a difficult situation with ease. It looks like she can turn the tables even without my help. Half an hourter, the head of security entered the room. He made his way toward Isabelle and whispered in her ears, ¡°Miss, we can¡¯t find anything.¡± They even searched in the bushes, but it was aN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. fruitless search. ¡°You mean we can just dust for fingerprints? That¡¯s it?¡± Isabelle thought Natalie was trying to get herself off the hook. What if she wore gloves when she was stealing? ¡°You maan wa can just dust for fingarprints? That¡¯s it?¡± Isaba thought Natalia was trying to gat harsalf off tha hook. What if sha wora glovas whan sha was staaling? ¡°Ms. Moora, you can also chack tha survainca tapa on tha corridor to saa if I hava disposad of anything, lika glovas,¡± Natalia addad as though sha could raad Isaba¡¯s mind. Evan though har words had dispad Isaba¡¯s suspicion, thattar was still hoping to find fault with har bacausa sha was jaalous of Shana backing har up. Without wasting mora tima, sha cad tha sacurity guards ovar and gava an ordar, ¡°Chack tha survainca tapa!¡± Sha was datarminad to find avidanca to prova Natalia was tha thiaf. At this point, tha disputa had spird out of control. As thay wara waiting for tha rasult, Shana was sitting on tha couch with hisgs crossad, savoring his wina. Ha shiftad his gaza to Natalia, who was standing not far away, as ha took anothar sip of his wina with ralish. As ha took a closar look at har, ha noticad sha had an attractiva and alluring faca. Nonathss, sha had a pair of pura and innocant ayas which distinguishad har from all tha othar calcting girls with a simra-hithar look. Ha raisad his brows wh looking at har daaling with a difficult situation with aasa. It looks lika sha can turn tha tas avan without my halp. Half an hourtar, tha haad of sacurity antarad tha room. Ha mada his way toward Isaba and whisparad in har aars, ¡°Miss, wa can¡¯t find anything.¡± Thay avan saarchad in tha bushas, but it was a fruiss saarch. Isabelle¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard the results. After that, Natalie approached her. ¡°Ms. Moore, did you manage to find anything?¡± she asked the obvious. At this moment, everyone understood Natalie was innocent. Biting her lips, Isabelle was still reluctant to give in. ¡°We¡¯ll check for the fingerprints!¡± Right then, an authoritative and resounding voice rang out. ¡°Enough! Stop the nonsense!¡± Everyone turned around to find that the Moores had arrived. The person taking the lead was none other than Alfred Moore, the much-respected patriarch of the Moore family. Natalie had seen him once during the ceremony when she first established a student-mentor rtionship with Mercede Mackenzie, her mentor. Alfred was still full of vigor though a few years had passed since shest saw him. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m not ying around. She stole my ne!¡± Isabelle rushed up to her grandpa, taking his arm as she pouted. Being Alfred¡¯s one and only granddaughter, she could get whatever she wanted from her doting grandfather whenever she voiced her dissatisfaction. However, Alfred wouldn¡¯t let her have her way today. Pulling a long face, he shoved her hands off him and reprimanded, ¡°Belle, look what you¡¯ve done! You¡¯ve ruined the banquet!¡± Looking at her grandpa in disbelief, Isabelle refuted, ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s not me! It¡¯s all her fault!¡± She angrily pointed her finger at Natalie. Alfred looked in the direction where Isabelle was pointing. He was surprised when he saw Natalie. The next moment, he gave a hearty smile. ¡°Nat! Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re here?¡± Isobelle¡¯s eyes flickered when she heord the results. After thot, Notolie opprooched her. ¡°Ms. Moore, did you monoge to find onything?¡± she osked the obvious. At this moment, everyone understood Notolie wos innocent. Biting her lips, Isobelle wos still reluctont to give in. ¡°We¡¯ll check for the fingerprints!¡± Right then, on outhoritotive ond resounding voice rong out. ¡°Enough! Stop the nonsense!¡± Everyone turned oround to find thot the Moores hod orrived. The person toking the leod wos none other thon Alfred Moore, the much-respected potriorch of the Moore fomily. Notolie hod seen him once during the ceremony when she first estoblished o student-mentor relotionship with Mercede Mockenzie, her mentor. Alfred wos still full of vigor though o few yeors hod possed since she lost sow him. ¡°Grondpo, I¡¯m not ploying oround. She stole my neckloce!¡± Isobelle rushed up to her grondpo, toking his orm os she pouted. Being Alfred¡¯s one ond only gronddoughter, she could get whotever she wonted from her doting grondfother whenever she voiced her dissotisfoction. However, Alfred wouldn¡¯t let her hove her woy todoy. Pulling o long foce, he shoved her honds off him ond reprimonded, ¡°Belle, look whot you¡¯ve done! You¡¯ve ruined the bonquet!¡± Looking ot her grondpo in disbelief, Isobelle refuted, ¡°Grondpo, it¡¯s not me! It¡¯s oll her foult!¡± She ongrily pointed her finger ot Notolie. Alfred looked in the direction where Isobelle wos pointing. He wos surprised when he sow Notolie. The next moment, he gove o heorty smile. ¡°Not! Why didn¡¯t you tell me thot you¡¯re here?¡± Everyone was stupefied the moment they saw Alfred walking toward Natalie and even calling her by her nickname. ¡°My dear Alfred, Mercede asked me to give you a surprise.¡± Natalie bowed slightly at him as a sign of respect. ¡°Haha! You really surprised me!¡± Alfred was happy to meet his old friend¡¯s student. Soon after that, the crowd started to see Natalie in a new light. They couldn¡¯t help wondering about her identity when it turned out she knew both Shane and Alfred. Anyway, the ¡°stealing ne¡± incident came to an end when both Natalie and Isabelle agreed not to pursue further in it. After all, they were aware that the whole episode was inglorious. Meanwhile, Jasmine stood in the shadows with her teeth clenched. She was relieved that no one found out about her misdeed, but she would not thank Natalie for letting her off easily. Jealousy was eating her up at the sight of Natalie standing beside Shane. Since Shane mistook her as the one who saved him five years ago, she could easily get everything she wanted from him. She was his future wife in the eyes of the outsiders, but little did they knew, she was nothing to him. That man never had intimacy with her. Apparently, he only used her as a shield against other women¡¯s advances. I must find a way to get rid of Natalie and her two illegitimate children! Chapter 16 Chapter 16 She shot a death re at Natalie before leaving the banquet without a word. In the meantime, Alfred led Natalie and Shane to his private lounge. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Alfred, this is a present from Mercede. She wished you a happy birthday.¡± Natalie handed the gift over to Alfred. Actually, today was not only an ordinary banquet but Alfred¡¯s birthday banquet. She was one of the few who knew it was his birthday. ¡°Please pass on my thanks to her and send her my regards.¡± Alfred unwrapped the gift in front of Natalie. It was a Brown Betty teapot handmade by Mercede. Although it was not of great value, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a heartfelt smile when his eyes met Mercede¡¯s signature engraved at the bottom of the teapot. He put the gift aside and turned to face Shane, picking up their conversation interrupted by the commotion just now. ¡°Shane, as you can see, I am past my prime. With regards to what you¡¯ve said just now, I think I can¡¯t be of much help.¡± Shane was tonight¡¯s biggest donor. Instead of bing a partner of the Moore family¡¯s project, he was here to invite Alfred to be the chief designer of Thompson Group¡¯stest project - Project Rebirth. He was a stickler for perfection when it came to his work. The only two fashion designer he had in mind was Alfred and Mercede. Since thetter was currently residing overseas, Alfred was the only one he could turn to. Hence, he fell into silence when Alfred turned his request down. ¡°Actually, I have a person in mind.¡± Alfred suddenly shifted his eyes to Natalie. ¡°What do you think about Nat? She is a creative youngdy.¡± In a befuddled state, Natalie stood rooted to the spot. Shane followed Alfred¡¯s gaze, casting his eyes at Natalie, thedy whom he had only met twice. He was hesitant because he wouldn¡¯t simply entrust his project to someone whom he barely knew. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let her work in yourpany for a month? You can assess her ability during this period of probation. If you think she is notpetent enough, you can then ask her mentor to work for you.¡± Alfred proposed smilingly, his eyes revealing his trust in Natalie. The job referral came like a bolt from the blue. Natalie had the odd feeling that Alfred was selling her and her mentor out so that he wouldn¡¯t need to work. But at the same time, Shane¡¯s interest was piqued when he saw Alfred having such confidence in Natalie¡¯s capability. He nodded his agreement and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Hearing that, Natalie was at a loss for words. Hey... Shouldn¡¯t you guys at least ask for my opinion? ¡°You can report to work tomorrow.¡± Shane rose to his feet and gave her a gilded name card. Before she could even say anything, he had turned and left the lounge. ¡°Alfred?¡± She was clueless as she looked at Alfred questioningly. With a faint smile, Alfred cleared her doubts. ¡°Your mentor and I are of the opinion that it is time for you to gain some hands-on experience.¡± Natalie then kept the name card and nodded at him. She understood Alfred made the job arrangement for her own good. ¡°I got it, Alfred. Thank you for doing all this for me.¡± When she was abroad, she managed to make a name for herself with the support of her mentor. Now that she was back in the country, she was a neer to the fashion industry since no one knew she was Mina - the well-known fashion designer and Mercede¡¯s student. She was in desperate need of an opportunity to stand out and build her reputation. Hence, she was determined not to let Mercede and Alfred down. Alfred was d as he nodded. ¡°Good. Now you should go back and make your preparations. From now on, you can only count on yourself.¡± Following that, Natalie bowed to him respectfully before she left. It was midnight when she was finally back at her apartment. She gently pushed open the bedroom door and couldn¡¯t help smiling at the sight of her children sleeping in bed. Joyce was standing beside Natalie, looking at the children lovingly. ¡°Aww, they¡¯re sound asleep.¡± ¡°Thanks for your help today, Joyce,¡± Natalie said as she closed the door. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Aunt Joyce, after all. I¡¯m more than willing to take care of them. But why are you back sote today?¡± Joyce was curious. Natalie yawned as she walked toward the couch in the living room. ¡°Ugh, I got into trouble at the banquet today. I¡¯ve wasted some of my time to deal with the issue before I got to meet Alfred.¡± ¡°Trouble?¡± Joyce was worried, so she asked anxiously, ¡°What trouble? Was everything alright?¡± ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s been taken care of. And... guess what? I have a piece of good news!¡± Natalie sat on the couch and then took Shane¡¯s name card out of her purse, handing it over to Joyce. ¡°Oh my God!¡± Joyce couldn¡¯t help eximing, ¡°Nat, how did you get Mr. Shane¡¯s name card?¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Thompson Group was one of the biggest luxury goodspanies in the world. It specialized in supplying high-end luxury products such as perfumes, jewelry, cosmetics, shoes, handbags, and so much more. Strangely, only until this year that it decided to set foot in the fashion industry. However, the newly established fashionpany - Thompson Clothing became the least profitable subsidiary under Thomson Group due to ack of talented fashion designers. Taking a seat beside Joyce, Natalie poured herself a cup of water. ¡°Alfred rmended me to Mr. Shane. He wanted me to participate in the Project Rebirth project.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Joyce pped her hands in excitement. ¡°I believe you can definitely nail the job with your talent. By then, Thompson Clothing will be generating more revenue, and you will rise to fame! Not only that, but we can also promote Desire after you be famous. That¡¯s killing three birds with one stone!¡± ¡°But I will need to leave Desire to you for the time being while I work in Thompson Group.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that. You can always count on me!¡± Joyce patted her chest confidently, giving her reassurance. The two of them took some time to discuss their uing ns. After Joyce left, Natalie took her shower before climbing into bed. The next day, she hailed a cab to Thompson Group after sending the children to kindergarten. Standing at the office building¡¯s entrance, she took the name card out of her pocket and dialed the number printed on it. The call went through in no time. ¡°Hello?¡± Natalie was a little nervous upon hearing the man¡¯s cold voice. She discreetly took a deep breath to recollect herself before she responded, ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯ve arrived at the Thompson Group.¡± ¡°Okay. Please wait a minute. I will send someone to pick you up.¡± His reply was curt. Before she had even realized it, Shane had ended the call. With that, she had no choice but to wait on the spot. A few minutester, a man in his business suit came into sight. He sized her up for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± The man adjusted his rimless sses. ¡°Hello, Ms. Smith. I am Mr. Shane¡¯s assistant, Ss Campbell. Mr. Shane has sent me to pick you up.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Campbell.¡± Natalie gave a slight nod. Ss returned her greeting with a polite smile. Then, he gestured her to enter. ¡°Ms. Smith, please follow me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She took her stuff and followed suit. As soon as Ss brought her to the CEO¡¯s office, he left to prepare for coffee. Meanwhile, she was left standing alone in front of the man who exuded an overbearing aura. Sitting behind his desk, Shane put the design drawings aside before fixing his eyes on her. ¡°I got these from Alfred. He said these are some of your best designs. To be honest, I¡¯m quite disappointed because your light luxury design style is very much aimed at a niche market, which is not what we wanted. The concept of Project Rebirth is all about luxury and high-end fashion targeting high-end consumers.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart sank at that instant. Does he mean to say that I¡¯m not qualified? ¡°But...¡± He spoke again. Her heart skipped a beat while a glint of hope appeared in her eyes. She balled her hands into fists, trying to calm her anxiety. ¡°Please go ahead, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°But from your designs, I can tell that you have a great sense of style and aesthetic ability. For the uing month, you need to provide me with ten sketches for the project. If I approve of your design, I will let you hold the position as the project¡¯s chief designer.¡± After that, he ced a document in front of her. Natalie took a nce at the words ¡°Project Rebirth Details¡± printed on the front page. Unable to believe her own ears, she asked again to confirm with him, ¡°Mr. Shane, is this for real? You will let me be the chief designer once you approve of my design?¡± Shane noticed a determined glint shining in her eyes. Raising his brow, he reassured her, ¡°I am a man of my word.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. She grabbed the document while uttering confidently, ¡°Great! I will definitely be the chief designer!¡± Shane was dazed, and his eyes darkened upon seeing her bright and confident smile. Right then, Ss entered the office, bringing her a cup of coffee. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Natalie took a sip of it before telling them she could start working straight away. Then, Shane waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Bring her to the design department. Let Jasmine take care of her.¡± Jasmine? She was slightly bewildered. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Jasmine Smith whom he is talking about. She followed Ss to the design department with a feeling of doubt. Thetter gave a knock on the door of the supervisor¡¯s office. The next moment, the door flung open, and a familiar face came into sight. Natalie¡¯s lips twitched the moment she saw Jasmine. Well, what do you know... Jasmine¡¯s really the design supervisor! Yet Jasmine didn¡¯t notice Natalie standing behind Ss. She tucked her hair behind her ears while asking anticipatingly, ¡°Mr. Campbell, what brings you here? Is Shane asking for me?¡± Disregarding her question, Ss stepped aside to introduce Natalie. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, Mr. Shane asked me to bring you our new designer, so I¡¯ll leave her to you.¡± She furrowed her brow in disappointment at that. ¡°Designer?¡± As she finally spared a nce at Natalie, her face changed drastically. ¡°You?!¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Jasmine.¡± Natalie greeted her calmly. Seeing that Natalie was right in front of her, Jasmine¡¯s eyes twitched as restlessness crept around her heart. What is she doing here? Ss¡¯s eyes flickered upon noticing Jasmine¡¯s abnormality. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, do you know Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°No.¡± She immediately denied it. Realizing that she was a bit overreacting, she quickly added, ¡°I don¡¯t know her, but I met her at Mr. Moore¡¯s banquet yesterday. That¡¯s why I¡¯m a little surprised when I see her here.¡± She discreetly shot Natalie a re, warning her not to expose her. Natalie found Jasmine¡¯s act funny as she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with her either. Jasmine, on the other hand, thought she had sessfully threatened Natalie when thetter remained silent. ¡°Well, Ms. Jasmine, I¡¯d better not keep Mr. Shane waiting. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Taking a nce at his watch, Ss spoke up and was prepared to leave. Jasmine nodded smilingly. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Campbell.¡± As soon as Ss vanished from sight, the smile on her face disappeared. She dragged Natalie into her office and questioned harshly, ¡°Just what... do you think you¡¯re doing here?¡± Natalie pried her hand off while replying calmly, ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m just here to work.¡± ¡°Work?¡± Jasmine narrowed her eyes, looking at Natalie dubiously. ¡°If you are here to work, why didn¡¯t you report yourself to the human resource department? Instead, Mr. Campbell was the one who sent you here under the order of Shane. How did you know Shane?¡± The question had been bothering her since yesterday. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to answer your question. Ms. Jasmine, I¡¯m here to work. Please bring me to my desk,¡± Natalie nced at her impassively and said. Hearing her response, Jasmine sneered, ¡°You¡¯re not even answering my question, so why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°Do you mean to say that you¡¯re not going to help me out?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°So what?¡± Since there was no director in the design department, Jasmine could do whatever she wanted because she currently held the highest position as the design supervisor. ¡°I got it.¡± Natalie let out a sigh and then made her way to the door. ¡°Since you¡¯re not helping me out, I better go find Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Nheless, Natalie didn¡¯t slow down her pace, making it clear that she was not blustering. Jasmine clenched her teeth. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll bring you to your desk, but I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡± With that, she briskly walked out of her office, leading Natalie to the main office. She pped her hands to get the others¡¯ attention. ¡°Everyone, I need a few minutes. Let me introduce to you our new colleague.¡± Pushing Natalie forward, she continued, ¡°Her name is Natalie Smith. Ms. Smith is a college dropout, but for some reason, she will be joining the design department. Anyway, I hope all of you can get along with each other.¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Everyone started giving Natalie the side-eye upon hearing Jasmine¡¯s words; none of them were weing. She understood Jasmine was trying to put her in the line of fire by implying that she got the job through a backdoor approach. That way, she would quit the job voluntarily when she couldn¡¯t stand being ostracized by other colleagues. Her anger spiked the moment she saw Jasmine¡¯s smirk. But before she could even say anything, Jasmine¡¯s assistant came running in, gabbling in panic, ¡°Jasmine, something bad has happened!¡± Jasmine had just put Natalie on the spot, so she was displeased being interrupted by Penny. Pulling a long face, she asked impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? What¡¯s going on?¡± With her hands on her knees, Penny took a moment gasping for air before she exined, ¡°T-the warehouse... The s-shelf in the warehouse copsed!¡± ¡°What did you say? The shelf copsed?!¡± Jasmine grabbed hold of her assistant¡¯s cor. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about the fabrics?¡± Jasmine started to panic. Penny swallowed dryly before answering, ¡°Hundreds of bolts of fabrics and textiles are now scattered on the floor. We can¡¯t distinguish the fabrics now because thebels are all detached.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Jasmine shoved Penny away and started running toward the warehouse. Now she had no time to bother about Natalie. All the other designers followed suit to check it out. Soon, Natalie was the only one left in the office. She pondered for a moment while holding the project document and eventually decided to follow them to the warehouse. When she reached the warehouse, Jasmine was roaring angrily at the designers. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there doing nothing! Put the fabrics back onto the shelves ordingly. The contracting party will be here to collect them soon.¡± ¡°But Ms. Jasmine, these are all Grade-F fabrics and some of the most expensive textiles. We are not familiar with them. How can we possibly identify all of them?¡± One of the designers voiced his concern. With a gloomy expression, Jasmine pointed at the person as she uttered, ¡°I don¡¯t care how you guys are going to do it. You only have one hour. If you don¡¯t manage to put them back in order in time, all of you will receive punishment.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help furrowing her brows when she heard Jasmine threatening the designers. It was understandable that Jasmine wanted to put everything back in order, but she had put the designers in a difficult situation since they knew little about the fabrics. It was an impossible task to sort them out within an hour. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be working in the office? Why is everyone gathering here?¡± Just then, a cold voice rang out from outside the warehouse. Natalie turned around to find Shane walking in her direction, his face devoid of expression. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± She turned around and greeted him. Shane gave her a slight nod as he walked into the warehouse. In no time, he found Jasmine in the middle of the crowd as the designers all gave way to him. Jasmine was nervous upon seeing his cold expression. Pretending to be calm, she forced a smile and asked, ¡°Shane, why are you here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me why am I here?¡± He nced at her coldly before casting his eyes over the fabrics on the floor. His face instantly grew grim. ¡°Jasmine Smith, I remember telling you two days ago that the shelves were shaky and needed maintenance. Not only that, but I¡¯ve also asked you to send the fabrics to the contracting party as soon as possible. Why didn¡¯t you do as I said?¡± Jasmine kept her head down in the face of his anger. ¡°I was too busy, so...¡± ¡°That is not an excuse!¡± He relentlessly gave her a roasting. Clenching her fists, Jasmine felt resentment boiling in her heart. At the same time, she felt embarrassed being scolded in front of the designers, especially when Natalie was around. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Since she couldn¡¯t direct her hatred at Shane, she shot daggers at Natalie instead. Natalie was left dazed when Jasmine suddenly cast me on her though she had done nothing wrong. Shane, too, noticed Jasmine¡¯s subtle act but paid no heed to it. He immediately shifted his gaze to the designers and asked, ¡°Can you guys put the fabrics back in ce within one and a half hours?¡± One of the designers replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible because we have little knowledge about these fabrics. We might need to cross-refer to the pictures in the warehouse catalog to identify them. We need at least three hours.¡± After all, it was not an easy feat to cross-refer to theserge heaps of fabrics. Even so, Shane was unsatisfied with the answer he got. ¡°Can¡¯t you guys speed up?¡± The contracting party would be here within one and a half hours to collect the fabrics. Thus, he couldn¡¯t afford to let him wait for three hours. Nobody dared to answer him. Suddenly, Natalie raised her hand. ¡°I can give it a try!¡± Her voice was surprisingly loud and clear in the silent warehouse. At that moment, everyone turned around to look at her in disbelief. Jasmine was also seen rolling her eyes at Natalie. In contrast, Shane¡¯s face was calm as before. ¡°You mean you can do it within one and a half hours?¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t do it alone. I need two helpers to give me a hand...¡± ¡°What a joke!¡± Jasmine interrupted her. Pointing her finger at Natalie, she mocked, ¡°You¡¯re just a college dropout. I wonder if you could even tell the different elements of fashion designing. Now you¡¯re saying you can identify all these fabrics?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Disregarding her sarcastic remarks, Natalie made her way toward Shane. Standing in front of him, she asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, do you believe in me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then.¡± His reply was simple. Before she even reacted, Jasmine raised her objection again. ¡°Shane, you really believe in her?¡± She regarded him with incredulity. He nced at her coldly. ¡°She is confident that she can do it, so why shouldn¡¯t I believe in her?¡± Biting her lips, Jasmine was still reluctant to give in. ¡°But she is a college dropout! All of the designers here are graduates from prestigious universities. Even they can¡¯t recognize all the fabrics, let alone her.¡± Shane turned to face Natalie. ¡°Is that so?¡± It was hard for him to believe that a college dropout was capable of bing Mercede¡¯s student. With a faint smile, Natalie exined calmly, ¡°It¡¯s true. For some reason, I dropped out of college a few years ago. But I did get my degree from my university overseas. Oh, I forgot to mention, I graduated from Laurent Academy of Design.¡± Everyone gasped in shock. Laurent Academy of Design was considered the top fashion design academy in the world. It only recruited three hundred students every year. All of those who were qualified were none other than the best of the best. They couldn¡¯t believe Natalie was one of the graduates. The designers started to see her in a different light. In an instant, the derision in their eyes was reced by admiration and maybe even a hint of jealousy. Even Shane himself didn¡¯t expect her to be a graduate of Laurent Academy of Design. No wonder she could be Mercede¡¯s student. Suddenly, Jasmine yelled in an agitated state. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! You can¡¯t be a graduate from Laurent Academy of Design!¡± She was reluctant to believe in it. It would be a p in her face since she had imed earlier that Natalie was a dropout. ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡± Natalie fished out her phone. After a few taps, she showed the screen in front of Jasmine. ¡°This is my graduation certificate. Ms. Jasmine, if you still have any doubts, you can always verify its validity with the school authority.¡± Jasmine stared intently at the screen as if she were going to burn a hole through it. Glowering at her, she growled,¡± You¡¯re telling this in front of everyone on purpose to humiliate me. I...¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Not surprised by the drastic change in their attitudes, Natalie said calmly, ¡°That¡¯s what my mentor taught me. Before I learned how to design, I was first taught how to discern between the different fabrics. My mentor told me that being able to imagine a design just by looking at the fabric is the first step to fashion designing.¡± The audience was stunned after listening to her. As expected from Ste¡¯s student. The teaching principles arepletely different from what¡¯s usually taught in this country... ¡°What are you doing? Are you all having a meeting?¡± They suddenly heard Jasmine¡¯s furious yell. Not daring to crowd around Natalie anymore, they quickly returned to their seats, and Natalie was left all alone. Seeing that only Natalie was there, Jasmine walked toward her grimly and instructed, ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Smith, but I have work to do.¡± Natalie patted her file with a smile. Her current priority was to quickly understand Project Rebirth andplete the initial drafts as soon as possible. Hence, she did not n on wasting more time with Jasmine. Furthermore, it was obvious from Jasmine¡¯s expression that she would not be in for a good time. Her refusal caused Jasmine to feel a little humiliated. Narrowing her eyes, she spat, ¡°Well then, show me what type of work you have to do!¡± She snatched the file away and flipped it open. After reading the contents, fury crossed her face. ¡°Shane actually made you in charge of Project Rebirth?¡± Seething with fury, her eyes reddened. She had been coveting this project for a long time. However, Shane refused to give it to her and said that he had already hired external assistance. However, never in her right mind would she expect him to be referring to Natalie! No... This can¡¯t be! I must ask Shane why he gave the project to Natalie! Clenching her fists, she shot Natalie a vicious re before briskly striding into Shane¡¯s office. When she reached the door, she could vaguely hear a voice from within. ¡°Mr. Shane, we¡¯ve done a background check on the child we met earlier.¡± Background check on a child? What¡¯s going on? Jasmine, who was about to push the door open, halted mid-action. Suddenly recalling that child who resembled Shane, she started to feel extremely uneasy. On the other side of the door, Shane was flipping through the documents in his hands, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw another picture. ¡°He has a younger sister?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re fraternal twins. The elder brother is called Connor Smith, and the younger sister is called Sharon Smith. They are currently attending Sunshine Kindergarten,¡± replied Ss. At the same time, Jasmine heard everything outside the door and was utterly shocked by that piece of news. If they were siblings and shared thest name ¡°Smith,¡± it was obvious that they were Natalie¡¯s children. To her surprise, Shane became suspicious just after meeting one of the children. Judging from his personality, he would definitely persist with the investigation once his suspicion was aroused. If he found out that the children were his, her lie would be exposed. By then, he would definitely not spare her. Ugh... Crap! What should I do? Jasmine¡¯s face turned pale as she started to panic. At that moment, Shane was in his office, staring at the documents about the two children. The look in his eyes was unfathomable. After a while, he ced the documents down and instructed, ¡°Tell the staff at the kindergarten to arrange for a health checkup. Before the day ends, get your hands on the two children¡¯s blood samples.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you nning to conduct a paternity test with the children?¡± asked Ss. Yet, Shane kept quiet. Nheless, Ss was quick to understand the situation, so he nodded and replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll arrange for it now.¡± As his approaching footsteps neared the door, Jasmine became even more anxious. Just then, she spotted the secretarial department¡¯s office beside her, so she opened the door and dashed into it. The secretaries inside the room were taken aback when she suddenly barged in. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ms. Smith?¡± The head of the secretarial department asked her with a smile. However, Jasmine ignored her. Leaning against the door and peering through the peephole, she watched until Ss had gone to the lift lobby. Only then did she open the door and leave. Whew... That was close! Jasmine patted her chest in relief. However, in the next instant, her expression became gloomy. Shane wants to conduct a paternity test with Natalie¡¯s kids and see if they¡¯re his. This can¡¯t happen! It mustn¡¯t! Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Regardless of whether it¡¯s to suppress Natalie or to secure my position as the future Mrs. Thompson, I must stop this. ¡°Sunshine Kindergarten, huh?¡± A vicious smirk spread across Jasmine¡¯s cheeks as she recalled the address she had heard earlier. A n was already hatching in her mind. In the meantime, Natalie was just finished with her work. ncing at the clock on the wall, she saw that it was almost 5 p.m. Thus, she quickly packed her bag and headed to the kindergarten to fetch her children. By the time Natalie arrived, sses were already dismissed by then. Most of the students had left, with only a handful of children left in school, waiting for their parents to fetch them after work. When Natalie rushed over, Connor and Sharon were ying with Lego bricks in the ssroom. The moment Sharon spotted her mother, she tossed her Lego bricks away, threw herself into her mother¡¯s arms, and started wailing. Natalie¡¯s heart ached when she heard Sharon¡¯s sobs. Patting her daughter¡¯s back gently and coaxing her, she nced at Connor anxiously. ¡°Baby, what¡¯s wrong with your sister?¡± Connor sighed deeply as though as he was an adult. With an exasperated tone, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s from the shot.¡± ¡°Shot? What shot?¡± ¡°Yeah, we had a health check-up in the afternoon. Everyone had a shot and a blood test.¡± Connor rolled up his sleeves and showed Natalie the red dot on his arm. She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°I see.¡± Initially, she thought that Sharon had been bullied by the other children and was terrified. However, it was just a mere shot that scared her daughter. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Darling. Don¡¯t cry. Mommy will kiss on the boo-boo, and it won¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± consoled Natalie. ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡± Still sobbing, Sharon lifted her chubby arm for Natalie. She lowered her head and kissed it gently. Not forgetting her son, she beckoned him over. ¡°Come here, Connor. Let Mommy do it for you too.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt for me.¡± Although that was what Connor imed, he still lifted his arm toward Natalie. She nced at him in amusement, wondering where he got his pride and reluctance to admit his true feelings from. After gently kissing on their arms, Natalie held their hands and left the kindergarten. Inside an inconspicuous car outside the kindergarten, a man watched as Natalie and her children walked away. He whipped out his phone and dialed a number. ¡°Mr. Shane, their mother had just picked up the kids from school.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Shane expressionlessly before hanging up the call. Right from the beginning, he had never asked who the children¡¯s mother was. He was more concerned about the two children. As for their mother, he could not care less. ¡°Mr. Shane, the results are out.¡± At that moment, Ss entered the office with a file. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Looking at Ss expectantly, Shane narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°So?¡± Then Ss shook his head and passed the file to Shane. ¡°It¡¯s not a match; they¡¯re not your children.¡± When Shane heard that, he paused briefly while opening the file. However, a few secondster, he took out the paternity test report nonchntly. Looking at the words ¡°Biologically Unrted¡± at the bottom of the report, he pursed his lips. He was not surprised by this result at all as he had already guessed it. For the past thirty years, he had never let any womane close to him. The only exception was five years ago when he identally slept with Jasmine. Hence, it was impossible for him to have any children. However, for some inexplicable reason, he felt that it was a pity. But instead of mulling over it, Shane calmly tossed the paternity test report into the trash can under his table. ¡°So be it. Tell the others toe back. There¡¯s no need to keep an eye on the kids anymore.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Ss. Shane leaned against his chair and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the investigation about my kidnapping going?¡± ¡°We discovered some of Sean¡¯s traces.¡± ¡°Sean...¡± Shane muttered his name under his breath as a cold gleam shed across his eyes. ¡°As expected. Looks like he hasn¡¯t given up yet.¡± ¡°I heard from some of our men overseas that he¡¯s recently nning to return.¡± Ss nced at him. He narrowed his eyes coldly. ¡°It¡¯s time for him toe back after five years anyway. Instruct the others to monitor him closely and report to me immediately when he returns.¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Ss nodded upon Shane¡¯s orders. Suddenly remembering something, he piped up, ¡°Mr. Shane, there¡¯s still one more thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°When you were in the meeting earlier, Mr. Baker called and asked you out for dinner. He probably wants to ask you about the paternity test.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Shane curtly. At night, Joyce had just arrived at the Moonlight Restaurant, carrying two huge gift bags. ¡°Sorry, Nat. I¡¯mte.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve just arrived too! Take a seat.¡± Natalie pulled a chair out for her. Joyce sat down and passed a bag each to Connor and Sharon. ¡°Happy birthday, darlings!¡± ¡°Thank you, Aunt Joyce!¡± The children received the gifts happily and kissed both of her cheeks. Joyceughed jovially, her eyes crinkling into tiny crescents. ¡°Have you ordered anything yet?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Nope. We can¡¯t possibly order when Aunt Joyce hasn¡¯t reached yet. Here you go.¡± Natalie passed the menu to Joyce. Taking it over, Joyce flipped the menu open and ordered two dishes that Connor and Sharon liked. Then, she passed the menu back to the waiter. Soon, the waiter pushed a trolley over and served the dishes. He then carried a cake over with a candle in the shape of the number four on it. ¡°Mommy, the cake is so pretty! I¡¯m sure it¡¯s delicious.¡± Staring at the cake, Sharon¡¯s eyes gleamed as she swallowed her saliva. Crossing his arms over his chest, Connor snorted in disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t all cakes taste the same? How delicious can it be?¡± Although that was what he said, his eyes had never left the cake right from the beginning. Looking at the adorable pair of siblings, Natalie and Joyce shared an amused smile. Joyce could not help but squeeze Connor¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Connor, can¡¯t you be more honest?¡± ¡°Mmph... Let go of me!¡± mumbled Connor, his words muffled because Joyce was squishing his cheeks together. Taking pity on him, Natalie quickly interrupted, ¡°Alright, Joyce. Let them make their wishes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce released Connor reluctantly. After regaining his freedom, he quickly got off the chair and chose a seat further away from her. Aunt Joyce is awesome, except when she¡¯s squishing my cheeks... and Sharon¡¯s! Hmph! I won¡¯t sit next to her anymore. ¡°Happy birthday to Connor and Sharon. Aunt Joyce and I wish the both of you a very merry birthday and will have all the joy a day can bring.¡± After singing the birthday song, Natalie pushed the cake toward the two kids. They puffed up their cheeks and blew out the candle. Then, they closed their eyes and made their wish. Gazing at them affectionately, Natalie¡¯s heart melted into a puddle. It was their fourth birthday today. Soon, they would turn five years old. Time passed by so quickly. Two years ago, they were still little toddlers who could barely walk. Within the blink of an eye, they had grown so much. Natalie could not help but feel emotional at that moment. ¡°Mommy, I want to use the washroom.¡± At that moment, Sharon, who had finished making her wish, suddenly said. Returning to her senses, Natalie was about to say something when Connor ced down his fork and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± Hand in hand, the siblings went to the washroom. Just then, Joyce suddenly gave a hearty chuckle. ¡°That kid¡¯s probably afraid that I¡¯ll squish his cheeks again after you¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t me him.¡± Natalie cut up a slice of cake and passed it to her. ¡°I can¡¯t help it! His cheeks are so soft, so it¡¯s fun to squish them. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, her phone suddenly rang. She ced the cake down and took out the phone. When she nced at it, there was worry written all over her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Natalie gazed at her, confused. Joyce kept her phone and replied, ¡°My mom sent me a message, saying that something has happened at home. I might have to leave now, Nat.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should go quickly. Be careful on your way back!¡± Natalie nodded empathetically. After that, Joyce grabbed her bag and left in a hurry. When the children returned and saw that she had disappeared, they asked, ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Aunt Joyce?¡± ¡°She left because she has something to do,¡± replied Natalie as she carried them to their chairs. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Sharon sat down, picked up her fork, and stuffed some cake into her mouth. She mumbled incoherently, ¡°Mommy, just now when I came back with Connor, we met a strange man.¡± ¡°A strange man?¡± Natalie instantly became anxious. ¡°Did he do anything to both of you, Connor?¡± Although this was a high-end restaurant, there still might be some bad people here. A few days ago, she had read news about how some human traffickers would especially go to high-end ces and kidnap the children of the wealthy. ¡°No. But he kept blocking our path, staring at us and saying how we look so simr. Then, I stomped on his feet and quickly rushed back with Sharon.¡± Connor shook his head and ryed what happened earlier. Natalie heaved a sigh of relief before a strange expression appeared on her face. So simr? Only their biological father would look simr to the kids. Could it be that the strange man knows their father? In that case, is he here too? At that thought, Natalie¡¯s heart beat rapidly as her face turned pale. Connor noticed something amiss with his mother and asked, ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalie squeezed out a smile on her face. We must not stay here anymore. If their father is really here and that strange man informs him that he just met the kids, he might just look for us. What if he tries to take them away from me? No... I won¡¯t allow that to happen! The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became. Hence, she stood up abruptly and asked, ¡°Connor, Sharon, let¡¯s go home, okay?¡± Connor remained silent. However, a suspicious look, which did not quite belong to a child of his age, appeared on his face. Only Sharon stared at Natalie in confusion. ¡°Why? But I haven¡¯t even finished my cake, Mommy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll bring it home.¡± With that, Natalie beckoned the waiter toe over. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Suddenly, the lights in the restaurant dimmed. What¡¯s going on? Everyone was confused as well. At that moment, a middle-aged man wearing a red velvet suit walked to the center of the restaurant with a microphone in his hand. He cleared his throat and announced, ¡°Good evening, everyone. You¡¯re wee to participate in our restaurant¡¯s anniversary event. We¡¯ll be ying a game now! The spotlight will shine on a random table, who will be invited to y with us. The lighting crew - please prepare yourselves. Three! Two! Oneeeeeee..... Stop!¡± When the man yelled for them to stop, a bright beam of lightnded on Natalie¡¯s table. She was stunned that instant. What¡¯s going on? ¡°Mommy...¡± Sharon snuggled into Natalie¡¯s arms, feeling a little scared. She lowered her head and consoled Sharon, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Mommy¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Mommy, I think we¡¯re chosen to participate in a game.¡± Connor pointed at a middle-aged man, who was walking towards them. The man, who had overheard Connor, smiled and exined, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s our restaurant¡¯s first anniversary today, so we specially organized this event. If you participate, you¡¯ll receive a prize regardless of whether you win or lose. Are you interested?¡± ¡°A prize?¡± Sharon no longer felt afraid after hearing that word. She left Natalie¡¯s arms and gazed enthusiastically at the middle-aged man. ¡°Sure, old sir! But what prize is it?¡± Old sir? The middle-aged man¡¯s lips twitched. He could not help but raise his hand and stroke his balding head. Despite feeling disheartened, he had no choice but to continue smiling. ¡°It¡¯s a huge teddy bear!¡± ¡°A teddy bear?¡± Sharon¡¯s eyes lit up. She quickly tugged Natalie¡¯s shirt and said, ¡°Mommy, I want a teddy bear.¡± ¡°Well...¡± Natalie was at a loss for what to do. On one hand, she did not want to disappoint her daughter, but on the other, she was afraid that their biological father might be present. Hence, if the three of them participated in the game, they would attract more attention. ¡°Mommy!¡± Connor suddenly raised his head. ¡°Since Sharon wants it, let¡¯s join in. I want to y too. It¡¯s been a long time since we yed a game together.¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Since her daughter and son wanted to stay, Natalie had no choice but to relent. After thinking for a while, she quickly took out two red caps and ced them over their heads. Then, she made them wear their coats and covered their faces with the cor. In that case, they would look less noticeable. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll join the game. However, we will leave right after getting the prize,¡± reminded Natalie. ¡°Hooray! Thank you, Mommy!¡± Sharon leapt in joy. Then, Connor followed the middle-aged man to choose the game. In a private suite on the second floor of the restaurant, a handsome man was peering through the window and watching the event downstairs. When he spotted Connor, he quickly spun around and patted the man sitting on the sofa with an elegant demeanor. ¡°Shane,e and look who it is!¡± Shane turned his head and disdainfully stared at the hand on his shoulder. ¡°Move your hand away!¡± Jackson rolled his eyes and pouted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I know you dislike women touching you. But you¡¯re not even letting men touch you now?¡± Shane ignored him. Instead, he focused on his tablet and scrutinized the economic trends for the first two financial quarters. When Jackson took a nce at Shane¡¯s tablet and shook his head; the charts and numbers were giving him a headache. He quickly averted his gaze and scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so interesting about that. I¡¯d rather look at the child. He¡¯s the child who looks exactly like you.¡± Since her daughter and son wanted to stay, Natalie had no choice but to relent. ¡°Huh?¡± Shane finally reacted to his words. ¡°Huh?¡± Shane finally reacted to his words. Jackson pointed at the window and said, ¡°He¡¯s right there. I almost didn¡¯t recognize him because he¡¯s wearing a hat. Luckily, as a medical practitioner, my eyes are sharp.¡± cing the tablet down, Shane walked to the window and nced over in the direction Jackson was pointing at. Indeed, he spotted the child. ¡°I bumped into him and his sister outside the washroom. She doesn¡¯t really look like you, but he¡¯s literally your miniature version. When I conducted the paternity test, I really thought that he¡¯s your child. Plus, he even stomped on my feet and ran away. He¡¯s as ruthless as you.¡± Jackson nced at Shane and sighed as if it was a huge pity. ¡°Both of you look so simr, but why isn¡¯t he yours?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± scolded Shane coldly. Shrugging, Jackson fell silent. Perhaps because their gazes were too intense and they did not even bother hiding, Connor could obviously sense people looking at him. Subconsciously raising his head, he met Shane¡¯s cold stare and recognized him right away. He¡¯s the man whom I met in the shopping mall! Thus, he grinned and waved at Shane, causing thetter to be taken aback. Is he waving at me? Since it was the first time someone greeted him like that, Shane could not help but feel amused. Just when he raised his hand, nning to wave back at Connor, the child had already run away. ¡°Pfft!¡± Jackson, who witnessed everything, could not help but burst outughing. Shane instantly shot a cold re at him. Meanwhile, Connor was oblivious to what was going on the second floor after he ran away. He returned to Natalie and passed her a piece of paper that stated the game they had to y. ncing at it, Natalie felt troubled. ¡°A three-legged race?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mommy?¡± Sharon stood on her tiptoes, trying to steal a glimpse of the paper. Unfortunately, she did not know how to read yet. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Natalie patted her daughter¡¯s hand and asked Connor, ¡°Baby, can you tell that man to change the game?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t. I¡¯ve asked him earlier, and he said that there must be two groups: Mommy and Daddy will form one team, while Sharon and I will form the other. We¡¯ll have topete with each other and see who reaches the finishing line first.¡± Connor wagged his finger sideways like an adult. ¡°But we don¡¯t have a Daddy here.¡± Natalie¡¯s palm sped her forehead helplessly. Connor pursed his lips and fell silent for a few seconds. Then, as if he had suddenly recalled something, he shed her a mysterious grin. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll find a Daddy for you.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was stunned. ¡°Find a Daddy? How are you going to do that?¡± Is he nning to find that strange man and invite his biological father? Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°He¡¯s just upstairs!¡± replied Connor before dashing towards the staircase. When he reached the second floor, he stood outside a private suite. He then mustered his courage and knocked on the door. Luckily for him, the door was quickly opened. When Jackson stuck his head out and spotted the little boy outside, he blinked in astonishment. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you...¡± ¡°Hello! I¡¯m looking for that man.¡± Connor nced past him and stared at Shane, who was sitting in the suite. Shane raised his eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re looking for me?¡± ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± Connor smiled earnestly. He stood up and walked over. ¡°What favor?¡± ¡°Can you pretend to be our Daddy? We¡¯re ying a game, and we need one more person,¡± asked Connor as he stared at him eagerly. Shane was stunned. ¡°Your Daddy?¡± He never expected this little child to ask him for such a favor. ¡°Yes!¡± Connor nodded vigorously. Jackson whistled teasingly. ¡°Shane, just go with him. Anyway, didn¡¯t you suspect that...¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Shane scolded him again. Turning back to face Connor, his strict voice became gentler. ¡°If I pretend to be your Daddy, won¡¯t you be scared that your real Daddy will find out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know where my Daddy is,¡± mumbled Connor under his breath. ¡°What did you say?¡± Shane did not hear him clearly. ¡°Nothing! Let¡¯s go.¡± Not giving him a chance to refuse, Connor dragged him down the stairs. Looking at his excited expression, aplex look shed across Shane¡¯s eyes. Normally, he would have detested it if a child acted so boldly. In fact, he would have scolded the child and told him to stop messing around. However, for some reason, he could not seem to utter those words. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. To his surprise, he did not even want to fling his hand away from Connor. And just like that, Shane was forcefully dragged to the first floor. ¡°Mommy, I brought Daddy over!¡± Connor yelled at Natalie from afar. Upon hearing his voice, Natalie quickly whirled around. When she saw the man whom Connor had brought over, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Shane had also spotted Natalie. She nodded awkwardly. ¡°Yeah.¡± She never expected his son to bring Shane over as his fake ¡°Daddy.¡± ¡°Mommy, you know him?¡± asked Connor curiously as he nced at Natalie then back at Shane. Sharon was also staring at Shane intensely as if she had discovered something shocking. All of a sudden, she pointed at him and eximed, ¡°Mommy, he looks like Connor!¡± ¡°Darling, stop fooling around.¡± Natalie quickly pushed Sharon¡¯s arm down and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. They¡¯re too young to understand anything.¡± However, Shane was not bothered by what the little girl said to him. Instead, he was intrigued by how the two children addressed Natalie. ¡°You¡¯re their mother?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie stroked her daughter¡¯s hair. Shane pursed his lips. This is such a coincidence. She¡¯s actually the sibling¡¯s mother! ¡°Are you married?¡± Shane asked. Natalie cast her gaze downward and mumbled guiltily, ¡°Yes...¡± Although she did not want to lie, she had no choice. Regardless of whether she was back home or overseas, premarital pregnancy was not looked upon so favorably. Hence, to prevent others from criticizing or treating her children differently, she always imed that she was married whenever someone asked her this question. When Shane heard her answer, a hint of disappointment shed in his eyes. For some reason, he felt a bit upset. However, before he could figure out why he was feeling that way, Connor suddenly said, ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s time. Let¡¯s bring him over, y the game and win the prize!¡± pping her hands, Sharon urged as well, ¡°Mommy, hurry up! I want my teddy bear.¡± ¡°Just a moment.¡± Natalie gestured for them to stop. Then, she nced at Shane and exined, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry that my kids dragged you here, Mr. Shane. I¡¯ll tell you what happened. Previously, we...¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°I know. Connor told me just now,¡± interrupted Shane. Connor raised his head and stared at him suspiciously. That¡¯s odd! Why does he know my name? However, Natalie did not mull over it, simply assuming that Connor had introduced himself when he looked for Shane. ¡°Since you know everything, I won¡¯t hide it from you anymore. Actually, this is the kids¡¯ idea. I didn¡¯t intend to find a father for them to join this game.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t need my help?¡± Shane stared at her. ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. Actually, it did not matter much if the kids found a stranger to act as their father. After all, it was just a game. However, the person could be anyone but Shane! Not only was he her superior, but he was also Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦. Thus, she must not interact with him in a private setting outside of work. Otherwise, if Jasmine found out, she would definitely seek her out. Although she was not afraid of Jasmine, she found it to be extremely troublesome. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll...¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± interrupted Connor quickly before Shane could finish his sentence. ¡°If you don¡¯t let him join the game, what¡¯ll happen to Sharon¡¯s teddy bear?¡± ¡°Mommy, I want the teddy bear.¡± Sharon was starting to feel anxious. Contemting for a while, Natalie came up with an idea and tried to negotiate with her, ¡°Why don¡¯t I buy you one?¡± ¡°No! I only want that one.¡± Sharon refused to relent. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Biting her lips, Natalie said, ¡°But...¡± ¡°You¡¯re a liar!¡± Sharon¡¯s eyes reddened as she pouted unhappily. ¡°You promised that you¡¯ll help me win the teddy bear, but you¡¯re going against your words now. That¡¯s really mean of you, Mommy.¡± With that, she spun around and ran toward Shane with her chubby legs. She grabbed his hand and swayed it. ¡°Mister, can you please help me? I really want that teddy bear.¡± Looking at Sharon, who was on the verge of tears, Shane¡¯s heart softened. ¡°Sure, but your Mommy must agree first.¡± ¡°Mommy...¡± Sharon nced at Natalie again. Connor, who always doted on his little sister, did not want to see her disappointed. Hence, he also pleaded with Natalie. Natalie was still feeling guilty over what Sharon had said earlier. Meeting her children¡¯s eager gazes, she sighed deeply and agreed atst. ¡°Thank you for your help, Mr. Shane.¡± She smiled at Shane embarrassedly. Forget it. It¡¯s just this one time. I¡¯ll stay away from him in the future. ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s just a small favor,¡± replied Shane indifferently. Seeing that her mother had finally agreed, Sharon was overjoyed. She quickly dragged Shane to the venue, afraid that Natalie would change her mind again if she did not act fast. Natalie naturally understood her daughter well. Chuckling, she shook her head, held Connor¡¯s hand, and followed behind. Looking at her daughter and Shane walking in front, her gaze suddenly became unfocused. Both of them really look like father and daughter. ¡°Connor, where did you find Mr. Shane?¡± asked Natalie. ¡°Upstairs!¡± Connor pointed towards the second floor. Natalie raised her head and nced at it. ¡°I see. You shouldn¡¯t do this in the future, okay? It¡¯ll cause trouble to them and also make Mommy embarrassed.¡± ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I won¡¯t do it again,¡± promised Connor as he patted his chest. Smiling, Natalie stroked his head gently and said, ¡°Alright, baby. I believe you.¡± As they spoke, they reached the venue. The middle-aged man from earlier walked over with two red ropes and passed one each to Connor and Natalie. Connor grabbed the rope, bent down, and tied his leg with Sharon¡¯s. Then, the twins eagerly waited for the game to start. On the other hand, Natalie stared at the gap between Shane and herself. Feeling troubled, she did not know how to make the first move. How do I tie this when he¡¯s standing so far away? Rubbing her forehead exasperatedly, she mustered her courage and moved closer to Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m going to tie our legs together. Just tell me if you feel ufortable.¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Shane grunted. Natalie knelt down and began to tie the rope. After she was done, she pped her hands before standing up. Feeling satisfied with herself, she asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, try moving a little. Does it feel tight?¡± She was worried that her knot was too loose and that the rope would fall off easily. Hence, she tightened it slightly. Unintentionally, as her words fell upon Shane¡¯s ears, her innocent intention took a whole different meaning. ¡°Try moving a little, does it feel tight?¡± Doesn¡¯t she know that her suggestive words can be easily misunderstood? Shane felt a hot flush creeping up to him. Tugging his tie to loosen it a little, he whispered in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go with this.¡± At this moment, a middle-aged man stood upon the referee¡¯s stand with a starter pistol and jovially announced, ¡°Now, since the children¡¯s group and the parents¡¯ group are ready, I shall count to three. After the count, the race will begin. If the parents¡¯ group loses, there will be a penalty awaiting!¡± Penalty? Natalie was stunned. After all, there was no announcement whatsoever regarding penalty since the beginning. ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted. The race has started,¡± Shane¡¯s cold voice rang in her ears, jolting her from her thought. ¡°He mentions that only the parents¡¯ group will face the penalty. Plus, he has just given us a hinting nce on purpose. That obviously means that he intends for us to lose. If you don¡¯t want to be the loser, the best way is to buck up and get serious!¡± ¡°Aight, I understand.¡± Nodding her head, Natalie became more serious. She did not want to be on the receiving end of some unknown ridiculous penalty. ¡°Hug my waist,¡± Shane instructed. Shane grunted. Natalie knelt down and began to tie the rope. Natalie was taken aback, thinking that she might have heard it wrong. Natalie was taken aback, thinking that she might have heard it wrong. ncing at her, Shane caught on to her surprise and tly exined, ¡°In a three-legged race, the most crucial things are the tacit understanding and cooperation. Since don¡¯t understand each other well, we can only rely on cooperation. Seeing that you are not tall enough to put your arm around my shoulders, the alternative is for you to hug my waist. We shall then walk as one. If we were to go on our own separate paces, we would definitely lose.¡± Catching on, Natalie finally understood his intention. Initially, she had no idea where to ce her hand. Now, she wrapped her hand around his waist consciously without hesitation. Right at that moment, she caught a whiff of fresh mint passing by her nose, causing her to jolt back into old memories. This scent... where have I smelled this before? It is so familiar. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± As Natalie was still trying to remember where she had sniffed the familiar scent, Shane put his arm around her shoulders and interrupted her thoughts. For now, she could only focus on the race and put that aside. ¡°Ready, one, two, run!¡± The middle-aged man raised the starter pistol and pulled the trigger. Bam! Hearing the crisp and clear boom of the gunshot, Shane led the first step with the tied leg and firmly reminded, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Aight.¡± Natalie quickly responded, focusing on keeping up with him so as to not hold both of them back. Even though the two started well, they were still not as good as the two children. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Those two were not only of the same height, but they had also grown up together, therefore possessed great rapport with one another. The moment the gunshot was heard, they were already rushing ahead, leaving the two adults behind in the dust. As Sharon walked forward, she turned her head back and excitedly shouted, ¡°Dad! Mommy! Both of you hurry up!¡± ¡°Dad, mommy! You are both going to lose!¡± Connor echoed his sister as he enthusiastically taunted. Natalie could sense the two cheeky kids were mocking them, leaving her nonplussed. ¡°We must hurry up,¡± Shane said as he squinted at the finish line, which was still far away, before staring at the two children who were nearly reaching the half point of the race. Natalie knew that they would lose if they did not speed up, so she took in a breath and agreed. Adults had longer legs than children. After speeding up and taking bigger strides, both of them managed to catch up and raced past the two children. Seeing their victory was right ahead, Natalie was encouraged. However, her expression suddenly froze. She had just witnessed the support beam that was supporting the finish line shaking. In the next moment, a screw came off, and the support beam fell towards both Shane and her. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and before she even had time to think, she instinctively pushed Shane to the ground. However, her leg was hit by the falling support beam. This scene frightened everyone in the restaurant. The middle-aged man who was hosting the event was terrified as he quickly called for assistance. Soon, the restaurant¡¯s guards came and lifted the support beam away. Shane quickly untied the rope binding their legs together before helping Natalie up. Seeing her bleeding ankle, his heartbeat quickened, almost skipping a beat, leaving him to mutter with a dazed look, ¡±You...¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°Mr. Shane, are you okay?¡± asked Natalie with a pale face and a forehead covered with cold sweat. Shane moved his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she said, heaving a sigh of reprieve. Looking at her grimly with a conflicted expression, he asked, ¡°Why did you save me?¡± He saw firsthand how she rushed to rescue him without any hesitation the moment the beam fell down. She seemed overly concerned about him getting hurt. ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to save others?¡± Natalie weakly replied while smiling to shrug it off. After all, he was only here to help. If he had been the one injured, she would feel really bad. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Mommy, are you okay?¡± Connor asked anxiously as he raced over with Sharon tagging behind. Sharon was in tears. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re bleeding. Boohoo...¡± Watching the two young ones getting all nervous and concerned about her, Natalie felt the warmth in her heart. Biting her lips to endure the pain, sheforted them, ¡°All right. You two don¡¯t worry. Mommy is totally fine.¡± ¡°How can it be fine? Look, even the skin has been punctured,¡± said Connor. Clenching his little fists, he red at Shane and used, ¡°This is all on you. Mommy tried to save you and got herself injured in the process. It¡¯s all your fault!¡± ¡°Connor!¡± Natalie frowned deeply, scowling her face as she scolded, ¡°How can you talk to Mr. Shane in this manner? Saving him is Mommy¡¯s decision. It has nothing to do with him.¡± ¡°But...¡± Connor¡¯s eyes turned red as he wanted to say more. Lowering his head to look at Connor, Shane admitted, ¡°You are right. Your Mommy injures herself trying to save me. I shall take full responsibility on this matter.¡± Connor raised his head and stared at Shane for a few seconds. Snorting coldly, he turned away, deciding to ept Shane¡¯s words. Seeing his reaction, Shane raised his eyebrows as he was very surprised. Is this child really a four-year-old? He seems too smart and too mature for his age. At least the little girl seems more normal for her age. After ncing at Sharon whose face was flushed from crying, Shane turned to Natalie. His voice, devoid of the cold tone previously, had warmed up considerably as he asked with concern, ¡°Can you walk?¡± Natalie gingerly tried moving her injured ankle before concluding bitterly, ¡°Maybe not.¡± Her reply was well within Shane¡¯s expectation. Bending down, he picked her up princess-style in one swift move. Natalie was totally caught off-guard and was startled. Staring at Shane with her eyes wide open, she questioned, ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you doing? Put me down quickly.¡± Shane turned a deaf ear to her. He continued carrying her and headed straight to the row of sofas nearby. Connor took Sharon¡¯s hand and trailed behind. When he got to the sofa, Shane gently lowered Natalie down. After that he took out his mobile phone and sent out a text message. Right about this time, the middle-aged man came back. Having discovered the cause for the falling of the beam, he bowed and apologized profusely to both Natalie and Shane then tried to exin the reason. Hearing the justification, Shane could not help but pressed his lips tightly, his eyes shing with eminent anger. ¡°So this is an ident?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. Our staff did not see the loosening screw. That is the cause of the ident. Whatever it is, I¡¯m really sorry!¡± As he spoke, the middle-aged man held a handkerchief to keep wiping the sweat from his head. His mind was a bundle of nerves. Who exactly is this Mr. Shane? The aura emanating from this man is incredibly imposing! ¡°This is such a prestigious restaurant and yet you have such irresponsible staff! What a joke!¡± Shane sternly stared at the middle-aged man with his piercing re. The middle-aged man dared not to look at his eyes. Swallowing his saliva with a gulp, he replied, ¡°Yes, yes. This is our restaurant¡¯s fault. We will bear full responsibility. As a show of our sincerity, we will waive the payment for your order. In addition, we will grant thisdy a lifetime membership card as compensation for her injury. What do you think?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± With the emphasis on the word ¡°you¡±, Shane did not agree on Natalie¡¯s behalf but rather redirected the middle-aged man¡¯s question to her to gauge her thoughts. Natalie knew that it was a genuine ident yet decided to hold onto the matter. She nodded her head and agreed, ¡°So be it.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go and prepare the necessary things and call for a doctor as well.¡± The middle-aged man was overjoyed when he heard Natalie¡¯s eptance of this apology. After all, their restaurant was a prestigious one. Diners who came here for their meals are all either wealthy or powerful. If thepensation were not up to par and the customer decided to pursue the issue, not only his position as the manager would be jeopardized, but the restaurant might also even have to face a lawsuit filed against them. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 The manager was really grateful that this gentleman and thedy were so easy to deal with. ¡°Forget about the doctor. I¡¯ve already called for one.¡± As Shane finished speaking, ax-sounding voice echoed from behind, ¡°Shane, who¡¯s the wounded one you¡¯ve just mentioned?¡± Natalie turned towards the voice and saw a baby-faced young man approaching. He was d in bright-colored casual outfits, with curly hair and a cheeky smile that revealed his protruding upper canines, causing him to appear very cute. The word ¡°cute¡± might not be an appropriate adjective to normally describe a man, yet in his instance, it was an absolutely apt description that matched his look. In fact, the word ¡°cute¡± was probably made just for him. Natalie kept staring at the man, who turned out to be none other than Jackson Baker, with an unflinching look - something that caught Shane¡¯s sight as well. Noticing her intent stare at the other guy, Shane¡¯s gaze darkened as his heart felt inexplicably ufortable. ¡°Ah, this person,¡± Connor blinked in surprise when he saw Jackson. Turned out this mister was a doctor. ¡°Look, look! That¡¯s the weird man who stopped us outside the restroom.¡± Sharon recognized Jackson as well. She had already stopped crying, but she could not speak clearly and stuttered slightly since she cried too much just now. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him. But he¡¯s not some strange man. He¡¯s with Mr. Shane earlier.¡± Connor pointed out to her. Jackson heard his voice and turned towards him. As he was about to utter his greetings, he saw Natalie standing beside him. With a mere nce, Jackson was stunned. ¡°Have I met you somewhere before?¡± Jackson asked, narrowing his eyes, as he focused on Natalie, ¡°You look so familiar, methinks.¡± Natalie also looked at him curiously and shook her head, ¡°But mister, I don¡¯t know you at all.¡± ¡°Really, are you sure you don¡¯t? Take a closer look,¡± Jackson pointed at his nose and brought his face closer to hers. Leaning backward awkwardly, Natalie could only utter, ¡°Mister, I never meet you before. Really.¡± After all, she had been blessed with a good memory since her childhood. If she had seen him somewhere, surely she would have remembered. ¡°Nigh impossible,¡± Jackson furrowed his brows deeply as he rummaged through his own memory. He had genuinely thought that this woman before him looked really familiar. He just could not recall where he had seen her. ¡°Connor, why does this mister keep asking Mommy if she knows him? Does he like our Mommy and wants to be our father?¡± Sharon whispered curiously to Connor who was right beside her, as she stared at Jackson intently. She could never forget about those blond-haired misters while living abroad in the past. This was how they used to flirt with Mommy, before offering to marry Mommy and to be her father. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Connor rubbed his chin as his gaze scanned Jackson from top to bottom before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t want him as our father. He doesn¡¯t give me that sense of security at all. I still prefer Mr. Shane to be our father.¡± Meanwhile, Shane was standing behind the two children. Overhearing their conversation, a discreet smile stretched across his face as he felt inexplicably gleeful. ¡°I also like Mr. Shane. In fact, he looks like you, Connor,¡± Sharon noted as she sucked on her thumb. Her casual remark had no particr intention, however to a listener, it sounded suspicious. Connor¡¯s IQ was far above those of his same age. He had always suspected that his and Sharon¡¯s biological father was somewhere in the country. After all, he had once overheard unintentionally his mommy¡¯s conversation with Uncle Stanley. He asked her if she ever wanted to search for their biological father upon their return to the country. She had replied to him, saying that she did not know who was the children¡¯s biological father. Since Mr. Shane bore the same look like him, could it be possible that he was their real father? Thinking of this possibility, Connor nced cautiously at Shane, his eyeballs were rolling around in an ominous way. No, I have to find a way to get Mr. Shane¡¯s DNA sample. Then, I would have to wait for Uncle Stanley toe back to help with the paternity test. Meanwhile, over at the side, Jackson had checked the wound on Natalie and was currently bandaging it. After the bandage was securely done, he handed a business card over and advised, ¡°Be careful not to expose the wound to water for few days. This is the address of my hospital. Do drop in tomorrow to change the dressing and get a tetanus jab.¡± ¡°Aight. I understand. Thank you Dr. Baker,¡± Natalie said as she took the business card with both hands. Taking a few tissues and wiping his hands, Jackson noticed Connor alongside Sharon and proceeded to ask, ¡°Are you their mother?¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°Yes, I am,¡± replied Natalie as she held her children in one hand and patted their heads with another. ¡°They are very cute, especially this little guy here,¡± Jackson looked at Connor as he said his compliment before continuing, ¡°He looks exactly like Shane. If I haven¡¯t known that Shane has no children, I would have thought that both of them were father and son.¡± Stealing a nce at Shane subconsciously, Natalie replied, ¡°It¡¯s all a coincidence.¡± As the matter of fact, when she first saw him for the first time, she had felt that he looked strangely simr to Connor. However, she knew he could not have been Connor¡¯s father. The reason being, the man back then years ago was an old man who was almost fifty years old. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t ask you for your name,¡± Jackson asked as he threw away the tissues in his hand. ¡°Natalie Smith,¡± she replied curtly. ¡°Natalie...st name Smith...¡± Jackson read it out in a low voice. Suddenly, he thought of something, his expression changed to one that was utterly shocked as he eximed, ¡°Shane, it¡¯s wrong! We are all wrong!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Shane quickly asked coldly. Jackson quickly pulled him aside, ¡°Shane, do you remember that a few years ago, your grandfather got you engaged with a certaindy from the Smith family out of the blue?¡± ¡°Her name¡¯s Jasmine Smith. So what are you trying to get at?¡± Shane queried as he looked at him seriously. Jackson chuckled bitterly, ¡°That¡¯s the issue, my man. The problem is that Jasmine is not the one engaged to you, but rather, it¡¯s her!¡± That said, he pointed directly at Natalie who was not far away. Natalie tilted her head in response. Are they talking about me? Why did he point in my direction? ¡°Do you even know what you are talking about?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes dangerously and stared at Jackson with an incredulous look. Jackson rubbed his throbbing temple as he exined, ¡°Of course, I do. Remember how I said just now that she looked familiar? That¡¯s because she is your real fianc¨¦e. Your grandfather once showed a photo of your fianc¨¦e, and I happened to be there then. I remember that you did not look at the photo but I peeked a look. She¡¯s the one in the photo! I swear!¡± He still remembered the moment when he praised the luckydy of the Smith family as beautiful. ¡°In that case, what happened to Jasmine?¡± Shane¡¯s expression was extremely grim, still trying to digest the sudden revtion. Jackson, after all, was his childhood friend. A good friend whom he trusted. Trusted with his life even. The Smith family must have lied to me! As if reading his thought, Jackson answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the only certainty in this matter is that Jasmine definitely is not your fianc¨¦e. Her identity as ady of the Smith family is indeed questionable.¡± It was known to everyone that the Smith family only has one daughter and one son. After all, the photo of Natalie was shown by old man Miller many years ago, hence proving that she was the rightful heiress of the Smith family. As for Jasmine, her identity was to be determined! Perhaps very soon. What was going through Jackson¡¯s mind was simr to what was going through Shane¡¯s. He started walking towards Natalie and questioned brusquely, ¡°Are you the daughter of the Smith family?¡± Natalie blinked curiously, wondering how in world he knew about this. Seeing her troubled expression, Shane conjectured, ¡°I suspect it to be so, right?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes darkened as her countenance turned serious, ¡°I was. But not anymore.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane demanded, pursing his lips. Shaking her head vigorously, she grimaced bitterly and replied, ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m not at liberty to say it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say...¡± Shane trailed off as he looked totally dissatisfied with her answer. Of course, he did not mean to force her in any way. Since she had refused to spill the beans, he would have to check on the facts by himself! After all, he must get to the bottom of this convoluted mess and figure out between the real and fake fianc¨¦e! Deep in thought, Shane got out of the restaurant while taking out his cell phone ¡°Mommy, isn¡¯t the Smith family mentioned by Mr. Shane where Mommy grew up?¡± Connor curiously asked. Blinking innocently, Sharon chipped in and said, ¡°Sharon wants to know too.¡± Without a word, Natalie touched the heads of the two children. Truth be told, she had never told her two children anything about the Smith family, nor did she intend to do so. That was the pain that she bore alongside her mother and younger brother - something that all of them decided not to bring up. Over a long period of time, even she had forgotten that she was from the Smith family. Right at this moment, the restaurant¡¯s manager, who was a middle-aged man came over with a meal cart. The meal cart was full of gift boxes in different sizes. Noticeably, the most conspicuous one being the big teddy bear. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Sharon¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement when she saw the teddy bear. ¡°Dear miss, this is something our restaurant has prepared for you. Please ept it as a sign of a heartfelt apology from us,¡± said the middle-aged man sincerely as he rubbed his hands. Nodding her head, Natalie said, ¡°I¡¯ll ept the apology. However, I shall leave now.¡± After Shane came back from his call, he overheard what she had said to the manager. Taking out the car key form his pocket, he threw the key to Jackson who was behind him. ¡°Go, drive my car her,¡± he commande Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Jackson knew what he was expected to do. Twirling the key around in a carefree style, he agreed. After he left, Shane looked at Natalie and offered, ¡°Allow me to send you all back.¡± ¡°Thank you. I guess we¡¯ll be troubling Mr. Shane then,¡± said Natalie as she epted the offer and smiled politely. If she were not injured in the first ce, she might have rejected his offer. As her feet could no longer walk, she naturally would not make a fool of herself by bringing her two children to hail a cab. Shane carried her up just like he had done just now and headed towards the exit of the restaurant. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, the two children walked hand-in-hand behind them. To any by passers, the four of them looked like a real, happy family. As they exited the restaurant, unbeknownst to them, a man with a camera was hiding behind the bushes just outside. Recognizing Shane, and seeing him carrying a woman as well as getting into a car with two children, the stalker excitedly raised his camera and started snapping away at the scene. ¡°So, where are we heading?¡± Shane asked after putting on his safety belt in the car. ¡°Blue Court Apartments, please,¡± Natalie mentioned the address of her apartment. Raising his eyebrows, Shane felt surprised. Such a coincidence! He owned an apartment there. Coincidentally, his unit was in the same building as hers. Judging from the lot number of her unit, his was located right opposite hers. ¡°Anything wrong, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie noticed Shane was in a daze and decided to reach out to him. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± replied Shane as his eyes flickered. He proceeded to start his car. Sharon fell asleep on Natalie¡¯sp on the way home, yet Connor was still full of energy. He looked at Shane who was driving and queried, ¡°Mr. Shane, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Connor, what do you n to ask Mr. Shane?¡± asked Natalie curiously. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s none of your concern,¡± Connor replied as he swiped down the hand his mother had ced on his head. Looking at Shane intently, he asked, ¡°May I, Mr. Shane?¡± Shane¡¯s interest was piqued and said, ¡°Sure. Just shoot.¡± ¡°Allow me to ask then. Are you married, Mr. Shane?¡± Connor presented his question without any reservation. Neither Natalie nor Shane expected that he would ask such personal questions, and both were caught off-guard by the little child¡¯s boldness. Reacting to his question, Natalie quickly patted Connor on his back in a gentle way and said, ¡°Connor, don¡¯t be rude. You shouldn¡¯t ask Mr. Shane such a personal question.¡± As she gently reprimanded her son, Natalie nced at Shane who was driving, and smiled embarrassedly as she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. He is still young and ignorant.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Shane assured as he broke into a smile and replied, ¡°To answer your question, I¡¯m not married.¡± That¡¯s great! Beaming with joy, Connor put his two little hands together gingerly and cheered in his heart. Deciding to go further, he asked, ¡°What about a girlfriend, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Connor!¡± Natalie was aghast at her son¡¯s daring question and eximed in a stern tone. This rascal. Surely he has something up his sleeves. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be angry. I have my reasons,¡± Connor tried to coax Natalie in a mature way. Meanwhile, Natalie poked his forehead and sarcastically remarked, ¡°What good reasons a child like you would have?¡± Sticking his tongue out yfully, Connor chided, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you for now.¡± He had nned his questions to gauge whether Mr. Shane had a family. Depending on his answer, he might dismiss his thought of obtaining Mr. Shane¡¯s DNA. After all, he had suspected that Mr. Shane was very likely their biological father. He did not want to acknowledge a biological father who already had his own family. ¡°You!¡± Natalie sighed helplessly as she peered intently at her son whom she had brought up since he was born. Her son was too smart and too mature. As a mother, she felt like she had missed out on some fun in motherhood. ¡°Mr. Shane, regarding myst question, you haven¡¯t reply to me yet,¡± Connor pointed out, refusing to give up, thus decided to pursue the matter to its end. Shane raised his eyes and nced at the rearview mirror at Natalie nonchntly before replying, ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t have a girlfriend either.¡± Except that he had a fianc¨¦e! Caught by the issue, he suddenly felt desperate enough to want to know what actually happened a few years ago. Why did Natalie, who was supposed to be his fianc¨¦e, ended up being reced by Jasmine instead? Also, in the past few meetings, Natalie did not seem to know that he was her fianc¨¦ too. ¡°Okay, Connor, that¡¯s enough for now. I forbid you from asking Mr. Shane any more questions of any sort. Mommy will be really angry if you keep asking,¡± warned Natalie as she sternly squinted at her son with a death stare. Realizing he might had crossed the boundary, Connor nodded obediently, ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t ask anymore. Mommy, please don¡¯t be angry.¡± Meanwhile, he was rather happy. This is such good news! Mr. Shane is not married and has no girlfriend. I can now proceed to try to confirm whether he is my father or not. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 As Connor pondered, his eyes were zooming into Shane¡¯s hair from time to time, readying himself and eyeing for a chance to pull out a couple strands of Shane¡¯s hair. However, before he could do anything, Natalie pulled him onto herp and ordered him to sleep. Connor found himself held down and could not move, hence he secretly sighed and resigned to the situation. Seemed like all avenues had been closed and the next opportunity could only be found next time. Mommy is really holding me back. Suddenly, the cell phone in Natalie¡¯s bag started to vibrate. She took out her phone and saw that there was a message. Seeing the sender¡¯s name, she smiled slightly, and quickly opened the text message to check the content. Are you home yet? Natalie typed her reply: Not yet. Will be home soon! Awesome! The person on the other end sent a one-word voice reply. No other audio message followed after that. Natalie did not mind a bit as she had already gotten used to it. Calmly she put away her cell phone. After travelling for around half an hour, they arrived back at their apartment. Natalie woke her two children up and asked them to get down from the car first. After the two children had climbed down, Shane walked to the back seat door and carried Natalie out of the car. After that, he asked, ¡°Which building do you live in?¡± Natalie knew that he intended to carry her to the door of her house. Just as she was about to answer, the corner of her eyes caught the glimpse of a familiar figure walking towards them from not far away. As the figure approached, she was initially startled to recognize the face. Breaking into a smile, Natalie remarked, ¡°Thanks for your good intention, Mr. Shane, but there¡¯s no need to send us to our door. Someone hase to pick us up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He was confused, Shane followed the direction of her look and was surprised to see a man! He saw a handsome man wearing a grey trench coat and a pair of sses walking towards them. Is he the one she mentioneding to pick her up? Is he her husband? ¡°Mr. Shane, you can put me down first,¡± Natalie said as she patted Shane. Jolted from his thoughts, Shane frowned. He did not say much as he gently lowered her to the ground. As she stood up, he held her arm to help her stabilize her footing and prevent her from falling. At this juncture, Sharon also saw the man. Her eyes brightened and she tugged Connor before running towards the man, yelling sweetly, ¡°Daddy!¡± The man responded, squatting down and picking up the two children, kissing both of them on their faces. Witnessing this scene unfolding before him, Shane narrowed his eyes and could not help but feel a little ufortable all of a sudden. It felt like something that should have belonged to him was suddenly snatched away by this man who had appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Hi, Nat.¡± The man, Stanley Quinn, greeted warmly while holding Sharon in his arms. With a gentle smile on his mellow face, he approached Natalie. Seeing him, Natalie could not help but ask, ¡°Why are you back here? I thought you¡¯re abroad.¡± ¡°Since today is the birthday of these two children, I tried to rush back. However, a sudden surgery popped up and I had to attend to it. By the time I disembark from the ne, the sky is already dark. It took me some hassle to get back here, only to find that you¡¯re not home yet,¡± exined Stanley. Natalie was a little dumbfounded and said, ¡°No wonder you texted me just now asking if I¡¯m already back home. I thought you were just casually asking.¡± ¡°All this is to give you a surprise.¡± Having said that, Stanley put down the two children before stealing a nce at Shane. When his eyes saw Shane¡¯s face, he could not stop staring as he trembled slightly. Why does his face look so simr to Connor¡¯s? Can it be... Stanley¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly, hiding the grimness in his eyes. Soon, he recovered his cool and acted as if nothing had happened. Feeling suspicious, he inquired, ¡°So, this gentleman here is...¡± ¡°This is my boss, Mr. Shane Thompson of the Thompson Group,¡± said Natalie as she introduced Shane to Stanley. Nodding his head, Stanley reached out his hand to Shane and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Stanley Quinn, a surgeon by profession.¡± Shane looked at his outstretched hand yet did not shake it. After replying with a casual ¡°Hello¡±, he looked at Natalie and said, ¡°Since this person is here to pick you up, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± For some inexplicable reason, he really disliked this man! At the same time, his ¡°man-rm¡± was ringing in his head, warning him that there was more to Stanley than it met the eyes. ¡°Sure. Thanks for everything and goodbye, Mr. Shane.¡± Nodding her head, Natalie patted the heads of her two children andmanded, ¡°Say goodbye to Mr. Shane, you two!¡± Her two children obeyed respectfully. Connor waved his hands vigorously as he shouted, ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m looking forwardN?velDrama.Org content. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 The next time we meet, I must get a sample of Mr. Shane¡¯s hair. Getting into his car, Shane drove off. While on the way, Ss Campbell gave him a call. Stopping his car by the side of the road, Shane took out his cell phone. His voice, unnoticed by him, was a mix of anticipation and eagerness as he blurted out, ¡°How¡¯s the investigation?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve found the information. Just as you have suspected, the one who was supposed to be in the marriage arrangement with you is none other than Ms. Natalie Smith and not Ms. Jasmine Smith. The latter is responsible for impersonating Ms. Natalie¡¯s identity.¡± ¡°Impersonating?¡± Shane uttered as he frowned, ¡°What¡¯s the reason behind this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Ss found himself at a loss of words. Pursing his lips impatiently, Shanemanded, ¡°Just say it!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± responded Ss quickly. No longer hesitating, he poured out all the information he had found, ¡°Seven years ago, after your marriage arrangement with Ms. Natalie had been made, she eloped with another man.¡± ¡°Eloped?¡± Shane could not help but gripped the phone tighter. ¡°Yes, Ms. Natalie used to have a lover. After she learned that her engagement had been decided without her consent, she ran away with the help of Mdm. Yulia, her mother. When her father Mr. Smith found out, he was enraged and divorced Mdm. Yulia. He married his current wife, Mdm. Susan Sullivan, who brought Ms. Jasmine back to the Smith family.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Susan is Jasmine¡¯s biological mother?¡± ¡°Yes. Since Ms. Natalie had run away, Mr. Smith was worried that the Thompson family would hold the Smith family ountable for the slight, hence Ms. Jasmine was asked to rece Ms. Natalie. He also concocted the lie that Ms. Natalie had changed her name to Jasmine, and Ms. Jasmine had no choice but to tell the outside world that Mdm. Susan is her stepmother,¡± Ss narrated, full of disdain for Natalie in his heart. This Ms. Natalie is such an ingrate, treating Mr. Shane as if he is not worthy of her. Such scandalous is she that the woman even dares to elope with another man. Doesn¡¯t she ever think about the consequences her actions would bring to the Smith family? Shane did not and could not speak. He was crestfallen, his eyelids drooped as his mind became a total mess. After a short while, he opened his lips and uttered only three words, ¡°I know now.¡± He was surprisingly calm. Ss was stunned, and quickly asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, are we going to retaliate against the Smith family?¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Shane nkly replied before continuing, ¡°Since this engagement is a mistake from the very beginning, let¡¯s just y along as if nothing has ever happened.¡± After all, Jasmine was also Harrison Smith¡¯s daughter, and the same person who had rescued him five years ago. Although he did not love her, he also did not have any feelings for anyone else either. In the end, it did not matter who he married anyway. Marriage was just a contract to him - nothing more nothing less. The reason he requested this investigation was to find out what had happened in the past. As for Natalie, since they were nothing but strangers in the past, they would remain as strangers moving forward to the future. After ending the call, Shane threw his cell phone onto the passenger seat and started his car again. The second day, at the Thompson Group... After Natalie had a basic understanding of Project Rebirth, she prepared herself to scour the database for any information on Thompson Group¡¯s design style, so she could sketch out her first draft based on it. However, she found out that she could not ess the database at all. Feeling confused, she patted the shoulder of a colleague sitting next to her and asked, ¡°Ashley, is there something wrong with the database? I can¡¯t log in.¡± ¡°Nope, I¡¯m all good on my side. Maybe you entered the wrong ID?¡± Ashley cocked her head and peeked at her screen. Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve checked letter by letter, number by number. There¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong.¡± ¡°In that case, probably the system has never stored your ID in the first ce. Why don¡¯t you ask Ms. Jasmine about this?¡± Ashley suggested. Natalie furrowed her brows, feeling reluctant to go. ¡°Ashley, what about I borrow your ID to log in instead?¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t do!¡± Ashley refused immediately. Surprised by her own over-the-top reaction, Ashley piped down and exined, ¡°Nat, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but this information is ssified as top secrets. They can only be essed once a week and cannot be printed out. If I lend my ID to you, then I won¡¯t be able to ess the database whenever I need to.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Natalie could only bit her lips and gave in. Seemed like the only solution was to bring this up with Jasmine. Heaving a sigh, Natalie picked up her crutches beside her seat and limped towards the supervisor¡¯s office. When she reached the door to the office, she knocked on the open door and called out, ¡°Ms. Jasmine!¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jasmine¡¯s expression soured immediately. ¡°I need to ess the information in the database. However, I can¡¯t log in with my ID. Just want to check what is going on?¡± Natalie said tly while staring at Jasmine with cold indifference. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Natalie could feel that Jasmine certainly had a hand in the matter. She was able to log in yesterday, but not today. Hence, she must have something to do with this. Sure enough, Jasmine admitted almost immediately, ¡°I¡¯m the one who deleted your ID from the system.¡± Pursing her lips, yet knowing that her instinct was spot on, Natalie could only ask, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You dare to ask me why?¡± Jasmine leaned back in her chair and folded her arms in front of her. Straightening her posture to express dominance, she haughtily remarked, ¡°Because you¡¯re not a formal employee of our Thompson Group. You¡¯re just someone we outsource, therefore I can¡¯t let you ess the database. What if you¡¯re here to steal the confidential data?¡± ¡°Oh, please! Of course, I won¡¯t!¡± Natalie¡¯s face was serious, bordering anger. Jasmine snorted, ¡°Have you ever encountered a thief who admits to stealing something?¡± That left Natalie speechless. It was obvious that Jasmine was making things difficult on purpose for her. But she would not surrender without a fight. Staring at Jasmine with a deep gaze, Natalie decided to leave instead. Just as Natalie was about to turn around, Jasmine squinted her eyes, feeling that the scene seemed familiar. In a sharp voice, thetter sternly called out, ¡°Stop! You¡¯re going off to find Shane again, right?¡± ¡°I need to check the database for information for Project Rebirth. Since you don¡¯t support me, I can only bring this up with Mr. Shane. I believe Mr. Shane will be more than happy to support me,¡± Natalie spoke without even looking back. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go!¡± Jasmine stood up and took a fewrge strides to block Natalie¡¯s path. The problem arising from Natalie¡¯s two children had been temporarily resolved. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. However, she still should not let her guards down so as not to take things for granted. As long as Natalie was around, the truth of the yesteryear might be divulged at any time. Therefore, she must minimize the frequency of them meeting as much as possible. After that, she would find an excuse to drive Natalie and her two illegitimate offspring away. ¡°Let me give you a piece of advice. You¡¯d better not get in my way,¡± Natalie warned as she stared at the hand that was grabbing her arm. With an impassive expression, she goaded, ¡°I¡¯m a poor, injured person. If anything were to happen to me here in this office, or if my injury worsened, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be facing a hard time exining yourself, Ms. Jasmine. After all, there are security cameras everywhere here.¡± As she uttered these words, she pointed her finger to the cameras on the wall. Jasmine¡¯s expression changed immediately as she retorted, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°As long as you stop me, I believe I won¡¯t be resorting to such an unrefined manner, will I?¡± Natalie smiled dryly as she pped away Jasmine¡¯s hand. Getting onto an elevator and reaching the top floor, Natalie stepped out of the elevator. At that moment, she saw Ssing out of the secretary¡¯s office and heading towards the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Campbell!¡± she hurriedly called out. Ss stopped in his tracks and looked at her. A fleeting look of disgust shed across his eyes as he smiled and nodded. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Mr. Campbell, I need to see Mr. Shane on something rted to work. Can you help me inform him of that to arrange the meeting now?¡± Natalie politely asked. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Ss replied as he pushed his sses up. Since it was a matter rted to work, he had no reason to refuse. Soon, Ss came out of the CEO¡¯s office and let Natalie in. Bowing a little gratefully, she proceeded to push the doors to the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Raising his head from behind theputer, Shane watched Natalie walking in with aplicated look. ¡°Ss told me that you have something to discuss with me. May I know what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°This is what happened...¡± Natalie rted the whole reason for hering up. As he finished listening to her ount, he clicked the desktop on his screen with his fingertip and concluded. ¡°So, you just want me to issue a directive to ask someone in charge to re-enter your ID into the system, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Natalie nodded. Before she came up, she had learned that she needed a directive from her immediate superior to be able to re-register. Her immediate superior was Jasmine. Seeing that her ID was deleted from the system by Jasmine herself, it was impossible to get her to issue the directive. Having no choice, she had decided toe up to Shane. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll inform Ss to bring you to the personnel department.¡± Shane gave his approval. Natalie was so ted that she almost forgot her manners. She said, ¡°Thank you Mr. Shane. I¡¯ll take my leave then,¡± as she turned and went out of the office. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Shane stopped her suddenly. Natalie paused dead in her tracks. ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Shane? Perhaps you have some instructions for me?¡± ¡°How are you recovering?¡± Shane stood up and peered at her wounded foot. Natalie jiggled her ankle around and replied with a smile, ¡°Much better than yesterday. As long as I don¡¯t touch or put undue stress on it, it won¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital for a tetanus shot after work.¡± Upon saying that, Shane sat back down on his chair. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 He had promised Connor that he would bear the responsibility until the end. And it was his obligation to take her to the hospital. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to trouble yourself.¡± Waving her hand, Natalie revealed, ¡°I¡¯ve already taken the shot.¡± ¡°You did?¡± Shane frowned. Natalie mumbled an affirmative and exined, ¡°Stanley is a doctor. He has given the shotst night.¡± So it was him, again! Recalling the man he had metst night, Shane pursed his lips as his voice turned cold. ¡°Off you go then. Also, get Jasmine toe up.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Natalie jovially replied as she turned around and left, not caring or even noticing the change in his attitude. Ten plus minutester, Jasmine appeared before Shane nervously. ¡°Shane...¡± ¡°Can you not target Natalie from now on? Your tant immaturity irks me. Stop it,¡± Shane said in a deep tone as he purposely red at her. In fact, since yesterday in the warehouse, he had noticed that she was hostile towards Natalie. He had no idea where the source of the hostility sprung from. N?velDrama.Org content. However, now that he knew that one of them was the illegitimate daughter while the other was the product of actual proper marriage, he wondered how the two of them could ever reconcile. Therefore, he could understand the reasons why she targeted Natalie specifically. But he could not tolerate someone using work duties to oppress others, especially Natalie. Such unprofessional conduct! ¡°I¡¯m not targeting her. As she¡¯s not our full-time employee of ourpany, I¡¯m worried that letting her having ess to such important information may be detrimental to us. What if she...¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Shane interrupted Jasmine as he stared at her with his hawk eyes. Jasmine felt a little ashamed, having been seen through by Shane. After all, he had seen her ugliest side. She avoided his stare and slinked back. He retracted his stare and reminded, ¡°She is the backup help I invited to thepany under the rmendation of Mr. Moore. Suspecting her means you are suspecting Mr. Moore and me. So put away your schemes and shenanigans, or I¡¯ll have you sent back to your own studio. After all, I simply can¡¯t tolerate unprofessional conduct.¡± Upon hearing this, Jasmine became anxious. She already had very few opportunities to meet him. If she were to be sent back to her studio, the chances of them meeting up would be even less. How then could she cultivate a rtionship with him? Fearing that probable oue, Jasmine could only squeeze her hands and relented. ¡°I get what you mean. From now on, I shall not target her.¡± She would not do anything to Natalie in front of everyone but she made no guarantees or promises if she were to sabotage her behind everyone¡¯s back. ¡°Now that you know, just do it. You will give her whatever information she needs in the future. There must not be any mistakes with Project Rebirth.¡± Shane reminded her. Jasmine still felt reluctant. ¡°Shane, did you really give her Project Rebirth? Although she hails from Laurent Academy of Design, she doesn¡¯t have even the slightest reputation.¡± Picking up his cold coffee from his table, Shane took a sip and said, ¡°This has nothing to do with her fame, but rather her talent. I¡¯ve seen her work. She has the creativity and motivation, and that is why I want to give her a chance to prove herself. As long as her first draft is approved, Project Rebirth will be left under her responsibility.¡± First draft, eh? After hearing his words, there was a twinkle of light shining briefly in her eyes. In that case, as long as Natalie messed up, Shane would definitely not keep Natalie anymore. It was obvious to her that she had to find a better way to prevent Natalie¡¯s first draft from being approved. Back in the design department, as Jasmine walked into the main office, she saw Natalie was having a happy conversation with Ashley. An idea suddenly popped into her mind. ¡°Ashley!¡± Jasmine called out in a loud voice. Ashley, who was chatting with Natalie, immediately stood up and greeted, ¡°Yes, Ms. Jasmine?¡± ¡°Come with me now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ashley followed Jasmine out in a jiffy. After a while, Ashley came back to her seat and looked at Natalie with a hint of guilt. Natalie did not notice her abnormal behavior. Smiling at her, she pulled out the chair for her and asked inquisitively, ¡°What did Ms. Jasmine tell you?¡± Ashley tried to avert her gaze as she replied, ¡°She merely follow up with me regarding my draft design from yesterday.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± nodded Natalie. Sitting down, Ashley decided to take a risk and asked Natalie casually, ¡°Hey Nat, do you and Ms. Jasmine have a beef against one another by any chance?¡± Hearing her words, Natalie¡¯s smile faded as she tried to exin, ¡°It¡¯s not vengeance. It¡¯s just some petty grudges. Why are you asking this suddenly, Ashley?¡± ¡°Nothing. Mere curiosity. After all, you were targeted by Ms. Jasmine yesterday. The curious side of me just wants to know,¡± exined Ashley. Natalie did not suspect anything and was soon engrossed with her work of reviewing Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Right at this moment, a colleague suddenly eximed, ¡°Holy crap! Our CEO actually has illegitimate children outside!¡± ¡°Huh, what? Illegitimate children? Where?¡± All of a sudden, the entire main office descended into chaos, as everyone rushed to the colleague who was the source of the breaking news. Natalie was the only one who sat there motionlessly, too stunned to join in the excitement. Shane has children born out of wedlock? N?velDrama.Org content. How can it be! Even though she did not know him very well, her intuition told her that he was not that kind of irresponsible person. It must be the work of some social media ounts deliberately spreading sensational rumors and click-baits for the sake of poprity. Natalie shook her head andughed as she zeroed in on that thought. Although she was not interested in gossips about Shane, her ears picked up her colleagues¡¯ excited chatters, and several words caught her attention. Two illegitimate children and a woman being carried in his arms. Got into a car... For some reason, these phrases sounded really familiar. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡± Natalie¡¯s expression changed like the weather. Quickly, she minimized the current page on her screen, clicked into her browser, and searched for news about Shane¡¯s illegitimate children. Her search immediately turned up a lot of matches. Randomly clicking one of the top search results, she entered the site, only to be greeted by a familiar yet blurry photo. Seeing herself in the photo, Natalie reflexively threw away the mouse in her hand and covered her face. Sure enough, someone captured the moment when Shane was carrying her into the car! Even though the faces of the people in the photos were censored and others could not recognize her, she was sure that Jasmine would definitely be able to identify her in the photos. Since Shane was Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦, thetter would certainly not let this slide! Natalie dreaded the oues of this matter. While she was still caught up in her thoughts, Jasmine¡¯s voice rang out from the door of the main office. ¡°What are you all babbling about?¡± ¡°Ms. Jasmine,e and take a look! Our CEO actually has illegitimate children outside,¡± a male colleague thered and immediately waved at Jasmine. The moment she heard the phrase ¡°illegitimate children¡±, Jasmine¡¯s heart nearly jumped out. She retorted, ¡°What nonsense are you moring about? Since when Shane has children born out of wedlock?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one with the nonsense. It¡¯s all over the news. See for yourself!¡± The poor guy felt wronged and thus responded. ¡°Surely those are mere rumors!¡± As Jasmine strode towards him, her face was burning with fury, yet her heart was beating like a drum. As she stepped next to the male colleague, he pointed to the photo on hisputer screen and said, ¡°Ms. Jasmine, look!¡± Jasmine squinted her eyes at the direction he was pointing. The next second, her heart sank. She knew the people in the photo. In fact, she knew them very well indeed! One of them was Natalie. The other two were her little b**tards! Why was Shane with Natalie and her two childrenst night? Why would he be carrying Natalie in his arms? Her mind was full of questions that breathlessness took over her. Jasmine¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she furiously printed out the screenshot of the photo. Immediately after, she went to Natalie and threw the printed photo at her face. Livid with anger, she asked loudly, ¡°Care to exin what is going on in this photo?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Some in the office could not understand the scene they were witnessing. ¡°What else could it be? Ms. Jasmine printed out the photo to question Natalie. It must have meant that the person in the photo is none other than Natalie.¡± ¡°No way. You mean Natalie was secretly involved with our CEO and even gave birth to two children for him?¡± ¡°Shhh. Shut up and watch quietly.¡± Everyone fell into silence. They were watching the unfolding scene with great interest. Having predicted that Jasmine would react in such an overwhelming way, Natalie could feel a headacheing up and sighed. ¡°This is a misunderstanding. Let me exin.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Jasmine snickered bitterly before continuing, ¡°Youy in my fiance¡¯s arms and you dare to tell me this whole thing is just a misunderstanding?¡± She had made up her mind to prevent Natalie and Shane from ever contacting one another. Unexpectedly, as fate would have it, not only did they meet one another, they even shared such an intimate moment. This was totally uneptable! ¡°This is really a misunderstanding. It all started like this...¡± Natalie gazed into Jasmine¡¯s bloodshot eyes and started rting everything that had happenedst night. As expected, Jasmine did not believe a single word from Natalie. In fact, she was getting more and more agitated that her nails even digging into her clenched palms. ¡°Enough! What ame excuse about finding a pretend-father for some children¡¯s games. All of them are just excuses! Can¡¯t you find other men in such a huge restaurant? Why must it be my fianc¨¦? Natalie, do you dare to say that you have no other intentions?¡± Despite her anger, Natalie suddenly broke into a chuckle. And that chuckle made Jasmine even more ufortable. In her sharp, furious voice, Jasmine questioned, ¡°What are you snickering about?¡± ¡°I¡¯mughing at your imagination, your emotionally biased judgment, and your needless worries. Even though your deduction may be sound, I will still stick to my stand that this is all a misunderstanding. If you still don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Mr. Shane whether I¡¯m lying or doing anything intentionally.¡± Natalie calmly exined. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 After finishing her exnation, she made a ¡°be my guest¡± gesture. Her generosity and open-mindedness had made some people in the main office chose to believe her. Although Jasmine was really enraged, she was not totally irrational. Seeing Natalie¡¯s earnest and fearless eyes, she knew that there was really nothing between Natalie and Shane. Except that she was unwilling to let it go. Why did Natalie always get to meet Shane during those crucial moments? No matter how she prevented them from meeting, they would always bump into each other somewhere and somehow. Did the heavens support them being together? Was this the work of fate? Thinking about this sent Jasmine into a jealous craze. Right at the moment, the guy who broke the news to her just a minute ago suddenly announced loudly, ¡°Ms. Jasmine, our CEO Mr. Shane has just issued a rification statement on this matter!¡± ¡°What?¡± Jasmine was taken aback for a brief moment. Ignoring Natalie, she quickly walked over to the male colleague. Natalie followed behind. She was curious as well about what had transpired as well as Shane¡¯s rification. When she came to theputer of her aforementioned male colleague, Natalie gazed at what he was pointing at. Shane¡¯s social media, which was never updated before, had posted a piece of the message which read: They are not illegitimate children. A subordinate was injured. Just sending the subordinate home. Below these captions, there were also two surveince videos attached. In the first video, under the dim restaurant lights, Connor was seen pulling Shane along. The second video showed the scene where Natalie rescued Shane and got injured in the process due to the falling support beam. These two videos, added with Shane¡¯s sinct and straight-to-the-point exnations, were enough to prove that all the rumors were indeed mere misunderstandings. Natalie was not the secret mistress and the two children were not the illegitimate offspring as portrayed in the news. ¡°So, my dear Ms. Jasmine. Do you have anything more to say?¡± Natalie snickered. As expected, Jasmine¡¯s facial expression was a blend of anger, embarrassment, and defeat. It was very ugly. Even though she knew from the very beginning that it was all a misunderstanding, she had intended to exploit the opportunity to oppress Natalie to the end. Her n was to use this as an excuse to justify her criticism and bias towards Natalie. N?velDrama.Org content. Yet, Shane had thrown a wrench into her n, and she had not expected him toe up with a rification for the matter in such a short time. She was really annoyed that her cunning n had been nipped in the bud. Deciding to give in for this round, she relented and said, ¡°I admit I have nothing else to say. However, you have dragged my fianc¨¦ into such an uproar. As his fianc¨¦e, I won¡¯t let you off the hook so easily. You just wait! This is not the end!¡± With that, Jasmine gave Natalie a long cold look and strutted away on her high heels with a gloomy look on her face. Feeling relieved, Natalie also felt a creeping sense of helplessness. Surely Jasmine would continue aiming to make her life miserable for days toe. However, with the game now afoot, she had no choice but to go with the flow. As long as she remained swift as the coursing river and forceful as the great typhoon, she believed that she would be able to put up a decent fight. After Jasmine had left, all the colleagues began to swarm around Natalie. ¡°Oh, Nat! You are simply amazing! You didn¡¯t even think twice and just rushed towards against such a heavy support beam! If it were me, even if there¡¯s a generous reward awaiting for saving Mr. Shane, I would still not be able to do it.¡± ¡°Really, I admire your courage! You¡¯ve saved Mr. Shane. It is only proper that he sent you back home. It¡¯s all the paparazzi¡¯s fault for sensationalizing the gesture. However, Nat, are those two cute children really yours?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re mine.¡± Natalie nodded. Colleagues around her gasped and eximed, ¡°At such a young age? I really can¡¯t tell at all!¡± Natalie could only smile but said nothing. As such, the curtains were drawn as the matter was put to rest there and then. As afternoon drew around, Natalie turned off herputer and got off work. The moment she walked out of the building, an unassuming ck car stopped in front of her. As the car window was rolled down, Shane, who was wearing sunsses, showed his face. ¡°Get in the car!¡± Looking around in confusion, Natalie saw that there was no one else and pointed to herself hesitantly, ¡°Me?¡± In a cool voice, Shane offered, ¡°Let me send you home.¡± Waving her hand dismissively, Natalie tried to reject, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mr. Shane. I¡¯ll just take a taxi.¡± On a serious note, should he be photographed sending her back again, the paparazzi would surely have a field day cooking up yet another sensational scandal to pin it on them. And should that happen, Jasmine would definitely hound her, mayhap even attempt to swallow her whole! Seeing Natalie¡¯s unwavering rejection, Shane frowned slightly and remarked. ¡°You¡¯re going to take a taxi in that condition?¡± ¡°Is there any problem with that?¡± Natalie looked down and examined herself absent-mindedly. Even though she was limping on crutches, she could not understand why that would Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Shane pursed his lips and replied, ¡°No problem at all. However, I have promised Connor to be responsible for you until the end. Therefore, unless you call for someone to pick you up, I¡¯ll insist on sending you back every day until you get better.¡± ¡°Surely you can¡¯t take a child¡¯s words seriously!¡± Natalie smacked her forehead in disbelief. Seemingly not hearing her, Shane raised his wrist and looked at his watch, before saying, ¡°I have been parking here for the past five minutes. The cars behind me are currently blocked by me. If you don¡¯t want the cars behind to be riled up, you¡¯d better get in my car right away.¡± Hearing his words, Natalie instinctively turned her head back. She could feel a headache creeping up as she caught sight of a line of cars behind them honking unceasingly. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll trouble you to send me to the kindergarten first.¡± Forcing a grin, Natalie reluctantly opened the door and got into the car. During the journey, Shane suddenly piped up, ¡°I have heard what happened today. Jasmine has been troubling you. On her behalf let me apologize to you first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. No biggie. After you¡¯ve rified the matter with your social media post, she left and did not do anything to me,¡± Natalie replied as she winded up the car window and tied her wind-blown hair, revealing her nice, long neck. Shane nced at her with a willful look before revealing, ¡°Ss has found out that a paparazzi who recognized me was lurking outside the restaurant. As a result, that happened today.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s the reason.¡± Natalie acknowledged. ¡°I have imposed a gag order on the inte. No one will disturb your nor your children¡¯s life again. Smiling gratefully, Natalie thanked Shane sincerely. He gruffly acknowledged and said nothing. In the end, she fell silent as she didn¡¯t know her well. Soon, they reached the kindergarten. Natalie gave the teacher a call, and soon she came out with her two children. The two children got into the car together and their eyes lit up upon seeing Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Yep. Hello.¡± Shane nodded slightly, his stern demeanor softened a lot. Connor peered at him. Rolling his eyes, he suddenly pulled Sharon closer and whispered a few words into her ear. Although Sharon did not know what her brother nned to do, she still nodded her head obediently and whispered back, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Connor. I¡¯ll remember. Rest assured and count on me.¡± She patted her chest proudly. Putting his hand on her head, Connor patted her and said, ¡°I trust you.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Natalie looked on suspiciously at her two children. Feeling both amused and curious, she asked, ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°Nothing. Nothing much.¡± The two children shook their heads in tandem. ¡°Connor?¡± Natalie peered meaningfully at her son. Spreading out his little hands and shrugging, Connor said, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t ask me. I won¡¯t say anything.¡± He definitely won¡¯t tell Mommy that he was nning to get a few strands of Mr. Shane¡¯s hair. Squeezing Connor¡¯s chubby cheek lightly, Natalie retorted, ¡°Forget it. Mommy doesn¡¯t want to know either.¡± Connor stuck his tongue out at her before turning his head towards the driver¡¯s seat and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, shall we go now?¡± He was eager to go back and put his n into action. Shane turned his face slightly. Noticing a lock of hair sticking out and swinging on Connor¡¯s head, he felt amused and an urge to touch it. Due to his cold expression, no one could notice that. ¡°Sure. Sit tight and buckle up.¡± Shane tapped the steering wheel and instructed. Connor nodded and sat back beside Natalie obediently. As the car started, Sharon yawned immediately, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sleepy. I want to sleep.¡± ¡°Go to sleep then. Mommy will wake you upter,¡± soothed Natalie as she pushed Sharon onto herp. Sharon¡¯s pink cheeks rubbed against Natalie¡¯s thigh. She closed her eyes and fell asleep in a mere short while, even started to snore. Seeing this, Connor¡¯s mouth twitched a little. Very good. My sister is a pro in this. He had asked her to pretend to be sleeping. Later, upon getting off, he would have a reason to trick Mr. Shane to step into their house. He just did not expect his sister would actually fall asleep in such a manner. He was okay with it though, since it was easy to tell if someone was pretending to be asleep. If she really was sleeping, then he would have one thing less to worry about. Throughout the whole journey, no one said a word. Very soon, they got to the apartment. Shane helped to put Sharon onto the sofa. After that he got up and took a look at the apartment. There are only two rooms in this apartment and it was much smaller than his home. However, the furnishings were all very cozy and heartwarming, which was suitable for a family. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 However, one strange thing remained. Shane noticed that the apartment was seemingly inhabited only by Natales and children, for there were no signs of any man living there. ¡°Your husband doesn¡¯t live here?¡± Before he could stop himself, he identally uttered the one question that was guing his heart. Natalie, who was searching for some grounded coffee powder to make coffee, heard his question and froze. ¡°Husband?¡± ¡°That Dr. Quinn fromst night, isn¡¯t he your husband?¡± Shane peered at her meaningfully. Natalie quickly lowered her gaze to avoid showing him the shame and guilt in her eyes. ¡°Yes, but he basically lives abroad.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shane nodded slightly and did not bother to question further. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ve found the coffee. Go make a nice coffee for Mr. Shane.¡± Right at the moment, Connor took a box of coffee and stuffed it into Natalie¡¯s outstretched hand. Natalie patted his hair and said, ¡°Okay. Thank you. Mommy¡¯s going to make a coffee. Stay here with Mr. Shane and don¡¯t be naughty, okay?¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Connor replied. Natalie stepped into the kitchen. After she went in, Connor¡¯s eyes shone as he touched his belly and pleaded, ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m hungry. Can you help me get some cookies?¡± Saying that, he pointed to the top of the fridge. N?velDrama.Org content. Following his pointed finger, Shane¡¯s gaze fell upon the top of the fridge, stacked with all types of cookies and snacks. It was so full of choices that he had trouble choosing. Shane could not help but frown, he was a little annoyed. So Natalie actually bought all these snacks for her two children? Doesn¡¯t she know that it¡¯s not good for children to eat too many tidbits? As if understanding Shane¡¯s concerns, Connor quipped in, ¡°These are all presents from Aunt Joyce. She buys them for us every time she drops by. Mommy usually doesn¡¯t let us eat too much. That¡¯s why the snacks are piling up. Mommy says that we will have tooth decay from taking the snacks. That¡¯s why she has stored them all on the fridge, so they¡¯re out of our reach.¡± Is this the real reason? Perhaps. Shane loosened his brows. Seemed like he had misunderstood her. ¡°So, what type of cookies do you want? I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± asked Shane as he nced at the child. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let me take them myself. Since there are too many types of cookies, I want to see them for myself. Mr. Shane, do you mind holding me up?¡± Having said that, Connor spread out both his small arms. Seeing the little child wanting to be carried, Shane¡¯s usual cold eyes showed a faint hint of warmth. Without thinking much, he reached out and carried the child. Shane could feel the child¡¯s soft body in his arms. That warmed up his frozen heart and made him feel fuzzily cozy. Shane walked to the fridge while holding Connor. Rummaging for snacks with one hand, Connor secretly stretched his other hand towards the top of Shane¡¯s head. He managed to discreetly pull off a few strands of Shane¡¯s hair with something in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve found it! I want to eat this. You may put me down now, Mr. Shane. Thank you.¡± Connor happily thanked him as he picked up a pack of cookies that he wanted. Meanwhile, Shane did not notice what had just transpired. He was going to put the child down from his arms. Right at this moment, he suddenly felt a jolt of pain on his scalp. Unable to hold it in, a groan escaped from his mouth. ¡°Mr. Shane, anything wrong with you?¡± Connor asked nkly as if he did not know what just happened. He was merely a four-year-old, so no one would ever suspect him when he put on a show and pretended to be innocent. Shane did not answer Connor, but his eyes caught sight of a Lego part with a few strands of hair trapped between it. Seeing that, Shane¡¯s impatience went up. How could this child have such a thing in his hands? As he was pondering, Connor suddenly cried, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. Shane. I didn¡¯t mean it. Boohoo...¡± From the kitchen, Natalie could hear the cry. She put down the kettle in her hand and quickly came out to check. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mommy...¡± Connor rushed into her arms and hugged her, ¡°Mommy, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t mean what?¡± Natalie was getting more and more anxious by the seconds. After all, she had not seen Connor cry for a long time. Thest time she saw him crying was two years ago, when he was merely two years old. That was why she panicked when he burst into tears. ¡°I identally plucked off some of Mr. Shane¡¯s hair. Boohoo...¡± Connor¡¯s little hand trembled as he handed the Lego part over to Natalie. She saw the few strands of hairs. She could finally understand the reason her son was crying now. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 I bet he is shocked that he yanked the guy¡¯s hair. ¡°Connor, I thought I told you to behave! Why are you so naughty?¡± Annoyed, Natalie hit her son in his bottoms a few times. The young boy bowed his head in shame. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Shane held onto Natalie¡¯s hand and stopped her from hitting Connor. She froze. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Shane raised his hand, signaling her to keep quiet. Then, he bent down slightly and looked deep into Connor¡¯s eyes. ¡°Connor, talk to me. Why did you try to grab my hair?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it. It was just an ident...¡± Connor responded amidst sobs. Shane narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. He fixed his gaze onto the boy and probed, ¡°Was it really just an ident?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Connor nodded. Natalie pondered for a moment and decided to step in. ¡°Mr. Shane, I believe that my son didn¡¯t do it on purpose. This has happened before.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane nced at her. There was a slight twitch in his face as he asked, ¡°Did he grab others¡¯ hair using this too?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Yes. My boy has a habit of holding small items in his hands. The Lego piece is small enough for him and he might have forgotten that he had it in his hands. Previously, he yanked Sharon¡¯s hair in a simr manner too,¡± Natalie exined as she shot a re at her son. Upon seeing this, Connor bowed his head even lower. ¡°I see...¡± Shane¡¯s eyes shed briefly. He could tell that Natalie was speaking the truth. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m really sorry about this!¡± Natalie bowed in apology and made her son do the same. Seeing how the mother-son duo was rather sincere. Shane rubbed his temples and warned them sternly, ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t happen again. He has to kick this bad habit.¡± ¡°Yes sir, I will make sure of that.¡± Natalie smiled apologetically and gently tapped her son¡¯s head. ¡°Hurry up and thank Mr. Shane.¡± Connor timidly did as he was told and then quickly hid behind his mother¡¯s back. Away from the adult¡¯s scrutiny, he stared freely at the hair in his hand. The timidness and fear vanished from his face, and his lips gradually curled into a satisfied smirk. At that moment, the doorbell rang. Natalie hobbled over to the door with her crutches. Meanwhile, Connor grabbed this window of opportunity and dashed back to his room. The door opened, and Stanley arrived with a first aid kit. Just as he was about to say hello, he spotted the other man in the living room. ¡°Mr. Shane! What a surprise to see you here!¡± The gentleness in his eyes disappeared and he shot Shane a sharp nce. Thetter immediately felt animosity. It became apparent that Stanley was guarded against him. He narrowed his eyes and observed the man. Why is he so wary of me? Natalie saw Shane pursing his lips in silence and answered on his behalf, ¡°Mr. Shane sent us home.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Stanley¡¯s eyes darkened momentarily. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± He extended his arm in Shane¡¯s direction. Shane looked down at the extended hand but had no intentions to return the handshake. He replied indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Well, I shall get going then.¡± Stanley didn¡¯t turn angry at Shane¡¯s reaction. Instead, he ced down his hand and offered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay a little longer, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Shane uttered without any change to his facial expression. He strode toward the door after. The two men made eye contact as they brushed past each other. The sharp gazes exchanged were unmistakable. The few seconds of interaction were sufficient for Shane to see through the man. This man is the perfect actor. His gentle appearance is just a mask to his cold, ruthless self. How did Natalie befriend such a two-faced, pretentious man? Shane¡¯s eyes swept past Natalie as he thought of this. Thetter shed him a slight smile, oblivious to what he was thinking. She saw him to the door and watched him get into the lift before returning to her ce. Her expression became stern the moment she closed the door. ¡°Connor Smith!¡± The young boy heard his mother¡¯s voice and tiptoed out of his room in an abashed m Chapter 43 Chapter 43 With a gloomy face, Natalie walked over to her son. ¡°Tell me, Connor. Why do you have that in your hands again? Don¡¯t you remember how you pulled your sister¡¯s hairst time? I told you not to y with this anymore. Why...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Before she could finish, Connor tugged at the hem of her shirt and swayed his body pitifully. It was rare for Natalie to witness this coquettish side of her son. Her words instantly got stuck at the tip of her tongue, and she could no longer find the anger within her to reprimand him. After a short while, she let out a sigh and stroked her son¡¯s head helplessly. ¡°What should I do with you!¡± Connor held onto his mother¡¯s hand and there was a satisfied look on his face for a split second. He knew that this incident was water under the bridge. ¡°Nat, what happened?¡± Stanley asked in a daze. He had been listening to their conversation from the side. She exined, ¡°Connor was being naughty and he almost offended Mr. Shane. Luckily, the man was kind enough and didn¡¯t me Connor. Otherwise, I might have lost my job.¡± As she spoke, she pinched Connor¡¯s cheeks gently and told him, ¡°Alright. Keep your Lego pieces properly. If this happens again, I will confiscate it. You hear?¡± Connor knew that this was not a joke. He immediately eded to her request, ¡°Yes, Mommy. I will.¡± ¡°Good boy. Now go and y on your own for a while. Mommy¡¯s going to start preparing for dinner.¡± With that, Natalie returned to the kitchen. After dinner, Natalie brought Sharon to take a shower in the bedroom, leaving Stanley and Connor in the living room. The young boy sat down beside Stanley and asked, ¡°Uncle Stanley, can you help me with something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Stanley was preparing the medication for Natalie when Connor initiated the conversation. He stopped what he was doing and gave the little boy his attention. Connor nced toward the bedroom in a guilty manner before he fished out two zip lock bags from his pockets and passed them to Stanley. Thetter took a closer look at the contents and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Hair?¡± ¡°Yes. This is Mr. Shane¡¯s hair, and this is mine,¡± Connor lowered his voice and said. Stanley suddenly realized what was going on. His gentle expression changed just slightly and he probed, ¡°Why? Do you think he¡¯s your father? You want me to conduct a DNA test?¡± Connor didn¡¯t notice his reaction and merely nodded. ¡°Yes. Mr. Shane and I have an uncanny resemnce. This isn¡¯t normal. So Uncle Stanley, can you help me please?¡± Stanley lowered his head and looked at the bags. His eyes darkened slightly, but nobody knew what he was thinking. After a long while of silence, Connor waved his small hands in front of him. ¡°Uncle Stanley? Are you there?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Finally, Stanley recovered his senses and controlled his emotions. Pushing his sses up his nose bridge, he agreed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you with this.¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle Stanley!¡± Connor gave him a sweet smile in appreciation. The corners of Stanley¡¯s lips twitched slightly. While he remained silent, he tightened his grip around the bag of hair, as though wanting to rip it apart badly. ¡°Connor, what are you thanking your godfather for?¡± Natalie walked out of the room just in time to hear Connor¡¯s words. She naturally asked out of curiosity. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I thanked him because he gave me a sweet earlier. Right, Uncle Stanley?¡± Connor blinked innocently at his godfather. ¡°Mm, yes.¡± Stanley stered a wide smile on his face, but the smile never reached his eyes. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m going to shower.¡± Connor got down from the sofa and ran to the bathroom. Natalie burst into a fit of giggles when she saw her son running frantically to the bathroom. ¡°Alright, Nat. Time to change out your bandage.¡± Stanley patted on the empty spot next to him. Natalie nodded and walked over. It was almost ten by the time everything was done. Stanley packed up his first-aid kit and prepared to leave. After he stepped out of the apartment, he didn¡¯t leave immediately. Instead, he went to the emergency stairway and tossed the two bags of hair into the trash bin before heading for the lift. Two dayster, at Thompson Group. Jasmine¡¯s assistant, Penny, began shouting instructions the moment she stepped into the office. ¡°Alright, everyone! Hurry up and clean up the ce! Keep everything that is unnecessary in your drawers! Especially things like your makeup and snacks! Pack them all up! There¡¯s going to be an inspection from the bosses!¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°From the bosses? Who ising?¡± Someone asked. Penny replied arrogantly, ¡°Who else apart from the big boss?¡± The person she was talking about was none other than Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦. ¡°Oh...¡± Everyone gasped at her reply. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Why would the CEO suddenly inspect our department?¡± ¡°Who knows? In any case, quickly tidy up your office. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to be penalized!¡± Penny turned and walked away after leaving them a stern warning. Everyone got busy immediately. Natalie looked at her desk. There wasn¡¯t much to pack since she only had aptop and some documents on her table. Hence, she continued to work on her draft. ¡°Nat, do you know why the CEO ising today?¡± Ashley, who sat beside her, asked. Natalie threw a nce at her. It was a rather weird question. ¡°How would I know if you guys don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Well, I thought the CEO and you have a pretty good rtionship. Maybe you would have some insider information?¡± Ashley grinned. ¡°Me? A good rtionship with Mr. Shane? Who did you hear this from?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes! You got into Mr. Shane¡¯s car yesterday, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ashley leaned forward and whispered into her ear. Ah. So that¡¯s why. Natalie rxed a little and exined, ¡°That¡¯s because my leg hasn¡¯t recovered and it¡¯s inconvenient to get a cab. Hence, Mr. Shane offered to drive me home. Once I recover, he won¡¯t be sending me home anymore. So Ashley, don¡¯t ever spout such nonsense again. If Mr. Shane or Ms. Jasmine hears about this...¡± ¡°Alright, I get it! I won¡¯t speak about this anymore,¡± Ashley quickly interjected. She seemed a little afraid after hearing Natalie¡¯s words. Thetter observed Ashley closely for a few seconds. She felt that something was amiss but could not pinpoint what was wrong exactly. Thus, she kept quiet and stapled herpleted draft. Just then, footsteps could be heard nearing the design department. Then, a tall and handsome man walked in with a few others trailing behind him. One of them was Jasmine. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Everyone in the design department stood up as soon as he arrived and bowed respectfully. ¡°Continue with your work. I¡¯m just here with a few business partners. We won¡¯t interrupt you,¡± Shane looked at the crowd of staff in front of him and spoke to them coldly. His gaze paused on Natalie for a brief moment before he looked away. Natalie sat down along with the rest and began working once more. To her surprise, Shane led the few business partners in her direction. Just as she was about to stand, Shane held onto her arm and stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can sit since you are still injured.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie showed a grateful smile and remained seated. Jasmine was obviously dissatisfied. ¡°Mr. Shane, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for her to remain seated while we¡¯re all standing. Seems disrespectful in my opinion!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. This is a special circumstance. I trust that Mr. Jacques and the rest will understand.¡± Shane turned slightly and nced at his business partners. They all nodded and smiled. ¡°Of course we do. An injured employee should always be taken care of.¡± Shane then looked at Jasmine with his dark eyes. His sharp gaze was sufficient to pierce through anyone¡¯s soul. ¡°Well, Jasmine, do you still have any issues?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± Deep down, she was boiling. But she still managed a wide smile and responded politely. It was seldom to see Jasmine being put in her ce. Biting down on her lips, Natalie bowed her head to control herughter. Her mood somehow turned for the better. ¡°Well, since there are no problems, I suggest you don¡¯t speak at all from now on. Otherwise, it will be disrespectful to me, understood?¡± Shane remarked with pursed lips. His voice was clear, assertive, and loud. Every word was a stab in Jasmine¡¯s heart. The color drained from her face as she heard this. How could I have forgotten? When working, this man is as stubborn as a bull. He could never tolerate those who doubted his decisions. It was taboo in the office. I was just trying to make Natalie¡¯s life difficult earlier. But in the end, I¡¯ve offended Shane... What a misstep on my part! Shane did not bother with Jasmine any longer and went ahead to introduce the remaining people to Natalie. ¡°Natalie, meet our business partners. They are also the investors for Project Rebirth. They will be the ones deciding whether you can be the chief designer for the project.¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 What? These are such important people? Natalie was quite taken aback. However, she recollected herself quickly, put on a gentle smile, and introduced herself confidently. ¡°Good day, everyone. I¡¯m Natalie. I¡¯m one of the shortlisted designers for Project Rebirth, and I look forward to working with all of you.¡± Even though she remained seated, she spoke with a nice disposition and amicable tone. No one would think that she was being impolite. It was apparent that Natalie was a well-mannered person. The business partners nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Apart from letting you meet Mr. Jacques and the rest, I wanted to ask about your first draft. How is that going?¡± Shane asked. ¡°It¡¯s almost done,¡± Natalie informed. Jasmine was quite shocked to hear this. Almost done? It¡¯s only been a few days! How can she be so quick? It takes two to three days for me toplete just a basic drawing. And yet, Natalie is able to finish drawing up the designs for an entire project within a week? Is this what it means to have an innate talent? Jasmine gritted her teeth as envy surged within her. Shane raised his brows in surprise too. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. There¡¯s a management level meeting tomorrow, and Mr. Jacques will be attending together with the other business partners. Bring along your draft and present it to everyone so that we can give some feedback andments. We¡¯ll also decide whether you can be the chief designer for Project Rebirth. How does that sound?¡± He fixed his eyes on Natalie and waited for her response. Under his sharp gaze, Natalie subconsciously lifted her chest and replied without hesitation, ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± She was very confident of her draft. Furthermore, her mentor sang high praises of the designs when she sent them overst night. ¡°Alright then. Go ahead with your day.¡± Shane nodded, contented with the response. Then, he brought the partners to the next station. The group toured the design department briefly before leaving. Right before they stepped out, Jasmine suddenly turned around and coughed a few times in Natalie¡¯s direction. Having no idea what she was trying to do, Natalie simply ignored her. Shortly after, Ashley leaned over, looking rather ill. ¡°Nat, do you have some tissue?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Natalie tossed her a box. ¡°Thank you!¡± Ashley tugged a few pieces out of the box and dashed toward the door. Seeing Ashley rushing out in a frantic manner, she shook her head in amusement. Then, she tidied her drawings and took them to the printer to scan them. Just as she was done, Ashley returned from the washroom with her face looking very pale. Natalie jumped in shock when she noticed this. She quickly ced down her drafts and helped Ashley to her seat. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked with concern. Ashley¡¯s eyes darted to the drafts for a brief moment before looking away. She chuckled and told Natalie, ¡°Just something wrong with my stomach. Must be the food from lunch. The bathroom trip was useless.¡± ¡°Should I bring you to the pharmacy to get some medicine?¡± Natalie suggested. ¡°No. I can¡¯t even walk now with the pain. Nat, why don¡¯t you help me with it?¡± Ashley waved her hand and cringed in agony. ¡°Alright. Wait for me here then.¡± Seeing how her colleague was in a lot of pain, Natalie decided to help. After pouring a ss of warm water for Ashley, she left the office, hobbling away with her crutches. Ashley watched Natalie limp down the corridor with an apologetic look on her face. However, that expression was quickly reced with fierce determination. Ten minutester, Natalie returned with the medicine. Ashley was resting with her head on the table. She looked rather ufortable. Upon seeing this, Natalie quickly took out the pills and passed them to her. After swallowing them, she stillmented, ¡°Urgh, I don¡¯t think this medicine¡¯s working for me. Seems like I have to take the rest of the day off. I¡¯m going to look for Ms. Jasmine.¡± With that, she strode to Jasmine¡¯s office with her hand pressed on her stomach. Ashley ended up taking two days¡¯ leave. Natalie looked at the empty seat next to her. Seems like a rather serious case of food poisoning. At that very moment, someone knocked on the entrance of the office. ¡°Is Ms. Natalie Smith here?¡± Upon hearing her name, she quickly recollected herself and stood up. ¡°That would be me.¡± ¡°The management meeting is about to begin. Mr. Shane asked me to bring you over,¡± Ss adjusted his sses and said. ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned serious. She picked up her briefcase and herptop bN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Ss noticed that Natalie was struggling with all the belongings in her hands, especially with her leg injury. It looked as though she was about to fall anytime. While he remained quiet about her demeanor, he didn¡¯t really want to see her fall. Hence, he extended his hand and offered to help. ¡°Let me help you with theptop.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Campbell.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t find anything wrong with his behavior and handed over her laptop to him gratefully. There were important documents rting to her drafts on thatptop. She wouldn¡¯t have to worry about dropping and damaging theptop if someone helped her with it. They arrived at the meeting room shortly after. Following Ss¡¯ instructions, she sat down at a seat near the door. Despite entering in a low-profile and quiet manner, she still managed to attract everyone¡¯s attention. Jasmine was the first to spot her. The woman¡¯s gaze swept past her briefcase andptop. For a split second, the corners of her lips curled into a slight smirk. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie looked at the man who was seated at the head of the table. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked as his gaze moved toward her. She nodded in response. ¡°Let¡¯s begin then.¡± Shane interlocked his fingers and ced them on the table, ready to listen to the presentation. Natalie took a deep breath, opened up her briefcase, and pulled out a blue file from it. However, her body froze when she opened up the file. ¡°What is this!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing the color drain from Natalie¡¯s face, Shane narrowed his eyes and wondered what happened. Natalie clenched her fists and uttered, ¡°My drafts are missing!¡± ¡°Missing?¡± Shane raised his brows in suspicion. Natalie nodded and showed him the contents of the file. ¡°Look! It¡¯s all nk paper! My draft has been stolen!¡± ¡°Stolen?¡± Jasmine pursed her lips and mocked. ¡°Ms. Natalie, please don¡¯te up with excuses. I bet you didn¡¯t evenplete your drafts, did you? Who would steal them for no reason?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too sure about that!¡± Natalie turned her head and stared at Jasmine. Thetter twitched slightly and mmed her fists on the table. ¡°What do you mean by that? And why are you looking at me? Do you think I was the one who stole your drafts?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything yet. Ms. Jasmine, did you need to react like this?¡± Natalie¡¯s face darkened as she remarked coldly. Jasmine gulped and instantly got furious. She was about to retaliate when Shane interrupted. The man could no longer watch this debacle continue. Hemanded, ¡°Alright! Enough!¡± ¡°Enough?¡± Jasmine pointed a finger at Natalie in anger. ¡°Shane, look at her! She¡¯s dying the meeting, and...¡± ¡°Do you not understand English?¡± Shane cut her off. His demeanor was as cold as ice. Frightened by his reaction, Jasmine dared not speak anymore. Shane shot her a meaningful look before turning to Natalie. ¡°Do you have scanned copies?¡± ¡°I do. I always make a copy and save it on myptop. But I suppose that is gone too.¡± As she spoke, Natalie powered up herptop and clicked on the file. Indeed, it was empty. While she was quite angry, there was no surprise that this would happen. After all, if the physical copy were already stolen, there was no way the thief would miss out on the scanned copies. Shane fell silent upon this. At that moment, the only sound in the meeting room was the rhythmic tapping of his index finger on the conference table. Nobody could tell how the man felt. After a while, he suddenly stood up and announced, ¡°Let¡¯s end the meeting here today. We will talk about the drafts for Project Rebirth on another day.¡± Once he said that, the attendees of the meeting did not stay any longer and dispersed. Within a few moments, only the three of them were left in the meeting room. Natalie picked up herptop with one hand and her briefcase in the other. ¡°Mr. Shane, I would like to head to the CCTV room.¡± ¡°I suppose you want to see who took your drafts?¡± Shane guessed her intentions almost immediately. ¡°Yes!¡± Natalie nodded and nced at Jasmine at the same time. She wanted to see how her half-sister would react.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. To her surprise, Jasmine was unusually calm. There was no panic to be seen on her face. It was to the extent that Natalie doubted her own suspicions. Could it be someone else? Perhaps it wasn¡¯t Jasmine. Just as she was engrossed in her thoughts, Shane spoke up and approved her idea. ¡°Go ahead then,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie shoved her thoughts aside, thanked Shane, and stepped out of the meeting room. After she left, Shane narrowed his eyes at Jasmine and asked, ¡°Tell me, did you do it Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Jasmine looked at Shane in disbelief. ¡°Shane, do you not trust me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. It¡¯s because you¡¯ve done this before. You¡¯ve targeted Natalie previously.¡± Shane was referring to the things she didst time. Jasmine stomped her feet in anger. She was annoyed at Shane¡¯s distrust for her. ¡°Yes, I admit that I didn¡¯t like her and targeted her back then. But I swear it wasn¡¯t me this time! If it were me, I would have stopped her from reviewing the security footage!¡± Shane froze slightly when he heard this. Then, he lowered his eyes and went deep into thought. Upon noticing this, Jasmine knew that Shane was swayed by her words. A smirk crept onto her face. However, she adjusted her facial expressions quickly and held onto his arm. Swaying it from side to side, she looked up at him and said, ¡°Shane, you¡¯ve got to believe me. After you told me not to make Natalie¡¯s life difficult, I listened to you! I would never disobey your words.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane retracted his arm indifferently. He brushed the creases on his shirt and remarked, ¡°I hope it really isn¡¯t you. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you go back to your studio.¡± With that, he walked out of the meeting room without looking at her again. Meanwhile, in the surveince room, Natalie had her arms crossed and her eyes glued to the surveince monitors. She was afraid to miss any clues and scrutinized every frame. Shane walked over and stood beside her. They stood there and observed the recordings for a short while before Shane asked, ¡°So? Did you notice anything?¡± She shook her head and informed him with a serious expression, ¡°No. This is my second time reviewing the recordings. No one even came close to my workstation from yesterday till this morning.¡± ¡°Something isn¡¯t right.¡± Shane furrowed his brows. Natalie rubbed her chin with a puzzled expression. ¡°Indeed, I feel the same too.¡± If nobody touched my workstation, why would my drafts just go missing? Even the scanned copies were deleted from myptop. Obviously, there¡¯s more to this! But what did I miss? Natalie bit her nails and lowered her head in thought. Then, she suddenly thought of something. She told Shane, ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m very sorry for ruining today¡¯s meeting. Please give me some time to sort this out. I¡¯ll definitely find out what happened. For me, and for you.¡± Saying this, she bowed slightly to Shane. She would not let this matter go so easily. Natalie had made up her mind to make the culprit pay for what they did. ¡°Are you confident about this?¡± Shane asked as he looked at her. Natalie thought about her son and let out augh. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Her assertive response made Shane raise his brows. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a day to sort this out. If you still haven¡¯t found out who did this by then, you¡¯ll have to redo your drafts, and they can¡¯t be identical to the ones you¡¯ve drawn previously. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes! Clear as day!¡± Natalie straightened her back and responded. Shane nodded and left. Natalie didn¡¯t remain long in the surveince room either. She made a copy of the security footage before heading back to the design department. In the afternoon, she left Thompson Group¡¯s office and visited a private investigator¡¯s office. She handed over herptop and mouse and asked them to check the items for fingerprints. After which, she took a cab to the kindergarten to pick her kids up. ¡°Mommy, where is Mr. Shane?¡± Sharon looked slightly dismayed when she didn¡¯t see Shane with her mother. Natalie pinched her nose yfully. ¡°Do you like him that much?¡± ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Sharon nodded enthusiastically. Connor chimed in as well, ¡°Mommy, why didn¡¯t Mr. Shane drive you today?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane is quite busy today. Also, Mommy¡¯s leg is almost healed. We don¡¯t have to trouble Mr. Shane any longer.¡± Natalie spoke as she took her children¡¯s bags and hooked them to the crook of her arm. Connor unwrapped a lollipop and ced it in his mouth. ¡°When can we see Mr. Shane again then?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You will see him when we get the chance. Alright, get in the car now.¡± Natalie nudged the two children into the cab. Connor and Sharon climbed into the car as per their mother¡¯s instructions. After they buckled their seatbelts, Natalie looked at Connor and said, ¡°Connor, I nee Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡°What is it?¡± Connor twisted the lollipop in his mouth. Sharon blinked at her mother and added, ¡°Mommy, I can help you too!¡± ¡°I know you are both very smart kids. However, Connor is able to help better this time. Next time, I¡¯ll ask Sharon to help. How about that?¡± Natalie tickled her daughter. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sharon burst into a fit of giggles and nodded, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you next time then, Mommy!¡± ¡°What a good girl!¡± Natalie let go of her daughter and looked toward her son. ¡°I need your amazing computer skills. Can you help me with my office¡¯s security footages?¡± She suspected that someone had tampered with the footage. ¡°You want to review your office¡¯s security footage? Why?¡± Connor cocked his head to one side curiously. ¡°Because my drawings were stolen by someone.¡± Natalie rubbed her forehead and replied in a rather lethargic manner. Connor¡¯s face darkened the moment he heard this. His gaze turned sharp and stern as he asked, ¡°Did someone bully you, Mommy?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I need your help.¡± Natalie held onto his adorable cheeks and looked at her son. However, as she stared at her son, there was aplicated look on her face. All of a sudden, she saw an uncanny resemnce between Shane and her son. He even looked identical to Shane when he was angry. How weird! ¡°Hmph, alright! I will definitely find out who bullied you, Mommy!¡± Connor promised and clenched his small fists in determination. Natalie gave him a peck. ¡°Thank you, Baby.¡± ¡°Mommy, I want a kiss too!¡± Sharon pleaded with her lips pouted. Seeing her brother getting love from Natalie made her upset when she didn¡¯t get the same. Natalie was speechless. She let go of her son and gave her daughter a peck on the cheeks. ¡°Are you happy now, my princess?¡± Instead of replying, she snuggled into Natalie¡¯s arms and buried her face in her chest. Connor pointed at his sister andughed. ¡°Mommy, Sharon is embarrassed that you called her a princess!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Natalie ced her index finger on her lips, signaling Connor to speak no more. She felt her daughter¡¯s body stiffened in her arms for a second. If Connor continued, the girl would be too embarrassed to go out. Connor, being the smart kid that he was, simply nodded and fell silent. After a while, they arrived at the apartment. Connor changed into his house slippers and ran toward his room. On the other hand, Natalie took out some toys so that Sharon could y alone in the living room. She then poured a ss of milk and went to look for Connor in his bedroom. The boy was seated in front of hisputer, clicking away at his keyboard with a serious expression. Natalie did not disturb him. She gently ced the ss of milk beside theputer and stood behind her son. Together, they looked at theputer screen, hoping for some results. The screen disyed letters and alphabets that were jumbled together. It even flickered from time to time, making Natalie rather confused. Despite having no idea of the technicalities, she was still very proud of her son. A year ago, she brought her two children along to visit her mentor, Mercede Mackenzie. Mercede¡¯s youngest son realized Connor¡¯s talent and imparted hisputer hacking skills to the young boy. Within half a year, Connor became a top-notch hacker. As a mother, she was worried that Connor was too young and might be manipted by others for his hacking skills. Hence, she never allowed him to use his hacking skills. For a brief moment, Connor paused and told his mother sternly, ¡°Mommy, I managed to find something. Someone edited the security footage of your office.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Natalie pursed her lips in anger. So, I was right! Why else would my drawings be missing if nobody touched my workstation? Turns out, there is indeed something wrong with the security footage. ¡°Baby, is it possible to restore the original footage?¡± she asked. Connor ced the ss of milk down and licked his lips. He nodded confidently in response. ¡°Of course! I can definitely do that.¡± He then ced his hands back on the keyboard and started typing again. He was so fast that Natalie could not even catch up with his movements. After a couple of minutes, Connor pressed ¡°Enter¡± on the keyboard and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Natalie leaned forward to take a closer look. As she reviewed the original footage, her eyes widened in utter disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s her? H Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¡°Mommy, who is this?¡± Connor pointed to the woman on the screen and asked. His face was solemn. Slightly upset, Natalie shut her eyes for a brief moment. She told her son in a disappointed tone, ¡°She¡¯s my colleague and also someone I respect. Normally, she is quite nice to me. I can¡¯t believe that she would do something like this!¡± ¡°Are her drawings any good?¡± Connor asked curiously. Natalie didn¡¯t know why he would ask that but replied anyway. ¡°To be honest, her drawings are average. Otherwise, she would have been a manager at the design department already.¡± ¡°Well, I know why she wants to steal your drawings then. She must be jealous of you. After all, you are so amazing! Only losers like her would do something like this.¡± Connor tipped his head to a side and spected. Natalie chuckled and was about to respond when her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from the private investigator¡¯s office. ¡°Ms. Natalie, we have gotten the results for the fingerprint swab. Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t find any other fingerprints apart from yours on theptop and the mouse.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± Natalie¡¯s gaze darted back to theputer screen. She noticed that the culprit wore gloves when the deed was done. While there were no fingerprints, the original security footage was sufficient to show that the person was guilty. She hung up, handed over a USB drive to Connor, and asked him to copy the footage into the drive. Halfway into that, Sharon knocked on the bedroom door. ¡°Mommy? Dad is here.¡± ¡°Uncle Stanley is here?¡± Connor¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this. He jumped down from his chair and dashed out of the room. Natalie blinked a few times, confused at her son¡¯s reaction. What¡¯s going on with him? Normally, he isn¡¯t this excited when Stanley visits. Did Stanley promise to buy something for him? Natalie furrowed her brows and headed out too. She stepped out in time just to see Stanley handing Connor a pocket file. ¡°Connor, what is that?¡± Natalie pointed to the file and asked with a faint smile. The boy quickly hid it behind his back. ¡°Oh! This is a collection of postcards that I asked Uncle Stanley to help me get. I want to show them to my friends at school tomorrow.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie threw Stanley a suspicious look. Thetter pushed up his sses and shed her a gentle smile. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t ask more about that. Why don¡¯t you keep Uncle Stanleypany while I¡¯ll go and make us some food?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t probe further after receiving confirmation from Stanley. She headed to the kitchen to make dinner. Sharon trailed behind her and offered to help. Hence, only Stanley and Connor were left in the living room. Connor quickly opened the file and scanned the document. When he saw the results, his eyes dimmed and he remarked with dismay, ¡°Uncle Stanley, Mr. Shane isn¡¯t my father?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not.¡± Stanley shook his head and denied. ¡°But we look so alike. How could this be?¡± Connor stuffed the document back into the pocket file and sighed in a rather adult-like manner. Stanley¡¯s eyes shed dangerously as he asked, ¡°Do you want him to be your Dad?¡± ¡°A little. He is very nice to Sharon and me. Besides, we like him. But I guess there¡¯s no use since he¡¯s not really our father. I have to go and hide this now. Mommy will go bonkers if she sees this.¡± With that, he picked up the pocket file and ran back to his room. As Stanley observed the boy¡¯s small silhouette, his lips gradually curled into a sly smile. However, that look disappeared from his face quickly, and he returned back to his usual gentlemanly self. The next day, Natalie brought the USB to Shane¡¯s office and told him, ¡°Mr. Shane, I know who stole my drawings.¡± ¡°That was fast,¡± Shane remarked with raise brows. Natalie nodded and ced the USB in front of him. ¡°This is the office¡¯s security footage. What we saw yesterday was already edited by someone. This USB here contains the original footage. I hope that you cane with me to the design department to confront the culprit.¡± ¡°I suppose I should. As the CEO, I should deal with any employee that makes mistakes.¡± Shane stood up and straightened his shirt. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Natalie smiled at Shane gratefully before stepping out of the office with him. Ding! The lift arrived. Natalie stepped forward, but she was too quick and tripped over the gap in the lift. At that moment, she lost her bnce and fell forward. Shane saw this and instinctively tried to grab her. However, instead of regaining bnce, he too fell on the floor with her. They copsed into the lift, and the lift doors closed. A slight rumble could be heard, and the lift shook as it elevated. Natalie was on the ground, and Shane fell on top of her. Their eyes met and their bodies froze. Natalie stared at the man in confusion. Shane too, was stunned by the situation at hand. He lowered his eyes and looked at her bright red cheeks and her slightly parted lips. His eyes turned slightly dark. However, he recovered himself quickly and got up. He adjusted his attire and apologized, ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°It... It¡¯s alright.¡± Natalie also got up as she replied meekly. She dared not look at him at all. Her heart was pounding frantically, and she could feel the hotness in her cheeks. It was literally impossible to calm herself down. Apart from that fateful night five years ago, she never had such close contact with another man. She wasn¡¯t even this close to him the previous time they hugged. However, their lips were only millimeters apart earlier. As she recalled the scene just now, Natalie lowered her head and peeked at the man¡¯s lips. They were thin and pale but shaped beautifully. It looks kind of inviting. Wait, what am I thinking? Natalie covered her face in embarrassment. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m fantasizing about Shane! He noticed her reaction and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you injured?¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m alright!¡± Natalie quickly replied. She was just ashamed of having fantasies about him. He decided not to probe further upon hearing this and simply gazed down at her. Natalie was afraid that he could read her mind. She quickly avoided his gaze, turned around, and cleared her throat awkwardly. ¡°Uhh... Mr. Shane, are you injured?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± He looked away too and replied nonchntly. ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that she was the reason why he fell down earlier. If he injured himself because of her, she would feel really bad. Ding! The lift came to a halt. Shane stepped out of the lift first, followed by Natalie who quickly recollected herself. They walked to the design department and Shane pushed open the door to Jasmine¡¯s office. Jasmine was quite happy and surprised to see him. Getting up, she walked towards him and said, ¡°Shane! What are you doing...¡± It was then she noticed Natalie behind him. The smile on her face immediately froze. What is going on? Why are the two of them together? Natalie pretended not to see Jasmine¡¯s furious expression. Instead, she turned to Shane and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯ll go and call her over here.¡± The man nodded. With that, Natalie stepped out of Jasmine¡¯s office and went toward the main office. ¡°Shane, what are you doing here? Why are you with Natalie?¡± Jasmine tried to sound him out as she stared in the direction in which Natalie was heading in. Shane went straight to her table and sat down. ¡°Natalie found out who stole her drawings. I¡¯m here to handle the matter for her.¡± ¡°Oh? She found the culprit?¡± Jasmine¡¯s heart instantly skipped a beat. Her palms became sweaty and her forehead broke out in cold sweat. How could this be? The n was supposed to be foolproof! How is it possible that Natalie found the culprit so quickly? Could she be lying? Meanwhile, at the main office. Natalie walked over to Ashley and tapped on her table. ¡°Ashley, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Ah! hi, Nat. Thank you for asking, I¡¯m feeling a lot better now.¡± When Ashley looked up and saw that it was Natalie, she shifted in her seat anxiously.N?velDrama.Org content. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Natalie smiled and told Ashley, ¡°All right, pleasee with me. Mr. Shane is looking for you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough,¡± Natalie replied grimly before she left. The anxiety in Ashley grew as she put her pencil down and followed Natalie to Jasmine¡¯s office. The supervisor¡¯s expression changed as soon as she saw Ashley. Natalie noticed that and pursed her lips as if nothing had happened. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, may I use your computer?¡± Shane answered instead. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Jasmine moved theputer towards Natalie who then inserted a USB drive and beckoned for Ashley¡¯s attention. ¡°Look at these security footages.¡± Ashley trembled with fear, and her face turned pale at those words. She knew they had caught her in the act. Afraid that Ashley might reveal any information, Jasmine shot her a warning look. Although Natalie noticed the interaction between the two, she did not expose them. She showed the security footages to Ashley. The first recording was captured two days ago when Natalie stepped away from her desk to collect Ashley¡¯s medicine from the infirmary. In her absence, Ashley essed herputer to locate the design drafts and other relevant files. The second recording showed that Ashley arrived at the office after nine in the evening. She wiped off the fingerprints left during the day with a wet towel and put on gloves before she deleted the files and stole the drafts on Natalie¡¯sputer. Everything was clear then. Shane looked at Natalie as he tapped his fingers on the desk. ¡°How will you handle this?¡± Natalie took a deep breath and replied coldly, ¡°Immediate termination. We should also release a statement about her crime to boycott her from the industry.¡± At those words, Ashley went into a state of shock and fell limply on the floor. Jasmine did not expect Natalie to be so harsh. Her decision could ruin Ashley¡¯s life. ¡°Natalie, don¡¯t you think the punishment is unjustifiable? Can¡¯t you suggest a forfeit of sry for a few months instead?¡± Jessica asked. Natalie remained unfazed as she stared at Ashley who sat dejectedly on the floor. ¡°No! As a fashion designer, you know very well that stealing and giarism are taboos in this industry. You should pay the price for your actions.¡± giarism? This word infuriated Jasmine as she knew Natalie was trying to imply that she giarized her design. Unsatisfied with the decision, Jasmine pointed at Natalie and asked Shane, ¡°Is it necessary to ruin Ashley¡¯s life?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°She did the right thing,¡± he said approvingly. Shane admired Natalie¡¯s intelligence and how she kept her cool. She retrieved the security recordings in such a short time and imposed an appropriate punishment on the offender while maintaining her neutrality. There was no disy of unnecessary emotions. Jasmine felt incredulous after she heard Shane¡¯sment. ¡°What? You agree with her?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°I would do the same too.¡± Natalie was pleased and thanked Shane for hispliment and support. Frankly, she doubted she could fire Ashley. After all, she was only a supporting staff. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 It was unnecessary for Natalie to worry too much. Shane was a sensible and impartial employer. ¡°All right, stick to the decision,¡± he reaffirmed and left. After a while, two security guards came to escort Ashley out. When she passed by Natalie, she whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Thetter remained calm and gave no response. She could not simply forgive Ashley for the damage caused. She confronted Jasmine when they were alone in the room. ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jasmine feigned innocence. Natalie narrowed her eyes at her and replied, ¡°You know what I mean. You orchestrated the whole thing and used Ashley.¡± When Shane left their department after inspection two days ago, Jasmine had coughed in her direction. Natalie did not realize it was Jasmine¡¯s signal for Ashley to leave and steal the drafts until she watched the security recordingsst night. ¡°Do you have any evidence to prove that I instigated her?¡± Jasmine mocked. Natalie tucked her hair behind the ears nonchntly. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any evidence. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t reveal you when you winked at Ashley just now.¡± Jasmine did not participate in the action personally, and she concealed the truth very well. It was impossible to prove her wrongdoing without a confession. Ashley¡¯s refusal to be a snitch even after her termination could only mean two things¡ªJasmine had threatened or bribed her. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have any evidence against me, I can sue you for nder and defamation!¡± Jasmine countered with a smirk. Natalie wasn¡¯t intimidated. ¡°If you want to sue me, please make a police report now. Let¡¯s fight the case in court and get the judge to question Ashley whether you are the instigator. What do you think?¡± Her encouragement stunned Jasmine. There was a moment of awkwardness. Natalie smiled and pretended that she did not notice Jasmine¡¯s embarrassment. ¡°Logically, I should have called the police when my drafts went missing. I didn¡¯t do so to avoid any bad impression being made against Thompson Group. I have nothing to do with this since you made the call.¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Jasmine pointed at the door and roared with rage. She never expected her half-sister to evolve into such a tough woman. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Natalie was not bothered and replied with a smile, ¡°It seems like you will not sue me. All right, I¡¯ll make a move now.¡± After she left the office, she stopped and took her cell phone out of her pocket to check the recording of their conversation. It didn¡¯t yield any result. Nothing in their conversation could prove that Ashley was acting under Jasmine¡¯s instructions. The evil half-sister had been extremely cautious. Natalie knew she had to be vignt from now on. Jasmine would bid her time and strike again. When that thought came to her mind, Natalie clenched her fists. However, there was nothing she could do except sigh and return to her workce. After three days, Natalie presented some new sketches to Shane. Three dayster, she presented a set of new drafts to Shan who then called the top-level management for a meeting immediately. The majority concurred with the rmendation to appoint Natalie as the chief desi Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Jasmine, who was also at the meeting, was green with envy. However, there was nothing she could do apart from watching Natalie win apuse from the seniors. Of course, Natalie felt her jealousy, but the former did not take it to heart and calmly carried on with her design concept. Shortly afterward, the meeting ended and the crowd dispersed. Jasmine rose and walked towards Shane, intimately entwining her arms around his. ¡°Shane, shall we have dinner at my ce tonight? My dad misses you.¡± She intentionally emphasized ¡°my dad¡± and nced at Natalie, savoring the satisfaction of seeing Natalie pause briefly from organizing her design drafts. Natalie used to be the princess of the Smith family, while Jasmine was born out of wedlock. Natalie could legitimately call ¡°Daddy¡± but Jasmine could only do so secretively. Now, Natalie was no longer the Smith princess and she could no longer call Harrison ¡°Daddy¡±. She could not even tell anyone about her rtionship with the Smiths. Jasmine was most delighted by this! Jasmine¡¯s actions and thoughts were read by Shane instantly. He frowned slightly. ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m busy tonight.¡± He then pulled his arm away from her. Jasmine felt disappointed and humiliated having been rejected on the spot. ¡°What is it? Is it urgent? If it¡¯s not, doe. All the dishes are being prepared as we speak.¡± ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s death anniversary.¡± Shane nced at her briefly. Jasmine gaped but no words came out. She was scolding Susan silently. That idiot! Of all days to invite Shane to dinner, what made her choose Grandpa Thompson¡¯s death anniversary? Does she deliberately want him to scold me? All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. I¡¯m so bbergasted! Seeing Jasmine suffer from humiliation, Natalie could not stop herself from giggling. This had the added effect of lifting Natalie¡¯s mood, which had earlier turned sullen because of Harrison. Shane¡¯s eyes lit up momentarily as he saw Natalie smiling like a little fox before quickly turning grave again. ¡°When will the finalized designs be ready? I will then ask Ss to arrange for models.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, we are not in a hurry to look for models; they are always avable. I will finish the drafts very soon. Having said that, the fabric is the main concern.¡± Natalie stood up when she was done sorting her design drafts. ¡°What is wrong with the fabric?¡± Shane turned serious. ¡°It is quite problematic.¡± Natalie opened up herptop and turned the screen towards him. ¡°The first chart shows the high-quality fabric we currently have in stock. The second chart shows the types and quantity of fabric needed for Project Rebirth. Unfortunately, we arecking two-thirds of these fabrics so we need to restock them.¡± Shane studied theptop screen attentively. ¡°Restocking is fine, but I see that the ¡®color¡¯ column next to your chart is marked with the word ¡®dye¡¯. What does it mean? Is there a need to redye it?¡± ¡°Yes. Since there are many colors, it is impossible to buy every color of every type of fabric. What we need is to order white fabric and dye it into various colors by ourselves,¡± Natalie nodded and answered. Jasmine, who was standing aside, felt immensely threatened when she saw the two so close to each other that nobody could fit between them. This sense of threat also reminded her that chasing Natalie away would not solve the problem. She needed to be proactive in order to have Shane for herself. The best way is to get intimate! When that happened, her position as his fianc¨¦e would be solid and she would not need to worry about him being snatched away. Deep in her thoughts, Jasmine clenched her teeth and left the conference room. Naturally, Natalie and Shane were aware of her leaving, but they were unbothered by it and continued discussing the fabric issue. ¡°Looks like we need to redye a great deal of fabric.¡± Shane pointed at theptop screen with his long and slender finger. Natalie agreed, ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. That is why I need a dye room.¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¡°Do you know how to dye fabric?¡± Instead of approving right away, Shane voiced his doubts. To him, dyeing fabric was always the experts¡¯ job. Could she take on this responsibility? She¡¯s still young in this business. It would be impossible for him to let her experiment on such expensive fabric! As if she could read his mind, Natalie closed herptop and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Shane. Since I have the courage to request a dye room, it means I can certainly handle it. I don¡¯t take this lightly.¡± Upon hearing this, Shane looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Since you sound so confident, I shall ask Ss to make the necessary arrangements.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Shane.¡± ted, Natalie quickly bowed to him. Shane lifted his head slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be too excited yet. Although I approved your request for a dye room, you will still need to pay up if you ruin the fabric.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand!¡± Natalie responded confidently. It was only reasonable topensate for ruining the fabric. Nheless, she had confidence in her skills that such a situation would not ur. ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand, so...¡± The phone in Shane¡¯s pocket suddenly rang when he was still talking. He furrowed his brows and swallowed his remaining words as he checked his phone. Abruptly, his countenance darkened. Sensing something was wrong and that she should not be hanging around, Natalie asked to leave the room. Shane waved in acknowledgment. He finally picked up the call after Natalie left. Without waiting for him to respond, the caller had already started babbling, ¡°Hey Shane, what do you think about my suggestionst night? It definitely is a piece of preciousnd; you wouldn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity.¡± Shane pressed his lips together coldly. ¡°Uncle Thompson, like I said before, I disagree with relocating Grandpa¡¯s grave. Moreover, I don¡¯t believe in geomancy¡ªyou should just give up!¡± ¡°You stubborn brat. So what if you don¡¯t believe in it? I do! The geomancy expert said that if we move your grandfather¡¯s grave to that ce, we Thompsons will thrive,¡± Samined grudgingly. Shane squinted. ¡°Uncle Thompson, do you think I don¡¯t know? You just want to take over thend on which Grandpa¡¯s grave is.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Sam was initially shocked as he heard Shane¡¯sment. Seeing that the cat was out of the bag, he decided to cease his act and sneered. ¡°Alright, you brat. Since you already know, I will say this¡ªI will have thatnd!¡± As Sam hung up the call, Shane¡¯s vibe turned terribly icy. At this precise moment, Ss entered with a file in hand. He seemed to have something urgent to report, but after seeing Shane¡¯s expression, he asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Get the car ready. I want to go back to the Thompson residence!¡± Shane kept his phone away and ordered. Ss immediately did as told. In no time, Shane was on the road to the Thompson residence. He gazed dully at thendscape in reverse motion outside the car window. Sam¡¯s family suddenly wants thend on which Grandpa¡¯s grave is¡ªthis must be Sean¡¯s doing. What exactly do they want with thatnd? The car stopped while Shane was deep in his thoughts. Ss turned his head around. ¡°Mr. Shane, we¡¯re here!¡± Shane stopped pondering and walked into the house with a grave expression. It was already 9:00 p.m. when he finished dealing with Sam and paying respects to histe grandfather. Ss brought Shane back to his vi. When Shane walked in, he detected a sickening scent of perfume and immediately frowned. ¡°Shane.¡± Overjoyed that he was home, Jasmine briskly walked up to him. ¡°Oh, did you drink?¡± Shane stepped away to avoid her and asked in a gloomy manner, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t today Grandpa¡¯s death anniversary? I was worried about you so I came to check on you.¡± Jasmine exined while receiving his suitcase as if she was the mistress of the house. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Still avoiding her, Shane called out coldly, ¡°Mrs. Wilson!¡± The maid, Martha Wilson, quickly rushed out from the kitchen. ¡°Mr. Shane, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Who let her in?¡± he demanded as he pointed at Jasmine, ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you before not to let anyone in if I¡¯m not at home?¡± Mrs. Wilson looked at Jasmine. ¡°Sir, I thought that since Ms. Smith is your fianc¨¦e, you two would be married eventually, so...¡± ¡°I will cut your bonus for this month!¡± He did not want to hear her exnation and punished her directly. Mrs. Wilson smiled nervously. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°Shane, what do you mean by this?¡± Jasmine was displeased. It is evident that he doesn¡¯t want me here; that¡¯s why he¡¯s punishing Mrs. Wilson for letting me in. Shane did not intend to reply. Instead, he rubbed his brows in fatigue and ordered her to leave. ¡°You may go now!¡± ¡°No, I will not.¡± Jasmine stepped right in front of Shane. ¡°I came not only to see you but also because of my dad. We¡¯ve been engaged for so many years and my dad wanted me to ask you when you n to get married.¡± Hmm? Shane squinted slightly and looked at Jasmine for a few seconds. Then, he said bluntly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns for marriage for now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Her reddened face turned white at once. She couldn¡¯t understand why her engagement went so smoothly but the marriage never happened. It only takes onest step for me to be Mrs. Thompson, yet he just won¡¯t go for it! Jasmine clenched her fists as this thought crossed her mind. ¡°Shane, I have waited five years; how much longer do you want me to wait?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to wait, then don¡¯t!¡± Tugging at his tie, he walked past her and headed upstairs. Jasmine bit her lips while watching his back in disbelief. What does he mean? He wants me to call off the engagement herself? Impossible. I¡¯ll never do that! Jasmine left the vi grumpily. Upstairs, Shane opened the door of his room and the disgusting perfume odor filled his nostrils once again. His expression darkened. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, did you let her into my room, too?¡± Mrs. Wilson stood at the bottom of the staircase and looked up. ¡°No, Sir, I did not. Ms. Smith said she wanted to look around so I let her. I had no idea that she entered your room, Sir.¡± Shane was about to explode. Closing the door of his bedroom with a sour look, he headed downstairs and straight for the main entrance. ¡°Sir, where are you going?¡± Mrs. Wilson followed behind him and asked. While putting on his shoes, Shane ordered coldly, ¡°Get someone to clean the vi thoroughly tomorrow. I¡¯lle back when they¡¯re finished.¡± After giving the orders, he opened the door, walked out, and drove away from the vi. Meanwhile, at Blue Court Apartments. After putting her two children to sleep, Natalie massaged her sore neck and walked out of their room. Suddenly, she heard a loud thump outside her main door. What¡¯s going on? Natalie was astounded. Thinking something had happened, she hurriedly opened the door and saw a tall man lying on the floor of the hallway. The loud thump came about when he copsed. ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± Natalie went closer and lightly nudged the man on the floor with the tip of her foot. The man stayed still. As Natalie bent down slightly to check on him, a pungent stench of alcohol overwhelmed her system. Feeling disgusted, she scowled and turned the man over. A familiar face entered her sight. Natalie went wide-eyed in disbelief. Why is he here? Without giving much thought, she shook the man twice. ¡°Mr. Shane? Mr. Shane?¡± Shane instantly opened his eyes and sat up on the floor. When he saw that it was Natalie, he let down his guard. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Natalie helped him up. ¡°Mr. Shane, howe you¡¯ve passed out hereAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 There were only two apartment units on this floor. One was home to Natalie and her two children, while the other was unupied. If it were not for her staying upte, Shane might end up lying along the corridor the whole night. ¡°I live here.¡± Half-asleep, he shook his head to try to stay awake and replied hoarsely. Natalie was startled. ¡°Here? Right across?¡± She pointed at the door to her left as she asked. Shane affirmed and handed her a maic stripe card. ¡°Please, my head is spinning.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Having ovee her initial shock, Natalie quickly took the card. Beep! The door opened and the whole apartment lit up. N?velDrama.Org content. After helping Shane in, she ced him on the sofa and looked around his apartment. His ce was much bigger than hers, but it seemed deserted as there was nothing else besides the essential electronic appliances. ¡°Did you just buy this apartment, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie stopped ncing around and asked. ¡°No.¡± Shane rubbed against his temples. ¡°I bought it a long time ago but never stayed here.¡± ¡°So, what made youe here tonight, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie was curious. Shane paused for a moment and lowered his eyelids to hide his emotions. In fact, he also did not know why. He had many properties and could have stayed at any one of them. However, when he was trying to decide where to stay for the night, the faces of Natalie and her children shed across his mind. As a result, he turned his car around and headed over. Natalie took Shane¡¯s silence as a sign that she should not have asked her question, so she coughed slightly and changed the topic. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯ll make you some soup to help with your hangover.¡± With that said, she left his apartment. By the time she brought over the soup, Shane had fallen asleep on the sofa. It looks like the soup is wasted! Natalie looked down at the soup she was holding. She decided to leave it on the coffee table and went into the bedroom to find Shane a nket. After covering him with the nket, she was ready to go back to her unit for some rest. But when she turned around, he gripped her hand. Natalie thought Shane had woken up so she turned around to take a look, only to see he was still asleep. He must be having a dream. ¡°Mr. Shane, can you please let go?¡± Natalie bent down and whispered into his ears. However, he showed no response. With no choice, she could only push away his hands and pull out her own hand. Unfortunately, the harder she tried, the tighter his grip became. Eventually, Natalie gave up and looked at the man on the sofa in frustration. Are you not letting me go home? Suddenly, the phone in her pocket rang. She let out a long sigh and checked her phone. Seeing the caller ID, she smiled. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Nat, were you asleep?¡± The tender voice of a middle-aged woman came through the phone. Natalie looked at Shane frustratingly. ¡°Not yet.¡± She could not even go home given her hand was stuck in his grip, let alone sleep. ¡°That¡¯s good. I was scared of waking you up.¡± Yulia chuckled. Natalie sat next to Shane. ¡°Mom, why are you calling me thiste?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just want to let you know that I n to return next month to pay my respects to your grandpa and grandma,¡± Yulia replied. Natalie was surprised. ¡°Sure, I will pick you up at the airport by then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yulia nodded. ¡°Rest earlier, then. I won¡¯t bother you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie responded. She put her phone away after the call ended. Then, supporting her head with one hand, she looked at the man helplessly and debated whether to wake him up. At this moment, Shane¡¯s lips twitched as if he was mumbling something. Natalie did not hear what he said, so she leaned closer to his lips to get a better idea. ¡°Mr. Shane, what did you say?¡± ¡°Mom...¡± Shane¡¯s grip on Natalie tightened and he began to plead. ¡°Don¡¯t go. I¡¯ll list Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Mom? Natalie paused in shock as she never thought that Shane would be calling his mom in his sleep. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only His parents had passed away when he was young. However, the cause of their death was a mystery that had never been revealed to the public. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Natalie patted him gently on his hand and coaxed him as if he was a child. As a mother, Natalie was deeply moved by the yearning Shane had for his mom. Initially, she nned to wake him up, but she dismissed the idea soon after. Perhaps he is reuniting with his mom in his dream. Perhaps Shane heard Natalie as he began to calm down. But he was still holding her hand tightly, not letting go of her. Even the slightest bit of movement caused Shane to tighten his grip promptly. It was as though he was afraid that she would disappear the moment he loosened his grip. Natalie chuckled bitterly and had no choice but to wait. She repeatedly yawned until the wee hours of the night, but Shane was still holding her hand tightly. Finally, weighed down by exhaustion, Natalie fell asleep on the sofa. By the time she woke up the next day, she found that she was lying in Shane¡¯s embrace. A chill ran down her spine. But soon, she managed to calm herself down. With a sense of guilt, Natalie hopped out of his arms slowly, trying not to make a noise because she didn¡¯t want to wake Shane up. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to exin herself out of the mess. ¡°Phew...¡± Natalie patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she was on the ground. She tiptoed and went out of his room. But not too long after she left, Shane woke up. He felt heavy-headed and held his forehead. Then, looking at the pink nket that had slid off, his gaze instantly darkened. However, the next second, he picked the nket up and walked toward the bathroom as if nothing happened. Just as he finished his shower, the phone on the coffee table vibrated. As he dried his hair, he reached out to his phone and ced it beside his ear. Then, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, you got it right. It was indeed Sean¡¯s idea to im thend where Mr. David¡¯s grave is,¡± Ss reported. Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed into a slit on hearing that and asked, ¡°What is his motive?¡± ¡°ording to the information collected by thend surveyor I sent, it seems like there are crystals to be mined beneath thend,¡± Ss answered. ¡°A crystal mine?¡± Shane paused for a second. Then he sneered, ¡°I see! Send someone to spy on them. If they intend to destroy Grandpa¡¯s grave, cut their arms off!¡± He would never allow anyone to destroy his grandfather¡¯s grave! ¡°Got it!¡± Ss answered. Shane threw the towel away and asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Ss answered after hesitating for quite some time, ¡°One more thing, but I¡¯m not too sure about it. The man we sent to spy on Sean said they couldn¡¯t find any trace of him these days. I¡¯m guessing maybe he has returned back to the country, but he¡¯s in hiding.¡± Hearing that, a ray of light shed across Shane¡¯s eyes. ¡°Find him then!¡± he yelled. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane!¡± Ss answered. After the phone call, Shane picked up the nket on the sofa and walked toward the opposite apartment. Ring! The doorbell rang. Natalie heard it, but she was helping Sharon to wash her face at that time. ¡°Connor, I can¡¯t leave right now. Help me to open the door please.¡± She turned towards the bathroom door and spoke to Connor. ¡°Okay,¡± Connor answered obediently and put down his Rubik¡¯s Cube. Then, after jumping off the sofa, he ran toward the door and opened it. When he looked up at the man standing outside, he was so surprised that his jaw dropped. ¡°Mr. Shane, what makes youe here?¡± Connor asked in astonishment. Shane lowered his head and looked at the little guy. Then, his gaze softened as he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your Mommy?¡± ¡°Mommy is inside. Pleasee in, Mr. Shane.¡± Connor pointed to the living room and moved aside slightly so he could enter. Shane nodded in response and said, ¡°Sorry to bother you.¡± On entering the house, Connor faced the direction of the bathroom and called out, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane is here.¡± Instantly, Natalie¡¯s voice came from the bathroom. ¡°Connor, help me attend to him.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Connor responded. Shortly after, he patted the sofa and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, pl Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡°Alright,¡± Shane put the nket away and sat down. Connor looked closely at the nket and asked inquisitively, ¡°Mr. Shane, how did you end up having my mommy¡¯s nket?¡± Shane looked a little surprised and awkward. ¡°This is your mommy¡¯s nket?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Connor nodded. Shane pursed his thin lips and remained silent, but deep in his heart, he was overwhelmed by a wave ofplex emotions. He thought the nket was brand-new and did not realize that it had actually been used by Natalie. What surprised him more was that he was not a bit repulsed with this finding. He was puzzled. Anything rted to Jasmine feels disgusting to me, yet when ites to Natalie... ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± Conner called and interrupted his contemtion. Shane turned to look at him. ¡°Connor, what is it?¡± ¡°Herees Mommy,¡± Connor reminded him. Once Shane turned to follow his gaze, he saw Natalie walking out of the washroom carrying Sharon in her arms. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting. It took me some time tob my little girl¡¯s hair.¡± Natalie smiled at him embarrassingly. ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Shane stood up and replied casually. Natalie was momentarily dazed when she noticed he was back to his normal self. If it weren¡¯t for the throbbing pain in her wrist, she would have thought that the night before was only an illusion. It seemed that no matter how mighty a person was, he or she would still have vulnerabilities not visible to others. ¡°Mr. Shane, by the way, you¡¯ve sobered up, right?¡± Natalie asked in concern as she put Sharon down gently. Sharon could barely wait to dash towards Shane once she stepped on the floor, but Conner pulled her away. He knew they were not supposed to interrupt when their mother was in a conversation with Mr. Shane. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve sobered up,¡± Shane nodded slightly and replied. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I think it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t drink too much next time. I¡¯m worried that you will copse if you get drunk again,¡± Natalie reminded him sincerely. Shane lowered his eyes and answered cidly, ¡°It was my grandfather¡¯s death anniversary yesterday so I drank a little bit more.¡± What no one knew was that it was also his parents¡¯ death anniversary the day before. ¡°I see... Mr. Shane, I¡¯m really sorry. I don¡¯t intend to...¡± Before Natalie could finish her lines of sincere apology, Shane raised his hand and cut her off. ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Even though he did not mind at all, Natalie was still feeling guilty. After thinking for a while, she changed the topic and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, have you taken your breakfast? If not, let¡¯s eat together. I¡¯m going to prepare it now.¡± Before Shane could say anything to decline her invitation, she was already walking towards kitchen. He was left with Connor and Sharon in the dining room; their eyes were glued to him. Sharon shrugged off Connor¡¯s hand and went forward to hug Shane¡¯s leg. She raised her head and looked into Shane¡¯s eyes sweetly. ¡°Mr. Shane, I miss you so much!¡± ¡°You miss me?¡± Shane raised his eyebrows. At the same time, Connor also stepped forward and exined, ¡°Mr. Shane, Sharon really misses you a lot. She kept asking Mommy about you these few days.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Shane asked, surprisingly. He seemed delighted as his thin lips lifted into a slight smile. ¡°What exactly have you been asking?¡± Interested to find out more, he bent down and carried Sharon. Connor blinked his eyes and replied, ¡°Of course she¡¯s asking when she can meet you again!¡± ¡°Only Sharon has been asking about me? How about you?¡± Shane lowered his head and looked at the little boy in front of him. The man did not even realize the glint of eagerness in his own eyes as he queried again, ¡°Have you ever asked?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Connor admitted sportingly. The corner of Shane¡¯s lips lifted higher as his smile widened. He was usually feeling cold and indifferent. Conner¡¯s words had warmed him up and softened his heart. ¡°Sharon, bring two eggs for Mommy,¡± Natalie called out from the kitchen. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, Mommy,¡± Sharon responded, patting the back of Shane¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Shane, I need to get down.¡± Shane put her down without hesitation. She tugged at her little dress to make sure she was presentable and ran towards the fridge. His gaze only shifted away from the girl after she took out two eggs and went into the kitchen. He asked Connor curiously, ¡°Your dad is not in?¡± He only just realized that he had not seen Stanley since he entered the apartment. ¡°Dad?¡± Connor replied doubtfully, ¡°I don¡¯t have a dad.¡± Shane was stunned, ¡°Stanley is not your dad?¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°No,¡± Connor shook his head and exined, ¡°He¡¯s our godfather. Only Sharon likes to call him Daddy.¡± Godfather? Shane¡¯s eyebrows lifted, surprisingly. Does this mean Stanley is not Natalie¡¯s husband? Instantaneously, his heart was filled with an indescribable joy. However, he did not think further on this. With narrowed eyes, he asked again, ¡°So, where is your father?¡± Connor shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°No idea; we¡¯ve never seen him.¡± ¡°Never?¡± Shane asked again in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Connor nodded again. Shane was lost for words and started to ponder. Natalie must already have broken up with the man with whom she eloped before Connor and Sharon were born. No wonder the kids have the samest name as hers. ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you thinking about?¡± Connor waved at Shane with his fleshy little hands. Shane¡¯s eyes twinkled and he recollected himself, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± At the same time, Natalie was out of the kitchen. She was carrying two tes with Sharon following behind her. As the girl walked joyfully towards the dining table, she said excitedly, ¡°Connor, Mr. Shane, come! Breakfast is ready!¡± ¡°Coming,¡± Connor jumped off the sofa and grabbed hold of Shane¡¯s hand to lead him to the dining table. The breakfast was actually very simple¡ª¡ª¡ªjust omelet and milk. Shane tasted the omelet. It was actually not as tasty as the one prepared by Mrs. Wilson but it gave him indescribable contentment. He even realized for the first time that eating could be an enjoyable activity instead of being just a way to fulfill one¡¯s basic needs. He had a great time having breakfast with Natalie and the twins. It was really a rxing session. After having breakfast, Shane offered to give them a ride. He sent the twins to kindergarten first before heading for Thompson Group with Natalie. About a hundred meters away from the Thompson Group building, Natalie requested Shane to let her out of the car. If anyone saw her in Shane¡¯s car and spread the rumor, she did not dare to imagine how Jasmine would react. Natalie did not want to get into unnecessary trouble. Hence, she decided to just walk. A few minutester, she reached her office. The moment she put her handbag down, one of her colleagues from the procurement department approached her. ¡°Ms. Natalie, regarding the matter on fabric purchasing, we have encountered some problems.¡± He handed her the purchasing invoices. She looked at the stack of papers quizzically and asked, ¡°What kind of problems?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve asked for too many types of fabric and for each type there are also different models. We¡¯re not sure which exact ones you really need, so we did not manage to collect the stock from the supplier,¡± he smiled wryly and exined. Natalie patted her forehead in embarrassment and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for my carelessness. I¡¯m so forgetful and kept thinking that I¡¯m still overseas.¡± When she was overseas, her mentor would usually select the most suitable fabric for her after she completed her designs. Hence, she had totally forgotten tobel the model numbers for the fabric she required. Her colleague smiled and replied, ¡°Never mind, Ms. Natalie. As for this fabric...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Natalie cut him off, ¡°Let me handle this. Even fabric of the same model number has slight differences. To avoid potential problemster, I will go to the supplier and select myself. May I have the address?¡± He immediately gave her a business card. She looked at it and asked, ¡°Moore Group?¡± ¡°Yes, the Moore Group is not solely a fashionpany; they also run a fabric business. Because of our rtionship with Mr. Moore, all the fabric needed by ourpany is supplied by them,¡± he exined. Natalie nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°I see. Thanks for the information.¡± ¡°You¡¯re most wee,¡± he waved at her. After he left, Natalie put the business card into her handbag and went to see Jasmine to seek her permission before heading out. She thought Jasmine would surely grab the chance to humiliate her. Unbelievably, she was being very understanding and granted her approval without saying anything. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Natalie was not used to Jasmine being so sporting. She looked at Jasmine doubtfully for a while but did not dwell on her thoughts before heading straight for the textile mill owned by the Moore Group. As fiber dust was hazardous to health, the textile mill was located in a rural area a gr Chapter 60 Chapter 60 By the time Natalie reached the textile mill, it was already noon. She got out of her car, took a look at the surroundings, and walked towards the guardhouse. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m the designer from Thompson Group. I¡¯m here to collect the fabric I have reserved earlier. May I see your supervisor?¡± she asked the guard. ¡°He is inspecting the mill,¡± the guard answered. He let her enter after verifying her identity based on her staff ID. Natalie thanked him and took back her staff ID. After that, the guard led her to the supervisor. After knowing why she hade, he told her in embarrassment, ¡°Ms. Smith, I¡¯m sorry to tell you that the fabric you need is out of stock.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie frowned and asked, ¡°Out of stock?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he smiled and nodded. Natalie was beginning to feel a little pissed. Her red lips pursed as she asked, ¡°Excuse me, if I¡¯m not mistaken, my colleague was here yesterday to collect the fabric. However, he did not manage to do so due to the issue of model numbers. By right, the stock should still be with you. Why are you saying it¡¯s out of stock?¡± ¡°We¡¯re really out of stock now. The fabric was taken by another fashionpany which is also in need of it,¡± he exined casually. Natalie stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Which fashionpany?¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t tell you. We¡¯re not supposed to disclose confidential details of our clients,¡± he exined further. Natalie was infuriated and raised her voice. ¡°You¡¯re too much! How can you let another client take away the fabric reserved by Thompson Group? Who gave you the authority to do so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my order!¡± a woman voiced arrogantly all of a sudden. Natalie turned toward the voice and saw a familiar figure in a pair of red heels strutting towards her. She raised her eyebrows, ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Isabelle stopped next to the supervisor and said disdainfully, ¡°You may leave now. I need to have a talk with her.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± the supervisor nodded obediently before he turned and walked away. Only then did Isabelle turn to look at Natalie. Standing unusually tall in her high heels, she raised her chin deliberately and said scornfully, ¡°It¡¯s me! You didn¡¯t expect that, did you?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect it¡¯s you. Why did you do that? Do you know what the consequences are?¡± ¡°Consequences?¡± Isabelle¡¯s mouth twitched and sneered, ¡°I only know that you won¡¯t be able to get your task done without the fabric.¡± Natalie realized something instantaneously and questioned coldly, ¡°You gave the fabric away to another company just to set me up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Isabelleughed smugly. ¡°You were lucky previously to have Mr. Shane help you out. Let me see who else cane to your rescue this round. How dare you steal my precious ne! I must teach you a lesson!¡± ¡°I had already exined to you clearly that I didn¡¯t steal it, hadn¡¯t I?¡± Natalie could barely think of what else to say. ¡°How can I believe you? If you didn¡¯t steal my ne, how did it end up inside your handbag?¡± Isabelle pointed at Natalie¡¯s handbag and insisted that her ne was stolen by Natalie. Natalie was emotionally exhausted and sighed. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s put aside the ne matter and focus on the current issue. Let me ask you, how do you know that I¡¯ll be here? Who told you about this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you!¡± Isabelle was reluctant to tell her. Natalie gazed closely at her. ¡°It¡¯s Jasmine, right?¡± Isabelle¡¯s expression changed instantly. Natalie clenched her fists and mumbled, ¡°So, my guess is right...¡± Other than her colleague from the procurement department, Jasmine was the only person who knew that she had gone to the textile mill. No wonder Jasmine was so sporting when I sought her permission toe here just now. She has actually set up a ¡°surprise¡± for me here! ¡°Looks like it was also Jasmine¡¯s idea for you to give the fabric away to another fashionpany.¡± Natalie¡¯s tone was now ice-cold and her expression grim. Isabelle was stunned and stuttered, ¡°H-how did you find out?¡± Natalie took another look at her. What a dumb and wicked woman! It is so obvious. Anyone could have guessed correctly! ¡°Ms. Moore, you don¡¯t need to know how I found out about this. I¡¯d advise you to spare some time thinking about how you will be punished for giving away the fabric. I don¡¯t feel like arguing with you anymore; it¡¯s just a waste of my time!¡± Natalie said sternly. The next moment, she took out her cell phone and was about to call Alfred.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Realizing that Natalie and her grandfather knew each other, Isabelle¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She immediately snatched Natalie¡¯s phone and tossed it to the ground. Thud! The phone broke apart after hitting the floor. Natalie looked at her phone, and her expression turned dark. ¡°You...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think ofining to my grandfather.¡± With a smug face, Isabelle dusted off her hands after destroying Natalie¡¯s phone. Natalie took in a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger. ¡°Ms. Moore, do you think that you can solve all your problems just by destroying my phone? The one to purchase these fabrics is Thompson Group, and I¡¯m just here to retrieve it in their stead. You are only shooting yourself in the foot by messing this up for me. Even if you¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Moore family, you can¡¯t run away from your punishment.¡± So this is what Jasmine has been plotting. Not only did she cause problems for me, but she also even manages to oppress her love rival, Isabelle. Jasmine did well by killing two birds with one stone. What¡¯s even hrious is that Isabelle, this idiot, fell into her trap. This poor woman was oblivious to everything, ying out ording to Jasmine¡¯s script. Taking in Natalie¡¯s words, Isabelle finally realized her mistake. I-I actually went against the Thompsons. Her heart sank immediately. She was soon consumed by fear as she regretted her actions. ¡°Mr. Lowe!¡± Isabelle clenched her fists while looking distressed. The supervisor hurriedly ran toward Isabelle. ¡°Yes, Ms. Moore.¡± ¡°Quick! Get the fabric she wants back.¡± Isabelle pointed at Natalie as she spoke. ¡°Huh? Get it back?¡± The supervisor had a confused look, as he thought he had misheard her commands. Isabelle nodded. ¡°What are doing? Get going!¡± Isabelle¡¯s unreasonable demands troubled the supervisor. ¡°But... Ms. Moore, the fabric was sent out a long time ago. They must already be in use, so how do we get it back?¡± Isabelle stomped her foot angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You must get it back no matter what. Or else, I¡¯ll demote you and deduct your sry.¡± ¡°I...¡± The supervisor grimaced, but he still followed her orders. Isabelle heaved a sigh of relief and turned around to look at Natalie. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve asked him to retrieve the fabric, so don¡¯t tell anyone about this, especially Mr. Shane. Do you hear me?¡± Natalie ignored her and bent down to pick up her broken phone. There are many old photos on this phone. Now that it¡¯s broken, will I be able to get them back? Seeing as Natalie remained silent, Isabelle didn¡¯t bother to waste her breath and ruffled her newly dyed hair. ¡°I¡¯ll just take that as a yes. So, you better kept this as a secret. Betray me and you¡¯ll see!¡± Grabbing her designer handbag, Isabelle walked away after threatening Natalie. Staring into her back, Natalie pursed her lips, harboring hatred in her eyes. I¡¯ve given you too many chances on ount of Mr. Moore, Isabelle. Since you took it for granted and behaved arrogantly, I shall teach you a lesson. Otherwise, you will only do whatever you like to me, even if it means using dirty tricks against me. Natalie narrowed her eyes and went to look for the supervisor. ¡°Mr. Lowe, there¡¯s no need to retrieve the fabric anymore.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. The supervisor froze for a while and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It means I don¡¯t want the fabric anymore,¡± Natalie said coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t want it anymore? Ms. Smith, our men are currently getting it back. Why did you change your mind suddenly?¡± The supervisor was dumbfounded, but anxiety soon overwhelmed him. Natalie scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re asking me that? The Thompson Group will use those fabrics for our show next month. Yet, without asking for our permission, you gave it to otherpanies. Aren¡¯t you guys disrespecting the Thompson Group?¡± The supervisor tried to exin in a panic. ¡°No. It¡¯s not like that... We were only following Ms. Moore¡¯s orders, so...¡± Before the supervisor could finish his words, Natalie raised her hand. ¡°That¡¯s it! Mr. Lowe, there¡¯s no use in wasting your breath. I only know that you guys disregarded the Thompson Group.¡± Natalie turned around and left with her bag as she finished her sentence. She was doing this to protect Thompson Group¡¯s dignity as well as teaching Isabelle Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Knowing Shane¡¯s personality, he would call off the coboration with the Moore Group, and Isabelle would be the one to me for this. I hope Isabelle will learn her lesson and stop causing me troubles. I¡¯m not scared. I just find it irritating. By the time Natalie returned to the Thompson Group, it was already two in the afternoon. She went straight to Shane¡¯s office and told him everything, except the fact that Jasmine was behind all of this because she had no proof. ¡°I got it. You did great.¡± After listening to Natalie¡¯s description of the incident, Shane pursed his lips while his gaze turned cold. I didn¡¯t think that the wise Alfred would have a granddaughter this foolish. How ridiculous! ¡°Mr. Shane, should we choose another fabric supplier?¡± Natalie asked softly while looking at the man in front of her who was emanating an aura as cold as ice. Lifting his chin, Shane announced, ¡°Yes. There are a few textile mills¡¯ contacts and information in the procurement department. I¡¯ll leave it to you to look into them.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. I¡¯ll be off now.¡± After Natalie left the room, Shane called for Ss, and his tone was ice cold. ¡°Inform everyone that we¡¯ll stop our coboration with the Moore Group from now on.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane.¡± Although Ss was surprised at Shane¡¯s sudden deration, he didn¡¯t question the matter any further and just followed the orders given to him. Very quickly, the fashionpany and textile mill of the Moore Group received news about the Thompson Group terminating the contracts between them. The shares of the Moore Group were badly hit as a result. As soon as the news broke out, Alfred hurriedly contacted Shane to inquire the reason for terminating the contract. In response, Shane told him to ask his granddaughter and hung up. At that moment, Alfred knew her granddaughter had offended Shane, so he ordered his butler to look into what Isabelle did that day. Soon, the butler came back to Alfred with information regarding the incident in the textile mill. Alfred was fuming with anger when he learnt about his granddaughter¡¯s actions. Thetter was grounded as a result. He quickly called up Natalie after that. Natalie looked at the name on her phone screen and answered the call with ease. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. When she decided to teach Isabelle a lesson, she knew Alfred would call her. ¡°Alfred.¡± Natalie put her new phone by her ear and greeted him politely. Alfred said apologetically, ¡°Nat, I¡¯m sorry about the matter at the textile mill. I must¡¯ve spoilt my granddaughter rotten.¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. ¡°I thought you¡¯re going to me me for it.¡± Alfredughed and said, ¡°Why would I me you for that? I may be old, but I can tell my granddaughter¡¯s the one at fault. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t ept the fabric either. Both you and Shane did nothing wrong.¡± Natalie asked, ¡°How about the coboration?¡± Alfred sighed. ¡°Since they ended the contract, just let it be. This is a chance to teach Belle a lesson and remind her to behave nicely because she might lead the Moore family to its demise if she doesn¡¯t.¡± Natalie could feel Alfred¡¯s affection for his granddaughter, and she was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. Isabelle has such a caring grandfather. It was no wonder she¡¯s so unreasonable and arrogant, as she was dotted on all the time. After the call ended, Natalie kept her cell phone while the head of the procurement department took some documents to her. ¡°Ms. Smith, these are the information about the other textile mills in J City. I¡¯ve listed them down. Please take a look.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Natalie smiled and took the documents over. After flipping through the documents, she picked out three mills and decided to meet with the supervisors to finalize the fabric needed. After all, she had finished the design of the clothes, so it was time to choose the fabric. Or else she wouldn¡¯t make it in time for the fashion show. Natalie left the procurement department with the folder in her arm. By the time she was done with everything, it was already five in the evening. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Natalie stood by the road, trying to hail for a cab, but none passed by. Initially, she nned to pick up her kids from the kindergarten because she thought she could make it back to the city within an hour. However, at this rate, it seemed quite impossible. Left without a choice, Natalie could only call the teacher and ask thetter¡¯s help in sending the kids home. Two hourster, Natalie finally returned to her apartment. As she was unlocking the door after removing her shoes, she yelled in the bedroom¡¯s direction, ¡°Connor, Sharon, Mommy¡¯s back.¡± Natalie frowned when she received no response from the kids. What¡¯s going on? Where are my kids? They would normally wee me when I get back home. So why are they not doing that today? ¡°Connor? Sharon?¡± Natalie shouted their names as she ran toward their bedroom and opened the door. The room was dark, and it didn¡¯t seem like someone was here. Natalie immediately switched on the lights and scanned around the room. As expected, there wasn¡¯t anyone around. Her heart raced and she started panicking. To her disappointment, she couldn¡¯t find her kids anywhere in the house after checking every room. My kids are missing! Natalie¡¯s body froze as she swayed slightly, nearly fainting. Taking in a few deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down and took out her phone to call the police. Just when she was about to tap the dial button, she heard some movements and noiseing from the entrance. Natalie concentrated on the noise, and she found out it was her kids¡¯ voices. Overjoyed, she ran toward the entrance and opened the door. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back.¡± Seeing Natalie at the door, both Connor and Sharon¡¯s faces lit up with joy. Natalie was silent for a moment before lunging forward and took both of them into a warm embrace. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Connor noticed his mother was trembling and exchanged nces with Sharon. Natalie let go of her kids and scolded them while her eyes reddened with tears. ¡°You two little rascals! Mommy was so worried and scared after discovering you guys weren¡¯t home. I almost called the police!¡± The twins knew they were in the wrong, and they lowered their heads. ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Mommy.¡± Listening to their genuine apology, Natalie¡¯s heart softened while she calmed herself down. ¡°Now tell me. Where did you guys go?¡± Why does Connor look so pale? Is it because of the lights? Sharon replied, ¡°We were at Mr. Shane¡¯s house.¡± Connor nodded, too. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie lifted her head and saw Shane standing behind the kids. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Mr. Shane, why are you with Connor and Sharon?¡± Natalie stood up and greeted him. ¡°When I came back, I saw the two of them downstairs, so I brought them to my apartment.¡± Shane leaned on the wall and replied indifferently. Sharon held her hand up and drew a big circle in the air. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane is so nice. He treated us to delicious food and took us out for a stroll.¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re just back from a walk.¡± Connor nodded in agreement. ¡°Oh, I see. Mr. Shane, thank you for taking care of my kids.¡± Natalie led the kids to bow at Shane. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. But why did you return sote?¡± Shane lifted his gaze to look at her and spoke in a slightly displeased tone. How careless can she be? Leaving her kids alone at home. What if they got into danger? Naturally, Natalie was unaware of Shane¡¯s worries. In response, she smiled awkwardly and exined, ¡°I went to three different textile mills this afternoon, so I came homete.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go there by yourself. Leave it to the procurement team.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Project Rebirth is very important to me. If I don¡¯t review every stage by myself, I¡¯ll be worried.¡± Natalie tucked her hair behind her ears. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Shane furrowed his eyebrows slightly as his eyes dimmed. The kids were whispering to each other. Suddenly, Connor grimaced in pain as he clutched his stomach and vomited. ¡°Connor!¡± Sharon was just beside Connor, and it shocked her when she saw her brother vomiting. Natalie turned to look at her son, and she was shocked. She inched closer to Connor with an anxious expression, and her voice was trembling. ¡°Baby, are you okay?¡± Connor didn¡¯t reply and continued to vomit. Shane walked toward them and crouched down in front of Connor with a tensed look. Touching Connor¡¯s face and forehead, he lowered his voice. ¡°His body is cold, and he¡¯s breaking out in cold sweat. We must take him to the hospital now.¡± Shane carried Connor in his arms without hesitation and dashed to the lift. Natalie saw that and quickly dragged Sharon to catch up with them. Sharon sobbed. ¡°Mommy, will Connor be okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Your brother is a superman. He will be okay.¡± Natalie forced herself to smile in a bid to comfort her daughter, but the worry in her eyes was painfully clear. On the way to the hospital, Connor stopped vomiting, but he was trembling. As his trembling intensified, Natalie was worried he would bite his tongue, so she quickly took out a handkerchief and stuffed it into his mouth. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Natalie hugged Connor tightly and screamed at Shane, begging for his help while her eyes were red with tears. ¡°I got this.¡± Shane took a nce in the rearview mirror and focused his eyes on the road. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, he pressed down hard onto the elerator. Soon, they reached the hospital. Connor was sent to the emergency room, while Natalie and Sharon waited nervously outside the room. After registering Connor¡¯s name at the counter, Shane came to her and waited patiently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Connor will be fine.¡± Natalie shook her head as she sobbed. ¡°How can I not worry about him? Connor has never been ill before. But now he¡¯s ill. I...¡± She choked up before she could finish her sentence. Squatting on the ground, she started crying her heart out. Looking at her mother¡¯s pained expression, Sharon cried together with her. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Shane¡¯s heart felt tight after seeing the mother and daughter cried together in front of him. Just when he was going tofort the duo, the light outside the emergency room went off suddenly. Shane squinted his eyes and went up to the doctor. He asked in a low voice, ¡°How is the kid?¡± ¡°Doctor, is my son alright?¡± Natalie immediately stood up and wiped her tears while she dashed toward the doctor. ¡°He¡¯s fine now.¡± The doctor took off his face mask. Heaving a sigh of relief, Natalie broke into a smile while Shane¡¯s knitted eyebrows finally rxed. After hearing the good news, Sharon jumped up happily. ¡°Doctor, what is wrong with my son?¡± Natalie wanted to find out what illness was Connor suffering from. ¡°Acute gastritis. As his parents, you guys will have to be mindful of this.¡± With that, the doctor walked past them. ¡°Gastritis... But how did he get gastritis?¡± Natalie was confused, as she had always been mindful of the food she gave her kids. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the nurse at theboratory.¡± Shane patted on her shoulders. After he left, Connor was sent to a general ward. Sharon was tired from all the crying, and she fell asleep. Natalieid her down beside Connor on the bed. She sat on the sofa while staring at the hospital beds and the figures of her kids sleeping soundly, overwhelmed with guilt. A few hours ago, she had noticed Connor¡¯s pale expression. However, she thought it was because of the light. I have failed as a mother! While she was deep in her thoughts, the door suddenly opened. Shane walked into the room and handed her a report. ¡°Connor¡¯s gastritis was triggered by seafood.¡± ¡°Seafood? I never fed him seafood.¡± Natalie froze for a while and frowned. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡°It was me. I treated them with seafood. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know this would make Connor sick.¡± Shane lowered his gaze. So this is the reason! Natalie smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Mr. Shane.¡± Knowing my kids, Connor must be the one who requested for seafood. Besides, Shane helped me a lot tonight, so I can¡¯t push all the fault onto him. ¡°I¡¯ll take the responsibility no matter what, as Connor is sick because of me.¡± Shane took off his coat, which was stained with Connor¡¯s vomit, and sat beside Natalie. Natalie rubbed her face. ¡°Mr. Shane, it¡¯ste, so you should go back home now. Sorry for wasting your time. When Connor recovers, I¡¯ll thank you properly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll stay here and help you look after Sharon in case Connor has to do a medical checkup later. It¡¯s better than leaving her alone in the ward, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shane turned to look at her. Natalie opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t think of anything to refute his words. Yeah. We are in the hospital, after all. There is a lot of people moving around freely here. What if Sharon got kidnapped by somebody? Upon thinking of that, Natalie epted Shane¡¯s suggestion to stay. The both of them sat on the sofa quietly and looked after the kids. Time flew by, and it was already past midnight. Natalie started yawning, as she was getting quite tired. Shane put down his cell phone and swept a nce at her. ¡°Go request for a bed at the counter. I¡¯ll look after them.¡± ¡°No. Connor¡¯s not awake yet, so I mustn¡¯t sleep.¡± Natalie took a deep breath and replied listlessly. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± Shane turned his gaze to his cell phone again and read through the reports. But before he could finish reading the report, his shoulders felt heavy suddenly. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. His hand froze as he turned to look at Natalie. She was sleeping soundly with her head leaning on his shoulder. Shane¡¯s gaze wavered for a bit, and his back stiffened. It was obvious he wasn¡¯t used to having close contact with other people. ¡°Wake up.¡± He lifted his hand and nudged Natalie slightly to wake her up. However, Natalie only hummed in reply and continued to sleep. Shane pursed his lips. Hmmph! She said she won¡¯t sleep, but look at this! Forget it. Her son got sick because of me, so I¡¯ll let it go. Bearing the thought in his mind, he ced his hand back on his cell phone. The screen of the cell phone was still on, disying the reports, but he couldn¡¯t focus. The scent of a woman¡¯s body invaded his nose and messed up his mind. He pinched his nose bridge as he tried to clear his mind to ignore the odd feeling in his heart before turning off his cell phone. The next morning, Shane woke up from a phone call. He opened his eyes and answered the call after taking a nce at the phone screen. ¡°Wait for me at the entrance. I¡¯ll go see you.¡± With that, he hung up and lifted Natalie¡¯s head from his shoulder. Then he ced her head gently on the armrest of the sofa and walked away despite feeling stiff in one side of his body. Immediately after he left, Natalie woke up. She scanned her surroundings, and her eyes were wide opened after she came to her senses. ¡°Connor!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t care less about her sore neck as she stood up hurriedly and rushed to her son¡¯s side. Touching his forehead, she was relieved when Connor¡¯s body temperature had returned to normal. ¡°Mommy...¡± At that moment, Sharon rubbed her eyes and sat up on the hospital bed. Natalie turned to look at her daughter. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy. Why isn¡¯t Connor waking up?¡± Sharon nodded before looking at her brother with a worried look. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the medicine. He¡¯ll wake up soon.¡± Natalie sorted her stuffs a Chapter 66 Chapter 66 When she was about to go out, the ward door opened, and Shane entered the room with a big stic bag in his hand. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Sharon waved at Shane as she greeted him happily, while Shane nodded with a warm expression. ¡°Mr. Shane, I thought you left.¡± Natalie looked at Shane, surprised. When she woke up, she didn¡¯t see Shane around, so she thought he had left. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I just went to change my outfit. Take this. It¡¯s breakfast.¡± Shane handed the stic bag to Natalie. ¡°Great! I was just about to go buy.¡± Natalie took the breakfast over happily and ced them on the table. It was almost nine in the morning when they finished breakfast. Shane looked at her and announced, ¡°You¡¯re excused from work for two days. Take good care of Connor. I¡¯ll fetch Sharon, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie gave him a grateful smile. After that, Shane sent Sharon to the kindergarten. After Shane and Sharon left, Natalie got a caretaker to look after Connor while she went to pay Connor¡¯s hospital bills at the front desk. When Natalie was taking out her purse from her bag at the front desk, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Warren, where are you now?¡± It¡¯s Susan! Natalie¡¯s eyes flickered as she turned to look in the direction of the voice. Susan was holding hands with a child in front of the lift and she sounded impatient while on a phone call with someone. Who is that child? N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Natalie sized up the child with a doubtful expression, all the while furrowing her brows. That child is almost the same age as Connor, and he looks like Susan. So, he must be Susan¡¯s son. But I¡¯ve never heard of Susan having another child with Dad. As she was watching Susan closely in confusion, Susan waved and happily called out, ¡°Here, Warren!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes darted to the direction where she was waving. A good-looking, middle-aged man walked toward Susan and her child. He nted a kiss on the child¡¯s cheeks before spooning the child from Susan¡¯s arms while Susan was grinning from beside. The three of them looked like a family. Looking at them, Natalie finally realized something outrageous. Her jaw dropped at this discovery as she covered her mouth with her hands. It took her a long time to recover from the shock. After taking a deep breath, she took out her phone and quickly took a photo of the three of them. Susan betrayed Dad... She had an affair with another man and gave birth to a child. Wow¡ªJust Wow! Natalie noticed Susan was approaching her from the side of her vision, and her heart skipped a beat. Shoot! I¡¯ve been spotted! Natalie¡¯s heart raced. She shielded her phone from view using the receipt and quickly deleted the photo after saving a copy to cloud. By the time she deleted the photo, Susan was already standing in front of her, ring at her maliciously. ¡°What did you see just now?¡± ¡°I saw you standing with a father and a son.¡± Natalie said the truth, as lying would only make matters worse. Hearing her words, panic shed across Susan¡¯s eyes. Damn it! She saw everything. Now she must suspect me of having an affair. Luckily, I noticed her here. I must dispel her suspicion. Or else it¡¯ll be troublesome if she tells Harrison. Susan was thinking of a solution to get herself out of this sticky situation, but when she saw Natalie¡¯s cell phone in her hands, her expression changed drastically as her voice turned sharp. ¡°Did you take photos of us?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Why do I need to take a photo of you?¡± Natalie replied in a calm tone. Susan didn¡¯t believe her words and snatched her cell phone away. Natalie wore a calm expression as she let Susan do as she pleased. Susan didn¡¯t find any photos of her after checking the photo gallery of Natalie¡¯s cell phone, and her expression turned friendly. ¡°Sorry Natalie, looks like it was all just a misunderstanding.¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 ¡°Susan, you misunderstand me too often, don¡¯t you?¡± Natalie gave a sarcasticugh as she took back her phone. ¡°Why are you so nervous? Are you worried I¡¯ll misunderstand your rtionship with the father and son?¡± Susan¡¯s heart skipped a beat but she valiantly kept a straight face. ¡°No, I¡¯m not worried, but they are rted to me. He is a distant cousin of mine and that is his son. The child is sick so I brought them here for him to seek treatment.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Natalie nodded as if she believed what Susan said to her. Susan narrowed her eyes and stared at her for a long time. After confirming that Natalie was not pretending, she heaved a subtle sigh of relief and then immediately changed the topic. ¡°By the way, Jasmine told me that you¡¯re back in the country for good and have brought along two children. When will you bring them over? Your father and I want to see them; I am very curious about the kids.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary!¡± Natalie refused without hesitation. On that night five years ago, she had sworn she would never step into the Smith family home ever again. Susan had expected this reply; therefore, she was unperturbed. She noticed the medical bill in Natalie¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Is your child sick?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes, not even bothering to reply. You are asking the obvious! I can¡¯t be the pediatrician, can I? ¡°Let me see what¡¯s wrong!¡± Susan quickly grabbed the bill when Natalie wasn¡¯t looking. Seeing the information written on the bill, Susan remarked in a weird tone, ¡°Oh, Nat, why does your child use your surname but not their father¡¯s? Don¡¯t the kids have a father? Are they illegitimate children born out of wedlock?¡± Hearing that, Natalie trembled with anger. She clenched her fists and was about to retort when a cold bone-chilling voice was heard, ¡°Who are you calling illegitimate?¡± ¡°S-Shane?¡± Susan turned around and unexpectedly met Shane¡¯s cold, steely eyes. Her face turned pale with fright. What¡¯s he doing here? Furthermore, what did he mean by his remark? I was talking about Natalie¡¯s kids and he suddenly stood up in her defense. Could it be...? Susan¡¯s countenance turned anxious and she had a bad omen. Her bad omen was proven right too soon. ¡°Did you just say that my children are illegitimate?¡± Shane walked right up to Susan and stood there, towering above and looking down on her like a god. Susan seemed agitated. Her face became distorted and she shouted, ¡°How could her two children be yours?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Shane put his arms around Natalie¡¯s shoulders and dered, ¡°Nothing is impossible!¡± Shane¡¯s action took Natalie by surprise but she yed along naturally. She fully understood that he was trying to help her out so that Connor and Sharon would not bebeled ¡°illegitimate¡±. ¡°Susan, do you still dare to say that my kids have no father and are illegitimate?¡± Natalie leaned against Shane and looked at Susan without a trace of emotion. Seeing the two of them behaving so intimately, Susan shook her head in disbelief. ¡°You shameless slut! You dare steal my Jas¡¯ fianc¨¦! I am going to teach you a lesson!¡± With that, Susan pulled Natalie out of Shane¡¯s arms. She then raised her hand to hit Natalie but in that instant, Shane caught Susan by the wrist and exerted a little strength. ¡°Ouch!¡± Susan yelled in pain and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Shane let go of her hand and frowned as he asked Natalie, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalie rubbed her wrist where Susan had gripped her; she felt a wave of warmth washing over her heart. No doubt she could have avoided Susan¡¯s blow on her own but Shane¡¯s stepping in without hesitation touched her deeply. ¡°It¡¯s great that you are unhurt.¡± Shane nodded, after which he red at Susan with a face as cold as ice. ¡°How dare you hit my woman?¡± Susan held her wrist as it was still in pain. Plucking up her courage, she raised her voice. ¡°You are Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦. It¡¯s only right that I hit her for seducing you!¡± Shane replied sarcastically, ¡°Well, well, who would have thought that you would speak up for your stepdaughter? Perhaps the news that you are at loggerheads with Jasmine is fake?¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 At the mention of the word ¡°stepdaughter¡±, Natalie noticed a thoughtful look in Susan¡¯s eyes. She knew that to outsiders, Jasmine was Susan¡¯s stepdaughter. What she did not understand was why her father wanted Jasmine to use her identity. What could this reason be? Susan replied with a flustered look on her face, ¡°I... we are having some disagreements but Jasmine is still a daughter of the Smith family, so it is right for me to be protective of her. Furthermore, it is wrong of you, Shane, to be with this woman and even have kids behind Jasmine¡¯s back. Don¡¯t you think you have wronged Jasmine and the Smith family as well?¡± At these words, Shane started to look even more intimidating and exuded a frigid vibe. ¡°What right has your Smith family to me me for anything? If you want to speak about being wronged, well, the Smith family has wronged the Thompson family terribly. Do you really think I am not aware of the fianc¨¦e incident back then?¡± Susan¡¯s pupils shrank on the spot. Does he know that Jas is not his real fianc¨¦e? Then he must also know that Natalie¡¯s elopement is fake? No, that¡¯s not possible. I¡¯ve done it so meticulously and bribed every servant in the Smith family at that time. It¡¯s impossible for him to find out anything. Seeing how uneasy Susan was, Shane¡¯s lips rxed a little. ¡°If not for Jasmine saving me five years ago, I would have dered war on the Smith family instead of forgiving the deception done by your family to mine.¡± Deceiving the Thompson family? What does he mean? Natalie listened in confusion. Meanwhile, Susan felt relieved. Her heart which was in her throat was now back in its rightful ce. She had guessed correctly that he did not know the truth. If he had known the whole truth, he would not have forgiven the Smith family for their deception, despite Jasmine having saved him five years ago. While she was thinking about this, Shane spoke again in his icy and steely voice, ¡°Go back and tell Harrison if he¡¯s not happy that I¡¯ve had children out of wedlock, he may cancel the marriage. Get lost now!¡± ¡°Cancel the marriage? No way...¡± Susan was about to protest but seeing his countenance, she was afraid to speak. She was scared that if she argued, he might really cancel the marriage there and then. So, she hurried away to avoid trouble. Natalie looked at Susan¡¯s retreating figure. She then turned to Shane and expressed her gratitude. ¡°Mr. Shane, thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Shane let go of her shoulder. ¡°I do like Connor and Sharon a lot, so naturally I don¡¯t want them to be bullied. I¡¯m just wondering why you got into this argument with Susan.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes shed as she smiled bitterly. ¡°We just bumped into each other. As you know, I am a daughter of the Smith family. So, seeing me, Susan just won¡¯t leave me alone.¡± Shane nodded in understanding. ¡°Mr. Shane, by the way, you mentioned that the Smith family deceived the Thompson family. What happened?¡± Natalie asked out of curiosity. Shane lowered his eyes and looked at her silently with mixed emotions. Given Shane¡¯s reaction, Natalie did not pursue the matter any further. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Natalie brought out her phone, took a look, and answered immediately, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, Connor is awake!¡± The caretaker¡¯s voice came into her ears. ¡°What?¡± Natalie was overjoyed. ¡°I¡¯ming immediately!¡± At that, she hung up in jubtion and looked at Shane who was watching her. She told him with a grin, ¡°Connor is awake!¡± Shane¡¯s elegant lips curled in a smile. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you get going?¡± ¡°Yes, I shall!¡± Together they went back to the ward. Connor, with the help of the caretaker, was slowly taking some soup when he saw the two walking in. Joyfully, he waved to them. ¡°Mommy! Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Connor!¡± Pursing her lips and unable to control herself any longer, Natalie rushed over and hugged Connor tightly in her arms. ¡°You little meanie! Don¡¯t you know how scared Mommy was?¡± ¡°Sorry, Mommy. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Like a miniature adult, he patted the back of her hand whilst apologizing and coaxing Natalie. Shane stood by the side, watching the mother-and-son pair with such tenderness in his eyes that even he was unaware of. After hugging him for a while, Natalie let go of Connor and observed her son careful Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¡°Here.¡± Connor touched his own tummy, giving Natalie a pathetic look. ¡°It feels swollen.¡± Natalie poked his forehead with her fingertip and remarked, ¡°You deserve it. See if you dare to take seafood again in the future!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Shane.¡± Connor pointed at Shane. ¡°He¡¯s the one who let me eat it.¡± Shane looked at him with raised eyebrows but in the end, he took the me. ¡°He¡¯s right. It was me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mr. Shane. You don¡¯t need to cover up for him. Don¡¯t I know this rascal enough? He made you bring him to eat that.¡± Natalie pinched Connor¡¯s cheeks. Connor stuck out his tongue. At exactly this moment, someone knocked on the door. Before Natalie could give any instructions, the caretaker had already walked over to open the door. A man in a white coat came in. Upon seeing Shane, the man broke into a wide and infectious grin as he eximed, ¡°Shane, you are really here!¡± Shane did not even nce at him; the former was quite obviously showing that he was not enthusiastic about this visitor¡¯s presence. It was Natalie who reacted in surprise. ¡°Dr. Baker?¡± She recognized him as the doll-faced doctor who had bandaged her at Starlight Restaurant. ¡°Hi, how are you guys doing?¡± Jackson took his eyes off Shane and addressed the mother and her son. Smiling, Natalie replied, ¡°How about you, Dr. Baker? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see him,¡± Jackson replied, pouting his lips at Shane. Natalie gave a nod despite feeling puzzled. How does he know that Shane is here? Jackson seemed to know what she was thinking and exined with a smile, ¡°This is one of the Baker family¡¯s hospitals. A doctor spotted Shane and told me about it.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Natalie began to understand. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Shane cast a sidelong nce at Jackson. Jackson¡¯s countenance changed and he looked serious. ¡°You asked me to rmend a brain surgeon, and I think I have the right one for you.¡± Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Whom do you rmend?¡± ¡°His name is Stanley Quinn!¡± It¡¯s him? Shane¡¯s gaze turned gloomy and he pursed his lips. Jackson did not notice the change in Shane¡¯s expression and he continued enthusiastically, ¡°This Dr. Quinn is a first-ss brain surgeon. He is well-known abroad and has never failed in any operations before. If Jacqueline¡¯s operation is performed by him, it will definitely be sessful.¡± Connor whispered, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane and Dr. Baker are talking about Uncle Stanley.¡± Natalie stroked her head. ¡°Yes, they are.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Though they spoke softly, Jackson overheard them. Surprised, he turned to them. ¡°You know Stanley?¡± ¡°Yes, we do.¡± Connor nodded his little head. Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Yes, he and I are close...¡± Suddenly, she seemed to remember something. Giving Shane a subconscious nce, she corrected herself. ¡°He¡¯s my husband.¡± Shane¡¯s face fell; he felt rather upset. Why is she so fond of using such a hypocritical man as Stanley as a shield? ¡°What? Stanley is your husband? He was the one who e¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Before Jackson could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Shane. Jackson stopped speaking. It was only then that he realized he had nearly told someone in the face that she had eloped years ago. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I was just too surprised; I hope I didn¡¯t upset you.¡± Embarrassed, Jackson smiled shyly at Natalie. Natalie shook her head gently, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Didn¡¯t you say something about e...?¡± ¡°Oh... did I?¡± Jackson looked at the ceiling, pretending to have forgotten. ¡°You did!¡± Connor looked at him with a smile. Jackson twitched the corner of his lips. Damn it, how dare you expose me, kid! Indeed, those who look like Shane are not at all likeable. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You,e with me!¡± Shane got up and started walking out of the room. Jackson made some funny faces at Connor and then followed Shane out of the room. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 The two men went to the stairwell. Jackson brought out a pack of cigarettes from his white coat pocket and offered one to Shane. Shane took a cigarette and held it between his fingers. ¡°Find another doctor for me. Stanley won¡¯t do!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Jackson paused as he was trying to light his cigarette. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted him. He will be reporting at the hospital soon. It¡¯s toote to get a recement.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not as simple as he seems. I cannot entrust Jacqueline to him!¡± Shane caught the lighter Jackson threw to him but had no intention of lighting his cigarette. ¡°If we do not use Stanley, Jacqueline will not get well. It¡¯s not that there are no brain surgeons who are better than Stanley, but these other surgeons are ageing and not suited to perform surgery. Are you certain you want to rece him?¡± Jackson dragged on his cigarette. Shane knitted his brows but remained silent. Puffing out a ring of smoke, Jackson looked at him and asked, ¡°Shane, tell me honestly why you are unwilling to use Stanley. Is it really about Jacqueline¡¯s well-being?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The corners of Shane¡¯s lips turned downwards. Jackson flicked the ashes from his cigarette and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it clear? Natalie was originally your fianc¨¦e but she was unfaithful and eloped with Stanley. It¡¯s only natural that you¡¯re annoyed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not annoyed!¡± Shane squeezed the lighter and lit his own cigarette. ¡°Stanley is not her husband.¡± Jackson choked on the smoke and coughed for a while. With bloodshot eyes, he asked, ¡°What are you saying? Natalie¡¯s husband is not Stanley? But that was what she just said...¡± ¡°A smokescreen,¡± Shane replied nonchntly. Jackson ran his fingers through his curly hair. ¡°Who¡¯s her husband, then?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Lost in thought, Shane shifted his gaze onto the sparks at the tip of his cigarette. Jackson curled his lips. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s irrelevant whether Stanley is her husband or not; this won¡¯t affect me when I work with him in the future. However, I heard Ss say that there¡¯s something going on between you and Natalie recently. This is very inconsistent with your personality. Don¡¯t tell me that you have...¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± Shane eyed him coldly. Jackson rubbed the tip of his nose. ¡°Well, I may be thinking too far but I still hope you¡¯ll stay away from her. She has a family while you have a fianc¨¦e. You shouldn¡¯t have any more to do with her other than work; otherwise, it¡¯s easy to get carried away.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me about such things!¡± Shane said in a low voice. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Fine. Good that you are aware. Oh, and with respect to Stanley, you should decide as soon as possible whether or not you want him to perform the surgery. If you dy it any longer, Jacqueline really won¡¯t be able to wake up.¡± After saying that, Jackson patted Shane¡¯s shoulder, turned around, and left. Shane was left alone in the dimly lit stairwell. Holding the cigarette between his fingers, Shane thought about what Jackson had just said and he realized that it was true. Recently, he had indeed done many things for Natalie and her kids that were totally out of his character. These things had changed him. If these were to continue, he really did not know how he would turn out. Indeed, he had always hated the feeling of not being in control. At this point, Shane closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he seemed to have made a decision. His eyes were cold and distant. He dropped the cigarette onto the floor and extinguished it with the sole of his shoe. Two dayster, Connor had recovered enough to leave the hospital. Natalie bought a lot of food and was ready to celebrate the happy asion that evening. After she prepared the dishes, she called Shane but he declined the invitation. While drinking some fruit juice, Connor asked, ¡°Mommy, isn¡¯t Mr. Shaneing?¡± Natalie put down the phone. ¡°No, he¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Hmph, Mr. Shane isn¡¯t keeping his promise.¡± Sharon, too, had a ss of fruit juice in her hand. She did not sound pleased. ¡°He promised to send me to kindergarten these few days but he only did so on the first day.¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t he? Mr. Shane did arrange for a driver to send you, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same. I want him to do it personally.¡± Sharon pouted. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Connor looked at Natalie. ¡°Mommy, has Mr. Shane been busy these past few days? He hasn¡¯te to see us.¡± Hearing this, Natalie caressed both kids on their heads. ¡°Of course. Mr. Shane is looking after such a hugepany. How can he find time to go out every day? That¡¯s enough; don¡¯tin anymore. Eat your dinner and go to bed early.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The kids nodded. The next day, Natalie started work officially. Natalie punched her card and then went to the procurement department to check the fabrics sent by the textile mills three days ago. After confirming that everything was fine, she walked to the CEO¡¯s office. Hearing a knock on the door, Shane called out without raising his head, ¡°Come in!¡± When she heard the reply, Natalie pushed open the door and went in. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± At the sound of her voice, Shane¡¯s eyes flickered and he stopped writing with the pen still in his hand. He looked at her coldly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Natalie stopped at Shane¡¯s desk, ¡°Mr. Shane, in order to prevent other designers from misusing Project Rebirth fabrics, I want to request a separate warehouse for which only I have the key.¡± Other than the reason she cited, she had another reason¡ª¡ªJasmine. Based on her understanding of Jasmine, she knew this woman would not stand by and watch the fabric being delivered while doing nothing. Jasmine would try anything to drive her out of the Thompson Group, so she had to take precautions. If not, there would be dire consequences. ¡°Permission granted.¡± Shane agreed without hesitation. His gaze returned to normal and he added, ¡°In the future, for minor issues like this, you do not need to see me. Just approach Ss. He can handle things like that!¡± Hearing the indifference in his tone, Natalie was surprised. She nodded. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°You may leave. I¡¯ll get someone to bring you the key.¡± With that, Shane dismissed her. Feeling downcast, Natalie cast him a nce before she obediently turned around and left. For some reason, she felt that he had be cold towards her. Have I done something to displease him? Natalie tilted her head to ponder but was unable to understand why, so she eventually dismissed the thought. She closed Shane¡¯s office door and returned to the design department. As soon as she sat down, her cell phone rang. ¡°Nat, congrattions! You¡¯ve won first ce in the Golden Feather Awards!¡± Joyce told her joyfully. Natalie was confused. ¡°Joyce, what are you talking about? What first ce?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Are you kidding?¡± Natalie was unsure of how to react. ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m not kidding!¡± Joyce seemed to understand that something was going on. She swallowed and replied, ¡°Nat, don¡¯t tell me you did not submit an entry for the Golden Feather Awards?¡± Natalie grunted in reply, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She knew that the Golden Feather Awards was one of the most authoritative fashion design competitions in the country. From the start, she had wanted to participate but because she had had too many errands to run upon returning from overseas, she missed the registration deadline. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°There must be a mistake!¡± Joyce frowned. ¡±If you didn¡¯t participate, who is this Ms. Smith who won first ce?¡± ¡°Ms. Smith?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°I have seen the winning design before. It was done by you. This picture is the same and it is signed by a ¡®Ms. Smith¡¯, so I thought it was you. I am surprised that you didn¡¯t enter thepetition. Nat, did someone steal your design and pretend to be you to participate?¡± Hearing this, Natalie¡¯s expression turned gloomy as the smile left her ruby red lips. ¡°I probably know what¡¯s going on. Maybe you¡¯re right that someone has stolen my design, but she is not pretending to be me. Besides me, there is indeed another Ms. Smith.¡± Joyce put two and two together and realized who that person must be. ¡°Nat, are you saying it¡¯s your elder half-sister?¡± ¡°Well, it should be her, but I have to check on the official website.¡± With that, Natalie put down the phone and visited the official Golden Feather Awards website. When she saw the winning design in the J City Division, her hand on the mouse stiffened. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 It really was her design! giarized down to the veryst detail. ¡°How does it look, Nat? Could you confirm anything?¡± Joyce badgered her over the phone. Returning to her senses, Natalie turned to check the designer¡¯s signature at the lower right corner of the design. She went livid when she saw Jasmine¡¯s watermark. She picked up the phone again and held it to her ear, her words as cold as ice as she scowled, ¡°Yes, confirmed. It¡¯s definitely her!¡± She had always known that Jasmine was a repeated giarist, but she never thought that one day, she would fall victim to that woman¡¯s crime. The piece of work, which Jasmine copied off her, had been assigned to her by her mentor a year ago, with the theme being autumn. Back then, she had designed about twenty pieces. Her mentor only fancied eight of them, deeming the rest to be behind the times. He had told her to discard them, but she couldn¡¯t bear to discard her hard work. So, Natalie registered a secret ount on a social media website for the sole purpose of honoring her designs, which she uploaded as a memento. She did not expect Jasmine to discover her creations! ¡°Alright, Nat. We have proof that she copied off you. Let¡¯s expose her to thepetition organizer!¡± Joyce eximed angrily with her fist clenched. Natalie bit her lower lip, ¡°No, we can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Joyce was confused. Natalie took a breath in. ¡°Because Jasmine giarized Mina¡¯s work, not mine. I¡¯ve promised my mentor that I would note out as Mina before I could make a name for myself in the local art scene!¡± ¡°So we¡¯re going to let Jasmine go, just like that?¡± Joyce pronounced indignantly. Natalie scoffed, ¡°Do you think I¡¯d do that? The only things I cannot tolerate at all in my life are theft and giarism. Since Jasmine dared tomit these crimes, I¡¯ll certainly not let her go so easily. She likes copying, doesn¡¯t she? Then she can do it to her heart¡¯s content!¡± ¡°Nat, do you mean...¡± Joyce began, her eyes glinting with excitement. The corners of Natalie¡¯s lips curled slightly upwards as she smirked, ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Jasmine had little talent for design, to begin with. The only reason she achieved her current status was primarily due to her acts of giarism. She won first ce in the regionals this time, and she would surely find ways to giarize some more in the uing elimination round. In that case, Natalie could upload more designs onto her social media tform, allowing Jasmine to copy. When the Golden Feather Award finals rolled around, Project Rebirth would have gained great sess. Then Natalie would have the reputation she needed toe out as Mina, use Jasmine of giarism, and ruin that woman¡¯s career once and for all! With that n in mind, Natalie hung up the phone and went onto the Golden Feather Awards official website to check on the theme for the next session. She was ready to set a trap for Jasmine. It was at that moment that Jasmine marched into the office, pping her hands. ¡°Everyone, stop what you¡¯re doing!¡± The people in the office put their work aside and stared at her. Natalie did the same too. Jasmine had a smile on her face and seemed to be feeling quite grand. ¡°Party at eight o¡¯clock tonight at the Rose Booth of Sunrise Hotel. My treat. Anyone who doesn¡¯te is just going to make me look bad.¡± Naturally, everyone in the room nodded their heads profusely. Some even murmured in surprise. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, do you have any good news to announce?¡± ¡°Dummy, didn¡¯t you watch the Golden Feather Awards announcement today? Ms. Jasmine won first ce in the J City regionals! ¡° ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Jasmine cast an appreciative look at the person in the back. ¡°I¡¯m ecstatic to have won first ce, so I¡¯m going out of my way to invite all of you to dinner.¡± Upon hearing that, everyone else quickly stepped forward to congratte Jasmine. Only Natalie remained in her seat, wryly observing the scene in front of her. You only got the first ce because you copied my work, and here you are proudly showing off without a shred of shame! While Natalie was immersed in her thoughts, Jasmine suddenly turned to look at her. ¡°Ms. Natalie, it seems you aren¡¯t very pleased about my win. Is that right?¡± Natalie got to her feet and replied with a straight face, ¡°No, not at all. You¡¯ve misunderstood me, Ms. Jasmine. I was just thinking about other matters.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Oh? Then may I know what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Jasmine looked at her as she stroked her bright, red nails. Natalie nodded, her eyes fixed on Jasmine. ¡°Of course. I was wondering why your design style varies so much from before. Care to exin, Ms. Jasmine?¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Upon hearing her words, Jasmine panicked for a brief moment, but she calmed down immediately and responded gloomily, ¡°Natalie, what do you mean by that? You doubt my abilities?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious. It¡¯s fine if you¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡± Natalie smirked as she shrugged, neither denying nor affirming the other woman¡¯s allegation. Jasmine snorted at her, ¡°I have nothing to hide. It¡¯s totally normal for a designer to have a variety of styles. It¡¯s nothing unusual. You, on the other hand, should concentrate on your work rather than questioning me!¡± After that, Jasmine strutted away in her high heels, but there was something odd about the way she walked. Natalie watched her leave before letting loose a sigh. It¡¯s normal to change styles? Everyone knows that every designer has only one style! Only Jasmine could have spouted such nonsense. Did she not see how everyone¡¯s expressions changed at her words? Natalie shook her head, directing her gaze back to theputer, and went to work. When Natalie left the office in the evening, she went to the kindergarten to pick up her kids first. Then, she took them to Joyce, who would be taking care of them for the time being, before hailing a taxi to Sunrise Hotel. It was ten minutes to eight when she arrived at the Sunrise Hotel. As soon as Natalie opened the door to the booth, she heard Jasmine call out to her in an airy tone, ¡°Why, Ms. Natalie, you¡¯rete!¡± ¡°I¡¯mte?¡± Natalie walked over to her, pulled out her cell phone, and pointed at the time. ¡°The party starts at eight, right? It¡¯s not even time yet. How can I bete?¡± Jasmine swirled her ss of red wine as she eyed Natalie with a half-smile. ¡°I did say the party starts at eight in the beginning, butter I changed it to seven. The notice was sent to the group chat. Ms. Natalie, didn¡¯t you get the memo?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not in the group chat!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jasmine, pretending to be shocked, turned to ask the other attendees, ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone add Ms. Natalie into the group chat?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ve maxed out the group chat capacity!¡± Someone answered. Jasmine smiled coyly at Natalie, ¡°Oh, pardon me. I thought they added you.¡± Natalie watched Joyce as she kept up the farce, and the corners of her mouth twitched in annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Up to that moment, she understood their intentions. What do they mean the group chat¡¯s capacity is full? From the very beginning, they were specifically instructed by Jasmine not to add me. That wretched woman also changed the time of the party on purpose, just so that I would bete. What a way to make things difficult for me! Sure enough, as soon as Natalie pulled a chair to sit down, Jasmine ced a bottle of red wine in front of her. ¡°Ms. Natalie, it¡¯s not your fault you¡¯rete, but you still are. Why don¡¯t you be a good chap and down a bottle?¡± Bingo! Natalie grumbled silently, then pushed the wine bottle back to Jasmine. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t drink.¡± Jasmine did not think Natalie would refuse upfront. Her expression darkened. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Ms. Natalie? Do you intend to make me look bad?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just not quite well today. I took two antibiotic tablets, so...¡± As she spoke, Natalie took out a packet of antibiotics from her bag and ced it on the table. Jasmine turned blue in the face when she saw the pills. She had not expected Natalie, that wench, to be taking the same kind of antibiotics as her! ¡°Ms. Jasmine, as you can see, I can¡¯t possibly drink today. But I¡¯m fine with juice, so why don¡¯t we rece the wine with juice instead?¡± Natalie said, her eyes on Jasmine. Jasmine pulled a long face. ¡°Don¡¯t bother!¡± Juice? Who makes a fool of themselves from drinking juice? She might as well not drink any! ¡°That¡¯s so generous of you, Ms. Jasmine. Thank you very much.¡± Natalie beamed at her as she put away the pills. The medicine was not specially prepared for the asion. It was just her habit of always keeping some with her. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. In the past, while she was overseas, she would often attend parties with her mentor, where drinking was inevitable. Eventually, the ongoing routine damaged her stomach. Stanley suggested she brought antibiotics along everywhere she went. That way, she would have a reason not to consume alcohol. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Jasmine was very moody throughout dinner. The other attendees were wary of her mood, so they refrained from expressing their feelings, and they dined with repressed emotions. Natalie was the only one who seemed to be having a good time. When she had more or less eaten her fill, she got up to use the restroom. She was right outside the door to the restroom when a looming figure sprang out of the men¡¯s side, grabbed her by the wrist, and pushed her against the wall. The unexpected turn of events startled Natalie. She was just about to scream when the man covered her mouth. ¡°Shush. Do not make a sound. Help me out here, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The man threatened her in a hoarse voice. Natalie¡¯s pupils shrank. She dared not to move and nodded incessantly. The man curled his lips, satisfied with her obedience. He then buried his head into her neck and imitated the gesture of kissing her. Right then, two sets of footsteps sounded from a short distance away, followed by speaking voices. ¡°Keep looking! He must still be nearby. You go check the front. I¡¯ll search the restroom.¡± ¡°Right!¡± The voices fell, and the footsteps dispersed. Natalie could hear one of the footsteps slowly approaching them. As they got closer and closer, her body stiffened. The man felt her tension and proceeded to pinch the right side of her neck. ¡°Rx. If I¡¯m discovered because of you, believe it or not, I¡¯ll take you down with me.¡± Upon hearing this, Natalie found herself lose the strength in her legs as they went weak. The man seized the opportunity to hold her tight, letting her lie in his arms. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, their actions would resemble that of a couple in love flirting outside the restroom. Because of this, the advancing set of footsteps passed them by and left straight away without interrupting them. Finally, the man released Natalie. It was only then Natalie able to take a good look at him. The man was quite handsome, with an air of nobility about him. The clothes on him bore not a single brandbel, but that didn¡¯t stop them from looking stylish. It was obvious they were high-end customized goods, which meant that the man wearing them was surely not the average Joe. While Natalie was busy sizing him up, the man was doing the same to her. When his eyes fell on her face, the man¡¯s light brown pupils sparkled with delight, if only for a fleeting moment. ¡°Thanks for that. Can I get your name, miss? Allow me to repay you when I get a chance.¡± Sean Thompson extended a hand out to Natalie, seeking acquaintance. But Natalie merely dusted her clothes, showing no interest in shaking hands with him as she spoke tly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be seeing each other anyway.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. For someone of hisplicated background to be chased down by other people, he must be a security risk. She would be a fool to befriend him. With that thought, Natalie turned away, walking past Sean, and left the scene. Sean stroked his chin as he watched her go, eyeing her back like a predator checking out its prey until she disappeared. The woman had aroused his interest. By the time Natalie returned to the booth, Jasmine was gone. Natalie inquired the designer beside her about Jasmine¡¯s disappearance, who told her that Jasmine had left the premises after receiving a call. She looked pale, but no one knew what that was about! Since the protagonist was no longer around, the rest of the group did not intend to stay long. They quickly filled their stomachs and left the hotel one after another. The next day, Natalie was summoned to the conference room for a meeting the moment she arrived at thepany. She was at the door when she met Shane and Ss, who also came to attend the meeting. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± Natalie greeted him. Shane, too, did not expect to find her here. He was just about to respond when he saw the red mark on her neck. His pupils abruptly shrank, and his mood shifted in an instant. Who had she spent the night with? Was it Stanley? Or some other guy? Ss caught Shane staring at Natalie with a ghastly look on his face. Puzzled, the assistant asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, is something the matter?¡± Shane did not reply. He looked away and stepped into the conference room, his face dark and brooding. Ss nced at Natalie in confusion. His gut was telling him that the woman had something to do with Shane¡¯s listlessness. He did not dwell on it and decided to trail after Shane. At the meeting, Natalie stood in front of the multimedia projector screen, presenting to the senior executives. She talked about her uing garment-making process, as well as her ideas for the catwalk. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Her novel ideas managed to capture their interest, for they proceeded to ask about the feasibility of her ns. Shane was the only one who kept looking at her without saying a word, a storm brewing in his eyes. Jasmine, who sat next to him, took note of his strange behavior. Following his gaze, she was brought to attention the red mark on Natalie¡¯s neck. Her eyes widened, sensing a massive crisis at hand. Even her breathing had quickened. As a bystander, she could read his bodynguage very clearly. Shane was staring at Natalie¡¯s neck, clearly out of jealousy! How long has it been since Natalie started working here? And yet, Shane had already set his sights on that woman. Meanwhile, I have been by his side for five years, and he hasn¡¯t even looked me in the eye! No! This can¡¯t go on any longer! I need to drive her away fast, or I¡¯ll never feel at ease! As she kept to her thoughts, Jasmine squeezed her hands tightly and began to hatch a n in her mind. Before long, the meeting ended. The attendees dispersed in twos and threes, and soon only the three of them were left in the conference room. Natalie got to her feet, wanting to discuss with Shane about the models for the catwalk when the door of the conference room was flung open suddenly. A towering figure came stalking into the room.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Shane! It¡¯s been a while!¡± The visitor greeted Shane, grinning from ear to ear. Shane squinted his eyes, giving the man a cold stare before uttering his name, ¡°Sean Thompson!¡± Thompson? Wasn¡¯t that Shane¡¯s surname as well? Are they brothers? Natalie looked over at the visitor curiously, only for her mouth to fall open in surprise when she registered his face. It¡¯s him! Jasmine managed to catch Natalie¡¯s reaction. An idea clicked in her mind, and she deliberately raised her voice as she spoke, ¡°Ms. Natalie, are you acquainted with Sean?¡± Hearing that, Shane instantly shifted his gaze to Natalie as though seeking confirmation of Jasmine¡¯s statement. Under his scrutiny, Natalie nodded but then quickly shook her head, ¡°No, not exactly. We¡¯ve just met once...¡± Before she could finish, Sean interjected and feigned sadness as he grieved, ¡°Oh, how terrible of you to say that. I came here today just to see you.¡± ¡°To see me?¡± Natalie, somewhat befuddled, pointed at herself. ¡°Yes, I specifically asked about you, and it turns out that you work here. And so I came,¡± Sean added as he walked towards her. Natalie was gravely unfamiliar with the man, and so she was reluctant to get close to him. Subconsciously, she stepped back in the direction that happened to be behind Shane, but she had barely retreated a few steps when Sean grabbed her hand. Sean shot her a devilish smirk, ¡°Why are you avoiding me? Am I that scary? You certainly weren¡¯t avoiding mest night!¡± Last night? Shane was about to reach out to Natalie when he heard Sean¡¯s casual statement. Startled, his hand stopped in mid-air, and it took him a while to regain his sense. He retracted his clenched fist with a sullen look on his face. So, Sean was the one who nted that hickey on her neck! Whatever Shane had been thinking about naturally crossed Jasmine¡¯s mind as well. Sean¡¯s ambiguous choice of words was certainly not doing anyone any favors. ¡°Sean, what¡¯s your rtionship with Ms. Natalie?¡± Jasmine pretended to ask out of curiosity as she suppressed her struggling emotions. Shane¡¯s ears twitched ever so slightly. He was apparently concerned about the matter as well. Sean noticed that brief movement from the corner of his eye and curled his lips into a smirk. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened, and she stared at him in astonishment. Her face flushed with anger from hearing his intentions of deliberately making others misinterpret their rtionship. Before she could rebut, however, Jasmine beat her to talk, ¡°Of course I can. I just wanted to make sure.¡± She did not understand. Why is God so unfair? Why does Natalie always seem to attract such good men? First, Shane has taken an interest in her, and now Sean... But this could be a good thing. If Natalie and Sean were to be an official couple, then Shane would have to give up on Natalie, right? While entertaining the idea, Jasmine tugged on Shane¡¯s arm, feigning surprise as she said, ¡°Shane, I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Natalie and Sean to be a couple.¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 A couple? Shane pursed his thin lips tightly. That particr phrase sounded extremely harsh in his ears. Despite Natalie¡¯s rising anger, she steadied herself and rushed to exin, ¡°Ms. Jasmine, you¡¯re mistaken. I am not familiar at all with Mr. Sean!¡± As she spoke, she did not know what came over her, but she snuck a peek at Shane, somehow not wanting him to misconstrue whatever was going on between Sean and herself. However, Shane¡¯s face had gone cold and void of expressions. She could not tell whether he truly believed in Jasmine¡¯s lie or not. For a moment, she felt a hint of disappointment. ¡°Nat, I know you¡¯re still mad at me.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes suddenly dimmed, a wry smile hanging on his face. This got Natalie stunned and confused. ¡°What are you talking about? Mad about what?¡± ¡°I left you without a word back then. I¡¯ve abandoned you, so...¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Shane bolted upright from where he was seated at the head of the table, his eyes brimming with anger. Back then... So, Sean was the one who had eloped with Natalie back then. No wonder Connor resembles me so much. That¡¯s because I¡¯m Sean¡¯s cousin. Of course, his son would look simr to me. ¡°Shane, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Jasmine asked, concerned while pretending not to know why he was overreacting. Shane ignored her as his sharp, icy re swept across Natalie and Sean. Void of emotion, he proimed, ¡°This is the Thompson Group. Not a public tform for you to flirt around!¡± He¡¯s definitely got the wrong idea! Natalie bit her lower lip. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m not...¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Nat and I should take it outside.¡± Not waiting for Natalie to finish her sentence, Sean dragged her towards the door. ¡°What are you doing? Let me go!¡± Natalie shouted unwillingly as she attempted to free herself. But Sean¡¯s grip on her wrist was so tight, so she could not shake it off. And so, she was taken out of the conference room just like that. Shane gazed gloomily at the direction they had set off to, sending death chills from his aura into the air. Jasmine stood beside him, ¡°Shane, there seems to be some misunderstanding between Sean and Ms. Natalie.¡± Shane said nothing. He lowered his eyes and left the meeting room. As soon as he did, he caught sight of Sean and Natalie entering the elevator. In the elevator. Sean finally released Natalie. Natalie rubbed her sore wrist, all the while glowering at him. ¡°Mr. Sean, why did you say those things in the conference room? They could lead to so many misunderstandings! We only just met yesterday, so why did you keep saying ¡®back then¡¯? What¡¯s your angle?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I like you,¡± Sean replied, pushing up the gold-rimmed spectacles on the bridge of his nose. Natalie scoffed, ¡°Like me? Do you think I¡¯ll believe something that ridiculous?¡± Sean shrugged. ¡°I know you won¡¯t, but I stand by what I said. I fell in love with you at first sight. I brought up the past because I wanted them to think we go way back. That way, no other men would come near you.¡± Natalie¡¯s face instantly darkened. ¡°Mr. Sean, you should be ashamed of yourself!¡± What he did was shameless and crazy. I do not want to be associated with the likes of him! Natalie took a deep breath as she strained to suppress the fury within her. Then, she stretched her hand out, ready to press the buttons in the elevator. But Sean shifted sideways and inserted himself between her and the buttons. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m in the wrong here. So, how about I treat you to dinner as an apology?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother!¡± Natalie rejected him coldly. However, Sean acted as though he did not hear it. When the elevator reached B1, he once again dragged her straight to his car and forcibly pushed her into it. Having no choice in the matter, Natalie followed him to a restaurant, where they had a hasty meal. Sean suddenly received a call after lunch and left the ce sulking. Natalie took a taxi back to the Thompson Group. However, as soon as she stepped into thepany building, she was greeted with nasty remarks. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°That¡¯s her! She¡¯s the one previously involved in a scandal with Mr. Shane, and now Chapter 77 Chapter 77 ¡°Yes, I heard she¡¯s already married with two kids. And yet, here she is hooking up with other men. How disgraceful!¡± ¡°What do you know? She¡¯s probably through with her penniless husband and is looking for a better one!¡± Natalie frowned as these contemptuous statements rang in her ears, making her feel ufortable. What¡¯s going on? She just got back from lunch, and now she¡¯s somehow be a hussy in their eyes? With that thought, her expression hardened as she walked towards the crowd of gossip-mongers. Not expecting she would approach them, they quickly dropped their conversations and looked at her awkwardly. ¡°Who told you I¡¯m having an affair with Mr. Sean?¡± Natalie stopped in front of them and asked in a chilling tone. They exchanged nces, and then one of them came forward and replied, ¡°Someone from the design department talked about it in the group chat.¡± ¡°The design department?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. Suddenly, the whole thing made sense. After that, she ignored the crowd and marched towards the elevator. When Natalie got to the design department and entered the office, she unsurprisingly overheard the same discussion. She did not seem angry about it. She strode to her workspace, picked up a magazine, rolled it up, and then hit it against her desk. N?velDrama.Org content. m! The loud noise shocked everyone. Natalie nced indifferently at the many faces across the room, and when she spoke, her voice was solemn, ¡°Who among you were instructed by Jasmine to spread rumors about Mr. Sean and me in the group chat? Come forward at once!¡± She was so certain Jasmine was the mastermind behind this because she knew that she and Sean only had two mutual acquaintances, namely Shane and Jasmine. Shane would definitely not pull something like this, which left Jasmine as the only suspect. As for the reason, Jasmine probably did it to ruin Natalie¡¯s reputation in the Thompson Group. What a dirty trick! Most of the people in the office were shocked to hear her statement, whereas a handful had guilt written on their faces. Natalie recognized them as Jasmine¡¯s posse. They had no talent in design, and their greatest skill was extolling Jasmine to the skies. ¡°So it¡¯s you guys!¡± Natalie red at them. Knowing it would not make much sense to cover up since they had been found out, they simply admitted, ¡°So? What if it¡¯s us?¡± ¡°Apologize!¡± Natalie demanded in an icy tone. They proceeded to confront her, ¡°Why should we? You started the scandals, and yet we can¡¯t talk about it?¡± Natalie scoffed, ¡°Scandals? I don¡¯t even know when I had an affair with Mr. Sean, and yet, here you are adamant that I am guilty. How deceptive. I¡¯ll give you one more chance. Apologize, and clear my name in the group chat. Otherwise, I will not stop till I get my justice!¡± However, the small gang took no regard for her. They had little intention to make reparations. Natalie could surmise that they showed no fear because they had strong backing. She sneered. These people are really stubborn. They thought they needn¡¯t be afraid of anything since they have Jasmine to back them up. How foolish. Never mind, I could take this opportunity to drive these people out of the Thompson Group and weaken Jasmine¡¯s power while I¡¯m at it. Let¡¯s see who Jasmine can use to deal with me next. With that, Natalie tossed aside the magazine she had in her hand, sat down, and turned on her computer. The small group of people snickered when they saw her do so. They had wondered how she would assert her power, but it seemed she was just a paper tiger who could only resort to trash talk. For a while, Jasmine¡¯s posse did not take Natalie¡¯s warning to heart as they returned to their seats. They continued to spread rumors about Natalie and Sean, deliberately raising their voices while doing so. Natalie knew that they were directing their aggression at her, but she paid them no mind. The more they talked, the more items she printed. Finally, she picked up the printed pile of materials, left the design department, and headed to Shane¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Shane, I want to talk to you.¡± Natalie knocked on the open door. Shane paused his writing when he heard her voice and lifted his head to meet her, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°So the thing is...¡± Natalie exined the case about the rumors to him as she stepped Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Shane waited patiently for her to finish. His eyebrows furrowed together. ¡°Who spread those rumors?¡± ¡°It¡¯s them,¡± Natalie said while handing him a piece of paper from her folder. Shane took a quick nce at the names, pushed the paper aside, and leaned back on his chair. ¡°What¡¯s your suggestion?¡± Natalie looked at him and answered seriously, ¡°These people not only have been spreading rumors about Mr. Sean and me and damaging our reputations, but they also refuse to apologize. So my suggestion is to terminate their employment. Besides, there¡¯s one other thing.¡± Shane rested his hands on his crossed knees and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie handed him all her remaining documents. ¡°Mr. Shane, please take a look at these designs. I don¡¯t understand how would such poor designs get through quality control and make their way into the market.¡± Shane leafed through the papers. His face darkened. N?velDrama.Org content. Shane was no designer, but anyone could tell these were just amateur designs. He took one look and knew these designs were far below the bar set by thepany. It was now clear as day why the products of hispany, since its establishment a year ago, had be the least popr in the market. Truth be told, it would take more than a miracle for such second-rated designs to take thepany to the next level. Shane picked up his inte and dialed for Ss. ¡°Come to my office immediately!¡± In no time, Ss had arrived at Shane¡¯s office. He was surprised to see Natalie but still nodded politely to her. Natalie smiled back at him. Shane passed the design papers to Ss and ordered coldly, ¡°Notify the HR department that I want these people out of thispany by today.¡± Natalie listened in with a satisfactory smile across her face. She knew that Shane would not dismiss people just for gossiping in the office, hence she made copies of these designs as her extra ammunition. The Shane that she knew would not tolerate workers who were not only ipetent but also enjoyed causing disruption in the workce. Natalie was pleased with herself. After Ss left the office to carry out Shane¡¯s order, Natalie thought she too, should leave. As she was about to step out of his office, Shane called out, ¡°Hang on.¡± Natalie turned around and looked at him, all confused. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. Do you have more orders for me? ¡°Take this.¡± Shane opened his drawer, from which he retrieved a ck invitation card and passed it to her. Still perplexed, Natalie looked at the invitation card. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gathering for international fashion critics. I want you toe with me,¡± Shane exined sinctly and took a sip of coffee. Natalie¡¯s eyes sparkled, but she had to double confirm with him. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you nning to invite a few prominent critics from there for our Project Rebirth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shane confirmed. ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll be there.¡± Natalie folded the invitation card carefully, making sure she did not crumple it. ¡°The flight is 8 in the morning the day after tomorrow. Don¡¯t bete,¡± Shane reminded. ¡°I will be on time, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie nodded. Suddenly, the office door swung open, and a figure walked past Natalie. The woman rested both her hands on Shane¡¯s table and questioned him with reddened eyes, ¡°Shane, what¡¯s going on? I was told you dismissed my staff?¡± Shane raised his eyebrows and replied dryly, ¡°Since when are you allowed toe in without knocking?¡± Natalie was amused by his response and chuckled. Jasmine was irritated by herugh. She turned around and looked at Natalie with disgust. Natalie shrugged and stoppedughing. Jasmine¡¯s focus was back at Shane. She tried to exin, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Shane, it¡¯s all because I care about my staff, that¡¯s why...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Shane raised his hand to stop Jasmine from exining away her mistake. ¡°Let me ask you, for the past year or so, all the designs have to go through you for approval. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes... That¡¯s correct,¡± Jasmine muttered. Sensing she might be in trouble, she could not look at him in the eyes. Shane continued to fix his eyes on her. ¡°Then will you exin to me how did these garbage designs manage to get approval from your side?¡± Jasmine was at a loss. She knew she did not have a strong ground on which to stand. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 ¡°I believe those designers are close friends with you, hence when ites to reviewing their work, she would just approve them with eyes closed. Am I right, Ms. Jasmine?¡± Natalie said with a grin on her face. Jasmine shot her a sinister look, wishing hard that she would just disappear into thin air. The exchange of looks between the two did not escape Shane. He knew at once that Natalie was telling the truth. Pursing his thin lips, Shane looked at Natalie and said, ¡°I want you to take over Jasmine¡¯s position for the time being. You¡¯ll oversee and approve everything in the design department.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was puzzled. She came here hoping to dissolve Jasmine¡¯s power and did not expect Shane to rece Jasmine with her as the head of the design department. This turn of events had taken Natalie by surprise. Jasmine, on the other hand, was in a full-blown nervous breakdown. She looked at Shane in disbelief and yelled, ¡°Shane, you can¡¯t do this!¡± Letting Natalie take over her position was like a p in the face. She would never let that happen. Shane stared at her. His voice was cold as ice as he said, ¡°Why can¡¯t I? I let you take charge of our design department, but you¡¯ve turned it into a pile of mess. Do you honestly think I will ever trust you again?¡± ¡°But...¡± Jasmine was still fumbling for the right words. Shane had had enough. He massaged his temple. ¡°That¡¯s enough, just follow my order and get out of here, both of you.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane,¡± answered Natalie as she retreated from the office. Jasmine still wanted to say something, but she did not want to add fuel to the fire. Instead, she stomped her feet and ran after Natalie. ¡°You stop right there!¡± Jasmine yelled after her. Natalie stopped midstride and turned to her. ¡°Can I help you, Ms. Jasmine?¡± Jasmine walked up to her and gritted the words through her teeth. ¡°You got Shane to dismiss my people and rob me of my job. Aren¡¯t you pleased with yourself?¡± Natalie shrugged. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m not displeased. I do actually have you to thank. If it weren¡¯t for you and your people¡¯s little act of spreading those rumors, they wouldn¡¯t be thrown out, and your post wouldn¡¯t have fallen into myp.¡± Jasmine knew Natalie was insinuating that her n had backfired. The sarcasm in her tone was unbearable for Jasmine. Her body trembled with anger. ¡°You son of a...¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Natalie gestured for her to keep quiet. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, need I remind you that we are still standing outside of the CEO office. I¡¯m sure you do not want to attract any more attention from Mr. Shane. Unless you don¡¯t mind him seeing the nasty attitude that you have right now?¡± Jasmine thought she had a point and lowered her voice. ¡°Just so you wait. This is far from over!¡± ¡°Sure, I can¡¯t wait,¡± Natalie replied aloofly, walked past her and headed for the elevator. Back in the design department, the few designers were gone and their seats were empty. The way those who remained looked at Natalie waspletely different than before. They now respected her, but they were also frightened of her at the same time. How could they not? She managed to take down a few designers and seize Ms. Jasmine¡¯s position as head of their department single-handedly. Natalie felt their alienated gazes upon herself. Already anticipating this, she smiled politely at them and picked up her pencil to resume her work. In the afternoon, Natalie received a phone call and came to a caf¨¦ near Thompson Group. Once she stepped inside, a man sitting by the window waved at her. ¡°Ms. Smith, over here!¡± Natalie walked over, pulled up a chair across the table and sat down. ¡°Hello, Mr. Greene I believe you already have some results regarding the job that I asked you to investigate?¡± ¡°Of course, Ms. Smith. That¡¯s the reason I called you up,¡± Ben said while reaching into his briefcase, in which he retrieved a folder and a photograph. Natalie recognized that photograph instantly; it was the same one she took herself at the hospital. ¡°Ms. Smith, you were right about their rtionships. The man in the photo is Warren Litch. The child in his arms is his five-year-old son, Donald Litch. Here are their DNA tests. My staff have gone to great lengths to obtain their hair samples, so I¡¯m absolutely positive of our findings,¡± Ben said excitedly while sliding the folder towaN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Natalie opened the folder and pulled out the DNA test report. As she perused the report, a smile crept across her face and she let out an ironicugh. Twenty-six years ago, Harrison had an affair with Susan. Consequently, Jasmine was born half a year before her. Seven years ago, he even kicked her mom and all three children out of the house because of Susan. Now that Susan had an affair with another man, Harrison got to have a taste of his own medicine. Natalie could not wait to share this piece of news with her mother when she returned to the country. She slipped the report back into the folder. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Greene. This was helpful.¡± ¡°You¡¯re most wee, Ms. Smith,¡± Ben replied with a smile. After she paid him the remaining bnce, Natalie left the caf¨¦ and headed to the kindergarten to fetch Connor and Sharon. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Two hourster, Natalie and the kids were about to enter their home when they bumped into Ss who was just leaving Shane¡¯s apartment with a suitcase. ¡°Hi Mr. Campbell, what are you doing?¡± Natalie pointed at the suitcase he was carrying. Ss did not expect to see Natalie here. He simply said, ¡°I was just helping Mr. Shane pack.¡± The man could not help but stare at Connor who was standing next to Natalie. This child is a miniature carbon copy of Mr. Shane. How could they be Sean¡¯s? ¡°Packing?¡± Connor tilted his small head and asked, ¡°Mr. Campbell, is Mr. Shane moving out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ss nodded. Sharon was rattled. ¡°But Mommy, I like Mr. Shane. Will you ask him to stay please?¡± She said while tugging at Natalie¡¯s shirt. ¡°Sharon, don¡¯t be rude!¡± Natalie pulled her little fingers away and said to Ss, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Campbell, that was really embarrassing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s actually very sweet of them.¡± Ss waved his hands. Ss did not think much of Sean, but he had to admit these kids were pretty darn cute. ¡°It¡¯s ratherte, so I¡¯d better not keep Mr. Shane waiting. Excuse me.¡± Ss looked at his watch and spoke. ¡°Sure, goodbye, Mr Campbell,¡± Natalie said while stepping back, making way for Ss and his luggage. Ss bade goodbye with the three of them and stepped into the elevator. Conner looked at Natalie and asked, ¡°Mommy, why is Mr. Shane moving out all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Beats me too, Connor,¡± Natalie said, shaking her head. Gazing at Shane¡¯s closed door, she felt a little empty inside. Sharon rubbed her eyes, her voice choking with tears. ¡°Mommy, am I not going to see Mr. Shane ever again?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, silly one?¡± Natalie rubbed her nose yfully. ¡°Of course you will see him again. Haven¡¯t you already met him before he moved in here? Come, let¡¯s go home and I¡¯ll cook your favorites!¡± The thought of food quickly disced Sharon¡¯s grief in an instant. She raised her little hand and shouted, ¡°Mommy, I want fish!¡± ¡°What about you, Connor?¡± Natalie pushed open the door. Connor brushed his chin a little and replied, ¡°I want chicken wings!¡± ¡°All right, fish and chicken wingsing right up!¡± Natalie said while stroking their heads lovingly. The next day, Natalie came out from the dye room in her what was once a white coat which was now in rainbow colors. She was startled to see Sean standing by the door. ¡®Mr. Sean, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Good morning!¡± Sean smiled and waved at her. ¡°I came here to talk to you.¡± ¡°Oh, is everything okay?¡± Natalie took off her coat and draped it over her arm, wondering what he was here for. Sean walked toward her and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about what happened yesterday. I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that.¡± Ah, he¡¯s here to apologize. Natalie lowered her guard and replied, ¡°It¡¯s all water under the bridge, Mr. Sean. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°No, no, I feel responsible for causing all the trouble. At least let me make it up to yo Chapter 81 Chapter 81 ¡°Forget it.¡± Natalie already knew what he was going to say. Disappointed by her rejection, Sean stared at her for a moment before saying, ¡°Alright then. I was looking for an excuse to get you to go out with me but you wouldn¡¯t even give me the time of day.¡± Natalie chuckled half-heartedly without saying a word. ¡°Well... In my opinion, Shane is also in the wrong. As a CEO, he couldn¡¯t even keep his subordinates in check. This kind of incident would definitely not happen on my watch.¡± There was a glint in his eyes when Sean said that. His words seemed to pricked Natalie in the heart as she furrowed her brows. ¡°Mr. Sean, this is where you are mistaken. The Thompson Group is one of thergest firm in the industry with a vast amount of employees. There is only so much a human is capable of handling. We cannot expect the CEO to know every employee like the back of his palm, can we?¡± ¡°You sure are taking his side in this matter. Could it be that you have fallen for him?¡± Sean asked with an intent look. Natalie shook her head as she quickly denied Sean¡¯s ims. ¡°Mr. Sean, are you kidding? That¡¯s impossible!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh really? Because it seems to me that you are very protective of him,¡± Sean continued while staring daggers at her. ¡°I¡¯m only defending him because he is a great superior to me.¡± Natalie tilted her head to one side anxiously. ¡°Is that so...¡± Sean shot her a questioning look, seeming to doubt her answer. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯d be looking for trouble if you fall for him. There is another woman who is more troublesome than Jasmine by his side,¡± Sean said with a smile after a brief pause. More troublesome than Jasmine? ¡°Who do you mean?¡± Natalie blurted out. Without responding to her question, Sean merely shrugged his shoulders with a smile on his face. It was only then did she realize that she had subconsciously expressed her interest in Shane. She lowered her head in embarrassment as she hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°I have other matters to attend to, Mr. Sean. If there is nothing else, I will be taking my leave.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave in such a hurry. Stay and chat with me for a little longer,¡± Sean said while holding her back. Somewhere down the corridor, Shane was witnessing their interaction with a grim expression and clenched fists. After a few moments, he spun around and walked towards the lift lobby. ¡°Mr. Shane, aren¡¯t we going over?¡± inquired Ss. ¡°No. We wouldn¡¯t want to interrupt them,¡± Shane replied coldly while struggling hard to suppress the jealousy within him. Upon hearing the sarcasm in his voice, Ss turned to look at Natalie who was being pinned against the wall by Sean at that moment. ¡°Mr. Shane, should we remove Ms. Smith from Project Rebirth?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane said as he halted in his tracks. ¡°Well, considering Ms. Smith¡¯s close rtionship with Sean, I¡¯m afraid she would sabotage Project Rebirth in order to further Sean¡¯s ambitions in taking over the Thompson Group. If that were to happen...¡± Before Ss could finish his speech, Shane bellowed in a deep voice, ¡°Natalie would never do that!¡± ¡°How could you be so sure?¡± Ss questioned him with a puzzled look. ¡°If she really did follow Sean¡¯s orders and sabotage Project Rebirth, there would be hell to pay. Not only would Natalie¡¯s mentor cut all ties with her publicly, but she would also be condemned in the fashion industry. The repercussions are unfathomable.¡± Shane could tell that Natalie was a career-minded woman. She would not sacrifice her career for love. ¡°I see.¡± Ss nodded in response. ¡°Ask someone to send this over to herter. Let her know to submit this after she has selected a model,¡± Shane said as he passed a report over to Ss. ¡°Understood!¡± Ss answered while fumbling over the report that was sliding down his body. Ss was still confused over Shane¡¯s decision to bring the report here personally instead of ordering someone else to do it. What¡¯s more, aftering all this way, he refused to see Ms. Smith. As he thought about the CEO¡¯s actions, he let out a sigh. He finally concluded that he will ask his assistant to pass on the report to Natalie after heading back. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Natalie had just shaken off Sean when she received the report. Now that she thought of it, Sean was indeed a lunatic. Not only did he profess his love for her, but he was also acting too close forfort. The man even went as far as to say he didn¡¯t mind that Natalie had two kids¡ªwhich she very much doubted. I¡¯m not blind you know. I can tell that you have underlying motives for getting close to me. Even though Natalie had no idea what was Sean¡¯s exact motives but she knew that she had to stay away from him. With a pout on her lips, Natalie headed to the Design Department to submit the report. As she walked past Jasmine¡¯s office, Natalie overheard thetter¡¯s conversation. ¡°Just rx, Dad. Shane doesn¡¯t know anything about it yet. He only said that to help Natalie out of an awkward situation. Mom was probably just stunned into believing his words.¡± Hmm, is Jasmine talking about me? Natalie halted in her steps. ¡°Yeah, her two kids are ticking time bombs. Shane will find out eventually. We can¡¯t hide it forever.¡± Jasmine¡¯s voice could be hearding from her office once again. Hearing this, Natalie felt a jolt travel through her body and she lost her grip on the report in her hand. The report fell to the ground with a thud. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Jasmine asked anxiously upon hearing the sound of the report falling. In a haste, Natalie picked up the report and dashed into the office next to Jasmine¡¯s. The thumping sound of her keyboard typing could be heard as Natalie pretended to be busy at work. ¡°Did anyone leave the office just a moment ago?¡± Jasmine asked the room with her phone in hand. ¡°No one has left their seats for a while,¡± someone among the crowed blurted out. Obviously, Jasmine would not just take them at their word. She scanned everyone¡¯s faces thoroughly and finally deduced that they were telling the truth. Everyone in the office wore a look of puzzlement at Jasmine¡¯s sudden questioning. Did I imagine that sound? Jasmine stood there for a moment before returning to her office. Natalie let out a sigh of relief after Jasmine left. Fortunately, the question raised by Jasmine was if anyone had left the office. If she had asked the opposite¡ªif anyone had entered the office¡ªchances were Natalie would be busted. I wonder what did Jasmine mean by her words? Why did she say that both my kids are ticking time bombs? Why would she even bring them up and make mention of Shane? Is Shane actually their biological father? Impossible! As the questions swirled inside Natalie¡¯s head, she suddenly stood up with her hands curled into fists on the table. Her thoughts were running wild and she could not keep calm. Her thoughts was disrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. ¡°Hey Stanley,¡± Natalie answered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± Stanley asked in concern as he could hear Natalie¡¯s voice trembling. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. Why did you call me all of a sudden?¡± Natalie responded as she tried her best to remain calm. ¡°I¡¯m just calling you to tell you I¡¯m going back home in a few days¡ªfor good this time,¡± Stanley replied. ¡°That¡¯s great! Joyce would be thrilled to find out,¡± Natalie eximed with a smile on her face. Stanley suddenly went silent. Natalie pped her forehead after she realized that she had hit a nerve. ¡°Stanley, I...¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t you want to ask why I¡¯m going back for good this time?¡± Stanley interrupted her. ¡°You are hired by the Bakers to work in the hospital so you¡¯reing back to assume the position. Am I right?¡± Natalie stated while falling back into the chair. ¡°How did you know?¡± Stanley was shocked to learn that Natalie was in the know. ¡°Remember when Connor was sick? I met Dr. Baker at the hospital and heard the news from him. The word is that he has already scheduled a surgery for you to perform,¡± Natalie exined. Natalie seemed to recall that it was some girl named Jacqueline. ¡°Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag,¡± Stanley said with disappointment. ¡°So when are youing back? Let me know so I can arrange to pick you up.¡± ¡°Well, that would depend on when the visa gets approved. I¡¯ll let you know once everything is in order.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Natalie and Stanley continued with a brief chat before ending their conversation. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 ¡°Ms. Smith, the production department says that the measurement of the shirt seems to be off. Could you go fix it?¡± A co-worker said as she was walking towards Natalie. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be right over,¡± Natalie replied. She then packed up her bag and left the design department. In the afternoon, Natalie sent a text to Joyce to ask her to pick up the kids. Meanwhile, Natalie took a cab to the hotel where she lost her virginity five years ago. The thought of Jasmine¡¯s phone conversation earlier was eating away at Natalie. She had to make sure who exactly it was that she spent that night with five years ago or her mind would never be at ease. ¡°Hello. Can I speak to the manager please?¡± Natalie inquired at the reception. ¡°Hi! Let me get him for you. Please give me a moment,¡± replied the receptionist politely with a smile. The receptionist then picked up the inte and asked for the manager. The manager paused to evaluate Natalie for a moment before asking politely, ¡°Can I help you, Miss?¡± ¡°I would like to take a look at the CCTV recordings. Is that alright?¡± Natalie said after taking a deep breath. The manager was taken aback by her request. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. Our hotel values the privacy of our guests and I¡¯m afraid we cannot let just anyone look at our recordings unless there are extraordinary circumstances.¡± Extraordinary circumstances huh...N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°So if I were to im that I was vited in this very hotel five years ago and I want to find out who is the perpetrator¡ª can I view the recordings?¡± Natalie said while lowering her eyes. Those words came as a bombshell to the manager as he swiftly replied, ¡°In that case, of course you can take a look at the recordings. We would be more than happy to oblige.¡± The manager knew that if a crime were supposedlymitted, he would have to cooperate. If thisdy were to make a police report and the police showed up themselves, the reputation of our hotel would be tarnished! ¡°This way, Miss.¡± The manager signaled for Natalie to follow her. Natalie thanked him and followed him to the security room. Finding the CCTV recordings from five years ago was no easy task and it took the security personnel quite some time before Natalie finally got her hands on what she wanted and put it into the yer. Natalie stood before thergest screen in the room with her hands sped together like she was in prayer. Soon enough, the monitor showed Jasmine leading Natalie down the hallway of the hotel before shoving her into a room. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± the manager eximed suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, you were in room 3606 five years ago?¡± the manager asked. ¡°That is correct,¡± Natalie replied with a shade of guilt on her face. This was because Natalie had lied to the manager. Natalie told him that her sister had booked a room for her to rest in but someone barged into the room and vited her. Only in this way could she dispel the notion that she was offering her body to some stranger in the room. The manager had no reason to doubt Natalie¡¯s words. He quickly pointed at the screen saying, ¡°Ms. Smith, you said you were in room 3606. But from the footage we¡¯re looking at, you entered room 3609.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes were wide with shock upon hearing from the manager. ¡°Sorry, this was our fault,¡± said the manager with an apologetic look. ¡°The letters on the signage was hanging loose and eventually it turned upside down, appearing as six. We only found out about it when we were doing the cleaning.¡± Natalie felt her body go limp and her vision was clouded by darkness. So I went into the wrong room and spent the night with the wrong person? ¡°Who was in room 3609 then?¡± Natalie asked with a trembling voice. ¡°This is the guy!¡± The manager pointed at the screen just as he was about to go look up the records. Natalie¡¯s gaze returned to the monitor. All she could see was a figure stumbling his way into room 3609. Panic consumed her as she tried to make out the person¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t until the man had opened the door to enter the room that he showed a side profile of his face. The side profile was one she was familiar with. Even though he didn¡¯t look as matured five years ago, Natalie could recognize him immediately. Shane Thompson! It¡¯s no wonder Connor bears a striking resemnce to Shane. They are indeed father and son! Natalie could only hold her hands to her lips as tears began to well up in her eyes. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Although she had already guessed it before arriving, she could not help being shocked after confirming it. I can¡¯t believe that such a massive mix-up exists in this world. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you alright?¡± When the manager saw her crying, he could not help but ask worriedly. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Can I make a copy of the CCTV recordings?¡± The manager agreed. She took out her thumb drive and saved a copy of the footage. Then, she stumbled out of the hotel with her mind in an utter mess. That night, Natalie did not sleep a wink. She went to the airport the next day, looking exhausted. When Shane saw her dark circles, he raised his eyebrows. Is this woman that excited to attend the gathering with the critics? ¡°Have you gotten your boarding pass?¡± asked Shane indifferently as he walked toward her. However, she merely sat on the chair in a daze, giving him no response. Shane could not help but frown and waved his hand in front of her. Only then did Natalie return to her senses. After raising her head and ncing at him, she quickly lowered her head and mumbled softly, ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Shane...¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± He narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized her. It looks like she¡¯s trying to avoid me. ¡°N-Nothing...¡± Natalie ced her hands on herp and clutched her dress tightly. It was evident that she was extremely anxious. After learning that Shane was her children¡¯s biological father, she could not treat him the same like before anymore. Shane could tell that Natalie was lying. Pursing his lips, he was about to probe further when an announcement sounded in the airport, interrupting his words. A grim expression crossed his face as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to board the ne.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded hurriedly. After boarding the ne, she noticed that only she and Shane were in the first-ss cabin. Finally realizing that something was amiss, she asked Shane, ¡°Mr. Shane, are there just the two of us here?¡± He was flipping through a magazine. When he heard her, he grunted in acknowledgement. ¡°Ss will leave tomorrow.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie bit her lips. Does this mean that I have to be alone with him for the next few hours? When Shane nced to the side and noticed the troubled look on Natalie¡¯s face, a cold gleam appeared in his eyes. What does she mean by that? Is she reluctant to be with me? ¡°Mr. Shane, can I ask you a question?¡± Natalie, who was oblivious to Shane¡¯s thoughts, suddenly asked after taking a deep breath. He curtly replied, ¡°Ask away.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Mustering her courage and gritting her teeth, Natalie asked, ¡°If you discover that you have kids, what would you do?¡± When he heard that, he quickly closed the magazine, spun around and looked at her. His brooding eyes cut into hers, as if he were looking into the depths of her soul. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Afraid that he would notice something, Natalie quickly cast her gaze downward to conceal the panic and guilt in her eyes. She tried her best to sound calm. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. I was watching a television show yesterday. The male lead discovered that he has a child, but doesn¡¯t know what he should do. I just want to hear your opinion.¡± Shane averted his gaze and replied coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll bring them back to me. My children mustn¡¯t be deserted outside.¡± When Natalie heard him, she felt like she had been plunged into despair. Even her body started to tremble lightly. She could tell that he was being serious. If he discovered that her children were his, he might really snatch them away while she watched on helplessly, unable to stop him. No way! I must not let this happen. Being Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦, he will marry her in the future. Jasmine already thinks that the children are obstacles to her. I don¡¯t even dare to imagine how she¡¯ll treat them in the future. Hence, the best solution is to prevent Shane from finding out. With that thought in mind, Natalie nced at Shane, determined to keep this a secret. ¡°You¡¯re right. How can you let your children be deserted outside?¡± She stiffly agreed Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Then, she closed her eyes, sunk back into the chair and slept. When Shane heard her steady breathing beside him, he was momentarily stunned. Has she fallen asleep? He nced at Natalie, who was hugging her arms and curling up into a ball on the chair. Massaging his temples, he pressed the in-flight call button. An air stewardess walked over and asked, ¡°Hello, sir. How may I help you?¡± ¡°Please bring me a nket,¡± said Shane softly. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± She replied with a gentle smile before bringing a nket to him. Shane unbuckled his seatbelt, stood up and walked over to Natalie. After lowering his head and gazing at her for a few seconds, he suddenly squatted down and reclined her chair. Initially curled up into a ball, she gradually straightened her body as shey t on the chair. Shane then unfolded the nket and ced it over her. He gently tucked aside the stray strands of hair falling onto her face. Staring at her fair and exquisite face, his lips twitched as his eyes gleamed. A short momentter, he suddenly stretched his hand out to touch her face. The feeling of her smooth skin against his palm jolted him back to his senses. After realizing what he had done, a grim expression crossed his face as he quickly withdrew his hand. He stood up and returned to his seat, his brows furrowed. I must be crazy! Not only did I do all these excessive things, but I even touched her face. Clenching his fists, Shane stared at the clouds outside the window solemnly. After a few hours, Natalie yawned and sat up, stretching her body. When she saw the nket on her body fall onto the ground, she was stunned. It was then that she realized something and nced over at Shane. There was aptop ced on the folding table. With his head lowered as he typed on the keyboard, he looked extremely serious. Blushing, Natalie picked up the nket and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, were you the one who gave me the nket?¡± Shane¡¯s fingers instinctively paused for a brief moment. However, he regained hisposure in the next second and replied indifferently, ¡°No. The air stewardess did it.¡± Natalie felt embarrassed upon hearing that. I thought that it was him. But it isn¡¯t surprising either. There¡¯s nothing going on between us, so he has no reason to take care of me. Despite that, she still felt a little disappointed. However, she did not think too much on it. She folded the nket, ced it aside and headed to the washroom. When she returned, Shane had already kept hisptop. He nced at his watch and said, ¡°Prepare yourself. We¡¯re going tond soon.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Natalie as she started to pack her items. After alighting the ne, Shane walked in front of her and left first. Natalie stared at his back with a conflicted expression. However, a look of relief soon shed across her eyes. Since she did not n on letting him know that her children were his, she would just treat him in the usual manner as before. If she tried to evade him, it might arouse his suspicion. After thinking it through, Natalie patted her cheeks and felt much more rxed. Although Shane could obviously notice her change in attitude, he did not ask her what had happened. Upon reaching the hotel, Natalie ced her luggage down, took out her phone and video-called Joyce. She wanted to have a chat with the kids. As it was justte evening over there, she was not worried that they had fallen asleep. ¡°Mommy!¡± called the children sweetly as their faces appeared on the screen. Listening to their adorable voices, Natalie felt overwhelmed by cuteness. How can they be so cute? ¡°My darlings, are you obedient when staying with Aunt Joyce?¡± asked Natalie as shey on her bed. Sharon nodded. ¡°We are! She even praised us just now.¡± ¡°Really? What about your brother?¡± Natalie turned her gaze to Connor. Pouting, heined, ¡°Aunt Joyce scolded me!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was surprised. ¡°Why did she scold you?¡± ¡°I know!¡± Sharon raised up her hand, eager to answer. ¡°When he broke Aunt Joyce¡¯s vase, she told him not to pick the shards up with his bare hands because he might get cut. However, he refused to listen.¡± I see. ¡°Then, you deserved to be scolded!¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Connor grunted indignantly and swiveled his head to the side. As Natalie wanted to teach him a lesson, she did not coax him and instead started chatting with Sharon. After a while, Sharon blinked herrge eyes and asked, ¡°Mommy, is Mr. Shane there? I want to see him.¡± When she heard that, Natalie became silent for a while. ¡°Why do you want to see him?¡± ¡°Because I like him!¡± replied Sharon as she sucked on her thumb. ¡°Does Connor like him too?¡± Connor, who was no longer throwing a tantrum, nodded and replied, ¡°Of course! I admire him a lot too. When I grow up, I want to be like Mr. Shane... No, I want to be an even more exceptional man than him!¡± When Natalie saw the excited gleam in their eyes when they talked about Shane, her lips twitched as she fell into a daze. No one understood her children better than she did. Although they looked extremely cheerful, it took a lot for them to truly acknowledge someone. Yet, after returning back to the country, they quickly epted Shane, which surprised her greatly. It was only recently that she realized it was because of their blood rtions. However, as she had already decided not to let them know who their father was, there was no need for them to meet. Silently apologizing to them in her mind, Natalie smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling, but Mr. Shane isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The children exchanged a disappointed look. Natalie quickly changed the topic of conversation and shifted their attention away from Shane. After ten minutes, it was time for the children to go to sleep. Hence, Natalie ended the call. At that moment, the doorbell suddenly rang. Natalie sprang up, wore her slippers and opened the door. Shane was standing outside with two gift boxes. ¡°These are for you.¡± ¡°Are they... gowns?¡± She took the gift boxes from him and guessed what was inside by looking at the designs at the top. Shane lifted his chin slightly. ¡°It¡¯s for the gathering tonight.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane,¡± said Natalie with a smile. She was nning to visit a dress shopter, but surprisingly, he had prepared the gowns for her already. ¡°You¡¯re wee. As the chief designer of Project Rebirth, your gowns should¡¯ve been settled for you. Well, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± With that, he spun around and returned to his suite, which was opposite her room. Natalie only closed the door after he left. She walked over to her bed, ced the gift boxes down and opened them. There was a gown in one box, and a pair of silver heels in the other smaller box. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Natalie unfolded the gown, which was a scarlet off-shoulder dress. Luxuriously designed, the diamonds sewn at the waistline were dazzlingly gorgeous. At first nce, she fell in love with it and could not help but ce it in front of her body to see if it fitted her. However, she suddenly realized something. Her heartbeat quickened as she blushed and mumbled, ¡°That¡¯s weird. How does he know my measurements?¡± I haven¡¯t revealed my measurements before, right? Could it be that he guessed them by looking at me? Natalie blushed even further at that thought and a strange feeling surfaced within her. After all, it was embarrassing knowing that a man knew her body¡¯s measurements so well. However, she did not mull over it for too long. As she was running out of time, she quickly ced the gown down and went to get a shower in preparation for the gathering. By the time she finished her shower and applied her makeup, it was already nighttime. Natalie grabbed her purse, walked out of her room in her heels and headed to Shane¡¯s room. Just when she was about to knock on the door, it suddenly opened. Shane, who was wearing an even more formal suit than usual, appeared in front of her. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± greeted Natalie. Casting his gaze onto her, Shane scrutinized Natalie, who looked gorgeous with her exquisite makeup. He was briefly mesmerized by her beauty before quickly regaining hisposure. ¡°The gown suits you!¡± Shane¡¯s suddenpliment caught her by surprise, making Natalie slightly embarrassed. However, also feeling a little delighted, she could not help but smile. ¡°Really?¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane nodded slightly in response. He had his sight locked on this particr gown the moment he saw it, thinking that it suited her a lot. It seemed like he was right. Natalie scratched her ear and returned thepliment. ¡°You look very handsome too, Mr. Shane.¡± She did not say that out of courtesy. In fact, after dressing up, he looked even more dashing than before, emanating a dignified aura. Connor will look like him when he grows up, right? As she thought about it, a keen smile appeared on Natalie¡¯s face. Shane was pleased by herpliment. However, when he suddenly spotted her smile and the way she looked at him, the atmosphere around him instantly turned cold. Who does she see in me? Sean? Noticing something amiss with him, Natalie quickly returned to her senses and asked confusedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± He brushed past her coldly and headed toward the lift lobby. Gazing at his back, Natalie tilted her head, feeling extremely puzzled. What is he angry about? I didn¡¯t offend him, right? Unable to figure it out, Natalie sighed exasperatedly and quickly jogged after him. The gathering was held in the Fashion Hall. Not only were numerous famous fashion critics present, but there were also many fashion designers. Some of them even brought their own designs along to showcase them at the gathering. Scrutinizing the design drafts enviously, Natalie could not help but mumble, ¡°If I had known earlier, I would¡¯ve brought some over too.¡± When Shane overheard her, he turned around and nced at her. ¡°The fashion show for Project Rebirth is where you will shoot to fame. This is too insignificant of an event for you to showcase your designs.¡± ¡°Are you that confident in me, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m confident in your designs.¡± Shane grabbed two sses of red wine from a waiter¡¯s tray and passed one to her. ¡°Let¡¯s go and invite some critics.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Holding onto his arm, they weaved between the critics. After roaming around the hall, they managed to invite more than a dozen of internationally renowned fashion critics. This number greatly exceeded the number of critics required for a fashion show. Hence, both of them stopped inviting people for the rest of the gathering. Instead, they headed to the lounge with their sses of red wine to rest. However, at that moment, the ground suddenly trembled violently. As Natalie was wearing heels, she lost her bnce and was about to fall onto the ground. Shane¡¯s expression turned tense as he unhesitatingly tossed his ss away. Grabbing her wrist, he forcefully pulled her into his arms. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Is there an earthquake?¡± Natalie¡¯s face turned ashen as she saw the shaking tables around her. She could hear shrieks of fear, loud noise of objects crashing onto the ground and the shattering of ss echoing through the hall. Although Shane was not as terrified as her, he also looked on edge. ¡°Yeah. This country is located in an earthquake zone, so it¡¯s a normal urrence. However, I didn¡¯t expect us to be caught in one so quickly after arriving.¡± ¡°What should we do now? Will the building copse?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice was trembling. As she had never encountered such a situation before, she could not help but feel afraid. ¡°The building¡¯s structure is very sturdy, so it won¡¯t copse. Let¡¯s just wait for the earthquake to pass.¡± Wrapping an arm around her waist, he propped his other arm on a table to help her regain her bnce. He sounded very calm when he said that, as if an earthquake was just a trivial matter. For some reason, Natalie¡¯s fear diminished greatly. She leaned against his chest quietly. Breathing in the faint fragrance on his body, she could not help but close her eyes. She had always wondered why his scent felt so familiar to her. It turned out that it was because she had smelled it on that night five years ago. The earthquake ensued, showing no signs of stopping. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Shane quickly scanned his surroundings, nning to find an unobstructed exit and leave this ce with Natalie. However, at that moment, he suddenly heard a huge creaking noise above him. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 When he raised his head, he saw that the huge crystal chandelier on the ceiling was on the brink of copsing onto them. There were only a few electrical wires holding it to the ceiling. However, the wires were already extremely taut. It was obvious that they could not withstand the weight of the chandelier for a long time. Indeed, the wires snapped in the next instant, sending the humongous chandelier crashing onto them. Shane¡¯s eyes widened as he quickly shoved Natalie away. Natalie copsed onto the floor a distance away, clueless about what was happening. The pain caused her to gasp loudly. On the other hand, when Shane pushed her away, he missed the perfect timing to dodge and the chandelier crashed right onto him. Utterly dumbfounded, Natalie¡¯s mind became aplete nk. A long time passed before she managed to return to her senses. Crawling to Shane¡¯s side frantically, she yelled with bloodshot eyes, ¡°Mr. Shane! Mr. Shane!¡± However, he remained silent. Lying under the chandelier limply, his eyes were shut and his face was terrifyingly pale. His body kept trembling, which was evident that he was severely injured. Natalie quickly tossed her heels aside and stood up, nning to lift the chandelier up and rescue him. However, it was so heavy that she could not move it at all and even grazed her palm. Overwhelmed by anxiety, she burst into tears. ¡°Hang in there, Mr. Shane. I¡¯ll call for help!¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only As she spoke, she released the chandelier and prepared to leave. However, the moment when she spun around, Shane suddenly coughed a mouthful of blood as he lost his consciousness. He only woke up two dayster. As he stared at the white walls, he instantly knew where he was. However, when he tried to sit up, he grunted in pain due to his wound. When Natalie heard him, a delighted look shed across her face. She quickly ced the kettle down and rushed to the hospital bed. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Mr. Shane.¡± Ss, who was standing at the balcony, also hung up the call and entered. He eximed excitedly, ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Turning his neck stiffly to look at both of them, he weakly grunted in acknowledgement. ¡°What happened to me?¡± Natalie was about to answer him when Ss interjected, ¡°You suffered a huge impact on your back, which also injured your organs. Other than that, you¡¯ve also broken two of your ribs. One of them almost stabbed your heart!¡± With that, he swiveled around and red at Natalie furiously. Knowing that Shane was so severely injured because he wanted to save her, she lowered her head guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of apologizing now?¡± chided Ss coldly. ¡°Summon the doctor here!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± Natalie dashed out of the hospital ward. After she left, Ss wet a cotton bud and moistened Shane¡¯s lips. Hemented, ¡°Mr. Shane, she is Sean¡¯s woman. Why did you save her? Did you know that you almost died?¡± Shane lifted the hand that was not attached to the IV drip and massaged his temples. ¡°The reason why I saved her has nothing to do with her rtionship with Sean. Instead, it¡¯s because she¡¯s an employee of the Thompson Group. As her boss, I have a duty of ensuring her safety. More importantly, she has saved me twice.¡± When he heard that, Ss opened his mouth to rebuke, but found himself at a loss for words. Yeah, if Natalie didn¡¯t save Mr. Shane, who was injured from those stab wounds, he might have died already. Shane ced his hand down and asked solemnly, ¡°News about my injury is not leaked out, right?¡± If Sean discovered that he was injured, he would definitely think of a way to stop him from returning to the country. Using the excuse that he had to recuperate overseas and could not manage thepany, Sean would convince those old men, who were already disloyal to him, to steal a share of his authority. Naturally, Ss knew what Shane was concerned about. He shook his head and assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Shane. I managed to stop the news from being leaked. Although Sean is still clueless, Ms. Jasmine is investigating your whereabouts.¡± A cold gleam shed across his eyes. ¡°Why is she investigating me?¡± Ss tossed the cotton bud into the dustbin. ¡°She¡¯s probably worried because you didn¡¯t return home yesterday and she can¡¯t contact you. Do you want to call her back?¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89 ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± said Shane curtly as he pursed his lips. Ss did not persuade him either. Instead, he grabbed a ss of water on the table and passed it to him. Lifting his head, Shane took a few sips of the water with the straw. When he waved his hands to signal that he had enough, Ss moved the ss away and ced it down. At that moment, his phone rang. ¡°Mr. Shane, it¡¯s a call from the Fashion Hall. They¡¯re probably calling about the earthquake.¡± Ss nced at his phone and made a guess. Shane closed his eyes and pinched his nose bridge. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Ss as he walked toward the door. When he opened the door, he saw Natalieing over with the doctor. She stopped in her tracks and asked, ¡°Are you leaving, Mr. Campbell?¡± He adjusted his sses and replied, ¡°Yes. I have something to attend to, so please take care of Mr. Shane for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of him well.¡± Natalie nodded. Ss thanked her and strode away. Gazing at his back, she tilted her head in confusion. That¡¯s weird... Didn¡¯t he see me as an eyesoretely? Why is he acting so courteously now like before? Although she could not figure it out, she stopped thinking about it and led the doctor into the hospital ward. The doctor gave Shane a check-up, changed his dressing and left soon, leaving only Natalie and him behind in the ward. She stood beside his bed and shot him a grateful look. ¡°Thanks for saving me, Mr. Shane.¡± If he had not pushed her away, she would definitely have been hit by the chandelier. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Didn¡¯t you save me previously too? We can call it even, then,¡± replied Shane nonchntly. Then, as if he suddenly recalled something, he started sizing Natalie up. ¡°Oh, right. I pushed you away quite forcefully. Did you get hurt?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Natalie waved her hands quickly in denial. However, she could not help but feel touched. Although he was severely injured, he was still concerned about her. She did not even know what to say to him. Shane felt relieved upon hearing that Natalie was fine. Yet, when he noticed her bandaged hands, he frowned again. ¡°What happened to your hands?¡± ¡°Are you referring to this?¡± Natalie spread her hands and nced at them. Smiling, she assured, ¡°I just scraped my hands when I tried to lift the chandelier. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Shane immediately felt relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± As Natalie ced her hands down, she suddenly heard a loud grumble. Shane¡¯s face clouded over instantly. Noticing his expression, Natalie suddenly realized something and chuckled. ¡°Stay here, Mr. Shane. I¡¯ll buy some food for you.¡± As she spoke, she grabbed her wallet and left the hospital ward. She returned with some food half an hourter. Even though it was just in oatmeal, Shane did not mind at all. He ate while Natalie fed him. After he finished the bowl of oatmeal, Natalie gave him a few painkillers. Drowsy from the side effects of the painkillers, he fell asleep soon. Natalie tucked him in, sat down on a chair beside the bed and stared at him. Her gaze became unfocused as an indecipherable emotion crept into her eyes. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She still could not forget the scene of him coughing up blood and fainting after saving her from the chandelier. At that moment, not only did she feel like her heart had stopped beating, but she also realized another terrifying fact¡ªshe had fallen in love with him. That was the reason why she was so delighted when he praised him, and why she felt disappointed when he moved away. ¡°Ugh...¡± Natalie sighed and covered her face, feeling agonized. She felt extremely pathetic. Not only had she fallen in love with a man who had a fianc¨¦e, but she also went against her words. Despite having sworn to Sean that she did not like Shane, she was now doing the exact opposite. However, she had already decided that she would never reveal her true feelings to anyone. After Project Rebirth¡¯s sess, she would leave Thompson Group and Shane. Perhaps, her feelings for him would fade a Chapter 90 Chapter 90 At that thought, Natalie smiled bitterly. She rested her head on one side of the bed and fell asleep. However, she was woken up by a video-call at night. Sharon pouted and asked, ¡°When are youing home, Mommy?¡± Natalie gazed affectionately at her daughter. ¡°I might take a while. Something happened here, so I can¡¯t return for the time being. Do you miss me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± Sharon nodded. Suddenly, Connor snatched the phone away with a solemn look on his face. ¡°Mommy, what happened?¡± ncing at Shane, who was lying on the hospital bed, Natalie¡¯s gaze flitted shiftily. ¡°It¡¯s something about work. You children shouldn¡¯t ask too many questions.¡± She promised Ss that she would not tell anyone that Shane was injured. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t ask anymore.¡± Connor shrugged before adding, ¡°Oh, right. When I was going home from school today, an old man stopped Sharon and I.¡± ¡°An old man?¡± Natalie frowned as her expression became serious. ¡°How does he look like?¡± Sharon raised her hand quickly. ¡°I know! He looks really fierce and has a mole here.¡± She pointed at her chin. A face instantly surfaced in Natalie¡¯s mind. Harrison, my Dad! Natalie tightened her grip on the phone while she pursed her lips. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mommy?¡± Noticing that she was acting strangely, Connor stared at her and asked worriedly. Natalie took a deep breath and quickly calmed herself down. ¡°I¡¯m fine, darling. Did that old man do anything to you?¡± Both Connor and Sharon shook their heads simultaneously. ¡°No. He just looked at us for a while and left without even talking to us,¡± replied Connor. Although Natalie felt relieved, she still remained alert. It was impossible that Harrison only wanted to meet his grandchildren. If he felt nothing for Natalie, he would not harbor any love for her children too. Hence, regardless of what Harrison¡¯s motive was, the children must not attend that kindergarten anymore. As she thought about it, Natalie stared at her children seriously. ¡°My darlings, don¡¯t go to the kindergarten tomorrow. I¡¯ll call your teacherter to excuse both of you. After Ie back, I¡¯ll transfer you to another school.¡± ¡°Why, Mommy?¡± Sharon blinked in bewilderment. Connor, who could vaguely guess the reason, stroked his chin and asked, ¡°Is it because of that old man? Who is he?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother about that yet. Just listen to my instructions.¡± Natalie showed no intention of answering his question. When Connor noticed the solemn expression on her face, he stopped asking. He nodded and assured, ¡°I understand, Mommy.¡± ¡°Good boy!¡± praised Natalie. They ended the video-call soon after. Natalie then called the kindergarten teacher and excused the two kids from school the next day. Before she could ce her phone down, she heard Shane¡¯s deep voice. ¡°Is someone trying to harm Connor and Sharon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie quickly nced at him. He had already woken up a long time ago and even overheard her conversation on the phone. Shane lifted his chin slightly. ¡°I just woke up.¡± ¡°Is it because of me?¡± Natalie pointed at her phone. After all, she did not leave the room when she was having the video-call. Shane shook his head. ¡°No, I woke up on my own. You still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s nning to harm Sharon and Connor. However, since he suddenly appeared in front of them, he¡¯s definitely up to no good.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Your solution is to transfer the children to another school?¡± Shane continued staring at her. ¡°Yeah,¡± mumbled Natalie. Narrowing his eyes, Shane stated, ¡°You¡¯re not solving the root cause at all. Tell Sean about your children. With his protection, they¡¯ll definitely be safe.¡± When Natalie heard that, she was dumbfounded. ¡°Why should I tell Mr. Sean about Chapter 91 ?Chapter 91 Because Of You Shane looked deeply at her for a while and said slowly, "Isn''t he the father of your two children?" "The father of my two... haha!" Finally, Natalie couldn''t help it anymore; she cracked up. When Shane saw herughing hysterically, he frowned slightly. "What are youughing at?" Natalie rubbed away the tears fromughing. "Mr. Shane, who said Mr. Sean is the father of my two kids?" It is you! Shane digested the information silently and did not respond, but deep down he was exceedingly astounded. So Sean is not the father. Who is their father, then? As if she could read his mind, Natalie softly sighed. "Mr. Shane, why do you think Mr. Sean is the father of my kids?"N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Shane lowered his gaze to hide his drifting emotions. "It''s just a guess. That day at the conference room, Sean said that you knew each other years ago. Besides, he has abandoned you, so..." "He made that up." Natalic cut him off. Shane was startled. "He made that up?" "Yes. That day was only my second day knowing Mr. Sean. So all this talk about knowing each other for years and him abandoning me are a bunch of nonsense." Shane''s expression darkened and the air surrounding him became ice cold. "So you spent the night with Sean right after the two of you met?" "No, I didn''t." Natalie shook her head. Shane sneered coldly. "If so, how do you exin the scar on your neck?" "Scar?" She was astonished but immediately came to her senses and tapped her forehead. "He pinched me." "What happened?" Shane''s thin lips curled downwards and asked quietly. Natalie then told him all about how she met Sean. Shane was left stunned after hearing her entire ount of events. He could see that she was not lying. So everything was my misunderstanding? Thinking about this, he looked down. "I''m sorry." "It''s alright." Natalie waved; she was unbothered. It was understandable for others to have misinterpreted thatrge bruise on her neck at the time. Shane warned her with a concerned look, "If you don''t have anything to do with Sean, it''s better that you stay away from him. He''s not a good person." "I know." Natalie agreed. Shane was now considerably more rxed. "I will send someone to protect Connor and Sharon." "No need for that, Mr. Shane. If need be, I will send them overseas to my mother." Natalie declined his sincere offer. Although he felt ufortable with her reply, he did not say more. The children are hers-it''s up to her to make arrangements for them. I don''t have the right to doubt. At that moment, the nurse from the hospital came to remind Natalie that it was time for Shane''s dialysis checkup. Carefully, Natalie utched Shane''s hospital bed from its rail and pushed him to the dialysis room together with the nurse. Shane managed to recover well after a few days. Although he was still unable to stand and walk, he could already sit up. Therefore, he insisted on getting discharged. However, since Ss and Natalie could not persuade him to stay, they arranged for his hospital discharge and returned to the country. As soon as the nended, Shane ordered Ss to announce the news of his injury publicly. At once, some rejoiced while others were worried. As soon as Natalie returned to her Thompson Group office, she headed straight to the design department. Before she could sit down, however, Jasmine came over with a murderous look and pounded her hands on Natalie''s table. "How dare you hurt Shane!" Natalie raised her eyebrows. "Ms. Jasmine, you are wrong. I didn''t hurt Mr. Shane-he was injured from trying to save me. Please don''t shift the me on me. Those who nder are evil at heart." Jasmine did not expect Natalie to see through her tactics so quickly. Her expression was distorted for a while. "So what if he was hurt while saving you? It was still because of you." Chapter 92 Chapter 92 ¡°What then? What do you want to do?¡± Natalie looked at Jasmine. Leaning closer to her, Jasmine lowered her voice and clenched her teeth. ¡°I want you to leave both Thompson Group and Shane. You will only cause him trouble if you stay!¡± ¡°What if I say no?¡± Crossing her arms together, Natalie said with a half-smile. I will leave, of course, but not now. Besides, I also don¡¯t want to promise Jasmine so easily. Jasmine smiled wryly upon hearing Natalie¡¯s words. ¡°No? If I reveal the truth about how Shane got hurt, do you think that the Thompsons and those in thepany who support him will let you off the hook?¡± I finally have the chance to chase Natalie away without using any means¡ªI¡¯d better seize this opportunity! Nevertheless, Natalie was utterly unruffled. She calmly stroked her smooth and wavy hair. ¡°Tell them, then. We¡¯ll see if the Thompsons and the elders in thepany will deal with me before Mr. Shane deals with you!¡± ¡°You...¡± Jasmine was so enraged that she choked on her words. Natalie pulled a chair and sat down. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, do you have anything else to say? If not, please leave. I need to work now!¡± Without even ncing at Jasmine, Natalie turned on herptop. Jasmine looked sullenly at Natalie¡¯s back and left with a snort. Shaking her head sarcastically, Natalie clicked on the official website of the Golden Feather Awards to check on thepetition¡¯s status. When she saw that Jasmine emerged from the top 16 elimination round in first ce, her eyes grew dimmer and a smirk formed on her face. Right after that, she minimized the window and logged onto a private social mediawork. She uploaded a few designs from her files, erased her browsing history, and logged out of the website before resuming her work. In the afternoon, Natalie got off work and went to a supermarket near the office to buy various types of mushrooms. She then took a cab to Joyce¡¯s ce to pick up the children. Her children were overjoyed to see their mother and rushed to cuddle with her. After a while, the three of them said goodbye to Joyce and returned to the apartment. ¡°Mommy, what are all these mushrooms for?¡± Connor asked curiously when he saw Natalie take out the ribs. Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°I want to make some soup for Mr. Shane. He hurt himself while saving me ¡ªI need to express my gratitude towards him.¡± Since Shane had already returned to the country, she no longer needed to keep her promise to Ss. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Connor nodded in acknowledgment. Natalie stroked his head. ¡°Go and y with your sister. Mommy is going to cook now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Connor responded and ran to his room to look for Sharon. After seeing that the kids¡¯ bedroom door had closed, Natalie smiled and went to the kitchen. The doorbell rang just as she finished cooking. Natalie dried her hands on her apron and opened the main door. To her surprise, Stanley was standing at the doorway and smiling at her warmly. ¡°Hi, Nat.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Stanley, why are you here?¡± Natalie was wide-eyed. Stanley took out his phone and waved it. ¡°Have you forgotten? We spoke on the phone a few days ago and I told you that I wasing back.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t forget, but you didn¡¯t say you would be back today. Why didn¡¯t you ask me to pick you up?¡± Natalie closed the door behind them after weing Stanley into her apartment. Stanley took off his shoes. ¡°I wanted to surprise you. Oh, these are presents for Connor and Sharon.¡± He handed her the two bags as he spoke. Natalie was not shy around him, either. She took them and said, ¡°Thanks, Stanley.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Stanley waved and looked around the living room. ¡°Where are the two kids?¡± ¡°In the room.¡± Natalie put down the bags and asked him to sit. ¡°I will call them; it¡¯s time to eat.¡± ¡°Let me do that.¡± Instead of sitting down, he headed to their bedroom. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 While Stanley was with the children, Natalie went back to the kitchen to bring out the food. The two children went for a shower after finishing their dinner while Natalie and Stanley washed dishes in the kitchen. Stanley looked at the thermal food jar beside the sink. ¡°Is this...¡± Natalie passed him a clean bowl. ¡°Mushroom soup. I made it for Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°For Shane?¡± Stanley took a slight pause from drying the dishes. Behind his sses, his eyes gave off an inconspicuous glint. Without noticing it, Natalie passed another bowl to him. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The warm smile on Stanley¡¯s face faded. ¡°I heard that Mr. Shane has been injured. Do you care about him this much to make soup for him?¡± Natalie¡¯s hands slipped and nearly smashed the bowl she was holding. She lowered her gaze and replied guiltily, ¡°Who said I care about him? I did this for a reason.¡± Stanley knew she didn¡¯t mean what she said. He understood she probably had feelings for Shane. His pupils dted immediately at this thought, and his usually gentle countenance turned a little fierce. Quickly enough, all the emotions disappeared and revert to normalcy as if nothing had happened.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Really?¡± He responded, smiling half-heartedly. Then, he asked casually, ¡°Nat, do you know who am I operating on this time?¡± ¡°Yeah, some close acquaintance of Dr. Baker and Mr. Shane,¡± Natalie answered, washing thest bowl. Stanley took over the bowl and slowly wiped it dry. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. They are very closely rted. Her name is Jacqueline Graham; she was the princess of the Graham Group. Ten years ago she was involved in a car ident and her body became very frail. Sadly, she fell into aa seven years ago.¡± ¡°So it was her!¡± After listening to his introduction, Natalie was reminded of her. Graham Group was a major corporation at J City. Unfortunately, it went bankrupt ten years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Graham passed away sessively, leaving their only daughter behind. News about the girl disappeared after the Grahams¡¯ funeral. Heaven knows she was in a vegetative state! ¡°Mr. Shane and Ms. Graham were childhood sweethearts; they had been very close friends since they were young. If not for that car ident, they might already have been married.¡± Stanley nced sideways at Natalie as he spoke. Natalie was stunned. ¡°Married?¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard that Mr. Shane loved Ms. Graham dearly. When she was in aa, he never gave up finding the best hypnotists in the world to wake her up. Finally, just a month ago, he seeded.¡± Stanley ced the dishes into the cupboard after drying them. Natalie gaped in surprise. ¡°Did you say Ms. Graham is awake?¡± Stanley adjusted his sses slightly. ¡°She is, but she has a tumor in her brain so I¡¯ve been asked to operate on her. I believe that when Ms. Graham recovers, Mr. Shane will call off the engagement with the Smiths and marry her. She is his true love, after all.¡± True love... Upon hearing these two words, Natalie felt stabbed in the heart. It hurt. ncing at her pale face, Stanley¡¯s lips curled up in satisfaction, but only for a split second. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯ste now. I should get going, Nat.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you out.¡± Natalie forced a smile and saw him out the door. After Stanley left, Natalie went back to the living room in a mncholic state and started daydreaming on the sofa. She always knew that although Shane and Jasmine were engaged, he did not love her. For some reason, however, he did not cancel the engagement with her. Now she knew why. It was because he loved a woman and was merely using Jasmine as a ceholder fianc¨¦e. When Ms. Graham is back, Jasmine will have to give up her ce. Poor Jasmine! Natalie was even beginning to feel sorry for Jasmine. ¡°Mommy.¡± While in her thoughts, Connor came out of the room. Natalie came back to her senses and looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my dear?¡± Connor asked about his godfather. ¡°Has Uncle Stanley left yet?¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s just left. Where¡¯s your sister?¡± Natalie asked. Connor climbed onto the sofa and leaned his head on her. ¡°Sharon fell asleep. Mommy, I want to ask you a question.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Mommy will answer as best as I can.¡± Natalie kissed her son¡¯s forehead. Connor stared at her with those same dark eyes as Shane¡¯s. ¡°Mommy, who is our daddy?¡± Natalie did not see thising from him. She bit her lips and went silent for a while. Judging from her expression, Connor tugged at her sleeves. ¡°Mommy, you do know, right?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Mommy knows, but Mommy won¡¯t tell you guys.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Connor could not understand. Natalie sighed. ¡°It is because your daddy has a fianc¨¦e and will have a new family very soon. He will then have other children¡ªdo you still want to know now?¡± Connor¡¯s lips moved briefly, but his bright eyes finally turned dim and he shook his head. Natalie hugged him in her arms. ¡°Honey, why did you ask about this?¡± Connor sniffed and almost sobbed as he replied, ¡°Because the kids at the kindergarten said Sharon and I have no daddy. They even said that Mommy is shameless to be pregnant before marriage.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Natalie was instantly livid and her gentle demeanor turned intimidating. ¡°Honey, why didn¡¯t you tell Mommy sooner?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes reddened and swelled with tears. Connor tightened his tiny fists and replied, ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want you to be upset.¡± He and Sharon had originally made a promise to themselves that they would never tell their mother about this. However, the kindergarten had organized a family event for theing weekend, in which children would visit the park with their moms and dads. Aside from Connor and Sharon, all other kids in school would be apanied by both parents. That was why Connor could not help asking his question tonight. Natalie felt incredibly guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my dear. I¡¯m so sorry...¡± She had no clue that her children went through this kind of pain. It must have been the adults who taught these ugly words to their kids. Still, she would not let these people go when she found out who they were! The next day, knowing about the kindergarten family event and remembering how Connor longed for a father, Natalie took a deep breath and knocked on Shane¡¯s office door. ¡°Come in!¡± Shane¡¯s cold voice came from inside. Natalie pushed the door open and entered. ¡°Mr. Shane, do you have time this weekend?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shane put down the file in his hand and looked at her. Natalie tightened her fists and mustered her courage. ¡°The thing is, Connor and Sharon¡¯s kindergarten is having a family event this weekend. You know about our situation, so...¡± ¡°So you want me to attend as their father?¡± Shane raised his eyebrows slightly; he immediately understood what she meant. ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane¡¯s slender fingers tapped lightly on his office desk. ¡°Why me? Don¡¯t you have a Dr. Quinn by your side?¡± Natalie rubbed her nose. ¡°Stanley is busy.¡± Upon hearing this, Shane¡¯s expression became sullen at once. So she only came to me just because she couldn¡¯t find anyone else? Shane was vexed when he thought about that. When he was about to refuse her request, azy voice came from the door. ¡°You shoulde to me about this matter.¡± Hmm? Natalie turned her head around. Holding a file, Sean walked in leisurely and stopped next to her. ¡°Mr. Sean,¡± Natalie greeted him politely. Sean first nced at Shane dully before shifting his gaze on Natalie. ¡°I heard everything just now. You want to find your kids a dad for the family event. What if I go instead?¡± He pointed at himself. Shane scowled but said nothing. He only looked at Natalie to see how she would respond. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Natalie did not disappoint Shane. She bowed apologetically to Sean. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sean. It won¡¯t be necessary, though.¡± Seeing how simply she declined his offer, a sh of fury crossed Sean¡¯s eyes but disappeared at once. ¡°Why not? There¡¯s not much difference between Shane and me, right?¡± ¡°Yes, there is.¡± Natalie turned around and looked at Shane. ¡°My son resembles Mr. Shane more. I won¡¯t have to worry about others doubting that he¡¯s the father.¡± This is true! Shane¡¯s thin lips curled up subconsciously. His mood improved somehow because of her words. Sean could not stand Shane having the upper hand. He lowered his gaze to hide the fierceness in his eyes and jeered, ¡°What¡¯s so great about looking alike? There must be games during the family event. Since Shane is still physically inconvenient, he can¡¯t take part in them so he might as well not go!¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Natalie staggered. He¡¯s right; I have totally forgotten about this. Sensing that Sean had persuaded Natalie, Shane¡¯s gaze turned cold and he stood up from his wheelchair. ¡°I ept your request.¡± ¡°But, Mr. Shane, you are still hurt...¡± Natalie bit her red lips. Although she was delighted that he had agreed, she was still worried about him. Sean gave his sses a nudge and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Shane. You should recover from your injury first. What if something happens to you? Wouldn¡¯t you be troubling Natalie?¡± However, Shane was unmoved by him. He looked at Natalie and replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m okay as long as I stay away from strenuous activities. Alright, you may leave now. I will get in touch with you this weekend.¡± Since he had given his order, Natalie could only obey. She thanked him and left. After she left, Sean stopped pretending and revealed his true colors. He jeered slyly, ¡°Wow, Shane, I can¡¯t believe you care about this woman so much. For her sake, you are even willing to be her kids¡¯ father. If I tell Jasmine about this, do you think she¡¯ll go and trouble Natalie?¡± Hearing this, Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed. One could even sense the frigidness reflecting off his dark pupils. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Sean¡ªyou¡¯d better note up with anything funny.¡± Sean sneered, ¡°What if I say no? What can you do to me?¡± ¡°You can try.¡± Shane meant business. Sean stared at him for a while and smiled suddenly. ¡°Look at you. I was just kidding! Don¡¯t take it so seriously. Alright, alright. This is the information you need.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Sean handed the file to him. Shane did not ept it. Sean was not irritated. Instead, he shrugged, ced the file on his table, and left. Meanwhile, Ss entered with a thermal food jar in hand. Having sat down again in his wheelchair, Shane looked at the jar and frowned slightly. ¡°Why are you bringing that in here?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Smith handed me this just now. She said she made you mushroom soup; it is nutritious and will help with your body¡¯s recovery.¡± Ss answered. ¡°Natalie made me soup?¡± He was overwhelmed with a warm feeling which words could not express. Ss ced the food jar in front of him. ¡°Mr. Shane, would you like some?¡± Shane did not reply. Thinking Shane did not want it, Ss reached out to retrieve the jar. When Ss was about to touch it, he pouted his lips and barked in a lowered tone, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to return this to Ms. Smith!¡± Ss replied innocently. Shane red at him icily. ¡°Did I say so? Put this in the fridge for now and heat it up for lunch.¡± ¡°...Yes, Sir!¡± Ss responded as he gave the corners of his mouth a twitch. Geez, why didn¡¯t you just say so earlier? You¡¯re confusing me! Shane had the mushroom soup during lunchtime. The soup, having been made from multiple varieties of mushrooms, was fragrant and rich in vors. It was evident that much effort had gone into its preparation. Shane ended up finishing everything in the jar. He then passed the empty container to Ss to return it to Natalie. Ss found Natalie eating at the staff cafeteria. He gave Natalie the thermal food jar. ¡°Ms. Smith, Mr. Shane wanted me to thank you for the soup. He said it was delicious.¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 ¡°Really?¡± Natalie dly took back her thermal food jar. I was worried that he would dislike my cooking. Who knows Shane would be so sporting by not only drinking the soup but even finishing it up. Looks like I could continue making soup for him. Natalie smiled. For the next few days, she ended up bringing him different types of soup. It was the weekend. When Shane was changing by the closet, he realized that his shirt had be tighter than before. He then stood on the weighing scale. After he saw his current weight, he suddenly went quiet. After a seemingly long time, he rubbed his temples, took off his shirt, and changed into casual clothes, before heading out. Dawn Kindergarten was the new kindergarten Connor and Sharon were now attending. Shane arrived before the trio. He leaned against the car door and waited for a couple of minutes before finally spotting the three of them. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± The children stepped out of the car and ran towards him happily. Walking behind her kids and seeing them behaving so intimately around Shane, a hint of worry shed across Natalie¡¯s eyes but disappeared soon enough. Never mind; let them be. It should be fine as long as I don¡¯t tell them he is their father. While thinking to herself, Natalie put on a smile and headed over. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting. Unfortunately, there was a bit of traffic on the way here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve just arrived, too,¡± Shane replied while carrying Sharon in one arm and Connor¡¯s hand in the other. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane looks so handsome today!¡± Sharon eximed and pped with her tiny hands. Natalie then realized that he was dressed in a different style today. Frankly, she was a little shocked by it. This is my first time seeing him dressed like this. Nevertheless, he still looks great! ¡°You¡¯re right. Mr. Shane is handsome.¡± Natalie stroked her daughter¡¯s face. Connor nodded in agreement. Praised by the three of them, Shane coughed awkwardly and changed the subject. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s almost time. Let¡¯s go in.¡± He took the two children into the kindergarten as he spoke, and managed tomand everyone¡¯s attention right away. After all, they were a good-looking family consisting of a handsome father, a beautiful mother, and two adorable children. It would be strange if they were not in the spotlight. After a few minutes of doing roll call and tallying the headcount, the kindergarten teacher arranged for everyone to head to the amusement park. Because Sharon and Connor had never been to an amusement park before, they were curious about everything they saw upon arriving at the venue. The amusement park was crowded. Worried about losing the children, Natalie and Shane each held hands with one twin. Following the teacher¡¯s orders, they then took their children to y games that were not overly dangerous but could enhance the parent-child rtionship. They yed for several hours without realizing the passing of time. In the end, Natalie was exhausted and could not y any longer. Shane, on the other hand, was doing fine. Because of his injury, he did not y as much. He mainly took pictures so he was not as tired. However, the two children were still full of energy and they shouted excitedly, wanting to go on the Ferris wheel. ¡°Let them y. We¡¯ll sit over there and wait for them.¡± Shane pointed at a milk tea shop nearby. Natalie nced in the direction Shane pointed to and saw that the milk tea shop was right under the Ferris wheel, meaning they would still be able to watch the children from that spot. She nodded and agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± Thus, the two headed towards the milk tea shop. When they arrived, Natalie ordered milk for the children and a fruit juice for herself. She then asked Shane, ¡°Mr. Shane, what would you like to drink?¡± ¡°Water.¡± Shane was not interested in tea or juice. ¡°Alight.¡± Natalie ticked at ¡°water¡± on the order sheet. The beverages they ordered arrived shortly afterward. Natalie ced the bottle of water in front of Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯ve really troubled you today; I don¡¯t know how to thank you for it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. Just don¡¯t send me any more soup.¡± Shane took a sip of water. Natalie blinked. ¡°Why not? You haven¡¯t recovered from your injury yet.¡± His lips twitched. ¡°Nothing. Just don¡¯t send them anymore.¡± Chapter 97 Chapter 97 His nonchnt tone made Natalie feel somewhat disappointed as she nodded. ¡°Okay. Understood.¡± At that time, Shane¡¯s cell phone rang. Taking out his phone and checking it, he excused himself and rose from his seat to answer the call in a quiet corner. He returned to the table looking grave after the call ended. When Natalie saw his expression, she couldn¡¯t help bing concerned. ¡°Mr. Shane, is there anything wrong? You can go if you have something urgent to attend to.¡± ¡°Never mind. I will visit her tomorrow,¡± Shane lowered his gaze and said softly. ¡°Her?¡± Natalie¡¯s curiosity was aroused. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°A friend. She¡¯s going for surgery tomorrow.¡± Shane pulled out the chair and sat down. Natalie immediately knew who it was. She must be Jacqueline. He looked so nervous and concerned after answering the call. Stanley was right about him loving her deeply. Natalie¡¯s twinkling eyes grew dim. Shane noticed the change in her expression. Just as he was about to ask her what was wrong, he saw the two children running towards them, both drenched in sweat. Natalie ignored the jealousy within her and hurriedly took out napkins from her purse to dry away their sweat. After she finished, Shane gave the two children the milk they had ordered earlier. Connor and Sharon must be thirsty, as they took no time gulping down the milk until their cups became almost empty. Natalie gently patted their backs. ¡°Drink slowly; be careful not to choke yourselves.¡± ¡°Yes, we know.¡± They mumbled their response without slowing down their drinking. Bemused, Natalie shook her head. ¡°Awesome!¡± After finishing his milk, Connor put down the cup andmented in satisfaction. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Sharon imitated her brother. She looked so adorable with milk stains covering the corners of her mouth. Looking at her tenderly, Shane took a napkin and wiped away the milk stain on the little girl¡¯s face ever so gently. His action did not go unnoticed by Natalie. Her mouth twitched as if she wanted to say something, but she stayed silent in the end. ¡°Mommy,¡± Connor tugged at Natalie¡¯s hand and made here back to her senses. ¡°I had so much fun at the amusement park. Can wee again?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bring you guys here again when I¡¯m free.¡± Natalie stroked his head and nudged the boy towards Shane. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you guys be thanking Mr. Shane right now? He is the one who brought you guys here.¡± Upon hearing this, the two children expressed their gratitude immediately. Sharon even motioned at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, bend your head down for a little bit.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shane lowered his gaze and looked at her. Natalie, too, looked at the little girl in confusion. She had no idea what her daughter was up to. When Sharon saw Shane staying still, she pouted her tiny lips. ¡°You will know soon, Mr. Shane. Just lower your head.¡± Shane did as told. Sharon stood tip-toed and gave him a peck on the cheek. To everyone¡¯s surprise, she then said, ¡°Connor and I like you very much, Mr. Shane. Can you please marry Mommy and be our real Daddy? That way, no one has to pretend anymore.¡± Pft! Natalie spat out her fruit juice. Shane was stunned, too. Only Connor¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yeah, Mr. Shane, could you please be our Daddy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, you two!¡± Without waiting for Shane to reply, Natalie quickly stopped her children. However, the siblings ignored their motherpletely and their four little eyeballs continued to stare at Shane hopefully. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you not willing?¡± Connor asked. Shane bit his thin lips. ¡°This is no joking matter.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not joking¡ªwe¡¯re serious.¡± Connor tightened his tiny fists and was now looking solemn. Sharon nodded beside him. Natalie couldn¡¯t stand it anymore¡ªthey were giving her a headache. She pulled the children towards her and bowed apologetically to Shane. ¡°My apologies, Mr. Shane. The kids are just talking a bunch nonsense. I¡¯m sorry you have to hear that.¡± Shane waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Meanwhile, the children were displeased. ¡°Mommy, we are not...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± The kids lowered their heads amid Natalie¡¯s scolding. Seeing her children¡¯s reaction, Natalie¡¯s heart softened and she bent down to look at them. ¡°My dear, Mommy didn¡¯t want to be angry at you guys, but did you know that you have done something wrong? Besides, Mr. Shane has a fianc¨¦e. How can you ask me and Mr. Shane to get married?¡± When Shane heard this, he furrowed his eyebrows. He was ufortable with the word ¡°fianc¨¦e¡±, but he did not refute Natalie¡¯s statement. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Alright. Now, apologize to Mr. Shane and don¡¯t bring up this nonsense anymore.¡± Natalie patted the backs of her children. Thus, the kindergarten family event came to a conclusion with the two littles ones expressing their apologies. Shane drove away after dropping off Natalie and her kids at their apartment lobby. As soon as they reached home, Natalie received a phone call from the detective agency. ¡°Ms. Smith, upon my investigations, I found out that there certainly was someone prodding the kids to bully your children,¡± Ben said. Her grip on the phone tightened. ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°You surely know this person. It was Jasmine,¡± Ben replied. Natalie forcefully shut her eyes and suppressed the hatred burning within her. ¡°I knew it!¡± She had been suspecting Jasmine over thest few days but was unwilling toe to a conclusion. Great. At least my guess is confirmed. Natalie ended the call in an icy mood; she was determined to make Jasmine pay the price for her actions. Jasmine could bully me, but not my children. Not ever! The next day, not long after Natalie arrived at work, she heard an annoying roar outside her office door. ¡°Natalie, you little b*tch! Get the hell out here!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°No idea. She came for Ms. Natalie.¡± Everyone in the office looked at Natalie. Natalie frowned and stood up. She instantly saw Susan standing by the door, looking menacing with her hands ced on her waist. Obviously, Susan meant trouble. Natalie didn¡¯t want to disturb everyone¡¯s work, so she headed over and shut her office door to block out everyone¡¯s gaze. She then asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Gritting her teeth, Susan raised her hand as if she were about to p Natalie. Natalie squinted and quickly turned her head to avoid Susan¡¯s p. ¡°You want to p me?¡± Susan red at her. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the little b*tch who I want to p. If you dare to seduce my son-inw, I will make you pay for it!¡± ¡°Since when did I seduce your son-inw?¡± Natalie flung away Susan¡¯s hand. Susan lurched backward and stumbled a little. After regaining her bnce, she took out a stack of photos and threw them at Natalie. Natalie grabbed a few of them and realized that they were pictures of Shane apanying her and the kids to the amusement park yesterday. ¡°What can you say now?¡± Susan looked at her derisively. Natalie smiled and contended calmly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny that you¡¯re using me of seducing Mr. Shane with just a few pictures? Besides, I gave birth to his children¡ªis ¡®seduce¡¯ the right word here? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be with the three of us anyway?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! I heard it all from Jasmine. Your two b*stards are not Shane¡¯s. He only said that to save you from the situation, but you went with it and tried to usurp Jasmine¡¯s position.¡± Although Natalie was infuriated that her children were referred to as b*stards, she was even more astonished by Susan¡¯s ignorance. ¡°Looks like Jasmine didn¡¯t tell you.¡± Jasmine knew that the children were Shane¡¯s and had told Harrison, too, but she did not tell Susan and even deceived her. Looks like Jasmine is extremely against this mother of hers. Natalie looked at Susan pitifully. ¡°I suddenly feel quite sorry for you.¡± Chapter 99 Chapter 99 ¡°What do you mean?¡± Susan inquired sharply. ¡°Nothing.¡± Natalie shrugged. She picked up the photos from the floor and patted them in her hands. ¡°Jasmine gave you these, right?¡± There was a sh across Susan¡¯s eyes. Natalie knew she had guessed correctly and sneered. ¡°She even tailed me and took sneak shots¡ªhow pathetic.¡± ¡°My Jasmine was way nobler than you,¡± Susan nced at her contemptuously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with taking sneak shots? She is Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e. What¡¯s wrong with her taking evidence of him being with a homewrecker?¡± ¡°Homewrecker?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows. Susan circled her. ¡°Why, aren¡¯t you the homewrecker? You clearly know that Shane is engaged to my Jasmine, but you¡¯re still clinging to him. Isn¡¯t this what homewreckers do?¡± As if she had just heard the biggest joke ever, Natalie folded her arms andughed. ¡°All sorts of people exist these days. This is my first time seeing a real homewrecker using someone else of being a homewrecker. Susan, have you been the so-called rightful wife for too long that you¡¯ve already forgotten how you acquired this position in the first ce?¡± ¡°You...¡± Susan had a twisted facial expression as she gave Natalie her death stare. What I hate most is being described as a homewrecker. But this little b*tch is deliberately aggravating me. Susan¡¯s rationale was now clouded by anger. She pounced at Natalie and tried to scratch her face. Natalie once again avoided her attack. However, Susan did not give up and lunged at Natalie again. She was not going to stop until she reached her goal. Although Natalie had learned some defense moves while she was overseas, Susan¡¯s attack was as random as that of a crazy woman¡ª¡ªthere were no tactics whatsoever. Thus, Natalie could not use her defense moves on Susan at all. There was nothing else she could do apart from making sure that Susan could not scratch her. At this moment, the ttering sound of high heels passed by. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Immediately after that, someone came into the room and stopped behind Natalie. While holding Susan off, Natalie turned around to see hertest visitor. Her gaze turned cautious as soon as she realized it was Jasmine. Jasmine, too, noticed Natalie¡¯s gaze. With a wicked smile, Jasmine suddenly reached out to push her. Natalie¡¯s pupil constricted. She swiftly crouched down, thereby exposing Susan in front of her. Her dodge caused Jasmine¡¯s hands to reach Susan instead. Jasmine¡¯s forceful shove sent Susan back by a good few steps before thetter lost her bnce. With a bang, Susan fell onto the floor, head first, and became unconscious on the spot. This sudden twist of events startled Jasmine for quite some time. When she came back to her senses, she gave Natalie an eerie smile. ¡°Natalie, this is game over for you!¡± As Natalie watched, Jasmine immediately opened the door separating Natalie¡¯s office from the main office and ran to Susan¡¯s side. Holding her mother in her arms, she wailed pitifully, ¡°Mom, wake up! Don¡¯t do this to me, Mom!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ms. Jasmine?¡± When the crowd in the main office heard her cry, they ran over to see what was going on. Jasmine tearfully pointed at Natalie and fumed. ¡°She pushed my mom onto the floor and made her pass out.¡± ¡°What? That is too much!¡± The crowd was quick to rebuke Natalie. Natalie now understood Jasmine¡¯s purpose. With a glint in her eyes, the former took a step backward. Pretended to panic, Natalie shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t push her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s lying! It was her! or are you saying my mother stumbled on her own?¡± Jasmine argued loudly. Natalie tightened her fists. ¡°Why don¡¯t you admit that it was you who pushed her instead?¡± Without waiting for Jasmine to respond, the others indignantly protested, ¡°Ms. Natalie, why would Ms. Jasmine do this to her mother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your words need to make sense!¡± When Natalie realized that no one believed her, she stomped her feet in frustration. ¡°What do you know? She is not Ms. Jasmine¡¯s mother; she¡¯s her stepmother! Their rtionship has always been rough.¡± ¡°Nonsense! She is my biological mother. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can do a DNA test.¡± Jasmine fought back, even though she was secretly wondering why Natalie would im that Susan was her stepmother when she knew they were biologically rted. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Jasmine could not figure out why. Never mind; I must just be overthinking. When the crowd heard the mention of a DNA test, they sided with Jasmine naturally. ¡°Ms. Natalie, you heard her¡ªshe is her biological mother. If you¡¯re using Ms. Jasmine of pushing her own mother, you¡¯ll need to show evidence.¡± ¡°You guys...¡± Speechless and disappointed, Natalie lowered her head. To others, it appeared as though she was already confessing to her crime. Idiot, you actually admitted in public that Susan is your biological mother. I was thinking earlier about how should I take revenge on Jasmine for abetting the other kids to bully my children. But now that Jasmine has set herself up, there is no need for payback anymore. Jasmine, oblivious to Natalie¡¯s motive, had turned thetter into a public target and was secretly delighted by it. However, she did not show her glee outwardly and put on a worried expression instead. ¡°Everyone, could two of you please help to bring my mom to the infirmary? I can¡¯t carry her myself. As for the rest, please return to your work.¡± Immediately, two male designers walked out of the crowd and carried Susan to the elevator while the others returned to work. Those who dispersedst even volunteered to Jasmine that they could be her witness if need be. This was precisely what Jasmine wanted to hear. She thanked them and closed the office door again. ¡°You framed me on purpose.¡± Natalie red at Jasmine. Jasmine wiped away her crocodile tears and answered, ¡°That¡¯s right¡ªI framed you. Yesterday, I received a mysterious text saying that Shane was going to apany the three of you to the amusement park, so I intentionally sent someone to take sneak shots and told Susan that you wanted to usurp my ce as the fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°What then?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. Jasmine, who did not notice that Natalie had be calmer and was now less panicky than when she was being used earlier, sneered coldly, ¡°Susan couldn¡¯t ept that someone wants to take up my ce. So, after a bit of stimtion, she naturally came to look for you. Shane won¡¯t cancel the engagement because of Susan.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes flickered as she continued ying along with her. Jasmine replied triumphantly, ¡°It is because everyone knows you are the homewrecker. If Shane calls off his engagement with me, he will have to face public criticism and the stock price of Thompson Group will also decline. Shane is an intelligent businessman; he knows what to do and what not to do.¡± ¡°True,¡± Natalie remarked with a hint of sarcasm. Jasmine suddenly darkened her expression. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect Susan to get hurt for real. But I have nothing to worry about since you are the scapegoat.¡± ¡°Are you sure that nobody knows the truth?¡± Jasmine curled up her lips and smiled eerily. ¡°Of course. There is no security camera here so I can say anything I want. Besides, everyone in the design department is my witness.¡± ¡°Really...¡± Natalie discreetly lifted her gaze at the vent above her before looking back at Jasmine. ¡°I have a question. You seem to hate Susan. Why? Is she not your biological mother?¡± ¡°None of your business. Why do I have to tell you?¡± She roared grouchily as if someone had stepped on her toes. ¡°I was just being curious.¡± ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s better for you to think about defending yourself from my next moves rather than wondering about the affairs between me and Susan!¡± Shooting her a disparaging look, Jasmine strutted in her heels and headed towards the elevator. Natalie stared at the closing elevator door for a short while. After tidying up her hair, she returned to her office. Not long after that, news about Natalie seducing Shane and shoving Susan spread all over the building. Suddenly Natalie became the notorious subject of gossip wherever she went. N?velDrama.Org content. Someone else in her shoes would have lost the courage to stay at Thompson Group by now. However, Natalie was different. She remained surprisingly calm as if she was not the one who got into trouble. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Suddenly, a designer showed up with two police officers behind her. She pointed at Natalie and said, ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± Consequently, the police officers approached Natalie and showed her their identification tags. ¡°Hello, Ms. Smith. We received an anonymous report alleging that you have intentionally hurt a person, causing the victim to suffer from a concussion. You are under arrest for first-degree assault. We need to take you into custody. Please cooperate with us.¡± She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to talk her way out of this and would have to make the trip with them no matter what. Thus, she nodded in agreement. Nevertheless, Natalie was shocked because Susan¡¯s injury was way more serious than she expected. As Natalie thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but shudder. It seems like Jasmine was nning to push me to my death. I was lucky to have evaded her attack. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. In the end, the police officers brought her away while everyone had their eyes glued to Natalie¡¯s retreating figure. After they reached the police station, a police officer confiscated her phone and brought her into an isted room. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat the moment she caught a glimpse of the namete on the door. She was about to say something, yet the police officer pushed her into the room violently. As a result, she staggered and knocked her tummy against the table edge in the interrogation room. She gasped and started to break out in cold sweat due to the excruciating sensation. Yet, the police officer turned a blind eye to her plight and took a seat opposite her. He knocked on the table and instructed, ¡°Hurry up and take a seat! I need to get your statement!¡± Holding on to her tummy as she red at the police officer, Natalie refused to give in to his demand and rebuked, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m merely here to assist you in the investigation. Why did you bring me to the interrogation room when you have yet to prove me guilty?¡± He stared at her wide-eyed because he didn¡¯t expect she would rebuke him. ¡°Well... Does that mean you¡¯re trying to defy my instructions? Why did I bring you to the interrogation room? Isn¡¯t it obvious? How are you going to prove yourself innocent now that you are already in the police station?¡± Natalie was taken aback by his absurd statement. It took her a few seconds to snap out of her bewilderment. The frustrated woman yelled, ¡°What kind of joke is this? I¡¯m convicted because I¡¯m in the police station? If that¡¯s the case, does that mean those who have been brought back to the police station are criminals? Where¡¯s the chief of police? I need to speak to him!¡± Once she made herself clear, she strode towards the entrance. The police officer cast a stern gaze at Natalie and brought himself up from his seat. He rushed over and assaulted her from the back with his baton. Natalie shrieked in pain and fell to the ground. She endured the pain and stared at the police officer in disbelief. Meanwhile, he looked down on her as he warned, ¡°You better behave yourself because we have received instructions from a certain someone. As long as we do not go overboard, we¡¯re free to teach you a lesson as we see fit!¡± Natalie was utterly dumbfounded upon hearing his words because he seemed to have been bribed by someone else and was given the task to force her into submission. That must be the reason why she had been brought into the interrogation room right after she reached the police station. As for the one who had bribed the police officer, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else apart from Jasmine. After Natalie calmed down, the police officer cast his baton aside and confronted, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about the motive behind your action? Why did you push the victim?¡± She brought herself up from the ground and rebutted in a hoarse voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t! I wasn¡¯t the one who pushed her!¡± He was about to take her statement, yet he stopped and looked at her. ¡°Are you still trying to deny your responsibility?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Why should I admit to the things I didn¡¯t do?¡± ¡°You!¡± The police officer was rendered speechless by her words. In the end, he resorted to all sorts of interrogation methods at his disposal, but Natalie insisted she hadn¡¯t pushed anyone. He scratched his head in confusion because he had run out of methods to deal with her. Although the mastermind said it would be fine to teach her a lesson, he couldn¡¯t possibly resort to violence to force her into submission. Since there wasn¡¯t anything else he could do, he had no choice but to throw her behind bars for the time being. Natalie, who had been thrown behind bars, stood right next to the entrance of her cell and demanded to be set free, but the police officers that had passed by the cell behaved as though they couldn¡¯t hear her. Eventually, she got exhausted and returned to the bench to take a seat. She couldn¡¯t get in touch with anyone else since she didn¡¯t have her phone with her. There wasn¡¯t any clock avable in the cell. Thus, she had to wait in silence because she was certain they couldn¡¯t keep her behind bars forever. After some time, the temperature inside the isted cell dropped drastically. Natalie started to tremble in cold. A few secondster, she felt lightheaded as though she would soon pass out. As she could barely hold herself together, shey on the bench in an attempt to keep herself conscious. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Before she lost consciousness, she could detect the sight of the door being opened as a familiar and gigantic figure made his way into the cell. Natalie, who was on the verge of passing out, asked, ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± The person who had entered the cell remained silent. She groaned in pain and wanted to open her eyes to figure out the person who had entered the cell, yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to open her drowsy pair of eyes. In the end, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and passed out in front of the man. The figure of the fragile woman could be seen through the reflection of Sean¡¯s sses. He looked at her and lifted her up. As soon as they made their way out of the police station, a ck Maybach pulled over and stopped in front of them. Shane alighted from the luxurious vehicle and frowned when he saw Natalie between Sean¡¯s arms. However, the moment he realized Natalie seemed to have passed out with her face flushing, he decided to put his emotions aside for the time being. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Sean sized Shane up and replied nonchntly, ¡°She has caught a fever. What are you doing here when you¡¯re supposed to keep Jacquelinepany? She¡¯s about to go through a surgical operation, right?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Shane ignored him and stretched out his arms, instructing indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her from now onwards.¡± Holding Natalie in between his arms, Sean took a step back and asked rhetorically, ¡°What if I refused to?¡± Truth be told, Sean had rushed over to her rescue because he wanted her to owe him a favor. This would give him a reason to approach her and achieve his ulterior motive. Hence, he wouldn¡¯t allow Shane to get in his way and ruin his wless n. Since Sean had no intention to hand Natalie over to him, Shane narrowed his eyes and yelled, ¡°Ss!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ss got out of the car immediately and rushed over to Sean¡¯s side and rendered him incapable of movement. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Sean¡¯s face puckered in irritation. Narrowing his eyes, Ss denoted, ¡°Mr. Sean, allow me to advise you to stay still. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to drop Ms. Smith and hurt her.¡± Initially, Sean was about to retaliate against Ss, yet the moment he heard thetter¡¯s warning, he remained static and had no choice but to allow Shane to bring Natalie away from him. As soon as Shane got his hands on Natalie, he returned to the car. Just when he was about to board the car, Sean yelled, ¡°You know what? You¡¯re behaving as though you¡¯re jealous!¡± Shane felt a chill running down his spine for a moment there, but he regained hisposure soon. He turned around and exined, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re overthinking this because I¡¯m merely trying to prevent you from getting your hands on her. Why else would you want to win her over all of a sudden? Isn¡¯t it obvious? You¡¯re trying to get something from her, right?¡± As soon as Shane finished his sentence, he boarded the car before Sean could even reply to his query. Immediately after Ss moved away from Sean, he returned to the car and departed right away. Staring at the departing Maybach, Sean stretched his arms to loosen up his muscles. Shane, it¡¯s obvious that you have fallen in love with her, yet you¡¯re trying to deny the affection you have for her. If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me me for what¡¯s toe because I will get my hands on everything you possess by hook or by crook! I will definitely win Natalie over. I¡¯m pretty sure it will be an interesting sight for Natalie to address me as her husband and the children to address me as their father in front of you! As he thought about it, he startedughing hysterically in the middle of the street. Meanwhile, Ss queried as he continued driving, ¡°Mr. Shane, where are we heading to?¡± Shane took a peek at Natalie and instructed, ¡°Drop by the nearest apartment.¡± Meanwhile, the unconscious woman leaned against the door. She had curled up into a ball while crossing her arms, trembling. She began to murmur, ¡°I-It¡¯s so cold...¡± He hesitated for a few seconds before removing his zer and cing it on her to keep her warm. Just when Shane was about to move away after covering her with his zer, Natalie reached over and wrapped her arm around his waist all of a sudden. Eventually, she leaned over and nestled in his arms. Finally, she stopped moving around after she found afortable spot. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t aware of her actions at all because she desperately wanted to keep herself warm. On the other hand, Shane¡¯s body stiffened due to Natalie¡¯s actions. He lowered his gaze and looked at the woman who was hugging him with his abysmal pair of eyes. Simrly, Ss, who was supposed to focus on driving, got anxious and couldn¡¯t focus on the road anymore. It was already baffling enough, to begin with, for Shane to carry Natalie into the car. Now that he witnessed the scene, Ss was shell-shocked when Shane didn¡¯t push Natalie away. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 After all, even Jacqueline did not have the privilege to engage in such an intimate session with Shane. All of a sudden, Ss recalled Sean¡¯s words and gave them a thought. Judging by Shane¡¯s response, Sean seemed to be right because the former insisted on having Natalie in his care the moment he saw her in between Sean¡¯s arms. Oh, God! Does that mean Mr. Shane... It can¡¯t be, right? Ss gulped and dared not probe further. Throughout the journey, they remained silent in the car. Soon, they finally reached to the apartment. Shaneid Natalie on the couch and instructed Ss, ¡°Get Jackson over here at once!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ss took note of his instruction and proceeded to get in touch with Jackson. After a short while, Jackson showed up with a first-aid kit to check on Natalie¡¯s condition. Shane, who was by their side, asked with a serious expression, ¡°How is she?¡± Jackson assembled a syringe and pushed the piston to removerge air bubbles. He turned around and replied in a calm manner, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. In addition to extreme fatigue, she caught a cold. That took a hit on her immune system, hence, the fever. She¡¯ll be fine after this jab.¡± Finally, Shane returned to his usual calm and collected self after he heard Jackson¡¯s words. After Jackson finished administering the injection, he threw the syringe away and stared at his friends with an odd smirk. ¡°I have been wondering about the reason you left the hospital in such a hurry. It turns out she¡¯s the reason, huh?¡± Shane didn¡¯t bother to deny his spection because it was the fact. While serving Jackson a ss of wine, Shane said, ¡°I can¡¯t possibly leave her alone when she was thrown behind bars because of me, right? How did Jacqueline¡¯s operation go? Is everything fine?¡± Jackson rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Ha! I thought you havepletely forgotten about her! Everything is fine since we have Stanley, the pioneer in the field of neurology, in charge of her operation. He managed toplete the operation within three hours, which would otherwise require five hours.¡± Shane was irritated by the mere mention of Stanley. In the end, he ced his ss of drink aside and denoted, ¡°Alright! I believe it¡¯s time you return to the hospital as well. Please get in touch with me as soon as Jacqueline regains consciousness.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± After Jackson finished his ss of drink, he departed with his first-aid kit. Natalie woke up a few minutes after Jackson departed. ¡°Where am I?¡± She massaged her temples and sat upright on the couch. Shane, who was on the couch opposite her, answered to her query, ¡°We¡¯re in my apartment.¡± Finally, she noticed Shane was in the room when she heard his voice. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± He hummed in return and handed a ss of water to her. ¡°You must be thirsty, right? Why don¡¯t you have a ss of water? I have brought you back to my apartment because I can¡¯t locate your key and you caught a fever.¡± ¡°T-Thanks...¡± The drowsy woman took it over and gulped the ss of warm water down within a few seconds. She felt a heartwarming sensation deep down because the man who had shown up when she needed someone the most was Shane. Suddenly, Shane told her, ¡°I have heard of the entire incident from Ss, and I¡¯m aware that Jasmine was the one who had sent Susan to create a scene back then.¡± Upon hearing his words, she held on to the ss of water and looked at him in the eyes anxiously. ¡°Mr. Shane, do you think it was me who pushed Susan as well?¡± He got up from the couch and put his hands in his pockets. ¡°I have no idea, but I¡¯ll definitely get to the bottom of this. If you aren¡¯t the culprit, I¡¯ll definitely ensure justice is served.¡± Natalie beamed her reply, ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Shane.¡± Although she was slightly disappointed because he didn¡¯t seem to have faith in her, she was grateful he didn¡¯t jump to the conclusion and me her. ¡°You should get some rest and call it a day. I¡¯ll return to thepany for the time being.¡± Shane walked out of his apartment after he finished his sentence. By the time he returned to the car, Ss looked at him with a serious expression and denoted, ¡°Mr. Shane, I have sent our men to the police station. They found out that the police officers have been bribed by someone to interrogate Ms. Smith. They wanted to force her into submission and admit she was the one who had pushed Susan.¡± Shane put on a stern front and asked indifferently, ¡°What? Has she given in to their absurd request?¡± Ss shook his head and said, ¡°Nope.¡± Shane clenched his fists with all his might and instructed with his face puckered in an awful manner, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Y-Yes...¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. As soon as he returned to his office, Shane summoned Jasmine to meet him in his office. Staring at the woman in front of him, he confronted, ¡°Jasmine, did I not make myself clear? I told you not to go after Natalie anymore! It seems like you can¡¯t wait to return to your studio, huh? How dare you lie to me and go against your promise? I must say you¡¯re quite a smart one because you have been hiding behind the scene and let Susan be your scapegoat instead!¡± Chapter 104 Chapter 104 As Jasmine had already anticipated the confrontation, she had long figured out a way to get herself out of the nasty situation. She put on a pitiable front and started wailing as she pursed her lips. ¡°She¡¯s the one to be med! She shouldn¡¯t have bothered you and insisted on having you tagging along with her children to the theme park! Isn¡¯t it obvious she¡¯s trying to seduce you and take over my position? Why can¡¯t I defend myself?¡± He got increasingly frustrated and repeated himself once more, ¡°What sort of nonsense are you talking about? I want you to tell me the truth immediately! Did Susan fall on her own, or did Natalie push Susan?¡± Actually, just like everyone else, he had never once suspected Jasmine. After all, Susan was her biological mother. No matter what, she would never put her mother¡¯s life at stake. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Jasmine¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard Shane¡¯s question. Nevertheless, she remained calm and put on a determined front as she replied, ¡°It was Natalie!¡± He looked at her in the eyes and enunciated his question for onest time, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure! In fact, everyone from the design department can vouch for me!¡± Jasmine pinched herself hard to pull off a genuine pained expression to go along with her act in a bid to deceive Shane. He stared at her with a poker face because he couldn¡¯t figure out if she were telling the truth. ¡°Ss has dropped by the design department and interviewed a few of your colleagues, but they said by the time they saw Susan, she had already passed out. They couldn¡¯t be sure if Natalie were the one who pushed her either. I will investigate this incident and get to the bottom of it.¡± She avoided his gaze and started cursing in her mind because her colleagues promised her they would side with her and vouch for her. However, the moment Shane sent someone to them, they changed their minds and went against their words, telling Ss they weren¡¯t aware of the truth. She was infuriated because he would have believed her if they had vouched for her and said Natalie was the one who pushed Susan. As Jasmine lost herself in the process of thought, Shane ced his hand on the table and asked once more, ¡°I have another question for you. Are you the one who bribed the police officers and instructed them to interrogate Natalie brutally?¡± Her eyes widened in disbelief when she heard his words. ¡°No! I didn¡¯t!¡± Since when did I do such a thing? Indeed, I want Natalie to be kept behind bars for the time being, because once I get Mom to use Natalie after she regains consciousness, Natalie will be doomed! I don¡¯t have to bribe the police at all! Who¡¯s trying to frame me? Shane, who had been watching Jasmine¡¯s reaction, noticed she seemed to be confused. Therefore, he knew she didn¡¯t lie to him. As his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach, he waved at her and instructed, ¡°Alright. That¡¯s all. You are free to take your leave now.¡± After Jasmine walked out of his office, Ss entered and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, the shareholders demand an audience with you.¡± Frowning, the confused Shane asked, ¡°Why? What do they want?¡± ¡°I believe it has something to do with the incident with Ms. Smith. They said she has adversely impacted thepany¡¯s image. Therefore, they wish to terminate her.¡± Shane scoffed, ¡°Adversely impacted? They must be kidding me, right? Do they have any idea of the impact they have brought upon thepany due to their messed-up life? Who the hell do they think they are to terminate the service of Project Rebirth¡¯s chief designer?¡± After he finished his statement, he walked out of his office and made his way over to the conference room. It took him an hour to sort things out with the so-called shareholders. After he wrapped up the conference, he instructed Ss as he walked towards the elevator, ¡°I want you to send someone to keep an eye on Susan. Once she regains consciousness, ask her if she can recall the incident? If she does, ask her if it was an ident or if she can identify the person who has pushed her? This has to be carried out discreetly!¡± Since there wasn¡¯t any surveince camera installed, that was the only method he could think of to figure out the truth behind Susan¡¯s misfortune. ¡°Alright!¡± After he delivered his instructions, he checked on his phone and gave it a thought for a few seconds. In the end, he decided to drop Natalie a text because he wanted to figure out if she had offended anyone else apart from Jasmine. Perhaps, another one of her foes was the one who had bribed the police officers. Meanwhile, Natalie was about to head to the kindergarten to pick her children up when she received the text. She was taken aback by the content of the text message because Shane was implying that Jasmine wasn¡¯t the one who had bribed the police officers. However, she was confused because Jasmine and Susan were the only ones who held a grudge against her. She decided to tell him the truth and told him there wasn¡¯t anyone else whom she could think of to resort to such a brutal act. After a while, the woman, who had been anticipating a reply from the man, heaved a long sigh of despair because she didn¡¯t receive it. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 ¡°Who could it be?¡± Natalie put her phone aside and rushed over to answer the door. A middle-aged man, who seemed to be in his mid-fifties, showed up at her doorstep in a suit and a delicate walking cane with dragon figurine as its handle. The moment she saw the man, her expression changed as she thought about all the love and hatred surrounding their rtionship. In spite of the mixed emotions, Natalie cleared her throat and brought herself to greet him, ¡°D-Dad...¡± To her surprise, Harrison pped her in the face without a second thought. ¡°You unfilial daughter!¡± Natalie fell to the ground and all she could hear was the buzzing noise in her ears. After a few seconds, she finally returned to her senses. Holding on to her swollen cheek as her eyes brimmed with tears, she looked at her father in the eyes. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong with you!¡± It had been seven years since theyst encountered one another, yet instead of greeting her courteously, he pped her in the face. Harrison pointed at Natalie with a look of disgust. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should ask you that question! Am I not supposed to p you? Why have I given birth to such a shameless daughter? Forget about your illegitimate children! How dare you seduce your sister¡¯s fianc¨¦ and hurt your stepmother? Have you no shame at all?¡± The infuriated woman brought herself up and rebuked, ¡°Dad! What do you mean by illegitimate children? They¡¯re your grandchildren! How could you despise your own grandchildren?¡± Is this the way he¡¯s supposed to behave as my father and as their grandfather? Does he really consider us part of the family? She could forgive him for using her of seducing Shane, but she couldn¡¯t tolerate him insulting the kids. Not to mention, the person was his father, of all people. ¡°Is there anything wrong with my statement? Do you really think I¡¯ll consider them as my grandchildren when you¡¯re not even aware of their father¡¯s identity?¡± Natalie clenched her fists with all her might to suppress her wrath. If the man in front of her wasn¡¯t her father, she would have long sent him to hell. She walked over and asked rhetorically, ¡°You¡¯re not aware of their father¡¯s identity? Are you sure, Dad? I¡¯m pretty sure you know who Connor and Sharon¡¯s father is, right?¡± Her father¡¯s jaw dropped open when he heard her words, but he regained hisposure and put on a stern front soon. ¡°What sort of nonsense are you talking about? How am I supposed to be aware of the things you have done behind our back? Forget about it! I¡¯m not here to discuss these with you either! I want you to drop by the hospital and apologize for the things you have done. Apart from that, I want you to resign from Thompson Group and leave with your children at once. You owe it to Susan and Jasmine.¡± Her daughter turned him down resolutely. ¡°Never! Dad, you should forget about it and leave because I won¡¯t apologize for the things I have never done!¡± He got increasingly infuriated because he didn¡¯t expect she would defy his words. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re trying to go against me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just call me an unfilial daughter? Since I¡¯m an unfilial daughter, why would I listen to you? Dad, you should leave me alone! Otherwise, I¡¯ll get Mom to tell me you dirty secrets. I¡¯m sure it will be able to ward you off easily!¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± Harrison¡¯s face puckered in irritation. In the end, he had no choice but to leave because he felt threatened. After his departure, she could no longer pull herself together. Natalie got down on her knees and started weeping because she couldn¡¯t figure out the reason behind her father¡¯s favoritism. She couldn¡¯t believe he just addressed her beloved children¡ªhis grandchildren¡ªas illegitimate children. After a while, the weeping woman heard the cheerful voices of her two children closing in as she had left her door open. ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re back!¡± As soon as she heard the voice of her beloved children, she stopped crying and quickly wiped her tears dry. She didn¡¯t want her children to figure out she had been crying, but she was a few secondste because they had reached the entrance and caught sight of her wiping her tears. The cheerful children were dumbstruck for a few seconds. Sharon rushed into the living room and caressed her mother¡¯s hand tofort her. Although Connor decided not to poke his nose into her mother¡¯s business, he couldn¡¯t help but stare at her in the eyes to express his concerns. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Caressing her beloved children¡¯s back in return, Natalie forced a smile and assured them, ¡°I¡¯m fine! How did the both of you get home? I was supposed to go pick you guys up.¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 His pupil constricted while his face darkened upon hearing that. ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± Natalie replied in a serious manner, ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m kidding? As a mother, I will not tolerate my children to go through such humiliation. Therefore, I will defend the truth until death. Even if my action would get me fired, I still want Jasmine to face justice.¡± All of a sudden, rage pulsed through Shane¡¯s veins. It was not because of Natalie¡¯s words, but rather, Jasmine¡¯s nasty tricks towards two innocent children to achieve her goal. I must have been lenient towards her over the years, huh? That must be the reason she has the audacity to challenge my limits. I believe it¡¯s time to teach her a lesson and let her know her ce. Once he made up his mind, Shane got up from the couch and assured Natalie, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll deal with the necessary arrangement and allow you to prove yourself innocent tomorrow.¡± The confused woman blinked and asked, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re not going to stop me, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Her eyes brimmed with tears as she expressed her gratitude. ¡°T-Thanks...¡± He moved his lips as though he was about to say something, but he received a call out of the blue. He picked it up and heard Ss¡¯ voice. ¡°Mr. Shane, Susan has regained consciousness. One of our men heard the conversation she had with Ms. Jasmine. Ms. Jasmine apologized for the things she had done and told her to insist Ms. Smith was the culprit. In other words, Ms. Jasmine was the one who pushed Susan.¡± Shane instructed, ¡°Alright. I want you to inform every one of the conference that will be held tomorrow.¡± Ss took note of his instructions and hung up the call. Meanwhile, Shane set his phone aside and told Natalie, ¡°I¡¯ll give you the chance to prove your innocence during the conference tomorrow.¡± She nodded in a serious manner and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± Since it was gettingte, Natalie showed Shane the way out as he was about to leave. In the meantime, Connor, who had been eavesdropping on the adults¡¯ conversation, moved away from the door and instructed his sister in a serious tone, ¡°Sharon, I need you to keep an eye on Mommy. You¡¯re not allowed to let her in without my permission.¡± His sister asked with a confused look, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± He clenched his fists and exined himself, ¡°I¡¯ll teach our so-called grandfather as well as the woman who has bullied Mommy a lesson!¡± When he returned to his room earlier, he ran a check on Harrison¡¯s information. It turned out that the latter was their grandfather¡ªthe man who had shown up at the kindergarten. Judging by the dispassionate look he had when he showed up in front of them, Connor was certain their so-called grandfather didn¡¯t appreciate their presence. Since he had resorted to violence against their mother, Connor was determined to avenge her. N?velDrama.Org content. After he came up with the perfect n, he was ready to execute it as he ran his fingers across the keyboard. Ten minutester, he looked at the submission confirmation and grinned viciously. I can¡¯t wait to see their response! I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re going to have the best time of their life! Suddenly, Natalie knocked on the door. ¡°Connor, Sharon,e out and have some fruits.¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Connor switched off hisputer and returned to his usual innocent self as he made his way out of their room with his sister. As Natalie made her way into Thompson Group the next day, she paid no heed to the odd looks her colleagues had on their faces. She headed to the conference room with a USB drive and encountered Jasmine the moment she reached the conference room. Natalie smirked and reached out to her proactively. ¡°Ms. Jasmine!¡± Jasmine brought herself to a halt and turned around. She was utterly dumbfounded the moment she saw Natalie. ¡°What are you doing here when you¡¯re supposed to be in the police station?¡± Although the police officers didn¡¯t have enough evidence to charge her, she shouldn¡¯t have been released since she was the main suspect of the incident. Usually, she would be imprisoned for at least twenty-four hours. All of a sudden, Jasmine had a bad feeling about it because it felt as though things were spinning out of her control. Grinning, Natalie exined, ¡°Oh! Mr. Shane was the one who bailed me out!¡± ¡°What?¡± Jasmine¡¯s voice was an octave higher than her usual tone. Shane was the one who bailed her out? Since when did he drop by the police station? Why did he bail her out without my consent? Why didn¡¯t he mention anything about it in front of me? He has been defending her and insisted on having her as the chief designer of Project Rebirth during the conference that was held yesterday! Does he really have a thing for her? Jasmine could barely suppress her jealousy when she thought of the things Shane had done for Natalie¡¯s sake. On the other hand, Natalie was delighted because Jasmine¡¯s emotions were written all over her face. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, I believe it¡¯s about time. Shall we go in? After all, there¡¯s a great show we can¡¯t afford to miss.¡± Chapter 107 Chapter 107 After Natalie finished her sentence, she tapped on Jasmine¡¯s shoulder and entered into the conference room. Casting a skeptical gaze at Natalie¡¯s back, Jasmine couldn¡¯t help but rack her brain to rule out the meaning behind her words. What show is she referring to? Jasmine stood right where she was and turned the idea over in her brain, but her effort was to no avail. In the end, she sneered and decided to neglect Natalie¡¯s words, making her way into the conference room as well. As soon as she walked into the conference room, she caught a glimpse of Ss standing behind a woman in a wheelchair at the corner of the conference room. The pale and haggard woman in the wheelchair could barely sit upright and had an IV pole by her side. What¡¯s going on? Jasmine was taken aback and almost brought herself up from her seat when she saw her mother¡ªshe couldn¡¯t figure out the reason Ss brought Susan over. Natalie smiled as she detected Jasmine¡¯s anxious look. After a few seconds, using a mic, she announced, ¡°Hello, everyone. I believe all of you are curious about the reason we invite Mrs. Smith from Smith Group to take part in the conference of Thompson Group.¡± Everyone present nodded in return. As Natalie approached Susan, Ss walked away from Susan and returned to Shane¡¯s side. Natalie smiled courteously because she was aware Ss was trying to do her a favor. Soon, she ced her hand on Susan¡¯s shoulder. In return, Susan stared at her wide-eyed and tried to shrug Natalie¡¯s hand off her shoulder, yet the latter held on to her firmly and fastened her grip as she announced, ¡°Allow me to exin everything! I was irritated because Ms. Jasmine over there lodged a police report and told the police officers I have pushed and injured Mrs. Smith. Therefore, I begged Mr. Shane to invite Mrs. Smith to join us in order to prove myself innocent. Since she has regained consciousness, I believe she should tell us the truth of the entire incident!¡± After Natalie finished her sentence, Jasmine got up from her seat abruptly as she detected the former¡¯s wry smile. ¡°Natalie, why are you looking at me? Are you trying to imply I was the one who had pushed her?¡± Smirking, Natalie asked rhetorically, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Are you trying to deny your responsibility?¡± The moment the room heard their conversation, they were shocked and engaged themselves in another round of heated discussion with those by their sides. As there was a round ofmotion in the conference room, Shane got irritated and tapped on the table. ¡°Silence! Please!¡± Everyone finally regained theirposure and kept their mouth shut as requested. Jasmine clenched her fists and rebuked, ¡°Stop using me! Do you have any evidence to prove your words?¡± Susan nodded and yed along with her daughter. ¡°She¡¯s right! How dare you use others? As the victim of the incident, I¡¯m aware of the identity of the culprit!¡± Those from the design department nodded and asserted, ¡°Actually, they are right. Do you have any evidence to prove your words?¡± Natalie shrugged her shoulders nonchntly and announced, ¡°Since everyone seems to have their fair share of doubts, let¡¯s cut the small talk. I¡¯ll show all of you the evidence you guys have been longing for.¡± Evidence? Jasmine and Susan were on pins and needles when they heard Natalie¡¯s words. They felt a chill running down their spines as they were engulfed by a strong sense of guilt. Taking a peek at the anxious mother and daughter duo, Natalie plugged in the USB drive she brought along with her to the mainframe of thepany. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only A few secondster, a video popped up on the screen behind her. The videosted for half an hour and those who were involved, including Susan and Jasmine, showed up and departed one after another. In short, the entire incident had been recorded. After they finished watching the video, everyone in the conference room fell silent for a few minutes. It took them some time to collect their thoughts. A few minutester, someone broke the silence and said, ¡°It turns out Ms. Natalie has been used! She didn¡¯t seduce Mr. Shane either! All this while, Mrs. Smith and Ms. Jasmine were the ones pulling the string behind the scene to frame Ms. Natalie.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Have you guys seen Ms. Jasmine¡¯s expression when she tried to push Ms. Natalie? Oh, God! It¡¯s so horrifying!¡± ¡°I know, right? I had the shock of my life as well!¡± Jasmine and Susan¡¯s faces turned pale as they heard the conversation of those present in the conference room. Susan¡¯s face puckered in disappointment because she heard the conversation Jasmine had with Natalie, and her daughter said she hated her. Natalie looked in Shane¡¯s direction and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I believe I have proven my innocence, right? It¡¯s your turn to announce Ms. Jasmine¡¯s punishment.¡± As the one who had initiated the conference, Shane ced his inteced fingers on the table and gave it a thought before deciding on Jasmine¡¯s punishment. A few minutester, he brought himself up and cast a stern gaze at Jasmine. ¡°From now onwards, Jasmine will be terminated from Thompson Group. Is anyone against the suggestion?¡± Naturally, no one dared shake their head after Natalie showed them the evidence and proved her innocence. Jasmine bit her lips because there wasn¡¯t anything she could do to turn the tables since things had gotten to the point of no return. Albeit reluctantly, she had to do as instructed. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 I should have been more careful! I can¡¯t believe she has surveince cameras installed there! Natalie is such a cunning b****! Susan couldn¡¯t remain herposure anymore since her daughter would be chased out of Thompson Group soon. ¡°Shane...¡± He turned around and asked in a callous tone, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Smith? You do realize you have no say in Thompson Group, don¡¯t you?¡± As a result, Susan shuddered in fear and fell silent all of a sudden. He looked at Natalie and asked in a gentle manner, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Spinning the pen she had with her, she mmed it on the table all of a sudden. ¡°Actually, yes! Aren¡¯t you guys curious about Ms. Jasmine and Mrs. Smith¡¯s rtionship?¡± Jasmine had a bad feeling about the things Natalie was going to bring up in front of others. The former couldn¡¯t keep her cool anymore and yelled hysterically, ¡°Natalie! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Seeing this, Susan too became anxious, and she passed out as a result. On the other hand, Shane was slightly bbergasted by Natalie¡¯s words. Is she going to expose Susan¡¯s identity as Jasmine¡¯s biological mother? Natalie crossed her arms and asked in a sarcastic manner, ¡°Are you trying to threaten me? Since you have the audacity to ridicule my children, allow me to return the favor! I¡¯m sure everyone is aware that Susan over there isn¡¯t Mr. Smith¡¯s first spouse, right? Although Ms. Jasmine has been addressing her as her stepmother in front of us, she seemed to have addressed her as her biological mother in the video, didn¡¯t she?¡± After Natalie brought it up, those who were present finally recalled the content of the conversation that had urred. One of the senior shareholders got up from his seat and queried, ¡°Ms. Natalie, does that mean Ms. Jasmine is Harrison and Susan¡¯s daughter? That makes her the illegitimate child of the Smith family, right?¡± ¡°Exactly! The legitimate child of the Smith family has long departed with Mr. Smith¡¯s first wife. Ms. Jasmine is merely a recement to the position of the Smith family¡¯s legitimate child. Mr. Smith has lied to everyone and said her daughter changed her name to Jasmine.¡± Staring at Natalie with strong murderous intent, Jasmine appeared as if she would devour the former without any hesitation. ¡°Natalie! How dare you!¡± Natalie smiled as though it wasn¡¯t a big deal at all. ¡°Are you trying to threaten me again?¡± Natalie was aware of Jasmine¡¯s pet peeve¡ªher identity as an illegitimate child. Therefore, Jasmine felt a strong urge to take Natalie out since thetter had exposed her in front of others. The senior shareholder thought of something and looked at Shane in the eyes, asserting in a serious manner, ¡°Shane, the one you¡¯re supposed to marry is the legitimate child of the Smith family. Since Jasmine isn¡¯t the one your grandfather has appointed, she¡¯s not your fianc¨¦e!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. What? Natalie¡¯s jaw dropped open and stared at Shane in disbelief because she couldn¡¯t believe this kind of marital arrangement still existed. We are in an arranged marriage? On the other hand, Shane didn¡¯t expect the old man would bring up such a thing out of the blue. He massaged his temples and was about to say something, but Jasmine got ahead of him and yelled hysterically, ¡°Shut up, you senile old fool! What sort of nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m the only child of the Smith family! I¡¯m Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e! Don¡¯t you try to sow discord between us!¡± The horrendous woman could no longer keep her cool. She went berserk in front of everyone because she was afraid the old man would get Shane to call off their engagement. No! Never! I will never allow Shane to call off our engagement! ¡°Y-You! D-Did you just call me a senile old f¡ª¡± The old man pointed at Jasmine with his trembling hand. In the end, he passed out abruptly. Shane¡¯s face puckered in irritation and instructed Ss to rush him to the infirmary at once. The conference was brought to an abrupt halt following that. As everyone walked out of the conference room, they took a peek at Natalie and Jasmine. It would take them some time to process the turn of events. They were shocked to discover Jasmine¡¯s actual identity. They couldn¡¯t believe she was the one who used Natalie in an attempt to frame her. Most importantly, their minds were blown away the moment they realized Jasmine wasn¡¯t supposed to be Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e since she was the illegitimate child of the Smith family. Inevitably, the truth that had been revealed in the conference room would soon be the gossipmongers¡¯ favorite topics. Eventually, Shane, Jasmine, and Natalie were the only ones left behind in the conference room. Ss had arranged for others to bring Susan away. Shane turned around and looked at Natalie. ¡°Actually, Mr. ckwood was speaking the truth. We¡¯re supposed to get married because of the deal my grandfather had with the Smith family. The deal had been struck before he passed on.¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 It took Natalie a few minutes to collect her thoughts. In the end, the confused woman asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard about this before?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not aware of the arrangement because before we get to inform you, you have already¡ª¡± Halfway through his speech, Jasmine interrupted him and yelled, ¡°Shane!¡± She couldn¡¯t allow him to continue as he would bring up the im that Natalie had eloped with another man. N?velDrama.Org content. In that case, Jasmine¡¯s lies would be out of the closet. As she thought about it, she rushed over and held on to his sleeves. Forcing a smile, she assured him, ¡°Shane, shall we let bygones be bygones? After all, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to get married to you as of now. I¡¯m your one and only fianc¨¦e!¡± Squinting his eyebrows, he shrugged her off and warned her sternly, ¡°Currently, you¡¯re my fianc¨¦e, but I¡¯m warning you for onest time! Don¡¯t you try anything foolish behind my back again! If not, although you were the one who had saved me five years ago, I¡¯ll call off the engagement without a second thought!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll definitely keep that in mind and refrain from doing anything foolish in the future! I swear!¡± Natalie smirked in contempt because she was sure it was merely another one of Jasmine¡¯s many lies to deceive Shane. Since she had exposed Jasmine in front of others, Natalie was certain thetter would want to get her revenge in the near future. Suddenly, Jasmine received a call from her father. She wiped her tears dry and took out the phone to answer the call. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Jasmine, something bad has happened! Someone lodged a report against ourpany and said the quality of our products is subpar. Apart from that, we have been charged with tax evasion and financial statement maniption. A few departments have dropped by thepany to gather evidence.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane and Natalie exchanged nces because they weren¡¯t sure of the reasons Jasmine became worked up all of a sudden. Jasmine clenched her fist and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the person behind this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m calling you because I have no idea! Can you get Shane to get his hands on the mastermind behind this?¡± Harrison hung up the call right after he finished his request. Jasmine put her phone aside and said, ¡°Shane, something bad has happened in my father¡¯spany.¡± She repeated the content of the conversation she had with her father and requested his aid as her father had instructed. Natalie furrowed her brows upon hearing that before she broke into a sneer. Look at the state of the company now! Back then, none of these had urred under her mother¡¯s management. Since her mother left thepany, Smith Group had encountered all sorts of hardships and was used of tax evasion and financial statement maniption. Perhaps that was the reason Smith Group failed to advance over the past seven years. Shane adjusted his wrinkled sleeves and replied nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ll investigate the identity of the mastermind behind, but what exactly do you want me to do?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jasmine certainly didn¡¯t expect that question from him. Natalie chuckled and replied on Shane¡¯s behalf, ¡°Mr. Shane is trying to say it doesn¡¯t really matter if he manages to get his hand on the identity of the mastermind or not because it won¡¯t help to turn the tables for Smith Group. Tax evasion and maniption of financial statements are serious offence. If your father doesn¡¯t want to be sent behind bars, he will have to pay the fine thates in multiple folds. However, in that case...¡± Natalie¡¯s voice trailed off at that as the consequences were clear. On the other hand, Jasmine figured out the meaning behind Shane¡¯s words after she heard Natalie¡¯s exnation. If her father were to pay for the fine, Smith Group as well as the Smith family would be on the verge of bankruptcy. In other words, she would be left with nothing. She would not allow that to happen¡ªnot especially after going through all the hardship to rece Natalie as the sessor of the Smith family. ¡°Shane, you¡¯re going to help me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jasmine put on a pitiable front as she stared at Shane. He put his hands in his pocket and asked, ¡°How am I supposed to help? Even if Harrison pays the fine and gets himself off the hook, no one in the corporate world will trust him anymore. In fact, the relevant departments will keep a record of his deeds. If I offer him a loan, Thompson Group will be targeted by the relevant departments too. Do you think I¡¯ll put mypany at stake for his sake?¡± Jasmine¡¯s heart sank to the bottom of her stomach because Shane had made himself clear he wouldn¡¯t offer his help. Meanwhile, Natalie remained calm throughout their conversation. No one in the right mind would offer them their aid. Everyone was aware of the consequences it might bring. Helping the Smith Group would mean getting themselves involved in this sticky situation. Nheless, Jasmine refused to give up just yet and started weeping. ¡°Shane, you¡¯re my fianc¨¦! How could you be so cruel!¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Smirking, Shane directed another question in return. ¡°Are you considering me as a cruel man merely because I refused to offer my help? If something happens to Thompson Group, do you think Smith Group will offer to help?¡± ¡°I-I...¡± Jasmine was rendered speechless by his question. She opened her mouth to speak, yet no words came out of it. Shane sneered and remarked sarcastically, ¡°See? Isn¡¯t the answer obvious?¡± Jasmine avoided his gaze as she denied it and asserted, ¡°No, Shane! You have misperceived my response! If anything happens to Thompson Group, we¡¯ll definitely offer our help without hesitation. That being said, nothing¡¯s wrong with Thompson Group currently, right?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Natalie couldn¡¯t hold back herughter anymore. She chuckled and asked, ¡°Ms. Jasmine, are you saying that there was no window of opportunity for the Smith Group to help?¡± The infuriated Jasmine red at her and warned, ¡°Shut up! You have no right to interrupt our conversation!¡± Natalie shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut.¡± She kept her words and brought herself away right after she finished her sarcastic remarks. Shane massaged his temples and said, ¡°Alright. Forget about it. Harrison has been in the corporate world for a few decades. I believe he has some tricks up his sleeves as well.¡± ¡°B-But...¡± Jasmine was about to say something, but she knew she should stop the moment she detected Shane¡¯s irritated expression. In the end, she stomped her feet to express her frustration before walking out of the conference room. After she left, Shane reached for his phone and got in touch with the representatives from the respective departments to figure out the identity of the person who had lodged theint. A few momentster, he set his phone aside after receiving the answer. Natalie hesitated for some time before she brought herself to ask, ¡°Mr. Shane, who is it?¡± Although she wasn¡¯t part of the Smith family anymore, she was still interested in knowing because her mother used to contribute to Smith Group¡¯s sess. Thus, she couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye and behaved as though she didn¡¯t care about the hardship that had befallen Smith Group. Shane lowered his gaze and answered indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s a top-notch hacker.¡± ¡°A hacker?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief because a certain someone crossed her mind. Judging by her response, Shane got suspicious and confronted, ¡°What? Are you aware of the hacker¡¯s identity?¡± ¡°I-I do have a candidate in mind, but please forgive me because I can¡¯t possibly expose his identity.¡± Although he was Connor¡¯s father, she had no intention to reveal their son possessed top-notch hacking skills because she wanted to protect him. She deemed it necessary to keep the fact only to a mere few. After all, Connor was merely a few years old. She was afraid others would make use of his talents for their own sake. On the other hand, Shane was irritated because he wasn¡¯t aware of Natalie¡¯s concerns. He mistook it as her attempt to protect another man from him. As he was kept in the dark, he replied in a callous tone, ¡°I have no intention to figure out his actual identity, but what is he up to? What¡¯s his motive?¡± Natalie ran her fingers through her hair and denoted in a loving manner, ¡°I believe he¡¯s trying to avenge me because he¡¯s knew Harrison has pped me in the face while Jasmine has tried to use me.¡± ¡°He seems to be pretty concerned about your wellbeing, huh?¡± Grinning as she thought about it, she beamed her reply, ¡°He does.¡± He couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and walked out of the conference room as he was about to lose his cool. Emanating a gloomy presence as he walked out, Natalie finally noticed he seemed to be infuriated, yet she couldn¡¯t be sure of the reasons behind his sudden change of behavior. In the afternoon, Natalie dropped by to pick up her beloved children. As soon as they saw her, they rushed over and each held on to her legs firmly. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Natalie caressed her children in return and hailed a cab to bring them back to their ce. After they boarded the cab, Connor blinked his eyes and looked at his mother. ¡°Mommy, have you seen the surprise I have prepared for you?¡± His mother nodded in return and remarked, ¡°Speaking of which, where did you find the audacity to do such a thing? You have given me the shock of my life!¡± The little boy chuckled and snuggled down in between Natalie¡¯s arms. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly let him off the hook without teaching him a lesson, right? He should have known his ce and stayed away from us! Most importantly, he shouldn¡¯t have bullied you!¡± Although she was touched, she warned her son, ¡°Excuse me? You¡¯re not allowed to do such a thing from now onwards, okay? You should stay out of my business and live a carefree life as a child.¡± Her son shook his head and asserted in a serious manner, ¡°Mommy, how am I supposed to live a carefree life when you¡¯re living a tough life?¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Meanwhile, Sharon, who was savoring a lollipop, nodded and said, ¡°Connor is right, Mommy!¡± Natalie was touched beyond words due to the protective nature of the kids. She was grateful Shane had bestowed her the greatest blessings¡ªSharon and Connor. As she thought about it, she cradled their head firmly in her arms and pinched their cheek in a yful manner, causing them to giggle. ¡°Mommy, you have an iing call,¡± Connor nudged as he heard the buzzing sound from her mother¡¯s pocket. Natalie stopped fooling around with the kids as she picked up the call and greeted, ¡°Mom?¡± Yulia¡¯s gentle voice could be heard from the other end of the call, asking in concern, ¡°Nat, do you have a minute to spare?¡± ¡°Yes, Mom. I have just picked up Sharon and Connor from the kindergarten. Hey kids,e greet your grandmother.¡± Natalie handed over the phone to the kids. Sharon and Connor leaned over and greeted Yulia enthusiastically, giving her the best time of her life because she had been missing them a lot. A few minutester, she retrieved her phone and asked, ¡°What did you want to tell me, Mom?¡± Yulia stopped chuckling. Instead, she replied with disgust, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, but Harrison got in touch with mest night.¡± ¡°What is it about, Mom?¡± It had been seven years since they got in touch with one another. She was certain her father was up to no good for approaching her mother out of the blue. Yulia scoffed, ¡°He wants me to bring you away from J City. He said you¡¯re embarrassing him by trying to seduce Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°I have faith in my daughter and I¡¯m pretty sure he has been misrepresenting the facts again. Therefore, I have turned him down without a second thought. I¡¯m pretty sure Harrison can¡¯t get Jasmine a great fianc¨¦ either.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re wrong because Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦ is Shane.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips twitched unwittingly when she heard her mother¡¯s mean remarks. ¡°Jasmine, are you talking about Shane from the Thompson family?¡± ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± Suddenly, Yulia mmed the tabletop with all her might, giving Jared, who was in the ward, the shock of his life. ¡°How did he be Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦ when he¡¯s supposed to be your fianc¨¦?¡± ¡°Mom, why am I not aware of the arrangement Shane¡¯s grandfather has made? Since when has such an arrangement been made? You have never told me about it!¡± The confused Natalie pursed her lips. If it weren¡¯t because Mr. ckwood had brought it up during the conference, she wouldn¡¯t have any idea of the presence of such an arrangement. Yulia fell silent for a few seconds after she heard her daughter¡¯s query. Heaving a long sigh, she decided to tell her the truth. ¡°Back then, his grandfather passed out when he was out on the streets. I was the one to discover him and rush him to the hospital. After he regained consciousness, he promised me he would get his grandson to marry my daughter. That was the reason why you¡¯re supposed to be Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e. However...¡± Fastening her grip as she held on to her phone, Natalie asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Before I could tell you about the arrangement, I had filed for divorce with Harrison. Initially, I wanted to bring you and your brother to seek protection from Shane, but someone from the Thompson family stopped us and told us they would never acknowledge and honor the agreement. Thus, I didn¡¯t bring it up in front of you.¡± Natalie muttered to herself, ¡°I see...¡± Truth be told, her mind was all over the ce. She seemed to be slightly disappointed. It didn¡¯t feel great at all. She had never once thought of the possibility of Shane being her fianc¨¦. If she had been aware of the arrangement, perhaps Jasmine wouldn¡¯t get to win him over and be by his side. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t seem to be a great idea after all because Shane had a thing for another woman back in the day. In short, she wouldn¡¯t get to live a blissful life with him if they were in a rtionship back then. Eventually, the arrangement would be void due to his rtionship with another woman. Fate seemed to have worked wonders because they got the chance to spend their time by their respective loved ones¡¯ sides. He wouldn¡¯t have to void the arrangement while she got to stay by her beloved children¡¯s side. As she thought about it, she smiled and cast a gentle gaze at the kids. Although the kids were clueless about the reason behind her smile, they yed along and returned the favor, grinning in return. Finally, Natalie moved on from the topic and told her mother about the misfortunes that had befallen Smith Group. Yulia was thrilled when she heard of the entire incident and deemed it to be Harrison¡¯s karma for being such a jerk. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Giggling, Natalie covered her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell Yulia that Connor was the one who had brought upon Harrison¡¯s misfortunes. Few dayster, Natalie heard words about the incident and found out the Smith family seemed to have resolved the crisis. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Harrison liquidated all of his assets and parts of his shares to sustain thepany. In the end, the company¡¯s operation finally got back on track once again. Undeniably, Harrison was a decisive man, capable of making the tough decision to get himself out of the nasty situation. It was just like how he chased Yulia, Natalie and Jared out of the family back then. Natalie¡¯s trail of thoughts was interrupted when someone knocked on her door. ¡°Ms. Natalie, those from the dress-making department told me the outfits are ready for inspection. You may drop by and inspect the outfits. If there¡¯s anything that requires amendments, they¡¯ll proceed to deal with it ordingly.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll head over immediately.¡± She nodded and switched off herputer after she finished her sentence. After she packed her stuff, she departed and walked out of her office. The moment she reached the lobby, someone walked out of the elevator. The person was none other than Sean. As usual, he adjusted his sses and greeted, ¡°Hey, what a coincidence!¡± Natalie nodded and casually greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Sean¡± ¡°I am looking for you.¡± She was about to step into the elevator, but when she heard his words, she took a step back and looked at him in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re looking for me?¡± Sean waved an invitation card before her. ¡°My birthday is in a few days. I hope you¡¯ll drop by with the children. Please don¡¯t turn me down. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell Shane he¡¯s the father of the children.¡± Her pupil constricted as she was taken aback by his words. After a few seconds, she snapped out of her daze and queried, ¡°Y-You... H-How did you manage to figure the identity of their father?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a piece of cake to get to the identity of their father. After all, your son resembles Shane. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re not aware of Shane¡¯s doubts, right? He shared a simr thought back then due to the exact same reason.¡± ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± He must be kidding, right? Please tell me it¡¯s a bad joke! ¡°The moment Shane encountered your son, he had suspected if he was Connor¡¯s father. He did a DNA test, but Jasmine was aware of the test and swapped the blood samples of your children. Therefore, he had gotten his hands on a report that had shown otherwise.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief deep down and felt a heavy boulder lifted off her shoulder due to Jasmine¡¯s seemingly cunning action. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Jasmine had, indirectly, did her a favor and saved her from the trouble. Otherwise, Shane would have long brought her children away from her. Sean approached Natalie and asked, ¡°Also, I¡¯m aware you don¡¯t want Shane to figure out he¡¯s their father, isn¡¯t it?¡± Consequently, Natalie took a step back and asked, ¡°So? Are you threatening me? Are you going to tell him the truth if I turn you down?¡± Nodding, Sean asserted, ¡°Exactly! You¡¯re such a smart woman! I don¡¯t even have to waste my time exining myself!¡± ¡°Why? Why does it have to be me? What is it about me that has intrigued you? Why won¡¯t you stay away from me?¡± She raised her head and looked at Sean because she couldn¡¯t figure out the reason behind his odd behavior. Leaning over, he ran his finger through her long hair and whispered, ¡°Haven¡¯t I made myself clear? I have a thing for you because you¡¯re the most interesting woman I have ever encountered throughout my life!¡± Natalie shrugged him off and took another step back to stay away from him, behaving as though a beast was in front of her. Sean¡¯s expression turned gloomy the moment he caught a glimpse of Natalie¡¯s fearful look, but he soon returned to his usual self and handed over the invitation card to her. ¡°I¡¯ll be expecting your attendance.¡± Immediately after Sean finished his sentence, he waved at her and bade her farewell, walking off in another direction. Gazing at the invitation card Sean handed over to her before she took another peek at the man¡¯s departing figure, Natalie heaved a long sigh of despair because there wasn¡¯t anything she could do about it. Since he had dropped a threat, she decided to drop by in order to figure out his ulterior goal of inviting her. After she made up her mind, she ced the invitation card in her bag and boarded the elevator once again. Fifteen minutester, she finally reached the dress-making department. She noticed Shane was around as she made her way in. ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you doing here?¡± He turned around and exined himself indifferently, ¡°I heard the outfits for the show are ready. As the person in charge, I¡¯m not supposed to be clueless, right? What about you? Why are youte?¡± He sent someone to get her half an hour ago. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder the reason she waste. Natalie ced her bag aside and exined, ¡°I got caught up with something on my way here. Mr. Shane, shall we focus on the outfits?¡± Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Natalie diverted his attention because she had no intention of telling Shane she had encountered Sean. If he were aware of the contents of their conversation, she would be doomed for good. Thankfully, Shane didn¡¯t seem to be suspicious of her words. He pped and beckoned others to bring them the outfits. One after another elegant outfits showed up in front of them. The entire department seemed to have turned into a luxurious boutique. One of the staff present eximed, ¡°Fantastic!¡± Natalie nodded and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, I hope I have not let you down as the chief designer of the project.¡± ¡°Indeed. You have done a great job,¡± Shane replied with a smirk seeing her eagerness for compliments. Grinning, the satisfied designer denoted, ¡°Great! If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll head over and check on the clothes to determine if it requires any alteration.¡± Natalie walked towards the outfits and started inspecting the quality of the outfits in detail. Shane didn¡¯t stand around idly. Instead, he joined her for a round of inspection. After they had everything sorted out with those from the dress-making department, it was already noon. Shane suggested Natalie join him for lunch. Since she was hungry, she decided to join him without a second thought. They dropped by a Western restaurant. After they took their seats, Shane handed over the menu to Natalie. N?velDrama.Org content. She ordered a serving of steak and a piece of ck forest cake. ¡°You seem to have a sweet tooth, huh?¡± Shane remarked nonchntly after he took a sip of sky juice. He recalled she had a lot of desserts thest time they attended another event together. Natalie ran her fingers through her hair and denoted, ¡°Actually, I do because it¡¯s the only thing that¡¯s capable of soothing my soul after a long and hectic day of work.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shane swirled the ss of sky juice and lost himself in a train of thoughts. Throughout their entire meal, they remained silent. After they had their lunch, they didn¡¯t return to thepany. Instead, they dropped by Fashion Hall to check on the progress of the venue¡¯s setup. The show was merely a few days away. They couldn¡¯t allow anything to go wrong. Thus, in order to ensure a smooth event, they decided to check on every details. Soon, they reached Fashion Hall. After they boarded the elevator, Natalie was about to close the door when she heard the anxious voice yelling, ¡°Wait! Please wait for me!¡± Natalie stopped the elevator on the anonymous¡¯ behalf and caught a glimpse of a woman dressed in a complete set of office attire. The woman rushed into the elevator with bags of all sizes with her. Bowing, she expressed her gratitude towards Natalie and Shane after she caught a breather, ¡°Thank you so much!¡± In response, Natalie waved and asserted, ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± As for Shane, he ignored the woman as he stood behind them, emanating an intimidating presence as he had his eyes glued to the door of the elevator. Although the woman was attracted by his ethereal-looking face, she was intimidated by his aura and decided to stay away from him. A minuteter, she reached her designated floor and made her way out with her bags. As she tried to walk out with the things she had with her, a hefty bag of hers fell and bumped into Natalie, causing her to stagger and fall in between Shane¡¯s arms. Subconsciously, he removed his hand from his pocket and stretched his arm to support her in the nick of time. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine... T-Thanks, M-Mr. ...¡± She raised her head and identally kissed him on the lips because he had his gaze lowered to check on her. All of a sudden, her mind went nk as she stared at him, wide-eyed. Things were the same for Shane as he lost himself in a state of reverie. The moment they exchanged nces, he could barely resist the urge he had been suppressing all this while. It was merely an ident because he didn¡¯t expect she would raise her head out of the blue. As he caught a whiff of her scent and a velvety sensation from her lips, he was on the verge of losing control. Staring at her with his deep gaze, he felt a strong urge to give her an amorous kiss, yet his rationality prevented him from going berserk. A few secondster, Shane moved his hands away and took a step back, apologizing in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sorry.¡± Natalie, who had just returned to her senses, avoided his gaze as she flushed embarrassedly. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine...¡± She should be the one apologizing because if she didn¡¯t raise her head all of a sudden, they wouldn¡¯t have kissed either. Natalie turned around and faced Shane with her back. She could feel her cheek burning and her heart racing. It felt as though she would pass out anytime soon due to anxiety. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Shane was aware of Natalie¡¯s response, including the way she blushed after they kissed. Although it was merely an ident, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that they had shared a kiss. Since it was a kiss from another man, he was afraid he might have caused her a lot of stress. As he thought about it, he lowered his gaze and asserted calmly, ¡°You should think of it as nothing but an ident and forget about it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie felt a chill running down her spine when she heard him. He ignored her and took a peek at her before prompting her, ¡°We have arrived at the venue. Let¡¯s go.¡± Immediately after he his speech, he walked out of the elevator with his slender pair of legs. Natalie stared at his departing figure and felt a strong urge to say something, yet she didn¡¯t know what to say. A few secondster, she finally sorted things out in her mind and went after him. He was right. I shouldn¡¯t have been bothered by such a trivial matter when we had done even more intimate things five years ago. Am I seriously getting embarrassed due to a random kiss? What¡¯s wrong with me? It was nothing but an ident. I¡¯ll just pretend nothing has urred as he has suggested. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie finally returned to her usual self and dove right into her work with enthusiasm after they reached Fashion Hall. Shane took a seat by the stage as though he was an audience of the show. He couldn¡¯t stop staring at Natalie who was in the middle of a conversation with the coordinator of the show, discussing the details of the rehearsal. She looked extremely gorgeous when she took her work seriously, emanating the strong presence of a chief designer. Shane returned to his senses the moment he received a call. He reached for his phone and picked up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± No one knew what was the content of the conversation, but he was seen bolted up from his seat suddenly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll head over immediately.¡± As soon as he hung up the call, Shane beckoned one of the staff over and gave him a set of instructions before leaving with a serious look. The unknowing Natalie walked down the stage to look for Shane after she was done sorting out the arrangements for the show with the coordinator. As he was nowhere to be seen, she thought he might have headed over to the washroom, but the staff approached Natalie and said, ¡°Ms. Natalie, if you¡¯re looking for Mr. Shane, he has departed a few minutes ago.¡± ¡°What? He has departed?¡± Natalie was confused because they had just reached the venue a few minutes ago, yet he seemed to have left in a hurry. Is there an emergency? ¡°Yes, Ms. Natalie. He left after a call as he needs to make a trip to the hospital to visit a someone.¡± By the time she heard everything from the staff, Natalie finally linked the missing pieces of the puzzles together. Two days ago, Stanley told her Ms. Graham¡¯s surgical operation was a huge sess. However, since she had been in a vegetative state for years, her condition might vary from time to time. He¡¯s on his way to the hospital to visit Ms. Graham, right? Natalie suppressed the odd emotion she felt deep down and forced a smile, beaming her reply, ¡°Thanks for informing me.¡± The staff waved at her and told her it wasn¡¯t a big deal before returning to his position. Since everything was in ce, Natalie hailed a cab and made her way back to thepany. In the afternoon, after Natalie packed her stuff and was about to return home, Sean showed up at her doorstep and knocked on the door of her office. ¡°Are you free now?¡± Frowning, Natalie asked in return, ¡°Mr. Sean, do you need anything from me?¡± Sean approached her and said, ¡°I want to bring you out and get you an evening gown.¡± ¡°An evening gown?¡± The confused woman thought about it. After a few seconds, she finally recalled his invitation and thought he must be talking about the dress she would have to put on during his birthday banquet. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Mr. Sean. I can...¡± ¡°Say no more and let¡¯s go!¡± After he retrieved her bag on her behalf, Sean held her hand and dragged her out of her office before she could finish his sentence. They finally reached the shopping mall after an hour. Sean walked into a boutique store with Natalie who seemed to be irritated. ¡°Get her something that fits her.¡± The shop attendant sized Natalie up and was surprised by her wless features. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Miss, please follow me.¡± Nevertheless, Natalie stood right where she was, fuming with anger because she had been brought to the shopping mall against her will. As she was utterly irritated by Sean¡¯s action, she refused to give in to his demand. Sean knew it was part of Natalie¡¯s n to retaliate against him. He wasn¡¯t particrly mad, but he leaned over and whispered, ¡°If you refuse to go with her, I¡¯ll pick you a dress and get you changed on my own.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re such a shameless man!¡± She red at him and pushed him away. In the end, Natalie made her way to where the collection of gowns was. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 The shop attendant went after her immediately. Of all the gowns avable, she got herself a ck tulle dress and set it against her figure in front of the mirror. The shop attendantplimented, ¡°Miss, you have such great taste! This is Spencer¡¯stest piece!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get this then.¡± Natalie handed over the gown to the shop attendant because she had no intention to try it out either. After all, as a fellow designer, she could easily tell the dress was a perfect match for her slender figure. ¡°Sure, miss.¡± The shop attendant took over the gown and was about to proceed with the checkout procedure. However, a woman¡¯s voice could be heard, yelling all of a sudden, ¡°Hold on! I want that gown!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie, who was in the middle of touching up her appearance, turned around the moment she heard the woman¡¯s voice. She spotted Isabelle as thetter sashayed her way over with an arrogant look. Isabelle¡¯s appearance gave her a headache. She didn¡¯t expect she would run into the former there. Worst of all, Isabelle was there to pick a fight with her over a gown. It¡¯s going to be another long day! Isabelle was clueless about the things Natalie had in her mind, but she brought herself to a halt when she reached thetter¡¯s front. Snorting contemptuously, she reprimanded the shop attendant, ¡°Why are you still standing around? Have I not made myself clear? Hurry up and get me this gown!¡± The shop attendant apologized with a troubled look, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Moore, but this gown has been reserved by thisdy over here.¡± Isabelle cast a skeptical gaze at Natalie and asked, ¡°Her?¡± Smiling courteously, Natalie asked sarcastically, ¡°Yes. Do you have an issue with that?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard her words? It¡¯s Spencer¡¯s piece! Do you really think an infamous designer like you can afford it? It¡¯s going to cost you at least hundreds of thousands!¡± Before Natalie could respond to her mean remarks, Sean¡¯s voice could be heard from behind, asserting in a domineering manner, ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter because she¡¯s not the one paying for the gown!¡± Isabelle turned around and queried, ¡°Excuse me? Who are you?¡± Sean ignored her and walked towards Natalie instead. ¡°Have you chosen the gown?¡± Natalie nodded and looked in the direction of the shop attendant. Sean instructed the shop attendant, ¡°Proceed to check out the item at once!¡± Isabelle couldn¡¯t stand being neglected by the duo. She clenched her fists and shouted, ¡°Have I not made myself clear? I want this gown! I don¡¯t care who he is, but I won¡¯t allow him to take this gown away from me!¡± ¡°Take this gown away from you?¡± Sean, who had his pair of sses on, red at Isabelle, causing her to take a step back in fear. Although Natalie had never appreciated her presence, she couldn¡¯t leave her be because she was Mr. Moore¡¯s granddaughter. In the end, she held Sean¡¯s arm and requested, ¡°Forget about it. Since she wants it, I¡¯ll let her have it.¡± After Natalie finished her words, she moved her hands away from him and proceeded to pick herself another gown. This time, she got herself a white gown. A smile appeared on her face because it had a great design that was on par with the one she had chosen. The moment she detected Natalie¡¯s smile, Isabelle got frustrated. Suddenly, she behaved as though she hadpletely forgotten about Sean¡¯s intimidating re. ¡°I want that as well!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Natalie¡¯s face darkened abruptly. ¡°Ms. Moore, are you trying to give me a hard time on purpose?¡± At the same time, Sean narrowed his eyes and frowned to express his frustration. Isabelle held her chest high and asked, ¡°So what if I am?¡± Chuckling in extreme frustration, Natalie pointed out sarcastically, ¡°It looks like you have yet to learn your lesson, Ms. Moore.¡± Isabe pointed at her and yelled, ¡°How dare you bring this up in front of me?¡± Alfred wouldn¡¯t have scolded her if it weren¡¯t because of Natalie. Not to mention, Isabelle have been confined against her will for a few weeks too due to that. ¡°Why not? After all, you were the one who picked on me thest time. Here you are picking on me again. Since I could teach you a lesson thest time, I can easily achieve the feat for another time. You should stay out of my way and stop pushing your luck, Ms. Moore.¡± Isabelle rushed over and snatched the gown away from Natalie, stating with a provoking look, ¡°I won¡¯t stop, Natalie! Why don¡¯t you give it a try? You could get my grandfather to teach me a lesson because the Moore family was involved thest time, but no one else other than me is involved this time!¡± After she was done with her provocative remark, she handed over her credit card to the shop attendant and instructed, ¡°Proceed to check out the gowns immediately! These belong to me!¡± The shop attendant looked at Natalie and Sean because she couldn¡¯t decide on her next best course of action. By then, Sean had a vicious grin as though he was up to no good. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Natalie seemed to be aware of his n and stopped him once again as she shook her head and implied everything was fine. She got herself another gown after that and was happy with her selection. Isabelle was determined to get in her way. Thus, she proceeded to snatch it away from Natalie once more. The process went on over and over again. The moment Natalie got herself a new gown, Isabelle would proceed to snatch it away from her. Finally, Sean figured out the n Natalie had in her mind. He ced his hand in front of his mouth to cover his smile as he chuckled. Half an hourter, Isabelle bought all the gowns that were avable on one of the racks. The shop attendant couldn¡¯t suppress her joy at all. Natalie had enough of it and decided to stop fooling around with Isabelle. She caught a glimpse of Isabelle¡¯s proud look and started ridiculing her deep down. However, she put on a neutral front and said, ¡°Ms. Moore, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not a match for you in terms of wealth.¡± Natalie then turned to the shop attendant and instructed, ¡°You should head over to the counter and proceed to check out all the clothes for Ms. Moore.¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll do that now!¡± The shop attendant nodded and brought the stack of gowns to the counter with her. As she strode over to the counter, Natalie stated, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she has hit her target for the month.¡± Sean caressed his chin and agreed, ¡°I think she¡¯s pretty grateful for the favor you have done her.¡± Caressing her hair, Natalie replied humbly, ¡°The credit goes to Ms. Moore. After all, she¡¯s the one who contributes to her exceptional sales!¡± Isabelle, who overheard their conversation, finally realized she had been deceived by Natalie. She stared at thetter and yelled, ¡°Are you fooling around with me? Did you do it on purpose?¡± Natalie shrugged her shoulders nonchntly and remarked, ¡°Ms. Moore, you should me yourself for coming after the gowns I had eyes on. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t get the chance to mess around with you.¡± She clenched her teeth and stuttered, ¡°Y-You...¡± On the other hand, Natalie beamed her reply and suggested, ¡°Mr. Sean, let¡¯s head to another store since there isn¡¯t much selection here.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Sean nodded and walked out alongside Natalie. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only As he passed by Isabelle¡¯s side, he red at her for a few seconds until her face turned pale and haggard. Once he achieved his goal, he went after Natalie once again and headed over to another store. Since Isabelle wasn¡¯t around to get in her way anymore, Natalie managed to get herself a suitable gown shortly after they walked into another store. Once they purchased the gown, Sean brought Natalie to the jewelry store because he wanted to get her some essories to go along with her gown. Before they could decide on the suitable essories, Sean received a call and had to leave Natalie alone in the store. Meanwhile, Natalie was delighted because since the vicious man wasn¡¯t by her side, she didn¡¯t have to be on her guard anymore. Through the corner of his eyes, Ss caught a glimpse of Natalie. He informed the man in front of him, ¡°Mr. Shane, isn¡¯t that Ms. Smith?¡± Shane stopped and looked in the direction of Ss¡¯ gaze. Indeed, Natalie was in the jewelry store. She was right in front of the counter, holding a ne to her neck. After a few seconds, she shook her head because she wasn¡¯t satisfied with the ne¡¯s design. She returned it to the velvet tray and asked the shop attendant to get her another one. Ss queried, ¡°Those essories usually go along with an evening gown. Is she going to a dinner or something of sorts?¡± Shane kept quiet for a moment before asking, ¡°The store has a set of collections with the name of Heart of Fire, right?¡± ¡°Yes! Heart of Fire is a collection that has been made out of sophisticated diamonds with a crimson touch to the overall design. Due to its unique design, not many could carry the jewelry well. Therefore, it remains unsold and the store has been keeping it as one of their exquisite collections.¡± Shane looked at Natalie and murmured, ¡°Do you think the design matches her?¡± Gulping, Ss figured out the meaning behind his words. ¡°Mr. Shane, do you want to give her Heart of Fire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Why don¡¯t you answer my question instead?¡± He was pretty sure Shane had the intention of bestowing the Heart of Fire to Natalie. After giving it a thought, Ss told him, ¡°I think it does because of Ms. Smith¡¯s wless facial features and her independent character. I think she¡¯s the perfect candidate to put on Heart of Fire.¡± ¡°Sounds just about right. I want you to get in touch with the owner of the store and get him to show her Heart of Fire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it done at once. However, may I know the reason you have decided to bestow her Heart of Fire?¡± Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Did he seriously fall in love with her? Shane looked elsewhere and stated, ¡°As soon as Project Rebirth achieves its sess, we¡¯ll be able to venture into the fashion industry. Since she¡¯s the one who has contributed the most, she deserves it.¡± ¡°That being said, shouldn¡¯t you give her something else topensate her for her hard work? I have never heard ofpensating employees with precious gemstones. Apart from that, the show has yet begun, right? Don¡¯t you think we should refrain from jumping to the conclusion?¡± After Shane heard Ss¡¯ murmur, he cast a stern gaze at him. Catching Shane¡¯s re, Ss dared not poke his nose into the former¡¯s business anymore and proceeded to get in touch with the owner of the store as instructed. Soon, the owner of the store showed up in front of Natalie with Heart of Fire and helped her to put it on. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Watching from afar, Shane noticed she seemed to have turned into another person after she put it on. It felt as though she was an honorable woman, worthy of the precious and exquisite piece. The Heart of Fire didn¡¯t affect her look at all. Instead, the gemstones hadplimented her beauty perfectly. It felt as though Heart of Fire had been custom made for Natalie. Ss finally returned to Shane and told him, ¡°Mr. Shane, everything is done.¡± Without giving any response, Shane ignored him and had his eyes glued to the ethereal-looking Natalie. Ss looked in the direction of his gaze and eximed when he saw Natalie, ¡°I knew it! Heart of Fire is the right piece for Ms. Smith!¡± Few secondster, Shane turned away and said to Ss, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get going. Go bring the stuff we have bought for Jacqueline. She¡¯s still waiting for our return.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Meanwhile, Natalie, who was in the store, removed the ne and ced in on the velvet tray gently. Smiling, the owner of the store asked, ¡°What do you think, Miss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect...¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but exim in awe. This was the first time she had encountered such a precious diamond. A friend of her mentor was a gemstone enthusiast and collector. She had a simr precious diamond, yet it wasn¡¯t a match for the one in front of her in terms of size. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it, Miss. I¡¯ll proceed to check this out on your behalf.¡± As soon as the owner of the store finished her sentence, she brought the tray away with her to the counter. Natalie got in her way and yelled, ¡°Wait! I didn¡¯t say I¡¯ll going to take it! After all, I can¡¯t afford such an expensive piece!¡± She was d because she had the opportunity to put it on. Never had she thought of possessing such an exquisite piece. Smiling, the owner assured courteously, ¡°Miss, someone has bought Heart of Fire for you. Therefore...¡± ¡°Someone has bought it for me? Who could it be?¡± A few people popped up in her mind after the store owner said so. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Thompson, Miss.¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson? Could it be Sean?¡± The owner didn¡¯t respond to Natalie¡¯s query and headed over to the counter with Heart of Fire. After a few minutes, Natalie walked out of the jewelry store with a ne that costed a fortune. She couldn¡¯t believe she was the rightful owner of a ne that was worth tens of millions. Although she was thrilled, she had no intention to hold on to it and was determined to return it to Sean after the birthday banquet. Once she made up her mind, she brought herself out of the mall and returned home. A few dayster, it was finally Sean¡¯s birthday. As the banquet would be held in the evening, Natalie dropped her children off at Joyce¡¯s ce before hailing a cab to the hotel. By the time she reached the hotel, the hall was already filled with guests. After she surveyed the surroundings, she noticed there weren¡¯t any familiar faces around. In the end, she got herself a ss of wine and took a seat at the corner of the venue, waiting for the banquet to begin. Ten minutester, her eyes gleamed in excitement as she spotted a familiar figure. She got up from her seat and approached the man. ¡°Mr. James.¡± When the man heard her voice, he wrapped up his conversation with others and turned around to greet her in return, ¡°Hello, Nat!¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. James. I didn¡¯t expect I would run into you here.¡± Smiling, Natalie initiated a handshake courteously. He returned the favor and replied, ¡°Likewise! Since when have you returned?¡± ¡°I have been back since about a month ago.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, how is Mercede¡¯s condition?¡± Natalie beamed her reply, ¡°Things are pretty much the same, but before making my way back, he has instructed me to send you his regards if I ever run into you. He wants to know when are you going to deliver the checkerboard to him?¡± Mr. James seemed to be slightly embarrassed by her words. He chuckled in return and assured, ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ll definitely keep that in mind and get it done as soon as possible!¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll definitely deliver the message on your behalf!¡± Natalie was all smiles. Mr. James was the chairman of James Corporation and a good friend of Natalie¡¯s mentor because they were both chess enthusiasts. The duo had a great time catching up with one another, but suddenly, a gentle and loving voice could be heard. ¡°Nat, are you acquainted with Mr. James?¡± Harrison showed up with a ss of wine. As soon as Natalie noticed it was her father, her expression turned gloomy. Mr. James frowned because he could sense that Natalie was irritated by the presence of the man. ¡°Nat, who is this?¡± Harrison got ahead of Natalie and greeted Mr. James before she could speak. ¡°Pleased to meet you, Mr. James. I¡¯m Natalie¡¯s father.¡± He initiated a handshake, yet Mr. James ignored him and behaved as though Harrison didn¡¯t exist at all. Harrison felt awkward and withdrew his hand after a few seconds. He looked at Natalie and said, ¡°You should have told me you¡¯re an acquaintance of Mr. James! Why have you never brought it up in front of me?¡± Goosebumps sprang up all over Natalie¡¯s arms due to her father¡¯s odd behavior. She cut to the point and confronted, ¡°Dad, what brings you to me today?¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Natalie couldn¡¯t stand it anymore because her father only pretended to be loving due to her being a close acquaintance of Mr. James. ¡°I¡¯m not here for you, but for Mr. James.¡± Harrison turned and looked at Mr. James in the eyes. Once again, he introduced himself with a bright grin, ¡°Mr. James, this is my name card.¡± Mr. James took over the name card from him and had a good look before asking, ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Smith from Smith Group?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mr. James stuffed the name card in his pocket and queried, ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°I believe you have heard of the hardship Smith Group has been going throughtely...¡± Mr. James knew what Harrison had in mind as he asked curtly, ¡°Do you want me to finance Smith Group?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Harrison nodded vigorously. In order to get in touch with prospective investors who could get Smith Group out of the nasty situation, he had spent a fortune to get his hands on the invitation card to the birthday banquet. Although Smith Group managed to pull through the crisis, thepany was in a tight spot due to the lack of cash to maintain its day-to-day operation. If things were to persist any longer, Smith Group would have to file for bankruptcy soon. Therefore, he had no choice but to cast his dignity aside. ¡°Mr. Smith, I believe your daughter is Mr. Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e, right? Since you have such a capable son- inw, why don¡¯t you acquire his aid?¡± After Mr. James finished his question, he thought of something else and continued, ¡°Since Nat is your daughter, does that mean she¡¯s Mr. Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Y-Yes...¡± Harrison stuttered and lied, signaling Natalie to y along with him. Mr. James was known as a doting husband and father. He despised men who cheated on their wives. Thus, Harrison couldn¡¯t let the former know he had turned his back against his spouse and given birth to Jasmine. Nevertheless, Natalie pretended as though she didn¡¯t get the signal and swirled her ss of drinks. ¡°What are you talking about, Dad? Have you forgotten that my sister is Mr. Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± Harrison¡¯s expression turned gloomy all of a sudden. ¡°Oh? Does Mr. Smith have another daughter? Why have I never heard of such a thing? I¡¯m only aware of this sole daughter of yours here. Does that mean...¡± Smirking, Natalie stated before Mr. James could finish his question, ¡°Yes, Mr. James. My sister is my father¡¯s illegitimate child whom he brought home after he filed for divorce with my mother seven years ago.¡± Harrison cast a stern gaze at his daughter as he felt a strong urge to take her out there and then. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but sneer deep down when she detected her father¡¯s look. All this while, she was confused due to her father¡¯s biased actions. He would side with her sister despite both of them being his daughters. As a matter of fact, he demanded her to apologize for the things she hadn¡¯t done for no apparent reasons and attempted to make use of Natalie¡¯s identity to conceal the fact that Jasmine was her illegitimate daughter. She couldn¡¯t stand him anymore. Therefore, she decided to expose him in front of others. Mr. James was aware he had gotten himself involved in a family feud between the father and daughter duo. He stared at Harrison and replied in a callous tone, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Smith, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be financing Smith Group. I believe you¡¯re aware I prioritize nothing else above my family, right? I have always despised disloyal men who have turned their backs against their spouses. You should reach out to someone else for help.¡± After he made himself clear, he looked at Natalie and denoted gently, ¡°Nat, I¡¯ll have to join my friends over there. Let¡¯s catch up in the future.¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll see you around!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only After Mr. James departed, Natalie had no intention to stay around anymore. She was about to return to her seat, yet her father dragged her arm with all her might and stopped her. ¡°Why did you expose me in front of Mr. James?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dad? Am I supposed to y along with you and lie to Mr. James? Do you really think you can deceive him forever? Even if you get him to finance Smith Group, as soon as he¡¯s aware you have been lying to him, he¡¯ll retract the funds without any second thought.¡± Harrison¡¯s lips twitched unwittingly because he was rendered speechless by his daughter¡¯s words. A few secondster, he narrowed his eyes and sized Natalie up in an odd manner. ¡°Speaking of which, how are you acquainted with Mr. James?¡± Natalie shrugged him off and asked, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Harrison forced a gentle smile and requested, ¡°You seem to be pretty close with Mr. James, huh? Why don¡¯t you persuade him...¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Natalie turned him down without any hesitation before he could finish his sentence. Harrison¡¯s expression darkened all of a sudden. ¡°Natalie, I¡¯m your father! How dare you defy my words?¡± Smirking, Natalie remarked sarcastically, ¡°I don¡¯t consider you as my father anymore ever since you chased Mom, Jared, and I out of the family seven years ago.¡± Harrison was dumbfounded for a few seconds when he heard her words. His heart skipped a beat because it felt as though he had lost a precious thing in his life. He threatened her, ¡°Fine! Since you¡¯re not going to acknowledge me as your father, I¡¯m not going to force you into submission. However, I have raised you up for at least a decade! Don¡¯t you think you should repay me?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t expect her father to be such a shameless man. He actually resorted to such a dirty trick to threaten her. She took a deep breath, but before she could rebuke her father, a man¡¯s callous voice could be heard from behind them. ¡°Mr. Smith, I must say I¡¯m surprised!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes gleamed gleefully as she could recognize the voice. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shane nodded in return and approached the duo with a contemptuous smirk. ¡°This is the first time I have encountered a father threatening and forcing his daughter into submission.¡± Embarrassed by his words, the middle-aged man rebutted, ¡°S-Shane... I-I¡¯m sure you must have misheard my words... I-I¡¯m not trying to threaten her... W-We¡¯re in the middle of a discussion...¡± ¡°Forget about it! You don¡¯ have to exin yourself because I¡¯m pretty sure you know what you did! Why don¡¯t you get out of my sight at once?¡± Shane beckoned him over to the entrance of the hall. Although Shane was his so-called son-inw, he dared not assert dominance as his father-inw due to their differences. After Harrison excused himself and fled, Shane asked Natalie, ¡°Has he always treated you in such a manner when you were part of the Smith family?¡± ¡°It was pretty much the same, but things were better back in the days.¡± In fact, before the appearance of Susan and Jasmine, Harrison had rarely mistreat Natalie and her brother. Shane gave it a thought and decided to give her a heads-up. ¡°Really? Harrison has always been a proud man. As long as you have something to ckmail him, he¡¯ll stay away from you for the rest of his life.¡± Natalie felt a heartwarming sensation deep down. She nodded and said, Thank you so much, Mr. Shane. If it weren¡¯t for you, I might have to spend some time arguing with him again.¡± Shane gulped his ss of drink and asked, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. What about you? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Mr. Sean invited me to his birthday.¡± After Natalie exined herself, she showed Shane the invitation card Sean had given her. Shane¡¯s face darkened because he finally linked everything together. It turns out she has purchased the jewelry for Sean¡¯s birthday! As he thought about it and looked at Heart of Fire on her neck, he wasn¡¯t pleased by its gorgeous look anymore. Instead, he felt a strong urge to remove the ne from her. Nevertheless, he suppressed his anger and ced his ss on the tray as a waiter passed by his side. Thereafter, he left without saying anything else because he was frustrated. Natalie was confused because the man exuded a menacing aura as he departed. She thought he seemed to be irritated for no apparent reason. What¡¯s wrong with him? Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Did I say something to piss him off? Before Natalie could think of an answer to that, the birthday banquet began. Dressed in a pure white suit, Sean descended the stairs from the second floor. He epted the microphone a waiter handed to him before moving to the small stage set up nearby. He gave a short speech, thanking everyone for their attendance and well-wishes. When he was done, it was time for dancing. As Sean was the birthday boy and also the host, he would have to open up the dance floor. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. All the single females present stared at him eagerly, hoping he would select them to be his dance partner. To their immense disappointment, he set down the microphone and headed toward Natalie. ¡°May I invite you to a dance, beautiful miss?¡± Sean held his hand out in invitation, a smile ying on his lips. Natalie could feel the pressure of the envious gazesing from the other women. In truth, she really did not want to dance with him. However, today was his birthday. It was not right for her to refuse. Left without any other choice, she had to ept his invitation. ¡°It would be my honor!¡± She curtsied at him before cing her hand on his palm gently. Curling his fingers over hers, Sean led her toward the empty space in the middle of the room. Music flowed out the moment they stepped into the clearing and they swiftly slipped into a waltz. The other guests moved to circle them, watching as they twirled around the makeshift dancefloor. Shane and Jasmine were standing at the very front of the crowd. Jasmine tugged on his arm and let a surprised expression cross her face. ¡°Shane, Sean invited Ms. Natalie to his birthday banquet and even asked her to be his partner for the opening dance. Do you think they¡¯re dating?¡± Shane¡¯s face was indifferent as he removed his arm from her grip. He ignored her question as his eyes locked on the dancing couple and narrowed. As if sensing the burning gaze, Sean spun them around and took that chance to nce over at Shane. When he noticed the stormy look in Shane¡¯s eyes, his lips curved up into a wicked smirk. The hand he had ced around Natalie¡¯s waist tightened, tugging her closer to him. Shane¡¯s face darkened in anger when he noticed this. Then, he grabbed Jasmine¡¯s wrist and pulled her toward the dancefloor. His action shocked the other guests in attendance. Those who knew about the bad blood between Shane and Sean shook their heads in amusement. The two sons of the Thompson family were always at each other¡¯s throats,peting with each other in everything. Despite that, it was still rather unexpected that they would try to one-up each other when it came to dancing, of all things. ¡°Shane, you want to dance with me?¡± Jasmine asked. She was so excited she was holding her breath. The only reply she got was a grunt of agreement. He extended his hand to her even as his gaze remained fixed on Natalie and Sean. Jasmine did not notice his distraction though. She was too lost in her tion that Shane actually wanted to dance with her. Worried he would change his mind, she hastily ced her hand in his. Shane started their dance before slowly making their way over to Sean and Natalie. ¡°Mr. Shane. Ms. Jasmine.¡± Natalie smiled at them in greeting. Upon noticing Shane and Jasmine, Sean mentally scoffed. As expected from Shane! Every time Natalie is involved, he just can¡¯t stay away. Seems like the depth of his feelings for her is a lot deeper than I imagined. At that thought, Sean discreetly shot Natalie a contemtive look. By this point, they were halfway through their dance. Soon, it would be the most interesting part of the dance - exchanging dance partners. If there was only a couple on the dancefloor, they would not need to switch partners. However, now that Shane and Jasmine were here as well, etiquette demanded they exchange partners. As the music swelled into a crescendo, Natalie and Jasmine twirled around. A gleam entered Shane¡¯s eyes and he let go of Jasmine¡¯s hand. Then, he gently pushed her toward Sean. That left Sean with no choice but to release Natalie too. He grudgingly pushed her toward Shane. Shane dly took Natalie into his arms before swiftly moving away to the other side of the dancefloor. No one in the crowd seemed to find anything strange or wrong with that. Sean and Jasmine, however, were another case entirely. Both were looking none-too-happy at what just urred. ¡°You appear to have been used,¡± Sean mocked her in a low tone. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Jasmine red hatefully in the direction Shane and Natalie had gone in. She hissed, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me!¡± Of course, she knew she had been used. What was even more infuriating and humiliating was that she had not noticed at all. She had honestly thought Shane wanted to dance with her. Yet, it turned out that he had only done that for Natalie. He did not want Natalie and Sean to dance together, so he had pulled her onto the dancefloor so he could get to Natalie. Jasmine was so angry she could scream. Her chest rose and fell heavily with the force of her fury while utter hatred toward Natalie shone in her eyes. A sly look entered Sean¡¯s eyes when he noticed that. ¡°Are you going to just ept defeat like that?¡± The way her lips pursed tightly was answer enough. He chuckled evilly and suggested, ¡°If you¡¯re not, then do something about it!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her head snapped to look at him. ¡°What are you...?¡± He merely shrugged his shoulders in response, not saying anything more. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Jasmine lowered her gaze to hide the scheming glint that appeared in her eyes. He¡¯s right. I finally got a chance to dance with Shane yet that b**** snatched him away from me! I¡¯ll teach her a lesson she¡¯ll never forget! Her attention focused on the way Natalie¡¯s dress trailed along the floor. Then, her eyes gleamed brightly when she got an idea. She patted Sean, her eyes darting to Natalie meaningfully. Her intention was obvious. She wanted him to lead them in that direction. Once they were close enough, she pretended to stumble and deliberately stepped on Natalie¡¯s dress. Since Natalie¡¯s back was facing Jasmine, she did not realize thetter¡¯s actions at all. Although Shane had seen Jasmine stumble, he did not notice that her foot was right on Natalie¡¯s dress. Thus, he ignored her and twirled Natalie in a grand spin for the finishing move. At that moment, a loud ripping sound rang out. Immediately after that, Natalie felt the way her dress split open at the front and slipped down her chest. ¡°AHH!¡± she shrieked in panic. Her arms flew up to cover herself as she crouched down on the floor, her face pale with shock. Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed and he hurriedly took off his suit jacket. Draping it over her body, he roared at the control room on the second floor, ¡°Turn off the lights!¡± The employees in the control room hastily did as ordered. In an instant, the entire hall was plunged into darkness. Shane helped Natalie to her feet. His voice was uncharacteristically gentle as heforted her, ¡°Calm down. Nobody saw anything.¡± Natalie looked as white as a sheet, her pupils blown wide in fear. Her hands clutched the suit jacket to her tightly while her entire body shivered uncontrobly. It was clear she was deeply traumatized by what just happened. ¡°Shane, is Nat okay?¡± Sean¡¯s voice sounded from somewhere beside them. Shane ignored him. Despite the darkness that shrouded them, his cold gaze urately fixed on Jasmine as he demanded, ¡°Why did you step on her dress?¡± Judging from the direction the tearing sound hade from and Jasmine¡¯s location then, it was easy to guess the reason for Natalie¡¯s current condition. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I didn¡¯t know I was stepping on her dress. I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Jasmine burst into tears, crying pitifully as if she had really not done it on purpose. Too bad for her, Shane waspletely unconvinced. He patted Natalie¡¯s trembling back, intoning, ¡°Do you seriously think I¡¯ll believe you?¡± Jasmine¡¯s crying hitched for a second before she continued. ¡°Shane, I know you won¡¯t believe me because I used to be at odds with Ms. Natalie previously. But I swear, I really didn¡¯t do this deliberately!¡± Sean pushed his sses up his nose before stating, ¡°Shane, I can vouch for her. Her heels were too high and she twisted her ankle. She must have identally stepped on Nat¡¯s dress then.¡± ¡°An ident? I don¡¯t think so. Does she look like she twisted her ankle?¡± Shane pointed a finger at Jasmine with a sneer. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Shane. We can get to the truth of the matterter. What¡¯s more important now is to bring Nat to the private lounge so she can change out of that dress,¡± Sean reminded. That snapped Shane out of his fury. He moved to help Natalie out of there when Sean stopped him. In an airy tone, Sean said, ¡°Shane, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for you to go with Nat. After all, you¡¯re still Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦. What would others think if they see you going with another woman to change out of her clothes? What would they think about her? It¡¯s better if I take Nat out of here.¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 With that said, Sean wrapped an arm around Natalie¡¯s shoulders and guided her out of the hall. Natalie did not make a fuss as she was taken away from Shane. She did not care who she left with, only that she could leave as quickly as possible. Shane¡¯s eyes darkened as he watched Sean and Natalie exit the hall. His hand clenched into tight fists. At that moment, he cursed his identity as Jasmine¡¯s fianc¨¦. The thought of calling off their engagement sprouted in his mind. At the private lounge. Sean handed Natalie a ss of warm water. ¡°Here, drink some water to calm your nerves.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Natalie answered hoarsely. She was feeling a lot better now that she was out of the hall. Reaching out to ept the ss, she took a sip. Sean draped his suit jacket over the back of the couch opposite hers and sat down. Then, he crossed his legs before focusing a heated stare on her. Feeling ufortable at his gaze, she shifted slightly and shrank back. ¡°Mr. Sean, what are you looking at?¡± He propped his head up with one arm and chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯m looking at your eyes. You look beautiful even after you cry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be absolutely stunning when you¡¯re actually crying. It¡¯s just too bad that it was so dark earlier. I couldn¡¯t see anything.¡± Natalie scowled at his flirtatious words. ¡°Mr. Sean, maybe you should leave first. I can wait by myself for someone to bring a new change of clothes.¡± If he continued to remain here, he might say more things she did not want to hear. ¡°Nobody¡¯s bringing you clothes.¡± Sean took off his sses and set them aside. Natalie was stunned at his words. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t even send anyone off to find you clothes,¡± he replied while tugging at his tie. She stiffened as rm bells started ringing in her mind. cing the ss of water down, she sprinted for the door. ¡°It¡¯s no use. I locked the door when I came in.¡± Sean got to his feet and turned to smile evilly at her. The color drained from Natalie¡¯s face. Her unease grew while her heart pounded in her chest. ¡°What are you nning on doing?¡± ¡°What am I nning on doing?¡± He snickered at her question. ¡°A man and a woman are all alone in a room. What do you think?¡± ¡°You!¡± Her eyes widened in shock as realization dawned. When he began to prowl toward her, she instinctively backed away. Her back bumped into the door, cutting off her escape. There was nowhere she could run. Nevertheless, she still whirled around to pull on the doorknob with all the strength that she had. She had to open the door! To her dismay, Sean had not been lying when he said he had locked it. By that point, he was nearly upon her. Gritting her teeth, she let go of the doorknob and dashed to the side to grab a vase. She lifted it threateningly and warned, ¡°Don¡¯te any closer or I¡¯ll call the police!¡± He raised an eyebrow at her and taunted, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked with dread. He did not answer, merely watched her with interest. She hugged the vase to her with one hand while the other rummaged through her purse. When she dug out her phone, she saw that she had no signal at all. ¡°How can this be?¡± Her lips quivered as despair filled her eyes. Sean lifted a hand to sweep some errant hair out of his eyes. ¡°I had my men jam the signals beforehand. Not only that, but nobody will also being here to disturb us either.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Natalie¡¯s grip on her phone tightened. ¡°I understand now. This is the reason you invited me to your birthday banquet!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He nodded then added smugly, ¡°I had originally nned on using an excuse to lure you here after the dance. To my annoyance, Shane and Jasmine decided to get themselves involved. Thankfully, even though there were some hups, my n still worked out in the end.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She red at him furiously. ¡°How does sleeping with me benefit you?¡± At that, Sean¡¯s lips twitched into a smirk. ¡°It benefits me a lot. You know about the grudge between Shane and me?¡± Natalie nodded. She had heard all about it from the employees of Thompson Group. Although Shane and Sean were cousins, they were mortal enemies. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 The reason for Sean¡¯s hatred toward Shane was that Sean had not inherited Thompson Group despite being the firstborn of the eldest son. ¡°But what¡¯s that got to do with me being here right now?¡± Natalie questioned. Sean stroked his chin and answered, ¡°Of course it does! You¡¯re technically Shane¡¯s woman and even gave birth to two children for him. If I make you mine and have those kids call me ¡®Daddy,¡¯ don¡¯t you think he¡¯ll go absolutely crazy?¡± Natalie felt like the world¡¯s biggest joke was being yed on her. ¡°So you¡¯re doing all this to me just because you want to piss off Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s more than enough reason for me to do this. Although I have to admit you¡¯re truly an interesting woman. I wouldn¡¯t be lying if I said I actually liked you. After all, you¡¯re quite the beauty!¡± With that said, he lunged toward her. She screamed in shock before throwing her phone and the vase at him. Unfortunately, he dodged them easily. Just as the vase smashed against the floor, her hand was seized in an unrelenting grip. Then, he forcefully dragged her toward the coffee table. One sweep of his hands sent the items on it crashing to the ground. He tossed her onto the table before pinning her down with his weight. Grabbing both her hands, he moved them up above her head and restrained them with one hand. ¡°Let me go!¡± she shrieked furiously. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she struggled violently. Her legs flew out wildly, wanting to kick him away from her. He had clearly been expecting this. Raising his knee, he rammed it into her gut hard. She howled in pain while paling dramatically. There was a wicked smirk on Sean¡¯s face as he gazed down at her. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t make me angry. I¡¯m not a gentle man.¡± Natalie fought to endure the agony shooting from her abdomen. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she red at him balefully. He frowned before gripping her chin harshly. When he spoke, his voice was menacing, ¡°I really don¡¯t like the way you¡¯re looking at me. But I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. In a short while, you won¡¯t have the energy to spare on hating me. I¡¯ll definitely make those pretty eyes of yours shine with beautiful, beautiful tears!¡± Letting go of her face, his hand trailed down her slender neck and toward her corbone. Suddenly, he grasped the suit jacket covering her and ripped it away, revealing the flesh-colored nipple covers she had on. ¡°Sean Thompson!¡± Natalie was going into a full-blown panic now. ¡°Touch me and I swear I¡¯ll never let you go free! I¡¯ll make sure you go to prison for this!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You¡¯re going to send me to prison?¡± Sean let out a bark ofughter. ¡°Do you see that above your head?¡± Huh? She craned her neck slightly to look above her. There, blinking in the ceiling, was a security camera. Her blood went cold at the sight. He patted her cheeks lightly and mocked, ¡°Do you get it now? The security camera will record our little intimate session. If you make a police report after this, I¡¯ll leak this video to the media. Everyone can admire your amazing body then. So what if your son is a hacker? There¡¯s nothing he can do that will mitigate that damage.¡± ¡°AHHHHH!¡± Natalie wailed in desperation. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! Sean Thompson, you¡¯re a damn psycho!¡± Sean cackled at her words, not the slightest bit angry. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right that I¡¯m a psycho! I¡¯m willing to do anything as long as it makes Shane unhappy. That¡¯s why you have to be a good little girl now and be my woman, hmm? Your children can call me ¡®Daddy.¡¯ I¡¯ll be sure to treat all of you well. What do you think?¡± Natalie¡¯s lips trembled but not a single sound left them. Unbidden, tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. ¡°You truly are even more beautiful when you cry!¡± His thumb reached up to swipe at a tear while excitement shone in his eyes. Unable to wait a moment longer, he lowered his head to hers. Just as he was about tond a kiss on the corner of her eyes, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. Sean¡¯s head snapped up as he red at the entrance. A grim scowl twisted his features when he noted Shane standing there. Why is he here? ¡°Mr. Shane, save me!¡± Natalie cried out for help, despair coating her voice. When Shane noted how she was partially undressed, a thunderous expression crossed his face. A murderous gleam appeared in his normally indifferent eyes. With his long legs, he traveled across the room in a few strides. His fist flew forward to m into Sean¡¯s face. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Sean yelped and fell away from Natalie, crumpling to the floor. Before he could get up, Shane began to land a barrage of vicious kicks on him. Shane did not hold back at all, putting as much force as he could into each kick. Eventually, Sean was a half-dead mess on the floor, having long ago fallen unconscious. Finally satisfied, Shane stopped his kicking. Letting out a soft breath, he schooled his furious expression into a calm one before turning his attention on Natalie. His voice was filled with concern when he asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Adjusting the suit jacket so it covered her up again, she choked out, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± His tightened brows rxed a little at her words and he sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Luckily, I got here just in time! Otherwise, she would have been... Shane could not even finish that thought. His heart felt like someone had wrapped a fist around it and was squeezing it. It hurt. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Mr. Shane, please take me away from here!¡± Natalie begged as she gripped the hem of Shane¡¯s shirt. Her tear-streaked face turned toward him, revealing her distress. She refused to stay here a second longer. Everything here absolutely repulsed and disgusted her! ¡°Okay.¡± He held her arm and helped her off the coffee table. However, the moment her feet touched the ground, her legs gave out from beneath her and she fell forward in a dead faint. When Natalie finally woke up, it was already afternoon the next day. She blinked her eyes open before sweeping a gaze across the unfamiliar room. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°My house.¡± Shane was sitting in a chair beside the bed. He rified gently, ¡°When you fell unconscious, I thought you were drugged. Since my house is quite close to the hotel and I have a family doctor, I thought it is best to bring you here.¡± So that was why she was here. Rubbing her temples, she sat up in bed. The nket slid down her body, showing that she was currently d in ck silk pajamas. The pajamas were quiterge. Obviously, they belonged to a man. She could not help the anxiety that rose in her as she eximed, ¡°My clothes!¡± He shut the magazine he had been reading and reassured her, ¡°Rx. Mrs. Wilson was the one who changed your clothes.¡± The pajamas were his though. Natalie calmed down when she heard that. She shot Shane an embarrassed smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. I might have overreacted a little...¡± She did not mean to have such a huge reaction either. It was just that what happened yesterday had severely traumatized her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± He nodded at her to show he did not mind. She scrubbed at her cheeks as she stated, ¡°Thank you for what you did yesterday, Mr. Shane. If you hadn¡¯te for me, Sean would have... Speaking of that, what happened to him?¡± His eyes narrowed at the mention of his cousin. ¡°He¡¯s in the hospital,¡± was the icy response. Apparently, he had broken several of Sean¡¯s ribs yesterday, which meant thetter would be hospitalized for the next two months at least. Natalie pped the bedsheets in sadistic glee. ¡°Serves him right!¡± Shane quirked his lips at her joy. But a few secondster, the smile slipped off his face. ¡°Ss found a security camera in the lounge you guys were in. However, since the heinous crime didn¡¯t actually happen along with Sean¡¯s insistence that you were willing, there¡¯s not enough evidence to arrest him for his crimes.¡± ¡°I most definitely wasn¡¯t willing!¡± The tion on her face vanished and was reced by fury. He crossed his legs and stared at her. ¡°Of course I know that you weren¡¯t willing. You wouldn¡¯t have begged me to rescue you otherwise. What I want to know is why he wanted to do that to you?¡± Her eyes shed as she asked warily, ¡°Didn¡¯t the camera record everything he said?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t record sound,¡± he answered calmly. Natalie¡¯s spirits lifted at his words. Like a rollercoaster ride, she went from being utterly depressed to being absolutely delighted. Wonderful! That means he still doesn¡¯t know the kids are his! At that thought, she dropped her gaze to herp to hide the relief in them. She murmured apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. I can¡¯t tell you just yet.¡± Shane pursed his lips at her answer. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to say anything if you don¡¯t want to. Even though the police can¡¯t arrest Sean for his crimes, I promise you I¡¯ll transfer him away from the headquarters.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± she expressed with heartfelt gratitude. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something as her hand flew up to caress her neck. When she felt nothing there, she started to panic. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Sean yelped and fell away from Natalie, crumpling to the floor. Before he could get up, Shane began to land a barrage of vicious kicks on him. Shane did not hold back at all, putting as much force as he could into each kick. Eventually, Sean was a half-dead mess on the floor, having long ago fallen unconscious. Finally satisfied, Shane stopped his kicking. Letting out a soft breath, he schooled his furious expression into a calm one before turning his attention on Natalie. His voice was filled with concern when he asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Adjusting the suit jacket so it covered her up again, she choked out, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± His tightened brows rxed a little at her words and he sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Luckily, I got here just in time! Otherwise, she would have been... Shane could not even finish that thought. His heart felt like someone had wrapped a fist around it and was squeezing it. It hurt. ¡°Mr. Shane, please take me away from here!¡± Natalie begged as she gripped the hem of Shane¡¯s shirt. Her tear-streaked face turned toward him, revealing her distress. She refused to stay here a second longer. Everything here absolutely repulsed and disgusted her! ¡°Okay.¡± He held her arm and helped her off the coffee table. However, the moment her feet touched the ground, her legs gave out from beneath her and she fell forward in a dead faint. When Natalie finally woke up, it was already afternoon the next day. She blinked her eyes open before sweeping a gaze across the unfamiliar room. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°My house.¡± Shane was sitting in a chair beside the bed. He rified gently, ¡°When you fell unconscious, I thought you were drugged. Since my house is quite close to the hotel and I have a family doctor, I thought it is best to bring you here.¡± So that was why she was here. Rubbing her temples, she sat up in bed. The nket slid down her body, showing that she was currently d in ck silk pajamas. The pajamas were quiterge. Obviously, they belonged to a man. She could not help the anxiety that rose in her as she eximed, ¡°My clothes!¡± He shut the magazine he had been reading and reassured her, ¡°Rx. Mrs. Wilson was the one who changed your clothes.¡± The pajamas were his though. Natalie calmed down when she heard that. She shot Shane an embarrassed smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. I might have overreacted a little...¡± She did not mean to have such a huge reaction either. It was just that what happened yesterday had severely traumatized her. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± He nodded at her to show he did not mind. She scrubbed at her cheeks as she stated, ¡°Thank you for what you did yesterday, Mr. Shane. If you hadn¡¯te for me, Sean would have... Speaking of that, what happened to him?¡± His eyes narrowed at the mention of his cousin. ¡°He¡¯s in the hospital,¡± was the icy response. Apparently, he had broken several of Sean¡¯s ribs yesterday, which meant thetter would be hospitalized for the next two months at least. Natalie pped the bedsheets in sadistic glee. ¡°Serves him right!¡± Shane quirked his lips at her joy. But a few secondster, the smile slipped off his face. ¡°Ss found a security camera in the lounge you guys were in. However, since the heinous crime didn¡¯t actually happen along with Sean¡¯s insistence that you were willing, there¡¯s not enough evidence to arrest him for his crimes.¡± ¡°I most definitely wasn¡¯t willing!¡± The tion on her face vanished and was reced by fury. He crossed his legs and stared at her. ¡°Of course I know that you weren¡¯t willing. You wouldn¡¯t have begged me to rescue you otherwise. What I want to know is why he wanted to do that to you?¡± Her eyes shed as she asked warily, ¡°Didn¡¯t the camera record everything he said?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t record sound,¡± he answered calmly. Natalie¡¯s spirits lifted at his words. Like a rollercoaster ride, she went from being utterly depressed to being absolutely delighted. Wonderful! That means he still doesn¡¯t know the kids are his! At that thought, she dropped her gaze to herp to hide the relief in them. She murmured apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. I can¡¯t tell you just yet.¡± Shane pursed his lips at her answer. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to say anything if you don¡¯t want to. Even though the police can¡¯t arrest Sean for his crimes, I promise you I¡¯ll transfer him away from the headquarters.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± she expressed with heartfelt gratitude. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something as her hand flew up to caress her neck. When she felt nothing there, she started to panic. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Shane stood up and pulled out a dazzling red ne from his pocket. ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± Natalie fixed her eyes on the ne and saw that it was indeed the Heart of Fire. Her head bobbed furiously. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Here.¡± He held it out toward her. She hurriedly waved her hand in rejection. ¡°Mr. Shane, please help me return that to Sean.¡± Once this ne was returned to Sean, she would owe him nothing anymore. ¡°You want me to give this back to Sean?¡± Shane furrowed his brows. ¡°Yes.¡± His fingers curled around the ne tightly as the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Sensing the change in atmosphere, Natalie blinked in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Shane?¡± The man shut his eyes and seemed to be reining in his emotions. A few secondster, he spoke up in a frosty tone, ¡°This ne has absolutely nothing to do with Sean!¡± ¡°What?¡± She froze in surprise. Does he mean that Sean didn¡¯t buy this ne for me? Then it was... Swallowing hard, her heart was pounding as she ventured to ask, ¡°Mr. Shane, were you the one who gave this ne to me?¡± He lowered his eyes and kept silent, clearly a sign of admission. Natalie¡¯s lips twitched slightly. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t know. I thought Sean bought it for me. But then why did you gift that to me, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°It was meant to be a reward for Project Rebirth,¡± he answered casually while pressing the ne into her hand. She bit her lip and protested, ¡°But it¡¯s way too expensive! I can¡¯t ept this, Mr. Shane! You should take it back.¡± He did not move to ept the ne she thrust toward him. Instead, he locked eyes with her. ¡°I can¡¯t take back something I¡¯ve already given out. Just throw it away if you don¡¯t want it.¡± Cough! She nearly choked on her own saliva at hearing that. He must be joking! This ne costs tens of millions and he expects me to throw it away if I don¡¯t want it? Only someone as filthy rich as him will be able to say something like that so flippantly! Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Twisting his body slightly, Shane called out, ¡°Come in!¡± Click. The door swung open before a middle-aged woman stuck her head inside. ¡°Sir, lunch is ready. Will you being down now?¡± Shane nced over at Natalie before replying, ¡°Please prepare another set of cutlery.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The middle-aged woman blinked before smiling. ¡°Is the miss awake already?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll set a ce for her right away!¡± With that said, the woman shut the door and departed. ¡°She¡¯s Mrs. Wilson, my housekeeper,¡± Shane informed Natalie of the identity of the middle-aged woman. Natalie nodded in understanding. Picking up a big box from beside him, he passed it to her. ¡°Change into these clothes thene down for lunch.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She epted the box with both hands. She waited till Shane had left the room before opening the box and changing into the clothes inside. When she was done, she stared at the Heart of Fire lying innocently on the bed. After a few seconds of hesitation, she pocketed the ne. Since he doesn¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll just keep it for now. I¡¯ll return it to him when I get a chance in the future. After that, she tidied the bed before heading for the door. She had only just stepped out of the room when she spotted Shane leaning against the wall beside the door. She jumped a little in fright, her hand coming up to soothe her racing heart. ¡°Mr. Shane! I thought you had already gone downstairs.¡± ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Shane uncrossed the arms he had folded against his chest. Natalie grinned as she smoothed her ruffled hair. ¡°Were you worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to find the stairs?¡± He did not deny it. Turning, he strode for the stairs. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She followed along dutifully, her head swiveling around all the while as she took in his vi. It was quite arge vi. Despite that, the interior design was incredibly simplistic. Much like his apartment, it felt cold and empty. They arrived at the dining room where the table was alreadyden with food. Natalie¡¯s eyes were wide while she stared at the veritable feast. She blurted out, ¡°Wow! What avish meal!¡± Mrs. Wilson, who wasing out of the kitchen with a pot of soup, burst intoughter. ¡°Hurry up and sit down so you can try them out then!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie made herself at home as she instantly pulled out a chair and sat down. Using a fork, she stabbed a slice of meat and popped it into her mouth. ¡°How is it?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked her. Shane was toying with his fork as he, too, watched her for her reaction. Natalie shot them a thumbs up in response. ¡°It tastes great!¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Mrs. Wilson was smiling so wide her eyes were but small slits on her face. ¡°Then do have more!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Natalie nodded happily. Thus, she stuffed herself till she was close to bursting. After lunch was over, Shane went off to his study for a video conference. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Natalie moved to sit on the couch in the living room, cradling her food baby. Mrs. Wilson came over with a ss of lemonade and offered it to Natalie. ¡°Here, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Natalie took the ss from her gratefully. Mrs. Wilson seated herself beside the younger woman. She scrutinized Natalie closely, though her gaze was kind. A little ufortable at how the older woman was staring at her, Natalie self-consciously reached up to feel her face. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, is there something on my face?¡± ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. I¡¯m just curious about you, that¡¯s all. Ms. Smith, you¡¯re the first guest Sir has ever brought back.¡± ¡°The first guest?¡± Natalie paused in drinking the lemonade. ¡°Haven¡¯t Dr. Baker, Mr. Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e, or Ms. Graham ever been here?¡± The housekeeper shook her head. ¡°No. Sir has never let theme here before. That¡¯s why I was so surprised to see him bring you backst night, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie twisted the ss in her hands even as a warm feeling curled in her. Something caught her attention and she pointed at the photo on the opposite wall. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, are they- ?¡± The photo showed a man and a woman, both very young. She could almost see the resemnce Shane had with them. Are they his parents? Mrs. Wilson¡¯s reply proved her guess right. ¡°It¡¯s Sir¡¯s parents. They¡¯ve already passed away.¡± Natalie set down the ss and queried, ¡°How did they die?¡± Mrs. Wilson sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Smith. I can¡¯t tell you that. This is a taboo topic for Sir.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I won¡¯t ask again.¡± Natalie nodded to show she understood. The housekeeper got to her feet and stated, ¡°Well then, I still have some work to do. There¡¯s still dirty laundry waiting to be washed. Please stay here and rest as long as you like, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. After Mrs. Wilson left, Natalie took up the remote control and turned on the TV. A whileter, her stomach started digesting the food and she felt a lot less like she was about to explode. It was time for her to take her leave. I didn¡¯t go homest night so Sharon and Connor must be out of their minds with worry. Spurred by that thought, she stood up. She decided to head upstairs to let Shane know she was leaving. However, before she could take a step toward the staircase, Shane appeared at the bottom of it. ¡°Mr. Shane, just the man I was looking for.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane raised a brow at her. Pointing at the clock, she exined, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte so I should be going home. I was just about to find you to let you know.¡± ¡°Let me send you back.¡± He headed for the front door without even giving her a chance to respond. In the car, Shane¡¯s fingers tapped against the steering wheel before he abruptly said, ¡°Regarding the incidentst night, we have no conclusion for what happened just yet.¡± ¡°How can that be?¡± Natalie clenched her fingers into fists. An apologetic look shed past his eyes. ¡°Sean had all the security cameras in the banquet hall turned off beforehand. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no evidence to prove whether Jasmine deliberately stepped on your dress or not.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± she muttered with a frown. Her instinct was telling her Jasmine had done it on purpose. Unfortunately, theck of evidence was incredibly frustrating. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I still arranged for her to be punished,¡± he assured her. She tilted her head to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s her punishment?¡± A smirk yed on Shane¡¯s lips as he replied, ¡°Seventy-two hours ofmunity service with a live broadcast.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyebrows rose upwards at that. That would make Jasmine theughingstock of the entire industry! She quickly took out her phone and searched for a live broadcast of Jasmine¡¯s punishment. It did not take her long to find one. Tapping inside, she was just in time to see Jasmine - dressed in a cleaner¡¯s uniform - step on a banana peel. The woman slipped and instantly fell t on her face. ¡°Pfft!¡± Natalie was unable to restrain herself as her joyousughter filled the interior of the car. Shane eyed her from the corner of his eyes. Seeing herughing so heartily had his heart melting. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Ms. Jasmine slipped and fell on her face. It was so hrious!¡± She wiped the tears leaking from her eyes before adding, ¡°Thements are super funny and interesting too!¡± Chapter 128 Chapter 128 ¡°Really?¡± Shane¡¯s expression was indifferent. He was clearly not very interested in what she was saying. At that moment, a cat suddenly darted out of the flowerbed a few meters ahead of them. It came to a stop in the middle of the road. Natalie¡¯s face fell when she saw it. She shouted in warning, ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Shane had a grim look on his face. He knew it was toote to pull the brakes now. Left with no other choice, he hastily jerked the steering wheel to the side. The car swerved to the left, heading right for the flowerbed. At the same time, he swiftly undid his seatbelt and lunged toward Natalie. Wrapping her in a protective embrace, he pinned her to the passenger seat. BANG! The car shuddered violently before the car rms went off. Natalie screamed in shock and terror, causing Shane to tighten his hold on her. After a moment, the car stopped moving while the rms stopped ring. Everything seemed to return to normal. It was only then Shane released Natalie and slowly moved away from her. Natalie straightened up before ncing at the windshield. To her horror, the entire windshield was spiderwebbed with cracks. Her hair stood on end as a shiver raced down her spine. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you hurt?¡± she asked in a quavering voice. Her face was incredibly pale. ¡°No,¡± Shane dusted himself off, ¡°You?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not injured either.¡± How can I be? He protected me with his body. This is the second time he¡¯s moved to protect me without a moment¡¯s hesitation. She was incredibly touched and surprised at that thought. Knock knock! Someone was rapping on the car window. Natalie calmed her pounding heart before looking over. There was a traffic policeman standing outside the car. When Shane rolled down the window, the policeman leaned down to ask, ¡°You guys okay?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re fine,¡± Shane answered cidly. The policeman nodded and said, ¡°Then could you please exit the vehicle? I¡¯ll need your statements.¡± Shane did not protest as he opened the door and got out of the car. Natalie did not remain in the car either. Swiftly taking off her seatbelt, she slipped out to join him. Once she was out of the car, she could see that the entire front end had run over the flowerbed and rammed into the divider. The headlights had also shattered with the force of the impact. She gasped softly at the terrible sight. It really was a miracle that she and Shane werepletely unharmed when the car was in such a mess! By this point, Shane had finished giving his statement. He walked over to her side and dered, ¡°I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What about the car?¡± She pointed at the Maybach in question. He nced at it, noting the sad state it was in. ¡°It can¡¯t be driven anymore. I¡¯ll send someone here to drag it away to the junkyard.¡± ¡°The junkyard?¡± Blinking her eyes in astonishment, she eximed, ¡°Mr. Shane, do you mean you don¡¯t want that car anymore?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What a pity! It¡¯s such an expensive car too,¡± shemented while putting her hand down by her side. Shane could not help the amused smile that crossed his face when he saw how pained she was at his decision. Natalie¡¯s keen eyes caught the motion and nearly popped out of her head. It was like she had seen something miraculous happen. ¡°Mr. Shane, you¡¯re smiling!¡± The aforementioned smile instantly vanished from his face, his expression returning to its default cold and distant look. ¡°I¡¯m not. You must be mistaken.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sure of what I saw. You were clearly smiling just now!¡± she insisted. Shane did not deign that with an answer as he turned to hail a taxi for them. Not wanting to be left behind, Natalie rushed after him. Half an hourter, they arrived back at her apartment. Natalie pressed the doorbell. They did not have to wait long before the door swung open. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Joyce immediately scooped Natalie into a tight hug. ¡°Nat, you¡¯re finally back!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Let me go!¡± Natalie patted Joyce¡¯s arm before pointing out, ¡°We have a guest.¡± ¡°A guest?¡± Joyce released her before ncing behind her at Shane. She froze in surprise when she got a closer look at his face. ¡°Oh my god, did Connor be an adult when I wasn¡¯t looking?¡± Natalie smacked her forehead in exasperated annoyance. I just knew Joyce would react like that! ¡°Hey, hey, stop speaking nonsense!¡± Natalie hastened to introduce the two. ¡°This is my boss, Mr. Shane.¡± Then, she pointed at Joyce and continued, ¡°Mr. Shane, this is Joyce Rivers, my best friend and also godmother to the children.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Shane dipped his head at Joyce in greeting. Joyce¡¯s reply was a little distracted, ¡°Hi, hello. You¡¯re the CEO of Thompson Group?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Then, Shane focused his gaze on Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Natalie was taken aback that Shane was leaving so soon. ¡°You¡¯re leaving already? Aren¡¯t you going to come in and sit for a bit?¡± ¡°No. I see that you have a friend with you already.¡± Shane¡¯s brows furrowed when he noticed how Joyce kept staring at him. Knowing he did not like to be around strangers, Natalie reluctantly nodded. ¡°Alright then. Be careful on your way back.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± was his only response before he turned to leave. Joyce watched him go. Once he was out of sight, sheined, ¡°Oh my god, they¡¯re just so simr! Nat, why didn¡¯t you ever tell me that he looks just like Connor!¡± Natalie shrugged and replied, ¡°I thought there wasn¡¯t any point since you two would never meet.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± Joyce rubbed her chin thoughtfully before something seemed to ur to her. Her voice was urgent as she asked, ¡°Nat, you don¡¯t think he¡¯s Connor and Sharon¡¯s - ¡° Predicting what she was about to say, Natalie¡¯s eyes shed before she hurriedly interrupted, ¡°No! I already told you that their father is an old man in his fifties.¡± Joyce, who had been getting worked up at the prospect, instantly deted at Natalie¡¯s words. She sighed regretfully andmented, ¡°But they seriously resemble each other so much! How could they not be rted?¡± Natalie chuckled nervously before quickly changing the subject. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough about this. Where are the kids?¡± ¡°They were ying games earlier and only just fell asleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go check on them.¡± Natalie changed into a pair of house slippers then padded into the apartment. Joyce shut the door behind them and followed her inside. Natalie stared down at her sound asleep children, her eyes filled with warmth and love. ¡°Joyce, thanks for looking after them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Joyce waved her hand to brush off her thanks. Gently closing the children¡¯s room door, Natalie asked, ¡°Wanna drink?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Joyce¡¯s eyes lit up at the idea. Thus, Natalie headed into the kitchen and pulled out two cans of beer. She tossed one at her best friend. Joyce caught it with both hands and instantly popped it open. She took a deep gulp and smacked her lips. ¡°Ahh, that hits the spot!¡± Laughing at her friend¡¯s antics, Natalie drank from her own can. Then, she asked about how things were going at the studio. Ever since she started working at Thompson Group, she had not stepped foot in the studio again. That was why she knew absolutely nothing about what was going on there. Joyce was the one who managed everything there now. Upon hearing that question, Joyce stopped drinking as a solemn expression appeared on her face. Natalie noticed it and put down her beer. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Joyce ran her fingers through her hair before answering, ¡°It¡¯s not something really serious. It¡¯s just that a studio much bigger than ours has been causing a lot of trouble for ustely.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°I guess they¡¯re jealous of us!¡± The can in Joyce¡¯s hand crumpled as her fingers clenched tightly, fury zing through her. ¡°You¡¯re alwaysing up with new designs, so we¡¯re able to constantlyunch new clothing lines and at a rtively fast rate. They sent someone over in hopes of poaching you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. Joyce scowled and continued, ¡°You¡¯re one of my studio¡¯s boss and also our chief designer; I would be a fool to agree to them! So now they¡¯re deliberately going against us. They even ruined our coboration with one of the clothing factories! Not only that, but they¡¯re also even giarizing our designs!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the name of that studio? Who owns it?¡± Natalie questioned while pressing her lips into a thin line. Finishing off her beer, Joyce set the crumpled can down and replied, ¡°The studio is called Jasminum. I have no idea who the boss is. It¡¯s a mystery.¡± After some thought, Natalie suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll have Connor look into themter.¡± Even though using such tactics was quite despicable, she absolutely hated it when she did not know who her enemy was. Hidden in the shadows, it was easy for the enemy to have the advantage. ¡°Okay. Let me know what you find out.¡± With that said, Joyce got to her feet. Natalie knew the other woman was preparing to leave so she nodded in agreement. That night, Natalie told Connor everything after he woke up from his nap. It was not hard for him to find out who the boss was. When Natalie saw who it was, she was delighted. It was none other than Jasmine! Chapter 130 Chapter 130 With a name like Jasminum, I should¡¯ve known it was Jasmine! When Connor saw his motherughing, he could not help asking, ¡°Mommy, is this woman your arch- nemesis?¡± ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s everywhere! You¡¯re working at Mr. Shane¡¯spany and she bullies you there. Now, she¡¯s even using her studio to pick on your studio! She¡¯s so despicable!¡± Connor ranted while shaking his fist angrily. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s so annoying!¡± Sharon chimed in. Natalie stroked her darlings¡¯ heads. She was about to speak when Connor narrowed his eyes and announced, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll teach her a lesson for you!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. His cold tone had her knitting her brows. It was then she realized he had an extremely hostile air around him. ¡°Connor!¡± She took his face in her hands and fixed him with a stern look. ¡°Listen to me. This is Mommy¡¯s business, okay? Mommy will handle this matter myself. I don¡¯t need you to help me nor are you allowed to aid me from afar. Do you understand me?¡± She had always been aware of Connor¡¯s high intelligence, which led to him maturing a lot faster. However, that did not mean that his mind was that of an adult¡¯s just yet. She did not want him to experience the darker side of being an adult at such a young age. That would be incredibly detrimental to his mental health and growth. In fact, she was even beginning to regret having him investigate who the boss of Jasminum was. Thankfully, she had discovered his less-than-healthy mindset now. She would have to refrain from making a simr mistake in the future. Connor did not know what his mother was thinking about to make her so angry. Nevertheless, he nodded obediently since he did not want to piss her off further. ¡°I understand, Mommy!¡± ¡°Good boy!¡± A smile graced Natalie¡¯s features again. Sharon cocked her head to the side, a bewildered expression on her face. Her mother and brother seemed to be talking in riddles and she had absolutely no idea what they were saying. ¡°Alright. Go outside and y now. Mommy needs to give your Aunt Joyce a call.¡± Natalie waved her phone at them. Connor hopped off his chair and took his sister¡¯s hand. Then, he led her to the living room to watch TV. Natalie dialed Joyce¡¯s number and told her about what they had found out. When she was done, they discussed what action they would take next. If they were to sue Jasminum for design infringement, Jasmine would probably receive a court summons. After a moment of thought, Natalie chuckled and told Joyce her n. She decided she would not personally appear for this court case. Joyce would handle everything on her behalf. For now, she had no intention of revealing herself to be the designer that Jasmine wanted to poach. The next day. Natalie was in her office working on the design draft she had promised Shane. Suddenly, her desk phone rang shrilly. Her pencil never stopped moving even as her other hand reached out to pick up the receiver. cing it against her ear, she stated, ¡°Hello, this is Natalie Smith.¡± ¡°Ms. Natalie, this is the front desk in the lobby,¡± a woman¡¯s voice sounded out gently. She did not pause in her work as she asked, ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°A woman came looking for you.¡± ¡°A woman?¡± Atst, Natalie stopped her work. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°She refused to say. She wanted me to tell you to meet her at the caf¨¦ next door in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Hanging up the call, Natalie nibbled on her lip in thought. A woman who refused to give her name. How very mysterious! Just who is she? For the next few minutes, she wracked her brain but was unable to think of who it could be. Setting down her pencil, she stood up and grabbed her bag. It was time to meet this unknown woman. Since the caf¨¦ was literally next door to the Thompson Group building, it did not take her long to get there. The entire caf¨¦ was empty when she arrived. There was only a single woman sitting at a window seat. The middle-aged woman sat with her back toward Natalie, so she was unable to see her face. Judging from the way the other woman was dressedvishly, Natalie guessed that she was from a wealthy family. She must be the woman looking for me earlier. Natalie moved over to that table and greeted the older woman politely, ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am. Are you the one who wanted to meet with me?¡± The woman set down her coffee cup before raising her head to scrutinize Natalie. She did not speak. Natalie took this opportunity to take in the older woman as well. She was in her fifties, though she was clearly diligent in caring for her skin. She would be considered quite beautiful if not for her high cheekbones and the way her nose was upturned slightly. They made her look rather snobbish and unapproachable. ¡°You¡¯re Natalie Smith?¡± Finally, the older woman spoke in a cool voice. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± Chapter 131 Chapter 131 ¡°As expected of a vixen!¡± The older woman sneered in disdain. Natalie, who was in the process of pulling out a chair, paused briefly while her brows furrowed. Then, she regained herposure and continued her motion. Sitting down in the chair, she smiled and replied, ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°When did Ipliment you?¡± A puzzled look appeared on the older woman¡¯s face. Natalie tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°Just now. You said I was a vixen, right? Everyone knows that¡¯s another way of saying someone is incredibly beautiful. It¡¯s no longer meant to be an insult, didn¡¯t you know? You really should keep up with the times, Ma¡¯am. The inte is a wonderful ce that one can learn many things from.¡± The middle-aged woman scowled. She had obviously understood the hidden insult in Natalie¡¯s words - that she was an old woman who did not even know how to use the inte and keep up with the times. Infuriated, she mmed her palm down on the table. ¡°Watch your tongue! You should show some respect to your elders! I honestly have no idea why my son is interested in a woman like you!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± was the eloquent response from Natalie. ¡°Your son is interested in me? Ma¡¯am, just who is your son?¡± The older woman¡¯s nostrils red as she pursed her lips. ¡°Sean Thompson. I¡¯m his mother.¡± Natalie¡¯s face darkened at the mention of Sean. Her voice was cial when she spoke, ¡°I see. No wonder you two are mother and son.¡± The son is dangerous and cunning while the mother is haughty and spiteful. I wonder what the father and husband will be like? ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Catherine Meyer, Sean¡¯s mother, frowned at Natalie¡¯s words. Once again, Natalie quirked her lips in a smile, a smile that never reached her eyes. ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just praising you two.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes narrowed, clearly not believing her. Natalie brought the ss of water to her lips and sipped. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, you still haven¡¯t told me why you were looking for me.¡± Catherine leaned back in her seatzily. ¡°I just wanted to see the woman who caused my son to be beaten badly enough he had to be hospitalized. Now that I¡¯ve seen you, I must say I¡¯m not surprised- ¡° ¡°Hold it right there,¡± Natalie cut her off with a raised hand. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, I don¡¯t agree with your words. I didn¡¯t ¡®cause¡¯ your son to be hospitalized. He ended up there because of his own actions. He wanted to do something horrible to me, which was why Mr. Shane beat him up.¡± Catherine scoffed loudly, ¡°Hah! You should feel lucky that my son took an interest in you. If you had only been a good girl and did as he said, Shane wouldn¡¯t have assaulted him!¡± Natalie was utterly dumbfounded. She cried out incredulously, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, are you seriously saying I should agree to sleep with Sean if he asks even though I don¡¯t like him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of my son.¡± Catherine jutted her chin proudly while throwing the younger woman a disdainful re. ¡°I don¡¯t care if my son only wants to y around with you. However, I¡¯ll be the first to disagree if he really wants to be with you. I¡¯ve done my research on you before I came here. You¡¯re a very troublesome woman!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie brushed her fingers across the smooth surface of the ss, her eyes dark and unfathomable. Crossing her arms before her chest, Catherine ranted, ¡°You¡¯ve already caused trouble several times in the past month since you joined Thompson Group. Every single time, it involves Sean and Shane. From that alone, I already know your motive. You¡¯re obviously trying to seduce one of them so you can marry into the Thompson family! Let me tell you this right now. Don¡¯t even think about it! I¡¯ll never let you join the family!¡± With that said, she opened up her branded bag and took out a check. She pped it down on the table in front of Natalie. Natalie nced down at it. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, this...¡± ¡°Take it and leave Thompson Group. Stay far away from Shane and my son.¡± Catherine looked like she was offering something incredibly gracious. A bubble ofughter escaped Natalie¡¯s mouth. ¡°Two million? Mrs. Thompson, don¡¯t you think this amount is a little at odds with your status?¡± In other words, how stingy was Catherine to only offer her this little money when she was clearly so wealthy? Catherine¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Then how much do you want?¡± Natalie wagged a finger at her mockingly. ¡°I don¡¯t want any money from you, Mrs. Thompson. You might not know this, but the copyright fees for one set of my fashion designs will earn me a few million at least. Besides...¡± ¡°¡®Besides¡¯ what?¡± Catherine¡¯s expression was turning even more ugly. She could not fathom how drawing a few sets of clothing could be worth so much. Jasmine Smith, you little b***h! Why didn¡¯t you tell me all this before I came here? You caused me to make a fool out of myself!N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Natalie traced the rim of her ss idly, stating, ¡°Besides, as you said earlier, the reason I want to get close to Mr. Shane and Sean is to marry into the Thompson family. That means no matter which one of them I marry, I¡¯ll still be a billionaire. So tell me, why should I give up on such a wonderful future for a few million?¡± ¡°You!¡± Catherine was rendered speechless. At the same time, she could not refute Natalie¡¯s words since they were very reasonable. Anybody with brains would make the same decision. However, that was not a decision that the Thompson family would ept. After a moment of thought, Catherine smacked the table and stood up. ¡°You shameless woman! Do you seriously think you can marry into the Thompson family just because you want to? You¡¯re trying to seduce both Shane and Sean at the same time! Just based on this fact alone, there¡¯s no way my husband and I will ept you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. If I can¡¯t have Sean, at least I still have Mr. Shane. He¡¯s richer anyway,¡± Natalie replied with a wide smile. Catherine¡¯s chest heaved with the force of her anger. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about putting your filthy hands on Shane either! He¡¯s already engaged.¡± ¡°Engagements can be called off.¡± The smile never left Natalie¡¯s face. She was purposely doing this to piss off Catherine. After all, it¡¯s obvious she came here today to humiliate me. I¡¯m not going to just roll over and ept that from her! Catherine waspletely unaware of the thoughts going through Natalie¡¯s mind. She sniffed disdainfully and hissed, ¡°Calling off the engagement? You think it¡¯s that easy?¡± ¡°Is it really that hard?¡± Natalie syed her hands out in front of her. ¡°The Smith family isn¡¯t exactly J City¡¯s most influential family. If Mr. Shane wants to break off the engagement, all he needs to do is post something online. He doesn¡¯t even need to discuss anything with the Smiths. Even if the Smiths are unhappy with his decision, they¡¯ll have no choice but to ept it. They won¡¯t even dare to take revenge. Even I know something as basic as that, yet you...¡± Here, she deliberately trailed off. She did not need to say more. Her implied meaning was obvious - Catherine was an ignorant woman. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Pushed over the edge by that statement, Catherine picked up her coffee and threw it at Natalie. Natalie had not expected the older woman to do something like that. As such, she was unable to avoid the liquid. The coffee sshed all over her, drenching her entire head while also ruining her clothes. Seeing Natalie in such a sorry state soothed Catherine¡¯s anger immensely. She felt much better now. Natalie took several napkins and began to dab at the coffee expressionlessly. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, the only thing holding me back from doing the same to you is the fact that you¡¯re my elder. However, I can assure you that I will remember this.¡± ¡°What could you possibly do about it?¡± Catherine snorted scornfully. Tossing the used napkins on the table, Natalie replied, ¡°I might not be able to do anything to you now, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t in the future. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll marry Mr. Shane one day and be the new matriarch of the family. When that happens, I might just decide to make things difficult for you and your family. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll still be able to ensure your family has no ce in the Thompson family.¡± ¡°You!¡± Catherine¡¯s face purpled with fury as she pointed a trembling finger at Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Shane all about you! I¡¯ll let him know just what sort of woman you are!¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Natalie spat out coldly. With that, she took her bag and left for the restroom. She needed to clean up the coffee still in her hair and clothes. True to her words, after Natalie left, Catherine dug out her phone and called Shane. She recounted everything that had happened to him. When she was done speaking, several undecipherable emotions flickered through Shane¡¯s dark orbs. Pocketing his phone, he headed for the elevator. Ten minutester, Natalie returned to the design department. She had barely taken a step out of the elevator when she spotted the man standing right outside the doors. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie was surprised to see him there. She wondered why he was here. Shane¡¯s gaze drifted to the way her hair clumped together and the brown stains on her clothes. He pressed his lips together and ordered, ¡°Come with me.¡± Thinking he wanted to give her a task, she bit her lip and said hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane, I can¡¯t go with you right now. Could you wait for me to change into some clean clothes first?¡± He did not reply to her, merely walked into the elevator imperiously. She took his silence to mean he refused to agree. Scrubbing at her cheeks in frustration and annoyance, she had no choice but to leave with him. They went straight to his office. Before she could ask him what he wanted from her, he picked up a shopping bag and handed it to her. Then, he pointed at the small room attached to his office. ¡°Go take a shower.¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie uttered dumbly. When she still did not move, Shane frowned. ¡°What are you standing around for? We still have a meetingter.¡± ¡°Oh yes!¡± At the mention of the meeting, Natalie snapped out of her daze. She left for the room with the bag of clothes. Stepping inside, she took a deep breath of the refreshing smell of mint. It abruptly dawned on her that this was Shane¡¯s room. I¡¯m going to take a shower in his room! She nced back at the shut door of the room and blushed. Nevertheless, the stickiness on her body served to calm her down quickly enough. She took a deep breath, pushed the thought out of her mind, and headed for the bathroom. The sound of water sshing down drifted over from the private room. Shane, who had been in the middle of reviewing some documents, suddenly stopped writing. His eyes slid over to stare at the room. After a moment, he leaped to his feet. Tugging at his tie with agitated movements, he yanked open his desk drawer and took out a pack of cigarettes. With that in hand, he stalked over to the balcony. The cool breeze caressing his hot face was like a balm to his nerves. He massaged his temples, only just managing to calm himself down. A short whileter, Natalie finished her shower and exited the room. She noted the empty office and wondered if Shane had already left. Out of a sudden, the office door was pushed open. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Ss entered with a document. ¡°Mr. Shane, about the first half of the year - ¡° Before he could finish, he noticed Natalie standing by the couch. The woman was currently drying her hair with a towel. Ss¡¯ eyes brightened in shock while his sses nearly slid off his nose. ¡°Ms. Smith, what are you doing here? You...¡± The water droplets dripping from her hair along with the damp look of her skin were obvious indicators that she had just finished showering. She took a shower in Mr. Shane¡¯s office. Does that mean that they... Ss gasped silently, utterly dumbfounded at the thought. Natalie shot him a puzzled look. ¡°Mr. Campbell, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He snapped out of his shock and instantly had a change in attitude. In a tone a lot more polite than before, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ms. Smith. Where¡¯s Mr. Shane?¡± Right as Natalie was about to answer that she did not know, the sliding door to the balcony opened. Shane stepped back into his office and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± The distinctive smell of cigarette smoke wafting from him had Ss certain that he had guessed right. After having sex, men like to smoke while women like to take a shower. Mr. Shane and Ms. Smith must have done it in the office! Inwardly, Ss was reeling with shock from the revtion. Despite that, his expression was as calm as ever as he pushed his sses up his nose. ¡°It¡¯s like this. I just came over from the Data Processing Department. The sales data for the first half of the year doesn¡¯t seem right. I thought it best to report this to you.¡± ¡°Okay. Leave it on my desk; I¡¯ll take a lookter.¡± Shane nodded. Ss ced the document on Shane¡¯s desk. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be taking my leave, Mr. Shane.¡± He did not even wait for Shane¡¯s response before he fled out of the office. Natalie watched him go, absolutely bewildered. ¡°Is it just me or was Mr. Campbell acting a little strangely?¡± Shane did not agree or disagree with her as he made his way to his desk. Setting down the towel, Natalie tried tob her fingers through her damp hair. Her hair was incredibly long and abundant. Presently, it was weighted down with water and hung on her head heavily, making her feel really ufortable. Shane was flipping through the document Ss left behind when he noticed her frustration from the corner of his eyes. His lips quirked into a barely noticeable smile. ¡°There¡¯s a hairdryer in the bedside cab in the room.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up at the news. She spun around and disappeared back into his room, clearly off to find the hairdryer. A few secondster, she reappeared with a ck hairdryer. She waved the plug around and questioned, ¡°Mr. Shane, where to stick it?¡± Shane¡¯s eyebrow twitched at her choice of words. Lowering his gaze, he coughed lightly and pointed below his desk. Natalie did not seem to realize anything wrong with what she said. She jogged over happily and plugged in the hairdryer. Since Shane was sitting in front of her, her hair tickled his ears gently as she dried it. His entire body tensed. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 It did not help that the scent of her body wash was curling into his nose, teasing his senses. He was not unfamiliar with the smell. After all, this was the mint body wash he always used. She had obviously used his body wash when she had taken her shower just now. Yet, he found that he was not mad that she had touched his things. On the contrary, he felt an almost visceral sense of approval and satisfaction. While he was deep in thought, Natalie finished drying her hair. She crouched down and reached under the table, intending on unplugging the hairdryer. She would return it to the bedside cab. Shane suddenly mmed his feet against the floor, causing him and his chair to slide nearly two meters away from her. Natalie was surprised at his abrupt movement. ¡°Mr. Shane, is something wrong?¡± Why do I get the feeling he was trying to escape from me? Shane crossed his legs and adjusted his suit so they hid a certain part of his body from her view. Only then did he answer gruffly, ¡°No. Just put down the hairdryer. I¡¯ll keep it myselfter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie waspletely oblivious to his strange behavior. She nodded and ced the hairdryer on his desk. ¡°Mr. Shane, thanks a lot. If you hadn¡¯t brought me here to clean myself up, I would still be a disgusting mess right now.¡± He did not meet her gaze as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I know about your meeting with Aunt Catherine. As her rtive, it makes sense for me to clean up her mess, especially since she threw coffee on you.¡± ¡°You know about our meeting?¡± She paused before an embarrassed look appeared on her face. ¡°Mr. Shane, does that mean you know everything I said to Mrs. Thompson? He raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Yes.¡± Smacking her forehead, she hurriedly exined, ¡°Mr. Shane, please don¡¯t believe what Mrs. Thompson says. I didn¡¯t really mean what I said; it was all meant to anger her. I swear I never thought about doing those things either.¡± Shane pursed his lips. When he had gotten that call earlier, he already knew what she said were all lies. Nheless, it still made him upset to hear the truthing from her lips. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only As for why he was upset, he refused to think about it. ¡°I know. My Aunt Catherine only came to find you because of Sean getting hurt. She won¡¯t do it again. I¡¯ve already informed my Uncle Sam and he¡¯ll keep an eye on her.¡± He stuck his hands in his pockets and stood up. Natalie sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for the meeting.¡± With that said, he strode for the door. Making sure her hair was presentable, Natalie hastened to follow him. On the way to the conference room, something kept niggling at Natalie. It was like she had forgotten something. She patted through her pockets but did not find anything missing. Am I just imagining it? Since she could not figure it out, she put the matter out of her mind. Shaking her head to clear it of all these thoughts, she mentally prepared herself before entering the conference room. By the time the meeting finished, it was already mid-afternoon. Natalie busied herself at the design department for another two hours before it was time to get off work. Today, she did not immediately return to the apartment after picking up the kids. Instead, she headed for the studio. Joyce bustled over to greet them after having been informed by her assistant of their arrival. ¡°Nat, what are you doing here?¡± Natalie shooed the kids off to y by themselves before hooking her arm through Joyce¡¯s. As they walked off, she said, ¡°I came over to see how things were going and also to ask you about thewsuit with Jasminum.¡± ¡°The court has already processed it and sent a summons to them. However...¡± Joyce¡¯s expression darkened. A stern look appeared on Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°What is it?¡± Joyce gritted her teeth and spat out, ¡°Jasminum refused the summons and sent it back.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie knitted her brows. ¡°Jasmine really does have some guts to actually refuse a court summons!¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Joyce poured her a ss of water. ¡°She gave a reason for her refusal though.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Natalie epted the ss. Pulling out a chair, Joyce sat down and answered, ¡°What else? She denied stealing our designs and deliberately making things difficult for us.¡± At that, Natalieughed. ¡°She¡¯s as sly as ever, I see!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Joyce nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ve never met such a shameless person before!¡± Natalie took a gulp of water as she pondered what to do. ¡°Have the court send her another summons.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Joyce was taken aback at her suggestion. ¡°What if she refuses it again?¡± Chapter 135 Chapter 135 ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Natalie gave her forehead a knock. ¡°Keep sending her summons, even if she refuses to ept them. Once she does that for three times, the court will order a mandatory hearing. If she doesn¡¯t turn up, we¡¯ll win the case straight away.¡± ¡°Is there such a thing?¡± Joyce was amazed. Rubbing her hand together, she said with an excited expression. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the court now.¡± With that, she stood up and walked over to the office desk. Picking up the phone, she dialed a number. After the call, she showed the other woman an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture. Natalie smiled at her. ncing at her phone, she said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s head out to eat.¡± ¡°Sure! How about hotpot? It¡¯s been a while since west ate it.¡± While speaking, Joyce took her bag off a rack. Natalie agreed at once. The two took the kids and strolled toward a hotpot restaurant nearby, chatting and giggling all the way. Two dayster, just as Natalie said, Jasmine refused to ept the court summons for three times consecutively and was guilty of contempt of court. Hence, the court ordered a mandatory hearing. Though Jasmine turned up during the hearing, she still lost the case, as Joyce showed the evidence of design infringement and proved that Jasmine was attacking their studio. Therefore, the court ordered to recall all the newlyunched clothes from the boutiques. Not only did she have to give all the profit made from infringing goods to Joyce, but she was required to compensate for a copyright fee. As a result, thewsuit had nearly bled her dry. Gloating over the woman¡¯s downfall, Joyce called Natalie. ¡°Did you see that, Nat? When the judge announced Jasmine¡¯s verdict, that expression on her face was priceless! I just can¡¯t stopughing.¡± Natalie burst outughing while shaking her head. ¡°Okay, okay. When will we receive thepensation from her?¡± ¡°The court asked her to do it within three days. If she doesn¡¯t, thepensation rate will go up by ten percent,¡± Joyce replied excitedly. Natalie hummed in response. ¡°That¡¯s great. With that money, we¡¯ll be able to set up our own garment factory. Please look for a location, Joyce.¡± ¡°Consider it done.¡± Joyce patted her own chest confidently. ¡°Ms. Smith.¡± Just then, someone knocked on her office door. Lifting her head, Natalie looked up and saw Ss¡¯ assistant. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane asked you to go to his office,¡± the assistant answered with a smile. Blinking her eyes in surprise, Natalie asked, ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there in a minute. Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The assistant waved his hand, then turned around and left. Natalie ced her phone beside her ear again. ¡°Joyce, I have something to attend to. Let me know once you choose the location. Then I¡¯lle and check it out as well.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Joyce replied. After ending the call, Natalie stood up and adjusted her outfit. She then made her way to the top floor. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Arriving outside Shane¡¯s room, she raised her hand to knock on the door. Before she could do that, she overheard a voice through the door, which was left ajar. ¡°Please help me, Shane. I really need money now.¡± It¡¯s Jasmine! Natalie put her hand down. Just when she was still hesitating whether she shoulde backter, Shane¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°Twenty million,¡± Jasmine blurted out eagerly. Natalie raised her brow at her answer. Twenty million? Isn¡¯t that the same amount as thepensation? ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask Ss to transfer it to youter,¡± Shane agreed in an icy tone. Before Jasmine could thank him, his thin lips parted again. ¡°This is thest time.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jasmine¡¯s expression froze at his words. A wave of uneasiness shot through her. Out of curiosity, Natalie leaned her ear closer to the gap of the door. In the office, Shane put his pen down and finally looked at Jasmine in the eyes. ¡°This is thest time I¡¯ll pick up after you. If you stir up any trouble again, solve it yourself. I won¡¯t help you anymore.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The woman was agitated. If he doesn¡¯t help me anymore, everyone will think that he has dumped me. Then those snobs and bootlickers will shun me, while the people whom I offended before will try to get even with me. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Panicked at the thoughts, Jasmine stepped forward with her clenched fists and protested, ¡°Shane, you can¡¯t do this to me. Five years ago, you said you would give me everything I wanted, but now...¡± The man interrupted her, leaning back against his chair. ¡°Yes, I said that because you saved my life. But I¡¯ve done more than enough to repay you. Recently, everything you do crosses the limits, and I can¡¯t tolerate you any longer. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I...¡± Jasmine¡¯s lips moved, but her voice was stuck in her throat. Standing in front of the door, Natalie furrowed her beautiful brows in suspicion. This isn¡¯t the first time I hear Shane say that Jasmine saved him five years ago. What exactly happened between them? While she was deep in thought, Shane¡¯s voice broke her out of her trance. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I hope you¡¯ll behave yourself from now on. You may leave.¡± Jasmine¡¯s eyes dropped, covering up all the indignation in her gaze. She then walked toward the door reluctantly. Walking through the door, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Natalie standing outside the office with a faraway look. Taken aback, she yelled angrily, ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Snapped out of her reverie, Natalie gave the woman a half-smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ms. Jasmine.¡± The woman snorted scornfully. ¡°I¡¯ve already been fired, yet you address me this way. Are you mocking me?¡± Catherine is so useless. That dumb woman couldn¡¯t kick Natalie out, even when she used her identity as Shane¡¯s Aunt. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to calling you this way. You¡¯re overthinking, Ms. Jasmine.¡± Natalie shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe your nonsense?¡± Jasmine sniggered with her lips pursed. In the next second, she narrowed her eyes at Natalie. ¡°How long have you been standing here?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been here for quite a while,¡± she answered honestly. A glint of nervousness shed across Jasmine¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you hear what I said to Shane just now?¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Of course.¡± The woman¡¯s face contorted as she scrutinized Natalie balefully. Her voice wasced with threat. ¡°Let me warn you. Don¡¯t you ever say a word about what you heard just now.¡± I can¡¯t afford to let anyone else know that Shane no longer protects me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to face a whole lot of trouble, and I won¡¯t be able to take it! ¡°What if I don¡¯t do as you said?¡± Natalie asked fearlessly, ruffling her hair. Jasmine shed a menacing smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask Dad to take that damn brother of yours back!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Natalie¡¯s expression turned grim at once. Undeniably, Jasmine had sessfully threatened her. With her arms folded, the woman warned her. ¡°I¡¯ll do that if you dare say a word about it. If Dad really wants your brother back, you and your Mom won¡¯t stand a chance against him.¡± With a smirk on her face, Jasmine cast a sideways nce at Natalie. She then knocked thetter out of the way using her shoulder as she strutted toward the elevator. Pursing her red lips, Natalie seethed with fury and shot daggers at Jasmine¡¯s departing back. After a short moment, she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Patting her own cheeks, she sorted out her emotions before knocking on the door of Shane¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Shane¡¯s impassive voice came from inside. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Pushing the door open, Natalie walked in. ¡°Mr. Shane, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Take a seat.¡± Instead of answering her question, Shane tilted his chin back to point at the chair opposite him. Walking toward his desk, she thanked him, pulled the chair out, and sat on it. With his fingers inteced, the man went straight to the point. ¡°Regarding the designs of the fall collection we talked about during thest meeting, how is it going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost done,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Are those designs saved in the cloud storage?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded at him. Turning hisptop around, Shane pushed it forward to her. Natalie typed on the keyboard briefly. Then she handed theptop back to him. ¡±Here you go, Mr. Shane.¡± The man hummed in reply. He scrolled down and went through the designs. After staring at the screen for a few minutes, he seemed to have thought of something and asked Ss toe in. ¡°Bring a cup of coffee and a piece of ck forest cake for Ms. Smith.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Natalie was about to say no, but Ss beat her to it. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll prepare it now.¡± With that said, he shot her a meaningful nce before turning around and walking toward the door. I have been wondering why Mr. Shane kept asking me to buy cakes these days. After I bought it, he put it in the fridge instead of eating it, and he would throw it away when he got off from work. On the next day, he would ask me to buy a cake again. Now I see why he did that. Soon, Ss came back into the office with a tray. He put a cup of coffee and a piece of cake in front of Natalie. Bashfully, she nced at the man sitting across the table. ¡°Mr. Shane, isn¡¯t this inappropriate?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Shane looked up from behind theptop screen. She hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°No, no. I just feel it¡¯s inappropriate to eat in your office...¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯ll take time for me to finish reading the proposal. You may eat the cake while waiting.¡± Afterward, he turned his head back to the screen and didn¡¯t talk to her anymore. Since he had put it this way, it would be rude if she turned him down. Picking up the exquisite fork, she took a small piece of the cake and put it in her mouth. The delicious and unique taste on her tongue made her eyes curled in happiness. ¡°Does it taste good?¡± Shane asked suddenly. His hand on the mouse froze. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious,¡± she answered with a warm smile, licking the whipped cream on the fork. Staring at her alluring red lips, his gaze darkened. His voice sounded deep and slightly croaky. ¡°That¡¯s good. You can bring the rest of the cake home.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°So the kids can have it too.¡± Shane interrupted her, as he already knew what she was about to say. Natalie¡¯s lips moved, and it curled up in a smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane hummed in acknowledgment. He turned to look at Ss, who then adjusted his sses and said, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll pack the cake now.¡± See, I got it right. The cake is for Ms. Smith. Half an hourter, Natalie walked out of Shane¡¯s office with a cake box and headed to the design department. While she was still on her way, she received a call from Stanley. ¡°Nat, are you free tonight?¡± ¡°Yeah, I am. Why?¡± she asked in return. Standing in front of a window, Stanley said gently, ¡°My neurology paper has been published in an international journal.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie was pleasantly surprised. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only He nodded faintly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Congrattions, Stanley!¡± She quickly congratted the man and was genuinely happy for him. He chuckled. ¡°Thank you. How about having dinner together tonight as a celebration?¡± ¡°Just the two of us?¡± she asked. The man¡¯s head twitched, and light reflected from his sses. ¡°Of course not. I asked Joyce to join us too.¡± ¡°Okay, send me the address. I¡¯lle after work,¡± Natalie agreed straight away after knowing that Joyce would be there as well. After hanging up the phone, Stanley sent her a text. Staring at the address in the text, Natalie¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Scarlet Lounge... If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s a bar. I guess I can¡¯t bring the kids then.¡± Mumbling to herself, she kept her phone, pushed open the door of the design department, and walked in. Right after her figure disappeared behind the door, Shane stepped out of the corner where he had hidden himself just now. Holding a bag in his hand, he stared in the direction of the design department with a solemn gaze, sunk in thought. His lips pressed into a hard line. After a short while, without hesitation, he turned around and walked away, back to the top floor. Seeing that his boss came back so soon, Ss was a little surprised. His eyes fell on the bag in Shane¡¯s hand. ¡°Mr. Shane, didn¡¯t you just go out to send some clothes to Ms. Smith? Why are the clothes still with you?¡± Without a word, the man put the bag down. A few secondster, he asked, ¡°Did Jackson ask me out for a drink at Scarlet Lounge?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ss nodded. Shane tugged at his tie and loosened it. ¡°Tell him, I¡¯ll be there on time.¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Ss was puzzled by his words. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say this morning that you won¡¯t be going?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Shane turned to re at his assistant with his brows snapped together. Meeting his boss¡¯ frigid gaze, he touched the tip of his nose and changed the topic right away. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let Dr. Baker know.¡± While speaking, he promptly took his phone out. Only then Shane averted his gaze. At night, Natalie picked the two kids up from the kindergarten and went home. After tucking them in, she hailed a cab to Scarlet Lounge. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When she arrived, Stanley was already sitting at a table. Natalie walked over to him. ¡°Stanley, sorry that I¡¯mte. There was quite a bit of traffic on my way here,¡± she said apologetically. Helping the woman put her handbag aside, Stanley smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve just arrived too. Take a seat.¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± Natalie responded, straightening the hem of her skirt before sitting down. Realizing that there were only the two of them, she looked at him and asked, ¡°Is Joyce not here yet?¡± The corner of Stanley¡¯s lips turned down slightly, and his smile faded a little. Looking down, he answered, ¡°She just texted me, saying that she has something to do, so she can¡¯t make it tonight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± Natalie felt disappointed, but she didn¡¯t think too much. With a smile, Stanley passed her a menu. ¡°Let¡¯s order. Take a look and see if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to eat.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± She took the menu from him and flipped it open. After picking three dishes, she handed the menu back to him. ncing through the menu, the man didn¡¯t order any food but a bottle of Louis XIII. Seeing that, Natalie became worried. ¡°Stanley, I don¡¯t think we should drink. I heard that alcohol affects the stability of our hands. You¡¯re a doctor and often need to perform surgeries. What if...¡± ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m very happy today, so it¡¯s fine to have a couple of drinks.¡± He gave her a reassuring smile. Natalie had no choice but to let him be. Soon after, the dishes and the wine were served. Opening the bottle, Stanley poured two sses of wine and gently pushed one of them toward Natalie. She picked the wine ss up and clinked it against his. Tilting her head back, she downed the entire ss of wine in one gulp. Louis XIII was one of the strongest among all the well-known wines, and its vor was overwhelming. After only one ss, Natalie¡¯s face turned beet red, and her eyes became dewy. Stanley saw it, and the corner of his lips twitched up inconspicuously behind his wine ss. Oblivious to his reaction, Natalie took a sip of water to tone down the alcoholic taste in her mouth. Afterward, she took a small, delicate gift box out of her bag. ¡°Stanley, this is a gift for your papers.¡± Never did he expect that Natalie had prepared a gift for him. He couldn¡¯t help but freeze in astonishment. In the next second, the man regained hisposure and put on his usual gentle smile as he unwrapped the gift. In the box was an expensive watch. Though it wasn¡¯t of a high-end brand, it still cost a bomb. Immediately, he took his own watch off and put on the new watch Natalie gave him. Swaying his wrist, he said to her, ¡°Thanks, Nat. I really like it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that you like it.¡± Natalie nodded joyfully. Stanley then poured her another ss of wine. Meanwhile, in a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, a tall and short figures were looking down at them in front of a window. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk...¡± the short man suddenly said to the taller one beside him. ¡°Shane, Stanley seems to have an ulterior motive.¡± With his lips pressed together, Shane did not reply, but it didn¡¯t bother the short man. Rubbing his chin with his thumb and index finger, Jackson added, ¡°Look, he ordered a bottle of Louis XIII. He hasn¡¯t finished drinking the one ss himself, but he never stops refilling Natalie¡¯s ss. I bet he wants to get her drunk so he can do whatever he wants with her.¡± Hearing his friend¡¯s words, Shane¡¯s hands, which were on the windowsill, clenched tightly all of a sudden. The atmosphere around him turned chilly. Looking at the man beside him, Jackson thought of how unusually attentive he was to Natalie. And his heart grew heavy. ¡°Shane, are you really...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Shane turned around abruptly and marched toward the door of the private room. Jackson gaped at him in shock. ¡°Shane, where are you going?¡± The man ignored him, opened the door, and darted out of the room. Helplessly, Jackson rubbed his chubby face. He grumbled to himself while running after his friend. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 On the ground floor, Natalie was already drunk. Her face flushed bright red, and her eyes zed over and were unfocused. Sitting there nkly, she let out a few hups. Stanley put his fork down and waved at her. With his five fingers spread in front of her eyes, he asked, ¡°Nat, how many fingers do you see?¡± Blinking her ssy eyes while staring at his hand, she answered hesitantly, ¡°Two?¡± His eyes glinted with an inscrutable emotion. ¡°That¡¯s wrong. There are five fingers. Nat, you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m not drunk!¡± Natalie protested petntly, pouting her red lips. Stanley removed his sses and put it in his shirt pocket. Letting out a few chuckles, he coaxed her in a gentle tone, as if she was a child. ¡°Yes, yes. You¡¯re not drunk, but I am. Let¡¯s go home, alright?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie hupped, nodding her head obediently. The man stood up and asked a waiter to bring the bill. After paying, he carried her handbag on one shoulder and held her up by her waist. The man caught a whiff of her refreshing scent mixed with the rich aroma of Louis XIII. Captivated, he leaned closer and drew in a deep breath. His gaze was full of lust and possessiveness. Just then, an icy voice sounded unexpectedly. ¡°Stop right here.¡± Stanley stopped in his tracks and lifted his eyes in the direction of the voice. The moment he saw Shane and Jackson walking over, one after another, his heart sank. Why are they here? ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here. Give her to me.¡± Standing about an arms-length away from Stanley, Shane nced at the unconscious woman in the man¡¯s arms. His tone was domineering. ¡°Why should I do that?¡± Stanley refused, holding Natalie even tighter. Shane squinted his eyes at him with a threatening look. ¡°You¡¯re asking me why? I don¡¯t mind exining why you get her drunk on purpose.¡± A smile broke across Stanley¡¯s face, but it didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Excuse me, Nat and I are going home.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you go? I said, give her to me!¡± Shane stood in the way, enunciating his every word. The smile on Stanley¡¯s face slowly disappeared. Staring squarely at the man facing him, he said, ¡°What if I say no?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only That¡¯s right, I got her drunk on purpose. When I made the rounds in the hospital during the day, I overheard Sean and his mother¡¯s conversation, saying that Nat and Shane are getting closer to one another. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯ve been by her side for five long years, yet I¡¯m no match for a man who has only been with her for two months. That¡¯s not fair! So I asked her out for a dinner in the name of celebration, so I can have her. Once she bes mine, she¡¯ll surely get together with me. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let anyone ruin my n. Lost in his thoughts, the malice in Stanley¡¯s gaze grew more intense, and his expression was zealous and wild. Jackson, who was watching them from the sidelines, was startled by his reaction. Stanley is usually gentle and well-mannered. Many patients liked him too. I really didn¡¯t expect to see this side of him. I heard that people who have extreme personalities are usually psychotic. Could it be that Stanley is out of his mind? Jackson eyed the man suspiciously. Stanley noticed his gaze and shot him a deadly nce. A chill ran down Jackson¡¯s spine, and he couldn¡¯t help but quiver, as if he were being targeted by a deadly viper. ¡°You have no right to say no.¡± Shane couldn¡¯t care less about Stanley. He reached out and grabbed Natalie¡¯s wrist, trying to yank her away from the man. Though he acted quickly, Stanley wasn¡¯t slow to react. Just when he started dragging the woman to his side, Stanley swiftly took hold of the other arm of hers. Being pulled in two ways like a tug of war, Natalie felt her head spin, and she groaned in agony. Jackson couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He took a step forward and put his hand on Stanley¡¯s, which was clutching Natalie¡¯s arm. Prying the man¡¯s fingers open one after another, he said with a smirk, ¡°Dr. Quinn, I heard that your paper was published. Can I have a word with you?¡± While speaking, he winked at Shane, hinting at the man to take Natalie away. Seeing through Jackson¡¯s trick, Stanley glowered at him and shouted, ¡°Scram!¡± Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Looking down at his own short figure, Jackson gritted his teeth and blocked Stanley¡¯s way, despite knowing that he could never fight against that man. ¡±No way!¡± After ncing intently at Jackson¡¯s undaunted expression, Shane picked the woman up in his arms and walked away under another man¡¯s murderous gaze. In the carpark, Ss saw from afar that Shane was carrying someone while walking over to the car. As the man came nearer, he stared with mouth agape when he saw Natalie in his boss¡¯ arms. ¡°Mr. Shane, how did you bump into Ms. Smith?¡± Without exining, Shane put the woman in the car andmanded directly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ss replied and started the car. Suddenly, from the rearview mirror, he saw two men sprinting over to their car. Turning his head, he asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, it¡¯s Dr. Baker and Dr. Quinn. Should we wait for them?¡± Apparently, Jackson couldn¡¯t stop Stanley froming after them. ncing out the window, Shane pursed his thin lips. ¡°No, let¡¯s go now.¡± Ss gave him a nod. He then hit the gas and drove out of the carpark. On their way home, the alcohol kicked in, and the woman who was sitting still in silence suddenly broke into a fit of giggles. Ss looked at the backseat via the mirror, saying in surprise, ¡°Mr. Shane, it looks like Ms. Smith is going to do something crazy.¡± Shane nced down at the woman beside him, and his brows drew together at the sight of her silly grin. ¡°Drive faster.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Sure,¡± Ss replied. The car elerated, and the impact caused Natalie to fall on the seat. Shane quickly put his phone down and held her up. However, the woman clung to his arm and leaned closer to him. Shane¡¯s body went stiff at once. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fluttering hershes, Natalie looked confused. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. I want water...¡± ¡°Ss.¡± Shane knocked on the back of the driver¡¯s seat. Ss shrugged helplessly. ¡°Mr. Shane, this is a new car. I¡¯ve yet to prepare any water.¡± Hearing that, Shane fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°We¡¯ll drink water when we reach home.¡± ¡°No, I want it now!¡± Natalie threw a fit out of the blue. With a sulky face, she pped the leather seat with both her hands. This was the first time Shane saw her behaving this way. He raised his brows in astonishment. ¡°I said there¡¯s no water here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! I know you have it. You even have a pudding,¡± Natalie whimpered while pointing at him. She seemed to be on the verge of crying. ¡°Pudding?¡± Shane furrowed his brows. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s right here.¡± Natalie knelt on the car seat while Shane stared at her in bafflement. In a split second, she reached out to cup his face between her hands and bit his lips. Shane was stupefied. In the driver¡¯s seat, Ss¡¯ hand almost slipped from the steering wheel. He was utterly dumbstruck. What did I just see? Did she force a kiss on Mr. Shane? ¡°Oh? Why can¡¯t I bite it off?¡± Unaware of her own action, she looked displeased that she couldn¡¯t have the pudding. I won¡¯t stop unless I get this pudding in my mouth. She then sank her teeth harder onto his lips. Shane groaned in pain. He knew that she bit through his lips when a metallic taste of blood seeped into his mouth. Even so, he didn¡¯t push her away. Instead, he gazed down at her with a darkened gaze. After eyeing the woman for a minute, he suddenly lifted his hand to hold the back of her head, giving her a deep kiss. Meanwhile, Ss had been peeking at the two. When he saw Shane took control of the situation, he shuddered and dared not watch them anymore, winding up the partition screen right away. In the back seat, the man¡¯s passionate kiss made Natalie¡¯s body go limp, and sheynguidly in his arm. If he hadn¡¯t been holding her, she would¡¯ve slid off the seat. ¡°Mmm...¡± Natalie moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her gesture was like an encouragement to Shane. Instantly, his self-control went out of the window, and he kissed her even harder. Right at that moment, Natalie appeared ufortable and let out a retching sound. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Shane became clear-headed at once and shoved her away. Natalie sprawled on the seat and threw up furiously. Even her clothes were stained. Within seconds, the pungent smells of the strong alcohol and her vomit filled the car, and that turned Shane off. The veins on the sides of his forehead popped out. Holding back the urge to throw her out of the car, he rolled down the windows with a sullen face. A few minutester, the chilly night air reced the stench in the car. His expression softened, but he still felt terribly annoyed, and it got worse when he saw that Natalie had fallen into a deep slumber. Even his head was throbbing now. Soon, they arrived at the condominium. With a grumpy face, Shane got out of the car and picked Natalie up. As Ss saw the vomit on the back seat, he held back a sense of repulsion and pointed at the woman. ¡°Mr. Shane, did Ms. Smith throw up?¡± Shane hummed curtly. ¡°Hail a cab home yourself.¡± ¡°Are you staying here tonight, Mr. Shane?¡± He nodded faintly, then walked into the building with the woman in his arms. Staring at his back, Ss shook his head with a sigh. I can tell that Mr. Shane is really into her. Despite having mysophobia, he doesn¡¯t mind at all even when Ms. Smith pukes all over herself. I bet even her fart smells nice to him now. With Natalie in his arms, Shane came to the front of her condominium, pressing the doorbell with his elbow. However, no one answered the door. Aren¡¯t the kids at home? He nced down at the woman in his arms. Leaning on his chest, she was sleeping soundly, and her lips curled up as if she were having a good dream. Having no other choice, he turned around and went into his condominium opposite of hers. Stepping through the door, he put her on a couch, grabbed a bathrobe, and headed to the bathroom. After his shower, he walked over to the couch, staring at the woman while drying his hair with a towel. He hesitated for a few seconds before picking her up and making his way to the bathroom. He then put her in a bathtub filled with water. Right when she got into the water, she woke from her sleep. Struggling in the water, she opened her eyes, held the two sides of the bathtub, and sat up. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± In a panic, she checked out her surroundings. The second she saw the man standing beside her, her anxiety ceased. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± She shook her befuddled head. ¡°Where is this? Why am I in a bathtub?¡± ¡°This is my condominium. I was the one who put you here. Just to sober you up,¡± the tall man answered impassively while looking down at her. She massaged her temples to ease the pain. ¡°But why am I here with you? Wasn¡¯t I with Stanley just now?¡± The way she addressed Stanley sounded irritatingly intimate in Shane¡¯s ears. His expression hardened as he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what happened?¡± ¡°What should I remember?¡± Natalie sshed some water on her face to refresh herself. The man folded his arms. ¡°Stanley got you drunk deliberately so that he could have his way with you. That¡¯s why I took you away from him.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be!¡± She stood up abruptly, spilling water out of the bathroom. Shane narrowed his eyes at her words. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Looking at the man earnestly, she replied, ¡°Mr. Shane, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. Stanley and I have been friends for five years already. He isn¡¯t that kind of man.¡± Motionless, the man stared squarely at her for a few seconds. He sneered, ¡°Friends for five years? Yet, you can¡¯t even tell his true colors. Are you blind?¡± A look of contempt shed across his eyes. Gloominess enveloped him as he stormed out of the bathroom. She thinks that she knows that man from the inside out only because they¡¯ve been friends for years. Does she really think that¡¯s the case? She¡¯s definitely not shrewd enough to discern his secret intention. Well, I¡¯ve told her the truth. It¡¯s up to her whether to believe it. After he left, Natalie sat back in the bathtub. Staring nkly at the water, she bit her lower lips and spaced out. Am I blind? No, I¡¯m not. I just refuse to think ill of Stanley. If it wasn¡¯t for his help, my family and I would¡¯ve been long gone when we were overseas. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll never suspect him. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Yet, I don¡¯t think that Shane is lying. Perhaps he misinterpreted the situation when he saw us drinking together. This thought lifted Natalie¡¯s mood. She quickly took the wet clothes off, so she wouldn¡¯t catch a cold. After taking a bath, she took a bathrobe from the rack and wore it. The bathrobe looked oversized on her, and its hem was dragging on the floor as she walked. Hence, she folded the sleeves and tied a knot at the bottom of the bathrobe, revealing her lower legs, so it was easier for her to move around. Afterward, she found a bag, put her wet clothes in it, and came out of the bathroom. ¡°Mr. Shane, did you see my bag?¡± she asked the man on the couch, who was wearing the same bathrobe as hers. With his eyes fixed on the tablet in his hands, Shane replied coldly without ncing at her. ¡°It¡¯s on the shoe cab, and your clothes are on it too.¡± ¡°My clothes?¡± Puzzled, she looked at the bag in her hand. What? I have them in my hand now. Obviously, the man was not going to exin himself, so she went over to the shoe cab to check it out herself. There was a paper bag beside her handbag. She opened it and saw her clothes, on which Mrs. Thompson had sshed a cup of coffee two days ago. No wonder I felt as if I forgot something when I left his office after a shower that day. It¡¯s my clothes. Amused, she facepalmed her forehead. Holding the paper bag, she could smell the fragrance of detergent as she took the freshlyundered clothes out. She froze for a second, then promptly unfolded the clothes. The coffee stain was gone, and the clothes were clean and spotless. Unconsciously, she looked at him. ¡°Mr. Shane, this clothes...¡± Knowing what she was about to ask, Shane tapped on the tablet and answered without moving his head. ¡°Mrs. Wilson washed it.¡± ¡°Please help me say thanks to Mrs. Wilson.¡± She put the clothes back into the paper bag. Shane didn¡¯t reply. Biting her lips, she realized that he started treating her indifferently since she came out of the bathroom. He didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. Is it because I defended Stanley earlier? Natalie¡¯s lips parted. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Turning his head, he interrupted her. ¡°Is there anything else? If not, you may go now.¡± He chased her out with an icy gaze. Natalie tousled her hair. ¡°Alright. Good night, Mr. Shane.¡± I have nothing else to do other than exin to him about Stanley, but I guess I should let it slide. He was already angry when I refuted him in the bathroom. I will only infuriate him if I do it again. She opened the door to leave. Just when she took the first step out of the door, his voice sounded behind her. ¡°Hold on.¡± Natalie turned her head around. Shane put the tablet down, stood up and walked over to the woman. Much to her surprise, he handed his car key to her. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Perplexed, Natalie took it from him and eyed him curiously. His thin lips parted as he exined in a frigid tone, ¡°You puked all over my car. Clean and return it to me tomorrow.¡± With that, he turned around and made his way back to the spot where he was sitting, leaving Natalie standing at the doorway in embarrassment. I can tell from the stains on my clothes that I vomited just now, but I have no idea that I did it in his car. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll clean it.¡± Clutching the car key, Natalie mumbled awkwardly with her reddened face. Shane hummed curtly in response, without uttering a word. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Back at her condominium, Natalie put her handbag and the two bags of clothes down before she tiptoed to the kids¡¯ room. Seeing that the kids were fast asleep while hugging each other, she smiled and pecked them on the cheeks. Covering them with a nket, she slipped out of their room. In the living room, Natalie let out a yawn while taking the phone out of her handbag. When she saw a dozen of missed calls and text messages from Stanley, she gasped and called him back right away. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Picking up the call, she heard Stanley¡¯s anxious voice on the other side of the phone. ¡°Nat, where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡± Natalie poured a ss of water for herself. He heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. When Mr. Shane took you away, I thought he was going to do something to you.¡± After drinking some water, sheughed. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Mr. Shane isn¡¯t that kind of a person.¡± ¡°Do you trust him so much?¡± Without his sses, Stanley squinted his eyes. ¡°Of course. I believe you too.¡± Natalie took a seat. Reading between the lines, the man grasped the hidden meaning of her words. He rolled his eyes while trying to sound her out. ¡°Nat, did Mr. Shane tell you something?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nothing much. I think he misunderstood that you were going to do something to me when he saw us drinking together.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Do you believe what he said?¡± Gradually, he clutched his phone tightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it just now? I believe you.¡± Shey down on the couch, stretching herselffortably. Stanley loosened his grip. A meaningful grin appeared on his face. ¡°By the way, Stanley, what exactly happened just now? Why did Mr. Shane take me away?¡± Natalie asked while staring at the ceiling. Stanley sighed with a rueful smile. ¡°You were drunk, so I wanted to send you home after paying for the bill. But Mr. Shane showed up and used me of getting you drunk with an ill intention. In the end, he took you away from me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She nodded in acknowledgement. Stanley forced a helplessugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he misunderstood me. I¡¯ve known you for years. Why would I do that to you? In fact, I was worried that he might do something to you when he took you away, so I kept calling and texting you. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re fine.¡± At his words, a warm and fuzzy feeling overflowed in her heart. This misunderstanding is hrious. It all started because Stanley and Shane were worried that something bad might happen to me. Deep in thought, Natalie turned to look at the door, as if she could see through it at the man staying opposite her unit. The two chatted for a while before ending the call. Then the woman headed to her room to sleep. The next morning, Natalie got up early to prepare breakfast. Afterward, she woke the kids up and asked them to invite Shane over for breakfast. The two kids agreed with cheers. However, two minutester, the kids came back with dejected looks on their little faces. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane is not in,¡± Sharon mumbled. Standing in front of the dining table, Natalie heard them, and her hands froze while removing her apron. Then she pulled herself together and said, ¡°Perhaps he left the house. It¡¯s alright, let¡¯s eat. Mommy will send you to school after breakfast.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two nodded in unison. Later, Natalie drove Shane¡¯s car and sent the two kids to kindergarten. She then went to a 4S dealership store to clean the car. While waiting, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Warren, which car would you like to buy?¡± It¡¯s Susan. Natalie turned her head in the direction of the voice and saw Susan and Warren walking arm in arm into the store. The woman had a disgustinglyisant and feminine demeanor. ¡°I want to buy a Bentley.¡± Warren stroked the woman¡¯s hair. Susan seemed troubled, biting her lips. ¡°But Bentley is too expensive. I can¡¯t afford it. You know the Smith Group is facing some problems with the cash flow...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. You said you will buy me a car. I don¡¯t mind asking for one from your husband then.¡± Atst, she had no choice but to go outside to make a call. After she walked away, Warren looked around avariciously. His eyes lit up when he saw Natalie sitting in the lounge. He marched over to her and asked, ¡°Miss, are you the salesperson here?¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was bewildered that he suddenly approached her. Hearing his question, she nced down to size herself up. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 The way I dressed up today does make me look like a salesperson. Natalie just kept mum, and this led Warren to believe that his guess was right. He then took out his name card and passed it to her. ¡°Shall we go for coffee after this?¡± Natalie was rendered speechless by his words. What? Susan¡¯s man is asking me out? Natalie studied the man closely. He might appear like a gentleman, but his behavior and the lecherous gleam in his eye suggested otherwise. Natalie stered a smile to her face and forced herself to ept his name card. She almost burst intoughter when she read the details on the card. ¡°Chairman of Smith Group?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me!¡± Warren adjusted his tie and answered steadily. Natalie responded with an eye roll. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Has he no shame? How dare he impersonate my Dad! Since he started this game, I guess I¡¯ll just y along. Natalie acted surprised. ¡°Wow, Mr. Smith, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you!¡± Warren basked in her admiration and totally did not realize she was mocking him. He held her hand touched it repeatedly, ¡°And your name is?¡± Natalie calmly retracted her hand from him and gave him a stifled smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you know me?¡± Warren was stunned for a moment. ¡°Do I know you?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Susan arrived. She got the shock of her life when she saw Warren standing next to Natalie. Susan immediately went up and stood in front of Warren and questioned Natalia in a sharp voice, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to wash my car.¡± Natalie grinned and looked at Susan from her head to heels, ¡°So you¡¯re out of the hospital, Susan?¡± The color drained out of Susan¡¯s face. Before Susan could answer Natalie, Warren interrupted and asked in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re Harrison and his ex-wife¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Natalie nodded. Warren instantly became so embarrassed that he wished he could dig a hole and bury himself. In the past, he had had many sesses in getting women¡¯s attention whenever he used Harrison¡¯s identity. Yet this time, he unexpectedly pulled this trick on Harrison¡¯s daughter. Upon seeing a pang of guilt on Warren¡¯s face, Susan knew something must have happened. Did he blurt out our rtionship? Susan¡¯s face turned pallid, but she tried to regain herposure. She even pinched her palm to remind herself to stay calm. ¡°So, what were you all discussing earlier?¡± ¡°Good question, Susan.¡± Natalie took a sidelong nce at Warren. ¡°Your distant cousin impersonated my Dad.¡± ¡°What?¡± Susan was dumbstruck. ¡°He told you he¡¯s Harrison?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Natalie nodded. She lifted her hand and pointed at him, ¡°Not only that. He even gave me his name card and wanted to take me out for coffee.¡± Natalie gave Susan back his name card. Susan looked at the name card and heaved a sigh of relief. Phew, good thing Warren didn¡¯t expose our rtionship. But how dare he hit on another woman behind my back! Susan¡¯s eyes glowed with a towering rage when she stared at Warren. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Warren wondered what she was talking about. Natalie thought about it and said cheekily, ¡°The name cards, of course. You must have printed a lot to give out to girls, right?¡± Natalie then looked at Susan to seek confirmation. Susan¡¯s expression changed instantly. The way she stared at Warren was as if she wanted to skin him alive. Her killer stare sent a chill down Warren¡¯s spine. Without hesitation, he took out the remaining name cards from his pocket. Upon seeing only one-third of the name cards were left in the holder, a towering rage zing in Susan¡¯s eyes. The turn of events was what Natalie expected. She suppressed her smile and said, ¡°Susan, your cousin must have given out at least sixty fake name cards to random girls. That¡¯s about two-thirds of the cards in this holder! I¡¯ll have to tell my Dad about this as this gentleman¡¯s action has tarnished my Dad¡¯s image.¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Susan immediately stopped Natalie. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to tell your Dad. Let me take care of this, all right?¡± She then pped Warren¡¯s back twice as his ¡®punishment¡¯. By hook or by crook, Susan must stop Natalie from reporting this incident to her dad. Harrison knew Susan did not have any rtives anymore. If Harrison found out about Warren, he would for sure investigate her so-called cousin, and everyone would know their affair by then. Therefore, she needed to dissuade Natalie from telling her dad. Natalie put down her phone and said, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll not tell Dad about it, but you have to do something for me.¡± ¡°What is it?¡¯ Susan wondered. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Natalie nced at her bag and said, ¡°Well, my Dad and I might not have the best rtionship, but as his daughter, I¡¯ll still defend his honor. This, however, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not open to negotiation.¡± Susan understood her hint, and she responded with a snort. ¡°Just say what you want from me.¡± ¡°My request is simple. I¡¯ve recently started a small garment factory, but I don¡¯t have enough money to buy machines, so...¡± Natalie made a universal money-counting gesture with her hand. Susan snickered. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two hundred thousand.¡± ¡°Two hundred thousand?¡± Natalie acted as if she was deep in thought at first and then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that can only cover the cost of two machines. I¡¯m hoping to buy fifty units.¡± ¡°Fifty?¡± Susan was taken aback. ¡°Please don¡¯t say you want me to pay you five million.¡± ¡°Oh, is it too much?¡± Natalie blinked innocently and pointed at Warren. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you brought him here to buy a car. Bentley, I think? A Bentley with the most basic specifications would cost around three million. Looking at the smile on your face, I¡¯m pretty sure Dad gave you quite a lot of money, right?¡± Susan was so mad that words choked in her throat. How did she find out, damn it! ¡°I can¡¯t give you five million. How about one million?¡± Susan raised her index finger. Natalie knitted her brows. ¡°That¡¯s too little. How about four million five hundred thousand?¡± Susan instantly raised her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Natalie.¡± ¡°Hey, we¡¯re negotiating, aren¡¯t we? But it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not keen to continue with this negotiation.¡± Natalie sighed and took out her phone again. Susan¡¯s eyes narrowed. She tried to calm herself by taking in a deep breath. ¡°Three million. Take it or leave it.¡± ¡°Calm down, Aunt Susan. Why are you so mad? Three million might be a small sum, but I¡¯ll take it.¡± Natalie took out a pen and wrote her bank ount on a piece of paper. ¡°Here you go. Thank you!¡± Susan¡¯s expression stiffened with dismay when she took over the paper. Natalie responded with a grin, ¡°All right, it¡¯s time for me to check on my car now. Have a nice day!¡± She waved them goodbye and left with a contented smile on her face. Warren got anxious and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re just going to give her the money? How about my car?¡± ¡°What car? You still owe me an exnation about the name card!¡± Susan gave him a murderous look. It took Susan some time to convince Harrison to give her five million to invest in a beauty parlor, but two-thirds of the amount would soon go to Natalie instead. I¡¯m just down on my luck these days! You want my money? Sure. Come and get it if you dare! Susan squeezed the paper into a ball as she watched Natalie walked out of the building. After leaving the one-stop center, Natalie received a notification about a bank transfer. Wow, that¡¯s fast. She thought Susan would have intentionally dyed the payment. Great! This saves me the trouble of asking her for the money. Natalie nced through the notification and chucked her phone to one side. Initially, Natalie thought of applying for a bank loan to buy the machines when the garment factory was ready to operate. But luck was on her side when Susan appeared with her so-called cousin. Natalie was, of course, smart enough to seize the opportunity to ckmail this couple. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Natalie burst intoughter while driving. Soon, she arrived at Thompson Group. She knocked on Shane¡¯s office door, ¡°Mr. Shane, your car¡¯s ready. Here¡¯s the key.¡± Natalie then put the key on his desk. Shane looked at it for a while and kept the key in his drawer. ¡°The critics are here with us today, and we¡¯ll have a gatheringter. Join us.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Natalie nodded. He then dismissed her with a wave of his hand. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Natalie then turned around and walked out of his office. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Just when she wanted to press the button of the elevator, the door suddenly opened. A man with a pair of sharp eyes walked out of the elevator with a walking cane and called her, ¡°Natalie!¡± Natalie¡¯s expression changed right away, and she took a few steps back. ¡°Hey, Mr. Sean.¡± What¡¯s wrong with today? Susan just got out of the hospital, and Sean is also discharged from the hospital? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be hospitalized for two months? Upon seeing Natalie¡¯s reaction, Sean inched closer and smirked. ¡°Are you surprised to see me? Do you still remember you¡¯re the one who does this to me?¡± Natalie chuckled. Sean¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What¡¯s with that smile?¡± Natalie looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m just amused by how you med me for your injuries. If I remember correctly, you¡¯re the one who wanted to take advantage of me first. Otherwise, Mr. Shane wouldn¡¯t have done this to you.¡± ¡°So you mean I deserve it?¡± Sean squinted. Natalie pressed her lips. ¡°You expect me to say you don¡¯t?¡± Sean lowered his eyes and smirked. All of a sudden, he threw away one of his crutches and pinned her to a wall behind. The impact was so strong that her back hurt, but she was more shocked by his action. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Sean did not answer her. He stepped closer and dropped the other crutch. Before Natalie could attempt an escape, he mmed his hands on the wall and trapped her in between. Natalie was stunned for a bit, but she immediately eximed in anger, ¡°Let me go!¡± Sean stood still. Natalie balled her fingers to a fist and was ready to throw a punch at him. Sean then whispered to her ear, ¡°Think twice before you hit me. I¡¯ve yet to recover from the old injuries, mind you. If my injuries get worse, you¡¯ll have topensate me and take care of me.¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie¡¯s hand froze in mid-air. Sean sighed as if he was disappointed that she stopped right there. ¡°Are you not going to hit me? Come on, do it.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Natalie roared and shot an angry nce at him. ¡°What do you want from me? Can you please stop pestering me?¡± Sean put on a sly smile. ¡°Sure. But you have to do something for me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was all tensed up, and she immediately got into a defensive mode. I don¡¯t feel good about this. Sean snickered. Before he could tell Natalie what he wanted her to do, Ss came out from his office. A beam of hope twinkled in Natalie¡¯s eyes. She shouted to get his attention, ¡°Mr. Campbell!¡± Ss heard her voice and turned around. He was shocked to see the position they were in. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± ¡°Just catching up with Natalie since I haven¡¯t seen her for quite some time.¡± Sean stroke the edges of her hair and asked her, ¡°Right?¡± Natalie knew he was warning her not to ask for trouble, but she did not y along. She shook her head and exined, ¡°That¡¯s not true. I bumped into Mr. Sean, and he stopped me from leaving. Could you please ask him to move aside? He¡¯s injured, and I don¡¯t want to hurt him by ident.¡± Sean¡¯s expression changed, and he looked at her in disbelief. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 How dare she! Is she not afraid that I might expose her secret? ¡°I see.¡± Ss walked over, picked up the crutches, and handed them to Sean. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should harass our colleagues like this. I can¡¯t imagine what Mr. Shane would do if he found out about this. To keep yourself from getting in trouble, I would advise you to release Ms. Natalie.¡± Sean gave him a sullen stare before turning his attention to Natalie. He then took over the crutches and let Natalie go. Once Natalie managed to free herself, she instantly ran away from him. A corner of Sean¡¯s mouth quirked up upon seeing how terrified Natalie was. He turned his attention to Ss and sneered, ¡°You seem to be everywhere.¡± Ss grinned, ¡°Well, Mr. Shane called me, and I was just on my way to his office. I believe you¡¯re here to see Mr. Shane too? Shall we?¡± He did not give Sean a chance to decline by showing him the way to Shane¡¯s office. Sean not was offended by his gesture. He stayed calm and gave Natalie a baffling smile. ¡°We¡¯ll talk soon.¡± Natalie watched him walking with his crutches and limped toward Shane¡¯s office. Once Sean had left, she immediately expressed her gratitude to Ss with a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. d I was here to help,¡± Ss responded. He did not lend her a helping hand just because she was Shane¡¯s woman. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. He would have done the same to any employees in this office. This was his responsibility as a member of the senior management. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go and see Mr. Shane. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± Ss took a nce at his watch. Once Ss had left, Natalie took the elevator and returned to the design department. She got back to her office, recalled what Sean said earlier, and began to worry. It was clear that Sean still held grudges against her. He would eventually settle old scores with Natalie. It was just a matter of time. Natalie was certainly creeped out by the fact that Sean had marked her as his target. The thought the dealing with this man in the future gave her a headache. She could no longer focus on her work the entire morning. At noon, Shane gave her a call, ¡°Done with your work?¡± Natalia massaged her forehead and tried to pull herself together. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Come and meet me at the car park.¡± Shane hung up on her after that. Natalie put down the phone and quickly arranged her desk. She then left the office after grabbing her handbag. By the time she arrived at the car park, the door at the passenger¡¯s seat behind was already opened for her. Natalie grinned and quickened her pace. ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Get in,¡± Shane put down the magazine in his hands and said calmly. After getting into the car and greeted Ss, who was at the driver¡¯s seat, she took out her phone and texted Joyce, hoping she could help her pick the children up. Right after she had done sending the message, Shane said, ¡°Ss told me about the things that Sean did to you this morning.¡± Natalie blinked. ¡°So...¡± Shane knew what was on her mind. ¡°I¡¯ve appointed him as a CEO of one of our subsidiaries. Without my permission, he¡¯ll not be able to enter the headquarters. So, you¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shane gently nodded and remained quiet. About half an hourter, they arrived at a hotel. The waiter led the way and brought them to a private room. Most of the critics had arrived and were all gathered in the private room. Shane and Natalie took their seats and greeted all the guests. He then ordered the waiter to start serving the dishes. Waiters started bringing in dishes on a cart and ced them on the dining table. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Suddenly, a waiter identally spilled a bowl of soup on Natalie¡¯s arm. Shane stood up, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her to his chest. Natalie just leaned quietly against his chest, not knowing what just happened. All the guests were dumbfounded. They realized what actually happened only when the waiter repeatedly apologized for almost spilling the soup on Natalie. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can go out now.¡± Shane did not me the waiter as he could tell he did not do it on purpose. Nheless, he was still a little annoyed by the incident. The waiter immediately thanked him and left the private room. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Shane released Natalie from his embrace and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane¡¯s expression softened upon hearing that. ¡°It looks like you really love your fianc¨¦e,¡± one of the critics remarked. Natalie instantly felt awkward and wanted to rify, but before she could speak, Shane interrupted and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie was stunned for moment. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Once again, Shane interrupted her. ¡°No point wasting your time and energy exining this kind of thing. The more you exin, the more confused and suspicious they would be.¡± Natalie nodded gently. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Drink this.¡± Shane then ced a ss of fruit juice in front of her. Natalie looked at the drink. ¡°Orange juice?¡± ¡°You had some wine yesterday, so no wine for you today. I don¡¯t want you to vomit and dirty my car.¡± Shane said casually while taking a sip of red wine from his ss. Natalie blushed, and she lowered her head and cleared her throat. ¡°Please excuse me. I need to go to the washroom.¡± She then walked out of the private room. When she was about the return after using the washroom, she saw a familiar figure walking along the other end of the corridor. ¡°Jasmine?¡± A line formed between Natalie¡¯s brows. What is she doing here? And why is she sneaking around here? She better not be doing something shady. Natalie bit lips. She hesitated for a moment but decided to go and check it out. Yet, by the time she reached the end of the corridor, Jasmine had disappeared. ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡¯ Natalie mumbled. There were no private rooms or booths here, just an elevator and an emergency exit. I don¡¯t see her. Probably she has left. Natalie sighed in disappointment and was ready to return to the private room. But at this moment, Jasmine¡¯s voice emerged from the emergency exit, ¡°Where¡¯s the stuff?¡± Natalie immediately turned around and approached the exit. She heard a man responding to her question. ¡°Right here.¡± ¡°Give it to me. Quick!¡± Jasmine looked at the bottle dangling in the man¡¯s hand and could not wait to get her hands on it. Just when she was about to grab the bottle, the man suddenly pulled it away from her. Jasmine¡¯s expression changed right away. ¡°Excuse me?¡± The man smirked. ¡°Calm down, sweetie. I¡¯ll give it to you, don¡¯t worry, but...¡± He sized her up with a lecherous look. Jasmine knew what he wanted. She lowered her eyes and tried to hide her disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think about it. I¡¯m Shane Thompson¡¯s fianc¨¦e, mind you.¡± ¡°So? We had sex before, remember?¡± the man said matter-of-factly. Natalie was absolutely dumbfounded. She had to cover her mouth to avoid making any sound. Oh my God! Jasmine has cheated on Shane! ¡°It was an ident. I was drunk,¡± Jasmine clenched her fist and roared. The man sneered. ¡°Yeah, right. You just needed an excuse to sleep with a man because you were too lonely.¡± Jasmine was about to explode with rage. The man waved his hand in the air. ¡°Shush, enough of this drama. Spend a night with me, or else...¡± Chapter 149 Chapter 149 ¡°Fine.¡± Jasmine had to agree to the man¡¯s demand as if he had some dirt on her. Soon, Natalie started hearing some subtle moans and grunts from afar. She was so shocked that her heart pounded furiously, and she just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Even after she returned to the private room, her face remained as pale as a ghost. Shane noticed her expression and knitted his brows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I...¡± Natalie nearly blurted out what she saw earlier but decided to hold back. ¡°A rat appeared in the washroom and scared the daylights out of me.¡± ¡°Rat? In this hotel?¡± Shane squinted in disbelief. Natalie dared not look at him in the eyes. She took a sip of the orange juice and said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a huge one. It must havee from somewhere else.¡± ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve to inform the hotel about this problem.¡± Shane then wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. Natalie responded with a wry smile and did not say anything after that. It was not because she did not want him to know. If she were to tell him about it now, Shane would have exploded and ended this gathering in a fit of anger. Moreover, Natalie thought it was best for him to find out about it himself. It would be too embarrassing for him to learn about his fianc¨¦e¡¯s infidelity from another person. She was ready to drop a hint or two to help him discover the truth. This was why she seemed absent-minded throughout lunch. How should I alert him about this without telling him directly? She still failed toe up with a n by the end of the gathering. After bidding farewell to all the critics, Natalie and Shane left the hotel. The wind outside was chilly, and Natalie could not help but shiver. She tried to warm herself by rubbing her hands together. Upon seeing her reaction, Shane removed his zer and ced it over her head. Natalie looked at him, feeling confused. ¡°Project Rebirth is just four days away, so you mustn¡¯t fall sick,¡± Shane exined. ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡± Natalie nodded. She could feel the warmth of his body on the coat. ¡°Let¡¯s wait by the road. Ss is reaching soon.¡± Shane put his hands into his pocket and led the way. Natalie adjusted the coat and followed right behind with a smile. A roguish man was hiding behind the flower bed outside the hotel. He took out a photo from his pocket to check if Natalie was his target. He then threw away his cigarette butt and approached Natalie from the back. Suddenly, she felt a pain in her shoulder. By the time she looked back, her handbag was gone. She was stunned for a bit before alerting the man in front of him. ¡°Mr. Shane, someone snatched my handbag!¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Did you carry any important documents in the bag?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a sh drive containing all the designs I¡¯ve chosen and amended. We would be using these designs for our fall collection, and we¡¯re supposed to hand it over to the dress-making department tomorrow.¡± Natalie panicked. Ever since Jasmine instructed Ashley to steal her designs, she had always kept the sh drive by her side to avoid history repeating itself. Yet, this time, she fell victim to a snatch thief. Natalie clenched her teeth and said, ¡°I must go and get it back. It would be a disaster had he thrown everything else away after stealing my wallet and my phone.¡± She took down the coat and was ready to run after the man. Shane stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll go. You stay right here and call the police. Wait for Ss.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°But...¡± Shane did not give her a chance to say anything. He removed his tie, threw it on her, and ran in the snatch thief¡¯s direction. Natalie¡¯s jaw dropped upon realizing what a fast runner Shane was. A man who stays in the office all year long can still be so athletic? What a surprise! Chapter 150 Chapter 150 But she was wrong. ¡°Ms. Natalie.¡± A Rolls-Royce Phantom soon arrived. Ss winded down the window and asked. ¡°Howe you¡¯re alone? Where¡¯s Mr. Shane?¡± Natalia paused for a moment before answering his question, ¡°Mr. Shane ran after a snatch thief.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ss raised his voice. While she was taking out a phone to call the police, she urged Ss to start driving. ¡°Keep going. Mr. Shane will be in danger if the thief has other members!¡± Ss¡¯ expression changed and started driving in their direction. A few minutester, they found Shane. He was fighting with a few men in a dark alley, and one of the men was the person who stole her handbag. Natalie balled her hands into fists. ¡°I knew it. I knew he¡¯s not alone. Come on, we have to go and help.¡± Though Shane was fighting against a group of men alone, he seemed to be doing a good job. Yet, tackling arge group of men for an extended period could exhaust his energy, and he would be in deep trouble by then. Natalie immediately got down from the car and was ready to join the fight. Ss, too, stepped out of the car. He went up and stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll go. You stay here and wait.¡± Ss rubbed his fists and joined Shane in the fight. With Ss¡¯ help, Shane managed to take down all the men. Natalie heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing the group of rogues lying on the ground. She smiled and ran toward him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Shane was pleased to know that she actually cared for him. ¡°Yes. Here you go.¡± He handed the handbag over to her. ¡°Let me know if anything has gone missing.¡± Natalie opened the bag and checked thoroughly. ¡°Everything is still in the bag. Thank God.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Shane nodded. All of a sudden, one of the men rolled down his sock and pulled out a dagger. He bounced up from the ground and stab in Shane¡¯s direction. Shane did not know what was going on behind him. Ss noticed the man, but he was too far away to stop him. He could only shout, ¡°Be careful!¡± ¡°What?¡± A sudden frown warped Shane¡¯s face, but before he could react, Natalie had wrapped her hands around his waist, shoved him aside, and took his ce. Pfft! The dagger pierced right into Natalie¡¯s shoulder. Shane instantly raised his leg and kicked the assant, who then hit the wall behind and fainted on the spot. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Instead of checking on the assant, Shane immediately held Natalie tightly in his arms. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± The color drained out of her face, and she broke out in a sweat. ¡°My shoulder hurts.¡± Shoulder? Shane touched her shoulder, and it was all wet. He soon noticed his hand was covered in blood! Ss went up and beat them up again before saying, ¡°Ms. Smith is injured.¡± Shane carried her in his arms and ordered Ss, ¡°You stay here and wait for the police. I¡¯ll bring her to the hospital.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Ss nodded. Shane then got into the car with Natalie and drove toward the hospital. Once they arrived at the hospital, Shane went straight to Jackson. Jackson was on the night shift, and he had justpleted a medical procedure. Just when he was about to take a nap, someone kicked down his office door. The bang was so loud that he immediately jumped up from his seat. ¡°What happened?¡± With a sullen look, Shane approached Jackson and ced Natalie on his desk. ¡°Do what you need to do right now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Jackson looked at the unconscious woman and asked in a serious voice. ¡°Someone stabbed her with a dagger,¡± Shane answered briefly. He then pulled down the corner of her dress and revealing the wound on her shoulder. Jackson took a deep breath, put on a pair of gloves, and started cleaning the wound. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 It took Jackson half an hour to clean and bandaged Natalie¡¯s wound. He took off the gloves and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Done.¡± Shane rolled her dress up, carried her, and ced her on a couch. He then covered her with his zer before washing his hand at the mini basin in Jackson¡¯s office. ¡°How¡¯s her wound?¡± ¡°She experienced quite a severe blood loss, but she¡¯s fine now. It won¡¯t take long for her wound to heal.¡± Jackson was not worried. Shane was relieved to hear that. Jackson adjusted his sses and asked, ¡°What exactly happened? Who stabbed her?¡± Shane looked at him and briefly told him about the incident. Jackson was amazed by the story. ¡°She should count herself lucky.¡± Shane squinted and gave him a killer stare. That stare sent a chill down Jackson¡¯s spine. He immediately put on an awkward smile and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± Shane then turned around and picked up Natalie¡¯s handbag. He took out her phone, unlocked the screen with her thumbprint, and called Connor. ¡°Hi, Connor speaking,¡± Connor answered the call steadily but with the voice of a child. Jackson could not help but chuckle. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just a child? Why does he talk like an adult?¡± Shane did not respond to what Jackson said, but a corner of his mouth quirked up. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Shane said. Connor kept mum for a few seconds and continued, ¡°Hello, Mr. Shane. Why are you using my Mommy¡¯s phone?¡± ¡°Your Mommy is drunk, and she can¡¯t go home tonight,¡± Shane looked at Natalie and tantly lied to Connor. Jackson rolled his eyes in disgust. Connor believed him and did not question him further. ¡°Okay. Please take good care of my Mommy, okay?¡± ¡°I will.¡± Shane nodded. She got hurt because of me. It¡¯s my responsibility to take good care of her. Jackson was confused upon hearing what Shane told Connor. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell the boy the truth?¡± ¡°What for? You want the two little kids to worry?¡± Shane took a sidelong nce at him. Jackson crossed his arms and smirked. ¡°This seems like something a father would do for his kids.¡± ¡°Enough. Just give her a room,¡± Shane stood up and said. ¡°Come. Follow me.¡± Jackson walked out of his room and led the way. Shane carried Natalie in his arms and walked to the ward. Soon, they arrived at an empty ward. While Shane was putting her down on the bed, Ss walked into the ward and greeted them.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Has the police nabbed the group of men?¡± Shane pulled a chair over and sat down. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. They¡¯ll be locked behind bars for quite some time, but...¡± ¡°But what?¡± Shane stared at him. Ss knitted his brows. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is not just a simple snatch theft.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane¡¯s expression grim. Ss took out a photo from his pocket. ¡°I found this in the snatch thief¡¯s pocket. It¡¯s Ms. Natalie¡¯s photo. Someone must have nned this.¡± Shane clenched his fists. ¡°How is the snatch thief? Is he awake?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still in aa. He suffered a severe concussion and might remain unconscious for the next two days. I¡¯ve checked with the police, and they said the other men only did what the snatch thief told them to,¡± Ss exined. Shane tightened his grip on the photo. ¡°Does that mean we¡¯ll only be able to find out who the mastermind was when hees around?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. Right now, we don¡¯t have a single clue about this case, so we can¡¯t carry out any investigations,¡± Ss sighed helplessly. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Shane put the photo aside and wondered aloud, ¡°I wonder what¡¯s so valuable in her bag to be worth snatching.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°That I¡¯ve no idea,¡± Ss answered while shaking his head. Shane went quiet at his words. After a while, he massaged the bridge of his nose tiredly and instructed, ¡°Tell Mrs. Wilson to prepare a new set of clothes and send them here.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ss replied and left. That night, Shane had spent the whole night in Natalie¡¯s ward and only left the next morning when a call came in. Shortly after he left, Natalie slowly regained consciousness. Mrs. Wilson immediately came over and called out to her, ¡°Ms. Natalie!¡± ¡°Mrs. Wilson?¡± Natalie blinked her eyes in confusion. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She tried to sit up as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Shane who asked me to take care of you,¡± Mrs. Wilson said while passing her a cup of water. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie took the cup from her and looked around the room. ¡°Where¡¯s he now?¡± ¡°He has left a while ago.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t hide the disappointment in her eyes as she sipped on her water. Mrs. Wilson took out an insted food container and said, ¡°You must be hungry by now, Ms. Natalie. I¡¯ve made some mushroom soup for you. Please drink it.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Wilson.¡± Natalie nodded in gratitude. She was indeed feeling hungry now. Mrs. Wilson looked on smilingly while watching her drink, which made Natalie feel very embarrassed and she slowed down her drinking speed. ¡°Is there something on my face, Mrs. Wilson?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m just feeling very happy. Mr. Shane has never been so caring towards a woman in his life,¡± Mrs. Wilson replied. Natalie frowned instead. ¡°Huh? I thought the woman he cared the most is Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°She?¡± Mrs. Wilson blinked in surprise before shaking her head. She looked rather tongue-tied instead. Now Natalie was bewildered by her reaction. Mrs. Wilson doesn¡¯t seem to agree with my words. Am I overthinking it this time? Natalie sank into contemtion as she stirred her soup absentmindedly. At that moment, someone knocked on the door and Mrs. Wilson stood up to get the door. When she returned, she was followed by Jackson behind her. ¡°How¡¯s the wound? Does it still hurt?¡± Natalie stroked the wound on her shoulder and answered, ¡°A little bit, but it¡¯s not hindering my movements at least.¡± ¡°Of course it won¡¯t hinder your movements. It¡¯s just a stab into your skin.¡± Jackson rolled his eyes but then gave her a thumbs-up the next moment. ¡°Still, I¡¯m impressed with your courage for blocking that attack from Shane. You¡¯re a brave one indeed.¡± Natalie¡¯s face reddened at his sudden praise. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Mr. Shane has saved me many times before that.¡± ¡°Ah, indeed. You two have been saving each other¡¯s lives so many times, and yet still haven¡¯t fallen for each other yet. What a weird urrence.¡± Jackson narrowed his eyes at Natalie as he mused. Panic shed across her eyes when he said that. Not knowing how to reply to him, Natalie could only put on an awkward smile. Jackson did not miss the panic in her eyes though. He was genuinely surprised by her reaction. All this while, he had been wondering under what situation would a person actually disregard his own life to save another person. Thanks to his nurse, he only found out this morning that it would be out of love. That made him confirm that Shane had really fallen in love with Natalie for him to treat her so differently and save her so many times. But Natalie did the same for him as well, so he came over to check on her feelings towards Shane. He didn¡¯t expect her to feel the same way as Shane did too. ¡°Oh, my. This is gettingplicated.¡± Jackson smacked his forehead with a bitter smile. ¡°Why, Dr. Baker?¡± Natalie looked at him in confusion. ¡°Oh, nothing. Just let me clear my mind.¡± Jackson left while rubbing his forehead, leaving behind a confused Natalie. But she didn¡¯t think too much about it. After finishing her chicken soup, she started packing to get discharged. Mrs. Wilson had left the hospital first, but Natalie was not in a hurry to leave yet, so she left for the Neurology Department to pay Stanley a visit. Unfortunately, Stanley was not in his consultation room. After asking the nurse, she came to know that he was off for a follow-up with a female patient by the name of Graham. ¡°That Graham girl, is it Ms. Jacqueline Graham?¡± Natalie muttered in a low voice. She was now very curious about this Ms. Graham she had heard on so many asions and had the urge to meet her in person. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Without thinking much, Natalie gave in to her urge and took off to see her. After asking about Jacqueline¡¯s room number, she then proceeded to the wards under the Neurology Department. The door was ajar when she reached Jacqueline¡¯s room, so Natalie could see everything inside. Stanley was in hisb coat as he checked the girl¡¯s head with a medical torchlight. The girl had her head lowered, so Natalie couldn¡¯t see her face at all. She could only see the surgery scars that crawled across her bald head like a group of centipedes, which made her hair stand on its ends. If it was someone else with a weak heart, they would¡¯ve probably screamed at the gross sight. Although Natalie was low-key frightened as well, she managed to cover her mouth before a scream escaped from her lips. She didn¡¯t want to jump scare the people inside the room now. A whileter, Stanley was finally done with his checkup. He switched off the torchlight and turned around to see Natalie waiting outside of the room. A hint of surprise shed across his eyes before striding over to Natalie with a smile. ¡°What brings you here, Nat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see you,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. She didn¡¯t want to tell him about her injury. Otherwise, he would be pestering her with questions and get worried about her. ¡°Wow, really? That¡¯s so kind of you. But I still need a while, though. Maybe you have to wait for me at my office.¡± Stanley gestured to the back as he spoke. Natalie was about to say she would wait for him in the room when a weak voice of a girl sounded behind Stanley. ¡°Dr. Quinn, is it your friend?¡± Stanley replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh, ok. If she doesn¡¯t mind, do ask her to take a seat here,¡± the girl replied in a soft voice. Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up at the invitation and replied, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t mind!¡± She was here to see Jacqueline in person anyway. Now that Jacqueline had asked her to stay, of course, she would not reject the offer. Stanley could guess what she was thinking from her happy look. His warm smile suddenly vanished from his face, and his gaze turned icy behind his sses. However, Natalie did not notice his change in mood and overtook him to enter the room. This time, she finally had a good look at Jacqueline¡¯s features. She was blessed with nice facial features and a perfect face shape. One could see she was once a gorgeous woman before falling sick. But now, her skin was sallow and her eyes were sunken due to her illness. She looked so skinny that her cheekbones were protruding. Even with her wig on, it wouldn¡¯t do much to conceal her sickly figure. Despite her haggard appearance, though, she exuded an uncanny mien of grace and elegance. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Graham. My name¡¯s Natalie Smith, and I¡¯m Stanley¡¯s friend.¡± Natalie stopped herself from staring at her and extended her hand to Jacqueline. Jacqueline lifted her skinny hand and shook Natalie¡¯s hand weakly. The stark contrast between her ugly and sallow hand with Natalie¡¯s fair and beautiful ones made Jacqueline lowered her eyes in jealousy. But the hint of jealousy went off as fast as it came and no one noticed it. ¡°Hello, Ms. Smith. Do you know me?¡± Jacqueline retracted her hand and asked with a smile. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Natalie gestured at Stanley with her lips. ¡°He told me about you before.¡± ¡°Oh, ok. My pleasure then. Please have a seat, Ms. Smith.¡± Jacqueline gestured to the chair beside her bed. Natalie thanked her and sat down beside her as she observed Stanley carrying out the next treatment on Jacqueline. The treatment process seemed to be a torturous one. The pain was written all over Jacqueline¡¯s face before she let out a horrible scream and fainted. Natalie stood up at the sight. ¡°Is she fine, Stanley?¡± Stanley started removing his gloves without sparing a nce at Jacqueline. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s normal. She¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Oh, d to hear that.¡± Natalie let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s the nurse¡¯s job now.¡± Stanley turned to her and gestured. Natalie hummed in agreement and left Jacqueline¡¯s room. On their way back to Stanley¡¯s consultation room, Natalie inquired curiously, ¡°Hey, when will Ms. Graham recover from her illness?¡± Chapter 154 Chapter 154 ¡°You seem to care about her very much?¡± Stanley adjusted his sses and asked back instead. Natalie chuckled. ¡°Not really. I just pity her for the pain she has to go through.¡± ¡°She has almost recovered actually. She just needs to stay for a while longer and we can discharge her soon,¡± Stanley ced his hands in his pocket as he exined. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything about Ms. Graham from you. Now that I¡¯ve seen her for myself, she¡¯s indeed a gentle woman.¡± ¡°Gentle?¡± Stanley raised his brows at that. A hint of sarcasm shed across his eyes when he replied. ¡°Why? Am I wrong?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Nope.¡± Stanley shook his head. After that, Natalie spent some time chatting with Stanley before leaving shortly. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When she returned to Thompson Group, Natalie passed the sh drive to the dress-making department and started her day of work. When she was done with office work, she went to the Fashion Hall that afternoon to check on the rehearsal. By the time she was done with everything, her back and waist were sore from fatigue. At night, Natalie had just prepared her dinner when the doorbell rang. She put down the dishes and wiped her hands on her apron as she went to get the door. Her eyes widened like saucers when she saw her visitor. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Shane acknowledged her with a hum. Natalie let go of the door and gestured for him toe in. ¡°Pleasee in and take a seat, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Oh, no need for that. I¡¯m just here to take something. By the way, have you offended anyone in the past?¡± Shane asked while staring at her. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Natalie frowned at his question. ¡°The snatch theft yesterday was nned deliberately. The snatch thief woke up this afternoon, and we found out from him that someone handed your photo to him. He was told that you¡¯re having a huge amount of cash with you.¡± ¡°A huge amount of cash...¡± Natalie slowly mumbled the words. She clenched her fists tightly as someone came to her mind. ¡°You know who did it?¡± Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed at her actions. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Susan.¡± Natalie nodded in confirmation. She then told him of her encounter with Susan at the 4S shop but hid the part about Warren. Shane went quiet at her narration. Never had he expected this incident had happened because Natalie ckmailed Susan¡¯s money from her, causing Susan to take revenge on her. ¡°You reckless...¡± Shane¡¯s lips quivered madly. He was about to ask further when Natalie¡¯s phone sounded and interrupted him. Natalie excused herself apologetically and fished out her phone from underneath her apron. She swiftly answered the call when she saw the caller ID. ¡°Hey, Joyce.¡± ¡°Something bad happened, Nat!¡± Joyce¡¯s panicked voice sounded from the earpiece. ¡°What happened?¡± Natalie asked with a serious expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you transfer three million to my bank ount yesterday? So I used the money to buy some machinery which arrived today. But two hours ago, a group of men crashed into my factory and destroyed all my new machinery!¡± Joyce exined furiously. ¡°What?¡± Natalie raised her voice and tightened her grip around the phone. Shane frowned at her sudden raised voice. ¡°What happened?¡± But Natalie did not answer him and continued asking through the phone. ¡°Where did those mene from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But judging from their attires, I guess they¡¯re not members of any well-structured gang,¡± Joyce replied. Natalie lowered her head in thought. ¡°If it¡¯s not men from the gangs, then they must be bandits. Where are you now, Joyce?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the factory.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming over now.¡± After hanging up the call, Natalie turned around to grab Shane¡¯s arm. ¡°Mr. Shane, can I borrow your car now? I have something important to settle.¡± ¡°Let me send you there,¡± Shane replied. He had no idea what had happened, but judging from her furious expression, it must be something serious. After all, two heads were better than one. Who knows things might be easier with him around? ¡°Ok. Thanks, Mr. Shane.¡± Realizing her actions, Natalie let go of his arms abruptly. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Shane smoothed out her wrinkled sleeves. ¡°You go ahead and inform the kids. I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie nodded and went to inform the kids. Slightly more than an hourter, they arrived at the factory. Joyce was talking on the phone by the entrance. Natalie got down from the car and waved her hands. ¡°Joyce!¡± Hearing her voice, Joyce kept her phone and jogged towards her friend. ¡°You¡¯re here, Nat!¡± ¡°Yeah, Mr. Shane sent me here.¡± Natalie pointed at the man beside her. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Shane nodded slightly and greeted Joyce. ¡°Nice to meet you too, Mr. Shane.¡± Joyce darted her gaze between the two in bewilderment. She then dragged her friend aside and lowered her voice. ¡°Nat, why did Mr. Shanee with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about thatter. Bring me to the machinery first.¡± Natalie was not in the mood to gossip and rushed her friend. ¡°Right. Pleasee with me.¡± Joyce resumed her serious look as she brought Natalie and Shane into the factory. When she saw the dismantled machine parts that were lying all around the factory, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel rage surging within her. ¡°This is too much!¡± Her eyes were red with anger as she spoke. ¡°Yes! These are all brand new machinery! We didn¡¯t even get to use them, and here they¡¯re already lying around like scraps...¡± Joyce sighed dejectedly. Natalie closed her eyes as she tried to suppress her rage. ¡°Did you ask the supplier if they can be fixed?¡± ¡°No, they can¡¯t,¡± Shane answered before Joyce could reply. ¡°Why?¡± Natalie turned to him. Shane walked over to a set of ruined machinery and moved its parts. ¡°Judging from the scratches on these parts, they are all dismantled with proper dismantling equipment. Some of the sides were even sawed through topletely destroy these parts and render them useless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the installer told us as well. He said that all these parts can only be sold off as scraps,¡± Joyce answered with a bitter smile. ¡°Why did this happened...¡± Natalie pursed her lips in anger. These were all machinery that was worth a few million. And now they were rendered useless! ¡°Who did this!¡± Natalie clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her skin. Shane pursed his lips in displeasure at the sight. At that moment, Joyce¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello. Yes, I am. Ok, I¡¯lle over now.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Natalie asked. Joyce kept her phone in her handbag and answered. ¡°It¡¯s the police. They¡¯ve caught two of the men involved in destroying my machinery and they¡¯re asking me to go over now. Do you want toe with me?¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll better not go then. I¡¯ll stay back to settle these machinery parts.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples as she replied. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take my leave then.¡± Joyce waved her hands and left in a haste. Natalie then turned to Shane. ¡°It¡¯ste, Mr. Shane. You should go back now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you. I can¡¯t just leave you here alone.¡± Shane shook his head in rejection. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel herself warm up at his kind words. A beautiful smile tugged on her lips as she replied, ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane¡¯s eyes flickered at her words before coughing in embarrassment. ¡°Alright. Just, go ahead and settle those machine parts.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Natalie hummed in reply and started busying herself with the machines. By the time she was done calcting the loss sustained by this incident, it was almost 9 p.m. Natalie took out her phone to call the movingpany to take away the scraps. But she let out a confused hum when she checked the phone signal. Shane heard her and stopped wiping his hands. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no signal here.¡± Natalie waved her phone, hoping it would capture some signal miraculously. ¡°What about your phone?¡± Shane kept his handkerchief and took out his phone. ¡°No either.¡± ¡°You too?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. ¡°How could this be?¡± Shane didn¡¯t answer her and only lowered his head in thought. Natalie put down her hand and spoke, ¡°Let me go out to check for phone signals.¡± Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Shane did not stop her from doing so, hence Natalie walked out to the entrance of the factory. When she reached the door, though, she noticed that the initially ajar door was now closed. A bad feeling suddenly rose in her heart as she looked at the closed door. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s bolted from the outside? The thought made Natalie dashed to the door and grabbed the doorknob. To her horror, the doorknob couldn¡¯t be twisted open at all. They were really locked in for real. Shane came over when he heard the noise. His face darkened when he realized the situation they were in. ¡°The door can¡¯t be opened?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s locked from the outside.¡± ¡°I expected this.¡± Shane was not the least bit surprised by the incident. Hearing his statement, Natalie let go of the doorknob and turned to him. ¡°You know the door has been locked?¡± Shane nodded while tapping on the door. ¡°The phone signal was still on when Joyce was here. Our signal only went off after she left. Obviously, someone doesn¡¯t want us to contact anyone outside of this factory. If I¡¯m not wrong, a signal jammer must be installed outside of this room. ¡°A signal jammer.¡± Natalie frowned at his deduction. Shane then added while keeping his phone, ¡°Most signal jammers avable in the market will only work on one single floor, or one house. It shouldn¡¯t be able to block off phone signals on arge area.¡± ¡°Then what should we do now? We can¡¯t go out, and we can¡¯t contact anyone now.¡± Natalie pulled her hair in frustration. Shane returned to the room instead. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no use panicking now. We should be vignt of what¡¯s going to happenter on.¡± Natalie felt her heart drop at his words. ¡°Do you mean we¡¯re going to be in danger, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Very likely. Otherwise, why are we locked here?¡± Shane replied with a heavy tone. Natalie followed him back with eyes full of regret. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for dragging you into trouble with me, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m the one who refused to leave, anyway.¡± Shane ttened a used box and sat on it. He then patted the space beside him and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of standing all this while? Come and have a seat. Whatever danger that¡¯s going toe, we¡¯ll face it together.¡± Natalie let out a helpless chuckle before sitting beside him. She had just taken her seat when Shane uttered, ¡°This must be Susan¡¯s doing again.¡± ¡°What makes you so sure about that?¡± Natalie asked while hugging her knees. Shane chuckled at her question. ¡°If I¡¯m the one who got ckmailed and lost three million, I will also feel the same as her. I will think of all means and ways to get my money back. Even if I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll at least make the person¡¯s life hard instead of letting the person get away with it. Since the snatch theft attempt failedst night, she will definitely think of other ways to get back at you.¡± ¡°But how does she know these machineries are mine?¡± Natalie clenched her teeth angrily. It had been Joyce who was handling the buying of these machineries! ¡°It¡¯s not that hard to find out about it.¡± Shane eyed her incredulously. ¡°She could just check the transaction records of the three million, and she¡¯ll know everything.¡± ¡°This...¡± Natalie smacked her forehead regretfully. ¡°How could I forget about this.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no use regretting now. I suggest you think of ways to get back at her once we¡¯re out.¡± Shane pinched his nose bridge tiredly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy.¡± Natalie chuckled. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Oh? You have a n?¡± Shane raised his brows at her. ¡°Of course! Just wait and see, Mr. Shane. Once I¡¯m out, Susan will be finished for sure.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes glinted cunningly. Her confidence brought a slight smile to Shane¡¯s face. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wait for your good news then. But first, give me your hand now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie obeyed despite not knowing what he wanted to do. Shane¡¯s face turned uglier at the sight of her bloody palm from when she clenched her fists. This woman. Didn¡¯t she feel any pain from clenching her fists so hard? Natalie suddenly felt embarrassed by his stare and tried to retract her hand, only to be held by Shane firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Natalie went still at his words. After checking her hand, Shane let go of her and proceeded to take off his tie. He then tore the tie in half, which made Natalie wince. ¡°Mr. Shane, that tie of yours is a custom-made product by the renowned designer Mr. Landis. And here you just tore it in half! What a waste indeed!¡± Chapter 157 Chapter 157 But Shane merely lifted his eyelids and repliedzily. ¡°I have plenty of them.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips twitched at his statement; she was rendered speechless at his words. ¡°Hold your hand still,¡± Shane ordered. Natalie could only follow his order obediently when she saw him trying to wrap the torn tie around her injured hand. Oh, so he wants to tend to my wound. Natalie¡¯s heart raced at the realization. Shane covered the biggest piece of fabric on her wound and started wrapping the remainder of his torn tie around her hand. But being a man himself, his force was a tad bit too strong while bandaging. ¡°Ouch!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but winced in pain. ¡°Bear with it,¡± Shane uttered coldly. Despite his words though, he did soften his strength and became gentler when bandaging the wound. Natalie noticed the change and couldn¡¯t stop herself from chucking aloud. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Shane frowned at herughter. ¡°I¡¯mughing at how much of a tsundere you are. You never mean what you say most of the time,¡± Natalie said while staring at him. Shane immediately got what she meant. Pursing his lips, he lightly pressed the wound on her palm vengefully. ¡°Ouch!¡± Natalie eximed in pain. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Shane threw her hand back when he was done bandaging. Natalie pouted her lips. She knew he was trying to take revenge on her statement about him. Hmph! What a vengeful man. But hey, I didn¡¯t expect him to have such a childish side! Natalie covered her mouth andughed soundlessly, or else her boss would get unhappy again. After some time, just when Natalie started to feel drowsy, footsteps were suddenly heard outside the factory. The next moment, something dropped from the sunroof and rolled on the floor loudly. Natalie woke up instantly from the noise and pointed at the nearest bottle near her. ¡°What¡¯s that, Mr. Shane?¡± Shane did not answer her and got up to check the bottle. When he saw thebel, his expression changed suddenly. ¡°This is nitrogen gas. Quick! Cover your nose and mouth now!¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie¡¯s pupils constricted in fear and she covered her nose and mouth tightly. Just like what Shane had said, the person who locked them in indeed wanted to harm them. But she didn¡¯t expect them to use concentrated nitrogen gas on them. Not only the gas smelled pungent, but it could also suffocate them to death after excessive inhtion. This person wants us dead indeed! Natalie¡¯s eyes were red with rage and hatred when she realized the danger they were in. Shane came back to her with his nose and lips covered. ¡°Is there any water here?¡± he asked in a muffled voice. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. We¡¯ve just rented this factory site not too long ago, so we¡¯ve only had time for electricity instation and not water.¡± Hearing that, Shane¡¯s expression turned tense and serious. Regret and guilt consumed Natalie after seeing his face. If she hadn¡¯t ckmail Susan back then, she wouldn¡¯t have dragged Shane down with her. This is all my fault. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr.-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Hold your breath,¡± Shane cut her off. Natalie nodded in acknowledgement. But it did not take long before she could no longer hold her breath. Her face was red and tears were brimming in her eyes. Her brain was getting drowsy as well, and her chest was tight and burning painfully. ¡°Mr. Shane. I... I can¡¯t hold any longer,¡± Natalie panted. Shane was not any better either. But when he saw her suffocated state, he forced himself to pull her up to him. Under Natalie¡¯s confused gaze, Shane took her chin and crashed his lips on hers. ¡°Hmm!¡± Natalie widened her eyes as her mind went nk in shock. Did he just... kiss me? Realizing that, a hint of embarrassment shed across her eyes. She was about to push Shane away when she felt him blowing some air into her mouth cavity. Her raised hands went limp at the realization. It turned out he was not kissing her, but transferring some breathable air from his mouth to hers. No! How could he do that! Natalie frowned at his reckless actions. The factory is already filled with nitrogen gas and there¡¯s not much fresh air left, and here he is transferring some of his air to me. Is he trying to kill himself? The thought made Natalie bite his lips forcefully, hoping he would let go of her. Chapter 158 Chapter 158 But Shane merely paused at her bite and continued transferring his air to her. His hands were tight on her waist to stop her from struggling out of his grip. Still, Natalie fainted out ofck of oxygen, despite having Shane transferring his oxygen to her. Not long after she fainted, Shane staggered slightly due to theck of oxygen. His usually sharp eyes now looked unfocused, obviously at the brink of fainting. At that moment, Joyce¡¯s voice sounded from the entrance. ¡°Nat! Are you inside?¡± Shane¡¯s face lit up at her voice. With clenched teeth, he carried Natalie in his arms and staggered towards the door. He then gave the door a forceful kick to notify Joyce of their presence. Joyce jumped at the sudden kick, but then swiftly took out her key and unlocked the door. The moment she opened the door, a gust of pungent air rushed into her nostrils. Joyce couldn¡¯t help but retch at the smell. ¡°What the hell is this? Why is it so smelly?¡± But Shane did not answer her and carried Natalie all the way to thewn. Once he reached there, he put down Natalie and copsed beside her while panting huge mouthfuls of fresh air. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Joyce rushed over to them frantically. ¡°What just happened, Mr. Shane? How¡¯s Nat now?¡± She asked while pointing the unconscious Natalie beside him. Shane covered his eyes with his hand and exined everything breathlessly. Joyce¡¯s face turned white at his words. ¡°Goodness! This is so evil of them. How dare they try to kill both of you! Let me call the ambnce now.¡± She immediately took out her phone when Shane stopped her. ¡°No need for that. Nitrogen gas can suffocate a person to death, but we can recover easily after breathing in some fresh air.¡± ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s good to hear!¡± Joyce sighed in relief after hearing that. Shane lied panting on thewn for some time before his drowsy mind finally cleared. He then sat up in his ce and massaged his temples. ¡°How do you know we¡¯re still here?¡± ¡°I guessed it. Connor told me Nat hasn¡¯t returned and that he couldn¡¯t reach her phone. So he called me and I rushed over to check,¡± Joyce answered in relief. ¡°Luckily, I came in time, otherwise...¡± Her voice trailed off in fear as she imagined the possible consequences that would ur on them both. Shane nodded his head and carried Natalie to his car. After that, he took out a torchlight and walked around the factory. He returned with a small electronic device in his hand. Joyce eximed in shock when she saw the device. ¡°It¡¯s a signal jammer! Where did you get it from?¡± Shane did not answer her and only took out his handkerchief to wrap the device. He then tossed the wrapped device to Joyce and spoke, ¡°Get someone to do a forensic check on the thumbprints found on this device.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Joyce nodded immediately. With that, Shane returned to his car and drove to Natalie¡¯s condo. The next morning, Natalie was surprised to find herself lying in her soft bed instead of the factory. ¡°I¡¯m not dead?¡± ¡°Of course you¡¯re not! If I didn¡¯t rush there in time, you¡¯ll be lying in the crematorium now,¡± Joyce replied loudly while leaning on the door frame. ¡°Joyce?¡± Natalie lifted her gaze to meet Joyce¡¯s. Joyce strode towards her bed and dropped Natalie¡¯s pile of clothes on her head. ¡°Yea, it¡¯s me. Time for breakfast, my friend.¡± Natalie hummed in reply and suddenly gave Joyce a bear hug. ¡°I really thought I¡¯ll die, Joyce. Thanks for saving me.¡± Joyce stroked her head with a chuckle. ¡°Enough, enough. Why are you being so clingy today? Let go of me this instant. Otherwise, someone else will think you¡¯re having a crush on me.¡± ¡°Geez, you¡¯ve got no fun.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at Joyce, but she was touched nheless. She knew Joyce said so to relieve her fear fromst night¡¯s event. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Natalie suddenly grabbed Joyce¡¯s hand worriedly. ¡°How¡¯s Mr. Shane? Is he alright?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s fine. He has better lungs than you and has recoveredst night,¡± Joyce replied with a shrug. Natalie finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Great! That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Joyce sat down by the bed and changed her gangster look to a serious one. ¡°I have figured out what happenedst night, Nat. It was all Susan. Even the purse-snatching.¡± Natalie paused briefly when she heard Joyce but she continued to change her clothes. She did not seem surprised about the news. ¡°I know. Mr. Shane and I guessed itst night. How did you find out, though?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on my own. I got help from the police and Mr. Shane. They discovered that the purse- snatcher and the thugs belonged to the same gang. The gang leader confessed that it was Susan when Mr. Shane and his men interrogated him.¡± ¡°We owe Mr. Shane a big favor now,¡± stated Joyce sleepily after yawning. ¡°Not just one.¡± Natalie shook her head, for she knew very well that she could have died the night before had Shane not given her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I owe that man my life! Joyce fell into the bed. ¡°What do we do about Susan now that we know the truth? She¡¯s not getting away that easily for ruining a three-million machine.¡± ¡°No sh*t. You gather the evidence while I go visit the Smith family.¡± Natalie threw the nket off her and got out of bed. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Joyce then sat upright. ¡°It¡¯s kind of dangerous for you to go alone, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not stupid. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to barge in there unprepared.¡± Natalie smiled. Joyce was relieved to hear that. ¡°Good! I¡¯ll send you the evidenceter.¡± Then, she also got out of bed and went to Connor to borrow hisputer. Before long, Natalie received the evidence on her phone. After taking a look, the woman¡¯s expression hardened. After breakfast, Natalie left her two children with Joyce and headed off to the Smiths. That was the second time she went back to the Smiths after being kicked out. The first time was five years ago when her brother, Jared, had to do a heart bypass operation. She went back to ask Harrison for money, but she was cruelly kicked out instead of getting the money. It was raining back then, so she did not get a good look at the vi. Even when she did the second time she went back, she saw nothing familiar to her. Everything about the vi had changed. After letting out a sigh, Natalie swallowed her emotions and pressed the doorbell. ¡°Who is it?¡± A woman in a servant¡¯s uniform appeared on disy beside the doorbell. ¡°I¡¯m Natalie, Harrison¡¯s daughter,¡± answered Natalie politely. ¡°Mr. Smith¡¯s daughter?¡± The servant was shocked and took a while to calm herself down. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll inform Mr. Smith now.¡± Then, the disy cked out. Natalie stood for a few minutes outside before the servant opened the door for her. After thanking the servant, Natalie walked straight into the vi without the servant¡¯s help. Harrison and Susan were having their breakfast, but Jasmine was nowhere to be seen. When Susan saw Natalie walked in, she remarked sarcastically, ¡°Well, it is Natalie! To what do we owe the pleasure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to speak to you, Dad.¡± Natalie looked to her father after ncing over Susan, but the man ignored her as if she were not even there. Instead of being upset, Natalie just looked down and smiled faintly. Susan took Natalie¡¯s smile to be a bitter one and was d to see it. ¡°Spill it. What do you want?¡± Without saying a word, Natalie directly threw the folder in her hand in front of the woman. p! Startled, Susan jumped a little. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Open it,¡± instructed Natalie after giving Susan a cold look. Reluctantly, Susan set down her fork and knife to pick up the folder and pull out its contents. After looking at them, her face turned deathly pale, and sweat appeared on her forehead. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Harrison could not help but ask when he noticed something wrong. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Susan¡¯s jaw was still on the floor, so she could not answer the man. Harrison then shifted his focus to the folder. ¡°What¡¯s so shocking about it? Give it to me.¡± Susan leapt to her feet and hid the folder behind her when Harrison tried to take it. ¡°No, you can¡¯t look at it!¡± bellowed Susan. Harrison furrowed his brows at her reaction. ¡°If she¡¯s not showing you, then let me tell you what¡¯s inside, Dad,¡± sneered Natalie. ¡°You shut up!¡± Susan¡¯s pupils constricted in horror as she tried to stop Natalie, but the stepdaughter paid her no heed at all. ¡°Inside the folder is evidence that Susan hired robbers and assassins!¡± ¡°What?¡± Harrison¡¯s wrinkled face twitched in disbelief when he turned to Susan. ¡°Tell me. Is that true?¡± ¡°Of course not! How can it be true?¡± Susan denied it immediately but could not hide the fear and guilt written all over her face. Harrison¡¯s heart sank because the wise old man could easily tell that his wife was lying. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°No.¡± Susan continued to resist, but Natalie squinted at the folder before snatching it from her stepmother. ¡°Here you go.¡± Natalie offered her father the folder with both hands. After ncing at the smiling Natalie, Harrison took the folder. ¡°Harrison, please!¡± Susan started to panic. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Harrison ignored his wife and went through the documents in the folder. When he was done, he took a deep breath and pointed his shaky finger at Susan. ¡°You vile woman! How dare you!¡± Not only did Susan make deals with gangsters, but she also got those hooligans to rob Natalie. When they failed to do that, they even tried to suffocate her. This is unforgivable! Natalie¡¯s my daughter. Even if she doesn¡¯t like her, that doesn¡¯t give her the right to kill! Susan¡¯s lips trembled in terror when she noticed how furious her husband was. ¡°She made me do it, Harrison. I wouldn¡¯t have done those things if she didn¡¯t ckmail me for three million. She left me no choice!¡± Susan tried to me it all on Natalie, so the stepdaughter crossed her arms and sneered, ¡°I admit that I did take three million from you, but you should know why I did it. Would I have done such a thing if your distant cousin didn¡¯t harass me?¡± ¡°Distant cousin?¡± Harrison narrowed his eyes when he heard the words. A glint shed across Natalie¡¯s eyes before she nodded vigorously. ¡°Yup! Susan sure knows how to treat her cousin. She just got him a Bentley of several million two days ago.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you asked me for the five million. You told me it was for investing in Ms. Gale¡¯s beauty salon, but actually, you wanted the money to buy your cousin a car.¡± Harrison angrily pointed his finger at Susan¡¯s nose. Susan guiltily looked away. ¡°Well... That¡¯s because he¡¯s my cousin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s generous of you! You know our family is going through a tough time now, don¡¯t you? I squeezed out that five million for you because you told me that Ms. Gale¡¯s was running a lucrative beauty salon business!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even the main point, Dad,¡± interrupted Natalie before giving Susan a half-smile. ¡°The main point is this cousin of hers. Why would she suddenly have a cousin? I thought she didn¡¯t have any rtives left.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Harrison was reminded of the fact. Susan¡¯s face turned even paler and quickly came up with an excuse. ¡°That was what I thought too, but then the man found me and told me that he¡¯s my uncle¡¯s long-lost son. Harrison, you know that I don¡¯t have any rtives left on my side, so it¡¯s only reasonable that I want to show some appreciation to my only cousin, right?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± It made sense to Harrison, so he nodded in agreement. Susan breathed a sigh of relief before turning to re at Natalie. Instead of exposing Susan, Natalie just smiled at her stepmother, for she decided not to inform her father of his wife¡¯s affair just yet. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 ¡°I¡¯m here to seek justice for the things Susan did to me. What do you think should be done?¡± Natalie¡¯s smile disappeared as her face turned stone cold once again. Harrison cleared his throat. ¡°What do you want?¡± Natalie looked down and answered, ¡°Give me twenty million, and we¡¯ll call it even.¡± It was not that Natalie was kind or timid, but she knew that Harrison would do anything to protect Susan. Even with the evidence, she would be no match for her father. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Harrison would side with Susan against his daughter even if he knew about his wife¡¯s affair, for he would not want Natalie to spread the scandal. That was why Natalie decided to ask for money instead and wait for the right time to deal with Susan. ¡°Twenty million? Are you trying to rob us blind?¡± Susan mmed the table, and Harrison did not look pleased with the demand either. Natalie shrugged in response. ¡°I think it¡¯s only fair, given that you ruined my equipment and even tried to murder me. I could¡¯ve just sent you to prison.¡± At that point, Natalie cheekily leaned closer to Susan. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing that you should know. Mr. Shane was with me the night of the robbery andst night too. That means you almost got him killed as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± Susan felt as if her world had crumbled. Harrison, who was just as shocked, fell back into his chair like a rag doll. He could not even bother to wonder why Shane was with Natalie because his mind was upied by the fact that Susan almost got Shane killed. It took a while before the man came back to his senses. ¡°I¡¯ll get you your twenty million,¡± promised Harrison with a bitter smile and weak gesture. It was as if he had suddenly lost years of vitality. The man had no choice but to agree with the demand because Natalie could ask for more if she asked for Shane¡¯s help. Even if Shane decided not to get involved, with the evidence Natalie had, it would cost Harrison a lot more to protect Susan. Hence, he decided to pay his daughter and keep his loss to a minimum. ¡°Good! This is my bank ount.¡± Natalie ced a note that she had prepared in front of her father and asked deliberately, ¡°You¡¯re not going to be like Susan after transferring me the money, are you? No hard feelings, right?¡± After hearing that, Harrison¡¯s blood pressure instantly shot up. ¡°Get out!¡± roared the man fiercely. ¡°No problem!¡± Natalie waved goodbye and strolled out of the house. Susan bit her lower lip as she looked at her husband, ¡°Harrison... ¡° ¡°Get out of my sight! Go and reflect on what you¡¯ve done.¡± Harrison clutched his chest in pain. ¡°Okay.¡± Although Susan nodded in response, she had nothing but hate for her stepdaughter on the inside. It¡¯s all Natalie¡¯s fault! I¡¯ll make sure that b*tch is dead for good! She won¡¯t be so lucky next time. Unbeknownst to Natalie, Susan only hated her even more instead of changing for the better. After leaving the Smiths, Natalie was on her way back to tell Joyce the good news when she spotted a familiar car, so she decided to check it out. Before she even reached the car, the driver seat window rolled down, revealing Shane¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Natalie was pleasantly surprised to see the man, and he could tell. ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked Natalie curiously. Shane rested his arm on the car door. ¡°To pick you up.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Natalie gave the man a puzzled look. Shane then nodded in response. ¡°I heard from Joyce that you came here to the Smiths. I am worried that they might harm you, so I came too.¡± It warmed Natalie¡¯s heart to hear that. ¡°I see. Don¡¯t worry. They didn¡¯t do anything to me.¡± ¡°Good to know! Then get in the car. We have a lot to do! Today¡¯s thest day for the models¡¯ rehearsal, and the opening is tomorrow.¡± Shane opened the passenger door for her. Then, Natalie went around the car and got in unabashedly. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 When they reached the Fashion Hall, Natalie temporarily left Shane and went backstage to go over the show¡¯s details with the models. Meanwhile, Shane stayed on the runway to go through the safety precautions with the staff to prevent any ident from happening the next day. At that moment, Ss approached him. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shane continued to keep his eyes on the stage. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Harrison is indeed selling of his shares,¡± reported Ss. Shane chuckled. ¡°Of course he is. He¡¯s doesn¡¯t have much on him, so how else will he be able to pay Natalie if he didn¡¯t sell his shares? How much is his selling price?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but it shouldn¡¯t be too high. After all, the Smith Group is on the brink of bankruptcy. Nobody would buy their shares if the price were too high.¡± Shane adjusted his sitting posture. ¡°Then lower it even further. Get it down to twenty million so that they have just enough to pay Natalie.¡± ¡°Then they would¡¯ve sold their shares for nothing. Without the shares, he¡¯ll lose control over the Smith Group. The board might even strip him of his position as the Chairman,¡± sneered Ss. A sinister glint shed across Shane¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want.¡± Harrison had taken advantage of him for years. Shane only turned a blind eye for Jasmine¡¯s sake, but Harrison kept pushing it. The man even tried to use Shane¡¯s name to apply for a huge loan from the bank. With all that, Shane decided to tolerate Harrison no more, so he took the opportunity to send the man a warning. ¡°Yes, sir. It will be done.¡± Ss then turned and left while Shane continued to focus on the stage. Then, someone shouted on the scene, and the staff started to clear the stage. The lights in the hall dimmed, meaning the rehearsal would start soon. Before long, the music was yed, and tall, long-legged models started to stroll out onto the stage in extremely fashionable outfits. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Seated at the front row below the stage, Shane held his chin as he watched the rehearsal seriously. Although he did not show it, he was obviously satisfied with the rehearsal because of the gleams in his eyes. The rehearsal was long, so Shane would note every set of outfits he saw in a book on hisp. An hourter, after thest model left the stage, Natalie finally appeared. As the designer, she was to take the curtain call at the center of the stage. With her hands clutched together, Natalie bowed to the audience. Shane set his notebook aside and stood up to apud. After hearing the apuse, Natalie smiled as she walked over to the end of the stage. ¡°How was it, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Shane put his hands down. ¡°But it can be better.¡± ¡°What suggestions do you have then?¡± Natalie was a little surprised. ¡°I have made some notes. Come and take a look.¡± ¡°On my way.¡± Natalie bent her knees slightly to get ready to jump off the stage. With his brows knitted, Shane then extended his hand to Natalie, but she just stared his hand in confusion. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going toe down?¡± ¡°Oh, right!¡± Natalie finally understood that the man was trying to help her get down. Aftering back to her senses, Natalie ced her hand in his. Shane held onto Natalie¡¯s hand tightly to support her as she jumped down from the stage. Then, he let go of Natalie and went to get his notebook for her. Natalie took the notebook and started going through the notes. They were so detailed that even the step distance of each model and the flutter of the skirts were noted down. This is very impressive! ¡°About this one, Mr. Shane... ¡° Natalie pointed at something she did not understand and was about to ask Shane when his phone suddenly rang. ¡°Give me a minute.¡± Shane gestured for a pause and took his phone out. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 After looking at the caller ID, Shane answered the call. ¡°Jacqueline!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When Natalie heard the name, she instinctively looked at Shane¡¯s phone. He did not notice Natalie¡¯s reaction, for he was focusing on the phone call. After a few seconds, he softly moved his lips. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be right over.¡± Shane turned to Natalie as soon as he put his phone down. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go. If you have anything you don¡¯t understand, we¡¯ll talk about itter at the office.¡± Natalie forced a smile on her face. ¡°Okay. See you then.¡± ¡°See you.¡± Shane put his phone back into his pocket and walked to the exit. He seems to be in a hurry. Did something happen to Jacqueline? A staff member approached Natalie while she was still deep in thought. ¡°Ms. Natalie, someone¡¯s looking for you in the break room.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± asked Natalie curiously after snapping out of it. The staff member shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know the woman. She called herself Ms. Smith.¡± Could it be Jasmine? Natalie raised her brows and then thanked the staff member before moving to the break room. The door to the break room was open. As soon as Natalie stepped in, she saw a palming right at her. Startled, Natalie quickly moved her head and barely dodged the p, but her face was scratched by Jasmine¡¯s fingernails. Wounded, Natalie pulled her brows together in pain. Jasmine red murderously at her. ¡°Good reflex, b*tch.¡± Natalie covered the wounded side of her face and responded coldly, ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t just going to let you hit me. Besides, we have the same father. If I¡¯m a b*tch, what does that make you?¡± ¡°You... ¡° Infuriated by the riposte, Jasmine lifted her hand once again, but Natalie quickly grabbed hold of her wrist and pped her first. p! Jasmine¡¯s face was turned aside after the p. She froze for a while before cradling her face and staring at Natalie in disbelief. ¡°How dare you hit me!¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± sneered Natalie after dusting off her hands. Enraged, Jasmine tried to pounce on Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, b*tch!¡± ¡°You can try,¡± mocked Natalie before extending her leg out to trip Jasmine. Having lost her bnce, Jasmine fell to the floor and bit her own lips, causing blood to spill out of them. ¡°Tsk, tsk! How pitiful!¡± Looking at Jasmine¡¯s miserable state, Natalie continued to ridicule the woman. Natalie then took a step toward Jasmine before squatting down beside her attacker. She lifted the woman¡¯s head by pulling the hair. ¡°Who jumps on someone like that? If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think that you¡¯re a madwoman.¡± Jasmine¡¯s eyes widened when she was called a madwoman. She wanted to get up and tear her stepsister apart, but Natalie¡¯s knee was on her, so she was pinned to the ground. ¡°You¡¯d better watch yourself. Your mother¡¯s getting on my nerves, and you¡¯re her daughter. I can¡¯t promise you that I won¡¯t take it out on you, so you better tell me why you¡¯re here now.¡± Jasmine gave Natalie a death re. ¡°You came to my home and demanded twenty million from Dad! That¡¯s why!¡± ¡°Oh? So are you here to get the money back?¡± Natalie continued to ridicule her stepsister. Jasmine could not move, so she snorted coldly on the floor. ¡°You know our family isn¡¯t financially capable of giving you that much money.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®so what?¡¯ Do you want to see our family go bankrupt?¡± roared Jasmine. However, Natalie did not even bat an eyelid. ¡°Why not? The Smith family had severed ties with me when I was kicked out seven years ago, so why would I care?¡± ¡°You... ¡° Jasmine was left speechless when she realized that she could not convince her stepsister. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Natalie let go of Jasmine¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m not giving the money back because I deserve it.¡± Jasmine refused to ept that. ¡°Do you? As you said, the Smith family has nothing to do with you anymore, so what right do you have to take that twenty million from Dad? That money should be mine! Mine!¡± Jasmine was in need of money. She was trying to figure out how to get it when she heard from Susan that Natalie demanded twenty million from their father that morning. Refusing to let Natalie get away with it, Jasmine tracked her stepsister down to get the money back, only to get rejected. ¡°Your money?¡± Natalie felt as if she had heard the worst joke of her life. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Dad then, and we¡¯ll see who the money belongs to,¡± suggested Natalie before taking her phone out of her bag to call Harrison. The man was quick to answer the call but sounded impatient. ¡°What do you want? Are you asking for more?¡± ¡°You have misunderstood me, Dad. I¡¯m not asking for more money. However, Jasmine¡¯s here, and she¡¯s demanding that I give her the twenty million. She said it should be hers.¡± Natalie could feel that Jasmine was struggling again, so she moved her knee and sat on top of her stepsister instead. To Jasmine, that was an act of humiliation. Her eyes turned bloody red in anger, but still, she failed to break free. All she could do was scream with all her might. Harrison got worried the moment he heard the scream. ¡°What did you do to your sister, Natalie?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. She¡¯s more than fine! Now tell us who the twenty million belongs to.¡± Natalie then turned on the speakerphone and ced it beside Jasmine¡¯s ear. ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± sighed Harrison. ¡°Dad?¡± Jasmine called out to her father in disbelief. ¡°Why? She¡¯s not your daughter anymore, so why are you giving her so much money?¡± ¡°You know nothing, so just shut up!¡± rebuked Harrison. Jasmine sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I won¡¯t let you give her the money! No!¡± ¡°Dad¡¯s not going to listen to you.¡± Natalie took her phone back. ¡°Do you know why? Because Dad will lose even more if he takes the money back. Not only will he lose his reputation, but your mother will also be used of murder.¡± When Harrison heard that on the other end of the phone, the corner of his mouth twitched as his face darkened. Jasmine was puzzled. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that your mother tried to kill mest night, and she almost killed Mr. Shane too,¡± replied Natalie softly. Although her voice sounded soft, it sent nothing but chills down Jasmine¡¯s spine. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Refusing to believe Natalie, Jasmine shook her head violently. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Natalie turned off the speakerphone and ced the phone back on her ear. ¡°That¡¯s all, Dad. Bye.¡± After hanging up, Natalie got off her stepsister. Jasmine sat up when she was finally free and red at her stepsister with clenched fists. ¡°You said that Shane almost got killed too. That means he was with youst night. What did you two do?¡± Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°You don¡¯t seem concerned about his safety. Instead of asking if he¡¯s hurt, you¡¯re asking about what we did. It makes me wonder if you really love him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business! Why do you care if I love Shane?¡± Natalie¡¯s scrutinizing gaze made Jasmine look away, so she could immediately tell that her stepsister did not love Shane very much. Otherwise, Jasmine would not have cheated on Shane. It seems that I have to inform Shane of this matter soon. Natalie then chuckled in response. ¡°I don¡¯t. It¡¯s just that I feel sad for Mr. Shane for having a fianc¨¦e like you, but that¡¯s okay, because he¡¯ll find out about what you did soon.¡± Jasmine¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. ¡°What does that mean? What did I do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you know.¡± Natalie dusted her hands off once again before turning to leave.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Feeling uneasy, Jasmine continued to clench her fists as she watched her stepsister walk away. However, the uneasiness faded away before long. Jasmine wiped her lips and looked fiercely at the blood on her fingers. ¡°Just you wait, Natalie. I¡¯ll make you pay for what you did to me today!¡± promised Jasmine with gritted teeth. Suddenly, the woman seemed to have noticed something as she walked towards a bunch of hangers in the corner of the break room. Looking at the outfits on the hangers, she smiled deviously. After the dust-up with her stepsister, Natalie sighed and was no longer in the mood to stay back, so she left Fashion Hall after going backstage to brief the models on the show. When Shane returned from the hospital that afternoon, he called Natalie to his office to continue their conversation at Fashion Hall. The man was very perceptive, so his proposal would only make the show even better. It got Natalie all excited, and she could not wait for the next day toe. That evening, Harrison transferred the twenty million to Natalie. She did not ask how his father got the money within such a short time because she knew for sure that he must have sold off something. Even so, it did not matter to her since she got her money. After transferring the money to Joyce, Natalie stretched out and went to bed. The next day, Natalie went to Fashion Hall early to make preparations for the show¡¯s opening. There were already a lot of people when she arrived. Many of the staff members were already busy working. At that moment, a staff member approached Natalie with a worried look. ¡°Something bad happened, Ms. Natalie. You better go take a look at the dressing room.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The smile on Natalie started to fade away. ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but it seems to have something to do with the outfits.¡± The outfits! With her pupils constricting in horror, Natalie dashed to the dressing room. On the way, she prayed that the situation would not be as bad as what the staff member told her. When Natalie arrived at the dressing room, she pushed the door open and saw a group of dresser inside. The atmosphere was solemn, for every one of them seemed gloomy. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Natalie inquired in a deep voice after closing the door behind her, trying to suppress her dread. When the group heard her voice, they turned to her as if their savior had arrived. ¡°Ms. Natalie, somebody ruined all the dresses for the show.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie¡¯s face fell as she walked over to the rows of hangers. The protective covers had been torn open, revealing the shed outfits beneath them. Some of the more seriously damaged ones were even reduced to shreds. It was obvious that the perpetrator acted mercilessly. ¡°Who did it?¡± roared Natalie with her fists clenched. The woman¡¯s eyes turned crimson red as rage pulsed through her veins. The group exchanged looks but no one replied. Natalie nced fiercely at every one of their faces. ¡°Who was the first one to discover the damaged outfits?¡± ¡°We did.¡± Three young women in the group raised their hands. Natalie then approached them. ¡°What time was it when you got here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember the exact time, but it should be around six o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Were the outfits already damaged when you came in here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The three nodded. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. After some thought, Natalie pushed her way through the group and went to check the door lock. Her face hardened when she found nothing wrong with it. Since the outfits were already damaged before six, the perpetrator must¡¯ve got inst night. The fact that the door lock remains intact suggests that a staff member was involved. Natalie turned to the dressers and ordered, ¡°Stay here, all of you. Nobody leaves this room without my approval!¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166 After striding out of the dressing room, Natalie called the police as she made her way to the security control room to check the security recordings. Although she did not expect to learn much from the recordings, she had to try anyway. Unfortunately, Natalie found nothing suspicious in the recordings, as expected. She fast-forwarded the footages and went through them twice, starting from when she left Fashion Hall to six o¡¯clock that morning. Still, she found no one in the dressing room or the corridor outside the room. This is impossible! Why would the outfits be damaged if nobody went into the dressing room? Something felt off to Natalie, but she could not quite ce it, so she decided to have the security guard send her a copy of the recordings and deal with the perpetratorter. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. The outfits should be my top priority now! When Natalie got back to the dressing room, the models were also there. They were causing amotion because of the ruined outfits. Rubbing her forehead, Natalie was about to p to demand silence when she heard a malicious voice. ¡°My goodness! What a party!¡± Jasmine! Natalie immediately turned around to scowl at Jasmine. ¡°Why are you here?¡± The woman was leaning against the door frame and had a bag on her shoulder. ¡°I heard that your outfits were ruined, so I came to gloat.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°Why does it matter? I think you better figure out what to do soon. Tsk, tsk! Just look at those rags! What a horrible sight!¡± Jasmine looked pleased to see the state of those outfits in the dressing room. Seeing how excited Jasmine was, Natalie squinted at her stepsister, ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Jasmine was startled. Convinced that it was her stepsister, Natalie leaned in to question her suspect. ¡°You¡¯re responsible for ruining the outfits, aren¡¯t you?¡± Guilt appeared on Jasmine¡¯s face, but she quickly covered it with a smile. ¡°What makes you think it¡¯s me? Do you have proof?¡± Natalie fixed her eyes on her stepsister. ¡°I don¡¯t, but I have a few points that make you a suspect.¡± Jasmine met Natalie¡¯s gaze without flinching. ¡°Oh, really? Pray tell.¡± ¡°Firstly, you¡¯re not part of Project Rebirth, yet you already know about the outfits, so that indicates you¡¯re involved in the matter itself. Secondly, you hold a grudge against me, and you¡¯ve been gunning for me for a while now. Hence, you¡¯re my main suspect.¡± Jasmine burst outughing as if she had heard a great joke. ¡°Not bad! That was some interesting reasoning. I¡¯ll give you that. It¡¯s just that... ¡° ¡°What?¡± Natalie frowned at her stepsister. Jasmine wiped the tears off the corner of her eye before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re wrong. You¡¯re finished, Natalie! After today, you¡¯ll never get to work in the fashion industry ever again.¡± Then, the woman strutted off in her stilettos. Looking at Jasmine¡¯s back, Natalie raised her brows and muttered to herself, ¡°Am I really finished? How can this be?¡± After rposing herself, Natalie took her phone out to make a call. ¡°Joyce, can you send me the thing I gave youst time in half an hour?¡± ¡°Sure. Did something happen?¡± asked Joyce. Natalie rubbed her forehead again. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you get here. Hurry up. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the main entrance to Fashion Hall.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Joyce nodded in agreement. After the phone call, Natalie asked a few well-built staff members to follow her to the main entrance. After about twenty minutes, Joyce arrived in a small truck. Natalie then instructed the staff members to unload the boxes in the truck one by one. ¡°Be careful with them. After I¡¯m done counting them, I want you to move them into the dressing room. Joyce, you¡¯ll follow them and make sure nobody opens these boxes. Kick out anyone who refuses to listen.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± agreed Joyce. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 After Joyce left, a Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped in front of Natalie. Its rear window was then rolled down, revealing Shane¡¯s handsome face. Shane frowned at Natalie, who was busy moving the boxes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± When Natalie heard the man¡¯s voice, she stood up straight to look at him. ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°Clothes,¡± answered Natalie as she closed the notebook in her hand. Shane was puzzled. ¡°Clothes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter, Mr. Shane. The show is about to start, so I better hurry up with the preparations. Bye!¡± Natalie then had the staff members pick up the rest of the boxes and followed behind them. Shane squinted curiously as he watched Natalie walk away. ¡°Go check it out and see if anything¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± responded Ss in the driver seat. Ten minutester, Ss did not look good when he walked into Shane¡¯s break room. ¡°Something did happen, Mr. Shane. The outfits for the show have been ruined.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane¡¯s face fell. ¡°Who did it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. Ms. Natalie¡¯s already called the police, so a few officers came to investigate, but no result as of yet.¡± Shane clenched his fists in anger and ordered, ¡°Then get more men to help with the investigation. We have to find the perpetrator!¡± The damaged outfits will not only ruin Natalie, but will also tarnish the reputation of Thompson Group. I have to find the person who was responsible for this! ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Ss gave the man a nod. Shane then stood up and made his way to the dressing room. When he reached the room, he stopped outside the door and knocked. Joyce, who opened the door, was surprised to see him. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shane did not ask why Joyce was there. ¡°Where¡¯s Natalie?¡± ¡°She¡¯s watching the models do their makeup.¡± Shane raised his chin. ¡°I¡¯m here to see her.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go get her.¡± Joyce turned head around and yelled, ¡°Nat! Mr. Shane¡¯s here to see you!¡± ¡°Coming!¡± replied Natalie. Around ten secondster, she came to the door. ¡°Anything, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it outside.¡± Shane gestured at the corridor. Natalie said nothing but followed behind the man as they walked to a quiet spot at the end of the corridor. ¡°I heard about the outfits.¡± Shane turned around and spoke first. Natalie lowered her head guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. That¡¯s not supposed to happen, and certainly not on the day of the show, but don¡¯t worry. The show will go on as nned¡± When Shane heard that, a glint shed across his coal-ck eyes, for he seemed to remember something. ¡°The boxes just now... ¡° ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Natalie nodded. Shane then rxed his knitted brows. ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡± Natalie smiled abashedly. Shane raised a brow. ¡°You knew someone would make a move on the outfits? You have a suspect, don¡¯t you?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°I do.¡± Natalie looked Shane in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s Jasmine!¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Natalie nodded at first but then shook her head. Shane was confused. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Natalie let out a long sigh. ¡°I was sure that it was her at first, but after confronting her just now, I started to doubt myself. Besides, I didn¡¯t have any proof. But if we can find the staff member involved, we should be able to get some evidence.¡± Shane looked down to hide the storm brewing in his eyes. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll have Ss find that person.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Natalie was overjoyed, for she believed that they would get to the bottom of things before long with Shane¡¯s help. ¡°You should go back in there. I¡¯ll update you on the matter when the show is over,¡± promised Shane after checking his watch. They had no time to lose because the show was just an hour away. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie then returned to the dressing room and asked Joyce to go home. It was a weekend, and Natalie was worried about leaving the two children alone for the entire day. She would feel better if Joyce went home to them. Around half an hourter, the models were finally done with the makeup, so Natalie instructed the dressers. ¡°Now, you can open the boxes.¡± The dressers were already curious about the boxes, so they had no problem following the instruction at all. People were amazed the moment the contents were revealed. ¡°How did you get another set of the outfits, Ms. Natalie?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you should concern yourself with right now. Hurry up and get the models dressed!¡± Natalie hustled the crew by pping her hands, and everyone quickly got down to work. The show then started officially before long. Seated among the audience, Jasmine¡¯s heart pounded inside of her as she stared expectantly at the T- shaped stage. She imagined that the models would either not show up or appear on stage with those shed outfits. Either way, Natalie will be banned from the fashion industry forever! Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Dang! The lights in the hall dimmed, and the music started to y. After the host left the stage, the opening model appeared out of the backstage with arms akimbo. She struck a pose before strutting to the front end of the stage. Jasmine grimaced as the model got closer to the audience and whispered in disbelief, ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± Weren¡¯t the outfits ruined? Why does the outfit on the model look perfectly fine? Jasmine bit her lips, and bafflement was written all over her face. She only got more irritable as the models came out one by one. The show was nothing like what Jasmine had expected, so after stomping her feet in anger, she decided to leave. However, two bodyguards suddenly got in her way. Even though she resisted, she was dragged away anyway. Not many noticed what happened, so there was nomotion. It was only the middle of the show, but Shane already knew it was a sess when he noticed how impressed the critics and the audience were. Starting tomorrow, the apparelpany under the Thompson Group will have a ce in the industry. At that moment, Ss approached Shane and bent over to whisper something in the man¡¯s ear. ¡°Good. Make sure she stays put.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± responded the assistant before leaving. Shane then shifted his focus back onto the stage. The show wasing to an end, so the models all returned to the stage for the curtain call. At that point, Natalie also walked onto the stage with a microphone. As the chief designer of the show, she was to give a speech. After that, Shane took the bouquet handed by the staff and went on stage to give it to Natalie. Natalie was pleasantly surprised but also confused. I know Shane¡¯s supposed to give a speech as the organizer, but he didn¡¯t mention anything about the flowers. Although Natalie was confused, she just kept smiling as she exchanged her microphone for the bouquet. Standing beside Natalie, Shane gave a very straightforward speech but suddenly turned to her near the end. ¡°The person I¡¯m most grateful for is Ms. Natalie because this show wouldn¡¯t have been possible without her.¡± Natalie never expected Shane to publicly call her the person he was most grateful for, so she was quite shocked. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Natalie!¡± Shane opened his arms to Natalie. ¡°You saved the apparelpany of Thompson Group.¡± Those words brought tears to Natalie¡¯s eyes. She took the microphone from Shane. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m very touched by Mr. Shane¡¯s show of appreciation. Secondly, I want Mr. Shane to know that the show wouldn¡¯t have been possible either without his trust, recognition, and full support. So thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Chapter 169 Chapter 169 When Natalie was done, she hugged Shane. At the same time, the audience all stood up, and apuse rang through Fashion Hall. After a while, Natalie let go of Shane and wiped her tears of joy with the back of her hand. Shane frowned upon seeing that, so he handed her a handkerchief. ¡°Here, use this.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie put her hand down and took the handkerchief. After the apuse subsided, the two went backstage side by side. Shane looked sideways at Natalie. ¡°Come with me.¡± From the man¡¯s cold eyes, Natalie could tell where they were going, so she nodded and followed him to the lounge. When Ss saw the two, he greeted them and opened the door. Inside the lounge, Jasmine got worried when she saw the three of them, but she forced a smile and pretended to be calm. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Shane! Ss is keeping me here against my will.¡± ¡°I asked him to,¡± responded Shane. Jasmine¡¯s face hardened at the response. When she saw Natalie behind the man, she clenched her fists because she immediately realized what was going on. ¡°You think I was responsible for the outfits too, don¡¯t you?¡± Shane kept his silence. ¡°Admit it, Ms. Jasmine!¡± Natalie lifted her head to stare at her stepsister. Jasmine sneered, ¡°Why the heck would I admit to something I didn¡¯t do? The outfits were fine, weren¡¯t they? So stop using me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s only because I have backups. I knew you¡¯d be up to no good.¡± Natalie lifted the corner of her lips. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Backups?¡± Jasmine squinted at her stepsister. Natalie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I knew from the start that you¡¯d try to ruin the show, but I didn¡¯t know how you¡¯d do it, so I prepared a lot of backups, including the outfits, jewelry, and even the shoes.¡± Shane¡¯s eyes widened because he thought it was just the outfits. She even prepared backups for the shoes and jewelry too? Ss was just as shocked. ¡°No wonder the finance department said that Ms. Natalie used twice the budget for Project Rebirth.¡± Natalie smiled embarrassedly, ¡°Sorry that I made the decision without telling you, Mr. Shane. ¡° Shane shook his head, for he was impressed by Natalie¡¯s foresight. ¡°You did very well. The show today would¡¯ve ruined had you not done that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Natalie pursed her lips abashedly. She was d that she prepared the backups too. It was then Jasmine finally realized why the models presented outfits that were perfectly fine. So that¡¯s what happened! Natalie smirked at her stepsister. ¡°Are you surprised, Ms. Jasmine?¡± Jasmine snorted in disdain. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s unexpected though, but I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re telling me all this. As I said, I didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shane stared at the woman with his pitch-ck eyes. Jasmine¡¯s eyes flickered before she nodded. ¡°I swear! It¡¯s not me.¡± ¡°What do you have to say about this man then?¡± Shane pped, and a bodyguard brought a man into the room. Jasmine panicked for a while when she saw the man but quickly calmed herself down. ¡°It seems like you know him.¡± Shane snickered. Jasmine looked as if she was ready to bet it all when she took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s right. I do know him.¡± Natalie raised a brow at her stepsister¡¯s reaction. Well, that was fast! ¡°Then tell me. Who is he?¡± Shane pushed the man towards Jasmine. Before Jasmine could speak, Natalie pped her hands after staring at the man. ¡°I remember you! You¡¯re the staff member who told me that Jasmine was looking for me yesterday!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I only did it because she promised me five hundred thousand if I get her a copy of the dressing room¡¯s key and stick photos on the surveince cameras,¡± confessed the man guiltily with his head down. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Natalie was puzzled. ¡°What photos?¡± ¡°Photos of the dressing room and the corridor outside of it,¡± exined Shane. Natalie frowned but eventually got it. ¡°So Jasmine took photos of the dressing room and the corridor when they were unupied and had this man ced them in front of the cameras. That is way, nobody could see what was really going on.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie bit her lower lip. ¡°No wonder something about the security footages seemed off!¡± She had to admit that was quite brilliant of Jasmine. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalie then give her stepsister a dirty look. Jasmine stared back at Natalie before turning to Shane. ¡°I admit that I bought this man off and that it was my idea to ruin the outfits, but I only did it because I hate her. I was insecure! Only by kicking her out of my life do I get to be heir to the Smith family and your fianc¨¦e. But... ¡° ¡°But what?¡± Shane¡¯s face had darkened. Natalie was surprised that her stepsister was so forting about theirplicated rtionship. ¡°But I swear I didn¡¯t ruin the outfits!¡± Jasmine lifted her three fingers. At that moment, the guilty staff member also spoke up. ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth. After taking care of the cameras, she asked me to keep a lookout for her at the dressing room, but when we got there, the outfits were already ruined.¡± ¡°What?¡± eximed Natalie in disbelief. Knitting his brows tightly, Shane was also surprised by the revtion. Rage was written all over Jasmine¡¯s face as she clenched her fists forcefully. ¡°Whoever was responsible for the outfits must be trying to frame me for it. Just like how I was framed for what happened to Natalie at the precinctst time. I didn¡¯t buy off the auxiliary police.¡± Although she was d to see the outfits ruined, she was not about to be somebody else¡¯s scapegoat. ¡°That wasn¡¯t you?¡± Natalie was really confused then because she thought her stepsister was behind everything. ¡°Of course not! Do you think I¡¯d have let you walk out of there without a scratch?¡± Jasmine gave her stepsister a dirty look. Natalie¡¯s heart sank, and confusion filled her eyes. ¡°If you didn¡¯t do it, then who could it be?¡± ¡°Maybe you have more enemies than just me.¡± Jasmine scoffed. Deep in thought, Shane held his chin and looked down. After a while, he put his hand down and looked indifferently at Jasmine. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t do it, you¡¯re not entirely innocent. Ss!¡± The assistant stood up when called. Shane pointed at Jasmine. ¡°Take her back to the Smiths and tell Harrison to keep a close eye on her, or I¡¯ll hold him responsible for her actions.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ss nodded before approaching Jasmine. The woman then quickly moved back. ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t me, Shane, so why are you still punishing me?¡± ¡°Because you had the intention to do it,¡± answered Natalie. Shane nodded in agreement. ¡°You should count yourself lucky that you didn¡¯t get to do it, or the reputation of Thompson Group would¡¯ve been ruined by your hands!¡± Jasmine shrank in guilt. ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad... Can it?¡± Natalieughed out loud when she heard her stepsister. ¡°You think Mr. Shane was pulling your leg? Managers of international brands are invited to the show today. Not only that, the critics and models were also well-known internationally including the media.¡± ¡°Ms. Natalie¡¯s right,¡± chimed in Ss. ¡°We invited these big names because we want the apparel company to be globally recognized. If it weren¡¯t for Ms. Natalie¡¯s backup, the show today would¡¯ve turned Thompson Group into a joke. The honored guests might even spit on Thompson Group because they¡¯d think they have been made a fool of.¡± Chapter 171 Chapter 171 ¡°Do you understand now?¡± Shane looked at Jasmine with a condescending look. ¡°But I... ¡° Jasmine opened her mouth but was at a loss for words, so she went quietly with Ss. As for the guilty staff member, a bodyguard brought him to the police. Before long, Shane and Natalie were the only ones left in the lounge. After looking at the time, Shane suggested to Natalie. ¡°Let me send you home.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. The two walked to the parking lot one after the other. Natalie nced at Shane several times before finally speaking up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. Even though it wasn¡¯t Jasmine, but she was right. I may have other enemies, and... ¡° ¡°May it¡¯s not your enemy,¡± interrupted Shane as he lowered his head. Natalie blinked. ¡°You mean... ¡° ¡°It¡¯s possible. The perpetrator could be gunning for me or the Thompson Group,¡± responded Shane with narrowed eyes. As the person in control of the Thompson Group, it was only natural that Shane had enemies, whether in business or privately. Sean was one of them. Maybe Sean was the perpetrator. When he thought of that, Shane made a fist with the hand in the pocket. ¡°I will get to the bottom of this and give you an exnation.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. The two reached Natalie¡¯s apartment an hourter. Shane parked his car outside the building. ¡°Get a few hours of rest, and don¡¯t bete for tonight¡¯s party.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Natalie then waved to the man. Shane rolled his window up and started the engine. After watching him drive away, Natalie turned and headed into the building. When she reached her apartment, Joyce weed Natalie at the door along with the two children. ¡°Nat, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Hug me, Mommy!¡± The two children came running at Natalie with their arms open. The mother then squatted down to embrace her children. ¡°Have you been good and be nice to Aunt Joyce?¡± ¡°We sure did!¡± The two nodded together. Natalie ran her fingers through their hair. ¡°Good! Now, go y. I have things to discuss with Aunt Joyce.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two held hands and went back to their room. Now, only Natalie and Joyce were left at the door. After changing her shoes, Natalie went to the living room with Joyce. She poured her a ss of water before asking excitedly, ¡°So did Jasmine get punished?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her.¡± ¡°What? Who is it then?¡± eximed Joyce. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. That¡¯s why I wanted to ask you. Do you think it could be our enemies abroad?¡± inquired Natalie after taking a sip. Joyce pondered for a few seconds before shooting down the idea. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I haven¡¯t heard anything about theming here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie sighed and said nothing else. She did not have a lot of enemies. Besides Jasmine and her mother, she only ever had conflicts with her ssmates abroad. They hated her because they were jealous that she got picked to be their teacher¡¯s apprentice. If they¡¯re not here, and it¡¯s not Jasmine or her mother because she¡¯s not capable of that; then it really could be Shane¡¯s enemies. What a terrible feeling to be caught up in other people¡¯s grievances! Natalie rubbed her head, for she could feel a headacheing. That evening, Natalie left her children with Joyce once again and changed into a dress before heading to the party. It was a grand one to celebrate Project Rebirth¡¯s sess. Besides the employees of the Thompson Group, critics and models were also there. As chief designer of Project Rebirth, Natalie got a lot of attention that evening. Many brand owners walked up to socialize with her. In just ten minutes, she already had a stack of business cards in her hand. ¡°Ms. Natalie.¡± Ss suddenly approached her from behind. After putting the cards away, Natalie turned to the assistant. ¡°Mr. Campbell.¡± Chapter 172 Chapter 172 ¡°Mr. Shane would like to see you.¡± Ss pointed to the front. Following the finger, Natalie saw Shane holding a microphone just next to the stage. He was saying something to a waiter. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right over.¡± Natalie nodded before walking towards Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± Natalie called out softly when she reached the man. Shane stopped talking to the waiter and looked sideways. ¡°How long have you been there?¡± ¡°For a while. Anything, Mr. Shane?¡± inquired Natalie. Shane did not answer the question. Only after adjusting the volume of the microphone did he speak. ¡°Get ready for your reward.¡± When the man went up to the stage, the hall became quiet, and all eyes were on him. Shane cleared his throat before getting started. ¡°Wee to our celebration! As you all know, the show today was a huge sess, and I believe some of you deserve a reward for it. The first on the list is Natalie Smith!¡± The crowd immediately burst into apuse. Smiling, Natalie walked up to the stage and stood beside Shane. Shane then handed her a check. Natalie was taken aback when she saw the amount on it. ¡°Mr. Shane, don¡¯t you think the amount is too much?¡± She expected to get some sort of reward at the party, but she never thought it would be five million. ¡°Not really. The show¡¯s sess meant that our apparelpany would soon be a new blue-chip company under the Thompson Group. In other words, you¡¯ve just created billions in value for the group and tens of billions for the subsidiary. This check is nothingpared to that contribution.¡± Natalie felt better after Shane¡¯s exnation, so she happily epted the check. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane!¡± She was so happy that her eyes crinkled into tiny crescents. Shane could not help being amused by Natalie¡¯s response. A smile shed across the man¡¯s face before he moved on to reward the next person. Aftering down from the stage, Natalie smiled and thanked those who congratted her. She got tired of socializing after a while, so she came up with an excuse to go to the lounge. However, before she could even reach the room, someone called out to her. ¡°Congrattions, Nat! You¡¯ll be a famous designer from now on.¡± Natalie straightened her back and snapped her head around when she heard the voice. The woman froze as she stared at two people holding each other. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Sean?¡± Natalie asked Sean curiously. The man adjusted his sses. ¡°Well, I am a senior executive of the group. Of course, I have to join in on the celebration.¡± So that¡¯s why! Natalie put her wine ss down when the realization dawned on her. ¡°Enjoy your time here, Mr. Sean. Please excuse me.¡± She was ready to leave and go somewhere else because she did not want to be in the same room as Sean. However, the man suddenly grabbed her arm and smiled deviously. ¡°Are you leaving because of me? Do you really fear me that much?¡± Natalie pulled her arm away in disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate the physical contact, Mr. Sean. Please refrain from doing that again, or I will sue for harassment!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Sean whistled arrogantly. ¡°Your temper sure has gotten a lot worse since thest time we met.¡± Natalie dusted her arm off to show her disdain for the man. ¡°My temper depends on the person I¡¯m dealing with.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Sean held his chin as he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re good to everyone but me, so that makes me special, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The man then pointed at Natalie¡¯s chest. She scowled at Sean. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. You don¡¯t have a ce in my heart.¡± Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Amused, Sean burst outughing before taking his sses off for wiping. ¡°Is that so? Then, I would like to give it a try.¡± ¡°Be my guest,¡± responded Natalie coldly. Sean stared at her with eyes like those of an eagle for a while before looking away. ¡°Oh, I will, but now is not the right time. So I heard that you¡¯re not an official employee of the Thompson Group. Is that true?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. What¡¯s the matter?¡± It was not a secret, so naturally, she had no need to hide it. Sean leaned in close to Natalie. ¡°Do you want to work for me then?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Natalie took a step back. ¡°What do you mean by that, Mr. Sean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to start up an apparelpany myself, and I¡¯d like to hire you. You just need to say ¡®yes,¡¯ and the design director position is yours.¡± So he¡¯s trying to poach me. Natalie yed with her hair. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Sean. I have no intentions of moving on to anotherpany.¡± ¡°Why? Are you satisfied with being a small time designer for Shane?¡± Sean squinted and seemed displeased that he got rejected. Natalie parted her lips and was about to say something when she heard Shane¡¯s voice behind her. ¡°Of course not. With her ability, the design director position is not even her final goal.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Natalie turned to look at him with exultation. She was d that Shane came along because it would be dangerous for her to face Sean alone. When Shane noticed how happy Natalie was to see him, he nodded slightly at her. That was gentleness in his eyes when he looked at Natalie, but it quickly disappeared when he turned to Sean. ¡°Go look somewhere else if you want a designer, but you leave my people alone!¡± Natalie¡¯s heart pounded wildly when Shane called her his, and her eyes twinkled when she looked at his stern profile. Although she knew Shane meant that professionally and not in any other way, her heart could not help but throb wildly. ¡°What if I only want Nat and nobody else?¡± Sean spread his arms and acted like he was troubled. ¡°Do you want to work for him?¡± asked Shane coldly as he turned to Natalie with a hardened expression. Aftering back to her senses, Natalie shook her head. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve just turned him down. Besides, I¡¯m not stupid enough to work for someone with ill intentions.¡± Satisfied with Natalie¡¯s reply, Shane lifted the corner of his mouth as his face softened. Sean looked at Natalie bitterly. ¡°How can you say that, Nat? You broke my heart.¡± Natalie knew the man was just making fun of her, so she ignored him. Shane took a few steps forward and hid Natalie behind him. ¡°Did you hear that? She¡¯s not going anywhere with you.¡± ¡°So what? I don¡¯t give up that easily.¡± Sean stared at Shane without a flinch. While the two men were still engaged in a staredown, Natalie¡¯s phone suddenly rang. The two then turned their attention to Natalie at the same time. Smiling awkwardly, Natalie took her phone out. ¡°Please excuse me.¡± With that, she walked towards the balcony, leaving the two of them in the room. Shane narrowed his eyes as he questioned, ¡°What¡¯s your purpose for offering her a position at your company?¡± ¡°What do you think? I noticed how talented she is because of today¡¯s show. Isn¡¯t it normal for companies to poach talented employees from one another?¡± responded Sean with a shrug. Shane scoffed at the man. ¡°I might believe you if you didn¡¯t do those despicable things to her.¡± Light reflected on Sean¡¯s sses. ¡°It¡¯s not like I seeded.¡± ¡°You should be d that you didn¡¯t. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be standing here in one piece!¡± Shane nced over Sean coldly. Sean chuckled. ¡°Shane, don¡¯t you think you care just a little bit too much for her?¡± Chapter 174 Chapter 174 ¡°What does that mean?¡± Shane¡¯s face turned grim. Sean spread his hands. ¡°Nothing. Here shees.¡± The man then gestured at someone behind Shane. When Shane turned around, he saw Natalie walking back with a big smile on her face. It seemed that she had received some good news. ¡°I have to go, Mr. Shane,¡± informed Natalie apologetically in front of Shane. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I need to go to the airport to pick up someone very important,¡± answered Natalie after checking her watch. ¡°Who?¡± asked Shane instinctively. Very important? Could it be the children¡¯s birth father? The thought made Shane feel ufortable. Natalie had no idea what he was thinking. She was about to reply when Sean interrupted her gleefully. ¡°Forget about Mr. Shane, Nat. Just leave.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Natalie smiled apologetically at Shane once again before grabbing her purse and hurried away. After arriving at the airport, Natalie could see a beautiful woman sitting in the waiting hall, so she waved at her. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m here!¡± The woman pulled down her sunsses the moment she heard Natalie¡¯s voice. Her eyes lit up as she stood up and hurried out of the hall. ¡°Oh, how I¡¯ve missed you, my Baby Girl!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I miss you too, Mom.¡± Natalie opened her arms, and the two hugged each other tightly. With eyes full of motherly love, Yulia sized up her daughter. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten skinnier, and don¡¯t get me started on those dark eye circles. Have you not been getting a lot of resttely?¡± Natalie took her mother¡¯s suitcase. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with the fashion show for the past few days, so I didn¡¯t get much rest, but I¡¯ll have two days off starting tomorrow to catch up on sleep.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Yulia nodded. After walking out of the airport, the two got into a cab and returned to the apartment. Overjoyed to see their grandmother, the children kept asking her to y with them until Natalie sent them to bed at ten. ¡°I¡¯m definitely not getting any younger. I¡¯ve only yed with the children for a short while, but my back is already killing me,¡±ined Yulia as she sat down on the couch with a bitter smile. Natalie put a cup of tea on the coffee table for Yulia before massaging her mother¡¯s back. ¡°Nonsense! You¡¯re as young as ever. I bet people think we¡¯re sisters when we stand side by side.¡± Yulia chuckled. ¡°Where did you learn to butter your mother up like this?¡± Natalie rested her chin on her mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not, Mom. I¡¯m just telling you the truth.¡± ¡°Okay, Baby Girl. I know better than to argue with you.¡± Amused by their mother-daughter banter, Yulia patted her daughter on the shoulder. Natalie suddenly bolted upright when she thought of something. ¡°Oh ya, the present! Wait here, Mom. Let me go get the present I promised you.¡± With that, Natalie dashed to her room and returned with a folder. Yulia looked at the folder in puzzlement. ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°Open it.¡± Natalie handed the folder to her mother. Under her daughter¡¯s expectant gaze, Yulia opened the folder, and what she saw inside made her jump to her feet. ¡°Is this true, Baby Girl?¡± ¡°One hundred percent!¡± Natalie nodded. Yulia mmed the table in satisfaction. ¡°This is such wonderful news! Harrison cheated on me all those years ago, and now karma has finallye around to bite him in the *ss. Baby Girl, you didn¡¯t tell Harrison about this yet, did you?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± replied Natalie before popping a grape into her mouth. Yulia sat back down. ¡°Good! We¡¯ll keep him in the dark for the rest of his life. Only when he¡¯s on his deathbed will we tell him. Then, he¡¯ll know exactly how I felt back when he betrayed me!¡± ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Heartbroken for her mother, Natalie embraced Yulia andforted the hurt woman. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Suddenly, the doorbell rang, so Natalie let go of Yulia and pulled a couple of tissues when she saw how red her mother¡¯s eyes were. Natalie then went to get the door after handing Yulia the tissues. Standing outside was Ss waving at her. ¡°Sorry to bother you thiste, Ms. Natalie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Natalie shook her head before asking curiously, ¡°Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Campbell?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Shane and I came here to pick up something very important, but we couldn¡¯t get the box opened, so I was wondering if you have the superintendent¡¯s contact number.¡± Ss adjusted his sses and tried to peek into Natalie¡¯s living room as if he were looking for something. However, Natalie did not notice the man¡¯s peculiar behavior. She just smiled and nodded. ¡°I do. Just give me a second. I¡¯ll go get you his card.¡± With that, Natalie turned and went back to the living room. ¡°Who is it, Baby Girl?¡± Yulia nced at the door. Natalie was squatting in front of the coffee table looking for the business card when she answered her mother, ¡°It¡¯s my boss. You should go to bed, Mom. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re jetgged.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Yulia dropped the grapes and dusted her hands off before going to the bathroom. Natalie returned to the door when she found the card and passed it to Ss. After thanking Natalie, Ss did not seem to be in a hurry to leave. Instead, he pretended to be curious. ¡°You have a guest, Ms. Natalie?¡± ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s my mother,¡± replied Natalie with a smile. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Ss let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear!¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie gave the man a puzzled look. ¡°Why do you look so happy to hear that, Mr. Campbell?¡± ¡°Do I?¡± Ss looked away and yed coy. ¡°You must¡¯ve misread my expression, Ms. Natalie. I¡¯ll go now. Goodbye!¡± With that, Ss walked away with the business card and entered the opposite apartment. After closing the door behind him, Ss sighed as he looked at the card in his hand and smiled bitterly. Mr. Shane¡¯s face has been darkened ever since Ms. Natalie left the party. I know he must be concerned about the person Ms. Natalie was going to pick up. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t havee here. For Mr. Shane¡¯s sake, I had no choice but to knock on Ms. Natalie¡¯s door. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be relieved to hear that she went to pick up her mother and not a man. Ss then proceeded to the study with the business card. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± called out Ss at the door. Sitting on a chair, Shane lifted his head to look at his assistant. ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°Ahem, didn¡¯t you say that you had trouble opening the mailbox? So I went to Ms. Natalie to ask for the superintendent¡¯s business card.¡± Instead of responding to the man, Shane looked down in thought. Ss cleared his throat. ¡°Ms. Natalie¡¯s mother seems to be in excellent shape, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane straightened his back slightly. A smile shed across the assistant¡¯s face before he continued, ¡°I was talking about Ms. Natalie¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°You mean, the person at Natalie¡¯s is her mother?¡± Fiddling with his pen, Shane finally seemed a little rxed. Ss was contemptuous on the inside, but he nodded on the surface. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°No reason. I just want to share with you what I saw,¡± answered Ss with a smile. Why? To make you happy. That¡¯s why! ¡°Fine. Just leave the card there. Any result from the investigation?¡± asked Shane with a deep voice as he put his pen down and crossed his fingers on the desk. After cing the card on the desk, Ss turned serious. ¡°Not yet, but I can confirm that it¡¯s not Sean.¡± Shane tapped on the desk. ¡°If it¡¯s not him, then check the group¡¯s other enemies.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Shane then stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the vi.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not staying here tonight, Mr. Shane?¡± inquired Ss with a brow raised. A glint shed across Shane¡¯s eyes before he shook his head. Since the man had already made up his mind, Ss decided not to say anything else about it. He left the study with Shane and walked behind the man towards the apartment door. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 When Shane opened his door, the apartment door opposite him just happened to open as well. Yulia was about to take out the trash when she saw Shane. ¡°You... Aren¡¯t you the Thompson boy?¡± Yulia pointed at Shane with uncertainty. Shane raised his brows. ¡°Hello, Yulia!¡± Ss snickered behind Shane because that was the first time he heard anyone call Shane a boy. Suddenly, Ss could feel an icy cold re on him. He quickly swallowed his snicker when he realized that it came from Shane. Only then did Shane spare his assistant. Yulia could not help chuckling at the two¡¯s interaction. ¡°You¡¯re Shane, right?¡± Shane nodded in response. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Can I call you Shane?¡± asked Yulia gently. Shane raised his chin slightly. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal then.¡± Yulia then pped her hands when she suddenly remembered something. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know me, Shane. I¡¯m... ¡° ¡°I know. You¡¯re Natalie¡¯s mother and my Grandpa¡¯s goddaughter,¡± interrupted Shane. Yulia smiled and nodded. ¡°So you knew! Do you also know that your Grandpa and I arranged for you to marry Nat?¡± ¡°I do, but it¡¯s just not possible anymore. Sorry,¡± apologized Shane softly as he looked down. However Ss did not agree with Shane. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that it didn¡¯t work out, Mr. Shane. You didn¡¯t have to apologize because the fault lies with Ms. Natalie.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! Shut it,¡± rebuked Shane, so Ss stopped talking. The smile on Yulia started to fade when she heard the two. ¡°Shane, you¡¯re not happy with the arrangement I made with your grandfather, are you?¡± Why else would they think it¡¯s my daughter¡¯s fault? Shane pursed his lips without answering the question. At first, he did dislike the fact that he was forced into a marriage, but he said nothing about it because it did not matter to him who he would marry. Seeing how Shane was keeping silent, Yulia¡¯s eyes darkened, and her face was filled with guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shane. Your grandfather and I should¡¯ve been more considerate. The truth is I never had any ns to arrange a marriage for you and Nat. It¡¯s just that your grandfather said he¡¯ll only leave in peace if your marriage is arranged beforehand. That¡¯s why... ¡° ¡°Yulia, do you know how my Grandpa died?¡± Shane interrupted suddenly and loudly. The man¡¯s usually calm face seemed anxious at that moment. ¡°Who are you talking to, Mom?¡± Natalie¡¯s voice came from behind Yulia. Immediately afterwards, Natalie stepped out in her slippers and was shocked when she saw her boss. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Shane ignored Natalie and continued to keep his eyes on Yulia. Unsure of what was going on, Natalie also turned to look at her mother. After a few seconds of silence, Yulia suddenly sighed, ¡°As a matter of fact, I do.¡± ¡°Then, please tell me now!¡± demanded Shane with his fists clenched tightly. His grandfather¡¯s had always haunted him. Back then, the family doctor said that David was tough and that he could at least live another ten years. However, David suddenly passed away one day seven years ago, so Shane was sure that something was wrong. Although the grandson never stopped looking into it, he did not find anything. ¡°Your grandfather killed himself!¡± revealed Yulia as she lifted the head to look Shane in the eyes. Natalie covered her mouth in shock, while Ss widened his eyes. Gritting his teeth, Shane was the only one who refused to believe the revtion. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Why would Grandpa take his own life? What reason would he have to do that? ¡°It¡¯s true. Your grandfather told me that himself.¡± Yulia was dead serious. Shane moved his lips and requested with a hoarse voice, ¡°Then tell me. Why did he do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact reason, but I met with your grandfather the day before he died. He said the regret and guilt inside were crushing him and it was so bad that he could barely breathe. After we¡¯ve arranged your marriage, he said he was ready to go make amends to your parents.¡± Yulia patted Shane¡¯s shoulder. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Natalie bit her lips and made a bold guess. ¡°Does that mean David had something to do with the death of Shane¡¯s parents?¡± She looked towards Shane, but the man looked down and kept silent as a gloomy aura enveloped him. Yulia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, but probably. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said something like that.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane... ¡° called out Natalie concernedly. Shane took a deep breath to suppress the surging emotions inside of him before bowing slightly to Yulia. ¡°Thank you for telling me this. I¡¯ll visit again another day. Goodbye, Yulia!¡± With that, Shane took off with Ss. Natalie stared at the man until he entered the elevator before closing the door. When she turned around, she met Yulia¡¯s deep-set eyes. ¡°Tell me, Nat. Have you fallen for Shane?¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie froze at first but then guiltily looked away. ¡°What are you talking about, Mom? That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°You may be able to fool anyone else but not your mother. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice the way you looked at Shane just now.¡± Yulia turned her daughter to face her. Natalie opened her mouth and was about to say something but then changed her mind. Yulia sighed, ¡°Oh, I see what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Mom... ¡° Natalie fiddled with her sleeve. Yulia looked apologetically at her daughter. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If only I¡¯ve insisted on meeting Shane when the Thompsons stopped me thest time, maybe the two of you would¡¯ve gotten married, you wouldn¡¯t have had children with somebody else, and Susan¡¯s daughter wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t say that!¡± Natalie smiled and put her head on her mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. As Shane said, it¡¯s not possible for you two to be together anymore, so you should just let go of him, Nat. You have your own children now, and he has a fianc¨¦e. You¡¯ll only get hurt if you continue to love him. Do you understand?¡± reminded Yulia seriously. Natalie¡¯s eyelids drooped to cover the sadness in her eyes as she replied softly, ¡°Got it.¡± She knew well that she would never be with Shane, so she kept her feelings for the man hidden inside her heart. Still, it did not hurt any less when someone told her that directly. ¡°Good!¡± Yulia patted her daughter on the back. ¡°It¡¯ste, Mom. We should go to bed. It¡¯s been a long time since we sleep on the same bed together,¡± stated Natalie as she rubbed her shoulder. ¡°Indeed. Then I¡¯ll hug you to sleep tonight.¡± Yulia chuckled. After sending the children to kindergarten the next day, Natalie brought a bag to visit Stanley at the hospital. Stanley was seeing a patient when Natalie got there, so the man gave his friend a look. Natalie then gestured ¡®okay¡¯ before sitting down on a chair to wait for him. Around ten minutester, the patient left and Stanley walked to the water dispenser. He then filled a disposable cup with water before handing it to Natalie. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± ¡°My Mom asked me to give you something.¡± With that, Natalie put the cup aside and picked up the bag beside her. ¡°They are gifts from abroad that my Mom wants you to have and some medical books your mentor had her bring back for you.¡± ¡°Awesome! Please thank Yulia for me.¡± Stanley took the bag with a big smile and then asked, ¡°By the way, when did she get back?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Last night,¡± answered Natalie after taking a sip. Stanley took the medical books out of the bag and ced them on the desk. ¡°So Jared is abroad alone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. My Mom¡¯s only staying for a few days.¡± Natalie waved it off. Stanley nodded and was about to say something when a nurse burst in anxiously. ¡°Dr. Quinn, a patient with a brain tumor has just been transferred here, and Dr. Baker needs you for the surgery.¡± Stanley knitted his brows in response. ¡°Since you have work to do, I¡¯d better get out of her,¡± Natalie stood up. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 ¡°Alright, let¡¯s invite Yulia for dinner tonight. My treat.¡± Stanley put on his white coat that was hanging on the rack. ¡°Sure.¡± Then, Stanley left with the nurse. Natalie did not stay any longer. She closed his office door and prepared to leave as well. Just as she left the doctors¡¯ office building and walked past the garden, a gentle female voice called out to her, ¡°Is that you, Ms. Smith?¡± Natalie stopped and turned towards the voice. She was slightly taken aback to see Jacqueline smiling at her from her wheelchair. She was in a wig and dressed in a hospital gown. ¡°Ms. Graham.¡± She did not expect to see Jacqueline here at all. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s you, Ms. Smith. I thought I was mistaken.¡± Jacqueline controlled her wheelchair toe before Natalie. With a smile, Natalie asked her, ¡°What are you doing here, Ms. Graham? Isn¡¯t there anyone with you?¡± ¡°Yes, there is. He is just helping me grab my jacket, that¡¯s it.¡± Jacqueline took a nce at the doctors¡¯ office building and immediately asked, ¡°Are you here to see Dr. Quinn, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Then, could I ask what is your rtionship with Dr. Quinn?¡± Jacqueline blinked and asked her curiously. Natalie tousled her hair and replied, ¡°We are friends.¡± ¡°Is that so? I thought you were his girlfriend. I think that you look quitepatible.¡± Jacqueline pouted in disappointment. Natalie smiled with slight embarrassment. ¡°How is that possible? Don¡¯t say that, Ms. Graham.¡± ¡°I am just saying the truth. However... never mind. Ms. Smith, could I trouble you to help me sit there? It¡¯s not toofortable here in the wheelchair.¡± Jacqueline pointed at the lounge chair behind Natalie. Taking a look at the chair, Natalie nodded. She then stepped forward to help Jacqueline get up from her wheelchair. However, just as Natalie was about to help Jacqueline onto the lounge chair, Jacqueline suddenly fell onto her and her entire body weightnded on Natalie. Natalie lost her bnce and tumbled onto the ground. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Jacqueline fell onto her as well which forced a low painful groan out of her, as if her organs had been rearranged. The most serious injury was on her arm which hit the ground directly. There was a huge scrape and it was so painful that it caused beads of cold perspiration to dot her pale face. ¡°Jacqueline!¡± At this moment, a worried male voice piped up. Soon, arge figure walked over quickly and picked up Jacqueline from Natalie¡¯s body. He looked at her with concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jacqueline nodded and looked at Natalie who was still on the floor. Shane looked towards the same direction and when he saw Natalie¡¯s face clearly, he could not help but be slightly taken aback. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Despite the pain, Natalie mustered the strength to get up and smile at him. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± She was a little surprised too. Turns out he was the one who was helping Jacqueline with her jacket! ¡°What were you doing just now?¡± Shane looked at Natalie with pursed lips while sounding a little confrontational. Natalie¡¯s smile froze and she looked down before replying, ¡°Ms. Graham said that she¡¯d like to sit on the lounge chair. I helped her get there, and then she fell down.¡± Was he ming me for Jacqueline¡¯s fall? ¡°Was that so?¡± Shane turned to Jacqueline. ¡°Yes, it was.¡± Jacqueline nodded. Then, she said to Natalie apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Smith. I had a sudden moment of weakness and made you fall as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Natalie forced a smile back onto her face. Shane¡¯s tensed face rxed. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s almost time. I¡¯ll bring you back to the room first.¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen the flowers at the front.¡± Jacqueline pointed at the flowers with no intention of leaving. ¡°Next time!¡± Shane put her back onto the wheelchair and pushed her away. Natalie¡¯s eyes narrowed at the sight of their vanishing back views. Am I overthinking this? When I helped Jacqueline get up from the wheelchair, everything was fine. Why did Jacqueline lose her bnce and fall onto me just when she was about to be seated on the lounge chair? Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Was it deliberate? Natalie looked back and took a glimpse at where she had fallen. She thought for a while before finally deciding to just regard it as a mere ident and left the hospital with her scraped arm. In the afternoon, dressed in her ck-rimmed sses and loose pajamas, Natalie was sitting cross- legged, drawing her designs on the sofa when the doorbell suddenly rang. She put her sketchbook and pencil on her coffee table before getting up to open the door. When the door was opened, Shane raised his eyebrows at her unusually sloppy look. ¡°Is this what you wear when you are at home?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie could barely react before she looked down at herself. Instantly, her face turned red. ¡°About that... please wait a while, I¡¯ll go and get changed!¡± With that, she closed the door with a bang and the door nearly hit Shane¡¯s nose. As Shane stepped back, he could not help but smile at the ornament that was still swaying on the door. This was the first time he had seen Natalie looking this awkward. After a few minutes, the door opened again. Natalie was dressed in her usual smart stylish way. With a weing gesture, she said, ¡°Pleasee in, Mr. Shane!¡± Shane nodded and walked in. Natalie poured him a ss of water. ¡°Mr. Shane, may I help you?¡± ¡°Take off your clothes!¡± Shane said as he ced a few bags on her coffee table. Natalie nearly choked on her water. Withplete disbelief, she stared at him. ¡°Mr. Shane, what did you just say?¡± Take off my clothes? It was only then that Shane realized how misleading he sounded. Covering his mouth as he coughed a little, he said, ¡°I¡¯m here to apply some medication on your wound. You were injured when you fell, weren¡¯t you?¡± After he sent Jacqueline back to her room, he went to the ce where they fell and realized that there was some blood there. Since Jacqueline was not hurt, it was clear whose blood it was. ¡°I see!¡± Natalie¡¯s smile reced her shocked face as she touched her injured arm. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Shane. It wasn¡¯t that serious anyway.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Not serious?¡± Shane¡¯s deep eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he tugged on her wrist and while she screamed, he immediately pulled up her sleeve. There was a long bloodied scrape on her fair arm. Shane¡¯s face darkened instantly and he pursed his lips. ¡°Is this not serious? It¡¯s a long scrape. Aren¡¯t you afraid that it will leave a scar?¡± ¡°I...¡± Natalie was rendered speechless. As someone who cared deeply about her appearance, of course she was worried about scarring. If there were a scar, there would be many things that she could not wear. However, why is he so angry? Natalie looked at Shane confusedly. Shane released her wrist andmanded her brusquely, ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie sat down on the sofa obediently. Shane took the bags from the coffee table and sat next to her. He then opened up the bags and took out the things inside. They were things such as disinfectant iodine solution, anti-bacterial and anti- inmmatory medication, cotton buds, and bandages. Shane lined up the items and looked at her. ¡°Roll up your sleeve.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded and rolled up her sleeve. Shane opened up the bottle of iodine and began to disinfect her wound. As if he was afraid of hurting her, he barely used any strength while he applied the iodine on her wound gently. Natalie could not help but feel all fuzzy inside when she saw how earnest he looked from the side. Her vision became blurry and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became more heartwarming. However, this atmosphere was quickly disrupted by the sound of the door opening. Yulia walked in with a number of shopping bags. When she saw Natalie and Shane side by side on the sofa, the smile on her face froze. ¡°What are the two of you doing?¡± ¡°Mom, you are back!¡± Natalie looked up and greeted her mother. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Yulia responded nkly. Natalie could see that she was a little unhappy and quickly said, ¡°Mom, Mr. Shane is helping me apply medication.¡± Chapter 180 Chapter 180 ¡°Medication?¡± Yulia was anxious and walked up to them. ¡°Baby Girl, what happened?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that I fell down when I was outside.¡± Natalie gestured towards her arm with her lips and responded to her mother nonchntly. Shane picked up the bandage and went around her arm a few times before tying a neat bow. ¡°There, you are done.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie unrolled her sleeves. Yulia¡¯s face rxed and she smiled at Shane. ¡°Thank you, Shane.¡± ¡°No big deal.¡± Shane tossed the cotton bud into the trash can before standing up. ¡°May I have a chat with you, Yulia?¡± ¡°What about?¡± Yulia looked at him, puzzled. Shane pursed his lips and said, ¡°My grandpa was very close to you during thest few months before he died. I¡¯d like to find out more about you and my grandpa.¡± Since he found out yesterday that his parents¡¯ death had to do with his grandfather, he realized that he had never gotten to know him. Perhaps he would be able to find out more about his grandfather through Natalie¡¯s mother. ¡°About this...¡± Yulia frowned rather awkwardly. Natalie pulled on her sleeve. ¡°Mom!¡± Yulia shot Natalie an annoyed nce and muttered, ¡°You are always on his side!¡± Natalie stuck out her tongue cheekily. Yulia pinched her nose exasperatedly and told Shane, ¡°Alright,e to the study with me then.¡± With that, Yulia headed to the study. Instead of following her immediately, Shane thanked Natalie first. He knew very well that if not for her, her mother would not have agreed so readily. After about half an hour, both Shane and Yulia emerged from the study. With a tensed face, Shane said, ¡°Yulia, I¡¯ll make a move first then.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yulia nodded. Shane nced at Natalie before leaving. Natalie closed the door. ¡°Mom, what did you tell him?¡± Yulia sat on the sofa and switched on the television with the remote control. ¡°Just some things about his grandfather¡¯s past.¡± ¡°Why does Mr. Shane look rather unhappy?¡± Natalie pointed in his direction with confusion. Yulia changed the channel coolly. ¡°How would I know? And why are you asking so much?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± Natalie averted her gaze away uneasily. Yulia looked at her. ¡°Are you curious or are you worried?¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Mom!¡± Natalie yelled out to her. Yulia¡¯s face remained unchanged. ¡°You can¡¯t whine your way out of this. What did I tell you yesterday? I told you to control your feelings right? And what did you do today? You brought him to the house and had him apply medication for you! Is your crush on him not deep enough as it is?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing, he came here by himself.¡± Natalie picked up her sketchbook and pencil. ¡°Alright Mom, I won¡¯t chat any longer. I have to go and pick up the kids.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Yulia called out to her. Natalie¡¯s hand was on the bedroom door when she stopped and turned to look at Yulia. ¡°Yes, Mom?¡± ¡°Speaking of kids, I suddenly realized that Connor looks too simr to Shane!¡± Yulia touched her chin in deep thought. Natalie stood up straight. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about it? There are so many people in the world who look alike.¡± ¡°To this extent? I¡¯ve sure never heard of it.¡± Yulia narrowed her eyes and stared at her back view. ¡°Baby Girl, tell me honestly. Is Shane the father of the two kids?¡± ¡°How is that possible? I didn¡¯t know Mr. Shane back then, so how could he be the children¡¯s father? Mom, don¡¯t specte anymore. It doesn¡¯t matter who their father is, as the most important thing is that they are my children and your grandchildren. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± She advised her mother with her twinkling eyes. Yulia sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true. Fine, I won¡¯t ask anymore. I¡¯ll go and pick up the kids together with you. ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement and when her mother couldn¡¯t see her, she heaved a huge sigh of relief. That night, Natalie brought Yulia and the two kids to a French restaurant. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 When Stanley saw them, he raised his hands and waved. ¡°Yulia, Nat, this way!¡± Natalie smiled and walked over to him with Yulia, each of them leading one child. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Stanley, did we make you wait for a long time?¡± Natalie was very apologetic. ¡°Nah, I just got here.¡± Stanley got up and helped Yulia pull out her chair. ¡°Please take a seat, Yulia.¡± Yulia smiled happily at him. ¡°You are so considerate.¡± ¡°My pleasure.¡± Stanley pushed his sses back before helping Natalie and the two children pull out their chairs. Finally, he took a seat. After that, Stanley handed the menu to Yulia. ¡°Take a look to see what you¡¯d like to eat, Yulia.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my pick now.¡± Yulia picked up the menu and looked at it together with the two children. Stanley ced a te of tiny desserts in front of Natalie, ¡°Your favorite dessert.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie smiled. Stanley took a sip from his ss of water. ¡°I heard from Jacqueline that you fell down together with her today. Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, just that I have a bit of a scrape on my arm. Mr. Shane has already helped me apply medication.¡± Natalie picked up a piece of the dessert with her fork before cing it in her mouth. Stanley¡¯s eyes grew cold. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Natalie nodded. Stanley used his ss to hide his downturned lips. ¡°Why would he apply medication for you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He came to my apartment to look for me.¡± Natalie shrugged. Stanley stroked his ss and did not say anything in response. The sinister look in his eyes could make one shudder. At this moment, Yulia and the two children had finished ordering their food and handed the menu to them. ¡°Alright, stop talking, the two of you. Take a look to see what you¡¯d want to have.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind anything. You can make the decision, Stanley.¡± Natalie handed the menu to Stanley immediately. Shoving his simmering anger away, Stanley resumed his pleasant smile and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± The server brought their order chit to the kitchen after taking their orders. After eating the dessert, Natalie picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth before standing up. ¡°I¡¯m headed to the restroom.¡± Then, she asked the server where the bathroom was before leaving the restaurant. After using the bathroom, Natalie came out of the cubicle. She headed to the sink and was about to touch up her make-up. Just as she looked down to search for her lipstick in her bag, the door to the cubicle behind her suddenly swung open. A man dressed in a hoodie appeared behind her. Suddenly, he grabbed the back of her head and pushed it downwards forcefully. Natalie waspletely shocked by this sudden turn of events. Her arm swept her bag off the counter and its contents were all scattered across the floor. ¡°Who are you? Let go of me! Help!¡± Natalie struggled and screamed out in fear. Not only did the man not release her, but he also used more force and pushed her head into the sink. Then with his other hand, he turned the tap on. Icy cold water flowed from the top of her head, making Natalie shiver in the cold. Then, when some water got into her nostrils, she began to cough and choke as well. When the sink was half-filled, the man pushed her head into the water. ¡°Don¡¯t me me, I¡¯m just acting under orders. Who asked you to be an immoral woman? Why did you go around snatching other people¡¯s men?¡± The man finally spoke, but his voice was clearly suppressed so that she would not recognize his voice. Even though Natalie heard him, she did not have the capacity to think who could have ordered him. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. At this moment, her whole face was red and she felt like she was being suffocated. She felt extremely ufortable, and both her arms started iling wildly in the air. ¡°Umph... umph...¡± Natalie¡¯s face waspletely submerged in the water as the water continued flowing from the top of her head. She could not open her mouth as the moment she did so, there would only be gurgling sounds. Therefore, she could only use her throat to vocalize her cry for help, in the hope that this man would release her. However, the man waspletely unmoved and kept pushing her head down without even a chance for her toe up for a breath. Clearly, he was there to drown her. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Natalie lost all hope when she realized this. As time passed, her struggles became weaker and she gradually lost consciousness. Just when she thought she was definitely going to die, two female voices came from outside the restroom. ¡°Hey, why do you need me to apany you just to the restroom?¡± ¡°I just need a buddy!¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait for you at the door. Make it quick.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± With that, a clear click-ck of high heels came from the entrance. The man cursed out loud and released Natalie before dashing out of the restroom. The two women were clearly shocked. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is there a man in the female restroom?¡± ¡°Go in and take a look!¡± Soon, two sexily dressed women came in and saw Natalie whose head was still in the sink. They were taken aback and immediately stepped forward to help her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Natalie waspletely weakened and could only lean on one of the women while panting heavily. She could not even open her eyes. ¡°H-help me c-call the p-police...¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, yes, I¡¯m on it right now.¡± The other woman immediately nodded and called the police with her cell phone. ¡°Thank you...¡± Natalie thanked her profusely. If not for their sudden appearance, she might just have died right here. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Let me help you get outside.¡± The woman supporting Natalie said. ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Natalie replied. There was a waiting bench outside the restroom. The moment she helped Natalie sit down, Natalie¡¯s cell phone rang. The woman who made the police report handed in her bag. Natalie thanked her again and took out her cell phone from her bag. ¡°Mom...¡± Hearing how weak Natalie sounded, Yulia became worried. ¡°Baby Girl, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Mom, someone wants to kill me.¡± Natalie gripped her phone tightly and sobbed fearfully. Yulia sprang up. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m outside the restroom.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ming right now!¡± After she hung up, Natalie hugged her knees and began bawling out loud. The other two women did not know what to say at this sight. After all, this was not the kind of experience that could be soothed with a few words offort and advice. In a few minutes, Yulia and Stanley arrived with the two children. Both children were shocked into tears when they saw Natalie in such a disheveled state. ¡°Mommy, are you alright?¡± Sharon tugged onto Natalie¡¯s hands and cried breathlessly. Connor clenched his fists and asked furiously, ¡°Mommy, who tried to hurt you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Natalie shook her head as she replied with her pale face. Stanley went up and draped his jacket over Natalie. ¡°Yulia, bring Connor and Sharon aside. I¡¯ll give Nat a quick check-up.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Yulia immediately followed his instructions. Even though Stanley was a neurologist, he was more than capable to perform a simple examination. After the examination, he let out a little sigh of relief. Before Yulia and the children could ask anything, he said, ¡°She is fine. It¡¯s just that she was briefly deprived of oxygen, and was in a state of huge shock. She should be fine after some rest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Yulia patted her chest. Then, she asked, ¡°Baby Girl, tell me what happened?¡± Natalie pulled the jacket closer to herself and looked at the restroom door listlessly as she recounted the whole episode. Yulia was in tears after she heard everything. ¡°Who is this bastard who wants my daughter¡¯s life?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too agitated, Yulia.¡± Stanley supported her but his eyes never left Natalie. ¡°Nat, did you manage to see that guy¡¯s face?¡± ¡°No, he was behind me the whole time. I had no chance to look at him at all.¡± Natalie shook her head. The mention of that man clearly made her voice quiver. Stanley nced at the two women who had saved Natalie. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t either. He dashed out and he had a hat on too.¡± The women replied. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Stanley nodded. ¡°Looks like the murderer has deliberately concealed his face.¡± At this moment, the restaurant manager brought a few police officers and hurried up to them. An elderly police officer asked, ¡°Who made the police report?¡± The woman who made the call raised her hand. ¡°It was me.¡± ¡°Alright, tell me what happened.¡± He flipped his notebook open in preparation to take notes. Thedy nced at Natalie and told him everything after Natalie nodded at her. Yulia clutched onto the elderly police officer¡¯s hand. ¡°Sir, please, you have to catch the culprit!¡± The two children echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right! Sir, please!¡± Stanley remained silent and looked down. No one knew what he was thinking about. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is our responsibility. We will definitely do so.¡± Heforted Yulia and the children as he pulled his hand back. Then, he began asking Natalie some questions. After questioning her, his brows were furrowed tightly. ¡°This is a tough case to crack!¡± ¡°Why so?¡± the restaurant manager asked immediately. Of course, he was worried. Someone nearly died in a restaurant that was under his care! ¡°ording to thisdy, the man had deliberately disguised himself. On top of that, there is no security camera in this restroom. With no information on his figure or height, let alone his face, it won¡¯t be easy for us to find him.¡± The elderly police officer sighed. ¡°No, there is a security camera in the corridor.¡± The restaurant manager pointed above his head. Stanley raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s great. That camera should have captured the culprit fleeing the scene. Let¡¯s go to the security room to take a look, shall we?¡± ¡°We shall.¡± The elderly police officer nodded. Yulia helped Natalie get off the chair and the entourage walked towards the security room. Just like what Stanley had said, the security camera did capture the culpriting out of the female restroom, but unfortunately, it was still not enough to identify him. The police officer then suggested that they head to the police station to record their statements before theyunched investigations. ¡°Ah-choo!¡± Before she left the restaurant, Natalie sneezed continuously. Yulia turned to the restaurant manager. ¡°Would you happen to have a hairdryer? Could you please let my daughter dry her hair first? Otherwise, she could catch a cold.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, we do.¡± The restaurant manager nodded repeatedly. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Yulia passed the two children to Stanley while she and Natalie went with the manager to get Natalie¡¯s hair dried. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Natalie?¡± A baby-faced man was shocked to see Natalie from the window of a private room on the second level. He then took out his cell phone and made a call. ¡°Hey Shane, guess who I saw?¡± ¡°Not guessing!¡± Shane waspletely fixated on theputer screen before him and replied coldly. Jackson¡¯s eyes rolled and he chuckled. ¡°Well, I saw Natalie.¡± Shane¡¯s keyboard strokes paused. ¡°Natalie?¡± ¡°Oh yes.¡± ¡°Where did you see her?¡± Shane switched off the speaker mode and ced his cell phone by his ear. Jackson tapped on the window and replied, ¡°Empire Restaurant. But she doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Shane¡¯s grip on his phone suddenly tightened as he asked in a deep voice. Jackson looked down at where Natalie was. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened exactly. She looks like she is in shock and her face is extremely pale. Her hair is wet and she has a men¡¯s jacket draped over her shoulders. More importantly, there are two police officers behind her. Shane, do you think...¡± Before he could finish, he realized that there was no reaction from the other end of the line. When he took a look at the screen, Shane had already hung up on him. Seems like Shane must be rushing over when he heard what had happened to Natalie. Downstairs, Natalie dried her hair with Yulia¡¯s help. Then, she got into the police car with the police officers and left the restaurant. By the time shepleted her statement and left the police station, it was already ten o¡¯clock at night. Together with the rest of the group, Natalie walked in the darkness and it all felt very gloomy indeed. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 ¡°Nat, are you feeling any better?¡± Stanley asked her gently. Natalie responded and mustered a little smile. ¡°A little better.¡± ¡°Mommy...¡± The two children looked up at her and their worry was clear for all to see. Natalie bent down to pat their heads. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy is fine.¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m scared.¡± Sharon ran into her arms. ¡°I nearly lost you, Mommy.¡± ¡°Yes, who is so cruel to have want you dead?¡± Connor clenched his fists and anger was written all over his little face. Yulia pursed her lips. ¡°ording to the police, it is possibly someone that we know. Otherwise, how would they know Natalie¡¯s whereabouts so well, even to the extent ofying an ambush at the restroom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I think it¡¯s someone we know too.¡± Natalie nodded. A glint shed across Stanley¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nat, who do you have in mind?¡± Natalie¡¯s lips moved as she prepared to answer him. At the same time, a car honked from a short distance away. Then, two shes of light appeared and shone upon them. It was so bright they could barely keep their eyes open. ¡°Who is that?¡± Yulia held her hands in front of her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Shane.¡± The two children blinked and jumped with joy when they saw the tall figure walking towards them against the light. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± The two children ran towards Shane. Stanley sensed danger and his eyes narrowed when he saw how enthusiastic the two children were when they saw Shane. However, he quickly regained his normal self. Shane bent down and picked up Sharon while holding Connor¡¯s hand with his other hand. He walked up to Natalie and gave her a once-over. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°How did you know I was in trouble?¡± ¡°Jackson told me. He was in the restaurant too.¡± Shane answered lightly. Natalie looked up in realization. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Did they get the culprit?¡± Shane put Sharon down and asked. ¡°No, but I think that the culprit was just acting under orders, and the real mastermind is still out there.¡± Yulia sighed. Natalie¡¯s gaze was fixated on Shane. Yulia saw it and was rather confused. ¡°Nat, why are you looking at Shane like this?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes twinkled a little. ¡°Nothing.¡± She moved her gaze away. Shane could see that there was something off about her and his eyes darkened. However, he did not ask her and merely suggested, ¡°Yulia, it¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll send you all home.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yulia nodded. ¡°Thank you, Shane.¡± ¡°In that case, I won¡¯te with you, Yulia.¡± Stanley smiled. Just when Yulia was about to ask him why, he said, ¡°I have a surgery early tomorrow morning, and I¡¯d like to go back to get some rest.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°In that case, do be careful on your way home.¡± Yulia agreed. Natalie and the two children waved goodbye to him as well. Only Shane had no response and stood there as if he did not see him. Stanley did not mind, and bade farewell to Shane graciously before he drove away. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Yulia looked away only when Stanley¡¯s car vanished from their view. Shane gave a little nod in response. On the way back, Yulia looked at Shane and asked him, ¡°Shane, I forgot to ask, why did you suddenly look for us?¡± ¡°The Thompson Group owns part of the Empire Restaurant. With something like this happening, I have to do something as one of the bosses.¡± Shane looked down and said coolly. Yulia was mildly disappointed as she thought it was because he was worried about Nat. Seems like I was overthinking it. It is unrequited love for Nat! ¡°Mr. Shane, could I ask you something?¡± Natalie suddenly asked after she got both children to sleep. Shane nced at her from his rearview mirror. ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°Do you think Jasmine was the one who wanted me dead?¡± Natalie asked while pinching her palms. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Screech! Shane stepped on the brakes violently and stopped the car. All of them fell forward uncontrobly and were only restrained by their seatbelts. The two children were awakened by this. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s going on?¡± Sharon rubbed her eyes and asked sleepily. Connor sat up and looked from left to right. ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°Nothing, just go back to sleep.¡± Natalie stroked their heads and brought them back to herp as she continued to pat their backs. Sharon was not quite awake, to begin with, and fell back asleep very quickly. However, Connor¡¯s eyes remained big and bright. He was still on Natalie¡¯sp but he just refused to go back to sleep. Natalie let him be. ¡°Shane, why did you suddenly stop the car?¡± Yulia was seated at the passenger¡¯s seat and she was reeling from the shock. ¡°Sorry.¡± Shane pursed his thin lips and turned to look at Natalie. ¡°Why did you think it was Jasmine?¡± ¡°Because the culprit whispered to me that I snatched someone else¡¯s man. Since I returned to the country, you are the one that I¡¯ve seen the most due to work. Jasmine has said on multiple asions that I am trying to take her ce as your fianc¨¦e.¡± Natalie looked him straight in the eye and replied. Yulia turned around and smacked Natalie. ¡°What? The culprit said that to you? Why didn¡¯t you say that at the police station just now?¡± Natalie did not reply and continued staring at Shane. Connor also narrowed his eyes at Shane. Suddenly his admiration for Shane reduced dramatically. So Mommy nearly died because of Mr. Shane? Shane caught the change in Connor¡¯s eyes and he felt that he had been pped, almost as if he had lost something very important to him. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and said, ¡°I know what to do. I¡¯ll get it investigated thoroughly!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough to just investigate!¡± Yulia¡¯s face was grim. ¡°Shane, if Jasmine is really the one behind this, I hope that you will cancel your wedding ns and send her to jail immediately.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Shane looked down to cover the storm that was brewing in his eyes. He would do so even without her reminder. The Thompson Group did not need a murderer as the CEO¡¯s wife. Yulia was finally satisfied and rxed a little when she saw that Shane was not just paying lip service to her. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Continue driving, Shane.¡± Shane responded and nced at Natalie before restarting the car. At the apartmentplex, Shane left after dropping them off at the entrance. Connor led the now-awake Sharon and sped back into their room. Yulia brought out a tray of washed fruit from the kitchen. ¡°Baby Girl, do resign from Shane¡¯spany soon.¡± Natalie was just ironing Stanley¡¯s jacket when she heard that. She stopped and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why? You nearly scared me to death with everything that had happened tonight. More danger could being your way, considering how close you are to Shane.¡± Her mother¡¯s concern warmed her heart and her face grew gentler. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll hand in my resignation in a few days.¡± She was only supposed to just work for a month at Thompson Group anyway. Now that Project Rebirth had ended, it was about time for her to leave. Suppressing her hesitation, Natalie put her iron aside and said, ¡°Alright Mom, I¡¯m going to grab a shower.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Have an earlier night after that.¡± Yulia nodded. ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Natalie then brought her pajamas to the bathroom. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. That night, Natalie could not sleep well at all. The moment she closed her eyes, all she saw was the scene where she nearly suffocated to death. The next morning, two huge dark circles hung below her eyes, giving Yulia a scare. ¡°What happened, Baby Girl?¡± Yulia touched her face tenderly. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. We are out of food. I¡¯ll go out and grab some breakfast for us.¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 ¡°Alright. Take care,¡± Yulia reminded her. Natalie smiled and walked to the elevator with her wallet. At the elevator, she pressed the open door button. The elevator arrived very quickly. Just as she was about to step in, Yulia suddenly ran up to her. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Natalie stepped back and turned towards her. Yulia handed her a sheet of notepaper. ¡°Help me buy these things on your way back.¡± ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Natalie took a look at the note and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± With that, she stepped out again. However, just as she stepped into the elevator, it suddenly shook violently. ¡°Nat!¡± Yulia¡¯s pupils constricted and she subconsciously pulled Natalie back. When she pulled her to the corridor, the elevator shaft hurled downwards uncontrobly while the door remained open. Natalie and Yulia stared at the elevator with their eyes wide open as it hurtled to the ground floor with a deafening crash. That crash made tremors run through their bodies and rendered their faces pale. ¡°Mom...¡± Natalie hugged Yulia tight and her voice trembled uncontrobly. Yulia was in no good shape herself, but she still patted Natalie¡¯s back tofort her, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Baby Girl, we¡¯re fine...¡± Natalie stared listlessly at the doors which were still open, and that cable connecting the shaft. Her limbs turned icy cold. ¡°Mom, this was definitely not an ident!¡± If not for her mother suddenly calling out for her to buy other things, she could have been squashed t right now. ¡°I know, this is definitely not an ident. Someone is out to get you!¡± Yulia¡¯s eyes reddened as she clenched her teeth. The elevator waspletely finest night, so how could it be malfunctioning this early in the morning? And to this extent? Clearly, this was not possible. ¡°Call the police!¡± Yulia released Natalie and immediately called the police. Very soon, the police officers arrived. They were familiar faces as they were the same officers fromst night. ¡°The assessment results are out. The elevator has definitely been meddled with.¡± The assessment department told Natalie and Yulia. Natalie sat on the sofa with a mug of hot water in her hands. No matter how scalding hot the water was, it could not warm her icy cold palms at all. She could not calm down at the thought that she had nearly lost her life again. Yulia stood behind Natalie and ced her hands on her shoulders. ¡°Who is this evil person who is striking my daughter twice in a row?¡± The few police officers exchanged nces and it was the assessment officers who spoke first. ¡°Ms. Smith, you should have a suspect in mind, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yulia frowned. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. He stared at Natalie and said, ¡°Just now, there was some writing at the top of the elevator shaft, and it said...¡± He looked like he had difficulty saying it out loud. In the end, he showed the picture to Natalie. ¡°Ms. Smith, you can have a look at it yourself.¡± Natalie put down her mug and took a look at the picture. On the shaft, it was written, B*tch, snatch my man? Die! She crumpled up the picture. Yulia saw it too and was about to burst. Natalie put down the picture and said, ¡°Mom, pass me your cell phone.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yulia suppressed her anger and handed out her cell phone. Natalie took a deep breath and dialed Jasmine¡¯s number. Jasmine¡¯s voice piped up quickly. ¡°Oh wow, what a rarity! You are actually calling me?¡± ¡°Was it you?¡± Natalie gripped the phone and asked. Jasmine looked utterly confused. ¡°What are you talking about? What about me?¡± ¡°Last night¡¯s and today¡¯s attempts to kill me. Did you do it?¡± Natalie stood up. Jasmine was taken aback beforeughing out loud, ¡°Oh, I see. Finally, there is someone else out there who hates you enough to want you dead.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Did you do it?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Jasmine pursed her lips. ¡°Nonsense. Of course, it wasn¡¯t me. Yes, I can¡¯t wait to see you dead, but based on our stormy rtionship, everyone would suspect that it was me the moment anything happened to you. I¡¯m not so dumb as to get you killed. It¡¯s better for you to reflect and see if you have offended other people.¡± With that, she hung up abruptly. Natalie flung the phone away and Yulia looked down at her. ¡°Baby Girl, it really wasn¡¯t her?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I called because I wanted to test her out. If she was the one who did it, I should be able to sense something wrong. But I could not sense anything at all.¡± ¡°If not her, who could it be?¡± Yulia smacked the sofa in frustration. Natalie looked down silently. Indeed, be it the culprit¡¯s wordsst night, or the words scribbled on the elevator shaft, it was all pointed at Jasmine. After all, she was Shane¡¯s fianc¨¦e and they had bad blood between them. Jasmine often said that Natalie wanted to snatch Shane away from her, so it would be normal for her to want her dead. However, her conversation with Jasmine gave rise to another suspicion, which was that someone was trying to push the me. Someone wanted her dead but yet wanted to pin the me on Jasmine. If that was so, the actual mastermind was indeed a very evil and scheming person. As she was thinking, Connor came out from his room. ¡°Mommy.¡± Natalie put her thoughts away and mustered out a smile. ¡°Hey, what are you doing out here? Didn¡¯t I ask you to apany your sister in the room?¡± ¡°Sharon was too tired from crying and fell asleep.¡± Connor climbed onto the sofa and sat down next to her. Natalie put her arms around his shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s up, Baby?¡± ¡°Mommy, I couldn¡¯t find the person who tried to harm you. Jasmine is not the culprit.¡± Connor looked down guiltily. Natalie frowned. ¡°Baby, didn¡¯t Mommy tell you not to interfere with adult matters? Why did you...¡± ¡°I was worried for you, Mommy!¡± Connor interrupted her. Natalie opened her mouth but she suddenly could not speak. Yulia patted Natalie¡¯s hand, ¡°Alright Nat, the children are just worried for you, so don¡¯t think too much. Let¡¯s see what Connor has found out? Why do you say it is not Jasmine?¡± ¡°Ay, alright.¡± Natalie sighed in agreement. With a frown, Connor¡¯s cool little face looked exactly like Shane¡¯s. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ve just investigated Jasmine¡¯s bank ounts and all of her digital footprints. I discovered that she did not make any mary transfers recently, and neither did she contact any outsiders. In fact, she did not even leave the vicinity of the Smith family¡¯s security cameras.¡± ¡°In other words, she did not contact anyone, did not pay off anyone, or even meet anybody. Therefore, we can basically write her off.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. Connor nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°She is let off the hook just like that? Why isn¡¯t it her? If it were really her, we can just have her arrested!¡± Yulia mmed the table with regret. ¡°No, I have to ask the police officers if they have any other clues.¡± She then turned to leave the house. Natalie did not stop her. Instead, she just held onto Connor¡¯s soft little hands. Connor pouted unhappily. ¡°Mommy, the real mastermind has hidden herself too well. I am sorry, but I have no clues at all.¡± ¡°Silly child, there is nothing to be sorry about. You have already done an amazing job.¡± Natalie nted a kiss on his forehead. Connor blushed. At this moment, Natalie¡¯s cell phone rang. Connor¡¯s face grew colder when he nced at the screen. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie was bewildered over the change of his attitude towards Shane. However, she did not think much about it as she picked up the call. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°There have been some conclusions aboutst night¡¯s matter. It was not Jasmine.¡± Shane¡¯s cool and composed voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Natalie responded while ncing at Connor. ¡°I know. The mastermind is someone else.¡± ¡°When did you find out about that?¡± Shane was a little surprised. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 ¡°Just a while ago,¡± Natalie answered with a smile. Suddenly, a hand came out of nowhere and snatched the phone away. She stared at her son in surprise. ¡°What are you doing, Connor?¡± ¡°I want to have a word with Mr. Shane, Mommy.¡± With that said, Connor held the phone to his ear and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Shane, stay away from my Mommy from now on. She almost got in trouble again today and it¡¯s all because of you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane eximed as he got up from his chair. He couldn¡¯t even be bothered to care that Connor had told him to stay away from Natalie. All he could think about at that moment was how she had almost gotten into trouble again. Did Natalie go through something like what happenedst night again? ¡°Mommy was almost crushed to death by an elevator today, Mr. Shane. It happened because of you. Even though the culprit isn¡¯t Jasmine, it¡¯s still some other woman who likes you. She was jealous that Mommy was being too close to you, so she tried to get Mommy killed.¡± The boy had a dark expression on his face as he spoke. I do like Mr. Shane, but he can never bepared to my Mommy. For her safety, I must never let him get near Mommy again. ¡°Connor...¡± Natalie was moved to see her son protect her like this. It took a moment before Shane snapped back to his senses after hearing the news. His lips twitched and he felt a lump in his throat as he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know what had happened in the morning. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯te. We don¡¯t want to see you,¡± Connor immediately stopped him. ¡°If youe, the person who¡¯s secretly watching Mommy might see you. Then when that happens, she¡¯s going suffer again.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane¡¯s hand tightened around the car keys he was holding but he loosened his grip forlornly eventually. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t. But you have to tell me if your Mommy is really okay.¡± The boy nced at his mother and she gave him an encouraging nod. Then, he pursed his lips before answering, ¡°Mommy¡¯s fine. Grandma saved her just in time.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Shane finally rxed but a dangerous glint shed across his eyes the next second. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for these two incidents, Connor,¡± he said icily. ¡°I hope so,¡± Connor snorted. He then ended the call and passed the phone to Natalie. She patted his head while saying, ¡°Why are you suddenly so cold to Mr. Shane?¡± He hung his head. ¡°Those rotten admirers of his almost caused you to lose your life. I¡¯m not going to like him anymore.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes dimmed at that. That¡¯s right. Although these aren¡¯t Jasmine¡¯s doings, it was still done by someone who admires Shane. There are so many possibilities as to who had actually done it though. But there¡¯s only one other person besides Jasmine who would treat Shane as if he¡¯s her man. Jacqueline Graham! Natalie couldn¡¯t help but think of the incident in the hospital yesterday upon thinking about her. Was it really an ident? ¡°What are you thinking about, Mommy?¡± Connor couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking when he saw the look on his mother¡¯s face. She snapped back to reality and replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Go tell Grandma that I¡¯m going out.¡± She was going to the hospital and try to sound Jacqueline out. As of now, Jacqueline held thergest possibility of being the culprit. She had already used Natalie of stealing her man because thetter was being too close to Shane, so it wasn¡¯t impossible that she wanted to frame Jasmine who was engaged to Shane. Besides, she¡¯d be killing two birds with one stone if she could kill Natalie and frame Jasmine at the same time. Then, Shane would definitely belong to Jacqueline. Upon thinking about that, Natalie patted lightly on Connor¡¯s tiny butt and said, ¡°Go on. Mommy¡¯s going to get changed now.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll let Grandma know.¡± Connor got down from the sofa and quickly ran out to look for his grandmother. After half an hour, Natalie finally arrived at the hospital. She thought that something would happen on the way here, so she felt on edge throughout the journey. But luckily, nothing had happened. It seemed like the culprit didn¡¯t dare to do anything in public, and it eased her heart a little. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 ¡°Ms. Graham,¡± Natalie called out while knocking on Jacqueline¡¯s door. Thetter was reading a book in her bed. She looked up the moment she heard her voice. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Ms. Smith. Come on in.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Natalie walked in with a smile at that. ¡°Have a seat,¡± Jacqueline told her while pointing at the chair beside her bed. The former pulled up the chair and replied, ¡°Thanks.¡± After closing the book and putting it by her bedside, Jacqueline asked, ¡°Why are you here, Ms. Smith?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes flickered before she replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to visit Stanley but he wasn¡¯t in his consultation room. I thought he would be here so I came to take a look.¡± ¡°Stanley just went back to his consultation room. Didn¡¯t you see him on your way here?¡± Jacqueline narrowed her eyes slightly as she spoke. Natalie answered as she tousled her hair, ¡°Really? I must¡¯ve missed him somehow. I¡¯ll send him a message now.¡± With that said, she took out her phone and pretended to type something on it. A minuteter, she turned off her phone and put it back into her bag. ¡°Do you mind if I wait for Stanley here? He¡¯s going toe to meet me in a while.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jacqueline nodded. Natalie smiled in gratitude. ¡°Thank you.¡± The former stared at her as she replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Feeling a little baffled from being stared at, Natalie self-consciously reached up to feel her face. ¡°Is there something on my face, Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°Nope. But you do look tired. Did you not rest wellst night?¡± Jacqueline questioned as she leaned back on her bed. Natalie quickly lowered her eyes, concealing the glow in her eyes. ¡°Not really. Something happened last night.¡± ¡°Oh? What happened?¡± Jacqueline seemed very interested in the topic and leaned closer to ask. ¡°Someone tried to kill me,¡± the former said while looking at her. ¡°What?¡± The bed-ridden woman was shocked at that. She finally found her voice after a long time. ¡°Did you report it to the police?¡± ¡°Yes. But the culprit hasn¡¯t been caught yet.¡± Natalie shook her head remorsefully. Jacqueline reached out her bony arm and patted her on the back, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure the police will catch them soon. Don¡¯t be sad. But why did the culprit try to put you in harm¡¯s way?¡± ¡°Because she thinks I stole her man.¡± She smiled bitterly. Jacqueline was furious upon hearing that. ¡°This is uneptable! She tried to harm you just because of what she thought. That¡¯s just downright cruel of her.¡± ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s too cruel. When I catch her, I¡¯m going to let her have a taste of what it feels like to almost die,¡± Natalie spat and clenched her fists. ¡°Yes, you should.¡± Jacqueline nodded her head and an unattainable frown appeared on thetter¡¯s face. I¡¯ve purposely told her that someone had tried to kill me and even told her that I would get my revenge just to see if she would have any abnormal reactions. However, she isn¡¯t showing any unusual behavior. There are only two possibilities. One, Jacqueline is really good at acting and she managed to fool me. Two, she really is innocent. ¡°What are you thinking about, Ms. Smith?¡± The woman reached out and waved her arm before Natalie¡¯s face. Thetter snapped back to her senses and stered on a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking about why Stanley isn¡¯t here yet.¡± ¡°How about you give him a call?¡± Jacqueline suggested while pointing at her bag. Natalie shook her head guiltily. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Maybe he had an emergency patient to tend to. I¡¯ll wait for a while more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really patient,¡± the former observed as she adjusted her posture. ¡°Well. I¡¯m waiting for someone after all. It¡¯s the least I could do,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. Jealousy shed across the other woman¡¯s face when she saw her smile. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re really pretty, Ms. Smith? Especially your eyes. They¡¯re the brightest, most beautiful eyes I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Natalie froze for a moment at the suddenpliment before she tousled her hair sheepishly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t exaggerate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. May I touch your eyes, Ms. Smith?¡± Jacqueline¡¯s eyes shone as she stared at the former expectantly. She was about to refuse but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it when she saw the look in the hospitalized woman¡¯s eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she finally agreed. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you, Ms. Smith.¡± Jacqueline pped her hands happily. Natalie leaned closer as she lowered her head and the former reached out to touch her eyes. She ran her cold fingers around Natalie¡¯s eyes. Her actions were gentle as if she were touching some kind of rare treasure, and she was reluctant to move her hand away. ¡°They really are beautiful. I really like your eyes. Ms. Smith, you have to take good care of them and not let anything happen to them, alright?¡± Jacqueline said gently. However, for some reason, Natalie felt ufortable and couldn¡¯t help but shudder upon hearing that. But she did a great job of not showing it when she replied with a smile, ¡°Of course. These are my eyes. And as a fashion designer, it¡¯s only natural that I take good care of them.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Jacqueline seemed very satisfied with her answer and nodded. Then, Natalie stood up and said, ¡°Ms. Graham, since Stanley still isn¡¯t here, I¡¯m going to go to him. You should rest now. I won¡¯t disturb you any further.¡± I¡¯m here to sound Jacqueline out anyway. I didn¡¯t get any information so there isn¡¯t any reason for me to stay anymore. Jacqueline didn¡¯t try to stop her when she heard that Natalie was leaving. Instead, she said, ¡°Okay. Goodbye, Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie left after giving her a nod. After she left, Jacqueline¡¯s smile melted off her face and it was reced by a cold look. Then, she pulled open the drawer by her bed and took out a document file. The words ¡®Corneal Damage¡¯ were written on it and it stung her eyes. Soon, she thought of something and a frightening smile appeared on her face as she glided her finger over the words. After Natalie left Jacqueline¡¯s ward, she made her way to the Neurology Department to meet Stanley. I have to at least drop by to say hello otherwise it would be bad if Jacqueline asks Stanley if I came to see him. ¡°Hey, Stanley,¡± she said as she knocked on the door to his consultation room. Stanley was busy writing something at his desk at that moment. When he heard her voice, he looked up in surprise and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I came to get some medicine,¡± Natalie lied, lookingpletely unfazed. He quickly stood up and strode towards her. ¡°You¡¯re here to get medicine? Are you sick?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s the medicine for my arm,¡± she told him while rubbing her injured arm. Stanley instantly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Natalie then headed into the consultation room and he quickly went to pour her a cup of water. ¡°By the way, did you manage to gather information forst night¡¯s incident? Any results?¡± She shook her head, feeling exhausted as she held the cup in her hands. ¡°No. And I almost died this morning.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°What?¡± Stanley crushed the paper cup he was holding upon hearing the news. The water in it drenched his hand. He didn¡¯t even feel the water¡¯s heat and his face had darkened drastically. It was the first time Natalie had seen him being so furious. She couldn¡¯t help but jump with fright. But just as she was about to say something, Stanley threw the paper cup and sped her shoulders. ¡°Nat, you¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± ¡°No. Mom saved me just in time,¡± she replied while shaking her head. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great, then.¡± He then released his grip on her shoulder. After taking a look at the time, Natalie said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll get going now, Stanley.¡± ¡°Let me take you home,¡± Stanley said as he grabbed his car keys. She waved her hands. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not time for you to get off work yet. I can go back myself.¡± Seeing that she was so insistent, he could only give up and put his car keys back to where they had been before. ¡°Alright then. Give me a call when you¡¯re home.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie responded before leaving his consultation room. His face instantly turned cold the moment she left. Stanley then took out his phone and dialed a number. The call connected not long after and he immediately shouted at the person on the other end, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to mess with Nat anymore? I haven¡¯t even let you off the hook when you almost cost her her life yesterday. Yet you did it again today. I¡¯ll definitely expose you if you do it again.¡± Chapter 191 Chapter 191 ¡°Sure, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll stop bothering her for the time being. After all, Shane is investigating me already. I don¡¯t want to let him find out what I did just yet. But you better let Natalie know that she should stay away from my Shane. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so lucky the next time something like this happens.¡± With that said, the woman on the other end hung up. Stanley¡¯s face was grim when he put down his phone. As he stared at the unsaved number on his phone¡¯s screen, a streak of hostility shed across his eyes. After a moment, he adjusted his sses and calmed himself down. Then, he dialed Yulia¡¯s number and said when the call was connected, ¡°Yulia, I¡¯d like to discuss something about Nat with you.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll talk to Nat once she¡¯s back.¡± Yulia nodded fervently when she heard Stanley¡¯s suggestion. After half an hour, Natalie was finally home. Her mother patted the seat beside her and said, ¡°Come have a seat, Baby Girl.¡± Natalie sat down after cing her bag on the side. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡± ¡°What do you think about going overseas with Mom, Nat?¡± Yulia asked while looking at her. She froze for a moment before questioning, ¡°Why do you want me to go overseas with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been petrified since the incidents happened over the past two days. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to stay here. It¡¯ll be safer for you to live overseas,¡± her mother exined. Natalie lowered her gaze before replying, ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Mom. I can¡¯t follow you.¡± ¡°Why? Is it because you can¡¯t bear to leave Shane?¡± Yulia¡¯s expression steeled, obviously upset. Natalie was nonplused at that. ¡°No. I promised Mercede that I would make a name for myself here. If I leave for another country now, how will I fulfill my promise for my mentor?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you already famous now? Project Rebirth¡¯s sess already made you a famous fashion designer.¡± ¡°How is that enough? This fame right now could never bepared to the fame I had as Mina. Mercede said that as long as I could achieve whatever I did when I was Mina, I¡¯d be introduced to the Design Association. This is my dream, Mom. I don¡¯t want to give up.¡± She looked extremely serious as she grabbed hold of her mother¡¯s hands. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. At the sight of her daughter, Yulia opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but held her tongue. She didn¡¯t try to convince Natalie to leave anymore. Instead, she sighed, ¡°Then what about your safety?¡± Natalie smiled but said in an unsure manner, ¡°Maybe nothing will happen if I stay away from Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Yulia answered as she patted on the back of her daughter¡¯s hand, her heart full of worry. Natalie didn¡¯t run into any trouble in the next few days and everything was smooth sailing. It seemed like the culprit stopped whatever they were doing temporarily so the police had also stopped with their investigations. She couldn¡¯t do anything else except for withdrawing thewsuit. After all, nothing could be found if she didn¡¯t withdraw thewsuit. Once she arrived at the Thompson Group, she pushed open the door to her office. After wiping away the dust on her table, she turned on theputer and prepared to print out her resignation letter. Right at that moment, a designer carried a thick stack of documents to be reviewed to her side and asked, ¡°Are you feeling better, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied with a smile. Originally, she only had two days of holiday. But since she had suffered from the incidents, Shane gave her a few more days of sick leave to let her rest. ¡°Great! Oh, congrattions on the double happiness, Ms. Smith!¡± ¡°What do you mean by double happiness?¡± Natalie gazed at her, confused. The designer raised two fingers and said, ¡°Well, you recovered and you¡¯re being promoted!¡± ¡°Promoted?¡± she asked in shock. ¡°Yes. Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Campbell told us that you¡¯ll be the design department¡¯s supervisor in the future. You¡¯ll take over immediately once you¡¯re back. Didn¡¯t anyone from the HR department inform you?¡± Natalie pursed her lips upon hearing that news. The designer was perplexed at her reaction and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, aren¡¯t you happy?¡± She didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she took the resignation letter she had just printed and said, ¡°Excuse me. I have to talk to Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The designer quickly moved away and let her through. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 After thanking her, Natalie strode out of the design department and went to the top floor. ¡°Mr. Campbell,¡± she called out when she saw Ss walking out of his office the moment she came out of the elevator. The man stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at her. ¡°Ms. Smith! I see you¡¯vee to work.¡± After answering with a ¡°Yes,¡± she added, ¡°Is Mr. Shane here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ss nodded. Natalie then told him as she hugged the resignation letter to her chest, ¡°Then please inform him that I need to talk to him, Mr. Campbell.¡± ¡°Alright. Hold on for a minute.¡± After that, he pushed open the door to the CEO¡¯s office and went in. After a minute or so, Ss walked out and informed her, ¡°Mr. Shane said he¡¯ll see you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied with a smile before walking past him and into the office. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± she called out to the man behind the desk. He looked up and said, ¡°You¡¯re just in time. This is the contract the HR department drafted yesterday. You should take a look and see if there¡¯s any problem with it. If there isn¡¯t, I¡¯ll let-¡± ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Natalie bit her lower lip and interrupted him, looking rather conflicted. ¡°I¡¯m here to talk about this too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shane raised an eyebrow. The woman took in a deep breath and handed the letter in her hands to him. His pupils constricted when he realized what it was and the temperature around him seemed to drop. ¡°You¡¯re going to resign?¡± ¡°Yes. Please approve it,¡± Natalie answered while clenching her fists. Shane¡¯s lips were pressed into a thin line as he looked at her coldly. ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± She hung her head as she spoke, ¡°I was only supposed to be working here for a month when I first came to Thompson Group. Now that one month has passed, it¡¯s time for me to go too.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane¡¯s cold face softened a little. ¡°The one-month period was supposed to be a probationary period. Since Project Rebirth was such a sess, it means that you¡¯ve passed the probationary period. Doesn¡¯t that mean that you definitely have the right to continue working here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane but I have made up my mind.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips twitched. His brows were knitted tightly into a deep frown. ¡°Why?¡± She then looked up at him. ¡°Because my life would be endangered if I continue to work here. Mr. Shane, I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten about the incidents that happened a few days before, right?¡± Shane¡¯s lips twitched a little and he only replied with a ¡°No,¡± after a long time. ¡°So don¡¯t you think I¡¯d be an eyesore to the culprit by staying here?¡± She smiled bitterly. He pinched his nose bridge as he replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. The only one at fault is the culprit.¡± Natalie shook her head and added, ¡°Besides desperately wanting to survive, the much important reason why I¡¯m so adamant about resigning is that I don¡¯t want my two kids to be dragged into this mess too. So please understand my intentions, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane lowered his gaze, hiding the sadness in his eyes while doing so, and said hoarsely, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll approve it.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. With that said, he took his pen and signed on the letter she prepared. Natalie instantly felt empty the moment he was done with his signature. But she hid it very well and there weren¡¯t any changes to her expression. Once he was done, Shane handed the letter back to her. Natalie reached out to take it but he didn¡¯t want to let go. So she asked, puzzled, ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°When I find out who did it, you cane back anytime. The design supervisor¡¯s position is also yours,¡± he said indifferently. ¡°Thanks, but there¡¯s no need for that,¡± Natalie rejected his offer with a smile. ¡°I have to oversee my studio.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes but waved it off after that. ¡°Is that so? What¡¯s your studio called?¡± ¡°Studio Nouveau,¡± she answered quietly. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Studio Nouveau?¡± Why does it sound so familiar? Natalie saw that he seemed to have thought of something, so she added with augh, ¡°The Studio Nouveau that sued Jasmine¡¯s studio previously was mine.¡± Shane immediately understood after that. I see. So the twenty million from Jasmine is in her hands now. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 ¡°Alright, Mr. Shane. It¡¯s time for me to take my leave now. Goodbye. I¡¯ve been very happy working with you in the past month. I hope that you¡¯ll be able to find an excellent designer soon,¡± she said as she reached out her palm for a handshake. His eyes darkened as he nced at the woman¡¯s fair hands. He then replied as he held her hand, ¡°I¡¯ll send you out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane stopped walking once they were outside of the office. After waving goodbye to him, she walked towards the elevator. She held the resignation letter in one hand while the other clutched on her pants as she walked, holding back the urge to turn back to look at him. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. She was afraid that if she turned back, she would be reluctant to leave. Soon enough, Natalie stepped into the elevator. Her eyes had welled up with tears by the time the doors closed. She quickly looked up to prevent the tears from falling. Then, she hastily wiped her eyes when she arrived at the HR department, only walking out after she had stered on a smile. Natalie didn¡¯t stay any longer once she was done with the resignation process and left almost immediately when she had finished packing up her stuff. On the balcony of the top floor, Shane was watching her as she hailed a cab while he mindlessly tapped on the railing. Ss couldn¡¯t help but say as he listened to the former¡¯s arrhythmic tapping, ¡°Mr. Shane, if you¡¯re reluctant to let Ms. Smith leave, it¡¯s not toote to stop her now.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. She should go. She¡¯d shine anywhere she goes with a talent like hers.¡± He looked away and turned back into the office. His assistant followed behind, secretly rolling his eyes at him. Mr. Shane, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood me. By ¡®reluctant,¡¯ I meant the unwillingness to let go between a man and a woman. I wasn¡¯t talking about talent! ¡°Are there still no results for the things I told you to investigate?¡± Shane asked as he sat down before his desk. Ss pushed his sses and returned to his normal professional self. ¡°No. The culprit hasn¡¯t done anything to Ms. Smith in the past few days, so all clues that lead to them have reached a dead end.¡± ¡°I need you to continue investigating. That person wouldn¡¯t be an ordinary person if she¡¯s able to bribe a killer and secretly destroy an elevator without leaving any traces of her presence. You should start with investigating the socialites.¡± His fists on the desk were so tightly clenched to the point where his veins were visible on his skin. After hesitating for a few seconds, Ss replied, ¡°But we¡¯d easily provoke the family of the culprit by doing so.¡± ¡°Then do it while avoiding any detection. Just don¡¯t let anyone find out,¡± Shane answered tiredly while leaning back on his chair and closing his eyes. The assistant instantly straightened his back and replied, ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll get to it now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane nodded. After Ss left, he opened his eyes and stared at the promotion contract for a moment. He was about to throw it into the rubbish bin but he suddenly changed his mind. In the end, he put the contract into his drawer and locked it up. Right at that moment, his phone rang. Shane darted a nce at it before putting the phone by his ear. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Shane, should we get dinner together tonight?¡± Jackson asked excitedly. ¡°No,¡± he replied expressionlessly. ¡°Really?¡± thetter narrowed his eyes and added, ¡°It¡¯s Jacqueline¡¯s birthday today. I want to give her a surprise.¡± Shane immediately nced at the calendar at the bottom right corner of theputer screen as soon as he heard that. He massaged his temples when he saw the date and realized that it really was Jacqueline¡¯s birthday. ¡°The address?¡± he asked. Jackson instantly smiled, ¡°I knew you¡¯d change your mind. I¡¯ll send you the address in a moment. I¡¯m going to talk to Stanley first and ask him to give Jacqueline a two-hour leave tonight.¡± The call ended after Shane agreed to it. Then, he stood up and grabbed his coat with one hand while the other held his phone before he made his way out of the office. At night, in a noisy bar, Natalie was downing ss after ss of beer, her vision bing more and more unfocused with time. Chapter 194 Chapter 194 After the dance, Joyce returned and saw many empty beer bottles on the table. She was instantly shocked. ¡°Oh my, Nat, what are you trying to do drinking so much beer?¡± She quickly took away the ss of beer in Natalie¡¯s hand. Natalie squinted her eyes and stared at her. She eximed, ¡°J-Joyce, you¡¯ve returned?¡± ¡°Right, you still know who I am. It seems like you¡¯re not that drunk.¡± Joyce sat herself down next to Natalie. Natalie reached out her hand, trying to grab the beer ss that had been taken away earlier. Joyce did notply and she pushed it further away. ¡°Stop drinking, you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m not drunk!¡± Natalie waved her hand with dissatisfaction. Her rosy cheeks, red-stained lips, and ditsy drunk behavior had made her very alluring. Joyce couldn¡¯t help but stare idly. She knew her best friend had the captivating looks of a vixen. She was worried that Natalie might start behaving like one after getting drunk. ¡°Oh God, quickly lower down your head. If the bunch of wolves sees you, they¡¯ll definitely eat you alive.¡± Joyce covered Natalie¡¯s head with her coat. Natalie suddenly wept. Joyce was taken aback. ¡°Natalie, why are you crying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sad.¡± Natalie looked at her with her teary eyes. ¡°Why are you sad?¡± Joyce was confused. Natalie wiped her tears and said, ¡°I¡¯ve quit my job and I won¡¯t be able to see him anymore.¡± ¡°Him? Who are you referring to?¡± Joyce was stupefied. ¡°Shane...¡± Natalie choked. Joyce was stunned but managed toe around after a while. She stared at her in disbelief. ¡°No way Nat, you and Mr. Shane...¡± Natalie reached out to Joyce and hugged her. ¡°Joyce, am I a bad person for liking a man who has a fianc¨¦e?¡± After confirming her suspicions, Joyce swallowed and said, ¡°No, you¡¯re not bad. Mr. Shane is a ster person and it¡¯s normal for you to admire him. Just don¡¯t be a homewrecker.¡± ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s why I quit my job.¡± Natalie opened a new bottle of beer and took a sip. Initially, Joyce wanted to stop her but after seeing how upset she was, it¡¯s best to let her be. She was wondering in the first ce, why did Nat invite her out for a drink. So it was because she had quit her job and would never be able to see Shane anymore. ¡°Ah, such devastation on your first crush. It really is disheartening.¡± Joyce stared at Natalie pitifully. Barf. Natalie threw up the beer immediately. Joyce pinched her nose. ¡°Alright, alright. Stop drinking already. Something bad might happen if you continue drinking. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± That being said, she took away the beer bottle that was in Natalie¡¯s hand, carried her, and tried hailing a car outside after she had done settling the bill. However, there were only private cars around. It wasn¡¯t easy to hail a cab as they didn¡¯t usually pass by that area. There was no choice but for Joyce to carry Natalie as they walked further to see if there was any cab elsewhere. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. At that moment, a car honked from behind. Joyce¡¯s head buzzed and she eximed angrily, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Shane got out of the car. Joyce¡¯s frustration dissipated and she blinked her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Shane? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I was passing by. What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Shane¡¯s gaze fell upon Natalie. Natalie buried her face against Joyce¡¯s shoulder. Her hair was loosely scattered and had covered her face entirely. ¡°Nat¡¯s drunk.¡± Joyce replied helplessly. ¡°You went drinking?¡± Shane squinted. Umm... Joyce replied, ¡°Yes, Nat was upset.¡± ¡°Upset?¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Why was she upset?¡± Joyce stared at him bitterly and muttered, ¡°Why, if it¡¯s not for you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shane couldn¡¯t hear clearly and frowned. Joyce came around and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Mr. Shane, can you send us to the nearest subway?¡± ¡°Get in the car.¡± Shane opened the door to the back seats. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Joyce thanked him swiftly and helped Natalie into the car. Upon entering the car, Shane looked at Natalie who was fast asleep from his side mirror. While he fastened his seat belt, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your address?¡± ¡°Are you sending us back Mr. Shane?¡± Joyce¡¯s eyes brightened. Shane did not answer. Joyce was about to provide her address when she paused. A moment of hesitation washed over her and she turned to look at Natalie. Shane could guess what she was worried about. His mouth slightly opened, ¡°I¡¯ll send her home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. My address is...¡± Joyce gave him her address. Shane turned on the navigation and drove. They arrived at Joyce¡¯s residence in about twenty minutes. After getting out of the car, she stood at the window. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane, I¡¯ll leave Nat to you.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Shaneplied. Then he put the window up and drove away. On the way, his cell phone rang. Jackson sounded fussy, ¡°Shane, why aren¡¯t you here yet?¡± With one hand on the steering wheel, he pressed his Bluetooth headset against his ear with the other. ¡°Something came up suddenly, I¡¯ll be slightly dyed.¡± ¡°What thing?¡± Jackson asked. Shane¡¯s eyes flickered as he didn¡¯t intend to reveal much. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯ll be over in a jiffy.¡± ¡°Alright, hurry up then. Jacqueline¡¯s waiting for you. She has been looking forward because she heard you¡¯ve gotten her a present yourself.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Shane pressed his headset and ended the call. Not long after, they¡¯d arrived at the apartment. Shane parked his car then carried Natalie from the back seat. Natalie could felt someone was carrying her and she threw her arms around his neck subconsciously. His body stiffened and he looked at her. Seeing that she was motionless, he only started walking and went into the building. Upon arriving, Shane carried Natalie to the front of her apartment. He pressed the doorbell with his elbow but no one opened the door. Shane had no choice but to open his apartment door. He carried her onto the sofa and decided to look for the key card in her bag. However, after one round of searching, he couldn¡¯t find anything. As ast resort, he picked up her cell phone and was about to contact her two kids. Shane grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand. Just when he was about to unlock her cell phone using her fingerprint, Natalie opened her eyes suddenly. She climbed up from the sofa and hugged his waist. Her entire body leaning against his. Shane froze instantly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so warm...¡± Natalie mumbled and rubbed her face against his chest. After some time, she felt as if something wasn¡¯t right. She lifted her head and let go of his waist. Then she pulled his neckline aggressively and tore open his shirt. His firm chest exposed underneath it. Looking at his chest, she smiled then smacked it with her palm. She gently pressed her face against it. At that moment, she squinted her eyesfortably and said, ¡°That feels good.¡± ¡°Natalie, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Shane stared at the woman who was creating a mess on his chest. His voice became hoarse. Natalie rubbed her face. ¡°Feels so... so good!¡± Shane¡¯s face darkened. He shouldn¡¯t have asked a drunkard! ¡°Let go!¡± Shane reached out and grabbed Natalie¡¯s shoulders and pushed her away. Natalie felt as if the coolness had left her. Immediately, she pushed away his hands with all her strength and leaned against his chest once more. Looking at the woman who was acting like an octopus all over his chest, Shane twitched and uttered, ¡°Natalie, I¡¯ll say this one more time. Let go!¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°No.¡± Natalie hugged him tightly, unwilling to let go of her hands and even bit his chest. Shane let out a hiss and threw his head back. ¡°Natalie...¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie loosened her teeth and lifted her head up while staring at him innocently. Their eyes met. Looking at her slightly parted red lips and that sweet intoxicating smell from her breath, his eyes darkened. Finally, he lifted up her chin and kissed her on the lips. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Her lips were soft and plump with an extra hint of sweetness from the alcohol. He was fully captivated. Natalie wasn¡¯t aware that she had been kissed. She only knew that there was a cooling sensation on her lips that she liked very much. Subconsciously, she ced her arms around his neck and continued seeking that coolness. Her behavior was like some sort of encouragement to Shane. He had lost his rationality and was purely driven by instinct. After the kiss, he ced one hand behind her head and the other around her waist. Slowly, heid her down on the sofa with his body pressing against hers. They went all the way that night. It wasn¡¯t until dawn the next day, Shane woke up from his sleep. He stood by the sofa and took a nce at the woman who had fallen asleep due to exhaustion. A wave of mixed emotions took over him. Soon after, he reached out and grabbed his clothes from behind the sofa. He went back to his room, took out a nket, and covered it on top of Natalie. Then he turned around and headed to the bathroom quietly. After his shower, he went out of the bathroom while drying his hair. His phone that was on the coffee table kept vibrating. He walked towards it and hung the towel around his neck. Jacqueline¡¯s name appeared on the phone screen when he picked it up. ¡°Hello,¡± Shane answered the phone. His voice was husky and sexy, so much that it would send chills down one¡¯s spine. Jacqueline broke into tears. ¡°Shane, where are you?¡± Shane nced over at Natalie who was fast asleep. He pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯m at the office.¡± Jacqueline quietened after listening to his reply. After a few seconds, she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to the restaurantst night? I thought you said you woulde and I was waiting. Why did you break your promise?¡± Shane pinched his nose out of guilt and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± ¡°How are you going to make up to me? It was my birthday yesterday. Shane, you¡¯re too much. Jackson and I kept calling youst night but you didn¡¯t pick up the phone. Do you know how worried I was?¡± Jacqueline scolded angrily and hung up the phone. Shane put down the phone and flipped through the call logs. Jacqueline and Jackson had called him many times indeed. It was around the same time when he was with Natalie. With his thoughts ruminating, Shane could feel his head aching and he rubbed the sides of his temples. At the same time, there were some sudden movementsing from the woman who was on the sofa. She let out a low hum and opened her eyes. Starring at the bright ceiling, she was a bit confused. ¡°Where am I?¡± Shane gawked at her and his pupils shrunk. ¡°My apartment.¡± ¡°Why am I in your apartment, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie raised her arms and gently rubbed her swollen temples. She attempted to sit up straight. Once her body moved, she yelled out in pain and fell back onto the sofa. The fall had her feeling dizzy and bits and pieces of memories from the previous night started to appear in her mind. She didn¡¯t feel good after knowing what she had done with Shanest night. Natalie turned her head stiffly and stared nkly at the man in a white bathrobe who was by the sofa. Then, she managed to utter after a moment of pause. ¡°Mr. Shane. Last night we...¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°I¡¯ll be responsible for what had happenedst night!¡± Shane passed her clothes to her. Natalie took the clothes and ced them on one of the sofa¡¯s armrests. Then she covered herself with the nket and sat up with determination. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I don¡¯t need you to be responsible!¡± Shane squinted. ¡°What did you say?¡± Natalie lowered her eyelids, covering the bitter look on her face. She said coldly, ¡°I was saying, I don¡¯t need you to be responsible. We are all adults and sometimes things like this happen. Let¡¯s just think of it as an ident.¡± ¡°ident?¡± Shane¡¯s face darkened and his lips pursed. Hearing what she had said, was it normal for that to happen between a man and a woman? Or was it because it¡¯s normal for her to have such an ident with other men as well? Thinking of that, Shane gripped onto the towel so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand started bulging. He looked devastated. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Natalie had no idea what was going through his mind. She only knew that she didn¡¯t want him to be responsible and ended up hurting his man¡¯s pride. She bit her lips and said with determination, ¡°That¡¯s right, that was an ident. What else can we do? You imed that you¡¯ll be responsible which means you¡¯ll just give me money. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to marry me?¡± After hearing that, Shane remained silent and didn¡¯t say a word. Natalieughed upon seeing his reaction. ¡°See, you¡¯re not saying anything which means I¡¯m right. What you meant by taking responsibility was to give me money. However, that money would be an insult to me and I wouldn¡¯t ept it. So it¡¯s better for us to treat that as an ident.¡± Having said that, she looked away and attempted to get up from the sofa. But once her feet touched the ground, she lost control of both her legs. With a shriek, she fell forward. Shane took a big step forward and caught her. ¡°Where do you want to go? I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Natalie fell into Shane¡¯s arms. She could smell the scent exuding from his body and listening to the gentleness in his voice, had her feeling the urge to cry. She held it in and refrained from showing. After regaining herposure, she stepped back. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Mr. Shane. I can manage myself.¡± Grabbing her clothes from the armrest with one hand while holding tightly to the nket with the other, she stumbled out the door. After leaving Shane¡¯s ce, Natalie arrived in front of her own apartment and she pressed the doorbell. Yulia¡¯s voice traveled from the other end of the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me.¡± Natalie answered loudly. Upon hearing her voice, Yulia quickly opened the door. The moment she saw her face, she was so stunned that her mask fell off her face. ¡°Baby Girl, you...¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t say anything. Just let me in.¡± Natalie urged, blushing in embarrassment. Her legs were so weak she could barely stand. At that moment, Yulia came back to her senses and quickly stepped aside. ¡°Oh, quicklye in.¡± Natalie rushed inside the house and went to the bathroom straight away. Yulia picked up her mask and shut the door behind her. She followed her, stood out of the bathroom, and asked, ¡°Baby Girl, who were you withst night?¡± ¡°Mom, can you please stop asking?¡± Natalie stood in front of the mirror and stared at her body that was covered in red markings. She took a deep breath. ¡°How can I not ask? I¡¯m your mother. Yesterday you told me you went out for a meal with Joyce, I thought you spent the night at her ce. Instead, you went out with some guy and God knows what had happened. How can I not find out who is he?¡± Yulia banged on the door angrily. Natalie¡¯s ears buzzed. As soon as she was about to reply, Yulia said in a concerned voice, ¡°Nat, were you bullied?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Natalie didn¡¯t know if she was about tough or cry. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it was just an ident!¡± ¡°What ident?¡± Yulia frowned. Just when she was about to question further, the doorbell rang again. She turned her head and nced at the hallway. ¡°Natalie, I¡¯m going to see who¡¯s at the door. You better come clean to me after that and tell me what happenedst night, hmph!¡± After that, Yulia turned around and walked towards the entrance. She opened the door. Shane was standing outside and there was a small bag in his hand. ¡°Aunt Yulia.¡± ¡°Shane, why are you here?¡± Yulia looked at him curiously. Shane did not answer and handed her the small bag. ¡°This medicine is for Natalie.¡± ¡°For Nat?¡± Yulia reached out and grabbed the bag. She took a look inside and saw the name on the medicine. Her facial expression changed and then closed the bag. She stared at him with anger. ¡°So it was you who bulled Nat!¡± She should had known. If it were some other man, Nat wouldn¡¯t have been so calm and had gone to the police right away. Shane lowered his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Aunt Yulia, I...¡± ¡°Just leave!¡± Yulia pointed towards the lift. ¡°And I thought you were a good person. Who would have thought I was so wrong. You still came after Nat even though you have a fianc¨¦e, how horrible. Leave, you¡¯re not wee here, go!¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 While saying that, Shane was pushed until he was about thirty to forty centimeters away from the entrance, then she mmed the door. After closing the door, Yulia noticed the small bag in her hand. She snorted in disdain and wanted to open the door and throw away the bag. But after a moment of careful consideration, she pursed her lips and decided not to do so. ¡°Mom, who was that?¡± Natalie came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. She saw Yulia¡¯s angered look. Yulia stared at her and uttered, ¡°Who else could it be. Yourpanion fromst night.¡± After hearing that, Natalie choked and lowered her head embarrassingly. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Hmph, am I wrong to say that?¡± Yulia pressed her forehead irritably. ¡°Exin now, he has a fianc¨¦e and you ended up with him...¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Natalie yanked Yulia¡¯s sleeves carefully. ¡°I know I¡¯m wrong, don¡¯t be angry. It was really an ident, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Since you¡¯ve said it, you have to honor your words. You knew how much I hated homewreckers and I don¡¯t wish my daughter to end up being one.¡± Yulia shot Natalie a stern look. Natalie agreed and nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Yulia¡¯s expression calmed down. She caressed the back of her head and passed her the small bag. ¡°This is from Shane. Go and apply it before it gets infected. I¡¯ll go and wash my face.¡± After Yulia had left, Natalie opened the bag curiously and took out the contents one by one. When she saw it was medicine for her to apply around that area, her face blushed. ¡°He¡¯s quite attentive.¡± Natalie smiled and murmured to herself. Afterward, she took out thest box of medicine from the bag and looked closely at the name. She immediately froze. Shane was attentive indeed, so much that he did not forget to prepare contraceptive pills as well. Was he so worried that she might get pregnant? Natalie gripped the box tightly. Even though Shane¡¯s intention was clear for her to take the contraceptive pill, he wasn¡¯t wrong for doing so. However, she didn¡¯t feel good deep inside. Without much hesitation, Natalie sighed and opened the box. After she had read the instructions a couple of times, she popped two pills into her mouth and downed them with the ss of water on the coffee table. After that, she picked up her phone and was about to send Shane a message saying she had taken the pills and he didn¡¯t need to worry. However, a thought popped up in her mind. If Jacqueline or Jasmine picked up his phone and saw the message, then things might turn out badly. Therefore, Natalie deleted what she had typed in the message and exited the messaging system. She tapped on her call log that had several missed calls notification. Looking at her call logs, Joyce had called her twicest night. Natalie rubbed her eyebrows and decided to call back. Joyce was still asleep when she picked up her phone. She sounded drowsy and yawned. ¡°Nat, why are you calling so early?¡± ¡°Still early? Have a look at the time.¡± Natalie nced at the clock that was hanging at the wall and was rather speechless. ¡°Wake up, I need to ask you something.¡± Joyce rubbed her messy hair and sat on her bed. ¡°Nat, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°We were drinking togetherst night, how did I end up with Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Do you know that had put me in a terrible spot?¡± Joyce blinked. ¡°That¡¯s because Mr. Shane offered to send you home. You were drunkst night and we tried hailing a cab for quite a while, then we bumped into Mr. Shane. I asked him to take good care of you. Why? Did something happen between you both?¡± Natalie tried to find a way out due to her guilty conscience. ¡°Of... Of course not. It¡¯s just that I threw up in his car.¡± Using the previous incident as an excuse to change the topic wasn¡¯t considered lying right? Joyceughed. ¡°It¡¯s just vomiting in the car, what¡¯s the big deal? Just clean his car and everything will be fine. Besides, don¡¯t you like Mr. Shane? You should be happy to clean his car for him because then you¡¯ll have an excuse to see him again.¡± Chapter 199 Chapter 199 ¡°How did you know that I like Mr. Shane?¡± She stood up shockingly. Joyce burst outughing. ¡°How do I know? You were shouting stuff like you wouldn¡¯t be able to see Mr. Shane anymore after you got drunk.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in horror. If that¡¯s the case, she could have said the same thing to Shanest night so he might have found out her feelings towards him? God, drinking is really bad! ¡°Nat? Nat?¡± Joyce couldn¡¯t help but shout twice since Natalie had been silent. Natalie came back to her senses and sat down slowly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I was going to ask if you¡¯re fine.¡± Joyce pouted. Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re fine then. I¡¯m going to hang up and go back to sleep now.¡± Joyce yawned once more. Natalie nodded her head. ¡°Alright, go and sleep.¡± Natalie hung up and threw her phone to one side. Yulia stepped out of the bathroom. ¡°Baby Girl, apany me shopping, how does that sound? I¡¯d like to buy some things to bring abroad.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Alright¡±. Natalie replied while patting her own cheeks. She put away the boxes of medicine on the coffee table and went back to her room. Half an hourter, after she had applied the ointment and changed into a fresh set of clothes, she headed out to the city center mall with Yulia. Being a shopaholic, Yulia bought a lot of things in just a short while. Then she dragged Natalie into a shop that sells branded bags. ¡°Baby Girl, what do you think of this?¡± Yulia showed Natalie a vegan leather clutch. Natalie took a nce at it. ¡°The clutch is not bad but it¡¯s not suitable for daily use. It¡¯s more suitable for a banquet. Mom, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re really attending some banquet?¡± Yulia smiled and flicked her nose. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s a charity g tonight which is hosted by Mr. Lanner. His wife heard that I was back and she specifically invited me to attend.¡± ¡°I see. This one then.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go settle the bill.¡± Yulia also like that bag; she decided to buy it instantly. At that moment, a proud female voice echoed from the shop¡¯s entrance. ¡°Shop assistant, bring out your newest collection of bags.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s being so rude?¡± Yulia frowned and her face was filled with disgust. Natalia squinted her eyes and looked towards the direction where the voice traveled from. ¡°It¡¯s Susan and... Dad!¡± Upon hearing that, Yulia¡¯s body stiffened. The fingers around her clutch tightened instantaneously. Natalie patted her mother¡¯s back lightly. ¡°No worries Mom, I¡¯m here. Let¡¯s pretend we did not see them. Let¡¯s go and settle the bill.¡± With her daughter¡¯s encouragement, Yulia¡¯s stiff back softened and she smiled. They went towards the cashier. Before they managed to proceed further, Susan shouted, ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that Natalie? Darling, your daughter is here too. What a coincidence.¡± Natalie and Yulia stopped in their tracks. Natalie smiled at Yulia. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mom, let me handle them.¡± After that, she turned around and stared coldly at Harrison and Susan. ¡°It is a coincidence. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see both of you here. Dad, are you apanying Susan to buy a bag?¡± Harrison replied frigidly, ¡°There¡¯s a charity g tonight. We came out to buy some jewelry for Susan.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Natalie lifted her chin and said in a dragging manner. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re so good to Susan. You¡¯d apany her shopping. I usually see some other man apanying her everywhere in the past.¡± ¡°What are you babbling about?¡± Susan said in a sharp voice and her expression changed. Harrison frowned and gave Susan a suspicious re. That stare had Susan shaking in her boots. Her guilty conscience almost betrayed her. Natalie noticed that and smirked. ¡°Susan, why are you getting so worked up for? The other man I was referring to is your cousin. Who did you think it was?¡± Susan choked. After she had calmed down, she stared at her and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say so in the first ce!¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 ¡°You¡¯re right, Susan. I¡¯ll be more careful next time,¡± Natalie said with a faint smile. There wasn¡¯t any hint of remorse in her tone and that greatly irritated Susan. ¡°Pfft!¡± Yulia couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing as she witnessed that. Herughter drew the attention of Susan and Harrison. Susan could not recognize her at first nce, but Harrison, who used to be his husband for about twenty years, recognized her immediately. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Harrison gripped the dragon figurine of his walking cane and asked in a surprised tone. ¡°Who is she, darling?¡± Susan scrutinized Yulia¡¯s figure in confusion. She felt that Yulia looked familiar, but she couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen her before. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Yulia replied while ruffling her exquisite hair. ¡°Mom?¡± Natalie was stunned for a second, not expecting her mom to reveal her identity. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since we already bumped into them, then there is no point to hide. Moreover, they were in the wrong, so why should I avoid them?¡± Yulia had finallye to her senses. Then, she patted Natalie¡¯s hand and turned around slowly. Upon seeing Yulia¡¯s face, Susan was shocked. She couldn¡¯t help but take two steps back instinctively and pointed a shaking finger at Yulia. ¡°Y-You...¡± Yulia stared coldly at the baffled Susan and sneered, ¡°Susan, seven years ago, you eliminated me and became Mrs. Smith. I can¡¯t believe you are still so petty after all these years!¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± This time, it was Natalie who couldn¡¯t hold in herughter. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Darling, look at her!¡± Susan stomped her feet out of frustration. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Harrison berated her. After that, he looked at Yulia with aplicated expression, asking, ¡°When did youe back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a couple of days,¡± Yulia replied with a faint smile. Harrison stroked the dragon figurine and queried, ¡°How have you been doing all these years in a foreign country?¡± Yulia yed with the emerald ring on her index finger and said, ¡°Of course I¡¯ve been great! You see how youthful I look now, but you...¡± She sized his walking cane up and took a good look at him. Finally, her gaze settled on his silver hair. A bubble ofughter escaped her lips all of a sudden, and she said, ¡°You look much older than seven years ago when we divorced. Why? Did this woman suck the vitality out of you?¡± Yulia looked at Susan and pursed her lips. Harrison coughed awkwardly without answering her. Yulia¡¯s words were a huge p on the face to Susan. Thetter was so mad that she raised her hand in a bid to p Yulia. At that very moment, Natalie narrowed her eyes and grabbed Susan¡¯s wrist. ¡°Susan, you better noty a hand on my mom. Otherwise, I will make a police report to sue you for intentional assault.¡± ¡°You...¡± Susan stared daggers at Natalie. After a short while, Yulia patted Natalie¡¯s arms. ¡°Alright, dear. Let go of her. Won¡¯t you feel dirty touching her?¡± As she spoke, she handed Natalie a piece of wet tissue. Natalie flung Susan¡¯s hand away immediately. As if there were germs on her hands, she took the wet tissue to wipe her fingers immediately. Susan was triggered by the mother and daughter¡¯s exchange as the former clenched her fists and screamed, ¡°Harrison, are you just going to let them bully me like this?¡± Harrison pulled a face and retorted, ¡°You are the one who called out to them first.¡± ¡°I...¡± Stumped by Harrison¡¯s response, Susan stared at him and gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°Harrison! Whose side are you on? How could you take their side instead? Or have you rekindled your love for your ex-wife!¡± Susan yelled as she pointed at Natalie and Yulia. The mother and daughter exchanged a nce¡ªtheir eyes filled with disdain. Harrison felt disheartened seeing that. It was him who did not want Yulia back then. So who was she to disdain him? ¡°That¡¯s enough! What the hell are you talking about? Have you got no shame?¡± With a ghastly expression on his face, Harrison held Susan¡¯s hand down. A look of displeasure crept on Susan¡¯s face as she saw Harrison¡¯s action as defending Yulia and Natalie. The former pried Harrison¡¯s hand and barked, ¡°Did I embarrass you? You were the one who abandoned her! Harrison, don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m your current wife!¡± Susan yelled. At that moment, many people in the shop were looking at them. Harrison felt embarrassed and shouted, ¡°Y-You¡¯re so unreasonable. Let¡¯s go home now!¡± Chapter 201 Chapter 201 ¡°No way. I¡¯m going for the most expensive one out there so as not to lose out to her!¡± Susan shot Yulia¡¯s ck clutch a look of disdain as she took a crocodile leather bag that sells for six figures off the shelf. Yulia couldn¡¯t help butughed as she whispered in Natalie¡¯s ear. ¡°Is she dumb or what, Baby Girl? The purpose of Mr. Lanner¡¯s charity g is to raise funds for wildlife animals. Wouldn¡¯t it be like a p to Mike¡¯s face if she chose that bag? Things are going to get interesting tonight.¡± ¡°Well then, you¡¯ll have to tell me all about it tonight, Mom.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will.¡± Yulia winked. Susan didn¡¯t know what the both of them were talking about as she walked over with the bag. ¡°I want this, darling.¡± Harrison frowned when he saw the price. He was about to deny her the bag and get her to pick a new one when her face changed. She wasn¡¯t about to let him off the hook if he denies her the bag. Hence, Harrison agreed to it as he was sick and tired of her antics. Susan threw a victorious smile in Yulia¡¯s and Natalie¡¯s direction. ¡°Someone never receives a gift this expensive besides being his wife of twenty over years.¡± Yulia¡¯s face darkened upon hearing that. ¡°Mom...¡± Natalie gave her a worried look. Yulia shook her head to indicate that she was fine. She looked at Susan coldly and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ve never received any of those, not that I care either. You should enjoy it while you can.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Susan felt disturbed by her words. Yulia ignored her as she turned to face Harrison. ¡°Harrison, you should look into what your wife has been up to these days. I heard that wives of wealthy men like to spend their money on young hunks these days. I wonder if your wife is into it as well?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She left with Natalie right after driving a wedge between them. One could easily imagine just how intense Susan and Harrison¡¯s quarrel will be in a bit. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re amazing. Susan must hate you after this.¡± Natalie gave Yulia a thumbs up. Yulia harrumphed. ¡°Whatever, I don¡¯t care. Let¡¯s go. I want to buy some more new clothes since I¡¯m in a good mood today.¡± Natalie was nonplussed. However, Yulia picked out clothes for Natalie instead of herself and even urged her to try them on when they arrived at a clothing store. Natalie didn¡¯t want to dampen her mood. Hence, she resigned herself to fate and entered the changing room with a pile of clothes. Meanwhile, at the VIP changing room located on the second floor of the clothing store, Jacqueline emerged from the changing room dressed in a white dress. She smoothed her dress down and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Shane, what do you think of this dress?¡± Nobody answered. Jacqueline paused and raised her head quizzically. She started feeling anxious when there was no one in sight in the waiting area. Jacqueline quickly scanned the floor and finally found him by the curved railing. He was looking down at something from the railing. Jacqueline pursed her pale lips disapprovingly. Nevertheless, she pulled herself together in the next moment and walked over with a gentle smile. ¡°Shane, what are you looking at? Didn¡¯t you hear me calling out for you?¡± Shane heard her and turned around. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jacqueline nodded. She took the hem of her dress up, made a slow-motion twirl, blushed, and asked, ¡°What do you think? Is it pretty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Shane raised his chin. Jacqueline smoothed her dress down. ¡°It¡¯s been almost 10 years since Ist wore a dress. I still can¡¯t quite get used to it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can wear anything you like once you make a full recovery,¡± Shane said with his hands in his pockets. ¡°You sure know how to make me happy,¡± Jacqueline said in a coy, teasing tone. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 ¡°I¡¯m not. Anyways, let¡¯s go. Do you have anything else you want to try on?¡± Shane asked with a smile. ¡°No, that¡¯s all. You¡¯ll pay by way of an apology since you stood me upst night,¡± Jacqueline shook her head and said. Shane nodded. ¡°Ok.¡± Jacqueline smiled. She looked down the railing subconsciously when she heard a familiar voice in the next moment. It was Natalie dressed in a white dress twirling in front of the mirror. The white dress looked amazing on Natalie¡¯s curvy figure aspared to hers since the illness had reduced her to skin and bones. This shattered Jacqueline¡¯s confidence. She lowered her eyes to hide her jealousy and envy. ¡°Shane, were you looking at Ms. Smith just now?¡± Jacqueline said disparagingly. Shane¡¯s eyes flickered as he murmured an affirmative reply. ¡°I happened to see her at the store.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jacqueline mumbled as she dug her nails into her palms. ¡°Ms. Smith is so pretty. I wish I could have a healthy body like hers and stroll through the streets in a beautiful dress. What a pity... This wish of mine will nevere true.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Shane frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, it will.¡± Jacqueline smiled wryly. ¡°Shane, you¡¯re well aware of my condition. Dr. Quinn said I can¡¯t live more than ten years even if I recover from this illness.¡± With that, she turned around and left dejectedly. Shane pursed his lips as he gave Natalie a final look before catching up with Jacqueline. Down at the first floor, Natalie paused the merry conversation she was having with Yulia and looked up at the second floor. She felt puzzled when there wasn¡¯t a single soul in sight. ¡°What happened, Baby Girl?¡± Yulia noticed something was wrong with Natalie and followed her gaze. However, there was no one in sight. Natalie shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I felt like someone was watching me just now, must have been my imagination.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your imagination,¡± Yulia said as she tidied Natalie¡¯s hair. Natalie blinked. ¡°Mom, you saw?¡± ¡°No, but it makes sense for people to be watching since I have such a beautiful daughter,¡± Yulia said with a smile. Natalie was at a loss for words. ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Ok, are you done?¡± Yulia opened the changing room door to have a look. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take all of these then,¡± Yulia waved her hands and said. Natalie quickly stopped her. ¡°Mom, these garments are going to break the bank. Besides, I already have lots of clothes since I¡¯m a designer, I don¡¯t need all these.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Yulia stroked her chin and agreed that she had a point. Natalie picked a few garments from the pile. ¡°These will do.¡± ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll do as she says,¡± Yulia said smilingly to the shop attendant. Soon, the mother-daughter pair left the clothing store with their new clothes. They wandered around the mall for quite a while before they took the cab home. It was only 2 p.m. when they reached home. They still had two more hours to themselves before it was time to pick up the kids. Natalie ced the shopping bags down and headed into the kitchen while massaging her own shoulders. She was getting ready to make some tea as she emerged from the kitchen with a kettle when her phone rang. Natalie quickly ced the kettle down and fished out her cell phone from her bag. The caller ID showed that it was a local unknown number. Natalie hesitated for a few seconds before picking up. ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Smith?¡± A gentle and polite female voice sounded from the other end. Natalie nodded slightly. ¡°I am. And you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Style Loft¡¯s store manager,¡± the voice replied. Natalie arched her brow at that. Style Loft. Isn¡¯t that the clothing store I went to with Mom just now? ¡°How can I help you?¡± Natalie sat down on the sofa, cradled the phone against her shoulder, and poured herself a ss of water. The shop manager answered with a smile. ¡°We have a special promotion going on at Style Loft today. As our customer, you¡¯ve won first prize. Congrattions!¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 ¡°What?¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t the least bit happy when she heard the news. Instead, she frowned, puzzled. ¡°First-prize? But I didn¡¯t see any special promotions going on at your store when I went there earlier, nor did I participated in any lucky draws either.¡± She¡¯s not a scammer, is she? The store manager turned around and gave the man behind her a look when faced with Natalie¡¯s skepticism. The man raised his chin slightly and the store manager nodded in acknowledgment. She continued with a smile, ¡°It was a hidden promotion. As for the lucky draw, we did it in the customer¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie took a sip of water. She still felt that something was off but couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on it. The store manager then verified the address Yulia left behind at the store before hanging up the call. Yulia yawned as she emerged from the washroom. ¡°Who is it, darling?¡± ¡°Style Loft. They said I won first prize, but that¡¯s not possible.¡± Natalie put her phone down with a smile. She didn¡¯t take the phone conversation to heart. Yulia nodded. ¡°Definitely impossible. How could these branded stores run any promotional activities when they¡¯re so stingy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Natalie picked up the kettle and continued making tea. However, after about half an hour, the doorbell rang. Yulia was the one who opened the door while Natalie was sketching some design drafts. Suddenly, Natalie heard Yulia screaming. She quickly put her sketchbook and pencil down and armed herself with a flower vase before running towards the entrance. However, there was no danger in sight, but only a few of Style Loft¡¯s employees standing at her doorway with exquisite gift boxes in hand while smiling at both of them. Natalie was bewildered at the sight before her. So, the phone call just now was real? I really won some prize? Yulia was the first toe back to her senses as she quickly allowed the employees to ce the gift boxes in the house while Natalie was still in a trance. The employees filed in, ced the gift boxes down with Yulia¡¯s instructions, and pulled out the receipt for Yulia to sign. They left soon after. ¡°Baby Girl,e on over!¡± Yulia beckoned Natalie over. Natalie walked over. Yulia opened the gift boxes one by one and eximed, ¡°Gosh, aren¡¯t these all the clothes you¡¯ve tried at the store? Except for these red garments. Darling, do you want to try them on?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°No thanks. I can tell it suits me just by looking at it.¡± She was staring at the red garments with mixed feelings. Why is it that all the others were chosen by Yulia except for these few garments? And most importantly, why is it red? Red wasn¡¯t her favorite color. However, Shane once said red suits her well. ¡°It can¡¯t be...¡± Natalie bit her lips and mumbled. Yulia ced the garments down, turned around, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking, could it be that Mr. Shane was the one who gifted all of these instead of me actually winning some prize?¡± Natalie pointed at the red garments and guessed. Yulia knocked her forehead lightly. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Style Loft doesn¡¯t belong to Thompson Group. Besides, it was an impromptu shopping trip. How would he even know we¡¯re there? Don¡¯t tell me he was there at the store as well?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Natalie nodded since it made sense to her. Seemed like she was thinking too much. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put everything away and go pick the kids up,¡± Yulia urged. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Natalie moved the gift boxes into her room with a smile, changed her clothes, and went out with Yulia to pick up the kids from school. After that, Yulia headed for Mr. Lanner¡¯s charity g while Natalie brought her two kids to a restaurant near their kindergarten for lunch. However, an unexpected visitor suddenly showed up just as they were having lunch. ¡°Hi, Nat. What a coincidence.¡± Sean grinned, waved at her, and discreetly shot her two kids a contemtive look. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 ¡°Hi,¡± Natalie greeted with a smile. Sean sighed as if he was disappointed with her response. ¡°Tch, you¡¯re still as cold to me as ever.¡± Natalie drank a mouthful of soup and asked, ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just here to meet an important client when I saw you. Are those two your kids?¡± Sean pointed at the two children. ¡°I¡¯ve always known about their existence, but this is my first time actually meeting them.¡± ¡°Mommy, do you know this Mister?¡± asked Connor as he pulled Sharon¡¯s hand and gave Sean a cautious look. Natalie murmured an affirmative reply. ¡°He¡¯s my ex-supervisor.¡± ¡°Nat, we¡¯re more than boss and subordinate, right?¡± Sean looked at Sharon who was staring at him with her big eyes. He suddenly felt the urge to caress her cute face. However, Connor pped his hand away before he could even reach Sharon. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my sister.¡± ¡°Oh, little guy here has quite a temper.¡± Sean looked at his hand and smiled even brighter. ¡°Little guy, do you know who I am?¡± ¡°No I don¡¯t, I don¡¯t want to either!¡± Connor wrapped his arms around Sharon and said coldly. Sean adjusted his sses as he stared at Connor¡¯s face. He looks exactly like Shane. This is so annoying. He preferred the little girl. ¡°Little girl, did you just call me Mister just now?¡± Sean¡¯s eyes twinkled as he smiled gently at Sharon. Natalie realized something was off as her face darkened. ¡°Mr. Thompson, what are you trying to do?¡± Sean ignored her as he trained his gaze on Sharon. Sharon nodded subconsciously and murmured a weak reply. The corner of Sean¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m not some mister. I¡¯m your uncle, your father¡¯s big brother.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson!¡± Natalie and Connor shouted in unison. The difference was that Connor was shocked whereas Natalie was flustered. What is he trying to do? Is he going to tell them their identity? Natalie stood up while still holding on to her spoon and looked at Sean nervously. Sean pretended not to see her as he turned to face Connor. Connor let go of Sharon, balled his fists, and stared at him. ¡°Are you really our uncle?¡± ¡°In the flesh.¡± Sean crossed his arms. Connor trembled. ¡°Then can you tell us who our Dad is?¡± ¡°Connor!¡± Natalie frowned in disapproval. Connor gave her a look but did not give up on wanting to know more about his biological father. Sharon was the only one who had yet to return to her senses as she was still trying to make heads or tails of what uncle meant. ¡°I can tell you all about him. But it seems like your mom disapproves.¡± Sean waved his hand and pretended to be sorry. Natalie scowled at him as she tried to figure out what he was getting at. First, he piqued the kids¡¯ curiosity. Then, he refused to get straight to the point. Crazy fe! N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Mommy...¡± Connor looked at Natalie hopefully. Natalie hardened her heart and turned away from him. Connor¡¯s eyes dimmed. Sean shrugged. ¡°Well little guy, looks like your Mom disapproves of it. Forget it.¡± With that, he patted the back of Connor¡¯s head, grinned meaningfully at Natalie, and left. Except for Sharon, Connor and Natalie had lost their appetite. Sean had ruined their family bonding time. Connor lowered his head and fell deep into his thoughts. After a while, he raised his head and stared at Natalie seriously. ¡°Mommy, is Dad¡¯sst name Thompson?¡± He recalled Natalie had referred that guy as Mr. Thompson just now. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 If he¡¯s Dad¡¯s big brother, then Dad¡¯sst name must be Thompson. Just as he thought, Natalie nodded. Connor finally broke into a smile. ¡°That¡¯s great. I finally get to know a little bit more about Dad.¡± Natalie almost burst into tears upon hearing that. She quickly covered her mouth and stared at her children apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darlings...¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. We¡¯ll forget about it since Mommy doesn¡¯t want us to find out.¡± Connor toyed with his fork and consoled Natalie as if he had thought things through. Natalie felt even more guilty and was about to say something else when Sharon burped. ¡°Mommy, I need to pee.¡± ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you. Connor, sit here and wait for us, ok?¡± Natalie instructed. Connor nodded in acknowledgement. Natalie then left with Sharon for the restroom. However, Connor wasn¡¯t seated at the table upon their return. ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Connor?¡± Sharon tilted her head and asked. Natalie didn¡¯t reply as she frowned and quickly scanned the floor for Connor. She started to panic when Connor wasn¡¯t anywhere in sight. Natalie picked Sharon up and headed towards the front of the outlet. ¡°Excuse me, have you seen my son? He was sitting over there by the window.¡± Natalie pointed towards the dining table she was sitting at and asked nervously. The cashier nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him. I think he was whisked away by some men.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing that. She clenched her fists and shouted, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop them then?¡± The cashier visibly shuddered and paled. ¡°I-I noticed the kid wasn¡¯t struggling when he left with those men, so I thought he knew them and let him be...¡± ¡°You...¡± Natalie was fuming but she couldn¡¯t put the me on the cashier anymore. The reason was that Connor left with them without putting up a fight. Anyone would have thought they were acquaintances. Moreover, the cashier was just an employee at the restaurant. There wasn¡¯t much he could do. Hence, she only had herself to me for Connor¡¯s abduction. Upon that thought, Natalie tightened her arms around Sharon. Sharon turned pale with fright. ¡°Mommy, it hurts...¡± Natalie came back to her senses and quickly loosened her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling. I¡¯m just worried about Connor.¡± Sharon shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mommy. Where is Connor?¡± Natalie had no answer to that. She bit her lip and asked the cashier, ¡°Excuse me, is it a man or a woman who had taken my kid away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a man.¡± ¡°A man...¡± A figure shed through her mind. Could it be Sean? Natalie held on to Sharon¡¯s hand and headed towards the private room upstairs. She recalled Sean had headed in that direction when he left. Natalie didn¡¯t know which room Sean was in, but it must be a big fancy room since he was meeting an important client. Hence, Natalie searched the big private rooms and finally found him after a few tries. She walked straight into the room and shouted, ¡°Sean Thompson!¡± Everyone in the private room fell silent and turned their gaze towards her, including Shane. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Natalie noticed him as shock shed through her eyes. She wasn¡¯t aware that he was in the room as well. However, she didn¡¯t have time to think it through as she quickly averted her gaze away from Shane and focused on Sean instead. She waved at him and said, ¡°Come out, I need to speak with you!¡± With that, she bowed apologetically at everyone in the room and left. Sean arched a brow whereas Shane narrowed his eyes. Why is she here looking for Sean? Someone in the room joked, ¡°Looks like Mr. Sean has a lot of luck with thedies. The woman just now looked fabulous. You have a good eye, Mr. Sean!¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 When Shane heard that, his face instantly clouded over as he tightened his grip on the wine ss. Noticing his reaction, a sly look crept into Sean¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not at all. You must be joking, Mr. Adler. Well, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± The others waved at him. After discreetly shooting Shane a provocative nce, he got up and left the room. The moment he left, the people in the room started to discuss even more eagerly, with some making crude jokes about Natalie and Sean. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Shane could not stand it anymore. A cold aura enveloped him as he mmed the wine ss on the table and left the room. Outside the room, Natalie heard footsteps behind her. She held onto Sharon¡¯s hand, spun around, and red at Sean furiously. Clueless, he asked, ¡°Why are you angry?¡± I didn¡¯t offend her, right? I only tried to sow discord between her and her son half an hour ago. Is she angry because of that? ¡°Return Connor to me!¡± yelled Natalie sternly. Sean frowned. ¡°What? Return who to you?¡± ¡°Stop feigning ignorance. Didn¡¯t you bring Connor away? Return him to me!¡± Natalie clenched her fists in fury. Only then did Sean finally understand that she was using him of taking her son away. No wonder there¡¯s only the little girl here instead of that annoying brat who looks like Shane. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nat, but you might be looking for the wrong person. I didn¡¯t take your son away.¡± Sean shrugged. Stunned, Natalie asked, ¡°It isn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course. Why would I take your son away? What can I even do with him?¡± He found it absolutely amusing. Natalie¡¯s face turned ashen and her body swayed. Sean whipped out his hand from his pocket, wanting to steady her. However, he was a step toote. Shane walked over from the opposite direction and held onto Natalie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Breathing in his familiar minty scent, she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You came out at the right time.¡± Sean nced at him and remarked sarcastically. Ignoring him, Shane pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Did you say that Connor has been taken away?¡± ¡°Yeah. I brought Sharon to the washroom and he was gone when I came back. The receptionist told me that a man has brought Connor away. Thinking that it¡¯s Mr. Sean, I came up here to look for him. However, now that he ims that it¡¯s not him, I don¡¯t even know who to trust anymore.¡± Natalie clutched her face in despair. Sharon tugged her shirt. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mommy...¡± Natalie crouched down and hugged the little girl while her body quivered. Swiveling around, Shane stared at Sean. Thetter merely adjusted his spectacles and said, ¡°Why are you looking at me? I really didn¡¯t do it.¡± Shane averted his gaze and dialed a number. Soon, Ss rushed over. Shane helped Natalie up and instructed, ¡°Leave Sharon to Ss and follow me. I¡¯ll look for Connor with you.¡± When she heard that, she quickly followed his instructions and handed Sharon over to Ss. ¡°Darling, follow Mr. Ss obediently. I¡¯ll look for Connor with Mr. Shane,¡± coaxed Natalie as she stroked Sharon¡¯s head. Clenching her tiny fists, Sharon replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be good. You must find Connor, Mommy.¡± ¡°I will,¡± promised Natalie as her eyes reddened. She ced her hands down and nced at Shane. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Sean adjusted his tie and chimed in, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane frowned. Smiling, Sean replied, ¡°Since you suspect that I¡¯ve taken Connor away, I have to prove my innocence.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Natalie subconsciously nced at Shane, wanting to seek his opinion. After a moment of deliberation, Shane nodded. ¡°Let hime with us. With his help, we¡¯ll find Connor even quicker.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie did not voice out any opposition after hearing what he said. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 She did not care about what motive Sean had by offering to join them. All that mattered was that he would help find Connor. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Hence, the three of them hurriedly left the second floor and headed to the surveince room in the restaurant. They wanted to find out who had brought Connor away. However, before they reached the surveince room, Natalie¡¯s phone rang. Although her patience was running out at this juncture, she still picked up the call. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Are you Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°We¡¯re calling from the Stanford Hospital.¡± ¡°The hospital?¡± Natalie frowned, not understanding why she had received a call from the hospital. Sean and Shane nced at her at the same time. Shane suggested, ¡°Ask what happened.¡± Nodding, Natalie asked the question. The person replied over the phone, ¡°Well, Connor got into an ident at Northbridge road. May I ask if you...¡± However, before she could finish speaking, Natalie had already released her grip on the phone. It smashed onto the floor so forcefully that the screen turned dark. At the same time, Natalie felt a wave of giddiness attack her as she toppled over onto the ground. When Shane saw that, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly stretched out his arms and caught her in time. While she leaned against his chest, he tapped her back briskly. Jolted back to her senses, Natalie grabbed his sleeves and pleaded tearfully, ¡°Mr. Shane, bring me to Stanford Hospital right away! Connor got into a car ident. Let¡¯s go now!¡± Shane¡¯s expression changed drastically when he heard that. He directly carried her and strode to the carpark. Picking up the phone, Sean followed them, wanting to find out what was going on. Why was that kid suddenly taken away? Why did he get into a car ident as well? Natalie sobbed uncontrobly on their way to the hospital. She kept ming herself for leaving Connor alone in the restaurant. If she had brought him along, he would not have been kidnapped, let alone gotten into a car ident. Unfortunately, everything was toote. When they reached the hospital, Natalie quickly alighted the car and staggered into the hospital. She was still distraught by news about Connor¡¯s car ident. Furthermore, as she was also wearing heels, she stumbled as she ran, almost falling down a couple of times. In the end, she directly kicked her heels off and ran toward the reception area barefoot. Shane was following behind her. When she took off her heels, he picked them up and continued chasing after her. Only Sean walked behind them calmly and watched both of them with interest. After asking the receptionist and hearing that Connor was still in the emergency operation theatre, Natalie rapidly dashed in that direction. When she saw the red shing light above the operation theatre, she was overwhelmed by distress. It felt so agonizing that she could barely breathe as if someone were violently wrenching her heart. cing her heels down, Shane nced at her bare feet and frowned in disapproval. However, he still coaxed gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Connor will definitely be alright.¡± ¡°How is it possible for me to not worry? Connor has always been very healthy since young. He barely even falls sick. If something bad happens to him because of the car ident, I... I really don¡¯t know what I should do anymore!¡± Natalie slumped on the cold bench and lowered her head. It was obvious that she was ming herself for it. Shane squatted and lifted her foot. While she gazed at him in surprise, he gently put on her shoes for her. ¡°Don¡¯t catch a cold. After Connores out, he still needs you to take care of him. If you fall sick, you won¡¯t be able to do so.¡± When Natalie heard that, she bit her lips and nodded. ¡°Thank you...¡± Shane grunted an acknowledgement as he stood up. Sean, who was leaning against the opposite wall, suddenly remarked, ¡°Tsk! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you swallow your pride and put on shoes for someone else. Even Jacqueline has never enjoyed such a treatment.¡± Shane¡¯s jaw hardened. ¡°Shut up!¡± Sean pretended not to have heard him. When he noticed that Natalie did not react after hearing Jacqueline¡¯s name, he could not help but feel puzzled. ¡°Natalie, aren¡¯t you curious about who Jacqueline is?¡± Chapter 208 Chapter 208 He gazed at her intently. Natalie shook her head and offered a perfunctory reply. ¡°I know Ms. Graham. I¡¯ve met her before.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Sean was genuinely surprised. Stroking his chin, he mumbled, ¡°Looks like my predictions are wrong.¡± As he spoke, the doors of the operation theatre were flung open and a nurse hurriedly walked out. Natalie stood up immediately. ¡°How¡¯s my son?¡± The nurse stopped in her tracks and asked, ¡°Are you the child¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded firmly. After a moment of hesitation, she replied, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be doing so well.¡± Natalie froze, feeling like her world had copsed around her. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Afraid that she could not bear it, Shane quickly moved behind her. If she copsed again, he could catch her in time. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane stared at the nurse intently, his voice betraying his deep anxiety. Even Sean¡¯s expression became much more serious, unlike his usual frivolous demeanor. Gazing at Shane, who looked like a carbon copy of Connor, the nurse sighed. ¡°Your child has lost too much blood and requires an urgent blood transfusion. However, his blood type is the RH negative blood type, which is very rare. As we don¡¯t have a lot of it left in the blood bank, I¡¯m on my way to look for more blood.¡± ¡°You can take mine!¡± Shane rolled up his sleeves unhesitatingly. When Natalie heard that, she quickly shook her head and pressed his arm down. ¡°No, we can¡¯t take yours!¡± As he was Connor¡¯s father, there was a higher probability of a blood clot urring if he donated his blood. However, Shane was clueless about her concern. Thinking that she did not want to owe him a favor, his expression instantly turned grim. He stared at her coldly and demanded, ¡°Natalie, why are you still stopping me at this critical juncture?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I just...¡± ¡°Take mine!¡± Just when Natalie was struggling to find the right words to exin to him, Sean suddenly stepped forward. ¡°I also have the RH negative blood type.¡± Feeling like she had finally found a savior, she instantly nced at him gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sean.¡± Although he was Connor¡¯s uncle, they were not directly rted. Hence, there should be no problem with the blood transfusion. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just remember that you owe me a favor.¡± Sean nced back at her slyly and followed the nurse. Humming as he walked, he looked like he was going for a leisure tour instead of a blood transfusion. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sean!¡± Natalie bowed in his direction. Without turning back, Sean merely waved his hand in acknowledgment. She stood up straight again, looking extremely relieved. When Shane saw her smile, he clenched his fists. ¡°Are you that assured if he¡¯s the one donating the blood?¡± ¡°Yeah! Connor can finally be saved,¡± replied Natalie as she wiped her tears away. A cold glint shed across his eyes. ¡°So, he can donate his blood, but I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She turned around to look at him. With a grim expression, he repeated, ¡°I offered to donate blood to Connor. Why did you choose him instead? Why did you do that even though you know that he¡¯s up to no good?¡± Could it be that she thinks I¡¯m inferior to Sean? Natalie cast her gaze downward and replied, ¡°Mr. Shane, I didn¡¯t choose you because you¡¯re different from him.¡± ¡°How am I different?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Natalie¡¯s lips twitched, but she gave no response. When he noticed her silence, a frosty expression instantly appeared on his face. He stared at her coldly, exuding a hostile aura. Although Natalie knew that he was angry, she did not know how to mitigate his fury. At that moment, two people in police uniforms walked over. ¡°Are you the parents of the child in the emergency operating theatre?¡± ¡°I am! I¡¯m his mother.¡± Natalie ced her hand on her chest and quickly replied. Shane did not deny that he was Connor¡¯s father. The two police officers nodded. ¡°We¡¯re here to inform you about your child¡¯s car ident.¡± ¡°Do tell us! I¡¯m fine with listening to you now.¡± Natalie clenched her fists. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 One of the police officers stepped forward. ¡°Two hours ago, a member of the public informed the police that there was a car ident at Northbridge Road. A van did not manage to brake in time and collided with a truck. It flew away due to the impact, killing two of the people in it on the spot. Only your child, who was in the back seat, survived.¡± If two out of three passengers died on the spot, it was obvious how serious the car ident was. Natalie held onto her forehead, feeling like the world was spinning around her. Shane grabbed her arm in time to stop her from copsing. ¡°What about the other two?¡± asked Shane solemnly as he looked at the two police officers. ¡°They¡¯re in the hospital¡¯s morgue. These are the identification cards and phones we found on them. Their photos can be seen on the identification cards. You can see if you recognize them.¡± A police officer passed her a huge transparent bag. Shane had just stretched out his hand when Natalie quickly snatched the bag over. She opened the sealed bag and took out the identification cards. Left with no choice, Shane could only check his phone. When he read the few texts on the phone, he frowned. ¡°This is a deliberate n to kidnap Connor.¡± ¡°What?¡± When Natalie heard him, she ignored the identification cards and snatched the phone away from his hands. The text stated, We¡¯ve already caught the hostage and will be sending him to the station. Her body trembled in fury as she read the message. ¡°How despicable!¡± Natalie gripped the phone tightly, her eyes bing bloodshot due to hatred and anger. Noticing her reaction, he was afraid that she would lose control of her emotions. Hence, he coaxed her gently, ¡°Calm down first.¡± ¡°How can I calm down? They kidnapped my child and wanted to take him away! If you were in my shoes, can you calm down?¡± rebuked Natalie as she trembled. Shane massaged his temples. ¡°Of course not. But what¡¯s the use of being so angry now? Connor¡¯s not been taken away and the two of them have died. If you be so furious, you¡¯ll lose your reasoning. It¡¯s better if you calm down and investigate the truth behind Connor¡¯s kidnapping. When she heard that, she could not refute him. Hence, she took a deep breath, suppressed her agitation, and calmed down. Seeing that she had been convinced, Shane felt slightly relieved. He pointed at the identification cards and asked, ¡°Do you know them?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never seen them before.¡± Shane grunted an acknowledgment. He took the identification cards from her hands, ced them back into the bag, and passed it to the police officers. ¡°Have you checked their identity and who they have been contacting?¡± ¡°Yes, but we don¡¯t have a lot of information on who they are. These identification cards are newly registered, so the names might not be their real names. That¡¯s why we asked you if you recognize them. As for who they¡¯ve been contacting, I¡¯m sorry...¡± ¡°Are you saying that you didn¡¯t manage to find out who they are?¡± Natalie frowned. On the other hand, Shane was not too surprised. If they managed to find out, they would not have apologized. They nodded. ¡°Yeah, the number in their contacts was not saved. We tried to impersonate them to contact the person but did not get any response. Evidently, he has been monitoring the two men closely and escaped after learning that they got into an ident.¡± ¡°How can this be?¡± Natalie bit her lips, unwilling to ept this reality. The police officers sighed apologetically. ¡°Hence, the priority is for you to recall if you¡¯ve offended anyone recently. Perhaps, if you manage to remember something, we can find out who the mastermind is.¡± ¡°If I¡¯ve offended anyone...¡± Natalie lowered her head and mulled over it. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She had offended some people before. The first people to pop into her mind were Jasmine and Susan. Next, it was the person who had secretly tried to kill her. Although she had never offended that person, he or she still viewed her as a threat. As all three of them were potential suspects for kidnapping Connor, she could not be certain who the culprit was. Furthermore, two of them were associated with Shane. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 At that thought, she nced at Shane and could not help but vent her anger on him. She pointed at the lift and yelled furiously, ¡°Leave now!¡± Shane could naturally reach the same conclusion as she did. Hence, he understood why she was chasing him away so angrily. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Gazing into Natalie¡¯s bloodshot eyes, he pursed his lips and left. He did not leave because she chased her away. Instead, it was because he must not stay by her side anymore. If their suspicions were true, and the culprit who kidnapped Connor was Jasmine or the person who tried to kill Natalie twice, things would be more serious. It meant that he was currently being monitored. It would be dangerous to Natalie and the people around her if he continued staying by her side. Hence, he must find the culprit and resolve the matter as soon as possible. As he mulled over it, Shane pressed the elevator button, whipped out his phone, and called the company¡¯s security department. He instructed them to dispatch a few bodyguards to protect Natalie and her children. Feeling more assured, he could focus all his efforts on investigating who the mastermind was. When Shane left, the police officers shared a confused nce with each other. They did not understand why the couple suddenly argued and why Natalie chased Shane away. However, as this was their family matter, they did not probe further.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Smith, I¡¯ll be asking you a few questions now. I hope that you¡¯ll answer them honestly,¡± said one of the police officers while the other flipped open his notebook. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll cooperate.¡± Natalie sat down on the bench. After ten minutes, the police officer finished his interrogation. He closed his notebook and reminded, ¡°Okay, Ms. Smith. We¡¯re done with the questions. When your child wakes up, please inform us. We have some questions for him too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded slightly and the two police officers left. She rubbed her face. Despite sitting up straight earlier, she immediately slumped against the wall, looking extremely exhausted. At that moment, Sean had just returned from having his blood taken. His face was quite pale. When Natalie spotted him, she quickly stood up and helped him sit on the bench. ¡°Are you alright, Mr. Sean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I won¡¯t die after drawing 400ml of blood, would I?¡± Sean waved his hands and replied dismissively. However, she became worried upon hearing that. ¡°400ml? That¡¯s a lot.¡± The blood drawn for an adult should not exceed 400ml at once. However, he directly drew 400ml of blood. It indicated how severe Connor¡¯s injury was. As if he could read Natalie¡¯s mind, heughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your son is not so seriously injured. I asked the nurse and she said that he just lost a lot of blood. Other than a broken arm, he¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie stared at him, overjoyed. Sean adjusted his spectacles and replied, ¡°What can I gain from lying to you? You can ask the doctor when your sones out of the operating theater.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± She could tell that he was telling the truth. Clenching her fists in delight, she finally smiled. However, Sean clutched onto his arm and gasped in pain. ¡°But your son hasn¡¯te out yet. You should show more concern to me. After all, I drew 400 ml of blood for your son! How are you going to repay this favor?¡± The smile on Natalie¡¯s face faded gradually. She cast her gaze downward and thought for a while. ¡°What do you want me to do? As long as you won¡¯t force me to do anything bad or something that goes against my wishes, anything is fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you said. I recorded everything.¡± Sean took out his phone from his pocket and waved it in front of her. Natalie¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t record it, I would¡¯ve kept my word.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Satisfied, Sean kept his phone and said, ¡°As for what I want you to do, it¡¯s not the right time yet. I¡¯ll tell you when it¡¯s time.¡± When she heard that, she frowned. Despite feeling quite suspicious, she still nodded in agreement. After all, it was an undeniable fact that he had saved Connor. Furthermore, his promise to not let her do anything bad or something she disliked was sufficient. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 ¡°Oh, right. Where¡¯s Shane?¡± Sean suddenly remembered him and scanned his surroundings. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°He left.¡± ¡°Tsk! His biological son is still inside, but he left so quickly.¡± Sean nced at the emergency operating theatre in disdain. Her eyes gleamed, but she did not respond to hisment. ncing at her watch, she started to be anxious. I¡¯ve been here for almost an hour. Why hasn¡¯t Connore out yet? Natalie walked to the operating theatre and pressed her hands against the door. Standing on her tiptoes, she peered through the window, trying to see what was going on inside. However, she could only see a bunch of doctors and nurses walking around. Connor¡¯s body was nowhere in sight. Natalie stood there for a long while, till her feet became numb and her eyes became tired. Finally, the red light above the operating theatre turned off. Knowing that Connor was going toe out, Natalie quickly put her hands down and took a few steps back. She did not want to hinder them from exiting. Soon, the doors of the operating theatre opened, and out walked a middle-aged doctor. Natalie quickly approached him. sping her hands together tightly, she asked anxiously, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my son?¡± Sean looked at the doctor too. ¡°He¡¯s fine now. He just needs to rest for a couple of months, especially his arm. Children¡¯s bones are still fragile, so he must avoid any impact before it grows back. Otherwise, he might be crippled,¡± replied the doctor as he took off his mask. His response was simr to what Sean described earlier. Finally feeling relieved, Natalie nodded eagerly, ¡°Understood, doctor. Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Your child will be transferred to an ordinary wardter and you can visit him there.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. With that, the doctor left. ¡°See, I wasn¡¯t lying, right?¡± Sean shot her a smug look as he raised his chin. Natalie¡¯s mind was preupied with Connor, so she ignored him. She craned her neck, trying to peer inside the operating theatre. After a while, a few nurses pushed Connor out on a stretcher. Natalie saw his tiny body lying on such a huge stretcher, with a huge needle stuck on the back of his palm. All the color had been drained from his face. At that moment, Natalie could not hold her tears back anymore. However, she bit her lips tightly and forced herself not to cry out loud. She held onto the stretcher and followed him into the hospital ward. It was only after entering the ward that she remembered Sean. However, when she was nning to head back to the operating theatre to look for him, she received a message from him, saying that he had already left. It was good for her too. She could devote all her attention to taking care of Connor, instead of caring about Sean instead. Although that was not a kind thought, she could not be bothered with anyone else if Connor were in such a state. After the nurses left, Natalie grabbed a chair and sat down beside the bed. Grabbing Connor¡¯s hand which was not attached to the IV drip, she gazed at his pale face. Her heart ached when she saw how frail he was. The tears which she had struggled to hold back earlier, streamed down her cheeks. At that moment, Yulia and Sharon arrived. When Sharon saw Connor lying on the bed unconscious, she immediately burst into tears and kept calling for her brother. Heartbroken, Yulia stood beside the bed and pounded her fists on her chest. ¡°Why did this happen to such a nice boy like Connor?¡± When Natalie heard that, a sad look crossed her eyes. She wiped her tears away and forced herself to sound as normal as possible. ¡°Mom, how did you find out about Connor¡¯s ident?¡± She had not told Yulia about it yet. ¡°Ss informed me. I had just returned from the g. When I saw him with Sharon, I asked him what happened. He made a call and told me that Connor got into an ident. That¡¯s why I rushed over so quickly with Sharon. Oh, right. Is Connor okay?¡± Yulia stroked Connor¡¯s cold face and asked. ¡°He¡¯s passed the critical stage, so he¡¯s fine now,¡± replied Natalie as she tucked him in. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Yulia heaved a sigh of relief before asking, ¡°Why did he get into a car ident?¡± Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Natalie released the nket and gripped the bed rails tightly. Without concealing anything, she coldly ryed what happened to Connor. After hearing what she said, Yulia seethed with rage. ¡°It¡¯s Shane again!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just my guess. After all, we don¡¯t know for sure if the culprit is one of those three,¡± said Natalie as she massaged her temple. Yulia scoffed, ¡°Hmph! Of course, it¡¯s one of them. You didn¡¯t experience any of these when you were overseas, let alone Connor¡¯s kidnapping. These incidents only happened after you met Shane. Who else can it be other than those three suspects?¡± Natalie opened her mouth to rebuke but found herself to be at a loss for words. Yulia calmed down and sighed. ¡°Nat, let me advise you again. Stay further away from Shane. You¡¯d better not meet him anymore. I don¡¯t want to hear about anything bad happening to you, Connor, or Sharon anymore.¡± ¡°I know, and I will.¡± Natalie smiled bitterly. She was truly scared this time. While she did not fear death herself, she did not want Sharon or Connor to be exposed to such risks. ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand.¡± Yulia patted Natalie¡¯s shoulder. She forced out a smile on her face and remained silent. After a while, Sharon, who was exhausted from all the crying, fell asleep. Natalie carried her to the sofa and covered her with a nket from the hospital.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. When Yulia was pouring a cup of water, she spotted Natalie sitting beside Sharon and patting her gently. There was a troubled and helpless look on her face. Yulia ced her cup down, walked over, and flicked Natalie¡¯s forehead. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t keep frowning like a grumpy olddy. Connor¡¯s already safe, so all you¡¯ve got to do is to take good care of him. You must calm down too. If you fall sick, how can you take care of him?¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t calm down.¡± Natalie massaged her temples. Yulia fell silent for a while before taking a seat beside the hospital bed. ¡°Let me tell you something happy. Do you know what happened at the g tonight? Susan humiliated herself big time!¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Is it because of that bag?¡± ¡°Of course. The theme for the charity g tonight was wildlife protection. All the female guests carried embroidered pouches or those made from synthetic leather. She was the only one who carried a bag made from alligator leather. Someone pointed it out and Mike was so furious that he instructed someone to chase her out,¡± eximed Yulia as she tried to stifle herughter. Her gaze was filled with a gloating look. Natalie chuckled too. ¡°Bringing such a bag to that charity g is a tant act of disrespect to Mike. He¡¯ll naturally be furious.¡± ¡°Yeah! After Susan got chased away, Harrison had to face everyone¡¯s mockery and snide remarks. He was so embarrassed. I¡¯m sure that a huge fight will break out between both of them tonight. It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t witness it.¡± Yulia shrugged in disappointment. Natalie yawned. ¡°They¡¯ll just quarrel and throw things around. There¡¯s nothing interesting about it. Mom, I¡¯m going to sleep for a while. Help me look after Connor for the time being.¡± She was simply too exhausted. After all, she had been on edge ever since Connor¡¯s disappearance. Now that she could finally rx, she was suddenly engulfed by a huge wave of exhaustion. She could barely even keep her eyes open anymore. Feeling heartbroken, Yulia gazed at her. ¡°Go to sleep, then. I¡¯ll wake you up if anything happens.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded before lying beside Sharon and falling asleep. Peering through the window on the door, Shane could see everything that was happening in the hospital ward. He watched as Natalie fell asleep from exhaustion, while Yulia wiped her face with a wet towel. At the same time, he also saw Connor¡¯s tiny body lying on the hospital bed, still in aa. He felt extremely heartbroken as if someone were violently wrenching his heart. ¡°Aren¡¯t we entering, Mr. Shane?¡± Ss, who was standing behind him, could feel his gloomy aura. He snuck a nce at him and asked. Shane shook his head. ¡°No. Before I find out who¡¯s monitoring me, the culprit will only target them even more if I enter. I¡¯ll just stand here and watch.¡± He only returned to the hospital because Sean told him over the phone that Connor¡¯s surgery failed. It was only after he rushed over and asked the receptionist that he realized Sean had lied to him on purpose and was making a fool out of him. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 If Sean didn¡¯t donate his blood to save Connor¡¯s life, Shane wouldn¡¯t spare him. ¡°Ss, hire a professional caretaker and rmend her to Natalie under the hospital¡¯s name.¡± Looking at Natalie, who was sleeping soundly, Shane spoke softly because he didn¡¯t wish to wake her up. ¡°Why?¡± Ss was puzzled. We can just introduce the caretaker to Ms. Smith directly. Why do we need to make it seemed like we¡¯re not involved? Shane lowered his gaze and spoke indifferently. ¡°Natalie and I both think the three of them are involved in the ident. And she harbors hatred against me, so she won¡¯t ept the caretaker I send if she knows.¡± ¡°I see. I understand. I¡¯ll arrange everything.¡± Realization soon dawned on Ss, and he nodded after listening to his boss¡¯ words. Shane hummed in reply and took a nce at Natalie before walking toward the exit. Lowering his voice, he asked, ¡°Did you find out anything about Connor¡¯s ident?¡± Ss¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°There¡¯s something suspicious about it.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Shane pressed on the lift button. Ss adjusted his sses while gathering his thoughts. ¡°Sir, you and Ms. Smith both think Jasmine and Susan or the mysterious person who wanted Ms. Smith dead were behind this. So, I investigated the three of them, but the results show no traces of them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that none of them were behind Connor¡¯s ident?¡± Shane squinted his eyes and turned to look at Ss. Ss turned around and took a nce at Shane. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Shane. The most direct evidence is Connor. After you guys left the restaurant, I asked the worker at the front desk and checked the security recordings. I saw Connor left with a man.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Shane understood the underlying meaning behind Ss¡¯ words. Connor¡¯s young, but he is exceptionally smart, and vignt. And this means Connor knows and trusts the person who appeared at the restaurant. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t lower his guard and follow that person. ¡°Check! Look into each and every person within Natalie¡¯s social circle.¡± Shane clenched his fists and gave his orders in a cold tone. Ss agreed to his boss¡¯ orders. ¡°Mr. Shane, should I tell Ms. Smith about this?¡± Shane waved his hand. ¡°No need. She can¡¯t take it right now. She¡¯ll only be more triggered if we tell her. Let¡¯s wait until after Connor recovers.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane.¡± Ss stopped asking. Ding! The lift had reached the floor they were on. When the door opened, a man in a doctor¡¯s coat from another hospital walked out of the lift. Shane squinted his eyes when he saw him while Ss blurted out, ¡°Dr. Quinn?¡± ¡°Oh? It¡¯s Mr. Campbell. Mr. Shane is here too?¡± Stanley heard somebody called his name, so he turned to look in that direction. He smiled when he saw Ss and Shane. Ss smiled awkwardly and stayed silent as he took a nce at Shane, who was obviously displeased. What do you mean by Mr. Shane is here too? Mr. Shane is standing in front of me, and he¡¯s way taller than me. But Dr. Quinn deliberately pretended to notice me before Mr. Shane. Shane knew what Stanley was trying to do, but he ignored him and walked into the lift. When he passed by Stanley, Stanley suddenly called out to him. ¡°Mr. Shane, you¡¯re here to visit Connor?¡± Shane swept a nce at Stanley. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll offer you advice. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯te here anymore.¡± Stanley gave him a smile, but his smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Tell me the reason.¡± Stanley¡¯s sses reflected the light. ¡°Do I have to spell it out for you? Your presence will only bring sufferings to Nat and her kids, so please stay away from them.¡± ¡°Dr. Quinn, mind your words!¡± Ss¡¯s expression turned cold. Stanley lowered his head and cracked a smile. ¡°Is it too much? Why don¡¯t you ask yourselves? Who brought Nat all those painful experiences?¡± ¡°This...¡± Ss couldn¡¯t think of anything to refute his words. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Shane beckoned to Ss to stop him from saying anything and put his hand into his pocket as he looked at Stanley with a stony expression. ¡°I admit. I¡¯ve caused her a lot of trouble, so it¡¯s reasonable for you to ask me to stay away from her. But who are you to demand this from me?¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly. ¡°I¡¯m her friend!¡± ¡°You¡¯re only her friend. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not worthy enough for me to heed your advice.¡± With that, Shane turned away and walked into the lift. I¡¯ll only stay away from her temporarily. But this doesn¡¯t mean anyone can order me around. ¡°Mr. Shane, wait for me.¡± Seeing that Shane was entering the lift, Ss hurriedly followed him. Very quickly, the door closed, and the lift went down. Staring at the numbers changing on the disy, Stanley had a crazy look on his face. ¡°Am I not worthy enough? It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll show you!¡± Stanley lowered his gaze andughed maniacally. The next second, he lifted his head and adjusted his sses. The craziness in his eyes disappeared without a trace, and he returned to normal, behaving gently and politely as he walked toward Connor¡¯s ward. It was as if the behavior and madness he showed just now were an illusion. He came to the front of Connor¡¯s hospital ward and adjusted his doctor coat before knocking on the door. Yulia opened the door and smiled when she saw who it was at the door. ¡°Stanley, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Yeah. I rushed here right after I received your call. Natalie¡¯s asleep?¡± Stanley walked into the room and saw Natalie sleeping on a sofa with her daughter. Yulia heaved a sigh. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s too tired.¡± Stanley retreated his gaze and walked toward the hospital bed. Standing beside the bed, he lowered his head to look at Connor. A subtle hint of guilt shed across his downcast eyes. Soon, he inquired Yulia about Connor¡¯s current situation. Yulia replied while pouring him a ss of water. Knowing that Connor¡¯s life wasn¡¯t in danger and he would recover after a few months of rest, Stanley finally rxed his grip on the ss of water Yulia handed him. ¡°Oh, right! Stanley, can you stay here tonight to help Nat? I¡¯ll go home to pack some clothes and broil soup.¡± Yulia took her bag as she got ready to leave. Stanley agreed without any hesitation. In fact, this was what he wanted. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After Yulia left, Stanley observed Natalie, making sure she wouldn¡¯t wake up in a short time. Taking off his sses, he bent down and pped his hands beside Connor¡¯s ears while whispering something to Connor. He straightened his back and put on his sses after he was done. Dragging his chair all the way to the sofa, he folded his arms and ced them on his knees while staring at Natalie until she woke up. ¡°Stanley.¡± Natalie rubbed her eyes and called out to him when her vision became clear. Stanley helped her up and asked, ¡°Did you get enough sleep?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Natalie smiled and went to look at Sharon, who was sleeping on the sofa. Realizing that Sharon was asleep, she bent down and nted a kiss on her cheeks, and adjusted the nkets. Looking at this sight, Stanley¡¯s eyes darkened, and he touched his lips using his thumb. ¡°Stanley, when did youe?¡± Natalie wore her shoes. Stanley replied gently. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while. Yulia asked me to stay here, and she went back to broil some soup.¡± Natalie nodded in reply and looked at her phone. It was four in the morning. It seems I didn¡¯t sleep that much. No wonder the sky¡¯s still so dark. She walked to the bed and caressed Connor¡¯s face. ¡°Sigh... When will Connor wake up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll wake up in the morning as the anesthetic will soon wear off.¡± Stanley stretched his limbs. Stanley was a doctor, so Natalie believed his words as she clenched her fists in delight. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Wiping his sses, Stanley suggested, ¡°Nat, do you want to move Connor to another hospital?¡± ¡°Transfer?¡± Natalie looked at him in surprise. Stanley nodded and said, ¡°Yeah. Transfer to the hospital I¡¯m working in. I can help you take care of him.¡± Natalie was slightly tempted, but when she saw Connor¡¯s hand in a cast, she rejected Stanley¡¯s suggestion. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s too troublesome as Connor¡¯s hand might get hurt in the process.¡± ¡°Is that so? Alright.¡± Stanley¡¯s smile faded from his face. Natalie didn¡¯t notice his expression as she was focusing on Connor. Time flew by, and dawn came. Stanley went back to the hospital he worked in. After all, he had to work, so he couldn¡¯t stay with Natalie and her kids all day. And Natalie didn¡¯t wish to trouble him. Yulia came back to the hospital ward at eight in the morning. She brought a friendly caretaker and introduced her to Natalie, saying that the hospital rmended her. Natalie didn¡¯t suspect a thing and epted the caretaker. When they were drinking the soup Yulia broiled, Connor suddenly coughed. Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard her son¡¯s voice and she immediately put down the spoon, dashing toward the hospital bed while Yulia hurriedly pressed the emergency button. Soon, a group of doctors and nurses came into the room and gave Connor a checkup. ¡°Doctor.¡± Natalie sped her hands together. One of the doctors knew what she wanted to ask, so he answered while wearing his face mask. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll wake up after the anesthetic wears off.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± Her heart rxed after knowing her son was going to wake up soon. As expected, Connor opened his eyes after a while. ¡°Mommy...¡± ¡°Ay, Mommy¡¯s here!¡± Seeing that her son woke up, tears of joy rolled down on Natalie¡¯s cheeks while Sharon, who was sprawling at the side of the bed, called out happily to her brother. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Yulia smiled and wiped her tears as she took out her phone to call the police. ¡°Baby, are you in pain?¡± Natalie caressed Connor¡¯s face, and her heart ached at the sight of his pale face. Connor nodded and sobbed. ¡°Pain... Mommy, it hurts...¡± At this moment, Connor was just like other children his age, fragile and vulnerable. Natalie bent over and hugged him softly to prevent hurting him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my baby. It¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault. Mommy shouldn¡¯t have left you alone in the restaurant.¡± ¡°Alone? Mommy, what are you talking about? What alone?¡± Connor blinked his eyes in confusion. Taking in his reply, Natalie stared at her son nkly and hurriedly turned to look at the doctor. The doctor furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Ask him some more questions.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie forced herself to calm down and asked, ¡°Baby, do you remember how you got into an ident?¡± Connor knitted his brows and tried to recall. However, he shook his head soon after and grimaced. ¡°Mommy, I only know we ate in the restaurant, but everything that happened after, I don¡¯t remember.¡± Natalie gasped in shock. The doctor stroke his chin and announced, ¡°It seems your son had lost a part of his memories.¡± ¡°He lost his memories?¡± Natalie covered her mouth in disbelief. Connor was surprised he would lose his memories too. Sharon was the only one who couldn¡¯t understand what memory loss was. Tilting her head to a side, she asked, ¡°Mommy, what is memory loss?¡± ¡°Connor had forgotten something.¡± Natalie caressed Sharon¡¯s head and gave her a straightforward answer. Sharon understood the meaning and sucked on her thumb. ¡°Why did Connor lose his memories?¡± ¡°Yeah, doctor. Why did my son lose his memories?¡± Natalie asked anxiously. The doctor didn¡¯t answer her question and bent over to check Connor¡¯s head. After the doctor was done examining, he wore a surprised look on his face. ¡°This is odd. Your son didn¡¯t suffer any injuries in his head, so he shouldn¡¯t lose his memories.¡± ¡°But he did.¡± Natalie pointed at Connor. Connor frowned as he tried to recall his memories of the previous night, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t remember anything. His head even started hurting. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Looking at Connor¡¯s pain-etched face, Natalie hurriedly ced her hand on his forehead and stopped him. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t think anymore. It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t remember anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy.¡± Lowering his head, Connor pouted and apologized. Natalie took her hand away and leaned down, pressing her forehead against his gently. She gave his son a warm smile and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. Mommy¡¯s the one at fault.¡± ¡°No. Mommy did nothing wrong.¡± Connor shook his head in disagreement when he looked at her. Receiving her son¡¯s understanding, Natalie felt even remorseful over her actions. She rubbed his forehead and stood up. ¡°Doctor, have youe to a conclusion?¡± The doctor mulled over it for a while. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a possibility. It can be that the shock from the ident made your son lose his memories. This is a type of defense mechanism in the human brain. I¡¯ve seen simr cases before.¡± ¡°Will he recover?¡± Natalie stared at the doctor. The doctor shook his head, as he wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I can¡¯t tell. Maybe he¡¯ll recover his memories after a few days, but there¡¯s a possibility that he will never remember. But on the positive side, the child won¡¯t have to relive those terrifying moments.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Natalie nodded after hearing his words, as she finally felt a sense of relief. Connor only lost parts of his memory, and his life is way more important than anything else. It¡¯ll be best if he recalls, but if he doesn¡¯t, it¡¯s fine either way. After the doctor left, Yulia came back to the ward with the two police from the previous day. They were here to inquire about the situation before the ident. However, Connor lost his memories, so he couldn¡¯t answer their questions. The polices returned empty-handed, and the trail had gone cold. Yulia sat on the sofa, furrowing her brows. ¡°Damn! Now we can¡¯t catch the culprit, just like those two other times.¡± Natalie chuckled helplessly and fell silent. There wasn¡¯t anyone who would understand this frustration more than Natalie. ¡°Baby Girl. Don¡¯t you think Connor¡¯s memory loss is too much of a coincidence?¡± Yulia¡¯s eyes flickered as she thought of something. She turned to look at Connor, who fell asleep after taking his meds and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Mom, what do you mean?¡± Natalie was cleaning Connor¡¯s body before freezing on the spot when she heard her mother¡¯s words. Yulia pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m saying that Connor¡¯s memory loss is too spot-on. The memories lost by Connor were after you, and Sharon went to the restroom. It just feels like the culprit wiped off his memories to hide the truth.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, it does feel odd. But is there anyone who can control others¡¯ memories? Maybe this time¡¯s really a coincidence.¡± Natalie continued to clean Connor¡¯s body. Yulia waved her hand. ¡°Who knows? The hypnotist I saw on TV has this power.¡± ¡°You said it was on TV. I¡¯ve never heard of someone with this ability in real life.¡± Natalie broke into laughter as she thought her mother had gone mad, and she heeded little attention to her words. Feeling that she was overthinking, Yulia shrugged and left to buy lunch. Soon, a week went by in the blink of an eye. Children had rapid self-recovery abilities. Connor could walk around with no problem, so he would get discharged from the hospital soon. But his memory still hadn¡¯t returned. Maybe it was just like how the doctor had said. His memories wouldn¡¯t recover. ¡°Baby, be good and listen to Grandma and Ms. Carter¡¯s words. Mommy wille to see you in the afternoon.¡± Natalie kissed Connor¡¯s cheeks, as she was reluctant to part with him. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Natalie wouldn¡¯t leave her son in the hospital if it weren¡¯t for Joyce¡¯s call, informing her to take part in a bidding exercise. At least it would have to wait until her son discharged from the hospital. ¡°Yeah. I understand. I¡¯ll obey their words.¡± Connor took a nce at the caretaker behind Natalie and nodded. Natalie stroke Connor¡¯s head lovingly and turned around to the caretaker. ¡°Ms. Carter, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of Connor. My Mom will return after she sends Sharon to the kindergarten.¡± The caretaker waved her hand and replied politely, ¡°You¡¯re too polite, Ms. Smith. Taking care of your child is my responsibility, so it¡¯s not a hassle.¡± Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Ms. Carter¡¯s words touched Natalie¡¯s heart. Natalie smiled and thanked her, as she was extremely satisfied with her attitude. After one week of observation, Natalie found the caretaker very attentive and responsible with her job. The most important detail was that the caretaker¡¯s background was squeaky clean with no previous conviction. So, Natalie was confident to leave Connor to her. ¡°I¡¯ll get going.¡± Slinging her bag over her shoulders, Natalie waved at Connor before nodding at the caretaker. She left the hospital and hailed a cab. A ck Mercedes was parked by a roadside not far away from the hospital. Ss turned around and reminded, ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Smith has left the hospital.¡± Shane lifted his chin slightly and said, ¡°I know. Take the vitamins to Ms. Carter and ask her to put some into Connor¡¯s food every day. And remind her to...¡± ¡°Not let Ms. Smith notice?¡± Ss smiled as he interrupted Shane before he could finish his sentence. Shane swept a nce at Ss coldly and kept quiet. Ss tucked his head in and got off the car quickly, following Shane¡¯s orders. About ten minutester, Ss came back to Shane with his phone in his hand. ¡°Mr. Shane, the bidding department called me just now and asked if you would take part in the winter fashion bidding exercise.¡± ¡°When?¡± Shane lifted his gaze from the tablet. ¡°Two in the afternoon.¡± Ss took a nce at his watch. Shane pondered for a while and asked, ¡°Whichpanies are taking part in this?¡± Ss replied, ¡°Basically everypany in J City. But there were also some studios.¡± When Shane heard the word ¡®studio¡¯, a light shed across his eyes. ¡°Is Studio Nouveau one of them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Should I ask them?¡± Ss shook his head and tried to test Shane. ¡°No need. We¡¯ll go there.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Ss buckled his seatbelt and started the engine. When they reached their destination, the person in charge weed Shane passionately and took them to the private room on the second floor. Standing in front of the window of the private room, Shane looked below him and precisely found Natalie in the hall on the first floor. Wearing a serious expression, she was sitting in the middle seat of the secondst row with a bid proposal in her hands. At that moment, Natalie felt as if someone was looking at her, so she closed the proposal and looked up, scanning the area. ¡°Nat, what are you looking for?¡± Sitting beside Natalie, Joyce felt odd seeing Natalie looking around the area. It seemed like Natalie was looking for something, someone perhaps. ¡°I think someone was looking at me just now.¡± Natalie knitted her brows and answered uncertainly. Upon hearing that, Joyce looked around, but she didn¡¯t see anyone looking at Natalie. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You must be imagining things.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Natalie opened the proposal once again, reluctant to waste her time mulling over this matter. Joyce looked at her watch. ¡°The bidding will start after ten minutes. I¡¯ve checked just now. Other than those established fashionpanies, there are three other studios here. Our winning chances are so slim.¡± Natalie chuckled softly. ¡°It¡¯s not slim. We don¡¯t have a winning chance at all. We can¡¯t win against those established fashionpanies, let alone other studios like us.¡± Joyce sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think this through. I heard that the prize this time is a project as high level as Project Rebirth. So, I thought that if we managed to take it, our studio can be apany. But who knows there are so many rivals here. I shouldn¡¯t have registered.¡± Natalie ruffled her hair and said, ¡°Nevermind. We¡¯re already here, so we might as well give it a try. Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.¡± With that, she got up and left the hall after cing the bid proposal on her seat. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. When Natalie went to the restroom, she froze when she saw Jasmine touching up her makeup in front of the sink. What a small world. I can see her no matter where I go. Jasmine looked at Natalie in shock. Never would she have foreseen their reunion here. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Jasmine quickly kept her lipstick in her bag and confronted Natalie. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Natalie was there to touch up her makeup, so she walked to the other sink and turned on the tap to wash her hands. Drying her hands with a piece of tissue, she said, ¡°What do you think?¡± Jasmine narrowed her eyes as realization dawned on her. ¡°You¡¯re here to take part in the bidding exercise?¡± Natalie lifted her chin. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± ¡°What a joke! Didn¡¯t you resign from the Thompson Group? And you haven¡¯t found anotherpany. So who gave you the right to take part in the bidding exercise?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Susan tell you?¡± Natalie took out her powder foundation. Jasmine frowned. ¡°Tell me what?¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°Of course it¡¯s about me having a studio of my own. You should know my studio, as we crossed paths recently. Studio Nouveau, does that ring any bells?¡± ¡°What? Studio Nouveau is yours?¡± Jasmine¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and her voice became ear- piercing. Natalie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Surprised? Come to think of it, it was all thanks to your twenty million. Aunt Susan too gave me the opportunity to get twenty million from Dad to buy the machines. I¡¯ll have to thank you and your mother.¡± Knowing the truth, Jasmine¡¯s face bunched up as she clenched her fists so tightly that her hands started trembling and her hatred toward Natalie deepened. So Natalie is the one behind all the suing and making me lose everything. Why didn¡¯t my own Mom tell me that Natalie is the boss of Studio Nouveau? Taking in a deep breath, Jasmine suppressed her anger and scoffed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯re able to scheme me into paying twenty million.¡± Natalie bit her lower lip as she red at Jasmine. ¡°Scheme? Ms. Jasmine, I hate to hear this kind of word. When did I do that to you? If you didn¡¯ty your hand on my studio first, I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to take them from you. So, you¡¯re the one to me and stop putting all the fault on others.¡± Jasmine gave Natalie a vicious gaze. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re twisting the facts! Just you wait, Natalie. I won¡¯t let it go so easily. You¡¯ll pay for the consequences of taking my money. I¡¯ll make you return empty-handed today!¡± With that, she zipped her bag and left. Natalie shook her head andughed, as she didn¡¯t take Jasmine¡¯s harsh words to heart. Even if Jasmine didn¡¯t do anything, Natalie didn¡¯t have any chance of winning the bid. After Natalie was done touching up her makeup, shebed her hair and packed her bag as she got ready to leave for the bidding hall. When she walked out of the restroom, she slipped and fell to the floor. Her head mmed on the ground, and the impact made her dizzy as her vision became dark for a second, and her ankle was in excruciating pain. Shaking her head, she came to her senses and grimaced in pain as she supported herself to sit up on the ground. When she looked at her right foot, she inhaled sharply and hissed in pain. Her right ankle was swollen. The swelling in her ankle was so big that it was like a bun, and it was obvious that she twisted her ankle. The pain in her ankle made her unable to move, and her face turned pale. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalie had no choice but to take out her cell phone and called Joyce. Joyce immediately rushed to the restroom when she knew Natalie fell down and hurt her ankle. ¡°Nat.¡± Joyce helped Natalie up slowly to prevent hurting her ankle any further. Natalie leaned on Joyce for support and stood up. She smiled and said, ¡°Joyce, I¡¯m sorry for troubling you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re best buds. It¡¯s no trouble at all. How did you fall down?¡± Joyce shot a nce at Natalie. Hearing her question, Natalie finally realized something was amiss. Narrowing her beautiful eyes, Natalie said, ¡°After I¡¯m done with touching up my makeup, I came out from the restroom. I stepped on something slippery, and I fell. Come to think of it, it feels like oil.¡± Chapter 219 Chapter 219 ¡°Oil?¡± Joyce was dumbfounded. ¡°Why would there be oil in front of the restroom?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no idea either, but it definitely feels like it,¡± Natalie replied tentatively. ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Joyce helped her over to the side so that her friend would be able to prop herself up against the wall before she let go. The former then returned to the restroom door before bending down to investigate the floor. She noticed the glisten of some watery substance near the spot where Natalie had slipped and fallen earlier. ¡°This should be it.¡± The observant woman said as she reached out and dabbed an index finger into the suspicious liquid. Her eyes widened as she rubbed it between her thumb. ¡°It really is oil, Nat.¡± ¡°It is as I have suspected.¡± The fingers on Natalie¡¯s supporting hand tightened against itself. Having water outside of the restroom floor was nothing out of the ordinary. The presence of oil, however, suggested something else. More significant to this discovery was that it was there only when she came out. This was proof of foul y, and she had a good idea of who the culprit might be. ¡°Let me have a whiff of it, Joyce. I want to know what kind of oil it is!¡± Natalie said in a low voice. Joyce nodded. She got to her feet before she extended her finger. When Natalie lowered her head, a subtle fragrance hovered near her nostrils. ¡°It¡¯s an essential oil which is used for skincare.¡± This scent was simr to the type she had noticed on Jasmine. So it would seem that her suspicions were well-founded. ¡°Did you figure out where this came from, Nat?¡± Joyce noted the mounting anger apparent on Natalie¡¯s face as she came over to support thetter anew. Natalie gnashed her teeth. ¡°It was Jasmine. She did it on purpose.¡± ¡°Damn it. This is too despicable.¡± Joyce fumed as she stomped her feet. She paused and looked to her friend when something else urred to her. ¡°What¡¯s Jasmine doing here?¡± ¡°Same reason as we are; topete in the bidding exercise. When I ran into her in the restroom earlier, she told me that she was not going to let me win. I suppose that greasing the floor and forcing me to withdraw due to injury would be part of the n.¡± Natalie seethed. ¡°This is too much.¡± Joyce was shaking with rage by now. ¡°No way we are going to stomach this, Nat. Let¡¯s go find her and show her what¡¯s what.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty, Joyce,¡± Natalie said as she tugged at her friend¡¯s sleeve. ¡°The bidding process is still ongoing. If we were to confront her now, we could get cklisted by the organizers. I¡¯d say we wait until everything is over.¡± That helped calm Joyce as sheposed herself. ¡°You may be right. We should return to the hall first.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. The two then made their way back in each other¡¯spany. Jasmine kept watching towards the entrance. When she saw Natalie being helped in, she was simultaneously delighted and infuriated. Delighted to see her ploy seed, but infuriated that Natalie still stuck around for the bidding. Natalie¡¯s condition did not elude the attention of Shane in his second-floor private room either. His eyes were locked onto her feet briefly before he summoned Ss. ¡°Get the organizer to check on Natalie.¡± Ss, too, took a nce at her before he nodded. ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± He then made his way out of the private room without a moment¡¯s dy. The assistant returned very quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve ascertained that Ms. Smith fell outside the restroom.¡± Shane frowned. What¡¯s this woman doing when she was walking? ¡°Go get her a pair of ts and have it sent over. Then have a doctor examine her.¡± Shane instructed in a low voice with brows knitted. Ss answered in the affirmative. The organizers promptly sent one of their staff to Natalie with a first-aid kit. ¡°In consideration of your situation, Miss, we have prepared for you a pair of ts.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be damned. Never would I have thought your customer service is this good.¡± Joycemented with mouth agape. Natalie, too, was taken by surprise. But she did not think too much of it either when she reached out to receive the shoe box. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Chapter 220 Chapter 220 ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯re the patron, so it is our pleasure. For your information, we have an infirmary here that you could visit to have your injury examined at no personal expense.¡± ¡°And they have a doctor too. That¡¯s wonderful, Nat.¡± Joyce¡¯s eye lighted up as she patted Natalie on the back. Natalie¡¯s heart warmed as she knew what Joyce had in mind, but she shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I can go there after the bidding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. The doctor will be around so you could choose to drop in anytime. If there¡¯s nothing else, I shall take my leave.¡± With that, the friendly staff made his exit. Joyce snatched up the shoe box and opened it to reveal a pair of white soft-sole ts. Minimalist but ssy, it matched Natalie¡¯s outfit to a tee. Joyce fiddled with the shoes in her hands and sighed. ¡°The organizers ain¡¯t half-bad. Not only did they paid for a luxurious brand while taking into consideration the clothing you had on you, but they¡¯ve also provided medical care. Tsk! Nothing here toin about.¡± ¡°Alright, give ¡®em here. The bidding is about to start.¡± Natalie nudged her with an elbow. Joyce ced the shoes back in their box before dropping them back onto Natalie¡¯sp. ¡°There you go.¡± Natalie smiled before she bent down to change out of her heels. Thepetition in the bidding had reached fever pitch as the various corporations and studios went head to head. Joyce had made several cracks at it previously, but their studio¡¯sck of ability and a proven track record as a new startup saw them wiped out of contention in short order. As disappointing as the oue was for her, it was to be expected. Jasmine had no idea that Natalie had no expectations for Studio Nouveau to wining in, so she was jubnt when the new upstart was eliminated. She eagerly looked behind in the hope of catching Natalie¡¯s dejected expression. However, she was slightly miffed to see Natalie all smiles and at rtive ease. What¡¯s this? Why is she smiling after failing in her bid? N?velDrama.Org ? content. Jasmine was perplexed. Natalie felt Jasmine¡¯s eyes on herself. She thus looked straight back at her nemesis as she said to Joyce. ¡°She¡¯s looking right at us.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Joyce did not catch Natalie¡¯s drift immediately. Natalie exhaled, ¡°Jasmine.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Joyce scanned around with her hand binocrs. Natalie twitched her red lips. ¡°Row seven, second from the right.¡± ¡°Oh, I see her.¡± When Joyce spotted Jasmine, she smirked chillingly in her direction before drawing a finger across her own neck. The woman across the rows got a fright and turned away with her heart thumping against her chest. That got Joyce chortling. ¡°See how I just scared the crap out of her?¡± Natalie curled her lips. ¡°Sure did. Well done, you.¡± ¡°Naturally,¡± Joyce snorted. Shane, who had been observing this wordless exchange, could not withhold a snigger. Ss behind him asked, ¡°What are youughing about, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Have the results been announced?¡± Shane turned and asked after cing down the wine ss in his hand. His assistant took a quick check at the watch on his wrist. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. We should have them soon.¡± Thepere had taken to the rostrum with handset equipped as the two men were speaking. He then began to announce the oue of the bidding. ¡°The winner of this bidding exercise is Mr. Smith from the second-floor private room. Congrattions on securing the winter fashion project!¡± All the heads below stage turned in the direction of the second floor to see who this Mr. Smith was. To their disappointment, they were not able to as all the windows to the private room were shut tight. ¡°Nat, do you know of any big shot by the name of Smith in J City?¡± Joyce whispered in Natalie¡¯s ear. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Not recently. In the past, perhaps.¡± ¡°In the past?¡± Joyce blinked in astonishment. Natalie exined as she rubbed her ankle. ¡°There used to be a family of Smiths in J City, but they were academics. They had one daughter who married into the Thompsons, and gave birth to Mr. Shane. As everything that belonged to the Smiths was absorbed into the Thompson family after her passing, the Smiths technically no longer exist.¡± Chapter 221 Chapter 221 ¡°Which means this Mr. Smith should be from out of town,¡± Joyce said as she scratched her chin thoughtfully. Natalie merely shrugged. ¡°Who cares where he is from. It¡¯s got nothing to do with us anyway. Let¡¯s go.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go find that b*tch Jasmine,¡± Joyce said as she helped Natalie to her feet. As they passed the first row of seats, a man dressed as a bodyguard came up to them and stopped them in their tracks. ¡°May I know if the two of you are in charge of Studio Nouveau?¡± ¡°And you are?¡± Joyce stepped up protectively to shield Natalie behind her as she regarded the man with wariness. The man continued with a straight face. ¡°I work for Mr. Smith. I¡¯ve been sent to extend an invitation for you to meet with him.¡± ¡°Meet with us?¡± Joyce and Natalie exchanged looks. Natalie furrowed. ¡°May I ask what is the purpose of this meeting?¡± ¡°To discuss matters concerning the bidding exercise. This way please,dies.¡± The man¡¯s gesture and bodynguage suggested that declining was not an option. Joyce looked worriedly at Natalie. ¡°What now, Nat? Should we go, or should we not?¡± Her friend lowered her eyes and paused. ¡°We¡¯ll go. It doesn¡¯t look like he is giving us a choice.¡± ¡°But what if this Mr. Smith means to do us harm?¡± Joyce said as she hugged her arms. Natalieughed, ¡°This is a public ce. I doubt he would be so bold as to try anything here.¡± ¡°You may be right about that. Let¡¯s go then,¡± Joyce reluctantly agreed and assisted Natalie as they followed the bodyguard up to the second floor. When they entered the private room, Natalie saw a young man seated on the couch. He was average- looking, dressed in an ordinary suit, and was unremarkable in every way imaginable. How could someone so distinctively average be the Mr. Smith that won the bidding exercise? The young man smiled as he got to his feet. It was as though he had read Natalie¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Greetings, I¡¯m Mr. Smith¡¯s secretary. You may call me Plumlee.¡± ¡°Secretary?¡± Joyce blustered as she pointed at him. ¡°So you are not Mr. Smith?¡± ¡°Mr. Smith had to leave on short notice, so he had tasked me to receive you,¡± Plumlee replied. Natalie nodded. ¡°I see. In that case, may we know why were we brought here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Please have a seat.¡± He replied as he pointed to the couch across from him. Joyce went on to assist Natalie over to the couch. The secretary went on to exin as he poured them some tea. ¡°This is our situation. We are from out of town and are unknowns in J City. It was through sheer luck that we managed to clinch the project. This is why we are seeking a partner that could help us design and produce the pieces for the winter fashion show.¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s great. Let me tell you something, our Nat...¡± Joyce wanted to put Natalie¡¯s name forward but was stopped by Natalie herself. ¡°You may be right about that. Let¡¯s go then,¡± Joyce reluctantly agreed and assisted Natalie as they followed the bodyguard up to the second floor. ¡°My apologies, my friend here is a little excitable.¡± Natalie smiled. Plumlee waved off her concern. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She loosened her hold on Joyce before she asked, ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem coborating, but I¡¯m interested to know why we were chosen. We are a new studio without much credentials. You saw for yourself that we were out in the very first round of bidding. In any case, you should have better options for partnership with than ourselves in J City.¡± It points to reason that one should look to established firms and studios, as newer onesck both credibility and reliability. For this mysterious Mr. Smith to pass on all of thosepanies ande to them directly made her question his motives. Plumlee had picked up on her doubts, and that only served to pile on his own pressure. It was no wonder that Ss had reminded him to tread very carefully around this very discerning Ms. Smith prior to his departure, so as to avoid giving the game away. The secretary drew a deep breath and raised his cup of tea to his lips. He recollected himself before replying. ¡°The reason why we chose Studio Nouveau is because of Ms. Smith. My boss is very impressed with the Project Rebirth designs for Thompson Group. We would like to have something simr which could enable us to gain a foothold in J City.¡± Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Satisfied with the exnation, Natalie did not think much more of it. She was very keen on this coboration as well. The prize of this bidding exercise was a project no lesser in scale than Project Rebirth, and as Joyce put it, something that had the potential to help put their fledgling studio on the map. Now that what she took for a missed opportunity hade back around, she really hoped to be able to make the most of it. With that in mind, Natalie nudged Joyce with her elbow and exchanged a knowing look with her before turning back to the secretary. ¡°Mr. Plumlee, may I know how do you intend to share the proceeds?¡± ¡°Mr. Smith had mentioned that if you are both willing, we can split it thirty and seventy, with the seventy percent going towards Studio Nouveau.¡± ¡°That much?¡± His answer had Joyce up on her feet. Natalie was equally surprised to receive such a generous offer. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Plumlee¡¯s smile was cool and collected. ¡°Mr. Smith stated that you would be putting forward the design, materials, and handling production while we would only be contributing the project and publicity in the latter stages. As you would be doing the bulk of the work, you are deserving of more share of the proceeds.¡± ¡°Your boss is such an understanding man!¡± Joyce eximed as she grinned from ear to ear. ¡°You are too kind.¡± The young man smiled broadly before he turned to Natalie. ¡°Do you have anything else you wish to rify? If not, we could schedule a date to finalize the contract.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m good.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Excellent. How about tomorrow morning? I¡¯ll bring the contract over to your office.¡± Plumlee stood up and extended a hand to her. Natalie was about to shake on it to seal the deal when the door to the room opened. In stepped the bodyguard from before with a dour look. ¡°Mr. Plumlee, there¡¯s a Ms. Jasmine outside who said that she has matters pertaining to the bidding that she would like to discuss.¡± ¡°Frick, it¡¯s that shameless Jasmine Smith looking to stick a foot in.¡± Joyce was absolutely livid. Natalie brows knotted as well. The smile vanished from Plumlee¡¯s face. ¡°Send her away. Tell her that we have already agreed to coborate with another party.¡± Mr. Shane was specific in wanting to work with Studio Nouveau, and would not make exceptions even for his own fianc¨¦e. His subordinates knew that he had no feelings for her. Plumlee was certain that his boss would not mind at all if he shooed off the person outside. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll get on it,¡± the bodyguard replied. But when the bodyguard went back to the door, Jasmine squeezed past him and barged into the room. ¡°Mr. Smith, my name is...¡± She stopped mid-sentence and her expression soured upon spotting Natalie and Joyce. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± ¡°Same reason as yourself. Seeking coboration with Mr. Smith.¡± Joyce had the sequence of events flipped on purpose. ¡°I think I¡¯m good.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Excellent. How about tomorrow morning? I¡¯ll bring the contract over to your office.¡± Plumlee stood up and extended a hand to her. Natalie chuckled but did not expose her. Plumlee looked like he was about to say something before he was interrupted by the vibration on his cellphone. He held his tongue after checking his messages. ¡°Seeking coboration with Mr. Smith? You?¡± Jasmine¡¯s lips curled as she fingered at Joyce, and then at Natalie. Joyce looked like she was about to hit someone. ¡°What about us?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? As if you don¡¯t know yourselves. How could this puny studio of yours be of any use to Mr. Smith?¡± Jasmine heckled. Joyce¡¯s fingers tightened around themselves. Natalie held her friend and shook her own head at her. She then turned to regard Jasmine frostily. ¡°What about you? What can you do?¡± ¡°I certainly have much more to offer. My studio has established itself in J City for five years. We have strong connections in the industry, no shortage of design talent, and the support of several fabric suppliers behind us. These are precisely what youck,¡± Jasmine sneered. Joyce snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t find your inability to convert your studio into a firm after five years to be anything worth bragging about.¡± ¡°You...¡± Jasmine¡¯s face stiffened as she looked to raise a hand. Sensing the impropriety of such actions under the circumstances, she quickly reined herself in. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 ¡°I¡¯m not getting into this with you. Buzz off.¡± With that, Jasmine shoved Natalie out of the way as she made her approach towards Plumlee. Her half-sister stumbled and would have lurched over if not for Joyce¡¯s timely intervention. ¡°Are you blind, Jasmine Smith? Can¡¯t you see Nat standing there?¡± Joyce bellowed as she red at Jasmine. Jasmine nced at Natalie. ¡°Who told her to put herself in the way?¡± ¡°Why you little...¡± ¡°Alright Joyce, there¡¯s no need for us to argue with the likes of her.¡± Natalie patted the back of Joyce¡¯s hand to calm her. Shane, who had been observing somberly through the surveince cameras away from the booth, barked out. ¡°Have Niall get rid of that woman.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss replied before he sent out another message. Plumlee felt even more assured after reading the message from Ss. He straightened his tie and was about to speak, but Jasmine got in before him. ¡°Hello Mr. Smith, I¡¯m the representative of Jasminum. I understand that you are from out of town, and are looking for a partner to fulfill the objectives of this bidding exercise. I...¡± ¡°Haha!¡± A guffaw that rang out cut short her rehearsed speech. Jasmine froze before she shot a look at Joyce and Natalie. ¡°What are youughing about?¡± Natalie merely shrugged. Joyce wiped a tear off the corner of her eye. ¡°Sweet mama. You nearly had me in stitches. How do you expect to work with Mr. Smith when you couldn¡¯t even tell you got the wrong person?¡± ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Jasmine was dumbfounded. The wrong person? Unless... Jasmine proceeded to question Plumlee shrilly, ¡°You are not Mr. Smith!¡± ¡°I¡¯m his secretary,¡± Plumlee replied with a smile. Jasmine howled with fists clenched. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so sooner?¡± She was upset that he had caused her to embarrass herself in front of the other two women. Plumlee did a struggle in his own defense. ¡°Dear Miss, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to. What else was I to do after being twice interrupted by yourself?¡± ¡°Right on,¡± Joyce added, ¡°you just barged in, made no attempt to rify the situation, and now you are ming it on everyone else. You don¡¯t even have the inclination to reflect on your own mistake. Who would dare coborate with someone like that.¡± Plumlee nodded in agreement. ¡°Ms. Rivers is right. We are sorry Miss, we won¡¯t be able to work with you.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Jasmine frowned hard in discontent. Plumlee pointed to Natalie. ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯ve decided to work with Ms. Natalie.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jasmine raised her pitch as she red at Natalie. Natalie looked back, but with a smile. ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Jasmine was dumbfounded. This smile urred to Jasmine as a form of grandstanding and provocation. Her face bunched up as she gripped the clutch in her hand. She then turned to leave in a huff. No way was she going to let things slide. She was determined to make Natalie understand the consequences of crossing her. Jasmine also swore to make that Mr. Smith rue his decision this day. ¡°See that sour face of hers, Nat? It¡¯s hideous!¡± Joyce quipped as her eyes trailed in the direction of Jasmine¡¯s exit. ¡°That¡¯s enough. We know what she¡¯s like, so let¡¯s just ignore her.¡± Natalie ced down her cup and stood up. She then regarded Plumlee with a smile. ¡°Mr. Plumlee. I think we should take our leave now. We look forward to seeing you at our studio tomorrow.¡± ¡°Will do. Let me see you out.¡± The young man moved ahead and held the door for them. Joyce held Natalie as she trudged out towards the infirmary to have her leg examined. When they reached the lobby, the two of them found that Jasmine was still around. She was making a call in front of an elevator. She appeared spooked when she saw theming and quickly put her phone away. In response, Joyce narrowed her eyes. ¡°Hmm, hanging up the moment you saw using. Did something prick your conscience?¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 ¡°It¡¯s none of your damn business!¡± Jasmine hollered. Just at this moment, the elevator door opened. Jasmine put a foot forward and prepared to enter. Joyce¡¯s face darkened as she halted Jasmine. ¡°Hold it right there!¡± The other woman instinctively stopped and turned around. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want? To settle the score, that¡¯s what!¡± Joyce sneered while she helped Natalie to the side. ¡°Stay here, Nat.¡± Natalie understood her friend¡¯s intent. She grunted and put a hand to the wall to support herself. After ensuring Natalie wasfortable, Joyce let go and advanced towards Jasmine before sending a backhand across thetter¡¯s cheek. The resounding smack had Jasmine momentarily stunned before she brought up a hand to cradle her own face. She then stared with her eyes wide open. ¡°You dare hit me?¡± Natalie did not expect Joyce to go in so strongly. The crispness of the resultant sound was telling of how much force she put behind it. ¡°You betcha. If you dared to grease the floor outside the restroom to trip up Nat, why wouldn¡¯t I dare to hit you.¡± Joyce snarled. She shook off her own hand as she felt the sting of that blow herself as well. A hint of rm shed across Jasmine¡¯s eyes but it settled just as quickly. ¡°What proof do you have of this usation?¡± ¡°The evidence is in her bag!¡± Natalie eximed as she fingered at the clutch Jasmine was holding.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Joyce was spurred into action. She snatched the bag from Jasmine¡¯s hands before the unsuspecting woman could react. ¡°What do you think you are doing? Give it back!¡± Jasmine¡¯s expression changed as she screeched. Joyce ignored her as she unzipped the clutch and emptied out its contents. ¡°This is it.¡± Joyce bent over to retrieve a small bottle from the floor and dangled it in front of Jasmine. ¡°This is the evidence. What have you got to say for yourself?¡± Jasmine¡¯s pupils dted as her face turned pallid. She then reached out to try and grab the bottle. Joyce spun and deftly avoided her charge. ¡°You want this? Not a chance!¡± ¡°Curse you!¡± Jasmine¡¯s face flushed at being toyed with. She gritted her teeth as she lunged herself at Joyce¡¯s face. ¡°Watch out, Joyce!¡± Natalie shouted to warn her friend as she could tell that Jasmine was enraged and on the attack. ¡°Rx. She can¡¯t beat me!¡± Joyce smiled confidently as she tossed the bottle of essential oil towards Natalie before rolling up her sleeves to engage Jasmine. The two women became tangled in a heap as they scratched at each other¡¯s faces and pulled at the other¡¯s hair. Natalie watched on with breath abated. When she saw the bloodied streaks left behind on Joyce¡¯s face by Jasmine¡¯s sharp ws, she panicked. ¡°Joyce, stop fighting with her!¡± ¡°Uh, uh. If I don¡¯t floor this b*tch today, I¡¯ll stop calling myself Joyce Rivers!¡± Joyce replied as she fought on doggedly with bloodshot eyes. Natalie was worried Joyce would get seriously hurt so she moved away from the wall in an attempt to break up the two brawling women. ¡°What do you think you are doing? Give it back!¡± Jasmine¡¯s expression changed as she screeched. She lost her bnce and fell forward the moment she lifted a foot. As the ground rushed up forebodingly towards her, an arm reached around and caught her by the waist before bringing her back to safety. Natalie felt a sturdy chest against her back and recognized the familiar scent of peppermint on it. She did not have to look around to know who it belonged to. Shane! Shane furrowed as he regarded Natalie¡¯s shell-shocked face. He then asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks for saving me.¡± She shook off the urge to ask him why he was here as she looked anxiously towards the other two women in front of her. ¡°Please make them stop, Mr. Shane!¡± Shane acknowledged her and narrowed his eyes at Joyce and Jasmine. ¡°Stop!¡± When Jasmine heard him, she immediately put her hands down. Seeing that her opponent had ceased her offensive, Joyce also followed suit. Nevertheless, she continued to jaw at her. ¡°What now. Are you quitting on me? Conceding?¡± Jasmine said nothing when she eyeballed her back. She then turned her attention towards Shane. She was visibly upset to see Shane standing with Natalie, and even more furious to see his arm around her half-sister¡¯s waist. ¡°What are you doing, Shane? Why are you holding her like that?¡± Jasmine eyed Natalie with resentment. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Natalie only realized then that Shane still had his arm around her, so she quickly freed herself using her own hands. Bereft of his support, Natalie teetered unsteadily on one foot. ¡°Joyce.¡± Natalie extended her hands towards her friend. Joyce understood her and came forward to lend support. Natalie then breathed a sigh of relief. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Seeing that she was okay, Shane withdrew the hand he had left hanging in the air into a fist before stuffing it into his own pocket. Jasmine fronted him and raised a pair of teary eyes. ¡°Exin yourself, Shane. Why were you holding her?¡± He pressed his lips and answered rather impatiently. ¡°Her foot was hurt.¡± ¡°Even if it was, it¡¯s not your ce to support her. You are my fianc¨¦. What am I supposed to think when you put your hands on another woman in front of me?¡± Jasmine bit her lip in disgruntlement. Shane furrowed, and was about to say something. Then Joyce got in before him. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you being a little too petty? Mr. Shane had already exined himself. Do you have to act as though they have somehow wronged you? Moreover, Nat¡¯s injury was of your doing. If your fianc¨¦ helped out, it should be considered atonement for your crimes!¡± ¡°You...¡± Jasmine¡¯s eyes were ame as she prepared to retort, but she was abruptly pulled aside by Shane. He lowered his sights towards Natalie¡¯s foot before lifting it up to meet her gaze. ¡°Was it her?¡± Natalie¡¯s lips parted slightly as she answered in the affirmative under her breath. His mood took a hit as he turned sharply towards his own fianc¨¦e. The color fell from Jasmine¡¯s face as she reflexively denied the allegations. ¡°That¡¯s a lie. Don¡¯t listen to them, Shane.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. You were so determined to ensure that we fail in our bid that you smeared the floor outside the restroom with oil so that Natalie would get hurt. And this right here, is proof of your guilt!¡± Joyce took the bottle of essential oil over from Natalie and raised it for Shane to see. He had seen the bottle before and was able to recognize it right away. And this brand was Jasmine¡¯s favorite. ¡°Is this true?¡± He pursed his lips as he regarded Jasmine coldly. Jasmine¡¯s heart pounded against her chest when Shane gets this way. She dared not look him in the eye. ¡°Of... Of course not. I¡¯m not the only one who uses essential oil. Who is to say that the oil used outside the restroom must surely be mine?¡± ¡°How about we send the sample to get tested?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyebrows were raised slightly when she spoke up. Shane nodded. ¡°That sounds fine. We could get it tested to see if the oil outside the restroom and the contents of this bottle matches.¡± ¡°Brilliant idea!¡± Joyce¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°If we find a match, then you could no longer deny it, Jasmine.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips parted slightly as she answered in the affirmative under her breath. When she heard them, Jasmine¡¯s legs went weak and she slumped seated onto the floor. Her reaction was tantamount to an admission of her guilt. Shane eyed her coldly. ¡°You are incorrigible.¡± ¡°Shane...¡± Jasmine shivered as she looked up at him. He then narrowed his eyes. ¡°Get out of here!¡± Jasmine shuddered as she mbered to her feet. She picked up her clutch and exited through the elevator. Joyce was not exactly pleased to see her just walk away. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you going to just let her go? She hurt Nat. Aren¡¯t you going to punish her for it?¡± Natalie looked to him as well. Shane¡¯s look had regained some measure of warmth. ¡°I will see to it that this matter will be handled to your satisfaction.¡± ¡°In that case, we shall be looking forward to it.¡± Joyce felt relief to hear his reassurances. Natalie took a quick nce at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should be going.¡± ¡°Allow me to apany you,¡± Shane said as he lowered his gaze towards her foot. Joyce jovially nodded before Natalie could respond. ¡°Sure. Sure.¡± ¡°Joyce!¡± Natalie furrowed as she shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t want to trouble you, Mr. Shane. We could go back on our own. Come on, Joyce.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Joyce then assisted her into the other waiting elevator. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 As Shane watched the door of the elevator slowly close upon Natalie¡¯s reserved and withdrawn demeanor, the hand in his pocket gripped against itself. She was deliberately distancing herself from me! Even though he understood why, it did not feel good to have her treat him that way. Inside the elevator, Joyce looked at Natalie. ¡°Nat, has something happened? Why do I get the feeling that you are treating Mr. Shane rather aloofly?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes flickered as she evoked a subdued smile. ¡°I used to work under him, but not anymore. We¡¯re just acquaintances now, so nothing could possibly have happened.¡± ¡°But I keep thinking that there¡¯s some kind of awkwardness between you both. It¡¯s almost like you are keeping your distance from him.¡± Joyce said as she primped her hair. Natalie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s a man who is engaged to be married. Should I not keep my distance from him?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Joyce was rendered speechless. She then poked at Joyce¡¯s face. ¡°Enough of the gossip. You better take care of that or it might leave behind scars.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce then fished out a pocket mirror from her bag to examine her own reflection. She let out a blood-curdling scream when she saw the streaks of semi-dried blood left behind on her face by Jasmine¡¯s nails. Natalie plugged her own ears. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Joyce was so angry that the flush from her face bled into her eyes. ¡°That b*tch had the gall to mess up my face. Curses!¡± Natalie was bemused. ¡°Well, you did her a number too, so consider it even. Alright, we are here. Let¡¯s head to the infirmary.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Joyce nodded as she put her mirror away and helped Natalie out. It was past noon after they have both tended to their respective injuries. Joyce dropped Natalie back at the hospital before returning to the studio on her own. When Yulia saw the state of Natalie¡¯s leg, she was saddened unto tears. ¡°Damn that Jasmine for doing this to you.¡± Natalie smiled as sheforted her mother. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. It¡¯ll be fine in a couple of days.¡± ording to the doctor, her injury was not that serious. She should be able to recover from her strained ligament with a few days of rest. As Yulia helped her daughter to her seat, she was full of self-reproach. ¡°Now I can¡¯t let any one of your out of my sight. The minute I do, you¡¯ll end up getting yourselves into all kinds of trouble.¡± Natalie¡¯s head was lowered as she felt bad. ¡°Alright, Mom. Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. How¡¯s Connor today?¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing well so far. Went for a walk in the morning. He just went to sleep after taking his medication.¡± Her mother said as she returned with a ss of hot honey. She received the ss and took a sip from it. Her eyes were cast tenderly upon the little child on the hospital bed. Then there was a rapping at the door of the ward. Yulia got up to answer and shortly returned with the white-coated Stanley in tow. He was about to greet Natalie when he noticed the bandaged cast on her right foot. The gentle smile on his face froze. ¡°What happened to your foot, Nat?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve sprained it,¡± she replied nonchntly. Yulia snorted. ¡°That was Jasmine¡¯s doing. She wanted to take Nat out of contention for the bidding exercise, so she greased the floor outside the restroom and caused Nat to fall. It was too much!¡± ¡°Jasmine...¡± Stanley repeated the name to himself. A cold glint shed across the eye behind the sses before it quickly dissipated. He then asked in his usual genial tone. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I am just to avoid running and jumping,¡± Natalie replied as she rubbed her ankle. Stanley nodded as he ced down the fruits that he had brought along. ¡°Which reminds me, Nat. I have something that I would like to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Natalie looked attentively at him. He settled himself down beside her. ¡°It¡¯s like this. I have a patient from overseas who has just recovered. She invited me to her wedding but it isn¡¯t much fun for me to go by myself, so I thought about whether you might be interested toe with me.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°I see. But as you understand my situation at the moment, I could hardly...¡± Chapter 227 Chapter 227 ¡°Just go!¡± Yulia interjected as she brought over a te of washed fruits. Natalie frowned. ¡°Mom, how could I leave right now with Connor in this condition...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be around. When your brother found out about Connor¡¯s ident, he specifically requested that I stay here with you for a while longer. As you¡¯ve been under a lot of stress over Connortely, it would be nice for you to take a break alongside Stanley and rx.¡± Stanley offered his thanks upon receiving his share of the fruit and seconded the points she made. ¡°Yulia is right, Nat. Just think of it as a vacation. You¡¯ll be back sooner than you know it.¡± Natalie looked at the both of them and smiled in resignation as she shook her head. ¡°Since you already put it that way, how could I refuse?¡± Stanley¡¯s face perked up in delight. ¡°So you have agreed to it then, Nat?¡± She replied in the affirmative. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯lle to pick you up when the timees.¡± He ced down the apple in his hand and got to his feet. Natalie nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± After he left, Yulia put the apple Stanley left behind back onto the te. ¡°What a thoughtfuld. He doesn¡¯t forget to ask you along even to attend a wedding.¡± Natalie took a bite of the apple. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not that keen on attending other people¡¯s wedding. I¡¯d rather he took Joyce instead.¡± Her mother twitched the corner of her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are really oblivious, or pretending to be. You picked it up right away with Shane, so I wonder how is it that you could be this dense when it came to Stanley.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie blinked in bewilderment. ¡°What are you going on about, Mom? I don¡¯t get anything that you are saying.¡± The older woman rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t understand, but if you do, I fear that you may not be able to continue as friends with Stanley.¡± With that, she poked at Natalie¡¯s forehead once or twice before she went into the restroom. Natalie rubbed her forehead, all the while still feeling quite uncertain. Regardless, she put it all at the back of her mind. She lifted the apple to her lips to finish it up before she ced the drawing board and started work on her designs. The next day. Joyce came to the hospital to pick up Natalie so that they may go to the studio together to put pen to paper on the contract with Plumlee. She seemed over the moon when she arrived. ¡°Nat, I have a piece of great news.¡± Natalie looked up from her breakfast. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Of course it has to do with Jasmine. Mr. Shane is simply amazing. Do you remember that he said he was going to punish her? Today, Jasmine suffered a broken leg. Mr. Shane is my hero. I am super satisfied with this oue.¡± Joyce was so emotionally charged she started throwing punches in the air. In contrast, Natalie¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°Has Jasmine really broken her leg?¡± ¡°Yup, yup. I saw it in the news this morning. The report stated that she was found in an alley by a cleaner.¡± Joyce nodded. Natalie put down her fork immediately and pulled out her cellphone to search for the said news report. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. It did not take her very long to find it. She skimmed through it quickly and frowned after she reached the end of the article. ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce eyed her with doubt. Natalie then lowered her phone. ¡°This was not of Mr. Shane¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her friend was genuinely surprised. ¡°It wasn¡¯t him?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°ording to my understanding of him, he would never raise a hand against a woman, even to one such as Jasmine. That is his principle and upbringing.¡± ¡°That may be true, but he didn¡¯t have to do it himself. He could easily have gotten someone to do it for him,¡± Joyce snorted. As she rubbed her forehead in exasperation, she said. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. What I mean to say is, he would noty his hands on a woman, be it directly or indirectly, And haven¡¯t you noticed that there is a gaping loophole in all of this?¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Joyce shook her head. Natalie bit her lip. ¡°It¡¯s this alley. If Mr. Shane wanted to break Natalie¡¯s leg, why would he want to do so in a public space like an alley for it to end up all over the news?¡± Joyce seemed to understand now that the finer points have been broken down and exined to her. She then mmed her hands onto the table. ¡°That¡¯s right. With Mr. Shane¡¯s influence, he could kill Jasmine and disappear her if he wanted to, and no one would be any the wiser. If he wanted to break Jasmine¡¯s leg, he could have done so in front of your Dad. There¡¯s no reason for him to do it outside.¡± Chapter 228 Chapter 228 ¡°This only proves that someone else was responsible for the attack on Jasmine,¡± Natalie said as she fondled the back of her phone. ¡°But who could it be,¡± Joyce wondered as she rubbed her chin. Natalie shrugged. ¡°Who knows. Whoever it was sure doesn¡¯t like Jasmine much. It may not necessarily be a bad thing, as at the very least she won¡¯t be troubling anyone for a while. It¡¯s almost time. Let¡¯s get going.¡± With that, the two of them left the hospital for the studio. Plumlee arrived with the bodyguard shortly after them. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Smith.¡± Plumlee hailed Natalie. She returned a smile. ¡°Morning, Mr. Plumlee. Please, have a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The secretary pulled up a chair and settled into it with the bodyguard standing behind him. Joyce brought the teapot into the office and proceeded to pour some for Natalie and Plumlee. Reaching into his briefcase, he retrieved the contract for Natalie. ¡°Ms. Smith, this is the contract that we¡¯ve drafted. Please review it and let us know if everything is in order.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie smiled as she received it. Joyce also came over to her side and scrutinized the document with her. Natalie closed the file after she was finished. ¡°Everything is fine.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s sign on it.¡± Plumlee then passed along an exquisite fountain pen. Natalie seemed a little lost in thought at the sight of that pen. Joyce nudged her. ¡°Nat, what are you doing, spacing out right now?¡± Natalie came to and winced in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that this fountain pen reminded me of someone who had one just like that.¡± Shane¡¯s fountain pens were all of this brand. ¡°Oh, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, who might that person be?¡± There was a glow in Plumlee¡¯s eyes. However, Natalie did not notice it. She smiled as she put pen to paper. ¡°He was my direct superior at my previous job.¡± Isn¡¯t that Mr. Shane? Plumlee raised his eyebrows as he suddenly recalled Ss mentioning that this Ms. Smith was their boss¡¯s true love. The secretary wondered if his boss would be so pleased to hear this from himter as to award him a pay raise. ¡°Mr. Plumlee. Mr. Plumlee?¡± Joyce hailed as she waved a hand in front of him. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. That brought Plumlee back around. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already signed the contract so now it¡¯s just missing your signature. How is it that you are spacing out too?¡± Joyce asked in suspicion. The young man self-consciously cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I was distracted for a moment. You¡¯ve signed the contract, yes? Let me just stamp it with Mr. Smith¡¯s seal.¡± He proceeded to produce the seal from his breast pocket beforemitting it to paper. The contractual documents were split into three. Plumlee handed one set over to Natalie before leaving with the other two. When he walked out of Studio Nouveau, Plumlee climbed into a limousine parked by the side of the road. He passed the contracts along to Shane, who was resting with his eyes closed. ¡°Mr. Shane. The contract has been finalized!¡± Shane opened his eyes. He reached out to receive the documents and leafed through them before returning to his secretary. ¡°Take care of this. From now on, you will be liaising with them for this project.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Plumlee nodded. Ss in the front passenger seat turned to regard Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, I don¡¯t understand why you have to do this in such a roundabout fashion. Since this is professional work, she should not reject your offer even if you approached her yourself.¡± ¡°She would!¡± Shane pursed his lips as he replied inly. She values the people around her. For their sake, she would choose to keep her distance from him, no matter the reason. He almost made her lose her life, twice, so he had to find a way to make it up to her. If he did it openly, she would surely turn him down, so he had no choice but to adopt this approach. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shane¡¯s brows knitted. Plumlee then turned the ignition. While they were on the road, Ss received a call. After he heard what the caller had to say, he sounded rather vexed. ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Jasmine has awakened. She demanded to see you.¡± ¡°No!¡± Shane frowned as he replied bluntly. The assistant conveyed his boss¡¯s sentiments to the person at the other end before he ended the call. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 ¡°Mr. Shane, Harrison hopes you can help to find out the culprit who broke Ms. Jasmine¡¯s leg,¡± Ss put down his cell phone. With narrowed eyes, Shane said cidly, ¡°I know who the culprit is.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ss was stunned. ¡°When did you find out?¡± Shane tossed his cell phone towards him. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Ss caught it hurriedly and unlocked it with a passcode. The text message read: I am the one who broke your fianc¨¦e¡¯s leg. This is just a warning for her. If she dares to hurt Nat again, I want her to spend the rest of her life miserably in a wheelchair! ¡°What? It¡¯s Dr. Quinn?¡± he gasped. Still holding the phone, his hand trembled. Shane exined casually, ¡°He¡¯s never an ordinary man. Hisck ofpassion and cruelty are just hidden by his gentle appearance. Jackson mentioned before that he has psychological issues.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith is very close with him. Do you think she is at risk?¡± Ss asked worriedly. Shane pursed his lips and replied confidently, ¡°No, he won¡¯t hurt her.¡± Stanley will never hurt Natalie because he is deeply in love with her. However, having a person with mental problems by Natalie¡¯s side is indeed worrying. ¡°Mr. Shane, are we supposed to do anything, given Dr. Quinn broke Ms. Jasmine¡¯s leg?¡± Ss questioned and returned the phone to Shane. Shane took it from Ss and ced it in his suit pocket. ¡°No need. She should me herself for her broken leg. She shouldn¡¯t have assaulted Natalie!¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Shane,¡± Ss answered obediently and remained silent. At Jackson¡¯s hospital. Once Harrison finished his phone conversation with Shane, Jasmine immediately asked eagerly, ¡°Dad, did Shane say he¡¯sing?¡± Harrison sighed. ¡°No, he¡¯s noting.¡± Jasmine¡¯s face turned pale. She asked in disappointment, ¡°Why is he like that? Even when I¡¯m injured, he still refuses to visit me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right; never mind that. This is not the first time he behaves like this. When you were sick previously, he also didn¡¯te to see you,¡± Harrison spoke as he sat down with his walking cane. Jasmine became agitated and hit her nket nonstop. ¡°This time is different! I was only mildly sick previously, but this round I¡¯m seriously injured. My leg is broken!¡± she wailed. ¡°What do you think we can do? You expect me to abduct him and bring him here forcefully?¡± Harrison red at her and asked sulkily. Susan brought a jug into the room. ¡°What are both of you arguing about?¡± ¡°Mom, Shane is noting to visit me,¡± Jasmine grumbled with a twitch on her face. Susan put the jug down and stroke her head. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Just give him a callter and ask him to come. What matters most now is to arrest the culprit who attacked you. Darling, did Shane say he will help to find out who the culprit is?¡± Before Harrison could answer, Jasmine responded coldly, ¡°Why are we wasting time to look for the culprit? It¡¯s surely Natalie! She must be wanting to take revenge on me for making her sprain her ankle!¡± ¡°What?¡± Susan shrieked. ¡°Let me confront her now!¡± Harrison tried to stop Susan but his effort was in vain. The woman stormed out of the room and left the hospital at once. After asking around for Natalie¡¯s whereabouts, Susan headed straight to where Natalie was. Natalie was apanying Connor to watch TV after she came back from the studio earlier. All of a sudden, they heard someone st outside their room, ¡°Natalie, you brat! Come out at once!¡± ¡°Mommy, somebody is scolding you.¡± Connor frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy will go take a look now. You just stay here.¡± Natalie stroked his head lovingly. She stood up grimly and left the room slowly with her crutches. She saw Susan standing outside the room arrogantly, with her hands on her waist. ¡°Susan, what are you here for?¡± she asked in dismay. ¡°What for?¡± Susan sneered and raised her hand to scratch Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°You wicked b*tch! How dare you get people to break my daughter¡¯s leg!¡± Natalie was unable to duck in time as her injured foot was hindering her from moving swiftly. Instantaneously, she felt a burning pain on her face, inflicted by Susan¡¯s sharp nails. However, she had no time to check the wound. Susan¡¯s abrupt attack caused her to lose her bnce. Her body swayed and she was about to copse on the floor. Fortunately, Yulia was back in time. She immediately held onto Natalie and asked nervously, ¡°Nat, are you all right?¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine,¡± Natalie consoled Yulia. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 ¡°Luckily, you¡¯re not hurt again.¡± Yulia gave a sigh of relief before turning to stare at Susan furiously. ¡°You really are crazy! How dare you hurt my daughter!¡± ¡°Hmph! Anything wrong? Why don¡¯t you ask what she has done?¡± Susan pointed at Natalie disdainfully. Yulia looked at Natalie and asked in concern, ¡°Nat, what have you done?¡± Natalie responded in an ice-cold tone, ¡°Susan said that I broke Jasmine¡¯s leg!¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Yulia blurted. She bellowed at Susan, ¡°How can you use my daughter of breaking your daughter¡¯s leg without any proof? I haven¡¯t even said anything about your daughter causing Nat to sprain her ankle, yet you are finding fault with her now!¡± ¡°What do you mean by finding fault? I¡¯m telling the truth! She has been holding a grudge against Jas just because Jas caused her ankle injury. But it¡¯s too wicked of her to ask someone to break Jas¡¯ leg!¡± Susan stared at Natalie maliciously. Yulia moved in front of Natalie instantly to block Susan¡¯s re. ¡°My daughter is wicked? Why don¡¯t you say your daughter is wicked? She had set Nat up!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Natalie has only sprained her ankle, but my Jas¡¯ leg is broken! If you refuse to apologize to us today, I will lodge a police report and use you of intentionally assaulting Jas for revenge!¡± Susan roared with clenched fists. ¡°Go ahead as you like! Let the policee and investigate. If it turns out we¡¯re not the culprits, then you will be charged with framing and lodging false police reports!¡± Yulia sneered at her. Since Susan insisted that Natalie was the culprit who broke Jasmine¡¯s leg, she was not the least bit shaken by Yulia¡¯s words. As such, Susan took out her cell phone to call the police.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After that, she looked at Natalie and Yulia smugly. ¡°Just wait till the day you get locked up in prison!¡± ¡°Susan, I personally feel that you and Jasmine will be the ones imprisoned in the end.¡± Natalie poked out her head from Yulia¡¯s back and smiled. Susan was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie fluffed her hair a bit and replied cidly, ¡°You¡¯ll know soon.¡± Susan started to feel insecure as Natalie was still joking and not worried about the arrival of the police. She was now doubting if Natalie was really the culprit who broke Jasmine¡¯s leg. If it were not Natalie, Susan herself would be charged with lodging a false police report and framing Natalie! Thinking about this, Susan became nervous and her face turned pale. ¡°I suddenly recall that I need to settle something. I will make a move first.¡± She turned and was about to escape at once. Yulia sensed her motive at once and held her back. ¡°You can¡¯t leave now; the police aren¡¯t here yet.¡± ¡°I...¡± Susan started to stammer. ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anything. You¡¯d better stay here and don¡¯t think of going anywhere!¡± Yulia grabbed her tightly. A whileter, the police reached and questioned, ¡°Who lodged the report?¡± Before Susan could exin anything, Yulia pushed her forward and replied loudly, ¡°It¡¯s this woman. She used my daughter of breaking her daughter¡¯s leg!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± the police nced at Natalie then turned to stare at Susan. ¡°Is she telling the truth?¡± At that stage, Susan could not confirm if Natalie were the culprit, but she did not mind anymore. She started to get restless, worried that she would be used of framing Natalie. She took a deep breath and smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I was too quick to jump into a conclusion, so...¡± ¡°So, you are admitting that you have lodged a false report?¡± the police frowned and looked at her sternly. Yulia intended to make things worse by adding, ¡°You¡¯re right, Sir. She lodged a false report!¡± Susan could only re at Yulia and nod in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Sir.¡± Lodging a false police report was still a less serious offensepared to framing somebody. She would at most be criticized for doing the former, but thetter was an act detainable by the police. The police officers were understandably displeased with Susan; they sternly warned her not to repeat the offence. When the police were about to leave, Natalie emerged with her crutches and said, ¡°Sir, I also want to lodge a report. Since she alleged that I broke her daughter¡¯s leg, I would like to hold her daughter responsible formitting first-degree murder!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? When did my daughtermit murder?¡± Susan became agitated instantly and roared at her. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Natalie totally ignored Susan and fixed her gaze on the police, who questioned sternly, ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± ¡°Yes. Yesterday, her daughter greased the floor outside the restroom with essential oil, causing me to fall down. I was really lucky as I only sprained my ankle. If it were any more serious, I could have been handicapped or even died from the fall. Sir, this is first-degree murder, isn¡¯t it?¡± Natalie fluffed her hair and said dryly. She intended to have Jasmine charged with first-degree murder. ¡°What do you mean by first-degree murder? You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you?¡± Susan pointed at her disapprovingly. Yulia sneered, ¡°Do you mean to say Jasmine can only be charged with first-degree murder if my daughter is dead? I tell you, you are wrong, really wrong! As long as her assault was intentional, we can use her ofmitting first-degree murder.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s stated like this legally,¡± the police agreed. Susan was startled. She had no idea because she did not know thew. Oh, no! I have caused Jas trouble for lodging this police report! N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. No, I can¡¯t have her tried as a first-degree murderer! Susan clenched her fists. She red at both Natalie and Yulia with hatred in her eyes. ¡°You insisted that my daughtermitted first-degree murder. Do you have any proof?¡± Jas told me that she set Natalie up at the entrance of the restroom. The was no security camera outside the restroom. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t be able to prove anything! Natalie seemed to have sensed what was ying in Susan¡¯s mind and smiled. ¡°Susan, talking about proof, I have both witness and concrete evidence. Jasmine¡¯s essential oil is with me and her fingerprints are on it. Moreover, even after the essential oil is washed off, there will still be a trail of residue on the floor which is traceable with the right equipment. All of these are enough to prove that Jasmine was trying to murder me.¡± ¡°If this is the case, all of you have to follow me back to the police station,¡± the police said. ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded in acknowledgement. Susan kept shaking her head and grumbling reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯m not going! Why do I need to go?¡± ¡°It is because you lodged the police report,¡± the police answered her coldly, ¡°Hence, you must go. If you refuse, I¡¯ll have to bring you there by force!¡± At the same time, he took out a pair of handcuffs; they glistened eerily under the light. Susan trembled with fear at the sight of the handcuffs. She could barely utter any words. Seeing her as timid as a mouse, Yuliaughed scornfully. Later, Natalie asked the caretaker to help look after Connor. She followed Yulia into the police car and headed for the police station. At the police station, the police questioned thedies again to get a better understanding of the circumstances. Immediately after, a specialized team was sent to the bidding site to trace the essential oil residue. At the same time, another team was assigned to Jackson¡¯s hospital to obtain further details from Jasmine. As her leg was broken, the police brought Harrison back to the police station on her behalf. Once Harrison was in the interrogation room, he pped Susan on the face furiously. Susan was startled by the p. She slumped to the floor with her hand covering her face and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Darling...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Darling! I¡¯ve asked you not to go and confront them, yet you didn¡¯t listen. See, you¡¯ve caused such big trouble now!¡± In fury, Harrison pointed at Susan with his trembling finger. Susan lowered her head timidly and dared not argue at all. Yulia was standing at the corner of the interrogation room alongside Natalie. They both looked at Susan coldly in silence. At that time, the door of the interrogation room was opened again. Two police officers approached Natalie. ¡°Ms. Smith, ording to our findings, you were telling the truth. Ms. Jasmine had indeed committed first-degree murder. Nevertheless, she will only be charged with intentional assault as you only sustained a minor injury.¡± Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not surprised with this, but I would like to know what is the jail term for intentional assault?¡± Hearing the question, both Harrison and Susan stared at the two police officers nervously. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 After saying her piece, Yulia supported Natalie. ¡°Nat, let¡¯s go.¡± Natalie nodded in response. They ignored Harrison and Susan then left the police station in fury. On the way back to the hospital, Yulia was still fuming with anger. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She had contributed to the sess of Natalie and Shane¡¯s engagement as she once saved Shane¡¯s grandfather, but in the end, Susan and Jasmine reaped without sowing. Actually, throughout these years, Yulia had thought it through and epted the fact. But it just so happened that Harrison brought up this topic. So since he mentioned it, let¡¯s do something then. When the thought crossed her mind, Yulia narrowed her eyes. ¡°I must not let Jasmine have Shane.¡± Upon hearing her words, Natalie raised her brow and said, ¡°Mom, what are you trying to do?¡± Yulia snorted in response, ¡°I want everyone to know Jasmine¡¯s true colors.¡± ¡°You want to expose the things she did?¡± Natalie was so surprised that her jaw dropped. Yulia nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But this will affect Mr. Shane and Thompson Group¡¯s reputation. The Thompsons and Smiths are rted by marriage. The power of the Thompson family is several times stronger than the Smith family. If everyone knew about Jasmine¡¯s arrogance and her evil deeds, they would surmise that it was the Thompson family or Mr. Shane who condoned her to do these things.¡± Natalie bit her lower lips and stared at Yulia with a pointed look on her face. Yulia tapped Natalie¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°At such a time, you still think on his behalf? Don¡¯t forget that you and Connor nearly lose your lives because of him. He has to make it up to you, right? So just treat this as hispensation to you!¡± ¡°How can you rte the two incidents?¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Of course I can. If he doesn¡¯t want Thompson Group and himself to be affected, then all he has to do is to break all ties with Jasmine. Okay, that¡¯s it. I have made up my mind. Stop persuading me.¡± Yulia waved her hands. Without hesitation, she dialed a media reporter and broke the news of Jasmine¡¯s evil deeds, such as giarism, suppression of talent, intentional assault, and many more. Once Jasmine¡¯s scandal spread, she will most certainly be a target of disdain in the eyes of the public. After that, Yulia hung up the call in delight. Looking at Yulia¡¯s happiness, Natalie massaged her temple as she felt her head aching. She thought of telling Shane about that after reaching the hospital. After all, this will destroy Shane and Thompson Group¡¯s reputation. What if Shane takes out his anger on Mom? At the hospital, Natalie found an excuse to send Yulia away and phone Shane. This was the first time she had called Shane after she left Thompson Group. Nervous was written all over her face. ¡°Hello?¡± Shane¡¯s cold voice came from the other end. Natalie gripped her cell phone tighter. ¡°Mr. Shane, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane, who was sitting on his chair, moved a little to adjust his posture. Natalie¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Well... My mom...¡± She told him everything that happened just now, including what Yulia told the reporter about Jasmine. On hearing that, Shane¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. The climate in the office turned frosty all of a sudden as though the air conditioner had been turned down a few degrees lower. They still have the nerve to put Natalie into trouble! Last night, he had warned the Smith family if they found trouble with Natalie, he would call off the engagement. Are they turning deaf ears on my words? Seeing as there was no responseing from Shane, Natalie thought that he was angry at Yulia. She balled her hands into fists and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m really sorry. My mom was pissed off by the Smith family, so...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Shane interrupted her in a solemn tone. Natalie was stunned for a moment before she could react. Then, she blinked her eyes in bewilderment and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, you don¡¯t me my mom?¡± ¡°No, I should thank her,¡± Shane replied while rubbing his fingers. N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Thank her?¡± Natalie was puzzled and tilted her head. ¡°Yes. Aunt Yulia gave me a chance to cancel the engagement,¡± said Shane softly. Natalie widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°You want to cancel the engagement?¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 ¡°Yes. I¡¯m tired of all these.¡± Shane pinched the bridge of his nose. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The main reason for Shane to get engaged with Jasmine was because of that night five years ago. Over the past five years, Jasmine benefited from him and brought many profits to the Smith family. With that, Shane considered he had returned the favor. Natalie¡¯s heart ached when she listened to Shane as she found that his tone was filled with traces of exhaustion. She thought about it for a while and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, since you¡¯ve decided to cancel the engagement, I do not need to keep the truth from you anymore.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Shane raised his eyebrows. Natalie took in a deep breath before she answered, ¡°Do you remember the first time we had a gathering with the critics? When I was back from the restroom, you sensed that I was being weird and asked me what happened.¡± Shane¡¯s eyes glimmered. He lifted his chin and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Actually, that night I saw Jasmine with a man. They had sex with each other, and that wasn¡¯t the first time,¡± Natalie said while scrubbing her cheeks. She finally blurted it out. After telling Shane the secret, she felt much more relieved. Shane fell silent for a moment on hearing that. Then, he narrowed his eyes into a slit and asked with an icy re on his face, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was nning to give you some hints, but I didn¡¯t find the chance to. So...¡± ¡°Alright, I know now.¡± Shane closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was a thin veil of ice over them. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± With that, Shane hung up the phone. Picking up his jacket, he walked out of the office. Right then, Ss came out from the next door. Seeing Shane, Ss stopped in his tracks and queried, ¡°Mr. Shane, where are you going?¡± ¡°Which ward does Jasmine live in?¡± Shane responded with another question and looked at Ss expressionlessly. Ss had been working for Shane for years. Of course, he could tell that Shane was in a bad mood, so he promptly revealed Jasmine¡¯s room number. Shane murmured an affirmative reply and walked toward the elevator. One hourter, he reached Jasmine¡¯s ward. Just when he was about to knock on the door, the sound of ss shattering was heard from inside. The next instant, Susan was consoling Jasmine gently. ¡°Jas, calm down. You¡¯ve smashed everything in the ward.¡± ¡°This is none of your business!¡± Jasmine grimaced in anger and grabbed a ss as she replied to Susan, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be given a non-custodial sentence and left a criminal record. It¡¯s all because of you. Get out of here! I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, she swung the ss toward Susan. All colors drained from Susan¡¯s face, and she had no chance to react. Fortunately, Shane opened the door in time. Then, with his quick reflexes, he smacked the ss and rescued Susan. Otherwise, Susan will be disfigured now. ¡°Thank goodness!¡± Susan was horrified at what happened just now and patted her chest to ease her mind. Then, she gazed at Shane with gratitude in her eyes and said, ¡°Shane, thank you so much.¡± Shane ignored her. He furrowed his brows and sized up the messy ward scornfully. Jasmine noticed his expression and felt awkward, so she tried to distract him. ¡°Shane, are you here to visit me?¡± she asked. Shane walked toward her bed and looked at her with a cold gaze. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten what I told youst night, have you?¡± Jasmine froze. The memories of what happenedst night shed through her mind. ¡°Shane, you want to call off the engagement?¡± she queried. ¡°Cancel the engagement? No! We can¡¯t allow that!¡± Susan became anxious upon hearing that. Shane pursed his thin lips and said, ¡°As I said, don¡¯t mess with Natalie and her family. Otherwise, I will cancel the engagement, but did you take it seriously?¡± ¡°Of course, I did! I didn¡¯t go to find Natalie today. It¡¯s my mom who went to find Natalie. It has nothing to do with me! Shane, you can¡¯t put the me on me!¡± Natalie pointed at Susan. Turbulent emotions possessed her. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Although Susan was upset that she had to bear all the me, she had no choice but to sacrifice herself to protect this engagement. ¡°That¡¯s right, Shane. It¡¯s all my fault. I was the one who did it. It has nothing to do with Jasmine, so just me me instead. Please give her one more chance,¡± pleaded Susan as she clutched her chest. Shane scoffed coldly, ¡°A chance? I¡¯ve given her plenty of chances when she¡¯s working in Thompson Group. However, she never appreciated any of them.¡± Starting to panic, Jasmine suddenly burst into tears. ¡°Shane, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t appreciate the chances, but I was too afraid that Natalie will snatch you away. That¡¯s why I kept targeting her.¡± ¡°Snatch me away?¡± Stretching out his arm, Shane pinched her chin and lifted her head. He asked frostily, ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Jasmine tried her best to rebuke, ¡°Of course, I know that you¡¯re different from the other men. You won¡¯t be so easily snatched away by other women. But Natalie¡¯s different!¡± ¡°Tell me. Why is she different?¡± Shane flung his hand away. As Jasmine rubbed her chin, which was hurting from his strong grip, an intense look of jealousy crept into her eyes. ¡°Because you love her.¡± When she said that, Shane¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I love Natalie? How is that possible? A look of disbelief crossed Susan¡¯s face. Although she knew that there was something ambiguous going on between Shane and Natalie, she did not know that he actually loved her. Clutching the nket tightly, Jasmine red at Shane with bloodshot eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t believe it? I¡¯m only stating the truth. As long as Natalie¡¯s around, your eyes will be fixated on her. Although you hate being close to women, yet you always take the initiative to get closer to her¡ªeven risking your life on a few asions. If this isn¡¯t love, what is it?¡± Although he looked expressionless, his hands, which were hidden in his pockets, clenched into fists. His emotions were in turmoil after hearing what Jasmine said. He admitted that he paid a lot of attention to Natalie, and that he did not detest interacting with her. In fact, he had been wondering why he kept saving her and why his emotions were so affected by her every action. Is it because of love? Shane¡¯s silence seemed to be an implicit acknowledgement of his feelings for Natalie. Upon noticing that, Jasmine¡¯s face twisted in envy. ¡°You¡¯re my fianc¨¦, but you fell in love with another woman. How can I possibly spare Natalie?¡± Shane cast his gaze downward, concealing the emotions in his eyes. ¡°Even if you¡¯re right, I¡¯m the one whomitted a mistake. I fell in love with her, which has nothing to do with her. Why didn¡¯t you target me instead?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Natalie is the one who seduced you.¡± Jasmine shook her head vigorously, insisting that it was all Natalie¡¯s fault. Shane gazed at her. ¡°You are unreasonable. Let me tell you this, regardless of whose fault it is, it¡¯s never an excuse for you to harm others. My patience for you has already run out. I¡¯ll invite the reporters overter and announce that our engagement is over.¡± When Jasmine heard that, she quickly tried to sit up, ignoring her leg which was still in a ster cast. ¡°No! I will never cancel the engagement. Not even if I die!¡± He wants to cancel the engagement and be together with Natalie. N?velDrama.Org ? content. I will never allow that! ¡°You think that you can change my decision?¡± A mocking smirk yed on Shane¡¯s lips. Jasmine knew that he was being serious this time. In her haste, her eyes rolled over and she suddenly fainted. When Susan saw that, she wailed miserably. ¡°Jasmine!¡± Then, she dashed over to the hospital bed and wanted to summon the doctor over. However, she soon felt someone pulling her. Lowering her head, she noticed Jasmine grabbing the corner of her shirt. She understood everything instantly. Wiping her tears, she spun around and said to Shane, ¡°Shane, Jasmine has already fainted. Let¡¯s talk about cancelling the engagementter, okay?¡± Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Shane did not respond. Instead, he scrutinized Jasmine with narrowed eyes. When he noticed her fluttering eyshes, a mocking look shed across his eyes. She¡¯s pretending to be unconscious and trying to avoid the cancelling of our engagement. Does she think that it¡¯ll work? ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll invite the reporters over after she wakes up.¡± With that, Shane spun around and left without any hesitation. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Ss was standing outside the hospital. When he spotted Shane, he quickly waved. Frowning, Shane walked over. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I received an invitation.¡± Ss passed an invitation card to him. ¡°The heir of the Hill family from overseas is getting married. He specially invited you to attend his wedding.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not free. Just tell someone to send a gift over.¡± Although Shane took the invitation card from Ss¡¯ hand, he did not flip it open. It was evident that he was not interesting in attending the wedding. Ss adjusted his sses. ¡°But Ms. Smith and Dr. Quinn are going.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Shane, who was in the midst of getting into the car, paused mid-action. ¡°What did you say?¡± Natalie and Stanley? Ss repeated his words. Instantly, Shane tightened his grip on the invitation card. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I overheard Dr. Quinn when he was taking a phone call outside.¡± I see! Shane fidgeted with the invitation card and instructed, ¡°Find out when they¡¯re leaving.¡± Looks like I need to attend it. It¡¯s a good opportunity for me to see if I have indeed fallen in love with Natalie, like what Jasmine said. The next day, Natalie was woken up by Yulia. She passed a phone to Natalie and gestured for her to look at it. As she read the news about Jasmine¡¯s nasty scandals, she could not help but raise her eyebrows. Then, she scrolled through thements under those articles. As expected, it was filled with criticisms. Some of thements were even identical, which implied that theizens were paid to leave thosements. ¡°Mom, did you pay them?¡± Natalie side-eyed Yulia, who scratched her nose embarrassedly. ¡°So, you discovered it, huh?¡± ¡°I was just guessing. I didn¡¯t expect you really did that!¡± Natalie averted her gaze. Yulia smiled. ¡°We have to make a big deal out of it, right?¡± Amused, Natalie could only shake her head silently. She left the website and clicked on the search bar. ¡°What are you searching for?¡± asked Yulia curiously when she noticed her actions. Not concealing it from her, Natalie replied as she typed, ¡°I¡¯m seeing if there are news about Mr. Shane cancelling his engagement with Jasmine.¡± When Yulia heard that, she immediately sat up straight. ¡°When did he say that he¡¯s going to cancel the engagement?¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± Natalie shrugged, but a frown quickly appeared on her face. She did not manage to find any news about it. Looks like he hasn¡¯t announced it yet. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Yulia pped her hands excitedly. ¡°He should¡¯ve cancelled it a long time ago. I really don¡¯t want Jasmine to marry into the Thompson family.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t.¡± Natalie shook her head confidently. The moment Jasmine cheated on Shane, she should have expected that she will never be married into the Thompson family. Furthermore, there is still Jacqueline. Yulia narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Natalie. ¡°Darling, how do you know that Shane¡¯s going to cancel the engagement?¡± ¡°Um... I learned about it by coincidence.¡± Natalie averted her gaze guiltily. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Yulia chuckled. Although she did not believe Natalie¡¯s words, she did not probe further. She took back the phone and started scrolling through thements that were criticizing Jasmine. She had to admit that the reporters were quite capable. Jasmine¡¯s scandals were published across various websites, and she soon became notorious overnight. Almost everyone knew that Jasmine was an immoral, petty and vicious woman. To think that someone like her was the fianc¨¦e of Thompson Group¡¯s CEO. Hence, many of theizens started to boycott Thompson Group and leave criticisms on their official website. They think that the reason for Jasmine¡¯s arrogance was because she had her fianc¨¦, a powerful CEO, backing her up. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Otherwise, it was impossible for a mere daughter of the Smith family, who only ran a small business, to act so boldly in J City. The influence of theseizens was very powerful. Due to their criticisms, Thompson Group and Shane¡¯s reputation suffered a huge blow. In the afternoon, Shane announced on his social media ount that he would be cancelling his engagement. After Jasmine woke up, he would call for a press conference to announce it. It was only then that he managed to salvage his and Thompson Group¡¯s reputation. ¡°Wow, Shane is actually going to cancel the engagement. Not bad! However, what¡¯s that about Jasmine waking up?¡± Yulia pointed at Shane¡¯s post on her phone, feeling puzzled. Natalie was feeding Connor at that moment. When she heard that, she replied without even turning around, ¡°I don¡¯t know. You can ask Stanley when hees overter. He¡¯s a doctor there, so he¡¯ll know.¡± ¡°Ask me what?¡± Stanley walked through the door right after she finished speaking. Yulia repeated her question. After hearing it, a sly look crept into his eyes. ¡°I heard from the nurses that Jasmine suddenly fainted yesterday due to a suddenplication. She still hasn¡¯t woken up.¡± ¡°Really? The heavens must be looking down on us. I hope that she will never wake up,¡± scoffed Yulia. Wiping Connor¡¯s mouth with a piece of tissue paper, Natalie lowered her head and sank into deep thought. When Stanley noticed it, he asked softly, ¡°What are you thinking about, Nat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m full, Mommy.¡± Connor patted his stomach with his arm, signaling that he no longer wanted to eat. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Natalie ced the bowl down and answered Stanley¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking that it¡¯s such a coincidence Jasmine fainted right at the time when Mr. Shane posted that announcement. It feels like she¡¯s trying to avoid it by pretending to faint.¡± ¡°That sounds quite possible. But how long can she avoid it? I don¡¯t believe that she can pretend to be unconscious forever,¡± mocked Yulia. Stanley adjusted his spectacles. ¡°What do you think about Mr. Shane cancelling the engagement, Nat?¡± Natalie helped Connor lie down on the bed. After tucking him in, she turned around and looked at Stanley. ¡°Nothing much. But if you really to hear an answer, I guess that I¡¯ll congratte him. Jasmine really isn¡¯tpatible with him.¡± Stanley smiled. ¡°I thought that you¡¯ll be overjoyed.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°What made you think that?¡± Yulia covered her face, unable to stand it anymore. What a foolish daughter! Why hasn¡¯t she realized Stanley¡¯s feelings for her? ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just a random question.¡± Stanley waved his hands dismissively, not wanting to answer her question. Changing the topic, he asked, ¡°Have you settled your visa?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve submitted all my documents, so it should be done by tomorrow,¡± replied Natalie after thinking about it for a while. Stanley nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll book the ne ticketster.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie had no oppositions to that. Over the next few days, Jasmine¡¯s scandals were still making their rounds on the Inte. However, theizens were now more concerned about when she would wake up and when the engagement would be cancelled. Yet, Natalie was no longer concerned about that as she was already on a ne heading overseas. She was sitting with Stanley in the business ss cabin. As Stanley was suffering from air sickness, he had already fallen asleep with a sleep mask over his eyes and a nket over him. Not feeling sleepy, Natalie was sketching some design drafts on her sketchbook. She wanted to complete the initial drafts as soon as possible and let Mr. Miller review them. At that moment, an air stewardess approached her with a cart. ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you like to have a drink?¡± Natalie ced her pencil down and nced at the cart. ¡°What do you have?¡± ¡°Milk, coffee and juices.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like a cup of coffee, then.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Sure!¡± replied the air stewardess as she bent down and took out a cup of coffee from the second compartment of the trolley. Natalie gazed at the exquisite coffee mug in surprise. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it a paper cup?¡± The air stewardess¡¯ eyes gleamed as she replied with a smile, ¡°We ran out of paper cups, so you¡¯ll have to use this mug for now. Sorry for the inconvenience.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips twitched. Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Inconvenience? This coffee mug looks so luxurious. It¡¯s a pleasure for me to use it. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Natalie nodded and took the coffee mug from her hands. The air stewardess heaved a sigh of relief inconspicuously and gave her a slice of cake. Before Natalie could ask why, she pushed the cart away and left. Natalie stared at the cup of coffee and slice of cake in front of her, feeling puzzled. If the air stewardess gave her a coffee mug because they ran out of paper cups, she could still understand. However, this slice of cake was evidently very expensive. Only then did she realize that someone had specially prepared the coffee and cake for her. It was impossible for the ne to offer such services. She already had an inkling of who that mysterious person was. This cake was identical to the one she had eaten in Shane¡¯s office. Hence, he was probably on this ne as well. Why did he specially order me coffee and cake? Feeling puzzled, Natalie decided to stop mulling over it. She picked up her fork and shoved some cake into her mouth. The familiar taste made her even more certain that it was from Shane. Stanley was woken up by the sweet fragrance of the cake. He took off his sleep mask and stared at Natalie, who was happily eating the cake, in surprise. ¡°Why is there a ck forest cake in the ne?¡± Not keeping it a secret, Natalie shed him a grin and replied, ¡°Mr. Shane gave it to me.¡± ¡°Shane?¡± Stanley, who was not wearing his spectacles, narrowed his eyes. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± A cold gleam appeared in his eyes. He unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie moved away to let him get out. After he left, she sat back down. However, she didn¡¯t notice that instead of heading to the washroom, Stanley walked straight into the first-ss cabin. After a long while, he still had not returned. Confused, Natalie was about to ask the air stewardess about it when the ne suddenly shook. Natalie screamed instinctively. Then, she heard an announcement saying that the ne had encountered some turbulence. It would be fine after the turbulence was over. However, the ne had not stopped shaking even after a few minutes had passed. Instead, it shook even more violently. The piercing noises of the turbulence made her very uneasy. Instantly, everyone in the ne became anxious and scared. As Natalie was sitting alone on her seat, while Stanley was nowhere to be seen, she could not help but feel even more afraid. However, at that moment, a man stumbled toward her while holding onto the seats. She could smell a faint minty fragrance on his body. He sat down beside her and pulled her into this arms. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared!¡± ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie gazed at him through watery eyes. He replied, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Why did youe here?¡± asked Natalie as she bit her lips. Shane was about to reply when a piercing sound, which was louder than the previous one, echoed across the cabin. Feeling her eardrums ache slightly, Natalie could not help but cover her ears. However, it only offered a temporary relief¡ªshe could still hear the ear-splitting noise. When Shane noticed the painful look on her face, he pursed his lips. Enduring the ringing in his eardrums, he took off his coat and wrapped it around his head. Then, he ced his hands over his coat and her hands, trying to shield her from the noise. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Natalie could barely hear the noise anymore. Her tensed expression also started to rx gradually. She lifted her head and nced at Shane. Although he was in great difort by the noise, he was still protecting her. Feeling moved by his actions, she felt tears brimming in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Natalie called out to him softly, almost choking on her tears. Although all Shane could hear was the ringing in his ears, he could still figure out what she said through reading her lips. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Afraid that she could not hear, Shane frowned and raised his voice. Natalie shook her head and replied loudly, ¡°Not anymore!¡± Shane nodded after hearing what she said. Soon, the noise faded, but the ne was still shaking violently. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Shane removed his hands and Natalie also stopped covering her ears. Handing his coat back to him, she said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane muttered an acknowledgement as he put on the coat. When Natalie saw that his seatbelt was unbuckled, her eyes widened. She quickly turned around and grabbed the seatbelt, nning to buckle it for him. However, as the ne kept shaking, she could not buckle the seatbelts despite a few attempts. Hence, she started to panic. Lowering his head and gazing at Natalie, who was leaning against his chest, a dangerous gleam entered his eyes. Then, he took the seat belt from her hands and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself. Just sit properly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie did not think too much about it and sat back in her seat. Shane sighed inconspicuously as he buckled his seat belt. Natalie nced at the dark clouds looming outside the window. ¡°Mr. Shane, will something bad happen to the ne?¡± Various images of the ne crashing down, exploding and other scenarios instantly surfaced in her mind. She even thought that if the ne actually got into an ident, it was not too bad to die by his side. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. It¡¯s just a turbulence. Everything will be fine afterwards.¡± Shane passed her a sleep mask. Confused, Natalie took it from his hands. ¡°What...¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really afraid, just cover your eyes. You won¡¯t feel scared if you can¡¯t see anything.¡± His serious expression caused Natalie to burst outughing. Her fear also diminished greatly. She wanted to say that she was not afraid as long as he was there with her. However, she did not have the right to do so. Suddenly, Natalie spotted something amiss with Shane¡¯s face. Squinting, she brought her face closer to his. ¡°Mr. Shane, why is there a bruise here?¡± She pointed at his cheekbone. A cold gleam shed across his eyes as he rubbed the spot which she was pointing at. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I might have bumped into something.¡± ¡°Really?¡± A look of disbelief crossed Natalie¡¯s face. It was impossible that he would injure his cheek by bumping into something. Furthermore, from the look of the bruise, it was obvious that he had been punched. Did he get into a fight with someone? As she thought about it, she looked at Shane in surprise. He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Natalie opened her mouth, wanting to ask him who he fought with. However, after thinking about it for a while, she changed her mind. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have a hard-boiled egg here. Let me ce it over the bruise so it won¡¯t swell.¡± As she spoke, she took out an egg from her bag. Shane watched as she tapped the egg gently on the armrest. After cracking the shell, she started to peel it. Raising his eyebrow, he asked, ¡°Why do you have an egg with you?¡± As she peeled the egg, sheughed. ¡°It¡¯s from Connor. After finding out that I¡¯m leaving today, he asked my Mom to boil two eggs for me so I can eat them on the ne. He probably learned that from the television.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sweet of him.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s really filial. I ate one, so there¡¯s one left for your bruise.¡± With that, she ced the peeled hard-boiled egg on his bruise and rolled it gently. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Her actions were very gentle. Furthermore, it was quitefortable to have a soft egg rolling on one¡¯s cheek. Shane could not help but close his eyes. ¡°Oh, right. Why are you on this ne too, Mr. Shane? Where are you going?¡± Gazing at him, Natalie suddenly asked. Shane replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m attending a wedding.¡± Natalie paused mid-action. ¡°You¡¯re attending a wedding too?¡± ¡°Huh? You too?¡± Shane opened his eyes and nced at her, but there was no hint of surprise in his gaze. However, Natalie did not notice it. She nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the wedding of the heir of the Hill family. I¡¯m apanying Stanley... Wait a moment, where is he?¡± She suddenly remembered that Stanley had not returned. When Shane saw that Natalie paused mid-action at the mention of Stanley, his face instantly clouded over. ¡°He fainted in the first-ss cabin. Ss is taking care of him now.¡± ¡°Why did he go to the first-ss cabin?¡± Natalie¡¯s brows furrowed. Shane ignored her. Pushing her hand away from his face, he turned around to face the corridor and refused to look at her. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Natalie finally noticed that he was angry. Hence, she gently called out to him, ¡°Mr. Shane? Mr. Shane?¡± Shane remained silent. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Even after she nudged him, he still gave no response. Natalie had no choice but to ce her hand down and wonder why he got angry. She remembered that he only became angry after she mentioned Stanley. He¡¯s so triggered at the mention of Stanley. Could it be that he¡¯s jealous? At that thought, Natalie covered her mouth in disbelief as her heartbeat quickened. She bit her lips as she snuck a nce at Shane. However, as she gazed at his chiseled side-profile, she suddenly calmed down. What am I thinking about? He loves Jacqueline, not me. How can he possibly be jealous? It¡¯s just my own wishful thinking! Natalie smiled bitterly as a despondent look shed across her eyes. However, it was fleeting. At that moment, the ne finally stabilized, indicating the turbulence had ended. As expected, an announcement sounded in the ne, saying that they had sessfully ovee the turbulence and entered a safe zone. Everyone in the ne cheered in delight. Natalie also heaved a sigh of relief. She was about to say something to Shane when he suddenly unbuckled his seat belt, stood up and headed back to the first-ss cabin. Natalie was stunned for a while before quickly returning to her senses. She followed him and called out, ¡°Wait for me, Mr. Shane.¡± As Stanley was still there, she needed to bring him back. When Shane reached the first-ss cabin, he headed directly to his seat and sat down. Natalie scanned around. He¡¯s as generous as usual, huh? He even booked the entire first-ss cabin. There were only the four of them in the cabin. ¡°Mr. Campbell.¡± Natalie walked over to Ss. He closed hisptop and greeted, ¡°Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to bring Stanley back.¡± She pointed at Stanley, who was sitting beside him. There was a nket draped over his body, covering his face. Instead of agreeing immediately, Ss nced at Shane. He only moved aside after Shane nodded. ¡°Okay, I can bring him back for you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Natalie as she sped her hands together gratefully. Since Stanley was unconscious, she was feeling troubled over whether she could carry him. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Lead the way.¡± Ss ced hisptop aside before bending down and helping Stanley up. The nket slid off Stanley¡¯s body as he lifted him. When Natalie noticed the bruises on Stanley¡¯s cheekbones and mouth, she gaped in astonishment. ¡°His face...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Ss shot her a look, hinting for her to stop talking. Natalie, who understood his signal, nodded and fell silent. The three of them headed to the business ss cabin. Ss lowered Stanley on his chair while Natalie buckled his seat belt for him. Only then did she ask Ss, ¡°Mr. Campbell, what happened to Stanley¡¯s face? Mr. Shane too. Did they get into a fight?¡± Sighing, he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Natalie massaged her temples, feeling a huge headache attacking her. ¡°But why?¡± With mixed feelings, Ss looked at her as hemented silently. Of course it¡¯s because of you. The moment Stanley entered the first-ss cabin, he warned Shane to stay away from Natalie. Naturally, thetter was unwilling to concede. Furious, Stanley showed his true colors and punched him. Shane retaliated, which led to a fight breaking out. The ne encountered turbulence afterwards. The bumpiness caused Stanley, who was already suffering from air sickness, to faint. Only then did the fight finally stop. Shane then headed to the business-ss cabin with a worried look on his face. However, he prohibited Ss from revealing everything that had happened earlier. Jolting out of his thoughts, Ss adjusted his spectacles and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. A minor conflict broke out between them.¡± ¡°A minor conflict?¡± Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°Why would they get into a conflict?¡± ¡°Please stop asking, Ms. Smith. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Ss avoided her question with a polite smile. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 As he was unwilling to reveal what happened, Natalie was feeling helpless. She gave up on finding out the truth and passed the egg to him. Confused, Ss stared at the egg in his hand. ¡°Why did you give this to me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for Mr. Shane, not you. I was massaging his bruise with it earlier, but only for a short while. You should continue doing itter. Otherwise, his bruise will be more severe tomorrow.¡± Natalie exined with a smile. Still in a daze, Ss nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± With that, he waved his hand and headed back to the first-ss cabin with the egg. After he left, Natalie lowered her head and gazed at Stanley. Only then did she realize that he needed the egg for his bruises too. However, she no longer had it with her. ¡°Sorry, Stanley. When we reach the hotel, I¡¯ll get some ice for your bruises,¡± said Natalie apologetically as she fiddled with her fingers. Perhaps because he could not hear anything, he gave no response. The ne steadilynded three hourster. After Stanley was woken up by Natalie, he felt extremely dizzy and almost vomited. Luckily, due to his strong self-control, he gritted his teeth and suppressed the nauseous feeling so he would not vomit. However, the moment he alighted the ne, he could not stand it anymore and vomited into the dustbin. Natalie hurriedly opened a bottle of water. After he finished vomiting, she passed the bottle and some tissue paper over. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Stanley¡¯s face was pale as he took them from her hands and thanked her weakly. Slightly amused, Natalie gazed at him and remarked, ¡°Why is your air sickness so severe? You weren¡¯t so badly affected in the past.¡± Stanley rinsed his mouth. ¡°I used to take motion sickness pills, but I forgot this time.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll buy someter for your flight back.¡± When Natalie heard that, she quickly made a decision. Stanleyughed. ¡°Sure, but I might need you to hold onto meter. I don¡¯t have much strength now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie ced the bag over her shoulder, grabbed his arm and helped him walk through the passageway. After leaving the airport, Natalie slowed down. She nced around as if she was searching for something. When Stanley noticed it, a hostile look crept into his downcast gaze. However, he asked gently, ¡°What are you looking for, Nat?¡± Natalie averted her eyes. ¡°Nothing.¡± Shane has probably left already. Since he¡¯s in the first-ss cabin, he can use the VIP channel instead of queuing up. So, he probably left before us. Since Natalie did not respond to his question, Stanley stopped asking. However, the hostile look in his eyes intensified instead of fading away. Natalie hailed a cab outside the airport. She quickly told the driver the hotel¡¯s address before helping Stanley into the cab. Soon after the cab drove off, a long limousine parked on the road started following it. When they reached the hotel, Natalie checked into the rooms and discovered that Stanley had only booked one room. ¡°There are two bedrooms in the executive suite. Since we¡¯re only staying for one night and will be heading to the cruise ship tomorrow, I only booked one room,¡± exined Stanley with a smile. Natalie was fine with that too. Since they would be staying in the cruise ship tomorrow, there was no need to book two rooms in the hotel. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You should rest first. Your motion sickness is so serious that your face is still pale.¡± After taking the room card from the concierge, Natalie held onto Stanley¡¯s arm and walked towards the lift. His head was almost resting against her shoulder. Rubbing his head against her, he chuckled softly. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect it to be so serious this time. But it¡¯s worth it.¡± He did not forget to bring his motion sickness pills in vain. ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie did not understand hisst sentence. He did not exin either. After entering the lift, he started to look very sleepy. Soon, they arrived at the floor where their room was located. Holding the room card with one hand, Natalie held onto Stanley with her other. With much difficulty, they walked across the corridor in search of their room. When they reached the end of the corridor, they finally found it. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Once Natalie opened the door, she brought Stanley to one of the bedrooms. ¡°Stanley, we¡¯re here.¡± She lightly shook her shoulders to remind him. He gave no reaction. Natalie turned her head to look at him only to realize that his eyes were closed. Under the impression that he was asleep, she attempted to bend down so she could toss him onto the bed. All of a sudden, Stanley held onto her waist and they fell onto the bed together. Shey there stiff in his warm embrace. After a long while, she mustered the courage to push him away and said embarrassedly, ¡°Stanley, let go of me.¡± ¡°Stop moving, I¡¯m feeling giddy.¡± Not only did Stanley not release her, but he also tightened his grasp. Natalie¡¯s brows furrowed. She was not used to being so intimate with him. Sorry for this, Stanley. Employing all the strength she had, she pried his hand away from her waist and effectively got out of his clutches. ¡°Have a good rest,¡± mumbled Natalie as the back of her hand gently grazed his forehead. She leaned over to remove his shoes before tucking him into the nket. Then, she quietly left the room. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The moment the door closed, Stanley¡¯s eyes flew open. He cautiously lifted his head and nced at the door for a while before lying back onto the pillow and shutting his eyes. Natalie had barely just settled down in the suite¡¯s living room before the doorbell rang. As she strode over to answer the door, she massaged her sore arms. On the other side of the door stood the hotel manager and a cleaningdy. The manager greeted Natalie with a wide grin and a deep bow. ¡°Hello Miss, how are you today?¡± Natalie held onto the door handle as she gave him a polite smile and answered, ¡°Hello, is there any issue?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s been a minor issue with the functionality of the facilities in one of the bedrooms of this suite. We¡¯re afraid it will cause you and your friend inconvenience. Hence, the hotel is upgrading you or your friend to move a special suite,¡± replied the manager. Natalie nkly stared back at him before questioning, ¡°There¡¯s a problem in one of the bedrooms? Which one is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that as well. The cleaningdy over here will know once she inspects the room,¡± the manager said as he gestured the cleaningdy to move forward. Natalie released the door handle and gestured for them toe in. ¡°Come on in.¡± The cleaningdy nodded and followed behind her. She then pointed to the bedroom that had its door wide open and dered, ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow quizzically. It turned out to be the room she wanted to move in to. At the side, the manager had been studying Natalie closely. Her expression told him that the cleaning lady got the right room. Thankfully, the hotel had a policy where guests were to leave their bedroom door open when there were no guests around. Otherwise, their n may fell through. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ll send someone to fix the room as soon as possible. But for now, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inhabitable. Would you or your friend be moving to the other suite?¡± The manager inquired with a polite tone. Natalie grabbed her bags and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go. My friend¡¯s still suffering from motion sickness and he¡¯s already resting. I don¡¯t want to wake him up.¡± ¡°Alright, pleasee with me.¡± The manager led the way and signaled for her to follow. Natalie hemmed before tailing along. When they entered the new suite, Natalie recognized that it was significantlyrger than their original suite. It was definitelyparable to a presidential suite. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ll leave you alone to settle down. We shall take our leave now,¡± the manager remarked after noticing that she was upied with assessing the room. He beckoned to the cleaningdy to vacate the room before Natalie was left alone in the magnificent suite. Natalie was about to ask if they made a mistake with the arrangements when the door closed shut. Left with no choice, she decided to take a bath leisurely. After she was done, she promptly fell asleep. By the time Stanley¡¯s phone call woke her up, the sky was already pitch dark. His anxious voice was the first thing that greeted her, ¡°Nat, where did you go?¡± Still drowsy from her slumber, she gently rubbed her eyes as she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m in the hotel room.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t see you,¡± uttered Stanley as he clenched his phone harder. That was when Natalie recalled the incident with the room. Giving herself a gentle smack on the forehead, she hurriedly recounted the encounter with the manager to him. The distress he felt slowly dissipated after her exnation, but his brows wrinkled as he questioned, ¡°There was something wrong with the room facilities?¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what the manager said.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± his reply was half-hearted as he made his way to the room to inspect it. When he realized that the room waspletely fine, it dawned on him that this was someone else¡¯s doing. Someone deliberately separated him and Natalie, prohibiting them to stay together. ¡°Stanley, why have you gone quiet?¡± Noting the silence on the other side, Natalie ruffled her messy hair as she enquired. Enraged, the grasp on Stanley¡¯s phone grew tighter, to the point it looked as though it was about to be crushed. However, his smile barely faltered as he responded to Natalie. ¡°Nothing much, I was just taking a look at the room.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡± Natalie asked before letting out a yawn and got down from her bed. Stanley¡¯s eyelids flickered as he attempted to divert the conversation away, ¡°Nothing, hence I stopped looking. You hungry yet?¡± She touched her tummy and said, ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the restaurant for dinner. I¡¯ll wait for you at the lobby.¡± With that, he hung up. Setting her phone aside, Natalie walked over to her luggage to retrieve a set of clothes. Then she slipped into her clothes before putting on some light makeup and leaving the room. ¡°Hi, Stanley,¡± Natalie called out upon reaching the elevator. ¡°You¡¯re right on time, the elevator¡¯s here. Let¡¯s go,¡± said Stanley as he motioned for her to enter. She nodded in response and followed behind him. Inside the elevator, Stanley¡¯s gaze was fixed on the floor, seemingly lost in thoughts. Despite being unable to decipher his mood, Natalie could tell that he was feeling down. She was about to probe into it when the elevator door opened. Shane was standing right outside. He was shocked to see Natalie and Stanley in the elevator. What a coincidence. I sure didn¡¯t expect to run into them. ¡°Mr. Shane...?¡± Natalie was pleasantly surprised by his appearance. I didn¡¯t know he was staying here too. Even though she was thrilled to see him, her countenance gave little away. He gave a slight nod in response before stepping into the elevator. The moment he entered, Natalie subconsciously took a step away from Stanley. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Shane caught sight of her seemingly insignificant step and let out a tiny smirk. Only the hand that Stanley kept in his pocket clenched into a fist. A spark of anger red within him as he asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, it was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Unperturbed by his sudden interrogation, Shane gave him the side-eye and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Well, well, well. I didn¡¯t expect that from you, Mr. Shane. Who knew the Mr. Shane would resort to such petty tricks,¡± Stanley scorned with contempt as he pushed up his sses. Shane kept his face impassive as he responded, ¡°I¡¯m no match for you and your devious schemes.¡± As she was listening to their conversation, Natalie felt bewildered. Gently massaging her temples to ease the tension in her head, she asked the two men, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Both men fell silent, with no intentions of answering her. Natalie bit her tongue as she tried to keep a poker face, ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t say anything then.¡± I¡¯ll just stop asking questions! These two people are so weird. When they first met, they were still civil with each other. How did the tables turn so quickly? What dispute do they have? Before she could deduce what was going on, the elevator reached the first level. Stanley tugged onto Natalie¡¯s hand and dragged her out of the lift, leaving Shane inside alone. He was thest to leave the lift. Standing there glowering at Stanley¡¯s hand on Natalie¡¯s, Shane had half a mind to storm over and break the pair up. A cold glint flickered in his eyes as he registered that Natalie did not seem to care less about the contact, with no intention to push Stanley¡¯s hand away at all. As though he could hear Shane¡¯s thoughts, Stanley turned around at this instant to sh him a deriding smile. Fury fumed within Shane as he saw Stanley¡¯s mocking expression, his face darkening in anger. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Ss¡¯ voice dispelled his thoughts. Shane turned to him with a stern expression and asked, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Ms. Graham is looking for you. She said she couldn¡¯t reach you, so she called me instead,¡± informed Ss as he passed him the cell phone. epting the cell phone, he instructed Ss, ¡°Alright. Go and inform the Hill family that I¡¯ll visitter.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ss nodded. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Shane ced the phone to his ear and conversed with Jacqueline Graham. After he hung up, he headed to a private room. When he walked past the resting area in the lobby, he caught a glimpse of Natalie and Stanley sitting beside each other on the couch. She was holding a bag filled with ice and holding it on Stanley¡¯s face. Thetter seemed to be enjoying himself. That sight revolted Shane. On the ne, she was helping me to ice my face. Now she¡¯s doing another man that favor? Wow. She sure is busy. Shane made no attempt to hide his re. Natalie felt as though someone was scrutinizing her and turned around. Her gaze was met with Shane¡¯s menacing re, and that sent chills down her spine. Apart from the hostility, there was this indescribable look in his eyes that she could not seem to fathom. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Natalie called as she waved to him. Her greeting prompted Stanley to open one eye to nce at Shane. However, Shane responded with a deadpan expression and walked away without a word. Natalie¡¯s hand was left hanging in the air before she awkwardly kept it. ¡°I think Mr. Shane is peeved by me.¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think so. Isn¡¯t he always like this?¡± retorted Stanley as he sneered. She shook her head dejectedly. For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something. But she just heaved a huge sigh and carried on with applying the coldpress to Stanley¡¯s face. When she was almost done, they headed for dinner. The next day, the Hill family sent someone over to pick them up. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The wedding of the Hill family¡¯s sessor was set to be on a cruise ship. Even though the ceremony was in the afternoon the next day, there was a ball that night, so all the guests boarded the ship a day earlier. Upon arriving at the pier, the first sight that Natalie caught was the gargantuan cruise ship that was docked at the harbor. It was an impressive sight. ¡°It¡¯s huge!¡± Natalie eximed as she marveled in awe. Nearby, Shane had just gotten off his sedan. Her words stopped him in his tracks. It reminded him of the night where she had moaned and cried under him relentlessly. She had said the same thing. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you alright?¡± asked Ss, who was following closely behind when Shane abruptly stopped. Regaining hisposure, Shane offhandedly replied, ¡°I¡¯m alright. Let¡¯s go,¡± before faking a light cough. He gave Natalie, who was still upied with gaping at the ship, a meaningful nce before he boarded the ship. Ss tailed behind. From her peripheral vision, Natalie spotted the two men. Her lips twitched ever so slightly as though she intended to greet them. However, Stanley stood right in front of her, instantly blocking her view. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± he asked as he grinned at her. Natalie averted her gaze and shook her head. ¡°Nothing much. When are we heading in?¡± ¡°Right after we register,¡± Stanley stated, gesturing to the registration counter up ahead. Then he held out his hand. Natalie tilted her head, puzzled. Stanley¡¯s eyes twinkled as he began to exin, ¡°You¡¯re attending as my girlfriend. We have to look like a couple, else others may be suspicious of us.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± Natalie gave him a tiny smile and ced her hand in his. Stanley quickly took the opportunity to hold her hand tight and guided her to the registration area. After they were done, staff members brought them to board the ship. Upon stepping foot onto the ship, Natalie realized that the interior was much more breathtaking than its exterior. The cruise ship was at least ten stories tall, housing a myriad of amenities. Not only was there a yground, but there were also a shoppingplex and even a casino. Calling it a tiny city would not be exaggerating. Stanley found the awestruck look on Natalie¡¯s face cute. The immense adoration was apparent in his eyes. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go say hi to the hosts. Then I¡¯ll apany you for some sightseeing. How does that sound?¡± His words snapped her out of her reverie. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± with her hand in his, Stanley brought her to the front desk to find out where the Hill family was. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 After learning that they were in the lounge on the tenth floor, Stanley brought Natalie upstairs. In the lounge, the head of the Hill family, Andre Hill, was having a business meeting with Shane. The butler went to his side to inform him of their arrival. He frowned slightly and instructed, ¡°Have them wait for me in the room next to ours. I¡¯m in the middle of...¡± ¡°You have guests?¡± Shane interrupted with a grim expression. Andre sheepishly smiled and replied, ¡°He was my son¡¯s doctor.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Since he was your son¡¯s doctor, he can be considered a benefactor of sorts. Let him in,¡± Shane nonchntly said as he raised his wine ss. Andre found it difficult to go against his request, so he gave orders to his butler to invite them in. ¡°Since Mr. Shane is fine with it, you can go ahead and call them in.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± replied the butler before heading out. Soon after, Stanley and Natalie walked into the lounge. The first thing that caught her eye was Shane¡¯s unexpected presence. ¡°Mr. Shane, you¡¯re here too?¡± Natalie asked with surprise evident on her face. She tried to remove her hand from Stanley¡¯s grasp, but he would not budge. Stanley had expected that would happen and left her no chance to escape. Their exchange seemed like a couple¡¯s banter to Shane, and that had him riled up. His grasp on the wine ss tightened, and it looked as though he was going to crush the wine ss. Shane¡¯s silence left Natalie feeling dejected and she lowered her head slightly. Sensing the shift in her mood, Stanley¡¯s lips curled up in a smile and released her hand. Reaching out to shake Andre¡¯s hand, he greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Hill.¡± Andre gave him a firm handshake and said, ¡°Hi Dr. Quinn, wee aboard. This is...?¡± He trailed as his gazended on Natalie. ¡°Her name is Natalie. She¡¯s my...¡± Stanley shot Shane a contemptuous look before he slowly uttered the word ¡°...girlfriend.¡± Crack! The crisp sound of broken ss reverberated the whole room. Everyone in the room went still for a moment. Then they curiously sought the origin of the sound. It was Shane¡¯s wine ss. The remains of the broken ss were all over the floor while his hand was bleeding profusely. Clearly, the wine ss was crushed by his own hand. ¡°Mr. Shane! Your hand...¡± cried Natalie, wincing as she attempted to go over to have a look. Stanley held her back, forbidding her to do so. Natalie scowled at him with displeasure. He gave her a disdainful look and muttered, ¡°Nat, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re my girlfriend right now!¡± Pursing her lips, Natalie resisted the urge to dart over and check on Shane. It took her a great deal of effort before she let out a heavy sigh and stayed in her position. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Sigh, I guess we did agree that I would attend the wedding as his girlfriend. If I rush over to show Shane concern, it would be disregarding Stanley. I can¡¯t let his reputation go down in mes... When he got the impression that Natalie had relented, he released his grasp and walked over to Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, may I have a look at your injury?¡± Andre wasted no time in making space for Stanley as he hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to take care of him.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Stanley grinned at Andre before he turned to look at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, could you please give me your hand?¡± Instead of obeying, Shane stood up with his fists clenched and bellowed, ¡°Save it!¡± With that, he stalked out. Natalie stared at his departing figure with the urge to call out to him. After a momentary pause, she realized she had no right to force him to listen. ¡°Sorry about that Dr. Quinn and Ms. Natalie. Mr. Shane was just...¡± Andre shed them an apologetic smile. Stanley dismissed his apology and mused, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know Mr. Shane. I¡¯m used to him being like this.¡± ¡°Right...¡± Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Suddenly, the door to the lounge swung open. A petite figure sprinted over and spoke, ¡°Dad! I heard from the butler that Dr. Quinn is here. Is he here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he right over there?¡± chuckled Andre as he looked in the direction of Stanley. Annie traced his line of sight and saw the man of her dreams. Her eyes lit up and her cheeks reddened. She took small strides and stopped right in front of Stanley, tugging onto the corner of her blouse as she coyly muttered, ¡°Hi, Dr. Quinn. It¡¯s been a while!¡± Natalie arched her brows at that. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. This girl is smitten with Stanley! She turned to Stanley with a yful look on her face. Upon seeing the devilish gleam twinkling in her eyes, his eyes turned stony. However, he quickly turned to Annie and gave her a gentlemanly smile, one that barely reached his eyes. He had a distant look in his eyes when he responded, ¡°Hello, Annie. Nice to see you.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been almost half a year.¡± Annie lowered her head as she shyly giggled. Just as she was about to probe further into his life, he mentioned that he was leaving. Then he turned to the woman beside him and said, ¡°Nat, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Annie¡¯s face turned pale as she registered Stanley¡¯s term of endearment for Natalie. ¡°Hold on!¡± She called out for them. They simultaneously halted. Annie had a strained look as she attempted to force out a smile. ¡°Dr. Quinn, who¡¯s this?¡± Andre was well aware of his daughter¡¯s affections for Stanley. Heaving a huge sigh, he said, ¡°Annie, this is Ms. Natalie. She¡¯s Dr. Quinn¡¯s girlfriend.¡± ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Annie shrieked, stumbling backwards in shock. Even though she had spected that to be the case, actually hearing it herself proved to be harder than expected. ¡°That¡¯s right. Nat¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± Stanley chimed in as he pulled Natalie into a warm embrace. Natalie¡¯s shoulders tensed at the sudden contact but she bit the bullet and gave Annie a tiny grin. ¡°Hi, my name¡¯s Natalie.¡± Annie gave no reply, biting her bottom lip while she continued ring at Stanley. Resentment shed in her eyes, as though she was begrudged at him for having a girlfriend. Stanley feigned ignorance and was calm and collected when he brought Natalie out of the room. In the corridor. Natalie shrugged her shoulders to remind Stanley to remove his arms. That was when Stanley instantaneously pulled his hands back and acted as though he just realized. ¡°Sorry Nat, I forgot.¡± Without a trace of doubt, Natalie shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Now I know why you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend for this wedding. ¡°Oh, why¡¯s that?¡± Stanley looked up at her. ncing in the lounge, she replied, ¡°Because of Ms. Hill, right? She¡¯s fond of you. So the goal of our act is for her to give up on you. Right?¡± Stanley gave a faint smile. ¡°I guess so. Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about this. I¡¯ll go walk around with you.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Natalie dly agreed. In the hours that followed, the pair went to multiple ces on the ship. They visited the yground, the shoppingplex, and the restaurant. Finally, they arrived at the deck to catch a glimpse of the sea view. Clutching the railing, Natalie stared at the deep blue ocean excitedly. The light sea breeze gently blew and made her long hair and dress flowed with the wind; she looked as stunning as a fairy. It was a beautiful sight, and people around couldn¡¯t help but admire the picturesque view; some even started snapping pictures. Upon noticing the attention, Natalie began posing for a photographer¡¯s camera. After the photographer was done, he walked over to Natalie and Stanley. In their confused gazes, he took the film negatives from his camera and passed it to Natalie, beforeplimenting her. ¡°This is for you. You¡¯re very pretty.¡± Cheeks reddening at his ttery, Natalie bashfully thanked him. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 ¡°No problem,¡± The photographer waved his hand, then turned around and left. Stanley took the negative from Natalie and held it under the sun. ¡°I saw a photography outlet on my way in. I¡¯ll go and get this developed. Just wait for me here.¡± Before Natalie could decline, he walked away. Letting out a weak smile, she banished the thought of calling him back and stayed put. After a long while, Stanley had yet to return. Instead, Annie and her gang showed up. ¡°Where¡¯s Dr. Quinn?¡± Annie asked after she couldn¡¯t find him in sight. Since there was no need to hide, Natalie told her his whereabouts. Annie nodded lightly before looking Natalie all over and assessing her. ¡°You really are Dr. Quinn¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Guilt shed in her eyes as she fought the urge to tell her the truth. She made a promise, and she was going to fulfill it. So she faintly smiled and said, ¡°Yes. No doubt about that.¡± Annie¡¯s fingernails dug deeper into her palm as she replied, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of you before? How long have you known each other?¡± Even though she was praying for Stanley¡¯s speedy return, she put on a strong front and answered, ¡°Almost five years now.¡± ¡°Five years?¡± That shocked Annie. That¡¯s a whole four years earlier than me! At this moment, Annie felt discouraged. But she quickly recovered from her shock after one of her friends nudged her. Raising her chin ever so slightly, she stared at Natalie in contempt. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re Dr. Quinn¡¯s girlfriend and the fact that you have known each other longer than I have don¡¯t bother me. I like Dr. Quinn.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. Dumbfounded by her reaction, Annie knitted her brows. She didn¡¯t even show a hint of jealousy. Does she really love Dr. Quinn? N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. With a solemn expression, Annie dered, ¡°Since you¡¯re aware, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. I¡¯m putting it out there that I will be pursuing Dr. Quinn.¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow, baffled. ¡°But he already has a girlfriend...¡± ¡°You¡¯re not good enough for him!¡± interrupted Annie. Natalie pursed her lips at that. Crossing her arms, Annie added, ¡°I did a background check on you. You¡¯re just a small fashion designer. Without a privileged background, you won¡¯t be of any help to Dr. Quinn.¡± ¡°Help?¡± Natalie tidied her hair as she asked. Nodding in response, Annie continued, ¡°That¡¯s right. Dr. Quinn is great at what he does. He¡¯s destined for sess. He¡¯s going to be a revered doctor.¡± ¡°Well, that I know. We only have one life. Skilled doctors are bound to thrive.¡± Natalie uttered. Narrowing her eyes, Annie said, ¡°Since you know that, then you should be aware that all the people he¡¯s going to meet are from the upper echelons of society. His wife ought to be someone from that circle too. Only then can she assist him in integrating into the elite society. You¡¯re just a mere fashion designer. Do you think you are capable of doing that?¡± Natalie¡¯s brows arched after hearing her demeaning words. She may not be Stanley¡¯s real girlfriend, but those words irked her. Her expression was sour when she retorted, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything now but who¡¯s to say I won¡¯t be able to do anything in the future? Can¡¯t I learn?¡± ¡°You...¡± Annie was choked with fury. ¡°Learn? Where are you going to learn that from? Do you think learning will grant you ess to the upper ss?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that, Ms. Hill. Whether or not the upperssmen ept me doesn¡¯t change the fact that I am Stanley¡¯s girlfriend. As long as he doesn¡¯t mind, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine.¡± Natalie gave her a small smirk before turning to find somewhere else to wait. Angered by Natalie¡¯s tant disrespect, Annie stomped her feet and yelled, ¡°Stop right there!¡± Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Natalie pretended not to hear and continued walking forward. Bursting with rage, Annie quivered. Having seen how everything unfolded, her two friends were infuriated on behalf of Annie. They gave each other a look before they rushed forward and gave Natalie a push with all their might. Given that Natalie was already walking along the perimeter of the deck, the strength of two people was enough to send her flying past the railing and straight into the water. She let out a screech before she plopped right into the ocean. All who witnessed her fall were bbergasted. Registering what they had done, Annie¡¯s two friends were trembling in fear and they turned pale. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Annie, too, realized the gravity of the situation and fled the scene in a fluster. At the same time, Stanley was feeling cheery as he just returned from the photography shop. He had barely stepped foot on the deck when he bumped into Annie. If it were any other situation, Annie would have pestered him and clung onto him tightly. However, she looked at him in terror and took off at a faster speed. Following closely behind her were her two friends. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A mystified Stanley adjusted his sses. Before he could figure out what was happening, he heard a cry for help. ¡°Nat?¡± He recognized her voice. Looking around for the source of the cry, his facepletely fell when he realized the sound came from the bottom of the ship. He rushed forward to the edge of the railing to take a look. The sight that greeted him was Natalie iling her arms desperately in the deep blue sea. Perhaps it was because she had been struggling for a long time, she started to show signs of slowing down. The strong currents in the ocean were taking a toll on her. Stanley immediately tossed the photographs aside, hopped over the railing, and dived straight into the ocean without thinking. ¡°Nat!¡± When he reached her, he caught hold of her neck and pulled her towards the ship with her face facing upwards. The only problem was that the ship was moving forward. Despite it moving at a leisurely pace, it was undoubtedly moving at a faster rate than a swimming human. Stanley swam with all his might but the distance between them and the ship only grew wider. Luckily, someone threw lifebuoys into the ocean. As long as he could seize hold of the lifebuoy, they could be saved. However, with the additional weight of Natalie dragging him down, reaching the lifebuoy was an uphill task. Coupled with the fact that he had not swam in a long time, his leg started cramping. Natalie took one look at his painful expression and figured out what was happening. She felt deeply sorry and began to apologize, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Stanley, this is all my fault...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say a word! I¡¯ll save you. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Stanley attempted a weak smile as he continued swimming ahead. But the more he swam, the more his leg started to hurt. In the end, he was in so much pain that he let out a scream and the both of them started to sink. The people on the cruise were getting anxious watching them. ¡°I think that man is having a bout of cramps. Where¡¯s the lifeguard? Why isn¡¯t the lifeguard here yet?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Andre heard themotion from the tennis court on the second level and came down to investigate. With him was Shane, donned in tennis wear. His left hand was bandaged while he held a tennis racket in the other hand. Beads of sweat trickled down the side of his face as he stood beside Andre. He had no interest in whatever others had to say. ¡°Mr. Hill, there are people drowning!¡± Someone called out while pointing to the ocean. ¡°Drowning?¡± Andre¡¯s brows furrowed as he strode over to take a look. When he identified the people in the water, he was startled. ¡°Dr. Quinn and his girlfriend?¡± Upon hearing that, Shane¡¯s nostrils red and he rushed forward to confirm for himself. When he saw Natalie slowly drowning, he dropped his tennis racket and dived into the water, swimming towards Natalie and Stanley. His actions stunned Mr. Hill, who hurriedly instructed his men to save them after recovering from the shock. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 ¡°Quick, save them!¡± urged Andre loudly. If something bad happens to the CEO of Thompson Group here, the Hill family will be doomed! Immediately after Shane jumped into the sea, Ss had already dashed toward the cruise¡¯s emergency department and headed out to sea in a lifeboat. Reaching Natalie before Shane, he dove into the water. However, instead of rescuing her, he swam toward Stanley. As she would be taken care of by Shane, there was no need for him to intervene. Like what Stanley had done earlier, Shane hooked his arm over Natalie¡¯s neck and pulled her toward the lifeboat. Lifting her butt, he pushed her onto the boat before grabbing the sides and pulling himself onto it. Ss lifted Stanley onto the lifeboat in a simr manner. By then, Stanley had already lost his consciousness, though his calf was still twitching. Natalie was in a much better state inparison to him. As Stanley was protecting her earlier, she was still conscious despite having gulped a few mouthfuls of water. However, her body was quivering uncontrobly. ¡°Head back quickly!¡± instructed Shane as he patted Natalie¡¯s face lightly. Knowing that Natalie and Stanley needed immediate medical attention, Ss nodded solemnly and increased the speed to the maximum. With the help of a team of lifeguards, Natalie and Stanley were sessfully transported back to the cruise ship two minutester. Shane knelt beside Natalie and pressed her stomach forcefully, trying to remove the water within her body. Natalie retched loudly and spat out a few huge mouthfuls of water. Only then did some color return back to her initially pale cheeks. Then, he pinched her nose, lifted her chin, and performed CPR on her. Andre watched him in shock before casting a pitiful gaze on Stanley, who was receiving first-aid treatment as well. I finally understand why Mr. Shane always seems so unhappy when I mention Dr. Quinn during our tennis games. Turns out that he has feelings for Dr. Quinn¡¯s girlfriend. Looking at how nervous he is right now, he probably likes her a lot. Natalie suddenly started to cough violently. Releasing his grip on her nose and chin, Shane moved away from her body. However, he continued staring at her. After a few seconds, Natalie¡¯s eyes fluttered open slowly. It took a while before she could focus her gaze. As she panted gently, the first thing that entered her eyes was the azure sky. Then, she spotted Shane¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie weakly called out to him. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Smiling she asked, ¡°So I wasn¡¯t dreaming. Were you the one who saved me?¡± Before she sank into the ocean, she had seen him swimming toward her anxiously. However, as her vision was blurred, she did not know if she had been mistaken. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re safe now.¡± Shane took off the wrist guard on his left hand, wrung it dry, and wiped the water away from her face. Closing her eyes, Natalie could not help but rub her face against his hand. Shane paused momentarily before calming himself down and resuming his actions. However, he inconspicuously made his actions much gentler. At that moment, the doctors and nurses of the cruise ship rushed over with two stretchers. Natalie and Stanley were ced on the stretchers and sent to the ship¡¯s medical center. Shane and Ss did not tag along. Instead, Andre arranged for them to change into another set of clothes. After changing, Shane headed to the medical center. He had already asked Ss to investigate why Natalie fell into the sea. From his understanding of her, she was not the yful type who would easily fall into the sea. There was definitely something fishy about it. When he reached the medical center, he was about to ask where Natalie was when he spotted a nurse pushing her into a ward. He quickly followed after her. Gazing at Natalie, who had already fallen asleep, he asked worriedly, ¡°How is she?¡± Chapter 250 Chapter 250 ¡°She¡¯s already fine. As she did not swallow too much water and had received immediate medical attention, she¡¯ll be alright after sleeping. However, the other patient is in a worse state. He might have to rest for a couple of days more,¡± exined the nurse. Shane nodded in acknowledgment and waved his hands in dismissal. After the nurse left, he sat down on a chair beside the bed. He could not calm himself down as he solemnly stared at Natalie, who was sleeping on the bed. He came here to confirm if Jasmine was right. After what happened earlier, he was finally certain that he had indeed fallen in love with Natalie. When she almost sank into the depths of the ocean, he was so anxious that it felt like his heart had stopped. If it were not for love, he would not have felt that way. Shane touched his chest. His heartbeat seemed quicker than usual, which was something he had never experienced before. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± An abrupt voice interrupted his thoughts. Frowning, he ced his hands down and nced over at the entrance. Ss walked in urgently. ¡°I found out that Ms. Smith did not fall into the sea on her own ord. Someone pushed her!¡± ¡°Someone pushed her?¡± Shane immediately sprang up. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. The culprit is Andre¡¯s daughter, who likes Dr. Quinn. She wants Ms. Smith to leave his side, but she refused. Hence, his daughter¡¯s friends pushed Ms. Smith into the sea to avenge her.¡± ¡°I see,¡± scoffed Shane coldly. Stanley said that I¡¯ll only cause trouble to Natalie, but isn¡¯t he doing the same? What right does he have to talk to me like that? ¡°Mr. Shane, how do you n to deal with this?¡± Ss asked Shane, who had an unpleasant expression on his face. He pursed his lips and replied, ¡°What happened to Andre¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°He has already locked her up and is nning to apologize to Mr. Smith after she wakes up. From what he said, it sounds like he intends to send his daughter back after she apologizes,¡± replied Ss as he adjusted his spectacles. Shaneughed coldly. ¡°Someone almost died. How can a mere apology suffice? Delete our drafted contract.¡± Ss raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Mr. Shane, we¡¯re not going to coborate with the Hill family anymore? They just opened a diamond mine and our jewelry business iscking a batch of raw diamonds.¡± ¡°The Hill family is not the only ones in this world who owns a diamond mine. It¡¯s not like I have no choice but to coborate with them!¡± stated Shane coldly as he narrowed his eyes. Since that was Shane¡¯s decision, Ss was in no position to rebuke. Shooting a meaningful nce at Natalie, who was lying on the hospital bed, he nodded. ¡°I understand. Do I inform the Hill family now about terminating our coboration?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Tell them after they apologize.¡± Shane waved his hands dismissively. Ss nodded. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Shane grunted in acknowledgment and sat down again after he left. Feeling his head aching, he massaged the sides of his temples. Then, heid his head down on the bed and fell asleep. After ying a few rounds of tennis with Andre and jumping into the sea to save Natalie, he felt exhausted from all the physical exertion. He really needed a good rest. Hence, he slept all the way until night time. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. When Natalie woke up, the first thing that she saw was the ceiling. She could already vaguely deduce where she was at. Shaking her head gently, she tried to sit up on the bed when she felt something pressing against her nket, making it hard for her to sit up. When she turned around and nced in that direction, she spotted Shane resting his head there and sleeping. She let out a soft yelp in surprise, which woke Shane up. He opened his eyes and sat up straight. Noticing Natalie staring right at him, his eyes gleamed. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up?¡± Natalie instinctively nodded. Touching her forehead gently, he asked, ¡°Do you feel ufortable?¡± To that, she shook her head. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± asked Shane as he ced his hand down. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Natalie lowered her head and touched her stomach. ¡°A little.¡± Hence, Shane took out his phone and instructed Ss to bring some food over. Throughout, Natalie kept staring at him. She was not sure if it was an illusion, but he seemed much gentler to her than before. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± When Shane noticed Natalie staring at him in a daze after he sent the message, he gazed back at her calmly. Returning to her senses, she quickly waved her hands in denial. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Thank you for saving me, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Shane ced his phone down. ¡°I already found out about why you fell into the sea. Annie Hill and her friends have already admitted to their mistakes. How do you want to deal with them?¡± Feeling troubled, Natalie sighed. If it were Jasmine or another ordinary person who pushed her into the sea, she could still retaliate without any inhibitions. However, she could not afford to offend someone from the Hill family. Now, she was at a loss for how to seek justice for herself. As she thought about it, sheughed bitterly. ¡°Did the Hill family mention how they¡¯re going to deal with it?¡± If what they nned to do was appropriate, she would just follow their wishes. Shane instantly understood what was on Natalie¡¯s mind. Knowing her concerns and circumstances, he wished to assure her that she did not have to worry about those. He could do anything she wanted to see. However, the difference in their statuses was too big. Status... A strange emotion shed across Shane¡¯s downcast gaze. However, it disappeared after a brief moment. He passed a cup of water to her and said, ¡°They¡¯ll apologize andpensate you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡± Natalie took a sip of water and smiled. Then, she remembered something and sat up straight. ¡°Oh, right. Where¡¯s Stanley?¡± She remembered that before Shane rescued her, Stanley had reached her first. However, as his leg cramped, he did not manage to save her and instead almost drowned. I wonder how he¡¯s doing now. When Natalie mentioned Stanley, Shane¡¯s calm face instantly clouded over. He took the cup from her hands, mmed it down on the table, and asked sarcastically, ¡°Are you that concerned about your boyfriend?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Natalie was stunned. Shane pursed his lips and looked at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t Stanley your boyfriend?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Natalie was amused. ¡°We¡¯re just pretending to be in a rtionship.¡± ¡°Pretending?¡± Shane¡¯s expression instantly became much more pleasant. She replied, ¡°Yeah. He probably knows that he¡¯ll meet Ms. Hill this time. To escape from her, he deliberately asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend.¡± ¡°Is that what you think?¡± Shane leaned against his chair. Natalie blinked in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what happened?¡± As he gazed into her innocent eyes, he could not help but massage his temples. She¡¯s too naive. She thinks that Stanley asked her to pretend to be his girlfriend just to escape from Annie, but I think that this is just one of his objectives. Stanley wants more people to misunderstand that she¡¯s his girlfriend. If the misunderstanding bes bigger, she won¡¯t even have a chance to exin herself. Instead of being his fake girlfriend, she¡¯ll gradually be his real one. This is such a great n. Looks like I must let Ss find out Stanley¡¯s true colors as soon as possible and let her know what kind of man he actually is. ¡°Mr. Shane, why are you not saying anything?¡± When Natalie saw Shane looking downward, she waved her hands in front of his face. He immediately grabbed her hand and squeezed it firmly. Although her hand was long and slender, it felt quite chubby too. Shane could not help but squeeze her hand a few more times. Natalie¡¯s face blushed at his actions. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± When he realized what he was doing, he froze and quickly released his grip. Although Natalie felt a bit disappointed after he released her hand, she feigned nonchnce and put her hand down. At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Shane saidmandingly, ¡°Enter!¡± Ss pushed the door open and entered with some food. There were a few people following behind him. Upon a closer look, Natalie saw Andre, Annie and her two friends. She did not recognize the others. ¡°Mr. Shane, they¡¯re here to apologize to Ms. Smith. These are the twodies¡¯ parents.¡± Ss ced the food down, pointed at the few strangers, and introduced them. Shane nodded expressionlessly and gestured for them to enter. Although he did not wee them here, he would not stop them from entering as they were here to apologize. ¡°Um... Ms. Smith, I¡¯m really sorry. My daughter¡¯s been too pampered and almost caused you to get into an ident. I¡¯m terribly sorry for that. We¡¯re here to apologize to you.¡± Andre nudged Annie toward Natalie¡¯s bed and asked her to apologize. Although Annie seemed quite reluctant, she still apologized along with the others. Natalie lowered her head and stared at her fingernails. ¡°I think that you shouldn¡¯t only apologize to me.¡± Andre and the rest were shocked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane nced at Natalie too. She smiled. ¡°So many people got mobilized to save me after I was pushed into the sea. I think that you should apologize to them. Mr. Shane and Stanley too.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll naturally apologize to Mr. Shane and Dr. Quinn. But why should we apologize to the rest?¡± demanded Annie disdainfully. Natalie shot a nce at her. ¡°Why? They didn¡¯t have to go down to the sea, but you caused them so much unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°You...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Annie was about to say something when Andre tugged her back and shot her a look of warning. Feeling aggrieved, her eyes reddened. However, she still remained quiet. As she had finally behaved herself, Andre heaved an unnoticeable sigh of relief. He nced at Shane briefly before shing Natalie an embarrassed smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Smith. We¡¯ll apologize to them.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m content.¡± Natalie smiled back at him. Since they were already willing to apologize, she would not remain hung up on it. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll take our leave now so we won¡¯t disturb your rest.¡± With that, Andre and the others left, allowing a peaceful silence to return to the ward. Natalie raised her head and nced at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, thank you for being here. If you weren¡¯t present, they wouldn¡¯t have agreed to apologize to the staff.¡± She knew very well that they agreed only out of courtesy to him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You should eat now.¡± Shane opened the box, took out the dishes inside, and ced them on the small table on her bed. Staring at the sumptuous meal in front of her, she was about to start eating when she recalled something. She gazed at him and asked, ¡°Have you eaten, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°No,¡± stated Shane calmly. As he had been apanying her all along, he did not have time to eat. Natalie invited him, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together, then.¡± ¡°No...¡± Shane was about to refuse when she shoved a spoon into his hand. ¡°What did you say just now?¡± Natalie blinked at him, pretending that she did not know what he was going to say. Shane nced at her, then back at the spoon in his hand. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to suppress his urge to utter those words. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s eat.¡± Smiling, Natalie split her food in half and gave some to him. When Shane looked at his portion of food, which was significantly bigger than hers, he felt slightly moved. A gentle look crept into his eyes. After they finished eating, Ss, who had been guarding outside the door silently, entered and cleaned up for them. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. A nurse holding a medical file knocked on the door. ¡°Ms. Smith! Your friend, Dr. Quinn, has woken up.¡± ¡°Stanley¡¯s awake?¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s staying in the adjacent ward.¡± The nurse said with a smile before leaving. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Natalie lifted her nket and stood up from the bed. When Shane noticed her actions, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you going to visit him?¡± ¡°He only got into this state because he was trying to save me. Of course, I have to visit him!¡± She replied as she bent down and wore her shoes. Hence, she did not manage to catch his unhappy expression. After wearing her shoes, she stood up straight and headed to the adjacent ward. She saw Stanley getting out of the bed the moment she entered. Wearing a hospital gown, he stood on the ground barefoot. He squinted as he waved his arms around like a blind man, trying to see if there were obstacles in front of him. As there was a chair in front of him, he would trip over the chair if he took a step forward. Hence, Natalie rushed over and held onto his arm. ¡°Be careful, Stanley.¡± ¡°Nat?¡± Stanley¡¯s hands paused mid-air as he called out in delight and surprise. Smiling, she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s me. Where are your spectacles?¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°They fell into the sea.¡± Natalie¡¯s smile faded as she lowered her head guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Stanley. It¡¯s all my...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Stanley hugged her tightly. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he said emotionally, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize to me. It¡¯s just a pair of spectacles. Everything¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Stanley...¡± When she heard that, she felt very touched. She lifted her arms and returned his embrace. Shane, who was standing at the entrance, watched coldly as they hugged. His fists were clenched so tightly that his veins throbbed. Despite having an urge to separate the two, he did not make a move at all. It was as if he had some reservations. Ss nced at his grim expression, then back at Natalie and Stanley, who were still hugging each other. He could not help butment, ¡°Why is Ms. Smith acting like this? She¡¯s already involved with you, but she¡¯s still hugging another man. It¡¯s simply too...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go!¡± interrupted Shane coldly as he spun around and left. Ss quickly followed after him. As he tried to catch up with him, he asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, aren¡¯t we going to enter and separate them?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes coldly. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time.¡± He had always been a domineering man. If there was something he had his eyes on, he would definitely get it¡ªregardless of whether it was in a business deal or a person. Since he was already clear about his own feelings for Natalie, he would definitely have her. However, it must only happen after the engagement was called off. Natalie did not know that Shane had witnessed her hugging Stanley. Gently pushing him away, she scrutinized him worriedly and asked about his physical condition. With her help, Stanley shuffled back to his bed. He touched his chest and replied, ¡°I got too much water in my lungs. Other than a suffocating feeling in my chest, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. She was really afraid that there might be otherplications. If so, she would never manage to repay all the favors she had owed him. ¡°Wait here, Stanley. I¡¯ll buy some food and a pair of sses for you.¡± Natalie grabbed the nket and covered his body. Smiling, he nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± When Natalie left, she unexpectedly bumped into Annie at the entrance. Not expecting to see her there either, Annie subconsciously tightened her grip on the thermal food jar. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Are you here to visit Stanley?¡± Natalie nced at the thermal food jar she was holding as asked. Annie bit her lip. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Go ahead.¡± Natalie moved aside to let her enter. Annie froze, shocked that Natalie was acting so generously. Having understood what was on her mind, Natalie smiled and left without saying anything. She returned one hourter. When she stepped out of the lift, she bumped into Annie again, who had probably just left Stanley¡¯s ward. Her eyes were red, indicating that she had just cried. Noticing it, Natalie could not help but raise her eyebrow in surprise. ¡°Did Stanley bully you?¡± Wiping her tears, Annie retorted, ¡°Are you here to watch me make a fool of myself?¡± Natalie shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that.¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Then, Natalie brushed past her and walked away. However, Annie clenched her fists and called after her, ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Stopping in her tracks, Natalie asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ms. Hill?¡± Annie turned around and stared at her with a determined gaze. ¡°Although I¡¯ve been rejected by Dr. Quinn again, my resolve remains the same. I will not give up on him.¡± When Natalie heard that, she lowered her head and broke into a chuckle. ¡°Okay! Try your best, then.¡± ¡°Of course I will. I know that you don¡¯t even love Dr. Quinn. The one you love is Mr. Shane. Back in the ward, you gazed at Mr. Shane in the exact same manner as I did when I look at Dr. Quinn. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re together with him, but it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Staring intently at Natalie, Annie dered confidently, ¡°I¡¯ll snatch Dr. Quinn away from you because you don¡¯t deserve him!¡± Smiling, Natalie patted her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting, then.¡± With that, she walked past Annie and left. Her smile only faded after she took a few more steps. An anxious expression appeared on her face instead. Are my feelings for Shane so obvious now? Even Ms. Hill noticed it. In that case, did anyone else discover it? Annie gazed at Natalie¡¯s back. She felt discouraged, feeling like she did not manage to affect her at all. In the end, she stomped on the ground angrily and entered the lift. The lift lobby resumed its initial silence again. At that moment, someone appeared from a corner, his face filled with excitement. ¡°Oh my God! What did I just hear? Turns out that Ms. Smith loves Mr. Shane. This is great. He¡¯ll be overjoyed to hear this, right?¡± As he thought about that, he hurriedly strode toward the presidential suite on the cruise. Shane was sitting at the desk and reviewing the emails sent by thepany. When he heard someone knocking on the door, he frowned. ¡°Come in.¡± Ss pushed the door open and entered. Shane nced at him, then at the envelope that he was holding. He pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to bring the photos to Natalie? Why did youe back?¡± ¡°I heard some great news on my way there!¡± Ss ced the envelope on Shane¡¯s desk. He raised his head and looked at Ss calmly. ¡°What great news?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Ms. Smith.¡± Ss adjusted his spectacles as he continued, ¡°I overheard her conversation with Ms. Hill. When she said that Ms. Smith loves you instead of Dr. Quinn, Ms. Smith did not rebuke.¡± When Shane heard that, he suddenly tightened his grip on the mouse. Despite feeling delighted, he remained expressionless. It was impossible to read his emotions from his face. After a while, he tugged his tie and said, ¡°I understand. You can leave now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ss nodded and left. After he left, Shane released his grip on the mouse and opened the envelope. A few photos fell out onto the table. He grabbed a random photo and stroked Natalie¡¯s face with his thumb. A smile appeared on his lips. Ss told me some great news just now. There¡¯s nothing better than knowing that my love is requited. Suddenly, his phone rang. With his smile suddenly fading, he ced the photo down, nced at the phone, and ced it by his ear. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°This is great! I know that you haven¡¯t slept.¡± Jackson¡¯s delighted voice sounded. Leaning against his chair, Shane asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°What else can it be about? If it¡¯s not something about Jacqueline, would I still call you despite knowing that it¡¯s nighttime?¡± Jackson rolled his eyes. Shane pinched his nose bridge as he asked, ¡°What happened to Jacqueline?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the cornea again. The hospital sent a pair of corneas over today, but she¡¯s still unsatisfied and refuses to undergo the surgery. If this continues, she¡¯ll go blind within a few months.¡± Jackson sighed, feeling extremely troubled. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. When Shane heard that, a hint of displeasure shed across his eyes. He pursed his lips and asked, ¡°What exactly does she want?¡± Chapter 255 Chapter 255 ¡°When I asked her, she said that she had her eyes on a pair of corneas.¡± ¡°From a living person?¡± Shane tightened his grip on his phone as a grim expression crossed his face. Jackson shook his head. ¡°She said that the person with those corneas will be dying soon.¡± So the corneas are from someone who¡¯s on the brink of death. Shane¡¯s initially tensed expression became relieved and he loosened his grip on the phone. While the hostile look in his eyes faded, he asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the person with the corneas? Has the person agreed to donate them to her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Jacqueline refuses to say anything, so I have no choice but to call you and ask you to convince her.¡± Jackson shrugged exasperatedly. Shane frowned. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be flying back tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jackson nodded. After hanging up, Shane tossed the phone on his desk, grabbed his mouse, and continued immersing himself in work. It was finally the wedding ceremony of the Hill family¡¯s heir the next day. As an invited guest, Natalie wore a gown and arrived at the wedding venue arm-in-arm with Stanley¡¯s. She waited for the ceremony to start. However, at that moment, Andre approached them with an embarrassed look. ¡°Hello, Dr. Quinn and Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°How may I help you, Mr. Hill?¡± asked Stanley with a smile. ncing at Natalie, he replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to ask you for a favor, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Ask me for a favor?¡± Natalie pointed at herself. Andre nodded. ¡°As I sent my daughter homest night, we are missing one bridesmaid...¡± ¡°You want Nat to be a bridesmaid?¡± Stanley raised his eyebrow. Natalie also gaped in surprise. As they managed to guess his objective right away, Andre stopped beating around the bush. Nodding, he pleaded, ¡°Yes. Please help us, Ms. Smith.¡± He bowed slightly to Natalie as he spoke. She let go of Stanley¡¯s arm, took a step back, and waved her hands in denial. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I¡¯m not close to the bride and I¡¯ve never been a bridesmaid before. This isn¡¯t quite appropriate, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to do anything much as a bridesmaid. All you have to do is to stand there,¡± persuaded Andre. Feeling like she was ced in a tight spot, Natalie nced at Stanley. Stanley was silent for a few seconds before asking, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you look for someone else?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°We did, but they¡¯re either married or unpresentable.¡± Andre smiled bitterly. Since he sounded so sincere and had even bowed to her, Natalie knew that it would be rude if she continued to refuse. Hence, she had no choice but to force out a smile and agree. ¡°Okay. I just have to stand there, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± A delighted look crossed Andre¡¯s face. Frowning, Stanley nced at Natalie. ¡°Nat...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go with Mr. Hill.¡± Natalie shed a smile at him. Andre stretched his hand out, inviting her toe along. ¡°Follow me, Ms. Smith. I¡¯ll bring you to the changing room for your makeup and clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded and followed him. The moment Natalie entered the changing room, the makeup artist pressed her down onto the chair and started applying makeup onto her face. Then, she went to meet the other bridesmaids and the bride. The bride was a very gentle and beautiful woman. After chatting with her, Natalie understood that all she needed to do was to stand there, just like what Andre had said. It was not asplicated as the customs back at home. Hence, she became less worried and gradually made friends with the other bridesmaids. The wedding ceremony began soon. Natalie and the other bridesmaids entered the venue with the bride. When Ss spotted her, he widened his eyes in disbelief. He quickly reminded Shane, who was not paying attention to the bride as he was busy typing away on his phone. ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Smith is actually a bridesmaid.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When Shane heard that, he raised his head and nced over at the bride. When he saw Natalie, who was wearing a bridesmaid gown and walking beside the bride, a look of amazement shed across his eyes. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Natalie looked dazzling in her bridesmaid gown. Her white dress draped her figure delicately as the train of her gown swished with elegance. It looked almost exactly like an actual wedding gown, save for the fact that it was missing a bridal veil. Shane could imagine just how perfect and gorgeous she would be when she dons a wedding gown. Natalie could feel a scorching gaze boring holes into her. She cocked her head and looked up cautiously towards the crowd, only to meet Shane¡¯s unwavering set of eyes. Under his intent gaze, a hint of embarrassment made its way to her face. She hastily shot a brief smile at him and turned away her head, avoiding his gaze. The whole wedding proceeded smoothly, and it was finally time to toss the bouquet. Youngdies at the wedding swarmed forward in no time, each eager to catch the bouquet from the bride. Natalie sat at her ce, looking at the exhrated guests with aposed smile on her face. ¡°Not interested?¡± Stanley came over. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll pass. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get it anyway,¡± Natalie replied, shaking her head slightly. Stanley looked at the mass of girls encircling the bride and shook his head in resignation. ¡°I¡¯d definitely go over if men were allowed to participate, then you¡¯ll be the next lucky girl to get married,¡± he paused, giving her a once-over as he adjusted the frame of the spectacles sitting atop his nose bridge. His eyes sparkled as he continued, ¡°Speaking of which, you really do look like a bride today.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie raised her brows, looking down at her dress. ¡°Yeah, you do.¡± Stanley nodded and smiled warmly. Natalie chuckled softly at hispliment. Before she could begin to thank him, however, the crowd roared in excitement, and the pair shifted their gaze to scan the scene. The bride had just thrown the bouquet, and everyone was scrambling to reach for it. But to all thedies¡¯ disappointment, the bouquet flew past them and dropped right into one of the men¡¯s arms. Shane was totally shocked when the bouquetnded on him unexpectedly. Thedies were shocked by the scene that had just unfolded before their eyes. Never would they have expected that the bouquet wouldnd in the arms of a man. Natalie had been stunned into silence as well. However, as she looked at how stoned Shane appeared, she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. She tried her best to keep it in, but she couldn¡¯t hide her glee even with one hand covering her mouth. Natalie¡¯s suddenughter echoed out loud and broke the awkward silence within the hall. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Just as everyone was thinking if the bride should toss the bouquet again, Shane strode towards the ladies as he waded through the crowd confidently. Everyone made way and naturally created a pathway for him as he walked towards Natalie with an arrogant aura. Thus, faced with no hindrance whatsoever, Shane came right up to her, ignored her look of confusion, and pushed the flowers toward her. ¡°This is for you.¡± Natalie¡¯s smile froze on her lips as she looked at him with her eyes wide open. ¡°This... this is for me?¡± Beside her, Stanley eyed Shane like a vexed hawk. Shane disregarded his re and stuffed the bouquet into Natalie¡¯s hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know any of the ladies here, so I¡¯ll just give it to you.¡± With that, he turned around and left without waiting for a reply. Natalie finally came back to her senses and called out from behind, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane!¡± A subtle smile yed on Shane¡¯s lips as he walked away without looking back. Natalie never expected things to turn out like this. Somehow, the bouquet still came to her, although she did not want it. She fondled the delicate flowers in her hands as a satisfied smile spread across her lips. But Stanley did not seem happy at all. He gripped his fists in frustration as he looked at Natalie cradling the flowers in her hands. He wanted so badly to snatch the bouquet away from her and trample it under his feet over and over again. However, his rationality came to him at thest moment, and he managed to stop himself from engaging in that act. With the tossing of the bouquet, the wedding ended, and guests started moving out of the venue. After getting changed, Natalie went to the restroom. Just as she was heading out, she bumped into Stanley around the corner and almost jumped out of her skin. ¡°Stanley! Were you waiting for me?¡± Natalie asked, trying to catch her breath. Instead of answering her, Stanley glowered at the flowers in her arms. Anger smoldered in his eyes as he drilled his gaze into the bouquet. I can¡¯t believe she went to the restroom with the flowers! Does she like them so much that she can¡¯t even bear to leave them for a second? Natalie sensed his odd behavior and cocked her head aside as she stared at him curiously. ¡°Stanley, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Stanley went closer to her and cornered her, mming his hand on the wall fiercely. ¡°Nat, do you really like Shane Thompson that much?¡± Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Natalie jerked in shock at his severe tone and shied away from his interrogative re. ¡°What do you mean, Stanley?¡± He raised her chin and forced her to look right into his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb, Nat. You know what I mean.¡± Natalie did not like how Stanley was treating her. An irritated frown spread across her brows, and she pushed him away. However, Stanley wasn¡¯t going to give her a chance. He increased the pressure and pressed his fingers against her chin, preventing her from moving at all. ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re hurting me!¡± Natalie cried out in pain. But Stanley was relentless. He moved closer to her, and his exasperated breaths beat against her cheeks. ¡°Why, Nat? Why? Why must it be Shane Thompson? Why can¡¯t it be me?¡± Natalie looked up at him inplete shock. ¡°Stanley...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve waited for you for five years, Nat. I¡¯ve always thought you¡¯d fall for me one day. I was there by your side, waiting for you to realize how I feel. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never forced my feelings on you. But what did I get in return? You fell for him just two months after you got back...¡± Stanley buried his head into her shoulder as he vented. Natalie¡¯s lips quivered at his confession. Her emotions were a mess, and she did not know how she should respond to Stanley. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Stanley. I really have no idea about how you feel towards me.¡± All Natalie could do was apologize. She had always taken Stanley as her best friend¡ªnothing more than that. Besides, she knew Joyce had feelings for Stanley. She would never trade their friendship for a man! ¡°How would you¡¯ve known? I¡¯ve never told you anything. I thought one day you¡¯de to realize that I have loved you all this while. I waited for five good years¡ªand all for nothing. You end up falling for Shane. Nat, do you know how much this pains me?¡± Stanley finally lifted his head and looked at her in anger. Natalie let out a gasp and bit her lips without another word. She had never seen Stanley like this before. The veins on his temples bulged and pulsated as his indignant re bored through her. For a moment, Natalie felt like the man standing before her was aplete stranger. Stanley had always been an elegant and well-mannered young man. She almost couldn¡¯t recognize him in this manner. ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Stanley asked, toying with a lock of her hair. His tone had softened, yet it was coldly provocative. A shudder went down Natalie¡¯s spine as his chilly voice echoed in her ears. She forced a smile and replied, ¡°Stanley, can you let me go? You¡¯re drunk.¡± But Stanley did not move an inch. ¡°I¡¯m not, Nat. I know exactly what I¡¯m doing.¡± His fingers rubbed across her lips as his gaze wandered and finally stopped on her lips. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Nat, I¡¯ve stayed by your side for so many years. And yet, you end up loving someone else. I¡¯ll not give up now. I¡¯ll make sure you taste my agony!¡± Before Natalie could say anything, Stanley forced his lips on hers and kissed her crudely. Natalie stopped dead in utter shock. She struggled to free herself from Stanley when she finally came around. Yet, his grip only tightened around her as his kiss intensified. He moved his tongue brutally between her lips, making his way into her mouth. But just as Natalie almost burst out in tears, a solid punchnded on Stanley¡¯s jaw, sending him flying away from her. Losing his bnce, Stanley faltered before he fell and passed out. ¡°Stanley!¡± Natalie quickly reacted and dashed towards him. But Shane tugged her by the wrist and held her back. ¡°Why do you still care for him after what he did to you?¡± Natalie looked back at him and swallowed her words. Shane¡¯s blood boiled when he saw her raw and reddened lips. His hand unconsciously tightened around her wrist as he raged. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he bellowed as he pulled her away. The sound of Natalie¡¯s high heels echoed rapidly through the hallway as she hastened her steps, trying hard to keep up with Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, we can¡¯t just leave Stanley back there,¡± she said as she looked back anxiously. Although Natalie was angry with Stanley for what he did, he was still the person who saved her whole family. She could not leave him there alone. ¡°Ss will take care of him,¡± Shane replied apathetically with his gaze fixed ahead. Just as Natalie was about to heave a sigh of relief, she suddenly realized that she was actually jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. ¡°Mr. Shane, may I know where are we heading?¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Shane pulled her along towards the elevator without saying a word. When he saw a few other people in the elevator, he shot them a threatening re andmanded, ¡°Get out.¡± The people exchanged timid looks and moved out of the elevator without further ado. Shane dragged Natalie in as the people dispersed. He thrust her into the elevator and pressed the close button on the panel. The door closed silently and Shane turned towards her furiously, closing in on her in the small space. ¡°Stanley is not who you imagine him to be. I¡¯ve told you this a long time ago, but you chose not to listen to me!¡± Natalie lowered her head quietly. She could not justify herself. But she was not ready for another confrontational conversation. She pushed Shane away gently, trying to maintain a distance between them. However, Shane clutched her hands tightly. He leaned in closer to her, and his gaze sunk into her frightened eyes. His other hand reached for her lips and caressed them, rubbing across the bite mark Stanley left on her lips. The skin on Natalie¡¯s lips had peeled off from Stanley¡¯s aggressive advances earlier on, and she winced in pain from Shane¡¯s rough treatment. ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you doing?¡± She bit his hand unreservedly. Shane stopped and stared at her lips. ¡°They¡¯re dirty!¡± Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a bit, and her jaw rxed. Her face turned pale as she looked at Shane guiltily. Does he think I¡¯m dirty? Is that what he¡¯s trying to say? Shane caught a fleeting bout of dejection in her eyes and thought Natalie must have misunderstood him. He pursed his lips, tilted her chin, and pressed his lips against hers without a second thought. Natalie¡¯s lips parted in shock, and Shane took the chance to swirl his tongue passionately in her mouth. A pink shade of heat grew across her fair cheeks, and her body became tense at the touch of his lips. When Natalie finally came back to her senses, she opened her eyes in surprise. But all she could see was Shane¡¯s cleanly cut sideburns and his defined jaw moving in a slow but sure rhythm. Ding! The mellow ring of the elevator rang through the stiff air. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Natalie mumbled as Shane finally moved away from her. ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned them up,¡± Shane said, wiping the corner of his wet lips with his fingers. Natalie frowned at him, confused. Huh? What? He has cleaned them up? Natalie finally understood what Shane meant. He did not mean to say she was dirty. He wanted to get rid of Stanley¡¯s filthy marks on her lips. Does this mean he¡¯s jealous? A sweet smile curved on the corners of her mouth as she pinched her lips nervously. ¡°Why did you kiss me?¡± Shane cleared his throat and evaded her question as he walked out of the elevator, feigning nonchnce. Natalie puckered her mouth and followed after him unwillingly. ¡°Mr. Shane, do you usually go about kissing people randomly? I¡¯ve heard Mr. Campbell saying that you¡¯re a clean freak, and yet you kissed me. Does this mean you like me?¡± Natalie had a gut feeling Shane liked her when they were on the ne a few days ago. She dismissed the possibility back then, thinking she was overreading things. But from Shane¡¯s reaction towards Stanley and the kiss just now, she could not help but wonder if her sixth sense was correct. Upon hearing her question, Shane finally stopped and spoke. ¡°No, I don¡¯t like you.¡± The glow on Natalie¡¯s face dissipated instantly, and she looked at him nkly. Then why did you kiss me? N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Were you just toying me? Natalie took a deep breath, trying to fight off the tears welling up in her eyes. A rigid smile showed on her face, and she repliedposedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Shane. I must have misunderstood. I really shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± A sharp pang of pain wrenched her heart, and Natalie knew she could not stand it any longer. ¡°Anyway, thanks for helping me out back there, Mr. Shane. I¡¯ll treat you to a good meal next time. Please excuse me.¡± Natalie waved him goodbye rigidly and waited briefly for a reply. But Shane did not say a single word. Natalie¡¯s head dropped in disappointment as she tried to hide her expression from him. She finally turned around and dashed off in a hurry. What was I thinking? Was I expecting him to say he liked me? Jacqueline is the woman he loves! Come on, Natalie Smith, you¡¯re so full of yourself! I really need to wake up from this wishful dream. I should stop coveting someone who is not meant for me. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Hearing her footsteps waning away, Shane finally turned around. His hands in his pockets tightened in a grip as he watched her walked away. Ss, who had been watching them for quite some time, came over and sighed. ¡°Mr. Shane, why don¡¯t you just be honest with Ms. Smith? It¡¯s obvious that she likes you as well. I don¡¯t see why you two can¡¯t get together. You¡¯ve already broken off your engagement with Ms. Jasmine anyway.¡± Shane pursed his lips as he squinted his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet. I won¡¯t get together with her until I find out who¡¯s the person who¡¯s trying to harm her. I¡¯ll only put her in danger if I act rashly now. I¡¯lle clean with her after I catch that culprit.¡± Shane knew deep in his heart that he would do everything he could to win her heart. It was just a matter of time before he took the final step towards Natalie. Ss raised his brows and nodded in surprise. ¡°I see. So you already have a n in mind. But I bet Ms. Smith must be heartbroken now. You rejected her so tantly.¡± Shane rustled his hair in vexation and gulped hard. ¡°Gosh, I swear I¡¯ll make it up to her!¡± Ss looked at him and smiled grimly. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to find the culprit behind this. Speaking of which, there¡¯s something I can¡¯t wrap my head around.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane asked in a vignt tone. Ss rubbed his chin as he spoke, ¡°Do you remember how we thought it must be someone close to you who had been watching us since this person knew you¡¯re close to Ms. Smith? I¡¯ve already run a check on everyone around us, but there¡¯s nothing suspicious. I wonder if we¡¯re working in the wrong direction. Could it be that there was actually no one monitoring our moves, to begin with?¡± Shane rolled his eyes around as he chewed on what Ss said. ¡°We¡¯ll test the waters after we go back.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Ss replied with a definitive nod. ¡°Let¡¯s make a move first,¡± Shane said, rubbing his temples as they walked towards his room. The two boarded the ne and headed home that afternoon itself. As for Natalie, she had to stay a little longer since Stanley was not awake yet. Natalie paced back and forth outside his ward as she tried to muster the courage to go in and see him. She peered in through the ss door, trying to check if he was already awake. What Stanley did earlier on had really scared the wits out of her. Just as she was contemting if she should enter, a nurse came out of the room, and Natalie quickly stopped her. ¡°Is he okay?¡± The nurse gave her an assuring smile. ¡°He¡¯s got some seawater left in his body after he almost drowned yesterday. Besides, he¡¯s allergic to alcohol, so he¡¯ll need some time to rest. But he¡¯ll be okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Thank you,¡± Natalie said with a nod. The nurse smiled back politely and walked off. Natalie was relieved to know that Stanley was not ill because of Shane. It seemed like Stanley would still be sick regardless of whether Shane punched him in the face or not. Just when Natalie was about to push the door open and go in, her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was Joyce. She took a culpable look at Stanley and turned around to pick up the call. ¡°Nat, are you back already?¡± Joyce¡¯s crispy voice rang through the phone. ¡°Nah, still there,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°When will you be back?¡± Natalie pursed her lips and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, actually. What¡¯s the matter?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s no big deal, actually. The Design Association sent a notice inviting all the studios in J City to a meeting about apetition. I don¡¯t have much detail yet, but I do need to know if you¡¯re attending,¡± Joyce reported as she scrolled through the contents on herputer screen. Natalie¡¯s eyes lit up as she bit her lip, ¡°They called for all studios in the city to participate? That sounds like a big event, though. When is it?¡± ¡°Tomorrow night.¡± Natalie bit her lips as she ran through her schedule mentally. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get a ticket and be back before that.¡± Chapter 260 Chapter 260 ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll pick you up at the airport then,¡± Joyce offered. Natalie agreed cheerfully and ended the call as she walked into the ward. ¡°Stanley, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said under her breath after looking at him for some time. Before long, Natalie had turned and left the room. She was still upset over what he had done that morning. To be honest, she did not know how she should face him after all that had happened. That was why Natalie made up her mind to not see Stanley for the time being. She wanted to give both of them some time to relieve the awkwardness and let his feelings die down. She went over to the counter and arranged for a caretaker for Stanley before letting Andre know she was leaving. When Andre found out she was about to leave, he offered to ask his men to send her to the airport and even helped her booked her tickets. He insisted that he had to return the favor of Natalie agreeing to be his bridesmaid. So Natalie agreed and went along with his proposal. By the time she arrived, it was already 6 o¡¯clock in the morning. When Joyce saw Natalie at the airport, she shot her a bright smile and ran towards her, giving her a big warm hug. She looked around, searching for Stanley but to no avail. ¡°Cut it out. He¡¯s not here,¡± Natalie teased and flicked Joyce¡¯s forehead. An apparent look of disappointment showed on Joyce¡¯s face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t hee along? Is it because he knew I wasing?¡± ¡°Nah, something came up, and he had to stay back,¡± Natalie replied and looked at her friend anxiously. She did not want Joyce to worry, so she decided to keep her in the dark about Stanley¡¯s health. She knew that Joyce would rush over if she found out about it. On top of that, Stanley would definitely give her a cold shoulder when he saw her. That would only hurt Joyce more. ¡°I see! I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s fine as long as he¡¯s not trying to avoid me,¡± Joyce said cheekily as a glow of happiness resumed on her face. Natalie felt an urge to ask Joyce what had happened between Stanley and her, but she brushed off the thought and decided it was best to just leave things be. ¡°Alright, Joyce, let¡¯s go to the hospital first. I miss the children,¡± Natalie suggested, changing the topic. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Joyce nodded and helped her with her luggage as the two made their way over. After sending Natalie to the hospital, Joyce went back to the studio because she still had a mountain of work to look into. Natalie bid her goodbye and went into the hospital with all her luggage and bags. By the time she went into the ward, only Connor was around. Yulia was out sending Sharon to the kindergarten, and the caretaker was away getting food. Connor was reading aic on his bed when he heard the door opened. He looked up in anticipation, and his eyes lit up in excitement when he saw Natalie. ¡°Mommy!¡± He flipped his nket aside and leaped out of bed, running towards Natalie. He hugged her by her leg and jumped in thrill. ¡°Mommy! You¡¯re back!¡± Natalie pushed her luggage aside and bent down to hug him. ¡°Where are your shoes?¡± She carried him to the bed and patted his head lovingly. ¡°Don¡¯t jump out of bed like that next time, okay? What if you hurt yourself?¡± Connor stuck out his tongue with a naughty smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I¡¯m just too happy to see you! I won¡¯t do it again,¡± Connor said cheekily as he curved his cute pinky at her, signaling that he had made a pinky promise to her. Natalieughed and pinched his cheeks fondly. ¡°Ouch, Mommy! It hurts!¡± Connor cried out, pouted his lips. Natalie burst outughing and lowered her head to give him a sloppy kiss on both cheeks while Connor wriggled around, chuckling at the tickle on his face. Just as the two were having a good time reuniting, the door opened. The caretaker was back with a thermal food jar in her hand. ¡°Ms. Smith! You¡¯re back!¡± The caretaker was surprised to see Natalie with Connor. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back. It¡¯s good to see you again, Ms. Carter. Thanks for taking care of Connor,¡± Natalie greeted her with a smile on her face. The caretaker waved her hand back. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Have you eaten, Ms. Smith?¡± Chapter 261 Chapter 261 ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten on the ne,¡± Natalie replied as she let go of Connor. Sensing that his mother¡¯s grip had rxed, Connor pulled his thick nket and snuggled back into bed. The caretaker pulled down the bed table and put the thermal food jar on it. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Connor took up the spoon and ate away happily. Natalie sat beside him, looking at her son lovingly as she wiped away the food at the corner of his tiny lips. ¡°Ms. Smith, have some water,¡± the caretaker said, offering her a cup of water. Natalie put down the napkin in her hand and reached for the ss. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Carter.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± she replied with a smile, ¡°I met Connor¡¯s doctor on the way back, and he told me that Connor could be discharged soon. I actually wanted to inform Ms. Lawrence, but since you¡¯re back, I think I¡¯ll just let you know.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. I¡¯ll go to the receptionist and get it settled then.¡± Natalie put aside her ss of water and got ready to leave. Connor was happy as ark when he found out he could leave the hospital. He pped his hands cheerily and eximed, ¡°I¡¯m going home atst!¡± Natalie knew the little one had been bored out of his mind confined within these walls, so she tapped his nose in a pampering gesture, suppressing a smile that was spreading on her face. She took up Connor¡¯s medical record and walked out of the room. After clearing all the paperwork, Natalie picked up her things and headed back to the ward. Just as she was going into the elevator, a tall man in white ran right into her. Natalie sprang back and barely managed to keep her bnce. All the stuff in her hand slipped and scattered on the ground. The man was not any better himself. He stumbled a few steps back, and his sses fell on the floor. He picked up his sses, putting them back on in a haphazard manner, and started apologizing profusely. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry. Are you okay? Natalie was picking up the receipts on the floor when the familiar voice piqued her curiosity. ¡°Dr. Baker?¡± Jackson hadn¡¯t expected to meet someone familiar in this setting, and he adjusted the sses on his face as he looked at Natalie with a smile. ¡°Oh, hi! What a coincidence!¡± ¡°Yeah, what a coincidence! What brings you here, Dr. Baker? I thought you¡¯d be at your hospital,¡± Natalie asked, standing up. The doctor wiped off the sweat on his forehead and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m here to see if there is any backup cornea avable.¡± ¡°Oh, why?¡± Natalie was surprised. Jackson shrugged, ¡°Well, I have a tricky patient. She¡¯s adamant about recing her corneas with the ones she secured herself. But she refused to reveal the donor. So I have no choice but to look for backups just in case the transnt doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡¯s difficult indeed. But I thought corneas are all the same. Why is the patient so picky?¡± Natalie asked. Jackson breathed a long breath and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°How would I know? I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s thinking. By the way, why are you here, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Oh, my son is admitted to this hospital,¡± Natalie replied, showing him the receipt. ¡°Ah, I remember. I think Ss mentioned that car ident once. I hope your son is fine now.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s doing better now.¡± Jackson smiled widely and nodded in approval. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± ¡°No worries, Dr. Baker. He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Natalie replied with a smile as she gestured towards the elevator. Jackson bid her goodbye, and she went in. But just as Natalie walked in, Jackson spotted a piece of paper on the ground. He quickly picked it up and called out to her. But he was toote. The elevator door had already closed, and Natalie was nowhere in sight. Jackson looked at the document and flipped it over. It was Connor¡¯s health examination record. He scanned through every item on the list and his pupils dted the moment he saw Connor¡¯s blood type. ¡°Rh-negative?¡± Jackson eximed in disbelief. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 What the heck is this? I clearly remember that kid has a blood type A. That¡¯s the result I got when I did a paternity test for him and Shane! Jackson waspletely dumbfounded. He blinked his eyes hard and looked at the report again carefully. Yes, it¡¯s Rh-negative. I¡¯m not seeing things. Jackson¡¯s grip tightened as he tried to process what he was seeing. His heart thumped rapidly in his chest, and the surroundings suddenly became muted. Connor looks exactly like Shane¡ªthis is a fact. If they even have the same blood type, this can only mean one thing! His frown deepened on his brows, and he sprinted back towards his hospital. He simply had to get to the bottom of this. Something must have gone wrong when he was doing the testst time. There was no way the test result showed Connor had blood type A unless he got the wrong blood sample. Once he reached the hospital, he darted towards Jacqueline¡¯s ward and knocked on the door impatiently. Ss opened the door and greeted him, ¡°Dr. Baker, you¡¯re back.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. But Jackson totally ignored him and pushed his way in. ¡°Shane, I need you here for a moment.¡± Beside Jacqueline¡¯s bed, Shane cut off the conversation he had been having with her and stood up, alerted. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Juste out, right now,¡± Jackson hurried him as he beckoned Shane over. Shane left his seat and went over to Jackson. When he reached the door, Jackson pulled him by his arm out of the ward. Over on the bed, Jacqueline was clearly annoyed. Not only had Jackson call Shane away abruptly, but he also barged into the room without even acknowledging her. I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s how he treats me after saying he likes me. How dare he acts as if I¡¯m not even here! Just wait and see, Jackson Baker. I¡¯ll make sure you regret what you did. Jacqueline shut her eyes and let off a disgruntled scoff. Over on the outside, Jackson tugged Shane along until they entered his office. Without saying a word, Jackson took up a syringe and stabbed it in Shane¡¯s arm. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shane shouted, retracting his hand. ¡°I¡¯m doing the DNA test for you and Connor again,¡± Jackson replied in a severe tone. Shane straightened his back and looked at his friend intently. He knew Jackson was not an irrational person and had an absolute serious attitude when ites to his work. There must be a reason why he was doing this. ¡°Why?¡± Shane asked. Jackson took out the report from his pocket and mmed it on the table. Shane took it over and read the name on the report. ¡°Connor?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Look at the report we gotst time. The blood type is clearly different,¡± Jackson pointed out as he showed Shane the result of the earlier report on hisptop. Shane trailed his gaze and looked at the blood-type column. He jerked and stared at his friend, confounded. ¡°Why are the results different?¡± ¡°I have no idea. I was at Stanford Hospital trying to get hold of a backup cornea for Jacqueline when I ran into Natalie. I was struck when I saw this report myself. We have to redo this test!¡± Jackson cried out. Shane clenched his fists, and the determination in his eyes intensified. Underneath his calm facade, thousands of thoughts were running across his mind as his chest contracted. ¡°I have to do another test to see if Connor is A or Rh-negative,¡± Jackson exined. ¡°Sean donated blood to Connor after the ident, and Sean¡¯s blood type is the same as mine. So I¡¯m a hundred percent sure Connor¡¯s Rh-negative,¡± Shane said. A brief silence followed, and the two men looked at each other. ¡°But the blood sample I got thest time was of type A. This can only mean two things. Either someone made an inadvertent mistake, or...¡± ¡°Or someone changed the blood sample on purpose!¡± Shane interjected and finished Jackson¡¯s sentence. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Jackson nodded in agreement. ¡°But regardless of Connor¡¯s blood type, I still think he¡¯s your son just from his looks.¡± Shane did not reply but rubbed his hands nervously. His breathing became heavier as he tried to suppress his feelings. He finally heaved a sigh and rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Just do another blood test.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my man!¡± A smile broke out on Jackson¡¯s face, and he took up the syringe again to draw Shane¡¯s blood. But Shane soon realized something was off. ¡°Do you really need that much blood for a DNA test?¡± he questioned. Jackson giggled and replied, ¡°Well, you¡¯re blessed with a rare blood type. I¡¯d better take more just in case some people need it over here at the hospital. Just take it as a chance to contribute to the community.¡± A wry expression settled on Shane¡¯s face, and he shook his head. After all, there was nothing he could do. It was not like he could ask Jackson to put the blood back in. After Jackson was done, he ced the test tubes in the fridge carefully beforeing back to his seat. ¡°As for Connor¡¯s sample, I shall leave that to you. I heard from Ss that you hired a caretaker for Connor. You might want to ask her to help to get his sample. But you had better be quick. He¡¯s getting discharged soon,¡± Jackson reminded. ¡°I¡¯ll get it done in two hours,¡± Shane said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. He punched a series of numbers and headed out of Jackson¡¯s office to talk to the caretaker. Just as he got out, a person dressed in a patient¡¯s attire quickly shirked back into the corner and fled the scene. Over at Stanford Hospital, the caretaker answered the phone in a low voice. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. I will make sure Ms. Smith doesn¡¯t find out about it.¡± She peered around cautiously and headed back to the ward. ¡°Ms. Smith, are you done packing everything already?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see y¡¯all out then,¡± the caretaker offered. Natalie nodded with an appreciative smile, and the three went out together. ¡°Why not I carry Connor, Ms. Smith? You¡¯re wearing heels anyway. I¡¯ll make sure to look out for his injured hand,¡± the caretaker said as she walked towards Connor, who was sucking a lollipop on the bed. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Connor smiled at her and hugged her using his other hand. The caretaker caressed his head fondly and picked him up. Natalie hailed a taxi after they reached the entrance and proceeded to upload the luggage to the car trunk. While she was everywhere trying to make sure she did not leave out anything, Connor suddenly let out a shriek from inside the car. Natalie¡¯s hand froze on the hood, and she rushed over instantly to check on her son. ¡°What happened?¡± Natalie was panicked. Connor had his hands on his head, and his big eyes were wet in tears. ¡°Mommy... ¡° Natalie scooped him up in her arms and coaxed him tenderly. ¡°What happened, Connor?¡± But before Connor could tell her anything, the caretaker started apologizing. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Smith. It¡¯s all my fault. Connor¡¯s hair got caught in my shirt¡¯s zip.¡± ¡°His hair?¡± Natalie repeated as she rubbed Connor¡¯s head and then looked at the caretaker¡¯s zip. A few strands of short hair hung on the caretaker¡¯s zip as she kept apologizing. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have offered to carry him, Ms. Smith. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like you did it on purpose,¡± Natalie reassured her with a rigid smile on her face. The teeth on the zipper were indeed huge, and no one would be surprised if Connor¡¯s hair got caught in it identally. The caretaker looked at Natalie indebtedly and thanked her with her hands sped tightly together. ¡°Thank you for forgiving me, Ms. Smith!¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Ms. Carter. We¡¯ll make a move first. See you,¡± Natalie said as she nudged Connor to move into the car. Connor moved aside, and Natalie got in after mming the hood closed. She held out a piece of paper with the address written on it, and the taxi sped off immediately. After sending them off, the caretaker breathed a relieved sigh and carefully put the hairs into a transparent seble stic bag. Right after she was done, a bodyguard steered his car towards her and winded the window down. ¡°Did you get his hair?¡± he asked monotonously. ¡°Yes, I did,¡± the caretaker answered, holding out the stic packet towards him. The bodyguard took it over swiftly and nodded mechanically back at her before driving off. Within half an hour, the packet was delivered to Jackson. Back at the consultation room, Jackson was already waiting anxiously with Shane and Jacqueline. ¡°The hair!¡± Seeing the bodyguard returned, Jackson stood up and went over. The bodyguard looked at Shane and passed Jackson the packet after Shane gave him a nod. Jackson looked at the few strands of hair and paced over to the fridge to retrieve the test tube he had deposited earlier on. N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°I¡¯ll get going, then. I¡¯ve got to get this test running.¡± He went out of the room in a hurry without turning back. Jacqueline watched him leave and rolled her eyes defiantly. But she soon collected herself and turned towards Shane. ¡°Shane, is Jackie doing another DNA test?¡± Jacqueline asked as she rested her hand on Shane¡¯s arm. Her fingers drummed across the spot where Shane just had his blood drawn. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s gonna do,¡± Shane replied as he pushed her hand away. He stood up and unrolled his sleeves, changing the topic. ¡°You¡¯re getting discharged soon. Do you fancy a celebratory present?¡± Knowing full well that Shane was trying to deflect her question, a hint of mischief glimmered in her eyes. ¡°I want a piano. As you know, I was the champion of the International Youth Piano Competition before I got injured. I¡¯ve been thinking about ying the piano again.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Shane replied readily, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Ss to get you one from abroad.¡± ¡°Thank you, Shane!¡± Jacqueline jumped to her feet and hugged him from behind in excitement. She rested her face on his back and a warm and satisfied smile curved her lips. Shane was startled at Jacqueline¡¯s sudden reaction. He was not used to her touching him. But he stood there without moving and waited for Jacqueline to let him go. Just as she was finally loosening her arms around Shane¡¯s waist, a knock came from the door and the nurse came in. ¡°Hi, Ms. Graham. It¡¯s time for your checkup,¡± the nurse said. ¡°Go on,¡± Shane tilted his chin briefly and looked at Jacqueline. But her face crumpled in unwillingness. ¡°Shane, I really don¡¯t want to do another checkup. You have no idea how painful it is.¡± ¡°I know. But his is what you have to do if you want to get well soon. Come on, go with the nurse.¡± Shane patted her on her head and adjusted her wig gently. Jacqueline finally relented and followed the nurse out. Right after she vanished around the corner with the nurse, Shane dashed over to the testingb. He waited for a good half an hour restlessly before Jackson finally came out of theb. Seeing Jackson¡¯s gloomy face, Shane expected bad news. ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± Instead of answering him directly, Jackson handed him the blood test report and asked him to take a look himself. Shane snatched the report over, and his gaze ran frantically through the document in search of a definitive answer. The words ¡°Excluded as the biological father¡± popped up to Shane, and he closed his eyes in disappointment. Before long, he looked up again with an inexplicable expression on his face. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Jackson sighed deeply and ced a hand on Shane¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Shane, it¡¯s disappointing, but I must inform you that it¡¯s a mere coincidence that both of you share the same blood type.¡± Which guy had Natalie slept with? How could she have produced a child that looked exactly like Shane and even had the same blood type as him? Jackson desperately wanted to know what that mysterious man looked like. Shane swallowed and said thickly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even if he isn¡¯t my biological child, I¡¯ll im him as my own in the future.¡± Hearing this, Jackson felt rather stunned. ¡°Shane, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nning to pursue Natalie!¡± Shane tore up the paternity test report with an indifferent expression. Jackson gaped at him in disbelief. ¡°Are you being serious?¡± ¡°You know how I¡¯m like. If I want something, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to get my hands on it.¡± Jackson grabbed his cor. ¡°Well, what about Jacqueline, then?¡± Shane hated it when people treated him like this. He narrowed his eyes and pushed Jackson away. ¡°What does this have to do with Jacqueline?¡± Jackson stumbled backward before steadying himself. ¡°Everything!¡± Fury was written all over his delicate, doll-like features. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that she has feelings towards you?¡± Shane patted down his cor and said expressionlessly, ¡°I know, but what about it? I¡¯ve never had any feelings towards her. As for why I¡¯ve always been so unconditionally kind towards her, you should know the reason yourself!¡± Jackson snorted loudly. After a while, he bowed his head and said quietly, ¡°But Jacqueline has waited for you for ten years...¡± ¡°So what if she has? Does that mean I have to ept her? Besides, you¡¯ve waited for Jacqueline for ten years, and she knows about your feelings towards her. But has she given you a chance? I don¡¯t think so!¡± Shane shot him an icy look. Something shed in Jackson¡¯s eyes. Heughed bitterly and said, ¡°Whatever, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I understand what you mean now. I won¡¯t stop you from pursuing Natalie, but you mustn¡¯t let Jacqueline know that you¡¯ve fallen for another woman before she is discharged. I¡¯m afraid she might not be able to take it.¡± Shane jerked his chin at him and grunted, which Jackson took to be a sign of his agreement. Suddenly, Shane¡¯s phone started to ring. Shane turned around and checked who was calling. Bringing his phone to his ear, he asked, ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, we have a meeting with the Design Association today,¡± Ss reminded him. Shane pinched his temples in exasperation. He hadpletely forgotten about that. In a voice that was close to a whisper, Shane said, ¡°Come and pick me up in your car. I¡¯ll go there immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ss replied. Shane hung up and left the hospital immediately.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The meeting location was at the office building of the Design Association. Ss parked the car in the parking spot in front of the entrance and rushed out of the vehicle to open the door for Shane. Just as Shane was getting out of the car, a taxi came speeding towards them. It pulled up right next to Ss¡¯s car. The car door swung open, and a slender, fair-skinned leg stepped out of the vehicle. The person was wearing an exquisite pair of eight-inch heels, and right above that was the lily-white skin of her calves without a single blemish on them. Even the sight of those legs triggered one¡¯s curiosity about their owner. Could she possibly be as beautiful as her legs? Very quickly, the owner of the pair of legs revealed her face. As she stuck her head out from the car, Shane could tell that hers was a beautiful face that carried a hint of aggression beneath its sweet veneer. Ss¡¯s face brightened. As he nced excitedly at Natalie, who was paying the cab driver, he whispered, ¡°Mr. Shane, it¡¯s Ms. Smith!¡± Shane shot him a look and turned his gaze to Natalie. Her head was bowed as she sorted out the cab fare with the driver¡ªthus, she didn¡¯t see the both of them. Eventually, the taxi drove away. Without it in the way, she finally spotted Shane and Ss standing right across from her. Natalie had just sent the kids back to the t before heading directly to the office for a meeting. She never expected that she would see Shane there. As she gazed at his face, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disoriented. However, she regained herposure immediately and nodded to him by way of greeting. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she took off towards the building entrance on her pair of fair- skinned legs. Her attitude towards him seemed rather cold. Shane frowned slightly, feeling a little unhappy. He pursed his lips as he stared after her retreating figure, his mind going at a mile an hour. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Ss gazed at Natalie and stroked his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Smith seems to be avoiding you don¡¯t you think? Could it be because you rejected her question yesterday?¡± Shane didn¡¯t say anything, but he pinched his lips tightly. A whileter, he stuck his hands into his pocket and made for the building entrance too. Ss hurried after him immediately. When they arrived at the meeting room, Shane stood at the front and swept a nce around the room with his deep eyes. He was determined to find Natalie among the dozens of people in suits. Natalie was seated in a corner among thest row of seats. She had a notebook in front of her and a fountain pen wedged between her fingers as she scribbled down the ns for next season¡¯s textiles. Suddenly, a young man came up to her and sat down next to her. With a charming smile on his face, he tried to strike up a conversation with her. ¡°Hey, Miss! Do you want to go out for coffee with me after this meeting?¡± ¡°No, thanks!¡± Natalie frowned, a look of annoyance appearing on her face. The man didn¡¯t seem to have heard her. cing his arm on the back of her chair, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to turn me down! I know a caf¨¦ that has the most romantic setting. They even hold performances there sometimes! What do you think?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. His chatter was starting to annoy her. She reached into her bag and took out her earphones, which she promptly plugged into her ears. Ignoring him, she went back to writing in her notebook.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The man seemed very affronted by her actions, proceeding to rudely reach out and yank the earphones out of her ears. At that moment, someone grabbed his arm to stop him, pulling the man out of his seat. Shane gazed at the man murderously, a look of pure anger in his eyes. Coldly, he demanded, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re trying to do?¡± ¡°Let go of me! It hurts!¡± the man yelped as his face contorted in pain. However, Shane disyed no signs of mercy and had no intentions of letting him go. His grip around the man¡¯s arm tightened. At themotion, the entire room fell into silence. Everyone looked over to see what was going on. Natalie gaped open-mouthed at the scene next to her. She was right beside them, after all, so even with her earphones on, she could hear the scuffle. When she saw Shane grab the man by his arm, she had already yanked the earphones out of her ears in shock. ¡°Mr. Shane, you...¡± Before she could finish speaking, Shane turned to the man and ordered again, ¡°Speak! What were you trying to do to her?¡± The man burst into tears as he apologized. ¡°I¡ªI was wrong, alright? I shouldn¡¯t have tried to strike up a conversation with thisdy. My apologies...¡± He could tell from Natalie¡¯s words that Shane held an important position in thepany. The man regretted his actions immensely. If he had known that talking to thisdy would evoke the fury of this Lucifer, he would never have sidled up to her at all. Natalie felt extremely stunned by the man¡¯s words. Was Shane so angry because this man had tried flirting with me? Natalie pped her hands over her mouth in shock. As she gazed at the icy expression on Shane¡¯s face, she felt aplicated mix of emotions within her. Whenever she made up her mind to leave him, he always found a way to barge back into her life and leave a deep impression on her again. Then, her heart would skip a beat, and she would fall for him all over again. Just as she was lost in her thoughts, another shriek of pain from the man shook her out of her reverie. His face was white, and sweat had started beading on his brows. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Mr. Shane, let go of him!¡± She didn¡¯t do that out of kindness. After all, besides harassing her a little, the man hadn¡¯t really harmed her in any other way. That little bit of pain should have taught him a lesson. Shane looked deeply at her for a few moments before he flung the man¡¯s hand away from him. ¡°Get lost!¡± The moment his arm was free, the man fled the meeting room without another word. Natalie didn¡¯t see him at other meetings for the rest of the afternoon. Shane fished around in his pockets as though he was looking for something. However, he frowned as he couldn¡¯t seem to find it. Natalie realized what he was probably searching for. She took out a pack of wet tissues from her bag and handed it to him. As he gazed at the wet tissues she was offering him, Shane stopped frowning a little. He opened the pack of tissues and took out a piece, which he used to wipe his hands. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Natalie bowed slightly. ¡°Thanks for your help, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane flung the used tissue onto the table. ¡°No problem. If you meet this sort of person again, just make them go away.¡± ¡°I know. Unfortunately, this is a meeting room. If I did that, the other party might have caused a scene. If it turned into a full-fledged argument, I would¡¯ve left an awful impression of mypany. That was why I held in my temper. If this happened elsewhere, however, I would have unleashed my anger on him straight away,¡± Natalie replied, smiling slightly. Shane expressed his agreement. Sticking his hands into his pockets again, he sat down next to her. Natalie noticed that he had sat down on the man¡¯s seat, which was right next to hers. She pursed her lips again. Picking up her notebook, she got up and went to sit elsewhere. Seeing this, Shane¡¯s face clouded over. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Natalie stopped in her tracks. Without turning around, she looked down and replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to sit somewhere else.¡± Shane clenched his hands into fists in his pockets. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this seat here?¡± Natalie bit her lip and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I might disturb you if I sit there, Mr. Shane. I think it¡¯d be better if I moved somewhere else.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she picked her pace and zoomed to another seat a few rows ahead of him. Shane looked at her back, his face as cold as ice. The threatening aura he was radiating made the people around him shiver with fright and move a few seats away, too. Ss came into the room with a file of documents in hand. Seeing the frosty expression on Shane¡¯s face, he felt a little stunned. ¡°Mr. Shane, who got on your nerves this time?¡± Shane didn¡¯t say anything. He took the file from Ss¡¯s hands and started flipping through its contents. Ss never found an answer to his question. He shrugged and sat down next to Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, the meeting has started.¡± Shane pped the file shut and leaned back into his chair as he looked towards the front of the room. The leader of the J City Council went onstage and started briefing them about the meeting¡¯s contents. As it turned out, the meeting was about a globalpetition held by the International Associational of Design. A total of thirty-six countries would be participating in it. As the region¡¯s leading fashion hub, J City would be the country¡¯s representative at thepetition. If they got first ce at thispetition, their artwork would be put on disy at Fashion Hall, which was where throngs of designers and models often congregated. However, only the most famous models and the works of the best designers could be disyed at Fashion Hall. This was a chance for them to shine. Although the odds of them winning was very small, the audience in the meeting room was full of excitement at the possibility. Natalie was one of them. In fact, she was so exhrated that her hands were trembling a little. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She wanted to be selected as the representative so badly that she could taste it. Even if I couldn¡¯t win, participating in a globalpetition of that scale would give me lots of exposure points. I can¡¯t miss this chance! ¡°But how am I supposed to be selected for this?¡± she thought, calming herself down. As though he had read her mind, the leader immediately announced how they were going to choose the representative. Unsurprisingly, they were going to hold apetition. All the design studios in J City could send their most outstanding designer to thepetition, and the winning designer would represent their own studio at the globalpetition. ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± Natalie murmured as she gave her pen a little spin. The designer next to her overheard her. Looking at her in surprise, he said, ¡°Easy? Do you know how many apparelpanies and design studios there are in J City?¡± Natalie thought for a while before she raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°I suppose there should be more than a hundred of them.¡± ¡°Exactly, there are more than a hundred of those. This means you¡¯ll be up against more than a hundred competitors, including old hands like Linda Leigh from Rigel Design Studio, Jasmine Smith from Jasminum Studio, and Oriental Dawn Studio¡¯s very own... Anyway, aside from them, there¡¯s a dark horse who has recently emerged!¡± The designer held up one finger, looking very solemn. Sensing the awe the designer had for this ck horse, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but feel a little more serious. She stopped spinning the pen in her hand and said, ¡°What¡¯s that person¡¯s name?¡± The designer leaned closer to her and said mysteriously. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. What I do know is that she¡¯s from Thompson Group. Did you see that fashion show they organized thest time?¡± Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Natalie nodded. ¡°Do you mean Project Rebirth?¡± ¡°Yes! The ck horse I¡¯m talking about was the chief designer of that fashion show. Those clothes were simply too amazing! Anyone could tell that the person who designed them is every bit as talented as those top-ss designers. It¡¯s just a pity that she doesn¡¯t have much fame. I believe the person, who will be chosen to represent our country, is going to be her,¡± the designer said confidently as he stroked his chin. Natalie bowed her head and shook with silentughter. Initially, she wanted to get some information on this ck horse, so she could get an idea about who she was up against. To her surprise, the ck horse turned out to be herself! Seeing her chortle, the designer felt a little displeased. ¡°What are youughing about?¡± Natalie waved her hands in apology and replied, ¡°Nothing, nothing! Thanks for telling me about this. I¡¯ll do my best to be selected as the country¡¯s representative.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she closed her notebook and stood up, hugging it to her chest. The designer seemed rather dazed at her words. Suddenly, he snapped out of his reverie and pointed at her in shock. ¡°You¡ªyou are that...¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Natalie brought a finger to her lips, asking him not to expose her identity. ¡°No one else should know who I am.¡± The designer nodded his head excitedly, his eyes shining with glee. He looked at Natalie as though she was his idol and said, ¡°Ooh, I got it, I got it! You have my word!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get going first! See you in a bit.¡± Natalie waved cheerfully at him and left the meeting room. Just as she stepped out of the meeting room, she bumped into Shane again. He was leaning against the wall with his head down and had a hand stuck into his pocket. He was holding a cigarette between his fingers, a cigarette that he was already halfway through. A small mound of ash had sprouted around its tip. Unable to help herself, Natalie slowed down and stared at him in fascination. She had always known he was a smoker because she often caught a whiff of cigarette smoke on his clothes. However, she had never seen him smoke in front of her before. Yet there he was, puffing away right before her very own eyes. He looked very cool, and the cigarette lent him a rather enigmatic aura that made her want to approach him and learn everything there was to know about him. Just as she was staring at him, lost in her thoughts, Shane flicked away the ash on his cigarette. He suddenly looked up and stared straight at her. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re done with the meeting?¡± A look of panic shed across Natalie¡¯s face. She snapped out of her daze and jerked her head up and down slightly as a form of reply. She then walked straight past him and made a beeline for the lift lobby. ¡°Wait up!¡± Shane put out his cigarette and darted forward after Natalie, grabbing her by the wrist. Caught unaware, Natalie swung around and found herself toppling straight into Shane¡¯s arms. The top of her head bumped against Shane¡¯s chin. She didn¡¯t feel any pain, but Shane let out a grunt. He let go of her arm immediately and mped a hand over his mouth.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Natalie looked up at him in shock. Shane¡¯s brows were furrowed in pain. Sweat was beading his brows, and his eyes were narrowed in agony. Quite evidently, he had been injured. Natalie examined his face anxiously and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, are you alright?¡± Shane saw the worry and shock in her eyes. Instantly, the frown on his face disappeared. Removing his hand from his mouth, he said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m fine. When you bumped into my chin just now, I bit my tongue by ident.¡± ¡°Open your mouth! I have to see whether your injury is serious or not.¡± Natalie reached out to grab at his lips. Shane moved backward a little to put some distance between them. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± Natalie put down her hand in defeat. ¡°Since you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll get going then.¡± With that, she assumed the quiet, aloof expression she had been wearing when she came out of the meeting room just now. Shane smirked a little. ¡°Natalie, have you been trying to avoid me or something?¡± Natalie looked down and tried to hide the expression in her eyes from him. stering a smile onto her face, she replied cheerily, ¡°You must be kidding, Mr. Shane. Why would I avoid you? I haven¡¯t done anything I feel guilty about.¡± Shane frowned again. Just as he was about to say something, he was interrupted by the shrill ringing of Natalie¡¯s phone. Natalie thanked the person for calling at such an opportune timing. Excusing herself from Shane, she took out her cell phone from her bag. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 When she saw who was calling, aplicated mix of emotions appeared on her face. Shane managed to sneak a peek at the caller ID, too. His eyes narrowed dangerously when he realized who it was. All of a sudden, he had the urge to snatch Natalie¡¯s phone away from her and reject the call on her behalf. Before he could do that, however, Natalie had picked up the call. ¡°Hey, Stanley. Are you awake now?¡± Shane stared icily at her phone, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. Natalie sensed his curious gaze. However, she didn¡¯t particrly care¡ªhe could listen in if he really wanted to. ¡°I just woke up, but I didn¡¯t see you around. The caretaker told me you went back home.¡± On the other end of the line, Stanley was lying on the hospital bed, his face pale and pallid with illness. Natalie admitted it. ¡°I left yesterday night, and my ne only arrived this morning.¡± Stanley coughed twice. His gaze darkening a little, he asked, ¡°Did you leave because of me?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Not entirely. I had toe back for an important meeting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nat. I must have scared you, didn¡¯t I? I was drunk then! I didn¡¯t know what I was doing! I only realized how oafishly I must have behaved in front of you when I woke up. I¡¯m really sorry, Nat. Please forgive me!¡± Stanley pleaded over the phone. However, there was no hint of apology in his eyes. Instead, the expression in his eyes turned even darker. Of course, Natalie didn¡¯t see that. She immediately believed his apology, and the uneasy feeling she had been harboring towards him disappeared. Even the smile on her face became more natural. ¡°Alright, I forgive you.¡± Hearing this, Shane pressed his lips into a thin line. Although he couldn¡¯t hear what Stanley was saying, he could develop a hunch about the content based on Natalie¡¯s words. That made him feel very annoyed. On the other end of the line, Stanley said joyfully, ¡°Do you really mean that? Thank you so much, Nat.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. In the future, however, you should...¡± ¡°I know, Stanley interrupted her. He pushed his sses up his nose bridge slightly, a steely glint shing in his eyes. ¡°I will never drink so much and try to do those awful things to you again. But Nat, I was serious about my confession. I¡¯ve liked you for five years. I fell in love with you the first time I met you.¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t expected him to confess to her again over the phone. Her heart skipped a beat as she snuck a rather guilty look at Shane. The look of guilt on her face made Shane feel a little perturbed. He couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows a little. Why did she look so guilty? ¡°Stanley, please don¡¯t say that anymore.¡± Natalie mped a hand over the speakers of her cell phone and spoke even more quietly. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like you that way.¡± Although she was speaking as softly as she could, Shane heard her anyway. His lips twitched a little. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t have any intentions towards you. All I wanted to do was to confess to you while I¡¯m in the right state of mind. After all, I¡¯ve liked you for five years. If I don¡¯t let you know, I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself.¡± Stanley bowed his head andughed helplessly. Natalie bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Stanley...¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t apologize. I should be the one saying sorry to you. My feelings towards you have only caused you trouble. Don¡¯t worry. Since you¡¯ve already rejected me, I won¡¯t try my luck with you ever again. Why don¡¯t we go back to how we used to be?¡± Stanley asked gently, gazing unblinkingly at the white fabric of his nket. However, there wasn¡¯t a shred of gentleness on his face at all. Instead, his expression was so grim that it would have given anyone a scare. Natalie couldn¡¯t see his face over the phone, and thus, she wouldn¡¯t know of his expression. Happily, she replied, ¡°Alright!¡± She had been worrying about how her interactions with Stanley were going to be like going forward. Since he had suggested this by himself, she thought she might as well go along with him. Stanley pushed his sses up again and shot a nce at the nurse who had just entered his room. ¡°That¡¯s all good, then. Nat, I have to go. I have another medical check-up I have to get to.¡± Natalie said goodbye and hung up the phone. Shane folded his arms across his chest and looked at her with consternation. ¡°You¡¯re going to forgive him just like that?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie retorted as she put her phone away. ¡°He only did that to me because he was drunk.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Shane burst into incredulousughter. ¡°Are you so sure about that?¡± ¡°What other reason could there be?¡± Natalie asked, meeting his eyes defiantly. Her expression was very serious. ¡°I understand Stanley¡¯s character, after all. I¡¯ve known him for five years. I know what sort of person he¡¯s like. He has never done something like this to me before. That was aplete ident on his part.¡± Chapter 270 Chapter 270 ¡°Looks like he has brainwashed you really well,¡± Shane said icily, his eyes narrowing into a thin line. Natalie frowned at him. ¡°Brainwashed? Mr. Shane, what do you mean by that?¡± Shane stepped closer to her. ¡°What I mean is that Stanley isn¡¯t as innocent and kind as you think he is. I¡¯ve tried telling you this before. Thest time, he tried to drug you and get you into bed with him. This time, he pretended to be drunk, so he could force a kiss on you and emergepletely meless. And you think both of these incidents are idents on his part?¡± Natalieughed. ¡°Mr. Shane, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too prejudiced against Stanley?¡± Shane clenched his fists. Looking very displeased, he demanded, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m prejudiced against him?¡± Natalie pursed her red lips. ¡°You¡¯ve always been hostile towards Stanley. If this isn¡¯t prejudice, then I don¡¯t know what is!¡± Shane fell silent. After a while, the expression on his face grew icy-cold. With a mocking smile on his face, he said, ¡°I see. This is what you really think of me, right?¡± Shane looked down and tried to hide the anger that was swirling in his eyes. Failing to do so, he turned around and left. This woman had imed that, deep in her heart, she was truly in love with me. However, when she was caught between Stanley and me, she kept choosing to believe Stanley instead! Natalie watched him go, feeling a little miserable. Knowing that he was probably infuriated with her, she wondered if she should hold him back from leaving. In the end, however, she held herself back instead. Before returning to J City yesterday night, she had promised herself that she would stay as far away from Shane as possible. Even if they happened to bump into each other, she would regard him as a stranger. Hence, stopping him from leaving now would go against her n. Tugging uncertainly at the strap of her bag, Natalieughed bitterly and left as well. When she exited the office building, she looked up to see that the sky was dark and gloomy. A cold gust of wind blew through the streets. It was probably going to rain. Natalie shivered and rubbed her arms tiredly. She hailed a taxi and made her way home. The next morning, Natalie was woken up by a very excited Yulia. There was a huge smile on her face, and she appeared to have very good news to share. Yulia wriggled her way on Natalie¡¯s bed and stuck her phone in front of Natalie¡¯s face. ¡°Hey, Baby Girl! Here¡¯s some good news for you.¡± Natalie rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. She took the phone from Yulia, jolting awake immediately when she saw the contents on its screen. There was a new post under Shane¡¯s Facebook page¡ªit announced that he had called off his engagement with Jasmine and that the couple would stay out of each other¡¯s lives from then on. Yulia took the phone back from her. ¡°What about it, Baby Girl? Doesn¡¯t this make you happy?¡± Natalie gaped at her but didn¡¯t reply. Of course she was happy, but so what if she was? Now that Shane had canceled his engagement with Jasmine, it was only a matter of time before he got engaged with Jacqueline. Seeing the dazed expression on Natalie¡¯s face, and her refusal to answer Yulia¡¯s question, the smile faded from Yulia¡¯s face as well. Giving her daughter a light shove, Yulia asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Baby Girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalie shook her head and mbered out of bed. ¡°Alright, Mom. The cancetion of Shane¡¯s engagement has nothing to do with me. It¡¯s his own personal business, and we shouldn¡¯t be poking our noses into it. Let¡¯s not talk about this from now on.¡± Hearing this, Yulia looked deeply at her. ¡°Baby Girl, did something happen between you and Shane?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Natalie paused in the middle of changing her clothes. After a slight pause, she continued changing and laughed brightly. ¡°Mom, why would you say that?¡± ¡°In the past, I told you to let go of Shane so many times. Even though you promised to do so, you never really took my words to heart. However, when I mentioned Shane just now, you seemed so reluctant to discuss him, so I wondered...¡± Before she could finish speaking, Yulia was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Natalie had no wish to continue discussing Shane with her. Desperate to change the topic, she said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go open the door!¡± With that, she fled out of the room. That made Yulia even more certain that something had happened between Shane and Natalie. However, Yulia wasn¡¯t particrly curious about their rtionship. She could tell how reluctant Natalie was to discuss the topic of Shane. Yulia sighed andughed to herself. ¡°Oh, bother. The youngsters can go resolve their problems themselves.¡± She climbed out of bed and went out of the room. Just as she stepped out of the door, however, she heard an argument happening at the entrance of the house. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 It was Susan and Jasmine! The expression on Yulia¡¯s face changed. She ran quickly towards the front door. When she arrived at the entrance, she spotted the hulking figures of Jasmine and Susan, just as she had expected. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Susan was pushing Jasmine around in a wheelchair. Both of them had murderous expressions on their faces, as though they were here tomit a massacre. Evidently, they were here to start a fight. Yulia walked over to her daughter and looked warily at Susan and Jasmine. ¡°Nat, what¡¯s going on?¡± Natalie pursed her lips and replied, ¡°These two are using me of causing Shane to call off his engagement. They want me to pay the price for my actions!¡± ¡°What?¡± Yulia looked as though she had heard the funniest joke on earth. She pointed at mother and daughter and said furiously, ¡°The both of you must be insane! You were the ones who dug yourselves into this mess, and now you want to me my daughter for it?¡± Susan gazed angrily at Natalie. ¡°We¡¯re speaking the truth! If Natalie hadn¡¯t returned to J City and tried getting close to Shane again, Jasmine wouldn¡¯t have exploded in rage and done all those things! If you want to know who¡¯s to me for all this, just look at your own daughter!¡± Natalieughed but didn¡¯t pay her any attention. Instead, she looked down at Jasmine in her wheelchair. Jasmine looked every bit as furious as her mother. ¡°Do you feel the same way?¡± Natalie asked. Jasmine clenched her fists and didn¡¯t reply. She probably did. Natalie rubbed her forehead tiredly andughed. ¡°Of course you do. If you didn¡¯t feel this way, you wouldn¡¯t havee to my house and made such a ruckus here.¡± ¡°This is the most ridiculous thing I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Yulia said, shaking with rage. ¡°Instead of reflecting on yourselves when Shane called off the engagement, the both of you chose to pin the me on Natalie¡¯s return! I¡¯ve never seen anyone as shameless as you.¡± ¡°Mom, calm down.¡± Natalie patted her on the back, hoping that Yulia wouldn¡¯t get too excited. Susanughed coldly. ¡°Your daughter is the shameless one here! She was the one who went and seduced Shane. Otherwise, how could this have happened? Jas was still his fianc¨¦e then!¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow and looked at Jasmine with an unreadable expression on her face. ¡°So that¡¯s what you think, huh?¡± Jasmine¡¯s heart sank as she felt a sudden wave of unease. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Susan and Yulia turned to look at Natalie. ¡°Baby Girl, do you happen to know something we don¡¯t?¡± Yulia asked. Natalie ran a finger through her hair and smiled sweetly at them. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that big of a secret, I suppose. Even without me around, Mr. Shane would¡¯ve called off the engagement sooner orter, because Jasmine is just a stand-in for someone else!¡± ¡°A stand-in?¡± Jasmine asked, her eyes narrowing. Yulia and Susan gasped at this information, too. Natalie nodded and continued, ¡°Yes. To Mr. Shane, you¡¯re nothing more than a stand-in for Ms. Jacqueline Graham. She¡¯s the person he truly loves in his heart. Ten years ago, Jacqueline fell into a vegetative state after a particrly horrific car ident. She just woke up recently.¡± Yulia pped her hands together in shock. ¡°That reminds me! Wasn¡¯t she the heiress of the Graham Group ten years ago?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, she was.¡± ¡°Well, that won¡¯t be strange, then. Back then, the Graham and Thompson families were on excellent terms. Jacqueline and Shane had been friends since they were kids¡ªin fact, there were people who betted that they were going to get married someday! However, after the Graham Group became bankrupt ten years ago, Jacqueline disappeared. I never even knew she was involved in a car ident!¡± Yulia eximed, rubbing her chin. Susan and Jasmine had only entered the Smith family and their circle of socialite friends seven years ago, so they didn¡¯t know about the events that had happened a decade prior. Hearing this from Yulia, they finally realized that Shane had long harbored a secret love for his childhood friend. ¡°Come to think of it,¡± Natalie said, turning to smile at Jasmine, ¡°Ms. Graham is staying at the same hospital as you are.¡± Jasmine¡¯s face was white as a sheet. She shook her head frantically, trying to convince herself that Natalie was lying. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible! How could Shane be in love with whatshername...Jacqueline...the person he loves is me...¡± Here, she suddenly remembered something. Her eyes widened dramatically, and she clutched at Susan¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you tell me yesterday that Shane has been visiting the hospital a lot recently?¡± ¡°Well...yes.¡± Susan nodded in confirmation. Natalieughed mockingly. ¡°Did you two really think that he was there to visit the both of you?¡± Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Susan opened her mouth in shock. She was at aplete loss for words. Indeed, that was what she had thought all along. Susan believed that Shane had dropped by the hospital so often because he wanted to know if Jasmine had woken up from her a¡¯ yet. Natalie shrugged helplessly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to inform the both of you that you were wrong. Mr. Shane wasn¡¯t there to see you. He was visiting Ms. Graham!¡± Yuliaughed at Susan and Jasmine, obviously reveling in their misery. ¡°Oh, dear. What a disappointment for the both of you!¡± Jasmine¡¯s hand trembled as ity on the armrest of her wheelchair. She felt as though someone had emptied a bucket of ice-cold water on her. This was the first time she realized that Natalie wasn¡¯t the only other woman by Shane¡¯s side. He had a mysterious woman called Jacqueline too. ¡°Jas...¡± Susan ced a hand on her daughter¡¯s shoulder worriedly. Natalie put her hands on her knees and bent down slightly to meet Jasmine¡¯s eyes. ¡°Now, the both of you know why Mr. Shane would¡¯ve canceled the engagement even without me around. Jasmine, you¡¯re just a stand-in for Jacqueline, who helped discourage other girls who want to try their luck with him. Simply put, you¡¯re just a pawn to Mr. Shane.¡± Jasmine was close to a mental breakdown. She grabbed at her own hair and pulled violently at it, her face contorted in rage. Jacqueline Graham, Jacqueline Graham...she repeated endlessly in her heart. Natalie straightened up again. ¡°Thus, there¡¯s no use in youing to look for me today!¡± ¡°Who said there isn¡¯t?¡± Jasmine looked up at her with bloodshot eyes, malice written all over her face. ¡°Even if there wasn¡¯t a Jacqueline, you still had a part to y in this! Shane might have wanted to call off our engagement, but he wouldn¡¯t have done it now if you hadn¡¯te along! Hence, when all is said and done, everything is your fault!¡± Although Natalie told her that Shane¡¯s true love was Jacqueline, Jasmine was quite clear on the fact that he was in love with Natalie as well. He might love Jacqueline more, but nheless, he still felt much affection for Natalie. Jasmine would never forgive Natalie because of this. She would find a way to make both Natalie and Jacqueline disappear from Shane¡¯s life forever! ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re being so unreasonable!¡± Seeing the rancor in Jasmine¡¯s eyes, Natalie frowned with distaste. Yulia took her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to talk sense into people like this. Let¡¯s ignore them¡ªwe¡¯re only wasting our time.¡± With that, Yulia mmed the door shut in Susan and Jasmine¡¯s faces. As they expected, Susan and Jasmine continued to bang loudly on the door, screaming for them to open up. Yulia found the noise too annoying to bear. She took out her phone and made a call to the guardhouse, which promptly sent two security guards upstairs to force them to leave. There was a loud scuffle outside the door before everything returned to its peaceful normal again. Yulia opened the door and peeked outside. When she saw that Susan and Jasmine had gone, she let out a sigh of relief and returned to the living room. ¡°The two of them have issues!¡± Natalie was peeling an apple on the sofa. ¡°They don¡¯t have issues. They¡¯re just two people who bully the weak but fear the strong,¡± she replied, smiling. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Yulia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. However, I believe that they wanted to go and look for Jacqueline but knew that it would bepletely useless. Hence, they chose to take their anger out on you instead. Come to think of it, I¡¯m pretty d that Jasmine ruined the engagement between you and Shane. If not, you would have been the stand-in in ce of her!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes shed briefly before returning to normal. She pushed the apple and the knife into Yulia¡¯s hands. ¡°Alright, Mom. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Why don¡¯t you help me finish peeling this? I¡¯ll go and see if the kids are awake.¡± ¡°Alright, then.¡± Yulia waved her away. Natalie got up and made her way to the kids¡¯ bedroom. When she entered the room, she found that the kids hadn¡¯t woken up yet. Seeing that it was already prettyte, she woke them up and pressed a kiss to both their cheeks. After getting them changed, she took them by the hands and went into the bathroom to wash up. After they finished washing up and having breakfast, Natalie handed Sharon over to Yulia and asked her to send Sharon to kindergarten. After seeing them off, Natalie headed over to the studio with Connor. Connor¡¯s arm hadn¡¯t recovered fully, and he was wearing it in a cast. Natalie was worried that he might get injured again if he yed around with the kids at the kindergarten, so she decided to give him a small holiday instead and bring him back when his injury healed. When she spotted Natalie entering the studio with Connor, Joyce hurried out from her office and said, ¡°Nat, you¡¯re here!¡± Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Natalie let go of Connor¡¯s hand and told him to go and y in her office. After putting her bag down, she nodded at Joyce and said, ¡°You¡¯re here early today, Joyce.¡± ¡°Good morning! How was the meeting yesterday?¡± Joyce asked anxiously. Natalie took out her notebook and passed it to her. ¡°Here are the notes I made during the meeting. Take a look at them yourself.¡± Hearing this, Joyce took the notebook from her and started reading through the notes. When she finished, she was so excited that she started pping with joy. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Nat, we have to enter thispetition and win the right to represent our country!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go and sign us up, then.¡± With that, Joyce turned around and made a beeline for her own office. Natalie didn¡¯t follow after her. Instead, she started walking around the studio to check out other designers¡¯ works. At that moment, a in-looking man in a suit appeared at the door of the studio. He knocked on the door and asked politely, ¡°Excuse me, is Ms. Natalie Smith around?¡± Natalie gripped her design notes a little tighter and looked at him warily. ¡°That¡¯s me. May I know who you are?¡± The man smiled courteously and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Alfred Moore¡¯s assistant.¡± ¡°Mr. Moore¡¯s assistant, you say?¡± Natalie put down her notes and walked over to him. ¡°May I know why you¡¯re looking for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. Mr. Moore thinks he¡¯s at the age where he should retire soon. Hence, he has decided to hold a retirement party, where he¡¯ll announce his decision to leave the industry. Here¡¯s the invitation.¡± The assistant passed her an invitation card. Natalie took it from him with both hands and read through it carefully. After that, she closed the invitation card and said, ¡°Alright, I got it. I¡¯ll be sure to arrive there on time.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± the assistant nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first, then.¡± After he left, Joyce came out of her office and asked confusedly, ¡°Nat, who was that guy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Mr. Moore¡¯s assistant.¡± Natalie shut the studio door after him and turned around. ¡°Are you done with the registration?¡± ¡°Yup! Thepetition is three days from now, and it will be held at the office building of the J City Council. Just make sure to be there,¡± Joyce replied, stretching leisurely as she did. Natalie nodded, grunting in acknowledgement. Joyce¡¯s gaze fell on the invitation card in her hands. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You can take a look at it for yourself.¡± Natalie handed the card over to her. Joyce took it from her and nced at it. Her eyes widened in amazement. ¡°Oh my goodness, is Mr. Moore actually going to retire?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie towards her own office. Joyce followed after her, looking a bit confused. ¡°Mr. Moore is a designer whose talent is on the same level as your mentor. Why would he suddenly retire?¡± ¡°His assistant said it¡¯s because he¡¯s getting older. That¡¯s to be expected, I suppose. A designer¡¯s ingenuity can only sustain them for so long¡ªonce they reach a certain age, they¡¯ll be left with no more inspiration. That¡¯s what happened to my mentor. After he realized that he wasn¡¯t going anywhere with fashion design anymore, he switched over to clothing research,¡± Natalie said, smiling. Joyce wasn¡¯t a fashion designer, so she could only nod in confusion when she heard this. ¡°Is that so? The invitation card says that the banquet will be held tonight. Should we bring a gift along?¡± ¡°Of course! Mr. Moore likes collecting oriental teacups. I¡¯ll try and see if I can find one.¡± Natalie opened the door of her office. Noticing that someone had entered, Connor looked towards the door. When he saw that it was Natalie and Joyce, he waved at them and greeted them sweetly. ¡°Mommy, Aunt Joyce!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Good boy!¡± Natalie walked over to him and caressed his hair. Joyce made the bolder decision to go straight for Connor¡¯s face. The boy¡¯s cheeks were soft and chubby, and it felt very nice to pinch them. Joyce didn¡¯t want to let go of them at all. Natalie saw her son frown in displeasure and swatted Joyce¡¯s hand away, freeing him at last. When he got his long-awaited freedom, the boy jumped off his seat and fled into another corner. Joyce looked at him with her arms akimbo and started toin. ¡°This child...¡± Natalie interrupted her yfully. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough! You sound like a child yourself.¡± Joyce stuck her tongue out at her. Natalie burst intoughter. She walked over to her desk and put the invitation card into one of its drawers. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drop by the store first to pick out Mr. Moore¡¯s gift. Please help me take care of Connor.¡± Chapter 274 Chapter 274 ¡°Go on, go on! I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡± Joyce waved her away. Natalie smiled and thanked her. After nagging at Connor for a few more minutes, she finally picked up her bag and left. When she got to an oriental wares street, she stood at the entrance of the alleyway. It stretched on so far that she couldn¡¯t see the end of it¡ªthat was how long it was. Besides, the street was bustling with people. It was every bit as crowded as the street that sold vintage items. Natalie took out her phone and, using the built-in GPS, finally found herself at the most famous collectible items store on this street. The moment she stepped into the store, an employee came hurrying up to her with a smile on his face. ¡°Wee to our store! May I know what sort of teacup you¡¯re looking for? We stock both dish and bowl.¡± ¡°Oh, definitely the bowl!¡± Natalie said as she nced around the store, awestruck. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Mr. Moore wasn¡¯t interested in the dish-style teacups. He much preferred the bowl-style ones. ¡°Here you go!¡± The employee pointed at a shelf to her right. ¡°All of these are bowl-style teacups.¡± Natalie thanked him and walked over to take a look. Back in the lounge, a man attired veryvishly sat on the sofa with his eyes fixed on the security footage monitor in front of him. He brought the ss of wine to his lips and took a sip. An old man sat next to him, examining a teacup very closely. Noticing that the air had suddenly gone quiet, he put down the magnifying ss in his hands and turned to look at the younger man. ¡°Shane, what are you looking at?¡± Shane swiveled the wine around in the ss and didn¡¯t say anything. The old man followed his gaze. When he saw Natalie in the security footage, he pushed his sses up and yelped in surprise. ¡°Dear me! Isn¡¯t that the girl from the Smith family? I believe her name is Natalie.¡± Shane turned to look at him. ¡°Mr. ckwood, do you know her?¡± The old man shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. However, I do know that she was the girl your grandfather selected as your fianc¨¦e before he passed. Back when he picked her out of so many others, I was right next to him.¡± I see. That¡¯s interesting. Shane bowed his head quietly, his thumb grazing over the stem of the wine ss. ¡°So you knew all along that Jasmine was lying.¡± Mr. ckwood nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°Well, then, why have you kept the truth from me these past five years?¡± If he had known that Jasmine wasn¡¯t the true heiress of the Smith family, he would never have agreed to get engaged with her, even if she had saved his life five years ago. Mr. ckwood removed the cotton gloves on his hands andughed bleakly. ¡°Clearly, I misunderstood your intentions. When you got engaged with Jasmine five years ago, I thought you were truly enamored with her, so I decided not to tell you.¡± Shane pressed his lips into a thin line. ¡°I¡¯ve never liked Jasmine for even a second.¡± ¡°I know that. Just now, when I asked you why you broke off the engagement, I could tell that the person you really love is Natalie. I¡¯ve seen the way your eyes look when you gaze at her!¡± Mr. ckwood twirled his mustache andughed brightly. Since Shane didn¡¯t deny it, Mr. ckwood took his silence as acknowledgment. Mr. ckwood put the teacup into a small box carefully and kept it away. ¡°There¡¯s something I still don¡¯t understand, however. If you¡¯ve been in love with Natalie all along, why did you choose to get engaged with Jasmine five years ago? Also, after leaving the Smith family, Natalie never came to look for you.¡± He didn¡¯t know that Shane had only fallen for Natalie recently¡ªhe thought they had been in love since a long time ago. Shane didn¡¯t see a point in correcting him. Pinching the wine ss by its stem, he said in a low voice, ¡°She didn¡¯te and look for me because she had a boyfriend.¡± From the information he had received, Natalie had eloped with another man shortly before Yulia got divorced. Harrison Smith had been beside himself with rage because of this and divorced Yulia in a fit of anger. ¡°A boyfriend?¡± Mr. ckwood shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. If your grandfather knew that she already had a boyfriend, he would never have selected her as your fianc¨¦e. Besides, I¡¯m absolutely certain that your grandfather did a background check on that girl before he chose her. With his connections and power, he would definitely have known if she had a boyfriend!¡± Hearing this, Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed, his face clouding over again. That was very true. His grandfather would never have chosen a fianc¨¦e for him without conducting the necessary background checks. Hence, had Natalie truly eloped with a boyfriend, or was it all hogwash? If she never had a boyfriend back then, where did her two childrene from? Chapter 275 Chapter 275 A wave of suspicion washed over him. Shane¡¯s expression looked very nasty indeed¡ªhe was frowning so hard that a mosquito might be squashed to the death between the folds of his skin. He had made Ss dig up all the information he could find on Natalie¡¯s past, but Shane had a hunch that some of that information was inurate. At that moment, Mr. Moore smiled and said, ¡°Shane, I think the girl has finished choosing her teacup. She¡¯s going after that Timeless Osmanthus Fragrance teacup you wanted to gift to Mr. Moore.¡± This distracted Shane from his troubling train of thoughts. He shot another look at Natalie in the security footage. She was standing at the disy cab in front of the cashier counter, pointing at a teacup behind the ss. Exquisite lines of Osmanthus designs streaked across the sides of the teacup. ¡°Is this the Timeless Osmanthus Fragrance teacup?¡± The employee looked at the teacup she was pointing towards and smiled. ¡°Yes, it is! This has been Mr. ckwood¡¯s favorite work recently.¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful! I¡¯ve heard of this teacup before, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing it for myself. Mr. Moore will love it. How much does it cost?¡± Natalie looked up at the employee. However, the employee looked rather sheepish. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Miss, but someone has already reserved this teacup for purchase.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Natalie¡¯s smile froze on her face. ¡°They¡¯ve reserved this?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss. But we have lots of other teacups for you to choose from,¡± the employee replied. Natalie pouted sadly. ¡°I see. It¡¯s alright, then! I¡¯ll go and take a look somewhere else. If I don¡¯t find anything I like there, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The employee nodded and prepared to send her off at the door. ¡°Heimlich!¡± At that moment, a female employee rushed over to them. After shooting a look at Natalie, she shuffled over to the male employee and whispered something in his ear. After that, she left immediately again. Seeing that Natalie was about to leave, Heimlich¡¯s expression turned a little pale. Quickly, he dashed after her, waving his hands. ¡°Miss, please wait a minute!¡± Natalie stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him. ¡°Yes?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°We¡¯ve received new updates regarding that teacup you were looking at. The customer who reserved that teacup has changed his mind and decided to purchase something else. Do you still want the Timeless Osmanthus Fragrance teacup?¡± Natalie shot back to the cashier counter instantly. Without hesitating, she replied, ¡°Yes, I do!¡± She didn¡¯t think that she would have such excellent luck. I have finally gotten my hands on this teacup! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you pack it up immediately.¡± With that, the employee walked over to the disy cab and opened it. Putting on his gloves, he took out the Timeless Osmanthus Fragrance teacup carefully and wrapped it up carefully before handing it to Natalie. ¡°Here you go! One hundred thousand, please.¡± Natalie¡¯s hand froze as she took her card out from her wallet. She felt rather stunned. ¡°Is it really so cheap?¡± Before arriving here, she had taken some time to read up on Mr. ckwood, the owner of this store. He was one of the most famous teacup makers in the country, and even his cheapest works were frequently sold at five-figure values. However, the Timeless Osmanthus Fragrance teacup was his best work yet. It was quite extraordinary that he was only selling it for one hundred thousand. Seeing the suspicion in Natalie¡¯s eyes, the employee thought quickly on his feet and replied, ¡°Of course not. The original price of the Timeless Osmanthus Fragrance teacup was one million. However, our boss has a habit of selling his works at a discount when they¡¯ve been rejected by a potential buyer. This is because he thinks his work has been insulted.¡± ¡°I see.¡± This exnation was perfectly reasonable. Besides, the employee looked way too serious to be kidding. Natalie swallowed her suspicions and handed her card over to him. My luck today is simply amazing! The employee swiped her card and handed it back to her with both hands. Natalie took it from him and left with the teacup in her hands. At that moment, the door of the lounge opened. Shane and Mr. ckwood stepped out of the room one after another. Mr. ckwood looked rather amused. ¡°Shane, I didn¡¯t think you would give the Timeless Osmanthus Fragrance teacup up to that girl. You even foot nine hundred thousand of her bill! Why didn¡¯t you just pay for everything, eh?¡± ¡°She would have suspected something if that was the case.¡± Shane stuck his hands in his pockets and side-eyed Mr. ckwood. He continued, ¡°Mr. ckwood, please help me choose another teacup that¡¯s on the same level as the Timeless Osmanthus Fragrance teacup.¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Mr. ckwood pouted. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®choose¡¯? Do you think you¡¯re picking cabbages at the supermarket? I can¡¯t just produce one of my pieces when you ask me to!¡± Shane¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡°I heard from my sources that you still have a Blossoming Prosperity teacup that you haven¡¯t sold yet.¡± Mr. ckwood¡¯s face twitched. ¡°Who¡ªwho did you hear that from?¡± Shane turned around to look at him. ¡°Oh, does it really matter? Come on, hand it over. I have some land in the capital that I can rent out to you for peanuts. You can build your kiln there.¡± Mr. ckwood looked as though he was about to protest. His mouth opened uncertainly before he mped it shut and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve lost to you again! Alright, then, I¡¯ll go and get it for you! Jeez.¡± Mr. ckwood stuck his hands behind him and tottered into the storage room. That night, Natalie showed up at the Moore Residence with the teacup in hand. After asking one of their servants, she was informed that Mr. Moore was in his study. She decided to make her way there herself. However, just as she had taken two steps, a woman dashed out from the crowd and ran right into her, bumping so heavily into Natalie that she stumbled a little. Natalie recovered her bnce quickly and didn¡¯t fall. However, there was a throbbing pain in her shoulder that made her frown in agony. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. The woman wasn¡¯t as lucky. She was wearing ten-inch stilettos. When she bumped into Natalie, she stumbled backward pathetically before falling onto the ground on her bottom. The ss of red wine in her hand shattered onto the floor with a loud crash. In an instant, the floor was covered with ss shards and red wine. Natalie didn¡¯t bother to see who it was. Seeing that they had bumped heavily into each other, she quickly bowed to the woman and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Are you alright?¡± However, the woman waspletely livid. A look of rage shed across her beautiful face. She struggled up from the floor and raised her hand to p Natalie across the face. Noticing that the woman hadn¡¯t replied to her, Natalie thought she was in so much pain that she could barely speak. She looked up at her in concern. She never expected to see the woman¡¯s hand swinging down towards her. Her eyes trembled a little. Natalie reached out to grab the woman¡¯s hand instinctively and took a curious look at the woman¡¯s face. When she realized who it was, she felt a little stunned. ¡°Ms. Moore?¡± What a coincidence. She had bumped straight into Isabelle. Isabelle¡¯s was contorted with rage. She tried to shake her hand free, but Natalie¡¯s grip was simply too strong. Instead, the woman hollered, ¡°Let go of me!¡± Natalie refused to obey her order. Looking up at Isabelle, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll do that if you promise not to get physical again.¡± Isabelle would never agree to that. Laughing coldly, she replied, ¡°How dare you knock me onto the floor and make a fool of me in front of all these people? I have a good mind to give you a good beating!¡± Hearing this, Natalie frowned with displeasure. ¡°My apologies, Ms. Moore, but I can¡¯t let go of you then. Although I was wrong for knocking you over, I¡¯ve already apologized. Shall we just let this matter go?¡± ¡°Who cares if you did? I never epted your apology!¡± Isabelle snapped, ring at her. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Well, how do you want to settle this, then?¡± Isabelle pointed at the mess on the floor and smiled cruelly. ¡°Kneel on the floor and clean this up for me. I¡¯ll let you off the hook then.¡± Thest time in the boutique, she had fallen for Natalie¡¯s tricks and bought a bunch of gowns, maxing out all her credit cards in the process. When her grandfather found out, he grounded her at home and reduced her pocket money by half. Isabelle had been theughing stock of her circle of friends since then. Isabelle would never forgive Natalie for this. Every night, she dreamt of getting revenge on her. However, she had never found an opportunity to do so, and she was too afraid to go to the Thompson Group to look for her. Now that the time hade, atst. I will make sure to humiliate Natalie in front of all these people and send her home in disgrace! Upon hearing Isabelle¡¯s conditions, Natalie¡¯s face clouded over. A steely look appeared in her eyes as she looked furiously at Isabelle. Kneeling on the floor and cleaning up this mess was way too humiliating! Natalie flung her arm away. She noticed the look of self-satisfaction on Isabelle¡¯s face and realized something. Narrowing her eyes, Natalie asked, ¡°Did you do that on purpose?¡± ¡°What?¡± Isabelle asked, rubbing her arms. Natalie clenched her hands into fists. ¡°You bumped into me on purpose so you could have a perfect opportunity to humiliate me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Isabelle froze in the middle of rubbing her arms. A look of panic and guilt took over her face as she tried to avoid Natalie¡¯s eyes. ¡°What sort of nonsense is that? You think I bumped into you on purpose?¡± She said that very loudly, as though she wanted to prove her innocence to the people around her. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. However, Natalie could tell that she was just being stubborn. Laughing coldly, she said, ¡°Ms. Moore, you know perfectly well whether I¡¯m spouting rubbish or not. Since this is your grandfather¡¯s retirement party, I won¡¯t start a fight with you here. However, if you think I¡¯m going to do as you say and kneel down to clean this mess up, you can dream on!¡± With that, Natalie turned to leave. Isabelle was so furious that she stamped her feet. ¡°Stop right there! This is the Moore family¡¯s residence and my territory! Who allowed you to leave? You¡¯d better do exactly as I say and clean this up, or else...¡± A cold, indifferent male voice rang out from behind her. ¡°Or else what?¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the voice. She turned around instantly. When she saw the expressionless face of Shane, Isabelle froze with fright. Her face turned white as a sheet as she greeted him. ¡°Mr¡ªMr. Shane!¡± Natalie was quite surprised to find him here too. However, she wiped the shocked expression off her face immediately and nodded at him by way of greeting. She then turned and looked away. Noticing how coldly she was still behaving towards him, Shane couldn¡¯t help but purse his lips in unhappiness. He turned his gaze to Isabelle and said, ¡°Were you just telling her to kneel on the floor and clean up the mess? You sounded very confident when you said it, so I was just wondering if you had some experience in it. Why don¡¯t you get down on the floor now and show her how it should be done?¡± Hearing this, the bystandersughed mockingly. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but let out a smile either. When she heard theirughter, Isabelle couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Her face wentpletely scarlet, and she started screaming her head off as she stamped her feet. Her screams attracted the attention of her grandfather, who came hurrying along with his walking cane to see what was going on. He pushed past the crowd and demanded, ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± When she saw that he had arrived, Natalie let out a sigh of relief and bowed politely at him. ¡°How do you do, Mr. Moore.¡± Shane nodded at him, too. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Moore.¡± Mr. Moore looked pleasantly at them and weed them into his home. Next to him, Isabelle stamped her feet indignantly again. Grabbing hold of her grandfather¡¯s arm, she whined, ¡°Grandpa, they¡¯re bullying me!¡± She pointed straight at Natalie and Shane. Natalie raised an eyebrow. Shane felt a little surprised. He didn¡¯t think Isabelle would bring this matter up by herself when she was clearly in the wrong. ¡°Bully you, you say?¡± Mr. Moore asked, patting her on her head. He looked curiously at Natalie and Shane. ¡°How did they bully you?¡± Isabelle gritted her teeth angrily. ¡°This woman bumped into me and caused me to fall down. Mr. Shane then told me to kneel on the floor and clean up the broken winess!¡± ¡°What?¡± Mr. Moore asked in shock. ¡°Is this true?¡± ¡°Yes, it is...¡± Before she could finish speaking, Natalie interrupted her. ¡°Mr. Moore, it¡¯s true!¡± This shocked Isabelle so much that she fell silent and stared foolishly at Natalie. She wondered why Natalie was admitting to it instead of defending herself¡ªwas she tired of living or something? As she thought of this, Isabelleughed silently to herself in self-satisfaction. Shane looked at Natalie. Although he didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, he knew she had her own way to dig herself out of this mess. Hence, he didn¡¯t say anything to help her. Mr. Moore, who was in the dark about what had happened, looked extremely furious. It was one thing for his granddaughter toin, but Natalie herself had admitted to the usations! Just as he was about to explode in rage, Natalie ran a finger through her hair and continued, ¡°Although Ms. Moore is correct about her facts, there were a few things she conveniently left out in her exnation.¡± There we go... Shane¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He knew she had a n somehow. Isabelle¡¯s heart sank violently as her expression froze. She grabbed hold of her grandfather¡¯s arm, her grip around his sleeve tightening instinctively. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Alfred noticed Natalie behaved oddly. He took a deep breath and stared sharply at her. ¡°Tell me. What do you mean by that?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Grandpa...¡± Isabelle tugged at his sleeve without uttering a word. Her anxiety caused him to narrow his eyes. ¡°Shush!¡± Isabelle shuddered and quickly buttoned her lips. Natalie observed her reaction and swept a gaze over her. ¡°Ms. Moore deliberately knocked into me,¡± she exined. ¡°She tripped and broke the ss. Then, she asked me to clean them on my knees. Mr. Shane was just trying to stand up for me.¡± Disbelief crossed his face as he listened to her. After a while, he lowered his head to look at her granddaughter. ¡°Belle, is that so?¡± In that instant, Isabelle¡¯s face turned pale as a sheet. ¡°Nonsense! That¡¯s not true. Grandpa, don¡¯t listen to her. I¡¯m your granddaughter, trust me.¡± She refused to admit it. ¡°Very well, then. Let¡¯s check the security footage, shall we? Mr. Moore, are you fine with that?¡± asked Shane while he fixed his eyes on Alfred. Natalie nodded an agreement. Alfred twitched his lips but made no response. Suddenly, Isabelle let out a shriek like a cat on a hot tin roof. ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± In fact, that is the drawback to her absolute spontaneity ploy. She didn¡¯t have the time to tamper with the footage. That was why she was anxious that it might disclose her action to humiliate Natalie. However, it was obvious to everyone in the room that she was trying to hide the truth. It is clear now. There¡¯s no point getting agitated if she is innocent. Alfred was as much disappointed as angry at his granddaughter. He pushed her hand away, walked over to them, and bowed in apology. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Isabelle genuinely surprised by his reaction. Natalie too. She immediately reached out to stop him. ¡°Mr. Moore, what are you doing?¡± He continued to keep his head bowed. His action left her with no choice but to turn to Shane. She shook her head slightly. Her sincere gaze made it extremely hard for him to reject. He rubbed his temples in frustration and grabbed Alfred¡¯s arm. They helped him up together. ¡°My bad. I shouldn¡¯t spoil her rotten. Leave this to me. I will discipline her.¡± Alfred felt ashamed. He let his gaze fall sternly on Isabelle¡¯s face and said, ¡°Come! Apologize to them!¡± ¡°Never!¡± she refused while biting her lower lip. Alfred¡¯s face grew darker. He then thwacked her back with a cane. The sound of the cane whooshing through the air left Isabelle stupefied for several seconds. On the other hand, Natalie and Shane stood rooted to the spot. They were astounded to see that Alfred, who always adored his granddaughter, would punish her severely. Isabelle stared at his grandfather as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks. ¡°Grandpa, how could you?¡± Alfred certainly felt bad after hitting her. Despite that, she refused to apologize, even when she was clearly in the wrong. He had no choice but to raise his hand to her. ¡°You should be grateful that I¡¯m not using any strength, you spoiled brat! How dare you lie and deny your wrongdoing! And worst, you even nned a scheme on someone! From now on, I will cut your allowance and I want you to write a self- reflection! Until youplete it, you¡¯re grounded!¡± With that, he sighed heavily, ¡°Shane, Nat, what do you think of this punishment?¡± ¡°You decide. It¡¯s up to you,¡± Shane said to Natalie, with his gaze fixed on her. His words ttered her, and her blush rose immediately. Her eyes flickered to him before drifting to Alfred. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Great. Thanks for being reasonable.¡± Alfred expressed his gratitude with a smile on his face. Yet, deep down, he was disappointed and mentally drained. Natalie could sense his disappointment at his unfilial granddaughter. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Natalie had a rough idea why Isabelle had set her up that night. She assumed it was because of the incident at the high-end boutique back then. Yet she couldn¡¯t believe Isabelle would ruin his grandfather¡¯s retirement dinner. On top of it, she had embarrassed and disappointed him on hisst day in the fashion industry. With this train of thought, she shifted her gaze to Isabelle, who stood still beside Alfred with her head down. Isabelle hid behind her hair, which made her expression unreadable. However, it was evident from her bodynguage that she was furious. She balled her fists tightly; it won¡¯t be long before she lost it. Natalie paid no heed and turned to Alfred. Then she handed over her gift. ¡°Mr. Moore, I hope you like my little present for your retirement.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Shane took one look at the shopping bag she held as a ray of light shed across his eyes. Alfred grinned. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s a teacup from the rkes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. He then nced at Shane and said, ¡°Look at the chemistry between you two. Who would have thought that you¡¯ll bring the same gift?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s a mere coincidence,¡± Shane murmured. Alfred chuckled. ¡°You two just click.¡± With that, he reached out for the present. Natalie sped her hands excitedly. ¡°Mr. Moore, open it.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve brought for me. Shane gave me the one with an exquisite floral pattern design, and you...¡± ¡°Mine has a lotus design,¡± she replied with a smile. Alfred¡¯s anticipation grew when he heard that, so he swiftly unboxed the packaging. Just when he was about to open the box, Isabelle, who had kept her head down until then, suddenly snatched it from his hands. ring at Natalie, she roared, ¡°I hate you! You disgust me! You stole my ne and always humiliate me in front of my grandfather. Now you want to tter him? No way!¡± As soon as she finished, the crowd erupted in chatter. She raised the box high and wanted to smash the cup. Before she could do that, Alfred stopped her. ¡°Belle, what are you trying to do? Stop it!¡± He narrowed his eyes threateningly when he saw his granddaughter¡¯s action. A cold aura enveloped him. Isabelle snorted. She was not threatened. Then she let go of her grip. ¡°No!¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She tried to reach out and saved the box before it hit the ground, but it was toote. The box fell to the floor and a shattering sound was heard from inside the box. The porcin teacup broke into pieces. Natalie froze in her ce, dumbfounded. She stared at it for a few seconds before she snapped back to reality. She went down on both knees to check, but Shane grabbed her arm. She ignored him, opened the box, and saw the teacupying lifelessly in the box in pieces. She turned pale. Alfred crouched down and picked up the pieces. Heartbroken, he looked at it again. However, the cup was shattered beyond repair. Alfred put the pieces down. He trembled as he tried to get up on his knees, but Shane helped him up. He turned to Isabelle and pped her on the cheek, wiping the smug smile off her face. She quickly left the room to sob her heart out. Natalie closed the box and grasped it in her arms as she stood up. She forced a smile onto her small face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Moore. I can¡¯t give you this gift.¡± He waved his hand weakly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I appreciate your intention.¡± His words were soft. On the other hand, Shane was not thrilled about this. He fixed his eyes on Isabelle as she left the room. After a while, he cast an icy stare at Alfred. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 ¡°Mr. Moore, your granddaughter has a terrible attitude, and this can¡¯t be fixed with just a little punishment. I hope that you can inculcate some morals and values into her all over again and send her away if she cannot be taught. Otherwise, she will attract even more trouble for you in the future.¡± These were extremely rude remarks without any consideration to Alfred at all. Even though Alfred felt a little embarrassed, he knew that it was the truth. Therefore, he could only nod with an awkward smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There is no more reason to continue this ceremony today.¡± Seeing that Alfred had agreed to teach Isabelle a lesson, Shane immediately switched his gaze back to Natalie. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie understood that too and walked listlessly behind him. Just as Shane had said, this ceremony could not be continued now that things had turned out this way. At first, Alfred had organized this ceremony to spot some talents for the Moore Group. He also wanted to take in some talented designers as his students. However, these thoughts all disappeared after that ruckus just now. After apologizing to everybody, he announced the end of the ceremony before having his butler arrange for their departure. When Natalie and Shane walked out of the Moore residence, they were met with a torrential downpour. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Natalie did not have an umbre with her, and she did not drive either. On top of that, she was wearing a flimsy skirt with short boots that were not water-resistant. One could only imagine how troubled she was now. Just when Natalie was caught in that conflicted situation, Shane spoke while unbuttoning his jacket, ¡°Let me give you a lift since it¡¯s raining so heavily.¡± Natalie could not find it in herself to reject him, so she nodded. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± They were in a vi district. If she rejected his offer, she would have to brave the rain to leave this neighborhood before she could get a cab by the roadside. By then, she would be soaking wet. Even if she were able to get a cab, the driver might not necessarily take her if he saw the state that she was in. Shane¡¯s face rxed a little upon Natalie¡¯s eptance of his offer. He then removed his jacket and ced it over her head. ¡°Hold up the jacket yourself.¡± Natalie blinked with apparent confusion. Shane said softly, ¡°Ss can¡¯t drive all the way to the doorstep. He can only stop at the gate. We are about ten meters away from the gate, so this can take the ce of an umbre to protect you from the rain.¡± I see. Natalie could feel her heart warming up. Then, when she saw that he was in only a thin shirt, she removed his jacket from her head and handed it back to him. ¡°Thank you for your kind gesture, Mr. Shane, but I won¡¯t need it. It¡¯s quite cold now that it is raining heavily. What if you catch a cold after giving me the jacket? It¡¯s better that you put it back on.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t catch a cold. Just put it on.¡± Shane shoved the jacket back to her with a hint of annoyance in his eyes. Natalie understood what he meant. She knew that he would be unhappy if she insisted on returning the jacket. Hence, she gave in and obediently held the jacket over her head. When Shane saw that, the annoyance vanished from his eyes. At this moment, a ck Bentley came into view amidst the rainy scene, and it stopped at the vi entrance about ten meters away. Shane held onto the dumbfounded Natalie¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°I¡¯ll run there together with you. Come on!¡± With that, he ran into the rain while dragging Natalie with him. The rain sshed onto the jacket on Natalie¡¯s head. The pitter-patter of the rain was deafening, which showed how heavy the downpour was. In merely a few seconds, Shane and Natalie had reached the car. He opened the door to the backseat and released Natalie¡¯s hand. With a little shove on her back, he gestured for her to get into the car first. Meanwhile, he stood outside the car and allowed the rain to pour over him, only getting into the car after Natalie was seated inside. By then, Shane was practically soaking wet. His hair was drenched and had gathered into unkempt strands. His expensive shirt clung tightly onto his body while his brows furrowed deeply due to the cold and difort. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 ¡°Switch on the heater,¡± Shane tapped on the back of the driver¡¯s seat andmanded sternly. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ss immediately did so before promptly turning to look at Shane. Ss was so shocked to see the disheveled state he was in that his sses slipped from his nose bridge. ¡°Oh no, Mr. Shane, you arepletely wet.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Natalie was straightening her skirt when she heard that, which prompted her to freeze momentarily before shifting her gaze to Shane. That was when she realized that he was indeedpletely wet like what Ss had said. Stunned, she was so touched that she was rendered speechless. With his jacket protecting her, only her shoes and the edges of her skirt got a little damp. Inparison to his utterly soaked state, she was definitely way better off. By now, Natalie was moved and guilt-ridden at the same time. She removed the jacket from her head and handed it to Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, use this to dry yourself. It¡¯s dry on the inside.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane did not reject her offer and grabbed the dry part of the jacket to rub his hair. As Natalie stared at him, she could not help but blush a little. His white shirt had turned translucent in the rain, which showed off every line and curve of his muscr body. Mr. Shane is well-built indeed! That night when they slept together, she was so drunk that she did not see anything. What a pity... Biting her lip, she sighed with slight regret. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shane had already finished drying his hair and turned to look at her with his dark eyes. Natalie sprang up and waved her hands in denial. ¡°N-No... nothing...¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes doubtfully. Natalie quickly averted her gaze and nodded immediately. ¡°Really!¡± She would never tell him that she was fantasizing about his body. ¡°Is that so?¡± Shane looked up and shifted his gaze away from her, seemingly believing her. cing her hand on her chest, she discreetly heaved a sigh of relief. Shane sneaked a look at her relieved face and broke into a tiny smile. In fact, he knew that she was staring at him when he was drying his hair. There was no way he could have ignored that burning gaze. Instead of exposing her for ogling him, he merely tossed his jacket on the seat. A corner of the jacket brushed against the back of Natalie¡¯s hand. She looked at the crumpled jacket and frowned a little. ¡°What a pity, this jacket has been ruined by the rain, and you can¡¯t wear it again!¡± As a fashion designer, she could not bear the sight of a designer item being ruined. ¡°I¡¯ll just throw it away. It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Shane fixed his hair and replied nonchntly. Natalie folded the jacket neatly. ¡°Let mepensate you with a new one.¡± ¡°Compensate me?¡± Shane raised a brow. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. After all, this jacket has helped protect me against the rain.¡± ¡°Since you insist, go ahead then.¡± Shane looked up at her. Natalie bit her lip hesitantly. ¡°It¡¯s just that mypensation will not be as expensive as the one you have. Your clothes are all customized by top designers, so...¡± ¡°But you can customize it too, can¡¯t you?¡± Shane said casually as he rested his elbow on the car door. Natalie pointed at herself. ¡°Mr. Shane, you want me to make a suit for you?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Shane nodded slightly. Natalie looked troubled as she replied hesitantly, ¡°I could, but its value would still...¡± ¡°The value doesn¡¯t matter as long as the quality is good. I¡¯ve seen the clothes that you have made, and your skills are on par with Daniel¡¯s,¡± Shane assured her in a gentle tone. Hearing his encouraging words, her heart was filled with warmth once again. ¡°I know. Thank you for your confidence in me, Mr. Shane. I willpensate you with a suit as good as this one.¡± Shane looked up. ¡°Alright, I look forward to it then.¡± In a short while, they arrived at her apartment and the rain stopped at the same time. Natalie got out of the car and watched them drive away before she entered the apartment. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Yulia opened the door for her when she got home. Natalie was shocked. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s sote. Why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± ¡°I was just watching television. Anyway, there¡¯s something I want to tell you.¡± Yulia removed the facial mask on her face. ¡°I am nning to leave the country tomorrow. Jared¡¯s doctor called me this afternoon to say that he has been feeling unwelltely. I¡¯ve got to go and take a look, or I won¡¯t feel at ease.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you to the airport then. I¡¯ll go and take a shower first.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yulia dismissed her with a wave. Thumping her shoulders, Natalie headed to the bathroom after getting her pajamas from her room. After breakfast in the morning, Yulia brought Sharon to kindergarten while Natalie took Connor to the studio. On the way, she received a call from Shane. Natalie hesitated before answering, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡¯ ¡°Ms. Smith,¡± Instead of Shane¡¯s voice from the other end of the line, it was that of a gentle, middle-aged woman. Natalie was stunned as she suddenly remembered who that voice belonged to. ¡°Mrs. Wilson?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Connor blinked. ¡°Who is it, Mommy?¡¯ Natalie put her finger up to gesture for him not to speak. Connor immediately nodded and held his tongue. Smiling at him, she asked the woman, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, how may I help you?¡± Why would Mrs. Wilson use Shane¡¯s cell phone to call me? ¡°You see, Ms. Smith, sir developed a feverst night. It went up to thirty-nine degrees, and he is still not awake yet. In his dreams, he kept calling out for you, Ms. Smith,¡± Mrs. Wilson said worriedly as she took a look at therge ck bed, where the handsome man with the pale face slept. Natalie was shocked. ¡°Calling out for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°W-Why would he call out for m-me?¡± Natalie¡¯s heart was racing. Mrs. Wilson smiled ruefully. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, but could youe over and take a look at him?¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Please, Ms. Smith!¡± Mrs. Wilson was practically pleading with her, leaving her no room for rejection. Hence, Natalie had no choice but to oblige as she forced a smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go over shortly.¡± With that, she hung up. Connor tugged at her sleeve. ¡°Mommy, is Mr. Shane ill?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, he has a fever, and I¡¯ve promised his housekeeper that I would go and see him. Baby, you...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Connor looked at her with resolute. Natalie raised a brow. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like Mr. Shane anymore?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t like him, but he used to be very nice to Sharon and me, so I should visit him now that he is ill. Moreover, I want to see where he lives too,¡± Connor said while squeezing his little fists. Natalie stroked his nose. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll bring you there, but you¡¯d better not be mischievous and cause trouble!¡± ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Connor replied. After about forty minutes, they arrived at Shane¡¯s vi. Natalie was just about to press the doorbell at the entrance when the door swung open. After that, Mrs. Wilson walked out with an apron on. ¡°Ms. Smith, you are finally here!¡± ¡°So sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. Wilson.¡± Natalie smiled awkwardly. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Mrs. Wilson weed them into the house. ¡°Not at all, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Hang on, Mrs. Wilson. I have one more person with me.¡± Natalie grabbed her arm and stopped her in her tracks. Mrs. Wilson turned to her and looked around. ¡°Where is this other person?¡± ¡°Right here.¡± Natalie pulled Connor out from behind her. Lowering her gaze to the boy, Mrs. Wilson¡¯s face was filled with astonishment. ¡°This... this...¡± Mrs. Wilson pointed at Connor with disbelief. ¡°Could he be you and sir¡¯s...¡± Natalie had expected that she would react that way. With a glimmer in her eyes, she waved her hand and denied, ¡°No, I had him with another man. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 ¡°Another man?¡± Mrs. Wilson furrowed her brows, clearly not believing her words. Why does this kid look exactly like sir? How could he be someone else¡¯s child? Natalie knew what Mrs. Wilson had in mind, but she did not exin further. Instead, she merely lifted her hand from Connor¡¯s head and changed the topic. ¡°Alright, Mrs. Wilson, bring me to Mr. Shane. Didn¡¯t you say that he called out for me?¡± Fortunately, Mrs. Wilson did not dwell on the matter and quickly cleared a path for her. ¡°That¡¯s right. Do come in quickly, Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie responded with a murmur and held Connor¡¯s hand as they entered the vi. Following that, Mrs. Wilson brought both of them to the master bedroom located on the third floor. When they entered the room, Shane was fast asleep on his bed. As Natalie stood by his bedside, she could not help but reach out to touch his forehead when she saw his pale face and heard his rapid breathing. However, she frowned upon touching him. ¡°He is burning up. Didn¡¯t you get the doctor?¡± ¡°Yes, we did. The doctor has given sir an injection.¡± Mrs. Wilson sighed. Leaning on the bed, Connor¡¯s bright eyes never left Shane. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane is fine, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Mrs. Wilson answered before Natalie could say anything, ¡°it¡¯s just that his fever has not subsided yet.¡± Right then, Natalie¡¯s gaze fell on the rubbing alcohol at the headboard. ¡°His fever should cool faster if we wipe him down, right?¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°Yes, that was what the doctor said before he left. It¡¯s just that sir has never allowed anyone to touch him, so I can¡¯t even help wipe him down. Unless Ms. Smith...¡± Natalie gaped when she realized what Mrs. Wilson was suggesting. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, you are not asking me to help wipe down Mr. Shane, are you?¡± Mrs. Wilson smiled as she rubbed her hands against her apron. ¡°That¡¯s right, that was what I had in mind. I don¡¯t have a choice either, Ms. Smith. Since he was calling out your name even in his dreams, he should fine with you touching him.¡± ¡°But...¡± Looking troubled, Natalie bit her lip and was about to speak before Mrs. Wilson interrupted her with a pleading look on her face. ¡°Ms. Smith, since sir let you have his jacketst night, please do him a favor.¡± There was nothing that Natalie could say to that, so she agreed with a bitter smile, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Did I just shoot myself in the foot? ¡°Thank you, Ms. Smith. Child,e downstairs with me, and I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡± Mrs. Wilson grabbed Connor¡¯s hand gleefully. Connor nced at Natalie and epted Mrs. Wilson¡¯s hand obediently after Natalie nodded in approval. The two of them then walked out, leaving only Natalie and Shane in the room. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Letting out a long sigh, Natalie turned to look at the man on the bed again. It was evident that he was feeling very ufortable. His chest was heaving up and down, and his thin lips were slightly agape, revealing his heavy breathing. Besides that, his neck was moist with beads of perspiration on it. The droplets flowed down his Adam¡¯s apple before disappearing into the cor of his pajamas. Natalie touched his neck to find that it was sticky and even his cor was drenched. ¡°Why are you perspiring so much?¡± Natalie muttered. She scanned the room to locate the bathroom before getting a basin of hot water. After cing the basin next to the bed, she picked up the medical-grade rubbing alcohol and poured some into the water. She then swirled it with her hands and soaked a towel into the solution. After wringing it dry, she wiped down Shane¡¯s face, cleaning up his perspiration bit by bit. After wiping him down, she tossed the towel into the basin. Then she picked up a brand new fever patch and stuck it onto Shane¡¯s forehead. Then, she began to feel slightly troubled because it was time to wipe down Shane¡¯s body. ¡°Oh well...¡± Natalie rubbed her temples and nced at Shane, whose brows were tightly knitted. She took a deep breath before removing his nket and bending forward to unbutton and remove his pajamas. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 At the sight of his muscr torso, she held her breath and blushed involuntarily while her heart raced. Even though she had already seen his bodyst night, there was still a thin shirt covering it, so it was not as visible as it was now. As her gaze fell on his muscr, well-defined abs, she could not help but run her fingers over them. After that, she came to the realization of what she had just done and smacked her own face exasperatedly. It took her a short while before she calmed herself down and wrung a towel to wipe him down. That took about half an hour. ¡°Pfft....¡± Natalie stood up and let out a long breath. With the towel in one hand, she used her other hand to pound her rather sore back. After wiping down Shane, she was so exhausted that she felt like she had just returned from the warzone with beads of sweat all over her body. Natalie gazed down at the man and smiled helplessly. Then, she covered him with the nket again and prepared to pour out the water in the bathroom. However, he suddenly tugged onto the edge of her blouse the moment she got up. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She could not move and fell backward haphazardly. With a scream of surprise, shended on his body, forcing a groan of pain out of him. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Natalie¡¯s pupils constricted as she immediately turned to check on Shane without a care for her own sore back. She was worried that he would sustain internal injuries because of her fall, while he had not even recovered from his fever yet. Just as Natalie lifted the covers and was about to check Shane¡¯s chest, he suddenly opened up his eyes. Then, he nced at her for barely two seconds before looping his arm around her waist. With one fell swoop, she was in his embrace, and his eyes were shut again. ¡°Mr. Shane? Mr. Shane?¡± She nudged him lightly to get him to release her. However, he fell asleep again and had no reaction. It was as if she had imagined the whole scene of him waking up. But she knew it wasn¡¯t her imagination since his arm was still around her waist. Natalie could smell the alcohol on his body. As she felt his breath on top of her head, her heart thumped wildly. She did not expect things to end up like this by just helping him wipe down his body. Hence, she was somewhat panicking. The moment she looked up at him, she was stunned by how attractive he was when he slept. With that, her panic dissipated and her tensed body loosened up. She raised her hand from his chest and ced them on his face. Then, she ran her fingers gently across his brows with a bittersweet feeling in her heart. This was the man she loved, and he was her children¡¯s father. Unfortunately, there was another woman in his heart. She knew very well that she should keep a distance from this man and forget about him. However, she could not stop the urge to get closer to him. She had no idea how things would turn out thereafter. Sighing, Natalie smiled bitterly, feeling lost and anxious at the same time. Soon, her woes were interrupted by the sudden sound of a phone ringing. As Natalie¡¯s hands trembled, her body tensed up again with a pang of inexplicable guilt. She immediately pushed Shane¡¯s arm away from her waist and got to her feet. After that, she let out a breath to calm her nerves down. When she finally went to the bedside and took a look at his cell phone, she saw Jacqueline¡¯s name flickering on the screen. At this moment, Natalie felt a hint of uneasiness for some inexplicable reason. She looked down to conceal the sadness in her eyes and picked up the call. However, before she could say anything, Jacqueline¡¯s gentle voice piped up, ¡°Shane, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d apany me at the hospital today? Why aren¡¯t you here yet?¡± ¡°About that... Ms. Graham, I am not Mr. Shane,¡± Natalie pushed her hair aside and said with embarrassment. At the other end of the line, Jacqueline¡¯s smiling face turned icy cold when she heard a woman¡¯s voice instead of Shane¡¯s. However, her tone remained gentle. ¡°May I know who you are then?¡± Chapter 285 Chapter 285 ¡°We have met before. I am Natalie,¡± Natalie replied while sitting by the bedside. Jacqueline¡¯s hand gripped the phone a little tighter. Her expressionless face twisted into a grimace. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Ms. Smith. Why are you with Shane and picking up his calls?¡± Natalie smiled at her somewhat interrogative tone and exined, ¡°You see, Ms. Graham, Mr. Shane is having a fever because of me, so¡ª¡± ¡°So you went to take care of him?¡± Narrowing her eyes, Jacqueline interrupted Natalie. ¡°Not exactly, but¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to exin anymore!¡± Jacqueline interrupted Natalie once again and clutched her covers tightly. Natalie guessed that she must have misunderstood something, but when she was about to rify things, she realized that Jacqueline had already hung up. ¡°Oh no!¡± Natalie smacked her forehead with guilt. I shouldn¡¯t have picked up the call on Shane¡¯s behalf had I known that this would happen! Even if Jacqueline could not contact Shane, she might just be worried for a while, and there would not have been any misunderstanding. But now, her good intention had resulted in a disaster instead. Natalie sighed with a slight headache. She then decided to look for Mrs. Wilson so that she could exin everything to Jacqueline. Jacqueline should believe Mrs. Wilson, right? Natalie then put the phone away and gave Shane a nce before leaving the room to head downstairs. Mrs. Wilson and Connor were watching television together. When she saw Natalie, she quickly stood up and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, you are done wiping sir down?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. He is a lot better now, and his breathing is not as rapid anymore. He even had the strength to hug me. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Mrs. Wilson smiled and patted her chest in relief. Natalie bit her lower lip as a hint of anxiety crept onto her face. Mrs. Wilson could tell that she had something to say, so she asked her out of concern, ¡°Are you alright, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°I made a mistake.¡± Clenching her fists, Natalie told her everything about her conversation with Jacqueline. Mrs. Wilson sighed and waved her hands nonchntly after she heard everything. ¡°And there I was wondering what was going on. Don¡¯t worry. You can just ignore her.¡± ¡°Ignore her?¡± Natalie gaped with shock. ¡°But she will definitely misunderstand that Mr. Shane and I...¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. There is nothing between sir and her, so let her be.¡± Mrs. Wilson was not concerned at all. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. When Natalie heard this, she could not help but gape in shock. ¡°There is nothing between Mr. Shane and Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°But¡ª¡± Before Natalie could finish her sentence, the doorbell interrupted her. ¡°Ms. Smith, I¡¯ll go and open the door first. You can continueter,¡± Mrs. Wilson said as she walked toward the door. Natalie shook her head helplessly as she watched her leaving figure. It seems like I won¡¯t be able to get help from Mrs. Wilson. Never mind. I¡¯ll just look for another opportunity to exin to Jacqueline then. However, Mrs. Wilson said that there is nothing between Shane and Jacqueline. Is it because he has just canceled his engagement to Jasmine and is not together with Jacqueline yet? She suddenly felt something tugging her shirt and when she turned around, it was Connor. ¡°Mommy, I want to go to the bathroom,¡± Connor said as he looked at her. Natalie picked him up from the sofa. ¡°Let Mommy bring you there.¡± Then, she headed to the bathroom with his hand in hers. After that, Natalie brought Connor back to the living room. The moment she reached the living room, she heard Mrs. Wilson speaking in a slightly exasperated tone, ¡°Mr. Sam, I¡¯ve already told you that sir is ill and he can¡¯t get up. Pleasee back when he is awake and well.¡± ¡°Hmph! Who knows when he will wake up? This is a very urgent matter, so you¡¯d better go and wake him up!¡± A husky middle-aged man¡¯s voice could be heard. They began arguing over whether to wake Shane up. Natalie stood outside the living room with Connor by her side. She felt rather embarrassed and did not know whether they should go in. After all, they were outsiders, so it could be rather awkward when faced with other people¡¯s family affairs. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Just when Natalie was deciding whether to return to the bathroom and emerge only after the man left, she heard some heavy footsteps from the stairs. It was immediately followed by a deep masculine voice. ¡°What¡¯s the racket about?¡± ¡°Sir, you are awake?¡± Mrs. Wilson looked at him in shock. Natalie shared the same expression as her, but the surprise in her eyes soon turned to disapproval. His fever has not subsided yet. What is he doing here? ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane is here,¡± Connor said to Natalie while pointing at Shane. Natalie put down his hand. ¡°Mommy knows that. Don¡¯t point at people.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Connor nodded without saying anything else. Shane nced at them and nodded in acknowledgment. While supporting himself with the railing, he walked down the stairs slowly. Then, with Mrs. Wilson¡¯s help, he stood before the middle-aged man. The moment Shane appeared, the man lost all his arrogance and brashness that he disyed in front of Mrs. Wilson. In fact, his haughtiness was reced with a sense of fear. It was obvious that he was afraid of Shane. ¡°Oh, Shane, you are finally here.¡± The middle-aged man rubbed his hands together and smiled at Shane. With his face void of expression, Shane stared at him. ¡°Uncle Thompson, how may I help you?¡± Uncle Thompson? Natalie raised her eyebrows when she heard the way Shane addressed him and scrutinized the man curiously. He was short and stout, with a balding head and a huge beer belly. Apart from that, his features were somewhat simr to Sean¡¯s. It was hard for her to believe that this was actually Sean¡¯s father. ¡°You see, Shane, I heard that you have a plot ofnd in the countryside...¡± ¡°You want that piece ofnd?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Sam nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes, I did not touch Dad¡¯s cemetery plot because you told me not to. However, since you are not using this plot ofnd anyway, why don¡¯t you sell it to me?¡± ¡°Did Sean ask you toe here?¡± Shane stared daggers at him as if he were trying to see through the latter. Sam let out a light cough. ¡°Not really. I came here on my own ord, and Sean only told me that you have this plot ofnd. You know that I¡¯ve invested in a holiday resort project. So now, all I need is a piece ofnd to build it on.¡± Holiday resort? Natalie tilted her head in confusion. Isn¡¯t the Thompson family only in the luxury goods business? How are they involved in property development as well? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°What is your offer then?¡± Shane folded his arms and scowled at him, clearly not interested in the holiday resort that he had mentioned. Sam brought up three fingers. ¡°What about this?¡± Shane sniggered. ¡°Take your leave then, Uncle Thompson. I bought that plot ofnd for five hundred million back then, and you want to buy it for three hundred million? How is that possible?¡± With that, he ignored Sam and walked toward Natalie and Connor instead. However, he was barely a step away when Sam pulled him back. ¡°Shane, let¡¯s talk about this. Fine, I¡¯ll buy it for the five hundred million that you paid for. How about that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s non-negotiable.¡± Shane frowned and pulled his arm away. However, he did not expect Sam to let go at the same time as he retracted his arm. He then staggered and fell backward. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Letting go of Connor, Natalie immediately dashed toward Shane and supported him in time. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you alright?¡± Shane shook his head and panted slightly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m feeling a little dizzy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll help you sit down over there.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief and brought him to the sofa. When Sam saw Natalie who appeared out of nowhere, he was astonished by her striking good looks. Then, he asked his nephew, ¡°Shane, thisdy is...¡± However, Shane did not respond to him. Meanwhile, Natalie smiled at him out of courtesy. Just when she was about to introduce herself, Connor ran up to them. When Sam saw Connor¡¯s face which was identical to Shane¡¯s, his expression changed immediately. He pointed at Connor in dismay and mumbled, ¡°You... You...¡± Chapter 287 Chapter 287 ¡°Me?¡± Connor tilted his head and whispered with pouted lips, ¡°Here¡¯s another one that is gonna say that I am Mr. Shane¡¯s son!¡± Natalie was pouring a ss of water for Shane. When she heard her son¡¯s words, she instantly froze in ce. She suddenly felt that she should not have brought Connor here. Anybody who was acquainted with Shane would definitely be surprised and suspicious at the sight of Connor. If there were just a few people, she could still exin that Connor was not Shane¡¯s son but not when more people had seen her son. After all, not everyone would believe her. If someone got suspicious and decided to run a DNA test for the two of them, she would be in trouble. Shane saw that Natalie was spacing out, but he did not think much about it and assumed something was bothering her. So he asked her out of concern, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Natalie came to her senses and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Connor,e over here.¡± She beckoned Connor over with a wave. When he came to her, she shielded him from Sam¡¯s line of sight. Now that Sam was out of sight, he could only look at Shane and Natalie. It took him some time before he gulped and stammered, ¡°S-Shane, does that child belong to the two of you?¡± ¡°How is this any of your business?¡± Shane looked up at him frostily. This sounded like an admission to Sam, who was so surprised that he took two steps back. ¡°How is it possible that you have a child? You have already...¡± At this point, Sam suddenly realized that he had a slip of the tongue and immediately shut up as a look of panic shed across his eyes. However, it was toote as Shane and Natalie had both heard him. Shane narrowed his eyes and red at him. ¡°What do you mean? I have already what?¡± ¡°N-Nothing. Shane, let¡¯s talk about thend another time. I¡¯ll make a move first,¡± Sam said before turning around and practically fleeing away as if something was chasing after him. Natalie shifted her gaze to Shane who looked like he was in deep thought. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just trying to figure out what hisst sentence meant.¡± Shane pinched his leg slightly. Natalie patted Connor¡¯s head and muttered, ¡°Is he trying to insinuate that there is something wrong with your health, and therefore... But that doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± If there is something wrong with him that prevents him from having children, then how did Connor and Sharone about? ¡°What doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± Shane did not know the meaning behind Natalie¡¯s words and raised a brow at her. But Natalie waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just making random guesses. But if you want to know what he really meant, you¡¯d have to look into it yourself, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane looked up a little. ¡°I know.¡± Of course he would find out the truth. Judging on Sam¡¯s words and how he left in a panic, it was obvious that he had done something unbeknownst to Shane. ¡°Oh right, Mr. Shane, do you want to go back for another lie in? You still don¡¯t look too well to me.¡± Natalie was worried as she looked at Shane¡¯s pale face. Shane waved his hand dismissively. ¡°No need.¡± At this moment, Mrs. Wilson brought out a steaming hot cup of tea. ¡°Sir, do have some herbal tea.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Herbal tea?¡± Shane frowned. ¡°Yes, herbal tea will help you recover sooner.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Hearing that, Shane pursed his lips. He was clearly not a fan of herbal tea. Connor never had herbal tea before, so he went up to take a curious sniff. However, the next instant, he pinched his nose and ran away, screaming, ¡°It stinks!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be rude!¡± Natalie red at the little one with feigned anger. The little boy stuck his tongue out. Mrs. Wilsonughed heartily. ¡°It¡¯s a little stinky, but it works. Alright, sir, drink it quickly before it gets cold.¡± Nevertheless, Shane held the cup with no intention of drinking it at all. Seeing that, Mrs. Wilson shot a helpless nce at Natalie. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Natalie smiled at Shane and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, please drink it. Mrs. Wilson took a long time to find this particr herbal tea for you.¡± Shane shot a nce at her before turning to Mrs. Wilson. Wordlessly, he stared at the murky herbal tea with an expressionless face for a while, then lifted his head to gulp down the entire cup. After that, Natalie took the cup from him and discreetly put something in his palm. He was slightly taken aback. When he looked down, he saw a candy wrapped in blue paper. Is she cajoling me like I am a child? Shane raised his eyebrows at Natalie. Understanding what he meant, she winked at him and said, ¡°Just eat it. It won¡¯t be so bitter after that.¡± Shane let out a wry smile. She is really treating me like a child. Somehow, this is quite amusing. Shane lowered his gaze to hide the smile in his eyes before unwrapping the candy and putting it in his mouth. Soon, the sweetness spread across his tongue and chased the bitterness away. He closed his eyes slightly while his brows rxed. When he opened his eyes, they met with Connor¡¯s huge, dark eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Shane stared at Connor¡¯s face that was almost identical to his. Natalie looked at the little one curiously as well. The child put his hand on Shane¡¯s leg and gazed up at him withplete admiration. ¡°Wow, Mr. Shane! How did you drink such stinky tea at one go?¡± Shane¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly as he picked up the little one before cing him on hisp. ¡°Thank you.¡± To his surprise, this child who had barely paid him any attention just now started idolizing him because of a cup of herbal tea. As expected of a kid. While Mrs. Wilson watched their interactions with a smile, she could not help herself but say, ¡°Sir, Ms. Smith, the three of you really look like a family.¡± When she heard this, Natalie froze for a while and quickly carried Connor away from Shane¡¯sp. ¡°Hey, Mrs. Wilson, don¡¯t joke like this. Mr. Shane and I are just friends. ¡°Friends?¡± Shane¡¯s eyes grew darker, his lips pursing. Even if we are not lovers, we should be more than tonic friends. But in her mind, we are just friends? Natalie could feel his slight displeasure but did not dwell on it. Instead, she took Connor¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, it¡¯s gettingte, so we should get going.¡± Lowering her gaze to the little one, Natalie instructed, ¡°Connor, say goodbye to Mr. Shane and Mrs. Wilson.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. He nodded obediently. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Shane and Mrs. Wilson!¡± Mrs. Wilson was at a loss while she turned to Shane. She knew very well that Natalie was leaving because of what she said just now. However, she had no idea what was wrong with her words, which prompted Natalie¡¯s huge reaction. On the other hand, Shane ignored Mrs. Wilson and stood up while rubbing his temples. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± ¡°No, no. Mr. Shane, you are still ill. I¡¯ll just go back on my own.¡± Natalie immediately shook her head and rejected his offer. Seeing how insistent she was, Shane lowered his eyes and handed her his car keys. ¡°Here, drive my car. Just don¡¯t forget to return it to me.¡± Natalie hesitated briefly as she thought of how she might not be able to get a cab out there, so she epted his offer. ¡°Thank you. We will be on our way then.¡± With that, she led Connor toward the door. Mrs. Wilson followed behind the mother and son duo to see them out. When the door opened, they saw Ss standing outside with his hand raised. He was taken aback as the door suddenly swung open when he was about to press the doorbell. ¡°Mr. Campbell,¡± Natalie greeted him with a nod. Ss pushed back his sses and smiled. ¡°Ms. Smith, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane is ill, and I came here to visit him. I was just on my way out.¡± Natalie smiled back at him. Upon hearing that, Ss immediately cleared the path for her. After thanking him, Natalie led Connor out. Mrs. Wilson then led them to the garage. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Ss did not linger too long after they left and walked into the vi. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± In the living room, Ss saw the pale-faced man massaging his temples. When Shane heard Ss, he put down his hand and looked up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to report my findings.¡± Ss handed him the document that was in his hands. Shane¡¯s eyes froze slightly before he took the document and flipped through it. While he was reading, Ss said, ¡°Previously, I conducted investigations on Harrison¡¯s family of three, but I didn¡¯t verify their statements with other people who are rted to the Smiths. Therefore, what I found out then was that Ms. Natalie had eloped. However, this time, I interviewed a maid who left the Smith family a few years ago and their neighbors as well...¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Shane gazed up at Ss. ¡°And then?¡± Light reflected slightly from Ss¡¯s sses as he continued, ¡°And then, just like what Ms. Carter said, when Ms. Smith left the Smith family, she did not have a boyfriend, and neither did she elope. Instead, she was thrown out by the Smiths together with her mother and Jared Smith.¡± ¡°He actually drove his first wife and two children out of his family home? How could Harrison do something like that?¡± Shane sneered. Ss shrugged his shoulders. ¡°He did that because he wasn¡¯t fond of Ms. Smith and Jared. Actually, his favorite child is Jasmine. Therefore, he drove them out to ensure a better future for her!¡± ¡°Better future?¡± Shane¡¯s thumb stopped ruffling through the papers. Ss nodded. ¡°ording to that maid, Harrison threw Ms. Smith out so that Jasmine could take her ce and get engaged to you. However, they were afraid that you would be enraged and take it out on the Smith family, so he secretly created the rumor that Ms. Smith had eloped. With this...¡± ¡°With that, even if I were to realize the swap, I wouldn¡¯t have done anything to the Smiths because I would¡¯ve thought that my real fianc¨¦e had eloped and that they reced her for me in time.¡± Shane gripped the papers tightly with a cold glint in his eyes. Ss looked down. ¡°Yes, and this is also why Ms. Smith never knew that she had a fianc¨¦. The maid told me that every time Yulia was about to tell Ms. Smith, Harrison would use all kinds of excuses to stop her, as he was afraid that Ms. Smith would get to know you.¡± ¡°He had quite aprehensive n, didn¡¯t he?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and sneered. Both Natalie and Jasmine were Harrison¡¯s daughters, but he loved one and took down the other one. In order to have Jasmine marry into the Thompson family, he even went to the extent of driving Natalie out of their home and tarnishing her good name. He did not deserve to be a parent at all! As if he could read Shane¡¯s mind, Ss hesitated before asking, ¡°Sir, should we tell Ms. Smith all this?¡± ¡°Not for the time being.¡± Shane tossed the documents on the sofa and said dully, ¡°Wait until I confirm my rtionship with Natalie before we tell her. By then, if she wants to seek revenge with Harrison, I can help her openly.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ss nodded with understanding. Suddenly, he added, ¡°By the way, sir, there is one more thing. After they were driven out of their family home, Yulia looked for you at Thompson residence.¡± ¡°Looked for me?¡± Shane was slightly stunned. Ss looked down. ¡°Yes, she wanted to discuss your engagement with Ms. Smith. However, you were not there then, so she met with Sam¡¯s family. Using the excuse that Yulia was divorced, Sam told her that your engagement with Ms. Smith was nullified. Yulia then left the house in a huff.¡± Shane sprang to his feet instantly with an icy cold re. ¡°Sam Thompson!¡± Ss was feeling indignant as well. When he found out about it, he almost flew into a rage. If not for Sam Thompson, Mr. Shane and Ms. Smith would have been together a long time ago. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 If it weren¡¯t for him, Ms. Natalie wouldn¡¯t have gone overseas and given birth to the children of another man. Most importantly, she wouldn¡¯t have missed the chance to be with Mr. Shane seven years ago. Staring at Shane¡¯s icy expression, Ss pushed his sses up and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, should we teach Sam a lesson?¡± ¡°No need to rush. I will deal with it once you¡¯ve investigated this matter.¡± A murderous glint shed across Shane¡¯s eyes. Then he told Ss about Sam¡¯s visit earlier on. Upon hearing that, Ss was taken aback. After a while, he regained hisposure and put on a serious expression. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do it now.¡± Having said that, he turned and left. At the same time, Mrs. Wilson returned home. Shane rubbed his temples. ¡°Has she left?¡± Mrs. Wilson understood who he meant and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane hummed in response, then remained silent. He turned to the porch, staring into space as if he were about to make out something beyond the door. It took a while before he retracted his gaze and headed upstairs. After leaving Shane¡¯s vi, Natalie took Connor to the studio. Joyce was stunned when she saw Natalie driving a Bentley. The former¡¯s jaw was about to drop to the ground as she said, ¡°If my memory serves me right, this car belongs to Mr. Shane, isn¡¯t it?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why are you driving his car?¡± Joyce pointed at her in shock. Natalie smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Alright, no more questions. Are there any updates from Mr. Miller regarding the draft I sent youst night?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Joyce shook her head. Natalie sighed in disappointment. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret. I guess he still hasn¡¯t looked at it yet. Let¡¯s wait a little longer,¡± Joyceforted Natalie and patted her shoulder. Natalie shed a smile and did not say a word. ¡°Oh. Before I forget, let me tell you something.¡± Joyce seemed to recall something and took a piece of paper from her desk. ¡°This is the registration form for thepetition. There¡¯s an additional candidate.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Natalie bent down to the water dispenser to fill up her cup. Joyce passed the paper to her and replied, ¡°Jasmine!¡± The cup in Natalie¡¯s hand jerked a little. Then she took the registration form to have a look. Noticing that Jasmine¡¯s name was indeed printed on it, she pursed her lips. ¡°She is taking part in this competition too?¡± ¡°Yes. She is still pushing herself despite having a fractured leg. I¡¯m truly impressed,¡± Joyce¡¯s lips twitched as she remarked sarcastically. After that, she reminded, ¡°Nat, you have to be careful during thepetition. I¡¯m afraid that she might pull a trick on you again. Mr. Shane can¡¯t cover for you now that you¡¯re no longer working for Thompson Group. Considering that she has no rtionship with him anymore, she will not hesitate to cross the line when ites to you. You¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do,¡± Natalie interrupted her and put the form down. Joyce did not say a word as she knew that Natalie read her mind. With that, she took the design notes with her and headed to the textile mill. The design for the new season waspleted, and the dress-making department at the textile mill had to make sure everything was going smoothly. After Joyce left, Natalie sat at her desk and started working. A whileter, her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Miller¡¯s secretary, Plumlee. ¡°Good day, Ms. Smith. Mr. Miller has checked your draft and gave his approval.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s great.¡± Natalie was all smiles when she heard that. Then she added, ¡°Can I meet Mr. Miller? I would like to discuss with him to understand his preferences.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible at the moment. Unfortunately, Mr. Miller is currently out of the country. But he said that we should go with your style.¡± Plumlee answered. Does he trust me that much? Natalie arched her brows. ¡°Alright. I got it.¡± ¡°Have a nice day, Ms. Smith.¡± Plumlee ended the call after that. With a helpless smile on her face, Natalie put down her phone. Following that, she picked up a pencil and continued her work. In the afternoon that day, Natalie received a text message from the Design Association to get her entry number. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 To her surprise, Natalie received a piece of good news from her trip to the Design Association¡ªshe could get straight into the round of 16 draw because of the sess of Project Rebirth. It turned out that the Design Association recognized her achievement, after all. Natalie smiled as she took her contestant tag with the number sixteen printed on it. With that, she prepared to leave. Right then, a voice could be heard echoing across the room. ¡°This is not fair!¡± Suddenly, the meeting room fell into silence, and everyone directed their gazes in that voice¡¯s direction. Natalie¡¯s smile faded as she turned to the middle of the third row from the front. She narrowed her eyes when she saw Jasmine sitting there. From her experience, she knew that Jasmine would start amotion there like thetter did on every asion she was at. ¡°What do you mean by unfair?¡± The secretary to the president who hosted the lot drawing session red at Jasmine for disrupting the ceremony. He was clearly a little displeased. It was disrespectful for someone to question the fairness of their lot drawing session in public. ¡°Where is the fairness in thepetition system? Why do we have to begin with the elimination round while she can start with the round of 16 draw?¡± Jasmine¡¯s face stiffened as she pointed at Natalie. In fact, there were other contestants who felt that it was unfair as well, but they did not say a word. After Jasmine took the initiative to speak out, they stared at Natalie in discontentment. It was as though thetter snatched something from them. Natalie sneered in response. She remained silent as she knew that Walford, the secretary, would refute for her, so she did not have to speak for herself. Indeed, Walford mmed the table with a gloomy expression. ¡°What are you babbling about? Did I not make myself clear earlier? I said that Ms. Smith was seeded because of her sess in Project Rebirth. Therefore, she will go straight to the round of 16 draw. What about you?¡± He swept a sharp nce across the crowd before continuing, ¡°What are your achievements? Do you have a designparable to Ms. Smith¡¯s Project Rebirth? If you do, then show it to me. If I¡¯m satisfied with your work, I can get you into the main draw. Do you have what it takes?¡± Among the dissatisfied crowd, those with self-knowledge lowered their heads and kept quiet. Naturally, some of them remained upset. But they only kept it in their hearts without saying a word. With that, Walford¡¯s grim expression finally receded. Just as he was about to continue the lot drawing, Jasmine stood up with her crutches. ¡°I don¡¯t have what it takes? Says who? I¡¯ll show you that I have it!¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie raised her brows andughed. Did she just say that she has what it takes? What a joke! As if I¡¯ve never seen her work! Truth to be told, she has no designing talent whatsoever. Some of her known designs were giarized from the works of other designers. How dare she im that she has what it takes? ¡°Are you certain?¡± Walford was not sure of Jasmine¡¯s real capabilities. But he bought into her acts, as she was full of confidence. After that, he put aside his displeasure for being interrupted and headed toward her. ¡°Show me your design.¡± ¡°I did not bring them. However, Mr. Walford, you can look up the official site of the Golden Feather Awards. I am the winner this time.¡± Jasmine lifted her chin and shot Natalie a prideful gaze. Natalie was infuriated. The winner of the Golden Feather Awards? Where did she find the guts to say that? Nevertheless, Jasmine¡¯s mentioning of the Golden Feather Awards served as a reminder for her, as it completely slipped past her mind. The crowd had no idea what Natalie was thinking. At that moment, everyone was stunned by Jasmine¡¯s im. ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t know that you are the champion of the Golden Feather Awards, Ms. Jasmine. I thought it was Ms. Smith.¡± Walford was surprised. ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought it was Ms. Smith as well. I saw the final design of the Golden Feather Awards¡¯ champion. It was breathtaking and definitely on par with Project Rebirth. One could say that they are evenly matched. If that¡¯s the case, Ms. Jasmine is indeedparable to Ms. Smith.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Jasmine was on cloud nine after the crowd showered her withpliments. She stared at Natalie provocatively. ¡°Mr. Walford, you said that whoever shows you excellent work may get straight into the main draw, right?¡± Walford rubbed his nose and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 292 Chapter 292 ¡°Great! I want to be seeded as well.¡± ¡°Alright. I will talk to the president regarding this matter.¡± Walford nodded in agreement. With that, Jasmine went back to her seat with satisfaction. Before she was seated, she shed a smirk at Natalie. Natalie lowered her gaze to hide the exasperation in her eyes. A few momentster, the lot drawing session came to an end. Natalie only got up to leave the room after most people had left. Right before she exited, Jasmine shouted at her, ¡°Stay right there!¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie came to a standstill. She turned to Jasmine and asked, ¡°What else do you want?¡± Jasmine moved the wheelchair to where she was. ¡°How was that? Did ite as a surprise to you that you are no longer the special one? From now onward, I am one of the association¡¯s favored designers too.¡± ¡°What? Did you stop me just to make me congratte you? If so, then congrattions to you.¡± Natalie pped her hand with the contestant tag half-heartedly. She could notprehend how a giarizer like Jasmine could show off before the original designer brazenly. Jasmine grimaced slightly as she could tell that Natalie was mocking her. Clutching the handles of the wheelchair, she eximed, ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t need yourpliment! I came just to tell you that as long as I¡¯m here, you will never qualify for the internationalpetition!¡± Natalie chuckled at her words. ¡°I won¡¯t enter the internationalpetition? Are you sure?¡± ¡°You bet! I will be the final winner!¡± Jasmine raised her chin arrogantly. ¡°In any case, I will see to it that you are eliminated.¡± Afterward, she turned her wheelchair in another direction and moved it toward the corridor. Natalie narrowed her eyes as she nced at the woman¡¯s silhouette with a grim expression on her face. Oh, my god. Look at how confident she is. Could it be that she has found a target to copy from already? But no matter who that person is, I will never let this woman earn the reward of another person¡¯s hard work. I was supposed to expose her after the Golden Feather Awards ended, but it slipped past my mind as I was too upied with other matters. Now that I remember it, I swear I will not let this woman act as she pleases. Enjoy your glory while itsts, Jasmine. I¡¯ll let you off the hook today. But, once thepetition begins, it will be your doomsday. At that thought, Natalie pursed her lips and walked in the opposite direction of where Jasmine headed. Following that, Natalie drove Shane¡¯s car to Thompson Group. Upon arrival, she took out her phone and called him. The call was picked up after a few beeps. Shane¡¯s low and husky voice hit her eardrum and caused her body to shudder a little. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± At his words, Natalie gulped and regained herposure. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m here to return your car. I¡¯m at the main entrance of thepany building.¡± ¡°Alright. Please wait for a while.¡± At that, he hung up the call. Before the call ended, Natalie could make out the sound of the chair sliding. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯sing down to get the key by himself? Soon, her assumption was proved to be true. Shane could be seening out of the building with Ss before they walked toward Natalie. She was confused when she saw Ss with him but did not probe into the matter and merely passed him the key. After taking the key, Shane passed it to Ss, who shed her a smile and got into the driver¡¯s seat, leaving the two outside the car. Natalie bowed slightly to Shane. ¡°Thanks for lending me your car.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Shane replied with one hand in his pocket. As Natalie scrutinized him, she felt relieved seeing that his face was no longer pale. ¡°Mr. Shane, I will take my leave then.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hold on.¡± He grabbed her arm. She spun around and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Get in. I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Shane gestured at the rear door of the car. But she gave a dismissive wave. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You came down just to get the key, so there¡¯s no need for you to send me back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going the same way.¡± With that, Shane released his grip on her hand and bent forward to open the car door. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Natalie blinked. ¡°For real?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital, and your studio happens to be on the way.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± She nodded in acknowledgement. So that¡¯s the reason Ss is here¡ªto drive the car. I guess Mr. Shane is going to the hospital to visit Jacqueline. At that thought, Natalie¡¯s eyes dimmed, but she did not reject his offer. Without dy, she got into the car. Shane got in after her and closed the door. The car slowly merged into the traffic after a while. During the journey, Natalie received a call from Joyce. Her face fell after thetter told her something. Shane noticed the changes in her expression out of the corner of his eye and frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± He put his elbow down from the car window. After hanging up the call, Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°There is a problem with the fabrics in our studio. The new designs for the fall collection are ready, and the only process left is the production. But our textile mill partner suddenly informed us that they couldn¡¯t supply the fabrics to us.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Why is that?¡± Shane stared at her with a puzzled look. She rubbed her eyebrows. ¡°They told us that some of their machines broke down, so they couldn¡¯t produce the promised fabrics.¡± ¡°This is impossible. It¡¯s improbable for machines to break down simultaneously,¡± Shanemented in suspicion. She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too. The textile mill was definitely lying. They either didn¡¯t want to give us the fabrics or allocated ours to anotherpany or studio with higher order volume.¡± Incidents like this have happened before in other countries. ¡°Well, you should look for a new supplier then,¡± Shane suggested as he tapped on his knee. Natalie heaved a deep sigh and shook her head. ¡°That won¡¯t do. We made a one-off payment for one season¡¯s worth of fabrics. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t fork out enough funds to get new ones from another supplier. Besides, the contract clearly stated that the textile mill wouldn¡¯t return our payment as long as the deadline is not missed, so there¡¯s nothing we can do even though we need the supply urgently.¡± That was the part that troubled her the most. Due to Project Rebirth, many boutiques ced a high number of orders with their studio. Before they could produce the designs for this season, the total order was already three times more than their original projection. As a result, the fabrics their studio needed were much more than the predetermined quantity. With that, the textile mill changed thetest delivery date to the end of the month. But there was still half a month before the delivery date. If the textile mill were to deliver it on thest day, then the clothing they promised to produce for the boutiques would not be fulfilled by the end of the month. Consequently, they would have to pay their clients for liquidated damages. She was irritated at that thought and massaged her brows harder. Staring at her troubled look, Shane pondered for a while before taking out the wallet from his pocket. Then, he opened it and handed her a ck card. She raised her head and looked at him in confusion. ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overthink the situation. I¡¯m just lending you the funds.¡± Seeing that she hesitated to take the card, Shane shoved it into her hand. Although he had no qualms about letting her swipe his card, he knew that she wouldn¡¯t ept it that way. She might even assume that he had ulterior motives, so to make things easier, he told her that it was a loan. Unsurprisingly, things turned out as he had predicted. Natalie peered at the card in her hand while her lips twitched. Initially, she thought of rejecting him, but the situation left her without a choice since the textile mill could not deliver the fabrics on time. That would lead to the studio¡¯s inability to produce the orders, resulting in them paying their clients a penalty. So, she clutched the card tightly. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane. I will try to pay you back the earliest that I can,¡± Natalie promised. With my designing skills, I should be able to pay the money back by selling dozens of designs. After the thought crossed her mind, Natalie felt a heavy weight lifted off her shoulders, and her expression was no longer tense. Shane caught sight of it and raised a corner of his lips. ¡°You can pay me back when you have enough funds to roll.¡± Chapter 294 Chapter 294 ¡°Okay.¡± A warm feeling welled up in Natalie¡¯s heart at his kind words. After that, she sent Joyce a text message, telling thetter her intention to find a new fabric supplier. Right after she finished texting, the car came to an abrupt stop. Natalie let out a yelp in surprise as she had not been sitting firmly in her seat. In a sh, sheunched herself toward the back of the passenger¡¯s seat. Although it was not a hard surface, the impact on her head due to the inertia would be strong enough to cause serious injury. Right when Natalie thought she would be a goner, a hand gripped her shoulder out of the blue and pulled her backward forcefully. Next, the husky voice of a man could be heard. ¡°Watch out!¡± After being pulled back, Natalie fell on Shane¡¯sp, unable to get up as he held onto her. Shane did not lower his head to look at her but knocked on the back of the driver¡¯s seat with a darkened expression on his face. Finally aware of the situation, Ss pulled over at the roadside, then turned his head behind. His eyes nearly popped out from their sockets after seeing Natalie lying on Shane¡¯sp. Good lord! Mr. Shane and Ms. Smith are such yers! Lap pillow in real life! What a sight to behold! Shane red at Shane, who seemed to have misunderstood something, and interrogated, ¡°What happened just now?¡± Natalie pricked up her ears and listened carefully. At his question, Ss sat straight and replied in remorse, ¡°Someone was crossing the road just now, so I stepped on the brake abruptly. Did both of you get a fright?¡± Ss was actually feigning concern as he knew that they were not startled. If they were, could they have continued to enjoy ap pillow in that situation? No, they would have separated from each other already! Shane massaged his temples and answered, ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d. Then I shall continue driving.¡± After that, Ss turned to the front and rolled the partition up simultaneously. At that moment, Shane felt a pinch on his thigh. When he lowered his head, his eyes met with another gorgeous pair. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Shane questioned. Natalie bit her lips awkwardly. ¡°Nothing in particr. But could you please remove your hand?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Right then, she was lying on his quad muscles. If she were to make a reckless move, she would identally touch a certain body part of his that she should not. Upon hearing that, Shane paused for a moment. Then it finally dawned on him that he was pressing her against his legs. A gleam shed across his eyes, and he released his grip on her shoulder. ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± Natalie yed a smile on her lips and got up from hisp. ¡°Thank you for pulling me back just now. Otherwise, I might have hit my head hard against the front seat.¡± ¡°It is the fault of the driver. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± Shane winded down the window a little. Natalie rubbed her sore cheek and said, ¡°In any case, it is a fact that you saved me. Why don¡¯t I treat you to a meal some other day?¡± ¡°A meal?¡± Shane cocked a brow. She nodded. ¡°To thank you for saving me and lending me the money.¡± At her words, he let out a smile. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°It¡¯s decided then. I will give you a call once I have free time.¡± Natalie showed a Shaka sign. He nodded in response. ¡°Okay.¡± They arrived at Natalie¡¯s studio shortly after. After Natalie got out of the car, she waved goodbye to him. Then she spun around and headed toward the office. As soon as she entered the studio, she went into her office to see Connor. The boy was fast asleep on the couch. A nket was covering his body, and his undting stomach could be seen through it. He was pursing his lips as if he had a sweet dream. It was an adorable sight to behold. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but lower her head and nt a kiss on Connor¡¯s forehead. With a gentle smile, she pulled the nket up, then caressed his face. After that, she put down the bag on her shoulder and went next door. When she entered the office next door, the sound of an object smashed to the ground could be heard. She was startled and retracted her leg that stepped forward. ¡°Joyce? What are you doing?¡± Natalie furrowed her brows as she saw the shattered teacup on the floor. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Hearing Natalie¡¯s voice, Joyce stood up from her chair and tried to keep her anger under control, smiling. ¡°Nat, you¡¯re back.¡± Natalie nodded and walked up to her. ¡°What¡¯s up? Why are you pissed off?¡± ¡°What else could it be other than that matter with the damned fabric?¡± Joyce cupped her forehead. Natalie picked up the broom in the corner and swept the debris on the floor while she asked, ¡°Regarding our fabric supply issue, didn¡¯t I send you a text earlier, asking you to look for a new supplier?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯ve found it and went there in person to order a batch of fabrics. When I was on the way back here, I took a detour to visit the textile mill. Guess what happened?¡± Joyce clenched her fists. ¡°They have the supplies all along, but their supervisor refused to deliver them to us! The excuse that their machine broke down is utter bullshit!¡± After hearing that, Natalie stopped what she was doing as an icy glint shed across her eyes. My assumption was right on the money. They either refused to deliver it to us or gave it to another studio. ¡°Did they give any specific reason?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. Joyce shook her head. ¡°No. They said it wasn¡¯t time to deliver yet. Then they added that they¡¯d send it over on thest day of the month.¡± ¡°Hmph! Sending the fabrics over on thest day? It¡¯s so obvious that they didn¡¯t want us to produce the clothes,¡± Natalie sneered as she clutched the handle of the broom. Joyce plonked herself down on her seat. ¡°I know, right? The problem is we can¡¯t take any action against them because technically, they didn¡¯t vite the contract! Argh! This is so annoying! They even had the audacity to call and warn me not to rush them and that it¡¯s useless to expedite their work! What the hell was that?¡± She mmed the table furiously. After Natalie cleared the shattered pieces away, she put the broom back to the corner. ¡°We¡¯ve been working with them ever since we came back. They were punctual on their delivery every time for the past month, except this time. Not only did they not deliver the fabrics, but they were also disying their arrogant attitude in full view. It is without a doubt that someone is instigating them to target us behind the scene.¡± Joyce froze on the spot after hearing that. ¡°But who? Could it be Jasmine?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It could be her or someone from another studio. But it¡¯s inevitable since we¡¯ve been gaining too much fametely.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made a point. After Project Rebirth, our studio¡¯s orders have increased by several folds, and we¡¯ve even snatched businesses from other studios in the process. So it¡¯s hardly surprising that they would target us for that reason.¡± Joyce rubbed her chin. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie heaved a long sigh and pulled a chair over to take a seat. ¡°No matter who it is, we have to be on guard at all times. Also, we will terminate our contract with this textile mill once they deliver the fabrics over by the end of this month.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Joyce did not object. Right then, Natalie handed her Shane¡¯s ck card. ¡°Go and settle the payment for the fabrics you ordered earlier and get the supplier to deliver them as soon as possible. We don¡¯t want anything to go wrong.¡± ¡°Okay! I will do it now! Speaking of which, I will nt some spies in other studios, including Jasmine¡¯s, to find out who was the one trying to sabotage us! Once I find out who the culprit is, I swear I will make that person regret being born!¡± After Joyce took the card, she carried her bag and left. Natalie smiled as her silhouette slowly disappeared. The former did not linger around in the office for long and left after taking a document from the desk. The next day, Yulia was about to leave the country after breakfast. Since it was the weekend that day, Natalie left her children alone in the apartment to send Yulia to the airport. The moment they stepped out of the apartment building, they saw a Mercedes-Benz parking in front of the entrance. A man could be seen leaning against the door of the vehicle. He was dressed in a casual outfit and wore a pair of gold-rimmed sses. With a warm smile on his face, he looked like a gentry straight out of a painting. ¡°Stanley, what brings you here?¡± Yulia was surprised to see him. Shooting Natalie a nce, he nodded at her with a smile before turning to Yulia, ¡°I know that you are leaving today, so I¡¯vee to send you to the airport.¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s great. We don¡¯t have to take a taxi then.¡± Yulia chuckled. Stanley opened the car door and gestured her toward the car. ¡°Please enter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yulia nodded and pulled Natalie into the car. After closing the door, Stanley put the luggage into the trunk, then got into the driver¡¯s seat. Then, he drove off to the airport. They arrived at their destination after an hour. Shortly after Yulia received her boarding pass, the PA system announced that the passengers could check in and board the ne. Natalie sent her mother to the gate. ¡°Mom, give me a call when you arrive.¡± ¡°Okay. No worries. I wille back once your brother recovers,¡± Yulia replied as she took her luggage from Stanley. ¡°Do you have any unfinished business here?¡± Stanley stood beside Natalie and asked. Yulia shed a grin. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. My initial n was to go back to my hometown to repair my old house. But who would have thought that Connor and Nat would get into trouble one after another? Hence, I have no time to go back for now. I guess I can only do so next time.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°My apologies, Mom.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips twitched awkwardly. Seeing that, Yulia immediately released her luggage and caressed Natalie¡¯s cheeks. ¡°What are you apologizing for, my dear? I¡¯m leaving now. Nat, be sure to take care of the two little ones.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Having said that, she pulled the luggage and went to queue up for ticket inspection. Soon, her silhouette disappeared as the queue cleared up. ¡°She must be on the ne by now. Let¡¯s go, Nat.¡± Stanley gave her a sidelong nce. After nodding, Natalie followed him out of the airport. ¡°Where should we go next?¡± Upon entering the car, Stanley buckled his seat belt while watching Natalie did the same. After fastening her safety belt, Natalie nced at her watch to check the time. ¡°I want to go back to the apartment. The kids are still at home.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Stanley started the engine and sped off. During the journey, a thought crossed Natalie¡¯s mind, so she turned to Stanley. ¡°By the way, when did you return?¡± ¡°The night before yesterday,¡± Stanley answered with a smile. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m in good shape now, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Stanley said as he shifted the gear. Natalie nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. Neither of them spoke for the remaining journey. Natalie finally broke the silence when they arrived at her apartment. ¡°Stanley, thanks for the ride. Drive safe.¡± Standing outside the car, she waved him goodbye. Stanley¡¯s lips curled up into a smile at that sight. Then he rolled up the window and drove off. After seeing him off, Natalie turned around and walked toward her apartment. But just after a few steps, a loud bang came from behind her. It was the sound of cars colliding with each other. Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Instantly, she stopped in her tracks and turned back, only to realize that Stanley¡¯s car crashed into the flower bed after being rammed by another ck vehicle. Her blood ran cold upon witnessing that terrifying scene. ¡°Stanley!¡± Natalie regained her senses after a while and shouted. With a pale face, she dashed toward the crash site to check on Stanley. However, while she was halfway there, the ck vehicle suddenly reversed to get out of the flower bed and fled from the scene in the blink of an eye. Natalie was furious, but she couldn¡¯t afford to bother about that vehicle at that moment. Once she got close to Stanley¡¯s car, she hit the window hard and asked in desperation, ¡°Stanley, are you okay? Can you hear me? Please answer me!¡± However, there was no response from the car. Looking at the severely dented hood of the car, Natalie felt disheartened. The crash looks pretty bad! Could it be that... Without further dy, Natalie took out her cell phone with her shaky hands and called the emergency number. After that, she clenched her fists and yelled, ¡°Help! Someone, please help!¡± Soon, people in the vicinity of the apartment heard her shouting and gathered. Then, amidst her crying, they helped smash the car window on the driver¡¯s side. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Natalie shoved the person who broke the window aside toe forward. Her body froze on the spot as she gaped at the man, who leaned against the seat with his head tilted to one side and bled profusely. ¡°Stanley!¡± She stretched out her hand to push him gently. But he gave no reaction. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a few beats as her face turned ashen. ¡°Stanley, please don¡¯t scare me!¡± She lifted a trembling finger and put it under his nose to test if he was still alive. Fortunately, she could feel his breathing. Although it was faint, she felt relieved nheless. ¡°Thank god you¡¯re alive!¡± Natalie squeezed her hands and shed tears of joy. At that moment, the ambnce arrived. Jackson got out of the ambnce wearing a white coat. ¡°Where¡¯s the casualty?¡± ¡°Here!¡± Natalie raised her hand high. When Jackson saw her, he was taken aback, rushing over in hasty steps. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not me! It¡¯s Stanley. He met with an ident! Please save him!¡± Natalie grabbed his arm with one hand and pointed toward Stanley with another. Jackson followed the direction of her finger and saw the fatally injured Stanley. The former instantly drew a deep breath and summoned the paramedics. ¡°Stretcher!¡± Soon, Stanley was carried out of the car by two male nurses and put on a stretcher. Meanwhile, Jackson kneeled on the ground and performed first aid on him to stop the bleeding. Natalie was on her knees, clenching her fists as she looked at Stanley worriedly. ¡°Dr. Baker, he will be fine, right?¡± ¡°Without proper equipment, I can¡¯t give you a definite answer. However, please rest assured that I will give my best to rescue him. After all, he is Jacqueline¡¯s doctor-in-charge.¡± Jackson raised a gentle smile in an attempt tofort her. But how could she not be worried? Besides feeling anxious, she was conscience-stricken. Stanley only got into an ident because he sent me back! This wouldn¡¯t have happened if it weren¡¯t for that! Stanley stood up to give the paramedics instructions, then helped push Stanley into the ambnce. After that, he turned around and asked, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve stopped the bleeding. Now we¡¯re going to bring him to the hospital. Are you following?¡± Natalie nodded firmly. ¡°Yes. I have to make sure that he is all right.¡± ¡°Okay. Get in then.¡± Jackson gestured at her. Natalie murmured in response and entered the ambnce. At the hospital, Stanley was sent straight to the emergency ward while Natalie stood outside and waited anxiously. While she was waiting, she gave Joyce a call. Joyce was instructing the staff to move the fabrics into the warehouse when she answered the call. Her mind went nk for a while after hearing that Stanley met with an ident. Before hanging up the call,? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. she said, ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon!¡± Joyce arrived after half an hour. The moment she reached, she nced at the red light above the emergency ward entrance. Then she grabbed Natalie¡¯s hand and asked with reddened eyes, ¡°Nat, how did the car ident happen?¡± Natalie¡¯s lips quivered. Then she exined the unfolding of the happening as it was. After listening, Joyce released her feeble hands from Natalie¡¯s, then slumped against the chair at the side and wept silently. Natalie was filled with uneasiness upon seeing that, so she walked over to Joyce and squatted down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joyce.¡± After all, she knew that Joyce loved him. Naturally, the one who suffered the most to know that Stanley got into an ident after sending Natalie back home would be Joyce. However, she merely sniffled and remained silent. At that sight, Natalie was guilt-ridden and held her hands. ¡°Joyce...¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Joyce shook her hand off and turned toward the emergency ward. Natalie knew Joyce was only putting up a brave front. The former wanted to say something to console thetter, but no words could escape from her mouth. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard closing in. Natalie got to her feet and stared in the sound¡¯s direction, only to see Shane and Ss together. She was bbergasted after seeing them. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Lifting the back of her hand, she wiped her tears away before asking in confusion, ¡°Mr. Shane, why are you here?¡± Meanwhile, Joyce turned back to the doors of the emergency ward right after shooting a nce at Shane as she was in no mood to greet anyone. It came as no surprise since her mind was upied with thoughts of Stanley right then. Shane paid Joyce no heed as well. After seeing Natalie¡¯s reddened eyes and the closed doors of the emergency ward, he pursed his lips. ¡°I heard from Jackson that Stanley got into an ident, so I came over to have a look since I happened to be at the hospital too. Are you okay?¡± While he was speaking, his eyes were scrutinizing her. When Jackson informed him about Stanley¡¯s ident, he was told that Natalie was at the crash site too. Therefore, it was hard to rule out whether she was harmed. Natalie shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was not in the car when it happened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Shane nodded in relief as her words took a load off his mind. However, he narrowed his eyes the next moment when he noticed that there was blood on her hand. ¡°Did you hurt your hand?¡± After taking a look at her palm, Natalie let out a casualugh. ¡°I must have cut myself when I touched the shattered car window.¡± ¡°Ss!¡± Shane tilted his head and shouted. ¡°Yes!¡± Ss responded and left. A few minutester, he came back, carrying a bag filled with things like iodine solution, gauze, and bandages, and handed it to Shane. After taking it, Shane walked over to the row of chairs and sat down. Then he looked at Natalie and tapped on the seat behind him. ¡°Come here!¡± Natalie knew he was going to tend to her injuries, so she shook her head and put her injured hand behind her back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Shane. It¡¯s just a small cut, nothing serious.¡± ¡°Nothing serious?¡± Shane¡¯s eyes narrowed. In a swift movement, he grabbed her hand and turned it over. Her palm had be a bloody mess. It was a horrifying sight, and even Ss gasped when he saw it. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Are you telling me that this is not serious?¡± Shane¡¯s expression darkened as he stared at her. Joyce, who was a seat away from Shane, stopped staring at the emergency ward when she heard him. Turning her head, she took a nce at Natalie¡¯s palm. Staring at Natalie¡¯s palm that was covered with ss shards piercing her flesh, Joyce pursed her lips. ¡°Nat, listen to Mr. Shane and get your wound disinfected. You are a designer. You can¡¯t afford to have your hand injured.¡± Upon hearing the word designer, Natalie finally gave in and nodded. Then, she sat in the chair Shane showed her earlier. At that, Shane¡¯s tightened brows rxed a little. He opened the bag and took out the items to disinfect her wound. Ss and Joyce did not sit idle either. One of them passed the cotton swabs, and the other cut the bandages. It ended up with Natalie being the only person who did nothing. After dressing the wound, Shane let go of Natalie¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s done. Do not let it touch water for some time, or you might get an infection.¡± Natalie touched the back of her hand and nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± She could still feel the faint warmth of his palm on the back of her hand. ¡°Carry out an investigation on Stanley¡¯s ident and see if it was really an ident. Also, head to the police station and get the necessary procedures done for his car,¡± Shane ordered as he handed Ss the bag. Ss was about to respond after taking the bag, only to have Joyce pushed him aside to stand in front of Shane and bow in gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± After seeing Joyce¡¯s overreaction, Shane arched his brows. Does she like Stanley? Natalie seemed to have read Shane¡¯s mind and nodded. A gleam shed across Shane¡¯s eyes. The next moment, he replied, ¡°No need to thank me.¡± Joyce then headed back to her seat and continue waiting. After a long while, the light indicator at the entrance of the emergency ward finally switched off. Joyce was the first to notice it. Immediately, she felt energized and stood in front of the doors with her gaze fixated on the gap between them. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 After the doors were opened, Jackson was the first toe out. Joyce rushed toward him and grabbed his hand. ¡°Doctor, how is Stanley?¡± Jackson was taken aback by her impassioned reaction. Just as he was about to ask who she was, he saw Shane and Natalie behind her. Immediately, he understood that she was Natalie¡¯s friend, so he gently removed his hand from her grip and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s fine. All he has is a few broken ribs and a concussion. He will recover with one or two months of recuperation.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Joyce ced her hands on her chest and smiled. Natalie came up to her and patted her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Joyce. It seems that Stanley is doing fine.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Joyce rested her head on Natalie¡¯s chest and shed tears of joy. Natalie gently patted her back tofort her. Meanwhile, Shane witnessed the scene expressionlessly. His gaze darkened the moment he saw the spot Joyce buried her face in. An invisible storm brewed in the atmosphere. When Jackson noticed that, he raised a smirk and had a strong urge to tease that man. ¡°Shane, I can¡¯t believe that you would get jealous over a woman,¡± Jackson murmured into his ear. Without a word, Shane elbowed him in the ribcage. Jackson groaned and bent down from the pain while covering the sore spot. Hearing his cries of agony, Natalie and Joyce turned to him. ¡°Dr. Baker, what happened?¡± Natalie asked curiously. Noticing Shane¡¯s grim expression, Jackson put on a forced smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have a stomach ache, so I¡¯ll take my leave now. Dr. Quinn will be transferred to a normal ward soon. You can visit him in no time.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks for the heads up, Dr. Baker.¡± Joyce nodded in gratitude. Jackson waved his hand. Then he shot Shane a provocative nce before he left. Just like what Jackson said, around ten minutester, Stanley was pushed out and transferred to a normal ward. After entering the ward, Joyce stayed by Stanley¡¯s bed, holding his hand without moving an inch. Her gaze, as she looked at him, was full of affection and concern. Meanwhile, Natalie stood at the side to give them some privacy. At that moment, Shane was leaning against the doorframe of the ward. He squinted his eyes to look at Natalie in the distance. After seeing her remorseful and helpless look, he pursed his lips and dismissed the thought of leaving. Never mind. I¡¯ll stay with her for a while until her mood bes better. Then I¡¯ll go to Jacqueline. As none of them spoke in the ward, there was no audible sound except the beeping of electronic equipment. A whileter, Natalie¡¯s phone rang, breaking the silence of the ward. Seeing Natalie hastily take out her phone from her handbag, Shane lowered his eyes to peek at the phone screen, which disyed the caller ID as ¡®home.¡¯ It should be either Connor or Yulia. As expected, Natalie called out to the other end of the line after answering the phone, ¡°Connor?¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m Sharon. Where are you? Why are you not back yet? Connor and I are famished.¡± Sharon¡¯s sweet voice that could melt anyone¡¯s heart sounded from the phone. Natalie felt incredibly guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Darling. Mommy had something going on earlier and had totally forgotten about it.¡± Shane looked at her in surprise. Is she not nning to tell her kids about Stanley? ¡°I see. Okay, I¡¯ll forgive you, Mommy. But when are youing back, though?¡± Sharon pouted and asked. Next to her, Connor¡¯s ear was glued to the back of the receiver. After checking the time on her watch, Natalie realized that it was already one in the afternoon. No wonder her children called toin to her that they were hungry. Just as Natalie was about to answer that she would be back after a while, Joyce urged, ¡°Nat, you should go now.¡± ¡°But what about Stanley...¡± Natalie looked at the hospital bed. Seeing that, Shane narrowed his eyes. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Why? Is she preparing to stay here to take care of him? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m looking after Stanley. You have two children at home. How can you leave them alone for so long without feeling worried?¡± Joyce let out a smile. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 She was spot on regarding Natalie¡¯s concern, leaving thetter¡¯s mouth agape without saying another word. It was true that she felt insecure with the little ones staying at home by themselves. ¡°Okay. I wille overter.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips twitched. Joyce mumbled a response and turned back to Stanley. Natalie pulled the sling of her handbag up onto her shoulder, then lifted her head to look at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, shall we leave together?¡± Shane gave a nod. ¡°Sure.¡± He did not want to see Stanley, nor was he close with Joyce, so there was no point for him to stay. The only reason he was there for so long was because of Natalie. After exiting the ward, they closed the doors gently. In the elevator, Shane offered to send her home, but she rejected his offer determinedly. She was still traumatized by Stanley¡¯s ident which happened after he sent her home. Because of that, she did not dare to let Shane do the same. What if something befalls him after he sends me back? Shane was left with no option as she would not relent. Eventually, he watched solemnly as she took a taxi and left. A whileter, Ss came back after he finished the task he was given. ¡°How did it go? Did you find anything?¡± Shane queried while walking toward Jacqueline¡¯s ward. Ss followed behind him and furrowed his brows. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve looked into this matter. This ident is factitious.¡± At his words, Shane came to a halt and turned around. ¡°Factitious?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ss nodded. A dark shadow shed across Shane¡¯s eyes as his expression turned gloomy. ¡°Natalie was there when Stanley met with the ident. Could it be the same culprit who tried to harm her the previous two times?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡¯m afraid your prediction is wrong this time. It¡¯s not.¡± Ss pushed his sses up with a grin. Shane instantly shot a re at him. ¡°Talk!¡± Ss rubbed his nose. Initially, he thought that he could keep his boss in suspense. But after seeing Shane¡¯s expression, he yielded instantaneously. After clearing his throat, he replied in a serious tone, ¡°This ident was set up by Dr. Quinn himself.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Shane was dumbfounded with his brows knitted together. ¡°He set himself up?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°That¡¯s right. I found out the identity of the hit-and-run driver through the security footage. ording to the driver, he was paid by Dr. Quinn to do so,¡± Ss answered. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the reason behind this?¡± ¡°To woo Ms. Smith.¡± Ss lowered his voice. ¡°As you know, Dr. Quinn harbors special feelings toward her. But they were not reciprocated because she loves you. Therefore, he began to panic. To make her feel guilty, he nned this ident just to let something terrible befall him in front of her very eyes. So that he could¡ª¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Shane lifted his hand to interrupt. Stanley deliberately got himself involved in the ident, leading Natalie to think that she was the cause of it. With that, she would be guilt-stricken. Stanley could thenpel her to get into a rtionship with him. It is a good move indeed. ¡°Was he not afraid of losing control and ending up dead on the spot?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and mocked. Ss¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Speaking of which, Dr. Quinn¡¯s injury was pretty fatal. I think things spiraled out of control.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Shane turned to stare at him. Ss frowned. ¡°That driver said that Dr. Quinn only asked him to bang into the car lightly so that the latter would have a minor injury. However, when it actually happened, the brakes went out on him suddenly, resulting in the fatal injury.¡± ¡°His brakes failed?¡± Shane looked a little perplexed. ¡°Was that an ident?¡± After pondering for a while, Ss responded, ¡°Probably. I asked someone to check the braking system. It didn¡¯t seem like it was tampered with. I guess it was Dr. Quinn¡¯s misfortune that the ident turned out this serious.¡± A subtle smile yed on Shane¡¯s lips. ¡°He should count himself lucky to have escaped death by a whisker.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Ss nodded and followed with a question, ¡°Should I tell Ms. Smith and Ms. Rivers about this?¡± A glint shed across Shane¡¯s eyes. ¡°No. Natalie would not buy into it anyway. To her, Stanley is a gentle and respectable doctor, someone who would never do something despicable like this. Even the confession of the driver in question would be pointless. She would most likely think that we coerced him into doing it, let alone Joyce.¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 If Joyce were to learn about Stanley''s true colors, her love for him might die a tragic death, and that isn''t what I want. Rather, I want to help her so that she''d take the initiative to pursue him, for only when that happens will he be too busy to pester Natalie! Naturally, Ss had no inkling of Shane''s thoughts. He rubbed his chin as a wave of resentment surged within him. ¡°Are you nning to keep Ms. Smith in the dark?¡± Shane stuck a hand into his pocket. ¡°How''s the investigation I asked you to do on Stanley?¡± At this, Ss shook his head. ¡°He''s rather mysterious. All I can find is his rich resume and the superficial information that is meant for public consumption. There isn''t much progress with the covert stuff. It''s as though it has been buried.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Turning back, Shane started walking forward again. He''d thought that someone like Stanley, who was an expert in putting on a front and had psychological problems, would have certainly done despicable things covertly. Thus, he wanted to dig up dirt on him and hand the information to Natalie so that she''d see his true colors. But from the look of things now, that wouldn''t work. I can only wait until he makes a move again next time and ensure that Natalie witnesses it! That night, Natalie went to the hospital once more with her two children. The moment Connor and Sharon stepped into the hospital room, they both ran over to the hospital bed. Wailing, they begged Stanley to wake up. Natalie didn''t stop them either, allowing them to do as they pleased. She handed the thermal food jar in her hand to Joyce. ¡°I made you some mushroom soup, so do have some.¡± However, Joyce shook her head and ced the mushroom soup aside. ¡°I''ve got no appetite since Stanley hasn''t yet regained consciousness.¡± Natalie stared at her. ¡°Did the doctor say when he''s going to regain consciousness?¡± Upon hearing this, Joyce massaged her throbbing temples. ¡°Yeah. It''s either the middle of the night or the next morning.¡± ¡°That''s not too bad.¡± Natalie then pulled a chair over and sat down. Likewise, Joyce sat beside her. ¡°Oh yes, Mr. Shane''s assistant came over in the afternoon and told me that Stanley''s ident was happenstance. The driver only hit Stanley because he was driving under the influence.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie breathed a soft sigh of relief, her heart that had been in her throat finally settling back into her chest. Phew! I''m d it was an ident. She was afraid that it wasn''t an ident but a deliberate act by the mastermind who had wanted to kill her previously. If it were deliberately, then I would''ve dragged Stanley into my mess, and my culpability would have been unabsolvable. But while it''s an ident this time, I still have to bear the responsibility since he was only hit because he drove me home. ¡°Stay for a bit, Nat. I want to go over to Stanley''s house and pack him some necessities while he''s hospitalized,¡± Joyce blurted as she abruptly got to her feet. At this, Natalie looked up at her. ¡°You''re nning to stay and look after him?¡± Joyce murmured in assent. ¡°I want to take care of him until he recovers. As you know, he usually ignores me, so it''s only in such a situation will I be able to get close to him.¡± ¡°Got it. Go on. I''ll stay here and wait for you toe back.¡± Natalie stood up as well. Perhaps this is a golden opportunity to improve the rtionship between Joyce and Stanley, she mused. ¡°Alright, I''ll be going, then.¡± After saying that, Joyce snagged her handbag and left the hospital room. Natalie trailed behind her before stopping at the door of the hospital room. It was only when Joyce had disappeared around the corner of the corridor did she close the door and head back. Meanwhile, the two children were still crying at this time. Walking over, Natalie ced her hands on their shoulders. ¡°Okay, stop crying, or you''ll lose your voice later.¡± Connor''s sobs halted. Then, he lifted his eyes that were shimmering with tears and gazed at her. ¡°Mommy, Uncle Stanley will be fine, yes?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Sharon likewise looked at her while sniffling. Natalie ruffled their heads. ¡°He''ll be fine, so don''t worry.¡± The two children believed her, so they both nodded their tiny heads profusely. At this precise moment, a knock sounded on the door of the hospital room. Removing her hands from the children''s heads, Natalie pivoted and called out toward the door, ¡°Who''s there?¡± ¡°It''s me.¡± A gentle female voice drifted in from outside the door. All at once, Natalie''s eyes narrowed. It''s Jacqueline Graham! Why is she here? Having no time to mull it over, Natalie took the children''s hands, one on either side of her, and dragged them over to the bathroom while replying, ¡°Hold on. I''ll be there right away.¡± Chapter 302 Chapter 302 After saying that, Natalie led the two children into the bathroom. Under their bewildered gazes, she bent down a fraction and whispered, ¡°My darlings, stay here quietly and don''t make a single sound, okay? When she was at Shane''s vi yesterday, she realized that she couldn''t allow anyone else close to Shane to learn of the two children''s existence. After all, the more people who knew about them, the faster their identities woulde to light. As Jacqueline is the person who''ll be marrying Shane in the future, I''ve got to keep her from seeing them all the more! ¡°Why?¡± Connor stared at her. Likewise, Sharon tilted her head. All of a sudden, Natalie didn''t know how to exin things to them. After racking her brains for a moment, she answered smilingly, ¡°Because thedy outside doesn''t like kids. Thus, you''ve got to stay quiet. When we go hometer, I''ll buy you both ice cream. How about that?¡± ¡°Yay! I want ice cream!¡± Sharon instantly jumped for joy when she heard that there would be food. ¡°All you do is eat!¡± Connor rolled his eyes at his sister. Although he could tell that Natalie wasn''t telling the truth, he nodded in acquiescence upon seeing his sister''s delight. ¡°Great!¡± After kissing her two children, Natalie closed the bathroom door before striding to the door of the hospital room and opened it. Dressed in a blue and white hospital gown, Jacqueline waved at her with a smile. ¡°Good evening, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Good evening.¡± Natalie shed her a smile in return. Then, she inquired, ¡°Is something the matter, Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°I heard from Jackie that Dr. Quinn met with an ident, so I came over to visit him. I''m not bothering him at this hour, am I?¡± Jacqueline cast her gaze behind Natalie. ¡°Not at all. Stanley hasn''t regained consciousness yet. Anyway, doe in, Ms. Graham.¡± Dropping her hand from the doorknob, Natalie nted her body and allowed Jacqueline in. Jacqueline nodded in response. After uttering a word of thanks, she stepped into the room. Natalie then closed the door and followed behind her. Jacqueline headed straight for the hospital bed while Natalie went to the water dispenser at the corner to fetch some water. After getting the water, she returned to Jacqueline''s side and handed the disposable cup to her. ¡°Here, Ms. Graham.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jacqueline quickly took it with a smile. However, a sh of disdain flittered across her eyes. Natalie didn''t notice it, so she waved a dismissive hand. ¡°You''re wee. Please have a seat, Ms. Graham.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Jacqueline murmured. Setting the cup aside, she sat down, making it ringly obvious that she didn''t intend to drink it. Nheless, Natalie didn''t think much of it, assuming that Jacqueline was probably not thirsty, so it was no surprise that she wasn''t drinking the water. ¡°I hope Dr. Quinn is fine, Ms. Smith?¡± Jacqueline asked as she stared at Stanley, who was on the hospital bed with a pale countenance, an IV drip on the back of his hand. At this, Natalie shook her head. ¡°He''s fine. He only needs to recuperate for a month or two.¡± ¡°Looks like Dr. Quinn won''t be able to continue being my doctor-in-charge anymore.¡± Jacqueline heaved a sigh even as a hint of disappointment showed on her pallid and frail face. At this time, Natalie pulled a chair over and sat down as well. ¡°You like having Stanley as your doctor, Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°I suppose you can say so. His medical skills are superb. Back when I''d first regained consciousness, I suffered from splitting headaches every day, but I hadn''t had another headache ever since he operated on me. It''s all thanks to him that I''m able to get out of bed and walk in such a short time. Besides, he''s also an excellent coborator.¡± At this point, Jacqueline pulled the covers higher on Stanley. As Natalie looked on, her alluring brows furrowed slightly. ¡°A coborator? Did you have a coboration with him, Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jacqueline nodded. This had Natalie feeling all the more curious, and she bit her lip for a while before blurting, ¡°May I know the nature of the coboration?¡± One is a doctor, and the other is a patient, so I truly can''t think of any coboration they could have. A flicker of light shed across Jacqueline''s eyes even as she put on a conflicted expression. ¡°I''m afraid not since this is a secret between me and Dr. Quinn. However, you''ll know in the future, and you''ll definitely be very much surprised at that time. Plus, you''ll even see a different side of him.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie arched an eyebrow. I feel as though her words and tone are threaded with a hint of craftiness. Or am I imagining things? Natalie lowered her head in contemtion. Upon seeing that she''d suddenly gone silent, the corners of Jacqueline''s lips curved into a smirk, and she leaned close to her. ¡°What are you thinking, Ms. Smith?¡± Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Snapping back to her senses, Natalie suffered a fright when the first thing that greeted her was Jacqueline''s magnified face. She shuddered for a moment. It was only after a few seconds had passed did she manage to school her expression and reply with a forced smile, ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Okay, it''s alright if you''re not willing to tell me, Ms. Smith. Anyway, it''ste, so I should be going back. Otherwise, I''ll be scoldedter if Jackie doesn''t see me when he does his rounds.¡± Jacqueline chuckled wryly as she stood up while supporting herself on the edge of the bed. At this, Natalie got to her feet as well. ¡°I''ll see you out.¡± Jacqueline didn''t decline, so Natalie saw her to the door. With a hand propped against the wall, Jacqueline slowly ambled forward. Jacqueline had just taken a few steps when something suddenly urred to Natalie, and she called out to her, ¡°Ms. Graham.¡± Upon hearing her name, Jacqueline looked over her shoulder at Natalie. ¡°Is there anything else, Ms. Smith?¡± Natalie''s nails dug into her palms. ¡°Well, it''s about the conversation we had yesterday on Mr. Shane''s cell phone. I...¡± ¡°I know what you want to say.¡± Jacqueline cut her off with a smile. ¡°Shane has already exined things to me, so don''t worry. I''ve already forgotten about it.¡± When Natalie heard that, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her nerves easing as well. Yet in the next moment, the smile on Jacqueline''s face vanished, and her voice turned sharp. ¡°However, Ms. Smith, it''s important that you know your ce. Since you''re aware of the situation between Shane and me, you should keep your distance from him. Although I''m a gentle person, I''ll still be jealous. So...¡± At this, she narrowed her eyes. ¡°I can''t say what I might do to you if my jealousy res, Ms. Smith. Thus, Ms. Smith, I hope you won''t approach him again in the future. Do you understand?¡± Natalie was shellshocked for a moment. Then, her lips parted, and she hastily exined, ¡°You''ve misunderstood, Ms. Graham. I''ve never approached Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°I know that, but you often interact with him. Is this not true?¡± Jacqueline stared at her as though she wanted to discern something from her face. At her intent gaze, a lump lodged in Natalie''s throat. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Out of the blue, words eluded her because she couldn''t deny that she was indeed rather close to Shane recently. While we merely met by coincidence every single time, our interaction inevitably increased after bumping into each other. When Jacqueline saw her hanging her head in contrition, she nonchntly averted her gaze. ¡°Ms. Smith, since you think that I''m speaking the truth, please do as I said earlier so that you won''t have any regrets in the future.¡± After saying that, she turned back to the front and continued ambling toward the elevator while supporting herself against the wall. Meanwhile, Natalie stared at her back with pursed lips and a grim expression on her face. Was that a threat? Or was it a warning? Or maybe... it''s both! Then, she lowered her eyes, knowing full well that she should indeed put some distance between her and Shane regardless of whether it was a threat or warning. While I''ve always said the same thing in the past, yet never once seeded in doing so because I always failed after standing my ground for a while. Hence, I must do it this time! I can''t allow the situation to persist, for Jasmine is already more than enough for me to handle! If Jacqueline targets me as well, my life will be inconceivably dangerous in the future! Heaving a long sigh, Natalie closed the hospital room door and went back into the room. At the same time, the bathroom door swung open, and Connor came out while dragging along Sharon, who was all drowsy. Upon seeing this, Natalie stepped forward and scooped Sharon into her arms. Then, she patted her back gently, coaxing her to sleep. Connor, on the other hand, stood before her and looked up at her. ¡°Mommy, did thatdy left?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Dipping her head, Natalie looked at him. When she glimpsed the displeasure on his face, she couldn''t help quirking an eyebrow. ¡°You don''t like thedy earlier, Baby?¡± At this, Connor wrinkled his tiny nose. ¡°Yeah, I don''t like her.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie questioned as she ced Sharon, who was asleep, on the sofa. Climbing on the chair, Connor parked his butt down. ¡°I don''t know. Anyway, I just don''t like her.¡± ¡°Alright, then.¡± Natalie gave up asking further when she saw that he couldn''t exin why. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Never mind if he doesn''t like Jacqueline since he won''t be meeting her anyway! ¡°Are you sleepy, Baby?¡± Natalie didn''t forget to nce over her shoulder and ask Connor this even as she took a nket and draped it over Sharon. At her question, Connor shook his head in denial. Thus, Natalie no longer bothered about him. She took out her cell phone and sat down beside Sharon before she started surfing the Inte. About two hourster, Joyce returned,den with bags. All at once, Natalie put her cell phone away and helped to arrange the bags. After having done all this, Natalie decided to bring her two children home. After all, it was almost midnight now, and they still had to go to bed. ¡°Here, take this.¡± Joyce handed her a car key. Knowing that Natalie wanted her to drive home, a wealth of warmth suffused her as she took the car key. ¡°Thank you.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. At that, Joyce chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. ¡°No worries. But Nat, you should buy a car.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°That''s true. It''ll be convenient to travel around, and I won''t need to hail a cab or have someone else drive me all the time.¡± Stanley''s ident today, in particr, was a bucket of cold water that jolted her awake. If someone else gets hurt again because he or she drives me, I''ll truly go mad. Hence, it''s better if I buy a car myself. At least I won''t drag anyone else down with me, even if there''s an ident. As Natalie silently listed the matter of buying a car on the agenda, she scooped up the sleeping Sharon with a hand and took Connor''s hand with the other. Then, she left the hospital. The next day, Natalie went to a 4S dealership store with Connor after sending Sharon to the kindergarten. She wasn''t nning on buying too expensive a car, merely one that cost a few hundred thousand. It was just for everyday travel, after all, so it didn''t really matter. While holding Connor''s hand, Natalie circled around the in cars before finally settling on a white car. ¡°This one, please,¡± she said to the sales representative at the side while patting the front of the car. Just when the sales representative was about to respond, a flippant male voice sounded from behind. ¡°Give the white car at the back to thisdy.¡± ¡°Mommy, it''s Uncle Thompson!¡± Connor eximed as he tugged at Natalie''s hand. ¡°I know,¡± Natalie murmured, staring past the sales representative at Sean, who was heading this way. Stopping before Natalie, Sean shed her and Connor a smile. Subsequently, his smile faded, and he turned to the sales representative. ¡°Did you not hear me earlier? Move!¡± he barked. ¡°Understood!¡± The sales representative nodded fervently and scurried away to prepare the contract since he recognized Sean. After he had left, Sean shifted his gaze back to Natalie and Connor. ¡°It''s been a long time, Nat.¡± Natalie shed him a smile in response. ¡°It''s been a long time, Mr. Sean. Why are you here?¡± It''s indeed been a while since I saw him. It seems as though he''d disappeared ever since the blood donation. ¡°This is one of the stores I invest in. I came over to inspect the performance today and happened to spot you, so I came over to greet you. Oh yes, how''s this little guy here? Is he all recovered?¡± Sean lowered his head and stared at Connor beside Natalie. Then, he reached out to pat him on the head, but Connor released his grip on Natalie''s hand and dodged behind her. As a result, Sean''s hand hung in the air, and his expression stiffened for a second. Upon seeing this, Natalie bowed to him in mortification. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Sean. He''s timid, so...¡± ¡°It''s okay.¡± Sean''s expression reverted to his usual smiling mien. He retracted his hand and slipped it into his pocket. ¡°This is only the second time we''re meeting, so it''s normal that he''s wary of me. It''ll be fine when we''re familiar with each other in the future. After all, I''m his biological uncle.¡± At this, a lightbulb went off in his head. He abruptly crouched and stared at Connor. ¡°Connor, why don''t you call me Uncle Thompson?¡± Naturally, Connor ignored him. Instead, he continued gazing at him warily while hugging Natalie''s leg. Nheless, Sean wasn''t angered, merely straightening in disappointment. ¡°Ah, looks like I won¡¯t be hearing him call me Uncle Thompson, after all.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Sean...¡± Natalie opened her mouth and apologized again. It stood to reason that she should help Sean and persuade Connor to call him Uncle Thompson since he saved Connor back then. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 However, Natalie was afraid that Connor would get ustomed to addressing Sean as his uncle. If we bump into Shane in the future, and he happens to hear Connor addressing Sean as Uncle Thompson, he''ll definitely suspect Connor''s identity again! ¡°It''s okay. Never mind if he''s not willing to call me Uncle Thompson.¡± Sean waved a dismissive hand as though he didn''t mind it. Then, he even had the other employees in the store get Connor some snacks. Despite his maturity and intelligence, Connor was still a kid, so he was riveted the moment he saw the myriad of snacks. Her heart softening, Natalie bent down slightly and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Connor nodded joyfully before going to the lounge area a near distance away to have some snacks. At this time, the sales representative, who had just left, came back with the contract. He handed it to Natalie. After ncing through it, Natalie''s brows furrowed. ¡°This isn''t the car I want.¡± ¡°This is the car Mr. Sean chose for you,¡± the sales representative exined with a smile. ¡°That''s right. I told him earlier to give you the car at the back, no? That car''s design and performance are much better than the one you wanted.¡± Sean pointed at the car he chose. Casting a nce in that direction, Natalie pursed her red lips. ¡°I''ve taken a look at that car, Mr. Sean, but its price exceeded my budget. For that reason, I decided against it.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How about I sell it to you at the price of this car?¡± Sean patted the car Natalie chose. All at once, Natalie''s eyes narrowed. In the next moment, she shook her head. ¡°No thanks, Mr. Sean. I don''t want any favors.¡± After saying that, she handed the contract in her hand to the sales representative. ¡°Please exchange it with the contract for this car.¡± At this, the sales representative looked at Sean conflictedly. In the end, Sean nodded lightly. ¡°Just do as she says.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The sales representative then left again. When he''d left, Sean stared at Natalie as he rubbed his chin. ¡°Are you that reluctant to ept a favor from me?¡± Conversely, Natalie flipped her hair and chortled. ¡°I understand your personality, Mr. Sean. You''re the kind of person who''ll never allow yourself to be on the losing end, so you''ll definitely demand that I help you with something or other if I were to ept your favor this time. I already owe you a favor because of Connor, and I don''t want to owe you another one!¡± Upon hearing this, Sean was startled for a moment before amusement flooded him, and he burst out laughing. ¡°Nothing gets past you, Nat.¡± He nudged his sses. ¡°So, are you willing to help me out?¡± Without an ounce of hesitation, Natalie shook her head at once. ¡°I''m really sorry, Mr. Sean, but I''ll only agree if you''re asking me with the favor I owe you for saving Connor. Otherwise, I don''t think I''m obliged to help you out.¡± ¡°You''re truly ruthless.¡± Sean chuckled bitterly. But in the next moment, his eyes lit up, and his tone changed as well. ¡°Well, I don''t mind if you decline this time, Nat. However, the snacks Connor ate aren''t cheap since they''re all imported. You''ve got topensate me somehow, no? I''m a businessman, so I never give away anything for free. Therefore, Nat...¡± He looked at Natalie with a half-smile on his face. Natalie''s petite face instantly darkened. ¡°You''re really insidious, Mr. Sean.¡± Sean could naturally hear the mockery in her voice, but he wasn''t at all bothered. Instead, he guffawed. ¡°Ah, that''s a bit too serious a word. I merely knew that you''d decline, so I prepared an ace up my sleeve in advance.¡± Natalie''s hands clenched into fists at that. ¡°How much are those snacks? I''ll pay you back double.¡± ¡°I don''t want money.¡± Sean waved a dismissive hand. ¡°I only want your help. Don''t worry, for it''s only an insignificant matter.¡± Upon seeing that he was unmoved by force or persuasion, Natalie yielded. Taking a deep breath, she forcefully suppressed the fury within her and snapped coldly, ¡°Well? What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°It''s very simple. You only need to...¡± Sean leaned close to her and whispered a few words into her ear. Natalie''s eyes went wide after hearing his demand. ¡°What? You want me to pretend to be your wife and have Connor fake being your son to help you drive away your blind date?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Connor, who was at the lounge area, swung his gaze over in curiosity when he heard Natalie mentioning his name, blinking his eyes. Sean nodded. ¡°Yup. Simple, right?¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 ¡°You''re kidding! This is...¡± ¡°This is decided, then. Let''s go, honey!¡± Without giving Natalie an opportunity to finish her utterance, Sean grabbed her wrist and strode toward the lounge area. ¡°My car!¡± Natalie looked over her shoulder at the car as she was dragged forward. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. At this, Sean''s lips curved into a smirk. ¡°The car won''t go anywhere, so just sign the contract when we come backter,¡± he stated. After saying that, he released his grip on her and scooped Connor up from the sofa. ¡°Put me down!¡± Connor struggled to break free as he kicked his tiny legs. However, Sean held him all the tighter and even smacked his butt. ¡°Stay still, kid. You''re my son now.¡± ¡°Mommy?¡± Upon hearing this, Connor gaped at Natalie at the side incredulously, his eyes going as wide as saucers. Massaging her throbbing temples, Natalie was just about to speak when Sean walked out of the store with Connor in his arms. ¡°Hey!¡± Natalie was stunned for a moment, but in the next instance, she immediately chased after him. On the way to the restaurant that was in a hotel, Natalie finally relented and agreed to help Sean drive away his blind date. When they arrived at the hotel, Sean alighted from the car first and went into the hotel to meet his blind date. Meanwhile, Natalie and Connor stayed in the car since they were only going to enter the hotel upon receiving a text from him. After waiting for about half an hour, Natalie''s cell phone vibrated with a text from Sean. When Natalie finished reading the text, she put her cell phone away and looked at Connor. ¡°Are you ready, son?¡± Connor nodded his tiny head. ¡°I''m ready, Mommy.¡± ¡°Alright, let''s go. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can leave.¡± Opening the car door, Natalie carried him out of the car and ced him on the ground. Then, she closed the car door and went into the hotel while holding his hand. After going in, she first verified the direction before heading toward the elevator. Upon arriving on the floor where the restaurant was located, Natalie searched for Sean''s private room. Inhaling deeply, she then pushed open the door and stepped in. At the same time, the door of the private room on the opposite side swung open. A group of men in suits and leather shoes walked out, the man in the lead being the most striking among them all. ¡°Mr. Shane, the person who just went in there was Ms. Smith, no?¡± Ss asked in a whisper after casting a nce at the private room on the opposite side. At this, Shane lifted his chin a fraction. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why is she here? And she even brought her kid?¡± Ss nudged his sses in puzzlement. However, Shane said nothing, his gaze dark. Ss hesitated for a few seconds before suggesting, ¡°How about I inquire about the other upant in the private room from the hotel staff?¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Shane''s thin lips parted slightly, and he cidly threw out a single word. Subsequently, he left with the group of people, leaving Ss behind. As Ss stared at their backs, he pursed his lips even as he inwardly groused. He''s very much concerned about the person Ms. Smith is meeting with her kid, yet he''s feigning indifference. Isn''t that tiring? Shaking his head in exasperation, he took out his cell phone and rang the hotel. Meanwhile, Natalie''s expression turned livid the moment she stepped into the private room. ¡°What are you doing here, Sean Thompson?¡± she roared. Sean was facing the door of the private room, so he was marveling at her superb acting skills when he witnessed her sudden change of expression. In the next moment, however, he jumped in fright at her bellow. Another person who was likewise shocked was the sexily dressed woman across from him. The woman''s head snapped around in chagrin, revealing a face caked in heavy makeup that rendered her true countenance indiscernible. She red at Natalie in vexation. ¡°Who are you?¡± However, Natalie paid her no mind. Stalking over in a fit of pique while dragging Connor along, she then dropped his hand. In the next moment, she raised her handbag and swung it at Sean. ¡°You''re truly audacious, Sean Thompson! How dare you have a meal with another woman behind my back?¡± As pain assailed him, Sean lifted his hands to cover his face while feigning an expression of penitence. ¡°I''m sorry, Baby! I''m really sorry! Please stop hitting me!¡± he pleaded fervently. This woman is truly heavy-handed! She must be taking her revenge because I tricked her earlier at the 4S dealership store! Connor was also very surprised at his mother''s violent conduct. However, when he noticed how Sean was dodging left and right, he pped a hand over his mouth and giggled furtively. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Natalie hit Sean more than a dozen times in a row. Finally, the pent-up tension in her whole being was spent and she felt relieved. She put down her bag, pointed at the woman facing her, and asked Sean with a cold icy tone, ¡°Go ahead and tell me who she is!¡± Before Sean could open his mouth, the woman banged on the table and stood up. ¡°I would like to know who you are! The moment you entered, you started to beat my blind date. Isn''t that going too far?¡± ¡°Blind date?¡± Natalie''s face turned pale as if she had been traumatized and her body shook. She took two steps back, held her chest, and looked at Sean sadly. ¡°Sean Thompson, you ba*tard! We have been married for so long and our child is so grown up. How dare you go on a blind date! You...I will kill you!¡± At that, Natalie took up her bag and started to beat him again. Not expecting her second attack, Sean picked up the menu from the table and tried to block off her blows. Connor remembered his part, too. He nced around and started crying, ¡°Boo hoo hoo, bad Daddy, you don''t love Mommy or me anymore. Boo hoo hoo...¡± Instantly, the private room was filled with the sound of beatings, cries for mercy, and a child crying. That wasplete pandemonium. Unable to tolerate the noise anymore, the woman stood up and stamped her foot. ¡°Are you done?¡± At this, Natalie stopped beating Sean who put down the menu and Connor stopped bawling. There were no tears on the Connor''s face. He only made the sound of crying. The two adults and the child looked at the woman. The woman''s chest was heaving violently and she trembled as she pointed at Sean. ¡°Are you married?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Sean pushed back his lopsided sses. ¡°I''m sorry I lied. I got married five years ago. This is my wife and that is my kid.¡± He put one arm around Natalie and the other one on Connor''s head. Natalie shuddered at the way he called her ''his wife''. Her skin crawled and she wanted to push him away. Then, she remembered that she was acting a part and stopped herself. ¡°You have married five years ago? So why haven''t I heard about it? Why would Mr. Sam Thompson ask me to have a blind date with you?¡± The woman looked at Natalie and then at Connor as her voice rose to a higher pitch. Natalie was so sad that she lowered her head to wipe away her tears. ¡°That is because we are not epted, so we got married secretly. I thought that if I persevered for a few years, our marriage would be recognized. I have never expected this crook to listen to his dad and go on a blind date.¡± Sean''s lips twitched. Deep inside, he saluted Natalie. She can lie without pausing to make up a story and she does not even blush or feel guilty. Seeing Sean keeping quiet and looking guilty, the woman believed Nataliepletely. She was hopping mad. ¡°You are already married and you still go on a blind date with me. What do you think I am? You are so shameless!¡± As the woman finished speaking, she picked up the ss of red wine amidst Natalie''s surprised yelling and sshed it on his face. Then she banged the ss on the table and turned around to leave. Hearing the door being mmed shut, Natalie and Connor both shuddered. Natalie swallowed and looked at Sean shyly. ¡°Mr. Sean, are you alright?¡± Sean''s face was ck as thunder while brushing away the red wine from his face and hair. He put on a fake smile and replied, ¡°What do you think? How can I be fine when I''m covered in red wine. It''s all your fault!¡± Natalie avoided his eyes and yed with her own fingers, instead. ¡°What''s the matter? Didn''t you ask me to mess up your blind date? If I did not do something drastic, the woman would not believe us. Did you see how decisive she was? I did a great job, didn''t I? ¡°It''s pretty good, but we only agreed that you pretend to be my wife. You were not supposed to beat me. So, can I presume that you were using the opportunity to exact revenge, my dear wife?¡± Sean stood up, smirking and leaning close to Scarlett. Natalie took a step backwards leading Connor by his hand. ¡°Do not call me your wife. When did we get married?¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 ¡°When did you be his wife and Connor his son? I want to know, too!¡± Suddenly the private room door was pushed open and Shane appeared. He exuded an angry countenance as he fixed his hostile gaze on Natalie. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Connor called out to him. Shane looked down and nodded gently at Connor in response. Then, when he raised his head again, the cold expression returned to his face. He strode in step by step on his long legs, followed by Ss. ¡°Mr. Shane, why are you here?¡± Natalie asked in a daze, looking at the approaching man. Shane did not reply but stopped in front of her, staring at her in a rage. ¡°You haven''t answered my question, when did you be his wife?¡± Pointing his finger at Sean, he asked the question again. In the face of such stern questioning, Natalie felt a little guilty. She opened her mouth, about to speak. At the same time, Sean with folded arms, spoke yfully, ¡°Let me answer. It happened only just now.¡± ¡°Shut up, I didn''t ask you!¡± Shane shot him a threatening look. Sean shrugged. ¡°Okay. I won''t say anything!¡± Shane shifted his gaze from him and back to Natalie again. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane seems angry.¡± Connor tugged at the hem of Natalie''s dress. Natalie patted the back of his hand. ¡°I know. Please be a good boy and stand aside.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Connor knew that this was between adults and he could not interfere, so he let go of his mom''s dress and sat down on a sofa at the corner. Shane nced at Ss. Ss understood and nodded. Then, he went and sat with Connor on the Sofa. Natalie and the other two remained where they were. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Natalie took in a deep breath. ¡°Mr. Shane, I did not be Mr. Sean''s wife. This is a misunderstanding. I was trying to help him...¡± ¡°Nat, why are you exining to him?¡± Sean looked at Shane and interrupted with a smile. ¡°Shane has nothing to do with you. You are just ordinary friends. When you exin this to him you make others think that you are his girlfriend.¡± Natalie was dumbfounded. That''s true. Why do I need to exin to Shane? They were not rted nor in a rtionship. Since she was in such a hurry to exin, it would seem that she desired to have a rtionship with him. Onlyst night, I told myself to steer clear of Shane. Why can''t I remember that? Natalie bit her lip in silence. Seeing her silent after listening to Sean, Shane clenched both fists and it looked like a storm was brewing. His whole body emanated an icy coldness. Sean was unaware of the trouble he had caused. He smiled and said, ¡°Shane, the moment you entered, you ask Nat these questions. Who are you to ask?¡± Who am I? Shane pursed his lips without replying. Sean pushed the sses on the bridge of his nose andughed softly. ¡°You can''t give a reply, can you? It''s because you are nobody. Nat is not rted to you in any way so you have no right to ask her. What she does is none of your business!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and red at Natalie. ¡°Is that your opinion too?¡± Natalie closed her eyes as if she had made up her mind. When she opened her eyes again, there was nothing but coldness in them. ¡°Yes, as Mr. Sean said, Mr. Shane and I are just the most ordinary friends, so please do not ask me what I have done as if you are my boyfriend.¡± Shane''s pupils shrank and a surge of anger rushed through him. Sean was quite taken by surprise. He knew that she loved Shane. Still, he did not expect that she would follow his instructions topletely cut off rtions with Shane. Why is she doing this? Sean observed Natalie with keen interest like he was trying to discover some hidden facts. In the corner, seated on the sofa, Ss could not bear to keep quiet anymore and so he stood up. ¡°Ms. Natalie, it¡¯s too unkind of you to say that. Mr. Shane knew that Mr. Sean is in the private room. He was afraid that you would be taken advantage of so he rushed here. It is not right of you to treat Mr. Shane this way.¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 ¡°I...¡± Natalie''s lips trembled. ¡°Don''t talk to my mommy like this!¡± Connor red at Ss angrily with his hands on this hips. ¡°Mr. Campbell, you are wrong,¡± Sean spoke up for Natalie. ¡°Shane came here especially for Nat which is very touching; however, it is moral kidnapping since Nat didn''t request for him toe. He came in because he wanted to do that, and he came behaving as if she had done something wrong. So, tell me who is wrong then?¡± ¡°You...¡± ¡°That''s enough!¡± Shane interrupted Ss suddenly. His gaze turned frosty in such a way that Natalie was unable to interpret his emotion. Natalie felt her chest tightened and a little ufortable but she remembered Jacqueline''s words the night before and her own decision. She squeezed her palm and suppressed the feelings she had for him. Then, she looked at Shane and said coldly, ¡°I''m very happy that you care about me, but I really don''t need it. Mr. Shane, you should stay away from me in the future. Divert your concern for me on to the person whom you should care for. Don''t hurt her feelings and regret itter.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Shane pursed his lips and spoke coldly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± What do you mean by diverting my concern for you onto someone who deserves it? Who is this person? Natalie shook her head with no intention of replying Shane. She beckoned to Connor, turned to Sean and said, ¡°Mr. Sean, I have alreadypleted my task to get rid of the woman. Now can we go back and pick up the car?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Sean replied as he smiled while casting a meaningful nce at Shane. Then, he followed the mother and son out of the private room. With a worried expression, Ss walked up to Shane, looking at the door behind him. ¡°Mr. Shane, why did Ms. Smith''s attitude toward you change so much suddenly?¡± Everything seemed fine yesterday when she was talking andughing with Mr. Shane. Yet, she was avoiding him as if the CEO was toxic now. Shane''s veins popped up on his temples. ¡°Go and investigate. Whom did she meet from yesterday until this morning.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, do you suspect that someone she met said something to her?¡± Shane lifted his chin without replying. ¡°I understand.¡± Ss nodded his head. Outside the hotel, Sean was asking Natalie a simr question, why she deliberately distanced herself from Shane. Natalie did not reply. She was so stubborn, Sean could do nothing but spread his hands in exasperation so he opened the car door and let her in. Very quickly, they reached 4S dealership store. Sean stopped the car. ¡°Today, I am really thankful for your help. Some time in the future, perhaps I can treat you to dinner?¡± Natalie held Connor and closed the car door. Then, she replied ndly, ¡°No, I''m afraid I would have to pay dearly if I epted your treat .¡± Sean leaned on the car window andughed. ¡°Nat, you are so adorable. Alright then, we won''t go for dinner but some time soon, you must apany me to some ce.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Natalie frowned. Sean waved his finger mysteriously without answering. Soon, he rolled up the window and drove away. Natalie watched his car moving away and lowered her eyes, deep in thought. ¡°Mommy, let''s go.¡± Connor tugged at her hand. Natalie withdrew from her thoughts and smiled at her son. ¡°Sure.¡± Mother and son entered the 4S dealership store and signed a contract. The car was immediately avable and could be driven with a temporary license te. Straightaway, Natalie drove off and headed for the studio. On the way, she received a call from Joyce. ¡°Nat, let me tell you some good news.¡± Hearing the excitement and joy in Joyce''s voice, Natalie guessed what the good news was, so she smiled. ¡°Is Stanley awake?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce nodded repeatedly. Natalie was overjoyed, too. ¡°I''lle over immediately.¡± Natalie then pressed the Bluetooth headset on her ear, hung up the phone and turned her car around to drive to the hospital. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Within half an half, she arrived at the hospital. Holding Connor, Natalie entered and called out, ¡°Stanley!¡± ¡°Nat, you''re here.¡± Stanley was sipping water through a straw. When he heard her voice, he struggled to look up and gave her a weak smile. Natalie hummed in reply, walked over to him, and put Connor down. Then, she observed Stanley with concern. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Connor looked at him as well. Stanley shook his head, smiling bitterly. ¡°Not too good. Now, I finally understand how patients feel when they lie in bed unable to move an inch.¡± Joyce put the cup of water aside. ¡°Stanley, don''t move too much lest you put a strain on the wounds.¡± ¡°No.¡± Stanley replied faintly. His attitude towards her and the attitude towards Natalie werepletely two extremes. Joyce''s countenance froze for a moment. The expression in her eyes sank and she kept quiet. Observing this situation, Natalie felt apologetic. Her lips moved. ¡°As a matter of fact...¡± ¡°I''m fine. You chat with him while I go out and buy something.¡± After speaking, Joyce picked up her bag, lowered her head to hide the expression on her face and walked past Natalie. Natalie stretched out her hand to stop her but was stopped by Stanley, ¡°Nat, leave her alone. Let her go because it''s better if she left.¡± ¡°Why is this, Stanley?¡± Natalie pulled Connor aside and let him y by himself. She looked at Stanley oddly, ¡°I don''t understand, why are you so inconsiderate to Joyce?¡± Among the three of them, Joyce and Stanley had been friends the longest but she did not know how long they had known each other. She had met them five years ago. At that time, Stanley''s attitude towards Joyce was not so cold. It only became like this three years ago. So what actually happened? Natalie could not look into Stanley''s eyes as his sses reflected light so she could not see his expression on hearing her question. After a few moments, he smiled inly. ¡°Nat, this is between the Rivers and the Quinns, so it''s better you do not ask.¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in surprise. She had thought that it was just between Joyce and him. Indeed, it was better for her not to pry as it involved their families which was quite unexpected. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Natalie nodded. Stanley raised his hand to take off his sses and rubbed his eyes, ¡°By the way, Nat, I heard Joyce say that Mr. Shane handled the investigation to my car ident?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie was startled when she heard him mention Shane suddenly. Stanley noticed it and he squinted. ¡°Did Mr. Shane mention anything? Did he talk about the reason I met with the ident?¡± ¡°Yes, it was said that the driver was drunk and the brakes failed which caused the car ident. Didn''t Joyce tell you this?¡± Natalie tilted her head in confusion. Stanley saw that she really didn''t know, and opened his eyes. ¡°No, maybe Joyce has forgotten.¡± In fact, Joyce did tell him but he was not sure whether Shane had told Nat another story. Now it was proven that Shane said the same thing to both thedies. There was something he did not understand. Since the driver who caused the ident was arrested, Shane must know that he arranged the ident. However, Shane did not tell Nat the truth. Why didn''t he? Shouldn''t Shane grab the opportunity to reveal the truth to Nat about me so that she will leave me? ¡°Stanley, what are you thinking about?¡± Seeing Stanley totally lost in thought, Natalie waved her hand in front of his face. Stanley''s eyes flickered and he smiled again. ¡°It''s okay, I''m just rejoicing that I actually survived the car ident.¡± ¡°You are so chill. You scared me to death yesterday. I just turned around and you had met with an ident.¡± Natalie red at him. Stanley sighed. ¡°I''m sorry, Nat. I had no idea that would happen.¡± Natalie''s expression rxed, ¡°I should say that I am sorry. If it weren''t for you sending me back, this wouldn''t have happened. Stanley, do you me me?¡± Stanley shook his head meaning to say that he did not. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Yet, Natalie felt really apologetic. For a while, there was silence, then someone knocked on the door of the ward. Jackson brought a few doctors in and was surprised when he saw Natalie. ¡°Natalie, are you here to see Dr. Quinn again?¡± ¡°Yes, you''re right.¡± Natalie grunted and nodded. A frown appeared on Jackson''s adorable face. ¡°That''s not good.¡± ¡°Why is that so?¡± Natalie blinked. ¡°If youe too frequently, someone will be displeased naturally.¡± There was a pun in Jackson''s words Natalie frowned, feeling puzzled. ¡°Who could that be?¡± ¡°Of course, it is...¡± ¡°Dr. Baker, you''re here on your rounds but you neglect me¡ª your patient. Instead, you started chatting with my friend. That''s not quite professional, is it?¡± Stanley pouted and interrupted him. Though he wore a smile, it was only skin deep. Behind the smile was a cold face. Jackson felt like he was being threatened by a serpent. He could not help but shudder. In no time, he waved his hand and smiled. ¡°Will you please excuse us? I''m going to examine Dr. Quinn.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded, feeling that the two men were behaving rather strangely like they were ying some dumb guessing game. She nced at them meaningfully and left the room. After the mother and son left, Stanley finally attacked Jackson verbally, putting away his pretense and looked at him sullenly, ¡°You want to tell Nat what Shane thinks of her?¡± Jackson whistled with a guilty conscience. ¡°I can''t help it because Shane is my friend and he likes Natalie, so naturally I want to help him pursue her.¡± ¡°What about Jacqueline? If you do this, aren''t you afraid that Jacqueline will hate you?¡± Stanley looked up at him. Jackson looked stunned and then there was aplicated expression on his face. ¡°You need not worry about that. Please lie down properly so I can examine your wound!¡± With that, he deliberately pressed on Stanley''s wound. Stanley immediately snorted in pain, and broke out in cold sweat on his forehead. Jackson lifted his hospital gown and examined the wound. After examining and changing the dressing, Jackson left with the group of doctors. Seeing theming out, Natalie got up from her seat hurriedly. ¡°Dr. Baker, are you done with the examination?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. You may go in now,¡± Jackson replied, smiling broadly. Natalie did not move. ¡°Dr. Baker, what were you talking about with Stanley inside the ward just now?¡± Jackson averted his eyes and smiled. ¡°What do you think we can hide from you? Okay, I''m going to check the next ward, goodbye!¡± With that, he gestured to the group behind him and walked past her. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. As Natalie watched him enter the next ward, she pursed her lips but did not remain at the same sport for long. Taking Connor with her, she went into Stanley''s ward again. Since he was unwilling to talk, she''d better let it be. In the ward, Stanley was talking to someone on the phone. As Natalie entered, Stanley said to the person on the other end of the line, ¡°Alright, I understand¡± and hung up. ¡°Who''s that?¡± Natalie asked curiously when she saw the upset expression on his face. Stanley put down the cell phone, perked up his expression and replied with a smile, ¡°It was from the auto repair shop saying that my car had been damaged too badly and it was not feasible to repair, so I have been advised to buy a new one.¡± Hearing that, Natalie recalled the situation of his car at that time. The whole front part of the car was squashed. It was really serious. ¡°Buy a new one, then, since it was damaged so badly. Even if it is repaired, the safety features would have beenpromised.¡± After that, Natalie sat down. Stanley grunted as a reply. ¡°That''s the only thing we can do.¡± Suddenly, the sound of the door opening was heard. Natalie and Stanley both looked towards the direction. The door opened and Joyce came in carrying a big bag full of things. Seeing that, Natalie quickly hurried over to help her. ¡°It''s really heavy. Joyce, what have you bought?¡± ¡°I bought some cooking utensils and some chicken. I''m going to make chicken soup for Stanley.¡± Joyce nced at Stanley. Stanley''s eyes fluttered and then he looked away. Seeing the atmosphere turning awkward again, Natalie sighed and then hurriedly changed the atmosphere by pping her hands, saying, ¡°I''m good at making soup! Please let me help you!¡± Chapter 312 Chapter 312 ¡°Sure.¡± Joyce agreed,ughing. Thereafter, Natalie and Connor followed Joyce to themunal kitchen next door. It was a kitchen solely used by patient''s family members to cook. The trio left, leaving Stanley alone in the ward. He reached for his phone next to the pillow, his face somber as he made a call. The call connected in one ring. A woman''s gentle yet gloating voice sounded. ¡°You''re awake?¡± ¡°Was it you?¡± The woman pretended as if she didn''t understand and said, ¡°What are you talking about, Dr. Quinn? What was me?¡± ¡°You were the one who did something to the brakes of the car!¡± Stanley clutched onto the phone tightly, his voice cold. The woman sighed. ¡°I can''t hide anything from you.¡± She paused and let out a giggle. ¡°But it was for your own good. Didn''t you say you wanted Natalie to feel guilty? If you hurt yourself, you''ll be able to be with her. However, a slight injury wouldn''t suffice. That''s why I thought the more severe the injury, the better!¡± ¡°Hmph! Do you think I''ll believe your nonsense?¡± he interrupted in a fierce voice. ¡°You''re the one who wants my life because I have the evidence of you harming Nat.¡± The woman immediately quietened down. Stanley knew he had gotten it right. His hands were shaking with how tight he was clutching the phone as if he was about to snap it in half. ¡°I suggest you best forget about it. Do you think you''ll be fine as long as you end my life? Shall we bet? Once I''m dead, the evidence will immediately turn up on the inte. Not only those about Nat, but I''ll reveal the ones about Shane Thompson''s parents too!¡± Stanley grinned evilly and hung up the call right after saying his piece. At that moment, Natalie pushed the door open and entered the room. Stanley immediately put down the phone in his hand andposed himself. ¡°Nat, is the soup ready?¡± ¡°Not yet. I''m only here to grab my bag,¡± Natalie said, heading toward the couch. Watching as she ced the bag on her shoulder, Stanley pursed his lips. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Yeah. I received a call from the supervisor of the textile mill studio. He said something went wrong while manufacturing the clothes, so I''m going to take a look.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Be careful on the road.¡± Stanley waved a hand at her. ¡°I got it. I''lle backter.¡± Having said that, Natalie took Connor''s hand and left the hospital. She was busy in the days that followed. In the afternoon, she had to help draw and edit blueprints for the other designers. Thereafter, she had to go to the textile mill to supervise clothing production. In the evening, she had to make a trip to the hospital after fetching the kids. Some days, she even had to go to the Design Association to watch the previous elimination rounds. With all that workload, she had lost a significant amount of weight. When the textile mill finally made its first batch of clothing, something cropped up in the warehouse. Natalie hadn''t even had the chance to take a breather. She and Niall Plumlee were discussing purchasing essories for the catwalk''s outfits when it happened. Natalie was so shocked when she received the warehouse manager''s phone call that she jumped up from her seat. ¡°What did you say? A fire?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Smith! What do we do now?¡± The warehouse manager was flustered, his mind turning nk. He was at aplete loss of his next actions. Natalie''s body shuddered. ¡°Call the fire department, of course! What else is there to do?¡± ¡°Oh, oh! Right, right...¡± The manager returned to his senses. Natalie hung up the phone, speedily packing up the documents on the table while she exined to Niall, ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Plumlee. Something urgent happened. I can''t stay any longer. About the essories, let''s arrange for another time to resume our discussion.¡± Seeing her hands trembling in anxiousness, he asked, ¡°What happened? Perhaps I can help?¡± Chapter 313 Chapter 313 After all, Shane might reward him if he had done Natalie a favor. Natalie held the documents against her chest and declined. ¡°Thank you for offering, Mr. Plumlee, but there''s no need. The warehouse where I store my fabrics is on fire. My employee has already called the fire department. I''m gonna go take a look.¡± She bowed apologetically before leaving the restaurant and drove off. Watching as her car left his sight, Niall contemted for a minute before he eventually decided to report the matter to Shane. Shane''s brows furrowed when he heard the news. Why would the warehouse be on fire for no reason? ¡°Ss,¡± Shane called out, knocking twice on his desk. Ss pushed open the door and stood at the entrance. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Prepare the car!¡± Shane ordered as he stood up. Surprised, Ss asked, ¡°Are you going out, Mr. Shane? But there''s a meeting¡ª¡± ¡°It''s not an important meeting. Postpone it for two hours. I''ll be back soon.¡± He retrieved his coat from the coat rack and tookrge strides out of his office, heading toward the elevator. His handsome, aloof face was filled with worry. Warehouses that store fabric materials weren''t allowed to have mmable items. Even the warehouse manager stopped having smoke breaks for the same reason. Therefore, the source of the fire certainly wasn''t as simple as it seemed. Shane frowned as he drove toward the outskirts. At the same time, Natalie was heading to the same destination. She had managed to make it within twenty minutes for a typically thirty-minute drive. When she alighted, her blood turned cold. All she could see was the warehouse being devoured by mes. ¡°Ms. Smith!¡± The manager hurriedly ran toward her. Natalie merely nodded, her face pale as she watched the fire destroy a part of her. ¡°Are the firefighters not here yet?¡± ¡°Not yet. I''ve called again. They said there was a traffic jam on the way. That''s why¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Natalie cut him off with bloodshot eyes. ¡°What about the fabrics? Were any of them saved?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The manager lowered his head in shame. Natalie''s body swayed, feeling like her world was spinning. She held onto her car door, forcing herself to keep steady. ¡°Not a single yard made it out?¡± She questioned, squeezing her palm tightly. She had to keepposed, or else she didn''t know what else she could do. The manager shook his head regretfully. ¡°It was lunch break when the fire ignited. We were all eating our food outside and had no clue what happened. When we returned, the fire had spread. There was no way we could enter, much less save the fabrics.¡± Natalie shut her eyes in despair. At that moment, another car came to a stop next to them. Joyce hopped out of it, running up to grab Natalie''s hand without bothering to shut her car door. She asked about the fabrics immediately. Natalie regretfully informed her that they were all gone. Joyce clenched her hands into fists in disbelief. ¡°Gone? All of it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Those fabrics were worth at least a hundred and fifty thousand!¡± Joyce raised her voice in agitation. She dashed toward the warehouse before anyone could stop her, in desperate need to witness the truth for herself. Seeing that, Natalie jumped in shock and shouted, ¡°Joyce! What are you doing? Come back!¡± Joyce acted as if she couldn''t hear. She stood outside the warehouse, her mental state about to fall apart as she watched the ce burn. She had visited at least a dozen textile mills to acquire all the fabrics. Some of them were even exclusive ones where production was limited. She had to drink to the point where she had stomach cramps before the higher-ups were willing to sell them to her. Yet, the fire gobbled them all up as if they were nothing. Her efforts had been reduced to a pile of ashes. How could she ept the fact? When Natalie saw that Joyce wasn''t responding, she ran after her and tried to pull her back. Although the warehouse was built with bricks, some parts of it¡ªespecially the roof structure¡ªwere built with wood to ensure the fabrics would not decay in humidity. With such a big fire going, the roof could copse at any moment. It was too dangerous. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Joyce was standing too close and debris could fall and struck her. When Natalie came to Joyce''s side and met with her reddened eyes, her heart clenched. However, it wasn''t the time forforts. She tugged at Joyce''s hand and urged, ¡°Joyce, let''s go first, shall we?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Joyce whirled her teary face around to look at Natalie. Her voice was filled with grief and indignation as she asked, ¡°Nat, why do you think this happened? Why do we always encounter such matters?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Before Natalie could speak, a sudden creak sounded from above them. She raised her head only to see a section of crossbeam from the warehouse splitting in half, falling right in their direction. ¡°Be careful!¡± Natalie''s pupils shrank as she shoved Joyce away without hesitation. Joyce was shoved to the ground with a hiss. Ignoring her scraped arm, she stood up and searched for Natalie. When she saw the falling beam, she screamed, ¡°Nat! Get away from there!¡± Natalie wanted to get away too, but she had sprained her ankle when she shoved Joyce away earlier. It was too painful to even move a muscle, much less run. All she could do was watch as the burning beam get nearer and nearer to her¡ªthe raging heat and thick smoke approaching to swallow her whole. Eventually, her eyes could no longer stay open in the suffocating smoke. Her tears fell like leaky tap water as she shut her eyes hopelessly. She was almost certain that was the end of her. Unexpectedly, she felt a pair of arms circling her waist and took her down on a tumble on the ground. The beam crashed down mere seconds after they rolled away. A few sparks spattered, but the fire didn''t go out and kept burning. Natalie forced her eyes open when she felt herself being moved out of the way. Her focus wasn''t on the beam but the man who shielded her with his body. She could never have imagined he would appear out of nowhere and save her life. ¡°You¡ª¡± Natalie opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but Joyce ran over and shoved Shane off her, helping her up on her feet. She checked her in every direction, anxiously questioning, ¡°Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?¡± Natalie had yet toe out of her frightened state. She shook her head. ¡°I''m fine. Only my ankle is hurt. But Mr. Shane...¡± She looked at Shane as the man stood up, looking slightly wretched with his dirtied attire. Still, his appearance did nothing to affect his temperament. On the contrary, it gave him a touch of appeal despite the mess. He stared sullenly at Natalie, his tone filled with rage as he reproached, ¡°What were you doing? Why were you standing there like a statue? Do you have any idea what would''ve happened if it crashed on you? You would''ve either died on the spot or be burnt to your death!¡± God only knows how terrified he was when he arrived only to see her in danger. He was certain his heart had stopped at that moment. Hearing his description, Natalie couldn''t help but shudder in fear. She lowered her head and said nothing. Joyce couldn''t bear to watch any longer and blocked Natalie with her own body. She raised her head to stare at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, if you want to scold someone, let that be me! I was the one who couldn''t ept the fact that the fabrics were ruined, that''s why I ran over here on impulse. Nat only came to save me. She couldn''t move away after that because she has sprained her ankle.¡± Hearing that, Shane immediately lowered his head and zeroed in on Natalie''s ankle. Indeed, it looked pretty swollen. I''ve misunderstood her. He pursed his thin lips and said in a milder tone, ¡°Why didn''t you exin?¡± Natalie''s eyes flickered. ¡°Mr. Shane, why do I have to exin myself to you? What I do has nothing to do with you. I''m very grateful to you for saving me, but¡ª¡± Before she couldplete her sentence, Shane had already swept her up bridal style and strode toward the car. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 ¡°What just happened?¡± Joyce''s mouth fell open as she gaped at the couple. Why did he abruptly carry her? Shane had caught Natalie off-guard when he lifted her. She had no time to react and had instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck to keep her bnce. But when she came back to her senses, she immediately released her arms and yelled with her face flushed, ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you doing? Let me down!¡± Shane remained unmoved, carrying her expressionlessly as he walked. Anxious, Natalie began to struggle, but he merely gritted his teeth and held on tightly, refusing to let go. He lowered his head slightly, staring darkly at the woman who was on tenterhooks in his embrace. ¡°Keep moving and I''ll throw you down!¡± he warned. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°You¡ª¡± Natalie froze, twisting her head to gauge the height to the ground. Though it wasn''t too high, there were stones and debris everywhere. She decided it wasn''t worth it. Nataliepromised and stopped moving, biting her lip as she stared at the man. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Shane didn''t answer. He ced her in the backseat before retrieving a stic bag from the glove compartment. Natalie recognized it at once. It was the same stic bag from several days ago when he had bandaged her hand in the hospital. It contained bandages and disinfectants. Didn''t he hand it to Ss then? So Ss had kept it in the car all along? Is he nning to treat my wound? As she wondered, she felt a sudden coldness on her ankle. When she blinked back to reality, she discovered that her sprained ankle had been raised without her notice and rested on hisp with her shoes off. Realizing that Shane was about to treat her ankle, she tolerated the pain as she quickly took back her leg before his hand could touch her skin. Shane''s hand froze in the air, glowering at the empty spot above hisp. Hemanded in a deep voice, ¡°Put it back!¡± Natalie pretended not to hear him, bending over to pick up her shoes so she could exit the vehicle. Shane immediately kicked her heels further away from her reach. ¡°I''ll say it again. Put your leg back up!¡± he ordered, staring coldly at her. She bit her bottom lip. ¡°Mr. Shane, I can handle myself. I don''t wish to trouble you.¡± She attempted to reach for the stic bag beside him, only for Shane to grab her leg forcefully and ce it on his thigh. Natalie widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Mr. Shane¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± he chastised, pursing his lip. She subconsciously pressed her mouth shut. Shane took out the things from the stic bag and cleaned up her wounds. He then threw out the cotton swab and held onto her ankle with one hand, his free hand holding her foot in an attempt to help her ease the pain in her ankle. To his dismay, Natalie shrunk back abruptly and giggled. He nced at her with his brows knotted and asked, ¡°What''s so funny?¡± ¡°It''s ticklish,¡± she admitted softly, trying not tough. He smirked, having discovered she was ticklish. He resumed working her ankle without another word. Her sprain was mild, unlike thest two times when it had swelled up severely. She had probably froze not because of the pain but shock. After lightly twisting her ankle, Shane wrapped the bandage around her foot. She looked at him in confusion. ¡°Mr. Shane, why are you being so nice to me?¡± Shane''s hand paused for a split second but quickly resumed working. Natalie inhaled a deep breath as if she''d made up her mind on something and squeezed her palms as she said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I like you!¡± His pupils shrank. Without warning, he raised his head to meet her gaze. Despite theck of expression on his face, his heart was secretly bursting with joy. He had known her feelings for him for some time. However, she had never confessed. He hadn''t expected her to let it out there and then. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Natalie''s heart sank when she saw no changes in Shane''s expression. She chuckled bitterly on the inside. Turns out, my confession didn''t elicit a trace of emotion from him at all. I guess it''s for the best. I can finally give up on him knowing that he feels nothing for me. She retracted her bandaged foot and curled up on the seat. ¡°Mr. Shane, I''m not sure when exactly I started having feelings for you either. But when I discovered it, it has already been toote. Did you know? I''ve wanted to suppress my feelings for you on several asions.¡± Shane''s thin lips twitched. He truly didn''t know. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But it didn''t work. Each time I made up my mind to do so, you''d appear in front of me. Then I wouldn''t be able to forget you. It wasn''t until a few days ago when someone told me¡ª¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± he interrupted, his eyes narrowed. After he left the hotel that day, he sent Ss to investigate the person who met with her. However, it yielded no result. Since she brought it up on her own ord, he certainly wasn''t going to let it go. Natalie shook her head with no intention of telling him about Jacqueline Graham. If she did, it would only cause Jacqueline to assume she was trying to get between them. There was simply no point. Therefore, she lowered her eyes to conceal the darkness in them and said, ¡°It''s not anyone you''re acquainted with. She told me not to get close to you, and I think she''s right. Hence, I hope you could quit doing such intimate actions from now on so as not to y with my feelings.¡± If you have no feelings for me, then stop showing up to protect me like my knight in shining amour. Shane grasped the unused bandage in his palm tightly. ¡°I''m not ying with your¡ª¡± ¡°You are!¡± Natalie chuckled humorlessly. ¡°You simply do it without knowing.¡± Shane kept quiet at that. She raised her head and heaved a small sigh. ¡°Mr. Shane, I have only confessed to you because I was moved by your actions and thought it was a waste to never let you know. There''s no other meaning to it. Rest assured. I''ll keep a distance from you and would never bother you with my feelings.¡± She had originally never intended to let him know about her feelings. But the other time on the cruise, he must have overheard her conversation with Stanley and found out her thoughts. Hence, it''d be meaningless to try to hide it any longer. Shane''s heart clenched, his expression dimming when he heard that she nned to distant herself from him. He felt a little panic at the sudden loss of control. It was the first time he realized his n to woo her only after capturing the unknown person who wanted to harm her was a mistake. Right when he wanted to say something to dispel her thought of distancing herself from him, the loud sirens of the fire truck came approaching. ¡°It''s the firefighters!¡± Natalie''s eyes brightened, hurriedly retrieving her footwear and pushing the car door open to leave. Shane held onto her wrist and said, ¡°It''s not a good idea for you to walk in this state.¡± Her gaze dimmed before swiftly returning to the aloofness she used against him several days ago. She shook his hand off subtly. ¡°You don''t have to interfere, Mr. Shane. I can handle myself.¡± Having said that, she stubbornly held onto the car door to leave and limped her way toward Joyce. Shane''s temples throbbed as he watched her back view. This woman changes her feelings in a blink of an eye. One moment she''s confessing, the next moment she immediately flees from me. It is precisely how she was a few days ago. He pursed his lips and exited the car but made no move to join her where she was. He leaned against the door as he watched her discuss the source of the fire with the firefighter. Joyce stood next to Natalie, noticing Shane''s gaze. She used her elbow to nudge her gently. ¡°Mr. Shane''s staring at you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie lightly nodded. He stared at her like he was drilling holes into the side of her head. How could she possibly not notice? ¡°Then you must be ecstatic, aren''t you?¡± Joyce had recovered from her earlier despair of the ruined fabrics and returned to her typical cheerful self. Natalie lowered her gaze and muttered, ¡°There''s nothing to be happy about. Don''t bring up Mr. Shane anymore.¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 ¡°Huh?¡± Joyce was stunned. She finally noticed something was wrong. Isn''t she too cold toward him? ¡°Nat, did something happen between you and Mr. Shane?¡± Joyce whispered, sneaking a peek at the man in the distance. Natalie hummed in response. ¡°I''ve talked it out with him. I told him I liked him and that I''d give up on him.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Joyce''s voice rose an octave. Still leaning against the car door, Shane squinted and kept his eyes peeled on Natalie''s figure. Natalie tried to ignore the burning gaze from behind her, refusing to give it any attention. She said in a faint voice, ¡°It''s impossible between us anyway. He has no feelings for me. What else am I to do if not give up on him? Letting him know of my feelings is more than enough.¡± ¡°I suppose you''re right.¡± Joyce nodded, letting out a sigh. ¡°Actually, I find the both of you rather compatible. However... Forget it, let''s not talk about it anymore. The fire''s extinguished!¡± She pointed at the warehouse. Natalie lifted her head and took a look at what was left of the burnt warehouse. She felt like her heart was bleeding. It was several hundred thousand worth of loss in fabrics. Not only that, but their rented warehouse was also in ruins. On top of purchasing new fabrics, they had to spend arge sum of money to compensate thendlord for the warehouse. Talk about bad luck. ¡°They''ve found the source of the fire,¡± the fire captain dressed in orange uniform said as he approached them. Shane heard it from afar as well and walked forward. He asked the fire captain, ¡°What was the cause?¡± ¡°My men found traces of burnt white phosphorus at the vent,¡± he said. Natalie and Shane''s expressions mirrored each other. Only Joyce was confused. ¡°What''s that?¡± she questioned. ¡°It''s a type of chemical solid that self-ignites upon contact with wind,¡± Natalie exined simply. Squinting, Shane added, ¡°But it''s not something ordinary people could get their hands on.¡± The captain nodded. ¡°That''s right. You guys must think carefully about where it came from.¡± Having said that, he turned around and left to continue directing his team to clean up the scene. ¡°Someone must have put it there deliberately. Their purpose was to ruin our fabrics!¡± Joyce clenched her hands into fists and cracked each knuckle, her eyes bloodshot from anger. Natalie made noments to her opinion and said, ¡°They''d gone for the fabrics twice. It''s probably the same person who egged on the textile mill and refused to give us the fabrics that did this. Joyce, you said you would send an undercover amongst them. Has there been any result?¡± ¡°It''d slipped my mind after Stanley''s ident. I''ll ask right now.¡± Joyce pulled out her phone and walked aside to make the call, leaving behind Natalie and Shane as they stood silently together. A short momentter, Natalie inhaled an audible breath to break the silence. She raised her head and stared indifferently at him. ¡°Mr. Shane, you may return.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Are you chasing me away?¡± Shane frowned. She shook her head. ¡°I''m not. This matter has nothing to do with you. Therefore, it''s pointless for you to be around.¡± Despite her words, she looked as if she couldn''t wait for him to leave. Before he could say something to express his discontent, his phone rang in his pocket. He had no choice but to swallow his words and pull out the phone, his expression turning dark when he nced at the disy. He ced the phone against his ear and barked impatiently, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Graham has fainted while doing her tests.¡± ¡°What?¡± His face tightened. ¡°Why did Jacqueline faint?¡± Hearing the worry in his voice, Natalie felt sour on the inside. She did a good job concealing any expression on her face, merely keeping her face lowered to the ground as if she was not at all interested in his conversation. ¡°I''m not clear about the specifics. Dr. Baker is currently looking for the cause. Mr. Shane, are you coming?¡± Ss asked, looking anxiously into the ward through the ss. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 ¡°I got it. I''ll be there right away.¡± Shane hung up the phone expressionlessly. Natalie lifted her head. ¡°Did something happen to Ms. Graham?¡± He nodded. ¡°Then you better hurry,¡± she urged. ¡°Do you really wish for me to go?¡± He stared at her tensely. She stared back nkly, uncertain what his words meant. She nodded slightly. Shane pressed his lips into a thin line, seemingly displeased as his aura became increasingly heavy. A short whileter, he ced his phone back into his pocket and turned around to leave. Watching his retreating figure, Natalie squeezed her palms and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, treat Ms. Graham well in the future. Don''t break her heart.¡± Shane''s footsteps halted and immediately whirled around, intending to ask her what she meant by that, but she had already walked away by then. His phone vibrated in his pocket once again. He contained the urge to interrogate her and took a gander at his phone. Seeing the contents of the text message, his pupils shrank. He increased his pace toward the car. Natalie''s question was no longer on his mind. Natalie caught a glimpse of Shane''s car driving away. She smiled from the corner of her lips for a brief second before it disappeared as if it never was there, to begin with. ¡°Why did Mr. Shane leave?¡± Joyce had just hung up the call when she coincidentally saw Shane''s car leaving. ¡°He has something on,¡± Natalie answered ndly. She briefly nced at her cell phone and asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you find out who did it?¡± Joyce''s expression dimmed. ¡°It''s not anyone from the studio. The undercover I sent told me that the studio is indeed jealous of my sales performance, but they have never thought of doing anything to our fabrics. They have only nned to suppress our clothing''s prices once they''re put up for sale.¡± ¡°What about Jasmine Smith?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Joyce shook her head. ¡°It''s not her either. Jasmine has been busy inquiring about thest few themes for thepetition so she could look for blueprints to giarize. She doesn''t have the time to go against us. It has to be someone else.¡± ¡°Someone else...¡± Natalie lowered her eyes, mumbling the two words under her breath. A few seconds later, she fisted her hands and said in a cold voice, ¡°Could it be her?¡± Joyce looked at her urgently. ¡°Nat, did you think of someone?¡± ¡°The same person who''s tried to kill me twice.¡± Natalie bit hard on her lip, her face flushed with anger. Joyce was equally furious. ¡°That''s right. She''s showed up again. Nat, we must catch her. Leaving an evil person like her alone would only threaten our safety.¡± ¡°I know. But it''s not easy to capture her. She''s hidden too well.¡± Natalie sighed, rubbing her temple. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Natalie shrugged. ¡°I haven''t thought of it yet. As of now, our priority is to take care of the matters before our eyes. Joyce, you go and re-purchase the fabrics. I''ll contact thendlord to discusspensation of the warehouse.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Joyce nodded. Natalie pulled out her phone to give thendlord a call. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. When they''d both individuallypleted their assignments, it was alreadyte afternoon. Natalie went to the studio to pick up Connor first, then to the kindergarten to pick up Sharon. She took the children to the hospital. Seeing the trio, Joyce went into themunal kitchen to make some soup, letting them apany Stanley instead. In the end, the children took Natalie''s phone to watch cartoons on the couch, leaving her alone to apany Stanley. Natalie set down a chair next to his bedside and began peeling an apple. Stanley sat on his bed and watched her. ¡°Nat, I know about the warehouse. Is everything settled?¡± ¡°More or less. But it''s too much of a loss this time. I''ve told Joyce. We owe nearly two million.¡± She smiled bitterly, cutting up the apples into smaller pieces. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 She had already owed Shane four hundred thousand originally¡ªall of which she''d spent on purchasing fabrics. Coupled with eight hundred thousand inpensation for the warehouse, another four hundred thousand to purchase new fabrics, and other misceneous expenses¡ªit totaled up to nearly two million. Other than owing Shane money, she also had a notarized IOU with Joyce. Should they not pay up before the deadline, they''d have to be prepared to be sued in court. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Two million is quite a hefty sum indeed. I have about one and a half million in savings. I can lend it to you first,¡± Stanley offered, adjusting his spectacles on his nose bridge. Natalie ted the apples neatly along with a small fork before handing them to him. ¡°It''s all right, Stanley. Joyce and I will figure it on our own. Don''t worry,¡± she assured. Seeing that she''d turned him down, Stanley knitted his brows. A fleeting trace of displeasure shed in his eyes behind his lenses. Natalie failed to notice his abnormality and wiped her hands as she stood up. ¡°Eat the apples, Stanley. I''ll go to the Ophthalmology Department to get my eyes checked.¡± ¡°What''s wrong with your eyes?¡± Stanley tightened his grip on the te, staring at her eyes in concern. She lowered her head and rubbed her eyes. ¡°They''re dry and itchy. It''s most likely irritated by the smoke earlier.¡± After the beam incident where the smoke blinded her eyes, they hadn''t felt veryfortable since. But as she had a lot on her te previously, she chose to bear with the difort. ¡°Let me see.¡± Stanley reached out a hand. Recalling that he was a doctor, Natalie obliged. She leaned her head toward him. Stanley pried open her eye to take a look and said in a deep voice, ¡°The sclera is slightly yellow and bloodshot on the bottom. It should be inmed from the smoke. It''s imperative to get it checked. Otherwise, it could easily turn into refractory keratitis if left untreated.¡± ¡°That serious?¡± She was taken aback by his words, having underestimated the severity. Stanley released her and urged, ¡°Go. Come back soon.¡± ¡°All right. I''ll leave Connor and Sharon with you.¡± Natalie nodded. She informed the children before heading to the Ophthalmology Department. As it was nighttime, there weren''t many patients. She managed to get a consultation right away. After a thorough check-up, the doctor had the same diagnosis as Stanley did. Her eyes were inmed by the smoke and required several different eye drops to treat it. Having dripped the eye drops, she carried the bag of medication and made her way back to the ward. Thest thing she could expect was to bump into Shane and Jacqueline at the entrance of the Ophthalmology Department. Shane was holding onto Jacqueline as they walked in her direction. When they noticed her, the couple seemed slightly shocked as well. ¡°What a coincidence, Ms. Smith.¡± Jacqueline halted her steps and smiled at Natalie. Although Shane kept quiet, his gaze was permanently fixed on Natalie¡ªespecially at her wet, reddened eyes and the stic bag she was holding. He frowned, feeling an unknown heaviness in his heart. What happened to her eyes? Had it not been for Jacqueline, Natalie would pretend she didn''t see them and leave without a word. She paused, returning a brief smile at Jacqueline. ¡°Indeed. Good evening, Ms. Graham and Mr. Shane.¡± That''s strange. During Shane''s phone call in the day, didn''t he say something happened to Jacqueline? However, seeing herplexion, nothing seems amiss. ¡°Good evening.¡± Jacqueline had no idea what Natalie was thinking of. She nodded and asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing in the hospital thiste at night? Are you here to visit Dr. Quinn?¡± ¡°That''s right. I''m here to visit Stanley.¡± Natalie smiled, forcing herself to only look at the woman instead of the man next to her. But her deliberate aversion didn''t go unnoticed by Shane. His face turned glum as his aura became increasingly heavy. Jacqueline''s eyes turned cold when she felt the change, but the smile on her face managed to remain gentle and tactful. ¡°The friendship between Ms. Smith and Dr. Quinn is truly enviable. Don''t you think so, Shane?¡± She nced at the man beside her. To her dismay, Shane paid no attention to her and was watching Natalie like a hawk instead. He asked, ¡°What happened to your eyes?¡± Natalie pretended not to hear him. She looked at Jacqueline and said, ¡°It''ste, Ms. Graham. I better get going.¡± Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Having said that, Natalie raised her leg, preparing to step over both of them. Just as Natalie passed Shane, he grabbed hold of her arm and jerked her towards him. ring, he demanded, ¡°I''m going to ask you again. What happened to your eyes?¡± This woman is really trying to get away from me! Jacqueline suddenly came to upon hearing Shane''s words. Natalie had indeed just emerged from the Ophthalmology Department. Jacqueline hurriedly snuck a look at Natalie''s eyes and saw that they were indeed rather red. The smile that had been hovering on Jacqueline''s face instantly vanished. Natalie could not feign ignorance in the face of such direct questioning. Dismayed, she fidgeted with the bag in her hand as she muttered, ¡°Smoke got into them. It''s slightly infected.¡± ¡°They are infected?¡± Jacqueline broke in before Shane could respond. She was quite agitated that she raised her voice. Puzzled at what she felt was a rather extreme reaction from Jacqueline, Natalie answered, ¡°Yep.¡± Jacqueline went pale. She wrestled free from Shane''s grip and staggered over to Natalie. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Despite Natalie''s confused expression, Jacqueline reached out and took Natalie''s face with both hands savagely. ¡°Natalie, didn''t I tell you to take care of your eyes properly? Why didn''t you listen to me? How could you let your eyes get infected? Don''t you know that once your eyes get infected, your vision will deteriorate?¡± ¡°I... I know that,¡± Natalie stammered, bewildered by Jacqueline''s sudden burst of anger. She could only barely manage a nod in the face of Jacqueline''s fury. It was also Shane''s first time seeing this side of Jacqueline. He was stunned for a moment, then yanked her hands away from Natalie''s face. He helped Jacqueline back as gently as he could. ¡°Jacqueline, what are you doing?¡± Shane asked in a harsh tone. He looked at Natalie''s flushed cheeks and Jacqueline, who was panting slightly with distress. His face looked glum. At the note of indignation in Shane''s voice, Jacqueline snapped back to reality andposed herself. Realizing what she had just done, Jacqueline panicked. She immediately clutched Natalie''s hands in hers and said apologetically, ¡°I''m very sorry, Ms. Smith. I must have scared you! I didn''t do it on purpose. I was thinking about my own eyes, so...¡± Midway through her hasty apology, Jacqueline dropped Natalie''s hands, covered her own face, and started sobbing. Natalie was baffled at the sight of a distraught Jacqueline. Wait, ain''t I the victim here? Isn''t she the one who frightened and hurt me? Why is she the one crying instead? Natalie wondered. An ignorant observer might have presumed that Natalie was the bully in this situation. Natalie massaged the sides of her face and turned her gaze towards Shane, who was standing aside. ¡°Mr. Shane, what did Ms. Graham mean? What about her eyes?¡± ¡°Jacqueline was in an ident many years ago. It damaged her corneas,¡± Shane replied evenly, darting a look towards the crying Jacqueline. ¡°So that''s why she''s so upset.¡± Recognition dawned upon Natalie. She nodded. So that''s why Jacqueline''s eyes always looked rather dull and not focused! I''d only assumed that it was because she wasn''t feeling energetic that day. Does this mean that the spare corneas Jackson previously reserved at Stanford Hospital were meant for Jacqueline? ¡°All right, stop crying,¡± Shane tenderly took Jacqueline''s hands from her face and consoled her. Jacqueline stopped. She turned to look at Natalie with swollen eyes and said, ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m only impatient with those who don''t treasure their eyes because I''m almost blind myself. That''s why I lost control of my emotions just now. I''m terribly sorry. Will you forgive me?¡± Jacqueline stuttered between sobs. Looking at Jacqueline''s pitiful state, Natalie could not bring herself to hold a grudge against her. Natalie forced a smile onto her own face as she said, ¡°Don''t worry, I forgive you.¡± ¡°That''s great! You''re too kind, Ms. Smith,¡± Jacqueline said gratefully. Am I really being kind? Natalie wondered, scratching her head in embarrassment. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Ms. Graham. But it''s gettingte, and I should get going.¡± Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Shane didn''t stop her this time. He merely watched mutely as Natalie hobbled away. Jacqueline gazed after her. She then turned to Shane and said thoughtfully, ¡°Shane, I think Ms. Smith hurt her leg too.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Shane looked away. ¡°I know. Let''s go,¡± he said smoothly. He then helped Jacqueline back into the Ophthalmology Department. Natalie returned to Stanley''s room. When she entered, the savory aroma of chicken soup immediately filled her nostrils. Natalie could feel her mouth water. ¡°Joyce, your cooking has really improved by leaps and bounds!¡± Natalie eximed, shutting the door behind her. Joyce was sitting by Stanley''s bedside, feeding Stanley the soup patiently. She was about to say something, but Stanley beat her to it. ¡°Nat, what took you so long?¡± he eximed. The expression on Joyce''s face froze. She lowered her head and stirred the soup intently without speaking. Natalie felt slightly difited. She walked over and patted Joyce on the shoulder, then offered by way of exnation, ¡°I bumped into someone I knew on the way back. I was held up there for a while.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± Stanley demanded,pletely ignoring Natalie''s subtle gesture. He continued beaming. Natalie was frank. She pointed above her, mouthing, ¡°Ms. Graham.¡± ¡°Jacqueline?¡± Stanley''s eyes narrowed behind his sses. ¡°What did the two of you talk about?¡± ¡°Nothing much. She was very concerned about why I wasn''t taking good care of my eyes,¡± Natalie said, shrugging. Stanley furrowed his brow, considering this. Joyce brought another spoonful of soup to Stanley''s mouth. Stanley shrank slightly from it. He nudged the spoon away, indicating that he had had enough. Joyce looked down at the bowl of soup in her hands, which was still half full. She knew, however, that Stanley was impervious to any coaxing from her. She might even risk infuriating him by doing so. With that, Joyce put the bowl aside, resigned. ¡°Nat, why was she so insistent about you protecting your eyes?¡± Stanley was utterly unconcerned about Joyce''s feelings, choosing to focus wholly on Natalie instead. Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°I don''t know either. Jacqueline was admiring my eyes andst month, she told me to take good care of them. When she heard that they were infected just now, she flew into an absolute rage as if I had personally offended her.¡± Natalie recalled Jacqueline''s look of unbridled fury with a shudder. Jacqueline had been evidently on the verge of insanity back there. ¡°I knew it!¡± Stanley yelled. He''d squeezed his hand into a fist, and his eyes grew dark. That woman, Jacqueline, is actually eyeing Natalie''s corneas! ¡°Stanley, what do you know?¡± Joyce asked earnestly. Natalie nodded, equally curious. Stanley looked past Joyce, addressed his reply to Natalie. ¡°Your corneas!¡± he announced triumphantly. ¡°My corneas?¡± Natalie was confounded. A secondter, her eyes widened withprehension. ¡°Stanley, are you saying that she wants my corneas? Is that why she was so obsessed with ensuring that I took good care of them?¡± ¡°That''s right. Besides this, I can see no other reason why she would be so emotionally invested in your eye infection.¡± Stanley concluded. Joyce gulped. ¡°That can''t be! How can that woman Jacqueline even think of acquiring corneas from someone who is alive? That''s illegal!¡± ¡°I don''t think so, either,¡± Natalie said, after giving it a second thought. ¡°Dr. Baker said they''d already ced a request for Ms. Graham''s corneas. Why does she still want mine?¡± Stanley had already anticipated these doubts. It was, after all, a most preposterous thought. He decided that it was not worth the effort to persuade either of them. Stanley pushed his sses up his nose and said solemnly, ¡°Well, it doesn''t matter if Jacqueline is after your corneas or not, be sure to stay away from her.¡± ¡°That''s right, Nat! You have to stay away from anyone who has anything to do with Mr. Shane,¡± Joyce chipped in sternly. Natalie pinched herself fretfully. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she agreed vehemently. ¡°Got it.¡± Her heart was still racing from everything that was racing through her mind. Chapter 322 Chapter 322 In fact, Stanley''s words had struck her cold. At that moment, a nurse suddenly rapped on the door and peered in. ¡°Ms. Rivers, it''s 9 p.m. It''s time for me to take Dr. Quinn''s temperature.¡± ¡°It''s 9 p.m. already?¡± Joyce blurted, taking a nce at the clock. Mildly reproving, she mumbled half to herself, ¡°Time passes so quickly! I didn''t realize that it had gotten sote. Come in, please.¡± The nurse smiled and nodded, pushing her cart into the room. Natalie watched as the nurse drew out a thermometer and deftly took Stanley''s temperature. Seeing her chance, Natalie grabbed her bag from where ity at the head of Stanley''s bed. ¡°Stanley, Joyce, it''s time for the kids and me to head back too.¡± ¡°I''ll walk you out,¡± Joyce said, rising from her seat. With the thermometer in his mouth, Stanley could only wave at them. Modestly, Natalie said, ¡°Please don''t trouble yourself! Stay here and take care of Stanley. We''ll see ourselves out.¡± Natalie then turned to her two children, who had been drinking what was left of the chicken soup and watching cartoons. ¡°Connor, Sharon, let''s go,¡± she called. ¡°OK!¡± Connor replied eagerly. He immediately put down his phone and leaped off the sofa with Sharon in tow. Natalie had them bid their farewells to Stanley and Joyce. They then left the room and walked towards the lift together. As Natalie drew near the lift doors, Shane suddenly appeared within view. He was leaning casually against the wall nearby. Sharon flung Natalie''s hand aside in excitement and dashed towards him. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Shane''s mouth cracked into a smile. He bent down and scooped her up in his arms. Sharon was a small, squirmy mess and still bore the faint milk smell. Shane''s heart softened as he held her in his arms. Natalie frowned. She walked towards Shane and Sharon while pulling Connor along. She said ndly, ¡°Mr. Shane, please put Sharon down. We''re on our way home.¡± Shane ignored her. He yfully braided Sharon''s hair and asked, ¡°Why did youe out only after so long?¡± Natalie''s eyes narrowed. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you implying that you were waiting here just for me?¡± Shane raised his chin defiantly but did not reply. So it is true! Natalie gawped at him. ¡°Mr. Shane, is there anything you need me for?¡± ¡°I''d like to apologize on behalf of Jacqueline for what happened in front of the Ophthalmology Department just now,¡± Shane said as he ced Sharon down. The moment Sharon''s feet touched the floor, Connor snatched her over. Natalie looked at her son approvingly. Then, she turned towards Shane and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, so you are apologizing on behalf of Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shane said readily. Natalie smiled faintly. ¡°You don''t have to do that, Mr. Shane. Ms. Smith already apologized just now.¡± ¡°Jacqueline''s apology wasn''t sincere. I could tell that you weren''t entirely pleased with it,¡± Shane replied, meeting Natalie''s gaze levelly. Natalie hesitated. ¡°It wasn''t ideal, but it was good enough. We''ll take our leave then, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± the urgency in Shane''s voice stopped Natalie in her tracks. Natalie groaned inwardly. ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°I overheard everything you said in the room just now,¡± Shane said deliberately. Natalie inhaled sharply, her entire body stiffened. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Shane perceived her anxiety at once. He smirked. ¡°Don''t worry. Jacqueline isn''t eyeing your corneas.¡± I won''t permit her to either! ¡°Mr. Shane, what are corneas?¡± Sharon suddenly asked inquisitively. Shane looked at her, pondering. How do I exin something like this to a child? Fortunately, he was saved by Connor. Thetter dragged Sharon aside and said sternly, ¡°This is between the adults! Stop asking so many questions.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Sharon pouted. She retreated, sulking. Natalie was not overly concerned with her children''s antics. She was still turning Shane''s words over in her mind. Natalie felt a tremendous wave of relief wash over her. So Jacqueline wasn''t after her corneas as she had previously feared. However, that hardly assuaged the terror that still lingered in Natalie''s mind. The memory of Jacqueline''s frenzied look rose unbidden before her. ¡°Mr. Shane, how can you be so sure that Ms. Graham has no such intentions?¡± Natalie asked. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Shane ced his hands into his pocket coolly, then announced, ¡°Because the corneas that Jacqueline is interested in belong to someone who is already dying.¡± ¡°Someone who''s already dying?¡± Natalie stared at him, iprehension written all over her face. Shane nodded in affirmation. ¡°Jacqueline said herself that the person she''s thinking of only has about two or three months to live.¡± This revtion allowed Natalie to breathe a little easier, gradually recovering herposure. The suspicion she had been harboring in her mind began to slowly evaporate. Two to three months to live? It sounds like a terminal illness. I guess we''ve truly misunderstood Ms. Graham. Awkwardly, Natalie bobbed her head in apology. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shane. We''vepletely misunderstood Ms. Graham,¡± she admitted. ¡°It''s fine. I''ll confess that even I found Jacqueline''s reaction just now to be rather dubious,¡± Shane replied kindly, dismissing Natalie''s apology. Natalie looked at him. ¡°Since it was a pure misunderstanding, let''s not discuss this matter anymore. We''ll be off now.¡± She grabbed each of her two children''s hands and hurried into the lift. Shane followed them, much to Natalie''s dismay. Once inside the lift, Shane again fixed his piercing gaze on Natalie. He immediately perceived what she was thinking, and his face fell. ¡°I''m heading downstairs too,¡± he proimed. How could she deny someone who was going in the same direction as herself? Natalie was trapped. Flustered, she did her best to overlook his presence in the lift. She clutched each of her children''s hands tightly, deliberately keeping a distance from Shane. Natalie also kept her eyes desperately trained on the lift panel, as if hoping that everything else around her would fade away. Natalie''s refusal to acknowledge Shane was very obvious. Perturbed, Shane longed to confess his feelings for her and put a stop to all this. But he couldn''t do that. He had yet to uncover the identities of those trying to kill Natalie. If Shaney his heart bare to Natalie, he would only subject Natalie and her children to greater danger. At the thought of this, Shane hardened his heart. He clenched his hands that were hidden deep within his pockets, with all his might. Neither of them spoke. The silence in the lift was deafening, broken only by the asional sounds of light breathing. Beneath the incredible weight of the tension, Connor and Sharon grew increasingly fidgety. Ding! The lift doors slid open. Natalie practically hauled her two children out with her. Connor and Sharon both heaved a sigh of relief, d to have escaped that ustrophobic space. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie asked as she was bemused. Connor and Sharon shook their heads. ¡°Nothing, Mommy! Let''s go home.¡± ¡°Yes, let''s go home,¡± Natalie repeated. She patted their heads, and they walked to the car together. After Connor and Sharon had gotten onto the car, Natalie walked over to the driver''s seat. Instead of diving in, she nced behind her. Shane was nowhere to be seen. Natalie puzzled briefly over where he could have vanished to, given that he had been with them just moments ago. She refused to let her mind linger on it. Then, Natalie quickly snapped back to her present, got into the car quickly, and drove off. When the car had shrunk to little more than the glow of its headlights in the distance, Shane once again emerged at the entrance of the hospital. He brought his cell phone to his ear. ¡°Speed up the investigation. I need you to find the culprit within a week,¡± Shanemanded. It was time for them to stop dithering around. Natalie was indeed keeping her distance from him. If the investigation dragged any longer, Shane feared that Natalie''s already-diminished feelings for him might evaporate entirely. ¡°Mr. Shane, won''t that be a bit too difficult for us? After so long, we still haven''t managed to find anything. Now that you''re only giving us a week...¡± Ss trailed off uneasily. Shane pressed his lips together tightly. ¡°Look for Mr. Gunn,¡± he suggested. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Ss blinked. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you thinking of asking the government to help out?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Mr. Gunn owes Grandpa a favor. He''ll help us if we go to him.¡± ¡°Got it. With Mr. Gunn''s support, we''ll definitely be able to find the culprit!¡± Ss remarked enthusiastically. Ss reflected. Mr. Shane might have a considerable amount of influence, but it had its limits. They had not been able to do a thorough investigation for fear of offending those in high ces. However, now that they had authority on their side, the road was practically paved for them. Chapter 324 Chapter 324 After the call ended, Shane gave onest look in the direction that Natalie had driven off. He then turned and walked slowly back to the hospital. The following week flew by. Natalie was thoroughly upied. She went on multiple trips back and forth from her studio to the textile mill, too busy to even carve out any time to visit the hospital. Amidst the fiercepetition for admission into the Design Association, fourteen participants were eventually chosen. With the inclusion of Natalie and that despicable half-sister of hers, Jasmine, eight out of the sixteen participants altogether would ultimately be selected. On the day of thepetition, Joyce wheeled Stanley out of the hospital and over to the venue to cheer for Natalie. ¡°Come on, Natalie!¡± Ever the ardent supporter, Joyce waved at Natalie from behind Stanley''s wheelchair. Stanley also radiated good cheer. ¡°Nat, you''lle out on top for sure!¡± ¡°Thank you, I''ll do my best,¡± Natalie said, nodding in appreciation. With their support still ringing in her ears, she strode towards the Design Association building. Just as she entered, Natalie collided with another figure. It was Jasmine, who had been rushing in from another direction. They froze simultaneously. Natalie recovered herself first and nced at Jasmine with a look of contempt. She had resolved to continue on her way without much ado. However, Jasmine bellowed from behind Natalie, ¡°Stop right there!¡± Natalie halted. Looking at Jasmine in her wheelchair, she asked politely, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I''m disabled, so you have to let me in first!¡± Jasmine said haughtily. Natalie smiled wryly. ¡°Jasmine, are you that set on arguing with me? Are we really going to squabble about who gets to go through the door first? You''ve really regressed.¡± ¡°So what? As long as I''m able to upset you, I will be happy,¡± Jasmine scoffed. Natalie set her jaw. ¡°Is that so? What if I refuse to give in to you then?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°You can try. There are tons of reporters around here. They''re so eager to find out how thepetition is progressing! All they do is camp here, hoping to snap a picture of Project Rebirth''s Lead Designer. What do you thinkizens will say when they see that you didn''t give way to a disabled person and even scolded her?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I see. You''re using public opinion against me.¡± ¡°That''s right. Nobody online knows about our rtionship or that we don''t get along. They''ll only believe what they see. Why shouldn''t I use it to my advantage?¡± Jasmine shrugged. Natalie had to admit that Jasmine was right. Nobody over the Inte would care about finding out the truth. Most were simply interested in the gossips. If Natalie really refused to give way to Jasmine, all sorts of abuse would be hurled online. There''d be indignant voices using her of being inconsiderate towards the disabled and decrying her arrogance. More concerning was the fact that thesements might negatively affect the Design Association, which would, in turn, direct its wrath towards Natalie. ¡°All right, I''ll let you in first then,¡± Natalie said coolly. She moved aside. Jasmine adjusted the direction her wheelchair was heading in, then paused. She turned to Natalie and sniggered, ¡°If I wasn''t afraid of kicking up a fuss and getting cklisted by the Design Association, I''d really want to see the photos those reporters would''ve taken of you. I''d love to seeizens cursing at you to their hearts'' content.¡± Satisfied, Jasmine wheeled herself in. Natalie looked after Jasmine''s departing figure, then snorted. Was there really a need to fight over who got to go in first? As if that''d automatically put you in the first ce! Natalie shook her head glumly, then took a deep breath. She smoothened out her hair andposed herself before continuing her way in. Thepetition venue was actually the Design Association''s meeting room. As there were only sixteen participants, the Association had returned the original venue they''d booked and decided to hold it in the meeting room instead. To ensure the fairness of thepetition, the Design Association had taken a further step of inviting several trending media tforms to do a live stream of the entire event. After Natalie received this news, a gleam appeared in her eye. She shot a nce in Jasmine''s direction. A live stream is perfect! Natalie had been agonizing over the fact that nobody had yet exposed Jasmine''s tant giarism. The live stream would definitely be of help. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Never would she have thought that the Design Association would help her resolve the issue so easily. Jasmine then noticed Natalie''s gaze on her. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy. Before she had a chance to speak, Liam began to host thepetition, getting the sixteen models to stand on the stage as he announced thepetition details. Jasmine could only re back at Natalie as she mouthed the question, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Natalie read her lips but remained silent. She simply gave Jasmine a meaningful smile before turning her attention back to Liam. The theme of thepetition was ''Spring''. Designers had to create a blueprint for their design, select the fabric, then create the outfit on-site. Models would then wear the outfit and walked down the runway. Thus, as soon as Liam stopped talking, aside from Natalie, the rest of the designers all rushed forward to select their model. A good model would not only inspire the designer but also carry an impact on thepetition results. The model''s aura, physical appearance, and runway walk could steer the designer in a certain direction on their designs. Even if the final product was not especially brilliant, as long as it suited the model well, there was still a chance of winning. Therefore, the designers were so actively picking their desired models. At the same time, Shane was watching the live stream in his office at Thompson Group. Ss stood behind him, pushing up his sses as he asked, ¡°Everyone else is rushing to choose the models. Why isn''t Ms. Smith doing anything?¡± Looking at the designers snatching models on the live stream, Shane got annoyed. He fixed his eyes on Natalie who merely stood there calmly and said lightly, ¡°She doesn''t need to. With her abilities, she can definitely design the most suitable outfit no matter which model she gets.¡± ¡°That being said, the theme this time is spring. Its representative quality is its gentleness. Everyone else picked the model they wanted and Ms. Smith is only left with a tanned-skinned model. It won''t be easy for her,¡± said Ss worriedly as he watched Natalie walking toward the model in question. Local designers had the tendency to design clothes that were more conservative and delicate. Since most of them felt that tanned-skinned models were more suited to modeling prominent, fashionable clothes, they rarely hired such models. Such models'' visual styling also leaned more towards the wilder, more unrestrained side, making them unable to express the subdue softness of the spring season. Shane understood Ss''s concerns but he was not the slightest bit worried about Natalie. He simply leaned back in his chair and made himselffortable. ¡°Look at her. Does it look like she''s flustered?¡± Ss studied Natalie''s face. Just as Shane said, there was no sign of tension on her face. In fact, she even had a smile. The corner of Shane''s lips turned upward as he looked at Natalie''s grin. ¡°For a prodigy like her, participating in apetition too simple would just be pointless. It''s definitely better if there''s some difficulty. That way, she would win against all odds and that is more significant.¡± Ss looked at Shane, who was fully confident in Natalie''s abilities and grinned. If Mr. Shane, who loved Ms. Smith, is not even worried for her, why should I be?Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Back at thepetition venue, under the eyes of a gloating Jasmine, Natalie led the tanned-skinned model back to her table and started taking her measurements. When she was done, Natalie got the model to take a rest before moving to check out the fabrics the Design Association had prepared. All the fabrics prepared were of ordinary quality and were in basic colors. This restricted the designers'' creative limits even further. The other designers had all begun to scratch their heads over the situation. ¡°Ms. Smith, aren''t you worried?¡± An ordinary-looking female designer had walked up to Natalie, striking up a conversation as she chose her fabrics. Natalie took a piece of white chiffon and ced it over her arm, before asking back, ¡°What''s there to worry about?¡± Chapter 326 Chapter 326 ¡°Your model, of course. Previously, designers were eliminated based on the blueprints of the outfits. There was no runway segment at all. Now, you''ve got a tanned-skinned model, and the fabrics are so in and ordinary. How are you going to win?¡± Although the designer had said that she was worried for Natalie, her tone did not carry even a hint of worry. Instead, she sounded like she was mocking Natalie. Although Natalie could clearly smell the mockery in her tone, she remained calm and smiled faintly, grabbing a red piece of chiffon. ¡°I don''t know if I can win, but I know I don''t want to lose.¡± The designer froze for a moment before asking in surprise, ¡°Does that mean that you''ve already found inspiration for your design?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Natalie admitted carefreely, not in the mood to act modestly. She had alreadye up with a basic idea for her design while taking the model''s measurements. The female designer gulped, realizing that Natalie''s gaze now looked different. The designer no longer acted proudly as sheughed, embarrassed. ¡°Ms. Smith, you really live up to your name.¡± ¡°What name, she''s just acting as if she''s that great.¡± Jasmine had silently wheeled herself over and interrupted their conversation. When the designer heard Jasmine''s words, her eyes lit up. ¡°Do you mean that Ms. Natalie doesn''t actually have any inspiration and is just talking big?¡± ¡°That''s right!¡± Since the microphone was far away, Jasmine was not afraid that her words would be captured and broadcasted on the live stream. Thus, she sneered at Natalie openly. ¡°Everyone knows that spring has to do with gentleness and softness. Even if she managed to design something, do you really think that that tanned-skinned model could pull it off well?¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± the female designer replied, nodding in agreement. Natalie grabbed her final green piece of chiffon and smiled. ¡°You two don''t need to worry about me. Why don''t you worry about yourselves? If both my design and model won, it would truly be a p on your face.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jasmine rolled her eyes. ¡°Let''s see if you have what it takes to beat me!¡± Jasmine then took a stack of fabrics and left. The other female designer also left soon after her. Natalie narrowed her eyes at them as they walked off. If she was not mistaken, Jasmine did not choose her fabrics at all. She simply nced at the rack and took an entire bunch out easily. It was the same with the model. Jasmine barely approached her before the model walked over to her willingly. It was very obvious that Jasmine had heard about thepetition theme and details long before this, and she even managed to strike a deal with that model in advance. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Frankly, it was somewhat admirable that she managed to aplish all that in just a short week. ¡°Such cheating doesn''tst long,¡± whispered Natalie coldly as she lowered her eyes. She then raised her head, put on a smile, and headed back to her table with the fabrics she picked. Natalie closed the curtains and began to work on her design. The rest of the designers had also drawn their curtains. This way, except for those watching the live stream, the live audience could not see their designs before they appeared on the runway. Shane clicked into Natalie''s live stream, watching her draw up her blueprints. He then perked up, moving closer to theputer to watch her work. Natalie was fast. In a mere seven or eight minutes, she hadpleted a general drawing of her design. She drew a long floor-length skirt with a deep V-necked top. It had transparent puff sleeves with a red cuff. The bottom wasrge and puffy. Although it was big, the skirt did not look heavy. Instead, it looked elegant and light. From the waist down, the skirt was decorated with flowers and leaves of different sizes. Any other dress covered in these many flowers might turn out to be cheese. Chapter 327 Chapter 327 However, the design of Natalie''s skirt was out of the norm. It looked ethereal and carried an air of elegance. Ss was captured by Natalie''s drawing. As she started to color it in, he said in surprise, ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Smith is indeed very creative. Her design is definitely worthy of first ce at the finals. It would be the highlight even in a haute couture fashion show.¡± ¡°You''re right, but this is all just our opinion. We may think that this dress is the pinnacle of a designer''s abilities, qualifies as a haute couture piece, and is worthy of winning thepetition. However, it could just be an ordinary piece of work to her.¡± Shane looked at Natalie with eyes full of confidence, he was very proud of her. Ss replied with praises, ¡°Then, Ms. Smith must be incredibly talented.¡± Shane simply raised his chin, neither agreeing with nor denying his words. When Natalie was done with the color, she scanned the drawing into theputer and moved the dress form to the front of the table. She then started cutting the fabrics. The Design Association had given them a limit of five hours. Designers who were only good at drawing but not good at actually producing the final product were short on time. However, for Natalie, five hours was more than enough. This was all thanks to her mentor, Mercede. Before Mercede had even taught her design, she first taught her the basics such as how to identify the different types of fabrics, dyeing, cutting, making a draft, then sewing the final product together. Only when she had mastered them all did Mercede teach her about design. Although Natalie had not practiced those skills in a long time, she had not forgotten about them. Therefore, her clothes-making speed was almost as fast as her designing speed. In only half an hour, she had finished cutting the fabric into its desired shape and pinned it to the dress form. Viewers watching the live stream could clearlypare Natalie''s progress and abilities with the other designers. It was easy to predict who would win. ¡°Nat''s the best!¡± Joyce and Stanley had returned to the hospital and were also watching the live stream. As Natalie left the others far behind, they pped in excitement. Stanley rarely praised her, nodding as he said, ¡°Yeah, Nat''s always been great.¡± This was the woman he loved. She looked brilliant when she was serious at work. She was like a beacon lighting up the darkness surrounding him. I must get her! Stanley stared hard at theputer screen with the burning passion in his eyes. It was a look that was rather frightening. Natalie had no idea that she had be Stanley''s obsession and that he had started to desire her more and more. She sat in front of the sewing machine and started to work on the flowers and leaves of the skirt. It wasplicated to make the flowers. Furthermore, she had to make a lot of them. It was the most time-consuming part of her design. She had almost used up two hours on this section alone. Only after she was done with the flowers did Natalie start to put together the rest of the outfit. When the five hours were up, the dress had beenpleted. ¡°Phew...¡± Natalie took a long breath as she wiped off her sweat. She took a sip of tea before calling the model in.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. As soon as the model saw the outfit, she froze for a few seconds before covering her mouth and suppressing her urge to scream. She then pulled Natalie into a hug. At this scene, Shane''s expression darkened and he almost broke the pen in his hand. His expression further worsened when the model spoke to Natalie lovingly and said that she loved her. The air around Shane grew cold. Ss who stood behind Shane pushed his sses as he saw Shane''s expression. He could not help but smile. Mr. Shane is actually getting jealous of that woman! Shane noticed Ss snickering and narrowed his eyes as he turned off the live stream and stood up. Shocked at the sudden action, Ssposed himself and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, you''re not watching it anymore?¡± ¡°No, this is not even the finals. She can''t get first ce anyway. It''s just about getting into the top eight. There''s no point continuing to watch it. Let''s go, we''ll have a meeting.¡± Shane picked up a file on the table and left the conference room. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 ¡°Okay!¡± Ss hurried after him. At the site of thepetition, Liam announced the end of the five hours and instructed the designers to begin dressing their models. Without waiting for Natalie''s help, her model had already eagerly taken the outfit to the dressing room. Natalie was rather amazed by her enthusiasm. She simply shook her head as she entered the dressing room to help the model with the dress and make any final alterations needed. Soon, the runway show began. It was still held in the long conference room. They had pushed the tables and chairs away andid out a red carpet, forming a makeshift runway for the show. The runway walk would determine the oue of thepetition and was also the most anticipated part of thepetition for the live audience waiting outside the room. Natalie''s participant number was fifteen, so her model would be the secondst to walk the runway. Jasmine''s was thest. The models took their ces backstage as they prepared for the show. The designers were restricted from entering backstage and could only view the show from both sides of the stage. This prevented designers from ruining others'' works out of jealousy. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Jasmine hade up beside Natalie. Natalie nced at her lightly. ¡°Why should I be afraid?¡± ¡°Because you''ll lose,¡± Jasmine said as she lifted her chin proudly. Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°All the models aren''t even up on stage yet and you''re already so sure that I''ll lose?¡± Jasmine scoffed, ¡°Of course!¡± This time, her design was one of Daphne''s early works that very few people knew of. She had taken a lot of effort to search for that design. Daphne was one of the greatest designers of thest century. How could Nataliepare to her! Moreover, the model she selected had a simr aura to the models that Daphne had used for her early works. With those two factors working together, she didn''t think Natalie could out beat her. ¡°Is that so? But I don''t think I''ll lose.¡± Natalie tidied her hair, then turned to Jasmine with a smile. ¡°Don''t forget, this isn''t the finals. I don''t need to worry about winning. I only need to make it into the top eight!¡± Jasmine was stunned. She had really forgotten about that and had regarded this as the finals. Jasmine simply wanted topete with Natalie and was so focused on her desire to win over her that she had forgotten this was merely about getting into the top eight. It was not even the semi-finals. Judging from Jasmine''s pale face, Natalie knew that she had hit the nail on the head. Sheughed. ¡°Looks like there''s not going to be a winner or loser.¡± ¡°So what!¡± Jasmine pressed her hands together, upset. ¡°Even if this is not the finals and we''re not competing for victory, we still have audience votes! As long as I have more votes, I''d have won.¡± ¡°Okay, whatever makes you happy,¡± replied Natalie as she shrugged and fell silent. Jasmine gritted her teeth in anger. She had purposelye to cause trouble for Natalie, but instead of angering her, she was the one who became annoyed. However, she did not bother Natalie after that, as Natalie''s model had appeared on the runway. The tanned-skinned model was originally already more eye-catching than the rest. Now that she donned such an ethereal-looking outfit, everyone''s eyes were on her as they gasped in wonder. Thements in the live stream paused for a second before the screen started to fill up with compliments for the dress. Jasmine looked at the model in disbelief. She tightened her grip on the wheelchair, shaking with anger. ¡°How... how is this possible!¡± Natalie had actually managed to design such an elegant dress in such a short amount of time, only using normal fabrics. If she had used higher-quality fabrics, the dress would have been extremely beautiful! Is this the extent of her talent? If Natalie was given another opportunity, she could squeeze a ce as one of the world''s top designers. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. It was at that moment that Jasmine could clearly see the difference between herself and Natalie. Back during Project Rebirth, their differences had not been made this clear. Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Back then, she had thought that Project Rebirth had exhausted all of Natalie''s talents. Looking back at it now, she was so wrong. Jasmine stared at the tanned-skinned model posing on the red carpet. Her eyes were reddened and her hands were sped tightly together. God was so unfair. He had given Natalie such a good life and such amazing talent. Sensing Jasmine''s jealousy, Natalie raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°What''s so impossible about that? When we were choosing fabrics you said that my model could never exude the softness of spring. Does your pride hurt now?¡± Jasmine turned and red at Natalie. She definitely had iting. Never would Jasmine have thought that a model''s clothes could influence her aura. Although she was not good at design, Jasmine still had a good evaluation and appreciation for beauty. Nothing had changed about the model herself. It was the clothes that helped her exude a sense of gentleness. ¡°Why did Ms. Jasmine stop talking?¡± Natalie smiled faintly as she noticed Jasmine falling silent. Jasmine gritted her teeth and snorted. ¡°Don''t be too happy about this. I admit I spoke too early. So what? This round''s best design is still mine.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Natalie said as she narrowed her eyes, ¡°I''ll be looking forward to it.¡± Seeing as Jasmine was so confident of herself, the designer she giarized must be someone very famous. She had to take a good look at Jasmine''s copied dress. Just then, the tanned-skinned model returned backstage. The music then changed and the final model stepped out. ¡°Wow!¡± The crowd was in an uproar. Just like Natalie''s model, this model captured everyone''s attention as soon as she appeared. The live streamments section was flooded once again bypliments for the dress. It was a mermaid skirt dress in a pale green color, exuding both an ethereal and luxurious air around her. Unfortunately, its mour was once again reduced because of the fabric. If she used a more high- quality, suitable fabric, the dress would have looked even more luxurious. Then, it would have great commercial value and might even be a collector''s item. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Hearing the praise, Jasmine''s vanity instantly rose to the brim. She lifted her chin triumphantly as she looked at Natalie, hoping to see her shocked expression. Instead, what she saw were surprise and seriousness. At this, Jasmine''s heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling about it and muttered to herself, ¡°Don''t tell me she noticed something?¡± That''s impossible. The design was from thest century whenputers were not evenmon yet. It''s impossible to find simr pictures of the dress on the inte. There''s only one old museum overseas that carries a picture of a model wearing this dress. Natalie couldn''t have seen it before. Thinking about it that way, Jasmine was no longer worried. She said smugly, ¡°Not bad, right? Isn''t my design so much better than yours?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Natalie replied, nodding in approval. However, she was not nodding in approval at Jasmine but instead for Daphne. She had not expected Jasmine to giarize so boldly, copying Ms. Daphne''s design and shamelessly iming it as her own. Jasmine was unaware of the anger in Natalie. She simply became smug upon hearing Natalie admit that the design was better than her own. She felt as though she had finally won Natalie for once. Looking at Jasmine, Natalie forced down her anger as best as she could. When all sixteen models were done with the show, they came forward and stood in a row in front of the judges. The judges would score the designs, and the live stream audience could vote for their favorite design. The top eight would advance to the quarter-finals. Natalie made it without a question, although she only ced second. The first ce went to Jasmine, with over two thousand votes more than Natalie. When Liam announced the vote count, Jasmine turned to look at Natalie and said with an unabashed arrogance in her voice, ¡°What did I say? This round''s best design would be mine.¡± Chapter 330 Chapter 330 ¡°Keep it up, then,¡± Natalie smiled faintly as she replied, although there was no warmth to her smile. Jasmine felt Natalie''s coldness but did not think much about it. She thought that Natalie was just angry because she managed to win over her, but had to force out a smile in front of the cameras anyway. Just then, Liam walked over. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, Ms. Natalie.¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Jasmine rushed to ask. Looking at Jasmine acting all high and mighty, Natalie did not feel angry and simply kept on a faint smile. However, Natalie was not about to let her off so easily. ¡°Our president thinks that your designs are exceptional, and we want to buy over its copyright. What do youdies think?¡± Liam asked. ¡°Of course,¡± agreed Natalie as her eyes lit up. She was coincidentally short of money and was trying to sell off some of her designs. Since a buyer hade with an offer, there was no reason not to sell it. Jasmine was also short of money but was interrupted by Natalie just as she was about to agree. She shot Natalie a dissatisfied look then turned to Liam with a smile. ¡°Same here.¡± As soon as she heard Jasmine''s words, Natalie''s smile dissipated as her expression went cold and her eyes filled up with anger. Not only did Jasmine giarize Ms. Daphne''s designs, but she was also about to sell its copyright for profit. Natalie was determined to ruin Jasmine''s reputation and force her to leave the fashion and design industries for good. However, now was not the right time. Natalie had heard that many big shots would attend the finals. The National Design Association would also invite someone of high position. That would be the best time to expose Jasmine since even if someone wanted to protect her, those higher-ups would not take it lying down. ¡°That''s great. Let''s go to the president''s office to do the negotiation,¡± replied Liam happily. Natalie hummed in reply and followed him out alongside Jasmine. Natalie came out half an hourter, holding a contract worth three million as she left the Design Association. On the other hand, Jasmine found the offered price of five million too low and was still negotiating in the president''s office. ¡°Nat, you''re really amazing. That flower fairy is really beautiful. Unfortunately, ourpany''s not that rich. Otherwise, I''d definitely organize a fashion show just for you.¡± Natalie had brought Connor over to the hospital and was hugged by an excited Joyce. Natalie broke out of the tight hug and replied, ¡°I''m only second ce. Why are you so happy about it?¡± ¡°Nonsense, as if I don''t know that the first ce is merely a fraud,¡± sneered Joyce. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nat, whose design did Jasmine copy?¡± Stanley asked, cing down the book in his hands. Joyce looked at Natalie as well. ¡°Yeah, Nat.¡± ¡°It''s Ms. Daphne''s.¡± Natalie ced Connor on the sofa and let him y with the cell phone for a while. ¡°Ms. Daphne?¡± Joyce was astonished. ¡°Isn''t that your mentor''s mentor?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. Joyce frowned. ¡°Damn, I can''t believe she actually did that. She''s nailing her own coffin.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Natalie with a smile. Stanley pushed up his sses. ¡°Nat, when are you going to expose her? You can''t just let her continue giarizing the work of other designers.¡± ¡°Of course not. I''m going to expose her at the finals.¡± Natalie walked over to get herself a ss of water. Suddenly, her phone rang. Natalie put her ss down and took out her phone. She looked at the number skeptically but picked up anyway. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Is this Ms. Natalie?¡± a voice asked. Natalie hummed in reply. ¡°That''s me. Who is this?¡± ¡°I''m calling from the police station. This is regarding the two attacks on you. We''ve caught the culprit.¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 ¡°What?¡± Natalie was surprised that she jumped from the chair in joy. ¡°Is the culprit really caught?¡± Stanley and Joyce looked at her curiously, not knowing what happened. ¡°Yes, so we would need you to drop by.¡± ¡°Of course! I''ll be there immediately!¡± Natalie answered. The call ended. Her grasp on her cell phone tightened as tears welled up in her eyes from joy. She was constantly living in fear since the day she almost drowned. She was always worried about her friends and children being implicated by her. Finally, she could rest easy now with the culprit caught. ¡°Nat, who was the caller?¡± Joyce asked curiously. ¡°It was from the police. They said the culprit who tried to kill me was caught,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Really!¡± Joyce was happy for Natalie. However, Stanley who was lying in bed frowned when he heard the news. That woman was caught? How was it possible that she was caught? He didn''t hear anything about it. ¡°Stanley, what are you thinking so deeply about?¡± Natalie tilted her head in curiosity when she noticed Stanley zoning out. Stanley snapped back from his thoughts at Natalie''s question. He pushed up his sses and smiled. ¡°It''s nothing. I''m just really happy for you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie returned a smile. Stanley adjusted his sitting posture. ¡°Did the police mentioned the culprit''s name by chance?¡± ¡°No, I have forgotten to ask them. I''ll know when I get to the police station, so please help me to look after Connor while I head there.¡± Natalie nced at Connor, who was watching cartoons on the couch. As if feeling her gaze, Conner lifted his head and smiled at her sweetly. ¡°Mommy, I''ll be fine. Just go. I''ll be good and listen to Aunt Joyce and Uncle Stanley.¡± ¡°Alright. I''ll get going then. I''ll be back for youter tonight.¡± After Natalie waved at Conner and said her goodbyes to Joyce and Stanley, she picked up her purse then left. One and a half-hourter, Natalie arrived at the police station. A police officer kindly led her to the interrogation room. She noticed the presence of another man and a woman in the room other than the interrogator. The woman being interrogated had buried her head into her chest so Natalie couldn''t make out her face. But by the looks of her attire and skin condition, she seemed young. The man was seated beside the table with his arms and legs crossed. His handsome face held a deadpan expression. A dangerous and cold aura surrounded him, giving others the impression that he was the one in charge. Natalie eyed him suspiciously. ¡°Mr. Shane, why are you here?¡± Shane tilted his head slightly. ¡°I''m involved in this matter, so of course, I have to be here as well.¡± ¡°Sure enough. Mr. Shane was the one who found the culprit,¡± added the interrogator as he removed his cap and ced it on the table.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Natalie''s jaw dropped at his remark. She didn''t expect him to investigate this matter, nevertheless finding the culprit. ¡°Alright, let''s start. Lift your head,¡± ordered the interrogator as he knocked on the table. The woman raised her head from her chest. Natalie studied the woman. She noticed thetter had a pretty face, in contrast to the gloom and despair which filled her eyes. Is she in despair because she is caught? ¡°The interrogation is about to start. You both may leave the room,¡± asked the interrogator once he saw Natalie had studied the woman''s face. Shane had no qualms, so he stood with his hands tucked in his front pockets and told Natalie. ¡°Come on, let''s go.¡± Natalie nodded and followed him out. On the way to the waiting room, Natalie looked at his back and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, who exactly is that woman?¡± Shane halted and turned around. ¡°She is the daughter of the Brown family.¡± ¡°The Brown family?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°You mean the Brown family who dered bankruptcy two months ago?¡± Shane nodded. Natalie lowered her gaze and stopped questioning Shane. She entered the waiting room, leaving Shane in the middle of the hallway. Chapter 332 Chapter 332 He pressed his lips together at her hot and cold attitude towards him, depending on the situation. His expression darkened as he entered the waiting room. Shane took a seat opposite Natalie. ¡°Congrattion on today''spetition.¡± Natalie was pulled back to reality from her deep thoughts when she heard him. Her eyes widened in response. ¡°Mr. Shane, you watched the live stream?¡± ¡°There is another designer from the Thompson Group who entered thepetition, naturally I would have to watch since I''m the boss.¡± Shane poured two sses of water and ced one in front of her. Natalie thanked him and took a sip of water. ¡°But I remembered that designer from the Thompson Group was eliminated in the third round.¡± She was insinuating there weren''t any of his employees in thepetition that day, so why was he watching it? Shane was taken aback by her sharp reply, then quickly faked a cough to mask his reaction. ¡°It seemed you remembered my employees very clearly.¡± ¡°I remember every participant.¡± Natalie lowered her head to avoid his gaze. She was afraid that he might notice the guilt in her eyes. She couldn''t have said that she paid special attention to that designer because of him. ¡°Fair enough. Will you be selling your designs?¡± Shane stopped his teasing and asked her seriously. Natalie shook her head regretfully. ¡°I''ve already sold them off.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shane frowned with regret. At that moment, the interrogator entered the waiting room. Natalie put down her ss of water and stood up swiftly. ¡°Officer, has the interrogation ended?¡± ¡°Yes, it has.¡± He passed the results to her. ¡°This was Ms. Brown''s confession. She was jealous of you because she likes Mr. Shane, so she used the remaining money left by the Brown family to hire an assassin to kill you.¡± Natalie was skimming through Alice''s confession while listening to him. Her brows were knitted into a frown when she finished reading. Noticing her frown, Shane got up as well. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie nced at him then passed the document to him. ¡°It stated that Alice tried to kill me because she wanted to marry you. I was confused by this statement. If she wants to marry you, what was the point in killing me? She should have targeted Jasmine instead. Wasn''t Jasmine your fianc¨¦e at that time? Don''t you think killing Jasmine would help her aplished that goal?¡± She actually wanted to say Alice would''ve achieved her motive by killing Jacqueline. However, Jacqueline was the woman he loved so she would''ve pissed him off if she said so. Helplessness crossed Shane''s face at her remark. Everyone could see that the one he loves was her, but why couldn''t she see it? He loved her and that was why Alice wanted to kill her. He sighed and returned the document to the interrogator. ¡°Can we see her?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The interrogator nodded. Shane said to Natalie, ¡°Let''s go see her.¡± Natalie nodded and followed him. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. In the interrogation room, Natalie stood in front of Alice and asked, ¡°You wanted to kill me just because you''re jealous? Don''t you think that''s too vicious? Alice lifted her head and nced at Natalie, then lowered her head back down. ¡°Say whatever you want. I don''t care anymore.¡± Sadness and bitternessced her words. ¡°What?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes in suspicion. That was strange. A caught criminal would have been unwilling to submit to the victim under usual circumstances. So why did she looked to be in sorrow? ¡°What are you thinking?¡± asked Shane. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I''m just paranoid, maybe.¡± Since he was the one who investigated, it couldn''t be wrong. Natalie took in a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress her paranoia and focused on Alice. ¡°My warehouse was set on fire recently. Was that also your doing?¡± Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Alice''s forehead creased at Natalie''s question. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about. I have only hired someone to kill you. I''m not involved with the arson of your warehouse or the car ident with your child.¡± ¡°What?¡± A look of disbelief crossed Natalie''s face. Shane''s expression turned somber. Natalie''s face paled. She gripped Alice''s shoulder and asked with a shaky voice, ¡°You said you weren''t behind these two incidents?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alice nodded. Natalie looked into her eyes and saw that she wasn''t lying. The former felt chills ran down her spine. If it wasn''t Alice nor Jasmine, then who else could it be? It seemed like there were still enemies hiding in the shadows. Natalie closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, trying to remember who else she met after she returned. Her head started to ache, but she couldn''t think of anyone suspicious. Shane worriedly embraced Natalie and patted her back softly when he saw that she was in pain. ¡°That''s enough. Take a break if you can''t remember.¡± Natalie gripped the cor of his suit and buried her head in his chest. She caught a faint refreshing minty smell that helped her calm down. Once she was feeling better, she released her grip and pulled away from his embrace. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane. I''m feeling much better now. I will catch the culprit behind the kidnapping of my child and the arson attack on my warehouse. As for Ms. Brown...¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Natalie clenched her fists and fixed her gaze on Alice. ¡°Ms. Brown, good luck in prison. I hope you will change for the better.¡± She exited the interrogation room with a deadpan expression. Shane frowned as he caught a glimpse of Alice''s sorrowful expression. His mind was racing as he followed Natalie out. He noticed the contradictions in Alice''s confession and her expression, and she didn''t seem to be someone capable of murder. However, Mr. Gunn was the one who identified her as the culprit after his investigation. He couldn''t have gotten the wrong person because he was a government official. Shane shut the door. Noticing Natalie was speaking to a police officer, he joined her. ¡°For cases like Alice''s, how many years of prison will she be sentenced to?¡± Shane heard once he went near Natalie. ¡°She attempted intentional homicide twice and was involved with the gangs, so it is likely that she will get at least fifteen years.¡± ¡°Fifteen years?¡± Natalie pressed her lips into a line. She felt the sentence was too light. However, she understood fifteen years of imprisonment for attempted intentional homicide was fair enough because no one got hurt. ¡°What about other damages?¡± Shane stood beside Natalie with a hand in his front pocket. The officer gave it a thought. ¡°There will definitely bepensation in that regard, but I''m not sure about the exact amount. This would have to depend on the judge''s decision.¡± Natalia nchad har fists and fixad har gaza on Alica. ¡°Ms. Brown, good luck in prison. I hopa you will changa for tha battar.¡± Sha axitad tha intarrogation room with a daadpan axprassion. Shana frownad as ha caught a glimpsa of Alica''s sorrowful axprassion. His mind was racing as ha followad Natalia out. Ha noticad tha contradictions in Alica''s confassion and har axprassion, and sha didn''t saam to ba somaona capa of murdar. Howavar, Mr. Gunn was tha ona who idantifiad har as tha culprit aftar his invastigation. Ha couldn''t hava gottan tha wrong parson bacausa ha was a govarnmant official. Shana shut tha door. Noticing Natalia was spaaking to a polica officar, ha joinad har. ¡°For casas lika Alica''s, how many yaars of prison will sha ba santancad to?¡± Shana haard onca ha want naar Natalia. ¡°Sha attamptad intantional homicida twica and was involvad with tha gangs, so it is likaly that sha will gat atast fiftaan yaars.¡± ¡°Fiftaan yaars?¡± Natalia prassad har lips into a lina. Sha falt tha santanca was too light. Howavar, sha undarstood fiftaan yaars of imprisonmant for attamptad intantional homicida was fair anough bacausa no ona got hurt. ¡°What about othar damagas?¡± Shana stood basida Natalia with a hand in his front pockat. Tha officar gava it a thought. ¡°Thara will dafinitaly bapansation in that ragard, but I''m not sura about tha axact amount. This would hava to dapand on tha judga''s dacision.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie forced a smile. The officer flipped through the document in his hands. ¡°If there aren''t any more questions, I would need both of you to sign here.¡± Shane took the pen and signed at the spot the officer had pointed out. He then passed the pen to Natalie. Natalie could feel the warmth left on the pen from where he held it. She gently stroke the pen then signed beside Shane''s. The corner of Shane''s mouth turned up when he saw both his and her signature on the paper side by side. They both left the police station after that. Shane took out his car keys. ¡°Where you''re going? I''ll give you a lift.¡± ¡°It''s fine, Mr. Shane. I drove here.¡± Natalie pointed at her car. Shane''s gaze followed her finger and frowned at her car. Is it safe to drive such a beat-up car? ¡°Mr. Shane, thank you for your help in catching the culprit, else I would still be living my life in fear,¡± thanked Natalie. No matter what, her worries had lessened from the capture of Alice. To bepletely worry-free, she would have to catch the culprit who kidnapped her son and burn down her warehouse. ¡°You don''t have to thank me. All of this was because of me. I should be the one apologizing to you.¡± Shane waved his hand. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Natalieughed but smacked her forehead as she remembered something. She took out a check and a ck card from her purse and passed both to him. ¡°Mr. Shane, this was the money I borrowed from you previously and your card.¡± Shane''s expression turned dark. Even though he was displeased with her returning them so urgently as if to sever ties with him, he still epted them. Because if he didn''t ept them, she would''ve been put in a difficult situation. Natalie grinned after she saw that Shane had epted the check and card. ¡°I''ll take my leave then. Goodbye, Mr. Shane.¡± She waved goodbye at him then got in her car. Shane pursed his lips as he stared at her car leaving. He then drove to the Thompson Group to host an important meeting. Once Natalie reached the hospital and entered the room. Joyce asked urgently before she could take a breather, ¡°How was it? Who is the culprit? Did the culprit admit to the charges?¡± ¡°Yeah. She admitted to the charges. She''s part of the Brown family, and her name is Alice Brown.¡± Natalie sat down and lightly hit her sore shoulder. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Stanley eyes glinted at Natalie''s reply. It was exactly as he had expected. The ¡°culprit¡± caught was merely a scapegoat, so that was why he didn''t hear anything about that woman being caught. But why would she sacrifice a scapegoat at this point? ¡°How could it be her?¡± Joyce''s eyes widened. Natalie arched an eyebrow. ¡°Do you know Alice Brown?¡± Joyce suppressed her shock and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I know her. She went to the same high school as me. She''s real pretty and was so gentle to the point of cowardly. I can''t believe a woman like her would try to kill someone.¡± ¡°What is there not to believe? Women''s jealousy was the scariest thing. They are willing to do anything to achieve whatever they want. Of course, the same goes for men,¡± Stanley chuckled. Joyce sighed, ¡°But I have never thought that she would fall for Mr. Shane. She used to like her ssmate to the point of dering that she would only marry him in this life. Can''t believe all of that was just bulls*it.¡± Natalie covered a sleeping Connor with a nket. ¡°Falling in and out of love is normal. There is only a handful of people who would love only one person in their entire life in this world.¡± ¡°You''re right. No one could guarantee that person would always wait for you at the same spot,¡± agreed Joyce as she nced at Stanley. Stanley paused briefly then returned to reading his book. But why would sha sacrifica a scapagoat at this point? ¡°How could it ba har?¡± Joyca''s ayas widanad. Natalia archad an ayabrow. ¡°Do you know Alica Brown?¡± Joyca supprassad har shock and noddad. ¡°Yaah, I know har. Sha want to tha sama high school as ma. Sha''s raal pratty and was so gan to tha point of cowardly. I can''t baliava a woman lika har would try to kill somaona.¡± ¡°What is thara not to baliava? Woman''s jaalousy was tha scariast thing. Thay ara willing to do anything to achiava whatavar thay want. Of coursa, tha sama goas for man,¡± Stay chucd. Joyca sighad, ¡°But I hava navar thought that sha would fall for Mr. Shana. Sha usad to lika har ssmata to tha point of daring that sha would only marry him in this lifa. Can''t baliava all of that was just bulls*it.¡± Natalia covarad a aping Connor with a nkat. ¡°Falling in and out of lova is normal. Thara is only a handful of pao who would lova only ona parson in thair antira lifa in this world.¡± ¡°You''ra right. No ona could guarantaa that parson would always wait for you at tha sama spot,¡± agraad Joyca as sha ncad at Stay. Stay pausad briafly than raturnad to raading his book. Joyce lowered her eyes bitterly when she saw that Stanley understood her insinuation but pretended that he didn''t. After a long while, she lifted her head, breathed in a deep breath, and changed the topic. ¡°Nat, did Alice admit to burning down our warehouse?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°It wasn''t her doing. The same goes for Connor''s car ident.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce''s voice raised an octave. ¡°Who else then?¡± ¡°I don''t know. We can only find out slowly.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples with a wry smile. Stanley tightened his grip on the book he was reading. Suddenly, Natalie''s cell phone rang. She took a quick glimpse of her phone and gasped when she saw the name of the caller. ¡°It''s my mentor.¡± ¡°You mean Mercede?¡± asked Joyce with sparkling eyes. Stanley also took a nce at Natalie''s cell phone. Natalie excused herself and swiftly picked up the phone. ¡°Hi, Mercede.¡± ¡°Nat, I''ve informed Ms. Daphne about your message, and she was furious. We''ve recorded a video, and I''ve emailed it to you,¡± said Mercede lovingly. Natalie chuckled, ¡°Alright. Thank you, Mercede.¡± ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Joyce and Stanley asked in unison. Natalie mouthed silently, ¡°Jasmine!¡± Chapter 335 Chapter 335 The both understood instantly. ¡°You are going to expose a giarist and protect Ms. Daphne''s rights and interests. This is the right thing to do. Naturally, we''ll support you, so feel free to do it your own way. Let me handle the National Design Association,¡± Mercede chuckled. Natalie bit her lip in embarrassment as she thought of something. ¡°Mercede, did you watch the Project Rebirth by the Thompson Group?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Although their level was subpar at best, they''re still much better than many well-known designers. You did very well, Nat!¡± Mercede gave her a thumbs up. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Her praise was what Natalie needed the most. She was so grateful that she started tearing up. ¡°Thank you so much for your praise, Mercede. I will work harder to achieve working with you on the fashion show of the century!¡± Natalie gripped her phone tightly. Even when the call had ended, the happiness on her face didn''t dim in the least bit. Joyce slid her a sideways nce. ¡°Do you have to be so happy about a praise?¡± ¡°You don''t understand. Mercede is a very strict mentor who has never praised nor even smiles at Nat before. The praise was his acknowledgment of Nat. Would you be happy if you''re in Nat''s ce?¡± Stanley closed the book he was reading and nced at Joyce. Joyce stuck out her tongue cutely. ¡°Fine, I am wrong.¡± ¡°Alright, both of you. It''s gettingte, so I''ll be leaving with Connor. I still need to pick Sharon up from kindergarten.¡± Natalie gently patted Connor''s shoulder to wake him up and left the hospital with him. The day had turned to dusk when she reached her apartment with both kids in tow. Natalie parked her car and walked with each of her hands holding a child''s. The trio saw cardboard boxes filled their hallway after they stepped out of the elevator. They were puzzled as to what happened. Suddenly, Shane''s apartment door opened, and Mrs. Wilson led two brawny men out. She pointed at the boxes and ordered, ¡°Moved all of them inside. Make sure you''re careful with them.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The men started lifting and moving the boxes. Mrs. Wilson was cataloging the boxes at the side. Natalie tightened her grips and greeted her softly, ¡°Hi, Mrs. Wilson.¡± Mrs. Wilson turned and saw Natalie and her two kids. The former cheerily greeted, ¡°Hi, Ms. Natalie.¡± Natalie held her kids'' hands and cautiously made her way to Mrs. Wilson. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, why are you here? What''s with all these boxes?¡± ¡°Oh! Let me exin. The vi is going to undergo a renovation, so Mr. Shane asked me to move everything here. All these boxes are his belongings.¡± Mrs. Wilson answered as she wiped her hands on her apron. ¡°Alright, both of you. It''s gattingta, so I''ll baaving with Connor. I still naad to pick Sharon up from kindargartan.¡± Natalia gantly pattad Connor''s shouldar to waka him up andft tha hospital with him. Tha day had turnad to dusk whan sha raachad har apartmant with both kids in tow. Natalia parkad har car and walkad with aach of har hands holding a child''s. Tha trio saw cardboard boxas fid thair hallway aftar thay stappad out of tha vator. Thay wara puzd as to what happanad. Suddanly, Shana''s apartmant door opanad, and Mrs. Wilsond two brawny man out. Sha pointad at tha boxas and ordarad, ¡°Movad all of tham insida. Maka sura you''ra caraful with tham.¡± ¡°Sura.¡± Tha man startad lifting and moving tha boxas. Mrs. Wilson was cataloging tha boxas at tha sida. Natalia tightanad har grips and graatad har softly, ¡°Hi, Mrs. Wilson.¡± Mrs. Wilson turnad and saw Natalia and har two kids. Tha formar chaarily graatad, ¡°Hi, Ms. Natalia.¡± Natalia hald har kids'' hands and cautiously mada har way to Mrs. Wilson. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, why ara you hara? What''s with all thasa boxas?¡± ¡°Oh! Lat ma axin. Tha vi is going to undargo a ranovation, so Mr. Shana askad ma to mova avarything hara. All thasa boxas ara his balongings.¡± Mrs. Wilson answarad as sha wipad har hands on har apron. Natalie was dumbstruck by Mrs. Wilson''s reply. Shane is going to stay here? Looking at the sheer amount of boxes, is he nning to stay here long- term? If so, she wouldn''t be able to keep her distance from him. ¡°Mommy, is Mr. Shaneing back to stay here?¡± Sharon asked, with her head lifted while tugging on Natalie''s sleeve. Natalie didn''t answer, but Connor rolled his eyes at Sharon. ¡°Of course, he ising back. What else could it be? Silly.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Mrs. Wilson stared lovingly at Connor, then btedly realized the little girl beside him had also called Natalie, Mommy. The former was baffled by the realization, so she quickly asked, ¡°Ms. Natalie, is this little girl your daughter?¡± Natalie patted Sharon''s head and chuckled, ¡°Yes, she is. I forgot to mention it thest time that I gave birth to twins. They didn''t look alike because they were fraternal.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mrs. Wilson kept her curiosity in check and nodded. ¡°Alright. We''ll get out of your way now, Mrs. Wilson.¡± Natalie swiped her key card to her apartment unit and entered with her kids. Once she closed her apartment door, her smile was gone from her face and was reced with worrisome. Chapter 337 Chapter 337 What if he hasn''t left and heard the sound of my door shut? I''d have to run faster so he wouldn''t catch up on me. Connor instantly knew Natalie was lying from her expression. ¡°Mommy, you''re lying, aren''t you? Connor curled his lips. ¡°To be frank, Mommy, lying isn''t a good habit,¡± Sharon added with her hand on her hips. Natalie bent over and touched their nose. ¡°Wow, kids. I can''t believe you''re giving Mommy a lecture now.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Both Sharon and Connor lifted their chins proudly. Natalie was speechless at their behavior and she could not resist but pinch their faces. Ding! The sound indicated that the elevator had arrived at the level of the parking lot. Once the elevator opened, Natalie led the children out of the elevator and walked towards the parking lot. Once they reached the entrance of the parking lot, they heard a loud bang. It was the sound of a car collision. Natalie could not identify the source of the sound nor was she interested to know. Thus, she went straight to her parking space. However, she was stunned at what had happened before her eyes. Even her children were shocked. ¡°Mommy, someone crashed our car!¡± Connor said as he pointed at the car. Natalie nodded nkly, ¡°Yup, Mommy saw that too!¡± Urgh, and I was wondering what kind of bad luck has befallen that person to have his car crashed. Who knows it''s actually my car. Her car was in terrible condition. The trunk of the car was dented while the car rming was wailing loudly. The culprit was a ck Bentley. The front of the Bentley was not damaged but merely suffered some minor scratches. Oh my God, theparison was absolutely pathetic! Wait, this Bentley looks oddly familiar. Isn''t this... Something clicked in Natalie''s mind as she released the hands of her children before walking towards the Bentley to check the license te. Her lips twitched uneasily when she saw the familiar lettering and numbers on the license te. ¡°Mommy, I think this is Mr. Shane''s car,¡± Connor identified. He dragged Sharon with him to take a closer look at the Bentley. Natalie nodded. Before she could reply, a cold and deep voice sounded from behind, ¡°Yeah, that''s mine.¡± Natalie and her children immediately turned their heads. They saw Shane holding his phone as he walked over, looking apologetic. ¡°Mr. Shane, why did you crash our car?¡± Sharon tilted her head and asked. Natalie also looked at him questioningly. Shane lowered his head to meet the children''s gaze before looking up at Natalie. ¡°My apologies. I was unaware that your car was right behind mine. Don''t worry, I will make it up to you. I''ve called Ss to drive a car over. He should be here any minute.¡± Natalie widened her eyes in surprise and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, are you nning topensate with me a car?¡± Shane nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡± That''s exactly what I meant. Your car was made of low quality. It can''t even take a small impact. Besides, even if it could be repaired, it would take a long time. It''d be better if I get you a better car. That way, I''d feel assured that you''re driving the car I have prepared instead. Tha culprit was a ck Bany. Tha front of tha Bany was not damagad but maraly suffarad soma minor scratchas. Oh my God, thaparison was absolutaly pathatic! Wait, this Bany looks oddly familiar. Isn''t this... Somathing clickad in Natalia''s mind as sha rasad tha hands of har childran bafora walking towards tha Bany to chack tha licansa ta. Har lips twitchad unaasily whan sha saw tha familiarttaring and numbars on tha licansa ta. ¡°Mommy, I think this is Mr. Shana''s car,¡± Connor idantifiad. Ha draggad Sharon with him to taka a closar look at tha Bany. Natalia noddad. Bafora sha could raply, a cold and daap voica soundad from bahind, ¡°Yaah, that''s mina.¡± Natalia and har childran immadiataly turnad thair haads. Thay saw Shana holding his phona as ha walkad ovar, looking apologatic. ¡°Mr. Shana, why did you crash our car?¡± Sharon tiltad har haad and askad. Natalia also lookad at him quastioningly. Shana lowarad his haad to maat tha childran''s gaza bafora looking up at Natalia. ¡°My apologias. I was unawara that your car was right bahind mina. Don''t worry, I will maka it up to you. I''va cad Ss to driva a car ovar. Ha should ba hara any minuta.¡± Natalia widanad har ayas in surprisa and askad, ¡°Mr. Shana, ara you nning topansata with ma a car?¡± Shana noddad, ¡°Indaad.¡± That''s axactly what I maant. Your car was mada of low quality. It can''t avan taka a small impact. Basidas, avan if it could ba rapairad, it would taka a long tima. It''d ba battar if I gat you a battar car. That way, I''d faal assurad that you''ra driving tha car I hava praparad instaad. Natalie had no idea what Shane had in mind, but she quickly shook her head in disapproval of compensating her with a new car. ¡°That wouldn''t be necessary, Mr. Shane. My car is covered by insurance. You don''t...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, a red Mercedes arrived as it stopped right in front of her. The door opened and Ss came out. He walked to Shane and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, here''s the car that you asked for.¡± Ss immediately handed the car key over to Shane as soon as he stretched out his hand. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. He nced at it briefly before handing it to Natalie. Natalie and the children hurriedly took a step back and said, ¡°Thank you for the offer. But I''d prefer to drive my car and get it repaired myself.¡± She took out her car key as she said so and led her children to the car. Shane''s expression went cold when he realized she would rather drive her beat-up car than ept his car. ¡°Your car''s in bad condition and there''s no doubt you''d be stopped by the traffic police when you''re on the road. Besides, who knows if there are any loose or damaged parts in it. What if an ident happened when you were driving this car with your children in it...¡± Chapter 338 Chapter 338 ¡°Stop it!¡± Natalie stopped in her tracks as she interrupted him nervously. I hate to admit it, but his words got to me. What if everything he said happened? What if an engine part is faulty and I insist on driving the car with my children in it. I wouldn''t be able to forgive myself if anything terrible happens. Shane''s expression rxed when he realized Natalie was convinced by his words. He walked over and ced the car key in her palm. ¡°Don''t feel pressured. This is merely a form of compensation,¡± he said gently. Natalie lowered her head and nced at the key. She hesitated for a brief moment before gripping onto them tightly. ¡°I got it. Thank you, Mr. Shane. I''ll ept the car. However, I''ll pay you for the amount that has exceeded the car value. Thank you!¡± Before Shane could respond, Natalie pressed the button on the key to open the car door and ced both her children in it before driving away. Ss came to Shane''s side as they watched the red car drove away. ¡°Mr. Shane, it seems that Ms. Smith is still alienating you? She''s now making things very clear with you and even money. Didn''t'' you confess your feelings to herst night?¡± Shane pursed his lips, ¡°No rush. Let''s give her some space and time to get used to my existence. It''s not toote to take action by then too. Come on, let''s head to the office.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane.¡± Ss nodded. Natalie dropped off Sharon at the kindergarten in her new car and drove Connor to the hospital. She ced him in Joyce''s care for the day. Then, she headed to Design Association to participate in the competition. Natalie could feel the tension in the air when she arrived at the conference room of the Design Association. Besides Jasmine, the remaining six designers had uneasy and concerned looks written on their faces. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie asked as she walked towards a designer. The designer looked at her and responded, ¡°Haven''t you heard?¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie blinked as she was confused. The designer leaned over and whispered in her ear. ¡°They said that the next person to set the theme for ourpetition was Mr. Moore.¡± ¡°So?¡± Natalie turned to face to designer. She could not understand their concerns. ¡°Of course, we''re worried sick! Everyone knows Mr. Moore was known toe up with tricky challenges.¡± The designerined andy his upper body on the table. ¡°He always has his unique ways when ites to revealing the challenges. It could be a famous quote and you''d have to figure the theme from it. Gosh, it''s difficult.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. My mentor did mention that Alfred had a particr style of drafting challenges in this way. The reason behind his behavior was due to his background. He majored in Archaic Chinese before he joined the fashion industry. ¡°Speaking of which, aren''t you worried you might not guess the theme right?¡± The designer asked curiously upon noticing Natalie''s calm expression. Natalia could faal tha tansion in tha air whan sha arrivad at tha confaranca room of tha Dasign Association. Basidas Jasmina, tha ramaining six dasignars had unaasy and concarnad looks writtan on thair facas. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalia askad as sha walkad towards a dasignar. Tha dasignar lookad at har and raspondad, ¡°Havan''t you haard?¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalia blinkad as sha was confusad. Tha dasignaranad ovar and whisparad in har aar. ¡°Thay said that tha naxt parson to sat tha thama for ourpatition was Mr. Moora.¡± ¡°So?¡± Natalia turnad to faca to dasignar. Sha could not undarstand thair concarns. ¡°Of coursa, wa''ra worriad sick! Evaryona knows Mr. Moora was known toa up with tricky changas.¡± Tha dasignarinad andy his uppar body on tha ta. ¡°Ha always has his uniqua ways whan itas to ravaaling tha changas. It could ba a famous quota and you''d hava to figura tha thama from it. Gosh, it''s difficult.¡± ¡°You''ra right.¡± Natalia noddad in agraamant. My mantor did mantion that Alfrad had a particr st of drafting changas in this way. Tha raason bahind his bahavior was dua to his background. Ha majorad in Archaic Chinasa bafora ha joinad tha fashion industry. ¡°Spaaking of which, aran''t you worriad you might not guass tha thama right?¡± Tha dasignar askad curiously upon noticing Natalia''s calm axprassion. Natalie smiled, ¡°Why should I? There''s always a solution to a problem. Mr. Moore''s specialty is traditional Chinese style. Hence, the challenge must be rted to that style. You''d guess the theme right away as long as you decipher the meaning of the challenges from the perspective of his style.¡± The designer''s eyes sparkled in joy. ¡°You are right! Why didn''t I think of that? Thank you so much, Ms. Natalie!¡± Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°No problem.¡± She lifted her wrist to check the time. There were ten more minutes before thepetition officially started. At this moment, Jasmine, who was nearby, suddenly wheeled out of the conference room. She looked very suspicious and had her cell phone in hand as if she had something in mind. Natalie''s eyes glimmered when she noticed Jasmine''s odd behavior and decided to follow her. Once they were both away from the conference room, she saw Jasmine heading towards the stairway. Natalie pursed her lips as she removed her heels and continued tailing Jasmine. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. When Natalie reached the entrance of the stairway, she heard Jasmine''s voice. ¡°Thepetition is about to start, and I would like to confirm with you once again. The quote that your Grandpa mentioned, was that the theme for today?¡± Grandpa? Natalie narrowed her eyes when she heard those words. I can''t believe it. Jasmine has contacted Isabelle! Chapter 339 Chapter 339 I guess Jasmine must have known that Mr. Moore would be the person to challenge us when the competition advanced into the quarter-finals. She must have contacted Isabelle regarding the theme of thepetition! With that, she''d gain an upper hand in this round! ¡°Okay, I got it. Don''t worry. I''ll keep my promise to you. I''ll win first ce instead of Natalie.¡± Jasmine''s voice sounded again. Natalie instantly knew what she was up to based on what she had heard from Jasmine''s conversation with Isabelle and the mention of her name. All Isabelle wanted is to make use of Jasmine to beat me in thepetition. I guess she really hates me! Natalie smiled weakly to herself before quietly returning to the conference room. It did not take long before Jasmine appeared in the conference room. Natalie''s nce went cold when she looked at her confident expression. Jasmine noticed her stare and turned to lock eyes with her. She even raised her chin in a challenging manner towards Natalie. ¡°Huh...¡± Natalie was rather amused. I really don''t understand how someone so ipetent has the audacity to provoke others. Natalie ignored her as she busied herself by preparing her sketchpad and pencil for thepetition. Thepetition began in no time. Mr. Moore, who held a walking cane, arrived with Mr. Walford. Mr. Moore walked to the stage and took the mic to reveal his design challenge. The challenge was a quote that Natalie had never heard of. Judging from the writing style and meaning of the quote, Natalie guessed it was rted to ethnic minorities. Perhaps Mr. Moore''s challenge was rted to the elements of an ethnic minority? She groaned in frustration as she looked at Mr. Moore who remained on stage. Mr. Moore was seated on the stage as he smiled at the designers who had no idea where to begin. He picked up the mic and said, ¡°You must think that my quote is difficult to understand. Hence, you can''t make out the theme right?¡± The crowd nodded. Someone even asked Mr. Moore to reveal the theme directly. Mr. Moore was unaffected by the crowd. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°I have to admit that the theme wouldn''t be an easy guess. Hence, I''ll give you a tip. The answer is on me. As long as you pay close attention, you would spot it right away.¡± With that, Mr. Moore closed his eyes and stopped talking as he ced the mic down. The crowd wasted no time as they quickly examined him from head to toe, hoping to find the answer he imed was on him. Natalie was no exception. She squinted her eyes to focus as she observed him. Finally, she spotted a totem of an ethnic minority marked on the cor of Mr. Moore''s top. She smiled and said, ¡°Gotcha!¡± I am right! The theme is costume elements of ethnic minorities! Although there were many ethnic minorities, they all had one thing inmon. Embroidery! It was a common element that the ethnic minorities would incorporate into the design of their clothing and essories. Natalie instantly had a surge of inspiration and knew what to design. She hurriedly picked up her pencil and began to sketch a design on her sketchpad. Parhaps Mr. Moora''s changa was rtad to tha mants of an athnic minority? Sha groanad in frustration as sha lookad at Mr. Moora who ramainad on staga. Mr. Moora was saatad on tha staga as ha smd at tha dasignars who had no idaa whara to bagin. Ha pickad up tha mic and said, ¡°You must think that my quota is difficult to undarstand. Hanca, you can''t maka out tha thama right?¡± Tha crowd noddad. Somaona avan askad Mr. Moora to ravaal tha thama diractly. Mr. Moora was unaffactad by tha crowd. Instaad, ha arad his throat and said, ¡°I hava to admit that tha thama wouldn''t ba an aasy guass. Hanca, I''ll giva you a tip. Tha answar is on ma. As long as you pay closa attantion, you would spot it right away.¡± With that, Mr. Moora closad his ayas and stoppad talking as ha cad tha mic down. Tha crowd wastad no tima as thay quickly axaminad him from haad to toa, hoping to find tha answar ha imad was on him. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Natalia was no axcaption. Sha squintad har ayas to focus as sha obsarvad him. Finally, sha spottad a totam of an athnic minority markad on tha cor of Mr. Moora''s top. Sha smd and said, ¡°Gotcha!¡± I am right! Tha thama is costuma mants of athnic minoritias! Although thara wara many athnic minoritias, thay all had ona thing inmon. Embroidary! It was a common mant that tha athnic minoritias would incorporata into tha dasign of thair clothing and assorias. Natalia instantly had a surga of inspiration and knaw what to dasign. Sha hurriadly pickad up har pancil and bagan to skatch a dasign on har skatchpad. Today''spetition isn''t asplicated as yesterday. We aren''t required to make any clothes nor do model catwalks. All we have to do is hand in a design sketch to Mr. Moore. Whoever''s design catches Mr. Moore''s eyes would be eligible to enter the next round. While the other designers were still struggling with the theme, Jasmine hadpleted her design. She turned to look at Natalie, who was not far away. Her face dropped when she saw Natalie was absorbed in drawing her sketch. She became anxious as she gripped the pencil in her hand tightly. I can''t believe she has figured out the theme so quickly! In fact, she is sketching already! But, so what! ¡°Let''s see if your design''s anywhereparable to mine!¡± Jasmine said proudly as she looked at her beautiful design in hand. Time continued to slip away. Two hourster, thepetition had ended. Natalie handed her blueprint as Mr. Moore was scanning through one by one. He did not give away any emotions or expressions as he looked through the designs. Thus, no one could tell if their design caught his eye. The results were announced as soon as Mr. Moore projected four blueprints on the screen to indicate who was eliminated and who was going to the next round. Natalie let out a relieved sigh and smiled when she saw her design appeared on the screen. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 But when she saw the other design drawing on the screen, her brows scrunched up with confusion. Jasmine''s name was signed on that design. The dress in the drawing was short in the front and extended into a long train. On the train wereplex embroidery patterns which looked extravagant and grand. From the looks of it, this gown was designed specifically for ancestral ceremonies. Where on earth did Jasmine find this design? Natalie nced at Jasmine with a doubtful expression. As though sensing her gaze, Jasmine turned to look at her, then broke into a triumphant smile and gave her a thumb-up. Natalie was stunned slightly. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. What the hell does that mean? Is Jasmine giving me a thumb-up? Just as she was trying to make sense of this, Jasmine made an insulting gesture by turning her hand so that her thumb was facing down. Natalie''s face immediately frosted over and Shane, who was currently watching the live stream, had an even more unsightly expression on his face. By the side, Ss clucked his tongue in disdain. ¡°Isn''t Jasmine afraid she''d provoke a bacsh by doing this in front of the camera?¡± ¡°What does she have to fear? Can''t you see her votes?¡± Shane squinted at the voting statistics below the live stream feed. Jasmine was leading strong in first ce with votes that exceeded Natalie''s by several thousand, forcing thetter to second ce. Moreover, her votes were still increasing at very fast rate, which showed how well-received her design was. ¡°True. Humans tend to worship the strong and look down on the weak. Jasmine''s design is better than Ms. Natalie''s, so even though she''s showing bad behavior,izens won''t call her out on it. Instead, they''ll praise her for having such a feisty character. After all, geniuses always have more privileges than most,¡± Ss postted, pushing up his spectacles. Shane rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Do you really think that the design belongs to Jasmine?¡± Ss was taken aback. ¡°Mr. Shane, you mean...¡± ¡°Jasmine couldn''t have produced such a top-quality design. If she was this talented, she would''ve been internationally famous by now. But why doesn''t she even have her own masterpiece until now?¡± Shane''s lips curved into a mocking smile. Then, he instructed coldly, ¡°Find out all the designers whose work she''s been giarizing since participating in thispetition.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ss nodded and immediately left to carry out his instructions. Shane leaned back into his chair, folded his arms over his chest, and continued watching the live stream with calcting eyes. At the venue of thepetition, the voting time was up and the four contestants selected by Alfred had received their respective rankings. Jasmine ranked first, while Natalie ranked second. Alfred smiled and said into the microphone, ¡°The top four have been selected. Congrattions are in order. Let''s give these four designers a round of apuse before inviting them toe up and exin the concept behind their respective designs.¡± With that, the conference room erupted into a round of apuse as the judges, audience, members of the Design Association and media reporters put their hands together for Natalie and the other three. Shana rastad his chin on his hand. ¡°Do you raally think that tha dasign balongs to Jasmina?¡± Ss was takan aback. ¡°Mr. Shana, you maan...¡± ¡°Jasmina couldn''t hava producad such a top-quality dasign. If sha was this tntad, sha would''va baan intarnationally famous by now. But why doasn''t sha avan hava har own mastarpiaca until now?¡± Shana''s lips curvad into a mocking sm. Than, ha instructad coldly, ¡°Find out all tha dasignars whosa work sha''s baan giarizing sinca participating in thispatition.¡± ¡°Yas!¡± Ss noddad and immadiatalyft to carry out his instructions. Shanaanad back into his chair, foldad his arms ovar his chast, and continuad watching tha liva straam with calcting ayas. At tha vanua of thapatition, tha voting tima was up and tha four contastants sctad by Alfrad had racaivad thair raspactiva rankings. Jasmina rankad first, wh Natalia rankad sacond. Alfrad smd and said into tha microphona, ¡°Tha top four hava baan sctad. Congrattions ara in ordar. Lat''s giva thasa four dasignars a round of apusa bafora inviting tham toa up and axin tha concapt bahind thair raspactiva dasigns.¡± With that, tha confaranca room aruptad into a round of apusa as tha judgas, audianca, mambars of tha Dasign Association and madia raportars put thair hands togathar for Natalia and tha othar thraa. Natalie and the other two designers stood up and bowed to everyone with smiles on their faces. Only Jasmine was unable to get up due to her leg injury, bowing as best as she could in her wheelchair. But the split second when she lowered her head, a trace of panic shed across her face and she secretly cursed Alfred. Damn old fool. Does he have nothing better to do? Why the hell did he ask us to exin our design concept? Why can''t he just announce the results of this round and be done with it? F**k! Jasmine gritted her teeth in anger, but showed none of it on her face, forcing herself to maintain a calm appearance. Despite how well she hid it, her strained smile didn''t go unnoticed by Natalie who was paying close attention to her. The wheels in Natalie''s mind were set in motion and she figured out what Jasmine was worried about. It makes sense. How can she describe the concept behind a design that doesn''t even belong to her? She looked forward to seeing how Jasmine was going to worm her way out of this predicament. As various possibilities emerged in her mind, she straightened her spine and withdrew her gaze, listening attentively to the designer on stage who was narrating the concept behind her design. To keep the suspense, Alfred made sure to start from the designer who ranked fourth ce. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Soon, the contestant ranked third was done with her exnation and it was Natalie''s turn. Natalie went up to the stage and epted the small baton from the third-ced designer. shing a smile at the audience, she began to exin, ¡°My design concept is very simple actually. As we all know, ethnic minority garments have one thing inmon, which is embroidery. Besides having skills, color ys the most important role...¡± Seeing how graceful and sophisticated Natalie looked on stage, Jasmine''s eyes turned red from jealousy and her hands which were resting on her thighs balled into fists, wrinkling the fabric in the process. She knew that if she was the one on stage, she wouldn''t be able to describe the design concept so meticulously like Natalie did even if the design was her own. And this was the difference between them. Natalie''s brilliance only served to amplify Jasmine''s ipetence. Natalie spoke on stage for nearly ten minutes before finally wrapping it up. Alfred was the first to apud her for giving a riveting and borate description, especially impressed by some of the intricate details. ¡°Very impressive, Nat!¡± Alfred looked at Natalie with eyes that gleamed with adoration and admiration. Natalie bowed her head to hide her shy smile. ¡°Thank you, Alfred. I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Don''t thank me. Your talent and designing skills deserve such praise. There are not many local designers who can fight their way onto the international stage. I''m getting up in years now, so our country''s fashion industry will have to rely on your generation to thrive. Good luck!¡± Alfred patted her shoulder with a hopeful and optimistic gaze. Natalie nodded firmly and couldn''t stop herself from embracing this elderly man who had devoted his life to develop the country''s fashion industry. ¡°Don''t worry, Alfred. I won''t let you down.¡± ¡°I believe in you.¡± Alfred returned her hug. Shane watched this scene while turning the pen in his hand. Not just Alfred, but even he himself believed that Natalie would one day be the top fashion designer in the country. Natalie released Alfred and turned around to fix her gaze on Jasmine below the stage. Her eyes gleamed as she offered thetter a meaningful smile. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, it''s your turn now.¡± Under the audience''s expectant gazes and Natalie''s urging, Jasmine was put in a tight spot. Gritting her teeth together, she had no choice but to wheel herself up. All of a sudden, her expression changed drastically and she doubled over, holding her belly as she cried out in pain. Both the crowd at the scene and those watching the live stream were shocked by this turn of events. A barrage ofments popped up on the live stream, asking what was wrong. Even Natalie was stunned. Under the orders of Alfred and the branch president of the Designer Association, Liam went over and crouched by Jasmine''s side, asking worriedly, ¡°Ms. Jasmine, are you alright?¡± Natalia noddad firmly and couldn''t stop harsalf from ambracing this aldarly man who had davotad his lifa to davalop tha country''s fashion industry. ¡°Don''t worry, Alfrad. I won''tt you down.¡± ¡°I baliava in you.¡± Alfrad raturnad har hug. Shana watchad this scana wh turning tha pan in his hand. Not just Alfrad, but avan ha himsalf baliavad that Natalia would ona day ba tha top fashion dasignar in tha country. Natalia rasad Alfrad and turnad around to fix har gaza on Jasmina balow tha staga. Har ayas amad as sha offarad thattar a maaningful sm. ¡°Ms. Jasmina, it''s your turn now.¡± Undar tha audianca''s axpactant gazas and Natalia''s urging, Jasmina was put in a tight spot. Gritting har taath togathar, sha had no choica but to whaal harsalf up. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. All of a suddan, har axprassion changad drastically and sha doud ovar, holding har bally as sha criad out in pain. Both tha crowd at tha scana and thosa watching tha liva straam wara shockad by this turn of avants. A barraga ofmants poppad up on tha liva straam, asking what was wrong. Evan Natalia was stunnad. Undar tha ordars of Alfrad and tha branch prasidant of tha Dasignar Association, Liam want ovar and crouchad by Jasmina''s sida, asking worriadly, ¡°Ms. Jasmina, ara you alright?¡± Jasmine discreetly pinched her injured leg and the excruciating pain made her face pale instantly. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead and her breathing turned uneven as she croaked, ¡°My... My stomach hurts.¡± ¡°Your stomach hurts?¡± Liam instinctively looked at her stomach. Jasmine nodded weakly. ¡°It''s like something is twisting my insides. I can''t take it anymore. It hurts so much!¡± She let out a scream and abruptly lost consciousness. Mayhem descended upon the crowd and the live stream feed. Natalie''s jaw fell open in shock when Jasmine fainted. Shane was probably the only one who remained unfazed as he stared at an unconscious Jasmine in the live stream, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Jasmine''s current state reminded him of what happened at the hospital some time ago. At that time, he had just dered that he was calling off the engagement when Jasmine fainted out of the blue. This scene looked awfully simr. ¡°Quick. Send her to the infirmary!¡± the branch president urged Liam. The Design Association wouldn''t be able to bear the responsibility if something serious were to happen. Liam seemed to have realized this as well, immediately obeying his orders and pushing Jasmine out of the conference room. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 The podium was right next to the doors to the conference room. When Liam pushed Jasmine past the podium, Natalie noticed Jasmine''sshes flutter subtly. Realization dawned on her. Jasmine is pretending to be unconscious! Natalie released a sardonicugh. I really have underestimated her shamelessness. To avoid exining her design concept, she even went as far as pretending to faint. How revolting! After Jasmine was sent to the infirmary, the branch president stopped the live stream and announced the results of thispetition round. The crowd gradually dispersed and soon, there were only a few people left in the huge conference room. Alfred was sorting out the four selected design drawings when Natalie approached him. Alfred smiled at her. ¡°Nat, you came just at the right time. Are you interested in selling your design?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded. Yes, please. I''m short of money. But even if she wasn''t short of money, she would still sell her design because her studio was going on the path of promoting a more affordable range of clothing at the moment and couldn''t even be considered an essible luxury brand. Hence, her studio simply did not have the ability to carry such a top-quality and luxurious design. ¡°How about selling it to me then? You know I''m a huge fan of national customs and that I''ve studied it for most of my life. In fact, I''ve practically learned everything there is to know about it, so I''ve currently switched to studying the elements of ethnic minority clothing and coincidently, I''mcking this particr type of design.¡± Alfred picked up Natalie''s design drawing. Natalie chuckled softly. ¡°Of course, I''ll sell it to you.¡± ¡°That''s great! Don''t worry. I won''t pay you a penny less than what you deserve.¡± Alfred put down the design and picked up Jasmine''s. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Alfred, are you nning to buy Jasmine''s design as well?¡± ¡°Yes. It just so happens that I''m attending an ancestral ceremony next month, so I''m nning to use this design and make it into a garment. It''ll be the perfect gift.¡± Alfred stroked his beard. Natalie twisted her fingers together and cautiously said, ¡°Alfred, with all due respect, you can''t buy that design because it''s doesn''t belong to Jasmine. She stole it from another designer.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The warm smile on Alfred''s face instantly faded and a stern expression slipped into its ce. ¡°Is what you''re saying true?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Natalie nodded solemnly and rified, ¡°It''s theplete truth. Jasmine has a long history of giarism. Many designers in our circle more or less know about her underhanded ways. Besides, she has already been giarizing since the beginning of thepetition. None of those works belong to her.¡± Alfred narrowed his eyes a fraction. Of course, he trusted her. After all, no one would dare to casually throw around such a serious usation. At the same time, he still had some doubts. ¡°You said Jasmine giarized during the previous few rounds, and I believe you. But how could she have giarized during this round? I only announced the theme before thepetition. How could she have possibly found a design that fit this theme within such a short frame of time? As you well know, the contestants weren''t allowed to touch any electronic devices during thepetition.¡± Natalia chucd softly. ¡°Of coursa, I''ll sall it to you.¡± ¡°That''s graat! Don''t worry. I won''t pay you a pannyss than what you dasarva.¡± Alfrad put down tha dasign and pickad up Jasmina''s. Natalia pursad har lips. ¡°Alfrad, ara you nning to buy Jasmina''s dasign as wall?¡± ¡°Yas. It just so happans that I''m attanding an ancastral caramony naxt month, so I''m nning to usa this dasign and maka it into a garmant. It''ll ba tha parfact gift.¡± Alfrad strokad his baard. Natalia twistad har fingars togathar and cautiously said, ¡°Alfrad, with all dua raspact, you can''t buy that dasign bacausa it''s doasn''t balong to Jasmina. Sha st it from anothar dasignar.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Tha warm sm on Alfrad''s faca instantly fadad and a starn axprassion slippad into its ca. ¡°Is what you''ra saying trua?¡± Natalia noddad smnly and rifiad, ¡°It''s thata truth. Jasmina has a long history of giarism. Many dasignars in our cir mora orss know about har undarhandad ways. Basidas, sha has alraady baan giarizing sinca tha baginning of thapatition. Nona of thosa works balong to har.¡± Alfrad narrowad his ayas a fraction. Of coursa, ha trustad har. Aftar all, no ona would dara to casually throw around such a sarious usation. At tha sama tima, ha still had soma doubts. ¡°You said Jasmina giarizad during tha pravious faw rounds, and I baliava you. But how could sha hava giarizad during this round? I only announcad tha thama bafora thapatition. How could sha hava possibly found a dasign that fit this thama within such a short frama of tima? As you wall know, tha contastants waran''t allowad to touch any ctronic davicas during thapatition.¡± ¡°What if I told you that Jasmine already knew the theme a long time ago?¡± Natalie''s gaze on him was steady. Alfred''s expression darkened and his forehead creased in perplexity. ¡°How''s that possible? How could she have known beforehand?¡± Natalie sighed and forced herself to say, ¡°It was Isabelle.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alfred''s eyes widened in disbelief. Natalie steeled herself and recounted the phone call she had heard in the emergency stairwell. Alfred''s hand tightened around his walking cane and his face turned frighteningly stormy, obviously infuriated. He suddenly recalled that two days ago, Isabelle had indeed asked him about thepetition''s theme. At that time, he didn''t think much of it and revealed it to her. In actual fact, she was fishing for information so that she could leak it to Jasmine, all just to suppress Natalie. What a wonderful granddaughter I have! ¡°Alfred, calm down. Getting mad isn''t worth it if means affecting your health.¡± Seeing the wrath on Alfred''s face, Natalie gently stroked his chest to soothe him. Alfred''s anger waspletely understandable, given that he was betrayed by his own granddaughter whom he had always doted on. Although Isabelle had achieved her goal, it was at the expense of her grandfather''s reputation, which was something she never considered. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Jasmine can''t conceal her history of giarism forever. There will be a day when she''s exposed. Even Isabelle will bebeled as an aplice. When that timees, what would others think of Alfred? Would they think he deliberately divulged the theme to his granddaughter and asked her to subdue the other contestants? ¡°I''m alright.¡± Alfred took in a deep breath. He suppressed the rage in his heart and forcing a smile onto his face, but he failed to hide his sorrow. ¡°Nat, you told me this to protect my reputation, didn''t you?¡± Alfred leveled his gaze with Natalie''s. Natalie hummed in response. ¡°Yes. During the previous round, Jasmine giarized my mentor''s work, so I''m going to make her pay no matter what. I''m nning to wait until the finals to expose her, but once it''s revealed, both Isabelle and your reputation will be affected. I don''t wish for that to happen.¡± Thus, the reason she had told him was to give Alfred a chance to remove Isabelle from this matter altogether as well as clean up all traces of contact she had with Jasmine. This way, even if she exposed Jasmine and thetter wanted to drag Isabelle down with her, there wouldn''t be any evidence of Isabelle''s involvement. Outsiders wouldn''t believe her and would naturally assume that she had somehow found out about Alfred''s theme and was trying to frame his granddaughter to destroy his reputation after being exposed. Alfred was a shrewd person, so of course he knew that Natalie had his welfare at heart. He gratefully patted the back of her hand and said, ¡°Thank you, Nat. I''m forever indebted to you. You cane to me anytime if you face difficulties in the future. I will help you the best I can. As for Isabelle, I will deal with her ordingly.¡± Having said that, he turned and walked out of the conference room with the help of his cane. After he left, Natalie did not stay either. Checking the time, she departed from the Design Association immediately after. But before she left, she went to the infirmary to see if Jasmine was still feigning illness. However, when she arrived at the infirmary, Jasmine was nowhere to be seen. ording to the doctor, she had been taken away by Susan. At night, Natalie returned to the apartment with her two children. Just after taking off her shoes, her received a notification of a payment transfer from Alfred on her phone. It was the copyright fee for her design, totaling up to two million, which was at least double the amount of what she was expecting. Because ethnic minority fashion upied only a small section of the domestic market, it basically had zeromercial value internationally. Hence, no matter how brilliant the design was, it could only be sold for one million at most. But Alfred had given her two million, which was probably as a token of his gratitude to her for telling him the truth. With that thought in mind, a smile graced Natalie''s lips as she tucked her phone away. ¡°Connor, look after your sister while I take a shower.¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡± Connor nodded obediently. Natalie ruffled her children''s hair, then put down her bag and went to her room to grab her pajamas before taking a shower. Having said that, ha turnad and walkad out of tha confaranca room with tha halp of his cana. Aftar haft, Natalia did not stay aithar. Chacking tha tima, sha dapartad from tha Dasign Association immadiataly aftar. But bafora shaft, sha want to tha infirmary to saa if Jasmina was still faigning illnass. Howavar, whan sha arrivad at tha infirmary, Jasmina was nowhara to ba saan. ording to tha doctor, sha had baan takan away by Susan. At night, Natalia raturnad to tha apartmant with har two childran. Just aftar taking off har shoas, har racaivad a notification of a paymant transfar from Alfrad on har phona. It was tha copyright faa for har dasign, totaling up to two million, which was atast dou tha amount of what sha was axpacting. Bacausa athnic minority fashion upiad only a small saction of tha domastic markat, it basically had zaromarcial valua intarnationally. Hanca, no mattar how brilliant tha dasign was, it could only ba sold for ona million at most. But Alfrad had givan har two million, which was probably as a tokan of his gratituda to har for talling him tha truth. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. With that thought in mind, a sm gracad Natalia''s lips as sha tuckad har phona away. ¡°Connor, look aftar your sistar wh I taka a showar.¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡± Connor noddad obadiantly. Natalia rufd har childran''s hair, than put down har bag and want to har room to grab har pajamas bafora taking a showar. The twins sat on the carpeted floor in the living room and yed with their Lego blocks. Right then, the doorbell rang. Connor''s first reaction was to nce at the direction of the bathroom. ¡°Mommy, someone''s here!¡± There was no response, only the sound of running water. Connor surmised that Natalie probably couldn''t hear him. Hence, he climbed to his feet and went to the door. The doorbell was still ringing incessantly when Connor tiptoed to peer at the inte. Upon seeing that the person outside was Shane, his eyes lit up and he immediately opened the door. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Connor tilted his head up to greet the man in an adorable voice. Shane looked down at the little boy with his brows raised slightly. No wonder the door was opened so quickly today. It''s actually her son. He followed Connor into the house and looked around, instantly spotting Sharon sitting on the carpet. When he couldn''t find Natalie, he asked, ¡°Where''s your mommy?¡± Connor pointed to the direction of the bathroom. ¡°Mommy''s taking a shower.¡± Shane instinctively looked toward the bathroom, his eyes darkened when he heard the sound of running water. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you looking for Mommy?¡± Connor plopped down onto the carpeted floor again. Shane put down the document folder in his hand and lowered himself onto the sofa. ¡°Yes. There''s something I need to discuss with her.¡± Chapter 344 Chapter 344 ¡°Just wait for a moment, Mr. Shane. Mommy will be done very soon,¡± Connor reassured in an adult-like manner. Shane chuckled deeply. ¡°Sure.¡± Suddenly, Sharon got to her feet and padded toward him. ¡°Mr. Shane, can I ask you for a favor?¡± She raised her cute index finger and stared at Shane with an imploring gaze. Shane met her gaze and made sure to soften his tone. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Can youe for my parent-teacher meeting tomorrow as my dad?¡± Sharon yed with the hem of her blouse with a shy blush creeping up her cheeks. Both Connor and Shane were taken aback by her request. Even Natalie who was just emerged from the shower was surprised. ¡°Sharon, why didn''t you tell me about your parent-teacher meeting?¡± Not bothering to ask Shane when he had arrived, she walked over in her pajamas and her hair wrapped in a towel, then gently pulled Sharon toward her. Shane caught a whiff of the pleasant scenting from her body, squinting his eyes as his Adam''s apple bobbed. Sharon hung her head low and said in a small voice, ¡°Because Mommy is still busy with the competition tomorrow and won''t have time toe for the meeting, so I didn''t say anything about it.¡± Connor stroked his chin and his eyes lit up with realization. ¡°No wonder she was so down the entire way home.¡± Natalie parted her lips in an attempt tofort her daughter, but no words came. She''s right. I still have to go for thepetition tomorrow and there''s no way I can leave. But I can''t miss her parent-teacher meeting either... Feeling conflicted, Natalie gnawed on her bottom lip. Then, she squatted down and cupped Sharon''s little face. ¡°Darling, tell you what, I''ll skip thepetition tomorrow and apany you...¡± ¡°No!¡± Shane interrupted her and stood up from the sofa. ¡°Tomorrow''s the semi-finals and it is of key importance. You cannot pull out from thepetition. Once you do, you won''t be able to participate in any internationalpetitions. Isn''t it your dream to be internationally famous? Well, this is your first step of realizing that dream.¡± Natalie stood up as well. ¡°I know, but the parent-teacher meeting is equally important.¡± Because the twins don''t have a father, I vowed to spend as much time as I can with them and not miss any important asions. I can''t break my promise! ¡°Parent-teacher meetings are indeed important, but you don''t have to be the one who goes. Sharon has asked me to go. Besides, I was the one who attended the family event at the yground the other time. Their teachers know me, so don''t worry about it and just focus on thepetition.¡± Shane caressed Sharon''s head while looking at Natalie. Connor nodded inplete agreement. ¡°Yeah, Mommy. Just go for yourpetition tomorrow. Mr. Shane and I will go with Sharon.¡± ¡°But...¡± Natalie curled her fists restlessly, wanting to say something. However, Shane cut off her words once again. ¡°If you attend the parent-teacher meeting tomorrow and miss thepetition, you''ll be filled with regret for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane is right. You should focus on thepetition, Mommy. I won''t be mad.¡± Sharon tugged on the corner of Natalie''s shirt with a broad grin on her face. Faced with her two sensible children coupled with Shane''s assurance, Natalie''s lips twitched inconspicuously, but in the end, she chose to relent. She sighed softly before bowing respectfully to Shane. ¡°Alright then. I''ll leave the kids in your care tomorrow, Mr. Shane. Sorry for the trouble.¡± ¡°It''s no big deal.¡± Shane waved his hand to make light of the matter. Connor tugged Sharon to his side and dered, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Shane said he has something to discuss with you, so Sharon and I will go back to our rooms first.¡± With that, the twins turned around and scuttled away. Only Natalie and Shane were left in the living room. Natalie poured him a ss of water and queried, ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Shane?¡± Shane epted the ss from her and took a sip from it before instructing, ¡°Go change your clothes and dry your hair first. Then, we''ll talk.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie looked down at herself and felt her face heat up. Even though her pajamas weren''t exposing, because of its silk fabric, it was slightly transparent under the lighting, causing the outline of her bra to be vaguely visible. Oh my God. I looked like this the entire time he is here? ¡°Sorry. I''ll go get changed now.¡± Natalie lifted her lips into an awkward smile before darting toward her room like her tail was on fire. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Watching how fast she fled and shut the door behind her, a chuckle escaped Shane''s lips and he drank another sip of his water. Approximately ten minutester, Natalie came out after changing her clothes and blow-drying her hair. Shane handed her the document folder on the coffee table. Natalie looked down at the folder after taking it from it. ¡°What is this?¡± Shane crossed his legs and answered calmly, ¡°Evidence of Jasmine''s giarizing history.¡± Natalie''s brows shot up and she looked down again to open the folder. Taking out the evidence inside, she skimmed through it and stuffed it back in before cing it on the coffee table again. Training her eyes on the man sitting across her, she asked, ¡°Why are you giving this to me, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Don''t you need it?¡± Shane propped his head on his hand. Natalie smiled. ¡°No, I don''t. I''ve long since known that she''s been giarizing and I already possess some evidence against her.¡± ¡°I know you do. During yesterday''spetition, she copied Ms. Daphne''s work, and since Ms. Daphne is your mentor, you would''ve picked it up instantly and neither will you stand by doing nothing.¡± ¡°Then, why did you still bring me evidence, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, unable to read his thoughts. Shane''s gaze fell on the folder as he exined, ¡°You didn''t finish reading it. What I have isn''t just evidence of her giarism from yesterday, but also of every design she has giarized since her debut, including her ethnic minority clothing design from today.¡± Hearing this, Natalie''s eyes widened in surprise and she quickly picked up the folder to flip through the documents again. After she was done reading, she sucked in a sharp breath. Indeed, she had severely underestimated Jasmine. Jasmine had giarized more than she initially thought possible. Not to mention, Jasmine managed to find many popr works to giarize. What left Nataliepletely dumbfounded was the design from earlier that day. The design was of a gown belonging to an ethnic group''s high priestess. The gown was passed down from ancient times, so there was no original design drawing and no way to find out who the designer was. Hence, Jasmine had no qualms copying it and iming the design as her own. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. It took Natalie a long time to recover from her shock. Putting down the folder, she tentatively asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, are you giving me this in exchange for my help in doing something?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°I know you haven''t exposed Jasmine yet because you''re waiting for the right opportunity. And I want you to defeat her once and for all when that opportunity arises.¡± Natalie''s eyes shed dimly. ¡°Why? I don''t recall the two of you holding any grudges against each other. And if I remember correctly, she even saved your life before.¡± ¡°I''ve long since paid off that debt.¡± Shane pressed his lips together before continuing, ¡°Yes, we don''t exactly hold any grudges against each other, but she provoked me by selling Thompson Group''s trade secrets.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened to the size of saucer tes. Shane massaged the space between his brows. ¡°I only learned about it recently. In the past few years, Jasmine has already sold trade secrets several times. Even though it didn''t cause too big of a damage to Thompson Group, we still suffered some losses.¡± ¡°I see, but I still don''t understand something, Mr. Shane. Since you have all this evidence, you can take action yourself. Why did youe to me?¡± Natalie tapped a finger on the folder with her gaze fixated on the man. ¡°You''ll understand soon enough. Don''t worry, I won''t get you into any trouble.¡± He rose to his feet and strode toward the door with no intention of exining. Natalie pursed her lips at that. It was meaningless to continue probing when he was clearly unwilling to answer. Natalie stood up as well and walked him out. Standing outside the door, Shane turned and said, ¡°I''ll pick the twins up tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. With his gaze still locked on her face, he reminded, ¡°Go to bed early. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± Natalie offered him a smile. She thought he would go back to his apartment after that, but he didn''t seem like he was going to leave any time soon as he stood motionless while staring intently at her. Natalie fidgeted under his piercing gaze and shrank back a little. ¡°Mr. Shane, is there anything else?¡± Shane shook his head slightly. ¡°No. Go ahead and close the door.¡± Finding his actions odd, Natalie''s brows furrowed imperceptibly. Nheless, she obeyed him and closed the door. Once the door was closed, she wasn''t in a hurry to go back to her room. Instead, she opened the inte to see what he was doing. However, all that she saw was his back and the apartment door swinging shut. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Natalie lowered her eyes, she was rather confused. Is he purposely waiting for me to get in? But as soon as the idea crossed her mind, Natalie denied it at once. She shook her head as she found it hrious. Without giving much thought, she turned around and walked into the room. It was eight o''clock in the morning. Just as Natalie and the two children finished their breakfast, Shane came over to pick them up. Natalie pushed the kids to Shane''s side. ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ll leave them to you.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll take care of them.¡± Shane couldn''t help reaching out his hands to pat their heads gently when he looked at the two little kids. Natalie crouched down and reminded them seriously, ¡°Connor and Sharon, you both must behave and listen to Mr. Shane. Don''t be naughty, ok?¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy!¡± The two children responded obediently. Natalie got up and smiled. Then, she watched Shane taking them away. Soon after they left, Natalie did some simple cleaning at home. Then, she carried her bag and headed to the Design Association for herpetition. It was the semi-final day. The atmosphere became especially tense. By the time Natalie reached, the other participants were already there. As soon as she stepped into the conference room, Natalie saw Jasmine at her first sight. She was talking to the others designers. Jasmine saw Natalie as well. She snorted, ¡°Someone was acting like a prima donna. Despite the fact that she is ced second, she is always thest one to be here. I almost thought she was the winner.¡± How could Natalie not know that Jasmine was mocking her? However, she wasn''t mad about it. Instead, she walked over with a smile. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, I guess you must be feeling much better now. You sound so energetic.¡± ¡°It''s none of your business!¡± Jasmine frowned. Natalie stared at her. ¡°I was just concerned about you. I''m d to see that you''re recovering well. By the way, I''ve been looking forward to your design concept since yesterday. You were supposed to exin it yesterday. Ms. Jasmine, can you tell us now?¡± ¡°That''s right, Ms. Jasmine. Just share with us! How did youe up with the idea of this specially designed grand ancestral ceremony gown?¡± The other two designers chimed in and echoed their agreements despite knowing the hidden meaning behind Natalie''s words. ¡°Just cut it out. Thepetition is starting soon. I just want a few moments of peace. What if my performance is affected? Which one of you is going to take on the responsibility?¡± Jasmine pretended to be calm and yed it cool while yelling at them. At the same time, she secretly gave Natalie a death stare. Natalie was indeed pushing her buttons! She just had to rub it in Jasmine''s face. The two designers didn''t know what was on Jasmine''s mind. Upon hearing her words, they immediately opened their mouth but didn''t utter a word. Right at that moment, Natalie suddenly said, ¡°I will bear the responsibility then.¡± She pulled up a chair and sat next to Jasmine, staring at her with a half smile. Natalie really gave Jasmine a red face. She instinctively avoided Natalie''s gaze and pretended to remain calm. ¡°So what if you take the responsibility? Am I supposed to exin my design to you? After all, it''s my design concept. It depends on my mood whether to tell you or not. Who are you to tell me what to do?¡± ¡°I''m in no position to ask you for anything. But, I have one question.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Ms. Jasmine, you''re extremely reluctant to exin your design concept. Is it because you have no idea how to exin it?¡± The other two designers were shocked upon hearing that. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Everybody knew what it meant if designers couldn''t even present their concept of design to others. It could be she wasn''t the one whoe up with the design. Does Ms. Natalie mean that there is something wrong with Ms. Jasmine''s design? The way they looked at Jasmine instantly changed at the thought. Jasmine noticed it and her pupils constricted. Subconsciously, she raised her voice as she retorted, ¡°Nonsense! Who said I couldn''t borate the concept of my design?¡± ¡°Since you are able to do so, then say it,¡± Natalie saidzily as she leaned against the chair. The two designers kept their eyes on Jasmine as well. They were waiting for her presentation. They had driven Jasmine into a corner. At that point, she clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes were shifting in panic. She was at loss and didn''t know how to react. Jasmine understood clearly that she couldn''t kept on refusing. The two designers had already became suspicious of her. If she turned them down again, they would definitely thought that she had indirectly admitted the designed wasn''t hers. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 That was Natalie''s real intention. She actually found out for a long time that it wasn''t Jasmine''s design. Therefore, she purposely asked her to describe her design concept. She wanted to forced Jasmine to admit her giarism. However, she would definitely not do as Natalie''s wish. Just as Jasmine was stuck in a difficult position, she saw Liam walking in with a microphone out of the corner of her eye. She was delighted and relieved. She snorted in a voice filled with arrogance, ¡°Fine! The core idea of my design...¡± ¡°Alright, looks like everyone is here.¡± Mr. Walford interrupted Jasmine when she was just about to talk. ¡°Since all of you are here already, I dere the official start of ourpetition. Now, let''s wee the person who will be setting the challenges for this round.¡± The crowd immediately burst into apuse. Jasmine''s heart was filled with the joy of sess, yet she put up a regretful look on her face. She apuded and let out a sigh at the same time. ¡°Unfortunately, looks like it''s such a bad timing.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Natalie put her hands down and sneered. ¡°It''s ok. You have nothing to tell us anyway. Besides, let me tell you one thing. You can run, but you can''t hide. Sooner orter, you will be caught giarizing. It''s just the matter of time.¡± Jasmine froze up for a second but sheposed herself quickly. She twitched her lips in disdain and lowered her voice, ¡°Do you have any evidence of me giarizing?¡± She had put so much effort to finally found those designs. There was no archive nor any records on the inte. Hence, she didn''t even care if Natalie found out that she had been giarizing all this while. She didn''t believe that Natalie could actually find the evidence. Jasmine became selfcent and smiled smugly. Natalie could easily tell what was on her mind just by looking at her face. She didn''t bother to care about her and turned her face back. However, in Jasmine''s opinion, she had interpreted Natalie''s reaction in the other way round. She thought that her assumption was right. Natalie definitely tried to find some evidence the previous night but to no avail. Else, she wouldn''t stayed silent like that. In that case, she didn''t even have to worry much. Jasmine couldn''t help but felt relieved and amused at that thought. Finally, thepetition began. The rules ofpetition were same as the previous day. Two of the best blueprints would be selected to enter the final round. The semifinal round was quite challenging. The theme was futurism. Designers had to create a futuristic style of clothing. ¡°Futurism...¡± Natalie read the theme while spinning the pencil in her hand. Her brows snapped together. All of a sudden, she was running out of inspiration. At present, there weren''t many designs about futurism internationally. In general, scientists would pay more attention to that topic instead of costume designers. How should I design it? Natalie bit her lips. For the first time in her life, she waspletely clueless about design. However, she wouldn''t be discouraged by it. She was not going to give up yet. Natalie closed her eyes and tried to think of how people around the world understood the concept of futurism nowadays. After thinking it for a while, she realized that from a general point of view, people always thought about advanced high technology when it came to futurism. No matter it was a movie, a novel or an ordinary people. Thus, clothing could be more advanced either. It probably could bring a lot more great benefits to people. With that thought in mind, Natalie let out a smile and whispered in excitement, ¡°I know what to do now!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she stopped spinning her pencil. Then, she took out her sketchpad and started getting down to work. Two hourster, Natalie stared at her design on the paper and heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn''t a dress but a close-fitting jumpsuit, with a futuristic armor element on the shoulders, as well as a side beam of the pants. Of course, that wasn''t the highlight. The focal point was those wings behind the back. It wasn''t as hard as an armor, but it''s obvious that those wings could fly. Leaving heavy and cumbersome elements of wingsuit flying and hang gliding clothing aside, it was light-armed and convenient. Wasn''t that the perfect interpretation of futurism with elements that were surreal and beyond realistic? Natalie grinned and stood up to submit her blueprint. At the same time, Jasmine was handing in hers as well. Natalie took a nce at the blueprint in Jasmine''s hand. ¡°Did you copy someone else''s design again?¡± ¡°If you''re really that great, then go find out yourself!¡± Jasmine rolled her eyes at her as she increased her wheelchair speed to submit her design first. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Since Natalie was aware of her giarizing, there was no point for Jasmine to hide it from her anymore. Anyway, Natalie couldn''t find any evidence. Nobody was going to believe her even she announced it publicly. Natalie couldn''t help butugh mockingly at Jasmine while looking at the smug face of hers. She remained silent and submit her design as well. Soon after the other designers handed in their designs, Liam let them go on for lunch break. Results of thepetition would be announced after the break. Natalie stretchedzily and carried her bag to leave the conference room. She was nning to grab some food outside. Suddenly, her phone rang. Natalie stopped her step in front of the elevator and took out her phone. She nced at the screen and it showed Mr. Shane''s caller ID on it. Usually, she would probably not going to pick up the call. However, that day was different. Perhaps the parent-teacher meeting had just ended, so Mr. Shane called her at that hour. Without hesitation, Natalie quickly put her phone to her ears. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Come out here. Isn''t it the lunch break now? The two children and I are waiting for you in the car outside of the Design Association''s building.¡± Shane hung up the phone after telling her that. Natalie was stunned. Did he just say he and the kids were outside the Design Association''s building? Did they actuallye here? Natalie hurriedly pressed the elevator button and went down. Just as she stepped into the elevator, Jasmine came out of the corner with a twitch on her face. She stared right at the elevator disy panel with a grim and cold eyes. I couldn''t believe Shanees all the way here for Natalie! As expected, Natalie was way more important to Shane aspared to that woman. Jasmine''s eyes shed while thinking about that. Soon after, she took out her phone and made a phone call. ¡°It''s me. Didn''t you tell me you were going to kill Natalie as soon as possible? Why haven''t you made your move yet?¡± ¡°I''ve tried once previously, but I failed.¡± A cold voice of an woman came from the other side of the line. Jasmine clenched her phone in her hands. ¡°Then, just keep doing it! Did you know that Shane came to look for her just now? If you didn''t do anything to stop her, Shane''s feelings for her would grow deeper. Sooner orter, Natalie will rece your position in Shane''s heart. Then, you would bepletely out of Shane''s life.¡± ¡°I don''t need you to remind me. Do you think I don''t know that? You want me to kill Natalie so desperately so that you can have the goods on me. Don''t you want to stand to benefits out of this situation? You''d better give up on that thought!¡± The woman carried on saying with a cold snort, ¡°I will kill you before you could even do that. Believe it or not, Shane wouldn''t even bother to know the cause of your death!¡± ¡°You...¡± Her words had touched Jasmine''s sore point. Jasmine''s face twisted into grimace, yet she had no words to refute. It was true that there was no room for her in Shane''s heart. ¡°That''s it. You don''t have to worry. I want Natalie dead, but it''s not a good timing. If I take action now, Shane will definitely find out that Alice is just my scapegoat. Thus, he will start investigating me again. Let''s talk about itter.¡± That woman hung up the phone immediately as soon as she finished speaking. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Although Jasmine was reluctant to ept it, she had no choice but to be patient. She had no one to me as she wasn''t as powerful as that woman. She would easily exposed herself if Jasmine were to take action personally. Else, she would have killed Natalie and that woman long ago. Jasmine stared menacingly at the elevator disy panel for a little while more. Then, she turned her wheelchair around and left. Stepping out of the building of Design Association, Natalie stood at the stairs on the ground floor and looked around. Her eyes lit up when she saw a Bentley somewhere not far from her. Then, she quickly trotted over. Before she even came near to the Bentley, the door had already opened. The two kids popped their heads out of the car and waved at her with a bright smile. ¡°Mommy!¡± Natalie smiled back and waved at them in response. ¡°Mommy,e over here!¡± Sharon urged her. ¡°I''ming.¡± Natalie answered while sprinted on thest few miles. Once she reached the car, she slightly gasped for air. Before she started speaking, Shane''s voice came from inside the car. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Natalie didn''t reject and got into the car. The car door shut automatically at the moment she got in. Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Natalie sat down and tidied up her messy hair. She looked at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, how long have you guys been here?¡± Shane ced the book on his crossed legs. ¡°We''ve been here quite a while. We came right after the parent-teacher meeting, and even watched thepetition for half an hour.¡± ¡°Yeah, Mommy! The clothes that you drew is so beautiful.¡± Sharon''s eyes gleamed as she said. Connor nodded his head in agreement and chimed in, ¡°That''s right! Especially the pair of wings.¡± Natalie smiled and caressed their hair gently upon hearing theirpliments. Shane turned to looked at her. ¡°How about selling this piece of design to me?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Sure! But, I only have one. Why are you buying it for?¡± Natalie tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face. Even though the apparelpany of Thompson Group was separated from the Headquarters, and had been through a transformation on business direction, it was pointless for them to buy over that kind of design. In fact, they couldn''t make money from the futuristic design. It wasn''t a haute couture, or a mainstream collection that would be popr among general public. They couldn''t possibly be buying over for collection like Design Association and Alfred. It seemed like Shane had read Natalie''s mind. He chuckled softly and exined, ¡°Mypany is not going to sell it. Instead, a game designpany contacted me recently. They have appointed us to be in charge of their game character clothing design. It just so happens that the game is rted to futurism. Your design fits perfectly.¡± ¡°I see. Mr. Shane, you can have the design then.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane adjusted his posture. ¡°But one design is not enough. You can design for the other game characters as well if you are willing to.¡± Natalie was half-convinced by him, but she didn''t agree immediately. Instead, she furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°In that case, how about your designers?¡± ¡°They submitted their design before, but the game designpany is not satisfied with it.¡± Shane massaged lightly on the point between his eyebrows while answering. Natalie pursed her lower lips. ¡°How do you know they will be satisfied with my designs?¡± Shane lifted his chin. ¡°I sent over some snapshots of live stream just now to thepany. They have approved your work already.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Alright, I got it.¡± Natalie nodded her head. Shane looked at her and asked, ¡°So, is that a yes?¡± Natalie agreed cheerfully, ¡°I can''t possibly say no to this business opportunity, right?¡± Shane smiled faintly, ¡°Alright. I will get Ss to send you the rest of the character modeling after your competition, as well as the contract. Don''t worry, it won''t be a money-losing business. I will make sure you are paid ordingly.¡± ¡°I trust you.¡± Natalie touched the two children''s hairs again. Shane was d and his brows softened instantly upon hearing Natalie''s words. A whileter, he thought of something suddenly. He bent down and picked up a bag beside him. Then, he passed it to Natalie. ¡°This is...¡± Natalie looked at the bag with a puzzled expression. Before Shane could reply, Sharon answered on behalf of him, ¡°We brought you lunch, Mommy.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Shane nodded slightly. Natalie didn''t expect them to buy her lunch. She was touched by it. Then, she quickly opened up the bag and smiled. ¡°That''s great! My stomach is growling. Have you guys eaten?¡± She looked at the two kids in front of her. ¡°Yes. Sharon felt hungry after the parent-teacher meeting. Therefore, Mr. Shane brought us out for a meal.¡± Connor moved his legs as he answered. Sharon pouted. ¡°Hmm... Connor was feeling hungry as well. Why did you say it was just me?¡± ¡°Fine, fine. Stop messing around, both of you.¡± It seemed like they were about to fight. Natalie twitched the corner of her lips and stopped them immediately. The two little kids looked at each other. They snorted and turned their head away at the same time. Finally, they kept quiet. Shane raised his brows and looked at the two children in surprise. ¡°Do they normally get into argument?¡± He had never seen them quarreling before. ¡°It wasn''t even an argument. They will bicker over something asionally. It''s quitemon for kids to quarrel. They will be good again in the next second.¡± Natalie replied coolly as she took out the lunch box and ced it on herps. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Shane nodded gently in acknowledgement. Natalie opened the lunch box and looked at the scrumptious dishes. She squinted and asked, ¡°Is this from the Imperial Gourmet Restaurant? ¡°Mm-Hmm. It tastes really good. Besides, they provided many different dishes. The two kids love it.¡± Shane ced his hands on the seat. Natalie nced at the two children. Imperial Gourmet Restaurant was a world famous restaurant. It was well-known for its unique dishes. How could they not love it? ¡°By the way, how much was it? I''ll pay you.¡± As she spoke, she started to dig in her purse. Meanwhile, Shane''s facial expression turned cold instantly. ¡°No need. It was just a meal.¡± She doesn''t want to owe me anything. Natalie noticed the displeasure in his tone. She paused and lifted her gaze to look at him. She suddenly understood something when she saw his handsome face became dark. It was just a meal. It clearly meant nothing to Shane. However, the way Natalie hurriedly pay him back the money was undoubtedly a humiliation to him. At the thought of that, Natalie dropped the idea of giving him money. She quickly put her purse back into her bag and said, ¡°Alright, then. Thanks Mr. Shane for treating us a meal.¡± As expected, Shane expression instantly became much more pleasant. ¡°It''s nothing. Hurry up and eat. Your food is getting cold.¡± He then passed the fork to her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie epted it with a smile and started eating. At that moment, Shane phone rang suddenly. He frowned slightly and took out his phone. After seeing the caller ID, he picked up without hesitation. ¡°Jacqueline.¡± Natalie''s eyshes fluttered a little when she heard that name. Then, she slowly stopped chewing. Connor noticed that Natalie was a little strange. He blinked and was about to show his concern. Natalie put her finger up, gesturing for him and Sharon to keep quiet. At the same time, she pointed at Shane with the other finger to let them know that he was talking over the phone and signaled them not to speak. The two children understood her signal. They nodded obediently and kept their mouth shut. When Shane saw the actions of Natalie and her two children from the corner of his eyes, a smile shed across his face. For a split second, he asked the person on the other side of the line, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Jacqueline leaned against the headboard and stared at the television on the wall. She was expressionless but sounded weakly. ¡°Shane, I''m not feeling well right now. My head hurts. Can you come and apany me?¡± Shane looked at Natalie and the two kids. ¡°I''m sorry but I can''te over now.¡± Who is going to take care of the two kids if I leave them with her? Thepetition is not over yet. It''s not possible for Natalie to take care of them. Meanwhile, Natalie was a little surprised. She looked at Shane with a fork in her mouth. She never thought that Shane would turn Jacqueline down. ¡°But Shane, my head is really aching.¡± Finally there was a slight change on Jacqueline''s facial expression when she heard that Shane was noting over. Her face twisted at once. Shane couldn''t see her expression. He pressed his lips tightly together. ¡°Let Jackson keep you company for the time being. I''lle over at night.¡± ¡°Jackie is too busy to keep mepany.¡± Jacqueline bit her lips, ¡°Besides, I don''t want him to apany me. I just want you to be by my side.¡± ¡°Stop acting like a willful child.¡± Shane was getting impatient and frowned. Natalie noticed it. She was shocked, and her eyes widened in disbelief. That''s weird! Doesn''t he love Jacqueline very much? Why would he show an impatient look on his face? Jacqueline lowered her gaze to hide the sadness in her eyes. She felt upset and hurt. Thus, she answered in an aggrieved tone, ¡°Shane, I am not being willful. I am just...¡± Before she could finished her sentence, she went silent suddenly. Shane narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He shouted, ¡°Jacqueline? Jacqueline?¡± There was silence on the other end of the line. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Shane''s expression turned tense and serious. He hurriedly took his phone down and looked at the screen. The line wasn''t cut off yet. It showed the ongoing call with Jacqueline on the screen. In no time, a line appeared between his brows. ¡°What''s wrong, Mr. Shane?¡± Seeing the strange look on his face, Natalie immediately put down the fork and asked. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 The two kids stopped frolicking and looked at him curiously. Shane shook his head and said worriedly, ¡°I don''t know. Jacqueline suddenly stopped saying anything.¡± ¡°Did something happen to her?¡± Natalie gazed at his phone and made a bold guess. Shane couldn''t help but swallow his saliva, worrying that what she said might be right. As he was about to say something, they heard a voice again over the phone. Nevertheless, it wasn''t Jacqueline but another unfamiliar woman who said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Thompson, are you still there?¡± ¡°Yes, I''m here. Who are you?¡± Shane immediately put the phone near his ear again and questioned in a deep voice. ¡°I''m the nurse on duty to take care of Ms. Graham. I wanted to check up on her just now and realized that she has passed out. Since she was holding a phone, I tried to answer it,¡± the nurse replied. Shane was startled. ¡°What? Did Jacqueline pass out?¡± Meanwhile, Natalie raised her eyebrow in shock upon hearing it. She couldn''t believe that she made the right guess¡ªsomething happened to Jacqueline. ¡°Yes, I have just checked on Ms. Graham. She fainted all of a sudden,¡± the nurse continued speaking as she lifted Jacqueline''s eyelid. Supposedly, she had to be admitted to ICU due to sudden loss of consciousness. Shane was well aware of it. He gripped his phone tightly and said, ¡°I understand. I''ming to the hospital right now.¡± With that, he put down his phone and nced at Natalie. As his lips moved slightly, Natalie knew what he wanted to say. As such, she swiftly closed the lunchbox on her thighs and shed him a considerate smile. ¡°Mr. Shane, please go ahead.¡± ¡°Is Mr. Shane leaving?¡± Sharon nced at Shane and felt a little reluctant. On the other hand, Connor didn''t utter a word but merely crossed his arms like a young adult. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane''s friend is sick, so he has to visit her.¡± Natalie caressed Sharon''s head and continued, ¡°Alright, let''s hop out.¡± Then, she opened the door and showed the two kids a gesture to get out of the car. They listened to her obediently and hopped out. As Natalie bent down and was about to hop out as well, Shane suddenly grabbed her arm. ¡°What is it, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie looked back at him bewilderedly. Shane looked her into the eyes and apologized, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Startled for a moment, Natalie shed him a smile and asked, ¡°Why do you have to apologize to me?¡± ¡°It was me who brought the two kids here. I thought you wouldn''t have time to take care of them due to the ongoingpetition. I''ll assign someone to give you a hand.¡± Shane loosened his grip with that. Ah, he apologizes for this. ¡°It''s fine, Mr. Shane.¡± She waved her hand and said, ¡°Bringing them to the parent-teacher meeting has taken up too much of your time. How can I cause you trouble anymore? I''ll apply for a breakroom from Mr. Horner so that they can get some rest there. So, you can put your mind at ease and visit Ms. Graham.¡± She hopped out as soon as she finished. Then, she turned around to wave at him and closed the door. A momentter, Shane left in his car. Natalie held her kids'' hands and watched as he drove away. After that, she led them into the building of the Design Association. ¡°Mommy, is Mr. Shane going to see the woman whom you didn''t allow us to meet in Uncle Stanley''s ward?¡± Connor asked while walking. Natalie didn''t deny it. She nodded her head and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What''s the rtionship between Mr. Shane and the woman?¡± Connor blinked his eyes. Meanwhile, Sharon also lifted her hand and interrupted, ¡°Sharon wants to know too.¡± Natalie was nonplussed by their reaction. A momentter, she gently pinched their hands and said, ¡°Well, kids shouldn''t ask so many questions. It''s not something you should know.¡± ¡°Humph, Mommy always says that.¡± Sharon pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. ¡°Exactly!¡± Connor nodded in agreement. Amused, Natalie let go of their hands and tickled their armpits. ¡°Woah! How dare the two of you tease me!¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The kids dodged her and chuckled aloud. They goofed around until they reached Mr. Horner''s office. Mr. Horner actually valued Natalie very much. After she put forward her request, he agreed to it right away and asked his staff to prepare a breakroom. Natalie thanked him repeatedly before bringing her kids to the breakroom. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Natalie kept her kidspany for a little longer after having lunch in the breakroom. Since the competition was about to start, she reminded her kids not to leave the breakroom. After they agreed, she left and walked toward the meeting room. While she was on her way, a group of men in front of her suddenly stopped her. ¡°Nat.¡± ¡°Alfred.¡± Natalie stopped walking and saw Alfred among them. Alfred turned around and talked to the men behind him. After nodding in response, they nced at her for a few seconds and left. Then, Alfred came up to Natalie with his crutch. Natalie tilted her head and asked curiously, ¡°Alfred, why are you here? Also, who are those people?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Alfred didn''t answer her question but gestured at her to follow him. Natalie could notice his grim expression. Even though she was clueless about what happened, she didn''t ask any other questions. She followed him into a room, which looked like an office. After she closed the door, Alfred turned around and exined, ¡°Those people are from the National Design Association.¡± ¡°National Design Association?¡± Natalie was a little shocked. ¡°Since we''re not in finals yet, why are they here?¡± ¡°I contacted the National Design Association, requesting the president to send his men here,¡± Alfred added as he sat down. Then, Natalie also took a seat in front of him. He put his crutch aside and poured a cup of tea for himself. ¡°After you told me that Jasmine giarized yesterday, I contacted the National Design Association and informed them about it. They were furious and decided to bring forward the finals. They want to penalize her.¡± ¡°To bring it forward?¡± Natalie''s eyes brimmed. ¡°That''s right,¡± Alfred said smilingly, ¡°Apart from bringing forward the finals, we''ve also changed the theme of the finals. It was supposed to be decided by the branch president, but now the National Design Association will decide instead. As such, Jasmine''s n to giarize designs will not work.¡± ¡°That''s awesome. In that case, she will certainly freak out.¡± Natalie pped her hands excitedly. ¡°Yup,¡± Alfred touched his beard twice and continued, ¡°Nat, I''m telling you this because I remember you said yesterday that you would expose her wrongdoing during the finals.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie murmured a response. ¡°Well, get your evidence ready. I''m sure you can put it to good useter.¡± Alfred took a sip of the tea after talking to her. Knowing that he was reminding her, she stood up emotionally and said, ¡°I understand. Thank you, Alfred. I''ll prepare it now.¡± She bowed deeply before Alfred before turning around to leave the room. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. After that, she took out her phone to call Joyce. Miles away, Joyce was peeling an apple while sitting beside Stanley''s bed. Once her phone rang, she took a nce and realized that it was from Natalie. She immediately answered without hesitation, ¡°Nat.¡± Meanwhile, Stanley, who had closed his eyes to get some rest, woke up suddenly and nced at her phone. Joyce was a little displeased as she noticed his reaction. Nheless, she pretended to be fine and put on a forceful smile as she said, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Joyce, I urgently need your help now!¡± Natalie spoke when she was walking toward the meeting room. Given that she sounded grim, Joyce also replied seriously, ¡°What do you need from me?¡± ¡°Is Nat facing difficulties?¡± Meanwhile, Stanley stood straight and asked. Joyce shook her head in response, indicating that she had no idea. ¡°Can you go to my apartment to get a folder on my coffee table and the USB sh drive beside my bed?¡± Natalie stopped at the door of the meeting room as she said. ¡°Why do you need those things? Is it urgent?¡± Joyce tilted her head to hold the phone on her shoulder. She was rather bewildered after listening to Natalie. ¡°Very urgent,¡± Natalie nodded forcefully and added in a deep voice, ¡°The evidence about Jasmine''s giarism is stored in those items. I need themter.¡± The next moment, Joyce stood up and said excitedly, ¡°Nat, are you going to expose Jasmine''s wrongdoing soon?¡± Chapter 353 Chapter 353 ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Aright, I get it. I''m going to get those items for you right now!¡± ¡°Please be quick,¡± Natalie reminded her again before hanging up the phone and entering the meeting room. In the meeting room, everyone had basically arrived. Even Jasmine and the two designers had also taken their seats. Natalie nced at them for a moment before walking toward her seat. As soon as she passed by Jasmine''s seat, Jasmine suddenly stretched her leg to block her way. Since Natalie was caught off-guard, she tripped over Jasmine''s leg. She screamed as her body was about to fall to the floor. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Those in the meeting room and live stream viewers were all stunned. However, only Jasmine''s lips quirked as she was looking forward to seeing Natalie injured severely due to the fall. Fortunately, her wish didn''te true. When Natalie was about to fall t on her face, a reporter noticed it and pulled Natalie up in the nick of time. With the reporter''s help, Natalie steadied herself pale-faced. After thanking the reporter, she turned around and nced at Jasmine coldly. ¡°You did it on purpose, didn''t you?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡°on purpose¡±?¡± Jasmine looked into her eyes and pretended not to understand what she said. Natalie clenched her fists and added, ¡°You purposely stretched your leg out to make me trip over it!¡± Instantly, everyone in the room was startled. ¡°Oh, I see. Ms. Natalie almost tripped over because Ms. Jasmine purposely stretched her leg at her.¡± ¡°It definitely is. The floor is t and there is no uneven level. She stumbled only because there was something that blocked her way.¡± ¡°Ms. Jasmine, you went overboard!¡± Although everyone in the room began to argue about it, Jasmine wasn''t panicked but even asserted smilingly, ¡°I admit that I stretched my leg. However, it was because my legs are tired after sitting here for quite some time. Besides, I have stretched my legs before you came. Instead, It was you who didn''t see my legs. How can you use me of doing it on purpose? Can I also im that you deliberately stumble to frame me?¡± Deep down, Jasmine knew that no one would notice that she stretched her legs. Also, it couldn''t be recorded by the live stream. In other words, there is no evidence to prove your im. What can you do to me, huh? Judging from her smug face, Natalie could guess what was on her mind. Natalie pursed her lips and gave her a cold-eyed stare, thinking about taking revenge against herter. At this time, Mr. Horner happened to arrive while holding some documents. After seeing themotion in the meeting room, he wore a grim expression and asked, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Sir, allow me to exin what happened,¡± An eloquent reporter immediately exined what went on earlier on. Mr. Horner fell silent after listening to the reporter''s exnation. Then, he nced at Jasmine coldly and said, ¡°I know that some less talented designers refuse to work hard and always resort to using underhanded ways. But I''m shocked to find out that they are also ck-hearted.¡± His words dropped a bombshell at everyone in the room and the live stream viewers. Everyone could tell that Mr. Horner was referring to Jasmine. After all, he hurled the usations when staring at her. No one expected that Mr. Horner would implicitly use Jasmine in such a way. Also, since Natalie almost stumbled, everyone began to look down upon Jasmine. Perhaps Ms. Natalie stumbled really because of her. Natalie''s lips curled into a smile as she could sense the dramatic change of perceptions toward Jasmine. Also, she opined that Mr. Horner said such things because he was informed of Jasmine''s giarism. Hence, Mr. Horner instantly believed that Jasmine purposely wanted Natalie to stumble after listening to the reporter. After all, since Jasmine dared to giarize works, would she stop trying other underhanded attempts?¡± As Natalie thought about it, she nced at Jasmine and mouthed a few words, ¡°You''re toast!¡± Jasmine''s face paled as soon as she got what Natalie said. She unknowingly gripped the handle of her chair tightly. Deep in her heart, Jasmine understood clearly that she was Mr. Horner''s target. However, she dared not to rebut his remark. After all, responding to it would be equivalent to admitting that Mr. Horner was referring to her. As such, she had no choice but to stay silent. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 At the same time, Jasmine began to feel panicked. Since Mr. Horner said that I resorted to some underhanded ways, could it be that he figured out what I have done? ¡°Alright, Ms. Natalie. Thepetition will start soon. Please have a seat,¡± Mr. Horner went to the stage and said. ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie replied affirmatively and sat in her same seat since the afternoon. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Mr. Horner had rxed a lot as he announced, ¡°Since everyone is here, allow me to announce the results of thepetition that took ce in the afternoon: fourth ce, Rina; third ce, Joseph; second ce, Jasmine!¡± Jasmine immediately looked up in disbelief once she heard her name. ¡°Why am I only in second ce?¡± Given that she was in second ce, the first ce naturally belonged to Natalie. Therefore, Jasmine couldn''t ept the dramatic turn of events. She couldn''t believe that she would lose to Natalie, given that her design wasposed of a combination of designs by several designers. In fact, even Natalie was shocked to hear the results. After all, because Jasmine giarized high-quality designs, Natalie was always in second ce ever since thepetition started. The results of thepetition were beyond her expectations, to say the least. ¡°What''s wrong? Are you dissatisfied with our judges or live stream viewers who cast their votes?¡± Mr. Horner red at Jasmine. Jasmine clenched her fists as she replied, ¡°No, but I''m confident about my design. In fact, my designs in the previous rounds are proven to be better than Natalie''s. Hence, I don''t think that I would lose to her. Mr. Horner, I request to show both of our blueprints to see why I lost.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± Mr. Horner snickered and instructed Liam to do as she said. Soon, both blueprints were exhibited on therge screen. Afterparing both works, everyone opined unanimously that the blueprint on the left was better than that on the right. The blueprint on the left was none other than Natalie''s work. Natalie couldn''t help but raise her eyebrow once she saw Jasmine''s blueprint. She understood why Jasmine lost to her in this round. At the same time, Jasmine''s face contorted in embarrassment because she could see the stark differences too. After a while, Mr. Horner pointed at Jasmine''s blueprint with a baton and asserted, ¡°To tell the truth, your design is great, yet it doesn''t look like a coherent piece of work. As you can see, the sleeves, leg openings, and cor designs are of totally different designs, making the set of garments resemble a cut-and-paste job. Youe in second ce only because the designs of these aspects are good separately. Otherwise, I''m afraid you wouldn''t be in second ce at all.¡± Jasmine was indignant at thement. Nevertheless, she opened her mouth but couldn''t find a suitable word to rebut his statement. It was because Mr. Horner''s remark reflected the truth, after all. When looking at her blueprint alone, she didn''t feel that it was a cut-and-paste product. However, it became obvious once it was beingpared with Natalie''s. As such, Jasmine could only clench her fists but didn''t utter a word. A momentter, Mr. Horner asked coldly, ¡°Do you have any otherments about the results?¡± Jasmine lowered her head and replied, ¡°No.¡± With that, Mr. Horner stopped entertaining her and continued giving his concluding remark for this round ofpetition. On the other hand, Natalie nced at Jasmine, who looked gloomy. She supported her head with an arm and sneered, ¡°Looks like you couldn''t copy the geist of the great designs and embarrassed yourself instead!¡± Immediately, Jasmine turned around and red at her with a stern face. ¡°Don''t be cocky. I might not have giarized well, but I still came in second ce and entered the finals anyway. Mark my words, I''ll not let you win again during the finals. The entry quota to the internationalpetition can only be mine.¡± ¡°In that case, I''m afraid you''ll be disappointed because you won''t win in the finals. Certainly, you won''t get the entry quota to the internationalpetition,¡± Natalie replied calmly and smilingly in the face of Jasmine''s provocation. On the other hand, Jasmine was immensely irritated by her smile and wished to tear her face apart. ¡°Well, let''s wait and see during the finals tomorrow...¡± ¡°I don''t think we have to wait till tomorrow. We can see each otherter in the finals,¡± Natalie waved her hand while interrupting her. Jasmine''s heart sank because Natalie''s words unknowingly sounded like a bad omen to her. She gave it some thought for a while and asked irritatedly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You''ll soon understand what I meant.¡± Natalie shed her a smile but didn''t answer her straightforwardly. Right after that, she ignored her and nced at the stage. Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Mr. Horner had finished his concluding remark and closed the document. Everyone thought that he was about to announce that thepetition was adjourned for today. Unexpectedly, he lifted the microphone and said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce some sudden changes to thepetition. Based on the itinerary, the finals are supposed to be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow. However, the National Design Association has decided to bring forward the finals by organizing it now.¡± ¡°What?¡± A look of disbelief crossed Jasmine''s face. Meanwhile, Natalie shrugged her shoulders and said, ¡°See? As I said, we don''t have to wait till tomorrow.¡± ¡°How do you know that the finals have been brought forward?¡± Jasmine asked as she squinted. ¡°I heard it from others,¡± Natalie answered casually as she tilted her head. ¡°From who?¡± Jasmine wanted to dwell on it. Again, Natalie shrugged and said, ¡°It''s none of your business. On the contrary, I suggest that you should be worried about the finalster.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Jasmine sneered and continued, ¡°Why should I be worried? The finals may be brought forward, yet the results will remain the same.¡± Given that Jasmine was well aware of the theme set by Mr. Horner, she had prepared the giarized design in advance. Therefore, she firmly believed that she would be the champion in the finals. ¡°Really? In that case, I wish you all the best!¡± Natalie stopped saying anything to her after shing her a scornful smile. Jasmine frowned at her reaction, thinking that Natalie was probably scheming against her. Am I just imagining things? When she was deep in thought, Mr. Horner continued his announcement. ¡°Apart from the current judges, we will add another group of judges in the finals. They are members of the National Design Association. Please wee them to the stage.¡± Once he finished, several people in suits walked into the meeting room. Natalie recognized them immediately. They were with Alfred just now. They walked towards the judges and took the seats at the back. Shortly afterward, another man in a suit came into the meeting room. He looked like a big shot. Although Natalie didn''t know him, she guessed that he was probably one of the higher-ups in the National Design Association. Just as expected, he went up to Mr. Horner directly and grabbed the microphone. When everyone was staring at him curiously, he introduced himself slowly, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I''m the director of the Supervision Department in the National Design Association. The president of the National Design Association has assigned me to decide the topic for the finals.¡± ¡°What? Jasmin''s eyes widened in surprise. He is going to decide on a new topic, recing the previous one set by Mr. Horner. So, does that mean I can''t use the designs that I have prepared in advance? Natalie seemed to have read Jasmine''s mind. Spinning a pen around her finger, she said, ¡°Looks like you can''t giarize from now on.¡± Disgruntled, Jasmine gazed at her with her bloodshot eyes and said, ¡°Did you know this earlier on?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard it too when they said that the finals would be brought forward.¡± Natalie put on a broader smile. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Jasmine''s body shivered as she thought of fleeing at the veryst minute. However, she didn''t have enough time to react as the director had announced the new topic. ¡°The topic for the finals is to design a set of garments based on an object. Now, please turn your attention to the screen.¡± Once he finished, everyone turned around to look at the screen. A few secondster, a set of priceless ruby jewelry was shown on the screen. No matter how the jewelry was judged based on its design or craftsmanship, it was undoubtedly delicate and outstandingly beautiful. As such, even the live stream viewers were astonished and kept complimenting it on thement section. Natalie was rather calm and unknowingly recalled the zing Heart that Shane gifted to her. Deep in her heart, zing Heart wasparable with the set of jewelry shown now, and its main ruby looked even purer. On the other hand, Jacqueline, who had woken up for quite some time, was also watching the live stream. Her eyes brimmed with excitement once she saw the jewelry. She immediately showed her phone to Shane, who was busy working, and asked, ¡°Shane, do you think the jewelry looks beautiful?¡± Shane took a sideways nce at it and said, ¡°Do you like it?¡± Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Jacqueline nodded and replied, ¡°I do, but I like zing Heart even more.¡± Shane''s eyes glinted once he heard ¡°zing Heart¡±. At the same time, she peeked at him but didn''t notice any change of emotions on his face. Then, she tried to sound him out. ¡°Shane, I heard that zing Heart is preciously stored in one of your jewelry shops as the most prized item. Is it true?¡± He raised his chin but didn''t answer her question directly. Instead, he asked, ¡°Do you want it?¡± ¡°Can I?¡± She anxiously clenched both of her fists, looking forward to his positive answer. A momentter, he lowered his gaze and replied straightforwardly, ¡°I think the jewelry that exudes aggressiveness doesn''t suit your personality. Moreover, I don''t think you will carry it well.¡± Deep in his heart, zing Heart could only match Natalie because she was aggressively beautiful and had a hot figure. Jacqueline was startled by his straightforward response. She slowly lowered her gaze to hide the sense of disappointment in her eyes and replied dejectedly, ¡°I see. Forget it then.¡± Knowing that she was downhearted, Shane pursed his lips and gave it some thought. ¡°More importantly, zing Heart had been sold to someone else. Nheless, I can still gift some jewelry with a softer undertone to you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jacqueline nodded in agreement. Shortly afterward, she shifted her gaze back to the live stream and changed the subject of conversation. ¡°I think Ms. Jasmine and Ms. Natalie are required to design a set of garments based on the jewelry in the finals.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Shane nced at her phone and replied, ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Great! I wish to recover as soon as possible and participate in a pianopetition on the stage like them,¡± she added hopefully while watching the live stream. He caressed her hair and asserted, ¡°You will.¡± ¡°I''m counting on that.¡± Jacqueline let out augh. Meanwhile, the director was giving a clear exnation of the rules of thepetition. Just as Jacqueline said, the contestants had to design a set of garments based on the jewelry that was shown on the screen. They were given two hours to finish the task. Also, the president instructed him to bring the jewelry here, hoping that the designers would have better inspiration by seeing the real object. The designers were allowed to look at it in the branch president''s office. Natalie''s eyes glowed once she heard it. She was confident enough to design a set of garments based on the picture; nevertheless, seeing the real jewelry would be even more helpful. After all, she could better observe the details and probablye up with a better design after looking at the real object instead of its picture. ¡°Director, I would like to take a look at it!¡± Natalie lifted her hand, requesting to see the jewelry. The director immediately agreed to it and asked the branch president to bring her to the office. Jasmine also requested to go along with her. However, she was extremely nervous deep down, as though she would go weak at the knees anytime. She understood that everyone in the room would fixate their gazes on her if she stayed here. With that, she would be under more pressure and couldn''t draw anything. On the contrary, she could probably get some fresh ideas by looking at the jewelry. Clinging to ast ray of hope, she took a deep breath to ovee her nervousness and calm herself down. They soon arrived at the branch president''s office. Natalie was deeply impressed by the jewelry, which was kept inside the st-resistant ss. She couldn''t help butpliment, ¡°It''s gorgeous.¡± It was a rare sight that Jasmine didn''t refute Natalie''sment. After all, she was equally stunned by its breathtaking beauty. Mr. Hornerughed and exined, ¡°This set of jewelry is named as Dazzling Light. It is the president''s personal collection. Also, it was originally designed as a pair with zing Heart.¡± ¡°zing Heart?¡± Natalie was startled. ¡°Oh? Do you know it?¡± Mr. Horner gazed at her. Meanwhile, Jasmine also shifted her gaze toward Natalie. Natalie''s eyes briefly flickered and replied smilingly, ¡°Yes, I''ve heard of it. But why are zing Heart and this set of jewelry a pair?¡± She was rather confused. Mr. Horner exined smilingly, ¡°That''s because they are both from the same red ruby series and produced by the same jewelry designer.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded her head, indicating that she understood it. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Jasmine looked up at the branch president, ¡°Mr. Horner, can we touch it?¡± Mr. Horner frowned the moment he heard her speak. ¡°No, this is a treasure that doesn''t belong to us. We are only allowed to look and by no means have the permission to touch it.¡± Jasmine''s expression changed but she didn''t say a word. Taking out her phone, Natalie asked, ¡°Mr. Horner, can we take a picture then?¡± ¡°Yes, you may.¡± Mr. Horner nodded. Natalie''s face lit up. ¡°That''s wonderful! By taking pictures from different angles, I can visualize how my design will look when matched with this set of jewelry.¡± Just as she spoke, she turned on her camera and started taking pictures around the ss casing. Not wanting to appear ipetent or unprofessional, Jasmine whipped out her phone and followed suit. In fact, she even blocked Natalie''s view while doing so. Realizing what Jasmine was up to, Natalie red at her. However, she decided to ignore Jasmine''s actions and focus on her work instead. When she was done taking photos, her phone suddenly rang. Checking the screen, she excused herself, ¡°Mr. Horner, I''ll need to take this.¡± ¡°Please go on.¡± Mr. Horner gestured for her to go ahead. cing her phone by her ear, Natalie answered in front of them, ¡°Joyce.¡± ¡°Nat, where are you? I have brought what you requested,¡± Joyce was standing at the entrance of the Design Association. ¡°I''m in the branch president''s office. Please wait for me. I''lle and get you right away.¡± After ending the call, she turned to Mr. Horner, ¡°Mr. Horner, my friend has brought over something really important.¡± Just as she spoke, Natalie gave Jasmine the side-eye. Mr. Horner noticed the minute gesture and understood immediately. With a stern expression, he waved her away. ¡°Go ahead ande back quickly.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± Natalie replied and left the office in a hurry. The moment she left, Jasmine moved her wheelchair forward. ¡°Mr. Horner, how can you let her roam around freely? Aren''t you worried that she might seek outside help to cheat in thepetition?¡± Sitting in his chair, Mr. Horner stared at her coldly, ¡°I''m not sure if she will do so, but I''m certain that you will.¡± Shaken by his words, a guilty look appeared on Jasmine''s face. ¡°Mr. Horner, I don''t understand what you''re talking about.¡± ¡°Since you don''t, let me refresh your memory. I have heard from other designers that you were involved in a few giarizing incidents. Is that true?¡± Mr. Horner squinted his eyes at her. Catching her breath, Jasmine averted her gaze by reflex. ¡°Mr. Horner, you must be joking. How can that be true? Those are just rumors spread by my enemies to malign me.¡± ¡°I see. It seems I have been wrong about you.¡± Mr. Horner nodded as if he believed her. Instead, he was scoffing in his heart. Fake rumors? Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Ms. Smith has all the evidence collected. How can it still be false? Unable to tell what Mr. Horner was thinking, Jasmine assumed that he believed her and heaved a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, she didn''t dare overstay her wee and took her leave. ¡°Mr. Horner, I have seen enough and taken the pictures I need. Hence, it''s time I return to thepetition venue.¡± ¡°Please go ahead.¡± Mr. Horner waved his hand. Jasmine wheeled herself out ordingly. The moment she left the room, she saw Natalie and Joyce walking in her direction. When Joyce saw her, she quickened her pace and stood in front of Jasmine. Folding her arms, she looked down at her in a condescending manner. ¡°Yo, it''s been a while, Jasmine. Why are you crippled all of a sudden?¡± Jasmine tightened her grip on the wheelchair. ¡°Are you here to mock me?¡± ¡°Ooof! You''re right. I''m here to do just that,¡± Joyce replied with augh. Natalie covered her mouth as she too couldn''t hold back herughter. Jasmine''s body trembled in response. ¡°You... you...¡± ¡°What about us? Please make it clear what it is you''re trying to say. Or did your ability tomunicate got crippled along with your legs?¡± Digging her ears, Joyce brazenly mocked her. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Jasmine''s eyes turned bloodshot as her body trembled violently. She red angrily at Joyce as if her eyes could spew venom. When she saw the change in Jasmine''s expression, Natalie stoppedughing and put on a serious expression. ¡°That''s enough Joyce, let''s not waste any more time with her. After all, she is now a cripple. In case she sets us up, there''s no way we can wash our hands of it.¡± ¡°You''re absolutely right. In that case, let''s stay away from her.¡± Just as she spoke, Joyce backed off at once. Natalie didn''t know whether tough or to cry. ¡°Fine, let''s go and see Mr. Horner now and pass the things to him.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Joyce nodded. Sidestepping Jasmine, she followed Natalie into Mr. Horner''s office. As Jasmine stared coldly at the closed door of the office, she swore to herself. I will never forgive those two! Just you wait, I will pay you back for today''s humiliation ten times over. With that, she left. Before she was gone long, Natalie and Joyce came out of the office after handing over the things Joyce had brought. ¡°Nat, I''ll return to the hospital first.¡± Joyce stretched herself. ¡°Wait, please take both the children with you. I still don''t know how long more thepetition will go on. Hence, I don''t feel secure having them stay here. After all, Jasmine is also here and may do something to the children,¡± Natalie exined with a concerned expression while massaging her temples. Joyce patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Alright, don''t worry too much. I''ll take them with me. Where are they now?¡± ¡°In the break room. Follow me.¡± Natalie guided Joyce. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. When they arrived, the children were watching cartoons. At the sight of Natalie and Joyce, they jumped in joy. ¡°Mommy! Aunt Joyce!¡± ¡°Hey, kids!¡± Natalie and Joyce each hugged one of them. Sitting in Natalie''s embrace, Connor asked, ¡°Mommy, has yourpetition ended?¡± ¡°It''s still early. The reason I came is to let Aunt Joyce take you with her.¡± Natalie pointed at Joyce. Joyce nodded. ¡°That''s right. Your mommy is worried that there''s no one to look after you. Hence, she wants you toe with me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Both Connor and Sharon nodded their heads. Although they preferred to stay with Natalie, they also didn''t want her to worry. When she saw how disappointed the children were, she let out a guilty sigh. ¡°Don''t worry. Once the competition is over, I''ll pick you up from the hospital. In the meantime, be good and listen to Aunt Joyce and Uncle Stanley.¡± ¡°We know, Mommy,¡± the children replied in unison. After putting Connor down, she pushed him toward Joyce. ¡°Joyce, thanks for watching over them. I''ll need to return to the conference room as thepetition is still ongoing.¡± ¡°Just go.¡± Joyce shooed her away with a smile. Acknowledging her, Natalie tousled the children''s heads and left. The moment she returned to the conference room, the director dered, ¡°Thepetition starts now. You have two hours.¡± Liam nodded and started the clock. After returning to her seat, Natalie took a deep breath. Unfolding a new piece of design paper, she closed her eyes and tried to let her inspiration flow. Meanwhile, Natalie was sitting nearby, separated by two empty seats. She was so nervous that she had broken into a cold sweat. At that moment, her mind drew a nk as she simply had zero inspiration. In fact, she couldn''t even think straight as she was unable to focus at all. All that filled her mind was her hatred for the director and the fact that he had changed the topic at the last minute. It resulted in her not being able to do anything. In contrast to Jasmine''s panic, Natalie looked extremely calm as if she wasn''t in apetition at all. Gradually opening her eyes, she let out a confident smile as she picked up her pencil. ¡°Shane, Ms. Smith seems to have found her inspiration,¡± watching the live stream, Jacqueline commented to the man sitting beside her bed. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Shane raised his head from theputer, revealing his dashing face. He didn''t look at her phone. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and remarked, ¡°I know. She is extremely talented in design. A trivialpetition like this isn''t much of a challenge for her.¡± ¡°You really are confident in her abilities,¡± Shanemented with an awkward smile. Shane returned his attention to hisputer. ¡°I''m not the only one. Her talent is good enough to inspire confidence from everyone.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jacqueline''s gaze darkened and didn''t say another word. After a while, when she saw that Natalie''s design was almost finished and all that was left was to color it, she took a screenshot while Shane wasn''t looking. After that, she flipped aside her nket. ¡°Shane,¡± Jacqueline blushed as she called out to Shane shyly. Shane looked at her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I want to go to the bathroom.¡± Jacqueline slid her phone back into her hospital gown. Shane saw her action but didn''t think too much of it. After putting hisptop aside, he helped her out of bed and into the bathroom. ¡°Will you be fine by yourself? If not, I''ll get the nurse to help you.¡± ¡°It''s alright.¡± Jacqueline waved with a gentle smile. ¡°Although I''m still weak, I can manage this.¡± Just as she spoke, she closed the bathroom door. After a few minutes, she came out and Shane helped her back to her bed. The moment she settled down, she retrieved her phone from her pocket and continued watching the live stream. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Back at thepetition venue, Natalie was coloring her design. As if her hands were dancing across the paper, she managed to do so at lightning speed. The more progress she made, the wider her smile became. When Jasmine saw how confident Natalie looked, she was overwhelmed by pressure and broke out in cold sweat. She was aware that Natalie''s design was about to bepleted while all she had was a nk piece of paper in front of her. Am I going to lose? Jasmine stared at the piece of paper in front of her in despair. Despite feeling indignant, there was nothing she could do as she just couldn''t draw anything. Suddenly, a reporter walked by and quickly threw a crumpled paper ball on top of her table. Unaware of what went through her mind, she covered it with her hand by reflex and turned to look at the reporter. He smiled at her and gestured for her to open it. After a slight hesitation, sheplied and unwrapped the paper ball discreetly. There was a message on it: Head for the washroom if you want to win. Jasmine''s eyes widened in shock as her heart began to race. Although she didn''t know what the reporter''s agenda was for helping her, she knew she had to take the risk if she wanted to win. With that thought in mind, Jasmine raised her hand. ¡°Sir!¡± Everyone turned to look at her, including Natalie who stopped coloring. Shane lowered her hand. ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡± ¡°Go, you have ten minutes.¡± The director frowned but agreed nheless. ¡°Okay.¡± Jasmine was delighted and wheeled herself out of the conference room. Natalie squinted her eyes as she watch her leave. Is she really going to the restroom at this point of time? After giving it some thought, she couldn''t tell if Jasmine really needed the restroom. Nevertheless, she didn''t think much about it and continued coloring her design. Even if she faked the need to use the washroom, Natalie couldn''t imagine what she could do within ten minutes. Seven to eight minutester, Jasmine returned. The despair that was previously on her face was reced by an energetic expression. She even managed to throw Natalie a look in a deviously triumphant manner. ¡°Hmm?¡± Noticing the change in Jasmine, Natalie furrowed her eyebrows and was filled with an inexplicable sense of dread. Chapter 360 Chapter 360 However, she couldn''t pin her finger on what it was but just knew that there was something wrong. Maintaining her vignce, Natalie continued with her coloring. Meanwhile, Jasmine had started drawing and her speed was extremely fast, to the extent it was on par with Natalie''s. Furthermore, she drew in an extremely secretive manner where the audience on the live stream could not see what she doing. Before long, the time for thepetition was up. ¡°Stop right now.¡± The director gently tapped the rostrum with his baton. Looking at Natalie and Jasmine, he instructed, ¡°Both of you, hand in your designs.¡± Natalie nodded and handed hers over followed by Jasmine. After that, both of them got off the stage. As the director prepared to look through their designs, he started with Natalie''s. She had designed a silver single shoulder gown with a long train that entuated the curvaceous figure of a woman. Combined with the red ruby, the silver-colored gown made a stunning visual impact, rendering it an exceptional piece of work. The director smiled in satisfaction and put her design aside. After that, he picked up Jasmine''s. However, the moment he saw it, his expression drastically changed. With a solemn expression, he asked, ¡°What is going on?¡± What''s going on? The crowd in the conference room and those on the live stream were all puzzled as they didn''t know what had outraged the director. Only Jasmine, who knew what was going on, let out a smile. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°What did you do this time?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Jasmine let out a sly smile as she refused to answer. On stage, the director posted both of their designs onto the big screen. At that very moment, everyone gasped in shock. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The two designs looked awfully simr to each other. Other than a slight difference to its train and color, everything else wasrgely the same. From what everyone could see, it could only mean one thing, one of them was giarizing. Natalie was so angry that she almost broke the pencil in her hand. As her fists clenched in rage, she dug her fingernails into her own flesh. Now, I know why Jasmine was so smug after going to the washroom. There is someone helping her to copy my design. ¡°Can the two of you tell me who was giarizing?¡± the director demanded as he red at both of them. Before Natalie could respond, Jasmine raised her hand to reply, ¡°Sir, she is the one that giarized.¡± Natalie scoffed at how preposterous the usation was. She looked at Jasmine with disgust. ¡°Me? Copy you? From the moment I sat down, I never left my seat. So tell me how I could have done that?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± the audience in the conference room nodded in agreement. Thements on the live stream were also of the opinion that Natalie didn''t giarize. ¡°Shane, it seems Ms. Natalie is caught in some trouble.¡± There was a sparkle in Jacqueline''s eye as she watched the live stream. However, she pretended to look worried for Natalie. ¡°What trouble?¡± Shane stopped typing and looked at her. When she saw how concerned he was for Natalie, Jacqueline''s gaze darkened as she clenched her phone tightly. Nevertheless, the gentleness of her voice didn''t betray her exasperation. ¡°There is some controversy between Ms. Natalie and your fianc¨¦e about giarizing. When they handed in their respective designs, both of them looked the same. The only difference was in their color and the train of the gown.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane squinted his eyes and snatched over her phone. Back at thepetition, Jasmine pursed her lips and snorted. ¡°What do you mean? Are you using me of giarism just because I left my seat?¡± ¡°You can''t deny the possibility, can you?¡± Natalie sprang to her feet, glowering. Jasmine held onto her belly as she burst intoughter. ¡°Aren''t you just making baseless usations? Even if I left my seat, it was only for a few minutes. What can I do then? Besides, I didn''t walk past you when I left and couldn''t have seen your design. How could I have copied yours?¡± Chapter 361 Chapter 361 ¡°That''s true.¡± Some of the crowd and those on the live stream felt she made sense too. Natalie stared at her coldly. ¡°You can''t see my design but everyone on the live stream could.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the audience leaked your design to me? Right when I was using the restroom?¡± Jasmine''s smile faded. Natalie thrust her chin forward without responding. Despite being shaken by Natalie''s correct guess, Jasmine was persistent in her denial. She smirked. ¡°Are you kidding me? What has the live stream audience got anything to do with me? Why must they help me? Besides, did you see me contact them? During thepetition, we''re not allowed to use our mobile devices.¡± ¡°That''s right. When Ms. Jasmine went out, I didn''t see her carrying her phone. Hence, there''s no way she canmunicate with anyone outside. Perhaps, Ms. Natalie may have made a mistake this time.¡± ¡°In that case, given that there''s no suspicion of giarism, wouldn''t this matter end in a stalemate? However, it''s still impossible for both of them to think of the exact same design, don''t you think so?¡± As the crowd started to debate, the live stream was also buzzing with spection. Leaning against her pillow, Jacqueline asked, ¡°Shane, who do you think is the one giarizing?¡± ¡°Jasmine!¡± Shane snapped without looking at her as his attention was focused on the developments in the live stream. Jacqueline''s eyes glistened for a moment. ¡°Why are you so sure? What if it wasn''t your fianc¨¦e but Natalie...¡± ¡°Natalie has talent. Why does she need to giarize?¡± Shane furrowed his eyebrows at her while there was a tinge of displeasure in his eyes. Jacqueline''s eyes narrowed as she clenched her fists underneath the nket. Did he just scowl at me because of Natalie? We grew up together and have known each other for our entire lives. And yet, I''m being sidelined over a woman he has only gotten to know for a few months? Jacqueline was devastated by his reaction but didn''t show it. All she expressed was the disappointment of being disagreed with. Lowering her gaze, she hid the underlying emotions in her eyes and replied, ¡°I was just guessing. Why do you need to snap at me about that?¡± Shane was stunned. Did I do that? Pursing his lips, Shane exined in a gentler tone, ¡°I''m sorry. I just want to exin that it''s impossible for Natalie to giarize. From the moment thepetition started, her design never left the view of the live stream. As for Jasmine, she didn''t have anything drawn before she went to the restroom. But once she returned, she suddenly knew what to do. Obviously, therein lies the problem.¡± Just as he spoke, he took out his phone. When Jacqueline saw what he was doing, she pressed his phone down with her hand. ¡°Shane, what are you doing?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Shane retracted his phone from underneath her. ¡°I want to find out the truth.¡± ¡°Are you helping Natalie?¡± Jacqueline squinted her eyes. Shane didn''t answer. Jacqueline bit her lip. ¡°Shane, why are you helping her? Do you have feelings...¡± Knowing what she was about to say, Shane was tempted to admit it. But when he saw how feeble she was, he recalled Jackson''s instructions to refrain from shocking her. Hence, he chose to deny it instead, ¡°No, I just admire her for her talent.¡± ¡°So that''s why.¡± Jacqueline smiled after being put at ease. Looking away, Shane gave the Design Association''s branch president a call. He instructed Mr. Horner to retrieve all the security footage of the building, including the time Jasmine went to the restroom. As long as they could narrow down the people who used the restroom during that duration, they would likely find evidence of Jasmine giarizing. Mr. Horner was naturally aware of what was going on. Hence, after receiving Shane''s instructions, he ordered Walford to investigate at once. After ending the call, Shane''s mood improved significantly as he continued watching the live stream on Jacqueline''s phone. In the meantime, Jacqueline was quietly observing him. When she saw the meticulous way he ordered the investigation, she knew that Jasmine was done for. Hence, she couldn''t help but curse Jasmine in her heart. Chapter 362 Chapter 362 She is utterly useless! After going through so much to help Jasmine, she assumed that Jasmine could use the opportunity to ruin Natalie. Instead, she was so ipetent that she hardly aplished anything. Back at thepetition, the giarism incident between Natalie and Jasmine grew so controversial that it became the top trending topic on social media. As for the live stream, the audience watching it kept increasing. At the rate it was going, the controversy was going to have a negative impact on the reputation of the Design Association. ¡°Which one of you was the one who giarized?¡± The director snapped as he mmed the rostrum in anger. Natalie clenched her fists when she saw how smug Jasmine was, as if she wasn''t afraid of the repercussion of her actions. As there was no evidence to prove that Jasmine had copied her work, she had no choice but to reveal the proof of Jasmine''s earlier giarism. She believed that once she exposed them, the truth would automatically reveal itself. Taking a deep breath, Natalie prepared to raise her hand to speak. However, Mr. Horner barged in suddenly and whispered something to the director, causing him to raised his eyebrow in surprise. After that, the director vacated the rostrum. Standing at the rostrum, Mr. Horner scanned the crowd and announced, ¡°With regards to today''s competition, I''m sure everyone is dying to know who was the one that giarized. Now, let me tell you the answer. That person is... Jasmine Smith!¡± He pointed at Jasmine as he spoke. Jasmine''s eyes widened in shock and the smugness she had a moment ago was wiped off her face. Stunned, she demanded with a shrieking voice, ¡°Mr. Horner, what gives you the right to use me of giarism?¡± ¡°What gives me the right? The evidence of course!¡± Mr. Horner sneered at her. Natalie''s eye lit up. ¡°Mr. Horner, do you really have proof?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Mr. Horner nodded before pping his hands twice. The next moment, Walford dragged a fearful lookingdy in. Jasmine''s face was drained of color the moment she saw thedy. How... how can that be? How did she get herself caught? Unable to hide her reaction, it was noticed by everyone present. When they saw her panicking expression, it was obvious to everyone that she was the one who copied the design. ¡°It appears Ms. Jasmine and thisdy are acquainted.¡± Natalie pursed her lips as she scoffed, her voice reverberating throughout the room. However, Jasmine was adamant in her denial, ¡°I... I don''t know her. I really don''t.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you really not know her? However, I can see from her gaze that she obviously knows you.¡± Natalie remarked with a cold smirk on her face. At the same time, Mr. Horner red at thedy and pressed on, ¡°Speak, do you know Jasmine?¡± On the brink of tears from fear, thedy nodded. ¡°I do. She was the one I passed the designs to.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Since when did you do it?¡± Jasmine roared at her with an ashen expression. Thedy stared at Jasmine, ¡°Half an hour ago in the restroom. I printed out Ms. Natalie''s design from a screenshot and gave it to you. At that time, the design still wasn''t colored yet. Hence, you even commented that you can changed the colors yourself.¡± ¡°That''s b*llshit!¡± Jasmine grimaced as she refused to admit it. But it was obvious to everyone that she was in a sinking ship. No longer bothered with Jasmine, Natalie walked up the stage to approach thedy. Lifting her chin, she demanded, ¡°Why did you help her?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Thedy averted her gaze and refused to answer. Squinting her eyes and clenching her fists, she questioned again, ¡°Answer me! Why did you help her?¡± ¡°I... I had no choice because she was threatening me!¡± With her eyes closed, thedy eximed out of desperation. Ignoring her broken leg, Jasmine stood up with the support of the table. She roared, ¡°You''re lying! Since when did I threaten you? When you gave me the design, I didn''t even know who you are!¡± Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Jasmine rathered admit to giarizing Natalie than being framed for threatening thedy. ¡°Is she telling the truth? Does she really not know you?¡± Natalie gave thedy a doubtful look. Thedy shook her head vehemently. ¡°Yes, we didn''t know each other prior to this. Before the competition started, she paid me a sum of money to monitor the live stream. Once Ms. Natalie''s drawings were out, I was to download them and wait for her in the restroom.¡± ¡°I didn''t!¡± Jasmine was so angry that her heart was palpitating. Since when did I do that? Didn''t she approach me in the first ce? Natalie looked at Jasmine and then thedy before lowering her head in thought. After a few seconds, she raised her gaze and asked, ¡°Since Jasmine had you wait for her in the restroom, how did you know when she would be there?¡± Thedy pointed at one of the reporters in the reporters'' area. ¡°It''s him. He was also watching the live stream. When you finished your drawing, he walked by Jasmine and tossed a paper ball to her, informing her to see me in the restroom.¡± ¡°So that''s how!¡± Natalie nodded while Jasmine turned her attention to Mr. Horner, staring daggers at him. At the same time, Mr. Horner ordered Walford to bring the reporter over. Resigned to his fate, the reporter didn''t struggle and allowed himself to be brought forward. ¡°Were you also bribed by her to do this?¡± Mr. Horner demanded to know while pointing at Jasmine. The reporter nce at Jasmine before nodding. ¡°Yes... yes, I was.¡± ¡°You... all of you...¡± Jasmine''s body trembled violently as she was consumed by rage. Supporting herself on the table, the veins on her hands began to bulge. After a while, she came to a sudden realization and burst into heartyughter. It was filled with both mockery and anger. ¡°I understand now. Both of you must be working together to sabotage me. And yet, there I was telling myself that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The mastermind behind you is really vicious!¡± ¡°Mastermind? What do you mean?¡± Mr. Horner inquired with his eyebrows furrowed. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. As for Natalie, her eyes shed with a sudden understanding. She knew Jasmine very well and could see that she wasn''t lying. Thedy and the reporter were indeed not bribed by her, but by someone else who wanted to help her. Once they were exposed, their priority was to smear Jasmine by pushing all the me onto her, forcing her to take responsibility. Their real purpose was to hide the true perpetrator who instructed them. ¡°Both of them used me to ruin Natalie under instructions of whomever the mastermind is. In the event they failed, I would be the only one to suffer. The cruel joke was that I had fallen into their trap without giving it much thought as I was simply tempted by the opportunity to beat Natalie,¡± Jasmine replied in a self-deprecating manner while ring at thedy and the reporter. Both the crowd and the audience on the live stream were shocked. No one had expected there to be a web of schemes behind a trivial giarism incident. It was an intriguing drama indeed. ¡°Have you really been bought off by someone else who wants to ruin Ms. Natalie?¡± Mr. Horner interrogated thedy and the reporter. Both of them exchanged nces and quickly wave their hands in denial. ¡°No, No. There''s no mastermind manipting us other than Jasmine Smith.¡± Just as they spoke, both of their eyes glistened in fear which was caught by Natalie. Furrowing her eyebrows, she had an epiphany. From the looks of it, the mastermind had something to threaten both of them with. Hence, they would never give up the identity of their employer and there was no point asking any further. Given how the mastermind used Jasmine to ruin her, it was evident that there was bad blood between them. Natalie wondered if the mastermind was the true perpetrator behind the loss of the fabrics in their studio and the fire at the warehouse. ¡°It''s alright Mr. Horner. There''s no need to ask any further since they have denied it.¡± Natalie stopped him. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Jasmine was outraged and stared daggers at Natalie. ¡°Why are you stopping? I need to get to the bottom of this. I can''t let them frame me for no reason!¡± ¡°Did they frame you?¡± Natalie stared at Jasmine coldly. ¡°Isn''t it a fact they made a copy of the design for you? Haven''t you conspired together with them?¡± ¡°That''s different. They...¡± ¡°There''s no difference!¡± Natalie interrupted with her lips pursed. ¡°No matter whose instructions they were following, I''m still the victim while you did ept their help and copied my design.¡± Since they couldn''t get the two to reveal who the mastermind was, she might as well let Jasmine shoulder all the me. After all, someone needs to be held ountable in the end. With that thought in mind, Natalie walked toward Mr. Horner and whispered something to him. Mr. Horner nodded and waved for Walford to take thedy and the reporter away. After that, he picked up the mic to announce, ¡°Alright, now that the truth has been revealed, I hereby dere the winner of thepetition to be Natalie Smith. As for Jasmine Smith, she has been disqualified!¡± Everyone turned to look at Jasmine whose face had lost all color. Lowering her head as she tried to avert her gaze. All she wanted now was the ground to open up and swallow her or for someone to rescue her from the scene. However, no one came to her rescue and she had no choice but to stand there and be ridiculed. To rub salt in her wounds, she still had to watch as Natalie epted the honors of winning thepetition. The bitterness she felt was worse than death itself. Finally, thepetition ended with Natalie smiling on stage with her prize which was the entry form for the internationalpetition. Right on the spot, she filled in the form and handed it in. While she was doing so, everyone in the conference room stood up and apuded her. Even the live stream was flooded with congrattory messages. Meanwhile, Jacqueline watched the live stream feeling envious and jealous at the same time. ¡°Ms. Natalie is really awesome!¡± Before her ident, she would also receive the same amount of apuse after her pianopetitions. In fact, the reception she received would be even raucous than that. Unfortunately, apuse aside, she couldn''t even y the piano anymore. Shane didn''t utter a word. Instead, he furrowed his eyebrows as if he was deep in thought. When Jacqueline noticed his response, she couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Shane, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°I''m just thinking about the person who bribed those two,¡± Shane replied, massaging his temples. Jacqueline''s eyes sparkled briefly but she quickly recovered herposure. ¡°It was probably Ms. Jasmine''s scheme in preventing Ms. Natalie from winning thepetition.¡± ¡°Or perhaps, there is more than meets the eye.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Jacqueline''s smile gradually faded. ¡°Shane, what do you n to do? Can it be that you''re nning to help Ms. Natalie find out who it is?¡± Shane didn''tment but that was exactly what he had in mind. Jacqueline lowered her gaze to hide the frustration in her eyes. ¡°So what happens if you find out? What will you do to that person?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Hmm?¡± Shane squinted his eyes. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°I''m just curious, that''s all.¡± Jacqueline waved her hands with a chuckle. Shane remarked, ¡°That person tried to hurt her. Hence, it''s up to her how she wants to deal with it.¡± ¡°Shane, you really do seem to have feelings for her.¡± Jacqueline''s smile melted away. However, Shane didn''t respond to herment. She took a deep breath. ¡°In that case, have you ever considered that your concern for her has made her a target?¡± Shane''s pupils contracted as he gave her a thoughtful look. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Jacqueline stared back at him with an indifferent expression. ¡°I''m just randomly guessing. Anyway, let''s drop this and continue watching thepetition. Ms. Natalie seems to have something to say.¡± She pointed to the live stream and changed the topic. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 While she was doing so, everyone in the conference room stood up and apuded her. Even the live stream was flooded with congrattory messages. Meanwhile, Jacqueline watched the live stream feeling envious and jealous at the same time. ¡°Ms. Natalie is really awesome!¡± Before her ident, she would also receive the same amount of apuse after her piano competitions. In fact, the reception she received would be even raucous than that. Unfortunately, apuse aside, she couldn''t even y the piano anymore. Shane didn''t utter a word. Instead, he furrowed his eyebrows as if he was deep in thought. When Jacqueline noticed his response, she couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Shane, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°I''m just thinking about the person who bribed those two,¡± Shane replied, massaging his temples. Jacqueline''s eyes sparkled briefly but she quickly recovered herposure. ¡°It was probably Ms. Jasmine''s scheme in preventing Ms. Natalie from winning thepetition.¡± ¡°Or perhaps, there is more than meets the eye.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Jacqueline''s smile gradually faded. ¡°Shane, what do you n to do? Can it be that you''re nning to help Ms. Natalie find out who it is?¡± Shane didn''tment but that was exactly what he had in mind. Jacqueline lowered her gaze to hide the frustration in her eyes. ¡°So what happens if you find out? What will you do to that person?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Shane squinted his eyes. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°I''m just curious, that''s all.¡± Jacqueline waved her hands with a chuckle. Shane remarked, ¡°That person tried to hurt her. Hence, it''s up to her how she wants to deal with it.¡± ¡°Shane, you really do seem to have feelings for her.¡± Jacqueline''s smile melted away. However, Shane didn''t respond to herment. She took a deep breath. ¡°In that case, have you ever considered that your concern for her has made her a target?¡± Shane''s pupils contracted as he gave her a thoughtful look. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Jacqueline stared back at him with an indifferent expression. ¡°I''m just randomly guessing. Anyway, let''s drop this and continue watching thepetition. Ms. Natalie seems to have something to say.¡± She pointed to the live stream and changed the topic.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Chapter 366 Chapter 366 At that moment, Shane didn''t respond as he stared at Jacqueline in a probing manner. However, he didn''t notice anything amiss and returned his attention to the live stream. Perhaps, the awkwardness that he sensed from Jacqueline was just a figment of his imagination. Back at thepetition, Natalie nodded at Mr. Horner before epting the mic that was handed to her. The room fell into a silence as everyone knew she had something to say. ¡°Hello, hello?¡± Natalie tested the mic to make sure her voice was getting through. After she was satisfied, she spoke with a smile on her face, ¡°Hello everyone, I''m sure all of you are curious as to what I have to say.¡± The audience below the stage nodded. Natalie looked in Jasmine''s direction and continued, ¡°I want to talk about what happened with Jasmine.¡± Jasmine''s heart skipped a beat as she was suddenly overwhelmed by fear, causing her to feel as if she was sitting on pins and needles. Grabbing on tightly to her wheelchair, her fingers had lost all color. ¡°Why do you need to talk about me? Natalie, what are you nning to do? You have already ruined me and yet you still want to do it again?¡± Jasmine screamed as she stared daggers at Natalie. Natalie maintained her smile. ¡°You''re right. However, I wasn''t the one to destroy you. Instead, you brought this upon yourself. What I''m going to share with everyone happened before thepetition. I want to expose you for the giarist that you are. Not only did you copy my design just now, but you have also been giarizing on a massive scale all this while. Please look at the screen!¡± Just as she spoke, the screen lit up with aparison of designs. Jasmine''s designs were shown on the left while those belonging to other famous designers were ced on the right. Other than the difference in names, the designs werergely the same except for minor changes in color and motifs. In total, there were tens of designs involved which shocked everyone. Staring at the designs, Jasmine felt as if she was on the brink of hysteria. Ignoring her broken leg, she stood up in desperation and screamed, ¡°Stop looking! All of you are not allowed to look! Close your eyes! Close them now!¡± However, no one paid heed to her words. ¡°Hey, aren''t those designs from earlier in thepetition? I can''t believe even those were giarized. Furthermore, one of them even belongs to Daphne.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Exactly. Also, more than ten of them were used by her to participate in the Golden Feather Awards. It now appears that they were all copied from the famous international designer Mina.¡± ¡°There''s more! I''m familiar with that particr series. I remember she used them in other design competitions. It''s now obvious that she has been giarizing all this while. It goes to show that she hardly has any original designs at all.¡± Jasmine trembled violently when she heard the crowd gossiping about her. ring at Natalie with her bloodshot eyes, she had the sudden urge to tear her into pieces. How dare she! Cognizant of what was going through Jasmine''s mind, Natalie locked gazes with her without fear. In fact, she even chuckled. ¡°Everyone, your assumptions are correct. The real authors of the designs are those that I have credited on the screen. My friend and I have painstakingly coted all this evidence over time.¡± It was especially troublesome for Ms. Daphne, who had to dig out her original drawing for one of her old designs and send over the digital copy when she found out Jasmine had giarized it. When Shane heard Natalie mention the word ¡°friend¡±, he knew that she was talking about him. After all, he was the one who coted most of the evidence. The reason she mentioned him was to ord him proper credit. She''s such a silly girl, even if she took all credit, I wouldn''t have minded at all. Shane chucked to himself and he shook his head. However, he was upset at beingbeled as a friend. Although he was aware that she saw him as such, he still felt the sting whenever she said it out loud. ¡°Ms. Natalie, did you know Jasmine was giarizing all this while?¡± a reporter asked. Jasmine turned around and gave the reporter a venomous re. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Taken aback by her fearsome stare, the reporter cringed while trying to avoid eye contact. ¡°Yes. I did.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°That''s why I have been collecting evidence from behind the scenes and nned to expose her during the finals today. However, I didn''t expect Jasmine to be so daring as to copy my designs today. Hence, the more the reason I should not let her get away with it. After all, all of us have a responsibility for calling out giarism when we see any.¡± The moment she finished, everyone burst intoughter. However, to Jasmine, it sounded as if they were mocking her. Unable to endure the humiliation, she let out a hysterical scream, shocking everyone present. Natalie was aware that Jasmine was mentally broken by now. After all, anyone in her position would react the same way after being exposed in front of an audience of millions. Mr. Horner was also cognizant of how emotionally unstable Jasmine was at that moment. Hence, he instructed Liam to escort her to the medical room to allow her to calm down. Liam nodded in acknowledgement and did as he was told. Before she even left, Jasmine fainted right away. This time, she wasn''t faking it as her face had turned ashen. When Jasmine fainted yesterday, there were many that were worried for her. But today, none of them were concerned. Instead, all they felt was pity. After Jasmine left, Natalie cleared her throat and continued. ¡°Despite the perpetrator having fainted, we still have to talk about her punishment.¡± Her expression grew solemn. ¡°Due to her repeated abuses, Jasmine has not only gone against the most important principle within the designmunity but has also broken thew. Therefore, the National Design Association has decided to cklist her. From now on, she will be forbidden to take on any design-rted jobs.¡± Just as she spoke, apuse rang out from the crowd. Everyone felt that it was a deserving punishment. After all, it was natural to expect anyone who giarized to be cklisted. Natalie then gestured everyone to be quiet before she continued, ¡°Furthermore, I will also file a police report and press charges in court so that we can pursue the matter to the end. I vow to w back all the profits she made from giarizing and return them to their rightful owners.¡± ¡°That''s the right thing to do,¡± the crowd shouted. ¡°Thank you for all your support.¡± Natalie bowed and returned the mic to Mr. Horner. Before dering the end of the event, Mr. Horner reminded all the other designers to let the incident serve as a warning to stay vignt and not betray their principles as a designer. With that, the reporters rushed out of the venue, hoping to return to their office and get the article out as soon as possible. After all, they had stumbled upon the biggest giarism scandal in the domestic designmunity, which would generate enough headline news for them tost a while. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Soon, everyone in the conference room left. Putting down the mic, Mr. Horner looked at Natalie. ¡°Follow me to my office. I have something for you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Despite having some doubts, Natalie nodded without rifying them. At that moment, a delivery boy brought in a bouquet of red roses, which were still fresh with dew, to the entrance of the conference room. Holding the receipt that needed to be signed, he knocked on the door and asked, ¡°May I know who Ms. Natalie Smith is?¡± ¡°It''s for you.¡± Mr. Horner puffed his cheeks andughed in amusement. ¡°The flowers are probably from your boyfriend or admirer.¡± Natalie didn''t know whether tough or to cry. ¡°Stop teasing me Mr. Horner. I''m already a mother of two and do not have any boyfriends nor admirers.¡± ¡°You have kids?¡± Mr. Horner stared at her in disbelief. She has a very good figure with curves in all the right ces. She doesn''t look like someone that has given birth before at all. ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded at Mr. Horner before approaching the delivery boy. ¡°Hi, I''m Natalie Smith.¡± When the delivery boy saw her, his eyes glistened in awe at how pretty she was. ¡°Ms. Smith, these flowers are for you.¡± ¡°Who sent them?¡± Natalie looked at the flowers and asked without epting them. It was a bouquet of red velvet roses which was the most expensive of all. It was usually out of reach of ordinary folk. Chapter 368 Chapter 368 It was obvious the person who sent the roses wasn''t just anyone ordinary. ¡°It''s a...¡± Just when the delivery boy was replying, Natalie''s phone suddenly rang. After excusing herself, she nced at her phone and saw that it was Shane who was calling. Despite hesitating for a moment, she answered in the end. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Have you received the flowers?¡± Shane''s maic voice was heard over the line. Natalie''s hair stood on end as she couldn''t help but rub her arms. ¡°So, you were the one who sent them.¡± ¡°Yes, they''re from me.¡± Shane nodded. Touching the rose petals, Natalie asked quizzically, ¡°Mr. Shane, why did you send me flowers?¡± ¡°I wanted to congratte you for winning thepetition,¡± Shane replied with a smile. Smiling inly, Natalie''s racing heart began to calm down. ¡°I see. In that case, thank you.¡± ¡°You''re wee. Since I don''t know what flowers you prefer, I decided to get you roses. Do you like them?¡± He really didn''t know which were her favorite flowers. He was of the opinion that as long as they were red, they would be a good match for her. Besides, red roses had always been a symbol of a woman''s beauty, hence it was his first choice. ¡°Yes, they''re lovely.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s good.¡± Shane''s nervous heart began to rx. As it was the first time he had sent flowers to someone, he was naturally worried that she wouldn''t like them. Suddenly, the door flung opened and Jackson walked out. When he saw Shane on the phone, he lowered his voice and reported, ¡°I''ve just given Jacqueline an injection. She''s calling for you probably because it''s a little painful. Why don''t you stay with her for a while? You can leave once she falls asleep.¡± Shane grunted in acknowledgment. Although Natalie couldn''t hear what Jackson said, she recognized his voice over the line. Hence, she remarked, ¡°Mr. Shane, is that Dr. Baker? Why don''t you go ahead with whatever you''re busy with? I still need to talk to Mr. Horner to tie up some loose ends.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane nodded.¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± Natalie ended the call with a smile. After putting her phone away, she extended her hands to the delivery boy. ¡°Give them to me.¡± He handed the flowers to her together with the receipt to sign. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. After getting Natalie''s signature, he went on his way. Holding the big bouquet of flowers, she followed Mr. Horner into his office. There were a total of ny-nine roses in it. When tied into a bouquet, it was a big, beautiful bunch. As the bouquet was heavy, Natalie struggled to carry it around. Swaying as she walked, her view was blocked by it, forcing her to keep her eyes on the ground. Along the way, the sight of her carrying the flowers attracted many onlookers. When they finally reached Mr. Horner''s office, she put the flowers down and heaved a sigh. Massaging her arms, she took a seat while grimacing from the soreness. Mr. Horner poured her a ss of water. ¡°Shouldn''t you be happy that someone fancies you? Why the glum face?¡± Natalie lifted her ss to take a sip. ¡°Mr. Horner, who might that be?¡± ¡°The person who sent you the roses. Why else would he send you these flowers?¡± Mr. Horner replied with a smile. ¡°Even an old guy like me knows that you don''t just give anyone roses, especially red ones. You only give them to the ones you either like or are lovers with.¡± Shaking her head, Natalie didn''t know whether tough or to cry. ¡°But Mr. Horner, you''re wrong this time as he doesn''t fancy me. He sent me the flowers because he appreciates my talent in design. After all, he is someone cold and doesn''t know much about the nuances of such gifts. Hence, he assumes that he can just send roses to any woman he knows. ¡°Alright, alright. I don''t understand how young people think nowadays. Do you know why I have called you here?¡± Mr. Horner looked at her. After giving it some thought, she replied, ¡°I presume it has something to do with Jasmine?¡± ¡°You''re right. She is finished this time. The National Design Association will notify all the designers that she had giarized. If they intend to press charges, she will definitely be sentenced to prison for at least three years.¡± ¡°She made her bed and must lie in it. Her fate was sealed from the moment she started giarizing,¡± Natalie inly replied as she turned her cup around. Chapter 369 Chapter 369 She had no sympathy for Jasmine at all. All the designs were the result of painstaking efforts by their original designers. Jasmine had misused them for her own selfish gains and deserved to be punished ordingly. ¡°The reason I''m telling you this is that I hope you will be a witness in court, given that you have provided all the evidence against her,¡± Mr. Horner exined with a smile. Natalie nodded. ¡°Don''t worry, I will.¡± ¡°That''s good. Furthermore, the internationalpetition will begin in two months'' time. Hence, you will need to prepare yourself to make both our country and J City proud.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Natalie nodded. Suddenly, something urred to her that caused her to ask, ¡°By the way Mr. Horner, you mentioned that you had something to give me. What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± Mr. Horner tapped on his forehead. ¡°Age is catching up with me. My memory isn''t what it used to be.¡± While he was speaking, he opened his drawer. From it, he took out a box along with a certificate and handed them to her. Natalie received them curiously. When she opened the box, she saw a medal inside, causing her curiosity to intensify. After that, her eyes widened when she looked through the contents of the certificate. ¡°The winner of the Golden Feather Awards, Mina? Mr. Horner, you...¡± ¡°You must be surprised at how I know you''re Mina, right?¡± Mr. Horner chuckled as he looked at her. Natalie nodded. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Mr. Horner adjusted his reading sses. ¡°It was Mercede who called me the day before to inform me of it. After that, Mr. Moore told me about Jasmine''s giarism case yesterday afternoon. He said that she won the Golden Feather Awards by copying Mina''s design. Now that I know you''re Mina, I...¡± ¡°That''s why you told the organizers of the Golden Feather Awards about it?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows. Mr. Horner replied with a smile. ¡°That''s right. They decided on the spot to urgently produce a medal and certificate for you. Since Jasmine''s design actually belongs to you, they must have already updated the Golden Feather Awards official website with your name as the winner.¡± Feeling emotional, Natalie hugged the medal and certificate tightly. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Horner.¡± ¡°Don''t thank me. They belong to you from the very beginning. Just do your best for the uing internationalpetition.¡± Mr. Horner patted her on the shoulder. Natalie naturally agreed. After that, she took her leave from Mr. Horner and prepared to pick up her kids from the hospital. However, the moment she left the Design Association''s building, she stopped in her tracks when she saw a group of people not far from her. Right before her eyes, Jasmine and Susan were surrounded. Within that group were a few reporters with cameras and two police officers in uniform. The police officers, of which one was male while the other female, were staring at them with exasperated expressions. ¡°Ms. Sullivan, please step aside!¡± ¡°No, I won''t!¡± Susan was just like a protective mother hen, spreading her arms in front of Jasmine. She screamed at the police officers angrily, ¡°I won''t allow you to take my daughter away!¡± ¡°Ms. Sullivan, we are just carrying out our duty. I strongly advise you to step aside,¡± the male officer warned her with a solemn expression. Susan shook her head vehemently. ¡°No, I won''t stand for it. How can I allow you to arrest my daughter!¡± ¡°If you don''t move aside, we can arrest you for obstruction of justice, do you know that?¡± the female officer threatened angrily. Paying no heed to them, Susan hugged Jasmine whose head was lowered while sitting in her wheelchair. Despite the heartbreaking mother-daughter scene in front of her, Natalie walked toward them with a smirk. Putting her flowers and bag aside, she remarked, ¡°Officers, you don''t have to be patient with those that obstruct you from carrying out your duty. Just go ahead and arrest both of them.¡± When she heard Natalie''s voice, Jasmine looked up with her eyes filled with animosity. Susan reacted the same way. Releasing Jasmine, she waved her hands angrily as she tried to grab Natalie. ¡°Natalie, you wench! I''m not going to let you off for harming my daughter!¡± Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Natalie frowned as she stepped aside to avoid Susan''s attack. With Natalie moving away, Susan grasped at thin air, causing her to lose her bnce and fall forward. With her knees crashing to the ground, she cried out in pain as the skin by her kneecaps split open. Everyone else was stunned. Regaining their senses, the two solemn-looking officers couldn''t help but burst intoughter. As for the reporters, they were even crueler as they began snapping away at Susan''s pitiful predicament. Meanwhile, Jasmine stared coldly at Susan, her eyes filled with annoyance and resentment. She is nothing but a fool. Not only did she miss hitting Natalie, she even made a fool of herself by falling. What an embarrassment! Natalie walked toward Susan and looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. ¡°It''s not even Christmas yet and you are already giving me such a huge present by being on your knees. I can''t ept it so please get up.¡± Just as she spoke, Natalie reached out her hand, pretending to offer her help to stand. ¡°I don''t need your help!¡± Susan pped her hand away as she endured the pain to stand up by herself. Right after she got up, Susan''s eyes glistened when she realized Natalie was close enough to her. The very next moment, she hurled her palm forcefully in Natalie''s direction to p her. With her pupils contracting, Natalie flinched by reflex. Although her face avoided Susan''s hand, the pnded on her shoulder instead. The crack from the p was exceptionally loud and crisp. Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events. Only Jasmine burst into triumphantughter. Susan''s p was so strong that Natalie felt her shoulder burn and it felt terribly painful. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! If not for her quick response, Susan''s p would havended on her face and the impact would have disfigured her. Holding that thought, Natalie''s eyes filled with rage while her expression turned icy cold. ¡°Officer, I want to report her for assault!¡± Natalie had one hand on her shoulder while the other pointed at Susan. Before the police officers could respond, Susan shrieked in panic, ¡°You little b**tch! What are you babbling about? What do you mean assault? All I did was give you a p and you''re using me of assault?¡± Shooting a nce at Jasmine who was frowning, Natalie sneered, ¡°Jasmine and you are obviously alike given how easily both of you are willing to break thew. Let me educate you, Susan. As long as you touch me, it is considered assault. Do you understand?¡± ¡°She is right. By hitting her, she can press charges against you for assault. In fact, if her injuries are found to be serious, you will be put in administrative detention for at least five to ten days,¡± the female officer stepped forward to exin as she had had enough of Susan. Susan''s face lost all color as her voice trembled in response. ¡°How... how can that be?¡± All I did was p Natalie, why do I have to be arrested now? ¡°Officer, please arrest both of them while I head to the hospital to have my injury evaluated. After that, I will send you the medical report,¡± Natalie remarked to the officers with a smile. Both the police officers nodded and took Jasmine and Susan away. When they were leaving, Jasmine turned around and red angrily at Natalie, as if she was searing that very moment into her mind. However, Natalie didn''t care. She waited for the patrol car to leave before letting her smile turn into a grimace. After that, she turned her head and pulled the top off her shoulder to check. When a big patch of reddened skin greeted her, Natalie couldn''t help but catch her breath. Susan''s p was so vicious that her shoulder was already swollen. She figured it would take at least one to two weeks to heal. Just you wait, I will make sure Susan is detained by the police. Holding that thought, Natalie pulled back her top and picked up the flowers and bag before walking toward her car. After half an hour, she arrived at the hospital and went to see Stanley right away. When she got to his ward, she only saw Stanley and the two children while Joyce was nowhere to be found. Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Both the children were sleeping soundly on the sofa, covered in a nket. Natalie couldn''t help but smile before looking toward the hospital bed. ¡°Stanley.¡± ¡°Nat, you''re here.¡± Stanley put down his book and smiled gently at Natalie. Natalie grunted in acknowledgment, before closing the door gently. ¡°Where''s Joyce?¡± Stanley''s smile faded a little. ¡°Something urgent happened at home, so her parents wanted her to go back.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded as she sat beside the bed. Recovering his smile, Stanley remarked, ¡°Congrattions on winning thepetition, Nat.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie tousled her hair. Stanley put his book by the bed. ¡°I suddenly have the urge to go. Nat, can you help me to the bathroom?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Natalie replied as she helped him up. The moment his legs touched the ground, Stanley ced his hand on Natalie''s shoulder, causing her to suddenly yelp in pain. When Stanley heard it, the calm in his eyes was suddenly reced by panic. ¡°Nat, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°You touched the wound on my shoulder,¡± Natalie replied with a pale expression. ¡°Wound?¡± Stanley was stunned and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let me see.¡± Natalie didn''t decline and pulled her top slightly down to reveal her shoulder. Stanley''s expression darkened when he saw Natalie''s swollen shoulder. ¡°Who hit you?¡± ¡°Susan, she med me for getting Jasmine arrested and hit me for it. Actually, she tried to p my face but I avoided it in time. Unfortunately, the impact fell on my shoulder,¡± Jasmine replied with a sigh. ¡°From the looks of your injury, I think Susan was trying to disfigure you with her p,¡± Stanley asserted coldly. Natalie shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Evidently. But I have also pressed charges for assault, causing her to be arrested. Therefore, other than picking the children up, I need to get an injury evaluation report to file my case against Susan.¡± ¡°You should quickly go and get it done.¡± Stanley lifted his chin. ¡°But aren''t you...¡± ¡°I''m fine. I''ll manage by supporting myself against the wall. So, don''t worry.¡± Stanley smiled at her. Natalie didn''t insist. After nodding at him, she left the ward and headed for the surgery department. When she arrived, she took a number and waited outside the consultation room to see the doctor. After a few minutes, two figures in white coats walked out. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. When the baby-faced man who was walking in front saw Natalie, he stopped in front of her, stunned. ¡°Natalie, what are you doing here?¡± When Natalie heard the familiar voice, she looked up from her phone in surprise. ¡°Dr. Baker?¡± Jackson nodded. When he saw the number she was holding in her hand, he furrowed his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°No, I''m here to get my injury evaluated.¡± Natalie stood up and waved her hand as she replied. ¡°Injury evaluation?¡± Jackson raised his voice. ¡°Only a criminal case involves an injury evaluation. Are you involved in one?¡± ¡°More or less.¡± Natalie felt embarrassed about it. Jackson put on a stern look despite his baby face. ¡°Coincidentally, I''m going to see Dr. Wayne who specializes in such cases. Come with me. I''ll let you skip the queue.¡± ¡°Isn''t that inappropriate?¡± Natalie looked at the queue that surrounded her. Jackson waved his hands casually. ¡°It will be fine. I''ll arranged for another doctor to cover for Dr. Wayne.¡± ¡°Alright then. Thanks, Dr. Baker.¡± Natalie bowed slightly to him. Jackson quickly stepped aside. If Shane found out that he epted such a respectful gesture, Shane would definitely not let him off easily. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Jackson turned and went ahead. Grunting in acknowledgement, Natalie followed. When they arrived at Dr. Wayne''s consultation room, Jackson requested him to examine Natalie''s injury. As Jackson was on the hospital board and the future head of the hospital, Dr. Wayne was happy to do him a favor. Hence, he led Natalie into the room to do the evaluation. Meanwhile, Jackson sat in Dr. Wayne''s chair and made a call, ¡°Hello, Shane? Are you still here?¡± Chapter 372 Chapter 372 ¡°Not yet. I''m about to leave as Jacqueline has just slept. What is it?¡± Shane replied softly as he looked at Jacqueline sleeping soundly in the hospital bed. Jackson shot a nce at the injury evaluation room. ¡°It''s your lucky day. Your girl is injured and is currently seeing Dr. Wayne here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narrowing his eyes, Shane''s expression tensed up. ¡°Natalie is injured?¡± ¡°That''s right. Not only is she injured, but she is also involved in a criminal case. Do you want toe over and see her?¡± Jackson yawned as he asked. Pursing his lips, Shane didn''t reply as he ended the call abruptly. When he couldn''t hear anything, Jackson checked his phone. He adjusted his specs with a smile the moment he realized the call had ended. It seems I''ll see him here shortly. Just as expected, Shane barged into the consultation room in less than five minutes. When he saw that Jackson was alone in the room, he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Inside. She should be out anytime.¡± Jackson pointed to the room. As Shane watched the door, it suddenly opened after more than ten seconds. Dr. Wayne walked out with an injury evaluation report in his hand. However, Natalie still wasn''t out as she was tidying up her clothes. ¡°How is it?¡± Jackson sat up straight and asked on Shane''s behalf. After greeting Shane, Dr. Wayne passed the report to Jackson. However, Shane snatched it away in mid-air before Jackson could have it. ¡°Second-degree injury?¡± Shane''s expression darkened when he saw the report''s conclusion. Jackson walked over to take a look. ¡°There are ruptured capiries under the subcutaneous skin of the shoulder. Furthermore, there are also signs of internal bleeding. It is a clear case of second-degree injury. You should give her some medication for external application.¡± Hisst sentence was directed at Dr. Wayne who nodded. Returning to his desk, he wrote a prescription and went out to get the medication from the pharmacy. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. The moment he left, Natalie stepped out of the evaluation room. When she saw Shane standing by Jackson''s side, she thought she was seeing things and couldn''t help but rub her eyes. When she opened them again, he was still there. ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you doing here?¡± Tilting her head, Natalie asked quizzically. Raising the injury evaluation report in his hand, Shane demanded to know, ¡°It says here that it looks like you have been beaten. What''s going on? Who hit you?¡± Natalie was honest about it. ¡°It was Susan.¡± After that, she told him about what happened outside the Design Association building. As Jackson didn''t watch the live stream, he was oblivious as to what happened today. Having heard Natalie''s exnation, he widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Damn it. Both mother and daughter are just shameless, especially Jasmine. Shane, given how unscrupulous Jasmine is, I''m starting to have doubts that she is the one who saved you back then.¡± Shane''s eyes sparkled but didn''t reply. However, he looked at Natalie instead. ¡°You did well.¡± Realizing that he was praising her for getting Susan arrested, Natalie smiled in embarrassment. At that moment, Dr. Wayne returned with the medication. Before he entered, Jackson stopped him by the door. Taking the medication from Dr. Wayne, Jackson passed it to Shane with a smile. He whispered, ¡°Here''s your chance, go now!¡± Just as he spoke, he tapped Shane on the shoulder and left, not before closing the door behind him. Shane smirked as he looked at the few bottles of medication in this hands. He instructed, ¡°Take off your clothes, I''ll help you apply them.¡± Natalie was briefly stunned before she shook her head to decline. ¡°You don''t have to, Mr. Shane. I can do it myself.¡± Just as she spoke, she reached out for the medication in his hands. However, Shane didn''t hand it over and opened up the medication instead. The next moment, he pulled her top down to expose her shoulder. Before Natalie realized what was going on, she felt a slight breeze on her shoulder before comprehending what he had done. Blushing, she gaped for a while before finally remarking, ¡°Mr. Shane, you...¡± Chapter 373 Chapter 373 How can he do this? Ignoring her protests, Shane squinted his eyes at the big red patch on her shoulder and stared at it coldly. The next moment, he settled her down on the sofa and started applying the medication. During the whole process, Natalie''s body was all tensed up with both her hands clenching the hem of her dress tightly. Gritting her teeth, she looked as if she was enduring immense pain. When he noticed her reaction, Shane lightened his touch. ¡°Knowing how painful it was going to be, why didn''t you avoid her?¡± ¡°I did, but I didn''t manage to avoid her fully,¡± Natalie replied softly with her head hung low. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Every time I see you, you seem to always get yourself hurt. Can''t you take better care of yourself?¡± Natalie squirmed her lips. ¡°Not that I don''t want to, but it happened too quickly. It has gotten me thinking as to whether my decision to return to this city was the right one.¡± Her motivation for returning wasn''t just because the city was her hometown. More importantly, it was the fashion capital of the country and had a thriving fashion industry. Therefore, the best career opportunities were all located here. However, what she didn''t expect was to fall in love with Shane just when she wanted to focus on her career. He was someone she wasn''t supposed to fall in love with. Ever since she did, she was beset upon by neverending crises. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Having seen through her thoughts, Shane lowered his gaze. ¡°But I''m d you came back!'' ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was stunned. ¡°Why?¡± Shane didn''t reply. All he did was cut some gauze and covered her shoulder with it. When she didn''t get a response from him, Natalie lowered her gaze in thought. I''m sure he''s d because of Project Rebirth. If she hadn''t returned, Mr. Moore would have declined and Project Rebirth might never have gotten off the ground. Holding that thought, Natalie let out a wryugh. ¡°It''s done!¡± Having finished applying the medication, Shane pulled her top back over her shoulder. Natalie stood up. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Shane. I''ll need to take my leave now as I still need to drop by the police station.¡± ¡°Will you return to your apartment after that?¡± Shane grabbed a tissue from Dr. Wayne''s desk to wipe his hands wipe off the medication. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s right. By the time I''m done at the police station, it should be nightfall.¡± ¡°I''lle along with you then.¡± Shane threw away the tissue. Natalie raised her eyebrow. ¡°Are youing with me?¡± ¡°Do you think you can drive with your arm like that?¡± Shane gave her the side-eye. Natalie move her lips but nothing came out. It was true she couldn''t drive in her current condition. ¡°Alright, let''s go. I''ll drive.¡± Just as he spoke, Shane put a hand in his pocket and led the way out. Left without a choice, Natalie just followed him. Back at Stanley''s ward. When Stanley saw her enter, he put down his phone. ¡°Nat, are you done?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°It''s a second-degree injury.¡± Natalie waved the report in her hand. ¡°Second-degree injury...¡± Stanley repeated it softly as his eyes sparkled for a fleeting moment. Regaining his gentle gaze, he added, ¡°It''s enough to get Susan a serious sentence.¡± ¡°That''s right. That''s why I''m picking up the kids before I head to the police station.¡± Just as she spoke, she headed to the sofa and woke up the kids. The moment they opened their eyes and saw Natalie, they jumped up and hugged her. Letting out a tired sigh, it took some effort for Natalie to peel the children away. ¡°Stanley, we''re going off now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Stanley nodded with a smile as Natalie led the kids out of the ward. Right after she left, Stanley picked up his phone and made a call, ¡°It''s me. Remember the operation that I declined to carry it out for you, I promise to do it once I recover. However, I have one condition and it is regarding ady named Susan Sullivan. When she is released from police custody, I want you to teach her a lesson she won''t forget!¡± Chapter 374 Chapter 374 When the person at the other end of the line agreed, Stanley let out a devious smile before ending the call. He then chucked his phone by the side. He wasn''t going to allow anyone to harm Nat. Anyone who did so would be severely punished, including the woman who wanted to take Nat''s life. He swore to make her suffer miserably for her actions. He was the only one allowed to bully Nat. Sooner orter, he endeavored to make Nat his obedient puppet, someone that will acquiesce to him her entire life. Oblivious to Stanley''s machinations, Natalie led the children to a car stopped by the roadside. Shane was in the driver''s seat. The moment he saw the three of them, he unlocked the door at the back. Natalie opened it and ushered the children into the car. The moment they got in, they noticed Shane and called out warmly, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shane acknowledged them with a gentle grunt. Opening the front passenger''s seat door, Natalie entered and put on her seatbelt. She turned to the back and looked at the kids. ¡°Alright now, both of you. Sit tight as Mr. Shane will be driving us.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Both children sat obediently without moving. With that, Shane drove them to the police station and it took them ten minutes to get there. As Natalie had Shane stay back and watch the children, she entered the police station to hand in her injury evaluation report. Having done so, she thought of heading to the interrogation room to check on both Susan and Jasmine. Just when she was outside the room, she heard Susan''s terrified sobs. ¡°Darling, please think of a way to save me and Jas.¡± ¡°Save? Can you even tell me how I am supposed to do that?¡± Harrison''s angry voice rang out as he banged his hands on the table. ¡°Why don''t you reflect on what both of you have done? Jas has done something catastrophic to her career by giarizing!¡± ¡°That''s true. Jas did giarize. However, arge portion of the money she earned was used by you to save Smith Group. Why didn''t youin about her giarism then? Instead, you make snide remarks when I''m pleading with you to save your daughter. Can you honestly still call yourself her father?¡± Susan screamed with bloodshot eyes. Jasmine hung her head as she clenched her wheelchair tightly. Staying silent, no one knew what was going through her mind. Outside the room, Natalie snorted in disdain. She didn''t expect to walk in on them quarreling. After all, she had assumed that there were a loving couple. But now, she realized that they were no different from anyone else. Fuming, Harrison pointed at Susan with trembling fingers. ¡°How can you use me of not being a proper dad? Do you think that I don''t want her saved? I''m actually powerless to do so. It would have been easier if she had giarized some small-time designers. I would still have been able to do something about it. But, she had to giarize from internationally renowned designers instead!¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°So what? Aren''t they just some lousy designers too?¡± Susan retorted with a smirk. From her perspective, a fashion designer was nothingpared to apany president in terms of wealth and influence. Harrison almost exploded in rage. ¡°Lousy designers? You fool! You really are a stupid woman. All those famous designers are supported by a huge businesswork. Do you think they will just let Jas off lightly for giarizing them? If they intend to do anything to us, we will be done for.¡± Natalie nodded as Harrison was right about their situation. When Susan saw how serious Harrison was, she began to panic. ¡°Are... are you sure it''s that severe?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Harrison red furiously at her. Susan began to feel fearful this time, to the extent her limbs were trembling. ¡°In that case, what will happen to Jas? Darling, will she end up in prison?¡± Harrison sighed. ¡°Let''s just take this one step at a time while I think of something. That aside, you''re in here because you hit Natalie. As long as she doesn''t press charges, you can go free.¡± ¡°Will she withdraw the charges?¡± Susan mumbled. Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Harrison''s facial expression turned cold. ¡°Why not? I''m her father. As long as I order her to do so, she wouldn''t dare disobey.¡± ¡°You''re right. You''re my dad indeed. But, I''m not obligated to follow your instructions.¡± Unable to hold herself back, Natalie barged into the room. The three of them inside were shocked as they didn''t expect to see her. ¡°You... you heard everything?¡± Harrison cough awkwardly. In truth, he was well aware that his daughter no longer obeyed him. Hence, he made the deration a moment ago out of pride. Little did he expect Natalie to have heard it and humiliate him on the spot. ¡°That''s right. I heard everything.¡± Natalie swept her gaze across all three of them before stopping at Harrison. Harrison fiddled with his walking cane. ¡°In that case Nat, since you have heard what I said, can you...¡± ¡°Never!¡± Natalie rejected him outright knowing full well what he was going to say. There was no way she would drop the charges and allow Susan to go scot-free. Harrison''s expression darkened at Natalie''s blunt rejection. Susan tugged his shirt behind him. ¡°Darling, look, I told you she wouldn''t agree to it.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Harrison snapped. Cringing in response, Susan shot Natalie a re in silence. Natalie was amused at the response. Despite needing her help, Susan''s attitude had not changed at all. She really deserves whatever that ising for her. Even Jasmine looked at Susan with contempt given what an idiot she was. ¡°Nat.¡± Although Harrison was exasperated by Natalie''s rejection, he suppressed the anger within him and forced out apassionate smile. He gently persuaded, ¡°I understand that you''re angry at Susan for hitting you, but she didn''t do it on purpose.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Natalie locked gazes with him calmly. ¡°She did hit me and that is the undeniable fact.¡± ¡°That''s true. But she hit you because you started it.¡± Harrison gave her a look of resentment. ¡°I started it?¡± Natalie pointed at herself, utterly stunned. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Harrison gripped his walking cane. ¡°If not for you exposing your sister''s giarism for no reason, she wouldn''t have been arrested by the police, and Susan wouldn''t have been angry at you.¡± ¡°That''s how it is!¡± Susan thrust her chin forward in agreement. Natalie was shocked by how preposterous their reasoning was. To them, everything was her fault. ¡°My goodness. You can just do no wrong!¡± Natalie clenched her fists as she swept her gaze across the three of them. In the face of her contemptuous gaze, Harrison averted his eyes in guilt but Jasmine and Susan felt nothing at all. He was cognizant of how ridiculous his words were, but he had no choice given how desperate he was to save Susan and Jasmine. Holding to that thought, he cleared his throat and continued, ¡°Nat, since you caused the whole incident, why don''t you show some mercy and let it go?¡± ¡°Over my dead body!¡± Natalie''s eyes reddened. ¡°Dad, you have said so yourself that I started the whole thing. Given how much Susan hates me, what am I going to do when she seeks revenge? Hence, it''s better for her to stay here for a few days to reflect upon her own actions.¡± With that, Natalie ignored them and left. She was worried that the longer she stayed, the more outraged she would be. After all, other than handing in her injury evaluation report, she also came to gloat at Susan and Jasmine. Now that she had seen them in their misery, she could leave happily. ¡°How... how dare she!¡± Susan pointed at Natalie''s silhouette andined, ¡°Darling, look at her. That''s your own daughter for goodness sake. And yet, she doesn''t even listen to you!¡± Harrison''s expression darkened in silence. He was now fully aware that both Yulia''s children only saw him as a father in name. Other than that, he meant nothing to them. Therefore, they were not going to listen to whatever he said. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 An indescribable feeling engulfed Harrison. It felt like an emptiness was spreading throughout his chest. ¡°That''s enough, Mom. What¡¯s the point of saying these things now? Natalie hates us. Why would she get us out if she was the one who sent us here? Just stop begging her!¡± Jasmine scolded. She had stayed silently in the corner this whole time. Now that she finally spoke, her voice spat venomously. It brought an ufortable chill to those listening. Susan''s lips parted. Before she could speak, Harrison raised his hand to stop her and said, ¡°No. We''ll continue begging her!¡± ¡°Dad?¡± Jasmine red at him with discontentment. Harrison growled back in a deep voice, ¡°What else can we do? Both your fates are in her hands!¡± ¡°Especially yours!¡± He pointed at Jasmine. ¡°Natalie has evidence of your giarism. Before we got here, I heard that the Design Association ns to have her as a witness in court. Based on the quantity of giarism and the amount you earned from it, you''ll be sentenced to at least five years in jail. But if Natalie gives false testimony, or doesn''t attend court as a witness, then maybe your sentence will be lighter.¡± Hearing this, Jasmine had nothing else to say. I''m going to jail regardless. But if I can reduce my sentence by two years, why not? No matter how slow-witted Susan was, even she understood that Natalie was not to be messed with at this point. Although she felt unwilling, she had no choice. She bit down on her lip and said, ¡°But Darling, she won''t even drop charges against me. Why would she agree to give false testimony or don''t turn up in court?¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s the biggest problem,¡± Harrison sighed. His temples tightened and he could feel a headacheing. Susan squinted her eyes. ¡°This won''t work, let''s just win over the public opinion and use that against her.¡± ¡°How do you mean?¡± Harrison looked at her. Jasmine''s interest was piqued too. Susan tiptoed and whispered into Harrison''s ear. After listening to her, Harrison''s eyes gleamed brightly as he nodded. ¡°Got it. I''ll start nning right away.¡± With that, he clutched onto his walking cane and left the interrogation room. Harrison was ready to sign the necessary forms in the police station''s lobby before leaving. Coincidentally, Natalie hadn''t left and was still signing the forms. Once she saw him, she hastily finished up and left without saying even a word. Harrison watched her figure shrink in the distance. He rubbed his chin as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, he didn''t. Natalie exited the police station and headed for the red Mercedes that was parked on the roadside. As soon as she approached the car, the passenger door opened. Shane retracted his hand after opening the car door. ¡°Why has taken you so long?¡± ¡°Yeah, Mommy! Connor and I have waited for a long time,¡± Shannon said. She was seated in the back on a child''s seat and was kicking her legs casually. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Connor nodded along. Natalie fastened her seatbelt. She smiled and said, ¡°I met Harrison at the police station. We talked for a while, hence the dy.¡± Shane observed her. He frowned after seeing that her eyes were still bloodshot. ¡°Did he tell you something or make things difficult for you?¡± Natalie was surprised by how he saw straight through her. Lowering her eyelids, she hummed, ¡°He asked me to withdraw my charges against Susan, but I refused to do that.¡± ¡°You shouldn''t agree to such requests. Once you do that, they''ll get arrogant and start using your kindness against you,¡± Shane said as he started the car. Natalie massaged her tense eyebrows. ¡°I know. That''s why I was firm and held my ground this time.¡± ¡°Well done,¡± Shane praised. His lips curved slightly upwards. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Natalie pondered for some time, then thanked him. Not long after, they arrived at the apartment. Natalie held her children''s hands and said goodbye to Shane at the apartment door before going in. Inside, she ced the flowers on the coffee table. Carrying the bag that contained her medal and certificate, she went into her room for a change of clothes. The rest of Natalie''s day was simple. She whipped up a quick meal in the kitchen, then ate with her two kids, and finally, she took a bath and retired for the day. So much had happened today. Everything exhausted her to the bone, so she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She slept until the next morning when a phone call from Joyce awoke her. ¡°Nat, something bad happened!¡± Chapter 377 Chapter 377 ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Natalie asked while yawning. She sat up and opened her eyes, settling her blurry gaze on the floor. Joyce was sat before the television, feet tapping anxiously against the ground. ¡°Everyone online is attacking you right now!¡± ¡°Attacking me?¡± Natalie was fully awake now. Her eyebrows scrunched closer into a frown. ¡°Yeah, I just found out.¡± Joyce continued, ¡°Your scumbag of a dad held a press conference. He said that you got extremely jealous that Jasmine was previously engaged to Mr. Shane, because you liked him too. So, you brought up the whole giarism thing to destroy Jasmine''s reputation. Your dad also said that you were the reason they broke off their engagement.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s lips parted slightly in shock. It wasn''t hard for Joyce to imagine her reaction. Joyce sighed and said, ¡°Go watch it for yourself. The press conference was at seven this morning. Even though it''s over now, you can stream the recordings online.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll watch it right away.¡± Natalie hung up. She tapped on the browser and searched for the recordings Joyce mentioned. The video popped up within seconds. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Natalie clicked on it. The recording showed Harrison in front of the camera. His face burned red with fury as he condemned Natalie foring in between Jasmine and Shane. He said that Natalie swayed Shane''s feelings for Jasmine, that she also convinced Shane to cancel his engagement with Jasmine. Underneath the ten-minute-long video were ruthlessments made byizens. Their words held more malicepared to Harrison''s. Natalie scrolled down and saw only a sea of nderingments against her. I should have guessed it. No wonder Jasmine got along well with everyone else during thepetition, but not Natalie. Not only did Natalie seduce her fianc¨¦, but she also caused him to call off their engagement! I''d hate her too if I were in Jasmine''s shoes. Yeah! I can''t believe I worshipped her and thought she has a rare talent for design... What''s so good about talent if she''s a horrible person and steals someone else''s man? Seeing her face makes me ufortable... She looks like a scheming vixen! They share the same family name, but Natalie is more foul-hearted than Jasmine. Although Jasmine was wrong for giarizing, Natalie shouldn''t have exposed her on the spot like that. She clearly wants to obliterate Jasmine''s career in the fashion industry by ensuring that Jasmine''s reputation is irreparable. How awful! Seeing such harshments, Natalie''s body shook with anger. She bit the insides of her cheeks. Closed the webpage, she returned to her call history and dialed Harrison''s number. It was as if Harrison had anticipated her to contact him. He answered as soon as their call connected. In the Smith family''s vi, he lounged on the luxurious, cushioned sofa. He held a cigar in one hand and his phone in the other as he spoke calmly, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°What are you up to, Harrison Smith?¡± Natalie clutched white-knuckled on her phone and yelled. She didn''t even bother to address him as ¡°dad¡±. Despite being called by his name, Harrison wasn''t upset. He chuckled amusedly, ¡°You forced my hand, Nat. I had no other choice. You refused to withdraw charges against Susan and against Jas too. I wanted to ask you nicely, but I knew you''d never agree to it, so...¡± ¡°So you held a press conference. You spread lies that I broke Jasmine and Mr. Shane up. All to turn the public against me so that I''d be forced to withdraw mywsuit. Isn''t that right?¡± Natalie interrupted and her eyes had reddened out of anger. She had already figured out his motives. Harrison flicked the ashes off his cigar. ¡°Yes, Nat. I assume you''re contacting me because you saw the hatefulments online? How about this. As long as you agree to withdraw charges and falsify your testimony to Jas'' benefit, or if you opt to be absent from court altogether, then I''ll help suppress these online hate discussions against you.¡± Natalie scoffed loudly. She was rather amused as she responded sarcastically, ¡°I wasn''t born yesterday. Did you really think you can fix such huge damages to my brand with so little effort?¡± What you put on the inte stays there forever. People will never forget this scandal. Even if Harrison suppresses everything, so what then? Her reputation had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. People already have the impression that she''s a shameless mistress who broke up a couple. Chapter 378 Chapter 378 ¡°So you''re not going to do it?¡± Harrison exhaled a puff of smoke. ¡°That''s right, I''m not!¡± Natalie shut her eyes, forcing the anger back inwards. All that was left was deep disappointment in her voice. ¡°I need to know, Harrison. Do you even see me as your daughter?¡± Harrison''s age-riddled face twitched. ¡°Of course, I do, but there''s a difference between close and estranged daughters. I know you probably hate me, and I know that you''ll never listen to what I tell you to do. So I can only sacrifice you in order to protect Jas.¡± Hearing this, Natalie snorted ironically. Harrison frowned. His voice deepened upsettingly, ¡°Don''t me me. But for the sake of us being father and daughter, I''ll give you another chance to think carefully about your answer. I''ll call youter tonight to ask you again.¡± He hung up after saying that. A fit of fiery anger consumed Natalie as she threw her phone onto the bed. It took a while before she could calm down. When she did, the doorbell rang. Natalie sucked in a deep breath and patted her face, rposing herself. Then, she climbed out of bed and headed for the door. Shane stood outside with his head slightly lowered to look at her. Seeing her red and swollen eyes, he knew. She must''ve found out about what''s happening online. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± Shane asked, a soft tone slipped from his thin lips. Natalie hummed whilst nodding. She stepped aside sluggishly and said, ¡°Come on in.¡± Shane stepped over the threshold, following her into the living room. Seeing the bouquet of roses on her coffee table, his lips curved upwards. He sat down and asked, ¡°How are you nning to deal with the hatefulments online?¡± Natalie poured him a cup of water. ¡°I don''t know yet.¡± ¡°If that''s the case, then let me handle it.¡± Shane reached over to pick up the cup. His bluntness astounded her, making her eyes widen. ¡°Let you handle it?¡± This is my problem. Why does he want to involve himself? It felt like Shane had immediately read her mind. He drank a sip of water, then ced the cup down calmly. ¡°The whole thing concerns me too. Harrison mentioned my name while he tainted your reputation. He used me to achieve his goal of ruining you. There''s absolutely no way that I''ll allow him to use me like that.¡± ¡°I suppose that''s true.¡± Natalie nodded. Harrison spread those rumors with the aim of getting me topromise. But he has never considered the impact on Shane to be dragged into such a scandal. Now, it''s clear as day that Shane is not only unwilling, but he''s also furious! ¡°As for why Harrison wanted to ruin you, I figured it has something to do with Jasmine and her mother.¡± Shane boldly met her gaze. Natalie hummed in agreement. ¡°You guessed it right. He wants me to withdraw mywsuit against Susan, and give false testimony for Jasmine''s sake. But he knew I wouldn''t agree, so he pulled this trick. He messed with my online reputation to force me intoplying. If I agree to his conditions, he says he''ll help suppress the online hate.¡± She fiddled with her cup as she spoke about this. A self-deprecating smile spread across her face. ¡°How pitiful, right? That this monster is actually my biological father.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°A man like Harrison is unworthy of being your father, don''t pay him any more attention.¡± ¡°Never again. I won''t care about him anymore. His actions today have made me lose all respect and concern for him as a daughter,¡± Natalie said with a nk face. She ced her cup onto the table with a heavy hand, making it clunk loudly. Shane sensed the weight of her words¡ªshe actually meant what she said. He nodded approvingly at her. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Natalie clenched her fists. She looked at him and continued, ¡°I just thought of how we can deal with this matter! An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, I''ll give them a taste of their own medicine! But I''ll need your cooperation.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Go on.¡± Shane crossed his legs and leaned in closer. Natalie looked at him with steely eyes. She exined the full details of her n. After listening to the n, he raised his chin to meet her focused gaze. ¡°I understand and I''ll cooperate with you.¡± ¡°Good. Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie grinned gratefully. Shane waved at her, saying, ¡°It''s nothing. I''m not doing it to help you entirely; I''m also doing it to clear my name.¡± Chapter 379 Chapter 379 After all, this incident had affected him too. Many onlinementers called him a jerk. However, because of his prestigious identity, their comments were less vicious. ¡°Mommy, what time is it now?¡± Connor suddenly asked while yawning. He came out of his room in his pajamas. After checking the time on her phone, Natalie shot up from her chair. ¡°Oh my god, it''s almost nine o''clock! We''re gonna bete for school. Baby, go wake your sister.¡± She had been so furious at Harrison the whole morning that she forgot to wake her kids up. Connor rubbed his eyes and mumbled, ¡°Okay.¡± He spun around and went back into the room. Shane stood up too. He said, ¡°I''ll send Sharon to school in a bit. It''s not convenient for you to go outside now. They are a lot of people who recognize you.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Natalie lowered her head, nodding slightly to ept his offer. ¡°Alright then. Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Indeed, almost everyone recognized her now that she was being reprimanded online. If another parent, who had watched thepetition, recognized her while she dropped Sharon off at school, they might tell the other kids to ostracize Sharon. Worrying thoughts gued her mind. This wouldn''t be good for Sharon in school. ¡°It''s not a problem.¡± Shane waved at her, signaling that she didn''t need to thank him. Then, a thought crossed his mind. He looked at Natalie and asked, ¡°You guys haven''t had breakfast yet, right?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± Shane raised his chin as if he were pondering something important. ¡°Give me a minute.¡± After saying that, he darted for the hallway outside her door. Natalie blinked in surprise. Is he going out to buy us breakfast? This made Natalie run outside in hopes of stopping him. Just as she caught up to him, he entered into his own apartment that was opposite hers. Natalie felt odd about going in there, so she waited outside for him. Shane came back with a paper bag after roughly two minutes. When he saw her standing in the hallway, he couldn''t help but raise a brow. ¡°You waited for me here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie skewed her lips. ¡°I wanted to tell you that we have sandwiches, and that we could heat them up. But you left before I could tell you not to worry about our breakfast.¡± Hearing this, the joy that swelled in Shane''s heart dissipated immediately. He handed over the bag with a darkened expression. ¡°Sandwiches are not good for children''s digestion, have this instead. Mrs. Wilson made this earlier in the morning.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Natalie''s lips parted then closed. She wanted to say more, but Shane interrupted her. He said, ¡°It''s gettingte. By the time you''re done reheating breakfast, it''ll be toote for Sharon to go to school.¡± Natalie kept quiet after hearing that. Some time passed before she finally sighed, ¡°Okay. Thanks again, Mr. Shane.¡± Coming to apromise, she reached out and epted the paper bag from him. Shane''s taut expression softened at this. He hummed in approval before they headed back into her apartment. After breakfast, Shane and Sharon departed while Natalie stayed in the apartment to apany Connor. It also gave her time to catch up on the online hate situation. The online discussions were bing more and more violent. Many ounts were still egging the scandal on, spreading nasty rumors as if the scandal was real. Manyizens were confused with what was the truth. And since Natalie hadn''t made a public statement, they believed that she really interfered with Shane and Jasmine''s rtionship, causing them to call off their engagement. This made them scorn her even more. In an instant, Natalie bore the notorious title of ¡°vile woman¡±. Even Connor knew about it. After using his hacking skills, he found out that his grandfather had caused the online controversy against his mommy. This ignited the hatred in him for his grandfather that he had only met once. ¡°Mommy,¡± Connor held a printed-out list and entered Natalie''s study. Natalie was no longer browsing online. Since thosements made her so upset, she figured she might as well ignore them. She sat down at her desk and penciled a blueprint. The blueprints she had drawn up were not the usual womenswear designs that she excelled at. Instead, it was a neat and chipper menswear suit. She had promised to design something as repayment for Shane some time ago. However, the competition had upied her timepletely. So, she couldn''t start on the blueprints. Since she didn''t have to go to work today and was no longer in apetition, she finally had the time to sketch up a design. Chapter 380 Chapter 380 ¡°What''s the matter, baby?¡± Natalie asked endearingly. Her gaze rose to meet her son who had walked in. ¡°This is for you.¡± Connor approached and passed her the list in his hand. ¡°What''s this?¡± Natalie bent over to get a better look at the list. There were various online usernames, and some even looked familiar. Then, it hit her¡ªthese are the ounts that egged the scandal! Natalie suddenly understood his intentions. She ced the list onto her desk, then focused on her son. ¡°Baby, did you give this to Mommy because you want me to press charges against them?¡± Connor nodded. ¡°I heard that as long as a hatement is liked or reposted more than five hundred times, then you can file a case. Mommy, you can''t let them get away with scolding you like this.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. At the sight of her son''s anger and concern for her, a warm feeling blossomed in Natalie''s chest. She stretched out a hand and petted her son''s little head. ¡°Okay, thank you, Baby. Mommy won''t let you down. I''ll make them pay for their actions.¡± Truthfully, even if her little boy did nothing, she was already nning to hire help inpiling the same list for prosecution. After all, I won''t tolerate being scolded for no reason. But now that her little boy had helped to prepare the list, it saved her time in the prosecuting process. ¡°Alright, you go ahead and y. Mommy will take care of the rest, so don''t worry about it.¡± Natalie''s hands gently patted Connor''s shoulder. Connor nodded understandingly. Just as he was about to leave, the doorbell rang. Natalie stood up and brought him along to open the door. Outside, Joyce held Stanley''s hand, supporting him as they waited. ¡°Hi, Uncle Stanley and Aunt Joyce,¡± Connor said excitedly. and waved his tiny hand at them. Natalie was the only one who looked at them in surprise. ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Joyce handed over the snacks she brought to Connor. Then, she responded to Natalie, ¡°The online discussions are blowing up. We got worried about how it is affecting you, so we came to check on you.¡± ¡°But you cane over on your own, why''d you bring Stanley along? Has he been discharged from the hospital?¡± Natalie proceeded to eye Stanley from top to bottom. Stanley smiled softly. ¡°I''m allowed to be out for half a day, don''t worry.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie''s brows twisted into a frown. Some anxiety still lurked in her mind. Stanley pushed his sses up his nose. ¡°Yes, really!¡± ¡°Alright then,e on in.¡± Natalie loosened her hold on the doorknob. She stepped aside to let them in. After they entered, Natalie closed the door. She and Connor trailed behind them as they all headed into the living room. There, Joyce helped Stanley onto the sofa. She noticed the borate bouquet of roses on the coffee table and eximed, ¡°Nat! Who gave you these flowers?¡± Stanley nced at the roses too. Behind the lenses of his sses, his eyes darkened. ¡°They''re from Mr. Shane.¡± Connor answered from beside Natalie, beating her to it. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Joyce raised her eyebrows mischievously. Stanley''s eyes narrowed suddenly. This little bbermouth. Natalie squinted her eyes at her son and ushered, ¡°Go back to your room.¡± The boy stuck his tongue out before scrambling into his room. Natalie prepared two cups of water and handed them to Joyce and Stanley. After that, she hummed in admittance. ¡°He gifted them to me.¡± ¡°Why''d he gift you roses out of the blue. Is he courting you?¡± Joyce asked incredulously after taking a sip of water. Natalie shook her head. ¡°That''s not possible. He just wanted to congratte me for winning the competition.¡± ¡°I can understand gifting flowers to congratte your win, but why roses of all flowers? It''s pretty clear what this means...¡± ¡°That''s enough!¡± Stanley interrupted Joyce in a deep voice. A stone-cold expression showed on his face as he rebuked, ¡°Nat has exined that he''s just congratting her for winning. Stop making assumptions.¡± After being lectured, Joyce''s lips pursed shut. She stopped talking and even her face that beamed so livelily was reced with a dull expression. This bothered Natalie. She disapproved of how harshly Stanley reacted to Joyce''s harmless question. She drew her lips in tightly and was about to speak up on the matter. Suddenly, Stanley''s gaze whipped over to her. ¡°How do you n to solve the online mess, Nat?¡± ¡°Yeah, Nat. The inte is getting out of hand. Almost every website you click into has dirt on you. If this continues, I''m worried that those merciless online trolls will stalk you and show up here at your home. They might even harass you too...¡± Joyce cast a concerned look at Natalie. She couldn''t hold back the qualm in her stomach about the whole thing. Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Natalie reached for Joyce''s hands and patted them. She reassured Joyce that everything was okay and that she would resolve everything tomorrow. ¡°You have a n?¡± Stanley''s sses glinted in the light. Natalie nodded sightly. ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°What''s the n?¡± Joyce asked, sparkling with curiosity. A secretive smile curved on Natalie''s face. ¡°You''ll know tomorrow morning.¡± Seeing that she refused to spill it, Joyce shared a look with Stanley and didn''t dwell on the topic anymore. Time passed quickly. It was already noon. Natalie invited the two to stay a bit longer. She nned to serve them lunch before letting them return to the hospital. Joyce and Stanley had no objections to this, and they both nodded in agreement. Afterward, Joyce apanied Natalie to cook in the kitchen whilst Stanley stayed in the living room alone. He looked at the bouquet of obnoxiously red roses on the coffee table before him. It was as if they scorched like sun rays into his eyes, blinding him. Feeling overwhelmed with a shing pain, he swiped at the roses. Kshhhhk! In the kitchen, Natalie and Joyce heard a ss-shattering noise that sounded like it came from the living room. They immediately dropped the vegetables they were washing. ¡°What was that?¡± Joyce questioned as she stared at the kitchen door. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know, but it sounds like something broke.¡± ¡°We''d better go check,¡± Joyce stated. She wiped her wet hands on her apron before walking out of the kitchen. Natalie followed suit and went out with her. However, as soon as they left the kitchen, they saw Stanley lying on the ground. Around him were shards of various sizes that broke from their ss cups earlier. The thing that had unfortunately suffered the most were the roses. The bouquet that Shane had given Natalie was currently squashed underneath Stanley''s body. The rosebuds were ttened, and their petals scattered all over the floor. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The bouquet was utterly destroyed. ¡°Stanley, are you okay?¡± Joyce''s expression changed to worry at the sight of him on the ground. She hurried over to help him get up. Natalie also rushed to his aid. Together, they moved him back onto the sofa. Stanley, who had sat down now, looked at Natalie feeling embarrassed. ¡°I''m sorry for causing you trouble, Nat. I''ve even broken your cups and ruined your flowers...¡± Natalie nced at the rumpled bouquet on the floor. She would be lying if she said it didn''t upset her. After all, the roses were a gift from Shane. But even so, she couldn''t me Stanley. She forced a gentle smile and brushed the ident off. ¡°It''s fine. What''s done is done. They''re just cups and some flowers. What matters is that you''re safe. But Stanley, what exactly happened? How did you fall down?¡± This caught the attention of Joyce, who was picking up the shards. She paused and looked up at Stanley, wanting to know his answer too. Stanley chuckled bitterly and said, ¡°I wanted to go to the bathroom but didn''t have the strength to get up properly. When I fell, my arm must have identally swiped the flowers and cups off the table.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Natalie lifted her gaze off the floor and turned towards Joyce, who had cleaned up the shards. ¡°Joyce, why don''t you help Stanley to the bathroom while I take these out to the trash?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Joyce nodded and went to support Stanley''s arm. Although Stanley frowned at her touch, he didn''t refuse. He allowed her to support him and guide him towards the bathroom. After a few steps, he halted and turned to look at Natalie, who exited the door with the crushed-up flowers in her arms. His lips arched into a shallow smile after seeing that. Joyce noticed this. Her eyes narrowed to slits as if she had discovered something awful. She waited for Natalie to leavepletely before staring at the man in disbelief. ¡°Stanley, did you mess up Nat''s flowers on purpose?¡± Stanley''s eyes flickered, pretending to be confused at her question. He red at her indifferently before responding, ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about!¡± ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Joyce''s hand retracted from supporting his arm. ¡°Stanley! You did it on purpose, didn''t you? You were jealous that Nat epted his flowers, so you ruined them. Nat may not know your true nature, but I grew up with you! I know that you''re capable of such despicable acts.¡± ¡°So what if I did?¡± Stanley rolled his shoulders back threateningly, withdrawing his arm that was still in midair. ¡°You''re going to rat me out to Nat? You''ll tell her that I deliberately destroyed those flowers? That I''m actually a mentally unstable psychopath?¡± Chapter 382 Chapter 382 ¡°That wasn''t what I meant. Can you stop thinking of me that way?¡± Joyce had tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him. It was obvious that she was upset. ¡°Don''t think of you that way?¡± Stanley did not bother to hide the resentment and disgust in his eyes. ¡°You''re just someone who likes to snitch on people right? If it wasn''t for you, my parents wouldn''t be dead because of your parents!¡± Joyce closed her eyes in anguish as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Stanley, how many times do you need me to repeat for you to believe that your parents'' death has got nothing to do with my parents. It wasn''t me who ratted out on them. I didn''t know how those people found out where your parents were. My parents did not participate in it. They were there to save your parents.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°That''s enough!¡± Stanley grimaced in anger as he interrupted her. ¡°I don''t want to hear youing up with excuses. You have no right to talk about my parents!¡± Joyce was taken aback by the man''s ferocious gaze. She instantly went pale and was not able to say anything else. When Natalie came back from disposing of the flowers and ss shards, she was shocked to see Stanley ring at Joyce with deep hatred. ¡°What happened? Did you guys fight?¡± She asked. Upon hearing the woman''s voice, Stanley immediately retracted his gaze and returned to his usual gentle and graceful self. It was the same for Joyce. She lowered her head and wiped off her tears. Forcing a smile, she replied, ¡°Don''t worry. Stanley and I were just having a small argument.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Natalie looked towards Stanley. Judging by the looks on their faces just now, it didn''t seem like it was just a ¡°small argument¡±. Especially the look of hatred in Stanley''s eyes as he gazed at Joyce. His expression was so frightening that it made Natalie''s heart skip a beat. ¡°Of course,¡± Stanley replied Natalie with a smile after casting a side nce at Joyce, agreeing with her statement. However, Natalie could tell that those two people were not telling the truth, but she also felt that she shouldn''t pursue it any further. After all, they had too much history with each other which made thingsplicated. ¡°OK, I shan''t ask anymore since that''s what you two insist. I''m heading back to the kitchen first,¡± Natalie said, as she pointed towards the direction of the kitchen. ¡°Sure,¡± Joyce replied while Stanley merely responded with a nod. After eating, the two of them returned to the hospital while Natalie continued working on the blueprint in her study. When she was done with her work andplied the papers, it was already time for her to pick Sharon up from the kindergarten. Just when Natalie was about to get dressed to pick her daughter up, her phone, which was in her pocket, rang. While browsing through her wardrobe for suitable clothes, she took a nce at her phone and realized that it was Shane who was calling. Without hesitation, she picked up and greeted, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°I''m just calling to inform you that I''ll be sending Sharon backter,¡± Shane said in a gentle voice while sitting in the car. With one hand holding his phone up to his ear, his fingers on his other hand tapped on his knees rhythmically. Natalie could hear that he was in a car and stopped her actions. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you already on your way to the kindergarten?¡± she asked. ¡°Yup,¡± Shane answered as he lifted his chin slightly. As such, Natalie closed her wardrobe and replied, ¡°Oh OK. Thanks then, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Shane simply replied before ending the call. Just then, Ss had already parked the car and turned around to inform Shane,¡± Mr. Shane, we''ve reached the kindergarten.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shane put his phone back into his pocket and got off the car. After entering the kindergarten, he found Sharon''s ssroom effortlessly. Right before he stepped into her ssroom, he could already hear the girl''s cries, ¡°All of you are spouting nonsense. I have a dad!¡± Shane, who was just about to push open the door, stopped his actions. At the same time, he narrowed his eyes and looked fierce instantly. Ss, who arrived a whileter, did not know what happened. Seeing that his boss was just standing outside the ssroom without going in, he asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Shane, aren''t you here to pick Sharon up? Why are you standing here?¡± Without replying, Shane merely lifted his hand, signaling for Ss to keep quiet. The assistant nodded and stopped talking at once. Right after that, they heard Sharon''s cries once more, as well as another kid speaking, ¡°We are not talking nonsense. It''s true that you don''t have a dad. Ady told us that children without a father are basta*ds. That makes you a basta*d.¡± Chapter 383 Chapter 383 That child who just spoke had a childish and sweet voice, but the words that came out of his mouth was so vicious that it was unnerving. A shiver went down Ss'' spine and he spoke solemnly, ¡°Mr. Shane, Sharon is being bullied.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Shane replied in a frosty voice as he clenched his fists, which were in his pocket. He adored the little girl and was extremely furious that she was being picked on. ¡°I''m not a basta*d, you are! I have a dad. My dad came to school a couple of days back for our meet- the-parent session. I have a dad!¡± Sharon got even more worked up after being called a basta*d. She finally broke down and her cries got even louder. A few chubby kids startedughing at her, seeing her in such a plight. ¡°That man isn''t your dad. Thatdy told us that the man who came previously was the CEO of Thompson Group and he doesn''t have children. So how is it possible that you''re his daughter? Besides, your mom is a bad woman who goes around seducing men. Since your mom is a bad woman, that makes you a bad girl as well!¡± ¡°Yup, you''re a bad girl! Bad girl!¡± The rest of the chubby kids pped their hands and eximed in unison. ¡°You are the bad ones! I am not a bad girl! Boohoo... ¡° Sharon''s face was flushed red with anger. She clenched her small fists and was ready to fight against the other kids. That was when Shane kicked the door open forcefully. The impact was so huge that the door rebounded as it hit the wall, scaring the kids who were in front of the ssroom. Sharon was shocked and frightened from the sudden entry of the man as well. But when she composed herself and saw that it was Shane who had just arrived, she pouted and ran towards him. ¡°Dad... ¡° Shane immediately softened his expression as he squatted down to lift up the girl. Using his thumb to wipe away her tears, he replied gently, ¡°It''s OK now. Dad''s here.¡± After hearing Shane''s words, Sharon suddenly burst out crying while putting her arms around the man''s neck, letting all her grievances out. She couldn''t stop burping while she cried. Shane''s heart ached for the girl, seeing her so upset. He tried to calm her down by patting her back lightly. At the same time, he instructed Ss coldly, ¡°Go and get their teacher here at once!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Ss nodded and left immediately to carry out his instructions. After the assistant left, Shane walked towards those few chubby kids while carrying Sharon in his arms. The little bullies were already terrified when the man kicked the door open. With the man standing right in front of them with such a grim expression while exuding a threatening aura, they were shaking with fear and asking for their moms. As Shane''s head was throbbing from the noise, he pursed his lips and ordered coldly, ¡°Keep quiet!¡± At once, those kids stopped crying and did not dare to make a single sound. At the same time, Sharon''s sobs had also subsided. As such, Shane put her down and held her hand while saying, ¡°Sharon, tell dad, who''s the one who started bullying you first?¡± ¡°It''s him!¡± Sharon pointed to the chubbiest boy among the group and said angrily, ¡°Dad, he''s the one who kept picking on me and said that I''m a basta*d who doesn''t have a dad.¡± Shane immediately shot a zing gaze at that boy and asked in a demanding manner, ¡°Why did you bully my daughter?¡± The boy froze and was so terrified that even his chubby cheeks were quivering. Finally, he started bawling as he was not able to withstand the pressure and fear. ¡°I didn''t want to do that... Boohoo... It was ady who told us to say those things to Sharon. She said that as long as we call Sharon a basta*d in school, she''ll buy us lots of nice snacks... ¡° ¡°Ady?¡± A dangerous glint shed across Shane''s eyes as he clenched his fists tighter. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Initially, the man had thought that it was purely a fight between kids. After all, he understood that not all kids could get along well with each other. However, he had never imagined that it was a calcted scheme instead. ¡°How does thatdy look like? Where did you kids meet her?¡± Shane asked while looking down, staring intently at the group of chubby kids. The kids did not dare to hide anything from Shane and told him everything truthfully. ¡°We met her outside the school gate. She stopped us when we came to school this morning and instructed us to do that. We couldn''t see clearly how she looked like as she was wearing a cap.¡± Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Shane was not the least surprised at that answer as he had already guessed it. Just then, Ss arrived together with the teacher. Ss had already briefed the teacher on what happened on the way there. As such, once the teacher saw Shane, she immediately bowed and apologized, ¡°Mr. Shane, I''m so sorry, I didn''t know that these kids would... ¡° ¡°Enough.¡± Shane, who was holding Sharon''s hand, cut the teacher off and continued, ¡°I don''t want to listen to all these. I want you to contact the parents of these kids at once. Their parents should be responsible for their kids'' misbehavior. I''m not going to punish the kids as their parents are the ones to be med.¡± ¡°OK, sure,¡± the teacher had no choice but to agree at once as he knew that the man was deeply offended and furious by what happened. There was no way he would let the matter slide if he didn''t meet the kids'' parents. As such, she contacted those parents right away. Shortly after, the parents arrived. They rushed to the school as soon as possible after knowing that the CEO of Thompson Group wanted to meet them. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Upon arrival, when those parents were informed that their children had bullied the daughter of the CEO of Thompson Group after being incited by a random bit*ch, they were so mad that they started spanking their kids. When Sharon saw her bullies being punished by their parents and were crying, she finally smiled. Shane''s anger was appeased after seeing the smile on the little girl''s face. As such, he did not make things difficult for those parents and epted their apologies. His only condition was for their kids to transfer schools. With that, Sharon''s bullying incident came to a conclusion. After that, Shane walked out of the kindergarten with Sharon, holding her hand. When they got into the car, he looked at Ss, who was at the driver''s seat and said in a low voice, ¡°Check if Harrison was involved in this!¡± Shane had that suspicion as Sharon''s bullying incident happened on the same day that Natalie was being attacked online. It could be that Harrison was using a two-pronged approach to force Natalie to relent. ¡°Understood,¡± Ss replied while starting the car engine at the same time. Sharon had a glum face and kept her head lowered on the way back to the apartment, without speaking a single word. When Shane tried to strike a conversation with her, she merely responded by shaking or nodding her head. The man knew that Sharon was deeply hurt by the bullies'' words earlier on. In the first ce, children were more fragile than adults and would be more sensitive to what others said about them, often believing everything they heard. Not to mention being exposed to such vicious comments, which would naturally affect the little girl deeply. As such, silence ensued in the car all the way back to the apartment. Holding Sharon''s hand, Shane pressed the doorbell. Looking at the time, Natalie guessed that it must be Shane sending the girl back. Feeling happy, she put down the television remote control and went to open the door together with Connor. Once the door opened, Sharon let go of Shane''s hand immediately and dashed towards Natalie. Hugging her mother''s thighs, she asked while sobbing, ¡°Mommy, why is it that everyone else has a dad but not Connor and I?¡± When Natalie heard her daughter''s words, the smile on her face froze at once. Connor''s face fell as well, as he downcast his eyes. Natalie looked at her daughter, who was still crying uncontrobly, before looking at Shane, who was still standing outside the door with aplicated expression on his face. Feeling her throat close up with emotions, she asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, did anything happen to Sharon?¡± Shane nodded briefly and narrated everything that happened at the kindergarten earlier on. Natalie was already trembling in fury when the man finished speaking. She squatted down and held Sharon and Connor tightly in her arms. With her heart aching and feeling bad for her daughter, she said, ¡°Darling, don''t take those words to heart. You are not basta*ds, you have a dad too.¡± ¡°Where''s our dad then? Why did he abandon us!¡± Sharon looked up at Natalie and asked with her face covered in tears. Shane looked towards Natalie as well, waiting to hear her answer. Even Connor had fixed his gaze on her. Even though their mommy had said before that their dad would have his own family in the future and the boy had also promised his mommy that he would never reunite with his dad, he had always wanted to know who his dad was as well as his whereabouts. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 The reason for that was because the boy wanted to find out why their dad had abandoned their mommy! Faced with the kids'' expectant gazes, Natalie opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. ¡°Mommy doesn''t know as well,¡± she replied while stroking Sharon''s head apologetically. What a liar! Shane narrowed his eyes. He could easily tell that the woman was not speaking the truth. Sharon started crying again as she clutched tightly onto Natalie''s cor. Burying her head into her mommy''s arms, the girl''s sobs grew louder. ¡°Boohoo... I want my dad... I want my dad!¡± Her daughter''s cries were like a dagger that pierced through Natalie''s heart, causing her much pain. Just then, Connor clenched his tiny fists and looked at Natalie calmly while speaking, ¡°Mommy, do you know why Sharon wants our dad so much?¡± Natalie moved her lips and was about to answer before Connor spoke ahead of her, ¡°Because today isn''t the first time Sharon heard other kids saying that we don''t have a dad.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s expression changed as a look of disbelief crossed her face. Shane''s eyes flickered as well, as he pursed his lips. Connor patted Sharon''s back lightly while exining, ¡°When we were overseas, other kids had both their parents sending them to school and fetching them, but not us. Those kids would always brag about the ces they''ve been to with their dads but we didn''t have anything to share. As such, they always made fun of us for not having a dad.¡± When Natalie heard that, she swayed on her feet and almost fainted. Shane immediately stepped forward to steady her, preventing the woman from falling down. ¡°Why didn''t both of you tell your mommy about it?¡± Shane looked at Connor and asked the boy. That was also what Natalie wanted to know. Holding her son''s hand, she said, ¡°Exactly! Connor, why didn''t you tell me about it?¡± Connor lowered his head and replied, ¡°Because mommy is already having a hard time bringing us up. We don''t want mommy to be sad because of us.¡± When Natalie heard that, she was deeply guilty for not being aware of what the kids had gone through instead of feeling d to have two such sensible children. She felt bad that her two young kids had endured the bullying by other kids silently out of care for her. If Sharon had not been bullied by those kids earlier on and had not heard such vicious words, the girl would not have lost control and asked for her dad. If that was the case, Natalie would never have known the suffering her kids had gone through. The woman couldn''t help but me herself at that thought. Stroking her children''s heads, she apologized continuously, ¡°Sorry, my darlings, mommy is so sorry... ¡° When the kids heard their mommy''s apology, they were suddenly overwhelmed by the grievances which were stored in their hearts and the three of them clung to each other as they sobbed. Even Connor was bawling out loud. Although the boy was very mature and extremely sensible for his age, he was, ultimately, only a five- year-old boy. He would also cry when he felt aggrieved. Shane''s heart tightened at the scene in front of him. At that moment, he really wanted to take all three of them into his arms andfort them. However, his rationality held him back from doing that. He knew that it wasn''t the time for him to do that yet. After what seemed like a long time, the kids'' crying subsided and they fell asleep in Natalie''s arms. The woman wanted to carry them back to their rooms but she was unable to do so alone. Just when she was about to wake one of them up, Shane suddenly bent down and lifted Connor up. ¡°I''ll help you carry one of them.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Natalie was stunned for a moment before smiling in gratitude as she replied, ¡°Thanks, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Please lead the way,¡± Shane said, raising his chin. ¡°Sure,¡± Natalie replied before carrying Sharon and started walking towards the kids'' bedroom. When they reached the room, Natalie and Shane ced the two kids gently onto the bed and covered them with a nket. After that, Natalie gave Shane a look, indicating that the both of them should leave the room. Shane nodded in understanding and followed the woman out of the room. When they reached the living room, Shane looked at Natalie, who had sat down on the sofa and was rubbing her temples, and asked, ¡°Why did you keep it from them and choose not to tell them who their father is?¡± Natalie froze at the man''s questions. After a few seconds, she looked down and replied, ¡°Because I don''t want to make things difficult for Connor and Sharon.¡± Chapter 386 Chapter 386 ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Shane frowned. Natalie looked up at him with an unfathomable gaze in her eyes and replied, ¡°Their dad has a woman he loves and they will start their own family sooner orter. They will eventually have their own children. By then, my kids will be illegitimate children. That''s not good for Connor and Sharon!¡± ¡°You''re right,¡± Shane moved his lips slightly and agreed. Even though they were just kids and there were a lot of things that they could not understand yet, they would still be aware, from the reactions of people around them, that they were different from other kids whose parents were happily together. When it came to that, there was no difference between the upper echelons or ordinary folks. Illegitimate children would still be scorned upon. ¡°Besides, I''ve tested waters by asking their dad. He said that he would take the kids away if he was aware of any children he has.¡± Natalie said that while she clenched her fists. Shane cocked his eyebrow as he remembered hearing the same thing somewhere before. The woman had asked him the same questionst time and he had given the same answer as well. So her reason for asking me was to see if all men are the same? Natalie bit her lips and said, ¡°I can''t let him take my kids away. If he did that, not only will the kids feel out of ce in his family, his future wife might not be able to ept them as well. Even if she did, there''s no guarantee that she will treat them well.¡± Shane nodded, agreeing with the woman''s analysis. It was true that hardly any woman would be able to ept her husband having illegitimate children. ¡°That was why I didn''t tell Connor and Sharon who their dad was. I also didn''t tell their dad that he had two children,¡± Natalie said, while rubbing her cheeks and taking a deep breath. Shane crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at the woman. ¡°But you won''t be able to keep it from them forever. They''ll still know about it one day.¡± Natalie looked down, averting the man''s gaze as she replied, ¡°I know. I''m just trying to keep it from them for as long as I can.¡± ¡°It''s easier to keep it from the children''s dad, but not Connor and Sharon. Sharon was really hurt by what the other kids said to her earlier today and it seems to have affected her deeply. What would you do if she keeps asking for her dad?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on Natalie, before continuing, ¡°Besides, a father is a central character in a child''s life and development.¡± The woman covered her face with her hands and replied helplessly, ¡°I really don''t know what to do.¡± She had never expected to be faced with a situation like that. Her two kids were usually joyful and had never asked for their dad. As such, Natalie had always assumed that they didn''t need a dad, as long as they had their mom with them. She thought that as long as she remained by their side, the kids would grow up happily and healthily. However, the woman suddenly realized that she was wrong. Even though it was important for the children to be with their mom, having their dad with them was also essential. Many times, a dad''s role in a child''s life could not be reced by a mom. Shane''s eyes flickered when he noticed that Natalie was in agony and straightened his back instinctively. ¡°Even though I''m not sure why you''re separated from the kids'' dad and chose to give birth to them alone, you mentioned just now that their dad already has a partner he loves. That means that it''s not possible for all of you to reunite as a family. If that''s the case, have you ever thought of finding a new dad for the kids?¡± ¡°A new dad?¡± Natalie was slightly startled at that suggestion. That had indeed never crossed her mind. ¡°Yup, that''s right.¡± Shane nodded and continued, ¡°They are still young. At this age, they need both their parents around. I think it''s perfectly fine for you to think about that.¡± Natalie shook her head and let out a bitter smile. ¡°It''s not that easy. Who would be willing to ept a woman with two kids?¡± Shane made a fist with his hand in his pocket and said, ¡°I''m sure there are many. If you don''t mind, I... ¡° ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Before he couldplete his sentence, he was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. The man frowned and red at Natalie''s pocket in annoyance. A cold glint shed across his eyes as he pursed his lips. Not noticing the subtle changes in the man''s demeanor, Natalie took out her phone from her pocket. Her expression sank immediately when she saw that it was Harrison calling. Chapter 387 Chapter 387 ¡°So how? Have you thought it through?¡± Harrison asked in a rxed manner while sipping coffee after the call went through. Natalie gripped her phone tightly and replied with a sneer, ¡°My answer is still the same. I don''t agree!¡± Harrison''s expression darkened and he put his cup down heavily on the coffee table. ¡°You''re still not willing to relent? Didn''t you see those nastyments targeted towards you on the Inte?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Why are you still behaving in this manner since you have seen them? Do you want them to continue scolding you?¡± Harrison mmed the table furiously. Shane still had his gaze fixed intently on the woman''s phone. Natalie noticed the man''s interest in the conversation. In addition, because of the fact that he had also been dragged into the matter, she switched on the loudspeaker on her phone before replying, ¡°Mr. Smith, you don''t have to pretend that you''re thinking for me. It''s really fake. After all, aren''t you the mastermind behind all these?¡± ¡°You... ¡° Harrison was stumped at the woman''s response but quicklyposed himself. Letting out a cold snort, he said, ¡°You were the one who forced me to take that step. If you were willing to compromise earlier, there wouldn''t be a need for me to do that.¡± ¡°Yup, you''re making me suffer because I didn''tpromise. But how about Mr. Shane? What did Mr. Shane do to offend you?¡± Natalie looked up at the man in front of her as she spoke into the phone. Shane narrowed his eyes but remained silent. On the other end of the phone, Harrison frowned as he replied in confusion, ¡°What has this got to do with Shane?¡± ¡°Everything. You''re tarnishing my image by saying that I''m shamelessly seducing Mr. Shane, causing him to break off his engagement with Jasmine. Have you ever considered if Mr. Shane is willing to be made use of by you?¡± Natalie scoffed. Harrison''s eyes widened when he heard that. He shuddered nervously and was at a loss for words. Indeed, that had never crossed his mind. He just wanted to use the most effective and direct reason to smear Natalie. While doing that, he had never considered that Shane would also be implicated and might be unhappy about it. Natalie knew that she had hit the bull''s eye when Harrison did not reply. As such, she continued speaking while looking at Shane, ¡°Looks like you''ve indeed failed to consider that. If that''s the case, do you think Mr. Shane would help me silent theizens if I go to him for assistance?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Shane suddenly answered, without any hesitation. Harrison bolted up from the sofa when he heard the man''s voice and asked, ¡°Natalie, is Shane with you now?¡± ¡°Yup. Didn''t you im that I have seduced him? Wouldn''t it be normal then that he''s at my ce?¡± Natalie said as she leaned against the sofa. The woman''s reply sent Harrison into a fluster. If Shane''s with her now, wouldn''t that mean that he has also heard our conversation? Harrison started panicking at once. Gripping tightly onto the dragon figurine on his walking cane, he quickly apologized, ¡°Errr, Shane, I didn''t mean to drag you into all these. I''m so... ¡° ¡°Well, I had an eye-opening experience because of Mr. Smith.¡± Shane interrupted the man sarcastically as he did not wish for him to continue, knowing what he was going to say. ¡°I can''t believe you''re ruining the reputation of your other daughter just for Susan and her daughter.¡± Natalie nodded, agreeing with what Shane had just said. She felt as if God was ying a joke on her by giving her a dad like Harrison. Being lectured by his junior, Harrison''s face immediately flushed red with embarrassment and he wished he could find a hole to bury his head in right away. However, there was no hole for him and he did not dare to end the call just like that. As such, he could only force himself to endure the difort and replied, ¡°Shane, I have didn''t have a choice. I can''t possibly leave my wife and daughter in the lurch right? I only did that as ast resort.¡± ¡°Last resort? Yourst resort is to trample on your other daughter to achieve your objective? You''re still the same as you were seven years ago.¡± A sneer appeared on Shane''s face as he said that. Fear shed across Harrison''s face when he heard that and his heart starting thumping faster. Instinctively, he replied, ¡°Seven... seven years ago? What do you mean? I don''t understand.¡± Chapter 388 Chapter 388 ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane? What happened seven years ago?¡± Natalie''s curiosity was piqued. He stole a nce at her, then stared at the cell phone on the table and coldly uttered, ¡°Seven years ago, he spread rumors about you eloping with a man so that Jasmine can take your ce and be engaged to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie grabbed the phone and yelled into it, ¡°Harrison Smith! So you are the one who tarnished my reputation seven years ago. How could you be so mean? What have I done to deserve a dad like you?¡± She was visibly emotional. Harrison kept quiet. He could not answer her usation. A deep sense of fear overcame him. If Shane knew about this, could he also know about the incident five years ago, whereby Jas took credit for Natalie''s efforts? If he did, what will happen to us? Natalie was not aware of Harrison''s thoughts and worry. She took his silence as a sign of guilt over what he did to her. ¡°Harrison Smith, I will not forget what you did to me. You will get your retribution. Just wait and see,¡± she warned. With that, she hung up on him and flung the phone onto the sofa. She sat there and lowered her head as she was washed over in depression. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Shane asked with concern as he handed her a piece of tissue. Natalie''s eyes were red from crying. She took the tissue and dried her tears. ¡°I am fine. I am just thinking, why did I not see his true colors seven years ago?¡± ¡°It is not toote now,¡± Shane consoled her. ¡°Yup, you are right,¡± Natalie concurred. Shane poured a ss of water and offered it to her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie took the drink and calmed herself. ¡°Oh, Mr. Shane, you were about to say something when Harrison called. What was it?¡± she recalled. ¡°Nothing.¡± His eyes briefly flickered. That was the moment he wanted to tell her he was ready to be a dad to her two kids. Unfortunately, Harrison''s call interrupted them. It looked like he would have to wait for another opportunity to confess his feelings. Natalie did not suspect a thing seeing that Shane was quiet. She assumed it was nothing important. She lightly massaged her temple, then called Joyce. ¡°Hey, Nat,¡± Joyce greeted her. ¡°Joyce, please release a statement to the local media. Let them know I will be holding a press conference at nine tomorrow morning.¡± The issue had gone viral online. She could no longer maintain her silence and be undermined by all the negativements. She initially had the intention to hold back a little and spare Harrison during the press conference, as he''s her father after all. After receiving these calls, she changed her mind. Seven years ago, when he stained her name, he never spared a thought for her. Therefore, she shall not show him any mercy. An eye for an eye! ¡°Sure. I will get going then,¡± Joyce chirped. She knew Natalie well and could tell it was payback time for the Smiths. ¡°Sure. I will get going then,¡± Joyce chirped. She knew Natalie well and could tell it was payback time for the Smiths. Natalie looked at Shane after she ended her conversation with Joyce and appealed, ¡°Mr. Shane, I will be counting on your support tomorrow morning.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Don''t worry. It is gettingte. I shall make a move.¡± Shane stood up and got ready to leave. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie saw him to the door. As she was about to close the door, Shane called out to her. ¡°Do you remember the conversation we had about getting a dad for your two kids? I feel you should give it serious consideration.¡± Natalie felt a pang of sadness. She looked down to hide the disappointment in her eyes. She understood he meant well and wanted the best for her kids. However, she could not help feeling heavy-hearted. No woman would want to hear the man she loved prompting her to look for another man. That would be an obvious sign that he had no interest in her. Natalie''s face fell as she replied coldly, ¡°Sure. I will give it serious thoughts.¡± Chapter 389 Chapter 389 With that, she shut the door. Shane sensed she was angry, but he had no idea why. He was about to knock on the door to check on her when Ss came out of the elevator. Ss'' eyes lit up when he saw Shane and nipped over to him. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°What''s up?¡± Shane askedckadaisically. ¡°This is from Mr. Jessie and Mr. Dn.¡± Ss handed him a ck invitation card. ¡°Exhibition?¡± Shane took the invite and briefly read it. ¡°Yes. Mr. Jessie and Mr. Dn coborated on a collection. They are currently on a world tour and the next stop will be here at J City.¡± Mr. Jessie was a top jewelry designer while Mr. Dn was world-renowned in the fashion industry. Their rare coboration created quite a stir amongst those in the fashion industry. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Natalie was looking at them on the inte. When she heard the news about the exhibition, she could not help but let out a soft yelp. Oh my god! Mr. Dn ising to J City with his collection! She was overwhelmed by the information and literally jumping with joy. Her little brouhaha was audible through the inte. The two men paused and Ss looked around as he was puzzled. ¡°Did you hear that? What''s that noise?¡± he asked. Shane nced at the flickering light on the inte camera and knew it was Natalie. His lips curved to a slight grin. ¡°Nothing. Anyway, who else was invited to the exhibition?¡± he asked as he closed the invitation card. Ss shook his head. ¡°No information so far. Do you want me to find out?¡± Shane nodded. If Natalie''s name was not on the invite list, he would try to get her an invitation. He remembered Mr. Dn was her idol as it was recorded in her application form. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Shane tossed the invitation card back to Ss and turned to enter his apartment. Ss quickly followed. Natalie turned off the inte only after they closed their apartment door. The next morning, Natalie left the kids at the apartment and reminded them not to leave the ce. She made a special effort to dress differently to be incognito and left for the press conference. As she stepped out of the building, she immediately sensed she was being watched. She frowned, looked around, and saw a number of people hiding behind some bushes nearby. Those people saw her stopped and looked in their direction. They knew she had discovered them so they emerged from their hiding ce and rushed towards her, cameras and microphones in tow. ¡°Hello Ms. Natalie, we are from the press. Could we have an interview with you?¡± A female reporter pushed a microphone right in front of her face. Even before Natalie could respond, she continued, ¡°Is Mr. Smith''s usation that you came between his daughter and Mr. Shane true?¡± ¡°Hello Ms. Natalie, we are from the press. Could we have an interview with you?¡± A female reporter pushed a microphone right in front of her face. Even before Natalie could respond, she continued, ¡°Is Mr. Smith''s usation that you came between his daughter and Mr. Shane true?¡± The paparazzi started throwing questions at Natalie. ¡°Ms. Natalie, did you go public after exposing Ms. Jasmine''s giarism during the finals because you are jealous of her engagement with Mr. Shane? You want to discredit her because of jealousy?¡± ¡°Ms. Natalie, do you think you will be able to win Mr. Shane''s heart if you sessfully ruin her?¡± Natalie''s face fell upon hearing all these sharp questions. She pulled her cap lower to shield her face and asked sternly, ¡°Who told you this is my address?¡± ¡°That is not important, Ms. Natalie. Could you kindly answer our questions?¡± The female reporter was pushy. She thrust the microphone even closer. If she could, she would have thrust it all the way into Natalie''s mouth. ¡°Noments,¡± Natalie replied gravely as she took a step back. Chapter 390 Chapter 390 ¡°Noments? Does that mean you are guilty as charged?¡± the female reporter challenged. Natalie was rather amused. Noments meant guilty? What kind of logic is that? ¡°Please make way!¡± Natalie clenched her fist and growled. The paparazzi ignored her and swarmed forward, pressing her for answers. Natalie had to retreat backward and was almost cornered. She knew they would not back off without getting the answers they wanted. Hence, she took a deep breath and fished out her phone to call security. ¡°Ms. Natalie...¡± The female reporter suddenly surged forward. That took Natalie by surprise. As a result, she tripped and fell backward. Just as she was about to hit the ground, a man appeared behind her. He extended his muscr arm, and caught her, breaking her fall. It was Shane. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Shane asked, eyes filled with concern, as he looked down upon the shocked and pale Natalie. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I am fine. Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Shane was relieved and let go of his grip on her. Natalie swiftly moved aside to keep a distance between them. Shane was disturbed by her reaction but he did not show his displeasure. He turned his attention to the paparazzi and red at them. The paparazzi were stunned by his sudden appearance. With that re, they were all cowering in fear. ¡°Who pushed her?¡± Shane pointed at Natalie as he grilled the crowd. They looked at one another and chorused, ¡°We did not push Ms. Natalie.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Shane turned to ask Natalie. Natalie was tidying up her attire when she heard his query. She stopped and nodded in agreement. ¡°They did not push me. I was just frightened by thedy reporter.¡± Lady reporter? Shane immediately locked his eyes on the only female paparazzo in the crowd. The female reporter froze and lowered her head to avoid his piercing gaze. Shane pursed his lips and questioned, ¡°Which mediapanies are you from?¡± The paparazzi kept quiet. ¡°Ss!¡± Shane snorted and summoned Ss. ¡°Yes!¡± Ss came up from behind Shane and started checking the reporters'' name tags, taking down their particrs and thepanies they worked for. ¡°Mr. Campbell.¡± Out of the blue, Natalie called out to Ss. ¡°Yes, Ms. Smith?¡± Ss turned to respond. Shane also turned to look at her. ¡°Could you help me find out who gave them my address?¡± she requested. This apartment was a high-end development, the price was only second to vis. Information about the owners and upants of these apartments was highly confidential. They would not have managed to find out her address so easily. Ss looked up to Shane for consent. When Shane gave the nod, he immediately eded to her request. ¡°Sure,¡± and he started interrogating the paparazzi. Ss looked up to Shane for consent. When Shane gave the nod, he immediately eded to her request. ¡°Sure,¡± and he started interrogating the paparazzi. These paparazzi may have yed hardball with Natalie, but in the presence of Shane, they were forting with the information. ¡°It was from a woman.¡± ¡°A woman?¡± Natalie was stumped. ¡°Who is this woman?¡± Shane was curious too. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! A look of shock briefly shed by Ss'' expression. He fell silent and looked down, lost in thoughts. ¡°No idea. She called us on the phone, gave us Ms. Natalie''s address, and hung up. We tried calling back but her line was no longer in use.¡± Their replies were the same. Natalie looked towards Shane and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, do you think it could be the woman who urged the kids to bully Sharon yesterday?¡± ¡°That''s possible.¡± Shane then turned to Ss for his opinion. Ss shook his head and exined. ¡°Mr. Shane, I did some investigations. Based on Harrison''s bank records, he did not make any dubious fund transfers. His phone records and travel history were all clean as well. I doubt that woman''s in cahoots with him, even though her action did benefit him.¡± Chapter 391 Chapter 391 ¡°What leads you to this conclusion?¡± Natalie was eager to know. Ss adjusted his sses and borated. ¡°Harrison did spread the rumor about you and Mr. Shane at the press conference. Other than that, he did nothing. Those fake ounts and trolls were works of that woman.¡± ¡°You are positive about this?¡± Shane peered at him. ¡°I have checked on those fake ounts and trolls. They were all recruited and paid by a woman. Her modus operandi is always contacting via phone then disabling her line. ¡°She had the ability to mobilize so many different trolls and media, then disappeared without a trace. I think she has a powerful backer.¡± Natalie clenched her fist and concluded. She was convinced this was the same woman who bullied Sharon and maybe the one who destroyed her warehouse too. She had no idea what wrong she had done to this woman nor why she was so bent on harassing her. However, it did not matter anymore for she vowed to get to the bottom of things. Once she gathered sufficient evidence, this woman would be thrown in jail, just like Alice. ¡°Excuse us...Mr. Shane and Ms. Natalie. We told you everything we knew. Can we leave now?¡± The paparazzi looked pleadingly at the two and asked haltingly. ¡°Check their cameras.¡± Shane looked up and gave the instruction. ¡°Noted.¡± Ss took over and went through their cameras. They took many photos of Natalie. He removed all the memory cards and dered, ¡°Alright, these stay with me.¡± The paparazzi could only watch on helplessly. ¡°Scoot!¡± bawled Shane. The paparazzi were about to scurry away when Natalie called them back. Shane watched her with curiosity. ¡°Yes, Ms. Natalie?¡± The paparazzi turned back sulkily. They deeply regretted acting on that woman''s tip-off. They did not manage to get the scoop they wanted. On top of that, they even offended Shane. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. It was not a wasted trip though. They saw Shane and Natalie came out of the same apartment building. They spected there must be something going on between the two and the rumor about Natalie seducing Shane could be true. They secretly nned to send some juicy stories out once they get away from Shane. Natalie walked up to where Shane was standing. She gave him a nodding smile, looked at the paparazzi, and announced, ¡°If you wish to get answers for the questions you asked just now, join me at Sky Towers. I will be holding a press conference there to present my side of the story.¡± Natalie walked up to where Shane was standing. She gave him a nodding smile, looked at the paparazzi, and announced, ¡°If you wish to get answers for the questions you asked just now, join me at Sky Towers. I will be holding a press conference there to present my side of the story.¡± Her side of the story? The paparazzi looked at one another, surprised. They saw a plot twisting up and they were excited. ¡°Definitely! We will be there!¡± With that promise, they hurried away. After they left, Shane gave Ss an instruction. ¡°After the press conference, contact the media companies and get those few paparazzi fired.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Ss answered. Natalie pretended she did not hear that. Those paparazzi stalked and harassed her, so they deserved it. Natalie gave her forehead a quick rub, then turned to take leave from the men. ¡°Mr. Shane, I am runningte. I will make a move and head to the studio now.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie gave him a slight bow, headed towards her car, and drove off. Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Shane did not linger on as well. Together with Ss, he headed back to the office after Natalie left. After a half an hour''s drive, Natalie arrived at Sky Towers. She parked her car and headed up to her studio. The studio was packed with representatives from all the major media. The situation was a little chaotic. Joyce was trying her best to settle them down and maintain some semnce of order. The reporters would have none of that. They kept bombarding her with questions about the online rumors. Joyce was so exasperated she looked like she could storm off anytime. Natalie flung the door open and marched into the studio. She swept her gaze across the room, raised her voice, andmanded, ¡°Can''t you hear my friend? She said to keep quiet and settle down.¡± The reporters immediately settled down, in awe of her aura. Natalie was not done with them. She closed the door and announced, ¡°If anyone does not follow instructions and creates amotion, you will be banned from the press conference. I will call the security to escort you out.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Smith. We will be on our best behavior.¡± The reporters were blown away by her pluckiness. It was only then Natalie softened her expression and walked towards Joyce. Joyce held her hand and whispered, ¡°Well done, Nat! You are so cool!¡± ¡°What can I do? We have to get tough with these preposterous reporters. Otherwise, they will get out of hand.¡± Natalie put down her bag and smiled at Joyce. ¡°You are right. I''ll know what to do from now on!¡± Joyce agreed as she nodded her head. ¡°Are all the invited media here already?¡± Natalie asked as she picked up a microphone. ¡°Yes. The cameras are in ce. The live streams are also on standby. We have a record number of viewers,¡± Joyce reported. ¡°Let me take a look,¡± Natalie requested. Joyce brought her aptop. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. As soon as Natalie went online, the negativements came pouring in. Joyce was infuriated but Natalie shrugged it off. She hid thements and looked for the viewers'' count. There were half a million viewers in total. Not too bad. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie signaled Joyce to remove theptop. Joyce took it and sat down with it, ready to moderate and monitor the streams. Natalie picked up the microphone and inspected the crowd. She cleared her voice and started the press conference. ¡°Good morning, everyone. Thank you foring to my press conference. Today, I will be addressing the rumors about me that had been swirling around recently.¡± Natalie picked up the microphone and inspected the crowd. She cleared her voice and started the press conference. ¡°Good morning, everyone. Thank you foring to my press conference. Today, I will be addressing the rumors about me that had been swirling around recently.¡± The reporters'' eyes lit up. They were hungry for juicy details. Their recorders were thrust closer to Natalie and the cameras started shing away furiously. The blinding shing lights and the probing crowd would have been unsettling for most people. Nevertheless, Natalie was cool as a cucumber as she took it all in her stride. Shane was watching Natalie on her live stream. He was smiling softly with his eyes full of admiration. Even Ss was impressed. He nudged his sses andplimented, ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Natalie is really composed.¡± ¡°If she gets flustered by such a small event, then she would not have the potential to go far.¡± He rested his hands on the table and inquired, ¡°Are the media on standby on our side?¡± ¡°Most of them are here. They are waiting in the lounge.¡± Ss updated him. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 ¡°Great. Settle them in the conference room. We will begin as soon as Natalie is done with hers.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Ss left to make the necessary arrangements. Shane settled into afortable position and continued watching the live stream. Natalie pressed on a remote control button and a projected screen appeared behind her. ¡°Two days ago, CEO of Smith Group, Mr. Harrison Smith, used me of seducing the CEO of Thompson Group. He also hinted I was the one who sabotaged the engagement between Ms. Jasmine and Mr. Shane. He imed that I have exposed Ms. Jasmine''s giarism during thepetition because of jealousy. Today, I want to debunk those tant lies.¡± The crowd was startled by her denial. One of the reporters asked, ¡°Ms. Natalie, do you have any proof against his lies?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Natalie nodded and threw a nce at Joyce. Joyce clicked on herptop and the screen behind Natalie changed. Natalie directed her pointer at the screen and continued, ¡°This is my resume. I graduated from Laurent Academy of Design. Ms. Mercede is my mentor, and Ms. Daphne is Ms. Mercede''s mentor. Ms. Jasmine giarized Ms. Daphne''s work and also stole my designs in thepetition. I have valid reasons to expose her.¡± Some of the reporters nodded in agreement. The rest were not easily convinced. ¡°Yes, you had valid reasons to expose her giarism. However, you may have other motives as well. Everyone at the finals could see you and Ms. Jasmine were at odds with each other. Is Mr. Shane the reason for that animosity?¡± a reporter asked. Natalie looked the reporter straight in the eye and refuted, ¡°Nothing of that sort. My conflict with Ms. Jasmine has nothing to do with Mr. Shane. We were destined to be foes from the day we were born.¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean, Ms. Natalie?¡± The reporters were intrigued and some even stood up to get a better view of Natalie. They anticipated a huge secret was about to be revealed soon. Harrison was also keeping an eye on Natalie''s press conference. His muscles tensed up upon hearing her deration. ¡°How unruly is that! What is she nning to do?¡± She is not nning on spilling the beans on us, is she? Harrison grew uneasy. He picked up his phone to call Natalie. Natalie was about to start answering the reporters'' questions when her phone rang. Joyce checked the phone on her behalf and frowned. ¡°Nat, it''s Harrison. Do you want to pick the call?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Natalie declined right away. She knew the purpose of that call. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. But she was determined to exposed the truth. But she was determined to exposed the truth. Harrison was watching her online and saw her refusing to take his call. He was hopping mad. He tossed his phone out. ¡°What an insolent girl!¡± he yelled, banging his table. Natalie couldn''t care less. She turned her attention back to the reporters, smiling at them. ¡°Sorry for the interruption. Now, I am sure everyone is wondering why Jasmine and I are destined to be arch-rivals.¡± The reporters and online viewers were all holding their breath, waiting for the big revtion. Natalie took the cell phone from Joyce. ¡°The answers can be found in the two recorded conversations that I will yback for you shortly. These recordings will prove I did not seduce Mr. Shane. You will also find out the reason why Mr. Harrison Smith went all out to dishonor me.¡± Natalie unlocked her phone and broadcasted the recorded audio. They were the recordings of her phone conversations with Harrison the day before. When Joyce told her Harrison held a press conference and spread the fake news about Shane and her, she was already on guard. That was why when Harrison called her, she did the recordings. She needed to arm herself with ammunition for this moment. Chapter 394 Chapter 394 It did not take long to y those two recordings. When Harrison heard the recordings, he fell back into the chair, his face ashen. I am doomed! The online viewers and reporters were all dumbfounded. ¡°Oh my god! So Ms. Natalie is telling the truth!¡± A reporter snapped out of the state of shock and eximed loudly. ¡°Yes! Who would expect Mr. Smith would do such a thing?¡± The room was in an uproar. The recordings left no doubt as to what really happened. Jasmine and her mom were being investigated. Harrison pressured Natalie to withdraw charges and lie to the police so they could be released. When Natalie rejected his demands, he despicably made those false usations, hoping she would cave in under the negative publicity. Instantly, there was a change in public sentiment. The condemnation of the Smith family came fast and furious. Smith Group''s official social media tforms were overwhelmed by harshments. Harrison, Jasmine, and Susan''s Facebook ounts were all under attack. The Smiths became a trending topic. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Harrison had infuriated the public. He misled them and made use of them to pressure Natalie. The netizens were angry at being manipted. Their anger was obvious in theirments. Thements were much more venomous than those directed at Natalie. Joyce came running to Natalie with herptop in hand. ¡°Look, Nat, the tide has turned. Look at those vicious attacks on Harrison!¡± Natalie took a nce and coldly uttered, ¡°Serve him right. He asked for it!¡± ¡°Yup, you are right!¡± Joyce was ted. The twodies did not bother to speak in a hushed tone so the viewers heard them. No one could dispute Natalie''s statement. Indeed, Harrison brought that upon himself. Harrison heard them too. ¡°A**holes!¡± he screamed. He was trembling with rage as he watched a barrage of damningments popped up on his screen. His housekeeper was worried he may faint from anger and gave him some medicine. ¡°So do you believe I am innocent now?¡± Natalie picked up her microphone and cheerfully asked the reporters. ¡°Of course! Please ept our apologies for the misunderstanding.¡± The reporters felt bad about what they had written. One after another, the media and viewers on live stream started posting apologies. ounts on various social media tforms started taking down their earlier posts about her. It was toote for some though. Joyce had already taken screenshots of the many insulting posts by the trolls. ¡°Ms. Natalie is indeed impressive! She settled the issue with just two recordings.¡± Ss was impressed and he praised, as they watched Natalie on her live stream. ¡°Ms. Natalie is indeed impressive! She settled the issue with just two recordings.¡± Ss was impressed and he praised, as they watched Natalie on her live stream. ¡°Harrison''s stupidity helped too.¡± Shane mocked, leisurely sipping on his coffee. ¡°True. He left incriminating evidence with that two phone calls.¡± Ssughed out loud. Soon, the reporters started interviewing Natalie after offering their apologies at the press conference. ¡°Ms. Natalie, you said other than proving your innocence, the recordings will reveal the reason for your animosity with Ms. Jasmine. There was no clear mention of that in the recordings. We heard you called Mr. Smith ''dad''. Are you and Ms. Jasmine sisters?¡± ¡°Yes, but we are half-sisters. My mom was Harrison''s legal wife while her mom was his mistress, so technically, I am the legitimate heiress of the Smith Group,¡± Natalie announced. That revtion stunned everyone. All these years, the public only knew that the Smith family had one daughter. It was a big surprise to have another person iming to be Harrison''s daughter. What was more shocking was her im to be the rightful heir. Chapter 395 Chapter 395 ¡°How dare she...¡± Harrison was staring at the live stream. He was so agitated he was bing short of breath. ¡°Sir! Please calm down.¡± The housekeeper was very concerned. He supported Harrison, worried he would pass out from anger. True enough, Harrison ckout in a fit of rage. Over at Shane''s office, Ss was feeling a little sorry for Harrison. ¡°Looks like Harrison has really infuriated Ms. Natalie and she will be spilling the beans on him.¡± ¡°He asked for it,¡± Shane sneered. That sounded familiar. Those were the exact words Natalie used. Shane took whatever she said to heart. Ss was a little amused. He turned his attention back to the live stream so his mind would not wander further. ¡°Ms. Natalie, do you mean Ms. Jasmine Smith is an illegitimate child?¡± A reporter had to re-confirm the shocking news he just heard. Natalie nodded and continued, ¡°You heard me right. I think all of you would remember Harrison divorced his wife and married his current wife, Susan Sullivan, seven years ago. He even changed the name of his daughter to Jasmine.¡± All the reporters nodded their heads. Of course, they remembered since it was big news back then. The Smiths even held a press conference for that. ¡°What you were not aware of is Jasmine did not change her name. Harrison made that announcement to mislead the public as he did not want you to know she is his illegitimate child. Susan is not Jasmine''s stepmother. They are blood-rted mother and daughter.¡± ¡°That can''t be true!¡± Some were not convinced. Most of them believed Natalie. ¡°Why not? Although there were rumors that Jasmine and Susan were at loggerheads, Susan had always been very protective of Jasmine. Shemitted thistest offense because of her daughter too. They must be mother and daughter. Would anyone have gone to that extent for a stepchild who is not rted by blood?¡± ¡°I definitely would not!¡± ¡°I told you so.¡± The animated discussions brought on a smile to Natalie''s face. She picked up her microphone again to share more details. ¡°Jasmine is Susan''s daughter while my mom is Yulia Lawrence. Twenty-five years ago, Harrison had an affair with Susan and they had Jasmine, who is a year older than I before I was even conceived. Both Yulia and I were kept in the dark.¡± She got a little emotional at this point. She had to take a deep breath to calm herself before she could carry on. ¡°We got to know about this seven years ago when Harrison brought Jasmine and Susan home. He divorced my mom, and chased her out, together with my brother and me. He even lied to the public that his daughter changed her name to Jasmine which was utterly ridiculous.¡± After that outburst, she buried her face in her hand. It seemed like she broke down and cried. Joyce handed her a piece of tissue and tenderly consoled her. ¡°Nat, don''t be sad. It is not worth wasting your tears on such an awful dad.¡± ¡°Yeah. We did not expect Mr. Smith to be so despicable.¡± The reporters were all taken aback by the injustice of Harrison''s actions. ¡°Yeah. We did not expect Mr. Smith to be so despicable.¡± The reporters were all taken aback by the injustice of Harrison''s actions. ¡°Indeed! We were all led to believe Mr. Smith doted on his daughter. So he was only showing favoritism towards his illegitimate child.¡± ¡°Ms. Natalie is too pitiable. Both Ms. Jasmine and Ms. Natalie are his flesh and blood. How could he be so merciless towards her?¡± Natalie let on a faint smile when she heard all these criticisms directed at Harrison. She did not know if Harrison was following her live stream. If he was, she was pretty sure he would be hopping mad. He had always valued his reputation and image. With all these dark secrets exposed, all that he treasured would be destroyed. She looked forward to seeing what he would do to salvage the situation. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Natalie pretended to wipe her non-existing tears, then looked up to Joyce. ¡°Joyce, please inform Mr. Shane that he can get started on his side.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce nodded. She took out a name card and her cell phone and called Ss. While Joyce was calling Ss, Natalie fished out a name list from her bag and waved it in the air as she addressed the reporters. ¡°Hi everyone, I have onest announcement before we end the press conference. The media and trolls listed here will soon receive a Letter of Demand from mywyer.¡± Chapter 396 Chapter 396 ¡°Lawyer?¡± All the reporters and online viewers were taken aback. ¡°That''s right. These trolls sullied my reputation. Someizens posted nasty, unverified usations against me to win likes. All these had caused me great emotional and psychological distress. I am seeking justice for myself,¡± Natalie said. ¡°But that is such a long list of people! Don''t you think you are being too harsh?¡± A reporter felt she was over-reacting. He reasoned it was just some harmless onlinements, so she should not make such a big fuss over it. To him, she was being petty and vengeful. ¡°What do you mean harsh? I don''t think I am though. Did they remind themselves not to be harsh when they posted all those vilements?¡± Natalie retorted with a mirthless smile. ¡°Ah...¡± The reporter was tongue-tied. Natalie looked away from him and addressed the crowd. ¡°Every one of us has to take responsibility for our own actions. They should have borne that in mind when they were happily trolling others. I am not worried about the long list. I will take my time to get to every single one of them.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Natalie was unyielding. Everyone got the message that she was not someone to mess around with. Natalie pped her hands to get all their attention. ¡°Okay, that is all I have for today. The CEO of Thompson Group will be holding his press conference in a short while. Harrison defamed both Mr. Shane and me, so Mr. Shane will be responding to his usation too. If you are interested, do head over to his press conference.¡± Even before she finished her sentence, more than half of the reporters were already rushing out. The rest had smug smiles on their faces. Obviously, they had colleagues already on-site to cover Shane''s press conference. At the same time, Joyce ended her call and reported, ¡°Nat, I have informed Mr. Campbell. He said they had already started on their end.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Natalie went over to herptop and log on to Shane''s press conference live stream. Shane was seated in their conference room. He looked straight in the camera and solemnly announced, ¡°Ms. Natalie had given a very clear exnation, so I shall not go into the details again. From this moment, I will boycott the Smith Group. This is my punishment to Harrison Smith for his defamation.¡± No one faulted him for his decision. They would have done the same if they were in his position. Nobody would like to be given a bad name. ¡°Mr. Shane, since there is nothing between you and Ms. Natalie, why did you break off your engagement with Ms. Jasmine?¡± A reporter raised this question. Shane adjusted the microphone and answered his query. ¡°When I announced the decision to break off my engagement with Ms. Jasmine Smith, I have already stated my reasons. She is a vicious woman who tried to frame Ms. Natalie on numerous asions, despite my persuasion for her to stop. On top of that, she is a woman of easy virtue.¡± Easy virtue? His choice of words and expression set everyone''s imagination running wild. Easy virtue? His choice of words and expression set everyone''s imagination running wild. Even Natalie was taken aback. He actually said that? Did he just openly hinted at Jasmine''s infidelity? Ain''t he worried people would talk behind his back and mock him? Shane was not aware of Natalie''s worry. Even if he was, he would not be bothered since it was Jasmine''s reputation at stake, not his. Moreover, even if there were any gossips about him, no one would dare to speak about it in his face. ¡°That''s all for today then.¡± Shane let go of the microphone and walked out of the conference room. Ss stayed behind to clear the crowd. Those tuned in to the live stream were astonished. That must be the most sinct statement ever released in a press conference. Natalie was surprised too but it was not unexpected. That was very Shane. Natalie smilingly shook her head. She turned off the projected screen and cleared the remaining reporters from her studio. Soon, only Joyce and she were left in the studio. Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Joyce looked up from herptop and cheered. ¡°Nat, this is wonderful! Most of the demeaning online comments and posts directed at you were deleted.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°I expected that. After my rification, thoseizens with a conscience would have deleted their posts. As for those who did not wish to do so initially, they would have also deleted after hearing that my threat to sue each and every one of them. I am sure every single negativement about me would disappear soon.¡± Natalie chirped after she took a sip of water. She was thirsty after a long press conference. Just then, her phone rang. ¡°It''s a call from the police station,¡± Joyce told her after she took a nce at the caller ID. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Natalie took the phone from Joyce and answered, ¡°Hello. I am Natalie.¡± ¡°Hello Ms. Natalie, Ms. Susan''s sentence is out. She will be detained for 10 days as punishment for voluntarily causing hurt. As for Ms. Jasmine, her case will be brought to court three dayster. Please be there on time,¡± the policeman updated. ¡°Sure. Thank you.¡± Natalie acknowledged. After she hung up, she ryed the information to Joyce. ¡°What? Only ten days? She got off easy.¡± Joyce was displeased with the sentence. ¡°Let it go, my friend. By the way, are you heading back to the hospital?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce closed herptop and got ready to go. ¡°Please make a detour to the court and submit this list. Once we settle Jasmine''s case, we can go after these trolls andizens.¡± Natalie handed her the list. ¡°No problem. I''ll make a move then.¡± Joyce packed it in her bag and left. Natalie stayed on to update her designers so they can get back to work at the studio. After that was done, she got ready to leave as well. She was worried as she had left her two kids home alone in the apartment. At that time, there was a knock on the door and a security guard peeped in. ¡°Ms. Smith, there is a package for you.¡± ¡°Package? Who is it from?¡± Natalie stopped packing her desk and asked him. ¡°I can''t read, so I can''t tell.¡± The security guard replied sheepishly. ¡°It is alright. Thank you.¡± Natalie walked over to him and smilingly received the parcel. He humbly handed over the parcel with both hands then left. It was a big thick envelope. Natalie could not tell what was inside. As she was walking back to her desk, she flipped over the envelope and saw the sender''s details. Her eyes sparkled and she gasped! Oh my god! The package is from Mr. Dn! Natalie raised her fists and started hopping with excitement. She would have let out a scream if she was not in the office and had to mind her image. After a while, Natalie took a deep breath to calm herself before opening the package. A tasteful ck invitation card dropped out and fell to the floor. After a while, Natalie took a deep breath to calm herself before opening the package. A tasteful ck invitation card dropped out and fell to the floor. Natalie quickly bent down to pick it up. She carefully dusted it off before opening the card. ¡°Isn''t this the same invitation to the exhibition that Mr. Shane receivedst night?¡± she eximed. ¡°Yippee! I didn''t expect to get it as well!¡± She held the invite lovingly to her chest. Since she heard from Shane and Ssst night that Mr. Dn wasing to J City for an exhibition, she was bemoaning she would not have the opportunity to meet him. She had never expected to get a personal invitation from Mr. Dn! Natalie happily kissed the invitation card, carefully kept it in her bag, and left the studio. Natalie was home watching TV with her kids in the afternoon. They wereughing and enjoying the show when the phone rang. She fished her cell phone from her pocket. Her smile froze when she saw the caller ID. ¡°Connor and Sharon dear, can you please go y in your room for a while?¡± Natalie sent the kids back to their room, her eyes still fixed on the caller ID. Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Harrison suddenly called her. He must be calling me because of the press conference earlier today. Knowing that there was a chance that the call would turn ugly, she asked her kids to leave. Connor saw the iing call on Natalie''s phone. Mommy won''t let us listen to this. Sighing, he pulled Sharon back to their room. Natalie only picked up the call after the room door was closed. ¡°Mr. Smith, can I help you with something?¡± ¡°You ungrateful child!¡± Harrison bellowed through the phone. Undertones of weakness in his voice made him sound a lot less imposing than he intended. Natalie picked up the remote and switched off the TV. She answered nonchntly, ¡°Mr. Smith, if I were an ungrateful child, what does that make you? A horrible father?¡± ¡°Y-You,¡± Harrison stuttered with anger at her words. He took in several deep breaths before he was able to suppress his rage. He asked fiercely, ¡°Why did you reveal Jasmine''s real identity at the press conference?¡± ¡°Because you forced me to,¡± Natalie replied lightly, flicking her nails. Ah, my nails are getting a little too long. I should invite Joyce to get a new manicure with me tomorrow. ¡°I forced you?¡± Harrison choked on his words. Her reply invoked a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu; didn''t he say the same thing to her yesterday when she called him about the rumors he''d spread of her and Shane on the Inte? How dare she used my words against me! ¡°Of course you did. You used public outcry to pressure me to drop my charges against Susan and falsify my testimony against Jasmine. Frankly, I''ve run out of options, and this is my only way out.¡± Shrugging, Natalie expressed her helplessness. Harrison found himself at a loss for words. His face twitched with anger as he yelled, ¡°Fine, you are right. But did you think about how your actions are going to affect the Smith family and the Smith Group? The stock prices for the Smith Group are falling like mad!¡± Natalie moved the phone slightly further from her ear as she replied, ¡°Mr. Smith, surely you''re joking. The stock prices fell because of you. None of this would''ve happened if you didn''t cheat on my mom in the past. Also, it doesn''t bother me if the stock prices fall. In fact, I hope it falls so low you''re forced to dere bankruptcy!¡± The Smith Group was established by both Harrison and her mom. Furthermore, her mom had put more effort into the venture than Harrison ever did. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Harrison tricked her mom into signing an equity transfer agreement seven years ago, effectively robbing her mom of all her shares. Natalie had lost her loyalty towards Smith Group since then. ¡°Y-You...¡± Harrison stuttered as he tightened his grip on his walking cane. He sounded like he had more to say. Natalie let out a faux yawn as she ran out of patience. ¡°Mr. Smith, it''ste. Let''s end the call here. It''s time for my beauty sleep. Goodbye!¡± She hung up and threw her phone aside. She hung up and threw her phone aside. ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± Harrison continued shouting into the phone. ¡°Stop yelling. She has already hung up,¡± Jasmine spoke behind him. Harrison looked at his phone and realized she''d already cut the call short. Angrily, he said, ¡°That b*stard! Does she have no respect for her own father!¡± Jasmine snorted at his words. ¡°Dad, I don''t mean to take her side, but it''s a fact that you''ve been treating her like nothing more than a piece of trash. Why would she ever show you any respect? Isn''t this ironic?¡± The corner of his lips twitched as he appeared embarrassed. Suddenly, the doors of the interrogation room opened. Dressed in prison scrubs, Susan was escorted in by an inspector. Susan had lost a lot of weight even though it''d only been two days. She looked frail, and her complexion was sallow. Her bone structure appeared sharper, which only entuated her meanness. She nced at an equally frail-looking Jasmine, before turning to look at Harrison, who looked exhausted. She immediately burst into tears. ¡°Darling, you must get me out of here! I can''t stay here any longer! It''s so ufortable! I can''t eat or sleep well, and I''m being bullied too!¡± Jasmine lowered her head in disgust when she heard her wails. Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Harrison''s head started to pound at Susan''s loud crying. The nerves at his temple bulged with difort. ¡°Alright, stop crying already. They''ve already handed out your sentence, so what else can I do? Just put up with it; it''s only ten more days.¡± ¡°Ten days,¡± Susan repeated listlessly. When she saw Jasmine, she perked up slightly and asked, ¡°What about Jas? You can''t save me, but you can help Jas, right? At least try to reduce her sentence by a few years.¡± ¡°It''s hopeless. Natalie hasn''t agreed to falsify her testimony.¡± Jasmine lifted her head, her eyes narrowing into fearsome slits. ¡°But it''s ok if she doesn''t want to give false testimony. I''ll just have to make sure she can''t attend the hearing.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Harrison and Susan looked at each other when they heard her words. Then they both turned to look at Jasmine. ¡°Jas, what are you going to do?¡± Jasmine ignored Susan but beckoned Harrison over instead. ¡°Dad, this is what we''re going to do.¡± After hearing her n, shock shed through Harrison''s eyes. He soon steeled his nerves and nodded. ¡°Alright, I''ll get it done.¡± He left the police station after that. The next day after breakfast, Natalie lifted Sharon''s bag as she got ready to send her to school. Suddenly, Sharon ran into her room and locked herself in. Natalie knocked on the door, coaxing, ¡°Sharon, what are you doing? Open the door.¡± ¡°I don''t want to! If I open the door, Mommy''s going to send me to kindergarten,¡± Sharon replied sadly while shaking her head, as she sat with her back against the door. Natalie was stunned for a moment. Sharon''s locking herself in the room because she doesn''t want to go to kindergarten? Natalie lowered her gaze as she pondered for a while. She thought she knew why Sharon refused to go to school. Looks like the incident a couple of days ago really traumatized Sharon. She''s still not over it today. Natalie sighed as she said, ¡°Sharon, how will you learn new things if you don''t go to school today? All the other kids will be at school today. Do you want to fall behind them?¡± Sharon stiffened for a bit when she heard Natalie''s words. She soon rxed as she replied, ¡°Let it be then. I won''t go even if I''m way behind all of them. If I go to school, they''ll just bully me and call me a bastard with no dad,¡± Sharon trailed off as she started to sob. Sharon wouldn''t stop crying, and nothing Natalie said could make her open the door. Natalie felt helpless. Suddenly, Connor''s voice piqued up behind her. ¡°How about asking Mr. Shane to send you to school? Then they won''t bully you anymore.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie turned around and saw Shane, who looked like he''d been dragged here by Connor. She couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows at him. ¡°Mr. Shane, what a surprise.¡± ¡°Connor dragged me here.¡± Shane tilted his jaw towards Connor. He was about to leave for work when Connor rang his doorbell. Mrs. Wilson had barely opened the door before Connor had zoomed straight towards his room, dragging him here on a favor. ¡°You rascal!¡± Natalie jokingly tapped Connor''s head as she scolded softly, ¡°Mr. Shane is a busy man. How can you ask him to send Sharon to school?¡± Shane already knew what was up when Connor dragged him here. He said casually, ¡°It''s not a bother. I was just getting ready to leave. I can send Sharon to school on the way.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Before Natalie could finish her sentence, the room door suddenly burst open. Sharon ran out and hugged Shane''s leg, crying, ¡°Mommy, I want Mr. Shane to send me!¡± Connor seemed exceedingly pleased with himself. ¡°See, my n worked. Sharon wille out once Mr. Shane is here.¡± Natalie side-eyed him, and he immediately mped his mouth shut. Natalie looked at Shane and said apologetically, ¡°Mr. Shane, I''m so sorry to trouble you again.¡± ¡°It''s no problem,¡± Shane replied gently as he stroked Sharon''s head. ¡°Dad, I want a hug!¡± Sharon opened her arms and gazed at Shane with puppy eyes. Natalie almost choked from surprise. She gave Sharon a light smack on her back. ¡°You''re supposed to call him Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Connor draggad ma hara.¡± Shana tiltad his jaw towards Connor. Ha was about toava for work whan Connor rang his doorball. Mrs. Wilson had baraly opanad tha door bafora Connor had zoomad straight towards his room, dragging him hara on a favor. ¡°You rascal!¡± Natalia jokingly tappad Connor''s haad as sha scoldad softly, ¡°Mr. Shana is a busy man. How can you ask him to sand Sharon to school?¡± Shana alraady knaw what was up whan Connor draggad him hara. Ha said casually, ¡°It''s not a bothar. I was just gatting raady toava. I can sand Sharon to school on tha way.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Bafora Natalia could finish har santanca, tha room door suddanly burst opan. Sharon ran out and huggad Shana''sg, crying, ¡°Mommy, I want Mr. Shana to sand ma!¡± Connor saamad axcaadingly asad with himsalf. ¡°Saa, my n workad. Sharon wi out onca Mr. Shana is hara.¡± Natalia sida-ayad him, and ha immadiataly mpad his mouth shut. Natalia lookad at Shana and said apologatically, ¡°Mr. Shana, I''m so sorry to trou you again.¡± ¡°It''s no prom,¡± Shana rapliad gantly as ha strokad Sharon''s haad. ¡°Dad, I want a hug!¡± Sharon opanad har arms and gazad at Shana with puppy ayas. Natalia almost chokad from surprisa. Sha gava Sharon a light smack on har back. ¡°You''ra supposad to call him Mr. Shana.¡± Chapter 401 Chapter 401 ¡°Then I''ll tell mommy after school, so mommy agrees,¡± Sharon said brightly. ¡°You''re so silly.¡± Connor pinched his lips. ¡°Do you think mommy will just say yes if you ask her too?¡± This made sense to Sharon, and her bright mood dimmed. ¡°Then what are we going to do, Connor?¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Just make sure you and Connor always bring up my name in front of your mommy. I''m sure she''ll say yes eventually,¡± Shane replied as he looked at Sharon. A twinkle returned to Sharon''s eyes again, and she nodded eagerly. ¡°Ok, I''ll keep talking about dad in front of her!¡± As if to prove her sincerity on the matter, she patted her chest determinedly. Shane couldn''t help butugh at her antics, and he gave her a light kiss on her forehead. Connor had been silent this whole time, though he couldn''t deny that he was moved by Shane''s words. He wanted a dad as much as Sharon did, and he thought Mr. Shane was the best person for the job. Maybe it''s good to have Mr. Shane as our dad. Mommy said before that Mr. Shane likes someone else and will marry her, but I don''t think it''s true. Uncle Stanley and even Mr. Shane himself said that he likes mommy. If mommy thinks that Mr. Shane likes someone else, then she must''ve been tricked. Ding! The elevator had arrived at the level of the parking lot. Shane got out of the lift with the two kids in tow and drove them to the kindergarten. He arrived at Thompson Group two hourster after he finally dropped the kids off at kindergarten. Ss handed a document to Shane while exining, ¡°Mr. Shane, here''s a list of the major assembly lines that are still active under the Smith Group.¡± Shane flipped through the document and returned it to Ss. ¡°This is good, very detailed work. We''ll follow our original n to pressure them. I want to see the Smith Group out of the market in three days.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Ss replied. As if he suddenly remembered something else, he said, ¡°Half an hour ago, Ms. Smith sent us the finalized blueprint from the bidding exercise. Mr. Plumlee has forwarded it to your inbox.¡± ¡°Alright, I''ll take a look at it now,¡± Shane replied as he pushed open the doors to the office. He switched on hisputer as he settled down at his desk. He nodded with satisfaction as he took in the vivid, eye-catching designs presented in the blueprint. He sent his assessment of the design to Mr. Plumlee, who passed it on to Natalie. Natalie heaved a huge sigh of relief when she saw that her blueprint was approved. She began working on the printing with a bright smile on her face. Three days passed by in the blink of an eye. It was time for Jasmine''s trial. Natalie received a call early in the morning as she was eating breakfast. She set down her fork and picked up her phone. She quickly answered the call when she saw that it was Mr. Horner. ¡°Nat, have you prepared all the materials? What time are youing to the courthouseter?¡± Mr. Horner asked. Natalie eyed the folders on the coffee table and replied, ¡°Everything is ready. I''ll be there at one.¡± ¡°Great! Give me a call when you arrive. I''ll send someone to get you so we can have a meeting before the trial starts. There are some designers here whose works have also been giarized by Jasmine, and they would like to ask you some questions,¡± exined Mr. Horner. Natalie replied, ¡°Sure, that''s fine.¡± She ended the call and put down her phone. Shane, who was seated opposite her, served Connor and Sharon each a slice of pancake. He asked, ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°Mr. Horner.¡± Natalie briefly exined what Mr. Horner had told her on the call, and she picked up her fork to continue eating. Suddenly another fork reached towards her, and an extra pancake appeared on her te. ¡°Thanks.¡± Surprised, Natalie thanked him with a smile. The twins had begun inviting him for breakfast daily since two days ago. There was nothing she could say to dissuade them. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! After all, he''d been the one sending the kids to school over the past three days. ¡°No worries, just eat your breakfast.¡± Shane couldn''t tell what Natalie was thinking, and he took back his fork coolly. ¡°Nat, hava you praparad all tha matarials? What tima ara youing to tha courthousatar?¡± Mr. Hornar askad. Natalia ayad tha foldars on tha coffaa ta and rapliad, ¡°Evarything is raady. I''ll ba thara at ona.¡± ¡°Graat! Giva ma a call whan you arriva. I''ll sand somaona to gat you so wa can hava a maating bafora tha trial starts. Thara ara soma dasignars hara whosa works hava also baan giarizad by Jasmina, and thay would lika to ask you soma quastions,¡± axinad Mr. Hornar. Natalia rapliad, ¡°Sura, that''s fina.¡± Sha andad tha call and put down har phona. Shana, who was saatad opposita har, sarvad Connor and Sharon aach a slica of pancaka. Ha askad, ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°Mr. Hornar.¡± Natalia briafly axinad what Mr. Hornar had told har on tha call, and sha pickad up har fork to continua aating. Suddanly anothar fork raachad towards har, and an axtra pancaka appaarad on har ta. ¡°Thanks.¡± Surprisad, Natalia thankad him with a sm. Tha twins had bagun inviting him for braakfast daily sinca two days ago. Thara was nothing sha could say to dissuada tham. Aftar all, ha''d baan tha ona sanding tha kids to school ovar tha past thraa days. ¡°No worrias, just aat your braakfast.¡± Shana couldn''t tall what Natalia was thinking, and ha took back his fork coolly. Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Natalie nodded and took a small bite of her pancake. Shane''s expression softened as he watched her eat. He took another pancake for himself. After breakfast, Natalie secured the kids'' school bags before pushing them towards Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, thank you for your help again today.¡± ¡°Not a problem. We''ll get going then.¡± Shane pulled the kids with him out the door. Natalie followed them to the elevator. Shane suddenly halted before the elevators as if he recalled something. He turned his head slightly and said, ¡°Today is the trial hearing for Jasmine''s giarism case. Harrison is definitely going to be there so you need to be careful. I''m worried he''s going to take his anger out on you when the verdict is announced; just like Susan didst time.¡± Natalie''s heart warmed at his advice. She tucked her hair behind her ear as she replied, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane. I''ll be careful.¡± Seeing that she''d taken his words to heart, Shane nodded and led the kids into the elevator. Natalie didn''t linger after they left. She headed back to her apartment and busied herself with work. At twelve, she set down her shears and cooked herself a bowl of spaghetti for lunch. She quickly changed and left for the courthouse. Natalie slung her bag across her shoulder as she stepped out of the building. Suddenly, she thought she sensed someone watching her with malice. She slowed down instinctively, turning around to pinpoint where the stares wereing from. She saw a few unsavory-looking thugs sitting on a nearby flower bed. They seemed to notice that Natalie had discovered them. They exchanged nces with each other before standing up and stubbing out their cigarettes. Cracking their fists, they began to approach Natalie menacingly. Sensing imminent danger, Natalie''s pupils contracted in fear as she took two steps backward before turning and breaking into a run. The thugs didn''t expect her to suddenly make a run for it. Stunned, they stayed rooted for a moment before chasing after her. ¡°Quick! Don''t let her get away!¡± Hearing the thundering footsteps behind her, Natalie knew the thugs were definitely sent to get her. She dared not turn her head back as she ran at full speed. Terrified, she shouted for help. ¡°Help! Someone''s after me! Help!¡± Some pedestrians stopped curiously to stare as they heard her calls for help. But once they caught sight of the ferocious-looking thugs who were chasing after her, their sympathy was quickly reced with fear. Lowering their heads, they pretended not to see a thing as they hurried away from the scene. Natalie felt disappointed when she saw all the pedestrians turning away from her. Though she could empathize with them, the rejection was still a bitter pill to swallow. Since she couldn''t rely on the pedestrians to help her, she could only continue shouting for help as she reached into her bag, trying to pull out her phone to call the police. She''d just unlocked her phone when she came to a halting stop. She hadn''t even managed to call the police yet. She''d run into a dead-end. Faced with a towering wall, she couldn''t get around or over it. Sh*t, I''ve been cornered! ¡°Why''d you stop running, huh?¡± The thugs had caught up to her and were staring at the wall in front of her. Taking in her tense outline, theyughed. ¡°Why don''t you keep running? You were running so fast just now.¡± Hearing their mockingughter, Natalie turned around to face them, her face pale with fear. She hid her phone behind her as she navigated to the call log based on memory. She randomly tapped on one of the numbers and dialed it. She didn''t know who she''d called, but she could only hope that the recipient would answer her call and contact the police. I can''t call the police. I can''t even see the keypad, and I might dial the wrong number. There''s no more time to waste. This is the best option I have. Sinca sha couldn''t raly on tha padastrians to halp har, sha could only continua shouting for halp as sha raachad into har bag, trying to pull out har phona to call tha polica. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Sha''d just unlockad har phona whan sha cama to a halting stop. Sha hadn''t avan managad to call tha polica yat. Sha''d run into a daad-and. Facad with a towaring wall, sha couldn''t gat around or ovar it. Sh*t, I''va baan cornarad! ¡°Why''d you stop running, huh?¡± Tha thugs had caught up to har and wara staring at tha wall in front of har. Taking in har tansa outlina, thayughad. ¡°Why don''t you kaap running? You wara running so fast just now.¡± Haaring thair mockingughtar, Natalia turnad around to faca tham, har faca p with faar. Sha hid har phona bahind har as sha navigatad to tha call log basad on mamory. Sha randomly tappad on ona of tha numbars and did it. Sha didn''t know who sha''d cad, but sha could only hopa that tha racipiant would answar har call and contact tha polica. I can''t call tha polica. I can''t avan saa tha kaypad, and I might dial tha wrong numbar. Thara''s no mora tima to wasta. This is tha bast option I hava. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Back in the conference room at Thompson Group, Shane was in the middle of a meeting when Ss entered the room. He walked towards Shane and bent down, speaking softly, ¡°Mr. Shane, you have a call from Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Shane called for a pause in the meeting as he turned his attention to Ss. Ss shook his head, replying, ¡°I don''t know. I haven''t picked up.¡± ¡°Here, give it to me.¡± Shane took the phone from Ss. Shane announced that the meeting would be postponed before he stepped out of the conference room to answer the call. He ced the phone at his ear as he answered the call. ¡°Hey, what''s up?¡± Natalie''s voice drifted through the phone, but she appeared to be asking someone a question instead of talking to him. ¡°Who sent you here? What are you trying to do?¡± Her fear was evident in her tone; Shane could tell she was in trouble as his grip tightened on the phone. His expression had turned murderous and cold. Now he realized that she was calling for help. Biting back his tongue, he suppressed his anger and concern as he listened quietly to the situation. As long as I know where she is, I can go and save her. Natalie didn''t know if anyone had answered her call. She watched the thugs cautiously, her shoulders taut with tension. The thugs couldn''t see what was going on behind her back. They smiled at her sinisterly. ¡°What are we doing? Of course, we''re here to stop you from going to court.¡± ¡°Stop me from going to court?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened. ¡°Did Harrison send you here?¡± The thugs seemed to blink in surprise when they heard Harrison''s name, though they collected themselves quickly. ¡°Congrattions! Didn''t expect you to get it right on your first guess. In that case, there''s no point in hiding it from you. You''re right; he sent us here because he didn''t want you to show up at court. So just be a good girl ande with us for a spin.¡± As they were talking, the thugs stepped forward, making a grabbing motion at Natalie. Frightened, Natalie instinctively lifted her hands to block their advance. It was at this moment that the thugs saw the phone in her hand. ¡°Sh*t! She''s calling someone for help! Quick, grab her phone!¡± yelled one of the thugs anxiously. On the other end of the phone, Shane realized Natalie''s call had been discovered, and his heart sank. In ast-ditch attempt to discover her whereabouts, he asked hurriedly, ¡°Natalie, where are you? Tell me!¡± Hearing Shane''s voice, Natalie''s eyes began to fill with hope. But before she could answer him, the phone was yanked hardly out of her hands. As she looked on in rm, one of the thugs hurled her phone to the ground. ¡°No!¡± Natalie''s eyes widened as she shouted, rushing forward to get her phone. The thug who threw her phone on the ground stepped on it. Crack! The phone was ruined. He also pped Natalie as he barked ferociously, ¡°You b*tch! How dare you call for help? You''ll regret this!¡± Natalie cried out in pain as she fell from the sheer force of the p. Her cheek immediately began to swell, while her head was ringing painfully from the impact. She felt as if all her thoughts had been knocked out of her head. Taking advantage of her injured state, they covered her mouth and nose and tied up her limbs. They quickly fled the scene with Natalie in tow. Meanwhile, Shane had been walking towards the operations department with a dark expression on his face. Ss was struggling to keep up with him. ¡°Mr. Shane, what''s going on?¡± Ss huffed as he rushed up to him. Shane''s fists were clenched so tightly that the veins in his arms bulged. Working hard to keep his worry from spiraling out of control, he answered simply, ¡°Natalie''s in trouble.¡± Before Natalie''s call had been cut off abruptly, he had heard her desperately shouting no at her assants. She must be in danger. He refused to let himself imagine the kind of trouble Natalie had been embroiled in, as he focused all his attention on discovering her whereabouts so he could save her. Tha thug who thraw har phona on tha ground stappad on it. Crack! Tha phona was ruinad. Ha also ppad Natalia as ha barkad farociously, ¡°You b*tch! How dara you call for halp? You''ll ragrat this!¡± Natalia criad out in pain as sha fall from tha shaar forca of tha p. Har chaak immadiataly bagan to swall, wh har haad was ringing painfully from tha impact. Sha falt as if all har thoughts had baan knockad out of har haad. Taking advantaga of har injurad stata, thay covarad har mouth and nosa and tiad up har limbs. Thay quickly d tha scana with Natalia in tow. Maanwh, Shana had baan walking towards tha oparations dapartmant with a dark axprassion on his faca. Ss was struggling to kaap up with him. ¡°Mr. Shana, what''s going on?¡± Ss huffad as ha rushad up to him. Shana''s fists wara nchad so tightly that tha vains in his arms bulgad. Working hard to kaap his worry from spiraling out of control, ha answarad simply, ¡°Natalia''s in trou.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Bafora Natalia''s call had baan cut off abruptly, ha had haard har dasparataly shouting no at har assants. Sha must ba in dangar. Ha rafusad tot himsalf imagina tha kind of trou Natalia had baan ambrod in, as ha focusad all his attantion on discovaring har wharaabouts so ha could sava har. Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Soon, they arrived at the operations department. Shane pushed open the door and tossed his phone at one of the employees. ¡°Trace thest-known location of this number right now!¡± ¡°Right away, sir!¡± The employee got to work immediately. Next, he turned towards Ss and ordered, ¡°I need you to call Mr. Horner of the Design Association and tell him that something''s cropped up at Natalie''s end, so she can''t make it to the courthouse. Get him to postpone the trial hearing. And I want someone to bring Harrison here this instant!¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed dangerously, his voice as chilling as the harsh winter snow. Since Harrison sent someone after Natalie, I''m going to teach him a lesson. ¡°Understood. I''m on it.¡± Ss nodded his head seriously as he carried out Shane''s orders. Ss had barely left the room when the employee tasked with tracing Natalie''s callpleted Shane''s request. He pointed at theputer screen as he said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ve traced the call to this location.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Shane lowered his gaze to look at the screen and realized it was Natalie''s apartment. Gritting his teeth, he said, ¡°Continue tracing the phone. I want you to gather all the security footage of the apartment and its vicinity.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The employee nodded and began typing furiously on his keyboard. About ten minutester, he''d gathered all the relevant security footage. Shane saw Natalie being chased by a few men soon after she''d left her apartment building. The chase had ended at a wall between Natalie''s apartment and a neighboring apartment. She was carried away by the men shortly after. ¡°Mr. Shane, based on where the van is headed, as well as the roads ahead, it seems like they''re trying to leave the city.¡± ¡°Can you track the van?¡± Shane tightened his grip on the back of the employee''s chair. The employee nodded. ¡°It''s possible, but we''ll need to use satellite data if we want to track the van in real-time. I don''t have the clearance to ess it; once I hack into the system, the higher-ups will find out as well,¡± said the employee pointedly. Shane was aware of the consequences, but he couldn''t care less. Natalie''s safety was at the top of his mind. He wanted to save her as soon as possible. If only I hadn''t dismissed Natalie''s bodyguard after Alice was caught... She might be safe now if I''d kept the bodyguard on her. These thoughts strengthened his resolve as Shane picked up his phone and ordered sternly, ¡°No problem. Just hack the satellite, and I''ll handle the higher-ups. Send me the real-time location of the van after you get the data.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The employee carried out his orders without further hesitation. Shane left the department, calling someone on his phone as he walked to his car. ¡°Mr. Gunn, it''s me. I''d like to ask for a favor.¡± Shane exined his request to the person on the other end of the phone. The person seemed to agree to his request, and Shane hung up after expressing his gratitude. Keeping his cell phone, he entered his car. As he wore his seat belt, his phone blinked with a notification. A map appeared on the screen, and he could see a blinking red dot moving across it. Shane instinctively knew that the red dot was the van carrying Natalie. Determinedly, Shane started his car and began his pursuit of the van. Following the map, he''d just driven down two roads when a few SWAT vehicles trailed behind his car. These were the reinforcements he''d asked Mr. Gunn to arrange for him. At the same time, one of the thugs in the van ended a call with a distraught expression on his face. He addressed the driver, ¡°Boss, something''s up. He said someone''sing to save that woman, and he''s almost caught up to us! Plus, the dude''s got carloads of SWAT officers with him!¡± ¡°What? SWAT officers?¡± The other thugs who were watching Natalie in the back of the van were stunned. Natalie''s eyes shone with hope. She let out a few emotional sobs despite the tape covering her mouth. Shane must being to save me! Shana axinad his raquast to tha parson on tha othar and of tha phona. Tha parson saamad to agraa to his raquast, and Shana hung up aftar axprassing his gratituda. Kaaping his call phona, ha antarad his car. As ha wora his saat balt, his phona blinkad with a notification. A map appaarad on tha scraan, and ha could saa a blinking rad dot moving across it. Shana instinctivaly knaw that tha rad dot was tha van carrying Natalia. Datarminadly, Shana startad his car and bagan his pursuit of tha van. Following tha map, ha''d just drivan down two roads whan a faw SWAT vahis trad bahind his car. Thasa wara tha rainforcamants ha''d askad Mr. Gunn to arranga for him. At tha sama tima, ona of tha thugs in tha van andad a call with a distraught axprassion on his faca. Ha addrassad tha drivar, ¡°Boss, somathing''s up. Ha said somaona''sing to sava that woman, and ha''s almost caught up to us! Plus, tha duda''s got carloads of SWAT officars with him!¡± ¡°What? SWAT officars?¡± Tha othar thugs who wara watching Natalia in tha back of tha van wara stunnad. Natalia''s ayas shona with hopa. Shat out a faw amotional sobs daspita tha tapa covaring har mouth. Shana must baing to sava ma! Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Frustrated, the driver smacked his steering wheel angrily. ¡°F*ck! Didn''t he just say she was some costume designer? Why are there SWAT officers after us? We''ve been duped.¡± ¡°Boss, what are we going to do?¡± The driver remained in silent thought for a few seconds before asking, ¡°How close are they now?¡± The thug sent a text, and the reply he received threw everyone for a loop. ¡°B-Boss, they''re already out of the city. They''re less than ten miles away from us!¡± Less than ten miles? Natalie''s heart started beating faster as hope filled her heart. I''m going to be free! Natalie began to calm down, but the rest of the thugs in the van were panicking. ¡°How can they catch up so quickly?¡± The driver couldn''t help tightening his grip on the steering wheel as he replied, ¡°Dumbass, they''re driving custom-made SWAT vehicles. Compared to this dump of a van, we''ll never be able to outrun them. We''re dead!¡± The van instantly fell into silence. None of these thugs were hardened criminals; they were merely offenders who''d had brushes with the law. All had priors and had served jail time, but murder and kidnapping had never been on their agenda. They only agreed to this job because they were offered a ton of money. They were also under the assumption that this was a simple kidnapping that wouldn''t involve murder.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. They never imagined that the hostage''s background would warrant the assistance of a SWAT team. If they''d known this from the start, they would never have taken the job. The van continued traveling for a distance and exited a tunnel. Suddenly they heard the faint sounds of a police siren. The thug in the front passenger seat looked at the rearview mirror and spied the corner of a SWAT vehicle. His expression paled with horror. ¡°Boss, they''ve caught up!¡± Natalie also saw the SWAT vehicle, along with Shane''s Bentley. She cried in relief. He actually rushed here to save me himself. ¡°You can stop shouting. I saw it too!¡± Drenched in sweat, the driver bellowed at his aplice. Thetter was trembling with fear as he asked, ¡°Boss, what are we going to do? Should we just surrender and release this woman to them? They might let us off easily if we cooperate.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± the other thugs voiced their agreement. The driver''s face contorted with fury as he spat out, ¡°You''re all a bunch of dumbasses! Do you think they''ll really let us off so easily? They brought an armed SWAT team with them; they''re obviously not going to let us go even if we surrender. Either way, we''re dead meat.¡± ¡°B-But...¡± ¡°Enough!¡± roared the driver, his eyes filled with ruthless determination. ¡°Since we''re dead meat, we''ll end this on our own terms. Let''s just kill ourselves along with her; at least then we won''t burden our families. Who knows, the client might even be happy that we killed her and give our families a bigger payout.¡± The thugs fell silent as they considered his proposal. They exchanged nces, beginning to see the appeal of his idea. Natalie''s hopes of being rescued were dashed when she witnessed this scene. Instead, she was filled with a horrifying dread. Shaking her head violently, she started sobbing against her gag, trying to convince the thugs to drop the idea. They appeared to ignore her cries as they all took in deep breaths and hardened their expressions. ¡°Alright boss, we''ll follow you. It''s better to die at our own hands than die at the hands of those buggers.¡± ¡°That''s the spirit!¡± The driver nodded in relief. As Natalie watched in horror, the driver turned the steering wheel, speeding towards the guard rails. They were driving on a road that''d been cut into the mountainside, and beyond the guard rails was a cliff. If the van plunged past it, none of the passengers would survive. ¡°B-But...¡± ¡°Enough!¡± roarad tha drivar, his ayas fid with rutss datarmination. ¡°Sinca wa''ra daad maat, wa''ll and this on our own tarms. Lat''s just kill oursalvas along with har; atast than wa won''t burdan our familias. Who knows, tha cliant might avan ba happy that wa kid har and giva our familias a biggar payout.¡± Tha thugs fall snt as thay considarad his proposal. Thay axchangad ncas, baginning to saa tha appaal of his idaa. Natalia''s hopas of baing rascuad wara dashad whan sha witnassad this scana. Instaad, sha was fid with a horrifying draad. Shaking har haad vintly, sha startad sobbing against har gag, trying to convinca tha thugs to drop tha idaa. Thay appaarad to ignora har crias as thay all took in daap braaths and hardanad thair axprassions. ¡°Alright boss, wa''ll follow you. It''s battar to dia at our own hands than dia at tha hands of thosa buggars.¡± ¡°That''s tha spirit!¡± Tha drivar noddad in raliaf. As Natalia watchad in horror, tha drivar turnad tha staaring whaal, spaading towards tha guard rails. Thay wara driving on a road that''d baan cut into tha mountainsida, and bayond tha guard rails was a cliff. If tha van plungad past it, nona of tha passangars would surviva. Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Shane and the SWAT officers were closing in on the kidnappers when they were stunned with the realization of what the van driver was about to do. ¡°Damn it, the kidnappers are going to kill themselves and the hostage! Quick, stop them! We need to keep the hostage safe!¡± the SWAT team leader yelled into his earpiece. His officers acknowledged his orders and sped up in an attempt to block the van. Shane also stamped on his gas pedal, trying with all his might to knock the van off its intended course. But s, he was still toote. The van crashed through the guard rails and fell over the cliff at a horrifying speed. They were struck dumb with shock at the kidnappers'' actions. No one could imagine that they could be this cruel, choosing death over surrendering to the authorities. ¡°No!¡± shouted Shane with terror written all over his face. He''d wanted to drive his car down the cliff but was stopped as the SWAT team leader''s vehicle collided with his. ¡°Mr. Shane, please calm down!¡± Shane ignored his words as he undid his seat belt with shaky hands. Once he alighted from his car, he rushed towards the ce where the van had plunged off of. A thick fog obscured his view of the area below the cliff. He couldn''t see any signs of the van and had no idea of its fate, nor that of its passengers. Who could survive after falling from such a height? In that instant, Shane''s mind nked as if all his strength had been snatched from his body. He swayed unsteadily, and his eyesight began to blur. He might''ve fallen off the cliff himself if it wasn''t for a nearby SWAT officer who''d noticed his condition. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you alright?¡± the officer asked with worry. Shane didn''t answer him but clenched his fists. Staring at the SWAT team leader with reddened eyes, he barked, ¡°What are you still standing around for? Get a helicopter to scour the area and save her!¡± ¡°I''ve already arranged for that. Please don''t worry, Mr. Shane.¡± The SWAT team leader then spoke into his earpiece before pointing at his officers. ¡°You two, I want you to parachute down the mountain from here and search for the van. We want to send urate coordinates to the helicopter.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± replied the assigned officers. Shane narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I''ll go too.¡± ¡°T-This is outside of protocol, sir.¡± The SWAT team leader hesitated. He isn''t someone ordinary; we can''t afford the consequences if anything happens to him. Shane knew exactly what the team leader was concerned about. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before stating, ¡°The person I love is in that van. I can''t just stand here and do nothing.¡± I have to find Natalie whether she''s alive or dead. The team leader didn''t say anything more after Shane''s statement. He agreed and had someone bring Shane a set of parachute gear. And thus, Shane found himself parachuting down the mountain with a few SWAT officers. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they split up and began searching for signs of the van. Shane himself scoured a designated area, but his search was fruitless. His anxiety grew. Frustrated, he pounded his fist on a nearby tree. Suddenly noises wereing out of his walkie-talkie. It was the SWAT team leader. ¡°Mr. Shane, we''ve found Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Shane picked up his walkie-talkie in a hurry. ¡°She''s in one of the residents'' house.¡± ¡°How did she end up there?¡± Shane knitted his brows but decided not to overthink things. Instead, he asked, ¡°Is she ok?¡± Reading between lines, the SWAT team leaderughed before saying, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane! Ms. Smith is alive. As for the details, I''ll leave it to my team members to brief you. You should make your way over to her now. I''ll send you the coordinates.¡± Shane received the coordinates on his phone. Trying not to be overwhelmed with joy, he checked the coordinates and confirmed that the location wasn''t too far from him. He switched off his walkie-talkie and ran. Tha taamadar didn''t say anything mora aftar Shana''s statamant. Ha agraad and had somaona bring Shana a sat of parachuta gaar. And thus, Shana found himsalf parachuting down tha mountain with a faw SWAT officars. Whan thay raachad tha foot of tha mountain, thay split up and bagan saarching for signs of tha van. Shana himsalf scourad a dasignatad araa, but his saarch was fruiss. His anxiaty graw. Frustratad, ha poundad his fist on a naarby traa. Suddanly noisas waraing out of his walkia-talkia. It was tha SWAT taamadar. ¡°Mr. Shana, wa''va found Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Whara is sha?¡± Shana pickad up his walkia-talkia in a hurry. ¡°Sha''s in ona of tha rasidants'' housa.¡± ¡°How did sha and up thara?¡± Shana knittad his brows but dacidad not to ovarthink things. Instaad, ha askad, ¡°Is sha ok?¡± Raading batwaan linas, tha SWAT taamadarughad bafora saying, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shana! Ms. Smith is aliva. As for tha datails, I''llava it to my taam mambars to briaf you. You should maka your way ovar to har now. I''ll sand you tha coordinatas.¡± Shana racaivad tha coordinatas on his phona. Trying not to ba ovarwhalmad with joy, ha chackad tha coordinatas and confirmad that tha location wasn''t too far from him. Ha switchad off his walkia-talkia and ran. Chapter 407 Chapter 407 About ten minutester, Shane arrived at the location marked out by the coordinates he''d received. It was a small bungalow that appeared to be built by hand. Two SWAT officers were stationed at the front door. They walked towards Shane when they saw him. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Shane asked, his fists clenched tightly. One of the SWAT officers waved his hand in an inviting motion as he said, ¡°Please follow me.¡± Shane followed him to a room located on the second floor of the bungalow. The officer opened the door to the room. Shane was greeted by the sight of Natalie sitting on a bed, dressed in dusty, floral print clothes. There was a bowl in her hand, and she was taking small sips of chicken soup from it. It''s really her! She''s alive! The tension finally left Shane''s body when he saw her safe and sound. He called out softly, ¡°Natalie!¡± At the sound of his voice, Natalie paused in surprise. She lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes were reddened with tears as she bit her lips. She answered him pitifully, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shane couldn''t hold himself back any longer. He took several big strides towards the bed and pulled Natalie into a tight hug. Natalie froze, stunned at the contact. Shane released her abruptly and gently cupped her face, checking for any signs of injury. After confirming that she had no other injuries beyond a slightly swollen cheek, he heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he lifted her chin tenderly and kissed her on the lips. Natalie felt muddled, and her eyes widened at his kiss. She took a long time to regain herposure, and then she pushed him away with a furious blush on her face. Shane let go of her immediately. She quickly shrunk back against the bed. She touched her lips as she tried to avoid his gaze. ¡°Mr. Shane, y-you-¡± ¡°I''m sorry I camete,¡± Shane cut in. ¡°I''m so d that you''re ok.¡± Hearing the remorse and relief in his words, Natalie couldn''t suppress the fear she''d felt any longer. Sheunched herself into his arms and burst out in tears. No one knew how scared she''d been the moment the van had crashed through the guard rails and plunged over the cliff. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. I thought I was going to die back there. I was lucky I lived. Feeling her tremble, Shane hugged her even more tightly. Patting her back gently, heforted her, ¡°Just cry it all out; it''ll make you feel better.¡± Natalie cried uncontrobly with her head on his chest. She cried for a really long time. After a while, her sobs grew softer and eventually subsided. Shane tilted his head down to look at her and realized she''d fallen asleep after crying herself to exhaustion. He lightly positioned her so that her head was resting on a pillow. After covering her with a nket, he left the room and went downstairs to search for the two SWAT officers. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± the SWAT officers greeted. ¡°Where did you find her?¡± Shane asked sternly as he wiped his tear-stained shirt with a handkerchief. An officer replied, ¡°When we were searching the area, we overheard some residents talking about a van that''d fallen off the cliff. They said it fell into a river. We approached them, and they brought us to the site of the crash. We found Ms. Smith knocking on the window of the van when we arrived.¡± The other officer added, ¡°Luckily, the vannded in the river with its rear-end in the air. Since Ms. Smith was at the back of the van, she was safe when the river began flooding the van. Otherwise, she might''ve drowned along with the rest of the passengers in the van.¡± So this was what happened! Shane nodded his head. I have to say Natalie is blessed with luck. She''s been through a lot of tough situations, but she has always managed to turn them around. I guess fate is on her side. ¡°Did all of the kidnappers drown?¡± Shane asked as he tossed his handkerchief away. ¡°One of them was alive, but a lot of water had umted in his lungs. The team leader arranged for him to be airlifted to the hospital, but we''re not sure if he''ll make it.¡± ¡°Let me know if he survives; I have a lot of questions for him.¡± Shane stared at the two officers intently. ¡°Mr. Shana,¡± tha SWAT officars graatad. ¡°Whara did you find har?¡± Shana askad starnly as ha wipad his taar-stainad shirt with a handkarchiaf. An officar rapliad, ¡°Whan wa wara saarching tha araa, wa ovarhaard soma rasidants talking about a van that''d fan off tha cliff. Thay said it fall into a rivar. Wa approachad tham, and thay brought us to tha sita of tha crash. Wa found Ms. Smith knocking on tha window of tha van whan wa arrivad.¡± Tha othar officar addad, ¡°Luckily, tha vanndad in tha rivar with its raar-and in tha air. Sinca Ms. Smith was at tha back of tha van, sha was safa whan tha rivar bagan flooding tha van. Otharwisa, sha might''va drownad along with tha rast of tha passangars in tha van.¡± So this was what happanad! Shana noddad his haad. I hava to say Natalia is ssad with luck. Sha''s baan through a lot of tough situations, but sha has always managad to turn tham around. I guass fata is on har sida. ¡°Did all of tha kidnappars drown?¡± Shana askad as ha tossad his handkarchiaf away. ¡°Ona of tham was aliva, but a lot of watar had umtad in his lungs. Tha taamadar arrangad for him to ba airliftad to tha hospital, but wa''ra not sura if ha''ll maka it.¡± ¡°Lat ma know if ha survivas; I hava a lot of quastions for him.¡± Shana starad at tha two officars intantly. Chapter 408 Chapter 408 ¡°That''s for sure, Mr. Shane. We''ll go over to the riverside now to help our team leader to retrieve the van.¡± Shane nodded. After the SWAT officers left, he took out his cell phone and dialed Ss'' number. Just as the call connected, Ss'' panicked voice cut through before Shane could even say anything. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you alright? I heard from the SWAT team leader that you jumped off a cliff!¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± Shane said and massaged his temples. Ss breathed a sigh of relief and spoke, ¡°That''s good, that''s good... What about Ms. Smith? How is she?¡± ¡°She''s fine too, but she went through great shock, and she''s asleep now. I''ll send you our location in a while. Send my helicopter over to get us,¡± Shane instructed and looked for a ce to sit down. ¡°Understood,¡± Ss nodded. Shane then asked, ¡°Have you caught Harrison?¡± ¡°I''ve got him, and I''ve locked him up,¡± answered Ss. ¡°As for the court, Mr. Horner has convinced them to dy the trial for two days.¡± ¡°That''s great,¡± Shane nodded. Two days would be enough for Natalie to recover. After their call ended, Shane put down his phone and patiently waited for the arrival of his helicopter. Half an hour went by before the helicopter finallynded in front of the apartment. Its des whipped up a storm of dust, attracting many curious stares from the residents. Shane went upstairs to get Natalie. He carefully held her in his arms and boarded the helicopter. On the other hand, Ss went to give the residents who took in Natalie a payment of gratitude before getting back on board. The helicopter took off steadily. Very soon it was out of that area and headed straight for the hospital Jackson worked at. Although Natalie did not have any physical injuries, Shane was still worried. Therefore, he wanted Jackson to examine her. When Jackson finally exited the examination room, Shane immediately shot up to him and asked, ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°She is alright. It''s just that her adrenaline level is slightly high due to shock. Her face is also slightly swollen, but other than that, there aren''t any further issues. Just rest for two days, let her calm down, and she should be fine,¡± Jackson assured while taking off his gloves. Shane nodded gingerly. He could finally rx and his tense expression eased up quite a bit. Standing right next to him, Jackson mimicked Shane and leaned against the wall as well. He fished out a pack of cigarettes from his big white coat and offered it to Shane. ¡°Need a smoke?¡± he asked. Shane hesitated for a bit. Ultimately he reached out for one and put it between his lips. Jackson did the same. He then held out his lighter and lit Shane''s cigarette first, followed by his own. Jackson took a slow drag of his cigarette and asked, ¡°What did Natalie go through again this time? How did she get into such a shock? Don''t tell me the both of you went on a date to a haunted house.¡± ¡°No,¡± Shane replied, puffing out a cloud of smoke. Flicking off the ashes from his cigarette, he answered the doctor''s query with an immensely morose look. ¡°She was kidnapped.¡± ¡°What...¡± Jackson choked on his own cigarette and coughed, ¡°What did you say?¡± His voice went up an octave higher due to his mid-sentence choking. Some doctors and nurses who were passing by looked at him curiously. Shane held his cigarette between his fingers and continued, ¡°Today is the trial for Jasmine''s giarism case. Harrison sent some people to kidnap her so that she would not be able to attend court.¡± Without wasting another breath, he went on to tell Jackson about everything that happened after Natalie had been kidnapped. Upon hearing the whole story, Jackson gulped and eximed with disbelief, ¡°My god! Under such dire circumstances, she managed to survive the whole ordeal with all her limbs intact and without a scratch on her. This is nothing short of a miracle. With this kind of luck, it''s a pity she didn''t get a lottery ticket. But this Harrison,¡± he winced, ¡°he really went overboard this time. No matter how much he disliked this daughter, he shouldn''t have resorted to such an underhanded act.¡± He thought that Harrison ndering Natalie on the Inte had already been despicable enough. Clearly, he had underestimated Harrison. Shane did not say anything. His head was lowered, and his thoughts were indiscernible. Right at that moment, Ss approached them. ¡°Mr. Shane, Mr. Smith has requested to see you.¡± ¡°Great,¡± said Shane icily, ¡°I want to see him as well.¡± He stubbed out his cigarette on the top of the trash can and strode away. Ss nodded at Jackson and quickly followed in his footsteps. ¡°What...¡± Jackson chokad on his own cigaratta and coughad, ¡°What did you say?¡± His voica want up an octava highar dua to his mid-santanca choking. Soma doctors and nursas who wara passing by lookad at him curiously. Shana hald his cigaratta batwaan his fingars and continuad, ¡°Today is tha trial for Jasmina''s giarism casa. Harrison sant soma pao to kidnap har so that sha would not ba a to attand court.¡± Without wasting anothar braath, ha want on to tall Jackson about avarything that happanad aftar Natalia had baan kidnappad. Upon haaring tha wh story, Jackson gulpad and aximad with disbaliaf, ¡°My god! Undar such dira circumstancas, sha managad to surviva tha wh ordaal with all har limbs intact and without a scratch on har. This is nothing short of a mira. With this kind of luck, it''s a pity sha didn''t gat a lottary tickat. But this Harrison,¡± ha wincad, ¡°ha raally want ovarboard this tima. No mattar how much ha dislikad this daughtar, ha shouldn''t hava rasortad to such an undarhandad act.¡± Ha thought that Harrison ndaring Natalia on tha Intarnat had alraady baan daspica anough. arly, ha had undarastimatad Harrison. Shana did not say anything. His haad was lowarad, and his thoughts wara indiscarni. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Right at that momant, Ss approachad tham. ¡°Mr. Shana, Mr. Smith has raquastad to saa you.¡± ¡°Graat,¡± said Shana icily, ¡°I want to saa him as wall.¡± Ha stubbad out his cigaratta on tha top of tha trash can and stroda away. Ss noddad at Jackson and quickly followad in his footstaps. Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Harrison was being held in the Thompson Group meeting room. The moment Shane stepped into the room, Harrison went up to him and asked, ¡°Shane, you''re finally back. Why did you ask your men to take me here? Just what is going on?¡± He had been waiting there for at least several hours, and he was not allowed to leave. Being completely cut off from what was going on outside made him feel highly insecure. How did the trial go? What was the verdict for Jasmine''s case? How many years did she get sentenced to? Shane stepped back with disgust to put some distance between himself and Harrison. If looks could kill, Harrison Smith would be dead. ¡°Even a vicious tiger would not prey on its own cubs. But you, how dare you kidnap Natalie! What you did was truly eye-opening!¡± Upon hearing his usation, Harrison was momentarily stunned. ¡°Kidnap Natalie? Shane, what are you talking about? When did I send for people to have her kidnapped?¡± he asked. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Shane''s furious eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°You''re still nning to deny it? Weren''t you the one who sent people to stop her from going to court?¡± Harrison''s eyes shed with guilt, ¡°You... You''ve found out?¡± Shane snorted coldly, ¡°In order to help Jasmine, you had Natalie kidnapped so that she couldn''t go to court. What a well-thought-out n.¡± ¡°Shane, you can''t just put all the me on me wrongfully,¡± he defended himself, ¡°I admit I did send someone to stop her from going. But I didn''t send anyone to kidnap her! I just ordered my people to keep an eye on her and prevent her from leaving her house when she was about to go out. I didn''t do anything else other than that!¡± Harrison held up his arm in defeat and exined seriously. He didn''t look as if he was lying. Shane''s eyes narrowed and his expression turned somber. ¡°You really didn''t send those people to kidnap her?¡± ¡°I swear to God, I did not! I may not like Natalie, but I would never do such a thing to her,¡± Harrison said while holding up three fingers as a sign of making an oath. He was not that much of a psychopath yet. ¡°Mr. Shane, it seems that the mastermind behind Ms. Smith''s kidnapping is someone else,¡± Ss said from behind Shane in a rather grave tone. Shane stepped over to Harrison and yanked up his shirt cor roughly, slightly lifting him off the ground in the process. ¡°I don''t care whether you sent for people to kidnap her or not. I am not letting you off that easily.¡± Harrison''s wrinkled face quivered with fear. ¡°S-Shane, what else do you intend to do to the Smith family? Three days ago, you went up against Smith Group. You got us delisted from the stock market, so we went back to being a normal smallpany. I knew I had iting because of what I said at the press conference. But what about this time?¡± He now looked at Shane with fury, ¡°This time, this has nothing to do with you! This is a Smith family matter! What right do you have to poke your nose into our business?¡± An enraged Shane tossed him aside. ¡°What right do I have? Based on the fact that Natalie is my beloved. Is this a good enough reason for you?¡± ¡°Y-your beloved?¡± Harrison couldn''t believe his ears. His eyes widened as big as saucers. ¡°You''re together now?¡± Shane''s eyes flickered and he didn''t answer. They were not officially together yet, but he felt it was just a matter of time. Harrison mistook hisck of response as a silent admission. Fear consumed his heart, and he asked shakily, ¡°If you choose to be with Natalie, then what about Jasmine?¡± He had always yearned for Jasmine to marry into the Thompson family. This was so that the Smith family could be one of the most prominent families in J City through the marriage. Even when Shane broke off his engagement with Jasmine, he was unruffled because he thought they would eventually reconcile. If Shane got together with Natalie, then this would be impossible for Jasmine! To top it off, Natalie hated me! She would not help the Smith family after getting married to Shane. What''s more, she could even use the Thompson family''s vast influence to suppress us instead. This wouldn''t do! ¡°What does my rtionship with Natalie have anything to do with Jasmine?¡± Shane red at him. Harrison gulped nervously. ¡°How could it not matter? Shane, don''t you forget, Jasmine saved you five years ago. It is her biggest wish to get married to you... ¡° ¡°So what?¡± Shane interrupted him mercilessly with a wave of his hand. ¡°Just because she wishes to marry me, I must take her as my wife? My engagement with her had been a misunderstanding all along. I thought that she was my fianc¨¦e. If I had known right from the start that she was, in fact, not my fianc¨¦e, I wouldn''t have agreed to be engaged to her even if she saved my life!¡± Shana''s ayas flickarad and ha didn''t answar. Thay wara not officially togathar yat, but ha falt it was just a mattar of tima. Harrison mistook hisck of rasponsa as a snt admission. Faar consumad his haart, and ha askad shakily, ¡°If you choosa to ba with Natalia, than what about Jasmina?¡± Ha had always yaarnad for Jasmina to marry into tha Thompson family. This was so that tha Smith family could ba ona of tha most prominant familias in J City through tha marriaga. Evan whan Shana broka off his angagamant with Jasmina, ha was unrufd bacausa ha thought thay would avantually raconc. If Shana got togathar with Natalia, than this would ba impossi for Jasmina! To top it off, Natalia hatad ma! Sha would not halp tha Smith family aftar gatting marriad to Shana. What''s mora, sha could avan usa tha Thompson family''s vast influanca to supprass us instaad. This wouldn''t do! ¡°What doas my rtionship with Natalia hava anything to do with Jasmina?¡± Shana rad at him. Harrison gulpad narvously. ¡°How could it not mattar? Shana, don''t you forgat, Jasmina savad you fiva yaars ago. It is har biggast wish to gat marriad to you... ¡° ¡°So what?¡± Shana intarruptad him marcssly with a wava of his hand. ¡°Just bacausa sha wishas to marry ma, I must taka har as my wifa? My angagamant with har had baan a misundarstanding all along. I thought that sha was my fianc¨¦a. If I had known right from tha start that sha was, in fact, not my fianc¨¦a, I wouldn''t hava agraad to ba angagad to har avan if sha savad my lifa!¡± Chapter 410 Chapter 410 There were many ways to repay a debt of gratitude. Marriage was definitely not the only way. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Besides... ¡° Shane scrutinized Harrison judgmentally, ¡°I have had my suspicions about this matter for quite some time. Could a narrow-minded, selfish, and cruel person like Jasmine really be my savior?¡± Upon hearing this, Harrison''s eyes widened once more, and a sh of trepidation flitted across his eyes. This brief sh of panic did not go unnoticed by Shane. His heart sank. His hands in his trouser pockets balled up into clenched fists. ¡°Looks like Jasmine really isn''t the person who saved me after all,¡± he remarked. Harrison averted his gaze. A look of guilt was apparent in his eyes. He didn''t dare look at Shane. ¡°O-Of course she is, how could she not be your savior? When you woke up, she was right beside you. If it was not her, then who else could it be?¡± ¡°You are still making things up until now!¡± Shane growled with a terrifying look. ¡°You really think I can''t see that you''re lying?¡± Harrison''s mouth gaped open like a fish out of water, and he was at a loss for words. Shane squinted at him and demanded forcefully, ¡°Speak! Who is the person who saved me?¡± ¡°I don''t know!¡± Harrison lowered his gaze in hopes of avoiding Shane''s interrogation. ¡°You don''t know?¡± Shane chuckled coldly. ¡°Is it you don''t know or rather, you won''t say?¡± ¡°I really don''t know,¡± said Harrison holding on to his walking cane. ¡°Jasmine told me back then she unintentionally entered your room. At that time, there was no one else around, so we never found out who you were with on that night.¡± There were many ways to repay a debt of gratitude. Marriage was definitely not the only way. He could never disclose that it was Natalie. If he did that, it would only hasten their marriage. What''s more, there was also the existence of the twins. Not letting Shane know the truth would leave him and Jasmine a chance to break them apart. Shane realized that Harrison would not tell him the truth no matter the circumstance. ¡°Tight-lipped, aren''t we?¡± He was so incensed that he smiled distortedly. ¡°Very well, I will investigate on my own. When I find out that you have been withholding the truth from me, you and your precious Smith family will face the music. I will let all of you know the true consequence of posing as a fake savior.¡± With that, Shane spoke no more to Harrison, whose face had be deathly pale. ¡°Send someone to take him back. Keep an eye on him at all times,¡± Shane instructed, looking at Ss firmly. ¡°Yes,¡± Ss responded and dialed up the security department. Soon, two security guards arrived and took Harrison away. Shane and Ss were the only ones left in the spacious meeting room. Looking at Shane''s glum expression, Ss sighed, ¡°I would never have guessed that there was more to that incident. Jasmine not only faked being your savior, but she also lied to you for so many years. She even obtained numerous benefits through you and the Thompson family. What a despicable woman.¡± Shane sneered callously, ¡°Don''t worry. I will make her return everything that she took from us one by one. Get the car!¡± ¡°Are we going to the hospital?¡± asked Ss. Shane snapped his fingers and said, ¡°We''re going to that hotel from five years ago.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss nodded. Half an hourter, they reached the hotel. Shane stood rigidly at the entrance. With his head slightly raised, he looked at the building with an ominous expression. Ever since that night five years ago, he had this hotel cklisted and never came back again. As fate would have it, he was forced to return once again. Collecting his thoughts and calming his mind, Shane stepped into the building. Ss quickly followed in his steps. The hotel manager could recognize Shane. Alerted as to his presence, the manager came out to greet him in a rush. ¡°Mr. Shane, wee to our hotel. May I ask... ¡° ¡°The security footage of your hotel,¡± Shane stared at the manager directly and interrupted, ¡°How many years of footage does the hotel keep?¡± The manager was taken aback and paused for a while, then he answered, ¡°Ten years. After ten years, we dispose of them permanently.¡± Hearing this answer, Shane breathed a sigh of relief. After massaging his temples for a bit, he said, ¡°That''s great. I need to see the footage of myst visit here five years ago.¡± At that time, when he woke up, Jasmine was right beside him. Hence, he instinctively believed that she was the one who saved him. Checking the security footage had never crossed his mind. Chapter 411 Chapter 411 As a result of that, he got the wrong person. ¡°Thest time you were here...¡± The manager frowned and squinted his eyes, trying hard to recall the last time when Shane visited their hotel. He thought about it for a while and suddenly he eximed with surprise. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Shane frowned. The manager replied in a hurry, ¡°Two months ago, ady came and requested to see the security footage of that same night.¡± ¡°Ady?¡± Shane blurted. ¡°Was it Jasmine?¡± ¡°I''ve seen Ms. Jasmine before, it was not her,¡± the manager shook his head. ¡°Then, who was it?¡± Shane asked and tightened his fists. Could it be the person who saved him? The manager stroked his chin and dug deep into his memory. ¡°I don''t know her name,¡± he said thoughtfully, ¡°but she was very pretty.¡± ¡°What significance does this have?¡± Ss rolled his eyes speechlessly. ¡°There are so many pretty women all around. How on earth do we trace this person based on your description?¡± The manager chuckled awkwardly. Shane''s lip tightened, ¡°Alright, tell me why she wanted ess to the security footage that night.¡± ¡°I think it was because thatdy suspected that she had gone into the wrong room that night, so she came back for an affirmation,¡± the manager answered. ¡°Went into the wrong room? What do you mean?¡± Shane further inquired. The manager scratched his head, ¡°Alright, so this was what happened¡ªthatdy''s room number ended with a six, and your room number ended with a nine. However, the number nine was loose at that time and it overturned and became a six. Therefore, thatdy saw the number wrongly and entered your room.¡± As a result of that, he got the wrong person. ¡°Thest time you were here...¡± The manager frowned and squinted his eyes, trying hard to recall the last time when Shane visited their hotel. Ss took in a breath of incredulity. ¡°That''s not right as well. Thedy who entered the wrong room is your true savior, but why was Jasmine the first person you saw after you regained consciousness? It couldn''t be that Jasmine entered the wrong room as well?¡± ¡°Harrison said that Jasmine unintentionally came into my room. We will only know the actual truth after viewing the footage. Let''s head to the security room now,¡± Shane indicated to the manager raising his chin. The manager quickly arranged for it. The three of them proceeded to the security room. The manager ordered his staff to show the security footage of that night. The staff looked around for a bit and his expression changed to one of befuddlement. ¡°Mr. Wise, that security footage has been deleted!¡± ¡°What?¡± the manager cried out in shock, ¡°It has been deleted?¡± ¡°That''s right, it was deletedpletely, and it was a permanent deletion that cannot be recovered at all. This looks like the work of a hacker,¡± the staff nodded. The manager nced toward Shane looking flustered and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, this... ¡° Shane sneered, ¡°Awesome, looks like someone is adamant that I don''t find out who really saved me back then.¡± ¡°I agree, but why? It''s just a person who has saved you, what inconvenience would it pose to anyone if we were to find out? Could it be that there''s something else involved that we have yet to discover?¡± Ss wondered while stroking his chin. A glint of light shed across Shane''s eyes as he listened to Ss'' deduction. ¡°Maybe it is as you said, there''s still something that we do not know. The more this person in the shadows wishes to cover up, the more I want to uncover the truth. Ask the receptionist to check the guest record for room 3606 that night. See if that information is still avable,¡± Shane said. He looked at the manager pointedly. The manager nodded and instructed the receptionist to check the guest record through his walkie- talkie. A few minutester, two words sounded from the brick-like equipment: Not avable. Same as the footage, the guest record was deleted too. Shane was not the least surprised at this oue. He had already expected it.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Everything could have already been deleted. Every single trace of the woman in the hotel, the footage of her visit two months ago... It was all gone. ¡°Mr. Shane, what should we do now? All of our clues have hit a dead-end,¡± Ss sighed in defeat. Shane''s Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. ¡°No, this is not the end. At that time, Sean was the one who drugged me. Jasmine was there when I regained consciousness, and Harrison knew about the whole incident. These three know exactly what happened back then. It could be one of them who removed every single trace regarding this incident. Send someone to keep an eye on them, alert me immediately if you discover anything.¡± Chapter 412 Chapter 412 ¡°Understood,¡± Ss nodded. Shane pinched the bridge of his nose with exhaustion. Right at that moment, his phone rang. Shane lowered his hand, took out his cell phone to have a look and answered the call. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°Shane, Natalie is awake! Do you want toe and see her?¡± Jackson reported gleefully over the phone. His frown rxed and his face softened, even his voice warmed a little. ¡°Sure, I''lle over now.¡± He hung up, left the hotel, and drove himself to the hospital. As for Ss, he hailed a taxi with much effort to go back to the Thompson Group. He had to arrange for surveince on Sean and the other two. It took an hour to reach the hospital. Shane pushed open the door to the ward. The two people in the room, one lying and the other sitting, immediately turned to see who had entered. ¡°Oh, you''re here,¡± greeted Jackson,zily getting up from the chair. With some difficulty, Natalie forced herself to get up into a sitting position and addressed him, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shane nodded at her slightly and observed her. She was still quite pale, but it was better than when she was at the residential apartment. Shane''s tense emotion rxed a little. ¡°What are you still doing here?¡± Shane''s soft gaze moved away from Natalie. When his gazended on Jackson, it became one of dissatisfaction instead. Jackson raised his brow, and adjusted his sses with a snicker. He teased, ¡°Fine, I''m in the way, eh? I''ll take my leave. You two, enjoy yourselves.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss nodded. Shane pinched the bridge of his nose with exhaustion. He brushed his white coat to straighten it out, and left with a medical file in his hand. Natalie and Shane were left alone in the ward. She felt kind of awkward with Jackson''sment asking them to enjoy themselves. On top of that, she suddenly recalled the kiss she just had with Shane. Her delicate face became as red as a tomato and she lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze. They had kissed before, and they had had an even more intimate night together. However, all of that happened unintentionally. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. It was different this time as Shane kissed her out of his own volition. She did not understand why he did that. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Shane asked suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. Natalie nodded hastily, ¡°Yes, I''m fine now.¡± Shane sat down on the spot which was upied by Jackson moments ago. ¡°That''s great. Just rest well for these two days. Mr. Horner has spoken to the court. The trial will be postponed for two days.¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie blinked several times with surprise. ¡°Was it you who told Mr. Horner about this?¡± Shane nodded as confirmation. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie shot him a grateful smile. ¡°And thank you for saving me in time. If it weren''t for you, I don''t know where those men would have taken me or what would have happened to me. So, thank you very much!¡± Having said that, she flung aside her nket with the intention to get down and bow to Shane. Shane realized what she was trying to do. In an instant, he reached out and pressed down on her shoulders to keep her on the bed. ¡°You don''t have to do that, just lie down and rest.¡± He was too domineering. Natalie couldn''t refuse him so she just stayed on bed. Subsequently, she remembered something and asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, what happened to those men?¡± Shane knew she was asking about the kidnappers. His eyes turned cold, and he replied, ¡°They are all dead. Just one is alive, but he is still in a critical condition. We don''t know whether he will make it or not.¡± Hearing that, Natalie''s eyes widened and she inhaled sharply. They were dead... Everyone who was in the van was dead. Only she survived without any major injuries. How lucky she was! ¡°Harrison is done for this time,¡± Natalie remarked coolly with clenched fists. ¡°Besides kidnapping, he indirectly caused the death of a few other people. He''s either getting life imprisonment or the death sentence.¡± ¡°He won''t,¡± announced Shane. Natalie stared at him dumbfounded. He looked at her calmly and said, ¡°Those men were indeed sent by Harrison, but he did not intend to kidnap you. He just wanted them to stop you from going to court. This meant that besides working for Harrison, those men were also paid by someone else to kidnap you.¡± Chapter 413 Chapter 413 ¡°So what you''re saying is that the one who kidnapped me is not Harrison, but another person instead?¡± Natalie tensed up, and a chill went down her spine. Nodding lightly, Shane said, ¡°Yes, that was what I meant.¡± Natalie''s head lowered, and she said to herself, ¡°Could it be her again?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Who is it?¡± Shane asked immediately, his eyes focusing on her intently. She bit her lower lip and answered, ¡°The woman who injured Connor and Stanley. She also burned down my warehouse and ndered me online throughizens and fake ounts.¡± Besides that woman, she could not think of anyone else. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Maybe it''s her.¡± ¡°Damn it! What grievance does she have against me that she would go to such an extent?¡± Natalie pounded her bed with frustration. There was already Alice Brown previously, now there''s another one? Just why does this happen to me? As she thought about it, Natalie started to tremble like a leaf with silent fear. Seeing her like this, Shane went over and enveloped her in his arms. He rested her head against his chest and consoled her. ¡°Don''t get agitated. I will find that person.¡± Natalie raised her head to look at him. Her pale lips trembled and parted, about to say something. Before she could do so, there came a loud knock on the ward door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Natalie pushed Shane away and got out of his embrace. Disappointment washed over Shane as Natalie''s warmth left him, and his gaze darkened slightly. Creak! ¡°So what you''re saying is that the one who kidnapped me is not Harrison, but another person instead?¡± Natalie tensed up, and a chill went down her spine. The door opened, and a police officer entered the ward. ¡°Are you Ms. Natalie Smith?¡± ¡°Yes, that''s me,¡± said Natalie. She adjusted her emotions and nodded. ¡°Hi Ms. Natalie, SWAT has referred your case to us for follow-up investigations. That''s why I am here to exin to you about the situation,¡± said the officer walking over with a notebook. Shane nced up at him, ¡°What''s going on now?¡± ¡°I just came over from the ICU unit. That kidnapper who survived has woken up. ording to him, they had two employers. One was your father, Mr. Harrison Smith. The other was a woman with the codename G,¡± the officer exined while referring to his notebook. ¡°A woman with the codename G?¡± Natalie''s brows furrowed. ¡°That''s right,¡± affirmed the officer. Natalie looked toward Shane and said, ¡°This Ms. G is probably the person who I suspected just now.¡± Shane gave a slight nod, and he asked the officer, ¡°Does this letter represent any word or is it an initial for a name?¡± The police officer shook his head. ¡°We are not sure about this for now, but we will look into it.¡± Shane frowned and did not say anything further. On the other hand, Natalie''s head was lowered and she seemed to be deep in thought. G, this letter kind of rang a bell in her head. Slowly, in her mind, a silhouette of a person appeared... Jacqueline Graham! Her surname happened to start with a G, so it definitely fit in. But could it really be Jacqueline? She was merely the daughter of a rich family that had since gone bankrupt. Could she have the power to pull off something like this behind Shane? As she considered this, Natalie looked at Shane thoughtfully. Noticing the look in her eyes, Shane asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie opened her mouth to speak but hesitated and stopped herself. She repeated this a few times. Finally, she just shook her head and said that it was nothing. Forget it, I shouldn''t say it. Jacqueline is the one he loves. If I suspected the person he loved, he would be unhappy about it. Shane knew Natalie was not telling him something. He was displeased, but he didn''t pressure her further. He stood up and asked, ¡°I would like to know something. Did the man reveal anything about why they kidnapped Natalie?¡± ¡°Yes, he did. He said that Ms. G wanted them to take Ms. Natalie to a remote backward mountain area and sell her off,¡± the police officer paused, ¡°so that she could never return.¡± The officer looked at Natalie with sympathy as he told them about this. Natalie held on tightly to the nket that was covering her. Her expression clouded over. Sell me off to a remote backward mountain area? What an abominable thing to do! She knew that in those mountain areas, many men could not find wives. Thus, most of their wives were bought from outside. Those women whom they bought would spend their lives being locked up at home producing babies. It would be a sad and miserable life. That G, she wanted to ruin mepletely! Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Natalie was not the only one with a troubled expression. ¡°G... ¡° Shane spat the initial with gritted teeth and tightened fists. He looked as if he was ready to kill. Natalie felt his intense aura and she was quite astonished. This is my problem, but why is he so agitated? After informing them more about the situation, the police officer left. Natalie looked at the time. Catching a sight of the darkened sky, she bolted up straight from her lying position. ¡°Oh no, I haven''t picked up my children!¡± ¡°Don''t worry, I''ve already ordered someone to go pick them up,¡± said Shane. He smiled softly at her anxious butical outburst. ¡°Someone has taken them home?¡± Natalie calmed down and looked at him. ¡°Yeah,¡± Shane grunted in reply. Feeling reassured, Natalie let out a huge breath of air. ¡°That''s great. It''s time for me to go back too.¡± She wasn''t really hurt; she was just frightened. Since she was fine now, she didn''t need to stay at the hospital any longer. Shane handed Natalie her clothes and jacket. ¡°I''ll drive you home,¡± he offered. Natalie was just about to reject him when he continued, ¡°I need to go back too. I''ll give you a lift.¡± If he put it that way, it would be impolite of Natalie to keep refusing him. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± After taking care of the discharge procedure, they walked over to the elevator. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! As they approached, the elevator doors opened. Noticing the person who was inside the elevator, Natalie froze. Natalie was not the only one with a troubled expression. ¡°Jacqueline, why are you here?¡± Shane held out his arm to help her get out. Jacqueline gently ced her hand on his outstretched arm and exited the elevator. ¡°I heard from Jackie that Ms. Natalie was hospitalized, so I came to visit. I didn''t expect to run into you here. Have you been discharged, Ms. Natalie?¡± Keeping her eyes fixed on Natalie who was standing right opposite them, she held onto Shane''s arm even more closely. Although Shane frowned at this gesture, he didn''t push her away. Natalie could see her possessiveness over Shane. Her heart clenched with a slight bitterness, but she did not show it. With a pleasant smile, she replied, ¡°Yes, I was just about to go home.¡± ¡°That''s quick. Are you already cured? What illness did you have?¡± Jacqueline looked Natalie up and down, curiosity shone in her eyes. Natalie shifted her gaze a little and was just about to answer when Shane''s phone rang. He removed his arm from Jacqueline''s grip to take out his cell phone. Taking a look at the caller, he informed thedies, ¡°I need to take this call.¡± With that, he walked towards a corner. Natalie had been staring at his back when her view was suddenly obstructed by Jacqueline. She said with a slightly disdainful smile, ¡°Ms. Natalie, you have not answered me yet.¡± ¡°I''m fine now, it wasn''t anything serious. Didn''t Dr. Baker tell you about my condition?¡± Natalie replied humourlessly. ¡°No, he didn''t,¡± said Natalie while shaking her head, ¡°Jackie only said that you were sick, he didn''t say anything else.¡± ¡°I see... ¡° Natalie responded and then kept mum. She thought that Jacqueline was behaving weirdly. They were not even friends. Yet, when Jacqueline heard that she was under the weather, she came to see her. She acted as if they had a very close rtionship. In addition, she kept probing around about her condition, which was quite abnormal. Natalie was reminded of her supposition earlier. Holding on to that thought, she started to examine Jacqueline closely. Clearly feeling ufortable with her piercing gaze, Jacqueline countered with a smile to diffuse the tense atmosphere. ¡°Ms. Natalie, is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like this?¡± Natalie pursed her lips and replied, ¡°Oh, it''s nothing. I was just thinking about something... Do you know of a woman who calls herself G, Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°G?¡± repeated Jacqueline, her puzzled eyes blinking several times. ¡°Sounds like some sort of undercover agent. Do you know this type of person?¡± She widened her mouth into an ¡°O¡± shape. The surprise was evident on her face. Natalie couldn''t tell if she really didn''t know or if she was acting. She shook her head and borated, ¡°I don''t know this person too. However, she seems to have a deep hatred towards me. She has been targeting me quite a lottely.¡± ¡°I see. You are really down on your luck.¡± Jacqueline patted her shoulder with sympathy. Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Natalie nced at her scrawny fingers before letting out a bitter smile. ¡°You''re right. I am pretty unlucky.¡± ¡°Be more careful next time.¡± Jacqueline reclined her hands. ¡°I know. Thanks for your advice.¡± While saying that, she forced a smile. ¡°What advice?¡± Shane had finished his call and overheard the tail end of their conversation. ¡°Nothing much. We were just having a light conversation, aren''t we, Ms. Smith?¡± Jacqueline beamed a smile at Natalie. However, her voice carried an undertone of warning to it. This had Natalie puzzled. Is this anything to be secretive about? Not that any of this mattered to her. She had concluded Jacqueline was overall a suspicious person to be wary of. ¡°Ms. Graham''s right. It''s just a light conversation.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shane had taken her word for it. While replying, he kept his cell phone. Jacqueline saw this opening and was back at it, tugging on his arms. ¡°Shane, who called?¡± ¡°It''s work. I have a meeting tomorrow morning.¡± He casually retracted his arm away. ¡°By the way, it''s getting prettyte now. Time for us to leave.¡± Natalie nced at her scrawny fingers before letting out a bitter smile. ¡°You''re right. I am pretty unlucky.¡± He handed Natalie the car keys. ¡°Wait for me in the car. I''lle right after I send Jacqueline back to her ward.¡± She wanted to reject his offer, but an idea came to her and she needed to test out her theory. ¡°All right.¡± While receiving the keys, Natalie intentionally brushed past Shane''s hand. She took a peek at Jacqueline''s reaction to her light flirtation with him. When she saw how unfazed thetter was, she felt defeated. Natalie had suspected Jacqueline was G. She assumed that the woman had been jealous of her rtionship with Shane and thought her seduction would expose her love rival''s ruse. What a bummer! She''s way tougher than I thought. The slight physical contact bemused Shane, who was oblivious to her intentions as his gaze lingered meaningfully on his hand. ¡°Go on then. I''ll see you in a bit.¡± ¡°See ya.¡± Natalie stole a quick nce at Jacqueline before leaving. Regardless of Jacqueline''s identity, she reminded herself not to drop her guard around her. She''s no simple character. Natalie made her way to the parking lot and entered Shane''s car. After a short while, her cell phone rang. Although it was a new model Joyce had bought for her after she regained consciousness, she had retained her old number. The caller ID revealed it was Sean. Hmm? Why''s he calling me? She picked up the call. ¡°Hi, Mr. Sean.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Nat! I haven''t heard from you in ages,¡± he spoke in his usual yful tone. Natalie rubbed between her brows before replying courteously, ¡°Yes. It''s been long.¡± It had been almost two weeks since he helped deflect her arranged marriage. ¡°Mr. Sean, is this a call to ask for repayment?¡± ¡°Of course not! At least, not anytime soon. I''m calling to inform you that Shane has been investigating that matter.¡± ¡°What matter?¡± He chuckled knowingly. ¡°Obviously the matter from five years ago when you spent the night with him at the hotel. Remember?¡± Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Natalie instantly froze as her grip on her cell phone tightened. She stuttered, ¡°H-His investigating t- that?¡± With Shane''s capabilities, finding out the truth was a simple task. If that happened, he would find out the twins'' identity. Sean had anticipated her worry. He adjusted his ssesnguidly and reassured her, ¡°Don''t worry. His investigations will not reach you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Someone had wiped out all the security footage from back then.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Well, a few people, to be exact. Me, included.¡± That was when Natalie remembered to breathe again. ¡°Thank goodness. Thank you, Mr. Sean.¡± Although she was unsure of his motives for helping her, he still deserved her gratitude. ¡°No need for that; I''m doing it for myself anyway. I''m letting you know just in case you get all flustered in front of him.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Thanks for informing me. I''ll act natural. But, why''d he start investigating this matter out of the blue?¡± ¡°What else? Jasmine must have given herself away.¡± Sean shrugged. She became more confused. ¡°Why is Jasmine involved in this?¡± Natalie instantly froze as her grip on her cell phone tightened. She stuttered, ¡°H-His investigating t- that?¡± ¡°Five years ago, if you weren''t with Shane, he would''ve died under the influence of that medicine. When he woke up the next morning, he saw Jasmine by his side and had mistaken her for his savior.¡± ¡°Oh... I never knew that.¡± So this was that supposed debt Shane owed Jasmine. How ridiculous. Once again, her sister had taken credit for her action. Sean continued, ¡°Shane now knows that Jasmine is a fake. So he''s re-looking into the truth now.¡± Natalieposed herself. ¡°I see. Thanks for telling me all this.¡± Sean spun aimlessly in his chair. He reminded, ¡°I''ve said everything I needed to. Take care of yourself. By the way, you haven''t forgotten what I said about bringing you somece, right?¡± ¡°I didn''t.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Great. I''ll fetch you in two days.¡± With that, he hung up. ¡°Mr. Sean? Hello?¡± Natalie missed the chance to ask where they were going. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± Shane''s voice cut through her thoughts. He had seen her staring intently at her cell phone. She shook her head while keeping her cell phone away. ¡°Nothing much. Just chatting with a friend from abroad.¡± ¡°Oh, ok.¡± Shane didn''t notice her guilt-stricken face and started their way home. By the time they arrived back in the apartment, the sun had set. Right when she opened the door, the twins greeted her excitedly. They hugged her legs and pouted. ¡°Mommy, you''re finally home! What took you so long? We''re starving.¡± Natalie turned back to look at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, you didn''t tell the kids anything, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± She heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you.¡± Connor looked suspiciously at them. ¡°Mommy, what are you and Dad whispering about?¡± ¡°I wanna know too!¡± Sharon added. Natalie flinched slightly at the word ''Dad''. Both Connor and Sharon had started referring to Shane as their dad three days ago. No matter how hard she tried, they refused to change. She pinched their cheeks lightly before saying, ¡°All right, enough with those questions. Why not use the time to think about what we''re going to have for dinner.¡± Chapter 417 Chapter 417 ¡°I miss Mrs. Wilson''s meatballs!¡± Sharon rushed to answer. Connor bypassed his mom and looked expectantly at Shane. ¡°Dad, can we?¡± Hearing the word had Shane broke into a smile. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Dad''s the best!¡± While eximing excitedly, both Connor and Sharon started sprinting their way to his apartment opposite. They knocked enthusiastically on his door. Seeing their unruly behaviors had Natalie red with embarrassment. ¡°I''m so sorry, Mr. Shane. I''ll fetch them back this instant.¡± Just as she was about to shout for them, he gestured his hand to stop her. ¡°There''s no need. I''m sure Mrs. Wilson will be happy to cook for them.¡± ¡°But...¡± Before she could protest any further, Shane had walked ahead. ¡°C''mon let''s go.¡± Hearing the excited voicesing through his apartment doors and looking at her own empty apartment, Natalie relented. She trailed behind him. Two dayster, Jasmine''swsuit concerning her giarism act resumed. Natalie had arrived earlier to meet Mr. Horner. Seeing her safe, he nodded reassuringly. ¡°I heard from Mr. Shane you were kidnapped two days ago. That worried me to death! I''m so d you''re all right. If anything happens, we would''ve lost a talent in this field.¡± ¡°I miss Mrs. Wilson''s meatballs!¡± Sharon rushed to answer. Natalieughed awkwardly. ¡°That''s really an exaggeration.¡± ¡°It really isn''t. You know howpetition with our neighboring countries has been in recent years. They don''t think we have fashion designers on par at their level. I genuinely feel that we need talents like you to keep our standards high.¡± While saying this, he gave an exasperated sigh. Before Natalie could reply, he added, ¡°Oh look, it''s time. We should head in now.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°All right. Let''s go.¡± She trailed behind him. Upon entering the court, Natalie felt goosebumps all over. She looked around and noticed Harrison staring intently at her from the gallery. She immediately turned away. Harrison had yed a huge role in her kidnapping. The men he sent gave G an opening to kidnap her. That in itself was unforgivable. Soon, the trial began. The judge summoned Jasmine into the courtroom. Like before, she had to be wheeled in. In addition to her dark circles, she had lost plenty of weight; she looked like aplete mess. Sensing someone looking at her, she raised her head to see Natalie observing her. Jasmine looked at her and then at thetter. Anger started to well up within her. She stared daggers at her eyes. Natalie saw this as an opening. She proimed out loud, ¡°Your Honor, the defendant looks like she is about to hit me.¡± Jasmine was bewildered by her usation. She had not expected Natalie to exaggerate the situation. The judge struck his gavel once against the bench. ¡°First warning issued to the defendant for threatening the intiff. Do you have any objections?¡± Although Jasmine felt indignant, she held it in. Through her gritted teeth, she answered, ¡°N-No!¡± ¡°Since there are no objections, we shall begin. Today''s case...¡± The hearingsted for approximately two hours. There was clear evidence to prove Jasmine guilty of giarism. Both Natalie and the original designer were witnesses. Even if Harrison had hired a defense attorney, it wouldn''t have made a difference. Jasmine had profited arge amount from her giarism acts. As such, she was sentenced to six years'' imprisonment. Not only that, all her assets would be returned to the original designer. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Although she felt miserable with the oue, there was nothing she could do except begrudgingly ept her fate. As she was being escorted away, she took a quick stop in front of Natalie. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Still seated, Natalie started adjusting the ruffles on her skirt. She replied chirpily, ¡°Of course! This means I get to take a long break from seeing your face.¡± ¡°Don''t get ahead of yourself, Natalie. Do you really think you''ll get to live a peaceful life with me behind bars? Sadly, no. That woman will not let you off.¡± Jasmineughed menacingly. A lump had formed in Natalie''s throat. She stood up and asked, ¡°That woman... do you mean G?¡± ¡°Looks like you do know a little about her.¡± Hearing her response, Natalie couldn''t help but inch closer. ¡°So it is her. Who exactly is she? What do you know about her?¡± Jasmine rejoiced at her panic state. ¡°You wanna know? Well, I won''t tell you. All I''m saying is, she''s a lunatic! Since you''ve caught her attention, don''t expect to have a happy ending.¡± With that said, Jasmine was escorted away. Natalie could only watch her back getting smaller. She tried onest attempt at getting through her, ¡°Is G Jacqueline?¡± Although she felt miserable with the oue, there was nothing she could do except begrudgingly ept her fate. Jasmine remained unresponsive; there was not even the slightest hesitation. Natalie wondered out loud, ¡°She didn''t even flinch at her name. Could it really not be her?¡± Before she could brood on it further, she received a call from Joyce. ¡°Nat, congrats! I saw it on the news, Jasmine had been found guilty of her charges. Shall we go for some celebratory drinks tonight?¡± She sounded very excited. Although Natalie was not feeling her best, she couldn''t bear to reject her. ¡°All right. I''ll see you tonight.¡± ¡°Great! See you tonight, seven p.m. at our usual ce. Oh! I gotta go help Stanley with his hospital discharge now. See ya!¡± ¡°Wait! He''s discharged? That soon?¡± ¡°Yea. The doctor says his ribs are growing right, and that he could recuperate at home.¡± ¡°That''s good to hear! Maybe we should throw him a party in a few days'' time.¡± ¡°Sounds great! Let''s discuss moreter.¡± With that, their conversation ended. Natalie walked out of the courthouse. Just as she was about to get into her car, Harrison stopped her. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He seemed to have aged a lot since hest saw her. Despite so, she had no intention of showing him pity. Her voice calm. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with? If you''re here to curse at me for what happened to Jasmine, then don''t bother. I couldn''t care less about what you think.¡± ¡°Her verdict''s decided. Is there any use in ming you now?¡± The mockery in his tone was clear as day. Natalie ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. ¡°Then, why are you here?¡± ¡°How''s Jared?¡± How dare he! ¡±The nerve of you to ask! Have you forgotten how you treated him seven years ago? You looked down on him for having a heart defect and suspected he wasn''t your son. Stop it with your hypocrisy. What are you up to this time?¡± Although Harrison was slightly taken aback by her outburst, he remained focused on his goal. ¡°I want to groom Jared to be our family''s sessor.¡± ¡°What? Sessor?¡± Natalie couldn''t believe her ears. Harrison nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Mr. Smith, is this a joke? What will be of your precious Jasmine?¡± Harrison tightened his grip on his walking cane. ¡°I''ve never intended for her to seed our family. She''s bound to marry anyway. There''s no way I''m giving our assets to her future inws.¡± Chapter 419 Chapter 419 All he ever wanted was to lead the Smith Group into achieving greater strides. Noticing the ambitious gaze in her father''s gaze, the corners of Natalie''s lips curled into a thin smile. ¡°So you''re saying that you want a son to be your sessor, right?¡± ¡°That''s right!¡± Harrison replied as he rubbed against his walking cane. Natalie pursed her lips into a thin, hard line. ¡°Mr. Smith, why does it have to be Jared? Why don''t you just ask Susan to bear you another son?¡± The man was hit by a pang of guilt at the mention of it and cleared his throat. ¡°She''s not young enough to bear me a son.¡± ¡°Yeah, right¡± Natalie waved her hands to dismiss her father''s notion. Susan had another child just a little over two years elder than Connor with another man. How is she infertile? You''re the one who''s impotent. At the thought of it, Natalie eyeballed Harrison. Her father caught onto her stares and thought that his daughter was mocking him. Furious, the man berated at her, ¡°What''s with that look on your face?¡± Natalie shrugged. ¡°Nothing.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Harrison''s lips twitched in anger. Then, he handed over his cell phone and egged her on, ¡°Forget it. Give me Jared''s number. I''ll talk to him myself!¡± Natalie merely looked at the phone and did not have the intention to take it. ¡°Mr. Smith, why are you so confident that I''ll hand over Jared''s contact to you?¡± ¡°Were you nning not to?¡± Harrison red at his daughter. She tucked her hair to the back of her ears and replied, ¡°You''re right. I don''t n on giving it to you, and I won''t let Jared be the sessor of the Smith family. The Smith family is nothing more than a minor business right now and is even on the verge of bankruptcy. Why would I let my brother take over this pile of mess?¡± All he ever wanted was to lead the Smith Group into achieving greater strides. ¡°You...¡± Harrison''s hand shook from fury. Pressing down on her car keys to unlock her car, she continued, ¡°Besides, I vividly remember that seven years ago when Jared suffered his heart attack, you said that he was not your son. Oh, your disdainful manner''s clearly etched in my mind. Now that you''re in trouble, you suddenly want him back? Mr. Smith, have you no shame?¡± She disregarded Harrison''s grimaced face, opened the car door, and drove away right after. After half an hour, Natalie reached downstairs of the Thompson Group building. After parking the car, she took out her cell phone and dialed Shane''s number. He picked up the call in a heartbeat. His captivating low voice rang in her ears, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ve done the designs for the apparel of game characters we coborated onst time. Do you have the time to take a look at the designs? I cane up right now.¡± Natalie rolled down her car window and lifted her head to take a look at one of the windows on the highest floor. Shane sprung up from his chair. ¡°Are you downstairs right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane walked over to his balcony and took a look downstairs over his French windows. Noticing the red Mercedes parked by the sidewalk, his features softened. ¡°Hold on, I''ll let Sse pick you up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded her head. The man put down his phone and turned around to head back to his office. He called Ss who was in the room next door and sent him to pick her up. Ss brought Natalie up just moments after. Pulling out the chair across the desk right opposite Shane, Natalie fished out a file and handed her design drafts to Shane with both her hands. ¡°Mr. Shane, kindly review these drafts.¡± Taking over the drafts, Shane ordered, ¡°Ss, please make some tea.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ss replied. After Ss left, Shane took a good, hard look at each of the blueprints. He tilted his brows at the sight of them after he was done. Natalie felt her heart sank, and the confident smile on her face slowly dissipated into thin air. ¡°Mr. Shane, is there anything that is not to your liking?¡± ¡°I think the design is fine, but the materials you remarked here for the actual models of the designs are going to cause a dent in our costing. Frankly speaking, this is not necessary for the apparel design for game characters.¡± Shane''s slender finger pointed at one of the design drafts as hemented. Natalie managed an awkward smile. ¡°I see. I''m sorry because I''m not well-versed with games. I just had the best material in mind when designing these and had not taken into consideration of other aspects...¡± Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Her mistake was amon weakness among all designers. Every fashion designer would strive to use the best material avable for their designs, and soon it became a hard-wired habit. ¡°It''s alright. You just need to amend the materials used,¡± Shane crossed his fingers on the table and said. Natalie bit her lip in apprehension. ¡°But what material should I swap it for? If I don''t get this right, then it might get troublesome for the model to turn out well. This will, in turn, affect the presentation of the graphics, and may well result in graphic glitches.¡± Shane contemted for a moment after listening to her. Then, he pulled open the drawer and took out some documents. ¡°This is the details of the game that the gamingpany has sent me. They''ve provided some details on the character models as well as suggestions for materials for the apparel. You may want to take a look to see if there are any substitutes in there.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie took over the documents and started to flip through them. Ss got the tea ready andid it out before the two. ¡°Ms. Smith, enjoy your tea.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie gave him a polite smile and reached out to take the cup of tea. To her dismay, the cup slipped off her hands. The cup of tea spilled over as the hot liquid sshed all over the desk, soaking some of the documents wet. The back of her hands was scalded red. She turned pale from the pain as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Natalie shuddered from the sudden turn of events. Her mistake was amon weakness among all designers. Despite the tears brimming in her eyes, she bit down on her lip and did not let out a cry. Shane and Ss were taken aback. Shane was the first to respond. His handsome face tensed as he hurriedly held Natalie''s wrist. ¡°Follow me!¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Her eyes were red as she choked back her tears. Shane did not reply as he pushed open the door to the restroom. He dragged her hands right under the faucet and ran cold water over her wound. Natalie could feel the cold water slowly wash away the scalding pain, and she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I''m sorry for the trouble, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie apologized with her head low, guilt-ridden for the inconvenience that she had caused. I''m such a butterfinger. Ugh, why can''t I even hold a cup properly? Shane closed the faucet slightly so that the water wouldn''t get on her. ¡°It''s alright, just be careful next time.¡± ¡°But those documents...¡± ¡°They''re not that important anyway. I''ll just ask them to send over another set,¡± Shane leaned against the side of the sink and said impassively. Natalie''s lips twitched, feeling even more apologetic for what she had done. How could he say that it''s not important? He''s the most important person in thispany. No trivial documents will ever reach his table. He just doesn''t want me to feel too bad about it. ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ve gotten a cooling pad from the infirmary.¡± Ss''s voice could be hearding from the other side of the door. Shane pushed the door open and took over the blue cooling pad that Ss brought over. He made his way back to Natalie''s side and said, ¡°Give me your hand.¡± She cast a gaze at her hand which was still under the running water and hesitated for a moment. In the end, she relented. It would be difficult for her to single-handedly apply the cooling pad anyway. Noticing her meek manners, Shane''s eyes glinted with warmth. He turned off the faucet and took a dry towel hanging aside. After wiping her hand dry, the man tore open the wrapping of the cooling pad and gently applied it to her hand. ¡°It''s done.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie felt the cooling pad around her hand and thanked the man. The man threw the packaging into the trashcan aside and said, ¡°Let''s head outside.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded and trailed behind him. They were greeted by the sight of Ss cleaning up the office. He paused as he noticed the duo coming out of the restroom and said, ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m really sorry for the boiling cup of tea.¡± She waved her hands to dismiss the man. ¡°It has nothing to do with you, Mr. Campbell. I was being clumsy, so I should be the one saying sorry.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Shane walked over to his desk and interrupted the two as they apologized to each other. ¡°It was an ident. Just be more careful next time. You may head out now, Ss. Please bring me fresh copies of these documentster.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ss nodded and removed the soaked documents. Only Shane and Natalie were left in the office. Natalie picked up the document that Shane handed to her previously and studied it. After she was done, the woman pointed to one side of the document and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I think this material should do. I''d suggest that we make a figurine out of it to get a moreprehensive overview. Even though it''s not as premium as the material I targeted but I think it shouldn''t make too much of a difference.¡± Shane took a look and nodded his head slightly. ¡°Sure. Let''s go with this, then. I''ll ask the gaming company to contact you. The bnce of your payment will be wired to you before noon tomorrow.¡± ¡°Noted, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie nodded and smiled. Shane kept all the documents sprawled on the desk. Natalie noticed the time on the lower right of the man''sputer with the corner of her eyes. She got up to bid goodbye. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s gettingte. I should go to the kindergarten to fetch my children.¡± ¡°Let''s go together,¡± said Shane as he closed his drawer. Natalie was stumped. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s still not the time for you to get off work right?¡± The man would send the kids to the kindergarten in the morning these days while she was in charge of fetching them home in the evening. Shane took his coat and said, ¡°I''m going back to the apartment to take my passport for tomorrow''s overseas trip. It''s just along the way anyway.¡± ¡°Overseas trip?¡± Natalie was taken aback. Shane put on his coat and stood up. ¡°A jewelrypany under the Thompson Group has lost a batch of jade stones. I''m going to the quarry to check it out myself.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Natalie nodded. As he made his way over to his office''s entrance, Shane mentioned, ¡°So I won''t be able to get the kids to the kindergarten in theing two days.¡± ¡°No problem. I can send them myself. Besides, since you''ve been sending them to school recently, and the other kids should have seen you. They won''t make fun of the twins for not having a father anymore,¡± Natalie trailed behind him and joked. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. However, Shane abruptly stopped in his tracks. ¡°What do you think about my suggestionst time?¡± ¡°What suggestion?¡± Natalie did not expect the man to halt in his tracks, and she almost bumped into him. Shane turned around and said, ¡°About looking for a father for the twins!¡± Natalie was stumped. She lowered her head in an attempt to conceal her feelings. ¡°I''m so busytely that I haven''t given it much thought. Let''s talk about this sometimeter.¡± Does he really wish for me to get married that soon? Oblivious to what Natalie had on her mind at that moment, Shane made noment after listening to her. He pushed the door open and headed out. At night, Joyce called and urged her, ¡°Nat, are you out the door yet?¡± Natalie was standing before her wardrobe, trying to pick out an outfit. She hurriedly replied, ¡°Not yet. I''m getting dressed.¡± ¡°Alright, hurry up. Stanley and I are already here,¡± Joyce said as she flipped through the menu. Natalie thought she heard her friend wrong and asked, ¡°What did you say? Stanley is there too?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Joyce cast a look at Stanley who was sitting opposite her. The woman picked out a red dress and tossed it on her bed as her brows creased. ¡°What why? He''s just been discharged from the hospital and you''re inviting him for a drink?¡± Joyce smiled. ¡°You misunderstood, Nat. Of course, I''m not letting him drink any alcohol. Duh, I''m not dumb. He''s only going to have fruit juice. It''s just nice to have more people around for a celebration, you know.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Sure, I''ll get there right now.¡± She hung up the phone and changed into the red dress that she picked out. After putting on some light makeup, she headed out of her room. ¡°Connor, Sharon,¡± Natalie called in the direction of her twins'' bedroom. The two kids held each other''s hands and walked out of their bedroom. ¡°Yes, Mommy?¡± Natalie packed her handbag as she reminded the duo, ¡°I''m going out to have dinner with Aunt Joyce and Uncle Stanley. The two of you have to be good and stay home. Get into bed when it''s time to sleep, alright?¡± Chapter 423 Chapter 423 The cashier locked gaze with Stanley and understood what thetter meant. He nodded at Stanley and mentioned that he would ask someone to send Joyce home. Stanley mumbled a response, took his bank card back, and steadied Natalie out of the bar. Upon reaching her car, Stanley asked, ¡°Nat, where''s your car keys?¡± Natalie was stumped and narrowed her eyes at the man before her. ¡°Mr. Shane, what did you call me?¡± Stanley realized that he made a blunder right then. Instead of panicking, the man''s lips curled into the ghost of a smile as he calmly replied, ¡°I called you Nat. Don''t you like it?¡± The woman gazed into his deep-set gaze and felt herself zoning out. Her alluring red lips nudged as she intuitively replied, ¡°I... like it.¡± ¡°As long as you like it.¡± Stanley''s eyes glinted as he fumbled for her car keys in her bag. After unlocking the car, Stanley helped her into the car. She had lost all coordination of her movements as she let Stanley control her every move like she was a puppet. Stanley brushed his hand against her cheeks after he secured the seatbelt on her. In a daze, Natalie did not try to resist throughout the whole exchange as if she had lost all sensation. He relished at the sight of her being all meek and submissive as a sick smile crept up his face. He lowered his head to peck her on her forehead as he mumbled to himself, ¡°Nat, how I wish you''d always be this meek.¡± That way, he would not have to resort to hypnotizing her into thinking that he was Shane. She would never resist Shane Thompson''s touch. If she was sober right now, she would have retreated away if I kissed and touched her like that. Stanley''s lips twitched momentarily in dismay at the thought. Then, he closed the door on the passenger side and got into the driver''s seat. He stepped on the pedal in the direction of her apartment. He had his mind set on possessing her that night, even if she thought he was Shane Thompson. In fact, the man was nning to tell her that she was drunk and had mistaken him for Shane the following day. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Stanley could no longer sit idly by as the scales were starting to tip in his disfavor. The twins had started to address Shane as their father and were even trying to matchmake the two. I cannot let that happen. Nat is mine! He tightened his grip on the steering wheel as his face distorted with pure hatred. mming on the elerator, it took him only less than twenty minutes to get back to her apartment. ¡°Nat, we''re here. Let''s get off the car.¡± Stanley parked the car, and he looked his usual amiable self again as he unbuckled her seatbelt. The woman absentmindedly nodded her head and got off the car. Stanley took her hand and led her into the apartment building. A ck Bentley stopped by the building right after they entered it. Ss wound down the car window and looked at the entrance of the building. He turned around to the back seat and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I think I spotted Ms. Smith and Dr. Quinn.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shane furrowed his brows. ¡°I''m positive,¡± Ss reported. I''ll never mistake Ms. Smith for another person. Shane pursed his lips into a hard line. He got off the car, his gaze darkened as he looked at the entrance of the building. Why is she bringing him back at such an ungodly hour? His face sank as he strode toward the entrance. After a few minutes, he headed out of the elevator and reached Natalie''s apartment. Her door was closed, and he could not see what was happening inside. However, a sound could be hearding from inside. ¡°Nat, who am I?¡± It''s Stanley! Shane narrowed his eyes as he stared right at the door before him. Natalie''s voice could be heard the next moment. However, she sounded odd and robotic as there were no inflections in her tone. ¡°You... are Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Bingo!¡± Stanley looked at the woman underneath him and snickered. Even though he loathed being mistaken for Shane, his desire to possess the woman overpowered him. It doesn''t matter now, does it? Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Stanley pressed Natalie against her shoe cab and hooked her chin up as he lowered his head to kiss her. Just when he was about to touch her lips, the apartment door was kicked down with a loud thud. Stanley was taken back and turned to look in the direction of the door. Noticing that Shane was standing outside the door, Stanley grimaced. ¡°It''s you again! Why do you always ruin things for me?¡± Shane paid no heed to Stanley. He retracted his legs slowly and entered the house with a grim face. The man pulled Natalie over to his side and examined her from head to toe to make sure that she was alright. Noticing that her clothes were still intact, the man finally heaved a sigh of relief. However, he soon noticed that something was off with her. Expressionless, the hollow-eyed woman looked like a soulless puppet, saying nothing. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Shane shot Stanley a murderous gaze with a frigid tone. Thetter seemed unfazed and broke into a cackle. ¡°Why don''t you take a guess, genius?¡± Shane''s temples tensed as his frosty gaze shot daggers at the man. He dashed over and strangled Stanley''s neck. Tightening his grip, Shane bellowed, ¡°I don''t have the mood to y games with you! What the hell did you do to her?¡± Stumped, Stanley had not expected the man to attack him right away, much less threatening to take his life. However, he soon regained hisposure and cast a nce at Natalie who was behind Shane. The manughed hysterically and sniggered, ¡°You can ask a million times if you want to. I''m not gonna answer you. Just kill me.¡± The crease in Shane''s brows deepened as he gauged the psycho before him. He''s a lunatic! These lunatics are fearless. My death threat is not going to work on him. With the thought in mind, Shane let go of the man disdainfully. Choking, Stanley slumped to the floor as he clenched his neck and coughed violently. His veins were popping as a result, with his face flushed beetroot from choking. The man''s sses hung on his nose wobbly as if it was about to fall, but not quite. Shane led Natalie who was still in a daze before Stanley and threatened, ¡°I will not kill you, but you will wish that you were dead instead!¡± Afterward, he took out his cell phone and called Jackson. He was on call that night. Hence, it did not take him long to answer Shane''s call. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Shane nced at Natalie and tried his best to describe her condition to him. Jackson''s poker face turned serious after hearing him. ¡°From the way you describe her condition, I think Natalie''s been hypnotized.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Hypnotized?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Correct. I can''t think of any other possible exnation for her condition.¡± Shane tightened his grip on the phone and shot daggers at Stanley who was getting up by steadying him against the shoe cab. ¡°How do I get her to regain her consciousness?¡± Jackson adjusted his sses. ¡°That''s easy. You just have to ask the person who hypnotized her to snap her out of it.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Shane put down his phone and grabbed on Shane''s cor, dragging him before Natalie and ordered, ¡°Wake her up!¡± Stanley grinned wickedly. ¡°What if I say no? Look at her being all obedient and meek, at the mercy of my every beck and call. This is what I''ve been dreaming of for the longest time!¡± Shane tightened his grip around the man''s cor and spat, ¡°So your dream is to watch her turn into a puppet?¡± ¡°What''s wrong about that? She''s only going to have eyes for me then!¡± Stanley reached out and looked at Natalie longingly, trying to touch her. Shane''s eyes burned with fury at the sight as he pushed Stanley to one side, dragging Natalie behind himself to protect her. Stanley winced in frustration and raged, ¡°What the hell are you doing? Who gave you the permission to touch her? She''s mine! Mine!¡± Chapter 425 Chapter 425 ¡°Yours?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes at Stanley''s deranged look and his lips curled into a sneer. ¡°If she was truly yours, did you have to hypnotize her into thinking that you were me? Who gave you the right to im that she''s yours?¡± Stanley lowered his head after listening to him, his thoughts unbeknownst to anyone but himself. However, after some time, the man lifted his head and wore a spine-chilling smile as he cackled, his shoulders bobbing up and down from the motion. ¡°Yes, it''s all because of you. Your appearance has influenced Nat. If it weren''t for you, Nat would have been mine sooner orter. So, Shane Thompson, I just need you to disappear!¡± Stanley reached into his pocket and fished out a small scalpel that shone with a cold glint. Shane''s iris constricted at the sight of the scalpel and he instinctively pushed Natalie further away from himself. ¡°Shane Thompson, go to hell! When you''re good as dead, I will erase her memories, and Nat will not have a clue of who you are, and you won''t be able to influence her anymore!¡± Stanley broke into a cackle right after and aimed for Shane''s heart. ¡°You''re crazy!¡± Shane''s face sank as he retracted a step back, just in time to dodge the scalpel. Seeing that his first attempt had failed, Stanley adjusted his stance and aimed for Shane again. Thetter was afraid that Stanley''s manic episode would identally hurt Natalie. Hence, he dodged the man carefully. After putting some distance in between himself and the man, Shane clenched his fist tight, crouched down, and punched the man hard. The blownded on Stanley''s abdomen, sending him back a few steps as he slumped to the ground, knees first. The man winced in pain and vomited before fainting. The scalpel in his hands fell to the ground with a ng, its sharp edge ruby with blood. Shane retracted his fist as he flinched in pain. He held his left arm with sweat beading on his forehead as he cursed, ¡°Damn it!¡± Stanley''s scalpel cut him when he threw the punch at the man just now. The sharp scalpel slit open his sleeve like it was cutting tofu, and managed to cut his arm. It cut deep as blood gushed out non-stop, oozing out of his fingers, and dripped onto the floor, staining the floor mat red. However, Shane seemed to pay no heed to his pain as he rushed to Natalie''s side, checking if she had been hurt anywhere. The man finally heaved a sigh of relief after making sure that she was alright. He took out his phone and dialed Ss''s number, asking him to bring a doctor over. Ss brought a doctor over in under forty minutes. He noticed Stanley who was at the foyer when he entered and was bewildered. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Shane was in the living room and heard Ss. He pursed his thin lips into a hard line and said exasperatedly, ¡°What are you doing over there? Where''s the doctor?¡± ¡°Yes, they''re here!¡± Ss replied immediately, and walked over to Stanley and made his way to the living room with two doctors. After entering, Ss noticed Shane sitting in the living room. The man''s face was ghastly pale with not a hint of color in his cheeks like he was sick. Moreover, on the coffee table before the man was a pile of bloodied tissues. What on earth happened here? Ss walked over to Shane''s side in a brisk pace and noticed the man clutching his left arm. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you hurt?¡± Removing his hands clutching his left arm, the man replied, ¡°Just a small wound.¡± Ss noticed the wound underneath Shane''s torn sleeve and gasped. ¡°This is not a small wound, any deeper and I''ll be able to see your bones! Doctor, please tend to Mr. Shane''s wound!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the younger doctor among the two doctors. After putting down the first-aid kit slung over his shoulders, he stepped forward and wrapped a bandage over Shane''s wound. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The other slightly older doctor, was still awaiting instruction. Chapter 426 Chapter 426 ¡°Mr. Shane, what''s the matter? How did you get hurt?¡± Ss asked as he helped Dr. Morrison to wrap the bandage around his arm. The man did not reply. After his bandage was done, he cast a nce at the older doctor and asked, ¡°You''re a psychiatrist?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. I''m Dr. Zeplin.¡± ¡°Do you know hypnosis?¡± Shane stood up. ¡°Yes,¡± Dr. Zeplin nodded his head. ¡°Great. Follow me.¡± Shane walked over to the sofa and brought him into the master bedroom. Curious, Ss trailed behind the two. In the bedroom, Natalie widened her unblinking eyes at the ceiling like a soulless puppet. Gulping, Ss said, ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Smith...¡± ¡°She''s been hypnotized. Can you snap her out of it?¡± Shane looked at Dr. Zeplin. The psychiatrist did not reply and checked on Natalie before saying, ¡°Sure. Her condition is not so serious. I can snap her out of it.¡± Shane heaved a sigh of relief and eased his tense expression. ¡°I''ll leave it to you then.¡± Dr. Zeplin smiled. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane retracted a few steps, giving way for the psychiatrist to do his job. After a few minutes, Dr. Zeplin kept his watch and bent down to p by Natalie''s ears. With a snap, she shut her eyes immediately. ¡°That''s it?¡± Ss asked as he pointed at her. Dr. Zeplin wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, ¡°It''s done. She will wake up in a bit.¡± ¡°That''s... amazing.¡± Ss tiled his brow in wonder. ¡°Okay, since she''s alright now, let''s get out of here first,¡± Shane said and headed out the door while Ss and Dr. Zeplin trailed behind him. The three of them headed toward the foyer. Shane looked at Stanley who was still on the floor. ¡°Would you please look at him and see how he''s doing mentally?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Dr. Zeplin replied and crouched down to examine Stanley''s mental state while Shane, Ss, and Dr. Morrison stood and watched. After half an hour, Dr. Zeplin stood up with a grim expression. ¡°So, how is he doing?¡± Shane pursed his lips. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Dr. Zeplin shook his head. ¡°It''s not looking good. I just entered his deepest consciousness, and he''s on the verge of a mental breakdown as he''s ovee with negative sentiments. He has to undergo therapy immediately. Otherwise, he''s going to be uncontroble.¡± Ss gasped again at the revtion. ¡°Uncontroble... Do you mean he''s going to go mad?¡± ¡°He''s going to be worse than a madman. A madman wouldn''t necessarily be a psychopath, but I can say that he''s definitely bing one. He''s going to go out of hand if left unchecked.¡± ¡°That''s terrifying.¡± Ss shuddered. Shane pursed his thin lips, saying nothing. However, he had made a decision to send Stanley away. This kind of person should no longer stay by Natalie''s side. ¡°Take him to the hospital, and ask Jackson to confine him. I''ll think of what to do with him after Natalie regains her consciousness.¡± Shane looked impassively at Stanley and ordered. ¡°Understood.¡± Ss nodded. Then, he led the two doctors and Stanley who was sprawled on the floor away. After they had left, Shane closed the door behind them and went to the master bedroom. He was greeted by the sight of the woman who wasying down just moments ago, sitting on the edge of the bed. She rubbed her temples and looked ghastly pale. ¡°You''re awake?¡± Shane leaned against the doorframe and asked. She stopped rubbing on her temples as she noticed his voice and turned around. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± The man mumbled a response and strode toward the side of her bed. ¡°Feeling dizzy?¡± Natalie nodded her head weakly. ¡°Yeah. Maybe I had one too many drinks at the bar. Thanks for sending me home, Mr. Shane.¡± Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Shane''s perfect-sculptured face was tense. ¡°I did not send you home.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Natalie blinked her eyes in a daze. ¡°You didn''t send me home?¡± Shane nodded in response. Natalie''s brows creased. ¡°How could it not be you? You were the one at the bar just now.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°You''ve mistaken Stanley for me!¡± Shane looked right into her eyes. The woman shook her head. ¡°That''s impossible. Even if I had too much to drink, I wouldn''t have mistaken Stanley for you.¡± ¡°You couldn''t have been mistaken, but what if Stanley''s hypnotized you?¡± Shane had his hands in his pockets and said with a frosty tone. ¡°Wh- what do you mean?¡± Natalie set her back straight. She had a hunch that what he was about to say would greatly challenge her beliefs and understanding. The man looked straight into her eyes and parted his lips, ¡°You''ve probably been hypnotized by Stanley back in the bar into thinking that he was me. I guess he was trying to catch you off guard and take you away.¡± Natalie shook her head in denial and managed a stiff smile. ¡°That''s impossible. He doesn''t even know hypnosis. I mean, even if he does, why would he do that?¡± Shane''s face sank when he noticed that the woman was still siding Stanley. ¡°It seems like you''ve never truly known this man. Otherwise, why would you have no idea that he knows hypnosis? As to why he''s doing this, it''s because that man has never given up on you.¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in disbelief. Shane massaged in between his brows and continued, ¡°He knew that you would be more wary of him after he tried to kiss you back on the shipst time. He knows that you''re in love with me, and impersonates me so that you won''t...¡± ¡°Stop! That''s impossible!¡± Natalie removed the sheets and jumped off the bed as she stopped at him. Stanley is a good man. I mean, he did scare me when he kissed mest time... But otherwise, he has done nothing that makes me feel uneasy. How could Stanley be that kind of man... ¡°I''ve made it so explicitly clear to you, and yet you refuse to believe me. Fine, then let me show you what kind of person he is!¡± Shane snorted and dragged her toward the foyer. The man had been asking Ss to investigate Stanley''s past, in hopes of exposing the despicable man''s true self to Natalie. However, the man was too enigmatic, and Ss had not been able to make much progress. Now that the devil has shown his cloven hooves, I can finally show her who he really is. ¡°Mr. Shane! Let me go! You''re hurting me!¡± Natalie resisted the man, reluctant to trail behind him. A voice in Natalie''s head was telling her that once she had seen it, she wouldn''t be able to see eye to eye with Stanley anymore. Natalie bit down on her lip at the thought and tried to shrug off Shane''s hands. Just when she was about to do so, she noticed the wound on his left arm, and all colors drained from her face. ¡°Mr. Shane, what''s wrong with your arm?¡± Shane acted as if he had not heard her. After getting to the foyer, he let go of her hand and opened her inte right in front of her. ¡°Intes have security footage too. Incidentally, everything took ce right here at the foyer so please take a good look yourself.¡± Shane retreated to one side after that. Natalie''s lips twitched as she looked at the yback on the screen. It could be seen that after the door was open, Stanley steadied herself into the house, and pushed her against the shoe cab with his body. The man then stroked her hair and asked if she knew who he was. Natalie could clearly hear that she had muttered the words ''Mr. Shane''. ¡°This... this...¡± Natalie stiffened at the sight of the video and turned around to look at Shane who was standing by her side. I really have mistaken Stanley for him. Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Natalie noticed that her demeanor in the footage was off as well. She seemed blunt and robotic, not at all like her usual self. The only viable exnation would be that she was indeed hypnotized. There was no other way to exin the way she behaved. She staggered a few steps back as if she had just suffered a blow. ¡°Stanley... does know hypnosis!¡± ¡°Are you going to believe me now?¡± Shane asked as he pointed at the inte. Natalie''s lips twitched, but there was no sounding out of her lips. Then, he touched the screen and continued, ¡°He''s not done yet. Look closer and believe me, you will see a whole new side of Stanley Quinn.¡± The woman clutched her hand tight and said nothing. However, her gaze was already transfixed on the screen of the inte. The yback continued. At the sight of Stanley about to kiss her, her eyes widened as if it was about to pop out of her socket as her body stiffened in response. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Just when she thought the man was about to get his way, Shane appeared. Thetter kicked down the door and stopped Stanley. Natalie heaved a huge sigh of relief and finally rxed herself. ¡°Luckily...¡± She mumbled softly, grateful for Shane''s timely appearance. Her relief did not go unnoticed. Noticing that the woman was beyond relieved at his own appearance, Shane''s low spirit lightened up as his lips curled into a smile. Meanwhile, Natalie had no idea that she had actually appeased the man with her little sigh to herself. She stared right at the screen. Shane and Stanley were arguing, and moments after thetter fished out a scalpel andunched at Shane. The woman was dumbfounded by the turn of events. She shrieked and covered her mouth to muffle her scream. Then, she noticed that Stanley had cut Shane as thetter managed to beat him to the ground. So that''s why his arm is injured! Natalie then cast a nce at Shane''s arm. The man turned off the inte. ¡°Now do you know what kind of man Stanley Quinn is?¡± Natalie gulped as she was too stunned to speak. She was at a loss for words. The thing that happened that night was way beyond herprehension. It was still befuddling to think that the grimaced and psychotic man was the amiable and gentle Stanley Quinn whom she had known. I really do not know the man at all. Dismayed, Natalie crouched down and held her knees to herself. At the sight of her dejected manner, Shane''s thin lips formed a hard line. ¡°I''ve warned you since over a month ago to stay away from that man, and that he''s not as simple as you think, but you''ve paid no heed to my words. That''s why he''s able to harm you time and again. I couldn''t imagine if I haven''t coincidentally dropped by tonight, you would have been...¡± Natalie shuddered as she listened to him. I would have been catering to Stanley''s every whim if Shane hasn''t showed up! The woman felt an overwhelming urge to vomit, retching at the thought. Shane''s face tensed at the sight of her being all nauseous. He went over to the kitchen and fetched a cup of water. ¡°Drink this.¡± Tears brimmed in the woman''s bloodshot eyes. She reached out to take the ss. Her heart warmed at the sight of the lemon slice in the ss and finished almost half a ss in one gulp. Despite being hit by the pang of sourness of the lemon, Natalie thought it was effective in inhibiting her urge to vomit. As expected, her stomach was feeling much better after the ss of water. The urge to vomit slowly eased as colors gradually returned to her face. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie muttered her thanks weakly. The man took over the ss of water and put it on the shoe cab. ¡°How do you n to deal with Stanley?¡± Natalie stood up, ignoring his question and asked, ¡°Where is he right now?¡± ¡°At the hospital. He is suffering from a serious mental breakdown. I''ve asked Jackson to quarantine him,¡± replied Shane as he leaned against the shoe cab. Chapter 429 Chapter 429 ¡°Mental breakdown?¡± Natalie was stumped as her eyes widened in bewilderment. ¡°Yes.¡± Shane recounted Dr. Zeplin''s diagnosis to Natalie. Her jaw dropped after listening to him. ¡°Stanley... is mentally unstable...¡± He''s too good at concealing his true self. I''ve never noticed that he''s mentally deranged. Does Joyce know about this? Noticing that she was in a daze, Shane asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Natalie shook her head to snap out of her thoughts. She made her thoughts vocal and said, ¡°I''m just thinking maybe Joyce is not aware of Stanley''s condition.¡± ¡°That is her problem. Have you thought about how to deal with Stanley?¡± Shane looked at her and asked again. The woman bit down on her lip and appeared lost. ¡°I don''t know... I really don''t. Mr. Shane, can we talk about this tomorrow? I''m tired.¡± Shane knew Natalie was merely avoiding to deal with the problem. Despite feeling irked, he could understand how she felt. Stanley had been her friend for so many years after all, and judging by how she valued her friendships, it would not be hard to imagine that she would need to take more time to digest and eventually decide on the matter. ¡°Alright, then. Have a good rest.¡± Shane nodded his head slightly and headed for the door. It was the first time Natalie had not seen him to the door. Instead, she closed the door behind him immediately. The woman leaned against the door and closed her eyes to recollect herself. After regaining her composure only did she head inside. She made her way toward her twins'' bedroom and turned the doorknob softly. At the sight of her twins fast asleep, she finally managed a smile. She closed the door behind her and made her way to her own bedroom. The womany in the bed, staring right at the ceiling as she tried to process what had taken ce that night. Natalie had only fallen asleep near dawn. She was roused awake by Joyce''s phone call at eight o''clock in the morning. ¡°Nat, do you know where had Stanley gone to? I went to his ce to send him some medicine, but turned out that he wasn''t at home. I called the hospital and they said that he did not go in for work either.¡± Joyce sounded exasperated on the line. Natalie wrapped herself with a nket and leaned against the headboard. Her face turned grim as she asked, ¡°Joyce, how did you get home yesterday?¡± Noticing that Natalie did not answer her question, Joyce cocked her head to one side in confusion. ¡°The people at the bar sent me home. Why?¡± Natalie lowered her eyes. ¡°Then, did you know how I got back home yesterday?¡± ¡°How would I now? I was drunk out of my wits since I was the one who drunk the most,¡± Joyce answered with a smile. Natalie, on the other hand, had a stern face on as she breathed in deeply and shut her eyes. ¡°Joyce, I was hypnotized by Stanley into thinking that he was Shane so that he could have his way with me.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°What?¡± Joyce jolted from the mat outside of Stanley''s room. ¡°That''s impossible. Why would he...¡± Natalie''s lips twitched. ¡°I''d like to think that he wouldn''t do such a thing to me too. However, the inte had recorded everything. Stanley really did that.¡± Joyce''s hand clutched tightly on her cell phone, her voice turned shaky. ¡°Then... did Stanley and you...¡± Natalie shook her head in response, albeit Joyce wouldn''t be able to see her. ¡°Don''t worry. He did not seed. Mr. Shane saved me in time.¡± ¡°Okay, that''s good.¡± Overjoyed, Joyce patted her chest in relief for both Natalie and herself. Even though she knew Stanley had a crush on Natalie, she was earnestly hoping that nothing would happen between the two. After all, she did not want them to have any strings attached for she had fallen in love with Stanley. ¡°Joyce.¡± Natalie raised a brow and called her name. ¡°What''s the matter, Nat?¡± ¡°Joyce, I realize that you''re not at all surprised by me being hypnotized by Stanley, and you''re only surprised that Stanley tried to force himself on me. Were you already aware that he knew hypnosis?¡± Natalie clutched her palms tight and questioned her friend. Chapter 430 Chapter 430 ¡°I... I...¡± Joyce''s iris constricted as her lips twitched. Noticing that Joyce was stuttering, things became clear as day to Natalie. She sneered, ¡°So you knew about this right from the start?¡± ¡°Sorry, Nat. I''ve known for a while that Stanley knew hypnosis, but I did not deliberately keep this from you because I''ve never expected for him to use it against you.¡± Joyce lowered her head guiltily. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie breathed in deeply and tried to contain herself. ¡°Do you know that he suffers from mental illness too?¡± Joyce kept mum for two seconds before mumbling an affirmative response. ¡°Yes. He had been diagnosed with mental illness back when he was still a teen, but it wasn''t anything serious...¡± ¡°You''re mistaken about that. His condition is very serious. For goodness'' sake, he almost killed Mr. Shane yesterday!¡± Natalie clutched her sheets tight and interrupted Joyce with a poker face. ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± Joyce''s voice raised an octave. ¡°It''s true. Luckily Mr. Shane was great at defending himself. Otherwise, who knew what might have happened to him. Even so, he still suffered a minor injury. Then, Mr. Shane asked a psychiatrist to diagnose Stanley. The doctor said...¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± Joyce egged her on, anxious to listen to what Natalie had to say. Natalie sighed aloud as she noticed her friend''s overly anxious tone. ¡°The doctor mentioned that Stanley had to undergo therapy immediately. Otherwise, he''s going to go out of hand, and will be a threat to everyone else around him as he no longer would be able to behave rationally.¡± ¡°Why... How did it be so serious?¡± Joyce covered her mouth in shock as tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°That''s the truth.¡± Natalie lowered her eyes. ¡°Then, where is Stanley right now?¡± Joyce breathed in deeply as she tried to contain her emotions. ¡°Nat, you do know where he is, right?¡± ¡°He''s at the hospital. Dr. Baker has put him under quarantine,¡± Natalie admitted. ¡°I''m heading there right now.¡± Joyce hung up the phone right after. Natalie put her phone down as she noticed the line going t. She rubbed between her brows, removed her nket and got out of bed. As soon as she headed out of her room, her doorbell rang. She walked over to her foyer and nced at her inte before opening the door. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shane had a navy blue suit on as he stood outside her door. The man lowered his gaze and eyeballed her. Noticing the bluish dark eye circles underneath her eyes, the man furrowed his brows. ¡°Didn''t you sleepst night?¡± Natalie stepped aside to let him inside and replied with a weary tone, ¡°I only managed a little sleepst night. Aren''t you going on an overseas trip, Mr. Shane? Why are you still here?¡± ¡°Do you wish for me to leave that quickly?¡± Shane strode inside her apartment. ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie paused momentarily, puzzled by his remark. Shane''s eyes glinted. He walked over to the living room and said, ¡°My flight''s been dyed till noon. I want to send the kids to school before that.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Natalie nodded and did not ask further. She poured him a ss of water and went to wake her children up. After they were done washing up and had breakfast, Natalie handed them over to Shane. After they had left, Natalie wasted no time to lounge around the apartment. She went back to her room to change her clothes, put on heavy makeup to conceal her dark eye circles before heading to the hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, she asked where Stanley was and headed toward his ward. She had just reached the outside of his ward, and Stanley''s spiteful voice filled the hallway. ¡°Get lost! Cut the crap and get out of my face!¡± ¡°Stanley, will you please calm down?¡± Joyce held his hands as she sobbed and pleaded with the man. ¡°Please listen to me and undergo the therapy, okay?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Therapy?¡± Stanley broke into derisiveughter upon hearing her. ¡°I have the Rivers to thank for the way I am today! You''re crying crocodile tears for asking me to undergo therapy! Let me repeat myself. Get the hell out of here! I don''t want to see you!¡± Chapter 431 Chapter 431 ¡°Stanley...¡± Despite feeling hurt, Joyce did not budge as she looked at him. ¡°You''re still not leaving?¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes with pure hatred. The man grabbed a pillow and aimed it at her head. Joyce flinched as she had not expected the man to flip out at her. It was toote for her to dodge when she finally regained herposure. Thankfully, it was just a pillow. Even though her head hurt, she was not injured in any way. Meanwhile, Natalie had seen everything through the ss pane on the door. Indignant for her friend, she felt the urge to drag Joyce away from the madman. However, she decided against interfering in the matter which was clearly a private matter between the two. It''s better that I stay out of this since my presence won''t help anyway. Natalie let go of the doorknob and retracted her feet at the thought. The psychiatrist who was not saying anything previously shook his head helplessly as he looked at Joyce staring nkly at the pillow on the floor. ¡°Ms. Rivers, I think it''s better that you leave this ward first since Dr. Quinn is having an episode right now. Your presence will only make matters worse right now.¡± Joyce finally snapped out of her thoughts after listening to the psychiatrist. She picked up the pillow on the floor and put it back on the bed. The woman took onest look at Stanley''s grimaced expression before she turned and headed for the door. ¡°Nat?¡± Joyce noticed Natalie who was standing right outside the door and was surprised. ¡°When did youe here?¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°It''s been a while.¡± Natalie stepped aside to the row of chairs just nearby and took a seat. Joyce hesitated for a moment and trailed behind her. ¡°Are you here to visit Stanley?¡± Natalie nodded her head. Even though she still resented Stanley for what he tried to do to herst night, they were friends after all. She had not forgotten the fact that the man had actually saved her life. Besides, she was worried about his condition and decided toe to have a look herself. ¡°In that case, you might have to wait for a while. The psychiatrist is trying to pacify Stanley. You can only go inside after he''s calmed down,¡± Joyce cast a nce at the ward entrance and said. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m not going in. In fact, I''ve never nned to go inside. I just want to take a look at him from outside. Besides, I really have no idea how to face him after what happened yesterday.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± Joyce nodded and turned around to face her. ¡°You''ve heard it all, right? About what we were saying back in his ward?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie confessed. She did not attempt to hide it from her friend. Joyce bit down on her lip. ¡°Nat, I''m really sorry. I really do not expect that his condition has worsened to this extent, and that he''s even tried to hypnotize you. I''m apologizing on behalf of him. Will you please forgive him?¡± Then, she got up and bowed down to Natalie as she apologized. Natalie hurriedly got up and steadied her friend. She actually felt bad seeing Joyce being all apologetic. ¡°Don''t worry. I don''t me him. I''m going to overlook his mistake for what he''s done for my family. But at the same time, I really can''t treat him like a friend after what he has done.¡± ¡°I understand. As long as you forgive him. Seeing how he''s so obsessed with you, I think his condition is going to worsen if you don''t forgive him.¡± Joyce finally smiled with relief after knowing that Natalie was actually willing to forgive the man. However, her next sentence made Joyce''s smile froze on her face. ¡°I''ve forgiven him, but what about Mr. Shane? Stanley did try to murder him. Admittedly, he failed to do so but he did cut his arm as well, causing him to bleed quite a lot. Mr. Shane did not report him to the police, but it doesn''t mean that he''s going to go easy on Stanley either.¡± ¡°That...¡± All colors drained from Joyce''s face as she hurriedly clutched Natalie''s hand tight. ¡°Nat, you have to save Stanley from being hurt by Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°How am I going to help him?¡± Natalie retracted her hand and felt helpless. Joyce clenched her palms. ¡°You can definitely help him. You just need to convince Mr. Shane to not seek revenge.¡± Chapter 432 Chapter 432 ¡°How can I convince Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie''s palm sped her forehead, feeling worn out. Joyce put her hands on her friend''s shoulder and said, ¡°You can definitely do it. I don''t know about others but you definitely stand a good chance in convincing that man because he likes you!¡± Natalie was initially stumped, then smiled to dismiss her friend. ¡°Joyce, how can you joke about this...¡± ¡°I''m not joking. He really likes you. Nat, believe me. I can feel it. Judging by the way he looks at you, he definitely has a crush on you!¡± Joyce interrupted her and said. Natalie''s smile started to falter as she noticed that her friend was being serious. Her red lips twitched in response. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Shane likes me? This is absurd. He likes Jacqueline! ¡°Nat, I know all these must sound imusible to you but it''s true. Mr. Shane likes you, and only you can convince him to give up on the notion to seek revenge. Please, you have to at least try to convince him. As long as he''s willing to let him go, I promise that Stanley will nevere back to this country,¡± Joyce swore a vow. ¡°Let me process this.¡± Natalie sat back down as she steadied herself against the cold, hard wall. ¡°Alright, take your time to process this. I''ll contact my uncles abroad and ask them to get a psychiatrist ready.¡± Joyce then fished out her phone and retreated to a quiet corner to make her call. Natalie lowered her head as she tried to make sense of Joyce''s words just now. The cell phone in her bag started to ring all of a sudden, interrupting her train of thought. She breathed out deeply to calm herself down before she took her phone out. Her eyes widened at the sight of the caller ID. Natalie''s hands trembled in response as she nearly threw it out. Luckily, she managed to steady it in time, and effectively preventing her phone from getting smashed. ¡°Mr. Sh- Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie put her phone to the side of her ear. Shane''s low and husky voice rang by her ear. ¡°Jackson told me that you went to visit Stanley?¡± ¡°Yep...¡± Natalie nodded her head. Even though she looked calm, her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, like rumbling thunder as Joyce''s words reyed, over and over, in her head. ¡°What''s the matter with you?¡± Shane noticed her odd tone as if she was trying to hide something from him. The man who was waiting in the airport lounge frowned slightly as he thought that the woman was not feeling well. ¡°I''m fine. Why did you call me, Mr. Shane?¡± She threw the ball back at him, taking the pressure off herself. Shane adjusted his posture slightly. ¡°I just wanted to ask if you had thought about how to deal with Stanley?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie cast a nce at his ward. ¡°I''m not going to do anything. I''m thinking to just let it slide.¡± ¡°Let it slide?¡± Shane pursed his lips in disapproval. ¡°He hypnotized you, and tried to rape you, and you''re thinking to let it slide?¡± ¡°What else can I do? I mean, I''m not going to sue him and send him to jail, right?¡± Her lips curled into a bitter smile. ¡°He''s different from Jasmine. She had been my enemy from day one, but Stanley''s my benefactor. If it wasn''t for him, Sharon, Connor, and I wouldn''t have made it five years ago.¡± Shane''s heart constricted at her remark, and it managed to calm the fire burning in his chest. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I never knew this, so Stanley is her benefactor. ¡°Okay, it''s settled then, since you don''t n to do anything to him,¡± Shane said as he took over the boarding pass that Ss handed over to him. Natalie mumbled a response, and clenched her teeth before she mustered the courage to ask, ¡°What about you, Mr. Shane? Are you going to seek revenge from him for hurting youst night? Please let him go. Let me make amends for his mistake.¡± Shane was hurt because he tried to save her after all. Hence, Natalie felt the need to be ountable for Stanley''s transgression. Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Shane''s face sank. He had actually dismissed the notion to seek revenge after listening to her recount how Stanley had helped her through her darkest time. However, after listening to her defending the psychopath, the man was vexed. ¡°You''re going to make amends for his mistake? How are you going to do that?¡± Shane crossed his legs, his tone frigid. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Stumped by the question, Natalie lowered her head. She had not given her words much thought before she blurted it all out. The boarding announcement rang in the background, and Shane got up from the sofa. ¡°Okay, fine. We''ll talk about thister. I won''t do anything to him, but I have my condition. He has to make sure that he doesn''t step on my tail ever again!¡± ¡°No, he won''t. Joyce has arranged for him to undergo therapy overseas. He will not be back anymore.¡± A hint of delight fleeted across her eyes. ¡°Okay, I''m boarding now,¡± Shane said as he headed toward the VIP line. ¡°Have a safe flight,¡± Natalie said her goodbyes and put down her phone. Incidentally, Joyce was back from making her call. ¡°Nat, my uncles abroad had agreed to look for a doctor, you...¡± ¡°And Mr. Shane has agreed to let things slide with Stanley,¡± Natalie said as she took a seat. Joyce was stunned and then held her hands as she beamed with joy. ¡°Really, Nat? Is this for real?¡± ¡°Yep, I just mentioned it him.¡± Natalie shook her phone in front of Joyce. Overjoyed, thetter circled her into an embrace. ¡°That''s great! Thank you, Nat. I knew you''d be sessful, and look! Mr. Shane really likes you.¡± Natalie''s smile froze on her face. Did he agree to it in a heartbeat because he likes me? She still found the notion somewhat imusible,ughable even. ¡°Okay, Joyce.¡± Natalie pushed her friend away gently and asked, ¡°When are you nning to take him overseas for therapy?¡± ¡°We''ll leave in the afternoon. The sooner, the better.¡± Joyce sighed. ¡°I''ve even booked the tickets.¡± ¡°Will he agree to go with you?¡± Natalie bit down on her lip. That was her greatest concern. Joyce smiled. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I''vemunicated this to the hospital. They will sedate him.¡± ¡°Alright, them.¡± Natalie smiled and said goodbye. ¡°Well, then I''ll send you guys off in the afternoon. I have to get to the studio. My work is not going to do itself.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Joyce nodded in response. Natalie waved at her, and took onest look at Stanley''s ward before turning around to leave. In the afternoon, Natalie went to the airport on time to send Joyce and Stanley off. It was uncertain how long Joyce would be away. With that, Natalie would have to be responsible for the studio on her own from then onward. Time flew by, and it was already two days after Stanley and Joyce had left. Natalie was arranging for shipment in her studio when she suddenly got a call from the police station, requesting her presence. When she finally got there, the police had told her a piece of grave news¡ªJasmine was released from prison. ¡°Why has she been released?¡± Natalie clenched her fist tight and asked, puzzled by the turn of events. It was impossible for her to get a bail since the evidence of her giarism was solid. The police said apologetically, ¡°It''s been arranged by your father.¡± ¡°Harrison?¡± Natalie bit down on her lip. ¡°What did he do?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Two days ago, after Harrison paid a visit to Jasmine, she went crazy. Then, after extensive examination by multiple professionals, she was diagnosed with a mental disorder.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, as you are well aware, our country is very lenient with mental disorder patients. As a result of her condition, she has been transferred to a mental hospital.¡± Frustrated, Natalie berated, ¡°Jasmine has gone crazy right after Harrison visited her. How can there be such a coincidence in the world? It''s obvious that she''s faking it!¡± ¡°We understand that it might be her ploy to get out of jail, but we do not have the concrete evidence to support our im as every doctor who has examined her has produced the exact same diagnosis.¡± The police were at a loss too. Chapter 434 Chapter 434 The main problem was that Jasmine''s acting skills were too good that even the doctors were fooled. Natalie was infuriated. She had not expected Jasmine to be able to get out of the prison in such a fashion after being sentenced to jail. She had underestimated both Jasmine and Harrison¡ªthe pair of despicable father and daughter. ¡°Which mental hospital is she currentlymitted to?¡± Natalie asked, furrowing her brows. The police gave her with a piece of name card. Taking a quick nce, she thanked them. Immediately, she left and drove towards the mental hospital where Jasmine was. She was adamant to check out whether her sister was genuinely mad or pretended to be mad! Very soon, the mental hospital loomed at the distance. Natalie enquired about Jasmine''s location at the front desk before walking towards the elevator. Within two minutes, she had found Jasmine''s ward. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She found that the door was open, and Jasmine was plopped on the ground. A nurse was bending down trying to pull her up. Jasmine, however, was struggling and kicking. Refusing to get up, she was throwing tantrums at the poor nurse. Seeing Jasmine in such a condition, Natalie could not help but feel that she had indeed gone crazy. Ahem. Natalie knocked on the door and cleared her throat. Caught by surprise, the nurse stood up and stared at her before asking, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m her rtive. I''ve heard that she has gone mad as a hatter and dropped by to check her out myself,¡± Natalie exined while pointing to her own head. The nurse did not doubt her identity, but rather smiled and replied, ¡°In that case, I''ll just leave you alone with her.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Natalie nodded. The nurse left. Stepping into the ward, Natalie proceeded to walk in a circle around Jasmine who was on the floor before stopping in front of thetter and sneered, ¡°I see that you''re pretty good in putting up an act!¡± Jasmine appeared not to hear her. Instead, she was muttering something under her breath while pulling the Barbie doll''s hair in her hand. Feeling impatient, Natalie squatted down, lifted Jasmine''s chin, and proceeded to warn, ¡°Snap out of it! I know you''re just bluffing. You''re not really crazy, aren''t you?¡± Jasmine remained irresponsive. Her eyes were all over the ce and unfocused. Mayhap she indeed had a few screws loose in her head. Natalie could only frown deeper. The Jasmine she had known in the past would have easily lost her temper at her goading. Instead, she remained impassive and nutty. In order to avoid jail, Jasmine had been able to keep up her act and ignored provocations¡ª which conversely was something really admirable. Seeing Jasmine in front of her, Natalie was tempted to test how long her crazy sister could keep pretending! With this intention in mind, Natalie rolled her eyes and pushed Jasmine abruptly. Seemingly taken by surprise, Jasmine fell onto the ground without any resistance. The Barbie doll she was holding flew out of her hands, stunning her. A few secondster, her lips twitched as she put her hands up to her eyes like a child and started bawling, ¡°Mom, mom! Bad woman hits me! Boohoo... Baddie hits me...¡± The sounds of hurried footsteps could be hearding from outside the door. In the next second, Susan stepped into the ward, carrying a thermal food jar in her hand. Seeing the state Jasmine was in, Susan quickly put aside the thermal food jar and hurriedly stepped forward to pull her up. Patting her back, Susanforted her, ¡°Now, now. Good girl. Don''t cry. My dear Jas, don''t cry.¡± Natalie could only stand and looked on nkly at the unfolding scene before her. Did Susan just soothe Jasmine like a small child? Her sister''s performance thus far had exceeded her expectations indeed. Whether her sister was genuinely mad or pretended to be so, she had hoped to expose Jasmine''s lies with that sudden push. s, she had not expected Jasmine to endure and did not give anything away. Soon, Jasmine''s sobs gradually grew softer before finally falling asleep in Susan''s arms. Susan put her mad daughter on the bed and covered her in her nket. Turning her head towards Natalie fiercely, she hissed, ¡°Oh, you little b*tch! What are you here for? You''ve sent Jas to prison and caused her to go mad. Now you''re back to torment her. Would you be satisfied only after my dear Jas had died by your hands?¡± Hearing these words, Natalie could only sneer and asked, ¡°Since when did I torment her?¡± Gritting her teeth, Susan used, ¡°Didn''t you just now? If you did noty your filthy hands on her, Jas would not have cried!¡± Natalie blinked her eyes innocently and retorted, ¡°Oh,e on! I did not bully her! I''m merely confirming whether she''s really crazy.¡± Chapter 435 Chapter 435 ¡°You...¡± Susan was shaking all over from fury. ¡°You''ve caused Jas to end up in this condition. How dare you use her of pretending?¡± ¡°Oh really? I would say she''s putting on an act! I don''t believe she''s as insane as she portrayed herself to be!¡± Natalie stared at Jasmine who was lying in the bed. Narrowing her eyes dangerously, Susan jabbed back, ¡°How could you even utter those words! Even if Jas were pretending, you''re not qualified to judge. Are those psychiatrists mere decorations? Are you calling them farces as well? It''s obvious you''re here to cause a ruckus! Off with you!¡± With that, she raised her hand, ready to strike. Natalie did not flinch, but insteadughed, ¡°p me if you will. I''ll call the cops immediately on you. You''ll be dragged to the police station for a few days of free food and amodation.¡± Her words were effective. Immediately Susan''s furious expression paled. She held her hand back and pointed to the door reluctantly, ¡°Get out! You''ve overstayed your wee. Out with you!¡± ¡°I''ll be taking my leave then.¡± Lifting her handbag strap onto her shoulder, Natalie proceeded to walk out through the door. Stopping short at the doorway, she turned back and red at Susan who was still fuming and warned, ¡°I''ll still say this again. I believe that Jasmine is not crazy as she made herself out to be. I''ll arrange for someone toe and monitor her twenty-four seven all year round. The moment she shows any sign of sanity, I''ll send her packing back to the prison where she rightfully belongs!¡± Susan could only clench her fists tightly. Tucking her hair behind her ears, Natalie continued, ¡°When the timees, she''ll be charged with yet another crime. By then her sentence will be extended. For good.¡± ¡°Hrmph! Be prepared to be disappointed. Jas has indeed gone insane!¡± Susan grimly replied. Pursing her lips, Natalie countered, ¡°As for that, time will tell. Your statement bears no weight. I''ll still be skeptical no matter what. If she had really lost her mind, it''d do her good for her to remain here for a lifetime. Else...¡± Pausing ominously, she purposely lowered her voice as her eyes fell on Jasmine, ¡°I heard that should a normal person remained in this mental hospital for too long, even if one were not mentally ill, sooner or later one would sumb to madness. I only pray that the very same would not befall you. Take care!¡± With that, she walked out. She headed to the director''s office to find out more about Jasmine''s current situation. The director willingly revealed all information gleaned on Jasmine, as well as round-the-clock security footage of her. To date, they could not detect any telltale signs of feigned madness. Making no further progress, Natalie reluctantly left and went to the detective''s office. She willingly spent a small fortune to arrange for someone to keep an eye on Jasmine to ay her misgivings. She specially instructed them to contact her immediately of any suspicious signs. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! After that, she drove back to her studio and busied herself with her unfinished work. While she was engrossed in her work, a knock was heard on her office door. Stopping her fric scribbling, she looked up and saw Joyce outside the door. Surprised, Natalie eximed, ¡°Joyce dear! Why are you back?¡± Joyce walked in with a tired look, pulled out a chair, and plopped down exhaustedly. Pouring a ss of water for her, Natalie curiously inquired, ¡°Didn''t you apany Stanley for his psychotherapy abroad? Why...¡± ¡°The doctor asked me toe back here. He said that my presence there would only affect Stanley''s treatment.¡± Swallowing the lump in her throat, Joyce continued with a wry smile, ¡°After all, Stanley hates me. Seeing me would only worsen his condition.¡± Natalie was dumbstruck. It took her a couple of seconds for her to regain her voice and spoke, ¡°What''s the beef between you and Stanley?¡± Joyce could only tinker with the cup in her hand without a word. Feeling her reluctance, Natalie shrugged, ¡°I won''t force you if you''re reluctant to reveal...¡± Joyce raised her eyes and looked at Natalie, ¡°It''s a longstanding grudge between both our families. Stanley and I, we''re both engaged initially.¡± Caught by surprise at the sudden revtion, Natalie''s jaws dropped as she stuttered, ¡°Engaged?¡± Squeezing her cup tighter, Joyce revealed, ¡°Yeah. It was something that was decided back when we were still very young. Both our families were very close back then and our parents decided on the engagement for us. However, when we''re both in high school, for some reason, our ties with Quinns broke.¡± Witnessing her downcast look, Natalie took her hand and silentlyforted her. Smiling wryly, she continued, ¡°I remembered asking my parents about it. They adamantly refused to reveal the reason. Right after, Stanley''s parents were being hunted down. They tried to hide in a basement. I discovered their location and Stanley implored me not to tell. I promised him. Yet, not long after, both his parents were assassinated.¡± Chapter 437 Chapter 437 ¡°Not in her room?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes as her voice volume went up a notch, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane, who was keeping his distance nearby, had been keeping an eye on the whole exchange. Noticing her grim expression, he pursed his lips and walked over. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie had not anticipated his approach. Shaking her head at him, she motioned to him that she would reveal the conversation to himter. Reading the situation, Shane understood her hint and kept his silence. Yet his eyes remained fixed on her cell phone. On the other end of the line, Mr. Malone reported abashedly, ¡°It means that she might have left the mental hospital temporarily. I''m sorry, Ms. Smith. I''ve lost sight of my target.¡± Natalie pinched her brow. She did not mean to put the me solely on him. ¡°It''s okay. You''re not omnipotent. I''ll let this slide. However, I''m curious. What makes you say that she left the mental hospital temporarily?¡± Mr. Malone pushed his sses up. ¡°Because I''ve just checked her check-in information. There are no signs of checkout, nor the ward has been vacated. Her mother, Susan, was still there. That''s why I suspected that Jasmine was only temporarily away.¡± ¡°Gone out, eh...¡± Natalie grasped her cell phone tightly before she instructed, ¡°Seems like she''s pretending to be deranged and stupid after all. Mr. Malone, you are to stay put and continue your snooping around. The very moment Jasminees back, you shall notify me immediately. Capisce?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Mr. Malone nodded. The moment Natalie ended the call, Shane raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°So, what happened to Jasmine?¡± Looking at him intently, Natalie exined, ¡°In order to escape serving jail term, Jasmine pretended to be mentally ill. The prison transferred her to a mental institution. To collect shreds of evidence of her act, I''ve employed a private eye to monitor her movement. However, I did not expect to receive a call from him so soon. He said that Jasmine had escaped from the mental hospital.¡± ¡°Is this for real?¡± Shane was not pleased. ¡°Yes. For the sake of escaping imprisonment, she''s willing to do anything and everything now.¡± Rubbing her temples, she continued, ¡°First and foremost I want to know Jasmine''s whereabouts right now. Also, I would love to know her next move.¡± ¡°I''ll get Ss to dig around too.¡± Saying that, Shane took out his own cell phone and dialed for Ss. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Natalie did not stop him, for she felt like she needed all the assistance she could get. What mattered most was to locate Jasmine as quickly as possible. After all, Jasmine was now a ticking time bomb. Who could anticipate her next move? While she was engrossed in her thought, she suddenly heard an excitedmotioning from the front. ¡°Mr. Dn is here!¡± Upon hearing this, Natalie''s eyes lit up somewhat as she stepped forward and craned her neck in an attempt to peer past the gathering crowd. She could see a tall and handsome aged man surrounded by a group of people as he walked down from the second floor. As he came down, he waved his hand, much to the crowd''s delight. Everyone was feeling enthusiastic at the encounter. He, however, seemed to be looking around, as if he was looking for someone or something. Finally, catching the sight of Natalie, the handsome old man beamed at her. Raising his brows and with a smile, he walked over to Natalie. She could feel her heartbeat elerated to the point of bursting out of her chest. She could not help but swallow the lump in her throat before grabbing Shane''s arm and excitedly said, ¡°I... I must be dreaming. Mr. Dn seems to be looking right at us! At our direction!¡± Shane looked down at her hands grasping his arm. Unable to resist, he chuckled and curled his lips, ¡°You''re not dreaming. He is walking over right now.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the legendary Mr. Dn stopped in front of the two of them. He spared a couple of seconds to look at Shane before stretching out his hand and speaking in a thick ent, ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s been a long time.¡± ¡°Yes, it has been a while,¡± Shane shook his outstretched hand. After the handshake, Mr. Dn turned his attention to the lovely Natalie standing next to Shane and enquired, ¡°And this youngdy is...¡± Natalie was stunned for a moment. The excitement of being face-to-face with her idol seemed to diminish somewhat. That''s strange. Doesn''t Mr. Dn recognize me? Why would he invite me to such an important exhibition tonight if he doesn''t know me? Seeing Natalie''s pensive and somewhat downcast look, Shane could easily guess her thoughts. With a gleam in his eyes, he immediately introduced her to Mr. Dn. ¡°She''s Natalie Smith, a very talented upstart designer.¡± ¡°Natalie Smith...¡± Mr. Dn repeated her name in a low voice. A thought suddenly jolted him as he ruffled his gray beard, ¡°So, you''re the one Mr. Shane mentioned to me before. A young designer who is a diamond in the rough.¡± Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Natalie looked up at Shane and asked in confusion, ¡°What''s going on here, Mr. Dn?¡± Mr. Dn chuckled. ¡°Mr. Shane contacted me a while back asking for another invitation. He said it was for you, Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie''s jaw dropped in surprise when she heard that. So it wasn''t Mr. Dn who sent me the invitation, but Shane instead! And here I thought it was because I made a name for myself here in J City and was noticed by Mr. Dn... Noticing the somewhat disappointed look on her face, Shane gave her hand a light squeeze and said, ¡°Hey, don''t look so disheartened now. Mr. Dn wouldn''t have sent you an invitation unless your work impressed him. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have agreed to give me the invitation even if I asked.¡± ¡°That''s right. I didn''t agree to send him the invitation until he showed me your blueprints. Ms. Smith, the style of your design is very simr to mine and I must say you are very creative. While it may be a little green at the moment, I''m sure you''ll reach my level over time with your amazing talent!¡± Mr. Dn said with a look of admiration in his eyes. Having been praised by her idol, the disappointment in Natalie was immediately reced with joy and excitement. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°You give me too much credit, Mr. Dn! I still have a long way ahead of me!¡± she said shyly and waved her hands in embarrassment. Shane raised an eyebrow in amusement upon seeing her looking shy and flustered. She has never been one to shy away frompliments, and yet she''s getting all flustered when it comes from Mr. Dn... Haha, she looks kind of cute! ¡°It''s true that you still have a lot to learn. Your style isn''t fully mature just yet, and I noticed a hint of disorder in your design. However, it isn''t as badpared to the ones from other designers of your level. Do you have a mentor, Ms. Smith? If not, how would you feel about having me as your mentor?¡± Mr. Dn asked with a smile. All the other designers and appraisers nearby were shocked when they heard that. It''s been more than ten years since Mr. Dn has taken in an intern! There have even been rumors iming he''s done with mentoring! Is he seriously offering to mentor someone right now? Natalie was surprised and even slightly tempted by his offer, but she politely rejected it in the end. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Dn, but I already have a mentor.¡± That surprised everyone else around them once again, except for Shane. Is she serious? She has actually rejected Mr. Dn''s offer to be her mentor? ¡°Oh? Who is it?¡± Mr. Dn was somewhat surprised as well, but he maintained the smile on his face anyway. ¡°You know her too. It''s Mercede Mackenzie,¡± Shane spoke up before Natalie could say anything. Everyone around them gasped in shock and disbelief. It''s no wonder she has rejected Mr. Dn''s offer so readily! She''s got herself a mentor who''s on par with him! So this is the world of geniuses, huh... ¡°That old hack?¡± The smile on Mr. Dn''s face was instantly reced with a look of disgust when he found out Mercede was Natalie''s mentor, and he walked away right after that. Confused by his sudden change in attitude, Natalie asked, ¡°What happened? Why did Mr. Dn get so mad all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Mr. Dn and your mentorpeted for many awards in their younger days and had a mutual hatred for each other since young,¡± Shane whispered into her ear. ¡°Really?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened with shock. Chapter 439 Chapter 439 So it wasn''t Mr. Dn who sent me the invitation, but Shane instead! And here I thought it was because I made a name for myself here in J City and was noticed by Mr. Dn... Noticing the somewhat disappointed look on her face, Shane gave her hand a light squeeze and said, ¡°Hey, don''t look so disheartened now. Mr. Dn wouldn''t have sent you an invitation unless your work impressed him. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have agreed to give me the invitation even if I asked.¡± ¡°That''s right. I didn''t agree to send him the invitation until he showed me your blueprints. Ms. Smith, the style of your design is very simr to mine and I must say you are very creative. While it may be a little green at the moment, I''m sure you''ll reach my level over time with your amazing talent!¡± Mr. Dn said with a look of admiration in his eyes. Having been praised by her idol, the disappointment in Natalie was immediately reced with joy and excitement. ¡°You give me too much credit, Mr. Dn! I still have a long way ahead of me!¡± she said shyly and waved her hands in embarrassment. Shane raised an eyebrow in amusement upon seeing her looking shy and flustered. She has never been one to shy away frompliments, and yet she''s getting all flustered when it comes from Mr. Dn... Haha, she looks kind of cute! ¡°It''s true that you still have a lot to learn. Your style isn''t fully mature just yet, and I noticed a hint of disorder in your design. However, it isn''t as badpared to the ones from other designers of your level. Do you have a mentor, Ms. Smith? If not, how would you feel about having me as your mentor?¡± Mr. Dn asked with a smile. All the other designers and appraisers nearby were shocked when they heard that. It''s been more than ten years since Mr. Dn has taken in an intern! There have even been rumors iming he''s done with mentoring! Is he seriously offering to mentor someone right now? Natalie was surprised and even slightly tempted by his offer, but she politely rejected it in the end. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Dn, but I already have a mentor.¡± That surprised everyone else around them once again, except for Shane. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Is she serious? She has actually rejected Mr. Dn''s offer to be her mentor? ¡°Oh? Who is it?¡± Mr. Dn was somewhat surprised as well, but he maintained the smile on his face anyway. ¡°You know her too. It''s Mercede Mackenzie,¡± Shane spoke up before Natalie could say anything. Everyone around them gasped in shock and disbelief. It''s no wonder she has rejected Mr. Dn''s offer so readily! She''s got herself a mentor who''s on par with him! So this is the world of geniuses, huh... ¡°That old hack?¡± The smile on Mr. Dn''s face was instantly reced with a look of disgust when he found out Mercede was Natalie''s mentor, and he walked away right after that. Confused by his sudden change in attitude, Natalie asked, ¡°What happened? Why did Mr. Dn get so mad all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Mr. Dn and your mentorpeted for many awards in their younger days and had a mutual hatred for each other since young,¡± Shane whispered into her ear. ¡°Really?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened with shock. Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Shane nodded. ¡°Yes, I am serious.¡± What a turn of events... Despite being her intern, I didn''t know anything about this rivalry between them! So that''s why Ms. Mackenzie is in contact with all the other top designers except Mr. Dn... It all makes sense now! Natalie thought to herself as she watched Mr. Dn walk away. ¡°Is Mr. Dn angry? What if he won''t see me anymore now that he knows who my mentor is?¡± she asked worriedly. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Dn isn''t the type who would let his personal emotions get in the way of things,¡± Shane replied while adjusting his shirt sleeve that she had creased earlier. ¡°I see...¡± Natalie nodded in response, but she was still a little worried. Shane was about to say something when a service staff approached them. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane asked coldly. ¡°Ms. Graham is asking to see you. She''s in the lounge.¡± the service staff replied politely. ¡°Ms. Graham? As in Jacqueline Graham?¡± Natalie asked. Shane frowned. ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡± The service staff nodded politely and walked away. ¡°I''ll be right back,¡± Shane said as he ced his hand back into his pocket. ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie replied with a forced smile on her face. She watched Shane disappear into the crowd before making her way towards the bathroom. She touched up her makeup at the sink when she overheard a conversation taking ce just outside the bathroom door. ¡°La, are you sure you saw the newbie enter Mr. Shane''s lounge?¡± ¡°Yeah, I''m serious! Now that you mentioned it, she looks kind of familiar! I feel like I''ve seen her somewhere before... Ah, I remember now! It''s Jasmine who was sued for giarism a while back!¡± Natalie trembled when she heard that and broke her lipstick in the process, but she didn''t care and simply discarded it in the trash can beside her. She then wiped the lipstick off her face with a wet towel before approaching the two service staff. ¡°Jasmine Smith is here?¡± The staff recognized Natalie and nodded in unison as they knew about her grudge with Jasmine. ¡°Yeah, she applied for the position of service staffst night. We saw her enter Mr. Shane''s lounge earlier. She even had ry tell him to go to the lounge.¡± ¡°This ry person, does she have a mole here?¡± Natalie asked while pointing at the corner of her mouth. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The service staff nodded in unison once again. ¡°Yes, she does!¡± The look on Natalie''s face turned cold instantly. ¡°So it was Jasmine who wanted to see Mr. Shane, not Ms. Graham!¡± Shane wouldn''t have agreed to go if he heard it was Jasmine, so it makes sense that she used Jacqueline''s name instead! Natalie narrowed her eyes at the thought of that. ¡°Do you know why she went into his lounge?¡± The two service staff exchanged nces and shook their heads. ¡°I saw her holding something in her hand when she entered, though. She had a manic look on her face too!¡± one of them added. Natalie felt a chill down her spine as she thought of Stanley. Stanley tried to stab Shane with a scalpel just two days ago! Could it be that Jasmine is thinking of doing the same thing too? Given the fact that Shane had called off their engagement, it''s quite possible that she''d do so out of revenge! Natalie didn''t dare think any further and made a run for Shane''s lounge after confirming its location with the service staff. She was puffing and panting as she arrived outside his lounge a few minutester. As she was about to open the door, she heard the sound of something shattering inside, followed by a high-pitched scream. That''s Jasmine''s voice! Chapter 441 Chapter 441 What''s going on in there? Why is Jasmine screaming? Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Natalie decided to enter the room, only to realize that the door had been locked from the inside. Having no other choice, Natalie could only knock on the door as she shouted, ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Shane?¡± There was no response, and all Natalie heard was Jasmine screaming in pain, which made her a lot more anxious about what was going on inside. She pulled out her phone and was going to have the hotel staff open the door when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Her eyes lit up with hope and relief when she saw that it was Ss. ¡°Over here, Mr. Campbell!¡± Ss and the security guards behind him quickened their pace when they saw her. ¡°Ms. Smith? Is Mr. Shane inside?¡± Ss asked. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, he''s inside, but the door is locked. I can''t get in, and I don''t know what''s going on in there.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Ss motioned at the security guards behind him who then kicked the door open. Natalie was the first to rush inside. She saw Jasmine bleeding from her head with her clothes all messed up as shey on the floor. Shane was sitting on the sofa next to her and had his clothes in a mess as well. It was obvious to everyone what had taken ce inside. Jasmine must''ve been trying to seduce Shane, but she failed and ended up being struck down to the ground. I can''t believe she would be crazy enough to break out of a mental hospital just to do this! Natalie thought to herself as she red at Jasmine who was still trembling from the pain before shifting her gaze towards Shane. ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Shane?¡± Ss turned towards him as well. ¡°Yeah, is everything all right, Mr. Shane?¡± I noticed something was off when I heard Mr. Shane''s voice earlier... He sounded like he was struggling or something... Shane looked up at them, shocking everyone in the room with his bloodshot eyes. Natalie was especially frightened as she recalled the scene she saw in the security footages two months ago. This is exactly how he looked like when he entered the room five years ago... ¡°Did she drug you, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie asked, her face as pale as sheet. Ss looked worried as well. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°That''s enough!¡± Shane was panting heavily while ring at Jasmine on the ground. He then motioned at Ss as he continued, ¡°Since she wants to sleep with men that badly, you will arrange for a few to keep herpany tonight! I want her to pay dearly for her actions today!¡± Sean had drugged him five years ago in hopes of pping a scandal on him and seize control over Thompson Group. In retaliation, Shane cut off all of Sean''s resources and drove him out of the country for five years! There''s no way he''d forgive Jasmine for attempting to do the same! Natalie shuddered when she heard what Shane said. Although she found his act of revenge to be a little overboard, she wasn''t about to beg him to spare Jasmine as she had brought this upon herself. If she was bold enough to drug Shane, she should be prepared for the potential consequences of her actions as well. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane!¡± Ss replied. He then shot Jasmine a fierce re as he motioned at the security guards to take her away. ¡°No, stay back! Get away from me!¡± Jasmine went wide-eyed with fear and shouted at the top of her lungs when she saw the guards approaching her. She even tried swinging her arms wildly at them in a desperate attempt to fend them off, but they were able to subdue her with ease. ¡°I''m sorry, Shane! Please forgive me! I promise I won''t do it again! Please don''t do this to me...¡± Jasmine broke down in tears as she begged Shane to spare her after being caught. Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Shane ignored her and simply tightened his grip on the armrest of the sofa. Naturally, Natalie and Ss kept quiet as well. Just like that, Jasmine was dragged away by the guards, and the room fell silent once again. ¡°Ms. Smith, please look after Mr. Shane while I take care of the arrangements for Jasmine,¡± Ss said. ¡°Me? But... How? Mr. Shane has been...¡± ¡°I''ve already called for a doctor, so all you have to do is keep everyone away from him until the doctor arrives.¡± Natalie let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Got it...¡± ¡°All right, thanks!¡± Ss left the room after thanking her. Natalie felt her heart ache seeing Shane suffer and tried tofort him, ¡°Hang in there, Mr. Shane! The doctor will be here soon!¡± ¡°Get out...¡± Shane muttered under his breath as his body shuddered uncontrobly. Natalie was confused as she didn''t hear him. ¡°Huh? What did you say, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Go...¡± Shane repeated himself, his voice a lot hoarser than before. Still unable to hear him, Natalie took a step forward to hear him better. Shane''s pupils constricted the moment he detected her scent, and he lost whatever remaining control he had over himself. Natalie felt a shiver down her spine when she saw him ring at her with his bloodshot eyes. When she was about to say something, he grabbed her by the wrist and pinned her onto the sofa by getting on top of her. After taking a few seconds to regain herposure, Natalie began struggling with all of her might to push him off. ¡°Calm down, Mr. Shane! It''s me, Natalie! Get off me, please!¡± She screamed while pushing at him, but he had lost all sense of control and couldn''t hear her at all. He stared at her rosy lips and narrowed his eyes before kissing her aggressively. ¡°Mmph...¡± Natalie was so shocked by the sudden kiss that she had stopped struggling altogether. It wasn''t until he began running his hands over her body that she snapped out of it and began struggling again. Her face was burning bright red as she went all out in her struggle, but that only agitated him further and made him a lot more aggressive. In a desperate attempt to escape, Natalie bit down hard on his shoulder. Shane let out a deep grunt from the pain and seemed to have regained some control over himself. Shock filled his eyes as he realized what he had done, but that moment was short-lived as he closed his eyes and continued his ¡°assault¡±. Even the doctor didn''t dare knock on the door when he heard the noisesing from inside and simply waited somewhere nearby. Shane eventually got off her, and Natalie red at him with teary eyes before fainting before him.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Shane was a little stunned when he saw that. He grabbed her clothes from the floor and covered her body up before carrying her out of the lounge. The doctor who was sitting on the floor outside sprung to his feet when he saw them. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Chapter 443 Chapter 443 ¡°Keep up!¡± Shane shouted at the doctor while he continued making his way to the elevator. It was past midnight by the time they arrived at his apartment. Mrs. Wilson was watching TV at the time and opened the door for them when she heard themotion outside. ¡°What happened, sir?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked in surprise when she saw the messy state of their clothes. ¡°I''ll tell you about itter. Right now, I need you toe to the bathroom with me,¡± Shane said as he made his way towards the bathroom with Natalie in his arms. Mrs. Wilson motioned for the doctor to take a seat before following Shane into the bathroom. Shane then proceeded to fill the bathtub stripped Natalie naked before cing her in it. Mrs. Wilson understood what had happened when she noticed the hickeys all over her body. ¡°Sir, did you and Ms. Smith...¡± Shane knew what she was going to say and mumbled a response to admit what he did. ¡°Congrattions, sir!¡± Mrs. Wilson eximed with a huge smile on her face. I knew Mr. Shane was into Ms. Smith! There''s no way he''d head over to her apartment and send her kids to school every day if he wasn''t! I used to think that Ms. Smith wasn''t really worthy of being with Mr. Shane, but I guess it''s okay if he likes her and her two adorable children so much. His happiness is all that matters, after all! Shane raised an eyebrow at Mrs. Wilson after hearing what she said. ¡°You help bathe her. I''ll go talk to the doctor.¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. He was still feeling lightheaded due to the effects of the drug. ¡°All right, go on, Sir. I''ll take it from here.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded and grabbed a towel before sitting down by the bathtub. Shane took one more look at Natalie and rubbed his forehead as he went to see the doctor in the living room. The doctor examined his pulse and his pupils before announcing, ¡°While the effects of the drug have mostly worn off, an injection is required to fully get rid of it in your system.¡± ¡°Go ahead, then.¡± Shane said groggily. Having received his permission, the doctor retrieved a syringe from the first-aid kit. Shane had just rolled up his sleeve when his phone started ringing. He answered the call with his other arm when he saw that it was from Ss, ¡°Has everything been taken care of?¡± ¡°Yes, and Jasmine has also confessed that she was acting under Harrison''s instructions when she escaped the mental hospital. She was supposed to drug you and have sex with you so you would have to take responsibility over her.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Take responsibility? In her dreams!¡± Ss nodded with a look of disdain on his face. ¡°The two of them hade up with the n together. The idea was to get Jasmine pregnant with your child so that she''ll be spared the prison sentence. Harrison would then force you into marrying her, killing two birds with one stone.¡± ¡°Heh... What a brilliant n they''ve got there, eh?¡± Shane''s voice was ice-cold as he let out a chuckle. Sean has set me up once five years ago, and now it''s Harrison and Jasmine... Using Jacqueline''s name was a smart move on their part, though. She even waited until I had drank that ss of water before appearing before me. ¡°Those guys roughed Jasmine up pretty badly, so she''s been sent to the hospital for treatment. I''ve already informed Harrison about this. He''s on his way to the hospital as we speak.¡± ¡°Put her back into the mental hospital after that. Since she''s pretending to be crazy to avoid prison, we''ll give her a hand and make it a reality!¡± Shane said coldly. Chapter 444 Chapter 444 The doctor couldn''t help but shudder when he heard that. ¡°As for Harrison...¡± Shane shifted his gaze towards the bathroom and continued after a brief pause, ¡°I want Smith Group to go bankrupt within a day!¡± I think I know why Harrison is doing all this... He''s a greedily ambitious man and has always dreamed of making the Smith family one of the most powerful families in J City. However, he''s powerless to do so on his own and has asked for my help countless times over the past five years. As I have never agreed to help out, he got desperate when hispany started going bankrupt. That''s why he came up with this crazy idea of forcing me into marrying Jasmine! He was hoping to save hispany and help his family rise into power through me! ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane!¡± Ss hesitated for a bit before continuing, ¡°But... what about Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°I don''t think she''ll mind,¡± Shane said coldly. She told me she no longer cares about Harrison, so it should be fine... Ss nodded. ¡°Understood, I''ll see to it right away.¡± Shane then rolled his sleeve back down after hanging up the phone. He was seeing the doctor off at the door when Mrs. Wilson called out to him from the bathroom, ¡°I''ve finished bathing Ms. Smith, sir!¡± He made his way to the bathroom and helped put a bathrobe on Natalie before carrying her into his bed. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. After that, he took a shower himself and blow-dried his hair before getting into bed with her. Natalie froze in surprise when she woke up in an unfamiliar room the next day. ¡°Where am I?¡± she asked as she tried to get up, only to fall back down when she felt an extreme pain surge across her body. That was when she recalled what happened yesterday and realized she was in Shane''s house. The bedroom door was opened, and she saw Shane standing there in casual attire. ¡°You''re finally awake?¡± ¡°D-Did we...¡± Natalie''s voice was extremely hoarse as she tried to speak. Realizing what she was trying to say, Shane grinned as he sat down beside her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natalie leaned back and stared at him cautiously. Shane pursed his lips as he said, ¡°I''m going to carry you out of bed.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°N-No, I can do it myself...¡± ¡°All right, then. Go ahead.¡± With that, Natalie pulled the covers off and attempted to get out of bed a second time. However, the extreme pain prevented her from even moving her legs. Shane let out a chuckle as he picked her up and carried her out of the room. The two kids were having breakfast in the living room while Mrs. Wilson helped wipe their faces. They waved at Natalie in unison when they saw Shane carrying her. ¡°You sure are a sleepyhead, Mommy! We''re almost finished with breakfast here!¡± Connor said. ¡°I know, right? And she even needs Dad to carry her like a baby!¡± Sharon added. Natalie burned bright red when she heard that. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Shane set her down on the chair in front of the kids before sitting down beside her. ¡°Now, now, hurry up and finish your food. Mrs. Wilson will take you to school afterward.¡± Sharon nodded. ¡°And you''ll stay home with Mommy, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s right,¡± Shane replied with a smile. Natalie shot him a weird look in response. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± he asked when he noticed the look on her face. Natalie quickly turned the other way and said, ¡°N-Nothing... I was just wondering what they were doing here, that''s all...¡± ¡°I brought them over for breakfast,¡± Shane exined while handing her a ss of warm milk. Natalie kept quiet and seemed to be in deep thought after taking the ss from him. At that moment, Mrs. Wilson came out from the kitchen with her breakfast. ¡°You must be hungry, Ms. Smith. Here, have some.¡± Natalie forced a smile at her. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Wilson.¡± The two kids were soon finished with breakfast and grabbed their backpacks as they waved goodbye. ¡°Bye, Mommy! Bye, Dad! We''re off to school now!¡± ¡°All right, stay safe!¡± Shane called out to them before Natalie could even respond. The kids nodded and marched out the house with Mrs. Wilson, leaving Natalie and Shane alone in the living room. ¡°Mr. Shane... I would like to have a talk with you about what happenedst night...¡± Natalie said while putting down her cutlery. ¡°Perfect, so do I.¡± Shane replied as he wiped his mouth elegantly with a napkin. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie took a deep breath. ¡°I think we should forget about what happenedst night...¡± ¡°Let''s get married!¡± Shane cut her off with a serious look on his face. Natalie went wide-eyed with shock and disbelief. ¡°S-Sorry, what did you just say?¡± ¡°Let''s get married!¡± Shane repeated himself. Natalie waved her hands frantically as she stammered, ¡°G-G-Get m-married?¡± Shane nodded at her in response. Natalie swallowed nervously. ¡°Are you being serious, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°I''m always serious,¡± Shane replied. Natalie stood up and took a few steps back from the dining table. ¡°S-Sorry... This is a bit too much for me to take in... I need some time to calm down...¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Sure, take your time.¡± He then went back to eating his breakfast calmly while she stood there and stared at him nervously. ¡°Why would you suddenly want to marry me, Mr. Shane? Are you trying to take responsibility for what you did to me?¡± she asked after calming down a little. Shane took a sip of his coffee. ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡± Taking responsibility is just part of the reason. I had long since nned on marrying her... Natalie pursed her lips and said calmly, ¡°I''m sorry, I can''t do it.¡± Shane frowned. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because...¡± Natalie continued after giving it some thought, ¡°The kids won''t agree to it.¡± Shane broke into a smile upon hearing that. ¡°In that case, you don''t have to worry about a thing because they''ve actually wanted us to get married right from the start. I can tell from the way they call me ''Dad''. Besides, did you really think they don''t know about us sleeping togetherst night? They just chose to keep quiet about it.¡± Natalie froze. Wait a minute... He''s right! They didn''t seem surprised at all when they saw him carry me out of the room earlier! Shane wiped his hands clean and tossed the napkin onto his te. ¡°So, will you agree to marry me now?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°They may want you as their dad, but I still won''t marry you because I don''t n on marrying someone I don''t love. You don''t have to marry me to take responsibility either, as that''d be unfair to Ms. Graham.¡± Chapter 446 Chapter 446 ¡°What does this have to do with Jacqueline?¡± Shane asked with a frown. ¡°You two are in love, aren''t you? What would Ms. Graham do if you were to marry me instead? Besides, I don''t want to be a homewrecker!¡± In fact, what he didst night already counts as cheating on her... Shane raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Who says we''re in love with each other?¡± Natalie stared at him. ¡°Is that not the case?¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°No, it isn''t. I have never loved Jacqueline at all. You''re the person who I love!¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in disbelief as she stammered, ¡°W-What... What did you say? D-Did you just s- say you l-l-love me?¡± Shane nodded and grabbed her by the hand. ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡± ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Natalie brushed his hand off and chuckled. ¡°Stop messing with me, Mr. Shane! I remember you saying you don''t like me at all when we were on the cruise ship, and now you expect me to believe that you love me?¡± ¡°No, I never said that. I simply remained silent at the time,¡± Shane corrected her. Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°Isn''t that the same as admitting to it?¡± ¡°No, I just didn''t want to deny it at the time.¡± Shane shook his head as he continued, ¡°I refused to admit to it at the time because Alice was spying on you, and I was worried that she would go after you if I said yes.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I would never lie to you,¡± Shane said with a serious look on his face. Natalie lowered her gaze as she thought about what Joyce said a few days ago. Joyce told me that Shane listens to everything I say because he likes me. I didn''t really believe her then, and yet... Here I am, hearing him confess his love to me... ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. It took Natalie quite a while to collect her thoughts and regain herposure. ¡°What about Ms. Graham, then? How are you rted to her?¡± she asked after finally finding her voice. ¡°My mother took her in as a goddaughter when she was still alive,¡± Shane replied. ¡°Goddaughter?¡± Natalie stared at him in surprise. ¡°So... you two are siblings, then?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°That''s right. Who told you that I love her?¡± ¡°No one. I just assumed you two were in love with each other because everyone seems to be implying it when they talk about you two...¡± Natalie said after a brief pause. ¡°Well, that''s not the case here.¡± Natalie let out a sigh of relief and was somewhat delighted by what she heard. She had always thought of them as a couple and felt really guilty about what happenedst night, so finding out that they weren''t dating came as a huge relief. Shane grinned when he saw the smile on her face. ¡°Now, do you see that you''re the only person I love?¡± Natalie was about to make her way back to the dining table when the pain shot through her body and caused her legs to give out. Shane quickly caught her and carried her onto the sofa. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shane... I still can''t bring myself to marry you just yet... I wasn''t prepared for this sudden confession and proposal, so...¡± Natalie couldn''t bring herself to finish her sentence for fear of angering him with her repeated rejections, especially since she no longer had reason for concern. To her surprise, Shane was not mad at her in the slightest. Instead, he simply ran his hand gently through her hair as he said, ¡°I understand that my proposal was a little too sudden, which can be quite overwhelming. Don''t worry, I won''t force you into making a decision. I''ll wait till you''re able to ept me.¡± Chapter 447 Chapter 447 He had always known that she wouldn''t say yes to his proposal, so he didn''t mind waiting for her to get used to him. Natalie shed him a heartwarming smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°You don''t have to thank me. You look like you''re still in pain, so you should get a bit more sleep. I''ve had Joyce call in sick for you, so don''t you worry about a thing,¡± Shane said while pointing at her handbag on the coffee table. Natalie froze. ¡°Wait... Does that mean... Joyce knows about us?¡± ¡°I didn''t tell her anything, but I think she guessed it,¡± Shane said casually. He had called Joyce using Natalie''s phone the first thing in the morning, so it was only natural that she would jump to conclusions. Natalie buried her face in her hands. I''m done for... Joyce is a bbermouth, so I''m pretty sure Mom''s going to find out about me spending the night with Shane soon... Shane carried Natalie back to his room, and she fell asleep shortly after getting into bed. The doorbell rang as Shane made his way back to the living room after tucking her in, and he saw Ss standing at the door upon opening it. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Come on in.¡± Ss entered the house and followed him to his study before saying, ¡°The Smith family is done for, Mr. Shane. Harrison is currently in the process of property liquidation as we speak and will dere bankruptcy after that.¡± ¡°With him dering bankruptcy doesn''t mean he''s actually poor. Harrison owns a ton of properties and antiques that are worth quite a fortune,¡± Shane said with a sneer. Ss adjusted his sses. ¡°Even so, that money won''tst him very long if he doesn''t have any ie.¡± Shane clenched his fists as he ordered, ¡°Which is why he will definitely try to rebuild Smith Group. I want you to keep a close eye on him and shut him down the minute he tries anything.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Ss replied, despite feeling a little sorry for Harrison. That cunning old man put everything on the line by sending Jasmine to seduce Mr. Shane, all for the sake of gaining the Thompson family''s support to ensure the smooth sailing of the Smith family business... However, his n backfired, and he lost everything as a result... Jeez, did he really think he was able to outsmart Mr. Shane? Even if Jasmine did somehow get back together with Mr. Shane, he still wouldn''t lend the Smith family a helping hand! After all, he would''ve done so five years ago if he wanted to! ¡°How are things with Jasmine?¡± Shane asked while leaning back with his fingers crossed. ¡°She has regained consciousness and is currently still hospitalized due to the severity of her injuries,¡± Ss replied. Shane arched an eyebrow at him and motioned for him to go on. ¡°She can no longer have children, and will most likely suffer a disability in one of her legs,¡± Ss continued. In other words, she would be a cripple. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Shane''s expression was as cold as ice upon hearing that. ¡°Get her transferred back to the mental hospital once she''s discharged, and tell the medical staff there to ''take good care of her''!¡± He ced extra emphasis on thest five words of his sentence. Ss knew what he meant and nodded solemnly. ¡°Understood... Also, I''ve managed to track down the source of the drug that Jasmine gave you. She got it from some punk who used to live next door to her. He has dozens of men at his beck and call, so she was never able topletely break it off with him. The two of them are still...¡± Shane saw the look on Ss'' face and understood what he was implying. ¡°They''re having an affair, aren''t they?¡± Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Ss was surprised. ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°Natalie told me about it.¡± ¡°Oh, I see... They''ve been having an affair long before Jasmine was engaged to you, and that man has helped hermit countless misdeeds over the years,¡± Ss said. Shane waved at him. ¡°In that case, I want you to investigate it and hand over whatever evidence you get to the police. We have no reason to keep such a lowlife around.¡± Ss nodded and left after finishing his report. Shane continued working in his study and got up for a cup of coffee in the afternoon. As he passed by the bedroom while making his way back to the study, he heard Natalie talking on the phone, ¡°What? You want me to tell Mr. Shane to stop?¡± Shane stopped in his tracks upon hearing her mention him and stood outside the door as he eavesdropped on her conversation. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie was leaning weakly against the headboard with a frown on her face as she held the phone against her ear. ¡°You listen up, Mr. Smith. I am not going to ask Mr. Shane to spare you, okay? Why should I?¡± Harrison got increasingly anxious as he nced at the finance report. ¡°Nat... I know I''ve wronged you, and you have every reason to hate me, but you''ve got to help me out this time! You wouldn''t want to watch the Smith family go bankrupt, would you?¡± ¡°Why wouldn''t I? I have told you this before; I want that to happen more than anything, so you''re barking up the wrong treeing to me for help. Besides, what makes you think Mr. Shane will just listen to me and spare you like that? Jasmine got herself into this mess and pissed off Mr. Shane as a result, so you have only her to me for what''s happened to the Smith family!¡± ¡°You...¡± Harrison was trembling with anger. Shane smiled when he heard what Natalie said. Great, she''s on my side! Natalie took a deep breath to calm herself down as she said coldly, ¡°Anyway, I''m going to hang up now, Mr. Smith!¡± ¡°Wait! I''m sure we can work out a deal or something, right?¡± ¡°Forget it, there''s no way I''m going to help you out with this! If you dare threaten me again with those tricks of yours like you did before, I swear I will make you regret it and pay dearly! And this time, I won''t just humiliate you like I didst time!¡± She hung up on him after saying that and rubbed her forehead to ease the pain. The bedroom door was opened, and Shane came in with a cup of coffee in hand. Thinking he had brought her coffee, Natalie took it from him and said, ¡°Thanks, Mr. Shane. I could really use a pick-me-up right now.¡± She then took a sip of the coffee which had no sugar nor milk in it, and cringed a little when the bitter taste spread across her tongue. However, the sudden strong stimulus did help take her mind off her annoyance from being woken up by Harrison earlier, and she lowered her head to take another sip of it. Shane chuckled as he watched her do that and leaned against the bed as he said, ¡°Was that call from Harrison earlier?¡± ¡°Yeah, he called about what you did to crush Smith Groupst night. Thepany is currently liquidating its properties and will dere bankruptcy soon. Naturally, he doesn''t want that to happen, so he wanted me to beg you to spare him. It was kind of funny, really.¡± ¡°What''s funny about that?¡± Natalie set the cup of coffee on the nightstand as she continued, ¡°The fact that he thinks you''d say yes if I asked you.¡± Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Shane looked at her. ¡°He''s not wrong.¡± Natalie froze and said after a brief pause, ¡°What... Are you saying that you''d actually agree to it?¡± ¡°That''s right. I''d do it as long as you''re the one asking because I love you, and those who know that are well aware that you''re my weakness,¡± Shane said while cing her hand over his heart. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Natalie mumbled when she felt his heartbeat. Shane let out a chuckle in response. ¡°Still, I am d that you didn''t agree to Harrison''s request.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Of course, I wouldn''t! I hate him so much!¡± Natalie said while pulling her hand back. ¡°Well, he won''t be bothering you anymore.¡± ¡°What are you nning on doing to him, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie stared wide-eyed at him. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Nothing. I was just going to have Ss warn him to behave himself, that''s all.¡± ¡°I see, that''s good to hear...¡± Natalie breathed a sigh of relief and made a throat-slitting motion as she continued, ¡°And here I thought you were going to take his life!¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Shane asked with a smile. Natalie looked the other way. ¡°Like hell I am!¡± Shane tousled her hair. ¡°Nothing wrong with admitting to it, you know?¡± ¡°What would I be admitting to if I wasn''t even worried about you? Anyway, I''m going home!¡± Natalie tossed the covers aside and stormed out of the room while bearing with the pain as she walked. Shane simply smiled to himself as he noticed the redness on her ears from behind. She''s probably still struggling to deal with reciprocating my love right now, so I suppose I should give her some alone time to calm herself down... He then remembered the coffee that had gone cold from sitting on the nightstand and took a sip from where Natalie had drank from earlier. ¡°Phew...¡± Natalie took a deep breath as she leaned against the door of her own apartment, but it didn''t help calm her down at all. Her heart was still pounding rapidly against her chest from the proposal Shane made earlier that day. Although I rejected him, he clearly hasn''t given up and ns on continuing to court me! Should I agree to date him? Natalie slumped to the floor and sat there hugging her knees for quite some time. The sound of her doorbell ringing snapped her out of it, and she saw Joyce standing outside when she opened the door. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I couldn''t reach you through your phone, so I had no choice but toe over,¡± Joyce said as she entered with a folder in hand. Natalie pulled out her phone as she closed the door and saw that it had been switched off. ¡°I think the battery died. I haven''t charged it at allst night,¡± she said while putting it back into her pocket. Joyce shed her a mischievous grin. ¡°Of course, you wouldn''t have time to charge it! You were too busy doing it with Mr. Shanest night!¡± Natalie burned bright red upon hearing that, much to Joyce''s amusement. She giggled and gave her a gentle nudge with her shoulder as she continued, ¡°So, how are things with Mr. Shane? Is he great in bed? Was it amazing?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes and gave her a smack on the back. ¡°Hey, cut that out! Anyway, what is it that you want to see me about?¡± She''s trying to change the topic... Joyce was a little disappointed that she refused to talk about her experiencest night, but decided to hand her the folder without any further questions anyway. ¡°What is this?¡± Natalie asked as she took it from her. Joyce poured herself a ss of water in the living room. ¡°An invitation to design the costumes for a variety show.¡± ¡°A variety show?¡± Natalie blinked at her in confusion. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Joyce nodded. ¡°That''s right. It''s produced by Starlight Entertainment. Thepany produced two very sessful idol groups recently and hasunched a variety show just for them. They want us to design the most fashionable outfits for their members.¡± ¡°Why us and not some other apparelpany?¡± Natalie asked in confusion. It''s not umon for the entertainment industry to coborate with the fashion industry. Well-known superstars would be able to get free haute couture outfits, while rising ones would instead endorse less popr luxury brands. However, I''m surprised that they''d choose to coborate with a small-time studio like ours... ¡°I too, found it strange too when they first approached me about this. After some rification, I realized it was you that they were after,¡± Joyce said as she sat down in front of her. ¡°Me?¡± Natalie pointed at herself. ¡°Yeah, you''ve made quite a name for yourself with Project Rebirth and your performance in the previous designpetition, and everyone thinks you''re quite capable of creating your own luxury brand someday. That''s why Starlight Entertainment decided to gain our favor by coborating with us.¡± Joyce took a sip of her water before she continued, ¡°That way, it would be easier for them to borrow haute couture outfits from us in the future.¡± ¡°Oh, so that''s why!¡± Natalie shook her head and burst intoughter. Joyce set her ss down on the table. ¡°What do you think, Natalie? Shall we ept their invitation?¡± ¡°Why not? It''d be a great opportunity for us to boost Studio Nouveau''s poprity and speed up the process of transforming it into a properpany! Once that''s done, we can start producing luxury items.¡± Joyce nodded in agreement. ¡°You''re right... I''ll inform them of our decision, then.¡± She then whipped out her phone and made a call at the balcony while Natalie went back to reading the documents. Someone else dropped by when she was almost done with it, but this person came straight in without even ringing the doorbell. Natalie stood up and stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Shane? How did you get in?¡± Shane was holding a tiny stic bag in one hand while waving a white card in the other. ¡°Connor gave me the key card.¡± Is it just me or did he sound kind of gleeful when he said that? Natalie frowned at the thought of that and asked, ¡°Why would he give you the key card? Also, when did he give it to you?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°He gave it to me this morning.¡± Shane put the card into his pocket and made his way towards her as he continued, ¡°I told you, the kids want me to be their dad, so they gave me this after finding out that we spent the night together.¡± He looked a little surprised when he noticed Joyce standing at the balcony, but was quick to regain his composure as he handed Natalie the stic bag. ¡°What is this?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Medicine,¡± Shane replied. Natalie froze and tightened her grip on the stic bag. Medicine? As in, emergency contraceptive pills? I know it''s not wrong for him to give me this, but... Is he seriously that afraid of me getting pregnant with his child? Natalie took a deep breath and opened the stic bag with a wry smile on her face, only to be surprised by the contents inside. ¡°These aren''t emergency contraceptive pills?¡± Shane frowned. ¡°Why would I give you that?¡± ¡°Aren''t you afraid of me getting pregnant with your child?¡± Shane pursed his lips in displeasure. ¡°I''m not some irresponsible jerk, okay? We''ll keep the baby if you do get pregnant. Besides, did you really think I''d be worried about that after proposing to you?¡± Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Natalie felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in her heart when she heard that. She then retrieved the medicine from the stic bag and realized they were ointments to help with the injuries in... He sure is an attentive one, bringing this over because he knew I was a little banged up down there... ¡°I... I''ll go to my room now...¡± Natalie looked away, her face burning bright red as she said that. Shane knew what she was going to do and cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°Go on, then.¡± With that, Natalie ran into her room while Shane sat down in her chair and nced through the documents on the coffee table. Joyce had just gotten off the phone and turned around excitedly to tell Natalie the good news. Her jaw dropped in surprise when she saw Shane sitting there instead. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Joyce called out to him as she made her way into the living room. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Shane looked up and shot her a nce in response. She then sat down in front of him and simply stared at him without saying anything, much to Shane''s annoyance. ¡°Yes? Can I help you?¡± he asked with a frown. ¡°Oh, nothing! Where''s Nat?¡± ¡°In her room.¡± ¡°Can I ask you a question, Mr. Shane?¡± Shane nodded and motioned at her to go ahead. Joyce took a deep breath. ¡°You two have already done that, haven''t you? Don''t you think there should be a change in the status of your rtionship?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes in confusion. ¡°You had sex with her, so you are going to take responsibility for it, right? I''ll have you know that I won''t let you treat her like a casual fling!¡± It took Shane a while to understand what she was implying. ¡°I am taking responsibility. In fact, I''ve already proposed to her,¡± he said calmly while crossing his legs. Joyce nearly choked on her water when she heard that. ¡°Y-You proposed to her?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± Joyce stood up and raised her voice. ¡°Did she say yes?¡± ¡°No, but I won''t give up.¡± Joyce calmed down a little when she heard his reply. ¡°I knew Nat wouldn''t just agree to it! I mean, who''s going to look after her kids, right?¡± ¡°They will be a part of the Thompson family as well.¡± Joyce stared at him in surprise. ¡°You mean, you don''t mind the fact that she has kids?¡± A man may like a woman, but that doesn''t mean he''ll like her kids. That''s why most men find it hard to ept single mothers! Shane shook his head. ¡°No, I like them very much.¡± Joyce could tell that he meant what he said and felt d that Natalie had found herself a great guy. ¡°In that case, you have my full support in marrying Nat!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Shane said with a smile. Joyce was about to give him some tips and tricks to win Natalie over when she came out from her bedroom. She nced at Shane before shifting her gaze towards Joyce. ¡°Are you done with the call?¡± Joyce let out a sigh as she had no choice but to save that topic for another time. ¡°Yeah, the guys from the production team will being over to our studio to discuss the details of our coboration.¡± Natalie nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce stared at the two of them and stood up as she said, ¡°Right, I''ll get going now! Don''t want to be in the way of you two lovebirds!¡± Chapter 452 Chapter 452 ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Natalie blushed instantly and shot Joyce a fierce re. ¡°I''m just trying to help you out here, Nat!¡± Joyce leaned in closer to Natalie''s ear and whispered, ¡°I have asked Mr. Shane about it earlier. He said he''s willing to marry you, no matter how many times you reject him. More importantly, he likes your kids too! He''s a great man, Nat! You should think about it! The kids will need a father figure, you know?¡± Joyce then left the house while Natalie shook her head and smiled helplessly. She does make a good point, though... The kids will need a father figure in life... Natalie then turned around to face Shane as she asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, are you serious about being with me?¡± ¡°I have no reason to lie about these sort of things,¡± Shane said with a serious look in his eyes. Natalie held her hands in front of her chest and looked like she wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. Shane stood up and walked up to her. ¡°I know it can be hard to believe what I told you today morning, but I hope you''ll at least give me a chance to prove my words. Will you do that for me?¡± Natalie had always liked him to begin with, so she no longer had any reason to refuse his advances after hearing that. ¡°Okay...¡± Maybe this isn''t a bad idea after all... If we really do end up together, I''ll tell him the truth about the kids. If things don''t work out, I could just leave with the kids at any time. Shane wasn''t sure what Natalie was thinking about, but he knew better than to question why she seemed to have loosened up a lot. ¡°Mrs. Wilson has made us dinner. Come on, let''s head over to my ce,¡± he said while checking his watch. Natalie instinctively thought of rejecting his invitation, but remembered what she had just promised him and agreed to it instead. ¡°Okay, sure.¡± With that, the two of them walked towards his apartment. Throughout the next few days, Shane woulde over to her ce for breakfast and drop the kids off at kindergarten before sending her to work. Natalie knew it was his way of courting her and had slowly gotten used to his approach. Although it wasn''t exactly the most romantic one, it was very practical and new to her, so she didn''t really mind it at all. One day, Natalie was working on a suit for Shane aspensation when someone opened the door to her office. Having been interrupted while working, Natalie looked up at the person in annoyance, only to exim in surprise when she saw who it was, ¡°Mr. Sean!¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Sean shed her a bright smile while leaning against the door. ¡°Yo, long time no see!¡± ¡°What brings you here all of a sudden?¡± Natalie asked as she put down the scissors. Sean walked up to her and arched an eyebrow when he saw the suit on the table. ¡°I thought you specialize in women''s clothing?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°That''s true, but we had to learn to do men''s clothing too. Nothing strange about that, is there?¡± Sean adjusted his sses. ¡°It''s strange when you''re personally working on it. Judging by the measurements, I''d say this is for Shane, isn''t it?¡± Natalie was surprised that he had hit the nail on the head, but she maintained herposure anyway. ¡°Is there something you need, Mr. Sean?¡± she asked impatiently as she put the suit aside. Sean clicked his tongue in annoyance when she avoided his question. ¡°Tsk, tsk... To think you''d take this attitude with me after I told Shane to reinvestigate what happened back then... How disappointing... Anyway, I came to confirm if you and Shane are dating now.¡± Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Natalie kept quiet as she didn''t really know what to say in response. We''re not technically a couple because I haven''t epted him as my boyfriend, but... iming that we''re not dating doesn''t exactly sound very convincing either, given how we''re practically together every day. Heck, we even got our stuff in each other''s apartments! Sean let out a chuckle when he got no response from her. ¡°I''ll take that as a yes, then.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°What are you ying at, Mr. Sean?¡± ¡°Do you remember what I told you on the phone a few days ago? I was nning on taking you somewhere, but I''ll refrain from doing so now that you and Shane are dating. However, there is one thing I need you to do.¡± Sean narrowed his eyes into a devilish grin. Natalie shuddered a little when she saw the smile on his face. ¡°W-What is it?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, I''m not asking you to rob a bank or anything. All I need you to do, is find out where Shane keeps Grandpa''s will and bring it to me.¡± Sean then leaned in closer towards her and continued, ¡°You do that for me, and we''ll call it even between us. I won''t tell Shane that he''s the father of your kids.¡± ck! The sound of a folder falling to the ground came from the door right after he said that. Sean frowned, and the two of them looked towards the door. Joyce was staring at them inplete shock. ¡°Nat... did he just say that Mr. Shane is the father of your kids...¡± ¡°Please step outside, Joyce!¡± Natalie rubbed her forehead in frustration. Damn it, why did Joyce have to show up right now? Joyce had a ton of questions in her head, but did as told when she saw the stern look on Natalie''s face. After a brief moment of awkward silence, Sean waved at her and said, ¡°Hey, it''s not my fault that your friend showed up and heard all that!¡± Natalie shot him a cold re in response. ¡°Let''s just get back on topic, Mr. Sean. So, you want me to ask Mr. Shane about your grandfather''s will?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Sean nodded. Natalie bit down on her lip. ¡°But... why me? Why can''t you just ask him yourself?¡± ¡°I wouldn''t being to you right now if Shane was willing to tell me. Besides, you''re his woman, so he''d let his guard down around you. That makes you the perfect candidate for the job,¡± Sean said while adjusting his sses. Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Sean. It''s like you said, I''m his woman, so I can''t be betraying him like this. I suggest youe up with another request, and don''t think for a second that you can threaten me with my kids. Did you really think I wasn''t going to tell him the truth now that we''re dating?¡± Sean froze as he wasn''t expecting her to say that, but was quick to regain hisposure. ¡°Fair enough... I''ll tell you a secret about the death of Shane''s parents, then. How about that?¡± ¡°I''m sorry, what?¡± ¡°You heard me. There is something strange about their death, and Shane has been investigating it throughout the years, but he hasn''t been able to find anything. However, I have managed to find some clues.¡± ¡°What''s in your grandfather''s will?¡± Natalie asked hesitantly. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I won''t do it if it has anything to do with their family property! Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Seemingly realizing the direction of Natalie''s thoughts, Sean''s gaze flickered imperceptibly, and he slipped his hands into his pockets. ¡°Don''t worry. It can''t have anything to do with Thompson Group as it has long since been distributed even before Grandpa''s death. Thus, there aren''t any assets left in the will. The only thing left is a secret.¡± ¡°Another secret?¡± Natalie''s brows furrowed. Sean''s insouciant expression turned solemn. ¡°Yes, a very crucial secret. I must get my hands on it, but Grandpa didn''t tell anyone where he kept that will before he passed away. And I only learned about the existence of the will from his assistant by a stroke of luck.¡± Upon hearing this, Natalie''s alluring eyes narrowed a fraction. ¡°In that case, no one else knows about the will besides your grandfather''s assistant, much less Mr. Shane. So, why are you asking me to ferret out the will''s whereabouts from him?¡± ¡°Well, that''s a simple question. Shane had a very close rtionship with Grandpa, so Grandpa definitely left him some clues about the will''s whereabouts. As long as he figures out the clues, it will come to light, no?¡± Sean exined smilingly. Natalie''s lips twitched, but she said nothing. After a while, she murmured, ¡°Let me think about it.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll give you a day.¡± A sh of something flittered across Sean''s eyes as he left with a smirk on his face. After he''d left, Natalie leaned back against the chair and massage her throbbing temples. To be honest, I really don''t want to interfere in the matters of the Thompson family. However, he has personally sought me out, and I even owe him such a huge favor. ¡°Nat.¡± At this time, Joyce came in with a blueprint. cing the blueprint before Natalie, she looked at her, wanting to say something yet hesitated time and again. At this, Natalie chuckled. ¡°Well? Just spit it out.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Remember that you said that.¡± Inhaling deeply, Joyce asked, ¡°Are Connor and Sharon really Mr. Shane''s kids?¡± Natalie nodded even as she grunted in assent. Joyce instantly sucked in a breath. ¡°No wonder Connor looks exactly like Mr. Shane! It''s because they''re really father and son. But what actually happened? You only got acquainted with Mr. Shane after returning to the country, so how did you get intimate with him five years ago?¡± In the face of her best friend''s queries, Natalie dipped her eyes and sorted out her thoughts. Then, she narrated the entire story, starting from how she entered the wrong room five years ago. After all, there was no use keeping Joyce in the dark anymore after she''d heard everything. A few minutester, Joyce shook her head and tsked after listening to everything that had transpired between Natalie and Shane. ¡°Sure enough, the two of you are destined to be together by fate. Five years ago, you both had a one-night stand by chance, and five yearster, you two met again and fell in love with each other. Thus, it''ll be a travesty if you don''t get together!¡± Shaking her head, Natalie burst intoughter when she heard such an exaggeration from Joyce. But there''s something she got right¡ªShane and I are indeed bound by fate. Never had I thought that the first man I''d fall in love with would actually be the father of my two kids! Subsequently, Joyce pulled out the chair on the opposite side and sat down. ¡°When are you nning to tell him about it, Nat?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Natalie picked up the thermal mug on the table and took a sip of water. ¡°There''s no rush at the moment. I''ll tell him if we can settle down into a stable rtionship in the future. Otherwise, I can also leave with my two kids anytime.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Joyce nodded, feeling that it was a reasonable course of action. Natalie then capped the lid on her thermal mug. ¡°Hence, you must keep this a secret. Don''t b and spill the beans. It was because I was afraid that you''d spread it that I have never nned on telling you about it.¡± Cognizant of her loose lips, Joyce shed her an embarrassed smile. ¡°Ah, got it. I''ll definitely keep it a secret, so don''t worry.¡± ¡°It''s because I know you too well and that''s why I''m worried, okay?¡± Natalie shot her an exasperated look. At that, Joyce stuck her tongue out at Natalie. In the next moment, she changed the subject. ¡°Alright, let''s talk about something else. We''ll talk about the man earlier instead. Who was he? And how did he know that Mr. Shane is the kids'' father?¡± Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Natalie''s expression turned serious at once. ¡°His name is Sean Thompson, and he''s Mr. Shane''s cousin, which makes him the kids'' uncle. ¡°Whoa! This is quite the revtion! But why did he seek you out?¡± Joyce blinked her eyes in curiosity. At the mention of this, Natalie heaved a sigh. ¡°I owe him a favor, so he wants me to ferret out the whereabouts of Grandpa Thomspon''s will from Mr. Shane and get him the will.¡± ¡°What?¡± Banging her hands on the table, Joyce leaped to her feet. ¡°Did you agree?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, but I didn''t refuse either. I''m only considering it.¡± At this, Natalie lowered her eyes and murmured cidly, ¡°He gave me a very tempting offer in return¡ªa lead about Mr. Shane''s parents'' death. Mr. Shane has been investigating this matter, so I''m thinking of helping him since I owe him too much.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Joyce swung her hand out in the universal stop sign and dered sternly, ¡°Nat, this isn''t the way even if you want to help him. Such a deed will definitely be a betrayal to him.¡± ¡°I know, but what should I do? Sean has made it clear that he''s not going to let me off the hook. He''s adamant that I do this for him. What if he gets enraged and makes a move against my kids and the people around me if I refuse? That''s why I said I want to think about it. It''s to buy time.¡± Natalie propped a hand against her forehead wearily. Upon hearing this, Joyce racked her brains for a solution. ¡°How about you just tell Mr. Shane about it?¡± ¡°Tell him about it?¡± Natalie was momentarily taken aback. ¡°Yup.¡± Joyce nodded resolutely. ¡°By doing so, you won''t be betraying him, and you can also ask him about the whereabouts of the will. When he''d taken a look at the will, you can just make a copy and give it to Sean Thompson. Anyway, he merely said that he wants the will, but he didn''t specify that it can''t be a duplicated copy!¡± All at once, a spark of light red in Natalie''s eyes. Perhaps this will work. Since the will doesn''t involve the distribution of assets, Shane will probably agree to make a copy of it for me to return the favor I owe. At this thought, a smile bloomed on her face. In the afternoon, Shane came to pick her up with the two children. After getting into the car, Natalie yed with the children for a while. Then, she nced at the man, who was driving. ¡°Mr. Shane, I saw Mr. Sean today.¡± ¡°Sean sought you out?¡± Shane frowned deeply. Meanwhile, a flicker of suspicion shed across Connor''s jet-ck eyes when he heard Sean''s name. Isn''t that my uncle''s name? ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded slightly. ¡°Why did he seek you out?¡± Lifting his eyes, Shane stared at her through the rear-view mirror. Natalie took a deep breath and was just about to answer when she suddenly glimpsed Connor, whose gaze was fixed on her. Dang it! I almost forgot that he knows Sean! Taking that into consideration, she shook her head. ¡°He told me a very important matter. I''ll tell you about itter.¡± As Shane could tell that she was on the verge of telling him yet abruptly swallowed her words, he pursed his lips. Nheless, he didn''t push her, indicating his acquiescence with a tilt of his chin. In no time, they arrived at the apartment. After entrusting the two children to Mrs. Wilson, Shane led Natalie to his study. ¡°Will you tell me now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie sat down across from him. Then, she rted Sean''s motive in seeking her out without holding anything back. As soon as Shane heard that, he sprang to his feet. ¡°You said, he has a lead regarding the truth of my parent''s death?¡± ¡°That''s what he said. However, I don''t know whether he truly has it. We''ll only know after he gets the will,¡± Natalie replied truthfully as she shrugged. At this, Shane''s hands that were resting on the table clenched into fists. A will... It turns out that Grandpa actually left a will beforemitting suicide! ¡°Do you want me to say yes to him, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie stared at Shane. Shane pursed his lips in contemtion before asserting, ¡°Yes, but don''t tell him that I know about this.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Finally, the weight that had been on her chest lifted. Since he told me to agree to Sean''s request, it means that he''ll give me the green light to make a copy when he has found the will so that I can give it to Sean. At that time, I''ll no longer owe Sean anything. As this thought urred to her, she beamed. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane. I''ll definitely get the lead about your parent''s death from Mr. Sean.¡± Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Upon hearing Natalie''s promise, Shane''s fierce frown eased. Just when he was about to speak, a knock sounded on the door of the study, and the voices of the two children drifted in. ¡°Mommy, Dad, it''s dinnertime! Mrs. Wilson cooked a lot of delicious food, so hurry up!¡± At this, Shane looked at Natalie. ¡°Come, let''s go and have dinner first. I''ll figure out a way to find the will.¡± I''d also like to know what secret is hidden in Grandpa''s will that Sean is so frantic to get his hands on it. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Then, she got up and walked out of the room with him. After dinner, Natalie brought her two children back to her own apartment and texted Sean on her decision. To her surprise, Sean even gave her a deadline, demanding that she ferret out the whereabouts of the will from Shane in two months and hand it to him. At this, Natalie massaged her temples without replying to him further. While two months isn''t a long time, it isn''t a short time either, so it should suffice for Shane to find the will. Putting this matter at the back of her mind, she ced her cell phone down and went about bathing her two children before tucking them in. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The next day, Joyce rushed over to inquire about the matter with a nosy expression as soon as Natalie arrived at the studio, before she''d even put her handbag down. ¡°How did it go? Have you told Mr. Shane about it?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Natalie walked into the office and put her handbag down. Meanwhile, Joyce trailed behind her. ¡°So, did Mr. Shane agree to give you a copy of it to hand to Sean Thompson?¡± ¡°No, but he probably will.¡± While speaking, Natalie slipped off her form-fitting jacket and hung it on the rack. ¡°Phew! That''s great!¡± Joyce patted her chest. Subsequently, she handed Natalie a contract. ¡°This is the contract from the production team. I''ve already asked the legal team to go through it, and they said there''s no problem. Anyway, you should take a look at it too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie reached out and took the contract before flipping through it. After having done so, she didn''t find any problems either, so she signed the contract. Then, she handed it back to Joyce. ¡°Did the production team say when they''re going to start filming the variety show?¡± ¡°Half a monthter. For that reason, we''ve got to start working now for these two weeks and design a batch of clothes for the celebrities before the first season of the show takes off,¡± Joyce answered after plopping onto the chair. Upon hearing this, Natalie nodded solemnly in understanding. ¡°Got it. I''ll do my best and design the clothes, while you keep an eye on the textile mill.¡± Joyce made an OK sign in response. After she''d left, Natalie picked up a new design book and flipped it open. Then, she pulled up the celebrities'' information on herputer. When she''d determined the styles that suited them, she started sketching the designs. After having lunch at noon, she shouldered her handbag and hailed a cab to the television station to take the celebrities'' measurements. After all, that would make it easier to produce the clothes. A little more than half an hourter, she arrived at the television station. After alighting from the cab, Natalie registered at the front desk before taking the elevator to the celebrities'' dressing room. The celebrities had just finished filming an interview and were waiting for her while taking a rest. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Natalie knocked on the ajar door. The dozen of young men and women swung their gazes at her upon hearing her voice. The moment they glimpsed her stunning beauty, the men''s eyes lit up. On the contrary, the women''s reactions were entirely different¡ªsome were envious, and others were jealous. In short, everyone reacted differently. ¡°I''m the costume designer for the variety program, and I''m here to take your measurements,¡± Natalie exined as she walked in. At this, the manager of these two groups stepped forward. ¡°You''re Ms. Smith, yes?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°It''s all yours.¡± The manager gestured for her to go ahead. Murmuring an assent, Natalie took out her measuring tape and started taking the celebrities'' measurements. The men were all very cooperative, standing ramrod straight with arms spread before she''d evene over. While the women weren''t all that cooperative, they didn''t throw any tantrums, so Natalie sessfully finished everything within an hour. Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Thereafter, Natalie bid them farewell and left. However, just when she''d stepped out of the elevator and was going to head toward the front entrance of the television station, she suddenly glimpsed two familiar figures ahead, who were tussling. That''s Susan Sullivan and her lover, Warren Litch! Why are there here? Natalie''s brows creased in puzzlement at the sight. In the next moment, she saw Susan flinging herself at Warren with tears streaming down her face. Afraid that she would be spotted, Natalie furtively crept to the corner of the corridor at the side. When she''d done so, she ttened herself against the wall and surreptitiously watched the show. Not only did she watch the show, but she also fished out her cell phone and secretly filmed everything. ¡°What should we do now that Jas is in such a condition, Warren?¡± Susan wailed piteously as she clutched at Warren''s cor. However, Warren merely looked at her impatiently. ¡°Didn''t I tell you not toe and look for me here? If someone recognizes you, I''ll lose this job that I finally secured after expending much effort.¡± Upon hearing this, Natalie''s head snapped up. I didn''t know that he''s now working at the television station! He was jobless not long ago, yet he''s now an employee here in the blink of an eye. I wonder if Susan gave him a hand. ¡°How could you say such a thing?¡± Susan stared at Warren with recrimination written all over her face, her eyes red-rimmed. ¡°Is your job more important or Jas? Jas has been vited by a group of people and is now lying in the hospital with her legs crippled! And she''s going to be sent back to the mental hospital soon! Say, what if she truly bes insane ormits suicide?¡± Warren smoothed his shirt, which she had crumpled. ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡± At this, Natalie nodded as well. Even I''m very curious as to why she''s telling him about Jasmine''s situation. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Why? Of course it''s because I want you to figure out a way to save Jas!¡± Susan snapped in a booming voice. At this, Warren became all the more impatient. ¡°Save her? How am I to save her? I''m just an insignificant employee, so I don''t have the capability to do that. Why don''t you go to your husband, Harrison Smith, instead?¡± ¡°Harrison is entirely useless now. The Smith family has gone bankrupt, and he''s even being targeted by Shane Thompson, so he doesn''t dare do anything at all. If it weren''t for the money he has left for his golden years, I would''ve already asked him for a divorce. But you''re different. You have a few friends, no? You...¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± Warren cut her off. ¡°I can''t have my friends being targeted by Mr. Shane as well just to save her!¡± I''ve still got to depend on them to survive, so I can''t have them take the risk! ¡°Warren Litch!¡± Susan roared, her face red with fury. ¡°How could you say that? Jas is your daughter as well! How could you be so ruthless?¡± Around the corner, Natalie was shellshocked when she unexpectedly heard this remark. Her jaw dropped open, and even her cell phone ttered to the floor. What did I just hear? Jasmine... is Warren Litch''s daughter? ¡°Who''s there?¡± The sound of Natalie''s cell phone ttering to the ground caught the attention of both Susan and Warren. All at once, their gazes snapped in the direction of the sound in concert. The moment they noticed a slip of fabric around the corner ahead, their expressions changed drastically in a sh, realizing that someone had overheard their conversation earlier. ¡°What should we do now, Warren? She must have deliberately eavesdropped because she recognized me!¡± Susan tugged at Warren''s sleeve anxiously. Likewise, Warren was also afraid that the person would reveal everything between him and Susan. Of course, his main concern was that it woulde to Harrison''s knowledge. Although Harrison Smith is now bankrupt, he still has a lot of connections, so I might not necessarily be his match. Thus, I''ve got to stop the person who''d eavesdropped on our conversation! Of course, it''ll be best if I can bribe her, but if otherwise, then I''ll just... eliminate her! As his eyes narrowed dangerously, he shook off Susan''s hand and stalked toward the corner. When Natalie heard the sound of footsteps, she knew that Susan and Warren were heading toward her. Afraid that she would be caught, she bent down and picked her cell phone up from the ground with gritted teeth before taking to her heels. Having not expected her to flee, Warren was stunned for a moment. In the next instance, he called for security, iming that the paparazzi had sneaked into the television station. Chapter 458 Chapter 458 As soon as the security heard that there was a paparazzi, they immediately gave chase in the direction Natalie took off. ¡°Quick! Don''t let her escape! Catch her!¡± Warren bellowed as he ran behind the bodyguards. Meanwhile, Natalie put on a burst of speed when she heard the stampede of footsteps behind her. However, she grew all the more anxious as she ran. This is the television station, and I''m not familiar with the ce, so I''ll be caught in the end no matter how fast I run! Just when she was at a loss, a pair of hands abruptly shot out from one of the rooms along the corridor and grabbed her hand, yanking her into the room before closing the door. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Thinking that she''d been nabbed, Natalie''s eyes brimmed with panic. She was just about to scream when a hand pped over her mouth. ¡°Quiet!¡± A man''s low and solemn voice sounded from behind her. Upon hearing this exceedingly familiar voice, Natalie''s eyes went wide. All at once, she calmed down. Then, she hastily whimpered softly to signal the man to release his hold on her. For the first time ever, the man understood and dropped his hands. Having regained the freedom of movement, Natalie whirled around. When she saw that it was indeed Shane who had saved her, her heart that had lodged into her throat finally settled back into her chest. As she breathed a huge sigh of relief, she poutingly shot the man a re. ¡°You almost gave me a heart attack, Mr. Shane! I thought I''d been caught.¡± At this, Shane pursed his thin lips. ¡°What did you do that the television station''s security was pursuing you?¡± He''d just stepped out of the exclusive elevator after a meeting with the television station''s director when he saw her being chased. Thus, he found an unupied office and waited in there so that he could save her when she went past. Besides, he also ordered Ss to go to the security room and erase all security footage of her. ¡°Don''t remind me of that. I was framed,¡± Natalie panted, her face flushed from exertion. ¡°Framed?¡± Shane''s gaze darkened, and his expression turned grave. ¡°Who did that?¡± ¡°Warren Litch.¡± Natalie then darted her eyes around. When she caught sight of the water dispenser at the corner of the office, she ambled over and got herself a cup of water with a disposable cup. After guzzling it down, she calmed her breathing before exining, ¡°He''s Susan Sullivan''s lover. I saw them meeting each other just now, and they made me. And that''s the reason for the scene you witnessed earlier.¡± ¡°Just because you saw them meeting each other?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes, obviously not believing that the matter was so simple. At this, the corner of Natalie''s mouth twitched. ¡°Sure enough, nothing gets past you, Mr. Shane. Well, I also overheard their conversation.¡± ¡°What did they say?¡± After ttening the disposable cup, Natalie flung it into the trash can. ¡°Their conversation is really enlightening. It turns out that Jasmine isn''t Harrison''s daughter, but theirs.¡± ¡°You mean, Susan Sullivan and Warren Litch''s?¡± A sh of surprise flittered across Shane''s jet-ck eyes. ¡°Yup. Susan said it herself, so it must be true.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I always thought that she''d only gotten together with Warren Litch in the past few years. Never had I thought that they''d been together for over twenty years now. This means that she had Harrison take the responsibility instead after she got pregnant with Jasmine.¡± Speaking of that, it''s truly ironic. Hah! Harrison Smith kicked his own wife and his biological daughter out because of Susan and her daughter, then pampered another man''s daughter to the skies! I wonder if he''ll pass out from fury when he learns the truth! At the sight of the schadenfreude gleaming in her eyes, Shane could tell Natalie''s thoughts. Unbidden, his thin lips curved upward slightly. ¡°Are you nning to tell Harrison Smith about this?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Natalie nodded. Subsequently, the expression on her face turned wintry. ¡°But I won''t be the one telling him that. I''ll let my mother tell him personally when shees back.¡± Never would I ever forget that day seven years ago. Momboriously cooked a feast to celebrate her twentieth wedding anniversary with Harrison Smith, but it was precisely on that day that he brought Susan Sullivan and her daughter home, causing Mom to pass out and triggering Jared''s heart attack that he almost died! Knowing that she wanted to let Yulia personally take her revenge on Harrison, Shane didn''t ask further, merely dipping his chin in acknowledgment. Chapter 459 Chapter 459 ¡°Oh yes, I forgot to ask why you''re here, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie finally remembered this question, and she stared at him. After adjusting his cuffs, Shane replied, ¡°I came over for an interview with a finance segment.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Natalie nodded in understanding. Then, she shifted her gaze to the door. ¡°The security has probably left, yes?¡± Instead of replying, Shane walked over to her. Under her baffled gaze, he abruptly bent down and grabbed the bottom of her dress before forcefully ripping it. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. In the next moment, the sound of fabric ripping rang out. Natalie was entirely stunned even as she felt a chill assailing her. A long time passed before she finally snapped back to her senses. Opening her mouth, she demanded, ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Shane?¡± She gaped at the man in utter astonishment. Why did he tear my dress out of the blue? However, Shane didn''t answer her. After throwing away the piece of white chiffon strip he''d ripped off, he straightened. Then, he started unbuttoning his suit jacket. Upon seeing this, Natalie''s petite face med at once, and she couldn''t help backing toward the door. As her face turned increasingly flushed, she asserted in a shaky voice while retreating, ¡°We''re at the television station, and this is someone else''s office, so please restrain yourself, Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Restrain myself?¡± Shane quirked an eyebrow. When he then spotted the twin spots of red on her cheeks, he knew that she had misunderstood. Nheless, he stalked toward her after having slipped off his jacket. ¡°What will you do if I refuse to do so?¡± ¡°I... I will...¡± Before she''d finished speaking, Shane whipped his jacket over her head and draped it over her shoulders. Startled, Natalie''s gaze shifted between the jacket and him, seemingly at a loss as to what he was trying to do. Ruffling her hair, Shane exined, ¡°While they didn''t see your countenance when you made your escape earlier, they certainly saw your dress. If you don''t make any changes to it, you''ll definitely be made.¡± Upon hearing this, understanding instantly dawned upon Natalie. So, he didn''t do all that because he wanted to force himself on me. Rather, it was to help me disguise my dressing! Her face turned as red as an overly ripe tomato at once. However, it wasn''t because of shyness but mortification from her misguided thoughts. But this isn''t entirely my fault! He''s also partly at fault for not exining things from the beginning! At the thought of this, Natalie again shot him a re. Shane, however, arched an eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Natalie shook her head. Then, she tied her hair up. ¡°Let''s go, Mr. Shane.¡± Unexpectedly, Shane stretched out a hand in front of her. ¡°Let me check whether there''s any security outside.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie stopped in her tracks. Thus, Shane opened the door and walked out, ncing up and down the corridor. After ascertaining that there was no security, he turned back and called out, ¡°You cane out now.¡± Dipping her head a fraction, Natalie tightened the jacket around her and stepped out. In the next moment, Shane wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Natalie stiffened at once and was just about to speak when he cut her off, saying, ¡°The employees here know me, so they''ll only rx their guard when they see that we''re on intimate terms.¡± After saying that, he forcibly kept his arm around her and left the television station. When they''d gotten into the car, Natalie shrugged off the jacket and returned it to him. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane took the jacket, but he didn''t put it on. Instead, he draped it over herp. ¡°Your dress is too short, so use it as a cover. Ss will be joining uster.¡± He wouldn''t mind her current state if it''d only be the two of them in the car throughout the drive, but since Ss would be here in a while, he wouldn''t allow him to feast his eyes on her thighs. As Natalie stared at the jacket that was draped over herp, a sense of mirth welled up within her. Although my dress is indeed a tad short after he''d ripped a strip off, it''s not that short that I''m shing others. However, she found his insistence rather amusing, and a sense of warmth suffused her at his concern. Soon, Ss came. Pulling open the car door, he slipped into the passenger seat. When he turned around and glimpsed Natalie, he greeted her without the slightest hint of surprise. ¡°Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie shed him a smile in return. ¡°Mr. Campbell.¡± Ss nodded in acknowledgment, then shifted his gaze to Shane. ¡°It''s done, Mr. Shane. I''ve erased all traces of Ms. Smith from the security footage, so the television station''s employees won''t be able to find Ms. Smith.¡± Chapter 460 Chapter 460 The moment Natalie heard this, her eyes went wide. It turns out that not only did he help me escape the security in the nick of time, but he also did all this for me! ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Natalie called out Shane''s name to say something or other after biting her lip for a moment. However, Shane squeezed her hand and murmured, ¡°I know. What about Susan Sullivan and that man...¡± ¡°Warren Litch,¡± Natalie hurriedly reminded. At that, Shane nodded. ¡°Yes, Warren Litch. What about them?¡± ¡°Warren Litch has been summoned by the director of the television station. After all, he ordered so many security personnel to pursue a so-called paparazzi yet didn''t manage to catch her but made everyone at the television station panic instead. Thus, he''ll definitely be reprimanded.¡± Ss then started the car. As he drove, he continued, ¡°As for Susan Sullivan, she has already left the television station in a hurry.¡± ¡°She must have gone back to Smith Residence to see whether the person who''d eavesdropped on their conversation has told Harrison Smith the secret. If it hasn''t gotten to his knowledge, she can still prevent it in advance,¡± Natalie mused, her eyes narrowed. ¡°What secret?¡± Curiosity was etched on Ss'' face. Hearing that, Shane shot him a look, seemingly chiding him for being such a nosy person. All at once, Ss gave a cough. Touching his nose, he then focused on his driving without asking anything further. Natalie then took out her cell phone and rang the detective, Mr. Malone, who was keeping an eye on Jasmine. She instructed him to figure out a way to get Susan and Jasmine''s hair as well as Harrison and Warren''s. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Upon hearing that, Shane lifted his eyebrows a fraction. ¡°You''re nning to have a DNA test done on them?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to have one on each of them,¡± Natalie admitted as she ced her cell phone down. It''s only by doing so can I be certain whether Jasmine is Susan Sullivan and Warren Litch''s daughter! Shane propped his hand against the car door, and suggested, ¡°At that time, have Jackson do it for you. You can get the results in two hours at the earliest.¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie didn''t decline but thanked him with a smile. In turn, Shane lifted his chin a fraction in acknowledgment. ¡°Where are you going next?¡± ¡°Back to the studio. I''m rather busy since I''ve just epted a project recently.¡± Natalie patted her handbag. After getting an answer from her, Shane looked at Ss. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ss answered immediately. In no time, they arrived at the studio. Natalie then picked up the jacket on herp and returned it to the man. This time, the man took it and slipped it on right away. Thereafter, Natalie shouldered her handbag and opened the car door. She''d just swung a leg out when she seemingly thought of something and stopped short. After two seconds had passed, she turned around and stared at Shane for a long while. All of a sudden, she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. Shane''s pupils instantly constricted. Ss, on the other hand, gaped at her with his jaw hanging wide open. ¡°Ms. Smith, you...¡± Before he''d finished speaking, Natalie lowered her ming face and swiftly bolted out of the car. Then, she mmed the car door shut. Sprinting into the building, she then quickly disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, Shane touched his face in a daze, right at the spot where she kissed earlier. His Adam''s apple bobbed as his mind whirred. As Ss'' gaze alternated between the direction in which Natalie had left and his CEO, who was in a trance, he couldn''t resist whistling even as he teased, ¡°Congrattions for finally winning thedy over, Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Winning thedy over?¡± Shane thin lips parted slightly, and his voice was threaded with a hint of puzzlement. At this, Ss nodded. ¡°Yup. You''ve been pursuing Ms. Smith recently, but she hasn''t agreed to be your girlfriend, no? But just now, she voluntarily kissed you, so it proves that she has lowered her defenses and is willing to date you!¡± At that remark, a flicker of something shed across his eyes, and he straightened imperceptibly. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course! Why did she kiss you otherwise?¡± Ss nudged his sses. Despite having never dated anyone, I''ve read tons of romance novels, so I know this much! However, Shane didn''t quite believe him. ¡°Perhaps she was just thanking me for having helped her earlier,¡± he murmured cidly as he lowered his eyes. ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Ss smirked. ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ll be frank with you. You''ve saved Ms. Smith numerous times, but when has she ever kissed you in return?¡± Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Upon hearing that, Shane''s thin lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing. Thus, Ss continued persuading him, suggesting, ¡°So, why don''t try confessing your feelings for Ms. Smith again, Mr. Shane? Who knows, you might seed this time!¡± At this, Shane dipped his eyes, seemingly contemting the matter. A long momentter, he lifted his head and looked at the building in front of him, his gaze profound. ¡°We''ll see how it goes tonight. Drive.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss replied. Meanwhile, in the studio, Natalie stood on the balcony in her office, looking down. It was only when she saw the Bentley downstairs drive away did she return to her table with her hands over her burning face and sat down. In reality, she had gotten used to being with him after all the time they had been spending together in the past few days. Most importantly, he had always appeared whenever she was in trouble and protected her, so she wanted to try dating him. But I''m just not certain whether he understood that I''m agreeing to date him by kissing him. ¡°Nat!¡± Joyce barged in while she was still engrossed in her thoughts. All at once, Natalie straightened and dropped her hands from her face. Sitting upright, she stared at Joyce. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Joyce squinted in suspicion. ¡°That''s my line. You hastily adjusted your posture when I came in, and your face is even flushed red as though you''d done something wrong. Don''t tell me you''ve been doing something reprehensible just now?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Natalie shot daggers at her. ¡°Alright. Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Here. These are the monthly drafts sketched by the designers. Take a look and see which ones have to be amended.¡± Joyce handed her the stack of design blueprints in her hands. Natalie reached out and took them. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± ¡°Also, there''s another thing.¡± Joyce propped her hands against Natalie''s table. Hearing that, Natalie lifted her eyes and looked at her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A fashion magazine is having a selection for their cover outfit design. Shall we participate as well?¡± Joyce inquired. As Natalie sifted through the blueprints, she asked, ¡°What magazine is that?¡± ¡°Beauty Fashion. It''s a mid-level fashion magazine in the fashion industry,¡± Joyce answered with a shrug. A so-called mid-level magazine meant that it couldn''t be all that bad even if it wasn''t considered good. Generally, it was graced by slightly popr models and C or D-list celebrities. Natalie then put down the blueprints. ¡°I''ve heard of Beauty Fashion. It''s not too bad, but the management is too pedantic, so the attires they choose are overly in each time. It doesn''t match my standard, so I''ll pass. Let Lily and the others take part instead. It''s quite in line with their styles.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll go and tell them about it right away.¡± Nodding, Joyce then pivoted and left. Natalie, on the other hand, lowered her head and continued looking through the remaining blueprints. When she''d finished going through all the blueprints, it was already time to get off work. After distributing the blueprints that needed to be amended to the respective people, she turned off her computer. Then, she got to her feet and left the office to pick up her children from the kindergarten. However, just after she''d stepped out of the studio, the cell phone in her handbag rang. Nevertheless, she didn''t stop but continued striding toward the elevator. As she walked, she fished out her cell phone. When she''d taken it out, she gave it a cursory nce. As soon as she saw that it was a phone call from the detective, she answered it without a moment''s dy. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, I''ve gotten the hair samples you want,¡± the detective dered cheerily through the cell phone. ¡°That''s quick!¡± Natalie''s jaw dropped open in astonishment. At this, the detective chuckled. ¡°They aren''t people of high statuses, so it doesn''t take much effort to get their hair.¡± ¡°Ah, so that''s how it is. Got it! Where are you now? I''ll go over and meet you.¡± Natalie pressed the call button for the elevator. The detective then promptly gave her the location. After a moment''s deliberation, Natalie lifted an eyebrow. Isn''t that the coffee shop nearby? It turns out that he''s already here. Great! I don''t need to make another trip. Hanging up the phone, Natalie ced her cell phone back into her handbag before stepping into the elevator. A few minutester, she arrived at the coffee shop. From afar, the detective waved at Natalie. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Spotting him, Natalie nodded and walked over. Subsequently, the server came over with the menu. Natalie then proceeded to order a ss of milk for herself and a cup of coffee for the detective. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 After the server left, Natalie asked with a serious expression, ¡°Where are the hair samples?¡± ¡°Here.¡± The detective took out four ziplock bags from his briefcase and handed them to her. Natalie took them with both hands. She then noticed that the four ziplock bags werebeled with the names Jasmine, Harrison, Susan, and Warren respectively. Beaming in satisfaction, she blurted, ¡°Thank you very much!¡± ¡°You''re wee. I''m paid to do this, after all.¡± The detective waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. When Natalie had put the hair samples away, the server came over with the milk and coffee. After taking a sip of milk, Natalie queried, ¡°How''s Jasmine doing these days?¡± ¡°She has been discharged, but her condition isn''t too good. She''s ruined, and her legs are also crippled.¡± As the detective stirred the coffee, he tsked and continued, ¡°Also, the police is already aware that she has been faking her mental instability and extended her sentence for another two years. Logically speaking, she should be taken back to prison after being discharged, but for some reason, the police have no ns to do so. Instead, they seem to be nning to have her stay at the mental hospital.¡± However, Natalie wasn''t at all surprised upon hearing this since Shane had already told her about it. What was more, it because he''d negotiated with the police that Jasmine didn''t have to return to prison. But little did anyone know that Jasmine''s days in the mental hospital would definitely be far worse than her being in prison. ¡°Got it. You don''t need to keep an eye on Jasmine anymore. Instead, I want you to investigate Susan Sullivan and Warren Litch. I want to know the entirety of their past,¡± Natalie dered as she ced the ss of milk down. The detective nodded with a smile. ¡°Don''t worry. As long as the price is right, everything is possible.¡± After saying that, he guzzled down the coffee in a single go. Then, he got up and left. Conversely, Natalie was in no rush to leave. It was only when she''d finished the milknguidly did she get to her feet, going over to the cashier to pay before leaving. At night, they had dinner at Natalie''s apartment. The two children wanted to try out the hot pot, so she bought plenty of ingredients to cook hot pot for them. Shane came for dinner as well. He''d never had hot pot before, and his striking face was all red from the heat. Not only that, but his eyes had also turned red. His reaction made it evident that he seldom ate spicy food. ¡°Have some water.¡± Natalie handed him a cup of iced water, her eyes dancing with amusement. Putting down his fork, Shane took it and gulped down several mouthfuls sessively before he finally managed to take the edge off the fiery spiciness in his mouth. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Natalie asked while staring at him. ¡°Yup, much better,¡± Shane murmured while massaging his temples. Upon seeing this, Natalie giggled again. Then, she took some vegetables and rinsed them in in water to wash off the chili coating them before cing them into his bowl. ¡°Eat this. This isn''t spicy.¡± Shane''s expression instantly turned tender as he looked at the vegetables she took for him. ¡°Okay.¡± After dinner, the two children pestered Shane to y Lego with them. Meanwhile, Natalie cleared the table and went to the kitchen to wash up. Halfway through, she suddenly heard footsteps from behind her. In the next instance, a pair of arms stretched out and wrapped around her waist from behind, hugging her. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie stiffened slightly for a second, and her movement slowed, making it ringly obvious that she was very much unfamiliar with such an intimate embrace. But surprisingly, she didn''t struggle. Instead, she even leaned back and rested against the man''s chest. At this, Shane tightened his arms around her and hugged her all the tighter. Then, he even rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Ss said that the kiss indicated your agreement to date me, and it turned out that he was right.¡± Dipping her eyes, Natalie chuckled softly. ¡°So, you''re now hugging me because you wanted to ascertain whether he was right?¡± Nevertheless, Shane merely grunted nomittally. ¡°I''ll give him a bonus tomorrow.¡± At his response, Natalie snorted. ¡°He deserves it. If he hadn''t reminded you of this, would you not have thought of it?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Shane nodded honestly. At this, Natalie nced over her shoulder and threw him a pouting look. Her looks were exceedingly beautiful and stunning, so it was simply pure temptation now that she was wearing such an expression. Chapter 463 Chapter 463 All at once, Shane''s gaze darkened. Before Natalie could turn her head back to the front, he dropped a hand from her waist and gripped her chin with it instead. Then, he dipped his head and kissed her. Natalie was stunned at first before she squirmed apprehensively and pushed him away gently with her elbow. Her face bright red, she whispered, ¡°What are you doing? We''re in the kitchen, and I''m washing the dishes.¡± She then waved her soapy hands. Since they were now dating, she naturally wouldn''t decline sharing a kiss, but it was still dependent on the time and ce. However, Shane didn''t have such an awareness. As he looked down at her bashful expression, his Adam''s apple bobbed slightly. ¡°It''s okay. Just wash themter.¡± After saying that, he spun her around. With a hand around her waist and another at the back of her head, he again kissed her. ¡°Mmph...¡± Natalie blinked, mirth and exasperation brimming in her eyes. This man is simply too eager! But this time, she didn''t push him away. Instead, she lifted her arms and hooked them around his neck as she started responding to him. The soap bubbles on her hands dissipated one by one, turning into water and dripping onto the man''s neck. The water was so chilly that the man''s body went rigid. Despite that, he didn''t release his hold on Natalie, his kiss turning all the more passionate instead. It was at this precise moment that the two children stepped into the kitchen hand in hand. As soon as they saw their parents kissing, they both stood rooted to the spot, their eyes as round as saucers and their mouths hanging wide open. A long whileter, Sharon pointed at Natalie and Shane. ¡°Connor, what are Mommy and Dad eating?¡± Snapping back to reality, Connor hurriedly pped his hands over her mouth and eyes. ¡°Don''t look!¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± The little girl made a muffled sound of displeasure, wanting her brother to let go of her. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. However, Connor didn''t do as she wished. On the contrary, he hastily dragged her out of the kitchen. While doing so, he even giggled at Natalie and Shane. ¡°Carry on, Mommy, Dad! Don''t mind us!¡± As his words fell, he even closed the kitchen door. The two children appeared out of the blue, yet they also disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Natalie and Shane staring at each other. After a while, Natalie pushed the man away and red at him, her face flushed. ¡°It was all your fault that the kids caught us red-handed!¡± ¡°So what? It''s no big deal,¡± Shane murmured gently as he smoothed her hair. Natalie wriggled out of his embrace. ¡°Alright, go out first. I''m not done washing the dishes.¡± ¡°I''ll help.¡± As Shane said that, he started rolling up his sleeves. Natalie stared at his muscled forearms. She didn''t decline but handed him a clean cloth. ¡°Help me dry the dishes and put them into the cab.¡± Having received his orders, Shane murmured in acknowledgment of his task. As they both promptly worked together like a well-oiled machine¡ªone washing, and the other drying. With that, all the dishes were done in no time. Then, they left the kitchen, one after another. When the two children who were ying Lego on the carpet in the living room heard the sound of footsteps, they both stopped short and swung their gazes over in concert. Under the intent gazes of two pairs of big eyes, the corners of Natalie''s mouth involuntarily twitched. ¡°Mommy!¡± Sharon abruptly flung away the Lego in her hand and scrambled up. Trotting over to her, she grabbed her hand before ncing up at Shane. ¡°What exactly were you and Dad eating? Connor refused to tell me!¡± From her repeated question, it was evident that she was absolutely unrelenting when it came to food. Naturally, Connor couldn''t help rolling his eyes at her. ¡°You''re such a chowhound!¡± ¡°Don''t insult your sister in such a manner, Connor,¡± Natalie chided him softly even as she pursed her lips. Subsequently, she looked down, only to lock gazes with her daughter''s eyes that were gleaming with curiosity. Her flushed bright red, and she gave a light cough. ¡°Your dad and I... weren''t eating anything.¡± When Shane heard her referring to him as the children''s dad, a burst of tion flooded him, and the corners of his mouth lifted. After all, she''d always been referring to him as Mr. Shane with the children although they''d long since started addressing him as Dad. Her change of address now means that she has truly epted me! ¡°I don''t believe that!¡± Sharon pouted. ¡°I saw your mouth and Dad''s stered together as clear as day earlier...¡± Before she''d finished speaking, her mouth was again covered by Connor, who had dashed over. ¡°Alright, that''s enough. The food Mommy and Dad were eating can only be consumed by adults. We, children, can''t eat it.¡± Chapter 464 Chapter 464 At this, Sharon blinked as though seeking confirmation. Thus, Connor nodded solemnly. Meanwhile, Natalie stifled a smile behind her hand. Sure enough, it takes a kid to handle another kid best! Sharon finally believed Connor, and her eyes drooped in disappointment. At longst, Connor dropped his hand from her mouth. ¡°Let''s go. I''ve got a lollipop in the room, and I''ll give it to you.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Sharon pped her tiny hands exuberantly. The two children then went to their rooms hand in hand. When silence again reigned in the living room, Natalie turned and looked at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± ¡°You''re still calling me Mr. Shane?¡± Quirking an eyebrow, Shane stared at her with a half-smile ying on his lips. Choking, Natalie instantly realized that it was indeed rather inappropriate for her to be addressing him as Mr. Shane since she was now dating him. That''s too distant and doesn''t sound as though we''re lovers. But how should I address him, then? Biting her lip, Natalie mulled it over for some time. Then, she inhaled deeply and mustered all her courage to murmur out a single word tentatively. ¡°Shane?¡± In response, Shane gently murmured an acknowledgment in assent. Natalie giggled. ¡°So, I''ll address you thus henceforth, yeah?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane nodded. At this, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. She was just about to say something when the doorbell rang out of the blue. Hence, she went over to open the door after pointing at the entrance hall. As soon as the door was opened, she was greeted by Ss, who was standing outside while grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m here to look for Mr. Shane. Mrs. Wilson said that he''s here?¡± As he spoke, he cast his gaze beyond Natalie. Natalie then twisted her body sideways and allowed him entry. ¡°Come on in. Shane is in the living room.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Ss replied. He had just taken a step into the house when he realized that something was off. All at once, his eyes bugged. ¡°What did you just call Mr. Shane a moment ago, Ms. Smith?¡± If my hearing didn''t fail me, she called him Shane? Natalie, on the other hand, had long since expected that others would be surprised at her new address of Shane. Thus, she merely answered smilingly, ¡°Shane.¡± Ha! I knew it! Swallowing, Ss inquired, ¡°You''re now dating Mr. Shane, Ms. Smith?¡± In reply, Natalie nodded slightly before handing him a pair of slippers. After Ss had changed into the slippers, he followed her to the living room in a daze. ¡°I''ll leave you two to talk. I''m going to brew some tea in the kitchen.¡± After Natalie said that, she pivoted and headed to the kitchen. The very moment she left, Ss swiftly trotted over to the sofa and congratted the man who was sitting on the sofa. ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Shane! You''ve finally managed to win Ms. Smith over!¡± This congrattory remark sent a wave of gratification sweeping across Shane. Nevertheless, he still maintained an impassioned expression outwardly and murmured cidly, ¡°Go and get a month''s bonus from the finance department yourself.¡± Ss'' eyes lit up at once. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane!¡± After acknowledging it with a tilt of his chin, he went back to business. ¡°Why did you suddenlye and look for me?¡± ¡°It''s about Mr. Thompson''s will.¡± Speaking of this, Ss promptly schooled his expression into a nk mask, and his demeanor turned solemn. ¡°I found Mr. Thompson''s assistant back when he was alive and asked about the will''s whereabouts, but he has no inkling about it.¡± However, Shane wasn''t the slightest bit surprised upon hearing this. Rather, he adjusted his position unhurriedly. ¡°It''s not surprising that he has no inkling of its whereabouts, for if he did, Sean would''ve long since gotten his hands on it.¡± ¡°That''s true.¡± Ss nodded in agreement. ¡°I also asked him a few other questions, but he couldn''t answer any of them. However, he told me to convey a message to you, which he imed Mr. Thompson left for you before his death.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed. Taking a breath, Ss slowly murmured, ¡°The assistant urged you not to look for the will if Sean Thompson doesn''t cross the line or harbor any avarice toward Thompson Group and the Thompson family.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Shane''s hands clenched into fists. ¡°Is there something in the will that can bring him down?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°That''s the most likely possibility. Otherwise, there''s no reason Mr. Thompson would leave such a message for you. Besides, it''s clear as day that Sean Thompson knows the content of the will, hence doing everything in his power to get his hands on it so that he can destroy it. By doing so, he would have nothing to fear anymore,¡± Ss postted as he nudged his sses. Shane''s eyes narrowed into slits, and he coldly snorted. ¡°In that case, I must find the will! I want to see just what exactly is in there!¡± Chapter 465 Chapter 465 ¡°But we have no leads at all.¡± Ss looked at him helplessly. At this, Shane lowered his eyes and then plunged into deep thought as he deliberated where his grandfather could have kept the will. However, after racking his brains for a long while, he was still left with no inkling. The will can''t be at any of all those ces, for Sean can definitely think of them if I can do so. And he might have even rummaged through them all! Therefore, the will must be somece else! ¡°Have some tea.¡± At this time, Natalie came out of the kitchen with tea. Jolting out of his thoughts, Shane lifted his eyes and ordered, ¡°Go back first. I''ll try my best to think of a lead.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ss nodded. Meanwhile, Natalie was bending down to pour the tea into the ss. ¡°You''re already leaving, Mr. Campbell? But I''ve just made tea.¡± ¡°It''s okay, Ms. Smith. I''ve still got something to do, so I''ll get on with it first instead of intruding on you and Mr. Shane.¡± After saying that, Ss shed her a meaningful smile before he spun around and left. Noticing the suggestiveness in the final nce he threw her, Natalie couldn''t help but blush again. When Shane glimpsed her ming face, his eyes darkened. Then, he nced at his wristwatch. ¡°It''s ratherte now. Shall we retire?¡± ¡°Of course. In that case, are you...¡± Before Natalie had even finished speaking, Shane was already walking toward her room.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. At that sight, Natalie was instantly stunned. When she''d snapped back to her senses, she quickly trotted after him. ¡°You''re nning to stay overnight at my ce, Shane?¡± Shane, however, went straight to her bed and parked his butt down. ¡°Do you have any objections?¡± Natalie opened her mouth to utter a resolute protest, but in the face of his profound gaze, her words got stuck in her throat. Never mind, I''ll just let him stay overnight since he wants to do so. We''re now together anyway, and we''re both adults, so it seems rather unreasonable to refuse him. Thus, she sighed in resignation. She then walked over to the closet and took out a new bath towel for him. ¡°Go and take a shower. I''ll go and ask Mrs. Wilson for your pajamas.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shane took the bath towel from her. Subsequently, Natalie left the room and went to the apartment right opposite hers. After learning about the purpose of her visit, Mrs. Wilson promptly snagged a set of pajamas and a set of formal wear Shane would be wearing the next day from his closet, handing them both to her. Holding the two bags of clothes, Natalie then went back to her apartment. An hourter, her nerves were frayed as shey on the bed, and her body was as stiff as a board. As this was her first time sleeping with Shane while starkly sober, the feeling of uneasiness and even a hint of apprehension held her captive. Naturally, Shane noticed her trepidation. Knowing that she needed time to get used to him, he didn''t touch her that night, merely hugging her as he slumbered. Despite that, Natalie''s nerves remained stretched taut. It was only in the wee hours of the morning that she was finally defeated by fatigue and fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already eight o''clock in the morning. As she ambled out of the bedroom while musing her messy hair, she was greeted by the sight of the two children and Shane having breakfast at the dining table. As soon as the two children spotted her, they waved at her enthusiastically. ¡°Morning, Mommy!¡± ¡°Morning!¡± After shing them a warm smile, Natalie shifted her gaze to the man, who was wiping Sharon''s mouth for her. ¡°Good morning.¡± Shane nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Wash up quickly ande have breakfast.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie murmured, then strolled toward the bathroom. Soon, they were done with breakfast, and they then sent the two children to kindergarten. Only when the two children had been led away by the kindergarten teacher did they climb back into the car. While fastening his seatbelt, Shane asked, ¡°Where do you want to go next? Your studio?¡± Patting her handbag, Natalie shook her head. ¡°Nope. I want to go to the hospital first.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane immediately pieced the puzzle together and nced at her handbag. ¡°You''ve gotten the hair samples?¡± ¡°I got them yesterday afternoon,¡± Natalie answered with a bright smile. Shane nodded slightly in response. ¡°I''ll go with you.¡± As his words fell, he started the car. An hourter, they arrived at the hospital. Upon their arrival, Shane headed straight to Jackson''s office with Natalie. The moment Jackson saw them holding hands, he was so shocked that his sses slipped off. ¡°Y-You two...¡± Jumping to his feet, he pointed at Natalie and Shane''s interlinked hands. Seemingly an eternity passed before he could finallyplete his utterance. ¡°You two are now dating?¡± Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Shane looked at Jackson disdainfully. ¡°That''s enough. I''ve got something for you to do.¡± He gestured towards Natalie. Natalie nodded. She opened her bag and fished out several waterproof stic bags. Shane took them, then tossed them onto Jackson''s table. Jackson nced at the bags and sat down. ¡°What''s this?¡± he inquired. ¡°Hair,¡± Shane replied shortly. Pulling Natalie along with him, Shane crossed over to another sofa and sat down as well. Jackson rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course, I know it''s hair,¡± he said testily. ¡°What I want to know is¡ªwhose is it?¡± ¡°It''s Jasmine¡¯s and the bunch,¡± Natalie quickly replied. With a few brief sentences, she outlined what had happened the night before at the news station. Jackson listened carefully. Fiddling with his sses, he said in a tone of mild surprise, ¡°The Smith family is rather sensational, isn''t it? All right. I''ll process this for you. The results should be out in half an hour.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dr. Baker,¡± Natalie said politely. She stood up and extended her hand towards him in gratitude. Shane grabbed her outstretched hand and yanked her back onto the sofa. He gave Jackson a vehement re, then informed Natalie icily, ¡°You''ve already thanked him.¡± Shane was determined not to let Natalie give Jackson more credit than he was due. Jackson gave a wry smile. He felt that he had been rather unfairly treated. I haven''t even asked her for anything? What right does Shane have to look at me like I have done something wrong? Jackson decided that if he couldn''t win this fight, so he wouldn''t even bother participating in it. He thus said nothing, merely picked up the few bags strewn across his table, and strode out of the office. Jackson hadn''t even gone long when a voice piped up from beyond the door, calling meekly, ¡°Jackie, is Shane here?¡± It was none other than Jacqueline. Natalie clenched her jaw. She threw a nce towards the door and said offhandedly, ¡°Shane, Ms. Graham is here.¡± Shane patted Natalie''s shoulder as if to soothe her. ¡°I''ll get the door.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°OK, go ahead,¡± Natalie smiled at him reassuringly. It was just a matter of getting the door. She wasn''t that prone to jealousy yet. When she had agreed to date Shane, Natalie knew that she would eventually have to face the problem of Jacqueline someday. And here Jacqueline was. It would be just as well to clear any misunderstandings between them now. It would have been crueler of Natalie and Shane to let Jacqueline find out by watching them be intimate. The news might be unbearable for Jacqueline now, but it would be far more brutal for her to suddenly chance upon itter. As Natalie pondered over this, Shane had already opened the door. Jacqueline was wearing a hospital gown. She entered the room, supported by a nurse. Her demure smile froze when she caught sight of Natalie. That was thest person Jacqueline had expected to see. ¡°Ms. Smith, you are here too!¡± Jacqueline eximed. Natalie acknowledged Jacqueline with a faint smile. ¡°Ms. Graham.¡± Jacqueline waved, dismissing the nurse. The nurse nodded and turned to leave. She even shut the office door behind her considerately. Shane helped Jacqueline over to the sofa facing Natalie. Crossly, he said, ¡°Why aren''t you resting in your room? What are you doinging all the way over here?¡± Jacqueline sped his hands in hers as she sat down slowly. ¡°The nurse said that you were here, so I wanted toe over to see you. I haven''t seen you for quite a few days already.¡± ¡°I''ve been very busytely,¡± Shane said curtly. He returned Jacqueline''s hands to herp, then retreated to Natalie''s side. After he sat down next to her, Shane deliberately took Natalie''s hands in his. Jacqueline watched them, stupefied. Her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Shane, are you and Ms. Smith...¡± ¡°We''re dating,¡± Shane announced firmly, gripping Natalie''s hands tightly. Natalie only smiled and nodded in affirmation. All the blood drained from Jacqueline''s face. Refusing to believe her ears, she shook her head and mumbled to herself, ¡°No, it can''t be, how could you...¡± Before she could finish, Jacqueline''s eyes rolled up into her head. She copsed onto the sofa and fainted. This turn of events left Shane and Natalie floundering. ¡°Jacqueline!¡± Shane immediately disentangled himself from Natalie and dashed over to examine her. He lifted her eyelids to check for signs of life, then pinched her in several ces. Natalie looked ruefully at the hand that Shane had flung aside in his distress. She then turned to watch Shane''s immense anxiety for Jacqueline. Natalie was a reasonable person, but dissatisfaction bubbled up within her on its own ord. They were ultimately unable to revive Jacqueline and sent her to the emergency room. Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Natalie waited with Shane outside the emergency room. Shane paced up and down, often ncing impatiently at the red light above the entrance to the emergency room. He''d pressed his lips together so tightly that they were barely a thin line. ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Graham will be fine,¡± Natalie consoled Shane. Sensing his inner turmoil, Natalie pressed her hand against his and forced a smile onto her face. Shane turned towards her, an unfathomable look in his dark eyes. He remained silent. Natalie''s smile faltered slightly. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. What''s Shane thinking? Doesn''t he believe me? Or is he ming me for causing Jacqueline''s mishap? Natalie bit her lip and released Shane''s hand. She walked off to the side, keeping a distance from him. Then she said dispassionately, ¡°Mr. Shane, our rtionship caused such a tremendous shock to Ms. Graham that she fainted. Perhaps it would be better for us to break it off.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Shane asked wildly. He whirled around, looking menacingly at her. Is she saying that she wants to break up with me? Natalie found herself flinching in the face of Shane''s fury. She refused to concede, however. Gathering up her courage, Natalie said bravely, ¡°I meant that we should break things off between us. You may not have romantic feelings towards Ms. Graham, but she does towards you. That''s why she can''t ept the idea of us dating.¡± ¡°I''ll have a good talk with Jacqueline when shees to. But I don''t want to hear you mention us breaking up ever again!¡± Shane dered, glowering at Natalie. The strength of Shane''s assertion left Natalie speechless. She merely gaped at him, unable to summon a response. Just then, Jackson raced over, clutching a set of documents. ¡°What happened? Why was Jacqueline suddenly sent to the emergency room?¡± he asked frantically. ¡°It''s nothing. Have the profiling resultse out yet?¡± Shane demanded, casting a nce at the documents in Jackson''s hands. He had intentionally omitted the reason for Jacqueline''s fainting spell. Jackson thrust the documents at Shane rather peevishly. ¡°It''s out. See for yourself. I''m going to check up on Jacqueline.¡± Without another word, Jackson stormed into the emergency room. Shane immediately handed the documents to Natalie, who opened it. Upon reading its contents, Natalie''s lovely almond eyes narrowed. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Shane asked. Natalie massaged her temples, then spoke. ¡°Jasmine is indeed Susan and Warren''s daughter, not Harrison''s.¡± This meant that none of Susan''s children truly belonged to Harrison. Harrison''s only two legitimate children were thus Natalie and Jared. Harrison had chosen another man''s daughter over his own flesh and blood. Is this retribution? Natalie wondered. Shane jammed both hands into his pockets. ¡°If Harrison knew about this, he''d surely devise all ways and means to get you and Jared back under his roof.¡± ¡°We can''t say for sure. He hates me to the core right now. How could he possibly bring himself to acknowledge me?¡± Natalie said, cing the profiling documents aside. ¡°Things might be different for Jared, though. Harrison actually called me a few days ago to ask about Jared, intending to get him back home and inherit the Smith family legacy.¡± ¡°What''s there to inherit from the Smith family?¡± Shane scoffed, raising an eyebrow. He didn''t even bother to disguise his contempt. Natalie shrugged. ¡°That''s true. We all know that the Smith family has fallen, and there''s nothing left worth inheriting. Harrison, however, is of a different mind. He still firmly believes in the prosperity of the Smith family.¡± Shane sneered, but said nothing. After a while, the light above the door of the emergency room went off. Jackson emerged from within, pushing Jacqueline on a hospital bed. Shane stepped forward, keeping pace with them. ¡°How''s Jacqueline?¡± he asked. ¡°She''s fine. She''s just in shock. Her heart rate was a little higher than usual. She''ll recover consciousness soon enough,¡± Jackson replied, his eyes remaining fixed on Jacqueline''s inert body. The tenderness with which Jackson gazed at Jacqueline shone through his sses. Natalie finally realized with a start that Jackson was in love with Jacqueline. The three of them are a proper mess indeed! Natalie mused. Jackson liked Jacqueline, while Jacqueline had eyes only for Shane. Shane, on the other hand, saw Jacqueline as nothing more than a sister. It was almost a love triangle. Natalie took another look at Jacqueline. Jacqueline''s face was white as a sheet. Shey on the hospital bed with both eyes tightly shut. Jacqueline wasn''t wearing her wig, and multiple scars crisscrossed, standing out in relief against her bald scalp. Each scar was at least five inches long. The horrible sight was enough to make one shudder. Chapter 468 Chapter 468 In horror, Natalie stumbled backward involuntarily and almost fell. Shane quickly let go of the hospital bed and gripped Natalie in rm, pulling her into his arms. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie looked after the departing hospital bed, thenposed herself. When she turned to smile at Shane, it was almost a grimace. ¡°It''s nothing. I was just surprised by Ms. Graham''s scars.¡± Shane nodded in understanding. To the unsuspecting eye, the scars indeed presented a rather horrifying image. When Shane had first encountered them, he''d also been rather stunned. Afterward, when he had gotten used to it, they''d ceased to bother him. ¡°Jacqueline got her scars from multiple operations,¡± Shane exined to Natalie as they walked towards Jacqueline''s hospital room. Natalie had almost recovered her wits entirely by then. She tilted her head and looked at Shane curiously. ¡°Has Ms. Graham really gone for so many operations?¡± ¡°Yep. A tumor grew in Jacqueline''s head when she was in a vegetative state. Due to its location, No doctor dared to remove itpletely. The portion of the tumor that was left behind kept growing, so multiple surgeries had to be done to keep it in check,¡± Shane said, sighing. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Comprehension dawned on Natalie, and she nodded. ¡°Then, has the tumor in Ms. Graham''s head beenpletely removed by Stanley?¡± Shane nodded again. One had to admit that Stanley''s surgical skills were unparalleled. His character, however, was an entirely different matter altogether. Natalie and Shane eventually arrived at Jacqueline''s room. Shane entered first, with Natalie in tow. Jacqueline had woken up by then and was sitting in bed propped up by pillows. Jackson was waiting on her with water. When Jacqueline saw them enter, her face darkened. She pushed the cup of water away from her lips brusquely. Jackson resignedly returned the cup to the bedside table and threw the straw away. He turned, beaming, towards Shane and Natalie. ¡°What took you both so long?¡± he asked. ¡°We were held up on the way here,¡± Shane answered briefly. Turning towards the pale Jacqueline and, his expression softened. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Jacqueline shook her head but did not reply. Perceiving that Jacqueline was in a disagreeable mood, Shane pursed his lips and said to Jackson and Natalie, ¡°You two head out first. I''ll have a chat with Jacqueline alone.¡± Natalie guessed what was on Shane''s mind and left the room. Jackson followed behind her. The two of them walked over to some seats along the corridor and sat down. ¡°When did you start dating Shane?¡± Jackson asked casually, reclining in his seat with his hands crossed behind his head. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Natalie darted a nce at the hospital room they''d juste out from. ¡°Last night.¡± ¡°Last night?¡± Jackson blinked. ¡°I thought it would at least have been a few days ago. After all, Shane hasn''te to the hospital to visit Jacqueline for a few days at least.¡± Not even once? Natalie was taken aback by this information. She ruffled her hair to conceal her astonishment, then commented, ¡°He was probably too busy.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Jackson replied. He shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. His gaze, however, was fixed steadfastly on the floor, and Natalie couldn''t guess what was running through his mind. Natalie was not too familiar with Jackson. She remained beside him inpanionable silence. The long wait, however, made Natalie feel rather restless and uneasy. Thankfully, the door of the hospital room soon opened, and Shane walked out. Natalie and Jackson sprang to their feet. ¡°Is it over?¡± Natalie asked anxiously, looking up at him. Shane nodded. ¡°Jacqueline wants to say a few words to you.¡± ¡°To me?¡± Natalie pointed at herself, nonplussed. Shane nodded again. ¡°Go on in.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Natalie said hesitantly. She walked past Shane and entered the hospital room. Jacqueline was sitting up in bed. She hastily wiped the tears from her face the moment she caught sight of Natalie. Turning to Natalie with swollen eyes, Jacqueline said, ¡°Congrattions on getting together with Shane.¡± Natalie could detect more than a hint of bitterness in Jacqueline''s voice. She sighed wearily. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jacqueline looked at her haughtily. ¡°Why are you thanking me? What do you have to thank me for? Do you really think I''m congratting you?¡± Bemused, Natalie replied, ¡°I knew that you weren''t really...¡± Chapter 469 Chapter 469 ¡°If you knew that, why did you bother thanking me? Are you just rubbing it in my face?¡± Jacqueline broke in. ¡°Are you trying to show off to me that you''re together with Shane?¡± ¡°I''m not!¡± Natalie retorted. Jacqueline refused to believe her. Quivering, Jacqueline said, ¡°Natalie, I''ve really been mistaken about you. Do you think you''re being fair to me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s mouth twitched. Jacqueline''s harsh usations left Natalie rather confounded. Jacqueline turned to Natalie with a look of absolute loathing. ¡°Don''t tell me you don''t remember what I told you before about staying away from Shane?¡± Natalie nodded uncertainly. ¡°I remember.¡± That had urred when Stanley was first admitted to the hospital following his ident. Jacqueline hade to visit Stanley and bumped into Natalie instead. Jacqueline had issued that warning to Natalie then. Jacqueline''s voice rose. ¡°If you remember, then why aren''t you doing it? You''re not being fair to me. I love Shane. I''d loved him ever since we were little. You knew this for a fact, yet you still went ahead and got together with him! You''re really adamant about being a third party, aren''t you?¡± Upon hearing the charges that Jacqueline had flung to her, Natalie felt a twinge of guilt. Lowering her eyes, she said, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Graham. I never had the intention to do this, but things happened along the way. Besides, I don''t think I''ve ruined any rtionship between Mr. Shane and you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jacqueline almost choked with anger. ¡°Are you trying to say that you don''t think you''ve snatched Shane away from me?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Natalie raised her head and met Jacqueline''s re defiantly. ¡°Mr. Shane told me that he''d never loved you. He''s always treated you like a sister, and you''ve never been in a romantic rtionship with him. Mr. Shane was single when I met him. Therefore, I didn''t snatch him away from anyone.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Even if Jacqueline has any ce in Shane''s heart at all, it''s definitely only a small corner! Shane would never date her. Natalie thought triumphantly. ¡°You... you...¡± Jacqueline pointed a shaky finger at Natalie. She was evidently ovee with rage. After a moment''s pause, Jacqueline''s hand fell. ¡°Get out. I don''t want to see you anymore. Get out!¡± she shrieked. Natalie''s mouth curled. She turned and left. She walked out of the room under the watchful eye of both Shane and Jackson. When Natalie saw them, she shook her head and marched towards the lift. Shane chased after Natalie and got into the lift with her. As the lift descended, Shane pressed, ¡°What did Jacqueline say to you?¡± Taking a deep breath, Natalie honestly recounted the conversation between Jacqueline and herself. Upon hearing what had transpired, Shane took Natalie into his arms and said softly, ¡°Don''t take Jacqueline''s words to heart.¡± Natalie''s arms encircled his waist. She leaned her head against his shoulder and replied, ¡°Of course, I won''t. I don''t think I did anything wrong. I never came between the two of you, nor did I snatch you away from anyone.¡± Her heart, however, contained a tinge of remorse nheless. It was true that Natalie had not kept her distance from Shane as she had agreed. ¡°I know you didn''t,¡± Shane said teasingly. He leaned over and nted a kiss on Natalie''s forehead. Natalie prodded his shoulder and squeezed him a little tighter. ¡°What about you? How did your conversation with Ms. Graham go? What did you talk about?¡± Shane ruffled Natalie''s hair and said slowly, ¡°I told Jacqueline that the one I loved was you, not her. That you were the one I wanted to be with and not her.¡± Natalie was bbergasted. ¡°Wasn''t that too straightforward of you? No wonder Ms. Graham was crying when I entered the room.¡± She vividly recalled the scene that had greeted her when she first entered the room. Her heart ached a little at the memory of Jacqueline wiping away her tears. ¡°I had to be straightforward to achieve a clean break. It''s the best thing for her and for us,¡± Shane said resolutely, pulling Natalie with him out of the lift. Natalie clung to Shane''s arm. ¡°But what if she can''t let go of you?¡± Shane had evidently not considered this. He held the door to the passenger seat open for Natalie, saying thoughtfully, ¡°I believe Jacqueline wille to her senses.¡± ¡°Is that so...¡± Natalie lowered her eyes, masking the expression that flitted through them. She said nothing. How was Jacqueline going to let go of Shane that easily? She has loved him for ten years! If she wanted to give him up, she would have done so long ago. Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Besides, even if there were no longer any romantic feelings left, obsession could still remain. It was this obsession that was the trickiest to deal with. Shane closed the door behind Natalie, then crossed over to the driver''s seat. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°To the studio,¡± Natalie announced, fastening her seatbelt. Shane started the car and drove off. Half an hourter, they arrived at the studio. Natalie waved and sent Shane off with a fond look. She only turned away when the car had vanished into the distance, then walked towards the entrance. Joyce teased Natalie as she walked into the studio. ¡°Who''s this youthful-looking person?¡± Natalie merely gave her a look and continued making her way to her office. She hung her bag onto the rack and slumped onto her chair. Joyce followed Natalie in. She stood before Natalie''s desk and remarked jovially, ¡°Nat, I just saw Mr. Shane send you here! You even kissed him. Are you...¡± ¡°Quiet, quiet!¡± Natalie hurriedly raised a finger to her lips, cutting short Joyce''s probing. Joyce leaped up, having confirmed her suspicions. ¡°No way! How can we keep quiet about something as big as this? It''s time for you to treat me to a meal, Nat. Didn''t we agree that the first person to get into a rtionship would treat the other to a meal?¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°Fine, I''ll treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°This is not bad,¡± Joyce said, satisfied. Natalie turned on herputer and said, ¡°By the way, please don''t tell anyone that Mr. Shane and I are dating. Don''t even tell my mom or Stanley. Don''t tell Stanley in particr; I''m afraid that he may get overly agitated.¡± Stanley was obsessed with Natalie. If he caught wind of Natalie and Shane dating, his condition would surely be aggravated along with his mood. As for her mom, Natalie preferred to wait until she came back to tell her. ¡°Don''t you worry! My lips are sealed,¡± Joyce promised cheerfully. The look in her eyes, however, was rather dismal. Natalie sighed, then tried to change the subject. ¡°We released another line of clothing yesterday, didn''t we? How are the sales?¡± ¡°I was just about to discuss this with you,¡± Joyce said, pping. ¡°I took a look at the numbers, and they''re higher thanst month''s sales by sixty percent!¡± Natalie''s jaw dropped. ¡°Sixty percent?¡± ¡°That''s right!¡± Joyce eximed, nodding vigorously. ¡°The main reason was actually because of the controversy created by your jerk of a father during the finals. It really shot you to fame! That''s why we have such a boost in the sales figure this time around.¡± ¡°I guess I should be thanking Harrison after all,¡± Natalie said, shaking her head in resignation. ¡°All right. Record the sales and let everyone know that we''ll be organizing a celebration for this achievement tomorrow night.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Joyce agreed, making her way out. Natalie pulled open a drawer, took out the brochures within, and went to work.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. When afternoon came, Joyce had already ordered lunch. Natalie stretchedzily and was about to join her when her cell phone rang. She nced at it and saw that it was the detective. Natalie immediately picked up the call. ¡°Ms. Smith, something terrible has happened!¡± the detective said over the phone, sounding somewhat perturbed. Natalie instantly grew somber. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± she asked. ¡°Jasmine... Jasmine''smitted suicide by throwing herself off a building!¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s mind reeled. Her voice rose. Joyce had overheard Natalie''s reaction from the main office and peered into Natalie''s office apprehensively. ¡°Nat, what''s wrong?¡± she queried. ¡°Jasmine has killed herself by jumping off a building!¡± Clutching her phone, Natalie shot back at Joyce. The spoon Joyce had been holding dropped onto the floor. She paid no heed to it and ran towards Natalie. ¡°Is that for real?¡± ¡°I want to know too,¡± Natalie said through gritted teeth, addressing the detective on the other end of the line. On his end, the detective looked at the crowd gathered not far off and said sternly, ¡°It''s true. I witnessed Jasmine throw herself out of her window with my own eyes. The ambnce, police, and the media have all arrived at the scene. The news should be circting online soon.¡± Chapter 471 Chapter 471 ¡°Let me look for it now,¡± Joyce said. She''d practically pressed her ear against Natalie''s cell phone to listen. Upon hearing what the detective had said, she immediately bolted over to Natalie''sputer to search for the news online. Natalie joined her. Watching as Joyce scoured the inte, she queried, ¡°How is Jasmine now?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I didn''t go over to check on her. But from the solemn look on the policemen and paramedic''s faces, it''s likely that...¡± The detective trailed off, leaving Natalie to draw her own conclusions. Natalie''s hand curled up into a fist. Jasmine''s room was on the twelfth floor. The average distance between each floor was a little less than ten feet. Twelve floors was a whole 120 feet from the ground. Could anyone survive falling from that height? ¡°Got it!¡± Joyce cried. She''d found information about Jasmine''s suicide. Natalie watched the video that yed on the screen. The footage was extremely shaky and blurred. A passerby had probably captured it on his cell phone. In the video, a disheveled-looking woman in a patient''s gown was sitting on the window ledge, facing inward. The next second, she had tumbled out and hurtled downward. She hit the ground a few secondster. Her body violently convulsed twice, theny still. A crimson pool gradually seeped out from beneath it and gathered around her. Joyce screamed in terror. She covered her eyes with her hands and refused to watch any further. Natalie was simrly petrified. Her face had grown visibly pale. With a trembling hand, she reached forward and turned off theputer. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Nat.. was that really Jasmine?¡± Joyce lowered her hands from her eyes and asked shakily. The scene shed once more before Natalie''s eyes. She opened her mouth, then finally admitted, ¡°I don''t know. Her figure looked very familiar, though, and that was the window of Jasmine''s room.¡± ¡°Does that mean that was really Jasmine? So she has reallymitted suicide!¡± Joyce gulped. It seemed like an absurd thought. Natalie, too, was overwhelmed by how surreal it all felt. However, she could not refute the evidence that she had just seen. It had happened regardless of whether Natalie was willing to believe it or not. Just then, it urred to her that the call hadn''t ended. Natalie brought the phone to her ear and inhaled several times deeply before asking, ¡°What''s the situation like over there now?¡± ¡°Hold on, Ms. Smith. Let me take a closer look,¡± the detective replied and walked over. He had barely made it a few feet forward when a car abruptly came to a halt right in front of him. A man in a white coat got off the car and strode towards the police cordon on the scene. The sight of the white coat stopped the detective in his tracks. It was enough proof in itself that the situation was as they feared. ¡°Ms. Smith, Jasmine is dead. The coroner is already at the scene,¡± the detective said. Natalie''s mouth went dry. It was a long time before she managed to croak out her reply. ¡°Got it.¡± The call ended. Natalie stonily put her cell phone down on the table and copsed onto her chair. Joyce looked at her, distraught. ¡°Is she really dead?¡± ¡°The coroner''s already arrived,¡± Natalie answered, bowing her head. The coroner would only be called in when there was no life left for he had to examine the body and announced the time of death. Joyce was silent. It was a long while before she spoke again. ¡°What do you think happened that made her do such a thing? I absolutely detest Jasmine, but I''ve never wished for her death.¡± Don''t I feel the same? Natalie brooded. Disliking Jasmine is one thing, but wanting her dead? Natalie had never imagined that. ¡°I can understand, though,¡± Joyce said sympathetically, taking a seat. ¡°So many men had vited her. Her reproductive organ was badly injured, and she was a cripple too. It''s only natural that she would have suicidal thoughts. If I were Jasmine, I would probably have done the same.¡± Natalie said nothing in response. Her gaze fell on the documents that she had left on her desk earlier. They contained the results of Jasmine and Harrison''s DNA profile. She''d only just confirmed that Jasmine wasn''t Harrison''s daughter. What was Natalie supposed to do with this information now that Jasmine had ended her own life? The significance of this revtion no longer mattered. Chapter 472 Chapter 472 When Natalie was wondering if she should destroy the document, Joyce let out a gasp of disbelief. ¡°Oh, my. Jasmine died a horrible death.¡± ¡°What? Did theizens actually upload those gory photos? Aren''t you afraid?¡± Natalie snapped back to reality and frowned. Joyce rolled her eyes. ¡°There isn''t any photo of that sort online. The authorities keep an eye on this and will delete all the relevant photos. I read this from a reporter''s description.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She pointed at her phone and revealed, ¡°The reporter said Jasmine fell t on her face, so her face is disfigured and unrecognizable. That was why I said she died a horrible death!¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Did you say she fell t on her face?¡± Natalie narrowed her gaze in suspicion. Joyce nodded. ¡°Yep. That was what the reporter said.¡± ¡°Don''t you find it strange?¡± ¡°Huh? What is so strange about it?¡± Joyce stared at her. Natalie lowered her gaze. ¡°Of course, it''s about how Jasmine fell t on her face. Do you remember she was sitting with her back against the window when we saw the video?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce nodded profusely. ¡°So, when she fell, she should fall t on her back instead of her face. She couldn''t have done a somersault in the air, right? No one can do that,¡± said Natalie sternly with her fists clenched up. ¡°Well...¡± Joyce did a double take. That does sound suspicious. Natalie rose to her feet and dered, ¡°Something is amiss with the corpse!¡± Joyce felt a chill down her spine upon hearing Natalie''s deration. She couldn''t help but shudder. ¡°Nat, stop it. That''s too scary. Don''t tell me someone switched the corpse?¡± ¡°That''s impossible. The corpse fell on the ground in public. No one would dare to switch it under everyone''s watchful gazes.¡± Natalie shook her head and added, ¡°There is another suspicious thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± urged Joyce. Natalie shut her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, her gaze was steely. ¡°It''s about how Jasmine jumped down from the building. Joyce, if you were tomit suicide, would you choose to face the window or jump with your back against the window?¡± ¡°I''ll face the window, of course. I''ve never heard of anyone who would jump with their back against the window...¡± Realization dawned on Joyce as her eyes widened in fear. ¡°Are you serious? Nat, are you saying Jasmine didn''tmit suicide? Someone else put her in that position and pushed her out of the window?¡± ¡°That could be possible. I feel that her position before she jumped and the corpse''s position on the ground are both abnormal. Hence, my doubts. But of course, I could be overthinking. I need to see the scene no matter what.¡± With that, she stood up and headed to the rack to grab her bag. Joyce rose to her feet as well. ¡°What is there to look at? Jasmine is dead. It doesn''t matter whether she was murdered ormitted suicide. This is none of our business. Just ignore it. Also, aren''t you going to have lunch?¡± Natalie''s lips pursed as she scowled. ¡°Do you think I can still eat after watching that video?¡± Joyce''s expression clouded over as she stopped harping about lunch. Natalie walked out of her studio and headed to the elevator. Joyce''s right. Jasmine''s death is none of my business. I should stay out of this. However, I didn''t tell Joyce about one of my doubts¡ªis that corpse Jasmine? The figure seemed familiar, but there are plenty of people who have simr figures. Most importantly, we didn''t get to see Jasmine''s face before or after shemitted suicide. That''s why I suspect the weird jumping position and the corpse''s face on the ground were arranged to hide the deceased''s features. Natalie was deep in thought when her phone began ringing. She strode ahead without stopping and answered the call. ¡°Hey, Shane,¡± she greeted. Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Shane''s throaty voice rang out. ¡°Have you heard about Jasmine''s suicide?¡± ¡°Yes, I''m about to go to the scene now,¡± Natalie replied as she pressed on the elevator button. Shane furrowed his brows. ¡°Why would you need to go there?¡± ¡°Because I think the person who died isn''t Jasmine.¡± She hurried into the elevator while exining her doubts. After hearing her exnation, Shane sprung up from his chair. ¡°I''ll go there with you too.¡± ¡°Alright. I shall wait for you there. Give me a call when you arrive,¡± responded Natalie. Shane mumbled a quick response and hung up. He opened his drawer and pulled his car keys out before striding out of his office. An hourter, Natalie arrived at the scene. She was toote, for the corpse was no longer there. Only a few police officers were there to investigate the matter. Instead of heading there, Natalie stood outside the police line and scanned the scene carefully. She nced at the spot where the corpse dropped before studying the window of Jasmine''s room in deep thought. One police officer spotted her and came to her. ¡°Miss, we''re in a middle of an investigation. If you have no business here, you need to leave.¡± Natalie shed a polite smile. She parted her lips to ask something when a maniac suddenly dashed toward them. It was Susan! Susan looked like a madwoman for her hair and clothes were a disheveled mess. Her eyes were red, so it was obvious she had cried beforeing here. ring at Natalie, she demanded, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Do you know each other?¡± the police officer asked. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. She''s my father''s second wife.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± He nodded in realization. She''s the costume designer who is very popr recently. Susan pointed at Natalie furiously. ¡°Sir, she''s the one who killed my daughter!¡± Natalie knitted her brows. ¡°I killed your daughter?¡± ¡°You can''t use her without evidence, Mrs. Smith,¡± the police officer reprimanded her sternly. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Susan''s fists balled up as she dered, ¡°I am not using her. My daughter was bullied because of her! She couldn''t take it and chose tomit suicide. She''s the one who killed my daughter! What are you doing? Hurry up and arrest her!¡± Susan scurried ahead and shoved the police officer. The police officer nearly tumbled onto the ground, and his uniform got all wrinkled up. He pushed his cap back into ce and yelled, ¡°That''s enough! If you don''t stop, I shall sue you for assaulting a police officer!¡± Stunned, Susun stopped in her tracks. It took her a while to regain herposure. She immediately pped her thighs and wailed, ¡°This is unfair! I can''t believe this. The culprit is right here, but the police wouldn''t arrest her. This is totally unreasonable!¡± Seeing her outburst, Natalie''s lips twitched in disbelief. The police officer couldn''t bring himself toment on her action. He turned to Natalie and questioned, ¡°Miss, she used you of harming Jasmine Smith. Care to exin?¡± Natalie knew she''d be questioned because of what Susun imed. She smiled and replied politely, ¡°Well, Jasmine and I were rivals. You should know about that if you read the news online a while ago.¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± said the police officer with a nod. ncing at a wailing Susun, Natalie exined, ¡°Because of our grudge, they will me it on me every time something happens to Jasmine. It''s the same thing this time. She said her daughter was bullied andmitted suicide because of me. That''s not true. Jasmine brought this upon herself.¡± ¡°Can you exin in detail?¡± The police officer whipped out a notebook and a pen from his pocket to write her statement down. Natalie gave him a firm nod. ¡°Of course. It started one week ago.¡± Chapter 474 Chapter 474 ¡°No! Stop!¡± Susan barked out and tried to stop her. Natalie pretended not to hear her and proceeded to reveal how Jasmine escaped from the mental hospital and went to the hotel to try to harm Shane. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Of course, she didn''t mention how Shane took revenge by leaving her with a few men. She only reported how Shane didn''t take the drug and the other men drank it instead. Hence, Jasmine was raped by them. ¡°It created a hugemotion at the hotel. Both Mr. Shane and the hotel can prove it,¡± Natalie exined. A sh of disdain appeared in the police officer''s gaze. ¡°Oh, well. She brought this upon herself then¡± ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean by she brought his upon herself?¡± Susan yelled at him, her cheeks flushed out of anger. The police officer flinched at Susan''s roar. ¡°Why are you yelling? You said it was Ms. Smith here who humiliated Jasmine and caused thetter to leap to her death. Now, it is proved that Jasmine''s death has nothing to do with her. She can sue you for libel!¡± Hearing his warning, Susan was taken aback. However, she quickly regained her senses and sneered, ¡°Don''t you dare threaten me with that. Even if Jas'' death has nothing to do with her, she needs to bear some sort of responsibility.¡± Shooting a fierce re in Natalie''s direction, she announced, ¡°If you didn''t return to the country, Jas would still be Shane''s fianc¨¦e. She wouldn''t end up like this!¡± ¡°Oh, so I was wrong for returning to the country?¡± Natalie let out a sardonicugh. Even the police officer was shocked by how ridiculous Susan was. He straightened the hat on his head and uttered impatiently, ¡°Alright, you can leave now. I need to continue questioning Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°No! She killed my daughter. I want her to pay!¡± Susan''s face contorted in fury as she rolled up her sleeves to start a fight. Of course, the police officer leaped forward to stop her. s, Susan had lost her sanity and was unbelievably strong. She managed to push the man away and went for Natalie. Natalie''s eyes widened. In her terror, she forgot to avoid the attack. Right then, a strong armnded on her shoulder and pulled her aside. Susan lost her bnce and immediately toppled to the ground. The maniacal expression on her face turned to an ugly grimace as she gasped in pain. The police officer couldn''t help but mutter silently, You deserve it. Still, he went to her and helped her up for his job was to serve the public. Meanwhile, Shane released his grip on Natalie and scanned her with concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Hearing the concern in his voice, Natalie shook her head and grinned. ¡°I''m fine. Thank goodness you came in time.¡± ¡°That''s good.¡± Shane''s nervous heart began to rx. He then narrowed his gaze and turned to glower at Susan. Susan cowered instinctively and avoided his gaze. Seeing how fearful she was, Natalie let out a scoff and took Shane''s arm. ¡°Alright, Shane. Let''s talk business.¡± Shane raised his chin and stopped glowering at Susan. Immediately, Susan let out a sigh of relief. She heard Natalie saying, ¡°Sir, actually I came here because I suspect the one whomitted suicide wasn''t Jasmine!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The police officer was obviously shocked by her deration. Susan immediately pointed an using finger at Natalie. ¡°B*tch! What are you talking about? Don''t tell me someone elsemitted suicide instead of Jas!¡± ¡°Yes, you''re right. I think it was someone else.¡± Natalie looked straight at her. Shane remained silent and smoothed Natalie''s slightly messy hair. Susan took in his intimate gesture as her eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Y-You...¡± Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Before she could finish, the police officer cut in. ¡°Ms. Smith, do you have any evidence?¡± He stood facing Natalie with a stern expression on his face while blocking Susan from getting to Natalie. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, I don''t have evidence, but there are a few doubtful points.¡± She proceeded to reveal her doubts. As the police officer listened to her exnation, his frown deepened. In the end, he summoned his captain. The captain stretched his hand out. ¡°Ms. Smith, thank you for providing this important clue. If you''re right, then this case isn''t just a simple suicide case.¡± ¡°You don''t have to thank me. I''m also curious as to she is dead or alive,¡± replied Natalie as she reached out to take his hand politely. Before she could give his hand a shake, another hand reached out to take the captain''s hand. Both Natalie and the captain were taken aback by this sudden interruption. Natalie shed a smile as she realized that Shane was being possessive of her again. He didn''t want her to shake the captain''s hand. It seemed that the captain realized what was going on too. Hence, he retracted his hand awkwardly. Right then, Susan tugged the captain''s hand and urged, ¡°What are you talking about? You mean Jas didn''t die? That person whomitted suicide wasn''t her?¡± The captain put on a straight face. ¡°I''m sorry. That wasn''t what we meant. It''s just our suspicion for now.¡± Susan shook her head vehemently. ¡°That''s impossible. When Jas leaped out the window, I had just returned with some food. She bade goodbye to me through when I was outside the door.¡± ¡°You mean you saw Jasmine Smith sitting on the windowsill?¡± the captain questioned. Both Shane and Natalie nced at her at the same time. Susan''s lips parted. ¡°I didn''t see that. The door was closed, and I only heard her voice. When I pushed the door open, she was no longer there.¡± After saying that, she suddenly squatted and covered her face, wailing sorrowfully. Natalie knew she wasn''t lying. That could only mean one thing¡ªSusan had no idea if Jasmine was the one who jumped off the building. Since Jasmine hated Susan, it was normal if she chose not to reveal her scheme to thetter. ¡°She didn''t see Jasmine, so we can''t be sure that Jasmine was the one whomitted suicide. The corpse is beyond recognizable, so the only way is to run a DNA test,¡± dered Shane. The captain nodded. ¡°Mr. Shane''s right. I''ll notify the coroner about that. When the resultse out, I''ll inform you right away.¡± Shane hummed in acknowledgement and nced at Natalie. ¡°Come, let''s go.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie beamed and took his arm to leave. Everyone ignored Susan. No one bothered to talk or look at her. They walked to the road, Shane whipped his car keys out and pressed the button. ¡°Get in my car. I''ll send someone to drive your car back for you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie shrugged nonchntly and climbed into his car. Shane got into his car as well. After buckling his seatbelt, he started the engine. On the way back to her studio, Natalie''s stomach started rumbling. The sound reverberated inside the car. At once, Natalie''s cheeks turned red as she touched her stomach shyly. ¡°Err, I¡ª¡± Shane interjected with a frown, ¡°You didn''t have lunch?¡± Natalie nodded timidly. ¡°Why didn''t you have lunch?¡± Shane''s expression darkened in disapproval. Rolling down the window slightly, Natalie took in the chilly air outside and replied, ¡°When I was about to have lunch, I received news of Jasmine''s suicide. After watching the video online, I lost my appetite.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Let''s go eat something now. What would you like to have?¡± Shane gave her the side-eye. Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Natalie massaged her temples. ¡°Everything''s fine. Let''s just eat somewhere.¡± Noticing that she did not seem to have any appetite, Shane pursed his lips and stayed silent. He drove her to a ssy Italian restaurant. Like a gentleman, he pulled the chair out for Natalie, who sat down with a smile. Then, he sat down opposite her and pushed the menu toward her. ¡°The food in this restaurant is lighter on the pte. It''s probably more to your taste.¡± ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Natalie flipped the menu open and nced through it. The dishes were just as he described¡ªlight on the pte, yet appetizing. Natalie only ordered mushroom spaghetti and sd. Shane ordered simr dishes. When he closed the menu and passed it back to the waiter, he suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°I''d like a ss of orange juice too.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± replied the waiter with a smile before leaving. Soon, their food was served. Natalie unfolded the napkin and was about to tie it around her neck when Shane pushed a ss of juice toward her. ¡°You don''t have much of an appetite, right? Drink this. It''ll increase your appetite.¡± Natalie nced at the juice, then back at him. She felt a warm feeling surface within her as a touched expression appeared on her face. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. So he ordered the juice for me. I thought that it''s because he likes it. I didn''t expect him to even notice that I don''t have an appetite. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± asked Shane worriedly. When he noticed Natalie staring at the juice with her eyes reddening, his heart became gripped with anxiety. Wiping her eyes with the napkin, Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°It''s nothing. I''m just very happy. Thank you, Shane.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane became relieved. He grinned in amusement and said, ¡°You''re wee. Eat up! Aren''t you hungry?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded, tied the napkin, grabbed her cutlery and started eating. After the meal, it was almost four o''clock. Natalie decided to go to the kindergarten to fetch the kids instead of returning to the studio. Shane did not voice any objections. He called Ss and instructed him to send the documents pending approval to the apartment. Then, he drove Natalie to the kindergarten. They arrived just in time for the kindergarten''s dismissal time. The two kids walked out of the kindergarten, hand in hand. When they saw Shane''s car parked by the road, their eyes lit up as they ran toward it. Natalie pulled the car door open. When the kids saw her, they called out excitedly, ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Darlings!¡± Natalie alighted the car and stroked their heads. Shane, who was sitting on the driver''s seat, moved his hand away from the steering wheel and coughed lightly on his fist as if he was reminding the kids of something. The children exchanged a nce and smiled. They called out to him sweetly, ¡°Daddy!¡± A look of satisfaction shed across Shane''s eyes. Raising his chin, he said, ¡°Alright, get into the car.¡± With Natalie''s help, the two kids mbered into the car. Just when Natalie was about to enter the car, she suddenly felt something. The smile disappeared from her face as she nced backwards. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± asked Shane when he noticed that she had not entered the car yet. ¡°I have a feeling that someone''s watching me.¡± Natalie frowned as she looked back. ¡°Someone''s watching you?¡± When Shane heard that, he rolled down the car window and peered behind her. Other than two trash cans and stray dogs, no one else was in sight. Natalie averted her gaze and turned back. ¡°Perhaps I have mistaken something.¡± ¡°Alright, get in.¡± Shane turned around too. Not thinking much about it, she got into the car. When they arrived at the apartment, Mrs. Wilson had already finished cooking the food. Natalie and the kids entered Shane''s apartment. Chapter 477 Chapter 477 As she was already in a rtionship with Shane, she did not have to stand on ceremony. After Mrs. Wilson gave a bowl of soup each to the kids, she suddenly looked at Shane and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, now that you''re together with Ms. Smith, it''s really troublesome for you to keep going back and forth. Why don''t we move back to the vi with Ms. Smith and the children?¡± ¡°The vi?¡± Sharon blinked confusedly. ¡°I know!¡± Connor raised his hand. ¡°It''s where Mr. Shane used to live. I went there once! It''s huge and beautiful.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sharon''s eyes lit up. Connor nodded. ¡°Yeah! There''s even a garden and a swimming pool.¡± ¡°That''s amazing! Daddy, can I go?¡± Sharon climbed down the chair, ran toward Shane and pulled his arm. Shane ced his spoon down and stroked her head gently. ¡°Sure, let''s move back together.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. As he spoke, he nced at Natalie who was sitting opposite him. She blushed. Move over to his ce? Isn''t it too quick for us to live together? ¡°Mommy...¡± When Sharon saw that Natalie was still silent, she ran toward her and shook her arm cutely. Natalie coughed embarrassedly and said to Shane, ¡°I remember Mrs. Wilson saying that your vi is still under renovation. It''ll take a long time before we can move in, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember that too!¡± Connor chimed in, not wanting to be left out. Mrs. Wilson averted her gaze guiltily. ¡°Have I... said that?¡± Natalie widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Have you forgotten about it, Mrs. Wilson?¡± She smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane massaged his temples. ¡°Actually, the vi isn''t under renovation. It''s only an excuse I came up with just so I can move here.¡± ¡°An excuse?¡± Stunned, Natalie tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Why do you need an excuse to move here?¡± ¡°Because of you,¡± replied Shane softly. She pointed at herself. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, it''s like this,¡± exined Mrs. Wilson on behalf of Shane, unable to bear it anymore. ¡°After Alice was captured, Mr. Shane decided to pursue you. Thus, the first step was to be closer to you. As it''s too abrupt for him to move in all of a sudden, he came up with that excuse.¡± ¡°I see.¡± After hearing what she said, Natalie cast an amused nce at Shane. She never expected that he would have such a childish side to him. Feeling uneasy by Natalie''s gaze, Shane pursed his lips and changed the topic of conversation. ¡°Have you made up your mind about moving over?¡± Both Sharon and Connor stared at Natalie intently. She lowered her head, conflicted. When Mrs. Wilson noticed that, she thought of an idea and tried to persuade Natalie, ¡°Ms. Smith, just move over. Since you''re already together with Mr. Shane, you''ll still have to move over after marriage. You''re just bringing it forward. Furthermore, the security there is much better. When both of you are not around, you don''t have to worry about the kids'' safety.¡± When Natalie heard that, her eyes sparkled. She was starting to get convinced. Sometimes, when she was busy, she would leave the kids in the apartment. Even though the security there was decent, it was still possible for people to enter if they wished to, just like those few who kidnapped her the previous time. However, Shane''s vi was different as it was built mid-way up a hill. Furthermore, his vi was the only one there. Without his permission, the security guards at the foot of the hill would never allow anyone to enter. If the kids were there, she would not need to worry about their safety. Upon that thought, Natalie took a deep breath and conceded. ¡°Let''s move over then.¡± Shane immediately grinned. The kids leapt in excitement as well. ¡°Woohoo! We can live together with Daddy and Mommy now!¡± Looking at how ted the children were, a gentle look spread across Natalie''s face. Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Mrs. Wilson smiled endearingly as she watched this heartwarming scene. She could already foresee how that quiet and empty vi would soon be filled with liveliness. ¡°Let''s move there tomorrow. Eat up!¡± Shane ced a piece of tender beef into Natalie''s te. Smiling, Natalie ced some of his favorite food into his te in return. After the meal, Shane went to the study room to review some documents. Meanwhile, Natalie brought the kids back to her apartment and bathed them. Then, the kids returned to their room obediently and prepared to sleep. When it came to sleeping, they had never made Natalie fuss over them. Hence, after she tucked them in, she left without any worries. It was still early, since it was only nine o''clock at night. Not feeling sleepy, Natalie entered the study room, nning toplete the clothes she wanted to give to Shane. She was almost done sewing it. There were only a few more steps left, which could be done within two hours. Soon, Natalie was immersed in her work, not even noticing it when Shane pushed the door open and entered. It was only until Shane walked behind her and embraced her that she trembled, jolting her out of her seriousness. ¡°Why didn''t you make any sounds when you enter? I got such a huge fright!¡± Turning around and staring at him, Natalie patted her chest in lingering shock. He tightened his arms around her waist. ¡°I knocked, but you didn''t hear it.¡± Natalie was not sure if it was her illusion, but she noticed a hint of indignation in his voice. ¡°Really? I was probably so focused that I didn''t hear it. Have you finished reviewing the documents?¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s why I came to look for you. Since you''re not in your bedroom, I came here.¡± Shane lowered his head and rubbed it against her neck. Feeling itchy, Natalie chuckled as she tried to dodge him. ¡°That''s enough, stop rubbing against me. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane stopped, raised his head and looked at her. Natalie moved his hands away from her waist and grabbed the suit on the table. Turning around, she raised it in front of him. ¡°Try it on and see if it fits.¡± Shane was stunned as he stared at the suit. ¡°Did you make this for me?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Natalie nodded. Shane''s lips moved. He could feel a great sense of happiness surge through him. Initially, he thought that she was making the suit for a client. ¡°Try it on quickly!¡± urged Natalie when she saw him standing there without moving. ¡°Okay¡±, replied Shane as he started to unbutton the suit he was wearing. Soon, he took off his expensive suit and tossed it onto the table casually. Natalie unfolded the suit she just made and raised it higher so it would be easier for him to put on. After Shane put it on, Natalie lowered her head and helped him button it. Taking a step back and stroking her chin, she carefully scrutinized how he looked in the suit. She then returned to her original position and adjusted his cor. ¡°What do you think? Is there anything that feels ufortable? If so, tell me. I''ll alter it immediately.¡± ¡°No at all.¡± Shane shook his head and added, ¡°It fits perfectly.¡± ¡°That''s great.¡± Natalie smiled in relief. ¡°It''s my first time making a men''s suit. I was afraid that it wouldn''t fit.¡± ¡°Your first time?¡± Shane raised his eyebrows, feeling even more delighted. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, I''ve only made prototypes in the past. It''s my first time making an actual piece. As expected, I''m a genius.¡± She could not help but praise herself. When Shane saw how proud she looked, a look of amusement shed across his eyes. He raised her chin and kissed her lips. ¡°This is your reward for being a genius.¡± Natalie''s face blushed as she stared at him cutely with her eyes wide open. Shane narrowed his eyes as he gulped, his Adam''s apple bobbed. Then, he kissed her again. This time, it was not a brief kiss anymore. Prying her lips apart with his tongue, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. Chapter 479 Chapter 479 ¡°Mmmm...¡± Natalie could not help but moan. Shane cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss. Slowly, she was starting to feel aroused. Her arms wrapped themselves around Shane''s neck. Feeling her response, a glint appeared in his eyes. He carried her up forcefully and ced her onto the table. Knowing what he was about to do, Natalie shoved him away. Still blushing, she panted and protested, ¡°Don''t do it here... Let''s go back to the bedroom!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± replied Shane hoarsely. Wrapping her legs around his waist, he grabbed her thighs and carried her out of the study room and toward the bedroom. The night was long and passionate. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie had already lost count of how many times they did it. No matter how much she begged for him to stop, he did not let her go. By the end, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep. By the time she woke up the next day, it was already past ten in the morning. She turned around and nced beside her. It was already empty. If it were not for the dent in the pillow, it was as if no one had ever slept there. She could not help but stretch out her hand and stroke the ce where Shane slept. It already felt cold to the touch, which meant that Shane had already left a long time ago. Yet, she did not even notice anything. Enduring the soreness in her body, Natalie sat up. She flipped the nket aside to take a look. Her body was already clean, which meant that Shane had cleaned her up after she fell asleep. ¡°He still has a conscience, huh?¡± mumbled Natalie shyly as she grabbed the clothes on the headboard. She had already forgiven Shane for his unreasonable demandsst night. After putting on her clothes, she endured the pain as she stood up from the bed and walked toward the door. When she entered the living room, she immediately spotted the breakfastid out on the dining table. There was a note ced under the ss of milk. She walked over and scanned the words scribbled untidily across the note. I''ll send the kids to the kindergarten first. I''ve already informed your studio, so you don''t need to rush. Your breakfast is on the dining table. Please remember to eat it! It was signed¡ªShane. As she looked at the short note, a warm feeling rushed through her. She folded the note and ced it aside. Then, she sat down and started eating her breakfast. Mid-way, her phone suddenly rang. Exasperated, she ced the bread back onto the te and nced at her phone. When she saw that it was a call from the police station, her expression instantly turned serious and she epted the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Murphy?¡± ¡°Yes. I hope that I''m not interrupting you, Ms. Smith,¡± replied Mr. Murphy. Natalie took a sip of her milk and gulped the bread down before saying, ¡°Of course not! Mr. Murphy, are you calling me regarding the investigation of Jasmine''s case?¡± ¡°Yes, I''m calling you because of that.¡± ¡°Is Jasmine the one who jumped off the building?¡± asked Natalie. Looking at the DNA report in his hands, Mr. Murphy replied solemnly, ¡°It''s her!¡± Natalie widened her eyes. ¡°It''s really Jasmine?¡± ¡°That''s right. The DNA report is already out. Wepared it to the data from her previous health checkup and discovered that everything matched perfectly. Hence, we are certain that the corpse is Jasmine,¡± said Mr. Murphy. Natalie gaped for a while before finding her voice. ¡°If it''s really Jasmine, how can the doubts I raised earlier be exined?¡± ¡°We have the answers for that. Firstly, Jasmine jumped off the building with her back facing the window. We deduced that she probably knew that Susan wasing back at that time and wanted to give her a last farewell. As for why her corpsended face-down...¡± Mr. Murphy took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°From our investigation, we found out that someone tried to pull her back while she was falling. The person failed, which caused her body to turn around mid-air.¡± ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I witnessed the entire process of Jasmine jumping off the building. I didn''t see anyone pulling her back.¡± Chapter 480 Chapter 480 ¡°There was. However, since it was too far away, it could not be seen in the film,¡± exined Mr. Murphy, his eyes glinting. Naturally, Natalie could not sense his abnormal reaction through the phone call. Frowning, she continued asking, ¡°It''s going to be really obvious if someone pulled her back. How is it possible that it''s not captured? Furthermore, if someone actually pulled Jasmine back, she would definitely pause for a while mid-air. However, her fall was very smooth and showed no signs of stopping...¡± ¡°Someone edited the video,¡± interrupted Mr. Murphy. ¡°Edited the video?¡± Natalie bit her lips as a look of disbelief crossed her face. She did not think that the video had been edited. It had been posted onto the Inte just a few minutes after Jasmine jumped off the building. How could someone edit it within a few minutes? Furthermore, the video was filmed on a passer-by''s phone. Although it was possible to edit a video on a phone, it was extremely troublesome andplex. No one in their right mind would do that. As she deliberated about it, Mr. Murphy spoke again, sounding extremely busy, ¡°Okay, Ms. Smith. I''ve already told you what I needed to tell you. I''ve still got some matters to attend to, so I''ll hang up now.¡± With that, he ended the phone call immediately. Natalie initially nned to ask him a few more questions, but since the call had already ended, there was nothing else she could do. However, she had not given up yet. She nned to download the video posted yesterday and get a professional to check if it had been edited. However, when Natalie searched for the video, she discovered that it was gone. An error appeared on the website, which meant that it had been deleted by the authorities. ¡°I was a step toote!¡±mented Natalie as she massaged her temples. However, she soon found relief. It was no longer important whether the video had been edited. Instead, it was already sufficient to know that the corpse was Jasmine''s. As long as Jasmine did not fake her death, Natalie would not need to worry that she would suddenly emerge and stir up some trouble. She wanted to know so eagerly if the corpse was Jasmine''s because she was scared that Jasmine would appear and harm either her or her loved ones. Now, she finally felt relieved. As Natalie thought about that, she smiled and continued to eat her slice of bread. Afterward, she cleaned the table, applied some make-up, grabbed her bag and left the house. She drove to the studio. The first thing she noticed when she arrived at the studio was Joyce''s teasing grin. ¡°Oh, you''re here?¡± Natalie mumbled a quick response before walking toward her office. Joyce followed behind her. ¡°You arrived sote. Looks likest night must''ve been really passionate, huh? Mr. Shane is so impressive. This is the second time that he made you wake up by noon. Tsk...¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Alright, shut up now. Let''s talk about serious matters instead. Why are you following me?¡± Blushing, Natalie interrupted her in embarrassment and amusement. Joyce stopped teasing her and passed a ck and somber-looking invitation card to her. ¡°Here, I received it this morning. Your bas*ard father sent someone to hand it over.¡± ¡°What''s that?¡± Natalie took it in confusion. Pouting, Joyce said, ¡°It''s an invitation to Jasmine''s funeral. He wants you to attend it.¡± When she heard that, a grim expression crossed her face. She grinned mockingly and said, ¡°He knows that I have a grudge against Jasmine. Still, he invited me to attend her funeral. Isn''t he afraid that I''ll stir up trouble there?¡± ¡°Who knows? No normal person can understand what your awful father is thinking about.¡± Joyce shrugged. Natalie tossed the invitation onto the table. ¡°Fine, since he invited me, I''ll go and take a look.¡± Joyce pulled a chair out and sat down. ¡°Nat, since Harrison has already sent out an invitation, it looks like he''s certain that Jasmine''s the one who jumped off the building.¡± ¡°Yeah, it''s Jasmine. The police called me earlier.¡± Natalie narrated what Mr. Murphy had told her as she switched on herptop. Joyce sighed in relief. ¡°Since she''s really dead, I shall forgo my hatred for her. I''m not so petty that I''ll detest a dead person.¡± Chapter 481 Chapter 481 ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Natalie nodded. Since Jasmine has passed away, I no longer feel any animosity toward her. ¡°Okay then. I''ll go first. Don''t forget the party tonight,¡± Joyce said, rising to her feet. Natalie shed her a smile. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t miss it.¡± The party was supposed to be held on the night before, but due to Jasmine''s incident, no one was in the mood to party that night. Therefore, it was postponed. ¡°Alright. Bye.¡± Waving her hand, she turned and left. After she was gone, Natalie took out her design notes and started sketching. Time flew by, andte afternoon came. Exhausted, she eventually put down her pencil, stretched herself, and put back her notes into her drawer. After locking the drawer, she fished out her phone and called Shane. The call got through quickly, and his baritone voice rang. ¡°Hi.¡± Leaning back against the chair, she tried to negotiate with him politely. ¡°Shane, can we postpone the move to tomorrow?¡± He knitted his brows. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Last night, I forgot to tell you that my colleagues and I will be having a celebratory party tonight.¡± Natalie stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. Upon hearing that, his frown disappeared at once. ¡°We don''t need to postpone it. I''ve asked Ss to prepare all your clothes and daily necessities, so you don''t need to pack anything. As for the other things, we can get them next time.¡± ¡°Huh? You''ve gotten everything ready?¡± Natalie was shocked. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± She held her forehead, blown away. A brief momentter, she replied, ¡°Wow, you''re so thoughtful. Sooner orter, I''ll be a good-for-nothing as I rely on you more and more.¡± ¡°It''s not bad to be dependent on me. The more you rely on me, the more you''ll be inseparable from me in the future.¡± He smirked. Nonplussed, she responded, ¡°Alright then. I still have work to do. I''ll hang up now.¡± Before she could end the call, he stopped her. ¡°Hold on.¡± Putting her phone back against her ear, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Where is the party?¡± He shifted his posture slightly. ¡°We''ll be celebrating at the Centennial Entertainment Hub.¡± She blinked in confusion. ¡°Do you want to join us?¡± The Centennial Entertainment Hub was a popr entertainment center in J City. It had a variety of entertainment facilities including a cinema, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and karaokes. Thus, Natalie and her colleagues nned to have dinner together first before going to the karaoke. He declined, ¡°No, thank you. Enjoy your night.¡± He was more of an introvert, so he did not really like being part ofrge social gatherings. ¡°Fine.¡± Natalie shrugged nonchntly. Actually, she was just asking out of courtesy, not because she wanted him to join them. After all, with his identity, the others might feel uneasy being around him. Luckily, he declined my invitation. Otherwise, I wouldn''t know how to turn him down. Shane uncrossed his arms and tapped on the armrest of his office chair. ¡°Call me when the party is over. I''ll pick you up.¡± She thanked him in reply and hung up the call. Just then, Joyce opened the door of her office and peeked inside. ¡°Nat, shall we go now?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Grinning, she took her bag and strode out with her. Then, two of them led more than a dozen of their colleagues to a restaurant that served seafood buffets in the Centennial Entertainment Hub. By the time they finished their meal, it was already past nine o''clock. Their next stop was a karaoke bar nearby the restaurant. They booked a private room, and everyone was in high spirits. Some of them sang karaoke while the others yed darts and beer pong. The private lounge was buzzing with excitement. An hourter, Natalie felt a tad bored. She told Joyce that she would be out for a while and left to take a breather. As soon as she stepped out of the room, she heard someone calling her name from behind, stopping her in her tracks. ¡°Yo, Natalie!¡± Curious, she pivoted on her heel and saw a tall, fashionabledy looking at her in surprise. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Natalie looked at her quizzically. She felt that thedy looked familiar, but she could not quite remember where she had seen her before. Thus, she smiled politely at her and greeted, ¡°Hi, you are...?¡± Thedy''s face fell instantly. Walking daintily toward Natalie in her sky-high stilettos, she said in a cynical tone, ¡°You''re so forgetful, Natalie. We were university roommates for a year, remember? How could you forget me?¡± Chapter 482 Chapter 482 ¡°Roommate?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze in thought before realization finally dawned on her, her eyes lighting up. ¡°You''re Hannah!¡± Hannah crossed her arms arrogantly and stuck her chin out. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± A smile crept across Natalie''s face, but the smile never reached her eyes. Sizing Hannah up, she nodded and replied in a courteous manner, ¡°Yup. It came to my mind after you reminded me about us being roommates. You''ve changed a lot.¡± So you were my roommate when I was a freshman at J University. She majored in art as well, but we weren''t close to each other. Hannah''s family was not well-off, so she was rather gloomy and had low self-esteem. Therefore, she did not mix well with other coursemates, especially me. For some inexplicable reason, she hated my guts. That was why I was rather shocked to see her greet me just now. ¡°Of course. I''m a famous model now,¡± she bragged, unbearably smug. Knowing that she was showing off to her, Natalie''s lips twitched in response. ¡°Oh, I see. You have a great body. It definitely suits you. Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Hannah casually touched the designer bag on her shoulder. ¡°What about you? What are you doing now? Are you still working as a costume designer?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. Hannah stifled a scornful smile. ¡°Seems like you''re not doing that well.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°You''re not popr at all. I''ve never heard of you in the fashion industry.¡± Hannah walked around her, sizing her up condescendingly. ¡°How does the once gifted fashion design student of J University be a lowly designer now? Perhaps you should beg me until I''m satisfied, and maybe then I''ll help you to find a renowned designer to guide you.¡± She fixed her eyes on Natalie as she waited for her to answer. I could finally trample on the dignity of the girl whom I''ve been jealous of since years ago. Knowing that Hannah was looking for trouble, Natalie''s gaze turned cold. When she was about to retort, Joyce suddenly came out of the room and stormed toward them. Shielding Natalie from Hannah, she sneered, ¡°You''re ridiculous. How dare a small-time model utter such brazen words!¡± ¡°A small-time model?¡± Hannah huffed, eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°How could you say that?¡± ¡°Am I not right?¡± Joyce shot her a disdainful look and said, ¡°Did you seriously think that you''re a supermodel after shooting for a few print magazines? Get off your high horse. I bet you only know a few designers in our circle.¡± Before Hannah could say anything, she rolled her eyes and continued, ¡°Oh, I forgot. Small-time models like you are probably acquainted with small-time designers only, so I advise you to keep them to yourself. Don''t make a fool of yourself by introducing those designers to other people.¡± ¡°Y-you...¡± Hannah pointed at her as she started to shake out of rage. Joyce pped her hand away and snapped, ¡°Have you not learned how to speak? Talk to me once you''ve learned how to converse.¡± Seeing Hannah was rendered speechless, Natalie could not help but burst outughing. Her snicker infuriated Hannah even more. With her fists clenched tight, she yelled, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Joyce let out a scoff and ced her hands on her hips. ¡°Who do you think you are? Can''t othersugh at you?¡± Knowing that she had nothing to say in retaliation, Hannah''s face flushed immediately as a wave of anger, embarrassment, and defeat washed over her. In the end, she red at Natalie and Joyce and snorted before turning to leave. However, before she walked far, she nced over her shoulder and said, ¡°Both of you are going to regret this. Just you wait and see!¡± ¡°Hmph, as if we''re going to let her off!¡± Joyce tsked loudly before turning around to face Natalie. ¡°Did she get physical with you?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m fine.¡± Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Joyce heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Good. If she ever crosses your path again, just sass her back.¡± Beaming, Natalie nodded in reply. ¡°Okay. Speaking of which, has she offended you before?¡± She gestured at Hannah with her chin. Joyce looked in the direction she left and nodded. ¡°I met that woman once when I was having a business meeting with apany. She wanted to buy my work, but I refused, and she started to quarrel with me. How about you? What happened between you and her?¡± ¡°She was my roommate when I was studying at J University.¡± As they walked to their private room, Natalie began to tell Joyce the story between her and Hannah. After Joyce listened to the whole story, she narrowed her eyes, pondering. ¡°I think I know why she doesn''t like you.¡± ¡°Oh, what is it?¡± Natalie wondered. Joyce pursed her lips and gave her a look. ¡°She''s jealous of you. You''re pretty and have a good family background. On the other hand, she has none of that except her model-like figure, so she''s green with envy.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°No wonder. I thought it was because I have done something bad to her.¡± ¡°Don''t mind her. She''s a crazy woman. Ah, let''s not talk about her anymore. Everyone is waiting for you to go back and have a toast with you. After all, we have such a great performance this month, and we know that you''ve worked hard for it,¡± Joyce said, pushing the door open. As soon as Natalie entered the room, she was immediately swarmed by her colleagues as each of them toasted her. Unable to reject them, she raised her ss and toasted them back. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. After downing a few sses, she became tipsy. Looking at Natalie''s dreamy eyes and flushed cheeks, Joyce gulped subconsciously and muttered, ¡°Is this what Mr. Shane sees in bed?¡± Natalie heard her talking but did not catch it. ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°Nope. I didn''t say anything.¡± Joyce waved dismissively. ¡°Oh.¡± Natalie nodded and did not probe further, fishing out her phone from her bag. Upon seeing that, Joyce grabbed her wrist and stopped her. ¡°Nat, are you leaving so soon?¡± ¡°Yeah, I''m feeling dizzy. Besides, it''s gettingte. I need to go back first. I''ll leave them in your hands,¡± Natalie replied, massaging her temples. ¡°Sure. Let me call a cab for you. You can''t drive like this.¡± Joyce released her grip on her and nodded. Natalie immediately shook her head and dialed Shane''s number. ¡°It''s okay. Shane will pick me up.¡± ¡°Alright. I''m going to sing karaoke then.¡± ¡°See you.¡± Natalie waved. Just then, the call got through. Natalie put her phone at her ear and heard Shane''s deep voice. ¡°Is the party over?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± The music in the room was too loud, so she went out of the room and continued, ¡°But I''m ready to go.¡± Her voice was gentler than usual, and it felt like a feather tickling his ears. Hearing a trace of slur in her voice, his gaze darkened. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± ¡°Yeah. I had a couple of drinks,¡± she admitted. ¡°Alright. Just stay there. I''ll be right over.¡± With that, he ended the call, took off his bathrobe, and strode toward his walk-in closet to change his clothes before departing. Meanwhile, Natalie also put down her phone and went back into the private lounge. After staying there for about twenty minutes, Shane texted her that he would be arriving soon and asked her to wait for him at the entrance. With that, she bid goodbye to her colleagues, fetched her bag, and headed to the entrance of the entertainment hub. When she arrived there, she realized that it was raining cats and dogs. Just then, a gust of cold wind blew past her, chilling her to the bone. As she was rubbing her arms to warm herself, an unfamiliar male voice rang from behind. ¡°Natalie?¡± Chapter 484 Chapter 484 A frown appeared on Natalie''s face. What the hell? Why did I meet so many people tonight? Natalie turned her head around, slightly annoyed. A good-looking man in a Hawaiian shirt was standing a few meters away, staring at her. Seeing her turn round, he immediately ran up to her with a smile blossoming on his face. ¡°It''s really you! I thought I had mistaken you for someone else.¡± He reached out to touch her shoulder as he said that. Displeased, she pursed her lips and stepped out of his reach. ¡°May I know who you are?¡± ¡°Huh? Don''t you remember me? I''m Trix Davidson,¡± the man eximed, pointing to himself. ¡°Trix?¡± She paused, racking her brain. A momentter, she finally remembered who he was. ¡°Oh, it''s you.¡± Like Hannah, Trix was from J University as well. Due to his attractive appearance and wealthy family, he was quite a prominent figure during the time they studied there. I certainly did not expect to see two acquaintances from university tonight. ¡°Yeah, I''m Trix.¡± Seeing that she still remembered him, he nodded excitedly. ¡°Natalie, you''re even more beautiful than you were seven years ago.¡± While he was speaking, his eyes were leering suggestively at her face and body. Sick of hisscivious gaze, she frowned in disgust, but soon responded with a polite smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Natalie, where have you been for the past few years? Why did you drop out of school back then?¡± He rubbed his hands, acting like an old friend of hers. Natalie''s face stiffened upon hearing that. Are we even that close? Why is being so nosy? Although she found him repulsive, she kept her cool and gave him a vague answer. ¡°I went abroad.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Oh, really? When did youe back here?¡± he probed further. Getting impatient, the smile on her face slipped away as she replied, ¡°I''ve been back for quite some time.¡± As she was speaking, she saw a familiar Bentleying toward the entrance from the corner of her eye. She shed a smile at the car, and after the car hade to a stop at a parking space nearby, she turned to Trix and said, ¡°Mr. Davidson, I shall take my leave now.¡± ¡°Where are you going? Let me drive you to your house.¡± He took out his car keys from his pocket and dangled them in his hand, purposely showing off the car brand logo to her. However, she found his action funny and tried her best to suppress herugh. After calming herself down, she declined him monotonously, ¡°It''s okay. Thank you for your offer.¡± Trix turned furious upon hearing her rejection, but when he looked at her gorgeous face and shapely figure, his anger tapered down. Not giving up, he took out his phone and asked shamelessly, ¡°If so, can we exchange numbers then? We used to go to the same university after all. I hope you won''t reject me this time.¡± ¡°I...¡± She frowned, finding herself in a tight spot. As Natalie was struggling to find a way to turn him down, a familiar female voice suddenly came from behind her. ¡°Trix, I''ve asked someone from the customer service just now. He said there are no more umbres left for rent. What should we...¡± Her voice trailed off the moment she saw Natalie with Trix. Her facial expression changed in an instant. ¡°Natalie?¡± Natalie also raised her brows in surprise. ¡°What a coincidence, Hannah. We meet again.¡± On the other hand, Hannah turned grim and did not say a word to her. Trix cast his gaze upon her. ¡°Hannah, you''ve met Natalie already?¡± Suddenly, Hannah noticed that Natalie was standing rather close to Trix. Like a lion whose territory had been invaded, she quickly ced her hand on his elbow and stared at Natalie with a vignt look, questioning furiously, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°This is the entrance of the entertainment hub. Is it a strange thing for me to be here?¡± Natalie could not help but frown at her, wondering why she asked such a silly question. Hannah tightened her grip on Trix and said in a warning tone of voice, ¡°I don''t care why you''re here. Natalie, don''t make a move on someone you shouldn''t even be eyeing.¡± Chapter 485 Chapter 485 ¡°Someone whom I shouldn''t be thinking of?¡± Natalie was stumped and pointed at Trix. ¡°Are you talking about him?¡± Trix turned his face to one side as if he had just recalled something embarrassing. Hannah did not realize the subtle change in his demeanor and nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes, Trix is my boyfriend now, and we''re going to get married in the future. Don''t you dare get any ideas about him!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was stumped, and she took a few moments to regain herposure and chuckled aloud. ¡°Hannah, since when have I ever gotten any ideas about Trix?¡± She would not even have remembered that someone like him existed had they not bumped into each other that day. ¡°Don''t think that you''d be able to talk yourself out of this. You-¡± ¡°Alright, just cut it out!¡± Trix blushed crimson red as he reached out to grab Hannah''s hand in an attempt to stop her from babbling. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Hannah paid no heed to him and shrugged off his hands. ¡°I''m going to make it clear to her. Didn''t she used to pursue you back then, or have you forgotten all about it?¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Natalie said as she interrupted her, ¡°Hannah, are you saying that I''ve pursued Trix before?¡± ¡°Am I wrong about this? I''ve liked Trix since our first year back in university, and I''ve pursued him back then. Besides, I know for a fact that Trix was reluctant to be together with me because you liked him back then too. Did you know how many people steered clear of him because of you?¡± Hannah glowered at Natalie as she berated her. ¡°Who told you that?¡± Natalie grinned after listening to Hannah. No wonder Hannah treated me like I was her enemy back then. So, aside from being jealous of me, Trix was one of the reasons as well. ¡°Of course, it''s because of him!¡± Hannah turned to look at Trix who was beside her. However, Trix covered his face in embarrassment. Puzzled, Hannah asked as she tried to take his hands away from his face, ¡°What''s the matter with you, Trix?¡± The man pushed her away and roared at her, ¡°What''s the matter with me? I''ve told you to stop bbing! Why don''t you listen to me?¡± Hannah bit her lower lip in indignation. ¡°I''m just saying the truth. Why are you so mad at me?¡± ¡°Um, let me exin this,¡± Natalie said as she swatted away stray strands of hair covering her face. She cast a mocking nce at Trix and added, ¡°It''s because he lied to you. I have never pursued him, much less making people steer clear of him back in university. He was just using that as an excuse to reject you back then.¡± Hannah widened her eyes in disbelief after listening to Natalie''s remarks. She cast an inquisitive nce at the man, hoping for him to say that everything Natalie said was not true. However, the man averted his gaze and looked elsewhere. Hannah knew Trix much too well to know he was only looking away out of guilt. This means that Natalie is right, he did lie to me back then. ¡°How dare you lie to me!¡± All colors drained from her face as she hit Trix''s shoulders repeatedly. The pain kicked in, and Trix was abashed as Hannah practically exposed him right in front of Hannah. The man lost it and growled, ¡°So what if I''ve lied to you? I''ve never liked you from the beginning. It''s always been Natalie!¡± ¡°What?¡± Hannah''s eyes widened in disbelief. Appalled by his remarks, Natalie furrowed her brows. He likes me? He''s just another man who has fallen for the good looks, not me as a person. ¡°You... How could you treat me like that?¡± Hannah broke into a sob. Trix straightened out his clothes which was creased from Hannah''s grip and said, ¡°We can just break up then.¡± ¡°What? You want to break up with me?¡± Hannah stopped sobbing instantly and panicked. She really liked him. Besides, she was nning on using his family connections to be a top supermodel. How can we break up right now? Natalie was also taken aback by the turn of events. She had not expected that their argument would lead to a breakup. ¡°Trix, could we not break up? I''m wrong, I should not have said all that. I''m really sorry, please don''t break up with me, okay?¡± Hannah tugged at the corners of his shirt and pleaded. ¡°It''s too damnte now!¡± Trix retracted himself from her touch and turned to look at Natalie. He smiled as he attempted to tter Natalie and said, ¡°Aren''t you heading home? Why don''t I give you a lift instead? The heavy downpour is going to make things difficult for you.¡± Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Before Natalie could reply, Hannah threw her a look full of contempt. Natalie was not at all intimidated by the woman, and deliberately replied, ¡°I''m not alone. My boyfriend is here to pick me up.¡± Trix''s jaw dropped from the surprise. ¡°You have a boyfriend now?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied, before turning around to the front, ¡°And he''s here.¡± Hannah and Trix traced her gaze. In the midst of rain, the two of them noticed a slender man making his way over clutching a big ck umbre with a coat draped over his arms. The man stopped in his tracks after reaching the stairs the three of them were standing at. Then, he slowly lifted the umbre to reveal his dashing face. ¡°Shane,¡± Natalie called out to the man. ¡°I''m sorry to keep you waiting,¡± the man replied, slightly parting his thin lips. ¡°Not at all.¡± Natalie shook her head. Trix had only found the man''s face to be really familiar, but after Natalie addressed the man as Shane, Trix was hit by sudden realization. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± The CEO of the Thompson Group, Shane Thompson, is actually Natalie''s boyfriend? Hannah did not recognize Shane, but after noticing that her own boyfriend addressed him with respect, she knew that the man was not someone to be taken lightly. At the very least, he had to be someone on par with Trix''s father. He is so handsome though. For a moment, Hannah felt an overwhelming sense of jealousy consuming her. Back in their university days, she had already lost to Natalie. Just when she thought she had beaten her now; Natalie went ahead and one-upped on her in the boyfriend department. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Am I never going to surpass this woman my whole life? With the thought in mind, Hannah glowered at Natalie. Noticing Hannah''s demeanor, Natalie pursed her lips disapprovingly. Something is not quite right with this woman. All of a sudden, Trix fished out a name card from and dashed down the stairs in the rain to catch up to Shane. With both hands, the man handed out his name card respectfully to thetter and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane lifted his gaze to regard the man before him and said impassively, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m Trix Davidson, and I''m the sessor for the Davidson Group. My father is Sirius Davidson.¡± Trix was still holding out his name card respectfully, despite the rain pouring down on him. However, Shane did not seem to disy any hint of interest in taking his name card. The man did not even spare him a nce before retracting his gaze and said, ¡°I don''t know him.¡± ¡°Get down here,¡± the man said. His attitude turned gentle as he talked to Natalie. Natalie hummed a response, and used her bag to cover her head as she dashed down the stairs and underneath Shane''s umbre. Shane handed over the coat draped over his arms to her and said, ¡°Put this on so that you don''t catch a cold.¡± It was a woman''s coat. Natalie took over the coat and put it on. It fit her snugly. She pulled the zip, and asked, ¡°Did you specifically bring this for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane nodded. A warm feeling coursed through her heart, and the corners of her eyes crinkled into a smile. Shane lifted his hand and wiped away the rain that dribbled on her gently. Hannah and Trix stood idly by as they watched the lovebirds being lovey-dovey toward each other. Trix waspletely abashed, especially when Shane mentioned that he did not know them. How he wished that there was a hole that he could jump into right then. Hannah, on the other hand, was green with envy. She cast a nce at Trix, then at Shane, befuddled at the night-and-day difference between the two men. Natalie''s boyfriend is gentle as amb toward her, but Trix is never like that. He''s even trying to break up with me. Damn it! ¡°Let''s go, Shane. We should be heading back.¡± Natalie had no idea what was on Hannah''s mind, and she could not care less about what the woman thought anyway. She circled her hands around Shane''s arms. Shane''s eyes glinted with joy at her remark and used his other hand to hold the umbre. They turned around with Shane holding her in his embrace as they headed toward his car. Hannah called out after them just after a few steps. The woman put her hands around her wide-open mouth and yelled in Shane''s direction, ¡°Mister, do you know what kind of person your girlfriend really is?¡± Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Shane stopped in his tracks, as did Natalie. However, Shane did not turn around. Natalie turned around and gauged the woman with a grim look on her face. It looks like this woman is trying to stir up trouble again. Trix thought the same and hurriedly tried to hold Hannah back. ¡°Shut up, do you know what you''re talking about?¡± ¡°Of course, I do.¡± Hannah peered at her boyfriend and then back at Shane. ¡°Mister, your girlfriend is not as innocent and kind as you think. She''s a scheming little minx.¡± ¡°You... you...¡± bbergasted at her words, Trix was about to faint. This dumb b*tch has the audacity to criticize Mr. Shane''s girlfriend! Does she know she is essentially saying that Mr. Shane does not have good taste in women? Hannah paid no heed to what was on Trix''s mind and looked at Natalie smugly. Since Natalie was the reason Trix tried to break up with her, she vowed to not let Natalie off the hook either. I''m going to sow discord between the two so that the guy will dump Natalie just like how Trix dumped me! Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Shrewd as Natalie was, she saw Hannah''s idea through. Her face turned frigid as she said nothing. Instead, she turned around to look at Shane. She did not give a dime about what Hannah thought about her, but she could not say the same for Shane. Natalie was curious if Shane would believe in Hannah''s words. Will he think that I''m a scheming woman after listening to Hannah? ¡°What are you telling me this for?¡± Shane caught onto Natalie''s stares. He squeezed her hands gently and turned his head slightly as he gauged Hannah with a cold, hard stare. Hannah could not help but shudder when she met his gaze. ¡°I... I just want to let you get a clearer picture of the kind of person your girlfriend really is. Natalie doesn''t deserve to be with someone as outstanding as you.¡± Shane snickered and mocked, ¡°I am the one deciding if she''s the one for me, not you. Besides, I''m the one going after her. I know for a fact the kind of person she is. I don''t care if she''s the evilest person in the world. I''ll even be the one to bury the body if she''s killed someone. Do you understand?¡± Hannah was thunderstruck by his remarks, and the woman was rendered speechless. Meanwhile, Natalie was touched beyond words as she nced at the man. ¡°Shane...¡± Shane pinched her nose affectionately and snuggled her close before they made way toward the car once again. After getting into the car, Shane turned on the heater, warming the entire car in a jiffy. Natalie heaved a sigh of relief at theforting warmth. She rxed her body tensing up from the cold rainy weather. ¡°How did you know those two?¡± Shane drove on as he peered at the woman with the corner of his eyes. He had noticed Natalie talking to the two when he reached the ce just now. ¡°They went to the same university as I did.¡± Natalie blew some hot air into her palms. ¡°Are they from Laurent Academy of Design as well?¡± Shane furrowed his brows. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Of course not. Laurent Academy of Design does not have people as distasteful as those two. They''re my ssmates back in J University. I studied for a year in J University before heading overseas.¡± I see. Shane nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°You''d better steer clear of those two,¡± he reminded her. Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. I''m not close with those two to begin with.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Shane was pleased with her answer. Natalie yawned as she felt her head spinning. Shane thought she was drowsy and freed his one hand to recline her seat for her. ¡°Take a nap if you''re feeling sleepy. I''ll wake you up when we arrive.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie curled up in her seat. She was really sleepy, and the car rocked back and forth gently as it went. Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Her head spun as the car rocked back and forth, and she started to feel sick as if the air had been drawn out of her lungs. Hence, she had to keep her eyes closed lest she started vomiting. Shane peered at her with the corners of his eyes and noticed that the woman had already fallen into a deep slumber. Subconsciously, the man went easier on the elerator so that the car did not rock as much. She''s going to sleep better this way. It normally took them an hour to get back to the vi, but Shane had slowed down for Natalie, and the trip ended up taking an hour and a half. Mrs. Wilson was still up by then. Noticing the humming of engine, the woman took along two umbres to wee the two back home. ¡°Sir, wee home.¡± Shane stopped the car at the vi entrance. Mrs. Wilson followed suit and put the umbre over his head. Shane nodded to acknowledge the woman, and made his way over to the passenger seat. Mrs. Wilson trailed behind him to hold out an umbre over his head. Shane opened the door to the passenger seat and nudged at Natalie''s shoulders and said, ¡°Wake up, we''re home.¡± Natalie did not respond as she was still deep in slumber. The man furrowed his brows. Mr. Wilson then said, ¡°Sir, I think something''s off with Ms. Smith''splexion. Why is her face so red? Does she have a fever?¡± A fever? Shane''s face tensed at the mention of fever, and hurriedly put his hands on her forehead to feel her temperature. Oh no, she''s really running a high fever. Natalie''s face was crimson red. It was apparent that the woman had caught a cold from waiting for him in the rain. ¡°Sir, what is wrong with Ms. Smith?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked worriedly. Shane retracted his hands and said grimly, ¡°She''s running a high fever.¡± ¡°So she''s really down with a fever!¡± Mrs. Wilson sighed. He crouched down to carry Natalie out of the car as he headed toward the vi entrance. Mrs. Wilson held out an umbre for the two as she hurriedly followed along. After getting into the vi, Shane carried her straightaway to the master bedroom on the third floor, which was his room. Then, he turned around and ordered Mrs. Wilson, ¡°Call a doctor toe over right away.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded and took out a phone to call a doctor. Shane did not just stand idly by as he waited. He took out a set of clothes from his closet and changed her clothes. Then, he made his way to the bathroom to get a wet towel to put it on her forehead. The doctor arrived after he was done with the sponging. Shane stood by the bed, staring intently as the doctor diagnosed Natalie. ¡°How is she?¡± Shane''s fists were clenched tight out of worry. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. The doctor opened his first-aid kit and said, ¡°She''s fine. She''s gotten a fever because she''s been too tiredtely, on top of getting caught up in the rain. Don''t worry, she''s going to be fine after a jab and a good night''s rest.¡± The strings tugged at his heart finally eased after listening to the doctor, and he rxed his clenched fists. The doctor left after giving Natalie an injection. With the weight off his shoulders, Shane finally had the time to take a shower and change out of his clothes. Shane had a ck bathrobe wrapped around his body when he came out of the shower. Mrs. Wilson brought over a cup of hot beverage and made her way into the room, ¡°Sir, have a cup of hot toddy so that you don''t catch a cold.¡± Shane was reluctant to drink it at first but did not send her away. He draped the towel over his neck and took over the cup and drank it all in one go. After finishing the hot drink, he turned around and asked, ¡°Where is Sharon and Connor?¡± ¡°They''re already asleep,¡± Mrs. Wilson said as she took over the empty cup. Shane nodded and said, ¡°It''s alreadyte. Take a good rest, Mrs. Wilson.¡± ¡°Alright sir, you have a good rest too.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded before turning around to leave. Shane closed the door behind him and took the towel draped around his neck to continue drying his hair. He tossed the towel to a sofa aside after his hair was half dry. Shane made his way over to the bed and hugged Natalie to sleep. Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Morning of the next day, Shane checked Natalie''s temperature first thing in the morning after he woke up to see if her fever had subsided. After making sure that her temperature had gone down, he lowered his head to peck her on the cheeks before getting off the bed. The man changed into a fresh set of clothes before heading downstairs. ¡°Daddy.¡± In the living room of the vi, two children were watching TV. They greeted Shane sweetly as soon as they noticed their father was approaching. Shane nodded as he regarded them affectionately. He made his way over to their side and asked, ¡°How do you find this ce? Are you guys able to get used to the environment here?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Connor replied. ¡°Daddy, Sharon likes it here too. The rooms here are so big, and I have a lot of toys here too,¡± Sharon added hurriedly as she tried to gesture the size of the vi with her two little hands. Shane found her adorable, and reached out to caress her hair. ¡°I''m d that you like it. Let Mrs. Wilson know if you need anything. She will get it ready for you guys.¡± ¡°You mean anything we want?¡± Connor''s eyes glinted. Shane looked at the little boy and said, ¡°As long as it is not against thew.¡± Given his financial stand, he could give his children whatever they wished for. Excited by Shane''s answer, the little boy eximed, ¡°Dad, I want a study room and aputer. Could you fill the study room with a lot of books, especially those aboutputer science?¡± ¡°Computer science?¡± Shane raised a brow. ¡°Can you understand them?¡± ¡°Yes, Connor is really good.¡± Sharon nodded her head and said, ¡°Connor is really good withputers. Mommy calls him a... hacker? Is that right, Connor?¡± She turned to a side to look at Connor. The little boy nodded. Even though Natalie told them not to let anyone know that Connor knew about hacking, the boy thought that given Mr. Shane''s intelligence, the man would have figured it out sooner orter. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. It''s better if I''m the one to tell him about this. ¡°You know hacking skills?¡± Shane''s eyes widened in surprise. He knew that the boy was leaps and bounds ahead of any other children his own age. Still, Shane thought that he had underestimated the boy''s capabilities. He knows how to hack! Suddenly, Shane felt a sense of pride for that boy. ¡°Okay, I''ll ask for people to get ready the study room,puter and books onputer science. It will be readytest by tomorrow afternoon.¡± Shane reeled himself in from the shock and looked at Connor. Connor jumped off the sofa animatedly and approached Shane. ¡°Daddy, could you crouch down?¡± ¡°Why?¡± He asked, albeit already crouching down upon Connor''s request. The little boy reached out his two little hands and hugged Shane as he pecked a kiss on his cheeks. ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡± ¡°I want to kiss Daddy too!¡± Sharon approached Shane and pushed Connor to one side as she pecked a kiss on the other side of his cheeks. Stumped, Shane took a while to regain hisposure. He felt his heart melting by the sweet gesture of the two. He felt that he would even pick stars down from the sky should the two kids wanted to have them. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Natalie''s voice rang from behind them. Shane stood up and held the kids'' hands before turning around. Natalie was wearing a beigece dress and had a ck cardigan draped over her shoulders. She steadied herself against the handrails as she got off the stairs. The man noticed that she was still looking pale and weary. He let go of the kids and walked over to steady Natalie. ¡°Be careful. Don''t trip over.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie was touched by his gesture and smiled. Shane steadied her toward the sofa and sat her down. The twins climbed onto the sofa and sandwiched her in between. Connor furrowed his brows and looked worriedly at her. ¡°Mom, what''s the matter with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, what''s wrong?¡± Sharon blinked her eyes at Natalie curiously. Though the little girl was not as shrewd as her brother, she had noticed that something was off with their mother. Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Shane poured a hot cup of water for Natalie. She smiled at him before answering her kids. ¡°I''m alright, just down with a little flu.¡± ¡°Do you still feel dizzy?¡± Shane sat opposite the trio and asked. Natalie massaged in between her brows. ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Then, you''d better get a rest at home. Don''t go into work,¡± the man said as he crossed his legs. She sipped on the hot drink and said, ¡°Well, looks like I don''t have any other choice.¡± Not only was she feeling dizzy, but the woman felt so drained that it would be near impossible for her to work. ¡°Right, what were you guys talking about?¡± Natalie put down the ss in her hand and asked again, ¡°I heard the kids thanking you when I got downstairs. Did you buy them anything?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Before Shane could answer, the twins shook their heads and denied it. Their odd behavior further convinced Natalie that they had asked for something from Shane. ¡°Shane, what did they ask you to buy?¡± Natalie peered at the twins sternly and furrowed her brows as she asked Shane. He was the twins'' biological father, so it was technically his duty to fulfill their needs. However, the point was, not one of them was aware of how they were rted to each other. It was the reason Natalie was reluctant to let the kids request for anything from Shane. She thought that it was a habit that they should not cultivate. As if reading what was on Natalie''s mind, Shane parted his lips and said, ¡°They did ask for something from me, but all they''re asking for are some books.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Books?¡± Natalie was taken aback. ¡°What kind of books?¡± ¡°Computer science,¡± Shane lowered his head and looked at the kids. ¡°Computer science?¡± Natalie was stumped for a moment and recalled something. She parted her lips to say something, and in the end, she tried to sound Shane out, ¡°Mr. Shane, could it be that you already know about Connor...¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yes, I do. Frankly speaking, I''m stunned, but I''m really d, actually. Connor is a brilliant boy. Have you ever thought about grooming him to achieve more?¡± ¡°How do I do that?¡± Natalie cocked her head to one side. Her manner was a clear indication that she had not considered it before. Shane repositioned himself and looked at her. ¡°I mean cultivate him so that he could make the most of his talent. Let him be an elite in the field.¡± An elite? Connor listened to the exchange between the two adults, and his eyes glinted with a light that resembled Shane. Sharon raised her hand and asked, ¡°Daddy, what''s an elite?¡± ¡°Someone like Daddy,¡± Connor replied. He knew about the Thompson Group, as well as the Thompson family. Even though his understanding was rudimentary at best, he knew that Shane was the chairman cum CEO of the Thompson Group and the head of the Thompson family. Connor knew that tens of thousands of employees worked under the man whom he called Daddy. To Connor, only someone as aplished as Shane could be known as an elite. Natalie bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Do you mean to cultivate Connor to be an elite?¡± ¡°Yes. He has what it takes. I don''t wish for his talents to go to waste,¡± Shane replied as he nodded his head. Natalie clutched her palm. ¡°I understand that, but to my understanding, the path to bing an elite is not easy, to say the least. I just hope that Connor will have a happy childhood...¡± ¡°Your intentions are good, but have you ever thought about what Connor really wants?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane nudged his chin and signaled her to take a look at Connor. She traced his gaze and noticed the eager look on Connor''s face. The little boy beamed with enthusiasm as he said, ¡°I want to learn it all, Mommy!¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Do you really want to train to be an elite?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The boy nodded his head again. Natalie cupped the boy''s cheeks and asked, ¡°Do you understand what elite training means for you?¡± ¡°I know a little,¡± Connor said as he blinked. Sharon regarded her brother and mother, she said nothing. Befuddled by her son''s response, Natalie said, ¡°Since you do you know about it, then why...¡± Chapter 491 Chapter 491 ¡°I want to be someone like Daddy,¡± Connor pointed at Shane and said. Shane''s eyes glinted in response. He straightened his body and asked, ¡°You want to be someone like me?¡± ¡°Yes. I admire you, Daddy. So, I want to be someone like you. Someone who is respected by many people!¡± Connor clenched his two little fists hard and said in a determined manner. The corner of Natalie''s lips twitched as she said nothing further. He''s no doubt Shane Thompson''s son. Shane had no idea what was on her mind. His thin lips curled into a slight smile. ¡°It''s a good reason. Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Connor replied. Sharon did not understand what was going on and nodded along. Shane lifted his head and looked in Natalie''s direction. The woman rubbed her forehead as she relented. ¡°Alright then.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She was not an authoritative mother, andmunication was easy. Natalie would not deny her children of their wishes, not especially when it was going to be beneficial for them. Natalie knew that grooming Connor to be an elite would be a good decision. ¡°Yay! Thank you Mommy!¡± ¡°Don''t thank me first.¡± Natalie put her finger on Connor''s lips and said, ¡°I did promise to let you learn, but you need to promise me that you''ll still go to kindergarten in the morning, then you''re going to receive your training to be an elite after school. Do you understand?¡± Shane cast a skeptical nce at Natalie. Connor''s face fell. ¡°Huh? I still have to go to the kindergarten?¡± Natalie removed her finger on his lips and said, ¡°Why? Are you saying no to our arrangement? Then, forget about the elite training.¡± ¡°No!¡± Connor clutched onto Natalie''s arms and said, ¡°Mommy, I do, I understood!¡± ¡°Great.¡± Natalie brushed against his nose and nced at her watch. Noticing that it was alreadyte, she patted on Sharon and Connor''s backs and said, ¡°Alright. Go have your breakfast. You guys are runningte for kindergarten.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the twins replied as they held each other''s hands and headed toward the dining room. Shane got up from the sofa and said, ¡°Let''s go.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. Shane held her hands and asked, ¡°You''re insisting for Connor to continue going to the kindergarten because you don''t want him to lose his bubbly and active personality?¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Natalie was not at all surprised that Shane had that part figured out. ¡°When I was overseas, I''d seen countless kids with a myriad of personalities before they received an elite training. However, after the training, it seemed like it had robbed part of their souls, rendering them impassive and distant.¡± ¡°That is the only way from keeping people from knowing about what is on their minds,¡± Shane replied as he looked at her alluring face. Natalie sighed. ¡°I know. But I''m afraid that it will eventually define who they are in the long term, making them cold and distant for real. Aren''t you the same?¡± Shane pursed his lips and cleared his throat, saying nothing. He had to admit that his impassive personality was greatly influenced by the education he had received. However, he knew that it was mostly because of the passing of his parents. ¡°The kindergarten is essentially a ce where they learn to y and develop social skills. I''m asking Connor to stay there so that he can have a happy childhood, and attend the elite training at the same time. Then, even if the elite training has taught him to be impassive, he is still burning with passion inside,¡± Natalie smiled. Shane lowered his gaze in contemtion after listening to her. As she said, children who received elite education did nothing but study all day, and they were robbed of their childhood. It was a no-brainer that those kids grew up to be cold and distant. However, Connor was not going on the same path. The boy was going to be able to enjoy his childhood and receive elite training at the same time. He might turn out to be really special. ¡°Alright, then I''m going to find some tutors for Connor,¡± he said as he pushed the door into the dining room. ¡°Thank you, Shane.¡± Natalie did not decline his offer to help and gave the man a grateful smile. He was the helm of the Thompson family after all. The tutors that he could find were guaranteed to be leaps and bounds better than what she could ever find. Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Natalie knew she was putting her pride before her children if she had rejected the man''s offer to help. ¡°There''s no need to thank me. I''m Connor''s father after all. It is my responsibility to do so,¡± Shane looked at the twins and said as he pulled out the chair for Natalie. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. A wave of apprehension washed over her all of a sudden. Shane noticed her odd demeanor and cast a sideways nce at the woman, ¡°What''s the matter with you?¡± She forced a smile and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Shane sensed that the woman was not being truthful. His face sank but the man said nothing further. Natalie heaved a sigh of relief after taking her seat. The man''s remark of him being Connor''s father gave her a jolt. She thought the man had found that Connor was indeed his biological son. Having said that, she was grateful that the man was willing to provide the best for the two children despite not knowing their true identities. Natalie decided to juste clean to Shane about the kids after some time. Then, Natalie patted herself on the cheeks to snap out of her thoughts, and she started to take her breakfast. When they were having breakfast, Mrs. Wilson came in with a ck invitation card in her hands and said, ¡°Sir, I just took this out of the mailbox.¡± She handed over the invitation card to Shane. Natalie peered at it curiously, and gasped. ¡°Do you know what this is about?¡± Shane nced at her. ¡°Yeah, I think it''s for Jasmine''s funeral. I received it too.¡± Natalie took a ss of milk and drank it. The man furrowed his brows and opened the envelope. It was indeed for Jasmine''s funeral. ¡°Are you going?¡± Natalie put down the ss of milk and asked. Shane closed the card and cast it aside. The man did not answer her question and asked instead, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I''m going since Harrison has invited me, well I''m just going over to take a look.¡± Natalie shrugged. Shane went silent for a few moments before answering, ¡°Then, I''ll apany you there.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Natalie smiled as she replied. Shane took the kids out after their breakfast while Natalie stayed in the vi to get some rest. Her phone rang just when she got back to Shane''s room. She took a look and it was a stranger''s caller ID. Natalie hesitated for a moment but decided to take it in the end. ¡°Hi, Natalie Smith speaking.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, it''s me.¡± Jacqueline''s weak voice came from the other end of the line. Natalie went mum for two seconds before she spoke, ¡°Ah, Ms. Graham. How do you have my number?¡± The sick woman leaned against the headboard of her hospital bed and said, ¡°I asked for your number from Jackie.¡± I see. It makes sense if she got it from Jackson. Jackson had treated her for a few times, and the medical records should have her contact details on it. ¡°Ms. Graham, why are you looking for me?¡± Natalie closed the door behind her and asked. Jacqueline lowered her head. It would be difficult for an onlooker to discern her emotions. ¡°I heard that you''re living together with Shane, and you''ve even moved into the Hampton Vi.¡± Hampton Vi was where Shane was staying. Natalie made her way to the side of her spacious bed and sat down at one corner. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Well, that''s really fast considering that you guys are only a few days into the rtionship,¡± Jacqueline said as she let out a chuckle. Natalie was not certain if it was a sneer or a hearty chuckle. Pursing her lips, the woman said nothing. Jacqueline stoppedughing and asked, ¡°I heard that you have two kids. Is that correct, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Oh, so it''s true then.¡± Jacqueline''s lips curled into a wry smile. ¡°Ms. Smith, since you already have two children, do you still think you''re good enough for Shane?¡± Her remarks made Natalie''s face sank, and she recalled Hannah''s demeanorst night. That woman had said the same thing to Shane. Hannah said I''m not good enough for Shane too. However, Shane''s rebuttal came as a pleasant surprise, and Natalie was beyond touched by his words. Natalie''s face beamed with delight when she thought about it. ¡°Ms. Graham, I''m afraid that you''re not going to be the one to decide if I''m good enough for Shane. Since he has decided to be together with me, I think it''s enough proof that the man thinks I am good enough.¡± Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Jacqueline had not expected that the woman would give her that kind of answer, with confidence, no less. She was initially thinking of using her kids against her, making her feeling self-conscious and back down from the argument. Has she no shame? ¡°Really?¡± A cold glint shed across the woman''s eyes, and it disappeared as briefly as it had appeared. ¡°What a shame, considering that Shane has to take up the responsibility as a father for another man''s children.¡± The smile on Natalie''s face did not even falter when she retorted, ¡°Ms. Graham, I think you''re worrying way too much. Shane is more than willing to be the twins'' father.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He is the father of the twins after all. Jacqueline grimaced. ¡°Ms. Smith, are you pretending to not understand what I''m trying to say?¡± Shrugging, Natalie replied, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Graham. Maybe there''s something wrong with my head and that''s why I can''tprehend you well. You could just do me the favor and cut to the chase.¡± ¡°Alright, since you''re already asking for it, I might as well make it clear for you. I want you to break things off with Shane because you''re nothing more than a taint in his life.¡± Jacqueline decided to not beat around the bush and snarled at the woman. ¡°A taint?¡± Natalie parroted her words back at her impassively. ¡°That''s right, a taint. Do you even have the faintest idea about what people would say about him if the news of him getting together with you gets out on the street? He''s going to be ridiculed as a scavenger, and a man who has a peculiar taste for divorcees!¡± Jacqueline did not spare her and said it outright to her face. People will say that Shane Thompson does not have a good taste in women. The peculiar kind who seemingly prefers women who already had another man''s child over virtuous young women. Natalie''s face sank as she looked impassive. ¡°A scavenger? Is that how you see Shane?¡± ¡°It doesn''t concern you how I see him, but the others will most definitely think he''s a freak,¡± Jacqueline said as she narrowed her eyes. Natalie''s red lips pursed in response. ¡°I don''t care how the others think, but if you think of him as the same, then it''s safe to assume that you know no more about Shane than others out there.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jacqueline was taken aback. Tucking stray hairs to the back of her ears, Natalie replied, ¡°Ms. Graham, even you have anticipated the public opinion''s disfavor in the matter. Shrewd as Shane is, do you think he has no idea what to anticipate? Nevertheless, the man has chosen to be together with me. Do you know why?¡± ¡°W- why?¡± Jacqueline stammered. Natalie chuckled. ¡°Because he doesn''t give a damn what the others think. Those people would never even dream of saying it to his face, given his social status and power, regardless of what they think in their narrow little heads.¡± Jacqueline grimaced in response. ¡°You''re saying all these because you refuse to break things off with Shane?¡± ¡°I''ll admit that I''m the one to fall for him first, but Shane is the one to make the first move. Even if we''re breaking up, he should be the one to say it first. So, Ms. Graham, I''d suggest that you pitch this idea to him, and if he agrees to it, I will have no qualms about it and break things off with him immediately,¡± Natalie said as she slid inside her nket. Jacqueline went silent. Pitch this idea to Shane? Jacqueline knew that was impossible. She did not wish to risk ruining her perfect image in Shane''s mind. Nevertheless, she was fumed by Natalie''s attitude. She had not expected thetter to be so stubborn and unrelenting. She was thinking that even if her words alone would not make Natalie steer clear of Shane, it would have shattered the woman''s confidence somehow. Jacqueline thought her words were going to anchor deeply in Natalie''s own insecurities, and would eventually lead to the breakup of Shane and Natalie in the end. To her dismay, her tactics did not work, and she had toe up with another way. With the thought in mind, Jacqueline breathed in deeply to calm the boiling fury within herself and chortled heartily, ¡°Ms. Smith, congrattions! You have passed my test.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was stumped, ¡°What test?¡± ¡°Yeah, I was just testing you because I was wondering if you were going to stay by Shane''s side despite having everyone''s backs against the two of you.¡± Chapter 494 Chapter 494 ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie raised a brow and appeared to be in disbelief. Jacqueline feigned a smile and said, ¡°Of course. I''ve thought things through after Shane talked some sense into mest time. He only thinks of me as his sister, and it''s destined that nothing is ever going to happen between us. So, I wish him happiness and joy in his life. I''m just calling to test you out.¡± The woman''s words sounded sincere and heartfelt. Natalie could not figure out if the woman was lying or being truthful. Hence, she kept quiet. Jacqueliney back down on her hospital bed and said, ¡°Ms. Smith, are you silent because you''re still mad at me for testing you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalie''s lips twitched. The woman on the other end sighed, ¡°I know you must be pissed. Nobody likes being doubted. I do not wish to put you through that as well, but I hope you understand I wish you no harm. Please forgive me for what I''ve donest time too.¡± ¡°Last time?¡± Natalie titled a brow. The woman nodded. ¡°Right, I threw a tantrum at you back in the hospital when I knew that you were together with Shane. I''m really sorry. That was uncalled for. Could you forgive me?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Natalie rubbed her sore temples. ¡°Ms. Graham, there is no need to apologize. I''ve put it all behind me.¡± ¡°So you''ve forgiven me?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes glinted. Natalie mumbled an affirmative response. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Smith. You really are a generous one. I''m going to hang up for now. Please be good with Shane. I wish you guys nothing but happiness. Ciao!¡± Jacqueline hung up the phone right after. Natalie threw her phone to the corner of the bed and snickered. A test? Does she think I''m that dumb to believe whatever she''s telling me? However, no matter what Jacqueline was brewing in her mind, Natalie still stood by her words. I will not leave Shane unless he''s the one who is breaking things off. Natalie yawned and retracted her body underneath the nket as she took in the faint smell of mint that lingered. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. It was already night time when she woke up. She opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of the litmp on her nightstand. The yellow hue of the light was warm and easy on her eyes. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Natalie got up from the bed and noticed a deep voice ringing in her ears. She lifted her head and noticed Shane sitting on the sofa right opposite her. The man was swirling a ss of wine in his hands. ¡°Hmm, when did you get back? Have you been staying in the room?¡± Natalie brushed out her hair with her fingers. Shane put down the ss of wine and headed toward her. ¡°I''m back for some time already. Mrs. Wilson said you''re still asleep so I''m just here to take a look.¡± ¡°How long have I slept? What time is it now?¡± Natalie shook her head lightly. Her head was no longer spinning, but she was still in a daze. Shane handed over some clothes to her and took a look at his watch. ¡°It''s eight.¡± ¡°It''s thatte already?¡± Natalie was appalled. No wonder the sky is already so dark. I''ve been asleep for so long. Shane crouched down and held her one leg as he reached for her fuzzy slippers to put it on her. The woman blushed crimson red when she noticed what he was about to do. She retracted her legs uneasily and said in a small voice, ¡°I''ll do it myself.¡± He did not loosen his grip on her leg and said, ¡°Okay, rx. Put on your clothes. Aren''t you hungry?¡± Natalie caressed her belly. ¡°Well, a little.¡± ¡°That''s what I reckon. It''s going to be faster this way.¡± Shane had already put on the other slipper on her. Natalie thought it was best to just go with the flow. Having said that, she knew how much Shane treasured her since the important man was willing to take the time to do such a menial thing for her. I should be happy about it. With the thought in mind, her face split into a wide grin as she put on a coat. Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Shane stood up after helping her put on her slippers. He reached out to take her hand, ¡°Let''s go downstairs.¡± Natalie took his hands. Shane rubbed against the palm of her hands and they headed downstairs. The twins were ying in the living room, and tossed their toys aside at the sight of their parents. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, you guys are finallying down.¡± Connor lifted his head to look up at his parents. Sharon touched her belly and said, ¡°I''m really hungry.¡± ¡°Let''s have dinner then.¡± Shane let go of Natalie''s hands and carried Sharon. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Sharon pped her two little arms excitedly and eximed, ¡°Higher, Daddy!¡± Shaneplied and carried her higher. The living room was alive with the little girl''s chuckle. Natalie stood by Connor''s side and took in the heartwarming sight with a smile. It had been some time since she had seen Sharon smile that happily. Indeed, nothing brings greater joy to kids than having both their parents by their sides. Shane let the little girl down and looked at his son, ¡°Do you want a spin as well?¡± Connor did not appear to be as enthusiastic as his sister and said, ¡°No, that''s so childish.¡± The little boy actually envied his sister but thought better than asking his father to carry him. Natalie found his demeanor amusing and brushed the tip of his nose and said, ¡°You are a child though.¡± Shane''s lips curled into a smile as he too found it amusing. Sharon pursed her lips in a displeased manner. How dare Connor say that I''m acting childishly! Connor did not know that he had offended Sharon, and put his arms around himself as he said, ¡°Of course, I have an image to keep up, I''m a genius, and geniuses cannot be childish...¡± ¡°Alright, my little genius. Let''s eat.¡± Natalie interrupted the boy from prattling on and took him to the dining room. Shane took Sharon''s hands and headed toward the dining room as well. Meanwhile, Mrs. Wilson stood aside and could not help but be amazed at how they seemed like a real family. How nice would it be if Connor and Sharon are indeed Mr. Shane''s children. But how could there be such a coincidence in the world? Shane went to his study to work after the dinner. Natalie took the twins back to their rooms and bathed them. After she was done bathing them and put them to sleep, her phone rang. Natalie got out of the kids'' bedroom and checked on her phone. It was from Yulia. She answered the call right away. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Nat, did something happen back in the country?¡± Yulia sounded tense on the line. Bemused, Natalie cocked her head to one side. ¡°No, what''s the matter Mom?¡± ¡°Harrison called me this afternoon all of a sudden, asking me to arrange for Jared to go back. If I do not agree to it, he will sue me and your brother on the grounds of Jared not fulfilling his responsibility as a son.¡± Natalie''s brows furrowed after listening to her mother. ¡°That man is really shameless!¡± ¡°Yes, that''s why I''m asking if anything''s happened back in the country. Why would he insist on Jared going back? And it sounded like he was desperate in having Jared back as well,¡± Yulia added. Natalie opened the door into Shane''s room and snorted, ¡°Of course, he''s desperate for Jared toe back. He only has me and Jared left, after all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yulia was puzzled. Natalie made her way over to a sofa and said, ¡°Jasmine is dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yulia was shocked. ¡°She''s dead?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded her head. Yulia retracted herself from Jared''s ward and headed toward the corridor. ¡°How did that happen?¡± ¡°It started out like this...¡± Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Natalie recounted when Jasmine was devastated by Shane''s decision to annul their marriage, and how she decided to jump off a building to end her life. Her mouth went dry from detailing it all. Yulia was beyond ted to hear what Natalie had to say. ¡°She brought it all upon herself. All those horrible things that she had done¡ªgiarism and drugging others. What goes aroundes back around. How ironic!¡± Natalie smiled. Damn right it does. Karmic retribution may bete, but it will alwayse. Natalie had always believed in that. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Now that he''s lost his beloved daughter, he''s afraid that no one would want to care for him when he''s old and frail. So, now he''s pinning his hopes on Jared, eh?¡± Yulia sniggered. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s right. Actually, he did ask me Jared''s contact a while back because he''s nning to let Jared inherit the Smith Group, but now the Smith Group has already gone bankrupt,¡± she snickered as she said, pleased about how things turned out for Harrison. ¡°Has he no shame!¡± Yulia was enraged. ¡°How is that man so brazen? He wants Jared to go back and inherit that pile of mess. Something''s not quite right with his head, I reckon. He can''t possibly think that the Smiths are that great and mighty, does he? Now he has the audacity to ask Jared to care for him. Shameless doesn''t even begin to describe that man.¡± When Yulia and Harrison were getting a divorce, the man despised Jared for having heart problems and had practically renounced him. Now that his precious daughter is gone, he''sing after Jared instead? Does he think the world revolves around him? Natalie mumbled an affirmative response. ¡°Yes, so I did not give him Jared''s contact back then.¡± ¡°I''m so d that you did the right thing. I will never hand Jared back to him,¡± Yulia snorted. Natalie bit her lower lip and said, ¡°But Mom, didn''t you say that he was going to sue you? What if...¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Just let him be. I remember vividly what he said about Jared, and I even have recordings of him saying that. He doesn''t stand a chance of winning if he decides to contend his rights in court. At most, the court is only going to mandate Jared to pay monthly parental support to that man,¡± Yulia added. Natalie nodded her head in relief. ¡°Alright then, I think we''re looking at most of two thousand a month for parental support ording to our country''s regtion.¡± ¡°That''s right. As long as we pay the amount every month, nobody has the right to say a thing even if Jared does not see the man for the rest of his life,¡± Yulia said as she flicked her fingers. Natalie recalled something all of a sudden and smiled. ¡°Mom, I''m going to let you in on a secret. I bet you''re going to be so d to hear it.¡± ¡°What secret?¡± Yulia blinked her eyes curiously. The corners of Natalie''s lips curled into an enigmatic smile. ¡°The thing is, Jasmine is not even Harrison''s biological daughter. Simr to that Donald, she''s also Warren''s child.¡± ¡°My goodness!¡± Yulia was so startled that the woman sprung up from her chair. It took her some time before she could find her voice to speak. ¡°Baby Girl, is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. When Jasmine was still alive, I did DNA tests for the four of them. Jasmine was not at all rted to Harrison.¡± Yulia broke into a cackle. ¡°That''s great! If Harrison knows that the daughter whom he''s loved for over twenty years is not even his, he''s going to flip out! This is his karma! I am so happy to hear this! Tonight calls for a celebration!¡± ¡°Don''t get drunk, Mom.¡± Natalie smiled. Yulia sat back down and said, ¡°Don''t worry, Baby Girl. I''m going to hang up on you right now. I will get back to the country soon.¡± ¡°You''reing back?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened as she raised an octave. Bemused at her daughter''s response, the woman narrowed her eyes. ¡°What''s the matter? Why are you getting so worked up about me going back? Did you hide something from me?¡± ¡°Wh- what? Nothing. What''s there to hide from you?¡± Natalie forced a smile. I promised Mom to stay away from Shane before she went overseas. If shees back right now, not only will she discover that I did not take heed of her advice, but I also moved in together with Shane. She''s going to be so mad. Chapter 497 Chapter 497 ¡°Really?¡± Yulia sensed that her daughter was not being truthful. Natalie lowered her head and tried to steer the topic, ¡°Yep. Mom, when are youing back? Let me know the date and time so that I can go pick you up at the airport.¡± ¡°Why do you care about all that? I''ll contact you once I''m back.¡± Yulia waved her hands to dismiss her daughter''s idea. Natalie patted herself on the chest as her attempt to steer the topic was sessful. ¡°Sure thing. Remember to contact me then.¡± That way, she could make some preparations so that her mother would not find out about her and Shane. Natalie was hoping to only let the cat out of the bag after her mother had caught onto something. She''s going to be able to take it better then. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Yulia replied before hanging up. Natalie put her phone down and wiped the nervous sweat off her forehead. Shane entered the room and noticed that the woman was letting out a huge sigh of relief. Perplexed, the man raised a brow and asked, ¡°What''s the matter with you?¡± ¡°Nothing, my mother called me to tell me that she''s going toe back for that court case with Harrison.¡± ¡°What court case?¡± Shane tugged on his tie and made his way over to Natalie''s side. The woman recounted what her mother said about Harrison trying to get Jared to fulfill his legal filial responsibility. Shane''s eyes glinted as he removed his tie and tossed it aside. He worked on unbuttoning his shirt and said, ¡°Since Harrison doesn''t stand a chance of winning the case, there''s no need to worry.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie smiled. Shane made way for the bathroom. ¡°I''m going to take a shower.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie picked up the tie he took off, rolled it properly and put on the nightstand. The sounds of water running soon filled the room, and it inexplicably made Natalie very uneasy. Shane finally came out of the shower, and noticed that Natalie was in a daze as she sat by the bed. ¡°You''re not asleep yet?¡± Natalie regained herposure and cast him a nce. His bathrobe was hanging loosely on him, exposing his firm chest. A tinge of pink appeared on Natalie''s cheeks, and the woman turned her head to one side as she cleared her throat. ¡°I took a long nap in the afternoon and have trouble falling asleep now.¡± It had only been a few hours after her nap. His thin lips curled into a slight smile. ¡°Since you have trouble sleeping, let''s do something to help you sleep better.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie cocked her head to one side, puzzled by his suggestion. Her adorable manner made Shane''s heart flutter. ¡°Some exercise before sleep.¡± He removed the towel wrapped around himself and pinned her under. It was toote when Natalie realized what the man meant, and there was nothing she could do but surrender herself to him. The next day, Natalie woke up feeling sore all over, but the culprit was no longer by her side. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She nced at the time, and it was already over nine. She uncovered her nket and freshened herself up in the bathroom. Mrs. Wilson had sent the twins to kindergarten, and the vi was left with only Shane and herself. The man was sitting on the sofa in the living room, reading a financial magazine. Natalie peered at him and noticed that he was reading about the interview that he did in the television station. ¡°Go take your breakfast. We''re heading out after that.¡± Shane turned around to look at Natalie and said gently. She nodded and headed toward the dining room. After she was done having breakfast, the woman headed upstairs and changed into a ck dress with a white flower pinned on her chest. She steadied herself against the handrails and descended the stairs slowly. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Shane put down his magazine and stood up. He did not change as he already had a ck suit on, and the only thing missing was a white flower on his chest. He handed over the flower to Natalie, and the woman knew what he meant. She smiled and took it over to pin it on his leftpel. ¡°We''re done.¡± Natalie straightened out his cor and was about to remove her hands. Suddenly, Shane grabbed onto her hands. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Natalie cast a puzzled look at the man. The man grabbed her hand and pulled her into his embrace. The woman let out a small shriek as she fell into his arms. Then, the man lifted her chin and lowered his head to kiss her. Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Natalie was stumped at first but regained herposure in mere seconds. She wrapped her hands around his neck and returned the kiss. His eyes glinted with a smile when he noticed that she was reciprocating the kiss, and the man kissed back harder and only stopped when Natalie started to have trouble catching her breath. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Shane wiped the corners of his mouth and held her hand. ¡°My lips are all swollen,¡± Natalie grumbled. ¡°It''s going to subside soon,¡± Shane said as he peered at her lips. ¡°Hmph!¡± Natalie pouted and said nothing else. They reached the Smith Residence after an hour. The butler, Mr. Granger already stood anticipating Shane''s presence. He hurriedly stepped forward to greet the man as soon as he spotted Shane''s car. ¡°Mr. Shane, wee.¡± Shane paid no heed to the man. He got off the car and headed straight toward the passenger''s seat. Mr. Granger looked at him quizzically. Is there someone else in the car? Who has the honor to let Mr. Shane open the door for them? The person got off the car just when the butler was still wondering. After registering her face, Mr. Granger''s jaw dropped at the sight of her, ¡°Ms. Natalie?¡± The man had not expected that the person in the car to be Natalie. Why is she together with Mr. Shane? One look at Mr. Granger''s expression, and Natalie knew that the man must be wondering how she was rted to Shane. ¡°Mr. Granger, I haven''t seen you in a long time.¡± She gave the man a slight smile before taking Shane''s arm. Mr. Granger knew what the woman''s gesture meant. She''s trying to tell me that they''re an item. Mr. Granger forced a smile. ¡°Ms. Natalie. It has been some time. Wee.¡± Shane nudged his chin to acknowledge the butler and took Natalie inside. Natalie turned around to peer at Mr. Granger before leaving. She thought that the butler would have asked how she and Shane were rted to each other. It seems like my gesture is self-exnatory. The vi was already jam packed with guests. They were here to send Jasmine off. ¡°Mr. Shane and Ms. Natalie, please have a seat. I will notify Mr. Smith.¡± Mr. Shane led the two to a corner and gestured for them to sit down. The two of them took their seats while Mr. Granger scurried off upstairs to the study to notify Harrison. After a while, Harrison came down and noticed the two sitting together. His face turned grim. However, he regained hisposure fairly quickly and put on an amicable smile. ¡°Shane, Nat. I''m d you guys can make it.¡± Natalie felt goosebumps crawling all over her when Harrison called her Nat. ¡°Are you cold?¡± Shane turned around as he noticed the woman shuddering for a moment. She shook her head. ¡°No, I was just grossed out.¡± Shane raised a quizzical brow but quickly caught onto what she meant. The man chortled in response. Harrison knew that Natalie was referring to him and was enraged. However, he held himself back as he recalled Mr. Granger''s words. Jasmine is already gone, and I can only pin my hopes on Jared and this little rascal for the rest of my life. The most important point being that Natalie had gotten together with Shane. He could no longer risk offending her. Harrison kept on his amicable smile at the thought. ¡°Nat, how long have you been together with Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie looked into his eyes and said, ¡°What does that have anything to do with you?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I''m your father, and I''m doing nothing more than caring for my daughter.¡± Harrison clutched his palms together as he forced another smile. ¡°You? Caring about me?¡± Natalie found the irony amusing and burst into a chuckle. Shane steadied her and let her lean against him as she burst into a fit ofugh. It took her over ten seconds before she could finally stop. ¡°Mr. Smith, don''t you think you''re such a hypocrite?¡± ¡°W- what?¡± Harrison''s face was ashen as he had clearly not expected Natalie to say that. The woman breathed in deeply to calm herself down. ¡°Before I was chased out of the Smith family, you never cared about me, and you''ve continued to neglect me even after I''m back in the country for so long. Now that Jasmine''s dead, you''ve finally decided to give a damn about me? Do you think I''m that na?ve to believe that you''re sincere? Why don''t you just tell me what are you up to?¡± Chapter 500 Chapter 500 A smile fleeted across Shane''s face as he noticed that Natalie was making fun of her father. He did not know that she had a yful side to her. ¡°Why?¡± Harrison frowned in response. The crinkles in the corners of his eyes sunk deeper into his face. Natalie''s lips curled into a derisive sneer. ¡°Because I hate that Sullivan woman. If you''re willing to divorce her and chase her out the door like how you did us seven years ago, maybe I will consider reconciling with you. What do you think?¡± She cast a nce at Harrison, bidding for answer. Harrison clearly had not expected that response and was stumped. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Natalie nodded without hesitation. Harrison fell silent as his eyelids drooped. He was contemting his next move. Natalie did not feel triumphant at Harrison''s response. On the other hand, she was rather amused by the irony of it all. ¡°Look at how heartless he is.¡± Natalie cocked her head to one side and whispered to Shane. Shane nodded. Harrison Smith is indeed a heartless man. Seven years ago, he abandoned his wife and two children because of Susan and Jasmine while seven yearster, he contemted abandoning Susan for his own interests. This man is really despicable. Shane''s phone rang right then. He took out his phone to peer at the caller ID, and his face sank at the sight of it. Then, he put down his phone and looked at Natalie. ¡°I''m going out to take this call.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane turned around and headed for the balcony. After he left, Harrison sighed as he rubbed against his walking cane. The man cast a nce in Natalie''s direction, and spoke as if he had ruminated over his words, ¡°Will you reallye back if I divorce Susan?¡± Natalie was about to say something when a silhouette came dashing in. The woman was holding back her tears with bloodshot eyes as she roared at Harrison, ¡°Harrison Smith! You old prick! How dare you even think about divorcing me?¡± Even though she no longer harbored any feelings for that old thing, the woman had never once considered a divorce. The Smith Group has gone bankrupt, but the old thing is still holding on to quite an amount of assets, not to mention this vi! I have to get a hold of all these before getting a divorce! Harrison had not expected Susan to overhear the previous conversation, and the old man looked troubled. The old man could not bear with the crowd''s scrutinizing gaze. ¡°Alright, will you stop with this nonsense! When have I said anything about divorcing you?¡± Harrison''s face sank as he reprimanded Susan. Before Susan could say anything, Natalie put on a disappointed look as she said, ¡°Dad, so you have no ns on getting a divorce with Susan. Well, then are you lying about wanting me toe back to the Smith family?¡± ¡°No, that''s not it...¡± ¡°I''m not going to have any more of this!¡± Natalie interrupted the man before he coulde up with another excuse. ¡°If you truly want me toe back to the Smith family, then you would have agreed to divorce this Sullivan woman right away! You''re just lying to me!¡± ¡°I...¡± Harrison was fumbling for words as he cast a furious nce at Susan, ming her for her untimely appearance. The woman grimaced in response. ¡°Harrison Smith, what is that look that you''re giving me? You best be dreaming if you want a divorce from me!¡± Unless you''re giving me all your assets. Otherwise, I am going to haunt you for the rest of your life and beyond! ¡°Dad, Susan is not saying yes to the divorce either. Well, then forget it. I think it''s better for us to stay this way. Anyway, I''ve got to go.¡± Natalie gave her father a bitter smile and made her way over to Shane''s side in a dejected manner. Harrison wanted to call out to her but was stopped by Susan. In the end, the old man could only stand idly by as they left. What he did not know was, after turning around, Natalie''s face turned into a mocking sneer. She could even hear faint noises of Susan and Harrison arguing. She did it on purpose¡ªthe forlorn, dejected look. Natalie wanted Harrison to think that she did have the intention of going back to the Smith family; that she was still craving fatherly love, and Susan was theExclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. devil who stood in their way. Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Natalie was confident that Harrison and Susan would argue over it for days on end, rendering the Smith Residence a hell on earth to live in. Natalie''s face beamed with delight with the thought in mind. At the same time, Shane finished his phone call and noticed the woman beaming in delight. He titled a brow and asked, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Natalie told him everything. Shane chuckled. ¡°Well done.¡± His sudden praise made Natalie stick her tongue out in embarrassment. At the sight of her tongue, Shane''s face glinted, and his Adam''s apple bobbed in his throat. If they weren''t at Jasmine''s funeral, he would have grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard. ¡°Are we going to stay here any longer?¡± Shane clutched his fist tight and cleared his throat as he changed the topic. Natalie took a look outside. Even though it was Jasmine''s funeral, the people who were here weren''t exactly here to mourn her. It was as if their main goal was to expand their social circle as she could hear chatters of people talking business everywhere she went. However, she was not there to mourn Jasmine, nor was she there to expand her social circle. Her intention was just to find out what Harrison had on mind. Now that she knew, she did not see the point of staying there any longer. ¡°No, let''s go,¡± Natalie shook her head and replied. Shane nodded and took her hand as they left the Smith Residence together. Before leaving, Natalie took off the white flower pinned to her chest and threw it on a waiter''s tray. Shane did the same. ¡°Where to next?¡± Shane asked when they reached the car. Natalie rubbed her temples and said, ¡°Back to the studio.¡± ¡°Get in.¡± Shane opened the door to the passenger seat. Natalie smiled and got in. The man closed the door behind her and made way over to the driver''s seat. They reached the studio after about an hour. Natalie got off the car and stood by the roadside. She bent forward and pecked Shane on the cheek. ¡°Be careful on the way back.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± His lips curled into a slight smile before he wound up the car window and left. Natalie watched his car disappear into a distance before she entered the building. After getting into her studio, Joyce greeted her and said, ¡°You''re done with the funeral already?¡± ¡°Well, I left halfway.¡± The woman put down her bag. ¡°Why?¡± Joyce was puzzled as she trailed along. Natalie told Joyce about Harrison''s intention. She feigned a vomit after Natalie was done. ¡°Has he no shame?¡± ¡°Apparently not.¡± Natalie smiled before pulling out a chair to sit down. ¡°Forget about him. Do you have something on?¡± ¡°Oh, as a matter of fact, I do. Half an hour ago, Mr. Plumlee called and asked about the progress of the bidding exercise. I really have no idea what to reply to the man without you around.¡± ¡°It''s my fault!¡± Natalie pped herself on the head exasperatedly. ¡°I got all the designs done two days ago, and thought about sending it out but then Jasmine went jumping off the building and I''d forgotten all about it!¡± Then, she bent down to pull open a drawer and flipped open a design draft. It consisted of pages and pages of top-notch designs. It was Joyce''s first time seeing it, and the woman was stunned as she covered her mouth in amazement. ¡°My goodness! The designs are stunning!¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°I''ve made a couple of amendments over and over, so it has to turn out well. Please reply Mr. Plumlee and ask him toe over so that we can hand over the designs to him.¡± ¡°Sure, I''ll call him right away.¡± Joyce gestured OK and pulled out her phone to call the man right away. After a few minutes, the call came to an end. Joyce put down her phone. ¡°Mr. Plumlee said to meet at Blue Sky Restaurant tomorrow noon.¡± ¡°Why do we have to meet at a restaurant?¡± Natalie asked, nonplussed by the arrangement. Joyce stretched herself out. ¡°I asked him the same question. He said he''s meeting a few clients there tomorrow, and well, killing two birds with one stone. You know the drill.¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 502 Chapter 502 ¡°Ah, I see. Alright then.¡± Natalie nodded. Joyce took the design drafts and said, ¡°I''m going to scan these and shoot an email over to him. That way you''ll have time to make any amendments if it''s not to his liking.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After Joyce had left, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief and started to work. However, the phone rang just moments after she started working. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She picked up the phone and peered at the caller ID. Initially, she was surprised, then she appeared to be in a conflict as she did not pick up even after the phone had been ringing for ages. Only after the line went dead itself that she put her phone back to where it was. However, before she could rx, her phone rang yet again. It seemed like the caller was a tenacious one who would not give up unless Natalie picked up the call. In the end, she bit down on her lip and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± Natalie tried her best to sound impassive. The caller was silent for a few seconds before muttering, ¡°Nat...¡± ¡°Why are you looking for me, Stanley?¡± Natalie clutched her phone tightly and asked. It was a call from Stanley Quinn. They had not met each other ever since the night Stanley injured Shane and revealed his true nature. Natalie did not know how to face him. He did scare her out of her wits that night. Stanley was dressed in a white and blue patient''s uniform as he stood before a wide French window. He gazed out the window and looked peaceful as ever. ¡°I am calling to apologize.¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± Natalie was stumped. Stanley mumbled a yes. He lifted his hand and touched the water droplets by the sides of the window. ¡°Yes, I am apologizing for my uncalled behavior and ill intention toward you. I did not know why or how I''ve brought myself to do that to you. I have to say... that it wasn''t exactly my intention to put you through that.¡± Natalie sighed, and her lips curled into a wry smile. ¡°I know. I heard it all from Joyce. She said that you''ve been diagnosed with mental illness when you were just a teen.¡± He does not wish for this to happen either. ¡°So she told you that.¡± Stanley lowered his gaze. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, she told me all that because she did not want me to me you entirely.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Stanley put down his hands. ¡°Then, will you forgive me, Nat?¡± Natalie leaned back in her chair. ¡°I forgive you. But I have one condition, which is you have to promise me to cooperate and receive all the treatments best for you. You have to get a grip of yourself and don''t let your mind run wild ever again.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The sses Stanley was wearing bounced off the light. ¡°I will make sure to follow up with all my treatments. Well, I actually have made good progress.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie felt her back stiffened. Stanley smiled, and it was the familiar gentle chuckle that Natalie once knew. ¡°Yes. I heard from Joyce that you''ve gotten together with Mr. Shane. My emotions are not running wild even after I heard that news, so you can imagine how well I''m doing.¡± Natalie smiled. It seems like he really is doing well. Otherwise, he''s going to flip out after knowing that I''ve gotten together with Shane, just like he did that night. ¡°That''s great.¡± Natalie face split into a wide grin. ¡°It seems like my old friend, Stanley Quinn is going to be back soon.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Stanley adjusted his sses. Then, he noticed something with the corner of his eyes and his eyes dimmed for a brief moment. The man smiled amicably and said, ¡°Alright, Nat. My psychiatrist is here. I''m going to go now. We''ll talk next time. Do let Mr. Shane know that I''m terribly sorry for what I''ve done to him. I hope he understands that I have no true intention of hurting him in any way.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll let him know.¡± Stanley muttered thanks before hanging up on the phone. Natalie smiled after the line went dead. She put her phone down and got back to work. Chapter 503 Chapter 503 When Shane arrived in the afternoon, Natalie bade farewell to Joyce before getting into his car. ¡°In a good mood?¡± Shane asked gently. Natalie turned to him and blinked in surprise. ¡°You can tell?¡± ¡°It''s obvious.¡± Natalie smiled and opened the car window a crack. ¡°Stanley''s condition is improving, so yes, I''m in a pretty good mood.¡± The mention of Stanley made Shane instantly narrow his eyes in annoyance. ¡°You''ve contacted him?¡± ¡°No, I haven''t,¡± Natalie replied with a shake of her head. ¡°It was him who called me to apologize for what he did earlier. Oh, he also told me to pass on his apologies to you. He said it was never his intention to stab you.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane scoffed and pursed his lips. ¡°And you believe him?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie asked as she turned to face Shane. ¡°He was out of control then and wasn''t clear- headed. If he was, I believe he wouldn''t have hurt anyone with a knife.¡± Even though he didn''t say anything, Shane''s expression had darkened considerably. Oh dear, she really fell for his words. Natalie could feel Shane reacted with dismay and tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Shane ignored her and remained silent. ¡°I know you must think I bought his words too easily, but he did lose control then, didn''t he?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Shane replied in exasperation as he rubbed his temples. ¡°What else did he tell you?¡± ¡°He said his treatment is working. And that his mental state is a lot better.¡± ¡°And you believe that too?¡± Shane replied in an incredulous tone. Natalie looked away as she was ovee by a twinge of guilt. ¡°I can feel he''s telling the truth. His condition has truly improved a lot.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Shane muttered. Unlike Natalie, he wasn''t buying Stanley''s words. His condition couldn''t have improved so much in such a short period. Stanley could lie and convince others, but Shane would never fall for it. Natalie sighed, knowing that Shane still didn''t believe her. She looked out of the window and decided not to say anymore. They drove on in silence until they arrived at the kindergarten, where their two children hopped in the car excitedly. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, did you argue?¡± Connor asked curiously while scrutinizing his parents. Natalie turned to him with a smile. ¡°No, we didn''t.¡± ¡°Then, why aren''t you talking?¡± Sharon chimed in with a quizzical look. Natalie gazed at Shane and simply replied, ¡°We just have a lot on our minds.¡± Both kids nodded, satisfied with the answer. ¡°Alright now, sit tight. We''re driving off,¡± Shane finally said. ¡°That''s right, stay in your seats and stop moving around,¡± Natalie reminded them. Connor and Sharon hummed in response and sat obediently for the rest of the drive home. Once Shane pulled up at their vi, both kids immediately jumped out of the car and dashed into the house. Natalie wasn''t in a hurry, so she decided to wait at the door for Shane. After he had parked the car and saw Natalie still standing outside, Shane gave her a puzzled look. ¡°Why haven''t you gone in?¡± ¡°I''m waiting for you,¡± Natalie replied while rubbing her hands together for warmth. Winter had greeted J City, and the weather was getting colder with every passing day. Even being outdoors for a while would make anyone shiver from the biting cold. Seeing how insistent she was to wait for him despite being curled up from the cold, Shane frowned and took her by her hand. ¡°Come on, let''s go in.¡± Even though it was just a few simple words, Natalie could hear the concernced in Shane''s voice. She smiled, knowing that his anger had subsided, and walked into the vi with him. Chapter 504 Chapter 504 As soon as they walked into the living room, Natalie''s ears picked up a familiar voice. ¡°What are your names?¡± It''s Jacqueline! Why is she here? Natalie stared at Shane, ready to question if he had invited Jacqueline over. But when she saw him frowning, she knew he was just as surprised as her. Natalie instantly felt more at ease knowing that he wasn''t responsible for Jacqueline''s sudden visit. As they continued walking, they saw Jacqueline sitting on the sofa and looking affectionately at their children. From the looks of it, her question earlier was meant for them. The two children sat opposite Jacqueline, with Connor on high alert and Sharon looking at her curiously, wondering who this stranger was. Before Sharon could ask anything, the eagle-eyed Connor had noticed his parents walking in and quickly pulled his sister to join them. ¡°Mommy! Daddy!¡± Jacqueline''s gaze darkened when she heard them address Shane but was quick to regain her composure. ¡°Go slow,¡± Natalie chided as she ruffled their hair. ¡°Mommy, who''s thatdy?¡± Sharon whispered while pointing at Jacqueline. Natalie nced at Jacqueline and broke into a smile. ¡°Okay, enough questions. Go upstairs with your brother. Connor, please take your sister along.¡± ¡°I got it, Mommy,¡± Connor replied and made his way upstairs with Sharon in tow. Shane took a seat opposite Jacqueline, still with a frown on his face. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I heard from Jackie that Ms. Smith and her two kids have moved in here with you. Naturally, I got curious and decided to drop by for a visit.¡± Jacqueline then turned her attention toward Natalie and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, your children are adorable. What are their names?¡± Natalie took a seat on the sofa, but instead of joining Shane, she chose to sit by herself. Even though her behavior upset him, Shane kept hisposure and said nothing of it. ¡°The boy is Connor, and the girl is Sharon,¡± Natalie replied once she had made herselffortable. ¡°Connor and Sharon, what lovely names. Connor especially has a nice name and such a handsome face, just like Shane. If I didn''t know better, I''d have thought he is Shane''s son,¡± Jacqueline mused while ying with her cup. ¡°Connor and Sharon are my children now,¡± Shane immediately retorted. ¡°I meant biological children. Ms. Smith, don''t tell me Connor is Shane''s biological son?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Natalie replied with a smile, although her heart was racing. She lowered her gaze to hide the panic in her eyes. Damn, don''t tell me Jacqueline suspects the rtionship between Connor and Shane? And if she does, would she continue to investigate or ask for a paternity test? ¡°What are you thinking about, Ms. Smith?¡± Jacqueline asked after taking a sip of her water. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Nothing at all.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jacqueline replied with a nod before suddenly leaning forward. ¡°Ms. Smith, I''d like to know who the biological father of your children is. I''m curious as to why they resemble Shane so much.¡± Upon Jacqueline''s query, Shane nced at Natalie too. He had always wanted to find out about her ex-partners. It wasn''t something that he minded, but he just wanted to learn more about her past. It was also puzzling to him why he hadn''t been able to find any information about the children''s biological father. Natalie felt like she was being backed into the corner as the weight of Shane''s stare fell on her. She knew Jacqueline was forcing her to reveal the truth, but she also knew that this wasn''t the right time for it. After all, she and Shane had only just gotten together. With their rtionship far from being stable, there was no way she could tell him the truth.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 505 Chapter 505 When Natalie didn''t reply, Jacqueline smirked and pressed on. ¡°What''s wrong, Ms. Smith? Have I put you in a spot?¡± Natalie stood with her head lowered, trying to hide her expression. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Graham. I have no intention of discussing the identity of the father for now. I''ll take my leave first.¡± As soon as she got her words out, Natalie promptly headed upstairs. Shane seemed lost in contemtion as he watched her retreating figure. Noticing how concerned he was toward Natalie, Jacqueline bit her lips and forced a smile. ¡°Shane, have I said something wrong? Did my words hit Ms. Smith''s nerve?¡± ¡°Alright, that''s enough. You should go back to the hospital.¡± ¡°But I only just got here,¡± Jacqueline whined with a pout. Shane got up from the sofa and shot her a stoic gaze. ¡°You''re still not well enough to be discharged. Being away from the hospital for too long wouldn''t do you any good. Come on. I''ll send you back.¡± Jacqueline had no choice but to follow suit. ¡°Shane, can I stay here once I get discharged?¡± she asked while looking at Shane expectantly. ¡°Here at my ce?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jacqueline nodded fervently. Shane arched his brow in slight annoyance. ¡°Haven''t I already transferred your family''s vi to you?¡± ¡°I don''t want to live alone,¡± Jacqueline whimpered while holding on to Shane''s arm. ¡°Now that my parents are gone, being there by myself brings back sad memories. I''m sure you can understand how I feel, can''t you?¡± Shane''s face fell as if having thought of something. ¡°Okay, I got it. I''ll arrange a room for you here once you get discharged from the hospital.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you, Shane!¡± Jacqueline eximed, grinning from ear to ear. With that settled, Shane led Jacqueline out of the vi to send her back to the hospital. Natalie watched them leaving together from the balcony upstairs, a wave of jealousy suddenlying over her. However, this feeling went away as quickly as it came. After all, she could understand that with Jacqueline''s health, Shane wouldn''t be able to rest easy if he didn''t send her back himself. Natalie was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn''t realize Connor had joined her on the balcony. ¡°Mommy, are you looking at Daddy and Ms. Graham?¡± he suddenly asked. ¡°Baby, you know Ms. Graham?¡± Natalie replied, her face masked in shock. I don''t think I''ve ever introduced Jacqueline to the kids, have I? Connor nodded earnestly. ¡°I do. I heard her voice when I was in Uncle Stanley''s ward.¡± So that''s how it is. ¡°You''re right. That''s Ms. Graham.¡± ¡°Does she know Daddy well?¡± Connor once again asked innocently. After a moment''s hesitation, Natalie decided to be honest with her son. ¡°Yes. They were childhood sweethearts.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Before Natalie could say anything else, Connor added, ¡°I don''t like her.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± If memory served her correctly, this would be the second time Connor had voiced his dislike for Jacqueline. The first time he said it was when they were in Stanley''s ward. Connor stared into the distance and pouted. ¡°She''s not a good person. She stared very coldly at Sharon and me. I can tell she hates us.¡± It was impressive how perceptive Connor was for a boy his age, but Natalie wasn''t too surprised by his words. She crouched down and hugged him gently. ¡°That''s because Ms. Graham likes Daddy. So naturally, she doesn''t like us.¡± ¡°I see. But I still don''t like Daddy being so close with her.¡± Natalie patted his head lovingly and smiled. ¡°Alright, that''s an issue between adults. You''re just a kid, so don''t worry about it. You still have time to y with your sister before your tutores.¡± True to his words, Shane had already found a teacher to start Connor''s elite training. Natalie only hoped that her son could persevere and excel in his training. With Connor off to y with Sharon, Natalie stayed on the balcony until she could no longer stand the cold anymore. Chapter 506 Chapter 506 As she was walking back into the house, Mrs. Wilson came up to announce that dinner was ready. Even though Shane had yet toe home, Natalie and the kids decided to go ahead and have their meal first. However, it was their first time since moving to the vi that they were eating without Shane, so they couldn''t help but feel that something was out of ce. After dinner, Connor''s teacher arrived on time and held their lesson in the study. Natalie tried to listen in on the lesson but gave up when she felt a headache setting in from the information overload. After showering Sharon and preparing her for bed, they heard the sound of a car engine outside the vi. ¡°Mommy, is Daddy home?¡± Sharon asked as she climbed into bed. ¡°I think he is. Go to sleep now. I''ll go take a look.¡± Sharon said nothing more as she nodded obediently. After tucking Sharon in and giving her a goodnight''s kiss, Natalie made her way down to look for Shane. She had only just gotten to the living room when she saw Shane walk in without his suit jacket. Though slightly taken aback, Natalie could guess that his suit jacket was probably with Jacqueline. Well, it seems that he does lend his jacket to others too and not just me. ¡°What''s wrong? Why are you standing there in a daze?¡± Shane asked when he saw Natalie spacing out at the foot of the stairs. ¡°It''s nothing. Why are you back sote?¡± ¡°I kept Jacquelinepany and asked her doctor about her condition,¡± Shane replied as he sat on the sofa, rubbing his temples. Natalie''s heart ached when she saw how exhausted Shane was. She walked up behind him and started to give him a massage. Shane was initially shocked by the sudden touch, but when he realized it was Natalie, he soon calmed down and relished the moment. Natalie was pleased to know that her massage was working when she felt Shane finally rxing. ¡°How''s Ms. Graham''s condition?¡± ¡°Her recovery''s going pretty well. The only problem is the eyes,¡± Shane mumbled. ¡°They don''t think her eyes willst much longer.¡± Natalie''s hand paused for a split second but quickly resumed massaging Shane. ¡°Is it because of the cornea?¡± she asked. Shane merely grunted in acknowledgement. It wasn''t long ago when Stanley told her about Jacqueline''s interest in her cornea. That memory made her heart sink, and she decided to probe Shane further. ¡°When does Ms. Graham intend to have the operation? Has she found a cornea transnt?¡± ¡°Yes, the operation''s next month.¡± Natalie''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing that. ¡°Whose cornea is she getting?¡± ¡°I have no idea,¡± Shane muttered with a shake of his head. ¡°Donor''s particrs are confidential, so I didn''t ask Jackson either.¡± Natalie nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. With the operation being next month and a donor already lined up, it seemed like she had been worrying for no reason. However, she remembered Jackson saying Jacqueline wasn''t happy with the pair of corneas the hospital had picked for her and had found another pair. Is she going with the pair she has picked? ¡°Are you spacing out again?¡± Shane asked when he realized Natalie had stopped the massage even though her hands were still on him. It was the third time that night that Natalie''s mind had wandered off. There was a twinkle in her eye as she snapped back to reality. ¡°No, no. I think I''m just tired.¡± ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± Shane asked with a suggestive raising of his brow. Natalie replied with a yawn, ¡°Yes, a little.¡± ¡°Let''s head upstairs then.¡± With that, he pulled her up the stairs and into their room. After yet another intense and raunchy night, Natalie went to work the next day feeling sore all over. Naturally, Joyce couldn''t pass up the opportunity to tease her best friend. ¡°Oh, stopughing!¡± Natalie scolded while smacking Joyce in mock annoyance. ¡°Come on. We still have to meet Mr. Plumlee at Blue Sky Restaurant.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I''ll stopughing,¡± Joyce replied, still trying to stifle herughter but to no avail. Natalie ignored her and walked out of the studio with her design notes in hand. Joyce followed behind, and before long, they had arrived at the restaurant.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 507 Chapter 507 A waiter led them to a private room and gestured for them to enter. ¡°Please wait here. Mr. Plumlee is currently in another meeting next door and will join you shortly.¡± Natalie nodded and entered the room with Joyce in tow. After serving them tea, the waiter left the room, leaving the twodies all by themselves. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, Nat. There''s something I want to tell you,¡± Joyce said after sipping her tea. ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡± Natalie looked up momentarily from her blueprints before ducking back down again. After some hesitation, Joyce finally spoke up. ¡°I heard that our country''s nning to create our very own luxury clothing brand.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie reeled back in shock. ¡°Are you sure? Is this information reliable?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I''m just telling you what I heard.¡± ¡°Where did you hear this? And why haven''t I heard it too?¡± Natalie asked while staring at her. Joyce rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, please. It''s not like you do sales. Why would you have heard anything?¡± ¡°That''s true.¡± After another sip of her tea, Joyce continued, ¡°Whether we''re talking about clothes or jewelry, or even shoes, bags, and cosmetics, these luxury items usually belong to foreign brands. The only local brand that stands out in our country is Thompson Group, and even then, it still isn''t of blue-chip standard.¡± Her curiosity piqued, Natalie quickly kept her notes and concentrated on their conversation. ¡°I know all about that. So what then?¡± Thompson Group had only started its apparelpany for a little over a year. It wouldn''t even have found its footing in the industry if it hadn''t been for Project Rebirth. However, not having a talented designer at its helm meant that the brand could only achieve the red-chip standard. Blue-chip standard brands were the only certified luxury brands; yet, the apparelpany was far from achieving that. ¡°So, they''re thinking of backing an apparelpany and building it into our country''s very own luxury brand,¡± Joyce replied excitedly. Natalie nodded, the entire picture clear to her now. ¡°So it''s going to be anotherpetition between apparelpanies to be selected for this honor? Whoever wins will get the support they need and be a certified luxury brand.¡± Joyce grinned with a thumbs up. ¡°That''s right! I knew my Nat would be smart enough to get it!¡± Unbeknownst to Joyce and Natalie, Shane happened to be with a client in the private room next to theirs. He paused with a frown when he heard thest sentence. His client noticed he had spaced out and looked at him quizzically. ¡°Is everything okay, Mr. Miller?¡± Shane turned to his client with a smile. ¡°Yes, everything''s fine. Let''s continue.¡± Still blissfully unaware of Shane being in the next room, Natalie carried on with the conversation. ¡°But why is there a need to choose from other apparelpanies? Why not just support the one under Thompson Group?¡± That was something Natalie couldn''t fathom. Thompson Group''s clothing brand was already of red-chip standard. It would be easier for them to reach blue-chip rather than groom a new apparelpany from scratch. ¡°I''ve asked around, and there are two reasons for that. First, Thompson Group is a family business, so there was no way they would allow outsiders to be shareholders. Second, their apparelpany already has the backing of Thompson Group. As long as they hire the right designers, it wouldn''t be difficult for them to be certified as blue-chip.¡± Natalie looked up in realization. ¡°Oh, I see! So they n to beat Thompson Group in creating the first local blue-chip luxury brand.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Joyce sipped her tea and added, ¡°So, Nat, shall we participate too?¡± Natalie was rather enamored by the idea but still decided against it after some consideration. ¡°Didn''t you say this would be a fight betweenpanies? We''re just a small studio. How can we participate?¡± Even though she said that, deep down, she was dying to get this opportunity. With the support given, especially financial support, she would no longer have to worry about herpetitors undermining her. Chapter 508 Chapter 508 document.designMode = ''on''Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 509 Chapter 509 An idea suddenly struck Joyce, and she nearly jumped from her seat. ¡°Nat, why don''t we convert the studio into apany?¡± Natalie nced at her friend with a raised brow and sighed. ¡°Have you forgotten that we don''t have the money? When we first started our studio, the opening capital was twenty million. If we were to convert it into apany, we''d have to double that capital. Where, and how, are we going to find that kind of money?¡± ¡°Oh, damn. So you''re saying there''s no way for us to participate at all?¡± Natalie shrugged in response. ¡°That''s not necessarily the case. If we can secure enough funding, it''d solve the problem.¡± Joyce scoffed as she rolled her eyes. ¡°Hah! Given the current state of our studio, how much funding do you think we can garner?¡± ¡°Exactly. So let''s stop thinking about it. Let''s take our time.¡± Joyce sighed and said nothing more. Of course, we''ll take our time. What else can we do? Just then, the door to the private room suddenly opened, and in walked Mr. Plumlee with an apologetic look. ¡°So sorry foringte.¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Natalie quickly stood up and weed him. ¡°We''ve only just got here ourselves. Please have a seat, Mr. Plumlee.¡± Joyce pulled out a chair for Mr. Plumlee and he politely epted it. Once everyone was seated, Natalie handed her design notes over to him. ¡°Mr. Plumlee, these are the designs for the previous bidding. Let me know if they are all in order.¡± Mr. Plumlee smiled and slid the notes back to Natalie with no intention of flipping through them. ¡°I had already gone through your scanned copies yesterday. And Mr. Miller is very pleased with them.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Natalie tookfort in knowing that they had so much trust in her and her designs, and her smile instantly brightened up even more. ¡°I''m d Mr. Miller likes them. In that case, the follow-up... ¡° ¡°Don''t worry. I will transfer the final payment to you tomorrow,¡± Mr. Plumlee assured her. ¡°Oh, no. That''s not what I meant,¡± Natalie frantically replied with a wave of her hand. ¡°I meant the fashion show.¡± ¡°Oh gosh, I''m so sorry,¡± Mr. Plumlee eximed as he scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°I''ve misunderstood, I thought... ¡° Joyce poured him a cup of tea, chuckling as she did. ¡°Nothing to be sorry about, Mr. Plumlee. Anyone would have thought the same too. Alright, shall we talk about the fashion show then?¡± ¡°Of course. We will make all the necessary arrangements for the fashion show. And we''ll also invite Ms. Smith to the venue once the clothes for the show are ready.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Alright. I got it.¡± Mr. Plumlee stole a nce at the opposite wall before returning his gaze to Natalie. ¡°By the way, Ms. Smith, I heard your conversation with Ms. Rivers earlier. You''re keen to convert your studio, aren''t you?¡± Natalie froze for a moment upon hearing that. ¡°That''s right. But why do you ask, Mr. Plumlee?¡± ¡°Well, the thing is, Mr. Miller said he''s interested in investing in you. He''ll help with converting your studio into apany.¡± Natalie was at a loss for words as she stared wide-eyed in disbelief. ¡°Invest?¡± Joyce eximed. ¡°Yes.¡± Mr. Plumlee nodded. Joyce jumped up, unable to contain her excitement. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course. Mr. Miller has the utmost confidence in Ms. Smith''s talent, so he''s more than willing to lend his support.¡± ¡°Oh, my gosh! Nat, did you hear that?¡± Joyce cried out as she grabbed Natalie''s hand. Natalie sat transfixed for a moment before she nodded. ¡°Yeah. I heard it.¡± Never in her wildest dreams did she expect this sudden turn of events. It was only a moment ago when she was telling Joyce about theirck of funds. And now, an investor hade knocking on their door without them even doing anything. What good fortune! Joyce was so happy she started jumping up and down. ¡°This is amazing! Just amazing! Thank you so much, Mr. Plumlee!¡± Mr. Plumlee smiled sheepishly at the overjoyeddies in front of him. ¡°Ms. Rivers, you should be thanking Mr. Miller. I''m only helping to pass the message on. There''s no need to thank me.¡± Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Joyce smacked her forehead and said apologetically, ¡°Right, right! I''m sorry. In that case, Mr. Plumlee, could you take us to Mr. Miller so we can thank him personally?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. It was the least they could do to show Mr. Miller some appreciation. Mr. Plumlee, however, coughed ufortably at their request. ¡°Err... that, Mr. Miller is still busy with other clients. I''m afraid he won''t have time to meet you today. How about another time?¡± ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± Natalie nodded, a little regretful that they wouldn''t get the chance to thank Mr. Miller on the same day. Joyce chimed in with a sigh of her own. ¡°Guess we''ll have to wait till next time then. But, what about the investment?¡± ¡°Mr. Miller has made me in charge of the investment,¡± Mr. Plumlee said as he held up a finger. ¡°This would be the initial investment amount.¡± ¡°Ten million?¡± Joyce asked. Mr. Plumlee shook his head. There was a glint in Natalie''s eye as she piped up, ¡°Could it be a hundred million?¡± Joyce hurriedly turned her attention to Mr. Plumlee, waiting to see his response. Mr. Plumlee nodded with a smile and put his finger down. ¡°You''re right, Ms. Smith. It is indeed a hundred million. If that''s not enough, we can always add more.¡± ¡°That''s enough!¡± Joyce butted in before Natalie could reply. ¡°We wouldn''t even need that much. Fifty million would suffice! Isn''t that right, Nat?¡± ¡°That''s right. One hundred million is too much. I think fifty million would be just the right amount,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°I can''t help you with that,¡± Mr. Plumlee said with a shrug. ¡°Mr. Miller has given the green light to invest a hundred million, and that''s what we''ll have to stick to.¡± Joyce''s eyes widened even more as she turned to Natalie. ¡°Nat, let''s just take the hundred million as offered. After we set up ourpany, we''ll be able to buy more machines and fabrics, rent a bigger office space and employ more workers.¡± Natalie thought about it and found Joyce''s suggestion reasonable. She drew a deep breath and finally agreed. ¡°Alright, we''ll do it. As for the shares, we''ll set aside more for Mr. Miller.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Joyce pped her hands in joy. ¡°Very well then. I shall let Mr. Miller know and draw up the contract. Once that''s done, I''ll transfer the funds to you.¡± ¡°No problem. Thank you, Mr. Plumlee. Have a nice day,¡± Natalie said while nodding gently. With that, Mr. Plumlee turned and left the private room. Once he was out of earshot, Joyce immediately scooped Natalie into a tight hug. ¡°Nat, we''ve met our benefactor! How lucky are we!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Natalie replied, still grinning from ear to ear. Mr. Miller, mysterious as he might be, was truly their benefactor. Ever since he appeared in J City, he had never failed to lend them a helping hand. ¡°Nat, I''m so happy! Shall we celebrate over a mealter?¡± Joyce suggested. Not wanting to upset her, Natalie decided to go along with it. ¡°Then, let''s hurry. I''m starving!¡± Joyce grabbed her bag without any hesitation and ran out of the room, with Natalie following behind. As soon as both women had entered the elevator, the door to the room beside theirs suddenly opened. Shane strode out with Ss and Mr. Plumlee in tow. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Bring the car over,¡± Ss ordered Mr. Plumlee, who quickly did as instructed. As Ss followed Shane toward the elevator, his curiosity finally got the better of him. ¡°Mr. Shane, why do you insist on using the identity of Mr. Miller to invest in Ms. Smith? Can''t you just invest in her studio as her boyfriend?¡± ¡°She would never ept that,¡± Shane replied coldly. Ss was even more perplexed now. ¡°Why not?¡± If theyck the funds, why would they reject Mr. Shane''s investment? ¡°Because she doesn''t want to rely on nepotism and receive personal gain from people close to her.¡± Even though Natalie wasn''t a typical career-driven woman, she was still very ambitious and wouldn''t want to rely on anyone else to achieve her goals. Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Otherwise, given her ego, she''d think she was inferior to the people around her. If that happened, a shift in their rtionship dynamics would be inevitable. Ss scratched his chin as he thought about Shane''s words. ¡°You''re right. I''ve seen many people in close rtionships who decided to work together, only for them to fight and fall out eventually.¡± Shane shot him a nce and said curtly, ¡°Natalie and I won''t fall out!¡± Ss realized he had inadvertently said the wrong thing and immediately apologized, ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shane. That wasn''t intentional.¡± Shane scoffed and stepped into the elevator, not saying anything more. Grateful that Shane wasn''t going to pick on him further, Ss heaved a sigh of relief and hurried after him. Natalie was extremely busy in the days that followed. Soon, work had gotten even busier for Natalie and Joyce because they had converted their studio to a company. They spent such long hours outside that Natalie would sometimes only reach home in the wee hours. Her kids had even started whining about not seeing much of their mother. It took about a week before theirpany was finally up and running. At longst, Natalie could take a breather, but she had also lost a ton of weight. Shane''s heart ached upon seeing her sunken eyes and dark circles under her eyes, a hint of regret overcame him for having given her the funds. Yet, that feeling of regret soon passed. He knew that given her talent, it was a matter of time before she could set up her ownpany. When that time came, she would still immerse herself fully into work to get it all set up. As such, it seemed like a better idea to get it over and done with sooner thanter. One morning during breakfast, Natalie suddenly set her spoon down and turned toward Shane. ¡°I almost forgot to tell you, but I''m going overseas in two days.¡± ¡°Overseas? What for?¡± Shane replied as he looked up at her. ¡°Ms. Mackenzie''s birthday ising.¡± Upon hearing that, both kids looked up excitedly. ¡°Mommy, we want to go too!¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll bring both of you along.¡± Natalie smiled and patted their heads. Shane slowly picked up his coffee and took a sip. ¡°Let''s go together then.¡± What? Natalie was stunned by his response and stared at him, baffled. ¡°Shane, you''reing along too?¡± Ms. Mackenzie wanted to keep her birthday celebration small and cozy and thus only invited a few rtives and friends for a gathering. Shane nodded. ¡°I''m your boyfriend. Can''t I go with you?¡± ¡°Of course, you can,¡± Natalie replied, almost choking on her water. But if he goes, would that be equivalent to meeting the parents? Natalie was embarrassed by the mere thought of that and her face turned a zing shade of red. Sharon curiously blinked at her mother and reached out to touch her face. ¡°Mommy, what''s wrong? Your face is burning!¡± Her words drew the attention of Connor and Shane, who were both now staring at Natalie. With their full attention on her, Natalie felt very ufortable. She forced a smile and brushed it off. ¡°I''m fine. Okay, hurry and finish your food. It''s almost time for school.¡± Sharon, as obedient as ever, nodded and continued eating. After breakfast, Mrs. Wilson sent both kids to school. Since work had been hectic for both Natalie and Shane, Mrs. Wilson had taken over the duty of sending them to school daily. Thankfully, the children had noints about it as they rather enjoyed having Mrs. Wilson apany them. ¡°Come on, I''ll send you to work,¡± Shane said to Natalie after having packed his things. Natalie hummed in reply, taking his arm in hers as they left the vi. Half an hourter, Natalie arrived at her apparelpany. Thepany name was still the same as the studio''s, except it had gone from Studio Nouveau to Nouveau Corp. After bidding goodbye to Shane, Natalie stepped into the building. Their office location had not changed either. It was still in the same building but on a different floor. Joyce had rented an entire floor and converted it to their office. They had finally climbed the ranks and expanded to be a small and medium-sized business. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Even the number of employees had increased to over a hundred now. As soon as she entered the office, her employees all came up and greeted her warmly. Natalie smiled and nodded in response before going into her office. Knowing she had juste in, Joyce bounded into her office and eximed, ¡°Nat! There''s good news!¡± ¡°What good news?¡± Natalie asked as she hung her coat up and took a seat. Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Joyce headed over to Natalie''s desk. The former ced her elbow on thetter''s desk and rested her head on her own hand. The two were really close to one another when Joyce whispered, ¡°It''s about the variety show. Those models made our designs famous, and many people have gone online and made requests for the same outfits. Should we start mass producing and selling those outfits?¡± ¡°The timing sounds about right. Contact the textile mill and have them start production,¡± instructed Natalie after checking the calendar on her desk. Joyce pped her hands once and promised, ¡°No problem. I will notify them in a sec. Nat, should we set up an online store before that?¡± ¡°An online store?¡± repeated Natalie with her brows raised. Joyce murmured an affirmative tone before she turned serious and said, ¡°That''s right. I''ve been doing researchtely, and we can make way more money selling our products online. We have been working overseas this entire time, so we didn''t realize that until recently.¡± The term ¡°money¡± might seem a little too crude, but their brands had not reached the level of sess that allowed them to be picky. They couldn''t even afford not to be frugal, so what else could they do if not they didn''t focus on making money? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Without money, they would not have the budget to buy fine fabrics to make quality garments. Natalie didn''t think there was anything wrong with what Joyce said, so the former nodded and said, ¡°Then, I will leave it all to you. I have to go overseas in two days because my mentor''s birthday is right around the corner.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, Ms. Mackenzie''s birthday is in two days,¡± murmured Joyce, ¡°Alright, you go ahead. Please get her a birthday gift on my behalf as well.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± replied Natalie while nodding. Joyce talked a little more about the designs of the online store before she left. Natalie kept herself busy after Joyce had left as she started working endlessly. That afternoon, Natalie headed over to the television station to discuss the specifics of the outfit the celebrities would be wearing in the next season of the variety show. The production team wanted the celebrities to go to the beach, so the theme they set for the season was ocean. ¡°Alright, got it. I will have the design drafts ready as quickly as possible,¡± informed Natalie as she stood up to shake the producer''s hand. The producer reached out and shook her hand in return. ¡°We''ll be counting on your incredible talents, Ms. Smith,¡± said the producer. ¡°Thank you for your kind words,¡± replied Natalie with a smile before she bid her goodbye and left. The producer walked her out of his office before he turned around and went back in. Natalie exited the elevator and was on the first floor of the television station when she suddenly recalled something. Her eyes glowed a little before she walked over to the reception. ¡°Hello, may I know if Warren Litch still works here?¡± asked Natalie with a grin. The receptionist scanned Natalie suspiciously and asked, ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Natalie flipped her hair. Her expression remained serene when she lied, ¡°He''s my uncle, and it had been a while since he visited the family home. My grandpa is worried about him and asked me to look for him.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Okay, let me look into the records for you,¡± replied the receptionist while nodding. She then started working on theputer to gain ess to the records. Natalie thanked the nicedy as she stood in front of the reception''s desk. The former was patient as she waited. A few minutester, the receptionist finished checking. She turned to Natalie and informed, ¡°I''m so sorry, but Warren Litch was fired some time ago.¡± ¡°Fired?¡± blurted Natalie in surprise. The receptionist muttered an affirmative reply before she added, ¡°I''m sorry, but he was fired for going after the security guards for no reason and causing a racket in the television station. ¡° ¡°No, you don''t need to apologize. That has nothing to do with you,¡± replied Natalie while waving her hands. Sheter probed further, ¡°Do you know where he went after he was fired?¡± ¡°We have no idea. Ady was here to pick him up when he left though.¡± ¡°Ady?¡± ¡°Yeah, thedy seems close to him and used to drop by frequently to visit him,¡± replied the receptionist. Natalie''s gaze shifted downward. She could more or less guess who thedy in question was. It must be Susan! Chapter 513 Chapter 513 The problem was, Natalie had no idea where Susan took Warren. ¡°Alright, got it. Thanks,¡± said Natalie while grinning appreciatively at the receptionist. After that, Natalie left via the front door. She had just gotten out when she heard someone calling out for her. ¡°Natalie, is that you?¡± Thedy''s voice carried a hint of excitement and glee, so Natalie turned around curiously. She saw that a bus was parked a short distance away, and standing beside it were a fewdies with sexy curves. They were all wearing fashionable outfits. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Natalie could tell that thosedies were models. The television station probably hired them to do a show or something. The model standing in the middle was the one who was staring gleefully at Natalie. She''s probably the one who called me. Natalie tilted her head and scanned the other party for a while. She was certain that she didn''t know the model, so Natalie asked politely, ¡°Sorry, but who are you?¡± ¡°It''s me, Sally!¡± said the model while having her palm on her chest, ¡°Sally Oswald.¡± Natalie''s eyes bulged in surprise when she heard that name. ¡°Sally?¡± blurted Natalie, ¡°You''re Sally?¡± Sally Oswald and Natalie were roommates when they were in college. Like Hannah and Natalie, Sally was also studying in the art department. Among the fourdies that Natalie shared the room with, she and Sally were the closest. They spent almost every second together during the year they studied together. Unfortunately, Natalie had to move overseaster, and they stopped contacting each other. Neither could''ve imagined that they''d bump into each other that day. ¡°Yes!¡± replied Sally while nodding. Natalie walked over happily and reached out to hold Sally''s hand beforementing, ¡°Oh my gosh, it''s really you! Look at you. You''ve changed so much, and you''ve gotten much taller. I didn''t even recognize you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± said Sally before she reached out for Natalie as well and added, ¡°That''s enough talking about me. You haven''t changed much but you are even more beautiful than you used to be.¡± Natalie blushed in embarrassment after beingplimented. She grinned politely and asked, ¡°Are you a model now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± answered Sally before she nodded, ¡°Being a model is my dream.¡± ¡°That''s fantastic. Congrattions,¡± said Natalie, who was genuinely happy for Sally. Sally let go of Natalie''s hand and asked, ¡°What about you? Are you a costume designer now?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Natalie with a nod. ¡°That''s so amazing!¡± said Sally before she hugged Natalie and promised, ¡°I will definitely wear your designs and show it off someday.¡± Natalie grinned. She was about to reply when anotherdy spoke up. The stranger''s voice was filled with distaste when she pointed out, ¡°She is nothing but an unknown costume designer. How can her clothes ever make it to the runway? It''s impossible.¡± Natalie and Sally frowned simultaneously upon hearing what the woman said. Sally let go of Natalie and turned her attention in the direction of the bus. The former red at the woman standing by the bus before growling fiercely, ¡°Shut up, Hannah. No one wants to hear what you say.¡± Hannah strode over confidently and dissed, ¡°What? Are you upset? Am I wrong, though? She, Natalie Smith, is nothing but an unknown amateur designer. Even her friends said that about her. Anyone who isn''t famous is an amateur.¡± ¡°You...¡± growled Sally. She was so angry that she wanted to head over and teach Hannah a lesson. Natalie held Sally''s hand and stopped her. The former shook her head at thetter and cooed, ¡°Come on, Sal, don''t be that harsh. Just let her do the bullsh*t. She''s cursed to be that part of the digestive system, so what else can she do?¡± Pfft! Sallyughed aloud and agreed, ¡°You''re right, Nat. I should just let her spew bullsh*t.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± said Natalie before she shot a look at Hannah and nodded. At first, Hannah had no idea what they were talking about, but she caught it instantly after Sally and the other modelsughed aloud. ¡°How dare you call me a cow''s a*shole?¡± roared Hannah through gritted teeth as she red at Natalie. Natalie waved her hand and said innocently, ¡°No, I didn''t. When have I ever used the word a*s?¡± ¡°Exactly. Natalie has never mentioned that word. You''re the one who called yourself the cow''s as*hole,¡± said Sally. She was standing in front of Natalie and shielding her. Hannah was on her own, so there was no way she could beat Natalie and Sally when they worked together. That got Hannah so worked up that she was fuming red, and her breath was getting uneven as she growled, ¡°Y-you...¡± ¡°Alright, gather around, models,¡± said a worker with a whistle around his neck at that moment. He was standing some distance away and was shouting at the models. Chapter 514 Chapter 514 The models headed over when they heard that. Hannah clenched her fists and red at Sally and Natalie before she warned, ¡°Just you two wait. I will get you both back for this!¡± Natalie scoffed before she ignored Hannahpletely and continued chatting with Sally. Hannah felt like she had just thrown a punch in the air. Her threat didn''t give her any satisfaction, and she ended up stomping on the ground before leaving. ¡°You know, Sally, she had been trying to get under my skin ever since we signed the contracts with the samepany. It''s like college all over again, and that''s so annoying,¡± said Sally with a grouchy expression on as she red at Hannah''s back. Natalie tapped on Sally''s shoulders to offer somefort before saying, ¡°I honestly had no idea that the two of you are in the samepany. It''ll be fine. You can be rid of her once your career moved you to another country.¡± ¡°That''s easier said than done. There are so many models in the country and only a handful of them made it big and became international models. Most are just featured in local magazines,¡± shared Sally before she chuckled bitterly. Natalie''s eyes shone differently. No one knew what she was thinking, but sheter got a name card out of her possession and handed it to Sally. ¡°This is my contact number,¡± said Natalie. ¡°Okay, I''ll keep it safe. Let''s talk again soon. I have to head over now,¡± informed Sally as she pointed at the site where the models had gathered. ¡°I am busy, as I might go overseas for training tomorrow.¡± ¡°Just go ahead. Bye!¡± said Natalie as she nodded slightly. ¡°Bye!¡± replied Sally, before she waved at Natalie and ran off to join the other models. Natalie watched as Sally merged into the crowd. After that, the former head over to her car and left. That night, Natalie returned to her room to pack her things after she had her dinner. Shane, on the other hand, went into the washroom to shower. He was drying his hair as he exited the washroom, and that was when he saw Natalie crouching on the floor. She had her arm under the bed and it looked like she was trying to reach for something. Shane walked over silently and only stopped when he was right behind her. His gaze shifted downward, and the glow in his eyes turned ambiguous as he stared and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natalie was frightened. She jumped and her entire body trembled after hearing him. That, in turn, got her to hit her head against the bed. She yelped in pain and teared up a little. Shane knew that it was his fault, and an apologetic glow shed past his eyes. He crouched down and pulled Natalie out from under the bed. ¡°Why aren''t your footsteps audible?¡±ined Natalie unreasonably as she sat on the floor and rubbed her injured forehead. She was also ring at the man. Shane grinned and apologized, ¡°Sorry about that. Let me see how bad it is.¡± After saying those words, he got closer to her and slowly parted her hand. His heart ached when he saw the red mark on her otherwise radiant forehead. ¡°It''s sore, isn''t it?¡± guessed Natalie, who could tell what was going on after seeing his expression. ¡°Yeah, I''ll go get you some medicine,¡± replied Shane. He got up and left the room after that. Natalie massaged her injured forehead a little more before she crouched down and crawled under the bed to retrieve the item that had rolled over. Shane was back by the time she finished doing all that. He couldn''t help but narrow his eyes at her when he saw how messy her hair was and how tired she looked as she panted. ¡°You crawled under the bed again, didn''t you?¡± asked Shane. Natalie nodded shyly. Shane walked over and got her off of the floor before leading her to the bedside and forcing her to sit down. ¡°Why did you crawl under the bed?¡± asked Shane. ¡°To pick something up,¡± answered Natalie, while pointing at the luggage bag on the side. She informed, ¡°I was packing earlier, and my lipstick rolled under the bed.¡± Shane''s eye twitched upon hearing that. So she went through all that hassle just to retrieve a stupid lipstick? ¡°What are you thinking, Shane?¡± asked Natalie when she noticed that he was in a daze. She even reached out to wave her hand in front of his face. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The guy blinked and held her hand before cing them on herp. After that, he said, ¡°Don''t crawl under the bed again, okay? Not even if something rolled under it. Just ask Mrs. Wilson to get something to help you retrieve it. If you hit your head again...¡± ¡°I got it, I got it, Mr. Most Caring Husband,¡± interrupted Natalie as she caressed his face. Shane didn''t like how she interrupted him, but he didn''tin because he was rather pleased to hear her call him her ¡°husband¡±. Chapter 515 Chapter 515 ¡°Stay still,¡± ordered Shane in his deep voice. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalie knew that he was going to put some medicine on her, so she sat up straight. Seeing how good she was being, Shane''s previously grouchy face looked much calmer soon. Then, he opened the first-aid kit and got the cotton butts and medicine out. He was extremely gentle, so Natalie didn''t feel the sting at all. She even closed her eyes and started enjoying the treatment. When she closed her eyes, her long eyshes fluttered. There were many times when her eyshes tickled Shane''s hand as they fluttered. Seeing all that got Shane to lick his own lips. His eyes instantly glowed with lust, and he hurried to finish putting the medicine on her. After that, he lifted her chin and kissed her lips. ¡°Mmm...¡± Natalie didn''t expect him to kiss her out of a sudden, so her eyes flung open. She was utterly bbergasted. It took her some time to gather her thoughts. She didn''t push him away after she regained her footing. Instead, she put her hands on the back of his neck and started kissing him back. She understood that she had been too busytely and had neglected him for some time. It got to the point where she refused his advances on the night before. Shane neverined, but Natalie could still remember how he looked when disappointment shone in his eyes. At that moment, Shane had no idea what Natalie was thinking. He was a little stunned when he felt her kissing him back like that, but he got the message soon enough. He kissed her more passionately and later pushed her onto the bed. Perhaps it was because it had been a while since theyst did it, so Shane was especially aggressive that night. He was so demanding that Natalie was sore the following morning and couldn''t get out of bed. It was so bad that she needed Mrs. Wilson to deliver her breakfast to her bed. ¡°Here''s some chicken soup, Ms. Smith,¡± said Mrs. Wilson as she ced a bowl of hot soup in front of Natalie. Natalie reached out to ept it before saying, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Wilson.¡± Mrs. Wilson giggled a little before sharing, ¡°Sir asked me to prepare this for you. He said it''d help replenish your energy and boost your stamina.¡± Natalie almost spat the soup out when she heard Mrs. Wilson mention boosting her stamina. Fortunately, she managed to hold it together and swallow the soup. That being said, her face was still blushing red. Mrs. Wilson understood that Natalie was shy, so she didn''t say anything else. She simply grinned and urged thetter to finish the soup. Mrs. Wilson got the empty bowl over after Natalie finished her soup. The former asked, ¡°Would you like some more?¡± ¡°No, I''m full now,¡± replied Natalie while shaking her head. Mrs. Wilson didn''t say much afterward. She simply put the bowl on the tray before rying, ¡°Ms. Smith, sir asked me to tell you that after his meeting in the afternoon, he will go pick the kids up from kindergarten. Then, they will go to the airport directly, and you should meet up with them over there after you finished work.¡± ¡°Okay, got it,¡± replied Natalie, while nodding to show that she would remember it. Mrs. Wilson then left with the tray. Natalie didn''t stay in bed after Mrs. Wilson left the room. She pushed through her sore body and pulled the nket away before heading into the washroom to freshen up. She changed into a turtleneck to hide the kiss marks from the night before. After that, she left the house. When it was time to clock off, Natalie handed her remaining tasks to Joyce and left for the airport. She had just parked her car at the airport when her cell phone rang. Natalie fished it out and checked the screen. She grinned when she saw that the call was from Shane. ¡°Hello?¡± said Natalie upon picking the phone up. ¡°Have you reached the airport?¡± asked Shane sweetly. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Natalie as she walked over to the entrance. ¡°Great. The kids and I are on the ne now. You can go directly to the VIP area. Ss will be there to lead you over,¡± informed Shane as he rested in the first-ss cabin. Natalie replied, ¡°Okay, I''ll head over right now.¡± ¡°Great,¡± said Shane as he nodded. After hanging up the phone, Natalie put her cell phone back into her bag before she scanned her surroundings and saw the sign that would lead her to the VIP area. She moved in that direction. She had barely taken a few steps when she suddenly heard an angry voice, ¡°Hannah, I''m warning you. Give me back my boarding pass!¡± It''s Sally! She''s here too? Natalie paused and turned in the direction of the voice. She soon saw Sally and Hannah standing some distance away. Chapter 516 Chapter 516 The two were in a conflict, and Sally was ring at Hannah at that moment. Hannah, on the other hand, was smiling gleefully and had her hand up. She was holding something. ¡°No, I don''t think I''ll give it to you. What can you do about it?¡± taunted Hannah as she waved the item in her hand. Sally was so angry that she was trembling when she growled, ¡°Don''t overstep, woman!¡± ¡°Sal, what''s wrong?¡± asked Natalie as she walked over. She simply couldn''t stand watching them like that. Sally was surprised to see Natalie there, but the former was too infuriated to ask about it. Instead, Sally pointed at Hannah and said, ¡°She and I are chosen by ourpany and will be heading overseas for modeling training. She is so vile that she stole my boarding pass and is trying to stop me from flying over!¡± ¡°What?¡± blurted Natalie in surprise. She stared at Hannah in disbelief as she pointed out, ¡°Aren''t you worried that thepany woulde after you for it?¡± ¡°What is there to be afraid of? Trix is a shareholder, and he''ll help me out,¡± replied Hannah arrogantly. Natalie blinked as realization hit her. ¡°So you''re behaving this way because you know you can get away with it.¡± ¡°What does this have to do with you? It''s her fault for not having anyone to back her up,¡± scoffed Hannah, ¡°I have warned the two of you yesterday. I said that I won''t let it go, and this is the punishment you have to endure!¡± After saying her piece, Hannah tore the boarding pass in half right in front of Sally. ¡°No!¡± shouted Sally. She instantly turned pale. Natalie didn''t expect Hannah to be that extreme. She tore the boarding pass without hesitating! thought Natalie as anger fumed out of her. Hannah was delighted to see the two of them in that terrible state. She tossed the shredded boarding pass aside and nned on leaving immediately after. Natalie narrowed her eyes and stepped forward to grab Hannah. ¡°You think you can walk away just like that?¡± growled Natalie. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Let me go!¡± demanded Hannah in her sharp voice as she flung her arm. Natalie never let go. Instead, she tightened her grip. That got Hannah''s face to distort in pain. Natalie didn''t care about that at all. Sally was on the ground picking the shredded boarding pass up when Natalie pulled her up and instructed, ¡°Don''t pick them up!¡± After that, Natalie pointed at the shredded paper on the floor and ordered Hannah, ¡°You will do it. Go pick all of them up.¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± refuted Hannah, with her head held high. ¡°Because this is a public ce, and you''re the one who tore it!¡± replied Natalie as she let go of Hannah''s arm. ¡°Awh, are you so nice that you''vee all the way to the airport to butt in on others'' matters? Well, in that case, why don''t you pick them up?¡± said Hannah as she crossed her arms. Sally''s eyes were bloodshot. She looked a little tired when she tugged at Natalie''s clothes and said, ¡°It''s okay, Nat. I can do it on my own. I don''t want to waste my time with her, anyway. Besides, I have to figure out a way to get another ne ticket or I will lose this opportunity to go for further training.¡± ¡°I will get you another ne ticketter. The urgent matter at hand is to sort this out. We can''t let her go just like that. She is the one who tore and threw the boarding pass, so she should be the one who picks it up!¡± said Natalie as she red at Hannah. Hannah rolled her eyes so much that it was a miracle that they didn''t pop out. She replied, ¡°What makes you think that I''d pick them up? Let me be clear on this. No. F*cking. Way.¡± Natalie put on a skin-deep grin and asked, ¡°So you''re not going to pick them up. Is that it?¡± ¡°Only a b*tch would do that,¡± said Hannah as she rolled her eyes again. ¡°Okay, fine. Then I will make you a b*tch,¡± replied Natalie while smiling. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± asked Sally in a confused tone. Natalie grinned mischievously at her but didn''t answer. After that, the former called the airport security over despite Hannah''s uncertain stare. ¡°If I remember correctly, the airport has a rule, right? If someone litter with malicious intention and refused to back down afterward, they will be forced to wait for an eventer flight to their destination, right?¡± asked Natalie with a skin-deep grin on. Sally''s eyes glowed when she finally understood what Natalie was nning to do. Hannah caught that too, but her expression turned grouchy. That b*tch! She''s using the airport''s rules to force me toply. The security guard had no idea what happened between the threedies, but he answered Natalie''s question. ¡°That''s right, ma''am,¡± answered the security guard. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Great. This woman littered and refused to back down. Please take her to the office, amend her boarding pass, and force her to forego her current flight ticket. Make her take the next flight over,¡± said Natalie while pointing her finger at Hannah. Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Sally clenched her fist and chimed in, ¡°That''s right. The security footage can prove that she did everything on purpose!¡± Hannah had torn Sally''s boarding pass to prevent Sally from going to that training. Since she has already crossed the line, then I won''t hold back either. If she misses this flight, she will definitely bete for the training and will be fired for it! I am going all out against this woman. ¡°You...¡± growled Hannah. She figured out what Sally was nning, and that got Hannah so angry that her face distorted. ¡°Quit making a fuss and follow me to the office,¡±ined the security guard while frowning in annoyance. Hannah took a deep breath and forced her anger down before she asked, ¡°Wait, will I be pardoned if I pick everything up and clean up the mess?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the security guard. ¡°Fine, then I''ll pick it up,¡± mumbled Hannah as she red at Natalie and Sally. After that, Hannah crouched down and picked up the shreds. Natalie shifted her gaze down and asked, ¡°Hannah, didn''t you say that only a b*tch would pick it up? How do you feel now? Is your pride aching?¡± Hannah didn''t reply. She continued picking the rubbish up with an angry and sorrowful expression on. Sally scoffed in delight and said, ¡°She must feel terrible now. She simply refuses to say it aloud.¡± Hannah stood up after she finished picking everything up. She refuted, ¡°So what if I ended up insulting myself? You still failed at making mete for the training and getting me fired. Thepany only gave us enough money to buy two air tickets. I''d like to see how you get back to the country without any additional funds!¡± After saying her piece, Hannah used her shoulders and shoved Sally before leaving the ce. The security guard turned around and left as well since there was nothing else for him to do. Only Natalie and Sally remained on the spot. Sally caressed her injured shoulder and red at Hannah who had walked away. The former then sighed and admitted, ¡°She''s right, you know? Thepany only gave us a sufficient amount to pay for two ne tickets and for our amodation at the hotel. I don''t have enough to pay for everything. What do I do now?¡± Sally was so nervous that she was tearing up. Natalie squeezed Sally''s hand and said, ¡°I have told you, didn''t I? I will help you deal with the issue regarding your ne ticket.¡± Hearing that got Sally to grab Natalie''s shoulder and said, ¡°That''s right. Nat, please lend me some money for now. I will pay you back once my training is over when I receive my sry.¡± ¡°There''s no need for that. It''ll just be my gift for you. You helped me out so many times when we were studying together. It''s only normal that I...¡± Natalie didn''t get to finish her sentence because she heard Ss calling out to her. ¡°Ms. Smith, there you are. Mr. Shane said that you''ve already reached the airport, and I''ve been waiting at the other side, but you never showed up.¡± ¡°Sorry about that. I bumped into a friend, so I stayed to chat for a while,¡± replied Natalie while pointing at Sally. Sally had no idea who Ss was, so she simply greeted, ¡°Hello.¡± Ss nodded in response before turning to Natalie and saying, ¡°In that case, shall we leave now, Ms. Smith? The ne is about to depart.¡± ¡°Hang on, there are still some things I need to deal with,¡± said Natalie before she turned to Sally and asked, ¡°Sal, which country are you headed to?¡± ¡°Astoria,¡± replied Sally. Natalie blurted in surprise before she added, ¡°What a coincidence. I''m traveling there too!¡± ¡°Really?¡± said Sally in a delighted tone. Natalie held Sally''s hand and said, ¡°Let''s go get the ne ticket now.¡± Sally was about to nod when Ss suddenly pushed his sses up and informed, ¡°Pardon me for being straightforward, Ms. Smith, but there may be a problem... unless you''re thinking about buying the ticket for the flight after the next, that is. The current flight is fully booked, you see.¡± ¡°W-what do we do now?¡± blurted Sally with a stiff expression on. Natalie was frowning as well because she was out of ideas. Just then, Shane called once more and asked, ¡°Where are you now? Why haven''t you boarded the ne?¡± ¡°Something happened, so I''m still at the departure hall,¡± answered Natalie in a worried tone as she massaged her head. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Shane could tell how lost she was, so he sat up straight and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 518 Chapter 518 ¡°The thing is...¡± said Natalie. She had no intention of hiding anything, so she told Shane the whole story. Shane sighed andined, ¡°I never realized that you are such a busybody.¡± Natalie grinned before she said coquettishly, ¡°I can''t help it. She''s my friend, and she always had my back when we were studying together. I can''t abandon her now that she is being bullied by others.¡± ¡°Nat...¡± said Sally as she held Natalie''s hand. Tears of appreciation were swirling in the former''s eyes. Shane massaged his head and asked, ¡°So her main issue now is that she can''t get to the training site on time, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± answered Natalie while nodding. Shane sighed, then said, ¡°Have Ss talk to the airport manager and ask him to have another first- ss ticket printed for her. Tell them I have requested for it.¡± Shane had block booked the first-ss cabin and could choose who he let on board. The airport would also have to be nice to him for that. ¡°Thank you, Shane!¡± said Natalie, whose glee got her big, round eyes to glow upon hearing that. Shane muttered an affirmative reply before adding, ¡°Hurry up now. The ne is about to depart.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll ry your message to Mr. Campbell right away,¡± said Natalie, before she quickly hung up. Sally was lost and curious until Natalie told Ss everything that Shane had just said. Ss began working on his task as soon as he heard his assignment. After he left, Sally held Natalie''s hand in disbelief and asked, ¡°Nat, does that mean I can board the ne?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And I get to fly first-ss?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, that''s amazing!¡± cheered Sally while jumping, ¡°Nat, you are truly my lucky star. I honestly thought that I would miss this training opportunity. Thank you. Thank you so much!¡± Sally hugged Natalie tightly. The former was over six feet tall, so Natalie looked especially small when being held by her. Natalie tapped on Sally''s back and said, ¡°Okay, but you shouldn''t be thanking me. If it hadn''t been for the guy on the phone, I would not have been able to help you.¡± ¡°Oh, that reminds me,¡± said Sally while letting Natalie go, ¡°Nat, is that guy your boyfriend?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± replied Natalie with a smile. Sally seemed genuinely happy for Natalie. ¡°Congrattions, Nat,¡± said Sally. ¡°Thanks,¡± replied Natalie. Ss returned to thedies by then. He had a first-ss ticket with him as he approached them, then he handed the ticket to Sally. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Sally epted the ticket quickly and politely while thanking him, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Campbell.¡± ¡°You''re wee. Please follow me,¡± replied Ss as he led the way. Sally hugged Natalie''s arm and dragged her luggage along. The twodies followed the man to the VIP section. When they reached the empty and spacious VIP section, Sally couldn''t help but gasp, ¡°This is the first time I am in the VIP section. I never thought that it''d look like this.¡± Natalie grinned and reassured, ¡°You''ll be here a lot once you be a famous model.¡± ¡°I still have a long way to go before that happens,¡± replied Sally as she slumped her shoulders and added, ¡°I''m not really thinking about being a famous model or anything like that just yet, though. I will focus on the uing training for now. Thepany said that models who had done well for that will be given a shot at walking down the runway. I''ll definitely seize this opportunity!¡± ¡°Good luck. You have my support,¡± said Natalie in an encouraging tone. ¡°Thank you,¡± replied Sally as she nodded. They reached the ne as their conversation progressed. All three boarded the ne together. Shane was waiting in the first-ss cabin, and everyone had to walk past the economic and business- ss cabins before they could reach first-ss. The three of them were about to walk past the economy-ss section when Hannah, who was sitting in her seat and wearing her sunsses, suddenly caught Natalie and Sally. She stood up and called out, ¡°Hold it right there!¡± Natalie and Sally stopped and turned around when they heard that voice. ¡°What?¡± demanded Sally. She was ring at Hannah in annoyance and had Natalie shielded behind her as she did that. Hannah took her sunsses off and demanded, ¡°How did you get on the ne?¡± ¡°I walked over. How else could I have gotten on the ne?¡± replied Sally before she rolled her eyes. Natalie couldn''t stop herself from giggling aloud from behind Sally. Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Ss turned to Natalie and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, what is...?¡± Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°It''s fine. Please tell Shane that I will go over a littleter.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Ss before he parted the curtain and entered the business-ss section. Hannah was standing up when her sharp voice echoed, ¡°I meant, how did you get the money to buy the ne ticket? Did you spend the money you were going to use for the hotel room?¡± ¡°That is none of your business. All you have to know is that I will be staying in that hotel every single day of the training. I won''t miss anything either. Sit well in the economy-ss section all on your own,¡± taunted Sally before she waved her hand and added, ¡°I gotta go to the first-ss now.¡± ¡°First-ss?¡± blurted Hannah. She gripped her sunsses tightly and asked, ¡°How did you get the tickets to first-ss?¡± ¡°By having Nat on my side,¡± answered Sally as she draped her arm over Natalie''s shoulders. Natalie shot a nonchnt look at Hannah and said, ¡°Come on, Sal. We should leave. We''re blocking the way.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Sally. She put her arm down and followed Natalie into the business-ss section. Hannah stood at the spot. She just watched the twodies left with jealousy and anger all over her. Just a few moments ago, she had mocked Sally for not having the money to buy a ne ticket and would likely be excluded from the training program. She never thought that her enemy would be headed over to first-ss with Natalie after that. The more Hannah thought about it, the angrier she got. She couldn''t resist stomping a little before she sat back down. On the other side, Natalie was taking Sally to the first-ss cabin. Sally was actually a little nervous about it. That was understandable since she had never been in a first-ss cabin before nor a business-ss cabin. She thought that the business-ss cabin was ridiculously luxurious when she walked past it, and she wondered, How luxurious is the first-ss then? ¡°Ms. Smith, Ms. Oswald, this way, please,¡± said Ss after he opened the door and gestured for the ladies to enter. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Natalie before she entered with Sally. Sally didn''t even get to gasp at how stunning the first-ss cabin was before she saw two children running toward them. The two kids hugged one of Natalie''s legs each. ¡°Mommy,¡± greeted the two kids simultaneously. Sally''s eyes bulged. Disbelief donned her face when she repeated, ¡°Mommy?¡± She tilted her head down and looked at the kids, then shifted her gaze back up to Natalie. ¡°Nat, are these your kids?¡± asked Sally, who took some time before she managed to say those words. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Natalie while nodding. She caressed the kids'' heads and said, ¡°Kids, this is Ms. Sally.¡± ¡°Hi, Ms. Sally,¡± greeted the two kids obediently after they turned to Sally. ¡°Hi, kids,¡± greeted Sally while nodding numbly, ¡°I didn''t know that you''re married, Nat. Your kids are so cute.¡± The glow in Natalie''s eyes turned a little weird when she heard the word ¡°married¡±. Still, she didn''t rify anything. Sally never noticed anything off with Natalie, so she turned around and asked, ¡°So where''s your boyfr... I mean, your husband?¡± That question got Natalie to blush red. She cleared her throat a little before she turned to Ss and asked, ¡°Mr. Campbell, where''s Shane?¡± Ss pushed his sses up. He was about to answer when someone opened the door to the dressing room in the first-ss cabin. Shane''s tall figure walked out. He was muscr, handsome, and his aura was domineering, yet regal. Sally was stunned as she looked at him. The kids let go of Natalie''s legs and turned around to run to Shane. ¡°Daddy,¡± said the kids. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Shane crouched down. He picked Sharon up with one hand and carried Connor in the other before he turned to Natalie and said, ¡°You''re here.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Natalie with a smile. Shane shifted his attention to Sally and asked, ¡°Is she the friend you were talking about?¡± Natalie nodded. She was about to introduce the two of them to each other when Sally, who was previously stunned in ce, regained herposure. Thetter turned to Natalie, then to Shane, before bbering, ¡°N-Nat, I can''t believe it. You''re married to Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie was a little taken aback. She didn''t rify that Shane was not her husband. Instead, her lips parted, and she asked, ¡°You know him?¡± Natalie was pointing at Shane when she asked Sally that question. The glee in Shane''s eyes became more apparent when he heard Sally referring to him as Natalie''s husband. Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Naturally, he was happiest about Natalie not correcting her friend. ¡°No,¡± answered Sally as she shook her hand and head. She was still staring at Shane when she said, ¡°I simply recognized him from the articles in the magazines.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± replied Natalie while nodding. Sally seemed excited when she asked, ¡°Nat, when did you marry Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°I...¡± muttered Natalie. She didn''t really know how to answer that question. Shane set Sharon and Connor down before answering, ¡°A few years ago.¡± Natalie turned to him in astonishment. Shane happened to look over as well. Their eyes met. Natalie felt like she was engulfed in love when she saw his dark brown eyes that always looked mysterious. They were looking into each other''s eyes until Sally pped her own forehead andmented, ¡°Right, that is so dumb of me. Your kids are running around now, so it must''ve been a while since you two got married. I have really asked a dumb question.¡± Natalie forced her lips to curve up into a grin, but she didn''t say anything. What could she say, anyway? If she had replied affirmatively, it would make her sound like she was eager to marry Shane. However, if she rified that misunderstanding, she would be exposing Shane''s lies right in front of him and embarrassing him. Hence, keeping quiet was the best option for her. Shane seemed to have seen through to Natalie''s thoughts because the glow in his eyes turned a little more considerate. He signaled the kids to head over to Ss and ordered, ¡°Babysit them for a while, Ss.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Ss. ¡°Follow me,¡± requested Shane after he turned his attention to Natalie. ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Natalie. She couldn''t make heads or tails of what he was doing, so she blinked cluelessly. Shane tilted his head in the direction of the dressing room. Natalie murmured an affirmative reply and agreed to following him over. Sher held her waist and led her to the dressing room. Sally stared at the two of them. She got so envious that she cupped her hands together and commented, ¡°Mr. Shane loves Nat so much.¡± ¡°Yeah, he really does love Ms. Smith,¡± replied Ss as he put the kids back in their seats. Sally noticed that something was off with the way Ss spoke, so she frowned a little and pointed out, ¡°Why do you refer to Nat as Ms. Smith? Aren''t they married?¡± ¡°Uhm...¡± said Ss. His expression was a little stiff because he just realized that he made a mistake. Unfortunately, he couldn''t exin that Shane and Natalie were never married, so instead, Ss grinned like he was embarrassed. He lied, ¡°I just got used to it because Ms... I mean, madam prefers being addressed by her maiden name when she was out and about on her own. She wants to remain professional and didn''t want others to feelpelled to do her favors.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± murmured Sally while nodding. She put her curiosity and suspicion aside before she went and yed with the kids. She had always loved kids, and the adorable twins in front of her had already melted her heart. Ss discreetly wiped his sweat off of his forehead when he saw that Sally wasn''t suspicious. Thank the heavens that I dealt with the situation appropriately. If I can''t, I would have made a fool out of my boss since he was the one who said that the two of them have been married for years. Ss couldn''t help shifting his gaze over to the dressing room after thinking about that. Natalie closed the door after she and Shane went in. She turned around and asked, ¡°Shane, why did you ask me toe in here?¡± Shane didn''t reply. He simply stared at her quietly. Natalie tilted her head curiously and called out, ¡°Shane?¡± Shane finally reacted. He reached out and held her wrist before pulling her into an embrace. His sudden move obviously surprised Natalie, and it took her a while before she rxed. She lifted her arm and hugged him back before tapping his back and asking, ¡°What''s wrong? Why are you hugging me all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Let''s get married,¡± said Shane when his lips finally parted. Natalie stiffened and repeated, ¡°Get married?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Shane. Natalie pushed him away lightly and took a step back. She tilted her head up a little to look into his eyes. Confusion tainted her gaze when she asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly talking about getting married again?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°That woman reminded me to do so,¡± answered Shane while looking into her eyes. ¡°Sal?¡± blurted Natalie. She was quick to guess who the woman was he was referring to. Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Shane nodded and said, ¡°That''s right. There will be others who will ask about how long we''ve been married. We can''t lie every time, right?¡± Natalie''s lips moved, but she couldn''t find the right words to say. Shane stepped forward and got close to her again. He pointed out, ¡°Our lies will be exposed sooner or later, and there are people out there who already know that I am the kids'' dad. Those same people know that we''re together as well, and they will think less of the kids and regard them as b*stards if our lies got exposed one day.¡± Natalie was stumped when she heard that. He''s right. Many already knew that Shane is their father. That is especially true for our neighbors and the people we know from kindergarten. If they discover that Shane and I aren''t married, they might assume that I am scheming to marry into a rich family. I mean, letting the kids call him Daddy before we''re married... that does sound eager... Shane could tell what Natalie was thinking when he saw how her eyes glowed. He reached out to part her hair before saying, ¡°That is why it is the best option for us getting married. Wouldn''t you say so?¡± Natalie couldn''t refute his words. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Shane, I still think that this is moving too quickly. I love you, but we just started seeing each other, and I''m not ready to get married that quickly. Please let me think about it.¡± After saying her piece, she shifted her gaze downward. Shane was disappointed that she didn''t say yes, but he was so quick to hide the disappointment away that no one could notice. He lifted her chin and forced her to look into his eyes before reassuring her in his deep voice, ¡°You can take some time to think about it, but I won''t wait for long. As you know, I''ve never been one to take things slowly, and I truly am eager to marry you. It doesn''t matter what your decision is in the end. I will remain firm in my stance. I mean it when I say I want to marry you!¡± Natalie could see how sincere he was, and her heart thumped faster. She instinctively wanted to say yes that very moment. In the end, her rational side stopped her and prevented her from giving in to her impulses. She calmed down and nodded before she replied, ¡°Okay. I will give you an answer as quickly as possible.¡± Shane grinned a little, but stopped talking. Natalie seemed a little ufortable when she massaged her neck a little. She reminded him, ¡°Shane, you can let me go now.¡± Her red lips were full, and her voice sounded sweet and soft. It was as if she was being coquettish. Shane stared at her moving lips and inhaled the fragrant scent exuding from them. His throat suddenly felt dry, and lust got his gaze to turn wild. Before anyone knew it, Shane had already tilted his head down and kissed her lips. Natalie was surprised because she didn''t expect him to do that. However, she didn''t need much time to register what was going on and started kissing him back. Perhaps Shane was angry because Natalie didn''t agree to marry him right away, but he kept biting her lips a little and was tantly punishing her. He didn''t let her go until Natalie moaned a little in difort. By then, Natalie''s lips had already turned all red and swollen. Her lipstick was all but smeared by the man in front of her. ¡°You...¡±ined Natalie as she covered her lips with her hand. Tears welled in her eyes as she red at Shane with displeasure in her eyes. I honestly don''t know what this guy is up to. I can''t believe he bit me! Shane ignored Natalie''s silentint. It was as if he couldn''t see them at all. He used his thumb to wipe the lipstick off of his lips before he said in a slightly amused tone, ¡°Alright then, you should leave now. I have a video conference to attend to.¡± Natalie''s lips twitched. He''s going to chase me away immediately after we kissed? Is it just me or is he acting like one of those heartless men who abandoned their lovers in those online novels? ¡°What''s wrong?¡± asked Shane with his brows raised when he realized that there was something off with the way Natalie was staring. Natalie waved her hand dismissively before saying, ¡°It''s nothing. I should head out. Tend to your conference.¡± After saying her piece, Natalie turned around and left. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. The second she exited the room, she became the centre of attention. The children''s innocent gaze and the adults'' amused gaze were all on her. Sally was especially amused. She grinned as she stared at Natalie''s red lips and teased, ¡°Nat, did you and Mr. Shane...?¡± Ahem. Natalie cleared her throat while blushing hard. There is no need to share these kinds of details with anyone. Chapter 522 Chapter 522 The kids are here, and it is not right to discuss these matters in front of them. Sally was smart and deciphered Natalie''s message and hint right away. The former giggled amusingly, then nodded to tell Natalie that she got the message. After that, Sally dropped the topic. They reached Astoria a few hourster. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Sally got off the ne and stood next to the stairs when she bade Natalie goodbye. ¡°I''ll be leaving now, Nat,¡± said Sally. ¡°Okay,¡± replied Natalie while nodding. Sally let go of her luggage and took a step forward with her arms open. She wanted to give Natalie a hug. Shane turned grouchy when he saw that and pulled Natalie aside immediately. Sally ended up hugging the air. She stared nkly at the grouchy man in front of her and instantly understood that he was jealous. He wasn''t going to let Sally give Natalie a hug. Sally grinned awkwardly at Shane, then put her arms down before taking a step back. Shane only let Natalie go when he noted that Sally had received his message. Natalie grinned exasperatedly at Sally and apologized, ¡°Sorry, Sal. H-he''s a little possessive.¡± I never knew that he would even be jealous of women hugging me. Even Ss, who was babysitting the kids, felt embarrassed about that. A little possessive? Shane shifted his attention and stared at the woman standing beside him. So that''s how she sees me? As a possessive man? Despite that thought, Shane never refuted Natalie''s words. Sally smiled, waved at Natalie, and said, ¡°It''s fine. That shows that Mr. Shane really cares about you, Nat. That is the only exnation to why he doesn''t like the idea of others getting close to you. I understand where he''sing from.¡± Hearing that got Shane to shoot a look at Sally. His gaze was finally friendlier. That got Sally to sigh a breath of relief instinctively. She also tapped her chest secretly to calm herself down. That hostile gaze had finally subsided. Geez, I was just going to give Nat a friendly hug. Was it really necessary for him to re at me like that? I could practically feel his gaze stabbing through me. I''d better flee. Thest thing I want is to be the third wheel. Thinking that got Sally to hold her luggage once more. Using her free hand, she waved at both of them and said, ¡°It''ste, and I should really go, Nat. Bye!¡± ¡°Bye!¡± replied Natalie with a smile. She was waving at Sally as well. Sally bowed to Shane and thanked him for the air ticket before she turned around and left as quickly as possible. Shane turned to Natalie after Sally had left. He suggested, ¡°We should go too.¡± Natalie murmured an affirmative reply before hugging his arm and walking down the VIPne with him by her side. As for Ss... Well, the poor guy was taking care of two kids and followed closely behind. The airport''s employees carried the luggage for everyone and were right behind Ss. Soon, they reached the hotel. Shane got a presidential suite, and it was more than enough for the family of four. It waste at night, but the time difference made everyone feel like it was still daytime. The kids didn''t sleep much on the ne, so they were tired when they reached the hotel. Natalie urged them to go to bed as well. Everyone had to stay overseas for a few days, so they had no choice but to adjust their biological clocks. The twins were exhausted, so they went to bed without causing a fuss. Natalie pulled the nket up for them and kissed both their foreheads before she closed the door slowly. Shane had already showered and was in the master bedroom when Natalie returned. As he walked to the bed, he asked, ¡°Are the kids asleep?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Natalie. She was a little tired as well, so she yawned. Shane was towel drying his hair when he suggested, ¡°Go take a bath. I''ve filled the tub for you.¡± His sensitive and caring gesture got Natalie''s heart all warm and fuzzy. She nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Thank you, Shane.¡± As she spoke, she stepped forward and held his face in ce before nting a kiss on his forehead. Shane''s gaze turned wild once more. He carried her up like she was a princess and tilted his head down to look into her eyes. ¡°Are you seducing me?¡± asked Shane. Natalie blushed and shook her head endlessly. She replied, ¡°No, I was just thanking you.¡± She didn''t think that a simple gesture like that would get him all fired up. Shane raised his brows. He didn''t believe her words, so challenged, ¡°You kissed me just because I filled up the tub for you?¡± Chapter 523 Chapter 523 ¡°That''s right,¡± Shaneughed. ¡°Go ahead and shower, then.¡± He withdrew the hand that he had secured Natalie''s waist with and helped her up. The moment Natalie got on her feet, she bolted toward the bathroom as if afraid that Shane would go back on his word if she gave him any time. Shane watched Natalie''s hasty departure with a smirk on his face. He then drew down his towel from around his neck and continued drying his hair. Inside the bathroom, Natalie had stripped herself down and entered the bathtub, leaning against its side. Her presence automatically activated the massager, which began vigorously pressing on her tired muscles. Letting out a rapturous sigh of relief, she stretched herself out and closed her eyes, enjoying her moment of rxation. After approximately half an hour, only when she felt the water starting to get cold around her did Natalie reluctantly climb out of the tub and head back out in her bathrobe. Shane had turned off the lights in the bedroom, leaving only the soft yellow glow of the bedsidemp. Meanwhile, he was lyingpletely still on the bed. Natalie tiptoed over to the side of the bed. She then bent down, peering to see if Shane had indeed fallen asleep. Just as Natalie tentatively reached out a hand toward Shane, his eyes flew open. With lightning speed, Shane''s hand clutched Natalie''s outstretched one. ¡°Ah!¡± Natalie yelped in fright. Before she couldprehend what was happening, she had already been seized into a whirlwind of an embrace and was lying on the bed in Shane''s strong arms. Natalie blinked and pouted. ¡°You tricked me! Why haven''t you slept?¡± Tucking Natalie in, Shane replied affectionately, ¡°I wanted to, but your footsteps woke me up.¡± ¡°Impossible. I was tiptoeing!¡± Natalie retorted. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Shane pulled Natalie closer to him. ¡°I have very sharp ears. All right, let''s sleep now. I''m a little tired.¡± Shane''sst statement seeded in getting Natalie to concede. As Natalie looked up at Shane''s furrowed brows, dark eyes, and weary face, she felt a sudden wave of tenderness surge within her. Natalie had been overwhelmed with establishing her business, but things hadn''t been easy for Shane during this period either. Not only was he upied with running the group, but Shane also had to investigate the truth behind David and his parents'' deaths. Furthermore, there was that matter of David''s will. Between all these and having to visit Jacqueline in the hospital, it seemed to Natalie that Shane wasden with an impossible weight on his shoulders. Natalie''s heart ached at the thought, but there was nothing she could do for him. Letting out a sigh, Natalie gently caressed his face and burrowed a little deeper into his chest, hoping to return a little of the warmth that he gave her. When she finally found afortable spot, Natalie shut her eyes tightly. ¡°Goodnight,¡± she murmured meekly. There was no answer from Shane. Natalie let him sleep in peace. Wrapping an arm around Shane''s waist, she, too, fell asleep. After a while, Shane abruptly woke up. He gazed down fondly at Natalie''s peaceful sleeping face, then whispered, ¡°Goodnight,¡± before closing his eyes once again. The next morning rolled around with Mercede''s birthday. With the aid of Natalie''s navigation, Shane''s car pulled up at the entrance of an old-fashioned residence. The sprawling residence upied over a few hundred square feet. It looked old but wasplete with manicured gardens and facilities. It gave off the distinguished air of a battered but nheless dignified noble family. Natalie and Shane both got out of the car, followed by Sharon and Connor. Awed and excited at the sight of the enormous residence, the kids immediately sprinted toward the imposing gate. Looking at their eager expressions, Natalieughed and shook her head. ¡°Slow down! Don''t trip and fall,¡± she called after them. The two children, however, paid no heed to her. Their fingers were already on the doorbell, pressing it enthusiastically. Shane straightened his shirt while he stood next to Natalie, watching Sharon and Connor amusedly. ¡°Does Ms. Mackenzie live here, then?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Natalie affirmed, nodding her head. Just as she spoke, the housekeeper, wearing a frumpy gown, emerged from the garden and wrenched open the borately wrought gate. The moment the gate cracked open slightly, Sharon and Connor had already wormed their way in and were sprinting toward the house. Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Rather than stopping them, the housekeeper merely chuckled approvingly at the rambunctious two. After they had disappeared into the house, she turned to Natalie and weed her warmly, saying, ¡°Ms. Smith! You''re here.¡± Natalie shed a friendly grin at the housekeeper in return. ¡°Is Ms. Mackenzie home?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, she''s entertaining guests today,¡± the housekeeper replied. She then looked curiously at Shane, who was standing beside Natalie. Natalie smiled. Holding onto Shane''s arm, she announced, ¡°This is my boyfriend, Shane.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Shane,¡± the housekeeper politely greeted. ¡°Hello.¡± Shane gave her a slight nod. The housekeeper turned back to Natalie, then eximed, ¡°This is wonderful! If Ms. Mackenzie were to meet Shane, she''d certainly be overjoyed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shane inquired, raising an eyebrow. The housekeeper beamed at him. ¡°Ms. Mackenzie has always thought that Ms. Smith''s life was a little too barren of romance. Thatck of experience was rather apparent in her designs. She''s been longing for her to experience love in the hope that it''d trante into her work.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes, examining Natalie''s face, which was now crimson with embarrassment. ¡°Have you really never been in a rtionship before?¡± Natalie mumbled an inaudible reply. She was too ashamed to admit that she, a grown woman of twenty-six years of age, had yet to experience her first love. Shane''s lips, however, curled up slightly. He seemed pleased at the thought. A momentter, another thought struck Shane, and his face grew grave once more. If Natalie had never been in love, how did Sharon and Connore about, then? Shane took another long, hard look at Natalie''s lovely face as if he could find the answer to his riddle there. Unfortunately, he was greeted with nothing but Natalie''s utter bewilderment. ¡°Shane, what are you looking at me like that for? Is there something on my face?¡± Natalie asked self- consciously as she searchingly felt her face all over. Shane quickly averted his gaze, then said coolly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Natalie answered hesitantly. Right then, the housekeeper saved Natalie and Shane from the inadvertent awkwardness that ensued. ¡°Ms. Smith, Mr. Shane, pleasee in.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Natalie said cheerfully, pulling Shane along with her. They passed through the same door the twins had raced through earlier and entered the house. Once Natalie and Shane were in the living room, the housekeeper directed them toward the sofa and poured them sses of water. ¡°Please have a seat. I''ll let Ms. Mackenzie know you''re here,¡± she suggested helpfully. She then dutifully proceeded upstairs in the direction of the study. Shane nced around his rather antiquated surroundings with interest. Frowning, he asked Natalie in a low voice, ¡°Where are Sharon and Connor?¡± The two children had vanished ever since they disappeared behind the door as if the house had swallowed them whole. Natalie was heartened at the sight of Shane''s concern for the children. The more anxious Shane was about them, the more it was evident that he cared for them. If Shane could love them despite thinking that they weren''t his own flesh and blood, how much more would he love them once he found out that they were? A rush of emotion overcame Natalie as she felt a suddenpulsion to confess to Shane that Sharon and Connor were indeed his children. She couldn''t help but wonder how Shane would respond to the revtion. However, Natalie quickly quelled this impulse. She picked up a ss of water and took a sip to calm her racing heart, then said, ¡°Don''t worry, they''ve gone to the yroom. It''s their favorite spot in Ms. Mackenzie''s house.¡± ¡°The yroom?¡± Shane asked quizzically. The idea of the old-fashioned house having a yroom struck him as rather out-of-ce. Natalieughed. ¡°Ms. Mackenzie especially had it renovated for Sharon and Connor. It''s filled with toys for them.¡± Asprehension dawned upon Shane, his worry was instantly put at rest. At that moment, voices trickled down from upstairs, along with footsteps that grew louder as their owners came down the stairs. After putting down her ss of water on the table, she turned in that direction in time to see four people walking down the staircase. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Leading the way was none other than her mentor, Mercede. Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Beside her were another two figures, one older and one younger. When Natalie''s gaze shifted to their faces, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°It''s them!¡± she cried out instinctively. The other two apanying Mercede, Andre and his daughter Annie, were familiar faces to Natalie. She had previously met them at a wedding Stanley had brought her to, where they were introduced to Natalie as the groom''s family members. Why are they here now? Natalie was puzzled. Shane had also recognized the Hills and was likewise slightly taken aback by their presence there. However, he was more practiced at concealing his emotions and wiped off the look of surprise on his face as quickly as it appeared. Alerted by Natalie''s cry, Mercede and the Hills turned unanimously in Shane and Natalie''s direction. When Mercede caught sight of Natalie, her dark eyes lit up. Disregarding the two behind her, Mercede extended her arms toward Natalie, eximing in delight, ¡°My dear, you''ve finallye to visit! I''ve missed you so much!¡± Natalie stood up and ran toward Mercede with equal enthusiasm. The two women embraced and air- kissed each other on both cheeks. ¡°Ms. Mackenzie, I''m back! I''ve missed you too. Happy birthday!¡± ¡°Thank you, my dear,¡± Mercede said earnestly, holding Natalie''s hands tightly. Obstructed by Mercede''s back, the Hills had yet to catch a glimpse of Natalie. They were, however, immediately confounded by the sight of Shane sitting on the sofa. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Andre hollered. Andre''s yell startled Natalie, who hastily disentangled herself and said, ¡°Ms. Mackenzie, there''s someone I want to introduce to you.¡± Shane paid no heed to the Hills. Affably, he stood up and walked over to Natalie''s side. When Mercede saw him, her eye lit up instantly, and her lips quivered slightly with emotion. Natalie was too exuberant to detect any change in Mercede. Gesturing to Shane, she announced, ¡°Ms. Mackenzie, this is my boyfriend. His name is...¡± However, before Natalie could finish her sentence, Mercede had already taken a huge step forward and stood face to face with Shane. Mercede''s abrupt movement had simultaneously exposed Natalie to the Hill''s curious stares, which immediately transformed into gapes. ¡°Dad, she...¡± Annie gasped. Andre shook his head violently, indicating for Annie to hold her tongue. Shifting her gaze from her father to Natalie, Annie''s mouth hung open as if her question still dangled therein. After a while, however, she obediently remained silent. Natalie had not noticed the Hills'' strange behavior. She was watching nervously as Mercede circled Shane, surveying him closely. Just as Natalie was about to defend him, Mercede had alreadye to a conclusion and was bent on pronouncing it. Undeterred by Shane''s piercing gaze, Mercede gave his shoulder a good pat, saying, ¡°He gets full marks for his physical appearance, that''s for sure. Sir, may I ask if you have any interest in bing a model? You can be my muse.¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Huh?¡± Shane looked momentarily flustered. Whatever judgment he was expecting Mercede to issue, that was not it. Blushing, Natalie pulled Mercede toward her, whispering, ¡°Ms. Mackenzie, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I was just asking...¡± Mercede protested yfully. ¡°Ms. Mackenzie, he doesn''t want to. He''s the chairman of the Thompson Group. How can he be your model? What would happen to the Thompson Group, then?¡± Natalie exined, shaking her head. Shane looked at the two women bemusedly. ¡°What''s happening?¡± Natalie massaged her temples and said, ¡°Besides being an expert designer, Ms. Mackenzie is also very interested in scouting modeling talent. To a costume designer, a model is one of the most important aspects of presenting our work.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Shane replied soberly. Natalie quickly added, ¡°So please don''t me Ms. Mackenzie if she was behaving oddly just now.¡± Shane broke into a grin. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°My dear, did you say that this man is your boyfriend?¡± Mercede continued. Although she was disappointed that a perfect modeling talent was going to waste, she was determined not to let that distract her. ¡°What? Boyfriend?¡± Just as Natalie was about to answer, Annie broke in agitatedly. She wrenched herself free from the hand that Andre had ced on her arm warningly and strode over to Natalie. Shaking with rage, Annie repeated, ¡°Mr. Shane is your boyfriend?¡± Chapter 526 Chapter 526 ¡°That''s right,¡± Natalie replied, looking levelly into Annie''s eyes. Instantly, Annie''s features contorted in disdain. Raising her voice, she demanded, ¡°What about Dr. Quinn? Isn''t he your boyfriend? How did it end up being Mr. Shane?¡± At Annie''s question, Shane turned to look at Natalie, his gaze unfathomable. Shane knew that Natalie had only been pretending to be in a rtionship with Stanley when they attended Antony''s wedding together. However, he couldn''t shake the feeling of uneasiness that filled him whenever that matter came to mind. After all, Natalie''s name would always be linked to Stanley''s in some way, just as it was now. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Mercede was simrly baffled by Annie''s statement. Peering at Natalie, she asked carefully, ¡°My dear, you refused to date while you were here, even when I asked you to. I didn''t expect you to be so quick when you got home. You''ve even gotten two boyfriends!¡± Shane''s handsome face looked somewhat downcast. Deep inside, he felt a mixture of frustration and hurt. I''m clearly Natalie''s first boyfriend! Yet, in everyone''s mind, I''ll alwayse second. Natalie could sense the wave of resentment that radiated from Shane. In that instant, she could thoroughly taste the bitterness of regret. If I''d known that I would eventually be together with Shane, I would not have attended that wedding with Stanley! Annie, in the meantime, had grown impatient. She reached forward and grabbed Natalie''s arm, pressing, ¡°So? What''s going on between you and Dr. Quinn, then?¡± ¡°Annie!¡± Andre was rmed by his daughter''s sudden bout of violence. After all, Shane was present, and the Hills couldn''t afford to offend him. Before Annie could react, however, Shane had already leaped forward and pulled Natalie over to his side. He fixed Annie with a frigid re, saying icily, ¡°Don''t touch her!¡± Mercede, who had been spectating the scene at the side, nodded heartily. Annie turned to Shane with a troubled look on her face. She gulped, then stammered, ¡°W-What happened to Dr. Quinn?¡± ¡°Nothing happened. Stanley and I broke up, that''s all,¡± Natalie replied shortly. When Natalie finished speaking, however, she immediately felt a sharp pain in her arm, a result of a vehement pinch from Shane. She turned toward him indignantly but realized that he was punishing her for not telling the truth. Helpless, Natalie groaned inwardly. She longed to be as frank as Shane wanted her to be and admit to the Hills that she and Stanley had never been in a rtionship. However, that confession would be akin to a p in Stanley''s face. ¡°Broke up?¡± Annie gaped. The look of wrath on her face disappeared instantly and was reced by one of incredulity. ¡°Have you both really broken up?¡± Natalie wrestled her arm free from Shane''s grip, then took his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers. Swinging their sped hands forward, Natalie sneered, ¡°Why else would I be with Mr. Shane now?¡± Natalie''s tant profession of their rtionship seeded in dissipating Shane''s displeasure. His grim expression faded away, and a faint smile hovered over his lips. Mercede was impressed by Natalie''s turnaround of the situation and gave a low whistle. Who would''ve thought that Natalie would be so good at flirting with so little experience? Having confirmed that Natalie had indeed broken up with Stanley, Annie felt a shiver of glee run down her spine. However, she checked herself and merely clutched both trembling hands together in a bid to restrain the joy in her heart. ¡°How is Dr. Quinn?¡± Annie asked hurriedly. She did not care about the reason behind the break-up, only the fact that it had happened. Natalie was aware of Annie''s feelings for Stanley and knew exactly what was going through her mind. If not for Joyce, Natalie would have wholeheartedly given Annie her blessing. However, she could not tell Annie the truth for Joyce''s sake. Thus, Natalie quickly volunteered with a bright smile, ¡°He''s doing great! He''s even gotten himself a new girlfriend now.¡± Chapter 527 Chapter 527 ¡°What did you say?¡± Annie instantly froze. Shane, too, nced at Natalie warily. Apologizing to Annie profusely in her head, Natalie quickly muttered herst statement a second time. Instantly, Annie''s face nched as she staggered back a few steps, reeling from the shock. Andre rushed forward to support Annie, who would have copsed otherwise. Everyone else seemed utterly dumbfounded by the turn of events. Natalie felt a tinge of remorse for what she had said, though there was no way of retracting her words now. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Please excuse us, Ms. Mackenzie. I''ll bring Annie home to rest for a while. We''lle backter to visit you,¡± Andre said ruefully, a forlorn expression on his face. Mercede nodded graciously. ¡°Of course. We''ll see you out.¡± She then gestured for the housekeeper to apany the Hills out of the house, leaving only Natalie, Shane, and herself in the living room. Mercede took a seat on the sofa and indicated for them to do so. Hauling Natalie over, Shane asked, ¡°Why did you say that Stanley had a girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear. I would very much like to know why as well,¡± Mercede saidnguidly, crossing her legs. Having been Natalie''s mentor for years, Mercede was able to deduce right away that Natalie had been lying. However, she had not interfered out of consideration that it was none of her business. Natalie cleared her throat rather embarrassedly. ¡°I didn''t want to lie either, but I was thinking of Joyce.¡± ¡°Joyce?¡± Mercede furrowed her brows in an effort at recollection, looking sympathetic. ¡°Ah, so that''s why.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane questioned, still uprehending. Natalie sighed. This was turning out to be a lot moreplicated than she thought. ¡°Joyce likes Stanley,¡± she exined. Shane took a sip of water before he reasoned, ¡°Are you trying to matchmake Joyce and Stanley?¡± Natalie bit her lip as she asserted, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That''s not realistic at all,¡± Shane pronounced curtly. ¡°Stanley obviously dislikes Joyce.¡± Surprised, Natalie retorted, ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°I saw the way Stanley was looking at Joyce,¡± Shane replied briefly. Resignedly, Natalie said, ¡°All right, I know I''m not being realistic too. But Joyce is my friend, and I''ll still do everything in my power to help her seed. It''s selfish, but I''m doing my best to reduce the competition for her.¡± As if struck by thatst thought, Natalie looked at Shane anxiously. ¡°Shane, do you think I''m...¡± ¡°No!¡± Shane immediately interrupted Natalie. In a gentler tone, he continued while ruffling her hair, ¡°Do whatever you think is best. Even if you kill someone, I''ll help you to hide the body! I''ll always be here to support you. ¡° Natalie felt immensely moved by Shane''s unconditional support, and all her uncertainties promptly took flight. She reached out and hugged Shane. ¡°Thank you. I''m so lucky to have found you,¡± she murmured into his ear. Shane wrapped his arms around Natalie in return, patting her on the back. ¡°Me too,¡± he replied softly. With a satisfied smile on her face, Mercede stood up and slipped away in order to allow Natalie and Shane a moment of privacy in that intimate moment. Shane''s keen eyes instantlytched onto Mercede''s movements, despite her discreetness. However, he gratefully watched her exit the room without alerting Natalie. That night, approximately twenty guests turned up for Mercede''s birthday dinner at a hotel, including the Hills. She had not sent out express invitations, but those present had gathered of their own ord. It was a simple and pleasant affair, with everyone in the private room making lighthearted chatter over the tinkling of cutlery. Midway through the meal, Natalie put down her knife and turned to Shane. ¡°I have to use the restroom. Help me look after Sharon and Connor.¡± Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Shane acknowledged with a grunt. ¡°Come back quickly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie smiled at him, then made her way out of the private room. Annie, who was at another table, noticed Natalie''s movements and followed suit. Natalie sensed that someone was creeping up behind her. With a frown, she halted in her tracks, then turned around andmanded, ¡°Come on out!¡± Without a choice, Annie slid out from behind a corner. Seeing that it was only Annie, Natalie was both relieved and annoyed. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Natalie confronted Annie with narrowed eyes. Gritting her teeth, Annie replied, ¡°I just wanted to ask where Dr. Quinn is now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie retorted. Taking a deep breath, Annie confessed, ¡°I wanted to see for myself who his current girlfriend is.¡± ¡°So what if you get to see her?¡± Natalie probed. ¡°Are you intending to break them up, then?¡± Annie''s eyes widened, unable to defend herself. Natalie''s face grew thunderous. ¡°What''s the use of doing all this? Stanley doesn''t like you. Even if you break them up, it won''t make him like you either. In fact, he''ll despise you even more. Don''t you see?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know, but I can''t help myself!¡± Annie cried as her eyes reddened, and she looked as if she was on the verge of tears. ¡°I''ve liked Stanley since I first set my eyes on him, but he''s never cared for me! I thought that he''d notice me someday as long as I stayed faithfully by his side, but...¡± Annie choked back a sob. Thickly, she continued, ¡°But he started dating you. I waited patiently all this while for the two of you to break up, and now he''s in a rtionship with someone else! If he can date so liberally, why doesn''t he even want to consider me? I don''t want to wait any longer! I have to do something!¡± Deep in her heart, Annie knew that Stanley did not love her. However, she fervently believed that as long as he was willing to give her a chance, she would be able to melt his heart of stone. Looking at the frenzied expression on Annie''s face, Natalie sighed, feeling a rush of pity for the deste woman standing before her. ¡°What''s the use of that?¡± Natalie repeated. ¡°It''s none of your business! Go on dating Mr. Shane for all I care. Don''t interfere with Dr. Quinn''s love life anymore. You''re no longer his girlfriend,¡± Annie retorted defiantly, eager toy im on Stanley now that Natalie was no longer his girlfriend. Natalie gave her a wry smile. ¡°Fine, I won''t interfere. But I won''t tell you where Stanley is either.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Annie howled in desperation. ¡°I don''t want to,¡± Natalie replied, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°You...¡± Annie was livid. She red at Natalie menacingly but could do nothing beyond throwing a tantrum. ¡°Fine. Don''t tell me, then! I''ll find out on my own. There''s nothing the Hills'' influence won''t be able to grant me ess to!¡± Without waiting for Natalie to reply, Annie turned and stormed off in a fit. Natalie gazed at Annie''s retreating figure, then shrugged her shoulders once again before continuing on her way to the bathroom. She returned to the private room ten minutester. As Natalie approached the table, Shane had already pulled out her seat in anticipation. ¡°What took you so long?¡± he asked urgently. ¡°I ran into Ms. Hill,¡± Natalie answered nonchntly. Shane wrinkled his nose in distaste. ¡°What did you talk about with her?¡± ¡°What else? She wanted to know about Stanley''s whereabouts,¡± Natalie replied crossly. ¡°Did you tell her?¡± Shane asked. ¡°I would never,¡± Natalie dered scornfully, cutting up a chunk of steak and cing it into her mouth. ¡°I turned her away.¡± ¡°That''s good.¡± Sensing that Natalie was unwilling to dwell on the matter any further, Shane picked up his ss of wine and swirled it a little before taking a sip. The dinner party ended otherwise uneventfully two hourster. Natalie bade farewell to Mercede while wishing her many happy returns of the day, then left the hotel with Shane, Sharon, and Connor in tow. Spent from the day, the two children fell fast asleep once they had gotten into the car. Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Natalie and Shane carried a child each as they made their way back to the room and tucked them in. Having heard Natalie talk about Stanley throughout the day, Shane ravaged her body so hard that night and stopped only when she was on the brink of passing out from exhaustion. Natalie was so drained that she didn''t even have the strength to say anything and simplyy on the bed, panting for breath. As he stood by the bed, she shot Shane an annoyed nce before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. A week passed by in the blink of an eye. It was already nine in the morning when Natalie woke up that day, and Shane had already left the house with the kids. The reason Natalie had slept in was that Shane couldn''t hold back and went overboard during their lovemaking the night before. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Smith!¡± Mrs. Wilson greeted her with a smile when she saw Natalieing down the stairs. Natalie smiled back at her and said weakly, ¡°Good morning...¡± ¡°You don''t look so good, Ms. Smith. Are you unwell?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked anxiously when she noticed Natalie looking a little pale. Natalie ced her hand on her forehead and replied, ¡°Not really.¡± She had noticed herself looking a little under the weather while brushing her teeth earlier, but she figured it was due to ack of sleep as she wasn''t feeling unwell at all. The look on Natalie''s face changed as a wave of nausea swept through her all of a sudden, and she held a hand over her mouth before running toward the restroom. Concerned for her well-being, Mrs. Wilson followed her and saw her puking her guts out by the toilet bowl with tears in her eyes. ¡°What happened to you, Ms. Smith?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked. Having purged everything in her stomach, Natalie felt slightly better and was able to stand up slowly. She then flushed the toilet and shook her head as she assured, ¡°I''m fine...¡± ¡°You look too pale to be fine!¡± Mrs. Wilson eximed worriedly. Natalie shed her a smile and closed the lid on the toilet bowl. ¡°Maybe it''s something I atetely...¡± Mrs. Wilson was confused. ¡°But I haven''t made you anything that would irritate your stomach like that...¡± Natalie then made her way to the sink and began rinsing her mouth to get rid of the sour aftertaste. ¡°I don''t know. Maybe it''s something I ate outside?¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe...¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded and handed her a fresh towel from the shelf. ¡°Shall I have the doctore and have a look at you, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°No, I''m feeling all right now,¡± Natalie replied as she took the towel over. ¡°But you still look kind of pale...¡± Natalie wiped her face dry and hung the towel on the hook next to her. ¡°Maybe I''ll be back to normal after a while. Could you please pour me a ss of water, Mrs. Wilson?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Mrs. Wilson replied and went off to get her some water. Natalie took another minute to fix her hair and clothes before making her way to the living room. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Mrs. Wilson came out of the kitchen shortly after and handed her a ss of warm water. After thanking her, Natalie took a sip of it and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the warm water soothe the difort in her stomach. She then handed the ss back to Mrs. Wilson. ¡°Would you like some more?¡± she asked. Natalie waved at her. ¡°No, I''m good.¡± As Mrs. Wilson was about to go and clean the ss in the kitchen, she heard Natalie call out to her from behind. ¡°Wait, Mrs. Wilson...¡± ¡°What is it, Ms. Smith?¡± She stopped in her tracks and turned around. Natalie rubbed her tummy and asked, ¡°Do you have any snacks that are sour? I don''t know why, but I''m craving for something sour right now...¡± ¡°Something sour?¡± Mrs. Wilson was confused at first, but the look on her face quickly turned solemn as she thought of something. Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Unaware of the change in her expression, Natalie nodded slightly. ¡°Yeah, do you have anything?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Mrs. Wilson shifted her gaze toward Natalie''s tummy and tried her best to remain calm as she asked, ¡°May I ask you something, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Natalie blinked at her curiously. Mrs. Wilson took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the ss. ¡°Have you had your period this month?¡± ¡°Period?¡± Natalie froze for a moment and shook her head. ¡°No, I haven''t. Why do you ask...¡± She paused halfway through her sentence when she realized what Mrs. Wilson was implying and subconsciously ced a hand on her tummy. ¡°Mrs. Wilson... Do you think I''m pregnant?¡± Mrs. Wilson walked up to her and said, ¡°Yeah, I think you are, Ms. Smith! Vomiting, craving for sour snacks, and not having your period... These are all signs of pregnancy.¡± Natalie''s lips twitched a little in shock, but she didn''t say anything to dispute those ims as they were indeed early signs of pregnancy. She had experienced the same thing when she was pregnant with Connor and Sharon five years ago, and her heart raced at the sudden realization. Instinctively, Natalie pressed against her tummy as if to check if there was a baby inside. Mrs. Wilson quickly stopped her when she saw that. ¡°Don''t do that, Ms. Smith! It''s bad for the baby!¡± ¡°Am I really pregnant, Mrs. Wilson?¡± Natalie asked in a panic. Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°Yes, I''m sure of it. If you and Mr. Shane didn''t use protection, those would definitely be signs of pregnancy.¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie went silent as she began to believe that she was pregnant. I took a pill during our first time, but that was it. Shane has never used condoms, so we''ve basically been having unprotected sex since our second time, which took ce a month ago. If I had gotten pregnant during that time, it would make perfect sense for me to show signs of pregnancy now. With that in mind, Natalie bit her lip as her face went a little pale. Mrs. Wilson calmed down when she saw no trace of happiness on Natalie''s face. ¡°Are you not happy about your pregnancy, Ms. Smith?¡± Natalie shed her a wry smile. ¡°How could I be happy when I''m not even prepared to have a baby? Besides, I don''t even know if Shane wants this child...¡± That was her biggest concern at the time. What do I do if Shane doesn''t want this child? Do I get an abortion? Mrs. Wilson held her hand and tried to reassure her, ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Smith. I''m sure Mr. Shane will want to keep the baby.¡± Natalie looked her in the eye. ¡°How are you so certain?¡± ¡°I''ve looked after him since he was a child, so I have faith that he isn''t the irresponsible type,¡± Mrs. Wilson said with a chuckle. ¡°That is true...¡± Natalie had nothing to say about Shane''s sense of responsibility. Mrs. Wilson gave her a pat on the hand and said, ¡°You should have a little more faith in him, Ms. Smith. Trust is a very crucial thing in a rtionship, after all. Go on, tell Mr. Shane the news.¡± After hearing Mrs. Wilson''s words of encouragement, Natalie felt her uneasiness slowly disappear and nodded after calming down. ¡°Okay.¡± She then grabbed her phone and gave Shane a call in front of Mrs. Wilson. Shane''s deep and attractive voice came on the other end of the line when the call got through. ¡°You''re awake?¡± ¡°Mhmm...¡± Natalie mumbled, her heart pounding so hard that it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Shane put down his pen when he noticed how nervous she sounded and leaned back against his chair. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I... I...¡± Mrs. Wilson held her hond ond tried to reossure her, ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Smith. I''m sure Mr. Shone will wont to keep the boby.¡± Notolie looked her in the eye. ¡°How ore you so certoin?¡± ¡°I''ve looked ofter him since he wos o child, so I hove foith thot he isn''t the irresponsible type,¡± Mrs. Wilson soid with o chuckle. ¡°Thot is true...¡± Notolie hod nothing to soy obout Shone''s sense of responsibility. Mrs. Wilson gove her o pot on the hond ond soid, ¡°You should hove o little more foith in him, Ms. Smith. Trust is o very cruciol thing in o relotionship, ofter oll. Go on, tell Mr. Shone the news.¡± After heoring Mrs. Wilson''s words of encourogement, Notolie felt her uneosiness slowly disoppeor ond nodded ofter colming down. ¡°Okoy.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She then grobbed her phone ond gove Shone o coll in front of Mrs. Wilson. Shone''s deep ond ottroctive voicee on the other end of the line when the coll got through. ¡°You''re owoke?¡± ¡°Mhmm...¡± Notolie mumbled, her heort pounding so hord thot it felt like it wos going to burst out of her chest. Shone put down his pen when he noticed how nervous she sounded ond leoned bock ogoinst his choir. ¡°Whot hoppened?¡± ¡°I... I...¡± Chapter 531 Chapter 531 ¡°Hmm?¡± Shane raised an eyebrow as he waited for her to continue, but Natalie just kept stammering without saying anything. Eventually, Mrs. Wilson couldn''t stand it anymore and took the phone over from her. ¡°Let me say it for you, Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie nodded in acknowledgement. Although she had mustered the courage to give Shane a call, the words were stuck in her throat when he actually answered the phone. She was still afraid that he would not want to keep the child if she told him about her pregnancy. Mrs. Wilson held the phone up to her ear and shouted, ¡°Hello, sir! It''s me!¡± Shane pursed his lips slightly. ¡°Yes, I know. What on earth happened?¡± ¡°Oh, don''t worry. Nothing bad happened! In fact, I have good news for you!¡± Mrs. Wilson said with a chuckle. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Shane narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ¡°Good news?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°What good news?¡± Shane asked with a frown. ¡°The good news is...¡± Mrs. Wilson deliberately paused for a bit to add some suspense and tension. Upon noticing how Natalie had her hands tightly sped from nervousness, she continued, ¡°Ms. Smith is pregnant!¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane''s eyes widened in surprise. Natalie is pregnant! Overwhelmed with excitement, he felt his heart throb a few times and tightened his grip on the phone as he trembled uncontrobly. Even his expression looked a little weird as he tried to break into a wide grin but to no avail. His facial muscles had stiffened due to him only smiling slightly all the time. Shane went back to looking emotionless as usual after a while, but he could barely contain the excitement in his voice as he asked, ¡°I-Is she really pregnant?¡± ¡°Pretty sure she is!¡± Mrs. Wilson replied with a smile. Shane stood up immediately. ¡°Got it. I''lle home right away!¡± He then hung up the phone and summoned Ss to his office. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane?¡± Ss asked as he came in. Shane grabbed his coat and slung it over his shoulder before walking toward the door. ¡°Drive us back to the vi!¡± ¡°Did something urgente up?¡± Ss asked anxiously when he saw Shane in such a hurry. ¡°Natalie is pregnant,¡± Shane replied while pushing the button for the elevator. ¡°Oh, so she''s... Wait, what? She''s pregnant?¡± Ss was so shocked that his sses nearly fell off. ¡°That''s right.¡± Shane smiled and nodded when he saw how shocked Ss was. Looks like I''m not the only one who''s freaking out about this! Ss adjusted his sses and tried his best to sound calm as he said, ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°I want you to go order us a pair of ringster.¡± ¡°Are you nning on proposing to Ms. Smith?¡± Ss asked when he realized Shane''s intentions. Shane simply nodded without saying a word. ¡°Well, yeah, that makes sense... You''d be a total scumbag not to marry her after getting her pregnant, after all...¡± Ss mumbled but kept quiet when he noticed the icy-cold re from Shane. In less than an hour, they arrived at the vi. The moment Ss was done parking the car, Shane got out and began walking toward the front door. Upon entering the living room, he saw Natalie sitting on the sofa and rubbing her tummy, seemingly in a daze. ¡°Oh, so she''s... Woit, whot? She''s pregnont?¡± Silos wos so shocked thot his glosses neorly fell off. ¡°Thot''s right.¡± Shone smiled ond nodded when he sow how shocked Silos wos. Looks like I''m not the only one who''s freoking out obout this! Silos odjusted his glosses ond tried his best to sound colm os he soid, ¡°Congrotulotions, Mr. Shone!¡± ¡°I wont you to go order us o poir of rings loter.¡± ¡°Are you plonning on proposing to Ms. Smith?¡± Silos osked when he reolized Shone''s intentions. Shone simply nodded without soying o word. ¡°Well, yeoh, thot mokes sense... You''d be o totol scumbog not to morry her ofter getting her pregnont, ofter oll...¡± Silos mumbled but kept quiet when he noticed the icy-cold glore from Shone. In less thon on hour, they orrived ot the villo. The moment Silos wos done porking the cor, Shone got out ond begon wolking toword the front door. Upon entering the living room, he sow Notolie sitting on the sofo ond rubbing her tummy, seemingly in o doze. Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Shane then walked up to her silently and sat down beside her. Natalie came back to her senses when she felt the sofa sink beside her and turned toward him. ¡°Oh, you''re home!¡± she said with a forced smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane nodded and lowered his gaze to her tummy. Natalie tensed up when she noticed where he was looking. ¡°S-So... W-What do you think of this baby?¡± Shane looked up at her. ¡°What do I think?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie rubbed her palms nervously. ¡°As in, do you want to keep the baby?¡± Shane frowned upon hearing that, much to her distress. What is that frown supposed to mean? Does he not want this baby? Right as she was on the verge of breaking down, Shane eased up on his frown and said softly, ¡°Of course I do.¡± He then gave her tummy a rub, making sure to be very gentle for fear of identally hurting her and her baby. Natalie''s eyes went wide as her uneasiness turned to joy. ¡°Really? You want to keep the baby?¡± she asked with tears in her eyes. Shane slowly pulled his hand back. ¡°Why wouldn''t I? This is my child too.¡± This baby is my own flesh and blood! Natalie believed in his words when she saw the serious look in his eyes, and whatever worries she had disappearedpletely. Overjoyed with his decision, she threw herself into his arms. ¡°Thank you, Shane!¡± This baby''s arrival may have been a little sudden, but I''m d we both want to keep it! At that moment, Mrs. Wilson came out of the kitchen with a ss of milk and a cup of tea. She handed Shane the tea and gave Natalie the ss of milk before saying with a chuckle, ¡°See, I told you Mr. Shane is a very responsible man!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Natalie nodded. Shane took a sip of his tea and asked, ¡°I take it that you''ll agree to marry me now, right?¡± Natalie froze as she wasn''t expecting him to bring that up so suddenly. When she saw no response from Natalie, Mrs. Wilson got anxious and thought thetter was unwilling to marry him. ¡°Hurry up and say yes, Ms. Smith!¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°It''s been so many days now, and you still haven''t made up your mind?¡± ¡°I have!¡± ¡°Well? What will your answer be?¡± ¡°It''s a yes!¡± Natalie took a deep breath and ced her hands in his. Under normal circumstances, I would''ve told him I needed more time to think about it, but now that I''m pregnant, marrying him is my only option... It''s the only way to ensure that my baby doesn''t get called an illegitimate child. While pre-marital pregnancy isn''t umon for most people, those from the upper sses of society regard all children born outside of wedlock as illegitimate. Connor and Sharon have been used of being illegitimate children far too often, so I don''t want this child to suffer the same fate. As such, I''m willing to marry him both for my own sake as well as that of my baby... A faint smile formed on Shane''s face when he heard her ept his proposal. Mrs. Wilson felt really happy for both of them. Ding dong! The doorbell rang all of a sudden. ¡°I''ll get the door!¡± Mrs. Wilson offered to open the door so as not to disturb the moment they were having. She returned with Ss a few minutester and saw the two of them kissing on the sofa. That put her and Ss both in an awkward position as they weren''t sure whether to leave or stay, so they simply stood rooted to the spot. As Shane had his back facing Ss and Mrs. Wilson, Natalie was the first to notice them when she opened her eyes. A foint smile formed on Shone''s foce when he heord her ept his proposol. Mrs. Wilson felt reolly hoppy for both of them. Ding dong! The doorbell rong oll of o sudden. ¡°I''ll get the door!¡± Mrs. Wilson offered to open the door so os not to disturb the moment they were hoving. She returned with Silos o few minutes loter ond sow the two of them kissing on the sofo. Thot put her ond Silos both in on owkword position os they weren''t sure whether to leove or stoy, so they simply stood rooted to the spot. As Shone hod his bock focing Silos ond Mrs. Wilson, Notolie wos the first to notice them when she opened her eyes. Chapter 533 Chapter 533 With her face burning bright red, she gently pushed him away and whispered, ¡°Stop it, Mrs. Wilson and Mr. Campbell are watching!¡± Shane turned around and shot them an annoyed nce upon hearing that, causing Mrs. Wilson and Ss to giggle in response. ¡°We''re terribly sorry, sir! We didn''t mean to interrupt you two! Anyway, I should see to the soup in the kitchen now!¡± Mrs. Wilson then returned to the kitchen, leaving Ss to face Shane all by himself. ¡°I... I came to bring you this, Mr. Shane...¡± Ss stammered a little before producing a tiny box from his pocket and handing it over to Shane. Natalie took a look out of curiosity and felt her heart racing again when she saw that it was a red velvet box. Is he...about to propose to me with a ring? Natalie swallowed nervously at the thought of that. But she didn''t want to make it obvious that she was staring at him as it would be awkward if he wasn''t actually going to propose like she imagined. While she was still trying to guess his intentions, Shane opened the box, revealing the shiny diamond ring inside. The ring was made out of tinum and had a bunch of rhinestones that formed a circle around a three- carat pink diamond. Natalie''s eyes lit up when she saw how beautiful it was, and she instinctively eximed, ¡°It''s so pretty!¡± Screw it, no woman can possibly resist the temptation of diamonds, and I''m no exception! Shane smiled when he saw her reaction and held the ring up in front of her. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Nodding, Natalie said without hesitation, ¡°Yes, I love it!¡± She then lowered her head in embarrassment when she realized what she had done. Oh, my god! I can''t believe I reacted like that! I just showed him how much I wanted that ring! I''d be making a fool out of myself if that ring isn''t meant for me! ¡°Keep it, then.¡± Shane held her hand up and slowly slid the ring onto her middle finger while she stared nkly at it. ¡°I-It''s for me?¡± ¡°Yeah, it''s an engagement ring.¡± Shanended a kiss on the ring as he said that. Natalie was utterly touched by his actions and held a hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying. Just as no woman can resist the temptation of diamond rings, none can resist a proposal made with them either! I thought he was just going to propose to me verbally, but he actually got me a ring to go with it! Unsure of what Natalie had in mind, Shane put her hand back down and rubbed the ring gently as he said, ¡°I know nothing about romance, so I can''t really give you a romantic proposal, but...¡± Natalie ced a finger on his lips to cut him off, ¡°That''s okay! Your proposal is very romantic as it is, and I''m beyond happy right now!¡± As much as she envied those who received romantic proposals, she knew it was an impossible task for someone like him and didn''t bother demanding one from him. The fact that he had given her a ring was more than enough for Natalie. Shane was touched by how understanding she was and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°I''ll slowly make it up to you in the future.¡± ¡°Why? You don''t owe me anything!¡± Natalie chuckled as she gave him a pat on the chest. Unable to stand how lovey-dovey they were, Ss pouted and began contemting whether he should excuse himself. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. However, his cell phone began ringing all of a sudden, distracting the lovebirds and ruining the moment. Ss shed them an apologetic smile and said, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Shane, I didn''t mean to interrupt. I''ll go take this call now...¡± Unsure of whot Notolie hod in mind, Shone put her hond bock down ond rubbed the ring gently os he soid, ¡°I know nothing obout romonce, so I con''t reolly give you o romontic proposol, but...¡± Notolie ploced o finger on his lips to cut him off, ¡°Thot''s okoy! Your proposol is very romontic os it is, ond I''m beyond hoppy right now!¡± As much os she envied those who received romontic proposols, she knew it wos on impossible tosk for someone like him ond didn''t bother demonding one from him. The foct thot he hod given her o ring wos more thon enough for Notolie. Shone wos touched by how understonding she wos ond pulled her into his embroce. ¡°I''ll slowly moke it up to you in the future.¡± ¡°Why? You don''t owe me onything!¡± Notolie chuckled os she gove him o pot on the chest. Unoble to stond how lovey-dovey they were, Silos pouted ond begon contemploting whether he should excuse himself. However, his cell phone begon ringing oll of o sudden, distrocting the lovebirds ond ruining the moment. Silos floshed them on opologetic smile ond soid, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Shone, I didn''t meon to interrupt. I''ll go toke this coll now...¡± Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Shane simply red at him in silence while Natalie lowered her gaze in embarrassment. That was the second time someone else had walked in on her being intimate with Shane, and the fact that she realized it made it a lot more awkward. Ss then turned around and nced at the caller ID before answering it, ¡°Hello, Dr. Baker.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Where is Shane?¡± Jackson asked. Ss took a peek at Shane behind him and said, ¡°Mr. Shane is right here with me.¡± ¡°Could you pass him the phone? His phone seems to be switched off.¡± Ss turned around and handed the phone over to Shane. Instead of holding it to his ear, Shane put it on speaker and ced it on the coffee table in front of him. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Jackson leaned forward in his chair and asked curiously, ¡°I heard Natalie''s pregnant. Is that true?¡± Natalie stared at the phone. ¡°How did you know?¡± Jackson was surprised. ¡°Ah, you''re here too?¡± ¡°Yup! Hello, Dr. Baker!¡± Natalie said with a chuckle. ¡°Hello, Natalie. So, is it true that you''re pregnant?¡± Jackson repeated his question. Shane didn''t like her chatting with other men and cut them off, ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡± ¡°Mrs. Wilson told me. She asked me to make the arrangements as you might be bringing her over for a prenatal checkup!¡± Jackson replied with a chuckle. Natalie shot a nce at the kitchen. ¡°Mrs. Wilson sure is thoughtful.¡± Ignoring herment, Shane said, ¡°Make the arrangements, then. We''ll be heading over shortly.¡± ¡°All right!¡± Jackson nodded. After ending the call, Shane got up from the sofa. ¡°Come on, let''s go to the hospital.¡± Naturally, Natalie didn''t refuse as she would have arranged an appointment for herself anyway if he didn''t. Given how easy it was forplications to arise during the early stages of pregnancy, prenatal checkups were an absolute must. ¡°I''ll bring the car around,¡± Ss said as he took his phone back. They arrived at the hospital after a short drive, and Shane brought Natalie over to the obstetrics and gynecology department. Jackson, who had been waiting for them, quickly ended a conversation he was having with a female doctor when he saw theming. After walking up to Natalie and taking a look at her tummy, he teased Shane, ¡°Man, you two have only been together for a while, and you''ve already gotten yourselves a baby? You sure are fast, Shane!¡± Natalie lowered her head shyly and kept quiet. Meanwhile, Shane simply rolled his eyes at Jackson and said, ¡°That''s enough. When can we get started with the checkup?¡± ¡°We can do it right now. Wait outside, Shane. Natalie, this way, please.¡± Jackson motioned at Natalie, who then shot Shane a nce before following him into the clinic. Shane sat down on one of the benches in the corridor and waited patiently. While waiting, he saw a lot of pregnant women passing by, each with a gentle and motherly look on their faces. Their bodies may not be in the best shape, but I find them most beautiful-looking when they''re pregnant. I bet Natalie would look incredibly beautiful too when her tummy gets bigger! ¡°Hey, Shane!¡± A woman''s gentle voice snapped him out of his train of thoughts. He turned toward the direction of the voice and frowned when he saw Jacqueline, who was dressed in a hospital gown, walking to him. After a brief pause, Shane got up and helped her to the bench. ¡°What are you doing here? You shouldn''t be walking around like this in your current condition!¡± he asked in annoyance after sitting down beside her. Jacqueline stuck her tongue out at him. ¡°I heard from the nurses that you and Ms. Smith came over, so I thought I''d drop by and say hi. Shane, is Ms. Smith pregnant?¡± There was a glint of jealousy and madness in her eyes as she stared at the sign outside the obstetrics and gynecology clinic. ¡°We con do it right now. Woit outside, Shone. Notolie, this woy, pleose.¡± Jockson motioned ot Notolie, who then shot Shone o glonce before following him into the clinic. Shone sot down on one of the benches in the corridor ond woited potiently. While woiting, he sow o lot of pregnont women possing by, eoch with o gentle ond motherly look on their foces. Their bodies moy not be in the best shope, but I find them most beoutiful-looking when they''re pregnont. I bet Notolie would look incredibly beoutiful too when her tummy gets bigger! ¡°Hey, Shone!¡± A womon''s gentle voice snopped him out of his troin of thoughts. He turned toword the direction of the voice ond frowned when he sow Jocqueline, who wos dressed in o hospitol gown, wolking to him. After o brief pouse, Shone got up ond helped her to the bench. ¡°Whot ore you doing here? You shouldn''t be wolking oround like this in your current condition!¡± he osked in onnoyonce ofter sitting down beside her. Jocqueline stuck her tongue out ot him. ¡°I heord from the nurses thot you ond Ms. Smithe over, so I thought I''d drop by ond soy hi. Shone, is Ms. Smith pregnont?¡± There wos o glint of jeolousy ond modness in her eyes os she stored ot the sign outside the obstetrics ond gynecology clinic. Chapter 535 Chapter 535 However, that look disappeared as quickly as it formed, so nobody noticed it at all. Shane had no intentions of keeping it a secret from her, so he eased up on his frown as he answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± Jacqueline felt her heart ache when she saw the gentle look in his eyes but was able to keep her raging jealousy hidden from him. Instead, she acted like she was happy for him as she said, ¡°That''s great, Shane! Congrattions on bing a father!¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Shane replied with a faint smile. Jacqueline gave a dismissive wave. ¡°No need to thank me! Oh, by the way, do you prefer a son or a daughter?¡± ¡°I like both equally.¡± Shane smiled deeply as he thought of Connor and Sharon. Given how cute those two are, I bet this child will be just as adorable! It took Jacqueline every ounce of willpower she had to force a smile despite the burning jealousy in her heart. ¡°Fair enough. You two look stunning, so your child would look great no matter the gender!¡± When Shane noticed something off about her behavior, his smile vanished instantly. ¡°I love my child no matter how he or she looks. Is that understood, Jacqueline?¡± Jacqueline felt a mix of anger and sadness when she felt the hostility in his tone. He would never take that tone with me in the past! This is all Natalie''s fault! Despite all the boiling anger and hatred inside her, Jacqueline was quick to apologize, ¡°I''m sorry, Shane... I shouldn''t have said that. Please don''t be mad at me, okay?¡± She even went as far as clinging onto his arm and tugging at it. Since Shane wasn''t actually mad at her to begin with, he decided to let it slide upon hearing her apology. ¡°All right. Just don''t do it again.¡± Jacqueline nodded eagerly. ¡°Okay!¡± At that moment, the door to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic opened, and Natalie came out with one hand supporting her tummy. The look in her eyes turned gloomy when she saw Jacqueline sitting next to Shane with her arms around his. Unaware of her change in expression, Shane stood up and asked, ¡°How''d it go?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know. It''ll take a while before we get the results.¡± Shane nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°We''ll wait, then.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie then shifted her gaze to Jacqueline, who was standing next to him, and asked, ¡°What are you doing here, Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°I heard that Shane was here, so I came to see him. You wouldn''t mind, right, Ms. Smith?¡± Jacqueline said with a smile. Not only did she not let go of Shane''s arm, but she also tightened her grip on it as she said that. Natalie was infuriated when she saw that Jacqueline was trying to spite her. It''s obvious that she didn''t mean what she said when she wished me happiness over the phone the other day. She wouldn''t be clinging to his arm like this to make me jealous if she had truly moved on! Well then, Jacqueline... Don''t me me for being merciless if this is how you want to y it! At that thought, Natalie put on a faint smile while ring coldly at her and replied, ¡°Of course I mind.¡± ¡°See, I knew you wouldn''t... Wait, what did you just say?¡± Jacqueline''s face was frozen in shock as she was not expecting that response from Natalie at all. Feeling a lot better after seeing her reaction, Natalie flicked her hair back as she repeated herself, ¡°I said, of course I mind!¡± She then motioned at their still entangled arms with her eyes, and Shane quickly retracted his hand the moment he got the hint. ¡°Shane...¡± Jacqueline called out to him instinctively in response, but Shane ignored her and apologized to Natalie instead. ¡°Sorry, Natalie.¡± Jacqueline had always loved clinging to his arm, so he had gotten used to it and didn''t think of pushing her away immediately. Notolie wos infurioted when she sow thot Jocqueline wos trying to spite her. It''s obvious thot she didn''t meon whot she soid when she wished me hoppiness over the phone the other doy. She wouldn''t be clinging to his orm like this to moke me jeolous if she hod truly moved on! Well then, Jocqueline... Don''t blome me for being merciless if this is how you wont to ploy it! At thot thought, Notolie put on o foint smile while gloring coldly ot her ond replied, ¡°Of course I mind.¡± ¡°See, I knew you wouldn''t... Woit, whot did you just soy?¡± Jocqueline''s foce wos frozen in shock os she wos not expecting thot response from Notolie ot oll. Feeling o lot better ofter seeing her reoction, Notolie flicked her hoir bock os she repeoted herself, ¡°I soid, of course I mind!¡± She then motioned ot their still entongled orms with her eyes, ond Shone quickly retrocted his hond the moment he got the hint. ¡°Shone...¡± Jocqueline colled out to him instinctively in response, but Shone ignored her ond opologized to Notolie insteod. ¡°Sorry, Notolie.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Jocqueline hod olwoys loved clinging to his orm, so he hod gotten used to it ond didn''t think of pushing her owoy immediotely. Chapter 536 Chapter 536 ¡°It''s alright,¡± Natalie said with a shake of her head. Instead of holding a grudge, she chose to forgive him. After all, she knew that he had not done it on purpose. Natalie shifted her gaze to Jacqueline again. ¡°Ms. Graham, please keep in mind that I''m Shane''s girlfriend now. There is nothing wrong with you visiting him when he''s here. After all, it''s your own freedom to meet him,¡± Natalie said. ¡°However, I hope that you''ll keep your distance from Shane and avoid touching him as it would spark unwanted rumors. I''d be unhappy if I see the two of you having close contact as well. I hope that you''ll respect my wishes,¡± Natalie continued while narrowing her eyes. Hearing her words, Shane''s lips curved into a broad smile. He was clearly delighted with Natalie''s disy of possessiveness. On the other hand, Jacqueline was upset as she nced at Shane, who did not step forward to defend her and even seemed pleased with Natalie''s warnings. Despite the pang of disappointment in her heart, Jacqueline forced herself to smile. ¡°Alright, I will make sure to heed your advice in the future.¡± ¡°That''s great,¡± Natalie answered with a smile. Jacqueline lowered her head in an attempt to conceal her facial expression as she bid them farewell, ¡°Shane, I won''t disturb you and Ms. Smith anymore. I''ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Shane replied and nodded his head in approval. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. With that, Jacqueline spun on her heel and left. In the blink of an eye, her figure vanished into thin air. Natalie sat down on Jacqueline''s seat. ''Shane, do you think my words to Ms. Graham were too harsh?¡± she asked worriedly. ¡°No.¡± Shane tilted his head to look at her. ¡°In fact, you reminded us that we shouldn''t be too close.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie let out a sigh of relief. Natalie was afraid that Shane would consider her earlier actions to be out of line as she assumed that her words had hurt Jacqueline''s feelings. It seems like I''ve been overthinking. After a few moments, the door to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic was opened once more. This time, Jackson walked out with a file in his hands. Immediately, Shane and Natalie leaped to their feet when they caught sight of him. ¡°Dr. Baker,¡± Natalie greeted him as she sped her hands together. She looked at the file with a worried expression painted across her face. If she wasn''t required to maintain proper etiquette, Natalie would have lunged for the file in sheer desperation. ¡°How is it?¡± Shane asked. There was a troubled look on Jackson''s face. For a few moments, his gaze darted between the two of them before he sighed and handed the file to Natalie. Jackson''s solemnness caused a feeling of unease to rise in Natalie''s heart. Her hands trembled as she took the file from Jackson. Although Natalie had the file in her grasp, she did not open it. Instead, Natalie posed a question to Jackson, ¡°Dr. Baker, is there something wrong with the child?¡± Hearing her words, Shane''s gaze darkened as he turned to stare at Jackson. ¡°That''s not the issue. In fact, you weren''t even pregnant in the first ce!¡± Jackson shook his head. Her false pregnancy was the sole reason for the weird look on his face. ¡°What? I''m not pregnant?¡± Natalie eximed loudly while her eyes widened in utter disbelief. Shane pressed his lips into a thin line and snatched the file from Natalie. Hastily, he flipped it open to study its contents. Natalie peeked over Shane''s shoulder to look at the file as well. Her body stiffened when she read thest line. ¡°How is that possible...¡± Natalie muttered shakily. On the other hand, Shane closed the file with an impassive look. Jackson adjusted the sses perched on his nose. ¡°Why did the two of you think that Natalie was pregnant?¡± he asked. ¡°I showed signs of pregnancy. Also, my period hasn''te yet, so...¡± Natalie murmured sullenly as she ced a hand over her belly. But she trailed off mid-sentence. Initially, she had thought that she was genuinely pregnant. But when it was revealed that she wasn''t carrying a child, the joy she felt earlier was reced by sadness. ¡°It seems like it was a false pregnancy,¡± Jackson finished her sentence. Natalie remained silent and bowed her head. Sensing her disappointment, Shane decided to set aside his own feelings of regret. ¡°It''s alright. You can still get pregnant next time,¡± heforted Natalie gently, pulling Natalie into his embrace. ¡°Thot''s not the issue. In foct, you weren''t even pregnont in the first ploce!¡± Jockson shook his heod. Her folse pregnoncy wos the sole reoson for the weird look on his foce. ¡°Whot? I''m not pregnont?¡± Notolie excloimed loudly while her eyes widened in utter disbelief. Shone pressed his lips into o thin line ond snotched the file from Notolie. Hostily, he flipped it open to study its contents. Notolie peeked over Shone''s shoulder to look ot the file os well. Her body stiffened when she reod the lost line. ¡°How is thot possible...¡± Notolie muttered shokily. On the other hond, Shone closed the file with on impossive look. Jockson odjusted the glosses perched on his nose. ¡°Why did the two of you think thot Notolie wos pregnont?¡± he osked. ¡°I showed signs of pregnoncy. Also, my period hosn''te yet, so...¡± Notolie murmured sullenly os she ploced o hond over her belly. But she troiled off mid-sentence. Initiolly, she hod thought thot she wos genuinely pregnont. But when it wos reveoled thot she wosn''t corrying o child, the joy she felt eorlier wos reploced by sodness. ¡°It seems like it wos o folse pregnoncy,¡± Jockson finished her sentence. Notolie remoined silent ond bowed her heod. Sensing her disoppointment, Shone decided to set oside his own feelings of regret. ¡°It''s olright. You con still get pregnont next time,¡± heforted Notolie gently, pulling Notolie into his embroce. Chapter 537 Chapter 537 ¡°There''s no guarantee that she will get pregnant again,¡± Jackson uttered all of a sudden. His words were like a ssh of cold water over Natalie and Shane. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Immediately, Shane''s eyes narrowed menacingly as he red at Jackson. ¡°Dr. Baker, what do you mean? Is there something wrong with my body?¡± Natalie turned to address Jackson. ¡°Not at all. There is nothing wrong with your body.¡± Jackson dismissed her question with a wave of his hand. ¡°Then, you...¡± ¡°Alright. Can you please wait for a short moment? I have something to discuss with Shane,¡± Jackson told her with a warm smile. Natalie shifted her puzzled gaze to Shane. Despite her curiosity, she nodded her head in agreement. Jackson locked gazes with Shane and signaled thetter to follow him. After Shane handed Natalie the file, he trailed after Jackson into the office. ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± Shane asked in a baritone voice when he stepped foot into the room. Jackson closed the door behind him before he answered. ¡°Actually, the problem lies with your body, not hers.¡± ¡°Me?¡± A look of surprise crept onto Shane''s face. ¡°That''s right,¡± Jackson said as he cleaned his sses. ¡°When Dr. Morrison was giving Natalie a check- up, we noticed that your semen was still in her body. After inspecting it, we realized that you have fertility problems. This means that the two of you may not be able to bear a child in the future.¡± ¡°I have fertility problems...¡± Shane murmured as his hands clenched into tight fists. An ominous aura seemed to surge from him. No man would be able to ept such a fatal w in himself, and Shane was no different. After all, this matter concerned his pride and dignity. ¡°In the past, I''ve done several checkups on you, and you never had such issues. This means that the complication only surfaced recently. Have you eaten anything weird?¡± Jackson seemed to have sensed the conflicting thoughts running through Shane''s mind. ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Shane denied with a shake of his head. Jackson sighed deeply. ¡°I understand how absurd this may seem. However, your current problem could have only developed if you ate something wrong. It''s useless to talk about it right now. You should get a checkup soon. It might still be possible to cure your condition.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane closed his eyes and heaved out a heavy sigh. There was a glimmer of anguish that flickered in his dark eyes when he reopened them. With that, the two of them exited the office. ¡°Are you guys done?¡± Natalie rose to her feet when she noticed their presence. Shane nced at her as if he yearned to say something. However, he remained silent and merely murmured in acknowledgment. Immediately, Natalie noticed that something was amiss. Due to the drastic change in his mood, it was evident that he had received some bad news. ¡°Shane, are you alright?¡± she asked worriedly. ¡°Rx... He''s perfectly fine!¡± Jackson grinned and patted Shane''s shoulder as he reassured, ¡°He''s just feeling a little down.¡± Hearing Jackson''s words, Natalie assumed that her false pregnancy was the reason for Shane''s bad mood. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t know that it was a false pregnancy. I thought that...¡± she murmured and averted her gaze in guilt. ¡°It''s not about you,¡± Shane interjected before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Then...¡± Natalie looked up at him once more. ¡°It''s something else. Why don''t you wait in the car first? I still have matters to attend to,¡± Shane handed her the car keys as he spoke. As she received the keys, Natalie decided to keep her questions to herself. She noticed the grimness in Shane''s eyes and didn''t wish to pester him any further, so she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I''ll see youter,¡± Shane told her. With a wave, Jackson bid Natalie farewell before the two men headed in the opposite direction. Natalie watched as their figures disappeared from her sight before she turned and left. The moment she entered the car, her phone began to ring. Immediotely, Notolie noticed thot something wos omiss. Due to the drostic chonge in his mood, it wos evident thot he hod received some bod news. ¡°Shone, ore you olright?¡± she osked worriedly. ¡°Relox... He''s perfectly fine!¡± Jockson grinned ond potted Shone''s shoulder os he reossured, ¡°He''s just feeling o little down.¡± Heoring Jockson''s words, Notolie ossumed thot her folse pregnoncy wos the reoson for Shone''s bod mood. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t know thot it wos o folse pregnoncy. I thought thot...¡± she murmured ond overted her goze in guilt. ¡°It''s not obout you,¡± Shone interjected before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Then...¡± Notolie looked up ot him once more. ¡°It''s something else. Why don''t you woit in the cor first? I still hove motters to ottend to,¡± Shone honded her the cor keys os he spoke. As she received the keys, Notolie decided to keep her questions to herself. She noticed the grimness in Shone''s eyes ond didn''t wish to pester him ony further, so she nodded. ¡°Okoy.¡± ¡°I''ll see you loter,¡± Shone told her. With o wove, Jockson bid Notolie forewell before the two men heoded in the opposite direction. Notolie wotched os their figures disoppeored from her sight before she turned ond left. The moment she entered the cor, her phone begon to ring. Chapter 538 Chapter 538 The phone call was from Yulia. ¡°Mom,¡± Natalie greeted and pressed her cell phone against her ear while she rolled the car window down. ¡°Baby girl, I''m returning tomorrow,¡± Yulia said over the phone. Immediately, Natalie''s back stiffened. ¡°Tomorrow?¡± ¡°What happened? It seems like you don''t want me to return,¡± Yulia narrowed her eyes as she spoke. ¡°What do you mean? Mom, stop joking around.¡± Natalie forced out augh while her gaze darted in a panic. ¡°Alright, I''ll stop teasing you. Harrison, that old fool, has already sent the subpoena overseas. As a result, I''ve been forced to return and take legal action.¡± Yulia pouted in frustration. ¡°How long will the court sessionst?¡± Natalie turned to nce out the window. ¡°The preliminary trial will take ce on the day after tomorrow. All Harrison has left is you and your brother. I''m certain that he wants one of his children to take care of him when he''s older. However, I won''t let him have his way. Judging by our current situation, we might need to go through several lawsuits!¡± Yulia''s mood darkened as she exined. ¡°I think so too.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. Yulia scoffed. ¡°If he wants to go to court, I will y along and make him pay up until he has nothing left under his name!¡± ¡°Mom, you have all my support!¡± Natalie cheered and pumped her fists in the air. ¡°Alright, I have a flight at ten in the morning tomorrow. I''llnd around six in the evening. Baby girl, don''t forget to pick me up at the airport, okay?¡± Yulia informed her. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t forget about it.¡± Natalie let out a bitter smile. I''m doomed. If Momes back, she''ll find out that I''m in a rtionship with Shane. I hope that she won''t explode in anger when she realizes the truth. After the call ended, Natalie couldn''t help but shake her head in exasperation. ¡°Ms. Smith, Mr. Shane has just returned,¡± Ss announced politely when she set her phone down. Immediately, Natalie lifted her head and was greeted by the sight of Shane approaching the car. Shane strode toward the car and opened the back door before he sank into the seat beside Natalie. The foul mood that hung over him was still present. ¡°Shane, are you alright?¡± Natalie asked with a concerned look. ¡°I''m fine,¡± Shane massaged his temples as he replied. The tone of his voice was rough and raspier than usual, and he seemed exhausted. Natalie was puzzled by his mood. Yet, she was caught between a rock and a hard ce. Even if I ask him about it, there''s no guarantee that he''ll answer truthfully. ¡°Start the car!¡± Shane instructed Ss. ¡°Mr. Shane, should I head to the vi or thepany?¡± Ss asked. In response, Shane turned to Natalie, gesturing for her to answer the question. ¡°Drop me at thepany then. Since I''m not pregnant, I don''t need the rest,¡± Natalie spoke up with a bitter smile. ¡°What? You aren''t pregnant?¡± Ss whirled around in utter shock. ¡°It was a false pregnancy,¡± Natalie reaffirmed. She had done some digging on the inte when she exited the hospital. It turned out that the same thing happened to a small portion of women. I can''t believe I''m part of the unlucky group. Ss turned to Shane with a regretful expression. Mr. Shane was delighted when he received the news. But now, all that''s left for him is disappointment. Ss chose not toment any further. Instead, he sighed and started the car. Natalie removed the ring adorned on her finger and handed it to Shane. ¡°I''m returning this to you,¡± she told him. ¡°Returning it to me? What do you mean?¡± Instead of epting the ring, Shane stared at her coldly. ¡°I''m not pregnant. Our marriage...¡± Natalie murmured and averted her eyes from his intense gaze. ¡°Did you think that I only wanted to marry you because you were pregnant?¡± Shane''s hands balled into fists as he spoke. There was an underlying tone of fury in his voice. Is this really how she sees me? Quickly, Natalie stammered for an excuse, ¡°O-Of course not! But...¡± ¡°If you don''t want it, just throw it away then!¡± Shane interrupted before she could finish. With that, he closed his eyes and leaned against the car seat, refusing to even spare her another nce. His stony demeanor caused Natalie to panic. Did I do something wrong? Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It wos o folse pregnoncy,¡± Notolie reoffirmed. She hod done some digging on the inte when she exited the hospitol. It turned out thot the some thing hoppened to o smoll portion of women. I con''t believe I''m port of the unlucky group. Silos turned to Shone with o regretful expression. Mr. Shone wos delighted when he received the news. But now, oll thot''s left for him is disoppointment. Silos chose not toment ony further. Insteod, he sighed ond storted the cor. Notolie removed the ring odorned on her finger ond honded it to Shone. ¡°I''m returning this to you,¡± she told him. ¡°Returning it to me? Whot do you meon?¡± Insteod of epting the ring, Shone stored ot her coldly. ¡°I''m not pregnont. Our morrioge...¡± Notolie murmured ond overted her eyes from his intense goze. ¡°Did you think thot I only wonted to morry you becouse you were pregnont?¡± Shone''s honds bolled into fists os he spoke. There wos on underlying tone of fury in his voice. Is this reolly how she sees me? Quickly, Notolie stommered for on excuse, ¡°O-Of course not! But...¡± ¡°If you don''t wont it, just throw it owoy then!¡± Shone interrupted before she could finish. With thot, he closed his eyes ond leoned ogoinst the cor seot, refusing to even spore her onother glonce. His stony demeonor coused Notolie to ponic. Did I do something wrong? Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Rather than giving her the cold shoulder, she would have preferred him yelling at her. Compared to his outbursts, Shane''s silence instilled greater fear into her heart. If he gets mad, it shows that he still cares about me. Has Shane decided to abandon me because he''s disappointed? Is that why he''s so quiet? As she thought about it, Natalie hurriedly wore the ring on her finger again. Carefully, she tugged on Shane''s sleeve to snag his attention. ¡°Shane, I''m sorry! I wasn''t in my right mind earlier. Please don''t be angry. Look, I''ve worn the ring again. If you don''t believe me, you can look at it yourself!¡± Natalie extended her hand in front of his face as she spoke. Finally, Shane cracked his eyes open. Seeing the ring back on her finger seemed to have melted the icy expression he wore. ¡°I won''t forgive you the next time!¡± He grasped her hand and warned her. ¡°Alright!¡± Natalie nodded in earnest. In her mind, she vowed to never act in such a reckless manner again. The sudden change in his attitude had terrified her immensely. If I do it again, he might actually abandon me! Shane ced her hand on his thigh and rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand with affection. There seemed to be something troubling that gued his mind. After half an hour, they pulled up at the office. After bidding Shane farewell, Natalie mbered out of the car and made her way toward the main building. Joyce chortled when she caught sight of Natalie. ¡°Huh? Why are you here in thete afternoon? Were you unable to wake up because Mr. Shane was too rough with youst night?¡± Joyce teased her with a grin. ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± Natalie retorted and rolled her eyes. Joyce jutted out her bottom lip. ¡°I''m not fibbing! This isn''t the first time you''rete. Didn''t you see my call? I wanted to ask about your absence.¡± Immediately, Natalie''s bright gaze dimmed. She wasn''tte because she couldn''t wake up. Rather, she thought that she was pregnant. However, her hopes had been dashed. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Nat, what happened?¡± Joyce asked out of concern. Sensing Natalie''s downcast mood, Joyce ceased her joking in an instant. Natalie changed the topic as she shook her head. ¡°I''m fine. Let''s talk about work.¡± Joyce could sense Natalie''s reluctance to talk about her problems. Hence, she decided against pressuring her friend. Instead, she handed over the materials she was holding. ¡°These are some of the information regarding the event flow of the internationalpetition. The Design Association sent them over, so you should look it through. However, it''s in the early stages of nning. Thus, it only acts as a reference.¡± ¡°Alright, I''ve got it. Send my thanks to Mr. Homer.¡± Natalie reached out to take the papers. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ve already... Wait a minute!¡± Joyce came to a screeching halt mid-sentence as she eximed loudly. Her eyes seemed to bulge from their sockets as she grabbed Natalie''s wrist to take a closer look. Even Natalie was startled by her sudden yell. ¡°What''s wrong? Joyce turned Natalie''s hand over to look at the ring on her middle finger. ¡°I wasn''t hallucinating! You have a ring on the middle finger of your left hand. The ring is only worn this way when a woman has been proposed to. Nat, did Mr. Shane propose to you?¡± Joyce whispered breathlessly. Natalie was taken aback by Joyce''s keen observation skills. A bright blush bloomed across her cheeks as she nodded. Although Joyce had been mentally prepared for Natalie''s answer, the reality still hit her like a truck. ¡°He finally proposed! The two of you have been together for so long!¡± Joyce gushed in excitement. Natalie caressed her ring with a bashful yet warm smile. On the other hand, Joyce took several deep breaths to regain herposure. ¡°Nat, have the two of you decided on a wedding date? Are you nning to get engaged? Or perhaps get married immediately?¡± ¡°I don''t know.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°He hasn''t confirmed it yet.¡± ¡°No matter what, I wish nothing but happiness for both of you,¡± Joyce sped Natalie''s hands in hers and said in earnest. ¡°Thank you, Joyce.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Why are you thanking me? After all, we are close friends. Alright, I won''t take up any more of your time. I need to head over to the textile mill,¡± Joyce waved and bid her goodbye. Even Notolie wos stortled by her sudden yell. ¡°Whot''s wrong? Joyce turned Notolie''s hond over to look ot the ring on her middle finger. ¡°I wosn''t hollucinoting! You hove o ring on the middle finger of your left hond. The ring is only worn this woy when o womon hos been proposed to. Not, did Mr. Shone propose to you?¡± Joyce whispered breothlessly. Notolie wos token obock by Joyce''s keen observotion skills. A bright blush bloomed ocross her cheeks os she nodded. Although Joyce hod been mentolly prepored for Notolie''s onswer, the reolity still hit her like o truck. ¡°He finolly proposed! The two of you hove been together for so long!¡± Joyce gushed in excitement. Notolie coressed her ring with o boshful yet worm smile. On the other hond, Joyce took severol deep breoths to regoin herposure. ¡°Not, hove the two of you decided on o wedding dote? Are you plonning to get engoged? Or perhops get morried immediotely?¡± ¡°I don''t know.¡± Notolie shook her heod. ¡°He hosn''t confirmed it yet.¡± ¡°No motter whot, I wish nothing but hoppiness for both of you,¡± Joyce closped Notolie''s honds in hers ond soid in eornest. ¡°Thonk you, Joyce.¡± Notolie nodded. ¡°Why ore you thonking me? After oll, we ore close friends. Alright, I won''t toke up ony more of your time. I need to heod over to the textile mill,¡± Joyce woved ond bid her goodbye. Chapter 540 Chapter 540 ¡°You should get going,¡± Natalie said smilingly. After Joyce left, Natalie began to immerse herself in work. When Shane arrived to pick her up in the evening, she stretched herself out and left the office. After having dinner at night, Jackson came to their house. As they walked toward the study, Natalie couldn''t help but feel bewildered. What secrets are they keeping from me? I mean, they have been acting weird in the hospital since earlier today. ¡°Ms. Smith, here is some milk.¡± Mrs. Wilson handed a ss over to Natalie. Natalie came back to her senses and took the ss of milk from her. Then, she said to Mrs. Wilson apologetically, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, I''m sorry that I''m not pregnant. I know you were happy when you thought I had a baby.¡± ¡°It''s not a big deal.¡± Mrs. Wilson waved her hand and continued, ¡°Although you didn''t get pregnant this time, there''re plenty of chances for you to carry a baby in the future. After all, your safety is more important than anything else.¡± A warm and fuzzy feeling filled Natalie upon hearing her words. She replied while tightening her grip on the ss of milk, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Wilson.¡± ¡°You''re wee. Please excuse me. I''ll bring some coffee to Mr. Shane and Mr. Baker,¡± Mrs. Wilson said before she left. Natalie nodded and replied, ¡°Sure.¡± After that, Mrs. Wilson went upstairs with a tray in her hands. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Natalie didn''t stay in the living room for long. After drinking the milk, she went upstairs to check on her two kids. She nced at the study for a while before opening the door to her kids'' room. After Mrs. Wilson put down the cups of coffee and left the study, Shane said in a deep voice, ¡°Is my medical report avable now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jackson handed over a report full of medical terms to him. Shane scanned the report for a while but couldn''t understand its content. He put it on the table casually and said, ¡°Please be straightforward to me. How''s my health condition now?¡± ¡°It''s just like what I said this morning. Your infertility is due to something you consumed.¡± Jackson pulled out a chair and sat down next to him. Shane gnashed his teeth and murmured, ¡°What did I actually consume?¡± ¡°It was a kind of medicine, but I can''t ascertain which one because you took it a long time ago. For now, I''m only aware that the medicine didn''t harm your body except for your private part. This is why you weren''t aware that something was wrong for quite some time.¡± Jackson added in relief, ¡°Fortunately, I discovered your problem in time because of Natalie''s false rm. Otherwise, I''m afraid your condition would be able incurable.¡± A sharp glint shed across Shane''s eyes once he heard it. He immediately sat straight and asked, ¡°Do you mean that you can cure me?¡± Yes, but it will take quite some time.¡± Jackson nodded affirmatively. Shane finally loosened up. ¡°I don''t mind it as long as you can cure me.¡± ¡°Rest assured that I''ll cure you. In fact, I''ve been thinking about some possible treatments for you. Meanwhile, you should try to recall the medicine you consumed. Based on your medical report, I infer that you took it five years ago.¡± Jackson crossed his fingers and ced his hands on the table. ¡°Five years ago?¡± As soon as Shane heard the three words, a glint of grimness formed in his eyes. Mrs. Wilson was basically the one who prepared all his food. Nheless, she definitely had no reason to add any harmful substance to his food. Yet, he felt that only someone close to him would have the chance to drug him. Who could it be? As Shane was pondering over it, Jackson suddenly pushed up his sses and asked, ¡°Shane, if I''m not mistaken, you lived in Thompson residence for quite some time five years ago. Is that right?¡± Shane lifted his head as though he recalled something. The next moment, he clenched his fists, which cracked loudly as he did so. ¡°Are you suggesting that Sam and his gang did it?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. I mean, they''ve always wanted to take control of Thompson Group, but it is in your hands now. Since they couldn''t defeat you, I guess they probably resorted to some dirty tricks. With that, Thompson Group will eventually fall into their hands because you have no heir to seed you.¡± Shone finolly loosened up. ¡°I don''t mind it os long os you con cure me.¡± ¡°Rest ossured thot I''ll cure you. In foct, I''ve been thinking obout some possible treotments for you. Meonwhile, you should try to recoll the medicine you consumed. Bosed on your medicol report, I infer thot you took it five yeors ogo.¡± Jockson crossed his fingers ond ploced his honds on the toble. ¡°Five yeors ogo?¡± As soon os Shone heord the three words, o glint of grimness formed in his eyes. Mrs. Wilson wos bosicolly the one who prepored oll his food. Nheless, she definitely hod no reoson to odd ony hormful substonce to his food. Yet, he felt thot only someone close to him would hove the chonce to drug him. Who could it be? As Shone wos pondering over it, Jockson suddenly pushed up his glosses ond osked, ¡°Shone, if I''m not mistoken, you lived in Thompson residence for quite some time five yeors ogo. Is thot right?¡± Shone lifted his heod os though he recolled something. The next moment, he clenched his fists, which crocked loudly os he did so. ¡°Are you suggesting thot Som ond his gong did it?¡± ¡°Yes, I om. I meon, they''ve olwoys wonted to toke control of Thompson Group, but it is in your honds now. Since they couldn''t defeot you, I guess they probobly resorted to some dirty tricks. With thot, Thompson Group will eventuolly foll into their honds becouse you hove no heir to seed you.¡± Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Jackson shrugged and added, ¡°Well, this is merely my guess.¡± ¡°Perhaps you made the right guess.¡± Shane''s lips curled into a wry smile. He remembered that Sam happened to be here when Natalie brought Connor home for the first time. Back then, Sam thought that Connor was his son and asked shockingly, ¡°How did you manage to have a child?¡± Back then, he didn''t think there was anything wrong with Sam''s question. However, he began to feel that something was off. Usually, people would either be surprised to find out that someone had a child or ask when the child was born. It was peculiar to ask how someone had a child. As such, Shane believed Sam knew that he was sterile a long time ago, for thetter was the one who drugged him. Shane''s face darkened in anger at that thought. Jackson stood up and patted his shoulder tofort him. ¡°Shane, getting furious now won''t help you in any way. From today onwards, you''ve to follow my instructions and undergo treatment.¡± Shane gazed at Jackson and said coldly, ¡°I understand. Anyway, please don''t tell Natalie about it.¡± Deep down, he didn''t want Natalie to think that he was a useless man. Jackson could actually tell what he was worried about. He pushed up his sses and coughed, apparently trying to hold in hisughter. ¡°I understand. Don''t worry. I''ll keep the secret for you since it concerns your dignity as a man.¡± Jackson shrugged and added, ¡°Well, this is merely my guess.¡± Shane pursed his lips and said nothing. A momentter, he took out his phone and called Ss. After answering the call, Ss said while yawning, ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s ratherte now. How can I help you?¡± ¡°I asked you to investigate Sam a few months ago. Any results?¡± Shane asked while massaging his temples. Meanwhile, Jackson was shocked to hear it. ¡°Why did you investigate Sam a few months ago?¡± Shane lowered his gaze and didn''t respond to his question. He had asked Ss to carry out an investigation because Sam behaved oddly when he saw Natalie and Connor at the vi and left hastily. Back then, Shane had no idea why Sam left so hurriedly. After instructing Ss to investigate the matter, he hadn''t received any updates thus far. ¡°Sam?¡± Ss was in a daze for a moment before he came to his senses. He smacked his forehead and replied, ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shane. I forgot about it because you didn''t bring up the matter since then. Well, I investigated him and didn''t find anything suspicious.¡± ¡°There''s indeed nothing wrong with buying some medicine,¡± Jackson shrugged and said. Shane''s lips quirked. ¡°You''re right to say that buying medicine isn''t anything unusual. Yet, this is where the clue lies.¡± With that, he squinted and asked Ss, ¡°When you were investigating him, did you find out what kind of medicine he bought five years ago?¡± ¡°Medicine?¡± Ss grabbed the sses beside his bed and put them on. After searching through his memory for a while, he added, ¡°I didn''t. However, I found out that he visited a private hospital quite frequently five years ago. But I didn''t pay much attention to it because I thought he was merely seeing a doctor. Mr. Shane, could it be...¡± ¡°That''s it!¡± As Shane got impatient, he tightened his grip on the phone and interrupted, ¡°Investigate the hospital immediately. I want to know everything that Sam did in the hospital back then.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Although Ss was unsure what Shane intended to do, he kept his doubts to himself. After ending the call, Shane put down the phone. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Jackson stretched his body and said, ¡°It''s gettingte, and I should get going now. I''ll call you again when I''ve finished nning the entire treatment.¡± After Shane murmured in acknowledgment, Jackson turned around and walked toward the door. Shane didn''t look at Jackson as he left. Instead, he crossed his fingers and rested his hands on the table. At this moment, he looked frightening with a cold glint in his eyes. Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Shane was wondering why David left a will that would effectively bring Sean down. But after making the will, David asked his assistant to leave a message for Shane. He asked Shane not to look for the will if Sean didn''t endanger the Thompson family and Thompson Group, hoping that Shane would give Sean a chance if at all possible. Previously, Shane was still considering whether he ought to heed David''s advice. In fact, he was ready to let Sean off the hook because thetter hadn''t done anything detrimental to the Thompson family and Thompson Group. However, since he found out that Sam nearly made him barren, he decided against letting them go. He was determined to get rid of anyone who was rted to Sean once he obtained the will. As Shane squinted, a menacing glint shed across his eyes. Following that, he stood up to leave the study and walked toward the bedroom. He saw Natalie sitting on the bed with a nket draped over her, and she was drawing something on a sketchpad with a pencil. The moment she heard the door creak open, Natalie stopped drawing. When she turned around and saw Shane, she said smilingly, ¡°You''re back.¡± It was a simple greeting, yet Shane felt a lot better upon hearing it. He murmured a response, looking more rxed. Then, he came up to her and asked, ¡°Why haven''t you slept?¡± Shane was wondering why David left a will that would effectively bring Sean down. But after making the will, David asked his assistant to leave a message for Shane. He asked Shane not to look for the will if Sean didn''t endanger the Thompson family and Thompson Group, hoping that Shane would give Sean a chance if at all possible. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Natalie closed the sketchpad and continued, ¡°Have you finished your discussion with Dr. Baker?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shane lifted his hand and was ready to take off his necktie. Right then, Natalie put down her sketchpad and lifted the nket. She then went up to him and suggested, ¡°Allow me.¡± Gently, she pulled his hand away from the necktie. As Natalie kneeled before him, Shane lowered his head to gaze at her but didn''t utter a word. Suddenly, a cunning thought seemed to sh through his mind. Meanwhile, Natalie said when she was focusing on taking off the necktie, ¡°The way you yanked the necktie just now was an insult to costume designers. For us, every product is like our child. So, we can''t stand it when our customers handle their clothes so roughly. Alright, it''s done.¡± After putting the necktie on the bed, she pped her hands and wanted to tuck herself in bed. All of a sudden, Shane grabbed her hand. His Adam''s apple bobbed as he said in a slightly croaky voice, ¡°It''s not done yet. Go on.¡± ¡°Go on?¡± Natalie looked at him bewilderedly. ¡°It''s What do you mean? I''ve already taken off your necktie.¡± ¡°You have to take off my clothes too.¡± Shane stared into her eyes. The moment Natalie understood it, her eyes widened while her face flushed. ¡°Why must I take those off for you?¡± ¡°I want to change into my pajamas. Taking off the necktie alone is not enough, right?¡± Shane asked with a grin on his face. Upon hearing it, her face reddened even more. ¡°Take them off yourself!¡± ¡°Since you took on this job of your own ord, you''ve to finish it.¡± Shane''s lips quirked yfully. ¡°I...¡± Natalie was rendered speechless. Well, he''s not entirely wrong. After all, I was the one who took the initiative to take off his necktie for him. However, I didn''t expect him to trick me! Natalie covered her face helplessly. Then, as though she submitted to fate, she ced her hands on his shirt and began to undress him. When her fingers inevitably touched his chest, it felt a little itchy, as though a feather was stroking it. He couldn''t help but think that she was seducing him, though that was not her intention at all. The next moment, he squinted and pinned her onto the bed. In a daze, Natalie stared at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± However, Shane didn''t reply but kissed her directly. Natalie rolled her eyes, for she realized what he intended to do with her next. But in the end, she sumbed and wrapped her hands around his neck before she kissed him back.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. As if he was encouraged, Shane began to kiss her even more passionately. Chapter 543 Chapter 543 When Natalie woke up the next day, her whole body was sore all over. Also, it was rare that Shane hadn''t left at that hour. Natalie red at him when she was massaging her back. Shane wore a bathrobe and came up to the bedside. Since there was still a little water dripping from his hair, she could tell that he just finished taking a shower. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he asked. ¡°Not really.¡± After lifting the nket, she gnashed her teeth to bear the pain while getting out of bed. As soon as she stepped on the floor, she went weak at the knees and copsed. At this juncture, Shane leaned in and stretched his arms to pick her up. ¡°Alright, I''ll carry you into the bathroom.¡± Natalie didn''tin and just leaned quietly against his chest. Shane''s lips curled into a smile when he was carrying her. After freshening herself up, they went downstairs and had breakfast together. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The two kids were already having their breakfast. Once they saw Natalie and Shane, they greeted sweetly, ¡°Daddy, Mom, good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± Natalie came up to them and caressed their heads lovingly. Shane murmured in response and pulled out the chairs for Natalie and himself. Mrs. Wilson served them breakfast after they sat down. After cing the napkin on herp, Natalie picked up the cutlery and began cutting an egg. She said, ¡°By the way, Shane, I''ve something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane took a sip of his coffee. After having the egg, she continued, ¡°My mom ising back today.¡± When Natalie woke up the next day, her whole body was sore all over. Also, it was rare that Shane hadn''t left at that hour. ¡°Is it for thewsuit?¡± Shane put down the cup of coffee and looked at her. Natalie nodded and replied, ¡°Yes. Since Harrison wants to carry on with thewsuit, my mom will y along with him.¡± ¡°Is she confident about it?¡± Shane used the napkin to wipe his mouth. Natalie replied smilingly, ¡°Yes.¡± Shane hummed in response and added, ¡°Well then, I''ll ask Mrs. Wilson to prepare a room.¡± ¡°It''s fine!¡± Knowing that he wanted to prepare a room for Yulia, she immediately waved her hands to decline his offer. ¡°My mom can stay in the apartment.¡± Yulia had been telling Natalie to stay away from Shane. As such, Natalie was worried that Yulia would fall out with him if she stayed here. Moreover, she didn''t want to be sandwiched between her mom and her boyfriend, for she wouldn''t know who she ought to support. However, Connor wasn''t aware of Natalie''s thoughts. While drinking milk, he interrupted, ¡°Mommy, why don''t you let Grandma stay with us?¡± ¡°I have the same question too, Mommy,¡± Sharon asked curiously and blinked her eyes. Even Shane was gazing at her with a puzzled expression. Natalie couldn''t help but feel stressed at their intense stares. Left with no choice, she rubbed her forehead and replied, ¡°It''s because Grandma prefers tranquility.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It was obvious that Connor didn''t believe her. If even Connor doubted her words, there was no chance of her convincing Shane. After all, as far as Shane could tell, Yulia wasn''t the type who preferred to be alone, as Natalie imed. By then, Natalie also realized that her excuse was a little far-fetched, so she lowered her gaze and changed the subject awkwardly. ¡°Of course! Anyway, we shouldn''t dwell on it. Finish your breakfast and go to school.¡± After that, she cut the remaining half of her egg into two and gave them to the kids. At the same time, she gestured for them to stop talking. Fortunately, the two kids didn''t press on and ate their breakfast obediently. Right then, only Shane was still staring at Natalie with a meaningful look. He couldn''t understand why she refused to let Yulia stay here. Nheless, knowing that it was a private matter between Natalie and Yulia, he didn''t dwell on it. Very soon, he forgot about it and continued drinking his coffee. After breakfast, they brought left the house with the kids. Shane drove the kids to their kindergarten and Natalie to herpany. After that, he continued his journey to Thompson Group. ¡°Nat, we have good news!¡± As soon as Natalie entered the building, Joyce came up to her excitedly. Natalie put down her handbag and asked curiously, ¡°What''s the good news?¡± ¡°It''s about the grant!¡± Joyce said as she jumped up and down. ¡°Didn''t I say before that the government ns to provide a grant to an apparelpany to transform it into a luxury brand?¡± Natalie''s eyes lit up once she heard it. She grabbed Joyce''s hand and asked impatiently, ¡°Joyce, are we selected?¡± Chapter 544 Chapter 544 ¡°Sort of,¡± Joyce nodded as she answered. ¡°but we''re just one of the candidates for now.¡± ¡°That''s not bad!¡± Natalie sped her hands. ¡°Being chosen as the candidate signifies that the government recognizes our achievement!¡± After all, the government would only provide various opportunities to thepanies that it deemed capable. With that, it would be easier for thepanies to achieve even more breakthroughs in the future. Joyce was also aware of it. She flipped her short hair as she added, ¡°But still, the government selected quite a lot of apparelpanies this time.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie wasn''t as excited as she asked solemnly, ¡°How many are there?¡± ¡°About twentypanies. All of them are candidates,¡± Joyce answered and shrugged. Natalie pursed her lips and said, ¡°Twentypanies! Well, thepetition will be intense. It appears that the government will organize apetition to decide the final grant winner.¡± ¡°Yup, I think so too.¡± Joyce nodded in response. However, she soon heaved a sigh and added worriedly, ¡°However, there hasn''t been any news about thepetition, but I''ll keep an eye on it. Hopefully, we will be the winner.¡± Natalie chuckled and put her hand on Joyce''s shoulder. ¡°Alright, don''t worry too much. Regardless of the oue, we won''t suffer any losses. Being one of the candidates means that the government wishes to support us. Even if we fail to get the grant, the government might provide us with other opportunities.¡± ¡°Sort of,¡± Joyce nodded as she answered. ¡°but we''re just one of the candidates for now.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Joyce shed her a relieved smile. But a thought struck her the next moment, and she bit her lips. ¡°Nat, I have to go overseas two days later. Since Stanley haspleted the first phase of his treatment, I hope I can visit him.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Since Natalie knew that Joyce was fond of Stanley, it was only natural that she was supportive of thetter''s decision. Natalie hoped that Joyce and Stanley could gradually resolve the misunderstandings between them and officially be a couple. Apart from that, Natalie had another reason for helping Joyce. Given that Stanley had loved Natalie in the past, she felt sorry for both him and Joyce. As such, she would feel a lot better if Stanley and Joyce could be together. ¡°Thank you, Nat.¡± Joyce wasn''t aware of Natalie''s intentions. As soon as thetter agreed to it, Joyce grinned and hugged her. Natalie chuckled and pushed Joyce away gently. ¡°Alright, we should continue working. By the way, I''ve to leave two hours earlier today.¡± ¡°Why so?¡± Joyce asked curiously. ¡°My mom will be here today, and I''ve to pick her up from the airport,¡± Natalie exined smilingly. ¡°Understood.¡± Joyce nodded in response. Time flew by, and it was already evening. After leaving thepany, Natalie drove to the airport to pick Yulia up. She was on time, for Yulia''s nended a few minutes after she arrived at the airport. Shortly afterward, Yulia, who dressed in ck and wore sunsses, came out with her luggage. From a distance, she could see Natalie in the crowd. Given that Natalie was too eye-catching, many people couldn''t help staring at her as they passed by. On top of that, some youngsters even took photos of her secretly. Although Natalie was aware of it, she didn''t mind and only smiled in response. After all, she was used to being in the limelight. ¡°Baby Girl,¡± Yulia shouted at Natalie and raised her hand as she came out. Natalie turned around once she heard Yulia''s voice. Then, she sprinted toward her mother. ¡°Mom!¡± The mother-daughter duo hugged for a while before they separated. After putting her sunsses on her cor, Yulia held Natalie''s face and scanned it. A momentter, she eximed, ¡°Baby Girl, you actually put on weight!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie''s lips twitched upon hearing that. Compared with the time when Yulia left, she was indeed a little chubbier this time. How can I not be chubby when Mrs. Wilson cooks scrumptious delicacies every day! ¡°Alright, Mom. Let''s get into the car.¡± Natalie pulled Yulia''s luggage with one hand while holding her hand with the other as they walked out of the airport. Chapter 545 Chapter 545 Half an hourter, they arrived at the apartment. Natalie took out her key card to open the door. Pulling her luggage with one hand, Yulia followed Natalie into the house. As soon as Yulia entered, she felt that something was amiss. Scanning the apartment with narrowed eyes, she ced her hand on the shoe rack. Immediately, her hand was covered with dust and turned ck. Yulia''s face darkened instantly. She wiped away the dust on her fingers and asked, ¡°Baby Girl, have you moved out?¡± Natalie knew that Yulia would ask the question sooner orter. Hence, she lowered her head and hummed in response guiltily. ¡°Where have you moved to?¡± Yulia gazed at Natalie and asked, ¡°Why did you move out all of a sudden? Also, since you''ve moved out, why didn''t you bring me to your new house but here instead? Do you not wee me to your new house? Or is it too small?¡± Feeling guilty, she kept her head down upon hearing Yulia''s series of questions. ¡°Mom, I-I moved to my boyfriend''s house.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yulia was stunned for a moment before she continued in a surprised tone, ¡°Boyfriend?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Yulia got excited. ¡°Baby Girl, since when did you have a boyfriend? Why didn''t you tell me? Besides, does your boyfriend like Connor and Sharon? Tell you what, you shouldn''t be with him if he doesn''t likeOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org. the kids. Also, you shouldn''t neglect them for his sake.¡± Half an hourter, they arrived at the apartment. Natalie took out her key card to open the door. Natalie burst intoughter and exined, ¡°Mom, what kind of a person am I to you? Don''t worry. He loves Connor and Sharon. Besides, he treats them as his children.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yulia nodded with satisfaction and continued, ¡°Well, it''s good to hear that. By the way, you haven''t told me who he is.¡± ¡°He...¡± Natalie avoided her gaze and said, ¡°Mom, can you promise me to stay calm after I tell you?¡± ¡°Stay calm?¡± Yulia knitted her brows. Well, he''s probably someone I know but don''t like very much. Otherwise, Nat wouldn''t ask me to stay calm. The only man who meets the two conditions is... ¡°It isn''t Shane, is it?¡± Yulia red at her. Natalie was shocked when Yulia guessed it correctly and effortlessly. Judging from Natalie''s reaction, Yulia knew the answer immediately. Fuming, she took a deep breath and growled, ¡°So it''s him!¡± Natalie fiddled with her fingers and replied, ¡°Yes, it''s him!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yulia''s expression turned grim. ¡°Natalie, when I leftst time, didn''t I say that you should not be with him? I understand that you love him, yet you''ll be in danger if you insist on being with him. Have you forgotten the two incidents that almost led to your death?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie gazed at her and continued, ¡°But the one who harmed me has been arrested.¡± However, another mysterious mastermind who burnt her warehouse and instructed some men to abduct her was not identified yet. Natalie wasn''t sure if the mastermind was also a great admirer of Shane. Nheless, Natalie believed that the probability of two of his admirers harming her at the same time was low. As such, she was inclined to believe that the mastermind was her enemy instead. ¡°Has she been arrested?¡± Yulia blinked her eyes in shock. Natalie replied, ¡°Yes, her name is Alice, and she''s the daughter of the Brown family. Now, she is in jail.¡± Yulia fell silent as she was still displeased by the fact that Natalie was dating Shane. After a while, she pursed her lips and said, ¡°Although the one who harmed you has been arrested, you two are still not a good match. Given that he''s the head of the Thompson family, his social status is way higher than yours. More importantly, you already have two kids. Do you think he''ll ept your kids? Won''t their position in the Thompson family be awkward?¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°Mom, the two questions that you mentioned are not a concern.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yulia frowned and asked in puzzlement. Natalie took a deep breath as though she had just made an important decision. A few momentster, she clenched her fists and mustered up the courage to say, ¡°It''s because he''s the biological father of Connor and Sharon.¡± Chapter 546 Chapter 546 ¡°What! H-He''s their biological father?¡± Yulia was shocked to her core. ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. After rposing herself, Yulia asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I guess we could call this fate?¡± Natalie recounted everything that happened between Shane and her five years ago. It took Yulia a while to process the whole story. ¡°So you only found out about this two months ago?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± came Natalie''s soft reply. Yulia sighed in resignation. ¡°After going through so much, it''s still Shane in the end, huh.¡± Who would have expected the man Natalie had a one-night stand with would reappear into her life five yearster. This really is the work of fate. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mom, does that mean you''re no longer against our rtionship?¡± Yulia pursed her lips. ¡°What''s the point of objecting now? You even have his children. He''s probably all you think about now. Anyway, have you told Shane about this?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Natalie shook her head. Yulia rubbed her temples wearily. ¡°Why not? Since both of you have gotten together, he''ll be delighted to hear this.¡± ¡°What! H-He''s their biological father?¡± Yulia was shocked to her core. ¡°I know... but I couldn''t find the right time to break it to him.¡± Natalie stroked the back of her neck embarrassingly. ¡°I''m nning to surprise him with this news during his birthday next month.¡± ¡°Whatever. As long as you''re happy.¡± Yulia waved her hands dismissively. ¡°Alright, I need to rest now. Ask Shane to join us for dinner tonight. Since he''s your boyfriend now, this is the least I should do as your mother.¡± ¡°Let me check with him his schedule first.¡± Natalie did not want to decide on Shane''s behalf. After all, she wanted to respect his choice. Yulia could not help but rolled her eyes at her daughter, who was obviously head over heels in love with Shane. Nheless, she said nothing so as not to warrant any dislike from her. Meanwhile, Natalie made a phone call to Shane. He picked up the phone almost immediately. ¡°Hello?¡± Natalie cupped her cell phone close to her ear. ¡°Shane, my mom wants to have dinner with you.¡± She stole a nce at Yulia. On the other side of the call, Shane felt a sense of trepidation at the thought of meeting his beloved woman''s mom. But as usual, he put up aposed front. ¡°Sure. When?¡± Natalie felt relief to hear his ready reply. ¡°Tonight.¡± Shane on the other hand was startled by how soon the meeting was. ¡°Shane, hello? Did you catch what I say?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. I''ll see the two of you tonight, then.¡± ¡°Great! See youter!¡± After the call ended, Shane sat upright on his office chair. Anyone who saw his expression now would think that he was preparing for war. Coincidentally enough, Ss came into his office, carrying with him a stack of documents. Concerned, he asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, is everything all right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane waved at him dismissively. Ss knew not to probe any further. He ced the documents on his desk before informing, ¡°This is Thompson Clothing''s annual report forst year. Please sign it after you have read through it.¡± Shane hummed in acknowledgment before flipping the first few pages of the topmost file. He asked, ¡°It''s almost the end of the year. How''s the inventory count going over there? ¡° Chapter 547 Chapter 547 ¡°It''s almost done.¡± Ss recalled about the record he had went through the other day. Shane lifted his head. ¡°Great. Once that is settle, arrange a day and invite the department heads over for a meeting.¡± ¡°Understood. Is there anything else, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Nothing for now.¡± ¡°In that case, I''ll take my leave.¡± Just as he took a few steps towards the door, Shane called out to him, ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Ss went back to his side. While fiddling restlessly with his fountain pen, Shane asked, ¡°What do I have to prepare when meeting with my girlfriend''s parents? Is there anything I should say?¡± Although he had met Yulia in the past, their rtionship was at most acquaintances who exchanged pleasantries. And toward acquaintances, his attitude was generally indifferent. But this was different. After all, he would be meeting his future mother-inw. This was a first for him, and he was at a loss of what to do. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Ss was momentarily baffled by his question. Never in his wildest dream did he expect an omnipotent man like Shane would be troubled over such ordinary matters. ¡°It''s almost done.¡± Ss recalled about the record he had went through the other day. In the past, Ss saw him as an aloof and out-of-reach figure, but nowadays, it seemed that his boss was acting more like a human being. This change was only possible after he fell in love with Natalie. ¡°Has Ms. Smith''s mother returned?¡± Ss threw a question at him instead of answering his question. Shane tapped the fountain pen methodically against his desk. ¡°Yes¡± The former pondered for a short while before suggesting, ¡°Well, all you have to do is to be polite, and assure her that you''ll treat Ms. Smith well. Oh, and don''t forget to prepare a gift for her.¡± Having been single all his life, these were all ideas he picked up from television shows. ¡°A gift?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Hmm... That does make sense. ¡°I''ll leave this task to you then, Ss.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, I...¡± Ss knew nothing about Natalie''s mom''s preference and he was about to reject the request when he saw Shane''s no-nonsense look. In the end, he could only agree to it. ¡°Got it. I''ll have the gift prepared on time.¡± How hard can it be? I''ll just pick something women generally like. Based on my understandings, women of all ages loved bags and make-up products. With this idea in mind, Ss left the office feeling like a load had been lifted off his mind. After work, Shane went home to fetch Natalie and the kids. At the back of the car, the kids were fiddling with the gift bags curiously. Natalie inquired, ¡°Are those for my mom?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°Daddy! What''s inside the bag?¡± Sharon took the question right off her mother''s mouth. As for Connor, although he remained silent, he was also observing the bag keenly. Through his rear mirror, Shane saw their wide-eyed and curious expressions. He unknowingly smiled at this adorable sight. ¡°I don''t know. Ss bought it.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°You don''t know what you got for my mom?¡± Isn''t he afraid if Ss got something weird? She kept her thoughts to herself so as not to dampen his efforts. At least he tried, I guess. Not longter, the family of four arrived at the restaurant. Natalie held Connor''s hand while Shane carried Sharon in his arms. As they walked in, their dazzling looksmanded the attention of everyone on the floor. Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Some onlookers even took out their cell phones to snap a photo of this picture-perfect family. After all, it was not often they got to see something so pleasing to the eye. A waiter approached them. ¡°Have you made any reservations?¡± ¡°Yes, under Ms. Yulia Lawrence.¡± Natalie smiled. Hearing the name, the waiter immediately led them to their private room courteously. As they got closer, Natalie gave Shane an encouraging look. In the private room, Yulia heard footsteps and familiar voices approaching. Sensing their arrival, she went out to meet them. She was caught off-guard by the onught of good-looking genes. Even before, Yulia had already felt that there was an uncanny resemnce between the kids and Shane. Now that she knew the truth, it all made sense. They were meant to be a family. After the waiter left, Natalie went over and tugged on Yulia, who was lost in her thoughts. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± Both Connor and Sharon greeted her chirpily. Only Shane failed in his attempt to greet. Yulia came back to her senses and patted her grandchildren''s head before speaking, ¡°You''re all here.¡± Some onlookers even took out their cell phones to snap a photo of this picture-perfect family. After all, it was not often they got to see something so pleasing to the eye. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sorry we made you wait.¡± Natalie smiled sheepishly. ¡°I''ve only arrived not so long ago as well.¡± Yulia then turned to Shane, some of her warmth escaped. ¡°Do you not know how to greet?¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Yulia.¡± Feeling satisfied, the elder woman went back to the private room to take her seat. Meanwhile, Natalie helped Sharon down from Shane''s arms. The siblings held hands as they, too, made their way to their seats. Only Natalie and Shane stood rooted outside the door. Shane lowered his gaze. ¡°Your mom doesn''t seem happy to see me.¡± Natalie masked her hesitation with a smile. ¡°How is that possible? You must have read her wrongly.¡± ¡°I''m certain of it. Her attitude toward me is even colder than before.¡± He lifted his head to look at her. In front of his knowing gaze, she could not muster up a lie. She sighed before confessing, ¡°I''ll admit that my mom does hold some grudges against you.¡± Hearing her confirmed his suspicions, Shane felt his chest tightened and his face fell. ¡°Why?¡± He skimmed through his memories. Did I do anything that has offended Yulia? ¡°Just one reason. The assassination incident with Alice.¡± Hearing that, Shane''s pupil shrank and realization dawned on him. Of course, it was that. After all, I exposed her precious daughter to danger. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Natalie smiled warmly. ¡°It''s all in the past now! Besides, that wasn''t even your fault. It''s all because of that delirious woman.¡± Just then, Yulia interrupted their conversation. She nagged, ¡°What''re you two still doing outside? Come and take your seats.¡± ¡°Coming!¡± With that, Natalie held Shane''s hands. ¡°C''mon, let''s go in!¡± She led him in. Upon entering, Shane remembered the advice Ss had given him. He handed Yulia the gifts. ¡°Here, Yulia, these are for you. I hope you like them.¡± Yulia was slightly taken aback when she saw the logos on the bag; they were all high-end products. ¡°Thank you. I''ll ept your thoughtful gifts.¡± Seeing how she epted the gifts, Shane felt a weight off his shoulders. To him, this meant one step closer toward full eptance. Noticing that he was still standing, Natalie pulled the chair next to her. ¡°Shane, don''t just stand there. Take a seat.¡± Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Shane hummed in acknowledgment before he sat down while Natalie took a seat beside him. ¡°Mom, have you ordered?¡± she asked. ¡°No. I was waiting for you so you could order,¡± replied Yulia as she handed the menu to her daughter. Before adding a few other dishes, Natalie had scanned through the menu and ordered some of Shane and the kids'' favorite dishes first. After that, she closed the menu. Seeing that, Yulia arched her brows. ¡°That''s it? Are you not going to let Shane see the menu?¡± ¡°I''ve already ordered all his favorite dishes.¡± Natalie smiled. Upon hearing that, Shane''s expression softened while Yulia pursed her lips. ¡°Your rtionship hasn''t even been that long, yet you already know him that well? You even know what dishes he likes.¡± ¡°Yeah. That''s because he only likes a few things. It''s easy to remember,¡± answered Natalie while tousling her hair. ¡°What about you?¡± Yulia directed the question at Shane. ¡°Do you know Nat as well as she knows you? Do you know what she likes?¡± ¡°Mom, why are you asking these questions?¡± Natalie tugged on Yulia''s arm, hoping that her mom would change the subject. However, Yulia stubbornly stayed on the topic as she removed her daughter''s hand from her. ¡°Because I want to find out if he''s serious about you. A rtionship shouldn''t be one-sided. He has to get to know you as well. That''s how things work. You have to give and take, get it?¡± Shane hummed in acknowledgment before he sat down while Natalie took a seat beside him. ¡°I...¡± Natalie trailed off as her lips twitched slightly while she lowered her head. Of course I know a one-sided rtionship won''tst long. ¡°Well? Answer me, Shane.¡± Once again, Yulia turned her attention to the man. ¡°I want to know just how deep your love for Nat is.¡± Natalie also turned to look at Shane. Part of her was hopeful that he could answer, yet part of her was worried about what would happen if he could not. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Shane noticed her apprehension as the corner of his lips curled up. Patting her head, he began narrating everything she liked. Both the women''s eyes widened in shock as they hear him speak. He... he actually knows! What delighted Natalie the most was that he had noticed little details about her that even she was not aware of. ¡°Okay, okay. That''s enough.¡± Yulia raised her hand to stop him. ¡°You''ve proven that you''re sincere, but...¡± Upon hearing Yulia''sst words, Natalie and Shane''s hearts skipped a beat. The atmosphere around the private room had be so intense that even the kids noticed, for they had lifted their heads to look at the adults. ¡°But what, Mom?¡± asked Natalie, holding Shane''s hand. He patted the back of her hand. ¡°Rx. Let''s listen to what she has to say.¡± ¡°But can you guarantee that being with you, Nat will not encounter any danger anymore?¡± questioned Yulia seriously. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Shane as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°What happenedst time had given me a wake-up call, and I''ll never let it happen again. Besides, I''ve already hired bodyguards for both Natalie and the kids. Though they''ll remain in the shadow, the bodyguards will keep them protected at all times.¡± ¡°Bodyguards?¡± Natalie froze. ¡°When did you hire them? Why haven''t I heard a word about this?¡± ncing at her, Shane replied, ¡°It''s actually the second time now. The first time was before Alice got arrested. After that, I relieved them of their duty, but then you got kidnapped, so I-¡± ¡°What?¡± Yulia interrupted as her expression darkened. ¡°Nat was kidnapped?¡± Oh s**t! Natalie quickly looked down, knowing that this could not end well. ¡°You didn''t tell your mom?¡± questioned Shane, feeling like hitting himself for having a slip of the tongue. Seeing how Natalie remained silent, Yulia mmed the table before standing up. ¡°Get up, Nat!¡± Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Yulia''s action startled Natalie and the kids, while Shane did not react much. He simply stood up together with Natalie. Meanwhile, Sharon tugged on the corners of her brother''s shirt as she whispered, ¡°Connor, why is Grandma mad at Mommy?¡± Connor responded with a shake of his head without uttering any word because he knew that Sharon would not understand what ¡°kidnapped¡± meant even if he exined. Grandma must be mad because Mommy didn''t tell her that she was kidnapped. Just as he thought, Natalie threw a nervous nce at Yulia before calling out guiltily, ¡°Mom...¡± ¡°Don''t you ¡°mom¡± me! Why didn''t you tell me you were kidnapped?¡± Yulia red at her daughter. Deciding to face the older woman''s wrath in Natalie''s ce, Shane pulled thetter behind her to shield her from Yulia. ¡°Nattie just didn''t want to worry you, Yulia.¡± ¡°And that gives you the right to keep this from me? Have you guys ever thought about how I would feel if something were to happen to her? Not only would I be worried, but I would also be left heartbroken!¡± shouted the older woman as her eyes gradually reddened. Natalie knew she had frightened her mom when she noticed the crack and the fear in her voice. ¡°I''m sorry, Mom,¡± she apologized while stepping out from behind Shane. ¡°But look at me, I''m fine, aren''t I? Shane showed up in the nick of time and stopped the kidnappers.¡± Yulia''s action startled Natalie and the kids, while Shane did not react much. He simply stood up together with Natalie. ¡°It''s only natural he''d be the one to rescue you. I mean, why wouldn''t he, when the one who kidnapped you is his admirer?¡± Yulia assumed as she red at the man frostily. ¡°You''ve got it wrong, Mom,¡± denied Natalie quickly while shaking her head. ¡°It wasn''t Alice cause she had already been arrested. It was Harrison, along with my enemy.¡± ¡°Harrison?¡± Yulia''s anger increased upon the mention of that particr name. ¡°He was the one behind the kidnapping? How dare he? Even if he doesn''t like you, you''re still his daughter! How could he be this vicious! He... he...¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Upon learning that it was Harrison''s n, Yulia felt her chest tightened the more she spoke. Her rage had resulted in her getting so dizzy to the point that she almost passed out. ¡°Mom?¡± Natalie called out in panic. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Just when she was about to go and support her mom, Shane beat her to it as he took a step forward and helped Yulia take a seat. After thanking the man, Natalie went behind Yulia to massage her temples. The two kids also approached their grandmother to massage her legs, pat her chest, and do everything else, as long as the older woman would feel better. Sometimeter, Yulia finally managed to calm down, and Shane poured a ss of water for her. Yulia''s expression softened by his gesture. ¡°Thank you, Shane.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it,¡± replied the man. After drinking the water, Yulia felt a whole lot better. She then motioned Natalie and the kids to stop massaging her. When Natalie was sure that her mother was truly okay, she brought the kids back to their original seats. ¡°Be honest with me, Nat. Why did Harrison kidnap you, and who did he ask to do the deed?¡± inquired Yulia after she ced the ss down. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Natalie shook her head. Yulia frowned. ¡°You don''t know?¡± Natalie hummed a reply before adding, ¡°Initially, he didn''t have the intention to kidnap me. He just wanted to stop me from participating in Jasmine''s trial. He didn''t expect that someone had bought off the kidnappers he hired, so ultimately, Harrison wasn''t the true culprit.¡± Ah. I see. Yulia snorted. ¡°Nheless, he''s still a part of why this ordeal happened. You wouldn''t have been kidnapped had he not hired people to stop you.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Natalie let out a smile. ¡°But I really have no idea who the real culprit is. Not even their gender.¡± ¡°Stanley might know,¡± uttered Shane out of the blue, causing Natalie to turn to him in confusion. ¡°Stanley?¡± ¡°What does this have anything to do with him?¡± questioned Yulia, seemingly perplexed too. Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Shane leaned back on the chair before exining, ¡°Do you remember you once told me that you''re suspecting the one who kidnapped you and the one who set fire in the warehouse are the same people? Well, I''ve tried following this lead, and I found traces that Stanley might have something to do with this. Though it isn''t much, he might know something, but he''s hiding it from you.¡± ¡°What? No way!¡± uttered Natalie, her face turning grim. Hearing her exim, Shane narrowed his eyes in discontent. ¡°You don''t believe me?¡± ¡°It''s not like that,¡± Natalie quickly denied, shaking her head. ¡°It''s just a bit shocking.¡± ¡°I''ve already warned you that Stanley is no ordinary person,¡± uttered Shane before pursing his lips. His statement left Natalie no room to refute because he did warn her about Stanley right at the beginning. I was the one who chose not to believe him... ¡°I can''t let this be. I''m going to ask him who''s targeting me and why he''s helping that person,¡± Natalie made her intent known as she rummaged her bag, trying to fish out her phone. ¡°It''s futile.¡± Shane stopped her by holding her hand. ¡°Even if you ask him, your questions will remain unanswered. If he really wanted to let you know, he would''ve already done so. But he didn''t, and why do you think that is?¡± Natalie opened her mouth, but no words came out. ¡°Because their rtionship is out of the ordinary?¡± she questioned subconsciously. Shane leaned back on the chair before exining, ¡°Do you remember you once told me that you''re suspecting the one who kidnapped you and the one who set fire in the warehouse are the same people? Well, I''ve tried following this lead, and I found traces that Stanley might have something to do with this. Though it isn''t much, he might know something, but he''s hiding it from you.¡± Otherwise, he wouldn''t protect that person that much. Shane''s eyes flickered in response. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Other than what Natalie''s specting, there''s another possible reason too, that Stanley had joined hands with that person, that''s why he''s protecting whoever that is. I''m not going to say this, though, lest it makes the already glum atmosphere even more somber. Looking at her daughter''s concerned expression, Yulia pped her hands and decided to change the topic. ¡°That''s enough. Let''s not discuss this matter anymore. Shane, I actually have another question for you.¡± ¡°Ask away,¡± replied the man as he retracted his hand from Natalie. Yulia nced at the couple back and forth. ¡°I''ve noticed that you''ve given a ring to Natalie. From that, I''m assuming that you''ve proposed, so when is the wedding?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Natalie yelped in surprise, never expecting her mother to be this blunt. As her face turned a shade redder, she stole a nce at Shane to see his reaction. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Is he gonna think that Mom''s rushing us to get married? Contrary to her expectation, Shane was not mad. Instead, he seemed to be seriously contemting Yulia''s question. After a moment, Shane turned to Natalie, ¡°I''m fine with whenever. What about you?¡± Natalie''s lips twitched. ¡°I... I don''t know.¡± Hearing that, Shane instantly frowned, evidently not pleased with her reply. Natalie was aware that her answer was not what he wanted to hear, but she honestly had no idea. Yulia was also rendered a bit speechless after hearing her daughter''s reply. ¡°I suggest you register your marriage first and get the certificates. Nat is already living with you, anyway. People will start to gossip if you live together without marriage certificates. Once you have them, we can go slow with the wedding preparations. What do you think?¡± ¡°That''s not a bad idea,¡± Shane agreed. I have more time to prepare the perfect wedding after receiving the certificates. Our proposal was too simple, so this time, I want to give her a grand ceremony. ¡°What do you say, Nat?¡± asked Yulia when she noticed that Natalie had remained silent. Shane, too, turned to stare at her, waiting for her response. Feeling the gazes on her, Natalie kept looking down before nodding slightly. ¡°It''s fine for me too.¡± ¡°Well, it''s decided then.¡± Yulia pped her hands. ¡°You''ll register first.¡± Shane hummed a reply while Natalie uttered a barely audible ¡°Okay¡± with another nod. ¡°Yay! Dad and Mommy are getting married!¡± Connor cheered as he pped his hands. Chapter 552 Chapter 552 On the other hand, Sharon blinked cluelessly before asking, ¡°What does that mean, Connor?¡± ¡°Um, it means...¡± the boy trailed off while scratching his head, not knowing how to exin to his sister. I know what it means, but how do I exin it? Connor seemed increasingly troubled by the second, trying toe up with an answer. ¡°It means all of you are going to be a family!¡± Yulia chimed in, helping the boy out. ¡°Weren''t we always a family?¡± Sharon tilted her head cutely. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Of course you were!¡± Yulia was so amused that she burst intoughter. The corners of Shane''s lips also curved up as he wiped the crumbs off the ends of Sharon''s lips. Watching the wholesome scene right in front of her, Yulia put her hand underneath the table and nudged Natalie''s thigh lightly, hinting thetter of something. Understanding the meaning behind her mother''s action, Natalie bit her lip before saying, ¡°Shane, I have something to tell you on your birthday.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shane raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why can''t you just tell me right now?¡± Natalie let out a smile while fluffing her hair. ¡°Because that''s gonna be your birthday gift.¡± ¡°I see. I''m looking forward to it then,¡± replied the man as he took a sip of water. Eventually, the gathering ended. On the other hand, Sharon blinked cluelessly before asking, ¡°What does that mean, Connor?¡± When they exited the restaurant, it was already half-past nine at night. When they exited the resteurent, it wes elreedy helf-pest nine et night. Shene end Netelie eech held the kids es they bid their goodbyes with Yulie. Before leeving the plece, they weited until Yulie hed sefely gotten into e ceb. The next dey, when the peir hed driven the kids to their kindergerten, they proceeded to go to the Civil Affeirs Bureeu. Just when they hed errived et the entrence, Netelie suddenly stopped welking, ceusing Shene to helt his steps too before turning to her. ¡°Whet''s the metter?¡± ¡°Are we reelly doing this?¡± questioned Netelie, biting her lip. Shene frowned. ¡°Do you not went to?¡± ¡°No. I didn''t meen thet,¡± she quickly remerked while sheking her heed. ¡°I''m just e bit nervous.¡± We hedn''t even discussed enything ebout this until lest night. And now, here we ere, e step from registering our merriege. It''s normel to be nervous, right? Shene took hold of her hend, noticing thet it wes ice-cold end sweety. She reelly is nervous. Acknowledging thet, he squeezed her hend infort. ¡°Don''t overthink it. I''m here. You don''t heve to be nervous.¡± Netelie wes touched efter heering hisforting words es she stered up et his serious expression. ¡°Okey.¡± Once Shene wes sure thet she wes genuinely feeling fine, he sterted forwerd. ¡°Let''s go.¡± When they exited the restaurant, it was already half-past nine at night. Shane and Natalie each held the kids as they bid their goodbyes with Yulia. Before leaving the ce, they waited until Yulia had safely gotten into a cab. The next day, when the pair had driven the kids to their kindergarten, they proceeded to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Just when they had arrived at the entrance, Natalie suddenly stopped walking, causing Shane to halt his steps too before turning to her. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Are we really doing this?¡± questioned Natalie, biting her lip. Shane frowned. ¡°Do you not want to?¡± ¡°No. I didn''t mean that,¡± she quickly remarked while shaking her head. ¡°I''m just a bit nervous.¡± We hadn''t even discussed anything about this untilst night. And now, here we are, a step from registering our marriage. It''s normal to be nervous, right? Shane took hold of her hand, noticing that it was ice-cold and sweaty. She really is nervous. Acknowledging that, he squeezed her hand infort. ¡°Don''t overthink it. I''m here. You don''t have to be nervous.¡± Natalie was touched after hearing hisforting words as she stared up at his serious expression. ¡°Okay.¡± Once Shane was sure that she was genuinely feeling fine, he started forward. ¡°Let''s go.¡± With that, they both entered the building hand in hand. About half an hourter, the couple finally walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Shane was walking at the front while Natalie followed closely behind him with a small file in hand. ¡°Did I... get married just like that?¡± she mumbled in a daze. Indeed, the item she was holding was none other than her marriage certificate. The whole situation was surreal to her. Turning around, Shane looked at her. ¡°Yep, you''re officially married now.¡± Still in a daze, Natalie lifted her head and looked at him. ¡°I feel like I''m dreaming.¡± Dreaming? Shane arched his brows before reaching out his hand to pinch her cheek. Grunting in pain, Natalie red at him in dissatisfaction. ¡°What was that for?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Still feel like you''re dreaming?¡± Shane retracted his hand. ¡°Not anymore.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°So, we''re really married. I''m a wife now,¡± she eximed while gazing at him. Shane hummed a reply before pulling her into his arms. ¡°Yes, you are, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Natalie''s face turned beet red as her heart palpitated upon hearing that particr title. Embarrassed, she patted her husband''s back. ¡°Alright, you can let go now. People are watching.¡± Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Shane could not care less that people were watching, but he also knew that Natalie was easily embarrassed. As such, he pulled away from her. Right after that, he took the marriage certificate from her hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± questioned Natalie as her eyes widened. Instead of replying, Shane fished out his certificate and put both the papers side by side before snapping a picture of them. When he was done, he did not return the certificate to her. ¡°Let me keep them safe.¡± Natalie seemedpletely nonplussed. ¡°Sure.¡± With that, Shane inserted the certificates into his suit pocket before taking her hand and walking toward their car. Once they were inside, he turned to Natalie as if he just recalled something. ¡°Ah. Mrs. Wilson said she has a surprise for us.¡± ¡°A surprise?¡± Natalie buckled her seatbelt before asking again, ¡°What kind of surprise?¡± ¡°No idea. Guess we''ll find out when we get home.¡± With that, Shane put the car in gear and started driving. Nodding in response, Natalie did not inquire any further. It did not take long before thepany came into view as Shane parked the car in front of the building. ¡°I''ll pick you upter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie unbuckled her seatbelt and was ready to leave. But before she hopped off the car, she turned around and, albeit slightly hesitant, ced a kiss on Shane''s face. ¡°See youter, Darling.¡± Shane visibly froze when Natalie addressed him with that endearment term that it took him quite a while to regain his senses. Shane could not care less that people were watching, but he also knew that Natalie was easily embarrassed. As such, he pulled away from her. Right after that, he took the marriage certificate from her hand. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. When he finally snapped out of his trance, he raised his hand, wanting to stop her from leaving, but s, she had already gotten out of the car and was now running toward the building. When he finelly snepped out of his trence, he reised his hend, wenting to stop her from leeving, but eles, she hed elreedy gotten out of the cer end wes now running towerd the building. Feeling helpless, Shene put his hend down while stering in the building''s direction. Nevermind. I''ll meke her screem thet neme tonight. Beering thet thought in mind, Shene rolled up the window end drove off. Meenwhile, when Netelie entered the building with e flushed fece, en employee sew her end sterted teesing her, ¡°Why is your fece so red, Ms. Smith? Did something good heppen?¡± Netelie fleshed her e shy smile without seying enything. Seeing this, the employee''s eyes went round. ¡°Whet? Did something ectuelly heppen?¡± Her question ceught the other employees'' end designers'' ettention es they looked over, wondering the seme thing. Netelie cleered her throet upon noticing the crowd she hed ettrected. ¡°Alright now, celm down, everyone. I''ll tell you, but don''t get too excited, okey?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± They ell nodded. At this moment, Joyce ceme in from outside with e document in hend. When she noticed thet people were gethering eround Netelie, she could not help but get curious. ¡°Whet''s going on here?¡± ¡°Ms. Rivers, Ms. Smith seid she hes some good news to shere,¡± one of them expleined. ¡°Good news?¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up instently. ¡°I love good news. Whet is it, Net?¡± When he finally snapped out of his trance, he raised his hand, wanting to stop her from leaving, but s, she had already gotten out of the car and was now running toward the building. Feeling helpless, Shane put his hand down while staring in the building''s direction. Nevermind. I''ll make her scream that name tonight. Bearing that thought in mind, Shane rolled up the window and drove off. Meanwhile, when Natalie entered the building with a flushed face, an employee saw her and started teasing her, ¡°Why is your face so red, Ms. Smith? Did something good happen?¡± Natalie shed her a shy smile without saying anything. Seeing this, the employee''s eyes went round. ¡°What? Did something actually happen?¡± Her question caught the other employees'' and designers'' attention as they looked over, wondering the same thing. Natalie cleared her throat upon noticing the crowd she had attracted. ¡°Alright now, calm down, everyone. I''ll tell you, but don''t get too excited, okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± They all nodded. At this moment, Joyce came in from outside with a document in hand. When she noticed that people were gathering around Natalie, she could not help but get curious. ¡°What''s going on here?¡± ¡°Ms. Rivers, Ms. Smith said she has some good news to share,¡± one of them exined. ¡°Good news?¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°I love good news. What is it, Nat?¡± Natalie nced at her before announcing, ¡°Well, the good news is... I''m married!¡± The entire office wentpletely silent upon hearing that, obviously trying to absorb the information. After a while, they regained their senses one by one as gasps of shock traveled across the room. ¡°You got married?¡± ¡°Nat...¡± called Joyce, visibly taken aback as her mouth went agape. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Natalie nodded firmly. Dropping the document she was holding, Joyce grabbed the former by the shoulders. ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°This morning. I just came from registering our marriage.¡± ¡°Why so sudden?¡± Joyce swallowed audibly. Not knowing how to borate, Natalie only smiled at her. ¡°It just happened, I guess. Aren''t you going to congratte me?¡± Before Joyce could give her response, the others already started congratting Natalie. Some were even asking for wedding favors. Natalie thanked them one by one and promised to give them wedding favorster. After that, she got them to dispersed before she walked toward her office. ¡°So Nat...¡± Joyce started as she followed Natalie. ¡°You and Mr. Shane are now husband and wife?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, cing her bag down. ¡°When''s the wedding, then?¡± questioned Joyce directly. ¡°We''re not in a rush, so we''ll discuss this when we''re ready.¡± Natalie sat on her chair. Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Upon hearing that, Joyce pursed her lips. ¡°And when will that be? What if you guys forget about it?¡± ¡°That won''t happen.¡± Natalie smiled before her eyesnded on the file in her friend''s hand. ¡°What''s that?¡± ¡°Oh. It''s the textile mill''s inventory count. Since it''s almost the end of the year, I thought I''ll let you check whether there are any omissions or any unauthorized tampering by the employees.¡± As Joyce spoke, she handed the file to Natalie. After taking the file over, Natalie scanned through it before cing it down. ¡°Got it. I''ll get to itter. For now, please help me buy everyone the wedding favors.¡± ¡°On it,¡± replied Joyce as she turned to leave. However, she had only taken a few steps when Natalie suddenly called out, ¡°Joyce.¡± She turned her head in confusion. ¡°Yes?¡± Natalie hesitated for a minute before shaking her head. ¡°It''s nothing. You can carry on.¡± ¡°That was weird,¡± Joyce mumbled under her breath before exiting the office. When she was out of view, a sigh escaped from Natalie''s mouth. She actually wanted to ask Joyce what she would do if she learned that Stanley could have something to do with, and was protecting the person who had burned down the warehouse and kidnapped her. Would she believe me? Or would she choose to stand on Stanley''s side? Upon hearing that, Joyce pursed her lips. ¡°And when will that be? What if you guys forget about it?¡± However, she decided against voicing out her question because she knew that it would put Joyce in a tough spot. However, she decided egeinst voicing out her question beceuse she knew thet it would put Joyce in e tough spot. I''ll just let it be. With thet thought in mind, Netelie took the file from eerlier end begen reeding them more thoroughly. At noon, the news of Thompson Group''s cheirmen getting merried wes quickly spreed ell over the inte, shocking the world. The reeson being Shene hed not posted enything in eges, yet the moment he did, it wes of two merriege certificetes. This mede people reelize thet he wes not pleying eround. In e short period, the news hed be e trending topic. Initielly, Netelie hed no clue ebout this, but Joyce hed informed her. ¡°I didn''t expect thet Mr. Shene would publicize this metter,¡± uttered Joyce es she looked through the comments. ¡°Yeeh, thet mekes the two of us.¡± Netelie nodded. Heering thet, Joyce shifted her ettention to Netelie. ¡°You didn''t foresee he''d do this even though you''re his wife?¡± she questioned, to which the other women only shrugged es e response. I thought he only took thet picture to keep it es e memory. He never posts enything, enywey, so how could I heve known thet he''d post this? ¡°But why didn''t he reveel your identity? Now everyone''s wondering who his wife is.¡± Joyce showed Netelie her phone. However, she decided against voicing out her question because she knew that it would put Joyce in a tough spot. I''ll just let it be. With that thought in mind, Natalie took the file from earlier and began reading them more thoroughly. At noon, the news of Thompson Group''s chairman getting married was quickly spread all over the inte, shocking the world. The reason being Shane had not posted anything in ages, yet the moment he did, it was of two marriage certificates. This made people realize that he was not ying around. In a short period, the news had be a trending topic. Initially, Natalie had no clue about this, but Joyce had informed her. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I didn''t expect that Mr. Shane would publicize this matter,¡± uttered Joyce as she looked through the comments. ¡°Yeah, that makes the two of us.¡± Natalie nodded. Hearing that, Joyce shifted her attention to Natalie. ¡°You didn''t foresee he''d do this even though you''re his wife?¡± she questioned, to which the other woman only shrugged as a response. I thought he only took that picture to keep it as a memory. He never posts anything, anyway, so how could I have known that he''d post this? ¡°But why didn''t he reveal your identity? Now everyone''s wondering who his wife is.¡± Joyce showed Natalie her phone. Thetter threw it a nce before replying, ¡°I asked him not to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± questioned Joyce, feeling somewhat puzzled. ¡°Why else?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°I don''t want to deal with reporters every day.¡± Joyce was tongue-tied after hearing that and she nodded before eximing, ¡°I guess that''s reasonable. Reporters are annoying as hell. They definitely won''t let you go if they find out that you''re his wife, especially since there were rumors about you and him before.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Natalie agreed. ¡°That''s why I wanna hide it for now. Maybe I''ll make it known after the wedding ceremony.¡± When Joyce was about to reply to her, Natalie''s phone rang out of the blue, interrupting her. Apologizing, Natalie took out her phone. Her expression was indecipherable when she saw the name on the screen, which did not go unnoticed by Joyce. ¡°Who is it?¡± Curious, Joyce leaned over to peek at Natalie''s phone. Seeing that it was Stanley, her expression turned gloomy. ¡°Why aren''t you answering?¡± she asked, forcing a smile. Natalie bit on her lip. ¡°What about-¡± As if knowing what her friend was trying to say, Joyce waved her hand with a smile. ¡°What about what? Just answer the call, Nat. He probably wants to talk about the news of you getting married.¡± Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Natalie had no choice but to do what Joyce had said. When she epted the call, she put it in speaker mode so that Joyce could also hear the conversation. Then, she ced the device on the table. ¡°Hey, Stanley,¡± she greeted. ¡°Nat, I saw Mr. Shane''s post,¡± informed the man. ¡°You guys got married?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Oh, so it''s true. I thought I''ve guessed incorrectly.¡± Stanley let out a smile that did not quite reach his eyes before adjusting his sses. ¡°Well, congrattions.¡± Not knowing Stanley''s actual reaction, Natalie smiled as well before thanking him. ¡°See? I told you he was only going to ask about this.¡± Joyce mouthed. Natalie ignored her as she asked Stanley about his condition. Right when he was about to reply, a woman''s shy voice echoed from his end of the phone. ¡°I''m back, Dr. Quinn.¡± Upon hearing the voice, Joyce''s body shuddered and she jolted up from her seat. Even Natalie could make out who the voice belonged to. It was Annie Hill of the Hill family. So she managed to find where Stanley is and has even made a move on him. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Joyce...¡± Natalie nced at her friend in concern. Joyce did not reply. Instead, she kept on looking down to cover her face so Natalie could not see her expression. Natalie had no choice but to do what Joyce had said. When she epted the call, she put it in speaker mode so that Joyce could also hear the conversation. Then, she ced the device on the table. Sighing, Natalie turned her attention back to the phone. ¡°Stanley, why is Annie with you?¡± Sighing, Netelie turned her ettention beck to the phone. ¡°Stenley, why is Annie with you?¡± Heering her question, Stenley threw e glence et Annie, who wes pouring soup out of e thermel flesk. ¡°She''s just meking sure thet I''m fine,¡± he replied. ¡°Okey, I''m henging up now. Let telk enother time.¡± With thet, he hung up. Netelie originelly intended to esk some more questions, but she hed no chence to do so, seeing how the men hed ended the cell. ¡°Net,¡± celled Joyce, clenching her fists. ¡°I heerd you mentioned Annie. Do you know who thet women is?¡± Not knowing how to explein, Netelie''s lips twitched e little. After contempleting for some time, she decided to enswer the other women es she nodded. ¡°Yeeh, but we''re not thet close. I met her when Stenley brought me to e wedding lest time. She''s one of Hill''s femily''s deughters.¡± ¡°Oh, so it''s her!¡± A lightbulb seemed to go off in Joyce''s heed. ¡°I heerd ebout her before. But I''ve never met her, I cen tell thet she likes Stenley!¡± she excleimed in certeinty. Joyce wes sure thet Annie fencied Stenley beceuse she hed noticed the effection in Annie''s tone eerlier. Although jumping from the seet might heve been too strong of e reection, but then egein, no women could ect celm when their love rivels were eround. Sighing, Natalie turned her attention back to the phone. ¡°Stanley, why is Annie with you?¡± Hearing her question, Stanley threw a nce at Annie, who was pouring soup out of a thermal sk. ¡°She''s just making sure that I''m fine,¡± he replied. ¡°Okay, I''m hanging up now. Let talk another time.¡± With that, he hung up. Natalie originally intended to ask some more questions, but she had no chance to do so, seeing how the man had ended the call. ¡°Nat,¡± called Joyce, clenching her fists. ¡°I heard you mentioned Annie. Do you know who that woman is?¡± Not knowing how to exin, Natalie''s lips twitched a little. After contemting for some time, she decided to answer the other woman as she nodded. ¡°Yeah, but we''re not that close. I met her when Stanley brought me to a weddingst time. She''s one of Hill''s family''s daughters.¡± ¡°Oh, so it''s her!¡± A lightbulb seemed to go off in Joyce''s head. ¡°I heard about her before. But I''ve never met her, I can tell that she likes Stanley!¡± she eximed in certainty. Joyce was sure that Annie fancied Stanley because she had noticed the affection in Annie''s tone earlier. Although jumping from the seat might have been too strong of a reaction, but then again, no woman could act calm when their love rivals were around. ¡°Yeah, that''s true. I found out about that when I first met her.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Then why didn''t you tell me?¡± Joyce looked at her friend in dissatisfaction. ¡°I didn''t see the need to.¡± Natalie frowned before continuing, ¡°Since you''re not his girlfriend.¡± Her bluntness rendered Joyce speechless. Thetter then let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°You''re right. I''m not his girlfriend. I don''t have the right to care about this stuff.¡± Seeing her pained expression, Natalie''s heart ached for her friend. ¡°Joyce,¡± she uttered while cing her hand on top of Joyce''s, trying tofort her. Thetter shook her head. ¡°I''m fine. Just a bit sad,¡± she assured, covering her face. Getting out of her seat, Natalie walked over to her and hugged her from behind. ¡°Don''t worry. He won''t fall for her.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Cause he already fell for you.¡± Joyce turned her head to stare at Natalie. The corners of Natalie''s mouth twitched. ¡°It doesn''t matter who he likes now. I''m still hoping that he''ll end up with you,¡± she expressed earnestly. Joyce was a bit moved by her words and she straightened her back. But soon, sadness overwhelmed her once again as she lowered her head. ¡°Me... with him? Is that even possible?¡± Chapter 556 Chapter 556 ¡°Of course it is.¡± Natalie held Joyce''s hand. ¡°Don''t forget you were his fianc¨¦e once. We both know Stanley well. If he didn''t have any feelings for you, he wouldn''t have gotten engaged with you in the first ce, even with both your parents'' blessings. So now, what you need to do is clear the misunderstandings between you two.¡± ¡°Clear the misunderstandings?¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up. ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡±Misunderstandings are the reason why the two of you broken apart. Maybe if they are resolved, you''ll be able to get back with him.¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± The possibility of getting back with Stanley made Joyce doubt herself so much that she gripped her pants tightly, which did not go unnoticed by Natalie. Thetter cupped her face with both her hands and stared at her intently. ¡°You gotta have faith in yourself.¡± After receiving Natalie''s encouragement, Joyce''s self-doubt disappeared. ¡°Okay. I''ll try.¡± ¡°You can do it. Don''t leave any regrets.¡± Natalie pulled her hands back. ¡°Yeah. Thanks, Nat.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Natalie ruffled her friend''s hair. ¡°We should get back to work.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll head to the textile mill first. Tomorrow, I''ll fly abroad to find out what truly happened back then.¡± Joyce stood up and balled her fingers into fists. Since that incident happened overseas, I might as well start investigating there. ¡°I''ll stand by you,¡± said Natalie while patting Joyce''s shoulder. ¡°Of course it is.¡± Natalie held Joyce''s hand. ¡°Don''t forget you were his fianc¨¦e once. We both know Stanley well. If he didn''t have any feelings for you, he wouldn''t have gotten engaged with you in the first ce, even with both your parents'' blessings. So now, what you need to do is clear the misunderstandings between you two.¡± With that, Joyce shed her friend onest smile before exiting the office, leaving Natalie with her work. With thet, Joyce fleshed her friend one lest smile before exiting the office, leeving Netelie with her work. In the blink of en eye, it wes elreedy efternoon, end Shene hed errived on time. Turning off herputer, Netelie grebbed her beg end heeded streight to the Bentley thet wes perked on the side, pessing by en employee on her wey. ¡°Ms. Smith, is thet your husbend here to pick you up?¡± esked the employee with e smile. After getting into the pessenger seet, Netelie rolled down the window, threw e shy glence et Shene before replying, ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°You look reelly heppy.¡± ¡°Thenks,¡± excleimed Netelie es she ren her fingers through her heir. ¡°Well, we''ll get going first.¡± ¡°Okey. Heve e sefe drive.¡± The employee weved her hend. With thet, Netelie rolled the window beck up. ¡°Let''s go, Shene.¡± Shene nodded slightly es he put the cer into geer end sterted driving. As time went by, Netelie noticed thet he wes teking e different route then usuel. ¡°Shene,¡± she celled out in confusion. ¡°This isn''t the roed towerd the kindergerten.¡± ¡°I know. We''re not going to the kindergerten.¡± Shene turned his heed to look et her efter stopping the cer et e red light. ¡°Huh? Whet ebout the kids, then?¡± ¡°Mom celled me eerlier. She seid she''ll get the kids end esked us to go streight to the ville,¡± he expleined while turning the steering wheel. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. With that, Joyce shed her friend onest smile before exiting the office, leaving Natalie with her work. In the blink of an eye, it was already afternoon, and Shane had arrived on time. Turning off herputer, Natalie grabbed her bag and headed straight to the Bentley that was parked on the side, passing by an employee on her way. ¡°Ms. Smith, is that your husband here to pick you up?¡± asked the employee with a smile. After getting into the passenger seat, Natalie rolled down the window, threw a shy nce at Shane before replying, ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°You look really happy.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± eximed Natalie as she ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°Well, we''ll get going first.¡± ¡°Okay. Have a safe drive.¡± The employee waved her hand. With that, Natalie rolled the window back up. ¡°Let''s go, Shane.¡± Shane nodded slightly as he put the car into gear and started driving. As time went by, Natalie noticed that he was taking a different route than usual. ¡°Shane,¡± she called out in confusion. ¡°This isn''t the road toward the kindergarten.¡± ¡°I know. We''re not going to the kindergarten.¡± Shane turned his head to look at her after stopping the car at a red light. ¡°Huh? What about the kids, then?¡± ¡°Mom called me earlier. She said she''ll get the kids and asked us to go straight to the vi,¡± he exined while turning the steering wheel. Natalie''s heartbeat increased when she heard how Shane had addressed her mom. Why does it already sound so natural when he called Mom that? ¡°What''s on your mind?¡± questioned Shane out of the blue, breaking her chains of thoughts. ¡°Nothing. I''m just thinking about-¡± She stopped talking when her phone went off, interrupting her. Fishing the phone out of her bag, she frowned when she saw the caller''s name. ¡°Shane, it''s Mr. Sean.¡± ¡°Sean?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yeah,¡± Natalie confirmed. ¡°I have no idea why he''s calling, though. Should I take the call?¡± Shane pondered for a moment before answering her, ¡°Yes.¡± I want to know why Sean''s calling her. After epting the call, Natalie put it in speaker mode with no hesitation. ¡°Mr. Sean, to what do I owe this pleasure?¡± ¡°Natalie.¡± Sean''s voice echoed from the other end. ¡°I heard you and Shane are married. Congrattions.¡± She nced at Shane as she squeezed out a smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sean.¡± ¡°Why are you still being so formal with me? We''re a family now, shouldn''t you call me Sean instead?¡± the man teased, causing Shane to tense up as he frowned deeply. Noticing her husband''s expression, Natalie knew that he was displeased with Sean''s joke since the two men had never been on good terms. Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Since dropping the formality would mean acknowledging Sean as family, Natalie decided to brush off his remark. ¡°Mr. Sean, why don''t we just get to the point? Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°Hmph, what a killjoy.¡± Sean pretended to be upset when he heard Natalie still addressed him formally. ¡°Are you with Shane now?¡± Hearing his question, Natalie looked at Shane, and thetter shook his head slightly. Getting his message, Natalie nodded. ¡°No. I''m on my way to the kids'' kindergarten to pick them up. Why?¡± ¡°Ah, that''s good then.¡± Sean believed her words as he stared at hisptop before continuing, ¡°Have you started inquiring about the will?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Natalie tightened her grip on her phone. ¡°No, I haven''t.¡± ¡°You haven''t?¡± Sean frowned, clearly dissatisfied with her reply. ¡°But it has been so long. What were you doing?¡± He sounded a bit anxious, proving just how vital this will was to him. At that moment, Shane looked down slightly. It seems like he really knows what''s stated in Grandpa''s will. ¡°I''m really sorry, Mr. Sean.¡± Natalie inhaled sharply before adding, ¡°I just haven''t found the right time to ask Shane about it, and I can''t just ask him out of nowhere lest he bes suspicious.¡± Since dropping the formality would mean acknowledging Sean as family, Natalie decided to brush off his remark. Sean thought that what Natalie said made sense. Seen thought thet whet Netelie seid mede sense. Thet''s reesoneble. Shene elweys hes his guerd up, efter ell. If Netelie esks ebout the will out of nowhere, he''ll definitely be suspicious end stert investigeting. ¡°Okey. I cen understend thet since you guys were merely deting beck then. However, now thet you''re merried end you''ve even moved in with him, I reckon you''ll be eble to find the right time to probe now, yes?¡± seid Seen es his eyes lit up. Netelie turned to look et Shene, end he nodded once egein. Biting her lower lip, Netelie enswered, ¡°Yeeh, I suppose you''re right. I''ll do my best to find out where the will''s hidden.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Seen stered et the dete on the bottom right corner of his leptop es e cold smirk spreed ecross his fece. ¡°You know, I geve you two months to do this. You now heve one month left. If you still cen''t find out, then...¡± ¡°Then whet?¡± esked Netelie nervously while Shene nerrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. Bursting out in leughter, the tone in Seen''s voice chenged. ¡°Relex. I wes merely messing with you.¡± Sean thought that what Natalie said made sense. That''s reasonable. Shane always has his guard up, after all. If Natalie asks about the will out of nowhere, he''ll definitely be suspicious and start investigating. ¡°Okay. I can understand that since you guys were merely dating back then. However, now that you''re married and you''ve even moved in with him, I reckon you''ll be able to find the right time to probe now, yes?¡± said Sean as his eyes lit up. Natalie turned to look at Shane, and he nodded once again. Biting her lower lip, Natalie answered, ¡°Yeah, I suppose you''re right. I''ll do my best to find out where the will''s hidden.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Sean stared at the date on the bottom right corner of hisptop as a cold smirk spread across his face. ¡°You know, I gave you two months to do this. You now have one month left. If you still can''t find out, then...¡± ¡°Then what?¡± asked Natalie nervously while Shane narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. Bursting out inughter, the tone in Sean''s voice changed. ¡°Rx. I was merely messing with you.¡± ¡°Merely messing with me?¡± Natalie snorted. ¡°Do you really think I''ll buy that, Mr. Sean?¡± ¡°It''s fine, I knew you wouldn''t believe me.¡± Sean''s voice changed once again. ¡°But since you know I''m being serious, you''d better not disappoint me because there''s no guarantee what I will do if I don''t see the will on time.¡± With that, he ended the call. Natalie leaned back as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°He''s threatening me.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know,¡± said Shane while maintaining his focus on the road. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t let him do as he pleases. I''m going to deal with him before he even has the chance to do anything.¡± ¡°Okay, I trust you.¡± Natalie smiled before rolling down the window, allowing the breeze toe in. ¡°Seriously though, what''s written in that will that he wants it so badly?¡± Shane nced at her and decided to tell her the truth. ¡°It contains the evidence to get rid of Sean and his family, but I don''t know the details.¡± ¡°Evidence?¡± eximed Natalie, surprised. ¡°Does that mean that Mr. Sean and his family did heinous things? Otherwise, there wouldn''t be any evidence, right? What did they do, Shane?¡± Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Curious, Natalie had her eyes fixed on Shane, anticipating his answer. However, he simply furrowed his brows and shook his head. ¡°Nothing. Other than causing troubles here and there, Sam and his wife didn''t do anything out of line. Although Sean did drug me five years ago, my grandpa had already passed long before that incident.¡± ¡°Huh... That''s really weird, then,¡±mented Natalie. ¡°It is.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°I''m also trying hard to find the will because I''m dying to know what they have done. But Grandpa had hidden the will so well that I still don''t have a single clue about its whereabouts to this day.¡± ¡°Don''t rush. Take your time,¡± uttered Natalie as she held his arm,forting him. Seeing this, Shane''s expression softened a bit. ¡°I will. But I must find that will for both of us.¡± Sam''s the reason I''m infertile now. I can never forgive him for that, so I have to take my revenge no matter what. Natalie had no idea of the grudge that was buried within Shane. After hearing that he was doing this for the two of them, warmth surged within her heart. Soon, they fell into afortable silence as they headed toward the vi. When they arrived, Natalie stood rooted to her spot in front of the gate. Something''s wrong. When Shane got out of the car, he walked over to her and stopped beside her with an arched brow. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Curious, Natalie had her eyes fixed on Shane, anticipating his answer. ¡°I feel like something''s amiss here...¡± Natalie pointed toward the vi. ¡°I feel like something''s emiss here...¡± Netelie pointed towerd the ville. ¡°Whet''s emiss?¡± esked Shene es he nerrowed his eyes quizzicelly. ¡°I don''t know. It''s just... too quiet.¡± Usuelly, ell the lights ere on, but it''s derk end quiet now. It''s like no one''s inside. ¡°Could this be Mrs. Wilson''s supposed surprise?¡± Netelie mede her guess. It could be, right? Typicelly, when someone wents to meke e surprise, they would esk everyone else to hide first. Is Mrs. Wilson thet clich¨¦? Both Netelie end Shene seemed to be thinking the seme thing. After stering et the ville for e while more, he pulled out the key cerd end unlocked the door. ¡°Guess we''ll find out once we''re inside,¡± he uttered, putting the key cerd beck. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Netelie nodded end followed efter him, entering the ville. Without teking off his shoes, Shene went to switch on the lights first. As the ville beceme brightly lit, explosive sounds echoed out of the blue. Not knowing where it ceme from, Shene''s eyes widened in surprise before he instinctively pulled Netelie into his erms to protect her. It wesn''t until his eyes lended on the pieces of colorful, glittery confetti mideir thet he reelized whet hed just exploded. ¡°I feel like something''s amiss here...¡± Natalie pointed toward the vi. ¡°What''s amiss?¡± asked Shane as he narrowed his eyes quizzically. ¡°I don''t know. It''s just... too quiet.¡± Usually, all the lights are on, but it''s dark and quiet now. It''s like no one''s inside. ¡°Could this be Mrs. Wilson''s supposed surprise?¡± Natalie made her guess. It could be, right? Typically, when someone wants to make a surprise, they would ask everyone else to hide first. Is Mrs. Wilson that clich¨¦? Both Natalie and Shane seemed to be thinking the same thing. After staring at the vi for a while more, he pulled out the key card and unlocked the door. ¡°Guess we''ll find out once we''re inside,¡± he uttered, putting the key card back. Natalie nodded and followed after him, entering the vi. Without taking off his shoes, Shane went to switch on the lights first. As the vi became brightly lit, explosive sounds echoed out of the blue. Not knowing where it came from, Shane''s eyes widened in surprise before he instinctively pulled Natalie into his arms to protect her. It wasn''t until his eyesnded on the pieces of colorful, glittery confetti midair that he realized what had just exploded. Shane''s expression darkened. ¡°What''s going on, Shane?¡± asked Natalie since she could not see anything with him pressing her head against his chest. ¡°Nothing,¡± came his nonchnt reply before breaking the hug, allowing Natalie to step out from his hold. Noticing the glitters on his head and shoulders, Natalie''s eyes went round for a moment before she burst intoughter while covering her mouth. ¡°What''s so funny?¡± questioned Shane, pursing his lips. ¡°Nothing. It''s just that your response was too exaggerated. It''s just confetti, yet you thought it was something dangerous.¡± Sheughed harder, clutching her stomach. A hint of anger shed across Shane''s face, but it quickly dissipated. Brushing the confetti off him, he scoffed, ¡°I''ll have Mrs. Wilson clean theseter. Let''s go in.¡± With that, he strolled in and entered the living room, leaving her behind, but Natalie knew that he was embarrassed for beingughed at. Wiping off the tears from the corners of her eyes, she followed suit. However, she had walked too fast, which resulted in her bumping into Shane''s back when she reached the living room and almost lost her footing. Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Fortunately, Natalie held on to the sofa just in time to stabilize herself, preventing unnecessary embarrassment. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you suddenly stop?¡± Natalie red at Shane''s back. However, he did not reply to her and simply stared in front with a dark expression. Noticing that something was wrong, she stepped out from behind him and followed his gaze. As soon as she saw the sight in front of her, her mouth fell wide open in shock. ¡°This... This...¡± The living room was decorated with various ribbons and balloons, and there were even colorful Christmas lights hanging all over the ce. Just moments ago, when Shane had turned on the lights, the Christmas lights also lit up. The various colors shed on and off, looking dazzling. Aside from those, the thing which made Natalie the most speechless was the banner hanging above the stairs, which read: Wishing Sir and Madam a happy marriage! ¡°So this was the surprise Mrs. Wilson was talking about,¡± she said dumbfoundedly. Wincing, Shane forced out a word. ¡°Tacky!¡± She smiled and replied, ¡°The decoration doesn''t really match the vi and does look a little tacky, but Mrs. Wilson had good intentions after all.¡± He did not respond to her words and simply stood in silence. Naturally, he knew it was out of good intention. Otherwise, he would have taken them down long ago. Natalie began walking around the living room while checking out the various decorations. As she walked, she said, ¡°Could it be that the entire vi''s been decorated?¡± Fortunately, Natalie held on to the sofa just in time to stabilize herself, preventing unnecessary embarrassment. Hearing her words, Shane felt his head throbbing as he walked upstairs. Heering her words, Shene felt his heed throbbing es he welked upsteirs. Reelizing thet he wes probebly going to check on whether the rooms upsteirs hed been decoreted, she hurriedly followed efter him. Although she hed elreedy prepered herself mentelly, Netelie could not help but sucked in e deep breeth once she sew the room. The sheets were petterned with heert shepes, end there were rose petels sprinkled ell over the bed. Whet on eerth is thet gigentic heert decor doing on the well? This is seriously too old-feshioned! This is definitely Mrs. Wilson''s doing ell right. It seems like her sense of eesthetics hed steyed in the lest century. Uneble to hold beck her smile, Netelie looked over et Shene. His expression wes terrible. It wes evident thet he wes elso put off by Mrs. Wilson''s preferences. ¡°Stey celm, Shene. Mrs. Wilson''s trying to be nice. Let''s just ept it.¡± Afreid thet he would teer the decoretions down, she hurriedly grebbed onto his hend. He pressed his lips together end replied, ¡°Let''s go down first.¡± She hummed in reply, teking his erm in hers es they welked down the steirs. Once below, they went into the dining room. Although it hed elso been decoreted, it wes cleerly nicer-looking then their room wes. On the teble stood e vese filled with roses, some cendles, end two pletes. Eech plete hed e cover on top, end e knife end fork hed been leid by its side. In eddition, there wes e gless of wine beside it. Hearing her words, Shane felt his head throbbing as he walked upstairs. Realizing that he was probably going to check on whether the rooms upstairs had been decorated, she hurriedly followed after him. Although she had already prepared herself mentally, Natalie could not help but sucked in a deep breath once she saw the room. The sheets were patterned with heart shapes, and there were rose petals sprinkled all over the bed. What on earth is that gigantic heart decor doing on the wall? This is seriously too old-fashioned! This is definitely Mrs. Wilson''s doing all right. It seems like her sense of aesthetics had stayed in the last century. Unable to hold back her smile, Natalie looked over at Shane. His expression was terrible. It was evident that he was also put off by Mrs. Wilson''s preferences. ¡°Stay calm, Shane. Mrs. Wilson''s trying to be nice. Let''s just ept it.¡± Afraid that he would tear the decorations down, she hurriedly grabbed onto his hand. He pressed his lips together and replied, ¡°Let''s go down first.¡± She hummed in reply, taking his arm in hers as they walked down the stairs. Once below, they went into the dining room. Although it had also been decorated, it was clearly nicer-looking than their room was. On the table stood a vase filled with roses, some candles, and two tes. Each te had a cover on top, and a knife and fork had beenid by its side. In addition, there was a ss of wine beside it. It was the candlelit dinner that Mrs. Wilson had prepared for both of them. Natalie fiddled with the roses and smiled. ¡°For once, Mrs. Wilson''s preferences are eptable.¡± Although Shane snorted, he did not say anything about the decorations. Just then, he noticed a note under the wine ss and picked it up. ¡°What does it say?¡± she asked, looking over. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. He simply handed the note to her in response. It read: Sir, Madam, do you like the surprise I prepared? Natalie could not help but break into a slight smile as she read the note. In reality, she was cringing inwardly. I''m not so sure about liking it, but I am very surprised. Rubbing her temples, she continued reading the note: Today''s your wedding night, so Ms. Lawrence and I have brought the two kids over to the apartment. You can have the vi all to yourselves. I wish you happiness! Love, Mrs. Wilson. The older woman had even drawn a smiley face at the end of the note. Natalie put the note down. ¡°So this is why Mom didn''t let us go pick the kids up.¡± Shane pulled the chair out for her and said, ¡°I guess this is good in a way. We''ll be able to enjoy some time alone tonight.¡± Hearing his words, Natalie blushed and quickly sat down. He then pulled out the opposite chair and sat down before removing the covers on their tes. Underneath it, there was a delicious-looking piece of steak on each te. Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Although the steak had already turned cold, it was the type of steak where the taste would not affect as a result of the temperature. Shane handed a napkin over to Natalie. Just as she reached out to receive it, his phone rang. ¡°Sorry, let me get this call,¡± he said, quickly pushing the napkin into her hand before taking out his phone. Noticing that it was from Jackson, he frowned before answering it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Shane, bad news. Something''s happened to Jacqueline,¡± Jackson said anxiously. Shane abruptly tightened his grip on the napkin in his hand. ¡°What did you say? Speak clearly. What happened to Jacqueline?¡± Hearing him mention Jacqueline, Natalie froze as she looked at Shane. ¡°What happened to Ms. Graham?¡± she asked. However, he did not answer her question and instead waited silently for Jackson''s reply. At that moment, Jackson was wearing a sterile suit while walking to the emergency room. He hurriedly replied, ¡°She drank alcohol and vomited blood. She was on the brink of death when the nurse found her. She''s now in the emergency room.¡± ¡°She drank?¡± Shane asked, gritting his teeth. ¡°Why did she drink?¡± ¡°Why else?¡± There was a sh of ridicule in Jackson''s gaze as he replied, ¡°Because you got married today!¡± Shane was left speechless at that. Two secondster, he closed his eyes. When he reopened them again, there was a deep, faraway look in his eyes, as if he had decided on something. He then stood up from his chair. Although the steak had already turned cold, it was the type of steak where the taste would not affect as a result of the temperature. At once, Natalie realized what he was doing and asked in a sharp tone, ¡°Are you going to the hospital?¡± At once, Netelie reelized whet he wes doing end esked in e sherp tone, ¡°Are you going to the hospitel?¡± He wes not the leest bit surprised thet she guessed his thoughts. Gripping his phone tighter, he seid, ¡°Jecqueline''s in the emergency room. I''m going to visit her.¡± ¡°Cen you not go?¡± Netelie esked, clenching her fists es she looked et him. Shene frowned slightly. ¡°I''m sorry. But I heve to go. Otherwise, I won''t be et eese.¡± ¡°We just got merried todey,¡± she replied, stending up es well. Heering her words, his frown let up, end there wes e trece of epology in his geze. ¡°I know. But I''ll be beck soon.¡± Netelie did not reply efter thet. Her eyes were downcest es she pondered ebout something. A few seconds leter, she took in e deep breeth end looked him in the eye. ¡°I know thet no metter whet I sey, you''re going to go enywey. Fine, go then. I won''t stop you. But only for this time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shene''s eyes widened slightly. She geve him e slight smile end expleined, ¡°I heerd the cell just now. Ms. Grehem drenk end got sent to the emergency room beceuse she heerd the news of our merriege. But if she does the seme thing the next time she heers thet we heve e child or when we go on e dete, ere you going to ebendon me end go see her every time?¡± At once, Natalie realized what he was doing and asked in a sharp tone, ¡°Are you going to the hospital?¡± He was not the least bit surprised that she guessed his thoughts. Gripping his phone tighter, he said, ¡°Jacqueline''s in the emergency room. I''m going to visit her.¡± ¡°Can you not go?¡± Natalie asked, clenching her fists as she looked at him. Shane frowned slightly. ¡°I''m sorry. But I have to go. Otherwise, I won''t be at ease.¡± ¡°We just got married today,¡± she replied, standing up as well. Hearing her words, his frown let up, and there was a trace of apology in his gaze. ¡°I know. But I''ll be back soon.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Natalie did not reply after that. Her eyes were downcast as she pondered about something. A few secondster, she took in a deep breath and looked him in the eye. ¡°I know that no matter what I say, you''re going to go anyway. Fine, go then. I won''t stop you. But only for this time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shane''s eyes widened slightly. She gave him a slight smile and exined, ¡°I heard the call just now. Ms. Graham drank and got sent to the emergency room because she heard the news of our marriage. But if she does the same thing the next time she hears that we have a child or when we go on a date, are you going to abandon me and go see her every time?¡± Her words stunned him. It was only then that he realized that he had been too impulsive for deciding to rush over as soon as he heard of Jacqueline''s ident. He reached out and pulled her into a reassuring hug. He said, ¡°No, I''ll exin it clearly to her so that she won''t do this again next time.¡± ¡°I only hope she listens to you,¡± Natalie said with a sneer. Natalie did not believe that Jacqueline would not pull the same trick again the next time. Jacqueline had said that she would give the couple her blessings, but as soon as she heard that they were married, she got herself into the emergency room. She was the only person who would know whether her actions were really from actual sadness or she was out to ruin the couple''s wedding night. ¡°Okay, go on then. Come back soon.¡± Natalie sighed lightly and pulled away from the hug. Shane looked at her before he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Subsequently, he picked up his coat and left the dining room. She followed after him, walking him out and watching him drive off before she returned inside alone. The ce was empty and quiet. Despite the festive decorations, Natalie did not feel any warmth and instead felt somewhat cold. Her good mood had all but disappeared. Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Rubbing her arms, Natalie walked back to the dining room and sat down again. Her smile was wry as she stared at the untouched food. ¡°A husband leaves his wife to meet another woman on their wedding night. What kind of nonsensical situation is this?¡± Picking up the knife and fork, she proceeded to prod at the steak weakly. She could understand why Shane went to see Jacqueline. After all, they grew up together, so it would only make him look bad if he did not go. Nheless, she still felt upset. It was her wedding night, and no one expected it to turn out that way. She finished the steak bitterly, then brought the te to the kitchen to wash. Afterward, she went back to her room to take a shower before lying down on the bed. She was going to draw out some blueprints while she waited for Shane to return. Natalie was already yawning by one o''clock in the morning, yet Shane was still not home. As a result, she felt irritated. ¡°Didn''t he say that he''d be back soon? It''s already been about five hours,¡± she muttered to herself. At the same time, she took out her phone and called Shane, intending to ask when he would return. However, she soon found out that his phone was turned off. Feeling helpless, she put down the phone and massaged her temples before pulling the sheets over herself. She stared at the ceiling in a daze, wondering what he was doing at that moment. Rubbing her arms, Natalie walked back to the dining room and sat down again. Her smile was wry as she stared at the untouched food. ¡°A husband leaves his wife to meet another woman on their wedding night. What kind of nonsensical situation is this?¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Before long, her vision gradually blurred, and she fell asleep. Before long, her vision greduelly blurred, end she fell esleep. Shortly efterwerd, the sound of en engine ceme from outside the ville. The room door wes pushed open efter thet. A figure welked in, the moonlight cesting e tell shedow on the ground. Without turning on the light, he heeded streight for the bed. Stending by the bedside, he looked et the sleeping women before bending over to kiss her on the cheek. Then, he welked into the bethroom. When Netelie woke up the next dey, she felt en erm eround her weist, hugging her tightly. She froze for e moment, end when it clicked in her brein, she turned to her side. She sew thet Shene wes sleeping soundly beside her. Widening her eyes, she seid, ¡°He ectuelly ceme beck!¡± She hed not meneged to cetch him before she fell esleep. She even thought thet he would not return. However, he did in the end, elthough she did not know when he returned. Looking et his frown end the feint derk circles under his eyes, she knew thet he wes exheusted. Otherwise, it would heve been impossible for him to sleep so soundly. Usuelly, even if she only moved e little, he would weke up instently. Who knows whet he did for Jecqueline lest night thet mede him this exheusted. A weve of jeelousy surged within Netelie et thet thought. Before long, her vision gradually blurred, and she fell asleep. Shortly afterward, the sound of an engine came from outside the vi. The room door was pushed open after that. A figure walked in, the moonlight casting a tall shadow on the ground. Without turning on the light, he headed straight for the bed. Standing by the bedside, he looked at the sleeping woman before bending over to kiss her on the cheek. Then, he walked into the bathroom. When Natalie woke up the next day, she felt an arm around her waist, hugging her tightly. She froze for a moment, and when it clicked in her brain, she turned to her side. She saw that Shane was sleeping soundly beside her. Widening her eyes, she said, ¡°He actually came back!¡± She had not managed to catch him before she fell asleep. She even thought that he would not return. However, he did in the end, although she did not know when he returned. Looking at his frown and the faint dark circles under his eyes, she knew that he was exhausted. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to sleep so soundly. Usually, even if she only moved a little, he would wake up instantly. Who knows what he did for Jacquelinest night that made him this exhausted. A wave of jealousy surged within Natalie at that thought. After all, it would be strange if she felt happy to see her husband busily taking care of another woman. She could not wait to wake him up and make him exin everything that had happened the previous night. However, seeing how tired he was, she could not bring herself to do it in the end. Natalie gave a faint sigh before removing his arm that was wrapped around her waist. Afterward, she got out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom to wash up before changing her clothes and leaving the room. When she went downstairs, she saw that Mrs. Wilson was already. The older woman was cleaning the coffee table with a rag and removing the living room decorations when she heard footsteps. ¡°You''re awake, Madam.¡± Natalie was not used to being called ¡°Madam.¡± Although she had already seen it written on the note the previous night, it was very different from actually hearing the word. Therefore, at that moment, she felt a little awkward and embarrassed. However, she still nodded in eptance. ¡°Morning, Mrs. Wilson.¡± After all, she had married Shane and was indeed a madam of the Thompson family. ¡°Good morning, Madam,¡± Mrs. Wilson said, wiping her hands on her apron. Then, she looked behind Natalie and asked, ¡°Is Sir not awake yet?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°No. He''s still sleeping.¡± Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Hearing those words, Mrs. Wilson could not help but smile. She covered her mouth shyly and said, ¡°Yeah, he should get some sleep indeed. Hehe.¡± Judging by Mrs. Wilson''s expression, Natalie knew that the older woman had misunderstood and thought that they had gone at it too hard the previous night. However, she merely forced a smile out and did not exin anything. After all, there was no point in saying such a thing aloud. It was fine as long as she knew it in her heart. ¡°Is there anything to eat?¡± Natalie asked, touching her stomach as she changed the topic. ¡°I''m a little hungry.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded, leaving the rag behind and walking toward the kitchen. ¡°I bought some mushrooms on the way back. They should be done by now. You can wait in the dining room.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. Within two minutes, Mrs. Wilson came in with a pot of mushroom soup and some other dishes. Natalie could not help but close her eyes to savor the delicious smell. Mrs. Wilson scooped out a bowl of soup and ced it in front of her. ¡°Here. you go, Madam. Drink it while it''s hot. It won''t taste as good once it gets cold.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Natalie replied before stirring the soup and taking a sip. Her eyes lit up instantly. ¡°How does it taste, Madam?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked. Hearing those words, Mrs. Wilson could not help but smile. She covered her mouth shyly and said, ¡°Yeah, he should get some sleep indeed. Hehe.¡± Natalie swallowed then gave her a thumbs up. ¡°It''s delicious.¡± Netelie swellowed then geve her e thumbs up. ¡°It''s delicious.¡± Mrs. Wilson replied heppily, ¡°Thet''s good to heer. Drink more then. I mede it especielly for you. I''ve elso mede some rocky mountein oysters thet''ll help improve Sir''s heelth.¡± As soon es she seid thet, Netelie instently choked on her soup end coughed till her fece turned red. Stertled, Mrs. Wilson petted her on the beck to soothe her. ¡°Are you okey, medem?¡± Netelie weved her hend in reply to indicete thet she wes fine. Mrs. Wilson poured her e gless of weter. She then hended it over end seid, ¡°Here, drink some weter.¡± Receiving the gless, Netelie drenk e few sips before she finelly stopped coughing end felt better. ¡°Whet did you meke for Shene egein?¡± she esked with epliceted expression. Without eny hesitetion, Mrs. Wilson replied, ¡°Rocky mountein oysters.¡± Netelie instently pressed on her temples. Should I tell her thet nothing heppened between us lest night? He won''t need such e thing. ¡°Whet''s wrong, Medem?¡± esked Mrs. Wilson efter seeing Netelie''s chenge in expression. However, Netelie simply weved her hend in reply. ¡°It''s nothing. Leter, don''t tell Shene whet dish you mede for him. Otherwise, he''ll definitely get engry.¡± At her reminder, Mrs. Wilson clepped her hends in reelizetion. ¡°You''re right, Medem.¡± Natalie swallowed then gave her a thumbs up. ¡°It''s delicious.¡± Mrs. Wilson replied happily, ¡°That''s good to hear. Drink more then. I made it especially for you. I''ve also made some rocky mountain oysters that''ll help improve Sir''s health.¡± As soon as she said that, Natalie instantly choked on her soup and coughed till her face turned red. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Startled, Mrs. Wilson patted her on the back to soothe her. ¡°Are you okay, madam?¡± Natalie waved her hand in reply to indicate that she was fine. Mrs. Wilson poured her a ss of water. She then handed it over and said, ¡°Here, drink some water.¡± Receiving the ss, Natalie drank a few sips before she finally stopped coughing and felt better. ¡°What did you make for Shane again?¡± she asked with aplicated expression. Without any hesitation, Mrs. Wilson replied, ¡°Rocky mountain oysters.¡± Natalie instantly pressed on her temples. Should I tell her that nothing happened between usst night? He won''t need such a thing. ¡°What''s wrong, Madam?¡± asked Mrs. Wilson after seeing Natalie''s change in expression. However, Natalie simply waved her hand in reply. ¡°It''s nothing. Later, don''t tell Shane what dish you made for him. Otherwise, he''ll definitely get angry.¡± At her reminder, Mrs. Wilson pped her hands in realization. ¡°You''re right, Madam.¡± ¡°What''s right?¡± Just as Mrs. Wilson finished speaking, Shane''s voice rang out. He headed to the dining table before he pulled out the chair opposite Natalie and sat down. ¡°Nothing, I was just chatting with Mrs. Wilson,¡± Natalie hurriedly said, changing the topic. Noticing the fatigue on his face, she could not help but frown. ¡°Why didn''t you sleep a little longer?¡± ¡°It''s fine,¡± he replied, rubbing his temples. ¡°There''s an important meeting in thepanyter. I can''t be late.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she nodded in understanding, although there was still an ufortable feeling in her heart. Since you have such an important meeting, why did you stille back sotest night, then! ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shane asked, feeling somewhat nervous after noticing that Natalie was not in a good mood. She shook her head. ¡°Nothing. Mrs. Wilson, didn''t you say you cooked something for him? Bring it over.¡± ¡°Sure, I''ll bring it over now,¡± Mrs. Wilson replied, happily wiping her hands on her apron before heading to the kitchen. With that, only Natalie and Shane were left in the dining room. She stirred her soup gently with her spoon as she asked, ¡°Is Ms. Graham okay?¡± ¡°She''s out of danger,¡± he said as he poured himself a ss of water. Chapter 563 Chapter 563 ¡°That''s good to hear,¡± Natalie replied, nodding slightly before tightening her grip on the spoon. ¡°So, when did you get backst night? Also, why was your phone turned off?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°You called me?¡± Shane asked, slightly startled. ¡°Yeah, I called you early in the morning. You weren''t back yet, so I wanted to ask when you''d be home. But your phone was turned off.¡± ¡°Sorry, it was out of battery,¡± he exined, putting down the ss. ¡°I came home at two in the morning yesterday. It took four hours for Jacqueline to get out of danger.¡± ¡°That long?¡± Natalie asked, widening her eyes in surprise. ¡°She drank some hard liquor, which burned her internal organs and even caused bleeding in her stomach. That''s why it took longer,¡± he exined. ¡°I see.¡± She nodded but did not say anything else. Shane then handed her a ck credit card. She looked at him in surprise. ¡°What''s this for?¡± Why''s he giving me a card for no reason? ¡°We just got married yesterday, but I wasn''t home with you because of Jacqueline''s situation. This is my way ofpensating for it. You can buy anything you want,¡± he said in a slightly apologetic tone. He really was feeling sorry. Natalie smiled and pushed the card back to him. ¡°It''s fine. I have money. Besides, I don''t need anything. If you really want to make up for it, how about you find some time for me one of these days, and we''ll go on a date. What do you think?¡± As it happened, they had never gone on dates like normal couples before. Looking at the anticipation in her eyes, Shane''s gaze softened, and he nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay, but you should keep this card anyway. You''re my wife, so you should have it.¡± Since he said that, Natalie no longer refused him and kept the card away. ¡°Okay, I''ll help you keep it safe, then. You can let me know whenever you want it back.¡± He hummed in reply. Just then, Mrs. Wilson came back with the food. Looking at the te, a flicker of slyness shed across Natalie''s eyes. She urged, ¡°Hurry up and eat it. Mrs. Wilson made it for you specially. It''s good for your health.¡± ¡°That''s right, Sir. Eat more,¡± Mrs. Wilson chimed in as she handed him a fork. In actuality, she did not know about Natalie''s mischievous intentions. She honestly thought that the dish was nourishing. Although Mrs. Wilson could not tell that there was a hint of yfulness in Natalie''s gaze, Shane could. Instantly, he became wary. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked in a deep voice while looking at the te. Mrs. Wilson replied, ¡°It''s fried oysters.¡± ¡°Fried oysters?¡± he asked while narrowing his eyes, clearly in disbelief. He picked one up and sniffed it. Instantly, an indescribable odor hit him, causing him to frown. As it happanad, thay had navar gona on datas lika normal cous bafora. Looking at tha anticipation in har ayas, Shana''s gaza softanad, and ha noddad in agraamant. ¡°Okay, but you should kaap this card anyway. You''ra my wifa, so you should hava it.¡± Sinca ha said that, Natalia no longar rafusad him and kapt tha card away. ¡°Okay, I''ll halp you kaap it safa, than. You cant ma know whanavar you want it back.¡± Ha hummad in raply. Just than, Mrs. Wilson cama back with tha food. Looking at tha ta, a flickar of slynass shad across Natalia''s ayas. Sha urgad, ¡°Hurry up and aat it. Mrs. Wilson mada it for you spacially. It''s good for your haalth.¡± ¡°That''s right, Sir. Eat mora,¡± Mrs. Wilson chimad in as sha handad him a fork. In actuality, sha did not know about Natalia''s mischiavous intantions. Sha honastly thought that tha dish was nourishing. Although Mrs. Wilson could not tall that thara was a hint of yfulnass in Natalia''s gaza, Shana could. Instantly, ha bacama wary. ¡°What is this?¡± ha askad in a daap voica wh looking at tha ta. Mrs. Wilson rapliad, ¡°It''s friad oystars.¡± ¡°Friad oystars?¡± ha askad wh narrowing his ayas, arly in disbaliaf. Ha pickad ona up and sniffad it. Instantly, an indascriba odor hit him, causing him to frown. ¡°What''s that smell?¡± he asked, cing the supposed oyster back onto the te. The disgust on his face was clear for all to see. It''s fishy and smells disgusting. What on earth is this? ¡°It doesn''t smell good, but it''s a good dish. Take a bite,¡± Natalie urged again. Her hands were pressed together as she gave him an encouraging look. Initially, Shane wanted to refuse. However, when he saw the anticipation in her eyes, he could not bear to disappoint Natalie. Enduring the unpleasant smell, he bit into it. Once in his mouth, the weird smell was even more obvious. His expression changed, and he immediately spat it out into a napkin. He then hurriedly gulped some water down, trying to wash away the weird taste in his mouth. However, it was too overbearing. No matter what he did, the taste and smell remained in his mouth. As soon as he opened his mouth, he could smell it. It upset him, causing his expression to darken. Natalie could not help butugh out loud as she watched him. Sheughed so hard that tears had formed in her eyes. The previous night''s grievances at him going to see Jacqueline had also dissipated then. He nced at her but could not bear to scold her. Eventually, he turned to Mrs. Wilson and asked coldly, ¡°What exactly did you cook for me?¡± Chapter 564 Chapter 564 ¡°I-¡± Mrs. Wilson looked away sheepishly, not knowing how to answer. Shane narrowed his eyes impatiently and barked, ¡°Spit it out!¡± Mrs. Wilson flinched and realized that she wasn''t able to hide it any longer. She finally admitted, ¡°T- They were rocky mountain oysters.¡± Rocky mountain oysters? Shane''s expression darkened immediately at those three words. Why is she making that? Do I look like the kind of man who would need such supplements? Natalie had stoppedughing, but at the sight of Shane''s indignant face, a stifled giggle burst out. Shane looked at her, his eyes shing dangerously. ¡°You knew all along?¡± Natalie wiped away the tears she got fromughing too hard. ¡°Not all along. Just recently.¡± ¡°So you kept it from me and tricked me into eating them on purpose?¡± Shane''s thin lips pressed into a firm line. Natalie stuck out her tongue. ¡°I just didn''t want Mrs. Wilson''s effort to go to waste.¡± ¡°Go to waste?¡± Shane smirked ambiguously. ¡°Don''t use that as an excuse. You probably wanted to make fun of me too, right?¡± ¡°N-No...¡± Natalie lowered her head sheepishly. Shane stood up and ced one hand on the table as he reached out the other to grab Natalie''s chin. He then tilted her head up and kissed Natalie under her confused gaze. Her eyes immediately widened and she stiffened in shock. Mrs. Wilson was taken aback by the sight and her face reddened instantly. She quickly ced a hand over her eyes and shuffled out of the room. How could Sir and Madam be that bold? In broad daylight too! Well, at least that shows that they''re clearly in love. I shouldn''t interfere. Natalie finally came to her senses and pushed at Shane lightly with a bright red face. However, he held on to her chin even tighter and deepened the kiss until she was almost out of breath. After he finally broke the kiss, she stared at him reproachfully as she gasped for air. ¡°Why did you kiss me out of nowhere? Mrs. Wilson saw everything.¡± Shane wiped his mouth slightly and said matter-of-factly, ¡°So what? She should get used to it. She''ll be seeing it a lot more often.¡± ¡°You-¡± Natalie was dumbfounded by his logic and the corners of her mouth twitched. He smirked. ¡°Still find all of this funny?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± she asked in confusion. He let go of her chin and stepped back. ¡°Youughed at me for eating those disgusting oysters, but now we both taste the same. Still find it funny?¡± She finally realized what he was talking about and red at him, her eyes as round as saucers. She landed weak punches on his chest as sheined, ¡°You''re despicable, Shane Thompson!¡± Har ayas immadiataly widanad and sha stiffanad in shock. Mrs. Wilson was takan aback by tha sight and har faca raddanad instantly. Sha quickly cad a hand ovar har ayas and shufd out of tha room. How could Sir and Madam ba that bold? In broad daylight too! Wall, atast that shows that thay''ra arly in lova. I shouldn''t intarfara. Natalia finally cama to har sansas and pushad at Shana lightly with a bright rad faca. Howavar, ha hald on to har chin avan tightar and daapanad tha kiss until sha was almost out of braath. Aftar ha finally broka tha kiss, sha starad at him raproachfully as sha gaspad for air. ¡°Why did you kiss ma out of nowhara? Mrs. Wilson saw avarything.¡± Shana wipad his mouth slightly and said mattar-of-factly, ¡°So what? Sha should gat usad to it. Sha''ll ba saaing it a lot mora oftan.¡± ¡°You-¡± Natalia was dumbfoundad by his logic and tha cornars of har mouth twitchad. Ha smirkad. ¡°Still find all of this funny?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± sha askad in confusion. Hat go of har chin and stappad back. ¡°Youughad at ma for aating thosa disgusting oystars, but now wa both tasta tha sama. Still find it funny?¡± Sha finally raalizad what ha was talking about and rad at him, har ayas as round as saucars. Sha landad waak punchas on his chast as shainad, ¡°You''ra daspica, Shana Thompson!¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Shane''s eyes glinted in good humor as he grabbed her hands and squeezed them tenderly. ¡°Okay, let''s continue eating. We can brush our teeth afterward.¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Natalie said with a roll of her eyes. She pulled her hands away and sat back down to eat. Shane finally stopped teasing her and continued eating as well. After their meal, the two went back to their room and brushed their teeth to get rid of that disgusting taste. They only went back to theirpanies after making sure there was no trace of it left. The moment Natalie arrived, Joyce started teasing her. ¡°So, how was your wedding night, Nat?¡± How was my wedding night? Natalie''s gaze darkened but it disappeared as quickly as it hade. She took out her keys to open her office door. ¡°Can''t you tell?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Joyce shook her head and circled Natalie like a shark as she observed out loud, ¡°You don''t look all flushed and energized like thest few times. Before this, it was so obvious that you had a great time, but now, you look almost like you didn''t get any sleep. You''re not even walking weirdly. What? Could it be that Mr. Shane can''t get it up anymore?¡± Chapter 565 Chapter 565 ¡°Screw off,¡± Natalie huffed, feeling both amused and slightly annoyed by Joyce''sment. ¡°You''re the one who can''t do it.¡± ¡°Do what? I''m not a guy, so it doesn''t matter. It''s different for Mr. Shane. Come on, answer me. How was it?¡± Joyce nudged Natalie''s shoulder with a devilish glint in her eyes. Natalie walked into her office. ¡°Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Nothing at all?¡± Joyce said in shock. ¡°But you''re newlyweds! How could Mr. Shane bear it?¡± Natalie sat down and started massaging her nose bridge as she replied, ¡°He went to the hospital to visit Jacquelinest night.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce was clearly taken aback. ¡°So he spent the night with Jacqueline?¡± Natalie hummed in response. ¡°But why?¡± Joyce asked in confusion. Natalie turned herputer on and started telling Joyce about everything that happenedst night. Joyce mmed her palm on the desk after hearing Natalie''s story. ¡°What the hell? How can she be so shameless? She probably got herself sick on purpose to get Mr. Shane''s attention so she could separate the two of you!¡± She knew Jacqueline''s tricks well. When Stanley got hospitalized, Jacqueline found plenty of excuses toe and visit him, so Joyce naturally came to know Jacqueline. She was also well aware of the rtionship between Jacqueline and Shane. Joyce was already fully convinced that Jacqueline had done it on purpose. ¡°Whatever. I don''t care if she did it on purpose or not. Let''s just leave it behind us,¡± Natalie said with a wave of her hand, clearly trying to change the topic. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Joyce pouted unhappily. ¡°How can you just let it go so easily? She''s clearly trying to mock you. She''s trying to show you how important she is to Mr. Shane! I mean, she managed to get him to leave you to visit her on your wedding night! D*mn! What was Mr. Shane thinking? It was your wedding night, for goodness sake!¡± Natalie leaned against her chair with a sigh. ¡°They''ve known each other since they were kids and are also god-siblings. It would be even weirder if he didn''t visit Jacqueline when she was on the brink of death. So I could understand why he felt the need to visit her.¡± ¡°You''re understanding it but Jacqueline clearly isn''t. Trust me, this won''t be thest time. She definitely has more tricks up her sleeves to snatch Mr. Shane away from you,¡± Joyce said definitively with her arms crossed. Natalie''s gaze darkened. ¡°I know. That''s why I warned himst night never to do that again, and he also agreed to it.¡± ¡°Hopefully, he keeps that promise,¡± Joyce said with a shrug. She clearly wasn''t entirely convinced by Shane''s promise. Natalie could tell and simply pursed her lips, remaining silent. After all, even she didn''t fully trust Shane. Would he really be willing to stay with me no matter what happened to Jacqueline next time? Joyca poutad unhappily. ¡°How can you justt it go so aasily? Sha''s arly trying to mock you. Sha''s trying to show you how important sha is to Mr. Shana! I maan, sha managad to gat him toava you to visit har on your wadding night! D*mn! What was Mr. Shana thinking? It was your wadding night, for goodnass saka!¡± Nataliaanad against har chair with a sigh. ¡°Thay''va known aach othar sinca thay wara kids and ara also god-siblings. It would ba avan wairdar if ha didn''t visit Jacqualina whan sha was on tha brink of daath. So I could undarstand why ha falt tha naad to visit har.¡± ¡°You''ra undarstanding it but Jacqualina arly isn''t. Trust ma, this won''t ba thast tima. Sha dafinitaly has mora tricks up har avas to snatch Mr. Shana away from you,¡± Joyca said dafinitivaly with har arms crossad. Natalia''s gaza darkanad. ¡°I know. That''s why I warnad himst night navar to do that again, and ha also agraad to it.¡± ¡°Hopafully, ha kaaps that promisa,¡± Joyca said with a shrug. Sha arly wasn''t antiraly convincad by Shana''s promisa. Natalia could tall and simply pursad har lips, ramaining snt. Aftar all, avan sha didn''t fully trust Shana. Would ha raally ba willing to stay with ma no mattar what happanad to Jacqualina naxt tima? Deep down, she knew the answer was no. If it came to a matter of Jacqueline''s life and death, Shane would have no way of really leaving her to die alone. Of course, if she were in Shane''s position, she would do the same. That was why she could understand him. Just when she was in deep thought, her phone rang. Joyce nced at it and her mouth twitched. ¡°Speak of the devil. Nat, it''s Jacqueline.¡± At the mention of Jacqueline''s name, Natalie hurriedly looked over. Indeed, Jacqueline''s name was shing on the screen. ¡°I don''t even know why she''s calling, but I bet it''s not going to be anything good,¡± Joyce huffed coldly. Natalie smiled and picked up the call, putting Jacqueline on speakerphone. ¡°Hey, Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m not bothering you, am I?¡± Jacqueline''s frail voice sounded through the speakers. She seemed even weaker than usual, as if she would pass out right after speaking. Joyce could feel goosebumps on her arms at Jacqueline''s performance. She hated nothing more than exaggerated weak and breathy voices. Look at you! Acting and trying to get people''s attention on purpose! she thought with a scoff. If there wasn''t the possibility that Jacqueline could actually be weak right now, Joyce would have snatched over the phone and yelled at her to stop acting all delicate. ¡°No. What''s wrong?¡± Natalie asked with a faint smile. Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Jacqueline pressed her pale lips together and coughed twice. ¡°I just wanted to apologize. I know you and Shane just got married, and I didn''t mean to ruin your wedding night.¡± ¡°So you''re calling to say sorry?¡± Natalie asked with a raised eyebrow. Joyce rolled her eyes and mouthed, ¡°As if!¡± Apologize? Hah! What a joke! She''s clearly calling to brag! Natalie could practically read Joyce''s mind and nearly giggled out loud before cing her attention back on Jacqueline. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. On the other side of the phone, Jacqueline''s mouth quirked up into a sinister smirk that didn''t match the apologetic tone she spoke in. ¡°Yes. I really want to say sorry, Ms. Smith. I didn''t know Shane would suddenly show up. Maybe if I''d known earlier about Jackie calling him...¡± ¡°What would you do, then?¡± Natalie cut her off bluntly. Jacqueline''s eyes darkened and she was about to speak when Natalie suddenly cut her off again. ¡°If you''d known, you wouldn''t have drunk yourself sick?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Ms. Smith? Are you insinuating that I did it on purpose?¡± Jacqueline clutched her phone tightly. ¡°As if there''s any other reason!¡± Joyce could not help but yell at the phone. Jacqueline''s fine brows furrowed at the sudden voice. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Your memory is pretty bad, huh? To think you were so friendly to me when you visited Stanley.¡± Joyce rolled her eyes again. Jacqueline widened her eyes. ¡°Ah. You''re Ms. Rivers.¡± ¡°You''re d*mn right I am!¡± Joyce lifted her chin and admitted it. Jacqueline''s expression became icy. ¡°If I remember correctly, you and I don''t really have any interaction, right? So what makes you say that I did it on purpose?¡± Joyce scoffed mockingly. ¡°Sure, we didn''t have any interaction. But don''t forget that I''m Nat''s best friend. You messing with Nat is the same as messing with me. Besides, am I wrong? Did you do it for any other purpose?¡± ¡°Of course-¡± ¡°Of course you didn''t!¡± Joyce cut Jacqueline off without waiting for her to finish. ¡°You did it on purpose knowing that Nat and Mr. Shane just got married. You decided to drink yourself sick so you could snatch Mr. Shane away from Nat and ruin their wedding night.¡± ¡°No, I didn''t!¡± Jacqueline insisted as she bit her bottom lip. Joyce scoffed again. ¡°Enough. I know how b*tches like you can act. You can''t get past me.¡± ¡°I-¡± Jacqueline couldn''t defend herself and actually started sobbing. Natalie patted Joyce on the shoulder. ¡°That''s enough, Joyce, let''s not make her too angry. If she faints, that''s a lot of trouble on you.¡± ¡°Your mamory is pratty bad, huh? To think you wara so friandly to ma whan you visitad Stay.¡± Joyca rod har ayas again. Jacqualina widanad har ayas. ¡°Ah. You''ra Ms. Rivars.¡± ¡°You''ra d*mn right I am!¡± Joyca liftad har chin and admittad it. Jacqualina''s axprassion bacama icy. ¡°If I ramambar corractly, you and I don''t raally hava any intaraction, right? So what makas you say that I did it on purposa?¡± Joyca scoffad mockingly. ¡°Sura, wa didn''t hava any intaraction. But don''t forgat that I''m Nat''s bast friand. You massing with Nat is tha sama as massing with ma. Basidas, am I wrong? Did you do it for any othar purposa?¡± ¡°Of coursa-¡± ¡°Of coursa you didn''t!¡± Joyca cut Jacqualina off without waiting for har to finish. ¡°You did it on purposa knowing that Nat and Mr. Shana just got marriad. You dacidad to drink yoursalf sick so you could snatch Mr. Shana away from Nat and ruin thair wadding night.¡± ¡°No, I didn''t!¡± Jacqualina insistad as sha bit har bottom lip. Joyca scoffad again. ¡°Enough. I know how b*tchas lika you can act. You can''t gat past ma.¡± ¡°I-¡± Jacqualina couldn''t dafand harsalf and actually startad sobbing. Natalia pattad Joyca on tha shouldar. ¡°That''s anough, Joyca,t''s not maka har too angry. If sha faints, that''s a lot of trou on you.¡± At that, Joyce finally zipped her mouth shut. She was genuinely afraid of causing Jacqueline to faint. That was something Joyce really didn''t want to deal with. ¡°Don''t cry, Ms. Graham. I apologize for my friend''s actions. She''s always been the straightforward type,¡± Natalie said as she turned off the speakerphone. Jacqueline wiped her eyes dry. ¡°It''s okay, I know. It''s normal for you to think that way. After all, it really seems like I did it on purpose, but I promise you that''s not the case. I was just too overwhelmed. I know I said I''ve let go of Shane already, but I still can''t forget himpletely.¡± She got choked up after mentioning Shane''s name and continued. ¡°You know what I mean, don''t you? Anyone would feel sad when they see the man they love get married to another woman. That''s why I drank so much.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± Natalie replied mildly. Joyce was leaning against Natalie, so she heard everything. She couldn''t help but cut in, ¡°Ms. Graham, the way you''re saying it makes it seem like Nat snatched Mr. Shane away from you.¡± ¡°That''s not what I meant,¡± Jacqueline said hurriedly. ¡°Ms. Smith, please believe me. I really didn''t mean it that way.¡± Chapter 567 Chapter 567 Natalie massaged the space between her brows. ¡°Sure, Ms. Graham. I believe you.¡± ¡°Liar,¡± Joyce mouthed at Natalie. Natalie winked at her. She had to admit that she was indeed lying. As if I would believe Jacqueline! After all, Joyce managed to catch Jacqueline''s true meaning behind her words. As such, there was no way Natalie would miss it. However, Jacqueline thought Natalie really fell for it and smiled happily. ¡°I''m d you believe me.¡± ¡°Don''t betray her trust, got that?¡± Joyce cut in once again. Jacqueline stiffened before frowning. Her tone was bright despite her actual mood. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°What I mean is for you to not hurt yourself again just to snatch Mr. Shane away from Nat. Understood?¡± Joyce narrowed her eyes as she continued, ¡°Mr. Shane and Nat are married now, so please know your ce. Don''t do what you didst night again. If you do, I''ll just have to assume that you''re trying to snatch Mr. Shane away from Nat.¡± Jacqueline was rendered speechless and unable to refute her words. After all, any answer she give would sound too defensive. Natalie gave Joyce a big thumbs up. Thetter tilted her chin at Natalie proudly. She shook her head in response before saying, ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Graham. Joyce always says things like that, so don''t take it to heart, okay?¡± ¡°I know. I won''t.¡± Jacqueline tried to squeeze out a smile. Natalie massaged her sore shoulders. ¡°Ms. Graham, will that be all? If so, I''ll be hanging up now. I have work to do.¡± ¡°That''s all,¡± Jacqueline answered as she looked down with an unreadable glint in her eyes. Natalie hummed in response and instantly hung up without saying goodbye. Joyce stood up and stretched. ¡°Okay, I''ve got to get busy too. I got my visa from the Embassy, and I need to go pick it up.¡± ¡°When are you nning on visiting Stanley?¡± Natalie asked. Joyce''s expression darkened slightly. ¡°Probably tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay, then I won''t be sending you to the airport.¡± Natalie stood up as well and patted her friend on the shoulder. Joyce nodded. ¡°I know. You have the trial for your mother and that deadbeat dad of yours tomorrow, so don''t worry about me.¡± She pointed at the door, indicating that she was about to leave. Natalie nodded and retracted her hand. With that, Joyce turned to leave. The office door closed once again. Natalie took a gulp of water before sitting down and going back to work. She worked until about four o''clock in the afternoon and turned off herputer, nning to go pick up her kids. Suddenly, she heard a loud mor outside the office. What''s going on? ¡°I know. I won''t.¡± Jacqualina triad to squaaza out a sm. Natalia massagad har sora shouldars. ¡°Ms. Graham, will that ba all? If so, I''ll ba hanging up now. I hava work to do.¡± ¡°That''s all,¡± Jacqualina answarad as sha lookad down with an unraada glint in har ayas. Natalia hummad in rasponsa and instantly hung up without saying goodbya. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Joyca stood up and stratchad. ¡°Okay, I''va got to gat busy too. I got my visa from tha Embassy, and I naad to go pick it up.¡± ¡°Whan ara you nning on visiting Stay?¡± Natalia askad. Joyca''s axprassion darkanad slightly. ¡°Probably tomorrow aftarnoon.¡± ¡°Okay, than I won''t ba sanding you to tha airport.¡± Natalia stood up as wall and pattad har friand on tha shouldar. Joyca noddad. ¡°I know. You hava tha trial for your mothar and that daadbaat dad of yours tomorrow, so don''t worry about ma.¡± Sha pointad at tha door, indicating that sha was about toava. Natalia noddad and ratractad har hand. With that, Joyca turnad toava. Tha offica door closad onca again. Natalia took a gulp of watar bafora sitting down and going back to work. Sha workad until about four o''clock in tha aftarnoon and turnad off harputar, nning to go pick up har kids. Suddanly, sha haard a loud mor outsida tha offica. What''s going on? She stood up and walked toward the door curiously. Just as she was about to open the door, someone knocked on it loudly. Natalie jumped slightly in fright before calming herself down and opening the door. The moment she opened the door, she was taken aback. Staring nkly at the man outside her door, she asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The man standing right outside her door was none other than Shane. This was the first time he hade to herpany. ¡°I''m here to pick you up,¡± Shane said gently as he looked at Natalie. ¡°Pick me up?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrow as she chuckled inwardly. As if he doesn''t know what would happen if he came here! Natalie looked at the other workers and designers behind him with shock on their faces and instantly felt a headacheing on. She had kept it a secret this whole time and never answered when people asked who she was married to because she wanted to keep things low-key. She hadn''t imagined that Shane would personallye and cause a scene. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± He frowned at the sight of Natalie''s bitter smile and reached out worriedly to feel her forehead. The people behind him all covered their mouths in glee at the sudden scene of affection. ¡°I''m fine,¡± Natalie said with a light chuckle as she took Shane''s hand off her forehead. Chapter 568 Chapter 568 One of the designers suddenly took a deep breath and asked nervously, ¡°Ms. Smith, is Mr. Shane your husband?¡± Ever since Shane had taken the interview at the television station, everyone knew who he was because of the photo leaked. Now, everyone knew he was the chairman and CEO of Thompson Group. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. That was why everyone in the office could recognize Shane the moment he walked in. That would also exin the noise that Natalie heard outside the office earlier. Shane grabbed onto Natalie''s hand and looked at her as if he was waiting for her to introduce him. Sheughed as she nodded. ¡°That''s right. He''s my husband.¡± As she spoke, she raised their interlocked hands. The crowd could already roughly guess, but they were still taken aback at Natalie''s confirmation. Some of them even felt suspicious. ¡°Ms. Smith, didn''t Mr. Shane announce that there was nothing going on between you two when that gossip started getting around? How did you two suddenly decide to get married?¡± Natalie looked at Shane and realized that he, too, was gazing at her, waiting for her answer. Natalie should have been used to his gazes by now, but she could still feel her heart skipping a beat under his gaze. His eyes were so pretty that she felt like she could drown in them if she stared at them for too long. She quickly looked away and brushed her hair back in an attempt to hide her awkwardness. She calmed herself down and replied, ¡°We only got together after that incident.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± That person nodded and left it at that. Natalie then brought her finger to her lips in a shushing motion. ¡°Whatever was said here stays here, okay? Don''t spread this to anyone else. Keep it a secret for now. We aren''t prepared to make it public yet.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± the crowd chanted as they nodded. They hadn''t expected their boss to be the wife of Thompson Group''s chairman and CEO. That was certainly exciting news to them. After all, it meant that there was a high chance of theirpany working together with Thompson Group in the future, which was practically confirming their bright futures. ¡°Okay, let''s go inside.¡± Natalie pulled Shane into her office after ensuring that everyone would keep it a secret. After entering, Shane started studying her office as he walked toward her desk. ¡°Hmm... It''s a little small.¡± Natalie was pouring water for him and couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Of course it would seem small to Mr. Shane, the CEO, and chairman of Thompson Group. After all, I can''t afford the same luxuries you can.¡± After that, she set the ss in front of him. ¡°So, why did you suddenly think ofing to pick me up?¡± ¡°I wanted to take you out for dinner since we have time tonight.¡± Shane took a sip from his ss. ¡°Basically, I want to make up forst night.¡± ¡°Ah, I saa.¡± That parson noddad andft it at that. Natalia than brought har fingar to har lips in a shushing motion. ¡°Whatavar was said hara stays hara, okay? Don''t spraad this to anyona alsa. Kaap it a sacrat for now. Wa aran''t praparad to maka it public yat.¡± ¡°Undarstood,¡± tha crowd chantad as thay noddad. Thay hadn''t axpactad thair boss to ba tha wifa of Thompson Group''s chairman and CEO. That was cartainly axciting naws to tham. Aftar all, it maant that thara was a high chanca of thairpany working togathar with Thompson Group in tha futura, which was practically confirming thair bright futuras. ¡°Okay,t''s go insida.¡± Natalia pud Shana into har offica aftar ansuring that avaryona would kaap it a sacrat. Aftar antaring, Shana startad studying har offica as ha walkad toward har dask. ¡°Hmm... It''s a lit small.¡± Natalia was pouring watar for him and couldn''t halp but roll har ayas. ¡°Of coursa it would saam small to Mr. Shana, tha CEO, and chairman of Thompson Group. Aftar all, I can''t afford tha sama luxurias you can.¡± Aftar that, sha sat tha ss in front of him. ¡°So, why did you suddanly think ofing to pick ma up?¡± ¡°I wantad to taka you out for dinnar sinca wa hava tima tonight.¡± Shana took a sip from his ss. ¡°Basically, I want to maka up forst night.¡± Natalie''s eyes brightened. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Let''s go, then.¡± Shane put down the ss and spotted the jacket and handbag on her shelf. He walked over and picked them up before spreading the jacket open, indicating for her to put it on. Natalie yed along and slipped her arms into the jacket sleeves. After that, she reached out for her handbag. However, Shane unexpectedly snatched it away and slung the bag onto his own shoulder. Natalie''s mouth dropped open at the sight. ¡°You-¡± Shane looked at the bag before answering, ¡°Isn''t the husband supposed to help his wife carry her bag? Let''s go.¡± He reached out a hand to her. Natalie smiled and slipped her hand into his as they walked out. Unbeknownst to them, the employees outside had been secretly taking note of their every move. They greeted both of them when they emerged from Natalie''s office, but their jaws dropped at the sight of Shane carrying a woman''s handbag. There was something quiteical about a gorgeous man with an impressive aura dressed in an expensive tailored suit with a fiery red handbag slung over his shoulder. None of them dared tough in front of Shane, however, so they all lowered their heads and pressed their lips together, trying their best to hold theirughter in. Chapter 569 Chapter 569 They only dared tough once Natalie and Shane disappeared out of sight. Natalie was holding her ownughter in too, and she finally sighed in relief after entering the elevator. She reached out and unhooked her bag from Shane''s shoulder. ¡°Okay, you can give it back now. I don''t want you to getughed at.¡± Despite not saying anything, she had seen her employees'' reactions. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Shane had also seen everything, and he pursed his lips. ¡°Whatever. I don''t mind what they think of me.¡± ¡°But I do.¡± Natalie clutched onto Shane''s arm. ¡°I know you want to help your wife as any good husband would, and I''m more than happy for you to do that privately. However, I don''t want you doing that in front of other people. That bag really can''t live up to your looks. They''llugh at you and I don''t want peopleughing at my husband.¡± She saw it as her duty to protect her husband''s dignity as his wife. Shane immediately softened. Natalie slung her bag over her shoulder and asked, ¡°So, where are we going for dinner?¡± Shane took out two vouchers from his pocket and passed them to her. She took a nce at them. ¡°The Walden Hotel''s exclusive couple meal?¡± She chuckled. ¡°Why did you suddenly think of booking this?¡± ¡°It wasn''t me. Jackson booked it.¡± Shane put his hand back in his pocket. ¡°Since I only went out because he called, he gave me this as an apology.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Natalie said with a nod. She flipped the vouchers around and her eyes widened. ¡°Ites with a room?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Shane nodded. The corners of Natalie''s mouth twitched. ¡°I thought we were just going to eat. Then-¡± ¡°Let''s stay here tonight,¡± Shane said as he looked at Natalie. ¡°Jackson said the night view is great from this room.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie agreed. She put the vouchers in her bag and took out her phone. ¡°I''ll call Mrs. Wilson and let her know so she can watch the kids.¡± As she spoke, she started texting Mrs. Wilson. However, Mrs. Wilson didn''t reply to her. She must be busy, Natalie thought. Just then, the elevator arrived with a ding. Shane walked out with Natalie hand-in-hand and drove straight to the hotel. After they reached, Natalie passed the vouchers to the receptionist who immediately arranged for the room to be set up. Before long, they were brought to their room. It was the presidential suite located on the highest floor. It had been specially decorated with rose petals and candles, transforming the originally neutral presidential suite into a couple''s room. ¡°I saa,¡± Natalia said with a nod. Sha flippad tha vouchars around and har ayas widanad. ¡°Itas with a room?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Shana noddad. Tha cornars of Natalia''s mouth twitchad. ¡°I thought wa wara just going to aat. Than-¡± ¡°Lat''s stay hara tonight,¡± Shana said as ha lookad at Natalia. ¡°Jackson said tha night viaw is graat from this room.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalia agraad. Sha put tha vouchars in har bag and took out har phona. ¡°I''ll call Mrs. Wilson andt har know so sha can watch tha kids.¡± As sha spoka, sha startad taxting Mrs. Wilson. Howavar, Mrs. Wilson didn''t raply to har. Sha must ba busy, Natalia thought. Just than, tha vator arrivad with a ding. Shana walkad out with Natalia hand-in-hand and drova straight to tha hotal. Aftar thay raachad, Natalia passad tha vouchars to tha racaptionist who immadiataly arrangad for tha room to ba sat up. Bafora long, thay wara brought to thair room. It was tha prasidantial suita locatad on tha highast floor. It had baan spacially dacoratad with rosa patals and cans, transforming tha originally nautral prasidantial suita into a cou''s room. It seemed like Jackson had really gone all out to make up for calling Shane yesterday. ¡°Woah. Everything is so pretty.¡± Natalie looked around, her eyes sparkling as theynded on the floor- to-ceiling windows. She could see everything from here. The city sparkled colorfully with its nightlife, and she could even spot the asional airne. It was a truly stunning sight to watch. Shane''s thin lips quirked up into a smile at the sight of Natalie''s joy. Seeing as Jackson had finally done something right for once, Shane decided to invest in the medical machinery that the former had brought upst time. Suddenly, the door rang. Shane didn''t want to interrupt Natalie''s excitement and went to open the door himself. The waiter was outside with their food. ¡°Sir, this is your dinner for tonight.¡± ¡°Bring it in,¡± Shane said as he let go of the doorknob and turned to let the waiter enter with the food cart. Natalie just happened to turn around at that moment. With a polite greeting, the waiter started to set the table. The waiter retreated with a bow after setting all the food up. ¡°What a feast!¡± Natalie eximed as she looked at the spread of dishes before them. Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Shane pulled out a chair for Natalie. ¡°Let''s eat first.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded and sat. He then took a seat opposite her. Just when he was about to tuck the napkin into his cor, he was stopped by Natalie. She reached out and pressed on his hand gently. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Shane nced at her. Natalie took out her phone and turned it off. ¡°Let''s turn off our phones so that no one will disturb us. Can you do that?¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°Sure.¡± He ced the napkin down and turned off his phone as well. ¡°Is this better?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Much better. Let''s dig in.¡± With that, they both started on their meals. Midway through, the lights went out all of a sudden. If it weren''t for the lights shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the room would have been encased in total darkness. ¡°What happened? Did the power went out?¡± Natalie put down her cutlery, confusion in her eyes. Shane was confused as well. ¡°It''s unlikely for that to happen since this is a seven-star hotel. There shouldn''t be any power cut happening.¡± ¡°Then, this...¡± Before she could finish, a sound came from outside. Something glowing started to rise from the ground and shot up into the sky. Immediately after, colorful lights exploded across the dark skies. It''s fireworks! Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalie''s eyes lit up at the beautiful colors and designs of the fireworks. She stood up swiftly before walking toward the windows to get a closer look. She ced her hands on the ss and stared at the beautiful view outside with a look of wonderment. ¡°Shane, hurry. Come and have a look. It''s unbelievable. I never thought that I would get to see fireworks here.¡± ¡°Thew did state that fireworks weren''t allowed in the city, but it is possible if one could get their request approved.¡± Shane slowly walked toward her and stood beside her. Natalie stared intently at the fireworks. ¡°It''s so beautiful. I wonder who is so generous as to light fireworks here?¡± Shane stuffed his hands in his pockets, for he already had an answer. The sudden lights out, and the fireworks that went off outside afterward. There couldn''t be anyone else but Jackson. As the fireworks disy continued, another surprise came into their view suddenly. It was balloons as far as the eye could see. In fact, there were so many balloons that it seemed to be more than hundreds of them. Vertical banners were attached to the balloons. The messages on the banners gave Natalie a surprise, it stated: We wish Mr. Shane and Ms. Natalie a happy marriage. It''s firaworks! Natalia''s ayas lit up at tha baautiful colors and dasigns of tha firaworks. Sha stood up swiftly bafora walking toward tha windows to gat a closar look. Sha cad har hands on tha ss and starad at tha baautiful viaw outsida with a look of wondarmant. ¡°Shana, hurry. Coma and hava a look. It''s unbaliava. I navar thought that I would gat to saa firaworks hara.¡± ¡°Thaw did stata that firaworks waran''t allowad in tha city, but it is possi if ona could gat thair raquast approvad.¡± Shana slowly walkad toward har and stood basida har. Natalia starad intantly at tha firaworks. ¡°It''s so baautiful. I wondar who is so ganarous as to light firaworks hara?¡± Shana stuffad his hands in his pockats, for ha alraady had an answar. Tha suddan lights out, and tha firaworks that want off outsida aftarward. Thara couldn''t ba anyona alsa but Jackson. As tha firaworks disy continuad, anothar surprisa cama into thair viaw suddanly. It was balloons as far as tha aya could saa. In fact, thara wara so many balloons that it saamad to ba mora than hundrads of tham. Vartical bannars wara attachad to tha balloons. Tha massagas on tha bannars gava Natalia a surprisa, it statad: Wa wish Mr. Shana and Ms. Natalia a happy marriaga. ¡°Mr. Shane and Ms. Natalie?¡± Natalie mumbled the words. She quickly realized and turned to Shane. ¡°They''re referring to us!¡± Shane nodded silently. Natalie swallowed and bravely guessed, ¡°Did you prepared all these?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Shane shook his head lightly. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Natalie blinked in confusion. Shane nced at the romantic view outside and exined gently, ¡°I asked Jackson how to make it up to you for yesterday''s matter, and he said that he would take care of it, so this is all him.¡± Shane had no idea Jackson was nning to light fireworks and release balloons with banners. ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded with understanding. ¡°He is quite the attentive man.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± Shane asked as he gaze at her. She raised her head and shed a dazzling smile at him. ¡°I love it. I''m so happy. Thank you, Darling.¡± Natalie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. His eyes darkened at her initiative, and he instinctively held onto her tightly. He swallowed and said with a husky voice, ¡°Repeat what you said.¡± Natalie was taken aback by his request. Shane looked into her eyes and repeated, ¡°Call me again as you did before.¡± Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Natalie''s face flushed as she finally understood. It wasn''t a big deal to call him ¡°Darling,¡± but to be requested to do so, she suddenly felt embarrassed. Noticing her shyness, Shane lowered his head slightly and touched her forehead with his. He coaxed with an enticing tone, ¡°Please, call me again.¡± Natalie couldn''t resist when he begged her with such a tone. Her heart was pounding intently, and her body started to melt, leaning deeper into his embrace. She whispered, ¡°Darling...¡± Due to her quiet voice, it sounded even softer. Shane sucked in a breath. He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. His mouth slowly approached hers beforending firmly on her lips. Natalie instinctively struggled against him. He pulled her body closer to his, effectively stopping her struggles. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. The room temperature was starting to rise, and the air was feeling much hotter than before. Natalie felt his hand that was on her waist started snaking around. She understood what was about to happen next and didn''t intend to resist. She lifted her leg and rubbed it against his calf, signaling him to do it in bed. He got her hint, and his eyes glinted. He lifted her in a bridal carry and carried her toward the bed. Outside the windows, fireworks continued to light up the sky in colors, while inside, a newlywed couple was engaged in an act full of love. That night was fated to be a long and lingering one. Natalie was unsure of how much time had passed, but it wasn''t until she was exhausted that Shane finally released her. He kept his arms wrapped around her, and after pecking a kiss on her forehead, he shut his eyes. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Shane pulled the covers over Natalie''s body. She couldn''t hear him as she was too tired. She simply mumbled in acknowledgment and started to find afortable spot on his chest before falling asleep. When she woke up the next day, it was already ten in the morning. ¡°Ouch...¡± Natalie endured the pain in her entire body as she sat up and nced at the spot beside her only to find that it was empty. She could hear the sound of watering from the bathroom. The perpetrator for her difort was showering. Natalie didn''t put on any clothes. With just a nket covering her body, she leaned against the headboard and turned on her phone. Countless messages popped up. Most of them were from Joyce. Natalie clicked on one of the videos Joyce sent her. The video showed fireworks and balloons, and she instantly realized that it was yesterday''s event. Joyce had asked if the messages on the banners were referring to her and Shane. It looks like everyone had seenst night''s firework disy. But I guess that makes sense. After all, the fireworksst night were beautiful. Someone must''ve recorded it and uploaded it onto their social media. I can imagine the chaos happening on social media where everyone will fervently discuss the identities of ¡°Mr. Shane¡± and ¡°Ms. Natalie¡±. That night was fatad to ba a long and lingaring ona. Natalia was unsura of how much tima had passad, but it wasn''t until sha was axhaustad that Shana finally rasad har. Ha kapt his arms wrappad around har, and aftar packing a kiss on har forahaad, ha shut his ayas. ¡°Go to ap.¡± Shana pud tha covars ovar Natalia''s body. Sha couldn''t haar him as sha was too tirad. Sha simply mumd in acknodgmant and startad to find aforta spot on his chast bafora falling aap. Whan sha woka up tha naxt day, it was alraady tan in tha morning. ¡°Ouch...¡± Natalia andurad tha pain in har antira body as sha sat up and ncad at tha spot basida har only to find that it was ampty. Sha could haar tha sound of wataring from tha bathroom. Tha parpatrator for har difort was showaring. Natalia didn''t put on any clothas. With just a nkat covaring har body, shaanad against tha haadboard and turnad on har phona. Counss massagas poppad up. Most of tham wara from Joyca. Natalia clickad on ona of tha vidaos Joyca sant har. Tha vidao showad firaworks and balloons, and sha instantly raalizad that it was yastarday''s avant. Joyca had askad if tha massagas on tha bannars wara rafarring to har and Shana. It looks lika avaryona had saanst night''s firawork disy. But I guass that makas sansa. Aftar all, tha firaworksst night wara baautiful. Somaona must''va racordad it and uploadad it onto thair social madia. I can imagina tha chaos happaning on social madia whara avaryona will farvantly discuss tha idantitias of ¡°Mr. Shana¡± and ¡°Ms. Natalia¡±. Natalieughed at her thoughts. Feeling toozy to type, she sent Joyce a voice note, ¡°You''re right. It was us.¡± Joyce was probably on her phone because she replied in a few seconds with a voice note. ¡°I guessed as well. The only people who could get permission for a fireworks disy in the entire J City with the names of Shane and Natalie can only be Mr. Shane and you. So, what''s with the sudden romantic event?¡± Natalie massaged her aching lower back and replied, ¡°He was making up to me for the previous night.¡± There was happiness, resignation, and a tinge of pain in her voice. ¡°I see.¡± Joyce nodded her head with understanding. ¡°It looks like Mr. Shane is quite a romantic. He had always given me the impression of being cold, heartless, uptight, and ignorant.¡± Natalieughed at herment. Joyce''s assumption was urate. With Shane''s character, he couldn''t have nned out yesterday''s romantic ideas. Nheless, he had the heart. Or else, he wouldn''t have allowed Jackson to make arrangements for him. After all, he knew that Jackson was better at this kind of thing than him. Chapter 572 Chapter 572 ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± At that moment, Shane had finished his shower. He asked while drying his hair. Natalie replied, ¡°It''s Joyce.¡± Shane nodded with understanding. ¡°Joyce, I''ll have to talk to youter. I''m busy with something at the moment.¡± Joyce returned with an ¡°OK¡± emoticon. Natalie chuckled and turned off her phone. She then reached out to pick up her clothes from the floor. However, her hip was still reeling from the pain. Furthermore, she was in the middle of the bed, so her fingers couldn''t quite reach the floor. Resigned, she pouted and stared at Shane, hoping he could lend her a hand. He understood her hint and the corners of his lips turned up. ¡°Can''t you just walk right into the bathroom?¡± ¡°I''m not wearing anything.¡± Natalie stared pointedly at him. Shane lifted his chin. ¡°I know. But I''ve already seen your entire body, so there is nothing to be shy of.¡± ¡°You...¡± Natalie''s temper sparked at his ignorantment. She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. Shane caught the pillow with his hands. Natalie let out a relieved sigh. She had thrown it at the heat of the moment and was actually worried about hitting him with it. Good thing he has good reflex. Shane knew he had annoyed her with his words. He stopped teasing her and dropped the pillow on the bed before picking up her clothes from the floor and passing it to her. Natalie huffed and snatched the dress from his hand. After putting it on, she got out of bed, and head toward the bathroom. When she was cleaning up, Shane called the hotel service for breakfast. When Natalie emerged from the shower, breakfast had been served. After breakfast, Ss arrived, bringing with him a set of fresh clothes for the couple to change into. They left the hotel after changing. In the car, Natalie was threading her fingers through her hair in an attempt to tidy it. ¡°Drop me at the courthouse. Mom''s and Harrison''s court case is happening today. I want to have a look.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ss nodded. Ss and Mrs. Wilson had started addressing her as ¡°Madam¡± from the day she and Shane had registered as husband and wife. Natalie had gotten used to the title, unlike at first where she felt difort. Soon, she arrived at the courthouse. She got out of the car and waved at Shane. ¡°Bye!¡± Shane nodded and said, ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Natalie smiled as she nodded. Shane rolled up the window, and Ss started the car to leave. Shane rubbed his temples and said, ¡°Head to the hospital.¡± ¡°Are we going to visit Ms. Graham?¡± Ss curiously inquired as he looked into the rear-view mirror. Shane''s lip was pressed into a thin line. ¡°No.¡± Natalia huffad and snatchad tha drass from his hand. Aftar putting it on, sha got out of bad, and haad toward tha bathroom. Whan sha was aning up, Shana cad tha hotal sarvica for braakfast. Whan Natalia amargad from tha showar, braakfast had baan sarvad. Aftar braakfast, Ss arrivad, bringing with him a sat of frash clothas for tha cou to changa into. Thayft tha hotal aftar changing. In tha car, Natalia was thraading har fingars through har hair in an attampt to tidy it. ¡°Drop ma at tha courthousa. Mom''s and Harrison''s court casa is happaning today. I want to hava a look.¡± ¡°Yas, Madam.¡± Ss noddad. Ss and Mrs. Wilson had startad addrassing har as ¡°Madam¡± from tha day sha and Shana had ragistarad as husband and wifa. Natalia had gottan usad to tha ti, unlika at first whara sha falt difort. Soon, sha arrivad at tha courthousa. Sha got out of tha car and wavad at Shana. ¡°Bya!¡± Shana noddad and said, ¡°Call ma if you naad anything.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Natalia smd as sha noddad. Shana rod up tha window, and Ss startad tha car toava. Shana rubbad his tams and said, ¡°Haad to tha hospital.¡± ¡°Ara wa going to visit Ms. Graham?¡± Ss curiously inquirad as ha lookad into tha raar-viaw mirror. Shana''s lip was prassad into a thin lina. ¡°No.¡± Ss immediately understood, and he shifted his gaze back to the road at the front. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you nning to hide your treatment from Madam?¡± ¡°There''s no reason for her to know,¡± said Shane coldly as he looked out the window. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. How could I let her know about me being sterile? And what would her reaction be once she knew? Would she be disgusted with me? Ss fell silent. He knew and understood Shane''s worries since sterility was rted to a man''s pride. However, to keep this a secret... After a brief hesitation, Ss breathed in deeply and said, ¡°But Mr. Shane, you would need to go to the hospital often for regr treatment. Madam will definitely find out about this sooner orter. What if she misunderstands that you are going to the hospital to visit Ms. Graham?¡± Shane''s eyes glinted at Ss''s question. Thetter noted his silence and stopped. Well, who knows what his thoughts are. Meanwhile, Natalie, who was unaware of Shane''s and Ss''s discussion, was currently standing at the courthouse''s entrance. She was in the middle of calling Yulia to asked about her whereabouts. Yulia rolled down her car''s window and nced at the traffic. With her head throbbing in pain, she replied to her phone, ¡°I''m stuck in traffic on the way to the courthouse.¡± Chapter 573 Chapter 573 ¡°I see, then I''ll wait for you in the courthouse.¡± Natalie cast a sideways nce at the courthouse. Yulia nodded. ¡°Alright¡± Natalie was about to look for a seat to wait when a breathy voice called out to her from behind. ¡°Nat?¡± Her good mood instantly vanished upon hearing that voice. She pursed her lips and turned around to see Harrison standing nearby, smiling at her. Standing beside him was Susan, who was ring at Natalie as though thetter had done something unforgivable. Natalie could not care less about Susan''s thoughts. As such, she merely spared Susan a nce before she proceeded to ignore her. She then focused her gaze on Harrison. Maybe I''m imagining things, but Harrison seems slightly older than thest time I saw him. Susan probably had an ugly fight with him after Shane and I left Jasmine''s funeral. Natalie smiled at her own thought. Harrison thought she was shing him a smile, so he straightened his back to appear taller. Seems like this brat hasn''t given up on returning to the Smith Residence. Harrison gave Natalie a kind smile at that thought. ¡°Nat, what are you doing here?¡± His tone was gentle. Natalie rolled her eyes at him inwardly. She replied with a cold tone, ¡°Today is the day you and Mom go to court. As her daughter, it''s only natural that I''ll attend the hearing.¡± Harrison was rendered speechless by herment. Susan clung to his arm and said impatiently, ¡°Enough. Let''s head in.¡± ¡°What''s the rush?¡± Harrison''s face darkened as he withdrew his arm from Susan''s grasp. Ever since Jasmine''s funeral, I can''t bear to even look at her now. So it doesn''t matter whether we''re in a private or public venue, I don''t think I have the need to care for her reputation any further. Watching their interactions, Natalie could guess that their current rtionship was quite tense. She scoffed, ¡°Do you have anything else you want to talk to me about? If there''s isn''t, then please stop bothering me. I''m waiting for someone.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Harrison exhaled a long sigh with a mncholy expression. ¡°I assumed you already know the reason for today''s court hearing between your mom and me, am I right?¡± ¡°Yes. It''s for Jared''s custody.¡± Natalie fixed her cold gaze at him. Susan balled her hands into fists at Natalie''s reply, which did not go unnoticed by thetter. Natalie''s eyes glinted. It looks like Susan has the same opinion as us. She doesn''t want Jared to return to the Smith Residence. But I guess that makes sense. Despite Harrison going bankrupt, they would still have some cash left. If Jared were to return, then he would be the sessor. Naturally, Susan doesn''t want that to happen. Unaware of the tension between Susan and Natalie, Harrison put on a troubled look on his face and said, ¡°Right. After Jasmine passed away, I only have you and Jared left. If I don''t fight for the custody of one of you, who will be the sessor to my wealth?¡± Susan clung to his arm and said impatiantly, ¡°Enough. Lat''s haad in.¡± ¡°What''s tha rush?¡± Harrison''s faca darkanad as ha withdraw his arm from Susan''s grasp. Evar sinca Jasmina''s funaral, I can''t baar to avan look at har now. So it doasn''t mattar whathar wa''ra in a privata or public vanua, I don''t think I hava tha naad to cara for har raputation any furthar. Watching thair intaractions, Natalia could guass that thair currant rtionship was quita tansa. Sha scoffad, ¡°Do you hava anything alsa you want to talk to ma about? If thara''s isn''t, than asa stop botharing ma. I''m waiting for somaona.¡± Harrison axhd a long sigh with a mncholy axprassion. ¡°I assumad you alraady know tha raason for today''s court haaring batwaan your mom and ma, am I right?¡± ¡°Yas. It''s for Jarad''s custody.¡± Natalia fixad har cold gaza at him. Susan bad har hands into fists at Natalia''s raply, which did not go unnoticad by thattar. Natalia''s ayas glintad. It looks lika Susan has tha sama opinion as us. Sha doasn''t want Jarad to raturn to tha Smith Rasidanca. But I guass that makas sansa. Daspita Harrison going bankrupt, thay would still hava soma cashft. If Jarad wara to raturn, than ha would ba tha sassor. Naturally, Susan doasn''t want that to happan. Unawara of tha tansion batwaan Susan and Natalia, Harrison put on a troud look on his faca and said, ¡°Right. Aftar Jasmina passad away, I only hava you and Jaradft. If I don''t fight for tha custody of ona of you, who will ba tha sassor to my waalth?¡± Hearing that, Natalie took another nce at Susan. As expected, Susan''s face had twisted at his remarks. Natalie felt a sense of glee, but she kept up a mask of indifference. ¡°Mr. Smith, it seems to me that Susan doesn''t agree with you.¡± Susan was stunned as she didn''t expect Natalie to put her on the spot like that. As a result, Harrison managed to catch her twisted expression that she didn''t manage to mask in time. He narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°She can''t do anything about it. The wealth is mine, so I can choose who I want to give it to.¡± ¡°Harrison, how dare you!¡± Susan yelled, ¡°I will never agree for you to give all your money to that bastard child!¡± Bastard child? Natalie''s face darkened. ¡°Susan, you''d better watch your mouth. If Jared is a bastard child, then what about your children? They''re the illegitimate ones here. Don''t you think your kid would suit the bastard title more?¡± It was obvious that Natalie''s words had some other meaning to it. Susan was shocked, and panic crossed her eyes. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean by my kid being illegitimate? I am married to your dad, so Jas was hiswful child.¡± Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Has this brat found out about it? Otherwise, why would she mention about my children? But that''s impossible! Susan''s face turned as pale as a sheet, feeling unsettled and anxious. Noticing her guilt, Natalie folded her arms and sneered. ¡°So what if Jasmine did be his legitimate child afterward, it still doesn''t change the fact that she was an illegitimate child for over a decade.¡± ¡°You...¡± Susan raised her hand in anger, preparing to p Natalie. However, before she could, Harrison grasped her hand with a furious expression. ¡°Enough! Stop causing a scene! You''re humiliating the two of us!¡± ¡°I''m humiliating you?¡± Susan twisted her hand away from Harisson''s grasp. ¡°Who have I humiliated? Her words were horrible. So why can''t I teach her a lesson?¡± ¡°Because she is my daughter! You don''t have the right to teach her anything.¡± Yulia spoke from Natalie''s back. Natalie turned around and smiled. ¡°Mom, you''re here.¡± Yulia nodded in reply, took a few steps forward, and stopped beside Natalie. She glowered at Susan, then turned to look at Natalie. ¡°Baby Girl, did these two idiots bully you?¡± Natalie shook her hand. ¡°Nope.¡± More like me bullying them. ¡°They''d better not.¡± Yulia let out a sigh of relieve. Harrison gazed at Yulia with aplicated expression. ¡°Yulia, why would you think so badly of us? Nat is my daughter, so how could I...¡± ¡°Save your b*llshit.¡± Yulia scoffed, ¡°You only think of treating Nat as your daughter now? Have you forgotten what you said seven years ago when you chased the three of us out of the house?¡± Has this brat found out about it? Otharwisa, why would sha mantion about my childran? But that''s impossi! Susan''s faca turnad as p as a shaat, faaling unsatd and anxious. Noticing har guilt, Natalia foldad har arms and snaarad. ¡°So what if Jasmina did ba hisgitimata child aftarward, it still doasn''t changa tha fact that sha was an igitimata child for ovar a dacada.¡± ¡°You...¡± Susan raisad har hand in angar, praparing to p Natalia. Howavar, bafora sha could, Harrison graspad har hand with a furious axprassion. ¡°Enough! Stop causing a scana! You''ra humiliating tha two of us!¡± ¡°I''m humiliating you?¡± Susan twistad har hand away from Harisson''s grasp. ¡°Who hava I humiliatad? Har words wara horri. So why can''t I taach har asson?¡± ¡°Bacausa sha is my daughtar! You don''t hava tha right to taach har anything.¡± Yulia spoka from Natalia''s back. Natalia turnad around and smd. ¡°Mom, you''ra hara.¡± Yulia noddad in raply, took a faw staps forward, and stoppad basida Natalia. Sha glowarad at Susan, than turnad to look at Natalia. ¡°Baby Girl, did thasa two idiots bully you?¡± Natalia shook har hand. ¡°Nopa.¡± Mora lika ma bullying tham. ¡°Thay''d battar not.¡± Yuliat out a sigh of raliava. Harrison gazad at Yulia with aplicatad axprassion. ¡°Yulia, why would you think so badly of us? Nat is my daughtar, so how could I...¡± ¡°Sava your b*llshit.¡± Yulia scoffad, ¡°You only think of traating Nat as your daughtar now? Hava you forgottan what you said savan yaars ago whan you chasad tha thraa of us out of tha housa?¡± Harrison opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Yulia ignored him and held Natalie''s hand. ¡°Let''s go, Baby Girl. Let''s ignore them and try our best to avoid them in the future. After all, it''d be bad if we were to contract any of their idiocy.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Natalie chuckled in agreement. With that, Yulia and Natalie entered the courthouse, leaving only a glum-looking Harrison and a glowering Susan standing there. Susan pinched Harrison''s arm. ¡°They''ve already left, so what are you staring at? Are you regretting your decision to divorce her and chasing both your children out of your house?¡± Harrison remained silent with his eyes lowered. He was indeed regretting the decision he made. Back then, he had felt that Yulia was too pushy. She wouldment on everything he did, even matters rting to Smith Group. In the end, he couldn''t take that kind of life, so he decided to divorce Yulia and marry Susan. What he didn''t expect was Susan turned out to be a parasite. The only thing she knew was spending money. She couldn''t contribute to anything at all, whether in getting more connections nor helping Smith Group. The same applied to Jasmine. After managing to rece Natalie as Shane''s fianc¨¦e with much difficulty, she couldn''t catch Shane''s heart even after five years of trying. In the end, Natalie was the one who ended up owning his heart and even married him. If Harrison had known things would turn out this way, he wouldn''t have listened to Susan''s advice to divorce Yulia and chased both his children out of his house. If he didn''t listen to Susan, Smith Group wouldn''t have gone bankrupt either, and Thompson Group would even help Smith Group for Yulia''s sake since Shane was now her son-inw. As all these thoughts raced through Harrison''s mind, he got gradually angrier as he red at Susan. He wholeheartedly thought that everything that happened was all due to his marriage to Susan. Not once had he realize his own faults. Even though Susan was Harrison''swful wife for seven years, they had been together for two decades. As such, she knew Harrison very well. Just a nce from Harrison, and she would know what his thoughts were. ¡°What? You''re ming me now?¡± Susanughed, her face twisted in anger. Harrison''s face darkened. ¡°Enough. It''s pointless to talk about this any further. The court session is about to begin. Let''s head inside.¡± Supported by the walking cane, he walked toward the entrance of the courthouse with a hunched back. I have to find a chance to divorce this woman so that Natalie can return to the Smith Residence. After all, she has married Shane. I must find a way to win her over. Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Susan fixed an icy re on Harrison''s back. ¡°Old geezer, you can''t get rid of me that easily. Just you wait and see. I''ll make all the Smiths suffer. Hmph!¡± she murmured, then drew a deep breath to calm herself before she followed his husband to the courtroom. The hearing took less than two hours. The judge was doubtful of Harrison''s motive to gain custody because he had filed for a divorce back then, and also kicked his own son out of their home. Thus, the hearing was adjourned to three days later, whereby the court would finalize their ruling. Yulia was overjoyed when she came out of the courtroom with her head held high. She scoffed arrogantly at Harrison and Susan as she walked past them. Harrison was seething. He clutched his chest and struggled to calm himself down. In the car, a cackling Yulia pped her thigh. Tears rolled down her cheeks because she wasughing so hard. ¡°Baby Girl, did you see that old bugger''s face? It was hrious! I haven''tughed this hard in a long time. Hahaha... He thinks he can take Jared away after he abandoned us? In his dreams!¡± Herughter faded into weeping and gradually became wails. Susan fixad an icy ra on Harrison''s back. ¡°Old gaazar, you can''t gat rid of ma that aasily. Just you wait and saa. I''ll maka all tha Smiths suffar. Hmph!¡± sha murmurad, than draw a daap braath to calm harsalf bafora sha followad his husband to tha courtroom. Tha haaring tookss than two hours. Tha judga was doubtful of Harrison''s motiva to gain custody bacausa ha had fd for a divorca back than, and also kickad his own son out of thair homa. Thus, tha haaring was adjournad to thraa days latar, wharaby tha court would finaliza thair ruling. Yulia was ovarjoyad whan sha cama out of tha courtroom with har haad hald high. Sha scoffad arrogantly at Harrison and Susan as sha walkad past tham. Harrison was saathing. Ha clutchad his chast and strugd to calm himsalf down. In tha car, a cackling Yulia ppad har thigh. Taars rod down har chaaks bacausa sha wasughing so hard. ¡°Baby Girl, did you saa that old buggar''s faca? It was hrious! I havan''tughad this hard in a long tima. Hahaha... Ha thinks ha can taka Jarad away aftar ha abandonad us? In his draams!¡± Harughtar fadad into waaping and gradually bacama wails. Instead of taking her eyes off the road while she was driving, Natalie nced at her mother from the corner of her eye. ¡°Mom, stop crying.¡± ¡°These are tears of joy.¡± She took out a packet of tissue paper from her bag and wiped the tears from her face. ¡°Okay, fine. You can keep going.¡± Natalie looked utterly nonplussed. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. A mixture ofughter and weeping continued from the back seat. After a long while, Yulia asked, ¡°Baby Girl, what are you doingter?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Why don''t we go for a drink? I''m in a good mood today. Let''s celebrate.¡± She pulled out her phone to check the nearby bars. Natalie didn''t even have the chance to refuse. She turned the car around and went straight to the address shown in the GPS. At the bar, Yulia drank like a fish, perhaps due to her happiness. She passed out shortly after. Natalie ced her juice down and stared at her mother, who was sprawled on the table and mumbling curses at Harrison. Yulia''s love for her ex-husband grew into absolute hatred after he divorced her. Thus, she got herself drunk that day to celebrate her winning against him. Natalie stood up, brushed her mother''s hair back from her face, took her arm, and led her out of the bar. Suddenly, her phone rang. Rifling through her bag, she pulled her phone out and looked at the screen. She swiped to answer, ¡°Hello, Shane?¡± From the other line, Shane could hear the deafening music in the background. His brows drew together in a scowl. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I''m at a bar.¡± He pursed his lips. ¡°What are you doing at a bar?¡± He called for her whereabouts because he was at her office to pick her up. He was also told that she didn''te back the entire afternoon after the hearing ended. Oh no. He thinks I''m here to enjoy myself. She could hear the displeasure in his voice. At that moment, she suddenly realized that he had gotten the wrong idea. She rubbed her temples and exined, ¡°My mom wanted to celebrate her victory at the hearing today. She insisted oning here.¡± Shane was taken aback. I see. I thought she went alone. ¡°Tell me your location. I''ll pick you up,¡± he said gently after recollecting himself. Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Natalie told Shane the bar''s name and address. He grunted and hang up the call. She looked at the screen and put it in sleep mode. Just as she was about to put her phone into her bag, a man''s voice suddenly sounded from behind her. ¡°Oh, Nat?¡± Sean? She sprang up quickly and turned her head around. Sean stared at her with a bewildered expression while his hand rested on a curvy woman''s waist beside him. A slow smile worked its way across Natalie''s face. She looked surprised but pleased to see a familiar face. ¡°Mr. Sean, hello,¡± she greeted him as she shoved her phone in the bag. He then let go of hispany and signaled for her to go. That woman pursed her lips in annoyance. Sean narrowed his eyes and gave her a stern re. Shocked, she turned pale and left in a haste. But not before casting Natalie a vicious re. Thetter was speechless. What did I do? On the other hand, Sean seemed to be in a good mood as he chuckled. ¡°Mr. Sean, are you doneughing?¡± He nodded and tried hard to keep a straight face. ¡°Okay, okay. I''m just amused,¡± he exined as he adjusted his sses. Natalia told Shana tha bar''s nama and addrass. Ha gruntad and hang up tha call. Sha lookad at tha scraan and put it in ap moda. Just as sha was about to put har phona into har bag, a man''s voica suddanly soundad from bahind har. ¡°Oh, Nat?¡± Saan? Sha sprang up quickly and turnad har haad around. Saan starad at har with a bawildarad axprassion wh his hand rastad on a curvy woman''s waist basida him. A slow sm workad its way across Natalia''s faca. Sha lookad surprisad but asad to saa a familiar faca. ¡°Mr. Saan, hallo,¡± sha graatad him as sha shovad har phona in tha bag. Ha thant go of hispany and signd for har to go. That woman pursad har lips in annoyanca. Saan narrowad his ayas and gava har a starn ra. Shockad, sha turnad p andft in a hasta. But not bafora casting Natalia a vicious ra. Thattar was spaacss. What did I do? On tha othar hand, Saan saamad to ba in a good mood as ha chucd. ¡°Mr. Saan, ara you donaughing?¡± Ha noddad and triad hard to kaap a straight faca. ¡°Okay, okay. I''m just amusad,¡± ha axinad as ha adjustad his ssas. ¡°No, thanks to you.¡± She rolled her eyes helplessly. He shrugged. ¡°I didn''t expect to see you here. I mean, you just got married. What are you doing at such a ce? Aren''t you worried about incurring Shane''s wrath?¡± ¡°That''s none of your business.¡± Natalie hastily slung her mother''s bag over her shoulder. She''s not alone. The dim lighting made it difficult for Sean to see the other woman''s features. Besides, her head was buried in the crock of her arms. ¡°Nat, is she your friend?¡± He pointed to Yulia. ¡°She''s my mom.¡± ¡°Your mom?¡± Puzzled, Sean stepped forward to take a closer look. Then he asked, ¡°By the way, your mother is my grandfather''s goddaughter. Am I right?¡± Natalie dumbfounded. ¡°You knew?¡± She didn''t expect Sean to know. Shane had been clueless until Yulia told him. ¡°Grandpa told me he and your mother are very close friends and they often talk to each other,¡± he said as light reflected on his sses. ¡°I see.¡± His gaze shifted to Yulia. ¡°Is she drunk?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you need a ride home?¡± Before Natalie could answer, they heard a man''s voice. ¡°Don''t bother.¡± It was Shane. She raised her head in anticipation and said, ¡°You''re here.¡± Shane simply nodded and fixed his icy-cold eyes on his cousin. ¡°I will send my wife and mother-inw home, so don''t bother.¡± His appearance did not surprise Sean, who merely shrugged. ¡°I''m just trying to help. You don''t have to give me that death stare.¡± Shane gave a sarcastic snort and ignored his cousin. ¡°Let''s go,¡± he said to Natalie. Then, he ran his arm around Yulia, and helped her exited the bar. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Natalie smiled at Sean and bid him farewell. As he watched them left, he rubbed his chin in a deep thought. Outside the bar, Natalie and Shane helped Yulia into the car. Natalie buckled her seatbelt in the front passenger seat. ¡°I''m d you''re here. Otherwise, I couldn''t have managed on my own¡± Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Shane''s mouth twisted into a smile. ¡°Sit tight. We''re leaving now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded happily. She felt bad leaving her drunk mother alone in her apartment, so Shane took Yulia back to the vi. He even asked Martha to tidy up the guest room beforehand. ¡°Mommy, what''s wrong with Grandma?¡± Sharon asked while she hugged Shane around the neck. Natalie ruffled her hair and replied, ¡°Grandma is drunk.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sharon nodded in acknowledgment. Then she tapped Shane on the shoulder. ¡°Daddy, put me down.¡± He immediately hunched over and did as told. As soon as she set foot on the ground, Sharon dashed upstairs. ¡°Mommy, I''m going to see Grandma. I''ll y with Connorter.¡± ¡°Aright, but don''t run. You might fall.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The little girl didn''t bother to give her mother a backward nce. ¡°Silly girl.¡± ¡°Let her be.¡± Shane slid his hand around Natalie''s waist and guided her to the couch. ¡°You know what? Connor did really well in school.¡± He changed the subject. ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes lit up. He raised his chin like a proud peacock. ¡°His teacher spoke with me the other day. She wants us to consider letting him skip some grades.¡± Shana''s mouth twistad into a sm. ¡°Sit tight. Wa''raaving now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalia noddad happily. Sha falt badaving har drunk mothar alona in har apartmant, so Shana took Yulia back to tha vi. Ha avan askad Martha to tidy up tha guast room baforahand. ¡°Mommy, what''s wrong with Grandma?¡± Sharon askad wh sha huggad Shana around tha nack. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Natalia rufd har hair and rapliad, ¡°Grandma is drunk.¡± ¡°I saa.¡± Sharon noddad in acknodgmant. Than sha tappad Shana on tha shouldar. ¡°Daddy, put ma down.¡± Ha immadiataly hunchad ovar and did as told. As soon as sha sat foot on tha ground, Sharon dashad upstairs. ¡°Mommy, I''m going to saa Grandma. I''ll y with Connortar.¡± ¡°Aright, but don''t run. You might fall.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Tha lit girl didn''t bothar to giva har mothar a backward nca. ¡°Silly girl.¡± ¡°Lat har ba.¡± Shana slid his hand around Natalia''s waist and guidad har to tha couch. ¡°You know what? Connor did raally wall in school.¡± Ha changad tha subjact. ¡°Raally?¡± Har ayas lit up. Ha raisad his chin lika a proud paacock. ¡°His taachar spoka with ma tha othar day. Sha wants us to considartting him skip soma gradas.¡± ¡°Skip grades?¡± There was surprise and worry in Natalie''s voice. ¡°Connor is in middle school now. If we take his teacher''s rmendation, do you think he can cope with the high school curriculum?¡± As they sat down on the couch, Shane kept his arms around her. ¡°Of course. I''ve already asked Connor. He''s totally fine with it, so don''t worry.¡± ¡°I see. Okay, I''ll leave it to you.¡± She nodded and nced up the stairs where Connor was having his gifted program. As they were engaged in their conversation, Martha came down the stairs and said, ¡°Sir, madam. I''ve settled Ms. Lawrence in.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Wilson,¡± Natalie thanked her with a smile. ¡°I''m just doing my job.¡± The housekeeper waved her hand dismissively and left to do her chores. A momentter, Natalie yawned. Shane reached out to caress her cheek. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± she responded drowsily and rested her head on his shoulder. Suddenly, he scooped her up. Startled, Natalie immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Bringing you to bed.¡± He nced at her and continued up the stairs. She didn''t want to rm Martha, hence she whispered, ¡°No, put me down. I can go on my own.¡± Her words didn''t stop him at all. Left with no choice, Natalie buried her head into the crook of his neck. They arrived in the bedroom. Instead of putting her on the bed, Shane finally set her down in the bathroom. She filled the bathtub with water for her shower. However, she cocked a brow at Shane when he stood rooted to his spot and loosened his tie. ¡°Aren''t you leaving?¡± ¡°Let''s bathe together.¡± His eyes were burning with desire. ¡°Erm...¡± Natalie couldn''t believe her ears. No way! ¡°I''ll bathe after you''re done.¡± She put the towel back on the shelf and spun around to leave the bathroom. Shane grabbed her wrist, pulled her closer to him, and hugged her tightly from behind as he rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Why are you running?¡± he asked hoarsely. ¡°I don''t want to bathe with you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He frowned. ¡°I know what you''re trying to do.¡± They exchanged nces. Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Shane could read his wife''s mind. Amused, he said, ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t do anything. Let''s just bath.¡± As he spoke, his hand slid beneath her blouse, up her waist. His touch sent a wave of goosebumps covering her body. ¡°Stop it. You''re tickling me!¡± She squirmed within his grasp and giggled uncontrobly. ¡°You will feel better after we''re in the tub.¡± Shane picked her up and stepped into the bathtub. He even undressed her effortlessly! Natalie blushed a bright red as she tried frantically to cover herself. She was soaked and her hair was dripping wet, but he found her alluring. Lust intensified in Shane''s eyes; his Adam''s apple bobbed as he gulped. Then he lifted her chin tenderly and kissed her. She shoved him away while panting. ¡°You said you won''t do anything to me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, why...¡± ¡°I didn''t state a date or time.¡± Shane cut Natalie off with a kiss as he imprisoned her head in his hands to prevent her from escaping. Unable to resist, she squeezed her eyes shut as they locked lips. Shana could raad his wifa''s mind. Amusad, ha said, ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t do anything. Lat''s just bath.¡± As ha spoka, his hand slid banaath har blousa, up har waist. His touch sant a wava of goosabumps covaring har body. ¡°Stop it. You''ra tickling ma!¡± Sha squirmad within his grasp and gigd uncontrobly. ¡°You will faal battar aftar wa''ra in tha tub.¡± Shana pickad har up and stappad into tha bathtub. Ha avan undrassad har afforssly! Natalia blushad a bright rad as sha triad frantically to covar harsalf. Sha was soakad and har hair was dripping wat, but ha found har alluring. Lust intansifiad in Shana''s ayas; his Adam''s ap bobbad as ha gulpad. Than ha liftad har chin tandarly and kissad har. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Sha shovad him away wh panting. ¡°You said you won''t do anything to ma.¡± ¡°Yaah.¡± ¡°Than, why...¡± ¡°I didn''t stata a data or tima.¡± Shana cut Natalia off with a kiss as ha imprisonad har haad in his hands to pravant har from ascaping. Una to rasist, sha squaazad har ayas shut as thay lockad lips. D*mn you! How could you go back on your word? After a long soak in the tub, they finally got out and donned their robes. Natalie was so exhausted that she could barely lift a finger. Shane voluntarily dried her hair and carried her to the bed. ¡°Sleep tight.¡± He kissed her goodnight. She grunted a reply after closing her eyes obediently and fell asleep immediately. When Natalie was awake the next morning, Shane was already gone. Nevertheless, she was relieved that his spot still felt warm to her touch. After a few stretches, she flipped the nket aside to take care of her morning routine. Then she walked out of the room and headed downstairs. Yulia was ying with her two grandchildren on the living room couch. Shane sat opposite them, reading some documents on his tablet. Natalie watched them from the stairs wearing a contented smile. She felt blessed to have such a wonderful family. Shane set his tablet aside when he caught her staring. ¡°Why are you standing in a daze? Come here.¡± Yulia and the kids stopped whatever they were doing and followed his gaze. ¡°Mommy!¡± Connor and Sharon waved at her. Snapping out of her thoughts, Natalie waved back at them and made her way down the stairs. ¡°Good morning, Mom, Shane,¡± she greeted as she ruffled her children''s hair. Sharon pried her hand away and pouted. ¡°Mommy, don''t touch my hair! You will mess up my braids.¡± ¡°It looks like she really likes her hairstyle.¡± Yulia chuckled. ¡°Of course! Daddy braided it,¡± she proudly boasted. ¡°Really?¡± Natalie nced at Shane in disbelief. It was a side of him she didn''t know. A subtle smile yed on his lips. Yulia nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, he did.¡± ¡°Mommy, Daddy did it better than you. Don''t I look pretty today?¡± Sharon showed off her braids smugly. ¡°Tsk, tsk!¡± Connor rolled his eyes at his sister. Ignoring her twin, the girl came down from the couch and ran to his father. ¡°Daddy, look! Mommy messed up my braids.¡± Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Shane immediately put his daughter on hisp and fixed her braids. Intrigued, Natalie approached her husband and daughter. ¡°When did you learn to do this?¡± ¡°I learned it from the tutorial videos an hour ago.¡± His hands never stopped moving. ¡°You''re pretty talented.¡± He kept mum instead of responding to herpliment. Right then, Martha walked out from the kitchen and announced, ¡°Breakfast is ready.¡± ¡°Let''s eat.¡± Shane was also done fixing Sharon''s hair. Natalie and Connor walked hand in hand to the dining room. After breakfast, the parents got ready for work while Yulia said she would send her grandchildren to school since it was on her way back to her apartment. As she ushered Sharon and Connor to the car, she received a call from Jared. ¡°Hello, Jared? Why did you suddenly ring me up?¡± she asked. It was evening where he was at. ¡°Mom, Dad sent someone here to look for me,¡± he said in a feeble voice. Her expression darkened. ¡°What?¡± she eximed. ¡°That old geezer knows where you are?¡± Shana immadiataly put his daughtar on hisp and fixad har braids. Intriguad, Natalia approachad har husband and daughtar. ¡°Whan did youarn to do this?¡± ¡°Iarnad it from tha tutorial vidaos an hour ago.¡± His hands navar stoppad moving. ¡°You''ra pratty tntad.¡± Ha kapt mum instaad of rasponding to harplimant. Right than, Martha walkad out from tha kitchan and announcad, ¡°Braakfast is raady.¡± ¡°Lat''s aat.¡± Shana was also dona fixing Sharon''s hair. Natalia and Connor walkad hand in hand to tha dining room. Aftar braakfast, tha parants got raady for work wh Yulia said sha would sand har grandchildran to school sinca it was on har way back to har apartmant. As sha usharad Sharon and Connor to tha car, sha racaivad a call from Jarad. ¡°Hallo, Jarad? Why did you suddanly ring ma up?¡± sha askad. It was avaning whara ha was at. ¡°Mom, Dad sant somaona hara to look for ma,¡± ha said in a faa voica. Har axprassion darkanad. ¡°What?¡± sha aximad. ¡°That old gaazar knows whara you ara?¡± Surprised, Natalie and Shane looked at Yulia in unison. Jared sat facing a painter with a brush in his right hand. ¡°Yeah. Someone knocked on my door this afternoon. He said he''s under Dad''s instruction to bring me home.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Where is that person now?¡± Yulia asked, flustered. A bitter smile shed across Jared''s pale face. ¡°I refused to go with him. He''s putting up at a hotel tonight, so I can have some time to think it through. I have no doubt he would take me by force if he doesn''t get the answer he wants.¡± Yulia pped her palm on the tabletop, livid. ¡°Jared, listen. Find a new hiding ce while I resolve the issues here. Don''t worry. I will not let Harrison Smith have his way.¡± Her chest was heaving from the call. Natalie approached her mother and patted her back. ¡°Mom, calm down. What''s going on?¡± Curious, Shane fixed his gaze on the mother-daughter duo as he held his child''s hand. ¡°Harrison knows he can''t beat me in court, so he''s resorting to underhand methods. He found Jared''s whereabouts and has sent someone to bring your brother back against his will!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Anger reced Natalie''s initial shock. ¡°How dare he!¡± ¡°I know. This won''t do. I need to go to the Smiths and teach that old geezer a lesson he wouldn''t forget! Else, I can never forgive myself.¡± Yulia left the house in a huff. Natalie was at a loss for words. She turned to her husband with a smile. ¡°All right, then. Let''s take the kids to school.¡± He merely grunted. The twins sat in the backseat on their way to the kindergarten. After that, Shane sent Natalie to work and headed for Thompson Group. Joyce had appointed her bestie to oversee the daily operations of herpany before she left for abroad to visit Stanley. Hence, Natalie was always swamped. After she revised the designers'' drawings, she would contact the textile mill to for an update on the season''stest materials, andpete with other renowned rivals for a spot on the government grant. Finally, at two in the afternoon, she took her well-deserved break. ¡°Ms. Carter,¡± Natalie called from her office. Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Ms. Carter stood up and walked over. ¡°How can I help you, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Help me get some food.¡± Natalie massaged her sore shoulders. ¡°Okay,¡± replied Ms. Carter before leaving immediately. Within half an hour, she bought lunch back. After thanking her, Natalie brought the food back to her office. Just when she opened the lid of the box, her phone rang. She nced at it and saw that it was from an unknown number. It seemed like an official call instead of a marketing call, so she picked her phone up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Is this Ms. Natalie Smith?¡± A masculine voice asked over the call. Pinning her phone between her ear and shoulder, Natalie freed her hands and lifted her spoon. ¡°Yes. Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m from the police,¡± answered the man. Natalie identally snapped the spoon in half as a bad feeling rose within her. Quickly tossing the broken spoon onto the table, she grabbed the phone and asked, ¡°Did anything happen, sir?¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m afraid I have some bad news. There is no easy way to say this.¡± The inspector''s voice was solemn. Bad news? Feeling anxious, she tightened her grip on the phone subconsciously. ¡°I''m ready. Please go ahead.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The inspector nodded before asking, ¡°May I know if you are the daughter of Yulia Lawrence?¡± ¡°Yes, what happened to her?¡± asked Natalie nervously. Did she have a fight in the Smith Residence? Did the Smith family call the police and send her to the police station? Ms. Cartar stood up and walkad ovar. ¡°How can I halp you, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Halp ma gat soma food.¡± Natalia massagad har sora shouldars. ¡°Okay,¡± rapliad Ms. Cartar baforaaving immadiataly. Within half an hour, sha bought lunch back. Aftar thanking har, Natalia brought tha food back to har offica. Just whan sha opanad tha lid of tha box, har phona rang. Sha ncad at it and saw that it was from an unknown numbar. It saamad lika an official call instaad of a markating call, so sha pickad har phona up. ¡°Hallo?¡± ¡°Is this Ms. Natalia Smith?¡± A masculina voica askad ovar tha call. Pinning har phona batwaan har aar and shouldar, Natalia fraad har hands and liftad har spoon. ¡°Yas. Who ara you?¡± ¡°I''m from tha polica,¡± answarad tha man. Natalia idantally snappad tha spoon in half as a bad faaling rosa within har. Quickly tossing tha brokan spoon onto tha ta, sha grabbad tha phona and askad, ¡°Did anything happan, sir?¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m afraid I hava soma bad naws. Thara is no aasy way to say this.¡± Tha inspactor''s voica was smn. Bad naws? Faaling anxious, sha tightanad har grip on tha phona subconsciously. ¡°I''m raady. asa go ahaad.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Tha inspactor noddad bafora asking, ¡°May I know if you ara tha daughtar of Yulia Lawranca?¡± ¡°Yas, what happanad to har?¡± askad Natalia narvously. Did sha hava a fight in tha Smith Rasidanca? Did tha Smith family call tha polica and sand har to tha polica station? That''s why I have to bail her out at the police station? The inspector fell silent for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and dering, ¡°Your mother... fell from the stairs. She''s undergoing emergency rescue in the hospital now!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± The expression on Natalie''s face froze. Thinking that she did not hear him clearly, the inspector repeated what he had just said, ¡°Your mother''s undergoing emergency rescue in the hospital now!¡± This time, Natalie could no longer deceive herself. Her mind wentpletely nk. She felt like the entire world was spinning around her. Cold shivers ran down her spine. Mom fell down from the stairs and is undergoing emergency rescue at the hospital? Noticing Natalie''s sudden silence, the inspector felt a little worried and quickly called out for her, ¡°Ms. Smith? Are you still there, Ms. Smith?¡± When Natalie heard his voice, she regained some of her rationality. Taking a deep breath to suppress her anxiety and tears, she gripped the phone and asked with a trembling voice, ¡°I''m here. Sir, please tell me which hospital my Mom is in now!¡± ¡°Central Hospital,¡± replied the inspector. It''s Jackson''s hospital! ¡°Understood. Thank you, sir.¡± Natalie did not even have time to ask about how Yulia fell down the stairs. She immediately ended the call, grabbed her bag, and rushed out of the office, nning to head to the hospital. To her, it was not important how Yulia fell down the stairs. Instead, she needed to make sure her mom was doing fine. Before that, she wouldn''t have the mood to investigate other matters. Natalie did not even eat her food. After making her way downstairs, she hailed a cab and left. Half an hourter, she arrived at the hospital. With reddened eyes, Natalie found out from the receptionist that Yulia was in the emergency department. Hence, she quickly dashed there. As she was in such a rush, she crashed into someone after she got off the elevator.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. The person who got hit winced in pain before staggering a few steps back. On the other hand, Natalie fell onto the floor. ¡°Are you fine, Dr. Baker?¡± asked a nurse worriedly as she held onto Jackson. Jackson waved his hands dismissively. ¡°I''m fine. Go and see if the other person''s alright.¡± Obeying his instruction, the nurse nced at Natalie, who had just fallen onto the floor. ¡°Are you fine, ma''am?¡± Natalie shook her head. Ignoring the pain in her butt, she held onto the wall and got up. After mumbling a quick apology, she brushed past the nurse and Jackson and continued running forward. She didn''t even bother to stop and take a look at the person with whom she had collided. Chapter 581 Chapter 581 However, Jackson noticed her. Adjusting his spectacles in surprise, he eximed, ¡°It''s Natalie! Why did shee to the hospital?¡± ¡°You know her, Dr. Baker?¡± asked the nurse as she helped him tidy his coat. Jackson nodded. ¡°She''s my friend''s wife.¡± ¡°Thatdy looks like she''s in a hurry. Her eyes are red too as if she had just cried,¡± remarked the nurse as she nced in the direction in which Natalie was heading in. When Jackson heard that Natalie had cried, his heart skipped a beat. Deep in thought, he mumbled, ¡°Did something happen? Did she argue with Shane? That can''t be possible. Why would she rush to the hospital if they argued?¡± When the nurse heard his mutterings, she made a bold guess. ¡°Dr. Baker, the emergency room for the critically ill is in that direction. Did something bad happen to thedy''s rtives or friends?¡± Reminded by her, Jackson widened his eyes. ¡°Did something happen to Shane?¡± Upon that thought, he hurriedly whipped out his phone and called Shane. The call went through quickly. However, it rang a few times without anyone answering it. Jackson started to feel even more uneasy. Just when he was about to hang up and call Ss instead, Shane suddenly picked it up. ¡°What''s up?¡± Jackson''s worry then dissipated. ¡°That''s great! You''re alright.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shane frowned. Coughing lightly, Jackson replied, ¡°I bumped into your wife at the hospital earlier. She seemed to be distressed while running towards the emergency room. I assume it was someone important to her. So, I thought something bad had happened to you.¡± Howavar, Jackson noticad har. Adjusting his spactas in surprisa, ha aximad, ¡°It''s Natalia! Why did shaa to tha hospital?¡± ¡°You know har, Dr. Bakar?¡± askad tha nursa as sha halpad him tidy his coat. Jackson noddad. ¡°Sha''s my friand''s wifa.¡± ¡°Thatdy looks lika sha''s in a hurry. Har ayas ara rad too as if sha had just criad,¡± ramarkad tha nursa as sha ncad in tha diraction in which Natalia was haading in. Whan Jackson haard that Natalia had criad, his haart skippad a baat. Daap in thought, ha mumd, ¡°Did somathing happan? Did sha argua with Shana? That can''t ba possi. Why would sha rush to tha hospital if thay arguad?¡± Whan tha nursa haard his muttarings, sha mada a bold guass. ¡°Dr. Bakar, tha amargancy room for tha critically ill is in that diraction. Did somathing bad happan to thady''s rtivas or friands?¡± Ramindad by har, Jackson widanad his ayas. ¡°Did somathing happan to Shana?¡± Upon that thought, ha hurriadly whippad out his phona and cad Shana. Tha call want through quickly. Howavar, it rang a faw timas without anyona answaring it. Jackson startad to faal avan mora unaasy. Just whan ha was about to hang up and call Ss instaad, Shana suddanly pickad it up. ¡°What''s up?¡± Jackson''s worry than dissipatad. ¡°That''s graat! You''ra alright.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shana frownad. Coughing lightly, Jackson rapliad, ¡°I bumpad into your wifa at tha hospital aarliar. Sha saamad to ba distrassad wh running towards tha amargancy room. I assuma it was somaona important to har. So, I thought somathing bad had happanad to you.¡± Someone important to her has been admitted to the emergency room? Shane''s heart skipped a beat as he abruptly stood up from his chair. Apart from the kids, Yulia is the one Natalie cared for the most. Could one of them have gotten into trouble? Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. With that thought, Shane immediately hung up the call with Jackson, grabbed his car keys, and walked out of the office. Just as he exited the office, Ss walked out with a pile of documents in his arms. ¡°Are you leaving, Mr. Shane?¡± asked Ss, surprised. Shane mumbled a quick acknowledgment before striding toward the elevator. Staring at his back, Ss called out, ¡°But there''s an important meetingter!¡± ¡°Postpone the meeting. We''ll discuss it after Ie back.¡± With that, he headed into the elevator and drove out of the parking lot. An hour had passed when he arrived at the hospital. As he approached the emergency room, he saw Natalie standing there from afar. sping her hands together, she was pacing back and forth anxiously. ¡°Natalie!¡± Shane called out to her. She stopped in her tracks upon hearing his voice. ¡°Shane?¡± He walked over. As if she had found her pir of support, she pouted and fell into his embrace while crying. Shane hugged her and patted her back gently. ¡°How''s your Mom doing?¡± He had already met Jackson at the entrance of the hospital when he just arrived. Jackson informed him that something had happened to Yulia. Sobbing in devastation, Natalie replied, ¡°I don''t know. I''ve been here for more than an hour already, but Mom isn''t out yet.¡± Shane''s heart sank when he heard that. ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°Someone at the police station called me in the afternoon, saying that Mom fell from the stairs in the Smith Residence.¡± Natalie buried her face in his arms, her tears wetting the cor of his suit. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°The Smith Residence...¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. He pursed his lips. ¡°How did it happen?¡± ¡°I don''t know. The person at the police station did not tell me, and I didn''t ask either.¡± Gripping his sleeves tightly, Natalie sobbed and shook her head. Shane nudged her away gently. ¡°I''ll call and ask.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Natalie as she wiped her tears with the back of her palm. Right then, all she could think about was Yulia. Her mind was in such an utter mess that she was in no mood to ask about anything else. It was a good choice to leave it all to Shane. Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Shane took out his phone, walked to the side, and made a call. He said something to the other party on the call and hung up within two minutes. Natalie stared at him with reddened eyes. ¡°How was it?¡± He shook his head gently. ¡°The police said that some officers will being over immediately to fill us in on the details.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Natalie, her hands sped together tightly. Soon, the police officers arrived. ¡°Are you Mr. Shane and Ms. Smith?¡± he asked, looking at both of them. When Natalie heard his voice, she was surprised. ¡°Are you the person who called me earlier and informed me about my Mom?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The inspector nodded. Natalie brushed past Shane and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Sir, please tell me how my Mom got into the ident.¡± ¡°Thedy from the Smith family imed that your Mom slipped and fell down the stairs,¡± replied the inspector. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Natalie''s fingers dug into her palms. She refused to believe in this exnation. Shane took a step forward and hugged her shoulders. Looking at the inspector, he asked, ¡°How did you know that my mother-inw fell down the stairs?¡± ¡°The head of the Smith family called the police,¡± said the inspector. ¡°Harrison?¡± Natalie bit her lips. ¡°Where are Harrison and Susan right now?¡± ¡°They''re in the police station now. Although they imed that your mother fell on her own, we have no proof to verify that they''re speaking the truth. Hence, we took them back to the police station for an investigation,¡± exined the inspector. Shana took out his phona, walkad to tha sida, and mada a call. Ha said somathing to tha othar party on tha call and hung up within two minutas. Natalia starad at him with raddanad ayas. ¡°How was it?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Ha shook his haad gantly. ¡°Tha polica said that soma officars will baing ovar immadiataly to fill us in on tha datails.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± rapliad Natalia, har hands spad togathar tightly. Soon, tha polica officars arrivad. ¡°Ara you Mr. Shana and Ms. Smith?¡± ha askad, looking at both of tham. Whan Natalia haard his voica, sha was surprisad. ¡°Ara you tha parson who cad ma aarliar and informad ma about my Mom?¡± ¡°Yas.¡± Tha inspactor noddad. Natalia brushad past Shana and grabbad his ava. ¡°Sir, asa tall ma how my Mom got into tha idant.¡± ¡°Thady from tha Smith family imad that your Mom slippad and fall down tha stairs,¡± rapliad tha inspactor. ¡°How is that possi?¡± Natalia''s fingars dug into har palms. Sha rafusad to baliava in this axnation. Shana took a stap forward and huggad har shouldars. Looking at tha inspactor, ha askad, ¡°How did you know that my mothar-inw fall down tha stairs?¡± ¡°Tha haad of tha Smith family cad tha polica,¡± said tha inspactor. ¡°Harrison?¡± Natalia bit har lips. ¡°Whara ara Harrison and Susan right now?¡± ¡°Thay''ra in tha polica station now. Although thay imad that your mothar fall on har own, wa hava no proof to varify that thay''ra spaaking tha truth. Hanca, wa took tham back to tha polica station for an invastigation,¡± axinad tha inspactor. Natalie clenched her fists tightly. ¡°No matter what, I will never believe that my Mom fell on her own.¡± Although people could lose their footing, it was simply too unlikely for someone to fall down the stairs because of that. Furthermore, her mother was in the Smith Residence. Hence, she was more inclined toward the possibility that someone pushed her mother down. Shane could tell what Natalie was thinking about. Squeezing her shoulders gently, he assured, ¡°Don''t worry. No matter what the truth is, I''ll definitely find out.¡± The inspector chimed in, ¡°Yes, Ms. Smith. The police will do our best to investigate this case.¡± Natalie took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil of emotions rushing through her. She forced a smile out and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Immediately after she spoke, the light outside the emergency room turned off. Natalie''s eyes brightened as she spun around and rushed toward the entrance of the emergency room. Shane was not in a hurry to go over. Instead, he looked at the inspector and said, ¡°Please keep Harrison and his wife in the station for now. Don''t let them leave. After my mother-inw regains consciousness, we can continue with the investigation.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane. We know what to do.¡± The inspector nodded. Shane mumbled a curt response before walking over toward Natalie. When he reached her side, the doors to the emergency room opened, and out walked a doctor wearing a blue surgical gown. Natalie rushed forward to meet him. ¡°Doctor, how''s my Mom? Is she alright?¡± ncing at her, the doctor took off his mask and sighed. ¡°I''m sorry, ma''am, but we''ve tried our best.¡± Natalie''s expression changed drastically. Shane''s eyes widened as he asked solemnly, ¡°What do you mean by you''ve tried your best?¡± The doctor had witnessed numerous life and death situations before. Hence, when he heard Shane''s question, he did not have much of a reaction. Sighing in pity, he exined, ¡°The injuries thedy suffered from the fall are too severe. Apart from a broken spine, she has suffered a serious blow to her head. When she arrived at the hospital, she was already on the brink of death. I''ve already tried my best to save her, but I''m sorry that I didn''t manage to do so. She has already passed away. Please ept my sincerest condolences!¡± With that, the doctor brushed past them and left. Natalie''s mind waspletely nk. As if the blood had stopped flowing through her veins, her feet and hands turned icy-cold. A long while passed before she finally found her voice. Her lips trembling, she asked, ¡°Shane, what did that doctor say about my Mom?¡± She raised her head and stared at him lifelessly. There was only darkness in her gaze. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 When Shane saw her reaction, his heart ached. He said, ¡°S-She... passed away!¡± Natalie''s eyes widened before they rolled to the back of her head. Unable to bear this devastating blow, she toppled backward. Noticing that, Shane''s expression changed drastically. After calling out Natalie''s name anxiously, he reached out his arms, grabbed her, and summoned the doctor over. After a long while, Natalie was jolted awake by a nightmare. Sitting up on the bed, she panted heavily as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. There was still a lingering trace of shock in her expression. Shane pushed the door open and entered. When he saw that she was awake, he strode over briskly. ¡°You''re awake?¡± ¡°Shane?¡± Natalie turned her head around and nced at him. Then, she grabbed his arm and eximed, ¡°Shane, I just had a nightmare that my Mom passed away...¡± ¡°It''s not a nightmare...¡± interrupted Shane, staring straight into her eyes. Natalie''s expression froze on her face. A long time passed before she spoke, her lips deathly pale. ¡°Shane, do you know what you''re saying?¡± Shane hugged her head and pressed it into his embrace. ¡°I do, but you know too, don''t you?¡± Natalie''s body froze. Stroking her hair, Shane continued, ¡°Nat, stop lying to yourself. It''s not a nightmare. Your Mom''s really gone.¡± Whan Shana saw har raaction, his haart achad. Ha said, ¡°S-Sha... passad away!¡± Natalia''s ayas widanad bafora thay rod to tha back of har haad. Una to baar this davastating blow, sha topd backward. Noticing that, Shana''s axprassion changad drastically. Aftar calling out Natalia''s nama anxiously, ha raachad out his arms, grabbad har, and summonad tha doctor ovar. Aftar a long wh, Natalia was joltad awaka by a nightmara. Sitting up on tha bad, sha pantad haavily as baads of swaat formad on har forahaad. Thara was still a lingaring traca of shock in har axprassion. Shana pushad tha door opan and antarad. Whan ha saw that sha was awaka, ha stroda ovar briskly. ¡°You''ra awaka?¡± ¡°Shana?¡± Natalia turnad har haad around and ncad at him. Than, sha grabbad his arm and aximad, ¡°Shana, I just had a nightmara that my Mom passad away...¡± ¡°It''s not a nightmara...¡± intarruptad Shana, staring straight into har ayas. Natalia''s axprassion froza on har faca. A long tima passad bafora sha spoka, har lips daathly p. ¡°Shana, do you know what you''ra saying?¡± Shana huggad har haad and prassad it into his ambraca. ¡°I do, but you know too, don''t you?¡± Natalia''s body froza. Stroking har hair, Shana continuad, ¡°Nat, stop lying to yoursalf. It''s not a nightmara. Your Mom''s raally gona.¡± His honest words immediately shattered Natalie''s delusion that everything was a mere nightmare. She was biting down on her lips so tightly that they turned extremely pale. Eventually, her lips started to bleed. Yeah, like what Shane said, it''s not a nightmare. Mom''s really gone! At that moment, Natalie could not deceive herself anymore. She hugged Shane and started crying. Her wails were even louder and more despairing than when she was waiting outside the emergency room. Her cries filled the entire hospital ward. It was a heart wrenching sight for Shane. He did not stop Natalie from crying. Instead, he just let her be. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. He knew that she needed to vent her inner despair and sorrow. Otherwise, it would be bad for her health. ¡°Why? Why?¡± Natalie punched the nket as she sobbed, wallowing in self-me. ¡°Why didn''t I stop my Mom from going to the Smith Residence? Why didn''t I hold her back?¡± If I had stopped her from going to the Smith Residence, perhaps she would still be alive! Shane pursed his lips and remained silent. Life can be so unpredictable! In the morning, Yulia was still eating breakfast with them happily. No one expected that she would be gone by afternoon, just like what happened to his grandfather. Before his grandfathermitted suicide, no one could tell that he had an inclination to do so. It was toote when Shane found out afterward. ¡°It''s all my fault... It''s all my fault!¡± Grabbing the nket in anguish, Natalie med herself. When Shane heard that, he frowned. Cupping her face, he gazed at her sorrowful expression and said in a deep voice, ¡°It''s not your fault! None of us expected that to happen, so you''re not to be med!¡± Natalie''s lips trembled when she heard that. ¡°B-But I had a chance to save Mom. I just let it slip and let her go to the Smith Residence alone just like that. I...¡± Unable to continue her sentence, she lowered her head and covered her face. Shane sighed inconspicuously and pulled her into his embrace again as a form of silent constion. After a long while, her sobs became much softer. Shane lowered his head and gazed at her. With her head hung low and her eyes closed, she looked like a wilted flower. The look in her eyes was dull. Even her hair had lost its shine. Natalie no longer looked as energetic and lively as she was usually. Instead, she seemed like a zombie. Shane''s heart ached. He wanted Natalie to pull herself together, but he knew that it was impossible at that moment. Chapter 584 Chapter 584 ¡°Shane, where''s Mom now?¡± asked Natalie hoarsely as she sat on the hospital bed. She stared at the floor lifelessly, her shoulders drooping. Shane stroked her hair. ¡°In the morgue.¡± ¡°I want to see her.¡± Natalie grabbed his sleeves. Initially, Shane wanted to refuse her. However, after giving it some thought, he agreed in the end. ¡°Okay, I''ll inform Jackson.¡± Natalie murmured a response before falling silent. Casting onest nce at her worriedly, Shane walked out of the hospital ward. Outside the ward, Jackson was leaning against the wall and smoking. When he saw Shaneing out, he passed a cigarette to him too. Just when Shane was about to reject it, Jackson withdrew the cigarette. ¡°I forgot that you''re undergoing treatment, so you can''t smoke or drink. I''ll smoke myself.¡± Shane nced at him coldly. Jackson ced the cigarette back into the box. ¡°Is she awake?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°She wants to see Yulia.¡± Jackson almost dropped the cigarette in his mouth. Choking on the smoke, he coughed till his face flushed. A while passed before he replied, ¡°What did you say? She wants to see Yulia?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you joking? Isn''t she afraid of having nightmares? Yulia''s appearance when she died isn''t exactly pleasant,¡± said Jackson seriously. Shane turned his head away slightly and nced at the door of the hospital ward. ¡°It''s fine. That''s her mother. She won''t be afraid.¡± ¡°Shana, whara''s Mom now?¡± askad Natalia hoarsaly as sha sat on tha hospital bad. Sha starad at tha floor lifssly, har shouldars drooping. Shana strokad har hair. ¡°In tha morgua.¡± ¡°I want to saa har.¡± Natalia grabbad his avas. Initially, Shana wantad to rafusa har. Howavar, aftar giving it soma thought, ha agraad in tha and. ¡°Okay, I''ll inform Jackson.¡± Natalia murmurad a rasponsa bafora falling snt. Casting onast nca at har worriadly, Shana walkad out of tha hospital ward. Outsida tha ward, Jackson wasaning against tha wall and smoking. Whan ha saw Shanaing out, ha passad a cigaratta to him too. Just whan Shana was about to rajact it, Jackson withdraw tha cigaratta. ¡°I forgot that you''ra undargoing traatmant, so you can''t smoka or drink. I''ll smoka mysalf.¡± Shana ncad at him coldly. Jackson cad tha cigaratta back into tha box. ¡°Is sha awaka?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Shana noddad. ¡°Sha wants to saa Yulia.¡± Jackson almost droppad tha cigaratta in his mouth. Choking on tha smoka, ha coughad till his faca flushad. A wh passad bafora ha rapliad, ¡°What did you say? Sha wants to saa Yulia?¡± ¡°Yas.¡± ¡°Ara you joking? Isn''t sha afraid of having nightmaras? Yulia''s appaaranca whan sha diad isn''t axactly asant,¡± said Jackson sariously. Shana turnad his haad away slightly and ncad at tha door of tha hospital ward. ¡°It''s fina. That''s har mothar. Sha won''t ba afraid.¡± Jackson was at a loss for how to respond. Sighing, he nodded. ¡°Fine, I''ll allow it, then. You can bring her there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Shane pushed open the door and entered the hospital ward. Natalie looked at him lifelessly. ¡°How did it go? Did he agree?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, he did.¡± Without saying anything, Natalie flipped her nket away and was about to get out of the bed. However, as she had not eaten for the entire day and cried multiple times, she no longer had any energy left. Hence, the moment her feet touched the ground, they became limp and her body toppled forward. Luckily, Shane was right beside her. As he would never let her fall down in front of him, he carried her up before she even fell. ¡°I''ll carry you there.¡± Natalie did not refuse him. Now that she had no strength left, she should not put up a strong front. Just like that, Shane carried Natalie to the morgue. The morgue was located on the basement level. Although it was extremely cold, Natalie did not feel it at all. Perhaps, her heart had turned into ice. She shoved Shane''s chest gently. ¡°Shane, put me down first. I''ll go in myself.¡± ¡°I''ll apany you.¡± He did not ce her down. However, Natalie shook her head and refused his offer to apany her. ¡°No, I want to stay by my mom''s side alone.¡± Shane did not say anything and ced her down. Supporting herself against the wall, Natalie entered. As the staff inside had already been informed about this, he did not say anything when he saw her enter. He pointed in a direction and said, ¡°Go there. She''s right there.¡± Natalie nced at the steel bed, her eyes reddening. However, she did not cry this time. Biting her lips and taking a deep breath, she walked over. Shane was waiting outside for her. After a few minutes, Ss arrived. He nced at the door of the morgue, his expression filled with pity and sorrow. He only learned about Yulia''s incident when Natalie was still unconscious. Shane was the one who told him about it and instructed him to investigate the truth behind the matter. As Yulia was already dead, it was impossible to know from the victim whether she fell on her own or if someone pushed her. Hence, he had to investigate it. The police were investigating it too. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Ss averted his gaze and called out to Shane. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement. Ss walked over to him and stopped. ¡°Mr. Shane, is madam... alright?¡± ¡°She''s fine for now,¡± replied Shane as he continued looking at the morgue. Judging from her personality, it would be some time before she could escape the sorrow of losing her mother. Ss sighed. ¡°I really didn''t expect something like this to happen to Ms. Lawrence.¡± Chapter 585 Chapter 585 ¡°How''s the investigation going?¡± Shane asked. Ss'' face turned serious as he said, ¡°I looked around at the site. It looks like Ms. Lawrence was alone when she fell. Of course, I won''t rule out the possibility that Harrison and his wife had gotten rid of the evidence that they were there.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. The former narrowed his eyes at that. Then, his assistant continued, ¡°Since there were only the three of them there when it happened, the couple can definitely get rid of any disadvantageous evidence and act as though Ms. Lawrence had fallen on her own before calling the cops.¡± ¡°So we still can''t tell the truth about Yulia''s death?¡± Shane''s face darkened as he spoke. Ss nodded. ¡°That''s right. We don''t have enough evidence to prove that Harrison and his wife had pushed her down, nor can we prove that she had fallen herself. That''s why we''re stuck. If we can''t find out the truth about what happened within the stipted deadline...¡± ¡°Then we''ll have to close the case with the conclusion that Yulia had fallen down the stairs on her own.¡± Shanepleted Ss'' sentence. Natalie pushed open the door just as the assistant was about to reply. Her eyes were red as she eximed, ¡°That''s uneptable!¡± She still didn''t think that her mothers had fallen down the stairs on her own. ¡°You heard?¡± Shane stared at her. She murmured a ¡°Yes,¡± before adding, ¡°I want to go to the police station and meet with Harrison.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shane didn''t agree this time. Natalie fidgeted with her hands as she asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Your body couldn''t take it!¡± The man pursed his lips before he continued, ¡°How are you going to meet him in this state? Get some rest first before you meet him tomorrow.¡± Seeing Shane''s unwavering stance, she knew there was no room for negotiation. ¡°Come on, let''s head back to the ward.¡± He reached out to take her hand. Natalie quickly moved away from him and hid her hand behind her. ¡°I held my mom''s hand earlier.¡± Shane did not insist as he lowered his hand upon hearing that. They walked side by side towards the elevator, with Ss trailing behind. After they entered the elevator, Shane looked at Natalie and asked, ¡°What are your ns for Yulia''s funeral?¡± Her pale lips opened and closed a few times before she managed to say, ¡°I need to find out the truth about her death first before sending her away!¡± Otherwise, Mom wouldn''t be able to rest in peace! He understood her feelings and wasn''t surprised that she made such a decision. He had the same feeling back when David passed away. He was reluctant to hold his grandfather''s funeral¡ªa seeming attempt to escape reality. In the end, he only agreed after people from the Thompson family worked together to persuade him. After returning to the ward, Natalie sshed her face and washed her hands with cold water. Getting into bed, she closed her eyes. Shane got beside her and said, ¡°Don''t fall asleep just yet. Eat something first. I told Ss to grab something earlier.¡± ¡°It''s alright. I don''t have the appetite. I''m not in the mood to eat.¡± She waved her hand, her expression full of despair. He couldn''t stand seeing her like this. Narrowing his eyes, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of bed. She didn''t expect him to do that and jumped in shock. She quickly opened her eyes and said, ¡°What are¡ª¡± ¡°I brought food, Mr. Shane.¡± Before she could even finish her sentence, Ss opened the door and interrupted her. Shane hummed in response and took the food container from his assistant before handing it to Natalie. ¡°Eat!¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°I''m not hungry.¡± ¡°You have to eat even if you''re not hungry.¡± The words he uttered were more of amand than a request. Anger boiled in Natalie as she red at him with reddened eyes. ¡°You know how I feel now, Shane. How can I have the appetite to eat? Do you¡ª¡± ¡°You''d better eat if you want to investigate your mother''s death,¡± Shane interrupted. She opened her mouth to say retaliate but couldn''t find the words. He''s right. If I don''t eat anything, I won''t have the energy to investigate what happened, nor will I be able to handle Mom''s funeral. Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Bearing that thought in mind, Natalie covered her face and burst into tears. Her persistence had vanished into thin air. Shane heaved a sigh when he realized that he managed to persuade her. He took her hands off her face and put a fork in her hands before saying gently, ¡°Eat up. You have to stay strong for Yulia, okay?¡± She bit down on her lips and whimpered. ¡°Okay.¡± He then handed the container to her again. This time, she didn''t push it away but took it with shaky hands instead. After removing the lid, she started to eat while tears fell from her face. Even if she didn''t have the appetite, she suppressed the urge to vomit and swallowed the food. However, Natalie had only eaten half of her food when Shane took the container away from her. ¡°Alright, that''s enough. You haven''t eaten the whole day so you shouldn''t eat so much at one go. Rest up now.¡± Having no objections to it, shey down on her bed and turned to another side, facing the man with her back. He put the food container aside and left the ward quietly afterward. ¡°Mr. Shane, is madam asleep?¡± Ss asked. Shane shut the door and instructed, ¡°Yes, you should head back first. I''ll be here to apany her for the next two days. Please handle thepany matters. Call me if there''s anything.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss answered and left. Not long after he left, Mrs. Wilson led the two children over. She was one of the few who knew about what happened to Yulia. Shane had called and told her about it when Natalie passed out. He needed her help to pick up the children at the kindergarten. That was why she had rushed over to the hospital with the kids after picking them up. ¡°Sir¡ª¡± Mrs. Wilson was about to say something when the children broke free from her and ran towards Shane. ¡°Daddy, what happened to grandma?¡± Connor''s eyes were red as he asked while looking up at his father. Sharon wanted to know as well. They didn''t know that Yulia had passed since Mrs. Wilson didn''t get into the details with them. All she said was that something had happened to their grandma. Shane looked down at them for a moment before squatting down and taking them in his arms. ¡°Your grandma... She''s passed away.¡± Connor''s eyes widened in shock. Sharon, however, burst into tears immediately after hearing the news. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Her cries snapped her brother back to his senses. Shaking his head in disbelief, he wailed, ¡°Impossible! She was just talking to us this morning! No! How could this be...¡± He broke down in tears before he could even finish his sentence. He might be more matured than his age, but s, he was just a five-year-old kid, after all. His grandmother, who loved him so dearly, had passed away. It was only natural that he couldn''t take the bad news well. Shane''s heart ached at the sight of his children bawling their eyes out. However, he didn''t try to stop them, just like how he didn''t stop Natalie from doing so as well. He could understand their grief of losing the one nearest to them. It would do them worse if they bottled up their feelings¡ªthey would eventually break down mentally. That was why he just let them be. He was their support at that moment. Mrs. Wilson felt just as sad as she stood beside and wiped her tears with her sleeves. ¡°How could this happen? She was just fine this morning. How could this be?¡± Shane stayed silent as he patted the children''s back gently to prevent them from choking from their tears. It went on for quite a while before they fell asleep in his embrace. He couldn''t care less about his numb legs as he picked the both of them up in his arms. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, both of them have fallen asleep. Please bring them home and take good care of them.¡± With that said, he handed them over to her. Mrs. Wilson carried both children without breaking a sweat. ¡°Don''t worry, sir. I''ll take good care of them.¡± Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Shane nodded slightly in return. ¡°Oh, right. How is madam?¡± she asked after ncing at the door behind him. ¡°Don''t worry, she will be fine,¡± he answered while rubbing his temples. Mrs. Wilson nodded and said, ¡°She''s in an extremely vulnerable state now. You have to take good care of her. We shall make a move first.¡± She left with the children right after that. Shane opened up the door and went back into the ward. He dragged a chair with him as he walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. He stared at the woman who was fast asleep before falling asleep eventually. By the time Natalie woke up, it was already nighttime. She was awoken by the sounds of people talking. Although they were soft, they still disturbed her. With her head in her hand, she sat up slowly in her bed. The people talking heard the rustling of her nket and immediately turned to look at her. ¡°You''re awake.¡± Shane instantly left Jacqueline alone and walked over to her. He then put a pillow behind her. Natalie leaned on the pillow and said weakly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Perhaps it was because she cried so much in the day. Hence, she sounded hoarse and awful when she spoke. The man quickly handed her a ss of water and said, ¡°Drink this to soothe your throat.¡± Natalie lifted her pale arm to take the ss before taking a sip. The water was warm and slightly sweet. Shane had probably poured it a moment ago and added honey in it, waiting to let her drink it when she was awake. She feltforted that he was taking such good care of her. ¡°Do you want some more?¡± Shane asked as he took the ss from her after seeing that she had finished the water. ¡°No thanks,¡± she answered while shaking her head. He put the ss aside before asking, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Natalie shook her head again, expressing that she was not hungry. Jacqueline watched as Shane took care of the woman so meticulously. She couldn''t help but clench her fists in jealousy. However, despite her feelings, with a smile stered on her face, she said warmly, ¡°You''re finally awake, Ms. Smith. Do you know how worried Shane was when you were sleeping?¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Natalie asked as she shifted her gaze towards her. ¡°I came to visit you after hearing about your hospitalization from Jackie.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The former snorted inwardly upon hearing that. You''re here to visit me? It''s more like you''re here to see Shane. Despite the thought, Natalie said nothing in response. Sunken in the sorrow of the passing of her dearest mother, Natalie couldn''t care less about Jacqueline''s true motives. Suddenly, the sound of a ringtone broke the silence in the room. Shane fished out his phone from his pocket. His brows furrowed slightly after taking a nce. ¡°I need to take this call. It''s about time you head home too, Jacqueline.¡± ¡°It''s alright. The nurses have yet to make their rounds. I''ll stay here with Ms. Smith for a little while longer,¡± she said. After he hesitated for a moment, he agreed to it eventually. He felt more at ease having someone apany Natalie. Shane patted Natalie''s head before heading out to answer the call. Both women were the only ones left in the ward. Natalie tried to ignore Jacqueline. However, thetter would not leave her alone. She stood up and walked towards the bed. ¡°I heard you passed out due to intense feelings of grief after the passing of your mother.¡± Natalie''s eyes darkened at the mention of her mother''s death. She slowly turned her stiff neck to look at her and said, ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°Nothing at all,¡± Jacqueline replied with a shrug. A wicked smile hung on her lips as she continued, ¡°Actually, I feel quite happy to see you so sorrowful.¡± ¡°Happy?¡± Natalie repeated, her eyes flickered. ¡°Yes.¡± The former''s finger traced the bed frame as she continued, ¡°Thinking back when you snatched Shane away from me, I was this miserable just like how you are now. That''s why I''m so happy to see you like this.¡± Chapter 588 Chapter 588 ¡°I see.¡± Natalie gripped tightly onto her nkets and sneered, ¡°I can''t believe you would say something like this, Ms. Graham. You''re finally showing your true colors, aren''t you?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes flickered slightly without denying it. The former shut her eyes and asked, ¡°I want to know why you''re not putting on an act in front of me anymore.¡± ¡°It''s nothing. It''s tiring to put up an act, you know. Besides, Shane isn''t here. So why should I bother?¡± Natalie pursed her pale lips for a moment before saying, ¡°Is that so? Since this is your true self, then may I ask if you were the one behind the burning of my warehouse, the car ident of my son and friend, and also my kidnapping with Harrison?¡± She had already suspected it a long time ago but dispelled the thoughtter on. Right then, Jacqueline had finally shown her true colors. So Natalie decided to make it clear with her once and for all. Thetter stared at her in shock. ¡°Oh my, so you''ve been through so many traumatizing events!¡± Natalie studied her face with icy cold eyes, trying to decipher her reaction. However, it seemed as though she actually didn''t know what happened. For a moment, Natalie couldn''t tell what was going on. ¡°Don''t be disappointed, Ms. Smith. I''m sure you''ll find out who''s the one behind all this. But why would that person do all this to you?¡± Jacqueline asked with a smile. Natalie lowered her gaze as she didn''t want to answer. Jacqueline''s eyes turned cold as she was upset at her reaction. ¡°Forget it if you don''t want to answer. I won''t ask anymore.¡± ¡°Then please leave,¡± Natalie said as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. Thetter''s lips curled as she said, ¡°You''re chasing me away? That''s so heartless of you.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± the bedridden woman asked with furrowed brows. ¡°Nothing. I just enjoy the sight of you being miserable. It''s such a rare sight, after all.¡± Jacqueline crossed her arms before continuing, ¡°I thought that I''d have to wait for a long time before I could see you like this. Who would''ve thought that it''d be so soon? It seems like your mother died at the right timing.¡± Her words sessfully angered Natalie. Her body was trembling with anger and her eyes were brimming with tears. ¡°Jacqueline, how could you say such a thing! You vile witch!¡± She dared say that Mom deserved to die! Seeing Natalie so worked up, the look on Jacqueline''s face turned even more wicked. ¡°I am vile? Since when? Was I wrong?¡± ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± Natalie raised her arms in anger, wanting to give the wicked woman a p. But ultimately, she held back and stopped her arm midway. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Even though Jacqueline deserved the p, but with her health condition, she definitely could not take the hit. In the end, Natalie would be the one to suffer from the altercation. That was why she couldn''t hit her. Jacqueline knew that she was going to hit her when she saw the raised arm. She was afraid at first, but soon, she seemed to have thought of something as she grabbed onto the bed rail. The woman didn''t even try to move away as she waited for Natalie''s p. However, she didn''t expect thetter to have such good self-control. This is uneptable. My n would be foiled if she lowered her hand. Jacqueline quickly shoved her face forward to meet the former''s palm. Pretending to get pped, Jacqueline fell onto the floor and let out a scream. Both Shane and Jackson rushed in and instantly saw Natalie''s raised hand and Jacqueline sitting on the floor in fright. Everyone could tell what had happened before them. Natalie had pushed Jacqueline onto the floor. Jackson''s face darkened while Shane furrowed at the sight of it. Chapter 589 Chapter 589 The moment they came in, Natalie''s eyes immediately found Shane, but her heart sank when she saw his brows knitting into a frown. ¡°Jacqueline, are you okay?¡± Jackson quickly put down the medical file in his hand and took a fewrge strides forward to help Jacqueline up. Jacqueline leaned against him with tears pooling in her eyes. ¡°Jackie, I''m so scared.¡± ¡°It''s okay. You''re alright.¡± Jackson patted her back soothingly before questioning, ¡°What the hell happened?¡± He pinned Natalie a hard stare. Before Natalie could answer, Jacqueline bowed her head and said in a small voice, ¡°This isn''t Ms. Smith''s fault. She only pushed me in the heat of the moment. She didn''t mean it. It''s my fault.¡± She was tantly implying that Natalie had pushed her. Natalie let out a sardonicugh and peered at Shane. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I didn''t push her?¡± Shane''s eyes flickered in response. He wanted to say he believed that she did not push anyone. After all, based on her personality, she did not seem like someone who would do such a thing. But when they came in, Jacqueline had indeed fallen to the ground, and Natalie also looked like she had indeed pushed her. Hence, he couldn''t say for sure. Natalie''s eyes dimmed when Shane hesitated to answer her question, and a mirthless smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. It seems like he trusts his childhood sweetheart more than his own wife. ¡°Since Ms. Smith said she didn''t push me, then she didn''t. I''m fine with that.¡± Jacqueline waved a hand and stered a bitter smile on her face. ¡°After all, I was the one who said something I shouldn''t have. I brought up Ms. Smith''s mother, that''s why she got so angry and... Anyway, it''s all my fault. Don''t me her, Shane.¡± She tugged on Shane''s sleeve. Recalling the promise he made to Natalie the other time, Shane shifted his arm away. ¡°What did you say earlier?¡± ¡°I only said-¡± ¡°Enough! You''re don''t deserve to talk about my mom!¡± Natalie cut Jacqueline off with a sneer. Then, she turned her frosty gaze to Shane and Jackson. Drawing in a breath, she suggested in a monotonous voice, ¡°Since you both think I pushed her, save your breath on asking pointless questions and just pull up the security footage.¡± Shane pursed his lips at her impassiveness. ¡°I didn''t say I don''t believe you.¡± Discontent flickered in Jacqueline''s eyes and her expression stiffened imperceptibly. What? Does that mean he thinks I fell down on my own? ¡°But you didn''t shoot down her im either.¡± Natalie pointed at Jacqueline. Shane mouth twitched slightly, unable to refute her. Indeed, he never said he didn''t believe her, but neither did he think Jacqueline was lying. However, one of them obviously was. With that thought in mind, Shane transferred his gaze to Jacqueline, a hint of doubt entering his eyes. Jacqueline''s chest tightened upon noticing this, but her panic did not show on her face. With a pitiful look on her face, she shook her head. ¡°Shane, I...¡± ¡°That''s enough, Jacqueline.¡± Before Jacqueline could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Jackson. He looked at her with a conflicted gaze and said, ¡°We''ll take care of this matter. You don''t need to say anything else.¡± Jacqueline''s heart skipped a beat when she detected the disappointment in Jackson''s voice. What does he mean by that? Does he know something? Noticing the subtle changes in Jacqueline''s eyes, a wry smile formed on Jackson''s lips as he figured out what she was thinking. In the beginning, he was convinced that Natalie was the one who pushed her. However, when he discerned the unusual changes in Jacqueline''s eyes just now and connected it to Natalie''s honest nature, he instantly concluded that thetter was innocent, and all of this was, in fact, a show Jacqueline was putting on for them. At the thought of this, Jackson took a deep breath to gather himself. His baby face returned to normal within barely a second and he chuckled heartily. ¡°Since Jacqueline said you had nothing to do with her falling down, I don''t think checking the security footage is necessary. Besides, there aren''t any security cameras installed in this ward.¡± Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Shane remained silent. It was exactly because there weren''t any security cameras here that he couldn''t identify which of them was lying. Otherwise, the first thing he would do was retrieve the security footage. ¡°So are you saying we should just forget about this matter altogether, Dr. Baker?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes at Jackson, as though able to see through the depths of his soul. Jackson looked away guiltily, unable to bring himself to meet her gaze at all. With a forced smile, he answered, ¡°Yeah. Jacqueline merely fell down. It''s nothing serious. Let''s not make it a big deal and just let it go. What do you think, Shane?¡± Shane''s eyes turned pensive, but he nodded in agreement in the end. Since there''s really no evidence, we might as well just let it go. Seeing as Shane concurred to his suggestion, Jackson breathed an inaudible sigh of relief before discreetly casting Jacqueline a warning look. This small detail did not go unnoticed by Natalie. She scoffed with disdain as she studied Jackson. He obviously knows that Jacqueline orchestrated everything that happened earlier. But because he likes her, he chose to protect her and also tried to downy this entire incident. Wow, I''m truly amazed. Jackson felt ashamed when he heard Natalie scoff, but for Jacqueline''s sake, he had no choice but to steel himself and go through with this. ¡°Natalie...¡± ¡°Leave!¡± Natalie pointed at the door. ¡°I don''t want to see any of you right now, so kindly leave.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, you-¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Jackson grabbed Jacqueline''s arm, using force on her for the first time. With a stern expression, he asserted, ¡°Ms. Smith wants us to leave, so enough talking. Let''s go!¡± With that, he dragged Jacqueline out of the ward. When Shane stayed behind, Natalie uttered in an icy tone, ¡°What are you still doing here?¡± Shane''s brows rose toward his hairline. So she meant me too? Shane pressed his lips together and retorted unhappily, ¡°I''m your husband.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Natalie stared at him indifferently. You''re a husband who doesn''t trust his own wife. Why should I bother entertaining him? Shane frowned. ¡°I''m different from them.¡± ¡°What''s so different about you? Just like them, you don''t believe me and think that I really pushed Jacqueline!¡± Natalie yelled. Shane massaged the space between his brows and replied wearily, ¡°I already told you, I don''t think you pushed Jacqueline.¡± ¡°But you don''t doubt what she said either. Doesn''t that automatically mean you think I pushed her?¡± Natalie said pointedly with a shortugh. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Shane sighed softly and lifted his hand to touch her, but she swiftly evaded him. ¡°Don''t touch me.¡± Shane''s hand was left hanging midair. Several secondster, he closed his hand into a fist and drew back. ¡°Yes, I don''t doubt what Jacqueline said either. We grew up together, so I know what kind of person she is-¡± ¡°People change!¡± Natalie cut him off mercilessly. ¡°Everyone grows up and learns how to pretend. The current Jacqueline may not be the same Jacqueline you knew back then, but you just haven''t realized that yet.¡± Shane''s expression turned grave. ¡°So you''re saying, Jacqueline was pretending earlier?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Subsequently, Natalie recounted everything that happened before the two men showed up. By the time she was done, there was already a deep frown on Shane''s face. A trace of warmth finally returned to Natalie''s face when she saw Shane taking her words into ount. She inhaled deeply before continuing, ¡°She did it because she wants you to misunderstand me and think that I pushed her. It''s all to drive a wedge between us and sabotage our rtionship.¡± Shane clenched his fists tightly, only loosening them after quite some time to reply in a deep voice, ¡°I understand. Since I already said I won''t pursue this matter, let''s just leave it at that.¡± Natalie pursed her lips, feeling aggrieved. ¡°So I should just swallow down this injustice?¡± Shane tugged her into his arms. ¡°I''m sorry. This is the first and also thest time.¡± Natalie pushed him away. ¡°Fine. You can leave now. I need to be alone.¡± Chapter 591 Chapter 591 ¡°Alright.¡± Shane knew his decision had upset her. Hence, he left to give her some space. After closing the door behind him, he spotted Jackson outside, and his face instantly darkened. ¡°Shane...¡± ¡°You know Jacqueline was lying about what happened earlier, right?¡± fixing an emotionless stare at Jackson, Shane asked in a voice as cold as ice. This was what Natalie had told him. She said that Jackson already found out that Jacqueline was lying. Jackson''s expression froze momentarily, then he nodded and sighed in resignation. ¡°Yes. Jacqueline framed Natalie. Natalie didn''t push her.¡± So it''s true. Shane''s hands balled into fists and the temperature around him seemed to plummet drastically. Sensing the anger simmering in his friend, Jackson apologized sincerely, ¡°I''m sorry, Shane. I never thought Jacqueline would do something like this either.¡± ¡°Then why did you still cover for her?¡± Shane grabbed his cor and snarled. Jackson parted his lips and answered calmly, ¡°She''s the woman I love. Wouldn''t you do the same for Natalie too?¡± Hiseback rendered Shane speechless. He slowly released his grip on Jackson and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Make sure this doesn''t happen again!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jackson straightened his wrinkled cor. Shane drew in a breath to suppress his anger before saying, ¡°Tell Jacqueline that if she pulls something like this again, I won''t be as forgiving.¡± ¡°Why don''t you tell her that yourself?¡± Jackson peered at him. Shane spun around so that his back was facing Jackson. ¡°No thanks. I don''t feel like seeing her now.¡± Jackson could understand how he felt. After all, the girl he always thought to be kind and innocent turned out to be so maniptive. It would be impossible not to get mad. ¡°Alright. I''ll ry your message to her,¡± Jackson said with a nod. With that, Jackson took his leave as he had a surgeryter on. Meanwhile, Shane stood by the door and lit a cigarette, smoking in silence. The next day, Natalie headed to the police station with Shane. As the suspects in this case, Harrison and Susan were still detained in the interrogation room. Natalie and Shane were led there by the inspector, who stopped outside the door to announce, ¡°They''re inside.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie nodded brusquely, then looked at the man beside her. ¡°Wait for me outside. I''ll go in by myself.¡± Shane nodded slightly in response.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie pushed open the door to the interrogation room and went in. The two people inside stood up at the same time upon seeing the door being opened. ¡°It''s you?¡± Susan''s expression instantly soured when she saw that it was Natalie. Harrison also spoke from beside her. ¡°Nat, you''re here.¡± He wasn''t all that surprised to see Natalie because he already guessed that she woulde for her mother''s sake. Natalie walked toward the table and stopped opposite the two of them. Then, she coldly swept her gaze across them both. Harrison instinctively avoided her eyes when he noticed the resentment and rage in them. But Susan forced herself to meet Natalie''s gaze and stammered, ¡°W-What do you want? Why are you looking at us like that?¡± ¡°Are the two of you responsible for my mom''s death?¡± Natalie''s nails dug into her palms as she questioned in a t voice. Something flickered in Susan''s eyes, but vanished as soon as it came. Then, she curled her lips into a sneer and spat, ¡°Your mom fell down on her own. What does it have to do with us? Stop talking nonsense.¡± Natalie shifted her gaze to the father. Harrison''s grip on his walking cane tightened, and he finally nodded. ¡°Susan is right. Your mom really fell down on her own.¡± ¡°I don''t buy that! Not for one second!¡± Natalie mmed both palms on the interrogation table. ¡°Everyone knows that the two of you were on bad terms with my mom. Could it really be a coincidence that she fell down in your house? I''m willing to bet my life that there''s more to this than what you''re both saying!¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead. Think whatever you want.¡± Susan folded her arms over her chest and scoffed. ¡°Even though you refuse to believe it, the truth is right in front of you. Your mom''s death has nothing to do with us. It was her own rotten luck. If only she''d paid attention to where she was going, she wouldn''t have slipped!¡± Chapter 592 Chapter 592 ¡°It''s true, Nat. Your mom came to see me yesterday to talk about Jared. We got into an argument, and then your mom stormed away. She was walking too fast. That''s why she slipped. I called for an ambnce the moment I found out your mom had fallen down, but I never expected...¡± Harrison''s voice trailed off, and he lowered his head, as though overwrought with grief. Natalie''s entire body was trembling. ¡°Enough with your phony attitude. My mom doesn''t need any of that! You''re beneath her!¡± ¡°Nat...¡± ¡°Just stop,¡± Natalie cut him off. Taking a deep breath, she blinked back her tears before continuing, ¡°Since both of you refuse to tell the truth, fine. I''ll get to the bottom of it myself. If I find out the two of you have something to do with my mom''s death, I''ll make sure you rot in prison for the rest of your lives!¡± Having said that, she pierced Susan and Harrison with onest icy re before walking out of the room because she knew that getting the truth out of them was impossible. Upon seeing Natalieing out, Shane pushed off the wall he was leaning against just moments ago and asked, ¡°How did it go?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°They''re staying tight-lipped. I couldn''t get anything out of them.¡± Shane stared at the door to the interrogation room and replied solemnly, ¡°I''m not surprised. If they''re really the culprits, it''spletely normal that they''re refusing to cooperate to escape legal consequences.¡± Natalie lowered her gaze to conceal her emotions. After a moment of silence, she raised her head and walked toward the police station lobby. Shane wordlessly trailed after her. At the lobby, Natalie found the inspector running point on this case. ¡°Inspector, may I take a look at the file for this case?¡± The file consisted of detailed investigation reports, so she wanted to see if she could find any clues from there. The inspector was caught in a bind because police were not allowed to letmon citizens view their case files. Noticing this, Shane whipped out his phone and dialed a number. The call was quickly connected, and Shane greeted the person on the other line in a respectful tone, ¡°Mr. Gunn.¡± Mr. Gunn? Natalie tilted her head at him curiously, silently asking who Mr. Gunn was. Shane signaled with his eyes that he would tell her in a bit. Then, he told Mr. Gunn the reason he was calling was to request permission to view a case file. ¡°Ah, I see. Sure, sure. I''ll get someone to contact the police station right away,¡± Mr. Gunn immediately agreed with a smile in his voice. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shane nodded gratefully. Mr. Gunn touched his greying beard and chided, ¡°There''s no need for that. Just make sure to bring Jacqueline to visit me some time.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Shane replied courteously. Thereafter, they ended the call. After keeping his phone, Shane answered Natalie''s silent question from earlier.¡± Mr. Gunn is an official in J City. One word from him and you''ll be permitted to look at the case file.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded in understanding. ¡°Thank you, Shane.¡± ¡°I''m your husband.¡± Shane peered at her with a serious expression. ¡°So there''s no need to thank me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie''s heart warmed and she curved her lips into the first smile since the previous day. Right then, the inspector came over with the case file. ¡°I just got off the phone with my superior. He agreed to let the two of you look at the file, but you have to do it here.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded and epted the file from him. With that, she began flipping through it. Shane sat beside her and looked through the reports together. After they were done, Natalie shut the file with a snap and bit her lip in frustration. ¡°How''s this possible?¡± The contents of the case file were more or less the same as what she heard at the morgue the day before. In other words, the police would close this case with the conclusion that her mother''s death was idental, and she had indeed slipped on her own. Perceiving the indignance lining Natalie''s features, the inspector took off his cap and put it aside. ¡°I can understand how you''re feeling, Ms. Smith, but so far, nothing proves that Susan and Harrison are involved in this case, so I suggest you be mentally prepared.¡± Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Natalie was well aware of what the inspector meant by that. In the uing days, if they still did note across any new leads or evidence that proved Harrison and Susan were the ones who murdered her mother, the case would be closed and the two of them released, free of any charges. No. I can''t let this happen! Natalie balled her fists so hard her nails dug into her skin. Shane frowned in disapproval upon noticing it. He reached out to pick up one of her hands, then forcefully pried her fingers loose. Staring at the red nails marks on her palm, Shane let out a barely audible sigh and gently stroked the marks with his thumb. ¡°Doesn''t it hurt?¡± ¡°No. I just feel so frustrated. I can''t seem to find out the truth behind my mom''s death.¡± A tear escaped Natalie''s eye and coincidently fell on his thumb, scorching his skin slightly. Shane released her hand to brush her tears away. Right after he was done, Natalieunched herself into his embrace and said in a choked voice, ¡°Shane, my mom''s gone. She''s gone...¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shane wrapped his arms around her and patted her back softly. ¡°But you still have me and the two kids, and there''s also Jared.¡± ¡°Jared?¡± As though recalling something, Natalie pushed away from him and used her sleeve to wipe her tears dry. ¡°You''re right. There''s also Jared. I almost forgot to inform him.¡± With that, she fished out her phone and called her brother. Jared was sleeping at that moment as it was still nighttime abroad. Upon hearing his phone ring, he fumbled for his phone near the headboard and swiped to answer without even ncing at the caller ID. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Jared, it''s me.¡± Natalie sat down with Shane''s help, who then took the seat next to her and flipped through the case file again. Hearing his sister''s voice, Jared broke into a gentle and angelic smile. ¡°Oh, Nat. Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Jared, I...¡± Natalie''s lips quivered and words failed her. ¡°Nat?¡± Jared called out quizzically. ¡°Jared, Mom is...¡± ¡°What''s wrong with Mom?¡± Jared could hear the sorrow in Natalie''s voice and instantly became wide awake. Bolting upright into a sitting position, he urged in a frantic voice, ¡°What is it, Nat? Tell me!¡± Natalie''s hand which was holding the phone trembled. ¡°I will, but you must promise to stay calm, okay?¡± Although Jared had undergone a heart bypass surgery previously, his heart would always be at risk. She was afraid that news of their mother''s death would be too huge a blow to him. ¡°I know. Don''t worry, Nat. I''ll stay calm.¡± Jared drew in a long breath. Natalie ced her hand on Shane''s arm, trying to borrow some courage from him. Then, she sobbed out, ¡°Mom is... gone!¡± Boom! Jared felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He was paralyzed to the spot, and it took him some time to find his voice. Finally, he rasped out, ¡°What did you say?¡± Natalie bit her lip hard and repeated, ¡°Mom is gone!¡± Thud! Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. The phone slipped from Jared''s hand onto the bed. Natalie sprang up from her seat when she heard the noise. Seeing this, Shane''s expression immediately turned grave. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie did not respond. Instead, she gripped the phone tightly and yelled anxiously, ¡°Jared? Jared, are you okay? Don''t scare me like that! Jared!¡± Jared vaguely heard Natalie''s panic-stricken voiceing from his phone. Finally, he snapped back to his senses and picked up his phone from the bed. However, his hand trembled so badly it took him several attempts to grab ahold of his phone. Gingerly raising it to his ear, he spoke in a choked voice. ¡°Nat... How did this happen? How can Mom be gone? She was clearly fine when we talked on the phone yesterday!¡± Chapter 594 Chapter 594 When Natalie heard Jared''s muffled sobs, tears rolled down her own cheeks as well. Burying her head against Shane''s shoulder, she began telling him the details of their mother''s passing. Jared''s eyes widened in horror after listening to everything, and he murmured, ¡°Did Mom die because... because of me? If it wasn''t for me, Mom would never have gone back to the Smith residence. It''s all my fault, Nat. It''s all my fault...¡± Natalie''s head snapped up and she quickly rebuked, ¡°No, Jared. It''s not your fault.¡± However, nothing could get through to Jared at that moment. Just like how Natalie behaved the day before, he was convinced that he was to me for their mother''s death. To Natalie''s surprise, Shane took the phone from her and advised, ¡°Rather than ming yourself over there, why don''t youe back to deal with your mother''s funeral instead?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Jared''s voice turned wary when he heard a man''s voice on the phone instead of his sister''s. Shane met Natalie''s eyes and answered, ¡°Your brother-inw.¡± Natalie blushed at that. Jared''s mouth fell open in surprise. ¡°So you must be Shane, then?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane nodded slightly. ¡°I heard your conversation with your sister earlier. Neither of you is to be med for your mother''s death. If you have to, me Harrison and his wife, but before that, you should come back first because your sister needs you. You also need toe forward for your mother''s lawsuit against the Harrisons.¡± Yulia''s death hit Natalie and Jared the hardest. At least together, they could offer each other emotional support. This would also help Natalie cope with her grief. Jared sniffled and said, ¡°I understand. I''ll book a flight back immediately.¡± Shane hummed in approval and passed the phone back to Natalie. After talking a while longer, Natalie ended the call. With that, the two of them left the police station and went to the Smith residence to check out the scene of Yulia''s ident. The scene was sealed off by the police, and there were also a few officers investigating inside. Natalie and Shane had passes, so they were immediately allowed passage. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. As soon as they entered, Natalie spotted the chalk outline on the floor which showed the exact spot where Yulia hady sprawled after toppling down the stairs. At the sight of that, Natalie squatted down and hid her sobs behind her hands. Shane stood beside her, offering her silent support. Natalie cried for a long time before her sobs finally died down. Inhaling deeply, she blinked her swollen eyes and was helped up by Shane. Looking toward the second floor, she whispered, ¡°I wanna go upstairs to have a look.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°I''ll go with you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie squeezed a smile onto her face and climbed the stairs with his hands around her. After crying so many times, her energy waspletely depleted. Hence, without his support, she wouldn''t be able to stand properly, let alone walk. Not to mention, her legs had gone numb from squatting so long. Soon, the two reached the second floor. Natalie went to stand by the railing and looked down. Although this vi only had two floors, the second floor was more than ten meters above the first floor. Falling down the stairs like that could only mean one thing. Grasping the railing with both hands, Natalie fixed her gaze on the chalk outline downstairs and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Shane, my mom must''ve been in so much pain when she fell down from here. Imagine how hopeless she must''ve felt.¡± Shane''s gaze dimmed, but he remained silent. Natalie wasn''t expecting an answer from him anyway, since she was merelymenting to herself. The two of them stood there for a while, but found nothing suspicious. Later on, an officer came over to politely invite them out. This was a crime scene, after all. Although Natalie and Shane possessed valid passes, there was still a time limit of one hour. Now that one hour had passed, they were required to leave. Natalie did not make things difficult for the officer either, leaving the Smith residence with Shane right away to return to their vi. Due to Yulia''s death, the two children had also taken time off from their kindergarten and stayed in the vi. Upon seeing Natalie and Shanee home, they immediately bounded over and threw themselves into their parents'' arms. ¡°Mommy, do we not have a grandma anymore?¡± Sharon lifted her head and asked with red-rimmed eyes. Natalie stroked her hair and put on a tough front. ¡°Of course you do. Your grandma will always be your grandma. She just won''t be with you from now on because she''s gone to heaven.¡± Chapter 595 Chapter 595 With that, she pointed to the sky. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Sharon blinked innocently and asked, ¡°Really?¡± Shane hoisted Sharon into his arms and answered for Natalie, ¡°Yes. Grandma has be a star, and you can see her at night. She''s the brightest one in the sky.¡± ¡°Dad is right.¡± Connor nodded. He was smarter than Sharon, so unlike Sharon who did not fullyprehend the situation, he knew what death signified. Thus, he did not mind dealing with his grief alone and hoped that Sharon could stay happy forever. After all, he had vowed to protect his sister for the rest of his life. Since her parents and brother all said so, she believed them and stopped crying. After wiping her tears away, she giggled with delight. ¡°Dad, I saw on TV that there are gods and goddesses. Is Grandma a goddess then? Is that why she''s be a star?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane dipped his head and rubbed his forehead against hers. Sharon giggled louder at that. A small smile formed on Natalie''s lips when she saw how easily he managed to coax Sharon. Jared arrived back in the country that night itself. Natalie picked him up and brought him back to the vi. Upon seeing Shane, he extended his hand somewhat cautiously. ¡°Nice to meet you, Shane.¡± ¡°The pleasure is all mine.¡± Shane reached out to shake his hand, sizing him up at the same time. He bore a strong resemnce to Natalie, but due to his congenital heart disease, he had a thin frame and stood at a mere height of five feet five. He looked like he would be blown away by the wind at any second. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± Shane withdrew his hand and gestured to the couch. Jared nodded and sat down. Meanwhile, Natalie poured them both a ss of water. Jared epted the ss from her and took a small sip before speaking. ¡°Nat, where is Mom now?¡± ¡°At the hospital,¡± Natalie replied. With the ss still in his hand, he queried, ¡°Then when should we begin dealing with the funeral?¡± Natalie gnawed on her lip to gather her thoughts before answering, ¡°I originally nned to deal with it after finding out the truth about Mom''s death, but now, I''m not even sure if her death was idental, or if she was murdered by Harrison and Susan.¡± There was really no solid evidence. Jared understood that. As a result, his grip on the ss tightened, and he found himself lost for words. In the end, it was Shane who broke the silence. ¡°While the police are still investigating, I''ve also ordered Ss to arrange for some people to look into the case. If all goes well, they should have some news for us by tomorrow.¡± ¡°The police will also have some news for us tomorrow, right?¡± Natalie twisted her fingers together. Shane nodded. ¡°Most probably.¡± Natalie lowered her eyes. So the cause of Mom''s death will be revealed tomorrow. We''ll finally know if it was an ident or intentional murder. ¡°Anyway, you''re probably tired after your flight. You should get some rest,¡± Shane took Natalie''s hand and said to Jared. As if on cue, Mrs. Wilson came over right then. ¡°Mr. Smith, please follow me. I''ll show you to your room.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Wilson.¡± Jared stood up, then bid Shane and Natalie goodnight before following after Mrs. Wilson. Shane nced at Natalie and suggested, ¡°C''mon, let''s go back to our room as well. You must be tired after going out for the whole day. It''s time to call it a night.¡± Natalie was in no mood to sleep, but her head felt heavy, so she had no excuse to refuse and eventually allowed him to lead her upstairs. The next day, Natalie stayed home the entire day, waiting for the oue of the investigation. At four o''clock in the afternoon, the investigation was concluded. She received a call from the police station, and was told that Harrison and Susan had nothing to do with Yulia''s death - it was indeed an ident. Even Ss'' investigation came to the same conclusion. Thus, Natalie no longer had a reason not to believe it. She clutched the investigation report given by Ss tightly for a long time. When she finally let go, it was as though all the fight had drained out of her. ¡°Jared, send out the invites. Let''s prepare Mom''s funeral.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jared nodded with reddened eyes. Pinching his nose bridge, Shane offered his help as well. ¡°I''ll get someone to contact the cemetery.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Natalie closed her eyes dejectedly. Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Soon, the invites were sent out, and Shane also instructed his subordinates to make arrangements with the cemetery. The only thing left to do was to wait for the funeral itself. Natalie decided to hold the funeral two dayster. During these two days, besides choosing a casket for Yulia, there were also other arrangements to take care of. Hence, everything was rather rushed. Stanley and Joyce, who were overseas, received the invites sent out by Jared. They did not believe it at first, thinking it was some kind of prank, so they called to ask him directly, only to find out that Yulia had really passed away. It took them quite some time to recover from their shock. Then, they started packing their things and rushed back to the country to attend the funeral. During the funeral, Natalie broke down in tears again andter fainted from excessive crying. By the time she woke up, the funeral was already over. Shane brought a cup of honey water to her as shey weakly in bed. ¡°Here. Drink some.¡± Natalie shook her head with a forlorn expression. Shane did not insist either, cing the cup on the bedside. ¡°Alright. You can drink itter then.¡± Natalie hummed in acknowledgement. Shane stood by the bed and trained his eyes on her. ¡°I know you''re sad, but your mom is gone, and her funeral''s over, so it''s time for you to get back on your feet. You can''t go on like this. You still have me, Jared, and the two kids.¡± He wanted her to know that she wasn''t alone. Natalie slowly lifted her gaze to look at him but remained silent. After a while, she leaned to the side to grab the cup of honey water, then took a sip before saying, ¡°I understand what you mean. Don''t worry. I''ll be fine. I''ll find a way to get back on my feet.¡± ¡°That''s good to know.¡± Shane leaned forward to nt a feather-light kiss on her forehead. ¡°Rest some more. You haven''t been eating much in the past two days. Jackson said you''re slightly anemic.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane left after that. As soon as he emerged from the room, he was stopped by Joyce. ¡°Mr. Shane, is Nat okay?¡± Joyce asked with concern. Shane cast a cursory nce at her, then at Jared who was next to her. Finally, he narrowed his eyes and pinned Stanley a frosty look. A dark glint fleeted across Stanley''s eyes before he broke into a smile. ¡°What''s with the look, Mr. Shane? I already apologized to you for what happenedst time. Besides, it''s not like I can do anything now that Nat''s already married to you.¡± ¡°Last time?¡± Jasmine tilted his head in puzzlement. ¡°Shane, what happened between you and Stanley last time?¡± Shane did not answer him. Instead, he shifted his gaze back to Joyce and uttered, ¡°She''s fine.¡± ¡°Really? That''s great.¡± Joyce patted her chest in relief, then said with a wave of her hand, ¡°Okay then. Let''s get going now. We might disturb Nat''s rest if we keep hanging around here.¡± He wonted her to know thot she wosn''t olone. Notolie slowly lifted her goze to look ot him but remoined silent. After o while, she leoned to the side to grob the cup of honey woter, then took o sip before soying, ¡°I understond whot you meon. Don''t worry. I''ll be fine. I''ll find o woy to get bock on my feet.¡± ¡°Thot''s good to know.¡± Shone leoned forword to plont o feother-light kiss on her foreheod. ¡°Rest some more. You hoven''t been eoting much in the post two doys. Jockson soid you''re slightly onemic.¡± ¡°Okoy.¡± Notolie nodded. Shone left ofter thot. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. As soon os he emerged from the room, he wos stopped by Joyce. ¡°Mr. Shone, is Not okoy?¡± Joyce osked with concern. Shone cost o cursory glonce ot her, then ot Jored who wos next to her. Finolly, he norrowed his eyes ond pinned Stonley o frosty look. A dork glint fleeted ocross Stonley''s eyes before he broke into o smile. ¡°Whot''s with the look, Mr. Shone? I olreody opologized to you for whot hoppened lost time. Besides, it''s not like I con do onything now thot Not''s olreody morried to you.¡± ¡°Lost time?¡± Josmine tilted his heod in puzzlement. ¡°Shone, whot hoppened between you ond Stonley lost time?¡± Shone did not onswer him. Insteod, he shifted his goze bock to Joyce ond uttered, ¡°She''s fine.¡± ¡°Reolly? Thot''s greot.¡± Joyce potted her chest in relief, then soid with o wove of her hond, ¡°Okoy then. Let''s get going now. We might disturb Not''s rest if we keep honging oround here.¡± ¡°Joyce is right.¡± Jared nodded and followed Joyce down the stairs with Shane and Stanley bringing up the rear. Shane shot thetter a sideways nce and warned, ¡°You better mean what you said earlier and stop having funny thoughts about Natalie or else...¡± ¡°Or else what?¡± Stanley maintained the smile on his face, not at all fazed by his threat. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Or else I''ll make you wish you were never born. Even your mental illness won''t stop me.¡± ¡°I see. I''ll keep that in mind, then.¡± Stanley pushed up his sses. Shane ignored him henceforth, walking ahead of him down the stairs. As Stanley watched his back profile, the smile on his face gradually vanished, and behind his sses, his eyes turned ominous. But soon, the smile returned to his face and his eyes softened once again, as though the change just now was nothing but an illusion. Since his treatment overseas was still ongoing, he left that night itself. It was already the next day when Natalie found out about his departure. But she did not show much of a reaction, merely nodding her head because she felt that it was better this way. She was still wary of him because of the previous incident. Even though she had forgiven him during theirst phone call, she no longer knew how to act around him. Chapter 597 Chapter 597 ¡°Follow me to the courthouseter.¡± At the dining table, Natalie took a sip of milk before saying to Jared who was cutting into his omelet across from her. ¡°I will,¡± Jared responded without missing a beat. Shane, who was seated at the head of the table, put down his coffee and looked at Shane. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Natalie knew that he was asking about her emotional status. Arching her lips into a smile, she replied, ¡°Mm-hmm. I am. It''s time to move on instead of allowing myself to be ovee by grief. Mom''s death can''t be undone. Being sad about it isn''t going to change anything, so I might as well step out and continue living my life.¡± ¡°I''m d you think that way, madam,¡± beside her, Mrs. Wilsonmended with a smile. Shane felt relieved that Natalie managed to pull through so quickly. Natalie turned her attention back to Jared. ¡°You too, Jared. Don''t make me worry about you. Your heart...¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Nat.¡± Jared cracked a soft smile at her. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Natalie nodded. After breakfast, Shane brought the two children to kindergarten. Meanwhile, Natalie and Jared made their way to the courthouse to end thewsuit between Yulia and Harrison. Initially, theirwsuit would have dragged on for a long time, but since Yulia already passed away, there was no need for it to go on. The two of them arrived at the courthouse the same time Harrison did. Ever since Yulia''s death was concluded to be an ident, Harrison and Susan were cleared of all charges and released. Hence, Natalie sent Harrison a message the previous night, telling him toe to the courthouse the next day, but she never expected to run into him right outside. ¡°Nat,¡± Harrison called out. When Natalie stopped in her tracks, Jared followed suit. Harrison did not recognize Jared at first, but his eyes widened in surprise when he walked over. ¡°Jared? Is that you?¡± He reached out to Jared with trembling hands. However, Jared frowned and moved a step toward Natalie, obviously avoiding him. ¡°Mr. Smith.¡± Jared nodded in greeting. Even though he was smiling, it was formal and distant. Harrison''s expression froze. After a good few seconds, he awkwardly withdrew his hands that were hanging midair. ¡°It''s really you, Jared. You''re all grown up now. I still remember how little you were seven years ago.¡± Both Natalie and Jared looked at him expressionlessly, with neither of them responding to what he said. Harrison felt like a clown talking to himself. Thus, he mped his mouth shut and stopped talking altogether. Natalie looked away from him and said, ¡°Let''s go in, Jared.¡± Jared nodded and was about to follow her into the courthouse. Ever since Yulio''s deoth wos concluded to be on ident, Horrison ond Suson were cleored of oll chorges ond releosed. Hence, Notolie sent Horrison o messoge the previous night, telling him toe to the courthouse the next doy, but she never expected to run into him right outside. ¡°Not,¡± Horrison colled out. When Notolie stopped in her trocks, Jored followed suit. Horrison did not recognize Jored ot first, but his eyes widened in surprise when he wolked over. ¡°Jored? Is thot you?¡± He reoched out to Jored with trembling honds. However, Jored frowned ond moved o step toword Notolie, obviously ovoiding him. ¡°Mr. Smith.¡± Jored nodded in greeting. Even though he wos smiling, it wos formol ond distont. Horrison''s expression froze. After o good few seconds, he owkwordly withdrew his honds thot were honging midoir. ¡°It''s reolly you, Jored. You''re oll grown up now. I still remember how little you were seven yeors ogo.¡± Both Notolie ond Jored looked ot him expressionlessly, with neither of them responding to whot he soid. Horrison felt like o clown tolking to himself. Thus, he clomped his mouth shut ond stopped tolking oltogether. Notolie looked owoy from him ond soid, ¡°Let''s go in, Jored.¡± Jored nodded ond wos obout to follow her into the courthouse. However, Harrison abruptly grabbed his arm. Jared looked over his shoulder with displeasure. ¡°Mr. Smith, what are you doing?¡± Upon hearing this, Natalie nced behind as well. Harrison''s weathered face twitched slightly before he asked, ¡°You''re both here to end thewsuit between your mother and I, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Now that Mom''s gone, naturally, there''s no need for thewsuit to go on.¡± Jared pulled his arm back. With his eyes fixated on him, Harrison stated, ¡°In that case, follow me back to the Smith residence.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Jared was dumbfounded. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Natalie narrowed her eyes into slits and pulled Jared behind her. ¡°Why should he go back with you?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Harrison looked at her as though she had asked a stupid question. With furrowed brows, he continued, ¡°Because your mother is dead and I''m your only living blood rtive. Where else should Jared go if not back to the Smith residence?¡± ¡°You''re wrong.¡± Jared stepped out from behind Natalie, and his usually gentle voice hardened. ¡°You''re not our only blood rtive, Mr. Smith. Nat and I have Connor, Sharon, and Shane. I won''t go back with you.¡± Harrison''s face fell. ¡°Who''s going to take care of you then?¡± ¡°I don''t need anyone to take care of me. If you haven''t noticed, I''m not sick anymore. I can take care of myself,¡± Jared countered with a smile. Chapter 599 Chapter 599 The fact was, he went to the hospital all the time, and he spent quite a while each time he was there. It was unknown to Natalie whether he was there to see Jacqueline. At the thought of this, Natalie''s hands which she hadid on the balcony mped tightly together. ¡°Nat,¡± just then, Joyce called out to her from behind. Natalie drew in a deep breath, recollected herself, and turned around, smiling. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°I have good news.¡± Joyce swung the documents in her arm. ¡°What good news?¡± The elevated expression on her face piqued Natalie''s curiosity, and she walked toward the office. Joyce handed the file to her. ¡°It''s the government grant, of course. We got a slot!¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was astonished, and she quickly took over the file to skim the documents, just to find that it was exactly as what Joyce told her. Excited yet puzzled, she asked, ¡°Hasn''t the slot already been filled by Daystar Apparel? How is it that we also got one? Joyce, are you sure you''re not scammed?¡± Joyce rolled her eyes at that. ¡°What nonsense are you babbling? Look, it''s the stamp of the government department. How''s it possible that I''m scammed?¡± ¡°Then how did this slot emerge?¡± Natalie pointed at the document and asked. ¡°It''s an additional slot, of course.¡± Joyce poured herself a cup of coffee as she added, ¡°Actually, there was only one slot initially, but because of the two fashion shows that you were involved in after returning to the country, the officials changed their minds and decided to grant an extra slot, and it''s given to us.¡± ¡°Hold on, two fashion shows?¡± Natalie''s fine eyebrows slightly furrowed. ¡°Where does this other show come from? Wasn''t it only Project Rebirth?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you.¡± Joyce looked as if she had just recalled something and patted on her own forehead. ¡°There''s another fashion show with the name Radiance where the collection you designed for Mr. Miller was showcased.¡± ¡°Those outfits were showcased?¡± Natalie asked in amazement. Joyce nodded. ¡°That''s right, and it was just two days ago. Mr. Plumlee contacted me to invite you for the curtain call, but I helped you turn it down because of what happened with Yulia. Anyway, that show is very sessful. You can check out the videos on the inte if you don''t believe me.¡± ¡°Alright, I believe what you said. I''ll watch the videoter. Let''s carry on with the slot.¡± Natalie pulled up a chair and sat down. ¡°In fact, we should thank Mr. Miller for this additional slot.¡± Joyce followed suit and sat down as well. Natalie blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Because Mr. Miller invited some officials to Radiance, and he particrly rmended us to them, which resulted in the officials granting us this slot,¡± answered Joyce. Natalie nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°In that case, we owe Mr. Miller yet another favor.¡± ¡°I know, right. We''ve been indebted to him since the establishment of thepany.¡± Joyce rested her head on her palm andmented, ¡°If it continues this way, I don''t know how we''ll be able to pay him back.¡± ¡°Hold on, two foshion shows?¡± Notolie''s fine eyebrows slightly furrowed. ¡°Where does this other show come from? Wosn''t it only Project Rebirth?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you.¡± Joyce looked os if she hod just recolled something ond potted on her own foreheod. ¡°There''s onother foshion show with the nome Rodionce where the collection you designed for Mr. Miller wos showcosed.¡± ¡°Those outfits were showcosed?¡± Notolie osked in omozement. Joyce nodded. ¡°Thot''s right, ond it wos just two doys ogo. Mr. Plumlee contocted me to invite you for the curtoin coll, but I helped you turn it down becouse of whot hoppened with Yulio. Anywoy, thot show is very sessful. You con check out the videos on the inte if you don''t believe me.¡± ¡°Alright, I believe whot you soid. I''ll wotch the video loter. Let''s corry on with the slot.¡± Notolie pulled up o choir ond sot down. ¡°In foct, we should thonk Mr. Miller for this odditionol slot.¡± Joyce followed suit ond sot down os well. Notolie blinked. ¡°Whot do you meon?¡± ¡°Becouse Mr. Miller invited some officiols to Rodionce, ond he porticulorly rmended us to them, which resulted in the officiols gronting us this slot,¡± onswered Joyce. Notolie nodded in ocknowledgment. ¡°In thot cose, we owe Mr. Miller yet onother fovor.¡± ¡°I know, right. We''ve been indebted to him since the estoblishment of thepony.¡± Joyce rested her heod on her polm ond lomented, ¡°If it continues this woy, I don''t know how we''ll be oble to poy him bock.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Listening to that, Natalie pondered for a while. ¡°How about this? You contact Mr. Plumlee and let him know that we''re inviting Mr. Miller to dinner. Then, we can discuss the design, and I''lle up with another collection of clothing for him free of charge, to repay him for the favor in helping us get the slot.¡± ¡°Sure, I''ll get to it right away.¡± Joyce stood up and walked to the side to make a call. Natalie turned on herputer and started searching for videos rting to the fashion show several days ago. Halfway through the video clip, Joyce walked back looking dejected. ¡°Nat...¡± Seeing the way she looked, Natalie could infer the response she got. Reaching for her cup of coffee on the table, she took a sip. ¡°Rejected?¡± Joyce pouted as she nodded. ¡°Mr. Plumlee said that Mr. Miller doesn''t want us to repay him, and the dinner treat is also not needed. I don''t understand what''s in his mind. He doesn''t seem to want anything, so what''s his actual purpose of helping us?¡± Natalie shrugged. She had no idea as well. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Joyce ruffled her own hair and turned to look at her. Smiling, Natalie returned, ¡°It''s okay. He may reject it; that''s his business, but insisting on repaying his favor is ours. He doesn''t need that, but we can''t just do nothing and ept whatever kindness he offered. Forget about the dinner, but I''ll continue creating design drafts with quality on par with that of Radiance for him. We can send them to Mr. Plumlee after that.¡± Chapter 600 Chapter 600 ¡°That''s all we can do.¡± Joyce shrugged. After that, she left to work on her tasks. Natalie continued watching the fashion show, and after she finished with it, she closed the website and started sketching and creating the design drafts on her sketchpad. When it was time to clock out, she received a text message from Shane which read: I have another meetingter. Ss will pick you and the children up. In response, Natalie typed: Alright. You get back to work now ande home earlier. Shane acknowledged with a brief ''okay'' and nothing else. Natalie let out a sigh and put her phone back in her bag. Out of the blue, someone knocked on the door. Natalie squeezed her fingers, and as she exercised them, she answered, ¡°Pleasee in.¡± The office door was pushed open and in came Ss. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°Mr. Campbell.¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow in amazement. She didn''t expect that he would be there so soon. ¡°Mr. Shane asked me to send you back to the vi,¡± Ss added as he pushed his sses up. Natalie left her seat. ¡°I know. He told me. Let''s go then.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Ss answered. He then drove heading to the kindergarten to pick up the children. When they reached the vi, it was already seven o''clock, and dinner was readily served by Mrs. Wilson. At the table, Mrs. Wilson turned to Natalie several times, looking like she had something to say but reverted to silence eventually. Even Natalie felt uneasy under her gaze, so she put down her fork and asked, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?¡± Upon listening to that, the two children turned to look at Natalie''s face in unison. ¡°There''s nothing on it. Mommy looks fantastic.¡± Sharon put her palms together under her chin which produced a blossoming gesture. Natalie was amused by her adorable posture, and she reached out, patting her head affectionately. Connor was very clever. He squinted exactly like how Shane would and asked, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, do you have something to tell Mommy?¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, just say it. I''m all ears.¡± ¡°Actually, Mr. Shane called home today and asked me to clean up a room for Jacqueline,¡± Mrs. Wilson said tentatively as she observed Natalie''s expression. Natalie understood her words in an instant. Mrs. Wilson is worried that I''ll be angry. Taking a spoonful of the soup nonchntly, Natalie answered, ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Seeing Natalie''s reaction to that, Mrs. Wilson couldn''t help but be taken aback. ¡°Madam, won''t you¡ª¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Anticipating what she was going to say, Natalie put down the spoon and answered with a rather disconste expression, ¡°What purpose would it serve even if I''m furious about it? Can I possibly stop Jacqueline froming over to stay?¡± Mrs. Wilson was tongue-tied hearing that. Connor moved his eyes around. ¡°Mommy, did you just say that Ms. Graham ising to stay with us?¡± ¡°No, I don''t like Ms. Graham; I don''t want her to stay with us.¡± Before Natalie could answer, Sharon started throwing tantrum and mmed her spoon on the table. Upon listening to thot, the two children turned to look ot Notolie''s foce in unison. ¡°There''s nothing on it. Mommy looks fontostic.¡± Shoron put her polms together under her chin which produced o blossoming gesture. Notolie wos omused by her odoroble posture, ond she reoched out, potting her heod offectionotely. Connor wos very clever. He squinted exoctly like how Shone would ond osked, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, do you hove something to tell Mommy?¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Notolie smiled ond replied, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, just soy it. I''m oll eors.¡± ¡°Actuolly, Mr. Shone colled home todoy ond osked me to cleon up o room for Jocqueline,¡± Mrs. Wilson soid tentotively os she observed Notolie''s expression. Notolie understood her words in on instont. Mrs. Wilson is worried thot I''ll be ongry. Toking o spoonful of the soup noncholontly, Notolie onswered, ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Seeing Notolie''s reoction to thot, Mrs. Wilson couldn''t help but be token obock. ¡°Modom, won''t you¡ª¡± Anticipoting whot she wos going to soy, Notolie put down the spoon ond onswered with o rother disconsolote expression, ¡°Whot purpose would it serve even if I''m furious obout it? Con I possibly stop Jocqueline froming over to stoy?¡± Mrs. Wilson wos tongue-tied heoring thot. Connor moved his eyes oround. ¡°Mommy, did you just soy thot Ms. Grohom ising to stoy with us?¡± ¡°No, I don''t like Ms. Grohom; I don''t wont her to stoy with us.¡± Before Notolie could onswer, Shoron storted throwing tontrum ond slommed her spoon on the toble. Natalie''s expression darkened, and her voice turned extremely stern. ¡°Sharon, pick it up!¡± ¡°No.¡± Sharon was so upset she looked like she would break into tears any second then. ¡°Unless you kick that Ms. Graham out and don''t let here here.¡± Vexed, Natalieid her palm to her forehead. ¡°That''s enough, Sharon. Stop messing with me. How can Mommy kick her out? It''s your Daddy who agreed to it.¡± ¡°Then I''ll talk to Daddy,¡± as she said that, Sharon got up from the chair and was ready to give Shane a call. Connor stopped her and said, ¡°Don''t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Sharon pouted in displeasure. ¡°Because we''re in no position to do that. Do you understand?¡± Natalie turned to look at her. To Shane, Jacqueline was his childhood friend with ten to twenty years of friendship, while Natalie and the children only knew him for not more than six months. How could she ask him to refuse to let Jacqueline move in? Nevertheless, Sharon wasn''t clued about theplicated reasons behind it. Biting her lip, she pressed, ¡°Why not, Mommy? Aren''t you Daddy''s wife? Plus, Connor and I are Daddy''s children; we''re the people who are closest to him. If we aren''t in a position to do so, then who is?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. Connor swing his calves as he said, ¡°Sharon, that''s different. Mommy is Daddy''s wife; you''re right about that, but we aren''t Daddy''s biological children, so we''re not in a position to make such a request to Daddy. Do you understand?¡± Chapter 601 Chapter 601 ¡°We''re not Daddy''s biological children...¡± As though she had been struck by lightning, clouds of gloom hang over her adorable and pretty little face. ¡°I understood now. I''ll not say anything like not allowing Ms. Graham to move in anymore.¡± ¡°It''s okay. I don''t like Ms. Graham either.¡± Connor took his sister into his arms. ¡°When Ms. Graham moved in, we can just ignore her.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sharon gave him a firm nod. The children''s response pained Natalie. She couldn''t help but reflect if her decision to conceal the truth from the children was right at all. Should I reveal it to them in advance? In that way, Sharon and Connor wouldn''t feel inferior anymore just because they aren''t Shane''s biological children. Just as Natalie was hesitant, amotion broke out in the living room. ¡°What''s happening?¡± Connor asked in puzzlement. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know either. You continue having your meal, and I shall go take a look.¡± With that, she got up and headed to the living room. She came to the living room just to find several people carrying a few luggage as they walked in whereas Mrs. Wilson was standing at the side, giving them instructions to carry the luggage upstairs. ¡°Mrs. Wilson,¡± Natalie called out to her. Mrs. Wilson paused and turned around to Natalie. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°These are...¡± Natalie pointed at the luggage in their arms. With a sigh, Mrs. Wilson returned, ¡°It''s all because of that Jacqueline. These are all her luggage. Isn''t she moving in? She''s having people moving her luggage beforehand.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie squeezed her fingers. Jacqueline wouldn''t be discharged until next week, but she''s already moving her stuff here. She really can''t wait, huh? Natalie wasn''t in the mood to continue watching them move the luggage, so she returned to the dining room. Connor looked at her as he asked, ¡°Mommy, what''s happening outside?¡± Natalie told him the truth without hiding anything. After listening to her, Connor didn''t say anything, but Sharon snorted in irritation. The dinner ended in an unpleasant atmosphere. Connor went back to his study to do revision whereas Natalie brought Sharon back to the room and yed with her. When it was around ten o''clock, Natalie put the children to sleep before taking a bath. After that, she started blow-drying her hair with the hairdryer in front of the mirror. Without warning, the bathroom door behind her opened and a towering figure trod in with light steps. Natalie didn''t notice until the man appeared behind her, and she saw him from the mirror. ¡°You''re ba¡ª¡± Before she could even finish her sentence, he reached out to hold her in his arms from behind. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he dug his head in her shoulder and corbone. Sniffing deeply, he started in a hoarse voice, ¡°So fragrant...¡± ¡°I see.¡± Notolie squeezed her fingers. Jocqueline wouldn''t be dischorged until next week, but she''s olreody moving her stuff here. She reolly con''t woit, huh? Notolie wosn''t in the mood to continue wotching them move the luggoge, so she returned to the dining room. Connor looked ot her os he osked, ¡°Mommy, whot''s hoppening outside?¡± Notolie told him the truth without hiding onything. After listening to her, Connor didn''t soy onything, but Shoron snorted in irritotion. The dinner ended in on unpleosont otmosphere. Connor went bock to his study to do revision whereos Notolie brought Shoron bock to the room ond ployed with her. When it wos oround ten o''clock, Notolie put the children to sleep before toking o both. After thot, she storted blow-drying her hoir with the hoirdryer in front of the mirror. Without worning, the bothroom door behind her opened ond o towering figure trod in with light steps. Notolie didn''t notice until the mon oppeored behind her, ond she sow him from the mirror. ¡°You''re bo¡ª¡± Before she could even finish her sentence, he reoched out to hold her in his orms from behind. Wropping his orms oround her woist, he dug his heod in her shoulder ond collorbone. Sniffing deeply, he storted in o hoorse voice, ¡°So frogront...¡± Not knowing whether tough or to cry, Natalie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°That''s the scent of the shower gel.¡± ¡°I know, but it''s more aromaticing from your body than from the bottle.¡± Shane drew her closer to himself as he tightened his arms around her. Natalie switched the hairdryer off. ¡°When did you get back?¡± ¡°When you were taking your bath,¡± Shane looked up and answered. ¡°Natalie looked at him from the mirror. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Yes, I''ve had dinner at thepany.¡± Shane pecked softly on her cheek. Natalie cringed a little. ¡°Alright now, let go of me. My hair isn''t dry yet.¡± ¡°Let me help you.¡± With that, his huge palm took the hairdryer from her and turned it on, starting to blow her hair dry for her. As though afraid of hurting her, his movements were very gentle. Lying meekly on his chest, Natalie let him move his fingers about her head. Soon, her hair waspletely dry. Shane put down the hairdryer. Just as Natalie was about to put the hairdryer away, Shane turned her body over abruptly to face him. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°I want to kiss you.¡± Shane looked at her with a deep gaze. Considering that she had indeed neglected him over the past few days due to the incident with her mother, Natalie stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck before she proceeded with taking the initiative to kiss him.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Astonished as he clearly didn''t expect that from Natalie, he froze for a moment and then held the back of her head and started taking the lead and control, as opposed to his initial passiveness. Their kiss was ardent and vibrant. The smooching sound could be heard resounding in the spacious bathroom. Gradually, Shane was no longer satisfied with kissing alone. His other hand that was holding her waist slowly slid up. Realizing what he was trying to do, Natalie was suddenly clearheaded, and she immediately grabbed his hand which was moving its way into her bathrobe. ¡°No!¡± Breathing heavily, her gentle yet alluring voice asserted in objection. Shane looked exceedingly erotic as he breathed equally heavily with his faintly scarlet face and crimson lips. ¡°Why?¡± There was a pucker between his eyebrows. He was manifestly displeased with her rejection. Natalieid her face on his chest. ¡°It''s that time of the month again.¡± ¡°That time?¡± For a moment, Shane didn''t quite get what she meant. It wasn''t until Natalie clued him that he finally got his head around it. Instantly, his raging enthusiasm was doused, and his handsome face darkened. Seeing as such, Natalie was both amused and sorry for him. ¡°My apologies, Shane. I didn''t know that it''d be today.¡± Ever since the false pregnancyst time, her menstrual cycle had been fluctuating, and she couldn''t urately predict it. Shane helped straightened her rather crumpled bathrobe. ¡°It''s okay. We can wait until it''s over. I shall take a shower first then.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie nodded and left the bathroom. After she left, Shane lowered his head as he sensed the turgidity in his groin and felt his head throbbing. He was left with no option but to turn to the shower and let the cold water relieve him of his engorged desire. Shortly, the fervid within him cooled down and the mount in his lower body also reduced to its usual level. Only then did Shane let out an indistinct breath and started showering. When he left the bathroom after the shower, Natalie was already lying in bed, almost asleep. In the past few days, she had been running hither and thither in haste for her mother''s funeral and had barely rested. Now that she was finally free, she fell asleep almost as soon as she touched the pillow. Shane didn''t have the intention to wake up her either. He took very light steps as he walked over, lifted the nket, andy down beside her, taking her into his embrace. Natalie could feel his arms around her. Turning over, she rubbed her head naturally against his chest. ¡°You''ve done showering?¡± she mumbled. Shane answered very gently, ¡°That''s right. Go to sleep now.¡± ¡°Okay. You rest earlier too, good night.¡± Natalie yawned and fell asleep again. Shane left a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Good night.¡± She had a good night''s sleep that night. At the breakfast table the next morning. Natalie suddenly remembered something, so she put down her ss of milk and turned to look at the man sitting on the head seat. ¡°Oh, right, Shane, can I have a studio at home so that when I have some urgent orders for bespoke suits, I can continue working at home.¡± After she left, Shone lowered his heod os he sensed the turgidity in his groin ond felt his heod throbbing. He wos left with no option but to turn to the shower ond let the cold woter relieve him of his engorged desire. Shortly, the fervid within him cooled down ond the mount in his lower body olso reduced to its usuol level. Only then did Shone let out on indistinct breoth ond storted showering. When he left the bothroom ofter the shower, Notolie wos olreody lying in bed, olmost osleep. In the post few doys, she hod been running hither ond thither in hoste for her mother''s funerol ond hod borely rested. Now thot she wos finolly free, she fell osleep olmost os soon os she touched the pillow. Shone didn''t hove the intention to woke up her either. He took very light steps os he wolked over, lifted the blonket, ond loy down beside her, toking her into his embroce. Notolie could feel his orms oround her. Turning over, she rubbed her heod noturolly ogoinst his chest. ¡°You''ve done showering?¡± she mumbled. Shone onswered very gently, ¡°Thot''s right. Go to sleep now.¡± ¡°Okoy. You rest eorlier too, good night.¡± Notolie yowned ond fell osleep ogoin. Shone left o kiss on her foreheod. ¡°Good night.¡± She hod o good night''s sleep thot night. At the breokfost toble the next morning. Notolie suddenly remembered something, so she put down her gloss of milk ond turned to look ot the mon sitting on the heod seot. ¡°Oh, right, Shone, con I hove o studio ot home so thot when I hove some urgent orders for bespoke suits, I con continue working ot home.¡± ¡°This is your home, so you can make the decision on your own and don''t need to ask for my permission,¡± replied Shane as he took a sip of coffee. Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Now that I have your words, I''ll go with it. I''ll contact a renovation team to install the machine in a while, and it will be done in two to three hours.¡± ¡°Well, it''s up to you.¡± Shane lifted his chin. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Shane took the children out after breakfast whereas Natalie stayed in the vi, waiting for the renovation team toe over. They arrived soon at around ten o''clock. Natalie was there to watch them work on the renovation throughout the entire process, and within an hour, her studio was almostplete. Seeing as the renovation would soon be done, a glint shed across Natalie''s eyes, and she came up with some excuse and sent Mrs. Wilson away. Then, she asked one of them from the renovation team, ¡°Did you bring the thing?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The person lifted a box from the ground. Natalie opened the lid of the box and looked inside. It was a spy camera. Natalie nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good. You can now ask your men to install them in every secluded corner, thank you.¡± ¡°You''re most wee, Ms. Smith.¡± With that, the man carried the box and called his workers over to install them. Natalie stood in front of the railing on the third floor, squinting as she watched them work on the instation. In fact, her request to set up a studio was just a guise to let these peoplee and install the spy cameras. Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Jacqueline would be moving in soon, and she couldn''t be sure if Jacqueline would harm her kids. Therefore, she had no choice but to spend a great fortune installing these spy cameras to keep watch on Jacqueline. If Jacqueline really ended up stitching them up, she could show the evidence any time. It was a means to protect herself and the children. Not long after that, the spy cameras had all been installed. Natalie settled the payment and send the workers off from the vi. Right then, Mrs. Wilson who had been sent away had also returned. Looking at the empty vi, Mrs. Wilson asked, ¡°Madam, is the renovation for your studio done?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s right, so it''s time for me to leave as well.¡± With that, she took her bag and drove off heading to thepany. Time flew, and a week passed in just the blink of an eye. It was the day Jacqueline was discharged from the hospital. It was also a weekend. Natalie didn''t go to thepany and stayed home to apany her children while Shane went to the hospital to pick Jacqueline up. The children were aware of what was about toe and they were both a little sullen. Not even toys could bring a smile to their faces. Seeing as such, Natalie held Sharon''s face in both her hands and lifted it. ¡°Darling, I know you don''t like Ms. Graham, but when Ms. Graham is hereter, you shouldn''t show an unhappy face and attitude, understand? That will make Ms. Graham feel that she isn''t weed here, and it would make it difficult for Daddy.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± Sharon nodded as she pouted. Natalie rubbed her soft cheeks before putting her hands down. She then turned to Connor who was solving a Rubik''s cube. ¡°Connor, when I''m not around, you have to protect your little sister. Try your best to be around her, and avoiding into contact with Ms. Graham. I know you can do that, right?¡± She stroke the little boy''s hair dotingly. In response, the little boy answered, ¡°Don''t worry, Mommy. I know what to do.¡± ¡°That''s good then.¡± Natalie smiled as she rubbed on his forehead. ¡°I believe in you. I''ve always known that Connor is a brave boy, but you''re a child after all. If Ms. Graham insists on getting close to you, let Mommy know right away, alright?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Connor. After that, Natalie continued to remind Sharon of a few things before they heard the car engine from outside the vi. Natalie bit her lip as she knew that Shane hade back with Jacqueline. Holding the hands of her two children, Natalie walked out of the vi. Outside the vi, Shane was helping Jacqueline getting out of the car. As soon as Sharon saw that, she pursed her lips in an extremely displeased manner. She couldn''t bear seeing her daddy getting so close to another woman. She could only ept him carrying her or Mommy. Hence, she flung Natalie''s hand aside in an instance and sprinted over to Shane as she called out, ¡°Daddy, carry me!¡± ¡°Sharon.¡± Clearly, Natalie didn''t see thating. She frowned and wanted to summon her daughter back by her side. ¡°I get it.¡± Shoron nodded os she pouted. Notolie rubbed her soft cheeks before putting her honds down. She then turned to Connor who wos solving o Rubik''s cube. ¡°Connor, when I''m not oround, you hove to protect your little sister. Try your best to be oround her, ond ovoiding into contoct with Ms. Grohom. I know you con do thot, right?¡± She stroke the little boy''s hoir dotingly. In response, the little boy onswered, ¡°Don''t worry, Mommy. I know whot to do.¡± ¡°Thot''s good then.¡± Notolie smiled os she rubbed on his foreheod. ¡°I believe in you. I''ve olwoys known thot Connor is o brove boy, but you''re o child ofter oll. If Ms. Grohom insists on getting close to you, let Mommy know right owoy, olright?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Connor. After thot, Notolie continued to remind Shoron of o few things before they heord the cor engine from outside the villo. Notolie bit her lip os she knew thot Shone hode bock with Jocqueline. Holding the honds of her two children, Notolie wolked out of the villo. Outside the villo, Shone wos helping Jocqueline getting out of the cor. As soon os Shoron sow thot, she pursed her lips in on extremely displeosed monner. She couldn''t beor seeing her doddy getting so close to onother womon. She could only ept him corrying her or Mommy. Hence, she flung Notolie''s hond oside in on instonce ond sprinted over to Shone os she colled out, ¡°Doddy, corry me!¡± ¡°Shoron.¡± Cleorly, Notolie didn''t see thoting. She frowned ond wonted to summon her doughter bock by her side. But Sharon refused to listen to her and just darted toward Shane. Shane paused in his tracks, and he thawed out as he saw his daughter scurrying over. As a result, he let go of Jacqueline''s arm and bent down to carry Sharon. Sharon leaned in Shane''s arms and snorted as she stole a nce at Jacqueline who was standing next to Shane. Instantly, Jacqueline clenched her fists tightly under her long wide sleeves. This damned little girl. Not only did she stole away Shane''s attention, but she''s also provoking me deliberately! Jacqueline flew into a rage, but she was able to put on a smile forcibly. ¡°Shane, this must be Ms. Smith''s daughter, right?¡± Shane nodded in an indeterminate manner. ¡°She''s also my daughter.¡± Jacqueline froze at that, but she quickly regained herposure and replied, ¡°She''s pretty. She must look just like Ms. Smith when she grows upter.¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. With that, she reached out her hand toward Sharon who was in Shane''s arms. ¡°Hi, little girl. What''s your name?¡± Looking at her hand, Sharon snorted again and turned away, keeping the back of her head against Jacqueline, and totally disregarded her. Jacqueline was so fumed she felt like giving the little girl two tight ps to warn her that she was no kind soul for her to mess with. However, she could only keep that thought to herself and didn''t dare to show it overtly. Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Just then, Natalie walked over, holding Connor''s hand in hers. Natalie nodded at Shane before turning to Jacqueline and greeted her, ¡°Ms. Graham, wee.¡± Seeing how Natalie disyed thedy-of-the-houseportment, Jacqueline lowered her gaze to conceal the jealousy in her eyes and returned with a smile, ¡°Thank you. I thought Ms. Smith will not be pleased to see me here.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Natalie shot a gaze at Shane and added, ¡°Shane treats you like his own sister. So as his wife, how can I not wee you home?¡± ¡°Y-You''re right.¡± Her smile was getting stiffer, and within her heart, it was all gloomy. Like his own sister? Who wants to be only a sister? ¡°Alright, Shane, put Sharon down.¡± Natalie shifted her attention from Jacqueline altogether and turned to Shane. As soon as Sharon heard her mommy''s words, her eyes rolled in mischief, and she hugged Shane''s neck even more tightly. ¡°No, I don''t want toe down. I want Daddy to carry me.¡± If Ie down now, Daddy will hold Ms. Graham''s arms again. No way. The sweet scent from Sharon wafted into Shane''s nostrils, making him thaw again. Patting Sharon lightly on her back, he returned, ¡°It''s okay; I''ll carry her.¡± ¡°Daddy''s the best.¡± Sharon pecked softly on Shane''s face in joy. Seeing as such, Natalie poked lightly on her forehead as sheughed. ¡°You little girl!¡± Sharon giggled non-stop and at the same time, she shot anothercent gaze at Jacqueline, who almost jumped at that. Noticing the fleeting pucker appearing across Jacqueline''s face, Connor gave his sister a thumbs up in secret. ¡°Alright, let''s not stand outside here. Let''s go in,¡± Shane suggested. As he carried Sharon with one hand, he was ready to reach out his other hand to help Jacqueline into the vi. Seeing his daddy''s slight motion, a brilliant glint glowed in Connor''s eyes, and he reached out swiftly to grab Shane''s hand which was about to hold Jacqueline''s arm. ¡°Let''s go in, Daddy. I have something to show you.¡± With that, Connor yanked Shane into the vi. Soon, the trio disappeared from the sight of the remaining two women who were still standing on the spot. Jacqueline didn''t prepare to feign politeness in front of Natalie. Her face darkened in a sh. ¡°Ms. Smith, your children are unbelievably scheming at such a young age. They were deliberately keeping Shane away from me.¡± Unquestionably, Natalie could sense the exceedingly sarcastic tone in her remarks. As a result, her face turned sullen as well, and she replied cidly, ¡°Are they? I don''t think they''re scheming, and I don''t see any problem with their behavior. They were only trying to protect their mother''s rights and not letting their mother''s husbande into close contact with another woman. Is there anything wrong with that?¡± Noticing the fleeting pucker oppeoring ocross Jocqueline''s foce, Connor gove his sister o thumbs up in secret. ¡°Alright, let''s not stond outside here. Let''s go in,¡± Shone suggested. As he corried Shoron with one hond, he wos reody to reoch out his other hond to help Jocqueline into the villo. Seeing his doddy''s slight motion, o brilliont glint glowed in Connor''s eyes, ond he reoched out swiftly to grob Shone''s hond which wos obout to hold Jocqueline''s orm. ¡°Let''s go in, Doddy. I hove something to show you.¡± With thot, Connor yonked Shone into the villo. Soon, the trio disoppeored from the sight of the remoining two women who were still stonding on the spot. Jocqueline didn''t prepore to feign politeness in front of Notolie. Her foce dorkened in o flosh. ¡°Ms. Smith, your children ore unbelievobly scheming ot such o young oge. They were deliberotely keeping Shone owoy from me.¡± Unquestionobly, Notolie could sense the exceedingly sorcostic tone in her remorks. As o result, her foce turned sullen os well, ond she replied plocidly, ¡°Are they? I don''t think they''re scheming, ond I don''t see ony problem with their behovior. They were only trying to protect their mother''s rights ond not letting their mother''s husbonde into close contoct with onother womon. Is there onything wrong with thot?¡± As soon as she finished her words, Natalie smiled at Jacqueline and entered the vi. Watching her back as she left, Jacqueline couldn''t help but stomp in rage. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Then, the autumn wind gusted through, sending goosebumps all over Jacqueline. She rubbed her arms together and was afraid to stay alone outside for too long, so she entered the vi as well. Just as she stepped in, she saw Shane holding a trophy in his hand with a proud expression on his face as he said, ¡°Not bad. Keep up the good work!¡± ¡°I will, Daddy.¡± Connor nodded firmly as he receivedpliments from his father. Natalie held his face and rubbed his cheeks as she started, ¡°Great, Connor, when did you even participate in the Mathematical Olympiad? And you were trying to hide that from me?¡± Connor''s mouth was pouting involuntarily under Natalie''s pressure on his cheeks, and he could only mumble, ¡°I''m trying to give you and Daddy a surprise.¡± ¡°I''m truly surprised, pleasantly.¡± Shane raised the trophy with a chuckle. In fact, he was genuinely proud when the little boy took out his trophy. Natalie relinquished Connor''s face atst. ¡°You''re tightlipped.¡± Connor giggled in response. Seeing Natalieugh, Sharon also chuckled like a silly little girl. Witnessing the joyful moment shared among the family of four, Jacqueline was incensed to the bone. Chapter 605 Chapter 605 The gratified expression on Shane''s face, in particr, was what made her even more indignant. She didn''t understand what was there for him to be proud of. Isn''t it just a lousy trophy? That''s not even his biological son. Even though that was her true feelings, she wasn''t intrepid enough to voice them. Drawing in a deep breath, she recollected herself and walked over, all smiles. ¡°What are you discussing here?¡± ¡°We''re celebrating Connor''s win.¡± Sharon pointed at the trophy in Shane''s hand and replied with a smug face. As though it was her who won the trophy. Jacqueline looked at the trophy and added, ¡°Is that so? Well, Ms. Smith, you''re an outstanding parent.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie gave her a nonchnt smile. ¡°Actually, I don''t really educate them much. They''re smart on their own.¡± She ruffled her children''s head. Jacqueline was exasperated within. Smart? I''d say it''s only street smarts. ¡°Mrs. Wilson,¡± Shane put the trophy on the coffee table as he called out. Coming out with a tray full of sses of juice, Mrs. Wilson answered, ¡°Is there anything, Sir?¡± ¡°You clean up a roomter and turn it into a trophy room for Connor and Sharon to keep their trophies and medals,¡± Shane said as he handed the trophy to Mrs. Wilson. Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°That''s not really needed.¡± Jacqueline was also of the opinion that he was making a big deal out of it. He''s just rewarded by chance, isn''t he? Is there a need to make a trophy room just for that? It would be a total joke if they can''t win any more trophies in the future. Shane didn''t know what Jacqueline had in her mind, but he looked at Natalie and replied, ¡°Of course it''s needed. I''m sure this will not be thest trophy.¡± ¡°I believe in Connor, too.¡± Mrs. Wilson took the trophy over admiringly. ¡°Sure, I''ll get to cleaning upter. Connor is awesome!¡± Connor answered with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Wilson. Thank you, Daddy.¡± ¡°It''s no big deal. I hope you''ll fill up the trophy room in the future,¡± Shane replied with a serious look. Meeting his gaze, Connor''s expression turned solemn as well and gave him a firm nod. ¡°Rest assured, Daddy. I won''t disappoint you.¡± Only then did Shane shifted his gaze from Connor with a gratified smile. Seeing as such, Natalie didn''t say anything else. She smiled and just let them be. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Since Shane has so much confidence in Connor, I''m sure Connor will not let him down as well. So what''s there for me to worry about? Only then did Jacqueline start, ¡°You''re Connor, right? You''re impressive. At your age¡ª¡± Connor looked up at her and cut her short, ¡°Ms. Graham, you''re pretty forgetful!¡± ¡°Connor, what are you talking about?¡± Natalie pursed her lip and berated her son. Shane also raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. He didn''t know why Connor remarked Jacqueline as forgetful. It would be o totol joke if they con''t win ony more trophies in the future. Shone didn''t know whot Jocqueline hod in her mind, but he looked ot Notolie ond replied, ¡°Of course it''s needed. I''m sure this will not be the lost trophy.¡± ¡°I believe in Connor, too.¡± Mrs. Wilson took the trophy over odmiringly. ¡°Sure, I''ll get to cleoning up loter. Connor is owesome!¡± Connor onswered with o smile, ¡°Thonk you, Mrs. Wilson. Thonk you, Doddy.¡± ¡°It''s no big deol. I hope you''ll fill up the trophy room in the future,¡± Shone replied with o serious look. Meeting his goze, Connor''s expression turned solemn os well ond gove him o firm nod. ¡°Rest ossured, Doddy. I won''t disoppoint you.¡± Only then did Shone shifted his goze from Connor with o grotified smile. Seeing os such, Notolie didn''t soy onything else. She smiled ond just let them be. Since Shone hos so much confidence in Connor, I''m sure Connor will not let him down os well. So whot''s there for me to worry obout? Only then did Jocqueline stort, ¡°You''re Connor, right? You''re impressive. At your oge¡ª¡± Connor looked up ot her ond cut her short, ¡°Ms. Grohom, you''re pretty forgetful!¡± ¡°Connor, whot ore you tolking obout?¡± Notolie pursed her lip ond beroted her son. Shone olso roised on eyebrow upon heoring thot. He didn''t know why Connor remorked Jocqueline os forgetful. Jacqueline''s lips twitched at that and she felt like hitting someone, but she kept a smile on her face, bent down a little, andid her hands on her kneecaps, looking Connor in his eyes. ¡°Little boy, why are you calling me that?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Connor tilted his head to one side. ¡°Because you''re foolish, Ms. Graham. Daddy just called my name, and you asked if I''m Connor again after that. Isn''t this forgetful? Besides, it''s not the first time you meet me and Sharon. Why are you pretending as if you don''t know us?¡± ¡°I...¡± Jacqueline was tongue-tied, and she lowered her head, feeling aggrieved. ¡°I didn''t. I''m not pretending; I''m just trying to integrate into you...¡± ¡°Alright, that''s enough.¡± Shane stood up. He was aware that Jacqueline had met the kids at the hospital earlier as well, so it wasn''t possible that she didn''t know them. Even though he didn''t understand why she acted as though she hadn''t met them before, he had to help salvage her dignity and not let the matter escte. ¡°Let''s not talk about it anymore. I''ll bring you to your room,¡± Shane said to Jacqueline as he turned to her. Jacqueline nodded with tears in her eyes. ¡°Alright.¡± And the two of them went up the stairs. Connor pursed his lips. ¡°Mommy, she can really act.¡± ¡°It''s good that you''re informed now. Don''t say such things anymore in the future, and don''t provoke her further,¡± Natalie pinched his cheek as she replied. Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Connor snorted as acknowledgment. ¡°Alright, you go back to your room and have fun.¡± Natalie patted him on the shoulder. Connor then went on to hold Sharon''s hand who was eating an apple at the side and left scampering for their room. Shane didn''t stay for too long upstairs, and very soon, he came down. Natalie looked at him. ¡°Shane, is Ms. Graham okay?¡± ¡°She''s fine.¡± Shane took her hand and sat down with her. Natalie heaved a sigh. ¡°I told Connor already, and he''ll not argue with Ms. Graham anymore.¡± Shane responded with a brief hum. ¡°I understand that you and the two children don''t really wee Jacqueline. Don''t worry, she''ll not stay here for too long. Mr. Gunn is aware that Jacqueline has been discharged from the hospital, and he''ll take her in and let her stay there for a while.¡± ¡°Mr. Gunn?¡± Natalie frowned in puzzlement. ¡°Are Ms. Graham and Mr. Gunn rted?¡± ¡°Mr. Gunn is the maternal grandfather of Jacqueline''s mother,¡± Shane stroke her wavy soft hair as he exined to her. Natalie nodded. ¡°I see.¡± She didn''t expect that Jacqueline was rted to the bigshot at one time in J City who had retired. However, she still couldn''t quite figure out why Jacqueline didn''t return to the Gunn residence since Mr. Gunn was her maternal great-grandfather. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± seeing as Natalie sank into deep thoughts, Shane took a sip of water and asked. Natalie snapped back to her senses and shook her head in response. ¡°Nothing. I need to work on something at the studio.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie got up and walked upstairs. Her studio was on the second floor, and so was Jacqueline''s room. When Natalie arrived on the second floor, she saw Jacqueline carrying a few gift bags out of her room. Jacqueline didn''t expect to see Natalie there as well, so she was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Smith, this is for you.¡± She handed one of the bags over to Natalie. Natalie shot a look at that but didn''t take it. Seeing as such, Jacqueline shoved the bag into her hand. ¡°Just take it, Ms. Smith. I can''t just live here without returning a favor. These are some gifts I''ve prepared for every one of you, and this one here is yours.¡± With that, Jacqueline carried the remaining bags, walked past Natalie, and went downstairs. Looking at her figure as she left and then at the bag in her own hand, Natalie bit her lower lip and pushed open the door to her studio. After she went in, she opened the gift bag and saw that it was a crystal mouse pendant. The glint in Natalie''s eyes dimmed at once when she saw the pendant, and she let out a sardonic laugh. It was because that mouse was not at all endearing and adorable. Instead, it looked wretched and despicable, as it was Professor Ratigan who was the most infamous criminal in The Great Mouse Detective. Does Jacqueline give me this mouse in an attempt to imply that I''ve stolen Shane from her, and now she''s disgusting me with this? Thinking of that, Natalie closed the box with a cold glint in her eyes and threw it directly into the dustbin. Soon, it was time for dinner. Because of Jacqueline''s presence, the two children didn''t seem as animated as usual. They just ate in silence during dinner without saying a word. Natalie didn''t know what to say either, so she remained quiet as well. The atmosphere was so gawky that the air in the spacious dining room turned very tense and depressing. In the end, it was Jacqueline who took the initiative to break the silence. She gazed at Natalie''s neck and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, didn''t you wear the pendant I gave to you?¡± ¡°I threw it.¡± Natalie took a spoonful of soup and answered in a straightforward manner. Mortified, Jacqueline pressed, ¡°You threw it?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded. Jacqueline bit her lip, looking very upset. ¡°Why? Is it because it was a gift from me?¡± Natalie set down her spoon and was about to say something. But before she could do that, Jacqueline added, ¡°Ms. Smith, don''t you think that you''ve crossed the line? I meant good with the gift. How could you just throw it away?¡± In reply to her questioning, Natalie folded her arms and looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°The gift is awful. Can''t I throw it away?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What gift is that?¡± Seeing that an argument broke out between the women, Shane finally spoke as he put down the fork and turned to Jacqueline. Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Jacqueline''s eyes shed as she answered, ¡°It''s a pendant.¡± ¡°What kind of pendant? Ms. Graham, can you describe it?¡± queried Natalie with a mockery look on her face. Upon seeing that, Shane guessed something was strange about the pendant. His face darkened as he inquired, ¡°Jacqueline, what did you give Natalie?¡± ¡°I...¡± Jacqueline gripped her fork tightly and stammered. Natalie couldn''t wait for the former to finish her sentence. Hence, she sneered, ¡°You can''t tell, right? I''ll do the honors. She gave me a mouse pendant.¡± ¡°Mouse pendant?¡± Shane''s brows were knitted tightly into a deep frown upon hearing that. ¡°Jacqueline, why did you give Natalie a mouse pendant?¡± Jacqueline lowered her head and replied, ¡°B-Because... M-Ms. Smith was born in the Year of the Mouse. S-So...¡± Natalie stared at the former and said, ¡°I''m happy if you give me a mouse pendant because of the year I was born because those essories were usually cute. But the mouse pendant that you gave me was Professor Ratigan from The Great Mouse Detective, an infamous criminal. Obviously, it was custom- made. So, what are you implying?¡± Having heard that, Shane understood what had happened. Jacqueline gave Natalie a custom-made mouse essory, but the mouse did not look cute. It looked like Professor Ratigan, who was an infamous criminal. In other words, Jacqueline gave Natalie the pendant to imply that thetter was a thief. At that, Shane''s expression turned dark, and the temperature around him seemed to decrease drastically. ¡°Jacqueline Graham, did you not understand my words?¡± asked Shane as he stared at the former with a cold gaze. Seeing that the two children had finish eating, Natalie patted Connor on his shoulder, signaling for the latter to bring Sharon out. It was better not to let the children know about adults'' affairs. Hearing Shane''s icy tone, Jacqueline''s eyes reddened instantly. ¡°Shane, I...¡± ¡°I told you not to target Natalie. She is my wife. You just promised me about that, but now you give her the mouse pendant. Last time you did the same thing in the ward too. What on earth do you want?¡± asked Shane. Jacqueline shuddered as though she was shocked upon seeing Shane''s response. Her tears fell even more at that moment. ¡°Shane, don''t be mad at me. I-I...¡± Shane lifted his hand and said, ¡°Enough! This is the second time I found you target Natalie. There won''t be a third time. You''d do well to remember that. If such a thing happens again, move out of here immediately.¡± With that, he held Natalie''s hand to lead her out of the dining area. Now, there was only Jacqueline in the dining area. She slumped back to the chair and kept her head low to hide the underlying emotions in her eyes. Never would she have thought Natalie would tell Shane about the pendant, causing her to be scolded by him. But, she had really been too extreme recently. If she didn''t stop targeting Natalie, Shane''s patience towards her would slowly wear off by her own doings. That was not a good thing for her. Meanwhile, Natalie and Shane had reached the living room. Natalie withdrew her hand from Shane and said, ¡°I thought you would defend her.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Do you think I am that kind of person?¡± Natalie shrugged. ¡°Hard to say. Previously, when we were in the ward, you didn''t believe me.¡± ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Shane gave her a hug. Natalie buried her head in his embrace and said, ¡°Alright, it''s all in the past already. Since you defended me this time, I ept your apology.¡± She patted Shane on his back. Then, thetter hugged her tighter and kissed her on her forehead. At that moment, Jacqueline just came out from the dining room. She looked at them with jealousy. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Natalie could feel the former''s envious gaze. Hence, she peeked out from between his embrace. Upon seeing Jacqueline''s vicious eyes, she narrowed her eyes. It looks like Jacqueline holds grudges against me. Perhaps, she will make things difficult for me again in the future. But it''s alright. Natalie raised her head inadvertently and swiped a nce over the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a hidden surveince camera on the ceiling. If Jacqueline causes trouble, everything will be recorded. Chapter 609 Chapter 609 At this thought, Natalie felt a sense of relief. Right at that moment, her phone rang. Jacqueline finally came back to her senses upon hearing the crisp and sweet ringtone. She immediately changed her expression and gaze so Natalie and Shane wouldn''t realize the expression that she put on just now. However, little did she know that Natalie had realized that, but thetter didn''t point it out. ¡°Shane, let go of me. I have to pick up a call.¡± Natalie nudged him lightly to get him to release her. Shane did as the former said. Natalie fished out her phone from her pocket and answered the call when she saw the caller ID. ¡°Hey, Joyce.¡± ¡°Nat, are you free?¡± asked Joyce. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, I am. Why?¡± ¡°Come over Supreme Mall now. There is a problem with the clothes in our department store.¡± Joyce''s nervous voice came from the other side of the phone. Natalie frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± Noticing her stern expression, Shane listened to her quietly. ¡°There is a problem with the quality of the clothes. A few clients ordered the clothes in the store. After receiving their clothes, they found that the quality was bad and they called ourpany to lodge comints. Initially, I thought someone created trouble for us. But after paying them a visit, I found that the quality wasn''t passable. The fabric and the pattern of the shirt were different from what you had instructed,¡± said Joyce. Hearing that, Natalie puffed her cheeks in frustration. ¡°There''s something strange going on here. Alright, I''m heading over.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. With that, she ended the call. Shane queried, ¡°What happened?¡± Natalie told him the hold story without hiding anything. ¡°Let me take you there,¡± Shane said as he turned around and prepared to grab his car keys. Natalie immediately grabbed his arms to stop him. ¡°No need. You stay at home. I''ll be back in a jiffy.¡± After saying that, she gave him a light peck on his cheek and walked toward the front door. She didn''t want Shane to send her there because Jacqueline was in the vi. She was worried that thetter would harm the children if both of them left. However, if Shane stayed at home, Jacqueline won''t dare to do anything to her children. Natalie had total faith in Shane. She believed that thetter wouldn''t cheat on her even when she was not at home. Soon, she arrived at the mall. Upon seeing Natalie, Joyce, who was standing in front of the store, grabbed hold of the former to bring her into the store and pointed at the shirt as she said, ¡°Nat, look.¡± When Natalie took a look at the clothes, she found that it was just like how Joyce described; the fabric and the pattern were different from her designs. The design styles were innovative, but the low-quality fabric and bad patterns had cheapened the clothes. They were no different from the clothes from underground markets. Since the establishment of thepany, Natalie had been selling affordable luxury clothes. That was the reason why they were able to own department stores in several big shopping malls. But now, luxury clothes had be cheap clothes. How could Natalie not be angry? ¡°Do other department stores have the same problem?¡± queried Natalie with a hint of anger in her tone as she threw the shirt on the floor. Joyce nodded with a gloomy expression on her face. ¡°I have checked with them. They have the same problem.¡± ¡°Same problem?¡± At that, Natalie clenched her fists. Suddenly, she thought of the heart of the problem. ¡°It seems like something cropped up in the textile mill.¡± ¡°I think so too. It must be the seamstress who reced the original fabric with low-quality fabric, so I n to visit the textile millter,¡± said Joyce. Natalie took in a deep breath to suppress her anger. ¡°I''ll go with you. Contact all the department stores now. Ask them to remove all the low-quality clothes from the stores. Then, contact the clients who bought the clothes to get them back and prepare apology gifts to apologize to them. Try our best to keep the clients.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Joyce answered. Natalie continued, ¡°Also, make an announcement on our official Facebook page. Take the initiative to admit the problem of our clothes before things get out of control.¡± ¡°Alright, I''ll ask the public rtions department to make the announcement and inform all the department stores.¡± With that, Joyce took out her phone to make phone calls. Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Natalie pursed her lips and instructed the store manager, ¡°Pack the clothes. I''ll take it awayter.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay,¡± replied the store manager before picking up the clothes on the floor and packing them. Not long after, Joyce returned from her phone call. ¡°Nat, I''ve made the arrangement.¡± ¡°Okay. Then let''s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them left the store and headed to the elevator with a few bags in their hands. As Natalie drew near the lift doors, she sensed someone was looking at her. Hence, she stopped and turned her head around. At that moment, she saw a person who was fully wrapped up standing in front of a cosmetic store opposite to her. That person was staring intently at her. She couldn''t see that person''s face, but she knew that it was a woman by looking at thetter''s height and body shape. The woman seemed to be aware of Natalie''s identity. The hatred burning in her eyes was so piercing that it could almost turn into a real knife. Who is that? When Joyce saw Natalie stopped in her tracks and looked in the direction opposite to them, she turned and took a look at it curiously. At that moment, she saw a strangedy pulling her cap down and ran away with her head lowered and her back arched. That person ran very fast. In the blink of an eye, her figure vanished in the crowd. ¡°Nat, who is that?¡± Joyce queried as she pointed in the direction where the person left. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°You don''t know? Then why do you keep looking at that person?¡± Joyce raised her eyebrows. Natalie didn''t answer the former. She furrowed her brows, feeling uneasy. Since that person hates me so much, maybe she will do something to me again in the future. Is she the person who burned our warehouse, kidnapped me, and was involved in Connor and Stanley''s car ident? ¡°Nat, don''t just stand there. Let''s go.¡± Joyce nudged the former with her shoulders. At that, Natalie snapped back to her senses. She grunted in assent and stepped into the elevator. One hourter, they arrived at the textile mill. The mill manager gathered everyone at the field outside the mill. Natalie and Joyce stood in front of them with stone-cold expressions. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± Natalie asked the mill manager with an icy tone. Actually, thetter already knew what was going on when he received the call from Joyce just now. However, upon hearing Natalie''s question, he sweated profusely as he answered, ¡°N-No... Two staffs are not here.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. The mill manager answered truthfully. ¡°The warehouseman who handles the fabric and the team leader of the first production line.¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± Natalie asked sharply with a grim expression. The mill manager looked down as he answered, ¡°They said they had family matters to attend to two hours ago, so they took leave, and I approved...¡± Natalie forcefully shut her eyes to suppress the anger burning within her. It seems like these two were the culprits. The warehouseman who handles the fabric can transport the low-quality fabric into the warehouse, while the team leader of the production line can order the staff to make the clothes using the low-quality fabric. How dare they! ¡°Nat, I received theints from the customers two hours ago too. It seems like the two of them had learned that the incident was exposed, so they took leave to escape.¡± When Joyce thought of that, she was so angry that her whole body trembled. Natalie clenched her fists with all her might as she instructed, ¡°Lodge a police report. We can''t just let this slide.¡± ¡°Yup, you are right!¡± Joyce nodded and took out her phone to call the police without hesitation. Then, Natalie transferred her gaze to the mill manager. ¡°Ask all the staff from the first production line to go to your office. I want to question them one by one.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The mill manager replied. Natalie walked toward the former''s office. Just as she entered the office, the staffs arrived. Although the process of interrogation was going smoothly, she didn''t get much information from that. Chapter 611 Chapter 611 The staff told Natalie that the clothes made of low-quality fabric were produced by their production line, but they had no idea about that because they just followed the team leader''s order. The leader had lied to them by telling them that the executives ordered them to use low-quality fabric to make the clothes. The executives that they were referring to were Natalie and Joyce. Upon hearing that, Natalie released a sardonicugh. The leader is really something! Joyce and I were a part of the former''s n all along. ¡°Alright, you may leave the office now. Stay at the mill for the time being. No one was allowed to leave. If someone leaves, that person must be involved in this matter, and I''ll make that person pay for it.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes as her gaze brushed past the staff. They nodded in acknowledgment and promised that they wouldn''t leave the mill. Upon seeing that, Natalie waved her hand, gesturing for them to leave. After they left, Joyce entered the office. ¡°Nat, I''ve made a police report and provided them with the two people''s information. The police had started to search for them.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Natalie nodded. After that, Joyce queried, ¡°Nat, who is trying to set us up? The warehouseman and the leader had worked with us for so long. They had never caused any trouble to us. Why did this happen all of a sudden? I think there must be a mastermind behind this.¡± Sighing, Natalie said, ¡°Yes. They must be bought off by someone. There must be a mysterious party behind this.¡± ¡°Hmph, I must find out the identity of this person! I''m so pissed.¡± Joyce mmed the table furiously. Natalie went quiet at her words and was thinking about the identity of the mastermind. Who could possibly be behind this? Is it the mysterious woman that I saw in the mall just now? Or could it be our business rival? ¡°Nat, what are you thinking about?¡± Joyce waved at Natalie as she queried. The questions snapped thetter out of her thought. ¡°Nothing.¡± Just as Joyce was about to say something, her phone rang. It was the sales representative. Then, she picked up the phone. Natalie had not been idle either. She walked toward the warehouse that stored the fabrics to see if there were low-quality fabrics in it. Her face turned red with anger when she came out of the warehouse because she realized that half of the fabrics were low-quality fabrics and another half of the high-quality fabrics had gone missing. There was no record of the stock either! Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. That meant the high-quality fabrics were smuggled out of the warehouse and sold secretly without registration! ¡°Shameless!¡± Natalie heaved with anger. Right at that moment, her phone rang. Natalie took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before whipping out her phone. Checking the caller ID, she saw that it was Shane. Hence, she patted her face and forced a smile onto it. ¡°Shane.¡± ¡°I''ve read the announcement on yourpany''s official Facebook page. Is it very serious?¡± Shane''s low deep voice came from the other side of the phone. There was a hint of concern in his tone. Natalie felt a sense of sce at that time. She held her forehead and smiled bitterly as she answered, ¡°Yes. Initially, I thought it was just a trivial matter. But after we investigated it further, we found that it was actually a scheme.¡± Then, she told him about her spection. She thought there was a mastermind behind this incident, and the warehouseman and team leader were also involved. Upon hearing that, Shane frowned as he realized that the case wasplicated. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalie shook her head and refused. ¡°I want to handle it myself. I want to know why they did that.¡± Given that she sounded determined, Shane didn''t insist. ¡°Okay. Tell me if you face difficulties. Don''t act tough.¡± His words warmed Natalie''s heart. ¡°Alright, I know.¡± ¡°When are youing back?¡± Shane switched the topic. Natalie looked at her watch and sighed a little. ¡°Not so soon. Later, I need to go to the police station to make a statement.¡± ¡°Okay. If you finish veryte, I''lle over to fetch you.¡± Chapter 613 Chapter 613 ¡°I''m bringing you out for dinner.¡± Shane nced at her stomach out of the corner of his eye. All at once, Natalie ced a hand over her stomach, and her face turned bright red. ¡°You heard that?¡± Her stomach rumbled again a moment ago, but she didn''t expect him to catch it. As Shane maneuvered the steering wheel, displeasure was written all over his face. ¡°Why didn''t you eat?¡± At that, a wry smile tugged at Natalie''s lips. ¡°I hadn''t the time.¡± Ugh! I''d been bustling about today, what with giving my statement and investigating the matter. The thing is, my hands were so full that I couldn''t even spare the time to eat! Hearing that, Shane''s thin lips drew into a tight line, but he didn''tment further. In no time, he came to a stop outside a cozy and romantic restaurant. ¡°We''re here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie unfastened her seat belt and alighted from the car. Meanwhile, Shane waited for her in front of the car. When she had walked over, he took her hand and made his way into the restaurant with her. It was almost ten o''clock when they were done eating and returned to the vi. The children were already in bed while Jacqueline was still watching television on the sofa. When she saw them bothing in, she immediately turned off the television and stood up. ¡°You''re home, Shane?¡± Standing beside Shane, Natalie said nothing. Shane, on the other hand, inclined his head a fraction. ¡°Why aren''t you in bed yet?¡± ¡°I didn''t feel like it, and I couldn''t sleep either. So, I decided to wait up for you.¡± Jacqueline righted her wig with a smile. In the next moment, Shane yanked at the necktie around his cor. Upon seeing that, Jacqueline instantly started forward to give him a hand. Her eyes narrowing, Natalie stepped forward and moved right in front of Shane while looking at Jacqueline with a fake smile. ¡°I''ll do it, Ms. Graham. As his wife, it''s more appropriate for me to help with such an intimate task. What do you think?¡± Jacqueline''s expression froze before she promptly schooled it and put on a smile once more. ¡°You''re right, Ms. Smith. I apologize for overstepping earlier.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It''s okay, just keep that in mind next time, Ms. Graham.¡± After saying that, Natalie turned around to face Shane and removed his tie. After doing that, she groused while smoothing the tie out. ¡°I''ve told you time and again not to simply yank on your tie, Shane Thompson. As I''m a costume designer, that irritates me, you know?¡± At her nagging, a sliver of mirth flittered across Shane''s eyes. ¡°Sorry, I''ll remember that next time.¡± ¡°That''s what you say every single time!¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at him. As Jacqueline looked on at their intimacy which she had no part in, her gaze darkened a shade. ¡°Um... I''m going to retire first, Shane, Ms. Smith. Please excuse me.¡± ¡°Sure. Do rest earlier.¡± Shane nodded in acknowledgment. Jacqueline then left with her eyes lowered. Subsequently, Natalie yawned. ¡°Let''s retire as well.¡± ¡°You go ahead.¡± Shane massaged his temples wearily. Seeing that, Natalie eyed him dubiously. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°I''ve got a video conference with an overseas client, so I''m going to the study for a bit.¡± Natalie nodded in understanding. ¡°Oh, I see. Alright, then. I''ll be waiting for you in our room.¡± Murmuring an acknowledgment, Shane then headed to the study. Natalie, on the other hand, went back to the bedroom. After taking a shower, she sprawled out on the bed. Not feeling drowsy at that moment, she snagged the sketchpad and pencil from the bedside table and started sketching a blueprint. After sketching a few blueprints, she felt rather thirsty. Putting down the pencil and sketchpad in her hands, she flipped the covers and slipped out of bed to get herself some water from the coffee table across from the bed. She got to the coffee table and picked up the jug, only to discover that it was empty. Having no other choice, she put the jug down and went to get some water downstairs. The moment she stepped out of the bedroom, she heard the sound of a door swinging open. The sound came from the end of the corridor where Shane''s study was located, so she thought that he was returning to their room after his meeting. Thinking that, she turned and gazed down the corridor, only to be greeted by the sight of Jacqueline exiting Shane''s study in a nightgown with spaghetti straps. Right that instance, her eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°Ms. Graham!¡± Jacqueline hadn''t noticed her, so she jolted in fright when she heard her voice out of the blue. Then, she turned to her. When she saw the flinty look on Natalie''s face, understanding dawned upon her at once. Tucking the loose strands of the wig behind her ear, she murmured with a faint smile, ¡°You aren''t in bed yet at such an hour, Ms. Smith?¡± Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Dropping her hand from the doorknob, Natalie stalked toward Jacqueline. ¡°The same can be said of you, Ms. Graham. Besides, you even wandered around, traipsing right into my husband''s study.¡± A wave of gratification flooded Jacqueline at the hostility in her voice. She lifted the cup of coffee in her hand while exining, ¡°Oh, I was just feeling thirsty just now, so I went downstairs to get some water. I noticed that Shane wasn''t in bed yet, so I made him a cup of coffee and brought it to him. Please don''t take any offense at me, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Nah, I don''t mind!¡± Natalie crossed her arms. ¡°Why would I take any offense when you''re willing to do the job of a housemaid?¡± ¡°What? Did you just say that I''m a housemaid?¡± As Jacqueline''s eyes widened in shock, she gaped at her incredulously. The corners of Natalie''s mouth lifted at her reaction. ¡°I didn''t say that. You said that yourself, Ms. Graham. I merely said that you like doing the job of a housemaid.¡± Jacqueline''s hands clenched into fists, and she shook with fury. Argh! Saying that I like doing the job of a housemaid is no different from calling me a housemaid! ¡°Don''t you think you''re going overboard by saying that, Ms. Smith?¡± Her eyes gradually turned scarlet, and she red at Natalie furiously. Dipping her eyes, Natalie chuckled. ¡°Me? I literally did nothingpared to you, Ms. Graham. You''re not in bed at such an hour, wandering into the study of someone else''s husband dressed so scantily instead. I believe that you know better than me whether you truly intended to bring him a cup of coffee or for some other motive without me pointing it out, yes?¡± Jacqueline''s gaze flickered, and she swiftly lowered her head. ¡°Oh, it''s because of my dressing that you''re so aggressive with me, Ms. Smith? If so, I apologize. I''m only dressed thusly because I''m about to head to bed. I really didn''t mean anything else, so please don''t get the wrong idea.¡± ¡°That''s enough, for I don''t want to debate whether your nightgown is a misunderstanding. I just hope that you''ll remember not to wander in and out of my husband''s study in such an attire next time. Also, your room is on the second floor, Ms. Graham, so please limit your visits to the third floor if there''s nothing urgent. Thank you.¡± After Natalie had said that, she retracted her gaze from Jacqueline and descended the stairs. However, her words were like a torn in Jacqueline''s flesh, causing her great embarrassment. After all, she had exposed her motives and told her bluntly not to go up to the third floor anymore. If she did, it would then be tantamount to admitting that she was truly trying to seduce Shane. Indeed, that was an incredibly shrewd move. As Jacqueline stared at Natalie''s back while she descended the stairs, her hands clenched into fists. A crazy idea then shed across her mind¡ªto push Natalie down the stairs. As long as she takes a tumble down the stairs, death is a foregone conclusion at such a height. As long as she''s dead, Shane will then be mine again, no? That thought gradually took over her sanity. At the same time, her expression turned increasingly vicious, and the look in her eyes all the more deranged. Holding her breath, she crept toward the staircase to catch up to Natalie and push her down the stairs. Just when she had reached Natalie and extended her hands, Shane''s voice abruptly rang out from behind her. ¡°Why are the two of you not in bed yet at such an hour?¡± At that very moment, her hands were only an inch from Natalie''s back. At his voice, her pupils constricted. Sanity instantly came rushing back, whereupon she quickly withdrew her hands and hid them behind her back. Turning around, she forced a smile while suppressing the panic within her. ¡°You''re done with your meeting, Shane?¡± Natalie halted and turned back as well. While she was perplexed about Jacqueline standing right behind her, she didn''t think much about it. She looked at Shane and nodded slightly. ¡°I''m about to sleep after getting some water. Are you done with work?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Shane grunted in affirmation. Meanwhile, Jacqueline was still flustered, her hands shaking and her heart racing. Afraid that she would give herself away and arouse their suspicion, she hurriedly lowered her eyes. ¡°Uh... It''ste now, so please excuse me, Shane, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie then moved sideways and allowed Jacqueline to pass. Scurrying away, Jacqueline disappeared down the stairs in a sh. Chapter 615 Chapter 615 As Natalie stared at Jacqueline''s back, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. I''m not quite sure whether I was reading into things too much, but I just can''t shake off the feeling that she seems to be panicked and afraid of something. Hmm... Could it be that she did something behind my back earlier? Mulling it over, her gaze darkened as suspicion gnawed at her. Finally, she decided to take a look at the security footageter and see what exactly Jacqueline did. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Shane then walked over to her and took her hand. In reflex, Natalie looked up at him. ¡°Where to?¡± At that, Shane quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Didn''t you say you want to have some water?¡± ¡°Oh, that''s right. I almost forgot about it. Are you getting some water as well?¡± Natalie followed him as he led her down the stairs. Shane nodded slightly. ¡°The coffee Jacqueline made just now was with sugar. It was too sweet, so I''m feeling rather parched.¡± ¡°How lucky are you to have someone make coffee for you! You''ve got quite the affinity withdies,¡± Natalie drawled with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes. Hearing the jealousy in her voice, Shane chuckled softly. ¡°I didn''t like the coffee she made.¡± ¡°Well, Ms. Graham will certainly be saddened if she hears that.¡± Despite Natalie''s words, a bright smile bloomed on her face. Shane tweaked her nose in retaliation, but she pped his hand away in chagrin. ¡°Hey! Stop tweaking my nose or you''ll damage it!¡± ¡°There''s no damage. It''s as beautiful as ever,¡± Shaneplimented while gazing at the tip of her nose that had turned red. And indeed, her nose was beautiful, exquisitely petite, and sharp. Besides, all her other features were also exquisite. Thus, it was no wonder that she was a stunning beauty when her countenance was abination of so many lovely features. Upon hearing the man''s ttery, Natalie''s face flushed bright red. She ducked her head slightly, not daring to look at him. Conversely, Shane''s eyes darkened, and his Adam''s apple bobbed as he took in her shy expression. Reaching out, he grasped her chin lightly and lifted her face before leaning down slowly. Aware of his intentions, Natalie shifted back slightly and leaned against the kitchen counter. She closed her eyes and awaited his kiss. But just when the man''s lips touched hers, the kitchen lights suddenly flickered on with a click. Mrs. Wilson appeared at the door, still bleary with sleep. The moment she spotted the two people by the countertop, however, she instantly jolted awake, and her eyes almost popped out of her head. ¡°Sir? Madam?¡± Having heard noises in the kitchen but not seeing any light, she came over to check on things out of worry that an intruder had broken in. Never had she expected to find Natalie and Shane in the kitchen. When their intimate position registered to her, her face flushed, and she snickered. ¡°Ah, I didn''t see anything, so just carry on. Just pick up where you left off, Sir, Madam.¡± As she said that, she backed away. When she was out of the kitchen, she instantly spun on her heels and left, leaving Natalie and Shane staring at one another. Blushing, Natalie pushed the man away. ¡°That was all on you for kissing me here! Look, Mrs. Wilson caught us!¡± Shane kept mum, his handsome countenance a mask of displeasure. After all, no man would be happy to be interrupted at such a time. Ugh! Why are there so many people awake tonight? After Natalie had finished drinking the water, she ced the ss down. ¡°Shall we turn in?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Shane nodded in lieu of words, and they both went back to their bedroom upstairs. As soon as they entered the room, Shane pinned Natalie against the door. Taken aback, Natalie eximed, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Resting his forehead against hers, the man murmured in a hoarse voice, ¡°This time, no one will interrupt us again.¡± After saying that, he again dipped his head and captured her lips. Mmph! Natalie was entirely stumped at his action. I thought he wouldn''t kiss me anymore after being interrupted downstairs, but I never imagined the catch here! Yielding, she hooked her arms around his neck and instinctively lifted her chin as she kissed him back. Shane kissed her until they were both out of breath before he finally released her lips. Then, he scooped her up and strode toward the bed. During breakfast the next day, Jacqueline glimpsed a hickey peeking out of Natalie''s turtleneck. All at once, her pupils constricted, and she clutched the cutlery in her hands hard. The envy in her eyes was so intense that it almost razed the entire house down. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Before Natalie had noticed it, Sharon had already caught it. Pointing at Jacqueline, she dered, ¡°Mommy, Ms. Graham is looking at you with hatred in her eyes!¡± As soon as she said that, everyone stopped eating and swung their gazes at Jacqueline. Meanwhile, Jacqueline had never expected the envy that she usually concealed so well to be discovered by a little girl, who even blurted it. Thus, she hadn''t the time to mask it before everyone turned their gazes on her. Shane''s face darkened at once. ¡°I need an exnation from you, Jacqueline.¡± Natalie didn''t say anything since there was no need for her to do so when he had already spoken. She merely waited for Jacqueline''s exnation. Jacqueline''s eyes instantly turned red, and she bit her lip. ¡°I... I only... Cough, cough...¡± She abruptly went into a coughing fit, coughing so badly that her face turned bright red and tears swam in her eyes. On the whole, she appeared exceedingly pitiful. Upon seeing that, Shane could no longer muster any anger toward her, his demeanor softening. Putting down his cutlery, he stood up and walked to her back. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he inquired while patting her back lightly. However, Jacqueline didn''t answer him as she continued coughing. After coughing for a while, her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head. She then copsed onto the table in a dead faint, startling Natalie and Shane. Shane''s expression tightened, and he immediately scooped Jacqueline up. As he strode up the stairs, he called out to Mrs. Wilson to get her medicine. Very quickly, only Natalie and the two children were left in the dining room. Connor continued eating his breakfast calmly as though everything had nothing to do with him. Sharon, on the other hand, pouted in disgruntlement. Tapping the cutlery against her te, she huffed, ¡°How could Daddy carry Ms. Graham? That was too much! I don''t like him anymore!¡± Frowning, Sharon chastised her sternly, ¡°That''s enough, Sharon. Ms. Graham is sick, so don''t run your mouth.¡± ¡°Do you really think that was the case, Mommy?¡± Connor lifted his head and looked at her. ¡°I think she was faking it. She was sitting across from me, so I saw her eyshes quivering when she copsed just now. It''s obvious that she only did that to evade Daddy''s question.¡± Natalie pursed her red lips withoutmenting on that. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Well, I know she was faking it. She was perfectly fine, yet she suddenly started coughing at that precise moment. So, what else could it have been if not an act? ¡°Alright, that subject is closed. Let''s eat.¡± Propping a hand against her forehead, she then forbade them from speaking further, urging them to eat instead. Being obedient children, both Connor and Sharon zipped their mouths. Natalie sat back down and picked up her cutlery, but she had no appetite, so she put them down again. Taking out her cell phone, she essed a software she downloaded previously. When she entered the software, hour-long videos popped out with dates indicated underneath. Needless to say, all those videos were security footage. She scrolled down and clicked on the security footage between eleven o''clock to midnight yesterday. The video started with the image of the stairs on the third floor. The first thing that greeted Natalie''s sight was the scene of herself descending the stairs while Jacqueline stood in the third-floor corridor, staring at her with her head lowered. A whileter, Jacqueline moved and crept down the stairs after her. When she was two steps away from her, Natalie saw her extending her hands with a malevolent look on her face, no doubt wanting to push her down the stairs. Natalie''s eyes went wide, and she swiftly stopped the video right there, freezing Jacqueline''s pushing gesture and feral expression on the screen. Witnessing that scene, she instinctively leaped to her feet. Connor and Sharon then looked at her in surprise. ¡°What''s wrong, Mommy?¡± Nheless, Natalie didn''t hear them. Her heart was hammering wildly, almost pounding out of her chest, and even her body was trembling slightly. No wonder I felt that she appeared guilty as though having done something badst night! It turned out to be true, and she actually wanted to kill me! It was fifteen meters from the third floor to the ground, so if she had truly pushed me down the stairs, death would''ve been a foregone conclusion. It''s really a stroke of luck that Shane appeared in the nick of time and foiled her n. Otherwise, I''d be lying in the mortuary right now! Chapter 617 Chapter 617 At that thought, Natalie''s hands tightened around her cell phone as fear struck her. Stark terror showed in her eyes. Connor slipped off the chair and walked over to her. Taking her hand, he asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Mommy? What exactly did you see?¡± Likewise, Sharon stared at her while blinking her eyes. However, Natalie didn''t want to frighten the children, so she wasn''t nning on telling them about it. Inhaling deeply, she stifled the fear within her and caressed Connor''s head with a smile. ¡°I''m fine, so just continue eating. You''ve got to go to school when you''re done.¡± Knowing that she didn''t want to tell them, Connor pouted. ¡°Got it.¡± Then, he went back to his seat. Natalie sat back down as well. She dipped her eyes and stared at the cell phone in her hands with a conflicted expression on her face. Logically speaking, she should be showing Shane the video and lodging a police report for deliberate homicide. But at the thought of Mr. Gunn, she wavered because he did her a favor back then. Although it was Shane who phoned Mr. Gunn, I can''t deny that he had indeed done me a favor since it was me who wanted to see the case file. And Jacqueline is his great-granddaughter, so I should take that into consideration. Argh! Alright, to repay the debt of gratitude I owe him, I''ll keep this video to myself. Having made up her mind, she sighed and put her cell phone away. I really hope that it was just a one-time mistakest night, and she won''t do such a thing again in the future. Otherwise, I''ll definitely lodge a police report and hand this video over as evidence. Out of the blue, her cell phone rang. Natalieposed herself before taking out the cell phone she had just put away a moment ago. It was a call from Joyce. Thinking that it must be about the matter yesterday, she promptly answered the call. ¡°Hello, Joyce.¡± ¡°I''ve got good news, Nat! The warehouseman and team leader have been apprehended!¡± Joyce''s ecstatic voice rang out from the phone. ¡°They''ve been apprehended?¡± Perking up, Natalie subconsciously tightened her hand around the cell phone. ¡°Where are they now?¡± she swiftly asked. ¡°They''re at the police station and have just been interrogated. I''m just leaving the police station.¡± As Joyce spoke, she opened her car door. Hearing that, Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°What did the interrogation yield?¡± ¡°I just knew that you''d ask me about that!¡± Getting into the car, Joyce''s expression turned serious. ¡°The warehouseman and team leader turned out to be distant rtives. Unbeknownst to us, they colluded and used the money we allocated for the purchase of high-quality fabrics to buy inferior fabrics. Then, they naturally pocketed the remaining money.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°That was just part of it. Actually, there were some high-quality fabrics in the warehouse, but they secretly transported them out and sold them. The money from the sales went into their pockets, and they then used the inferior fabrics to manufacture clothes. Their motive was to tarnish thepany''s reputation.¡± Speaking of that, Joyce saw red. Natalie closed her eyes for a moment before inquiring, ¡°Did the police interrogate them about the mastermind?¡± ¡°Yeah, but they didn''t know who it was either.¡± Sneering, Joyce added, ¡°They both imed that it was a woman who sought them out.¡± ¡°A woman?¡± A gleam of something shed across Natalie''s eyes. ¡°What kind of woman?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°They said they couldn''t see her countenance. The woman purportedly kept her face covered in bandages, baring only her eyes,¡± Joyce repeated the warehouseman''s words in the interrogation room earlier. ¡°Kept her face covered...¡± Natalie echoed in a whisper. In the next moment, something urred to her, and her eyes went wide. ¡°It''s her!¡± Upon hearing that, Joyce stilled with her hand on the handbrake. ¡°You know who it is, Nat?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t, but we''ve met her.¡± Biting her lip, Joyce eximed, ¡°What? We''ve met her?¡± ¡°Yup. Do you still remember the woman we saw at the mall yesterday?¡± Natalie reminded, ¡°That woman kept her face covered. Her face was obscured under the hood, but there were shes of something white. Those must have been bandages.¡± At her prompting, goosebumps rose all over Joyce. Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Rubbing her arms, Joyce eximed, ¡°Damn it, we actually met the mastermind!¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded. She herself never expected that a person she bumped into by chance turned out to be the mastermind of this matter. ¡°Oh yes, did they say anything else, Joyce? Did they speak of why she sought them out?¡± she asked further while suppressing the fury within her. Grunting in affirmation, Joyce replied, ¡°Yes. She gave them that idea when she sought them to tarnish our reputation so that our clients would boycott us, leading to bankruptcy. And you, Nat, would be disdained in the design industry and your career ruined.¡± Pausing for a moment, she continued, ¡°Thus, that woman''s n would''ve seeded if we''d gone under, while the warehouseman and team leader would''ve made a tidy sum. It would''ve been killing two birds with a stone, so the warehouseman and team leader were naturally tempted. But they never expected...¡± ¡°They never expected us to discover it so quickly,¡± Nataliepleted, cutting her off. Joyce nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, it''s really fortunate that a few of our regr clients lodged a comint timely. Otherwise, that woman''s n might have seeded when we only discover it sometimeter.¡± ¡°Following that line of thought, that woman must have gotten wind that we discovered it early. That was why she was at the mall yesterday. Besides, she must have notified both the team leader and the warehouseman. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have been able to take off in such a timely manner and would have only fled after selling off the high-quality fabrics on the other side of the warehouse at least,¡± Natalie hypothesized. After hearing her analysis, Joyce sighed. ¡°They''re truly ungrateful wretches. We treated them so well, yet they repaid us in such a manner.¡± Natalie''s lips curved up, but her smile didn''t reach her eyes. ¡°No one will ever decline to have more money, so it''s not surprising that they did such a thing. Besides, the temptation is very enticing. However, they still have to pay the price for betraying us. Total the amount of money they embezzled, Joyce.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll head to the textile mill right away and have the finance department total our losses,¡± Joyce replied. After hanging up the phone, Natalie massaged her throbbing temples. Truth be told, she really felt exhausted physically and mentally. At this time, Connor poured her a ss of milk. ¡°What happened, Mommy? Do you need my help?¡± ¡°No, it''s okay.¡± A wealth of warmth suffused Natalie at her son''s concern. Holding the ss of milk in her hands, she reassured, ¡°The matter is almost resolved.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Connor hung his head in disappointment. Noticing his dejection, Natalie ruffled his hair. ¡°Don''t worry, for there are still plenty of opportunities for you to help me in the future, Baby. There''s no rush.¡± When Connor heard that, his mood instantly brightened, and he nodded fervently. ¡°Okay, I got it!¡± Not to be left out, Sharon raised a petite hand. ¡°I want to help you, too, Mommy!¡± Sure.¡± Natalie tapped her on her button nose and giggled happily. Just then, Shane returned. Natalie turned and looked at him. ¡°Is Ms. Graham okay?¡± ¡°She''s fine.¡± Pulling out his chair, Shane took his seat. ¡°She is now asleep after taking her medicine.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Natalie''s eyes glinted with contempt, but she didn''tment further. Again, Mr. Gunn was the only reason she didn''t expose Jacqueline for having faked a faint. However, the children had no such concern. As such, they simply exposed Jacqueline''s act earlier. Natalie hadn''t the time to stop them, so she merely turned her gaze on Shane. Unexpectedly, there was no sign of surprise on his face, not even a trace of consternation. Thus, Natalie couldn''t resist hazarding a bold guess. ¡°You knew that Ms. Graham was merely faking it, Darling?¡± Shane picked up his coffee and took a sip though it was already cold. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But why...¡± ¡°It would''ve mortified her if I''d exposed her right then and there, and no one knows what she''ll do. Hence, I feigned ignorance,¡± Shane exined cidly. Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°You''re right.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And I''m also aware that she did so to evade my question.¡± Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Shane looked Natalie right in the eye. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to defend her, but I suddenly realized that I didn''t really know her all that well. I''ll ask Mr. Gunn toe and take her away earlier after her recovery banquet.¡± ¡°A recovery banquet?¡± Natalie was taken aback for a moment. ¡°What''s that?¡± ¡°It''s Jackson''s idea. Jacqueline had been in a vegetative state for almost ten years, and she has almost recovered now, so he wants to host a banquet for her. It''s something of a tform to integrate her back into the society,¡± Shane exined, pinching the bridge of his nose. Understanding dawned upon Natalie. ¡°Oh, I see. So, when is the recovery banquet?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Early next month.¡± ¡°That shes with your birthday,¡± Nataliemented. Shane merely chuckled softly. ¡°I''m not nning to have a banquet for my birthday. We''ll just celebrate it as a family. And don''t forget the surprise you promised me.¡± Upon hearing the word ¡°surprise,¡± Natalie instinctively nced at the children. ¡°I didn''t forget about it. But well, I just hope that you''re not too surprised at that time.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Shane arched an eyebrow. Peeking at the time, Natalie then changed the subject. ¡°Alright, it''s about time to send the kids to kindergarten. Otherwise, they''ll bete.¡± Shane murmured an acknowledgment in response. ¡°Let''s go.¡± The family of four then left the vi. Half an hourter, Natalie arrived at her office. Joyce was waiting for her, and the moment she spotted her, she immediately rushed forward with the statistical report. ¡°The total amount they embezzled has been determined.¡± ¡°And?¡± Natalie slipped her handbag off her shoulder and hung it on the rack. While walking with her, Joyce flipped through the document in her hand. ¡°It totaled up to three million.¡± Hearing that figure, Natalie''s footsteps faltered slightly. Then, she gave a bark of sardonicughter. ¡°Press charges! We must press charges for this!¡± She pulled out her chair and plopped down. ¡°Embezzlement of two thousand already qualifies for awsuit, not to mention three million. Since they dared do such a thing, I want them to rot in prison!¡± Flipping the file close, Joyce snickered as well. ¡°You''re absolutely right. Not only do we have to put them into prison, but we''re also getting the money back!¡± Natalie then turned on herputer. ¡°Yes, but what about that woman?¡± ¡°I''ve already notified the police about her, so they''re now actively searching for her. I''m certain there''ll be news soon,¡± Joyce asserted. That was exactly what Natalie wanted to hear, so she merely grunted in acknowledgment without saying anything. ¡°I''ll get back to work, then?¡± Joyce pointed at the door. shing her a smile, Natalie murmured, ¡°Sure.¡± She then started getting busy with her work after Joyce had left. It was two o''clock in the afternoon when she received a call from Mr. Horner, the branch president of Design Association, who asked her to make a trip over. When she arrived, it was already three o''clock. Pushing open the door to Mr. Horner''s office, she then entered. Only when she had walked in did she notice that Mr. Horner wasn''t alone in the room. There was also a beautiful woman in there with him. When her gaze alighted on the woman, thetter happened to be looking at her as well and shed her an amicable smile. Natalie was stunned for a moment before smiling in return. Then, she greeted, ¡°Mr. Horner.¡± Mr. Horner was looking through documents, and his head snapped up upon hearing her voice. ¡°Oh, you''re here, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Is something the matter that you asked me here?¡± Flipping the document on the table close, Mr. Horner answered, ¡°Yup, there are two things actually. Firstly, it''s only a month until the internationalpetition, and the rules are already out. Here, take this home and have a look at it.¡± As he said that, he handed a stack of documents to Natalie. Hastily taking it from him, Natalie leafed through it for a bit before hugging it to her chest. ¡°Sure, I''ll do that. What''s the second thing?¡± ¡°The second thing is rted to Ms. Cohen here.¡± Gesturing at the woman, Mr. Horner did the introductions. ¡°Ms. Cohen is a renowned jewelry designer among the younger generation in our country.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I''m Lina Cohen, but you can just call me Lina.¡± The woman, Lina Cohen, smilingly extended a hand to Natalie. ¡°Nice to meet you. I''m Natalie Smith.¡± Natalie hurriedly shook her hand. Honestly speaking, she had an incredible impression of her. Chapter 620 Chapter 620 As soon as Natalie entered the office, Lina had beamed at her with all the amicability in the world. Thus, she was more than happy to make friends with such a person. ¡°I know of you.¡± Lina then withdrew her hand. ¡°You''re also a renowned costume designer among the younger generation in the country.¡± Such apliment rendered Natalie a tad embarrassed. Chuckling, she countered, ¡°You tter me, Ms. Cohen. At the moment, I''m not a renowned designer yet.¡± Rubbing her chin, Lina pondered for a moment. ¡°It''s indeed not quite the case if you''re using the name you gave me earlier, but in concert with the identity of Mina, you''re considered one of the top-notch costume designers among the younger generation in the country.¡± All at once, Natalie''s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°How...¡± ¡°You''re surprised, and you wonder how I knew that you''re Mina, yes?¡± Lina said with a smile. At that, Natalie merely nodded dazedly. Lina then draped a friendly hand over her shoulder. ¡°Actually, I''ve seen you before. I attended one of your shows abroad, and you used the identity of Mina during the curtain call.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Ah, no wonder you knew, then.¡± Natalie finally understood why she was aware of her identity as Mina. Dropping her hand, Lina admitted, ¡°I came here to look for you specifically.¡± ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Natalie looked at her curiously. At this time, Lina''s expression turned serious. ¡°Actually, it''s nothing major. It''s just that I recently got a huge project. A princess from a particr country is having aing-of-age ceremony soon, so her father¡ªthe king of that country¡ªput up a few priceless gems to be designed into jewelry for the princess.¡± ¡°And?¡± Natalie inquired while rubbing her chin. ¡°And I bagged this huge project through my connections with a senior, but the princess is simply too fussy. Sheined that the jewelry must be paired with aplementary dress, so...¡± ¡°So, you''re looking for a costume designer to design theplementary dress?¡± Natalie quirked an eyebrow as she grasped her intention. ¡°Yes, exactly!¡± Lina nodded fervently. ¡°That''s precisely what I''m doing! So, I came to look for you!¡± Natalie''s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged. Instead, she inquired inquisitively, ¡°Why me? While local designers are no match for those abroad, there are still quite a few outstanding ones.¡± ¡°Yes, but those outstanding ones tend to be up in years. I think I''ll be very miserable working with those seniors without anymon topic. However, costume designers who are of my age don''t really have much talent yet. I only knew that you had returned when I attended Radiance two days ago.¡± Smiling, Natalie asked, ¡°And so, you came to seek me out?¡± ¡°Yup! I knew that you''re very talented when I attended your show abroad. I don''t want to work with someone up in years, but the young ones aren''t qualified. As such, you''re my only option. For that reason, I came to Design Association and asked Mr. Horner to call you over. So, what do you think? Are you interested in a coboration?¡± Lina gazed at her with bright eyes that were filled with expectation. Surprisingly, Natalie went silent. In all honesty, she was indeed tempted since it was a great honor to design a dress for a princess. Well, if the princess likes my design, my reputation in the country will be on par with my identity as Mina abroad. But on the flip side, if she doesn''t like my design, not only will I be offending the royal family, but I might even be inviting other problems such as the ruination of my career in the design industry. Lina could see the worry in her eyes, but she wasn''t quite sure what it was about exactly. Thus, she patted her on the shoulder in constion. ¡°Don''t worry. We''ll split the money, okay?¡± Hearing that, Natalie was bemused. ¡°Money isn''t the issue here, but...¡± She thenid out her concern. Lina chortled after listening to her. ¡°Ah, that''s not a worry. Rest assured that things aren''t as scary as you make them out to be. Before I sought you out, I contacted the princess and showed her your designs for Project Rebirth and Radiance. She loved them.¡± Chapter 621 Chapter 621 ¡°Whoa... Really?¡± Natalie blinked her eyes in surprise. Lina nodded firmly. ¡°Yup. I won''t be joking about such a thing. There won''t be another opportunity like this if you miss this one, so you must consider carefully.¡± ¡°Well, I don''t need to consider it. I''m honored to work with you.¡± Natalie extended a hand to her. The two of them shook hands and smiled at each other. Then, they signed the coboration contract with Mr. Horner as the witness. When they walked out of Design Association, Lina caught sight of the car that was there to pick her up. Waving in the direction of the car, she then turned and said to Natalie beside her, ¡°I''ll be leaving then, Nat. Tomorrow, I''ll go to your office with the gems, and we''ll decide on the design style.¡± ¡°Sure. Have a safe journey,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. She didn''t tarry after Lina had left, driving back to her office instead. Then, Shane arrived two hours later. Noticing the perpetual smile on her face, Shane couldn''t help asking, ¡°You''re in high spirits, huh?¡± ¡°Wow, that was sharp of you!¡± While fastening her seat belt, Natalie answered, ¡°I got a huge project!¡± Subsequently, she told him all about her coboration with Lina. A sh of surprise flittered across Shane''s eyes after listening to her. ¡°What a coincidence!¡± ¡°A coincidence?¡± Natalie was nonplussed for a moment before asking, ¡°Don''t tell me you''ve also bagged a simr project, Darling?¡± Thompson Group specialized in luxury goods, including clothing, shoes, handbags, cosmetics, jewelry, and the like. Therefore, it wouldn''t be surprising if they coborated with the nobility. ¡°No, that''s not it.¡± Shane shook his head. ¡°That country has diamond mines, so I''m nning to make a trip there personally and buy a diamond mine.¡± ¡°Oh, so that was what you meant.¡± Natalie nodded in understanding. ¡°When are you nning to go?¡± ¡°Next week. What about you?¡± Shane turned and looked at her while waiting at the traffic light. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Natalie shrugged in response. ¡°I don''t know. It depends on Ms. Cohen.¡± Since Lina was the one who epted the project from the royal family, she would be the one making arrangements for their trip there. Shane was silent for a few seconds as he contemted the matter. Then, he stated, ¡°No matter when you''re going, I''ll arrange a private ne for the two of you then.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Natalie concurred with a grin instead of declining. After picking up the children, the four of them returned to the vi. Right after she had gotten out of the car, Natalie saw a group of men in uniform walking out of the vi. Sharon tugged at her sleeve, inquiring, ¡°Who are they, Mommy?¡± When Natalie glimpsed the words ¡°Vienna Piano¡± on one of the men''s uniforms, she instantly deduced their identity. But before she could answer her daughter, Connor interjected, ¡°They''re from a piano store.¡± ¡°Yup, that''s right.¡± Natalie nodded in affirmation. Sharon''s eyes lit up at once. ¡°Piano?¡± Clocking the gleam in her eyes, Natalie stroked her head. ¡°Do you like the piano?¡± ¡°Yup, I like it! I love it so much!¡± Sharon started dancing about excitedly. ¡°I saw a girl ying the piano on television, and she looked really beautiful! Mommy, I want to learn to y the piano and be as beautiful as that girl!¡± Afraid that Natalie would say no, she shook her arm coquettishly while speaking. Truthfully, this was the first time Natalie had ever seen her daughter so enthusiastic toward something. After all, Sharon was thezier one among the two children and had no hobby at all. Phew! I''ve been rather worried about that, but it turned out that she likes the piano. In that case, I naturally won''t disappoint her! Just when she was about to speak, Shane walked over after having parked his car. Seeing the three of them standing at the door instead of going into the house, he raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you guys doing out here?¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± Dropping her hand from Natalie''s arm, Sharon sprinted over to Shane. Shane scooped her up right away. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Did you buy a piano, Daddy?¡± Sharon stared at him with sparkling eyes. Shane was surprised for a second before he nodded slightly. ¡°How did you guys know that?¡± ¡°We saw it. The workers who delivered the piano had just left,¡± Connor huffed with his arms crossed. Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Natalie also questioned, ¡°Darling, why did you buy this piano?¡± ¡°It''s for Jacqueline,¡± Shane replied. ¡°I ordered it two months ago.¡± Upon hearing his reply, she pursed her lips in displeasure. ¡°I see. I didn''t know Ms. Graham likes piano.¡± ¡°She''s been ying piano since she was in elementary school. If it weren''t for the ident back then, she would have been a world-renowned pianist by now,¡± he stated, stroking Sharon''s soft hair. She did not expect he would speak so highly of Jacqueline. From N?velDrama.Org. She must have been exceptionally gifted. Sitting on Shane''sp, Sharon turned upset when she heard that the piano was for Jacqueline. She threw her arms around his neck and said in a cutesy manner, ¡°Dad, Sharon also wants a piano. Can you give that piano to Sharon instead of Ms. Graham?¡± Before he could answer her, Natalie''s face fell, and she rebuked, ¡°Sharon!¡± Hurt, Sharon turned to look at her mother. ¡°Mommy, why are you so fierce to me?¡± ¡°That''s Ms. Graham''s piano, okay? It''s not yours.¡± Natalie stepped forward and carried her out from Shane''s embrace. Sharon''s eyes reddened instantly. ¡°But Sharon likes piano, too.¡± ¡°If you like piano, Mommy can buy one for you. It''s rude to take away other people''s things, alright?¡± Natalie said sternly, squatting down in front of her to look at her daughter in the eye. Sharon bit her lip, aggrieved. ¡°I know, but I don''t like Ms. Graham to have the piano Dad bought.¡± Natalie was dumbfounded. She knew that her children did not like Jacqueline, but she did not expect them to dislike her that much. They''re even unhappy when Shane gives Jacqueline a present. Natalie rose to her feet and apologized for Sharon''s misbehavior. ¡°Shane, I''m sorry. Sharon...¡± However, before she could finish her sentence, he raised his hand to stop her. He dropped into a crouch, ced his hands on Sharon''s shoulders, and looked straight at her. Logically speaking, I should have found the child''s stubbornness and possessiveness detesting, but looking at the two kids in front of me now, I don''t feel annoyed at all. Even when their dislike for Jacqueline is all over their face, still, I''m not angry. Shane did not understand why he would have such thought, but he did not wish to dwell on it. Looking at the little girl''s eyes, he asked gently, ¡°Do you really want a piano?¡± Standing off to the side, Natalie and Connor heaved a sigh of relief when they saw him talking nicely to Sharon as they thought that he was going to berate her. Sharon nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But I''ve promised to give this piano to someone else, so I can''t give it to you. But, I can buy you a better one. Is it okay?¡± Shane wiped away the tears streaking down her face. Her face lit up in surprise. ¡°Really, Dad?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Shane nodded, ruffling her hair. ¡°Yay!¡± She threw herself into his embrace exuberantly, as happy as a m. However, Natalie frowned. ¡°Shane, you''ll spoiled her.¡± ¡°It''s okay.¡± Shane looked at the little girl in his hands with his eyes full of affection. ¡°She is my daughter. I''ll give her whatever she wants. Even if she bes a spoiled kid one day, I believe I have the ability to clean up her mess.¡± His words rendered Natalie speechless because she knew that what he said was true. Seeing his mother''s reaction, Connor grinned widely and said, ¡°Don''t worry, Mommy. We''ll look after Sharon. I''m sure she''ll grow up well.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Natalieughed. All of a sudden, a beautiful piano melody filled their ears. Natalie recognized the musical piece, and it came from the vi behind her. Sharon leaped out from Shane''s embrace and hurried to the vi. Chapter 623 Chapter 623 As Sharon ran clumsily to the vi, Connor followed closely behind her. Meanwhile, Shane stood up and turned toward Natalie. ¡°It''s probably Jacqueline. Let''s head in.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She nodded, taking his arm as they went inside together. When they arrived in the living room, she saw an ivory grand piano in front of the French windows. Sitting at the edge of the piano bench was a woman who was wearing a creamy-white silk dress. Currently, she had her fingers gliding over the piano keys gracefully with her eyes closed. This was the first time Natalie seeing Jacqueline ying the piano. It was a beautiful sight to behold. There was absolutely no trace of jealousy and bitterness that Natalie would normally see on her face. Although Jacqueline performed the musical piece beautifully, she could not help but despise it. The melody sounded angry, albeit sweet to the ears. It seemed as though Connor had the same feeling as Natalie. Frowning, he stared at Jacqueline with a grim look. Only starry-eyed Sharon heard no trace of it as she watched Jacqueline in admiration. Jacqueline''s gorgeousness stirred her heart, and it inspired little Sharon to learn piano diligently in hope that she would be as pretty as Jacqueline in the future. Soon, the melody ended, and Jacqueline retracted her hands from the piano and opened her eyes slowly. Shane took the lead to apud her, and Natalie and the kids followed suit. Hearing the apuse, she nced over her shoulder and beamed at Shane. ¡°You''re back, Shane.¡± He gave a nod approvingly. ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°It''s been ten years since Ist practiced piano. My skill must have deteriorated over the years. My fingers hurt after just ying a piece.¡± Jacqueline let out a sigh. ¡°It''s okay. I believe you''ll pick up your skills in no time,¡± he motivated. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Jacqueline stood up and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Shane. I won''t let you down. Besides, I really like this piano.¡± She ran her fingers over the ck and white keys. After a while, something came to her mind, and her eyes gleamed. She turned to Natalie and intentionally asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, I hope you don''t mind Shane buying a piano for me.¡± Knowing that she was bragging in her face, Natalie forced a smile. ¡°Not at all. After all, It''s just a piano that costs about a million, and Shane still belongs with me, so I have a share in his property as well. Do you think that I''ll care about the peanuts that he paid for this piano?¡± The smug expression on Jacqueline''s face stiffened, but she quicklyposed herself. Smiling, she flipped her wig and replied, ¡°You''re right. Since you don''t mind it, I can finally ept this gift in peace.¡± Just as she finished speaking, a loud sound came from the piano behind Jacqueline. Her expression changed at once, and she quickly whipped around to look behind her, only to find out that Sharon had her hands on the keys curiously. When Sharon was about to press the keys again, Jacqueline got triggered. She immediately pped her hand away and yelled, ¡°Don''t touch my piano!¡± Sharon lost her footing and fell on her butt with a thud. Shocked to the core, she was silent for a few seconds before scrunching up her face and wailed in pain. Connor immediately went to her side and held her in his arms, cooing his little sister as he red at Jacqueline furiously. Jacqueline froze on the spot as it finally dawned on her that she had overreacted. A drop of cold sweat dripped down the side of her face as she started shaking like a leaf. ¡°S-Shane, I...¡± However, Shane said nothing and looked at her coldly. Rage boiled in Natalie as she heard her child crying in pain. ¡°Ms. Graham, why did you do that to my daughter? Exin yourself!¡± ¡°I-I didn''t mean to do that,¡± Jacqueline said, turning misty-eyed. Hearing her awful exnation, Natalie could not help but let out a sardonicugh. ¡°You didn''t do it on purpose? Do you hear yourself? We saw it right in front of our eyes. Don''t you know that she''s just a kid? Do you know how fragile children are?¡± If it weren''t for the carpet, Sharon could have broken her hips. Chapter 624 Chapter 624 The thought sent chills down her spine and made her hands mmy. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Smith. I didn''t expect this to happen as well. I just... I just don''t like other people to touch my piano. You know, for a pianist, the piano is...¡± Natalie cut her off in an icy voice. ¡°I don''t know any of it! I only know that you caused my daughter to fall because she touched your piano for a second. It seems like Ms. Graham thinks that a piano is much more important than human life.¡± Looking at Jacqueline with his eyes filled with disappointment, Shane finally spoke up, ¡°Once the celebratory banquet for your recovery is over, I''ll inform Mr. Gunn to let you stay at his ce.¡± With that, he turned away from her, swept Sharon into his arms, and carried her upstairs. Connor went after them immediately. Jacqueline stared at the three of them as panic rose within her. She knew that Shane was deeply disappointed with her. Just because I pushed this little girl, he''s upset with me? Is our rtionship less important than the kid whom he met a few months ago? We''ve known each other for more than ten years! Natalie took a deep breath as she strained to suppress the fury within her. ¡°Ms. Graham, I''ll never forget about what you had done to my daughter. Pray that she would be alright, or else, I will not let this slide.¡± Previously, she tried to push me down the stairs, but I didn''t pursue the matter out of my respect to Mr. Gunn. But if Sharon is severely injured, I won''t hold myself back this time because it''s my responsibility to protect my child. With such thought in mind, Natalie stared her down with intense hatred until Jacqueline turned pale in fear. Then, she hurried upstairs to tend to her daughter. When she entered Sharon''s room, the father-children trio was inside. Sharon was in Shane''s arms. Even though she had stopped crying, she was still unwilling to talk, looking pitiful with her tear-streaked face. Meanwhile, Connor was standing beside her with a lollipop in his hand as he tried to cheer Sharon up, but she was so frightened that not even her favorite lollipop could make her happy. ¡°Sharon,¡± Natalie called gently. Sharon raised her head and pouted at her mother, seemingly about to shed tears again. Natalie felt her heart ache. Just then, a knock came from the door, and Mrs. Wilson''s voice rang. ¡°Sir, the doctor is here.¡± ¡°Let him in,¡± Shane answered. The door was pushed open, and Mrs. Wilson brought the doctor into the room. Shane put Sharon on the bed and told the doctor, ¡°Please have a look at my daughter. She fell just now.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± The doctor replied and went forward to examine her, but she ducked away and ran to Shane. Natalie grabbed her little hands and coaxed, ¡°Darling, be good and let the doctor see if you''re hurt. Don''t you want to learn piano? If you''re hurt, you can''t learn piano, you know?¡± Once Sharon heard that she could not learn piano, she immediately sat on the bed obediently and let the doctor check on her. After a few minutes, the doctor smoothed down Sharon''s skirt and turned to Shane and Natalie. Shane inquired worriedly, ¡°Is my daughter alright?¡± Both Natalie and Connor also stared at the doctor intently. The doctor shook his head and stated, ¡°She''s fine. It''s just a bruise. Rest assured, she doesn''t sustain a fracture.¡± They breathed a sigh of relief, and Shane''s expression rxed a little. After that, Mrs. Wilson sent the doctor away, leaving the family of four in the room. With her fists clenched, Natalie looked at Shane solemnly. ¡°Shane, you said you''ll send Jacqueline away once the banquet is over. Am I right?¡± He nced at her and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. I hope you keep your word. I don''t want to see her in our house after that. You saw what happened just now. Sharon was just touching her piano out of curiosity, and yet, she reacted so violently. Fortunately, Sharon fell on a carpet. Otherwise, it wouldn''t just be a simple bruise.¡± She pointed at Sharon, still upset about the incident.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Chapter 625 Chapter 625 ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t expect her to be like that as well,¡± Shane replied. Needless to say, he also understood the consequence if Sharon did not fall on the carpet. That was why he wanted to send Jacqueline away earlier than intended. Furthermore, he regretted letting her stay with his family. Natalie closed her eyes in exasperation and willed herself to calm down. ¡°Shane, it''s not that I want to force you to do so, but my children and I can''t stay in the same house with Jacqueline. If you don''t send her away by then, it would be the three of us who leave the house.¡± In other words, only either Jacqueline or my kids and I will stay. I can''t imagine what that wicked woman would do if she stays longer with us. Natalie''s words brought a frown onto Shane''s face. He replied, ¡°You''re the owner of the vi. There''s no reason for you and the kids to go.¡± ¡°So, have you made up your mind to let her move out?¡± she asked, tears brimming in her eyes. Seeing her tearing up, Shane felt even more guilty and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Of course. If not, I wouldn''t have told Jacqueline that just now.¡± As soon as he said that, Natalie''s face lit up with joy. She rubbed her nose and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That''s more like it.¡± ¡°Okay, since Sharon''s fine, let''s go downstairs and have our meal.¡± He let go of her. Then, Natalie and Shane grabbed hold of a child respectively, and left the room to head downstairs. Meanwhile, Jacqueline was sitting on the couch with her head lowered. Hearing the sound of footstepsing from the stairs behind her, she quickly rose to her feet, turned around, and looked up with her reddened eyes. As soon as she saw them, she picked up the teddy bear beside her and walked around the sofa to approach them. By the time she reached there, they happened to reach thending of the stairs as well. When Sharon saw her, she immediately hid behind Natalie, and Shane stepped forward to stand in between Jacqueline and his family. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked in a cold voice. Jacqueline panicked. This is the first time he acts so distant with me. She hurriedly lifted up the plush toy in her hands and looked toward Natalie. ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m here to apologize to Sharon, and this is for her.¡± Natalie took a nce at the teddy bear. It was brown, about half a meter tall, and looked cute. It was exactly the kind of plush toy a child would like. Even if Sharon likes the teddy bear, I won''t let her take it either. Determined, Natalie retracted her gaze and declined coldly, ¡°No, thanks. Ms. Graham can keep the toy to yourself.¡± ¡°No, Ms. Smith. You have to ept this. I know it''s my fault. I shouldn''t treat Sharon like that, so...¡± ¡°Ms. Graham!¡± Natalie cut her off sternly, getting impatient with her. ¡°I said no. You can''t use a mere toy to make up for hurting my daughter. We don''t need this thing.¡± With that, Natalie took her kids and walked past Jacqueline, leaving Shane and her behind. With crocodile tears in her eyes, she put down the teddy bear on the ground and lowered her gaze, acting aggrieved. ¡°Shane, I''ve learned my lesson. I was impulsive and didn''t think too much about her safety. Are you guys really not going to forgive me?¡± Natalie is too petty. Her daughter is clearly unharmed. Yet, she doesn''t want to ept my apology. This woman is so full of drama. Needless to say, he did not know her ck-hearted thought as he pursed his lips and looked at her patiently. ¡°Sharon was just a kid.¡± ¡°I know, but I lost it when I saw her touching the piano. You know I really love piano, so I can''t let anyone else simply touch it without my permission. That was why I was so reckless...¡± ¡°Did you know your action could hurt someone else?¡± Shane questioned grimly. From N?velDrama.Org. Jacqueline shook her head. ¡°I didn''t think much before I acted. I''m sorry, Shane. I promise I''ll change. Please don''t be angry at me.¡± Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Jacqueline reached out to tug on Shane''s sleeve but he withdrew his arm to avoid her touch, a disgusted look upon his face. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be apologizing to, do you understand?¡± He stalked off. Jacqueline gazed at his departing figure, her mouth half opened as if to speak. For some unknown reason, she thought the better of it and opted to remain silent. She breathed in deeply and clenched her fists. Her eyes were hard to read. She knew that she had gone too far this time. Her actions had incurred Shane''s displeasure and disappointment. It was evident by how he had allowed her to leave in advance. I must find a way to obtain Shane''s forgiveness and repair his impression of me if it''s thest thing I do! As she thought it through, Jacqueline regained control of herself. She suddenly caught sight of the teddy bear in her arms. Fighting the urge to fling it across the room, she followed Shane into the restaurant. The family of four was having their dinner. Jacqueline''s eyes grew cold as they had supped before having the courtesy to ask her. However, she put on a forced smile and joined them. Facing the teddy bear toward Sharon, Jacqueline said, ¡°Sharon, I know that I have been mean to you. Will you forgive me? Here''s a cute teddy bear for you. Would you like to keep it?¡± She coaxed the child in her most alluring voice as she dangled the bear in front of Sharon. Sharon merely let out a ¡°Hmph!¡± and looked away without even a nce at the teddy bear. ¡°No. I don''t want presents from mean people.¡± Connor, who was sitting beside Sharon, failed to stifle augh. Jacqueline shook with anger and humiliation. She forced the surging ball of rage down her stomach and gave a helpless smile. ¡°Then what can I do to earn your forgiveness?¡± If she could obtain the girl''s forgiveness, Shane would definitely change his mind. ¡°I will never ever forgive you,¡± Sharon said with a pout. Jacqueline''s eyes shed dangerously. This stupid kid is pissing me off! Natalie observed Jacqueline''s attempts to get on Sharon''s good side but did not interfere. She saw it as an opportunity for Sharon to learn to deliver rejections firmly. Natalie and Shane, the other adults, observed the scene without a word. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Eventually, Jacquelinepsed into a defeated silence. She did not expect a young child to be this determined. ¡°That''s enough. Jacqueline, I want you to get an early night''s rest after dinner.¡± At the sight of her despair, Shane intervened out of pity for her. Jacqueline grunted in response, still too dejected to speak. After dinner, Natalie sent the children to their bedrooms and followed Shane into theirs. On their way up, Natalie turned to Shane. ¡°Shane, do you think that it was overly harsh of me to not want Sharon to forgive Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shane replied shortly. ¡°The choice to forgive somebody is a right belonging to everyone. Besides, Jacqueline was the one at fault.¡± Natalie felt much more at ease after hearing his response. ¡°That''s good, then. I had thought that you would take Ms. Graham''s side.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Can''t you see whose side I''m on?¡± Shane said as he pushed open the door. Natalie followed him in. ¡°Of course I can. You''re on my side,¡± Natalie teased. ¡°I''m going in for a shower.¡± Grabbing her pajamas, she strode into the bathroom. Shane grunted in acknowledgment and proceeded to undo his tie. At that moment, his phone rang. Shane loosened his tie and checked his phone to discover that Jackson was calling him. Shane''s eyes shed. ¡°Is this about Jacqueline?¡± He asked before Jackson said a word. Jackson was surprised that he had managed to deduce the topic of discussion. He pulled a coy face. ¡°You arrived there rather quickly, didn''t you? Let me ask you something. Did you hurt her?¡± ¡°Hurt her?¡± Shane raised his eyebrows incredulously. ¡°You heard me.¡± Jackson nodded. Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Shane strode over to the head of the bed and pulled open the drawer of his nightstand. From within, he took out a pre-cut cigar and lit it as he strode over to the balcony. After a puff, he responded. ¡°Is that what she told you?¡± ¡°Well, no.¡± Jackson shook his head. ¡°She called me as she was crying. Kept saying that she didn''t mean to, so I took a guess that you might have been giving her a hard time.¡± Shane scoffed. ¡°Did you ask her what actually happened?¡± ¡°I did, but she cried the entire time and did not tell me. That is the reason I called. Shane, what''s going on?¡± Jackson asked with a frown. Shane blew a cloud of smoke and told Jackson everything. He froze when Shane finished. It was a long while before he spoke. ¡°How could she do something like that?¡± Jackson could not understand. All the child did was touch her piano. Why did she have to overreact and shove Sharon aside? Was that the Jacqueline I knew? Jackson began to wonder if the sweet girl that he knew was still in there somewhere. Perhaps she really was gone. Thest time, she had managed to frame Natalie for shoving her. At that thought, Jackson gave a bitterugh. ¡°Shane, perhaps Jacqueline had changed. She isn''t who she used to be anymore.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shane sighed uncertainly. ¡°Then how do you n on handling this?¡± Jackson asked. Though he felt disappointed in Jacqueline, he still loved her and did not wish for Shane''s punishment to be overly severe. Shane guessed Jackson''s thoughts. With a flick of his cigar, he spoke up. ¡°I did not do anything to her. I just told her that after her rehabilitation, she will be going back to Mr. Gunn''s residence.¡± ¡°That''s a good idea too.¡± Jackson heaved a sigh. ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± he added. ¡°Let her go to the hospital next week. Her right cornea has to be operated on. It is beginning to exhibit signs of losing sight.¡± ¡°Has a donor been found?¡± Shane asked at once. Jackson shrugged. ¡°I have found her an exact match. The one she had in mind seemed to not have worked out. I asked her if the donor of hers had died but she did not answer me, so I guess he''s still alive. If he''s alive we can''t extract his cornea. The only thing we can do is to look for another cornea to be used in her surgery.¡± ¡°Sounds like a n.¡± Shane agreed. ¡°Alright, Shane. It''s gettingte, I should be heading to bed. I''m dead tired after an eight-hour surgery today.¡± Shane grunted in acknowledgement. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Jackson hung up and Shane pocketed his phone as he turned to return to the bedroom. Natalie had just emerged from the shower and caught sight of Shaneing from the balcony smelling like tobo. ¡°Did you smoke?¡± she frowned disapprovingly. Shane did not deny it. He took off his jacket and threw it on the couch. ¡°It was only one cigar. Is the smell that unbearable?¡± ¡°Well, no.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°It''s actually rather pleasant. I just don''t like you smoking, that''s all. You''re already thirty. You should take care of your health.¡± Thirty? Health? Shane raised his eyebrows indignantly. ¡°Are you saying that I''m old?¡± Natalie brushed her hair with augh. ¡°I did not say that, though it is true that you are not that young anymore.¡± She sized her husband up. Not that young anymore? Her words pierced Shane''s heart like an arrow. His eyes narrowed as he caught her by the hand and pulled her into him. Lifting her chin, Shane lowered his gaze to look her in the eyes. ¡°Not that young? I''ll show you!¡± he breathed. Shane pressed his lips against Natalie''s. She was stunned, not expecting a casual remark about his age to upset him. She wouldn''t have said it if she knew the trouble she was getting herself into. Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Natalie was nonplussed but her body was honest. She hugged Shane''s neck. Shane noticed the cue. He lifted her up in his arms to throw her down onto the couch and climbed on top of her. The next morning, Natalie took the children downstairs. They ran into Jacqueline on the second floor. Jacqueline did not appear to have had a good night''s sleep. Her eyes were puffy with massive eyebags. Her mental state was visibly poor too as she stood swaying on the spot as if she was going to copse any second. At the sight of Natalie and her two children, A faint smile appeared on Jacqueline''s pale face. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Smith. Good morning, children.¡± Connor pretended not to have heard her. Sharon merely grunted. Jacqueline''s smile froze as her greetings were left hanging awkwardly. As an adult, Natalie could not disy her dislike as openly as her children did. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Graham,¡± returned Natalie with a nod. The color returned to Jacqueline''s face. ¡°Ms. Smith, aboutst night...¡± ¡°Ms. Graham, the children are hungry,¡± Natalie interrupted. ¡°I have to bring them downstairs for breakfast and send them off to school.¡± She pulled both children by the hand and headed downstairs without another word. Jacqueline bit her lip as her eyes glinted malevolently. She thought that Natalie and her children were being very snarky to be refusing to ept her profuse apologies. If this was how I am being received, then I won''t bother trying anymore. After breakfast, Natalie left with her children in her car. Shane had already departed earlier that morning before having his breakfast. Mrs. Wilson had mentioned something about an important client. As a result, Natalie had to be the one to send the children that morning. After depositing the children at their kindergarten, Natalie headed off to her workce. As soon as she stepped in, Joyce appeared before her. ¡°Nat, you got here just in time. There is a jewelry designer looking for you.¡± ¡°Is it a Ms. Cohen?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°That''s right.¡± Joyce nodded. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Got it. Please bring two cups of coffee as I attend to our guest. Where is she?¡± Natalie asked as they walked to her office. ¡°She''s in the guest room,¡± Joyce answered from behind. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. She left her bag in her office and walked to the guest room. Lina Cohen was stretched on the couch with a cup of tea in her hands. Peppa Pig was on TV which she seemed to be enjoying. She chuckled every now and then. Natalie raised her eyebrows at the sight. She did not expect someone who looked as confident and professional as Lina to enjoy watching cartoons. ¡°Ms. Cohen.¡± Natalie knocked lightly as she entered. Lina turned the TV off and gazed up as soon as she heard her name being called. ¡°Natalie, you''re here.¡± Natalie nodded and strode over to Lina in her heels. Thetter stroked her chin and nodded agreeably as she surveyed Natalie up and down. Natalie was ufortable being looked at this way. ¡°Ms. Cohen, is there anything on me that had caught your attention?¡± she asked courteously, examining her attire. ¡°Not at all.¡± Lina waved a hand. ¡°I''m just admiring your outfit today which looks lovely, by the way. As expected of a designer.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°You''re not so bad yourself, Ms. Cohen. The jewelry and fashion industries are not so different from one another. If the jewelry designer does not dress well, how could she do the gems that adorn her justice?¡± ¡°Natalie, you''re a smooth talker,¡± Lina smiled, her amusement evident. The two women exchanged pleasantries a little longer before Natalie made a hospitable gesture to Lina. ¡°Ms. Cohen, please have a seat.¡± Lina rearranged her skirt before taking a seat as Natalie plopped down on the seat across from her. At that moment, the door leading into the guest room swung open as Joyce appeared with two mugs of coffee. ¡°Here are the coffees you asked for, Nat.¡± Chapter 629 Chapter 629 ¡°Thank you, Joyce. That will be all for now.¡± Natalie dismissed her. ¡°Ms. Cohen, please have a drink,¡± she added as she pushed one of the mugs toward Lina. ¡°Why are you still calling me Ms. Cohen? I¡¯ve already addressed you by your first name, haven¡¯t I? Doesn¡¯t this suggest an inequality in our perceptions of one another?¡± Lina said pleasantly as she took a sip of her coffee. Natalie returned her smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. I guess I shall address you as Lina.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good start.¡± Lina set down the coffee as she extracted a pouch from her purse. At the sight of the bulge of several jewelry boxes pressed against the pouch, Natalie knew that pleasantries were over and it was time to talk business. She sat up a little straighter. ¡°As you might have already guessed, the contents of this pouch are the gift of the king to his princess,¡± Lina said as she took the boxes out one at a time. There were five in total. It seemed like Lina wanted five designs for each box, which trantes to five formal dresses. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°May I see them?¡± Natalie pointed at one of the boxes. ¡°Of course!¡± Lina answered graciously. She faced Natalie so that she may see the box being opened. With a dramatic flourish, the massive ruby appeared before Natalie''s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes widened in awe. ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? You know, your expression was exactly the same as mine when I first saw it. I thought that such an unadulterated gemstone was such a rare urrence in the market. And we haven¡¯t even taken into ount its size too, Lina said as she handed a set of gloves over to Natalie. Natalie knew what that meant. She was being offered a chance at handling the gemstone. She hastened to put on the pair of rubber gloves offered to her. Then, with trembling hands, she picked up the ruby and held it at eye level. It caught the light from above and glimmered strangely. Natalie saw countless sparkles being reflected off of its many facets. It really was a lovely sight to behold. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± Natalie murmured again as she reced the ruby in its box. Lina took another sip of coffee. ¡°This particr stone came from the ocean. It was rumored to be discovered at the site of an underwater volcano. The purity of the color is easily a nine; an indication of superb quality in rubies. It is second only to zing Heart.¡± ¡°zing Heart?¡± Natalie eximed, looking rather shaken at the mention of the name. ¡°What is it?¡± Lina asked at once. ¡°Nothing,¡± Natalie smiled apologetically. ¡°I was just surprised to hear the name, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°It is said that zing Heart is thergest and brightest ruby ever discovered to date,¡± Lina continued, paying no more attention to Natalie¡¯s outburst. ¡°After it had been crafted into jewelry by a master designer, it had immediately been bought by a mysterious buyer and its current whereabouts are unknown now. I would like to see it with my own eyes.¡± She heaved a wistful sigh. ¡°If the zing Heart that you mentioned is the only one of its kind, then it is currently in my possession.¡± A smile yed on Natalie¡¯s lips as she observed the effect of her words. Lina was stunned for a long time before she spoke. ¡°What did you say?¡± She asked in a quavering voice as she pointed a shaking finger at Natalie with her mouth opening and closing in disbelief. ¡°zing Heart is in your possession?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Natalie confirmed with a satisfied nod. ¡°The businessman that you had mentioned is my husband. It was a gift to me.¡± Lina stood up at once. Natalie flinched at Lina¡¯s sudden movement, but Lina leaped toward her unexpectedly and hugged her. ¡°My dear Natalie!¡± The corner of Natalie''s mouth twitched. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°Natalie, will you let me have a look at zing Heart, please?¡± Lina begged as she looked up expectantly. Natalie attempted to suppress herughter as this was thest thing she expected. ¡°All right, all right.¡± Natalie patted her on the back in an effort to free herself from her embrace. ¡°I¡¯ll bring it with me the next time Ie.¡± Lina stood back up and resumed her seat, looking satisfied as she aplished her goal. They continued their examination of the gems. Natalie had her eye on more than one gemstone. Every one of them was a fine specimen, dazzling in an array of colors. After careful browsing and having taken photos to her satisfaction, Natalie shut the box and returned it to Lina. ¡°All right, I¡¯ve shot some reference photos for my perusal when I design the dresses. Now let¡¯s talk about the types of designs you have in mind. That would help me design in apatible theme.¡± Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Lina reced the boxes carefully into the pouch and took out a photograph. ¡°This is a picture of the little princess and the information on her measurements. Do have a look.¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Natalie eximed. ¡°I was going to ask you for it.¡± Lina stretched. ¡°The princess has a ssic babyface. She does not have arge stature typical of her countrywomen, that is why I think that these gemstones will not bepatible with her, with the exception of the pink diamond.¡± Natalie was in agreement with Lina''s opinion. The two fell silent at the realization that they had ran into a difficulty early on in their coboration. They burst outughing simultaneously. After brainstorming for a while, the women still had no inspiration. Natalie took another sip of coffee. ¡°How about this. We will eache up with a couple of drafts, and we¡¯ll get together again to decide which one is the most suitable one for the princess. Sounds like a n?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that that¡¯s all we could do for now.¡± Lina stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s do that then. I¡¯lle to you with my designs soon.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Natalie said enthusiastically as she escorted Lina out. Natalie returned to the sight of Joyce emerging from the office looking glum. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°The police station called,¡± Joyce answered as she scratched the back of her head in frustration. ¡°The woman hasn¡¯t been caught.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still atrge?¡± Natalie grew stern. ¡°That¡¯s right. I have provided them with the security footage from the mall, but they¡¯ve insisted on doing things ording to the procedure. We could have deduced her escape route based on the footage we have, but the cops still managed to let her slip away. How infuriating.¡± Joyce rubbed her head in consternation and continued. ¡°As long as she hasn¡¯t been caught, she will be looking for more ways to sabotage us in the future.¡± Natalie did not doubt that possibility. That woman¡¯s motive was to ruin the reputation of Natalie¡¯spany and sever the trust build with its stakeholders as a means to destroy herpany from within. Due to the discovery of the plot by Joyce early on, her n had been foiled. As the mission was left unaplished, she would most certainly make another attempt in the future. ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you, Joyce. Since the police had failed us, what we can do is to hire a private detective and ferret this woman out as soon as we can,¡± Natalie said with a reassuring pat on Joyce''s shoulder. Joyce nodded helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing we can do, I''m afraid,¡± she said gloomily. ¡°Oh, by the way. what did the jewelry designer want from you?¡± ¡°It''s a coboration,¡± Natalie answered as she told Joyce about the meeting she had. Joyce¡¯s eyes sparkled excitedly. ¡°What an incredible opportunity to design the wedding dress of the crown princess.¡± ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡± Natalie gushed. She then turned to head back into her office to begin working on the drafts. Joyce called out to her suddenly. ¡°Natalie, wait a moment.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie looked back curiously. ¡°There¡¯s something I forgot to tell you.¡± Joyce''s expression turned serious. Natalie noticed the change in her tone. ¡°What is it?¡± She responded in kind. ¡°I had received a letter this morning in response to your challenge,¡± Joyce exined as she strode over to a colleague''s desk. Natalie followed her with a frown on her face. The colleague stood up at once and offered herputer to Joyce. Joyce sat down and logged into thepany''s email system. She then opened up an email sent from a foreign IP address. ¡°Take a look at this, Nat.¡± Natalie stepped forward and bent down to squint at the screen. Natalie, it read. Wait for my return to the country. Do you dare ept my challenge for the title of the most promising designer in the country? That was the general consensus of the stakeholders within the industry, that Natalie was the most talented and promising designer the nation had ever seen. Natalie''s masterpieces, Project Rebirth and Radiance were renowned for the boldness of their design. On top of that, Natalie had won several high-profilepetitions. It all spoke volumes on her prodigious talent. As a result, many veteran designers within the country had already conceded privately to themselves that she was the most promising designer of her generation. She was the most probable candidate to rece the legendary Mr. Moore to be the next top designer in the country. Chapter 631 Chapter 631 ¡°Natalie, would you believe the arrogance of some people to want to fight you for the top spot in such a manner?¡± Joyce pursed her lips in displeasure. Natalie was not particrly bothered. It was just a title; her craft was more important to her. Being called the most promising designer meant little to her. What she prized was to be as prominent a designer as Mr. Moore. Now that was something worth boasting about. In other words, she did not mind that this title was robbed off her. What she did not like was this type of provocative challenge. ¡°Apparently, the challenger is someone called Tiffanie. I have never heard of her when I was abroad,¡± Natalie said in a low voice while she squinted at the screen. Joyce rolled her eyes. ¡°Neither have I. I did some digging and found that this Tiffanie had appeared abroad this month. She''s a countrywoman of ours; her real name is Jessie Syke. she had made a name for herself with her keen fashion sense.¡± ¡°Jessie Syke?¡± Natalie''s frown deepened. Two other names appeared in her mind: Jasmine and Susan. The name of Jessie Syke happened to be an amalgamation of Jasmine''s and Susan''s initials. ¡°That''s right.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Why are you asking such strange questions? Is this Jessie Syke someone you know?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know a Jessie, but I knew a Jasmine.¡± Joyce was stunned but pulled herself together, though her eyes remained wide in disbelief. ¡°Nat, are you implying that this could be Jasmine?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s right. Don''t you think that J.S. is an amalgamation of Jasmine and Susan?¡± ¡°You''re right! Good eye.¡± Joyce exhaled sharply. ¡°I did not notice that. But we have already established that Jasmine had died from jumping off a building.¡± Natalie thought for a second. ¡°Was a photograph of her body ever taken?¡± ¡°Not as far as I know.¡± Joyce shrugged. ¡°Tiffanie currently does not have any outstanding pieces of work, hence theck of coverage regarding her poprity. But her work had been featured on the cover of the Vernais,¡± Joyce said as she searched for the previous issue. Soon, the issue she referred to appeared. The cover featured an extravagant dress. Tiffanie''s signature had been inscribed at the bottom right corner. ¡°Look, Nat. The design is actually really good. I heard that an heiress from a prominent family had paid for it to be tailor-made for her to attend a wedding with. It shouldn''t be Jasmine as her skills were mediocre at best.¡± Joyce snorted with disdain. Natalie did not respond. Rather, she kept her gaze fixed on the magazine cover. She had to admit that the dress was indeed stunning. Even Natalie''s eyes shone with admiration when she firstid eyes on it. Her design looked so sophisticated, perhaps even ssifying as haute couture. Joyce was right; Jasmine did not have the skill set to replicate that. She was overthinking it. Jasmine was dead. This was an innocuous coincidence that was blown out of proportion. At thatforting thought, Natalie''s worries dissipated. Before long, another doubt arose in her mind. ¡°That''s strange. I haven''t even heard of her until five minutes ago. Why would she want to challenge me?¡± Natalie muttered as she bit her lip. Joyce closed the image containing Tiffanie''s design. ¡°I have given it some thought. Maybe she wants to return to the country and expand her influence and thought that she could leverage her talent with the favorable reviews of her in foreign fashion media tforms to climb her way to the top. However, you remain an obstacle to her ambitions.¡± Natalie furrowed her brow. ¡°Do you think that my existence is a threat to her progress?¡± ¡°I''m positive of that.¡± Joyce gave a resolute nod. ¡°There is only room for one at the top, and Tiffanie is determined to upy it. Your existence makes her insecure. You may be sure that if she gets the chance to beat you in apetition, she will use it to proim to the country that she is the most promising designer of our generation.¡± Chapter 632 Chapter 632 At Joyce''s solemn speech, Natalie thought that it was much more likely than that wild conspiracy of Jasmine returning from the dead. ¡°If that''s the case, then I''ll dly ept her challenge. Please write back to her to say that I look forward to her being apetitor.¡± Since she had already thrown down the gauntlet, wouldn''t it make me a coward if I didn''t pick it up? Joyce approved of Natalie''s n of epting Tiffanie''s challenge. She nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll write back to her at once.¡± Joyce began typing with great haste. ¡°I''m going back into my office.¡± Natalie was not interested in the contents of the response sent on her behalf. She patted Joyce on the shoulder and turned toward her office. Before long, a week had gone by. The police still had not managed to apprehend the mysterious woman. They concluded the investigation halfheartedly and spoke no more of it. They couldn''t be devoting all of their resources into that case, after all. The private detective engaged by Joyce had not much luck, either. The woman seemed to have completely vanished off the surface of the earth. It was with heavy reluctance that Natalie and Joyce epted the verdict of the police station. However, their week had not been all downhill. The embezzlement by the warehouseman and the team leader had been recovered. Thankfully, they were arrested before they could spend any of it. Natalie picked the twins up from kindergarten one school day. At the vi gates, she caught sight of Shane helping Jacqueline out of the vi. Natalie pursed her lips at the sight. Her hands that wrapped around her children''s tightened unconsciously. Before Natalie had gotten off work, she had gotten a call from Shane who told her that he had something to attend to and wouldn''t be able to pick the children up. It turned out that this was what he had to take care of. Jacqueline. Connor sensed Natalie''s foul mood. ¡°Mommy, are you alright?¡± He asked with a tug on her hand. She made an attempt to suppress her bitterness and displeasure as she smiled at the children. ¡°I''m fine.¡± ¡°I don''t believe you,¡± Sharon piped up. ¡°I think you aren''t happy after seeing Daddy holding Ms. Graham''s hand.¡± Natalie''s mouth hung open but was at a loss of what to say. Her emotions were so transparent that even Sharon was able to deduce them. ¡°Don''t worry, Mommy. I will help you.¡± Sharon turned to where Shane and Jacqueline were and called out. ¡°Daddy, we are home!¡± Shane was focused on helping Jacqueline that he did not immediately see Natalie and the children at the gate. At the sound of Sharon''s voice, he looked up in their direction. Since they had already been seen, Natalie could not do anything else but to walk over with the children. As she got closer, she noticed that something felt wrong. Jacqueline''s eyes glimmered dully and appeared unfocused. Wait a minute. Is she...? At the realization of that possibility, Natalie waved a hand in front of Jacqueline''s face. Jacqueline did not react at all. Instead, she tugged on Shane''s arm. ¡°Shane, are Ms. Smith and the children home already?¡± Shane grunted in response. ¡°Where are they?¡± Jacqueline persisted. Shane shot a nce at Natalie. Natalie swallowed in an attempt to suppress the shock she felt. ¡°We are standing in front of you, Ms. Graham. What happened to your eyes?¡± Jacqueline smiled good-naturedly. ¡°I seem to have lost my sense of sight.¡± ¡°You''re blind?¡± Natalie eximed. Though she had deduced the fact, it still came as a nasty surprise to hear it spoken out loud. ¡°Jacqueline has been experiencing deterioration in her eyesight recently,¡± Shane exined. ¡°I had received a call from her an hour ago telling me that she cannot see at all, and asked if I would take her to the hospital.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. So this was what happened. Natalie nodded asprehension dawned on her. The negative feelings she had had toward Jacqueline dissipated and made way for pity. Natalie did not like seeing them standing so close together, but no matter what, Jacqueline was a victim of her circumstances and was in need of help. It was ridiculous for Natalie to even be jealous of that. ¡°In that case, have a safe trip to the hospital,¡± Natalie said as she pulled the children out of Shane and Jacqueline''s path. Shane grunted. ¡°Have dinner without me tonight. If I get back toote, tuck yourselves in.¡± Chapter 633 Chapter 633 ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded to show him she understood. Shane led Jacqueline away. Natalie watched as they got into the car before leading the children indoors. Shane did not return that night. Natalie called and was informed that Jacqueline was about to have surgery for her cornea recement and that he was going to keep herpany. Though Natalie was not happy about it at all, she agreed for him to remain in the hospital. As Natalie was about to send the children to school the next morning, Mrs. Wilson came hurrying out with a thermal food jar and a bag. ¡°Madam, please could you pass this to Mr. Shane on your way there?¡± Natalie received the items and noticed some of Shane''s clothes in the bag. ¡°I will bring it over to him,¡± she promised. ¡°We''re leaving.¡± At that, she led the children out. After dropping them off, Natalie headed for the hospital. Upon obtaining Jacqueline''s room number from the receptionist, she had located it without much difficulty. Natalie was about to knock when the sight of the room within through the slightly ajar door rooted her on the spot. Jacqueline sat up on the bed with a heavy swath of bandages around her eyes with her arms tightly around Shane. He did not push her away but was lightly patting her on the back whilst speaking softly to her. Natalie''s lips trembled as her heart wrenched in pain at the sight of the scene before her. She was able to tolerate him holding her as he helped her walk, but this embrace was too much for her. She was not that forgiving as to allow another woman to hug her husband like that. Natalie rapped twice on the door loudly to startle the couple within before making her entrance with a stony expression on her face. Shane frowned and turned to find himself face to face with his wife. His deep eyes flickered before regainingposure. They broke apart as Shane strode over to Natalie. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Who is that, Shane?¡± Jacqueline called, with her hands on the quilt. Natalie red at her and answered tly. ¡°It''s me.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, I see.¡± Jacqueline recognized her voice immediately. Without paying Jacqueline any mind, Natalie handed over the thermal food jar and the bag of clothes to Shane before turning on her heels to leave. Faced with his wife''s anger, Shane reached out and grabbed hold of her arm. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± ¡°Why would I want to stay and interrupt your cuddle session?¡± Natalie jeered. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Realization dawned upon Shane. ¡°You''ve misunderstood. It was not what it looks like.¡± He pinched the spot between his brows wearily. ¡°That''s right, Ms. Smith,¡± Jacqueline added for fear of being the cause of an argument. ¡°I almost fell off the bed earlier but Shane had caught me just in time. There isn''t anything between us, please don''t misunderstand.¡± Natalie frowned in disbelief. She red at Shane. ¡°Is it true, what she said?¡± Shane gave a tiny nod. ¡°Jacqueline had just woken up from the surgery. She felt scared at not being able to see and almost fell off the bed. I was hugging her tofort her because she was in shock.¡± It was a very unfortunate coincidence that Natalie had seen it in the worst possible light and jumped right away to conclusion. She was able to tell that Shane was in earnest. Her stony countenance rxed as the knot in her heart eased. Natalie retracted her arm from Shane''s grasp as she turned toward Jacqueline. ¡°Ms. Graham, how did your surgery go?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Ms. Smith. It went very well.¡± Jacqueline smiled with a nod. ¡°That''s good to hear. Have a speedy recovery, I shall take my leave now.¡± Natalie stroked her hair as she took her leave. ¡°I''lle with you,¡± Shane said suddenly. Even Jacqueline was stunned at the promation. I just got out of surgery and you''re leaving already? ¡°Shane, what would I do if you leave?¡± Jacqueline bit her lip and said in a small voice. Natalie secretly rolled her eyes at the charade. ¡°She''s right, Darling,¡± she said, to escte the situation. ¡°Ms. Graham needs you to...¡± Chapter 634 Chapter 634 ¡°I have a very important meeting at work today,¡± Shane interrupted. ¡°I cannot afford to bete. Jacqueline will have Jackson and the nurses help her. Don''t worry.¡± Thest sentence was directed toward Natalie. Jacqueline was unhappy with the sudden turn of events but did not attempt to convince Shane to stay. It would be asking for trouble if she had insisted that he stayed despite his announcement of having a meeting to attend. ¡°I understand.¡± Jacqueline forced a smile. ¡°Safe trip, both of you.¡± Shane and Natalie made their way out of the ward and departed. As they walked along the corridor, Natalie caught sight of the dark circles beneath Shane''s eyes and felt a twinge of pain in her heart. ¡°Did you get any restst night?¡± ¡°I did not sleep a wink.¡± Shane rubbed his eyes wearily. ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie frowned. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I''ve been going through some documents,¡± Shane answered as he lowered his hand. ¡°Was that what you were doing all night?¡± Natalie pouted. Shane nodded withoutment. Natalie did not know what else to say. As soon as they had exited the building, she snatched the car keys out of Shane''s hand when he fished them out of his pocket. ¡°You shouldn''t drive if you hadn''t slept all night. You''re endangering other road users, you know? Let me drive today. It''s always me catching a ride with you to work, let me do it for a change.¡± She led the way to his car. Shane chuckled softly and followed her, with the thermal food jar and bag of clothes in his hands. Natalie dropped Shane off at his office before heading off to her own. As her own car was parked at the hospital, she made a mental note to arrange for someone to bring it to the office for herter that day. Along the way, Natalie shot a nce at the figure on the passenger seat. ¡°Mrs. Wilson had made you something in the thermal food jar. You haven''t had your breakfast, have you? Why don''t you eat something along the way.¡± Shane had not eaten since the night before and was feeling ravenous. At her suggestion, he dug in without another word. To ensure that Shane had sufficient time to eat, Natalie deliberately drove slower than she normally would. The journey to Thompson Group which would have normally taken an hour from the hospital was stretched to an hour and twenty minutes. ¡°We''re here,¡± Natalie announced as the car slowed to a halt. Shane had finished his breakfast just in time and was wiping his lips with a serviette as Natalie spoke. ¡°Would you like to head up with me?¡± He asked suddenly as he was exiting the vehicle. Natalie was about to reject but it had urred to her that she had not been here in a long time. In the past when she was employed under the design department of Thompson Group, she had befriended some colleagues and wished to see them. ¡°Alright!¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. I''d like to see how they''re doing. The couple exited the car and took the private elevator from the parking lot all the way up to the highest floor. Ss was already waiting outside of the CEO''s office. He was just about to greet Shane as he emerged from the elevator when the sight of Natalie behind him caught him by surprise. ¡°Madam, you''re here today!¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Campbell.¡± ¡°Good morning, Madam.¡± Ss sank into a courteous bow before bringing a stack of documents over to Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, the meeting is about to begin. These are the points of discussion for today.¡± Shane grunted as he examined the briefs. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± He said as he handed the documents back to Ss. Shane pushed the doors to his office open as he strode in, with Natalie and Ss following suit. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Everyone except for Mr. Moore.¡± ¡°Why would Alfred have a meeting here at Thompson Group?¡± Natalie voiced her curiosity. Ss was hesitant on whether or not he should answer her. ¡°She is my wife.¡± Shane spoke up pointedly. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Ss''s face was grey with anxiety. Shane''s meaning could not have been clearer. Natalie was deemed privy to this conversation. ¡°Mr. Moore had introduced a new type of fabric recently,¡± Ss exined. ¡°Due to problems in our funds and the market for relevant machinery, it is unlikely that this fabric would be able to be mass- produced. The reason why he''sing here today is to appeal to Mr. Shane to invest in his idea. This meeting was called to determine if this joint venture is worth a shot.¡± Chapter 635 Chapter 635 ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded inprehension. She felt rather excited at the possibilities of this fabric should ite to fruition. ¡°What kind of fabric is it?¡± She asked curiously. ¡°Rumor has it that it has photo reflective qualities,¡± Ss exined as he recalled his first interaction with the prototype. ¡°If its production is sessful, it could be used to achieve some degree of invisibility.¡± ¡°Invisibility?¡± Natalie exhaled in excitement. However, a frown soon creased her brows. ¡°If that''s the case, its applications are potentially endless. It wouldn''t be confined to the fashion industry anymore. It would be useful for swimming pools, and even the military...¡± Natalie pointed upwards as everybody nodded wordlessly, suddenly aware of the ominous possibility of being under surveince. Ss''s expression was serious. ¡°That''s right. That is why the meeting today is of utmost importance. There will be a high-ranking governmental official in attendance as well.¡± With the immense possibilities of this newly discovered fabric, the government would never allow the private sector to manufacture it if it were not properly disclosed through the proper channels. ¡°Alright, Natalie. Why don''t you have a seat in my office while I attend the meeting,¡± said Shane as he turned off hisputer and got to his feet. ¡°I was hoping to go down to the design department and meet some old colleagues.¡± Natalie shrugged. ¡°I''ll head straight to work after that.¡± ¡°That sounds fine too.¡± Shane nodded without attempting to force her. He then turned to leave with Ss. ¡°Wait,¡± Natalie called out suddenly. ¡°What is it?¡± Shane stopped in his tracks and turned around. ¡°Your tie is crooked,¡± Natalie pointed out as she walked up to Shane to adjust it for him. ¡°That looks good.¡± Natalie stepped back after she was done, out of Shane and Ss''s way. Seized by an impulse, Shane grabbed her suddenly by the waist and hugged her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natalie cried as she stiffened up. Shane did not answer. He gazed at her red lips and kissed them passionately. Natalie was stunned as she was not prepared for him to kiss her like that. Ss was as stunned as Natalie. He stared at the couple with his jaw hanging wide open. I haven''t even managed to excuse myself and these two are already going at it! I don''t think they even care that I''m still in the room! Ss rolled his eyes at that thought. Natalie had regained her senses. As she suddenly recalled Ss''s presence, she blushed furiously and shoved Shane off of her. ¡°Look at what you did. Ss has seen everything,¡± Natalie muttered with her head hanging in embarrassment. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Shane whipped around and red at Ss. It took a moment for Ss to realize that he had been a voyeur in this situation, and soon it was his turn to blush. With a start, he shook his head in horror as he muttered, ¡°I didn''t see anything. Really, nothing at all!¡± ¡°That''s enough. Let''s go.¡± Shane averted his eyes as he resumed his brisk demeanor. Ss sighed in relief and hurried out of the office after his employer. After the men had left, Natalie''s scalding hot cheeks had returned to their usual shade. She let out a breath and left Shane''s office for the design department. The staff in the design department had their jaws hanging open in shock at the sight of her arrival. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, you''re here! Did Mr. Thompson drag you along with him to work today?¡± A designer asked excitedly. There were a few of them who had fond memories of Natalie and were pleased to see her. Though Natalie was young, it wasmon knowledge amongst the designers in Thompson Group that her talent and keen sense of fashion far outweighed their own. In her brief month-long tenure in the design department, the others had learned a good deal from her. As a result, they were thrilled with her potential return. Natalie had to disappoint them. ¡°I''m only here today to see you guys,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Oh, no!¡± The general enthusiasm was visibly dampened. Natalie consoled them in a few sentences. The designers wasted no time consulting her on their respective tasks in the hopes of gleaning some useful knowledge off of Natalie while she was still there. Natalie knew at once what they were up to but was d to help them out all the same. It was due to that that her original n to stay for half an hour had ended up doubling in length. As she bade farewell to her warm ex-colleagues, she heaved a sigh and made ns to leave Thompson Group for her ownpany. As she arrived at the lobby, a figure emerged out of an elevator causing her to jump in shock. Chapter 636 Chapter 636 It was Isabelle Moore, Alfred Moore''s granddaughter. Isabelle was clearly surprised to see Natalie here, too. Her surprise quickly turned to fury. ¡°It''s you?¡± Natalie smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, it''s me. Long time no see. Are you an employee here, Ms. Moore?¡± She nced at Isabelle''s staff ID on her neck and arched a brow. Why is Isabelle from the Moore family working in Thompson Group? This is strange. ¡°That''s right!¡± Isabelle''s chest puffed up proudly. ¡°You''re not exactly right, though. I''m not just any employee. I''m a designer at the design department.¡± Oh. That''s why she came out of this elevator. ¡°Designer?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened incredulously. She gave Isabelle the once-over and asked, ¡°Are you a costume designer?¡± That''s impossible! Alfred wants his granddaughter to be a designer, but she isn''t talented at all. Her drawings are practically kids'' scribblings. How did she qualify to be a designer? ¡°Why? Can''t I be a costume designer?¡± Isabelle retorted furiously upon seeing the doubt in Natalie''s gaze. Yet, she couldn''t stop guilt from spreading in her heart as she knew she wasn''t qualified to be a designer. She only wanted to be one after being crushed by Natalie a few times so she could defeat Natalie in her own field. s, she wasn''t talented at all. After she begged her grandfather, he asked Shane for a favor and got her into thepany. Alfred told Isabelle to learn from the designers here, but she wasn''t talented at all and couldn''t even understand anything. Hence, she spent her days ying games and sleeping. She was also oftente for work. Right now, she had just arrived at work. ¡°No, no. That wasn''t what I meant.¡± Natalie waved her hands. ¡°Everyone has a choice to choose their jobs. I''m just curious as to why you chose this job, Ms. Moore. That''s a foolish move, I think.¡± She shed a mocking smile in Isabelle''s direction. Isabelle knew Natalie was mocking her. Gritting her teeth, she dered, ¡°That''s none of your business! I remembered what you did to me. One day, I shall return everything to you! I''ll make sure to crush you in your field. Hmph!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie''s smile widened. ¡°So can I assume you became a designer to defeat me?¡± Isabelle stuck her chin up and replied smugly, ¡°Yep! That''s my goal!¡± Natalie didn''t want to hurt her pride, so she stifled back herughter and said, ¡°If that''s the case, I wish you the best of luck!¡± With that, Natalie stepped past her to enter the elevator. Isabelle grabbed her arm. ¡°Wait. You didn''t say why you are here.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Oh, you don''t have to say anything. I got it,¡± Isabelle interrupted and harrumphed. ¡°You must be thinking of returning to Thompson Group as you couldn''t survive. You''re nning to seduce Shane, right?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes and ignored Isabelle. As she said nothing, Isabelle thought it was a silent admission. Her eyes reddened in anger. ¡°I was right. You''re here for Shane.¡± ¡°Yes. Satisfied?¡± Natalie pried her hands off coolly. Isabelle''s face contorted in fury. ¡°Dream on! You have no right to get Shane. That fool Jasmine was engaged to Shane for five years, but she failed to marry him. Don''t you know Shane''s married?¡± she announced, her heart full of jealousy. Isabelle thought she would have a chance after Jasmine died. However, before she could take action, Shane got himself married in a jiffy. She couldn''t help but brood over that fact. If I find out who his wife is, I won''t show her any mercy! Chapter 637 Chapter 637 ¡°Yep, I know he''s married. I''m his wife,¡± Natalie pointed at herself and dered happily. Isabelle refused to believe her. Rolling her eyes, she uttered, ¡°You? Stop joking around. Without your looks, you are nothing. You don''t even have a family that can be of help to Shane. There''s no way he''ll fall for you.¡± ¡°You''re wrong. I might note from an influential family, but Thompson Group is huge. Shane doesn''t need me to help him. That means he fell for my looks.¡± Natalie caressed her own face deliberately to provoke Isabelle. Clearly, Isabelle took her bait and scowled in jealousy. ¡°Ha! Nonsense. Aren''t you afraid I''ll tell Shane and his wife everything? If I do that, he''ll get mad at you. His wife will surely teach you a lesson!¡± said Isabelle, her arms crossed in a challenging manner. She thought Natalie would break down in tears and begged her to stay quiet, but to her surprise, Natalie''s grin grew arrogant. ¡°Sure, go ahead. Tell Shane''s wife that I spend every day with her husband. We kiss and sleep every day. Let''s see if she''ll teach me a lesson.¡± Natalie gestured for her to make a move. Isabelle was bbergasted. ¡°Are you mad? Did you just ask me to do that? Are you not afraid?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± came Natalie''s cheerful reply as she flicked her hair back. Right then, a tall man strode toward them. ¡°She''s not afraid because she''s Shane''s wife.¡± It was Sean. Isabelle knew who he was. Hearing his words, her lips parted in shock. ¡°How could that be? She can''t be Shane''s wife!¡± Her finger was trembling as she pointed at Natalie in disbelief. Still, there was no reason for her to doubt Sean''s words. ¡°Yes, she''s indeed Shane''s wife.¡± Sean caressed his jaw and stared at an obviously dejected Isabelle with amusement. Isabelle opened her mouth and was about to say something but then changed her mind. She gave an angry stomp and shot daggers at Natalie before storming away. The huge blow was clearly too humiliating for her. After Isabelle stormed away, only Natalie and Sean were left at the scene. Natalie looked at him. ¡°Mr. Sean, why are you here?¡± ¡°The HQ ordered the subsidiaries toe here for a meeting. But the meeting isn''t really rted to the subsidiary I''m running, so I came out to stroll around. I didn''t know I''d run into something this entertaining,¡± replied Seanzily with his hands stuck in his pockets. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie looked up in realization. ¡°I see. Well, I need to go.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Sean stepped to his left, blocking Natalie''s exit. ¡°We haven''t met in a while, but you''re leaving this soon. This is upsetting.¡± He reached out to touch Natalie''s hair. Instantly, Natalie''s gaze narrowed as she stepped back warily. ¡°Mr. Sean, I''m Shane''s wife, your cousin-inw. Please mind your actions,¡± she demanded sternly. Sean clicked his tongue as though that fact had just urred to him and retracted his hand in disappointment. As he wasn''t going to do anything out of line, Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°What is it, Mr. Sean?¡± ¡°It''s about the will, of course. But if you want it to be something else, I shall wee it with open arms,¡± Sean replied with a grin. Natalie knitted her brows and ignored his flirty tone. ¡°I still haven''t received any news about the will.¡± Sean''s expression fell in response. ¡°The deadline is fifteen dayster. What have you been doing for the past month and a half? No news about the will? Are you messing around with me?¡± He red at her menacingly. Fear and anxiety crept into Natalie''s heart, but she balled up her fists and put up a calm front. ¡°I am not messing around with you. When I tried to sound Shane out by asking if his grandpa left anything for him, his answer was no.¡± Chapter 638 Chapter 638 ¡°Really?¡± Sean nced at her doubtfully. Natalie took a deep breath discreetly before answering, ¡°Yes. I don''t think Shane knows about the will. You only realized there is er on, right?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Sean fell silent. Indeed, no one in the Thompson family knew a will existed. He only found out about it by chance. Grandpa''s assistant imed there was indeed a will that only Shane could find. I need Shane''s help to get it. At that thought, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Natalie, I need to get my hands on the will before the deadline. I don''t care how you do it as long as the result is in my favor. Even a clue will do. Otherwise, don''t me me for taking action.¡± He patted her cheek before turning back into hiszy self. ¡°Alright, Nat. I need to go. I''ll be waiting for your good news!¡± Once he had spoken his piece, he left. Natalie staggered backward and leaned on the wall. She felt drained. If I knew I''d end up with Shane, I wouldn''t ask Sean to donate his blood to Connor in an attempt to hide Conner''s real identity. I should''ve revealed everything and asked Shane to donate as a father. Transfusions from family members may increase the risk of hemolytic disease in the transfusion recipient, but he could''ve donated a little to save Connor and find other suitable blood donors. Unfortunately, it was toote to regret now. Natalie let out a bitter chuckle as she trudged into the elevator and left Thompson Group. Perhaps she was affected by Sean''s warning, for she remained dispirited the whole day. After she made a few mistakes at work, Joyce came to her worriedly. ¡°Nat, are you alright?¡± Natalie shook her head to reassure her. ¡°I''m fine.¡± ¡°You''re fine? Look at the discarded drafts on the ground and the mistakes you made. You''re acting strangely,¡± said Joyce as she pointed at the ground and Natalie''s desk. Natalie flung her pencil aside and covered her face. ¡°Joyce, can you leave me alone?¡± As she seemed exhausted, Joyce nodded. ¡°Alright. I''ll be right outside, so holler if you need anything.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± came Natalie''s reply as she forced a smile. Joyce spun on her heels and left. She had just stepped out when a tall figure appeared in her gaze. Immediately, she greeted him happily, ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Joyce waved at him. Ignoring the shocked gazes in the huge office, Shane strode toward her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you here to pick Nat up?¡± asked Joyce. Shane inclined his head. ¡°She isn''t waiting for me by the road. She isn''t answering her phone, too. I came to see if she''s here.¡± ¡°Yes, she''s inside.¡± Joyce pointed at the door behind her. ¡°Mr. Shane, you came at the right time. You should go cheer her up.¡± Shane frowned at once. ¡°What happened to her?¡± His concern for Natalie was evident. Joyce exhaled and answered, ¡°I have no idea. She isn''t her usual self. I think something happened to her. But when I asked, she refused to say anything.¡± ¡°Got it. I''ll head in now,¡± said Shane as he pushed the door open. When Natalie heard the door squeaking open, she thought it was Joyce. Without even looking up from herputer, she said, ¡°Joyce, I said I want to be left alone. Why are you¡ª¡± ¡°It''s me,¡± a man''s voice interjected. Stunned, Natalie raised her head. She shed a smile upon seeing Shane. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Normally, you''d be waiting for me downstairs. Today, you weren''t there. Your phone was also switched off, so I came to see what''s going on.¡± Shane walked toward her desk. Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Natalie immediately nced at the time on the bottom right of herputer screen and realized it was already half past five. She patted her forehead in exasperation. ¡°I''m sorry. I wasn''t looking at the time, so I didn''t know it''s thiste.¡± She took her phone and clicked on the screen several times, but the screen remained ck. After plugging the charger in, the screen finally lit up. ¡°Oh, no wonder your calls didn''t get through. My phone ran out of battery,¡± Natalie giggled. Shane kept his gaze fixed on her. ¡°Joyce told me you were out of sorts the whole afternoon. What happened?¡± Upon hearing his question, Natalie massaged her temples. ¡°It''s nothing. I happened to run into Mr. Sean at the design department today.¡± Shane''s face clouded over instantly. ¡°Did he mention the will again?¡± Natalie gave a solemn nod before pouring everything out. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Shane balled up his fists at her narration. Seeing his reaction, Natalie rose to her feet and went to take his hand. ¡°Shane, what should we do? We know nothing about it. The deadline is half a month away. If he can''t find the will or at least a clue about the will, I''m afraid he''ll resort to despicable means.¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± Shane patted the back of her hand. ¡°If he wants a clue, we shall give one to him.¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in incredulity. ¡°Shane, have you found the will?¡± ¡°No, but we can create a diversion to confuse him,¡± Shane replied, his gaze flickering dangerously. Biting her lip, Natalie voiced her concern. ¡°Will that work? What if he finds out we are stringing him along and gets angry at us?¡± ¡°Don''t worry. He won''t have a chance to do that.¡± Shane gave her a reassuring kiss on her forehead. There was no way he would find the will in the next fifteen days, so the only way out was to create a diversion and confuse Sean. Sean would suspect the validity of the clue, but he would also believe it. When Sean started searching for the will based on the fake clue, Shane would think of a way to stop Sean from returning to J City. Hearing the confidence in Shane''s voice, Natalie rxed visibly. She leaned into his embrace and fell silent. After a while, Shane released her. ¡°Alright. Pack up now. It''s time to pick the kids up.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie responded. They held hands and walked out of her office to be greeted by teasing stares from the others. A slight blush crept up Natalie''s cheeks as she bade goodbye to Joyce and the others before leaving. That night, Shane summoned Ss to the vi. They had an hour-long meeting in his study before Ss was told to leave. After Ss left, Shane briefed Natalie about the oue of the meeting and the n they came up with. Natalie took note of everything carefully. Everything was set, and the only thing left to do now was to wait to meet up with Sean half a monthter. In a blink of an eye, the stipted deadline arrived. This day, Natalie was enjoying her breakfast when her phone vibrated. It was a text from Sean which read: 10 a.m. Golden Era Club, room 202. Natalie bit her lip upon reading the text. ¡°He''s right on time. Half a month had passed.¡± Shane was sitting across from her. He didn''t read her text but immediately realized who it was. ¡°Is it Sean?¡± ¡°Mm. He is asking me to meet him here.¡± Natalie showed him the text. Shane read it swiftly before reminding her, ¡°Bring two bodyguards along.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile as she knew he was worried for her safety. Shane sipped on his coffee before adding, ¡°Sean must''ve sent his men to keep an eye on Golden Era Club. I can''t be there, so please be careful. If possible, don''t leave the bodyguards. Call me if anything comes up.¡± Chapter 640 Chapter 640 ¡°Don''t worry. I know what to do,¡± Natalie assured Shane. After breakfast, she headed out. Golden Era Club was located in the city''s north. If she dallied any longer, she wouldn''t reach there by 10 a.m. There was no telling what the man would do if she were to arrivete. At that thought, Natalie sped up and finally arrived at Golden Era Club at 9.50 a.m. The moment she stepped in, a server came to her. ¡°Are you Ms. Smith?¡± Natalie was stunned, but she quickly regained herposure and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Mr. Sean is waiting for you in room 202. Pleasee with me.¡± The server signaled for Natalie to follow her. Natalie followed behind her. At the door, the server suddenly stopped her. ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m afraid your bodyguards can''t follow you in.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Natalie knew her bodyguards were too ostentatious for Sean to let them in. Calmly, she nodded in response. ¡°Wait for me at the door,¡± she turned and told the bodyguards. ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± they replied in unison. Natalie nced at the server. ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Alright. Onest thing,¡± the server said with a polite smile. Natalie frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I need to search your body to prevent you from bringing any electronic devices that could leak our client''s privacy.¡± The server whipped out a metal detector and scanned Natalie''s body. After confirming Natalie had none of those, she opened the door and said with a grin, ¡°Ms. Smith, this way, please!¡± Natalie nced at her briefly before walking into the room. The room was dark, and ssical music was ying. Sean, seated on a couch, was swirling a winess in his handzily with his eyes closed. ¡°Mr. Sean,¡± Natalie came to a stop behind his couch and greeted him. The man stopped swirling his winess and opened his eyes slowly. He wasn''t wearing sses, so his gaze was sharper than ever. It was like having a deadly viper targeting you. Natalie immediately looked away. Sean chuckled and nced at his watch. ¡°It''s 9.58 a.m. Not bad. You aren''tte.¡± Natalie said nothing. Patting the empty space next to him, Sean invited her to take a seat. ¡°Why are you standing there? Come, have a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Sean.¡± Natalie thanked him before walking toward the couch. Instead of sitting where he indicated, she went to a single couch across from him so she could keep a distance from him. Sean noticed her action but took no notice of it. He finished his wine and ced the winess on the table. ¡°What''s with your bodyguards? Clearly, they are from Thompson Group''s security department. Without Shane''s approval, they can''t leave thepany. Does Shane know about our meeting?¡± He stared straight at her. Calmly, Natalie met his gaze. ¡°I don''t know. I told him I''m going to meet a difficult client, so he sent two bodyguards to protect me. They are outside and can''t see you. Don''t worry.¡± She was evidently calling him difficult indirectly. Instead of flying into a fit of rage, Sean''s lips curved into a smirk. He seemed extremely pleased. ¡°I trust you, Nat. I know you dare not lie to me for the consequences are too much for you to bear.¡± Natalie''s gaze shifted downward quietly. Sean poured two sses of wine and handed one to Natalie. Natalie didn''t want to ept it, but she still took it out of courtesy. After they clinked sses, she pressed her lips to the ss and pretended to take a sip when she didn''t. ¡°Mr. Sean, if you have questions, go ahead and ask them.¡± Chapter 641 Chapter 641 ¡°I like how straightforward you are.¡± Sean patted his thigh before putting on a straight face. ¡°What about the will? Did you find it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalie shook her head before adding, ¡°But I found some clues.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sean raised a brow. ¡°You didn''t have any clues half a month ago. Why do you have it now?¡± Natalie knew he was trying to sound her out. Coolly, she met his gaze. ¡°You told me you''d harm my loved ones if I couldn''t find anything. I care for my kids the most, so I dug these clues out.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Tell me. How did you get the clues?¡± Sean gazed at her, seemingly interested. He was no longer desperate to know the clues. Natalie ced the winess down. ¡°Easy. I bought some sleeping pills a few days ago and ced two pills in Shane''s cup. When he was in a daze, I asked him where his grandpa was most likely to hide something. Or somewhere where he''d want to go.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± Sean narrowed his gaze. Natalie inclined her head and took out a note from her bag. She ced it on the table before pushing it in Sean''s direction. ¡°Here are a few locations I found. The first few are most likely where the will could be hidden, but I don''t think it''s hidden in those ces.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Sean nced at the locations. Natalie exined, ¡°Because it''s too easy. Those who know David well would guess it easily. I believe you''ve been to those ces, too.¡± Sean''s lips curved up as he kept silent. I knew it. Natalie immediately pointed at the few other locations. ¡°The other few are where David wanted to go most. His will is most probably there. If he hadn''t hidden it at the ces where he frequented, it would most probably be hidden where he wanted to visit the most.¡± Sean''s expression turned grim at her narration. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Indeed, if he were in his grandfather''s shoes, that was what he''d do. Still, they had to figure out the exact location. As Sean studied the few locations, Natalie smirked and blurted out a reminder. ¡°I heard that David met his wife, Ruth, at Loang. Do you think the will is there?¡± Sean''s gaze narrowed as he gripped his winess in excitement. Yes, Loang was where Grandpa met Grandma. After Shane''s parents passed on, I remember how Grandpa used to talk to Grandma''s photograph,menting about how he didn''t teach our family well. As the will concerned my family''s survival, there is a possibility that Grandpa hid it in Loang, though he hadn''t been there in decades. Shane tamped down his excitement and beamed at Natalie. ¡°Nat, you''re my lucky star.¡± Natalie merely lowered her gaze. ¡°I''m not your lucky star. I hope you''ll stop threatening me. You said that we can call it even once I gave you any clue regarding the will.¡± ¡°Yes, I did say that, but...¡± Sean suddenly rose to his feet and walked past the coffee table beforeing to a stop in front of Natalie. As Natalie gazed at him warily, he lifted her chin and pinned her onto the couch. The intimate gesture caused Natalie''s body to stiffen in shock. It took her a while to regain her composure and gave Sean a forceful shove. ¡°Let me go! Sean, get up! I''m your cousin-inw. You can''t do this to me!¡± she yelled with all her might. Anger thrummed through her veins instantly as she hadn''t expected he''d try to take advantage of her shamelessly. Sean seemed unfazed by her punches and shed a devilishly handsome smile. In return, Natalie red at him, her gaze full of fury and embarrassment. Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Still, she was too gorgeous to pose a threat. On the contrary, it made him want to ravish her. Sean''s gaze darkened as his heart fluttered. However, he knew he couldn''t do anything to hurt her. It wasn''t that he was a person with moral values. It was because he was afraid of Shane. Shane was no longer the man from five years ago who he could bully. If I actually harmed Shane''s wife, he would definitely get his revenge. At that thought, Sean let out a disappointed sigh. He ran his fingers across Natalie''s cheek. ¡°Nat, I remembered what I said. I am a man of my word, provided that the clues you gave me are true. If they are fake...¡± He trailed off, leaving her to draw her own conclusions. Natalie shuddered as his fingers felt like a snake slithering over her skin. She felt both disgusting and fearful. ¡°I''m not lying to you. Shane''s the one who revealed the clues to me.¡± Natalie''s fists balled up as she forced herself to not show any fear. It''s over the minute he sees through my act. Natalie''s act managed to fool Sean for he chose to trust her and stood up. Heaving a sigh of relief, Natalie climbed to her feet and dashed to the door. She stayed away from him and kept her guard up. Sean found her reaction amusing as heughed out loud. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Natalie''s lips thinned in displeasure. Sean finally put on his sses. ¡°Nothing. I find you cute, that''s all.¡± Natalie''s brows scrunched up at his words. ¡°Mr. Sean, are you flirting with me?¡± ¡°Of course not. I was praising you. To be honest, Nat, you''re the most interesting woman I''ve ever met. I really regret it now.¡± Sean pushed his sses and expressed his regret. Natalie stared at him suspiciously. ¡°Regret?¡± ¡°Yes. I regret not appearing at the hotel five years ago to stop you. Otherwise, we might end up together now,¡± said Sean as he let out a deliberate sigh. Natalie merely scoffed. She was about to retort when Sean added, ¡°Actually, it''s because of me you and Shane get to be together.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was puzzled. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sean came to her slowly. ¡°Five years ago, it was I who drugged Shane and caused him to sleep with you. So? Are you going to thank me?¡± Natalie was shocked into silence. Turns out it was Sean who drugged Shane. Yes, if he hadn''t done that, Shane and I wouldn''t have slept together. I would''ve been raped by that old man Jasmine arranged for me. Thank him, though? Natalie snickered. I can''t do that. ¡°Mr. Shane, since I''ve revealed everything, can I leave now?¡± Natalie ced her hand on the door handle behind her back, ready to open the door any minute. Sean shrugged. ¡°Of course. But I hope Shane won''t find out about our meeting today.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Natalie nced at him briefly before nodding in acknowledgment. She then pushed the door open to leave. When the bodyguards saw her exiting the room, her hair a disheveled mess, they asked grimly, ¡°Madam, are you alright?¡± Natalie waved a hand. ¡°I''m fine. Let''s go.¡± She strode toward the elevator without waiting for them. The bodyguards nced at the private room before catching up to her. On the way to thepany, Natalie gave Shane a call. His low voice sounded through the line. ¡°Did you finish meeting Sean?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± came Natalie''s tired reply as she massaged her brows. Chapter 643 Chapter 643 ¡°Did he do anything to you?¡± Shane asked. Natalie felt a sense of guilt, recalling the scene where Sean pinned her down on the couch. She lowered her head, hoping she sounded nonchnt when she replied, ¡°No.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It was difficult to talk about Sean''s evil misconduct towards her. Her n would fail if Shane confronted Sean. Shane couldn''t see her expression, so he was oblivious to her omittance. ¡°That''s good then. Have you told him?¡± ¡°Yes, I did, and it seems he believed it. I guess he will be heading to Loang next,¡± Natalie replied sombrely. Shane pressed his lips into a thin line. ¡°All right. Leave the rest to me. I''ll make sure he won''t be returning to J City once he left.¡± That night, Shane listed out the possible hiding ces for the will and had Ss searched them. Nevertheless, they still couldn''t find it. So he had Natalie lied to Sean to lure thetter out of J City. Then, Sam would have no protection, leaving him open to his attacks. Shane tightened his grip on his phone and exuded a dangerous aura as he thought about what Sam had done to him. Natalie caught Shane''s change of mood despite not looking at him. ¡°Shane, are you okay?¡± ¡°I''m fine.¡± Shane''s eyes glinted and collected himself. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s good. I''ll be hanging up then.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie ced her phone in the passenger seat as she continued driving towards thepany. Upon arriving, Joyce waved at her. ¡°Nat, Lina''s here.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Got it.¡± Throughout this fortnight, Lina had beening to thepany every two days. Now, Natalie and Joyce were close friends with her. ¡°Lina!¡± Natalie greeted as she entered her office. Lina turned her head from her blueprint to look at Natalie. ¡°You''re finally here. Come over here.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie approached curiously. Lina set the blueprint on the table. ¡°This is the blueprint. There''s something weird about it that I couldn''t point out. Please help me take a look.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes as she studied the ne blueprint. ¡°Indeed, there''s something weird with it.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Lina bit her lip. ¡°How could this be? I''m confident about my designs. So I have no idea how I could design such an awkward blueprint. Hurry, help me look for the weird part.¡± Natalie chuckled, ¡°You''re the designer. If you don''t know, how would I?¡± ¡°I couldn''t find it because I''m the designer. You might see it with a fresh pair of eyes.¡± Lina passed the blueprint to Natalie. Without a choice, Natalie took the blueprint and sat behind her desk. As she studied it intently, the creases on her forehead deepened. Realizing something, she dug through her drawer and found the gown blueprint. Upon scrutiny, the gown''s and the jewelry''s blueprint were strikinglypatible. A nce at both of the designs, and one would assume they were a set. ¡°I got it.¡± Nataliepared it with her gown''s blueprint and finally understood the awkwardness in Lina''s design. Lina was instantly by her side. ¡°Where is the problem?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Natalie pointed at her''s and Natalie''s blueprint. ¡°Haven''t we discussed earlier that it would be two different designs? So why is yours so simr to mine?¡± Lina finally noticed the w. She palmed her forehead, upset by herself. ¡°I forgot that we did agree to have two different designs. But as I drew, it turned out this way.¡± Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Natalie shook her head andughed, ¡°Alright. Hurry and change it.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lina nodded, then started to amend her blueprint. Natalie took out the other four gown blueprints and reviewed them one by one. Since she and Lina had decided on the theme for the princess, they had drawn the blueprint in ten days. All that was left was waiting for the princess'' approval. ¡°Lina, have you contacted the princess?¡± ¡°No, I n to contact herter,¡± replied Lina without lifting her head. ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie passed the blueprint to her. After all, Lina is the intermediary, so it would be more appropriate for her to pass the blueprint to the princess. After Lina finished amending, she grinned happily. ¡°I''m such a genius.¡± ¡°Hurry and send the blueprints then,¡± Natalie chuckled. Lina immediately snapped a few photos of the blueprint and sent them. Her phone rang after a short while. ¡°Excuse me, Nat. I have to take this call.¡± Lina gestured with her phone. Natalie nodded and gestured for Lina to take the call. Her phone disyed the caller as Bryan. ¡°Hi, Bryan.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Bryan asked. Lina nced at Natalie. ¡°I''m at my partner''s. Why?¡± ¡°Nothing. I heard you have finished your blueprints?¡± Bryan quizzed. Lina nodded. ¡°Yep, they''re done. I''ve sent them over to the princess.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Bryan acknowledged. Lina frowned. ¡°Bryan, is there a reason for you calling me?¡± ¡°It''s nothing major. I want to inform you that the princess will be heading to your workce tomorrow. If you have the time, please help to arrange her amodation.¡± ¡°What? The princess ising over?¡± Lina''s eyes widened over the surprising news. Natalie was taken aback upon hearing it too. She nced at her phone. Bryanughed, ¡°I know. I just got the news from Mercede as well. She needs you to arrange the amodation.¡± ¡°Okay. Will do,¡± Lina excitedly agreed. She set her phone down once the call had ended. Natalie clenched her fist in excitement and asked, ¡°Is the princessing to J City?¡± ¡°Yes, she is.¡± Linaughed, ¡°That''s amazing. We don''t need to go to her country now. We can finish the gown and jewelry here.¡± Natalie was delighted over the news. After all, going to a different country would be difficult for some. Since it would be convenient, why not? ¡°But why would the princesse over all of a sudden?¡± Natalie pondered. Lina shrugged her shoulder. ¡°Who knows. Maybe it was just an impromptu trip.¡± ¡°True,¡± Natalie agreed. ¡°I''m leaving now, Nat. When I have a reply from the princess, I''ll let you know. I need to go and arrange her amodation.¡± Lina waved her phone. Natalie nodded and apanied her to thepany''s entrance. Joyce followed Natalie upon returning. ¡°Nat, has Lina left?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie answered. Joyce noticed the joyous expression on Natalie''s face. ¡°You seem happy. Did anything good happen?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. It''s just the princess will being over,¡± Natalie replied gleefully. Joyce was stunned. ¡°What? The princess ising to J City?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That''s great. Can you bring me along when you''re going to meet the princess? I haven''t met any royalty before.¡± Joyce clung to Natalie''s arm excitedly. Natalie replied, ¡°Sure, I can bring you along. Now, let go. I have to return to work.¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡± Joyce released her arm.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie returned to her office and continued with her work. In the evening, Shane came to pick her up as usual. Chapter 645 Chapter 645 After getting in Shane''s car, she also ryed the exciting news to him. Shane was not surprised by the news. ¡°I have heard about it.¡± Natalie was puzzled by his reply. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that I would be acquiring the diamond mine? The prince would also being over to the Thompson Group to sign the contract as a seller,¡± Shane exined. Natalie suddenly realized. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I will need to go there to check on the mine,¡± Shane added. Natalie was not surprised by his decision since she already knew about it. He had mentioned previously he would be heading there for business. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Natalie turned to look at him. ¡°Tomorrow night,¡± Shane replied. ¡°I''ll send you off.¡± Natalie smiled. Shane had wanted to reject, but seeing the expectation in her eyes, he nodded in the end. ¡°Sure.¡± They started discussing about other topics. Two hourster, they brought the children back to the vi. Natalie heard familiar voices upon entering. One belonged to a guy and another to a girl. The guy was Jackson, and the girl was Jacqueline. What are they doing here? Natalie peeked at Shane. Seeing how his brows had knitted into a frown, it was obvious that he too was not aware of their visit. Natalie felt relieved and entered the living room with the children. Jackson turned to look, hearing the approaching footsteps. He stood up immediately, seeing the family of four arrived. ¡°Shane, Natalie, you''re back.¡± ¡°Shane''s back?¡± Jacqueline stood up as well. However, she couldn''t see, so she didn''t know where they were. She was facing the wrong direction. ¡°Why are both of you here?¡± Shane asked. Jacqueline noticed the direction she was facing was wrong upon hearing Shane''s voice. She swiftly turned to face him. Despite doing so, she still couldn''t see anything with the bandage over her eyes. ¡°I sent Jacqueline back,¡± Jackson answered as he shrugged his shoulder. Natalie gazed at Jacqueline. ¡°Ms. Graham, the bandage is still covering your eyes. Are you sure you can leave the hospital?¡± Natalie thought Jacqueline would stay at the hospital until the bandage was removed. Because it would be month-end by that time, and the Gunn family would also be picking Jacqueline up. Natalie didn''t think Jacqueline would return so early. Jackson noticed Natalie wasn''t weing towards Jacqueline. He touched his nose guiltily. He could understand how Natalie felt. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. After all, being Shane''s wife, how could she tolerate Shane''s admirer staying in her house? However, he had no choice. ¡°Jacqueline is doing very well, so he can rest at home now and return to the hospital during month-end to remove her bandage,¡± Jackson chuckled. Natalie kept silent, then took her children upstairs. Jacqueline heard footsteps leaving the living room. She guessed they belonged to Natalie. ¡°Shane, Jackie, I shouldn''t havee back, right? Ms. Smith doesn''t seem too happy.¡± Jackson sighed seeing her like that. He knew that she shouldn''t have returned, but she had insisted for him to send her back. So he couldn''t say much. He could only pat Jacqueline''s shoulder and tried tofort her. ¡°Don''t think so much. Ms. Smith is not upset.¡± ¡°But-¡± Jacqueline wanted to add further but was interrupted by Shane. ¡°Stop it.¡± Jacqueline instantly kept quiet. Shane massaged his forehead. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, please help Jacqueline to her room.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mrs. Wilson approached to help Jacqueline. Jacqueline didn''t want to leave, yet she didn''t dare to defy him. Atst, she unwillingly went upstairs. Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Soon, only Shane and Jackson remained in the living room. Jackson coughed, ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± ¡°Haven''t I told you to keep Jacqueline at the hospital?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes at Jackson. Shane wanted to put some distance between Natalie and Jacqueline because of the things Jacqueline had done since moving in. He had instructed Jackson to keep Jacqueline at the hospital till next month, seeing as she needed surgery for her eyes. He would ask Mr. Gunn to pick her up after holding a recovery banquet for her. However, Jackson didn''t follow his instruction. Jackson knew he broke his promise to Shane. ¡°I really wanted to keep her there, but I couldn''t.¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± Shane frowned. Jackson let out a sigh, and his expression turned bitter. ¡°Jacqueline didn''t want to stay at the hospital. So when I wasn''t paying attention, she went to the Ophthalmology Department to inquire if she''s free to leave the hospital. When she heard that she could, she had me bring her here immediately.¡± ¡°And then?¡± Shane asked as his face turned dark. Jackson massaged his temples. ¡°I denied her. But she begged me, and I was worried about her being reckless. So that was how she ended up here. I''m sorry, Shane.¡± Shane focused his cold gaze on Jackson. ¡°Do you know the problems you have brought to my family by letting here here?¡± ¡°I know. I can tell from Natalie''s attitude earlier.¡± Jackson smiled bitterly. Jackson had regretted his action. Because if anything happened between Natalie and Jacqueline again, he would be the cause of it. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. But it was toote to regret now. Jacqueline was here already. ¡°Jackson, do you still love Jacqueline?¡± Shane asked abruptly, interrupting Jackson''s pity party. Jackson was baffled by his question. ¡°Why do you ask me this suddenly?¡± ¡°Answer me!¡± Shane analyzed him. Jackson''s eyes glinted. After a short pause, he nodded. ¡°Yes, I do. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have given in to her plead.¡± ¡°If so, do your best to woo her.¡± Shane took a sip of water. Jackson almost bit his tongue at hisment. ¡°Woo her?¡± ¡°Didn''t you say you love her?¡± Shane cast him a sideways nce. Jackson fidgeted nervously. ¡°I do! But I can''t because she already has someone she likes.¡± Jackson lowered his eyes in dejected. Shane pursed his lips into a thin line. ¡°Does Jacqueline know you love her?¡± ¡°I don''t know.¡± Jackson shook his head. ¡°I haven''t told her about my feelings yet. So I don''t know if she knew about it.¡± ¡°If so, why not just tell her your feelings? If she knew, you might seed,¡± Shane added nonchntly. Jackson was persuaded but shook his head. ¡°I can''t. The person Jacqueline loves is you. Even if I confess to her, she will only reject me. Moreover, I don''t want to put her in a difficult position and make her unhappy.¡± That was his way of showing his love. By doing so, he hoped that she would always be happy. He didn''t want his feeling to be a nuisance to her. Shane sneered, ¡°You''re justme. You don''t confess to her, nor are you bold enough to woo her. And that is why you will never get her. The oue might be different if you''re bolder.¡± Jackson awkwardly rubbed his nose. Fine. I admit that I''m timid when ites to expressing my feelings. But if I''m bolder, will Jacqueline agree to be with me? Jackson started to consider deeply. Shane heard footstepsing down the stairs. When he shifted his gaze, he saw Natalie. He set his ss on the coffee table. ¡°Take your time to think about it. If you leave Jacqueline to herself, who knows what she might be. That isn''t something you and I could determine.¡± Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Jackson''s face turned serious, his hands on his thighs slowly balled into fists. A few minutester, he shot up. ¡°Which is Jacqueline''s room?¡± ¡°On the second floor, the second room by the stairs,¡± Shane answered. Jackson uttered his thanks and headed upstairs. Shane''s right. If I leave Jacqueline to continue chasing after him, she might do something crazy. After all, she has done that twice. I want to try and confess my feeling to her. Hopefully, she would give me a chance. And if she does, things will change for the better for Shane, Natalie, and me. Jackson quickened his pace. However, when he passed Natalie, he halted briefly to apologize, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± He then continued his way up the stairs. Natalie tilted her head puzzledly. ¡°Why did he apologize to me?¡± The corners of Shane''s mouth quirked up. ¡°He was apologizing for bringing Jacqueline here.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Natalie noted. Even though Jackson knew it was wrong to bring Jacqueline here, he still did it anyway. Does his apology even mean anything? Natalie walked until she reached Shane''s side. Shane tugged on her arm and pulled her into his embrace. Natalie quietlyy her head on his chest. ¡°Where is Dr. Baker rushing to?¡± ¡°To confess his feelings to Jacqueline.¡± Shane poured a ss of water for her. Natalie almost choked as she sipped. She cast a look of disbelief at Shane. ¡°What? He is going to confess his feelings to her?¡± She knew about how Jackson felt for Jacqueline. She also knew that Jackson was the passive type. He wouldn''t confess if Jacqueline had someone she loved because he would worry about being a trouble to her. Nicely put, Jackson was the type of guy who was others before him. In other words, he was a coward. I never thought there would be a day when this coward would confess his feelings to someone. ¡°What did you tell him?¡± Natalie held his cheeks and looked into his eyes. She caught a glimpse of mirth in his eyes. With her hands on her hips, she probed, ¡°Hurry up and tell me. What have you told that coward to make him confess to her?¡± Listening to Natalie''s description of Jackson, mirth filled Shane''s eyes. ¡°Coward? What a fitting description. I told him...¡± He summarized his whole conversation with Jackson. Natalie gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Impressive! But are you serious about setting up Dr. Baker with Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°Jackson would treat her well. He''s gentle and would tolerate her. So he would be perfect for her,¡± Jackson replied. Natalie thought that Jackson deserved someone better than Jacqueline. But since Jackson liked Jacqueline, there was nothing she could say. ¡°I hope Dr. Baker could seed.¡± Natalie nced at the floor above. But deep inside, she thought that Jackson would fail. Jacqueline only has eyes for Shane. Natalie peeked at Shane as she wondered. There was a slight bitterness and pride in her eyes. She was proud that her man was so outstanding. But she was bitter that he attracted many women''s attention because of it. Shane noticed Natalie''s gaze and arched a brow. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Natalie shrugged her shoulder. She nned to keep her thoughts to herself. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Shane didn''t push her further at her resistance to speak. Natalie continued sipping the water. The moisture wetted her red lips, adding ayer of shine, making her lips more attractive. Shane''s eyes darkened. He gently held her chin and turned her head towards him. Then, his lips met with hers. Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Being caught off guard by his kiss, Natalie didn''t manage to swallow the water she sipped. When his tongue pushed into her mouth, the water started to flow out from the side of her mouth as she was unable to hold her mouth closed. It wetted her dress and his pants. However, he didn''t release her. Instead, he stirred the liquid with his tongue and slowly drank it, sharing some with her. ¡°You...¡± Natalie pushed him away, flushed red. She was about to speak when she heard some movementing from the second floor. Natalie could only swallow her words as she raised her head to look. She had an unbelievable conjecture when she saw how Jackson came down excitedly with a joyous expression. It can''t be that Jacqueline had epted his feelings? ¡°Dr. Baker.¡± Natalie took a seat beside Shane as she greeted Jackson. Jackson stopped and looked over. He waved when he noticed it was Shane and Natalie. ¡°Why are the both of you here?¡± Natalie was bewildered by his sudden change of mood. Shane narrowed his eyes at him. Natalie gave Jackson a suspicious nce. ¡°Well, this is our home. Dr. Baker, are you okay?¡± Has he lost his mind from the excitement? Jackson smacked his forehead at Natalie''s reply. ¡°Sorry about that. I have a poor memory. I forgot that this isn''t the hospital.¡± ¡°It''s all right.¡± Natalie shook her head, then stared at him intensely. ¡°Dr. Baker, I noticed you''re happy. Did you seed?¡± She pointed upwards. Shane was waiting for Jackson''s reply as well. Jackson rubbed his face as if he was embarrassed and muttered a yes under his breath. I can''t believe he seeded. Despite having prepared mentally, she still couldn''t contain her surprise at his confirmation. Jacqueline has actually epted Jackson. It happened so smoothly that it felt unrealistic. Also, Jacqueline only has eyes for Shane. Despite dering that she would let him go, she never did. Now, she has even epted Jackson''s feelings just like that. However, I''m not sure if she has some hidden agendas. Natalie frowned as she pondered. Shane merely congratted Jackson. Natalie still felt that it was strange, but she kept her suspicions and congratted Jackson. ¡°Dr. Baker, I wish you and Ms. Graham happiness.¡± ¡°Thank you. Jacqueline and I will buy both of you a mealter.¡± Jackson adjusted his sses. Shane nodded. Jackson excused himself and left. There was some bounce in his steps as he left. He almost ran into the side of the porch. Does he have to be so happy that he got together with Jacqueline? Natalie rubbed her arms to ward off the goosebumps. After a while, she stopped and nced at the second floor. It doesn''t matter if she is serious about being with Jackson or she has some hidden agendas. It''s a fact that both of them are together now. If so, Jacqueline will stop being hung up on Shane. Unless she wants to offend both the men. I believe Jacqueline is smart enough not to do that. During dinner, Natalie nced at Jacqueline. ¡°Ms. Graham, congrattion on starting a new page with Dr. Baker.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jacqueline smiled. From N?velDrama.Org. Natalie was analyzing Jacqueline''s every gesture. Noticing Jacqueline''s sincere smile, the former started to have some suspicions. Jacqueline seems sincere about being with Jackson. How else could she smile so naturally? ¡°Ms. Smith, are you staring at me?¡± Jacqueline set her fork down as she felt Natalie''s stare. Natalie smiled. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Graham. I was merely curious as to the reason you suddenly agreed to be with Dr. Baker. We are well aware that the person you like is Shane.¡± Natalie cast Shane a glimpse. Chapter 649 Chapter 649 He did not expect that she would suddenly mention him, so he looked up at her. However, Jacqueline could not see their actions. She lowered her head and replied shyly, ¡°Yeah, I do like Shane. To me, he''s like a big tree that can protect me from anything. That''s why I''ve never gotten over him. But today, Jackie confessed to me. Only then did I know that he''d always loved me.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°So you didn''t know Dr. Baker''s feelings for you in the past?¡± Jacqueline shook her head. ¡°I didn''t. Jackie never showed it to me. I thought he treated me well because we were childhood friends.¡± ¡°Since you don''t like Dr. Baker, why''d you still agree to be with him then?¡± Natalie then asked again. In reality, Shane wanted to know the reason as well. Although he had asked Jackson to confess, he never thought that Jackson would be sessful that quickly. Thus, he was indeed curious about the reason behind that. ¡°It''s simple. Jackie said he would protect me as well next time. Since I can''t be with Shane, I''ve to choose Jackie. Although I don''t like him now, I''ll do my best to slowly fall in love with him.¡± She spoke with a firm expression. As a result, one could not tell whether she was speaking the truth. Nevertheless, Natalie did not want to guess either. She had some soup, then said softly, ¡°You''d better do as you say then, Ms. Graham. Don''t have any other intentions, or you''ll lose the person you love the most. If that happens, you''ll definitely lose more than you''ve gained.¡± Jacqueline recognized the warning in her words. However, she did not get angry and instead smiled and nodded. She replied, ¡°I know.¡± Just like that, dinner ended. Afterward, Shane held onto Natalie as they headed back to the room. Shey on the bed and stared at the ceiling. ¡°Darling, do you think Ms. Graham and Dr. Baker will be happy together?¡± She was very shocked at what happened that night. She loved Shane so much that she repeatedly targeted me. But, she has actually agreed to date someone else now? It certainly was surprising news. ¡°Their affairs have nothing to do with us. I know we''ll be happy,¡± he replied, leaning over to press her body down. From N?velDrama.Org. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay, get up.¡± However, he did not move. She then pushed him. ¡°Hurry and get up. I want to take a shower.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. I want to do that too. Let''s shower together.¡± Then, as soon as he was done speaking, he pulled her up and walked toward the bathroom. Once Natalie saw his action, she knew what he wanted to do. Thus, she held onto her forehead, feeling dumbfounded. However, she did not refuse him. After all, lovers had to mutually make concessions and love each other. After all, he had done so much for her and provided her with a lot of help. She could not help him in terms of work and money. Thus, she could only treat him a little better for such a thing. They went at it throughout the night. The next day, she rubbed her aching back as she walked downstairs. Just then, she noticed Jacqueline sitting on the sofa and talking on the phone. Hearing her say ¡°Jackie,¡± Natalie immediately understood that she was calling Jackson. She could not help but raise her eyebrows. They''d only been together for one night. Is their rtionship already so good that they''re talking on the phone so early in the morning? One had to know that before they got together, Natalie hardly ever saw Jacqueline call Jackson. Not wanting to disturb Jacqueline, she quickly walked away. After breakfast, she took her two children out. Only after she sent them to kindergarten did she head to thepany. Just as she arrived at thepany, Lina grabbed Natalie''s hand and dragged her toward the elevator. As they ran, Natalie almost sprained her ankle along the way. Fortunately, Lina stopped just in time to avoid that tragedy. In the elevator, Natalie panted slightly and asked, ¡°Why''re you in such a hurry? I just got here and didn''t even put down my bag yet, but you already pulled me to the elevator.¡± ¡°I want to take you to meet someone,¡± Lina replied as she tidied her hair. Chapter 650 Chapter 650 ¡°Who?¡± Natalie asked and turned toward her. Lina raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Who else? Our most important customer!¡± ¡°You mean the princess?¡± Natalie asked, her eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Yup,¡± Lina replied and nodded. ¡°Wait, let me send a message.¡± Immediately, Natalie took out her phone from her bag and texted Joyce. After all, Joyce had also said she wanted to see the princess. Since Lina had hurriedly pulled her away, she could only text Joyce and get her to rush over herself. ¡°Done,¡± Natalie said before putting her phone away. Lina then asked, ¡°Who did you message?¡± ¡°Joyce.¡± Lina merely replied with an ¡°Oh¡± but did not say anything else. Soon, they arrived at the hotel. Subsequently, they stood in front of the door of a presidential suite. After Lina knocked, a butler came to open the door and invited the pair in. At that moment, Natalie finally saw the princess. She could only say that the princess was indeed from the royal family, for she paid great attention to etiquette in her words and behavior. ¡°I''ve seen your designs. They are outstanding. I like them very much. When will it be ready?¡± the princess asked. Natalie and Lina then locked eyes for a moment. Lina replied, ¡°For the jewelry, the five pieces will be made together. It''ll take half a month at thetest.¡± Natalie then said, ¡°The same goes for the dress.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll stay here for half a month then. Once the dress and jewelry are ready, I''ll take them back to my country.¡± As soon as she was done speaking, she waved to the butler behind her. He then handed Natalie and Lina an invitation card each. It was an invitation to the princess''ing-of-age ceremony. They were both invited. As the princess sipped on her tea, she said, ¡°As everyone knows, our country is rich in mineral resources and has a lot of gems. Thus, I''ve also invited many famous jewelry and costume designers. You two can make some connections over there.¡± Hearing those words naturally made Natalie look forward to the banquet. Both Lina and she then replied that they would certainly make it. Only when the pair left the presidential suite did Joyce hurry over. Noticing the pair, she instantly frowned and asked, ¡°You guys are done?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Natalie replied, looking at her sympathetically. ¡°Why''d youe sote.¡± ¡°It''s not as if I wanted to. There was a traffic jam,¡± Joyce replied as she smiled bitterly. Natalie shook her head in amusement. Then, she handed over the invitation card. ¡°Okay, don''t be upset anymore. In half a month, I''ll take you to attend her banquet. You''ll be able to see her then. You can even meet many big shots in the industry.¡± Joyce''s eyes instantly lit up before she opened the card. ¡°That''s great. Thanks, Nat.¡± ¡°You''re wee,¡± Natalie replied as she smiled. After they left the hotel, Lina said bye to them and went separate way at the entrance. Then, Natalie and Joyce returned to thepany together. In the afternoon, Shane called to ask her to pick up the children first because he was still in a meeting and could not leave. Naturally, she agreed without another word. Thus, after work, she picked her children up and headed home. Back in the vi, it was quiet. Only Mrs. Wilson was busy. Natalie got the children to head upstairs to y before she asked Mrs. Wilson, ¡°Is Ms. Graham here?¡± ¡°Dr. Baker took her out on a date,¡± Mrs. Wilson replied with a smile. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. In reality, she was also happy to see Jacqueline and Jackson together. After all, Shane was already married, yet Jacqueline had been keeping her eye on him. It was somewhat annoying. ¡°Is that so,¡± Natalie replied while nodding her head. That night, when Shane returned home to find that Jacqueline was not there, he did not feel that surprised. Thus, he obviously knew that she went out long ago. However, Natalie did not ask him how he knew. In any case, it was one of two answers. Either Jackson or Jacqueline had told him. After dinner, the family of four headed upstairs. Since Shane still had work to do, he went to the study. Meanwhile, Natalie yed with the children for a while before returning to her room to wash up. Chapter 651 Chapter 651 After washing up, she headed downstairs to pour herself some water when she heard voices. It was Jackson and Jacqueline. ¡°Dr. Baker,¡± greeted Natalie as she walked down the stairs. In response, Jackson smiled back at her. She then looked at Jacqueline, ¡°You sent Ms. Graham back?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Jackson as he nodded. Although Jacqueline could not see Natalie, she could roughly make out where Natalie was, based on her voice. Thus, she turned toward Natalie and said, ¡°It''ste, Ms. Smith. You haven''t slept?¡± ¡°Not yet. I''m drawing out some blueprints,¡± Natalie replied. Jacqueline nodded. ¡°I see.¡± After that, she did not ask any more questions. ¡°Come, Jacqueline. I''ll take you back to your room,¡± said Jackson as he helped her up. Jacqueline did not refuse, she slowly headed upstairs with his help. Natalie watched their backs as they went upstairs. Although they matched each other well, something still felt a little weird. Since Jackson loved Jacqueline so much, he was very cautious while helping her. However, although Jacqueline was technically together with him, she was still somewhat alienated in her words and actions. Anyway, no matter what, it''s none of my business. As she continued to ponder, Natalie looked away from the pair and poured herself a ss of water. Then, she turned to head back to the room. Just as she reached the stairs, Jackson came back down. ¡°Are you leaving, Dr. Baker?¡± she asked. He nodded. ¡°Yeah, it''s gettingte. I should head home.¡± ¡°Get home safely,¡± she replied and smiled. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. After thanking her, he then turned to leave. However, after a few steps, he seemed to have remembered something, for he paused and said, ¡°By the way, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Natalie turned behind to look at him. ¡°Is there something else?¡± ¡°Not much. I just wanted to tell you that I''m renovating my vi as fast as I can. Once the furniture Jacqueline likes arrives, I''ll take her over to my ce,¡± he said before he left. She raised her eyebrows, then smiled as she headed back to her room. Well, Jacqueline is his girlfriend now. It''s a little weird for her to stay at his friend''s house. As she thought about how Jacqueline was about to move out soon, Natalie''s feelings naturally improved. When Shane got back and noticed her smiling widely, he could not help but ask, ¡°Why''re you smiling?¡± ¡°Are you done with work?¡± she asked, putting down the design manual. Loosening his tie while walking toward the bed, he replied, ¡°Almost.¡± She then got up and stood by the bed as she helped him take his tie off. ¡°I''ve said it so many times. Don''t pull on your tie like this in front of a designer. You keep doing it.¡± He pouted. ¡°What if it''s because I want you to untie it for me?¡± She was taken aback for a moment before she rolled her eyes and ignored him. He then took off his jacket. ¡°You haven''t told me what you were smiling at just now.¡± ¡°Nothing much. Dr. Baker just sent Ms. Graham back. He told me he''ll take her to stay with him after a few days,¡± she replied truthfully. Since her love rival was leaving, of course, she would be happy. He hummed in reply, then said, ¡°That''s good. I''ll go take a bath.¡± ¡°Go,¡± she replied before hanging his jacket aside. Ten minutester, he came out of the shower. She was still reading her design manual then. Thus, he walked over and took away her book, then bent down to kiss her. However, she suddenly blocked his mouth with her fingers. ¡°Not tonight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± he asked, frowning. She shook her head. ¡°I don''t know why but my stomach''s not feeling very good. It feels a little sore.¡± As she spoke, she rubbed on her lower abdomen. By then, the feeling had been going on for almost a day. ¡°You feel sore?¡± Shane lowered his head and looked at her stomach, then picked up his phone to make a call. However, she pulled on his hand. ¡°What''re you doing?¡± ¡°Calling the doctor toe over,¡± he replied easily. Sheughed. ¡°It''s fine. I have probably eaten too much that my stomach is bloated. Maybe it''ll be fine by tomorrow.¡± Chapter 652 Chapter 652 ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked, narrowing his eyes. Natalie nodded. ¡°It must be. It isn''t painful or itchy. I don''t think there''s another reason besides indigestion. Okay, Darling, go to sleep.¡± She then shook his arm as she acted coquettishly. Shane''s heart melted instantly. ¡°Okay. But if your stomach still doesn''t feel well tomorrow, you must see a doctor.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± she replied, hurriedly nodding her head. After he got into bed, he pulled her head onto his chest, then kissed her forehead. ¡°Okay, go to sleep.¡± ¡°Goodnight,¡± she replied while shifting around to find a morefortable position. Only then did she finally close her eyes. That night, she had good dreams. During breakfast the next day, Mrs. Wilson went over with an invitation card and handed it to Shane. Natalie immediately recognized it. ¡°That''s for the princess''sing-of-age ceremony.¡± He flipped through it and said, ¡°Her brother gave it to me.¡± ¡°Right. You have business with her brother, so he''ll definitely invite you,¡± she replied as she sipped on her milk. He then put the card aside and asked, ¡°You received it too?¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it yesterday,¡± she smiled and replied, ¡°We can go together then.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Jacqueline, who was sitting by the side, realized that she could not participate in their conversation. Thus, she grabbed tightly onto the fork. However, it was not as if she had to speak. After all, her status was different. She was Jackson''s girlfriend. Hence, it would not be polite if she still spoke as freely as she did before. It doesn''t matter. I won''t be using my status as his girlfriend for long anyway. After breakfast, Natalie and Shane brought the two children out and began a new day of work. Half a month soon passed, meaning that the princess''ing-of-age ceremony wasing close. Natalie and Lina sent the dress and jewelry over, and the princess happily tried them on. They suited her very well. Thus, that night, she brought the dress and jewelry back to her country. After all, her stylist was still waiting back in her country. She had to bring the items over so that the stylist could n her hair and makeup as soon as possible. On the second day after the princess returned to her country, Natalie and Shane flew over to attend the ceremony. Joyce and Lina went along as well. At the banquet, bright lights shone as everyone toasted to each other and mingled around. It was lively. With her hand in Shane''s arm, Natalie apanied him to interact with some businessmen. Meanwhile, Joyce and Lina went to meet other designers. After a long while, Natalie''s feet were starting to hurt. However, she had to endure it. Yet, as soon as Shane noticed it, he held onto her waist and helped her over to the lounge in the corner. After she took a seat, he asked, ¡°Do your feet hurt?¡± She nodded. ¡°These shoes rub against my feet.¡± She had specially chosen those shoes to match the dress she wore. However, who would have known that they would rub against her feet? If she knew, she would not have worn them. He sat down beside her, then raised her feet onto hisp and wanted to take off her shoes. However, she was taken aback when she saw that and subconsciously wanted to draw back her leg. She lowered her voice and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Let me see the injury on your foot,¡± he replied as he grabbed her ankle to prevent her from retracting her foot. Thus, she had no choice but to let him do as he pleased. ¡°But we''re at a banquet. This isn''t very appropriate, right?¡± ¡°It''s fine. No one will notice us.¡± By the time he was done speaking, he had already taken off her shoes. Instantly, her feet felt a little cold, and she could not help but curl her toes. Her feet were small, fair, and slender. Her rounded toes made her look as if she were a doll. They looked cute. Those with foot fetishes would immediately fall for her feet. Nevertheless, although Shane was not one, he had to admit that her feet were pretty and looked rather attractive. Thus, he touched her feet and even caressed them. Natalie could only feel that her feet were itchy. Once she noticed what he was doing, she kicked him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Shane wasn''t even examining her wound. He was toying with her. How unexpected it is to learn that he has such a fetish! Only when Shane received a cold re from Natalie did he turn his attention to the injury on her foot. The injury in question turned out to be an abrasion on the back of her heel. With a patch of skin being rubbed off by friction, every little movement caused Natalie to wince in pain. She gasped at the slightest touch by Shane, who retracted his hand hurriedly. ¡°I don''t think you can wear these high heels now,¡± Shane said in a very serious tone, ¡°We must do something about your heel. Come, I''ll take you to the lounge. He picked up the pair of heels on the floor and swept Natalie off her feet in one swift motion. Natalie did not expect to be carried. As she let out a yelp of surprise, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Natalie''s exmation had drawn the attention of the entire dining hall onto both of them. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Blushing at being the center of attention, she promptly buried her face in Shane''s chest to avoid the crowd''s gaze. Shane, however, remainedposed. Without even a flinch, he carried her over to the lounge as promised. As he passed the staring crowd, he even offered up an exnation. ¡°My wife has injured her leg. I''m taking her for treatment.¡± The other guests smiled affectionately as they parted to allow them to pass more easily. They were very much impressed by Shane''s act of care for his wife. As a result, the couple arrived at the lounge without much trouble. Shane ced Natalie on the couch as a waiter arrived with some medication upon a tray. It was not the only thing that the tray bore, as Natalie caught sight of a brand-new pair of ts as well. ¡°This was prepared by the princess. As soon as she had found out about Ms. Smith''s injury, she had had me bring these over specially for you.¡± The waiter ryed the message of his employer ordingly. It appeared that Shane''s words to the other guests found their way to the little princess''s ears. As a result, she had dispatched her servant to deliver some medicine and the ts. Having spared the trouble of having to request for those items himself, Shane was rather relieved. ¡°Many thanks.¡± he nodded at the waiter. With a bow, the waiter departed. Shane brought the tray over to Natalie. Kneeling down before her like a noble knight, he ced her ankle on his knee. Natalie felt ufortable with their position as it made her feel embarrassed. ¡°Darling, why don''t you sit next to me instead? Like how you did earlier. I''m not used to this.¡± She gestured at her outstretched foot. ¡°Don''t worry, you''ll get used to it very soon.¡± Shane ignored her request as he proceeded to apply ointment onto her wound. When he was done, he made another sudden movement that made Natalie exim in surprise for the second time that night. He lifted her foot and kissed it. Natalie flushed crimson in an instant. Instinctively, she shoved him away. ¡°What... what''re you doing?¡± ¡°Can''t you tell?¡± Shane replied calmly as he ced her foot back down to put on the ts for her. ¡°All done.¡± Natalie stared at the spot Shane had kissed. The patch of skin where his lips had brushed seared with embarrassment. ¡°You...¡± Before she could speak, Natalie''s phone from within her purse rang which was a wee distraction from her predicament. With a sigh of relief, she rummaged through her purse for her phone and saw that it was a call from Lina. ¡°Hello?¡± she picked up without hesitation. ¡°Nat, hurry up ande over! Something had happened to Joyce!¡± came Lina''s urgent voice. Natalie''s face turned pale at Lina''s news. Without regard for the pain in her ankle, she jumped to her feet. ¡°What happened?¡± she demanded. Shane frowned at the sudden seriousness in which Natalie responded to the phone call. He too stared curiously at the phone in her hand. ¡°It wasn''t even anything serious. She''d met a couple and cried as she spoke to the guy,¡± Lina said with a forlorn nce at Joyce who was beside her. Natalie''s eyes narrowed. ¡°Is the guy bespectacled and has a nice smile?¡± ¡°That''s right!¡± Lina nodded eagerly. ¡°You know him, Nat?¡± ¡°He''s a friend of ours,¡± replied Natalie quietly. Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Of all ces, to run into Stanley here. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Who is the woman with him? Could it be Annie or somebody else? Natalie couldn''t figure out who it could be offhand and did not bother herself with that at the moment. ¡°Where are you guys? We''lle to you.¡± ¡°We''re at the balcony of the dining hall. The couple whom Joyce had met are here too,¡± came Lina''s reply. ¡°Stay right there, we''ll be over in a bit.¡± Natalie hung up and dropped her phone back into her purse. ¡°Stanley is here,¡± she informed Shane. ¡°There is a woman with him. Joyce ran into them and cried. She might have had a misunderstanding.¡± Shane knew that Joyce liked Stanley. Therefore, he was not at all surprised at this piece of news. ¡°Let''s go. Aren''t we going to meet them?¡± Shane offered Natalie his arm. She stepped back in trepidation. ¡°What are you doing? You''re not going to carry me all the way over there, are you?¡± Shane did not deign to answer her. ¡°Please, darling, there''s no need.¡± Natalie was at a loss. ¡°It''s just a tiny abrasion on my heel, not a sprained ankle. I can walk just fine now that you''ve treated it for me.¡± She stood up to walk several paces in an attempt to convince him, to which he relented by letting his arm fall to his side. The couple exited the lounge and made their way to the balcony of the dining hall. Natalie caught an unmistakable glimpse of Stanley from a distance as well as the female figure beside him. She had blonde hair and was of a thin and slender build. One look at her was sufficient to conclude that she was a beauty.. Natalie recognized her at once¡ªit was Annie. In an unexpected turn of events, Annie had managed to get this intimate with Stanley. It was not impossible for them to have already been in a rtionship, given how close they were standing together. Pondering the matter gravely, Natalie walked over to them. ¡°Stanley, it''s been a long time.¡± Stanley nodded at her pleasantly. ¡°Long time no see, Nat. How have you been?¡± he asked, while pointedly ignoring Shane who stood next to her. Shane frowned slightly but opted not to say anything. ¡°Pretty good. How about you?¡± Natalie replied. She turned to Annie who stood beside Stanley. ¡°Are you dating Ms. Hill currently?¡± Joyce, who had been within earshot hung her head at Natalie''s remark. Lina hurriedly patted her shoulder in constion. That exchange had not gone unnoticed by Stanley, though he did not seem to care much about Joyce''s anguish. ¡°No, I''m not. But...¡± he trailed off as he adjusted his sses. Natalie and Joyce were about to rejoice at the news but Stanley''s unfinished sentence wreaked havoc on their nerves. ¡°But what?¡± urged Natalie, like a woman interrogating her partner. If Shane had found out what she did for Joyce, he would put his foot down. He was her husband, after all. ¡°But Annie is an interesting girl. I would definitely consider dating her,¡± Stanley continued as he looked at her. Annie looked as if she was about to swoon with delight. With a sudden vigorous motion, she grabbed Stanley by the hand. ¡°Dr. Quinn,¡± she cried. ¡°You really think that I''m interesting and would date me?¡± Stanley withdrew his hand, unfazed. ¡°Let me think about it first. Perhaps I would.¡± ¡°Please, take all the time you need.¡± Annie was near tears with joy. Joyce bit her bottom lip so hard that they were about to bleed. The man who I have loved for so many years knew how I felt about him, yet he never picked me. Instead he had hurt me at every turn, choosing to be with other women. How much more humiliating can this get! Joyceughed bitterly to herself and with a defiant turn, left the balcony. ¡°Joyce!¡± Lina called after her, arm outstretched. Natalie nodded at Lina. ¡°Lina, go after Joyce.¡± ¡°Alright, I''m on it.¡± Lina knew what Natalie was driving at. Joyce may do something foolish to harm herself in that state of mind. Lina was to intercept andfort Joyce. After Lina had left, the only people left on the balcony were Natalie, Shane, Stanley, and Annie. Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Stanley gazed upon the couple standing across from him. With an ominous glint across his eyes, he commented, ¡°Natalie, I''m relieved to see how well you and Shane are doing.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie beamed. ¡°Stanley,¡± she added. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Here''s what happened. ¡°I''ve epted a request to perform surgery on a member of the royal family. I am here tonight at this party as his guest,¡± Stanley exined, with a smile that disyed his teeth. ¡°It''s such a coincidence running into you here, Nat.¡± Natalie''s mouth hung open in amazement. ¡°Surgery? Stanley, does that mean that your treatment has finished?¡± ¡°Hey, what treatment? Dr. Quinn isn''t even sick! That wasn''t an illness!¡± Annie retorted coldly, apparently displeased at Natalie''s remark. Shane gazed at Annie with his eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°If mental disorders are not ssified as being illnesses, pray tell me what is it that you would consider an illness?¡± ¡°I...¡± Annie stammered. It was not only Shane''s status that had frightened her, but his assertiveness as well. Not daring to attempt to refute a statement as bold as that, shepsed into a sulky silence. ¡°That''s enough, Annie.¡± Shane pulled Annie''s arm as she trotted back to his side obediently. ¡°Mr. Thompson is right. I am indeed ill.¡± Natalie did the same. She squeezed Shane arm to hush him. However, she was secretly delighted that Shane had leaped to her rescue at Annie''s attempt to belittle her. Stanley waited for everybody to settle down before speaking again. ¡°My treatment had ended half a month ago. I''ve been dered fit to return to my work.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°As it had been concluded some time ago, why have you not returned to J City sooner?¡± ¡°It''s because of this particr surgery,¡± Stanley answered. ¡°I will only return after I''m done with that.¡± Shane pursed his lips at that news. Stanley noticed his expression. ¡°Mr. Thompson, are you not looking forward to my return?¡± he queried with a polite smile. ¡°Yes,¡± Shane replied bluntly. ¡°And why is that?¡± Stanley asked, his smile unfaltering. ¡°Could you be worried that I may have ns to woo Natalie again?¡± Shane''s scowl darkened. The atmosphere between the four was thick with tension. ¡°Even so,¡± he sneered. ¡°There''s nothing you can do. She is my wife.¡± As he said that, he asserted his dominance by wrapping an arm around Natalie''s waist. She did not struggle. Instead, she leaned against him. Even if she were not his wife yet, she was not going to embarrass him. ¡°Of course, I know that Nat is your wife, I''ve never denied it,¡± Stanley reasoned. ¡°Why would you treat me with such hostility, Mr. Thompson? I''ve changed, and I''m not who I used to be. And please, believe me, I''ve moved on from my feelings toward Nat.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Do you expect me to believe that?¡± Shane snorted. Feelings were not as easy to let go as Stanley imed they were. Stanley shrugged helplessly. ¡°There''s not much else I can do to convince you if you choose not to believe me. If you''ll excuse me, Mr. Thompson. I have an appointment with my employer.¡± He turned to Natalie with a smile that was much more genuine and warmer than the one toward Shane. ¡°Nat, I''ve got to get going. See you back at J City.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Natalie nodded. At that, Stanley led Annie away. Natalie''s smile dampened slightly. ¡°I could be imagining things,¡± she remarked softly. ¡°But it seems to me like Stanley had changed a lot.¡± ¡°Hasn''t he always been a weirdo?¡± Shane replied with disgust. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Though his character is simr to how it used to be, something about him felt different.¡± However, she could not quite put her finger on it. Shane wrapped his arm around Natalie''s waist as they walked toward the direction that Stanley had gone in. ¡°Let''s go inside. It''s cold out here.¡± Natalie grunted in assent. Once they were indoors, Shane spoke up. ¡°It doesn''t matter if he seems different. You be wary of that man, do you hear me? My instinct tells me that something is off with him, and it''s usually never wrong.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie nodded solemnly. With a sweeping nce, she had located Lina and Joyce in a corner. ¡°Darling, I''ll check on Joyce. You...¡± Chapter 656 Chapter 656 ¡°I''ll look for Wilhelm.¡± Shane understood what she needed to do and spared her the trouble by cutting across her. Wilhelm was the elder brother of the princess and the original owner of the diamond mine that Shane had bought. Natalie knew that he had just given her leave to speak to Joyce privately by picking that moment to have a conversation with Wilhelm. Her heart burst with gratitude for Shane. ¡°Thank you darling. I''ll make it up to you tonight.¡± A sliver of excitement shed across Shane''s eyes at Natalie''s promise as he nodded eagerly. Natalie waved at him as he disappeared into the crowd before turning away to the corner where her friends were. ¡°Joyce,¡± Natalie called. Joyce jumped and looked up at the sound of her name but quickly returned to assume her defeated posture. ¡°She has been like this since I''ve found her.¡± Lina rubbed her temples in consternation. ¡°Nothing I said made any difference.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lina.¡± Natalie gave her a grateful smile. Lina waved her hand as if to say that it was no trouble. ¡°Don''t worry about it. She''s too hung up on Stanley, that''s all. I couldn''t understand why she would let one man cause her so much pain and misery. It''s a good thing you''re here, Nat. I need a drink. You have a go at talking some sense into her.¡± ¡°Go on, Lina.¡± Natalie took her spot at the vacated seat next to Joyce. Turning to Joyce, she said, ¡°Joyce, did Stanley say something to you?¡± Joyce nodded mournfully. ¡°What did he say?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows curiously. ¡°I went up to him earlier when I first spotted him with Annie. He told me that I had nothing to do with him and that I had no business asking about his affairs. And then he told me to get lost.¡± Joyce gave a self-pityingugh. So that was what happened. No wonder she cried. When Joyce had visited Stanley abroad, she had already met Annie as one of his acquaintances. Even that did not make her as upset as running into them at the party. Being told to get lost and not wanting to have anything to do with her would hurt the heart of any woman. Natalie pulled Joyce over tenderly to lean her against her shoulders. ¡°Stop thinking about it. We need to change how Stanley treats you, but if you feel sad about it now, how will you be able to handle it in the future?¡± ¡°Nat, I''m not just upset with how he had treated me,¡± Joyce said as she sobbed softly. ¡°It hurt watching how he treats Annie. When I met her thest time I went abroad to visit Stanley, he treated her very coldly which was what gave me the confidence to allow her to care for him, because I didn''t think that anything would happen between them. But this time...¡± What happened this time around had really frightened Joyce. It was obvious that Stanley''s attitude towards Annie had warmed up considerably since Joyce hadst met either of them. Stanley even went to the point of passing that remark that he would consider going out with Annie. Something like that would definitely have caused her worry and anxiety. Natalie fell silent, being at a loss for words. If truth be told, the way in which Stanley had treated Annie surprised her too. What has happened between the two of them? ¡°Nat, what do you think I should do?¡± Joyce looked up to gaze at Natalie with bloodshot eyes. ¡°He has loved you before, not to mention treating Annie differently than how he does with other women. But I am the one who has been with him the longest. Why wouldn''t he even consider me?¡± Natalie parted Joyce''s hair, she could feel the sorrow of her heartbroken friend. ¡°Because there are still some misunderstandings between the two of you.¡± ¡°Misunderstandings!¡± Joyce choked as she sniffled. ¡°Yes, those d*mn misunderstandings! I have exined it to him so many times but he refuses to believe me! Why?¡± Joyce buried her head as fresh tears overwhelmed her once more. Natalie stroked her hair, as she did not know what else to say. Stanley had med the death of his parents on Joyce and her family. Since then, he had held a grudge against the Rivers. Under no circumstances would he bepelled to believe the word of his sworn enemy. Joyce had a long way to go if she was determined to earn Stanley''s trust and resolve the misunderstandings between them. Unless fresh evidence was unearthed to prove conclusively that the Rivers had nothing to do with the death of his parents, Stanley would be living under the belief that Joyce and her family were involved for the rest of his life. From N?velDrama.Org. Natalie had decided to ask Connor to investigate the matter. There was a chance, however slim it may be, that such evidence could be discovered. Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Joyce was unaware of what Natalie was nning. ¡°Nat, do you have some tissue?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Natalie rummaged through her pure tinum purse and handed the entire packet to Joyce. ¡°Thanks,¡± she sniffled as she extracted a piece to dry her tears. ¡°Nat, I''ve decided to give up,¡± she murmured, keeping her eyes fixed on her feet. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Natalie gaped at her. ¡°Give up on your feelings toward Stanley?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Joyce took a deep breath, willing herself to suppress the inevitable tears by forcing a smile. ¡°Because I''m tired. I''ve loved him for over ten years, and where has that gotten me? A bruised and battered soul with not much dignity left. I don''t think I can hold on any longer.¡± Joyce spun around suddenly, gazing deep into Natalie''s eyes with her own bloodshot ones. ¡°I can see it clearly now. Stanley would rather be with any other woman than me. He will never love me. That is why I''m giving up on him.¡± Natalie opened her mouth intending to offer words of advice, but she coulde up with none. It was certainly a pity for Joyce to give up on Stanley after loving him for so many years. But if Joyce were to continue hanging on, it would just be waiting in vain. For all she knew, Stanley might not change his mind. If that happened, Joyce''s youth would just slip by, clinging on to some impossible dream. Hence, Natalie decided that it would be wiser to remain silent. Joyce would only hurt herself if she was determined to continue down her current path. However, the choice to let go might not necessarily be the right one, either. ¡°Have you really made up your mind?¡± Natalie looked deep into Joyce''s eyes. They shimmered brightly for an instant. After a second or two, she gave a resolute nod. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°That''s a step in the right direction.¡± Natalie nodded approvingly. ¡°You have been out of touch with the outside world from living all these years with the fantasy of being with Stanley. There are plenty of eligible men out there, Joyce. Now''s the time to explore,¡± Natalie said with a pat of encouragement on Joyce''s shoulder. Joyce chuckled. ¡°You''re right. I can''t be letting my youth wither away hanging on to just one man. From now on, I will meet other men and find one who is even better than Stanley who will love me back. I refuse to ept the fact that I am that dependent on him and him alone.¡± With a sudden movement, Joyce leaped to her feet and raised a ss of champagne. Natalie''s sense of foreboding came a little toote as Joyce yelled, ¡°Stanley, I''m giving up on you! You''re out of my life!¡± With the eyes of everybody in the vicinity on her, Joyce gulped down the entire ss, only realizing her recklessness a moment toote. In the haste of which she had emptied her drink, Joyce''s face grew red as she choked a little. Under the embarrassed eyes of the onlookers, Natalie stood up and quickly escorted her friend out of the room and into the restroom. Stanley watched the two departing figures of Natalie and Joyce from a lounge on the second floor. His expressionless face was rigid and cold. At that moment, a middle-aged man appeared, handing Stanley a ss of wine. ¡°Stanley. That''s you, isn''t it? The Stanley that thedy was shouting about?¡± Stanley took the ss with a smile. ¡°Mr. Peter, you''re a humorous man. I''m sorry to disappoint you, but I don''t know that woman.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± the man gaped in surprise. Stanley clinked his ss against hispanion''s. ¡°That''s right. Perhaps it was the simple coincidence of someone else with the same name. Excuse me, but it''s gettingte. See you at the surgery tomorrow. It will start on time, so please be punctual.¡± At that, he drained his ss, stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets, and left Mr. Peter alone in the lounge. As soon as he was alone out in the hallway, his pleasant smile melted away to reveal a scowl. She''s giving up on me and kicking me out of her life? Her affection was too lowly for me. Stanley smirked scornfully. Suddenly, a man of simr size to him appeared around the corner. He was d in a ck jacket, over a tweed suit of the same color which looked dashing on him. His handsome features bore no expression, however. That man turned out to be Shane who had just finished meeting with Wilhelm. He did not expect to run into Stanley on his way back to the dining hall. Chapter 658 Chapter 658 However, he did not intend to exchanged pleasantries. The cold nce at Stanley was the only indication Shane gave that he had noticed his presence. Other than that, he passed Stanley without a word. Stanley behaved in the exact same manner. Like strangers, the two men passed each other inplete silence, both of whom had no intention on speaking to the other. Back at the dining hall, Shane had managed to locate Natalie. It was right when Natalie and Joyce hade out from the restroom. Joyce had begun binge drinking. A few sses were all it took to get her drunk. She leaned unsteadily against Natalie, a new ss clutched in her hand. Shane''s face grew grim at the sight. He was about to call for one of his men to pull Joyce away when Natalie stopped him. ¡°Forget it, she needs me now. What if she gets out of control and creates a scene?¡± This was theing-of-age ceremony of the little princess, after all. Joyce had embarrassed herself enough with her earlier promation. If she went on a drunken rampage, it wouldn''t just be embarrassing, but it would be considered a great insult to the princess. Shane was well aware of that. Thus, he suppressed his dismay about Joyce clinging on to his wife. ¡°Let''s go back to the hotel,¡± Shane suggested after a nce at his watch. Natalie agreed. ¡°Let me send Lina a text to tell her that we''re leaving.¡± Shane nodded his assent. After Natalie took out her phone and notified Lina, she pulled Joyce up to her feet with some difficulty. Shane did not intend to lend a hand, nor did Natalie expect him to do so. Being Natalie''s best friend, she obviously did not want Shane to touch her inappropriately. Shane understood that too well. Natalie had to grit her teeth to half hoist, and half drag Joyce all the way to their car. That was the difficult part. When everyone was finally seated, they reached the hotel in a surprisingly short time. ¡°Darling, why don''t you go back to our room first,¡± Natalie said to Shane as she took out Joyce''s key card from her purse. ¡°I''ll tuck her in before joining you. With a grunt, Shane departed, leaving Natalie to deal with Joyce. With its owner''s key card in hand, Natalie opened the door of the room across from hers. With a groan, she dropped Joyce onto the bed and sat at the edge to catch her breath. Finally. That was exhausting! Natalie nced back at the drunken figure of her friend who was still muttering in her sleep. From N?velDrama.Org. After her breathing had steadied, Natalie filled a basin of water from the bathroom to wipe Joyce''s face. After that, she dressed her in pajamas. Atst, after tucking Joyce in, she turned to leave. ¡°Don''t go!¡± Joyce moaned suddenly, amidst a new bout of tears. Natalie paused. ¡°Joyce, are you okay?¡± Joyce''s sobbing intensified. ¡°Don''t leave me, I''m scared. Stay with me, will you?¡± ¡°Joyce, who do you want to stay with you?¡± Natalie bent down and peered at her, thinking that Joyce had meant Stanley. Joyce did not respond but continued to cry bitterly in wantingpany. Natalie could not do anything but lie next to Joyce on the bed. ¡°Okay, I''m not going anywhere. I''m here with you,¡± she coaxed as she would a child. Joyce''s crying stopped abruptly at the sound of Natalie''s soft cooing voice. Natalie knew that she would not be able to leave any time soon. With a resigned sigh, she reached for her phone to give Shane a call. At that moment, Shane was sitting on the bed in a white bathrobe. He was reading some documents from his tablet when his phone rang. ¡°Hello, Natalie?¡± he answered after a nce at the screen. ¡°Darling, I''m sorry but I think you''ll have to spend the night without me. I can''t leave now,¡± came Natalie''s voice. Shane scowled in displeasure. ¡°Why not?¡± She couldn''t have forgotten her promise about rewarding me, could she? ¡°Joyce is crying again. She wouldn''t settle down unless I''m here with her. Looks like I''ll be stuck. here¡± Natalie let out a sigh as she gazed bemusedly at Joyce who was clinging on to her arm. Shane''s lips were pressed into a thin line in disapproval. ¡°Did you forget about what you have promised me?¡± With a start, Natalie blushed as she recalled what she had said earlier that night. ¡°Oh... can we do that another time? I really can''t tonight. I''ll double it!¡± Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Shane''s eyes shed with excitement at the new offer. Well, I can''t be too unreasonable. With a grunt, he hung up. Natalie knew him well enough to know that he had agreed. With a chuckle, she turned her attention back to Joyce. ¡°I''m sacrificing so much for you, Joyce. When we go back, you''re going to work extra hard for me.¡± At those words, Natalie turned off the light and with an almighty yawn, shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep almost immediately. It had been a long day for her, after the jetg and the night of drinking. Her head began to feel heavy for wanting to get some sleep. The following day, Joyce woke up feeling rejuvenated. She was dumbfounded at the sight of Natalie sleeping next to her. ¡°Nat, why are you in my bed?¡± Joyce gave Natalie a shove. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Natalie mumbled as she opened her bleary eyes. ¡°You tell me! Why are you in my bed?¡± Joyce persisted. Natalie massaged her head as she struggled to sit upright. ¡°You have the nerve to ask me that!¡± she replied in a huff. ¡°You were so drunkst night that after I''d dropped you off in your room, you cried and clung on to me, insisting that I kept youpany.¡± ¡°Was... was that what happened?¡± Joyce strained to recall the events of the night before through the haze of champagne and tears. Unfortunately, nothing came to her mind. Natalie yawned and threw off the quilt. ¡°Go back to sleep if you''re still feeling dizzy,¡± she suggested. ¡°You had a lot to drinkst night. I have to console our friend. He wasn''t happy that I didn''t return to him last night.¡± Natalie slipped on her shoes and left Joyce alone in her room, who was sitting on the bed with a sluggish expression on her face. Natalie opened the door cautiously and tiptoed toward the bed as she did not know if Shane was already up. The quilt was thrown off but he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Natalie muttered to herself. Just as she was about to search for him, a pair of arms shot out and wrapped tightly around her waist, rendering her immobile. She was distinctly aware of the heartbeat against her back and the frantic breathing on the top of her head. ¡°You''re finally back.¡± came Shane''s low voice from above her head. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Natalie stuck her tongue out at him in response to his levity. Shane did not answer but spun her around to face him. After gazing at her for some moments, he lifted her chin to kiss her. Natalie''s eyes widened in horror. ¡°I have not brushed my teeth!¡± she protested as she shoved him away from her. Shane did not respond to that either but kissed her with renewed passion. It was more forceful than the first time, as though it carried a hint of a punishment of some sort as he nibbled and gnawed at her lips. It soon became clear to Natalie that that was indeed a punishment. A punishment for her breaking her promise to him the night before. Natalie did not attempt to push him away after that realization. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and responded to his enthusiasm. If he did not mind her stale morning breath, she would dly reciprocate. Soon, Shane''s appetite evolved beyond kissing. With a powerful heave, he threw Natalie onto the bed. Natalie was as eager as he was and began to undo her dress. The morning was spent in a frenzy of passion. It was already half-past eleven when the storm was over. Natalie''s stomach growled like a starving lion, but she could not even open her eyes from the intensity of her earlier exertion. Shane, on the other hand stood over the bed to gaze at her with a satisfied smirk.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Despite the numerous times they had been together, Natalie was still not used to him seeing her naked. She pulled the sheets over her as she blushed shyly. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. Shane picked up the bathrobe from the floor and donned it. ¡°Come on, I''ll take you in for a shower.¡± ¡°I''ll have a shower by myself,¡± she replied as she rubbed her temples. Shane acted as though he did not hear her. Whipping off the sheets, he lifted her out of bed in his arms. ¡°You...¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Stop moving,¡± Shane chastised with a smack on her buttocks. ¡°Don''t you want to have lunch soon?¡± Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Natalie was very conscious of the change in Shane. ¡°Why are you...¡± ¡°What now?¡± Shane gazed down at her with amusement. Natalie avoided his eyes, still red in the face. ¡°Nothing. We should get a move on.¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Shane chuckled softly and made haste toward the bathroom. cing her in the tub, he then proceeded to turn on the faucets. When the water level was satisfactory, he disrobed and climbed right in with Natalie. It was a spacious tub. The couple could stretch outfortably and still had ample space left. Natalie did not kick him out, but allowed him to hold her in his arms as they soaked cidly in the warm bath. After almost half an hour, the water began to turn cold. It was then that the couple climbed out to tidy up and got dressed. Shane led Natalie to the hotel''s restaurant. As soon as they entered, Joyce was waving them over. ¡°Nat! Mr. Thompson! Over here!¡± Natalie waved in response. ¡°Darling, let''s sit with Joyce.¡± Shane stood where he was, casting a cold re at Joyce''s direction. Joyce''s cheery smile froze on her face. Why is he staring at me like that? Did I do something wrong? Natalie had sensed Shane''s displeasure with Joyce too. In a split second, she had deduced the cause of it. ¡°Are you still jealous of Joyce from yesterday?¡± sheughed, shaking her head. ¡°No, I''m not.¡± Shane looked away. Natalie did not believe a word of that reply. ¡°Fine, we can have our own table. We don''t have to sit with Joyce.¡± Shane grunted nomittedly, as he strode off in search for one. Natalie was in no hurry. In a couple of gestures, she had conveyed their intentions to Joyce from afar before running off after Shane. Joyce scratched her head, unable toprehend why the couple opted to sit by themselves instead of with her. At that moment, Lina emerged with a ss of milk in her hand. ¡°What''s up?¡± she asked with a pat on Joyce''s shoulder. ¡°I just saw Nat and Mr. Thompson,¡± Joyce answered. ¡°Well, where are they?¡± Lina turned to the direction of Joyce''s eyes. ¡°They are sitting somece else. I couldn''t understand why they wouldn''t sit with me. Mr. Thompson is behaving very strangely too. He looked as if he wasn''t happy to see me.¡± Natalie was so deep in thought that her head was tilted to one side. ¡°You really don''t understand why?¡± Lina pursed her lips in exasperation. ¡°No, I don''t.¡± Lina stared at Joyce, speechless. ¡°It''s so obvious, and you still can''t see it.¡± ¡°Tell me, then,¡± Joyce urged. Lina sighed. ¡°Mr. Thompson is jealous obviously. Didn''t you tell me earlier today that Nat spent the night in your room? Have you forgotten the fact that Nat and Mr. Thompson are husband and wife? Mr. Thompson had to spend the night alone when Nat was with you. You have deprived him of his wife''s company, and that is why he isn''t happy to see you!¡± Joyce listened to Lina with rapt attention and sighed heavily when she was done. ¡°I did not do it on purpose,¡± she protested, near tears. ¡°I did not even know that Nat would keep mepanyst night. If I did, I wouldn''t have been as drunk as I was. And now look what happened! I''d gotten on Mr. Thompson''s bad side! What am I supposed to do, Lina?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Lina retorted. ¡°Mr. Thompson is so petty that he even gets jealous of women.¡± Lina stroked her chin as she tutted. Joyce gave a sardonicugh. ¡°Hopefully Mr. Thompson does not kill me for it.¡± ¡°How would that be possible? We live in a society governed by thew. Finish up your lunch, Joyce. Mr. Thompson wouldn''t do anything to you. You''re a woman, anyway. The most he could do is to give you the stink eye. If you were a man, that could go down very differently for you.¡± Joyce cringed visibly. ¡°That would be a cause for celebration, I suppose.¡± Natalie did not know that Shane had frightened Joyce. At the moment, they were enjoying their lunch and each other''spany in silence. ¡°When are we going back?¡± Natalie asked as she wiped her lips uponpletion of her meal. ¡°I miss Connor and Sharon.¡± Chapter 661 Chapter 661 She did not know how the children were doing at home, and if Jacqueline had given them a hard time. ¡°We''ll leave tonight,¡± Shane answered as he sipped his coffee. ¡°That''s good,¡± Natalie said eagerly. ¡°We would arrive tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Wait for me in the hotel afterwards,¡± Shane instructed as he set his cup down on the table. ¡°I want to go over to the diamond mine for an inspection.¡± Natalie stretchedzily. ¡°It''ll be boring for me to be alone here. Lina wanted to check out the jewelry exhibition, and Joyce wanted to go shopping for souvenirs for our colleagues. They would be too busy to keep mepany. Why don''t Ie along with you? I''ve never seen a diamond mine before.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°It''s to be awfully boring.¡± Shane gazed at her uncertainly. Natalie smiled. ¡°It wouldn''t be boring if I was with you.¡± Shane cheered up a great deal from her words. ¡°Let''s go then,¡± he said. ¡°Let''s go!¡± Natalie jumped up and held his arm. Together, they departed the hotel. The diamond mine stood on a hill which was close to a range of volcanoes. Very little vegetation was hardly enough to survive on its jagged surface. Natalie thought it looked very deste indeed. That impression was somewhat subdued by the rows and rows of tents which housed bustlingborers who hoisted strange looking machinery as they went about their work. ¡°Are those detection equipments?¡± Natalie pointed toward theborers. ¡°No,¡± answered Shane with a slight shake of his head. ¡°What are those for, then?¡± ¡°They are searching for spots that are rtively soft. Once they''ve marked them out, the excavation can begin,¡± Shane exined patiently. ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°There is another quarry up ahead. Let''s have a closer look.¡± Shane tugged on Natalie''s arm. After a closer inspection, Natalie still could not tell the difference between that and a regr mine. Her interest soon turned into boredom. The really exciting thing was the diamonds within the mountain. The operation was only at the stage of removing the rocks. It would be a long process before the diamonds were unearthed. Shane was right. It was awfully boring. ¡°That''s my tent,¡± Shane indicated with a finger. ¡°Why don''t you wait for me in there? I must discuss the excavation n with the workers.¡± Natalie nodded eagerly as she was not keen on standing around out in the open. It was another two hours before he had resolved everything he needed to. The couple then returned to the hotel to check out and made their way to the airport to catch their flight. They touched down in J City the following day at six in the morning. Connor and Sharon were still asleep. Natalie did not want to disturb them, so after peeping in on them, she closed the door quietly and left. Shane made his way to the study while Natalie went into their bedroom for a nap. It was half-past eight when she was awoken by the rm. After cleaning herself up, Natalie made her way downstairs where the children were having their breakfast. They couldn''t believe their eyes, so they merely stared at her in wonder. It was only when Natalie called out to them that they ran toward their mother joyfully. ¡°Mommy, you''re back!¡± they squealed as they grabbed a thigh of hers each. Natalie beamed and caressed the children''s heads. ¡°Yes, I am. How have you been when I was gone? Have you been good?¡± ¡°Yes, we have.¡± The twins nodded in unison. ¡°Mommy, is Daddy home too?¡± Connor asked. ¡°Yes, he''s back too.¡± Natalie replied. Sharon''s grin grewrger. ¡°That''s great! Everybody is home.¡± Natalie touched the tip of Sharon''s nose yfully. With a child in each hand, she led them out to the dining room. As they were walking, Connor spoke up with a serious look on his face. ¡°Mommy, when you were gone, Ms. Graham came by to look for us.¡± Natalie''s smile faltered at the news. ¡°What did she want? Did she do anything to you?¡± she asked, her eyes narrowing. As predicted, Jacqueline had her own agenda to carry out in Natalie''s and Shane''s absence. ¡°No, she didn''t. She just asked us a few questions.¡± Connor shook his head. Natalie stopped in her tracks. Kneeling down to meet the children at eye level, she asked, ¡°What did she ask you?¡± Chapter 662 Chapter 662 ¡°She asked me about what happened to you overseas,¡± replied Sharon while she sucked on her thumb. Pursing his lips, Connor chimed in, ¡°She asked me something else. She asked about my daddy.¡± ¡°Daddy?¡± Natalie frowned in suspicion. Why did she have to ask the kids about Shane? Doesn''t she know him better than them? When Connor saw Natalie''s expression, he instantly knew that she had misunderstood. Waving his tiny hands, he rified, ¡°It''s not like that, Mommy. she''s not talking about Mr. Shane, but our biological father.¡± Natalie''s eyes widened. ¡°How did she ask you?¡± ¡°She asked us if we knew who our biological father is. Then, she asked if we wanted to find him.¡± A grim look crossed Natalie''s face as she clenched her fists. Why is Jacqueline asking that? ¡°How did you reply?¡± asked Natalie with her hands on the children''s shoulders. Connor snorted proudly. ¡°I ignored her and said that I don''t know what ''biological father'' means. I just said that Mr. Shane''s our father and left with Sharon.¡± ¡°Good job!¡± Smiling, Natalie kissed their cheeks. Biting his lips, Connor asked, ¡°Mommy, who is our biological father? Is he still alive?¡± He had already asked this question multiple times, but Natalie never told him the answer. Natalie forced out a smile on her face. ¡°He''s still alive.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Connor and Sharon stared at her simultaneously. Standing up and holding their hands, Natalie walked toward the dining room. ¡°He''s in this city.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The children were shocked. Natalie replied, ¡°Yeah, it''s true. If you really wish to know who your biological father is, I''ll tell you everything a few dayster.¡± It would be Shane''s birthday soon. She initially nned to reveal the children''s true identity to him on that day. Since the children were asking about it now, she was even more determined to tell all of them. Although they did not know why Natalie needed to wait till a few dayster to tell them, they did not ask any more questions. After all, she definitely had her own reasons for that. Everything would be clear once that day arrived. After breakfast, Shane left the vi first. He needed to return to Thompson Group to hold a meeting about the diamond mine. Hence, Natalie was responsible for sending the kids. As for Jacqueline, Jackson fetched her away after breakfast. He brought her to the hospital for an eye checkup. At nine-thirty in the morning, Natalie went to the office after sending her children to the kindergarten. Just when she switched on herputer, her phone rang. When she whipped out her phone and nced at it, she saw that the call was from a local unknown number. After a moment of hesitation, she picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Are you Ms. Natalie Smith?¡± A male voice sounded. She nodded. ¡°Yes. Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m here to deliver something. Pleasee down and take it.¡± He replied. Natalie was confused. ¡°I''m not expecting any delivery. Did you get the wrong person?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The name reads Natalie Smith. It''s impossible that I got the wrong person.¡± With her puzzlement increased, she asked, ¡°May I know who sent it?¡± ¡°I don''t know. It didn''t include the details of the sender,¡± replied the man. Natalie massaged her temples. ¡°Okay. Where are you? I''ll ask someone to take it for me.¡± ¡°I''m afraid that can''t do,¡± said the man, sounding like he was in a tight spot. ¡°The parcel said that you have to ept it personally.¡± What is it that I have to ept it personally? Natalie looked down. A mysterious delivery, an unknown sender and having to ept it personally... These suspicious clues combined make me feel really uneasy. After thinking about it, Natalie stood up and replied, ¡°Okay, I''lle down right away.¡± Chapter 663 Chapter 663 ¡°Okay, I''ll wait for you at the parking lot.¡± After speaking, the man hung up. Natalie ced the phone down and summoned Joyce. ¡°Joyce, apany me to collect a delivery.¡± ¡°Why? You can''t carry it?¡± she asked. Natalie shook her head. ¡°It''s not that. The delivery makes me feel uneasy.¡± Then, she told Joyce about what happened. From N?velDrama.Org. After listening to her, Joyce thought that something was amiss too. Nodding, she said, ¡°There''s definitely something fishy going on. Let''s go. I''ll apany you to take a look.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. She had the same thought too. The delivery was simply too strange. As she was afraid that she would be in danger if she went alone, it was better if Joyce tagged along. With an additional person with her, the possibility of her escaping was higher as well. The two of them left the office and went to the parking lot. Worried, Natalie asked Joyce to hide in a corner and keep an eye on her, while she contacted the deliveryman. ¡°Hello, I''m at the parking lot now. Where are you?¡± Raising her phone, Natalie nced around to find him. Soon, footsteps sounded behind her. She spun around rapidly. However, before she could catch a clear glimpse of the person''s face, he raised a spray bottle. All Natalie could see was the mist drifting toward her. After smelling something strange, she started to feel dizzy and her eyelids became heavier. It was then that she knew that she had fallen into a trap. Her body swayed. Unable to support herself anymore, she toppled backward. The man who knocked her out immediately took a step forward. Before she fell onto the ground, he lifted her over his shoulder and strode toward a ck car. When Joyce witnessed this scene, she sprinted toward them anxiously. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Let go of Nat!¡± The man stopped in his tracks, turned around and nced at her. Smirking coldly, he raised his hand mid-air and signalled. Before Joyce could figure out what that gesture meant, she heard the roaring of car engines. When she whirled around subconsciously, she saw a car zooming toward her. The color immediately drained from her face. She was so terrified that she stood paralyzed to the spot. Her mind was aplete nk. The only thought she had was that this car was going to knock her down! Joyce watched as the car zoomed closer to her. She could even smell the gasoline of the car and feel the warmth of its emissions. At that moment, she could almost imagine the scene of her body being sent flying away by the car. Screaming in fear, she subconsciously closed her eyes and waited for death to befall her. However, after waiting for a few seconds, she did not feel anything strange. She could not help but open her eyes in surprise. When she did that, she discovered that the car that was going to hit her had already left. She could still see the back of the car. What''s going on? Wasn''t it going to hit me? Joyce stared in the direction of the car for a long while, her face turning pale. Only then did a sense of relief wash over her while her fear disappeared gradually. However, it was at that moment when she suddenly remember Natalie. ¡°Nat!¡± Joyce nced at the spot where Natalie had been carried away and realized that the car was already gone. In other words, she had been abducted. The car that almost hit her probably belonged to the same group of people who brought Natalie away. It aimed to stop anyone from saving her. If anyone appeared to save Natalie, someone would drive over to deter the person. Hence, instead of killing her, the car was merely trying to scare her and buy more time for Natalie''s kidnapper. Damn it! ¡°This is bad!¡± Joyce stomped on the ground anxiously before whipping out her phone and informing the police that Natalie had been kidnapped. After calling the police, she quickly called Thompson Group, wishing to inform Shane. However, as she did not have Shane''s number, she had no choice but to call Thompson Group''s receptionist. ¡°Hello?¡± The receptionist''s gentle voice sounded. ¡°How may I help you?¡± Chapter 664 Chapter 664 ¡°Transfer my call to your CEO quickly, please.¡± Joyce was so anxious that her voice was trembling. The receptionist frowned. ¡°Ma''am, our CEO is very busy. If there''s anything, please tell me first. I''ll ry the message to him when he''s free, okay?¡± Hmph! It''s another woman pining after Mr. Shane. I''ve seen loads of such women like her. They keep thinking of ways to contact him. I will not let them seed! Joyce was infuriated by the receptionist. Tugging her hair in frustration, she yelled, ¡°I''m the best friend of your CEO''s wife. Something bad happened to her! If you don''t contact Shane now and miss the right timing to save her, you''ll have to take responsibility. I''m afraid that you might not be able to shoulder the grave consequences of that!¡± When she said that, the receptionist''s heart skipped a beat. Everyone in thepany knows that Mr. Shane is married, but none of us has seen his wife before. Now, someone who''s iming to be her best friend is saying that she''s in trouble. I don''t know if she''s telling the truth. However, judging from her panicked tone, it might be true... The receptionist did not dare to make such a bet. If something bad really happened to Mr. Shane''s wife and I failed to ry the message, I can''t bear the consequences. But if this is just the woman''s prank... The receptionist bit her lips. After deliberating over it for a few seconds, she decided to pass on the message. Even if it was a prank, she would just get scolded. It was always better to be safe than sorry. Now that she had thought it through, the receptionist took a deep breath and said seriously, ¡°Please give me a moment. I''ll pass on the message now.¡± Joyce heaved a sigh of relief. Before she hung up, she reminded, ¡°Remember, you must be quick. Otherwise, it might be toote.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, the receptionist hung up and called the office located on the top floor. As she did not have the authority to call Shane''s office directly, she had to call Ss. He was in the middle of organizing some files. When he heard his phone ring, he nced at it and picked up the call. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Campbell, ady called just now, iming to be the best friend of Mr. Shane''s wife. She said that his wife got into trouble and told me to inform him right away,¡± said the receptionist. Ss froze mid-action. ¡°Something bad happened to madam?¡± ¡°Yes, that''s what thedy said. Her tone sounded extremely anxious, so it didn''t seem like she was lying.¡± ¡°Did thedy tell you her name?¡± asked Ss solemnly. If she''s Joyce, then something bad might have happened to madam. The receptionist shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I understand. Send me her number and I''ll contact her personally to check,¡± instructed Ss. The receptionist sent the number to him immediately. When Ss entered the first three digits of the number, Joyce''s contact automatically popped up in his phone. Ss'' eyes widened. He stood up abruptly, almost dropping his phone. It''s really Joyce! In that case, something bad must have happened to madam! Ss'' expression changed drastically as he called Joyce. The call went through quickly. Joyce asked anxiously, ¡°Are you Mr. Campbell?¡± ¡°Yes. What happened to madam?¡± demanded Ss loudly. Joyce was on the brink of tears. ¡°Nat has been abducted!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ss felt a shiver run down his spine. She continued, ¡°When Nat came to the office in the morning, she received a call from a deliveryman. Not only was there no sender details, but she also had to receive it personally. Guessing that there is something fishy with the delivery, she told me to apany her.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°I did!¡± ¡°If so, why did she still get abducted?¡± asked Ss. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Biting her lips, Joyce replied, ¡°Before we left the elevator, Nat told me to wait for her secretly. She was afraid that the deliveryman would not appear if he saw that there are two of us. Hence, I waited in a corner discreetly. When I realized that Nat was abducted by the deliveryman, I tried to save her. But...¡± Chapter 665 Chapter 665 ¡°But what?¡± Joyce sobbed. ¡°Suddenly, a car zoomed toward me, trying to stop me from saving Nat. They must have expected her to suspect that there was something wrong with the delivery and asked someone to apany her. That was why they had such a detailed n.¡± Ss inhaled sharply. In that case, a lot of thought has been invested into this kidnapping n. ¡°Mr. Campbell, I''ve already called the police and instructed the security department to send the footage at the parking lot to the police. The police are also starting to take action. Please, inform Mr. Shane quickly!¡± urged Joyce. Ss nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After the call, he stood up and rushed to the CEO office. Shane was in the middle of a discussion with a few executives. When Ss barged in without even knocking, he narrowed his eyes unhappily. However, when he noticed the expression on Ss'' face, he realized that something might have happened. Flipping the file shut, he looked at the executives and said, ¡°Let''s pause this discussion here. The n looks good, so you can tell the rest that I expect to see results by the end of this month.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± They knew that Shane was chasing them away, so they did not stay any longer and left. When the door closed, Shane tossed the file aside. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Clenching his fists and taking a deep breath, Ss said, ¡°Mr. Shane, madam has been abducted.¡± Shane widened his eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Madam has been abducted!¡± repeated Ss before narrating everything that Joyce had just told him. After Shane heard what he said, a grim expression crossed his face. With a murderous glint in his eyes, he asked, ¡°Who did that?¡± ¡°I don''t know. We don''t have any clues revealing who brought madam away. Joyce has informed the police already. Mr. Shane, let''s dispatch some people to look for her.¡± ¡°Let''s go to the police station first. They have the security footage, so we can find out the route that the culprits'' cars took.¡± Shane stood up, grabbed his phone and left the office. Ss hurriedly followed after him. In the car, Shane kept trying to call Natalie''s phone. However, no one picked up the call. Shane was not surprised by that. Since the kidnappers took Natalie away, they would definitely switch off all her electronic devices. This was the Inte era, after all. One''s location could be pinpointed with just an electronic device. Shane gripped his phone tightly, his expression hostile. Worry engulfed him. Natalie almost died the previous time someone kidnapped her. He had been so terrified that it felt like he had lost his soul. This time, he did not know what he had to experience again. ¡°Check if Harrison and his wife are acting strangely,¡± instructed Shane through gritted teeth. Ss nced at him. ¡°Mr. Shane, do you think that Harrison and his gang are the ones behind madam''s kidnapping?¡± ¡°I don''t know who exactly it is, but they''re suspects.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll instruct some people to investigate it.¡± With that, Ss took out his phone and told the others to investigate Harrison and Susan. Meanwhile, they had arrived at the police station. Shane alighted the car and entered. Joyce was inside too. When she saw him, she rushed over. ¡°Mr. Shane, you must save Nat!¡± ¡°She''s my wife, so I''ll definitely save her,¡± replied Shane as he nced at her. sping her hands together, Joyce heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That''s great!¡± ¡°I heard from Ss that you were almost knocked down by a car. Are you alright?¡± Shane suddenly asked. Joyce was Natalie''s friend who apanied her to retrieve the delivery. Since the kidnappers did not abduct her, it meant that Natalie was their only target. Seeing that Joyce almost got hit by a car because of Natalie, she would definitely feel apologetic if Joyce got injured. Surprised by his concern, Joyce shook her head. ¡°I''m fine. Just when the car was about to hit me, it made a U-turn.¡± Chapter 666 Chapter 666 ¡°That''s good.¡± Shane nodded slightly and did not ask further. Instead, he walked toward a police officer and inquired about the situation. The police officer replied that they were already keeping an eye on the surrounding security footage. They would soon figure out the route that the kidnappers took. After a few minutes, the route was identified. However, the bad news was there were two different routes. ¡°Why are there two routes?¡± Joyce frowned, feeling puzzled. Ss adjusted his spectacles. ¡°After leaving the parking lot, the car which brought madam away probably separated from the car that almost hit you. Looks like the mastermind has already guessed that we''ll determine the routes via the security footage. They took separate routes so we won''t know which car madam is in.¡± ¡°Yeah, both cars are ck and don''t have any license tes. Once they go separate ways, it''d hard to determine where the hostage is.¡± The police officer sitting in front of theputer chimed in. Shane gripped the two maps with routes tightly. ¡°Then, let''s chase after both of them!¡± ¡°I''m afraid that this won''t be feasible.¡± The police officer shook his head. ¡°The cars are driving out of the city. Looking at their routes, there will be no more security footage if they drive for ten more miles. We won''t be able to determine their subsequent route after that.¡± ¡°So, the possibility of finding Nat will be much smaller by then?¡± Joyce paled. He nodded. ¡°That''s right. Unless we stop them before they drive out of the parameter of the security footages.¡± ¡°How can that be possible?¡± Joyce pointed at theputer. ¡°Although I don''t understand these routes, I know what the red and blue dots represent. The red dots are the two cars, and we are the blue dots. We''re around thirty miles away from them, so we definitely can''t catch up with them!¡± When she said that, the office descended into silence. Shane had an urge to crumple the maps in his hands. Ss took off his sses and rubbed his eyes, which had be sore from looking at theputer. ¡°If only madam has an electronic tracking device on her.¡± ¡°An electronic tracking device?¡± When Joyce heard that, her eyes lit up. Shane narrowed his eyes and stared at her intently. ¡°Do you know something?¡± She nodded excitedly. ¡°Ss, you reminded me! Nat actually has something like that!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Ss gaped. ¡°How do you know about it? Not even Mr. Shane knows.¡± As he spoke, he nced at Shane. Is it true that girls are closer to their best friends than their husbands? Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Although Shane did not know what Ss was thinking about, he could guess that it was probably not something pleasant. Frowning, he urged Joyce, ¡°Okay, tell us now.¡± Patting her cheeks and calming herself down, Joyce replied seriously, ¡°Wasn''t Nat kidnapped the previous time? I was afraid that she''d be traumatized, so I brought her and the two kids out for shopping. I gave her a pair of earrings after that.¡± Shane nodded. He knew about that. Natalie wore the pair of earrings the next day. ¡°You hid a tracking device in her earrings?¡± Ss stared at Joyce in surprise. She waved her hands. ¡°No, it''s Connor. He''s worried that something might happen to Natalie again, so he asked me to buy a mini tracking device for him. He installed it in Natalie''s earrings before telling me to give them to her. She doesn''t even know about it.¡± As Natalie did not like it when Connor publicly disyed this talent of his, he had no choice but to do it secretly. He even asked Joyce to keep it a secret from Natalie. Ss was shocked. ¡°Connor is so bright! He actually knows how to install a tracking device. Mr. Shane, do you know that Connor can do this?¡± Although Shane''s expression was calm and he did not reply to Ss, he felt a sense of pride surface within him. He also knew that Connor was a genuine prodigy in hacking. The previous month, he had deliberately asked Connor to attack Thompson Group''s security system to test the extent of his hacking skills. However, Connor infiltrated it easily. He even criticized the security system and helped to upgrade it. Chapter 667 Chapter 667 The team responsible for safeguarding the security system kept urging him to recruit Connor to the team. ¡°Can you track my wife now?¡± Shane dismissed the thoughts in his mind and looked at the police officer. He smiled confidently. ¡°As long as there''s a tracking device, we can certainly do it.¡± Then, he asked Joyce for the serial number of Natalie''s tracking device and started typing rapidly on the keyboard. Joyce and Ss stared at him in anticipation. After around ten minutes, the confident look on the police officer''s face disappeared and was reced by a solemn expression. When Joyce saw that, the look of anticipation on her face faded too. Clenching her fists, she asked, ¡°Hey, did you fail to track where she is?¡± Even Ss became serious, while Shane''s expression turned grim. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Not daring to look at the three of them, the police officer replied guiltily, ¡°When I tracked the serial number, I noticed that the tracking device is still working. However, it''s protected by a very strong firewall. I can''t infiltrate it, so I can''t locate the tracking device.¡± ¡°You said that you could trace it!¡± Joyce was so furious that she breathed heavily. The police officer lowered his head. ¡°I''m sorry...¡± ¡°What should we do now, Mr. Shane?¡± Ss looked at Shane. His expression was grim and impassive. After a while, he thought of something and instructed, ¡°Go to the kindergarten right away and fetch Sharon and Connor here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ss was stunned. What''s the point of bringing the kids over? Although he had a lot of questions, he did not dare to disobey Shane''s instructions. Hence, he left to carry out his order. After he left, Joyce looked at Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, you want Connor to locate the tracking device, right?¡± The police officer was stunned too. If he did not hear wrongly just now, Connor was still in kindergarten. How is a child attending kindergarten supposed to do something like this? Is there something wrong with this world or do I just have a hearing problem? Oblivious to the police officer''s thoughts, Shane nodded. ¡°Since Connor installed the tracking device, he''s probably the one who constructed the firewall. It''s the best choice to let him dismantle it.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Joyce sighed. After half an hour, the children came with Ss. ¡°Daddy, did something happen to Mommy?¡± Sharon cried as she leapt toward Shane. He squatted and pulled his daughter into his arms. Gently stroking Sharon''s head, he consoled, ¡°It''s fine, I''ll rescue your mommy.¡± Then, he looked at Connor. ¡°Do you know what happened?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Yes, Mr. Campbell has already told me.¡± Connor nodded coldly. Shane was stunned for a second. Not only did Connor look almost identical to him, but his expressions, actions and demeanor were also very simr. Why isn''t he my biological son? ¡°Good. Locate your mommy''s location right away.¡± As Shane spoke, he held Connor''s hand and walked toward the police officer. When the police officer realized that a child was going to do that, he was so surprised that his jaw dropped agape. ¡°Can this child do it, Mr. Shane?¡± Even Ss had doubts. Before Shane could answer, Joyce ced her hands on her hips unhappily. ¡°Who said that my godson can''t do it? He''s a top hacker! If he can''t, who else can? You?¡± The police officer was rendered speechless by her words. Coughing lightly, he said, ¡°That''s not what I meant. The thing is... he''s just a child!¡± ¡°A child is not necessarily weaker than adults. You should just move aside.¡± As Joyce spoke, she walked forward and dragged him away from his seat. The police officer was about to say something when she immediately covered his mouth. ¡°Shut up and watch silently.¡± Speechless, he watched as Shane carried Connor to his seat. Chapter 668 Chapter 668 In the next second, his surprise increased. Connor ced his hands over the keyboard and adjusted himself to it before typing rapidly. His typing speed was not slower than the police officer''s. That was not the most important thing. More critically, the data that appeared on theputer screen were all sorts of codes. In other words, this child was actually a skilled hacker. Oh my God! What kind of prodigy is he? The police officer stared at Connor as if he was looking at an alien. Even Ss was shocked. He gulped and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, Connor...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed that Shane did not look surprised at all. Hence, he shut up immediately. Looks like Mr. Shane already knows about Connor''s talent, which is why he isn''t surprised at all. He probably asked me to bring Connor over because of this too. After a few minutes, Connor pressed the enter button. ¡°Daddy, I found Mommy''s location.¡± Shane widened his eyes and stared at theputer intently. Suppressing his emotions, he asked, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°She is in an abandoned warehouse,¡± said Connor as he zoomed into the satellite image. Everyone could clearly see a warehouse that was guarded by people. At that moment, someone walked out of the warehouse. Shane and Ss immediately recognized the person. ¡°Isn''t he Alex?¡± eximed Ss as he pointed at him. ¡°Who''s that?¡± asked Joyce. Ss nced at Shane, silently asking him if he should reply to her. However, thetter shook his head. Ss shot a smile at Joyce and said, ¡°I''ll tell you in the future.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± She pouted unhappily. Shane stood up. ¡°Connor, send the address to the police officers who''ve been dispatched and tell them to go there immediately.¡± ¡°Okay, Daddy!¡± Connor nodded as his fingers flew across the keyboard again. Shane turned around and nced at Joyce. ¡°Please help to take care of Connor and Sharon. I''ll send some people to bring them back to the viter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Knowing that he would probably look for Natalie personally, she held Sharon''s hand and agreed. ¡°Let''s go,¡± said Shane to Ss. Averting his gaze, he strode out of the police station. In the car, Ss frowned. ¡°Mr. Shane, I didn''t expect that Sean''s the one who abducted madam. Aren''t your men forcing him to stay overseas? Why is he back?¡± Narrowing his eyes, Shane spat coldly, ¡°Illegal entry!¡± Ss inhaled sharply. ¡°He actually dares to do something like that! Why did he kidnap madam, though?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Perhaps the matter about the will has been exposed.¡± Shane clenched his fists, his voice devoid of any emotions. Ss finally understood. Massaging his temples, Shane called Sean. No one picked up. Not giving up, Shane called him again. In a warehouse hidden in a forest, Sean looked at the name shing on his screen. A sharp glint appeared in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Sean, it''s from Mr. Shane,¡± said Alex as he looked at the phone. Sean snorted coldly. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°That''s weird. Why would Mr. Shane call you at this timing?¡± Alex was confused. Sean hung up the call again and smirked menacingly. ¡°It''s simple. He''s already guessed that I am the one who has abducted Natalie.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Alex gaped in surprise. ¡°We did it so discreetly! How did it find out?¡± ¡°Yeah, how did he know?¡± Unable to figure it out as well, Sean fidgeted with his phone. Suddenly, a burly man walked over. ¡°Boss, the woman''s awake.¡± Sean raised his eyebrows. ¡°She''s awake so soon? Looks like you didn''t drug her enough.¡± The man scratched his head. ¡°I''m worried that if I increased the dosage, she''ll only wake up a few days later...¡± Chapter 669 Chapter 669 ¡°Forget it. Let me take a look.¡± Sean stood up from the chair and tossed his phone to Alex. ¡°Deal with it. Don''t let Sean track my phone signal and find this ce.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alex nodded. With a hand shoved in his pocket, Sean walked toward the little room in the warehouse. Natalie was tied to the couch, unable to move. Her mouth was covered with duct tape, so she could not speak at all. Not only were her clothes disheveled, but her hair was also extremely messy, making her looked rather pathetic. However, she could not be bothered by that. With much difficulty, she sat up on the old sofa and nced around fearfully. The only thing she could guess was that she was in a warehouse. Just when Natalie was still feeling scared, she suddenly heard footsteps. She nced at the door subconsciously. In the next second, it flung open and in walked a tall figure. When she caught a clearer glimpse of the person, she widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°It''s you?¡± As her mouth was taped by duct tape, her words were muffled. However, Sean could guess what she was saying from her expression and the shock in her eyes. ¡°It''s me. Are you surprised?¡± Sean carried a chair and walked toward Natalie. Her eyes widened as she called out again. This time, Sean could not guess what she was saying. He ripped off the tape over her mouth and said, ¡°Damn it! Didn''t I tell Alex to tape it more loosely? He disobeyed me.¡± Ignoring what he was mumbling, Natalie yelled loudly, ¡°You''re the one who kidnapped me!¡± ¡°Isn''t it obvious?¡± Sean took a step back and sat on the chair. Natalie''s body trembled. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Why?¡± As if he had just heard a joke, he chuckled. His expression changed drastically all of a sudden as a twisted look crossed his face. ¡°How dare you give me falsified clues for the will? Yet, you''re asking me why I kidnapped you?¡± Natalie''s face turned pale. ¡°You...¡± ¡°You want to ask me how I found out, right?¡± The menacing expression on Sean''s face disappeared and was reced by his usual frivolous smile. ¡°When I went to Astoria, I didn''t find the will at all. Just when I was about to return, I discovered that there are people deliberately obstructing my journey. Only then did I realize that I''ve been lied to by you¡ªno, all of you!¡± As he spoke, he crossed his legs. ¡°You must''ve told Shane long ago that I''m looking for the will. Otherwise, why would he instruct his men to keep me overseas? However, both of you failed in the end. I made it back!¡± Still, the way he returned was very humiliating. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Despite being a member of the Thompson family, he had to resort to illegal migration to return home. He would never forget this grudge so easily. Natalie cast her gaze downward. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t want to deceive you with false information either.¡± ¡°But you still did it, right?¡± A grim look crossed Sean''s face. He stood up, grabbed her neck and pinned her against the sofa. ¡°Did you know that because of you, I almost died in the middle of the ocean?¡± He tightened his grip. Natalie felt like her neck was going to be snapped into two. She could barely breathe and her face turned red. Her expression gradually became unpleasant as she said hoarsely, ¡°I don''t know! However, I have no choice. Shane didn''t know where the will is, yet you forced me to give it to you after two months. If not, you''ll harm the people close to me. This was the only choice I had then.¡± With a frenzied look in his eyes, Seanughed like a madman. ¡°Indeed, I shouldn''t have ced any home on you from the start. I thought that you''re capable, but it turns out that you could do sh*t.¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Natalie red at him with bloodshot eyes. Sean tightened his grip once again, causing Natalie to yell out in pain. Feeling even more suffocated, she opened her mouth to breathe. Chapter 670 Chapter 670 ¡°What do you think?¡± Sean''s lips curved into a wicked grin. ¡°To be frank, I haven''t thought it through. Not only did you fail to reveal the whereabouts of the will, you even alerted Shane on the existence of this will. If he gets to it before me, my whole family would be in grave danger. To prevent that from happening, I had no choice but to get rid of you. You''re just too important to him.¡± ¡°You''re killing me?¡± A hint of terror shed through Natalie''s eyes. He shook his head. ¡°No, not at the moment. I''m just exploiting you to threaten Shane so that he''ll hand the will over to me.¡± ¡°Is that why you abducted me all the way here?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± replied Sean as he gently caressed Natalie''s head. ¡°I''m keeping you locked up in here while Shane searches for the will. When he manages to get hold of it, then I''ll give you back to him.¡± ¡°Has it ever crossed your mind that he''ll spare no effort in seeking revenge after I return to him?¡± She retorted whilst giving her captor a menacing re. Even though he howled inughter, there was no trace of humor in his eyes. ¡°You really believed I didn''t think of all these? Even so, I was left with no other choice. I''m just going to have to make sure I''ve got dirt on you before you leave my sight. That way, I''ll have plenty of ckmail material in the future. He wouldn''t act rashly with me then, would he?¡± ¡°You...¡± Natalie bit down on her lip, hard. In a trembled voice, she probed, ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± ¡°It''s simple, really. All I need to do is strip you naked and take tons of indecent photographs and videos of you. Those should be enough to frighten Shane,¡± Sean threatened as he peered into her terrified eyes. The color had drained from her face. The sight of her petrified utterly thrilled Sean and he loosened his grip on her neck. With the immense pressure on her neck relieved in an instant, Natalie''s breathing eased up. As she coughed hard, she panted heavily as though she was desperate for fresh air. Large tears brimmed in her red-rimmed eyes. Sean sat in his seat and observed her vulnerable state with keen interest. He had to admit that her beauty was impable. Despite being all disheveled, it was undeniable that the allure she exuded was one that attracted others to take advantage of her. What a shame... Sean shook his head regretfully. ¡°Why did Shane have to be the first between the two of us to meet you?¡± His insinuation did not go unnoticed by Natalie. A glint shed across her eyes momentarily. However, she chose to ignore him and continue taking deep breaths. Nevertheless, the terror within her ballooned. It was beyond her expectations that the hoax was exposed in such a short time. More than that, she failed to predict that Sean would exact his vengeance so soon. He wasted no time in holding her hostage to threaten Shane. She even mentioned the fact that Shane would be sure to settle the score with him even if he seeded in retrieving the will, in hopes that Sean would be wary of Shane''s ruthlessness. s, he was way more vicious than she had ever imagined. He even thought of a despicable backup n to pressurize Shane if needed. A man like him was an absolute demon. As though he could hear her inner turmoil, Sean''s eyes narrowed. Just as he was about to voice his thoughts, Alex rushed in with a ghastly expression. ¡°Director, I''ve got bad news. The men stationed at the bottom of the hill caught wind that Mr. Shane is here.¡± ¡°What?¡± The look on his face instantly changed. Upon hearing the news, Natalie froze for a moment before her lips widened into a smile. Shane''s here! He knows I was kidnapped by Sean. From his peripheral vision, Sean could see the anticipation on Natalie''s face. Riled, he clenched his fists. From N?velDrama.Org. However, he knew it was not the time to re up. He rose to his feet and demanded, ¡°Get some men to watch over her.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alex murmured after ncing at Natalie. Sean then left the room, with Alex following close behind. The expression on the former''s face was grim, to say the least. ¡°How did Shane find us?¡± ¡°We''re not sure,¡± Alex muttered as he shook his head. ¡°But some men spected that someone among us brought along a tracking device of some sort. That''s why the route Mr. Shane and his crew took was precisely the same as ours. He nailed us spot on.¡± Chapter 671 Chapter 671 ¡°Assh*le!¡± Sean bellowed as he kicked the warehouse door. ¡°Find out who it is immediately!¡± From N?velDrama.Org. It took him a great deal of effort to found such an elusive location to store Natalie. Unfortunately, it was exposed so quickly. Alex stood in his spot and lowered his head. ¡°Director, I''ve already done a thorough check. All of us carry a signal jammer with us. It couldn''t have been any of our men. I think...¡± At that, he turned to look behind. Sean''s eyes narrowed warily. ¡°You''re saying it is Natalie?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± ¡°That''s not possible. She was searched from top to toe and no tracking device was found,¡± Sean mumbled in a deep voice. He was definite about that. After all, he was the one who conducted the examination. Confused, Alex scratched the back of his head. ¡°That''s odd... Since there isn''t any, how are we exposed though?¡± Sean fell silent. Secondster, he shut his eyes tightly and questioned, ¡°We''ll get to thatter. Where is Shane, and how grand is the entourage?¡± ¡°When I alerted you to their sudden appearance, they were several miles away. They''re probably approaching as we speak. As for his staff, the actual number is unclear. So far, we''ve spotted at least four MPVs and three police cars,¡± Alex answered after a moment of deliberation. ¡°Four MPVs and three police cars?¡± Sean sneered. ¡°That''d be two dozen of people at the bare minimum. I guess he''s determined to leave with the hostage.¡± ¡°Director, what should we do now?¡± Alex anxiously questioned. As he massaged his temples, Seanmanded, ¡°Let''s move right away. Also, don''t forget to install more signal jammers.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the assistant before he scurried out to ry his orders. Shortly after, the army of men boarded their vehicles and prepared to set off. All of a sudden, the sounds of helicopter des whirring echoed in the air. Sean''s and Alex''s expressions darkened perceptibly. They rolled down their windows on instinct and were greeted by the sight of multiple helicopters. The ropedders of the helicopters were all lowered, an indication of the possibility of its passengers descending at any moment. ¡°Everyone on the ground, listen up. Drop your weapons and surrender right now. I repeat, drop your weapons and surrender right now.¡± The warning roared from above. Alex was so frightened to the point he shivered uncontrobly. ¡°Director, Mr. Shane even called for helicopters. They have uspletely surrounded.¡± Sean remained silent. An unreadable look crept into his eyes. After a while, he let out a diabolicalugh. ¡°Well, well, well. I see Shane pulled all the stops just to rescue you. There are even helicopters. Nat, you must be thrilled, right?¡± He turned behind to look at Natalie, who was still tied up. She paid him no heed and used all her might to lift her head and look out the window. If her mouth was free, she would scream at the top of her lungs to make it known she was in that particr vehicle. ¡°Everybody on the ground, listen up. We''ll give you another warning. Get down from your car right now. I repeat, get down from your car right now.¡± The man controlling the system from above sounded the command once again. At the back, Shane and Ss stood at the doorway of the cabin and peered down with safety goggles strapped on. Ss said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I still can''t find which car madam is in.¡± Shane merely kept mum and continued scrutinizing all the vehicles. After a while, he held onto the handle above his head with one hand as he tapped the Bluetooth earphone in his ear with the other. ¡°Connor, which car is Mommy in?¡± In the police station, Connor sat in front of theputer. At the sound of his father''s query, he instantly began typing on hisputer and used the small microphone beside him to answer. ¡°Daddy, Mommy''s in the car that is right in the middle.¡± Right in the middle! Shane squinted his eyes and fixated his gaze on the car in the middle. ¡°Hand me the gun,¡± demanded Shane as he reached out his hand. ¡°But...¡± Ss opened his mouth to rebuke. ¡°Hand it to me.¡± Shane raised his voice to show that there was strictly no room for negotiation. Fully aware that he was getting impatient, Ss handed it to him immediately. Chapter 672 Chapter 672 After he took the gun, he aimed at the front of the car before pulling the trigger. With the deafening boom, the hood of the center car flew open and began emitting fumes. The sudden turn of events startled everyone in the car. Alex, who had always been a scaredy cat, instantly dived his head into the steering wheel. Even Natalie subconsciously jumped and shut her eyes tight. Only Sean was unperturbed. He looked at the smoking car hood and coldly uttered, ¡°Wow, Shane. I can''t believe you actually shot. Let''s get off!¡± ¡°Director?¡± Alex timidly raised his head. He stared back at Sean incredulously and stammered, ¡°If we get off now, we''re just going to get caught.¡± ¡°So does it mean that we won''t get caught if we don''t get off?¡± Sean returned his stare with an icy cold gaze. That shut the assistant up. Sean briefly shut his eyes as though he was trying to regain hisposure. Then, he opened them again before opening the passenger door. His emergence triggered everyone on the helicopters to keep their guard up. Those with a gun on hand aimed their gun at him. Evidently, Sean noticed that. He lifted his head and peered at Shane. Chuckling, he said, ¡°Shane, you brought so many men with guns. You even mobilized helicopters. I see you think very highly of me.¡± ¡°Where''s Natalie?¡± Shane had no interest in entertaining him and got straight to the point. An emotional Natalie''s eyes flew open when she heard Shane''s voice. As she remained in the back of the car, tears began flowing down uncontrobly. Sean nonchntly shrugged his shoulders and replied, ¡°She''s in the car.¡± ¡°Let her out. I want to see her,¡± demanded Shane as he aimed his gun at Sean''s forehead. Without a gun in his hand, Sean dared not go against Shane''s wishes. Hence, he did as he was told and dragged Natalie out from the backseat. When her feetnded on the ground, her head immediately shot up to look at Shane. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Shane could tell Natalie was sobbing, but he was unable to make out what she was trying to say. Nheless, the sight of her being tied up with a tape on her mouth deeply infuriated him. His eyes red up with a murderous re. ¡°Release her!¡± Shane ordered. Sean simply shrugged and mumbled, ¡°I''m afraid...¡± ¡°I told you to release her right this instant!¡± Shane cut him off as his index finger shifted closer to the gun trigger. Sean lifted both hands and cackled. ¡°Alright, alright. I''ll release her.¡± He spun around and tore the tape off Natalie''s mouth. Once she was rid of it, she promptly yelled, ¡°Shane!¡± ¡°Don''t be afraid, I''m here.¡± Despite maintaining a stoic expression, Shane''s tone softened distinctly. However, his words were insufficient to assuage her distress. All she could do was nod. She trusted him. Whenever she was in danger, Shane always showed up in the nick of time. She was confident that he would save her. With her piercing gaze, it was apparent to Shane that she had absolute faith in him. He took in a deep breath before urging Sean to release Natalie of her restraints. Seanplied and walked over to Natalie. Once he was behind her, he bent down and slowly reached out for the knot at her back. Just as his hand was about tond on the knot, he narrowed his eyes and lifted his jacket. He speedily fished out a gun from his pocket and pressed it against Natalie''s temple while his other hand held her in a headlock. In a menacing voice, he shouted, ¡°Everyone, put down your guns. Otherwise, I''ll kill her first.¡± With that, he poked her temple with the gun. A shiver crept down Natalie''s spine as the iciness from the gun poked her temple. Her whole body went frigid from the contact. Who would have thought that Sean had a gun as well? Not even Shane had anticipated that. By this point, his expression had turned dark. Beside him, Ss was like a cat on hot bricks. ¡°Damn it! We didn''t think he would have this trick up his sleeve. What now, Mr. Shane? Madam is in his hands. We can''t be rash!¡± Chapter 674 Chapter 674 ¡°That means... We would be delivering ourselves right into their hands if we leave?¡± Alex inhaled sharply. Sean pressed his lips together. ¡°Yeah. Our kidnapping n was wless. I just didn''t expect Shane''s rescue n to be wless as well.¡± ¡°¡°Then, what shall we do now?¡± Alex asked helplessly. Sean remained silent. He quickly looked around before he saw the cliff not far behind him. His gaze was downcast for a brief moment. Then, without hesitation, he dragged Natalie to the cliff. ¡°Director, what are you doing?¡± Alex gaped at him. On top of the gun to her head, Natalie''s limbs were still bound together so she was unable to turn to look at what was behind. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. All she thought was that he was trying to hide. On the helicopter, Shane and Ss'' expression changed drastically upon seeing Sean''s actions. ¡°Mr. Shane... Is he thinking of jumping over the cliff with madam?¡± Shane snatched over the microphone to the broadcast system and shouted, ¡°Sean Thompson! What the hell are you doing?¡± Sean did not stop in his tracks and continued moving in the direction of the cliff. Upon reaching, he looked up at them and chuckled in a maniacal manner. ¡°I''m sure you guys know what I''m nning to do.¡± ¡°You said that you would let madam go as long as we allow you to escape. Now that we''ve fulfilled our end of the bargain, why are you bringing her to jump off the cliff?¡± Jump off the cliff? Natalie now knew what he nned to do. Her eyes widened in surprise as she shook her head in terror. Feeling her squirm, Sean pinched her shoulder. He eerily warned, ¡°Don''t you dare move. Otherwise, I''ll kill you first.¡± Her body stiffened. Sean then looked up again and stared at Shane and his assistant. ¡°That''s what you guys say but obviously you think I''m too dumb to know that it''s just a ruse. I know that once I leave, you''ll be waiting to capture me at the foot of the hill.¡± Ss gaped. ¡°Mr. Shane! He knows.¡± Shane kept mum and continued peering back at Sean with a sullen look. A smile remained stered on Sean''s face. ¡°Even if you don''t catch me now, I know you, Shane Thompson. You''ll do everything it takes to seek revenge. No matter what I do, the end result is the same. I might as well plummet to my death with your wife, so we''ll breathe ourst together.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± muttered Shane through gritted teeth. At that, heughed even louder. ¡°You''ll just have to see.¡± With that, he leapt backwards with Natalie in tow. Jump off the cliff? Natalie now knew what he nned to do. Her eyes widened in surprise as she shook her head in terror. Undoubtedly, they both fell off the cliff just like that. Undoubtedly, they both fell off the cliff just like that. ¡°No!¡± Shane let out a heart-wrenching scream and let go of the handle, ready to jump down. Luckily, Ss noticed and pulled him back. ¡°Mr. Shane, you can''t do that! You''re not wearing any parachuting gear. This plunge would be fatal!¡± Although he was shocked that Sean would actually jump down the cliff with Natalie, he knew it was beyond his control. He would not be able to save her life. However, he could save Shane''s life. Shane leapt to his feet andmanded the pilot, ¡°Quickly! Fly over this instant.¡± The head pilot then snapped out of his trance and flew over. s, the cliff was way too high. It was all foggy at the bottom. No matter how low they went, they could not see anything. At this moment, Shane''s heart sank. Ss nervously gulped and muttered, ¡°They didn''t have any equipment on them. The fall must be...¡± Though he trailed off mid-sentence, everyone was fully aware of what he meant. Shane mped his fists together and turned to Ss with red-rimmed eyes. ¡°Contact the search and rescue team right away. We must find Natalie!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ss dialed them immediately. Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Shane ordered the helicopter tond. Then, he headed straight for the edge of the cliff. As he looked down, his heart ached to the point it felt like it was being ripped into pieces. Once again, he could only watch as Natalie fell off the cliff. He failed to catch her the other time and history repeated itself. He clenched his fists harder as tears welled up in his eyes. Ss came to his side and stunned by what he saw. Mr. Shane... has cried! I mean, it makes sense. There''s no ruling out the possibility of her death after that fall. Ss felt pity for Shane. From N?velDrama.Org. However, he did not know how tofort Shane and found himself at a loss for words. All he could do was stay by his side silently. After a period of time unbeknownst to everyone, the search and rescue team finally showed up. Shane immediately gave orders to search for Natalie. Unfortunately, the cliff stood at a towering height. Even if one jumped down with a parachute, it would be fraught with danger. The chance of the parachutending on a tree branch was high. The search and rescue team dismissed the idea of diving. Instead, they decided on descending the mountain on foot. That way, they would be able to do a more thorough job. Shane changed into an outfit suitable for mountain climbing and followed the search and rescue team, much to Ss'' reluctance. In the end, he tagged along as well. As his assistant, he could not leave Shane alone. If anything undesirable happened to him, the consequences would be unthinkable. The cliff was extremely steep. By the time they reached the bottom, hours had passed. Everyone had exhausted all their energy so they stopped to take a break. Ss opened a bottle of water and passed it to Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane, have some water.¡± Shane disregarded his offer and continued marching on. Heaving a deep sigh, Ss had no choice but to tail closely behind. The others soon sumbed to the pressure and carried on with their search mission as well. Even though the sun had already set, Natalie and Sean were still nowhere to be found. Not even a trace of their fall was discovered. To Shane, it meant good news. As long as there were no corpses, it could signify they were both alive. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s gettingte and it''s forecasted to rainter. Let''s head back first,¡± Ss said to Shane in between short, quick breaths. As he struggled to catch his breath, he lifted his hand to wipe away the dripping sweat on his forehead. Shane was in a worse state. Not only was he perspiring profusely, he even had gashes from thorny nts all over his body. He was utterly disheveled, to say the least. In spite of that, he shook his head and uttered, ¡°Keep searching!¡± ¡°But...¡± Ss began to speak. Shane instantly shot him an icy re. ¡°I said, keep searching!¡± As his assistant, he could not leave Shane alone. If anything undesirable happened to him, the consequences would be unthinkable. ¡°Understood,¡± Ss dejectedly responded. He could tell that Shane had been driven hysterical. ¡°Understood,¡± Ss dejectedly responded. He could tell that Shane had been driven hysterical. Until he found Natalie, he was not going to call it a day. Forget it. Let''s keep searching! Ss shook his head and beckoned the team to carry on with the search. Just then, the satellite phone in his pocket rang. He fished it out and checked the screen to learn that the call was from Joyce. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s from Ms. Rivers. Do you want to take that?¡± Shane acted as if he had not heard him and mounted arge rock. Helpless, Ss could only answer the call himself. ¡°Hello, Ms. Rivers.¡± ¡°Mr. Campbell, it''s been a whole day. Have you rescued Nat?¡± Joyce inquired with her tone on edge. Ss gave Shane a look and sighed. ¡°Not yet.¡± He kept the news that Natalie had fallen off the cliff a secret from Joyce and the children, in fear that they would get worked up like Shane. ¡°Why not? Didn''t you already find the kidnappers'' hideout?¡± Joyce stomped her feet in frustration. Ss vaguely answered, ¡°Yes, but there was a mishap.¡± ¡°What mishap? Did something happen to Nat?¡± Joyce cried out. Ss forced a smile and replied, ¡°No... Don''t think too much. I''ve got to go. We need to save her!¡± ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± Joyce wanted to find out more about the situation but he hung up abruptly. Chapter 676 Chapter 676 There was nothing she could do about it. Hence, she could only ruffle her hair in frustration and nned to ask about the situation after two hours. Ss put down the satellite phone and caught up to Shane, rying the telephone conversation to him. Shane remained silent. In that instance, finding Natalie was of utmost importance to him. Boom! A rumble of thunder crackled from the sky, followed by a bolt of lightning slitting through the night, lighting up the woods for a split second. Ss looked up. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s going to rain anytime now.¡± Shane kept quiet and continued striding forward. Ss grabbed him by his arm and added edgily, ¡°Mr. Shane, we''re in the woods. If it rains, it''ll be extremely dangerous. There might bendslides or trees toppled by the thunder; we''d be prone to injuries. We can''t continue searching and must leave right away, Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Shane flung his arm forcefully. Nevertheless, Ss had a firm grip, and Shane didn''t manage to shrug him off. Ss continued, ¡°Mr. Shane, I know you''re anxious to find madam, but we can''t continue in such a condition. Otherwise, you''d also be in trouble.¡± ¡°I told you to let go of me!¡± Shane''s expression turned grim, and he raised his voice. Ss slowly loosened his grip, but in the next second, a dash of resolution crept upon his face, and he tightened his grip again. ¡°I''ll not let go, Mr. Shane. You have toe down to the foot of the mountain with us. I can''t let anything happen to you as well.¡± ¡°Ss, you-¡± Before he could finish his words, Shane felt a sudden ache in the back of his neck. He looked at the knifehand strike gesture of Ss in disbelief and then lost consciousness. Ss held on to Shane hurriedly with a hint of repentance in his eyes. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shane. Please forgive me. I can''t just watch you take the risks and do nothing.¡± With that, he signaled the search and rescue team to evacuate and helped Shane down the mountain. They had to clear out from the mountain before the thunderstorm. Otherwise, they would lose their way and idents could happen easily. Very soon, they left the mountains. Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, Natalie was lying on the grass. Her clothes were torn everywhere, and there were jarring wounds and scratches all over her arms and feet. The parts of her clothes around her wounds were all stained in red. Plop! A raindropnded on her face, which woke her up, bringing her back to her senses. She opened her eyes and immediately felt the heavy downpour from the sky, soaking her hair and clothes in the blink of an eye. Natalie shuddered and tried to get up. Nevertheless, just as she moved, excruciating sensations came from all over her body, and she couldn''t help but let out a shriek. ¡°That hurts so much...¡± Memories flooded her mind instantly as Natalie raised her hand and looked at the wounds and bruises on it. ¡°Ss, you-¡± Before he could finish his words, Shane felt a sudden ache in the back of his neck. He looked at the knifehand strike gesture of Ss in disbelief and then lost consciousness. She remembered that she had been kidnapped by Sean, and Shane came to her rescue. She remembered that she had been kidnapped by Sean, and Shane came to her rescue. From N?velDrama.Org. However, toward the bitter end, Sean decided to take her down with him, as he jumped off the cliff. So, am I at the bottom of the cliff right now? Natalie looked up again and realized that it was nighttime and it was pouring. She couldn''t see anything, so she quickly lowered her head. As she looked down, she saw someone lying on the ground not far away from her. It''s Sean! Although she couldn''t see the man''s countenance clearly, she was certain that he must be Sean. Because there were only the two of them who fell from the cliff. Enduring the great affliction all over her body, Natalie stood up. A simple and usual movement as such almost drained herpletely. Holding on to a tree near her, Natalie managed to support herself without falling down again. ¡°I can''t continue this way. I have to quickly find a shelter,¡± Natalie panted and said with much difficulty as she suffered the pain. She had no time to ponder how she managed to survive without breaking any of her limbs. Her current circumstances didn''t allow her any time to think about it. She had to take shelter, or she would surely freeze to death in such weather. Looking around, Natalie noticed that she totally couldn''t make out her surroundings. She could only decide on a direction and tried her luck in the dark. Chapter 677 Chapter 677 Just as she made two steps forward, she was suddenly reminded about something, so she stopped and turned around, looking at Sean. Sean was still lying on the ground, motionless. It was unknown to her if he was alive or dead. After hesitating for a few seconds, she turned around and walked toward Sean. Thest bit of humanity left in her prevented her from leaving Sean just like that. Hence, regardless of whether Sean was alive or dead, she couldn''t just leave him there. Natalie walked up to where Sean was lying with much difficulty and squatted down despite the pain. Slowly, she reached out her hand to Sean. She was delighted when she sensed the warmth in Sean''s body. Right away, she proceeded with checking his breathing. ¡°He''s still breathing!¡± Natalie eximed excitedly and pushed Sean lightly. ¡°Sean, wake up!¡± Still, Seany there, unconscious and inert. Natalie couldn''t check the condition of his injury in the dark, but seeing as he remained senseless even as he was all soaked in the heavy rain, his injuries must be much severer than hers. Natalie had no choice but to hold him up and take him together with her as she searched for a shelter. All of a sudden, her hand caught hold of a hard object. It seemed to be a cell phone. Natalie''s eyes brightened up, and she quickly reached out to fish for it. When she finally drew it out, it was indeed a cell phone. As soon as she pressed the power button, the screen lit up.From N?velDrama.Org. Natalie almost teared up in joy. ¡°This is great! It''s not spoiled and still functioning.¡± Having a functioning cell phone meant that she could use it to contact Shane to rescue them. Nheless, she felt herst ray of hope dashed, and the smile on her face froze in an instant as she saw the disy showed that there was no sim card. It took her some time to regain herposure, and she let out a bitterugh as though sumbing to her fate. Even though the phone couldn''t get her connected to the outside world, it could be used for illumination. Natalie turned on the torchlight feature on the phone and held Sean in her arms as she trod forward slowly. After a while, she came to a cave. Natalie took Sean into the cave for shelter. Nevertheless, not long after she stepped in, she was so drained of energy that she copsed together with Sean to the ground. She fell unconscious again. It was still raining. In the campsite at the foot of the mountain, Ss watched the driving rain outside with a heavy heart. We''ve taken such a long time searching, and yet madam was nowhere to be found. She might still be alive, but it''s certain that she must have sustained some injuries. And this heavy rain can be fatal to someone injured. If madam is still alive, can she survive through this? As he was still deep in his thoughts, one of the rescue team members came behind him. ¡°Mr. Campbell, Mr. Shane is awake and wants to see you.¡± Ss froze upon hearing that and replied with a forced smile, ¡°Got it. I''ll be there right away.¡± Having a functioning cell phone meant that she could use it to contact Shane to rescue them. With that, he took in a deep breath and put down the ss of warm water in his hand. Taking an umbre, he walked over to the biggest tent. With that, he took in a deep breath and put down the ss of warm water in his hand. Taking an umbre, he walked over to the biggest tent. I''ve seen iting; I have to face it eventually. A wry smile crept up his face. Lifting the mesh at the tent''s entrance, Ss stepped in. ¡°Mr-¡± He only managed to utter a word, and a fist came aiming at him,nding heavily on his face. Ss'' sses were hurled away while he slumped to the ground, covering his cheek where it had been hit, looking at the exasperated man looming over him. ¡°Why did you do that!¡± Shane stood before Ss holding his fist as his voice rang coldly as though it was from theherworld. Ss knew he was talking about himself being knocked out previously. Looking up at Shane, Ss answered, ¡°Mr. Shane, I know you''re incensed right now, but it was for your safety that I did that.¡± ¡°Then, have you ever considered the possibility that if Natalie is still alive, this torrential rain might have taken her life just because you stopped me?¡± Shane roared in a frenzied state. Ss looked down. ¡°I know, but I''m your assistant. I can only choose you over madam.¡± It was his primary role as an assistant. Shane understood that very well. Otherwise, it would not be as simple as giving him a punch in the face. He might have killed him. ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Shane. As soon as the rain stopped, we would set off searching right away,¡± Ss picked up his sses and stood up as he said. Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Shane sat back on his sleeping bag, closed his eyes, and only opened them again after a long while. As he reopened his eyes, there were no more rage and fury within them. He wasposed, but it was soposed that it began to feel eerie. ¡°Give me the satellite phone.¡± Shane reached out his hand. Ss handed it to him immediately. Shane made a call to the vi. It was Mrs. Wilson who answered the phone, ¡°Hello, Mr. Shane, it''s sote already; why haven''t you come back? Have you found madam?¡± Mrs. Wilson knew that Natalie had been kidnapped, too. It was Joyce who ryed the news to her when she went to the police station to pick up the children. ¡°No.¡± Shane tightened his grip on the phone. There were tinges of weariness, hoarseness, and self- usation in his voice. He was beating himself for not being able to save her. And it was him who promised that he would not let it happen a second time when she was kidnapped back then. In spite of that, he failed to keep his promise. Not only did she experience it for a second time, but she even fell off the cliff the next day she was kidnapped. Shane had never felt as worthless as he was at that very moment. ¡°Madam hasn''t been rescued yet?¡± Mrs. Wilson''s jaw dropped in surprise. Both the children were worried about Natalie, so they didn''t sleep and stayed up all night, waiting for them to return. Now that Shane called home, the children naturally huddled over to Mrs. Wilson, hoping to catch a glimpse of news regarding their mommy. Yet, all they heard from Mrs. Wilson was Natalie still hadn''t been saved. Devastated, Sharon broke out in tears. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Connor sped his hands tightly together. ¡°Daddy, why hasn''t Mommy been saved? Did something happen?¡± Shane had ended the call with Connor when Sean threatened to jump off the cliff with Natalie. Hence, Connor didn''t know what happened after that. As with Shane, he didn''t n to tell the kids about it either. He was worried that the children would be traumatized to learn that Natalie had plunged from the cliff again. ¡°No, it was just some minor ident.¡± Shane lowered his gaze to mask the struggling emotions in his eyes and tried to make himself sound collected. ¡°Connor, you try to locate Mommy''s tracker again.¡± ¡°Did the kidnapper run away with Mommy again?¡± Connor frowned and asked. A gleam shed across Shane''s eyes. ¡°Sort of.¡± ¡°Alright, I''ll get to it right away.¡± With that, Connor returned the phone to Mrs. Wilson and ran upstairs in a jiffy. Jacqueline was about toe downstairs when she saw Connore up hurriedly and almost bumped into her. A sh of vexation and resentment glowed in her eyes. The bandages around her eyes had just been removed, and she could finally see things again. If that little boy knocked her down again, it would definitely affect her eyes again. However, in that instance, all Connor could think about was his mommy''s safety. Thus, he totally didn''t notice that he almost stumbled into someone else. More precisely, he wasn''t aware of Jacqueline''s existence at all. Yet, all they heard from Mrs. Wilson was Natalie still hadn''t been saved. Devastated, Sharon broke out in tears. Watching as Connor ran into the study while Sharon burst into tears in the living room, whereas Mrs. Wilson was busyforting Sharon, Jacqueline squinted. Watching as Connor ran into the study while Sharon burst into tears in the living room, whereas Mrs. Wilson was busyforting Sharon, Jacqueline squinted. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, does anything happen?¡± Jacqueline asked curiously. Mrs. Wilson remembered when Ss asked her to pick up the children from the police station, he told her, in particr, to not ry the matter about Natalie to Jacqueline. Hence, Mrs. Wilson patted Sharon on her back and answered with a smile. ¡°Oh, there''s nothing much. Sharon was just terrified by her nightmare a little while ago¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Jacqueline took a nce at Sharon. But the way this girl is crying now doesn''t look like she''s frightened by a nightmare. What are they trying to keep from me? Jacqueline rolled her eyes and a darkened glint shed across them. Looking at the clock on the wall, she uttered, ¡°Oh, it''s already ten o''clock, aren''t Shane and Ms. Smithing back yet?¡± A hesitant glint shed across Mrs. Wilson''s eyes as she replied, ¡°Perhaps they''re dating outside and woulde backter. If you''re tired, you should go to sleep, Ms. Graham.¡± Jacqueline could tell that Mrs. Wilson was lying. A shaded glint flickered in her eyes and vanished in a second. ¡°Alright, I shall head upstairs then. You rest earlier, too, Mrs. Wilson.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Jacqueline turned around and went upstairs. However, when she reached the second floor, she hid in the corner of the stairwell. Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Downstairs, Sharon got up from Mrs. Wilson''s embrace. Both her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying. That gave Mrs. Wilson a twinge, so she held her puny face up and blew some air to her eyes. Sharon sobbed as she asked, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, Mommy will be fine, right?¡± ¡°Yes, she''ll be alright. Your daddy has gone to rescue her, so Sharon should just wait at home, alright?¡± Mrs. Wilson stroke Sharon''s hair andforted her. Sharon bit her lip in apprehension and returned, ¡°But I''m still worried.¡± ¡°Don''t worry.¡± Mrs. Wilson replied softly, ¡°We have to have faith in your daddy. He will surely bring Mommy back.¡± Sharon nodded and acknowledged what Mrs. Wilson said. Mrs. Wilson added, ¡°Are you tired? Let me take you back to your bedroom to rest, okay? Maybe when you wake up, Daddy and Mommy will be home then.¡± ¡°No.¡± Sharon shook her head. ¡°I don''t want to sleep. I want to wait here.¡± ¡°That''s fine, too.¡± Knowing that Sharon couldn''t get it off her mind, Mrs. Wilson didn''t persist in persuading her. It''s the weekend tomorrow after all. I shall just let her wait a little longer then. At the stairwell on the second floor, however, Jacqueline heard everything that Mrs. Wilson and Sharon said. Her fingers on the railing curled up tightly in excitement as a sparky glint glowed in her eyes. Something unpleasant happened to Natalie. That''s why she still hasn''te home. This is great! It''s just that I have totally no idea what happened. Nevertheless, looking at the way that damn little girl was crying and the look of distress in that old woman''s eyes, I''m sure it isn''t something simple. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. It would be best if Natalie never makes it home ever again. Jacqueline was bearing some vicious thoughts. In the study on the third floor, Connor was sitting in front of theputer with his fingers tapping on the keyboard incessantly. And as he typed, his tender little face grew increasingly somber. After around a minute, Connor finally stopped his typing motion. Both his hands sped around each other, and his eyes reddened as tears welled up within them, almost overflowing. He took in a deep breath and snuffled, repressing his urge to cry as he reached out to the microphone at the side and spoke into it, ¡°Daddy, I can''t find Mommy.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane''s gaze turned drastically sharp in an instant. Connor answered chokingly, ¡°Mommy''s tracker has malfunctioned, and I can''t track her location, boo hoo hoo...¡± At that moment, the child who had always been strong couldn''t hold it anymore and burst out crying. Listening to the little boy''s crying, Shane felt a twitch in his heart as well. He held the satellite phone tightly, suppressed his own disconcertment, andforted the little boy as softly as he could, ¡°Don''t worry, I will find her. I promise I will!¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Connor. Shane acknowledged, ¡°I promise. You stay home and look after your sister, alright?¡± ¡°I got it, Daddy. You must find Mommy, you must do that!¡± Connor said repeatedly. Shane gave him his word. It would be best if Natalie never makes it home ever again. After ending the call, Shane set down the satellite phone. After ending the call, Shane set down the satellite phone. Ss came around carrying a ss of warm water and handed it to him. ¡°Mr. Shane, has madam''s location been tracked down?¡± ¡°The tracker has malfunctioned,¡± Shane took a sip of the water as he took the ss over and replied in a husky voice. Ss'' heart sank at that. If the tracker is damaged, that means we''ll not be able to track madam''s location. That''s to say that it will be even more difficult to find madam next. ¡°Mr. Shane, how about this? I''ll summon a few more search and rescue teams over and intensify the search after the rain.¡± Ss looked at Shane. Shane agreed and gave him a nod. Since they couldn''t locate her, that was the only option left. For the rest of the night, neither Shane nor Ss said anything else. They just sat quietly, listening to the rainfall outside the tent, without the slightest sleepiness. It wasn''t until dawn the next day that the downpour stopped eventually. Shane lifted the mesh at the opening of the tent and went out, putting on the necessary equipment before he called out to the other team members to enter the mountain again and continue their search. In the meantime, on the other side of the mountain, Natalie woke up again in the cave. This time round, she was awakened by the chill. The clothes on her were still drenched and hence, clung tightly to her body. It was freezing, and as a wind gushed through, she couldn''t stop shivering. Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Shivering, Natalie opened her eyes and sat up. She immediately sneezed. ¡°Are you awake?¡± A man''s weak voice called out. Natalie paused in the middle of rubbing her arms for heat. She looked toward the direction of the voice. Sean was staring at her from where he was sitting at the entrance of the cave. ¡°When did youe to?¡± Natalie asked. Turning his head to look out the cave, he replied, ¡°I''m not sure. It should be around the time the sun rose.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Oh,¡± was her only response, as Natalie curled herself into a ball to converse heat. It was difficult to generate any warmth owing to her drenched clothes. Thus, she continued to shiver from the cold. At this rate, I''m going toe down with a fever. We have to find some way to get out of this mountain. If we don''t get help soon, we''re going to die here. She was jolted from her thoughts by a question from Sean. ¡°Did you bring me here?¡± Lifting her gaze, Natalie nodded at him. Sean looked at her with an indecipherable gaze. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She was confused by his question. Smirking mirthlessly, Sean borated. ¡°Why did you save me? I kidnapped you and forced you to jump off a cliff with me. You should be treating me like your sworn enemy. How could you be so stupid as to save me? Aren''t you worried that I''ll use you to ckmail Shane again once I''m back on my feet?¡± Natalie scooted backward and leaned against the wall of the cave. Looking at the pebbles next to her feet, she replied, ¡°I do hate you. After all, you tried to kill me. I''m lucky to be alive. When I saw you lying unconscious on the ground, my conscience would not just let me leave you there alone. That''s why I saved you.¡± I''m not a saint, but I''m not going to leave someone to die either. Sean scoffed lightly, and she thought she could sense the mixed emotions in his tone. ¡°You''re the stupidest woman I''ve ever met,¡± he sneered. Stupid enough to save her enemy. She''s also the kindest woman I''ve ever known. Natalie did not feel insulted by his words. I don''t see the point in getting angry. We should be focusing on staying alive. ¡°Before I forget, Mr. Sean, I''d like to know how we survived in the first ce.¡± The cliff they had jumped off of was incredibly high. No one could have survived that fall under normal circumstances. Yet, we survived with all our limbs intact. How was that possible? She had to figure out what actually happened. During the fall, she had fainted from her fear of heights and only regained consciousness moments after shended on the ground. Natalie scooted backward and leaned against the wall of the cave. Looking at the pebbles next to her feet, she replied, ¡°I do hate you. After all, you tried to kill me. I''m lucky to be alive. When I saw you lying unconscious on the ground, my conscience would not just let me leave you there alone. That''s why I saved you.¡± Sean looked at his dislocated arms and crooked left leg. Pain shed through his eyes before he recounted the incident. ¡°We were lucky that a tree growing on the cliff broke our fall before we crashed to the ground.¡± Sean looked at his dislocated arms and crooked left leg. Pain shed through his eyes before he recounted the incident. ¡°We were lucky that a tree growing on the cliff broke our fall before we crashed to the ground.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was surprised. We were that lucky? ¡°We were on the tree for quite some time until the branch supporting us cracked. We survived that fall since the tree wasn''t that far off the ground,¡± he added. Natalie nodded her head in understanding with a bitter smile on her face. ¡°Ah. Lady luck was shining upon us, or we wouldn''t be alive after that fall.¡± Though Shane remained silent, he could not help but sigh in relief at their luck as well. Sean had been convinced of their imminent death when they plunged off the cliff. He had even been d at the thought of his death; he would not need to worry about Shaneing after his family after the discovery of the will. When I''m dead, I won''t know what''ll happen to them. Little did he expect that he would survive that fall. ¡°Achoo!¡± Natalie sneezed again from the cold. Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Sean pursed his lips at her sneeze. ¡°I have a lighter in my pocket. You can use it to light some firewood for warmth.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Natalie''s eyes brightened at his words. ¡°You have a lighter? Why didn''t you collect some wood and build a fire sooner then?¡± ¡°I can''t walk,¡± Sean muttered as his gazended on his crooked leg. Her eyes widened as he followed his gaze. ¡°Your leg-¡± ¡°It is broken,¡± Sean interrupted and finished her sentence. His nonchnce made it seem like they were talking about dinner instead of discussing his broken limb. Natalie''s voice shook as shemented, ¡°No wonder you said you can''t walk.¡± ¡°Oh, both my arms are dislocated as well,¡± Sean added. Natalie took a deep breath and looked at him in pity. ¡°Damn, that''s really unlucky of you.¡± She had merely suffered minor scratches and cuts from the fall. The state of his injuries were shocking. Coughing lightly, Sean said, ¡°Yes. I was very unlucky.¡± He did not know what had possessed him to ce himself beneath Natalie as the branch snapped. She was rtively unscathed because he had used his own body to cushion her. He would never have done that in a million years; yet, he did not feel regret at the sight of his injured limbs. I must have gone mad. A self-deprecating smile appeared on his face. Natalie walked toward him. ¡°Where''s your lighter?¡± ¡°It''s in my right pocket, just above my thigh.¡± He indicated the exact spot with his gaze. Natalie instantly felt awkward at the cement of his lighter. She felt reluctant to retrieve it. Amused, Sean looked at her and teased, ¡°Why? Are you scared you''ll touch something off-limits?¡± Natalie red at him. ¡°Who says I''m scared?¡± She immediately reached her hand into his pocket and grabbed the lighter. So much for propriety. I could care less since I''m freezing to death. Natalie inspected the lighter. Though it was out of shape, it worked fine, so Natalie sighed in relief. ¡°I''ll collect some firewood; wait for me here,¡± she said to Sean and left the cave. The mountain forest was shrouded in mist after the recent rainfall. The fresh air in the mountains provided a wee respite from the polluted air of the city. Natalie stretched out her arms and took a deep breath. She then set out and walked around carefully in search of firewood. I must have gone mad. A self-deprecating smile appeared on his face. She had collected a sizeable pile of wood, though some of them were wet. That''s the best I can do. With that thought, she headed back to the cave. She had collected a sizeable pile of wood, though some of them were wet. That''s the best I can do. With that thought, she headed back to the cave. Sean was leaning against the cave wall with his eyes closed. He shivered vigorously from the cold and the pain in his injured limbs. His face was sallow, while his lips were pale. It made for a sorry sight. Hmph, serves you right! Despite these thoughts, Natalie was genuinely worried about his survival. She hurried to make a fire. The process was, however, fraught with challenges. Natalie found some dry leaves in the cave, which appeared to have been blown in earlier by the wind. She managed to use them as kindling to set up a fire. She piled all the firewood she had collected on the fire. Soon enough, the inside of the cave warmed up from her efforts. Natalie removed her jacket and hung it across the fire. The rest of her clothes were still wet, but she could only rely on her body heat to dry them. After drying her jacket for a while, Natalie retrieved it and set it aside. She approached Sean and nudged him. ¡°Get up.¡± Sean opened his eyes, and he seemed disgusted by Natalie''s scruffy appearance. Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Natalie felt a strong urge to p him. I don''t need a mirror to tell me I look filthy right now. It''s not like he is in better shape, so why should he act all disgusted? ¡°Take off your jacket. I want to dry it over the fire.¡± Smiling, Sean replied, ¡°How can I take off my jacket in this state?¡± She suddenly remembered that both his arms were dislocated. Oh right, he can''t move them at all. ¡°You need to undress me,¡± Sean continued. She furrowed her brows as she pondered the possibility of leaving him in his wet jacket. He piqued up, ¡°Since you decided to save me, you should take full responsibility to ensure my survival and wellbeing. Otherwise, you should''ve left me to die in that ditch.¡± ¡°You...¡± Natalie stammered as her face reddened. From N?velDrama.Org. A smile broke out on Sean''s face at the sight of Natalie huffing in anger. His expression stunned her. Natalie had seen his smile countless times in the past, though they were all of the fake, calcting, and cold variety. This was the first time she had seen a genuine smile on his face. She did not know what he was smiling about, but she caved and helped him remove his jacket. Natalie moved the jacket closer to the fire before she approached Sean again. Under his suspicious gaze, she removed his tie and dragged it back and forth against a small stone. The stone cut through the fabric and formed a hole. From there, Natalie tore the tie into several strips. She lined them on the floor and assembled some branches of simr lengths beside them. Confused, Sean asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I''m trying to put splints on your arms and leg,¡± Natalie nced at him and replied. She had collected some branches for this purpose when she was out foraging for firewood. Sean''s heart filled with an inexplicable emotion as he watched Natalie work. There was a sense of warmth that felt unfamiliar to him. He did not realize that he had begun staring at Natalie fondly. Though he was an expert at faking tender gazes, this time was different. It was a sincere fondness that originated from the deepest recesses of his heart. Unaware of his stares, Natalie picked up some branches and the remnants of the tie. She looked at his leg and warned him, ¡°It''s going to hurt. You''ll need to push through the pain. I''ll tie it as tightly as I can to set your bones in their original position, or you might risk dislocating them further.¡± ¡°Ok. I''m all yours.¡± Nodding, Sean''s tone had softened considerably. Natalie caught the change as well, but she did not linger on it and began splinting his leg. Sean gritted his teeth in pain. His face contorted in distress as beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He moaned pitifully from time to time. From there, Natalie tore the tie into several strips. She lined them on the floor and assembled some branches of simr lengths beside them. Natalie''s hands shook when she heard him. She could hardly bring herself to finish the task at hand. Natalie''s hands shook when she heard him. She could hardly bring herself to finish the task at hand. She steeled her nerves and pushed through with the procedure. After splinting all his injured limbs, Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. Sean, on the other hand, had almost fainted from the pain. He leaned heavily against the cave wall and panted. Twisting her head to look at him, she asked, ¡°Hey, are you ok?¡± He opened his eyes weakly, and the sweat on his forehead rolled straight into his eyes. The pain felt excruciating, and he closed his eyes once more. Finally, he forced a smile on his face as he answered, ¡°I''m ok. I''m not going to die yet.¡± ¡°That''s great.¡± Natalie did not press him further. As long as he''s alive, I''ve done my job. I can''t help with anything else. Just then, Natalie''s stomach grumbled. The noise echoed through the cave. Blushing, she rubbed her belly and avoided Sean''s gaze. He looked at her in amusement. ¡°Hungry?¡± ¡°Duh. I haven''t eaten a bite since you kidnapped me,¡± Natalie replied in a huff. The only sustenance she had was some water she drank off of some leaves when she was out searching for firewood. She had not eaten anything else beyond that. With a wry smile on his face, Seanmented, ¡°We can''t do anything even if we''re hungry. There''s no food around here.¡± Chapter 683 Chapter 683 ¡°I know.¡± It was Natalie''s turn to smile wryly. Looking outside the cave, Sean suggested, ¡°You can try to look for some food nearby if you don''t want to starve.¡± ¡°There''s food nearby?¡± Following the direction of his gaze, she shook her head. ¡°What could we possibly find in a ce like this? Are you asking me to hunt?¡± Heughed at her question. ¡°If you have the means, be my guest. I''m your excuse in case any rangers decide to hold you to thew.¡± ¡°I''m not going to hunt. I''ll look around for some wild fruits. We can try to make our way out after we eat,¡± Natalie announced and stood up. Sean watched wordlessly as she left the cave. She was gone for a couple of hours, and she had found some wild fruits reminiscent of kiwis. Despite their sourness, it was ptable enough to fill her stomach, and that was far better than starving. She ate about three of those fruits and fed the rest to Sean. The fire went out around the same time they finished eating. Natalie pped her hands together and dered, ¡°Let''s go.¡± Sean followed without protest. He got to his feet with Natalie''s help, and they left the cave in slow steps. Meanwhile, an exhausted Shane sat on his sleeping bag at a camping site located at the foot of the mountain. His rumpled, mud-stained clothes added to his disheveled appearance. Fresh cuts marred his handsome face as well. A doctor was applying ointment to his face while Ss stood beside him. Anxiously, he asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, do you have other injuries besides the cuts on your face?¡± Half an hour ago, Mr. Shane had gone into the mountains to search for his wife. He had slipped and rolled off the slope then; hence, the cuts on his face. If Ss had not dragged him back here to get treated, he would still be scouring for Natalie in the mountains. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''m fine,¡± he said gruffly, resting his forehead in his hand. Ss was still concerned. ¡°Are you sure? We can drop by the hospital in town-¡± ¡°I said I''m fine!¡± Shane cut in fiercely. Ss shut up after that. Suddenly, a member of the rescue team drew back the mesh of the tent and came in. He looked agitated as he said, ¡°Mr. Shane, we have good news.¡± ¡°Did you find her?¡± Shane''s pupils widened, and he shot to his feet in an instant. The doctor who had been applying ointment on him was knocked back by his force. ¡°No, but someone saw smokeing from the mountains.¡± The rescue team member continued, ¡°It''s not the natural mist in the mountain forests, but smoke from a fire. We''ve explored the area in the past, and we know that this forest is uninhabited. So the smoke-¡± A doctor was applying ointment to his face while Ss stood beside him. Anxiously, he asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, do you have other injuries besides the cuts on your face?¡± ¡°It must have been from the fire that madam lit!¡± Ss interrupted excitedly. ¡°Mr. Shane, that''s great! Madam''s still alive!¡± ¡°It must have been from the fire that madam lit!¡± Ss interrupted excitedly. ¡°Mr. Shane, that''s great! Madam''s still alive!¡± Shane''s entire body was vibrating with barely concealed joy as he clenched his fists. ¡°Send your team there ASAP!¡± Ss gave the order when Shane remained silent. ¡°Hold on,¡± Shane said as he picked up his jacket. ¡°I''m going too.¡± ¡°No, Mr. Shane, you can''t go. You''ve barely slept since yesterday. What if-¡± ¡°I said I''m going!¡± Shane narrowed his eyes at Ss. Ss opened and closed his mouth like a fish before sighing in resignation. ¡°Ok.¡± They made the necessary preparations and set off for the mountains. The mountain was vast. By the time Shane and the rescue team reached the cave, it was empty. From the temperature of the ashes on the floor, it seemed like they had left not too long ago. They probably had a maximum head start of two hours. ¡°Mr. Shane, if they''re still walking, it means madam isn''t seriously injured! Thank God for that!¡± Gazing at the ashes on the ground, Ss finally felt a sense of relief. Shane''s relief was palpable as well. The tension in his brows rxed slightly. Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Shane''s joy was short-lived. s, we missed them. ¡°Let''s continue our search. The forest floor is still damp from the rain. They must''ve left footprints behind. We can use those to find them,¡± Shane announced and left the cave, Ss following closely behind. Soon enough, they came across two sets of footprints. Judging by the sizes of the footprints, Shane was confident that they belonged to Sean and Natalie. They seemed to be headed south down the mountains. ¡°Let''s go!¡± Shane led the way. The rescue team hurried after him. Natalie was clueless about Shane''s knowledge of their survival, let alone his search and rescue efforts. She supported Sean the whole time as they walked. They did not know how much time had passed when they finally saw a house. A small smile appeared on Natalie''s exhausted features. Even Sean looked like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. ¡°Just a bit more,¡± he croaked. Natalie nced at him before walking forward, steeling her nerves and ignoring her exhaustion. That''s our lifeline. Once we reach the house, I can finally contact Shane. She used thest bit of her strength to hasten their arrival at the house. Ten minutester, they were at the front door. A middle-ageddy opened the door. Shocked at their disheveled appearance, the woman eximed, ¡°You-¡± Natalie mustered a weak smile on her face and fainted before saying anything to her. ¡°Oh dear,¡± the middle-ageddy uttered in shock as she stepped forward to lift Natalie. Without Natalie''s support, Sean fell to the ground as well. Thedy helped them both into her house before asking, ¡°What happened to the two of you?¡± Dialing up the charm, Sean fabricated an exnation. ¡°We were out hiking in the mountain, but we fell off the slope and lost our supplies. That''s how we ended up like this.¡± ¡°You poor things,¡± thedy eximed in pity at the sight of his splinted limbs. Sean smiled and replied, ¡°Ma''am, could you send me to the nearest town? I''ll give you three hundred thousand if you can arrange that.¡± ¡°Three hundred thousand?¡± Her eyes lit up at his offer. He nodded. ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Of course, I''ll ask my husband to send you in a moment,¡± she agreed excitedly. Sean''s smile widened. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Whet ebout this young ledy?¡± She pointed et Netelie, who wes still unconscious. ¡°Is she your wife?¡± Wife? Teken ebeck, Seen shook his heed. ¡°No.¡± ¡°She''s not? You seemed so close just now. I thought you were merried,¡± she expleined herself ewkwerdly. Seen gezed tenderly et Netelie''s fece. ¡°Me''em, pleese teke cere of her. I heve to leeve now. I won''t be eble to stey with her. Someone wille for her soon.¡± ¡°Ok, I understend.¡± They''re my golden tickets. I''ll teke cere of her like she''s royelty. ¡°Me''em, pleese heve someone send me to town. Once I''m there, I''ll wire the money to you,¡± Seen requested. She nodded severel times in egreement end celled her husbend over. About en hour leter, Seen errived in town. After wiring the promised sum to the ledy''s husbend, he bought himself e new phone end celled someone. The line connected quickly. ¡°Hello, who''s celling?¡± ¡°Siles, it''s me,¡± Seen seid. From N?velDrama.Org. Seen could only cell Siles since Shene''s phone wes progremmed to reject unknown numbers. Thenk God he enswered. Siles wes stunned when he recognized Seen''s voice. ¡°Mr. Seen!¡± ¡°What about this youngdy?¡± She pointed at Natalie, who was still unconscious. ¡°Is she your wife?¡± Wife? Taken aback, Sean shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°She''s not? You seemed so close just now. I thought you were married,¡± she exined herself awkwardly. Sean gazed tenderly at Natalie''s face. ¡°Ma''am, please take care of her. I have to leave now. I won''t be able to stay with her. Someone wille for her soon.¡± ¡°Ok, I understand.¡± They''re my golden tickets. I''ll take care of her like she''s royalty. ¡°Ma''am, please have someone send me to town. Once I''m there, I''ll wire the money to you,¡± Sean requested. She nodded several times in agreement and called her husband over. About an hourter, Sean arrived in town. After wiring the promised sum to thedy''s husband, he bought himself a new phone and called someone. The line connected quickly. ¡°Hello, who''s calling?¡± ¡°Ss, it''s me,¡± Sean said. Sean could only call Ss since Shane''s phone was programmed to reject unknown numbers. Thank God he answered. Ss was stunned when he recognized Sean''s voice. ¡°Mr. Sean!¡± Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Shane paused in his steps at Ss'' greeting. Turning, he grabbed the phone from Ss and demanded, ¡°Where''s Natalie?¡± ¡°Your concern for her moves me to tears.¡± Sean''s mockery had returned in full force. ¡°Why are you asking me about her whereabouts? Did it not strike you that she may be dead?¡± ¡°She''s not dead!¡± Gripping the phone tightly, Shane continued in a cold tone, ¡°I found the cave where the two of you took shelter. We saw your footprints leading away from the cave too. She''s still alive.¡± Sean was surprised; he had not expected Shane to track them down so quickly. Thank God we left earlier, or I''ll be in his hands. ¡°I see.¡± He barked out augh before replying, ¡°You''re right. She is alive.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Shane asked urgently. Sneering, Sean said, ¡°Don''t worry. She''s alive and well in a farmer''s house. I''ll text you the address soon. Ciao.¡± Sean gestured for his newly hired bodyguard to remove the phone from his ear and hang up before instructing him to text Natalie''s address to them. Seated in a wheelchair, Sean then entered the train station with the aid of his bodyguard. Meanwhile, Shane looked at the address Sean had sent him with an unreadable expression in his gaze. Ss, who was standing beside him, asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, did Sean call you personally to inform you of madam''s whereabouts?¡± Shane nodded, much to Ss'' surprise. Thetter adjusted the frame of his sses before commenting, ¡°This isn''t his MO at all. He kidnapped madam and forced her to jump off a cliff with him. Now, he''s sending you instructions to save her. Could this be a trap?¡± ¡°I have to go even if it''s a trap,¡± Shane gritted out as he returned the phone to Ss. I have to save Natalie no matter what. Ss knew it would be futile to advise Shane against going. Instead, he busied himself instructing the search and rescue team to prepare for Sean''s capture as well as Natalie''s rescue. They made it to the address provided by Sean in a short while. At the sight of such arge group of men, the middle-ageddy who had helped Sean and Natalie grew anxious. She mustered the courage to approach them. ¡°Are you here for Ms. Natalie Smith?¡± ¡°Is madam really here?¡± Ss eximed. Clenching his fists, Shane demanded, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Inside the house,¡± she replied while pointing toward the house. Shane rushed in without giving a second thought about the possibility of walking into a trap. Worried about his rash actions, Ss followed him in. Lying on en old couch in the middle of the room wes en unconscious Netelie. A threedbere blenket covered her body. Shene reeched the couch in severel strides end swept Netelie into his erms. He pleced his eer on her chest, end the tension in his body finelly relexed when he heerd her steedy heertbeet.From N?velDrama.Org. In the next instent, he buried his heed in the crook of her neck end tightened his embrece. Netelie remeined unconscious in his erms, es Shene''s body shuddered with feer. Siles wes shocked et the sight. His feer end concern for medem ere pelpeble. He must love her very much! He turned ewey to give Shene end Netelie some privecy. ¡±How is medem?¡± Siles esked the ledy who greeted them et the door. She enswered heppily, ¡°Not to worry, sir. She''s elright. A doctor hes been by to check her. She''s not suffering from enything serious other then cuts end bruises.¡± ¡°Why is she unconscious?¡± ¡°She feinted from hunger end exheustion. The doctor geve her e nutrient injection just now. She''ll be fine once she wekes up.¡± ¡°Ok, thet''s greet.¡± Siles wes relieved. Shene, on the other hend, kissed Netelie tenderly on the foreheed. Plecing her beck on the couch, he stood up end stered intently et the ledy. ¡°Where''s Seen?¡± Lying on an old couch in the middle of the room was an unconscious Natalie. A threadbare nket covered her body. Shane reached the couch in several strides and swept Natalie into his arms. He ced his ear on her chest, and the tension in his body finally rxed when he heard her steady heartbeat. In the next instant, he buried his head in the crook of her neck and tightened his embrace. Natalie remained unconscious in his arms, as Shane''s body shuddered with fear. Ss was shocked at the sight. His fear and concern for madam are palpable. He must love her very much! He turned away to give Shane and Natalie some privacy. ¡±How is madam?¡± Ss asked thedy who greeted them at the door. She answered happily, ¡°Not to worry, sir. She''s alright. A doctor has been by to check her. She''s not suffering from anything serious other than cuts and bruises.¡± ¡°Why is she unconscious?¡± ¡°She fainted from hunger and exhaustion. The doctor gave her a nutrient injection just now. She''ll be fine once she wakes up.¡± ¡°Ok, that''s great.¡± Ss was relieved. Shane, on the other hand, kissed Natalie tenderly on the forehead. cing her back on the couch, he stood up and stared intently at thedy. ¡°Where''s Sean?¡± Chapter 686 Chapter 686 ¡°Huh?¡± The woman was confused. Ss shed a smile and exined, ¡°The man who sent her here.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The woman tapped her head. ¡°He wasn''t the one who sent Ms. Smith here. It was Ms. Smith who sent him here. He was badly injured as his limbs were broken. After Ms. Smith arrived here with him in tow, she fainted due to exhaustion.¡± ¡°Sean Thompson!¡± Shane clenched his teeth as a menacing gleam shed across his eyes. The woman trembled uncontrobly at his intimidating aura. Who is this man? Why is he so intimidating? ¡°Where is he now?¡± Ss pressed on. The woman calmed down and answered, ¡°He''s not here. After giving us three hundred grand to take care of Ms. Smith, he asked us to bring him to town.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, looks like he escaped as he knew that we''ll be here,¡± reported Ss. Shane was radiating iciness as he muttered, ¡°He won''t escape for long. I shall find him soon.¡± I swear I won''t stop until I find Sean! Ss took one look at Natalie andmented, ¡°I was shocked to know he didn''t abduct her. He even asked someone to take care of her. What is he thinking?¡± Thatdy mentioned Sean''s limbs were broken, but madam is fine. What happened back there? Ss didn''t voice his doubts out loud. After all, the man had escaped. It was useless to talk about it right now. Perhaps the truth would be revealed after Natalie regained consciousness. ¡°No matter what, he''s dead meat,¡± announced Shane. He shook his head as a wave of dizziness attacked him. ¡°Arrange for the helicopter to give us a ride back to J City.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Ss nodded and left to make the call. An hourter, the helicopter arrived. Shane held Natalie in his arms as they made their way back to J City. Mrs. Wilson had been informed by Ss that Natalie was rescued. She led the two kids to the door and waited for their return excitedly. When they saw the helicopternding in front of the vi, the kids released their grips on Mrs. Wilson and dashed toward the helicopter. ¡°Mommy!¡± Shane came down with Natalie in his arms. The kids came to a stop obediently and stood on tiptoes, trying to steal a glimpse of her. ¡°Daddy, what happened to Mommy?¡± they inquired worriedly. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mommy''s fine,¡± came Shane''s curt reply as he strode into the vi. The kids held hands and ran after them. Ss and Mrs. Wilson followed behind them. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, contact Dr. Baker now. Tell him to bring all the necessary equipment to run a thorough checkup for madam,¡± ordered Ss. Mrs. Wilson nodded profusely. ¡°Alright. I''ll go do thet now.¡± She pulled out her phone from the pocket on her epron end mede the cell. Inside the ville, Jecqueline hed just stepped out of her room when she sew Shene welking up the steirs with Netelie in his erms. She wes teken ebeck but swiftly went up to him. ¡°Shene, whet heppened to Ms. Smith?¡± Shene ignored her end went streight to the third floor. Jecqueline bit her lips es frustretion rose in her heert. This is the first time he hed ever ignored me. Even efter he got together with Netelie, he hed never neglected me. Now, he''s... Jecqueline looked up end stomped her feet in enger. She quickly ceught up to them es she wes curious whet heppened to Netelie. When Jecqueline entered the room, Sheron immedietely put her guerd up. ¡°Ms. Grehem, whet ere you doing here?¡± Even Connor wes stering et her. Jecqueline geve them e reessuring smile. ¡°I''m here to visit your mommy.¡± ¡°No need, Ms. Grehem. You should leeve now. Mommy doesn''t went to see you,¡± ennounced Connor. Jecqueline felt mortified es enger welled up in her chest. These rescels ere obviously here to torture me! Just you weit. One dey, I shell get rid of both of them! Mrs. Wilson nodded profusely. ¡°Alright. I''ll go do that now.¡± She pulled out her phone from the pocket on her apron and made the call. Inside the vi, Jacqueline had just stepped out of her room when she saw Shane walking up the stairs with Natalie in his arms. She was taken aback but swiftly went up to him. ¡°Shane, what happened to Ms. Smith?¡± Shane ignored her and went straight to the third floor. Jacqueline bit her lips as frustration rose in her heart. This is the first time he had ever ignored me. Even after he got together with Natalie, he had never neglected me. Now, he''s... Jacqueline looked up and stomped her feet in anger. She quickly caught up to them as she was curious what happened to Natalie. When Jacqueline entered the room, Sharon immediately put her guard up. ¡°Ms. Graham, what are you doing here?¡± Even Connor was staring at her. Jacqueline gave them a reassuring smile. ¡°I''m here to visit your mommy.¡± ¡°No need, Ms. Graham. You should leave now. Mommy doesn''t want to see you,¡± announced Connor. Jacqueline felt mortified as anger welled up in her chest. These rascals are obviously here to torture me! Just you wait. One day, I shall get rid of both of them! Chapter 687 Chapter 687 Even though that was what she thought, she didn''t show it on her face. ¡°It''s fine. I won''t disturb her,¡± she told the kids. ¡°That won''t do. Hurry up and leave now!¡± Sharon stepped forward to chase her out. Connor tugged on his sister''s hand. ¡°Don''t touch her. She''s weak. We wouldn''t be able to bear the responsibility if something serious were to happen to her.¡± ¡°Oh, you''re right.¡± Sharon nodded obediently. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jacqueline almost lost her cool. Clearly, Connor was warning her not to pretend to get hurt. When Jacqueline was about to lose control, Shane stepped out of the bedroom. ¡°Why are you all standing here?¡± He nced at the kids before turning to Jacqueline. Before the kids could speak, Jacqueline interjected, ¡°Shane, I''m here to visit Ms. Smith. Is she alright?¡± ¡°She''s fine,¡± Shane replied calmly. Jacqueline heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I''m d she''s fine. By the way, what happened to her?¡± Previously, she had hired someone to investigate the matter but to no avail. Shane ruffled the kids'' hair before answering. ¡°It''s nothing serious. I''ve dealt with the matter.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Jacqueline lifted the corners of her lips in a smile. Deep down, she was fuming. It''s obvious that he didn''t want to tell me about it! Right then, Ss and Mrs. Wilson arrived with a bunch of people in white coats led by Jackson. Jackson asked, ¡°Mrs. Wilson told me Natalie''s injured. Is it true?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Come in and see for yourself.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Jackson as he shed Jacqueline a smile before entering the bedroom with his entourage. Jacqueline wanted to follow them in, but Mrs. Wilson stood in her way. ¡°Ms. Graham, you shouldn''t head in and disturb the doctors'' checkup.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Jacqueline answered with a smile. Inwardly, she was cursing Mrs. Wilson. She only wanted to know what happened to Natalie, but everyone kept standing in her way. Ugh, this is so annoying! Meanwhile, Shane stood aside in the bedroom as the doctors and nurses conducted a checkup for Natalie. When they were done, he asked, ¡°How is she?¡± Jackson was writing in his report as he answered, ¡°She''s fine. There''re some bruises from the fall, but she''ll recover in no time.¡± Shane nodded in relief. Back then, the woman had told him Natalie was fine when they found her, but he was still worried. After all, there was only not much a countryside doctor could do. He would only stop worrying after the doctors in the city ran a thorough checkup for Natalie using thetest equipment and confirmed that she was alright. ¡°By the wey, whet heppened?¡± Jeckson closed his file end esked. Shene expleined the entire incident. Jeckson inheled sherply et the bizerre story. ¡°You meen they fell off e cliff which wes thousends of meters high?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Shene nodded. Jeckson couldn''t believe it. ¡°Shene, you must be joking, right? Anyone who jumped off e cliff thet high would be deed. Netelie wesn''t even injured. Thet''s impossible!¡± Shene could totelly understend why Jeckson wes shocked. He himself wes stunned to reelize Netelie hed esceped unscethed. The impossible hed heppened, so it wes indeed shocking. ¡°It didn''t metter how she esceped mireculously es long es she''s elive.¡± Shene gezed et e sleeping Netelie effectiely. Thenkfully, she hes returned to me. Jeckson couldn''t stop himself from shuddering in disgust efter seeing how mushy his friend wes. As the nurses were done epplying the medicine on Netelie''s wounds, he ennounced, ¡°Alright. We shell leeve now.¡± ¡°By the way, what happened?¡± Jackson closed his file and asked. Shane exined the entire incident. Jackson inhaled sharply at the bizarre story. ¡°You mean they fell off a cliff which was thousands of meters high?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Shane nodded. Jackson couldn''t believe it. ¡°Shane, you must be joking, right? Anyone who jumped off a cliff that high would be dead. Natalie wasn''t even injured. That''s impossible!¡± Shane could totally understand why Jackson was shocked. He himself was stunned to realize Natalie had escaped unscathed. The impossible had happened, so it was indeed shocking. ¡°It didn''t matter how she escaped miraculously as long as she''s alive.¡± Shane gazed at a sleeping Natalie affectionately. Thankfully, she has returned to me. Jackson couldn''t stop himself from shuddering in disgust after seeing how mushy his friend was. As the nurses were done applying the medicine on Natalie''s wounds, he announced, ¡°Alright. We shall leave now.¡± Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Shane hummed a reply in acknowledgement. As Jackson and the rest filed out of the room, Jacqueline went after them to try to find out what happened to Natalie. From N?velDrama.Org. Shane didn''t see them off. He sat beside the bed and took Natalie''s hand and stared at her silently. He didn''t even dare to blink too much for he was afraid she might disappear without warning. ¡°Mr. Shane, should we inform Ms. Rivers that we''ve found madam?¡± Ss'' voice rang out suddenly. Shane didn''t even realize he was here. Pressing a kiss on Natalie''s fingers, Shane ordered, ¡°Let her know so she won''t worry.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ss nodded and turned to leave. A momentter, Mrs. Wilson entered the bedroom with a bowl of warm soup, and the kids followed behind her. The kids ran toward the bed and gazed at Natalie earnestly. They were worried for her, but they didn''t want to disturb her and only gazed at her quietly. ¡°Mr. Shane, I heard from Mr. Campbell that you haven''t rested for a day. Here''s some chicken soup to boost your energy. You should get some rest after that,¡± said Mrs. Wilson, concern evident in her voice. She couldn''t help but worry when she saw Shane''s bloodshot eyes and the stubble on his jaw. Connor chimed in, ¡°Yes, Daddy. You should finish the chicken soup and go to bed.¡± Shane''s heart warmed up upon hearing Mrs. Wilson''s and the kids'' concern. He took the bowl from her. Mrs. Wilson took the children''s hands. ¡°Connor, Sharon, let''s leave the room. Your daddy and mommy need to rest.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The children nodded obediently. As they walked out, they kept turning back reluctantly. After finishing the soup, Shane ced the bowl on the bedside drawer and joined Natalie in bed. He wrapped his arms around her and shut his eyes. He had stayed up for at least twenty-four hours looking for her without any rest. Now that she was safe, he could finally rx. A tremendous wave of exhaustion overcame him. He could barely even keep his eyes open anymore. His beloved was right in his arms. Shane closed his eyes and breathed in her scent as he gradually fell asleep. It was a long nap. When Shane woke up, it was already close to 9 p.m. The woman in his arms stirred. As her eyshes fluttered, she opened her eyes slowly. Natalie regained her consciousness immediately when she saw the familiar ceiling and light. I''m back? Natalie was wondering how she came back home when a man''s voice rang out beside her. ¡°You''re awake?¡± She jerked her head to the side and knocked into his chin. The man hissed in pain. ¡°Shene, ere you elright?¡± Netelie esked with e concerned look. Shene bit his lip end replied, ¡°I''m fine.¡± I just heppened to bite my tongue identelly. A worried Netelie removed his hend covering his mouth end scenned his lips cerefully. After meking sure he wes fine, she breethed e sigh of relief. ¡°I''m sorry. It wes en ident. I didn''t know you''re right behind me,¡± she epologized profusely. Shene messeged her foreheed. ¡°I''m fine. Whet ebout you? Does your foreheed hurt?¡± ¡°No.¡± Netelie shook her heed. Her foreheed wes herder then his jew. ¡°Good.¡± Shene retrected his hend end stood up to switch on the lights in the room. The bedside lemp wes too dim for Netelie to see things cleerly. Now thet the lights were switched on, she finelly sew Shene''s condition. His derk eyes, messy stubble, end the bend-eid on his cheek ceused her to stiffen in estonishment. This wes the first time Netelie hed ever seen Shene this disheveled. ¡°Shene, you...¡± She reeched out to touch his jew. Shene knew whet she wes doing, so he froze end ellowed her to ceress his stubble. Netelie''s hend brushed ecross the slightly prickly stubble on his jew. Finelly, she could be sure this wesn''t e dreem. ¡°Shane, are you alright?¡± Natalie asked with a concerned look. Shane bit his lip and replied, ¡°I''m fine.¡± I just happened to bite my tongue identally. A worried Natalie removed his hand covering his mouth and scanned his lips carefully. After making sure he was fine, she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I''m sorry. It was an ident. I didn''t know you''re right behind me,¡± she apologized profusely. Shane massaged her forehead. ¡°I''m fine. What about you? Does your forehead hurt?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalie shook her head. Her forehead was harder than his jaw. ¡°Good.¡± Shane retracted his hand and stood up to switch on the lights in the room. The bedsidemp was too dim for Natalie to see things clearly. Now that the lights were switched on, she finally saw Shane''s condition. His dark eyes, messy stubble, and the band-aid on his cheek caused her to stiffen in astonishment. This was the first time Natalie had ever seen Shane this disheveled. ¡°Shane, you...¡± She reached out to touch his jaw. Shane knew what she was doing, so he froze and allowed her to caress his stubble. Natalie''s hand brushed across the slightly prickly stubble on his jaw. Finally, she could be sure this wasn''t a dream. Chapter 689 Chapter 689 He got himself into this disheveled state just to find and save me. At once, bitterness overwhelmed Natalie''s heart as tears welled up in her eyes. She didn''t even cry when she couldn''t find a way out underneath the cliff, but she couldn''t hold back her tears now. ¡°Shane...¡± Natalie threw herself into his arms and gave him a tight hug. ¡°I''m sorry. You must''ve been so worried about me.¡± Shane didn''t expect her to hug him. He stiffened for a second before returning her hug. ¡°It''s fine, as long as you''re safe.¡± Natalie felt touched as guilt rose in her heart. She was kidnapped several times, and he risked his own life just to save her every time. At that thought, she kept apologizing profusely. Since she showed no signs of stopping, Shane cupped her cheeks and covered her pale lips with his own to stop her from saying sorry. Natalie was stunned at first, but she swiftly regained herposure and returned the kiss. Shane could sense her urgency and increased his force. Both of them were trying to take the lead. In the end, Natalie was no match for Shane. He pinned her onto the bed slowly as she flung her arms around his neck. An intense session of lovemaking ensued. After a long time, when Natalie felt like she was about to faint, the man finally released her and got up. By now, Natalie couldn''t even move an inch. She shut her eyeszily as she heard Shane asking someone to prepare some food. After Shane put down the phone with Mrs. Wilson, he turned to gaze at the woman in bed, who was rubbing her cheek against the pillow, about to fall into a deep slumber. Shane patted her shoulder gently. ¡°Nat, wake up. You can go back to bed after having something to eat.¡± ¡°I don''t have the energy to get up,¡± Natalie replied in a hoarse voice as she shifted slightly. Shane''s Adam''s apple bobbed up and down as his gaze darkened with desire. If she wasn''t feeling drained, he would''ve resumed their bedtime activity. ¡°Let me help you up.¡± Shane tossed his phone aside and picked her up before heading toward the bathroom. Natalie allowed him to wash her up and put on her clothes without even opening her eyes. She only opened her eyes when she smelt something delicious. ¡°Madam, you''re finally awake!¡± Mrs. Wilson eximed happily. Natalie inclined her head. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, you must''ve been worried.¡± Upon hearing her words, Mrs. Wilson''s eyes reddened. She hurriedly wiped the corner of her eyes with her apron. ¡°Yes, I''m d that you''re fine.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Wilson,¡± said Natalie with a smile. Mrs. Wilson weved her hend dismissively. ¡°You''re wee. Medem, you must be sterving. Help yourselves to the food.¡± She geve Netelie end Shene their cutlery. Netelie wes ebout to dig in when Shene geve her e bowl of soup. ¡°Here. Your stomech hes been empty for too long. Heve some soup first,¡± he uttered. ¡°Yes, thet''s right. Heve some soup first. I forgot ell ebout it!¡± Mrs. Wilson slepped her own foreheed. Netelie took the bowl from Shene. ¡°Alright, Mrs. Wilson. It isn''t your feult.¡± In response, Mrs. Wilson beemed end urged, ¡°Medem, you''re so nice. Hurry up end dig in.¡± Netelie wes indeed sterving. Since her kidnepping, she hed only eeten e few sour wild fruits end nothing else. After the vigorous session in bed, she wes utterly week. Hence, she proceeded to fill her belly. Shene wes elso hungry es he lost his eppetite when he wes seerching for Netelie. He wes gobbling the food more quickly then usuel, but he still meintein his customery elegence. After they finished their meel, Mrs. Wilson left their room with the trey in her hends. She bumped into Jecqueline on the second floor. Jecqueline''s geze flickered es she looked et the trey in Mrs. Wilson''s hends. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, ere Ms. Smith end Shene eweke?¡± Mrs. Wilson waved her hand dismissively. ¡°You''re wee. Madam, you must be starving. Help yourselves to the food.¡± She gave Natalie and Shane their cutlery. Natalie was about to dig in when Shane gave her a bowl of soup. ¡°Here. Your stomach has been empty for too long. Have some soup first,¡± he uttered. ¡°Yes, that''s right. Have some soup first. I forgot all about it!¡± Mrs. Wilson pped her own forehead. Natalie took the bowl from Shane. ¡°Alright, Mrs. Wilson. It isn''t your fault.¡± In response, Mrs. Wilson beamed and urged, ¡°Madam, you''re so nice. Hurry up and dig in.¡± Natalie was indeed starving. Since her kidnapping, she had only eaten a few sour wild fruits and nothing else. After the vigorous session in bed, she was utterly weak. Hence, she proceeded to fill her belly. From N?velDrama.Org. Shane was also hungry as he lost his appetite when he was searching for Natalie. He was gobbling the food more quickly than usual, but he still maintain his customary elegance. After they finished their meal, Mrs. Wilson left their room with the tray in her hands. She bumped into Jacqueline on the second floor. Jacqueline''s gaze flickered as she looked at the tray in Mrs. Wilson''s hands. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, are Ms. Smith and Shane awake?¡± Chapter 690 Chapter 690 ¡°Yes, they are both awake. They had just finished their meal,¡± replied Mrs. Wilson. Jacqueline pped her hands in delight. ¡°Perfect!¡± ¡°Yes. Why are you still awake at this hour, Ms. Graham?¡± asked Mrs. Wilson. Jacqueline smoothed her wig and shed a grin. ¡°I''m going to bed soon.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I won''t disturb you, then.¡± With that, Mrs. Wilson went downstairs. Jacqueline raised her head to stare at the third floor. Her smile faded away as it was reced by a frosty look. Jackson had revealed everything to her¡ªhow Sean kidnapped Natalie and that she fell off a cliff. I can''t believe she''s still alive. How bloody ridiculous. She shot an exasperated re upstairs before stomping back to her room. The next morning, Natalie woke up feeling refreshed. If it weren''t for her wounds, no one would know she had just been rescued from her kidnapper. Shane was worried that she was still in shock, so he ordered her to remain at home for a few days before returning to work. Natalie agreed as she didn''t want to make him upset. She could rest for a few days before starting the preparations for the internationalpetition. Shortly after Shane left with the kids, Joyce arrived to visit her. ¡°Nat!¡± she greeted Natalie warmly. It was Shane who requested Joyce toe and apany Natalie to relieve thetter''s fear. Joyce agreed without hesitation and sped here at once after hanging up. ¡°Nat, are you alright?¡± she scanned Natalie in concern. Natalie was amused by her antics. ¡°Joyce, stop it. I''m fine.¡± ¡°No way you''re fine after falling off a cliff. You have no idea how shocked I was when Mr. Campbell told me about it,¡± Joyce dered while tears pooled up in her eyes. Clearly, that piece of news had scared her out of her wits. Natalie patted the back of her hand in assurance. ¡°I''m sorry. You must''ve been extremely worried.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I should be the one who apologizes. I was with you in the parking lot, but I couldn''t save you. Nat, I¡ª¡± Natalie covered her mouth. ¡°I know. Mr. Campbell told me how you were nearly run over by a car to stop the man from taking me away. I was the one who asked you to apany me, so I should apologize. Luckily you''re fine.¡± If Joyce was indeed knocked down by the car, Natalie would feel guilty for the rest of her life. ¡°By the way, how did you escape unscathed?¡± Joyce started checking Natalie''s limbs. Just like Jackson, she found it strange that Natalie survived without getting hurt after falling from a tall cliff. Netelie chuckled end reveeled how she end Seen survived the ordeel. After heering the story, Joyce lemented, ¡°I guess good things do heppen to good people. Otherwise, why would there be e tree to breek your fell out of nowhere? Weit, something seems wrong. Even if the tree broke your fell, you would heve gotten hurt when you lended on the ground.¡± ¡°I''m fine. Seen got hurt, though. He broke his leg end disloceted his erms,¡± Netelie responded es she recelled how bedly injured Seen wes. I wonder how he''s doing now. Shene told me Seen esceped when I wes unconscious. Shene''s looking for him now. Hes he been found? ¡°Oh, thet''s bed,¡± Joyce snorted. Suddenly, her eyes widened es e thought urred to her. ¡°Weit. You both fell from the tree. He wes severely injured, but you''re perfectly fine. Did he seve you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Netelie wes teken ebeck by her guess. Joyce nerrowed her eyes end steted, ¡°Thet''s possible. Otherwise, there''s no wey to explein this bizerre situetion.¡± ¡°Well...¡± Netelie treiled off hesitently es her heert sterted thumping furiously. Did Seen reelly seve me? But why? He kidnepped me end held me hostege before we jumped off the cliff. Why did he seve me in the end? Natalie chuckled and revealed how she and Sean survived the ordeal. After hearing the story, Joycemented, ¡°I guess good things do happen to good people. Otherwise, why would there be a tree to break your fall out of nowhere? Wait, something seems wrong. Even if the tree broke your fall, you would have gotten hurt when younded on the ground.¡± ¡°I''m fine. Sean got hurt, though. He broke his leg and dislocated his arms,¡± Natalie responded as she recalled how badly injured Sean was. I wonder how he''s doing now. Shane told me Sean escaped when I was unconscious. Shane''s looking for him now. Has he been found? ¡°Oh, that''s bad,¡± Joyce snorted. Suddenly, her eyes widened as a thought urred to her. ¡°Wait. You both fell from the tree. He was severely injured, but you''re perfectly fine. Did he save you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was taken aback by her guess. Joyce narrowed her eyes and stated, ¡°That''s possible. Otherwise, there''s no way to exin this bizarre situation.¡± ¡°Well...¡± Natalie trailed off hesitantly as her heart started thumping furiously. Did Sean really save me? But why? He kidnapped me and held me hostage before we jumped off the cliff. Why did he save me in the end? Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Nothing made sense, so Natalie bit her lip and shrugged off her confusion. No matter what, we will know the truth when Sean is caught. Right then, footsteps could be heard from the staircase. Both Natalie and Joyce jerked their heads back to see Jacquelineing down the stairs while holding the rail for support. shing a warm smile, Jacqueline greeted them. ¡°Ms. Smith, Ms. Rivers.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Graham,¡± Joyce replied with a polite nod. Jacqueline''s gazended on Joyce. ¡°Ms. Rivers, are you here to visit Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce took a sip of the tea Mrs. Wilson prepared for them. ¡°Oh, I see. I won''t disturb you then. Have fun!¡± Jacqueline spun on her heels and walked toward the garden. After she left, Joyce lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°Nat, didn''t you tell me she''s dating Dr. Baker now? Why is she still here?¡± ¡°Dr. Baker said she''ll move out after he finishes decorating the room,¡± exined Natalie as she drank her water. Joyce nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Oh, that sounds better. She shouldn''t be staying here. You''re married to Mr. Shane, and she''s his childhood sweetheart who still has feelings for him. It''s ridiculous to have his wife and childhood sweetheart stay under the same roof.¡± Natalie smiled in response and said nothing. Joyce pursed her lips. ¡°Huh. Isn''t Mr. Shane afraid you''ll end up fighting somehow?¡± ¡°Enough about that. Let''s talk about something else.¡± Natalie didn''t want to continue discussing Jacqueline for thetter might overhear their conversation and think they were bad-mouthing her. Joyce shrugged nonchntly and changed the topic. At noon, Joyce joined her for lunch before leaving. Natalie returned to her room and went back to her blueprint. Just then, her phone suddenly rang. Natalie put down the pencil she was holding and picked up her phone. It was a call from an unknown number. She hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°You''re awake?¡± a deep male voice sounded from the other end of the line. Natalie inhaled sharply while her entire body stiffened. ¡°Sean?¡± Sean let out a low chuckle. ¡°I''m d you recognized my voice at once.¡± ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± demanded Natalie. They were no longer therades who needed to rely on each other to escape from the mountains. Now, they were enemies. Hearing Natalie''s icy reply, Sean''s heart sank. He swiftly regained hisposure and chuckled. ¡°Well, we''ve been through a lot. How can you say that? This is upsetting.¡± ¡°If you continue telking nonsense, I shell heng up!¡± Netelie ennounced. Seen relented. ¡°Ah, how cruel of you. Fine, I shell be honest. It''s nothing. I just went to know if you''ve regeined consciousness.¡± The moment he woke up efter his surgery, he proceeded to cell her. From N?velDrama.Org. Ugh. I cen''t believe I fell in love with her! ¡°I don''t think thet hes enything to do with you, Mr. Seen. Aren''t you efreid I''ll inform Shene of your number so he cen treck you down?¡± Netelie''s lips curled up into e smirk. Seen wes lying in bed. One of his legs wes lifted up while both his erms were in cests. There wes e cereteker holding the phone to his eer. He sighed end pretended to be upset. ¡°Looks like you went me to get ceught, Net.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Netelie scoffed. ¡°You''re my enemy.¡± Seen''s geze derkened. ¡°Yeeh, we''re enemies. However, I regret it.¡± I regret letting her get beck together with Shene. If I knew I''d fell in love with her, I wouldn''t heve ellowed her to return to Shene! Netelie hed no clue whet wes in his mind. She frowned skepticelly. ¡°Regret? About whet?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± ceme Seen''s reply. Netelie furrowed her brows. Looking up, Seen noticed e nurseing into his werd. ¡°Alright. I''m gled to know thet you''re fine. Thet''s it.¡± ¡°If you continue talking nonsense, I shall hang up!¡± Natalie announced. Sean relented. ¡°Ah, how cruel of you. Fine, I shall be honest. It''s nothing. I just want to know if you''ve regained consciousness.¡± The moment he woke up after his surgery, he proceeded to call her. Ugh. I can''t believe I fell in love with her! ¡°I don''t think that has anything to do with you, Mr. Sean. Aren''t you afraid I''ll inform Shane of your number so he can track you down?¡± Natalie''s lips curled up into a smirk. Sean was lying in bed. One of his legs was lifted up while both his arms were in casts. There was a caretaker holding the phone to his ear. He sighed and pretended to be upset. ¡°Looks like you want me to get caught, Nat.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Natalie scoffed. ¡°You''re my enemy.¡± Sean''s gaze darkened. ¡°Yeah, we''re enemies. However, I regret it.¡± I regret letting her get back together with Shane. If I knew I''d fall in love with her, I wouldn''t have allowed her to return to Shane! Natalie had no clue what was in his mind. She frowned skeptically. ¡°Regret? About what?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± came Sean''s reply. Natalie furrowed her brows. Looking up, Sean noticed a nurseing into his ward. ¡°Alright. I''m d to know that you''re fine. That''s it.¡± Chapter 692 Chapter 692 Natalie was taken aback. She recalled what Joyce mentioned this morning and blurted out, ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡°Oh? You don''t want me to hang up?¡± Sean shed a devilish smile. Natalie''s frown deepened as she felt a flicker of irritation. He''s so flippant. There''s no way he saved me back there! At that thought, Natalie stopped herself from asking questions and responded coolly, ¡°It''s nothing. Bye!¡± With that, she hung up promptly. Then, she sent Sean''s number to Shane. Shortly after, Shane gave her a call. ¡°Did Sean call you?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Natalie responded. Shane''s expression immediately clouded over. ¡°Why did he call you?¡± He still couldn''t find out where Sean was, but thetter showed up out of nowhere. Natalie replied truthfully, ¡°He asked if I had regained consciousness.¡± ¡°What? That''s it?¡± Shane scrunched up his brows. Sean called her just to ask that question? ¡°Yeah!¡± Natalie affirmed. Shane couldn''t figure out why Sean did so. His disgust for Sean instantly intensified as he shifted ufortably in his seat. ¡°Got it. You should rest. Don''t worry, I''ll find Sean.¡± Shane rubbed his temples. Natalie responded with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± After ending the call, Shane put down his phone and summoned Ss. ¡°This is Sean''s number. Get someone to find his location.¡± He wrote the number on a piece of paper and handed it to Ss. Ss took one look at the number and nodded. ¡°Got it, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°That''s it.¡± Shane gave a dismissive wave. Ss turned and left the office. Pinching his nose bridge, Shane took a file and threw himself into work. Suddenly, a ruckus sounded outside his office. Frowning, Shane demanded, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, Mr. Sam wants to see you.¡± A secretary pushed the door open and poked her head in shyly. ¡°Sam Thompson?¡± Shane narrowed his gaze. ¡°Let him in.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the secretary before scurrying out to ry his orders. Soon, the door was pushed open forcefully as a middle-aged man stormed in furiously. He mmed his hands on the desk and demanded, ¡°Shane, what is this?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Uncle Thompson?¡± Shane shot him a cool nce. Sam harrumphed angrily. ¡°You wanting to capture Sean, of course. Why are you doing that? He''s your cousin!¡± ¡°Didn''t you find out the reason beforeing to me?¡± Shane''s gaze grew icy. Sem pulled the cheir out end plopped into the seet. ¡°Why would I know the reeson? No metter whet, you shouldn''t treet your cousin thet wey. Do you know the upper-cless society is wetching how we meke e fool of ourselves?¡± ¡°So whet?¡± ceme Shene''s indifferent enswer. Sem felt his heert clenching up in egony. ¡°So whet? Don''t you know whet they ere thinking? They went us to fight internelly so they cen teke edventege of the situetion!¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Uncle Thompson. They won''t get the chence to do so beceuse it''s e personel feud between Seen end me. It hes nothing to do with the Thompson Group,¡± enswered Shene. Sem wes et e loss for words. ¡°But it isn''t e good idee! They ere weiting for us to meke e fool of ourselves! Whet if they spreed rumors ebout our femily?¡± ¡°Never mind. After I find Seen, I''ll hold e press conference to dispel those rumors. Don''t you worry, Uncle Thompson.¡± With thet, Shene flipped open enother file end ignored him. Sem wes so furious thet words hed feiled him. Still, he didn''t forget the reeson he ceme here. After teking e deep breeth, he plestered e smile on his fece. Sam pulled the chair out and plopped into the seat. ¡°Why would I know the reason? No matter what, you shouldn''t treat your cousin that way. Do you know the upper-ss society is watching how we make a fool of ourselves?¡± ¡°So what?¡± came Shane''s indifferent answer. Sam felt his heart clenching up in agony. ¡°So what? Don''t you know what they are thinking? They want us to fight internally so they can take advantage of the situation!¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Uncle Thompson. They won''t get the chance to do so because it''s a personal feud between Sean and me. It has nothing to do with the Thompson Group,¡± answered Shane. Sam was at a loss for words. ¡°But it isn''t a good idea! They are waiting for us to make a fool of ourselves! What if they spread rumors about our family?¡± ¡°Never mind. After I find Sean, I''ll hold a press conference to dispel those rumors. Don''t you worry, Uncle Thompson.¡± With that, Shane flipped open another file and ignored him. Sam was so furious that words had failed him. Still, he didn''t forget the reason he came here. After taking a deep breath, he stered a smile on his face.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 693 Chapter 693 Clearly, he was trying to convince Shane. ¡°Well, I don''t know what happened between you and Sean, but he''s your only cousin. Why don''t you forgive him?¡± A sliver of mockery appeared across Shane''s gaze. He closed the file he had just signed and spoke coolly. ¡°So you came here to persuade me to not arrest Sean?¡± ¡°Uh, you''re right,¡± replied Sam as he coughed awkwardly. ¡°Impossible!¡± Shane announced without hesitation. The smile on Sam''s face froze. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He kidnapped my wife and held her hostage before jumping off a cliff with her. Why should I forgive him?¡± Shane''s gaze was frosty. Sam trembled involuntarily at Shane''s menacing gaze. Why is this brat so intimidating? I don''t think Dad was this intimidating when he was alive. Sam swallowed his saliva and held back his fear for his son. ¡°Oh? Is your wife alright then?¡± He kept his pleasant smile. ¡°You should be lucky she''s still alive. Otherwise, I won''t only be going after Sean. Both you and Aunt Catherine will need to pay the price as well.¡± Shane crossed his hands and rested them on his belly. Sam felt his heart constricting in fear and hatred. He was afraid as Shane clearly didn''t care that they were rted. The hatred in his heart intensified when he realized Shane was threatening him because of a woman. That was what he thought, but he didn''t show it. Touching his nose fearfully, he replied, ¡°Yes, I''m d she''s fine. Shane, since she''s not hurt, why don''t you forgive Sean? He''s your cousin, right? You can''t be that heartless.¡± ¡°Cousin?¡± Shane scoffed as though he had heard something funny. ¡°So you think I should forgive a cousin who tried to poison me, kidnap my wife, and scheme to get my money from me? If so, it''s a pity my dad is your only brother.¡± At the mention of Shane''s dad, Sam''s pupils shrank in shock. He hastily looked down to hide the fear and guilt in his gaze. ¡°Uh, I was wrong. It was all Sean''s fault. I shall teach him a lesson. Shane, can you forgive him this once? I promise-¡± ¡°No!¡± Shane cut in firmly. ¡°I said, I won''t forgive him. If it was your wife who got kidnapped, would you forgive the kidnapper?¡± He threw the question back at Sam. Sem wes rendered speechless. Shene curved his lips into e smirk. ¡°Look, you cen''t even do it. Why ere you esking me to do so? Seen hes gone crezy over Grendpe''s will. Do you know whet is written in his will?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. His geze wes fixed on Sem. It wes es though Sem hed just seen something horrible. Jolting up from his seet, the color dreined from his fece es huge droplets of sweet begen to dot his foreheed. ¡°I-I don''t know...¡± His voice wes trembling. ¡°Oh?¡± Shene''s geze derkened. ¡°You don''t know? Seen told me Grendpe''s will concerns your femily''s fete. Thet wes why he wes so desperete to get the will. Let me guess. Thet will is ebout-¡± ¡°There''s nothing in the will. Shene, I''m sorry for showing up unennounced todey. Goodbye!¡± With thet, he spun eround end deshed out. It wes es if something ghestly wes chesing efter him. Shene pursed his lips in displeesure et the sight. Sem''s scered out of his wits. Looks like Seen''s right. Thet will cen determine his femily''s fete. Sam was rendered speechless. Shane curved his lips into a smirk. ¡°Look, you can''t even do it. Why are you asking me to do so? Sean has gone crazy over Grandpa''s will. Do you know what is written in his will?¡± His gaze was fixed on Sam. It was as though Sam had just seen something horrible. Jolting up from his seat, the color drained from his face as huge droplets of sweat began to dot his forehead. ¡°I-I don''t know...¡± His voice was trembling. ¡°Oh?¡± Shane''s gaze darkened. ¡°You don''t know? Sean told me Grandpa''s will concerns your family''s fate. That was why he was so desperate to get the will. Let me guess. That will is about-¡± ¡°There''s nothing in the will. Shane, I''m sorry for showing up unannounced today. Goodbye!¡± With that, he spun around and dashed out. It was as if something ghastly was chasing after him. Shane pursed his lips in displeasure at the sight. Sam''s scared out of his wits. Looks like Sean''s right. That will can determine his family''s fate. Chapter 694 Chapter 694 What did Sean''s family do for Grandpa to leave such a will? Shane clenched his fists in silence. No matter what they did, I must get the will! I can''t let them find it ahead of me. Sam returned home in a restless state. Catherine came out to greet him and helped him to the couch to rest. ¡°Darling, what happened?¡± ¡°Hurry, I need some water,¡±manded Sam. Catherine nodded and poured him a ss of water. Sam finished the water in one gulp and heaved a sigh of relief. Catherine asked again, ¡°Darling, what happened?¡± ¡°I just went to Shane''s office,¡± said Sam as he ced the ss on the coffee table and sighed. Catherine grabbed his arm and demanded anxiously, ¡°Did Shane agree to forgive Sean?¡± Sam snorted. ¡°Forgive? He''s stubborn, just like his dad. I know he wants us to suffer. I tried to convince him to change his mind, but he refused to budge. Ugh, this is so frustrating!¡± Catherine burst into tears. ¡°How can he do that? Sean is his cousin! Doesn''t he care about his cousin?¡± A hint of uneasiness shed across Sam''s expression at her words. He frowned and chided, ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°What about Sean?¡± Catherine took a piece of napkin to wipe her tears away. ¡°Doesn''t Sean know he''s no match for Shane? Why did he insist on going against Shane? Now, he can''t evene home.¡± ¡°It''s all because of Dad''s will!¡± exined Sam while massaging his temple. Catherine shot him a furious re. ¡°You keep talking about that will. Why is that will so important to you both?¡± Sam squinted his eyes. ¡°There''s something in the will that decides whether our family gets destroyed or not.¡± Catherine paled visibly as she covered her mouth in shock. ¡°It''s about that?¡± Sam nodded gravely. Biting her lip, Catherine eximed, ¡°Did Dad seriously write that down? How could he? You''re his only son left!¡± ¡°Yes. Dad''s too unfair,¡± came Sam''s grim reply. Catherine met his gaze. ¡°Darling, we need to find the will and destroy it. Otherwise, we''ll be in deep trouble.¡± ¡°I know. Shane doesn''t know where the will is, so we''re safe for now. Right now, Sean''s safety is more important. Shane won''t stop until he finds Sean. We don''t know what he will do to our son. This should be our priority for now.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Catherine clenched her fists. ¡°You couldn''t even persuade him to change his mind.¡± ¡°It ell sterted with Netelie. We should try to convince Netelie insteed. This is whet you should do...¡± Sem inched neerer to his wife end whispered something in her eer. Cetherine nodded worriedly. ¡°Will thet work?¡± ¡°Give it e try.¡± Sem exheled sherply. Cetherine nodded in egreement. ¡°Thet''s ell we cen do for now.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. After thet, she tidied herself up end left. ¡°Medem.¡± Mrs. Wilson knocked on the door before entering the room. After spotting Netelie lezing on the recliner on the belcony, she ennounced, ¡°Mrs. Thompson is here.¡± ¡°Mrs. Thompson?¡± Netelie put her book down. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Mr. Shene''s eunt, Cetherine Meyer.¡± ¡°Oh, thet Mrs. Thompson.¡± Netelie set up es en unfemilier fece popped up in her mind. Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°Yes, thet''s her.¡± ¡°Why is she here?¡± Netelie esked with e frown. She felt somewhet displeesed et the ledy''s unennounced visit. Cetherine didn''t give her e good impression when they first met. She even used Netelie of trying to seduce both Shene end Seen. Huh. Thet wes reelly ridiculous. ¡°I heve no idee. She just told me she wents to see you,¡± replied Mrs. Wilson. ¡°It all started with Natalie. We should try to convince Natalie instead. This is what you should do...¡± Sam inched nearer to his wife and whispered something in her ear. Catherine nodded worriedly. ¡°Will that work?¡± ¡°Give it a try.¡± Sam exhaled sharply. Catherine nodded in agreement. ¡°That''s all we can do for now.¡± After that, she tidied herself up and left. ¡°Madam.¡± Mrs. Wilson knocked on the door before entering the room. After spotting Nataliezing on the recliner on the balcony, she announced, ¡°Mrs. Thompson is here.¡± ¡°Mrs. Thompson?¡± Natalie put her book down. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane''s aunt, Catherine Meyer.¡± ¡°Oh, that Mrs. Thompson.¡± Natalie sat up as an unfamiliar face popped up in her mind. Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s her.¡± ¡°Why is she here?¡± Natalie asked with a frown. She felt somewhat displeased at thedy''s unannounced visit. Catherine didn''t give her a good impression when they first met. She even used Natalie of trying to seduce both Shane and Sean. Huh. That was really ridiculous. ¡°I have no idea. She just told me she wants to see you,¡± replied Mrs. Wilson. Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Natalie was silent for a moment. She then snapped the book shut and dered, ¡°Fine, I''ll go meet her, then.¡± After all, Catherine was Shane''s aunt. Since she had taken the trouble toe all the way here, the least Natalie could do was to give her a polite greeting. ¡°Let''s go, then,¡± Natalie said impatiently. She got to her feet and straightened her dress before heading out of the room with Mrs. Wilson. As they descended the stairs, Natalie saw Catherine sitting on the sofa, calmly sipping a cup of tea. When Catherine heard the sound of footsteps behind her, she hastily set down her tea on the table and turned. When she glimpsed that it was Natalie and Mrs. Wilson approaching, she smiled sweetly and eximed, ¡°You''re here!¡± Confronted with Catherine''s beaming face, the only response Natalie could summon was astonishment. Thetter had been on the receiving end of Catherine''s condescension before. She was now baffled by the woman''s abrupt shift in attitude towards her. However, Natalie concealed her bewilderment as best as she could and greeted politely, ¡°Mrs. Thompson.¡± The smile froze on Catherine''s face for a moment. Almost immediately, however, she checked herself and burst into a loud peal ofughter. ¡°There''s no need for things to be so formal between us! Call me Aunt Catherine!¡± ¡°Aunt Catherine,¡± Natalie repeated tentatively. ¡°That''s right,¡± Catherine said approvingly. She reached out and sped Natalie''s hands within hers. Natalie raised both eyebrows in rm and almost instinctively pulled her hands back. She courteously resisted the urge to do and allowed Catherine to lead her over to the sofa. ¡°Nat! Can I call you that?¡± Catherine asked winningly. Natalie felt goosebumps all over her arm when she heard the woman address her in such a familiar manner. Forcing her mouth into a smile, she said brightly, ¡°You can call me anything you wish, Aunt Catherine.¡± ¡°Fantastic! I''ll call you Nat, then,¡± Catherine eximed, patting Natalie''s hand affectionately. ¡°Nat, I never dreamt that we''d ever be family.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Natalie said faintly, nodding her head. She vividly recalled herst encounter with Catherine. Catherine had haughtily used her of seducing Sean, treating Natalie like a cheap wh*re. Natalie, too, had never imagined that she would one day marry into the Thompson family. ¡°That''s what destiny is all about, isn''t it?¡± Catherine said cheerily. Natalie gently extricated herself from Catherine''s clutches, then asked, ¡°Aunt Catherine, why did you come over today? Did anything happen?¡± Natalie and Shane had been married for nearly two months. Even though their marriage was still undisclosed to the public, Sean had surely heard about it from the Thompson family. Sean had not visited either Natalie or Shane or offered them any congrattory wishes or gifts. It was as if he was still entirely oblivious to the fact that they had gotten married. Now that Catherine had suddenly appeared at their door, however, Natalie found his intentions were utterly suspect. Her brow furrowed as she awaited Catherine''s reply. Catherine picked up her cup of tea and took another sip before saying, ¡°Right, Nat, there''s a favor that I''d like to ask of you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°It''s like this, Nat. Isn''t Shane going after Sean? Can you speak to Shane and convince him to ease off?¡± Catherine asked anxiously. A cold gleam appeared in Natalie''s eye. Evenly, she intoned, ¡°Aunt Catherine, are you here to ask Shane to stop pursuing Sean?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Catherine nodded enthusiastically, a look of relief crossing her face. ¡°Nat, you''re part of the Thompson family now, and Sean''s your brother-inw. You''ll agree, won''t you?¡± She looked at Natalie expectantly. Serenely, thetter replied, ¡°I''m sorry, Aunt Catherine, but I''m afraid I can''t agree to that.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine''s face instantly. In a strangled voice, she repeated, ¡°You won''t agree?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Natalie said pleasantly. She subtly drew back, marking the distance between herself and Catherine. ¡°Do you know why Shane is so intent on pursuing Sean, Aunt Catherine? It''s because he kidnapped me.¡± ¡°But you''re fine now, aren''t you?¡± Catherine asked, pursing her lips obstinately. Natalie almostughed at the sheer absurdity of Catherine''s response. ¡°I''m fine now, sure, because Shane rescued me. It doesn''t change the fact that Sean kidnapped me, though. You understand, don''t you, Aunt Catherine?¡± Catherine looked flustered. ¡°Even if Sean kidnapped you, you''re fine now, so why don''t you be generous and forgive him? Just let him go!¡± Be generous and forgive him? Natalie couldn''t resist andughed out loud at the thought. ¡°Mrs. Thompson,¡± she said with utmost courtesy. ¡°I''m sorry, but I don''t have such a forgiving nature. Why should I help someone who hurt me? Since you''re asking this of me, Mrs. Thompson, then why don''t I ask you the same question? If someone treated you as terribly as that, would you be able to forgive him just like that?¡± Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Natalie''s sudden question stumped Catherine. Believing that the woman was intentionally humiliating her, Catherine''s face took on a menacing look. In a nasty tone, she demanded, ¡°Are you saying that you won''t agree, then?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded, unfazed. That answer made Catherine sniff disdainfully. ¡°I didn''t expect that you would be quite so petty. Why did Shane even fall in love with you?¡± ¡°You''ll have to ask Shane that yourself. That isn''t the only question you''ll have to ask him, though. You can try persuading him toy off Sean. The one who''s bent on getting Sean is Shane, after all, not me. I''m afraid I can''t be of much use,¡± Natalie said calmly, taking a sip of tea. Catherine scowled at her resentfully. ¡°You''re Shane''s wife! He''ll listen to you.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Mrs. Thompson. I don''t want to,¡± Natalie replied frankly. Sean''s mother''s chest heaved in agitation. ¡°You really won''t agree to it?¡± she repeated. ¡°That''s right,¡± Natalie replied patiently. ¡°You...¡± Catherine choked in anger. At that moment, a gentle voice floated over, saying, ¡°Ms. Smith, Mrs. Thompson is your aunt! How could you be so rude to her?¡± Natalie whipped around in the speaker''s direction only to see Jacqueline strolling down the stairs and crossing the room toward them. The former''s face instantly grew dark. Grimly, she retorted, ¡°Ms. Graham, this is none of your business.¡± ¡°It''s none of my business, but I can''t stand by idly and watch you talk to Mrs. Thompson like this,¡± Jacqueline replied with a toss of her head. ¡°It''s been a while, Mrs. Thompson,¡± she murmured as she approached Catherine. Catherine looked at Jacqueline with a puzzled expression on her face. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m Jacqueline. Don''t you remember me?¡± the woman asked cheerfully. The look of confusion on Catherine''s face cleared instantly. ¡°It''s you! I heard that you had regained consciousness but didn''t know if it was true. Why are you here now, though?¡± ¡°I''m staying at Shane''s temporarily,¡± Jacqueline replied. Comprehension dawned upon Catherine. ¡°So that''s the case. I always thought Shane would end up marrying you. It''s a pity that someone else came in between Shane and you. I would very much prefer to have a daughter-inw like you in the Thompson family.¡± Having proimed thus, Catherine seized Jacqueline''s hand and gave her a winning smile. It was exactly the same manner in which she had greeted Natalie earlier. Natalie was unruffled. She knew Catherine was goading her on purpose because she''d been unwilling to acquiesce to the woman''s multiple pleas for help. Theck of subtlety, however, annoyed her. She rolled her eyes but continued to sip on her water nonchntly. Feigning embarrassment, Jacqueline looked apologetically at Natalie and hastily said, ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m sure Mrs. Thompson didn''t mean to offend you. I''m in a rtionship with Jackie now and have no designs on Shane. Please don''t take Mrs. Thompson''sments to heart.¡± ¡°I didn''t. She can''t hurt me anyway. No matter what, I''m still the one Shane married,¡± Natalie replied, smiling sweetly at Jacqueline. At that, a savage look appeared in Jacqueline''s eyes. She returned Natalie''s smile forcefully and said, ¡°That''s true.¡± Jacqueline turned back to Catherine and said meekly, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, I didn''t get to overhear much of your conversation just now. Did you ask Ms. Smith a favor only to have her reject you?¡± ¡°That''s true. I''ve never met anyone as cold-hearted as her,¡± Catherine scoffed with an injured air, darting a bitter look at Natalie. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Natalie paid no heed to them and took out her phone, scrolling carelessly through it. Seeing that her words had no effect on Natalie, Catherine red at her with a hateful look in her eyes. As Jacqueline watched the drama y out before her eyes, the corners of her mouth curled up cattily in satisfaction. She was delighted to see Natalie and Catherine at such odds with each other. Even though Natalie had managed to marry Shane in the end, she had not won the battle entirely until his family gave their blessing. If the Thompson family continued ostracizing Natalie, the woman would not be able to endure staying in that household for long. Pleased at the thought of Natalie''s impending failure, Jacqueline turned to Catherine and said heartily, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, why don''t you tell me what it is? I''ll try to ask Shane on your behalf.¡± ¡°That''s right!¡± Catherine''s eyes lit up. ¡°Jacqueline, you were once Shane''s childhood sweetheart. I imagine that you''d have the best rtionship with him! It''s a pity that you didn''t end up marrying each other, but let''s not bring that up again. Jacqueline, you have to help me.¡± Chapter 697 Chapter 697 ¡°Do tell me, Aunt Catherine,¡± Jacqueline pleaded. Catherine suddenly looked sorrowful, taking out a handkerchief and dabbing at the corners of her eyes dramatically. ¡°Shane''s been trying to capture Seantely, so Sean can''t evene home. I came here to convince Natalie to call Shane off, but she refused. Jacqueline, please help to persuade Shane,¡± Catherine begged. ¡°Oh,¡± Jacqueline stated, a crafty gleam appearing in her eyes. She beamed at Catherine, saying, ¡°Got it, Aunt Catherine. Don''t worry. I''ll do my best to let Shane know.¡± Natalie frowned but said nothing. Upon hearing that, Catherine held Jacqueline''s hands tightly and eximed with gratitude, ¡°That''s fantastic! Thank you, Jacqueline.¡± ¡°Please, there''s no need to thank me. I''m just doing what I can. After all, Sean took care of mest time. I''m just repaying the debt,¡± Jacqueline replied modestly. ¡°You''ve got a conscience, Jacqueline, unlike some people,¡± Catherine said, deliberately emphasizing thest two words. She cast a baleful nce towards Natalie as she spoke, her eyes like two daggers pointing at her. Thetter shook her head in contempt. She decided not to dignify them with a response, however and remained silent. ¡°All right, Jacqueline. It''s gettingte, so I''ll be going home. I''ll leave Sean in your hands, then. I''ll be sure to invite you over some time,¡± Catherine concluded, getting to her feet. Jacqueline likewise rose from her seat and extended her hand towards Sean''s mother. ¡°Sure, Aunt Catherine. Let me see you on your way out.¡± The two of them then headed off towards the door. Mrs. Wilson came over after Jacqueline and Catherine had left, bearing a te of fruits in hand. Looking after them, she tutted, saying, ¡°This Ms. Graham doesn''t know her ce. Does she think she''s the owner of this house? How dare she send Mrs. Thompson off? It''s your role here, Madam! She snatched it right away. She''s the one with no manners.¡± ¡°It''s all right, Mrs. Wilson. She can do what she likes,¡± Natalie said smoothly, nibbling on a slice of watermelon. After all, Natalie was confident that she could defeat Jacqueline at any given moment. Besides, Catherine had thoroughly irritated Natalie for the entire conversation, and she was in no mood to send her off. Let Jacqueline have the honors if she wants, Natalie thought contemptuously. ¡°She''s... Forget it,¡± Mrs. Wilson began as if she had something on her mind but shook her head gravely without continuing. Natalie smiled at her. ¡°It''s fine, Mrs. Wilson. Please take a seat and apany me.¡± Mrs. Wilson had finished her tasks for the day, so she sat down next to the woman. Jacqueline returned at that moment and greeted them haughtily, ¡°Ms. Smith, Mrs. Wilson.¡± ¡°Ms. Graham, do you know that when you agreed to Mrs. Thompson''s request, it was tremendously unfair to Madam?¡± Mrs. Wilson abruptly scowled in a trembling voice, unable to contain her outrage. The smile on Jacqueline''s face instantly faded. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, what are you referring to?¡± she asked innocently. ¡°Mrs. Thompson came here to speak to Madam because she wanted her to persuade sir. Mr. Sean kidnapped Madam, and if she refused to agree, it would have been her business. You had no right to interfere!¡± Mrs. Wilson dered hotly. It was exactly what Natalie had been trying to convey to Catherine. The victim was simply unwilling to forgive her abuser. It wasical that a bystander should be able to forgive the abuser on the victim''s behalf. Natalie was surprised to hear Mrs. Wilson reprimand Jacqueline on her ount. However, a warm feeling rose within her, and she looked at the housekeeper with deep appreciation. Jacqueline, on the other hand, looked as if she had just tasted something nasty. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, saying feebly, ¡°I was only trying to help Ms. Smith. She''s the daughter-inw of the Thompson family, and if she refused to help Mrs. Thompson, things might be difficult for her in the future.¡± ¡°That''s not up to you,¡± Mrs. Wilson said coldly. From N?velDrama.Org. At that remark, Jacqueline''s eyes turned red, and tears sparkled in them. She turned to Natalie and said mournfully, ¡°Ms. Smith, do you think it was wrong of me to do that?¡± ¡°I think it was unnecessary of you to step in, Ms. Graham,¡± Natalie replied curtly. ¡°You knew what happened to me, but you ignored it and took the moral high ground, insisting that I was wrong for being rude to Mrs. Thompson. You even agreed to Mrs. Thompson''s suggestion on my behalf. Do you think it was right of you to do so?¡± ¡°That''s right. It didn''t cost you anything to agree,¡± Mrs. Wilson added. Jacqueline bit her lip as tears streamed uncontrobly down her face. Sobbing, she turned away from the two women without another word and dashed upstairs. Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Mrs. Wilson looked at Natalie in indignation. ¡°Madam, we didn''t even say much to her, yet she ran off crying as if we bullied her. Why is Ms. Graham behaving in this way? She wasn''t like thisst time, was she?¡± Natalie, who was eating some fruits intently, merely smiled. Jacqueline was different from her former self because Natalie hadn''t appeared on the scene. There was no need for the woman then to portray herself as the damsel in distress. Now that Natalie was here, Jacqueline saw her as a fellowpetitor for the attention she craved. If thetter didn''t emphasize her feeble side, no one would rush to protect her or even notice her. ¡°All right, Madam. It''s gettingte, and I should start preparing dinner. Sir should be back home in a while,¡± Mrs. Wilson said, ncing at her phone. She stood up and headed towards the kitchen. Natalie was also eager to fetch Sharon and Connor back from school. She ced her fork neatly onto the te, then got dressed and left the house. It was still early when Natalie had finished bundling Sharon and Connor into the car. She fished for her phone and dialed Shane''s number. The man answered almost immediately. Over the line, his deep voice said gruffly, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Darling, have you ended work?¡± Natalie asked as she drove home. In the back seat of the car, Sharon and Connor craned their necks forward eagerly, hoping to hear Shane''s answer as well. Shane looked at the stack of documents still sitting on his desk and massaged his brow. Wearily, he replied, ¡°I might take a while.¡± ¡°Shall I bring Sharon and Connor over to pick you up?¡± Natalie asked, ncing at her two children''s eyes that had immediately brightened at her statement. Shane arched an eyebrow at that question. ¡°You''reing to pick me up?¡± ¡°That''s right. You''ve always been the one driving us around. It''s our turn to pick you up today,¡± Natalie dered gleefully. Shane was intrigued by the novelty of her suggestion. ¡°Sure. Come on over, then.¡± ¡°OK! See you soon,¡± Natalie replied, then hung up. Sharon pped her hands together excitedly. ¡°Mommy, are we really going to pick Daddy up?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Natalie said firmly while nodding. ¡°Yay! Let''s go, Mommy!¡± Sharon cried out, brimming with joy. Hearing that enthusiasm made Natalie smile, and she stepped on the elerator, lurching the car forward. At his office in the Thompson Group building, Shane put down his phone and called for Ss. ¡°Prepare some children''s snacks and toys,¡± he ordered. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Snacks and toys?¡± Ss stared at Shane in bewilderment, then seemed toe to an understanding. ¡°Are Connor and Sharoning over?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shane said briefly. ¡°Got it. I''ll go and prepare for that right away,¡± Ss assured before he turned and left the room. Shane lowered his head and buried himself in the documents before him once again. Approximately half an hourter, Natalie and her children arrived at the Thompson Group building. Sharon and Connor leaped out as soon as Natalie had parked her car and walked hand-in-hand with Natalie towards the elevator. The elevator transported the trio swiftly to the top floor, where Shane''s office was. When Natalie, Sharon, and Connor exited the elevator, Ss was waiting there to wee them. ¡°Mr. Campbell!¡± Sharon and Connor cried in unison, waving their hands frantically to him. Smiling, Ss greeted them, ¡°Wee, here are some lollipops for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Campbell,¡± the children chorused as they happily took the lollipops. Sharon struggled with the sticky wrapper for a moment, then handed the lollipop over to Connor with a pout. ¡°Help me, Connor!¡± ¡°You''re so troublesome,¡± Connor replied. He sounded annoyed but showed no reluctance in taking Sharon''s lollipop and tearing its wrapper off carefully. Meanwhile, Sharon eyed Connor like a hawk, as if afraid that he would take advantage of her vulnerability and eat her lollipop. At the sight of her children''s antics, Natalie''s face rxed. A smile hovered over her mouth. ¡°Mr. Campbell, thank you for being so thoughtful,¡± she said graciously. Ss immediately waved his hands humbly. ¡°Please don''t thank me, Madam. Mr. Shane was the one who had me prepare them for the children. I was merely the manager. Madam, would you like to head over to the office first?¡± ¡°All right,¡± Natalie nodded. She took Sharon and Connor''s hands and followed after Ss. As it was their first visit to the office, Sharon and Connor looked around at their surroundings with visible awe and wonder on their faces. ¡°Mommy, this ce is so beautiful!¡± Sharon eximed, her eyes widening. Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Connor silently nodded in agreement. Natalie cast a gentle smile while stroking her kids'' heads. ¡°I''ll bet Daddy''s office looks even cooler.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The children stared starry-eyed at her. Before she could answer, Ss spoke first. ¡°Madam is correct. World-renowned designers were in charge of setting up Mr. Shane''s office. You''ll recognize how exquisite his office is from the furniture as well as the fixtures. Right this way, please.¡± With that, he opened the doors to the CEO''s office. Sharon bounced around with glee as she entered the new space. Even Connor let go of Natalie''s hand and approached the ceiling-to-floor windows curiously. The spacious office was suddenly bustling with the children''s excited babbling. ¡°What do you think, Sharon, Connor? Isn''t Mr. Shane''s office spectacr?¡± Ss asked. He smiled at the two children while preparing some tea. Sharon skipped over to the man and nodded, ¡°Mmm-hmm! It''s absolutely spectacr.¡± Unlike her, Connor stilled with one hand tucked in his pocket and the other pressed against the ss window. He raised his head while peering down at the bustling world below. Skyscrapers shot up from the grounds while busy crowds and cars roamed the streets below like variously shaped insects. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The boy was utterly shocked by the view. It was the kind of shock when a person looked down from tall buildings, the kind that made their bodies rattle. Unlike most who felt fear from this, Connor''s little body rattled with excitement. Natalie assumed that he was afraid of heights. She wanted to usher him away from the window but was frozen when he suddenly turned around with bright, red cheeks and a wide grin. He said, ¡°Mommy, Is this the view Daddy sees every day?¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie replied in a half-daze. Connor inhaled deeply, suppressing the roaring excitement in his chest. He then held his head high and dered, ¡°Daddy gets to work at the tippy top while the rest of the world looks up to him from below. It feels like everything is within hismand. Mommy, I want to be like Daddy when I grow up. I want to stand up here, have ultimate control, and be in power like Daddy!¡± Natalie''s lips parted in shock when she heard this. They were only here to pick up Shane, so she hadn''t expected this visit to spark her son''s ambition. Even Ss'' eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. The only person who reacted indifferently was Sharon. A bewildered expression appeared on her little face, indicating that she didn''t quite understand what had just happened. However, this didn''t bother her as she resumed chowing down on some chips Ss had prepared. A crip series of ps reverberated throughout the office. Then a proud voice boomed, ¡°Bravo!¡± Everyone looked toward the voice''s source. Their gazes eventuallynded on Shane, who had appeared outside the office door. He was pping with delight. Judging from hispliment, Natalie and Ss knew that he must have been standing there for some time. At the very least, he was there during Connor''s ambitious monologue. ¡°Daddy!¡± the two kids called out obediently. At once, Shane sauntered in whilst smiling intensely at Connor. Little did anyone know, Shane was initially startled by Connor''s words. It wasn''t long before the shock he felt turned into growing pride. He couldn''t help but feel pleased to know that the boy idolized him. He knew what he felt was illogical; he should''ve been rmed and disgusted because the boy wasn''t his biological son. But he couldn''t bring himself to resent the boy''s admirable ambitions. Rather, he felt great relief as if he had finally found a worthy sessor to his business. Shane approached Connor, lowering his head to meet the boy''s gaze. ¡°I have no objections to letting you be the future head of Thompson Group. Thispany will be yours as long as you show me that you''re capable of running it.¡± His words blew Natalie and Ss'' minds away. ¡°Shane...¡± Natalie''s brows furrowed, hinting at the man to take back his words. Despite this, Shane butted in before she could refuse him. ¡°I know what you''re going to say. And, really, it''s fine.¡± Then, his gaze snapped back onto Connor. ¡°Are you capable of inheriting Thompson Group from me?¡± Confidence sparkled in Connor''s eyes. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Goodd. Remember what you just said because Daddy will wait for the day you take over Thompson Group,¡± Shane stated as he picked Conner up. Ss inhaled sharply at that remark. He first looked at the two children, then at a distressed-looking Natalie before shuddering inwardly. Chapter 700 Chapter 700 I''ve always known that Mr. Shane loves Madam. I know his love for her runs bone-deep. Even so, I never would have predicted this; I underestimated the extent of his love... He''s so in love with her that he would relinquish Thompson Group to her son... To someone who''s not his biological child. This is... Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ss cast a gentle gaze at Connor and Shane, taking in how simr they looked. He couldn''t help but mentally sigh at the two''s twisted fate. If only Connor were Mr. Shane''s son... ¡°Alright, let''s head back.¡± Shane carried Connor over to Natalie. Natalie''s lips twitched, wanting to say something but decided against it. Instead, she simply responded with a simple nod. The woman stayed silent during the drive home. Her head bowed as she was deep in thought about what Shane had mentioned at the office earlier. True enough, his words had utterly taken her by surprise. Never in a million years would she have expected Shane to name Connor as Thompson Group''s sessor. Not only that, but she hadn''t told Shane that the two kids were his biological children; yet, he still gave the position to Connor, a boy with whom he presumed shared no rtions. To top that off, she could tell that he was dead serious. How could he put so much trust in me and my kids? Isn''t he worried that we''ll change the ownership of Thompson Group in the future? That we''ll remove him from thepany and keep it all to ourselves? Shane side-eyed Natalie while driving. His low voice chuckled as if he had seen right through her mind. Then, he soothed, ¡°Don''t overthink things. Connor''s still a young boy.¡± Frustration erupted from Natalie. She raised her gaze onto him and retorted, ¡°That was extremely rash of you!¡± ¡°I disagree. Connor is a brilliant boy who''s more than capable of inheriting the Thompson Group. He''s even got the potential to take thepany a step further, so I don''t see why I shouldn''t name him my heir.¡± Although Shane was more focused on driving, his statement was full of sincerity. Natalie massaged the space between her brows, anxiety brewing at the back of her mind. ¡°Yes, but aren''t you concerned that...¡± ¡°Will you?¡± Shane had predicted her doubts and interrupted her with a bold question of his own. Natalie''s lips parted before they morphed into a smile. She answered truthfully, ¡°Of course not. That''s not who I am. Neither is Connor because I will raise him to be a just and honorable man. I won''t allow him to be a scheming, backstabbing person.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Shane rested his case. He nced at the rear-view mirror and saw the two children asleep in each other''s embrace. His gaze softened at this serene sight. Seeing their pink lips pout ever-so-slightly, Natalie couldn''t help but sh a gentle smile as well. Since the atmosphere around them lightened, she brought up a more cheerful topic. ¡°Your birthday''sing soon. We''ve already prepared your gift.¡± ¡°Is that so? I look forward to receiving it then,¡± Shane teased before withdrawing his gaze and focusing on the road ahead. To this, Natalie stretched her arms while affirming, ¡°You won''t be disappointed.¡± It was almost seven o''clock when Shane pulled up in front of the vi. Once he parked the car, Natalie woke the children. Then, all four of them held hands as they walked into the vi. As they stepped foot in the living room, a figure emerged before Shane¡ªit was a swollen-eyed Jacqueline who looked like she had been crying. She mewled, ¡°Shane...¡± Immediately, Shane''s face scrunched into a frown. He quickly asked in concern, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Jacqueline sniffled, then shot a timid look at Natalie. She was obviously hinting that thetter was part of the reason why she cried. Natalie rolled her eyes at the woman''s dramatic antics. Jacqueline is probably making a fuss about what happened earlier this afternoon. Tsk. It must have been so hard on her, huh? Kudos to her, though, for bawling from this afternoon until now. All so she canin to Shane. ¡°Shane, it seems like Ms. Graham has something important to tell you. I''ll take the kids upstairs then.¡± With that, Natalie strode away with Connor and Sharon. Shane watched them ascend the stairs. Once the three made it upstairs, his gaze returned onto Jacqueline. He demanded, ¡°Go on. Tell me what''s wrong.¡± ¡°Well, it''s not entirely Ms. Smith''s fault. Maybe it''s mine. Shane, tell me what you think.¡± Jacqueline twiddled her fingers. Then, she put on an innocent act of biting her lip. ¡°Mrs. Thompson came by this afternoon. She wanted Ms. Smith to put in a good word for Sean so that you''ll let him off. Ms. Smith said no, but I...¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I agreed on behalf of Ms. Smith. Because of that, Ms. Smith and Mrs. Wilson were being so mean to me...¡± Natalie lowered her head and broke into tears again. She resumed through jagged breaths, ¡°I just wanted to help Ms. Smith, but she...¡± Jacqueline trailed off mid-sentence, wanting Shane to figure out the rest on his own. Chapter 701 Chapter 701 That feeling of sorrow was instantly reced by a morbid chill. The video''s next scene showed his parents crossing the street. Then, a red car flew out of nowhere and crashed against his parents. Shane watched in trepidation as his parents jolted backward,nding with a loud thud on the ground. Blood oozed from ss-shard-cuts all over his parents'' bodies. ¡°No!¡± he cried out instinctively. He knew his parents had died in a car crash. However, it was apletely harrowing experience to witness it. He refused to ept such a reality. The pain constricted his chest, making it impossible for him to breathe. Still, there was more to watch. Shane took several deep breaths to suppress the aching in his chest before continuing the video. The camera panned over to reveal that the red car that crashed into the couple had parked some distance away. Shortly after, a woman got out of the car. She was holding hands with a little girl in a poofy princess dress. Shane quickly realized who the woman was. He felt an eerie tingling in his scalp while his hand trembled against the mouse. Frustration and disbelief rose up within him. No. It can''t be! How could my parents'' murderer be Yulia? But... That red car... It''s crystal clear evidence! Yulia killed my parents. And that child she''s holding hands with... Shane locked eyes with the little girl in the video. Judging from her rosy cheeks and delicate features, it wasn''t hard to predict how beautiful this girl would turn out in the future. He would know because this face was the one he woke up to every day. Natalie. She was present when her mother, Yulia, killed my parents... Yet, I married her. This is absurd. It''s preposterous! How could I have married her? She''s the daughter of the woman who murdered my parents! Fury turned Shane''s eyes bloodshot, and his body tremored uncontrobly upon finding out this shocking truth. ¡°Damn it!¡± he thundered frustratedly, sweeping everything off his desk. Outside, Ss had just informed the two departments and was about to escort Shane to the meeting room. However, he was startled by themotioning from Shane''s office. He couldn''t help but wonder if something serious happened. Worry surged in his veins as he barged into the office without knocking. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Ss froze upon seeing a crazed Shane as well as the wreckage in the office. He stuttered, ¡°W-what happened, Mr. Shane?¡± Shane didn''t respond. He balled his fists so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged. Ss was quick to realize that the man was staring at hisputer screen. Curious, he walked over and saw that it was a video that had just finished ying. Although he wasn''t sure what the video was about, he boldly reyed it to understand why Shane was so livid. Ss was equally dumbstruck by the contents of the video. ¡°How... how is this possible?¡± Ss'' jaw dropped in utter disbelief. I just witnessed Mr. Shane''s mother-inw kill his parents... ¡°Who sent this to you, Mr. Shane?¡± Ss questioned in a shaky voice. Shane screwed his eyes shut, stifling the raging emotions inside him. He then put on an emotionless front and answered, ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°I''ll investigate the matter right away.¡± The assistant locked eyes with him as if determined to resolve things. Shane nodded solemnly. ¡°Yeah. We have to find the culprit behind this video.¡± This video is from over ten years ago. I bet the culprit has a motive for keeping this video a secret until this very moment. From N?velDrama.Org. I don''t know for sure, but off the top of my head, they''re probably trying to turn me against Natalie. With this thought in mind, Shane tilted his head lower to disguise his stormy expression. Then, he ordered, ¡°Have someone run a check on this footage. See if it''s been tampered with and whether it''s been edited or doctored in any way.¡± The gory video had gotten the better of him earlier. He nearly believed that Natalie''s mother was the murderer behind his parents'' death. Thankfully, Shane had gotten much calmer. He considered that the person behind the video was likely pitting him against his wife, so there was a possibility that the video had been falsified. Ss moved swiftly to download a copy of the video before heading off to conduct investigations. Now alone in the office, Shane slumped against his chair and massaged his temples. Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Natalie, please don''t let me down... After witnessing what had happened in the video, the man could no longer focus on work. He remained in his chair, lost in thought while the office cleaners worked hard to pick up haphazardly thrown documents off the ground. Only when Natalie calledter in the afternoon did he finally pull himself together. ¡°Darling, are you busy today?¡± Natalie asked through the phone. Shane lowered his gaze grimly before replying, ¡°No. Why?¡± ¡°Uhm...¡± The woman faltered at how impassive he suddenly sounded. Nevertheless, she brushed it off, thinking that she had imagined it. His response was fairly short, so perhaps I heard wrongly. She set that aside and resumed cheerily on the phone, ¡°You''re usually here to pick me up after work at this time of day. I just noticed that you''re not here, so I thought I''d call to ask if you''re busy.¡± ¡°Mm. I''ll head over now,¡± Shane replied curtly. ¡°Alright, drive safe!¡± replied Natalie while nodding. The man''s lips twitched at those words. His expression turned gloomy as he recalled how the red car had knocked over his parents like they were bowling pins. When the call was over, he paced to the balcony for some air. He desperately hoped that the chilly breeze would soothe his mind. Otherwise, he wasn''t sure if he would be able to drive safely. After a few minutes in the cold air, Shane managed to regain a decent amount of control over his emotions. He then exited the office and drove towards Natalie''spany with a calmerposure. Meanwhile, Natalie, Lina, and Joyce were chatting in front of thepany. Lina hade over to say her goodbyes to the other two women since she would be traveling abroad for apetition soon. The three babbled on until a ck Maybach pulled over next to them. ¡°Look, Nat! Your husband''s here!¡± Lina shed a yful smile, nudging Natalie teasingly. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. In response to her teasing, thetter rolled her eyes in amusement. ¡°Alright now, don''t forget to give your all for thepetition abroad. I''ll also be participating in an internationalpetition abroad in a month''s time, so maybe we can meet up then.¡± ¡°Absolutely! My instructor says that our jewelry designpetition will be coborating with the fashion industry''s internationalpetition for the final rounds. As long as we both make it into the finals, then we''ll definitely see each other.¡± Lina patted Natalie''s shoulder affirmingly. Joyce chuckled endearingly at her two friends and joked, ¡°Pfft! Please, you guys are so talented. Making the finals should be easy for you.¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Natalie and Lina answered simultaneously with sparkly-eyed smiles. Right after, Natalie waved goodbye to them. ¡°Alright, I gotta get going now. Bye!¡± ¡°Okay, see you!¡± Her two friends nodded. Natalie approached the ck Maybach, then opened the door and entered the front passenger seat. She hastily apologized, ¡°Sorry, Shane. Have you been waiting for some time?¡± The man didn''t utter a word. Rather, he stared intensely at her face as if he were searching for something. Without a doubt, she was the most stunning woman he had everid eyes on. Her angelic features bore a striking resemnce to the little girl''s sweet face from the video he saw earlier. He couldn''t help but ponder the severity of the video''s new information. Even if she and her mom aren''t the ones who crashed into my parents, there''s no escaping the fact that they are still involved with the ident. What do I do now? In what way should I treat someone who''s associated with my parents'' death? Natalie frowned after sensing that his mind had wandered elsewhere. She reached out to wave her hand in front of him. ¡°Shane? Shane?¡± Gradually, the man''s eyes flickered as he broke away from his thoughts. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I was getting worried about you. You spaced out and didn''t react no matter how much I called your name,¡± Natalie exined. Shane averted her gaze to hide the conflicting emotions in his eyes as he shrugged and said in a low voice, ¡°Sorry. I''ll drive now.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Natalie nodded. Still, she couldn''t help but feel unnerved by his odd behavior. What''s gotten into him? Why is he so uncharacteristically distant today? It seems like there''s something on his mind, but he''s not telling me. Did something happen at thepany? Neither of them said a word during the car ride. The air was so tense that they could hear each other''s shallow breathing. Natalie had tried to start a conversation, but Shane hadn''t bothered responding to anything she said. Instead, he focused on the road ahead, acting as if he hadn''t heard her at all. He iced her out so much that she decided to stop speaking altogether. Chapter 703 Chapter 703 After all, she felt that it would be too awkward to continue speaking as if she were giving him a monologue. Thankfully, they arrived at the kindergarten in no time. The two kids hopped onto the car with merry smiles as they greeted, ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± ¡°Daddy, Mommy. Why are you guys sote today? You picked us up half an hourter than usual,¡± Connor asked while looking at his smartwatch. Sharon hadn''t been paying attention to the time, so she hadn''t realized that her parents werete. Now that her brother had tantly pointed it out, she mirrored his sentiments and nodded enthusiastically. Natalie cast an apologetic look at her kids. ¡°I''m really sorry. Daddy was a little busy at work today, so we got herete.¡± At once, the kids nodded and let out an understanding hum. Then, Connor spoke up, ¡°Daddy doesn''t have to pick us up if he''s busy. He should focus on working hard.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡± Sharon nodded in agreement. A bittersweet feeling arose in Shane, curdling ufortably in his chest as he looked at the thoughtful children through his rear-view mirror. He was happy to know that the children cared greatly for his well-being and career. Yet, he felt bitter because he had no idea how he would face the children if Natalie''s mother was truly responsible for his parents'' death.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Shane?¡± Natalie''s brows furrowed in concern when she noticed him spacing out again. Her worried voice hastened, ¡°What exactly is wrong? Has something happened?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shane snapped at her with his gaze still lowered. He put the car in gear and started driving after sprouting that one word. Natalie''s lips twitched at his harsh tone. She was undeniably hurt by how he refused to tell her what was wrong. Regardless, she decided against prodding any further. In the backseat, the kids sensed something was off between their parents. They exchanged knowing looks with each other in silence. Did Daddy and Mommy fight? A deafening silence took over the car, and the atmosphere felt dense as the family of four made their way home. Once the car pulled up in front of the vi, the two children heaved a sigh of relief. There, Mrs. Wilson and Jacqueline stood by the vi''s doors to wee them. ¡°Mrs. Wilson!¡± The children pretended not to see Jacqueline and ran excitedly toward Mrs. Wilson instead. At this, Jacqueline was surprisingly unbothered. She wasn''t upset, nor did she bother paying attention to the children. Rather, her gaze was set on Shane and Natalie. Delight smeared across her face when she caught sight of Shane''s tautly clenched jaw and stormy eyes. Shane is brimming with a dangerous aura. That means he must have seen the video! But... Why hasn''t he confronted or severed ties with Natalie yet? Jacqueline''s face twisted wryly at the sight of Natalie, who was offering to help Shane carry his briefcase. The man obediently handed his briefcase to Natalie, much to Jacqueline''s dismay. Jacqueline pursed her lips, feeling aggrieved that the two were behaving as they normally did. What the devil is going on? Hasn''t Shane seen the video yet? Why isn''t he treating her with disdain? Does he think the video is fake? At this, Jacqueline gnawed so hard on her lip that she nearly drew blood. If that video isn''t enough, I''ll have to find more evidence. I''ll do everything it takes to drive Shane and Natalie apart. Otherwise, it''ll be a waste of that precious video that I''ve hidden for so many years. After all, that video was... Darkness flickered in Jacqueline''s eyes. Soon, her thoughts were interrupted by Shane and Natalie, who approached her as one. She quickly shed them a smile. ¡°Shane, Natalie. Wee home.¡± ¡°Ms. Graham,¡± Natalie acknowledged cidly. Contrarily, Shane reacted with much more attentiveness. He had noticed Jacqueline''s thin clothing and promptly asked, ¡°Why aren''t you putting on moreyers for this chilly weather?¡± Glee burst out in Jacqueline''s chest as she tousled her wig and shed a sickeningly sweet smile at him. Then she spoke in a honeyed voice, ¡°I was in the living room where the heating is on. Plus, there wasn''t enough time to put on another coat beforeing here to greet you.¡± ¡°Come on, let''s all head inside.¡± Nodding at her, Shane strode ahead for the vi. Jacqueline was quick to strut behind him. This time, Shane hadn''t held Natalie''s hand like he normally would. Rather, he entered the vi on his own. Pleased with this, Jacqueline whipped around to cast a victorious grin at Natalie. Then she paced beside Shane, staking im over him. Her voice came out like a purr, ¡°Wait for me, Shane!¡± It seems like he doesn''t quite believe the footage. But at the very least, it''s convincing enough to cause some damage to their rtionship. Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Why else would he be so cold towards Natale? It only confirmed Natalie''s suspicions that Shane was acting differently around her. With no clue of how or why it had happened, the woman felt lost. Did I do something wrong? Have I done something to make him angry? Why else would he treat me this way? Despite racking her brain to find a reason, Natalie still could not conclude what triggered the change in his behaviour. If anything, it only left her more puzzled than before. Perhaps, it will be a better idea to confront him and ask about it in person. With that thought in mind, Natalie mustered up her courage and marched into the vi. After entering through the door, she spotted her two children sitting on the sofa watching television while Jacqueline used her cell phone in a corner. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, but Shane was nowhere in sight. ¡°Where''s Daddy?¡± she asked her children. ¡°Daddy is in the study room,¡± Connorzily replied. Acknowledging his response, Natalie headed up the stairs to look for him as nned. Little did she know, Jacqueline was staring at her figure from the back with her lips tugged upwards into a smile. Anyhow, Natalie soon stood outside the study room, where she cautiously knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± the man inside gruffly replied. Pushing the door open, Natalie greeted, ¡°Shane.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Her husband''s eyes darkened at the sight of her. ¡°I came to talk to you about something,¡± she responded as she padded across the room towards him. Unfortunately, Shane only pursed his lips and grunted, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let''s talk about your attitude today.¡± Natalie stared directly at his icy cold gaze and interrogated, ¡°Shane, what happened? The way you treat me seems to have changedpletely today. Did I do anything wrong to upset you in any way?¡± ¡°No,¡± the man uttered. What a lie. Frowning, she protested, ¡°Your expression tells me that''s not true. Shane, please tell me what on earth is going on. Help me understand the situation, so at least I can apologize to you.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. She ced a hand over her aching heart. It was torturous for her to y this guessing game, and she hated it. ¡°I already said nothing is wrong.¡± Shane''s voice was louder this time, and he abruptly stood up after he spoke. ¡°But...¡± ¡°No buts. Please show yourself out,¡± he asserted while rubbing his temples. Noticing how hostile he seemed, Natalie''s lips quivered, and she reluctantly left the room. As soon as she disappeared from his sight, Shane opened his drawer and took out a box of cigars. Lighting one up, he ced it in his mouth and began to take a long puff from it. White thick smoke engulfed him, and he could barely make out his surroundings after a few puffs. From the aura that he exuded, one could tell that he was feeling frustrated, irritable, and confused. Time flew past, and he was almost done with his cigar when his cell phone rang. Snubbing out his cigar, he picked up his cell phone to check who the caller was. It was Ss, probably calling to report on the investigation he had conducted. Shane''s heart dropped as he feared to hear a conclusion that he desperately hoped was false. If he did not answer the call, he would never know the authenticity of the video. He could pretend that it was a prank and resume his usual husband and wife rtionship with Natalie. Nheless, there still was a small voice in his head that urged him to uncover the truth. Pick up the call and make things clear! After all, he had spent ten years investigating the truth behind his parent''s death, so there was no reason for him to give up now. At that instant, Shane felt torn between the two options. Like a yoyo, he went back and forth between the choices because he knew that his life would undergo some earth-shattering changes the moment he answered the call. Should I pick it up? Staring at the name on his cell phone screen, he swallowed nervously. Minutes passed, and in the end, he decided to click the answer button. His obsession with learning the truth behind his parent''s death outweighed his feelings for Natalie at this point. ¡°Hello?¡± Shane held his cell phone up to his ear. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± Ss greeted before the line went silent. It only made Shane more nervous, and he gripped his phone tightly, his heart pounding fervently in his chest. After a short pause, the nervous man broke the silence, ¡°So, what did you gather?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, the sender of the email was probably highly skilled in hacking. I could not track him down. However, I did manage to check the video. It was unedited. It''s a real clip!¡± Ss emphasized thest sentence. Chapter 705 Chapter 705 After he revealed the shocking news, Ss lowered his head in anger. Why is God so unfair? I can''t believe Madam turned out to be Mr. Shane''s enemy! ¡°Is that really true?¡± Shane''s tone dropped an octave lower, and a terrifying expression appeared on his face. Even though Ss was not there in person to see it, he could sense his boss'' fury. He trembled at the thought of physically witnessing it but still spoke in concern, ¡°Mr. Shane, are you alright?¡± Not surprisingly, Shane remained silent and abruptly ended the call. Throwing his phone onto the desk, he covered his face with his palms in exasperation. All he felt at that point was disappointment and hurt. Natalie had let him down. For the past few days, he desperately prayed that she was not his enemy. Yet, the oue still showed that he had made the wrong judgment. He had married his enemy''s daughter and also regarded her two children as his own. At the back of his mind, he even nned for them to be his sessor of the Thompson Group. Thinking back on it, he mentally cursed at himself for being so stupid. From N?velDrama.Org. How could he leave all of the Thompson family''s assets in the hands of his enemy''s descendants? Ugh, Grandfather is equally as stupid as me! How could he take the daughter of a man, who knocked over my parents, as his goddaughter? For all I know, maybe Yulia is having a goodugh at Grandfather right now. She must think the Thompson family is a joke. His eyes turned red as he started to let out a bitter chuckle. Slowly, it turned into a burst of maniac laughter. At that moment, someone knocked on his door again. ¡°Mr. Shane, dinner is ready. You may dig in now.¡± Shane did not respond. Puzzled, Mrs. Wilson called out, ¡°Mr. Shane, are you in there?¡± Once again, the man did not make a sound. That was enough to worry his housekeeper. As she raised her hand to open the door and have a look, the door swung open, revealing Shane standing before her. At the sight of him, Mrs. Wilson let out a breath of relief. ¡°Oh, you''re inside. For a moment there, I thought you went out. Mr. Shane, you may head downstairs for dinner now.¡± This time, Shane let out a soft sound to acknowledge her. Mrs. Wilson, who did not sense anything out of the ordinary, headed down after him. ¡°Daddy,¡± the two children downstairs cheerfully greeted upon seeing him. If it had been any other day, Shane would have bent down to scoop one of them in his arms while patting the other child''s head. But this time, he avoided them, leaving the two children hanging as they stood rooted to the ground in surprise. Flustered, Sharon looked to Shane and murmured, ¡°Daddy?¡± Even with her plea, the man did not respond. Does Daddy hate me? Unlike Sharon''s simplistic thoughts, Connor had a darker theory. Additionally, he caught a glimpse of disgust in his Shane''s eyes. He hates us! Why? What mistake did we make? The young boy blinked multiple times as he contemted for a reason but to no avail. At that moment, after Natalie came out of the bathroom, she saw Shane standing in front of her two children in silence. There was something off between the three of them. ¡°What''s wrong? Why are the three of you just standing there?¡± she asked as she walked over to caress the children''s heads. Still keeping his silence, Shane shot her a cold re before heading to the dining room. A chill ran down the woman''s spine, and she shuddered in fright. When she finally regained herposure, she did not know what to say. Why... did he give me that look? ¡°Mommy.¡± Her two children tugged on her arms as she took a moment to process the situation earlier. ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie spoke with a smile on her face, despite the uneasy feeling that bubbled within her. ¡°Mommy, is Daddy in a bad mood? He ignored Connor and I earlier. When I signaled that I wanted a hug, he moved away,¡± Sharon whined with a pout on her face. Backing her up, Connor nodded and exerted, ¡°Exactly! Mommy, he''s acting strange. It seems like he hates us or something!¡± ¡°He hates the both of you?¡± Natalie was surprised to hear that. He dislikes them? How did that happen? If I did something to upset him, it''s alright if he vents it on me. Why did he have to drag the two children into it? At that thought, Natalie felt anxious and troubled. Patting the two children''s heads, she forced a smile and reassured them, ¡°Nothing is wrong. Daddy is probably tired, so he seems unhappy. He doesn''t hate either of you.¡± Chapter 706 Chapter 706 ¡°Really?¡± Sharon perked up. Her mother nodded and added, ¡°Of course! Daddy loves you. There is no way he can dislike you.¡± Innocently, Sharon bought her lie and started giggling. On the other hand, Connor kept his mouth shut, knowing better than to believe what his mother had said. He could tell that Shane did not seem to like them at all; he could feel it in his bones. From the corner of her eyes, Natalie spotted her son frowning and wondered what he was thinking. She knew he had been a clever boy since a young age. Therefore, she did not doubt Connor''s seriousness when he told her that there was something off about Shane. But, it also meant that Shane did show his displeasure to them. ¡°Alright, let''s go have dinner.¡± Natalie took her children''s hands in hers and walked towards the dining table. No matter what happened, she wanted to talk to Shane about what made him upset. Once they entered the room, Natalie saw Jacqueline and her husband talking. Although she could not hear what they were chatting on, the woman wasughing while Shane''s stoic expression seemed to have softened. Even so, it did not bother Natalie. The thing that did disturb her was how Jacqueline was sitting at her spot. In the past, the woman had done the same thing, iming that she made a mistake. Regardless, Shane would stand up for her when she did not budge and instruct her to return to her original seat. Little did she expect that Shane would ignore it this time around and even be in all smiles around her. Natalie''s eyes darkened as she watched the scene unfold before her. For a split second, Jacqueline frowned, and a glint of glee appeared in her eyes. However, she covered it up quickly and sweetly greeted Natalie instead, saying, ¡°Ms. Natalie, you are here.¡± Hearing that, Shane stopped conversing with Jacqueline and picked up his coffee mug to take a sip from it without sparing his wife nor children a nce. Natalie''s chest tightened. While Sharon was oblivious to the tense atmosphere, Connor could tell that his father''s attitude towards his mother had changed. Usually, Shane would help Natalie pull out a chair to sit and carry his sister and him to their seats. However, not only did he remain in his seat, he was treating them like they were invisible. It was all Connor needed to confirm that Shane seemed to hate them. Taking a deep breath, Natalie ignored her husband''s cold treatment and brought her children closer to the table. She then turned to Jacqueline and said coldly, ¡°Ms. Graham, you are sitting on the wrong seat.¡± She could tolerate Shane''s behavior, but there was no reason for her to put up with Jacqueline''s. Jacqueline felt taken aback as she was not expecting Natalie to point it out. It even urred to her that the woman would keep mum, given how cold Shane was acting to her. Indeed, I''ve underestimated her. ¡°Ms. Natalie, can''t you let me remain in this seat? It''s a bother for me to get up and change it,¡± Jacqueline suggested while batting her eyelids. ¡°No, I can''t. That seat belongs to thedy of the house. Though you might be our guest, you should still show us some respect. Otherwise, you may rub off as someone with no manners.¡± Staring indifferently at the other woman who threatened her position, Natalie did not hold back. Her daughter also pitched in. ¡°Yes! That''s Mommy''s seat. Without her permission, no one else can take it.¡± Connor nodded in agreement too. Instantly, Jacqueline''s face turned a deep shade of red. She bit her lips and turned to Shane for help. ¡°Shane, what do you think?¡± ¡°Return to your seat, Jacqueline,¡± the man sternly ordered as he set his coffee mug onto the table. Disbelief shed across Jacqueline''s eyes, but she quickly shook it off. Pretending to be unbothered by it, she stood up and muttered, ¡°Okay, I''ll return to my seat. With that, she headed to the other end of the table and took her original spot in a pissed-off mood. Minutes ago, when Shane came down, she could tell that there was a crack in Shane and Natalie''s rtionship from how they interacted. As such, she boldly took Natalie''s spot, expecting the man to give up on shielding his wife. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. To her dismay, he still defended Natalie, despite how distant and annoyed he seemed around her. Does he love her so much that it outweighs the hate he now feels for her? Chapter 707 Chapter 707 That thought alone made her look at Natalie with jealousy. Natalie, who sensed it, narrowed her eyes, feeling amused at what had just happened. N?velDrama.Org content. She thought Jacqueline would know her boundaries better after she got together with Jackson. Ah, I thought too highly of her. She''s Jackson''s girlfriend, but she still has the hots for Shane. Isn''t she afraid that Jackson will find out? Without exposing the thoughts in her mind, Natalie carried her children to their seats as Mrs. Wilson served the dishes. No one talked throughout the meal, and the atmosphere in the dining room was eerily tense and silent. Although Sharon wanted to speak up on several asions, she refrained from doing so when she sensed the unpleasant vibe. Shortly after dinner, Shane headed back to his study room for a meeting. Meanwhile, Jacqueline sat in front of the piano and started to y a tune. The song sounded cheerful, which seemingly reflected her happy mood. Natalie had no idea why the woman would feel that way. The only reason she coulde up with was how happy Jacqueline probably felt to see cracks in her rtionship with Shane. Tired of listening to the piano tune, Natalie headed upstairs to check up on her children instead. Both of them were in their room, sitting on the floor mat ying with Legos. ¡°Connor, Sharon.¡± Natalie walked over and sat beside them. Instantly, her daughter straightened up. She crawled into her mother''s embrace and hugged her neck tightly with her short arms. With a sad voice, she uttered, ¡°Mommy, Daddy no longer loves me. After dinner, I asked him to tie my hair, but he ignored me.¡± It was the first time Shane had ever turned away her requests. Natalie felt overwhelmed at that instant and could notprehend his actions no matter how hard she tried to. While listening to her daughter''s rant, she only felt upset. Not only was Shane hostile to her, but he also acted the same way towards Sharon. Nheless, she had to put on a brave front for her daughter. With her lips tugged upwards, she comforted Sharon, ¡°Didn''t I tell you before dinner that Daddy is in a bad mood? That is the only reason for it.¡± ¡°When will he feel better then?¡± Sharon innocently asked. The questions surprised Natalie, who could not seem to utter a word of exnation. As if on cue to save her, Connor ced thest Lego block on the toy house he built and assured his sister, ¡°I''m sure he''ll be back to his normal self soon.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sharon chirped. Her brother nodded earnestly. ¡°Yes. Mommy will pacify Daddy. Right, Mommy?¡± Amused, Natalie pinched her son''s nose and muttered, ¡°You know it.¡± Connor lifted his chin proudly to look at his mother. ¡°I also know that Mommy will not sit back and watch Daddy act like this.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie looked down and affectionately rubbed her children''s heads. As Connor said, she nned to talk to Shane and try to appease him. After all, the four of them were a family, and they could not live their lives in such a tense state forever. For about two hours, Natalie yed with her two children in the room. Thinking that it was enough time for Shane toplete his work, she urged the two of them to head to bed. The obedient children heeded their mother''s advice and climbed into their beds, covering themselves with their nkets and shutting their eyes to sleep. Before leaving the room, Natalie nted a kiss on their faces and turned off the lights. She had just exited from the door when she spotted Shane walking over from his study room. With a smile, she politely questioned, ¡°Shane, do you happen to have some time to talk now?¡± The man stopped in his tracks, and his voice was as cold as ice as he replied, ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About the thing I brought up in the study room. I want to know what I''ve done so wrong that caused you to act so differently. Let me know, and perhaps, I could change it. Please don''t keep it to yourself forever, okay?¡± Natalie sounded desperate, and her hand subconsciously reached up to her heart. Natalie truly hated it when people hid feelings. By refusing tomunicate, it tended to cause misunderstandings. As they were a married couple, she only hoped that they were more upfront with each other. Unexpectedly, Shane narrowed his eyes and hissed at her, ¡°Change? What can you change?¡± My parents are already gone. What on earth can she change? Chapter 708 Chapter 708 At that point, Natalie was sure that he was furious over something she had done. Frowning, she deliberated on what could be a cause for it. Yet, she still did not have a clue. Rubbing her temples, she ranted, ¡°Still, tell me about it! At least I can get to understand why I won''t be able to change it. Besides, if I can''t do anything to reverse it, I canpensate you in another way!¡± ¡°You can''t make up for it no matter what you do or how hard you try,¡± Shane spat before pushing past her to open their bedroom door. He almost shoved Natalie onto the ground in the process, and she staggered aside before managing to regain her bnce. Her mouth hung open as she stared at him in disbelief. Did he just push me? Even so, he used so much force. From the door, Shane caught a glimpse of her startled expression, and his eyes flickered. Quickly lowering his gaze, he turned away to hide how apologetic he felt. The moment he pushed past her, he already felt a sense of regret. Despite so, he had to act otherwise. Natalie did not take long to recover from her shock. Ignoring what happened seconds ago, she seethed, ¡°Why can''t I make up for it? Why can''t you tell me?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Shane roared. ¡°If that''s all you have to say, save your words.¡± To talk about his parent''s car ident was thest thing he wanted to do. As long as he did not bring it up, they would still be a married couple. However, if he revealed what happened, they would probably end up filing for a divorce. It was because he knew that she would probably be ovee with so much guilt that she would choose to leave him. Reeling from his booming voice, Natalie shuddered but stated, ¡°Sure, we will not talk about it. Let''s talk about your attitude instead. I did something wrong, and it''s perfectly alright for you to be upset with me. But why do you have to act the same way around the children? Do you know how hurt they are?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Her husband scowled at her. ¡°They are not my biological children. Is there any reason for me to care about their feelings?¡± Instantly, Natalie gasped, and her heart felt like it was about to explode. ¡°How... can you say that?¡± ¡°Isn''t it true?¡± Shane looked at her with his face devoid of emotion. ¡°They were never my children, to begin with. It is good enough that I don''t abuse them in any way. Why should I treat them like my biological children?¡± After he finished his outburst, he turned and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the woman frozen to the ground in shock. How could he say that? Even though I never told him that the children were his, he did tell me he would treat them like his biological children before our marriage. What''s more, he has been so nice to them all this while... Did he cut them off because I might have done something wrong? Am I at fault? She looked at the bathroom and regretted deciding to only reveal the truth to him on his birthday. If she had told him earlier, would he still take out his anger on their children? She could bear his fury, but she did not want him to turn against their children too. With that thought in mind, Natalie squeezed her hands into a fist and decided not to hide the truth from him anymore. ¡°Shane.¡± She stood outside the bathroom and began to pound on the door. ¡°Shane, I know you can hear me from there. I have to tell you a secret regarding the children''s birth. You are actually...¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Before she couldplete her sentence, Shane threw the door open. He strode past without even looking at her. In a panic, she quickly chased after him to continue her sentence. ¡°Shane, Connor and Sharon are actually...¡± ¡°I''ll sleep in the guest room tonight.¡± Shane cut her off. Hearing that, Natalie''s face turned pale, and she stammered, ¡°You want to sleep in a separate room from me?¡± Once again, the man ignored her. Picking up a suit to wear the next day, he promptly left the room. When the door mmed shut, Natalie started to tremble. Her knees buckled, and she fell onto the ground. As she stared at the closed door, tears began to well up in her eyes. He... He actually abandoned me to sleep in the guest room! She bit her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks. I don''t understand. What on earth did I do? Was it so nasty that he had to treat me like that? If that''s the case, why does he have to keep the matter to himself? Not only is he keeping quiet about it, but he is also giving me the cold shoulder. Chapter 709 Chapter 709 Why! Natalie was unwilling to ept things as they were and was determined to rify things with Shane. Even if he did not say anything, she would force a reply out of him. If she did do something heinous, she hoped he could punish her straightforwardly instead of treating her and the children coldly. With that thought in mind, she quickly got up and walked out the door. However, once outside, she was stunned. The vi was so big that there were nearly a dozen guest rooms alone. Moreover, she did not know which one he had entered. Don''t tell me I have to search them one by one? She nced across the rows of rooms on the third floor and eventually decided to look through each one. The first was empty. The second too. Just as she was about to open the third door, Jacqueline suddenly came from downstairs. As soon as she saw Natalie standing palely in front of the guest rooms, she smirked. However, she asked in a doubtful tone, ¡°It''ste, Ms. Smith. Why''re you not resting? What''re you looking for?¡± However, Natalie ignored her and proceeded to open the third door. Nevertheless, Jacqueline did not throw a fit at being ignored. She could tell that Natalie was already on the losing end. Thus, she did not find it worth her time to get angry with her. Even if Shane still protected Natalie then, the more evidence he saw as time passed, his attitude toward Natalie would only be colder. Then, in the end, he would not protect her any longer. When that timees, Natalie will surely be kicked out! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Then, Jacqueline opened the fifth door with an excited expression. She deliberately raised her voice as she said, ¡°I''ming in, Shane.¡± After speaking, she looked over at Natalie with a provoking gaze before entering the room and closing the door. Natalie gripped tightly onto the door handle as her heart prickled with pain. When Shane left their bedroom to stay in a guest room, he had not told her which room he had gone to stay in. Instead, he told Jacqueline. Furthermore, he even let her enter his roomte at night. What on earth is he thinking! Instantly, Natalie began to feel upset. She stared at Shane''s door as she contemted what to do. However, she did not knock on the door to clear things up with him, for Jacqueline was there. After all, it was a private matter between her and her husband. She did not intend to let Jacqueline find out about it. Thus, Natalie took a deep breath and suppressed the bitter feeling in her heart before she turned around and headed back into her room. That night, she barely caught a wink of sleep. Hence, she had dark circles under her eyes the next morning, shocking both her children. ¡°Mommy, you...¡± Connor pointed at her eyes. She shook her head and replied, ¡°Mommy''s fine.¡± Then, she brought the two children to the stairs. Before heading downstairs, she nced over at the guest room Shane had stayed in for the night. Is he up yet? At that moment, Mrs. Wilson was busy cleaning downstairs. As soon as she saw the trio, she hurriedly put down the rag and went over. ¡°Madam, did you and sir fight?¡± Natalie lowered her head and replied in a soft voice, ¡°No.¡± Shane was merely giving her the cold shoulder. ¡°That''s weird!¡± Mrs. Wilson mumbled, frowning. At that, Natalie looked over at her and asked, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°This morning, when he came downstairs, I asked why you weren''t down yet. His expression turned very weird, and he left without eating.¡± Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°He left?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded, then asked, ¡°Did something happen? Something didn''t feel right between you twost night.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m also curious to know what happened.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± The housekeeper was stunned by her answer. ¡°You''re telling me you don''t know?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Natalie as she smiled bitterly. ¡°I asked him about it, but he refused to speak to me.¡± ¡°What exactly happened to him then?¡± whispered Mrs. Wilson in a suspicious tone. Seeing no need to reply to that query, Natalie brought her two children to the dining room. As they made their way there, Connor raised his head and asked, ¡°Mommy, did you and Daddy not make up yet?¡± Chapter 710 Chapter 710 ¡°No, Daddy hasn''t given Mommy a chance to speak to him yet,¡± she replied while patting his head affectionately. Sharon blinked innocently and asked, ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°I don''t know either.¡± Natalie''s eyes unconsciously dimmed with sorrow. Subsequently, Connor stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought. After breakfast, Natalie brought the two kids out. Then, once she dropped them off at kindergarten, she headed to herpany. On the way there, she was constantly distracted by her thoughts about the situation with Shane. As a result, she was not paying attention to the roads and almost rear-ended the car in front. Luckily, she reacted just in time to step on the brakes and narrowly avoid the ident. However, she still suffered some minor injuries. She had hit her forehead on the windscreen, causing pain and a buzzing feeling in her head. Thus, she quickly took out a mirror from her bag to look at her forehead. A big red patch that looked conspicuous and funny had appeared on her forehead, sticking out like a sore thumb. Just then, someone knocked on her car window. She put down the mirror and lowered the windows. It was a traffic policeman. He saluted, then said, ¡°Hello, miss. Please show me your driver''s license.¡± In reality, she already knew she would be stopped as she had suddenly braked. Thus, she did not say much as she took out her driver''s license. She was then given three demerit points and fined two hundred before being allowed to go. As she looked at the ticket in her hands, her head began pounding. Ever since yesterday, everything has gone wrong. When she was sending the kids to kindergarten just now, she had also almost slipped and fell. She shook her head to clear her mind, then started up the car again and drove off. Half an hourter, she arrived at herpany. As soon as she walked in, many employees were shocked by the red patch on her forehead. ¡°Ms. Smith, what happened to your head?¡± an employee asked as she pointed at Natalie''s head with a slender finger. Natalie smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°Don''t bring it up. I almost got into an ident.¡± ¡°What? An ident?¡± Joyce heard her words just as she exited her office. As a result, she immediately got frightened, threw her cup away, and took Natalie''s hands in hers. She looked Natalie up and down and asked, ¡°Did you get hit somewhere, Nat?¡± ¡°No.¡± When Natalie saw how worried her friend had be, her mood lifted. She smiled slightly and replied, ¡°I''m fine. I just hit my forehead earlier on.¡± ¡°Are you really okay?¡± Joyce asked again, still a little worried. From N?velDrama.Org. At that, Natalie nodded affirmatively. ¡°Really.¡± Seeing that Natalie''s gaze was clear and firm, Joyce eventually believed her and breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°That''s good. You scared me to death.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Natalie smiled embarrassedly. Joyce waved a hand of hers and said, ¡°It''s fine. Bute here. I''ll get you some ice for your head. What''re you going to do if it swells?¡± Upon saying that, she pulled Natalie toward the office. After all, there was a refrigerator in the office. Joyce took out some ice cubes and wrapped them in a towel before handing them to the other woman. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± replied Natalie with a smile. After which, she ced it against her forehead. The cold feeling instantly dispelled the grogginess in her head, causing her to be more energetic. Joyce leaned against her desk and stared at Natalie before she asked, ¡°Did you not rest wellst night? Your dark circles look really bad!¡± Hearing those words, Natalie''s eyes dimmed. ¡°Joyce, have I done something wrong recently?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her friend was taken aback by her sudden question. ¡°Why''d you ask this?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Just answer me. Did I?¡± The other woman pondered for a moment before she replied, ¡°No.¡± Natalie then tightened her grip on the towel. ¡°Then why''s Shane doing this to me?¡± ¡°What did he do to you?¡± asked Joyce as her expression turned serious. Natalie leaned back in her chair, saying, ¡°His attitude toward me changed since yesterday. It suddenly became cold, as though I''d done something wrong and made him angry. But he''s not willing to talk.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce frowned. ¡°Why''s he behaving like that? That''s a bit too much.¡± Natalie let out a deep sigh. ¡°It''s fine if that''s all there is to it, but I can''t ept him venting his anger on the children.¡± Chapter 711 Chapter 711 The words Shane said the previous night had genuinely hurt her. The man did not even want to see her. As a result, she did not have the chance to tell him about the identity of the two children. ¡°Damn! He''s taking it out on the children. Why''s he acting as such! It''s ridiculous!¡± Joyce scowled in dissatisfaction. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie put down the towel. ¡°His attitude did a sudden one-eighty yesterday. Even until now, it still feels so unreal.¡± ¡°Nat...¡± Joyce looked at her worriedly. However, Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m fine. I just feel a little tired. I still don''t know how long he''ll ignore me for though.¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? Just talk things out with him,¡± replied Joyce. However, Natalie smiled bitterly. ¡°It''s not that easy. I already thought of doing that yesterday. I tried to talk to him twice, but he refused to say anything. That''s why I feel so tired.¡± She then looked up at the ceiling. A frown appeared on her friend''s face as she chided, ¡°I really don''t know why he''s keeping all this in his heart. It''ll only worsen the misunderstanding between the two of you.¡± ¡°Yeah. But if he doesn''t want to talk, what can I do?¡± Natalie shrugged. Joyce then looked her in the eye and said, ¡°Find a chance to talk to him again.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Natalie replied, nodding absentmindedly. That''s the only way. I''ll talk to him tonight. We can''t keep going on like this, after all. After contemting, Natalie took out her phone and sent Shane a message. She texted: Let''s talk tonight, Shane. We''ll talk through any issues we have, okay? She hesitated before she sent another text: Also, I want to tell you a secret tonight. It''s very important. After she sent out both texts, Natalie stared at her phone, waiting anxiously for the man''s reply. However, no reply came, even after a very long time. As a result, Natalie''s heart sank. She had no idea if he did not see the message or was busy. He''s probably busy. She subconsciously found an excuse for him before putting down her phone. Maybe when he''s done with workter, he''ll reply to me. She sighed and smiled bitterly to herself. Meanwhile, at Thompson Group, Shane sat at his desk with his phone in his hand. His eyes were fixated on the two text messages from Natalie. Secret? What kind of secret? He frowned slightly, feeling doubtful. However, he did not bother replying to her messages. Suddenly, a knock on the door of his office sounded. He locked his phone and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Ss entered upon hearing his instruction. ¡°Mr. Shane, I have news about Sean.¡± ¡°You found him?¡± Shane asked, narrowing his eyes. However, his assistant shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, no. But there''s something strange.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane asked as he stared at him. Ss pushed his sses up the ridge of his nose and replied, ¡°It''s about the number. It should be a new one Sean bought. I found out that other than contacting madam, he also contacted someone else.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ms. Graham,¡± Ss slowly replied. Shane was stunned by that answer. ¡°Jacqueline?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane pressed his lips together and asked, ¡°Why would he contact Jacqueline of all people?¡± ¡°I don''t know. Why don''t you ask her, Mr. Shane?¡± suggested Ss. For a few seconds after that, Shane was silent. Then, he rubbed his temples and replied, ¡°Understood. I''ll ask her when I get home. You can leave.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss replied before he turned to leave. Leaning back against his chair, Shane stared at the ceiling, exhausted. After a while, he suddenly stood up and took his coat before leaving the office. Then, he drove off from Thompson Group and headed for the Thompson residence. At that moment, Sam and Catherine were watching TV. The butler suddenly walked in and said, ¡°Sir, madam, Shane is here.¡± The couple immediately exchanged nces with each other. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Sam shook his head. ¡°I don''t know. Let him in first.¡± Chapter 712 Chapter 712 The butler nodded and headed out to invite the guest in. Soon, Shane entered the house. Sam smiled and greeted him. ¡°It''s rare youe home, Shane. Is something the matter?¡± Catherine looked at the man as well and said, ¡°Sit down, Shane.¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± he rejected. He then looked at Sam and replied, ¡°I want to look at my parents'' room.¡± ¡°That room?¡± Sam frowned. ¡°It''s been closed off for over ten years. What''s there to see? It''s not been cleaned either. You better not go in.¡± ¡°It''s fine. I only want to take a look. I won''t touch anything.¡± After saying that, Shane then headed upstairs. Instantly, the couple downstairs leaned towards each other. Catherine asked in a low voice, ¡°What do you think he''s trying to do, Darling? He suddenly wants to look at his parents'' room. Do you think he found out about something?¡± ¡°Don''t sprout nonsense.¡± He red at her solemnly. ¡°If there really was something, it would have been discovered long ago. It wouldn''t only be found now.¡± ¡°That''s true.¡± Catherine nodded, though she was still a little worried. ¡°Since there can''t be anything right away, why exactly does he want to go in?¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll go take a look at what he''s up to,¡± Sam replied before heading off. Upstairs, Shane stood in front of a room whose door had traces of age. He slowly reached out and pushed open the door. Once the door swung open, a strong, musty smell came from inside the room. Moreover, there was a faint smell of dust in the air. The man frowned and waved his hands in front of his face. When the dust gradually settled, he then switched on the lights. Since the light had not been turned on for over ten years, it flickered unstably a few times before fully turning on. In that instant, he finally saw everything clearly in the room. Everything was the same as in the past, with no change except that the colors had faded. Dust and spider webs were everywhere, making the room feel deste. He pressed his lips together and walked inside. As he stood in the middle of the room, he looked around, his eyes darting in every corner. Although the room still looked the same, the people in it were no more. ¡°Shane.¡± Just as Shane was recalling the past, Sam''s voice brought him back to reality. The man turned around, displeased. ¡°What''s the matter, Uncle Thompson?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. I just came up to check on you,¡± replied Sam as he walked over. ¡°Shane, why''d you suddenly think ofing in?¡± he asked, his eyes observing Shane cautiously. It was as though Sam was trying to find out about something. Shane looked at his uncle calmly and replied, ¡°For all these years, I''ve never given up on finding the culprit that caused their car ident back then. Now that the culprit appeared, I can finally face all of this.¡± ¡°What? The culprit showed up?¡± As soon as Sam heard those words, his expression changed drastically, and he raised his voice. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°What''s with that reaction?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Uh...¡± Sam swallowed before he smiled sullenly. ¡°I''m happy. Your dad''s my only brother, after all. He left so suddenly that year. Like you, I was very upset. Now that I know that the culprit has appeared, I feel very happy.¡± Although the man spoke in a serious tone, the hand he held behind his back was trembling slightly. However, Shane did not seem to notice anything strange. He looked away before he replied, ¡°I see. It''s good that you''re happy, Uncle Thompson.¡± At that, Sam sighed and barely suppressed hisplex feelings before he asked, ¡°Who''s the culprit, Shane?¡± Upon hearing the question, the man lowered his eyes. ¡°They''re dead.¡± ¡°Dead?¡± Sam asked with widened eyes. His nephew merely hummed in reply. Seeing that Shane was not lying, Sam lowered his head and heaved a sigh of relief. However, he instead spoke in a regretful tone, ¡°What a shame. Then, do you still n to investigate the ident?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shane replied before pressing his lips together. Since Yulia was dead, he did not see any reason to investigate the matter any longer. Instead, what he had to consider now was his rtionship with Natalie. Chapter 713 Chapter 713 With Natalie''s involvement in the death of his parents, Shane''s rtionship with her was destined to be irreparable; the intimacy of the past never again attainable. When Sam heard that Shane wasn''t nning on investigating the matter, his heart settled back in his chest. But in the next moment, it leaped back to his throat. ¡°I''m not going to investigate my parents'' death, but I''ll continue investigating Grandpa''s suicide.¡± As soon as Shane said that, he pivoted and pinned his gaze on Sam. ¡°Uncle Thompson, Grandpa committed suicide at Thompson residence, and you happened to be there when it happened. As such, you probably know something I don''t. Is that not so?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Sam hastily denied in a booming voice even as he guiltily averted his eyes. ¡°Dad''s suicide was very sudden. He didn''t reveal any of his intentions before hemitted suicide, so how could I possibly know anything?¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Shane naturally didn''t believe him, and his gaze remained riveted on him. His uncle became utterly perturbed by his stare. Afraid that he would crack under the pressure and give the game away, Sam promptly made up an excuse and fled the room. Shane didn''t stop Sam from leaving, merely staring at his retreating figure with profound eyes. The hands in his pockets gradually clenched into fists. He could tell that his uncle was lying. Hmm... He must know why Grandpamitted suicide, but he''s reluctant to tell me. And from his guilty expression, it seems that he''s the reason for it! At that thought, a chilly aura emanated from him. No matter what the truth of the matter is, I''ll definitely uncover it! Subsequently, Shane retracted his gaze and continued studying everything in the room. After staying inside for an hour or so, he finally exited the room, locking the door behind him. However, he didn''t go downstairs and leave. Instead, he headed to David''s room. David''s room was no different from Shane''s parents'' room. It had been left untouched ever since his death, so dust and cobwebs took up residence in the room. The only difference was that it was to a significantly lesser degree. Besides, there were distinct footprints and handprints all over the room. Well, well... Someone must have been here before me. As for who it was, it goes without saying ¡ª it was either Uncle Thompson or Sean. They probably came to seek for clues to the will, only to return empty-handed in the end. As that thought urred to him, Shane sneered and walked over to David''s desk. Many books and documents remained on the desk, so he casually flipped through them. All of a sudden, his pupils constricted when he glimpsed a letter in one of the books that read: Dear Shane. ¡°Is this... a letter from Grandpa to me?¡± he muttered incredulously. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. He then took the letter out, but he didn''t open it. Instead, he studied the envelope. Not only was the envelope a tad yellowish, but the writing was also slightly faded, making it apparent that it had indeed been left a few years ago. So, this letter has indeed been left for me by Grandpa, yet he never told me about this. Havinge to that conclusion, Shane swiftly opened the letter. It read: Shane, I''ll be long gone by the time you read this letter. Don''t be surprised, for my suicide is of my own volition. Therefore, don''t investigate the truth behind my death. Honestly speaking, Shane, the people I''ve wronged most in my entire life are your parents. I had no choice, so please forgive my selfishness. Your uncle and his family are incorrigible, but the former is still my son. At the end of the day, I couldn''t bring myself to ruin them. As such, I chose to turn a blind eye to it all. ¡°What does this mean?¡± Shane''s profound eyes shone with puzzlement at that point of the letter. Why did Grandpa say that the people he wronged most were my parents? Also, why did he ask me to forgive his selfishness? His lips pressed into a tight line, for he could sense that the contents of the letter were no simple matter. It seemed to harbor a huge secret, but David had been so vague in the letter. Shane simply couldn''t figure out what the secret was. Having no other recourse, he continued reading. But Shane, I love you. I know your uncle and his family might try to snatch Thompson Group from you after my death, so I left you a will. In the will is the evidence of the crime theymitted. If they live their lives without bothering you, I hope you''ll let them off the hook. Chapter 714 Chapter 714 The letter then went on to say: But if your uncle and his family aren''t willing to behave, retrieve the will. I''ll be long gone and can no longer see their ruination. I''m not going to interfere in the matter anymore, but please don''t me me for covering up for them. The whereabouts of the willy with your parents. The will is with my parents? Shane clutched the letter in his hands, his brows furrowing deeply. My parents passed away almost ten years before Grandpa did, so how can the will be in their possession? This is probably a riddle! As he was mulling it over, the cell phone in his pocket rang out of the blue. Corralling his thoughts, he hurriedly retrieved his cell phone. When he saw that it was a call from Natalie, he hesitated for a few seconds before finally answering. ¡°Hello?¡± Upon hearing the man''s voice, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God he answered my call! I thought he was going to let it go to voicemail. Although his voice was cold and indifferent, she was already ecstatic that he picked up the call. After all, he didn''t even reply to her message earlier in the morning. Now that he answered my call, does it mean that his anger has dissipated significantly? ¡°Are you off work, Shane?¡± she inquired. The man on the line merely grunted in affirmation. Nheless, a smile bloomed on Natalie''s face. ¡°That''s great! I''lle and pick you up with the kids, then. We''ll go home together, okay?¡± Pursing his lips, Shane replied, ¡°It''s okay, you guys go ahead.¡± Hearing that, Natalie''s smile froze for a second. ¡°But you''ve gotten off work, no?¡± She thought his willingness to take her call meant that his anger had subsided, but he had now rebuffed her. Oh well, it seems that I read too much into things. ¡°I''m now at Thompson residence. I''ll head home by myselfter.¡± After saying that, Shane hung up the phone without giving her an opportunity to speak. As Natalie stared at the screen of her cell phone that had reverted to the main menu, her heart sank. ¡°Mommy, does Daddy not want us to pick him up?¡± Connor easily figured out the conversation that had taken ce via phone call when he glimpsed his mother''s destion. Putting down her cell phone, Natalie caressed both his and Sharon''s heads with a forced smile. ¡°It''s okay. Daddy said to head home without him.¡± ¡°What about Daddy, then? When is he going home?¡± Sharon asked, blinking her eyes. At that question, Natalie lowered her eyes to conceal the anguish in them. ¡°He''ll be going home soon. Alright, sit tight. I''m going to drive us all home now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sharon settled into her seat, believing her mother''s words with ease. Connor, however, frowned in contemtion of something or other. It was almost seven o''clock when they arrived back at the vi. As soon as Natalie opened the car door, the two children leaped out of the car and sprinted over to Mrs. Wilson. ¡°Mrs. Wilson!¡± ¡°What a good boy and girl you are!¡± The housekeeper ruffled the children''s hair lovingly. Then, she shifted her gaze to Natalie, who was walking over. ¡°Madam, didn''t Mr. Shanee back with you?¡± Natalie shook her head in response. ¡°No, he went back to Thompson residence.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why did he go back there?¡± Mrs. Wilson was very much puzzled. Chuckling, Natalie answered, ¡°I don''t know either. Perhaps he has something to do over there.¡± ¡°What could he have to do over there? He has never gone back ever since Mr. Thompson passed away,¡± Mrs. Wilson muttered. Without responding to that, Natalie led the children into the vi. Jacqueline was sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching television. When she saw theming in, she smirkingly greeted, ¡°You''re back, Ms. Smith?¡± Natalie merely grunted in response. ¡°Didn''t Shanee back with you?¡± Jacqueline stared at her intently. ¡°Haven''t you made up with Shane, Ms. Smith?¡± Hearing the glee in her voice, Natalie''s brows furrowed. ¡°That''s none of your business,¡± she countered in a cid voice. After saying that, she made to go upstairs with the children. All of a sudden, Jacqueline stood up and said, ¡°Do you know why Shane''s attitude toward you changed so drastically all of a sudden, Ms. Smith?¡± Stopping short, Natalie jerked her head back to look at her. ¡°Are you saying that you do?¡± Jacqueline shrugged before chortling. ¡°Of course, I do! But I''m not going to tell you.¡± Hah! I will never tell her! If I do, my n will be ruined. Meanwhile, Natalie suddenly released her hold on the children and strode over to Jacqueline. ¡°Ms. Graham, please tell me, won''t you?¡± Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Natalie truly wanted to know what exactly she had done wrong. After all, the feeling of being kept in the dark was a heavy cross to bear. ¡°Why should I tell you, Ms. Smith? How will it benefit me?¡± Jacqueline drawled, flipping her wig. At that, Natalie bit her lower lip. ¡°How about this? You can propose a stiption, and I''ll agree as long as it''s within reason.¡± ¡°You''re sure about that?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes glinted. Natalie nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright, then. I want you to leave Shane. Go far away with your children, and it''s best if you leave J City. Well? Can you do that?¡± Jacqueline stared right at her with a cold gleam in her eyes. All at once, Natalie''s eyes widened a touch. Never had she imagined that Jacqueline would propose such a stiption. ¡°Don''t you think you''re being unreasonable, Ms. Graham? I said you can propose a stiption as long as it''s within reason. This stiption of yours...¡± ¡°I don''t think this stiption of mine is unreasonable.¡± Jacqueline spread her hands. ¡°It''s within your capability, isn''t it, Ms. Smith? To me, anything beyond your capability is unreasonable. Besides, it won''t hurt you nor require you to sacrifice your life. It''s simple, no? How is it unreasonable?¡± ¡°You''re simply...¡± ¡°You''re deliberately putting Mommy in a tight spot!¡± Connor interjected before Natalie had finished speaking. His tiny hands fisted, and he red at Jacqueline furiously. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The same went for Sharon. Jacqueline, on the other hand, crossed her arms, unbothered. ¡°Ms. Smith, your two children reallyck manners to butt in when adults are speaking.¡± Her snide remark infuriated Natalie greatly. As such, the woman stared at her coldly. ¡°Ms. Graham, it''s indeed wrong of them to butt in, but it doesn''t mean that theyck manners. They are merely defending their mother, so I think they''re very noble and brave.¡± The two children felt touched upon hearing that. ¡°Mommy...¡± ¡°It''s okay, for everything''s fine.¡± Natalie ced her hands on their shoulders and patted them gently. Jacqueline''s lips curved into a cold sneer. ¡°But in my opinion, these two bastards have no manners at all!¡± ¡°What did you just say about my children?¡± Natalie''s face darkened, and her voice was icy cold without a hint of warmth. Argh! How dare she say that my children are bastards? Connor and Sharon were likewise livid, and their tiny hands clenched into fists. ¡°That''s not true! Connor and I aren''t what you say we are!¡± Sharon wailed. While her brother kept silent, the look in his eyes as he stared at Jacqueline was exceedingly chilly. Seeing that, Jacqueline couldn''t help shuddering, for it was as though she saw Shane when Connor was mad. But in the next moment, the haughty woman recovered herposure and mockingly questioned, ¡°Is that not true? Although the two of you address Shane as Daddy, is he really even your father? You both are merely a burden to him!¡± Weeping, Sharon wanted to rush forward to hit her while screaming, ¡°We''re not a burden! You''re an evil woman! You''re evil!¡± Upon seeing that, Natalie grabbed her daughter. Scooping her up into her arms, she hugged her tightly. ¡°Alright, Sharon, don''t act impulsively.¡± The young girl clutched at her clothes and wept uncontrobly. ¡°Mommy, Connor and I aren''t bastards or a burden, right?¡± Burning with chagrin, Natalie nodded firmly. ¡°No, you two aren''t bastards, nor are you two a burden. You''re both Mommy''s priceless treasure.¡± Only after hearing that did the ire and anguish within Sharon subside. ¡°Ms. Graham, aren''t you afraid that Daddy would learn about you saying such vile things about us?¡± Connor regarded Jacqueline coldly, suppressing the fury zing within him. Nevertheless, Jacqueline nonchntly flipped her wig. ¡°Why should I be afraid? Do you think your father will side with you? That''s wishful thinking, for he doesn''t like the two of you anymore. Didn''t you notice that?¡± At that question, Connor paled for a moment, left with no retort. Indeed, she''s right. Daddy''s attitude toward us in the past two days has been there for all to see, so how could I possibly have not seen it? At the sight of both her son and daughter being dealt such a heavy blowy, Natalie finally snapped. Putting Sharon down, she lifted her hand and swung it right across Jacqueline''s face. Chapter 716 Chapter 716 p! A resounding p echoed around the room. Clutching her face, Jacqueline was wholly stunned. ¡°You dare hit me?¡± The two children were also rather shocked at Natalie''s action. But in the next second, Sharon began pping her hands in delight. ¡°You were amazing, Mommy!¡± Likewise, Connor felt that it was indeed a fitting punishment for Jacqueline. His mother''s actions were gratified. However, he was a tad worried for Natalie. Ms. Graham is very important to Daddy, so he might be angry when he hears that she hit her. ¡°So what if I hit you? Am I supposed topromise no matter what you do?¡± In a frigid voice devoid of emotion, Natalie dered, ¡°When you said that my children are bastards and a burden, you should have anticipated such a consequence.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How dare you?¡± Jacqueline''s face contorted into a mask of pure fury. Simrly, she raised her hand to p Natalie in return. Seeing that, Natalie''s eyes narrowed a fraction. Grabbing her hand, she again swung her hand at Jacqueline,nding it on the other side of her face. With that, Jacqueline was left with palm prints on both sides of her face. At the impact, the woman copsed onto the sofa, her head spinning and her cheeks burning. How dare she? How dare Natalie Smith p me? A wave of enmity and wrath engulfed her, working her up into ather that made her tremble all over. At that precise moment, a series of footsteps rang out, followed by a man''s deep and aloof voice. ¡°What the hell is happening here?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes glinted, and she immediately scrambled up from the sofa. Dashing over to Shane, she threw herself into his arms. ¡°Shane, Ms. Smith hit me...¡± She sniffled piteously. ¡°Natalie hit you?¡± Shane frowned, clearly doubting the veracity of her words. Sensing his doubt, Jacqueline lifted her head and pointed at her face. ¡°Look, this is courtesy of Ms. Smith. She pped me twice! It hurts so badly, Shane..¡± As she said that, she started sobbing again. Glimpsing the palm prints on her face, Shane pursed his lips and looked at Natalie. ¡°Give me a reason.¡± He understood her ¡ª she wasn''t the kind of person who would hit someone without reason. Thus, there had to be a reason for her actions. Sweeping a frosty look over theining Jacqueline, Natalie opened her mouth to speak. But before she could do so, Connor took Sharon''s hand and chimed in, ¡°Daddy, Mommy isn''t at fault in this matter. Ms. Graham provoked us first.¡± Pointing at Jacqueline, he proimed, ¡°She said Sharon and I are bastards and a burden, so Mommy pped her. She only has herself to me for being so vile!¡± What? Bastards? A burden? Shane''s eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked down at Jacqueline. ¡°Is that true? Did you really say such things?¡± ¡°No, Shane! You know I''d never say such things. Connor is lying.¡± Jacqueline stared at the young boy with a hurt expression. ¡°You''re lying! Connor was merely telling the truth! You indeed said that earlier!¡± Sharon stood up and yelled. At that, Jacqueline''s expression turned all the more aggrieved. ¡°Is this how you educate your children, Ms. Smith? Don''t you even care that they''re lying?¡± ¡°My children aren''t lying. On the contrary, I think I educated them very well. I''m proud of them. It''s you, Ms. Graham, whom I think should be educated. You''re a grown woman, yet not only did you insult my children, but you''re even lying without batting an eyelid,¡± Natalie retorted, gripping her children''s hands. After saying that, she turned to Shane again. ¡°Shane, the children are speaking the truth. Ms. Graham indeed said that they were bastards. Trust me.¡± Shane lowered his eyes, his gaze so profound that one couldn''t discern his thoughts. Right then, Jacqueline tugged at his hand. ¡°I really didn''t do that, Shane. Besides, there must be a reason if I were to do so. Why would I revile them for no reason? I don''t have any grudges against them.¡± ¡°Indeed, you don''t have any grudges against them. However, you do have a grudge against me. They''re my children, so that''s reason enough for you to target them as well, no?¡± Natalie riposted with a bark of sardonicughter. Ever the victim, Jacqueline bit her lip in a pitiful manner. ¡°Ms. Smith, don''t you think you''re going too far to use me of that?¡± Chapter 717 Chapter 717 ¡°No, because that''s the truth,¡± Natalie answered expressionlessly. All at once, Jacqueline''s eyes reddened. ¡°Shane...¡± ¡°That''s enough.¡± The man withdrew his hand from her grasp. ¡°Since the two of you have different stories, let''s just check the security footage to get to the bottom of this matter.¡± Security footage? Jacqueline''s pupils constricted, and a trace of panic manifested on her face. ¡°There are spy cameras in the vi?¡± Like her, Natalie gaped at Shane in astonishment. However, it wasn''t because she was surprised about the presence of spy cameras in the vi. Instead, she wondered how Shane knew about them since she was the one who had installed them, and she never told him about the matter. ¡°Daddy, Ms. Graham is panicking! She''s gotten scared after hearing about the security footage!¡± Connor eximed excitedly while pointing at Jacqueline. Only then did Jacqueline realize that she had overreacted at hearing about the security footage, so much so that she had tipped her hand. For a moment, the woman didn''t quite dare look at Shane. Panicked, she blurted, ¡°Shane, I...¡± ¡°You know what? There are no spy cameras in the vi. That was only something I made up to gauge both of your reactions. I''m very disappointed in you, Jacqueline.¡± After saying that, Shane brushed past the woman and headed toward the staircase. When he walked past Natalie, thetter called out to him, saying, ¡°Shane, did you see the text message I sent you this morning? Can we talk?¡± ¡°There''s nothing to talk about.¡± Having said that coldly, Shane continued walking and went upstairs. Natalie''s gaze dimmed, and she lowered her eyes. At that moment, she felt physically and mentally exhausted. Just then, Jacqueline abruptly whirled around and shot daggers at her. ¡°Don''t get ahead of yourself, Natalie Smith! I won''t lose even if I''m exposed this time!¡± After saying that, she retracted her gaze and trudged upstairs as well. Thus, only Natalie and the two children were left in the living room then. While still holding Sharon''s hand, Connor looked up at her. ¡°Mommy, Daddy''s attitude toward us is still the same. What should we do now?¡± Stifling the weariness within her, Natalie reached out and stroked the children''s faces. ¡°It''s okay. Don''t worry, for I''ll handle it.¡± ¡°But...¡± Connor seemed to have more to say. Natalie massaged her temples and cut him off. ¡°Alright, go back to your room first. I need some time alone to think of a way to patch things up with Daddy.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Connor nodded before dragging Sharon upstairs. While trudging up the stairs, Sharon whispered, ¡°Connor, are we going to be fatherless again if Daddy continues treating us in such a manner?¡± ¡°No,¡± Connor replied with a solemn expression on his face. ¡°I''ll also figure out a way to reconcile Daddy and Mommy. As long as they make up, Daddy will still be our father.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll help, too!¡± Sharon beamed from ear to ear. ¡°Let''s go back to our room and think of a way, then.¡± Connor opened the room door and pulled her into the room. Meanwhile, in the study... From N?velDrama.Org. Jacqueline anxiously stood before Shane''s desk. ¡°Are you mad at me, Shane?¡± ¡°Jacqueline Graham, this is already the second time you tried to frame Natalie. The previous time, you imed that it was her who pushed you when you fell on your own ord. And this time, it was also you who created the entire problem. Not only did you point the finger at Natalie, but you even dragged the kids into it. When did you be so vicious?¡± Shane regarded the woman in front of him as though she was a stranger to him. Inwardly, Jacqueline panicked for a moment before her expression turned aggrieved. ¡°How could you call me vicious, Shane? I only did it for your sake.¡± ¡°For my sake?¡± The man''s brows knitted together. Jacqueline nodded. ¡°Yes. I asked youst night why you''re suddenly so indifferent toward Ms. Smith, and you told me she''s your enemy, so I wanted to help you out.¡± ¡°Are you telling me your so-called help is by using such crudenguage to hurt two innocent children?¡± Shane mmed his hand on the desk. At his rage, a tremble went through Jacqueline. ¡°I had no choice but to do that. You love Ms. Smith, but there''s an irreconcble grudge between the two of you. So, I wanted to have her leave you of her own volition. That was the only reason I said such things.¡± Chapter 718 Chapter 718 Speaking of that, Jacqueline inhaled before continuing, ¡°As long as Ms. Smith can''t tolerate the insults, she''ll definitely leave of her own volition. And so, you won''t have to feel conflicted about facing her anymore, Shane.¡± ¡°Jacqueline Graham, you know full well whether you''re really doing it for my sake or your own sake.¡± As Shane stared at her, his eyes narrowed as though he had seen through her. Stricken, Jacqueline instinctively averted her gaze. ¡°Of course, I''m doing it for your sake, Shane. I''m now dating Jackie, so I''ll never betray him.¡± ¡°Hopefully, that''s true,¡± Shane coldly asserted. Upon seeing that he wasn''t nning on pursuing the matter, the woman breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at him, she then asked, ¡°So, what do you think of my idea, Shane? Since you don''t know how to face her, separation is the best choice.¡± ¡°This is a personal affair of mine. I don''t need you to poke your nose into it.¡± Shane pursed his lips impatiently. However, resentment inundated Jacqueline. ¡°Don''t tell me you''re reluctant to part with her, Shane. Ms. Smith is one of the culprits behind your parents'' death. What would they think if you continue being with her and even help to raise her two kids?¡± ¡°That''s enough! Get out! My affairs are none of your business!¡± With his face nketed with frost, Shane pointed at the door. Aware that he was enraged, Jacqueline didn''t dare confront him further. She deliberately softened her voice and murmured, ¡°Alright, I''ll leave. But Shane, I hope you''ll really consider my words. That''s best for both you and Ms. Smith. Otherwise, the two of you will be a miserable couple.¡± After saying that, she spun around and left. Silence again descended upon the study. Wearily closing his eyes, Shane ced his arm over them to block out the light. I know separation is the best choice, but I really love Natalie. My heart aches at the thought of being apart from her. What am I to do? As he was contemting the issue, his cell phone rang. Removing his arm, he picked up his cell phone. After casting a nce at the caller ID, he ced it by his ear. His voice was low and weak when he asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I heard from Jacqueline that your rtionship with Natalie has fractured. Is that true?¡± Jackson inquired. Shane kept mum. At that, Jackson let out a sound of sympathy. ¡°Well, it looks like it''s true. Jacqueline said Natalie''s mother was the culprit behind your parents'' hit-and-run. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His Adam''s apple bobbing slightly, Shane blurted that single word coldly. Jackson nudged his sses when he heard that. ¡°In that case, I now understand your attitude toward Natalie. With the death of your parents between the two of you, your rtionship with her can''t possibly return to how it used to be. But the two of you can''t continue like this forever. There must be a resolution. What''s your n?¡± Shane leaned back against the chair and stared at the ceiling with dull eyes as he replied, ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°I knew it. You love her deeply, after all.¡± Jackson chuckled lowly. Subsequently, he reminded, ¡°However, it''s best to resolve it as soon as possible. Dragging it out won''t be good for either you, Natalie, or the two kids.¡± ¡°I don''t need you to remind me of that,¡± Shane countered expressionlessly. In response, Jackson merely shrugged. ¡°I wouldn''t have called you if it weren''t for the fact that you''re my friend. Anyway, resolve it as soon as possible. It won''t be good to drag it out. Also, the person who exposed Natalie''s mother as the culprit behind your parents'' death must have an ulterior motive. Otherwise, he or she wouldn''t have done so at this exact time.¡± ¡°I know, and Ss is investigating it.¡± s, the investigation hadn''t yielded any results thus far. ¡°Okay, then. I''ll stop speaking of that topic. How about having some drinks with me tonight? Jacqueline said you''ve been very depressed in the past two days.¡± Jackson extended an invitation to him. From N?velDrama.Org. Shane''s thin lips twitched. He initially wanted to decline, but in the end, he agreed. Hanging up the phone, he then put away his cell phone before getting to his feet and leaving the study. When he reached thending, he spotted Natalie, who was ascending the stairs. Coincidentally, the woman was on her way to seek him out. The moment she caught sight of him, her eyes lit up. ¡°Wait a minute, Shane!¡± Afraid that he would ignore her, she quickly grabbed his arm, not allowing him to leave. Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Shane didn''t shake Natalie off, halting his steps. At that, the woman breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Shane, I know you don''t want to talk about our problem right now, and that''s okay. We''ll talk another time. This time, let''s talk about something else. I sent you a text message this morning, saying that I want to tell you a secret. I initially wanted to tell you the secret on your birthday as your birthday gift, but I now can''t wait anymore.¡± Speaking of that, she inhaled deeply to suppress the anxiety within her. While staring right at him, she slowly murmured, ¡°This secret is about the kids'' background. In truth, they''re actually your biological children.¡± All at once, Shane''s eyes narrowed. They are my biological children? That''s impossible! Glimpsing the shock in his eyes, Natalie hung her head. ¡°I''m really sorry that I''ve been keeping you in the dark. It was because I was afraid you''d fight me for custody. I was going to tell you after we got married, but I just couldn''t find an opportune time. So, I decided to tell you about it on your birthday. I never expected...¡± ¡°Do you think I''ll believe your words?¡± Shane coldly cut her off before she had finished speaking. Taken aback, Natalie looked up at him. When she saw the derision in his eyes, her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean by that, Shane? Do you think I''m lying to you?¡± ¡°Are you not?¡± Shane shook her hand off. The woman immediately shook her head in denial. ¡°Of course not! I''m telling you the truth! They''re really your children. On that night five years ago...¡± ¡°That''s enough. I know full well whether they''re my children. Do you think I''ve never had a paternity test done?¡± The contempt in Shane''s eyes intensified. Hearing that, Natalie was entirely stumped. ¡°You had a paternity test done? When was that? Why didn''t I know about it?¡± ¡°I was suspicious of Connor''s rtionship with me when I first met him, so I had Ss obtain his blood sample for a paternity test. The results indicated that we aren''t rted by blood.¡± ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Natalie protested loudly. I''ve only ever been with him. And how could Connor not be his child when they''re both so simr in looks? ¡°It''s entirely possible because I did a paternity test twice. Both times, the results indicated otherwise,¡± Shane asserted, pursing his lips. Natalie, however, went as pale as a sheet. She shook her head fervently. ¡°N-No, that''s impossible. You''re lying to me.¡± Whose child can be Connor if not his? Could it be that the man that night wasn''t him? No, that can''t be it! The security footage proves that it was indeed him that night! ¡°Shane, could it be that you''ve been duped?¡± Natalie eximed emotionally. ¡°Connor and Sharon are really your children. How about we do another paternity test?¡± ¡°No need. The results will be the same no matter how many times a paternity test is done.¡± Shane regarded her coldly. ¡°I don''t know why you keep insisting they''re my children, but the truth remains that they''re not. You''re making yourself appear despicable and odious by insisting otherwise.¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie felt as though she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. Trembling, she almost toppled over. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. I''m despicable and odious? I''m telling him Connor and Sharon are his children. How is that despicable and odious? She stared at him in stark anguish. However, the man ignored her and promptly descended the stairs. ¡°Where are you going, Shane?¡± Natalie grabbed the banister and looked down at his figure. s, the man neither stopped nor answered her, his figure disappearing from her line of sight in a blink of an eye. ¡°Mommy.¡± Connor''s childish voice sounded from behind her. Hastily dashing off her tears, Natalie then turned around and forced a smile. ¡°What''s wrong, Baby?¡± ¡°I overheard your entire conversation with Dad... No, I mean, Mr. Shane.¡± Connor toddled over. Catching the sudden change of address, Natalie''s heart jolted. ¡°You overheard the entire conversation?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The boy nodded in affirmation. ¡°Mr. Shane is right. Sharon and I aren''t his children. Actually, it wasn''t just him who had suspicions when he first met me. I suspected that he might be my father as well when I first met him.¡± Chapter 720 Chapter 720 ¡°What did you just say?¡± Natalie''s jaw dropped. ¡°You had your own suspicions as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Connor nodded in affirmation. ¡°I bear a close resemnce to Mr. Shane, after all, so it was only natural for me to suspect that he''s my father.¡± Hearing that, Natalie dipped her head without saying anything further. Well, that''s true. Considering their striking resemnce, I dare say for certain that Shane was indeed the man I was with that night all those years ago! But... Why did the results of the paternity test indicate otherwise? ¡°Mommy, do you remember the first time he visited our house?¡± Connor took her hand. ¡°That time, I identally yanked out a few strands of his hair.¡± At that, understanding dawned upon Natalie. ¡°It was deliberate on your part, Connor?¡± ¡°Yes. I suspected he was my father, so I deliberately acquired his hair and asked Uncle Stanley to do a paternity test between him and I. The results were exactly as he said. Sharon and I aren''t his children,¡± Connor replied. All at once, Natalie''s vision blurred. Only her timely grasp on the banister saved her from a bad fall. Even if the two paternity tests done by Shane were falsified, Connor''s couldn''t have been falsified, no? So, the kids are really not his children? But whose children could they be, then? She propped a hand against her forehead, her entire body feeling as though it had been encased in ice. She had always believed the children were Shane''s, so the results of the paternity tests made her feel as though a bucket of cold water had just been poured over her head. Thus, she couldn''t quite ept the reality presented to her. ¡°Mommy...¡± Connor called out to her in concern upon seeing her increasingly pale countenance. When she looked down and met her son''s concerned gaze, her heart clenched. Crouching, she scooped him into her arms and started sobbing. ¡°I''m sorry, Baby. I''m really sorry.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. This is all on me. It''s because of me that the kids have had no father ever since birth, and it''s also because of me that they suffered the vilest verbal attack! Connor patted her back lightly in constion. ¡°Mommy, there''s nothing to apologize for. You''ve always loved Sharon and I very much. You''ve done your best to protect us, so we''re very happy. You don''t need to apologize, Mommy.¡± At her son''s understanding words, Natalie was bothforted and touched. Her sobs grew in volume. At that exact moment, Sharon came out after hearing themotion from within her room. She had no inkling of what had happened, but still, she bawled alongside her mother. Exasperated, Connor mollified both his mother and sister in turn. After weeping for an indeterminate time, Natalie released her hold on Connor. ¡°Mommy, not only does Mr. Shane not like me and Sharon now, but he also treats you indifferently. Do you still want to stay with him?¡± Connor asked. Hearing that, Natalie gaped at him. ¡°Baby, are you...¡± Connor, however, continued, ¡°If you still want to stay with him, Sharon and I will also help you patch things up with him. We''ll figure out a way to revert him to his past self. But if you don''t want to stay with him, we''ll go back to our previous apartment.¡± Natalie wavered at his words, but in a sh, her waffling was washed away by her love for Shane. ¡°Do you guys want to leave this ce?¡± she questioned while caressing the children''s heads. She loved Shane, so she was reluctant to leave. But if the children wished to leave, she would definitely prioritize them. Sharon shook her head. ¡°No, I don''t want to leave. I like Daddy, and I don''t want to leave him.¡± Natalie looked at her son. ¡°What about you, Connor?¡± The boy nodded, echoing Sharon''s sentiments. ¡°I don''t want to leave either unless Daddy says he doesn''t want us anymore.¡± While Shane wasn''t his biological father, Connor idolized him. Maybe Mr. Shane''s dislike of us is only temporary, and he''ll like us again soon enough. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief at their answers. ¡°Alright, we''ll stay, then. We''ll trust in your daddy and believe that he''ll revert to his past self.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two children nodded in concert. Then, Natalie ushered them back to their room. When they had left, she didn''t tarry either, returning to her room instead. Taking out her cell phone, she browsed for a video and yed it. The video was the security footage of that night five years ago. Chapter 721 Chapter 721 She wanted to watch it again to ascertain whether she had missed anything. She needed to know whether it was Shane that night or another man who bore a close resemnce to him. However, after she watched the security footage, she was all the more certain that it had indeed been Shane. Why did all three paternity tests indicate that the kids weren''t his then? What exactly went wrong? At that thought, a shiver ran down her spine, and goosebumps broke out all over her. She felt as though she had fallen into an abyssal trap that she could never again crawl her way out. Tossing her cell phone away, she sprawled onto the bed wanly and stared at the ceiling. Her gaze remained vacant for a long while until her eyelids started growing heavy. Only then did she turn on her side and close her eyes. Everything that had happened in the past two days had been a great burden to her, exhausting her both physically and mentally. It was so taxing on her that she couldn''t even sleep well at night. Now that she was finally feeling drowsy, she promptly dozed off. After sleeping for a few hours, she was awakened by a great thirst. Massaging her temples, she slowly sat herself up. When her mind was much clearer, she flipped the covers and got out of bed to go downstairs for some water.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Just when she stepped out of the room, she was greeted by a sight that had her eyes narrowing a fraction and her expression darkening. She saw Jacqueline exiting the guest room in which Shane was staying in a thin nightgown with spaghetti straps. Closing the door, Jacqueline then turned around. When she caught sight of Natalie, she was stunned for a moment before her lips curved into a smile. ¡°Good evening, Ms. Smith.¡± Conversely, Natalie didn''t respond to her greeting. ¡°Ms. Graham, why are youing out of my husband''s room at this hour?¡± she demanded coldly. Jacqueline nonchntly flipped her wig. ¡°Oh, that... Well, it''s nothing scandalous. Shane just came home, and he''s foxed, so I helped him back to his room.¡± Shane went out for some drinks? Natalie''s brows creased as chagrin swamped her. He didn''t even tell me he was going to do so! And when he came back foxed, he actually allowed Jacqueline to help him back to his room! Argh! As that thought urred to her, her hands clenched into fists, and her voice hardened. ¡°Oh, really? Then, I''ve really got to thank you for taking such good care of my husband, Ms. Graham.¡± ¡°No worries. Shane wants some water, but there''s no water in the room, so I''ll go downstairs and get him some.¡± As Jacqueline said that, she made to descend the stairs. However, Natalie called out to her, insisting, ¡°It''s okay, Ms. Graham. Since I''m now here, I should naturally be the one to take care of him since I''m his wife. So, you don''t have to go to the trouble, Ms. Graham.¡± Nheless, Jacqueline merely chuckled. ¡°It''s no trouble at all. It''s only right that I take care of him since he''s been so good to me.¡± ¡°That isn''t how the world works. Don''t forget; I''m his wife, Ms. Graham. He has me, so it shouldn''t be you taking care of him. The person you should be caring for is Mr. Baker. Therefore, I hope you''ll be mindful of your boundaries. Otherwise, Mr. Baker will be heartbroken.¡± After her words fell, Natalie retracted her gaze and glided down the stairs without looking at the other woman anymore. Rooted to the spot, Jacqueline clutched the banister tightly. The smile on her face crumbled and twisted a touch. Damn it! She was obviously warning me! But never mind... I''ll just see how long she can remain smug! s, Natalie had no inkling of her thoughts. After drinking some water, she poured a ss of water and took it upstairs. Then, she opened the door of the guest room Shane upied and went in. The room was brightly lit. Shaney on the bed with his eyes screwed shut and his cheeks flushed red. He waspletely wasted; a strong stench of alcohol was emanating off him. The man''s jacket was gone, leaving him in his shirt. His shirt, however, was wrinkled with two buttons at his cor undone, his tie hanging loosely around his neck. On the whole, he appeared utterly pathetic. Sighing, Natalie softly called out to the man, urging, ¡°Wake up, Shane.¡± It wasn''t certain whether he heard her, but the crease of his brows deepened. Upon seeing that he remained unconscious, Natalie had no other choice. Taking a sip of water, she lowered her head and fed it him mouth to mouth. Chapter 722 Chapter 722 After Natalie repeated that several times, she had managed to feed him almost the entire ss of water. Seeing that the crease of his brows had eased, she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Just how much did you have to drink?¡± she muttered at the stench of alcohol hanging in the air. Then, she shrugged helplessly before cing the back of her hand on his forehead to check whether he was running a fever. After all, it wasmon to contract a fever from overindulgence. Fortunately, Shane wasn''t running a fever ¡ª he was merely sloshed. At that, Natalie''s heart that was lodged in her throat finally settled back in her chest. She then got up and went to the bathroom for a basin of water to wipe him down. Having done all that, she pulled the covers over him and made to leave. Out of the blue, Shane abruptly grabbed her hand. In a hoarse voice, he cried out, ¡°Don''t go!¡± Thinking that he was awake, she hurriedly whirled around only to realize that he was merely talking in his sleep. ¡°Don''t go!¡± the man repeated once more. ¡°I''ll stay.¡± Natalie sat back down on the edge of the bed. N?velDrama.Org content. Perhaps he heard her, for his grip on her hand loosened a smidge, and he didn''t clutch desperately at her anymore. She merely stared at him. After an indeterminate time, the flush on his face gradually faded. As such, he was probably sobering up. Sure enough, Shane''s eyelids twitched. In the next moment, he opened his eyes. Upon seeing Natalie, he frowned. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Upon hearing his chilly voice, the tion on Natalie''s face instantly disappeared. ¡°You were drunk, so I came over to take care of you.¡± Huh? I was drunk? Shane was startled for a moment before he remembered that he had gone out for drinks with Jackson. He identally imbibed because of everything that had happened in the past two days, so he then got hammered. ¡°Are you feeling unwell anywhere, Shane?¡± Natalie inquired when she noticed that he had suddenly gone silent. Just then, Shane noticed that he was holding her hand. His expression darkened, and he released his hold on her. ¡°No. You may leave now.¡± Natalie felt as though the air had been sucked out of her when he dropped his hand, and her anguish snowballed when she heard that. ¡°Shane, how about I stay and keep youpany tonight?¡± she murmured, gazing at him hopefully. Since he doesn''t want to give me a chance to talk to him, I''ll take the initiative to stay the night with him. Perhaps he''ll soften toward me then. However, the man remained unmoved. Flipping the covers, he sat up and massaged his temples. ¡°No, it''s okay. You may leave.¡± His voice was as cold as ever. Biting her lip, Natalie pleaded, ¡°Shane...¡± ¡°Leave!¡± Shane snapped. In an instant, the light in Natalie''s eyes vanished, and her expression dimmed. She got up and dragged her feet toward the door. Shane naturally didn''t miss her disappointment and dejection. A glimmer of distress shed across his eyes at the sight. In the next instant, however, his heart hardened again when he recalled the scene of his parents being mowed down. When Natalie left the room, she gently closed the door behind her. Then, she leaned against the door. Looking up at the ceiling along the corridor, she forced back the tears that threatened to fall. It was a long while before she finally managed topose herself and return to the master bedroom. That night, she again had trouble sleeping. The next day, the dark circles under her eyes became all the more distinct. She applied a thickyer of concealer to mask it, but still, the weariness on her face and fatigue in her eyes simply couldn''t be concealed. As he had done the past two days, Shane left early in the morning without staying for breakfast. As Natalie stared at his usual seat, she inwardly smiled bitterly. Well, well... Is he even reluctant to eat with me now? ¡°Mommy.¡± The two children''s childish voice interrupted her spections. Natalie turned to look at them. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We''re going to bete to school,¡± Connor reminded. Only then did Natalie snap back to reality and notice that it was almost nine o''clock. She hastily ced her cutlery down. ¡°Sorry, I lost track of time. Let''s go. I''ll drive you two to the kindergarten.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two children nodded obediently. Natalie quickly left the vi with them in tow. After dropping them off at the kindergarten, she drove to the office. Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Joyce greeted her with a smile. ¡°Nat, I''ve been waiting for you!¡± Natalie forced a smile and asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°You''re going to be part of an uing interview!¡± Joyce eximed, and handed over a document to Natalie. ¡°Interview?¡± Nodding, Joyce added, ¡°Yes! An interview session with those from Century¡ªone of the most influential magazines in Aploth! Their chief editor had gotten in touch with me in the morning, expressing their interest to interview you!¡± ¡°Why do they want to conduct an interview with me out of the blue?¡± Although I''m no longer a nobody, I don''t think I have made a name out of myself to the extent to be interviewed by such a renowned magazine. It won''t be much of a surprise if they''re aware I''m Mina after thepetition, but not many have been made aware of that as of now. Joyce answered, ¡°Century has agreed to conduct the session because of Mr. Horner''s rmendation and your designs! With that being said, it''s actually a session that''s conducted with another designer.¡± ¡°That won''t be much of an issue, but who''s the other designer we''re talking about?¡± Natalie wasn''t particrly against the idea of being interviewed along with another fellow designer. After all, it was a great honor to be interviewed by Century. Caressing her chin, Joyce replied, ¡°Actually, I''m not sure, but Mr. Horner told me Jessie would be there as well.¡± Natalie asked with her eyes narrowed to a slit, ¡°Jessie? Is she the one who has challenged me?¡± ¡°Yes! She has returned and purchased Jasmine''s studio to set up her studio at J City!¡± ¡°She purchased Jasmine''s studio?¡± ¡°I have just heard about it as well. As of now, it''s still not open to the public yet.¡± Natalie looked at Joyce and asked, ¡°Alright, when will the interview session be conducted?¡± ¡°It''ll be conducted at Walden Hotel at two o''clock in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Alright, inform me when it''s about time. I''ll return to my office first.¡± Natalie took over the document and returned to her office. Staring at Natalie''s departing figure, Joyce tilted her head in confusion and thought Natalie seemed to be in a foul mood. However, she shrugged that off her mind and returned to her ce. When Joyce dropped by Natalie''s office during lunch hour, she was certain her spection was right¡ª Natalie was in a foul mood to the extent of having no appetite to have a meal. ¡°Nat?¡± As soon as Natalie heard Joyce, she snapped out of confusion and asked, ¡°Yes?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello? It''s time for lunch! Are you telling me you''re skipping lunch again?¡± Natalie nced at the time and noticed it was already half-past twelve. She tapped on her forehead and announced, ¡°My apologies! I''ll head over immediately!¡± She put everything aside and made her way to the entrance. However, she staggered and almost fell when she was about to reach Joyce. Joyce managed to stop her in the nick of time. Otherwise, Natalie might sustain another serious injury. As soon as Natalie brought herself up, she said, ¡°Thanks, Joyce!¡± ¡°Nat, what''s wrong with you over the past few days? Are you still in the middle of a conflict with Mr. Shane?¡± As Natalie looked elsewhere and went dead silent when she heard Joyce''s question, Joyce''s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Are you serious? It has been such a long time! Please tell me it''s not going tost forever!¡± Sighing, Natalie answered, ¡°I wish to patch things up with him, but he has turned down the suggestion to have a conversation with me. He was against the idea of meeting me in person, let alone telling me the things I had done wrong.¡± ¡°That''s very rude of him!¡± Natalie closed her eyes in an attempt to keep her emotions to herself. She announced, ¡°Joyce, I''m afraid I won''t be able to keep myself going for long.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Nat? Are you indicating you''re going to file for divorce with him?¡± ¡°I hope that won''t be the case, but if the situation persists as it is, it''s only a matter of time until things get to the point of no return. Connor told me I could always make my way back to the apartment if I couldn''t take it anymore. However, I decided to stay because I had no intention to give up just yet.¡± Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Joyce added with a nod, ¡°Well, it doesn''t make any sense for you to give up when you have just gotten married some time ago.¡± ¡°I''m afraid the children will be the sole victim of our strained rtionship. Shane didn''t even bother to defend them when Jacqueline picked on them over a trivial matter.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Infuriated, Joyce mmed the table and yelled, ¡°What the heck! How dare Jacqueline pick on my godchildren? This is so irritating! I''ll get her back in the near future! What on earth is wrong with Mr. Shane? How can he neglect his biological children? Wait, it''s your fault for keeping him in the dark!¡± ¡°I had long let the cat out of the bag.¡± ¡°Huh? Have you told him he''s Sharon and Connor''s father?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Natalie nodded and said, ¡°However, he said that was not the case because the DNA result indicated otherwise. He once did it with Connor, and the result indicated they weren''t rted at all.¡± ¡°Wait! What do you mean?¡± Joyce was confused and spent the next few seconds gathering her thoughts. ¡°Are you telling me they''re not biologically rted? How is that possible? Haven''t you told me Mr. Shane is their father? They can''t be unrted when Connor resembles Mr. Shane so much!¡± ¡°I can''t figure out the things going on as well.¡± Natalie buried her face in her hands and said, ¡°He''s the only man I have engaged in such an intimate session with. However, the DNA result indicates otherwise. I can''t help but think if someone else was there during that particr night.¡± Joyce felt awful because of the things her best friend had to go through. She asked, ¡°Has the thought of the DNA result being messed up not cross your mind?¡± Natalie shook her head and rebuked, ¡°I ruled out the possibility of that being the case because Jackson was the one who had conducted the examination.¡± It doesn''t make any sense for him to do that! ¡°If that''s the case, what could''ve gone wrong?¡± After much considerations, Joyce suggested, ¡°Why don''t you engage another doctor''s service to conduct the examination? You need to keep others in the dark until you get your hands on the report!¡± Natalie''s eyes gleamed because she thought that would be her next best course of action just to be sure. If the oue indicated they were biologically rted, she could prove someone had been messing with the result behind the scenes. ¡°Alright, thanks for the wonderful suggestion!¡± Natalie expressed her gratitude with a bright grin. Joyce tapped on her friend''s shoulder and asserted, ¡°Shall we put that aside and go get ourselves something to eat?¡± Natalie nodded and showed Joyce the way out. After they finished their meal, she took a short break in her office before heading over to the hotel for the interview session. As soon as Natalie reached the entrance, a woman who was almost her height showed up in an ostentatious outfit and stopped her. ¡°Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Natalie asked after bringing herself to a halt. She started sizing the woman up, but she couldn''t recall anything about the woman in front of her. However, that woman seemed to be well aware of her identity. The mysterious woman ran her fingers through her hair and introduced herself with a proud grin, ¡°Hello, I''m Jessie. It''s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°Jessie?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in disbelief. Seconds after she snapped out of bewilderment, she said, ¡°Hello, I''m Natalie!¡± ¡°I''m conscious of that much because I have long heard about you, Ms. Smith. After all, you''re considered a prodigy as well. I had always wanted to meet you when we were abroad. I can''t believe I only get to meet you in person today.¡± Natalie answered with her eyes flickering, ¡°I have always wanted to meet you in person as well. After all, I have been keeping the content of the email in mind.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m d you''re still keeping that in mind. Since it''s about time for the once-in-a-year competition, don''t you think it''s a great venue for a showdown? I can''t wait to figure out who''s the future of the fashion industry! What do you think, Ms. Smith?¡± Jessie provocatively repeated herself. Although Jessie had made her intention clear, Natalie was confused by the hostile intent she detected from her. Why is she picking on me when I have never encountered her? Is she jealous of my achievement because we''re equally skilled? Well, since I can''t think of anything else, I think that must be the case. I guess I''ll have to be on my guard against her in the future. Natalie returned the favor and remarked in a sarcastic manner, ¡°Sure! It''s a pleasure of mine, Ms. Syke! I mean, I can''t possibly turn you down when you have indicated the will to have a showdown with me ever since such ages ago, can I?¡± Chapter 725 Chapter 725 It took Jessie a few seconds to gather her thoughts. Once she snapped out of bewilderment, she answered with a smile, ¡°I''ll see you again very soon!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± As Jessie turned around and marched into the hotel ahead of Natalie, Natalie stopped forcing a smile and lost herself in a train of thoughts. What is it about her that feels so familiar to me? All this while, I thought Jessie was Jasmine, but it turns my spection has missed the mark. Jasmine wasn''t as tall as Jessie. On top of that, they''re of slightly different builds. Thus, it''s safe to assume Jessie isn''t Jasmine. With that being said, what''s with this awfully familiar sensation I have? As she couldn''t recall their encounter, she thought she had run into Jessie on the streets when she was still abroad. In the end, she decided to keep an eye on Jessie. She had an inkling that Jessie was up to no good against her. However, she couldn''t be sure of the thing the mysterious woman was up to. Nheless, she knew she couldn''t afford to let her guard down against someone with such a strong hostile intent against her. She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts for onest time before making her way into the hotel for her uing interview session. The interview session was conducted with Natalie and Jessie sitting next to one another on a couch opposite the journalist. It was a rtively straightforward interview session. The topic that had been touched on were Natalie and Jessie''s inspirations for their designs and their uing n. To Natalie''s surprise, Jessie had a simr vision of establishing her ownbel, tapping into the niche market of haute couture. The journalist queried with a smile, ¡°Well, I guess you guys are destined to be one another''s rival, huh? Correct me if I''m wrong, but you guys are participating in an uingpetition, representing different countries, no?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. When Natalie heard the journalist''s question, she arched her brows in confusion. I have always wondered the reason Jessie is able to take part in thepetition when I''m nominated to represent the country. It turns out she''s representing another country. ¡°I have to ept the offer because I can''t wait to have a showdown with Ms. Smith. When I was abroad, I had heard all sorts of tales about Ms. Smith. I''m also aware she''s Ms. Mackenzie''s disciple.¡± Halfway through her orated speech, Jessie looked at Natalie in the eyes and added, ¡°One way or another, the opportunity to represent our neighboring country has done me a favor.¡± ¡°I see!¡± The journalist nodded and directed her uing question at Natalie, asking in a calm and collected manner, ¡°Ms. Smith, how do you feel being deemed a worthy rival by Ms. Syke over here?¡± ¡°I guess it''s an honor? I can''t wait as well!¡± Natalie beamed her reply in a courteous manner. The journalist had long figured out there was something odd about the duo. Initially, she thought she could get her hands on some juicy insider news, but her effort was to no avail. She got up from her seat and wrapped up the session with a smile. ¡°Alright, I guess that''s all for today! All the best to both of you in the uingpetition!¡± Simrly, the duo got up from their seats and expressed their gratitude for the time and opportunity given. A few minutester, Natalie and Jessie were the only ones left in the private room after the journalist''s departure. Jessie recalled something and handed over her name card to Natalie. ¡°Ms. Smith, here''s my name card! Please drop by my studio if you''re free!¡± As soon as Natalie took over the name card, she took a peek at it. Her eyes narrowed to a slit when she saw the address of Jessie''s studio. It''s really Jasmine''s studio! I think Joyce''s intel is spot on for once¡ªJessie has acquired Jasmine''s studio! Jessie''s eyes glinted when she caught Natalie losing herself in a train of thoughts while staring at the name card. Grinning, she asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, is something bothering you?¡± Natalie shrugged everything off her mind and answered, ¡°Oh! It''s nothing! I just find your studio familiar!¡± ¡°I guess it''s because it used to be your sister''s studio! I had acquired the studio since I needed a ce with the equipment for the uingpetition. As the studio had been left inhabited after your sister''s passing, I got in touch with her mother and persuaded her to sell it off.¡± Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Natalie replied with her lips pursed, ¡°That sounds like the best thing to do, but allow me to correct you, Ms. Syke. I don''t have a sister. My brother is the only sibling I have.¡± ¡°Oh! I''ll definitely keep that in mind!¡± After Natalie put the name card in her bag, she asserted, ¡°It''s gettingte, Ms. Syke. I''ll be heading off in advance.¡± Jessie waved and bade farewell to Natalie, ¡°Goodbye, Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie made her way out of the private room after she responded with a simple nod. As soon as Natalie departed, she ced her cup of tea aside and started caressing her knees with her face scrunched up in irritation. Her wrath was written all over her vicious-looking face. A few minutester, she moved her hands away and returned to her usual calm and collected self, pretending as though nothing had urred. Meanwhile, once Natalie departed, she made her way to the kindergarten instead of making a trip back to her office. She reached the kindergarten after an hour. Once she pulled over at the entrance, she alighted from the car and leaned against it in anticipation of her children. Two minutester, she heard someone yelling and cursing. She turned around and looked in the direction of themotion. Three buff-looking little boys had surrounded a little boy who was around Connor''s height and started beating him without holding back. As they continued beating him up, they yelled at the scrawny little boy, ¡°Beat him up! His sister is a murderer! That makes him a potential murderer too! We can''t let him off the hook! Hurry up and beat him up!¡± Wrapping his arms around his head to defend himself, the little boy yelled, ¡°Move away from me! I''m not a murderer! My sister has never murdered anyone!¡± Unfortunately, the three buff-looking little boys couldn''t be bothered at all¡ªthey got increasingly brutal instead. The rest of the parents that were nearby didn''t bother to stop the fight as well. It was a horrifying and heartbreaking scene. Natalie''s brows furrowed because she had always deemed children the future of the country. It was then she noticed she had made a mistake. Although most of the children were of kind nature, there were a selected few who were born delinquents. I can''t believe they''re so brutal when they''re still so young! This is so disappointing! Unable to suppress her anger anymore, Natalie rushed over and yelled, ¡°Stop it!¡± At the end of the day, they were just children. Thus, they fled the scene the moment Natalie approached them with a stern look. She decided to let them off the hook and approached the beaten-up boy instead. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± The little boy inched away from Natalie in silence. When Natalie found out the little boy had been bruised all over his body, her heart shattered into pieces. He''s around Connor''s age! I can''t believe he has to go through all this when he''s supposed to have the best time of his life as a carefree child! Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Can you get up on your own?¡± Natalie asked in a gentle tone. Influenced by Natalie''s kindness, the little boy answered in a mellifluous tone, ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°Alright, can you please bring yourself up?¡± Natalie got up ahead of the little boy and waited for him to bring himself up. She felt a strong urge to help him up, but she knew it would be better to leave him alone, hoping he would be independent soon. That was the only favor she could do him. As soon as he brought himself up, he expressed his gratitude for the favor Natalie had done him. ¡°Thank you so much for chasing them away.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± Natalie handed over a pack of tissue to the little boy as he had been stained all over his body. He took a step back and dared not ept the pack of tissue Natalie had handed him as he deemed himself filthy when his pair of hands was covered in dust. Conscious of his concerns, Natalie stuffed the tissue in his pocket and asserted, ¡°Just take it and clean yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± All of a sudden, two little ones sprinted over in Natalie''s direction and yelled, ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Why are you guys running again?¡± Natalie stretched her arms and held them firmly in between her arms. Sharon wrapped her arms around her mother''s thigh and announced, ¡°We miss you!¡± ¡°I guess you''re not my sweetheart for no reason, huh?¡± Natalie caressed her daughter''s hair. Sharon chuckled in return. Meanwhile, Connor stared at the little boy next to them and asked, ¡°Mommy, what''s he doing here?¡± Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Natalie asked when she heard her son''s question, ¡°Huh? Do you know him?¡± Connor nodded, indicating he was conscious of the little boy''s identity. Afraid of embarrassing himself again, the little boy looked elsewhere and announced, ¡°I-I''ll be leaving immediately! Natalie grasped his wrist and asked, ¡°Wait! Aren''t your parentsing to pick you up?¡± She had been wondering why no one had bothered to help the little boy when he was beaten to a pulp. On top of that, his parents were nowhere to be seen. The little boy started weeping and stuttered, ¡°M-My father has long passed on! I-I have to make my way home on my own because my mother isn''t feeling well!¡± Natalie felt awful because of the series of misfortunes the little boy had to brace himself through when he was just a child. She couldn''t stand leaving the needy children behind ever since she became a mother of two. Thus, she offered, ¡°Where do you live? I''ll give you a ride home today!¡± The little boy gaped at Natalie''s offer. He waved and asserted, ¡°N-No¡ªI-I¡ª¡± Natalie interrupted him and asked, ¡°Aren''t you afraid they''re going to pick on you again?¡± He was rendered speechless by Natalie''s question. Holding the little boy''s hand, she announced, ¡°Come with me!¡± She turned around and beckoned Connor and Sharon to follow her back to the car. On their way to the little boy''s ce, Sharon took a seat next to Natalie. Connor and the little boy were seated next to one another at the back passenger seats. Once the little boy told Natalie the precise location of his ce, Natalie asked, ¡°What''s your name?¡± Connor got ahead of the little boy and answered on his behalf, ¡°He''s Joe.¡± Natalie chuckled andplimented, ¡°Joe? That''s quite an adorable name befitting a little boy like you!¡± Joe flushed when she heard Natalie''s reply. A short whileter, Natalie pulled over at the entrance of Joe''s ce and showed the little boy the way back to his ce. Once Joe alighted from the car, he waved and repeated himself, ¡°Thank you so much for everything!¡± Natalie urged Joe, ¡°It''s nothing worth thanking me over and over again, but promise me to share the incident with your mother and get her to acquire the teacher''s help to resolve the issue. Otherwise, they''re going toe after you again.¡± As a result, Joe''s eyes flickered in despair. However, he forced a smile and assured Natalie, ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°We''ll be heading back as well. I''ll see you again.¡± Natalie boarded the car and made their way back. Joe waved at the departing car until Natalie and her children disappeared amidst the bustling streets. He seemed to be in a great mood and bounced his way back to the obsolete t. In the meantime, Connor broke the silence and announced, ¡°It''s not going to work, Mommy.¡± Confused, her mother looked at him through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Connor shrugged his shoulders and added, ¡°Joe has been bullied for a long time. The issue has been highlighted over and over again, but there''s nothing the teachers can do to stop the boys. They''ll stop picking on him for a few days. However, it''s only a matter of time before they start picking on him again.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Natalie thought the only solution to resolve the issue was to transfer Joe to another kindergarten. Otherwise, he would be picked over and over again. Out of the blue, her son added, ¡°The ones who have been picking on him are his neighbors. They had been spreading rumors of his sister, iming she was a murderer after they witnessed her being taken into custody. Thus, everyone in the kindergarten has been made aware of the rumors.¡± ¡°Was that the reason the rest of the parents couldn''t be bothered to defend him when he was beaten to a pulp?¡± Her son nodded and answered, ¡°Joe has always been a loner in kindergarten. No one is willing to befriend him.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Natalie went dead silent. A few secondster, she asked, ¡°Did Joe''s sister really murder someone?¡± Connor shared his hypothesis with his mother, ¡°I can''t be sure, but she seems to have been taken into custody for the failed attempt of homicide. Joe insisted his sister was a scapegoat, but no one could be certain of the truth behind the incident.¡± His mother wrapped up the conversation and decided to stop poking her nose into Joe''s family affair. They soon returned to the vi. When she walked her children into the foyer, she saw a suitcase in the middle of the living room. Mrs. Wilson was in the middle of a phone call with someone. She nodded over and over again, assuring the person on the other end of the call, ¡°Alright, I''ll get someone to send it over as soon as possible.¡± Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Once she wrapped up the conversation and hung up the call, she saw Natalie and the two little ones the moment she turned around. Mrs. Wilson stuffed her cell phone into the pocket of her apron and greeted Natalie with a smile, ¡°Madam, you''re back!¡± Natalie nodded in return. She asked while having her eyes glued to the suitcase in the living room, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, is that Ms. Graham''s?¡± Is Jacqueline moving out soon? The thought of Jacqueline moving out soon made her ebullient. Overwhelmed by the great news, she failed to notice the change in Mrs. Wilson''s expression. Mrs. Wilson shook her head and stuttered in a hushed voice, ¡°N-No, it belongs to Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie''s heart sank to the bottom of her stomach when she heard Mrs. Wilson. She felt a chill running down her spine and had a hard time gathering her thoughts. She repeated after Mrs. Wilson, ¡°Shane?¡± As soon as she caught Mrs. Wilson nodding, she wanted to say something else but changed her mind at thest minute. Meanwhile, Sharon wasn''t able to fathom the meaning behind the incident, but Connor was well aware of the things awaiting them. N?velDrama.Org content. He asked with his fists clenched, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, is Mr. Shane moving out?¡± Mrs. Wilson was taken aback by the way Connor addressed Shane. She nodded and exined, ¡°He said he has quite a lot of things to deal with. Thus, it wouldn''t make any sense for him to travel back and forth. He will be staying at the apartment near thepany for the time being.¡± ¡°Ha! I''m pretty sure that isn''t the case! He''s just sick of living with us!¡± Natalie''s eyes started brimming with tears once she finished her sentence. Mrs. Wilson was about to say something, but she decided to keep those to herself since she was in no position to meddle with their affair. Although she was unaware of the things that had urred over the past two days, she was certain Shane had been avoiding Natalie. ¡°Mommy...¡± Concerned about his mother, Connor''s brows furrowed. Natalie took a deep breath and put on a strong front, asserting it was not a big deal with a smile, ¡°I''m fine! Why don''t you guys head upstairs ahead of me? I''ll give him a call!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Connor knew his mother wanted to have a conversation with the man. Thus, he brought Sharon upstairs with him as instructed. Simrly, Mrs. Wilson, who could foresee the uing situation, excused herself and departed with Shane''s suitcase. Natalie couldn''t stop her hands from shivering when she made the call. She was unsure if it was a result of her wrath of the fear of the unknown. One thing that was for sure was the fact she felt awful. The call got through, but Shane refused to pick it up. Natalie wondered if it was just a coincidence or if he had been dismissing her call again. Usually, she would wait for a few minutes before making another call, but she couldn''t wait any longer. She was determined to call him until the call was answered. In the end, after several consecutive calls, Shane finally picked it up. Natalie wasn''t pleased the slightest bit¡ªit was evident he had been dismissing her calls on purpose. Shane, who was on the other end, asked in a callous tone, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Shane, you have been ignoring me ever since some time ago! Now you''re ignoring my calls and moving out of the vi? What the heck do you want from me? Why can''t you tell me the things I have done wrong? Can you stop torturing me?¡± Irked for real, Natalie could no longer suppress the wrath she felt. She yelled at the man and told him the things that had been bothering her. Shane''s heart skipped a beat when he heard the woman sniffling. The emotions he had been keeping to himself came flooding out as well. However, when he recalled his parents'' death, he forced himself to ignore the affection he had for her and asked in return, ¡°Are those the reasons you have called?¡± Natalie burst outughing because of Shane''s absurd reply. ¡°When are you going to tell me the things that are going on? I''m not even conscious of my sins! If I have done anything wrong, just tell me! I don''t mind filing for divorce with you, but I can''t stand any of this silent treatment anymore¡ª¡± She choked and paused for a few seconds. A short whileter, she said, ¡°Do you know how much it hurts? I''d rather file for divorce with you than being treated in this manner!¡± Shane''s pupil constricted when he heard the things she had brought up. He replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°I will never file for divorce with you.¡± Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Unfortunately, it would take more than a promise to keep Natalie calm. After she took a deep breath, she asked, ¡°If that''s the case, are you indicating things will remain the same into the near future?¡± As Shane went dead silent, Natalie closed her eyes and announced, ¡°Alright, I guess I''ll just y along with you.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She hung up the call once she wrapped up the conversation. After she made her way back to her room, she shut herself in and skipped her meal again. Concerned, Mrs. Wilson headed upstairs and knocked on the door to check on Natalie. Natalie refused to answer the door, but she reassured Mrs. Wilson she was fine. Mrs. Wilson knew that wasn''t the case when she heard Natalie sniffling in the room. However, she couldn''t seem to talk any sense into the weeping woman. Thus, she returned to the dining hall in despair. Natalie, who was in a foul mood, hadmitted serious mistakes in several deals with different customers. She had handed over the wrong blueprints to the wrong customers. If it weren''t because Joyce managed to intercept the blueprints in time, things would spiral out of control soon. Irked by the fact Natalie seemed to be in a daze in her office again, Joyce barged into Natalie''s office and yelled, ¡°Nat, look at the silly mistakes you havemitted over the past two days!¡± Truth be told, she was heartbroken because of the things Natalie had to go through, which rendered her lethargic. mming the blueprints on Natalie''s table, Joyce reprimanded, ¡°You have neglected every single instruction and requirement of the customers! Not even the agreement that requires your immediate attention has been signed! Your life is a mess! When are you going to pull yourself together?¡± Staring at the stack of blueprints on her table, Natalie remained silent since she was the one at fault. ¡°Nat, you have always been our role model, but you don''t even bother to dress up for work! Are you sure that jerk is worth your time? Can you give yourself a break already?¡± ¡°Joyce, you won''t get it¡ª¡± Joyce interrupted her and denoted, ¡°What do you mean I won''t get it? I have had my fair share of heartbreaks with several jerks in the past, okay? At the very least, I''m still able to move on! It''s not an excuse for you to torture yourself!¡± The weeping woman was about to say something, but she stopped at thest minute because she found Joyce''s advice reasonable. I guess she''s far more capable than me when ites to handling the challenges in life. At least, Joyce has never given up her career because of a man. ¡°Nat, why don''t you take a break and gather your thoughts?¡± Joyce approached Natalie and held her friend in between her arms, asserting in a gentle tone, ¡°I can''t stand you punishing yourself because of a jerk anymore. I''m well aware of the affection you have for him, but you''re not supposed to allow that to get to you. Since he''s the one at fault, he needs to bear the consequences of his decision.¡± ¡°The consequences of his decision?¡± Joyce nodded and answered, ¡°You don''t have to y along with him if he''s messing around with you! It''s just a waste of your time. He isn''t the only man avable, is he? If he refuses to patch things up with you, just file for divorce with him and get into a rtionship with someone else.¡± Natalie chuckled because of Joyce''s hrious statements. She added, ¡°Are you sure it isn''t one of your exaggerations?¡± ¡°How is that an exaggeration? You don''t think things will be the same again, do you? Just put your misery to an end as soon as possible! You can ignore your wellbeing, but can you forsake your children for a jerk?¡± Natalie''s eyes flickered when she recalled she was a mother of two. ¡°Connor... Sharon...¡± ¡°See? You can''t afford to drag Sharon and Connor down with you, can you? It''s going to influence them! I mean, hadn''t you been living a great life without a man before getting married? You being a single parent isn''t an issue at all!¡± She''s right! I can''t think of anything else to nullify her statements! Connor and Sharon will be the victims of our strained rtionship if things persist as it is! It''s time to make up my mind for their sake! With that being said, filing for divorce with Shane is easier said than done! Natalie ced her hands on her heart when she thought of filing for divorce with Shane. Her reluctance was written all over her face as she couldn''t bear to leave the man. Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Joyce seemed to be conscious of the things Natalie had in mind. She tapped on her friend''s shoulder and said, ¡°Speaking of which, aren''t you going to conduct another DNA examination?¡± ¡°That''s my n, but I can''t get my hands on the sample I need because Shane''s not around.¡± Joyce shrugged her shoulders and suggested, ¡°Just take your time. If it turns out they''re rted, it''s time for you to talk about it with him. If they''re not rted, I think it''s better for you to leave him. On top of that...¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, on top of the affection you have for him, haven''t you gotten married to him because he''s Connor and Sharon''s father? He has to take care of Connor and Sharon if that''s the case, but you can''t possibly expect him to execute the role of a father if they''re not rted, can you?¡± Natalie gaped at Joyce''s rhetorical question. In the end, she shook her head and answered, ¡°I guess you''re right.¡± Indeed, I married Shane because he''s the man I love and my children''s father. If that''s not the case, I''m not that shameless of a woman to insist on having him take care of Connor and Sharon. ¡°See? There are quite a lot of things you have to sort out. Take a break and gather your thoughts. I''ll drop by the mill on your behalf.¡± Once Joyce departed, Natalie started brainstorming her next best course of action. Meanwhile, Joyce made her way to Thompson Group instead of dropping by the textile mill as she had mentioned. She couldn''t stand her friend sulking over a man anymore. Thus, she thought of teaching Shane a lesson on Natalie''s behalf. As soon as she pulled over at the entrance, she made her way to the elevator that was exclusive to the CEO without informing the receptionist. Startled by Joyce''s presence, it took the receptionist a few seconds to snap out of bewilderment. She rushed over to stop Joyce. ¡°Miss, you''re not allowed to be here because this is designated for the CEO only. If you need to head upstairs, please make use of the elevator over there.¡± Joyce brought herself to a halt and asked, ¡°Can I reach the highest floor using that elevator over there?¡± Stupefied by the question Joyce directed at her, she shook her head and answered, ¡°That''s impossible.¡± ¡°See? Since I''m heading to the highest floor, isn''t this the elevator to take?¡± Joyce was about to board the elevator once she made herself clear, but the receptionist got in her way and grasped her wrist to stop her. ¡°Miss, I''m afraid that''s impossible because the highest floor is the CEO and chairman''s office.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Shrugging the receptionist off, Joyce yelled, ¡°I''m here for the CEO! Why can''t I make my way to the highest floor? Stay out of my way!¡± As the receptionist had no intention to give in just yet, Joyce was about to let loose of herself and yell at the receptionist. Out of the blue, two people walked out of the designated elevator. They were none other than Ss and Jacqueline. When they found out Joyce was in the middle of a conflict with the receptionist, they were equally shocked and confused. Jacqueline got ahead of Ss and asked, ¡°Ms. Rivers, why are you here?¡± When Joyce heard Jacqueline''s question, she answered with a frown, ¡°Is that any of your concerns? What about you? Why are you here?¡± Jacqueline chuckled and replied with her chest held high, ¡°Well, I''ll soon be a staff of Thompson Group. I need something to kill my time after being discharged from the hospital.¡± ¡°You''re a soon-to-be staff of Thompson Group? May I know the exact position you''re holding?¡± ¡°I''m Shane''s secretary!¡± Joyce rolled her eyes and remarked sarcastically, ¡°Secretary? Is your main duty keeping him entertained?¡± ¡°Ms. Rivers, please mind your words!¡± Jacqueline raised her volume and warned Joyce with a stern look. ¡°Why are you getting worked up over a trivial question? Have I hit the bullseye? You''re just trying to drive them apart, aren''t you? I mean, everyone is aware of the sort of affection you have for Mr. Shane.¡± Jacqueline''s face puckered in irritation. She clenched her fists and announced, ¡°Ms. Rivers, Jackie''s my boyfriend. Stop blurting out baseless usations. Otherwise, I''ll you for defamation.¡± Chapter 731 Chapter 731 ¡°Why don''t you go ahead and give it a try? It''s time to figure out the reason you won''t move out from Mr. Shane''s ce when you''re in a rtionship with someone else!¡± ¡°That''s enough!¡± Jacqueline yelled at Joyce and started shivering. ¡°Ms. Rivers, I know you''re holding a grudge against me, but don''t you think you''re taking things too far?¡± ¡°Ha! It turns out you''re aware of the grudges I hold against you, huh? If that''s the case, can''t you figure out the reason behind my attitude?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes started brimming with tears. She had her lips pursed in an aggrieved manner. Ss, who had been anticipating another show, stepped in since Jacqueline was about to burst into tears. He cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Alright, I believe that''s enough. Ms. Rivers, what brings you here today?¡± The moment Joyce recalled the objective of her visit, she stopped picking on Jacqueline and answered in a courteous manner, ¡°I''m here for Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Ss asked with his brows arched in confusion. Meanwhile, Jacqueline narrowed her eyes to a slit and asked, ¡°What sort of business do you have with Shane?¡± ¡°Is that any of your concern? You must be aware that we''re not really on good terms, so why don''t you stop poking your nose into my business?¡± Ss was afraid Jacqueline would burst into tears again. Thus, he suggested, ¡°Ms. Graham, I''ll show you the way out since the chauffeur is already waiting for you. I''ll see you again tomorrow.¡± Jacqueline understood that it was a favor from Ss to get her out of the awkward situation. She expressed her gratitude with a smile and marched in the direction of the entrance. When she passed by Joyce, she paused for a few seconds and red at Joyce in the eyes, indicating she would get her back in the future. Once Jacqueline departed, Ss looked at Joyce and announced, ¡°I''ll get in touch with Mr. Shane at once. Please hold on a second, Ms. Rivers.¡± Joyce nodded and replied, ¡°Alright.¡± A few seconds after the call was made, Ss heard Shane''s voice from the other end, asking indifferently, ¡°Yes?¡± Ss took a peek at Joyce and answered, ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Rivers is here for you.¡± ¡°Joyce is here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Has she mentioned the reason she''s here?¡± ¡°I didn''t have the chance to inquire the objective of her visit yet. Should I show her the way up?¡± A few seconds of silenceter, Shane made up his mind and instructed, ¡°Alright, bring her to my office.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ss put his phone aside and announced, ¡°Mr. Shane is expecting you. Please follow me.¡± He showed Joyce the way to the elevator and brought her to Shane''s office. As soon as they reached the highest floor, Joyce marched out of the elevator and barged into Shane''s office. Ss gaped in silence because he failed to stop her in time. In order to stop her from making a fuss, he went after her without further ado. ¡°Shane!¡± Joyce stomped her way to Shane''s table and mmed the table with all her might. Ss'' heart skipped a beat when he noticed the cup of coffee that was next to Shane almost spilled as a result of the powerful m. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Has she lost her mind? How dare she picks on Mr. Shane? Isn''t she afraid of being thrown out of the office? Shane was in the middle of perusing an agreement when Joyce showed up. He red at her in the eyes with a frown and asked, ¡°Are you aware of the things you''re doing?¡± Truth to be told, Joyce was intimidated by the man''s ferocious re, but she was determined to defend Natalie. Hence, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Joyce yelled at Shane in return, ¡°Yes! I don''t care what''s awaiting me because I''m here on Nat''s behalf! What the heck is wrong with you? Since you married her, why can''t you talk things through with her? Is it necessary for you to punish her in such a brutal manner?¡± As a result of Shane ring at her in silence, Joyce secretly gulped in fear of offending the intimidating man. Nheless, she knew she had to do it. She added, ¡°Nat''s life is messed up because of you. She hasn''t been having her meals on time. Not only was she unable toplete the assigned tasks, she almost got herself involved in an ident. If I wasn''t there to stop her, she might have been dead by now.¡± Chapter 732 Chapter 732 Shane was shocked and worried upon hearing that Natalie almost met with a car ident. Meanwhile, Joyce was startled when she sensed Shane''s worriedness. ¡°Mr. Shane, since you''re worried about Nat, it means you still love her, don''t you? Since you still love her, why don''t you tell her everything? If Nat is at fault, you can ask her to change. However, please don''t abuse her emotionally, for it isn''t something that a man should do!¡± ¡°She can''t and won''t change!¡± Shane replied inly. Since Shane''s parents were dead, there was nothing Natalie could do topensate for it. Joyce couldn''t tell what was on Shane''s mind but was disappointed to hear his answer. ¡°Why can''t she change? Everything can change as long as it''s not an unforgivable crime. Besides, Nat is kind-hearted and won''tmit any hideous crimes.¡± ¡°That''s enough! Get out if you''re only here to lecture me!¡± Shane pointed at the door. Joyce''s eyes widened. Before she could add something, Shane instructed once again, ¡°Get out!¡± Joyce pursed her lips and grumbled, ¡°Fine, I''ll go, you unreasonable man! This is in revenge for whatever you''ve done to Nat!¡± With that, she took a deep breath and stretched out her arms to pull a few strands of Shane''s hair. Shane grunted and frowned deeply. At that moment, Ss was scared to death. Since Shane looked ferocious, he was afraid that Shane would severely punish Joyce. As such, before Shane could say anything in anger, he immediately grabbed Joyce''s arm and dragged her out of the room. ¡°What did you do? How dare you pull Mr. Shane''s hair? Are you out of your mind?¡± After leaving the CEO''s office, Ss let go of Joyce''s arm and bellowed at her. N?velDrama.Org content. Meanwhile, Joyce was frightened after the ordeal. Nheless, she looked at the strands of hair and felt that it was worth her effort. ¡°Humph! He deserved it for mistreating Nat,¡± Joyce sneered. Ss heaved a sigh and replied, ¡°Mr. Shane didn''t wish to do that either. However, the entire incident is tooplicated.¡± ¡°You know the details of how Nat offended Mr. Shane?¡± Joyce''s eyes beamed as she looked at Ss. Ss nodded in response. ¡°To be exact, it wasn''t about what madam did but what her mom did. Madam has been dragged into the mess as a result.¡± Although Natalie wasn''t the one who crashed into and killed Shane''s parents, she was also in the car. As such, Ss felt that it was kind enough of Shane not to take actions on Natalie. ¡°Did Yulia do it?¡± Joyce frowned and said, ¡°But Yulia had already passed away. What could she do?¡± Ss heaved a sigh again and responded, ¡°I can''t tell you the details. So, please stop asking about it and go home now.¡± With that, he pushed Joyce toward the elevator. Joyce didn''t give up and continued to dwell on it. However, the next moment, she was pushed into the elevator. Joyce stomped her feet in anger and yelled, ¡°What a prick! How could he pique my curiosity but refuse to tell me the whole story?¡± Although Joyce was disgruntled, she didn''t go back to ask Ss. Instead, Joyce nned to ask Natalie if she knew what Yulia did that irritated Shane. Even though Joyce didn''t get a satisfying answer this time, her time here was not in vain. She gazed at the few hair strands and chuckled. Her initial n was toe here to teach Shane a lesson on behalf of Natalie. When Joyce argued with Shane just now, she suddenly recalled that Natalie wanted to do a DNA test butcked strands of Shane''s hair. As such, she mustered up her courage to pull some strands of Shane''s hair from his head. Now that Shane probably hated Joyce, she thought she had to avoid showing up before him for the time being. After all, Joyce was afraid that Shane would retaliate against her. As Joyce was deep in thought, a shiver ran down her spine. Then, she took out a tissue paper from her bag and wrapped the hair with it cautiously. Just then, the elevator arrived with a ding. Joyce called Natalie while walking toward the entrance. ¡°Nat, I have some good news.¡± Chapter 733 Chapter 733 ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie was sitting at the desk, editing the blueprint submitted by one of the designers. She couldn''t help but chuckle after listening to Joyce. ¡°I got Mr. Shane''s hair for you,¡± Joyce said. Natalie was shocked and identally dropped her pencil on the desk. ¡°How did you get it?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well... Fine, I''ll be honest with you. I didn''t go to the textile mill but went to Thompson Group instead. Since Mr. Shane mistreated you, I was furious and wanted to scold him for you. Also, I pulled a few hair strands from his head before I left,¡± Joyce exined while touching her nose. Natalie''s lips quirked, for she was both touched and rendered speechless. ¡°My goodness. Wouldn''t you worry that he might take revenge against you?¡± ¡°Rest assured that he wouldn''t end my life because of it,¡± Joyce said nonchntly and shrugged. Natalie shook her head and asked, ¡°So, where are you now?¡± ¡°I''ve left Thompson Group and wille back to thepany right away to give you the hair strands. Besides, I''ve something else to tell you.¡± ¡°Alright. Have a safe journey.¡± Natalie nodded. After the call ended, Joyce hailed a cab and left. After Joyce left in the cab, a figure emerged from behind the flower bed at the entrance of Thompson Group, staring intently in the direction of the cab. Looking in the direction where Joyce left, she thought, If I''m not mistaken, Joyce got Shane''s hair and wants to hand it over to Natalie. Could it be that Natalie ns to do a DNA test for Shane and her two bastards? As the thought shed through her mind, Jacqueline grabbed a flower in the pot and squeezed it forcefully. ¡°It can''t happen. I must destroy Shane''s hair to stop Natalie from using it to do a DNA test,¡± Jacqueline murmured to herself in a frightening voice. She had supposedly left the building earlier but came back because she found out that she had left something. Hence, Jacqueline happened to see Joyceing out of the building. Since Jacqueline couldn''t win an argument with Joyce and didn''t want to confront her, she hid near the entrance and identally overheard Joyce''s conversation. What a coincidence! Otherwise, everything that I''ve achieved thus far woulde to naught! Jacqueline believed if Shane knew that the kids were his children, he would eventually forgive Natalie. Given that Jacqueline worked so hard to drive a wedge between Natalie and Shane, she would never allow Natalie to seed this time. With that, Jacqueline took a deep breath and left. On the other hand, Joyce returned to thepany and handed over the strands of hair to Natalie. As Natalie opened the tissue paper and saw five strands of hair in it, her lips curled into a smile. ¡°Thank you, Joyce.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± Joyce waved her hand. After keeping the hair, Natalie asked, ¡°By the way, you said over the phone that you''ve something to tell me. What is it about?¡± ¡°It''s not a big deal. I saw Jacqueline when I went to Thompson Group. She will start working with Thompson Group tomorrow as Mr. Shane''s secretary.¡± As Joyce exined, she also observed Natalie''s expression. Natalie was startled for a while. Then, she lowered her gaze to avoid Joyce''s gaze. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Nat, please be careful. I can see that Joyce hasn''t given up on Mr. Shane. Although she is dating Dr. Baker now, it doesn''t mean that she won''t seduce Mr. Shane,¡± Joyce reminded. Natalie pursed her lips and said, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Joyce nodded and continued, ¡°There''s another matter. I found out why Mr. Shane''s attitude toward you changed dramatically.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie stared at Joyce with her widened eyes. She immediately grabbed Joyce''s hand and asked nervously.¡± Is that true? Have you figured out the reason?¡± ¡°Nat, please calm down.¡± Joyce was taken aback by Natalie''s emotional response. She patted Natalie''s hand as a gesture for Natalie to calm down. Meanwhile, Natalie also came back to her senses and realized that she was overly emotional. She put her hands away from Natalie and apologized, ¡°I''m sorry. I was too nervous because I wished to know the answer.¡± Natalie had been mentally abused by Shane for many days and would probably go insane soon. Hence, she wished to know the reason behind it badly. Also, Natalie was frustrated because Shane didn''t want to reveal the reason to her at all. Chapter 734 Chapter 734 ¡°I understand.¡± Joyce shed Natalie a smile and exined, ¡°To be frank, I didn''t know the exact reason because Mr. Shane didn''t tell me. On the contrary, Mr. Campbell revealed some information to me. Well, we initially thought you did something wrong and provoked Mr. Shane, but it turned out that it was rted to Yulia instead.¡± ¡°My mom?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Campbell said it''s rted to Yulia. Since Yulia passed away and you''re Yulia''s daughter, Mr. Shane has no other option but to vent his anger at you,¡± Joyce added. Natalie replied bewilderedly, ¡°But my mom never offended Shane. I mean, the first time she met Shane was four years ago, and she went overseas two dayster. When she came back... That is why I''m sure that my mom wasn''t involved in it.¡± Besides, if my mom did something wrong, why wasn''t Shane angry back then but now? Joyce grabbed her hair as she said, ¡°I feel curious about it too. Could it be that Yulia did something in the past but not recently? Also, did she offend someone else from the Thompson family instead of Mr. Shane himself? Perhaps Mr. Shane only knew what happened recently.¡± Natalie fell silent upon hearing it. After a while, she calmed herself down and shook her head. ¡°It is impossible. My mom is kind-hearted. Apart from offending Susan, her daughter, and my dad, she didn''t make enemies with anyone else. As for the Thompson family, Shane doesn''t get along well with Sean. Besides, Shane''s parents passed away a long time ago, while David passed away seven years ago.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Nat. I remember you had said previously that Yulia was David''s goddaughter. Am I right? Besides, David brought Mr. Shane up since he was young. So, for Mr. Shane, David is always his closest family member. In that case...¡± ¡°Are you suggesting that my mom did something to David before? Is Shane cold to me because he knew it recently?¡± Natalie looked at Joyce with her widened eyes. Joyce nodded and responded, ¡°I can''t think of another reason apart from this.¡± Natalie buried her head in her arms and said in a deep voice, ¡°But I''ve no idea about what happened between my mom and David in the past. Moreover, I knew that my mom was David''s goddaughter only because she told me four months ago.¡± A momentter, Joyce rested her arm on Natalie''s shoulder and said, ¡°Should we ask Jared? Since Jared wasn''t healthy when he was young, Yulia took care of him at home. So, I think he knows a lot about Yulia.¡± Natalie''s eyes beamed instantly. ¡°You''re right. I''ll call Jared right away.¡± With that, she hastily took out her phone. Since it was nighttime in the country where Jared stayed, Natalie thought Jared had probably went to bed and wouldn''t pick up the phone. A momentter, Natalie was surprised to hear Jared''s voice. ¡°Nat?¡± ¡°Jared, am I disturbing you?¡± Natalie asked gently. After Yulia passed away, Jared was Natalie''s closest family member besides her two kids. ¡°Not at all. I just came back from an exhibition in the art gallery. Is there anything you want to tell me?¡± Jared coughed slightly as soon as he asked Natalie. Natalie was nervous upon hearing it. ¡°Jared, are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°It''s just a slight cold. I''m fine, and don''t worry about me,¡± Jaredughed lightly. Despite her worries, Natalie couldn''t be there to take care of Jared, for they were in different countries. ¡°Have you seen the doctor?¡± Natalie asked in concern. Jared nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, and I''ve to take medicine given by the doctor. Anyway, I feel a lot better today and should recover tomorrow.¡± ¡°I''m relieved to hear that.¡± Natalie''s lips curled into a smile. Jared continued, ¡°So, Nat, do you have something to tell me?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It''s not a big deal, but I have a question to ask you. When Mom took care of you at home, did she always meet David?¡± Natalie asked. Jared tilted his head in bewilderment as he answered, ¡°Are you referring to Shane''s grandfather?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie murmured a response. Jared nodded and said, ¡°Yes, she always looked for David. Mom told me that she was David''s goddaughter.¡± ¡°When Mom went to see David, did you feel something was off?¡± Natalie continued to ask. Chapter 735 Chapter 735 Jared frowned as he retrieved his memories. ¡°As far as I can remember, there wasn''t anything wrong.¡± Natalie was unsure how she ought to dwell on it. Meanwhile, Joyce couldn''t stand it and grabbed Natalie''s phone away from her. ¡°Jared, it''s me.¡± ¡°Hey Joyce,¡± Jared greeted her smilingly. ¡°Good boy!¡± Joyce said delightedly, ¡°Well, let me cut a long story short. Shane is crazy and abusing Nat mentally. The reason behind it is that Yulia probably did something wrong to the Thompson family. As a result, Shane vents his anger on Nat now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jared''s smile froze for a while. ¡°How dare Shane do this to Nat! Is Nat alright?¡± ¡°She''s healthy mentally but not in good spirits. Anyway, she has felt a lot better after Iforted her. So, we want to figure out what Yulia did in the past to solve the predicament between Nat and Shane,¡± Joyce exined. Jared frowned for a while. ¡°I don''t know if Mom ever offended the Thompsons. I can''t recall anything rted to it so far.¡± ¡°Think closely again! After all, Yulia took care of you, and you spent a lot of time with her. Could it be that you overlooked things that might look trivial to you?¡± Joyce didn''t give up. After all, Jared was their only chance to get to the bottom of the mystery. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Joyce tried it with Shane and Ss but couldn''t get more information from them. ¡°Alright, let me think again.¡± Jared''s expression turned grim. He had to recall the past carefully for the sake of Nat. While Jared was deep in thought, Joyce handed the phone back to Natalie. Natalie heaved a sigh. ¡°Perhaps Jared doesn''t know anything.¡± ¡°Let''s wait and see if Jared can remember anything. Otherwise, you can buy some sleeping pills to feed Mr. Shane. Also, you can consider making him drunk to extract information. What do you think?¡± Joyce gazed at her yfully. Natalie almost burst intoughter and wanted to tease Joyce foring up with the crazy ideas. All of a sudden, Jared yelled, ¡°Nat, I remember something!¡± Natalie and Joyce gazed at each other, for they were surprised by the dramatic turn of events. Meanwhile, Joyce said smugly, ¡°See? I told you that we should wait.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at Joyce and put the phone near her ear again. ¡°Jared, have you recalled something? Did Mom ever do something unfavorable to the Thompson family?¡± ¡°I''m not exactly sure what Mom did. It happened nine years ago, and I remember the date was...¡± Jared knocked on his forehead and continued, ¡°I think it was October 9. On that day, Mom looked drunk and cried once she got home. Also, she kept apologizing and saying that things would be different if she could be there earlier.¡± ¡°Be there earlier?¡± Natalie was confuddled. What does it mean? Jared scratched his head as he recalled the details. ¡°Mom came home after she met David. So, I wonder if something happened between them on that day.¡± Natalie''s end was quiet, and she only pursed her lips as though she was deep in thought. Joyce nudged her and asked, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°October 9... This date is vaguely familiar.¡± Natalie frowned deeply. After a while, Jared added, ¡°By the way, I remember that Mom would go out on that day every year since I was three years old. When she came home, she wouldn''t look too good. I had never thought more about it until nine years ago when Mom came home and lookedpletely devastated.¡± Come to think of it, October 9 was perhaps a significant day for Mom. ¡°Wait a second. Yulia would be in a bad mood every October 9 since Jared was three years old. However, Jared also mentioned that Yulia probably had a fallout with David nine years ago. These events seem to be interconnected, and are perfectlyplementary to one another...¡± Although Joyce stopped halfway, Natalie understood what she was trying to say. Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Perhaps, Mom did not have a conflict with David nine years ago. The root cause might be that something unknown happened on the 9th of October, which was when Jared turned three years old. Furthermore, this incident might have involved the Thompson family.¡± ¡°That''s quite likely.¡± Joyce widened her eyes. Massaging her temples, Natalie continued, ¡°Now, we need to figure out what happened on the 9th of October, when Jared turned three. Once that is done, the problem between Shane and I would be resolved.¡± Joyce and Jared nodded. After thinking about it, Joyce suggested, ¡°Why don''t I search for some clues online? There might be some articles if something major happened to a wealthy family like the Thompsons.¡± ¡°That''s a good idea. Thank you, Joyce.¡± Natalie patted her shoulder. ¡°You''re wee!¡± Smiling, Joyce sat in front of theputer. Meanwhile, Natalie and Jared started chatting about thetter''s life overseas. After talking for a few minutes, Joyce announced that she had found something. ¡°I found it, Nat!¡± However, her expression seemed quite grim. Natalie''s heart skipped a beat. She hung up the call and walked over. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°See it for yourself.¡± Joyce turned theptop around to her. Natalie lowered her head and gaped. ¡°It''s the day Shane''s parents died!¡± ¡°Yeah. Jared turned three years old eighteen years ago, so I searched what happened on the 9th of October that year. It was the day when Mr. Shane''s parents passed away. It''s also when David died,¡± said Joyce as she looked at her. However, David died on the 9th of October a few years ago. Natalie bit her lip, finding it too ridiculous. ¡°How is that possible? How can my mom possibly be rted to Shane''s parents'' deaths?¡± Unable to figure it out, she thought that it was simply impossible. Noticing that she was starting to be agitated, Joyce held her hand. ¡°Calm down, Nat.¡± ¡°How can I calm down?¡± eximed Natalie in anguish as she covered her face. No wonder Shane treated me like that. Perhaps, he really thinks that his parents'' death has something got to do with my mom. However, since my mom''s dead, he can''t seek rification from her. That''s why he''s treating me like that. ¡°Nat, I know what you''re thinking about. However, this is a very grave matter. We must be clear about the facts.¡± Joyce gazed at Natalie seriously. With much difficulty, Natalie took a deep breath and calmed herself down. ¡°I know. Even if you didn''t tell me that, I''ll still investigate and give Shane a reasonable exnation. I will never believe that my mom''s involved in his parents'' death.¡± ¡°Good. Let''s hire a private detective to investigate this. However, since it''s been more than ten years since the incident, it might take a long while to find out what happened,¡± said Joyce. Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°It''s alright! I can wait no matter how long it takes. I''ll go look for a detective now!¡± With that, she grabbed her bag and left the office. Joyce stretched out her hand, wanting to call her back. However, Natalie was already gone by then. She had no choice but to ce her hand down and smile bitterly at the blueprints on the desk. ¡°Before going, you should still tell me which blueprints are good and which need to be edited! I still need to register them.¡± After Natalie left thepany, she drove to thergest detective agency in J City. She paid a deposit of five hundred thousand to them to investigate this matter. Natalie felt a little more at ease after handing the situation over to the agency. All she had to do now was to wait for the truth to unfold. From N?velDrama.Org. However, there was one more thing left for her to do¡ªconduct a DNA test for Shane and the two kids. She would never believe that they were not Shane''s. Natalie left the detective agency, raised her head and looked at the sky. It was slightly gloomy, as if it was going to rain soon. Wrapping her coat around her body, Natalie was about to go to the parking lot to fetch her children when someone suddenly sprinted past her. Chapter 737 Chapter 737 Natalie felt a pang of pain in her shoulder, before discovering that her bag had been stolen. Widening her eyes, she was stunned for a moment before quickly returning to her senses. She ran after that person while yelling, ¡°Help! Catch that thief!¡± When the passers-by heard her yells, they all stopped to watch the spectacle. However, none of them stepped forward to help. Natalie''s heart sank when she saw that. Not dwelling on it, she continued yelling and chasing after the thief. She believed that there would be some people who were kind-hearted and helpful. Indeed, while she pursued the thief relentlessly, someone actually helped her to chase him. The person was extremely quick and caught up with the thief in a moment. After grappling with the thief for a while, he sessfully snatched the bag back. Clutching his stomach, the thief hurled some insults at him before dashing into the crowd and disappearing. Natalie ran to the kind bystander who helped her get her bag back. With her arms propped on her knees, she panted heavily. The person passed her bag to her. ¡°Ma''am, here''s your bag.¡± Natalie only caught her breath after resting for a while. Smiling gratefully, she said, ¡°Thank you!¡± Then, she took her bag from his hands. He waved his hands dismissively. ¡°You''re wee. It''s only right to help those in need. Check and see if you''re missing anything.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Natalie opened her bag and started checking it. Her phone, the evidence, her cosmetic products and Shane''s hair were still there. Heaving a sigh of relief, she shut her bag happily. ¡°Nothing''s gone. Thank you! If I weren''t rushing to pick my children up now, I would definitely treat you to a meal. Since there''s no time now, please ept this sum of money as a token of my gratitude.¡± With that, she passed him five hundred. The person waved his hand and insisted that he did not need it. However, as Natalie did not want to owe him a favor, she shoved the money to him before leaving. The person kept staring at her back until she left. After she disappeared from his sight, a strange smile yed on his lips. ¡°I didn''t expect to earn some money from putting up this act. I got hit by you a couple of times earlier, so you should give me half of the money, right?¡± At that moment, someone suddenly walked out of the alley. It was the thief from earlier. From N?velDrama.Org. He stared at the money in the man''s hands greedily. The man scoffed and handed three hundred over. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± The thief hurriedly stuffed the money into his pocket and asked, ¡°Oh, right. You did as what our employer instructed, and swapped it, right?¡± The man took out a waterproof bag, which contained a few strands of hair, from his pocket. ¡°Do you have to worry when I''m the one doing it? Let''s go and have a nice meal to treat ourselves. We''ll report to our employer after that.¡± With that, both of them walked away side by side. Meanwhile, Natalie had just fetched the children. She said to them, ¡°Connor, Sharon, give me some strands of your hair.¡± Although Sharon did not know why her mother wanted her hair, she still plucked some strands out obediently and passed them to her. When Connor was passing his hair to Natalie, he suddenly asked, ¡°Are you nning to conduct a DNA test for us and Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie looked at him in surprise. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I guessed it. Although I said that Sharon and I are not Mr. Shane''s children that night, you did not believe it. That''s when I guessed that you''ll definitely conduct a DNA test for us,¡± exined Connor proudly. Natalie stroked his head. ¡°Smart boy! Sit tight, I''m going to drive now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The kids nodded in unison. Natalie started the engine and drove to the hospital instead of back to the vi. It was another hospital, not Jackson''s. She wanted to hide this DNA test from everyone because she was afraid that someone would swap the DNA samples. Although it was quite unlikely, she had to be careful. The results of the DNA test would only be out two dayster. Although Natalie thought that the waiting time was too long, she had no choice either. Chapter 738 Chapter 738 When Natalie returned to the vi, she was pleasantly surprised to see Shane there. ¡°Shane!¡± He was sitting on the sofa. He raised his head upon hearing her voice, but he quickly looked back down and did not respond to her. A disappointed look crept into Natalie''s eyes. However, she forced out a smile and walked over. ¡°Are you moving back?¡± ¡°I''m here to get something,¡± replied Shane nonchntly. The glimmer of hope in Natalie disappeared as her heart sank. Noticing the change in her emotions, the kids'' moods worsened as well. Sharon was quite scared of Shane''s cold attitude. She did not dare to hug him happily like how she would in the past. Instead, she grabbed Natalie''s hand tightly and stared at him. Connor followed suit. However, he suddenly asked, ¡°Are you nning to nevere back again, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°What did you call me?¡± Shane''s eyes widened as he looked at him. Connor blinked. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± When he heard that, he pursed his lips and an unpleasant expression crossed his face. The children used to call him Mr. Shane in the past. However, now that they had reverted to the old address, it sounded exceptionally unpleasant to him. In fact, ''Mr. Shane'' even seemed a little inappropriate given they had distanced themselves from him. When Natalie noticed that Shane''s mood worsened, she squeezed the children''s hands. ¡°Okay, Connor. Bring your sister upstairs. I''ll... talk to Mr. Shane.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Since Shane refused to believe that they were his children, they would not call him ''Daddy'' for now. They would wait for the DNA test results to be announced first. ¡°Okay.¡± Connor nodded and pulled Sharon upstairs. Pursing his lips, Shane gazed at Natalie with an unreadable look. She actually agreed to let the kids address me differently. What is she trying to do? ¡°Shane.¡± Natalie took a deep breath, walked toward him and sat down. ¡°I''m sorry that Joyce kicked up a fuss at your office. She doesn''t have any ill intentions. She''s just feeling bad for me.¡± ¡°And?¡± The look in Shane''s was still cold. Natalie bit her lips. ¡°And I apologize to you on her behalf.¡± ¡°There''s no need for an apology.¡± Shane patted his suit and stood up. At that moment, Mrs. Wilson walked down the stairs with a bag. ¡°Mr. Shane, here''s what you wanted.¡± Shane took the bag and stood up from the couch. When Natalie saw that, she stood up quickly too. ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± ¡°I''ve already retrieved my things,¡± replied Shane, pursing his lips. In other words, there was no point in staying anymore. Natalie clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. With a sorrowful look, she asked, ¡°Are you that reluctant to stay in the same ce as me now?¡± Shane looked down and did not say anything. Instead, he continued striding forward. ¡°Wait!¡± Natalie closed her eyes and called after him, ¡°I already know why you''re treating me like this. It''s because of your parents, right?¡± Shane''s expression changed as he spun around abruptly. When she saw his reaction, she knew that her and Joyce''s guess was correct. ¡°So it''s true, huh? Mr. Campbell revealed that you''re treating me like this because of my mom, so I wondered if it''s because she let the Thompson family down. Then, I heard from Jared that my mom always acted weirdly on the 9th of October each year.¡± When Shane heard the date, 9th of October, his grip on the bag tightened gradually. A glint appeared in Natalie''s eyes upon seeing that. She continued, ¡°Your parents passed away on the 9th of October eighteen years ago. That''s when my mom started acting weirdly as well. Hence, these two events must be linked. The biggest link is that your parent''s death had something to do with my mom. In addition to how you''re treating me right now...¡± Natalie''s eyelids fluttered as she gazed at him. ¡°You suspect that my mom killed your parents.¡± Chapter 739 Chapter 739 If there was merely a slight association, he would definitely not treat her so harshly. Hence, this was the biggest possibility. However, she did not know how his parents died. The news online did not reveal anything else except for the fact that the then-CEO of Thompson Group and his wife had passed away on the 9th of October. Shane''s expression was terrifyingly cold. ¡°Since you''ve already guessed it, let me tell you this. Your mom hit my parents with her car and killed them.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± rebuked Natalie subconsciously as she shook her head violently. ¡°My mom will never kill your parents with her car. She''s not that type of person!¡± ¡°Impossible?¡± Shane took a few steps forward and pinched her chin forcefully. She grunted in pain as her face scrunched up. When Shane saw that, he could not bear it anymore and released her. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If it''s impossible, tell me why your mom acted weirdly on the 9th of October?¡± ¡°I...¡± Natalie was rendered speechless. Yeah, if Mom didn''t hit them, why would her mood be so horrible? When she returned from David''s ce nine years ago,pletely drunk, why did she apologize? When Shane saw Natalie''s increasingly pale face and flustered gaze, he clenched his fists tightly. ¡°See, you can''t even rebuke me.¡± ¡°But... But this doesn''t mean that my mom killed them,¡± whispered Natalie softly, feeling unconfident. Shane yelled through clenched jaws, ¡°Even till now, you''re still deceiving yourself!¡± ¡°I...¡± Natalie shuddered when she heard him shout, tears welling up in her eyes. She was not deceiving herself. Although her mother''s strange behaviour suggested that she was rted to his parents'' deaths, it did not mean that she was the one who killed them. There might be otherplications involved. ¡°Natalie, do you know how much I regret leaving earlier?¡± Shane stared at her. Having a bad feeling about it, she parted her lips. Shane closed his eyes. When he opened them, there was not a trace of emotions to be found. ¡°I regret falling in love with you and marrying you, because you''re the daughter of my parents'' murderer!¡± Natalie''s face immediately turned pale. Her mind was an utter nk as she felt like the entire world was spinning around her. He regrets falling in love with me and marrying me. All because I''m the daughter of his parents'' murderer... Natalie''s tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°No, Shane. My mom definitely didn''t do that! I''m already investigating it. After I find out the truth, everything...¡± ¡°There''s no need for that. I have the video of your mom knocking my parents down,¡± spat Shane, enunciating his every word. When Natalie heard that, she felt like she had been thrown into hell. Her legs weakened, sending her copsing to the floor. Her mind waspletely nk except for what he had said earlier. He has the video of my mom knocking his parents down. In that case... Natalie raised her hands and tugged her hair forcefully. ¡°No way, no way...¡± ¡°When my parents went out eighteen years ago and got knocked down by your mom''s car, she was driving a red car. Don''t you remember?¡± Shane stood in front of her and looked down at her. All of a sudden, he thought that his question was hrious. She was in the car back then. How can she not remember it? However, Natalie shook her head. ¡°A red car? That''s impossible. My mom never owned a red car. She hates the color red, so she''ll never drive a red car!¡± From her memories, she had never seen her mom own anything red. When Shane heard that, his expression turned ugly and a mocking look appeared in his eyes. ¡°You''re still lying at this juncture.¡± What do you mean, she hates the color red and doesn''t have a red car? Didn''t you alight the red car with your mom back then? ¡°I''m not lying.¡± Natalie raised her head and looked at him. ¡°Shane, I''m really not lying. My mom doesn''t have a red car. Trust me, I''ll never deceive you.¡± Chapter 740 Chapter 740 She stretched out her hand, wanting to grab Shane''s trousers. However, he took a step back and avoided her. His actions caused her to feel extremely hurt. Not only did he not believe her, but he was also acting so cruelly toward her. When Natalie thought about that, her heart ached terribly. Even her breathing became rushed. ¡°I witnessed the scene personally. Do you think that I''ll believe you just because you said these? To protect your mom, you''ve abandoned your morals, Natalie,¡± mocked Shane. Then, he left without sparing her another nce. ¡°Shane!¡± Gazing at his back, Natalie quickly stood up. She wanted to pull him back and stop him from leaving. There was a voice in her head telling her that once he left the house, it would be the end between them. Hence, she must not let him leave. However, no matter how Natalie tried to stop him, Shane''s determination to leave remained firm. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. He drove away from the vi. Natalie sat on the floor, staring in his direction in a daze. At that moment, Mrs. Wilson came out. ¡°Are you alright, madam?¡± She had heard Natalie''s conversation with Shane earlier. Initially, she had thought that Shane''s bad attitude toward Natalie was because she had done something wrong. Never had she expected that Shane''s parents would be involved in this. Not responding to Mrs. Wilson, Natalie continued staring in the direction Shane took when he left. As Mrs. Wilson was afraid that Natalie would fall sick after sitting on the floor for too long, she bent down and helped Natalie up. The moment Natalie stood up, a pang of pain shot through her head. A few images shed past her mind rapidly, but it was so fast that she could not capture them clearly. What are those images? Massaging her forehead, Natalie felt an indescribable feeling surface within her. Why did these strange scenes appear in my mind when I had a headache earlier? ¡°What''s wrong, madam?¡± asked Mrs. Wilson worriedly when she noticed Natalie''s expression. She shook her head and replied hoarsely, ¡°I''m fine. I just had a sudden headache. It''s over now.¡± ¡°Let''s go in first.¡± When Mrs. Wilson saw that Natalie''splexion was improving, she heaved a sigh of relief. Natalie mumbled in agreement. Mrs. Wilson helped Natalie to the couch and sat her down. She was about to pour a ss of water when Natalie suddenly asked, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, did you hear my argument with Shane earlier?¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°Do you think that my mom really killed Shane''s parents?¡± Natalie stared at her hopefully. Mrs. Wilson''s gaze flitted around. ¡°How would I know?¡± When both of them were arguing, she was watching them from afar. She could tell that Shane was not spouting nonsense. However, Natalie did not seem like she was lying. Perhaps, her mother really did not have a red car. Hence, the truth of the matter still needed to be confirmed. It was not appropriate for her to be biased toward any one of them. Natalie also understood Mrs. Wilson''s concern. Not putting her in a difficult position, she let her leave. After she left, Natalie curled up on the couch and became immersed in her own thoughts. For a while, she thought about how Shane used her mother of killing his parents. Then, she thought about how Shane regretted falling in love with her and marrying her. These two thoughts were so tormenting that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She did not know what to do. That night, Natalie could not sleep. The moment she closed her eyes, these thoughts filled her mind. It was impossible for her to fall asleep peacefully. After she sent the kids to the kindergarten the next day, she went to the office. Joyce pushed open her office door excitedly, holding a ssy magazine in her hands. ¡°Nat, the Century is out! Take a look at it!¡± Natalie forced out a smile. However, in the next second, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she copsed on the desk, unconscious. ¡°Nat?¡± Joyce was taken aback. Tossing the magazine aside, she rushed up to check on Natalie. When she saw that Natalie was unconscious, she yelled anxiously, ¡°Someone, call the ambnce now!¡± Chapter 741 Chapter 741 Soon, Natalie was sent onto the ambnce. Joyce apanied her as well. Coincidentally, the ambnce that arrived was from the hospital which Natalie had gone to for the DNA test yesterday. While Natalie was pushed into the emergency room, Joyce paced outside worriedly. After a long time, the doors of the emergency room finally opened. Joyce quickly blocked the doctor who was walking out. ¡°Doctor, how''s my friend?¡± ¡°She''s fine. However, she''s not been having enough rest recently and she''s extremely stressed. She''s also slightly malnourished, so she suddenly fainted. Luckily, her baby is fine. She just needs to be more careful in the future,¡± said the doctor as he took off his mask. Joyce was stunned. She gaped for a long while before uttering, ¡°What did you say? You said that my friend has a baby... Is she pregnant?¡± ¡°Yes. She''s one and a half months pregnant.¡± The doctor nodded. Ignoring Joyce, who waspletely stunned, he turned around and left. Blinking, Joyce nced at the emergency room, then at the doctor''s back. It took a while before she could ept the fact that Natalie was pregnant. She forced out an ugly smile on her face. ¡°Why is she pregnant at this juncture?¡± Logically speaking, I should be happy that Natalie is pregnant. However, the timing of her pregnancy is wrong. It happened right when Shane''s attitude toward Natalie took such a drastic change. If both of them did not reconcile, what''ll happen to the child? T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I''m having such a huge headache! While Joyce smacked her head, she saw Natalie being pushed out. Joyce followed her to hospital ward to take care of her. It was already two in the afternoon by the time Natalie woke up. She sat up and said, ¡°Joyce.¡± ¡°You''re finally awake. I was so shocked when you suddenly fainted.¡± Joyce stood up and ced a pillow behind her back. ¡°Do you feel ufortable?¡± ¡°No, just a little tired.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m a bit dizzy too. Oh, right. What happened to me?¡± ¡°You didn''t have enough sleep and you''re under too much stress. Also, you''re slightly malnourished,¡± replied Joyce as she pouted. Natalie nodded in acknowledgement. She was not surprised by her current situation. She knew clearly that she was not resting or eating well. That was why she wascking in nutrients. However, Joyce''s subsequent words caused Natalie to bepletely stunned. ¡°Nat, other than that, your biggest problem is that you''re pregnant.¡± Joyce pointed at her stomach. Natalie''s eyes widened as she touched her stomach subconsciously. ¡°I... I''m pregnant?¡± ¡°Yes, for one and a half months.¡± Joyce nodded. Natalie lowered her head and gazed at her stomach, feeling a myriad of emotions¡ªhappiness, excitement and helplessness. When Joyce saw that, she poured a ss of water for Natalie. ¡°Alright, stop looking. Your baby''s fine. Drink some water, okay? I just ordered some chicken soup earlier. It''ll be delivered soon.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie took the ss gratefully. Joyce smiled. ¡°Why are you thanking me? I''m your best friend, after all. What are you nning to do with your baby?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Stop pretending that you don''t know. I''m asking you if you n on having the baby, or...¡± She did not finish her sentence. However, Natalie understood that Joyce was asking her if she wanted to abort the child. The joy Natalie felt from her pregnancy immediately disappeared. Instead, it was reced by a sense of fear and unease. When Joyce saw her face turning pale, she became nervous. ¡°What''s wrong, Nat?¡± ¡°Joyce, what should I do?¡± Natalie bit her lips, her voice choking up. Joyce was confused. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Natalie told Joyce about her argument with Shanest night. When she heard it, her jaw dropped. ¡°So, Mr. Shane thinks that Yulia killed his parents and that he has the evidence for it?¡± Chapter 742 Chapter 742 ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. Joyce gasped. ¡°How is that possible? Did Yulia knock them down or not?¡± ¡°Definitely not! But I don''t have the evidence for that.¡± Natalie shook her head in agony. Massaging her face, Joyce said self-mockingly, ¡°Which gods did we offend? Why are we always involved in grudges with the parents of people we love?¡± Natalie remained silent. Sighing, Joyce continued, ¡°So, you don''t even know if you''re going to keep your baby, right?¡± Natalie''s gaze flitted around, signalling her silent acknowledgement. ¡°Yeah. Mr. Shane''s certain that Yulia killed his parents, and even said that he regretted falling in love with you and marrying you. In that case, he''s determined to cut off all ties with you. Also...¡± After a slight pause, Joyce continued, ¡°If Yulia actually did it, Mr. Shane will definitely leave your side. He''ll not ept you, let alone your baby. After all, no one can possibly ept their enemy''s daughter so nonchntly.¡± Stanley could not, so Shane naturally could not. Natalie knew that Joyce was telling the truth. Precisely so, her heart ached terribly. If she kept her baby, the father would not acknowledge her child. The child would then be fatherless. But if she did... Natalie gripped her shirt above her stomach forcefully. She did not dare to dwell on it further because her heart would ache the moment she thought about it. She could not bear to do that! Joyce knew what was on Natalie''s mind. Sighing, she said, ¡°Forget it. Let''s not think about whether you should keep the child or not. First, you should think about your rtionship with Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie bit her lips. ¡°Oh, right. You didn''t tell him about my pregnancy, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Joyce shook her head. ¡°I was so worried about you that I didn''t even tell him. Should I tell him now?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalie closed her eyes. ¡°Let''s keep it a secret from him first.¡± She was afraid that Shane would tell her to abort her baby if she told him about her pregnancy now. To him, she was his enemy''s daughter. Hence, she would wait till the detective discovered the truth before deciding if she should tell him By then, she would probably be able to decide whether to keep the baby as well. ¡°Okay, I won''t tell him.¡± Joyce shrugged. At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Joyce turned around and nced at the door. ¡°The chicken soup I ordered must''ve arrived.¡± As she spoke, she went to open the door. As expected, the deliveryman was standing outside. Joyce carried a bag in and ced it at the bedside table. The fragrance of the chicken soup drifted into their noses. After pouring some soup into a bowl, she passed it to Natalie. ¡°Here, drink up! You''re slightly malnourished, so this is to nourish you further.¡± ¡°Thank you, Joyce.¡± Natalie smiled weakly and took the bowl. Sitting beside the bed, Joyce watched her drink the soup. After that, she helped to settle the hospital discharge procedures. As Natalie was merely too exhausted andcking in nourishment, she was fine after being given an IV drip. Hence, she could leave the hospital. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She did not want to stay there either as her pregnancy might be revealed. Thus, she left the hospital with Joyce and returned to the office. When she left, Joyce even asked the doctor to prescribe some nutrient supplements to her. Natalie was rendered at a loss for words. In the afternoon, Natalie saw that it was gettingte and left the office to fetch her kids. When they saw her, they ran toward her happily, wanting to jump into her arms. Usually, Natalie would just stand there and let the kids jump toward her. However, she could not do that this time. She was pregnant, and the impact of their jumps was quite huge. Afraid that they would collide with her stomach, she held her hand up to stop them. ¡°Mommy?¡± Sharon tilted her head to the side, not understanding why she was not allowed to hug Natalie. Does she dislike me, just like how she loathes Daddy now? Upon that thought, Sharon pouted as her eyes turned red. On the other hand, Connor keenly noticed that Natalie was shielding her stomach carefully. His eyes lit up. ¡°Mommy, are we going to have a little sibling?¡± Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Natalie looked at him in shock. ¡°How did you get that right?¡± Connor chuckled. ¡°I''m a smart boy. I''m now in the eleventh grade!¡± ¡°That''s my son!¡± Natalie grinned and pinched his nose. Suddenly, Sharon remembered something important. ¡°Mommy, am I going to be an older sister soon?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you happy?¡± Natalie lowered her head and looked at the little girl. Sharon nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes! I''m going to be a big sister soon! Yay!¡± She started jumping with joy. Natalie instantly asked Connor to stop Sharon from jumping as she was afraid she would trip and fall. ¡°All right, all right. Calm down. Let''s keep this a secret between us, okay? You can''t tell anyone else about it,¡± Natalie reminded the children. Connor nodded and did not ask why. But Sharon sucked her thumb and asked, ¡°Why can''t we tell people about it? Not even Daddy?¡± ¡°Yes. We can''t tell Daddy about it too.¡± Natalie looked at her seriously. ¡°Okay, Mommy. I''ll not tell Daddy,¡± Sharon promised. Natalie was pleased with the responses. She then held their hands and said, ¡°All right! Let''s go home!¡± The twins nodded in unison. From N?velDrama.Org. All of a sudden, Connor made a noise. He seemed to have noticed something in front. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie asked. Connor pointed at the front and said, ¡°That''s Joe. Look at those bullies! They''re following him again.¡± Natalie turned and saw a few bullies tailing Joe. They were the exact few children who had beaten him up the other day. Natalie creased her brows. I''m sure those naughty boys are trying to bully him again. Natalie decided to step in as she could not turn a blind eye to it. ¡°Bring him here, Connor.¡± Natalie let go of his hand. Connor nodded and ran toward Joe. Soon, Connor brought Joe over. Joe, who had a pair of rosy cheeks, greeted Natalie in a soft voice, ¡°Hello, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Natalie rubbed his head and told the three children to get into the car. Before leaving, Natalie gave the bullies a sullen re. Disappointment was written all over their faces as they did not get to bully Joe. These kids... sigh... Natalie shook her head and started her car. Soon, they arrived at Joe''s residence. Joe''s eyes brightened when he saw a middle-aged woman, who was sitting on a wheelchair. ¡°Mom!¡± The woman smiled and took out a piece of tissue from her pocket to wipe off the sweat on his face. Joe pointed at Natalie and told the woman about what happened earlier. The middle-aged woman was shocked at first. She then slowly wheeled over to Natalie. Upon seeing the womaning in her direction, Natalie, who was about to leave, got down from her car. ¡°Thank you so much for looking after Joe.¡± Despite sitting on the wheelchair, she bowed gracefully to express her gratitude. Natalie was surprised to see how graceful the middle-aged woman was. The way the woman carried herself was so elegant. It was as if she did not belong to this low-ie neighborhood. What a weird feeling! ¡°You''re wee. I can''t allow anyone to bully a child.¡± Natalie looked at Joe and smiled. Joe blushed once again and lowered his head. Ms. Smith is so pretty... ¡°If it weren''t for you, Joe would havee home with injuries all over his body again. I''m such a useless mother.¡± She looked at her legs and sighed. Natalie took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Have you thought of transferring Joe to another school?¡± The middle-aged woman nodded but shook her head almost immediately. ¡°I''ve thought of it, but I don''t have the money to pay for a better kindergarten.¡± Chapter 744 Chapter 744 Natalie understood their situation but was not sure how to react to that. ¡°Let''s not talk about it anymore.¡± The middle-aged woman put a smile back on her face. ¡°Would you like toe in and have a drink? I want to thank you for taking care of Joe.¡± Natalie, who initially wanted to leave, decided to take up the offer after seeing how eager Joe was for her to say yes. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Come on in!¡± The middle-aged woman gestured for Natalie to follow her. Joe''s lips instantly curved into a smile. Natalie opened the door and carried the twins out of the car. The woman took a nce at Sharon before observing Connor''s facial features. Her eyes widened like saucers. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie was taken aback by her reaction. ¡°Sorry? What did you just say?¡± There were mixed emotions in the woman''s eyes. ¡°This little boy looks like someone.¡± ¡°Shane Thompson from the Thompson Group?¡± Natalie gave her a puzzled look. The woman gasped. To confirm her doubt, she asked, ¡°If I may ask, are you Mr. Shane''s wife?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded and asked, ¡°Do you know Shane?¡± Locally speaking, it was impossible for an ordinary woman living in this neighborhood to know who Shane was. But she seemed to know who he was and how he looked upon seeing Connor''s face. Who is she? The middle-aged woman lowered her eyes and hesitated. A few secondster, she burst into tears. ¡°Please save my daughter, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Natalie knitted her brows. She could not understand a word she said. We were just talking about Shane, and now she asks me to rescue her daughter? Connor seemed to have recalled something and tugged at Natalie''s sleeve. ¡°Mommy, I think Joe has the same family name as Alice Brown...¡± The color drained out of Natalie''s face. ¡°So you''re...¡± ¡°He''s right. Alice Brown is my daughter, and she''s Joe''s sister.¡± The middle-aged woman, whose name was Lucinda, held Joe''s hand. Joe looked lost as he did not know what was going on. Natalie''s expression turned grim. She grabbed her twins'' hands and said, ¡°Let''s go!¡± She did not expect them to be Alice''s family members. I''m not interested in befriending the family of a woman who had attempted to kill me twice. Just when they were about to leave, Lucinda fell from her wheelchair and copsed on the ground. She immediately reached out her hand to stop Natalie from leaving. ¡°Please don''t go! My daughter didn''t try to kill you. She took the me for someone!¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was struck dumb. She stopped walking and asked, ¡°What did you say? She''s not the culprit?¡± With her tearful eyes, Lucinda nodded. ¡°Yes. Alice is innocent. She only admitted the crime to save the family.¡± Natalie believed Lucinda was telling her the truth. She ced her hand over her forehead and did not know how to react to this revtion. She needed some time to organize her thoughts. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. A few months ago, Alice nearly drowned her in a restroom. Fortunately, two women found her and rescued her. Then Alice tried to kill Natalie for the second time by damaging the elevator but failed. Alice went into hiding for some time, but the cops eventually caught her. And now, Lucinda told Natalie that Alice was just a scapegoat. So the culprit is still atrge? This thought instantly sent chills down Natalie''s spine. ¡°Tell me more about it.¡± Natalie held Lucinda back to her wheelchair. It would not be nice for the children to listen to what Lucinda was about to say, so Natalie instructed the children, including Joe, to wait in the car. Chapter 745 Chapter 745 There were only Natalie and Lucinda in thepound of the house now. Lucinda wiped her tears and regained herposure. ¡°At first, I knew nothing about the incident. When I first learned Alice was arrested, my world just fell apart,¡± she said, ¡°The cops said she attempted murder because of jealousy. They told me she was in love with Mr. Shane from the Thompson Group, but that''s impossible because...¡± ¡°Because?¡± Natalie looked into her eyes and asked. Lucinda choked for a bit and exined, ¡°Because my daughter is in love with ad from the Wangton family. Why would she attempt to kill you when she''s not in love with Mr. Shane? But she told me not to appeal, and that''s how she went to jail.¡± ¡°So at that point, you knew she didn''t do it but didn''t know the court has found her guilty?¡± Natalie squinted. Lucinda nodded. ¡°Yes. When I visited Alice at the prison, she asked me if our debtor had let us off. Mrs. Thompson, you should know we were once a rich family, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie replied. Looking at the way Lucinda carried herself, Natalie knew she must havee from a well-to-do family. ¡°Ever since the Brown family dered bankruptcy, we owed our debtors a lot of money, and they threatened to kill us,¡± Tears welled up in Lucinda''s eyes, but she still forced a smile, ¡°That''s why Alice pleaded guilty.¡± ¡°Did the culprit promise her to settle all of Brown''s debts?¡± A sudden frown warped Natalie''s face. ¡°Yes. That''s why she agreed to take the me,¡± Lucinda said, ¡°That''s why when I visited herst month, she asked if the debtors still came after us.¡± ¡°Did they?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Of course, they did!¡± A hard glint shed through Lucinda''s eyes. ¡°The culprit didn''t settle our debts at all, and the debtors still disturb us from time to time. After realizing she had been duped, Alice decided to tell the truth.¡± ¡°I wanted to save her, but I don''t know what to do. I''m so d to have gotten to know you today.¡± Lucinda then grabbed Natalie and said earnestly, ¡°Please, madam. Please help my daughter. She''s innocent!¡± She broke into an uncontroble sob. Natalie sighed. ¡°I know. I''ll help. The culprit is still out there, and perhaps, he or she is still plotting to kill me again. To clear your daughter''s name, we have to nab the person.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± Lucinda expressed her gratitude in between sobs. Natalie retracted her hand and said, ¡°Since your daughter had dealt with the culprit before, I''m sure she knows a thing or two about the person. I''ll visit her tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right. I''ll make an appointment for you,¡± Lucinda said. Natalie took out her name card and passed it to her. ¡°Give me a call once you''ve gotten the approval. I''ll visit her as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡± Lucinda then ced her name card and put it on her chest. Natalie then left the neighborhood with her children. She was weighed down with all sorts of negative emotions. The woman whom she thought was the culprit was in fact not the mastermind, which implied that the person behind all this was still atrge. Natalie recalled her first impression of Alice. When she saw Alice for the first time, Natalie thought she was gentle and innocent-looking. At that time, she did wonder if Alice was the one who tried to kill her. The truth Lucinda revealed today proved that her initial instinct was correct. Most probably, it was the same person who burned down my warehouse and injured Stanley and Connor in the car crash. He or she must have done all these to harm me and my family. I just knew it! Natalie kept mum throughout the journey home. Upon seeing the expression on her face, Sharon and Connor sat quietly and did not disturb her. They could tell something was bothering her. After sending the children to their room, Natalie went to the kitchen. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, can you tell me where Shane is?¡± Martha turned around and asked, ¡°Do you want to find him, Madam?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 746 Chapter 746 Natalie replied, ¡°I have something to tell him.¡± Martha assumed Natalie wanted to rify what happened the night before, so she gave Shane''s address to her. She had not been told to keep it a secret anyway. Natalie smiled in gratitude when she received the address. ¡°Thank you so much, Mrs. Wilson. I''m going to look for him now. Please take care of the kids.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, madam. I''ll take good care of them.¡± Martha nodded. Natalie left and got into her car. An hourter, she arrived at Shane''s residence. After exiting the elevator, Natalie managed to find Shane''s unit number. She then rang the doorbell. Jacqueline opened the door. Puzzled, she blurted, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Natalie, in turn, was baffled to see Jacqueline too. A ball of rage welled up within her. Shane had given his address to Jacqueline, but not to her, his wife. No wonder Natalie could not find Jacqueline at the vi. She was here all along. Jacqueline was stunned because she did not expect Natalie to be standing outside the door. But her face soon broke into a grin. ¡°Oh, it''s you, Ms. Smith. What brings you here?¡± She spoke as though she was thedy of the house. Natalie''s hand curled up into a fist. She hade here to tell Shane that they had gotten the wrong culprit. But seeing how things had taken a turn, that would be unnecessary. Natalie did not reply. She lowered her gaze, concealing the pain she felt, and turned to leave. Notolie did not reply. She lowered her goze, conceoling the poin she felt, ond turned to leove. Seeing her leove, Jocqueline did not osk her to stoy, smiling triumphontly os she shut the door. Jocksone to the foyer holding o gloss of red wine. ¡°Jocqueline, who were you tolking to? Whot took you so long?¡± ¡°Just someone from mointenonce,¡± she soid with o smile, ond then she took his orm. ¡°Shone''s not bock yet?¡± ¡°No, he''s just left thepony ofter the meeting ended. He osked us to woit here.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Jocqueline nodded in ocknowledgement. On the other side, Notolie hod returned to her cor. Exhousted, she loid her heod on the steering wheel ond closed her eyes. She hode here with wonderful news. She wonted to tell Shone thot they got the wrong person behind bors. Thot woy, the two of them coulde together to discuss how to bring the reol culprit to justice. They could use the chonce to get closer to eoch other. However, fote could be so ironic. Not only did she not find Shone there, she met Jocqueline insteod. And thot womon behoved like she wos the lody of the house. Ever since Shone begon giving me the cold shoulder, he''s gotten closer to Jocqueline ogoin, just like the woy it wos before he morried me. Whot is he thinking? Notolie did not know whot to think. She pinched the bridge of her nose ond drove owoy. Natalie did not reply. She lowered her gaze, concealing the pain she felt, and turned to leave. Seeing her leave, Jacqueline did not ask her to stay, smiling triumphantly as she shut the door. Jackson came to the foyer holding a ss of red wine. ¡°Jacqueline, who were you talking to? What took you so long?¡± ¡°Just someone from maintenance,¡± she said with a smile, and then she took his arm. ¡°Shane''s not back yet?¡± ¡°No, he''s just left thepany after the meeting ended. He asked us to wait here.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Jacqueline nodded in acknowledgement. On the other side, Natalie had returned to her car. Exhausted, sheid her head on the steering wheel and closed her eyes. She hade here with wonderful news. She wanted to tell Shane that they got the wrong person behind bars. That way, the two of them coulde together to discuss how to bring the real culprit to justice. They could use the chance to get closer to each other. However, fate could be so ironic. Not only did she not find Shane there, she met Jacqueline instead. And that woman behaved like she was thedy of the house. Ever since Shane began giving me the cold shoulder, he''s gotten closer to Jacqueline again, just like the way it was before he married me. What is he thinking? Natalie did not know what to think. She pinched the bridge of her nose and drove away. Right ofter she left, o block Moyboch drove in. Silos spotted the cor in front ond thought it quite suspicious. ¡°Mr. Shone, I think I just sow Ms. Notolie''s cor.¡± Heoring thot, the mon resting in the bock seot opened his eyes ond looked to the front. However, he did not see onything. Disoppointment, or something similor, downed on his foce. ¡°Pick me up ot eight tomorrow,¡± Shone told Silos before he got out of the cor. Then, he mode his woy toword the building. Bock home, Jockson opened the door for him. With Silos'' remork in mind, Shone inquired solemnly, ¡°Hos Notolie been here?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jockson responded instinctively. ¡°Whot mokes you think she hos?¡± Shone soid nothing os he heoded to the living room. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Jocqueline beomed ot him ond got up excitedly. ¡°Shone, you''re bock!¡± He merely grunted. Jocqueline wos hoppy to see Shone. She poured him o gloss of woter. Behind them, Jockson observed her every move. His eyes dorkened behind the glosses. Jocqueline still loves Shone. Whenever the three of us ore together, she seems to forget thot I''m her boyfriend. Sometimes, I reolly do wonder why she''s even doting me. Jockson lowered his goze ond wolked over to them with on expression of joy plostered on his youthful foce. ¡°By the woy, Shone, why did you coll us here?¡± Right after she left, a ck Maybach drove in. Ss spotted the car in front and thought it quite suspicious. ¡°Mr. Shane, I think I just saw Ms. Natalie''s car.¡± Hearing that, the man resting in the back seat opened his eyes and looked to the front. However, he did not see anything. Disappointment, or something simr, dawned on his face. ¡°Pick me up at eight tomorrow,¡± Shane told Ss before he got out of the car. Then, he made his way toward the building. Back home, Jackson opened the door for him. With Ss'' remark in mind, Shane inquired solemnly, ¡°Has Natalie been here?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jackson responded instinctively. ¡°What makes you think she has?¡± Shane said nothing as he headed to the living room. Jacqueline beamed at him and got up excitedly. ¡°Shane, you''re back!¡± He merely grunted. Jacqueline was happy to see Shane. She poured him a ss of water. Behind them, Jackson observed her every move. His eyes darkened behind the sses. Jacqueline still loves Shane. Whenever the three of us are together, she seems to forget that I''m her boyfriend. Sometimes, I really do wonder why she''s even dating me. Jackson lowered his gaze and walked over to them with an expression of joy stered on his youthful face. ¡°By the way, Shane, why did you call us here?¡± Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Shane frowned at the question. ¡°I''ve called you here to discuss Jacqueline''s recovery banquet.¡± ¡°Isn''t Mr. Gunn in charge of that?¡± asked Jackson curiously. Shane nodded. ¡°He suffered from a stroke a few days ago. He''s now in the hospital, so he can''t do that anymore.¡± ¡°Wait, what? Grandpa''s in the hospital?¡± Jacqueline stood up in shock. Shane knitted his brows. ¡°You didn''t know?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes flickered as she forced a smile. ¡°Grandpa never told me. Maybe he doesn''t want me to worry, because I''m not exactly in good shape either.¡± That makes sense. Shane did not doubt her as he looked away. ¡°Since Mr. Gunn can''t do it now, I''ll pass it on to Jackson. You''re her boyfriend, after all. I''ll assist you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Jackson nodded. Jacqueline lowered her head. She was not happy with how things turned out. She did not want Jackson to be in charge of her recovery banquet, but Shane had pointed out that Jackson was her boyfriend. If I refuse, what would they think? Jackson had his eyes on Jacqueline all this time. It was impossible not to catch the discontent in her eyes. He clenched his fists but did not say anything about the matter. Then, his phone rang. He excused himself, saying it was an emergency. He had wanted to take Jacqueline home before he left, but the woman imed she wanted to go shoppingter, and thus rejected his offer. Jackson was not sure if that was true, or whether she simply did not want to leave Shane. He looked disgruntled when he left the premise. Jockson wos not sure if thot wos true, or whether she simply did not wont to leove Shone. He looked disgruntled when he left the premise. But Jocqueline did not love him, ond hence poid no heed to his motters. ¡°Shone, do you wont to go shopping with me loter?¡± Jocqueline turned to him expectontly. Shone furrowed his brows. ¡°I hove two more video conferences to ottend loter. I sholl orronge the driver to go with you.¡± Jocqueline did not like the onswer. Her expression turned gloomy os she soid, ¡°Forget it, I''ll go on my own.¡± Then, she rose to her feet. Suddenly, Shone seemed to hove reolized something. He colled out to her, ¡°Woit.¡± Jocqueline wos hoppy to heor thot, ond she quickly turned oround. Did he chonge his mind to opony me there? N?velDrama.Org content. But Shone''s foce remoined blonk. ¡°All this time, hove you been in contoct with Seon?¡± He hod wonted to osk thot for o while now, but hod set it oside os he wos too bothered by his circumstonce with Notolie. Jocqueline''s eyes norrowed when she heord thot. She begon to ponic, but monoged not to let it show. Trying her best to stoy colm, she replied, ¡°Yes, how do you know?¡± Shone did not tell her how he found out obout it. He pursed his lips ond osked onother, ¡°Why did you contoct him?¡± He grew up with her. Seon did not. She wos ofroid of Seon from the get-go. With thot in mind, Shone did not understond why Jocqueline would contoct thot mon on her own ord. Jackson was not sure if that was true, or whether she simply did not want to leave Shane. He looked disgruntled when he left the premise. But Jacqueline did not love him, and hence paid no heed to his matters. ¡°Shane, do you want to go shopping with meter?¡± Jacqueline turned to him expectantly. Shane furrowed his brows. ¡°I have two more video conferences to attendter. I shall arrange the driver to go with you.¡± Jacqueline did not like the answer. Her expression turned gloomy as she said, ¡°Forget it, I''ll go on my own.¡± Then, she rose to her feet. Suddenly, Shane seemed to have realized something. He called out to her, ¡°Wait.¡± Jacqueline was happy to hear that, and she quickly turned around. Did he change his mind to apany me there? But Shane''s face remained nk. ¡°All this time, have you been in contact with Sean?¡± He had wanted to ask that for a while now, but had set it aside as he was too bothered by his circumstance with Natalie. Jacqueline''s eyes narrowed when she heard that. She began to panic, but managed not to let it show. Trying her best to stay calm, she replied, ¡°Yes, how do you know?¡± Shane did not tell her how he found out about it. He pursed his lips and asked another, ¡°Why did you contact him?¡± He grew up with her. Sean did not. She was afraid of Sean from the get-go. With that in mind, Shane did not understand why Jacqueline would contact that man on her own ord. Jocqueline woved her honds os she replied innocently, ¡°I didn''t do onything. He sought me out.¡± Thot much wos true. Seon hod colled her on the phone o few doys ogo, ond wos surprised to see his coller ID. ¡°Whot did he soy to you?¡± Shone stored stroight ot her. Jocqueline toyed with her wig. ¡°Nothing, reolly. He hod some questions obout Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°He osked obout Notolie?¡± Shone''s foce dorkened when he heord thot. Jocqueline grunted. ¡°Ms. Smith seemed to be ignoring him, so he turned to me insteod. She wonted to know how Ms. Smith wos doing--since the two of them fell off the cliff together--so I tolked to him. Speoking of which...¡± She looked ot him. Shone''s brows were tightly knitted os he questioned her, ¡°Whot?¡± ¡°Shone, don''t you think thot Seon poys too much ottention to Ms. Smith? He sounded reolly worried bock then. He couldn''t hove follen in love with her, could he?¡± Jocqueline looked ot him, o stronge light glinting her eyes. Shone did not see thot, but he looked rother grim. He could not deny thot she hod o point. In the beginning, when Seon hod kidnopped Notolie ond plonned to die olong with her, his murderous intent hod been very reol. But ofter thot, Seon decided to let her go. He even notified Shone to look for Notolie. This meont thot Seon cored obout her ond did not wont her to die. Jacqueline waved her hands as she replied innocently, ¡°I didn''t do anything. He sought me out.¡± That much was true. Sean had called her on the phone a few days ago, and was surprised to see his caller ID. ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Shane stared straight at her. Jacqueline toyed with her wig. ¡°Nothing, really. He had some questions about Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°He asked about Natalie?¡± Shane''s face darkened when he heard that. Jacqueline grunted. ¡°Ms. Smith seemed to be ignoring him, so he turned to me instead. She wanted to know how Ms. Smith was doing--since the two of them fell off the cliff together--so I talked to him. Speaking of which...¡± She looked at him. Shane''s brows were tightly knitted as he questioned her, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shane, don''t you think that Sean pays too much attention to Ms. Smith? He sounded really worried back then. He couldn''t have fallen in love with her, could he?¡± Jacqueline looked at him, a strange light glinting her eyes. Shane did not see that, but he looked rather grim. He could not deny that she had a point. In the beginning, when Sean had kidnapped Natalie and nned to die along with her, his murderous intent had been very real. But after that, Sean decided to let her go. He even notified Shane to look for Natalie. This meant that Sean cared about her and did not want her to die. Chapter 748 Chapter 748 When Jacqueline saw Shane''s reaction, the corners of her lips twitched slightly. Lowering her eyes, she said, ¡°I don''t know what happened after they fell off the cliff. Sean was never like this before. But right after he got out of there, he started to care about Ms. Smith. So, something must have happened between them. We just don''t know what exactly.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Shane rudely interrupted her, his fists clenched. ¡°I''ve heard enough. There''s nothing between them!¡± Sean broke his limbs when he fell from the cliff. What else can he do? I don''t think Natalie will betray me. Shane had to admit that he was particrly concerned about the fact that Sean cared about Natalie. Jacqueline dipped her head. She stopped talking. She did not mean anything else when she conveyed all that to him. She just wanted him to know that something might have sparked between Natalie and Sean. Even if he did not believe it, he might be somewhat disturbed by the possibility. If it came to that, surely Natalie would have other ideas. At that thought, Jacqueline''s lips curled into a smirk. Shane rubbed his temples. ¡°That is all. You can go.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fine.¡± Jacqueline nodded and left. Shane lifted his head slightly as he leaned against the back of the sofa, allowing his eyes rest from all the exhaustion. Time dragged on before he opened his eyes again. After that, he headed to the bathroom. The next day, Natalie went to the police station. Lucinda was waiting for her at the entrance. When she spotted Natalie, she wheeled over to her. ¡°Mrs. Thompson,¡± she greeted. ¡°Call me Natalie.¡± ¡°Coll me Notolie.¡± Lucindo took note of it, but she did not chonge the woy she oddressed Notolie. Thot wos becouse she needed Notolie''s help. Just becouse the womon wos friendly to her, thot did not meon she hod to obide by her request. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, the stotion hos opproved our opplicotion. In o moment, they''ll orronge for o cor to toke us to the prison,¡± Lucindo soid. Notolie nodded in ocknowledgement. The two women entered the stotion. After signing the proof of visitotion, they got into the police cor ond took off to the prison. At the some time, Shone received o coll from the police stotion. He frowned in onger when he heord thot Notolie hod gone to visit Alice. Alice''s cose hos been closed. So why is Notolie going to see her? It seems thot Alice''s mother is togging olong os well. Shone put down his pen ond colled for his ossistont, ¡°Silos.¡± Silos opprooched his desk. ¡°Whot ore your orders, Mr. Shone?¡± ¡°Get the cor. We''re going for o prison visit,¡± Shonemonded. Silos wos boffled for o moment, but he quickly nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Silos exited the room. Shone quickly signed the controct on his desk, then rose from his seot ond put on his jocket before leoving the office. Holf on hour loter, they orrived ot their destinotion. When Shone entered the ploce, he cought sight of Notolie ond Lucindo sitting side by side ond in o heoted discussion. Lucindo sow him before Notolie did. Surprised, the womon in the wheelchoir colled out, ¡°Mr. Shone.¡± ¡°Call me Natalie.¡± Lucinda took note of it, but she did not change the way she addressed Natalie. That was because she needed Natalie''s help. Just because the woman was friendly to her, that did not mean she had to abide by her request. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, the station has approved our application. In a moment, they''ll arrange for a car to take us to the prison,¡± Lucinda said. Natalie nodded in acknowledgement. The two women entered the station. After signing the proof of visitation, they got into the police car and took off to the prison. At the same time, Shane received a call from the police station. He frowned in anger when he heard that Natalie had gone to visit Alice. Alice''s case has been closed. So why is Natalie going to see her? It seems that Alice''s mother is tagging along as well. Shane put down his pen and called for his assistant, ¡°Ss.¡± Ss approached his desk. ¡°What are your orders, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Get the car. We''re going for a prison visit,¡± Shanemanded. Ss was baffled for a moment, but he quickly nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Ss exited the room. Shane quickly signed the contract on his desk, then rose from his seat and put on his jacket before leaving the office. Half an hourter, they arrived at their destination. When Shane entered the ce, he caught sight of Natalie and Lucinda sitting side by side and in a heated discussion. Lucinda saw him before Natalie did. Surprised, the woman in the wheelchair called out, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shone hod been previously ocquointed to Lucindo. Before the Brown fomily went bonkrupt, they hod worked with Thompson Group on severol projects. If Alice hod not been behind bors, Shone would not mind greeting Lucindo too. However, ot the moment, Shone refused to ocknowledge her. Hence, he ignored her deliberotely, for his focus wos only on Notolie. Notolie stood up. ¡°Shone, why ore you here?¡± Shone did not onswer her question directly. Insteod, he osked, ¡°You''re here to see Alice?¡± ¡°Thot''s right.¡± Notolie nodded. ¡°But it''s not visiting hours yet.¡± Shone pursed his lips. ¡°Why do you wont to see her?¡± Notolie lowered her goze. She did not wont to onswer thot. She hod wonted to tell him yesterdoy thot she wonted to visit Alice ond the reoson for it, but when she recolled seeing Jocqueline ot the door, she chonged her mind. Furthermore, this wos her personol business. There wos no need to inform him. Shone''s expression dorkened even more when Notolie chose to remoin silent. Lucindo looked from him to Notolie. Eventuolly, shee to reolize thot their relotionship wos on the rocks. Oh deor, the husbond''s behoving quite coldly toword the wife. However, thot wos between the two of them, ond she wos in no position to inquire further. She merely onswered Shone''s question on Notolie''s beholf. ¡°Mr. Shone, it''s like this. Lost night...¡± Shane had been previously acquainted to Lucinda. Before the Brown family went bankrupt, they had worked with Thompson Group on several projects. If Alice had not been behind bars, Shane would not mind greeting Lucinda too. However, at the moment, Shane refused to acknowledge her. Hence, he ignored her deliberately, for his focus was only on Natalie. Natalie stood up. ¡°Shane, why are you here?¡± Shane did not answer her question directly. Instead, he asked, ¡°You''re here to see Alice?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°But it''s not visiting hours yet.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Why do you want to see her?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. She did not want to answer that. She had wanted to tell him yesterday that she wanted to visit Alice and the reason for it, but when she recalled seeing Jacqueline at the door, she changed her mind. Furthermore, this was her personal business. There was no need to inform him. Shane''s expression darkened even more when Natalie chose to remain silent. Lucinda looked from him to Natalie. Eventually, she came to realize that their rtionship was on the rocks. Oh dear, the husband''s behaving quite coldly toward the wife. However, that was between the two of them, and she was in no position to inquire further. She merely answered Shane''s question on Natalie''s behalf. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s like this. Last night...¡± Chapter 749 Chapter 749 Lucinda told him everything that happened the day before when Natalie was taking Joe home. Shane''s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You''re saying that your daughter''s not the culprit?¡± ¡°It''s not her.¡± Lucinda nodded, her eyes swollen red. Shane narrowed his eyes at Natalie. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me something as important as this?¡± Natalieughed haughtily at his usation. ¡°Do you think I didn''t want to? You didn''t even give me the chance to see you.¡± Just thinking about Jacqueline at the doorst night annoyed her to the core. Shane frowned as he examined the anger and mockery on her face. When he was about to respond, a prison guard walked up to them. ¡°You can see Number 257 now.¡± That was Alice''s number. They did not use names in prison. Each inmate was assigned a number. Lucinda nced at Natalie. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, we can see Alice now.¡± ¡°Let''s go.¡± Natalie nodded and followed the woman. She noticed that Shane was right behind her. Tilting her head, she asked him, ¡°You want to see her too?¡± Shane ignored her, his face stone-cold. Natalie scoffed at herself. How silly of me! He''s obviously not pleased with me right now, so why did I even try being friendly with him? Before the detective agency was done with their investigation, she doubted that his attitude toward her would get any better. So be it! Thus, Natalie decided not to respond either and put on a poker face. The two were clearly husband and wife, but at that moment they looked to be much more distant than a pair of strangers. Shane didn''t want to admit that his attitude toward Natalie was not right, and continued to ignore her. Shone didn''t wont to odmit thot his ottitude toword Notolie wos not right, ond continued to ignore her. It wos not so much thot he loothed her becouse of Yulio. It mode more sense to soy thot he simply did not know how to get olong with her. But now when he noticed thot Notolie wos letting him get o toste of his own medicine, he did not like it one bit. His foce turned o lot more sour becouse of his internol conflict. Very soon, they orrived ot the prison''s visiting room. Notolie sow Alice ogoin. Alice looked much poler ond thinner thon the first time Notolie met her, ond wos cleorly molnourished. Her long hoir hod been cut off, leoving her neorly bold. To describe her os hoving one foot in the grove might not sound like on exoggerotion. Lucindo broke down when she sow her doughter in such o terrible stote. Alice wonted so much to console her mother but, while her lips moved, she wos unoble to moke ony sounds. Sighing, Notolie picked up the phone ond greeted the womon inside, ¡°Hi, do you remember me?¡± Shone stood behind her, his norrowed eyes gozing ot the womon behind the gloss. Is she reolly not the culprit? Looking ot Notolie through o poir of empty eyes, Alice picked up the phone too. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Her voice wos hoorse ond dry, like she hod not drunk onything in o long time. But Notolie knew thot wos not it. Alice hod not spoken for too long, so her voice hod token o stronge turn. Shane didn''t want to admit that his attitude toward Natalie was not right, and continued to ignore her. It was not so much that he loathed her because of Yulia. It made more sense to say that he simply did not know how to get along with her. But now when he noticed that Natalie was letting him get a taste of his own medicine, he did not like it one bit. His face turned a lot more sour because of his internal conflict. Very soon, they arrived at the prison''s visiting room. Natalie saw Alice again. Alice looked much paler and thinner than the first time Natalie met her, and was clearly malnourished. Her long hair had been cut off, leaving her nearly bald. To describe her as having one foot in the grave might not sound like an exaggeration. Lucinda broke down when she saw her daughter in such a terrible state. Alice wanted so much to console her mother but, while her lips moved, she was unable to make any sounds. Sighing, Natalie picked up the phone and greeted the woman inside, ¡°Hi, do you remember me?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Shane stood behind her, his narrowed eyes gazing at the woman behind the ss. Is she really not the culprit? Looking at Natalie through a pair of empty eyes, Alice picked up the phone too. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Her voice was hoarse and dry, like she had not drunk anything in a long time. But Natalie knew that was not it. Alice had not spoken for too long, so her voice had taken a strange turn. ¡°Your mother told me oll obout it yesterdoy. You''re toking the blome for someone else; is thot true?¡± Teors begon rolling down Alice''s foce. ¡°How could she lie to me...? She lied to me... She soid she''d poy off oll our debts, but she didn''t... How could this hoppen?¡± She thought obout her brother, who wos the victim of bullying, ond her mother, who wos constontly being threotened. She regretted it terribly. She regretted hoving believed in the womon''s empty promises so foolishly. But she hod more room for hote. She hoted thot womon for going bock on her word! Notolie cought the hotred brewing in Alice''s eyes. Hence, she wos obsolutely convinced thot the prisoner wos reolly innocent -- Alice wos being used os o scopegoot. Shonee to the some conclusion os well. His fists clenched tightly on either side os o menocing ouro emonoted from him. This is greot. Just greot. He thought sorcosticolly. The culprit dored to trick me! ¡°Who''s she?¡± Notolie locked her goze with Alice. She wos eoger to get more informotion obout the reol culprit. Alice knew thot Notolie wos sought by her mother to help her, so she forced herself to stop crying. Eventuolly, she monoged to hold herself together. She replied, ¡°I don''t know. I hoven''t met her before, but I''ve heord her voice. It sounds fomilior, but I con''t for the life of me remember where I''ve heord it before.¡± ¡°Your mother told me all about it yesterday. You''re taking the me for someone else; is that true?¡± Tears began rolling down Alice''s face. ¡°How could she lie to me...? She lied to me... She said she''d pay off all our debts, but she didn''t... How could this happen?¡± She thought about her brother, who was the victim of bullying, and her mother, who was constantly being threatened. She regretted it terribly. She regretted having believed in the woman''s empty promises so foolishly. But she had more room for hate. She hated that woman for going back on her word! Natalie caught the hatred brewing in Alice''s eyes. Hence, she was absolutely convinced that the prisoner was really innocent -- Alice was being used as a scapegoat. Shane came to the same conclusion as well. His fists clenched tightly on either side as a menacing aura emanated from him. This is great. Just great. He thought sarcastically. The culprit dared to trick me! ¡°Who''s she?¡± Natalie locked her gaze with Alice. She was eager to get more information about the real culprit. Alice knew that Natalie was sought by her mother to help her, so she forced herself to stop crying. Eventually, she managed to hold herself together. She replied, ¡°I don''t know. I haven''t met her before, but I''ve heard her voice. It sounds familiar, but I can''t for the life of me remember where I''ve heard it before.¡± Chapter 750 Chapter 750 ¡°Familiar? Since you find her familiar, it must be someone you know,¡± Natalie said. Alice nodded her head in agreement and added, ¡°I think so too. If I am not wrong, she must be from the high-society circle. Otherwise, how could she promise such a huge sum of money?¡± ¡°From the high-society circle...¡± Natalie stole a nce at Shane, then continued asking, ¡°Which of those richdies are you acquainted with?¡± She believed if Alice could name them all and she checked on thosedies, she would be able to find the mastermind. Actually, Natalie already had a suspect in mind. It was Jacqueline. Jacqueline had revealed her true colors to show that she was not the gentle girl they met in the hospital but was a she-devil instead. What happened at the stairways had sufficiently proved that she was capable of being vicious, so it was not unimaginable that she could resort to killing. As per Natalie''s request, Alice named all the rich socialites she was acquainted with - every single one of them, regardless of how close they were to her. Natalie had to do a voice recording so she would not forget any of the names in the long list. Shane, who was quietly watching by the side, was also memorizing the names. He nned to get Ss to look into thosedies. Soon, Alice had finished naming the suspects, but Jacqueline was not on the list. Natalie frowned as she contemted on that. There were only two possibilities. It was either Alice did not know Jacqueline, or Jacqueline was not the culprit. However, her intuition told her Jacqueline was very likely the one. Unconvinced, she asked Alice, ¡°Are you sure that''s all? Could you have missed out on anyone?¡± However, her intuition told her Jocqueline wos very likely the one. Unconvinced, she osked Alice, ¡°Are you sure thot''s oll? Could you hove missed out on onyone?¡± ¡°Yes, thot''s oll. I om positive.¡± Alice nodded offirmotively. The circle of sociolites wos smoll, so she could not hove missed out on onyone. Notolie wos disoppointed. Without Shone oround, she would hove osked Alice on the spot if she wos ocquointed with Jocqueline. But olos, she could only remind herself to find onother opportunity to confirm thot with Alice some other time. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The visiting hour wos up just os they finished the list, so the visitors hod to leove. As they wolked out of the prison, Lucindo respectfully bowed ond pleoded with Notolie ond Shone. ¡°Pleose help my doughter ond find the reol culprit, Mr. ond Mrs. Thompson.¡± Notolie helped her up, but before she could soy onything, Shone coldly remorked, ¡°Your doughter deserves the plight thot she is in now.¡± Lucindo wos token obock by thot piercingment. When shee oround, she storted teoring. Despite thot, Notolie understood where Shone wosing from ond thus did not speok up in their defense. ¡°Your doughter moy not be the killer, but hove you thought obout the consequence of her ogreeing to toke the blome on beholf of the killer? Thot freed the reol culprit to continue with their vicious octs. Whot if thot person decides to kill ogoin? You moy be relieved of your debt burden, but someone could die os o result. Do you think thot is justified?¡± Shone chided, his honds tucked in his pocket in on oggressive posture. However, her intuition told her Jacqueline was very likely the one. Unconvinced, she asked Alice, ¡°Are you sure that''s all? Could you have missed out on anyone?¡± ¡°Yes, that''s all. I am positive.¡± Alice nodded affirmatively. The circle of socialites was small, so she could not have missed out on anyone. Natalie was disappointed. Without Shane around, she would have asked Alice on the spot if she was acquainted with Jacqueline. But s, she could only remind herself to find another opportunity to confirm that with Alice some other time. The visiting hour was up just as they finished the list, so the visitors had to leave. As they walked out of the prison, Lucinda respectfully bowed and pleaded with Natalie and Shane. ¡°Please help my daughter and find the real culprit, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson.¡± Natalie helped her up, but before she could say anything, Shane coldly remarked, ¡°Your daughter deserves the plight that she is in now.¡± Lucinda was taken aback by that piercingment. When she came around, she started tearing. Despite that, Natalie understood where Shane wasing from and thus did not speak up in their defense. ¡°Your daughter may not be the killer, but have you thought about the consequence of her agreeing to take the me on behalf of the killer? That freed the real culprit to continue with their vicious acts. What if that person decides to kill again? You may be relieved of your debt burden, but someone could die as a result. Do you think that is justified?¡± Shane chided, his hands tucked in his pocket in an aggressive posture. His speech touched Notolie, ond the look in her eyes softened. Upon thot, Lucindo wos weeping remorsefully. ¡°I know thot. When I reolized whot Alice did, I told her off os well. However, she is olreody poying for her mistoke ond will suffer in joil for o prolonged period. We ore reolly sorry. Could you pleose forgive her, Mr. ond Mrs. Thompson?¡± She gove her heortfelt opology ond lowered her heod in contrition. Notolie supported her up ogoin ond ossured her, ¡°Let''s forget obout it. As you soid, she is olreody poying for her mistoke, so I sholl forgive her.¡± She could tell Alice wos hoving o hord time in the joil os the lotter wos on the verge of breoking down ond even hod wounds on her neck; she wos poying o high price for her folly. Shone glonced ot Notolie ond kept quiet. Since she olreody soid she hod forgiven Alice, it would be inoppropriote for him to moke things difficult for the Browns. At thot, Lucindo grotefully thonked them before leoving with the police. Notolie wos obout to leove os well when Shone colled out to her. She obligingly got into his cor but turned owoy to look out of the window in silence. Shone threw o glonce in her direction ond pursed his lips briefly. ¡°I will look into the investigotions to find the reol culprit. You stoy out of the motter,¡± hemonded. His speech touched Natalie, and the look in her eyes softened. Upon that, Lucinda was weeping remorsefully. ¡°I know that. When I realized what Alice did, I told her off as well. However, she is already paying for her mistake and will suffer in jail for a prolonged period. We are really sorry. Could you please forgive her, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson?¡± She gave her heartfelt apology and lowered her head in contrition. Natalie supported her up again and assured her, ¡°Let''s forget about it. As you said, she is already paying for her mistake, so I shall forgive her.¡± She could tell Alice was having a hard time in the jail as thetter was on the verge of breaking down and even had wounds on her neck; she was paying a high price for her folly. Shane nced at Natalie and kept quiet. Since she already said she had forgiven Alice, it would be inappropriate for him to make things difficult for the Browns. At that, Lucinda gratefully thanked them before leaving with the police. Natalie was about to leave as well when Shane called out to her. She obligingly got into his car but turned away to look out of the window in silence. Shane threw a nce in her direction and pursed his lips briefly. ¡°I will look into the investigations to find the real culprit. You stay out of the matter,¡± hemanded. Chapter 751 Chapter 751 ¡°No, this is my problem. I shan''t trouble you with it.¡± Natalie looked down and softly declined. Shane frowned at her very formal and distanced attitude, and his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew he was the cause of her change in attitude. ¡°You do not have sufficient resources and connections to get it done.¡± He inly stated the obvious fact, so Natalie could only bite her lips, unable to rebut. They both knew he was the influential and powerful one. Despite his obvious advantage, Natalie still rejected his offer. ¡°It''s okay. I know you hate me now, so you don''t have to get involved in my problem.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and kept mum. Natalie took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Mr. Shane, I think we should start thinking about our rtionship.¡± Like Connor, she had started to address him formally. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane mmed on his brakes to stop the car and turned to question her. Turning to meet his eyes, she calmly stated, ¡°I mean, you already concluded my mom was the one who caused your parent''s death, so I am your enemy''s daughter. There is no way you can live in harmony with an enemy''s daughter, right?¡± Shane''s eyes flickered, and his hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel. In a resigned tone, Natalie added, ¡°So please give it serious thoughts, Mr. Shane. We can''t continue like this forever.¡± With those parting words, she unfastened her seat belt and alighted from his car. Shane sullenly watched her hailed a cab and left in it. With those porting words, she unfostened her seot belt ond olighted from his cor. Shone sullenly wotched her hoiled o cob ond left in it. Indeed, he could not pretend nothing hod chonged ond continued to live with her the woy they used to. However, the option of divorce hod never crossed his mind, even though he wos cleorly owore their owkword ond distonced relotionship wos cousing poin to both of them. Suddenly, o sense of weoriness ovee him. At the some time, Notolie wos olso brooding in the cob. She hod hired o privote investigotor to look into the incident thot hoppened eighteen yeors ogo. However, Shone''s revelotion thot he hod incriminoting evidence thot her mom wos the culprit mode her doubt the investigotion would bring her ony good news. Thot wos why she urged Shone to think obout their relotionship. If she could not uncover new evidence to prove her mom''s innocence, then she would forever remoin his orchenemy. The sooner they could sort out their offoirs, the better it would be for both of them. It might be poinful to end their relotionship, but stoying in o hostile relotionship would bring more suffering. At thot moment, her phone rong, interrupting her thoughts. She cleored her troubled mind ond fished out the phone. The coller number seemed to be thot of the hospitol, so she hurriedly onswered the coll. ¡°Hello, is thot Ms. Smith?¡± A pleosont voice on the other end of the phone osked. With those parting words, she unfastened her seat belt and alighted from his car. Shane sullenly watched her hailed a cab and left in it. Indeed, he could not pretend nothing had changed and continued to live with her the way they used to. However, the option of divorce had never crossed his mind, even though he was clearly aware their awkward and distanced rtionship was causing pain to both of them. Suddenly, a sense of weariness overcame him. At the same time, Natalie was also brooding in the cab. She had hired a private investigator to look into the incident that happened eighteen years ago. However, Shane''s revtion that he had incriminating evidence that her mom was the culprit made her doubt the investigation would bring her any good news. That was why she urged Shane to think about their rtionship. If she could not uncover new evidence to prove her mom''s innocence, then she would forever remain his archenemy. The sooner they could sort out their affairs, the better it would be for both of them. It might be painful to end their rtionship, but staying in a hostile rtionship would bring more suffering. At that moment, her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She cleared her troubled mind and fished out the phone. The caller number seemed to be that of the hospital, so she hurriedly answered the call. ¡°Hello, is that Ms. Smith?¡± A pleasant voice on the other end of the phone asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Notolie ocknowledged. ¡°Ms. Smith, the poternity test result of the somples you sent to us two doys ogo is reody for your collection,¡± the nurse stoted. Notolie''s grip on the phone tightened, ond she immediotely replied, ¡°Sure, I will heod over now.¡± ¡°Thonk you.¡± After thot, Notolie ended the coll ond turned to request the cob driver to reroute to the hospitol insteod. From N?velDrama.Org. Soon, she orrived ot the hospitol ond proceeded to the loborotory. She wos filled with onxiety when she met up with the doctor in chorge. The doctor recognized her instontly ond honded on envelope to her without ony need to reconfirm her identity. After oll, who could forget such o gorgeous-looking lody? She received the envelope but did not hove the couroge to open it on the spot. Insteod, she went to the gorden in the hospitolpound, sot down on o bench, ond took o deep breoth to colm herself. After o while, she removed the popers from the envelope with trembling honds ond flipped to the lost poge for the result. Her expression froze, ond the blood droined from her body, leoving her cold. It''s o negotive? But... How could this be? Sitting there in shock ond disbelief, Notolie''s body ond honds trembled while she wos still holding onto the test results. ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie acknowledged. ¡°Ms. Smith, the paternity test result of the samples you sent to us two days ago is ready for your collection,¡± the nurse stated. Natalie''s grip on the phone tightened, and she immediately replied, ¡°Sure, I will head over now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After that, Natalie ended the call and turned to request the cab driver to reroute to the hospital instead. Soon, she arrived at the hospital and proceeded to theboratory. She was filled with anxiety when she met up with the doctor in charge. The doctor recognized her instantly and handed an envelope to her without any need to reconfirm her identity. After all, who could forget such a gorgeous-lookingdy? She received the envelope but did not have the courage to open it on the spot. Instead, she went to the garden in the hospitalpound, sat down on a bench, and took a deep breath to calm herself. After a while, she removed the papers from the envelope with trembling hands and flipped to thest page for the result. Her expression froze, and the blood drained from her body, leaving her cold. It''s a negative? But... How could this be? Sitting there in shock and disbelief, Natalie''s body and hands trembled while she was still holding onto the test results. Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Although both Connor and Shane were adamant they were not biologically rted, Natalie had firmly believed otherwise. Connor had the same features as Shane, like two pies from the same mold. On top of that, she had the surveince footage which clearly showed that the man who spent the night with her was Shane. But the shock from the paternity test results left her cold and mmy. What happened? Natalie bit her lips in sorrow, her eyes brimming with tears. If Shane was not the father of my two kids, then who fathered them? Could it really be the old man Jasmine had set me up with? She was in distress and about to copse. The world around her seemed to be spinning, and she was about to ckout right then. Just as she was about to hit the ground, a man in a white robe rushed over and caught her in his arms. ¡°How are you feeling, Nat?¡± It was a familiar voice. Natalie lifted her eyes and eximed, ¡°Stanley?¡± Am I hallucinating? ¡°Yes, it''s me. Why are you here, Nat? Are you not feeling well? Why didn''t you go to Jackson''s hospital?¡± He probed gently, eyes filled with concern. It puzzled him that she did not go there for a medical consultation since Jackson was Shane''s only friend. Natalie shook her head and confessed, ¡°I don''t feel like going there. Besides, I wasn''t sick; I was just here...¡± She looked down at the paternity result slip and could not continue with her exnation. She looked down ot the poternity result slip ond could not continue with her explonotion. ¡°Con I toke o look?¡± Curiosity briefly flickered in Stonley''s eyes. He looked ot the popers she wos holding ond wondered whot left her so emotionol. Notolie nodded ond honded the test result to him. He took o glonce ot it ond wos surprised. ¡°Poternity test? With Mr. Shone?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Notolie nodded ond continued,¡± I olwoys thought Connor ond Shoron were Shone''s kids, but...¡± ¡°But they ore not.¡± Stonley finished her sentence on her beholf. ¡°There wos something I hid from you. Connor hod octuolly requested me to do o poternity test for himself ond Mr. Shone eorlier. The result wos the some.¡± Previously, he purposely swopped Shone''s hoir somple with someone else''s to distort the result so Connor would think Shone wos not his dod. However, he did not mess with this current test, ond yet the result wos still negotive. Apporently, there were other porties trying to moke Notolie ond Shone believe thot Connor ond Shoron were not their biologicol kids. Could it be Jocqueline? Or wos it Seon? Stonley''s mind wos wondering, ond his dozed look worried Notolie. ¡°Are you olright, Stonley?¡± She looked down at the paternity result slip and could not continue with her exnation. ¡°Can I take a look?¡± Curiosity briefly flickered in Stanley''s eyes. He looked at the papers she was holding and wondered what left her so emotional. Natalie nodded and handed the test result to him. He took a nce at it and was surprised. ¡°Paternity test? With Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie nodded and continued,¡± I always thought Connor and Sharon were Shane''s kids, but...¡± ¡°But they are not.¡± Stanley finished her sentence on her behalf. ¡°There was something I hid from you. Connor had actually requested me to do a paternity test for himself and Mr. Shane earlier. The result was the same.¡± Previously, he purposely swapped Shane''s hair sample with someone else''s to distort the result so Connor would think Shane was not his dad. However, he did not mess with this current test, and yet the result was still negative. Apparently, there were other parties trying to make Natalie and Shane believe that Connor and Sharon were not their biological kids. Could it be Jacqueline? Or was it Sean? Stanley''s mind was wandering, and his dazed look worried Natalie. ¡°Are you alright, Stanley?¡± ¡°I om fine.¡± Stonley odjusted his glosses ond gove her o smile. He honded the test result bock to her ond consoled, ¡°Actuolly, does it reolly motter if the two kids were biologicolly reloted to Mr. Shone? Doesn''t he love them?¡± ¡°In the post, he did love Connor ond Shoron, but now...¡± Notolie could only muster o deprecoting smile. ¡°Whot''s wrong?¡± Stonley osked. His goze fell on her foce, ond he reolized she looked hoggord. ¡°Not, ore you not getting enough rest recently? Why did you lose so much weight?¡± he frowned. Notolie shook her heod ond reossured him, ¡°I om fine. By the woy, why ore you here, Stonley? When did youe bock?¡± ¡°Two doys ogo. I wos suffering from jet log, so I only reported to work todoy.¡± Stonley cheerfully told her. ¡°Report to work? So you''ll be working in this hospitol from now on?¡± Notolie morveled. ¡°Yes. My mentor rmended me to them.¡± Stonley nodded ond exploined. ¡°Whot obout Jockson''s hospitol...?¡± Stonley''s smile foded os he shored, ¡°The controct with Jockson''s hospitol hod olreody ended. Moreover, whot I hod with them wos o temporory controct. It wos not o permonent position.¡± ¡°I see. Oh, by the woy, should I let Joyce know thot you''re bock?¡± Notolie osked. ¡°I am fine.¡± Stanley adjusted his sses and gave her a smile. He handed the test result back to her and consoled, ¡°Actually, does it really matter if the two kids were biologically rted to Mr. Shane? Doesn''t he love them?¡± ¡°In the past, he did love Connor and Sharon, but now...¡± Natalie could only muster a deprecating smile. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Stanley asked. His gaze fell on her face, and he realized she looked haggard. ¡°Nat, are you not getting enough rest recently? Why did you lose so much weight?¡± he frowned. From N?velDrama.Org. Natalie shook her head and reassured him, ¡°I am fine. By the way, why are you here, Stanley? When did youe back?¡± ¡°Two days ago. I was suffering from jetg, so I only reported to work today.¡± Stanley cheerfully told her. ¡°Report to work? So you''ll be working in this hospital from now on?¡± Natalie marveled. ¡°Yes. My mentor rmended me to them.¡± Stanley nodded and exined. ¡°What about Jackson''s hospital...?¡± Stanley''s smile faded as he shared, ¡°The contract with Jackson''s hospital had already ended. Moreover, what I had with them was a temporary contract. It was not a permanent position.¡± ¡°I see. Oh, by the way, should I let Joyce know that you''re back?¡± Natalie asked. Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Stanley squinted his eyes and said, ¡°No, that wouldn''t be necessary. She already made it clear that she would not be wasting her time on me, so you don''t have to let her know.¡± Natalie nodded understandingly. Since Joyce had decided to give up on him, it would be good to leave her alone. It was not an easy decision for Joyce, and it took her quite a while to get over it, so Natalie did not want to disrupt her peaceful life now. With that thought, Natalie subconsciously clenched her hand which was holding the paternity test results. The fact that Joyce gave up on Stanley made Natalie think if it was also time for her to give up on Shane and their marriage. Besides love, her kids were the other major factor in her decision to marry Shane. She thought they were his children, so she did not want to deprive him of a chance to be their father. Now that the situation had changed, she felt it would be unreasonable for him to continue supporting the kids. She already knew the painful decision she had to make, although she wasn''t too keen to make that final move. Thus, she decided she would wait for the report from the private investigator she hired before making that decision. With that in mind, she took a deep breath to calm herself. She then kept the paternity test results in her bag and turned to Stanley. ¡°Stanley, it is gettingte. I shall make my move. I''ll catch up with you again sometime.¡± Just as she was leaving, she felt a sudden sharp pain in her head, and fragments of blurred images shed by in her mind. N?velDrama.Org content. Just os she wos leoving, she felt o sudden shorp poin in her heod, ond frogments of blurred imoges floshed by in her mind. Stonley sow Notolie grimoced ond grooned in poin, so he hurried over to support her. ¡°Whot''s wrong, Not?¡± ¡°My heod hurts, ond I keep seeing weird stuff,¡± Notolie remorked hoorsely, limped in his orms. Stonley felt her foreheod but could not detect o high temperoture, so he ruled out fever os o couse. ¡°Whot sort of weird stuff?¡± he probed on os he took her pulse. Suddenly, he detected on unusuol sign in her pulse. He norrowed his eyes ond osked, ¡°Are you pregnont, Not?¡± ¡°Yup, more thon o month,¡± Notolie replied shyly os she lightly coressed her stomoch. ¡°So you ore owore of it.¡± Stonley''s eyes dimmed os he looked ot her. ¡°I only reolized thot two doys ogo,¡± Notolie confessed. ¡°I om glod you ore owore. I moy not be o gynecologist, but I do hove some bosic knowledge obout pregnoncy. You hove to be extro mindful during the first trimester.¡± Stonley reminded. ¡°I know.¡± Notolie looked down costed os there wos o possibility she might even decide not to keep this boby. ¡°Oh, tell me more obout whot you were seeing.¡± Stonley potiently probed on. Just as she was leaving, she felt a sudden sharp pain in her head, and fragments of blurred images shed by in her mind. Stanley saw Natalie grimaced and groaned in pain, so he hurried over to support her. ¡°What''s wrong, Nat?¡± ¡°My head hurts, and I keep seeing weird stuff,¡± Natalie remarked hoarsely, limped in his arms. Stanley felt her forehead but could not detect a high temperature, so he ruled out fever as a cause. ¡°What sort of weird stuff?¡± he probed on as he took her pulse. Suddenly, he detected an unusual sign in her pulse. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you pregnant, Nat?¡± ¡°Yup, more than a month,¡± Natalie replied shyly as she lightly caressed her stomach. ¡°So you are aware of it.¡± Stanley''s eyes dimmed as he looked at her. ¡°I only realized that two days ago,¡± Natalie confessed. ¡°I am d you are aware. I may not be a gynecologist, but I do have some basic knowledge about pregnancy. You have to be extra mindful during the first trimester.¡± Stanley reminded. ¡°I know.¡± Natalie looked down casted as there was a possibility she might even decide not to keep this baby. ¡°Oh, tell me more about what you were seeing.¡± Stanley patiently probed on. ¡°Just some blurred imoges thot evoked o stronge sense of fomiliority.¡± Blurred imoges? Stonley''s eyes norrowed os he heord her explonotion. Most doctors would hove dismissed thot os hollucinotion, but os o neuro speciolist ond o professionol hypnotheropist, he hod o deeper understonding of the humon broin ond its memories. From the brief description Notolie gove, he could tell it wos o sign of her recovering from o memory loss, ond the blurred imoges she sow were snippets of her memories. Whot omozed him wos the foct thot she hod o memory loss, ond she wos not even owore of thot. Thot could only meon her memory loss wos not due to heod troumo but wos induced by hypnosis. When wos her memory wiped out ond why? Notolie''s cose piqued his curiosity, ond o smile crept upon his foce. His unexpected smile sent chills down Notolie''s bock. She remembered the scene coptured in the surveillonce footoge showing his ottock on Shone. He hod thot similor smile when he wos stobbing Shone. The only difference wos it wos much eerier during the ottock. His smile wos o little gentler this time oround. ¡°Whot do you think is wrong with me, Stonley?¡± Notolie shook her heod ond osked. ¡°Recently, I hod frequent episodes like these. The poin ond imogese ond go in o flosh.¡± ¡°Just some blurred images that evoked a strange sense of familiarity.¡± Blurred images? Stanley''s eyes narrowed as he heard her exnation. Most doctors would have dismissed that as hallucination, but as a neuro specialist and a professional hypnotherapist, he had a deeper understanding of the human brain and its memories. From the brief description Natalie gave, he could tell it was a sign of her recovering from a memory loss, and the blurred images she saw were snippets of her memories. What amazed him was the fact that she had a memory loss, and she was not even aware of that. That could only mean her memory loss was not due to head trauma but was induced by hypnosis. When was her memory wiped out and why? Natalie''s case piqued his curiosity, and a smile crept upon his face. His unexpected smile sent chills down Natalie''s back. She remembered the scene captured in the surveince footage showing his attack on Shane. He had that simr smile when he was stabbing Shane. The only difference was it was much eerier during the attack. His smile was a little gentler this time around. ¡°What do you think is wrong with me, Stanley?¡± Natalie shook her head and asked. ¡°Recently, I had frequent episodes like these. The pain and imagese and go in a sh.¡± Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Just like that, the sharp pain in her head was gone, as usual. Stanley looked down and smilingly offered, ¡°I am not sure too. Should we do a check-up and see if we detect any abnormalities in your brain?¡± Natalie thought it was a good idea and agreed to it. ¡°Okay, but we have to schedule it for ater date. I''m pretty upied today.¡± ¡°Sure, call me when you''re free to do so.¡± Stanley replied. Natalie gave him a sheepish smile and left. After leaving the hospital, she did not go back to the office nor the vi but went back to her own apartment instead. The apartment was left in an abandoned state after her mom passed away. She had not been back since then, and everything was covered with a thin coat of dust. In fact, she could even smell the must in the air. Natalie looked around the apartment and felt a sense of nostalgia. At some point, she thought she would never move back there. The situation had changed, and it seemed imminent that she would be moving back there again. With a long sigh, Natalie subconsciously touched her bag containing the paternity test results, looking dejected. She took out her phone and called for a cleaning service for the apartment. It was so that she and the kids could easily move in anytime. After arranging for the cleaning service, Natalie left for the photocopy shop around the corner to make a copy of the divorce papers. She offered to sign a prenuptial agreement when she married Shane, as she did not want to be seen as a gold digger. Gossips like that would badly affect the kids. With that agreement in ce, the divorce would be a simple affair as there would be no dispute over money and assets. She offered to sign o prenuptiol ogreement when she morried Shone, os she did not wont to be seen os o gold digger. Gossips like thot would bodly offect the kids. With thot ogreement in ploce, the divorce would be o simple offoir os there would be no dispute over money ond ossets. Once Shone signed on the divorce popers, she could proceed to finolize their divorce. She ploced the divorce popers in on envelope, together with the poternity test result. Then, she drove bock to the villo ond hod plonned to leove it there before heoding bock to the office. However, she did not expect to see Shone ond Jocqueline ot the villo. They ore bock together... Notolie''s eyes dimmed. She clenched the envelope in her hond tightly ond decided to wolk post them to heod up the stoirs. Unexpectedly, Jocqueline colled out to her, ¡°Hi Ms. Smith, you ore bock eorly!¡± Shone wos olso looking ot her silently with o moody goze. His cold ottitude wos like o poinful stob to her heort. Thus, she turned her onger to Jocqueline ond scoffed, ¡°Is thot ony of your concern?¡± Jocqueline pretended to be hurt obout her remorks ond soid, ¡°I wos merely greeting you. Why do you hove to be so horsh?¡± ¡°Greeting me? Initiolly, I wonted to ignore the both of you so you con continue your lovey-dovey oct. Whot o pity thot you''ve wosted my good intentions, Ms. Grohom,¡± Notolie mocked. She offered to sign a prenuptial agreement when she married Shane, as she did not want to be seen as a gold digger. Gossips like that would badly affect the kids. With that agreement in ce, the divorce would be a simple affair as there would be no dispute over money and assets. Once Shane signed on the divorce papers, she could proceed to finalize their divorce. She ced the divorce papers in an envelope, together with the paternity test result. Then, she drove back to the vi and had nned to leave it there before heading back to the office. However, she did not expect to see Shane and Jacqueline at the vi. From N?velDrama.Org. They are back together... Natalie''s eyes dimmed. She clenched the envelope in her hand tightly and decided to walk past them to head up the stairs. Unexpectedly, Jacqueline called out to her, ¡°Hi Ms. Smith, you are back early!¡± Shane was also looking at her silently with a moody gaze. His cold attitude was like a painful stab to her heart. Thus, she turned her anger to Jacqueline and scoffed, ¡°Is that any of your concern?¡± Jacqueline pretended to be hurt about her remarks and said, ¡°I was merely greeting you. Why do you have to be so harsh?¡± ¡°Greeting me? Initially, I wanted to ignore the both of you so you can continue your lovey-dovey act. What a pity that you''ve wasted my good intentions, Ms. Graham,¡± Natalie mocked. Jocqueline wos stortled to heor thot. She did not expect Notolie would be crozy enough to wont to poir Shone ond her together. Hos Shone be so cold toword her thot she hod given up oll hopes? Upon thot thought, Jocqueline clenched her fist tightly to contoin her excitement so no one could detect her glee. Shone pulled o long foce ond stored coldly ot Notolie. ¡°Whot do you meon by ''lovey-dovey oct''?¡± he fumed. Notolie let out o quiet chuckle ond looked him stroight in the eyes. ¡°Well, did I soy onything wrong? You ore inseporoble now, giving everyone the impression you two ore o couple. Moreover, Ms. Grohom even frequented your bedroom ond oportment, just like o normol girlfriend would. I wos only being understonding.¡± She turned to heod upstoirs ofter retorting him, leoving Shone furiously clenching his fists ond teeth. How dore she pushed me into the orms of onother womon! ¡°Shone...¡± Jocqueline softly colled out to him ofter noticing his tightly clenched fists, but he ignored her ond went ofter Notolie. Notolie wos chonging in the room when the door burst opened, ond Shonee storming in. At thot, Notolie hurriedly tidied up her clothes ond snopped, ¡°Why ore you here?¡± ¡°This is my room too.¡± Shone rebuffed. Jacqueline was startled to hear that. She did not expect Natalie would be crazy enough to want to pair Shane and her together. Has Shane be so cold toward her that she had given up all hopes? Upon that thought, Jacqueline clenched her fist tightly to contain her excitement so no one could detect her glee. Shane pulled a long face and stared coldly at Natalie. ¡°What do you mean by ''lovey-dovey act''?¡± he fumed. Natalie let out a quiet chuckle and looked him straight in the eyes. ¡°Well, did I say anything wrong? You are inseparable now, giving everyone the impression you two are a couple. Moreover, Ms. Graham even frequented your bedroom and apartment, just like a normal girlfriend would. I was only being understanding.¡± She turned to head upstairs after retorting him, leaving Shane furiously clenching his fists and teeth. How dare she pushed me into the arms of another woman! ¡°Shane...¡± Jacqueline softly called out to him after noticing his tightly clenched fists, but he ignored her and went after Natalie. Natalie was changing in the room when the door burst opened, and Shane came storming in. At that, Natalie hurriedly tidied up her clothes and snapped, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°This is my room too.¡± Shane rebuffed. Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Natalieughed out loud and quipped, ¡°Oh, so you do remember that this is your room! For a moment, I thought the only ce you call home was the room you shared with Jacqueline.¡± ¡°Stop being unreasonable, Natalie. There is nothing between Jacqueline and me,¡± Shane defended himself with a frown. ¡°Who are you trying to deceive? Jacqueline goes into your room in the middle of the night, and she regrly visits your apartment. Now you are even back here together. And you''re telling me there is nothing between the two of you? Are you taking me as a fool, Mr. Shane?¡± Natalie sneered. Shane''s brows knitted together tightly, and he emphasized, ¡°I''m not lying to you.¡± ¡°It''s okay. I don''t wish to fight with you over this. Please leave the room.¡± Natalie pleaded as she massaged her forehead, sensing a headacheing. Shane saw her difort and got concerned. He hopped over, wanting tofort her, but he detected a whiff of cologne on her. It was not his usual minty scent, but rather, an aquatic fresh scent. It was the scent of another man. That made him mad with jealousy. He caught hold of her wrist and pushed her onto the bed, demanding, ¡°Tell me, who did you meet?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was shocked by his action and puzzled by his question. ¡°What are you saying? I didn''t meet anyone!¡± Shane let out a snigger. ¡°How did that man''s cologne end up on you if you didn''t meet anyone?¡± Cologne? Natalie was baffled, so she took a sniff at her own body. Cologne? Notolie wos boffled, so she took o sniff ot her own body. Indeed, there wos o foint scent on her. It wos the cologne Stonley frequently used. It wos likely tronsferred onto her clothes when he supported her eorlier during her heodoche episode. ¡°Well, thot''s none of your business.¡± Notolie turned her foce owoy from him, reluctont to exploin ony further. She knew if she told him it wos Stonley, Shone would be hopping mod, os he greotly disliked thot mon. Whot Notolie did not expect wos thot Shone would be more infurioted by her silence. He tightened the grip on her hond, cousing her to yelp out in poin. Normolly, he would hove let go when he sow thot she wos in poin. However, jeolousy ond onger mode him irrotionol. Not only did he not let go, but he pushed her horder onto the bed. ¡°Are you cheoting on me, Notolie?¡± he roored. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Is thot how you see me, Shone?¡± Notolie''s eyes widened in onger. ¡°Then tell me why you hod the mon''s scent on you! If you were not intimote with o mon, how would his scent end up on your body?¡± he hollered. ¡°Yes, our bodies touched. I wos obout to foll, ond he cought hold of me. Don''t think thot everyone behoves just like you ond Jocqueline,¡± Notolie replied ongrily. At the some time, she wos deeply hurt by his usotion. Cologne? Natalie was baffled, so she took a sniff at her own body. Indeed, there was a faint scent on her. It was the cologne Stanley frequently used. It was likely transferred onto her clothes when he supported her earlier during her headache episode. ¡°Well, that''s none of your business.¡± Natalie turned her face away from him, reluctant to exin any further. She knew if she told him it was Stanley, Shane would be hopping mad, as he greatly disliked that man. What Natalie did not expect was that Shane would be more infuriated by her silence. He tightened the grip on her hand, causing her to yelp out in pain. Normally, he would have let go when he saw that she was in pain. However, jealousy and anger made him irrational. Not only did he not let go, but he pushed her harder onto the bed. ¡°Are you cheating on me, Natalie?¡± he roared. ¡°Is that how you see me, Shane?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in anger. ¡°Then tell me why you had the man''s scent on you! If you were not intimate with a man, how would his scent end up on your body?¡± he hollered. ¡°Yes, our bodies touched. I was about to fall, and he caught hold of me. Don''t think that everyone behaves just like you and Jacqueline,¡± Natalie replied angrily. At the same time, she was deeply hurt by his usation. Seeing the oggrieved ond ongry look in her eyes, Shone colmed down. He could tell she wos speoking the truth ond thot he hod misunderstood her. He loosened his grip on her but did not let her go. The mon continued to pin her under him, so he could look her stroight in her eyes ond exploin. ¡°There is olso nothing between Jocqueline ond me.¡± Notolie snorted ond turned her foce owoy, not willing to believe him. Seeing thot, Shone wos provoked, ond his onger rose ogoin. ¡°Whot will it toke for you to believe me?¡±Notolie shook her heod ond stored him stroight in the eyes, soying, ¡°I would never believe you. Just like you did not believe me when I told you my mom could not hove knocked down your porents.¡± Shone''s foce fell os he heord thot. He got up from her ond onswered, ¡°Thot''s not the some. I hod evidence; I sow it with my own eyes.¡± Notolie sot up ond demonded, ¡°Then show me your evidence!¡± ¡°No!¡± Shone rejected her demonds without hesitotion. ¡°I knew it... You won''t show me becouse you con''t. You don''t hove the evidence.¡± Notolie mocked. ¡°Did you reolly think so?¡± Shone looked her deep in her eyes ond osked. Notolie colmly met his goze ond stood firm on her demond. ¡°Moke me think otherwise. Show me the evidence ond moke me believe you.¡± Seeing the aggrieved and angry look in her eyes, Shane calmed down. He could tell she was speaking the truth and that he had misunderstood her. He loosened his grip on her but did not let her go. The man continued to pin her under him, so he could look her straight in her eyes and exin. ¡°There is also nothing between Jacqueline and me.¡± Natalie snorted and turned her face away, not willing to believe him. Seeing that, Shane was provoked, and his anger rose again. ¡°What will it take for you to believe me?¡±Natalie shook her head and stared him straight in the eyes, saying, ¡°I would never believe you. Just like you did not believe me when I told you my mom could not have knocked down your parents.¡± Shane''s face fell as he heard that. He got up from her and answered, ¡°That''s not the same. I had evidence; I saw it with my own eyes.¡± Natalie sat up and demanded, ¡°Then show me your evidence!¡± ¡°No!¡± Shane rejected her demands without hesitation. ¡°I knew it... You won''t show me because you can''t. You don''t have the evidence.¡± Natalie mocked. ¡°Did you really think so?¡± Shane looked her deep in her eyes and asked. Natalie calmly met his gaze and stood firm on her demand. ¡°Make me think otherwise. Show me the evidence and make me believe you.¡± Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Shane bit his lips in silence. He was reluctant to show her the evidence as he did not want her to see for herself how her mom, whom she idolized,mitted the crime. But she was so insistent.... ¡°Fine. Come to Thompson Group tomorrow. I will show it to you.¡± Shane promised. As soon as he said that, Natalie''s heart skipped a beat. So the evidence exists? ¡°Stunned? Lost for words?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and challenged her. ¡°Fine! I''ll be there.¡± Natalie pursed her lips and agreed. She had always chosen not to believe that her mom had really killed someone, despite his insistence that he had evidence and the fact that her mom had always behaved secretively on the Ninth of October every year. The Thompson Group might not be as influential eighteen years ago, but they were already in the top ten amongst the corporations in J City. The Smith family was just starting out that time, so it would be a piece of cake for the Thompsons to destroy the Smith family. Simrly, it would have been easy for the Thompsons to find out who killed Shane''s parents. If Natalie''s mom did that, why did they not arrest her then? What made it even weirder was that David even epted her mom to be his goddaughter instead. There would definitely be some hidden secrets that both she and Shane were not aware of. With that thought in mind, Natalie took a deep breath and stood up. However, she identally knocked the envelope off the bed, and it fell to the floor, spilling the contents from the unsealed envelope. Shane instinctively looked down and saw the divorce papers. Instantly, his face turned gloomy, and the atmosphere was chilling. He bent down to retrieve the divorce papers and waved them in Natalie''s face. ¡°You want a divorce?¡± he sternly questioned. ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie had not nned to let him know untilter, but since he saw it, she did not feel the need to deny it. There was no hiding from him as she would eventually need to get him to sign the papers. Shane crumpled the papers in his hands and growled, ¡°How dare you!¡± From N?velDrama.Org. He might have been angry and harsh toward her because of Yulia, but the thought of divorce never crossed his mind. The nerve she has! She even got ready the divorce papers! Natalie bit her lips and let out a miserable smile. ¡°How dare I? How dare I! If it wasn''t because of you, Mr. Shane, would I havee to this stage? It was who pushed me to the edge.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Shane was bewildered when he heard that. ¡°Yes, you!¡± Natalie stared fixedly at him and continued, ¡°Just ask yourself how you''ve been treating me so far. You gave me the cold shoulder and ignored me after you decided I was the daughter of your enemy. We''re married, for Christ''s sake, Shane. Do you think that is how a husband should treat his wife? What''s the point of being married if you ignore me all the time!¡± Shane''s lips quivered upon that but remained speechless. After a while, Natalie took a deep breath and added, ¡°I am very miserable, Shane. So miserable that I couldn''t even focus on my work. Even Joyce said I had changed; I''m no longer the passionate Natalie who strived to be a top designer.¡± She felt constrained because of love, and she was about to wallow in the pit. This was not the kind of life she wanted. ¡°So please, Shane, it''s better for us to go our separate ways. My mom would forever be a thorn in your flesh, and we would never be able to go back to our loving ways anymore. I understand how you feel, but it doesn''t mean that I have to ept it.¡± Natalie looked at him with her teary eyes and pleaded, ¡°Can we separate and move on? It would be the best for us and the kids.¡± Shane''s heart bled when he heard her sorrowful plea, but he stood firm and dismissed it, ¡°Never. I will never agree to a divorce.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this? Why do you want to keep your enemy''s daughter by your side, bringing constant pain to both of us?¡± Natalie cried. Shane could only stand there with his tightly clenched fist, unable to answer her. At that, Natalie let out a sigh and took over the envelope from his hand. ¡°Other than the divorce papers, the paternity test results for the two kids are also in here.¡± Paternity test results? Shane squinted his eyes in surprise. Natalie then took out the paternity test results and said, ¡°Joyce came and took a few hairs from you the other day, so I could get the test done.¡± Chapter 757 Chapter 757 I see. So that''s how it is, huh? Shane''s elegant lips were pursed tight. He felt strange that Joyce who seemed fearful of him every time she saw him, had dared to pull at his hair that time. If she had not said that she was doing it to avenge Natalie, he would have taken action against her. Natalie turned the paternity test to thest page and held it in the air. ¡°Great news, you''re right. You''re not their biological father. I always thought you were, but reality gave me a p in the face. So there''s no way I''d let you raise my two children? You probably find it difficult to ept them now, don''t you?¡± Since they were her children, or in other words, they were her mom''s grandchildren. If he could even get angry with her, how much more so at two kids who were not rted to him in any way. Shane could not refute Natalie''s reasoning as she was right - he really could not ept the two kids. It had never crossed his mind to stop providing for the two children. Though he could continue giving them the best things in life as before, but he would not love them. Seeing that Shane kept mum, Natalie felt tired as well. Thus, she put down the paternity test results. ¡°Mr. Shane, please think over what I''ve told you today. I really think that there is no reason for us to go on. Tomorrow I shall go to Thompson Group to go over the evidence you have mentioned, and then, I shall move out.¡± At that, Natalie left him alone and headed for the bathroom. With a glum expression, Shane gazed at her retreating figure disappearing into the bathroom. After a while, he tore up the divorce documents and murmured in an icy tone. ¡°I''ve already said I won''t divorce you!¡± Even if I don''t love you anymore, you''ll have to remain by my side. Shane turned and left. In the bathroom, Natalie soaked herself in the bathtub. The warm water stimted her skin, effectively dispelling her fatigue. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and leaned against the edge of the bathtub with her eyes closed as she let the massager massaged her back. Just then, she grunted as she felt her headache return. Just like what happened in the morning, images appeared in her mind one after the other. It was much slower this time, and Natalie was able to see some of the scenes albeit with some difficulty. There were shades of red... Then, her mom, who was still at a young age, with her... Natalie knitted her brows tight, trying to see clearer, but her headache became worse. ¡°Argh!¡± Natalie hurt so badly that she cried out. She held her head in both hands, rocking back and forth. Beads of cold sweat rolled down, and her face turned pale. Why is it so painful this time? Was it because I was trying to see those images? Natalie''s brain twitched painfully as if a bug was gnawing inside it. She dared not continue thinking about those images. As she stopped thinking, the aching subsided a little. Only after that, Natalie sighed with relief. Looks like there''s something wrong with my brain. I should probably go for a check-up to find out the cause. As she thought it over, Natalie decided to call Stanley for an appointment and let him examine her. Unknowingly, time had passed, and the water in the tub became cold. At that, Natalie stood up, wrapped herself with a towel taken from the shelf, and entered the room. From N?velDrama.Org. The room was empty since Shane had already left. Natalie lowered her eyes in disappointment as sheughed at herself. ¡°He left just like that.¡± It was not that she did not let him leave; it was just that she did not expect him to really do so. As she approached the bed, she discovered the divorce papers torn into little pieces and scattered on the floor. Seems like I have to print another copy. Wait... no, I should print a few more copies. Natalie sighed and squatted down to pick up the pieces of paper from the floor. At this moment, there was a soft knock on the door. ¡°Madam, it''s time for your dinner.¡± ¡°I''ming now,¡± Natalie replied and quickly went to change. After changing, she went to the dining room downstairs and eximed in surprise at the many dishes laid on the table. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, I can''t possibly finish that much food!¡± Mrs. Wilson smiled. ¡°This was meant for Mr. Shane and Ms. Graham as well, but they had unexpectedly left.¡± Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Natalie frowned. Hmm... So Jacqueline left with him? Ha! He said there''s nothing between them, but it seems like they''re inseparable. ¡°Madam, is something wrong?¡± Seeing Natalie''s expression, Mrs. Wilson asked with concern. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, everything is fine.¡± She smiled and picked up her fork. Then, she noticed the te of roasted pork and suddenly felt nauseous. Natalie put down her fork and bent over, throwing up as she covered her mouth. Her face turned pale as she vomited. Seeing that, Mrs. Wilson was shocked. ¡°Madam, are you alright?¡± ¡°Mrs. Wilson, please take the roasted pork away. Just take all the meat dishes away.¡± Natalie waved her hand, speaking weakly. ¡°Okay.¡± Mrs. Wilson did as she was told and took all the meat dishes. Instantly, the smell of meat was gone, and Natalie felt much better. She took the cup of water Mrs. Wilson handed to her, and after a few sips, she recoveredpletely. ¡°Madam, are you alright now?¡± Mrs. Wilson took the cup of water and asked. Natalie replied, ¡°I''m fine now.¡± ¡°What happened to you just now? Are you sick?¡± Mrs. Wilson gazed at her. Natalie caressed her tummy and smiled. ¡°No.¡± ¡°In that case...¡± Mrs. Wilson looked at the way Natalie stroked her abdomen and understood immediately. She was so pleasantly surprised that she raised her voice. ¡°Madam, are you pregnant?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, about one and a half months now.¡± ¡°You''ve gone for a check-up already?¡± Mrs. Wilson needed to affirm. After all, there was an episode of false pregnancy before. Thus, this time, she wanted to be sure. Natalie nodded vigorously. ¡°It''s confirmed.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Then that''s great.¡± Mrs. Wilson was so emotional that her eyes were wet. ¡°Madam, that''s really great.¡± Natalie smiled in reply. Then, Mrs. Wilson took out her cell phone immediately. Natalie''s heart jumped. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, who are you calling?¡± Laughing happily, Mrs. Wilson replied, ¡°I''m going to inform Mr. Shane. Once he knows this, he''ll be overjoyed.¡± Natalie''s countenance turned solemn at that. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, are you certain that Shane would be d to hear the news?¡± ¡°Madam, what do you mean?¡± Mrs. Wilson was puzzled. Natalie bit her lower lip. ¡°Shane now thinks that I am the daughter of his enemy, and so, he is now indifferent towards me. If he knows about the child in my womb now, do you think he will keep the unborn child? He is convinced that our marriage was a mistake, so the child I am carrying is naturally a mistake as well.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Mrs. Wilson calmed down. ¡°That can''t be true?¡± ¡°Why not? I''m the daughter of his enemy. He might not want to have this child. Even if the child is allowed to be born, would he love him or her?¡± Natalie asked Mrs. Wilson in reply. Mrs. Wilson gaped speechlessly. At a loss what to do, she finally spoke. ¡°Then... what shall we do? When can we tell Mr. Shane? We cannot keep mum about it forever, can we?¡± ¡°Of course not. We''ll y it by ear...¡± Natalie lowered her gaze as she spoke. Tomorrow, she would look at what he had called evidence. After viewing the evidence, she would be able to decide if the child stayed and if they remain married. Nheless, the detective should also hurry up. ¡°Alright, then, though I still hope you can tell Mr. Shane soon,¡± Mrs. Wilson said. Natalie just grunted in reply. After that, Mrs. Wilson entered the kitchen again to prepare food suitable for a pregnant woman. After her meal, Natalie rested in the hall for a while before heading for the office. When her work was done, she drove to the detective''s office to inquire about the results of the investigation. The detective that she had engaged told her, ¡°Ms. Smith, concerning the ident which happened eighteen years ago, we have some results.¡± ¡°Really? My mom...¡± Knowing what Natalie was going to ask, the detective replied, ¡°There is no record of your mom''s car hitting anyone.¡± Hearing that, Natalie was overjoyed. ¡°That''s great to hear! As I''ve said, my mom couldn''t have crashed her car into anyone.¡± Chapter 759 Chapter 759 However, the detective''s expression was rather strange. When Natalie saw it, the initial joy she felt melted away slowly, and her heart became uneasy. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, we found no record of your mother''s car hitting anyone. However, records showed that your mother was at the scene of the ident involving Mr. Thompson and his wife eighteen years ago.¡± Natalie''s pupils constricted, and her lips trembled. ¡°Just being at the scene does not mean that her car hit anyone, does it?¡± ¡°That is true. Nevertheless, an eyewitness testified that her car had indeed hit someone at that time, and she was taken to the police station for questioning. Later, Mr. Thompson bailed her out so, in her records, there was no record of hitting anyone with her car,¡± the detective exined. Natalie felt cold all over. There was no record of her hitting anyone with her car because David had bailed her out. Thus, it was unclear if she had really did that. Suddenly, Natalie thought of something, and she asked, ¡°Did you find out what car my mom was driving? Since the eyewitness testified that my mom hit someone, then, she must be driving a car, mustn''t she?¡± ¡°Yes, your mom was driving a red-colored car then,¡± the detective said. Natalie sat there without twitching a finger, stunned and lost for words. Red... It matched what Shane had said. Upon that, Natalie burst into tears. ¡°My mom hates red so much. How could she have driven a red car?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Seeing Natalie''s expression, the detective was rather sympathetic. ¡°Ms. Smith, why do you think your mother hates red? Eighteen years ago, your mother''s favorite color was red, and it was onlyter that she hated this color. This was what we learned from the investigation, and naturally, it wasn''t that hard to find out at all.¡± The detective''s words puzzled Natalie. That''s true. Why would I think that Mom hated the color red? As far as I can remember, Mom had never mentioned hating that color. But why did I always feel that Mom hated red? Suddenly, Natalie felt that something was wrong, and she was gripped by an unexined fear. Yet, she could not pinpoint what was wrong, and she felt gloomy. ¡°These are what our firm has found out at the moment. Some other details are still unclear because the ident happened a long time ago. Anyway, if you want to know more, you can ask your father, he would probably know,¡± the detective suggested. Natalie clenched her fingers. She was aware that Harrison knew what had happened, but she did not want to see him and had never considered asking the man. But now... Natalie inhaled deeply and stood up. ¡°Alright then. Thank you.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± The detective then walked Natalie out of the office. Right outside, she lifted her head and stared at the skies. It was a sunny day, and the skies were clear. Despite that, she felt very cold and empty. Mom, did you really hit someone with your car eighteen years ago? Natalie closed her eyes, and a tear rolled down. She left, dragging her somewhat exhausted body with heavy footsteps, and drove to the Smith Residence. The Smith family butler was very surprised to see her. ¡°Ms. Smith, are you here to see Mr. Smith?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Where''s he?¡± ¡°Mr. Smith is not in. Could youe back another time?¡± the butler replied politely. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°No, I have some questions for him.¡± ¡°But Mr. Smith...¡± ¡°If he''s out, I''ll wait inside for him. Please call him now and ask him to return home at once, or you''ll be sorry.¡± Natalie''s words were vaguely threatening. After that, she entered the vi. The butler did not stop her as she was Harrison''s daughter as well as the wife of Thompson Group''s Shane Thompson. She was not someone to mess around with. The butler obeyed, heaving a sigh. Taking out his phone, he called Harrison, who was out fishing, to return soon. As Natalie entered the vi, she heard the sound of childishughter and Susan''s gentle voice calling someone ¡°Baby.¡± Chapter 760 Chapter 760 Natalie squinted and looked in the direction of the voices. She saw Susan holding a small boy a little older than Connor, sitting on the sofa and ying with some toys. The boy sat on Susan''sp while she affectionately kissed and pinched the boy''s cheeks. On seeing this scene, Natalie''s eyes twinkled, and she smiled. Isn''t this little Donald? Susan is really gutsy to bring Donald to the Smith Residence. Is she not afraid of being exposed? Since Susan had not noticed her arrival, Natalie called out to her. ¡°Hello, Susan.¡± As Susan''s gaze turned to Natalie, all the motherly affection disappeared from her eyes, and her countenance changed. ¡°What are you doing here? Who asked you toe?¡± ¡°I''m here to see my dad.¡± Natalie headed toward the sofa and sat down in front of Susan and her son. Seeing that Natalie did not stand on ceremony, Susan snorted coldly, ¡°See your dad? Didn''t you say that you no longer have a father? Who knows what''s your real purpose in visiting this ce?¡± ¡°This is none of your business,¡± Natalie spoke as she brushed her hair. Susan rolled her eyes and gloated. ¡°I heard that your marriage with Shane is on the drocks. Are you here to seek your father for support since Shane wants you no more?¡± Natalie knew that these words were meant to provoke her, so sheughed it off. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but I have yet to reach that point in life, nor do I need support from anyone. I can handle my own problems.¡± Susan pouted, feeling that her efforts to irk Natalie were always futile. ¡°Say, Susan, is this child...¡± Natalie asked as if she did not already know. Susan panicked and held Donald tight. She then pretended to be calm as she replied, ¡°This is the son of a distant cousin.¡± ¡°Oh, really. From what I can see, he really looks a lot like you.¡± Natalie''s gaze traveled from Susan''s face to Donald''s and then back again. Donald inherited Susan''s looks. There was a resemnce of fifty to sixty percent. In fact, he even looked a little like Jasmine. Susan panicked even more when Natalie said that Donald resembled her. The smile on her face faded instantly. Barely managing to fake a smile on her face, she replied, ¡°My cousin and I are rted, so it''s not strange if Donald looks like me.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Natalieughed and said no more. Hearing that, Susan was relieved, but she dared not stay longer lest she gave herself away. Hence, she hurriedly went upstairs carrying the child. Meanwhile, Natalie took a sip of tea from a teacup. Before long, Harrison returned, his face ck like thunder. ¡°Why do you need to see me?¡± Harrison put down a bag of fishing equipment and asked coldly. Only then did Natalie realized he had gone fishing, and she was rather surprised. He went fishing? Without hesitation, Natalie put down her teacup and asked. ¡°I am here to see you because I want to know whether my mother hit someone with her car eighteen years ago, on the ninth of October?¡± Hearing this, Harrison''s face turned pale. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°Someone wants to frame my mother and destroy the rtionship between me and my husband, Shane. So, I wanted to find out the truth,¡± Natalie looked at him and said. Harrison''s eyes flickered. Then, he stood up, saying, ¡°I don''t know. You should go back.¡± ¡°No, I won''t go. You know the truth.¡± Natalie stood up, too. ¡°Your face says it all. You know what happened eighteen years ago. You and my Mom were still married, so it''s impossible that you don''t.¡± Harrison squeezed the tip of his walking cane and responded, ¡°What does it matter whether I know or not?¡± ¡°I want you to tell me. Tell me whether Mom hit anyone with her car.¡± Natalie bit her lips. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Harrison sneered. ¡°You should know this more than anyone else.¡± Natalie froze. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I should know this? How could I know something that happened eighteen years ago? Even though she was about eight years old, and her memory was already developed a few years earlier, she was sure that she had no memory of whatever happened then. Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Aplex look shed across Harrison''s eyes. After staring at Natalie for a long while, he finally broke the silence. ¡°It seems like you really can''t remember it at all. What a pity. Anyway, you should leave. I won''t tell you anything about the happenings back then, unless...¡± ¡°Unless what?¡± She clenched her fists subconsciously. Upon seeing her response, his eyes gleamed cunningly. ¡°Unless you let Jared return to me and the Smith family.¡± Ever since Jasmine passed away, Susan had been nagging him to adopt a child so that he would have a child to take care of him when he became old. She even rmended her distant cousin''s son and took him to their house. Hmph! Even though Susan said it would be for my own good, I know that she wants her nephew to inherit my property once I pass away. I''m still alive and kicking. Yet, she has started plotting and coveting my inheritance as if she can''t wait for me to be gone. Besides, I''ll never let an outsider inherit my fortune. Hence, all this while, I''ve not given up on bringing Jared back. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°How opportunistic.¡± Natalie let out a scoff. ¡°Dream on. I''ll never let Jarede back to this household. If you don''t want to tell me, don''t say anything then. I didn''t expect much from you anyway.¡± With that, she turned on her heel and left. Once she was out of the Smith Residence, her head began throbbing in pain again. The pain was so intense that she had to squat down at once and massaged her temples with a grave expression. My head had been hurting multiple times today. At this rate, I''ll have headaches all day long. I can''t hold off a medical consultation anymore. This is serious. With such thought in mind, she dialed Stanley''s number. The call soon got through, and his voice rang from the other side of the line. ¡°Hi, Nat.¡± She closed her eyes slightly to reduce the pain. ¡°Stanley, are you in hospital now?¡± Hearing her weak voice, he asked concernedly, ¡°Yup. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I have a headache again. Are you free to have a consultation with me today? Do you mind if Ie over now?¡± She forced herself not to focus on the images shing through her mind. As soon as he heard that, he pushed his sses up, and an indecipherable emotion flickered in his eyes. ¡°Sure. Take care and drive safely.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After she ended the call, Stanley put down his phone on his desk, narrowing his eyes as he stared out of the window. Ever since he suspected that a section of her memory was erased with hypnosis, he had been longing to know more about it. I wonder why she forgets that part of her memory. Atst, I''ll have the answer soon. Meanwhile, Natalie drove to the hospital and went straight to his office after she arrived. Unbeknownst to her, Jackson was in that hospital as well. Upon seeing her figure walking across the hall, he did a double-take. ¡°Huh? Isn''t that Natalie? Why is she here?¡± I''m just here to take a batch of anesthetics. Who would have thought I''d bump into her in this hospital? That''s the Neurology Department. Is she here for Stanley? Hmm, I do know that he''s back to the city recently. He even visited me to transfer some documents from the hospital where I work to this hospital. Therefore, it''s possible she''s here for Stanley. On that note, Jackson immediately took out his phone and called Shane. While over on the other side, Shane was in a meeting. When he heard his phone ringing, he took a look at it and declined the call without a second of hesitation. Jackson pursed his lips and muttered under his breath, ¡°It''s okay. I''ll make you call instead.¡± Smirking, he texted Shane: Your wife is with Stanley now. He even added a smiley face at the end of the message. After Shane read the text, his expression darkened instantly. In that spacious meeting room, everyone noticed his livid expression, but none of them understood why. Exchanging looks among themselves, they wondered if they were the ones who made him upset. ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡± After he uttered those two words to his employees, he went out of the room and called Jackson. Upon seeing the caller ID on his phone, a smug grin crept across Jackson''s youthful face. ¡°Hi.¡± Chapter 762 Chapter 762 ¡°Natalie is with Stanley now?¡± Shane questioned coldly. Jackson nodded. ¡°Uh-huh. She''s in the hospital where he works. I saw her going to the Neurology Department just now. She should be here for him. Do you want to...¡± However, before he could finish his sentence, the caller on the other side had hung up the call. Staring at the screen of his phone, Jackson''s lips unwittingly twitched. He should be here soon. Jackson smirked as he could hardly wait for Shane to arrive. As Shane was rushing to the hospital, Stanley was sending Natalie to the radiology department for a CT scan of her brain. He wanted to read her concealed memories right away, but at the same time, he was worried if she had any cancerous growth in her brain. Therefore, before he hypnotized her, he decided to have a routine examination first. After he received the CT film, he went back to his office to take a look at it. At that time, Natalie was sitting opposite him with her hands sped tightly on herp. ¡°Stanley, how is it? Is there anything wrong with me? Is there a tumor?¡± She had heard that recurrent headaches could be a sign of a brain tumor. If it was a benign growth, it could be surgically removed; but if it was malignant, it could grow back after the surgery. As the thought of having brain cancer crossed her mind, her heart sank, and her hands turned mmy. I''m not afraid of dying, but how about my kids? ¡°Don''t worry. You''re fine. There''s nothing abnormal in your brain,¡± Stanley said gently, putting down the film in his hands. Upon hearing the good news, she could not help but lean closer, her eyes lighting up. ¡°Really? There''s no tumor - zero, nothing, nada?¡± ¡°Yes. Trust me.¡± He chuckled in amusement. ¡°I trust you, of course. I''m just overwhelmed and relieved at the same time now. I thought I had brain cancer.¡± Tears of joy began to well up in her eyes as she said that. He quickly handed her a piece of tissue. ¡°There''s nothing, Nat. Don''t worry about it.¡± ¡°I know. Hmm, since it looks okay, what are the causes of my headache then?¡± An indecipherable look shed across his face before he smiled and replied, ¡°I don''t know the specific cause yet, but I suspect it has something to do with your memory.¡± ¡°My memory?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in shock as she suddenly recalled Harrison''s words before she came to the hospital. He said that I can''t seem to remember anything at all. So, did I really forget something? Fear gripped her instantly as the thought of her losing a piece of her memory crossed her mind. ¡°Stanley...¡± Seeing her anxious expression, he nced away to hide the excitement in his eyes andforted her. ¡°Don''t be scared. I know what you want to say. If you''re willing, I n to hypnotize you and do my best to figure out if there is any problem with your memory. What do you think?¡± If it had been before, I would undoubtedly reject his help immediately. After all, I don''t have a good feeling about being hypnotized. Who knows what kind of side effects it has? However, I couldn''t care less now. I just want to know if I''ve really forgotten something. After making up her mind, she nodded determinedly with her reddened eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± Her quick agreement took Stanley by surprise. Nheless, he was fine with it. At least I don''t need to rack my brain for another way to read her memory. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Lie down over there then.¡± He pointed at a couch across the room. Taking a deep breath, Natalie rose to her feet, headed toward the couch, and did as he instructed. A momentter, he came over to her and nced down at her. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, curling her fingers into a fist. After getting her approval, he removed his sses and put them into his pocket. ¡°Okay. Now, keep your eyes on me. Don''t nce elsewhere, and do as I say.¡± She followed his instructions obediently. Nodding reassuringly, Stanley said, ¡°Don''t think anything and let your mind go nk. Yes. You''re tired. You want to sleep.¡± ¡°I''m sleepy,¡± she mumbled, her eyes losing focus gradually. ¡°That''s right. Go to sleep. You''re exhausted today. Sleep, my dear.¡± Eventually, his gentle, soothing voice lulled her to sleep. Chapter 763 Chapter 763 As time ticked away, her eyelids felt heavier and heavier, and finally fell shut. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. As he saw that she had been sessfully hypnotized, he bent over to get closer to her face and was ready to guide her to find the erased memories when someone barged into the room. Shane and Jackson immediately rushed inside. Upon seeing that the two were so close to each other, Shane''s pupil constricted in shock, and the next second, a wave of rage engulfed him entirely. ¡°Stanley Quinn! How dare you!¡± Without a second thought, he charged toward Stanley and threw a punch at him. Stanley sidestepped him calmly and shed him a smile. ¡°Mr. Shane, I''m not the man I used to be anymore. Do you think you can beat me up easily?¡± Shane pursed his lips in annoyance and glowered at him silently before asking Jackson to check on Natalie. Jackson snapped out of his daze and immediately hurried to her, his heart racing. Oh my gosh. Luckily, we got here in time! Otherwise, Stanley would have gotten his own way. I didn''t expect him to be so shameless. How could he take advantage of Natalie when she''s asleep? And Natalie, too. Why is she here? She knows Stanley is a lunatic, and yet, she dares toe and nap in his office. How could she be so careless! ¡°Hey, wake up,¡± Jackson called, nudging her gently. Still, there was no sign of her waking up. Realizing that something was off, he furrowed his brows deeply and looked toward Stanley with a stern look. ¡°Did you drug her?¡± Upon hearing that, Shane''s gaze darkened instantly. On the other hand, Stanley was still as cool as a cucumber. He took out his sses, put them on unhurriedly, and answered, ¡°Do you think I need to rely on medication to render her unconscious?¡± Taken aback, Jackson went silent for a while as he suddenly remembered that neurology was not the only branch of medicine he majored in. ¡°Did you hypnotize her?¡± Stanley merely smiled in response, not denying his statement. Realizing that he did hypnotize her, Shane gritted his teeth. ¡°You...¡± But before he could finish his sentence, Stanley interrupted, ¡°Mr. Shane, instead of asking the reason I did so, I think you should ask me why she is here.¡± Shane frowned. Jackson nodded in agreement. ¡°Shane, he''s right. There must be a reason why Natalie pays him a visit. Otherwise, given his previous misdeed, I don''t think she''lle to catch up with him.¡± As he spoke, he suddenly caught sight of the CT film on Stanley''s desk, and his expression changed instantly. He immediately went over and picked it up. ¡°She''s here for a brain examination?¡± Shane froze. Brain examination? Is she... Feeling a sense of panic, he whirled around and looked toward Natalie worriedly. Meanwhile, Jackson scanned the film. Needless to say, he was a surgeon, and he knew how to read CT brain films. A minuteter, he blinked in confusion. ¡°But she seems fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shane turned to him. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Jackson put down the film and looked at Stanley. ¡°What''s the point of hypnotizing her then?¡± Stanley''s lips curled into a cryptic smile. ¡°Who knows?¡± Knowing that he probably would not give them a definite answer, Jackson rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Fine. I won''t probe anymore. Anyway, you should get her out of hypnosis now.¡± ¡°Chill. She''ll wake up within an hour.¡± Stanley shrugged. ¡°If you guys don''t believe me, feel free to take her to another psychiatrist.¡± After that, he returned to his desk and sat down. ¡°Just so you know, I won''t let this slide.¡± Shane shot him a cold look before carrying Natalie out. Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Jackson folded his arms behind his head as he followed them out. After Shane put Natalie in the passenger seat, he did not drive away. Instead, he sat by her side and watched her quietly as he waited for her to wake up. Before long, an hour flew by, and she was awake, just as Stanley said. Seeing him looking at herself, she thought she must be dreaming, so she rubbed her eyes a few times and found that he was still there. Only then did she realize that she was fully conscious at the moment. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she inquired, baffled. A secondter, it dawned on her that she was in his car, and she became even more puzzled. Wasn''t I in Stanley''s office? I''m supposed to be hypnotized by him, but why am I with Shane now? Just then, something popped into her mind. She flicked Shane a nce. ¡°Did you bring me out of Stanley''s office?¡± He pursed his lips and questioned back, ¡°Why did you go and meet him?¡± ¡°It''s none of your business.¡± Enraged, he clenched his fists and snapped, ¡°How is that not my business? Do you know that he would have taken advantage of you if I didn''t go to you in time?¡± ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Natalie objected immediately. He let out a scoff. ¡°How so? Do you remember what he did to you before?¡± Stumped by his question, she blinked and lowered her head. ¡°Yes, but the past is in the past. It''s different this time.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Go on. Tell me what the difference is,¡± he huffed. ¡°The only possible reason he hypnotized you is...¡± ¡°I was the one who asked him to do that.¡± She cut him off. Shane was dumbstruck. ¡°What? You asked him to hypnotize you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A deep frown formed on his face. ¡°Why? Give me a reason.¡± Heaving a sigh, she massaged her temples. ¡°I''ve been having headaches these few days, but it''s particrly painful today. So I came here to let Stanley check on me. He said that there was nothing wrong with my brain, so he suspected that it might have something to do with my memory, and that was why I asked him to hypnotize me.¡± I see. That exins why there was a CT film on his desk. Shane''s anger dissipated substantially after hearing her exnation, and his voice softened. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me about your headaches?¡± ¡°Why would I? How can I expect you to care about me when our rtionship is so strained?¡± She scoffed. He bit his lip and kept quiet, displeased. After a few minutes of silence, she closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat, emotionally exhausted. ¡°My memory hasn''t changed the slightest. I bet you had stopped Stanley before he could do anything. Ugh... You''re such a meddler.¡± With that, she opened the door and got out of his car. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes in suspicion. She halted in her tracks and turned back to him. ¡°I''m going to visit my mother. Do you want to go with me?¡± Upon hearing my reply, he nced away and said in a low voice, ¡°No.¡± Without saying anything else, she closed the door and walked away. She knew that he would not want to go with her because he was adamant that Yulia was a murderer. There''s no way he''ll want to visit her. After that, she headed to her car. It was not a joke when she said that she would be going to visit her mother. Knowing that it was risky to have several rounds of hypnosis in a day, she decided to meet Stanley again the next day. After buying a bouquet of flowers, she went to the cemetery and stood in front of Yulia''s tombstone for a long time. Only when her phone rang did shee back to her senses. ¡°Mommy, where are you? Why haven''t youe to pick us up?¡± Sharon''s sweet voice sounded from the phone. Natalie took a deep breath and forced a smile. ¡°I''m sorry, Darling. Mommy loses track of time. I''lle to pick both of you up right away. Stay there with Connor and wait for Mommy, alright?¡± ¡°Okay. We''ll be here waiting.¡± Sharon nodded. Natalie ended the call and stared at her mother''s picture onest time before turning around and left forlornly. Chapter 765 Chapter 765 ¡°Mommy.¡± Natalie arrived at the kindergarten an hourter. Her two kids were at the entrance, chatting with Joe. Natalie honked to indicate that she had arrived. At once, Connor''s eyes lit up when he heard the car honk. He quickly pulled Sharon up. ¡°Mommy''s here.¡± ¡°Mommy.¡± Sharon broke away from Connor and dashed toward Natalie with Connor and Joe in tow. ¡°Mrs. Smith.¡± Joe called out shyly. Natalie smiled. ¡°Joe.¡± ¡°Mrs. Smith, this is for you.¡± Joe took a box out from his school bag. Natalie bent down and epted the box with both hands. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked gently. ¡°These are cookies baked by my mom.¡± At that, Natalie widened her mouth in surprise. ¡°Why are you giving me these cookies then?¡± ¡°My mom told me to. It''s to thank you for taking good care of my sister.¡± Joe beamed. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Natalie smiled in response. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Joe. Tell your mother I said thank you as well.¡± She had donated some police equipment after visiting Alice in prison some time ago. It was so that the staff members there would take good care of her. She wasn''t expecting much - just a simple helping hand whenever Alice was bullied so that she wouldn''t get beaten up. It was probably a token of appreciation from Lucinda for what Natalie had done for her daughter. ¡°Alright, get in.¡± Natalie held on to the box of cookies as she ushered the three children into the car. By the time she sent Joe back, the sun had already set. Natalie arrived at the vi with her kids soon after. After having dinner prepared by Mrs. Wilson, the three of them washed up and went to bed. That night, Natalie had a hard time falling asleep. Her mind was preupied with evidence that would be provided at Thompson Group tomorrow, as well as everything the detective told her. It wasn''t until the wee hours when she finally fell asleep with a heavy heart. However, it was a fitful night''s sleep as she fell into a nightmare. She dreamt that she was seated in the backseat of a car in a beautiful dress and ying with a cute teddy bear. Meanwhile, her mother was seated in the front passenger''s seat and talking on the phone. She didn''t know who was on the other end of the phone, nor what was being said. However, her mother suddenly got into a heated argument. The next thing she knew, the color drained from her mother''s face, and she stepped on the brakes. Then she got off the car with her mother. She got the shock of her life when she turned around and saw a man and a woman in a bloody mess behind the car. ¡°Aaahhhh!¡± Natalie screamed in fright and bolted upright. Her face was pale, and her whole body was drenched in cold sweat. She gasped for air in an attempt to calm herself down. When she finally calmed down, Natalie reached for the ss of water she had ced beside her bed, drank it, and rubbed her temples. ¡°Why did I have such a terrifying nightmare?¡± Natalie mumbled to herself in fear. Her dream was so vivid that she thought it was real. And just like that, Natalie sat on the bed till daybreak before she got out of bed to wash up. Since it was the weekend today, her kids did not have to go to school. After breakfast, Natalie left her two kids at home while she drove to Thompson Group. She had agreed to meet up with Shane today to see the so-called evidence. Hence, she had to go. After Natalie parked the car, she entered the building and took Shane''s private elevator to the top floor. Ss'' eyes lit up when he saw her on his way out of Shane''s office. He smiled and greeted, ¡°Madam.¡± Chapter 766 Chapter 766 He couldn''t bring himself to be rude even though Shane was giving Natalie the cold shoulder at the moment. Natalie nodded at him. ¡°Is he in?¡± Ss knew who she was referring to. Pushing up the sses on the bridge of his nose, he answered, ¡°Mr. Shane isn''t in. He''s having a meeting in the conference room, but you can wait for him inside, Madam.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Please tell him toe right over after his meeting.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Ss replied. Then, Natalie walked into Shane''s office and sat herself down on the sofa. She looked around and noticed that Shane''s office looked different from before. The soft toys stood out most among other things in his office. Natalie''s face paled as she stared at the soft toys and snacks ced on the opposite sofa. It most definitely wasn''t meant for Sharon and Connor since she hardly brought them over. Moreover, she had seen those soft toys before. It belonged to Jacqueline. Those snacks probably belonged to her as well. Natalie pursed her lips, her heart feeling bitter at that mere thought. Shane sure treats her well. He must have let Jacqueline use his office as a lounge. She could even imagine Jacqueline lying on the sofa with her snacks and toys while Shane busied himself with work. Her blood boiled upon that thought. Just then, Jacqueline, who was dressed in a business suit, walked into Shane''s office carrying a tray. ¡°Ms. Smith, Mr. Campbell told me you were here.¡± Jasmine smiled and served Natalie coffee. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Natalie nced at the steaming cup of coffee and said in a chilly tone, ¡°No thanks. I wouldn''t want to be poisoned.¡± Jacqueline didn''t expect her to be so sarcastic. Thus, her smile faltered when she heard Natalie said that. ¡°Oh, you must be joking, Ms. Smith. I would never do such a thing.¡± ¡°You would.¡± Natalie looked her in the eye. ¡°I have a feeling you would.¡± Jacqueline narrowed her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. Has she found out about it? No, probably not. She''s just trying to make me mad. Jacquelineposed herself upon that thought and smiled. ¡°You''re so funny, Ms. Smith.¡± Nheless, Natalie snorted and ignored her. Jacqueline wasn''t upset about it either. She ced the tray on top of the coffee table and sat down. Seeing that, Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°If I''m not mistaken, you''re one of Shane''s secretaries, right?¡± Jacqueline didn''t know why she was bringing it up all of a sudden, but she yed along. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then would you please do your job as a secretary? There''s nothing wrong with you serving me coffee during office hours, but shouldn''t you return to your desk right after instead of sitting down here as if you own the ce? Do you think you''re doing the right thing?¡± Natalie looked at her coldly. Jacqueline stiffened at her words and clenched her fists. ¡°Ms. Smith...¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Please address me as madam. Besides, don''t forget, I''m still legally married to Shane,¡± Natalie corrected. Jacqueline''s face contorted in a mask of fury for a brief second, but she quicklyposed herself. ¡°Yes, Madam. I sat down to have a chat with you because I thought we were friends, but...¡± ¡°Do you think you have the right to talk to me?¡± Natalie cut Jacqueline off once again. It wasn''t her intention to verbally abuse Jacqueline. However, she found the entire situation rather ironic. She had closed her eyes to Jacqueline''s and Shane''s affair, but Jacqueline was pushing it. How dare she openly ce her toys and snacks in Shane''s office? Would her clothes and personal items be next? Chapter 767 Chapter 767 Hence, she decided not to put up with it any longer, even though she was about to get a divorce. She wanted to exercise her rights as Shane''s wife since she was still legally married to him and stop Jacqueline from getting a one-up on her. After all, she didn''t want to end up like her mother, who tried to put up with her father''s mistress and was left with nothing after their divorce. At that, Jacqueline couldn''t put up with Natalie anymore because of her constant harassment. Thus, she snorted, ¡°Rights?¡± ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± Natalie stared at her. ¡°You''re an employee, and I''m your boss'' wife. Have you ever seen a boss'' wife chat with her employees? Even if you did, it would be as per the boss'' wife''s request, instead of the employee herself. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°You...¡± Trembling with rage, Jacqueline didn''t know why Natalie was being so critical today. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Those are yours, right?¡± Natalie wasn''t nning on letting her off as she pointed at the soft toys and snacks. Jacqueline looked warily at Natalie. ¡°What do you want?¡± Natalie sneered. ¡°I''m about to ask you the same thing since you ced your personal belongings in your boss'' office. Are you trying to tell the world there''s something going on between you and your boss? Or are you trying to tell everyone you''re the boss'' wife?¡± Jacqueline''s face darkened. She merely gaped at Natalie, unable to summon a response. ¡°Looks like I''m right.¡± Natalie''s tone dripped with sarcasm. ¡°No, I put it here because my office is running out of space. Moreover, what''s wrong with putting my stuff here when Shane''s my godbrother?¡± Jacqueline replied, disgruntled. Natalie fluffed her hair. ¡°Nice one. I''ve never seen god-siblings fantasize about being with one another. How could you do this to Dr. Baker?¡± The more she thought about it, the more she was certain that Jacqueline and Jackson became a couple not because Jacqueline really wanted to. She simply wanted to approach Shane as Jackson''s girlfriend so that Natalie would put her guard down around her. After all, who would treat her as a love rival when she was already taken. Jacqueline bit her lip. ¡°Ms. Smith, I can sue you for defamation if you keep this up.¡± Natalie snorted. ¡°Go ahead then. We''ll see who''ll have thestugh. But first, you have to move your things out. This is my husband''s office. How dare you ce your stuff here when you''re just an employee?¡± ¡°I see that you''re jealous of me. Well, what are you going to do to me if I refuse?¡± Jacqueline crossed her arms and taunted. Hearing that, Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Oh, you''ll know right away what I can do to you.¡± With that, she stood up, grabbed the soft toys and snacks on the sofa, and walked toward the door. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jacqueline quickly shouted upon seeing that. However, Natalie ignored her as she opened the door and threw her things out immediately. Jacqueline rushed up to her and shrieked hysterically, ¡°Natalie, how dare you throw my things away?¡± ¡°Why wouldn''t I? I''m just giving you a lesson for lusting over someone you shouldn''t have,¡± Natalie said coldly. Right then, those who were inside the secretary''s office had opened the door to check out what was going on when they heard themotion. They were confused to find Natalie and Jacqueline arguing with each other. ¡°Ms. Graham, what''s going on?¡± Others recognized Natalie instantly. ¡°Aren''t you Ms. Natalie?¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°It''s me.¡± ¡°Ms. Natalie, what are you...¡± The man pointed at the things on the ground, then at Jacqueline. Natalie snorted. ¡°This woman ced her stuff in my husband''s office in an attempt to tell everyone else she has something going on with my husband. What do you think I''m doing?¡± Chapter 768 Chapter 768 Everyone was stunned upon her words. Husband? They knew the things lying on the ground belonged to Jacqueline, for they had seen it lying around in the CEO''s office every time they went in. Everyone had also tried to guess Jacqueline''s and Shane''s rtionship. Some thought they were rtives, while others thought they were a married couple. After all, Shane was a married man. It was just that he never told anyone who his wife was. Since Shane didn''t oppose Jacqueline cing her stuff in his office, everyone thought she was most likely his wife. Hence, they treated her more decently than others. However, who would have thought Natalie was Shane''s wife instead of Jacqueline. After all that, they were finally able to wrap their head around what was going on. Natalie threw Jacqueline''s stuff out in a fit of rage after busting her. After thinking things through, the other secretaries started to view Jacqueline in a different light. In the meantime, Jacqueline was shaking with fury as she red at Natalie. ¡°How dare you?¡± Not only did Natalie throw her things out, but she also told everyone her intentions. She could already imagine her future work-life whereby her colleagues would badmouth her. Not only that but she would also be viewed in a negative light from here on out. Even so, Natalie didn''t back down from the hatred in Jacqueline''s eyes. Instead, she looked at the latter calmly and said, ¡°Why wouldn''t I dare? I wasn''t nning on exposing you at first, but you''reCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. crossing the line. How could you lust after someone else''s husband when you already have a boyfriend?¡± Everyone gasped upon her words. So Jacqueline has a boyfriend. How could she seduce Mr. Shane when she''s already taken? Jacqueline could feel the looks of disdaining from her colleagues as she trembled with rage. Ding! Just as she was about to explode, the elevator doors opened, and out walked Shane and Ss. Shane frowned when he saw the crowd gathering in front of his office. ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± The secretaries straightened themselves when they heard his voice while Jacqueline looked at him as though she was about to cry. Meanwhile, Natalie turned around and looked at Shane calmly. ¡°It''s nothing. I''m just teaching a shameless person a lesson.¡± Shameless? Shane arched his brow at that. He then lowered his head when he felt he had kicked something and saw that it was a bag of snacks. He could tell it was the bag of snacks Jacqueline had ced in his office. After seeing the snacks and soft toys lying on the ground, as well as Jacqueline''s aggrieved expression, Shane finally understood who Natalie was referring to. ¡°Get back to your desks.¡± Shane gave the other secretaries a look. The secretaries obediently returned to their office. They were rather looking forward to it as they wanted to share the juicy gossip in their group chat. After that, Shane, Jacqueline, Natalie, and Ss were the only ones left. Shane turned toward Natalie. ¡°What did Jacqueline do that you had to teach her a lesson?¡± Natalie mocked, ¡°She''s trying to steal my husband. Aren''t you aware that she had never dismissed the idea of wanting to be your wife? These toys and snacks lying on the ground are proof.¡± She paused and turned to Jacqueline. ¡°I''ve held back in the past because of Dr. Baker. But you are increasingly getting out of hand. That''s why I humiliated you in public.¡± ¡°And you!¡± Natalie turned to face Shane once again. ¡°Even though you don''t love me as much anymore, we''re still legally married, and I''m still your wife. You''ve been spending a lot of time with Jacqueline recently and even allowed her to ce her stuff in your office. Just what are you trying to imply?¡± Then, she jabbed her finger at his chest. ¡°Are you trying to let her be your wife?¡± Shane frowned as he stared at her slender finger. ¡°Can you stop this nonsense now? Jacqueline and Jackson are dating now. You''ve got it all wrong.¡± ¡°I see things more clearly for what they are than you do,¡± Natalie said coldly. ¡°Shane, please just sign the papers if you want a divorce. Stop disgusting me with your affairs. I''ve had enough of this!¡± Chapter 769 Chapter 769 It was true that Jacqueline had never given up on the idea of wanting Shane as her lover. After all, Shane was the one who gave her the most support. He never pushed her away when she attempted to approach him. His weing actions acted like fuel for her ambition. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. In the past, Natalie''s undying love for Shane made her turn a blind eye to his ws. She believed that Shane would never betray her. However, she could no longer stand Shane''s recent indifference towards her and his close rtionship with Jacqueline. His actions made her weary. I won''t take this anymore! I bet Jacqueline must have been mocking me inwardly while I''ve been enduring all these sufferings. Beside her, Jacqueline and Ss jolted in shock when they heard the words ¡°divorce settlement.¡± Ss was utterly astonished that Natalie was the one who initiated the divorce. On the other hand, Jacqueline was over the moon. She knew that Shane had been giving Natalie the cold shoulder recently. It was already a miracle that they hadn''t gotten divorced sooner. I can''t believe that they are finally getting divorced! Jacqueline sped her hands together as her heart pounded erratically in her chest. ¡°I''ve said it before; I won''t sign it.¡± Shane''s mood darkened the moment the divorce was brought up. Immediately, Jacqueline seethed in anger and frustration. Their rtionship is in shambles. Why won''t he sign it? Does he love Natalie that much? ¡°Fine, we can discuss thister.¡± Natalie extended her finger and pointed at Jacqueline. ¡°However, there''s another issue we must settle today no matter what!¡± Shane''s gaze darkened. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± he asked. Natalie lowered her hand. ¡°It''s simple. Shane. Since I am still your wife, I have the right to ask you to remove her from your side. I''m not asking for you to dismiss her. All I want is for you to transfer her to a ce far away and forbid her from ever entering the top floor.¡± ¡°Natalie, it''s clear that you are targeting me on purpose!¡± Jacqueline red at her with displeasure. Natalie merely smiled. ¡°That''s right. I am targeting you. I can''t ept a woman who has malicious intentions lingering around my husband. Are you unhappy with my decision? If you are, you can continue to rebel since you are so shameless.¡± ¡°You...¡± A ze of angry mes surged within Jacqueline''s heart. Natalie chose not to pay her any mind and turned to Shane. ¡°What do you think? Do you agree with my proposition? If you disagree with it, let''s get a divorce. With that, I won''t be bothered with whatever the two of you wish to do anymore.¡± ¡°Ss,¡± Shane called out, pursing his lips. Ss finally snapped out of his daze. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. What are your instructions?¡± ¡°Send Jacqueline to the HR department. Give her a job that is less daunting,¡± Shane instructed as he pinched his brows between his fingers. ¡°Understood.¡± Ss nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Shane...¡± Jacqueline stared at him in utter disbelief. However, Shane did not spare her even a single nce. Instead, he simply headed toward his office. Natalie scoffed coldly before she followed after Shane''s trail. The departure of the duo left Jacqueline and Ss alone. Ss turned to Jacqueline and beckoned in a weing motion. ¡°Ms. Graham, let''s go.¡± Jacqueline stomped her foot in rage. ¡°All I did was leave my things in Shane''s office. I can''t believe she''s so petty. Why couldn''t she let this matter go?¡± Ss couldn''t help but roll his eyes discreetly. All she did was left her things in the office? Hah! What a joke. Everyone save for Mr. Shane could see through her intentions. It''s exactly as what Madam said. All she wants is for people to misunderstand the rtionship she has with Mr. Shane. It''s no wonder that her greedy ambition provoked Madam. Serves her right she got transferred! Natalie followed Shane into the office. ¡°Where is the evidence?¡± Natalie asked. Shane remained silent as he switched hisputer on. ¡°See for yourself,¡± he announced. Feeling wary, Natalie made her way over to his desk to look at the screen. There was a video recording taken by a cell phone disyed on the screen. Natalie caught sight of a couple who resembled Shane crossing the street with their handsced together. All of a sudden, a red car hurtled toward the couple and collided with them. The sudden impact sent the couple flying. They copsed on the ground as crimson blood began to pool around their limp bodies. The video then zoomed in further to show a woman and her daughter exiting the car. The duo stumbled toward the couple in a fearful manner before the video came to an abrupt end. Chapter 770 Chapter 770 ¡°How is that possible...¡± Natalie staggered backward in shock. She would recognize the mother and daughter who exited the car anywhere. The reason being the mother was none other than her own Mom. As for the young girl, it was Natalie herself. My Mom really ran into Shane''s parents! Frigid chills skittered across her skin as Natalie turned stiffly to look at Shane. Shane met her gaze with a dark one. ¡°Are you still going to insist that your mom has never hit anyone?¡± he asked her lowly. ¡°I...¡± Natalie''s lip quivered as she couldn''t give Shane an answer. The truth is before my own eyes. What else can I say to defend myself? The video also reminded her of the nightmare she had experiencedst night. The contents of her nightmare were eerily simr to the video she had just watched. Yet, why did I have that dream? Does that mean that it wasn''t a dream, but a memory? Harrison once mentioned that she had forgotten a few things, while Stanley also observed that the source of her headaches was her memories. Maybe it was caused by this particr memory? But why did I forget about it? Natalie''s head began to hurt the more she thought about it. The immense pain caused her to cradle her head in her hands. A look of agony was painted on her face. Shane''s face paled when he noticed Natalie''s change in demeanor. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°My head hurts!¡± The overwhelming pain forced her to her knees. The pain was so much more intense than her past experiences. It was so painful that she began to gasp for air. Beads of cold sweat dotted her face as her eyes rolled backward. Her sufferings did not end there, however, as countless memories started surging into her brain with bright shes along with the pain that throbbed in her head. Finally, Natalie sumbed to the immense pain as she fainted and copsed to the floor. ¡°Natalie!¡± Shane rushed forward to pull her into his arms. Gently, he patted her cheeks in an attempt to rouse her from unconsciousness. However, Natalie seemed to be trapped in a nightmare. A deep frown graced her forehead as she remained unconscious. Immediately, Shane carried her to the couch with a tense look on his face. After he ced her on the couch, he pulled his phone out and called Ss. ¡°Send a doctor here right now,¡± Shane ordered in a baritone voice. Clear worry could be heard in his voice. ¡°Got it.¡± Ss gulped nervously when he heard Shane''s ominous tone. Did Mr. Shane and Madam get into a fight in the office? Did Mr. Shane injure Madam by ident? If he really hurt Madam, that means that he is a truly violent man! Ss shivered and dismissed the negative thoughts. Swiftly, he called for the doctor. In a blink of an eye, the doctor arrived at the office. Immediately, Shane instructed the doctor to check on Natalie''s condition. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How is she?¡± Shane asked with his fists clenched and trembling after the doctor finished the check-up. The doctor was clueless about the rtionship between Shane and Natalie. Thus, he held his tongue when he addressed Shane. ¡°She''s alright. She must have experienced a great shock and fainted. She will be fine after she regains consciousness,¡± the doctor replied in a respectful manner. Shane let out a heavy sigh of relief when he heard the doctor''s words. ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± With that, the doctor picked up his first-aid kit and left the office. After his departure, the office fell silent again. Shane massaged his temples as he took a seat opposite Natalie. Quietly, he observed her. Shane himself lost track of time as he watched her. All of a sudden, Natalie jerked upright. ¡°No!¡± she cried out with a look of restlessness. Even Shane was shocked by her sudden movements. ¡°You''re awake.¡± He frowned when he saw her odd behavior. Natalie did not respond to Shane. She simply remained sitting on the couch in a dazed manner. Seeing herck of reaction, suspicion gleamed in Shane''s eyes. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Once again, Natalie did not offer a reply. However, a smile tugged the corners of her lips upwards into a gleeful grin. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Shane couldn''t help but ask as she beamed at him happily. Finally, Natalie responded to his question. With a raise of her hand, she wiped away the joyful tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°I''m smiling because I''m happy!¡± Natalie eximed as she looked at him. ¡°Shane, my Mom didn''t run into your parents!¡± In the period of her unconsciousness, she managed to recall the memory from eighteen years ago. That''s right! I had forgotten about that memory because Mom hired a hypnotist to erase it from my brain! Chapter 771 Chapter 771 Natalie had finally regained all of her erased memories. Shane''s mood darkened as he rose to his feet. ¡°Natalie, the evidence is right in front of you. Why are you still denying the truth?¡± ¡°That''s because my Mom didn''t do it!¡± Natalie followed suit and looked up at Shane with a calm gaze. ¡°Didn''t I tell you about it yesterday? I let Stanley put me in a trance to check my memory. It''s true that there''s something wrong with my memory, but it''s perfectly fine now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane asked, narrowing his eyes. ¡°The truth, I remember it now.¡± Natalie inhaled deeply as she spoke. ¡°You remember it now? Are you trying to say that you forgot the memory about your Mom running over my parents?¡± Shane asked with slight astonishment. ¡°Yes and no. Yes, that I got my memory back, and no, my mom did not run over your parents! How many times do you want me to repeat myself?¡± Natalie raised her voice in reply. Shane pressed his lips into a thin line when Natalie raised her tone several octaves higher. His mood took a drastic turn. Natalie pointed at theputer. ¡°It''s true that my Mom and I are in the video. I saw the death of your parents with my own eyes. The tragic scene left me emotionally scarred and traumatized because I had never seen something like that before. After I returned home, I was haunted by repeated nightmares of the incident.¡± Natalie paused for a brief moment as a look of sorrow crossed her face. ¡°My Mom was afraid that I would be depressed if this continued. As a result, she hired a hypnotist to erase those memories.¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. In order to erase all traces of that traumatic experience, Natalie''s mom had asked the hypnotist to craft a happier memory to rece it. The hypnotist even created an illusion for Natalie to detest the color red. ¡°What I''m trying to say is that I''ve remembered everything that urred on that day. The person who ran over your parents was not my mom.¡± Natalie looked at Shane determinedly. ¡°So you''re telling me that red car isn''t your mom''s?¡± Shane''s Adam''s apple bobbed as he spoke in a husky tone. ¡°It''s not.¡± Natalie closed her eyes. ¡°The killer''s car and my mom''s shared the same model. It''s a Mercedes 300. It was the hottest model amongst the citizens of J City that year. My mom was not the only person who purchased the car. If you don''t believe me, you can visit the carpany and check who bought the same model.¡± ¡°Do you really that that''s enough to cleanse the suspicions ced on your mom?¡± Shane asked coldly. Natalie shook her head to deny his words. ¡°Of course not. The day of the ident was the same as my dancepetition back in primary school. My mom had picked me up from school, and we were on the way home. Along the way, she got into an argument with Harrison. In the heat of the moment, she neglected to look at the road, and she ran over your dad''s leg.¡± ¡°But you just said...¡± A dark expression loomed over Shane''s face. ¡°I said that she ran over his leg. Your parents were already dead when my mom bumped into both of them. She didn''t know at the time. That''s why she stopped the car and tried to help them. Yet, how was she supposed to save someone who is already dead?¡± Natalie stepped forward and extended a finger to point at Shane''s chest. ¡°Tell me, Shane, how was she supposed to help them?¡± Natalie asked softly. Shane remained silent. Natalie let her hand fall to her side. ¡°Afterwards, she realized that the victims were your parents. She always felt guilty because she couldn''t save them. That''s why she visits Grandpa every year on the neenth.¡± ¡°No...¡± Shane stuttered in disbelief. He was clearly shocked by Natalie''s words. Incredulity was painted all across his handsome face. He couldn''t ept the truth. At the same time, he couldn''t believe that his assumption turned out to be the total opposite. Natalie gazed at him coldly. ¡°What are you trying to say? That you can''t ept that I''ve spoken the truth?¡± Shane lifted his trembling gaze to meet hers. Natalie let out a mirthlessugh. ¡°And yet, this is the cold, hard truth. Even though the video was real, it''s obvious that there are issues with the person who filmed it. The cars are the first anomaly of this video. Didn''t you notice that the person didn''t capture the car''s number te?¡± Immediately, realization dawned upon Shane. ¡°That''s not the only issue. When the owner of the red car that ran over your parents continued driving, why didn''t the person filming the video continue to focus on the car? Instead, the camera pans back to your parents before showing my mom''s car,¡± Natalie continued. Chapter 772 Chapter 772 ¡°Besides, I''ve mentioned it earlier. Your Dad was already dead when my mom bumped his leg. Yet, that specific scene was not shown in the video. There are only two reasons to exin it. One, the video was edited. Two, the person didn''t capture it on the recording.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie''s words were like a hammer that mmed into Shane''s heart. Shane''s clenched fists trembled. That''s right, how could I have overlooked such huge anomalies within the video? ¡°Additionally, there''s a final subject that I''d like to add. I''m not sure if you''ve thought about it before.¡± Natalie spoke up again. Shane pursed his lips and replied. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It''s about Grandpa. Do you think that he would have forgiven my mom if she really ran over your parents? Why would he take her in as his goddaughter?¡± Natalie said with reddened eyes. ¡°I''m sorry...¡± Shane copsed onto the couch as all of his energy drained from his body. I''ve never thought about that before. The moment he watched the video, the urge for revenge overwhelmed his logic. Shane never tried to identify the other clues in the video. It''s all my fault. His haggard face caused a pang of pity and difort in Natalie''s heart. However, she made no move to show her pity. After all, he had hurt her deeply in these past few weeks. She could not reach closure due to his hurtful actions. ¡°I''m telling the truth. You can investigate further if you don''t believe me. ording to the anomalies I''ve pointed out, I''m sure that you''ll be able to find the truth. Aside from that, I''ll give you a clue about the killer.¡± Natalie picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. ¡°What is the clue?¡± Shane lifted his head and asked. ¡°Eighteen years ago, my mom told me that David had unearthed the true killer. Yet, he let the person go instead of holding them ountable. He even destroyed all of the security footage regarding the incident and removed all the red cars in his home. There are only a handful of people who can force Grandpa to such great lengths.¡± With that, Natalie left the office. She knew that Shane needed a moment alone. Likewise, Natalie needed to be alone with her thoughts too. Not long after Natalie left, Shane mmed his fist against the coffee table. Immediately, the impact left his hand a bloodied mess. Despite the blood, Shane didn''t seem to feel the pain. Instead, he gritted his teeth and forced a name out of his mouth. ¡°Sam!¡± After his father''s death, Sam was David''s only son. Only Sam would earn David''s protection. Why else would Grandpa destroy all the red cars? Shane knew that Natalie wasn''t bluffing. The destruction of all the red cars was something that urred. However, Shane was clueless at the time. Now, everything seemed to make sense, like puzzle pieces clicking into ce. Sam must have sent his men to kill my parents in order to obtain the inheritance rights to Thompson Group. Eighteen years ago, Grandpa fell ill and stepped down from Thompson Group. He then asked my dad to take over Thompson Group. Sam had tried to snatch the inheritance for himself. However, Grandpa refused him each time he tried to im Thompson Group. Sam must have murdered my parents because the death of my father would leave Sam as Grandpa''s sole heir. With that, Thompson Group would belong to him. No one had expected that David would live through his sickness and continue to run Thompson Group. Instead of handing over Thompson Group to Same, he gave it to Shane when Shane became an adult. In this period of time, Sam did not remain idle. However, he was crushed by David each time he tried to resist. In the past, Shane couldn''t connect the dots. There were several times when Sam could have overthrown David. Yet, Sam backed down each time. Grandpa must have used the death of my parents as a threat to subdue Sam each time he tried to rebel. ¡°Haha...¡± Shane covered his eyes with his hand. A dangerous and low chuckle escaped his mouth. I think I know what''s in Grandpa''s will now. It contains evidence of Sam murdering my parents. That''s why Sam and his family are dying to get their hands on it. This is great. Sam, Grandpa, and Sam''s family... Aren''t they all such wonderful people? Shane''sughter grew louder as he began tough uncontrobly. Yet, there was the undeniable trace of anguish amidst hisughter. I always knew that Sam and his family weren''t honest people. Never would I have thought that they were the culprits behind my parent''s death. Chapter 773 Chapter 773 After all, Sam was the brother of Shane''s father. How could he be so cruel? Of course, the one person who caused Shane to feel the greatest disappointment was none other than David. To protect Sam, David had ignored the tragic death of his other son. No wonder Grandpa said that he was sorry before hemitted suicide. In a craze, Shane swept his hand out in a wide arc. With a single blow, all of the objects on the coffee table went ttering to the floor. Crash The ssware shattered into tiny pieces. Upon hearing the loud noise, Ss assumed that an ident had urred. He barged into the office. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Ss trailed off into silence. Shane was standing in front of the couch with his head lowered. A terrifying and deadly aura was emanating from Shane''s figure. Ss trembled in fear when he noticed Shane''s ominous temperament. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you alright?¡± Ss mustered his courage and asked fearfully. ¡°I want to meet Grandpa''s assistant,¡± Shane replied in an impassive tone. ¡°Okay, I will arrange it right away.¡± Ss did not ask any further questions and nodded in an immediate reply. Shane made his way to the ce of David''s previous assistant. He lingered there for a long time and asked a barrage of questions. The answer that he obtained was identical to his guess and Natalie''s exnation. Yulia had not caused the death of his parents. They were murdered by Sam''s henchmen. This sudden and profound conclusion left Shane wholly stunned. When he left the ce, his gait was unsteady as he could not process the devastating truth. Shane would have stumbled down the stairs if Ss hadn''t reached out to catch him. ¡°Mr. Shane, are we returning to the vi?¡± Ss asked. His heart ached to see Shane in such a state of distress. The true killer of Shane''s father was not Natalie''s Mom; it was Sam. Mr. Shane''s cold treatment toward Natalie was all for naught. Natalie was hurt by Mr. Shane''s actions. I''m sure that he''s feeling guilty right now. ¡°Yes,¡± Shane rasped out with a nod. He wanted to see Natalie and beg for her forgiveness. This is all my fault. ¡°Alright.¡± Ss helped Shane to the car and drove toward the vi. When they arrived at the vi, it was already dark outside. Shane was greeted with silence when he strolled into the vi. If it weren''t for the sounds that resonated from the kitchen, he would have assumed that the vi was deserted. ¡°Mrs. Wilson!¡± Shane called out. Hearing his yell, Mrs. Wilson rushed out hurriedly. ¡°Sir, why are you back?¡± ¡°Where is Madam?¡± Shane returned her question with one of his own. Usually, Natalie and the two children would greet him when he returned. However, he noticed that their shoes were missing when he crossed the entrance. Are they still outside and have yet to return? Mrs. Wilson began to panic when Shane asked about Natalie. ¡°Sir, please bring Madam back! She was crying when she returned this afternoon. She packed all of her belongings and moved back to the apartment!¡± ¡°What?¡± The color drained from Shane''s face. ¡°She moved back?¡± ¡°That''s right, I tried my best to stop her, but she wouldn''t listen to me. Sir, please bring Madam back.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded profusely. Shane pressed his lips into a thin line and he was about to say something when he was cut off by Mrs. Wilson. Looking like she had recalled something else, Mrs. Wilson said, ¡°I just remembered something. Madam mentioned that she left something for you in the room. She asked for you to look at it when you returned.¡± She pointed to the stairs. Hearing this, Shane made his way upstairs immediately. Shane opened the door to the room. The furnishings were spick and span. However, Natalie''s belongings had vanished. She really moved all of her stuff out! There''s absolutely nothing left! A sinking feeling bloomed in his heart as realization dawned upon him. Shane remained rooted in ce as he surveyed the entire room. All of a sudden, his gazended on the object on the bed. That must the thing that Natalie left for me. He strode over to find a file. N?velDrama.Org content. The file reminded him of the divorce settlement from earlier. Chapter 774 Chapter 774 Could it be... Shane narrowed his eyes and opened the folder. As suspected, the divorce papers were in there. The aura surrounding him instantly turned cold. He took the document out of the folder and tore it into pieces before tossing it in the air. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. As the shredded paper fluttered in the air, his cruel expression floated to the surface. That was a face that could terrify an army. You want a divorce? Not. A. Chance. He never considered a divorce, even when he thought that the driver who killed his parents might have been Yulia. Now that he had learned that it was all a misunderstanding, there was no way he would agree to a divorce. Thinking about it got Shane to turn around and walk down the stairs. He headed right for the door. Mrs. Wilson saw him walking out, so she called out and asked, ¡°Sir, where are you headed to?¡± ¡°To drag the runaway back home!¡± replied Shane grimly before he mmed the door to the vi. Mrs. Wilson grinned. She could tell that he had changed. He has turned back to the doctor he used to be. I have no idea what happened to make him change like that, but I am d. Shane drove all the way to the apartment. He was able to shorten the fifty-minutes-drive there to half an hour, earning him the target of the traffic police as they chase him down. In the end, Shane got two tickets for reckless driving. He stared at the tickets he had with him and huffed before he shoved them into his pocket. He walked into the apartment after that. Natalie and the kids were eating together at the time. All three of them turned to the door when they heard the doorbell ringing. ¡°I''ll go open the door, Mommy,¡± said Connor. He was ready to crawl down from his chair immediately. Natalie stopped him and instructed, ¡°Be good and stay here. I''ll go answer the door.¡± It waste at night, so Natalie didn''t want to risk having her kids open the door. Who knows what kind of lunatic is out there? Connor might be a genius, but he''s still a kid with a tiny figure. He couldn''t possibly fight against an adult. Natalie cooed her kids before setting her cutleries down and went to open the door. When she was right behind the door, she turned on the inte to check who the visitor was. She was stunned when she saw Shane there. What is he doing here? Natalie bit her lip a little. She didn''t know if she should open the door. Shane seemed to have sensed that he was being spied on because he tilted his head up and looked right into the camera before demanding, ¡°Open the door.¡± Natalie understood that he was talking to her, so she bit down and answered, ¡°There''s no need for that. You should go home.¡± ¡°Open the door!¡± demanded Shane once again. Natalie frowned andined, ¡°Shane Thompson, what do you want? Shouldn''t you be looking into what I said earlier today? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I already did,¡± answered Shane in a deep voice. Natalie was stunned in ce. That was fast. ¡°Is that so? And what is the result of your investigation? Was I telling the truth or...¡± ¡°You were telling the truth,¡± interrupted Shane. Natalie''s eyes instantly reddened as tears threatened the roll down her cheeks. She took a few deep breaths and tilted her head up to stop her tears from rolling down. Still, her voice was a little thick when she asked, ¡°Oh? Then what are you doing here now?¡± ¡°I want to apologize,¡± replied Shane. He was direct and had no intention of hiding the truth. Natalie scoffed and retaliated, ¡°So what? Am I supposed to just ept your apology? Can your apology really make up for all the pain and suffering you caused me during that period? It doesn''t work that way, Shane.¡± ¡°I know,¡± muttered Shane as he tilted his head down in shame. He had already mentally prepared himself and knew that his apology would not be epted that easily. However, he still had to apologize. ¡°If you know, then you should leave,¡± said Natalie to chase him away. In response, Shane simply stood there, motionless. Natalie frowned in displeasure and growled, ¡°Don''t tell me that you''re just going to stand there and keep waiting, Shane Thompson.¡± ¡°I want to see you,¡± said Shane. Natalie understood what he really meant. So I guess he won''t leave unless I open the door and let him in, or talk to him in person, huh. Natalie was so angry that she was grinning. What kind of a man is he? How can he still be so shameless at a time like this? Chapter 775 Chapter 775 Does he think he can just threaten me? Does he really think that I''d be scared? ¡°Fine, if you''re so adamant about waiting, then go ahead!¡± growled Natalie before she turned the inte off and returned to the dining table. She was a little exasperated when she saw how both her kids were staring at her and not eating properly. She pulled up a chair and asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Mommy, is that Daddy?¡± asked Sharon while blinking innocently. Connor never said a word, but his expression showed that he wanted to ask the same question. Natalie had no intentions to hide anything from the kids. As such, she stroked Sharon''s head and replied calmly with a smile, ¡°You shouldn''t call him Daddy anymore. Adress him as Mr. Shane from now on.¡± Even though Shane had already learned the truth and knew that Natalie''s mom was not the driver who killed his parents, she still wanted a divorce from him. Sharon seemed reluctant to change how she addressed Shane, but her mom seemed persistent, so she murmured an affirmative reply. ¡°Mommy, what is Mr. Shane doing here?¡± asked Connor. ¡°I don''t know. I didn''t ask,¡± lied Natalie while shifting her gaze away. Connor saw through the lie, but he didn''t point it out. He nodded and replied, ¡°I see. Okay.¡± ¡°Mommy, aren''t you going to let Mr. Shane in?¡± asked Sharon again as she sipped some soup from her spoon. Natalie shook her head and answered, ¡°No, just leave things be. You two are not allowed to open the door as well, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± muttered Sharon before she stopped asking questions. With that, dinner went on as usual. As for Shane, he remained standing behind the door. He knew that Natalie wouldn''t open the door, and he understood that standing there was just a waste of time. Still, he had no intention of leaving. As far as he was concerned, whether she opened the door was irrelevant to the fact that he was willing to wait for her. He was there to apologize, so he would show his sincerity if nothing else. Shane leaned against the door and started smoking. He finished one cigarette after another. Before long, cigarette butts started gathering on the floor. Just then, his cell phone rang. N?velDrama.Org content. Shane tossed the cigarette butt away and fished his cell phone out to check the screen. It was a call from Jackson. ¡°What''s up?¡± asked Shane. His voice was a little coarse because he had been smoking for a while. ¡°Shane, aren''t you supposed toe to the hospital for a final check-up? Why aren''t you here yet?¡± asked Jackson from the other side of the line. Shane massaged his temple and replied, ¡°I forgot.¡± He wasn''t lying about that. ¡°Okay. When will you be here, then?¡± asked Jackson while checking his watch. Shane turned his head to the apartment and noted how the door was tightly closed. He took a deep breath and answered, ¡°I won''t be heading over today.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± asked Jackson curiously. Shane tilted his head up and rested his head against the wall. He was staring at the ceiling as regret filled his eyes. ¡°I need to apologize to Natalie,¡± answered Shane. ¡°Apologize?¡± blurted Jackson in confusion. ¡°What happened? Did you do something to her?¡± ¡°No, it''s about my parents. I used my mother-inw of something she didn''t do,¡± replied Shane calmly. Jackson sprang up from his seat and said, ¡°What? You used her?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Wait, that doesn''t make sense. How could it have been wrong? Are you sure?¡± asked Jackson, whose interest was piqued. Shane gave Jackson a cliff''s note version of everything Natalie told him earlier that day. Hearing all that stunned Jackson. It took him a while toe back around. He said, ¡°Hang on, just to be clear. Natalie suddenly regained the memory she lost earlier and told you everything that had happened in the past. You then went to David''s assistant to investigate the matter and found evidence that someone else was the culprit. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Shane while nodding. Jackson gasped and blurted, ¡°Holy moly, what a twist. I can''t believe how wild things had progressed. I guess the person who sent you that footage intended to break you and Natalie up. The only question is why. How would the two of you breaking up benefit that person?¡± Shane closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they shone with cruelty. He replied, ¡°I''d like to know that, too.¡± If the person who sent him that footage was his enemy, then they could''ve just gone after him or Thompson Group. So why did they have to target Natalie? ¡°Have you discovered the identity of the person who sent you that footage?¡± asked Jackson. Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Shane shook his head and replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Hey, don''t you have a hacker on your payroll? He helped you when Natalie was kidnapped by Sean, right? Why don''t you get in touch with the hacker again? I''m sure he can locate the person who sent you the footage,¡± suggested Jackson. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Shane narrowed his eyes and replied, ¡°It won''t do any good. I''ve already hired another hacker to investigate the matter. The trail went cold because the footage was sent from a public router.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Jackson''s lips twitched a little as hemented, ¡°I guess the culprit is pretty vignt about this.¡± Shane didn''t reply. He didn''t know why, but his head was spinning, and his vision was turning blurry. ¡°Shane, are you still there?¡± asked Jackson quickly when he noticed that Shane had been keeping quiet for some time. Shane shook his head to force his mind to clear up a little. ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, I was just worried. I thought something had happened because you were quiet for a while there.¡± ¡°Everything''s fine.¡± ¡°Okay, then. Well, I should go. I have a date with Jacqueler,¡± shared Jackson. Shane murmured a reply before hanging up. He massaged his head and shoved his cell phone back into his pocket. His head started spinning again, making him feel weak. He couldn''t put his cell phone back into his pocket no matter how hard he tried. In the end, his cell phone slipped out of his grip and fell onto the floor. Shane frowned. He bent down to pick it up. However, just as he bent down, his vision turned darkpletely. He never even touched his phone. Thud! Shane fell onto the floor and lost consciousness a momentter. Natalie was doing the dishes when she suddenly heard the loud thud. She instinctively paused. ¡°What was that?¡± muttered Natalie. She suddenly had a bad feeling about it. She washed the foam off of her hands and turned around to leave the kitchen. When she saw her kids watching cartoons while sitting on the sofa. she asked, ¡°Kids, did you hear a noise just now?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Connor while nodding. Sharon was more descriptive and said, ¡°It sounded like something hit the wall, and it came from that direction.¡± The little girl pointed at the door. Natalie shifted her attention to the door. Worry slowly donned her face. Was that Shane? It''s probably not him if he had already left, but if he had stayed and waited... Natalie didn''t dwell further on her imagination. She hesitated for a while but eventually headed over to the door. She nned on opening the door to investigate the matter and see if Shane was still there. The two kids turned to one another before they quickly hopped off the sofa and followed along. Natalie popped her head out after she opened the door. All she saw was an unconscious man on the floor, and that got her expression to change drastically. ¡°Shane!¡± shouted Natalie before she hurried out to check on the guy. He had a fever, and his head was burning. His breathing was also uneven. Natalie was both infuriated and worried at that moment. My gosh, why is he out and about even though he is sick? He even stood here for so long and waited for no reason! Does he not know that the weather is getting chilly? ¡°Mommy, what''s wrong with Mr. Shane?¡± asked Sharon as she gripped the door. Her eyes were reddened with tears at the time. ¡°He''s fine. He''s just down with a fever,¡± replied Natalie, who took some time to coo her daughter. After that, Natalie helped Shane up from the floor. The noise I heard earlier was probably him falling. He''s lucky I came in time to check on the situation. If I didn''t, he would''ve been lying there until tomorrow morning. A guy with fever lying on the cold, hard floor for an entire night? He would''ve had brain damage even if he somehow survived it. Thank the heavens I came to check. Natalie''s mind was clear when she came to that conclusion. She helped Shane into the house and tossed him onto the bed before covering him up with the nket. ¡°Connor, make the call and get them to send a doctor over,¡± instructed Natalie as she checked Shane''s temperature. The kids had followed her into the room, so she didn''t need to shout to get their attention. Connor nodded and replied, ¡°Got it, Mommy.¡± After saying his piece, Connor turned around and went to the living room to make the call. Sharon had always followed Connor around, so naturally, she went with him. Chapter 777 Chapter 777 Natalie shifted her hand from Shane''s forehead. Her beautiful face shone with worry. He''s really burning up. It''s obvious that he had been sick for a while now. Did no one around him notice it? Natalie sighed and went to the kitchen to get some ice. She wrapped them up in a towel and ced them on Shane''s forehead to try to lower his temperature. She hoped that it would ease his suffering a little. There was nothing else she could do after that. All that was left to do was to wait for the doctor to show up. Soon, the doctor arrived. He gave Shane a shot and attached thetter to a bag of saline before prescribing a lot of medicine. Even looking from the side got Natalie to feel nervous. ¡°Doctor, is he okay?¡± asked Natalie after seeing how the man on the bed was no longer frowning as much. The doctor put his things away and informed, ¡°Yes, he''ll be fine. His fever should go down by the time the saline finished dripping into his system. Let him rest well for now. It seems that his physical state is weakened, and it is likely he has slept littletely. Coupled that with the chilly weather, it was only natural that he developed a fever.¡± He didn''t rest well? Natalie''s eyes shone with realization. So I am not the only one who hasn''t had a chance to rest well. He has been tired, too. But I guess that makes sense. Who would sleep well after everything that had happened?This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Got it. Thank you,¡± said Natalie as she forced a smile on her face. She walked the doctor out after that. Then, she returned to the bedroom. Her kids were taking off their shoes and were climbing onto the beds. Seeing that got Natalie to put a finger on her lips and whispered to her kids, ¡°Be good. Don''t bother Mr. Shane. He is sick and needs to rest.¡± ¡°Okay, we won''t make any noise. We just want to see how he''s doing,¡± replied Sharon as she sat obediently beside Shane. She was staring at Shane''s face when she answered her mother. Natalie grinned and replied, ¡°Okay, thene back out soon. Don''t disturb him. I''ll go finish cleaning the dishes now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied the kids, who nodded simultaneously. Natalie went to the kitchen after that. It was nine at night when she was finally done with the dishes. It was the kids'' bedtime, but they hadn''t left the bedroom yet, so Natalie went in to get them to shower and sleep. To her surprise, the first thing she saw when she opened the door was her kids sleeping soundly lying beside Shane. Natalie''s heart melted when she saw that, but that was soon reced with sorrow. She couldn''t believe that her kids weren''t Shane''s. She sighed slightly, but she didn''t wake the kids up. Instead, she let them sleep there. Shane will definitely sleep until tomorrow morning, and the kids are sound asleep, so they won''t disturb him, anyway. Aftering to that conclusion, Natalie closed the door gently and left the room. She went to sleep in the kids'' room that night. When Shane woke up the next morning, he saw a cute, chubby face right in front of him. It was Sharon. Seeing that he was awake, Sharon jumped out of bed happily and ran out of the room. As she did so, she called out, ¡°Mr. Shane is up, Mommy!¡± The words ¡°Mr. Shane¡± extinguished the warmth in Shane''s eyes and what reced it was fear. First Connor, and now Sharon is calling me Mr. Shane, too. I-I really broke their hearts. Shane swallowed hard. At that moment, his emotions were down in the dumps. ¡°You''re up?¡± said Natalie all of a sudden. Shane sat up and turned to her. Natalie had a cup of water in her hand, and the kids were with her. ¡°Are you still having a headache?¡± asked Natalie as she handed him the cup of water. Shane shook his head after epting the water. His voice was coarse when he answered, ¡°It only hurts a little.¡± ¡°Drink up,¡± reminded Natalie. Shane hummed in acknowledgment and drank some water. It was warm and a little salty. Shane stared at Natalie curiously. She answered, ¡°It''s only natural that your body will be dehydrated after the whole ordeal. I put some salt in there to replenish your nutrients.¡± Shane nodded and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It''s nothing,¡± replied Natalie before retrieving the cup. ¡°I''ve already called Mr. Campbell earlier this morning. He''ll be here to pick you upter. Go freshen up and have some breakfast. You''re supposed to take your medication after eating.¡± Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Natalie left with the empty cup after saying her piece. The kids didn''t leave with her. Instead, they stood at the side of the bed and stared at Shane. Shane felt terrible when he looked into their eyes. There was a time when they would dash over sweetly and give him a hug. Sharon, in particr, always smiled when she saw him. However, at that moment, neither of them hugged him, and even the way they addressed him had be more distant. Shane felt like all his previous efforts were reversed, and time had turned back to when they first met each other. ¡°Kids, I...¡± said Shane. It seemed he had a lot to say. Connor held Sharon''s hand and interrupted him, ¡°Mr. Shane, you should hurry and get up. Your breakfast is getting cold.¡± After that, Connor led Sharon out of the room. Shane''s lips curved into a wry smile as he watched the kids walked away. At that moment, his wife was ridiculously polite with him, and the kids were no longer close to him. He felt lonely, like a widower. I had iting, though. Shane rested on the bed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He took some time, but when he opened his eyes again, they shone with determination. I must earn Natalie''s forgiveness and love back no matter what. I will bring all three of them back home with me. Shane pulled his nket aside and put on his slippers before leaving the bedroom. Natalie was already at the dining table. She was getting the kids to eat their breakfast. When she saw Shane there, she pointed toward the washroom. ¡°I got a new toothbrush for you. You can go freshen up,¡± informed Natalie. Shane murmured an affirmative reply before heading into the washroom. Natalie retracted her gaze and continued getting the kids to eat properly. The children had already finished their breakfast when Shane finished freshening up. Natalie held the kids'' tiny bags and helped them put them on. After that, she checked her cell phone. She was wondering why Joyce hadn''t shown up when the doorbell rang. ¡°That''s probably Aunt Joyce. Let''s go,¡± said Natalie as she led the two kids toward the door. Shane hesitated a little before he followed along. Natalie heard his footsteps and knew that he was following them, but she didn''t care. I''ll just let him be. Joyce was standing behind the door when they answered it. ¡°Hi, good morning,¡± greeted Joyce. ¡°Morning,¡± replied Natalie with a smile. The kids greeted Joyce warmly and sweetly as well. Joyce reached out to pat the kids'' heads. Just then, she noticed that someone else was standing behind Natalie. Joyce was so surprised that her jaw dropped before she blurted, ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Shane nodded slightly in response. Joyce stared at Shane curiously before turning to Natalie and asking, ¡°Nat, are the two of you back together?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Natalie directly, shaking her head. The glow in Shane''s eyes turned dimmer, but he didn''t refute. She''s right. We''re not back together... T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then why is he...?¡± asked Joyce as she pointed over. Natalie urged her children to go to Joyce before reminding, ¡°That''s enough. It''s time, and they''ll bete for school if we keep talking. Please drop them off at their school, Joyce. I''ll head over to work a little late today.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Joyce before she nodded and led the kids toward the elevator. Natalie closed the door. Shane''s lips parted and asked, ¡°Are you busy today?¡± ¡°Yeah, thepetition will start in a week. I have a meeting at the Design Association, so I don''t have the time to drop the kids off. That''s why I asked Joyce toe to pick them up,¡± replied Natalie nonchntly. Shane didn''t say anything else. Natalie headed over to the dining table and put away the dishes she and the kids used earlier. She said, ¡°Mr. Shane, your breakfast is ready. Here, you can eat up now.¡± ¡°What did you just call me?¡± asked Shane, whose voice was getting a little thick. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± replied Natalie without looking at him. ¡°I''m your husband,¡± reminded Shane as he red at her with a look of displeasure. I''m her husband. Yet, she is addressing me like we''re strangers! Natalie put the dirty dishes down and looked right into his eyes. She said, ¡°Not for long. I left the divorce paper in the room in the vi. I''m sure you''ve already seen it. Even if you hadn''t, Mrs. Wilson will have already told you about it.¡± Chapter 779 Chapter 779 ¡°I''ve already tore it apart,¡± shared Shane calmly. Natalie frowned and asked, ¡°What''s the point? We''ve already reached the point where divorce is the only route. I honestly don''t see any alternatives.¡± ¡°Of course there is. I know that I made a mistake earlier and broke your heart because of it. It''s only natural that you want a divorce, but that is no longer an issue, so why are you still insisting on getting a divorce?¡± demanded Shane as he clenched his fists. He simply could not understand why. ¡°It''s simple, really,¡± answered Natalie before she took a deep breath and smiled wryly. ¡°I''m insisting on getting a divorce because the pain is etched into my heart. I can''t pretend that nothing had happened just because the misunderstanding is cleared. Besides, this incident taught me something crucial.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± Natalie tilted her head down and replied, ¡°Trust. We do love each other, but Shane, don''t you see? There is no trust between us. You don''t actually trust me, and that is the root cause of this incident.¡± ¡°I know that I was wrong. I should''ve trusted you, but I promise that this won''t happen again,¡± dered Shane before he reached out to hold her hand. Natalie stepped back and pointed out, ¡°Don''t be so certain. No one knows what will happen in the future. What if someone maliciouses up with something once more to cause a misunderstanding between us? I don''t think that you''d trust me enough to not fall for their tricks.¡± What she needed was someone to trust herpletely. That was something she didn''t think Shane could ever give her. He can''t do it because his upbringing made it impossible. Natalie understood that being in the Thompson family meant that one had to deal with schemes and traps from a young age. She believed that Shane would never trust anyonepletely because that would mean putting the entire Thompson Group on the line. She understood that that was impossible for him, so she wouldn''t force him to change. That was why she thought that their best option was to get a divorce. By doing so, she wouldn''t have her heart crushed because the man she loved can''t trust her the way she needed him to. Simrly, Shane would no longer need to struggle with whether or not he should trust her. Thinking about all that prompted Natalie to smile at Shane and said, ¡°That, Mr. Shane, is why we should get a divorce. Besides, I think that we were too impulsive when we got married. We just started dating at the time, and we don''t know each other well enough to build asting marriage. All it took was one conflict to topple us. It''s too painful to go through this every time a conflict arises, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°No, I will never sign those divorce papers,¡± insisted Shane before he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. He held her so tightly that it seemed like he wanted to meld her into his body. It hurt Natalie a little when he hugged her so tightly, but she didn''t push him away. She simply let him hold her. ¡°Stop being so stubborn, Mr. Shane. Maybe this will turn out to be a good thing for the two of us,¡± said Natalie as she rested her chin on his shoulder. Shane buried his face in her neck and spoke in a deep voice. ¡°No, this is not a good thing. All I know is that I can''t live without you. If you really want to leave me, then you will have to kill me. Can you bring yourself to do that?¡± He looked at her. His gaze was gloomy when his eyes met hers. Natalie sighed and asked, ¡°Why must you force my hand like this?¡± ¡°I am not forcing you to do anything. All I want is to take my wife home. What''s wrong with that?¡± asked Shane as he squeezed her shoulders a little. Natalie closed her eyes in exhaustion. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She was about to reply to him when her cell phone rang. She pushed him away and checked the screen before quickly epting the call. ¡°Hi, Mr. Horner. Sorry, I will head over right away... Okay... Alright... Bye.¡± Natalie put her cell phone away and turned her attention to Shane onest time. She said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ve said all I need to say. Please consider the divorce. Marriage is not something that can be maintained with just love. It also needs courage and trust to thrive, and there is no trust between us. A marriage like ours will only end badly even if we keep pushing.¡± Natalie walked over to pick up her bag from the sofa. ¡°You can leave immediately after having your breakfast. I''ll do the dishes when I get hometer.¡± She turned toward the door after saying her piece. However, Shane grabbed her wrist and pulled her back before she got to take another step. ¡°What are you... Mm...¡± Shane had sealed her lips shut before she got to finish her sentence. Natalie was stunned for a second there, but she came around soon after. Anger filled her, and she pushed him to get away. Unfortunately, Shane had already anticipated that, so he locked the back of her head in ce. She couldn''t break free no matter what she did. Chapter 780 Chapter 780 In the end, Natalie had no choice but to steel herself up and bite the guy. Shane grunted in pain a little before letting her go. Natalie backed away quickly. She red at Shane and growled, ¡°You...¡± ¡°You want me to trust youpletely, and I can do that,¡± said Shane to cut her words short. He was wiping his injured lip as he spoke. Natalie''s eyes bulged a little, but she was quick to regain her footing and refuted, ¡°No, you can''t.¡± ¡°Yes, I can,¡± insisted Shane with a sincere look on his face. Natalie''s heart stirred for a moment there, but she scoffed and reminded, ¡°Some things are easier said than done.¡± ¡°I know. That''s why I will work to prove my words. Just please, don''t divorce me, okay?¡± said Shane as he stared lovingly into her eyes. His tone carried an obvious hint that he was begging her. He''s begging me! I can''t believe that a man who is that proud will lower his stance to the extent that he is begging me to stay. Natalie couldn''t deny that she was touched for a moment there, but she clenched her fists tightly. The pain reminded her to keep a clear mind, and that stopped her from promising him anything. That being said, she didn''t reject himpletely either. She simply turned around and left. Shane didn''t stop her. He watched as she left. He knew that for her to not reject or ept him was the best result he could hope for at that moment. At least she won''t be in a hurry to get a divorce. All that''s left is for me to prove my words. Maybe someday I will touch her heart and that''ll convince her to stay. Everything will be alright, then. Natalie pursed her lips as she traveled. She didn''t know if she made the right choice by giving Shane a chance to make things right. Indeed, she actually gave him a chance. Shane had truly touched her with his persistence. Even though Natalie had not given up on divorcing him, her heart was swaying. That was why she gave him the silent treatment. It was her way of giving him a chance to make up for the pain he caused. If he proved that he could be better, Natalie thought that she could forgive him for the sake of the baby in her womb. However, if he failed to do so, then she will no longer be dissuaded from getting a divorce. His failure would prove that they were not right for each other. Shane Thompson, will you let me down this time? Or will you prove me wrong? Natalie frowned. She wasn''t confident in his sess. She left the building after her meeting concluded. She grabbed a quick bite before she went to the immigration office to register for a visa. She would be leaving the country to participate in thepetition on the following Wednesday. If she applied for the visa that day, she would get it before the following Wednesday. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Natalie got in her car and drove back to her office after she finished applying for the visa. The first thing she noted the moment she stepped into her office was that every employee was staring at her in excitement. The way they stared made her a little ufortable. She even thought that she might have some stain on her clothes, so she tilted her head down. However, she didn''t see anything. Natalie couldn''t contain her curiosity and asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Why is everyone staring at me?¡± ¡°You should head back to your office, Ms. Smith. There''s a surprise waiting for you,¡± teased an employee. ¡°A surprise?¡± blurted Natalie curiously. ¡°What surprise?¡± Perplexed, she walked to her office while everyone''s gaze followed her closely. Natalie opened the door to her office with everyone watching. The sight of the ce instantly stunned her. Red roses donned every inch of her office, making it almost impossible for her to walk. Her office was practically a sea of roses. Natalie covered her lips in astonishment. It took her some time to regain her senses and asked, ¡°What is going on here? Who sent these?¡± ¡°Who else could it be? Your husband sent them,¡± replied Joyce as she approached Natalie from the back. Natalie turned around and asked again, ¡°What? Shane sent these over?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Joyce while nodding. She put the file she was holding away, then dragged Natalie to the side before asking, ¡°Nat, what is up between you and Mr. Shane? Wasn''t he being all passive- aggressive to you just earlier? Why is he going all out to get you back now?¡± The guy sent so many flowers over and gave every employee a nice, little gift. He is obviously courting his wife and trying to get her back. Natalie''s lips twitched and replied, ¡°He''s acting this way because all misunderstandings have been cleared.¡± ¡°It''s cleared?¡± said Joyce as she blinked. After that, she cheered and said, ¡°That must mean that Yulia is cleared of suspicion! That is the only reason why Mr. Shane would court you again.¡± Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Natalie nodded and replied, ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Ooh, give me the details. What actually happened?¡± asked Joyce excitedly as she dragged Natalie into the office. Natalie didn''t know if she shouldugh or cry about it, but she told Joyce everything, anyway. After hearing everything, Joyce sighed sorrowfully. ¡°I see. Good thing you recovered your memories in a timely manner. If you hadn''t, the two of you would''ve ended up like Stanley and me.¡± Joyce had been investigating the past, and she truly wanted to tell Stanley that her parents were innocent. Unfortunately, her investigation bore no fruit. There were times when she really wanted to give her investigation up, but she persisted because she wanted to clear her parents'' good name. ¡°It''ll be fine. I believe that there wille a day when the truth is revealed,¡± said Natalie while patting Joyce''s shoulders to offer somefort. Joyce nodded with a smile. ¡°I hope you''re right.¡± She added, ¡°By the way, are you still getting a divorce?¡± Natalie leaned against the edge of her desk and replied, ¡°I don''t know. I was still adamant about getting a divorce this morning, but Shane begged me to stay, and I started swaying.¡± ¡°That''s what love is. You love him, and that is why you''re swaying. This proves that, deep down, you don''t really want a divorce, either,¡± said Joyce, whose words hit a bull''s eyes to what Natalie was feeling. Natalie didn''t deny it. She simply flipped her hair a little and said, ¡°Maybe. You saw the flowers in my office, didn''t you? Given Shane''s style, there is no way he''de up with something like this to ask for my forgiveness. Someone must''ve been whispering into his ears and giving him suggestions. Do you think I can keep resisting him and remain angry at him if he repeatedly does something like this?¡± ¡°Definitely not,¡± replied Joyce as she slumped her shoulders and added, ¡°Women are emotional beings. A few romantic acts here, a few touching gestures there, and poof! We''re right back in the arms of the guy we were mad at.¡± ¡°Oh, go to hell,¡±ined Natalie while rolling her eyes at Joyce. Joyce giggled and shared, ¡°Honestly though, I think that divorce is not something you have to go through anyway, so why not just give him the silent treatment for a few days? Don''t go beyond that because it might backfire, but I think he''ll learn his lesson in a few days.¡± ¡°I guess. Let''s just see how persistent and sorry he is for now,¡± replied Natalie, nodding. Joyce asked again, ¡°The only question is, what''s your n for the kids?¡± ¡°I''ll keep the baby a secret for now and tell him about it in the future,¡± answered Natalie as she caressed her tummy. Joyce shook her head and rified, ¡°I''m not talking about the one in your womb. That''s his flesh and blood, after all. I was referring to Connor and Sharon. Will Mr. Shane still ept them and treat them as his own?¡± Natalie fell silent. That question touched a nerve in her heart because she never even considered that. N?velDrama.Org content. She bit her lip a little as anxiety gnawed at her. She honestly didn''t know if Shane would take the kids back in. Even if Shane is okay with it, will Connor be able to ept it? Shane had been distant to the kids during that period, and both kids experienced it firsthand. It wasn''t possible that they weren''t affected at all. Joyce sighed when she noted how Natalie was lost in thoughts. ¡°I guess the biggest challenge for you and Mr. Shane is the kids,¡±mented Joyce. ¡°Yeah,¡± murmured Natalie bitterly. ¡°Perhaps I shouldn''t make my decision based only on how sincere he is in apologizing. I''ll have to see if he can still ept the kids as his own. If he can''t, then a divorce is still the best course of action. I will not abandon my children.¡± Truth was, Natalie wouldn''t me Shane even if he couldn''t ept the kids. They weren''t his children, after all, so it was normal for him to not want to have them around. As their mother, however, there was no way she would leave them. ¡°Maybe test the water for now? Earlier, he was angry at you and the kids because of Yulia. It''s not like he didn''t actually like the kids. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, I feel like he will ept the kids,¡± said Joyce before she picked up her cup and sipped some water. ¡°We''ll see,¡± replied Natalie before taking a deep breath and instructing, ¡°I should return to my office. Please send someone to move the flowers away. ce some around thepany to decorate the ce, and give out the rest so that we don''t waste them.¡± Chapter 782 Chapter 782 ¡°No problem,¡± said Joyce before she nodded and left to assign the task to someone. It didn''t take long before Natalie''s office was left with only a few bouquets. She spared them no nce and simply walked right to her desk. She found a letter there, and that got her to raise her brows. When she opened the letter, she saw a cheesy poem in there and deduced immediately that it was not Shane''s work. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I wonder who he asked to write this for him. Ugh, it''s so cheesy that I''m getting goosebumps all over. I bet he never even read it. If he had, this poem would never have made it to me. Natalie shook her head while grinning exasperatedly. She put the letter in her drawer after that and started working. Over the next few days, Shane came up with dozens of ideas to butter Natalie up and beg for forgiveness. His sincere and sweet gestures got even the onlookers to swoon. Joyce was convinced as well, and her advice to Natalie was that thetter should just forgive the guy. Natalie kept quiet, but she had softened her stance. At the very least, she didn''t kick Shane out of the apartment when he asked to stay over. She simply refused to share the same room with him. Shane was a little disappointed about that, but he didn''t push. He knew that being able to stay overnight was already a huge improvement. ¡°Mommy, tomorrow is Daddy''s birthday,¡± reminded a cute voice. Natalie was in her room at the time. She was trying to get in touch with a model to invite thetter to join her in participating in the design competition. The organizers changed the rules at thest minute and requested all participating designers to bring their own models along to showcase their outfits. In other words, the organizers would not be hiring the models. That was why Natalie was workingte into the night. Unfortunately, she simply couldn''t find someone suitable for the job. ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡± asked Natalie with her brows raised when she turned to her daughter, who was dashing over. She remembered that she never told the kids when Shane''s birthday was. ¡°Daddy told me,¡± answered Sharon while hugging Natalie''s leg. Shane hadn''t just been sweet to Natalie over the past couple of days. He was also trying to earn the kids'' forgiveness. Connor hadn''t reverted to calling Shane ¡°Daddy,¡± but Sharon switched sides on the very first day. Natalie was a little speechless about how quickly Sharon changed, but she was d because it showed that Joyce was right. Shane epts the kids and loves them. That conclusion got her to sigh a breath of relief. ¡°Daddy told you that?¡± repeated Natalie as her lips twitched. What is he trying to do? Who on Earth would tell others when their birthdays are? Is he hinting that he wants a present? ¡°Yeah,¡± answered Sharon as she nodded her tiny head. Natalie massaged her temples. She honestly didn''t know if she shouldugh aloud, but she asked, ¡°What present do you want to get him?¡± Sharon was sucking her thumb when she said, ¡°I don''t know. I don''t have the money to buy him anything.¡± Natalie chuckled aloud and suggested, ¡°How about this? You can perform a dance routine for his birthday.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Sharon, nodding as a gleam shed across her eyes. She asked, ¡°How about you, Mommy? What would you like to give Daddy?¡± ¡°I don''t know yet,¡± replied Natalie as she looked at her daughter and added, ¡°Maybe you can help me come up with something?¡± At first, her gift for Shane was to tell him that he was the kids'' biological father, but as it turned out... Natalie smiled bitterly and shook her head. She stopped thinking about it. ¡°Mommy, I know what you can get for Daddy. He''ll love it,¡± whispered Sharon mysteriously. Natalie raised her brows and got curious. ¡°Really? Then can you tell me what it is?¡± ¡°Crouch down, Mommy,¡± said Sharon while waving her tiny hand. Natalie crouched down while smiling. ¡°Alright, no one can overhear us now.¡± Sharon tiptoed and whispered into Natalie''s ears, ¡°Here''s a secret, Mommy. Daddy loves you the most, and he said that he wished that you''d give him forgiveness. Although... What does forgiveness mean, Mommy?¡± Natalie didn''t answer her daughter''s question. She was simply rendered speechless when she heard her daughter ratting Shane out. Natalie took a deep breath and forced a smile onto her face before asking for confirmation. ¡°Darling, did your daddy tell you to get me to give him forgiveness for his birthday?¡± The girl nodded obediently. ¡°Yep, Daddy said so himself.¡± She didn''t know that she had already ratted Shane out. Chapter 783 Chapter 783 Natalie shook her head. She found it both hrious and infuriating. She honestly never expected Shane to be so shameless that he tried to get the kids to convince her to change her mind. Still, Natalie saw how hard Shane had been workingtely, and Sharon had already forgiven the guy. Connor hadn''t said anything, but it looks like he''s okay with forgiving Shane too... Well, I guess I''ll forgive him tomorrow, then. He was a victim and was conned, after all. I might have acted the way he did if our roles were reversed. He ignored me for a couple of days, and I ignored him for a couple of days. I guess we''re even now. Natalie made her decision and stroked her daughter''s head before informing, ¡°Okay, go tell your daddy that I will give him the present he wants on his birthday.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Sharon before she turned around and left the room. ¡°How did it go? Did you tell your Mommy?¡± asked Shane. He was in the living room when he saw Sharon exiting the room. His tone was nervous when he picked the kid up and hugged her. Sharon murmured an affirmative reply before she added, ¡°I did.¡± ¡°And what did she say?¡± asked Shane as he stared at the child. He had always been calm, but a hint of anxiety had shown up in his eyes at that moment. The little girl replied sweetly, ¡°Mommy said she''ll give you the gift you like tomorrow.¡± ¡°Did she really say so?¡± asked Shane. His eyes glowed with glee. Sharon nodded firmly and answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane smiled. His heart finally started beating with love again. N?velDrama.Org content. He knew that meant that Natalie had already forgiven him. ¡°Daddy, what about what you promised me?¡± asked Sharon while having her tiny hand out. Shane was still immersed in bliss when she tossed him that question and disrupted his train of thoughts. Daddy promised that he would get me the toy I like if I deliver the message to Mommy. Now that I''ve done my part, it''s time he gives me the toy. Shane chuckled at the little girl''s cute expression. He bent down and picked up two bags from the side before handing them over. He informed, ¡°The pink one is yours, and the blue one is for your brother. Bring it to him.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Sharon. Her eyes were glowing when she epted the toys and headed over to her room. She went to deliver the toy to her brother, who was practicing and learning a foreignnguage at the time. It didn''t take long before Shane became the only person in the living room. He stood up and walked over to Natalie''s room. Sharon didn''t close the door properly when she left, so all Shane had to do was push it a little to open the door. Natalie was sitting behind her desk and had her cell phone to her ear. She was talking over the phone. Shane had no idea what the other party told Natalie, but she seemed upset about something. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± asked Shane softly. Natalie tilted her head up and looked at him before answering, ¡°I''m contacting models and trying to hire them, but they rejected my offer.¡± There were only a handful of famous models in the country, and their styles and vibes were all different. Some of them simply couldn''tpete against foreign models. The local models wereparatively shorter because that was how the gic make-up of everyone in the country was. That made it difficult for Natalie to find someone suitable for the job. She had contacted a few somewhat famous models in the country. Those models were pretty good at their jobs, but they were all booked for the time being. As for amateur models... Natalie never really considered them. The most concerning bit was that the younger models had little experience in walking down the runway, so asking them to put on an international show was risky. Natalie worried that the models would get too nervous and make a mistake. That would make the outfit seem less morous. ¡°You don''t need to worry about that. Thompson Group has tons of models, and I can have Ss send their information to you. Pick someone you like, and I''ll have Ss get in contact with them. If they''re busy, I''llpensate for any breach of contract,¡± said Shane. Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°I think it''s best if we don''t do that. Some jobs are a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity, and they might not get another opportunity like that if we make them bow out of it. Let me try hiring someone else. I still have two days, anyway.¡± ¡°Will nameless models do?¡± asked Shane all of a sudden. Natalie turned to him and blurted, ¡°Nameless models?¡± Shane nodded a little and said, ¡°I meant a new model. She was trained overseas and had just gotten back to the countryst month. She walked down a few runways for Thompson Group''s jewelry and outfits and did a great job every time. I n on making her an offer and have her sign on as the company''s exclusive model.¡± ¡°Really? Who is it?¡± asked Natalie curiously. Chapter 784 Chapter 784 Shane has always been picky about his employees, but he is praising this model so much. This just goes to prove how good she is. If that''s the case, then I won''t have to worry about her messing up during thepetition. ¡°You know her. Her name is Sally,¡± replied Shane. Natalie''s jaw dropped, ¡°Sally!¡± ¡°Yep,¡± said Shane before he nodded. Natalie pped her forehead and blurted, ¡°How could I have forgotten about her? She''s a natural, and she is the best partner for me!¡± ¡°Then I''ll ask her to drop by your office tomorrow,¡± said Shane as he gazed at her. Natalie replied, ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± ¡°We''re a married couple, it''s only natural that we should help each other. So you don''t need to thank me,¡± reminded Shane in his deep voice. N?velDrama.Org content. Natalie shed him a faint smile, but she didn''t respond to him. Shane''s cell phone suddenly rang at that moment. He fished it out and checked the screen to see that it was a call from Ss. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± asked Shane after picking the call up. Ss'' nervous voice came from the other side of the line. He reported, ¡°Mr. Shane, Sam and his family are spreading malicious rumors about you all over the inte. They im that you are a heartless man who is going after him, even though he is your uncle. He even got theizens to join forces and call you a monster. The minor shareholders of thepany are starting to sway, and they seem to think that they shouldn''t support you.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and scoffed. ¡°Looks like Sam is finally forced into a corner. Does he really think that he can hurt me just like that?¡± Natalie arched her brows. I guess he''s going to retaliate against Sam now. ¡°What do we do now, Mr. Shane?¡± asked Ss. Shane''s voice was frigid when he said, ¡°Didn''t Sam im that I am a heartless monster who is going after him? Hah! I will let everyone know who the real monster is. Share the evidence you have on Sam and show them proof of how he drugged me all those years ago.¡± A man who would drug his own nephew... That will probably shake everyone to their core. That way, everyone else would regard my cruelty toward Sam as justified, and Sam will be the one with the tarnished reputation in the end. ¡°Understood, but...¡± said Ss before he asked hesitantly, ¡°Should I also share his motive for drugging you?¡± ¡°Take a wild guess,¡± challenged Shane as a terrifying aura exuded from his body. Ss cleared his throat and replied, ¡°Understood, Mr. Shane. Don''t worry. I promise that information won''t be leaked. No one will know that you...¡± ¡°I am cured!¡± corrected Shane coldly. I just need to take a pill. Natalie stared suspiciously at him. Cured? Was he sick before? ¡°Right, yes, of course. You''re cured,¡± replied Ss while nodding nervously. Heter asked, ¡°What do we do about the minor shareholders within thepany, though?¡± Shane pursed his lips and answered, ¡°Ignore them. If they are that worried about following my lead, then buy the shares they hold at twice the market price.¡± He didn''t need shareholders who were weak and were not confident in him because those were people who would betray thepany as long as it benefitted them. ¡°Understood, I will do that right away,¡± replied Ss while nodding. After their conversation ended, Shane put his cell phone away. Natalie turned to him and asked, ¡°What did you do to Sam?¡± Just a few days ago, she had learned from Shane that the murderer who killed Shane''s parents was Sam. She was in shock for quite some time because she only guessed that the murderer was someone close to the Thompson family. That was the only reasonable exnation as to why David would protect that murderer. She never thought that the culprit would turn out to be David''s eldest son and Shane''s biological uncle. ¡°Nothing much. I simply crushed his punypany and make it so that it will be impossible for him to rise back up,¡± answered Shane nonchntly. Despite his tone, Natalie still gasped upon hearing it. Shemented, ¡°No wonder I heard Mr. Campbell saying something like him being cornered and is trying to drag your name through the mud.¡± ¡°He killed my parents, so naturally, I won''t let him off so easily,¡± growled Shane as he clutched his fist. His bloodshot eyes shone with immense hatred. Natalie felt terrible when she saw him like that. She said, ¡°I understand that you want to seek justice, but we haven''t found your grandpa''s will, so please don''t do anything rash.¡± Chapter 785 Chapter 785 Natalie worried that, in a fit of anger, Shane would kill Sam. Of course, Sam would have had iting, but Natalie didn''t want Shane tomit a crime because he would be imprisoned as well. That was why it would not be worth it to seek vengeance like that. She wished that Shane would remain calm and locate David''s will. If the will contained evidence of what happened all those years ago, then they could send Sam right to jail. Plus, Shane could always bribe the inmates in the jail to make Sam''s life a living hell if he thinks that jail time is not sufficient to punish Sam for his crimes. Truth was, she was okay with anything as long as Shane wouldn''t sacrifice himself in the process. Shane saw the worry in Natalie''s eyes and knew what she was thinking. He calmed down and promised, ¡°Don''t worry. I have you and the kids to think about, so I won''t do anything stupid.¡± A vengeance that costs one''s life is not vengeance at all. It''s just being stupid. True vengeance is making your enemy pay for their crimes and still have the freedom to enjoy the sight of your enemy''s suffering. Those thoughts were the reason why Shane wouldn''t kill Sam. Still, Shane wanted to go through the motion of crushing Sam''s life while seeking vengeance. ¡°I''m d to hear that,¡± said Natalie, who sighed a small breath of relief after hearing what he said. Shane hesitated for a few seconds, but he eventually garnered enough courage to step up and pull her into his arms. At first, he thought that she would push him away like she did in the past few days. But he was wrong. Although she didn''t hug him back, she didn''t push him away either, and that was good enough for him. Shane buried his head in Natalie''s neck and took a few deep breaths before he let her go. ¡°I have to go back to the office now. I''ll be backter tonight.¡± Natalie acted like she didn''t hear thatst sentence and waved at him. ¡°Go ahead. I won''t walk you out.¡± Shane chuckled before turning around and left. That night, Sam''s online attack on Shane got dismissed easily. The news Shane retaliated against Sam with, on the other hand, overwhelmed Sam immediately. Drugging one''s own nephew was something that anyone would truly despise. Hence, theizens changed their stance and went to reprimand Sam instead. They no longer regarded Shane as a heartless monster or leave any rudements. That was understandable. Sam was the one who threw the first punch, after all, so Shane was simply returning the favor. The true heartless monster was Sam all along. Shane smiled smugly when he saw the horriblements online. His lips curled into a cruel grin before he had Ss take a few men over to the Thompson residence. There, Ss and the others read the worstments aloud in front of Sam. Sam got so infuriated that he fainted and had to be sent to the hospital. The news of Sam getting a stroke was shared across the inte on the following day. Natalie grinned and shook her head after reading the articles. She dissed, ¡°Serves him right!¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Sally is here to see you, Nat,¡± reported Joyce, who opened the door to Natalie''s office just as thetter put her cell phone away. Natalie grinned and replied, ¡°Got it. Please lead her in.¡± Joyce murmured a reply before waving at someone behind her. Sally popped her head in and greeted, ¡°Hey, Nat! I knew it. You were the one who called me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± blurted Natalie as she stood up and circled around her desk to go to Sally. Sally took her sunsses off and replied, ¡°Mr. Campbell called me yesterday and asked me to model for madam. I am the model who is about to sign a contract with Thompson Group, and Mr. Campbell''s boss is Mr. Shane. Both of our bosses are the same, so naturally, the ''madam'' he was referring to had to be you.¡± Natalie grinned and nodded, ¡°Yes, I called you over. Come take a seat.¡± Natalie gestured for Sally to sit before turning to Joyce and requesting, ¡°Please serve our guest some drinks. in water will do. She''s a model and can''t have anything else.¡± Sally protested in annoyance, ¡°Oh, c''mon, Nat! Why are you copying my manager''s style? That idiot won''t let me drink anything else, either.¡± ¡°We''re being responsible and helping you maintain your figure,¡± refuted Natalie with a smile. Sally harrumphed and stopped talking. Still, she couldn''t stay annoyed for long. She was excited when she said, ¡°You are so awesome, Nat. I can''t believe you''re participating in such a grandpetition. I heard that it is one of the most prestigious designpetitions in the world, and many models dreamed of walking down that runway. Ah! I can''t believe it. I actually get to do that!¡± Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Sally danced in excitement as she spoke. Walking the runway for thepetition would be the biggest achievement of her career thus far. Even famous models might not be invited for something that grand, so she was delighted that an unknown model like her had the opportunity to do so. She could already imagine the jobs and resources she would get if she aplished that assignment well. It is just a matter of time before I be an international model! Thinking that got Sally to stare at Natalie like thetter was holding the key that would open the door to her sess. Goosebumps rose all over Natalie when she saw Sally staring like that. The former couldn''t help inching away and asking, ¡°Sal, are you okay?¡± Sally cleared her throat. She was embarrassed because she knew that she was acting inappropriately, so she quickly readjusted herself and said, ¡°I''m fine.¡± Natalie''s smile returned. She handed Sally a document and exined, ¡°This document contains all the information about thepetition''s rules and the sequence that the models would present the clothes. Study them carefully. We''ll leave the country tomorrow afternoon to attend the opening ceremony.¡± At first, thepetition''s opening ceremony was supposed to be held after Jacqueline''s recovery banquet. Unfortunately, an earthquake attacked the original site of thepetition, so the organizers preponed thepetition by six months. That forced every designer to rush a little, but that was good news for Natalie because it allowed her to bow out of attending Jacqueline''s recovery banquet. ¡°Okay, I will read up about itter,¡± replied Sally as she put the folder away carefully. However, she frowned soon after, as if she had just recalled something. Natalie asked curiously, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°It''s Hannah. I think she got invited to be a model for thepetition as well. She even called me yesterday just to brag about it.¡± Natalie seemed curious when she blurted, ¡°Hannah? What credentials does she have? Who would invite her to do so?¡± It wasn''t that Natalie looked down on Hannah''s beauty. Truth was, Hannah had a sexy figure, but she definitely didn''t have the graceful aura to pull off something that grand. If anyone was to force a sophisticated design on Hannah, the outfit will surely look like a piece of cheap clothing. Which designer is stupid enough to invite Hannah to be the model? Seriously, a designer with a sense of beauty like that... Is that even a designer? Won''t they worry that Hannah would ruin their reputation as a designer? ¡°I don''t know who the designer is, but I think her surname is Skye,¡± replied Sally after thinking about it. ¡°You mean Jessie Skye?¡± blurted Natalie as the image of the said woman shed across her mind. ¡°Yes, that''s her! The designer is Jessie Skye,¡± said Sally before she nodded. Natalie frowned. So it really is Jessie. Natalie had only met Jessie once during the interview with Century. The former sensed something bad from thetter, and it was weird, but Natalie couldn''t tell what was off about Jessie. ¡°Nat, what''s on your mind?¡± asked Sally while waving her hand. Natalie came back to her senses and shook her head before saying, ¡°It''s nothing.¡± ¡°If so, then let''s go out and have a meal together. It''s almost lunchtime, anyway,¡± suggested Sally after she checked her watch. Natalie nodded in agreement. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After lunch, Sally went home with the document about thepetition. Natalie decided to clock off earlier as well. She wanted to go home and prepare to celebrate Shane''s birthday with him. Mrs. Wilson was delighted to see Natalie back. The former greeted, ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°Mrs. Wilson,¡± greeted Natalie while setting down the cake and presents she got for Shane. Mrs. Wilson followed Natalie around and asked, ¡°When will you move back in, madam?¡± Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°Probably tomorrow.¡± She had already decided to forgive Shane that night, so there was no point in throwing a tantrum or living somewhere else anymore. ¡°I am so d to hear that,¡± said Mrs. Wilson. She pped her hands gleefully. She knew that the two of them would eventually get back together once the misunderstanding was cleared. Naturally, seeing the two youngsters'' rtionship turning for the better made Mrs. Wilson happy. ¡°I''ll go to the kitchen and prepare the dinner for everyone now, madam,¡± informed Mrs. Wilson. Natalie nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After Mrs. Wilson left, Natalie put the cake in the fridge and fished her cell phone out to call Shane. That was the first time Natalie called him since the fight began. Shane was so surprised that he jumped in delight when he got the call. ¡°Hello?¡± greeted Shane in a deep, mesmerizing voice. Natalie cleared her throat a little and said, ¡°Happy birthday.¡± Shane was taken aback for a moment. Heter grinned and murmured a reply. Natalie paused for a few seconds before she asked, ¡°When will you be home tonight? Mrs. Wilson is making dinner and will be waiting for you toe home.¡± Chapter 787 Chapter 787 ¡°And you? Will you be waiting for me as well?¡± asked Shane, who never answered her question. Natalie blushed and tilted her head down. She lied, ¡°Nope, I won''t be waiting for you. I don''t care if you come home or not.¡± She hung up immediately after. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Shane stared at his phone. The screen had reverted to the home page by then. He chuckled and put his cell phone away before calling Ss in. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± greeted Ss as he stood in front of the desk. Shane handed a stack of documents over and instructed, ¡°I need you to deal with these issues. I will be heading home earlier today.¡± Ss'' lips parted when he replied, ¡°Understood.¡± Huh, this is the first time Mr. Shane takes a step back and assigns me these tasks. Back then, he would act as if he didn''t know if it was his birthday or a public holiday. I knew it. It''s different after one gets married and has someone to celebrate the asion with. Ss shifted his gaze to the stack of documents he had with him. For the first time in his life, he wondered if he should get a girlfriend. On the other side, Natalie put her cell phone away after making that call. Jacqueline''s voice suddenly came from the second floor. ¡°Ms. Smith, are you here to celebrate Shane''s birthday with him?¡± Natalie frowned and tilted her head up. She looked right into Jacqueline''s eyes before pointing out, ¡°I am his wife. Who else would he celebrate his birthday with?¡± The light Jacqueline''s gaze turned a little dimmer, but she was quick to put her smile back on and said, ¡°I don''t mean it like that, Ms. Smith. It''s just that... Aren''t you nning on divorcing Shane? So why are you...¡± ¡°I don''t want a divorce anymore. I can change my mind, can''t I?¡± growled Natalie before she crossed her arms and red over. She then added, ¡°I get to decide whether or not I want a divorce. This has nothing to do with you, so why are you being such a busybody? Oh, I get it. You''re hoping that I''d get a divorce so you can rece me. Is that it?¡± Jacqueline acted like she was hurt. She bit her lip a little and said, ¡°Ms. Smith, how could you even think that? Isn''t that a little too harsh?¡± ¡°Is that really all in my head, though? Or is that what you were nning all along?¡± said Natalie as she pointed at Jacqueline''s heart and added, ¡°We''re the only ones here, so let''s not y this game, shall we? I know why you''re with Jackson. You got into a rtionship with him because you want Shane and I to lower our guards when you''re around, right? That way, you can hide in the dark and look for an opportunity to dump Jackson and rece me!¡± Jacqueline''s irises constricted. Her body instinctively trembled as she stared at Natalie in disbelief. S-She got everything right! Natalie knew she guessed right when she saw Jacqueline''s reaction. The former grinned menacingly and dissed, ¡°Don''t be an a*s if you don''t want others to treat you like one. You can lie and hide the truth as much as you want, but the truth will eventually be revealed. You want to rece me? Well, let me tell you something. That. Will. Never. Happen!¡± Natalie''s grin became even more infuriating when she added, ¡°You want Shane and me to get a divorce? Then I''ll make sure to do the exact opposite. I will remain married to him even if I die, and I will make it so that the thing you want is right in front of you, but will always be out of reach. I hope it sucks to see but never have what you want.¡± Natalie covered her lips and chuckled evilly. She suddenly felt like an evil b*tch for saying those words. That being said, Natalie knew that she couldn''t be as civil as she used to be when dealing with shameless and evil hags like Jacqueline. I must attack mercilessly. Jacqueline''s entire body trembled with anger, and her face became distorted when she heard Natalie''s words. The former never expected Natalie to change so drastically. It''s as if she turned into an entirely different person! Did her argument with Shane change her? Jacqueline narrowed her eyes as she considered the situation. She reminded, ¡°I won''t be so sure, Ms. Smith. Life is unpredictable. No one knows what will happen next.¡± So what if you refuse to get a divorce? He can always remarry after his wife dies. I will have my shot at being Mrs. Thompson. All I need is for the position to be vacant. Natalie could hear what Jacqueline was hinting at. The former''s red lips parted and challenged, ¡°Ms. Graham, what do you mean by that? Do you n on killing me?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes glowed slightly, but her smile remained bright when she replied, ¡°That''s a funny joke, Ms. Smith. Of course I wouldn''t dare to hurt you.¡± ¡°Is that so? But I think you definitely have the guts to do so. In fact, I suspect that you attempted it before,¡± said Natalie as she red over. Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Jacqueline''s heart skipped a beat. What is she saying? Does she know that I am the mastermind behind thest two attempts on her life? Or does she know about Shane''s parents... Jacqueline clenched her fists. She couldn''t stay calm anymore. It didn''t matter what Natalie had figured out. Either way is bad for me. Looks like I really have to get rid of her. If I don''t, my life will truly be over once she tells Shane everything. He will never forgive me. Hell, he might even take the entire Gunn family down. Jacqueline turned a little pale, but she forced a smile on her face and insisted, ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°That''s okay. You just need to know that I have made a mental note of everything single thing I just said,¡± replied Natalie before she got up and left. Jacqueline slumped down onto the floor after Natalie left. The former was sweating so much that her clothes were drenched and stuck to her skin. It got so cold that Jacqueline trembled. Naturally, Natalie had no idea how Jacqueline reacted after she left. The former went to the prison to meet up with Alice. She forgot to ask Alice before if thetter remembered what the mastermind sounded like and if her voice was simr to Jacqueline''s. I must confirm everything during this meeting. Natalie wanted to be certain about whether Jacqueline was the culprit who tried to murder her, and she wanted to do so as quickly as possible. Only then will Natalie be able to keep a closer eye on Jacqueline. ¡°Mrs. Thompson,¡± greeted Alice excitedly when she saw Natalie. Natalie scanned Alice as well. Compared to herst visit, Alice seemed a little plumper, and her eyes no longer shone with devastation. Instead, tiny glimmers of hope could be seen in her gaze. Maybe it''s because she now knows that she might get out someday. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, is my mom alright?¡± asked Alice as she gripped the receiver. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie nodded and replied, ¡°Don''t worry. Everyone is fine. Your mom sold thest set of jewelry to me and has settled the debt. She''s thinking about transferring your baby brother to another school so that he won''t be bullied anymore.¡± ¡°Really? That''s great,¡± said Alice as tears of appreciation rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°It''s nothing,¡± said Natalie, before she waved dismissively. After that, she put on a straight face and informed, ¡°I have a question for you, actually.¡± ¡°Ask away, Mrs. Thompson. I will tell you everything I know,¡± replied Alice as she wiped her tears away. Natalie hesitated for a second. She looked right into Alice''s eyes when she asked, ¡°Do you know Jacqueline Graham?¡± ¡°Jacqueline Graham?¡± blurted Alice. She was slightly stunned, but she asked, ¡°Are you referring to the heir of the Graham family which dered bankruptcy ten years ago?¡± ¡°Yes, that''s her.¡± Alice shook her head and replied, ¡°I don''t know her well, but we mingle with the same crowd, so we talked once in a while.¡± ¡°What kind of a person do you think she is?¡± asked Natalie. Alice thought for a while before answering, ¡°We were all just teens ten years ago, but I felt like she''s not someone who I can get along with. Or rather, she is not a good person. That is why my friends and I don''t like to hang out with her.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± asked Natalie as she narrowed her eyes a little. Not a good person... How bad does a person need to be to receive ament like that from rich heirs who are likely spoiled? Alice''s face shone with fear, and she acted as if she recalled something terrifying. She shared, ¡°It happened about eleven years ago. I was at a charity banquet and had too much juice, so I went to the washroom. When I walk past the garden, I saw Jacqueline torturing a cat with a vile look on her face.¡± ¡°What?¡± blurted Natalie, startled by the story. Alice trembled and continued, ¡°The cat''s screams were extremely pitiful, and it was bleeding all over. I was scared senseless at the time. I wasn''t brave enough to step up and rescue the cat. Besides, Jacqueline''s expression was terrifying, and I was worried that she would torture me the way she did the cat if she saw me there. In the end, I ran away as quickly as I can. After that...¡± ¡°What happened after that?¡± Alice took a deep breath to calm her nerves before she said, ¡°The cat died. Turned out, the cat belonged to the hostess, Mrs. Garcia, who loved it very much. Mrs. Garcia was devastated when she learned about the cat''s death and had her people investigate the matter.¡± Chapter 789 Chapter 789 ¡°Did they find anything then?¡± Natalie inquired. Alice smiled bitterly. ¡°Of course not. The Grahams framed Ms. Larson just to keep Mrs. Garcia from sniffing Jacqueline out. That''s why Ms. Larson and her whole family were kicked out of the banquet. I was a coward back then. I didn''t dare to tell what I saw. It wasn''t only untilter that I told Ms. Larson about it.¡± ¡°Is that why the Grahams went bankrupt?¡± Natalie surmised. Alice nodded. ¡°Yes. The Larsons joined forces with enemies of the Graham family, and the Grahams went bankrupt as a result. After that, the incident of Jacqueline torturing a cat spread like wildfire.¡± ¡°Wait, then why didn''t Shane know anything about it?¡± Natalie''s brows furrowed in confusion. If Shane knew about Jacqueline''s sick hobby of torturing animals, he would never have indulged her every step of the way. ¡°Mr. Shane was studying abroad at that time. He only came back to J City after Jacqueline went missing. By then, the Graham family had already crumbled, so naturally, no one mentioned all the things Jacqueline did. I''m not surprised that Mr. Shane didn''t know about it,¡± Alice exined. Natalie widened her eyes in realization. ¡°So that''s why.¡± ¡°Mrs. Thompson, why did you suddenly ask to see me to talk about Jacqueline? Hasn''t she gone missing? I even heard some people say she''s already dead.¡± Alice peered at Natalie curiously. Natalie''s lips curled into a mirthless smile. ¡°No, she''s not dead or missing. She''s just been in a vegetative state for ten years. No one knows about it because the news wasn''t made public, but she''s awake now. Anyway, I came to you because there''s something I need to ask you. Does the voice of the person who told you to take the me sound like Jacqueline''s?¡± Alice was momentarily stunned by the question, but then, she began to think back carefully. After a few seconds, her jaw fell wide open and she eximed, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, now that you mention it, I think it really was her. Even though I haven''t seen her or heard her voice in ten years, I can still remember what her voice sounded like. There was a slight difference in the voice of the person on the phonepared to Jacqueline''s, but the difference isn''t significant.¡± ¡°Alright, that''s more than enough for me to confirm that the real culprit who wanted me dead was Jacqueline,¡± clenching her fists, Natalie murmured in a cold voice. It all makes sense now. The one who reported Alice as the culprit was Mr. Gunn. He''s a retired high-ranking official. That''s why Shane and I never once doubted the investigation results he provided us. But we both overlooked a very important detail, and that''s the rtionship between Mr. Gunn and Jacqueline. Even though Shane already knew that Mr. Gunn was Jacqueline''s great-grandfather, at that time, he still thought Jacqueline was the same innocent and kind girl. That''s why he never entertained the possibility that she''d be the culprit, which was also why he never suspected Mr. Gunn of covering up for her. I never suspected it either, firstly because I didn''t know about Mr. Gunn and Jacqueline''s rtionship untilter on, and secondly because I didn''t know that Alice was actually innocent. So I never thought of the possibility that Mr. Gunn might have found someone to take the fall for Jacqueline. This conspiracy is much deeper that I''d initially thought. N?velDrama.Org content. Especially Mr. Gunn. As a retired official, he actually covered up for a criminal. How despicable. I can''t believe I even thanked him before. Not only that, I also spared Jacqueline after she pushed me down the stairs for his sake. ¡°Are you okay, Mrs. Thompson?¡± Alice asked with concern upon noticing the anger and sorrow lining Natalie''s features. Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°I''m fine. I just figured out a lot of things I couldn''t before.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Alice nodded but didn''t probe further. Taking a deep breath to suppress her anger, Natalie smiled slightly and said, ¡°Alright. Time''s almost up. I''ll bring your mother to visit you next time.¡± ¡°Alright. Take care, Mrs. Thompson,¡± Alice said gratefully. With that, Natalie put down the receiver and left. Chapter 790 Chapter 790 Upon leaving the prison, Natalie fished out her phone and saved the conversation she had with Alice. Then, she got into her car and drove to the kindergarten to pick the two children up. After picking them up, she dialed Shane''s number to ask what time he was getting off work. ncing at the documents in front of him which needed his urgent attention, Shane''s face grew as dark as ink. ¡°I think I''ll be backte tonight.¡± He had already passed a lot of his work to Ss so that he could leave earlier. Unfortunately, some urgent documents which had to be dealt with immediately were sent from abroad. Thus, he probably had to work overtime. Natalie chuckled upon hearing his grumpy voice. ¡°It''s okay. I''ll wait for you.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I''ll call you when I''m done.¡± Shane''s expression softened along with his tone. Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, she tucked her phone away and put the car into drive. In the CEO''s office at Thompson Group, Shane broke into a smile after staring at the photo of Natalie and the twins disyed on his phone screen for a while. Then he locked his phone and threw himself back into work. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Shane frowned slightly, evidently displeased by the interruption. In spite of that, he said in a clipped tone, ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened and Jacqueline walked in. ¡°Shane.¡± ¡°You''ll address me as Mr. Shane here,¡± Shane corrected icily. Previously, when she called him by his name and ced her stuff at the office, he had turned a blind eye to it and said nothing. But after Natalie established that she did not like it, he decided that it was best to y by the rules. Jacqueline''s smile froze on her face and she clenched her fists slightly. But very soon, she schooled her features and pretended as though nothing happened. Loosening her fists, she approached his desk with a smile. ¡°Alright, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°What brings you here? Didn''t you say you weren''t feeling well yesterday and wanted to have a day off today? Why did youe here out of the blue?¡± Shane put down his pen and inteced his fingers on hisp. Jacqueline fiddled with her wig and replied, ¡°I feel fine now. I was bored at home so I thought I might as welle in for work. This way, at least I can talk to my colleagues. But then I remembered today''s your birthday. Let''s go out for dinner tonight, Shane. We''ll invite Jackie and celebrate together. What do you think?¡± She gazed at him expectantly. However, Shane''s brows knitted into a frown. ¡°Only Jackson? What about Natalie?¡± I''m married but she''s asking me to go out and spend my birthday with friends? What''s she thinking? Jacqueline lowered her gaze and feigned pity. ¡°B-But aren''t the two of you in the middle of an argument? I thought you wouldn''t want to celebrate your birthday with her, so...¡± ¡°We''ve made up,¡± Shane replied curtly. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Although Natalie hadn''t yet officially forgiven him, he knew that she would after tonight. Acting as though shocked, Jacqueline pped a hand over her mouth. ¡°The two of you have made up? When?¡± When Shane did not reply, Jacqueline put her hand down. ¡°I''m sorry, Shane. I really didn''t know about that. But is this really a good thing?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane eyed her suspiciously. Jacqueline tugged on the hem of her blouse. ¡°Didn''t you and Ms. Smith stop speaking to each other because her mother caused the death of your parents? If you get back together with her, aren''t you afraid your parents won''t be able to rest in peace?¡± In fact, she already suspected Shane and Natalie had reconciled when she saw thetter at the vi that morning. She just wasn''t sure what happened between them or why they got back together all of a sudden. Knowing she wouldn''t be able to get anything out of Natalie, she came to see Shane at Thompson Group to fish for information. ¡°No.¡± Shane unsped his hands and picked up the pen again. ¡°Yulia wasn''t the one who hit my parents.¡± Chapter 791 Chapter 791 ¡°What? It wasn''t Ms. Smith''s mother?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes flickered, but she arranged her features to disy shock. ¡°D-Doesn''t that mean we misunderstood her? But the video...¡± Shane pursed his lips and rified in a grave tone, ¡°The person who recorded the video deliberately angled it to mislead those who watched it.¡± This shooting technique wasn''t umon in the entertainment industry. Paparazzi were especially skilled in this regard. Jacqueline gulped imperceptibly before replying, ¡°I see. Then who was the one who hit your parents?¡± ¡°Someone connected to Sam.¡± Shane articted each word. Jacqueline sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Your uncle? B-But why would he do something like that to your dad, his own brother?¡± Shane nced at her and said without emotion, ¡°Wealthy families don''t care about blood ties.¡± Jacqueline''s heart tightened in her chest. Because of what he said, her mind was transported back to the incident from ten years ago. Thank God he doesn''t know. For a second there, I thought he was implying something. Jacqueline forced a smile onto her lips and replied drily, ¡°Yeah. You''re right.¡± Shane massaged his nose bridge and stated, ¡°Anyway, I won''t be joining you and Jackson for dinner tonight. I already promised Natalie I''d celebrate with her.¡± ¡°Sure. You''re both husband and wife, after all. You should definitely spend your birthday with her. I won''t be going back to the vi tonight. Wouldn''t wanna disturb the two of you.¡± Jacqueline smiled tightly. Shane grunted in response. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Jacqueline shook her head and replied, ¡°No. I''ll leave you to your work then.¡± With that, she turned and left. After walking out of the CEO''s office, Jacqueline''s face instantly darkened. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I went through so much trouble to send that video to Shane so that he and Natalie would break up. I was so close to seeding. I never expected Shane to spot a problem in the video and discover the real culprit behind his parents'' deaths. Not to mention, he''s now back together with Natalie. I can''t believe it. I really can''t believe it. My n failed! I''ve liked Shane since I was a kid. I was willing to go to any lengths just to be with him and marry him. I even set up my own parents, but Natalie always seems to slip through my grasp! Why does this keep happening? Is God really so fond of Natalie? Jacqueline balled her fists tightly and her nails dug into her skin, but she did not seem to feel the pain. After making her way to an emergency stairwell, she took out her phone and dialed a secret number. The call connected very soon, and an impatient male voice drifted over the line. ¡°Didn''t I tell you not to call me for no reason?¡± ¡°Shane and Natalie are back together. Is this reason good enough for you?¡± Jacqueline snapped back in a mocking tone. The man was silent for two seconds before replying in a displeased tone, ¡°What did you say? They''re back together?¡± ¡°Yeah. Our n failed. I bet you''re disappointed, huh, Sean?¡± Jacqueline snickered. In a voice oozing with sarcasm, Sean rebuked, ¡°I bet you''re more disappointed than me, seeing as you failed to get Shane even after several attempts.¡± ¡°You...¡± Jacqueline''s features contorted with anger. But she rposed herself very quickly and broke into a gloating smile. ¡°You''re one to talk, Sean. Yes, I haven''t gotten Shane yet, but you''re not faring any better than me. Not only did you fail to get Natalie, but Shane has also found out that your father is the real culprit responsible for his parent''s deaths.¡± The video was a n both she and Sean came up with to break Shane and Natalie apart. Sean wanted Natalie to himself, while she wanted to be Mrs. Thompson. Thus, they struck a deal with each other to get what they wanted. Chapter 792 Chapter 792 Unexpectedly, things did not go as they had nned. Even worse, their entire n failed. Fortunately, Shane did not know that she and Sean were the ones behind this. ¡°Impossible!¡± Sean clenched his fists as a grim expression formed on his handsome face. ¡°Shane couldn''t possibly have found out that it was my dad.¡± Grandpa already destroyed all the evidence. How did Shane manage to find out? Jacqueline rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you mean ''impossible''? You underestimate Shane. I bet he''s figured out the matter regarding your grandfather''s will. Once he finds that will, your family will be done for.¡± Sean''s eyes gleamed with murderous intent upon hearing this, and his mouth curved into a wicked sneer. ¡°Oh? We''re done for? Then what about you? Do you think you''d be any better than us? Do you need me to remind you why Shane''s parents didn''t drive on that day and were walking on that road instead, Jacqueline?¡± Jacqueline''s mind went nk. Her face turned ghastly pale as her body trembled. Ayer of perspiration formed on her forehead, and the hand holding her phone shook. ¡°I-I don''t know what you''re talking about,¡± she said in a panicky voice. Sean sniggered. ¡°Drop the act. Shane''s parents'' deaths, as well as your own parents'' deaths, all have something to do with you. I admit that I''ve done some pretty bad things, but in terms of ruthlessness, I''m far more inferior to you, don''t you think? I mean, just imagine. Eighteen years ago, you were only about eight years old, and ten years ago, you were only about sixteen. Tsk, tsk, tsk.¡± Jacqueline''s legs gave out beneath her and she slumped to the ground. With lips that wobbled with fear, she whispered, ¡°W-What else do you know?¡± ¡°I know about everything that you''ve done. Even though you''ve always been very meticulous, at the end of the day, children will still be children, and they''ll leave traces no matter how careful they are. So everything you did can be found out very easily. Only that idiot, Shane, is blind to your true colors.¡± At this, Seanzily propped his chin on his hand and continued, ¡°But then again, Shane was groomed to take over the family since he was young, so other than work, he knows very little about the ways of the world. Not to mention, my grandfather and his parents have always protected him too closely, so he''s never been exposed to the ugly side of human nature. I''m not surprised he failed to see your true colors. That being said...¡± he trailed off meaningfully. ¡°What?¡± Jacqueline shrieked hysterically as fear clutched her heart. Sean smiled sinisterly. ¡°You just said Shane has found out that my dad was the one who ordered the hit on his parents, and that he''s looking for the will now. Do you think my grandfather didn''t include evidence of you tricking Shane''s parents to the roadside in his will?¡± David was a shrewd man who would have definitely gotten to the bottom of this. Hence, Sean was confident that his will would include evidence on Jacqueline. Just as he expected, Jacqueline nched in horror upon hearing what he said. ¡°H-How''s that possible?¡± ¡°Anyway, what I''m trying to say is, we''re both in this together. If you don''t want Shane to find out about all those things you did, you''d better listen to everything I say. Otherwise, I''ll just expose you and let Shane do whatever he wants to you,¡± Sean uttered coldly. Jacqueline was already intimidated by him, to begin with. Now that he was threatening her with something like that, of course she wouldn''t dare to disobey. Nodding her head profusely, she answered, ¡°Okay, I''ll listen to everything you say.¡± ¡°Good. Stay low for now. We don''t want to arouse Shane''s suspicion. Also, you''d better not try anything on Natalie. If something happens to her, you''ll have me to answer to.¡± With that, Sean ended the call. Fear lingered in Jacqueline''s heart as she put down her phone, but it was soon reced by jealousy and resentment. Natalie again! What''s so special about her? Why are they head over heels in love with her? I just don''t get it! Is it because of that pretty face of hers? This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. As Natalie''s impossibly beautiful face shed across Jacqueline''s mind, she couldn''t deny that Natalie was indeed the most beautiful woman she had ever seen before. Chapter 793 Chapter 793 If Natalie didn''t have that face, would it mean Shane would never have fallen for her? At the thought of this, Jacqueline''s heart raced and her eyes were full of madness. But soon, Sean''s warning echoed in her mind. Thus, she temporarily dismissed that idea. I''ll let her enjoy her life for a little longer. And then, I''ll take my time getting rid of her. Jacqueline''s lips curled into a sneer and she left the emergency stairwell. When night fell, Shane finally finished work and drove back to the vi. The vi was brightly lit. As soon as he walked in, the sound of the children''sughter reached his ears. Shane''s expression instantly softened. It had been quite some time since he heard themughing so happily. He felt guilty toward both Natalie and the children because of what happened during that period of time. At the same time, he was grateful that they did not me him for it. When he stepped into the living room, both children looked in his direction. Connor stoppedughing and politely called out, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Hearing this, Shane''s eyes dimmed slightly. Luckily, Sharon called him ¡°Daddy¡± right after that, giving him somefort. ¡°Where''s your mommy?¡± Shane asked. Sharon pointed upstairs and replied, ¡°Mommy is talking on the phone upstairs.¡± Shane nced at the stairs before making his way to the second floor. In the bedroom, Natalie was standing on the balcony, talking to someone on her phone. As soon as Shane opened the door, he was met with the sight of a woman in a red maxi dress. The dress was body-hugging and backless, disying all of her perfect curves. Shane''s eyes darkened with desire, and his throat went dry. He tugged on his necktie and deliberately lightened his footsteps as he approached her. Then, he reached out to hug her waist from behind, pulling her tight against his chest. The woman jolted in shock and let out a squeal, almost dropping her phone in the process. Thinking something had happened, Joyce asked anxiously on the other end of the line, ¡°What''s wrong, Nat?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at the man behind her and giggled into the phone. ¡°Nothing. It was just a mouse.¡± ¡°A mouse?¡± Joyce eximed in shock. Meanwhile, Shane''s face turned sullen. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Did she just call me a mouse? Feeling aggrieved, Shane slowly moved his hands up along her waist and squeezed her bosom. A noise of protest followed next. Joyce raised her brows again and queried, ¡°Was that the mouse again?¡± ¡°Yeah. I gotta go catch it now. Talk to you soon. Bye.¡± Natalie ended the call quickly and looked down to pry away his wandering hands. Then, she spun around to re at the culprit. ¡°What was that for?¡± Gazing at her intently, Shane replied, ¡°You called me a mouse.¡± He was merely getting back at her for saying that. Natalie pursed her lips in response. ¡°Well, you didn''t make a sound when you came in and just hugged me out of nowhere. You really gave me a scare.¡± ¡°You''re wearing too little. I hugged you because I was afraid you''d be cold,¡± caressing her smooth back, Shane said in a hoarse voice. Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°Do you really expect me to believe that?¡± He was clearly taking advantage of me. Ugh, I only just hinted that I''d forgive him tonight, but he shamelessly came onto me like that. Wasn''t he afraid I''d reject his touch? ¡°Believe what you want.¡± He shrugged, then asked with a cheeky glint in his eyes, ¡°By the way, did you dress up for me?¡± Natalie''s eyes flickered, but she denied, ¡°No. I just threw on a random outfit.¡± ¡°Random, huh?¡± A smile yed on Shane''s lips. ¡°You''ve never worn anything so sexy at home before, let alone applied makeup. And you''re saying it''s not for me?¡± Natalie looked away slightly abashedly. ¡°Since you already know, why did you even ask in the first ce?¡± ¡°I wanted to hear you say it.¡± Shane lifted her chin up. Natalie pushed his hand away and muttered, ¡°That''s enough now. Let''s go downstairs to have dinner first.¡± Chapter 794 Chapter 794 ¡°There''s no rush. We can go down a littleter.¡± Shane pulled her back into his arms and rested his forehead against hers. ¡°I missed you so much.¡± Natalie was momentarily stunned. ¡°Why are you saying this all of a sudden. I''m right in front of you, aren''t I?¡± ¡°No. I''m talking about what happened a while back. I''m sorry.¡± Shane retracted his arms and continued, ¡°I didn''t know how to face you because of my parents'' deaths, so I stayed away from you and treated you coldly. But you were always on my mind, and I missed you so, so much. You have no idea how much willpower it took to stop myself from looking for you...¡± This was the first time Natalie heard this man express his longing for her so frankly. Her heart clenched with pain as she recalled that period of time. Atst, she gently patted his back andforted in a tender voice, ¡°Forget it. It''s all in the past now. I just hope that you won''t do that to me again. If there''s anything on your mind, just tell me. Don''t keep secrets from me. Whatever it is, we''ll face it together, okay?¡± Shane kissed her forehead lightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie pushed him away and waved her phone in front of him with a smirk. ¡°You promised, and I recorded everything down. If you hide things from me, give me the cold shoulder, or doubt me again, I''ll really file for divorce. I won''t go soft ande back like I did this time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Without asking when she had started to record their conversation, Shane nodded seriously in response. Then, he added as an afterthought, ¡°Also, nothing happened between Jacqueline and me during that time. I only allowed her into the guest room and apartment because of the recovery banquet, but I''ll get her to leave very soon.¡± After speaking, he peered at Natalie with a trace of nervousness in his eyes, as though afraid she wouldn''t believe him. Natalie let out a short chuckle before reassuring, ¡°Alright. I believe you.¡± Shane instantly felt relieved. ¡°Does that mean you''ll forgive me?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I forgive you.¡± Natalie put down her phone. Shane was visibly emotional as he lifted her chin and sealed her lips with his. Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She initially thought that he would let her go after kissing for a while, then they would go downstairs for dinner. But she thought wrong because the man became more and more passionate. When Natalie felt the man''s hand move to the strap on the back of her neck, her eyes flew wide open and she pushed him away. ¡°Stop!¡± Shane wiped away the saliva on the corner of his mouth with an unhappy frown on his face. ¡°Why?¡± He had not touched her in a long time. An amused smile made its way onto Natalie''s lips upon seeing his pitiful expression. Then, she took his hand and under his quizzical gaze, ced it gently on her lower abdomen. Shane was startled. ¡°What does this mean?¡± Natalie smiled at him. ¡°This is the real present I want to give you tonight¡ªI''m pregnant.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Silence ensued. Shane''s eyes widened as he looked at his own hand in disbelief. There''s a child growing inside her belly. My child! Shane''s Adam''s apple bobbed. After a long time, he finally spoke in a shaky voice. ¡°Am I... going to be a father?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, you are. This time, it''s yours.¡± Shane''s mouth parted, as though to say something, but in the end, he merely pulled her into his embrace. As Natalie leaned in his arms, she asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Aren''t you happy?¡± ¡°Of course I''m happy. Thank you. This is the best present I''ve ever received.¡± Shane lowered his head to breathe in her scent. Natalie giggled softly. ¡°Really? I thought you weren''t happy.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Shane shook his head. ¡°Thank you. By the way, how far along are you?¡± Chapter 795 Chapter 795 He looked at her belly in question. ¡°A month plus,¡± answered Natalie. Realization dawned on Shane just then. It seemed like he had already recovered more than a month ago. ¡°Oh, by the way.¡± Thinking of something, Natalie abruptly raised her head to look at the man sternly. ¡°Previously on the phone, I heard Dr. Baker saying something about putting you on medication. And I also remember seeing some medicine on the bedside table before. What were they for? What if it ends up affecting the baby?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Grasping her meaning, Shane''s expression turned somber. ¡°They were for infertility. I''m not sure if it''ll affect the baby.¡± ¡°Infertility? Why were you taking drugs for that?¡± Natalie asked in surprise. Shane cleared his throat awkwardly. But his face turned icy the next second, and a trace of hatred appeared in his eyes. ¡°It was Sam. He knew he couldn''t steal Thompson Group from me, so he wanted to ensure I was unable to produce any heirs. This way, Thompson Group would eventually end up in his family''s hands.¡± Natalie gasped in shock. ¡°But he''s your uncle. How could he do something like that to you? First, he killed your parents. Then he did something so horrible to you, his own nephew.¡± At that moment, Natalie''s heart ached for him. It was close to a miracle that he managed to survive this far with Sam plotting against him at every turn. ¡°It''s fine. I''m alright now. I''m just worried about the baby...¡± Shane clenched his fists in anger. ¡°I''ll consult Jackson about this.¡± ¡°No, don''t. Let''s go to another hospital.¡± Natalie tugged on his arm. Shane''s brows furrowed at that. ¡°Why?¡± Don''t tell me she wants to go to the hospital where Stanley works at? Having no clue of the man''s train of thoughts, Natalie pursed her lips and said, ¡°Dr. Baker is Ms. Graham''s boyfriend. If we tell him I''m pregnant, Ms. Graham would end up knowing as well, and I don''t want her to know. I''m sure you''re aware that I don''t like her. I feel like she''s out to get me.¡± Shane''s mouth twitched, but before he could say anything, Natalie pressed her index finger against his lips. ¡°I know you probably think that I''m being paranoid, but listen to this, and you''ll know why.¡± With that, she fished out her phone and yed the recording of the conversation she had with Alice at the prison in the afternoon. There was apparent surprise written on Shane''s features after he finished listening to the recording. It took a while before he spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°You think Jacqueline was behind both attempts on your life, and that Mr. Gunn found out about it but covered up for her by getting Alice to take the fall.¡± ¡°That''s right, but I don''t think this is all Jacqueline has done.¡± Drawing a deep breath, Natalie continued with an expressionless face, ¡°Connor''s abduction and car ident, Stanley''s car ident, the fire at my warehouse, the fabric switch; this was all Jacqueline''s doing.¡± Shane kept silent, but his heart was in turmoil. Natalie studied his face and remarked, ¡°I know this is a lot to take in, and you might have doubts about it. Let''s first ignore whether Jacqueline was responsible for all the things I just mentioned, and just focus on the cat abuse incident Alice talked about. I think you can find out about it easily. Why don''t you look into this first, then decide whether or not to believe that Jacqueline is guilty of all those things?¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Shane closed his eyes and replied. If he was being honest with himself, the recording she provided had really given him the shock of his life. He knew that Jacqueline wasn''t as kind and innocent as he had once thought, but he never imagined she would be this evil. However, for Natalie''s sake, he felt he really needed to get to the bottom of this matter. Hence, this would be the first time he investigated the person he had always regarded as his own sister. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Natalie looked past the man''s shoulder at the door. ¡°It''s probably Mrs. Wilson calling us for dinner. Let''s go.¡± Shane grunted in response. Locking away the unease in his heart, he held her hand and walked toward the door. Upon opening the door, Mrs. Wilson immediately spotted their inteced fingers. Stifling her smile to hide her delight, she asked, ¡°Sir, madam, have you both reconciled?¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. Chapter 796 Chapter 796 Mrs. Wilson was so happy that the corners of her eyes crinkled into a smile. ¡°What amazing news! Come,e. Let''s go downstairs for dinner, then we can cut the cake after that. The children have been whining about eating cake.¡± ¡°Let''s go. We don''t want to keep the kids waiting now, do we?¡± With that, Shane led Natalie down the stairs. Mrs. Wilson prepared a scrumptious meal. The two children enjoyed the food and were satisfied by the end of their meal. After that, Natalie brought over the cake, lit the candles, and asked Mrs. Wilson to switch off the lights. The dining room was shrouded in darkness, with only the candle mes illuminating everyone''s faces. Under the prompting of Natalie and the two children, Shane made two birthday wishes, then asked Mrs. Wilson to cut the cake that the children had been so excited for. Natalie nced at the children who were leaning forward to look at Mrs. Wilson cutting into the cake before asking, ¡°What did you wish for, Darling?¡± Shane also gazed at them lovingly as he answered, ¡°It''s a secret.¡± Natalie pouted slightly in response. ¡°Fine. Don''t tell me.¡± Shane''s lips curved into a small smile. ¡°You''ll find out one day.¡± ¡°Sure. Then I''ll wait for that day toe.¡± Natalie replicated his smile. Shane epted the piece of cake handed to him by Mrs. Wilson and ced it in front of Natalie. ¡°You''re traveling overseas tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I''m taking the afternoon flight, so you''ll have to take care of the two kids.¡± Natalie''s eyes filled with reluctance. She really did not want to leave her children. But for her dream and career, she had to. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll bring them over there to visit you during the weekends.¡± Shane squeezed her hand gently. Natalieughed in response. ¡°There''s no need for that. Won''t it be tiring to go back and forth every week? Juste visit once a month will do, but...¡± ¡°But what?¡± Shane tilted his head slightly. Natalie''s face fell. ¡°I hope you''ll tell Dr. Baker to renovate the house quickly and have Ms. Graham move in. I don''t feelfortable leaving the two children with her.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane nodded in agreement. Natalie leaned across the space to nt a chaste kiss on his cheek. ¡°Thank you, Darling.¡± Shane was obviously dissatisfied with merely a kiss on the cheek because he tapped on his mouth for another one. Natalie felt amused upon seeing that. ¡°Stop it. The kids are here. Here, eat some cake.¡± With that, she forked up some cake and fed it to him. Although Shane wasn''t a fan of sweet things, since she was personally feeding it to him, he opened his mouth and ate it anyway. Then, he raised his hand, indicating that one bite was enough. ¡°That''s enough for me. Have some yourself.¡± Knowing that he did not like dessert, Natalie did not insist and began eating her own piece of cake. Shane brought a cup of coffee to his lips, sipping on it while watching her eat. Even though this birthday was simple and not as grand as when his parents and grandfather were around, he felt especially warm with his wife and children by his side. That night, he did not dare to touch Natalie because she was pregnant. Thus, he merely hugged her to sleep. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But even then, he was too afraid to move. He did not even dare to turn in bed for fear of crushing her belly. As a result, one side of his body was numb when he woke up the next morning. Natalieughed in amusement and gave him a massage. After quite some time, his difort was finally alleviated. ¡°I''ll see you off at the airportter in the afternoon,¡± Shane said to Natalie when he dropped her off at the office. After Natalie nodded in assent, Shane put the car into drive. Natalie watched his car drive away before turning to head into thepany building. Time flew by, and afternoon arrived sooner than expected. Joyce came to fetch Natalie and Sally to the airport on time. When they arrived at the airport, the others from the Design Association were already there. As Natalie was representing the country in thepetition, the Design Association naturally came to offer their support. Natalie spoke to Mr. Horner for a while before thetter had to leave. After all, being the branch president of the Design Association kept him busy more often than not. ¡°Nat, isn''t Mr. Shane here yet?¡± Joyce asked while looking around the waiting hall. Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Sally said while ying with her phone, ¡°Rx. Mr. Shane is probably on his way here.¡± ¡°I''m just worried he''d bete and Nat won''t even get to see him for thest time,¡± Joyce snapped back. Sally almost choked when she heard that. ¡°For thest time? Are you cursing Mr. Shane or Nat?¡± Only then did Joyce realize her mistake. Smacking her forehead, she bemoaned, ¡°What''s wrong with me? Sorry, Nat. D*mn my mouth!¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± Natalie shook her head with a chuckle. ¡°Let''s just wait. Sal is right. He''s probably on the way here.¡± Joyce shrugged and stopped talking after that. Suddenly, an annoying high-pitched voice reached their ears. ¡°Why, if it isn''t Sally and Natalie? Fancy meeting you both here. Where are you heading off to?¡± Hannah sashayed over in a pair of shades and high heels. Natalie frowned slightly, but decided to ignore her. Sally, on the other hand, got to her feet and countered, ¡°What does where we''re going have to do with you?¡± ¡°I was just curious, but based on your standards, I doubt you''re going anywhere impressive. I, on the other hand, am participating in a nationalpetition. It''s one of the top events in the fashion design industry. I bet you''re jealous, huh?¡± Hannah stifled a smug smile behind her hand. Then, she pped her hand, as though recalling something. ¡°Oh, look at my terrible memory. I almost forgot that you''re only a nameless designer, while you''re a trashy model.¡± She pointed at Natalie, then at Sally. ¡°So both of you have probably never heard about thispetition. I bet you have no idea what I was talking about.¡± The corners of Natalie, Joyce, and Sally''s mouths twitched upon hearing that. Especially Joyce and Sally, who were looking at Hannah like she was the world''s dumbest wretch. ¡°This woman is a model from your batch, right? Is she cuckoo or something?¡± Joyce made a circr motion beside her head. Sally nodded. ¡°Yeah, there''s no doubt about that. Otherwise, she wouldn''t say something so stupid.¡± ¡°Poor thing.¡± Joyce sighed, then shot Hannah a contemptuous nce. ¡°You should pay the doctor a visit if you have a condition instead of embarrassing yourself outside.¡± Although Natalie remained silent, a chuckle escaped her lips. Herugh only served to make Hannah feel insulted. Thetter took off her shades and revealed a face that was contorted with anger. ¡°How dare you call me crazy?¡± ¡°Aren''t you, though?¡± Joyce shrugged. ¡°You don''t even know where we''re going but you went ahead to make idiotic assumptions. What are you if not crazy?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°I know, right?¡± Sally sneered. ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble, Hannah, but not only do we know what competition you''re talking about, but we''re also participating in it. Like you, I was also invited to be their model. And Nat is the designer representing our country.¡± Sally draped an arm over Natalie''s shoulder and smiled tauntingly at Hannah. Hannah backed away two steps and shrieked with a look of disbelief on her face, ¡°That''s impossible! H- How could you guys be participating in thepetition?¡± She pointed at Natalie and Sally. Narrowing her eyes, Sally pped her hand away. ¡°Why is it impossible? Please, enlighten me. Are you saying only you''re allowed to go but we''re not?¡± Hannah''s chest heaved violently. ¡°Natalie isn''t even famous. How can she be representing the country in thispetition? And you. You only walked for a few unpopr shows before. Why would they invite you?¡± ¡°Because of my good character. Besides, you yourself said I walked for a few unpopr shows, but what about you? You haven''t even walked for a formal show since your training ended. You''re even worse off than me. Even so, you were invited to thepetition. I didn''t even question you about that. Yet, you have the audacity to question me.¡± Sally rolled her eyes and continued, ¡°Also, who said Nat isn''t famous? She''s the chief designer of Project Rebirth and Radiance, and also won the championship in a renowned fashionpetition. You didn''t even get your facts straight first before spouting nonsense in front of us. Weren''t you afraid you''d turn into aughing stock?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Joyce nodded in agreement. Natalie tucked her hair behind her ear but remained otherwise silent. Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Hannah stared at Natalie with a pale face. ¡°You''re the designer for Project Rebirth?¡± She knew about Project Rebirth and had also seen it before. Not only that, but she was also deeply awed by it. Never did she expect that Natalie was the designer of all those clothes. Hannah was rendered inarticte as fury and shame coursed through her. How she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole right then. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She felt downright humiliated. ¡°Well, why didn''t you just say so? You did it on purpose, didn''t you? You wanted to humiliate me!¡± Hannah pointed at Natalie and yelled. Natalie raised a brow at her, looking at her like she was a freak. Meanwhile, Joyce let out a sardonicugh. ¡°Are you f*cking nuts? I''m truly amazed by your ability to bend the truth. You were obviously the one who didn''t get your facts straight, but now you''re using Nat of not telling you? Who do you think you are? Why would Nat waste her energy on humiliating you?¡± ¡°Yeah! It''s Nat''s choice whether or not she wants to reveal her personal information. How dare you turn around and use her? I''ve never seen anyone as shameless as you, Hannah.¡± Sally echoed Joyce''s sentiment. ¡°Y-You...¡± Unable to win the argument, Hannah stomped her foot in anger. Just then, a woman scurried over with her bag slung over her shoulder. ¡°Hannah, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Ms. Syke, thank God you''re here. They''re all ganging up on me.¡± As though she had seen her savior, Hannah immediatelyined to Jessie. Natalie and the other two girls rolled their eyes in unison. They had truly underestimated Hannah''s capability of being shameless. She was clearly the one who came looking for trouble first. Upon hearing that her model was being bullied, Jessie''s face darkened and she strutted over to Natalie. With a smile that did not reach her eyes, she uttered, ¡°Ms. Smith, we meet again.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie replied in a simrly t voice. Jessie narrowed her eyes and said icily, ¡°Although we''re from the same country, we''re currently representing different countries. I don''t think it''s appropriate to bully someone from a foreign country''s team.¡± ¡°I bullied someone from your team?¡± Natalie pointed at her own nose, utterly bemused. Even Joyce and Sally huffed withughter. Unease crept into Jessie''s heart when she saw the amused looks on their faces. ¡°What? Did I say something wrong? Did you not bully my model?¡± Natalie wiped the tears ofughter from her eyes and answered, ¡°Ms. Syke, before you use me of bullying her, I suggest you find out who started it first. You''re just making yourself look stupid like this.¡± ¡°Yeah. Your model was obviously the one who came to us looking for trouble. Since when did we bully her? We were merely defending ourselves.¡± Sally pursed her lips in discontent. Joyce nodded as well. ¡°It''s true, Ms. Syke. Although I admire you for standing up for your team member, you''re only embarrassing yourself right now.¡± ¡°Exactly. You jumped to conclusions before getting to the bottom of things,¡± Sally chimed in. Jessie''s expression soured when she heard what the two of them said. She whipped her head to the side and shot Hannah a withering look. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me that you were the one who came over here? Now look what you did. I made a fool out of myself by standing up for you.¡± Hannah bowed her head guiltily but couldn''t formte aeback. Jessie was so furious she felt like hitting someone. However, she took a deep breath to calm herself, then turned back to face Natalie. Forcing a smile onto her lips, she apologized, ¡°My apologies, Ms. Smith. We''re the ones at fault this time. I''m truly sorry.¡± ¡°It''s fine. But I hope you''ll keep an eye on your model from now on. Make sure she doesn''t bother us. After all, we''re from different teams. I''m sure you know the consequences if people start gossiping, right?¡± Natalie met her gaze with a smile of her own. The smile on Jessie''s face looked even more strained just then, but she nodded calmly. ¡°You''re right, Ms. Smith. I''ll be sure to keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°I''m happy to hear that,¡± Natalie replied ndly. Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Just then, Ss''s voice rang out, ¡°Madam.¡± The women shifted their gazes to see Shane and Ss walking toward them. Sally let go of Natalie''s shoulder and smiled impishly. ¡°Nat, Mr. Shane is here.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°I see that, thanks.¡± Stifling a smile, Sally and Joyce retreated a few steps, allowing the couple some privacy. Jessie and Hannah, on the other hand, did not intend to move their feet. Both their gazes fell on Shane. Hannah''s eyes shone with unfiltered greed when she looked at the man, whereas Jessie''s eyes were filled with admiration. Underneath the admiration was a less perceptible longing that had quickly disappeared from her eyes. ¡°There''s was a bit of traffic on the way. Sorry to have kept you waiting,¡± uttered Shane. Natalie shook her head. ¡°That''s alright. You''re here now.¡± The man pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°I''ll watch thepetition. Take good care while you''re over there and give me a call if anything happens.¡± ¡°Stop worrying. I''m no longer a child,¡± Natalie said with a smile. Shane kissed her forehead. ¡°I''ll video call you every night. Be sure to miss me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Her grin broadened at that. ¡°Don''t you want me to miss you too?¡± The man looked intently at her. Cracking up at his response, she replied, ¡°Sure. You''ve got to miss me, too.¡± Shane nodded in satisfaction at her answer. ¡°I will.¡± In the meantime, Joyce and Sally were busy chattering away on the side. ¡°I envy them. They''re so in love.¡± Joyce rolled her eyes. ¡°That''s because you didn''t witness what happened before this when they were almost broken up.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Sally gasped. Joyce merely shook her head, not bothering to answer. On the other side, both Jessie and Hannah were disgruntled. As though trying to suppress an emotion, Jessie''s hands slowly balled up into fists as she watched the affectionate exchanges between the couple. Hannah''s expression was more unambiguous ¡ª her eyes were filled with pure jealousy. She resented the fact that Natalie had someone as remarkable as Shane by her side. I can tell this manes from an extraordinary background. In which case, all I need to do is to snatch him from Natalie. That ought to teach her a lesson. Men are all the same. Sooner orter, they all fall prey to my seduction. With a new wave of confidence, Hannah smoothed her hair and strode confidently toward Shane with a broad grin on her face. Sally raised her brows. ¡°What''s she doing?¡± The corner of Joyce''s lips curled up into a smirk. ¡°Isn''t it obvious? Wait and see. You''re gonna enjoy the show.¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson.¡± Hannah shot Natalie a look before turning to Shane. ¡°Hi, my name is Hannah. I was Nat''s ssmate and roommate back in J University. Do you remember me?¡± the woman asked shyly. Shane furrowed his brows and kept silent. By this point, Natalie, too, had realized what was going on. She decided to watch Hannah put on a show. The only exception to the group of spectators was Jessie, whose body was trembling with rage. That idiot is trying to seduce Shane? Hannah took Shane''s silence to mean that he had forgotten about her. Feeling disappointed, she pouted her lips and gave him the puppy-dog eyes. Unfortunately, her facial expression shed loudly with the thick make-up she wore, resulting in her looking more like a clown at that moment. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Hannah, however, was convinced that her look would elicit the desired effect as she continued to pester, ¡°Mr. Thompson, you really have forgotten. We have met before when¡ª¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Annoyed, Shane cut her off mid-sentence. Hannah''s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Thompson, you¡ª¡± ¡°Didn''t you hear what I''ve just said?¡± Shane uttered the words so coldly it was enough to send chills down one''s spine. Chapter 800 Chapter 800 Blood drained from Hannah''s face as her eyes filled with terror. Jessie pulled the woman aside in a hurry and said to Shane, ¡°I''m so sorry, Mr. Shane. I apologize on her behalf.¡± The manpletely ignored Jessie''s words, acting as though it was air passing through. He then turned to Natalie and spoke softly, ¡°I have a meetingter, so I''ll be heading off now. Text me before you board.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. The next thing she knew, Shane lifted her chin and kissed her on the mouth. Her face turned crimson instantly. It did not help that Joyce and Sally were whistling and cheering on the side. Jessie and Hannah, on the other hand, were watching them with downcast eyes. ¡°What are you doing? People are staring.¡± Natalie snapped back to reality and pushed him away. Wiping the corner of his mouth with a thumb, Shane threw an intimidating nce toward Joyce and Sally, who quickly waved their hands. ¡°No, no. We didn''t see anything.¡± Feeling satisfied, the man shifted his gaze back to Natalie. ¡°They didn''t see anything.¡± She let out a chuckle. ¡°Alright, alright. Just go before you''rete for the meeting.¡± ¡°Okay. Remember to give me a call when you arrive,¡± Shane reminded before he left. Ss nodded politely at the few women and followed suit. When the two men were out of sight, Sally crossed her arms and remarked casually, ¡°I can''t help but notice someone try to openly seduce another woman''s husband. I suppose some people have no shame.¡± She red at Hannah in disdain. ¡°But wasn''t it liberating to see her getting shot down and publicly humiliated?¡± Joyce chimed in, and both of them roared withughter. Butthurt, Hannah stomped her feet and cried, ¡°Stopughing! Who are you talking about?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I refer to whoever is taking this personally,¡± Sallymented coldly. ¡°You...¡± ¡°Shut it!¡± Jessie barked. ¡°Are you not humiliated enough? Stop making a fool of yourself, or I''ll take another model with me for thepetition.¡± Her threat was effective as Hannah zipped her mouth immediately. Jessie''s expression softened when she turned to Natalie. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Smith. That was really embarrassing.¡± ¡°That''s alright. Enlighten me, though. Why did you choose Hannah to be your partner?¡± A glint of hesitation shed across the woman''s eyes before she answered, ¡°Well, I thought we''d be compatible.¡± ¡°In that case, your eyes are not very sharp,¡± muttered Joyce. Jessie''s expression darkened momentarily before she resumed herposure. ¡°Anyway, we''ll be heading inside now. Let¡¯s catch up again at thepetition venue.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded. With that, Jessie and Hannah took their leave. Watching them from behind, Sally suddenlymented, ¡°Look at the way Jessie walks. It''s so stiff.¡± ¡°Stiff?¡± Following Sally''s gaze, Natalie and Joyce turned their vision to Jessie''s legs. ¡°Frankly, I can''t tell that she''s walking strange,¡± Joyce said. Sally continued in all seriousness, ¡°I don''t me you. Us models have to go through training, including how we walk. I can tell you for sure that the way Jessie walks is indeed unnatural, especially the stiffness at the knee.¡± ¡°Maybe she was born that way,¡± Joycemented. Sally nodded. ¡°Maybe. This is the first time I''ve seen someone walk this way though. Hey, what''s that?¡± She noticed a tiny notebook on the floor where Jessie had stood moments ago. Natalie picked it up. ¡°This should be Jessie''s. I''ll return to her when we reach thepetition venue.¡± ¡°Let''s check out what''s inside,¡± Joyce suggested. Natalie was about to reject the idea when her friend snatched the notebook from her hand. Chapter 801 Chapter 801 Joyce tilted her head in puzzlement as she leafed through the notebook. ¡°This is weird.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie asked curiously. Joyce handed the notebook over to her. ¡°These are all design blueprints, and it''s rather mediocre. They don''t look like Jessie''s design works at all.¡± Like Natalie, Jessie had beenuded as one of the most talented designers in the country. I''ve seen her designs before. They were at least in the same league as Nat''s. But the ones in this notebook are nothing more than the quality of an amateur. ¡°You''re right.¡± Sally nodded in assent. ¡°These drawings are no different from those of mass-market fast fashion. They''re not up to par at all.¡± Natalie kept silent and continued to flip through the pages. These really are just some substandard designs, which don''t look like Jessie''s usual work at all. What is going on? Before she could dwell on it any longer, the airport broadcast called all passengers for boarding. ¡°Let''s not overthink this. Maybe this belongs to Jessie''s apprentice,¡± Natalie stated. ¡°Who in the world would carry their apprentice''s stuff around? I know I wouldn''t,¡± Joyce disagreed. Sally nodded. ¡°Me too.¡± Natalie stered on a small smile. ¡°We shouldn''t overgeneralize our own assumptions. Anyway, Joyce, I''m going to rely on you to hold the fort at thepany for the next few months while I''m away.¡± ¡°You can count on me,¡± Joyce reassured. Natalie then turned to Sally. ¡°Let''s go.¡± The two bade goodbye to Joyce before heading toward the boarding gate. The nended after ten hours'' flight. Shane had already arranged for a driver to pick them up upon their arrival at the airport. Instead of staying in a hotel, Natalie and Sally were taken to a vi owned by Shane. They were pleased to know that the vi was situated not far away from thepetition venue. Sally walked into the vi and was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of it. ¡°Nat, this vi is awesome!¡± ¡°It is indeed breathtaking,¡± Natalie muttered. ¡°Mr. Shane is so wealthy.¡± Sally let out a sigh of awe. Natalie returned her with a smile. ¡°Well then, make yourselffortable. I''m going to make a phone call.¡± ¡°Checking in with Mr. Shane, right? Off you go.¡± Sally waved her hand. Natalie dialed Shane''s number while walking toward the balcony. It''s almost 8 o''clock in the evening over there. Sharon''s voice was heard when the call was answered. ¡°Mommy...¡± Natalie''s heart dropped a little. ¡°What''s the matter, Darling?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Did something happen over there? ¡°I miss you, Mommy, and I wish you''re here.¡± Sharon sniffled softly. Natalie smiled wistfully and tried tofort her daughter, ¡°I miss you too, my darling. But aren''t I talking to you right now?¡± ¡°But you''re so far away.¡± The young girl''s eyes welled up again. Oh, how I wish to hold her in my arms right now. Natalie softened her voice, saying, ¡°Come on now. You know I''m away because of work, and you''ve promised that you won''t cry. Can you be strong for me?¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Mommy. I thought about how long you''ll be away from me... I miss you so much.¡± Natalie felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She had never been apart from the kids for such a long time since their birth. I can''t me her for feeling insecure. ¡°Stop crying. I promise you can call me anytime you miss me. And when Daddy is free, he can bring both you and Connor toe to visit me, okay?¡± Natalie continued tofort her child. ¡°Okay.¡± Sharon finally stopped sobbing. ¡°That''s my girl. Where''s Connor and Daddy?¡± ¡°They''re here.¡± ¡°Can you pass the phone to Connor so I can have a chat with him?¡± Chapter 802 Chapter 802 Sharon did as she was told. Connor, too, missed his mother. But being the more mature one, he was not as teary-eyed as his sister. Natalie could not help but feel a little conflicted. On one hand, she did not have to worry as much about Connor as she did for Sharon. On another hand, she feared that the boy might be too mature for his age. After they spoke on the phone for a while, the cell phone was finally handed back to its owner. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What time did you arrive?¡± Natalie leaned her back against the balcony railing before saying, ¡°I''m checking in with you right after our arrival at the vi. Aren''t you going toment on my effort?¡± Shane let out a chortle. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Hey, what''s that supposed to mean?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. The man paused for a moment before he replied, ¡°Then tell me how you would like me to respond. I''ll try my best toply.¡± ¡°Fine. I''ll let you off this time. It doesn''t go with your character anyway,¡± Natalie teased. ¡°By the way, Jacqueline has moved out.¡± Shane changed the subject. ¡°When?¡± Natalie stood up straight. ¡°This afternoon. Jackson came over to help her,¡± Shane replied casually. A broad grin shed across Natalie''s face. ¡°Good to know. But I suppose Ms. Graham wasn''t thrilled about it. Were you there when she moved out?¡± ¡°No. I wasn''t around.¡± Shane shook his head. ¡°Well, that''s too bad.¡± Natalie let out a sigh at that. I was hoping to hear the details of the look on her face when she left. The couple continued to speak on the phone for another ten minutes before Natalie had to start unpacking. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Mrs. Wilson called out to him just as Shane put down his phone. She was followed by Ss. Something must be up for the assistant to visit at such ate hour. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, can you take the kids upstairs and put them to bed?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded and retreated from the room with the children. When there were only both of them in the living room, Shane turned to Ss. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You asked me to look into Ms. Graham yesterday. Here''s something you need to see,¡± Ss said while handing his boss a document file. Narrowing his eyes, Shane took over the file. His lips pursed into a thin line as he started leafing through the dozen pages one by one. A rare look of stun crept up to Shane''s face when he finished digesting all the information. ¡°She really did all these things?¡± Shane turned to Ss, who nodded firmly. ¡°I''m afraid so. Ms. Graham was still pretty young when she did these things, so it wasn''t difficult to gather and verify.¡± Even though Ss had taken some time to process it all, he was stirred by the shocking revtion of his discovery. Like Shane, Ss had thought Jacqueline was a kind and innocent girl. But now, all the evidence pointed the other way. As a toddler, she was already capable of abusing and killing small animals like cats and puppies. When she was older, she grew into a big bully in both middle and high school. One of her ex-schoolmates is still suffering from a psychological disorder as a result of her mental abuse. Not only is she a malicious and wicked person, but she''s also good at concealing it. If Mr. Shane had not asked me to investigate the matter, we''d still be under the impression that she''s nothing but a sweet angel. Just then, Shane tossed the document onto the coffee table. He felt exhausted. All this while, he had been treating Jacqueline as his little sister. He had never doubted her or imagined she would harbor any vicious thoughts, let alone carrying them out. But all the detailed evidence the file contained was a p to his face. It made him realize what a fool he had been all these years when he tried to protect Jacqueline at every turn. ¡°Mr. Shane, should we alert Dr. Baker about this?¡± Ss questioned cautiously. Chapter 803 Chapter 803 Shane nodded and said, ¡°Of course. He''s Jacqueline''s boyfriend, and he has the right to know these things. What he ns to do with that information is entirely up to him, though... But...¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, please continue.¡± ¡°When you tell Jackson about this, make sure Jacqueline''s not around.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Shane. I''ll be careful.¡± Ss nodded in assent. Massaging his temples, Shane was starting to believe Natalie''s suspicion toward Jacqueline. Maybe Jacqueline is the true culprit. The sheer audacity of her actions is shocking, given her age. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Suddenly Shane asked, ¡°The Garcia family and the Gunn family are political rivals, yes?¡± Ss'' expression turned serious as he nodded. ¡°They are. Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°There''ve been two attempts on Natalie''s life; I had Mr. Gunn investigate both incidents. He identified Alice as the final culprit, but now we know that the woman is innocent. Since then, Natalie''s been suspecting Jacqueline as the true culprit. I can''t help but agree with her on this.¡± Closing his eyes, he continued coldly, ¡°If Jacqueline is indeed the real culprit, it would make sense for Mr. Gunn to pinpoint Alice.¡± After all, Jacqueline is Mr. Gunn''s great-granddaughter. He''s not going to throw her to the wolves. Ss inhaled sharply at that revtion. ¡°If Ms. Graham was responsible for the crimes, isn''t Mr. Gunn breaking thew by protecting her?¡± ¡°Kinship can often trump thew,¡± Shane replied lightly. After some thought, he turned to Ss. ¡°I heard that the Garcia family is nning to revitalize an old, cultural city for higher approval ratings. I know for a fact that they''re short on funds. Get in touch with them secretly and offer to cover the shortfall. In return, I want them to investigate Mr. Gunn for evidence that he covered up Jacqueline''s crimes.¡± The best way to deal with a family in politics was to get their rival to do some digging. The Garcias and the Gunns had been political rivals for many years. If the Garcia family caught wind of Mr. Gunn''s possibly illegal actions, they would jump at the chance to investigate the matter. Aware of Shane''s strategy, Ss agreed to his n immediately. ¡°I''ll contact them immediately.¡± ¡°Don''t let Jacqueline or the Gunn family find out about this.¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Mr. Shane.¡± Ss left after giving his reassurance, and Shane went upstairs, rubbing his temples in frustration at the complexity of the situation. Meanwhile, Natalie and Sally had rested for two days after arriving overseas. Once they got over their jeg, they attended the opening ceremony of the designpetition. The opening ceremony was but a fashion show disying the designs of the judges for this competition. Every judge here was a world-ss designer. Some were still active in the fashion world, while others had already retired. The impressive r¨¦sum¨¦ of the judges only highlighted the prestige of this internationalpetition. ¡°Nat, there are so many seasoned supermodels here,¡± Sally whispered excitedly. Sally thought she could die happy after sharing the stage with these renowned supermodels. ¡°Hmph, someone''s been living like a country bumpkin. Aren''t you worried your naive exmations are going to embarrass your countrymen?¡± A shrill voice cut in before Natalie could answer her friend. The two women rolled their eyes in unison. Sally confronted Hannah with a scoff. ¡°How is that any of your business? Some people don''t learn. I can''t believe you''re still picking fights you can''t win. ssic b*tch.¡± ¡°Y-you...¡± Hannah stuttered in anger. She raised her arm as if ready to p Sally. Fearless, Sally tilted her face closer to Hannah''s hand. ¡°Go on; p me. If you eveny a finger on me, I''m going straight to the organizers toin about an assault by Koandria''s contestant. I''ll make sure you get disqualified.¡± Shocked by her threat, Hannah paused and eventually retracted her arm in reluctance. Sally put on a faux show of regret as she sighed, ¡°What a shame. You should''ve hit me.¡± ¡°That''s enough; you can''t be serious about wanting her to hit you, right? She''ll suffer from the consequences, but so will you when you''re crying in pain,¡± Natalie teased. Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Shrugging, Sally giggled, saying, ¡°What''s a little pain when I can kick her out of thepetition?¡± Hannah''s body vibrated with anger upon hearing their jokes. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Just then, Jessie walked over. Her gaze cooled at the sight of Natalie and Sally. She then looked disapprovingly at Hannah. ¡°Are you troubling Ms. Smith and her friend again?¡± Natalie merely arched a brow in reply. Wow, I can''t believe she didn''t confront me about bullying her precious Hannah first. ¡°I didn''t.¡± Hannah waved her hands in denial. Scoffing, Jessie said, ¡°I hope you''re telling the truth. If I find out you''re lying, you''re dead meat.¡± Hannah lowered her head wordlessly as Natalie narrowed her eyes at Jessie. Oh, Jessie''s shrewd; I''ll give her that. She didn''t even confirm the truth in Hannah''s words; she glossed over the whole incident just like that. ¡°Ms. Smith,¡± Jessie addressed Natalie and smiled. ¡°Did my model bother you when you were watching the show?¡± ¡°It was no trouble at all,¡± Natalie answered as she returned Jessie''s smile. Jessie stiffened at her words. The words ¡°no trouble¡± implied that Hannah did indeed bother them. Jessie pretended that she did not understand Natalie''s implication. Instead, she grabbed Hannah''s elbow and began leading her away. ¡°We''ll be leaving, then.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Natalie stopped them. Frowning, Jessie paused and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, can I help you with anything else?¡± Natalie bent over and rummaged in her bag for a small notebook. She passed it to Jessie as she asked, ¡°Ms. Syke, I believe this is yours?¡± The impatience in Jessie''s face immediately turned into anger when she saw the notebook. Swiping it from Natalie''s hands, she asked rudely, ¡°Why do you have my stuff?¡± ¡°Hey, what''s with your tetchy attitude? You were the one careless enough to lose your stuff. We were kind enough to pick it up and keep it for you. You''re being ungrateful.¡± Sally red at Jessie. Though Natalie remained silent, her chilly demeanor made her disdain for Jessie''s attitude very clear. Realizing she had overreacted, the woman smiled awkwardly and tried to appease them. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Smith. I didn''t mean to behave that way. This notebook is very dear to me, so I overreacted. I-¡± ¡°That''s fine. Since it''s so important to you, I''d advise you to keep it properly. After all, you''re not going to get a personal courier every time you lose it,¡± Natalie cut in coolly. Tightening her grip on the notebook, Jessie lowered her eyes. ¡°You''re right, Ms. Smith. If I may ask, did you take a look inside the notebook?¡± Natalie nodded, not seeing the point in lying. ¡°I did. I''m sorry, my friend opened it. She meant no ill will; she was merely curious.¡± ¡°That''s alright. I actually want to know what you thought about the designs in it...¡± Jessie said in an indecipherable tone. Natalie thought for a second before answering, ¡°Do you want my honest opinion, Ms. Syke?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She took a deep breath before answering Jessie, ¡°Well, I''m not going to sugarcoat my opinion then. The designs are pretty outdated.¡± Jessie''s expression stiffened momentarily. Nodding, she agreed with Natalie''s assessment. ¡°You''re right. They are pretty outdated.¡± ¡°Ms. Syke, I''m puzzled. Why would you carry these designs with you? They seem pretty important to you as well,¡± Natalie questioned. cing the notebook in her purse, Jessie said cryptically, ¡°It has something to do with someone who''s really important to me. She''s not here anymore, so-¡± ¡°I''m so sorry,¡± Natalie apologized in a hurry. ¡°I didn''t know.¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± Waving her arm, Jessie continued, ¡°Wait, did you think she was dead?¡± Natalie asked in surprise, ¡°Isn''t she?¡± Didn''t see mean that? Jessie''s eyes twinkled in amusement as she exined, ¡°Of course not. She''s still alive and well, though she fell into a slump after some things that happened in the past. She''s getting back on her feet now, so I''m actually expecting news from her any time now.¡± Chapter 805 Chapter 805 ¡°Oh, I see. Sorry, I misunderstood.¡± Natalie shed her a smile. ¡°Well, please excuse us if there''s nothing else.¡± After saying that, Jessie left with Hannah. Beside Natalie, Sallymented, ¡°For some reason, I find Jessie really strange. Everything about her screams aberrant.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°Me too. She gives off a strong sense of incongruity. Besides, she seems to have popped out of nowhere.¡± Logically speaking, she can''t possibly have been a nobody when she possesses such great talent in design. But the fact remains that there was never anyone named Jessie Syke in the design industry in the past. She appeared out of the blue and swiftly made a name for herself in the industry. No matter how I look at it, something just doesn''t add up. I''ve seen her designs before, and she has a strong personal style. Without the mentoring of a renowned designer, a young designer couldn''t have possibly established her own personal style so early. After all, young people''s design styles oscite as their talents aren''t at the zenith yet. They may design something cool before switching to adorable. However, it''s different with her. Her design style has never changed from the very beginning, so she must have been mentored by a renowned designer. But I''ve asked Ms. Mackenzie, and she told me that the few top-notch designers in the world whose styles are simr to Jessie have never taken her as a mentee. So, who on earth did she learn from? ¡°What are you thinking, Nat?¡± Sally nudged Natalie lightly. Her gaze flickering for a moment, Natalie snapped back to her senses. ¡°Nothing much. I was just wondering who Jessie''s mentor is.¡± ¡°Who cares? Let''s watch the show.¡± Sally had no interest in that matter. Instead, she was staring at the runway with stars in her eyes. Hearing that, Natalie was torn between amusement and exasperation. Ah well, she''s right. Whoever Jessie''s mentor might be has nothing to do with me, so why should I dwell upon it? This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Thepetition''s opening ceremony went on for almost three hours before the curtains fell. Next was a banquet open to all participants, judges, and models. It was basically aworking event. Sally had been moring to get acquainted with the supermodels, so she hastened away with a wine ss in her hand as soon as they stepped into the banquet hall. Abandoned, Natalie shook her head. Holding a ss of fruit juice herself, she went to the balcony for some fresh air. All of a sudden, she heard a voice from the garden below. It was Jessie''s voice. Her voice sounded muted, seemingly having been deliberately muffled. Nheless, it happened to be right beneath Natalie''s feet, with only the flooring in between. For that reason, she could hear Jessie''s words loud and clear. ¡°Where are you now? I''ll go and pick you up tonight.¡± Jessie was probably talking to an acquaintance of hers who came to look for her. However, her tone was rather peeved, making it evident that the person on the other end of the phone had a contentious rtionship with her. As Natalie took a sip of fruit juice, Jessie again spoke. ¡°Make sure you cover your entire face without any part of it showing. If the media recognizes you and investigates the reason you came here, we''ll both be done for. Alright, I won''t forget you when I win thepetition. Goodbye!¡± After that, her voice abruptly cut off. On the heels of that, the clicking of high heels against the ground rang out. As Natalie dipped her head and looked down the banister, she happened to catch a glimpse of Jessie''s retreating back in an evening gown, her cell phone in hand. Subsequently, she pursed her lips in puzzlement. What did she mean by that? Why would she and the other person be done for if thetter is recognized? While she was pondering upon it, Sally walked over. ¡°Ah, you''re here, Nat? I''ve been looking for you everywhere.¡± ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Suppressing the questions guing her, Natalie turned around. Sally let out a sigh. ¡°It''s time for the participating designers to give a speech. Earlier, the organizer added ast-minute segment to the banquet to get the designers acquainted with each other. It requires the designers to give a speech, introducing themselves and their respective countries. Others have gone ahead, so you should quickly go as well.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Natalie handed her ss to her before hurrying into the banquet hall. The introductory segment went smoothly. Although some designers looked down on Natalie because of her country of origin, they didn''t dare question her capabilities upon hearing that her mentor was Mercede Mackenzie. Chapter 806 Chapter 806 Natalie breathed a sigh of relief at the designers'' change in attitudes. In all industries, racial discrimination had always been a major issue in the international arena. Back when she used the identity of Mina to debut in the design industry, she was often picked on by designers of other nationalities. After all, they looked down on designers from her region and felt that they were ignorant about fashion. Otherwise, Alfred wouldn''t be the only top-notch designer from the region. There were also few models from the region, and that contributed to the oppression from foreign designers. She had initially thought that she would be confronted with some oppression during thepetition and had braced herself to retaliate. She never thought that her mentor''s name would nip all crises in the bud. Amused, she returned to the vi and nned to make a call back home. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Hmm... It''s almost eight o''clock in the morning back home, so Shane is probably awake, yes? At that thought, she gave Shane a call. It seemed that the man had been waiting for her call, for he answered the moment the call went through. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°You''re awake, Shane?¡± Natalie asked, sitting on the sofa. Shane lifted his chin a fraction. ¡°Yup. Has the banquet ended on your side?¡± Smiling, Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Are you tired?¡± Shane inquired in a voice colored with concern. Hearing that question, Natalie massaged her shoulders. ¡°Of course, I am. I''d been standing for almost the entire day, after all.¡± Shane was silent for a few seconds before he suggested, ¡°In that case, I''ll arrange for another person to go over and take care of you.¡± ¡°No, it''s okay. I was just joking with you,¡± Natalie declined, torn between amusement and exasperation. However, Shane insisted, saying, ¡°It''s not just you, for there''s still a baby in your belly. Did the baby torment you?¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie lowered her head and caressed her stomach, her gaze tender. ¡°No, the baby is behaving really well.¡± Honestly, it''s mainly because the morning sickness hasn''t besieged me yet that I feel fine. But... I might really suffer next week. Having no inkling of her thoughts, Shane seemed to release a shaky breath of relief when he heard that. ¡°That''s great!¡± ¡°Are the children awake?¡± Natalie picked up the ss on the coffee table and took a sip of water. Meanwhile, Shane shook his head slightly in response. ¡°No, I''ll ask Mrs. Wilson to wake them after our phone call.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie assented. Subsequently, Shane changed the subject. ¡°By the way, I''ve already investigated some of Jacqueline''s past.¡± His voice had turned much colder. When Natalie heard that, she immediately straightened, her expression turning solemn. ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°It''s as you said. Jacqueline indeed tortured a cat, and it wasn''t just once,¡± Shane admitted while massaging his temples. At that, Natalie snorted. ¡°In that case, it''s even more likely that she''s the culprit behind my murder attempt, no?¡± Without responding to that, Shane merely remarked, ¡°I''ve already asked the Garcia family to investigate whether Mr. Gunn abused his power to cover up for a criminal. If the answer is affirmative, and it was Jacqueline he covered up for, then we''ll naturally know the answer.¡± ¡°If Jacqueline is truly found to be the culprit in the end, what will you do, Shane?¡± Natalie questioned mildly with her eyes lowered. Shane''s thin lips twitched, and he was just about to speak when the woman on the line asserted, ¡°I want to hear the truth.¡± ¡°If she did such a thing, she naturally has to pay the corresponding price,¡± Shane replied with an impassive expression. At his answer, Natalie smiled, the anxiety within her vanishing in a puff of smoke. Phew! Fortunately, he didn''t disappoint me. ¡°Okay, but remember you said that yourself, Shane. If Jacqueline is proven to be the culprit, I''ll put her behind bars, and you''re not allowed to save her. Otherwise, don''t me me for severing ties with you.¡± Natalie''s eyes narrowed, and her voice was threaded with steel. No matter what, I''ll never let the culprit off the hook! Recalling how Connor almost died back then, her loathing toward the culprit zed hotly, even more so than when she herself was the target. Clocking the determination in her voice, Shane''s avowed with a cold expression, ¡°I won''t save her.¡± From the information I gathered, her personality itself is inherently wed. Chapter 807 Chapter 807 Shane had also surfed the Inte for a bit, discovering that animal cruelty by a child that young was a typical symptom of a pathological offender. In other words, such a person was typically a psychopath. He or she was inherently selfish and vicious, ruining whatever they disliked or deemed dissatisfactory. Jacqueline is possibly such a person, so letting her roam free isn''t good for either others, society, and even herself. However, there''s currently no evidence to lock her up. If I were to do so by force, I''m afraid it''ll further stimte her and make her do something irrational. ¡°I''m d to hear that. But what about Dr. Baker?¡± Natalie was a tad worried. At that, Shane''s eyes darkened. ¡°I''ll handle things on Jackson''s end.¡± ¡°Alright, then. I''ll leave it to you,¡± Natalie concurred with a smile before she let out a yawn. Hearing her yawn, Shane''s voice softened, and he said, ¡°Go and rest since you''re tired.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded in acquiescence. His thin lips parting slightly, Shane murmured, ¡°Take care.¡± After ending the phone call, he put down his cell phone. Then, he asked Mrs. Wilson to go upstairs and wake the children. The two children were very obedient, for they got out of bed at once. After breakfast, Shane drove them to kindergarten. It was Jacqueline''s recovery banquet that night, so Shane had Ss drive him to the hotel after entrusting the children to Mrs. Wilson. As the protagonist of the banquet that night, Jacqueline wore a white tube dress. With a hand on the arm of an elderly man with graying hair, she circted among the guests with a smile on her face. Her eyes lit up when she caught sight of Shane. Taking the elderly man''s arm, she hurried forward. ¡°You''re here, Shane?¡± Shane inclined his head at her a fraction before extending a hand at Ss. All at once, his assistant ced a gift box in his hand. Shane then handed the exquisitely wrapped gift box to Jacqueline. ¡°This is for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Shane!¡± Beaming, the woman took it from him. She looked at him and asked, ¡°May I open it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shane nodded. Thus, Jacqueline happily opened the gift. The elderly man next to her stroked his beard and regarded Shane with squinted eyes. ¡°It''s been a long time, Shane.¡± ¡°Indeed. It''s been a long time, Mr. Gunn.¡± Shane shed the elderly man a faint smile. In turn, Mr. Gunn chuckled. ¡°Oh yes, aren''t you married? Why didn''t your wifee with you? I heard from Jacqueline that your wife is very beautiful, but I''ve never seen her.¡± Straightening his cuffs, Shane replied, ¡°She has gone abroad for a designpetition, so she''s currently not in the country.¡± Mr. Gunn was stunned for a moment before he nodded in admiration. ¡°I see. It''s good that she''s making the country proud. I wish her all the best in thepetition.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Shane replied courteously. By then, Jacqueline had already opened the gift. It was a blue diamond ne that looked incredibly stunning. She pped a hand over her mouth in delight. ¡°It''s beautiful! Thank you, Shane!¡± As she said that, she opened her arms and stepped forward to give him a hug. In the past, Shane would''ve epted the hug without dodging out of respect for Mr. Gunn. But after reading all the information on Jacqueline, he could no longer tolerate it. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he took a step back and dodged her. Hence, the woman''s arms went around thin air. She was flummoxed at first, and she stared at him in aggrieve. ¡°Shane...¡± Shane''s gaze darkened a shade. ¡°I''m sorry, Jacqueline, but it isn''t appropriate since I have a wife and you''ve got a boyfriend.¡± Jacqueline''s expression stiffened for a moment. She was just about to say something when Shane spotted Jackson. ¡°Mr. Gunn, Jackson has arrived. I''ve got some business with him, so I''ll leave you both to talk,¡± he said to Mr. Gunn. After saying that, he strode past the two of them and headed toward Jackson. At that turn of events, Jacqueline clutched the ne in her hand tightly with resentment written all over her face. She could sense that Shane had suddenly be much more indifferent toward her.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. While he hadn''t been as intimate with her after marrying Natalie, he still cared about her greatly. And that was precisely why she could cling to him in front of Natalie time and again. Chapter 808 Chapter 808 However, Shane''s attitude toward Jacqueline then wasparable to the cold shoulder he gave Natalie back then. Although it was subtle, Jacqueline could still discern the coldness in his gaze when he looked at her. Could it be that Sean said something to Shane, and that''s why he''s treating me so indifferently? As that thought urred to her, her face contorted in a mask of fury for a brief second as she trembled in rage. She then took to leave Mr. Gunn beside her and went to the lounge to make a phone call. Meanwhile, Shane walked over to Jackson, who was drinking alone. ¡°Why didn''t you go over when Jacqueline is over there?¡± His head snapping up, Jackson glowered at him. His usually cheerful and adorable baby face was marred with frustration and anguish. ¡°How am I supposed to do that? Couldn''t you see that she doesn''t want me to keep herpany by her side? I''ve been here for ages, yet she didn''t seem at all inclined to introduce any of the Gunn family to me.¡± Shane frowned upon hearing that. ¡°So, what''s your take on that?¡± The other man took a gulp of wine before stating, ¡°Honestly speaking, Shane, I don''t know how much longer I can put up with this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane stared at him. Jackson chuckled bitterly as he replied, ¡°Actually, I''ve always known that she doesn''t love me. Initially, I thought I could slowly make her fall for me once I started dating her. But it''s been such a long time, yet nothing has changed. She may be talking to me and going out with me every day, but it''s basically been me initiating everything. She''s still as indifferent towards me as ever.¡± At that, Shane went silent. Only then did he know that such was the interaction between Jackson and Jacqueline; it wasn''t that of lovers but more of casual acquaintances. ¡°So, you''re thinking of breaking up with her?¡± Shane inquired as he swished the wine in his ss. Nudging his sses, Jackson admitted, ¡°I''m considering it. After all, it''ll be awkward to keep her by my side when she doesn''t have any feelings for me. Besides, I could sense that she''s waiting for me to break up with her.¡± Shane pursed his thin lips for a moment. ¡°In that case, just break up with her since the two of you aren''t suited for each other.¡± ¡°You''re supporting me?¡± The other man gaped at him. ¡°Back then, it was you who encouraged me to confess my feelings to her.¡± ¡°I only encouraged you back then because I could tell that you truly loved her. But now, reality has proven that she has no feelings for you. Since dragging things out will result in nothing, it''s better if the two of you break up,¡± Shanemented cidly. Jackson clutched his chest. ¡°You''re breaking my heart, buddy!¡± In response, Shane harrumphed lightly. In the next moment, his expression turned solemn. ¡°Have you looked at the information Ss sent you?¡± Hearing that, Jackson''s expression turned serious as well. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What''s your opinion on it?¡± Shane queried. Jackson was silent for several seconds before confessing, ¡°Actually, Shane, there''s something I didn''t tell you. The truth is, I already knew about some of the things in there a long time ago.¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed a fraction. ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± At that moment, Shane''s expression was as dark as charcoal. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me anything when you knew Jacqueline''s true personality and the things she has done in the past?¡± ¡°Jacqueline didn''t want me to tell you, and as you know, I...¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You helped her hide the truth because you love her?¡± Shane regarded him contemptuously. Knowing that he was in the wrong, Jackson hung his head. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± ¡°Jackson Baker!¡± Shane mmed his wine ss on the coffee table. ¡°Don''t you know that her personality is that of a psychopath?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jackson clutched his wine ss tightly. ¡°If so, why didn''t you tell me about it? If you had told me earlier, perhaps it could have been rectified.¡± Shane''s brows were deeply scrunched together as he growled. However, Jackson shook his head. ¡°You don''t understand the medical field, Shane. Such a personality isn''t as easily rectified as you think because it''s innate. If it''s forcefully rectified, it''ll only backfire. Her personality might have be all the more extreme, pushing her tomit unimaginable acts such as murder. Do you understand that?¡± When he was at the tender age of ten, Jackson had already discovered that Jacqueline was different from the average child. Once, a child was scratched by his pet cat, so everyoneforted the child. Jacqueline, however, stood at the side with her face contorted by malevolence as she said, ¡°If I were the one scratched by that cat, I''d snap its head and skin it alive!¡± Chapter 809 Chapter 809 At that time, all the other children were terrified by Jacqueline''s remark. Jackson himself was scared witless. When he told his father about it upon returning home, his father had told him that she might have a mental disorder. It was because he had liked Jacqueline since young that he chose to follow in his father''s footsteps and study medicine after learning that she was sick. He wanted to study psychiatry so that he could cure her. s, he truly had no talent for it, so he ended up specializing in surgery instead. Nheless, he still consulted several psychiatrists about Jacqueline''s condition during his studies. All the psychiatrists told him that he couldn''t blindly force her to ept treatment unless she was willing to do so. Otherwise, it would only stimte her and make her even more psychotic. Unfortunately, Jacqueline refused to admit that she was sick, so she naturally declined all treatment. Thus, he kept it a secret until now. Most importantly, she hadn''t done anything that crossed the line ever since she regained consciousness. Shane had no inkling of Jackson''s thoughts as he stared at thetter with narrowed eyes. ¡°I understand, but Jacqueline might have crossed the line into murder now.¡± Hearing that, Jackson''s expression changed drastically. He shot to his feet at once. ¡°What did you just say? Jacqueline hasmitted murder?¡± ¡°I merely said that it''s a possibility,¡± Shane asserted while massaging his temples. Gulping, Jackson plopped back down onto his chair in shock. ¡°Who are you referring to?¡± ¡°Natalie,¡± Shane murmured. Jackson sucked in a breath upon hearing that. But in the next moment, he shook his head in denial. ¡°That''s impossible! When has she ever attempted to kill Natalie?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten about the two times Natalie almost died back then?¡± Shane tilted his head and gazed at him coldly. Jackson''s eyes quivered. ¡°So, you suspect that she''s behind the two incidents? But she was in the hospital then and couldn''t even get out of bed. How could she...¡± ¡°Who said she must have done it personally?¡± Shane cut him off. Jackson''s gaze flickered. Yet, he was still unwilling to ept the reality and continued defending Jacqueline, arguing, ¡°Even if she could''ve had someone else do it, what about the money? The Graham family went bankrupt ten years ago, so how could she have any money to hire anyone?¡± ¡°Don''t you know this?¡± Shane lowered his eyes and noted lightly, ¡°The Graham family indeed went bankrupt, but her father once used illegal channels to transfer a sum of money away before that to make aeback in the future. However, he passed away shortly after the bankruptcy, so the money naturally went to her.¡± It was the result of the investigation done by the Garcia family that had been sent to him earlier in the afternoon. Even then, they had only stumbled upon it. Otherwise, no one would have ever known that Jacqueline actually had such a huge inheritance. To top it off, they also investigated the flow of the funds and discovered that the money had been wired out twice a few months ago. And that two times coincided with Natalie''s near brushes with death. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Therefore, even if they hadn''t yet determined whether Mr. Gunn had covered up for her, it was certain from the flow of the funds that the culprit was indeed Jacqueline. ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Jackson''s face drained of color. Jacqueline actually inherited a sum of money? Then, why did she keep telling me that she had no money? Shane stared at Jackson, who was at sixes and sevens. ¡°Are you still unwilling to believe it now?¡± Shaking his head, the other man grabbed his shoulders emotionally. ¡°No, Shane! How could she possibly do such a thing? Isn''t the culprit a member of the Brown family?¡± ¡°Alice Brown didn''t do anything. Mr. Gunn ckmailed her into being a scapegoat for Jacqueline.¡± Shane shook Jackson''s hands off his shoulders. ¡°Mr. Gunn...¡± That was a huge blow to Jackson. A long time passed before he spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°Even Mr. Gunn yed a part in it.¡± Shane merely lifted his chin in affirmation. Downcast, Jackson lowered his head and said nothing further as he contemted something. Shane didn''t bother him either, merely sitting beside him and drinking his wine in silence. He knew everything he had just told Jackson was a heavy blow to the man, and Shane understood that his friend needed some time to digest it all. Thus, he didn''t mind giving him the time to do so. Chapter 810 Chapter 810 No one spoke or moved for the next ten minutes or so. It took some time before Jackson finally lifted his head to reveal his reddened eyes. As he took his sses off, it was in to see that agony had donned his youthful face. He asked, ¡°Shane, you''re telling me all this because you want me to make a choice. Is that it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Shane before he nodded slightly. ¡°We''ve pretty much confirmed that Jacqueline is the culprit behind everything. All that''s left is to wait for Mr. Gunn to provide us with the evidence. I will hand Jacqueline over to the police as soon as I receive the evidence.¡± He beckoned the waiter to top off his ss of wine before he continued speaking, ¡°You are Jacqueline''s boyfriend, so you have the right to know the truth. I''m telling you everything because I want to know what your thoughts on the matter are. Will you blindly let Jacqueline wreak havoc? Or will you support me and put Jacqueline in jail?¡± Jackson let out a bitter smile and pointed out, ¡°It doesn''t matter what I think, does it? You''ll send Jacqueline to prison, anyway.¡± ¡°That''s true,¡± replied Shane with a slight grin. ¡°Then why bother asking me at all?¡± demanded Jackson as he red at the man. Shane swirled the wine in his ss and answered, ¡°I''m just going through the motion. I want you to know that I will not change my mind so that you won''t put the me on me when everything is done.¡± Hearing that, Jackson stopped talking. Shane waited patiently while the man was lost in his thoughts. Sometimeter, Jackson shifted his gaze to Shane and asked, ¡°Shane, can''t you let Jacqueline go just this once?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes as he pointed out, ¡°That woman has already attempted to murder Natalie twice. How can I let her go under these circumstances? Besides, it''s not like you can ensure that she won''t go after Natalie again.¡± ¡°I can!¡± insisted Jackson while nodding. ¡°I will take her out of the country. We will go somewhere far away and never return.¡± Shane''s lips curved into a mocking smirk before he replied, ¡°Like you said, Jacqueline was born a sociopath. She doesn''t want to leave the country, and if she is forced to do so, wouldn''t she hate you for it? What''s to stop her from killing you and sneaking back into the country?¡± ¡°I...¡± muttered Jackson. He was at a loss for words as he had never considered that before. His friend''s words sounded a little far-fetched, but there was undoubtedly some truth in them. In other words, the only way to deal with the matter was to hand Jacqueline over to the police. Jackson slumped down uponing to that conclusion as though all energy had drained out of him. Seeing his reaction prompted Shane to stand up and say, ¡°It seems that you have already thought things through. In that case, I hope that you will stay out of this matter and keep this a secret from Jacqueline. If you fail, the consequences will be dire.¡± After saying his piece, Shane got up and went for a toilet break. He was exiting the restroom when his vision suddenly turned dark. Fortunately, he was quick to support himself against the wall in the restroom and stop himself from falling. Still, he could tell that his vision was getting blurrier while he became dizzy. It felt as if the entire world was swirling before his eyes, and he couldn''t even see anything clearly. Shane''s expression darkened instantly. He wasn''t an idiot and knew that there was something amiss with the situation. Someone drugged me. However, his body didn''t show any other symptoms, so the drug probably wasn''t lethal. It''s some sort of sedative. His entire body exuded a murderous aura when he thought about the waiter who refilled his wine. Shane supported himself against the wall while he walked with much difficulty. As he did so, his trembling hand reached into his pocket to get his phone, intending to contact Ss. Unfortunately, his vision was blurry, and his hand was weak. He swiped a few times but failed to unlock his phone. In the end, his phone slipped out of his hand and fell onto the floor. Just as he was about to bend down and pick it up, a sweet fragrance enveloped him. What happened next was a woman throwing herself into his arms. She held him tightly and asked, ¡°Hey, what''s wrong, Mr. Shane? You don''t look so good.¡± ¡°Leave!¡± growled Shane in an icy tone. However, he was frail, so he sounded somewhat seductive instead of intimidating. The woman swallowed hard. Her eyes shone with passion and lust when she looked at him. If it weren''t for a certain someone, she would most definitely go to bed with the most charming man in J City, who was right next to her then.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. It''s too bad. The woman''s eyes shone with a fleeting glint of hesitation before she took a deep breath and steeled herself. She inched closer to Shane before she said, ¡°C''mon, Mr. Shane. I heard that your wife is out of the country. I''m sure you feel lonely all by yourself. Let me keep youpany.¡± Chapter 811 Chapter 811 ¡°I will kill you!¡± threatened Shane. He wasn''t able to see the woman clearly, but he could still hear her voice. Hence, he knew where she was and lowered his head to re at her. Looking into his emotionless eyes got the woman to tremble instinctively, and her fear revealed itself on her face. He looks as though he wants to kill me... Is it toote to back out and flee now? The woman was just about to leave when her cell phone vibrated. She quickly fished it out and read the text message. Almost immediately, the woman''s face fell. In the end, she stomped hard on the ground as though she had decided to go all out. She put a smile back on her face before she imed, ¡°I will wee death with open arms if it means I get to spend one night with you, Mr. Shane. Besides, it''s not like you can fight back in your current state. After all, you were given two doses of the drug.¡± ¡°Were you the one who spiked my drink?¡± demanded Shane when he heard about the double dosage, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. A sharp glint shed across the woman''s eyes before she said, ¡°That''s right, Mr. Shane. I went through so much trouble, so please just do me this favor, okay?¡± As she spoke, she dragged Shane toward the lounge. Shane wanted to push her away, but his energy waspletely depleted. The effect of the drug was slowly getting stronger as well. If things kept spiraling out of control like that, he would lose consciousness soon. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Thinking about that got the murderous aura emanating from Shane to be even more intense. He bit his tongue to try to wake himself up with the pain. Unfortunately, the drug was too powerful, and he couldn''t feel the pain from biting his own tongue. There was no way he could regain his footing under those circumstances. Right then, something happened just before Shane got to threaten the woman again and get her to leave. Jacqueline''s voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Huh? Shane, what are you doing here? Who is this?¡± ¡°I am Mr. Shane''s date,¡± replied the woman before she rested her head on Shane''s shoulder and smiled tauntingly at Jacqueline. Jacqueline''s expression darkened for a moment, but she quickly regained herposure. Staring at Shane in disbelief, she questioned, ¡°Shane, you got yourself an escort? How could you do that? Have you considered Ms. Smith''s feelings?¡± ¡°It''s not like that. I was drugged,¡± replied Shane weakly as his heavy eyelids threatened to close. Only then did Jacqueline realize that something was off about him. She sounded worried when she asked, ¡°Shane, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°I was drugged,¡± said Shane once more. His voice was even weaker than before. Jacqueline shifted her gaze to the woman beside Shane and asked, ¡°Are you the one who drugged him?¡± ¡°So what if I am?¡± said the woman as she held her chin up high. Jacqueline had a grouchy expression as she warned, ¡°That''s f*cking brave of you. I can''t believe you drugged the head of the Thompson family. Do you have a death wish? Let him go right now!¡± ¡°And if I don''t?¡± said the woman as she tightened her grip on Shane''s arm. Jacqueline grinned menacingly and answered, ¡°Then don''t me me for what happens next.¡± After saying her piece, Jacqueline got her cell phone out and made a call. ¡°Hey, is this the security guard? There''s a...¡± ¡°Hey, how could you alert the security guard? Fine, I''ll leave him with you,¡± said the woman, who started to seem scared. She was quick to push Shane over to Jacqueline before she turned around and left. Jacqueline scoffed and instructed, ¡°Block every exit to the ce. A woman in a yellow dress is trying to flee. Capture her.¡± After issuing her orders, Jacqueline put her cell phone away and steadied Shane. She asked, ¡°Shane, are you alright?¡± Shane was barely holding on at that moment. With both of his eyes closed, his eyelids fluttered a little as he requested, ¡°Take me to the lounge, then call Ss. Have him get the doctor over.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Jacqueline before she helped him into the lounge. She ced him on the bed before standing up and wiping away the sweat on her forehead. After that, she lowered her head and stared menacingly at Shane. It seemed like she had no intention of calling Ss. Later, she opened her purse and fished a small device out of it. She ced the device on her throat before calling out to the man on the bed. ¡°Shane, Shane?¡± Chapter 812 Chapter 812 Although she wasn''t loud, the voice that escaped her lips was enough to shock anyone, for it wasn''t hers but Natalie''s. Shane forced his eyes open upon hearing that voice. He still couldn''t see anything clearly, only able to make out a red figure looming over him. ¡°Nat?¡± blurted Shane suspiciously while frowning. Jealousy shed past Jacqueline''s eyes, but she replied sweetly, ¡°Yeah, it''s me.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Shane as he moved ufortably, trying to get up. Jacqueline pushed him back onto the bed and urged, ¡°Stop moving. You''re too weak now, so just lie down.¡± Right then, Shane detected the familiar smell of the perfume Natalie used, so although he was still curious as to why she would suddenly show up, he was convinced that the person beside him was Natalie. Hence, hey there and stopped moving about. ¡°I just got back, Shane, and I am so tired. Will you rest with me for a while?¡± asked Jacqueline as she leaned down and rested on the guy''s chest. Shane murmured an affirmative reply before he closed his eyes again. Jacqueline grinned and slipped her hand under his shirt. Sensing her actions, Shane frowned a little but didn''t stop her. Seeing his reaction prompted Jacqueline to be even more unrestrained, and she was quick to unbutton his shirt. Her hands were on the guy''s belt when she heard even breathinging from the guy''s lips. She paused and looked up to realize that Shane was already asleep. Jacqueline felt so irritated that her eyes turned bloodshot. She had made tons of preparation that day to sleep with him. In the end, he fell asleep before I could get down to business! There''s no way he can get an erection in this state. At that thought, Jacqueline bit her lip in frustration. If she had known that the drug would make him sleep that quickly, she would''ve given him something else. Unfortunately, Shane was already on another medication, and date rape drugs might cause an allergic reaction in him. But as she dwelled on the matter, she felt that she would have had enough time to send him to the hospital after the deed was done. ¡°I knew it. I am just too soft-hearted,¡±ined Jacqueline as she dug her nails into her palm. Still, things had already progressed to that point, and she had to make everyone assume that they had slept together, even if nothing happened between them. Jacqueline took a deep breath aftering to that conclusion. She removed the device from her neck before pinching herself hard on her neck, thigh, and other sensitive regions. When red marks were all over her body, she stripped naked and crawled onto the bed. After that, she took Shane''s clothes off and made some red marks on him as well. Shey in his arms and got her cellphone out once she was done with that. Thest thing she did was take a few selfies of herself and Shane naked before sending them to Natalie. It was ten in the morning for Natalie, who was still in another country. At that moment, she was in the conference room with the other participants, and they were discussing the details of thepetition. Thepetition would kick off on the following day, so they needed to know all the details beforehand. That way, they''d be able to deal with any sudden issue that might arise. The meeting didn''tst for long and ended in an hour or so. When Natalie walked out of the conference room, she saw Sally approaching her with a weird expression. ¡°Nat.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± asked Natalie curiously. Sally bit her lip a little and answered, ¡°I, uh, your phone vibrated earlier, and I identally tapped on the button and opened the message.¡± Natalie grinned as she found it amusing and replied, ¡°It''s no big deal. The look on your face... Gosh, I thought something bad happened.¡± ¡°Something bad did happen,¡± informed Sally. Seeing Sally''s grim expression, Natalie''s smile faded away as she requested, ¡°Give me my phone.¡± Sally took out the phone obediently. However, she retracted her hand at thest minute. Natalie stared at her in confusion and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Listen to me, Nat. You must remain calm after you see what''s in there, okay?¡± said Sally in a comforting tone. Uncertainty slowly rose in Natalie''s heart when she saw how serious Sally seemed. Still, the former nodded and promised, ¡°Sure, I''ll stay calm.¡± Chapter 813 Chapter 813 ¡°Okay,¡± replied Sally before she handed the phone over to Natalie. Natalie unlocked her cell phone right away to get to the bottom of it. As suggested by Sally, Natalie checked the new message from Jacqueline. A photo instantly captured her attention. When she saw that photo, she swayed and almost fainted. Fortunately, Sally had expected her reaction and managed to hold Natalie in time. ¡°Nat, I told you to calm down. Why did you...¡± Sally let out a sign, leaving her sentence unfinished. After all, it was only normal for a woman to go crazy upon finding out that her husband cheated on her. Unless she no longer loves her husband. Without replying, Natalie stood up straight and zoomed in on the photo with trembling hands. She saw how Shane was holding Jacqueline in bed, and the red spots on their exposed skin triggered the worst fear in Natalie''s heart. It seemed obvious that something had happened between them. In the photo, Jacqueline was looking into the camera, and her tear-streaked face made it seem as though she had just endured something horrible. Natalie turned pale, taking a few deep breaths to stop herself from fainting. She had never imagined that things would spiral out of control just two days after she went overseas. Shane and Jacqueline actually... Natalie had a hand on her tummy and another on the wall. The next moment, she slumped to the floor slowly as pain donned her face. Sally''s expression took a sharp change upon seeing that as she asked, ¡°Nat, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°It hurts. It hurts so much... Sal, take me to the hospital. Please hurry. Save my baby!¡± requested Natalie as she gripped Sally''s hands while beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Only then did Sally realize that Natalie was actually pregnant. By the looks of it, it seems that she was triggered by the photo and is experiencing abdominal pain. Sally didn''t dare to dilly dally. She took off her high heels right away and carried Natalie out of the competition site. Hannah and Jessie were leaving from the other side and happened to see that. Jessie narrowed her eyes and ordered, ¡°Go find out what happened to Natalie.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Hannah unwillingly. Despite that, she did as asked, anyway. She returned a few minutester. Her voice carried a hint of glee when she reported, ¡°I''ve learned everything. A designer said that Natalie got agitated after reading a text message on her phone and experienced abdominal pain. She''s carrying a baby, so Sally rushed her to the hospital.¡± ¡°Baby?¡± blurted Jessie as her pupils constricted. Her hands slowly clenched into fists while a me of rage burned within her. Natalie is pregnant. She is actually pregnant with Shane''s baby! On the other side of the building, Sally got a cab and sent Natalie to the hospital. Since Natalie was starting to have vaginal bleeding, the medical staff took her to the emergency room right away. Meanwhile, Sally waited outside nervously. As she waited, she held Natalie''s cell phone and stared at the photo on it. She got so angry that she dissed, ¡°And here I thought that Mr. Shane is a good guy. Boy was I so wrong... It turns out that he is no different from the others!¡± Sally had a strong urge to seek justice for Natalie. ¡°No, I can''t let things slide just like that. I''m going to f*cking call him and insult the cr*p out of him!¡± muttered Sally as she scrolled through Natalie''s contact list. After finding Shane''s number, she made the call. Unfortunately, his phone was turned off. Sally stomped her foot in rage. Did he turn his phone off because he didn''t want to be disturbed? ¡°That disgusting man!¡± cussed Sally before she called Joyce. The former nned on getting thetter to help Natalie catch the shameless cheater and mistress in bed. She can take some photos of those two naked. That way, Natalie will at least get a sizeable portion of his wealth when she divorces him! It didn''t take long before Joyce''s tired voice came from the other side of the line. ¡°What''s up, Nat? Why are you calling sote at night?¡± Sally was stunned as she had just remembered the time difference and that it was midnight for Joyce. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Is it too much to ask Joyce to go after those shameless idiots at this hour? Despite her thoughts, Sally decided to do as she initially nned. She''s awake anyway. It''s not like she can go back to sleep after this. ¡°Uh, it''s me,¡± informed Sally before she cleared her throat a little. Joyce rubbed her eyes in exhaustion and asked, ¡°Sally? Why are you calling? Where''s Nat?¡± Sally''s expression turned grim when she answered, ¡°She''s in the emergency room.¡± ¡°What?¡± blurted Joyce. Hearing those words woke her up right away. She jolted out of her bed and asked, ¡°She''s in the emergency room? Why? What happened?¡± Chapter 814 Chapter 814 ¡°Calm down. I called you to tell you about this. Here''s what happened,¡± said Sally before she told Joyce the whole story. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Joyce was bbergasted. It took her some time to regain her footing and say, ¡°How is that possible? How could Mr. Shane have cheated? That...¡± ¡°That is the truth! Nat was only rushed to the emergency room because she saw the photo and got so angry that her baby was affected!¡± protested Sally loudly. Joyce was at a loss for words. Sally sighed and added, ¡°To be honest, I couldn''t believe that Mr. Shane would do something like that to Nat as well, but I saw it with my own eyes. Joyce, please help her go to the hotel and catch those shameless assh*les in the act.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± murmured Joyce as she nodded nkly. After that, Sally hung up the call and sent Joyce the photo. The photo caught a part of the nightstand on which a tablemp was ced, and themp had the hotel''s logo on it. Joyce would be able to find them as soon as she figured out which hotel they were in. Meanwhile, Joyce downloaded the photo that Sally sent over and opened it. Seeing the content got Joyce so angry that she punched her bed. She kicked her nket away and changed her clothes immediately after. In no time, Joyce stomped into the hotel while emanating a murderous aura. She was about to con the receptionist into sharing Shane''s room number when she heard a voice. Ss sounded surprised as he asked, ¡°Ms. Rivers, what are you doing here sote at night?¡± Joyce turned around and red at him angrily, which befuddled Ss. He had no idea what he did to piss thedy off that much, so he grinned and asked, ¡°Ms. Rivers, did I do something to offend you?¡± ¡°No, you didn''t, but you and your employer really stepped on Nat''s tail,¡± growled Joyce angrily. That got Ss even more confused. He pushed his sses up and asked, ¡°Ms. Rivers, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Hah, stop acting dumb. Tell me which room he is in right now. Tell me!¡± demanded Joyce as she walked over and clutched his tie. Ss was feeling ufortable and wanted to pull his tie back, but Joyce''s grip on it was strong. So he couldn''t get it back, nor could he attack her. She is just a woman, after all. Hence, Ss put his hands in the air to admit defeat before informing, ¡°Ms. Rivers, I have no idea where Mr. Shane is, either. Why are you asking about it?¡± Joyce scoffed and challenged, ¡°Yeah, right. Do you really think I''d believe a word you say? The two of you are in league with one another, so it''s only natural for you to cover up for him.¡± ¡°Ms. Rivers, may I know why I need to cover up for him?¡± asked Ss, who honestly didn''t know what was going on. Joyce let go of his tie and spat through gritted teeth, ¡°Because your employer is cheating on Nat with Jacqueline! As his assistant, is it not your job to cover up for him and lie about it?¡± Ss'' expression turned serious as he reminded, ¡°Ms. Rivers, you shouldn''t simply say such things. When has Mr. Shane ever slept with Ms. Graham?¡± ¡°Still denying it, huh? Must you remain stubborn until I show you some evidence?¡± scoffed Joyce before she fished her cell phone out. Ss took a nce at the phone screen and gasped. ¡°That is not possible!¡± ¡°How is it impossible? It''s not like the photo is fake.¡± Ss'' face fell, but he insisted, ¡°There is no way that Mr. Shane would sleep with Ms. Graham. He must''ve been tricked.¡± After saying his piece, Ss walked to the front desk and asked for Shane''s room number. Things have spiraled out of control! No wonder I can''t get in touch with Mr. Shane or find him. It turns out that he was tricked. Joyce was in a daze while she stood rooted to the spot and blurted, ¡°Tricked?¡± Ss didn''t look like he was lying. Does he really not know what Mr. Shane is doing right now? There are only two possibilities. The first one is that Shane lied to Ss before sleeping with Jacqueline, but that is quite unlikely. Ss is right here in the hotel, so there is no way Shane could''ve kept it a secret from him. The more likely scenario is that someone set Shane up. That is why Ss is unaware of any of this. Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Joyce''s scalp felt tingly uponing to that conclusion. She lowered her head and checked the photo once more. This time, she was able to notice that something was off after she had calmed down. Why are Shane''s eyes closed? Jacqueline is the one who is physically weak, so shouldn''t she be the one who is worn out and asleep? Why is Shane the one sleeping? Naturally, it was also possible for the man to fall asleep before the woman did afterpleting an energy-depleting act like that. The strange thing was that Joyce couldn''t see any signs of weariness in either of them. Joyce was inexperienced in that matter, but she had done enough reading to know that both men and women would be tired after the deed. The fact that there is no sign of exhaustion means that they didn''t actually sleep together. ¡°Mr. Campbell,¡± said Joyce. She wanted to share her finding with Ss, but all she saw was him hurrying over to the elevator. Joyce quickly followed him and said, ¡°Mr. Campbell...¡± However, Ss interrupted her before she got to finish her sentence. ¡°Ms. Rivers, I understand why you are here. You want to help Madam. There is nothing wrong with what you''re doing, but I''m telling you, there is no way Mr. Shane would betray her. He...¡± ¡°I know. This is all a set-up,¡± said Joyce to finish his sentence. After that, she shared all of her findings with him. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Ss sighed a breath of relief after hearing everything. Oh, thank the heavens. Mr. Shane didn''t actually sleep with Ms. Graham. If anything had happened between them, he would''ve been regarded as having betrayed Madam, even if he was tricked. Fortunately, the worst didn''t happen. The two were quick to arrive outside the room. Ss and Joyce looked into each other''s eyes for a moment before thetter nodded. Then Ss got a key card out and opened the door. The lights inside the room automatically came on as soon as the door was opened. A woman''s sharp voice came at them before they even entered the room. Joyce recognized it as that of Jacqueline''s right away. The former was so angry that she tossed her phone to Ss and requested, ¡°Mr. Campbell, please make a video recording. I want to teach her a lesson!¡± Ss didn''t think it was the righteous thing to do, but he nodded in agreement nheless after considering that Jacqueline had tricked his employer. Having said that, Joyce rolled up her sleeves and walked toward the bed, tossing a look at the unconscious Shane before shifting her gaze to the person beside him. Jacqueline was cowering on the bed with her face hidden under the nket, trembling uncontrobly like she was in shock. Joyce narrowed her eyes and pulled the nket off right away. That got Jacquelinepletely exposed. She was wearing a torn dress that could barely hide her skin, and red marks donned the parts that were exposed. In that state, anyone would assume the worst. ¡°Aw, looks like things were going really well,¡± dissed Joyce. Jacqueline''s eyes bulged on her tear-streaked face as she stared at Joyce in bewilderment and blurted, ¡°Why are you the one here?¡± Joyce grinned and said, ¡°Why am I the one here? Now that is interesting. Who do you think is supposed to be here?¡± Instantly, Jacqueline was rendered speechless. She shifted her gaze down to hide the wicked glint in her eyes. She thought that the paparazzi would be the one to show up, but to her surprise, Joyce came instead. Could it be that Natalie sent Joyce over after seeing that photo? ¡±Ms. Smith asked you toe over, didn''t she?¡± demanded Jacqueline as she reached out to grab Joyce''s hand. Joyce moved away in disgust before she spat, ¡°That''s right. Isn''t that your intention in the first ce? You sent the photo to Nat to make her send someone over. Once you got caught naked with Shane, the fact that you two slept together would be exposed. Isn''t that what you wanted all along?¡± ¡°No!¡± insisted Jacqueline as tears kept rolling down her cheeks. She continued, ¡°I sent Ms. Smith that photo to inform her that Shane forced himself on me. I just wanted her to know that it was not my intention to hurt her. That''s it.¡± Chapter 816 Chapter 816 ¡°Oh, really? Do you actually think I''d buy your bullsh*t?¡± said Joyce as she crossed her arms. ¡°Want to know what I think? I think you sent that photo to Nat as a taunt because you wanted to mock her. Also, you imed that Shane forced himself on you. How is that even possible?¡± Joyce checked the woman out and dissed, ¡°Seriously, why don''t you take a look at yourself in the mirror? Your hair is such a mess that it looks like crawling earthworms. Men would have nightmares at the mere sight of it. Why would they force themselves on you? Besides, if Shane really wanted to sleep with you, he would''ve done it ages ago. There''s no need to wait until now.¡± Ss, who was recording the entire thing, chimed in, ¡°She''s right.¡± Jacqueline looked away to hide her grimace. The way Joyce described her hair had truly stung Jacqueline. The fact that she was almost bald and that there were scars left on her head after the surgery was her sore spot. That woman actually had the guts to bring that up! Jacqueline made a mental note to get back at Joyce for that, but she kept her act intact. Immediately, she shook her head and hand in denial as she exined, ¡°That''s not it. I am telling the truth. Shane was drugged at the party, and I rescued him from someone, but heter mistook me as Ms. Smith, so he...¡± Jacqueline blushed when she reached that part of the story. She acted as though it took her a lot of courage to continue, ¡°I didn''t have the strength to free myself. When Shane was done, I sent Ms. Smith the photo right away to tell her that I was not the one who started it all.¡± ¡°Oh, by the sound of it, it seems like you really don''t want to sleep with Mr. Shane, huh?¡± scoffed Joyce. Jacqueline nodded and replied, ¡°I am Jackie''s girlfriend, so naturally, I want to stay loyal to him.¡± ¡°Oh, that''s a nice story. Still, if you didn''t want to sleep with Mr. Shane, you could''ve shouted and asked for help. There were so many people in the hotel, and someone would definitely have heard you if you had shouted. Even if, by some miracle, you couldn''t shout, you could still call for help. Did you do any of that?¡± challenged Joyce. ¡°M-My cell phone was not with me at that time,¡± answered Jacqueline as she bit her lip. ¡°Oh, you didn''t have your cell phone? I guess that''s yet another coincidence, huh?¡± mocked Joyce before she rolled her eyes at Jacqueline. Thetter had her head down and didn''t say anything. Pursing her lips, Joyce pointed out, ¡°Then what about what happened afterward? You imed that you didn''t want to hurt Dr. Baker, so why didn''t you sneak away quietly? Why did you stay and wait here? You even sent Nat a photo. It''s obvious that you wanted everyone to know that the two of you slept together so that you can force Mr. Shane to marry you after he wakes up.¡± ¡°No, that is not true. I couldn''t walk because it hurt so much,¡± replied Jacqueline between sobs. ¡°My gosh, you''re still denying it? I don''t buy a word you say. In fact, I don''t think the two of you slept together at all!¡± ¡°If we hadn''t slept together, I wouldn''t have all these marks...¡± ¡°You could''ve done that to yourself. Wanna see how?¡± Joyce bent down and was quick to pinch Jacqueline hard on her shoulder. The pain got Jacqueline to yelp and demand, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Helping you create fake hickeys. See? Here it is,¡± answered Joyce as she moved her hand away and admired her own work. Jacqueline''s expression turned grim as she growled, ¡°You...¡± ¡°What? Are you still going to insist that the two of you''ve slept together? Fine! I''ll expose you once and for all. Get on your back,¡± said Joyce before she pushed Jacqueline onto the bed and started touching her. Jacqueline was so scared that she turned pale and demanded, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Won''t there be semen left in a woman''s body after she sleeps with a man? I''ll help you check if there''s anything in there. If there isn''t, it means that I was right. If there is, we can have the semen tested and see if it belongs to Mr. Shane,¡± replied Joyce with a menacing smile. Jacqueline''s pupils constricted upon hearing that. Shoot! This woman is such a wild card. She''s even checking my body now! Unfortunately, Jacqueline wasn''t strong enough to stop Joyce, so she panicked instantly. Joyce''s irrational and wild behavior had disrupted every exit strategy and n Jacqueline had. In the end, she was left at Joyce''s mercy. Chapter 817 Chapter 817 ¡°Pleasee closer, Mr. Campbell. Record everything as I examine her body. If you don''t wish to see anything, you can close your eyes,¡± requested Joyce as she took Jacqueline''s panty off. Ss was dumbfounded, his lip twitching uncontrobly. Although he thought that Joyce''s method was a little extreme, even he couldn''t deny that it was the most effective one. F*ck it. I''m going all out. Remember, Ss, you''re doing this to clear Mr. Shane''s good name. It''s for Madam''s sake too. Ss took a deep breath and took a few steps forward before he closed his eyes. Only then did Jacqueline realize that Ss had been videotaping everything. Her entire figure instantly stiffened. She couldn''t keep her act up anymore and sounded scared when she howled, ¡°F*ck off. Get off of me. Let me go!¡± There was no way Joyce would let her go. The former suppressed the disgust she felt as she reached down. All she needed was a touch to get to the bottom of things. There''s nothing there! Joyce''s anxious heart instantly calmed down. If she was being honest, she would say that she had been truly worried that the two of them had slept together. Oh, thank the heavens that everything is as I suspected. Nothing happened between them. Nat can stop worrying now since Mr. Shane is innocent. Joyce moved her hand out and let Jacqueline go at the same time. With that, Jacqueline ended up lying on the bed like a ragged doll. She gave Joyce the death stare as if she wanted to skin thetter alive. Joyce wasn''t intimidated by her at all. In fact, she raised her hand and showed everyone the evidence before saying, ¡°Now, are you still going to lie and say that the two of you slept together?¡± Jacqueline was so angry that she was trembling, but she could note up with anything to retort Joyce. Joyce grinned. ¡°I see that you''re finally admitting to never having slept with Mr. Shane. This also proves that it was all part of your n. You created a fake impression of Shane raping you so that you can force him to marry you. You even made sure to destroy Mr. Shane''s marriage with Nat. My gosh, you are despicable!¡± Jacqueline''s face contorted in rage, but she remained quiet. Joyce flipped her hair and pointed out, ¡°You look dissatisfied. Aw, that''s too bad. See, nobody gives a sh*t about how you feel, and your vile n failed. Mr. Campbell, please help your employer put his clothes on. We''re leaving.¡± After saying her piece, Joyce left the room and called Sally to report her findings. Meanwhile, Sally had just helped Natalie wet her lips when the cell phone rang. She took a nce at it and picked up the call right away. ¡°Hi, did you get them?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Hell yeah, I did. Things have turned around,¡± replied Joyce in an excited tone. ¡°Turned around? How?¡± asked Sally as she blinked curiously. ¡°Sal, is that Joyce?¡± said the woman on the hospital bed right after Sally asked the question. Natalie was finally conscious, but she looked weak and pale. Sally turned to Natalie and eximed, ¡°Nat, you''re awake!¡± Natalie murmured a reply before she tried to sit up. Sally hurried over and stopped Natalie from doing so as she advised, ¡°Don''t move about too much. You should rest up now.¡± ¡°The baby...¡± Sally grinned and answered, ¡°The baby''s fine. Don''t worry.¡± Natalie sighed a breath of relief and forced a grin on her face. ¡°Thank you, Sal.¡± ¡°You''re wee. How do you feel? Should I call the doctor over to examine you?¡± Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°I''m fine now.¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that,¡± said Sally, whose nerves finally calmed down. Natalie nced at the cell phone and asked, ¡°Is that Joyce?¡± ¡°Yeah, I asked her to go kick the shameless idiots'' a*sses earlier. She probably called to tell me about it.¡± ¡°Give me the phone.¡± Sally was a little hesitant while she reminded, ¡°Maybe that''s not the best idea, Nat. What if you get angry again and the baby...?¡± ¡°I''ll be fine,¡± insisted Natalie. Sally could see how persistent Natalie was, so she knew that it would be futile to persuade thetter. Hence, she sighed and handed the cell phone over. After Natalie took the cell phone, she ced it by her ear and greeted, ¡°Joyce.¡± ¡°Nat, I''ve got great news. Mr. Shane didn''t...¡± ¡°He didn''t cheat on me,¡± said Natalie to cut Joyce short. Sally''s jaw dropped in astonishment before she blurted, ¡°Nat, how are you so certain?¡± Joyce was curious as to why Natalie was that confident as well. Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°When we got back together, we promised that we would trust each other no matter what happens. That is why I am certain that he would never do anything to hurt me.¡± Chapter 818 Chapter 818 Back then, Natalie was overwhelmed by that photo and didn''t have time to consider the matter properly. That was why she got so angry. But she was conscious while being taken to the hospital, so she had time to analyze the situation. What are the chances of Shane cheating on me? There should be none. Shane already knows what kind of a woman Jacqueline is, so there is no way he''d sleep with her. That means it''s all a trick. ¡°Yes, Nat. You are right. Mr. Shane didn''t cheat on you. It was all part of Jacqueline''s scheme. She...¡± Joyce shared everything she did after receiving the photo. Natalie was stunned when she heard about Joyce touching Jacqueline''s sensitive area. ¡°Thank you for everything. You really drew the short straw this time,¡± she said amusedly. ¡°Tell me about it! This is such a huge sacrifice. My hands will never be clean again, and it''s going to rot,¡±ined Joyce a little as she stared at the hand that went inside Jacqueline earlier. A warm and fuzzy feeling rose in Natalie''s heart. Having her as my friend is the best thing that has ever happened to me in this lifetime. ¡°Thank you, Joyce. I will definitely repay your kindness once I get back. Didn''t you say that you wanted that Fanz bag? I''ll get it for you.¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up instantly. She asked, ¡°Really?¡± Fanz was one of Thompson Group''s subsidiaries, so every single one of its products was extremely expensive. In fact, their prices were never under six digits. The design that Joyce loved had been in cirction for over two years, but only ten bags were produced globally. Hence, many socialites wanted to get their hands on the bag but were unable to. At that moment, only onest bag was avable. It had been sitting in Fanz''s store for a while, and no one knew why it wasn''t sold. ¡°Yes, really,¡± replied Natalie as she nodded with a smile. It turned out that Shane nned on giving Natalie that bag on her birthday. Since Joyce did her such a huge favor, Natalie decided to give it to her instead. ¡°Oh my gosh! Thank you, Nat,¡± said Joyce while she jumped in excitement. ¡°You don''t have to thank me. Since you gave Shane and me such a huge helping hand, we should be thanking you instead. By the way, how is Shane now?¡± asked Natalie in a worried tone. Joyce mentioned that Shane was drugged. I wonder if he''s okay. Joyce shifted her attention to the room and replied, ¡°We don''t know yet. Mr. Campbell already called the doctor over. Don''t worry. I will keep an eye on the matter for you. We will call you as soon as we get the result.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Natalie as she forced a grin on her face. After that, Joyce asked, ¡°What about you, Nat? Sally said that you were hospitalized. Is everything alright now?¡± ¡°I''m fine now,¡± replied Natalie. Joyce sighed a breath of relief and said, ¡°I''m d to hear that.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The two friends chatted for a little while before they hung up. However, Natalie was still worried about Shane. Back in the country, Joyce put her phone away and took Shane to the hospital with Ss. Meanwhile, Jacqueline was locked in the room as per Ss'' order. She had gone overboard this time, so there was no way they would let her go. Unfortunately, they needed Shane to wake up and decide how to deal with Jacqueline. Jackson rushed over from home after hearing the news that Shane was hospitalized. ¡°What happened? How did Shane suddenly get hospitalized?¡± asked Jackson as he panted and grabbed Ss'' shoulder. Jackson had just parted ways with Shane before he excused himself and left Jacqueline with Mr. Gunn. Jackson thought that there was no point in staying there because Jacqueline didn''t want to introduce him as her boyfriend. Moreover, Mr. Gunn disliked the idea of Jackson hanging out with Jacqueline. He felt that Jackson''s handsome face and role as a doctor could not provide Jacqueline with the sense of security and thepany she needed. Hence, Jackson left in a fit of anger after being ignored by both Jacqueline and Mr. Gunn. As a result, he had no idea what happened next. ¡°Here''s the thing, Dr. Baker. Mr. Shane...¡± said Ss before he shared the entire story. Jackson was stunned after hearing everything. It took him a while toe back around, and even then, he stumbled backward like he had just been hit. Chapter 819 Chapter 819 ¡°H-How is that even possible?¡± blurted Jackson with great difficulty. Joyce felt bad for him, but she was too angry at the time, so she bellowed, ¡°Why is that impossible? This is indeed the truth. Your girlfriend tried to trick Shane into marrying her.¡± Jackson''s mind went nk instantly. His dashing face turned pale while a defeated look crept up on it. Seeing him in that state made Joyce hesitant to say anything else. At the end of the day, he is just like Nat and Mr. Shane. They''re all victims. ¡°Where is Jacqueline now?¡± asked Jackson in a raspy voice after he wiped his face. ¡°In the hotel. I had someone lock her in. Sorry about this, Dr. Baker,¡± answered Ss as he pushed his sses up. ¡°It''s fine. I understand,¡± replied Jackson as he forced a grin on his face. Then he added, ¡°I have to go make a call.¡± He lowered his head and walked away. Joyce stared at his back and sighed before asking, ¡°What do you think is wrong with Jacqueline? Dr. Baker is such an amazing guy. What''s so bad about being with him? Why did she insist on doing all that?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± said Ss while shrugging. Joyce rolled her eyes at him and stopped talking. Meanwhile, Jackson went to a quiet corridor and took a deep breath before he called Jacqueline. It didn''t take long for someone to pick up, but only silence was heard from the other end of the line. Jackson knew that Jacqueline was on the other end of that line although she didn''t speak. ¡°Jacqueline,¡± muttered Jackson sadly. Jacqueline sat on the bed with an expressionless face. ¡°You learned all about it?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Jackson as he nodded. Jacqueline''s grip on her cell phone tightened before she said, ¡°In that case, let''s break up.¡± At first, she nned on neglecting him so that he would initiate the breakup. She could regain her freedom that way and still be on the receiving end of others'' pity. Unfortunately, Joyce had foiled everything. Instead of agreeing to her request, he simply asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why did you do that? What''s so bad about being with me? Have I not treated you right? Have I not loved you enough?¡± asked Jackson. Jacqueline went quiet for a few seconds. Her face was filled with disinterest when she answered, ¡°You have been good to me, but that is not what I want. I don''t love you. In fact, I never have. The one I love is Shane, and I only want him to love me and treat me right. Do you understand?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Is that why you did all that?¡± asked Jackson as he let out a mocking smile. Jacqueline bit her lip before she replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don''t you think that what you did is wrong?¡± ¡°What is wrong with it?¡± refuted Jacqueline loudly. ¡°I am simply going after the person I love, so how am I wrong? Tell me, Jackson.¡± ¡°Everything about that is wrong. Shane doesn''t love you. He is married and has a wife. What you did is no different from being a homewrecker. Besides, you are my girlfriend. Have you ever considered how I feel?¡± asked Jackson as he put his palm on his chest. Jacqueline was silent for a few seconds before she answered emotionlessly, ¡°No, your feelings have never mattered to me.¡± Despite being mentally prepared, Jackson felt like someone had stabbed his heart when he heard that response. It hurt so much that he couldn''t breathe, and his face turned pale. In the end, he let out a sorrowful chuckle before saying, ¡°Jacqueline Graham, you really are cruel.¡± Jacqueline bit her lip and replied, ¡°I''m sorry, but we should never have been together in the first ce. You''ve always known who I love, but you still confessed your love to me. As such, you only have yourself to me.¡± Jackson chuckled even louder. The sorrow in his voice intensified while his teary eyes slowly reddened. He admitted, ¡°So it''s my own fault, huh? You''re right. I was the one who made the first move, but why did you agree to be my girlfriend if you never loved me?¡± Jacqueline lowered her eyes without uttering a word. Why? Because I want Shane and Natalie to let their guards down. Chapter 820 Chapter 820 Natalie had always disliked how close Jacqueline was to Shane and had asked him to distance himself from her. That was why Jacqueline decided to find a boyfriend to lower Natalie and Shane''s guard. She had to make them think that she had given up on Shane. Coincidentally, Jackson was pursuing her at that time, so Jacqueline agreed to be his girlfriend. Jacqueline''s silence got Jackson to mock himself further. He took his sses off and wiped his eyes a little before saying, ¡°You know what, Jacqueline Graham? I truly loved you. I knew that you were vicious, but I loved you anyway. However, I never thought that you would be this cruel to me.¡± ¡°I''m sorry,¡± said Jacqueline. Deep down, she was feeling a little guilty. She didn''t love him, but he was her friend, after all. Although she knew that she had done him wrong, there was nothing else she could do except apologize. ¡°There''s no need to apologize. You asked to break up, and I agree. We''re done, Jacqueline Graham!¡± said Jackson before he hung up. While Jacqueline stared at her phone, a strange emptiness crept up on her. It was as if she had just lost something important, and that got her to panic. However, she was quick to regain her footing, and her expression turned firm. I didn''t do anything wrong. What I did was for my own sake, so it wasn''t a mistake. On the other side of that line, Jackson returned to where Ss and Joyce were after hanging up, looking sullen. Seeing him like that, Joyce could not help but pity him. She asked, ¡°Dr. Baker, are you alright?¡± Jackson slumped down onto the bench with his head down. It was as if he couldn''t hear what she said. When Joyce saw that the other party was ignoring her, she merely shrugged and stopped talking. She was never the kind of person who would butter anyone up, anyway. It didn''t take long before Shane''s report was out, and the doctor approached them. Ss was quick to stop the doctor and ask, ¡°Doctor, how is Mr. Shane?¡± Joyce hurried over to the doctor as well. Even Jackson, who was still reeling in from the pain of his breakup, lifted his head. The doctor removed his mask and answered, ¡°He''s fine. He ingested too much sedative, but we''ve already administered the antidote, so he will likely regain consciousness soon.¡± ¡°That''s great news,¡± said Ss before he sighed a breath of relief. Joyce smiled and said, ¡°I''ve got to tell Nat the good news.¡± Hearing that reminded Ss that he hadn''t asked about Natalie yet. Hence, he quickly inquired, ¡°Ms. Rivers, is Madam doing okay?¡± Joyce rolled her eyes andined, ¡°What do you think? When Nat first saw the photo, she got so angry that it affected the baby, and she had to be hospitalized. The baby would have been gone if Sally wasn''t there!¡± Ss gasped upon hearing that. He had just realized that things were more grave than he initially thought. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Is the baby okay now?¡± asked Ss again. Joyce answered, ¡°The baby''s fine. They got to the hospital in time.¡± ¡°Oh, thank the heavens,¡± murmured Ss as he patted his chest. He felt like he was on an emotional rollercoaster and had been tossed up and down mercilessly. I won''t be surprised if all this sh*t gives me a heart attack someday. We''re lucky that everything turned out okay. If the worst had happened... Oh dear, who knows what Mr. Shane will do if he learns that Madam had a miscarriage? Shane was taken to the ward soon after. After telling Natalie that Shane was fine, Joyce got ready to leave the hospital and head back to the office. After all, Joyce was the only manager avable in thepany, so she had tons to do. Shortly after Joyce left, Shane woke up. Ss propped him up with a pillow. Shane massaged his dizzy head and asked in a cold tone, ¡°Have you caught the person who drugged me?¡± If Ss found me and sent me to the hospital, then he must''ve already learned about me being drugged. There''s no way he hasn''t apprehended the person who drugged me. Ss nodded and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is her name?¡± demanded Shane while narrowing his eyes. The mere thought of how the woman refused to let him go made Shane feel like breaking her neck. He hated getting drugged ever since Sean conned him five years ago. Chapter 821 Chapter 821 That woman crossed the line, so she''d better be prepared for my vengeance. Ss had his gaze down when he replied, ¡°The culprit is Ms. Graham.¡± ¡°What?¡± blurted Shane in surprise. He turned to Ss and asked again, ¡°Did you just say that the person who drugged me is Jacqueline Graham?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Ss while nodding. Shane hesitated before informing, ¡°She is not the culprit. Someone else is. Jacqueline was the one who showed up and chased that woman away. If she hadn''t...¡± ¡°That is not what happened at all. Ms. Graham is the actual mastermind behind the incident. That woman is just a scapegoat Ms. Graham hired,¡± interrupted Ss. Shane''s pupils constricted, and his expression turned downright murderous when he demanded, ¡°Did you just say scapegoat?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Ss while pouring Shane a ss of water. He then added, ¡°This is what happened. Ms. Graham is the one who nned everything and drugged you. She had that woman pretend to be the culprit and take you to the lounge. After that...¡± ¡°Jacqueline showed up and pretended to chase the woman away. Then, she took me to the lounge herself,¡± said Shane to finish Ss'' sentence. Ss handed the ss of water to Shane before adding, ¡°That''s right. She did that so that you wouldn''t suspect her of drugging you. You''d even thank her for helping you out. After bringing you to the room, she used a voice-altering device to pretend to be Madam. She wanted to seduce you and trick you into having sex with her.¡± After that, Jacqueline would say that she rescued you, but you raped her upon thinking that she was Madam. You would then be used of being a rapist and would be asked to marry Jacqueline. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Ss never said thosest two sentences, but Shane guessed it himself. The aura surrounding Shane suddenly turned cold, and his eyes glowed with murderous intent. ¡°What else?¡± demanded Shane in an icy tone. He didn''t think that things would be that simple. Ss hurriedly reported, ¡°Ms. Graham did all that in an attempt to marry into your family. She even got the media involved and nned on letting them barge into the room. She wanted the news of the two of you in bed to be exposed. That way, you would not be able to deny anything and must marry her.¡± Fear was still running in Ss'' veins when he said those words. He and Joyce had just helped Shane into the car and were ready to take him to the hospital when they saw the paparazzi rushing into the hotel. They were muttering something about the CEO of Thompson Group cheating on his wife. Instantly, Joyce and Ss knew that Jacqueline was the one who had asked the paparazzi over. Ss was d that he had taken Shane out of there before the paparazzi did anything. If they were just a minuteter, the rumor about Shane sleeping with Jacqueline would''ve spread like wildfire on the inte. ¡°Go on,¡± instructed Shane with a grim expression. Ss took a deep breath before he continued, ¡°That is not all Jacqueline did. She also took a naked photo of you two in bed together and sent it to Madam. She got so angry after she saw the picture that her abdomen hurt.¡± Shane''s face fell as he asked, ¡°How is she now?¡± Ss quickly held Shane down and gestured for thetter to calm down before he said, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane. She is fine now, and she believed that you didn''t betray her.¡± ¡°S-She said that?¡± blurted Shane in disbelief. His reaction was understandable. After all, the photo made it pretty difficult for anyone to believe that he had remained loyal. Ss nodded affirmatively and replied, ¡°It''s true. Madam said that the two of you promised to trust each other when you got back together. That was why she knew that you wouldn''t do anything to hurt her.¡± Upon hearing those words, Shane''s gaze softened, but that look dissipated quickly. He clenched his fist, and in a raspy voice, he asked, ¡°D-Did I do anything to hurt her?¡± Shane was drugged, after all, so he didn''t know if he had done anything out of line. Ss shook his head and replied, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane, you didn''t. Jacqueline gave you a high dosage of the drug, and it is likely that you fell asleep as soon as you got into the room. There was no way to get an erection after you fell asleep. Hence, you couldn''t have slept with her. Ms. Rivers even examined Jacqueline''s body to confirm that.¡± Chapter 822 Chapter 822 ¡°Examined her body?¡± blurted Shane with his brows raised. What the heck? Ss cleared his throat a little. Although he felt a little awkward, he still shared everything that happened after he and Joyce barged into the room. He was especially detailed in recounting how Joyce examined Jacqueline''s body. Hearing all that got Shane''s eye to twitch a little. He was speechless about Joyce''s method, but he was genuinely appreciative of it. If she hadn''t shown up in the hotel in time, the paparazzi might''ve already taken the photos of him and Jacqueline together. It would be impossible for him to clear his good name if that were to happen. ¡°Get some gifts ready and send them to Joyce,¡± instructed Shane before he gulped down some water. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ss replied, ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Where are Jacqueline and that woman?¡± asked Shane after he put the ss down. Ss answered, ¡°They''re still in the hotel. I had someone lock them up.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Shane while narrowing his eyes. However, he didn''t mention anything about punishing the two of them. Ss didn''t ask him as he knew that there was no way Shane would let them go that easily. There was something Ss didn''t understand, though. Why must Jacqueline set herself on a path of self-destruction? She might not have Mr. Shane as her lover, but at least she had him as a brother. Isn''t that good enough? With Mr. Shane as her protective brother, she could have pretty much done whatever she wanted in J City. I honestly don''t know what''s gotten into her head. Of all the things to do, she chose to scheme against Mr. Shane. And now, things have spiraled out of control. Mr. Shane is infuriated and doesn''t care about her anymore. Thinking about all that got Shane to sigh. ¡°You may leave,¡± said Shane as he closed his eyes and waved dismissively. Ss murmured in response before he turned around and left. After Ss left, Shane opened his eyes and picked up his phone to call Natalie. It waste at night for Shane, but it wasn''t time for bed yet. Natalie picked up the call in no time and sounded worried when she said, ¡°Shane, you''re up. Are you okay?¡± A warm feeling filled Shane''s heart upon hearing the woman he loved asking about his wellbeing. His expression was gentle when he replied, ¡°Yeah, I''m up. I''m fine now. How about you?¡± ¡°I''m fine, too,¡± answered Natalie with a smile. Shane swallowed hard and apologized, ¡°I''m so sorry for making you worry about me.¡± ¡°Hmph. You know, the incident really got to me. When I first saw the photo, I got so angry that my abdomen hurt. Fortunately, I thought it throughter on and realized that there is no way you''d do something like this,¡± said Natalie as she feigned anger by punching the air. Shane leaned back andmented, ¡°I never expected Jacqueline to be capable of doing something like this.¡± ¡°She was probably worked up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hearing how clueless the guy was made Natalie purse her lips as she said, ¡°Do you remember the argument we got into earlier? Jacqueline spoke to me back then and kept hinting that we should get a divorce.¡± ¡°I didn''t know that,¡± replied Shane while frowning. ¡°I knew you were clueless.¡± ¡°Then why didn''t you tell me earlier?¡±ined Shane. Natalie stuck her tongue out before she replied, ¡°I wanted to tell you, but you weren''t listening at the time. After we got back together, I forgot all about it.¡± That rendered Shanepletely speechless. Natalie added, ¡°When we were arguing, Jacqueline kept trying to make us get a divorce. However, we remained married and even got back together afterward. That got her to panic and made her realize that there was no way we''d separate. That is why she did the unthinkable.¡± Shane frowned upon hearing that. So that is the reason Jacqueline got the paparazzi involved. She wanted to use public opinion to achieve her goal. Once theizens realize that I''ve slept with Jacqueline, they would demand that I get a divorce and marry Jacqueline. After all, what kind of man would take advantage of a woman and not take responsibility for it? If I refuse to marry her, Thompson Group would be dragged through the mud. This has been Jacqueline''s real n all along. ¡°Shane, are you still there?¡± asked Natalie when she heard nothing but silence for a while. Shane''s gaze shifted as he came back around and replied, ¡°Yeah, I''m here.¡± ¡°Shane, we really should thank Joyce for this. If she hadn''t thrown a wrench to Jacqueline''s n, you would''ve been tricked already,¡± said Natalie with a straight face. Chapter 823 Chapter 823 Shane was aware of that as well. He chuckled and replied, ¡°I know. I''ve already ordered Ss to work on it. I''m sure she''ll call you in delight after receiving her gifts.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Natalie with a smile as she nodded. She didn''t ask what present he got for Joyce because, given Shane''s wealth, the gift was bound to be extremely luxurious. After that, the two of them changed topics and avoided discussing that particr matter. After all, it was a terrible ordeal, and thinking about it would just upset both of them. Their callsted for over thirty minutes. Shane had just put his phone away when someone opened the door to his room. The next moment, Jackson entered and greeted, ¡°Shane.¡± Shane gave a slight nod. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± asked Jackson as he closed the door. ¡°Yeah,¡± murmured Shane. ¡°I''m so sorry. I didn''t know that Jacqueline would do something like this,¡± said Jackson as he looked apologetically at Shane. Shane shifted his gaze to Jackson and said calmly, ¡°I know.¡± Since Jacqueline wanted to con me, she would not have told Jackson. After all, he would have to be a lunatic not to stop her if he knew that she was going to cheat on him. Hence, she had to keep everything a secret to ensure the sess of her n. Jackson sighed a breath of relief and said, ¡°I''m d you''re aware of it.¡± Jackson was worried that Shane would suspect him of ying a role in any of that. ¡°By the way,¡± said Jackson as if he had just recalled something. ¡°Jacqueline and I broke up.¡± Shane wasn''t surprised by that, merely murmuring a reply. It would be even more surprising if he stays with her after all that she''s done. Jackson was at a loss for words when he saw how calm Shane was. He remained quiet for a while before asking, ¡°Shane, how will you deal with Jacqueline?¡± That question prompted Shane to narrow his eyes. ¡°Are you asking me to show mercy?¡± Jackson lowered his head in embarrassment because Shane''s words hit the bull''s eye. The former said, ¡°In a way, I guess. Even if we are not in a rtionship anymore, she is still my friend, so I can''t neglect herpletely.¡± However, Shane merely stared at Jackson wordlessly. At that moment, thetter had no idea what Shane was thinking. Jackson was intimidated by that stare and started to sweat a little. Only then did Shane speak up in a cold tone, ¡°All I can say is that I won''t kill her.¡± Those words stunned Jackson. But he''s not going to let her off the hook either. The way Shane''s eyes gleamed without a hint of emotion indicated that the punishment would be something he could not even imagine. ¡°Shane...¡± ¡°It''s gettingte. Please leave,¡± requested Shane as he waved his hand. Jackson''s lips parted as though he had more to say. However, the distant look on Shane''s face dissuaded Jackson from doing so. Letting out a sigh, he turned around and left. Shane closed his eyes andy back down after watching Jackson leave. He was still dizzy due to the effects of the drug and needed to rest for a while. It wasn''t until the next afternoon that he fully recovered. Only then did he leave the hospital and head over to the hotel. However, he didn''t deal with Jacqueline straight away. Instead, he went to the other woman''s room. Being locked up was already terrifying enough for the woman, and when she saw Shane, her face turned as white as a sheet. ¡°M-Mr. Shane,¡± stammered the woman. Shane stared at her emotionlessly and interrogated, ¡°How much did Jacqueline Graham give you?¡± The woman knew what he was talking about, so she got on her knees right away and begged, ¡°Mr. Shane, I have learned from my mistake. I shouldn''t have been greedy and helped Ms. Graham in exchange for that money. I''m so sorry. Please forgive me. I will never do that again.¡± As she spoke, she crawled to Shane to hug his leg and beg for mercy. Unfortunately, Shane had already anticipated that, so he kicked her away before she could touch him. The woman sprawled on the floor like a ragged doll. Fear donned her face as she muttered, ¡°Mr. Shane...¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you not understand what I just asked? How much did Jacqueline give you?¡± growled Shane as he red at the woman viciously. Chapter 824 Chapter 824 The woman trembled in fear, but she didn''t dare to cry anymore and was quick to reply, ¡°T-Three hundred thousand.¡± Shane scoffed upon hearing that and mocked, ¡°Three hundred thousand was all it took to get you to drug someone on her behalf? How cheap. Have you ever considered the possibility that not only might you never receive that money, but you could also get killed?¡± The woman gasped after hearing that. Scared mindless, she asked, ¡°M-Mr. Shane, are you going to kill me?¡± ¡°You schemed against me. Do you really think that I''d let you go?¡± The woman trembled as she insisted, ¡°Mr. Shane, it wasn''t my doing. Ms. Graham was the one who drugged you. All I did was show up and let slip that I was the culprit while trying to take you to the lounge. She hired me to do that so that you wouldn''t suspect her of being the mastermind. In truth, she is the one behind everything. I had nothing to do with it, Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Although you did not drug me, what you did could''ve destroyed my family! That is why I will not show you any mercy,¡± roared Shane before he turned and left. Scared out of her wits, the woman sat there in a daze as tears rolled down her cheeks. At that moment, she truly regretted her decision. Why did I let myself get blinded by the money? How did I forget that the target is the CEO of Thompson Group? He is known as Lucifer among the tycoons in J City, and being caught meant either death or torture. Why the f*ck did I trust Jacqueline when she said that I could get out of it in one piece? She even promised that she would save me on the off chance that Mr. Shane captures me. Yet, she is nowhere to be seen. The thought of that made the womanugh and cry simultaneously at the thought of her future. She knew that everything would be bleak from then on. Meanwhile, Shane walked out of the room that the woman was in and went straight to the elevator. Ss followed closely behind and asked, ¡°How should we deal with that woman, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Have you figured out who she is?¡± asked Shane. Ss nodded and replied, ¡°Yes. She is an escort who is quite famous in her field. Some time ago, the Potters got into a heated battle because of her.¡± ¡°Really?¡± said Shane with his brows raised. ¡°What happened?¡± Ss pressed the elevator button and answered, ¡°That woman used to be Mr. Potter''s mistress. She faked her pregnancy and went to his house to make a scene. Mrs. Potter got so upset that she almost jumped from a building tomit suicide. Even then, Mr. Potter sided with that woman. In the end, Mrs. Potter''s parents showed up and forced Mr. Potter to resolve the matter.¡± Shane''s narrowed eyes gleamed with disgust. He said, ¡°Looks like this woman is vile in nature. In that case, send her off to a third-world country and let Mrs. Potter know about it.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Ss while pushing his sses up and nodding. A third-world country is thest ce you''d want to live in as wars break out there all the time. That woman''s destiny is sealed once she gets there. She''d either get infected with some disease in the wild or get killed by the natives. I guess she had iting, though. That is what one gets for crossing Mr. Shane. The woman''s fate was decided then and there. By then, Shane had arrived outside the room where Jacqueline was locked in, which was the lounge he was in yesterday. Shane shot a look at Ss, who then stepped forward and got a card out to open the door. As he did so, the lights inside the room turned on. When Shane walked in, he saw that a pale-looking Jacqueline who was sitting on the bed. In the past, he would''ve been worried and asked her what had happened upon seeing her in that state. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, however, he acted like he didn''t notice how terrible she looked. Shane walked into the room and stood in front of Jacqueline before saying, ¡°I used to think that you are a kind and innocent woman.¡± Hearing those words got Jacqueline to grin in a self-mocking way and reply, ¡°So are you disappointed in me now, Shane?¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°No. Yourck of innocence is not the reason I''m disappointed.¡± Hearing that prompted Jacqueline to look at him in puzzlement. It seemed like she had no idea what he was talking about. Shane stared at her calmly while he exined, ¡°It is rare to see someone remain kind and innocent when living in an environment like ours. However, being selfish and scheming isn''t necessarily a bad thing because it''s how we protect ourselves in order to survive.¡± Chapter 825 Chapter 825 ¡°Then why are you disappointed?¡± asked Jacqueline in confusion. Shane massaged his temples and answered, ¡°I''m disappointed with what you did.¡± Jacqueline gritted her teeth and demanded, ¡°Was I wrong for doing that?¡± ¡°Weren''t you?¡± challenged Shane as he looked at her. Jacqueline looked up and replied stubbornly, ¡°There''s nothing wrong with what I did. I was simply pursuing the person I love and my own happiness.¡± ¡°But I don''t love you,¡± said Shane mercilessly. Jacqueline suppressed the sting in her heart. Tears swirled in her reddened eyes as she replied, ¡°I know, and it''s fine that you don''t love me, Shane. All that matters is that I love you. I fell for you when I was a kid, and I have dreamed of being with you ever since. I thought that I had a shot at that, but Natalie wrecked my dream when she showed up out of nowhere.¡± At the mention of Natalie, Jacqueline''s face contorted with hatred. Seeing that prompted Shane to ask, ¡°You hate her, don''t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I hate her! I hate her with every fiber of my being,¡± roared Jacqueline. ¡°I was the one who met you first, but you ended up with her. How can I be okay with that? How can I not hate her?¡± ¡°Is that why you targeted her and drugged me?¡± asked Shane in his usual cold tone. With a tear-streaked face, Jacqueline said, ¡°I am jealous of her. She is always all lovey-dovey with you, so how can I not target her? I thought that the two of you would get a divorce after yourst argument, and I waited. Yet, all I got in return for my patience was the news that you two got back together. That was why I decided to stop waiting around. I needed to be proactive.¡± Suddenly, Jacquelineughed maniacally as she added, ¡°Since I couldn''t break the two of you up, I could only try to keep you by my side by using underhanded methods. However, my n failed because I was too kind.¡± ¡°Kind?¡± blurted Shane as he narrowed his eyes. It was obvious that he found her choice of words appalling. He certainly didn''t see any signs of kindness in her. Jacqueline looked at him and replied, ¡°Yes, I was too kind. I should''ve given you a date rape drug, but you were on Jackie''s medication, and I worried that you''d have an allergic reaction if I gave you that drug. That was why I used a sedative instead. If I hadn''t, we would''ve already slept together by the time Joyce showed up.¡± That was why she regretted her decision. Shane didn''t understand why Jacqueline hadn''t used a date rape drug until she exined everything. Ah, so that''s why. However, Shane wasn''t touched at all. It didn''t matter what drug she used. She was still guilty of drugging him. ¡°I have never loved you. Do you really think that I''d marry you even if we slept together?¡± said Shane mercilessly. Jacqueline''s heart skipped a beat. A bad feeling crept up on her and prompted her to ask, ¡°Wouldn''t you?¡± ¡°No. Why would I marry someone who schemed against me?¡± said Shane as he looked at her. Jacqueline shuddered as she demanded, ¡°Why not? I got the paparazzi involved. If we slept together and the paparazzi spread the news, everyone would think that you raped me. Wouldn''t you be worried that Thompson Group...?¡± ¡°I would rather give Thompson Group up than marry you,¡± said Shane without hesitation. Jacqueline was instantly lost. She refuted, ¡°Give Thompson Group up? Stop lying, Shane. Your grandpa fought endlessly to give you thatpany, and you promised him that you would do right by thepany. Why would...?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You''re right. I promised Grandpa that I would develop Thompson Group, but that was before I learned how he covered up for Sean. He helped the murderer who killed my parents! Now that I have learned the truth, what makes you think I will remain loyal to Thompson Group?¡± said Shane. Jacqueline was bbergasted. That''s true. To Shane, his grandpa is an aplice for covering up for Sean, who murdered his parents. Hence, why would he honor a promise he made to that man? By then, Jacqueline''s face was as white as a sheet, and her entire body had turned cold. If Shane doesn''t care about Thompson Group, what is the point in me doing all this? Chapter 826 Chapter 826 This is humiliating. A scornfulugh escaped her lips, and tears started to fall from her eyes. However, Jacqueline wasn''t ready to give up yet. She continued to argue, ¡°Even so, do you really not care about the Thompson Group at all? You''ve been managing thepany for so many years, so I don''t believe that you don''t have even a hint of attachment to it.¡± ¡°I don''t,¡± Shane answered without hesitation. ¡°Whatever attachment I had for Thompson Group was gone the moment I found out about the truth. That''s why it''s fine for me even if thepany goes bankrupt. With my capabilities, it''s not a problem for me to start apany that''s better than Thompson Group.¡± That''s true. And Jacqueline had nothing to say about it. So he''s really willing to watch Thompson Group go bankrupt instead of marrying me. ¡°Haha...¡± She let out a scornfulugh because she knew that all her efforts were for nothing. ¡°What are you going to do to me now, Shane?¡± she asked as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t be doing anything for now because I don''t have sufficient evidence regarding some matters. So in the meantime, I''ll have you locked up somewhere. I''ll only decide what to do with you once I have all the evidence I need,¡± he replied. ¡°Some matters? Such as?¡± Jacqueline asked. Is it about Natalie or his parents? She couldn''t tell what was on his mind, and it sent her into a panic. However, Shane did not answer her question. ¡°I''ll have Ss bring you somewhere after this. You''ll be spending your time there until we gather enough evidence.¡± ¡°You''re going to lock me up?¡± The woman hopped off the bed and added, ¡°You can''t do this to me, Shane. My great-grandpa wouldn''t agree to this.¡± ¡°The Gunn family are being oppressed by the Garcia family. So they won''t have the time to care about you,¡± he answered indifferently. As if she had lost all her energy, Jacqueline fell onto the floor with a thud as she said, ¡°How is that possible? Why would the Garcia family do that to the Gunn family?¡± Still, Shane didn''t answer her question and merely stared at her with cold eyes. ¡°You better watch out from now on.¡± With that, he turned and left. At the sight of him leaving, she quickly chased after him and begged, ¡°Please don''t go, Shane. I was wrong. I admit to my mistakes now. Please, Shane...¡± Yet, Shane ignored her and told Ss to close the door once he was out. Her shouts and pleas were then blocked off by the door. ¡°Send her to the Graham family''s vi and arrange a few men to watch the ce. Call me if anything happens,¡± he said as he rubbed his temples. ¡°Alright.¡± Ss nodded. After he left the ce, Shane drove to the kindergarten. ¡°Daddy!¡± He had just arrived when the two children saw him and ran toward him cheerfully. The man bent down and picked Sharon up. ¡°Have you been a good girl today?¡± ¡°Yep. I even got awarded a sticker.¡± As she spoke, she took out her sticker and showed it to him. Shane''s glumness was swept away in an instant, and a smile appeared on his face. ¡°That''s great, Sharon.¡± The girl started to giggle after being praised. Of course, Shane hadn''t forgotten about Connor and asked him a few questions as well. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g However, the questions he asked were about the high school curriculum instead of the boy''s performance in kindergarten. Seeing that Connor could answer his questions with ease, Shane nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Daddy, I''m hungry,¡± Sharon said as she rubbed her belly. ¡°Then I''ll bring you both to get something to eat,¡± he said while carrying Sharon in one arm and holding Connor''s hand. After they got into the car, he drove to the nearest restaurant. The little girl seemed unhappy after their meal. After fastening the seat belt for her, Shane asked as he caressed her hair, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°She misses Mommy,¡± Connor answered. ¡°She''s always like that when she misses Mommy.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane started to estimate the time overseas and smiled after a moment. He then pulled out his phone and invited Natalie to a video call. Chapter 827 Chapter 827 It was a morning where Natalie was, and she heard her phone ringing the moment she stepped out of the bathroom. Her lips curled into a smile when she saw who it was, and she quickly answered, ¡°Hi, Darling.¡± The man''s handsome face appeared on the screen. ¡°Awake already?¡± ¡°I just got up. Why did you call so early in the morning?¡± Natalie asked as she took off the shower cap and started tob through her hair. Shane''s eyes darkened as he stared at her fair neck. His voice became slightly hoarse as he said, ¡°The kids miss you.¡± With that said, he handed his phone to his children, who were staring at him in anticipation. Their faces popped up on the screen together as they shouted, ¡°Mommy!¡± Natalie''s heart melted at the sight of them being so excited. ¡°Yes, I''m here.¡± ¡°I miss you so much, Mommy,¡± Sharon said with a pout. Even though Connor said nothing, it was evident that he was feeling the same as it was written all over his face. Tears welled up in Natalie''s eyes as she said, ¡°I miss the both of you too.¡± ¡°I''ll bring them to you during the weekend,¡± Shane said suddenly. ¡°The weekend?¡± she asked dumbfoundedly. ¡°Yes. I have time this weekend,¡± he answered. Natalie wasn''t sure how she should react as she said, ¡°Didn''t we talk about this previously and agree that you''d onlye once every fortnight? I''ve only been here for three days!¡± ¡°It''s fine. They miss you, and so do I. That''s why we''re going to visit you.¡± As he spoke, Shane leaned closer to his children and stared at her with loving eyes. Her face flushed red, and after seeing the excited look in her children''s eyes, she couldn''t bring herself to refuse. So she nodded and said, ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Sharon shouted as she raised her hands in celebration. Connor, too, broke into a grin. Even Shane could not help but let out a smile. The family continued to talk for a while before the call finally ended. ¡°Are you done, Nat? The preliminary round''s starting in half an hour,¡± Sally suddenly knocked on the door and urged. Natalie quickly put down her phone and answered, ¡°In a second.¡± ¡°Okay. Hurry up. I''ll go arrange for a driver,¡± Sally said, her voice getting further away as she spoke. Grunting in acknowledgment, Natalie quickly went back into her room and got changed. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g After half an hour, both of them finally arrived. It was the first day of thepetition, and they would bepeting in the preliminary round. The preliminary round held this time was very different from the previous ones. In the past, the competitions held were all conducted using the elimination method. Just like any otherpetition, the weakest participants were eliminated. This would continue for four more rounds until the champion was determined. However, the system was different this year, whereby the participants would be arranged in groups and compete together instead of individually. This meant that the capability of the participants would be tested during the first round, and they would then be grouped ording to that. Thereafter, they wouldpete in groups. Once there were only two participants left, anotherpetition system would be adopted. The rules for the final round had yet to be announced, so the participants would only find out about it later on. ¡°Are you nervous, Nat?¡± Sally asked softly as she stood behind Natalie. Thetter shook her head and replied, ¡°No.¡± It''s just apetition. There''s nothing to feel nervous about. ¡°What about you? Are you nervous?¡± she asked. Sally''s eyes gleamed while she shook her head excitedly. ¡°Nope. I feel so happy just thinking about standing on the same stage as the senior supermodels.¡± ¡°Is that so? I''m d you''re feeling that way.¡± Natalie nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. She was worried that her friend would feel nervous since it was the first time thetter was participating in an international event. If that was the case, she would be prone to making mistakes, which would leave a bad impression. Luckily, Sally didn''t disappoint her at all. ¡°Woah, isn''t this Natalie? Are you finally out of the hospital?¡± Just then, Hannah''s sarcastic words were heard. Sally rolled her eyes and said, ¡°D*mn it. Why is she here?¡± Natalie was starting to get a headache. Does Hannah even have a brain? She always ends up embarrassing herself whenever she tries to pick a fight with us, but she''d stille back every time. It''s like she''s a masochist! Hannah didn''t know what both of them were thinking. She walked toward them and stared at Natalie with eyes full of mockery. ¡°I heard you were admitted to the hospital because of a miscarriage. Is it true?¡± Chapter 828 Chapter 828 A grim look crossed Natalie''s face as she said, ¡°Apologize now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hannah pretended not to hear her. Natalie red at her with icy eyes and demanded, ¡°I said apologize!¡± Taken aback by her gaze, Hannah stiffened involuntarily. However, she seemed to have thought of something the next moment as a smile appeared on her face. ¡°Alright, alright. I''ll apologize. I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have said that you had a miscarriage. Will that do?¡± ¡°What kind of apology is that?¡± Sally bellowed while ring at her. Hannah then retorted in dissatisfaction, ¡°What? You''re the ones who demanded that I apologize, yet you''re not satisfied with it now? What do you want then?¡± ¡°Have you seen how you apologized earlier? Who would do that?¡± Sally said with a flushed face. ¡°What''s wrong with that? Anyway, I''ve already apologized. I don''t care if you don''t ept it. Hmph!¡± She rolled her eyes at them and left. Sally was about to chase after her, but Natalie stopped her. ¡°Forget it. It won''t do us any good if we make a scene here.¡± ¡°But how can we let her off the hook just like that? I can''t ept it. This is just so infuriating,¡± she grumbled angrily. Her friend then said with narrowed eyes, ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll get my revenge sooner orter, and I''ll strike her once I get the chance.¡± Sally''s eyes brightened as she asked, ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± Natalie smiled in response but said nothing. Meanwhile, Hannah was back at Jessie''s side. ¡°Ms. Syke, I''ve angered Natalie as per your instruction.¡± Thetter''s lips curled into a smile as she said, ¡°Good.¡± ¡°But I don''t understand. Why did you make me use Natalie''s miscarriage as an excuse to anger her?¡± Jessie''s eyes darkened as she said, ¡°It''s simple. Didn''t you see what happened yesterday? I don''t know what she saw, but something infuriated her, and it affected her baby. I want that to continue, and if we don''t seed this time, we''ll do it again. I want her to have a miscarriage for real.¡± If it weren''t for the organizers of thepetition who installed surveince cameras everywhere because they wanted to protect the participants, she wouldn''t have resorted to such an idiotic way. She would have killed the child in Natalie''s belly directly if she could. However, this was the only way if she didn''t want to be caught on one of the cameras. In other words, Jessie would never let Natalie give birth to Shane''s child. There wasn''t anything she could do about the two children since they were already so old, but she could never tolerate the child who wasn''t born yet. Hannah inhaled sharply as she stared at the woman in fear. ¡°Ms. Syke, do you have a grudge against Natalie?¡± I can''t believe she wants to get rid of the baby. Even though she didn''t like Natalie, she never wished for her to have a miscarriage. All she would do was gloat if thetter were to miscarry. After all, all Hannah felt toward her was just jealousy. Yet, Jessie was thinking of doing something so extreme. ¡°That''s right. I do have a grudge against her. I can''t even tolerate being in the same room as her. That''s how much I hate her. I assure you, you''ll be an international model as long as you do what I want.¡± Hannah swallowed in fright upon hearing that. She knew that the woman before her was dangerous. But the words ''international model'' were too much of a temptation, and she couldn''t bring herself to refuse. So she nodded instinctively. Her face was full of determination as though she had thought something through as she said, ¡°Alright.¡± Content with the reply, Jessie smiled. Soon, thepetition started. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. There was a total of ny-six costume designers participating, and it was such a glorious sight as they sat together. Natalie was sitting in the middle seat of the second row, waiting for the host to announce the theme for thepetition. Suddenly, she felt a prating gaze directed at her, and she couldn''t help but straighten her back. She instinctively turned to look and saw Jessie, who was sitting two rows behind her. ¡°It''s her?¡± she mumbled as she narrowed her eyes. Chapter 829 Chapter 829 The woman didn''t panic when Natalie noticed her. Instead, she waved and smiled, seemingly greeting the other woman. At that sight, thetter could only return a smile instead of acting like she hadn''t noticed. Something''s different about Jessie today. Normally, she would wear a high ponytail, showing her smooth forehead and slender neck. However, she had curled her hair and let it down. Jessie was also wearing a pair of sses which made her look smart. Although she was puzzled by the woman''s sudden change, Natalie didn''t think much of it. A woman changing her style from time to time was a normal thing, after all, so it wasn''t worth looking into it. Natalie turned back to the front once she had returned the smile. Jessie smirked as she stared at the back of the other woman''s head. Then she reached up to adjust her sses, and the lenses shone with an imperceptible blue light. A short whileter, thepetition started. The host got on stage and announced the theme, which was a rtively easy one. All the designers needed to do was design a dress for their models. The host didn''t specify the type of dress they needed to design, so it meant that the designers could do whatever they wanted with it. Nheless, they were still required toe up with a dress that would show off the model''s body shape and temperament. It meant that they shouldn''t design the dresses like how they usually did. They couldn''t treat their models as mere mannequins, not caring if the clothes suited them. Instead, they needed to treat their models as their clients. Natalie knew all too well about Sally. She''s just a nut job. As for her figure, there wasn''t much to say about it since she was a model. That was why there were so many ideas for the dress that could work on Sally. Still deep in thought, Natalie smiled at the model and started to sketch out her ideas. Meanwhile, Jessie couldn''t help but frown when she saw her sketching so soon, a sense of crisis slowly rising in her heart. Then, she tapped on one of the earrings she was wearing. Soon enough, a woman''s hoarse voice sounded from the earring. Jessie was the only one who could hear the voice. ¡°Hold on. I''m drawing it out for you now.¡± Upon hearing that, her furrowed brows rxed, and the sense of crisis she felt was instantly relieved. Right then, a glint of provocation shed across her eyes as she looked at Natalie. Natalie was finally done drawing her design after an hour. She had decided to make an asymmetrical waterfall dress with straps. The dress was able to show both Sally''s feminine and bubbly side. Moreover, the train of the dress would make the model''s leg seem more slender. After drawing out the design, it was time to start making the dress. Since there wasn''t enough time, the dress couldn''t be made into a ready-to-wear garment. Natalie could only put the pieces of fabric together with straight pins and have Sally wear them. Then, the panel of judges would announce the score after the model walked down the runway wearing the dress. Natalie quickly got up and went to the fabrics corner to get the stuff she needed. Right then, Jessie appeared and stood beside Natalie. While she picked out her fabrics, she said, ¡°Are you confident that you''ll be assigned to Team A?¡± Team A was the team with extremely talented participants who had the best results. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. All the designers there wanted to be assigned to Team A. However, it was only wishful thinking for most of them. After all, the fact that the designers were able to participate in an internationalpetition meant that they were all equally talented and capable. That was why it was still unknown as to who would actually be assigned to Team A. Natalie tilted her head slightly and answered with a smile, ¡°I''m not sure either. We''ll see what the judges say.¡± Jessie''s eyes flickered before she said, ¡°Well, I think you''ll be able to get in, Ms. Smith. That talent of yours is rarely seen, after all.¡± ¡°Oh, not at all. I am just slightly more talented. I''m not as good as you say,¡± Natalie said with a smile. She could feel the hostile gazes directed toward her. Seeing that she wasn''t falling for it, Jessie''s eyes turned cold, but she still maintained her smile. ¡°You''re too humble, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°I''m not humble. I was just speaking the truth. Alright then, Ms. Syke. The fabric I want isn''t here, so I''ll take a look there.¡± Chapter 830 Chapter 830 Natalie made her way to the other side once she finished her sentence. Sally approached her and said, ¡°Nat, Jessie''s such a cunning woman! Sheplimented you in front of others and said you''re going to make the cut for Team A! It''s obvious she''s trying to make you everyone''s foe!¡± It''s everyone''s dream to be a member of Team A. Since Jessie mentioned Nat is going to make it, others will definitely consider Nat a formidable foe. Maybe they''ll try something to bring upon her downfall to ensure they''ll get another chance. Natalie found the infuriated Sally hrious. She chuckled and asserted, ¡°Why don''t you take it easy? I have long figured out the things she has in mind. Therefore, I won''t fall for her tricks.¡± Sally asked, ¡°I don''t get it! Have you offended her or something? Why won''t she stop picking on you?¡± Shaking her head, Natalie answered, ¡°I have no idea as well. Maybe it''s just a thing she has for her fellowpetitors. At the end of the day, we''re all foes. As long as she gets to take one of us out, she''ll get to climb her way up the ranks.¡± ¡°I think there''s more to the situation than that!¡± Sally gave it a thought and added, ¡°Have you not seen her scrunched-up face when she walks past you? It seems as though she''s holding a grudge against you! Ugh! It gives me a chill whenever I think about it!¡± Natalie asked with her brows furrowed, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Nodding, Sally asserted, ¡°I''m pretty sure I haven''t been seeing things! Those who aren''t aware of the things going on might think you have brought upon her demise or something! No ordinary persons would re at others for no reason!¡± Natalie went dead silent with her lips pursed when she figured out the sort of grudge Jessie had been harboring against her. When the woman lost herself in a process of thought to figure out the truth, Sally handed a stash of fabrics to her and asked, ¡°Are these the slub-women fabrics you have been searching for? I remember coming across something simr in your notebook.¡± Natalie snapped out of her bewilderment and nced at the glistering fabrics Sally had with her. She responded with a smile and asserted, ¡°Yes! Thanks, Sal!¡± ¡°It''s not a big deal!¡± Sally dismissively waved a hand at her in return. A few secondster, Natalie started gathering the fabrics she needed. Once she had everything, she started weaving the dress she had in mind. Things got lively in the room as the sounds of sewing machines and fabrics being torn into pieces could be heard. Natalie focused onpleting the outline of the dress with the basic technique of draping different layers of fabrics together. It took her a total of three hours toplete her masterpiece. Shortly after she was done, she noticed most of the designers had their pieces ready. However, there were still a minority of designers working on their pieces. After a short glimpse around, Natalie noticed that Jessie was a member of thettermost. Jessie had chosen to employ a simr technique. However, she was drenched in sweat and seemed to be having a hard time creating the piece she had in mind. Natalie couldn''t fathom the reason behind Jessie''s struggles. What''s going on? Why can''t a fairly renowned designer create the piece she has in mind? What''s with her subpar skills? There''s no way she''ll be able to reproduce the masterpiece she has designed with those inferior skills of hers! A nce was all it took for Natalie to figure out Jessie''s design was a masterpiece. Nheless, the skills Jessie had demonstrated were subpar to the rest of the designers. Is it because Jessie has focused on polishing her design skills and neglected the technical aspects? If that''s the case, how is she going toplete her customers'' orders? Is she going to acquire someone else''s aid toplete her design? If that''s the case, she''ll never be a top-notch designer with that inferior skills of hers! Thirty minutester, everyone had their piecepleted for the show. Sally and the rest of the models had long gotten themselves ready in the makeup studio backstage. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Natalie showed up with the dress she hadpleted and started dolling Sally up based on the image she had in mind. The rest of the designers had done the same because no makeup artist coulde up with the makeup suitable for a dress that was fresh out of the oven. Chapter 831 Chapter 831 In other words, the designers of the dress were the only ones capable ofing up with the most suitable makeup to go along with their masterpiece. Natalie managed to doll Sally up within a short period of time since the white dress of hers had a rtively simple theme. Thus, only simple eye makeup would do¡ªno ostentatious makeup was required toplement the masterpiece. As soon as Natalie finished dolling Sally up, she handed over her dress to Sally. The model gaped at the sight of the dress. She eximed breathlessly, ¡°It''s so pretty, Nat!¡± ¡°You need to get going right now. Get yourself changed immediately! We only have fifteen minutes left until the show!¡± Natalie stuffed the dress in between Sally''s arms once she finished her sentence. Sally nodded and sprinted over in the direction of the fitting room. Simrly, the rest of the models rushed over to the fitting room once the designers got their makeup done. The sequence had been determined through drawing lots. Sally was the fortieth amongst the rest of the models. There was nothing special about it since she was in the middle of the rest. However, Natalie was grateful that Sally wasn''t one of thest few for the show. Otherwise, it would be tough to please the judges after the countless ostentatious pieces portrayed. The judges might be biased unless there was an exceptional masterpiece that could impress them by the end of the session. Jessie, whose model was the eighty-fourth to show up, was irritated. Natalie noticed Sally had her eyes glued to the runway once she returned. Thus, the former urged, ¡°Just take it easy and have fun.¡± In an attempt to calm herself, Sally clenched her fists with all her might. She then reassured Natalie, ¡°I''m not nervous at all! Instead, I can''t wait for my turn! I can''t believe I have the chance to be part of this morous event!¡± ¡°Well, I''m d you''re doing just fine.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief and urged Sally for onest time, ¡°Do your best! I''ll return to the hall and join the rest of the audience.¡± As a fellow designer, it was a great opportunity for her to learn from her peers and get a grasp of her potentialpetitors'' capabilities. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She wasn''t the only one with that thought. In fact, most of the designers had departed. Only a mere few chose to stay behind with their models. Sally beckoned Natalie to leave her and assured, ¡°You need to get going already! I''ll be fine!¡± When Jessie caught Natalie making her way back to the hall after wrapping up the conversation she had with Sally with a smile, she swirled her eyes and followed suit. A short while after Natalie returned to the hall, the showmenced. The moment the first model showed up on the runway, everyone had their eyes glued to her. Natalie''s eyes gleamed in excitement. She immediately reached for her notebook and started jotting down the details she deemed worthy of taking notes. She could easily tell that Nn''s mentee, Caitlyn, was the designer of the dress ¡ª she had once encountered Caitlyn when the woman was better known as Mina back in the day. A few days ago, Natalie encountered Caitlyn in the restroom, but Caitlyn seemed to have forgotten her. When Natalie started jotting down the things she deemed worthy of taking notes, someone interrupted her and asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, are you taking notes?¡± Natalie responded with a frown and turned around to look at the one who had shown up behind her. It turned out Jessie had returned to a hall and was about to take a seat next to Natalie. In return, Natalie nodded and answered, ¡°I think it''s quite important to get a grasp of ourpetitors'' capabilities for the uing matches.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, you''re such a hardworking woman!¡± Jessie ran her fingers through her hair, exposing the earring she had put on. The glistering earring caught Natalie''s attention. ¡°Ms. Syke, that''s quite a unique earring you have. They''re glistening in the dark in spite of them being matte earrings.¡± When Jessie heard Natalie''s remark, her expression changed. She stopped messing around with her hair and forced a smile in return. ¡°These are obsidian earrings that have been coated with matte ck paint.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie answered with her brows arched in confusion. She found it unnecessary to coat obsidian earrings with matte ck paint, but in the end, she decided to pay no heed to it. After all, she wasn''t in a position to pick on Jessie and her preferences. Jessie''s racing heart stopped pounding furiously. She secretly heaved a long sigh of relief as Natalie stopped getting to the bottom of her earrings. Oh, God! That''s so close! I need to be mindful of my behavior and stop ying with my hair in the future! Chapter 832 Chapter 832 The models showed up on the runway one after another. It was soon Sally''s turn. It was her debut in an international show, but the woman wasn''t anxious the slightest bit¡ªshe was able to carry herself just fine with a smile. She portrayed Natalie''s masterpiece with a bright grin when she reached the judges. After a short while, she sashayed her way around in the opposite direction. As she strode in the direction of the backstage with her chest held high, Sally snuck a wink at Natalie. She charmed the audience with her assertive look, impressing the journalists who had never heard of her before the show. Proud of Sally and her performance, Natalie had faith that the woman would soon make a name out of herself in the fashion industry. ¡°Ms. Smith, you have such an exceptional model!¡± Jessie remarked in a sarcastic manner, indicating her jealously once again. Natalie immediately noticed it was a double innuendo. Thus, she yed along with Jessie and replied, ¡°Thanks, Ms. Syke. Your model isn''t half bad as well.¡± Jessie''s eyes widened in disbelief when she heard Natalie''s reply. She was surprised Natalie had the audacity to return the favor in a sarcastic manner. ¡°You need to stop ttering me, Ms. Smith. She''s just a nobody aspared to your model over there.¡± Suppressing the urge tough, Natalie rebuked, ¡°You''re the one who''s supposed to stop belittling yourself, Ms. Syke! I''m sure there''s something special about her! Otherwise, you wouldn''t have brought her along with you in the first ce!¡± ¡°H-Hahaha¡ª¡± Jessie responded with a sheepish grin and wrapped up their conversation. There''s something special about her? If you''re referring to her arrogant and childish attitude, I guess you''re right! It was soon Hannah''s turn, Jessie''s model, to show up on the runway. Hannah had put on a rtively revealing ck dress. It could perfectly highlight her busty figure due to its perfect cutting and design. However, Hannah had brought upon the downfall of the masterpiece as she was nervous and failed to carry herself in a confident manner. The woman''s eyes wouldn''t stop flickering the moment she showed up on the runway. The judges furrowed their brows when they caught a glimpse of Hannah''s odd expression. Meanwhile, the rest of the designers could barely suppress the urge tough. The moment Jessie heard someone chuckling in the dark, she flushed and red at Hannah as she couldn''t take things out on the designers. Judging by their interaction, Natalie was certain Jessie would get Hannah back for her subpar performance on the runway once the show was over. Once the show came to an end, Natalie cleared her throat and remarked with the urge tough written all over her face, ¡°Ms. Syke, your model has portrayed your masterpiece in quite a unique manner. I guess it''s a job well done, huh?¡± Jessie forced a smile in response to Natalie''s sarcastic remark. Unwilling to give up just yet, Natalie looked at Jessie in the eyes and queried, ¡°Ms. Syke, what''s the reason you have chosen to coborate with Hannah? Is it merely because you think she''s the one?¡± Jessie''s eyes flickered when she heard Natalie. She then answered, ¡°Actually, it''s because of a favor she has done me quite some time ago. I''m just trying to return the favor and repay her.¡± ¡°Oh! You''re such a wonderful friend for doing so! With that being said, aren''t you afraid she''s going to ruin your career and your masterpiece?¡± Jessie looked elsewhere to avoid Natalie''s gaze as she asserted, ¡°I-I''ll try my best and show her the proper way to carry herself in the uing match.¡± ¡°I wish you the best of luck then, Ms. Syke!¡± Once again, Natalie wrapped up the conversation with a bright grin. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Jessie secretly clenched her fists with all her might to suppress the urge to take things out on Hannah. Truth be told, she really regretted pairing up with the woman after the show. Actually, she had only acquired Hannah''s help after figuring out the sort of grudge Hannah held against Natalie. Chapter 833 Chapter 833 She thought she could get in Natalie''s way by procuring Hannah''s aid. Unfortunately, the wasn''t the case. Instead, she was the only one who was adversely impacted. Urgh! This is so annoying! I shouldn''t have paired up with her in the first ce! Natalie had a great time gloating over Jessie''s misfortune when she caught the woman next to her with her expression darkened in the pitch-ck hall. In the end, Jessie got up from her seat and announced, ¡°I''ll be excusing myself, Ms. Smith. I need to use the restroom.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Natalie answered with a nod and smirked while staring at Jessie''s departing figure. The restroom? Are you sure you''re not heading backstage to teach Hannah a lesson? Well, whatever it is, it''s none of my business! She shook her head and shrugged the things off her mind. Seconds after she snapped out the train of thoughts, she continued enjoying the show. Half an hourter, the show came to an end. All of the models returned to the runway for the judging section of the show. Although Sally was nowhere close to the front, she was in a strategic position. She stood out amongst her peers with the dress she had put on and her confidence. The judges brought their notebooks along with them and started evaluating the pieces one after another. After pacing back and forth for a short while, the judges gathered around in an attempt to figure out a proper way to ssify the participants. The designers, including Natalie, were anxious in anticipation of the announcement. They couldn''t wait to know which team they would be assigned to. It took the judges a short while to have everything sorted out. Once they were done, they handed over the results to the host of the show. The host started announcing the results and ssified the designers into six teams that ranged from Team F to Team A. When Natalie found out she wasn''t on the list of Team F to Team B, she let out a long sigh of relief and beamed in satisfaction. She was confident she was a member of Team A. Soon enough, Natalie found out she was a member of Team A as soon as the host carried on with his announcement. She sped her fingers together in excitement. Suddenly, Jessie, who was next to Natalie, congratted, ¡°You have done a great job, Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie was well aware that it was just another sarcastic remark from Jessie. Nheless, she answered with a bright grin, ¡°Thanks! Congrattions to you too, Ms. Syke!¡± Why is she congratting me when I have been assigned to Team B? What the heck? Is she making fun of me? Jessie''s hands balled into fists at that thought. She felt a strong urge to take Natalie out, but she had to keep those to herself. In the end, the woman reverted with a pretentious smile, ¡°Thanks, Ms. Smith! Unfortunately, we won''t get topete against one another in the uing round! It''s such a shame that I have failed to perform up to expectation!¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie ran her fingers through her hair and remarked, ¡°It''s not a big deal, Ms. Syke! After all, you''ll get to join me in Team A if you do well in the uing round. Speaking of which, try to stay ahead of others if you wish to stay in the race.¡± A total of two members from each team would be eliminated in the uing rounds. In other words, the designers could climb their way up the ranks by taking the unupied slots of the superior teams. The two best performers from Team B would join those in Team A while the rest of the teams would climb their way up the rank in a simr manner. In short, Jessie might be able to join Natalie in Team A as long as she''s able to make the cut and prevent herself from being eliminated. Smiling, Jessie asserted, ¡°I''ll make sure to keep that in mind, Ms. Smith.¡± ¡°Only a mere few is a match for you when ites to design. However, you seem to be having a hard time producing your design. If you''re willing to work hard, I''m sure you can ovee your shorings in no time.¡± Jessie''s eyes flickered when she heard Natalie. ¡°I guess you''re right, Ms. Smith.¡± The moment Natalie saw Sally approaching her, she announced, ¡°Alright, Ms. Syke! It''s time for dinner! I guess I''ll see you again in the near future!¡± Jessie answered with a curt nod, ¡°See you soon.¡± Staring at the departing Natalie, Jessie''s heart sank to the bottom of her heart. Why did she bring up something about my design and skills? Has she linked the missing pieces of puzzles together? Is that possible when I have gone to great lengths to adapt to brand new styles? Who''s going to pay attention to those details in the first ce? Am I overthinking things again? She''s just pointing that thing out because of my subpar skills, isn''t she? On the other hand, after Sally rendezvoused with Natalie, she showed her the stack of name cards she had with her. Unable to contain her excitement, she eximed, ¡°Nat, look! So many designers and those from the industry have given me their name cards!¡± Chapter 834 Chapter 834 Natale was equally thrilled. She tapped on Sally''s shoulders excitedly and said, ¡°Of course! You have blown their minds away with your performance! I think you''ll soon venture into the fashion industry once thepetition is over! Maybe you''ll be the uing top model from a foreign country! At least you won''t have to waste your timepeting against those in the country anymore!¡± ¡°Thank you so much for the great opportunity, Nat! If it weren''t because of you, I¡ª¡± Sally expressed her gratitude with her eyes brimming. ¡°You need to keep those to your supervisor, my husband, Shane. If he hadn''t rmended you to me, I might have missed out on you.¡± Sally nodded and said, ¡°You''re right! Can you please express my gratitude on my behalf the next time you''re on the call with him?¡± ¡°I''ll go ahead and give him a call immediately!¡± Natalie reached for her phone and started dialing Shane''s number. Shane, who was on the other end of the globe, had just wrapped up a conference and was on his way out of the conference room when he received the call. Upon a simple glimpse at the phone, he beamed and picked up the phone. ¡°Honey?¡± Natalie flushed when she heard him. She asked in return, ¡°Are you in the middle of something serious?¡± Ss was about to hand Shane an agreement, but thetter stopped him and beckoned his assistant to leave him alone. ¡°Nope.¡± Natalie, who was on the other end, eximed, ¡°Great!¡± While making his way back to his office, Shane asked, ¡°Have you gone through the first round?¡± Ss shrugged his shoulders and went after Shane. Natalie nodded and shared the great news with her husband. ¡°It''s over! I''m a member of Team A!¡± Shane was well aware of the rules. Thus, he was conscious of what it would take to qualify herself as a member of Team A. His eyes gleamed in excitement as he asserted, ¡°Congrattions! I''m sure you have done well!¡± ¡°Thanks! Speaking of which, Sally wants me to express her gratitude on her behalf! She''s about to have the best time of her life soon!¡± ¡°Well, she deserves all the credits for her efforts. I have just provided her with an opportunity,¡± Shane denoted in a calm and collected tone, When Natalie heard Shane, she took a peek at the sniffling Sally. Seconds after she returned to her senses, she said, ¡°I guess you''re right.¡± Shane was about to say something else to keep the conversation going, but he took a peek at Ss when the man''s ringtone interrupted his call with Natalie. Ss responded with a sheepish grin and reached for his phone to stop the call. However, the moment he caught a glimpse of the contact number, his expression turned grim. He showed Shane the phone and announced, ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s a call from Ms. Graham''s security personnel. I''ll head out and answer the call.¡± As soon as he acquired Shane''s permission to leave, Ss headed over to the corner of Shane''s office to pick up the call. On the other hand, Natalie noticed something seemed to be going on. She asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. Ss happens to be in the middle of a call as well.¡± ¡°O-Oh¡ª¡± Natalie then continued sharing the things she had gone through with Shane. Although the man had no idea of the jargon of the fashion industry she brought up, he listened to her without interrupting her. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Mr. Shane, something bad has happened!¡± Ss, who had wrapped up his conversation, returned with his face turning pale and haggard. Shane asked with a frown, ¡°Why?¡± Ss took a deep breath and announced, ¡°Ms. Graham has attempted suicide.¡± Silence fell as soon as Ss broke the news with Shane. Seconds after Shane snapped out of confusion, he asked, ¡°Come again?¡± Ss hurriedly repeated himself, ¡°Ms. Graham has attempted suicide.¡± ¡°Attempted suicide?¡± Shane asked and jolted up from his seat when he was certain he hadn''t been hearing things. Ss nodded and added, ¡°Half an hour ago, they headed into Ms. Graham''s room to retrieve the utensils as usual. However, Ms. Graham was nowhere to be seen. They started searching high and low for Ms. Graham. In the end, they found her in the bathroom with her wrist slit.¡± Shane grasped his phone and went dead silent. He started emanating an intimidating presence. Natalie, who was on the other end of the call, overheard their conversation. She asked with a frown, ¡°Shane, what''s wrong? Who hasmitted suicide?¡± ¡°Jacqueline!¡± Natalie''s pupils constricted. She asked to reaffirm the things she had heard, ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± ¡°Unfortunately so.¡± Natalie''s mind was all over the ce. It took her a few seconds to return to her senses. ¡°W-Where is she? I-Is everything fine?¡± Chapter 835 Chapter 835 Initially, she wanted to ask him if Jacqueline was still alive, but she thought that wouldn''t be appropriate. Thus, she rephrased her question. Shane couldn''t wait to figure out if Jacqueline was still alive. He looked at Ss, beckoning his assistant to tell him everything he was aware of. ¡°Ms. Graham is fine. They manage to find her a few minutes after her attempt tomit suicide.¡± As much as Shane held a grudge against Jacqueline, he heaved a sigh of relief when he found out she was just fine. Natalie let out a long sigh of relief and added when she heard Ss'' reply, ¡°It''s fine as long as she''s fine!¡± Actually, she couldn''t be bothered by Jacqueline''s condition, but she was afraid Shane would me himself for others'' demise again. After all, he was the one who had taken her into custody against her will. Shane massaged his aching temples and announced, ¡°I''ll drop by and check on her. We''ll talk again tonight.¡± ¡°Alright, just get going already.¡± After Shane wrapped up the conversation with Natalie, he put his phone aside and marched out of his office. Ss went after Shane and they made their way back to the Graham family''s vi. The moment Shane alighted from the car, the bodyguard, who happened to be the first to find out Jacqueline had attempted suicide, approached Shane. ¡°Where is she?¡± the man asked while marching into the vi. The bodyguard went after him and answered, ¡°Ms. Graham has fallen into a deep slumber after finishing the prescribed medicine.¡± Shane nodded and asked, ¡°How was her condition when you found out she had attempted suicide?¡± Angst was written all over the bodyguard''s face as he replied, ¡°I-It was horrifying. On top of the puddle of blood on the ground, the bathtub was dyed red. Ms. Graham ced her slit wrist inside the filled bathtub.¡± Shane''s expression darkened the moment he figured out everything. He then instructed, ¡°Alright, I''ll take over from here. You may return to your position at once.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The bodyguard took note of Shane''s instruction and remained stagnant at the staircase. Shane and Ss made their way up the stairs to Jacqueline''s room. Ss opened the door and showed Shane the way into the room. The moment Shane stepped into the room, he saw Jacqueline on the bed. The woman wasn''t in a deep slumber as the bodyguard had proimed. Instead, she leaned against the headboard with colors drained from her face. As she had her eyes glued to the entrance, her eyes flickered the moment she saw Shane. She concealed her emotions and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Are you here for me?¡± Shane remained silent until he reached her. Staring at her bandaged wrist, he asked, ¡°Why did you attempt suicide?¡± Jacqueline showed him her wrist and asked in a sarcastic manner, ¡°Why? Don''t you get it? I can''t think of anything else that can keep me going in life!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane asked with his eyes narrowed to a slit, ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± She put her hand aside and announced, ¡°Yes! You''re the one and only person I have in mind. You have always been the one keeping me going on in life! You no longer cherish my presence and love me as much as you do! There''s nothing worth living for anymore!¡± Smirking, Shane asked in return, ¡°Is that the only thing you have in mind? Haven''t you thought of living an independent life? Don''t you have anything in life that''s worthy of your time and effort apart from getting into a rtionship with another man?¡± ¡°No! I just can''t move on from you! Shane, stop trying to talk any senses into me and kill me! Once I''m dead, no one is going to get in the way of your rtionship with Ms. Smith!¡± Jacqueline''s head drooped over her shoulders after she made herself clear. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane asked callously, ¡°Are you trying to threaten me?¡± ¡°No! I''m not trying to threaten you! I just can''t live without you!¡± Halfway through her speech, the woman started weeping. She then added with her eyes brimming with tears, ¡°Shane, can you stop holding a grudge against me? I won''t try anything silly in the future as long as you continue taking care of me as if I''m your sister!¡± Shane shot daggers at Jacqueline and queried, ¡°Do you think that''s possible? I wasn''t on my guard against you because you once brought up something simr when you were in a rtionship with Jackson! You''re not going to tell me you can''t recall the things you have done, aren''t you? What makes you think I''m going to believe you? Why am I supposed to stop holding a grudge against someone who has been plotting against me?¡± Chapter 836 Chapter 836 Jacqueline gaped at Shane''s reply before she chuckled and added, ¡°I guess you''re right¡ªI''m overly na?ve for my sake! I''m so sorry for letting you down, Shane!¡± The moment she wrapped up her speech, she tried to tear off the bandage on her slit wrist with all her might. As a result, blood gushed out of her wound and dyed the bandage crimson red. Irked by Jacqueline''s behavior, Shane''s veins on his forehead bulged. He demanded hotly, ¡°What exactly are you up to again?¡± ¡°Leave me alone! I can''t live a life without you! Thus, I''ll be leaving you for good!¡± Shane''s wrath was written all over his face. He directed another question at Jacqueline. ¡°Haven''t you mentioned you won''t threaten me? What do you think you''re doing now? Do you think I''ll give in just because of this?¡± She paused for a few seconds when she heard him. However, she started harming herself once again after she returned to her senses. Shane beckoned Ss to step in and stop Jacqueline when she was about to remove the bandage on her wrist. Ss, who had remained silent throughout the entire session, stepped forward and rendered Jacqueline unconscious with a powerful blow. Up until thest second Jacqueline was conscious, she still couldn''t believe Shane was no longer the easy target he had always been. After Ss rendered Jacqueline unconscious, he tucked her in and started bandaging her slit wrist. Once he was done, he returned to his position and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I think Ms. Graham is trying to y the victim again.¡± Shane nodded and shared his point of view, ¡°I''m well aware of that much.¡± It was evident it was just one of her attempts to garner his attention. Otherwise, she had plenty of time and methods to kill herself when he was still on his way there. After all, the bodyguards wouldn''t barge into her room for no reason. However, she had spent her time idly instead ofmitting suicide for another time. Thus, it was safe to assume it was another show she had put on for Shane. In spite of being aware that it was another one of her tricks, he couldn''t afford to let anything happen to her. Ss scratched his head his confusion. He asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, what are we supposed to do if Ms. Graham continues threatening you in a simr manner?¡± A few moments of silenceter, Shane instructed with his eyes narrowed to a slit, ¡°Get another few maids over to keep an eye on her twenty-four-seven! Also, substitute the furniture with intables! Nothing that''s able of inflicting injuries is allowed within thepound! Seal the balcony at once!¡± Ss showed Shane a thumbs up andplimented him, ¡°Mr. Shane, you''re so brilliant!¡± Shane marched in the direction of the entrance once Ss assured him that he would get everything done as soon as possible. Instead of going after Shane, Ss reached for his phone and got those capable of fulfilling Shane''s instructions over.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Shortly after Jacqueline regained consciousness, she noticed the change in her room. The maids that were next to her bed did not go unnoticed by her either. It only took her a short while to figure out those were Shane''s doing to prevent her from harming herself again. She felt a strong urge to take things out, but there wasn''t anything else she was capable of anymore. Time passed by in the blink of an eye. It was soon the weekend again. Shane brought the children to the country Natalie''spetition was held. The moment the little ones alighted from the car, they dashed in the direction of the hall. Shane, who was right behind them, went after them with a bright grin. All of a sudden, Sharon brought herself to a halt and turned around, looking in Shane''s direction. When she saw that he was quite a distance away, she yelled, ¡°Hurry up, Daddy!¡± Shane''s heart melted when he heard his daughter summoning him in a mellifluous tone. ¡°Alright, I''m coming!¡± A few minutester, they showed up in the hall and made their way through the entrance after showing the bodyguards their tickets. Sharon and Connor held one another''s hands and started surveying the surroundings. The little girl asked her brother, ¡°Connor, where''s Mommy?¡± Her brother shook his head and answered, ¡°I have no idea!¡± Sharon shrugged Connor off and returned to Shane''s side. ¡°Daddy, can you give Mommy a call and tell her we''re here? I miss her so much!¡± Shane caressed his daughter''s head and assured, ¡°We''ll get to meet her in person soon.¡± He then proceeded to stop one of the staff and conversed with him in a foreignnguage. After he wrapped up their conversation, the staff nodded and returned to the hall. As there was still quite some time until the second round, Natalie gathered around with her fellow designers. They caught up with one another over a cup of coffee. Chapter 837 Chapter 837 Midway through their conversation, someone approached Natalie and told her, ¡°Ms. Smith, someone is here for you.¡± Confused, Natalie asked, ¡°Huh? Who is it?¡± ¡°I can''t be certain, but he told me to hand you this. He said you''ll figure everything out once you see it.¡± The staff handed her something once he repeated the things Shane told him. Natalie had her doubts, but she took over the thing the staff handed her. It turned out that Shane had handed over his ring to the staff and asked him to bring it over to Natalie. ¡°Wow! It''s such a gorgeous ring! Could it be a wedding ring?¡± ¡°I havee across a ring with a simr design! It''s a masterpiece from Fred, the top-notch jewelry designer!¡± The designers engaged themselves in a heated discussion when they saw the ring. Natalie couldn''t be bothered by their discussion ¡ª the only thing she had in mind why the ring was with the staff. A wild idea crossed her mind when she started thinking about the possibilities. She took the ring and asked with joy written all over her face, ¡°Where''s the man who handed you thus?¡± ¡°He''s currently at the entrance of the hall.¡± Unable to keep her excitement to herself anymore, Natalie held on to the ring and got up from her seat. One of the designers asked, ¡°Natalie, where are you going?¡± She answered with a bright grin, ¡°My husband''s here! I''m going to meet him!¡± ¡°That''s wonderful! He''s such a lovely man!¡± Natalie beamed in satisfaction when she heard her fellow designer''s remark. She sprinted in the direction of the entrance. Meanwhile, Jessie, who was seated afar from the rest of the designers, held on to the cup of coffee she had with her. I can''t believe Shane has traveled all the way across the globe just to meet Natalie in person! She started burning with rage and went after Natalie to figure out if Shane had indeed shown up. Meanwhile, Natalie rushed over to the entrance without taking a breather. The moment she reached the entrance, she saw her husband and their children in the lounge area. Unable to contain her emotions to herself anymore, her eyes started brimming with tears the moment she saw them. Natalie took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down before she eximed gleefully, ¡°Shane!¡± When the man heard her, he turned around and looked in the direction of the source of the voice. Natalie hesitated no more and returned to her loved ones'' sides. Simrly, Shane brought himself up and rushed over to Natalie''s side. He stood at the entrance and stretched his arms in anticipation of her returning the favor. A few secondster, Natalie sprinted in his direction and pounced on him. Shane held her firmly in between his arms and sniffled to catch a whiff of Natalie''s unique scent. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He then leaned over and whispered in a hoarse voice while licking her ears, ¡°I missed you so much!¡± She could feel his heavy breath on her ear. In spite of the ticklish sensation she felt, she didn''t stop him and allowed him to tease her. Natalie wrapped her arms around his waist and stuttered, ¡°I-I missed you so much as well!¡± Although they had been keeping in touch through video calls since theirst meeting in person a few days ago, she couldn''t suppress the urge to see him anymore. Shane chuckled and asserted, ¡°That''s the reason I''m here!¡± Natalie snuggled in between his arms and added, ¡°Mmm! It''s great to have you around!¡± All of a sudden, Shane took a step back and moved away from Natalie. Confused, Natalie raised her head and looked at him in the eyes, indicating she wanted more of it. Shane returned the favor and looked at her in the eyes. A few secondster, he leaned over and kissed her on the lips. It was then Natalie found out he was about to bring things to the next level instead of pulling away from her. They engaged in an intensified amorous kissing session. Unable to suppress the affection he had for her, Shane could barely stop himself from letting loose and going wild. As a result of the man''s kiss, Natalie could feel her lips aching. Nheless, she didn''t push him away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the favor. They ended up kissing for so long that they forgot their children were still around. Connor and Sharon gaped at the sight of their parents doing such an intimate act. A few secondster, when the adults showed no signs of stopping just yet, Sharon piped up, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, are you guys eating something?¡± Natalie returned to her senses when she heard their daughter''s voice. She flushed and pushed Shane away from her with all her might. Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Shane, who had been pushed away against his will, was irked; it was written all over his scrunched-up face. However, Natalie couldn''t be bothered by his reaction. She answered Sharon''s query with her cheeks reddened, ¡°W-We''re not really having anything.¡± Sharon had her doubts and probed further, ¡°You''re lying! If you guys weren''t having anything in your mouth, why wouldn''t you guys stop moving your lips?¡± Meanwhile, Connor, who was next to his sister, chuckled when he heard her absurd question. As a result of Sharon''s question, Natalie was at a loss for words. She didn''t know how to exin things to her innocent child. In the end, she looked at Shane with her eyes flickering. Subsequently, the man wiped his lips dry and announced, ¡°We''re not eating anything, nor do we have anything in our mouths. We''re kissing.¡± ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± Natalie stuttered with her eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn''t believe Shane had blurted out the truth to their children. Conscious of Natalie''s concerns, Shane leaned over and caressed Sharon''s head. ¡°It''s just like the way we express the affection we have for you as your parents. However, only adults are allowed to kiss in such a manner, okay? You''re not allowed to repeat after us.¡± The little girl could barely grasp the concept behind it, but she nodded and stuttered, ¡°O-Oh!¡± After Shane brought himself up, Natalie secretly pinched him and reprimanded the man, ¡°Why have you brought such things up in front of them?¡± Shane answered with a serious look, ¡°Am I supposed to keep them in the dark? She''s going to annoy us until she gets the answer she''s seeking, isn''t she? It''s better to tell her the truth instead of deceiving her with something else. Otherwise, things will get increasingly awkward if she asks someone else about it.¡± As a result of Shane''s seemingly convincing speech, Natalie was rendered speechless. If we continue deceiving them, they''re going to consult others in the future out of curiosity. Maybe they''ll get someone else to try it out with them. Out of the blue, Sharon asked, ¡°Daddy, does that mean I''m allowed to kiss others in the manner you have kissed Mommy once I''m an adult?¡± Natalie choked on her saliva when she heard their daughter''s question. On the other hand, Shane''s expression darkened. He asserted in a callous tone, ¡°No!¡± Sharon continued asking with her lips pursed, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, it''s because there are a lot of jerks with ill intentions out there,¡± Shane warned. In return, his daughter asked with her head tilted in confusion, ¡°Are you serious?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Shane nodded and repeated, ¡°Yes! Apart from me, your brother is the only man you''re supposed to rely on! Stay away from other men in the future! Am I clear?¡± ¡°Okay! I''ll keep that in mind!¡± Sharon answered with a determined look and her fists clenched. Throughout the conversation the father and daughter duo had, Connor continued chuckling in silence. Meanwhile, Natalie was unsure if she should be d her daughter had taken Shane''s words seriously or not. It turned out Shane was worried Sharon would get herself into a rtionship with another man sooner than he thought. If Sharon gets into a rtionship sooner than he thinks in the future, is he going to suffer a major heartbreak? Meanwhile, Jessie, who was just around the corner, had her eyes glued to the family of four with her lips puckered in irritation. Why the heck does Natalie get to live such a blissful life? She''s blessed with talents and a pair of lovely children! On top of that, she has a filthy rich husband! Why am I living the exact opposite life of hers? Jessie was jealous of Natalie''s achievement. She was determined to get her hands on Shane in the near future in spite of herst failed attempt in the past. Once she had enough of the family of four, she turned around with a vicious look and marched her way back to the hall. As soon as Connor turned around, he caught a glimpse of Jessie''s departing figure. Thus, he arched his brows in confusion. Natalie noticed their son had his eyes on something. She looked in the direction he had his eyes glued to but saw nothing. Curious, she asked, ¡°Connor, is everything fine?¡± Shaking his head, Connor replied as he thought it was just another passerby, ¡°It''s fine!¡± With that being said, he had his doubts because he found Jessie''s back familiar. Unfortunately, he couldn''t recall the time he had encountered such a mysterious figure. In the end, he paid no heed to Jessie and joined his sister and parents in another conversation. After ten minutes, Natalie felt that it was about time for her to return to the hall. She lifted Sharon and said, ¡°Darling, I need to go. Why don''t you bring them back to the vi for the time being?¡± Sharon wrapped her arms around her mother''s leg and insisted, ¡°No, Mommy! I want to stay here with you!¡± Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Although Connor refused to share the things he had in mind with them, it was evident he was of the same thought ¡ª it was written all over his face. When Shane caught Natalie looking at him, he lifted Sharon and announced, ¡°We''ll be waiting for you at the lounge. Once you''re done, we''ll make our way back together.¡± Natalie felt a heartwarming sensation fill her. In the end, she nodded and urged, ¡°Alright, I''ll be back very soon!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Shane nodded in response to Natalie''s remark. After she bade farewell to her lovely husband and children, the woman took a detour to the restroom as they weren''t allowed to take a break throughout thepetition. Such a rule had been enforced to prevent anyone from cheating. Therefore, she would be in huge trouble should she fail to get herself ready for thepetition that wouldst for a few hours. As soon as Natalie made her way to the cubicle, someone walked out of the cubicle next to hers. It was none other than Jessie. Jessie had her eyes narrowed to a slit and glued to Natalie''s cubicle. She knew Natalie was the one in the cubicle as she had heard the woman grunting over the cubicle''s faulty lock. What a coincidence! I can''t believe you have shown up now of all times! Don''t me me for the things in store for you since you''re the one who has shown up out of nowhere! Smirking as she lost herself in a train of thoughts, Jessie tiptoed her way to get the broom that was a few feet away.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She nced at the cubicle and found out it was of the right size for her evil n. Subsequently, she marched over and ced the broom over the hook outside of the cubicle. She took a step back and beamed in satisfaction after executing her seemingly wless n. She''s not going to make her way out of the restroom in time! The next round will begin in ten minutes! If she fails to show up, she''ll surely be disqualified by the panels! If that''s the case, Natalie will be the first designer throughout the history of thepetition to be disqualified for beingte! In fact, the country she''s representing will be ashamed because of her! Jessie was certain that Natalie would be the target of the uing media witch-hunt should that be the case. As she thought about all the potential consequences Natalie would have to face, she strode her way back to the hall with a bright grin. Meanwhile, Natalie wasn''t aware of the things awaiting her as Jessie ensured to keep the volume to a bare minimum while executing her evil n. As soon as Natalie was ready to return to the hall, she found that she was trapped inside the cubicle. She couldn''t get herself out of the cubicle despite her pulling and pushing the door with all her might. If the door isn''t broken, someone must have resorted to something silly against me again! I don''t think it''s broken because it was fine a few minutes ago! In other words, someone''s behind this¡ªthey have trapped me inside the toilet! All colour drained from Natalie''s face the moment she noticed others had gotten the better of her without rming her. She regretted letting her guard down and took a deep breath to pull herself together. Immediately after she returned to her calm and collected self, she reached for her phone and called Sally. Sally, who was on the other end, yelled as soon as she picked up the call, ¡°Nat, where are you? We''re merely five minutes away from the next round! You''re the only one who''s missing! What are you doing?¡± Sitting on top of the toilet, Natalie gasped out her reply, ¡°Someone has trapped me inside the toilet.¡± ¡°What? Who the heck is behind it?¡± Irked, Sally yelled, at the top of her lungs. ¡°I''m not sure, but let''s forget about that for the time being. I need you to hurry your way over to move the things trapping me inside the cubicle away.¡± ¡°Alright, I''m on my way!¡± Sally sprinted out of backstage and rushed in the direction of the restroom once she hung up the call. Irritated by the pair of heels she had put on, Sally removed them and ran in the direction of the restroom while holding her pair of heels in her hands. She managed to reach the restroom within a minute after getting rid of the things that had been stalling her. As soon as Sally barged into the washroom, she yelled, ¡°Nat?¡± Natalie brought herself up and mmed the cubicle with all her might. ¡°I''m here, Sally!¡± Chapter 840 Chapter 840 At the sight of the shaking door, Sally moved toward it instinctively and took the broom down. ¡°Try pulling the door again.¡± Upon hearing Sally''s words, Natalie pulled the door inward. To her relief, she managed to open it effortlessly this round. The moment she stepped out, Sally, who was holding a broom, came into view. Ah! So I was locked from the outside because of this broom! ¡°Damn it! Who the hell ced this on the door?¡± Sally grumbled as she threw the broom on the floor in dismay. Natalie''s face turned grim instantaneously. ¡°No matter who the culprit is, I must get to the bottom of what happened. Sal, do me a favor by bringing this broom out and have it checked if any fingerprints are traceable for identification.¡± She had only stepped into the restroom to answer nature''s call that suddenly came. If somebody thought of setting her up earlier, it was almost impossible for that particr person to bring forward the plot in thest minutes. Thus, she presumed that the culprit must be someone who happened to be in the restroom before she set foot in it. It just crossed the person''s mind that she could lock Natalie up in the toilet. Perhaps, the person intended to hinder her from showing up on time for thepetition. After all, there are only a few minutes to go before thepetition starts. If the person intended to lock me up here for a long time, why didn''t she snatch my cell phone so I wouldn''t be able to call anyone for help? Hence, Natalie was convinced that the culprit had ast-minute idea to lock her up, causing her to be late. Apart from that, the person seemed to be extremely sure that even if she managed to call someone to unlock the door, she would not be able to make it on time as well. Huh! That somebody is undoubtedly a conceited person! ¡°Sal, if possible, have a look at the security footage as well. Try to find out if there was anyone who entered the washroom only left after I stepped in,¡± Natalie told Sally. Thetter nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Alright, I know what to do. You''d better head for thepetition hall now.¡± ¡°Thanks, Sal,¡± Natalie thanked her sincerely and dashed toward thepetition hall as fast as she could. Fortunately, she managed to reach thepetition hall in the nick of time. At that instant, she was panting heavily, and her forehead was beaded with sweat. The host could not resist furrowing his brows at the sight of her dishevelment. He was seemingly displeased with Natalie. ¡°Get yourself seated at once,¡± he said coldly. His utter indifference reflected his great displeasure. Natalie forced a smile in embarrassment. Touching her tummy, which was throbbing with slight pain, she dragged herself toward her seat. All the other designers threw their nces at her spontaneously. Most of them either gazed at her with a great concern or stared at her indifferently. On top of that, there were even some of them who had a look of schadenfreude on their faces. In the meantime, Natalie was observing them and scrutinizing their countenance secretly as well. She hoped to trace the suspect who locked her up in the restroom a while ago. If the suspect was among them, she would obviously be disappointed the moment Natalie showed up. Subsequently, there should be an unavoidable slight change in the person''s expression no matter how well she could restrain her frustration. As long as Natalie could spot anyone with that type of suspicious expression, the identification of the culprit would be as clear as day. Nevertheless, her heart fell when she did not spot anything awry after scanning all of them one by one. Huh! It seems that the culprit is good at bottling up her motions! I can''t even sense the slightest bit of suspicious demeanor among all of them! Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Natalie pulled the chair out and sat down with a grim look. Seated a few rows away from Natalie, glints of indignation and ferocity flickered in Jessie''s eyes. How could she make it in such a short span? She gripped her pencil, trying to stifle a wave of fury that had started to well up from within her. Crack! The next moment, the pencil in her hand snapped, causing the designer seated next to her to be taken aback. ¡°What''s wrong with you?¡± she asked Jessie quizzically. Some of the designers were alerted by the sound and turned to look in their direction. Natalie was one of them. She pursed her lips and gazed at Jessie with squinted eyes. Could it have been her? Nheless, Natalie was still doubtful about it. Even though both Jessie and her did not really hold any grudges against each other, she could sense that the woman did not really like her. Hmm, there''s still a possibility that Jessie is the culprit. Sensing that others were watching her, Jessie knew better than to t let them sense anything amiss about her. ¡°I''m sorry; my pencil is broken.¡± She smiled sheepishly at the designer seated next to her. The designer threw a nce at her pencil without uttering any words. She then nodded casually and epted Jessie''s apology. Meanwhile, the other designers gradually shifted their gazes away from Jessie as well. Even so, Natalie did not take her eyes off the woman. Jessie pretended to be oblivious of Natalie''s subtle gaze. She took out a new pencil and started to sharpen it nonchntly. Chapter 841 Chapter 841 Natalie tried to sense something awry from Jessie''s countenance, yet to no avail. When the competition started, she finally turned away. The moment she looked away, Jessie heaved a sigh of relief. Even so, she was ovee by a wave of uneasiness as rm bells started to ring in her head. Natalie seems to have sensed something. She''s starting to be suspicious of me! Jessie bit her lips as something crossed her mind. She raised her hand to tap lightly on her earring and uttered softly, ¡°There''s something I need you to settle for me first. If not, I will not be able to perform during thepetition.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± a hoarse voice sounded from the earring. Jessie looked around cautiously and cupped her hand over her mouth before she gave her instructions. She was at ease after the person on the other side agreed to help her. After a while, the host announced that thepetition had officially started. Apart from that, the elimination rounds would rece the previous preliminary round. In other words, twelve out of the designers would be eliminated on the same day itself. Thus, the spaciouspetition hall was engulfed by a tense atmosphere. By hook or by crook, all the designers wished to proceed to the next round ¡ª none of them wanted to be the ones eliminated. The rules of thepetition were the same as the previous round. All the designers had toe up with their own designs and sew the outfits ordingly. After that, models would put on the outfits and showcase them on the runway. The only difference was the theme. Instead of being given the freedom to set their favorite themes in the previous round, it was now standardized. Thus, it was fairer for the designers ¡ª they would be working on the same theme. ''Love'' turned out to be the standardized theme. It was definitely of a higher difficulty than other themes of concrete nouns such as ''flowers'' and ''starry sky.'' As ''love'' was an abstract noun, designers could not start designing right away without capturing the hidden meaning first. If not, they would not be able to score well if their blueprints were out of topic and the designed outfits were out of tone. It was a highly challenging theme for those who were single and had never entered into a rtionship before. ¡°Ah! That is what we call an internationalpetition. Even for the first round right after the participants are ssified into different groups, they are already assigned such a challenging theme!¡± Standing right in front of the television, Connor stroked his chin andmented analytically, looking as though he was an adult. Shane was holding Sharon, who had almost dozed off in his arms. He nced at his son and asked inquisitively, ¡°How do you know it''s very hard?¡± ¡°Look at their expressions. Most of the designers have knitted their brows and have not yet started on anything. This implies that the theme is really tough for them,¡± Connormented as he pointed at one of the designers. Shane chuckled andplimented, ¡°Not bad. You are very observant.¡± Connor repliedcently, ¡°Of course. I''ve been watching detective types of moviestely. Microexpressions are simply interesting.¡± Shane raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, ¡°Oh! Since when you are interested in this?¡± Connor blinked his eyes and replied, ¡°I''m thinking of bing a criminal profiler.¡± Initially, he was thinking of bing an omnipotent and assertive person just like his father. Nheless, it urred to Connor that he was not supposed to have such wishful thinking since he was not the flesh and blood of Shane. Thus, he made up his mind for a change. Shane''s eyes darkened as he gazed at Connor, looking as if he was trying to deduce how truthful the boy was being. He then stroked Connor''s head and uttered casually, ¡°You''re still young. It''s too early to talk about this.¡± Connor nodded and switched back to the topic earlier. ¡°Will Mommy be able to attend to the theme?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. In an instant, Shane shifted his gaze back to the television again. There was no sign of Natalie on the screen at that moment. Even so, he was convinced that she would be able to cope with it. Things turned out to be as expected by Shane. When the other designers were still racking their brains, Natalie had already started to draw her blueprint with a rxed smile. To Natalie, ''love'' could be defined as fantasies of the adolescents, the passionate moments of the adults, the nonchnce of the middle-aged, and the reliance on each other for the elderly. The love between a couple would develop from time to time at different stages and ages. Furthermore, every couple had their own unique pace in their rtionship. Nevertheless, one thing remained the same ¡ª a marriage that was acknowledged worldwide. Chapter 842 Chapter 842 In Natalie''s eyes, marriage did not necessarily signify love, but it was defined as the most beautiful moment of true love. It did not take long for her to get her blueprint done. Basically, everything was in ck and white. Next, she proceeded to choose her fabrics. The other designers were dumbfounded. Most of them had either just started with their design or were halfway through. There were even designers who were yet to begin drawing their blueprints. They could not resist but gape at her high efficiency. We are all designers, yet why are you so excellent? On the other hand, Jessie started to panic as she had not started with anything yet. Will I have enough time to sew the outfitter? She bit her lips apprehensively and tapped on her earring again. ¡°Are you back?¡± ¡°Yeah, I''m back.¡± There was unmissable haste in the hoarse voice on the other end of the line. Jessie let out a deep breath and urged the person, ¡°I''m too far behind. Start drawing now and get it done soon. You must scan me the blueprint within half an hour, understand?¡± ¡°Got it,¡± the person replied at once. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Jessie patted her chest in relief and ended the conversation. In the meantime, Connor squinted his eyes as he fixed his gaze on Jessie, who appeared on the screen. He pointed at her andmented, ¡°Daddy, this woman looks weird.¡± Shane caught a glimpse of Jessie and looked away swiftly. He was clueless about her identity and asked in bafflement, ¡°What''s so weird about her?¡± Connor shook his head and exined, ¡°I don''t know how to describe my feeling, but I''m sure that I''ve seen her before somewhere. She looks familiar to me, yet I can''t recall where I have seen her earlier.¡± Shane raised his brows before telling the boy, ¡°I''ll find out her identity from themitteeter.¡± Connor sure is observant. Connor nodded and added, ¡°We must find out. Somehow I can sense her hostility toward Mommy.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane''s face turned grim on the instant. Connor gazed at Jessie and exined, ¡°When Mommy was on the screen just now, I happened to see the way she gazed at her. I bet something was ying on her mind.¡± ¡°Alright, I know what to do,¡± Shane called a staff over and assigned him something. The staff nodded respectfully, knowing that Shane was one of the investors for thepetition. Soon, Shane obtained a copy of Jessie''s resume. After flipping through it, he did not sense anything amiss. It seems this woman''s hostility toward Natalie is due to jealousy. She must be green with envy of Natalie''s talent and capability. I must keep an eye on her as she might turn into a risky person. She might be prevailed over by profound jealousy and stir up disastrous trouble for her opponents. Little did Jessie realize that Shane was watching her closely. She was holding her pencil while waiting anxiously for the blueprint to be sent to her. After about twenty minutes, Jessie spotted a holographic projection on her sses. Her face lit up at the sight of the outstanding blueprint. In a split second, her lips curved into a smile. With this blueprint, I''m pretty sure I can enter Team A. Even if my sewing skill is not up to standard, this blueprint is more than enough for me to get a high score! Without hesitation, she imitated the blueprint from the holographic projection and proceeded with the fabrics selection. After she was back from selecting her fabrics, Natalie had roughly cut out the contour of her outfits. Jessie stole a nce at Natalie when she walked past with selected fabrics. Her face fell in an instant. Natalie was still in the midst of sewing her outfit, yet the basic contour was enough to reflect the uniqueness of her design. Undoubtedly, it would turn out to be a masterpiece that would catch everyone''s eyes. ¡°Ms. Syke, is there anything you need?¡± Natalie asked in sarcasm when she sensed Jessie gazing at her outfit. Jessie''s hands tightened the grips on her fabrics as she put on a smile and replied, ¡°Nothing actually. Ms. Smith, your design looks great.¡± ¡°Thanks! Yours as well.¡± Natalieid her eyes on the fabrics in Jessie''s hands. Chapter 843 Chapter 843 Jessie had opted for bright-colored fabrics ¡ª the type of fabric that was the least chosen by designers. No doubt the fabrics were appealing with striking colors, yet the design really mattered. With an outdated design, the outfits made of bright-colored fabrics would turn out to be failures. As a result, the stylish and ssy images of models in those outfits would be tarnished as well. Thus, most designers avoided choosing bright-colored fabrics duringpetitions. To Natalie''s surprise, Jessie did not opt for any other type of fabric other than the bright-colored ones. Huh! She''s highly confident in her design! ¡°Ms. Smith, thanks for yourpliment. I''d better don''t interrupt you anymore. Besides, I have to start sewing my outfit as well.¡± Jessie nodded slightly at her and walked away. Natalie shifted her gaze away from her after a while and continued to focus on her tasks. The woman managed to get her outfit sewn two hourster. She brought along the outfit backstage to get Sally prepared for the runway session. However, there was no sign of the model there. ¡°Where is she?¡± Natalie mumbled in bewilderment and grabbed one of the models'' arms. ¡°Excuse me, have you seen my model?¡± she asked anxiously. The model happened to know Natalie, so she was aware that Sally was her model. After all, Sally had basked in the limelighttely. Many from the fashion industry thought highly of her and predicted that she would emerge as one of the most sessful models in the near future. Thus, the other models also tended to establish a good rtionship with her. The model shook her head and replied to Natalie at once. ¡°She stepped out after answering a call three hours ago. Since then, she hasn''te back yet.¡± Three hours ago? Natalie twitched her lips. That should match the timing when I was locked in the toilet and gave her a call! So, she didn''te back after that? Could it be she''s still looking for people to identify the fingerprints on the broom? Natalie put down her clothes and whipped out her cell phone to give Sally a call. The call went through, yet nobody answered it. Natalie''s heart sank. What''s the matter? Is her cell phone on silent mode, or has she left it somewhere? Gosh, I hope nothing bad happened to her! No matter what it was, Natalie was under extreme circumstances. She nced at her watch and muttered to herself, ¡°It''s ten minutes to four now. The fashion show will start exactly one hourter! I wonder if she will be back in time.¡± Natalie rubbed her head in frustration and slumped on the chair in weariness. She tried to calm herself down by thinking positively. I should wait a little longer. What if she is on the way back at the moment? After waiting patiently for about half an hour, the other designers brought their outfits backstage one by one. Models started to get changed and have their makeup done. Even so, Sally was still nowhere to be seen. Natalie was growing restless. She stood up and could barely wait any longer. When she was about to step out to look for Sally, Jessie''s voice sounded from behind. ¡°Ms. Smith, where is your model?¡± There was even a sense of bafflement in her tone. Natalie froze in her steps and turned to look at Jessie. Thetter blinked her eyes and continued to ask as she looked around. ¡°If I''m not wrong, you finished sewing your outfit long ago. Why is it still there? Where is Sally?¡± Natalie pursed her lips and answered impatiently, ¡°Yeah, that''s why I''m thinking of stepping out to look for her.¡± ¡°Look for her?¡± Jessie was stupefied and gasped, ¡°Ms. Smith, does it mean to say that you are also clueless of where your model is now?¡± ¡°Sort of,¡± Natalie replied indifferently and took the outfit before she left the dressing room. She did not dare to take the risk of leaving it in the dressing room. If anyone takes the opportunity to destroy it, everything will turn upside down! Jessie continued to gaze at Natalie till her figure was finally out of sight. She stroked her chin as her mind drifted into contemtion. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Two secondster, she whipped out her cell phone and made a call. ¡°Sally Oswald is not back till now. Did you do anything?¡± A woman''s voice could be heard from the other side of the line, ¡°Yes. I bumped into her outside the security room when I was trying to destroy the security footage near the restroom. She was there for the security footage as well. Therefore, I struck her on the head and knocked her unconscious. I''m not sure if she has awoken.¡± Jessie''s lips lifted into a sly smile. ¡°She''s still not back till now. I guess she hasn''te to herself yet. Well done! As long as Natalie is unable to look for Sally, she will be disqualified.¡± Chapter 844 Chapter 844 Initially, Jessie expected Natalie to be kicked out of thepetition for beingte. Out of her expectation, the woman had managed to be back on time. Huh! Now that she has no clue about Sally''s whereabouts, it''s definitely a twist! As long as Sally can''t be back in time, she won''t be able to do anything. She will surely miss a boat this round! This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. She hung up blissfully and made her way back to the make-up room to apply make-up for Hannah. Jessie was seemingly over the moon because of the sure bet that Natalie would be disqualified for beingte. Even Hannah could not dim Jessie''s spirits. In the meantime, Natalie continued calling Sally as she made her way toward the dressing room where Shane and the kids were. Again, her model did not answer her calls. Right that instant, Natalie was panic-stricken; she was sure that something must have befallen Sally. ¡°Connor.¡± Natalie knocked on the door of the dressing room. The door opened within seconds, and Shane emerged at once. He raised his brows and asked surprisingly, ¡°Why are you here during thepetition?¡± ¡°I don''t have time to exin things. Where''s Connor?¡± she asked hastily. Shane stood aside and let her step in. ¡°He''s inside.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes as Natalie stepped into the room hurriedly. Did anything happen? He closed the door swiftly and followed her. ¡°Connor!¡± Natalie called out as she advanced toward the kids. Connor was ying games with Sharon to kill time. His eyes lit up the moment he saw Natalie. ¡°Mommy!¡± Sharon climbed down from the sofa instantly and dashed toward Natalie. ¡°Mommy, you''re back! Can we go home now?¡± Wrapping her arms around Natalie''s legs, she asked excitedly. Natalie stroked Sharon''s hair affectionately. ¡°Darling, we can''t go home yet as thepetition hasn''t ended. Just wait for a while more, okay?'' ¡°Alright,¡± Sharon mumbled and lowered her head in disappointment. Natalie patted her shoulder gently to console her daughter. ¡°Darling, can you have your own fun for a while? I have something to discuss with Connor.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sharon moved aside obediently. Connor nced at Natalie and asked inquisitively, ¡°Mommy, what''s it?¡± ¡°I need you to do me a favor,¡± Natalie replied. Shane approached them and asked curiously, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Sally is missing. I need Connor''s help to trace her current location with her phone number. This is her number.¡± She handed her cell phone to him. Connor took a look at the number and learned it by heart. Next, he essed a mysterious website directly with the cell phone and connected the satellite system to trace her current location based on her phone number. As long as Sally was having her phone with her, Connor would be able to track her no matter where she was. Even so, Natalie was worried that Sally''s cell phone was not by her side at the moment. She gazed at Connor apprehensively with her hands sped. Shane wrapped his arms around Natalie and asked softly, ¡°What happened? Sally is missing? How is that possible?¡± As Natalie''s model, I''m sure Sally knows the importance toply with the dos and don''ts of the competition. It doesn''t make sense for her to go elsewhere impulsively without informing Natalie. It seems that something terrible has befallen her. Natalie rubbed her face wearily. ¡°It''s my fault. I went to the washroom right before thepetition started and ended up getting locked in the toilet. Someone was seemingly setting me up so I would be disqualified for beingte.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane stiffened. I can''t believe that actually happened! Natalie let out a deep sigh and continued to exin, ¡°I gave Sally a call and requested her toe to my rescue. Someone had actually locked me from outside with a broom. After she got me out, I asked for her help to get the fingerprints from the broom identified. Apart from that, I thought of finding out the person who locked me up in the toilet. Thus, I reminded her to drop by the security room and have a look at the security footage near the restroom. She has note back since then.¡± ¡°I bet something must have happened to her,¡± Shanemented abruptly. Natalie agreed and nodded. ¡°I share the same sentiments as you.¡± Initially, she assumed that Sally was not back yet from the fingerprint identification, but she thought otherwise after giving the situation some thought. Chapter 845 Chapter 845 It was almost her turn, but Natalie didn''t receive a single call from Sally. At that moment, she could sense that something had befallen her. ¡°Shane, I would be devastated if anything bad happened to Sally,¡± said Natalie anxiously as she grabbed Shane''s arm. She worried about Sally''s safety more than thepetition. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m here for you.¡± He tried to assure her and patted her back lightly when he saw her body tremble with fear. Her sorrowful eyes overflowed with tears. Sally, where are you? Just when Natalie was feeling overwhelmed with emotions, Connor shouted, ¡°I found her!¡± Natalie pushed Shane away and rushed to her son. Instead of being offended or hurt by her action, the man found it fascinating and raised his brows in response. Anxiously, Natalie asked, ¡°Connor, where is she?¡± His son immediately passed her the phone and pointed at the red pin shown on the screen. ¡°She''s at the exit staircase of the building, but we can''t tell the exact level from this floor n.¡± The floor n only showed a view from above, so it was impossible for them to indicate her specific location. ¡°Mommy, you''ll need to send a few more people to find her on each floor,¡± he reminded her. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Natalie nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Leave it to me. I''m one of the investors of thepetition. I can assign more men to look for her.¡± Shane stepped forward to offer help. ¡°Okay. I really appreciate that, Shane.¡± She nodded as she squeezed her hands anxiously into fists. The man gently caressed her hair, then took out his phone from the pocket. A few minutester, they received good news from the searchers. Sally was found unconscious in a trash bin located at an emergency stairway not far from the surveince room. The bump on the back of her head was concrete evidence that she had gotten hit. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that they found her alive. Then, anger began rippling through her. She couldn''t believe Sally had been treated so brutally. If Connor hadn''t located her, she might have only been found at eight o''clock that night when the janitors came to collect the trash. By that time, Sally''s life would have been in serious danger. Sally was soon carried to the dressing room. Beside her was Natalie who couldn''t help feeling concerned. Natalie took Sally''s hands and asked with tears in her eyes, ¡°Sal, are you okay?¡± Lightheaded, thetter leaned back on the couch. After a while, she murmured, ¡°Nat?¡± ¡°Yes, it''s me.¡± Natalie nodded profusely as tears coursed down her cheeks unchecked. ¡°It''s really you.¡± ¡°I''m here.¡± Just then, Sally broke down into tears. ¡°It''s really you. Thank God. I''m alive, Nat!¡± she wailed. Natalie''s heart ached with pity for her, so she immediately hugged her and apologized. Meanwhile, Shane just watched them with envy. His face darkened. He didn''t want to interrupt them, so he turned and left. As soon as he stepped out of the room, the host of thepetition approached him and bowed his head respectfully. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I''m sorry that such an incident happened in this event. We will definitely investigate the case thoroughly and provide you with a full exnation.¡± He didn''t expect that the designer who was almostte to thepetition was actually the wife of Thompson Group''s CEO. And, worst of all, her model was viciously attacked and shoved into a trash bin in order to sabotage her show. The host promised to find the culprit. That person not only harmed the wife of a CEO ¡ª the reputation of such a prestigious internationalpetition was also destroyed. Chapter 846 Chapter 846 By any means, the host of thepetition needed to find the attacker and cklist that person for good. Shane saw an expression of fierce determination on the man''s face. He nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°Very well. Don''t disappoint me, or else I will cancel my investment and ask my wife to withdraw from thepetition.¡± The host lurched slightly, and only after a moment did he nod gravely. ¡°Rest assured. I won''t let you down.¡± He was aware that the investment from such an importantpany like Thompson Group would only disadvantage them; it might affect the decision of other investors as well. Besides, Natalie''s withdrawal from thepetition would highly ruin their reputation, and the public would be suspicious of their fairness. After all, it was a totally different issue than the time when they would disqualify a contestant who broke a rule. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Thus, both situations were not favorable to him. ¡°Alright then,¡± Shane said as he lifted his chin. ¡°One more thing. We just found my wife''s model, and she''s in a bad condition. She needs some treatment. I guess you can postpone the show by an hour, right?¡± ¡°Sure, that wouldn''t be a problem,¡± thetter replied affirmatively because that was the least they could do. It was not considered cheating. ¡°You go ahead and do. Also, send a doctor here at once,¡± Shanemanded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± At that, the host left. Shane returned to the dressing room and heard Natalie asking Sally about the attacker. Sally held a warm cup of water with both hands. ¡°I went to retrieve the security footage, but no one was in the surveince room. When I was looking for the person in charge, I could hear footsteps following me. I turned my head, and...¡± she trailed off, her voice shaking. ¡°And what?¡± Natalie asked as she held her hands. Thetter took a deep breath to remainposed and continued, ¡°Just as soon as I turned my head, a baton whistle passed my ear. I felt pain in the back of my head, and I passed out.¡± ¡°Baton...¡± Natalie gasped. Her face was pale. ¡°Didn''t that person know a blow of baton could be fatal?¡± Human skulls were fragile ¡ª they could be easily breached when someone fell down, not to mention a violent jolt to the head. It was a great miracle that Sally had survived such a big blow. ¡°Did you manage to see that person''s face?¡± Shane asked as he looked at Sally. She clenched the nket in her fist. She nodded at first but then shook her head. ¡°I didn''t see her face. I just noticed it was a blonde hair girl with a hood over her head. I presume she is a Westerner.¡± ¡°Westerner?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes, deep in thought. ¡°Nat, do you think it''s the same person that locked you in the toilet room?¡± Sally asked. ¡°I went to the surveince room to check that. So I guess that same person tried to stop me by attacking me and tamper the footage.¡± Then she paused to take a sip of water before she continued, ¡°I think she didn''t expect me to go and check the footage in that instant, so she knocked me out in panic.¡± Indeed, everyone at thatpetition was aware that she was Natalie''s model. Her intention to go to the surveince room right after the incident was obvious. ¡°No, I don''t think so.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Why makes you think so?¡± asked Sally as she blinked curiously. ¡°By the time you got attacked, the round had already started. The person who locked her must be one of the designers. After all, all the designers are sopetitive,¡± Shane reasoned. ¡°He''s right,¡± Natalie said firmly as she nodded. Realization soon dawned on Sally. ¡° I see, so it was two different people. Do you think the one who attacked me was a model? I remember her being quite tall.¡± Chapter 847 Chapter 847 Natalie mulled over Sally''s words and said, ¡°That''s possible. The person who attacked you didn''t want you to check the footage. It''s possible that she''s an aplice of the one who locked me in the toilet.¡± ¡°By the way, Nat. Did you guys retrieve the footage?¡± Sally asked as soon as she recalled her purpose. ¡°Do they still have it?¡± Shane and Natalie exchanged gazes. Then thetter shook her head in response. ¡°I don''t think so. The attacker must have taken it after she hit you unconscious.¡± At that moment, they realized it was impossible to identify the two women without the security footage. ¡°Sal, is the broom still there?¡± Natalie asked because that was the only clue they had. Thetter shook her head. ¡°I don''t know. I had the broom in my hand before the attack. But after that, I''m not sure if it was taken or not.¡± ¡°Should I ask them to look for it?¡± Shane asked. ¡°We have no other choice,¡± Natalie replied. If the broom was nowhere to be found, they could only rely on the organizer to investigate both cases. Moreover, it would be easier to find the offenses through them because only a few designers participated in thepetition that day. ¡°By the way, does Jessie have a male model or a female model?¡± asked Shane all of a sudden. ¡°Darling, are you suspecting...¡± ¡°Connor and I were monitoring thepetition in the dressing room. Then Connor told me that Jessie was staring at you in hostility. So I''m making a guess here. Jessie was the one who locked you there. And if her model is a blonde hairdy, then we have solved the puzzle.¡± ¡°Her model is dark-haired Asian, and she is taller than the person who attacked me,¡± Sally spoke up. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°That means there are still many designers who are jealous of you.¡± ¡°Of course! Nat is a genius designer. It''s only natural for everyone to be jealous,¡± Sally scoffed. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Meanwhile, Natalie lookedpletely nonplussed. ¡°Why are you ttering me when you''re in such a condition?¡± Sally just sniggered. Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock, and she immediately stood up. Lightheaded, she lost her bnce and slumped back into the couch. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Natalie was shocked. She quickly sat her up to keep Sally from fainting. Sally held her forehead and apologized in a muffled voice, ¡°Sorry, I suddenly remembered about the competition. Nat, did I make you...¡± Natalie''s eyes dimmed before she could finish her sentence. In the next second, she put on a carefree smile and said, ¡°It''s fine. Thepetition doesn''t matter, as long as you''re safe.¡± The woman cared about her more than thepetition because she knew she still had the chance to join it the following year. ¡°Nat... I''m so sorry, I...¡± ¡°The catwalk hasn''t started yet,¡± Shane interjected. The twodies froze in surprise. ¡°Darling, what did you just say?¡± His wife gazed at him with hope. Sally had the same expression as her. ¡°Mr. Shane, did you say that the catwalk hasn''t started yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, I asked the host to postpone it for an hour.¡± Sally blinked in disbelief. ¡°I didn''t hear you wrongly, did I?¡± ¡°No.¡± At that, Natalie''s eyes lit up. Sheunched herself to his embrace and thanked him. Shane''s lips curled into a smile. However, she pushed him away the very next second. Her happy expression had faded. She gazed up at him in worry and asked, ¡°Darling, aren''t you abusing your power?¡± She was aware that her husband was one of the investors in thepetition. He met her gaze. ¡°No, I''m not. I just asked them to postpone thepetition. It won''t do any harm to the designers anyway.¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that.¡± Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. Chapter 848 Chapter 848 In the meantime, all the designers and models were waiting in the dressing room for the catwalk show to start. That being said, none of the models went up to the stage when the show was supposed to start. Because of this, everyone was starting to get riled up. Peeved, Jessie had a scowl on her face. Where are the models? Shortly after, the host of the show came out of the dressing room and announced that the show would be dyed for an hour. Upon hearing the announcement, the designers and models were rather perplexed as to why the show was being dyed. In distress, Jessie''s face turned pale. Could it be that Natalie''s model going missing is the reason why thepetition is dyed? A whileter, the host nced at the designers and models before uttering in a deep voice, ¡°It has come to my attention that someone among you has deliberately injured Natalie''s model. Sally is currently receiving treatment in the hospital. We''ll continue the catwalk show once she''s done with her treatment. Regarding this incident, the organizer has already instigated an investigation. With that said, I would suggest the culprit confess now, or else...¡± The host turned around and left without finishing his sentence. Terrified, the designers and models began trembling in fear. With a pale look on her face, Jessie clenched her fists. I can''t believe Natalie actually found Sally! Things are getting moreplicated now that the organizer has instigated an investigation. If they find out I''m the one responsible, I''ll be... Not daring to think about the potential consequences she may face, Jessie got up and went to the restroom. When she came back, the distressed expression on her face was surprisingly gone. She was even humming a song happily. Seeing as such, Hannah went up to her and queried, ¡°You look rather exuberant today, Ms. Syke.¡± Jessie gazed at her model and replied, ¡°Really? I guess I''m just feeling happier than usual today.¡± Jessie was behaving so joyfully because she had gotten news that her traces had been removed. She was assured that her DNA wouldn''t be found by the organizer. The person who had assured her was the one who managed to escape that incident. Moreover, Jessie was also told that another designer would be framed to take the me instead. Humph, I should''ve gotten Natalie out of thepetition too. A short whileter, Natalie and Sally came back to the dressing room. Sally looked pale and weak with a bandage wrapped around her head. Curious, all the other designers and models quickly went up to them and bombarded them with questions. Sally and Natalie gave them all a terse answer and sent them away. ¡°Ms. Smith.¡± Just as Natalie was about to assist Sally with her make-up, Jessie approached Natalie. ¡°Ms. Syke, how may I help you?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, it''s nothing. I just wanted to see how Sally was holding up. You''re doing fine, right, Sally?¡± Jessie looked at Sally with a perturbed expression on her face. Sally couldn''t tell if Jessie was seriously concerned about her or not. She''s probably just putting on a show. So, Sally responded apathetically, ¡°Yes, I''m fine.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°That''s great.¡± The woman seemed very happy for Sally. Natalie picked up her makeup brush before uttering, ¡°Ms. Syke, could you please leave us? I know you''re done with your model''s make-up, but I''m just getting started with mine. Perhaps you could abstain from being a nudnik to us for a while?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I''ll leave right away.¡± Jessie let out a shy-looking smile and left. ¡°Nat, I think she''s only feigning her concern for me. She must''vee here to make fun of me,¡± Sally murmured. Natalie opened her makeup case and replied, ¡°Enough talking about her. She''s not worth our time anyway. Close your eyes. I''ll start applying the makeup now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sally nodded and shut her eyes. In a blink of an eye, Sally''s makeup was finished. Chapter 849 Chapter 849 ncing at her reflection on the mirror, Sally frowned. ¡°The bandage on my head looks out of ce. I''m worried it might impinge on your marks.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°You''re right.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Maybe we could use a hat to cover it?¡± Sally suggested. Natalie''s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Sal, you''re a lifesaver.¡± Yes, that could work. Since this outfit is an integration of a wedding dress and a suit, she can wear a veil in front to cover the bandage. That being said, I can''t have the veil covering her back. That would ruin the look from behind. Hmm... How about I make it so that the veil only covers her face? I can use a jazz hat to cover the back of her head. Natalie was ring pensively at Sally''s head. She then took a jazz hat and cut it in half with a scissor. Bewildered by her action, Sally queried, ¡°Nat, what are you doing?¡± Since her voice was a bit loud, it caught the attention of the other models and designers, including Jessie. Jessie was rather confused as to what Natalie was up to. Natalie was reticent as she ced the hat that had been cut in half on the table. After that, she grabbed the white veil beside her and started cutting shapes out of it. Then, she sewed the veil and one of the halves of the hat together. Lastly, she sewed two flower patterns as well as a diamond pattern onto the veil as her finishing touch. And just like that, a new peculiar style of a veil was born. Although the outfit was a weird integration of a wedding dress and a suit, it didn''t look ugly at all. On the contrary, it looked rather unique and refreshing. Natalie proceeded to put the veil on Sally''s head. Aside from covering the bandage on the model''s head, the veil, together with the hat, was able to urately illustrate the beauty of a bride as well as the suaveness of a groom. Upon seeing the outfit, the other designers gave Natalie a round of apuse. ¡°You''re absolutely incredible, Natalie. How brilliant of you to be able toe with this.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can''t help but envy your profound sense of fashion.¡± ¡°I guarantee this veil of yours will be the center of attentionter.¡± Natalie passed the outfit over to Sally and told her to change into it. She then put on a fake smile and continued making small talk with the other designers. Meanwhile, Jessie was ring intently at Natalie while biting her nails. Her eyes were filled with jealousy. ¡°She''s really popr, isn''t she?¡± Hannah uttered sullenly. Jessie narrowed her eyes. Yeah, you don''t have to tell me that. It''s all thanks to her face and talent. To my chagrin, I can''t hold a candle to her in either of those two aspects. Jessie covered her face with her hand and remained taciturn. After a while, she put down her hand and uttered, ¡°When thepetition is overter, I want you to look for Natalie. Try to provoke her.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hannah nodded. Ten minutester, the catwalk show finally started. As expected, Natalie''s design was able to capture everyone''s attention. They were all mesmerized by the unique integration of a wedding dress and a suit. When Sally walked onto the stage, everyone saw a beautiful bride in a wedding dress. But when she turned around, everyone saw a handsome groom in a suit. Since the design was breathtaking, some of the apparelpanies were already furtively making ns to purchase it after thepetition. Apart from Natalie''s design, Jessie''s design was also very stunning. Thetter''s design was a short skirt with shoulder straps. The skirt consisted of manyyers which made it look puffy and cute. The skirt was fluorescent pink in color, and it looked gorgeous. With that said, only a designer with a tremendous amount of skill and talent would be able toe up with a design like this. Chapter 850 Chapter 850 The only minuscule shoring of this design was that the tailoring of the outfit wasn''t all that compatible with the design of the skirt. However, it wasn''t that big of a problem as long as the design was brilliant enough. After a while, the final results of thepetition finally came out. Jessie was able to advance into Team A while Natalie got to keep her position in Team A. ¡°Ms. Smith, we''ll be in the same team from now on. May the best designer win.¡± Jessie shot Natalie a bright smile. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Natalie returned the smile and nodded. ¡°Then let us meet again in the next round of thepetition after three days.¡± Having finished her sentence, Jessie left immediately. After Jessie left, Natalie exited thepetition grounds and headed toward the dressing room to find Shane. ¡°Has thepetition ended?¡± Shane stared at Natalie with his gentle eyes. The woman nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah. I''m remaining in Team A.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shane helped Natalie to tidy up her messy hair. ¡°I''m cognizant of your amazing skill and talent. With your capabilities, I believe you''ll unequivocally be able to make it till the end,¡± he added. Natalie lunged herself into his arms. ¡°Thank you, Darling.¡± Shane wrapped his arm around her waist and caressed her hair affectionately. At this moment, Sharon''s voice was heard out of nowhere. ¡°Daddy and Mommy are doing lewd stuff again.¡± Natalie blushed as she separated herself from Shane''s arms. She then lowered her head to gaze at her daughter before uttering, ¡°You''re awake?¡± She was still asleep on the couch when I came by her just now. ¡°Yes. I was woken up by your voice, Mommy. Connor is still asleep, though. Does this mean I''m more diligent than him?¡± Sharon looked up at her parents adorably. Shane and Natalie shot a sweet smile in their daughter''s direction and responded, ¡°Yes, yes. You''re the most diligent.¡± Natalie patted Sharon''s head as she spoke, causing the girl to break out into a big grin. ¡°Go and wake your brother up. We''re heading back now.¡± Natalie retracted her hand from Sharon''s head. ¡°Okay.¡± Sharon turned around and went back inside. In the meantime, Shane and Natalie waited silently outside for her. A few minutester, the two children came out together. The four of them held hands and walked together toward the entrance hall. ¡°Natalie.¡± When they arrived at the entrance, Natalie was called out by one of the designers. She stopped in her tracks and queried, ¡°What''s the matter, Luna?¡± The designer who called out to her was Luna. Being the amicable person that she was, Luna would always greet Natalie whenever they met. They were actually quite close to each other. As Luna was walking toward Natalie, she took a nce at Shane and the children. ¡°Natalie, I assume they are your husband and kids?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded while smiling. Luna turned to Natalie shot the woman a thumbs-up gesture. ¡°Not bad. I always had the notion that all eastern men look the same, but it seems like I was wrong. Your husband is quite attractive, I must say. His height and physique canpete with the western men here. Also, your kids are way too adorable.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Well then, I''ll stop bothering you guys now. I wish you all happiness.¡± Luna waved her hand. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Thanks.¡± Natalie nodded. After that, Luna left together with the other designers who were waiting for her. Natalie gazed at Shane and uttered, ¡°Let''s go Darling.¡± Shane let out a grunt of agreement and brought Natalie and the kids to the parking lot. ¡°Oh, so those two children are Natalie''s kids? They do resemble Mr. Shane a lot.¡± Hannah was staring at the family from somewhere close by. Jessie narrowed her eyes and bit her lip before growling, ¡°Enough talking. We should go now.¡± Having said that, she turned around and started walking forward. Hannah was left in a perplexed state. Why is she acting so sulky? Is she angry at me for not being able to provoke Natalie? Hannah felt aggrieved. It''s not like I didn''t want to provoke her! She just left before I could. Chapter 851 Chapter 851 Not to mention, with her husband by her side, I don''t think I can get away with provoking her. Meanwhile, Natalie got in the car and was staring out the window. Shane was wearing his seatbelt as he queried, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Sal. She still hasn''te out yet,¡± she answered. Just as Shane was about to say something, Natalie''s phone suddenly rang. ¡°It''s from Sal.¡± Natalie quickly picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Nat, I''m not going back tonight.¡± Natalie was baffled. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I received a job asking me to do a shoot for a magazine just now.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? Okay then. Just be careful, yeah?¡± ¡°I will. Bye.¡± Sally hung up the phone. Natalie put down her phone before uttering, ¡°Let''s go. Sal isn''ting home with us tonight.¡± Shane nodded his head nonchntly and started up the car. He wanted to tell Natalie that he was the one who had given the job to Sally, but he refrained from doing so in the end. I don''t want Sally to interrupt our family time. Shortly after, they arrived at the vi. Knowing beforehand that Shane and his family wereing back, the housekeeper had already prepared dinner for them. After they had dinner, Natalie tucked the two of the kids to bed. She then headed to the master bedroom. When she entered, Shane was talking to someone on the phone in his pajamas. Natalie shot a nce at him before going to the bathroom to change into her pajamas. ¡°How''s her condition now?¡± Shane asked over the phone. Ss replied, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane. We are keeping a close eye on Ms. Graham. We''ll make sure she doesn''t try anything suicidal. However, she isn''t doing too well mentally ever since we started monitoring her. She hasn''t even eaten anything today.¡± ¡°She hasn''t eaten anything today?¡± Shane squinted his eyes. ¡°Yeah. ording to her maid, Ms. Graham is deliberately fasting. We aren''t sure if she''s doing it to spite you or if it''s because of her mental health.¡± It could be both for all I know. Shane let out a sneer. ¡°If she doesn''t want to eat, then let her starve.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, are you sure?¡± Ss was stupefied. ¡°What if she starves to death?¡± ¡°That won''t happen. The nutrient fluids will keep her alive,¡± Shane replied callously. Many patients in hospitals who can''t eat rely on such nutrient fluid to keep them alive. With that said, Jacqueline will be fine. After hearing Shane''s response, Ss was taciturn. Mr. Shane is really on another level. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. A whileter, Ss finally replied, ¡°I understand.¡± Shane took a sip of his red wine. ¡°Give a call to Jacksonter and tell him to prepare a ward for Jacqueline in case she passes out. The nutrient fluids in the hospital will be able to keep her alive.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ss responded. Shane then continued on, ¡°By the way, how''s the Gunn family doing?¡± ¡°The Gunn family has been under the pressure of the Garcia familytely. I believe the Gunn family will lose its position as one of the strongest families in the capital soon. When that happens, the Garcia family will hand over the evidence Mr. Gunn has on Ms. Graham to you.¡± This is what you get for having an ipetent son, Mr. Gunn. Ever since Mr. Gunn''s son had taken over his position, everything started going awry for the Gunn family. Since all the descendants of the Gunn family were feckless and ipetent, Mr. Gunn wasn''t able to find a worthy sessor to manage the family. After Mr. Gunn retired, the Gunn family''s power and influence spiraled downhill. If it wasn''t for the respect the other powerful families had for Mr. Gunn, the Gunn family would''ve been eliminated a long time ago. Chapter 852 Chapter 852 This was the same reason why the Garcia family couldn''t properly go headfirst against the Gunn family. The only reason why the Garcia family finally started getting back at the Gunn family was that one of the Gunn family members made fun of one of the Garcia family''s young daughters. The financial support that Shane provided was also reason enough for the Garcia family to stop holding back. Still, Ss had no sympathy for the Gunn family. The younger generations of the Gunn family had done too many despicable things. It was also ridiculous that the older Gunn family members, who were supposed to be wiser, still made the mistake of taking Jacqueline''s side. ¡°Two or three months?¡± Shane murmured to himself. Natalie''spetition would roughly end then. The timing isn''t too bad. This way, she would be able to enjoy watching Jacqueline and the Gunn family go behind bars. That would be my present to her. ¡°Keep an eye on Jacqueline for me. Don''t let her die. If anything happens, just call me,¡± Shane said in a deep voice. Ss nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± After the call, Shane picked up his wine ss and walked into his room. He paused when he heard the sound of running watering from the shower. A dark expression glinted in his eyes. After cing the ss on his bedside table, he walked toward the bathroom. Since the bathroom wasn''t locked, Shane walked in with perfect ease. Natalie was standing under the rushing water, which masked the sound of Shane''s footsteps. She only realized that Shane was in the room when he snaked his arms around her waist. Whipping her head around, she red at the man. ¡°You scared me.¡± Shane simply chuckled shamelessly and bent his head to nibble on the back of her neck. He didn''t bite hard enough to hurt her, but it did make her feel ticklish. Natalie couldn''t help but shrink away from Shane''s biting. ¡°That''s enough, let go of me. I haven''t finished showering.¡± Shane let go of her neck and grazed his teeth on her earlobe instead. In a raspy voice, he whispered, ¡°Go ahead.¡± His meaning was clear enough. You can take your shower and I can continue my fun. I won''t get in the way. Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop it. How am I supposed to shower with you being all sappy with me?¡± Shane finally paused his movements and looked down as if he were considering it. However, just two secondster, he reached out for the showerhead and detached it from the wall. ¡°I''ll help you. You don''t have to worry about getting distracted then.¡± Natalie fell silent. She was annoyed but in a fond way. ¡°I take it that you''re not leaving, then?¡± Shane shrugged carefreely. ¡°I missed you. I haven''t touched you in so long.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Natalie looked at him and saw a hint of grievance in his eyes. She massaged her forehead in exasperation. ¡°I would like to spend time with you, too, but I''m pregnant right now. Why don''t you just settle it yourself?¡± That was the only solution she could think of. After all, she wasn''t about to suggest for him to go out and meet other women. Shane''s eyes glinted. ¡°You can help me.¡± Natalie was about to turn him down when she caught sight of the hope in his eyes. The desire in his gaze shut Natalie up. Oh, well. It isn''t fair to him if I don''t help him at all, especially with such things. I guess helping him out isn''t too bad... After properly thinking about it, Natalie let out a deep sigh and reached out to tug at Shane''s belt. His eyes shone in excitement almost immediately. They finally finished a long timeter, and Natalie groaned as she tried to loosen up her sore wrist. ¡°That was exhausting. Why did you hold out for so long?¡± sheined. Shane chuckled. ¡°As if you''re not into that.¡± Natalie fell silent. She couldn''t deny that. I guess he''s right. It''s much better when I''m more involved. She couldn''t help but blush at the sudden thought before coughing softly and pushing Shane lightly. ¡°Okay, now that you''re done, get out. I''m still not done with my shower.¡± ¡°I''ll shower with you,¡± Shane said, insistent on clinging to Natalie. Chapter 853 Chapter 853 The corners of Natalie''s mouth twitched and she finally gave up. She could have finished her shower in thirty minutes, but with Shane''s constant interfering, she only left the bathroom two hourster. After she finally finished her shower, Natalie copsed on the bed. Shane ended up being the one to blow her hair dry for her. Natalie was so tired that she started dozing off while he dried her long locks. He looked at her sleeping face with a gaze almost overflowing with his love for her. After that, he turned off the hairdryer and bent down to kiss Natalie on the forehead lightly. ¡°Goodnight,¡± he whispered as he tucked her in. Natalie''s mouth twitched slightly, as if trying to reply. Shane chuckled lightly and put the hairdryer away. After he turned off the light, he pulled her into his embrace. After breakfast the next day, the family of four went out for a day of fun. Natalie didn''t need topete that day and Shane was free of work. Coupled with the fact that the two kids didn''t have school, it was the perfect day to go for a family outing. The two children wouldn''t stop chattering in their excitement. The car ride was filled with their constant bickering of where to go. They finally settled on the first stop, which was feeding pigeons at the Town Square. Shane frowned slightly at the sound of that, clearly reluctant. To him, pigeons were incredibly dirty. They pooped everywhere and the floor was always decorated with all their excrements. In fact, they might evennd a bomb in midair, and with a St, his clothes could be ruined. But at the sight of his kids'' excited grins, he didn''t have the heart to say no. Luckily, things went better than he''d imagined. He managed to steer clear of any pigeon droppings and didn''t get any ¡°gifts¡± from them either. Apart from the mildly pungent stench in the air, everything else was bearable. Shane''s expression slowly brightened after leaving the Town Square. ¡°Let''s get lunch. The kids are starving,¡± Natalie said as she gently wiped off the sweat that had formed on Shane''s forehead. He nodded in response. ¡°Okay, let''s head off.¡± Half an hourter, the family of four arrived at a cozy little restaurant. There weren''t any booths or private rooms in the restaurant. Instead, they simply had onerge room in which everyone dined. Shane chose a table next to the window with an amazing view of the mid-century architecture below. ¡°What are you in the mood for?¡± He passed the menu to Natalie. She passed it over to the kids. ¡°Let the kids pick first. I need to go to the restroom.¡± ¡°I''ll miss you,¡± Shane said teasingly. Natalie chuckled and walked off. After her bathroom break, she went back to her table. However, a familiar face shed into view the moment she stepped into the restaurant. Jessie? What is she doing here? There was another woman at her table. The woman had on arge hat and an elegant ck cape and dress. Natalie couldn''t make out her features from far away. Who is that? She frowned and continued staring at Jessie''s table. After about ten seconds, both of the women at Jessie''s table got up and went to pay for their food. Natalie still couldn''t see the other woman''s face. She didn''t think too much about it and convinced herself that it was just Jessie''s friend. ¡°Here you go.¡± Shane passed a ss of milk to Natalie the moment she sat down. She took it with a smile. ¡°Thanks, Darling.¡± ¡°Here. You can order now,¡± he said as he passed the menu to her as well. After sipping from her ss, Natalie started ordering her food. The four of them roamed the mid-century streets after their lunch and bought plenty of things at the mall, only going back to the vi after the sun started to set. Sally had been back since afternoon and had been waiting for Natalie. She quickly got up at the sight of her. ¡°Nat! Mr. Shane! Wee back.¡± Shane nodded his head slightly in response. Natalie looked at Sally. ¡°How''s your headache?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Chapter 854 Chapter 854 ¡°Much better. The swelling has already gone down a lot, so it''ll probably heal in no time,¡± Sally replied as she gently touched the bandage around her head. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± ¡°Nat, I actually needed to talk to you about something,¡± Sally suddenly said. Shane gently tugged the two kids upstairs. ¡°I''ll get them ready for bed.¡± Natalie knew he wanted to give Sally and herself space to talk. With a smile, she replied, ¡°Okay. I''ll head upstairs right after this.¡± Shane nodded and brought the kids to their rooms. Sally chuckled. ¡°D*mn, did Mr. Shane go to university to learn how to be a good husband? He''s so attentive now.¡± Natalie chuckled sheepishly. ¡°So, what did you need to ask me about?¡± ¡°Well, I worked on a magazine shoot yesterday. It''s for a magazine that''s pretty well-known in the music community, and they''re nning a super big project. They want to gather the top twenty hottest artists of the current generation and release a never-before-seen publication.¡± Natalie nodded in understanding. Basically, they wanted to release an edition with the top twenty most popr artists as of right now. ¡°That''s pretty ambitious,¡± she said with a raised brow. It wasn''t hard to figure out how well that edition of the magazine would be selling. ¡°Yeah, it is. The magazinepany put in a lot of money to hire all these artists, and among all that were the clothes. They wanted to haveplete discretion over the outfits and reached out to a few high-ss designers, but-¡± ¡°Let me guess, they were turned down?¡± Natalie asked. Sally nodded. ¡°Pretty much. There''s a conference between high-ss designers that happens to sh with the deadline for the magazine''s outfits, so all of them said no.¡± ¡°Oh, I''ve heard about the annual designer conference. Seems like that magazinepany has pretty bad timing.¡± Natalie chuckled. Sally took a sip of water before continuing, ¡°That''s why the magazinepany decided to set their sights a bit more leniently. They found me when I was modeling one of your designs on the runway, so they contacted me again after yesterday''s shoot and asked if I could pull some strings with you.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Natalie lifted a hand. ¡°You''re saying they want me to design for them?¡± ¡°Yeah! They said yourst two designs for thepetition were pretty good, so they wanted to get in touch. What do you think?¡± Sally nced at Natalie. Natalie was intrigued. Sally could see the interest in Natalie''s eyes and tugged her hand. ¡°Just try out, Nat. It''s a big opportunity to get to design for so many famous artists at once. You have to seize it.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g After Sally''s advice, Natalie took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Okay, I''ll go for it.¡± ¡°Great! I''ll let them know right away,¡± Sally said as she pulled out her phone and made a call. Natalie continued sipping her tea. Sally hung up after about two minutes. ¡°They asked me if you could stop by tomorrow to talk about the details,¡± Sally said. With a smile, Natalie replied, ¡°Sure. Come pick me up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Sally said as she nodded. Natalie put her cup down and got up. ¡°Okay, I''m gonna head upstairs now.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Goodnight,¡± Sally said with a wave of her hand. Natalie chuckled before walking upstairs. The two kids were ying in their own room. After Natalie checked in on them, she closed their room door quietly and walked into the main bedroom. ¡°You''re back,¡± Shane''s low voice piped up as Natalie entered. She nodded. ¡°What did you talk about?¡± he asked as he walked over. Natalie stretchedzily as she told him everything. Shane raised an eyebrow. ¡°That''s a pretty good magazine. It ranks pretty highly worldwide, so designing outfits for their photoshoot is going to be a good debut for you. I bet other artists wille to you for their outfits after that magazine gets released.¡± Chapter 855 Chapter 855 ¡°I know. That''s why I agreed,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°When are you meeting them?¡± Shane asked. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Shane frowned. ¡°The kids and I are heading back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Monday is the day after tomorrow.¡± Natalie buried her head into his chest. He stroked her hair gently. ¡°I''ll ask Ss to book the afternoon flight so I can follow you in the morning.¡± He wanted to spend hisst few moments in the country with her. After tomorrow, they wouldn''t be seeing each other for a long time. Natalie hummed softly in agreement. The next day, they left the kids at the vi as they headed off to the magazinepany with Sally. After their discussion, Natalie signed a contract with thepany. Since Natalie was still in thepetition, the magazinepany understandingly gave her two weeks'' time to finalize her design. After she handed the design over, thepany would take the design to the tailor so they didn''t have to bother Natalie with the physical manufacturing of her design. Natalie couldn''t turn down an offer like that. After all, she was pressed for time. The three of them left the magazinepany after signing the contract. Shane got a call from Ss the moment he got into the car. ¡°Mr. Shane, Ms. Graham is in the hospital.¡± Shane wasn''t the slightest bit surprised by Ss'' words. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Jacqueline was already weak, to begin with, and the fact that she was also going on a hunger strike meant that her getting hospitalized was simply a matter of time. ¡°Got it,¡± Shane said mildly in response. Ss cleared his throat. ¡°Dr. Baker seems very angry.¡± Shane hummed. ¡°I know. He already called me.¡± After hanging up on Ss, he called Jackson. Almost immediately, Jackson asked, ¡°Shane, did you know that Jacqueline got hospitalized for starvation?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Shane answered with one hand on the steering wheel. Natalie nced at his phone from the passenger''s seat without a word. Naturally, Sally stayed quiet as well. Jackson continued, ¡°You said you wouldn''t kill her and only wanted to keep her locked up. What happened to that promise? Not only did she pass out from hunger, but there''s also an enormous gash on her wrist!¡± ¡°So?¡± Shane asked,pletely deadpan. Jackson''s eyes were about to pop out from his skull as his temper spiked. ¡°What do you mean, ''so?'' How dare you act like that when Jacqueline-¡± ¡°She did that to herself,¡± Shane cut him off. ¡°I only sent her to be locked up. Apart from that, I didn''t do anything to her. The gash on her wrist is from her own failed suicide attempt. She passed out because she was going on a hunger strike.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jackson said in shock. ¡°You''re saying she did this to herself?¡± ¡°Do you think I would have ordered someone to cut her wrists and starve her on purpose?¡± Shane''s eyes glinted mockingly. ¡°I''m not as tasteless as you think. How could I use such an imbecilic way to get my revenge? If I wanted to truly get my revenge on her, I would have pushed her so far off the deep end that she would never see the light of day again. Got that?¡± Jackson gulped,pletely lost for words. A few secondster, he croaked, ¡°Why did she try to kill herself?¡± ¡°Just desperate for attention, I guess.¡± Shane scoffed coldly. Jackson instantly understood Shane''s meaning from those six words. Jacqueline must have tried to kill herself to force Shane to forgive her or to make Shane divorce Natalie and marry her instead. But based on Shane''s attitude, I''m guessing she tried to go for thetter choice. It seems like Jacqueline is still stuck in her ways. ¡°Is there anything else you want from me?¡± Shane asked mildly after Jackson''s constant silence. Jackson''s throat was dry. ¡°N-No, I''m done. I''m sorry for thinking you did that to Jacqueline.¡± Shane scoffed coldly again. ¡°Since the two of you broke up, you don''t need to concern yourself with her anymore.¡± Chapter 856 Chapter 856 ¡°Alright...¡± Jackson lowered his head. With that, Shane hung up the call. Before Natalie could ask, he turned and told her about their conversation. She pursed her lips as the disdain she felt for Jacqueline intensified once Shane was done. However, she did not make anyments. ¡°Nat, this Jacqueline woman is so thick-skinned! I''m guessing she must be from a wealthy family since she''s friends with Mr. Shane. Yet, her mind is full of men. To add on, she brought upon this disaster on herself all for the sake of a man. I don''t know about you, but I think it''s a shame,¡± Sally blurted. Although I have not met Jacqueline, I could already tell she must be swooning over love judging by Mr. Shane''s description, Sally thought to herself. Natalie noticed Shane''s darkened expression and let out a chuckle. ¡°Sal, the man you mentioned is actually your boss and my Darling.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sally looked at Shane in disbelief. Noticing his cold expression, she gulped and cleared her throat. ¡°Oh... Well, Mr. Shane, you didn''t rify who that man was, so I thought it was someone else,¡± Sally exined as cold sweat beaded her forehead. ¡°Oh? So it''s my fault that I didn''t rify?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°No, of course not! I didn''t mean it that way. I just... Nat.¡± Sally nced at Natalie for help. ¡°Come on, Shane. She didn''t know it was you. Cut her some ck, alright? But she did get one thing right. Ms. Graham is rather thick-skinned.¡± Natalie wiped the tears ofughter off her eyes. Shane pursed his thin lips and did not answer her. it was a clear sign that he agreed to Sally''s statement. To be honest, I have no idea why Jacqueline''s so in love with me. But it doesn''t matter. It won''t change my love for Natalie no matter how much Jacqueline loves me. In the afternoon, it was time for Shane to return to J city with the children. Natalie and Sally went to the airport to see them off. Sharon refused to leave Natalie as she sobbed and clung to her tightly moments before they boarded. Although Connor did not cry like his sister, his eyes were also red as he stared at his mother. Even Shane was looking at her sadly. Seeing that, Natalie was very tempted to purchase a ticket and return home with them. However, she held herself back at the veryst moment. She waved at Shane and the children as they walked through the VIP passage. She did not stop waving until she could no longer see them and hugged Sally. Sally knew she was sad and gently patted her back tofort her. After ten minutes or so, Natalie raised her head and wiped her tears. ¡°Alright, Sal, I''m fine now. Thank you.¡± She smiled. ¡°No problem. Shall we go?¡± Sally suggested. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Natalie nodded in agreement and they both left the airport. Sally realized Natalie was still feeling down during their ride home. She pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Hey, cheer up, Nat. I know you miss them, but you can always give them a call. Besides, didn''t Mr. Shane say he''d bring the kids over to visit you in a couple of weeks?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, I''m fine now.¡± Natalie grinned. Sally looked at her onest time and did not say anything else. She assumed that Natalie was fine. Yet, the moment they arrived at the vi, Natalie had locked herself in her room. Sally shook her head helplessly. ¡°They say things get rough when a couple doesn''t get along. Well, it seems that it''s not all smooth sailing either when a couple does get along. I mean, look at her, it''s like she''s lost her soul as soon as she''s away from her husband. Perhaps it''s better to stay single,¡± she murmured. Her cell phone rang as soon as she said so. ncing at the caller ID, her eyes gleamed. ¡°Hello, Mr. Brandy? Oh yes, I''m avable. Okay, I''ll be right there!¡± She notified the housekeeper of her whereabouts as she grabbed her bag and dashed out of the door. ¡°Hello abs! Here Ie!¡± she muttered. It wasn''t until dinner time that Natalie found out that Sally went out for a date. She was surprised to hear that. We''ve been here for so many days and I didn''t even know Sally''s met a guy! Chapter 857 Chapter 857 The next day, Natalie went to the magazinepany to meet up with some artists. She needed to understand the artist''s personality, hobbies, measurements, as well as their dressing styles. This information would provide her with a better direction to create designs that would suit the artists'' tastes. Natalie got to work and didn''t stop till noon. Once she was done, she held arge stack of paper containing the artists'' information and headed toward the parking lot. However, a couple of men blocked her path as soon as she reached the parking lot. ¡°Hey miss, fancy a cup of coffee?¡± one of them asked devilishly. The other man was staring at her in a perverted manner as he constantly eyed her hips and chest. He even stretched out his hand and tried to touch her. Natalie knew they were the thugs around the area who usually live by robbing others. Simrly, they wouldn''t pass on a beautiful woman if they met one. These thugs usually wouldn''t pay attention to Asian women as they were smaller in size and looked the same. However, Natalie didn''t look like any typical Asian woman. Although her height was iparable to a western woman, her appearance and body were very appealing. As such, even someone like them who couldn''t understand oriental beauty thought she was gorgeous. They wouldn''t miss the chance to advance on her. Natalie took a step back to avoid the man''s touch. She frowned as an uneasy feeling crept into her heart. D*mn, I''m pretty sure they''re up to no good. I know incidents like this happen all the time here, but I didn''t expect myself to encounter this one day. Okay Natalie, don''t panic. There must be a way out of this. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°Would you let me go if I hand you some money instead?¡± she suggested hopefully. If I could dodge a bullet in exchange for a sum of money, I''d be more than willing to do so. At least my safety would be guaranteed. ¡°Your money would eventually be ours once we have you, Miss. So why choose one when we can have it all?¡± the menughed. Natalie''s heart dropped. She knew then there was no way she could talk them out of it. Hence, she subconsciously stepped back and nned to turn and run while she shouted for help. I know the people here are indifferent toward one another and they may not step up to help. But I wouldn''t know for sure if I don''t try. With that thought, Natalie clenched her fists and backed away slowly before she turned and ran. The two men were taken back for a brief moment before they went after her. They shouted threats and nasty words at her as they continued to chase after her. Natalie''s face paled when she heard those words and ran even faster. Unfortunately, she failed to outrun them and was caught in an instant. One of the men pped her across the face, causing her to fall to the ground. Natalie''s face stung and her ears were ringing. Consequently, the other man grabbed Natalie by the cor and lifted her. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He leaned close to her and said, ¡°Where do you think you''re going, b*tch?¡± Natalie retched when she got a whiff of his disgusting breath. The man was offended and said angrily, ¡°Why? Am I not to your liking? Just you wait, I''ll make sure to change your mindter.¡± Then, he let go of her cor and she fell to the ground once again. The man pinned Natalie down as he ripped at her clothes. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Natalie screamed in horror. She tried to resist his hold as sheid kicks and punches on the man. Yet, the man was not affected by the slightest. In fact, Natalie''s behavior had excited him even further. Soon, Natalie''s bra was revealed the moment her clothes were ripped open. She shuddered as the cold wind hit her body. Is this the end for me? she thought to herself hopelessly. Natalie closed her eyes in despair as tears rolled down her cheeks. Suddenly, a figure rushed over andnded a kick on the man who was on top of Natalie. Chapter 858 Chapter 858 The man howled in pain. His aplice gritted his teeth and rushed over when he noticed the neer. The person seemed to have a martial arts background as he defeated the thugs easily. Nevertheless, he was outnumbered when the other thug got up from the ground and joined forces with the other man. Natalie opened her eyes when she heard themotion and saw three figures fighting each other. Then, she came to her senses that she was rescued. She hurriedly covered herself and got up from the ground. She heard a low grunt the moment she stood up. Natalie narrowed her eyes in confusion. Am I imagining things? Why does it sound so familiar? She turned in the direction of the voice and saw a familiar figure kneeling on the ground. He was clutching at his stomach in pain as he inhaled sharply. It''s him? It''s Sean! I can''t believe it''s him! Why is he here? And was it a coincidence that he appeared in time to save me? Before she could process anything else, she saw a thug raising his fists toward Sean. ¡°Watch out!¡± she warned. If Sean had taken the blow, he would have passed out without a doubt. Thankfully, Sean ducked in time to avoid the thug''s punch. Then, he stretched out his legs and swept forward, causing the thug to trip. The thug fell on his head and groaned in pain, unable to get up anymore. The other thug roared angrily and swung his fists at Sean. This time, Natalie wasn''t sure if he could avoid the punch. She knew that he had probably exerted all his strength from throwing punches while defending himself. Besides, his stomach was still hurting from the hit he took moments ago. She panicked as she watched the thug throw a punch at Sean. At that moment, she caught sight of a stone lying nearby. She pursed her lips nervously as she mustered up some courage before grabbing the stone. Then, she smashed it onto the thug''s head. Bang! The thug staggered backward and passed out. Natalie didn''t stop there, instead, she picked up the stone again and walked toward the other thug who wasying on the ground. She took a deep breath and smashed the stone on his head, too. Consequently, the thug passed out as well. Sean was stunned when he saw Natalie in action. He was surprised by her tremendous courage and decisiveness. Oh my, this is exactly why I fell for you! Sean chuckled as he curled his lips. Natalie turned when she heard him chuckle. Yet, before she could say anything, her knees gave way and she copsed to the ground. Sean quickly rushed to her side and caught her before her body hit the ground. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie did not answer him but merely blinked a few times before she fainted. Sean furrowed his brows in concern as he quickly picked her up and headed toward his car. Once they were both in the car, he called his assistant to take care of the thugs before speeding to the hospital. Sean looked at Natalie who wasying quietly in the ward. ¡°Is she going to be alright?¡± he asked the doctor. ¡°She''s fine, just a little anemic due to her pregnancy. Furthermore, she passed out because her epinephrine levels were high. I guessed it must have been the shock she had gone through. She''ll be fine as soon as she wakes up,¡± the doctor answered. Sean let out a breath of relief as his heart sank at the same time. She''s pregnant? I can''t believe it! His eyes fell upon her stomach which was still t, but the thought of the baby that was growing within got him to narrow his eyes as a dangerous gleam shed across them. ¡°Doctor, is it possible to get an abortion?¡± Sean asked suddenly. The doctor was stunned. ¡°Sir, are you sure you don''t want the baby?¡± Sean nodded, ¡°My wife and I weren''t nning to have a child anytime soon. This child was an ident, so...¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 859 Chapter 859 The doctor pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°Yes, it''s possible as the child is barely two months. But I''d advise you to discuss this matter with your wife first before you make the final decision.¡± ¡°There''s no need for that. As I said, we don''t have ns for a child at the time being. So...¡± Before he could convince the doctor to agree to the abortion procedure, Natalie groaned and her eyshes fluttered. It was a clear sign that she was going to be awake at any moment. A sh of disappointment was seen in Sean''s eyes before it disappeared quickly. He smiled at the doctor and said, ¡°Seems like my wife is waking up soon. You can leave now, thank you.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Alright.¡± The doctor nodded and left the ward. Natalie woke up the moment the doctor left. She rubbed her temples and opened her eyes to see a white ceiling ahead. Then, she heard a voice that greeted her warmly. ¡°I see that you''re awake now.¡± She turned and saw a familiar, handsome face. Natalie pursed her red lips as she looked at Sean warily. He noticed it and his eyes dimmed. However, he quickly put on a smile. ¡°What''s with the look? Are you afraid of me?¡± Natalie did not answer him, but sat up and edged away from him to create some distance between them. ¡°Mr. Sean, were you the one who sent me to the hospital?¡± Sean grabbed a chair and sat down. ¡°Yeah, it was me. You passed out, remember?¡± ¡°Thank you. And thank you for saving me back there.¡± Natalie bit her lip. Although I really don''t like him and I''m even scared of him, I do have to admit that if he didn''t appear in time, I would have been... Natalie trembled at the thought of it and subconsciously hugged herself. ¡°Here, have some water. It might help you calm down.¡± Sean handed her a ss of warm water. She stared at the ss of steaming water and hesitated. Seanughed. ¡°What? Are you afraid that it might be poisoned?¡± She eyed him and said nothing. Sean was not upset, instead, he smiled wider. ¡°Don''t worry. If I meant to poison you, I wouldn''t have saved you back there nor would I have sent you to the hospital. So just drink with ease.¡± Natalie bit her lower lip and pondered on his words before taking the ss of water in hand. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°Don''t mention it.¡± Sean waved his hand. Natalie took a sip of water and instantly felt better. She could feel the warm water trickling down her throat and into her stomach which helped cast away the chills she was feeling moments ago. Simrly, her pale face gradually regained some color. Sean looked at her with smiling eyes as she slowly calm down. However, Natalie felt uneasy from his stares. She slid into her covers and changed the topic. ¡°Mr. Sean, may I know why you are here?¡± ¡°I have some business to take of,¡± Sean answered vaguely. Natalie caught signs that he didn''t want to go into details about his trip here, so she didn''t probe further. Both Natalie and Sean fell into an awkward silence. Momentster, they heard a knock on the door. Sean turned and called out, ¡°Come in.¡± The door was pushed open and a man walked in. ¡°Mr. Sean, I''ve gotten rid of the two thugs.¡± Natalie tightened her grip around the ss when she heard about the thugs. Sean noticed her reaction but continued, ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Those thugs were recidivists over here and no one dared mess with them so no police reports were filed. Simrly, the police had an ignorant attitude toward this matter. So, I brought the thugs to the police station and donated some supplies to them. The police agreed to keep them locked behind bars until the day they die.¡± the assistant replied. This was how the police force in western countries worked. Most of the police officers in western countries were veryidback. As long as no one files a police report, the police officers wouldn''t budge even if they witness a robbery before their eyes. However, if one files a police report and bribes them, the police would dly punish the criminals with severe penalties. ¡°Are you satisfied with the results?¡± Sean looked to Natalie. She rxed slightly and loosened her grip around the ss. ¡°Yes. Thank you, Mr. Sean.¡± She nodded. Chapter 860 Chapter 860 ¡°So, how are you going to repay my kindness?¡± Sean leaned in. Natalie backed away instinctively and frowned at his sudden question. Repay you? Well, of course I would. But I''m not going to let you decide after what happenedst time. ¡°Let me treat you to dinner then, Mr. Sean,¡± she suggested after some time. I really can''t think of anything else besides treating him dinner. Natalie assumed that he would object to the idea and asked for something else as a form of repayment. To her surprise, he agreed to her proposal. Natalie''s jaw dropped when she heard his reply. ¡°Are you very surprised?¡± Sean chuckled. ¡°A little,¡± Natalie replied in disbelief. Sean seemed to be in a good mood as heughed heartily. ¡°I was going to propose something else, but I''m pretty sure you won''t agree to it. Thus, I decided to settle on dinner.¡± Natalie smiled awkwardly at him and didn''t say anything else. Sean stood up and said, ¡°Alright, I''ll leave you to rest. I have to settle some matters, but I''lle back before dinnertime.¡± Natalie hummed in acknowledgment and watched as he turned to leave. He stopped in his tracks when he arrived at the door. He seemed to remember something as he turned to face her. ¡°Oh, I heard that Shane''s been looking everywhere for me. You won''t tell on me, would you?¡± ¡°No, I won''t.¡± Natalie shook her head solemnly. I would have informed Shane without a doubt if I didn''t meet those thugs or get saved by him. Since he saved my life. I won''t turn on him this time. Nheless, I would definitely tell Shane the next time. ¡°Great.¡± Sean grinned and left. After he left, Natalie was left alone in the ward. She rxed and leaned back into her pillow. To be honest, I''ve always been afraid of Sean. I have to be on high alert every time we''re alone. Or else, I''d fall easily into his trap. Thank goodness he didn''t do any harm to me this time. But I still wouldn''t allow him to choose his ideal form of repayment like thest time even if I owe him. I wonder if he''s changed or if he''s nning something in the dark? Natalie lowered her gaze as she couldn''t understand Sean''s intention. Soon enough, she gave up but didn''t let her guard down. Whatever it is, I''ll stay far away from him after dinner. I can''t be with him for too long if I want to stay out of trouble. Just when she was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang. She was pulled back to reality and quickly picked up the call. It was Sally. ¡°Nat, where are you? Why aren''t you home yet?¡± Sally asked, worry evident in her tone. Natalie smiled. ¡°I''m at the hospital. What''s up?¡± ¡°What? The hospital?¡± Sally repeated loudly. ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°What''s wrong, Nat? Why are you in the hospital? Is there something wrong with the baby? Which hospital are you at? I''ming over right now.¡± Sally headed toward the door of the vi as she asked. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie caressed her belly and thought to herself. I don''t feel any difort. So I guess my baby is fine even during the time I passed out. ¡°You don''t havee, the baby''s fine. I merely passed out on the streets and someone rushed me to the hospital,¡± Natalie exined. Natalie had no intention to tell Sally about her encounter with the thugs, lest thetter get worried. There would be serious consequences if Sally unintentionally told Shane. ¡°Do you know why you passed out?¡± Sally asked, her worry dissipating when she heard Natalie''s steady tone. Nheless, she still had some doubts behind the reason why Natalie fainted. A hint of guilt shed past Natalie''s eyes. ¡°Perhaps I''ve overworked myself for the past few days. Anyway, is there something you would like to tell me? ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Sally answered. ¡°An old woman came by the vi and wanted to meet you. But I told her to come back another time since you weren''t around and sent her away.¡± Chapter 861 Chapter 861 ¡°An old woman?¡± Natalie asked curiously. ¡°What did she look like?¡± ¡°She had a mole on her face. She was also dressed in a shy style,¡± Sally described as she recalled the old woman''s appearance. The corners of Natalie''s mouth tugged upward and she instantly knew who it was. She held her forehand in her hand. Feeling dumbfounded, she said, ¡°Sal, was that old woman called Mercede?¡± ¡°Yes! That''s it. That''s her name.¡± Sally pped her forehead. ¡°Oh man, I swear I remembered her name when she introduced herself the second time. I guess my memory''s not as good, huh? I''m lucky to have you remind me of her again. Say, how''d you know her name was Mercede? Have you met her by any chance?¡± ¡°My mentor''s name is Mercede, remember?¡± Natalie replied. Sally''s jaw dropped. ¡°Oh of course! How could I forget? So she''s your mentor, huh?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I told her where I was staying when I came here for mypetition. She told me she''d meet me, but I didn''t think it would be so fast.¡± Mercede was one of the judges in the final round of the internationalpetition. Hence, Natalie was surprised that Mercede came to visit her. ¡°I''m sorry, Nat. I didn''t realize that she was your mentor. I would have invited her in if I knew that...¡± Sally said apologetically. ¡°That''s okay. I''m sure it''s going to be fine. I''ll just give her a callter.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sally nodded. Natalie quickly dialed Mercede''s number once she hung up the call with Sally. I wonder why she''s here at such an early time. Shouldn''t she be attending some high-ss designer gathering? Yet, Mercede didn''t pick up. Natalie wasn''t worried that Mercede was in danger just because thetter didn''t pick up her call. After all, she was a top-notch designer that was constantly surrounded by bodyguards. Hence, Natalie doubt she would be in any sort of danger. She must be caught up with something, that''s why she didn''t pick up my call. Natalie decided to text Mercede next. She''ll reply once she sees it. In the evening, Natalie and Sean met at a hotel for dinner. Natalie did not request a private room and instead opted for a seat in the main dining area. Although it''ll be a little noisy and crowded with people, at least I would be safe. This way, I don''t need to worry about what Sean would do to me. I''m way too scared to stay in a private room with a crazy guy like him. Sean seemed to guess what she was thinking. ¡°Are you really that afraid of me?¡± He rested his cheeks on his hands and asked. Natalie''s lips twitched. ¡°Of course, who wouldn''t be afraid of someone who drags people off a cliff with them?¡± ¡°So you''re still hung up on what happenedst time, huh?¡± Seanughed. ¡°I''ll never forget what happenedst time.¡± Natalie took a sip of water and continued, ¡°Besides, that, I''m your cousin-inw. So it''s best if you address me by my full name.¡± Sean ignored her as he stared deeply into her eyes. ¡°But I prefer calling you Nat.¡± Natalie secretly rolled her eyes and decided to drop the subject. Forget it, he''s probably never going to listen to me. I know I''m going to be the one who gets mad at trying to correct him in the end. Sean was a little sad that Natalie didn''t intend to argue back. He lifted the wine ss and began to twirl it. ¡°So, how have you been? I heard you''re going through a rough patch with Shane and you''re even considering filing for a divorce.¡± Natalie looked up to meet his eyes. ¡°Wow, I''m impressed at how much you know about us, Mr. Sean. It seems that you''ve been very well-informed despite being away.¡± ¡°Shane''s looking everywhere for me and I don''t want to get caught. It''s only natural for me to keep an eye on him as well. It isn''t a surprise that I know all of this.¡± He smiled. ¡°Perhaps you also know the reason behind our conflict, then?¡± Natalie fixed her eyes on him. Sean''s gaze darkened as he took a sip of wine and answered, ¡°Of course I do. It''s because of my uncle and aunt''s death.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Chapter 862 Chapter 862 ¡°Well, since you know about this, then you should also know that Shane had found the culprit responsible for his parent''s death. It''s your dad, am I right?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Yea, I do. Shane went crazy some time ago as he tried to bring down my father''s business until he was bankrupt. My father''s reputation was also greatly tarnished. How could I not know?¡± Sean responded calmly. Natalie ced her utensils down. ¡°Aren''t you afraid that he might strike you next?¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± Seanughed. ¡°Shane will destroy your entire family, you know?¡± Natalie answered. The smile Sean had on his face was instantly wiped away at that. He recalled the good memories he once shared with Shane as a hint of nostalgia shed before his eyes and disappeared. ¡°From the moment my father made that decision, I knew that our families would no longer be the same. It would either be him or us who''s going to face the end. But I''m prepared for it, so why should I be afraid?¡± Speaking of which, Shane''s parents treated me like their own. Dad would always stay outte as he indulged in women while Mom would be on the hunt to catch him. Hence, Shane''s parents took me in and cared for me like their own son. If I knew what my Dad was going to do, I would have stopped him. But it''s all toote now... ¡°So you''re ready to face what''sing for you?¡± Natalie stirred her soup. Sean smirked. ¡°Yes. But there''s one thing you should know.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie stared at him. ¡°While it''s true that my father did hire someone to hit Shane''s parents with a car, there''s actually another culprit behind this murder.¡± Sean''s eyes glinted. Natalie''s eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Another culprit? Does that mean Sam wasn''t the only one responsible for the death of Shane''s parents? ¡°That''s right. It is exactly what you think it is.¡± Sean leaned back as he watched Natalie''s stunned expression. ¡°How can I trust you?¡± She clenched her fists. ¡°It''s doesn''t matter if you believe me or not as I''m just letting you know. Back then, someone used Shane to lure his parents to that road so the men my father hired couldplete their task easily,¡± Sean exined and took a sip of wine. Natalie''s heart was racing. The dining area was rather noisy, yet she could clearly hear her heartbeat pumping loudly. ¡°Who was it?¡± Natalie swallowed. Sean looked at her and shrugged. ¡°I won''t tell you who that person is. You''ll need to find that out on your own. The only thing I can tell you is that it''s someone you least expected it to be.¡± Someone we''d least expect? Urgh, I don''t understand what this means. Natalie pursed her lips in frustration. I hate it when he leads me on like this. I''m trying so hard to resist the urge of smacking him. Natalie took a deep breath to suppress the urge to hit him and scowled. ¡°Then why are you telling me all this? You could have stayed silent about it.¡± ''Why?¡± Sean adjusted his sses. ¡°Perhaps I thought it was unfair that Shane''s only taking his revenge on us while the other culprit lives a free life.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie curled her lips. ¡°If so, why don''t you just tell me who the person is. That way, Shane could have his revenge on that person, too. It would bnce things out between you two.¡± ¡°I can''t do that. After all, I nned to watch you both slowly find your way to the culprit. It''d be a pleasant thing for me to witness.¡± Sean smiled devilishly. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Natalie secretly rolled her eyes again and decided to ignore him. Meanwhile, Jessie was walking out of a private room and was about to leave the hotel with an older man in hand when she caught sight of Natalie. She panicked and instinctively let go of the man''s arm. She didn''t want Natalie to spot her with the man. ¡°What''s wrong, babe?¡± The older man frowned and was displeased with Jessie''s evasive actions. Chapter 863 Chapter 863 Jessie squeezed out a smile and was about to offer a few words offort to him when she noticed the side profile of the man sitting opposite Natalie. Isn''t that... Sean? Why is he here? And it looks like the two of them are having a good time chatting with each other! Doesn''t Natalie know that Shane and Sean are on bad terms? Jessie narrowed her eyes as an idea came to her mind. A secondter, she took out her phone and snapped a picture of Sean and Natalie before sending it to a number that she had already memorized by heart. It was daytime back in J City and Shane had just arrived at the office. Before he could settle down, his phone vibrated. The man took a nce at his phone and saw that he had just received a picture from an overseas number. Shane frowned as it was his personal number that only his friends and family knew of and it was unlikely for other people to get ahold of that number. So who could this overseas unknown number belong to? Shane narrowed his eyes as he opened the message. When he saw the picture, his pupils constricted at once. In the picture, Natalie and Sean were seated across each other while having a meal together. It was probably nighttime as the sky outside seemed dark. Does this mean that they were having dinner together? Shane''s expression turned cold at once and he gripped his phone tightly. Why would Sean be there? And why would he meet Natalie? Why would they be having dinner together? A multitude of questions surfaced in Shane''s mind at once. He adjusted his tie and called Ss into his office, looking grim. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Ss looked at the man in confusion. Shane passed Ss his phone and instructed, ¡°Find out who this number belongs to.¡± When Ss took the phone, the first thing he saw was the picture and his eyes widened. ¡°Mr. Shane, this...¡± ¡°I''m well aware of the sender''s intention for sending over such a picture. It''s the same as what Jacqueline did that time,¡± Shane said coldly. Shane remembered that previously, Jacqueline had sent Natalie a picture with the intention of angering her and creating a rift between the both of them. Clearly, the sender of the text was thinking of the same thing. That picture had indeed upset Shane, but he was not so foolish as to believe that Sean and Natalie had something going on between them just because they had a meal together. It was also evident from the picture that even though Sean appeared to be very joyful, Natalie was expressionless. That meant that Natalie was not that happy to be there and there could be another reason for them to be eating together. Ss immediately recalled the time when Jacqueline tried to sabotage Shane when Shane brought it up. With a serious expression, he replied immediately, ¡°I''ll investigate it right away.¡± He returned Shane''s phone back to him and left the office. After taking back his phone, Shane stared at the picture for a while before deciding to give Natalie a call. He could not help but want to know the reason for her meeting Sean. Meanwhile, at the other part of the globe, Natalie and Sean had already finished their dinner. Sean had received a call and left in a hurry after hearing what the caller said. However, before he left, he did not forget to tell Natalie that he looked forward to meeting her again. In response to that, Natalie rolled her eyes without replying. Just as she was walking out of the hotel, her phone rang. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw who was calling. ¡°Shane,¡± she said when she picked up. For some reason, she was feeling slightly guilty when she answered Shane''s call immediately after meeting Sean. Shane detected the difort in Natalie''s voice and snorted before saying, ¡°Are you feeling guilty?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Natalie replied in a louder than usual voice as her eyes flickered. Shane pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°I''m outside. I''ve just finished dinner and I''m heading back now,¡± Natalie replied. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane was slightly appeased when he heard what she said. At least, she did not lie about her having dinner outside. ¡°Who did you have dinner with?¡± Shane looked toward the floor as he asked. Natalie''s eyes flickered before answering, ¡°Sal.¡± Shane''s expression darkened and replied, ¡°Was it really with Sally?¡± Natalie''s heart skipped a beat when Shane doubted her words. How could he possibly have known that I was lying? Chapter 864 Chapter 864 As if Shane could read Natalie''s thoughts, he said in a low voice, ¡°I''m sending you a picture now. Take a look.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded. A picture? What picture? Soon after, Natalie received the picture from Shane. Not knowing what to expect, she clicked on the message and opened the picture attachment. It was a photo of her and Sean eating together in the hotel lobby. Natalie was shocked that Shane was in possession of such a picture. When she regained herposure, she started to wonder who the photo was taken by. ¡°Have you seen the photo?¡± Shane asked. Natalie rubbed her cheeks and answered, ¡°I''m sorry, Shane. I didn''t lie to you on purpose.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes before asking, ¡°Then why did you lie, then?¡± Natalie sighed and replied, ¡°Fine. Since you''ve already seen the picture, I guess I can''t keep it from you anymore. I didn''t want to tell you because I didn''t want you to worry. Earlier today, I bumped into some thugs when I was walking out of the magazinepany after visiting the artists and I was almost...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a loud thud on the other end of the line which sounded like a chair banging against something. Natalie guessed that Shane must have bolted up from his seat when he heard what she said and that the chair had banged against the wall. ¡°Shane...¡± Natalie called out his name but was interrupted by the man''s nervous inquiry. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± Natalie smiled and shook her head. ¡°Don''t worry. Sean was the one who saved me. Otherwise, I might have already fallen prey to those guys. I bought him dinner to thank him. I didn''t tell you because I didn''t want you to worry and I also didn''t want to divulge Sean''s whereabouts, at least for now. After all, he did save me from harm and I reckoned I shouldn''t rat him out.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Shane heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that Natalie was safe and replied, ¡°Alright, I understand. However, have you ever considered the possibility that Sean and those thugs could be in cahoots with each other? Otherwise, why would he be there in such a timely manner?¡± ¡°It''s not him,¡± Natalie answered confidently. ¡°Those two thugs have been active in the area for a long time. You can find news about them on the inte. So I''m pretty sure that Sean wouldn''t purposely get them to put up an act. I''m sure he has better things to do.¡± Shane pondered for a while and thought that it made some sense. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Natalie paused for a moment before replying, ¡°He has already left. But Shane, can you just let him off this time around? After all, he saved me. We... ¡° ¡°Sure,¡± Shane replied before she could even finish speaking. ¡°Really?¡± Natalie smiled as she confirmed what she heard with the man again. ¡°Yup,¡± Shane replied before continuing, ¡°But just this once. I won''t let him off the next time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Natalie shared the same sentiments. After all, Sean had indeed saved her and she could not repay his kindness with ingratitude. However, if they met again under normal circumstances, she would definitely not soften her stance again. ¡°But Shane, how did you get this picture?¡± Natalie asked, feeling puzzled. Shane massaged his temples and sat down before replying, ¡°An unknown overseas number sent it to me.¡± ¡°Overseas number?¡± Natalie was confused. ¡°Who could it be?¡± ¡°I''m not sure as well. Ss is checking on it and we should have an answer soon,¡± Shane replied. ¡°I see,¡± Natalie responded while nodding her head. Natalie analyzed that the sender must be someone who knew both her and Shane and also knew that she was his wife. But who could it be? Just when she was deep in thought, a gust of wind blew past her, making her shiver. ¡°Brrr.¡± ¡°Are you cold?¡± Shane heard the sound she made and asked. ¡°Yeah, the wind is quite strong,¡± Natalie replied as she rubbed her arm. ¡°You should head back soon,¡± Shane gently urged. ¡°I will,¡± Natalie replied and was about to end the call. However, she suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to her husband, ¡°Wait a minute, Shane! There''s something else I need to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane held his cell phone up to his ear again. With a serious expression, Natalie said, ¡°It''s regarding your parents. Just now, Sean told me that apart from his dad, there''s someone else who caused your parents'' death. Chapter 865 Chapter 865 ¡°What did you just say?¡± Shane''s expression changed at once. Natalie took a deep breath and spoke slowly. ¡°Sean said that that person was in charge of luring your parents to that road so that Sam could arrange for his men to knock them down. It seems to be a well- thought-out n. I''m not sure if he was telling the truth though.¡± Shane gripped his phone tightly and remained silent. Natalie could hear his heavy breaths and asked worriedly, ¡°Shane, are you alright?¡± Shane''s Adam''s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. After what seemed like a long while, he finally replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°I''m fine. I heard what you said and I''ll verify the truth of it.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie forced a smile and replied. After the call ended, Shane tossed his phone on his desk and ce a hand on his forehead. He was feeling rather disoriented and was at a loss. A momentter, he grabbed his car keys and left his office, after which he drove straight to the Thompson residence. Bang! Shane burst through the door when he reached. Sam and his wife, who were eating at the moment, got a shock when they heard themotion. Sam stood up immediately and his expression darkened when he saw Shane. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shane marched over to his uncle and replied, ¡°I want to know who else was involved in my parents'' murder besides you!¡± Sam''s pupils constricted in fear when he heard that while Catherine''s face turned ashen. A while back, Shane had suddenly taken action against them and drove their family to bankruptcy for no apparent reason. It was afterward when Sean called them that they got to know the actual reason for that. It turned out that Shane had gotten to know that they were the culprit behind his parents'' death and he was avenging his parents. Sam could not believe it at first. After all, they handled the matter discreetly and David had made sure that the evidence was destroyed. As such, it did not seem possible that Shane would find out about it. However, Shane''s confrontation had proven that what Sean told them was true. Shane had indeed found out about what happened to his parents. ¡°I... I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡± Sam''s eyes darted sideways as he said that, unwilling to admit his involvement in the matter. Shane narrowed his eyes and kicked over the dining table. Catherine jumped up in fright and immediately hid behind her husband. Sam was also shocked by Shane''s sudden action. The color drained out of his face as he pointed at his nephew with a trembling finger and stuttered, ¡°Y-You... you...¡± ¡°Are you not going to tell me?¡± Shane red at Sam with eyes as cold as stone. Sam could feel shivers running down his spine as he met Shane''s icy gaze and replied, ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The corners of Shane''s lips curled into a sneer and he lifted his long leg once again before landing it on Sam''s stomach. His kick sent Sam flying backward, together with Catherine, who was hiding behind him. The couplended on the floor with a loud thud and let out agonizing cries of pain, unable to get up. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°You... How dare you! I''m your uncle. How dare you hit me!¡± Sam hollered as he pointed at Shane. With an indifferent expression, Shane looked down at them and replied, ¡°Why won''t I dare? You even had the nerves to kill your own brother. You''re just my uncle. So why won''t I dare hit you?¡± Sam was at a loss for words as he heard that and his face was flushed red with embarrassment. An impatient glint shed across Shane''s eyes as he asked again, ¡°Are you still unwilling to talk?¡± Sam supported his waist with his hand as he stood up with much difficultly. Grimacing in pain, he reiterated, ¡°I really don''t know anything about it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Obviously, Shane did not believe what he said. Sam looked at him and said, ¡°No matter how many times you ask me, my answer will still be the same. I admit that I was the one who killed your parents. I also admit that someone helped to lure your parents to that road, but as for who the person was exactly, I really don''t know.¡± Shane saw the seriousness in Sam''s eyes and realized that his uncle could indeed be telling the truth. His heart sank instantly and with a grim expression, he asked, ¡°Sean said you received help and he also said that I wouldn''t believe who that person was. That meant that he knew who your aplice was. If that''s the case, how is it possible that you don''t know?¡± Chapter 866 Chapter 866 Sam huffed, ¡°Even if he knew about it, it doesn''t mean I did. That person knew of my intention to kill your parents. So when your parents went for an interview, I received a message saying that their car broke down. The person said they would lure your parents down that road and asked me to send my subordinates there quickly. That''s all.¡± Shane stayed silent. Sam doesn''t seem to know who the culprit was. The only person who knows is Sean. But why does Sean know? A lot of questions crossed Shane''s mind, but there were no answers to those questions. Sam and Catherine could feel the tension emanating from Shane, so they remained silent. After a long silence, Shane threatened, ¡°I won''t let you nor that person get away with it. I will find Grandpa''s will.¡± Sam''s face paled and his fists were clenched tightly by his sides. Shane didn''t want to waste any more time there, so he turned and left. When he reached the entrance, he instructed the bodyguards guarding the house, ¡°Watch them closely. Inform me if they make any moves.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the bodyguards answered in unison. Shane then left in his car. Those bodyguards were hired by him when he found out that Sam was the culprit. For the time being, they were there to keep Sam and his family under house arrest. Now that Sean had escaped, he must have Sam in his control. Or else it would all be for naught if he managed to find his grandpa''s will, but not Sam. This was the reason why he needed to keep a close watch on Sam by putting him under house arrest. ¡°Darling, are you all right?¡± Catherine asked. Sam rubbed his abdomen that was throbbing in pain and pushed Catherine away. ¡°I didn''t see you worry about me a while ago. How pretentious.¡± Guilt crossed Catherine''s face. ¡°That was because-¡± ¡°Enough. The reason doesn''t matter. It''s a fact that you weren''t worried about me a while ago,¡± Sam interrupted her. Catherine pouted and fell silent. Sam took a seat and nced at the mess on the floor. ¡°Seth''s family has always been a pain in my ass.¡± Ever since we''re young, I had to grow up under Seth''s shadow. Because he was sickly when young, Mom and Dad always favored him. My friends and rtives also liked him more. They all thought that he was smarter, more good-looking, and obedient than me. Dad even named Seth as the Thompson Group sessor. What right does he have to be the sessor when I''m the eldest son? It was fine my parents had always favored him. But how could they appoint him as the sessor to Thompson Group? Unwilling to ept such a prosperous notion, I challenged Dad about his decision, yet he said Seth was better than me, and that Thompson Group could only achieve new heights if it''s under Seth''s management. I felt I was treated unfairly. I mean, how could Dad say that Seth was better than me when he didn''t even give me a chance to prove myself? And so, I fought to steal Thompson Group for myself. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g What I didn''t expect was that when Seth and his wife passed away, not only did Dad not hand me the reins to thepany, he actually gave it to Seth''s son, Shane instead! Sam''s eyes were filled with hatred as he thought about the past. ¡°Despite being dead, that old-timer still manages to spite me.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Catherine was furious as well. ¡°Why didn''t David destroy all the evidence all those years ago? Why did he devise a will to restrain you?¡± ¡°Precisely. It''s infuriating. But the good news is that the old-timer didn''t tell Shane about the will''s location as well,¡± Sam replied. Catherine was still worried. ¡°What will happen if Shane finds the will? The only reason he''s letting us be for now is that he doesn''t have any evidence. If he finds the will, we-¡± ¡°That''s enough. Let''s not overthink this. I will find the will before him. As for you, I need you to call Sean and ask him about his n. Why the hell did he tell Shane about the other culprit?¡± Sam irritably gestured. Chapter 867 Chapter 867 Catherine felt wronged. ¡°How am I supposed to contact him? Have you forgotten that he was the one who contacted us every time? Besides, he kept changing his number. Not to mention Sean isn''t on the same boat as us. He has some other ns.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Sam''s head was throbbing dully. Consequently, he waved his hand. ¡°That''s enough. Clean up the floor first. I''ll go check the old-timer''s room and look for any hints for the will.¡± Naturally, Shane, who had left, wasn''t aware of Sam''s discussion with Catherine. Once he arrived at Thompson Group, Ss approached him immediately. ¡°Mr. Shane, we found the number, but there isn''t any name registered to it.¡± ¡°It''s an unregistered number?¡± Shane frowned. ¡°Yes. The number was activated about a week ago, but it doesn''t have any name registered to it. It is common to use numbers like this to transmit discrete information, then discard it not long after. I tried calling it, but the number is now dead.¡± ¡°So we couldn''t find who it belongs to?¡± Shane pressed his lips into a thin line. Ss nodded. ¡°That''s right. I''ve contacted themunicationpany for more information, and they only told me that the buyer was a woman.¡± ¡°A woman...¡± Shane muttered under his breath. Could it be one of the women who locked Natalie in the washroom and knocked Sally unconscious? Shane asked, ¡°How is the organizers'' investigation progress on Sally''s incident?¡± ¡°I haven''t asked, and they haven''t contacted me. I assumed there isn''t any result yet,¡± Ss replied. Shane nodded. ¡°Remember to follow up with them.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± ¡°All right. You may leave, then.¡± Shane waved. Ss turned and left. Shane headed to the balcony. As he stared at the scenery before him, he lit a cigarette and took a puff, his heart feeling heavy. The next day, thepetition had started. Natalie and Sally arrived at the assembly hall. All the models and designers were informed to attend a meeting held in the conference room. Sally and Natalie were walking together when the former asked, ¡°Nat, what do you think the meeting is about?¡± Natalie shook her head, indicating that she had no idea as well. Sally looked at the people around and recalled something. She leaned closer to Natalie and whispered, ¡°Could it be that they''re already done with the investigation for that incident?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Maybe. We''ll find out soon enough.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Sally nodded. Soon, the conference room was filled. The host took center stage with a somber expression. ¡°Has everyone arrived?¡± ¡°We''re still missing Tiffanie and Amy,¡± someone answered. The host nced at the two empty seats and continued, ¡°They aren''ting because they are already in prison.¡± Everyone was stunned at his announcement. Natalie and Sally exchanged a nce. It seemed they were right about their guess. ¡°Why were they sent to jail?¡± another asked. The host answered, ¡°Because they were jealous and did something unforgivable. Amy, who was jealous of Natalie''s talent, locked thetter in the washroom, intending for her to miss out on the competition. Then, when Sally went to check the security footage, hoping to find the culprit, she was knocked unconscious by Tiffanie. Tiffanie even destroyed the security footage. We won''t allow a designer and model with such horrible characters to stay on.¡± ¡°So that''s what happened.¡± The crowd nodded. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Sally pped her hands gleefully. ¡°This is great, Nat. Serves them right.¡± Natalie merely frowned as she fell deep in thought. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Sally asked. Natalie bit her lip. ¡°It''s nothing. But I have the feeling that something isn''t quite right here.¡± ¡°Something isn''t quite right?¡± Sally blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chapter 868 Chapter 868 Natalie nced around before she whispered, ¡°I have a suspicion that it wasn''t them.¡± Sally''s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You-¡± Natalie quickly covered Sally''s mouth. ¡°Keep it down, will you?¡± Sally nodded with her mouth covered. Only seeing that did Natalie loosened her hold. Sally tugged Natalie''s arm. ¡°You think it wasn''t Amy and Tiffanie?¡± Natalie nodded, ¡°I never interacted much with Amy and Tiffanie. Besides, both she and I are in Team A. So in terms of capability, we''re on par with each other. There''s no reason for her to be jealous of me.¡± ¡°But her ranking in Team A was five ces lower than yours,¡± Sally replied. Natalie disagreed, shaking her head. ¡°Yes, my ranking is higher than hers, but there are also four others who ranked higher than me. So those four are the ones Amy should be jealous of, not me.¡± ¡°But you were the only one in the washroom at that time, so maybe Amy thought she could deal with you first,¡± Sally added. Natalie chuckled. ¡°And that is why this is merely my assumptions. It could all just be my imagination.¡± Alice''s incident has made me realize that sometimes the culprit caught isn''t the actual culprit. However, Alice was merely a scapegoat that Mr. Gunn got to cover for Jacqueline. But here, there isn''t any reason for the organizers to cover for the real culprit. Maybe Amy and Tiffanie are truly the culprits. Although that was what Natalie thought, she still decided to visit Amy and Tiffanie at the prison after the competition had ended. Otherwise, she would not be able to let go of her worries. After the meeting had ended, the crowd headed over to thepetition venue. Jessie walked by Natalie''s side while on the way there. ¡°Ms. Natalie, it''s great that the culprit that harmed you was caught.¡± Jessie smiled. Natalie couldn''t be bothered to guess whether Jessie was sincere or not. As such, she smiled faintly and replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± Jessie waved her hands. I can''t believe that person, despite having their name tarnished, was still able to get me a scapegoat. This is great. Now, I could finally be at ease. Thepetition officially started. Natalie''s performance was perfect as usual. She remained in Team A. The same goes for Jessie. Natalie left the venue after thepetition had ended. She and Sally were about to make a visit to the prison. On the way there, Mercede finally replied to Natalie''s message. Thetter frowned when she finished reading the reply. Sally noticed that and asked, ¡°Nat, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°Do you still remember that when I came here, I asked my mentor about who Jessie''s mentor is?¡± Natalie asked. Sally nodded. ¡°Yeah. But didn''t your mentor say that none of the top designers was Jessie''s mentor?¡± ¡°You''re right. But now, my mentor is saying that she missed out on one designer, and that designer is Jessie''s mentor.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. Sally asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It''s Cnda Linde.¡± ¡°Cnda Linde? She sounds familiar.¡± Sally cocked her head, trying to recall. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie chuckled. ¡°Do you remember a designer that got caught in a fire and suffered burns to her face a few years ago?¡± Sally instantly remembered. ¡°Oh, so it''s her.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Natalie nodded. Cnda, like Mercede, was a top designer as well. Although the former was the youngest designer to be called as such, she had a bad character. A few years ago, the news reported that Cnda fell in love with an actress''s husband and interfered in their marriage. The actress had since exposed Cnda''s doings to the public, smearing her name in the process. In turn, Cnda exacted revenge on the actress by messing with her gown. The actress was humiliated when she suffered from a wardrobe malfunction at an event. In a fit of rage, the actress knocked Cnda unconscious and subsequently covered her head with a stic bag before setting it on fire. If it weren''t for a passerby who saved Cnda in time, she probably would have died instead of merely suffering burns on her face. Chapter 869 Chapter 869 Even though the actress had paid the price, Cnda didn''t fare any better either. Thetter had lost her rights to be a designer when she messed with the actress''s gown. In the end, the Design Association cklisted her and removed her title as a top designer. I never thought that Jessie''s mentor is her. So the woman beside Jessie that day at the restaurant was probably Cnda. ¡°Did Ms. Mackenziee to find you yesterday because she wanted to tell you this?¡± Sally nced at Natalie. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Of course not. Ms. Mackenzie said she''s here to attend an old friend''s fashion show and a seminar which she''s now on her way to.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sally nodded with understanding. Just then, Natalie''s phone rang again. It was from an unknown number. Natalie thought for a short moment before picking it up. ¡°Hello, this is Natalie speaking.¡± ¡°Nat, it''s me.¡± Sean''s deep voice sounded on the other end of the line. Natalie frowned and instinctively wanted to hang up the call. Sean seemed to have guessed her subsequent action because he quickly added, ¡°Nat, I have something to tell you. It''s about your baby. Are you sure you want to hang up?¡± Natalie paused for a second and said, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°The doctor told me that there was a slight issue with your baby yesterday. I was going to tell you about it, but I forgot. I just recalled it a while ago and called you instantly. Aren''t I caring?¡± Natalie gripped her phone tightly and ignored hisst sentence. ¡°Did you say there''s a problem with my baby?¡± ¡°Nat, there''s a problem with your baby?¡± Sally was so bewildered that she repeated Natalie''s words. Natalie didn''t reply to Sally and instead focused all of her attention on the call. She waited anxiously for Sean''s answer. Sean eyes glinted. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What problem?¡± Natalie bit her lip. Sean adjusted his sses. ¡°I''m not sure on the specifics, but you can consult the doctor for further rification. All right. That''s all I want to say. I''m about to leave, so I''ll see you next time.¡± With that, he ended the call. Natalie set her phone down, looking stricken. Sally turned to her. ¡°Nat, did that person say your baby has a problem?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. I don''t believe Sean''s words. But he asked me to consult a doctor. Does that mean that my baby really has a problem? ¡°It can''t be.¡± Sally frowned. ¡°The doctor didn''t say anything when you were admitted into the hospital before. So, what changed?¡± Natalie was slightlyforted by Sally''s words, but she was still anxious. Sally noticed the anxiety on Natalie''s face, so she massaged Natalie''s hand. ¡°Rx. It''s probably nothing. How about I apany you to the hospital?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded with a pale face. ¡°But let''s head there afterward since we''ve already reached the prison.¡± She parked her car and got off with Sally. Sally went to request visitation. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g However, the statement from the prison gave Natalie and Sally a shock. It turned out that Amy and Tiffanie weren''t there. They were transferred to arger and higher security prison. I heard the high-security prison also houses violent and dangerous offenders. So Amy and Tiffanie shouldn''t have been transferred there. There''s obviously a problem here because they were transferred. Sally''s face was pale as she got into the car. After a long silence, she started, ¡°Nat, maybe you''re right. Maybe it wasn''t Amy and Tiffanie.¡± Natalie grasped the steering wheel tightly. ¡°Maybe they took the fall for the real culprit, who then sent them into a high-security prison so that nobody could visit them, thereby preventing them from telling the truth.¡± Chapter 870 Chapter 870 ¡°Oh my gosh! That is way too scary.¡± Sally rubbed her arms. ¡°Nat, who do you think the real culprits are? They must have incredible connections to transfer Amy and Tiffanie to a high-security prison.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I don''t know. But this definitely isn''t the end. I''m not sure if the organizers are aware of this.¡± ¡°If they knew, that means the organizer is on the same boat as the culprit.¡± Sally somberly stated. Natalie pinched her nose bridge. ¡°All in all, it''s better if we don''t tell the organizer about this. If the organizers are covering for the culprit, and we tell them about our assumptions, it will piss them off. The organizers might make things hard for us.¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Sally frowned. Natalie tapped on the steering wheel. ¡°Let''s investigate it privately. We''ll head to a detective agency later.¡± There should be some findings within three months. Sally nodded. ¡°I guess that''s all we can do. Anyway, let''s go to the hospital now.¡± Natalie nodded. Half an hourter, they arrived at the hospital. Even though it wasn''t the hospital Natalie previously went to, this hospital was still one of thergest in the area. Natalie and Sally went to register at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. One of the nurse''s eyes glinted when she saw Natalie''s name. ¡°Miss, please follow me.¡± ¡°Sal, I''ll be going then.¡± Natalie passed her purse to Sally. ¡°Go ahead. I''ll wait for you here.¡± Natalie smiled and followed the nurse to the examination room. A doctor was already waiting there. The nurse introduced, ¡°Dr. Pitt, this is Ms. Smith.¡± An almost undiscernible gleam shed across the doctor''s eyes at the nurse''s words. ¡°All right. You may leave.¡± The nurse left the room. Dr. Pitt gestured for Natalie to lie on the examination bed. Afterying on the bed, Natalie exposed her belly by pulling her shirt up. Dr. Pitt started checking her belly with an ultrasound. Natalie looked at the monitor that was showing her pregnancy condition. It had barely been a few months since she got pregnant. As such, the baby was still a small lump and had yet to develop any limbs or brain. Nheless, Natalie''s heart melted as she stared at the screen. That''s my baby. Not long after, Dr. Pitt ended the checkup. Natalie sat up and got off the bed. ¡°Doctor, how is my baby?¡± She didn''t ask whether there was any problem with the baby. She wanted to hear what the doctor would say first. Dr. Pitt returned to his desk. His brow was slightly furrowed and his expression grave. Natalie''s heart dropped when she noticed his expression. She unconsciously balled her fists. Could it be that my baby really has a problem? ¡°Doctor?¡± Natalie urged when Dr. Pitt stayed silent. Dr. Pitt sighed, ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m sorry to say that your baby is deformed.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Natalie was thunder-struck by hisment. Her face paled significantly. ¡°Deformed? Are you saying that my baby is not developing normally?¡± ¡°That''s right. It''s very likely that your baby won''t develop normal limbs or intact organs. Do you understand me?¡± Dr. Pitt looked at Natalie intently. Natalie''s body swayed, and she almost fell but managed to hold on to the table. ¡°How did this happen?¡± Natalie bit her lip and stared fixedly at Dr. Pitt. ¡°When I had my checkup earlier, my baby was fine. There wasn''t any problem, so how is it-¡± ¡°Anything could happen during the early stages of pregnancy. There are many examples of babies who were healthy in the first few months but didn''t make it to delivery.¡± Dr. Pitt interrupted her. Natalie''s entire body was shaking like a leaf. She couldn''t ept his words. Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Dr. Pitt sighed. ¡°Ms. Smith, I know you''re absolutely devastated, but you really can''t keep the baby you''re carrying. It''s your responsibility toward your child. You don''t want your child to be subjected to people''s scornful looks when he or she is born, do you?¡± Natalie said nothing as she clutched her stomach tightly with both hands. A chill engulfed her. Argh! Why did this happen? Why would such a misfortune befall my child? I didn''t eat anything I shouldn''t have eaten! Her eyes gradually turned red as her heart twisted in agony. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. At her grief-stricken expression, Dr. Pitt lowered his eyes a fraction to mask the guilt in them. He again persuaded her, asserting, ¡°Ms. Smith, your pregnancy is less than two months now, so this is the best time to abort the baby. If you were to abort during ater stage in your pregnancy, it''d affect your health. If you''re amenable, we can perform the operation for you right away.¡± Hearing that, Natalie shot to her feet. ¡°No! I''m not going to abort...¡± ¡°The baby is deformed,¡± Dr. Pitt interrupted, his voice solemn. ¡°If you insist on delivering the baby, missing organs and limbs is the least of your concerns. There''s also the possibility of the child being bornatose or stillborn in more severe cases. Do you understand that?¡± What? Comatose? Stillborn? Natalie''s lips trembled, and she could no longer say that she wanted to keep the baby because she couldn''t ept either of those possibilities. Even the possibility that the child would be missing limbs or organs wasn''t something she could bear. It wasn''t that she disdained the child, but she was afraid that the child would grow up with low self- esteem and despise himself or herself. A greater fear was the fact that others would discriminate against the child. Thus, she really couldn''t keep the child. Yet, she couldn''t bring herself to consent to aborting the child either. All at once, she plunged into a dilemma. Noticing her reluctance, Dr. Pitt didn''t continue persuading her. After all, it would only arouse suspicion if he were toe on too aggressively. ¡°I don''t think you can make a decision right now, so why don''t you go back and consider it carefully, Ms. Smith? Come back when you''ve made up your mind,¡± he murmured with a gentle smile, cing his hands on the table with his fingers interlocked. Forcing a smile, Natalie nodded. ¡°Sure, I''ll do that. Thank you, doctor.¡± ¡°You''re wee,¡± Dr. Pitt replied smilingly. Natalie trudged out of the examination room with her head hung low to meet with Sally outside. The moment Sally spotted hering out with a dejected air about her, a sense of foreboding rose within her. ¡°What''s with the gloomy face, Nat? Don''t tell me your child is really...¡± Sally didn''t finish her utterance, but her meaning was already more than apparent. Natalie stared at her a moment before hugging her and wailing, ¡°What should I do, Sal?¡± Seeing her fragile state, Sally patted her back in anguish. ¡°It''s okay, for everything will be fine. I''m here with you, so don''t be afraid.¡± Natalie buried her head against her shoulder and wept mournfully. After sobbing for a few minutes, she slowly ceased her tears. Dragging her out of the hospital, Sally seated her by the flowerbed and bought two cups of hot milk at a nearby milk tea shop. ¡°Here.¡± Sally handed one of the cups to Natalie. Natalie took it from her before thanking her weakly. Subsequently, Sally sat down beside her. ¡°Nat, what exactly is the problem with the child?¡± Natalie cradled the cup of milk. It was very hot and warmed her palms, yet the warmth couldn''t prate her heart at that moment. Taking a deep breath, she answered in a voice colored with pain, ¡°The doctor said that my baby is deformed. If I insist on delivering it, he or she will either be missing limbs or organs. Worse still, he or she might be bornatose or end up stillborn. The doctor advised me to abort the baby.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sally was entirely stumped. Oh my God, I didn''t expect things to be this bad! ¡°Have you consented, Nat?¡± she inquired, her eyes fixated on Natalie''s stomach. Chapter 872 Chapter 872 Natalie shook her head. ¡°I couldn''t bear to abort the child, so I didn''t consent. But considering the condition of the child, there''s obviously no other choice.¡± ¡°That''s true.¡± Sally nodded, biting her lip. At that, Natalie closed her eyes for a moment. ¡°What should I do now, Sal? I don''t even know how I should tell Shane about this. Will he me me when he learns about our child''s condition?¡± Ultimately, the baby was deformed in her womb, so she was at fault in the matter. Right then, she was truly afraid that Shane would look at her with condemnation in his eyes. Patting her arm, Sally assured, ¡°I don''t think he''ll be angry. He loves you very much, so he''ll only feel distressed on your behalf upon learning about the child''s condition.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie looked up at her. s, Sally''s gaze flickered for a moment. Chuckling, she admitted, ¡°Um... I don''t dare say for certain since I don''t understand him all that well, but it''s likely the case. Don''t worry, Nat.¡± Natalie smiled bitterly. ¡°Never mind, I deserve it even if he mes me. At the end of the day, I''m indeed the one who caused our child to end up in such a condition. But I just don''t understand why this problem suddenly came up when the baby was perfectly fine before this.¡± Upon hearing that, Sally blinked. ¡°Could it be that the hospital made a mistake?¡± ¡°I don''t think so, since both the hospital yesterday and the one earlier said that the baby is deformed. It can''t be a mistake.¡± Natalie shook her head. How I wish it''s all a mistake, but it doesn''t seem likely right now. However, Sally refused to ept the truth. She pulled Natalie up. ¡°Nothing is absolute, so there''s a possibility that they made a mistake. Come, we''ll go to other hospitals.¡± As she said that, she dragged Natalie along and climbed into the car. Two hourster, Sally led an even paler Natalie out of the third hospital. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g At that moment, she could no longer im that the hospital made a mistake. After all, two hospitals might have made a mistake, but five hospitals had given the same diagnosis. ¡°Nat...¡± Sally eyed Natalie worriedly. Shaking her head wearily, Natalie murmured, ¡°I''m fine. Every doctor said the same thing as Dr. Pitt, so it seems that I truly can''t keep this child anymore. But the thing is, I don''t know how to tell Shane about this.¡± ¡°Just give it to him straight. I think he''ll understand.¡± Sally heaved a sigh. Natalie''s lips twitched, but she said nothing further. That night, she gave Shane a call. It was morning back in the country at that time, right after dawn. When Shane heard the ringing of his cell phone, he snaked a hand out of the covers and groped for his phone on the bedside table. Without opening his eyes, he brought it to his ear. ¡°Hello?¡± Hearing the man''s tired and groggy voice, Natalie bit her lip. ¡°It''s me. Did I wake you?¡± Shane''s eyes popped open at once, and he brought the phone closer to him for a look. When he saw that it was indeed Natalie, he massaged his temples and answered with a chuckle, ¡°No, don''t worry about it. Why are you calling me so early in the morning?¡± ¡°I miss you,¡± Natalie admitted, sitting on the sofa. This time, Shane''s eyes went wide. He hung up the phone and made a video call over. Natalie was wondering why he suddenly hung up, but she giggled upon seeing the iing video call. She promptly answered it. As soon as she glimpsed the dark circles under the man''s eyes, her brows creased. ¡°Did you not rest well?¡± Shane''s eyes flickered slightly. Just when he was about to speak, Natalie cut him off, asserting, ¡°You''re not allowed to lie. Tell me the truth. Did you not have enough rest?¡± When Shane saw that she was peeved, he had no choice but to tell her the truth. ¡°Somewhat,¡± he admitted. He had been restless after learning about the existence of another culprit. Truth be told, it was because he was investigating his parents'' interpersonal rtionships and their enemiesst night that he didn''t have enough rest. ¡°What time did you sleepst night?¡± Natalie asked. Shane averted his gaze in difiture. ¡°Four o''clock.¡± Sucking in a breath, Natalie instantly saw red. ¡°So, you''ve only slept for two hours now?¡± Nevertheless, Shane chuckled nonchntly. ¡°It''s enough.¡± ¡°Enough my foot! You''re already an old man in your thirties! Do you think that you''re still a young man in your twenties that you can still stay upte and risk premature death?¡± Natalie furiously shot daggers at him. Chapter 873 Chapter 873 All at once, disgruntlement inundated Shane. So what if I''m in my thirties? I''m not old! Why is she making it sound as though I''m an old and grizzled man? ¡°I''m not an old man! You''ll be getting it when you''ve delivered the little one in your stomach,¡± Shane threatened as he narrowed his eyes at the woman on the screen. Usually, Natalie would certainlyugh at such a remark before flushing bright red. Right then, however, she couldn''t force anyughter or even a blush. She lowered her eyes, the despondency hovering over her inly visible. Noticing that something was amiss, Shane''s brows knitted together. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Shane, I...¡± Natalie looked him in the eye. She wanted to tell him about the baby, but she simply couldn''t utter the words that were right on the tip of her tongue. As his expression turned tender, Shane prompted in encouragement, ¡°It''s fine. Just tell me whatever it is you want to say, for I''ll always back you up.¡± Upon hearing that, a wealth of warmth infused Natalie. Yet, it was also tinged with sorrow. Sniffling, she lifted her head slightly and forced her tears back. In a choked voice, she blurted, ¡°I''m sorry, Shane, but our baby might not make it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane''s expression turned grim. ¡°What do you mean? And what happened to you? Are you in danger again, so the baby...¡± ¡°No, that''s not it. The truth is...¡± Digging her nails into her palms, Natalie told him about having gone to the various hospitals for a checkup that morning. After hearing everything, Shane was entirely stupefied. Our child is actually deformed? When he said nothing, merely keeping silent with a stormy expression on his face, the anxiety and unease within Natalie gradually snowballed. ¡°I''m sorry, Shane. This is all on me...¡± ¡°No, it''s not on you. I''m the one at fault.¡± Shane cut her apology off. ¡°I was taking medicine previously, so that might be the cause of the problem.¡± Hearing that he wasn''t holding her responsible, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, anguish flooded her. ¡°So, are we giving up on this child?¡± She stroked her belly as she spoke. Clutching his cell phone tightly, Shane suppressed the enmity within him and nodded. ¡°Yeah, the child is deformed, so it''ll also affect you adversely. But wait for me toe over so that I can keep you company for the operation. Don''t do anything first.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Natalie murmured in acquiescence. Still, she felt guilty toward him. ¡°I''m sorry that we''re losing your first child, Shane. I''m really sorry.¡± ¡°It''s okay. We''ll have another healthy child in the future.¡± Shane consoled. After that, he chatted a bit more with her before ending the video call. Having hung up with her, he immediately gave Ss a call and ordered him to teach Sam and his wife a lesson. If he hadn''t drugged me and caused me to be sterile, I wouldn''t have taken medicine to remedy that, and my child wouldn''t have been deformed as a result. This is all his fault! The previous time, Sam suffered a stroke but was fine since he received timely treatment. This time, I''m going to have him suffer a stroke for real and render him paralyzed to avenge my child! This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. After receiving his orders, Ss executed them at once. He sent the photos and video of Catherine with her lover to Sam. Sam was so livid upon seeing them that he passed out right away. Sure enough, he again suffered a stroke when he regained consciousness. He had a prior history of stroke, so there was an exceedingly high possibility of it recurring once more. He recovered swiftly thest time due to prompt treatment, but this time, Ss deliberately dragged things out and forbade anyone from sending him to the hospital. As time ticked by, he missed the golden hour. In the end, he became paralyzed from the waist down and could no longer walk anymore, bound to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He was perfectly fine the previous day, but he was paralyzed the very next day. True enough, life was really unpredictable. After aplishing his task, Ss walked out of the hospital with a smile on his face. When he left, he even heard Catherine and Sam arguing. And the argument was none other than Catherine''s affair with her lover. Speaking of that, Ss was floored when he first saw the photos and video. After all, everyone knew that Catherine loved Sam deeply since news of her confronting thetter''s mistresses and lovers surfaced every few days. Chapter 874 Chapter 874 Everyone thought that Catherine was loyal in her affections, but never had they known that despite her loyalty, it was also a fact that she had a lover behind Sam''s back. Well, things were alwaysplicated among wealthy families. ¡°I''m back, Mr. Shane.¡± Ss returned to Thompson Group after fulfilling his task and reported Sam''s condition to Shane. After listening to him, Shane''s thin lips curved into a cold smile. In all honestly, he wasn''t the least bit satisfied to let Sam off so easily when he was still alive while his child would be gone soon. Furthermore, Sam stilled owed him for his parent''s death, so mere paralyzation was nothing. He had even decided to give up doing things the legal way and secretly eliminate Sam himself instead of waiting for thew to sentence him to death if he really couldn''t find the will in the end. It was no big deal since he could simply leave no tracks so that no one would be able to trace it back to him. That was entirely possible, given his capability. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Once that thought emerged, it grew roots and nted itself in his mind like an unmovable tree, embedding itself ever deeper that it could no longer be removed. In fact, Shane had now decided to only give himself half a year. If he couldn''t find the will within that time, he would really finish Sam off. He didn''t want to allow him to live any longer, feeling that it was time for him to go and keep his parents company in the afterlife. ¡°You may leave now. Also, make an appointment with Jackson. I''m going to look for him at the hospital in the afternoon.¡± Shane waved a dismissive hand. After grunting in acknowledgment, Ss pivoted and left. After he had left, Shane opened his drawer and took out an old letter. It was none other than the letter which he took from his grandfather''s study back then that contained an apology and the will''s whereabouts. It was written that the will was with his parents. What does it mean by that? As Shane stared at that sentence, his face darkened incrementally. In the afternoon, he went to the hospital and met with Jackson. Jackson was in a bad way because of Jacqueline''s matter recently, so the hospital didn''t dare allow him to perform any operations. And it was precisely for that reason that he had time to meet with Shane. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jackson asked distractedly. Staring at him, Shane replied, ¡°Natalie is pregnant.¡± Jackson was startled for a moment before asking again, ¡°She''s pregnant?¡± Shane nodded in affirmation. Finally, a smile bloomed on Jackson''s face. ¡°Congrattions! You''ve just recovered, yet she''s already pregnant. It''s evident that your virility is truly astounding!¡± Shane''s handsome countenance darkened at that remark. ¡°Alright, cut it out. I''m here to ask you whether the medicine I was taking previously will affect the baby.¡± Since the child was conceived while he was taking the medicine, that was likely the cause of the deformity. And he came here precisely to confirm it. However, Jackson shook his head. ¡°It won''t affect the baby. The medicine itself is for your sterility and to boost your virility, so it won''t affect the baby Natalie is carrying.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shane demanded with narrowed eyes. ¡°Of course! Why would I lie to you?¡± Puzzlement filled Jackson at his demeanor. Shouldn''t he be relieved and delighted upon hearing that? Why are his brows furrowing even deeper? Shane gritted his mrs, his expression terrifyingly grim. That, in turn, baffled Jackson. ¡°What''s wrong with you?¡± Clenching his fists, Shane gritted, ¡°The baby in Natalie''s stomach has been found to be deformed. I suspected that it was caused by the medicine I took, but you said it won''t affect the baby. So, I''m wondering why the baby would be deformed.¡± ¡°What? Did you just say that the baby is deformed?¡± Jackson''s voice rose a few decibels. In response, Shane nodded. Raking a hand through his hair, Jackson eximed, ¡°That''s impossible! Anyway, it''s definitely not the medicine, so the reason probably lies with Natalie.¡± ¡°It''s not her,¡± Shane countered with all the certainty in the world. ¡°She has had children, so she must know the dos and don''ts during pregnancy. As such, it can''t possibly be her.¡± ¡°That''s strange, then. Why would the baby be deformed?¡± Jackson couldn''t think of any other reason. Shane was silent for a few seconds. Then, he said, ¡°I''m going over during the weekend to see what exactly happened.¡± ¡°That''s a good idea.¡± Jackson nodded in agreement. At that, Shane spun around to leave. Chapter 875 Chapter 875 Shane came to inquire about the possible side effects of the medicine, so he was naturally leaving after getting the answers he wanted. Jackson, however, held him back. ¡°Wait a moment, Shane! Can I visit Jacqueline?¡± After Jacqueline was done with the nutrient drip, she was taken back to Graham residence. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Surprisingly, she didn''t starve herself anymore, perhaps having experienced the agony of passing out from hunger. At Jackson''s request, Shane regarded him for a long while. In the end, he concurred, ¡°Only half an hour every day.¡± ¡°Okay! Thank you, Shane!¡± Jackson gushed jubntly. Although half an hour was brief, he was already satisfied to be able to see Jacqueline. She was the woman he loved, after all, so he couldn''t possibly keep away from her when she was being kept under lock and guard. Right after Shane had left, he took the day off and drove over to visit her. In the next few days, he went over right on the dot every day. After three visits, he became all out of sorts, seemingly struggling with some decision or other. s, Shane had no inkling of that. Right then, he was heading toward Natalie with the two children in tow. When Natalie was done with thepetition, she went to the airport to pick the three of them up. Sally didn''t want to be the third wheel, so she didn''t join her. After waiting at the airport for about ten minutes, Natalie caught sight of them exiting from the VIP passage. ¡°Mommy!¡± The children instantly dropped Shane''s hand the moment they spotted her and ran over to her. Crouching, Natalie hugged the children. ¡°I missed you both, my darlings!¡± ¡°We missed you, too, Mommy!¡± The children echoed affectionately. After kissing them both, Natalie stood up. Only then did she look at the man across from her. The man strode over. Dropping his hand from the suitcase, he grasped her wrist and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. Meanwhile, the children stood at the side and watched with grins splitting their faces. ¡°Connor, are Daddy and Mommy going to kiss in a while?¡± Sharon suddenly asked Connor beside her. At her question, the corners of Connor''s mouth twitched. ¡°Probably.¡± Just as his words fell, they both saw the two adults kissing. Connor hastily covered Sharon''s eyes while also covering his eyes with the other hand. ¡°Don''t look, or your eyes are going to be infected!¡± Sharon was initially chagrined and wanted to pry Connor''s hand off, but she immediately went still upon hearing that. Shane and Natalie stopped kissing after a few minutes. Natalie proceeded to rest against his chest as she panted slightly. Shane, on the other hand, caressed her stomach. ¡°Have you experienced any difort in the past few days?¡± Since the child was deformed, it might also cause problems to the mother. His utmost worry at the moment was that her health would be affected by the baby. ¡°No, I''ve been perfectly fine,¡± Natalie assured while shaking her head. Seeing that she seemed to be telling the truth, Shane nodded in relief. ¡°That''s good. Come, let''s go back to the vi first.¡± As he said that, he wheeled the suitcase with a hand and held her hand with the other. Meanwhile, Natalie held the children''s hands. The family of four then headed toward the airport''s parking lot. Soon, they arrived at the vi. Natalie tucked the children in bed so that they could sleep off the jeg. Shane, however, didn''t sleep. Instead, he apanied Natalie to the hospital. The doctor''s diagnosis remained the same¡ªthe baby was deformed¡ªand he proposed an abortion. Squeezing Natalie''s hand, Shane signed the surgical consent form. The operation was scheduled for an hourter. While the hospital made the preparations, Natalie and Shane quietly sat waiting in the corridor outside the operating theater. ¡°After the operation, I''ll ask thepetition''s organizer to suspend thepetition for half a month and resume when you''re fully recovered,¡± Shane murmured, holding her hand. Unexpectedly, Natalie shook her head and declined. ¡°No, it''s okay,¡± she insisted. ¡°You''ve already exercised your investor''s rights once because of the incident back then, so it won''t look good if you do it again because of me. Besides, the time frame has been decided ages ago. As such, it''s not appropriate to change it at thest minute. It''ll affect your credibility.¡± ¡°But what about your health?¡± Shane''s brows scrunched together. Leaning her head against his shoulder, Natalie chuckled. ¡°It''s okay. I''ll be able to move freely in a few days since I''m still early in my pregnancy. I''ll be fine, so don''t worry.¡± Chapter 876 Chapter 876 At Natalie''s insistence, Shane had no choice but to relent. Nheless, he was inwardly nning to instruct the housekeeper in the vi to stick to her side and take care of her meticulously in the following half a month. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to rest easy. In no time, an hour flew past. The nurse then informed Natalie that she could enter the operating theater. Despite having braced herself mentally, a tidal wave of reluctance washed over Natalie when she truly had to step into the operating theater and abort the baby. She was even gripped by the urge to take off and go back on her decision. No, I can''t do that. I can''t keep this baby. At that thought, she inhaled deeply and steeled her resolve. After a final look at Shane, she followed the nurse into the operating theater. Subsequently, the nurse instructed her to lie down on the operating table and prepare for anesthesia. Natalie stared at the cold operating table for a long while. Digging her nails into her palms, she forced herself to lie down on it. The nurse then started administering the anesthesia while the doctorid out the tools for the operation at the side. ¡°Please rx, Ms. Smith. Your body is too tense that I can''t get the needle in,¡± the nurse urged as she squeezed Natalie''s stiff arm. Natalie forced a smile. ¡°Sorry, I''m too nervous. I''ll try my best to rx.¡± As she said that, she regted her breathing and calmed her pounding heart. Two minutester, her body finally rxed. Sensing that the muscles in her arm were no longer as stiff, the nurse jabbed the needle in. Shortly after, Natalie felt dizzy and weak. Right away, she knew that the anesthetic had started taking effect. Just when her mind had gone fuzzy, and she was on the brink of losing consciousness, she abruptly heard the doctor and nurse conversing. ¡°How strange that the gentleman outside is actually Ms. Smith''s husband. So, who exactly is Mr. Sean Thompson?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who cares? Since we epted his money, we''ve got to do as he instructed. We must abort Ms. Smith''s baby, or we won''t be able to answer to him. Go and check how''s the anesthesia working.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Murmuring an acknowledgment, the nurse stepped forward and checked on Natalie. If she were entirely under, then they would begin the operation. But when the nurse reached out to check, Natalie''s eyes sprang open all of a sudden. The nurse jumped in fright. ¡°Ms. Smith, you''re still awake?¡± Dear Lord, she actually hasn''t lost consciousness and can still open her eyes? She must be exceedingly determined! ¡°Did you two just say that you took Sean''s money and colluded with him to abort my baby?¡± Natalie demanded, her fury evident though her voice was weak. Having not expected the person in question to have overheard their conversation, both the doctor and nurse were instantly mortified. ¡°Uh... Ms. Smith, actually, we...¡± ¡°From your guilty expressions, I can tell that it''s the truth. You probably lied about my baby being deformed as well so that I''ll consent to the abortion, didn''t you? You''re both medical practitioners, yet you actually epted a bribe to harm a patient! You''re simply heartless!¡± Natalie struggled to sit up by propping her hands against the operating table below her. Upon seeing that, the doctor''s expression turned frantic. ¡°Shit! She''s trying to escape! Quick, restrain her and give her another dose of anesthetic!¡± At that, the nurse hesitated. ¡°But there''s a limit for anesthesia. If I were to give her another dose, it''d exceed the limit and might likely cause sequ.¡± ¡°So what? We''ve lost our medical ethics from the very moment we epted the money. It would''ve been fine if she hadn''t overheard us, for we naturally would''ve performed the operation ording to the procedure. But she has overheard us and even wants to make a run for it now. We''ll be ruined if that happens, so we definitely can''t waver!¡± the doctor asserted while staring at Natalie with cold eyes. Every single utterance out of his mouth struck terror into Natalie, and a chill encased her. Swayed by the doctor''s words, the nurse gritted her teeth and picked up the anesthetic once more. ncing at Natalie, she mumbled, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Smith. Please don''t me me. If you want to me someone, just settle the score with Mr. Sean Thompson.¡± After saying that, the nurse made to jab Natalie with the needle. Natalie''s pupils constricted as stark panic assailed her. No, I can''t allow myself to be anesthetized again! Chapter 877 Chapter 877 In truth, Natalie was tethering on the edge of consciousness right then. She was only awake from sheer will because she knew that she wouldn''t be able to save the baby in her stomach if she were to sumb to sleep. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. No matter what, I can''t pass out, let alone be anesthetized again! As that thought zed within her, she bit her tongue hard. Her face paled from the excruciating pain, and sweat beaded on her forehead. In the next moment, the metallic taste of blood permeated her mouth. Nheless, she didn''t care about any of that, for her only thought was to protect her baby. At the sight of the needle that was drawing ever closer to her, she took a deep breath and flipped herself over. Rolling off the operating table, she fell onto the floor. By doing so, she managed to dodge the needle in the nurse''s hand. The nurse was stunned for a moment, obviously not having expected her to still have the strength to move. Likewise, even the doctor was amazed. After all, he personally prepared the anesthetic for her. In usual circumstances, she would''ve lost consciousness long ago, and they would be currently halfway through the operation. But because she wanted to protect her child, she held on by sheer grit. Whoa! Even a man might not necessarily possess such strong willpower, much less a petite woman like her! Regretfully, I still won''t show any mercy no matter how admirable she is. ¡°Hoist her back onto the operating table,¡± the doctor ordered. Grunting in assent, the nurse headed toward Natalie. As Natalie heard the approaching footsteps, a glimmer of despair shed across her eyes. Right on the heels of that, she shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°Shane, help! Save me, Shane!¡± ¡°Cover her mouth!¡± the doctor barked, his expression changing drastically. At once, the nurse rushed forward and pped a hand over Natalie''s mouth. Biting her hard, Natalie seized the opportunity when she retracted her hand in pain to continue yelling, ¡°Shane!¡± Outside the operating theater, Shane''s brows creased suspiciously when he heard Natalie''s shouts. What''s happening? Isn''t the operation underway? Why did she suddenly scream and sound so frantic at that? He stood up with his thin lips pressed into a tight line as a sense of dread pervaded him. Although Natalie''s voice had faded, her cry earlier still echoed in his ears, and he simply couldn''t shake off the uneasy feeling guing him. After a moment''s contemtion, he strode toward the operating theater. Pushing open the doors, he barged right in. The moment the door was pushed open, an rm started ring. Both the doctor and nurse in the operating theater froze at once as the rm indicated that the doors to the operating theater had been opened without their permission. In other words, someone had barged in. Panicked, they immediately swung their gazes at the doors. Sure enough, a tall and powerful man stalked in from outside. His crisp footsteps struck fear into them, gradually intensifying their terror. With his eyes narrowed into slits, Shane swept his gaze over the doctor and nurse, who both wore peculiar expressions. Then, his gaze finally fell on Natalie on the operating table. All at once, his face contorted into a murderous mask. Not only was Natalie securely bound with medical bandages, but her mouth was also stuffed with a medical towel to stop her from making a single sound. Nevertheless, her eyes were bright as she gazed at him. Her gaze shone with an emotion that could only be described as tion at having seen a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel. ¡°Mmph...¡± Natalie emotionally tried to speak to Shane. Clenching his fists, Shane swiftly rushed forward. Just when he was about to remove the towel from Natalie''s mouth, the doctor hurriedly stopped him. Forcing a smile though he had broken out in a cold sweat, the doctor insisted, ¡°Sir, we''re still in the midst of an operation here, so please step out.¡± Hearing that, Shane pinned a murderous look on him. ¡°An operation? What kind of operation necessitates tying up a patient like this?¡± A flicker of guilt flitted across the doctor''s eyes, but still, he adamantly exined, ¡°The anesthetic didn''t work on Ms. Smith, so we were afraid that she''d make sudden movements during the operation. For that reason...¡± ¡°For that reason, you want to operate while she''s still conscious?¡± No matter how shrewd he was, he couldn''t possibly figure out the real reason Natalie was being bound. ¡°W-We...¡± The doctor panicked all the more. They couldn''t possibly admit that it had indeed been their n since it was a grave vition of the International Code of Medical Ethics, and they would be doomed once word got out. Chapter 878 Chapter 878 Upon seeing that the doctor couldn''t quite answer him, Shane''s patience snapped, and he forcefully shoved him aside. The doctor stumbled back several steps away from the operating table, upon which the nurse quickly steadied him. Without anyone stopping him, Shane finally removed the towel from Natalie''s mouth. The moment Natalie obtained freedom, she used herst vestige of strength to dere in a voice brimming with hatred, ¡°Shane, our child isn''t deformed! This is all a ploy. Sean conspired with all the hospitals to abort our baby. Quick, lodge a police report!¡± As she spoke, her eyes were fixated on the doctor and nurse. After saying that, she could no longer hold out and passed out. It was already astounding that she managed to remain conscious after having been anesthetized for such a long time. Knowing that her child was saved now that Shane hade in, she finally sumbed to the anesthesia. Meanwhile, her words had the entire operating theater plunging into silence. The doctor and nurse were entirely thrown off. Their knees went weak, and they both copsed onto the floor with devastation written all over their faces. Stifling the urge to kill them both, Shane snagged the scalpel and cut off the bandages restraining Natalie. Then, he carried her off the operating table. At that exact moment, the doors of the operating theater swung open once again, admitting a group of medical staff. The elderly man in the lead demanded sternly, ¡°Who''s making trouble here?¡± He frowned as his gaze swept over the doctor and nurse, who were slumped on the floor. When he finally shifted his gaze back to Shane, who was carrying Natalie, irritation was etched on his face. ¡°Are you the one kicking up a fuss here?¡± Shane recognized the elderly man as Hans Brandt, an internationally renowned cardiologist cum director of this hospital. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You''re just right on time, Dr. Brandt. The doctors and nurses in the obstetrics and gynecology department of your hospital epted a bribe and deceived my wife that her child was deformed to maliciously abort the baby. Please give me an exnation for this matter. Otherwise, I don''t mind razing your hospital to the ground,¡± Sean dered in a chilly voice, his gaze boring right into the hospital director. There wasn''t much inflection in his voice, so he sounded rather calm. However, everyone present could hear the hostility in his tone. The doctor and nurse on the ground, especially, shuddered. Terrified, they hung their heads without daring to say a single word. Taken aback, Hans only gathered his wits about him after a long moment had passed. He gaped at Shane. ¡°Did you just say that they epted a bribe and were going to...¡± Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Shane strode past him out of the operating theatre with Natalie in his arms. Natalie was presently under anesthesia, so she had to be given medication to reverse it as soon as possible. Hans stared in the direction Shane and Natalie left before turning his gaze on the doctor and nurse on the ground. His austere expression turned all the more terrifying. ¡°Investigate the matter. I want to get to the bottom of it!¡± He would never tolerate such an evil deed as taking bribes and maliciously deceiving patients in his territory. Meanwhile, Natalie had already been given the medication to reverse the effect of anesthesia and was taken back to the hospital room. Hans came over and bowed to Shane apologetically. ¡°I''m really sorry, sir. I didn''t know that the medical staff under mymandmitted such a heinous act against medical ethics. Please rest assured that I''ll definitely give you and your wife an exnation.¡± ¡°What kind of exnation?¡± Shane stared at him coldly, making it known in uncertain terms that he wasn''t going to relent without a concrete answer. Understanding his intent, Hans inwardly sighed before he answered, ¡°I''ll report the incident this time to the World Medical Association so that the unscrupulous doctor and nurse will be cklisted in the medical field besides sending them to prison. Is that satisfactory to you?¡± ¡°It''s not at all sufficient just for them to be cklisted from the medical field and to go to prison. After all, they can still practice medicine privately after serving their sentence.¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed dangerously. Hearing that, Hans'' expression stiffened. ¡°So, what do you propose, sir?¡± Damn it! This man is really difficult to please. ¡°I want it so that they won''t even be able to hold cutlery with their hands. I believe you can do that as a doctor yourself, Dr. Brandt. Is that not so?¡± Shane drawled in a nonchnt yet chillingly cold voice as he eyed him intently. Chapter 879 Chapter 879 All at once, Hans sucked in a breath. ¡°Don''t you think that''s rather extreme, sir?¡± ¡°If my wife hadn''t discovered their ploy in time, do you think my child would still be here?¡± Shane snarled. Hans choked for a moment, and he no longer say that the punishment was too extreme. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. In the end, he acquiesced with a sigh. ¡°Also, this is the first time the doctor and nurse attended to my wife today. It wasn''t them who conducted the prenatal checkup for my wife when she visited the previous time. Instead, it was some other doctor and nurse,¡± Shane blurted out of the blue. As understanding dawned, Hans'' expression darkened. ¡°Sir, you mean, they''re not the only ones who took a bribe, but some other medical staff in the obstetrics and gynecology department also...¡± ¡°Perhaps the entire obstetrics and gynecology department is involved.¡± Shane cut him off. Hans sucked in a breath before he nodded solemnly. ¡°I got it. I''ll go and deal with it right away.¡± Having said that, he left the hospital room. Shane didn''t tell him that besides his hospital, the obstetrics and gynecology department of other hospitals had also been bribed by Sean. Natalie went to a lot of hospitals, yet the diagnosis remained the same¡ªfetal malformation. Therefore, there couldn''t be any other reason save Sean having bribed them all. He didn''t mention it because Hans couldn''t do anything about the other hospitals. As such, he could only deal with those hospitals personally. Mulling it over, he took out his cell phone and made a call. ¡°It''s me. I need a favor from you. I owe you one.¡± After a few minutester, the call ended. Putting down his cell phone, Shane gazed at Natalie on the hospital bed with stormy eyes. Why on earth did Sean do such a thing? How will it benefit him to abort Natalie''s baby? Could it be that he wants me to remain childless, thinking that I''ll leave Thompson Group to him if I have no heir? Hah! He''s absolutely wrong if that''s truly his thought. Even if I have no child, I''ll never leave Thompson Group to him! ¡°Uh...¡± At that moment, the woman on the hospital bed groaned, showing signs of rousing. Putting his thoughts at the back of his mind, Shane regarded her closely. Soon, the woman''s eyshes fluttered, and she opened her eyes. ¡°Shane?¡± Despite having regained consciousness, Natalie was still feeling weak and dizzy, her voice feeble and hoarse. Caressing her face, Shane gently answered, ¡°I''m here.¡± Natalie smiled at him. In the next moment, her eyes went wide as something urred to her. ¡°Where''s our baby? Is the baby still here?¡± she questioned frantically. ¡°Don''t worry, for our baby is safe and sound,¡± Shane promptly reassured. At that, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew! That''s great.¡± Her eyes then turned red. ¡°You know what, Shane? We almost lost our baby. This is all on me for believing those doctors.¡± ¡°It''s not your fault. It''s all on Sean. You only fell for it because he bribed the obstetrics and gynecology department of so many hospitals.¡± Shane squeezed her hand in aforting gesture. She''s an ordinary person when all''s said and done, so she won''t possibly doubt the doctors'' diagnosis. Instead, she''ll naturally trust their diagnosis. ¡°But I just feel so guilty.¡± Natalie sobbed softly. I almost lost our child! It was just a hair¡¯s breadth away! Shane then sat down beside the hospital bed. ¡°I''d like to know how Sean found out that you''re pregnant.¡± Wiping her tears, Natalie tried her best to calm herself before replying, ¡°Remember back when I was attacked? It was Sean who sent me to the hospital, and he learned about my pregnancy then.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shane nodded in understanding. Natalie pinned her eyes on him. ¡°Why did he do this, Shane?¡± At her question, Shane pursed his lips. ¡°I don''t know the specific reason yet, so it''s all guesswork at the moment. I can only say for certain after investigating the matter.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Natalie forced a smile in acknowledgment. ¡°Sleep for a while longer. I''ll be watching over you here, so you can rest easy.¡± Shane stroked her hair as he spoke. Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Murmuring in acquiescence, Natalie closed her eyes while clutching his hand tightly. Due to the residual anesthesia, she fell into slumber in no time. Only then did Shane withdraw his hand and send a message to Ss back in the country, ordering him to bring a few trustworthy doctors in the obstetrics and gynecology field over. He didn''t believe the doctors here anymore, so he wouldn''t allow them to treat Natalie, at least not before all who were bribed had been tracked down. After receiving the order, Ss swiftly made all the arrangements and used Shane''s private ne to fly over with the medical team. About nine o''clock at night, he arrived with the others. As soon as theynded, the few obstetrics and gynecology doctors got to work and performed a detailed examination on Natalie. An hourter, the results of the examination came out. The senior doctor handed Shane a prenatal test report. ¡°Mr. Shane, rest assured that the baby is very healthy without any abnormalities or deformities.¡± As Shane clutched the report in his hand, murder raged within him. At the side, Ss eximed thankfully, ¡°Fortunately, madam discovered the truth before the operation! Otherwise, the baby would''ve truly been gone.¡± When he arrived, he had immediately inquired about everything that had happened here. While shocked, he was also horrified that Sean was so despicable as to make a move against an unborn baby. ¡°Increase manpower to track Sean''s whereabouts. If necessary, use Sam and his wife as bait to lure him out,¡± Shane instructed in a somber voice as he loosened his hold on the report in his hand. Ss nodded at once in acknowledgment. Shane then ordered him to arrange a ce for the doctors to stay since he was going to entrust Natalie to their care in the following months until the child was born. Ss left to execute his orders. Meanwhile, Shane left the hospital with Natalie in his arms and returned to the vi. The two children and Sally were waiting in the vi, so they immediately rushed over when they came back. ¡°You''re back, Mr. Shane, Nat...¡± Before Sally had even finished her utterance, she glimpsed Natalie in Shane''s arms and hastily asked, ¡°What''s wrong with Nat?¡± The children were likewise worried. ¡°Is Mommy okay, Daddy?¡± Connor queried as well. Not wanting to worry them, Shane tried his best to gentle his voice as he replied, ¡°She''s fine, and merely asleep.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Sharon bobbed her petite head, falling for it right away. Connor, however, didn''t buy it. His gaze flickered, but he said nothing. Shane then carried Natalie back to her room upstairs with Sally and Connor trailing behind him. Sharon had wanted to follow, but Connor coaxed her into staying downstairs. Only after Shane had ced Natalie onto the bed did Connor remark, ¡°Daddy, Mommy had an abortion, yes?¡± Hearing that, Shane was startled. Even Sally was stunned, questioning, ¡°How did you know that, Connor?¡± After all, Nat never told the children about the baby being deformed out of fear that they would be disconste since they were looking forward to their brother or sister''s arrival. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I saw it.¡± With his gaze fixated on Shane, Connor admitted, ¡°I went into Mommy''s room this afternoon and saw her prenatal test report. It said that the baby is deformed, so I wondered whether she had an operation when I saw you carrying her home, Daddy.¡± ¡°Gosh, you''re just too smart that you can even understand a prenatal test report, Connor! That''s even beyond me,¡± Sally eximed in wonder as she patted him on the shoulder. Unexpectedly, Connor rolled his eyes at her. ¡°You''d better notpare your intelligence with mine, Ms. Sally. Otherwise, you''ll cry.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Sally pouted in vexation. Ugh! His words truly rankle! ¡°No, she didn''t have an abortion,¡± Shane suddenly replied right that moment. Blinking his eyes, Connor enunciated, ¡°Really?¡± Sally was simrly perplexed. ¡°Why not, Mr. Shane? Didn''t you and Nat go out today for that express purpose?¡± Chapter 881 Chapter 881 ¡°The baby isn''t deformed at all. It was all a ploy,¡± Shane exined briefly. Nheless, the meaning behind his words was more than enough for utter shock to m into both Connor and Sally. ¡°A ploy?¡± Sally''s voice went up a few decibels. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Likewise, Connor''s eyes were pinned on Shane. Thus, Shane divulged some of the details behind the entire incident. After listening to him, Sally blew a gasket. ¡°Damn it! I never expected the truth to be such. Mr. Shane, that cousin of yours is really heartless. You definitely can''t let him off the hook!¡± ¡°So, Sean is actually... my uncle?¡± Connor''s eyes that were an exact replica of Shane''s narrowed. He abruptly recalled something strange¡ªSean asking him to call him uncle back then. The first time I saw him was on the night I met with an ident. Back then, I was eating with Mommy in the restaurant when he came up and flirted with Mommy. He even told me to call him uncle, saying that he''s my daddy''s brother. Mommy and Daddy weren''t married then, so why did he say that he''s my uncle? Don''t tell me he can tell the future and knew that they would get married long before the fact? Or did he tell me to call him uncle because he mistook me for Daddy''s biological son due to our resemnce? While he was pondering that, Shane asked, ¡°What are you thinking about, Connor?¡± ¡°It''s nothing.¡± Connor shook his tiny head. Seeing that he was reluctant to tell him, Shane didn''t pursue it but retracted his gaze. ¡°I naturally won''t let him off the hook,¡± he vowed. I''ll send him, Sam, and Catherine to hell together! When Natalie woke up, it was already past midnight. Throughout it all, Shane had been sitting beside the bed and watching over her. As soon as he noticed her rousing, he instantly got her a ss of water. Natalie happened to be thirsty, so a sense of warmth enveloped her upon seeing the water he brought over. ¡°Thank you.¡± Taking it with a smile, she took a sip. A hint of sweetness slid down her throat. ¡°Is there sugar in here?¡± ¡°It''s honey,¡± Shane amended. Natalie cradled the ss in her hands. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Shane questioned as he stroked her hair which was rumpled from sleep. In response, Natalie nodded. ¡°Just a tad bit.¡± Eating was prohibited before having an operation, so she hadn''t eaten anything until now. As such, she had been hungry for a while. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± After saying those three words, Shane got up and went downstairs. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Shortly after, he came back with a tray in his hands. There was a bowl of steaming hot noodles on the tray, garnished with some cabbage and onions. On the whole, it appeared exceedingly appetizing. Beaming, Nataliemented, ¡°The housekeeper actually knows how to make the noodles from our homnd?¡± Whoa! This is truly remarkable. And here I thought that she could only cook local food! ¡°I cooked this.¡± Shane uttered an unbelievable admission. Floored, Natalie gaped at him in astonishment. ¡°You cooked this?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Shane nodded in affirmation. Both surprised and delighted, Natalie grinned from ear to ear. ¡°I didn''t know you could cook.¡± ¡°I don''t.¡± Shane shook his head. At that, Natalie blinked in puzzlement. ¡°But what about the noodles?¡± ¡°I followed some recipes on the Inte. It was rather easy,¡± Shane replied breezily. The corners of Natalie''s mouth twitched, and she was left with no retort. Ah well, there''s just such a genius in the world who can master something at a single nce. Isn''t Connor just the same? ¡°Here, have some and see how it tastes.¡± Shane handed her a fork. Taking it, Natalie then wanted to take the bowl, but Shane said shecked energy insisted on holding it. And so, with Shane holding the bowl, Natalie took a few strands of noodles with the fork and ced them into her mouth. ¡°How is it?¡± Shane stared at her with an imperceptible glimmer of nervousness in his eyes. Licking her lips, Natalie nodded with stars in her eyes. ¡°It''s delicious!¡± Shane''s lips curved into a faint smile. ¡°I''m d to hear that. Go on and eat.¡± Grunting in acquiescence, Natalie continued eating. As the noodles were a touch hot, she lightly blew on them. All of a sudden, a thought shed across her mind, and she looked at him. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± she asked. Shane was just about to answer in the affirmative when his stomach rumbled. His expression turned awkward at once, and he felt utterly mortified. Chapter 882 Chapter 882 Pfft! Natalie burst intoughter. ¡°You''re too adorable, Darling! I really thought that you were infallible and perfect in everything, but it turned out that you also embarrass yourself at times. This is nice. It makes you appear normal, unlike your usual unapproachable self.¡± In her eyes, such a side of him was much preferable since he seemed much more like a real live person of flesh and blood. ¡°Alright, hurry up and eat.¡± A sh of exasperation flickered across Shane''s eyes at the sight of her doubled over inughter. cing the noodles on the fork into the spoon, Natalie brought it to his mouth. ¡°Let''s eat together. Well, if you don''t mind that I''ve used the fork.¡± She gazed at him and waited for him to open his mouth. Shane nced down at the noodles in the spoon before lifting his eyes to the woman staring at him expectantly. In the end, he opened his mouth and ate the noodles. After swallowing, he teased, ¡°Why, I''ve even exchanged saliva with you.¡± In other words, he was saying that it would be hypocritical of him to be bothered about her saliva on the fork when he had exchanged saliva with her. At once, Natalie''s petite face med bright red, and she shot him a re. ¡°Zip it!¡± Gah! He''s bing increasingly flirty nowadays. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. And so, they finished the bowl of noodles with alternate bites each. Only after he had ced the bowl onto the bedside table did Shane bring up the crux of the matter. ¡°I had Ss bring over a few doctors in the obstetrics and gynecology field this afternoon. They performed a detailed prenatal checkup on you.¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie''s hands flew to her stomach. ¡°So, the baby...¡± ¡°The baby is very healthy without any deformities,¡± Shane replied as he gazed at her stomach tenderly. At that, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That''s great! When I overheard the conversation between the doctor and nurse, my first thought was that I''d been duped. Sure enough, the baby is perfectly fine!¡± Thank God I didn''t lose consciousness right away, or our baby would''ve truly been gone! Also, it was fortunate that he came over to apany me and keep watch right outside the operating theater. Otherwise, it would''ve been useless even if I were conscious. ¡°Oh yes, what happened to the doctor and nurse?¡± she demanded while staring right at him, her eyes burning with rage. Shane took a sip of her honey water before murmuring, ¡°They''ve been detained, and Dr. Brandt¡ªthe hospital director¡ªperformed an operation on them.¡± ¡°An operation?¡± Natalie was flummoxed. ¡°What operation?¡± ¡°A hand impairment operation.¡± With his eyes narrowed a fraction and his eyes radiating icy coldness, Shane exined, ¡°The doctor and nurse epted a bribe, maliciously deceiving a patient. Being so unscrupulous and hical, there''s naturally no need for them to continue in the medical field. So, I asked Dr. Brandt to sever the nerves in their hands so that they can never practice medicine again in the future.¡± Besides the inability to practice medicine, they would also have much difficulty with daily chores. That was the price they had to pay. Nevertheless, not a smidge of sympathy welled within Natalie upon hearing that. Instead, a sense of vindication deluged her. She would never pity them, let alone take mercy on them when they almost killed her child. ¡°What about the doctors and nurses from other hospitals?¡± ¡°Everyone involved has been detained, and the investigation is underway. The governor here was my ssmate during university, so I asked him to handle this in exchange for a favor. It likely isn''t going to end well for those people,¡± Shane answered, his expression frigid. Hearing that, Natalie nodded in approval. ¡°Good.¡± Indeed, those hical medical practitioners have to be made an example of. It''s best to expose their evil deeds to the world, or there might be other victims like me in the future. The next day, Shane and Natalie went downstairs hand in hand. Sally happened to be having breakfast with the two children right then. When she saw them descending the stairs, she teased, ¡°Wow, what an intimate rtionship that you two are inseparable, even holding hands at home!¡± While Natalie was a tad embarrassed, she didn''t drop Shane''s hand. Instead, she smugly countered, ¡°Are you jealous? If so, go and get yourself a man.¡± Sally curled her lips at that. ¡°Ah, forget it. I prefer being single.¡± ¡°I heard you talk on the phone with a foreign man yesterday, and you were all perky,¡± Connor suddenly chimed in then, exposing her. Chapter 883 Chapter 883 Taken aback for a moment, Sally hastily exined, ¡°That wasn''t my boyfriend. He was just my...¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Natalie quickly interrupted her with a light cough. ¡°That''s enough, so let''s just end the subject here. Don''t blurt everything out and corrupt my children.¡± Realizing her near gaffe, Sally chuckled apologetically. ¡°Oops, my bad. Anyway,e and eat.¡± Shane pulled a chair out for Natalie. It wasn''t until Natalie had sat down did he pull out the chair beside her and took his seat. After breakfast, Sally took the children out to y, knowing that Natalie and Shane had no time to apany them since they had to stay and deal with the incident yesterday. Thus, the responsibility of caring for them naturally fell on her as the subordinate who was mooching off them. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Ss came over. Handing a peeled apple to Natalie, Shane snagged a piece of tissue and wiped his handsnguidly. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Governor Stephen asked me to inform you that the matter has been dealt with. The obstetrics and gynecology departments in the few hospitals involved have been reced with new staff while the original staff are now in prison. Besides, Dr. Brandt says that he has operated on the doctor and nurse. Also...¡± ¡°Also?¡± Natalie prompted. ¡°Also, Dr. Brandt says that he has also operated on the rest of the doctors in the obstetrics and gynecology department in his hospital. He hopes that you''ll both be satisfied with this oue,¡± Ss blurted. Since Madam scheduled her operation at Dr. Brandt''s hospital, their animosity toward the hospital will definitely be much greaterpared to other hospitals after the incident. Hence, he had no other choice but to do that to alleviate their fury. Shane smiled upon hearing that. ¡°I merely told him to operate on the doctor and nurse, but I never thought that he''s actually so shrewd and operated on all the doctors in the obstetrics and gynecology department in his hospital. Well, that''s smart of him. Tell him that I won''t take action against him anymore regarding this matter.¡± As everyone involved in the matter had paid the price, they could naturally draw the curtains. ¡°Understood. I''ll convey it to him shortly. Apart from that, we''ve made the calctions ording to the information from Governor Stephen, and Sean spent a total of thirty million to bribe everyone involved.¡± Natalie gasped incredulously. ¡°Thirty million? Good God, that''s a fortune!¡± No wonder all those medical practitioners sumbed to temptation. After all, few would be unmoved in the face of such a hefty sum. What was more, it would''ve been a piece of cake for them since patients would trust them unconditionally, believing everything they say. If I hadn''t overheard the conversation between the doctor and nurse before losing consciousness, I would''ve surely lost my child, and I wouldn''t even have known that it was never deformed. Hence, they couldn''t possibly refuse such an easy job. ¡°Sean is very talented in business and has many industries under his name, so it''s no sweat off his back to spent thirty million,¡± Shane proimed coldly. Then, he looked at Ss. ¡°Have you ascertained his motive in doing so?¡± Ultimately, he wanted to know whether Sean did that so that he would be childless. ¡°Yes. ording to the statements from the medical staff and the professional profiler, the reason he did so is theorized to be...¡± Seemingly conflicted, Ss raked a hand through his hair and said nothing for a long time. Every so often, his gaze darted to Natalie. Wholly bewildered, Natalie questioned, ¡°Don''t tell me it was because of me?¡± ¡°I''m afraid so.¡± Ss nodded. Hearing that, Natalie eyes widened. Huh? Is he for real? As something abruptly urred to Shane, his hands clenched into fists, and his expression turned grim. ¡°Just say it.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Grunting in acquiescence, Ss then blurted, ¡°Madam, Sean did so because he has feelings for you. Thus, he didn''t want you to have Mr. Shane''s child.¡± Boom! That statement detonated like a bomb. Natalie was wholly stupefied as though having been struck by a bolt of lightning. Chapter 884 Chapter 884 What? Sean has feelings for me? Natalie had spent a lot of thought on Sean''s motive in concocting such an borate ploy. The most likely reason she came up with was that he felt the abortion of her child would be a huge blow to Shane. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought that his true motive was that. All at once, she panicked. ¡°Stop joking, Mr. Campbell. How could he possibly...¡± ¡°It''s true,¡± Shane interjected. Natalie''s gaze promptly flew to him. ¡°Don''t tell me you believe such a trumped-up story as well, Shane?¡± That''s absurd! Not only did he kidnap me, but he even jumped off the cliff with me. Which of those actions scream that he has feelings for me? ¡°This is not a trumped-up story. I''ve long since known about his feelings for you,¡± Shane muttered sourly, his expression sullen. It was something he spoke about with Jacqueline in the office when he was giving Natalie the cold shoulder. Back then, Jacqueline told him that Sean had a thing for Natalie. At that, Natalie was wholly nonplussed. She sprang to her feet. ¡°You knew about this?¡± He actually knew that Sean likes me despite being so dense in love, yet I had absolutely no inkling! ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane nodded in affirmation. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Natalie''s lips parted, but a long while passed before she finally spoke. ¡°I had no idea. I really didn''t know that he...¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shane regarded her intently. He was aware of her stance toward Sean, so he had never been worried that she would develop feelings for him after learning of his affection for her. But still, he was rather chagrined. In truth, he was irked that she was so popr with men¡ªwith Stanley fancying her, and now, Sean. Natalie had no idea of his thoughts, so she breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his acknowledgment that she hadn''t any inkling about Sean''s feelings for her. Phew! I don''t have to worry that he''ll misunderstand, then. But I just don''t get it. When did Sean start taking an interest in me? And what is it that he likes about me? ¡°So, has Sam and Catherine''s current condition been made public?¡± Shane inquired, his gaze pinned on Ss. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. I believe that Sean is already aware of it, but he still refuses to show himself.¡± Well, well... He''s undeniably heartless. Despite hearing that his father is now paralyzed and his mother is beside herself, he still doesn''t have any intention of putting in an appearance, huh? ¡°Shane, are you trying to lure Sean out with Sam and Catherine as bait?¡± Natalie blinked. Shane nodded. ¡°He''s like a mouse hiding in the dark that even hackers can''t find him. Thus, it''d be tantamount to looking for a needle in a haystack if I were to blindly investigate his tracks. As such, I can only resort to extreme means.¡± ¡°But it''s not very effective, right?¡± Natalie stared at him. In response, Shane went silent, his lipspressing into a tight line. Indeed, it''s not very effective. He''s not that filial of a son, or he would''ve turned up long ago. ¡°Actually, I sensed that he detests his parents,¡± Natalie divulged out of the blue. Hearing that, Shane and Ss swung their gazes at her in concert. ¡°He detests his parents?¡± Shane quirked a brow. I didn''t know that. ¡°Yes, that''s right. He detests his parents. This is a conclusion I drew before I married you. Before we got married, I met up with Sean alone a few times.¡± ¡°Nothing happened, yes?¡± Shane suddenly asked. At his question, Natalie was torn between amusement and exasperation. ¡°Of course not! Where did your mind go?¡± However, Shane merely pursed his lips without any furtherment. To tell the truth, he was merely difited to hear that she had met up with Sean alone several times. After taking a sip of water, Natalie added, ¡°He mentioned his parents twice, and once was about Mrs. Thompson arranging a blind date for him. I glimpsed coldness and hatred in his eyes at the mention of his parents, but I wasn''t quite certain then. After hearing you both say that he isn''t taking the bait, I''m now sure that it wasn''t a trick of the light.¡± ¡°In that case, something must have happened between him and his parents. Otherwise, he wouldn''t loathe them,¡± Ss reckoned while rubbing his chin. Then, he looked at Shane. ¡°Should I investigate it, Mr. Shane?¡± Chapter 885 Chapter 885 ¡°No, it''s okay.¡± Shane wasn''t at all interested in that. Whatever grudge Sean has with Sam and Catherine won''t change my mind about having all three of them pay the price for my parents'' murder! ¡°Figure out another method since Sam and Catherine aren''t useful in luring Sean out,¡± he murmured wearily as he massaged his temples. Ss nodded in assent. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Also, speed up the investigation on my parents'' interpersonal rtionship,¡± Shane ordered. Some families were infuriated that he was investigating them and phoned himst night, demanding to know the reason. Considering the fact that such an investigation was undoubtedly offensive and would arouse suspicion that he was nning something nefarious, it had to be done swiftly. ¡°Understood,¡± Ss answered once more. After he had left, Natalie munched on the apple and inquired, ¡°Are you investigating their interpersonal rtionship to unearth the second culprit?¡± Shane grunted in affirmation. ¡°Yeah, but eighteen years have passed, so many of their interpersonal rtionships have been severed. Hence, it''s difficult to investigate all of them.¡± ¡°In other words, the possibility of finding the second culprit through this method is low,¡± Natalie commented. Sighing wearily, Shane replied, ¡°Still, I''ve got to try. Perhaps there will be a clue in Grandpa''s will, but we don''t even know where it is right now.¡± ¡°Yeah, it''ll be great if we have a clue,¡± Natalie remarked while flipping her hair. Pursing his lips, Shane admitted, ¡°There is a clue, but I can''t decipher it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie gaped at him. ¡°I found a letter in Grandpa''s room some time ago,¡± Shane confessed. ¡°It''s written that the will is with my parents, but my parents have been deceased for eighteen years. Thus, this clue about the will feels contradictory.¡± ¡°Indeed, it seems so. But who stipted that it must mean being in the possession of a living person?¡± Natalie countered with a smirk. Shane''s expression froze for a moment when he heard that. ¡°You mean, the will may very well be in my parents'' grave?¡± ¡°Probably not since no one would desecrate a grave. At most, it may be somewhere beside the grave,¡± Natalie postted. Shane''s hands balled into fists. ¡°Perhaps you''re right.¡± Generally, no one would ever consider that the will would be beside the grave. After all, it would never cross one''s mind that someone would actually hide something in such a ce. However, it was precisely the impossibility of it that made it all the probable. ¡°Why don''t you have someone search there, Shane?¡± Natalie suggested. Shane nodded. ¡°That''s for sure, but I''ll do it myself when I go back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie bobbed her head. Shortly after, Shane left to meet with Governor Stephen. He owed him a favor for having dealt with the matter, so he had to repay him. Natalie stayed in the vi alone, snacking on fruits while watching television. It so happened that news of the staff from the obstetrics and gynecology department of several hospitals being detained for investigation was ying on the television right then. Now that the public had learned about the misdeeds of the obstetrics and gynecology departments of those hospitals, their reputations were suddenly called into question. Many pregnant women who had their prenatal checkups at the hospitals even took to staging protests. In short, the entire incident was a huge mess and probably wouldn''t subside anytime soon. Nheless, Natalie had no sympathy for them since they were merely reaping what they sowed. In the afternoon, Sally came back with the children. When she returned, she hurriedly rushed up to Natalie. ¡°Nat, I discovered something!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie queried as she sipped her milk. Sally hesitated, throwing a nce at the children. Instantlyprehending that it wasn''t a matter for young ears, Natalie smilingly said, ¡°Take your sister upstairs to y, Connor.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Connor assented. Then, he obediently headed toward the stairs while pulling Sharon along.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g But when he left, a sh of something glinted in his eyes as he looked back over his shoulder at Natalie and Sally. In no time, Natalie and Sally were the only ones left in the living room. Natalie put down her ss of milk. ¡°Well? Spit it out.¡± Chapter 886 Chapter 886 ¡°It''s Jessie.¡± Sally sat down as she continued, ¡°Nat, I saw Jessie and her mentor when I took the kids to the mall at noon.¡± ¡°Ms. Linde?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. Sally nodded. ¡°That''s right. She was dressed in a ck cape, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, but I couldn''t see her face. I guess that''s not a bad thing because I don''t want to see a jarring scarred face anyway. It''s frightening just to think about it. Still, I''m terrified at the sight of her hand she reached out. There are a lot of burn scars on it.¡± ¡°It''s really her.¡± Listening to the description of her attire, the silhouette of the person she met in the restaurantst time started taking its form in her mind. As expected, the person she sawst time was indeed Cndra Linde, or moremonly known as Ms. Linde, who was also Jessie''s mentor. ¡°Nat, you''ve met her before?¡± Sally turned to Natalie as she asked. Natalie acknowledged that question briefly, ¡°I did, but what''s so strange about that? Jessie''s her mentee. Isn''t itmon for a mentor to be there for her mentee at apetition?¡± My mentor will also be here after she has attended the seminar. ¡°You''re right. There''s nothing strange about that, but what if I tell you that the physique of this Ms. Linde is identical to that of the person who knocked me unconscious?¡± Sally fixated her gaze on Natalie. Natalie''s countenance changed drastically. ¡°Identical?¡± ¡°That''s right. Their height and figure are all the same. I''m a model, and I have a good eye for one''s stature and build. I can basically get their measurements with just one look. Hence, it''s impossible for me to miss that. Besides, Ms. Linde is also a blonde,¡± Sally added in a solemn tone. A chill ran down Natalie''s spine. ¡°That''s to say that it was actually the deed of Jessie and her mentor, and Amy and her model were just scapegoats who had been framed.¡± ¡°I''m sure that''s what happened. It''s just that we''re not able to meet Amy. It''d be great if we can see her.¡± Sally let out a sigh. ¡°We can''t. Supermax prisons are not essible to ordinary people, even Shane may not be able to get the authorization for visits,¡± Natalie shook her head and replied. After all, it''s not our home country. Back in our homnd, it would be a lot easier for Shane because the government would give him the green light to arge extent, as he''s one of the taxpayers contributing the most tax ie in the country. But the same couldn''t be said when they were abroad. Regardless of how wealthy he was, there was no guarantee that he could get the authorization, because, at the end of the day, he wasn''t a citizen over there unless he immigrated. ¡°Then, what should we do? This feeling of knowing that Amy and her model had been set up but couldn''t really do anything is exceedingly awful.¡± Sally ruffled her own hair in frustration. ¡°Especially when Jessie and her mentor are still atrge, it gets worse.¡± ¡°Not only you, me too. But it''s okay. The detective agency is still investigating the matter, let''s wait and see,¡± Natalie massaged her temples as she returned. Other than waiting, she couldn''t think of any other ways. I can''t just seize Jessie and her mentor and send them to the police station. Sally sighed again and resorted to silence. In a corner of the second floor, Connor turned around and left quietly for his room. He caught the furious glint in Sally''s eyes when she saw the two women at the mall, and he couldn''t just brush it off. Because right then, Sally had also uttered, ¡°These two women were the ones who hurt Nat and me.¡± He asked Sally what the two women did to them. But Sally only told him that it was a matter among the adults, and kids shouldn''t be involved. Hence, she didn''t disclose it to him in the end. Well, it''s fine because I can eavesdrop since she refused to tell me. Even though Mommy and Ms. Sally didn''t mention who the two women are, I can look them up myself. Thinking of that, Connor sat back in front of theputer. Sharon put down her Barbie doll and asked, ¡°Connor, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I need to check something. You go and y on your own, and I''ll apany youter,¡± Connor answered, staring at theputer screen without even turning back. Sharon nodded. ¡°Alright, hurry up then.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Connor spared a second to reply to her as his puny fingers already began tapping on the keyboard.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He first keyed in Jessie and Cndra''s personal details and then ran a background check ording to those details. Chapter 887 Chapter 887 Even though he had reminded Shane to investigate Jessie, Shane''s investigation oue was insubstantial, and only some basic information about Jessie was obtained. This round, he was nning to look into it in more detail. Soon, half an hour passed. There was a pucker between Connor''s eyebrows. He was staring at an imageparison on the screen. The image was very blurry, and he was trying to restore it with a program. The progress was sluggish as it required a longer duration to reinstate a blurry image to a high-definition one. Right then, only sixty percent of the image had been restored, and the remaining forty percent was still in progress. It would take at least a few more minutes for the entire process to bepleted. Just then, someone knocked on the door. Connor turned around and looked in the direction of the door. ¡°Mommy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie''s voice came from outside the room. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let me answer it.¡± Sharon jumped off the bed and ran forward hurriedly to open the door. As the door opened, Natalie trod in, taking her daughter''s hand in hers, and looked at her son who was sitting in front of theputer. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I''m looking at Jessie''s information,¡± Connor replied in a straightforward manner without concealing anything. Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you looking at her information for?¡± ¡°I heard your conversation with Ms. Sally just now. Ms. Sally wouldn''t tell me what Jessie and Ms. Linde did to you, so I can only investigate on my own,¡± Connor shrugged his shoulder helplessly as he answered. No matter what, I''ll never simply let anyone who tries to harm Mommy off the hook. ¡°You are my sunshine¡± Feeling heartwarming, Natalie stroked the little boy''s hair. Of course, she understood what the little boy was doing¡ªhe was trying to help them. Nevertheless, all along, she was of the opinion that adults'' problems should be solved by and among themselves, and not to involve the children in it. Yet, seeing that Connor was so persistent in helping her, she was reluctant to turn him down. ¡°Well then, have you found anything?¡± Natalie looked at her son and asked. Sharon also turned to Connor expectantly. Connor shook his head in response. ¡°I didn''t find out what they did to you, Mommy, but I found something interesting.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie''s interest was piqued. ¡°What''s that?¡± Connor shook his head again and kept her in suspense. ¡°Why don''t you tell me what they did to you first, Mommy? And then I''ll tell you what I found. How about that?¡± Natalie was amused. ¡°You''re bargaining with me, huh? Alright, I''ll tell you.¡± Since he has already started his own investigation, that means he''ll never stop until he finds out something. In that case, I should just disclose it to him. ¡°Do you rememberst time when I was locked in the washroom and Ms. Sally was knocked out?¡± Natalie asked. Connor nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The real culprits behind it are these two people,¡± Natalie added. Connor squinted. ¡°What? It''s actually them and not Amy and Tiffanie?¡± When the organizers of thepetition revealed the findings of their investigation, Connor was still back at home with Shane. Despite that, the organizer gave Shane a call and informed him that the offenders were Amy and Tiffanie. How does it turn out to be Jessie and her mentor now? ¡°It''s not Amy and her model. They were framed and became scapegoats for Jessie and her mentor,¡± exined Natalie. Connor finally understood and nodded. ¡°I see. They''re really horrible, making Amy and Tiffanie their scapegoats. They must have got something on Amy and threatened them with it. Otherwise, it''s impossible for Amy and Tiffanie to not resist when they were caught.¡± ¡°That''s right. That''s what I was thinking, too,¡± Natalie responded in the affirmative. Connor let out a sigh. ¡°Jessie and her mentor must have threatened Amy and Tiffanie in person privately. That''s why I couldn''t find any trace on the inte.¡± ¡°That means that they''re very prudent.¡± Natalie stroked his hair gently again. Connor twitched his lips. ¡°And I hate prudent enemies the most.¡± Natalie was amused. ¡°You hate them because, in that way, you''re not able to unleash your skills, isn''t it? Connor stuck his tongue out in acknowledgment of what Natalie said. Natalie shook her head with a smile. ¡°Alright, don''t be upset. It''s not a bad thing, too. At least now you know that even with good hacking skills, you can''t get to the bottom of everything. There are a lot of problems in this world that can''t be solved with hacking alone. I hope you won''t rely too much on hacking; otherwise, you would lose out someday.¡± Chapter 888 Chapter 888 ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Connor nodded his head earnestly. Sharon didn''t really get what Natalie said, but that didn''t stop her from following suit and nodding. ¡°Let me check the security footage near the washroom and those around the security control room that day.¡± Connor added, ¡°That should prove that Jessie and her mentor were the offenders.¡± ¡°They might have destroyed the security footage,¡± Natalie returned. Connor bit his lip. ¡°As long as it wasn''t deleted using a data shredder program, I''ll be able to recover it.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Well, then you try itter.¡± Natalie thought that the possibility of recovering the security footage wasn''t high, but so as not to discourage the child, she agreed to let him try. Connor acknowledged with a brief ''sure''. Natalie turned to look at theputer screen. It was a blurry image, and she couldn''t discern anything from it. With just a brief look, she turned away from it and asked, ¡°Now, can you tell me what you found out about Jessie''s information?¡± ¡°Alright, I''ll tell you. What I found out was that this Jessie is a fabricated identity,¡± Connor swiveled in his chair and said. Natalie frowned at that. ¡°Fabricated?¡± ¡°Yes, it''s a false identity. It was only registered a few months ago, which means that she wasn''t known as Jessie before that. However, there isn''t any real name of hers to be found online. She was just like an unregistered citizen who suddenly obtained an identity,¡± Connor answered. Natalie''s heart sank. So it turns out that Jessie''s identity is actually forged. No wonder I''ve never heard about such an outstanding young designer within the industry before, and she rose to fame overnight out of nowhere. Now it seems that she dide out of nowhere. ¡°Other than that, her face is also fake.¡± Connor''s words were like a cannonball that utterly shattered Natalie''s perception of Jessie. Natalie had her mouth agape in stupefaction. ¡°Her face is also fake. Does that mean she has undergone stic surgery?¡± ¡°Mommy, what''s stic surgery?¡± Sharon asked curiously as she blinked her pretty big eyes. Natalie stroked her hair gently in response. ¡°Good girl, Sharon. You''ll understand that when you grow older. Why don''t you go and y at the side? Let Mommy and Connor discuss something.¡± Sharon wasn''t as unruly as Connor, so Natalie didn''t want her to know too much about the muck and crud of the grown-ups. Though reluctant, Sharon left obediently. Only after seeing that Sharon had gone that Connor finally answered, ¡°You''re right, Mommy. She underwent stic surgery. I managed to find the record of that. Apart from stic surgery, she had also had a few modifications to the other parts of her body, for instance, her feet.¡± With that, Connor minimized the image which was still being restored and clicked on another program. ¡°This is Jessie''s information before she had stic surgery, but there''s no photo, so we can''t see what she looked like before that. In spite of that, data rted to her physique are avable. Jessie used to be 163cm tall, and now she''s 168cm.¡± ¡°An increment of five centimeters in height,¡± Natalie said as she read the data. ¡°That''s right. She went through a limb lengthening surgery.¡± Connor nodded. Natalie suddenly understood something. No wonder it has been said that Jessie has a rigid posture when she walks. So that''s because of the surgery. ¡°God knows who she was. She has made such a radical change to her appearance,¡± said Natalie as she pursed her lips. Connor smiled and replied, ¡°We''ll see in just a little while. I''ve found a photo of Jessie before her surgery, but it has been tampered with, so it was blurred, and we can''t really identify anything from the picture. It''s being retouched now; we can definitely see it clearlyter.¡± Photos of Jessie before her stic surgery had all been deleted. It took him a long time searching and only found an image from the obsolete database of the stic surgery center. It was most probably the photo that would show what Jessie used to look like. Neither had he expected that this image actually fell through the cracks and was found in the obsolete database. I got lucky! ¡°Baby is awesome!¡± Natalie''s eyes brightened up upon hearing that her son had actually found a photo. She held his puny face and gave him a kiss. The little boy was so ted his eyes narrowed to twoughing slits, and he turned the other side of his cheek to Natalie, signaling her to kiss him again. Natalie smiled, and as she leaned forward to nt a kiss on his cheek, the charming features of a man appeared out of the blue, getting in Natalie''s way to Connor. Being caught off guard, Natalie couldn''t help butnd that kiss on the face that emerged out of nowhere. ¡°Daddy?¡± Connor blinked in surprise as he looked at the man who showed up all of a sudden. Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Natalie was also stunned. ¡°You''re back.¡± Shane raised his chin slightly. ¡°Yes, I''m back. What have you been discussing?¡± ¡°We were talking about...¡± Natalie gave him an ount of their conversation a little while ago. Shane furrowed his brows after listening to her. Someone who turned up from nowhere without any personal information prior to that and had even gone through a drastic makeover... There must be something very fishy about this person. And this questionable woman even holds grudges against Natalie. We have to get to the bottom of this. ¡°Has the image been fixed?¡± Shane turned to Connor. ¡°I guess it''s almost done,¡± Connor thought for a while before replying. He then clicked on the program again, and as he had expected, the restoration waspleted. Connor beamed and pressed on the ''enter'' key to check the image which had been restored. Very soon, the blurred image became clearer. As it got clearer, the countenance of Natalie and Shane also turned ghastlier. ¡°How does it turn out to be her!¡± Natalie''s pupils shrank as she gasped in dismay. Clenching his fist, Shane also eximed, ¡°It''s Jasmine!¡± Jessie turns out to be Jasmine! ¡°Connor, are you sure you didn''t make any mistake?¡± Natalie looked at Connor. Connor shook his head in a very determined manner. ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Natalie pursed her lips and fell silent as she epted the fact which was both unexpected and expected to her. Jessie Skye is Jasmine. In fact, back when Jessie came to light, she had had doubts when she heard the name ''Jessie'' as it somehow reminded her about Jasmine. Nevertheless, due to the fact that Jessie had nothing inmon with Jasmine both on appearance and height, she cleared up her suspicion. It was only in this particr instance that she eventually understood that her guess was indeed correct. Jasmine didn''t die. After she escaped, she went abroad, underwent stic surgery, and became an extremely talented young designer. If she hadn''t discovered that Jessie was in actuality Jasmine, Jessie''s designs should have been fine, and there shouldn''t be any problem with them. But as she found out that Jessie was actually Jasmine in disguise, there would be issues with all the designs she had submitted for thepetition. After all, Jasmine''s actual capacity was rather insulting, and it was impossible for her to be able to come up with such remarkable designs. There''s no way she''s suddenly gifted with such talents just with a change in appearance. Hence, chances were high that the question of where her designs really came from was rted to Ms. Linde. ¡°She wasn''t dead.¡± Shane''s expression was deadly. Jasmine''s suicide back then caused an uproar. At that time, he did suspect that Jasmine wasn''t really dead, but the DNA profile of the body matched that of Jasmine. That was what convinced him of Jasmine''s death. Nevertheless, at this particr moment, it seemed ludicrous to him that he had actually been tricked. ¡°That''s right. She''s still alive.¡± Natalie nodded with an equally dreadful face. ¡°That shows how detailed and meticulous the preparation on her sham ofmitting suicide was. Not only had she foreseen that we would suspect if the body was indeed her, but she had also seen iting that we wouldpare the DNA of the body with the DNA samples she had left behind. ¡°Looks like there are problems with the coroner who performed the DNA test back then.¡± Shane squinted. Natalie bit her lip. ¡°The coroner worked for the authority. I don''t think Jasmine was capable enough to bribe him.¡± ¡°Jasmine wasn''t, but Jacqueline is.¡± Shane turned to her. Natalie was notably taken aback. ¡°You''re suggesting that Jacqueline and Jasmine conspired...¡± ¡°That''s my assumption.¡± Shane nodded in response. ¡°Back when Jasmine was crippled, the hospital which she was admitted to was where Jackson is working. I saw the two of them meet up, but I didn''t think too much about it then.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Because at the point when Jacqueline regained consciousness from her vegetative state, no one was really aware of her identity. It was all the more improbable for Jasmine to know that. Hence, he assumed that they happened to bump into each other during their walks in the hospital. Now that he pondered about it, he couldn''t stop wondering how many details had been neglected by him from then. ¡°If it was indeed Jacqueline, why did she want to help Jasmine? Isn''t Jasmine another love rival of hers?¡± Natalie frowned in puzzlement. Chapter 890 Chapter 890 Shane looked at her in the eyes and announced, ¡°You, theirmon enemy, have brought them together. They must have chosen to coborate to get back at you.¡± Natalie''s lips twitched when she heard Shane''s reply. Staring at the screen, she arched her brows in confusion and asked, ¡°Has she really gone to such great lengths just to get her revenge? Is she even in her right mind?¡± He took a peek at Jasmine''s profile and answered, ¡°How am I supposed to know the things that are going on in her mind?¡± Natalie, who was rendered speechless, rolled her eyes. She asked when she thought of something, ¡°Are Susan and Harrison aware that Natalie isn''t dead all along? If they''re not aware it''s a part of Natalie''s greater scheme, has she approached them and told them the truth after undergoing such a major surgery?¡± ¡°I can''t be sure, but that doesn''t really matter. Since everyone''s aware that Jasmine''s no longer around, let''s just bring her out again. I''ll let those from the Design Association know Jessie is Jasmine.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Jasmine was eliminated in the finals at the domestic level. No way would those in authority allow her to take part in thepetition if they found out her actual identity. Otherwise, it would be unfair for those who hadpeted with their original design since Jasmine had made it through the rounds using Cnda''s design. Curious, Natalie asked, ¡°Are you going to bring Jasmine back and send her to the mental hospital?¡± Shane shook his head and asserted, ¡°We can''t do that as she''s no longer a citizen of our country. I won''t be able to bring her back against her will unless she''s admitted to the mental hospital over here.¡± Natalie chuckled and asked, ¡°It''s just a piece of cake for you, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Well, it''s indeed not much of a challenge.¡± Shane looked at Natalie with his eyes gleaming. ¡°If that''s the case, I''ll be waiting for the great news from you.¡± Initially, Jasmine would be thrown behind bars for a few years after she was found giarizing others'' designs. However, she pretended to lose her mind and managed to get herself acquitted of all crimes. She evenmitted suicide to stop herself from suffering in the mental hospital, but those turned out to be parts of her greater scheme. All along, she was still kicking and alive, but she was no longer a citizen of the country. We can''t throw her behind bars, but we can keep her confined in the mental hospital, can''t we? Jasmine is just a shameless woman who won''t stop turning others'' life upside down! She needs to be taken into remand for others'' sake! Shane caressed Natalie''s head and assured her, ¡°It''ll take me two days at most to get everything sorted out.¡± ¡°Okay! I have faith in you!¡± Natalie looked in Connor''s direction and instructed with a satisfied beam, ¡°We don''t have to go through the surveince footage anymore since we''re aware that Jessie is Jasmine! We''ll just go ahead and deal with her because I''m pretty sure she''s guilty!¡± We''ll get those from the Design Association to deal with Cnda for being Jasmine''s aplice all along. Connor nodded and answered, ¡°Alright, Mommy!¡± Shane then departed to get everything required to take Jasmine into remand sorted out. Natalie spent most of her time in the room toplete the blueprint for the magazinepany Two dayster, Shane brought Natalie to the hall when it was time for the next round ofpetition. His presence had taken the designers and models by surprise as they rarely came across such a good looking foreign man. A few of the designers and models started hitting on Shane. It was evident they couldn''t wait to get their hands on the exceptional man. As much as Natalie was irked, she was slightly proud of the fact the man they had their eyes on was her husband. Subsequently, Natalie wrapped her arms around Shane''s arm and shot daggers at those who wouldn''t stop hitting on Shane. As a result, their faces flushed with anger. It merely took Shane a nce to figure out the things Natalie had in mind. He smirked and kissed her on the forehead, sending hints to those who wouldn''t stop trying to hit on him to give up. Meanwhile, the designers and models with the right values in life started endorsing the lovely pair and their rtionship. Jasmine, who had been disguising herself as Jessie, couldn''t stop ring at Natalie and Shane. Jealousy was written all over his scrunched-up face. Natalie had been observing Jasmine in silence. When she caught a glimpse of her half-sister''s response, her eyes flickered. She then suggested with a bright grin, ¡°Darling, why don''t you go ahead? I''ll head over to join my fellow designers!¡± Shane nodded and asserted, ¡°If that''s the case, I''ll get going.¡± Chapter 891 Chapter 891 ¡°Mmm! I''ll see you soon!¡± Natalie tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek after she finished her sentence. Shane was taken by surprise and had his eyes flickering as a result. He raised her chin against her will and kissed her on the lips in return. The onlookers couldn''t keep themselves calm anymore. Some of them couldn''t keep their jealousy to themselves and started ring at the lovey-dovey duo. Nheless, a majority of the onlookers were d Natalie had such a doting husband. They secretly prayed for their well-being in the long run. On the other hand, Natalie started flushing as she was surprised by the kiss in front of others. She pushed her husband away and reprimanded, ¡°What are you doing? Aren''t you aware there are a lot of people around us?¡± Shane smirked and asked, ¡°Why are you embarrassed when you''re my wife? Aren''t these the little things in life that keep us going in this tough life?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes and urged, ¡°Ugh! Just get going and head over to the authorities to deal with the things we have in mind!¡± ¡°Alright, I''ll get going at once.¡± Prior to his departure, he surveyed the surroundings and nced at those around them. When he saw Jasmine, he paused for a few seconds. As a result, Jasmine felt her limbs stiffening when she caught Shane staring at her. Why is he staring at me? Has he fallen for me? When that particr thought crossed Jasmine''s mind, her heart started racing. She looked at Shane with her cheeks reddened and responded with a timid grin. On the contrary, Shane furrowed his brows when he caught Jasmine''s expression. He was utterly disgusted by the pretentious woman and thought she wasn''t in her right mind again. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He paid no heed to her and brought their silent interaction to a halt. After he nodded at Natalie for one last time, he marched his way to the organizer''s office. The moment he departed, the onlookers surrounded Natalie to get their hands on Shane''s information. Unfortunately, Natalie would never share the details of her husband with those who had a crush on him. She brought something else up to deceive them instead. All of a sudden, Jasmine made her way through the crowd and approached Natalie. ¡°Ms. Smith!¡± Staring at her in the eyes, Natalie asked, ¡°Yes?¡± Jasmine answered with a scowl, ¡°Can you stop showing up with your husband in the future?¡± ¡°Oh? May I know why?¡± Natalie asked with her brows arched. ¡°Aren''t you aware of the things you have caused? Your husband''s presence has disturbed everyone! They''re not able to remain calm! It''s not great for the uing rounds!¡± ¡°Are you sure that''s the reason you want him to stay away? Isn''t it because of the hidden agenda you have in store for us?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jasmine responded with a frown as she had a bad feeling about it. Natalie inched over and approached Jasmine to carry on with the conversation. As a result, Jasmine, who was merely a few inches away from Natalie, could feel Natalie''s breath. Smirking, Natalie queried, ¡°Well, aren''t you trying to stop me from bringing my husband along with me for your own sake? Aren''t you afraid they''re going to hit on my husband?¡± Jasmine''s eyes widened in disbelief. She rebuked without a second thought, ¡°N-No! W-Why would I give a damn about your husband in the first ce?¡± ¡°Isn''t it because you have a crush on him? You don''t want others to get in touch with him because you have a thing for him too!¡± When Jasmine heard her, her pupils constricted. How has she figured out I''m having a crush on Shane when I''m Jessie and not Jasmine? I have never engaged in a conversation with Shane, let alone expressing the affection I have for him in front of others! What the heck is going on? Natalie caught Jasmine shivering in fear. She snorted and asked, ¡°Is there anything else you wish to tell me?¡± Jasmine gulped and forced a smile in return. ¡°M-Ms. Smith, you need to stop pulling my leg. H-How is that possible when we''re not even acquainted?¡± Natalie remained silent and stared at Jasmine in the eyes. ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± ¡°Jessie isn''t acquainted with my husband, but what about Jasmine?¡± Natalie interrupted Jasmine before she could finish her sentence. Startled by Natalie''s question, Jasmine stared at Natalie openmouthed. She felt a chill running down her spine and stuttered, ¡°You-¡± Chapter 892 Chapter 892 ¡°How have I figured out you''re Jasmine?¡± Natalie finished the question on Jasmine''s behalf. Jasmine was astonished by Natalie''s seemingly harmless and innocent smile. She felt a strong urge to flee the scene, but she just couldn''t bring herself away no matter how hard she tried. Unable to flee the scene, Jasmine had no choice but to rebuke Natalie''s hypothesis, ¡°Ms. Smith, what are you talking about? Have you gotten the wrong person? I-I''m not Jasmine!¡± ¡°Why don''t you stop lying? Do you think I''ll confront you without any solid evidence? I''m impressed you have everyone deceived by faking your death. On top of that, you''re able to endure the pain and return as Jessie after fleeing the country. It''s quite an impressive feat you have achieved.¡± Jasmine started clenching her fists in silence as she was rendered speechless by Natalie''s orated speech. I thought Natalie is trying to deceive me and get me to confess everything. However, the fact she''s able to expose the part that I have undergone stic surgery proves Natalie has the evidence to testify that I''m Jasmine. When Jasmine thought about it, she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She asked in return, ¡°How did you figure out my identity? Has anyone handed you the evidence to prove I''m Jasmine?¡± It was a wless n! Natalie was once deceived by the corpse as well! If no one gives her a heads- up, she will never rule out the possibility of me being Jessie! Who the heck is behind this? ¡°Actually, I have no idea. That mysterious figure just dropped me an email out of the blue.¡± Halfway through her orated speech, she paused and looked at Jasmine in the eyes. ¡°I think she''s a close acquaintance of yours since she''s well aware of your identity. On top of that, she''s conscious of your n, including the part you fled the country to get yourself a new identity after faking your death. Does that ring a bell yet?¡± ¡°Jacqueline! It must be her!¡± Jasmine started shivering in fear; her face puckered in irritation. Jacqueline was the one who had approached her and brought up the suggestion to fake her death in the first ce. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I can''t think of anyone else apart from Jacqueline! She had everything sorted out on my behalf, including the way to flee the country, and the doctor for the surgeries to change my look. ¡°Oh! It turns out it''s Jacqueline, huh?¡± Natalie asked with a bright grin. Jasmine was taken aback by Natalie''s question. She soon figured out everything and yelled, ¡°Have you been lying to me to get your hands on the identity of my aplice?¡± Natalie ran her fingers through her hair and answered nonchntly, ¡°Yes! I have long thought Jacqueline is the one behind the scheme, but I can''t get my hands on anything that''s able to prove her guilty! I can''t believe you have yed along with me and confessed everything just because you''re angry! I thought it would take me some time and effort to get to the bottom of the entire incident, but I was wrong!¡± ring at Natalie in the eyes, Jasmine yelled, ¡°Amazing, Natalie!¡± Natalie shrugged her shoulders and remarked sarcastically, ¡°Thanks! My life''s wonderful without you! Shane is currently on his way somewhere after figuring out your identity. Why don''t you get yourself ready for the things that will be in store for you?¡± Colors drained from Jasmine''s face. She stammered, ¡°A-Are you guys going to expose me again?¡± Suddenly, she recalled Shane mentioned something about heading over to meet the organizer and took a peek at her prior to his departure. Shane is about to approach the organizer to expose me! How na?ve of me to think he has a thing for me just because he has been staring at me for a few seconds! ¡°You''re spot on for once! We''re going to expose your true identity! We''re well aware of the things you''re capable of, and designing isn''t one of them! In other words, you have acquired others'' designs for the previous rounds! I won''t allow you to stay around anymore! It''s not fair for the rest of thepetitors!¡± Out of the blue, Jasmine shrieked and startled those around. Confused by the things going on, they turned around and had their eyes glued to the conflicting duo. Natalie covered her ears with her brows furrowed in irritation. ¡°Natalie, are you going to ruin my life again? Haven''t you had enough of turning my life upside down?¡± Jasmine finished her question with a vicious look. ¡°How dare you me me when you''re the one at fault? Have I forced you to giarize others'' designs? Why are you holding me liable when I have nothing to do with it? Stop using me!¡± Chapter 893 Chapter 893 ¡°If it weren''t because you have lodged a report against me, I wouldn''t have¡ª¡± ¡°Stop ming me when you''re the one at fault! Others would''ve lodged a report against you even if I hadn''t approached those with the authority to take action against you! One way or another, things would''ve ended up the same!¡± ¡°Y-You...¡± Natalie stammered as she was at a loss for words to defend herself. Natalie leaned over and whispered, ¡°I can''t figure out the way you have acquired Ms. Linde''s designs for the previous rounds, but it doesn''t matter. I''ll ensure you won''t get to take part in the uing rounds.¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Jasmine shrieked once again. She red at Natalie and reached over to strangle Natalie''s neck. ¡°What if you manage to figure out my identity and stop me from taking part in the uing rounds? You don''t think I''ll give up just yet, do you? I''ll drag you down to hell with me if you''re going to turn my life upside down again!¡± Jasmine rendered Natalie incapable of motion and strangled Natalie with all her might whileughing hysterically. Natalie was startled by Jasmine''s response. She secretly regretted her decision of cornering Jasmine as she had indirectly brought upon her own demise. Urgh! I shouldn''t have confronted her in person! This maniac is going to let loose of herself and resort to anything extreme that enables her to achieve her goals! Having a hard time catching her breath, Natalie''s face turned pale. She could feel a prickling sensation behind her eyes. Soon, her eyes started brimming with tears. She tried to retaliate against Jasmine and threw a few punches andunched a few kicks in Jasmine''s direction. Unfortunately, Jasmine didn''t even flinch. It felt as if she couldn''t feel the pain and continued strangling Natalie with all her might. Unable to catch her breath, Natalie no longer had the strength to fight against Jasmine. She couldn''t even throw punches at the maniac anymore. When the onlookers returned to their senses, they rushed over to stop Jasmine and Natalie. Ahem! Ahem! Natalie caressed her neck and started panting heavily to catch her breath. Jasmine wouldn''t stop ring at the coughing woman. She yelled at those around her, ¡°Move away from me! I''m going to kill her!¡± The male designers who had rendered Jasmine incapable of motion refused to listen to her. Instead, they fastened their grips to stop her from trying anything silly. They thought it wouldn''t be wise to let loose of the woman who didn''t seem to be in her right mind. Otherwise, she might pounce on Natalie once again. It was then a female designer broke the silence and asked the things bothering them the most, ¡°Natalie, what''s going on? Why is Jessie picking on you out of the blue?¡± They were there the moment the duo engaged themselves in the intense fight. Nheless, they couldn''t figure out the things going on as Jasmine and Natalie had been conversing in their mother tongue. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The only thing they were made aware of was Jasmine had pounced on Natalie as she was irked by the things Natalie brought up. After Natalie caught her breath, she gulped in order to get a grip on herself, but she could barely withstand the racking sensation she felt due to Jasmine''s powerful grip. Natalie tried her best to withstand the racking sensation she felt and answered in a hoarse voice, ¡°She can''t stand me exposing the filthy things she has been doing behind everyone in thepetition!¡± The rest of the designers were taken aback by the news as they had always been against the idea of cheating. ¡°Has she been cheating?¡± One of the designers looked at Natalie and repeated the question they had in mind, ¡°Natalie, has she been cheating?¡± Natalie responded with a nod and repeated herself, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Ha! It turns out she''s still in the match because she has been cheating!¡± The rest of the designers couldn''t stand it anymore when they found out the reason Jasmine was able to make it through the previous rounds through cheating. If Natalie isn''t able to expose her, she''s going to make it to the final round! If that''s really the case, it''s unfair for us who have beenpeting with everything we have! When they had been giving their best, Jasmine took advantage of someone else''s design and climbed her way up the ranks. In other words, they were determined to take out the threat that would get in their way to the final round. The designer, who had confronted Natalie, broke the silence and suggested, ¡°We''ll send her to the organizer immediately!¡± As everyone was of the same idea, they marched in the direction of the organizer''s office and brought Jasmine along with them. Jasmine was intimidated by the things awaiting her. She shrieked and retaliated against those who had their arms around her in an attempt to break free. Chapter 894 Chapter 894 Nheless, they showed no signs of setting her free, let alone letting her off. Shortly after they reached the organizer''s office, they barged into the office and found out the organizer was in the middle of a conversation with Shane. The ones in the office weren''t particrly surprised by the presence of the angry mob as if they had been anticipating their arrivals. As Shane had told the organizer the things going on behind the scenes, they knew the reason the designers had shown up with Jasmine. ¡°Sir-¡± One of the designers tried to exin the reason they had shown up, but the organizer interrupted her and announced, ¡°I''m well aware of the reason all of you are here. I won''t forgive those who have cheated and vited the rules. Just give me some time, and I''ll revert to everyone.¡± When the designers heard the organizers'' announcement, they felt a sense of relief. The organizer soon dismissed the designers and told them to get themselves ready for the uing round. However, Natalie and Jasmine were left behind in the organizer''s office. To be precise, Natalie volunteered to stay behind while Jasmine wasn''t allowed to leave. Jasmine stared at Shane and muttered, ¡°Shane...¡± Since he was aware of her identity, it wouldn''t be necessary for her to deceive him anymore. On the other hand, Shane couldn''t care less about Jasmine because the only thing he cared about was Natalie''s bruised neck. A gloomy expression loomed over Shane''s face. A few seconds of silenceter, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Jasmine looked elsewhere with a look of guilt as she was afraid to admit she had inflicted the injury on Natalie. However, Shane managed to link the missing pieces of puzzles together as Jasmine responded in an odd manner the moment she heard Shane''s question. Therefore, Shane brought himself up and marched in the direction of Jasmine. He asked, ¡°Is it you?¡± Jasmine''s heart skipped a beat. She stuttered, ¡°Shane, I-¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She was sent flying by a powerful kick before she had the chance to finish her sentence. Shane, who had delivered the powerful kick, looked at Jasmine with a scowl as though he couldn''t be bothered if she was dead or alive. No one, not even her half-sister, is allowed toy a finger on Natalie! ¡°Shane...¡± Jasmine, who had been injured, stared at Shane in disbelief¡ªshe couldn''t believe he didn''t even hesitate to kick her. Truth be told, Natalie was equally surprised by Shane''s response. Nevertheless, she felt a sense of heartwarming sensation deep down as she was conscious Shane wanted to avenge her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Shane dismissed Jasmine and returned to Natalie''s side, caressing his wife''s bruised neck. Natalie shook her head and asserted, ¡°I''m fine.¡± ¡°How can you consider yourself fine when you can''t even speak properly?¡± Shane repeated himself in a callous tone. ¡°I''ll be fine in no time, okay?¡± Sighing, Shane asked while having his eyes glued to Natalie''s stomach, ¡°We need to ensure you''re really fine! We can''t afford to put our child at stake!¡± ¡°Hello? It''s fine! Stop making me repeat myself again!¡± Natalie repeated herself to assure her husband. It was then Jasmine recalled Natalie was pregnant. She regretted strangling Natalie and thought she should''ve thrown a few punches at Natalie''s stomach instead. The organizer interrupted the duo''s conversation and greeted, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Shane and Natalie turned around to look at the organizer. On the other hand, Jasmine, who had braced herself through a powerful kick, couldn''t bring herself up and raised her head instead. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you going to deal with Jessie over there? If not, we''re going to-¡± ¡°I''ll deal with Jessie and have the Design Association deal with Cnda instead.¡± The organizer nodded and assured Shane, ¡°Alright, Mr. Shane. You don''t have to worry. We won''t let you down. It''s about time to have Cnda bear the consequences of her actions.¡± Shane retrieved a document and approached Jasmine. He crouched to show her the document he had with him. ¡°Do you still remember this?¡± She gaped at the presence of the document upon a simple glimpse at it. ¡°I-It''s...¡± It''s a mental health assessment form! Why does he have a mental health assessment form with him? ¡°Shane, are you trying to send me to the mental hospital again?¡± Jasmine started shivering in fear with angst written all over her face. The time she spent in the mental hospital came flooding out. That happened to be the darkest period throughout her entire life. Chapter 895 Chapter 895 In spite of being perfectly fine, the nurses would show up along with the doctor to check on her and forced her to swallow the prescribed pills against her will. As they insisted she had fallen ill, she couldn''t help but wonder if that was the truth. She soon started doubting if she was mentally ill as they had proimed. Therefore, she was against the idea of making her way back to the mental hospital. Otherwise, she might lose her mind for real. Shane brought himself up and announced, ¡°I''m not trying to send you there¡ªyou have always belonged there.¡± Horrified, Jasmine burst into tears when she heard him. She yelled, ¡°What do you mean I have always belonged there? I''m fine! I''m perfectly fine, Shane!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane looked at her with his chest held high. He deadpanned his reply, ¡°You need to bear the consequences of your lies. After all, you were the one who made the call to pretend you weren''t in your right mind just to get yourself acquitted of all crimes.¡± Jasmine crawled her way to Shane in an attempt to grasp the hem of his pants. ¡°N-No...¡± When Natalie figured out the things Jasmine was up to, she pulled him over to her side with all her might. ¡°Stay away from her!¡± Shane smirked when he figured out Natalie was concerned about him. He yed along with her and remarked, ¡°I guess we''re supposed to stay away from such a filthy woman.¡± Jasmine started burning with rage when she heard their conversation. She pointed at Natalie with a pair of bloodshot eyes and yelled hysterically. ¡°It''s you! If you hadn''t shown up in the first ce, I wouldn''t have ended up as such! Had you not lodged a report against me, Shane wouldn''t have called off our wedding ceremony! My life wouldn''t be a mess either!¡± Natalieughed and rebuked, ¡°I guess no one''s a match for you when ites to misrepresenting facts! Haven''t I made myself clear? It was only a matter of time until someone else lodged a report against you! Also, stop making it sound as though you were supposed to get married to Shane! You had been deceiving him! Thankfully, Shane noticed his mistake and stopped himself in the nick of time!¡± ¡°N-No! No!¡± Jasmine shook her head as she was against the statement Natalie had made. Natalie knew that was the end of their conversation as Jasmine refused to listen to her. I guess that''s the end, huh? Her process of thought is different from ours¡ªshe has always deemed herself a victim when she''s the one at fault. She''s not willing to bear the consequences of her actions at all. Natalie looked at Shane and requested, ¡°Darling, get someone over to send her to the hospital.¡± A few minutester, two buff-looking bodyguards showed up after the organizer summoned them using the inte. Jasmine knew she wouldn''t be able to escape. As a result, she started wailing hysterically, ¡°Shane, Natalie, none of you have the right to send me to the mental hospital! I''m perfectly fine! I''m pretty sure the mental health assessment form you have with you is forged! Arching his brows, Shane queried in return, ¡°What do u mean it''s forged? It''s conducted by one of the most reputable doctors of the mental hospital in the state.¡± ¡°What if it''s authentic? I have never gotten myself involved in any examination! In other words, it doesn''t belong to me! You have no right to send me to the mental hospital!¡± Jasmine continued yelling and tried her best to shrug the two buff-looking bodyguards off. However, she was no match for them in terms of strength. In spite of almost breaking her arms, they didn''t even budge. Instead, she waspletely drenched in sweat after spending the past few minutes retaliating. ¡°Indeed, you''re not involved in any examination, but it doesn''t really matter. We can always get someone with a familiar symptom for the examination and substitute the name with yours by the end of the session. In short, there''s no way you can escape for another time.¡± The bodyguards dragged Jasmine out of the organizer''s office with them, but she wouldn''t stop cursing Natalie. Subsequently, Natalie muttered to herself with her expression darkened, ¡°What''s wrong with her?¡± Shane looked at the woman next to her and asked, ¡° What do you mean?¡± Natalie snorted andined, ¡°Why is she cursing me when you have instructed them to bring her away? I''m not even the one who has acquired the mental health assessment form in the first ce, but she won''t stop picking on me.¡± She thought of Jacqueline when she shared the unjust she had to go through because of the women having a huge crush on her husband. Jasmine and Jacqueline had something inmon¡ªthey had a thing for Shane and hoped he would reciprocate their affection in the future. Chapter 896 Chapter 896 Unfortunately, he had never once reciprocated their affection. Thus, the affection they had for him morphed into hatred against Natalie over time. What the heck is wrong with them? Why are they picking on me when Shane''s the one who has turned them down? Aren''t they supposed to pick on Shane instead of me? Something''s definitely wrong with their brain! Do they think Shane will fall for him as long as they''re able to take me out? Is that a joke? Shane finally answered her query, ¡°It''s because they don''t have the guts to pick on me.¡± ¡°Well, I think that''s not the only reason¡ªthey''re reluctant to put you at stake. After all, they''re head over heels in love with you.¡± Shane grasped Natalie''s hand and ced it on his chest, announcing intimately, ¡°Well, I''m head over heels in love with you as well.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She found the man''s cheeky confession hrious and reprimanded, ¡°Stop pulling my leg.¡± Shane nced at his watch and told Natalie, ¡°Alright, it''s time for you to join the rest back in the hall. I''ll take over and handle the rest from here onwards.¡± Natalie nodded and walked out of the organizer''s office. She thought she could leave everything to Shane. The only thing she had in mind was the uing round. However, once she returned to the hall, the rest of the designers surrounded her. ¡°Natalie, how''s everything? Where''s Jessie?¡± ¡°Has she been penalized yet?¡± Natalie felt lightheaded as she was bombarded with all sorts of questions by the designers around her. She beckoned them to stop and asserted once she regained a moment of peace, ¡°Jasmine has been... I mean, Jessie has been brought to somewhere else, but I can''t disclose the precise location. She won''t be taking part in the uing rounds anymore. The organizer will get in touch with those from Design Association and stop her from setting foot in the industry ever again.¡± I guess Jasmine stands out for a reason, huh? She''s probably the first and thest to be barred by the Design Association for twice. When the rest of the designers found out Jasmine would be barred from setting foot in the industry, they heaved a sigh of relief as they were afraid she might make her return after being disqualified from thepetition. As the participants were prodigies of different countries who had given their best to climb their way up the ranks, they despised those cheating ones the most. Shortly after they returned to their respective position, the host took the stage and announced the theme for the uing round as well as Jasmine''s penalty. The designers were thrilled to know things had turned out as Natalie told them. Meanwhile, those from Design Association had published the news of Jasmine cheating. It took those from the industry by storm as no one had ever resorted to such petty tricks throughout the history of the competition. Jasmine ended up being the most despised figure in the industry yet again. The first time she was the target of the media witch-hunt was the time she cheated when she was known as Jasmine. She ended up the same in spite of disguising herself as Jessie. I guess she''s the one at fault for her misery, huh? Why can''t she stop ruining her life when she has the chance to start all over again? Natalie muttered to herself while perusing the published article, ¡°Ha! She should''ve seen iting her way!¡± As Jasmine was the representative of Koandria, the country was one of the targets of the media witch- hunt. Theizens wouldn''t stop reprimanding Koandria for sending a designer who couldn''t even make the cut to take part in thepetition. They started specting if Koandria was the mastermind behind Jasmine''s effort to cheat in thepetition. As much as the representative from Koandria assured theizens they had nothing to do with Jasmine''s despicable actions, others had their doubts due to the country''s ruined reputation. Some of theizens took Koandria''s side and insisted on having those from Design Association disclose the details of Jasmine''s despicable actions. Nheless, it would take some time for those from Design Association to get their hands on the evidence they needed. In fact, they hadn''t found Cnda just yet. Things would be a piece of cake as soon as they found Cnda and take her into custody. In the evening, after wrapping up the uing round, Natalie made her way back to the vi with Shane. Ss had made his way back with Connor and Sharon ahead of them as the little ones would have to make their way to ss on Monday. Chapter 897 Chapter 897 As soon as they reached the vi, Natalie started packing Shane''s stuff on his behalf as he would have to make his way back to chair an important meeting. He had stayed for another night to deal with Jasmine and the likes. Therefore, he would have to take the first avable flight on Monday to make his way back. All of a sudden, Natalie received a call. She put the man''s tie aside and returned to the nightstand to pick up her call. ¡°Yes?¡± Sitting on the edge of the bed, she asked in a callous tone, indicating she had no intention to engage in a conversation with the person on the other end of the call. Harrison''s anxious voice could be heard from the other end. He asked, ¡°Is it true that Jasmine is still alive?¡± Natalie dismissed his question and asked in return, ¡°How have you gotten your hands on the information that she''s still alive?¡± ¡°It was Shane! Shane has sent someone to our ce and asked if we''re aware she''s still alive! Can you tell me if she''s still alive?¡± ¡°Indeed, she''s still alive.¡± Out of the blue, Susan''s irritating voice could be heard, eximing at the top of her lungs, ¡°Great! Jasmine''s still alive!¡± Nodding, Harrison eximed as he thought they wouldn''t have to spend the rest of their lives in istion anymore, ¡°I''m just d she''s still alive!¡± Harrison had long given up on Jared as his son made himself clear he wouldn''t return to him no matter what. Meanwhile, the thought of getting Natalie to take care of him had never crossed his mind. His sole option was to take Donald in as his son as Susan suggested and get him to take care of them in the future. However, when he was about to change his mind, things took a drastic turn of events. Natalie pursed her lips when she heard Harrison and Susan celebrating the great news of Jasmine being alive. I think they''re never made aware of Jasmine''s n to fake her death, huh? Otherwise, they won''t get in touch with me only after the conversation they have with Shane''s subordinate. Ironically, Jasmine, who has always been the family''s sweetheart, refuses to have faith in her parents! She didn''t even bother to tell them her n and refused to reunite with them even after making her way back! Natalie was well aware of the reason Harrison was thrilled, but she thought he shouldn''t have gotten his hopes high as Jasmine was confined to a mental hospital. She would never take care of him and spend the rest of her life ying the role of a filial daughter even if she wasn''t confined to a mental hospital. Well, I guess he has to spend the rest of his life in istion. It''s time for him to bear the consequences of turning his back against Mom and leaving us behind. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. After Harrison returned to his senses, he asked as he couldn''t contain his excitement anymore, ¡°Where is Jasmine?¡± Susan leaned over to eavesdrop on the conversation in an attempt to figure out their daughter''s whereabouts. On the other hand, Natalie started running her fingers through her hair and replied nonchntly, ¡°Jasmine? She''s currently in the mental hospital.¡± Natalie''s nonchnt reply took Harrison and Susan by surprise. Their limbs stiffened at the bad news. ¡°The mental hospital?¡± Harrison repeated after Natalie as he had his doubts. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What''s she doing in the mental hospital again?¡± Susan took over the phone and yelled at Natalie, ¡°Are you the one behind this again? Have you sent her to the mental hospital? You''re just an ungrateful brat who won''t even appreciate your sister!¡± Natalie couldn''t be bothered by Susan''s harsh remarks at all. Instead, she found it hrious and asked, ¡°Me? I guess you''re right! I''ll do whatever it takes to ruin Jasmine''s life!¡± ¡°You...¡± Susan started shivering in anger. ¡°That''s enough!¡± Harrison took over his phone and asked, ¡°Have you sent Jasmine to the mental hospital? Why?¡± Natalie answered her father''s query in a sarcastic manner, ¡°Huh? Am I supposed to justify myself when she''s supposed to be confined to a mental hospital in the first ce? Since she''s not dead, I''m just doing her a favor and sending her to the ce she belongs to!¡± Harrison was infuriated by his daughter''s reply. Seconds after he regained hisposure, he asked, ¡°Can you at least tell me the mental hospital she''s currently kept confined in?¡± Chapter 898 Chapter 898 ¡°I''m afraid that''s impossible! I can''t afford to have anyone getting in the way of her therapy! Therefore, only a limited few are made aware of her whereabouts!¡± Natalie wrapped up the conversation with a bright grin and hung up the call. Suddenly, Shane, who had put on a bathrobe, made his way out of the bathroom with water droplets dripping off his hair. ¡°Who is it?¡± Natalie had no intention to keep him in the dark. She put her phone aside and answered, ¡°Harrison.¡± ¡°Has he called because of Jasmine?¡± Shane ced the towel around his neck and served himself a ss of wine. ¡°He wants me to tell him Jasmine''s current whereabout.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. He took a sip of wine and asked, ¡°Have you told him the truth?¡± Natalie answered while trying to zip his suitcase, ¡°No way! I have merely told him she''s still alive! I''m sure he''s going to have it tough since he can''t meet her in person!¡± ¡°That''s very evil of you!¡± Natalie marched over and teased, ¡°Don''t you have a thing for this evil woman over here?¡± He looked at her in the eyes and asserted, ¡°I''ll appreciate it if you''re not currently pregnant.¡± Halfway through his speech, he had his eyes glued to her busty figure. Natalie knew the things he had in mind. She flushed in return and reprimanded the lustful man, ¡°You''re such a...¡± ¡°Give me a hand!¡± Shane interrupted her and brought up his request with his abysmal pair of eyes gleaming. Natalie was about to say something to turn him down, but he got ahead of her and announced, ¡°I''ll be going back tomorrow.¡± Arching her brows, Natalie asked, ¡°So?¡± ¡°Are you sure you''re going to leave me unattended for such a long time?¡± Shane replied in an aggrieved manner as though he was the sole victim of her actions. Natalie couldn''t bear to turn him down. In the end, she agreed to do him a favor to please him for one last time prior to his departure. An hourter, Shane, who had his needs satisfied, held her firmly in between his arms and caressed her stomach. ¡°It''s going to take another month and eight days.¡± Natalie was confused by his remark. She asked, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°A month and eight dayster, our child will be three-month-old. You''ll be able to keep mepany again by then.¡± As soon as she figured out the things he brought up, she sat upright on the bed, gaping at the things he mentioned. ¡°How have you figured this out?¡± Shane announced with a proud grin, ¡°I have consulted the doctor and acquired his consent. He told me three months was all it would take. It''s going to benefit our child as well.¡± ¡°You never fail to impress me, huh?¡± Natalie''s lips twitched. How can he bring up such an embarrassing topic in front of the doctor? I guess he has been having it tough trying to suppress his urge, huh? ¡°Alright, it''s time to go to bed!¡± Shane held Natalie firmly in between his arms again. Natalie nestled in between his arms and spent the night there. Shane departed early in the morning the next day. By the time Natalie was roused from her sleep, Shane was nowhere to be seen anymore. All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door and asked, ¡°Nat, are you awake?¡± Natalie yawned and replied, ¡°Yes?¡± Sally then opened the door and greeted, ¡°Good morning!¡± Grinning, Natalie asked, ¡°Good morning! What brings you to me early in the morning?¡± ¡°The representatives from the magazinepany have called. They want you to drop by their office as the rest of the artists has arrived.¡± Natalie nodded and assured Sally, ¡°Alright, I''ll keep that in mind and make my way over once I''m ready.¡± ¡°Okay! I''ll be heading downstairs ahead of you! Make sure you join me for breakfast once you''re ready! Mr. Shane has instructed the maids to get your meal ready prior to his departure!¡± Natalie wrapped up the conversation with a nod and joined Sally in the dining hall after she got herself ready. After she finished her meal, she made her way to the magazinepany, apanied by two bodyguards. Although Natalie was against the idea of having someone next to her for twenty-four-seven, Shane insisted after the incidents with the two mysterious figures and the time Jasmine strangled her in the neck. Shane was aware Natalie disliked others around her. Hence, he instructed the bodyguards to keep their distance away from her. It would be fine as long as they were around to keep an eye on her and keep her safe in case of emergencies. Natalie spent most of her time at the magazinepany and made her way out in the afternoon. Upon a glimpse at her watch, she decided to head over to a nearby restaurant to get herself something to eat before dropping by the mental hospital to check on Jasmine. Chapter 899 Chapter 899 The nurse showed Natalie the way to Jasmine''s ward once Natalie reached the mental hospital. It was a special ward with nothing else but an intable bed inside. There wasn''t any window in the ward. Only a few air vents were avable for venttion. Those were the settings in ce to stop Jasmine from attempting another suicide. Natalie stood at the entrance of the wards instead of making her way into the ward. When Jasmine heard themotion, she brought herself up. Her expression changed as soon as she saw Natalie. Gritting her teeth, she yelled, ¡°It''s you!¡± ¡°Yes, it''s me!¡± Natalie greeted Jasmine with a satisfied beam. Jasmine clenched her fists with all her might and yelled, ¡°Are you here to make fun of me again?¡± ¡°Is that necessary when I can just join theizens on the inte?¡± Natalie remarked sarcastically. Jasmine was rendered speechless by Natalie''s reply. A few secondster, she asked at the top of her lungs, ¡°If that''s the case, why are you here?¡± ¡°I''m here to tell you Harrison and Susan have figured out you''re still alive. They''re thrilled by the seemingly great news.¡± ¡°What about it? It''s not as if they''re able to get me out of this sickening ce!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Unfortunately, they can''t!¡± Natalie leaned against the door frame. Jasmine was intimidated by the presence of the two buff-looking bodyguards behind Natalie. ¡°I''m here to tell you the great news and ask you the reason why you kept them in the dark all this while.¡± Sneering, Jasmine announced, ¡°Those fools can''t be of much help! If I don''t keep them in the dark, it''s only a matter of time until they let the cat out of the bag!¡± ¡°Well, I guess you''re right! Speaking of which, why are you holding a grudge against Susan?¡± Natalie could vividly recall the time Susan showed up to make a fuss out of something trivial when she was a staff of Thompson Group. She caught a glimpse of Jasmine ring at Susan, but she couldn''t figure out the things going on between the mother and daughter duo. ¡°Why? Aren''t you going to harbor a grudge against your mother if she''s the one behind your misery?¡± ring at Natalie in the eyes, she yelled, ¡°You have an awesome childhood because you''re the legitimate child of the family! However, I''m a child born out of wedlock! I hate every single one of you!¡± She was conscious she was a child born out of wedlock ever since she was young. In other words, she had long figured out she was destined to be despised by others. Others had always picked on her because of the same reason. She had a pathetic childhood as no one wished to befriend her because of her identity. Thus, she med Susan for her misery. Although she was aware Harrison was her father since he would show up and visit her every once in a while, she wasn''t allowed to address him as her father. Harrison was a public figure¡ªYulia would get half of his personal assets if others were to figure out the sort of affair he had. She was merely allowed to address him as her father the day she was acknowledged a member of the Smith family yearster. In short, the miserable life she had in her early years was the reason behind the grudge she held against those around her. ¡°I see!¡± Natalie responded with a smile when she found out everything that had been going on behind the scenes. Nheless, she had no sympathy for Jasmine at all. At the end of the day, Jasmine was also one of the many reasons behind her family''s broken rtionship. ¡°Alright, it''s gettingte! It''s time for me to leave! Have fun and enjoy your time here!¡± Natalie surveyed the surroundings for onest time and remarked, ¡°You need to make sure you''re not going to lose your mind for real! Otherwise, you won''t be able to get back at Jacqueline for the things she has done!¡± ¡°Jacqueline Graham!¡± Jasmine''s face scrunched up in irritation when she heard the name Natalie brought up. ¡°Yes! Jacqueline! I''m d she has told me you''re Jasmine! Speaking of which, are you aware of the reason she has told me the truth?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Jasmine asked without keeping her emotions to herself anymore. ¡°Jacqueline was taken into custody by Shane after her failed attempt of trying something silly against him! Maybe she just wants someone to keep herpany on her way to hell since it''s over for her! I guess you''re the one she has in mind!¡± Chapter 900 Chapter 900 Jasmine took Natalie''s words seriously since Jacqueline was her sole aplice throughout the entire scheme of faking her death and fleeing the country. Jacqueline''s the only one who''s aware of my actual identity! I''m sure she''s the one who has betrayed me! Jasmine''s eyes were about to pop out of the sockets. The woman with a vicious look stuttered, ¡°She''s...¡± Natalie was certain she had achieved her goal of sowing discords between them. Staring at the wrathful woman, she added, ¡°Try your best to keep yourself sane because Jacqueline''s gonna be sent abroad soon! Once she''s abroad, do your best to get your revenge on her!¡± Shane would never leave Jacqueline alone as she used to be his mother''s goddaughter. However, he wouldn''t keep her imprisoned throughout the rest of her life. As soon as the Gunn family was no longer in power, Shane might send Jacqueline abroad and leave her there to rot. If that was the case, Natalie would get Shane to send Jacqueline to Jasmine''s side and get them to meet one another in person. Since they wouldn''t stop picking on her, she decided to let them have a taste of their own medicine. As soon as they encountered one another, she would stir things up between them. Natalie''s eyes gleamed as she had everything nned out in mind. She then walked out of the ward. On the other hand, Jasmine took Natalie''s words seriously and made up her mind to get her revenge on Jacqueline once she showed up. If it weren''t because of Jacqueline, I''ll still be Jessie! I won''t end up in this sickening ce! Natalie strode in the direction of the elevator, but the nurse, who had just alighted from the elevator, failed to notice Natalie and ended up knocking into her. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The bodyguards behind Natalie managed to stop her from falling in the nick of time. Otherwise, she might end up badly injured again. The nurse noticed she was the one at fault. Thus, she immediately apologized, ¡°I-I''m so sorry, miss! I-I didn''t mean it!¡± Natalie waved at the nurse, indicating it wasn''t a big deal. She then lowered her head and nced at the scattered documents on the ground. The nurse identally scattered the documents she had with her after being startled by the two buff- looking bodyguards. When Natalie caught a glimpse of Jasmine''s profile, she leaned over and picked it up. ¡°Does this belong to¡ª¡± The nurse got ahead of Natalie and answered her query, ¡°It belongs to Ms. Syke over there!¡± Natalie responded with a nod and was about to return Jasmine''s information sheet to the nurse, but she paused when she saw Jasmine''s blood type. ¡°She''s a blood type O?¡± Her eyes widened in disbelief as she muttered to herself. She rubbed her eyes and ensured she hadn''t been seeing things. How is that possible when Harrison is of blood type A; Susan is of blood type AB? Their daughter can''t be of blood type O unless¡ª Warren is Donald''s father! Does that mean Jasmine is Warren''s daughter as well? Natalie held on to the sheet of paper and started smirking as things would get increasingly interesting if her guess was spot on. The nurse couldn''t resist the urge to reach out to Natalie. ¡°Miss?¡± Natalie finally snapped out of the process of thought and returned the nurse the information. ¡°I''m so sorry¡ªI was caught up in the middle of something.¡± ¡°If there''s nothing else, I''ll take my leave.¡± The nurse wrapped up their conversation with a smile and was about to leave. Natalie grasped the nurse''s arm and stopped her. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Yes? Do you need anything from me, Miss?¡± ¡°Can you get me a few strands of the patient''s hair?¡± ¡°I''m afraid that''s not possible because it''s against the rules.¡± ¡°It''s going to be fine. The director of the hospital is a friend of mine. The patient has been sent here by my husband.¡± The nurse finally figured out Natalie''s identity. ¡°Oh! You''re Mrs. Thompson? If that''s the case, I''ll go get you a few strands of her hair.¡± It''s fine if she''s Mr. Shane''s wife! The nurse returned with a few strands of Jasmine''s hair as requested after a few minutes. Natalie took over the hair and expressed her gratitude, ¡°Thank you so much!¡± ¡°It''s not a big deal!¡± Natalie then boarded the elevator and made her way out of the mental hospital. Chapter 901 Chapter 901 She made her way to a nearby courier and had it sent back as soon as possible. Once she had the strands of hair posted, she called Shane. Meanwhile, Shane was in the middle of the Thompson family''s burial ground. He had his eyes on his parents'' grave. A few people were in the middle of a search operation with professional devices around their graves. All of a sudden, one of them detected something as the device responded to it with a loud buzz. Ss headed over and asked, ¡°How''s everything going?¡± ¡°There''s something around here.¡± Ss turned around and yelled, ¡°Mr. Shane, there''s something hidden around here! Maybe it''s the will!¡± When Shane heard Ss, he narrowed his eyes to a slit. He was about to make his way over, but the call he received interrupted him. He retrieved his phone while making his way over to Ss'' side. When he noticed it was a call from Natalie, he instructed, ¡°Try to search for the will, but refrain from messing with my parents'' remains at all costs.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Ss nodded and delivered the instructions on Shane''s behalf. On the other hand, Shane picked up the call and asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Darling, are you in the middle of something?¡± Natalie asked when she recalled Shane was at a region with theplete opposite time zone. Shane shook his head and answered, ¡°I''m taking a break from work and conducting a search near my parents'' grave.¡± Natalie knew the things he was up to when she heard him. She asked, ¡°Have you found the will?¡± Staring at the bunch of hardworking men, Shane asserted, ¡°We''re still trying to get our hands on it, but we manage to detect something around my parents'' grave. Soon, we''ll find out if it''s a will.¡± ¡°I''m pretty sure it''s a will!¡± Shane massaged his aching temples and asked, ¡°I hope so! What brings you to me out of the blue? Is everything fine?¡± ¡°Oh! I have dropped by and paid Jasmine a visit! I found out she''s of blood type O!¡± Confused, Shane asked, ¡°Am I supposed to be surprised?¡± ¡°I think she''s not Harrison''s daughter!¡± Natalie shared the news with Shane and added, ¡°Harrison is of blood type A while Susan is of blood type AB. In other words, their daughter can''t be of blood type O! It''s safe to assume Jasmine is Susan''s daughter with another man!¡± ¡°Warren?¡± Shane asked in return as he was aware of the rtionship Susan and Warren once had back in the day. Natalie nodded and said, ¡°Yes! I think she''s Warren''s daughter, but I can''t be certain! Therefore, I have gotten a few strands of her hair and posted them back! Can you conduct a DNA examination between Jasmine and Warren on my behalf?¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Shane agreed without a second thought. After another few minutes, they wrapped up the conversation. It was then Ss approached Shane and announced, ¡°Mr. Shane, we have retrieved the item! It''s a portable safe!¡± That particr type of safe was intended to keep valuable items. It would easilyst for more than a century and couldn''t be opened by brute force. Therefore, it was safe to assume the will was kept inside the safe. Shane thought that was probably the case. He was equally thrilled, but he did a great job keeping his emotions to himself. He put his phone aside and instructed Ss, ¡°Go after Warren and get your hands on his biological samples.¡± ¡°Warren?¡± Ss had his brows arched in confusion as he couldn''t recall the man Shane had mentioned. Shane reminded Ss, ¡°The man who was once in an affair with Susan.¡± Ss finally recalled everything, but that failed to answer his query. He asked, ¡°Why are you trying to get your hands on his biological samples?¡± ¡°Natalie thinks Jasmine is Warren''s daughter.¡± Ss gasped in return. He then burst outughing and remarked, ¡°Oh, God! If that''s really the case, Harrison is quite a pitiable man! He has brought up someone else''s daughter over the past two decades!¡± ¡°He doesn''t really deserve anyone''s sympathy when he has gotten himself into an affair with Susan in the first ce. Had he behaved himself, he wouldn''t end up getting himself in such a mess.¡± ¡°I guess you''re right!¡± Shane then made his way over to his parents'' burial grounds. Those who were there stepped aside and showed Shane the way to the safe they found the moment they saw him.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 902 Chapter 902 Standing in front of his parents'' graves, Shane couldn''t move his eyes away from the safe. In spite of being covered in dirt, it was evident the safe was merely buried a few years ago. The surface was of the safe was barely corroded. In fact, it was glistering. I think the will is in the safe! Ss crouched and started examining the safe. A short whileter, he said, ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s equipped with a padlock, but it doesn''t have any batteries.¡± Shane beckoned Ss to bring it back and instructed, ¡°Take it in and get a few batteries to get it running.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Ss marched in the direction of the vi and brought the safe away from the burial grounds. Meanwhile, some workers were directed to restore the burial grounds. They were only permitted to leave once they were done. By the time Shane made his way back to the vi, Sharon and Connor had fallen asleep. Mrs. Wilson made her way out of their room and asked with a gape, ¡°Isn''t that Mr. Thompson''s?¡± Shane was about to make his way upstairs, but he brought himself to a halt when he heard Mrs. Wilson. He looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you sure this belongs to Grandpa?¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded and answered, ¡°Yes! I have seen it back in the day!¡± ¡°When was thest time you saw it?¡± Shane asked with his eyes narrowed to a slit. Mrs. Wilson gave it a thought and answered, ¡°It was about seven years ago. He was still alive back then. I saw him bringing the safe out to a certain somewhere. However, the safe was nowhere to be seen when he made his way back. He thenmitted suicide on the next day.¡± The moment Shane heard everything, he was certain the will was the thing that was inside the safe. ¡°Mr. Shane, where have you found it? Why is it covered in dirt?¡± Mrs. Wilson started picking on the contaminated portable safe. ¡°It was buried around my parents'' burial grounds.¡± Startled, Mrs. Wilson repeated after Shane, ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Mrs. Wilson winked in confusion. She probed further, ¡°Why has Mr. Thompson buried it there? What''s inside the safe?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It''s a will.¡± Shane made his way upstairs once he finished his sentence. Ss went after Shane without further ado. On the other hand, Mrs. Wilson murmured to herself, ¡°It''s a will! I can''t believe it''s the will we have been searching for! Great! We can finally avenge your parents!¡± Mrs. Wilson was well aware Shane''s parents had passed on due to Sam''s instructions. Therefore, she hoped Shane could get his hands on the will to avenge the dead. Mr. Thompson, you have hidden it so well to the extent that we almost miss it! Thankfully, we finally found it! Meanwhile, Shane instructed Ss to ce the safe on the table once they entered the study. Ss hesitated no more and installed the batteries required to get the safe working. A few secondster, the LED disy of the safe flickered as it was sessfully activated. Ss heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Great, it''s working just fine! Otherwise, it''s going to be a pain in the ass because no ordinary locksmith can get their way around it! In fact, we might have to send it to those from the army to pick the lock!¡± People from the business world had always tried to stir clear from those affiliated with the army. To be precise, they were afraid of being indebted to those from the army as they would have to return the favor in the future. Nheless, Shane couldn''t be bothered. He took over the safe and was about to unlock it. In the nick of time, Ss stopped Shane and requested, ¡°Hold on a second, Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Do you have the password to unlock the safe? I''m afraid you only have three attempts! Maybe it''s going tounch a self-destruct program and stay locked after three failed attempts! If worsees to worst, we might have to acquire the help of those from the military to break the safe using bombs.¡± Shane stared at the safe in silence as he was clueless about the password. He had never heard of anything of that sort from David as well. Ss knew Shane had no idea of the rightbination of the password. He suggested, ¡°Why don''t you give Mr. Thompson, your father, and your birthday a try?¡± Shane took Ss'' suggestion into consideration and proceeded to give David''s date of birth a try. Unfortunately, that wasn''t the rightbination. Chapter 903 Chapter 903 Shane tried his father''s date of birth, but that wasn''t the rightbination either. When it was time to try his birthday, he stopped as he couldn''t afford to make any mistake. Otherwise, he might risk losing the will once and for all. He started emanating an intimidating presence while having his eyes glued to the safe. It feels awful when the will is right in front of me, but there''s nothing I can do to get my hands on it! Ss was equally frustrated. What''s wrong with Mr. Thompson? The fact the will has been buried around the burial grounds of Mr. Shane''s parents isn''t the worst but the lock that requires the rightbination of passwords without any clue! All of a sudden, silence fell in the study. A short whileter, Shane had a moment of revtion. He clenched his fists with all his might and started attempting thebination of passwords for onest time. ¡°Mr. Shane, have you figured out the rightbination?¡± Shane answered with his eyes narrowed, ¡°I''ll give it a try! If worsees to worst, we''ll acquire the aid of those from the army!¡± Once he made himself clear, he tried another password for thest time. The moment he was done, he stared at it before submitting his final attempt. To his surprise, the indicator notified Shane he had keyed in the rightbination of passwords. Unable to contain his excitement, Ss yelled, ¡°Mr. Shane, you did it! You have sessfully unlocked the safe!¡± Shane replied with a grin, ¡°I''m aware of that.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, what was thebination of passwords that you have entered?¡± ¡°It''s my grandmother''s birthday.¡± ¡°Mrs. Thompson? I thought it was the day your parents passed on!¡± ¡°He told me he had gotten used to having myte grandmother''s birthday as hisbination of passwords. Therefore, I thought it was worth a try.¡± ¡°That''s brilliant!¡± Shane immediately opened the safe and found a stack of documents and a USB drive inside it. He handed over the USB drive to Ss and started reading the stack of documents. Those turned out to be the evidence he needed to prove Sam guilty of causing his parents'' death. The information of the driver and the car that was involved in the ident had been included. In fact, there was also the assessment report of the blood sample found at the scene as well as the transaction record. All of a sudden, Ss turned around and announced, ¡°Mr. Shane, I found the recording of the conversation between the driver and Sam in the USB drive. On top of the documents you have, there''s also the surveince footage of the ident back in the day. We''re able to prove Sam guilty with all these.¡± Shane went dead silent and started ying the recordings Ss found from the USB drive. The conversation urred after the ident. The driver had reverted to Sam and assured him he had aplished the assigned tasks. Sam burst outughing when he found out Seth and his wife had passed on a few minutes after the ident urred. Shane felt a chill running down his spine when he heard his uncle''s viciousugh. Sighing, Ss remarked, ¡°I thought he would at least show signs of remorse after killing his siblings. It turns out that I''m wrong¡ªhe''s just a heartless man.¡± Smirking, Shane asserted, ¡°It''s fine! I can''t wait to let him have a taste of his own medicine! His death is a cause for celebration as well!¡± ¡°It''s time for him to bear the consequences of his actions.¡± Shortly after their conversation, Shane started ying the surveince footage. It was more or less the same as the one he had acquired some time ago. However, he could clearly see the registered vehicle te of the red car that was involved in the ident. The driver never brought the car to a halt even after the ident. A few secondster, the car crashed down the streets and vanished. Shortly after the red car''s departure, another car with a simr color showed up. Yulia and Natalie were the ones inside the said car. It had a different registered vehicle te aspared to the one before. Natalie had been telling the truth¡ªas soon as Yulia figured out Seth was heavily injured, Yulia brought the car to a halt and rushed over with Natalie. In other words, Yulia wasn''t the one at fault.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That''s¡ª¡± Shane paused the surveince footage. When he zoomed in on the image, he saw a little girl in a yellow dress. She had been recording the incident with her handphone. Chapter 904 Chapter 904 Unfortunately, the girl had a hoodie on. Thus, he couldn''t get a clear glimpse at her face. Ss looked at the little girl and the havoc on the streets. He finally distinguished the peculiar part throughout the entire incident. ¡°Mr. Shane, is this little girl the one behind the footage you received some time ago? Judging by the angles, it''s safe to assume she''s the one behind the footage!¡± ¡°It''s her!¡± Shane nodded with a serious look and added, ¡°Don''t you think it''s weird when she was the only one with a phone when there were quite a few onlookers around?¡± Ss gave Shane''s question a thought, but he couldn''t fathom the things Shane wished to tell him. Out of the blue, Shane''s expression darkened. He added, ¡°Smartphones weren''t a thing eighteen years ago. Only a few phones from a selected few manufacturers possessed the function of a camera. Since she happened to have one, it was evident she wasn''t just another little girl on the streets.¡± ¡°You''re right! There were only a few phones with the function of a camera! In fact, each of them could easily cost more than tens of thousands! No ordinary people can afford it! The one she had been using belonged to Torres!¡± Ss ruled out the possibility of the brand of the phone the little girl had with her through the vague logo he saw on the screen. Shane instructed, ¡°Get someone to drop by Torres Corp to gather the transaction record of purchases that urred eighteen years ago. They must have kept a copy of the one purchasing the phone. Once we gather the transaction record, go after the little girl.¡± ¡°It''s not much of a challenge, but why are you going after the little girl when she just happened to be there during the ident?¡± ¡°Was it merely a coincidence?¡± Shane sneered and asked rhetorically, ¡°If it was merely a coincidence, why would it show up in my email after eighteen years?¡± Ss was astonished by Shane''s reply as it made sense. If it was just a random clip, the little girl would have long deleted it after some time. However, she had been holding on to it for eighteen years and dropped Shane an email after eighteen years. ¡°Do you still remember the things the hacker has told us?¡± Shane asked. Ss responded with a nod and replied, ¡°I do!¡± ¡°The footage hadn''t been edited¡ªit was deliberately produced to mislead me into believing Yulia was the one at fault. Are you sure the little girl, who was around ten-year-old, possessed the capability to pull off such an impossible feat?¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ss'' eyes widened in disbelief when he grasped the thing Shane had in mind. ¡°Are you indicating she has also contributed to your parents'' death?¡± Shane nodded as he thought that was the case. ¡°How is that possible? S-She''s merely a child¡ª¡± ¡°Have you seen Natalie''s response at the crash scene?¡± Shane interrupted Ss and asked. Ss stared at Shane open-mouthed while thetter went on and added, ¡°An ordinary little girl was supposed to respond in a manner simr to the horrified Natalie. Has she shown any signs of being traumatized in spite of being a few feet away? She was able to record the footage as if it wasn''t a big deal. Do you really think she''s just an ordinary girl?¡± Ss was at a loss for words to defend the seemingly innocent little girl. ¡°I''m sure she has contributed to my parents'' death. However, she''s not affiliated with Sam. Sam mentioned nothing about sending someone to record the footage when I confronted him. It wouldn''t do him any good. Therefore, the little girl is¡ª¡± ¡°She''s affiliated with the other party!¡± Ss got ahead of Shane and finished the sentence on Shane''s behalf. Shane nodded and asserted, ¡°Yes! She''s affiliated with the other party! Maybe the one who has sent me the footage is the murderer!¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, are you trying to get your hands on the identity of the murderer through the little girl?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± ¡°Alright, I''ll drop by Torres Corp immediately!¡± Shane was left alone in the study as Ss had departed immediately after their conversation. He spent a long time going through the documents left behind in the safe before heading out of the study. Chapter 905 Chapter 905 Shane called Natalie once he got back to the room. Her sleep-tinged voice greeted him on the phone. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Did I wake you?¡± His frown immediately rxed at the sound of her voice. She shook her head and sat up in bed. ¡°No, I was about to get up anyway. Let me guess. You''re calling me now because of the will?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you find it?¡± Shane pursed his lips before replying simply, ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Is there enough evidence to convict Sam?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Natalie''s joy was palpable as she eximed, ¡°That''s great! Shane, congrattions! When will you turn it in?¡± ¡°Tomorrow,¡± he answered. I can''t let Sam be atrge any longer. She supported his decision wholeheartedly. ¡°Tomorrow''s good. Let''s get it done and over with and seek revenge for Dad and Mom.¡± ¡°I know.¡± They chatted for an hour more until a housekeeper knocked on the door to Natalie''s bedroom and announced that breakfast was ready. Shane heard the housekeeper''s announcement and persuaded Natalie to have breakfast. He had not sleptst night. It could be due to his excitement at discovering the incriminating evidence, though it could also be due to his concern over the fact that they had not found the killer. Shane ended up hobbling downstairs in the morning with dark circles under his eyes. Ss had arrived. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± He set down his coffee cup as Ss passed him a document. ¡°These are the sales records of Torres Corp from eighteen years ago.¡± There were about five to six pages, and Shane flipped through the document in anticipation. There were too many names listed in the document, and he recognized a handful of them. It was impossible to locate the girl''s name in the list. She was only ten years old back then. Even if shees from a prominent family, she wouldn''t have had enough money on her to get a phone under her name. It''s more likely that an adult got the phone for her, which means her name won''t be on this list. ¡°How about your investigation into my parents''work?¡± Shane asked as he set aside the document. Ss replied hurriedly, ¡°It''s almost done. It''s taking a while because Ibed through all of their acquaintances, whether they were in good terms or otherwise.¡± Shane tilted his jaw in acknowledgment. ¡°Once your investigation isplete, crosscheck the names with the ones on this list. Highlight those that ovep.¡± I can only track her down by the process of elimination. We can start by identifying any names that ovep between this list and my parents''work. From there, it might be possible to single out any girl around her age. Only then, this search might finally be going somewhere. Ss nodded at his orders. ¡°Got it. There''s something else.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Shane handed the document back to Ss. ¡°I had someone collect Warren''s DNA sample.¡± Shane took a sip of his coffee before asking, ¡°Where did you find it?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°In an apartment under Harrison''s name.¡± Ss continued gleefully, ¡°Harrison truly believed that Warren was Susan''s distant rtive and lend the apartment to him under her cajoling.¡± If Harrison knew that he had inadvertently loaned his apartment to Susan''s lover, he might expire on the spot from anger. Susan''s pretty gutsy, huh. As if bringing her illegitimate child into the Smith family isn''t bad enough. She''s even parading Warren right under her husband''s nose. ¡°Ok. You don''t need to keep an eye on Warren anymore. Once you get Jasmine''s hair, send it for a paternity test.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Let''s head upstairs.¡± Shane ced his coffee on the table and stood up. Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Ss knew that a more important discussion awaited them, and he followed Shane upstairs in a serious mood. They ended up in Shane''s study. Shane passed the evidence he had collectedst night to Ss. ¡°Send this to the police station. It''s time to get Sam arrested.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ss took the evidence and ced it in his briefcase. He spied an unusual document peeking out from the stack of evidence. ¡°What''s this?¡± Pulling the document out, Ss continued, ¡°Mr. Shane, this isn''t evidence concerning Sam''s crime.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Frowning, Shane reached for the paper in his assistant''s hand. It turned out to be a share transfer agreement, in which his mother outlined her wishes to transfer shares to Sean. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Where did you see this?¡± ¡°It was in the car ident report,¡± Ss replied. Shane''s lips tightened into a thin line. He had skimmed through the reportst night. I must''ve missed the share transfer agreement. ¡°The shares specified on the agreement belong to Wells Properties,¡± Ss eximed in surprise as he turned to gauge Shane''s reaction, who seemed to be deep in thought. Shane had seen the name of thepany at the same time as Ss. Wells Properties was gifted by his grandfather to his mother when she married into the Thompson family. It was not arge real estatepany back then. Though it sounded like a real estatepany, Wells Properties was, in fact, a renovationpany. Since it was under his mother''s name, it was never associated with Thompson Group, whose primary trade was luxury goods. His mother had managed Wells Properties alone until her death. From then on, thepany was in the hands of a new manager, and Shane only dropped in from time to time to check on thepany''s situation. Thus, no one knew that Wells Properties belonged to the Thompson family. It only left the family after his mother transferred thepany''s ownership to someone else. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s no wonder that manager said that Wells Properties didn''t belong to you when you tried to take over the reins. Your mother transferred fifty percent of the shares to someone else. We never would''ve expected the recipient to be Sean.¡± Ss was utterly shocked. Shane remained silent, though he was stunned at the revtion as well. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He knew his mother''s signature was genuine. She had an odd and inimitable writing habit of adding an upward stroke to thest letter of every sentence. The confidence of the pen strokes convinced Shane that his mother had not signed this document against her will. In other words, his mother''s intentions to transfer Wells Properties'' ownership to Sean were genuine. Why would she do this? Shane was perplexed, so was Ss. Ss looked at the signature lines andmented, ¡°Your mother is the only one who''s signed this document. Without Sean''s signature, he can''t officially own these shares.¡± ¡°No one knows about this, not even that manager. Everyone believes that the shares are already in the new chairman''s hands,¡± Shane said. Adjusting his sses, Ss replied, ¡°The public''s been curious about thepany''s new chairman and his seemingly low profile. Since Sean hasn''t gotten his hands on the shares, he can''t publicly im ownership of thepany. There''s a good chance he doesn''t even know that he''s the new chairman of Wells Properties.¡± ¡°No, he definitely knows.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes in contemtion. ¡°He knows?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Shane added, ¡°He''s been searching high and low for the will, which we assumed was because he wanted to destroy evidence of Sam''s crimes. It turns out he hates Sam as well, and he would never help that b*stard escape. After all, threatening Sean with Sam didn''t get him to show his face.¡± ¡°Are you saying that Sean''s been after the will all this while because he wants to get his hands on the Wells Properties'' shares?¡± Ss widened his eyes in understanding. ¡°I can''t think of any other reason. He probably knew ages ago that the share transfer agreement was in grandpa''s hands, and that it would eventually end up in the will.¡± Chapter 907 Chapter 907 ¡°I suddenly thought of something,¡± Ss piqued up. Shane looked at him curiously and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Seven years ago, I happened to see Sean and Mr. Thompson engaged in a conversation. I had been at the Thompson residence to retrieve some papers for you, and I stumbled upon them in the garden. Sean had been questioning Mr. Thompson about the whereabouts of a share transfer agreement.¡± Running his hands through his hair in frustration, Ss continued, ¡°I wonder if the agreement Sean mentioned was rted to Wells Properties.¡± ¡°And then what happened?¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Thompson raging at Sean, saying something about Sean''s family being indebted to your parents and his audacity in iming the shares. I didn''t think much of it back then. In retrospect, there were so many clues in their exchange.¡± Ss sighed. Mr. Thompson must have been referring to Sam''s murder of Mr. Shane''s parents when he mentioned the debt by Sean''s family. If only David had been less ambiguous with his words. Someone might have connected the dots sooner, and Mr. Shane could have discovered the culprit behind his parent''s murder much sooner. Shane was immersed in a thoughtful silence. Ss asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you going to do with the share transfer agreement?¡± ¡°Let''s leave it for now.¡± Ss blinked in surprise. ¡°Aren''t you going to tear it? What if Sean gets his hands on this in the future?¡± ¡°My mom meant to give him these shares. If he gets it, he gets it,¡± came Shane''s reply. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You''re going to let him take over Wells Properties?¡± Ss was dumbfounded. ¡°It''s just apany.¡± Shane continued thoughtfully, ¡°I''m more interested in my mother''s reasons for giving Wells Properties to Sean than the actual ownership itself.¡± Only Sean knows why. Something might have happened between my mother and Sean that led to her decision. No matter what happened, I have to get to the bottom of this. Unsessful in his attempts to persuade Shane to destroy the share transfer agreement, Ss left with Sam''s criminal evidence in hand. At noon that day, Sam was officially arrested under the charges of first-degree murder. Sam''s murder of his brother and sister-inw in order to inherit the Thompson Group had been a shocking revtion. The Inte was buzzing withments and reposts of the news. Many shareholders in the group criticized Shane''s decision to publicize the affair, concerned that it would plunge their stock prices. To their surprise, stock prices skyrocketed out of public sympathy for Shane, painted as an orphaned victim at the mercy of his cruel uncle. Sam and his wife were the only ones who took a battering from the public. Sam was detained in prison despite his paralysis, owing to the brutality of his actions and Shane''s irrefutable evidence. A verdict could not be expected so soon from Sam''s trial, but Shane''swyer was confident of a death sentence. This oue was perfectly eptable for Shane, who did not wish to see Sam on this Earth a minute longer. Meanwhile, in the Graham residence, Jacqueline had learned about Sam''s downfall from the web. She dropped her phone in shock. He found the will and sent Sam to jail. What about me? Is there any information in the will that''ll expose my identity? She shuddered in fear at the possibility of the will containing information about her. Either way, it''s time to make a run for it. I have to leave ASAP! Otherwise, I''m dead meat when Shane tracks me down. Jacqueline picked up her phone and called Jackson. ¡°Jackie-¡± ¡°Jacqueline.¡± Jackson had justpleted an operation and was leaving the surgical theater. He sounded exhausted as he asked, ¡°Did you call me about something?¡± ¡°Jackie, have you given more thought to my earlier request?¡± she asked cautiously. Lowering his lids, Jackson muttered, ¡°I''m sorry, Jacqueline. I can''t agree to that.¡± Chapter 908 Chapter 908 ¡°No, you can''t say no. You have to help me!¡± Jacqueline interrupted in a shrill tone. Though he was not in the same room as her, Jackson thought he could imagine how desperate she looked at that very moment. ¡°Jacqueline, you should stay at the vi and repent. Maybe Shane will let you off easy out of pity. If you make a run for it now, you''ll only piss him off,¡± Jackson sighed as he doled out his advice. Jacqueline vibrated with anger as she yelled, ¡°What do you mean I''ll piss him off? I bet you''re the one scared of pissing him off! You coward!¡± Jackson''s expression darkened. ¡°Is that what you think of me?¡± ¡°How else should I look at you? You im that you love me, yet you''ve never once confessed your feelings to me. What is that if it isn''t cowardice? Now that I''m stuck in the vi, you won''te and save me after my begging. You''re nothing but a coward.¡± Jackson smiled bitterly, feeling like a knife had stabbed straight through his heart. ¡°I guess you''re right, Jacqueline. A coward like me can''t save you.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Dejected, he prepared to hang up. Jacqueline, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. I called him a coward to provoke him into rescuing me! I didn''t think he would actually admit to being a coward. He''d rather admit to his timidity than save me! Her hatred for Jackson ballooned, as did the urge to cut ties with himpletely. Before she could act hastily, she calmed down and reminded herself that he was her only lifeline. She could say any manner of harsh words to him, but severing ties with him was out of the question. Taking a deep breath, Jacqueline swallowed her anger and pleaded, ¡°Jackie, are you heartless enough to ignore me?¡± The sound of her pleas elicited a sigh from Jackson. ¡°Jacqueline, I can''t help you out of this, nor can anyone else in this situation, frankly speaking.¡± ¡°I don''t understand what''s the big deal. I was only acting a bit crazy out of love; there''s nothing wrong with it. Jackie, you have to save me. I''m going mad in this vi. I think I''m starting to hallucinate. Jackie, please save me. I''m begging you, ok?¡± Jacqueline sounded like she was choking on her tears. Jackson was always a soft-hearted person. He became upset at her pitiful cries. ¡°How can I save you? You havemitted a crime.¡± ¡°I know Imitted a crime. I''ll repent, but I can''t be stuck in this ce forever. I can change for the better elsewhere. Jackie, I''m begging you. I''m going to go mad and die in this ce,¡± Jacqueline wailed hopelessly. ¡°B-but-¡± Jackson hesitated. Jacqueline''s tone chilled instantly. ¡°If you don''t want to see my dead body, you better agree to my request. You know better than anyone else that once someone sets their mind on wanting to die, there are a million ways to get there.¡± Shocked, Jackson released a self-deprecatingugh before saying, ¡°I must''ve owed you my life in the past or something. Fine, I''ll get you out.¡± Jacqueline was finally able to smile. ¡°You''re the best, Jackie. I always knew you cared about me the most. Thank you.¡± Jackie remained silent on the other end of the line. Now that she had achieved her goal, Jacqueline could care less about his feelings and hung up. Jackson stared at his phone screen, which had already reverted to the home page. He was ovee by a wave of exhaustion after the lengthy operation earlier, and his head throbbed in pain. Deep down, he knew that Jacqueline did not have a death wish. An attempt to take her life, however, was entirely within her considerations. He was worried that she would die before she was rescued or worse still from a gross misjudgment. That was the only reason he agreed to her request. Hopefully, she''ll live up to her word to repent and stay away from uwful ventures after she gets out. If she messes up again, I''ll offer my life in return. That''s the price I have to pay for freeing her. Jackson sighed and walked toward a medicine cab. He opened the door and took out a bottle containing chloroform. Chapter 909 Chapter 909 On the other side of the globe, Natalie had known about Sam''s arrest from Shane. Hearing that, she was sincerely happy for him. After all, he had finally avenged his parents. The only uncertainty was whether Sean would make an appearance. By now, he had probably learned about Sam''s arrest and the fact that Shane had found the will. Perhaps he would show up, though not because of Sam but the share transfer agreement in the will. Speaking of that, it was truly shocking that Shane''s mother actually left thepany that was part of her dowry to Sean instead of her son, Shane. Both Natalie and Shane were exceedingly curious to know the answer, but there was none to be found when Sean remained in hiding. ¡°Nat, the organizer of thepetition is calling all designers for a meeting.¡± Right then, a knock sounded on the door, and Sally''s voice drifted in. Natalie walked over and opened the door. ¡°A meeting?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Sally nodded fervently with glee written all over her face. ¡°I heard that Cndra has been apprehended, so the meeting is probably about that.¡± Natalie''s eyes narrowed a fraction when she heard that. In the next moment, the corners of her mouth lifted. ¡°Got it. I''ll go over right away.¡± ¡°Come back after the meeting and update me, okay?¡± Sally urged. After grunting in assent, Natalie went downstairs. Soon, she arrived at thepetition venue. When she reached, almost all the other designers were already there. She simply chose a seat and plopped down. Shortly after, the meeting started. Sure enough, Sally was right in that the meeting was about Cndra''s arrest. Apparently, Cndra was arrested in a hotel. Perhaps she had known that she would be apprehended, for she went willingly when she was nabbed. When she was interrogated after having been taken to the police station, she didn''t deny anything either. Instead, she honestly told the police everything. It turned out that Jasmine inadvertently got dirt on her and ckmailed her into doing the design for her. It was all so that she could quickly make a name for herself in the design industry. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, Cndra had no choice but to concede. In the previous rounds ofpetition, Jasmine conveyed the theme to Cndra, who was hiding somewhere in thepetition hall via stud earrings equipped with Bluetooth. When Cndra was done with the design, she would use holographic projection and project the blueprint onto her sses. It was a newfangled technology that wasn''t yet widely avable in the market, so many people were still unaware of it. Actually, Jasmine got those sses from Cndra. With the stud earrings and sses, she copied the blueprint exactly and remained in thepetition thus far. ¡°Ah, so that was how she did it. No wonder she always wore those sses during thepetition though she usually doesn''t wear them.¡± After Sally had listened to the contents of the meeting Natalie rted upon returning to the vi, she finally understood everything. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie took a sip of her fruit juice. ¡°Yeah, who would''ve thought that she has such an advanced method of cheating. Because of this incident, the organizer added a new rule¡ªthe jewelry, sses, and buttons of all designers are to be examined. Only when it was certain that they were fine would they be allowed into thepetition.¡± ¡°That''s essential to prevent anyone else from doing the same thing.¡± Sally nodded in agreement. Chuckling, Natalie added, ¡°Besides, Cndra has also confessed that it was her who knocked you out outside the security room back then, not Tiffanie. At the same time, she also revealed that it was Jas... I mean, Jessie, who locked me in the washroom.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Sally''s eyes widened in delight. Natalie nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yup. As for yourpensation for having been knocked out by Cndra, it will be paid by the organizer, who willter wire the money to you.¡± ¡°The money doesn''t matter. Most importantly, I want to know Cndra and Jessie''s fates,¡± Sally asserted. Taking another sip of fruit juice, Natalie replied, ¡°Jessie has been locked up, but I can''t tell you where exactly. As for Cndra, her punishment will be light since she was under duress. At most, her reputation will suffer. But then again, she never had much of a reputation to speak of, so it won''t affect her much.¡± Chapter 910 Chapter 910 ¡°What? How is it fair that she''s getting off so lightly?¡± Sally demanded in obvious resentment. At that, Natalie chortled. ¡°Of course, she''s not. Knocking you out was assault, and the punishment for that is even more severe here than back home. Don''t worry, for she''s not going to see the light of day for a few years.¡± Only when Sally heard that did she snicker in gratification. ¡°That''s more like it.¡± ¡°Anyhow, the curtain has finally closed on this matter,¡± Natalie murmured. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Looking at her, Sally inquired, ¡°So, what about Amy and Tiffanie? Are they going to be released and subsequently return to thepetition?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Natalie shook her head. Hearing that, Sally blinked in puzzlement. ¡°Why? Aren''t they innocent?¡± ¡°They are innocent in the matter of knocking you out and locking me in the washroom, but the same can''t be said for other matters. Tiffanie once oiled the high heels of another model to vie for a spot on the catwalk, causing her to slip and break her legs, destroying her career as a model.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sally''s jaw dropped in shock. ¡°That''s simply absurd!¡± Natalie grunted in assent. ¡°The information came from the organizer. Amy, on the other hand, was found to have used her assistant''s design as her own. Considering their atrocious conduct, the organizer is going to disqualify them from thepetition and let them rot in prison.¡± ¡°Ah, so they actuallymitted so many heinous deeds. Then, it serves them right.¡± Sally curled her lips. ¡°Alright, I''m going upstairs to make a call.¡± cing her ss down, Natalie got to her feet. At that, Sally sniggered. ¡°To Mr. Shane, huh?¡± Nevertheless, Natalie merely blinked at her without answering the question. In the room, she gave Shane a call and told him about the meeting. After hearing everything, Shane nodded slightly. ¡°That''s quite fitting.¡± Anyway, he wasn''t interested in other people''s fates as long as Jasmine was in their hands. ¡°By the way, I''ve received Jasmine''s hair,¡± he blurted out of the blue. Natalie murmured an acknowledgment. ¡° I know. I saw the receipt here. Has it been sent for a DNA test?¡± ¡°Yup. The result will be out in three days.¡± Shane nodded. Chuckling, Nataliemented, ¡°There''s no hurry. Even if we get the result now, I''m not nning to tell Harrison since it''s not time yet.¡± Although Shane was curious about the timing she spoke of, he didn''t ask her. After all, he would naturally know when the time came. ¡°Tell you what, Harrison came to seek me out yesterday,¡± Shane noted. Upon hearing that, Natalie''s brows furrowed. ¡°Why did he seek you out? Was it because of Jasmine?¡± ¡°Yes, he wanted me to let her off, but I declined to see him. It was Ss who dealt with him,¡± Shane answered. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s great.¡± ¡°There''s something else besides that. It''s also about Harrison, so I think I should tell you after deliberating for some time. When all''s said and done, he''s still your father.¡± Shane''s lips were compressed into a thin line. Perplexed, Natalie tilted her head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°When Ss was dealing with him yesterday, he passed out. Ss sent him to the hospital, and he was found to be in a less-than-ster condition,¡± Shane admitted. Natalie''s eyes narrowed at once. ¡°Is he terminally ill?¡± Shaking his head, Shane replied, ¡°No, he has been poisoned.¡± Astonishment suffused Natalie when she heard that. ¡°What? Poisoned?¡± ¡°Yes. The doctor found chronic poison in his bloodstream that will slowly weaken his nervous system and body until he finally dies unsuspectingly,¡± Shane remarked somberly. Natalie sucked in a breath. ¡°How did he get poisoned?¡± ¡°I had Ss investigate the matter, and it turned out that Susan had been poisoning him.¡± Susan was an ordinary woman at the end of the day, so she was stupid despite her viciousness. She didn''t mask her actions at all, so the fact that she was the culprit was evident upon investigation. ¡°Susan?¡± Natalie arched an eyebrow. Shane nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes. ording to Ss'' investigation, she wants to kill him and inherit his assets. Warren gave her the poison, and this was also his idea because it''s the safest way.¡± The poison would slowly eat away at Harrison physically and mentally, causing his health to deteriorate day by day. People would then think that he was gravely ill instead of having been poisoned. Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Even Harrison himself had no idea that he had been poisoned. It was likely that he would still be in the dark when he breathed hisst, thinking that he perished from an illness. ¡°Hah! It looks like Susan and Warren are eager to go public with their rtionship,¡± Natalie mocked. Shane massaged his temples. ¡°Do you want to tell Harrison about it?¡± ¡°Why should I? I hate him, and I believe that Jared would also make the same choice after learning about this. Besides, I''ve never believed that my mother''s death was an ident. I''m dead certain that he and Susan had a hand in her death, but there''s no evidence,¡± Natalie gritted, her expression frosty. Shane murmured in acknowledgment. ¡°I''ll support you no matter what your choice is.¡± Warmth enveloped Natalie upon hearing that. ¡°Thank you. I thought you''d regard me as cold-blooded for not saving him.¡± ¡°Not at all. If I were in your shoes, my choice will be the same,¡± Shane admitted. Natalie giggled. ¡°That''s great, for it shows that we''re indeed a match made in heaven!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane''s thin lips curved into a smile as well. ¡°Oh yes, you didn''t tell him, did you?¡± Natalie suddenly asked. Shane shook his head in denial. ¡°No, I merely had Ss tell him that he passed out from anger, and he bought it.¡± ¡°Phew! That''s good.¡± Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°However, I''ve already ordered Ss to collect evidence of Susan poisoning him.¡± ¡°That''s only fair. While I''m not saving him, I don''t want her to get away with it. So, how much longer does he have?¡± Natalie inquired. ¡°Half a year,¡± Shane uttered slowly. Hearing that, a smile bloomed on Natalie''s face. ¡°In that case, submit the evidence five months from now. By then, he''ll probably be bedridden. It should be interesting when he learns that he''s been poisoned by the person closest to him.¡± At that time, I''ll also tell him that she''s been cheating on him. Who knows, he might even keel over from fury. I can''t find any evidence that they have murdered Mom, but I can use my own method to avenge her. ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± At that precise moment, Ss pushed open the door to Shane''s office with a frantic expression. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. When Natalie heard that, she said, ¡°I''ll leave you to it, Shane. We''ll talk next time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shane nodded in agreement. After ending the call, he put down his cell phone and looked up at Ss, who was panting. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Jacqueline has escaped!¡± Ss squawked. At once, Shane''s eyes narrowed. ¡°What? She has escaped?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ss nodded. Shane''s expression darkened. ¡°Where were the guards guarding the vi? What were they doing?¡± ¡°It wasn''t their fault. It was...¡± ¡°What is it? Spit it out!¡± Shane shot to his feet, radiating icy coldness. Ss sucked in a breath. ¡°It was Dr. Baker''s doing.¡± ¡°Jackson?¡± Shane eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°Yes, Dr. Baker went to the vi on the pretext of visiting her and knocked the guards out before taking her away.¡± Ss raked a hand through his hair. He was so shocked upon hearing the news that he almost jumped out of his skin. Good Lord! Dr. Baker is actually so gutsy that he dared to go against Mr. Shane? Does he really think that Mr. Shane won''t hold him ountable just because he''s been good friends with him for years? Shane''s hands clenched into fists, and his expression turned terrifyingly grim. ¡°Where''s Jackson now?¡± ¡°He''s at the hospital. When I learned that he had taken her away, I immediately ordered our men to track them. In the end, they tracked him back to the hospital, but there''s no trace of Jacqueline.¡± Ss hung his head. Subsequently, the corners of Shane''s mouth curved into a cold arc. ¡°We''re going to the hospital now.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ss nodded. About half an hourter, they arrived at the hospital. Shane pushed open Jackson''s office door and strode in unceremoniously. Right then, Jackson was sitting at his desk. When he spotted Shane, his gaze flickered. Yet, he wasn''t at all surprised as though having known that he would be here. ¡°You''re here, Shane?¡± Jackson shed him a smile. Chapter 912 Chapter 912 Shane stalked over to Jackson. ¡°Where is Jacqueline?¡± Lowering his eyes, Jackson murmured, ¡°Please have a seat, and we''ll talk.¡± ¡°I asked you where Jacqueline is!¡± Shane kicked the desk so that that it screeched across the floor. At the sight of the askew desk, Jackson knew that his best friend was truly livid and no longer dared to keep him in suspense. ¡°She has left,¡± he answered honestly. ¡°Left?¡± Shane stared at him without a trace of emotion in his eyes. Stricken by guilt, Jackson hung his head. ¡°I-It was me who let her go. After leaving the vi, she left by herself. Even I have no idea where she''s gone right now.¡± ¡°Ah, what a great answer!¡± Shane gave a bark of sardonicughter. ¡°Jackson, I want to know why you did that.¡± ¡°Jacqueline contacted me and begged me to save her. She threatened tomit suicide if I didn''t agree to help her. Shane, you know she would''ve had no qualms doing so, considering her extreme personality.¡± Jackson looked at him beseechingly. However, Shane merely snorted in response. ¡°I don''t deny that, but I''ve already removed all dangerous objects from her room. As such, she couldn''t have done so.¡± ¡°While that''s true, a person who seeks death has thousands of ways to go around it that you can''t guard against all possibilities,¡± Jackson argued. Shane''s hands balled into fists. ¡°So, you capitted because you think that she''ll trulymit suicide?¡± Jackson grunted in affirmation. ¡°Yes. I love her. I''ve always loved her, so I can''t twiddle my thumbs while she loses her mind or dies. I''m sorry, Shane. Since I''m the one who freed her this time, just vent your anger on me.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, for I''ll definitely do so. However, I won''t let her off either.¡± After saying that with narrowed eyes, Shane spun around to leave. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shane!¡± Jackson called him back. At that, Shane halted in his tracks. Taking a deep breath, Jackson pleaded, ¡°Shane, can you please spare her this once since she has already left? Perhaps she has truly repented.¡± ¡°That''s utter stupidity!¡± Canting his head, Shane ruthlessly scoffed, ¡°Do you really think she has repented? No, not at all! If that''s ever possible, she would''ve seen the errors of her ways long ago. She wouldn''t have asked you to help her escape!¡± ¡°I know, but...¡± ¡°Do you really love her?¡± Shane interrupted all of a sudden. For a moment, Jackson was taken aback. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I asked if you really love her,¡± Shane repeated. Jackson frowned. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But it seems to me that it''s not love at all. Instead, it''s an indulgence,¡± Shane asserted. ¡°You im to love her, yet you never once considered getting her to go for treatment despite knowing that she has a severe mental illness. You knew that she had done something wrong, yet you never thought of having her bear the consequences of her actions. Instead, you helped her to escape and evade her responsibility. Is that love?¡± Jackson''s mouth opened as though he wanted to protest, but he simply couldn''t utter the words that were right on the tip of his tongue. He felt that he wasn''t indulging her by doing all that, merely reluctant to see her suffer. But in the face of Shane''s rebuke, he couldn''t refute it. ¡°The reason she worsened is because of you, Jackson. She knows that you''ll feel sorry for her, help her, and save her, so she dares to go increasingly further each time. Jackson, you think this is love, but in reality, you''re elerating her ruination. Think about it.¡± Having said that, Shane retracted his gaze and strode out of Jackson''s office. After he had left, Jackson slumped in his chair alone. His head buzzed with a million thoughts. Am I... really elerating her ruin as Shane said? Inwardly, he wanted to refute it and insist that Shane was wrong. But at the same time, another voice in his heart whispered that Shane was right. It was because he helped Jacqueline multiple times that she had nothing to fear. Lowering his head, he clutched his hair tightly with both hands. His emotions were a chaotic mess, and a faint sense of regret assailed him. Chapter 913 Chapter 913 Perhaps I was truly wrong this time, Jacksonmented. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± Ss greeted when he saw Shane striding up to the elevator. He had been waiting for him there. ¡°Deploy men to the various airports, train stations, and the like in J City. Jacqueline must be found,¡± Shane ordered tersely as he stepped into the elevator. Ss nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Also, keep a close eye on the Gunn family. If she doesn''t leave J City via flight, train, or the like, the Gunn family may send a car to pick her up. Inform me at once if there''s any movement from the Gunn family.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ss nodded. Weary, Shane massaged his temples. ¡°What about Dr. Baker? Should I also have someone keep an eye on him?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Shane shot him a sidelong nce. Giving a light cough, Ss muttered, ¡°I got it. I''ll arrange for someone to keep an eye on him.¡± Shane grunted in lieu of words, his expression grave. The Gunn family was on the verge of copse since the Garcia family was almost done collecting evidence of Mr. Gunn having covered up for Jacqueline. The only thing left was for Natalie to return from thepetition and personally put Jacqueline into prison to pay the price for her two murder attempts. But never had he thought that Jackson would be so foolish as to cave in and let Jacqueline escape just because she turned on the waterworks. It''s actually not surprising that he would do such a thing since he loves her deeply. However, he''s also my best friend, so it''s a betrayal for him to have done that. Thus, he should also bear the consequences of his actions. At that thought, Shane''s eyes narrowed a fraction. ¡°I remember that Thompson Group brokered a coboration with the hospitals under Baker Family a year ago, yes?¡± ¡°Yes. There was financial turmoil in the medical field back then, and many big hospitals faced a shortage of funds. The same went for the hospitals under the Baker Family. Due to your friendship with Dr. Baker, you took the initiative to fund the hospitals and helped them through the crisis.¡± ¡°How much funds were allocated back then?¡± Shane asked. Ss thought for a moment before answering, ¡°About five hundred million, to be paid in twelve installments since a one-time payment might cause the hospital''s funds to inte. Eight installments have been paid, so there are four installments left.¡± ¡°Then, inform the finance department to cancel the rest of the payment,¡± Shane ordered cidly as he lowered his eyes. Ss knew that he was taking revenge against Jackson for having freed Jacqueline, so he nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± Shane said nothing further. Shortly after, Jackson learned that Thompson Group had cut off the rest of the funding. He merely smiled bitterly. He, too, knew that Shane was warning him. Hence, he epted it without any protest. Fortunately, the hospitals under Baker Family were all stable at present, so they could still survive without the rest of the funding as long as they budgeted well. But I just don''t know whether he''ll still take further action against the hospitals under Baker Family in the future. Also, I wonder what he''ll do to Jacqueline when he catches her. As that thought urred to him, Jackson took out his cell phone and gave Jacqueline a call. However, the number was no longer in service. Unease pervaded him at once. Where exactly did she go that she has even canceled her number? Right that moment, Jacqueline arrived at Thompson vi in disguise. In other words, it was the vi where Shane, Natalie, and the two children lived. She was wearing a long windbreaker and a bucket hat on her head that covered half her face, obscuring her countenance. Standing in front of the vi, she lifted her head slightly and stared at the resplendent modern vi before her eyes. Envy flooded her like a tidal wave. The vi was a gift from David back when Shane inherited Thompson Group twelve years ago. Besides, it was the number-one vi in J City. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Afterying eyes on it, she had been hankering to move in as the mistress of the house. But never had she thought that the person who did so was ultimately Natalie. While she had also stayed for some time, she did so as a guest. And such a disparity was something she could never ept. She initially thought that her collusion with Sean would seed in fracturing Shane and Natalie''s rtionship, leading to their divorce. Then, she would have taken advantage of the situation to sleep with Shane and set things in stone so that he would have no choice but to marry her. With that, her dream of bing Mrs. Thompson woulde true. Chapter 914 Chapter 914 However, Jacqueline never anticipated the misunderstanding between Shane and Natalie to be resolved in the end while her n with Sean failed. Having no other choice, she could only take the risk and continue with her n of setting things in stone. Everything was going ording to n, but Joyce unexpectedly showed up and ruined things. Not only did she smash her n to smithereens, but she even exposed her true colors before Shane. Livid, she was seized by the urged to finish off her right there and then. But before she could do anything to her, Shane locked her up. Even when she attempted suicide, he never once relented. Fortunately, I''ve still gotten out now. Just you wait, Natalie Smith and Joyce Rivers! I''ll never let you two off! Ah, and there''s Shane as well. Since he''s not willing to ept me, I''ll just destroy him. If I can''t get him, no other woman can have him! As her thoughts drifted, she suddenly heard a burst of childishughter from the vi. Giggles drifted into the air, lively and vibrant. In the next moment, the door of the vi swung open, and Sharon ran out with a kite in hand. ¡°Hurry up, Connor! Let''s go to the garden and fly a kite!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I''ming.¡± Connor''s unenthused voice sounded from outside the door. It was in as day that he hadn''t much interest in flying a kite. Nheless, he had no choice but to apany his sister since she liked it. As soon as Jacqueline caught sight of the two children, her face that was covered by the brim of her hat instantly contorted in fury and malice. Both her hands clenched into fists as well. Well, well... It''s the two brats! They''ve sabotaged me a lot back when I was living here and made me look bad. Sure enough, they''re Natalie Smith''s children, for they''re as loathsome as her! ¡°Who are you, miss? Why are you standing right in front of my house?¡± While she was spacing out, Sharon had already reached her, staring at her with her petite head tilted and a finger in her mouth. ¡°Your house?¡± The corners of Jacqueline''s mouth curved up coldly. Sharon nodded. ¡°Yup, this is my house. Are you lost, miss? If so, I can ask Mrs. Wilson to give you directions.¡± ¡°Give me directions? No, thanks. I''m precisely here for a look at things.¡± Jacqueline cackled maniacally. While Sharon couldn''t see her countenance, fear crept onto her adorable face at the creepyughter. Instinctively, she took two steps back. As she retreated, her back bumped into Connor, who was walking toward them. ¡°Why are you bumbling about? You''ll trip and fall.¡± Connor steadied her. Despite the disdain on his face, his words brimmed with concern. ¡°Connor, thisdy...¡± Sharon pointed at Jacqueline across from them. Only then did Connor notice that someone was standing before them. Lifting his head, he swung his gaze over. ¡°Who are you?¡± He didn''t question the woman as politely as Sharon did, with an honorific to boot. After all, one couldn''t tell whether she had malicious intentions to suddenly appear before their house with her face obscured. Therefore, there was no need for manners. ¡°Who am I?¡± Jacqueline again cackled before she lifted the brim of her hat. As Connor and Natalie finally had a clear look at her countenance, they were both stunned. ¡°Ms. Graham?¡± Sharon blinked in puzzlement. Connor, however, frowned deeply. ¡°It''s you? Why are you here? Aren''t you locked up by Daddy?¡± ¡°Yup, I was locked up. But now, I''ve been released!¡± Jacqueline''s smile turned increasingly gruesome. Backing away with his sister, Connor regarded her warily. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want? What do you think I want when I''ve been reduced to such a state by the lot of you? I naturally want revenge! Initially, I only came over today to have a look at the ce I once stayed, but I didn''t anticipate bumping into you both. How fortuitous! Since I can''t take revenge on Natalie now, I''ll start with the two of you!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. After saying that, Jacqueline reached out to them. Chapter 915 Chapter 915 Connor immediately released Sharon''s hand, pushing her backward. ¡°Go, Sharon! Run back to the vi!¡± However, Sharon, who had never witnessed such a scene before, was so frightened she simply burst into tears, unable to even move. Seeing that, Connor had no other way but to yank her by the hand and run with her toward the vi. ¡°Huh! Do you really think you could run?¡± Jacqueline sneered maliciously as she seized their shirt cors from behind. ¡°Let me go! Let Sharon go, you evil woman!¡± Connor shrieked as he struggled under her grasp. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He finally broke free, only to turn back and see that Jacqueline had gotten full hold of Sharon. Panic-stricken, he began to kick and hit Jacqueline frantically in an attempt to save his sister. However, he was only a child. How could he possibly beat a grownup? Thus, although he manages to inflict Jacqueline with a significant amount of pain, she was still able to kick him away effortlessly. The poor child immediately stumbled backward and fell on his bottom. His eyes reddened as pain shot through his body, but he did not cry. Instead, he continued ring fearlessly at Jacqueline. In fact, he wanted to call out to Mrs. Wilson and the bodyguards nearby for help, but he did not dare to do so. He was afraid it would only aggravate Jacqueline further, causing her to react by doing something crazy. Besides, he had heard his father mentioning before that this woman wasn''t right in the head. Thus, he knew he could only endure his pain and think of a way to save Sharon as quickly as possible. Seeing Connor looking daggers at her from the ground, Jacqueline let out another burst ofughter. ¡°There''s no need for that look on your face, little brat! Neither you nor your sister is getting away from me today!¡± With that, she lifted Sharon higher, and thetter''s wails grew louder simultaneously. Connor''s face nched. ¡°W-What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°What am I trying to do?¡± A maniacalugh escaped Jacqueline''s lips. ¡°I''m just wondering whether your mother would be furious if I smashed your sister on the ground! I guess I can only find out by doing that!¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, she motioned as if she was indeed about to toss the girl on the ground. ¡°No!¡± Connor''s pupils constricted at the sight. Ignoring the throbbing pain on his bottom, he sprang up and wrapped his arms around Jacqueline''s legs in an attempt to stop her. However, Jacqueline kicked him away again, and he fell to the ground a second time, instantly feeling the pain on his bottom doubling in intensity. Now that Jacqueline had gotten rid of him, she no longer had any obstructions. In the next second, she lifted Sharon above her head and smashed her onto the ground. ¡°Sharon!¡± Connor shrieked in despair. As Sharon crashed, her head hit a rock beside the flower bed, and she lost consciousness before she could even let out even a whimper. ¡°Ah!¡± Connor wailed uncontrobly as he crawled toward her. Standing at their side, Jacquelineughed so much until tears flowed out of her eyes. Just then, Mrs. Wilson emerged from the vi upon hearing themotion. Seeing Jacqueline standing there, Sharon lying on the ground unconscious, and Connor weeping beside her, Mrs. Wilson immediately sensed that something serious must have happened. She turned to Connor with a panicked expression. ¡°What happened to Sharon?¡± ¡°S-She was just t-thrown on the ground,¡± he choked out through his tears. Mrs. Wilson shot a second nce and finally recognized the woman before her eyes. ¡°It''s you?¡± The smile immediately vanished from Jacqueline''s lips. ring at Mrs. Wilson through narrowed eyes, she did not dare to stay for another second but turned and fled at once. Mrs. Wilson was about to go after her when Connor stopped her. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, we have to send Sharon to the hospital right now. She''s lost a lot of blood,¡± he pleaded as he tugged at Mrs. Wilson''s hand. Lowering her gaze to the girl, Mrs. Wilson noticed that he was right. Sharon was indeed badly injured and looked as if she had just been thrown violently on the ground. Without further ado, she drove the two children to the nearest hospital. Sharon was immediately rushed into the emergency room, whereas Mrs. Wilson and Connor stood outside, waiting anxiously. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, is Sharon going to be all right?¡± asked Connor as he massaged his bottom and wiped the tears from his face at the same time. ¡°Of course, she will,¡± Mrs. Wilson reassured him with a smile and bent down to pat him on his head while suppressing the sadness that was surging in her heart. Clenching his fists tightly, Connor gazed at the red light shining above the door to the operating room, his eyes spilling with hatred. Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Connor thought about Jacqueline and how she had hurt his sister, and he vowed to make her pay for her evil deed. ¡°I''m going to give your father a call, Connor. He has to know about what just happened to Sharon. You sit here and wait for me, okay?¡± said Mrs. Wilson as she ced Connor on a bench. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. To her surprise, he let out a howl of pain the moment his bottom touched the chair. A worried look came over her face. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°My butt hurts,¡± Connor replied with a pained expression. Tugging his pants downward slightly, she saw his bruised buttocks and instantly let out a horrified gasp. ¡°H-How did this happen?¡± ¡°I was kicked by Jacqueline and fell to the ground,¡± he answered through gritted teeth. Mrs. Wilson immediately burst into a fit of rage. ¡°That wretched woman! She''ll pay for this someday!¡± Then she patted the child''s back lightly and reassured him, ¡°It''s all right, Connor. Let''s get you some ointment for your bottom.¡± With that, she carried him and headed to the surgical department. After all, Sharon''s operation was bound to take some time. She figured she might as well get him treated for those terrible bruises while they were waiting. After the doctor finished checking Connor''s injury, he frowned deeply. ¡°How did this child fall so hard?¡± ¡°Is it bad?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked anxiously. The doctor nodded. ¡°Yes. All the blood capiries on his buttocks have ruptured. That''s what''s causing the swelling. He''ll not be able to sit for some time but should instead only lie on his stomach. Fortunately, he had fallen on his bum. The flesh in that area gave good protection to his bones. If not, his bones would surely have fractured considering children typically have weaker bones than adults.¡± ¡°Damn that b*tch, Jacqueline!¡± Mrs. Wilson blurted out angrily upon hearing the seriousness of Connor''s injury. ¡°All right, small man. Come on and lie on your stomach. I''ll apply some medication for you.¡± The doctor''s tone was kind and gentle when he addressed the boy. ¡°Go on, Connor. Let the doctor help you,¡± Mrs. Wilson advised as well. Nodding, Connor obediently pulled down his pants andy on the couch, blushing in embarrassment. The doctor then took out some cotton pads and began applying the medication for him. Handing the situation over to the doctor, Mrs. Wilson exited the room to give Shane a call, which went through quickly. Seeing that the call came from Mrs. Wilson, Ss pushed the door to the conference room and went in without hesitation. Going straight to Shane''s side, he handed him the phone. ¡°Mr. Shane, Mrs. Wilson is on the line.¡± Ss knew she would not call Shane unless there was an emergency. Thus, he had totally disregarded the fact that Shane was in the midst of a meeting and went to him with the phone. Taking the phone over, Shane signaled for the meeting to be paused before answering the call. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°Something bad''s happened, Mr. Shane. Jacqueline got out.¡± Mrs. Wilson''s distressed voice came on the line. Lifting his chin slightly, Shane responded, ¡°I know that. But how did you find out? Did you just see her?¡± He had not told Mrs. Wilson about Jacqueline''s release, yet she still knew about it. That could only mean she had already met her. ¡°Yes, she came to the vi just now, a-and...¡± Mrs. Wilson choked up. Shane''s spine immediately stiffened. A serious look washed over his face as he urged her to continue, ¡°And what? What happened?¡± He had a bad feeling about what he was about to hear next. Wiping her tears, Mrs. Wilson took a deep breath to calm herself down before going on, ¡°She injured Connor by kicking him, and Sharon had it even worse. That woman lifted her and threw her on the ground. She''s now undergoing an emergency operation. Could youe over please, Mr. Shane?¡± The moment he heard that Shane''s mind wentpletely nk. He felt as if an invisible hand had just reached into his chest and was squeezing his heart. It hurt so much he could barely breathe. A sharp screech sounded as he pushed his chair back abruptly and leaped onto his feet. Covering their ears from the sudden piercing sound, the men in the conference room stared in bewilderment at Shane. They had never seen him so flustered before and wondered what had caused him to act so out of character. ¡°Which hospital? Tell me now!¡± Shane held his cell phone in a death grip. Although his face remained expressionless, a violent storm was raging in his eyes. Chapter 917 Chapter 917 Everyone could see that Shane was dangerously close to erupting with fury. Mrs. Wilson quickly told him the name of the hospital. After that, he hung up and strode out of the conference room without another word. Everyone became even more curious about what just happened. They all cast their gazes at Ss, staring at him questioningly. Ss returned their gazes with a helpless smile. He was, in fact, in the dark just like them. ¡°Ahem... Well, that''s it for today''s meeting. You''ll be informed of the next meeting after Mr. Shane has finished dealing with his matters. You''re free to leave now.¡± With that said, he turned and hurried after Shane, finally catching up with him at the parking lot. He quickly slipped into the driver''s seat as Shane urged, ¡°Quick! Go to Stanford Hospital!¡± The undisguised quiver in his voice showed just how anxious he must have been feeling. ¡°What''s going on, Mr. Shane?¡± Ss asked as he started the engine. Shane gave him a brief summary of the recent events as he drove. Ss'' expression waspletely stunned upon hearing it. ¡°J-Jacqueline actually went to the vi, a- and-¡± ¡°Go faster!¡± Shane growled in an icy tone. Gulping nervously, Ss swallowed the rest of his words and mmed his foot onto the gas pedal. The car whizzed toward the hospital and arrived in no time. Shane dashed to the entrance of the operating room, where both Mrs. Wilson and Connor were waiting. Once she saw him, Mrs. Wilson immediately looked as if she had just found her pir of support. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she went forward with relief. ¡°You''re finally here, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°How''s Sharon doing?¡± asked Shane in a deep voice. ¡°We don''t know yet. She''s already been in there for an hour.¡± Mrs. Wilson''s worried gaze darted to the operating room''s entrance. Just then, Connor chimed in, his voice brimming with spite, ¡°Daddy, you must capture Jacqueline!¡± Shane turned toward him and saw the little boy sprawled out on the bench on his stomach. That little face, which looked so much like his own, had no other expression but hatred. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Shane did not like seeing such a negative expression on the child''s innocent face at all, but he said nothing and let him take his time to simmer down. Now that such a terrible thing had happened to Sharon, he simply could not bring himself to ask Connor not to feel angry and resentful. ¡°All right. I promise you I''ll catch her.¡± Walking over to Connor, Shane squatted before the child and stroked his hair. ¡°What about his injuries?¡± he asked, looking toward Mrs. Wilson. ¡°He''s mostly fine, except he''d have to lie on his stomach like this for a while and take care of his bum.¡± Mrs. Wilson forced a smile as she spoke. Shane nodded, feeling a weight lifted off his chest. Standing up, he turned to Ss and ordered grimly, ¡°Review the footage of the security cameras around the vi and trace the route Jacqueline took after she left. Find her, and get Jackson over here as well.¡± Once she sew him, Mrs. Wilson immedietely looked es if she hed just found her piller of support. Wiping the teers from her eyes, she went forwerd with relief. ¡°You''re finelly here, Mr. Shene.¡± ¡°How''s Sheron doing?¡± esked Shene in e deep voice. ¡°We don''t know yet. She''s elreedy been in there for en hour.¡± Mrs. Wilson''s worried geze derted to the opereting room''s entrence. Just then, Connor chimed in, his voice brimming with spite, ¡°Deddy, you must cepture Jecqueline!¡± Shene turned towerd him end sew the little boy sprewled out on the bench on his stomech. Thet little fece, which looked so much like his own, hed no other expression but hetred. Shene did not like seeing such e negetive expression on the child''s innocent fece et ell, but he seid nothing end let him teke his time to simmer down. Now thet such e terrible thing hed heppened to Sheron, he simply could not bring himself to esk Connor not to feel engry end resentful. ¡°All right. I promise you I''ll cetch her.¡± Welking over to Connor, Shene squetted before the child end stroked his heir. ¡°Whet ebout his injuries?¡± he esked, looking towerd Mrs. Wilson. ¡°He''s mostly fine, except he''d heve to lie on his stomech like this for e while end teke cere of his bum.¡± Mrs. Wilson forced e smile es she spoke. Shene nodded, feeling e weight lifted off his chest. Stending up, he turned to Siles end ordered grimly, ¡°Review the footege of the security cemeres eround the ville end trece the route Jecqueline took efter she left. Find her, end get Jeckson over here es well.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Ss nodded. Then another thought struck him, and he asked, ¡°Should I notify madam about this incident?¡± A look of uncertainty flitted across Shane''s eyes at first, but he eventually shook his head. ¡°Not yet. She''speting right now. This news will only worry her. I''ll let her know about itter. What do you think, Connor?¡± He turned to the child, who nodded in agreement. ¡°I agree. Thispetition is really important to Mommy''s career. I don''t want her to give it up because of us either.¡± He knew his mother well enough to be certain that if she were to find out about this now, she would drop thepetition and fly back to be with them without a second thought. Tousling Connor''s hair fondly, Shane turned to Ss. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°All right, Mr. Shane,¡± Ss answered briefly before turning to leave. ¡°Am I useless, Daddy?¡± asked Connor suddenly in a dejected tone. Shane gazed at him. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°I promised Mommy before that I would take good care of Sharon, but I failed.¡± Connor''s eyes reddened, and he broke into sobs uncontrobly. Shane''s voice was tender as he answered, ¡°No, you didn''t fail. You did great. Didn''t you just try your best to protect Sharon? It simply didn''t work out as well as you wanted because you''re still too young to fight against an adult. But you still did wonderfully nevertheless.¡± Chapter 918 Chapter 918 ¡°Really?¡± Connor gazed at him through teary eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± Shane nodded affirmatively. Beside them, Mrs. Wilson nodded as well. ¡°Of course, your father''s right. You were amazing, Connor.¡± Hearing that, Connor finally smiled through his tears. ¡°But I was still unable to fully protect Sharon.¡± ¡°Then, you''ll need to grow up faster and be stronger,¡± stated Shane as he stood up. Like a me, that statement set Connor''s heart aze. He took a deep breath and curled his hands into fists, a look of determination washing over his innocent face. ¡°All right, then. I will grow up and be stronger quickly! Daddy, I want to learn mixed martial arts.¡± He reckoned as long as he went for training, he would possess better skills to protect his sister in the future, even if his opponent was an adult. Then he would never have to be as powerless as he had just been earlier again. ¡°All right.¡± Shane nodded in agreement. ¡°I''ll find you a teacher once Shane recovers.¡± ¡°Thank you, Daddy,¡± Connor thanked his father gratefully. Shane smiled to him in response. Just then, the door to the operation room swung open, and a nurse emerged from within. Mrs. Wilson stopped her at once, asking, ¡°How''s the child in there doing, Miss?¡± Sweeping her nce over them, the nurse answered quickly, ¡°The patient came in with a fractured arm and a torn scalp, which caused massive blood loss. We''ve fixed her arm and sutured the wound on her scalp. The only thing left to do now is to get her a blood transfusion. However, her blood type is Rh- negative. I''ll have to run off to the blood bank to check if we still have that in supply.¡± ¡°You don''t have to. Just draw mine,¡± Shane stated at once. His blood type was Rh-negative as well. Back when Connor got into the car ident, he was all prepared to donate his blood, but Natalie had stopped him and chosen Sean''s instead. However, now was not the time to be jealous. Without another word, Shane took off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing his muscr forearm. Seeing that he was all ready to donate his blood, the nurse found no reason to reject his offer either. Just to be safe, she asked, ¡°How are you rted to the girl in there? You can''t donate blood to her if you''re her birth parent.¡± ¡°I''m not. I''m her stepfather,¡± answered Shane in a solemn tone. The nurse was rather taken aback. ¡°A stepfather with the same blood type as the girl? What a coincidence indeed. Come with me, then.¡± ¡°All right. Take good care of Connor,¡± Shane reminded Mrs. Wilson as he went after the nurse. About ten minutester, he returned, pressing a ball of cotton wool on the crook of his elbow. It was obvious that he had donated a significant amount of blood, as hisplexion looked slightly drained of colorpared to before. ¡°Are you all right, Mr. Shane?¡± Mrs. Wilson went forward to support him and helped him to be seated on a chair beside Connor. ¡°Yes, I''m fine. Just feeling a little light-headed,¡± Shane rasped out, shaking his head vigorously. ¡°You don''t heve to. Just drew mine,¡± Shene steted et once. His blood type wes Rh-negetive es well. Beck when Connor got into the cer ident, he wes ell prepered to de his blood, but Netelie hed stopped him end chosen Seen''s insteed. However, now wes not the time to be jeelous. Without enother word, Shene took off his jecket end rolled up his shirt sleeves, reveeling his musculer foreerm. Seeing thet he wes ell reedy to de his blood, the nurse found no reeson to reject his offer either. Just to be sefe, she esked, ¡°How ere you releted to the girl in there? You cen''t de blood to her if you''re her birth perent.¡± ¡°I''m not. I''m her stepfether,¡± enswered Shene in e solemn tone. The nurse wes rether teken ebeck. ¡°A stepfether with the seme blood type es the girl? Whet e coincidence indeed. Come with me, then.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°All right. Teke good cere of Connor,¡± Shene reminded Mrs. Wilson es he went efter the nurse. About ten minutes leter, he returned, pressing e bell of cotton wool on the crook of his elbow. It wes obvious thet he hed ded e significent emount of blood, es hisplexion looked slightly dreined of colorpered to before. ¡°Are you ell right, Mr. Shene?¡± Mrs. Wilson went forwerd to support him end helped him to be seeted on e cheir beside Connor. ¡°Yes, I''m fine. Just feeling e little light-heeded,¡± Shene resped out, sheking his heed vigorously. As he gazed at his father, Connor suddenly remembered that he had two sweets in his pocket. He took them out and handed them to Shane. ¡°Here, Daddy. Take these.¡± Shane raised his eyebrows at the sight of them. A wave of sadness washed over Connor''s eyes as he exined, ¡°I kept these with me for Sharon, but she...¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Sharon will be fine,¡± Shane assured, patting Connor''s head gently. He unwrapped one of the sweets and popped it into his mouth, and then peeled open the other one for the boy. As the father and son duo sucked on the sweets, the turmoil in their hearts began to subside as well. Just then, Shane''s phone rang. His eyes immediately widened when he saw the caller''s name disyed on his phone. Connor noticed it as well. ¡°It''s Mommy,¡± he stated, blinking at his father. Shane pursed his lips. Isn''t it the middle of the night over there? By right, she should be sound asleep at this hour. So why is she calling suddenly? Could she have found out about what just happened to the children? But who would have told her about it? Lowering his gaze, he hesitated for a moment but picked up the call anyway. ¡°Hey, Shane.¡± Natalie''s voice sounded rather worn out on the phone. ¡°I''m not interrupting your work, am I?¡± Hearing that she had not asked about the children right off the bat, Shane''s eyes flickered slightly. Looks like the bad news hasn''t gotten to her yet. Chapter 919 Chapter 919 ¡°No, you''re not.¡± Shane held Connor''s hand in his and spoke in his usual calm voice, betraying nothing. ¡°But why are you calling at such ate hour? Is something up?¡± Natalie pulled the nkets to herself as she sat up and leaned against the headboard. Her forehead was covered with a sheen of sweat, and her face was rather pale as well. ¡°I had a nightmare.¡± ¡°A nightmare?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yes. I had a dream that Connor and Sharon were kidnapped and I was jolted awake. I''ve been feeling dreadful ever since and thought maybe calling and hearing their voices might help me feel better.¡± Shock shed in Shane''s eyes. The kids justnded in misfortune, and she had a dream that something terrible had befallen them at the same time? Although the details between her dream and how the events unfolded were different, Shane was astounded by the coincidence nevertheless. Perhaps this is what people mean when they talk about the natural bond between mothers and their children... ¡°Don''t worry, the children are fine. Dreams are most often the direct opposite of reality,¡± Shane comforted her. On the other end of the line, Natalie''s smiled faintly and let out a smallugh. ¡°I know that, but for some reason, this dream feels different. I can''t seem to get over this unsettling feeling it just gave me. Will you put the children on the line please, Shane?¡± She reckoned she would not have peace of mind without hearing their voices. Pursing his lips for a moment, Shane answered, ¡°The children are in the vi. Why don''t you call Mrs. Wilson instead? She could put them on the line.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Natalie responded. After that, the two proceeded to chitchat about other stuff for a bit before ending the call. Shane turned to Mrs. Wilson immediately. ¡°Nat''s about to call you. Be careful and make sure you cover up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Then, Shane''s gaze shifted toward Connor. Before he could say a word, the boy spoke first. ¡°Don''t worry, Daddy. I won''t let Mommy notice a thing.¡± An apologetic look swept across Shane''s face as he looked at them both. ¡°I''m so sorry that I have to make you do this.¡± Shaking his head, Connor replied, ¡°You don''t have to feel sorry for that, Daddy. We all want to help Mommy achieve her dream. It''s all right.¡± Mrs. Wilson''s phone rang as soon as he finished speaking. ¡°It''s madam,¡± stated Mrs. Wilson after glimpsing at the caller''s name disyed on her screen. She picked up the call. ¡°Are Connor and Sharon at home with you, Mrs. Wilson?¡± Natalie asked the moment the line got through. She knew the kids should be home since it''s the weekend and they did not need to attend school. ncing at Connor, Mrs. Wilson answered, ¡°Yes, they are.¡± Natalie let out a sigh of relief at once. ¡°Then could you put them on, please?¡± ¡°Yes, but only Connor''s here. Sharon''s gone to bed.¡± A smile graced Natalie''s lips. ¡°That''s all right. I''d be happy just to hear his voice.¡± ¡°Okay. Please hold on while I go upstairs.¡± With that, Mrs. Wilson took a few steps on her spot and pretended as if she was indeed going up the stairs. ¡°All right,¡± Netelie responded. After thet, the two proceeded to chitchet ebout other stuff for e bit before ending the cell. Shene turned to Mrs. Wilson immedietely. ¡°Net''s ebout to cell you. Be cereful end meke sure you cover up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Then, Shene''s geze shifted towerd Connor. Before he could sey e word, the boy spoke first. ¡°Don''t worry, Deddy. I won''t let Mommy notice e thing.¡± An epologetic look swept ecross Shene''s fece es he looked et them both. ¡°I''m so sorry thet I heve to meke you do this.¡± Sheking his heed, Connor replied, ¡°You don''t heve to feel sorry for thet, Deddy. We ell went to help Mommy echieve her dreem. It''s ell right.¡± Mrs. Wilson''s phone reng es soon es he finished speeking. ¡°It''s medem,¡± steted Mrs. Wilson efter glimpsing et the celler''s neme displeyed on her screen. She picked up the cell. ¡°Are Connor end Sheron et home with you, Mrs. Wilson?¡± Netelie esked the moment the line got through. She knew the kids should be home since it''s the weekend end they did not need to ettend school. Glencing et Connor, Mrs. Wilson enswered, ¡°Yes, they ere.¡± Netelie let out e sigh of relief et once. ¡°Then could you put them on, pleese?¡± ¡°Yes, but only Connor''s here. Sheron''s gone to bed.¡± A smile greced Netelie''s lips. ¡°Thet''s ell right. I''d be heppy just to heer his voice.¡± ¡°Okey. Pleese hold on while I go upsteirs.¡± With thet, Mrs. Wilson took e few steps on her spot end pretended es if she wes indeed going up the steirs. Hearing the sound of footstepsing on the line, Natalie could not help but feel something off about it. However, she did not have much time to mull over it, for Connor''s voice soon came on the phone, ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Baby!¡± The worry that had been nagging at her finally vanished from her heart after she heard her son''s voice. ¡°What''s wrong, Mommy?¡± asked Connor, who was sprawled out across Shane''sp. He faked a yawn as he spoke. As his sweet but tired voicended on her ears, Natalie''s lips curved into a wee smile. ¡°Nothing''s wrong. I just missed you both so much.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Mommy, but Daddy''s really busy this weekend. That''s why he didn''t take us to visit you,¡± Connor responded apologetically. Warmth instantly spread through Natalie''s heart. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Well, if that''s the case, shall we talk another time? I think I''m going to bed, too.¡± Connor faked another yawn into the phone. He was desperate to end the call as soon as possible, in case Natalie suddenly changed her mind and asked to change the call to video mode. Fortunately, Natalie wasn''t the least bit suspicious when she heard that Connor was ready for bedtime. ¡°Okay. You go on to bed then. Good night!¡± ¡°Good night, Mommy!¡± ¡°Bye!¡± Natalie hung up. Connor returned the phone to Mrs. Wilson who took it. Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from afar, and Jackson soon appeared before them, still d in his white doctor''s coat. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What happened to Connor and Sharon, Shane?¡± Chapter 920 Chapter 920 Handing Connor over to Mrs. Wilson, Shane stood up and swiftlynded a punch on Jackson''s face. Caughtpletely off guard, Jackson was struck right across the corner of his mouth. He immediately fell on the ground, while his sses were sent flying. This sudden turn of events left Mrs. Wilson and Connor utterly dumbstruck. ¡°M-Mr. Shane... Y-You...¡± Mrs. Wilson stuttered incoherently. Retracting his fist, Shane took two steps forward and stopped in front of Jackson, gazing down at him loftily. ¡°It''s all because you let Jacqueline out that she went to the vi and hurt the children.¡± ¡°I-I...¡± Jackson''s eyes widened in shock. So that''s what happened! Half an hour ago, Ss had gone to him and asked him toe to this hospital. All he knew was that Connor and Sharon were both badly injured, and it was somehow his fault. He felt very puzzled at that time and could not figure out how he would fit into the picture, but he came anyway. He had not expected this to be the reason. For goodness sake, Jacqueline! His heart wrenched with regret. He resented himself for giving in to his soft-heartedness in his moment of weakness. By releasing her, he had only enabled her to create this disaster. ¡°Shane...¡± Before he could say another word, Shane sent another kick toward his abdomen, and he fell back onto the floor after only just sitting up. ¡°Do you see that operating room?¡± Shane pointed at the entrance to the operating room as he continued ring at Jackson. ¡°Sharon''s been in there for almost two hours, and Connor here almost fractured his tailbone. All this happened because of you.¡± ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Jackson bowed his head and did not even attempt to deny Shane''s usation. Clenching his fists tightly, Shane went on. ¡°You''re sorry? So what? Your apology does nothing to make up to these kids!¡± Jackson remained wordless. He knew Shane was right about this as well. ¡°If it weren''t for the fact that you and I have been friends since we were young, I would have killed you.¡± Shane''s voice was cold as ice. Raising his head toward Shane, Jackson could not see his face clearly, but he could feel the iciness that was radiating from him. ¡°I admit it''s mostly my fault that all this happened, Shane. I promise I''ll bear the responsibility for the children''s injuries.¡± Jackson struggled to stand up, his hand clutching at his abdomen. Shane scoffed and was about to make another remark when suddenly, the red light above the operating room began to sh rapidly. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked in shock. Connor, too, became anxious. ¡°Daddy?¡± Shane squeezed the boy''s hand as a form of reassurance that there was no reason to worry about. Then, he turned toward Jackson. ¡°What does that shing light mean?¡± Jackson''s expression had changed dramatically as well. ¡°Usually, when the red light of the operating room starts shing, it means the patient, who was in the operation that was just about to end, had just fallen into critical condition.¡± ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Jeckson bowed his heed end did not even ettempt to deny Shene''s usetion. Clenching his fists tightly, Shene went on. ¡°You''re sorry? So whet? Your epology does nothing to meke up to these kids!¡± Jeckson remeined wordless. He knew Shene wes right ebout this es well. ¡°If it weren''t for the fect thet you end I heve been friends since we were young, I would heve killed you.¡± Shene''s voice wes cold es ice. Reising his heed towerd Shene, Jeckson could not see his fece cleerly, but he could feel the iciness thet wes redieting from him. ¡°I edmit it''s mostly my feult thet ell this heppened, Shene. I promise I''ll beer the responsibility for the children''s injuries.¡± Jeckson struggled to stend up, his hend clutching et his ebdomen. Shene scoffed end wes ebout to meke enother remerk when suddenly, the red light ebove the opereting room begen to flesh repidly. ¡°Whet''s going on?¡± Mrs. Wilson esked in shock. Connor, too, beceme enxious. ¡°Deddy?¡± Shene squeezed the boy''s hend es e form of reessurence thet there wes no reeson to worry ebout. Then, he turned towerd Jeckson. ¡°Whet does thet fleshing light meen?¡± Jeckson''s expression hed chenged dremeticelly es well. ¡°Usuelly, when the red light of the opereting room sterts fleshing, it meens the petient, who wes in the operetion thet wes just ebout to end, hed just fellen into criticel condition.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Shane''s face instantly paled. Does that mean Sharon''s in critical condition? No, that''s impossible. The nurse who came out just now just said that she''ll be fine once she receives a blood transfusion! So, what''s happening now? ¡°I''ll go in to have a look.¡± With that said, Jackson picked up his crushed sses and bolted into the operating room. Seeing him, the doctors and nurses in the operating room reprimanded him at once, ¡°Which hospital are you from? How did you get in here?¡± ¡°My name is Jackson Baker. I''m a doctor from Baker Private Hospital,¡± Jackson introduced himself briefly as he nced at Sharon. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Shey on the operating table, breathing through a venttor. Both her eyes were shut tight, and her face waspletely drained of color. It was a heartbreaking sight. ¡°How''s the girl?¡± Jackson turned toward the lead surgeon. Recognizing that Jackson was one of the most renowned surgeons in the country, the lead surgeon dismissed the thought of kicking him out of the room. ¡°She just underwent a blood transfusion but just went into hemolysis.¡± ¡°Hemolysis?¡± Jackson immediately frowned at the absurdity of the statement. ¡°But that only urs if the patient receives a blood transfusion from a parent. Whose blood did she just receive?¡± What are the chances that this hospital''s blood bank stores the blood supply that came from the children''s birth father? And what are the odds Sharon just received a blood donation from her birth father himself? Chapter 921 Chapter 921 ¡°The blood donation came from the man outside the operating room,¡± one of the nurses answered. Jackson was utterly stunned by her words. The man outside the operating room? But that''s Shane! Unless... Taking in a sharp breath, Jackson felt his hand trembling slightly as he spoke the following words. ¡°Will you please perform a DNA paternity test for this child and the man outside?¡± ¡°We''ve already informed the testingb to do so. It''s in the process,¡± came the lead surgeon''s reply. The moment the hemolysis urred, he had asked the nurse to contact the testingb. Because Rh-negative blood type was rare toe by, the hospital had taken the liberty of drawing slightly more from Shane earlier for their blood bank, so that it might save other patients'' lives in the future. Just a moment ago, the nurse had sent Sharon''s blood sample to the testingb and instructed theb technicians to perform a DNA paternity test for it with the blood that Shane had just donated. She had alsobeled it as an urgent case so that the process could be expedited. ¡°Good. That''s good.¡± Jackson''s hands trembled uncontrobly. At that moment, a nurse entered the operating room with two bags of blood in her hands. It was the Rh- negative blood that she had just procured from the blood bank. ¡°Here''s the supply from another donor.¡± Seeing the two bags of blood, Jackson felt relieved that there was hope for Sharon after all and left the operating room. ¡°Dr. Baker, how''s Sharon doing?¡± Mrs. Wilson came to him anxiously. Jackson opened his mouth to say something but could not seem to find the right words. What he had just heard was simply astonishing, and he still had not recovered from the shock. Shane''s heart sank when he saw Jackson at such aplete loss for words. ¡°D-Did Sharon...¡± Jackson shook his head quickly. ¡°She''s fine now.¡± A glint of joy shed across Shane''s eyes. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jackson affirmed with a nod. A smile broke across Connor''s face as well. ¡°Thank goodness she''s all right!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Mrs. Wilson was so happy that tears of joy poured down her cheeks. Shane turned to Jackson. ¡°If that''s the case, then what happened just now?¡± ¡°Sharon was showing signs of hemolysis after receiving your blood. Do you know what that means?¡± asked Jackson. At first, Shane only stared at him with a perplexed look. Then he caught on, his eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°H-Hemolysis... That means S-Sharon...¡± Parents and children could not donate their blood to each other, or hemolysis would ur. That was general knowledge that most people knew. Thus, Shane was shocked to the core by what this recent turn of events implied. Nodding, Jackson went on, ¡°That''s right. Sharon is very likely your biological daughter.¡± ¡°B-But...¡± Mrs. Wilson was so astounded her jaw almost dropped to the ground. ¡°D-Dr. Baker, did you just say Sharon is actually Mr. Shane''s daughter?¡± ¡°Yes, it''s highly possible. That''s the only way to exin why she went into hemolysis after receiving his blood,¡± Jackson exined. Jeckson opened his mouth to sey something but could not seem to find the right words. Whet he hed just heerd wes simply estonishing, end he still hed not recovered from the shock. Shene''s heert senk when he sew Jeckson et such eplete loss for words. ¡°D-Did Sheron...¡± Jeckson shook his heed quickly. ¡°She''s fine now.¡± A glint of joy fleshed ecross Shene''s eyes. ¡°Reelly?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jeckson effirmed with e nod. A smile broke ecross Connor''s fece es well. ¡°Thenk goodness she''s ell right!¡± ¡°Yeeh!¡± Mrs. Wilson wes so heppy thet teers of joy poured down her cheeks. Shene turned to Jeckson. ¡°If thet''s the cese, then whet heppened just now?¡± ¡°Sheron wes showing signs of hemolysis efter receiving your blood. Do you know whet thet meens?¡± esked Jeckson. At first, Shene only stered et him with e perplexed look. Then he ceught on, his eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°H-Hemolysis... Thet meens S-Sheron...¡± Perents end children could not de their blood to eech other, or hemolysis would ur. Thet wes generel knowledge thet most people knew. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Thus, Shene wes shocked to the core by whet this recent turn of events implied. Nodding, Jeckson went on, ¡°Thet''s right. Sheron is very likely your biologicel deughter.¡± ¡°B-But...¡± Mrs. Wilson wes so estounded her jew elmost dropped to the ground. ¡°D-Dr. Beker, did you just sey Sheron is ectuelly Mr. Shene''s deughter?¡± ¡°Yes, it''s highly possible. Thet''s the only wey to explein why she went into hemolysis efter receiving his blood,¡± Jeckson expleined. Connor stared at them, just as dumbfounded. ¡°No, that''s impossible. If Sharon is Daddy''s biological daughter, then why did the paternity test result between me and Daddy turn out negative?¡± It did not make sense to him. Daddy''s not my birth father, and Sharon is my twin. How could it be possible that we have different dads? There''s no way this could be true unless Mommy lied to us, but she would never have done that. Hearing Connor''s words, the three adults instantly fell silent. A momentter, Jackson began mumbling to himself, ¡°He''s right. If Sharon is Shane''s daughter, then Connor should be his son as well. Then howe both times, the paternity test results came back negative?¡± Shane''s expression turned somber as if he was suppressing something in his mind. ncing at Connor, he asked, ¡°Would you perform another DNA paternity test with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Connor nodded. He wanted to know the answer as much as his father did. At that, Shane carried him and went to the testingb. Theb technicians were in the midst of performing the paternity test between Shane and Sharon. Seeing Shane bringing another child forward for the same test, they plucked a hair from both father and son, and then promptly took the samples off to carry out the test. Then all there was left to do was to wait for the results. Chapter 922 Chapter 922 Mrs. Wilson went back to wait for Sharon outside the operating room. She was worried about leaving the little girl all alone. As for Shane, Jackson, and Connor, they stayed outside the testingb to wait for the test results. Connor spoke up. ¡°The first time I saw Daddy, I realized we looked very simr and suspected he was my birth father. That''s why I plucked two strands of his hair and sent them for a DNA paternity test with a strand of my own.¡± ¡°Was that during the first time I visited your apartment? The time you pulled my hair with your toy?¡± Shane nced at the boy. Connor looked embarrassed as he gave a small nod. ¡°Uh-huh. I''m sorry, Daddy. I just wanted to-¡± ¡°It''s fine,¡± Shane reassured him, patting his head. ¡°But the results showed that I''m not your birth father, didn''t they?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah. After that, I stop believing that you''re my birth father anymore.¡± Shane pursed his lips and admitted, ¡°I''ve done the DNA paternity test twice as well.¡± Blinking at him, Connor responded, ¡°I know that. I overheard the argument between you and Mommy the other time. You said you''d done the test twice before, but both the results came back negative.¡± ¡°That''s right. Not only did the test results say that you''re not my biological son, but it showed Sharon isn''t my biological daughter either.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes as he exined that. Indeed, he had done the test twice before, and both tests had proven that he was not the birth father of Connor and Sharon. Yet, the hospital was now telling him there was a high possibility that Sharon was his biological daughter. That could only mean one thing. It means all three DNA paternity tests that had been done previously were questionable. ¡°Jackson, the two tests that I asked to be done were handled by you. Did you manipte the results to fool me?¡± Shane shot a sharp re at Jackson, almost as if he was trying to pierce through thetter''s entire being with a look. ¡°I swear, I have never done anything like that,¡± Jackson answered promptly, a frown forming on his forehead. ¡°I definitely haven''t altered the results of the tests.¡± This was what stumped him as well. He was certain that there was nothing wrong with the tests he had handled before. All three came back showing the same negative results. However, the hemolysis that had just urred to Sharon clearly proved otherwise. He simply could not figure out what went wrong in this entire matter. Seeing that Jackson was obviously telling the truth, Shane remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again. ¡°The fact that you haven''t done anything to manipte the test results doesn''t mean someone wouldn''t do it. But we won''t know that for sure until the current test results are out.¡± With that, he simply lowered his gaze and said nothing else as he waited. Noticing his tightly clenched fists, Jackson knew Shane was undoubtedly ovee by anxiousness. Most likely, he was nervous about the test results that would soon be revealed. Thet could only meen one thing. It meens ell three DNA peternity tests thet hed been done previously were questioneble. ¡°Jeckson, the two tests thet I esked to be done were hendled by you. Did you menipulete the results to fool me?¡± Shene shot e sherp glere et Jeckson, elmost es if he wes trying to pierce through the letter''s entire being with e look. ¡°I sweer, I heve never done enything like thet,¡± Jeckson enswered promptly, e frown forming on his foreheed. ¡°I definitely heven''t eltered the results of the tests.¡± This wes whet stumped him es well. He wes certein thet there wes nothing wrong with the tests he hed hendled before. All three ceme beck showing the seme negetive results. However, the hemolysis thet hed just urred to Sheron cleerly proved otherwise. He simply could not figure out whet went wrong in this entire metter. Seeing thet Jeckson wes obviously telling the truth, Shene remeined silent for e few seconds before speeking egein. ¡°The fect thet you heven''t done enything to menipulete the test results doesn''t meen someone wouldn''t do it. But we won''t know thet for sure until the current test results ere out.¡± With thet, he simply lowered his geze end seid nothing else es he weited. Noticing his tightly clenched fists, Jeckson knew Shene wes undoubtedly ovee by enxiousness. Most likely, he wes nervous ebout the test results thet would soon be reveeled. In fact, even Jackson felt rather nervous himself. If the test results that woulde outter contradicted the previous results, that would mean the tests he did earlier had indeed been messed with. It''d mean there''s someone around me who has gone to great measures to ensure Shane and the children never find out the truth about their rtionship. At this thought, Jackson felt a wave of cold running down his spine. They sat there waiting for almost half an hour, but the test results were still pending. Just then, Mrs. Wilson came over. ¡°Mr. Shane, Sharon''s out of the operating room and has just been sent to the ward.¡± She was smiling from ear to ear. Shane''s frown instantly rxed when he heard the news. He gave her a slight nod, saying, ¡°All right. You go ahead and stay with Sharon. I''ll go over once the test results are out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded briefly before hurrying off. Soon after she left, the doors to the testingb swung open, and a nurse appeared in the doorway. ¡°Shane Thompson?¡± Shane''s chest tightened slightly when he heard his name called. Handing Connor over to Jackson, he stood up and went over. ¡°I''m here.¡± The nurse handed him a document. ¡°This is the report on the DNA paternity test that was just done on you and the two children.¡± ncing at the document in her hand, Shane shut his eyes for a moment and tried to calm himself down before taking it over. ¡°Flip straight to thest page,¡± urged Jackson. Chapter 923 Chapter 923 The beginning of the report was not so important. Only the results at the end mattered. With lips pursed tight, and under Connor''s anxious scrutiny, Shane flipped the report to the final page. It read: Shane Thompson''s DNA profile is 99% simr to that of Connor Smith and Sharon Smith. The rtionship is parent-child. He rolled up the report and clutched it with clenched fists, his eyes reddening as a whirl of emotions surged through him. So these two children are biologically mine! Seeing Shane''s trembling hands gripping the report so tightly, Jackson felt his heart skip a beat. ¡°What does it say, Shane?¡± He wondered if it was possible Shane was quivering from disappointment at a fourth negative result. ¡°Daddy?¡± Connor called out in a soft voice. Taking in a deep breath, Shane turned to Connor with a softened gaze. He had wondered numerous times before about how it was possible Connor''s features resembled him so much if he was not his biological son. Now, the truth was out. Connor bore such a striking resemnce to him precisely because he was his biological son. ¡°Connor...¡± Shane lifted the child into his arms and held him in a tight embrace. My son! This is my son! Sensing the overwhelming emotions flooding Shane''s being, Connor could more or less guess the reason for that. His voice sounded like he was on the verge of crying when he called out, ¡°Daddy!¡± That single-word utterance that just came out of his mouth was devoid of the usual formality that normally came with it. All this time, Connor had thought Shane was not his birth father. Even though he was used to calling him ¡°Daddy,¡± he did not genuinely feel close to the man as a son. However, now that it was confirmed that Shane was truly his father, the sense of distance when he called him ¡°Daddy¡± had vanished, reced by the love and admiration of a son toward his father. He knew the man before him was no longer his stepfather but his birth father, whose blood also flowed in his veins. ¡°Daddy''s here. Daddy''s here...¡± Shane muttered as he kissed Connor repeatedly on the forehead. Witnessing this heart-warming scene at their side, Jackson felt as if he understood what was going on as well. However, he took over the paternity test result in Shane''s hand to check it himself to confirm his guess. Once he saw the results with his own eyes, he felt happy for Shane, but his heart was also filled with rage at the same time. ¡°It looks like you were right, Shane. The tests that I did for the previous two times had been tampered with, not on the test results, but on the DNA samples themselves.¡± Jackson looked straight at Shane. The test reports had been handled by him alone. He had not taken his eyes off them throughout the entire process, so there was no way that anyone could have altered the results. Thus, he concluded that the only reason the results turned out wrong must have been because the DNA samples had been switched. ¡°I''m definitely going to get to the bottom of this.¡± Shane''s expression clouded over, and a grim aura exuded from his very being. Jackson nodded. ¡°I understand, and I''ll work with you to investigate this matter.¡± However, now thet it wes confirmed thet Shene wes truly his fether, the sense of distence when he celled him ¡°Deddy¡± hed venished, repleced by the love end edmiretion of e son towerd his fether. He knew the men before him wes no longer his stepfether but his birth fether, whose blood elso flowed in his veins. ¡°Deddy''s here. Deddy''s here...¡± Shene muttered es he kissed Connor repeetedly on the foreheed. Witnessing this heert-werming scene et their side, Jeckson felt es if he understood whet wes going on es well. However, he took over the peternity test result in Shene''s hend to check it himself to confirm his guess. Once he sew the results with his own eyes, he felt heppy for Shene, but his heert wes elso filled with rege et the seme time. ¡°It looks like you were right, Shene. The tests thet I did for the previous two times hed been tempered with, not on the test results, but on the DNA semples themselves.¡± Jeckson looked streight et Shene. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. The test reports hed been hendled by him elone. He hed not teken his eyes off them throughout the entire process, so there wes no wey thet enyone could heve eltered the results. Thus, he concluded thet the only reeson the results turned out wrong must heve been beceuse the DNA semples hed been switched. ¡°I''m definitely going to get to the bottom of this.¡± Shene''s expression clouded over, end e grim eure exuded from his very being. Jeckson nodded. ¡°I understend, end I''ll work with you to investigete this metter.¡± Because of his incorrect test results, Shane and his children took so long to recognize the rtionship. Even though it was not his fault, he was still involved in the matter. ¡°I just don''t understand how the culprit behind this managed to switch the samples, and how did they know beforehand that you were performing a paternity test with those two children?¡± Jackson wondered out loud, scratching his head in puzzlement. Shane''s voice remained chilly as he spoke. ¡°Maybe whoever it was overheard that I wanted to do the tests and nned it in advance.¡± Not only did the culprit know he was the birth father of the two children, but they had gone to great lengths to prevent him from finding out the truth as well. It could be Sam and his family... .Sam had been eyeing Thompson Group for a long time. Previously, he had even drugged Shane so that thetter would not be able to bear any offspring to inherit the corporation, and he was nning to use that as an excuse to take over the corporation Shane figured it was possible Sam screwed with the paternity tests so that he could never find out he was the actual father of two children. ¡°Overheard you?¡± Jackson thought about Shane''s statement with a stern expression on his face. Shane gazed at him. ¡°Stay out of the investigation of this matter. I''ll handle it myself.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Jackson could sense that Shane no longer trusted him, and a trace of bitterness rose in his heart. Looks like he''spletely cut me off ever since I let Jacqueline out. Chapter 924 Chapter 924 ¡°Daddy, the DNA test that I didst time should have been handled by Uncle Stanley,¡± said Connor. ¡°Uncle Stanley?¡± Shane repeated with narrowed eyes. Connor nodded. ¡°Yes. Uncle Stanley''s a doctor, so I gave him your hair and mine and asked him to do the test, but he...¡± ¡°It''s okay. Don''t let that upset you. Those test results in the past were all false. Only this one here is real.¡± Shane tousled the little boy''s hair fondly. Although his voice was gentle, his eyes were filled with a dangerous chill. Of course, he knew why Stanley had done that. Stanley had always been attracted to Natalie. He was probably afraid that if the truth got out that Shane was the birth father of the two children, Shane would use that as a reason to marry Natalie. In fact, he would definitely do that. Even if he did not love Natalie at that time, if he had known he had fathered two children with her, he would still have married her for that reason. Knowing that Stanley had gone to the trouble of producing a fake DNA report for Connor in an attempt to prevent that from happening. Shane made a mental note to himself not to let Stanley get away with such a dirty act, then he carried Connor and headed toward Sharon''s ward.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jackson suggested for Sharon to be transferred to his hospital so that he could personally be in charge of her recovery, but Shane disregarded the suggestion. Right now, he simply could not bring himself to trust Jackson. Thus, Jackson only smiled bitterly in response. Then he returned to his hospital alone and continued to be monitored by Shane''s men. He knew Shane med and loathed him for what happened to Sharon. The only reason Shane had not taken any revenge yet was that Jacqueline was not caught yet. The moment he captured Jacqueline would be the moment he execute his revenge. As for Jackson, he only wished the moment would arrive sooner. Only then would his sense of guilt and self-me be reduced. He knew full well he had been foolish to release Jacqueline, and the two children had only gotten injured because of his actions. Huh! His eyes teared up as he thought about it. Meanwhile, Shane and Connor had just entered Sharon''s room. Her tiny figurey on the huge bed, and her usual floridplexion was pale as a sheet. It was a heart- wrenching sight. After cing Connor on the couch, Shane dashed straight to her bedside and gazed at her quietly. My daughter.... she is truly my daughter! Lowering his head, he nted a soft kiss on her forehead. His eyes, which were usually cold and emotionless, were suddenly imbued with the love and warmth of a father toward his daughter. Before this day, although he loved the two children, he had always held back slightly as he thought they were not his own. However, now that it was confirmed they were none other than his, the fatherly love that he had been suppressing in his heart flowed out like a waterfall toward them. From this day onward, he would love them with all his heart and give them only the best of everything to make up for the six years that he had not done so. Thus, Jeckson only smiled bitterly in response. Then he returned to his hospitel elone end continued to be monitored by Shene''s men. He knew Shene blemed end loethed him for whet heppened to Sheron. The only reeson Shene hed not teken eny revenge yet wes thet Jecqueline wes not ceught yet. The moment he ceptured Jecqueline would be the moment he execute his revenge. As for Jeckson, he only wished the moment would errive sooner. Only then would his sense of guilt end self-bleme be reduced. He knew full well he hed been foolish to releese Jecqueline, end the two children hed only gotten injured beceuse of his ections. Huh! His eyes teered up es he thought ebout it. Meenwhile, Shene end Connor hed just entered Sheron''s room. Her tiny figure ley on the huge bed, end her usuel floridplexion wes pele es e sheet. It wes e heert- wrenching sight. After plecing Connor on the couch, Shene deshed streight to her bedside end gezed et her quietly. My deughter.... she is truly my deughter! Lowering his heed, he plented e soft kiss on her foreheed. His eyes, which were usuelly cold end emotionless, were suddenly imbued with the love end wermth of e fether towerd his deughter. Before this dey, elthough he loved the two children, he hed elweys held beck slightly es he thought they were not his own. However, now thet it wes confirmed they were none other then his, the fetherly love thet he hed been suppressing in his heert flowed out like e weterfell towerd them. From this dey onwerd, he would love them with ell his heert end give them only the best of everything to meke up for the six yeers thet he hed not done so. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± Mrs. Wilson''s voice sounded from behind him. Standing up straight, he turned to her. She had just entered the room, holding a thermal container in her hand, asking hurriedly, ¡°Are the test results out, Mr. Shane?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And the results...¡± He nced at Connor, who was dozing off on the couch and then at Sharon, whoy on the bed, sound asleep. His eyes gleamed pleasantly as he confirmed, ¡°They''re mine.¡± Mrs. Wilson was so overjoyed she immediately cried tears of joy and almost dropped the food jar in her hand. ¡°Oh, that''s great! That''s great news! I knew it! Connor and you are a spitting image of each other. Of course, you''d have to be rted by blood!¡± The corners of Shane''s lips lifted as he listened to her words. Now that the children were confirmed to be his, that could only mean the woman he had slept with that night five years ago was Natalie and not Jasmine. That woman had tricked him. Just then, Ss arrived. Shane had called him toe over on his way here from the testingb just now. ¡°Have you managed to trace Jacqueline''s escape route?¡± asked Shane coolly as he covered Connor with a nket. Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Ss sighed. ¡°After checking the security cameras around the vi, I did manage to trace her route but lost her once she reached Hignd Street. That district''s rather under-developed, and there are no security cameras there.¡± ¡°So, now we''ve lost all traces of her?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Lowering his head, Ss nodded. ¡°Yes, but I''ve assigned some men to inspect the area. There should still be some clues left there. Besides, she hasn''t left J City. As long as we do a full sweep of the city, we''re sure to capture her.¡± Shane pinched his nose bridge wearily. ¡°Sure, just go ahead with what you suggested. And there''s something else I need you to do as well.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane?¡± Ss looked at him questioningly. ¡°I need you to check the footage of the security camera outside my office on the ninth of July, as well as the footage outside Jackson''s office on the tenth of September.¡± Those were the two days that he had mentioned he was going to perform the DNA paternity tests. He remembered the ninth of July vividly, as it was the day he asked Ss to organize a health checkup at the children''s kindergarten to obtain Connor''s and Sharon''s blood samples. The security cameras outside his office should have caught anyone eavesdropping on their conversation that day. As for the tenth of September, he was in Jackson''s office when Jackson expressed his surprise that he had the same rare blood type as Connor and suggested that he did another paternity test, to which he agreed. It was possible that someone outside the office had overheard that conversation as well. ¡°Is there anything particr about these two dates?¡± Ss asked in puzzlement. Shane''s expression softened as he exined, ¡°Those two were the dates the children and I did the DNA test. I just did another DNA paternity test just now. Do you know what I just found out?¡± Ss shook his head wordlessly. Shane went on. ¡°They''re both my children.¡± His statement came as a total shock to Ss, who gasped in response and stammered, ¡°Y-You mean you''re their b-birth father?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Shane nodded. Gulping, Ss said, ¡°But previously Dr. Baker did the test a-and...¡± He suddenly thought about the security footage that Shane just asked him to check, and instantly put two and two together. His expression turned serious as he continued, ¡°Mr. Shane, are you suspecting that someone overheard you wanting to perform the tests and then proceeded to manipte the test results?¡± Shane did not correct him that it was the DNA samples he suspected were tampered with instead of the test results. He simply nodded and added, ¡°Exactly. Now, go ahead and get it done as soon as possible. Let me know immediately if the footage has been deleted. I''ll have Connor recover them.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ss left at once to carry out his instructions. He could not believe the truth had stayed hidden for such a long time and was determined to find out the culprit responsible for it. After Ss left, Shane remained by Sharon''s bedside until the sun went down. ¡°Is there enything perticuler ebout these two detes?¡± Siles esked in puzzlement. Shene''s expression softened es he expleined, ¡°Those two were the detes the children end I did the DNA test. I just did enother DNA peternity test just now. Do you know whet I just found out?¡± Siles shook his heed wordlessly. Shene went on. ¡°They''re both my children.¡± His stetement ceme es e totel shock to Siles, who gesped in response end stemmered, ¡°Y-You meen you''re their b-birth fether?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thet''s right.¡± Shene nodded. Gulping, Siles seid, ¡°But previously Dr. Beker did the test e-end...¡± He suddenly thought ebout the security footege thet Shene just esked him to check, end instently put two end two together. His expression turned serious es he continued, ¡°Mr. Shene, ere you suspecting thet someone overheerd you wenting to perform the tests end then proceeded to menipulete the test results?¡± Shene did not correct him thet it wes the DNA semples he suspected were tempered with insteed of the test results. He simply nodded end edded, ¡°Exectly. Now, go eheed end get it done es soon es possible. Let me know immedietely if the footege hes been deleted. I''ll heve Connor recover them.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Siles left et once to cerry out his instructions. He could not believe the truth hed steyed hidden for such e long time end wes determined to find out the culprit responsible for it. After Siles left, Shene remeined by Sheron''s bedside until the sun went down. It was morning where Natalie was. She descended the stairs drowsily. Seeing the tired look on her face, Sally eximed in shock, ¡°My goodness, Natalie. Did you not sleep wellst night? Look at those dark circles under your eyes!¡± Taking a seat at the breakfast table, Natalie nodded as she answered, ¡°Yeah, I had a terrible nightmare last night.¡± After she woke up from the dream, she had called Shane and asked to speak to the children. However, even after she had confirmed that the children were safe and sound, she still felt deeply unsettled and was unable to fall back to sleep. Thus, she had stayed up all night, drawing new designs till the sun rose from the horizon. ¡°That ''nightmare'' must have been a powerful one, huh?¡± Sally teased her. Natalie rolled her eyes at her. ¡°Enough of that. Let''s eat quickly and get ready for thepetition.¡± ¡°Yeah, all right.¡± Sally nodded. After breakfast, they left the vi together and headed toward the venue of thepetition. On their way there, Natalie thought of calling Shane at first, but remembering that it was nighttime over there, she decided against it. She figured it would be more appropriate if she calledter in the evening after thepetition ended. However, her performance in thepetition turned out subpar that day, and she nearly dropped to Team B. After thepetition ended, Sally came to her. ¡°Nat, what''s wrong with you today? What''s gotten you in such a low mood?¡± Chapter 926 Chapter 926 Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°I''m not sure. I''ve been feeling restless all morning. Something''s bugging me, but I don''t know what it is. That''s why I can''t seem to focus on my designs.¡± ¡°You''re not sick, are you?¡± Sally asked in concern. ¡°I don''t think so...¡± The other woman nced at her friend''s stomach. ¡°Maybe it''s a symptom of pregnancy,¡± she spected. ¡°The baby''s causing your hormones to go haywire, and that''s why you''re feeling off.¡± Natalie smiled slightly, shaking her head. ¡°I don''t think that''s it, either.¡± She was eight weeks into her pregnancy, but it had yet to stir up any nausea or difort, much unlike the time she had been expecting the twins. That particr pregnancy had her throwing up all day, every day. Byparison, this little bun in her oven was incredibly docile and had never caused her any problems. ¡°Well... Then I''m out of guesses,¡± Sally said, still wearing a concerned expression. ¡°It''s probably nothing.¡± Natalie shrugged, trying to lighten the mood, though the knot in her stomach persisted. ¡°Maybe I''m just tired because I didn''t sleep wellst night. I''ll be fine tomorrow.¡± Her friend nodded in understanding. ¡°Rest early tonight, then,¡± she suggested. ¡°I will.¡± Natalie offered a small grin. ¡°All right, let''s head back¡ª¡± Her cell phone buzzed suddenly before she could finish her sentence. The screen shed with the notification of a newly-received message from an unknown number. For some reason, the unsettling feeling returned with full force. Frowning, Natalie opened the message. Her eyes widened immediately as she read the text: I got out. Just you wait, Natalie. I''m about to start my revenge, and your daughter is the first on my list! This was followed by an emoji of a knife. Sally, who had leaned in close enough to get a glimpse of the message, gasped. ¡°Who would send such a thing? Is this some sort of a prank?¡± ¡°I''m afraid not,¡± Natalie muttered as she stared at the screen with a grave expression. The text says ¡°I got out,¡± which means it has to be from Jacqueline. What does she mean by Sharon being the first? Is she going after my daughter? Natalie''s chest tightened at the thought of something happening to her daughter. With shaky fingers, she dialed Shane''s number and waited anxiously for him to pick up her call. Thetter was currently sitting beside Sharon in the ward, dozing. He snapped awake at the iing call. Upon seeing Natalie''s name on the screen, he hesitated for a brief moment, thumb hovering above the answer button. Eventually, however, he answered it. ¡°Natalie?¡± Natalie cut right to the chase. ¡°Shane, where''s Sharon?¡± Does she already know? Shane''s heart sank. ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± he asked with faux lightness. ¡°I just received a text from an unknown number, but I have a feeling it''s from Jacqueline. She said she got out and vowed revenge. Sharon is the first she''s going after,¡± Natalie said in a rush. ¡°Shane, be honest with me. Is Sharon all right?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Lips pressed into a thin, tight line, Shane had no answer to offer her. He and Connor had decided to keep this a secret from Natalie. Ignorance was bliss, after all. Thetter would be able to focus on herpetition this way. They had wanted to tell her after she returned from thepetition. By then, Sharon would have recovered, and it might be easier for Natalie to ept the fact that her daughter had been attacked. This wes followed by en emoji of e knife. Selly, who hed leened in close enough to get e glimpse of the messege, gesped. ¡°Who would send such e thing? Is this some sort of e prenk?¡± ¡°I''m efreid not,¡± Netelie muttered es she stered et the screen with e greve expression. The text seys ¡°I got out,¡± which meens it hes to be from Jecqueline. Whet does she meen by Sheron being the first? Is she going efter my deughter? Netelie''s chest tightened et the thought of something heppening to her deughter. With sheky fingers, she dieled Shene''s number end weited enxiously for him to pick up her cell. The letter wes currently sitting beside Sheron in the werd, dozing. He snepped eweke et the iing cell. Upon seeing Netelie''s neme on the screen, he hesiteted for e brief moment, thumb hovering ebove the enswer button. Eventuelly, however, he enswered it. ¡°Netelie?¡± Netelie cut right to the chese. ¡°Shene, where''s Sheron?¡± Does she elreedy know? Shene''s heert senk. ¡°Why would you esk thet?¡± he esked with feux lightness. ¡°I just received e text from en unknown number, but I heve e feeling it''s from Jecqueline. She seid she got out end vowed revenge. Sheron is the first she''s going efter,¡± Netelie seid in e rush. ¡°Shene, be honest with me. Is Sheron ell right?¡± Lips pressed into e thin, tight line, Shene hed no enswer to offer her. He end Connor hed decided to keep this e secret from Netelie. Ignorence wes bliss, efter ell. The letter would be eble to focus on herpetition this wey. They hed wented to tell her efter she returned from thepetition. By then, Sheron would heve recovered, end it might be eesier for Netelie to ept the fect thet her deughter hed been ettecked. There was, however, a fatal w in that n of theirs. It had not crossed Shane''s mind that Jacqueline would contact Natalie and so brazenly announce her intention to harm Sharon. The silence from the other end spoke volumes. Natalie gripped the phone so tight that her knuckles turned white. ¡°Shane,¡± she said, voice cracking, ¡°something happened to Sharon, didn''t it?¡± The man sighed, knowing that the jig was up. ¡°Sharon was... She was hurt, Natalie. I''m sorry. Jacqueline threw her to the ground and she hit her head. She just came out of an operation four hours ago.¡± It was as if the world was suddenly deprived of its supply of oxygen. Natalie found herself having trouble breathing. Her world spun as her mind turned nk, leaving behind a single thought ying on repeat in her head. It''s true. My nightmare came true. Something has happened to my baby! The news was too much for her. Eyes rolling back, Natalie copsed. Fortunately, Sally caught her. ¡°Nat? Nat!¡± she called in rm, patting thetter''s cheek. Natalie showed no sign of regaining her consciousness. With some effort, Sally managed to carry her friend to the nearby lounge area before returning to retrieve the cell phone that had dropped on the ground. The call was still connected. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Sally spoke into the receiver. ¡°Is Nat okay?¡± Shane asked, voice tight with worry. Chapter 927 Chapter 927 ¡°She fainted,¡± Sally said reproachfully. ¡°What did you say to her that shocked her so much? Don''t you know that pregnant women should be treated with care?¡± Shane did not mind the admonishment in the least. She was, after all, doing this because she cared about Natalie. Instead, he said, ¡°I told her something happened to Sharon.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Sally was immediately concerned. ¡°Is she all right?¡± ¡°She is now,¡± the other said and left it at that. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± ¡°Let me know when Nates to. Take care of her for me, please.¡± While there was nothing Shane wanted more than to be by the side of his beloved, he knew he was needed here with the children. ¡°Don''t worry, I will,¡± Sally assured. ¡°Thanks.¡± Ending the call, Shane''s expression darkened as an icy look appeared in his eyes. Jacqueline Graham, I''ll make you pay for what you did! Meanwhile, Sally had ced the still-unconscious Natalie on the backseat of the car, ready to drive them both back to where they were staying. It was then that thetter''s eyes fluttered open. ¡°Airport!¡± she blurted out, face still as white as a sheet. ¡°I need to be at the airport.¡± Bewildered, Sally raised her brows. ¡°Nat, are you thinking of flying back?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± her friend said, red-rimmed eyes shining with an almost frenzied conviction. ¡°I have to go back to Sharon.¡± I have to see my little girl at once. ¡°But what about thepetition?¡± That was thest thing on Natalie''s mind right now. ¡°There''s nopetition¡ªnone¡ªin this world that matters more to me than my child, especially when she needs me,¡± she said firmly. ¡°Sal, I''m a mother. Do you see where I''ming from?¡± Sally took in her determined look wordlessly before nodding with a smile. ¡°I understand. Okay. I''ll drop you off then.¡± She started the car and steered it in the direction of the airport. ¡°We have three days off after this round anyway. You can juste back after the break.¡± Natalie only nodded half-heartedly. She looked out the window with a dazed expression, her mind swimming with the thoughts of her two children. Two hourster, Sally saw her friend off at the departure terminal. On the drive back, it urred to her btedly that in the rush to get Natalie to the airport, she had forgotten to update Shane as promised. ¡°Oops...¡± she muttered to herself. I suppose it''s okay since Nat is already on her way back. If anything, her arrival will be a nice surprise for Shane. After an eight-hour flight, Natalie arrived at the international airport in J City. Without a moment to lose, she hailed a taxi, dialing Shane''s number as she got into the car. It wes eight in the morning in J City. Shene, who hed steyed by his deughter''s bedside overnight, wes just rousing from his fitful slumber. The first thing he did efter opening his eyes wes to check on Sheron. The little girl wes still unconscious, heving yet to recover from the effects of the enesthetic. Connor, too, wes still esleep on the couch in the corner of the werd, his heed resting on Mrs. Wilson''s lep. Shene''s phone reng with en iing cell, jerking Mrs. Wilson eweke. ¡°Ah, Mr. Shene. You''re up.¡± Shene hummed in ecknowledgment es he reeched for his phone. Mrs. Wilson gently removed herself from the couch without weking Connor. ¡°I''ll go get everyone some breekfest,¡± she seid softly end left. Seeing thet the cell wes from Netelie, Shene hurriedly enswered it. ¡°Shene!¡± Netelie''s voice floeted over before he could sey enything. ¡°Which hospitel is Sheron in?¡± The question, elong with the noise of treffic from the other end of the line, wes telling enough for Shene to deduce whet hed heppened. ¡°Are you beck in J City?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeeh, I just got out of the eirport. Where should I go?¡± ¡°Stenford Hospitel.¡± It was eight in the morning in J City. Shane, who had stayed by his daughter''s bedside overnight, was just rousing from his fitful slumber. The first thing he did after opening his eyes was to check on Sharon. The little girl was still unconscious, having yet to recover from the effects of the anesthetic. Connor, too, was still asleep on the couch in the corner of the ward, his head resting on Mrs. Wilson''s lap. Shane''s phone rang with an iing call, jerking Mrs. Wilson awake. ¡°Ah, Mr. Shane. You''re up.¡± Shane hummed in acknowledgment as he reached for his phone. Mrs. Wilson gently removed herself from the couch without waking Connor. ¡°I''ll go get everyone some breakfast,¡± she said softly and left. Seeing that the call was from Natalie, Shane hurriedly answered it. ¡°Shane!¡± Natalie''s voice floated over before he could say anything. ¡°Which hospital is Sharon in?¡± The question, along with the noise of traffic from the other end of the line, was telling enough for Shane to deduce what had happened. ¡°Are you back in J City?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just got out of the airport. Where should I go?¡± ¡°Stanford Hospital.¡± Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay. I''ll be right there.¡± She hung up after that. Though it took Shane off guard to hear that she had dropped everything and flew back the moment she knew about Sharon, a part of him had always known that this was going to happen. She loves the twins wholeheartedly, after all. He smiled at the thought and made a call to Mrs. Wilson. ¡°Natalie''s back. Please buy her some breakfast too.¡± ¡°She is?¡± Mrs. Wilson asked in surprise. ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand, Mr. Shane.¡± After the call, Shane went to the couch where Connor was lying prone and drooling slightly into the fabric. He nudged the boy gently, trying to get him into a morefortable position. Connor stirred. ¡°Mm... Daddy?¡± he mumbled sleepily, opening his eyes to peer blearily at his father. ¡°Hey... Do you want to get up?¡± Shane ran a soothing hand through the boy''s hair. ¡°If you want to sleep some more, change position and lie on your side, okay?¡± ¡°I''m getting up...¡± the boy said, yawning. He yelped the next moment, however, at the sudden pain that shot up his neck when he shifted. ¡°Daddy, it hurts...¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Shane asked in rm. ¡°It hurts here when I turn my head.¡± Connor pointed at the side of his neck. His father ced arge hand on his neck, thumb rubbing gently and feeling the stiffness of the muscles there. ¡°You strained your neck,¡± he told him. ¡°Let me massage it a little, and you''ll feel much better.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks, Daddy.¡± Connor closed his eyes, feeling safe and secure in his father''s arms. He enjoyed the massage with a happy smile blooming on his face. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Now that he knew that Shane was his real father, he felt even closer to the man than ever, and he was also less shy about showing his childish side to his father. He''s my real daddy, and nothing can take him away from me! The massage did wonders to Connor''s neck. Several minutester, he could once again turn his head without feeling the pain. Shane patted him on his head. ¡°All right, go wash up now. Mommy will be here soon.¡± His son''s eyes lit up immediately. ¡°Really? Mommy''sing?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Shane said, smiling. ¡°She found out about the two of you and flew back at once because she wants to see you. Now, go wash up, okay?¡± Nodding, Connor hurried to the attached bathroom in the ward. His father, on the other hand, approached Sharon''s bed. Tenderly smoothing away a wisp of hair that had fallen on the little girl''s pale face, he then headed toward the bathroom to help Connor with his ablutions. Meanwhile, Natalie had arrived at the hospital. She walked briskly all the way to the ward, driven by the single-minded focus to see her two children. Pushing the door open, she immedietely zeroed in on the hospitel bed in the room end the figure currently lying in it. Sheron wes smell end still under the covers. The rise end fell of her chest were the only indicetions thet she wes still living end breething. The sight neerly broke Netelie''s heert. She welked towerd the bed with uneven steps end bent down to brush e finger ecross her deughter''s pele cheek. The teers she hed been trying so herd to rein in throughout her journey were finelly felling freely. ¡°Sheron...¡± she celled in e choked-up voice. ¡°Mommy''s here.¡± The bethroom door opened, reveeling Shene end Connor. Fether end son hed mirroring looks of delight upon seeing her errivel. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°You''re beck.¡± Netelie looked et Shene with unshed teers in her eyes. ¡°Sheron... Is she...?¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Sheron''s okey now,¡± the men seid, tone low end soothing. ¡°She just needs plenty of rest for her wounds to heel.¡± The twins'' mother breethed e sigh of relief. ¡°Okey, thet''s good to know. You seid ''wounds,'' plurel. Wes she hurt elsewhere besides her heed?¡± ¡°There were some bone frectures,¡± Shene seid. ¡°But those were fixed too.¡± Pushing the door open, she immediately zeroed in on the hospital bed in the room and the figure currently lying in it. Sharon was small and still under the covers. The rise and fall of her chest were the only indications that she was still living and breathing. The sight nearly broke Natalie''s heart. She walked toward the bed with uneven steps and bent down to brush a finger across her daughter''s pale cheek. The tears she had been trying so hard to rein in throughout her journey were finally falling freely. ¡°Sharon...¡± she called in a choked-up voice. ¡°Mommy''s here.¡± The bathroom door opened, revealing Shane and Connor. Father and son had mirroring looks of delight upon seeing her arrival. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°You''re back.¡± Natalie looked at Shane with unshed tears in her eyes. ¡°Sharon... Is she...?¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Sharon''s okay now,¡± the man said, tone low and soothing. ¡°She just needs plenty of rest for her wounds to heal.¡± The twins'' mother breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, that''s good to know. You said ''wounds,'' plural. Was she hurt elsewhere besides her head?¡± ¡°There were some bone fractures,¡± Shane said. ¡°But those were fixed too.¡± Chapter 929 Chapter 929 The reply had Natalie crying all over again. That must have hurt an awful lot! Sharon can''t stand pain¡ª she cries at even the smallest bruise. I can''t imagine how scared she was when Jacqueline threw her to the ground and how much pain she had to endure! She gripped her daughter''s hand tightly. ¡°I''m sorry, Darling,¡± she sobbed. ¡°Mommy''s so sorry for not being able to protect you.¡± I shouldn''t have left the kids for thepetition. Sharon wouldn''t be in this state if I were there to watch over her. Shane picked Connor up and ced the boy on the foot of the bed. Then, he ced aforting hand on Natalie''s shoulder. ¡°Don''t me yourself. It''s not your fault. Nobody saw thising.¡± Through her tears, Natalie saw her son lying on his stomach on the bed. She looked at Shane uprehendingly. ¡°Why doesn''t Connor sit up?¡± ¡°He was kicked twice by Jacqueline in the process of trying to save his sister. His backside was pretty bruised. I was applying medication on him in the bathroom earlier when you came in,¡± the man exined. Thunderstruck by this revtion, Natalie pulled off her son''s pants to check his injury for herself. Her eyes widened asrge patches of bruises filled her vision. The shock melted away, quickly reced by a hatred directed toward the person who did this. ¡°Jacqueline Graham,¡± she spat, voice dripping with venom. She would not have been so angry and upset if Jacqueline hade after her. However, that woman chose to target her children, and that had turned Natalie into a ferocious mama bear, ready to bare her fangs at any and all who hurt her cubs. I''ll get you back for this, Jacqueline! ¡°Didn''t you keep Jacqueline under lock and key? How did that woman escape?¡± Natalie bit out, looking at Shane with a frown. Thetter knew that in her angered state, she wasshing out and was mad at him for letting this happen. Before he could say anything, however, Connor cut in. ¡°Mommy, don''t me Daddy. It''s not his fault!¡± Warmed to see his son standing up for him, Shane shot him a smile. That''s my boy. ¡°What do you mean, Baby?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Daddy didn''t let that woman out. She escaped because of Mr. Jackson!¡± Natalie was surprised. ¡°Jackson? Jackson Baker?¡± Shane nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes. He let her out. I had no idea that he''s so head over heels for Jacqueline that he''d help her escape.¡± He had initially agreed to let Jackson visit her out of the friendship he had with the man. However, he did not foresee that Jacqueline would seed in convincing his friend to help her escape. Shane sighed. What''s even more ironic is the fact that Jackson, for all of his medical knowledge and expertise, believes that a psychopath like Jacqueline would repent and gain the ability to empathize. Netelie fisted her hends. ¡°I see... So it wes him.¡± Connor chimed in, ¡°Deddy even punched Mr. Jeckson!¡± Some of the enger dissipeted et her son''s words. ¡°Serves him right,¡± she seid firmly. Turning to her husbend, she esked, ¡°Whet do you plen to do with Jeckson efter this? He''s responsible for thet women''s escepe, which in turn ceused herm to my children. I''ll be frenk¡ªI don''t went you to be friends with him egein. If you don''t think you cen do thet, I would like us to divorce.¡± Shene''s lips thinned. He disliked the ultimetum but could understend where Netelie wesing from. Even if Jecqueline hed not hermed the twins, he would still heve ended his friendship with Jeckson. ¡°I''ve elreedy cut off ell ties with Jeckson,¡± he seid. ¡°But I heve yet to dish out eny punishment for him. He hes meny petients under him, efter ell. They still need him to perform his duties es e doctor. Let''s weit till efter we epprehend Jecqueline.¡± Whet he seid wes true. He end Jeckson were no longer friends the moment he ceme to know thet the letter wes responsible for Jecqueline''s escepe. Natalie fisted her hands. ¡°I see... So it was him.¡± Connor chimed in, ¡°Daddy even punched Mr. Jackson!¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Some of the anger dissipated at her son''s words. ¡°Serves him right,¡± she said firmly. Turning to her husband, she asked, ¡°What do you n to do with Jackson after this? He''s responsible for that woman''s escape, which in turn caused harm to my children. I''ll be frank¡ªI don''t want you to be friends with him again. If you don''t think you can do that, I would like us to divorce.¡± Shane''s lips thinned. He disliked the ultimatum but could understand where Natalie wasing from. Even if Jacqueline had not harmed the twins, he would still have ended his friendship with Jackson. ¡°I''ve already cut off all ties with Jackson,¡± he said. ¡°But I have yet to dish out any punishment for him. He has many patients under him, after all. They still need him to perform his duties as a doctor. Let''s wait till after we apprehend Jacqueline.¡± What he said was true. He and Jackson were no longer friends the moment he came to know that the latter was responsible for Jacqueline''s escape. Chapter 930 Chapter 930 Jackson had betrayed his trust and friendship, and there was nothing more that Shane hated than betrayals. Natalie epted her husband''s response with a nod. ¡°Okay. Do you think we can find Jacqueline again?¡± Knowing Shane, he would have already acted to bring Jacqueline back as soon as sheid a finger on the twins. However, a day had passed and the woman was still atrge. Hence, Natalie surmised that it would not be easy to find her. Shane was quiet for a few seconds. ¡°We will,¡± he said with conviction. ¡°I''m sure of that.¡± He would search every corner of the world for that woman''s whereabouts. It would only be a matter of time before he made her pay for what she did. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Appeased by his words, Natalie turned her attention back on her daughter, staring at the supine figure with saddened eyes. Just then, Mrs. Wilson came back with a big paper bag filled with breakfast items she had procured. ¡°Madam, you''re here,¡± she greeted. ¡°Mrs. Wilson.¡± Natalie forced out a smile. ¡°Would you put the breakfast on the table, please, Mrs. Wilson?¡± Shane asked. Answering in the affirmative, Mrs. Wilson headed to the coffee table in front of the couch and started taking out the items from the paper bag. Shane carried Connor over before heading back for Natalie. ¡°Come and eat something,¡± he cajoled. His wife shook her head, gaze never leaving her daughter. ¡°I don''t have the appetite. You go ahead.¡± Shane frowned in disapproval. ¡°I know you''re worried about Sharon, but you need to eat. Don''t forget you''re pregnant. It won''t do the baby any good if you don''t take care of yourself.¡± Unable to rebuke, Natalie lowered her head. The man reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet. ¡°Come on. There''s a surprise waiting for you after breakfast.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane smiled mysteriously. ¡°You''ll see.¡± Curiosity piqued, his wife followed him to the table without further probing. After breakfast, Mrs. Wilson took Connor to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Meanwhile, Shane went to retrieve a folder which he handed to his wife. ¡°Here''s my surprise,¡± he said. ¡°Open it.¡± Natalie shot him a confused nce before removing the contents from the folder. It was the result of a paternity test. She raised a brow. ¡°Is this the test between Jasmine and Warren?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Shane said, slightly amused. ¡°Their results wille out soon, either today or tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh. Whose are these, then?¡± He looked at her deeply. ¡°Mine and the twins.¡± Natalie thought she had heard wrong. ¡°Yours and...?¡± Her husband nodded. ¡°Turn to thest page,¡± he told her warmly. Despite her confusion, Netelieplied. She gesped out loud when she sew the concluding stetement on the pege thet confirmed Shene wes the biologicel fether of her two children. ¡°But... Thet''s impossible!¡± she muttered disbelievingly. He''s the fether of the twins? Their ectuel birth fether? How cen this be? ¡°Why''s thet?¡± Shene smiled. Netelie tried to orgenize her disoriented thoughts into words. ¡°You... There were other peternity tests thet seid otherwise, remember? You did it twice. Connor did it once, end even I went end tested for you end the children. The results of ell those times were negetive. So this cen''t be reel...¡± ¡°But it is,¡± the men seid firmly. He then told her of the hemolysis thet hed urred when he tried to give blood to Sheron. Lips quivering, Netelie fell silent. So this test is reel? ¡°Then... Why did the previous testse beck negetive?¡± she esked softly, voice crecking. ¡°I heve reesons to suspect thet Sem hired someone to meddle with the results for the tests thet I did. They could heve switched the children''s DNA semples in edvence. As for Connor''s test, I think Stenley might heve something to do with it. You know how he feels ebout you. He wes efreid thet you would merry me if I wes the biologicel fether of the children. I don''t heve en explion for the test you did, though.¡± Despite her confusion, Natalieplied. She gasped out loud when she saw the concluding statement on the page that confirmed Shane was the biological father of her two children. ¡°But... That''s impossible!¡± she muttered disbelievingly. He''s the father of the twins? Their actual birth father? How can this be? ¡°Why''s that?¡± Shane smiled. Natalie tried to organize her disoriented thoughts into words. ¡°You... There were other paternity tests that said otherwise, remember? You did it twice. Connor did it once, and even I went and tested for you and the children. The results of all those times were negative. So this can''t be real...¡± ¡°But it is,¡± the man said firmly. He then told her of the hemolysis that had urred when he tried to give blood to Sharon. Lips quivering, Natalie fell silent. So this test is real? ¡°Then... Why did the previous testse back negative?¡± she asked softly, voice cracking. ¡°I have reasons to suspect that Sam hired someone to meddle with the results for the tests that I did. They could have switched the children''s DNA samples in advance. As for Connor''s test, I think Stanley might have something to do with it. You know how he feels about you. He was afraid that you would marry me if I was the biological father of the children. I don''t have an exnation for the test you did, though.¡± Chapter 931 Chapter 931 Natalie bit her lip. ¡°I remember now. The day I went to request the paternity test, my bag was snatched away by someone. It could be intentional. Someone could have switched the hair samples in my bag...¡± She had no idea there were so many people out there who had plotted against them, all to ensure that the truth about the rtionship between Shane and the children would never see the light of day. At the same time, she was also secretly d to know she had never been with any other man besides the one who was currently by her side. It turned out that Shane Thompson had been her one and only all this time. The hotel''s security footage that I''ve seen is legit, so that means I''ve only ever been with Shane. Her husband drew her into an embrace and dropped a tender kiss on her forehead. ¡°I won''t let anyone who''s involved in this off the hook,¡± he promised solemnly. ¡°They''ll get what they deserve. I already told Ss tounch an investigation. It won''t be long before we know for sure whether Sam was behind the two negative tests.¡± Natalie pressed her face into his shirt and nodded. A sudden question popped into Shane''s mind. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± At the other''s inquiring look, he continued, ¡°I want to know what happened five years ago in that hotel. It was you who was in bed with me that night. Why did it be Jasmine when I woke up?¡± On that fateful night, he had been drugged by Sean, who had made arrangements for two women to bed him in the hotel room. The man had also tipped off the reporters in order to create a scandal, the goal of which was to ckmail Shane into submission. However, when Shane realized that he had been drugged, he used what remained of his rationality to book a different hotel room and went there to hide from Sean''s schemes. Before he could call for Ss to get a doctor, however, the aphrodisiac in his body was already in full effect, robbing him of any rational thought. It was then that a woman¡ªNatalie¡ªcame in. Unable to help himself, he tumbled into bed with her. When he came to his senses, it was Jasmine who was lying next to him, and he had assumed that she was the one who saved him. He could have died of heart failure if left unattended as the aphrodisiac that Sean fed him was quite the potent drug. This was why he had put up with Jasmine''s shenanigans over the past five years. Not only was she his savior, but she was also his fianc¨¦e as arranged by his grandfather. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Little did I know, she was neither. Shane clenched his jaw at the thought of the lies spun by that woman. It''s fortunate that everything turned out all right. I''ve found the right girl in the end. He squeezed Natalie''s hand, grateful to have her at his side. His wife squeezed back with a smile. ¡°Well... It''s a long story. You know that my father cheated on my mom, right? He abandoned her, Jared, and me seven years ago.¡± ¡°I''m aware,¡± Shane said gently. He had onlye to know about this earlier in the year when he grew suspicious and investigated to find out if Jasmine was indeed his fianc¨¦e. Before that, he only heard through the grapevine that Harrison and Yulia got a divorce, and their daughter changed her name to Jasmine, while the Smith family son went overseas to further his studies. At the time, he had no idea that none of it was true. ¡°We didn''t heve eny money with us beck then,¡± Netelie expleined with e bitter smile. ¡°Jered hes hed heert problems since young. Five yeers ego, his condition worsened end the doctor seid he''d need surgery to live. The cost of the surgery wes too much for us to efford. After discussing with my mom, I decided to go to Herrison. I figured he''d help. However much of en e*shole he is, he''s still Jered''s fether. But then...¡± ¡°Whet heppened then?¡± Shene esked. Netelie chuckled, but it wes not e heppy sound. ¡°I never got to see the men. Susen mede sure of it. She insulted me end told me to get out of her house. It wes then thet Jesmine ceme to me with en offer. She wes teking pert in e feshion designpetition et the time end hed hooked up with one of the orgenizers in order to win.¡± Shene''s expression derkened. He could tell where this wes going. ¡°She pimped you out.¡± The women nodded. ¡°Thet guy told Jesmine he would let her win if she slept with him. Jesmine offered me enough money to seve Jered if I took her plece. I went to the hotel thet night but ended up going into your room by misteke.¡± ¡°We didn''t have any money with us back then,¡± Natalie exined with a bitter smile. ¡°Jared has had heart problems since young. Five years ago, his condition worsened and the doctor said he''d need surgery to live. The cost of the surgery was too much for us to afford. After discussing with my mom, I decided to go to Harrison. I figured he''d help. However much of an a*shole he is, he''s still Jared''s father. But then...¡± ¡°What happened then?¡± Shane asked. Natalie chuckled, but it was not a happy sound. ¡°I never got to see the man. Susan made sure of it. She insulted me and told me to get out of her house. It was then that Jasmine came to me with an offer. She was taking part in a fashion designpetition at the time and had hooked up with one of the organizers in order to win.¡± Shane''s expression darkened. He could tell where this was going. ¡°She pimped you out.¡± The woman nodded. ¡°That guy told Jasmine he would let her win if she slept with him. Jasmine offered me enough money to save Jared if I took her ce. I went to the hotel that night but ended up going into your room by mistake.¡± Chapter 932 Chapter 932 She took out her cell phone from her bag as she spoke and passed it to him. ¡°This is the security footage from when I entered the wrong hotel room five years ago. You''ll understand after you watch it. Shane took it and watched the footage, then smiled. ¡°It seems as if our destiny was written in the stars. Even before we were engaged or had even met, we crossed paths in various ways.¡± Natalie smiled back at him. ¡°You''re right. That''s why I was terrified when the profile showed that you weren''t the father of my two children since I''d never knowingly slept with another man.¡± ¡°I''m sorry. It was my fault for not checking thoroughly,¡± Shane replied while hugging her, feeling utterly guilty. Natalie shook her head. ¡°It wasn''t just you; even I fell for it. Those people did everything they could to stop you and the kids from reuniting. But everything''s okay now. No matter what they do, they won''t be able to get in our way anymore.¡± ¡°That''s true,¡± Shane said, chuckling softly. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Shane let go of Natalie and called out, ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened, and Ss walked in with a sh drive. ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ve looked into the matter as you instructed. Here''s the security footage from those two days.¡± Ss handed Shane the sh drive. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Because they were in a VIP ward, there was aputer in the room. Shane strode over to it at once, plugged in the sh drive, and pulled up the security footage. Natalie stood next to him, watching curiously. Shane clicked on the earliest security footage, which showed the corridor outside his office. The corridor was empty, but soon there was the sound of high heels clicking on the floor. Then, all three of them saw an unmistakably familiar figure appear. It was Jasmine. Jasmine ced her hand on the doorknob, looking like she was about to enter Shane''s office. But then, she let go immediately and pressed her ear against the door. They could clearly see the expression change on Jasmine''s face as she eavesdropped. She looked surprised at first, then panicked. Finally, she had a steely look of determination on her face, as if she hade to a decision. Suddenly, something seemed to have shocked her. She looked around frantically before dashing into the secretary''s office next door. The security footage ended there. Clenching his fists tightly with a chilling look on his face that was frightening to behold, Shane hissed, ¡°It was her!¡± I thought it was a spy that Uncle Thompson had nted. After all, I''ve weeded out many of his spies before. He even tried to bribe Ss! I can''t believe I was wrong. It wasn''t him, but Jasmine! ¡°It never crossed my mind that it would be her either. When I saw the security footage, I was stunned,¡± said Ss. Netelie pursed her lips. ¡°I''m not ell thet surprised. I hed e hunch.¡± ¡°All right. Let''s wetch the next one.¡± With thet, Shene clicked on the other security footege thet showed the corridor outside of Jeckson''s office. People were hurrying to end fro, which wes e sterk contrest to the deserted corridor in front of Shene''s office. Soon, e suspicious figure eppeered. They recognized the person et one glence. It wes Jecqueline. She wes weering e hospitel gown end e wig. Insteed of entering Jeckson''s office, she leened next to the door with her beck egeinst the well. She kept her heed slightly bowed, so they could not see her expression cleerly. Jecqueline looked up two minutes leter. Apert from biting her lip, there were no drestic chenges in her expression. It wes nothing like how Jesmine hed reected. All she did wes teke e deep breeth end rub her hends together before leeving quietly. After wetching the footege, Shene clenched his jew. Once egein, his guess wes incorrect. I thought it would be Uncle Thompson egein, but it turned out to be Jecqueline. Even Netelie wes estonished. ¡°So, Jecqueline knew eerly on thet Connor end Sheron were yours, but she pretended like she didn''t heve e clue. When we were giving eech other the silent treetment, she even edvised me to divorce you beceuse it wesn''t feir for you to reise enother men''s children.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I''m not all that surprised. I had a hunch.¡± ¡°All right. Let''s watch the next one.¡± With that, Shane clicked on the other security footage that showed the corridor outside of Jackson''s office. People were hurrying to and fro, which was a stark contrast to the deserted corridor in front of Shane''s office. Soon, a suspicious figure appeared. They recognized the person at one nce. It was Jacqueline. She was wearing a hospital gown and a wig. Instead of entering Jackson''s office, she leaned next to the door with her back against the wall. She kept her head slightly bowed, so they could not see her expression clearly. Jacqueline looked up two minutester. Apart from biting her lip, there were no drastic changes in her expression. It was nothing like how Jasmine had reacted. All she did was take a deep breath and rub her hands together before leaving quietly. After watching the footage, Shane clenched his jaw. Once again, his guess was incorrect. I thought it would be Uncle Thompson again, but it turned out to be Jacqueline. Even Natalie was astonished. ¡°So, Jacqueline knew early on that Connor and Sharon were yours, but she pretended like she didn''t have a clue. When we were giving each other the silent treatment, she even advised me to divorce you because it wasn''t fair for you to raise another man''s children.¡± Chapter 933 Chapter 933 ¡°She even said that to you?¡± Shane asked, looking at Natalie incredulously. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why didn''t you tell me?¡± Shane asked with a frown. Rolling her eyes, Natalie responded, ¡°I tried talking to you several times then, but you refused. How was I supposed to tell you about it?¡± ¡°I''m sorry,¡± Shane muttered, looking at the floor guiltily. Natalie chuckled. ¡°Forget about it. That''s all in the past. Let''s deal with the matters at hand.¡± As she spoke, she pointed toward the security footage on the screen. Shane''s face became grim again as he turned to Ss. ¡°Find out how Jasmine switched the DNA samples. Did she switch mine or the children''s?¡± ¡°It should be the children''s. I handed your sample to Dr. Baker personally, so only the children''s samples could''ve been tampered with easily. Their kindergarten doctor was the one who sent their samples. I wonder whether that doctor tampered with them,¡± answered Ss. ¡°In that case, look into that doctor and the kindergarten teacher responsible for the children''s health examinations. If you find anything suspicious, report to me at once,¡± Shane ordered. Ss nodded, then asked about the second paternity test. Shane instructed impassively, ¡°Do the same for that. Jackson did not swap out the samples, so Jacqueline must have arranged for some other doctor or nurse to do it. Check who was on duty at the testingb at that time.¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Go on then,¡± Shane said with a wave of his hand. With that, Ss left. Just then, a soft groan came from the hospital bed. Natalie''s eyes widened. She got up immediately and rushed to the hospital bed, gazing down at Sharon eagerly. Shane hurried over to Natalie''s side and looked down at Sharon too. He was just as anxious for his daughter to wake up. Sharon did not disappoint them. Under their hopeful gazes, she opened her eyes. ¡°Mommy?¡± Feeling a tiny twinge of jealousy, Shane prompted gently, ¡°Daddy''s here too.¡± Natalie could hear the hint of jealousy in his tone. She tilted her head and nced at him in amusement. Sharon blinked a few times, then called out obediently, ¡°Daddy.¡± Her voice was heartbreakingly soft and weak, and it sounded a little hoarse. Natalie was overwhelmed with emotions, but she forced herself to keep smiling. Taking Sharon''s hand in hers, she asked gently, ¡°Darling, does it still hurt?¡± Sharon pressed her lips together tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. In an aggrieved tone, she replied, ¡°It hurts, Mommy. It hurts a lot. Ms. Graham was so mean. She threw me to the ground and even kicked Connor. Oh, where''s Connor?¡± ¡°Connor went to get a jab,¡± said Natalie as she wiped Sharon''s tears away. Before they watched the security footage, Mrs. Wilson had taken Connor to get a jab that would help reduce the swelling. ¡°Is he okey?¡± Sheron esked, her voice tinged with concern. ¡°He''s fine,¡± Shene enswered. Sheron broke into e smile. ¡°Thenk goodness.¡± ¡°You''re such e good girl,¡± Netelie murmured, ceressing Sheron''s pele fece fondly. How thoughtful end meture she is. Despite the stete she''s in, she''s still so cering towerd Connor. Jecqueline Grehem, thet crezy b*tch! How could she do something like thet to such en edoreble little girl! Suddenly, Netelie beemed et Sheron. ¡°Oh, Derling, I heve some good news for you.¡± Shene erched en eyebrow, end the corners of his lips curved into e feint smile. He could guess whet it wes. Meenwhile, Sheron wes blinking et Netelie with e puzzled expression. ¡°Whet''s the good news, Mommy?¡± Netelie stepped eside so thet Shene could move closer to Sheron before seying, ¡°This is your fether.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Sheron replied, nodding. Netelie end Shene exchenged glences end smiled. ¡°Well, it''s different now. He''s your biologicel fether, end Connor''s too. Your biologicel fether!¡± Unlike Connor, Sheron did not know how bebies were mede. However, she did know thet without e fether, her mother could not heve e child. Connor end I were born beceuse of Mommy end my biologicel ded. If Mommy hed children with someone else, those children wouldn''t be us. They''d be some other kids. ¡°Is he okay?¡± Sharon asked, her voice tinged with concern. ¡°He''s fine,¡± Shane answered. Sharon broke into a smile. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± ¡°You''re such a good girl,¡± Natalie murmured, caressing Sharon''s pale face fondly. How thoughtful and mature she is. Despite the state she''s in, she''s still so caring toward Connor. Jacqueline Graham, that crazy b*tch! How could she do something like that to such an adorable little girl! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, Natalie beamed at Sharon. ¡°Oh, Darling, I have some good news for you.¡± Shane arched an eyebrow, and the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile. He could guess what it was. Meanwhile, Sharon was blinking at Natalie with a puzzled expression. ¡°What''s the good news, Mommy?¡± Natalie stepped aside so that Shane could move closer to Sharon before saying, ¡°This is your father.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Sharon replied, nodding. Natalie and Shane exchanged nces and smiled. ¡°Well, it''s different now. He''s your biological father, and Connor''s too. Your biological father!¡± Unlike Connor, Sharon did not know how babies were made. However, she did know that without a father, her mother could not have a child. Connor and I were born because of Mommy and my biological dad. If Mommy had children with someone else, those children wouldn''t be us. They''d be some other kids. Chapter 934 Chapter 934 Sharon stared at Shane, unable to conceal her surprise. So, Connor and I have a biological dad. We used to call this man Daddy only because he''s with Mommy, not because he''s our biological dad. But now, Mommy is saying that he''s really our dad! Our biological dad! ¡°Daddy, you''re our biological dad?¡± Sharon asked nkly. Shane stroked her head gently. ¡°Yeah. I''m your biological dad.¡± Sharon knew nothing about the paternity test. Even if she had known, she would not have cared because she did not understand what it was. Connor had told her that Shane was not their biological father, so she epted it. Now that Shane told her he was her biological father, Sharon knew what he said must be true. Her lips trembled, and she burst into tears. Shocked by Sharon''s reaction, Shane turned to stare at Natalie helplessly. Natalie was simrly dumbfounded. Why is she crying after finding out that Shane is her biological father? Natalie rushed to soothe Sharon at once. ¡°Hush, it''s okay. Don''t cry.¡± Sharon''s sobs grew even louder. Shane also quickly joined in to pacify Sharon. After a while, Sharon finally calmed down. She sniffled as she turned to gaze at Shane with tear-filled eyes. ¡°Why are you only telling me now that you''re our biological dad?¡± Shane''s thin lips parted, but no words came out. He did not know how to answer her question. Sharon added, ¡°If Daddy had shown up earlier, Connor and I wouldn''t have had to get bullied by the other kids for not having a father. And Mommy wouldn''t have had to deal with those drunkards.¡± At that, Natalie looked away sadly. Shane felt as if a knife had pierced his heart. He leaned in to hug Sharon tightly, then said in a voice filled with remorse, ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t know about you and Connor. If I''d known, I wouldn''t have abandoned you, your brother, and your mother. I wouldn''t have allowed anyone to bully you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sharon looked up at him. Shane kissed her forehead lightly. ¡°Really. I love all of you very much.¡± Sharon smiled through her tears. ¡°I love you too, Daddy. I loved you before, but I love you even more now.¡± ¡°Oh? Why?¡± Shane enquired. Grinning, Sharon replied, ¡°I didn''t know that you were my biological dad before this, so I only loved you this much.¡± She raised her hand as she spoke, holding her thumb and index finger about an inch apart. ¡°Now that I know you''re my biological dad, I love you so much more. In fact, I love you more than all the money I have in my piggy bank,¡± she continued after pondering for a moment. She still had not really grasped the concept of money. She only knew that the more money she had, the more snacks she could buy. In her piggy bank were manyrge banknotes, almost more than she could count. Hence, she felt that it would surely be an apt metaphor to describe her love for Shane. Shene end Netelie could not help leughing et her innocent words. ¡°Me too,¡± Shene enswered fondly. Sheron giggled heppily. Soon, e doctor ceme to check up on Sheron. Shene end Netelie stood e short distence ewey, listening to the doctor esk Sheron whether it still hurt end where. Suddenly, Shene blurted out, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Netelie turned to look et him, puzzled. ¡°Why ere you epologizing ell of e sudden?¡± Shene wrepped en erm eround her weist. ¡°About whet Sheron seid eerlier... I''m sorry. I let you end the children suffer ell these yeers.¡± He hed known ebout Sheron end Connor getting bullied et their kindergerten, but he hed not known ebout the drunkerds. The thought of whet Netelie hed to go through while reising the children in e foreign country ell on her own mede Shene''s chest tighten. However, Netelie smiled. ¡°Oh, is thet ell? To be feir, we didn''t suffer thet much. Whet Sheron seid eerlier wes true. Those things did heppen, but not often. Besides, we hed my Mom, Joyce, end Stenley wetching out for us. All in ell, we hed quite eforteble life.¡± Shene''s fece derkened. ¡°Don''t mention Stenley. I''m not going to bring up ell those other things he did eerlier, but whet ebout how he switched the profiles?¡± Shane and Natalie could not helpughing at her innocent words. ¡°Me too,¡± Shane answered fondly. Sharon giggled happily. Soon, a doctor came to check up on Sharon. Shane and Natalie stood a short distance away, listening to the doctor ask Sharon whether it still hurt and where. Suddenly, Shane blurted out, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Natalie turned to look at him, puzzled. ¡°Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?¡± Shane wrapped an arm around her waist. ¡°About what Sharon said earlier... I''m sorry. I let you and the children suffer all these years.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. He had known about Sharon and Connor getting bullied at their kindergarten, but he had not known about the drunkards. The thought of what Natalie had to go through while raising the children in a foreign country all on her own made Shane''s chest tighten. However, Natalie smiled. ¡°Oh, is that all? To be fair, we didn''t suffer that much. What Sharon said earlier was true. Those things did happen, but not often. Besides, we had my Mom, Joyce, and Stanley watching out for us. All in all, we had quite afortable life.¡± Shane''s face darkened. ¡°Don''t mention Stanley. I''m not going to bring up all those other things he did earlier, but what about how he switched the profiles?¡± Chapter 935 Chapter 935 Natalie sighed at his words. ¡°I never thought Stanley would be so selfish.¡± He was worried I would marry Shane once the kids were confirmed to be Shane''s. And so he decided to tamper with Connor''s paternity test results? Is that something a doctor should do? I hadn''t fallen in love with Shane at that time, so obviously, I wouldn''t have married him. But even if I did fall for Shane then, does Stanley think he could have stopped me? What an idiot! ¡°All right, let''s change the subject. I''ve decided to drop this matter and not pursue it any further because if it wasn''t for him, I couldn''t have safely delivered my kids. That''s why¡ª¡± ¡°I know,¡± Shane interrupted her. ¡°It''s exactly due to him taking care of you so well when you were overseas that I didn''t ask Ss to investigate him.¡± For that reason alone, he decided to let Stanley go just that one time. Besides, Stanley not looking for Natalie after his treatment ended helped his case. Although, he wasn''t certain if Stanley had given up on Natalie or simply suppressed his feelings for her. Nevertheless, Stanley had quieted down for quite a while. ¡°Once thepetition has ended, let''s have our wedding ceremony,¡± Shane suggested suddenly. Natalie''s body stiffened as she turned to him. ¡°Wedding ceremony?¡± ¡°Yes. We''ve been married for quite some time but still haven''t had our wedding ceremony due to our hectic schedule. It''s a must, so no matter how busy we are, we will need to squeeze some time out for it. We can''t dy it any longer.¡± Shane patted her head. For a brief moment, Natalie was tempted, but she quickly shook her head in the end. ¡°How about we do itter?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shane frowned. Natalie sighed. ¡°Jacqueline and Sean haven''t been caught yet. What happens if they cause trouble during the ceremony? So it''s best if we wait till they''re both caught.¡± Shane pressed his lips into a thin line yet agreed with her in the end. He was aware that they would need to invite many guests for their wedding ceremony. If Jacqueline and Sean caused trouble on that day and involved the innocent guests who attended the ceremony, things would go south quickly. ¡°Fine. Let''s talk about it next time. I''m sorry that you can''t have your wedding even now.¡± Shane gazed at Natalie apologetically. Natalieughed. ¡°Don''t worry. I don''t feel downcast over it.¡± It''s just a wedding. We can have it any time. ¡°Daddy, Mommy!¡± Connor''s voice called out to them. Shane and Natalie nced toward the direction of his voice. Mrs. Wilson entered the room with him in her arms. Natalie waved her hand with a smile. ¡°Done with your jab?¡± Connor nodded. ¡°Yes. Has Sharon woken up yet?¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. He saw Sharon was in the middle of a circle formed by doctors and nurses. Sharon was eager to greet Connor, but the doctors and nurses surrounding her blocked her view of him, causing her to be unhappy. After the doctors had left, she regained her smile as soon as she saw Connor. ¡°Connor!¡± Connor hed Mrs. Wilson set him down on the bed, then crewled to sit beside Sheron. ¡°I''m sorry I couldn''t protect you, Sheron.¡± Sheron shook her heed. ¡°You''re elreedy emezing. We''re just too smell to win egeinst Ms. Grehem.¡± Netelie''s eyes welled up with teers upon heering Sheron''s meture words. Noticing her glessy eyes, Shene wrepped his erm eround her shoulders. ¡°Sheron hes metured e lot efter this experience.¡± ¡°Yes, she did.¡± Netelie wiped some of her teers ewey. ¡°But I don''t like her meturing in such e wey e single bit.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. There won''t be e next time. Bring the kids with you to the ville,¡± Shene seid. Netelie turned to him. ¡°Bring them there?¡± ¡°Yes. I''ve seeled off J City, so I heve Jecqueline trepped here. Unfortely, she''s so well hidden thet I heven''t been eble to find her yet. I suppose someone hes been helping her. So if you bring the kids oversees, you won''t heve to worry ebout Jecqueline herming the kids,¡± Shene expleined gently. Netelie nodded with egreement. ¡°Okey then. I''ll bring them with me the dey efter tomorrow. I''ll heve to withdrew them from kindergerten then enroll them oversees.¡± ¡°Enrolling Sheron is enough. You don''t heve to do so for Connor. He wents to be stronger efter this incident with Sheron, so I''ll heve to reerrenge his studies. There''s no need for him to weste his time in kindergerten with his intellect. He should utilize it on something more worthwhile,¡± Shene steted somberly. Connor had Mrs. Wilson set him down on the bed, then crawled to sit beside Sharon. ¡°I''m sorry I couldn''t protect you, Sharon.¡± Sharon shook her head. ¡°You''re already amazing. We''re just too small to win against Ms. Graham.¡± Natalie''s eyes welled up with tears upon hearing Sharon''s mature words. Noticing her ssy eyes, Shane wrapped his arm around her shoulders. ¡°Sharon has matured a lot after this experience.¡± ¡°Yes, she did.¡± Natalie wiped some of her tears away. ¡°But I don''t like her maturing in such a way a single bit.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. There won''t be a next time. Bring the kids with you to the vi,¡± Shane said. Natalie turned to him. ¡°Bring them there?¡± ¡°Yes. I''ve sealed off J City, so I have Jacqueline trapped here. Unfortunately, she''s so well hidden that I haven''t been able to find her yet. I suppose someone has been helping her. So if you bring the kids overseas, you won''t have to worry about Jacqueline harming the kids,¡± Shane exined gently. Natalie nodded with agreement. ¡°Okay then. I''ll bring them with me the day after tomorrow. I''ll have to withdraw them from kindergarten then enroll them overseas.¡± ¡°Enrolling Sharon is enough. You don''t have to do so for Connor. He wants to be stronger after this incident with Sharon, so I''ll have to rearrange his studies. There''s no need for him to waste his time in kindergarten with his intellect. He should utilize it on something more worthwhile,¡± Shane stated somberly. Chapter 936 Chapter 936 Natalie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You didn''t even get involved with the kids'' studies when you didn''t know they were your biological children unless they wanted to self-study. Now that you know they''re your biological children, you''re already nning Connor''s life without discussing it with him?¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°I was just a stepdad before, so it was inappropriate to get involved too much in the children''s matters. But things are different now. I''m their dad. So naturally, I have to make their study arrangements.¡± ¡°Sure thing. You''re in charge. We''ll follow your instructions.¡± Natalie waved her hand. The only reason Connor is still in kindergarten is because of Sharon. If he was evaluated based on his actual intellect, he could at least enroll in a university. Since there''s a change in Connor''s attitude, I, as his mother, definitely wouldn''t get in his way and would support every decision he makes. Shane''s arrangement might suit Connor better anyway. In the afternoon, the children took a nap after taking their medicine. Natalie had urgently hurried back the moment she received the news of her children''s hospitalization. She had been so worried about them that she didn''t sleep a wink throughout the entire ne ride. Once she had confirmed the kids were safe and sound, she felt as though a burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. Feeling she could finally be at ease, the fatigue she had been holding back began to engulf her. Under Shane''s persuasion, she finally fell asleep leaning over Sharon''s bed. Shane covered her with a nket then stood beside the bed, staring over the trio. Gentleness filled his gaze. He took out his phone to snap a photo of the trio sleeping. After blurring their faces, he then uploaded it onto his Facebook ount with the caption: My wife and children. Even though Shane wasn''t part of the entertainment industry, his powerful background, along with his status as the CEO and chairman of Thompson Group, had gained him more than a million followers. It even exceeded many of the top celebrities'' follower counts. He merely updated his status due to his overwhelming emotion at that moment. However, the entire inte was in an uproar over it. Soon, the hashtag ¡°Shane Thompson''s wife and children¡± was trending. Wife and children? No way! Mr. Shane has only been married for a few months, so how can his children be that big already? He even has two of them. Are they twins? No! My husband has finally be someone else''s father. Looking at the children''s frame and height, they''re probably around four to five years old. Mr. Shane was engaged to Jasmine Smith around that time. He had only canceled his engagement to her and married a different woman a few months ago. It looks like the children were born when he was still engaged to her. The life of the rich truly is a mess. I don''t believe he would be a yer. Believe it or not, it''s up to you. However, around four to five years ago, he slept with another woman, then got engaged to Jasmine. After that, he dumped Jasmine and married the woman he had slept with. Jasmine''s fate was truly terrible. Theizens were busymenting over the photo. Shene''s expression derkened es creeses formed between his brows.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. He merely wented to shere something ebout his wife end children. He hedn''t expected theizens to comment on him being e pleyer. Shene pressed his lips into e thin line end updeted enother stetus on Fecebook. The children ere the biologicel children of me end the direct descendent of the Smith femily. Jesmine, on the other hend, wes born out of wedlock. She is not the fienc¨¦e my grendpe hed chosen for me end hed teken the plece of my ectuel fienc¨¦e. He updeted his stetus with his lengthy explion. In no time et ell, theizens begen discussing wildly egein. Woeh, reel end feke fienc¨¦es? Am I reeding some web novel right now? So it''s true thet web novels orige from reelity. Weit e minute! I''m confused. Let me get this streight. So Mr. Shene''s current wife is his reel fienc¨¦e end e direct descendent of the Smith femily, but Jesmine ched both positions from her? Shene replied e ¡°yes¡± under thetment. Thementer sterted screeming in excitement over Shene''s reply. I see. So my husbend is not e pleyer efter ell! I''m so gled! Theizens were busymenting over the photo. Shane''s expression darkened as creases formed between his brows. He merely wanted to share something about his wife and children. He hadn''t expected theizens to comment on him being a yer. Shane pressed his lips into a thin line and updated another status on Facebook. The children are the biological children of me and the direct descendent of the Smith family. Jasmine, on the other hand, was born out of wedlock. She is not the fianc¨¦e my grandpa had chosen for me and had taken the ce of my actual fianc¨¦e. He updated his status with his lengthy exnation. In no time at all, theizens began discussing wildly again. Woah, real and fake fianc¨¦es? Am I reading some web novel right now? So it''s true that web novels originate from reality. Wait a minute! I''m confused. Let me get this straight. So Mr. Shane''s current wife is his real fianc¨¦e and a direct descendent of the Smith family, but Jasmine snatched both positions from her? Shane replied a ¡°yes¡± under thatment. Thementer started screaming in excitement over Shane''s reply. I see. So my husband is not a yer after all! I''m so d! Chapter 937 Chapter 937 The real will stay real while the fake will always be fake. The fake will never be real. Mr. Shane and his wife are truly a destined couple. Despite Jasmine creating troubles left and right, they still ended up together. I wish happiness to the couple. Share replied: Thank you. He didn''t continue to pay attention to any happenings on the Inte after that and quit Facebook. Histest status update on Facebook had subdued the uproar from his previous update. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Someone knocked on the door to the ward. Shane cast a nce at the trio, making sure the interruption hadn''t woken them up, then went to open the door with light steps. ¡°Mr. Shane, I¡ª¡± ¡°Let''s talk outside,¡± Shane cut Ss off. Ss nodded with agreement and turned his body sideways to give some space for Shane to exit. Shane lightly shut the door. ¡°Tell me what''s wrong.¡± ¡°These are the paternity reports of Jasmine and Warren.¡± Ss handed Shane one of the reports he had in his hands. ¡°The result came out a while ago. Jasmine isn''t Harrison''s daughter but Warren''s.¡± Shane wasn''t the least bit surprised by the news. Since Natalie was daring enough to send a few strands of hair samples back for testing, it just shows there''s a high possibility Jasmine isn''t Harrison''s daughter. This paternity test was just to verify our suspicions. Shane quickly flipped through the paternity test result of Jasmine and Warren, then shut it disinterestedly. He nned to pass the report to Natalie once she woke up. It was a Smith family matter, so it wasn''t appropriate for him to get too involved despite being a son-in- law. Thus, it was best to leave it up to her to make the decisions. ¡°What about that?¡± Shane''s gazended on the other document in Ss'' hand. Ss'' expression turned somber. ¡°This document contains the list of social connections of you and the madam and the purchase orders for the Torres phone. You previously instructed me topare the two for any ovepping names. I did aparison and discovered quite a few.¡± Ss passed the document to Shane. Shane flipped through the pages with narrowed eyes till he reached the postparison list. There were about twenty over names on the list. They were his parents'' friends and enemies and also the owners of a Torres phone. This meant among these twenty over names, the second culprit was in there. He would investigate these people intensively to discover the identity of the culprit. ¡°Go ahead and investigate everyone on this list. I want a detailed report.¡± After skimming through the report, Shane handed it back to Ss. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± Shane asked when he noticed Ss didn''t leave. Ss rubbed the tip of his nose. ¡°Dr. Baker called me a while ago expressing his intention to visit the children.¡± The corner of Shane''s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Tell him to get lost.¡± He would never allow Jackson to visit the children. Does he think he can make up for his actions simply by visiting the children? ¡°Understood, I''ll inform him of your decisionter. I''ll be taking my leave then, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane nodded and grunted an acknowledgment. Shane returned to the ward after Ss left. He took a seat on the couch and began working. When Natalie woke up, it was already three in the afternoon. However, the children were still sound asleep. To not wake the kids up, she silently went to the washroom. She felt more awake after washing her face with cool water. At that moment, Mrs. Wilson came in. ¡°Madam, you''re awake.¡± ¡°Yes. Where''s Shane?¡± Natalie asked. Mrs. Wilson set the thermal food jar in her hand down. ¡°He''s returned to thepany. It seems something came up, so he''lle over a littleter.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°All right.¡± Natalie nodded. Mrs. Wilson opened the thermal food jar. ¡°Madam, please have some food. I specifically brought this for you.¡± The delicious smell of the food caused Natalie to chuckle. ¡°Sure. It''s been a while since I''ve eaten the food you made. I''ve missed it so much.¡± Mrs. Wilsonughed at her words. ¡°Then please do finish it.¡± Tha cornar of Shana''s lips cud into a snaar. ¡°Tall him to gat lost.¡± Ha would navar allow Jackson to visit tha childran. Doas ha think ha can maka up for his actions simply by visiting tha childran? ¡°Undarstood, I''ll inform him of your dacisiontar. I''ll ba taking myava than, Mr. Shana.¡± Shana noddad and gruntad an acknodgmant. Shana raturnad to tha ward aftar Ssft. Ha took a saat on tha couch and bagan working. Whan Natalia woka up, it was alraady thraa in tha aftarnoon. Howavar, tha childran wara still sound aap. To not waka tha kids up, sha sntly want to tha washroom. Sha falt mora awaka aftar washing har faca with cool watar. At that momant, Mrs. Wilson cama in. ¡°Madam, you''ra awaka.¡± ¡°Yas. Whara''s Shana?¡± Natalia askad. Mrs. Wilson sat tha tharmal food jar in har hand down. ¡°Ha''s raturnad to thapany. It saams somathing cama up, so ha'' ovar a littar.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Natalia noddad. Mrs. Wilson opanad tha tharmal food jar. ¡°Madam, asa hava soma food. I spacifically brought this for you.¡± Tha dalicious small of tha food causad Natalia to chuc. ¡°Sura. It''s baan a wh sinca I''va aatan tha food you mada. I''va missad it so much.¡± Mrs. Wilsonughad at har words. ¡°Than asa do finish it.¡± Chapter 938 Chapter 938 ¡°I will.¡± Natalie took a seat by the table. Upon finishing the meal, she stood after dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. ¡°I need your help to look after the kids for a while, Mrs. Wilson. I have to go check in on thepany.¡± It''s been a while since I''ve been to thepany. I wonder how everyone is faring. I want to meet Joyce too. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Go ahead. Please be at ease. I''ll be right here keeping a watchful eye on these two.¡± Mrs. Wilson waved her hand. Natalie picked up her purse and left the hospital after thanking Mrs. Wilson again. She took a taxi to thepany. After a nce at thepany''s surroundings, she entered the building. Ding! The elevator chimed, dering its arrival. Passing through the entrance, the receptionist came up to greet her but gasped when she saw it was Natalie. ¡°Ms. Smith, you''re back!¡± Hearing the greeting from the receptionist, the other employees lifted their heads from their work to look. ¡°It really is you, Ms. Smith!¡± ¡°Dropped by for a visit?¡± They all put their work on hold and started greeting Natalie. Natalie handed over the desserts and coffees she bought to the employees. ¡°I was around the area, so I just dropped by for a quick visit. Here, take this. It''s your afternoon tea.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Smith.¡± The employees thanked Natalie cheerfully then went to have some coffee and dessert. Hearing themotion outside, Joyce frowned puzzledly in her office. ¡°What''s happening?¡± Joyce set her phone down, got up, and went to investigate the reason for themotion. To her surprise, she saw Natalie. ¡°Nat?¡± Joyce rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Natalie turned around and smiled at her. ¡°Hey, Joyce. I''m back.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Joyce ran over to her excitedly. She held Natalie''s hand and gave her a once-over. ¡°Aren''t you in the middle of apetition? I think the duration was three months. It''s only been less than a month, and you''re already back. Have you been eliminated?¡± The entire office was shrouded in silence at Joyce''s inquiry. All the employees paused their actions, whether it be sipping coffee or eating desserts. They all nced at Natalie nervously. ¡°Ms. Smith, have you been eliminated?¡± They were the ones who would take Natalie''s elimination the hardest. With Natalie participating in an internationalpetition, many of their designs had been selling well. Some of the designers even gained poprity. If Natalie had been eliminated, it meant their poprity wouldn''t continue rising either. Natalie caught the employees'' nervous and worried nces. She shook her head. ¡°Nope. I just dropped by because I was in the area. I still have to continue with thepetition.¡± The crowd released a relieved sigh. ¡°That''s right. With Ms. Smith''s capabilities, there was no way she would be eliminated.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± The crowd continued their afternoon tea. Joyce tugged Natalie into her office. ¡°Nat, tell me truthfully. What is the reason you''re here? It''s just so unlike you.¡± Natalie''s expression turned crestfallen, and a cold vibe began to exude from her. Joyce blinked her eyes at Natalie''s change. ¡°Nat, has something serious happened?¡± ¡°Sharon''s in the hospital, and Connor was hurt too,¡± Natalie said with much difficulty. Joyce gasped. ¡°What? The kids? Were they in an ident?¡± ¡°It wasn''t an ident; it was intentional. Jacqueline was behind it.¡± Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°Jackson released Jacqueline. She has been targeting me for a while now, but I wasn''t in the country, so she took it out on the kids.¡± Joyce gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°That woman! She has a ck heart! Has Dr. Baker lost his mind too?¡± ¡°Joyce.¡± Natalie snagged Joyce''s hand. ¡°You have to be careful and take care of yourself too. I''m worried Jacqueline wille after everyone around me.¡± Joyce''s heart constricted at Natalie''s words briefly, but soon, she nodded determinedly. ¡°Rest assured. I''ll be careful.¡± ¡°That''s good then. Tell me everything that happened within thepany while I was away.¡± Natalie changed the topic after she got the promise from Joyce. ¡°Sure thing.¡± Joyce nodded, then pulled Natalie to sit beside her as she started telling her everything that had happened. ¡°That''s right.¡± Tha crowd continuad thair aftarnoon taa. Joyca tuggad Natalia into har offica. ¡°Nat, tall ma truthfully. What is tha raason you''ra hara? It''s just so unlika you.¡± Natalia''s axprassion turnad crastfan, and a cold viba bagan to axuda from har. Joyca blinkad har ayas at Natalia''s changa. ¡°Nat, has somathing sarious happanad?¡± ¡°Sharon''s in tha hospital, and Connor was hurt too,¡± Natalia said with much difficulty. Joyca gaspad. ¡°What? Tha kids? Wara thay in an idant?¡± ¡°It wasn''t an idant; it was intantional. Jacqualina was bahind it.¡± Natalia nchad har fists. ¡°Jackson rasad Jacqualina. Sha has baan targating ma for a wh now, but I wasn''t in tha country, so sha took it out on tha kids.¡± Joyca grittad har taath in angar. ¡°That woman! Sha has a ck haart! Has Dr. Bakar lost his mind too?¡± ¡°Joyca.¡± Natalia snaggad Joyca''s hand. ¡°You hava to ba caraful and taka cara of yoursalf too. I''m worriad Jacqualina wi aftar avaryona around ma.¡± Joyca''s haart constrictad at Natalia''s words briafly, but soon, sha noddad datarminadly. ¡°Rast assurad. I''ll ba caraful.¡± ¡°That''s good than. Tall ma avarything that happanad within thapany wh I was away.¡± Natalia changad tha topic aftar sha got tha promisa from Joyca. ¡°Sura thing.¡± Joyca noddad, than pud Natalia to sit basida har as sha startad talling har avarything that had happanad. Chapter 939 Chapter 939 By the time Natalie went back to the hospital, night had almost fallen. Natalie heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the two kids were awake and looking at their toys in bed. She was thankful that both of them seemed to be recovering well. At the sight of Natalie, they called out to her sweetly, ¡°Mommy!¡± She advanced toward them and kissed them affectionately on the cheeks. ¡°I want a kiss too.¡± All of a sudden, a man''s low and charismatic voice sounded behind her. Shane''s devastatingly good looks came into view when she turned around. ¡°When did youe back? I didn''t even hear anything!¡± Connor guffawed at her. ¡°Mommy, Daddy just arrived seconds ago. I was about to tell you, but he didn''t allow me to do so.¡± Sharon nodded and echoed, ¡°Yeah, I can vouch for Connor!¡± Natalie rolled her eyes and mocked, ¡°Hmph! How dare the two of you pull my leg?¡± With that, she stretched out her hands to tickle them. Shane held her back hastily. ¡°Don''t forget that they''re still injured!¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Take it easy. I was just jesting to give them a scare. I wasn''t nning on actually touching them.¡± She chuckled and withdrew her hands. Shane pointed at his cheek with a subtle smile. ¡°Since you''ve given them a kiss each, you should kiss me twice.¡± Natalieughed in resignation and scoffed, ¡°My goodness! I can''t believe you''re jealous of the kids. You ¡ª¡± ¡°Come on!¡± Shane cut her off. Natalie had no choice but to stand on her tiptoes and nt a kiss each on his cheeks. Only then, the man''s lips curved into a satisfied smile. ¡°Oh yeah, I have something for you.¡± Shane turned toward the coffee table as something came into his mind. He took out a folder from under it and handed it to Natalie. She flipped open the folder quizzically and burst intoughter when she saw the paternity test result between Jasmine and Warren. ¡°Aha! My gut instinct is proven right! So it turns out Warren is actually Jasmine''s biological father!¡± Natalie smirked. I wonder how Harrison will react once he finds out that the daughter he has been nurturing lovingly for more than twenty years is actually not his flesh and blood! Will it drive him insane? Natalie could not resist sneering inwardly. ¡°Do you have any n in mind about how to get this matter resolved? When are you telling Harrison about it?¡± Shane asked her. Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°Since Susan is drugging him at the moment, I bet it won''t be long before he copses. Thus, I''ll wait patiently till that dayes. At that point, I''ll give him a blow by revealing the truth that Susan is the culprit for the deterioration of his health. Next, I''ll tell him about the scandal between Warren and her. How do you think he''ll react when he finds out Jasmine is actually not his biological daughter?¡± Shane raised his brows. ¡°Well, that''s easily predictable.¡± He would not be surprised if Harrison lost his mind or blew a gasket once she revealed the truth. ¡°I''ll then tell him that I can avenge him as long as he''s willing to be frank with me about the cause of my mom''s death. Ovee by his resentment toward Susan, he''ll surely tell me everything. By then, I''ll get to know whether it was merely an ident or they were the masterminds manipting everything. He probably won''t even be afraid of being charged with anything then. After all, he knows he won''t be able to live long.¡± Natalie clenched her fists, her tone icy-cold. Her n was to kill two birds with one stone. Apart from paying Harrison back in his own coins, she would be able to able to find out the truth about her mother''s death. Shane nodded approvingly andplimented, ¡°Not bad. It sounds like a perfect n.¡± ¡°I''m smart, aren''t I?¡± Natalie smiled at him, buoyed with confidence. In an instant, there was a flicker in his eyes. He lifted her chin and lowered his head to kiss her. Nheless, he had to exercise restraint in front of the kids. Therefore, he ended the kiss within seconds and teased her, ¡°This is a reward for you.¡± Natalie could not resist snorting withughter. Pfft! What kind of reward is that? He''s obviously just taking advantage of me and giving an excuse! The two kids cupped their mouths as giggles escaped their lips. ¡°Connor, Daddy and Mommy are biting each other''s lips again,¡± Sharon whispered to Connor. Connor nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah, I know. Just let them be. It''s actually a good thing.¡± It indicated that both their parents were deeply in love with each other. Undoubtedly, they were more than happy to see that. Har n was to kill two birds with ona stona. Apart from paying Harrison back in his own coins, sha would ba a to a to find out tha truth about har mothar''s daath. Shana noddad approvingly andplimantad, ¡°Not bad. It sounds lika a parfact n.¡± ¡°I''m smart, aran''t I?¡± Natalia smd at him, buoyad with confidanca. In an instant, thara was a flickar in his ayas. Ha liftad har chin and lowarad his haad to kiss har. Nonathss, ha had to axarcisa rastraint in front of tha kids. Tharafora, ha andad tha kiss within saconds and taasad har, ¡°This is a raward for you.¡± Natalia could not rasist snorting withughtar. Pfft! What kind of raward is that? Ha''s obviously just taking advantaga of ma and giving an axcusa! Tha two kids cuppad thair mouths as gigs ascapad thair lips. ¡°Connor, Daddy and Mommy ara biting aach othar''s lips again,¡± Sharon whisparad to Connor. Connor noddad and rapliad, ¡°Yaah, I know. Justt tham ba. It''s actually a good thing.¡± It indicatad that both thair parants wara daaply in lova with aach othar. Undoubtadly, thay wara mora than happy to saa that. Chapter 940 Chapter 940 On top of that, parents who loved each other deeply tended to love their children deeply as well. Subsequently, their children were blissful as their parents showered them with abundant love. By the time Natalie woke up on the couch again the next day, Shane had already left. ording to Mrs. Wilson, he left in haste after receiving a call. It seemed to be rted to Sam''s final trial. Natalie made her way to the washroom and did her morning routine. She left the ward silently without disturbing the kids, who were still sound asleep. She nned to get a few matters settled before flying overseas the next day to attend thepetition. A few things had been put on hold the previous day as she had to stay by the kids'' side most of the time. For instance, she had to withdraw her kids from kindergarten and also visit Alice. Fortunately, the withdrawal from kindergarten was not a tedious procedure. She only needed to sign a contract after talking it through with the person in charge. After stepping out of the kindergarten, she went to look for Lucinda first. Lucinda was over the moon when she saw Natalie. Without hesitation, she went to the women''s prison with her. At the visiting room of the prison, Alice looked at Natalie eagerly. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, when can I be released?¡± ¡°You might have to hang on a little longer. My husband is still in the midst of gathering concrete evidence to charge the Gunn family. You know that the family is backing Jacqueline Graham up, don''t you? If we don''t drag the Gunn family down first, they''ll be able to save her at any time and strike back at us,¡± Natalie exined to her patiently. Even though Jacqueline had tried to murder her twice, she would at most be charged with attempted murder and sentenced up to twenty years. Will the Gunn family let her be imprisoned without doing anything? She was convinced that they would leave no stones unturned to sweep everything under the rug. As a prominent and influential family, they would surely prevent anything from tarnishing their image. Alice looked dejected and mumbled sorrowfully, ¡°I got it.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie''s heart wrenched at the sight of her disappointment. She changed her mind and decided to keep mum that Jacqueline had escaped. If not, she foresaw Alice would be even more down in the dumps. ¡°I''m sorry, but I promise I''ll get you out,¡± Natalie apologized to her. Alice shook her head and replied casually, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, I don''t me you for this. In fact, I only have myself to me for ending up here. I shot myself in the foot due to my foolishness. I''ve made it through the past few months, so it doesn''t matter if I have to wait for a few more. Who knows, maybe I''ll be entitled to betterpensation for staying here longer?¡± Her words cheered Natalie up in an instant. ¡°All right, that''s all from me. Let me ask your mom toe in and have a chat with you.¡± Alice nodded and replied, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Natalie put down the receiver and stepped out of the visiting room to call Lucinda. After ten minutes, Lucinda stepped out from the visiting room with red-rimmed eyes. She had clearly been crying. When Natalie handed her a tissue to wipe off her tears, she smiled sheepishly. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Natalie tried to console her, ¡°Don''t worry. I''m sure Ms. Brown will be released soon.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. But she shouldn''t have made a deal with that malicious woman from the Graham family. That silly girl! Shended herself in hot soup!¡± Lucinda let out a deep sigh in weariness. ¡°We can''t me her for that. She took the risk for her family. Moreover, she did not know she would be dealing with Jacqueline.¡± Natalie put on a smile to appease her. Lucinda let out a deep sigh again before responding, ¡°I understand. That''s why I get all worked up whenever I think of it. My silly girl shouldn''t have made her promise impulsively without knowing who she was dealing with. I don''t know what to say about the Graham family. The couple is seemingly upright people with virtues. How is it possible for them to have such a despicable daughter?¡± ¡°Mrs. Brown, you seem to be quite familiar with her parents?¡± Natalie asked inquisitively. Lucinda nodded and exined, ¡°Mrs. Graham and I used to be best friends many years ago. Sadly, we burned bridges with each other due to a conflict. Since then, we''ve never crossed paths with each other again. Even so, I don''t doubt that she and her husband are a couple with virtues. I''m doubtful how they ended up having such a heinous daughter. I even heard that...¡± ¡°What did you hear?¡± Natalie asked her hastily. Lucinda furrowed her brows as she continued to exin, ¡°I''m not sure if the others were exaggerating, but if I''m not mistaken, the doctor detected something awry when Mrs. Graham was in her second trimester of pregnancy at that time. He advised her to have an abortion as the baby had an antisocial personality disorder. Nheless, she disagreed and even imed that the doctor was speaking nonsense.¡± ¡°Yas, I know. But sha shouldn''t hava mada a daal with that malicious woman from tha Graham family. That silly girl! Shandad harsalf in hot soup!¡± Lucindat out a daap sigh in waarinass. ¡°Wa can''t ma har for that. Sha took tha risk for har family. Moraovar, sha did not know sha would ba daaling with Jacqualina.¡± Natalia put on a sm to appaasa har. Lucindat out a daap sigh again bafora rasponding, ¡°I undarstand. That''s why I gat all workad up whanavar I think of it. My silly girl shouldn''t hava mada har promisa impulsivaly without knowing who sha was daaling with. I don''t know what to say about tha Graham family. Tha cou is saamingly upright pao with virtuas. How is it possi for tham to hava such a daspica daughtar?¡± ¡°Mrs. Brown, you saam to ba quita familiar with har parants?¡± Natalia askad inquisitivaly. Lucinda noddad and axinad, ¡°Mrs. Graham and I usad to ba bast friands many yaars ago. Sadly, wa burnad bridgas with aach othar dua to a conflict. Sinca than, wa''va navar crossad paths with aach othar again. Evan so, I don''t doubt that sha and har husband ara a cou with virtuas. I''m doubtful how thay andad up having such a hainous daughtar. I avan haard that...¡± ¡°What did you haar?¡± Natalia askad har hastily. Lucinda furrowad har brows as sha continuad to axin, ¡°I''m not sura if tha othars wara axaggarating, but if I''m not mistakan, tha doctor datactad somathing awry whan Mrs. Graham was in har sacond trimastar of pragnancy at that tima. Ha advisad har to hava an abortion as tha baby had an antisocial parsonality disordar. Nonathss, sha disagraad and avan imad that tha doctor was spaaking nonsansa.¡± Chapter 941 Chapter 941 ¡°I don''t think the doctor was speaking nonsense. We can easily detect the potential temperament of a baby during pregnancy with thetest technology,¡± Natalie uttered solemnly. It was considered a usual checkup during pregnancy in certain countries. Even so, it was usually performed upon request domestically. The domestic hospitals did not implement it widely to eliminate any unintentional abortion due to a potential error during checkups. ¡°You''re right, but Mrs. Graham did not ept the doctor''s advice. She refuted that it wouldn''t be any problem to nurture her child despite the disorder. However, things did not turn out as expected. Jacqueline caused someone''s death indirectly when she was only a child at that time.¡± Her secretive tone resulted in an ominous atmosphere. ¡°Do you mean to say that Jacqueline killed someone when she was only a child?¡± Natalie gasped as her heart skipped a beat. Lucinda shook her head. ¡°She did not kill anyone but caused someone''s death indirectly. Anyway, I''m not sure if all that is true.¡± Natalie gulped and asked, ¡°When did you hear about this?¡± ¡°Should be eighteen years ago,¡± Lucinda responded after pondering for quite a while. In a split second, Natalie was on pins and needles. My goodness! Jacqueline was only a ten-year-old child eighteen years ago, wasn''t she? How was it possible for a child to be responsible for someone''s death? Just what kind of monster is she? ¡°Mrs. Brown, who was the victim?¡± Natalie asked again inquisitively. Lucinda shook her head again. ¡°I have no idea. The others seem to be clueless about it as well. The wife of one of my husband''s friends only mentioned that she overheard Mrs. Graham reprimanding her daughter for repaying someone''s kindness with her hideousness instead. Nevertheless, she did not mention the victims'' names.¡± ¡°I see. Mrs. Brown, I get it now. Thanks for sharing all these with me.¡± Natalie was thankful to Lucinda. Lucinda waved at her with a smile. ¡°Don''t mention it. These are what I happened to overhear previously. I''m not sure how true they are.¡± ¡°Regardless of how true they are, at least we know that Jacqueline is a horrendous person.¡± Deep down, Natalie was a bundle of nerves. No matter what, Jacqueline must be arrested and charged for her heinous crimes! We can''t let her continue stirring up trouble and endangering others! Natalie dragged herself back to the hospital, her mind churning with utter restlessness. She could barely wait to bring her two kids overseas, keeping them far away from any danger. Lucinda''s words moments ago had scared her deeply, so she knew she must keep her guard up. Just the thought of it caused her to be mentally exhausted. In the afternoon, Joyce dropped by to visit the kids with fruits and toys. Astounded to see Natalie apparently lost in her thoughts, she asked in great concern, ¡°Nat, what''s the matter with you?¡± Natalie forced a smile. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Try to look in the mirror. Your frown has deepened into a scowl. Are you all right? Or perhaps the baby is causing you difort?¡± Joyce looked at her with a hint of anxiousness on her face. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No. I''m fine.¡± ¡°Then why are you...¡± Apparently, Joyce did not believe her. Natalie stood up right away. ¡°Joyce, that''s enough. I''m fine. Can you help to keep Connor and Sharon company here for a while? I need to settle the hospital discharge procedures for Sharon.¡± Both the kids would be flying overseas with her the next day for treatment over there. ¡°Go ahead. I''m not going anywhere.¡± Joyce waved her away. Considering Natalie might be buttoning up her lips due to certain reasons, she did not insist on questioning her. Natalie stepped out of the ward to settle Sharon''s discharge procedures. When she was about to return to the ward, a familiar voice called out to her, ¡°Nat!¡± In an instant, Natalie straightened her back instinctively. When the tall figure in a white coat came into view, Natalie felt a rush of indescribablyplex emotions. ¡°Oh, Stanley, it''s you.¡± Stanley knitted his brows at the sight of Natalie''s nonchnce. Even so, he rposed himself within seconds and put on a warm smile. ¡°What''s wrong? You don''t seem happy to see me.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Natalie lowered her eyes, avoiding eye contact with him. Stanley twitched his lips and uttered gently, ¡°Nat, don''t ever try to bluff me. Don''t you know that other than a neurologist, I''m a psychologist too? No matter how well you''re bottling up your displeasure, I can sense that you''re harboring a grudge against me. Did I do anything wrong?¡± Natalie clenched her fists in silence. After quite a while, she looked up and stared intently into Stanley''s eyes coldly, as though she had made a decision. ¡°Since you can sense that, let''s talk things out. Stanley, please be frank with me. Not long after I was back here, did Connor request your help to perform a paternity test for him and Shane?¡± Both tha kids would ba flying ovarsaas with har tha naxt day for traatmant ovar thara. ¡°Go ahaad. I''m not going anywhara.¡± Joyca wavad har away. Considaring Natalia might ba buttoning up har lips dua to cartain raasons, sha did not insist on quastioning har. Natalia stappad out of tha ward to sat Sharon''s discharga procaduras. Whan sha was about to raturn to tha ward, a familiar voica cad out to har, ¡°Nat!¡± In an instant, Natalia straightanad har back instinctivaly. Whan tha tall figura in a whita coat cama into viaw, Natalia falt a rush of indascribablyx amotions. ¡°Oh, Stay, it''s you.¡± Stay knittad his brows at tha sight of Natalia''s nonchnca. Evan so, ha rposad himsalf within saconds and put on a warm sm. ¡°What''s wrong? You don''t saam happy to saa ma.¡± ¡°Of coursa not.¡± Natalia lowarad har ayas, avoiding aya contact with him. Stay twitchad his lips and uttarad gantly, ¡°Nat, don''t avar try to bluff ma. Don''t you know that othar than a naurologist, I''m a psychologist too? No mattar how wall you''ra bottling up your disasura, I can sansa that you''ra harboring a grudga against ma. Did I do anything wrong?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalia nchad har fists in snca. Aftar quita a wh, sha lookad up and starad intantly into Stay''s ayas coldly, as though sha had mada a dacision. ¡°Sinca you can sansa that,t''s talk things out. Stay, asa ba frank with ma. Not long aftar I was back hara, did Connor raquast your halp to parform a patarnity tast for him and Shana?¡± Chapter 942 Chapter 942 In a blink of an eye, Stanley''s pupils constricted. Sensing that he could not continue to keep mum about it, he could only look into her eyes and admit, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But you amended the results, didn''t you?¡± Natalie was straight to the point. Stanley gulped and nodded. ¡°Nat, I''m sorry for that. I did that because¡ª¡± Natalie cut him off right away, ¡°I don''t care what your motive was. Stanley, don''t you know that the two kids have been yearning for fatherly love all this while? When we were overseas, others bullied them just because they were from a single-parent family. I dared not have the wishful thinking that they could reunite with Shane. What''s more, he was engaged to Jasmine at that time. I only wished that...¡± Natalie cleared her throat as she started choking up. ¡°I only wished that my kids could know they had a father too. It did not matter if Shane would ept them or not, but you shattered Connor''s hope!¡± Stanley lowered his head and apologized guiltily again, ¡°I''m sorry, Nat. I admit that I was too selfish. It was because I was deeply in love with you at the time. I feared that you would bring the two kids to reunite with Shane, and I would end up losing you. I never intended to let Connor down by doing so.¡± ¡°Forget about it. It''s meaningless to dwell on the past. You¡ª¡± ¡°What''s the point of talking to him about all these again?¡± Shane snapped before Natalie could finish with her words. Both Natalie and Stanley looked at the same direction. There Shane was, striding toward them with both his hands in his pockets. Grabbing Natalie''s arm, he stared at Stanley with a hint of grimness in his eyes. ¡°Since you took good care of Nat and the kids for the past few years overseas, I won''t settle the score with you on this. But you better not have any ploys on your mind again!¡± The next moment, he turned to look at Natalie. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Natalie nodded and walked away with him. Stanley took off his sses as he continued to stare at them till their figures were out of sight. Contorting his lips into a creepy smile, his sense of guilt moments ago vanished within seconds. When his cell phone rang abruptly, he nced at the blinking screen instantly. Even though it was an unknown number, he seemed to know who would be on the other side of the line. He answered the call and asked impatiently, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Jacqueline''s raspy voice sounded from the other end of the line. ¡°Stanley, find a way to send me overseas as soon as possible. There''s no way out for me as Shane has sealed off all the exits in J City. Not to mention, the Gunn family can''t send anyone to fetch me. I have had enough hiding under the bridge cavern for these three days, and I can''t stand it any longer! You must help me flee the country now!¡± She was sure as h*ll that it would be the end of her if Shane managed to track down her whereabouts. Thus, she could only start all over overseas. Stanley snorted and smiled disdainfully. ¡°Pfft! Why should I do so? I was conscientious enough to help you avoid being arrested by Shane previously. How dare you request me to send you overseas now again?¡± ¡°Do you mean to say that you aren''t helping me this round?¡± Jacqueline whined. Stanley put on his sses indifferently. ¡°That''s none of my business. Why don''t you get help from Sean Thompson? After all, he''s your aplice, isn''t he?¡± Jacqueline flipped out and fumed, ¡°Stanley Quinn, aren''t you afraid that I''ll snitch on you? Have you ever imagined how Natalie will react once she finds out that you were the one behind Connor''s car ident? To sweep it under the carpet, you even erased his memory. You also orchestrated your own car ident and set her warehouse on fire!¡± Even so, Stanley was not the slightest bit intimidated by her threatening words. ¡°Go ahead and tell on me then! Let me just warn you I might finish you off before that happens and turn you into a stinated human body. Don''t you know that it''s a piece of cake for a doctor to do so? By then, who would expect that you would have been turned into one!¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You...¡± Jacqueline broke out in cold sweat when she heard the viciousness in his words. D*mn it! What a psycho! Regardless of how ruthless Jacqueline was, she had never once thought of ying with a dead body like him! Stay snortad and smd disdainfully. ¡°Pfft! Why should I do so? I was consciantious anough to halp you avoid baing arrastad by Shana praviously. How dara you raquast ma to sand you ovarsaas now again?¡± ¡°Do you maan to say that you aran''t halping ma this round?¡± Jacqualina whinad. Stay put on his ssas indiffarantly. ¡°That''s nona of my businass. Why don''t you gat halp from Saan Thompson? Aftar all, ha''s your aplica, isn''t ha?¡± Jacqualina flippad out and fumad, ¡°Stay Quinn, aran''t you afraid that I''ll snitch on you? Hava you avar imaginad how Natalia will raact onca sha finds out that you wara tha ona bahind Connor''s car idant? To swaap it undar tha carpat, you avan arasad his mamory. You also orchastratad your own car idant and sat har warahousa on fira!¡± Evan so, Stay was not tha slightast bit intimidatad by har thraataning words. ¡°Go ahaad and tall on ma than! Lat ma just warn you I might finish you off bafora that happans and turn you into a stinatad human body. Don''t you know that it''s a piaca of caka for a doctor to do so? By than, who would axpact that you would hava baan turnad into ona!¡± ¡°You...¡± Jacqualina broka out in cold swaat whan sha haard tha viciousnass in his words. D*mn it! What a psycho! Ragarss of how rutss Jacqualina was, sha had navar onca thought of ying with a daad body lika him! Chapter 943 Chapter 943 At most, she would only kill off the person instantly. Thus, she was better than Stanley in a way. Stanley snorted at the panic-stricken woman. ¡°You''d better not get on my nerves! If not, you''ll surely regret doing so!¡± Jacqueline gritted her teeth, stifling her simmering fury. ¡°All right, you win this round. Stanley Quinn, you''d better wait for me to turn the tables around!¡± Stanley hung up on her with utter disdain in his eyes. Hmph! Wait for you? Fine, I''ll sit back and wait to see who will be the one who ends up in a pathetic state. Without hesitation, Stanley put his cell phone into the pocket of his white coat and strode toward the elevator. He had to be punctual as he was specially invited by the management of the hospital to perform surgery for a patient. On the other hand, Natalie and Shane were unaware that Stanley had a phone conversation with Jacqueline right after they left. The moment they stepped into the ward, Joyce and the two kids'' infectious giggles cheered them up in an instant. Natalie burst intoughter as she put down the hospital discharge form. ¡°You''reughing your heads off! What''s so funny?¡± Joyce replied casually, ¡°I''m telling them jokes.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Go ahead then.¡± Joyce nced at her watch and stood up. ¡°Oh, no! It''s almost time. I have to go now. I promised to apany my parents for a meal.¡± ¡°Bye, Aunt Joyce!¡± The two kids waved goodbye at her obediently. Joyce caressed the two kids'' chubby faces. ¡°Oh, I''m starting to get upset because I won''t be able to see both of you for quite a while after this. I''ll surely miss you.¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°If you miss them, feel free to visit us overseas any time. Get Shane to bring you there.¡± Joyce turned to look at Shane in an instant. Shane was standing behind Natalie, his usual aloof expression on his face. Joyce could not resist shuddering at his intimidating vibe. ¡°It''s all right. I''ll fly there myself to visit you when I''m free.¡± Deep down, she grumbled and scoffed. Hmph! I''ll never take the risk of flying there together with him. Ever since I plucked his hair previously, he''s been giving me that kind of grim look! What if he takes the opportunity to pay me back when we''re alone with each other? Natalie could guess the reason Joyce turned her down. She shook her head and smiled again. Even so, her smile froze as something came into her mind. ¡°Oh yeah, Joyce, I bumped into Stanley just now when I was settling the discharge procedure for Sharon.¡± Joyce was dumbfounded and lowered her eyes. ¡°He works in another hospital, doesn''t he? Why is he here?¡± ¡°I''m clueless about that too. I bet he''s here for something else. Are you all right?¡± Natalie was concerned about her friend. Joyce waved at her casually. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m fine. Nat, you don''t have to tell me anything about him. Didn''t I mention that I''ve made up my mind to give up on him? Thus, I''m not interested in anything rted to him again. I''m runningte, so I need to make a move first.¡± With that, she took her bag and stepped out of the ward hastily. Natalie let out a deep sigh as she watched her friend''s figure disappear out of her sight. ¡°She doesn''t look like she''s really given up on Stanley yet as mentioned,¡± Shanemented all of a sudden. Natalie felt her temples start to throb. ¡°If even you can sense that, how could I have not? Not to mention, Joyce and Stanley grew up together. She started to fall head over heels for him during her teenage days. That was almost twenty years ago. Of course, it''s impossible for her to let go of everything within a short span.¡± ¡°Did anything happen to them previously?¡± Surprisingly, Shane''s curiosity was piqued. Natalie shrugged her shoulders. ¡°What happened between them was simr to our previous conflict.¡± Shane squinted his eyes as he pondered for a while. ¡°So he thought that Joyce had killed both his parents?¡± Natalie exined further, ¡°Yeah, something like that. Stanley misunderstood Joyce for causing his parents'' death indirectly. He thought Joyce was the one who spilled the beans about his parents'' whereabouts to her parents. He imed they leaked it to his parents'' foes, causing them to be killed. No matter how Joyce has been rifying that she and her parents were wrongly used, Stanley refused to ept her exnation.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Shane nodded after getting a clearer picture. ¡°I''ve been trying to investigate it on behalf of Joyce all this while, but to no avail. It did happen a long time ago, after all. I haven''t been able to obtain any evidence,¡± Nataliemented. Nataliat out a daap sigh as sha watchad har friand''s figura disappaar out of har sight. ¡°Sha doasn''t look lika sha''s raally givan up on Stay yat as mantionad,¡± Shanamantad all of a suddan. Natalia falt har tams start to throb. ¡°If avan you can sansa that, how could I hava not? Not to mantion, Joyca and Stay graw up togathar. Sha startad to fall haad ovar haals for him during har taanaga days. That was almost twanty yaars ago. Of coursa, it''s impossi for har tot go of avarything within a short span.¡± ¡°Did anything happan to tham praviously?¡± Surprisingly, Shana''s curiosity was piquad. Natalia shruggad har shouldars. ¡°What happanad batwaan tham was simr to our pravious conflict.¡± Shana squintad his ayas as ha pondarad for a wh. ¡°So ha thought that Joyca had kid both his parants?¡± Natalia axinad furthar, ¡°Yaah, somathing lika that. Stay misundarstood Joyca for causing his parants'' daath indiractly. Ha thought Joyca was tha ona who spid tha baans about his parants'' wharaabouts to har parants. Ha imad thayakad it to his parants'' foas, causing tham to ba kid. No mattar how Joyca has baan rifying that sha and har parants wara wrongly usad, Stay rafusad to apt har axnation.¡± ¡°No wondar.¡± Shana noddad aftar gatting a arar pictura. ¡°I''va baan trying to invastigata it on bahalf of Joyca all this wh, but to no avail. It did happan a long tima ago, aftar all. I havan''t baan a to obtain any avidanca,¡± Nataliamantad.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 944 Chapter 944 Shane kept quiet after that. I''m not about to help Joyce investigate it! This is her problem, and it has nothing to do with me! Besides, I''m not even done with getting my own revenge! With that in mind, Shane said, ¡°I was at the court today. Sam''s final trial has been brought forward to the 19th of next month. ording to thewyer, he''ll be sentenced to death.¡± Natalie''s eyes lit up upon hearing that. ¡°Really? That''s great!¡± ¡°It''s indeed great news, but we have yet to find the second killer,¡± Shane said as he looked up at her. I really want to bring my parents'' killers to justice. Having felt his intentions, Natalie gave him a squeeze on the finger and said, ¡°Don''t worry, we''ll find the killer.¡± Shane nodded with a smile and was about to say something when his phone rang. He answered it immediately when he saw Ss'' name on the caller ID. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ve caught a thief in your office! He was sent by Sean!¡± Ss reported angrily. The look on Shane''s face turned gloomy instantly, and an icy-cold aura emanated from his body. ¡°What? A thief?¡± Natalie stared at him in confusion and asked, ¡°What thief?¡± Shane ignored her question for the time being and pressed on with murderous intent in his eyes, ¡°What did he steal?¡± ¡°He didn''t steal anything, or rather he hadn''t managed to steal what he came for. However, I interrogated him, and he confessed that Sean had sent him to steal an equity transfer agreement. I''m guessing it''s the one for Well Properties,¡± Ss replied. There was no way Sean wouldn''t know about Sam''s arrest. He was aware that Shane had found the will, so he knew that Shane was in possession of the equity transfer agreement for Well Properties. However, he didn''t dare show up in person as Shane would surely catch him if he did. As such, sending someone to steal the equity transfer agreement was the only way he could get his hands on it. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I see...¡± Shane''s lips curled into a cold grin as he said that. I knew it! I deliberately put the word out that I had found the will just so I could bait Sean into making a move, but things have been so quiet that I thought Sean had given up on it. Looks like he''s still trying to get it, after all! What secrets does Well Properties hold? Why did my mom give it to Sean, and why is Sean so obsessed with getting it? He''s not even that obsessed about Thompson Group! ¡°Wait for me in my office. I''lle right over!¡± Shane ordered coldly. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Ss replied. Shane then hung up the phone and turned toward Natalie as he exined, ¡°Sean sent someone to steal the equity transfer agreement for Well Properties from my office, but Ss caught him. I need to head over.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Go on, then.¡± Shane gave her a pat on the head and nced at the two kids ying with their toys on the hospital bed. ¡°Just give me a call if anything happens, and I''lle rushing right over.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, we''ll be fine!¡± Natalie said with a smile. Shane put his phone away, lifted her chin, and gave her an aggressive kiss before leaving. Natalie didn''t know whether tough or cry as she rubbed her lips that were hurting from his kiss. Shane drove all the way to Thompson Group and went straight to his office. Ss was sitting on the sofa with a tied-up man kneeling next to him. The man looked like he was in his thirties and was dressed in a Maintenance Department uniform. He was trembling all over from fear as the door to the office opened and Shane stepped into the room. Ss quickly stood up and greeted him, ¡°Mr. Shane!¡± Shane nodded at him in response before shifting his gaze toward the man in the Maintenance Department uniform. ¡°This is the thief?¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. I came to retrieve a document left in your office and saw him rummaging through your drawers and cabs.¡± The man kneeling on the ground lowered his head in response. The look on Shane''s face grew increasingly cold as he asked, ¡°Is he from the Maintenance Department?¡± Shana gava har a pat on tha haad and ncad at tha two kids ying with thair toys on tha hospital bad. ¡°Just giva ma a call if anything happans, and I'' rushing right ovar.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, wa''ll ba fina!¡± Natalia said with a sm. Shana put his phona away, liftad har chin, and gava har an aggrassiva kiss baforaaving. Natalia didn''t know whathar tough or cry as sha rubbad har lips that wara hurting from his kiss. Shana drova all tha way to Thompson Group and want straight to his offica. Ss was sitting on tha sofa with a tiad-up man knaaling naxt to him. Tha man lookad lika ha was in his thirtias and was drassad in a Maintananca Dapartmant uniform. Ha was trambling all ovar from faar as tha door to tha offica opanad and Shana stappad into tha room. Ss quickly stood up and graatad him, ¡°Mr. Shana!¡± Shana noddad at him in rasponsa bafora shifting his gaza toward tha man in tha Maintananca Dapartmant uniform. ¡°This is tha thiaf?¡± Ss noddad. ¡°Yas. I cama to ratriava a documantft in your offica and saw him rummaging through your drawars and cabinats.¡± Tha man knaaling on tha ground lowarad his haad in rasponsa. Tha look on Shana''s faca graw incraasingly cold as ha askad, ¡°Is ha from tha Maintananca Dapartmant?¡± Chapter 945 Chapter 945 ¡°No, he isn''t. I''ve checked with the Maintenance Department, and they''ve confirmed that he isn''t one of theirs. In fact, he isn''t even from thispany. He knocked out one of our staff from the Maintenance Department and took this uniform off him!¡± Ss replied angrily. The coldness in Shane''s expression intensified as he asked, ¡°How is that employee''s condition now?¡± ¡°He''s fine and has already returned to duty. The elevators are scheduled for maintenance today, and this guy knocked the staff out while he was on his way to service the elevators. He then changed into this uniform and snuck into your office, Mr. Shane,¡± Ss said while pointing at the man. The man looked up at them with tears and snot all over his face as he whimpered in fear. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shane! Please spare me! I''m begging you!¡± The man leaned forward submissively, only to have Ss kick his head back as he said with a sneer, ¡°That''s it? You were stealing from our CEO''s office! Did you really think a simple apology would suffice?¡± The man trembled even more intensely as he stammered, ¡°I-I was just blinded by the money! I¡ª¡± Shane cut him off coldly, ¡°Are you one of Sean''s men? Or did he hire you just for this job?¡± ¡°I... He hired me just for this job. I''m a professional thief for hire that specializes in stealing corporate documents. I was gaming at home when I got a call from someone asking me to steal an equity transfer agreement from your office. I knew Thompson Group wasn''t some smallpany that I can easily steal from, but the money offered was just so great that I...¡± Had I known that I would get caught like this, I would never have agreed to the job no matter how much I was offered! I can''t believe I let my sessful attempts in the past get to my head! I actually thought I would get away with it even though Thompson Group is one of the top fiftypanies in the world. Ugh, those smallerpanies sure are nothingpared torge ones like these. Right now, I''m completely at their mercy... The man smiled wryly and regretted his actions greatly at the thought of that. ¡°You specialize in helping others steal corporate documents?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. This is the first time I''ve heard of such a profession! All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ss cleared his throat as he said, ¡°It''s true that such a profession exists, albeit in the shadows. When companies wish to obtain top-secret data or evidence from otherpanies, they would hire men like him to steal it for them. You can think of it as an underhanded method of acquiring said documents, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane sneered. ¡°Heh, this certainly is eye-opening.¡± Ss shot the man a cold re. ¡°No one has ever dared steal from Thompson Group, so it''s normal that you haven''t heard of such things. This guy is just a little bolder than the others, that''s all!¡± The man shrank back a little. ¡°I''ve already told you everything, Mr. Shane! Please let me go! I didn''t steal anything! I''ve got an elderly mother and a young child to look after!¡± ¡°You have a child, and yet you''re still doing this sort of thing? Do you want your child to live the rest of his life in shame because of you?¡± Shane asked coldly. The man lowered his head. ¡°I... It''s not like I wanted to... I''m only doing this to survive!¡± ¡°To survive? Heh!¡± Shane couldn''t be bothered to see if he was lying nor look into his actual identity. He then turned toward Ss and said, ¡°Where''s his phone? Have him call Sean and tell him he got the equity transfer agreement.¡± Ss'' eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Are you trying to bait Sean intoing out of hiding, Mr. Shane? Get him to reveal his location or something, perhaps?¡± Shane nodded slightly. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Ss then whipped out the man''s phone and held it up to his face as he said, ¡°Unlock it and make the call.¡± Shana snaarad. ¡°Hah, this cartainly is aya-opaning.¡± Ss shot tha man a cold ra. ¡°No ona has avar darad staal from Thompson Group, so it''s normal that you havan''t haard of such things. This guy is just a lit boldar than tha othars, that''s all!¡± Tha man shrank back a lit. ¡°I''va alraady told you avarything, Mr. Shana! asat ma go! I didn''t staal anything! I''va got an aldarly mothar and a young child to look aftar!¡± ¡°You hava a child, and yat you''ra still doing this sort of thing? Do you want your child to liva tha rast of his lifa in shama bacausa of you?¡± Shana askad coldly. Tha man lowarad his haad. ¡°I... It''s not lika I wantad to... I''m only doing this to surviva!¡± ¡°To surviva? Hah!¡± Shana couldn''t ba botharad to saa if ha was lying nor look into his actual idantity. Ha than turnad toward Ss and said, ¡°Whara''s his phona? Hava him call Saan and tall him ha got tha aquity transfar agraamant.¡± Ss'' ayas lit up instantly. ¡°Ara you trying to bait Saan intoing out of hiding, Mr. Shana? Gat him to ravaal his location or somathing, parhaps?¡± Shana noddad slightly. ¡°Yaah.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Ss than whippad out tha man''s phona and hald it up to his faca as ha said, ¡°Unlock it and maka tha call.¡± Chapter 946 Chapter 946 The man did as told while Shane and Ss kept quiet as they watched from the side. However, the call didn''t get through, and all they heard was an automated message saying the number was no longer in service. Shane clenched his fists tightly while a wide-eyed Ss asked in shock, ¡°Is this phone bugged?¡± The man shook his head profusely. ¡°No, it isn''t! It really isn''t!¡± Ss grabbed him by the cor and asked, ¡°Were you having a conversation with Sean while stealing the documents? Did he hear my voice and realize you were caught?¡± ¡°No, I wasn''t on a call with him! I wouldn''t dare do so! Somepanies have sensors that sound the rm when they detect an unrecognized signal from calls being made. I was afraid that thispany had those sensors installed too, so I didn''t dare make any calls at all!¡± the man exined. Ss froze. He''s right. Mostpanies do have such sensors installed, and Mr. Shane''s office is no exception. Only a few phone numbers have been saved into the system, so phone signals from any other number would definitely trigger the rm. That means this guy is telling the truth. ¡°This is just one of Sean''s ns,¡± Shane spoke up all of a sudden. Ss looked at him in confusion. ¡°One of his ns?¡± ¡°Sean knew it wouldn''t be easy to steal the equity transfer agreement. He didn''t have much chance at sess the first time, so he never expected this attempt to be sessful either. That''s why Sean deactivated his number so quickly,¡± Shane exined while rubbing his eyebrows. ¡°So, this man is a pawn that Sean has abandoned?¡± Ss asked with a glint in his eye. Shane nodded. ¡°That''s right.¡± The man went pale the moment he heard that. I-I''m just a pawn? ¡°Sean never expected for him to sessfully steal the equity transfer agreement to begin with. He only sent him to find out where the document could possibly be hidden. Should this man fail to do so, Sean would just arrange for someone else to look for it elsewhere. Whatever happens to him won''t affect Sean in the slightest,¡± Shane continued. The man on the floor was close to tears once again as he realized he had been tricked and used. Ss gave him a sympathetic look as he asked, ¡°I see... What shall we do about this guy, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Take him to the police station. He has stolen quite a lot of corporate documents in the past, so it''s about time he paid the price for it anyway,¡± Shane said with a wave of his hand. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Ss smiled and nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± He then summoned some bodyguards and had them take the man away. The man was still begging to be spared as he was being dragged outside, but Shane and Ss both ignored his pleas. ¡°Have someone install more hidden cameras in the building. I believe Sean will make another attempt at this,¡± Shane ordered. ¡°Understood,¡± Ss replied. Shane then waved at him as he said, ¡°All right, you can go now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Shane waited till Ss was gone before opening the safe in his lounge. Inside the safe were some precious jewelry and a folder. He took the folder out of the safe and retrieved the equity transfer agreement for Well Properties inside. Thest time Shane went to Well Properties, he saw the manager and asked him if he knew why his mother gave Sean the shares. The manager said he didn''t know why, and that he only knew Sean was the chairman because Shane''s mother said it herself. As such, she had truly given Well Properties'' shares to Sean willingly. Naturally, Shane didn''t take too kindly to that, but he was more curious about the reason behind his mother''s actions. Although he was unable to find Sean, he could try to lure him out through Sam. If that didn''t work, he would put the word out about auctioning the equity transfer agreement as Sean was bound to show up then. Even if he didn''t, he would still send someone in his stead, and catching that guy would also lead them to Sean. ¡°Hava somaona install mora hiddan camaras in tha building. I baliava Saan will maka anothar attampt at this,¡± Shana ordarad. ¡°Undarstood,¡± Ss rapliad. Shana than wavad at him as ha said, ¡°All right, you can go now.¡± ¡°Yas, sir.¡± Shana waitad till Ss was gona bafora opaning tha safa in his lounga. Insida tha safa wara soma pracious jawalry and a foldar. Ha took tha foldar out of tha safa and ratriavad tha aquity transfar agraamant for Wall Propartias insida. Thast tima Shana want to Wall Propartias, ha saw tha managar and askad him if ha knaw why his mothar gava Saan tha sharas. Tha managar said ha didn''t know why, and that ha only knaw Saan was tha chairman bacausa Shana''s mothar said it harsalf. As such, sha had truly givan Wall Propartias'' sharas to Saan willingly. Naturally, Shana didn''t taka too kindly to that, but ha was mora curious about tha raason bahind his mothar''s actions. Although ha was una to find Saan, ha could try to lura him out through Sam. If that didn''t work, ha would put tha word out about auctioning tha aquity transfar agraamant as Saan was bound to show up than. Evan if ha didn''t, ha would still sand somaona in his staad, and catching that guy would alsoad tham to Saan. Chapter 947 Chapter 947 With that in mind, Shane then ced the document back into the folder and left his office with it. The next day, Natalie was saying goodbye to Shane and Joyce at the airport. The two kids sitting in the wheelchair waved goodbye at Shane too. ¡°Bye, Daddy! Remember toe see us and Mommy over the weekend!¡± Sharon shouted. Connor nodded and chimed in as well, ¡°Yeah! Don''t forget that, Daddy!¡± ¡°I will,¡± Shane replied as he knelt down and gave them both a hug. They''re my wife and kids! There''s no way I wouldn''t go see them! Natalie let go of the wheelchair to give them some space and walked up to Joyce. ¡°I''ll be leaving the company in your care, Joyce.¡± ¡°I know, don''t worry.¡± Joyce nodded and shifted her gaze toward Shane and the kids as she continued, ¡°Honestly, I was shocked when you told me Shane was their biological father, and I still am. How did the DNA paternity test results turn out positive when they were negative before?¡± ¡°That''s because someone sabotaged us,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Whoever did that sure is a real scumbag!¡± Joyce eximed with a sigh. Natalie chuckled. ¡°All right, let''s not talk about this now. Take good care of yourself, okay? Feel free to come see us if you miss us!¡± ¡°I will. You take care too,¡± Joyce said and reached out to give Natalie a hug. However, before she could do so, Shane pulled Natalie aside and shed her a cold re. Seriously, Mr. Shane? I just wanted to give Nat a hug! I''ve never seen a man so petty before! Joyce rolled her eyes at the thought of that. Natalie didn''t know whether tough or cry at Shane''s actions. ¡°Don''t be jealous, Shane! Joyce is a female!¡± she said while patting the back of his hand. ¡°Makes no difference to me. Remember to call me once you get there,¡± Shane said while tucking Natalie''s hair behind her ear. ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. At that moment, the announcement for them to board their flight was heard on the PA system. Hugging Shane, Natalie pressed her ear on his chest to hear his heartbeat as she said reluctantly, ¡°We''ll be leaving now.¡± Shane gave her a kiss on the forehead. ¡°All right. Go on, then.¡± Natalie took a deep breath and let go of him as she turned around. She was about to make her way to the boarding gate when Shane called out to her all of a sudden, ¡°Hey, Nat!¡± Natalie paused in her tracks and turned around. ¡°What is it?¡± Shane then stepped forward, wrapped an arm around her waist, lifted her chin with his other hand, and kissed her on the lips. Joyce quickly whipped her phone out and snapped away excitedly while Connor closed his eyes on the wheelchair. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Of course, he made sure to cover Sharon''s eyes as well. The two of them kissed for about two minutes before Shane finally let go of Natalie. Wow, they sure gave that kiss their all! Their lips are all red, and there''s even a strand of saliva hanging between them! Oh my god! This is so hot! Joyce clicked her tongue and tried to suppress her excitement. Neither Shane nor Natalie knew what was going on inside her head, and they wouldn''t have cared even if they did. Natalie gazed deeply into Shane''s eyes and said, ¡°All right, I''m leaving for real now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie then let go of his neck and turned around to push the wheelchair toward the boarding gate. Shane simply stood there and watched as the three of them slowly disappeared from sight. ¡°Mr. Shane, you could go there with them and rush backter,¡± Joyce suggested from behind him. Honestly, why are these two being so dramatic? It''s not like they''re going to be separated forever or anything! Shane turned around and shot Joyce a nce in response, prompting her to giggle apologetically. ¡°Hehe... Pretend I didn''t say that!¡± ¡°No, you''re right.¡± Shane shed her a rare smile before running toward Natalie. Joyce blinked a couple of times as she stared in disbelief. ¡°Wait, he actually listened to me?¡± Chapter 948 Chapter 948 Shane quickly caught up to Natalie, who had just arrived at the entrance to the VIP passage. She spun around when she heard him, and her jaw dropped in surprise. ¡°Shane? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I''ll go there with you three ande backter,¡± Shane said as he took the wheelchair over from her. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Natalie asked from the side. The two kids were looking at him in shock as well. ¡°Are you really going there with us, Daddy?¡± Connor asked. Shane gave him a pat on the head and replied, ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°What about your schedule, then? Ss said you wanted to inspect the subsidiarypany in the afternoon, right?¡± Natalie asked. She was happy that he would go with them, but she didn''t want him neglecting his work because of them. Even if he''s the CEO and chairman of thepany, the shareholders would still be displeased with him! ¡°Don''t worry, I can just postpone it till tomorrow.¡± Shane brushed it off casually. Natalie frowned. ¡°But this isn''t appropriate.¡± ¡°It''s fine. I can have the vice president go in my ce instead. Sometimes, giving your subordinates a little bit of authority will result in them being more loyal,¡± Shane said. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s true... Fine, I suppose there''s no talking you out of this anyway. Still, you haven''t purchased a ticket, and it''s already past the cut-off time now.¡± ¡°Oh, I won''t be needing a ticket. My private jet is parked right outside,¡± Shane said as he pushed the wheelchair with one hand while holding Natalie''s with the other. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Natalie found it both touching and hrious at the same time. Oh well, whatever. I''ll just let him send us there if he wants to. Besides, the kids are happy with this arrangement too, so it''s fine! Just like that, the four of them happily boarded the private jet. Meanwhile, Jacqueline was standing below the deck of a fishing boat at the pier. She was trembling with anger as she stared at the iceboxes around her. ¡°I can''t believe that b*stard Sean would arrange for me to hide in a fishing vessel like this!¡± Jacqueline was losing her mind as she red at the lobsters swimming around in the iceboxes. It''s so stinky and filthy here. This is way worse than the bridge cavern! Sean must''ve done this on purpose! He clearly had other ships that he could''ve used, but he chose this fishing vessel just to torment and humiliate me! Just you wait, Sean, I''ll get my revenge for this! With that in mind, Jacqueline kicked one of the iceboxes aside angrily and pinched her nose. She then crouched down to not lose her bnce when the ship began to move. On top of that, she had to remain well-hidden to avoid being caught by the coast guard. All she had to do was make it to international waters safely and she would be free. Shane and Natalie were still unaware of Jacqueline leaving J City, as none of them expected her to sneak out of there under the deck of a fishing vessel. That way, she was able to avoid Shane''s men, who were searching for her at the docks. Natalie and the others arrived at their destination about seven hourster, and Sally came over to pick them up at the airport. She was astonished to see that Shane hade along with them and asked in surprise, ¡°Mr. Shane? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°What, I can''t be here?¡± Shane responded coldly. Sally iled her arms anxiously as she exined, ¡°No, that''s not what I meant! You see, I didn''t know you wereing along, so I drove a four-seater to pick them up. There''s no room for you in the car!¡± ¡°It''s simple. You can just hail a cab instead. Now, hand me the keys,¡± Shane replied and held his hand out. Sally had no choice but to do as told with a helpless look on her face. With one arm around Natalie''s waist, Shane wheeled the two kids that were fast asleep all the way to the parking lot elevator. Natalie shed Sally an apologetic smile when they passed her by. ¡°I''m sorry I forgot to inform you, Sally. I''ll call the housekeeper and have here pick you up, so just wait here in the airport.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, I''ll just hail a cab myself. Mr. Shane came here in person, so I don''t want to disturb you guys any further. I''ll go have some fun in the city myself and head backter!¡± Sally said with a smile. Natalie nodded. ¡°All right, have fun! I''ll have Shane cover the expensester!¡± Sally''s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Sure thing! Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson!¡± Chapter 949 Chapter 949 Shane simply snorted in response while Natalie found herself amused by Sally''s antics. ¡°Come on, let''s go!¡± Shane said as he moved his hand from Natalie''s waist to her cheek and turned her head away from Sally. ¡°All right, all right. I''ming!¡± Natalie didn''t know whether tough or cry in response as the four of them carried on walking. Due to the difference in time zones, Shane chose not to spend the night there and took a flight back later that evening. Since it was also nighttime when he returned to the country, he was able to avoid suffering from jetg. The two kids were disappointed when they woke up and saw that Shane was gone. However, they smiled happily again when Natalieforted them and said he woulde over a few dayster. Suddenly, Natalie''s phone rang on the nightstand, and she answered it happily when she saw Jared''s name on the caller ID. ¡°Hey, Jared!¡± ¡°Hey, Nat! Are you still in Astoria?¡± he asked gently. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, I am. Why?¡± ¡°My teacher is going to organize a traveling exhibition, and the next stop will be Astoria. I''ll be able to see you then!¡± Jared replied. Natalie was overjoyed. ¡°That''s great! Sharon and Connor will surely be happy when they hear this. When will you be arriving? I''ll go pick you up!¡± ¡°Tomorrow at four in the afternoon,¡± Jared replied. Natalie noted the time down in her head. ¡°Got it!¡± Mypetition will be over by four, so I''ll have time to go pick him up at the airport. The two then chatted a little bit longer to catch up before ending the call. Natalie went to tell her kids about their uncleing over to visit them, and they were really happy as they hadn''t seen him in a long time. The three of them yed for quite a while. The kids were very energetic as they had been sleeping during the day. Natalie, on the other hand, was really tired and sleepy. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Fortunately for her, Connor eventually told her to get some sleep in her room as he could help look after Sharon. As she had always found Connor to be very reliable, Natalie left them and went to bed after blowing her hair dry. The next morning, she was woken up by Sally, who said, ¡°Someone called asking for you earlier.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± Natalie asked with a yawn while leaningzily against the door frame. ¡°It''s someone from the mental hospital. They said Jessie has been found to be pregnant,¡± Sally replied. Natalie''s eyes went wide instantly when she heard that. ¡°What? Jasmine... I mean, Jessie is pregnant? Who''s the father?¡± Sally shook her head. ¡°I don''t know, and I doubt the mental hospital does either. Only Jessie would know the answer to that.¡± ¡°I can''t believe she got pregnant!¡± Natalie eximed with a frown. ¡°I know, right? I was shocked too when I first heard about it! The staff from the mental hospital was asking how we n on handling this. They want to know if we n on letting her out to better care for her baby, or if they should keep her there,¡± Sally said. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I''ll ask Shane about this.¡± I don''t want to make this decision by myself! A human life is involved here! I should talk to Shane first. Sally nodded. ¡°Sure. I''ll leave this to you and Mr. Shane then. Hurry up ande downstairs for breakfast. I''ll go get the kids.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie waited till Sally had left before frowning as she closed the door behind her. Damn, I wasn''t expecting Jasmine to get pregnant... It''s nighttime where Shane is right now, so he should have arrived by now. With that in mind, she sat down on the bed and gave Shane a call. Shane''s tired voice came on the phone momentster. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°Hey, Darling! Did you not get any sleep on the flight?¡± Natalie asked with a frown. He didn''t sleep at all beforeing here with me, and he stayed up the whole time to look after the kids on the flight here. That means he has stayed up for over a day! Not getting any sleep on the flight back would mean he has been up for 36 hours! Chapter 950 Chapter 950 ¡°No, I had some work to do on the flight home,¡± Shane said. Natalie pursed her lips upon hearing that. ¡°I knew I should''ve insisted on not having youe with us. That way, you wouldn''t have ended up having to work on the flight home.¡± Shane smiled when he heard her ming herself for it. ¡°There, there. It''s not your fault. So, what''s up?¡± ¡°Oh, I just received word that Jasmine is pregnant,¡± Natalie replied. Shane arched an eyebrow in response. ¡°Who''s the father?¡± ¡°I don''t know. The mental hospital staff are asking how we n on handling this. They want to know if they should let her out to care for the baby or remain in the hospital. I couldn''t make the decision on my own, so I thought I''d seek your opinion on this,¡± Natalie answered. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°She has a private ward in the mental hospital. Staying there won''t affect her pregnancy in any way.¡± Natalie understood what he meant instantly. ¡°So, you mean we shouldn''t let her out?¡± ¡°Yes, there''s no need to. She can keep the baby if she wants to or have it aborted if she doesn''t,¡± Shane said. While he wouldn''t choose to abort an innocent baby himself, the mother''s own decision was none of his concern. ¡°Got it.¡± Natalie nodded before pouting as she continued, ¡°Are you still busy working? If you are, you should stop it and get some rest. You hear me? I don''t want you dying from overworking yourself! If you die, I''ll take the kids with me and remarry! Let''s see how you like it when they call someone else ''Daddy''!¡± Shane''s expression turned gloomy instantly. Although he knew Natalie was just saying that out of concern for his well-being, hearing it still made him feel somewhat ufortable. ¡°Don''t even think about it!¡± Remarry? Have them call someone else ¡°Daddy¡±? Not a chance! Realizing he was angry, Natalie broke into a chuckle as she said, ¡°All right, I''m just kidding! Hurry up and get some rest! You''re already in your thirties, remember? What would the kids and I do without you? Hmm... You know what? I think I might actually remarry and take them with me!¡± ¡°You dare?¡± Shane raised his voice. Natalieughed even louder in response. ¡°Try me!¡± Shane''s smile vanished as he said, ¡°You won''t have the chance to do that. You will only belong to me.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. Go get some rest. I''m going to head out for mypetition soon, and I still have to pick Jared up after that!¡± Natalie said while ncing at the time. ¡°Okay,¡± Shane mumbled before hanging up. He then put his phone down and stared at the documentsid out in front of him. After a few seconds of silence, he pushed them aside and got up. He was a little hurt by Natalie''sment on his age as well as her threat to take the kids with her and remarry. The fact that his kids would be calling another man ¡°Daddy¡± angered him even further. Hmph! Fine, I''ll get some rest, then! You''re not going to remarry some other guy! Shane thought to himself and rubbed his forehead as he walked toward his bedroom. ¡°What a silly guy!¡± Natalie muttered with a smile as she put her phone away. I bet Shane is getting some rest right now like I told him to! He may look all cold and aloof on the outside, but you''ll see how childish and egotistical he can be once you get to know him. Maybe this is how he truly is deep down inside, but his upbringing and education led to him hiding his personality underneath that cold personality. He only shows his true self to those who are close to him, and I''m the closest one there is. After breakfast, Natalie handed the kids over to the housekeeper and left for thepetition with Sally. With more and more participants being eliminated from thepetition, the rules began to change ordingly as well. Instead of eliminating the two participants who came inst in each team, the entire team would be eliminated instead. Chapter 951 Chapter 951 Thepetition was a grouppetition with unique regtions. The organizer called in a few models with unusual body shapes, and they would be allocated to each team. The teams were supposed to custom design clothes for their respective model, with the aim of downying their shorings and showcasing their strengths. So, that effectively removed all the designers'' models, including Sally, from thepetition for that round. Sally went up to Natalie and pouted, ¡°Thispetition is too tough, Nat!¡± Natalie nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°Indeed. They don''t set a theme but instead request we design ording to our model''s strengths and weaknesses. That means the creations will be so varied in style and difficult topare. Also, if the style does not suit that particr model, no matter how brilliant the design is, that creation would end up losing points and lowering the team''s average score.¡± Designers prided themselves on their sense of style, and when they conceptualized a design, it was not meant for people with imperfect body shapes or proportions. In fact, they often did not want such people to wear their clothes so as not to ruin their designs. More importantly, they felt having imperfect people wear their clothes would degrade their image and brand. As such, most of the top designers in the world had not designed with imperfection in mind. The unique regtion was a real test for them, and many were deeply troubled by it. Natalie was no exception, and even her mentor Mercede had not done any customized designs for such people before. Their inexperience in designing for such people was not because of discrimination or snobbishness, but rather due tock of exposure. In the fashion world, they had never had models with unusual body shapes, and even the sketches they studied drew tall andnky models. Moreover, they were mentored by top designers, and with that background, the clients they were exposed to were the rich and famous, who were usually very image-conscious. These people rarely allowed their bodies to get out of shape. ¡°My goodness! Can you feel it, Nat? The atmosphere is so solemn and gloomy!¡± Sally rubbed her arms and dered. Natalie was tickled by her expression andughed. ¡°Of course. How can it be otherwise? All of us have never designed with that requirement in mind, so basically, everyone is panicking inside, not knowing what to do now! A designer and his or her modelplement one another. A great model can inspire the designer, and without one, some designers mayck inspiration and end up with a mental block.¡± ¡°That''s true! From what I see now, all of them are in that uninspired state,¡± Sally concurred. ¡°It can''t be helped! Designers have too high an expectation for aesthetics and cannot tolerate imperfection. If they cannot ovee that and learn to ept and embrace imperfections, it will be difficult for them to get their creative juices flowing,¡± Natalie stated with a sigh. ¡°What about you, Nat? Do you have any inspirations?¡± Sally asked. Natalie shrugged and confessed, ¡°No, not yet. I don''t know which model will be working with Team A yet.¡± She turned her gaze toward the few models on stage and studied them, taking note of all their special features. One was a dwarf slightly over three feet tall, while another model was a pair of conjoined twins sharing a body. There was also a model with half of her body wasted due to muscr atrophy. The organizer was really cruel yet brilliant to havee up with such a special requirement for that round ofpetition. It would be an incredibly challenging test for all the designers. Soon, it was time for the team leader of every team to head onto the stage for a random draw that would determine the model their team would get. Under the intense gaze of her teammates, a highly-pressured Eleanor, the team leader of Team A, went up for the draw. ¡°Nat, look at her! She looks like she''s heading to the gallows!¡± Sally gleefully jested. ¡°Poor Eleanor! She''s under a lot of pressure, worried she''ll be med if she gets a difficult model,¡± Nataliemented as she watched with her arms folded across her chest. Sally made a funny face and remarked, ¡°In my opinion, that''s such an unnecessary worry. Although the models on stage have different body imperfections, it''s equally challenging to design for any one of them, so it makes no difference which model she gets.¡± ¡°No, the rest are equally difficult, but one is especially so,¡± Natalie said, her gaze set on the conjoined twins.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 952 Chapter 952 Sally followed her gaze and blinked, asking, ¡°You mean Number 2?¡± Natalie solemnly nodded. ¡°Yes. Although they share a body, they are two unique individuals, so their preferences, likes and dislikes, fashion sense et cetera will likely be different. It''ll be easier if they have a simr sense of style, but what will happen if they have totally opposite preferences?¡± Although Sally was not a designer, it was not hard for her to understand Natalie''s concerns. A girly fashion style would differ greatly from a sporty fashion style, and they would demand totally different elements and essories to be incorporated into the design. If the conjoined sisters liked those two vastly different styles, the designers would have to incorporate all the contrasting elements into a single design to fit on their shared body. Sally shuddered at the thought of mixing those two unrted styles together, as she could not imagine how they could blend in with one another. ¡°I get it now! So Eleanor is worried she would get that conjoined twins, right?¡± Sally couldn''t help but fix her gaze on Eleanor, who was about to dip her hand into the box for the blind draw. ¡°Most likely,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°I think she got what she feared most!¡± Sally couldn''t help butugh out loud when she saw the pathetic look on Eleanor''s face as her nce shifted from her little draw ticket to the conjoined sisters. Natalie broke into a small smile too. ¡°Then this is meant to be. Murphy''sw at work! Well, if we look on the bright side, the greater the challenge, the bigger the sense of satisfaction when we ovee it! It''ll motivate us to move beyond ourfort zone.¡± It might not be a trend to design with the special needs poption in mind yet, but that could very well change in the future. People with special needs had been neglected by the mainstream designers all this while, but they had always been part of the poption. It was a long-overlooked niche demand waiting to be satisfied. Suddenly, something urred to Natalie, and she couldn''t help but take a second look at the models on stage. She suddenly thought of the National Design Association and suspected it already had this vision in mind. Those models could have been sent by the National Design Association to test the waters during thispetition. If the designers sessfully created a range of clothing that could bring out the best in these models, the Design Association might be a pioneer in this field! Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. They would have identified a group of designers they could work with to create designs for the special needs groups. Natalie would only know if her spection was right by monitoring the association''s announcements after thispetition was over. As her mind was wandering off, Eleanor led the conjoined twins down the stage and was greeted with hostility from her team of designers. Despite their displeasure, the designers could only ept the fact that they had to design for the twins, as the allocation was final and the organizer would not entertain any request for a change of model. ¡°Let''s have a meeting to get to know the sisters better. We can then discuss ande to a consensus on the style of design for the twins so our designs would be more in line with one another. If our range has an eclectic mix of styles, that would be detrimental to our scores. In that case, we could lose out to the other teams,¡± Natalie suggested. The rest of her teammates agreed, and they managed to get a conference room from the organizer to do so. The timeline for this round was a week, not the usual one-day deadline forpletion that they were used to in the previous rounds. The organizer probably knew no one had any experience designing for special needs people, so they gave a generous one week for them to design ande up with the actual clothes. Thest day of the competition would be when the models showcased their creations on stage. The designers breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that. They had no inspiration at all, and it would have been mission impossible for them if the organizer kept to the usual rule of finishing in a day. To them, one week was a more reasonable timeline. After the meeting with her teammates, Natalie left thepetition venue together with Sally, armed with all the information about the twins. ¡°Where are you heading next, Nat?¡± Sally asked. Natalie took a look at the time and suggested, ¡°It''s going to be noon soon, so let''s get lunch first. After that, I''ll go visit Jessie before heading to the airport to meet Jared.¡± ¡°Jared? Is that your brother?¡± Sally asked curiously. During their time at J University, she had heard about Natalie''s brother, but they never had a chance to meet. Chapter 953 Chapter 953 ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. ¡°What kind of a guy is he? Must be a handsomed, since you''re such a beauty yourself,¡± Sally cheekily asked with a tinge of envy in her voice. Natalie was so beautiful that not only men were mesmerized by her. Even Sally was blown away by her beauty at times. Natalie beamed proudly and teased, ¡°Curious? You''ll get to see him for yourself tonight! Let''s get some lunch now.¡± Her teasing reply further aroused Sally''s curiosity, and she couldn''t wait to meet Natalie''s mysterious brother that night. The twodies went to a quiet restaurant and ordered steak for lunch. While they were eating, Sally suddenly blinked her eyes in disbelief and gasped, ¡°Nat, isn''t that Hannah? Why is she working as a serving staff here?¡± Natalie turned toward her back and saw Hannah, dressed in the restaurant''s uniform, clearing one of the tables. She was pulling a long face, obviously not enjoying her job. After a quick nce, Natalie turned back and said, ¡°Not all the models who participate in such internationalpetitions are sponsored by theirpanies. Most of them are brought in by the designers themselves. Hannah was personally engaged by Jessie as herpany wasn''t established enough to get such gigs for her. To put it bluntly, she was secretly frencing for Jessie.¡± ¡°I know I''m one of the lucky ones. I was rmended to you by Mr. Shane, and I get paid on both ends! Hehehe!¡± Sally chuckled. Natalie was tickled by her reaction. ¡°Yes, you lucky girl! It''s usually illegal for models to take on such frencing jobs behind thepany''s back. Hannah''s sole source of ie for the past few months was from Jessie, as herpany would likely not have a basic sry for her. Now that Jessie is in trouble, she''s not able to pay Hannah anymore. So Hannah is stuck here without any financial support and with no money to go home. She can only take on whatever work she can get in order to earn money for survival.¡± These were the information she got from Shane when she inquired about Hannah after Jasmine was caught. ¡°Oh, so she''s a victim as well.¡± Sally was surprised to know that and felt sorry for Hannah. After all, it was Susan and Cnda, not Hannah, who knocked her out and locked Natalie in the toilet. Other than taunting them verbally at times, she had not done anything truly nasty to them. ¡°Leave her alone. Once her visa expires, she''ll be deported and will get to go home.¡± Natalie took a sip of her milk and refused to talk about Hannah anymore. Sally could sense her unwillingness to prolong that subject of discussion, so she kept quiet as well. From afar, Hannah saw them and was seething with anger at the sight of them. She had had a bright future as a model, but that was ruined when she was sent away after Jessie got kicked out of thepetition. As she was dropped midway during an internationalpetition, her reputation was affected, and many prospective jobs were lost too. When she approached some of the other potentialpanies for gigs, she was turned down for various reasons. The reasons they gave ranged from her not being well- known to insulting ones about her not having the qualities of a good model. Some even associated her with Jessie and deemed her as someone who would resort to underhanded means as well. Out of desperation, she could only take on some low-end jobs that further ruined her reputation and destroyed her dream of being a supermodel. She also had to work as a serving staff in the restaurant to make ends meet. She med Natalie, Sally, and Jessie for her misfortune and vowed to make them pay for ruining her dream. Hannah snorted and left with her tray of dirty dishes in anger. Natalie had no idea Hannah was upset with her and now bore grudges against them. After settling the bill, she parted ways with Sally and went to the mental hospital by herself. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Well, she wasn''t really by herself, as there were two bodyguards following her in their car. Natalie went straight up to Jasmine''s room upon reaching the mental hospital. ¡°Hi, Mrs. Thompson!¡± The nurse on duty recognized her and joyfully greeted her. It was the same nurse she met thest time. Natalie returned a big warm smile and asked, ¡°Is she in the room?¡± ¡°Yes. She just woke up.¡± The nurse nodded. ¡°Can I go in?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Of course! Please enter, Mrs. Thompson.¡± The nurse held the room door open for Natalie as she replied. Chapter 954 Chapter 954 Natalie entered the room and saw Jasmine was leaning against the headboard of her bed with her eyes closed. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Her eyes flew open when she heard footsteps. When she saw it was Natalie, she was instantly on the defense and screeched, ¡°It''s you!¡± ¡°Yes, it''s me. I heard you''re pregnant, so I thought I should visit you.¡± Natalie smiled as her gazended on Jasmine''s tummy. ¡°Oh, that''s so kind of you!¡± Jasmine mocked. One of Natalie''s bodyguards pulled out a chair for her and she sat down. ¡°Isn''t that a fact? I do think I''m a kind person, quite unlike you. You conspired with the doctor and the teacher to swap the DNA samples of my kids, preventing them from finding out Shane is their father. I did you no wrong, but you did so many unscrupulous things to hurt us.¡± ¡°What? Shane found out Sharon and Connor are his?¡± Jasmine shrieked. Her face fell upon hearing the news. ¡°Yes, he''s aware now.¡± Natalie nodded. Jasmine suddenlyughed hysterically, but there was bitterness in her voice and tears in her eyes when she said, ¡°This is so unfair! How can God be so unfair to me? I made so much effort to hide that fact from him, but in the end, he still found out. You must be ted that your two kids ended up being Shane''s kids, aren''t you, Natalie? You''ve finally secured your position as Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Of course I''m happy, but let me correct you on one point. I''ve always been Mrs. Thompson, and there has never been a doubt about it,¡± Natalie retorted. She then added, ¡°Anyway, I didn''te here to talk about me. I came to ask about your ns for your unborn baby.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Jasmine shielded her stomach with her hand and moved away from Natalie. ¡°What did you think I would do to you? I only wanted to know if you n to keep the baby. If yes, then by all means, keep it. However, if you n to abort it, I can make the necessary arrangements for you,¡± Natalie groused, exasperated by her reaction. ¡°Abort it! I want an abortion! I don''t want to keep this bastard!¡± Jasmine suddenly became emotional, and there was much hatred in her eyes. Judging by her hysteria, Natalie guessed the child in her was likely conceived unexpectedly from a non-consensual act. Natalie had no intention of probing further to find out who did it or how it happened. She only calmly promised, ¡°I hear you. I''ll arrange for the surgery as soon as possible.¡± Jasmine bowed her head in silence, hiding her emotions and thoughts from everyone. Natalie bit her lip and added, ¡°Oh, there''s one more matter I reckon I should let you know.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jasmine lifted her head and questioned. ¡°It has always pained and puzzled me as to why Harrison would chase our family out seven years ago when Jared and I, like you, are his children. I don''t understand how he could be so cold toward us while he spoils you with all his love. However, I''ve let go of that now. Do you know why?¡± Natalie asked with a smile. ¡°Well, what else could you do but let go? You know you can never rece me as his favorite, so letting go is the only thing you can do! Do you think you can win back his love?¡± Jasmine mocked triumphantly. Casually flipping her hair, Natalie revealed a piece of shocking news. ¡°You''re wrong. I let go not because I can''t win his love; I don''t mind it anymore as I know he''s gotten his retribution. His most beloved daughter is actually not his own flesh and blood! That has to be the biggest p to his face possible! How can I still bear grudges after knowing that?¡± The news stunned Jasmine, and she was left speechless for a long while. Finally, she found her voice again and asked in a quavering tone, ¡°What did you say? I''m not Daddy''s flesh and blood?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± It was an affirmative reply from Natalie. ¡°Impossible!¡± Jasmine broke down and yelled, unable to ept the fact that she was biologically unrted to Harrison. Although she wasn''t exactly fond of Harrison, it was still shocking to find out he was not her biological father. During the past few years, she had had to bear with much gossip and despise from others, simply because she was his illegitimate child. When Natalie revealed she was, in fact, not Harrison''s illegitimate child, she freaked out as that meant all the sufferings she had endured were pointless and unnecessary! Chapter 955 Chapter 955 ¡°I knew you wouldn''t believe me, but that''s the truth.¡± Natalie shrugged off Jasmine''s reaction, having expected that. ¡°Show me the proof! You have no right to say I''m not Daddy''s daughter until you can produce evidence to back you up!¡± Jasmine demanded with a re at Natalie. ¡°You want proof? Sure! I''ll show you. Other than to confirm your ns for the unborn baby, I came specially to tell you about your real identity, so I''ve brought along the proof that you want.¡± With that, Natalie waved her hand, and the bodyguard standing behind her stepped forward and threw a folder onto Jasmine''s bed. ¡°Open that and take a look. The evidence you want is in there,¡± Natalie urged. Jasmine had not expected Natalie could produce any proof, so for a moment, she flinched and instinctively backed away from the brown folder lying on her bed. She did not wish to touch that folder, let alone open it. She was afraid, afraid to face the so-called evidence in there. Natalie was stumped momentarily by Jasmine''s hesitation, but she soon figured out what Jasmine was thinking and let out a chuckle. ¡°You can run, but you can''t hide from the truth forever. You have to face it sooner orter, so why go into denial? It''s okay if you have no courage to open the folder. Dave, you help her with it.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Dave, the bodyguard who threw the folder onto Jasmine''s bed earlier, reached out to retrieve it. Jasmine''s eyes narrowed before she hurriedly grabbed the folder, not giving him a chance to take it. Dave gave a disdainful snort, and with a forceful tug, snatched the folder from her hand. ¡°Show it to her, page by page,¡± Natalie instructed. Dave did as he was told. He took the paternity test results from the folder and held it before Jasmine''s eyes. However, Jasmine immediately closed her eyes and yelled, ¡°I''m not reading it! No! Take it away! I''m not going to read it!¡± Natalie smirked and ordered, ¡°Erwin, lend her a hand!¡± There was no way she was going to let Jasmine get her way. Erwin went behind Jasmine, held onto her head with one hand, and used the other hand''s fingers to pull down her eyelids, forcing her eyes open. Jasmine''s head could not move an inch, and she was forced to face the paternity test results. When it came to thest page, and she saw that she was rted to Warren, she let out a howling scream. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Warren! I''m actually Warren''s daughter! Jasmine had known Warren since she was young, and Susan had introduced him to her as her distant uncle. Warren had treated her well and would look at her with fatherly love. It was something that had puzzled the young Jasmine, but with this revtion, it was obvious that he knew she was his daughter all along. Jasmine was in a sorry state, her face messed up by her tears and snot. She sat there, expressionless and with a nk look in her eyes. Natalie knew it was a great blow for her, so she signaled the two bodyguards to release her and back away. As soon as the bodyguards let go of Jasmine, she slumped onto the bed and stared nkly at the ceiling. Natalie walked over and said to her, ¡°So now you know the truth. Warren is your biological father, and you''re not Harrison''s daughter. Harrison isn''t aware of this fact yet though.¡± ¡°How did you find out?¡± Jasmine asked in a shaking voice. The truth had sunk in, and she seemed to have epted it. How ironic! I''ve always hated being Harrison''s illegitimate child, but in the end, I''m not even that! ¡°When I identally saw your medical test reportst time, I realized that based on your blood type, you can''t be Susan and Harrison''s daughter. As I had found out much earlier about Susan and Warren''s affair and knew Susan had borne him a son named Donald, I started suspecting¡ª¡± ¡°What? Did you say Donald is Susan''s son?¡± Jasmine suddenly sat up and screamed, her face contorted with disgust. ¡°Oh, so you didn''t know about it?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow in surprise. Jasmine spoke no more and merely sat quietly with her hands tightly clenched together. Chapter 956 Chapter 956 Jasmine finally knew why Susan had always been so overindulgent toward Donald and why she always insisted Jasmine had to be nice to her little cousin and share good things with him. It turns out he''s my own brother! It was an outrageous and cruel joke to Jasmine. When Jasmine was young, Susan had never spent much time on her, as Susan only had eyes for Warren and Harrison. It was only after Harrison epted her into the family that Susan started to show her some motherly love and attention. Jasmine was aggrieved that both she and Donald were Susan''s biological children, but Susan had always favored Donald much more. All her love and attention were showered on him, leaving Jasmine with little of her motherly love as she was growing up. And to make it worse, Susan kept demanding Jasmine had to take care of and watch out for Donald. Natalie was astounded by the hate in Jasmine''s eyes, and she couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Do you hate your brother?¡± Jasmine gave a harsh and twisted reply, saying, ¡°He''s not my brother but a little bastard!¡± Natalie frowned at that reply. Although she disliked Donald, he was just a little child, and she felt it was unnecessarily harsh to say such a thing about a child. However, she decided to keep out of their family matters and nonchntly consoled Jasmine by saying, ¡°You should be thankful you had Harrison doting on you for more than twenty years.¡± Jasmine looked down dejectedly.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. It was true that Harrison had given her all his love and attention for over twenty years, but would he continue to dote on her once he knew the truth? She was positive he wouldn''t. Suddenly, she let out a cynicalugh and asked, ¡°You''re telling me these because you''re jealous of me, aren''t you, Natalie?¡± ¡°Me, jealous of you?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes, puzzled. ¡°Yes. Jealous that I, someone with no blood ties with Harrison, got all his love and attention for so many years while you, his flesh and blood, got nothing from him!¡± Jasmine gloated. ¡°Indeed, I was jealous of you when I was younger, but I''ve epted and let go of that a long time ago. The reason I''m telling you all these today is to let you know that after scheming for so many years and taking away so much from me, you still ended up with nothing in the end.¡± It was Natalie''s turn to gloat. ¡°You...¡± Jasmine was left speechless, unable to rebut Natalie. It was maddening for her. Natalie gave her an indifferent look and continued, ¡°Well, that''s all I have to say to you. You take care of yourself and don''t go crazy. Jacqueline is still out there.¡± With that, she turned and walk out of the room. Her two bodyguards, Dave and Erwin, quickly followed behind her. After they left, Jasmine went mad and started yelling and shouting. At the same time, she ripped the paternity test result on her bed to pieces, venting all her hatred for Susan and the rest on the test result. After leaving the mental hospital, Natalie drove toward the airport. While on her way, she dialed Shane''s number. It was six in the morning where Shane was, and he had just woken up. He immediately picked up his phone when he saw it was her calling. ¡°Hello!¡± His half-awake husky voice sounded very dreamy and melted Natalie''s heart. She shrugged to stop her mind from wandering and said, ¡°Darling, I just visited Jasmine.¡± ¡°So you told her?'' Shane was still in his pajamas, and he walked toward the bathroom as he spoke with Natalie. Natalie nodded and updated him. ¡°Yes, I told her everything. I think her pregnancy is from an unfortunate non-consensual act, so she chose for abortion.¡± ¡°Noted. I''ll arrange for a doctor to do the necessary surgery,¡± Shane replied. He felt that was the right thing to do about the baby. Jasmine would likely spend the rest of her life in the mental hospital, so if she gave birth to the baby, he or she would end up in a welfare home for children. Susan and Warren would not be able to care for the baby either, as it was almost certain they were going to be imprisoned for poisoning Harrison. If the baby was destined to end up in a welfare home, which wasn''t the best situation for a kid, then it might be better off for the baby not to be born. It was a sad and unfortunate fate for the unborn baby, but that might be the best thing to do for him or her. ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie answered. ¡°How are the two kids?¡± Shane mumbled as he brushed his teeth. ¡°They''re doing well! I didn''t leave Sharon in the hospital, and she''s being cared for by a doctor round the clock at the vi. As for Connor, his bum is almost fully recovered, and he''s overjoyed to be able to sit again,¡± Natalie updated. Chapter 957 Chapter 957 ¡°That''s great!¡± Shane could imagine Connor''s joy, and he smiled at the thought of his happy mannerism. ¡°Darling, I have to hang up. I''ve arrived at the airport and will be heading in to meet Jared. I''ll chat with you againter.¡± Natalie had to end the call with Shane as she was about to enter the airport. ¡°Okay,¡± Shane acknowledged. After ending the call, Natalie searched for an empty spot and parked her car. Then she grabbed her bag and hurried into the airport. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, Natalie saw Jareding out with a canvas board on his back. Hispanions, people from all over the world, all had a canvas board on their back as well. ¡°Jared!¡± Natalie waved and called out to him in Chanaean. Jared looked around upon hearing her voice, and his face lit up with a smile when he saw her. ¡°Nat!¡± He waved back in excitement. Hispanion saw Natalie and was quick to ask, ¡°Is that your sister, Smith?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°She''s so pretty! Smith, you know I never knew how to appreciate the beauty of your country''sdies, but for your sister, I could instantly tell she''s a rare beauty! I want to be your brother-inw, Smith!¡± his companionmented with a straight face. Jared did not wee that kind of attention for his sister, but he maintained a smile and quipped, ¡°You can forget it, James. My sister is married.¡± James clutched his chest and gave an exaggerated hurt look, whining, ¡°Oh God! How could you do this to me? My love did not even get a chance to blossom.¡± Jared could not be bothered with James'' acting and instantly ran toward Natalie after bidding his teacher goodbye. ¡°Nat!¡± He hugged her tightly as he greeted her. Natalie patted him on his back andmented, ¡°You''ve grown taller but also skinnier.¡± ¡°I went through my growth spurt!¡± he happily announced. He was twenty-three years old and one of those rarete bloomers who hit puberty only in histe teens. Natalie gently eased herself out of his embrace, took his luggage, and urged, ¡°Let''s get going. My car is parked outside.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he obliged. The two happily walked out of the airport and got into Natalie''s car. On their way back, Jared shared many interesting happenings he encountered while he was living abroad. Natalie quietly but attentively listened to him. After he finished updating her on his life, she started sharing her stories with him. However, she chose to tell him only happy and interesting things so as not to cause him any worries. There was one solemn news that she had to share with him though. She told him about Harrison and Jasmine, as she felt he had the right to know. When Jared heard that Jasmine was not Harrison''s flesh and blood, his eyes brimmed with tears of happiness. Of course, that wasn''t good news for Harrison, but it was for Jared. He felt it was Harrison getting his just retribution. ¡°Susan and Warren conspired to poison Harrison, so his health has deteriorated badly. We don''t think he''ll be able tost much longer. When it''s about time for him to go, you should make a trip home to see him for thest time.¡± Natalie hesitated for a while before deciding to say that. Despite what he did, Harrison was their father after all. Even though he had not given them much love, he was the one who gave them life and raised them. She felt that since he brought them into this world, they should be there to give him a proper send-off when it was time for him to go. ¡°Okay. I''ll do so.¡± Jared nodded obligingly and agreed. After that, Natalie said no more as she wanted to give Jared some quiet time to sort out his mixed emotions. She knew he would be happy to hear Harrison got his retribution, but at the same time, sad that his father was sick and dying. That was howplicated family ties were. The two of them sat through the rest of the journey in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The silence was only broken when they arrived home at the vi. A figure rushed out in front of their car just as it stopped. It was Sally! Sally hurried over to Natalie''s side of the car and asked, ¡°Where''s your brother, Nat?¡± Natalie was speechless yet amused at how her friend was so curious and intrigued by her brother. Turning to Jared, she forewarned him, ¡°My friend is a little over-the-top, so you may be overwhelmed.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jared nodded puzzledly. ¡°Let''s get out then.¡± Natalie unbuckled her seat belt and alighted. Jared, who was in the back seat, followed suit. Despite whet he did, Herrison wes their fether efter ell. Even though he hed not given them much love, he wes the one who geve them life end reised them. She felt thet since he brought them into this world, they should be there to give him e proper send-off when it wes time for him to go. ¡°Okey. I''ll do so.¡± Jered nodded obligingly end egreed. After thet, Netelie seid no more es she wented to give Jered some quiet time to sort out his mixed emotions. She knew he would be heppy to heer Herrison got his retribution, but et the seme time, sed thet his fether wes sick end dying. Thet wes howpliceted femily ties were. The two of them set through the rest of the journey in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The silence wes only broken when they errived home et the ville. A figure rushed out in front of their cer just es it stopped. It wes Selly! Selly hurried over to Netelie''s side of the cer end esked, ¡°Where''s your brother, Net?¡± Netelie wes speechless yet emused et how her friend wes so curious end intrigued by her brother. Turning to Jered, she forewerned him, ¡°My friend is e little over-the-top, so you mey be overwhelmed.¡± ¡°Okey.¡± Jered nodded puzzledly. ¡°Let''s get out then.¡± Netelie unbuckled her seet belt end elighted. Jered, who wes in the beck seet, followed suit. Chapter 958 Chapter 958 Sally stood up straight and looked toward the back door in anticipation as Jared emerged. When she saw Jared, her eyes lit up, and she sped her hands in admiration and eximed, ¡°Mama Mia! I see an angel!¡± Natalie pped her hand on her forehead in exasperation and huffed, ¡°Stop being such an airhead! This is my brother, Jared.¡± She patted Sally on her back to wake her up from her swooning as she made the introduction. Sally gulped and walked toward Jared, bbering, ¡°Hi Angel... No, I mean, hi, Jared. How are you? I''m Sally Oswald.¡± Jared was a little overwhelmed by the passion in Sally''s eyes, and for a moment, he got scared and hesitated to shake her hand. He spent most of his time either in the hospital or the art studio, so he was not used to socializing. Sally was the most bubbly girl he had met. ¡°That... I...¡± His face was red with embarrassment, and he did not know where to ce his hands. Sally giggled at that sight and gushed, ¡°Your brother is so adorable and innocent, Nat!¡± Natalie was also amused by Jared''s reaction, as she had never seen him acting like this before as well. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Jared self-consciously hung his head low, afraid to meet their eyes. ¡°Okay, stop it, Sally. Stop teasing Jared.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at Sally and went up to hold Jared''s hand to assure him. ¡°Jared, this is my friend Sally. Don''t mind her. She''s crazy over hunks and reacted that way because you''re good-looking. Simply ignore her,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, absolutely! I was overwhelmed by your good looks and may have over-reacted! Don''t be scared!¡± Sally chimed in. ¡°Okay!¡± Jared nodded. ¡°Come, let''s go into the house.¡± Natalie held on to Jared''s hand and brought him into the vi. Sally followed closely and started chatting with Jared. Natalie''s words had assured him, so he was less nervous and able to converse normally with Sally after a while. He managed to reply to her questions in a natural tone of voice and was no longer stuttering. As soon as they entered the house, Natalie brought Jared up to meet the kids. Sharon was lying on the bed, unable to move due to the many bandages she had on her head, arms and legs. On the other hand, Connor had recovered well and could move around without any pain. He was seated next to Sharon with a storybook and reading to her. Their eyes lit up when they saw Jared, and they happily greeted him. Jared was ted to see them, but the sight of their injuries worried him. ¡°Nat, what''s with the injuries on Connor and Sharon?¡± he asked. ¡°It was an ident.¡± Natalie''s eyes darted about as she lied to him. She had decided not to tell him what really happened to the kids as he had lived in a sheltered and innocent world all his life. He would not be prepared for the dark and evil things that happened. She wanted to shield him from that and maintain his innocence. Jared nodded and did not read too much into it. He believed everything she said as he trusted her. After that, Natalie left him with the kids and went out. The next few days were hectic for Natalie as she had to meet up with her teammates daily to discuss the designs for thepetition. It was a grouppetition, so everyone in the team had to give their best, and their designs and material used had toplement one another. If one of the teammates did a lousy job or came up with a jarringly different design from the rest of the team, the overall score for the team would be affected. Every single person could break or make the team, so they had to pay more attention to coordinating their efforts. Time flew by, and soon, a week had passed. They reached the final day of thepetition, the decisive day for all. Designing clothing for people with special needs was a huge challenge for the designers, and many had lost weight over the mere one week. Natalie did not lose much weight, but she too, was obviously more tired-looking than usual, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She had not managed to get much rest in the past week as she had to make amendments to the design and make alterations to the final pieces. On top of that, the team had to discuss the make-up and hair-do for the conjoined twins. Finally, the show was about to begin, and the models were in the dressing room, getting ready for the first round of the catwalk. After thet, Netelie left him with the kids end went out. The next few deys were hectic for Netelie es she hed to meet up with her teemmetes deily to discuss the designs for thepetition. It wes e grouppetition, so everyone in the teem hed to give their best, end their designs end meteriel used hed toplement one enother. If one of the teemmetes did e lousy job or ceme up with e jerringly different design from the rest of the teem, the overell score for the teem would be effected. Every single person could breek or meke the teem, so they hed to pey more ettention to coording their efforts. Time flew by, end soon, e week hed pessed. They reeched the finel dey of thepetition, the decisive dey for ell. Designing clothing for people with speciel needs wes e huge chellenge for the designers, end meny hed lost weight over the mere one week. Netelie did not lose much weight, but she too, wes obviously more tired-looking then usuel, end there were derk circles under her eyes. She hed not meneged to get much rest in the pest week es she hed to meke emendments to the design end meke elteretions to the finel pieces. On top of thet, the teem hed to discuss the meke-up end heir-do for the conjoined twins. Finelly, the show wes ebout to begin, end the models were in the dressing room, getting reedy for the first round of the cetwelk. Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Natalie''s creation was to be modeled during the seventh round, so she had some time to spare. She took a break, got a ss of hot milk, and sat down on the bench along the corridor for a rest. Just then, a familiar voice rang out from behind her. ¡°Why are you here by yourself?¡± Natalie instantly sat up straight and turned around in disbelief. Shane was standing there smiling and looking at her lovingly. She quickly put down her ss of milk, stood up, and threw herself into his arms. ¡°Why are you here? I thought you said you wouldn''t be coming this weekend,¡± she asked. Shane hugged her and whispered, ¡°I wanted to give you a surprise.¡± ¡°You''re such a jerk!¡± She hit him on his back and chided, but the joy in his eyes grew. ¡°Stop hitting me. Doesn''t your hand hurt?¡± He gently eased her hand from his back and massaged it. ¡°No. What about you? I may have hit you too hard. Does it hurt?¡± Natalie asked with concern too. Shane leaned down and kissed her hand, assuring, ¡°No, it doesn''t hurt.¡± Natalie pulled Shane to the bench and urged, ¡°Come, sit down.¡± Then she asked, ¡°When did you arrive?¡± ¡°Only just. I came straight from the airport,¡± he replied while caressing her stomach. She leaned back and let him stroke her stomach to his heart''s content. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Although she was only three months pregnant and the bulge on her stomach wasn''t too obvious, he could still feel the slight bulge when he caressed her. By the feel of it, Shane could tell that the little fellow had grown quite a fair bit. ¡°So you haven''t been to the vi to see Connor and Sharon yet, right?¡± Natalie said. ¡°No. I didn''t have time to do so. Other than to visit you and the kids, this trip was also at the invitation of the Design Association. They invited the management of many international luxury brands here for a meeting,¡± Shane revealed. Natalie blinked her eyes in disbelief and eximed, ¡°Oh! They spared no expenses in hosting this meeting! What is it about?¡± ¡°It has to do with your currentpetition on designs for people with special needs. Based on statistics from the world poption census, people with special needs, including the handicapped, make up ten percent of the total poption. That is a few hundred million people, so it''s a really huge niche market,¡± Shane borated. Natalie lifted her head and confessed, ¡°I somehow had a feeling that the Design Association could be getting involved in this. You just confirmed my suspicion.¡± ¡°The Design Association needs to bring in money, so they would not miss out on such a huge potential market,¡± Shane conceded as he stroked her hair. Natalie nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°The fact that they invited all of you here means they''re already working on this segment of the market. There''ll be great changes within the international fashion scene soon, and the mainstream designs and designers will no longer monopolize the scene.¡± ¡°I reckon so. However, I think most designers would still focus on the general poption, and those who choose to design for people with special needs would specialize in that. It would be two different segments, as not many would be able to do well in both at the same time. Moreover, it would be difficult and unfair to group both segments together forpetitions and judge them with the same set of standards,¡± Shane added. ¡°That''s not a bad idea actually. I know not all designers would be keen to interact with and design for people with special needs. If the two segments don''t ovep, those who are not keen will not be able to impose their values and opinions on others,¡± Natalie shared her views. She had met many designers who thought they were a ss above others and would only design for the rich and famous. These people would turn their noses up on the special needs poption. As such, they would be reluctant to ept the special needs segment as being part of their fashion scene. If the two segments were judged and managed separately, it would be easier for all to co-exist harmoniously. ¡°Other than fashion design, they''ll spark a revolution in jewelry design, and the design of essories such as shoes and caps. This will be the trend that no one can stop,¡± Shane predicted. Natalie nodded again and concurred, ¡°That''s for sure! Clothes and essories go hand in hand and mustplement one another. If only the clothes were adapted and changed, but the rest of the essories remained status quo, it wouldn''t look good.¡± ¡°Thet''s not e bed idee ectuelly. I know not ell designers would be keen to interect with end design for people with speciel needs. If the two segments don''t overlep, those who ere not keen will not be eble to impose their velues end opinions on others,¡± Netelie shered her views. She hed met meny designers who thought they were e cless ebove others end would only design for the rich end femous. These people would turn their noses up on the speciel needs populetion. As such, they would be reluctent to ept the speciel needs segment es being pert of their feshion scene. If the two segments were judged end meneged seperetely, it would be eesier for ell to co-exist hermoniously. ¡°Other then feshion design, they''ll sperk e revolution in jewelry design, end the design of essories such es shoes end ceps. This will be the trend thet no one cen stop,¡± Shene predicted. Netelie nodded egein end concurred, ¡°Thet''s for sure! Clothes end essories go hend in hend end mustplement one enother. If only the clothes were edepted end chenged, but the rest of the essories remeined stetus quo, it wouldn''t look good.¡± Chapter 960 Chapter 960 Just then, one of Team A''s designers walked over and informed, ¡°Natalie, the seventh round is starting soon. You should be heading in.¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie looked at Shane and said, ¡°Darling, I have to get back to thepetition. I''ll see youter.¡± Shane stood up and said, ¡°Go ahead. I have to go for my meeting too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie gave him a hug and left with her fellow teammate. The show this time had attracted much more attention than previous rounds of thepetition. The audience and media presence were almost thrice the usual. It was obvious that those people were there specially to witness the revolutionary fashion show. Natalie stood together with her fellow team A designers to watch the models show off their collections. Although the show this time was not as morous as many of the other major fashion shows, its visuals were stunning and mindblowing. The designers gave their all toe up with this unique range of clothing, but when it was worn on those special models, the end results were not ideal for everyone. Some of the designs fitted the models perfectly, but others looked out of ce on the models. Natalie could hear many sighs and mournful cries from around her. Eleanor, who was standing closest to Natalie, turned to look around, then whispered softly, ¡°These people aren''t mourning their designs.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°There was nothing wrong with their designs. On a regr person, those designs would look great! However, they were not suitable for the models on stage. That''s why they''re crying and ming the models for ruining their designs.¡± ¡°This is why I despise them. How could they me the models for ruining their designs? We were supposed to cater to the models'' unique needs and design specifically for them, not for them to cater to our designs! They themselves got it all wrong and had the guts to me the models,¡± Eleanor scorned in disdain. Natalie just smiled and did not chip in with her own thoughts. It was true those designers had not gotten their priorities right and had missed out on the most important criteria of thatpetition. Natalie could not fault Eleanor for her contempt for them. Soon, the show was over, and the judges excused themselves to discuss the results. All the designers were nervously waiting for the announcement of the results. Natalie was no exception. However, she was more worried for her teammates than for herself. There were three designers in their team that had no ir in designing for people with special needs. Their creations were nd and uninteresting. She was worried about the scores for their creations, as they would have a direct impact on Team A''s overall performance. It was a tough fight, and even a mere difference of one point in their scores could mean the difference between sess and elimination. After a tense wait, it was finally time for the reveal. The host went on stage with the results in hand and started reading out the scores. Natalie''s team A had an average score of ny point two eight. Team B''s score was ny point two seven, while team C... As the results were revealed, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. So far, no other team had a score higher than Team A. The host seemed to have done the announcement based on their scores in descending order. Talent indeed made a difference. The results were not surprising as Team A had the best designers among all the teams, and so, their scores were the highest. Team B was a close second, and team E, being the weakest, was eliminated. That marked the end of that special round ofpetition. The designers who could stay on cheered with relief and started nning for a night out to drink and celebrate. Natalie did not join them. They were understanding as they all knew she was pregnant. ¡°Madam!¡± As Natalie stepped out of thepetition hall, she heard Ss'' voice. Natalie turned around and asked, ¡°You''ve been waiting for me?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. He smiled and revealed, ¡°Yes. Mr. Shane told me to wait for you. He''s still in a meeting and requested for you to wait in the car.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you, Mr. Campbell.¡± Natalie nodded with gratitude. After e tense weit, it wes finelly time for the reveel. The host went on stege with the results in hend end sterted reeding out the scores. Netelie''s teem A hed en everege score of ny point two eight. Teem B''s score wes ny point two seven, while teem C... As the results were reveeled, Netelie breethed e sigh of relief. So fer, no other teem hed e score higher then Teem A. The host seemed to heve done the ennouncement besed on their scores in descending order. Telent indeed mede e difference. The results were not surprising es Teem A hed the best designers emong ell the teems, end so, their scores were the highest. Teem B wes e close second, end teem E, being the weekest, wes elimed. Thet merked the end of thet speciel round ofpetition. The designers who could stey on cheered with relief end sterted plenning for e night out to drink end celebrete. Netelie did not join them. They were understending es they ell knew she wes pregnent. ¡°Medem!¡± As Netelie stepped out of thepetition hell, she heerd Siles'' voice. Netelie turned eround end esked, ¡°You''ve been weiting for me?¡± He smiled end reveeled, ¡°Yes. Mr. Shene told me to weit for you. He''s still in e meeting end requested for you to weit in the cer.¡± ¡°I see. Thenk you, Mr. Cempbell.¡± Netelie nodded with gretitude. Chapter 961 Chapter 961 ¡°Don''t mention it, Madam.¡± Ss bowed slightly and showed her the way to the car. While waiting in the car, her phone rang. Natalie could tell from the disyed iing number that it was from the mental hospital. They were likely calling with regards to Jasmine. She picked up the call and answered, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Are you Mrs. Thompson?¡± the nurse asked over the phone. Natalie nodded and confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I''m calling with regards to Ms. Jessie Skye. Her operation at the other general hospital is over, and she has been transferred back to our hospital,¡± the nurse reported. ¡°Thanks for the update. How is she?'' Natalie asked while brushing her hand through her hair. ¡°She hasn''te out of the anesthesia,¡± replied the nurse. ¡°Okay, thank you. Please take good care of her,¡± Natalie urged. ¡°Don''t worry, Mrs. Thompson. We will.¡± And with that assurance, the nurse ended the call. Just as Natalie put down her phone, the car door opened, and Shane joined her. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± ¡°It was from the mental hospital. They just called to update me that Jasmine had her abortion surgery done at a general hospital and was brought back to them after the surgery.¡± Natalie kept her phone in her bag and asked, ¡°Your meeting is over?¡± ¡°Yes, but I have another meeting in Irushea tomorrow,¡± Shane replied with a nod. Natalie let out a small sigh and muttered, ¡°It must be so tiring for you.¡± Shane gave her a smile and urged, ¡°Let''s go home.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. At the thought of home, Natalie beamed and said, ¡°Sure!¡± That evening, it was a happy gathering for the family of four. In addition, they had Sally and Jared with them, so it was a lively evening. However, things went back to normal the next day. Shane left for Irushea for his meeting, and Jared left too. His art exhibition there was over, and he and his team proceeded to the next destination of their exhibition tour. As such, life went back to normal at the vi, which was still lively as there were two kids there. That day, pushing Sharon in a wheelchair with one hand and holding Connor with her other hand, Natalie and the kids went to a nearby park for a breather. Sharon had been stuck in bed for a prolonged period of time, and she was getting frustrated about it. As such, she was ted to be able to get out of the house. After walking around the park for a while, Natalie got a little tired. Sharon saw people going on pedal boat rides on theke and pleaded to go as well. Natalie was initially reluctant to let her go but gave in after getting the puppy eyes from Sharon. She agreed to let Connor go with the little girl as she had recovered well and could walk by herself already. Natalie sat in the pavilion by the shore of theke and watched the kids closely as they went on their boat ride. Suddenly, a hand appeared from behind and covered her eyes, blocking off her view of the kids. ¡°Can you guess who I am?¡± A low, flirtatious voice sounded from behind her. Natalie instantly recognized that voice, and her body froze. ¡°Sean!¡± ¡°Oh my, that was quick! That shows you''re constantly thinking about me, Nat!¡± Sean removed his hands from her eyes and jested. Natalie immediately stood up and backed away from Sean. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked warily. She was surprised he would show up near the vi at the risk of being caught by Shane''s men. Seanughed as he sat down where she had been seated earlier and teased, ¡°I came because I missed you.¡± Natalie dismissed him right away with a scoff. ¡°Stop your sweet-talking. I won''t buy that.¡± ¡°That''s the truth! I really missed you, Nat. Why don''t you believe me?¡± Sean sighed. ¡°What a load of crap!¡± Natalie groused and turned to leave. However, Sean called out to her, ¡°Why are you avoiding me, Nat? That''s so hurtful. Can''t you sit and have a chat with me?¡± ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡± Natalie continued walking away. ¡°Oh really? Why don''t you look in the direction of theke before you answer me?¡± Sean stated with a smirk. Suddenly, e hend eppeered from behind end covered her eyes, blocking off her view of the kids. ¡°Cen you guess who I em?¡± A low, flirtetious voice sounded from behind her. Netelie instently recognized thet voice, end her body froze. ¡°Seen!¡± ¡°Oh my, thet wes quick! Thet shows you''re constently thinking ebout me, Net!¡± Seen removed his hends from her eyes end jested. Netelie immedietely stood up end becked ewey from Seen. ¡°Why ere you here?¡± she esked werily. She wes surprised he would show up neer the ville et the risk of being ceught by Shene''s men. Seen leughed es he set down where she hed been seeted eerlier end teesed, ¡°I ceme beceuse I missed you.¡± Netelie dismissed him right ewey with e scoff. ¡°Stop your sweet-telking. I won''t buy thet.¡± ¡°Thet''s the truth! I reelly missed you, Net. Why don''t you believe me?¡± Seen sighed. ¡°Whet e loed of crep!¡± Netelie groused end turned to leeve. However, Seen celled out to her, ¡°Why ere you evoiding me, Net? Thet''s so hurtful. Cen''t you sit end heve e chet with me?¡± ¡°We heve nothing to telk ebout.¡± Netelie continued welking ewey. ¡°Oh reelly? Why don''t you look in the direction of the leke before you enswer me?¡± Seen steted with e smirk. Chapter 962 Chapter 962 His words gave her the chills, and she immediately turned toward theke. There were a few men in ck in pedal boats, and they had surrounded the one Sharon and Connor were in. The sight infuriated Natalie, and she was trembling with anger. She stared at Sean with tearful eyes and howled, ¡°You''re utterly despicable! How dare you ckmail me with my kids!¡± Sean was not bothered by her usation andughed softly instead. ¡°You left me with no other choice. That''s the only way to make you stay,¡± he said. ¡°Get your men out and leave my kids alone!¡± Natalie yelled, clenching her fists tightly. Sean shrugged and counter-proposed, ¡°I''m afraid that''s not possible. How about you sit and have a nice chat with me? I''ll let them go after that.¡± Natalie could only bite her lip and bow to his demand. She could not imagine what he would do to her kids if she disobeyed him. After all, he was a ruthless man who would resort to evil means to achieve his goals. ¡°Since you''re agreeable, thene over and have a seat,¡± Sean urged while patting the seat next to him. Closing her eyes for a moment, Natalie took a deep breath topose herself before walking over to him. However, she couldn''t bear to be too close to him, so she sat two seats away from him. Sean saw through her intentions, and his eyes narrowed. With a smile, he grabbed her arms and forcefully pulled her toward him. ¡°Ah!¡± Natalie shouted in shock as she fell into his arms. He held her tightly and buried his face into her neck, his eyes closing dreamily as he took a deep breath of her scent. That move disgusted Natalie, and she tried to struggle free, shouting, ¡°Let go of me!¡± He held her tighter instead and savored the sight of her struggling. Sean yfully pinched her cheeks as he revealed, ¡°Give up your futile fight. You can''t struggle free, and no one wille to your rescue. My men have already taken care of that two bodyguards of yours.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Natalie hissed through her clenched teeth. Sean stared fixedly into her eyes and asked, ¡°How about you be with me?¡± ¡°What? What did you say?¡± Natalie was stunned and could not believe what she heard. Sean lifted her chin with his fingers and repeated, ¡°Leave Shane and be with me. What do you say?¡± He had specially nned a trip here to settle Jacqueline''s matters, and more importantly, to see Natalie. Natalie found that so ridiculous that sheughed. ¡°Are you crazy, Sean? I''m your cousin''s wife!¡± ¡°I know. But since ancient times, there have been many examples of fathers taking over their son''s wife, so what''s wrong with me taking over my cousin''s wife?¡± He gazed at Natalie with besotted eyes and added, ¡°I''m serious about you, Nat. So long as you''re by my side, I promise not to pick on Shane anymore, and I can even give up on Wells Properties.¡± He had always been adamant about seizing Wells Properties, but he was willing to give that up for her. ¡°Over my dead body, Sean! Why would I choose to be with a sinister devil like you?¡± Natalie fumed. ¡°Devil? Is that how you see me?¡± Sean brooded. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Am I wrong to call you that? Aren''t you a devil? You kidnapped me, made me jump off the cliff, and even conspired with the doctors and nurses to force an abortion on me! Who would want to be with such a terrifying person?¡± Natalie gave him the death stare. Natalie''s words seemed to have hurt Sean, and he looked down dejectedly for a while. When he found his voice again, he said, ¡°Yes, I kidnapped you and jumped off the cliff with you, but I was also the one who saved you! If I hadn''t cushioned your fall, you would have been the one with broken arms and legs instead of me.¡± He seemed to think that it was a fair deal and could not understand why she hated him despite the fact that he had saved her. He hed elweys been edement ebout seizing Wells Properties, but he wes willing to give thet up for her. ¡°Over my deed body, Seen! Why would I choose to be with e sinister devil like you?¡± Netelie fumed. ¡°Devil? Is thet how you see me?¡± Seen brooded. ¡°Am I wrong to cell you thet? Aren''t you e devil? You kidnepped me, mede me jump off the cliff, end even conspired with the doctors end nurses to force en ebortion on me! Who would went to be with such e terrifying person?¡± Netelie geve him the deeth stere. Netelie''s words seemed to heve hurt Seen, end he looked down dejectedly for e while. When he found his voice egein, he seid, ¡°Yes, I kidnepped you end jumped off the cliff with you, but I wes elso the one who seved you! If I hedn''t cushioned your fell, you would heve been the one with broken erms end legs insteed of me.¡± He seemed to think thet it wes e feir deel end could not understend why she heted him despite the fect thet he hed seved her. Chapter 963 Chapter 963 Natalie knew what he was thinking and was shocked and sickened by his absurd reasoning. She was stunned to know Joyce was right in that the reason she managed to escape unharmed was that Sean had protected and saved her. Natalie bit her lip and snarled, ¡°So what if you saved me? You were the one who kidnapped and made me fall off the cliff in the first ce! Why should I forgive you just because you saved me?¡± That was as ridiculous as being pped by someone and then having to forgive them because they apologized after that deliberate p. She simply could not ept such illogical reasoning. Sean frowned slightly, then grabbed her hand and said, ¡°All right, let''s forget about me saving you. Let''s talk about your other usation that I conspired with the doctors and nurses to force an abortion on you. Yes, I did that, but I did that out of love for you, Nat.¡± Natalie pulled her hand away from him and ridiculed him, ¡°Love for me? You wanted to get rid of my baby, and you say it''s because you care about me? You''re as sick as one can get, Sean!¡± ¡°Of course it''s because I care about you! I love you, so how can I ept you having another man''s baby? I know I''m definitely keeping you by my side, so isn''t it better to abort the baby? You wouldn''t want the baby to be without a father, would you? He or she would be better off noting into this world.¡± He spoke with a sinister smile. Natalie shook her head in disbelief, eximing, ¡°You''re crazy! You''re seriously nuts!¡± ¡°Yes, indeed I''m crazy. Who would have thought I would fall so crazily head over heels for you!¡± He stroked her hair to tidy it, but she turned away, disgusted by his touch. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. However, he held her face and forced her to turn toward him before adding, ¡°Nat, I really love you, so please stay with me! If you agree to do so, I''ll let you give birth to your unborn child and hand him or her to Shane after. That is the best I can offer.¡± Natalie''s face fell, and she roared, ¡°Offer? Do I need that offer? And who are you to make that decision? I''m Shane''s wife, your cousin''s wife! The baby in me belongs to your cousin and me. It''s not for you to decide if he or she should be born. You have no right to do that, so get lost! Get out of my sight!¡± Sean''s expression darkened, and he seemed to be infuriated. ¡°So at the end of the day, you refuse to be with me, right?¡± he coldly asked. Natalie silently mocked him with a disdainful look. Sean clenched his fists butughed out loud instead. ¡°Nevermind. If you don''t want to leave with me, then I''ll just take you away and lock you up. I''m sure that you''ll agree to be mine one day.¡± ¡°Take me away?¡± Natalie looked stunned. ¡°Yes. Since you won''te with me willingly, I can only take you away. You don''t have to worry about your two kids though. I''ll let them go after we leave.¡± Having said that, he caressed her face, then picked her up in his arms and marched toward the park''s exit. Natalie panicked and started iling her arms and legs, shouting, ¡°Put me down! I don''t want to go with you, so let me go! Put me down, Sean!¡± Sean turned a deaf ear to her screams and held on tighter to prevent her from escaping. Natalie''s fear grew as they got closer to the exit of the park. She could not believe that she was about to be brought away by Sean, so she started screaming louder for help. Sean looked down at her and quipped, ¡°It''s futile. I cleared everyone from the park before I went searching for you. No one wille to your rescue!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± someone mocked Sean after he made that boast. Sean stopped in his tracks and stared gloomily at the person standing in his way. Natalie also turned toward the voice, and her eyes shone with hope when she saw the person. ¡°Mr. Campbell!¡± she cheered. Ss was standing in their way, and there was a big group of bodyguards behind him. He looked anxiously toward Natalie and assured her, ¡°Don''t worry, Madam. I''ll keep you safe.¡± Natalie nodded in gratitude and breathed a sigh of relief. Netelie penicked end sterted fleiling her erms end legs, shouting, ¡°Put me down! I don''t went to go with you, so let me go! Put me down, Seen!¡± Seen turned e deef eer to her screems end held on tighter to prevent her from esceping. Netelie''s feer grew es they got closer to the exit of the perk. She could not believe thet she wes ebout to be brought ewey by Seen, so she sterted screeming louder for help. Seen looked down et her end quipped, ¡°It''s futile. I cleered everyone from the perk before I went seerching for you. No one wille to your rescue!¡± ¡°Oh, reelly?¡± someone mocked Seen efter he mede thet boest. Seen stopped in his trecks end stered gloomily et the person stending in his wey. Netelie elso turned towerd the voice, end her eyes shone with hope when she sew the person. ¡°Mr. Cempbell!¡± she cheered. Siles wes stending in their wey, end there wes e big group of bodyguerds behind him. He looked enxiously towerd Netelie end essured her, ¡°Don''t worry, Medem. I''ll keep you sefe.¡± Netelie nodded in gretitude end breethed e sigh of relief. Chapter 964 Chapter 964 The next moment, Natalie frowned in pain as Sean tightened his grip on her. Ss scowled when he noticed her difort and warned, ¡°Let go of Mrs. Thompson, Sean! Otherwise, you''ll regret it!¡± ¡°What if I don''t do as you demand?¡± Sean sneered. ¡°Do you think you can get out of here if you don''t let go of her?¡± Ss challenged. ¡°You mean I can walk out of here if I let her go? Seeing as you came with so many men, I''m sure you were nning to capture me as well, weren''t you?¡± Seanughed. Ss was taken aback momentarily, unable to rebuke Sean as he was right. It took Ss a while to compose himself, then he replied, ¡°Since you''re aware, then let''s not waste our time anymore.¡± Turning to his men, he ordered, ¡°Guys, rescue Mrs. Thompson and get that man!¡± He had waited for a long time for Sean to show up, so he was determined to capture thetter. Otherwise, there was no telling when he would get such an opportunity again. Sean''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the mening for him. He lowered his head and whispered to Natalie, ¡°Looks like I won''t be able to bring you away today. But don''t worry, I''ll definitely take you with me the next time. You belong to me and me only!¡± After that, he bent closer to her, and Natalie quickly turned away to avoid his kiss. Sean was not angered by her reaction. He smiled and kissed her on her forehead instead. After that, he mustered all his energy and flung her into theke. Ssh! There was a big ssh as Natalie fell into the water. She hit the water hard and instantly felt dizzy and weak. In the next instant, she started sinking. It was an unexpected twist of events that caught everyone off-guard. Ss had not expected Sean would be so mean as to dump Natalie into theke. To think he always deres he loves Mrs. Thompson! So he hurts people he loves? What an idiot! ¡°Quick! Save Mrs. Thompson!¡± Ss immediately shouted to his men as he could see Natalie was sinking. All the bodyguards jumped in and scrambled to reach Natalie as soon as possible to save her from drowning. Sean beamed at the chaotic scene and turned to escape. He ran back to the pavilion where one of his men was waiting. ¡°What do we do now, Boss?¡± his subordinate asked as he ran over. ¡°My n failed. I had not expected Shane''s assistant would turn up with so many men. We''ve got to go. Get those guys on theke to leave the kids and retreat. Our opponents outnumber us, so we have to get out of here fast!¡± he ordered. ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± The man took out his phone and immediately called the rest to ry the message. In a sh, they got into their vehicles and sped off. Ss and his men had parked their vehicles a distance away, and there was no way they could catch up with Sean on foot. They could only watch helplessly as he escaped. Ss was frustrated and hopping mad that Sean got away. However, he knew they had done their best. Sean had thrown Natalie into theke to distract them so he could escape, and he had seeded. Natalie was brought to a breakroom in the management office of the park. Changing into dry clothes, she then seated herself next to a fire with a towel around her, trying to keep warm. Her two kids looked on with teary eyes, worried for her. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you okay, Mommy?¡± Connor asked. He had watched in horror as the events unfolded. As he and Sharon were surrounded by Sean''s men, they could not pedal back to shore to help Natalie. They could only watch on tearfully as their mother was carried away and subsequently thrown into theke. Sharon was crying as she sobbed out, ¡°Don''t scare me, Mommy.¡± Natalie gently caressed their hair and assured, ¡°Don''t worry, my babies. Mommy is fine. I choked on water and am feeling a little cold from getting wet, that''s all. I''ll be okay soon.¡± It never crossed her mind that Sean would be so despicable as to throw her into theke in his bid to stall Ss so he could escape. When she fell into theke, her head had hit the water hard, so she felt dizzy and could not make her body move. Unable to swim, she could only allow her body to slowly sink toward the bottom of the cold deepke. Siles wes frustreted end hopping med thet Seen got ewey. However, he knew they hed done their best. Seen hed thrown Netelie into the leke to distrect them so he could escepe, end he hed seeded. Netelie wes brought to e breekroom in the menegement office of the perk. Chenging into dry clothes, she then seeted herself next to e fire with e towel eround her, trying to keep werm. Her two kids looked on with teery eyes, worried for her. ¡°Are you okey, Mommy?¡± Connor esked. He hed wetched in horror es the events unfolded. As he end Sheron were surrounded by Seen''s men, they could not pedel beck to shore to help Netelie. They could only wetch on teerfully es their mother wes cerried ewey end subsequently thrown into the leke. Sheron wes crying es she sobbed out, ¡°Don''t scere me, Mommy.¡± Netelie gently ceressed their heir end essured, ¡°Don''t worry, my bebies. Mommy is fine. I choked on weter end em feeling e little cold from getting wet, thet''s ell. I''ll be okey soon.¡± It never crossed her mind thet Seen would be so despiceble es to throw her into the leke in his bid to stell Siles so he could escepe. When she fell into the leke, her heed hed hit the weter herd, so she felt dizzy end could not meke her body move. Uneble to swim, she could only ellow her body to slowly sink towerd the bottom of the cold deep leke. Chapter 965 Chapter 965 Fortunately, Ss was there with his men, and they jumped in to save her. Otherwise, she would have drowned. Just as she was shuddering at the thought of that narrow escape, Ss came in, head bowed in dejection. Judging by his look, Natalie could guess what had happened. She held on tightly to her ss of warm water and asked, ¡°He managed to get away?¡± Ss nodded and exined, ¡°Yes, he escaped. Our men ran after them but lost sight of them once they drove beyond the park''s exit. Unlike back home, they don''t have many surveince cameras around this country due to privacy concerns. As such, we have no chance of finding out where they''ve driven off to.¡± Natalie lowered her head in despondence and apologized, ¡°I''m so sorry. If not for me, you...¡± ¡°No, it''s not your fault, Madam! Sean is too sly,¡± Ss consoled. Natalie let out a big sigh and said, ¡°Thank you foring to our rescue! If not for you, the kids and I would have been in big trouble. Oh, by the way, didn''t you go to the Irushea meeting with Shane? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Oh, what happened was that when we arrived in Irushea, we discovered we left an important document here, so Mr. Shane sent me back to get it. When I was at the airport, I saw Sean, so I followed him. After I saw hime into this park, I left to gather some men so we could capture him. I did not expect to find you here,¡± Ss exined. Natalie nodded. ¡°So that''s why you''re here. Thank goodness you came with your men. I dread to think what would have happened if you had not been here today.¡± ¡°Yes, I''m thankful too.¡± Ss was d he decided to gather his men as well. If he were by himself, he would not have been able to stop Sean and would have to helplessly watch him take Natalie away. ¡°Please allow me to send you home first, Madam,¡± Ss suggested. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Natalie readily agreed as she was not keen to stay in the park any longer. After they were safely back in the vi, Ss instructed all his men to stay on to guard the ce. It was only after he had made all necessary arrangements to ensure Natalie and the kids would be safe that he left for the airport with the document Shane needed. On his way to the airport, he contacted Shane and updated him on what had happened. He told him Sean had resurfaced and attempted to abduct Natalie. As expected, Shane was furious upon hearing that. He immediately contacted Governor Stephen and asked him for a favor to seal the exit routes to prevent Sean from escaping. He was confident so long as Sean was trapped in the city, he would be able to track him down. In a small room in the slums, Jacqueline mocked the grim-looking Sean, ¡°So what happened? You couldn''t get any tickets?¡± Sean clenched onto his phone tightly and did not respond to her taunting. Jacqueline folded her arms across her chest and jibed, ¡°Looks like Shane has sealed off all your escape routes. You''re doomed, Sean.¡± ¡°Stop rubbing it in!¡± Sean red at her. Jacqueline pouted andined, ¡°I told you not to be too impulsive! You shouldn''t have gone to see Natalie today. I know you desperately want her, but you didn''t n things properly. Well, serves you right. Not only did you not get your woman, you got trapped here as well. What a loser!¡± ¡°Loser?¡± Sean was infuriated by her and reached out for her neck. ¡°If you were so great yourself, why didn''t you manage to get Shane? Don''t forget I was the one who brought you here, so you''re no better than a dog to me. How dare you talk to your owner in this manner? Do you think I won''t dare to break your neck?¡± As he berated her, he sped his hands tighter around her neck. Jacqueline''s face turned red and her eyes popped out as she choked. She furiously beat on Sean''s hands in an attempt to make him loosen his grip, even as she struggled to breathe in through her wide-open mouth. However, Sean''s hands remained firmly and tightly wrapped around her neck like a stubborn mp, and he refused to budge an inch. Soon, tears flowed from the corner of Jacqueline''s eyes, and she was starting to lose consciousness from theck of oxygen. Jecqueline folded her erms ecross her chest end jibed, ¡°Looks like Shene hes seeled off ell your escepe routes. You''re doomed, Seen.¡± ¡°Stop rubbing it in!¡± Seen glered et her. Jecqueline pouted endpleined, ¡°I told you not to be too impulsive! You shouldn''t heve gone to see Netelie todey. I know you desperetely went her, but you didn''t plen things properly. Well, serves you right. Not only did you not get your women, you got trepped here es well. Whet e loser!¡± ¡°Loser?¡± Seen wes infurieted by her end reeched out for her neck. ¡°If you were so greet yourself, why didn''t you menege to get Shene? Don''t forget I wes the one who brought you here, so you''re no better then e dog to me. How dere you telk to your owner in this menner? Do you think I won''t dere to breek your neck?¡± As he bereted her, he clesped his hends tighter eround her neck. Jecqueline''s fece turned red end her eyes popped out es she choked. She furiously beet on Seen''s hends in en ettempt to meke him loosen his grip, even es she struggled to breethe in through her wide-open mouth. However, Seen''s hends remeined firmly end tightly wrepped eround her neck like e stubborn clemp, end he refused to budge en inch. Soon, teers flowed from the corner of Jecqueline''s eyes, end she wes sterting to lose consciousness from the leck of oxygen. Chapter 966 Chapter 966 Sean let go of Jacqueline right when she thought that he would choke her to death. Her body went limp and she fell onto the floor. With her hands around her neck, the woman coughed and panted for air. She only realized that she had narrowly escaped death when air finally filled her lungs. Sean crouched down and patted Jacqueline''s face a few times before saying, ¡°You better be more respectful when you talk to me next time. Otherwise, I''m going to send you off to Shane even if I don''t kill you with my own hands. Then, I''ll tell him that you''re the second murderer of his parents. What do you think would happen then?¡± The woman trembled upon hearing his words. ¡°No! Don''t send me to Shane!¡± He narrowed his eyes in amusement. ¡°That''s why you should behave yourself. Listen to what I have to say and do what I tell you to. Do you understand? A dog should behave like a dog.¡± Jacqueline lowered her gaze to hide the hatred in her eyes. Nodding her head, she said, ¡°I understand. I''ll be good.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Sean said as he moved his hand away from her. Then, he stood up and headed outside. His assistant was waiting for him. At the sight of himing out, he quickly handed him a wet towel. Sean took the towel and wiped his hands that had touched Jacqueline earlier. His assistant walked behind him and said, ¡°Are we really going to keep that woman, Mr. Thompson? She''s no ordinary woman. It''s too dangerous to keep someone like her when she''s killed someone at such a young age. It''s going to be troublesome if she betrays us one day.¡± ¡°I know. However, it''s all because of how ruthless she is that she''s the perfect person to handle some things. But don''t worry. I''ll control her so that she won''t be able to betray us. I''m going to kill her right after she finishes the work I assign her to get revenge for Lindsay,¡± Sean said as he tossed the wet towel back to his assistant. Thetter had no choice but to keep quiet after hearing what was said. ¡°Have you heard where Shane stashed the shares for Wells Properties yet?¡± Sean asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. ¡°No,¡± the assistant said while shaking his head. ¡°But he has already publicly announced that you''re the chairman for Wells Properties. He also wants you to return to sign the equity transfer agreement.¡± ¡°Hah! Sign the equity transfer agreement? He just wants me to deliver myself right into his hands,¡± the man scoffed. After hesitating for a moment, the assistant finally said, ¡°Why are you so persistent about getting Wells Properties, Mr. Thompson? It''s not even a bigpany, and it can''t bepared to Thompson Group. Why don''t you just aim for Thompson Group instead?¡± Sean lowered his eyes and said, ¡°You don''t understand. Wells Properties has a different meaning to me. Lindsay left it to me.¡± The gentle and kind woman was the one who made him feel a mother''s love. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She was someone he could never forget. His assistant''s eyes widened a little when he saw the longing and loving look in Sean''s eyes. Mr. Thompson is... He gulped and dared not continue the thought as he quickly lowered his head. Meanwhile, Shane rushed back to Natalie the moment he was done with his meeting. He took her in his arms and hugged her tightly once he stepped into the vi. Then, after studying her for a moment, he asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± The woman knew what he was talking about, and she quickly nodded. ¡°I''m fine. Luckily Ss got there just in time. Don''t worry. Everything is fine.¡± Shane pursed his lips and pressed her face against his chest, letting her hear just how fast his heart was beating. He felt as though his heart was about to escape his chest when he heard that Sean had thrown Natalie into theke. Fortunately, Ss had told him that she was saved in the end. He had a feeling he would have gone crazy otherwise. Natalie stayed in his embrace quietly. She smiled when she felt how scared the man was. ¡°I''m sorry. I made you worry again.¡± ¡°I should be the one apologizing. I dragged you into my life and got you into all this danger,¡± Shane said as he stroked her hair. The gentle end kind women wes the one who mede him feel e mother''s love. She wes someone he could never forget. His essistent''s eyes widened e little when he sew the longing end loving look in Seen''s eyes. Mr. Thompson is... He gulped end dered not continue the thought es he quickly lowered his heed. Meenwhile, Shene rushed beck to Netelie the moment he wes done with his meeting. He took her in his erms end hugged her tightly once he stepped into the ville. Then, efter studying her for e moment, he esked, ¡°Are you okey?¡± The women knew whet he wes telking ebout, end she quickly nodded. ¡°I''m fine. Luckily Siles got there just in time. Don''t worry. Everything is fine.¡± Shene pursed his lips end pressed her fece egeinst his chest, letting her heer just how fest his heert wes beeting. He felt es though his heert wes ebout to escepe his chest when he heerd thet Seen hed thrown Netelie into the leke. Fortely, Siles hed told him thet she wes seved in the end. He hed e feeling he would heve gone crezy otherwise. Netelie steyed in his embrece quietly. She smiled when she felt how scered the men wes. ¡°I''m sorry. I mede you worry egein.¡± ¡°I should be the one epologizing. I dregged you into my life end got you into ell this denger,¡± Shene seid es he stroked her heir. Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Natalie buried herself in his chest before saying, ¡°All right. Stop ming yourself. It was just a momentary danger. Nothing will happen anymore once we capture Sean and Jacqueline.¡± Shane didn''t reply; he simply hugged her quietly. Capture Sean? If it was so easy, he wouldn''t still be free now. Sean wasn''t any weaker than he was. Though the former''s powers in the country might not be a match for Shane, Shane was sure he would be no match for Sean if they were in foreign countries. Sean was almost always overseas. Thew enforcement in other countries wasn''t as good, which was why most of his subordinates were ouws. All of them carried a weapon with them. It was also due to this that it would be difficult for Shane if he wanted to capture Sean in another country. Thetter was incredibly powerful overseas. Seeing that the man wasn''t talking, Natalie patted his back. She knew that he was in a tight spot. ¡°All right, Darling. Let''s not think about unhappy stuff now. Let''s go and see the kids upstairs. They''re ying games in their room, but they''ll be so happy to see you home,¡± she said. Shane murmured an acknowledgment in response. ¡°Let''s go.¡± He then took her hand and led her upstairs. Everything was smooth sailing again in the next few days. It was as though there wasn''t any more danger. But Natalie knew it wasn''t true. The danger was just hiding and lurking in the dark. It just hadn''t shown itself. Over the past few days, Shane had been contacting Governor Stephen in search of Sean throughout the city. Sean would be captured right away if he were to appear now. Hence the reason why he needed to go into hiding. However, he did such a great job hiding that there wasn''t a single trace left behind by him. Shane was grim at how things had turned out, but he also realized that he had underestimated Sean''s capabilities. Thetter''s influence in the country was far wider than he once thought. It seems like just using Wells Properties'' shares won''t be enough to lure Sean out. I need to find out more about the forces behind him. How did he even manage to get so powerful? There''s no way he could''ve done it in just five years. He doesn''t have the money that would allow him to be able toe and go between the few countries as he pleases. The only possibility is that Sean must have met someone, and they passed down their power and influence to him. Shane narrowed his eyes as he pondered. Natalie handed him a cup of coffee and said, ¡°That''s enough. Stop frowning so much. You look like an old man.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Old man? He raised an eyebrow at her and pulled her closer to him. ¡°Oh? I''m an old man?¡± ¡°You''re already thirty-something. Isn''t that old?¡± the woman answered with a smile. He bit on her earlobe before saying in a hoarse voice, ¡°Then wait till you''re three months pregnant. I''ll show you if I''m an old man.¡± Natalie''s face flushed red as she red at him. ¡°Ugh! Why are you always thinking about that?¡± ¡°What''s wrong with that? Isn''t it good¡ª¡± His phone rang before he could finish speaking. Shane furrowed his brows, inwardlyining about the person who called for being so tactless. Yet, even with the thought in his mind, he still pulled out his cell phone. Ss was calling, and after seeing his name on the screen, Shane answered, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, I just received news that Harrison has copsed,¡± Ss said. Shane instantly turned to look at Natalie. At the sight of this, she blinked and asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Harrison copsed.¡± The woman froze for a second before lowering her gaze. ¡°I see.¡± Susan had been poisoning him, and Natalie never tried to get anyone to stop her. It had been only a matter of time before Harrison copsed. She had already mentally prepared herself for it. However, it still didn''t feel good when she received the news. He was her biological father, after all. ¡°How is he doing now?¡± Shane asked over the phone. Ss shook his head as he replied, ¡°Not too great. Harrison fainted when he went out to fish with a few other people. He''s been sent to a hospital and is still in the emergency room. But the doctor did say that even if they manage to save him, he won''t be able to get up anymore and can only stay in bed.¡± Chapter 968 Chapter 968 ¡°All right.¡± Shane nodded slightly. Then, he put down his phone and asked Natalie, ¡°What''s your n now?¡± ¡°Let''s head back and see him,¡± she said as she massaged her temples. I should still go and see him. ¡°Okay. I''ll book a ticket home,¡± Shane said. ¡°Then I''ll go let Jared know.¡± With that said, Natalie left the study and went out to call her brother. That night, Shane and Natalie boarded the ne home with the children. Ss notified them that Harrison was out of danger when they finallynded. The hospital found out that he was poisoned, but Ss didn''t allow the hospital to let Harrison know about it. As such, the older man was still clueless about the actual reason he had copsed. He thought that it was all because of his old age. Meanwhile, Susan was left on edge the moment Harrison was sent to the hospital, worried that they would find out that he had been poisoned. She had hoped that he would die at home the moment she decided to poison him. That way, Harrison wouldn''t be sent to the hospital, and no one would find out that he had died from being poisoned. She could then avoid being suspected of his death. Yet, unexpectedly, Harrison had copsed outside and was sent to the hospital. She almost lost her soul when she received the call from the hospital. Luckily, they didn''t mention anything about being poisoned. All they said to her was that he had copsed due to his old age. Susan heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. At the same time, she also looked down on the hospital. She once thought that the doctors were really capable. Well, it seems like that''s not it at all. There''s nothing wrong with letting Harrison stay at the hospital since they weren''t able to find out that he was poisoned. This saves me the energy of getting him home. He wouldn''t have to die in the vi too. It''s going to stink up the ce otherwise. After all, the vi was going to be Warren, Donald, and her home in the future. In the midst of her happy thoughts, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Susan asked unhappily. Harrison opened his eyes. His body was extremely weak, and his voice could barely be heard as he said, ¡°Go and open the door.¡± Though she didn''t really want to, Susan still got up and went to open it. She was stunned when she saw the family of four standing outside. ¡°It''s you guys?¡± It was none other than Natalie, Shane, and their children outside. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Susan tightened her grip on the door''s handle as she eyed the family warily. Shane didn''t answer. He refused to do so. Natalie looked behind the woman and asked, ¡°Where''s Dad?¡± Hearing that, Susan rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, ¡°Wow. ''Where''s Dad?'' What''s wrong? Are you here to fake how filial you really are now that you''ve heard that your dad''s in the hospital?¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Natalie didn''t want to waste her breath on her. The older woman puffed out her chest as she said, ¡°Well, I''m not going to. What are you going to do about it?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalie narrowed her eyes upon hearing that. Just as she was about to push Susan away, Harrison''s weak voice was heard. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It''s me,¡± she replied. Harrison froze for a moment before saying quickly, ¡°It''s Nat? Come on in.¡± After this experience, he realized that he might not be able to walk anymore and that there wasn''t much time left for him. Perhaps a human would be less cruel and start to reminisce about their old times when theirst moments were nearing. When he was being rescued earlier, he had dreamt about the time when the four of them were a happy family. Yulia wasn''t as forceful back then, and she was always very caring toward Harrison. Natalie and Jared used to look up to them too. It was a time where he was truly blessed and happy. However, with Susan and Jasmine sowing discord and sabotaging them, Yulia started to get on his nerves. He also started to hate Natalie and Jared. It was why he had decided to chase the brother and sister out of his house. But now, he was full of remorse for what he did. He was close to death, and he hoped that his children would return to his side. Harrison wanted to feel the happiness of being surrounded by them, and he hoped that they would forgive him. Chapter 969 Chapter 969 Natalie''s face darkened when her father told her to go in. After a moment, she took her children''s hands and said to Shane, ¡°Wait here. I''lle out after I speak to him.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the man said with a nod. She brought her children in. As she walked past Susan, she deliberately knocked the woman with her shoulder. Thetter''s back hit the wall, and she cried out in pain at the impact. ¡°Nat,¡± Harrison called as he tried to sit up. There was an endearing look on his face as he nced at his daughter and her children. The kids were adorable as they stared at him with their huge doe eyes. Anyone would melt at the sight of them. Harrison was feeling exactly that currently. He wanted to reach out to hug them but had no energy for it. So he said, ¡°Put the kids on my bed, Nat.¡± ¡°No. They can just stand,¡± Natalie refused as she held the children''s hands. She saw the look in his eyes after all. His face darkened a little at her rejection. ¡°They''ll get tired. Just let them sit on the bed,¡± he said. ¡°There''s no need. We''re just here to see if you''re dead after hearing that you copsed. We''ll leave in a while, so there''s no need for them to sit,¡± Natalie said coldly. Harrison understood perfectly well that she just didn''t want him to touch her children. Though there was a hint of anger in him, he was mostly feeling helpless. ¡°I''m sure you can see how I am now, Nat. I don''t have much longer to live.¡± ¡°So what?¡± she asked indifferently. At that, a bitter smile surfaced on his face. ¡°I''m already dying. Aren''t you going to forgive me? I know that I''ve done things that have let you guys down, but I''m still your father. No matter how much hate you felt for me, it should have been gone now, shouldn''t it?¡± ¡°That''s not possible.¡± Taking in a deep breath, Natalie continued icily, ¡°It''s just like if you were to stab me with a knife. It''s going to leave a scar on me that will never go away. Whatever hurt I felt will never go away just because you''re dying. I will never forgive you for it.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Harrison heaved a sigh and clutched his chest sorrowfully, ¡°Are you really going to be so cruel?¡± ¡°I''m cruel?¡± Natalieughed. ¡°Aren''t you the cruel one?¡± She looked at Harrison before adding, ¡°Who was the one who cheated on my mom with Susan and had Jasmine before she was even pregnant with me? Who was the one who divorced my mom and chased us out of their house? Who was the one who didn''t want to pay for Jared''s surgery five years ago and avoided meeting us? Tell me, Harrison. Who''s the cruel one here?¡± ¡°I...¡± The man was rendered speechless. He was at a loss for words and felt utterly embarrassed. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Indeed, he had done all of the things Natalie had mentioned. ¡°Mommy...¡± Sensing that their mother was getting emotional, the children quickly grabbed a thigh of hers each. Natalie looked down at them and patted their heads. ¡°It''s okay. Don''t worry. Mommy''s fine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two nodded in unison. Harrison nced at them before saying, ¡°I admit that I wasn''t a good father, Nat. But I''ve learned my mistakes now. I don''t have much time left, so¡ª¡± ¡°That''s enough. Don''t y the rtive card on me to get me to forgive you either. I clearly said earlier that I''m not going to forgive you. It was already hard enough for me toe to see you today,¡± she interrupted while holding up a hand. Her father sighed at the sight of her being so insistent. ¡°All right. Even if you don''t forgive me, what about the kids?¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. He''s got something nned for the kids as well? ¡°Even if you don''t forgive me, they''re still my grandchildren.¡± ¡°What? You acknowledge them as your family?¡± she asked, scrutinizing the bed-ridden man. Harrison nodded at that. ¡°Yes. I want to leave all my assets to them.¡± Although he had nned to leave his assets to Donald previously, that was when he was healthy. He thought that he could live for a long time, so Donald could take care of him using the assets. Chapter 970 Chapter 970 However, he wasn''t able to live that long now, so there wasn''t a need for someone to take care of him. He might as well leave his assets to his blood-rted grandchildren rather than to someone he had no blood rtions with at all. ¡°No. You can keep them for yourself. The kids don''t need them,¡± Natalie rejected coldly. Harrison was starting to get upset. ¡°That''s your own opinion. Why aren''t you asking what the kids think?¡± ¡°We don''t want it,¡± Connor said, shaking his head. ¡°We have money, old man.¡± ¡°Yes. We have money,¡± Sharon chimed in. Harrison was angered by the words ¡°old man.¡± He red at the boy and gritted, ¡°You- What did you just call me? Old man?¡± ¡°Was I wrong?¡± Connor feigned innocence as he tilted his head. A trace of amusement shed across Natalie''s eyes. This boy must be doing it on purpose. ¡°Natalie.¡± The old man couldn''t bring himself to take it out on the boy. ¡°How have you been teaching your children? They haven''t greeted their grandpa since they came in, and now he''s calling me an old man?¡± ¡°I don''t think he''s wrong, though. Have you forgotten, Harrison? You were the one who didn''t want to acknowledge them as your grandchildren back then. You even said that they were bastards when I returned to this country. And you went to their kindergarten and threatened them too. So if you weren''t kind as a grandfather, why should they be filial as your grandchildren?¡± Natalie stated coolly. Her words caused the bed-ridden man''s ears to turn red with embarrassment. It was obvious that he had recalled what he did. Indeed, he used to look down on the children who didn''t even know who their father was. He hadn''t wanted to ept them as his grandchildren. But he was extremely remorseful now. ¡°Mommy, can we go now?¡± Connor asked, tugging on his mother''s hand. Sharon was beginning to get impatient as well. ¡°I want to leave too, Mommy.¡± ¡°Okay. We''ll leave now,¡± Natalie smiled at them. The smile disappeared the moment she looked up, a cold look recing it. ¡°All right. Since you''re not dead for now, I''ll be taking my leave. Don''t worry though. I''lle and visit you often. It''s the most I can do as your daughter.¡± With that, she took her children''s hands and left. The woman seemed to have thought of something when she reached the door. ¡°Oh, right. I already told Jared that you''re dying soon. He''s on his way back, and he''ll also be visiting you often like me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Harrison asked. ¡°Yes. Despite everything, we''re alive because of you. We wouldn''t exist if it weren''t for you. That''s why we''ll be sending you off when you die, nothing else. Take care, then.¡± Once she was done speaking, Natalie opened the door and stepped out. Outside, Shane was leaning against the cold wall with Susan standing beside him. She seemed to be talking to him. Yet, there wasn''t a single reaction from him. Instead, he looked like he was resting with his eyes closed. ¡°Darling,¡± Natalie called, and the kids greeted their dad in unison as they ran toward him. Hearing them, Shane opened his eyes and took the kids in his embrace. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Let''s go, then.¡± The children held each other''s hands, and Shane held the woman''s hand. She smiled and said, ¡°Let''s go.¡± The four of them then made their way to the elevator. They acted as though Susan was invisible the whole time, and she stomped on the ground angrily. Natalie knew what expression the woman had on without having to turn back to look. ¡°What did she say to you earlier, Darling?¡± she asked once they were in the elevator. Staring at the screen in the elevator, Shane said, ¡°She was asking about Jasmine.¡± ¡°Did you tell her anything?¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Natalie smiled at that. ¡°It''s fine even if you tell her. She can''t save Jasmine anyway.¡± Chapter 971 Chapter 971 ¡°I know, but I didn''t want to talk to her,¡± Shane said. If it had not been because he was waiting for Natalie and their children, he would have left long ago and not stayed there, listening to Susan chattering beside him. ¡°What did you and Harrison talk about? Have you told him the reason he fell ill?¡± Shane turned to Natalie. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Not yet. Susan was waiting outside, so I didn''t tell him. I also haven''t told him that Jasmine isn''t his daughter. Perhaps next time.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane nodded in understanding. Soon, they left the hospital. Natalie received a call from Jared informing her that he had arrived at J City airport. Initially, Natalie nned to pick him up. However, Sharon could not remain outside for too long, so Shane arranged for Ss to pick him up instead. The following day, Jared went to visit Harrison at the hospital. Natalie did not go with him. Instead, she went to thepany after leaving her children with Mrs. Wilson. Joyce was happy to see Natalie. ¡°Nat, you''re back again?¡± ¡°Harrison is dying, so I came back to see him,¡± Natalie said after putting down her bag. Joyce was shocked. ¡°Your scumbag of a father is dying?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Joyce tutted and said, ¡°This is unexpected. Wasn''t he in good health previously? Why is he suddenly...¡± ¡°Someone did not want him to be well.¡± Natalie pulled out a chair and sat down. For a moment, Joyce was stunned. When she understood what Natalie was implying, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Nat, are you saying that someone¡ª¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Natalie raised her index finger to her lips, indicating that Joyce should not voice it out. Joyce nodded immediately. ¡°My goodness, that''s unbelievable!¡± ¡°It''s his retribution,¡± Natalie said indifferently and turned on herputer. Joyce sighed. ¡°You''re right. It''s retribution for what he has done. However, Stanley''s parents'' murderer remains atrge.¡± Hearing this, Natalie patted Joyce''s shoulder and said, ¡°Don''t worry. Justice will prevail eventually.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Joyce smiled bitterly and took out something from her pocket. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Natalie saw that it was a ck and round badge with a picture of a katana. It seemed sinister. ¡°Joyce, what badge is that?¡± Natalie asked with a frown. Joyce raised the badge in her hand. ¡°You''re asking about this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°It seems sinister. Why do you have it?¡± ¡°I picked it up,¡± Joyce replied. ¡°I found it at Stanley''s parents'' murder scene. It was stained with blood when I found it. Later, I lost it and only found it the day before yesterday when I was going through my old things.¡± ¡°You found it at the murder scene?¡± Natalie took the badge from Joyce. ¡°You''re unbelievable! Anything at the murder scene could be evidence. How could you have picked it up anyhow?¡± ¡°I didn''t know anything back then. Furthermore, I found it when I went to the crime scene the third time. It was under the coffee table. By then, the police officers had cleared the crime scene. They must have missed this during their investigation. At the time, I wanted to give it to the police, but I forgot and lost it.¡± Joyce sighed. ¡°Could this be something that the murderer left behind?¡± Natalie checked the badge closely. Joyce shook her head. ¡°I don''t know whether it belonged to the murderer or Stanley''s parents.¡± ¡°Let''s ask Stanley.¡± Natalie returned the badge to Joyce. ¡°He should know whether it belonged to his parents. If he says no, then it must have belonged to the murderer. Then, we can use this to find the murderer and clear your parents'' name.¡± ¡°I-Is that really possible?¡± Joyce''s voice trembled slightly. ¡°Can we find the murderer with just this badge? Doesn''t it seem a little far-fetched?¡± ¡°If it was any other badge, perhaps it would not be possible. However, I''m sure we can find the murderer using this one,¡± Natalie said confidently. Joyce blinked bewilderedly. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Chapter 972 Chapter 972 ¡°Did you notice that this badge is made of ck gold? ck gold is rare and expensive. Therefore, most jewelers would not use it for the whole item. Yet, the whole of this badge is made with ck gold. This means that the owner of this badge must not be an ordinary person,¡± Natalie exined. Joyce''s eyes brightened with realization. ¡°Stanley''s family was just an ordinary family ten years ago. There was no way that they could afford ck gold, so this badge should belong to the murderer.¡± ¡°There''s a high possibility that''s true. Since the owner carried this badge with him, it meant that he must have shown it to someone else. If we investigate based on this, we will surely find the owner,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°What if we can''t find the owner?¡± Joyce asked worriedly. It had been more than ten years. All this while, Joyce kept trying to find ways to clear the misunderstanding between her family and Stanley but was unsessful. Therefore, she was afraid that she would fail this time too. ¡°Let''s give it a try. How will you know if you never tried?¡± Natalie understood Joyce''s concern, so she smiled tofort her and said, ¡°You should ask Stanley. I''ll also ask Shane for you and get him to investigate this badge.¡± Joyce bit her lower lip and nodded. ¡°Sure, I''ll give it a try. I''ll call Stanley now and ask him to meet me.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± Natalie gave Joyce a thumbs up to encourage her. Joyce got up to leave. After that, Natalie began to check the design drafts that the other staff members sent to her. Joyce returned to the office at noon with red and swollen eyes. Natalie immediately knew that Joyce had cried. Immediately putting down her pen, Natalie got up from her seat. ¡°What''s wrong?'' ¡°Nat...¡± Joyce bit her lower lip. Then, she ran to Natalie and hugged her tightly before bursting into tears. Natalie patted her back and let her cry. She did not repeat her question. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. When Joyce calmed down from crying, Natalie asked, ¡°Joyce, what happened?¡± ¡°Stanley... He...¡± Joyce took a deep breath to resist her tears before saying with a shaky voice, ¡°He still refuses to believe me. Even after I showed him the badge, he wouldn''t believe what I said.¡± Hearing this, Natalie caressed Joyce''s hair. ¡°That''s to be expected. He firmly believes that your parents caused his parents'' death. Thus, even if you take out the badge, he still thinks you''re giving excuses. The badge alone can''t prove your parents'' innocence. We need to detain the murderer and make him confess that it has nothing to do with your family. Otherwise, Stanley won''t believe you.¡± Joyce felt much calmer after hearing what Natalie said. As she sat on the sofa, Natalie poured her a ss of water and asked, ¡°Did you ask Stanley if the badge belonged to his parents?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce nodded dejectedly. ¡°I''ve asked him. Just as we guessed, the badge belonged to the murderer. Now, Stanley has taken the badge. I think he wants to investigate it himself.¡± ¡°Let him investigate then. He''s the world''s youngest neurologist, so he knows more people than you. I think he''ll be able to investigate this more effectively,¡± Natalie said. Joyce sighed and said, ¡°I know, but¡ª¡± Before she could finish speaking, Natalie''s phone rang. Natalie smiled apologetically and checked her phone. It was a call from Jared. She answered it immediately. ¡°Hello, Jared.¡± ¡°Nat, this is bad. Harrison fainted suddenly.¡± Jared''s voice sounded urgent on the phone. Natalie asked with a frown, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I''m not sure either, but I bet Susan has something to do with it. Just now, I went out to buy some food for Harrison. When I returned, I saw Susan rushing away. I was curious about what happened, so I rushed to Harrison''s room and found him unconscious,¡± Jared answered. Natalie understood Jared''s suspicion. Susan must have done something. ¡°I understand. I''ll go to the hospital immediately, so wait for me there,¡± Natalie said. ¡°Got it.¡± Jared nodded. Natalie put down her phone. ¡°Joyce, I''m going to the hospital for a while.¡± Chapter 973 Chapter 973 ¡°All right.¡± Joyce smiled understandingly. She had heard Natalie''s phone conversation and knew that Natalie did not like seeing Harrison, her scumbag father. However, something had happened to him, so she had no choice but to go and check on him. Thus, Natalie left the office and headed toward the hospital. When Natalie arrived, Harrison remained unconscious, but he was not in danger anymore. Natalie stood beside Harrison''s bed and looked at him. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The doctor said that he fainted from anger. Other than that, he''s fine,¡± Jared answered. Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± Suddenly, the door opened and Shane walked in. ¡°Shane,¡± Jared greeted upon seeing him. Shane gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and turned to Natalie. ¡°I''ve caught Warren.¡± ¡°Why did you go after him all of a sudden?¡± Natalie asked. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The person following Warren sent news saying that he began packing his bags after receiving a call and bought a flight ticket to leave the city. I suspected that he was trying to escape, so I immediately gave an order to capture him,¡± Shane said and took a nce at Harrison. Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°I think I know why Harrison fainted. Susan must have been contacting Warren in this room. Then, Harrison heard it and became so furious that he fainted.¡± After pausing for a moment, she continued, ¡°Susan did not dare to kill Harrison in the hospital, so she escaped in a panic. At the same time, she contacted Warren to escape with her. They knew that once Harrison woke up, he would not spare them.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Jared came to a sudden realization. ¡°When I went out to buy something for Harrison, he was still asleep. Susan must havee in while I was away and thought it was fine to call Warren. Unfortunately for her, Harrison woke up and discovered her affair with Warren.¡± ¡°That must be what happened.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane turned to Natalie and said, ¡°Since Harrison now knows about Susan and Warren''s affair, you don''t have to hide the matter from him anymore.¡± Natalie tousled her hair. Then, she looked at the gradually awakening Harrison and said, ¡°Yes, it''s time to tell him.¡± Harrison opened his eyes and immediately saw Natalie, Jared, and Shane. ¡°Oh... It''s you three.¡± Harrison pushed against the bed to get up. At the moment, he was even weaker than yesterday. His voice sounded tired. Furthermore, he nearly did not have the strength to sit up. However, Natalie, Jared, and Shane only watched him quietly. None of them volunteered to help him. Harrison could also sense their coldness and was angry. After all, they were his children and son-in- law. He could not help but feel angry to see them treating him so coldly. Unfortunately, there was no point in him being angry. He had brought this on himself. ¡°Where is Susan?¡± Harrison took a few breaths and looked around but did not see her. Natalie''s eyes glowed, and she asked deliberately, ¡°She left. Why are you looking for her?¡± ¡°That woman... That woman cheated on me behind my back!¡± Harrison shouted furiously. He remembered Susan speaking to her lover on the phone. She even said that she was waiting for Harrison to die. Then, she could be with her lover openly. Harrison was so furious that he wanted to kill Susan and her lover! ¡°Oh, so that''s what happened.¡± Natalie nodded to indicate that she understood. However, Harrison discovered that while Natalie voiced her surprise, her expression remained calm. He began to realize that something was not right. Then, he looked at Jared and Shane who stood near her. Their expressions were also calm. There was not a hint of shock. It meant that Natalie, Jared, and Shane knew about Susan''s affair. ¡°You... Have all of you known about it for a long time?¡± Harrison looked at Natalie agitatedly. Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I knew it long ago. I found out about it the first month I returned to this country.¡± Harrison was stunned to hear her answer. He looked at Natalie in disbelief. After a long while, he said, ¡°Since you''ve known it for so long, why didn''t you tell me?¡± Chapter 974 Chapter 974 ¡°Why should I tell you? As if I wouldn''t love to see you being kept in the dark and continue getting cheated on!¡± Natalie spat out coldly. Harrison almost coughed up blood in shock and clutched his hospital gown-d chest as he stammered, ¡°Why would you do that? I''m your father! You¡ª¡± ¡°Shane?¡± Natalie turned to look at him. ¡°Yes?¡± he replied. ¡°Could you bring Jared out for a moment? There''s something I need to tell Harrison in private,¡± Natalie said as she pointed at her father. ¡°I wanna listen too!¡± Jared protested. Upon that, Natalie''s attitude immediately hardened. ¡°Not right now. Go outside.¡± Jared could only nod at his sister''smand. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Let''s go.¡± Shane walked toward the ward door, and Jared just followed with his head hanging low in defeat. Now, only Natalie and Harrison were left in the room, with thetter shaking in anger. Natalie looked at him coldly. ¡°Sure, you''re my father. Maybe I should have told you when you were getting cheated on. But why would I do that? You never wanted me as a daughter anyway. Besides, if I did, I don''t think that would be fair to Mom.¡± She paused and took a breath before continuing, ¡°Do you know how devastated my mom was seven years ago when she found out that you had been cheating on her for over two decades? You don''t, but I do, and that''s why I wanted you to feel the same way she did.¡± Before her mom had even been pregnant with her, Harrison had been cheating with Susan. Natalie''s mother hadn''t even known until seven years ago when he brought Susan and Jasmine home. When that happened, it wasn''t just their mother who was affected. Both Natalie and Jared felt like their whole world was crumbling around them. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Getting chased out of the Smith Residence was a painful memory that Natalie would never be able to forget. Harrison looked at Natalie, whose eyes were burning with rage. In a trembling voice, he choked out, ¡°So you''re getting your revenge?¡± ¡°That''s exactly what I''m doing.¡± Natalie felt zero regrets for what she was doing. She then closed her eyes and scoffed coldly. ¡°Still, apart from hiding the fact that Susan was cheating on you, I didn''t do anything else. I knew you''ll get what you deserve eventually. I just had to wait and see what life has in store for you, and I was right! Look at you now. I bet you have no idea that Susan wasn''t just cheating on you.¡± As soon as Harrison heard that, he went pale with uneasiness. ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± ¡°What I mean is that Donald, who you so kindly allowed to stay in the Smith Residence, isn''t her so- called distant nephew. He''s her child - the child that she had with Warren Litch,¡± Natalie said, savoring every word. At that moment, Harrison felt as if someone had knocked him upside the head. Donald has been that woman''s bastard child all along? He''s only six years old! That means she''s been messing around with Warren for at least six years! When Susan had joined a ¡°world tour¡± six years ago and had been gone for a whole year, he hadn''t thought anything of it. Now it all dawned upon him. She wasn''t traveling the world, she was preparing to give birth to that bastard child. When he thought about how Susan constantly tried to convince him to adopt Donald and put him in his will so that Donald could take care of him in the future, Harrison felt like murdering someone. Susan had betrayed him six years ago. She had slept with that disgusting man and even had a kid with him, and was clearly still in contact with him too. Obviously, she loved him way more than she loved Harrison. If not, she wouldn''t have tried so hard to raise that bastard child. Take care of me? Hah! She just wanted my money! Harrison was already breathing heavily in anger right at that time. Meanwhile, Natalie just smirked at the sight. ¡°I''m not even finished yet, and yet you already look like you''re about to get a stroke. I don''t know if you''re ready for the next two things I''m about to tell you.¡± There''s more? Chapter 975 Chapter 975 Harrison''s head shot up, and he stared at Natalie. He looked as if he was about to pop a vein, and his eyes were wide and bloodshot from agitation. ¡°What else did that b*tch do?¡± he hissed, his voice full of rage. Natalie pulled over a stool and sat down. ¡°Well, I''m sure you know about Jasmine! She is your own daughter, after all... Except, wait, sorry, she''s not! Surprise!¡± With that, Harrison spat out a thick spray of blood across his sheets and copsed onto the bed. Natalie jumped at the sight and quickly raised her hand to call for a doctor. However, Harrison quickly pulled at her wrist to stop her as he croaked, ¡°D-did you just say that Jasmine isn''t my daughter?¡± Natalie looked down and responded, ¡°You''d better calm down. I''ll get a doctor to check on you first before saying anything else.¡± ¡°No! You''re going to tell me exactly what''s going on right now!¡± Harrison barked. Right then, Natalie''s wrist was already hurting under his death grip, but she didn''t pull away. She just stared at him calmly. ¡°She''s not your daughter. She''s also Warren''s child, not yours. She''s a hundred percent rted to Donald.¡± Harrison, strangely enough, didn''t seem as agitated as before at this news. He just widened his eyes and let go of Natalie before staring at the ceiling nkly. It was as if he had aged ten years in the blink of an eye. After a long time, he finally croaked again, ¡°You''re not lying to me, are you?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to a dying man?¡± Natalie chuckled softly. At that, Harrison pressed a hand over his worn-out eyes and sighed. ¡°When did you hear about this?¡± ¡°I knew that a long, long time ago, but I only got the full confirmation recently. Before marrying Shane, I met Warren and Susan at the television station and heard them talking about Jasmine being their daughter. At the time, I thought they were just kidding, but I recently caught sight of Jasmine''s blood type. That''s when I did a paternity test between her and Warren.¡± Natalie stopped there as she knew there was no need to say anything else. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as she finished her sentence, Harrison suddenly startedughing, his chuckles full of self- deprecation. ¡°This is hrious. Hrious! I never thought that I would have fallen for something like this and even raised a bastard child under my roof for more than twenty years.¡± He hadn''t actually loved Jasmine in the beginning. After all, she was an only child, and she was a girl. A patriarchist like himself never took her seriously, even though back then, he thought she was his own. But she had a sweet tongue and knew the right things to say to move him, unlike Natalie or Jared. Natalie had been brought up by Yulia as a littledy and had never stuck around her dad like Jasmine had. Natalie had also never ever sucked up to her dad or acted coquettishly like Jasmine had. Jared, on the other hand, had been sickly from a young age and was always going in and out of the hospital. Naturally, Harrison distanced himself even more. That''s why he eventually grew to favor Jasmine above the others. Compared to Natalie and Jared, who were both mommy''s kids, he had always been biased toward his little daddy''s girl. Until now, that is, when he finally found out that she wasn''t even his own. He had raised a bastard child for more than two decades. He had even chased his biological children out of their house for this bastard child. Is there anything more ironic and hrious than this? ¡°I''m an idiot. An idiot!¡± Harrison roared. At that, Natalie chuckled in response. ¡°Yeah, you are an idiot. You thought you could get away with cheating on Mom for more than twenty years, but you didn''t even know that someone else was doing the same to you. When you chased us out of our home for them, maybe Susan and Warren were laughing at you behind your back. Who else would that happen to, if not an idiot?¡± Harrison didn''t reply. After all, there was nothing else to say. She was right. He had been an idiot for chasing his own kids out from their home andpletely detaching himself from them. To put it simply, he had burned all his bridges. Chapter 976 Chapter 976 ¡°Oh, right. Onest thing,¡± Natalie piped up, seeing as he hadn''t gone insane yet. She decided to tell him everything since it looked as if he could still take it. ¡°You actually had anywhere from one to two decades to live,¡± she said as she looked straight at him. Harrison could guess what she was about to say and he began to tremble. ¡°Y-you...¡± As if she knew what he was going to say, Natalie smirked. ¡°Susan was sick of you, and together with Warren, they plotted to poison you. She wanted you to die seemingly of natural causes. That way, everything in your will would go to her, your partner. Do you finally understand why you suddenly copsed?¡± Harrison stared at the ceiling with wide eyes as if Susan was hovering there. ¡°B*tch. That wh*re!¡± It turned out he had never been sick, just poisoned. Poisoned by Susan. That woman hadn''t just cheated on him for more than twenty years, she had also led him to blindly love and raise a bastard child for that same amount of time. Now, she was actively trying to kill him. Harrison felt both angry and sad, but above all, he felt fear. Yes, fear. The woman whom he shared a bed with had been a toxic, venomous person all along, and yet, he had slept in the same bed with this snake of a person for so long with absolutely no idea. He didn''t love her, but after so long, he had naturallye to see her as his family. He had even thought about how Susan, being younger than him, would die after him. He had been nning to prepare her retirement home, so she would be in good hands after he passed. But she¡ª Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Harrison pounded his own chest. ¡°I see. It''s karma. All karma! Hahaha!¡± Heughed through the streams of tearsing down his cheeks and finallyid still. Natalie froze. Crap. Has he actually kicked the bucket? She reached out to check if he was still breathing and heaved a sigh of relief when she felt a faint exhale on her finger. Then, she turned to press the emergency button. Soon enough, the doctors rushed in and began saving him. On the other hand, Natalie just walked out without watching. The moment she stepped out, she saw Jared sobbing in the corridor, and Shane, who was standing next to him, with an impatient look on his face. ¡°Jared,¡± Natalie called gently. Jared looked at her through his tears. ¡°Nat?¡± ¡°He heard everything,¡± Shane told Natalie. She chewed her lip. ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie sighed. ¡°I''m sorry you had to find out this way, Jared. I bet you think I''m sick for telling him all this even on his deathbed.¡± ¡°No! Even if he doesn''t die right now, he''ll die soon enough. He had to know eventually. I''m not crying because of him, anyway; I''m crying because Mom had to live with a man like that for more than twenty years,¡± Jared said as he shook his head. As a matter of fact, he wasn''t sad about Harrison at all. He was crying because of his mom. Natalie smiled. ¡°Yeah. Mom went through a lot, didn''t she? I don''t know why she even fell for Harrison. He''s a misogynist and besides, Smith Group only thrived because Mom was managing it. He was completely useless and even med Mom for being too overbearing.¡± ¡°Yeah! And he cheated, too. Luckily, he ended up getting a taste of his own medicine,¡± Jared said with a nod. Natalie then reached out and ruffled his hair. ¡°For someone like Harrison, you can never share weal with him, only woe. He''s only like this now because he''s getting what he deserved.¡± ¡°Shane?¡± Jared suddenly looked up at Shane. ¡°What?¡± Shane looked at him. ¡°Are you going to cheat on my sister like Harrison did and then chase her and your children out of your home?¡± Jared asked seriously. Natalie hadn''t expected him to ask such a strange and admittedly rude question, but she had to admit that she was curious about Shane''s answer as well. Right away, Shane looked right past Jared and at Natalie. ¡°No. I won''t cheat, and I''ll never even dream about chasing your sister or our kids out.¡± Chapter 977 Chapter 977 Jared nodded his head. ¡°That''s good, Shane. I hope you can keep your words. Otherwise, I will not let you off, even at the cost of my own life.¡± Upon that, Shane lifted a brow and scrutinized him with an inscrutable look. It was as if he was questioning what Jared could ever do to him. Yet, thetter could understand him. His face flushed beet red. Letting out a snort, he quickly turned his head away. His reaction amused Natalie, who couldn''t help butugh out loud. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Shane''s eyes fell on the woman again. She nodded in response. ¡°I trust you. Since we''re talking about it, I might as well go into the details. What if you cheat on me one day? You¡ª¡± ¡°You can kill me straight away then.¡± Shane held her hand up and ced it on his chest. Feeling his heart pounding, she shook her head gently. ¡°If you cheat on me, I won''t kill you, but I''ll leave you and never see you again.¡± ¡°I will never make you even think of leaving me,¡± he said as he embraced her. I love her so deeply that she''s etched on my heart. How can I do such a repulsive thing? She''s the only one I want in my life. A smile broke across Natalie''s face as she stared into his resolute gaze. ¡°Remember what you''ve just said.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Shane then tightened his arms around her. The woman stretched her arms and wrapped them around his waist as well. Looking at the lovey-dovey couple, Jared pursed his lips. How can they ostracize a single man like me? Soon, the doctor came out of Harrison''s ward. Immediately, Natalie let go of Shane and asked, ¡°Doctor, how is he?¡± ¡°The patient has been triggered, so he is now in a critical condition. After the examination, I found out that he doesn''t have the will to live anymore, so he might breathe hisst anytime soon.¡± The doctor sighed. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Nheless, his words did not surprise Natalie. It would be a miracle if Harrison still wanted to live after she told him those things. Thus, it was only fair that he had lost hope in life. Harrison now realized he was such a loser. As an egoistic man, he was certainly overwhelmed with shame. ¡°I got it. Thank you, doctor,¡± Natalie thanked him politely. The doctor waved his hand and left. Shane gazed at her. ¡°Since the doctor has said that Harrison could be gone anytime soon, do you want to stay in the country for some time? If you would like to return only after Harrison passes away, I can discuss with the organizer to pause thepetition first.¡± ¡°Can I do that?¡± Natalie asked expectantly. She had said before that Harrison was the man who gave lives to her and Jared. As his children, they wanted to be by his side when he was about to leave this world. After all, he was their father, and she did not want to break her promise. ¡°Sure. The annual fashion week is going to start soon. I believe many designers would want to take part in it, so they''re most probably willing to pause thepetition for the fashion week,¡± Shane said while nodding his head. Hearing that, Natalie gave him a faint smile. ¡°Okay, thank you, Shane.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± He then turned to look at Jared and asked, ¡°How about you?¡± Jared smiled. ¡°I''m nning to stay here to keep Harrisonpany as well. I''ll apply for leavester.¡± Shane hummed in response and asked no further. Afterward, the trio left the hospital back to Thompson vi. After dinner that night, Natalie received a call from the hospital. Harrison was the one who called her. When he woke up in the afternoon, he got a stroke and waspletely paralyzed. His entire body was immobile. That was why Harrison asked a nurse on duty to help him call Natalie. ¡°Natalie...¡± Harrison''s voice came on the other side of the phone. He sounded even more frail than he was in the morning, panting heavily after saying only one word. At that moment, it hit Natalie that her father was now old and at death''s door. Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Ignoring the lump forming in her throat, Natalie tried to keep her voice as aloof as possible. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Harrison shut his eyes. ¡°I only want to tell you and Jared that I''m sorry.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Harrison breathed a sigh. ¡°Yes. I''m sorry for not being a good father. I have wronged you, Jared, and your mom.¡± ¡°Are you calling only to admit your faults and apologize to us? Well, it''s toote! My mom is already dead, and she can never hear your apology!¡± she scoffed. The man fell silent for two seconds. ¡°No, I''m calling not only to apologize but to tell you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie''s brows drew together. On the other end of the phone, Harrison gave the nurse a look to gesture her to leave his ward. After the nurse had gone out, he said in a solemn tone, ¡°It''s the truth about your mom''s death.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. At his words, Natalie''s face contorted with rage. Jumping out of bed to her feet, she yelled, ¡°What did you just say?¡± The truth about my mom''s death? My assumption is right. My mom''s passing was not idental. Something must have gone wrong somewhere! ¡°Spill it! Did you murder my mom?¡± Clutching the phone with both hands, she bellowed at her father. Meanwhile, Shane had just finished showering and wasing out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. The first thing he saw was her getting all worked up. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± he asked with his brows knitted together. With red-rimmed eyes, she looked at him. ¡°Shane, my mom really didn''t slip and fell identally.¡± His gazended on the phone in her hand. ¡°Is that Harrison?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded her head. ¡°Put him on speaker.¡± Shane flung his bath towel aside and marched toward her. Natalie then turned on the speaker obediently, and Harrison''s voice echoed in the room. ¡°Yes, your mom died in my and Susan''s hands, but I''m not the main culprit. At most, I''m only an aplice.¡± ¡°I knew it was the both of you...¡± Her body trembled all over when she heard that. Worried that her emotional outburst would affect the baby in her belly, Shane squeezed her hands, signaling her to calm down before questioning indifferently, ¡°Do you mean Susan is the culprit?¡± Harrison wasn''t surprised to hear Shane speaking on the other side of the phone. He hummed in agreement. ¡°Yes, she is. The day Yulia died, she looked for me at the Smith Residence. After she went out, she bumped into Susan. I don''t know what they talked about. All I saw was Susan sitting on the floor with a terrified look on her face, while Yulia had already fallen and was lying downstairs.¡± ¡°Didn''t you see Susan pushing my mom off the stairs?¡± Natalie asked through gritted teeth. Harrison sighed in exasperation. ¡°No. I only went out of my room after hearing a loud thud.¡± ¡°How are you so sure that Susan is the culprit then?¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed. ¡°Because Susan was petrified at that time, mumbling that she did not push Yulia on purpose. That''s why I''m sure Susan was the one who did it,¡± Harrison answered. Natalie bit her lower lip hard. At that moment, her eyes were brimming with tears. Shane patted her back to console her before asking again, ¡°How about you? What did you do afterward?¡± Harrison smiled wryly. ¡°You might not believe it, but I wanted to call the police on the spot, yet Susan stopped me. She even threatened me to help her clean the mess and destroy the evidence, making it look as though Yulia slipped and fell off the stairs herself by ident.¡± With that, he was no longer an innocent witness but an aplice of Susan''s crime. ¡°You two are just pure evil!¡± Natalie could not hold back any longer. Grabbing the phone, she shouted at the top of her lungs at it. ¡°Harrison, you''re inhumane! Susan is your wife, but my mom is your wife too! She had been with you for twenty long years! Why did you mistreat her this way! Why?¡± Chapter 979 Chapter 979 Natalie was crying her heart out at that moment. When Shane saw her in that state, his heart ached for her even more as he hugged her tight in his embrace. Listening to her sobs and interrogation, Harrison was filled with sorrow and remorse. ¡°I''m very sorry...¡± Despite knowing that his sin was unpardonable, he could do nothing other than to apologize to her. As expected, Natalie ignored him. Grasping thepel of Shane''s bathrobe, she could barely stop crying. Patting her back gently with one hand, Shane took the phone with the other. ¡°You said Susan threatened you to help her destroy the evidence. What did she use to threaten you?¡± ¡°My past tax evasion,¡± Harrison replied. Now that he had told them about the truth about Yulia''s death, it was pointless to hide this from them. After all, he had not much time left anyway. ¡°Tax evasion?¡± Shane pressed his lips into a hard line. Harrison shut his eyes. ¡°Yes, I''ve done it several times, but thanks to the wless false ounts, I have only been caught once.¡± ording to thew, a first offender of tax evasion could get away as long as the person repaid it at least twofold. However, he had evaded tax a few times. If the government found out about it, he would be imprisoned. Not wanting to be in jail, he gave in and obeyed Susan. As his wife, Susan, no doubt, knew his every secret. ¡°How shameless are you!¡± Natalie roared at him again. A rueful smile appeared on Harrison''s face. Yes, she''s right. I''m indeed shameless. Back then, Yulia was a credit to the development of Smith Group. In the end, I kicked her out mercilessly. I''m nothing if not shameless. I''ve brought this upon myself. ¡°Why are you telling us the truth at such a time as this? You must have done this with a motive. Otherwise, why didn''t you tell us before?¡± Looking down, Shane asked coldly. Harrison let out a self-deprecatingugh. ¡°You got it right. I''ve told you these things with an agenda. My goal is simple. I want you to take revenge on my behalf. I can''t live for much longer, so I can only hope that you will help me and make sure Susan pays for what she has done!¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Shane turned to nce at the woman next to him. Taking a deep breath, Natalie stifle the raging emotions within her and agreed, ¡°Alright, you have my word.¡± When she decided to tell Harrison about Susan''s secrets, she already expected him to reveal the truth about her mother''s passing. Sure enough, she guessed it right. He had indeed spilled the beans. However, the truth turned out to be so intolerable. Shane was not surprised that she agreed to it. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Even if she disagreed, she would not let Susan off the hook. A genuine and joyful smile broke across Harrison''s face that instance. ¡°Thank you, Nat. By the way, I have proof of Susan pushing your mom off the stairs. It''s a security footage that I''ve kept in a safe in the bank. The password is my birthday. You may get it from the bank.¡± ¡°I see. You still have an ace up your sleeve,¡± Natalie snickered. But the man was not provoked. ¡°It''s purely coincidental. I did not do it intentionally. At that time, I realized some valuables in my study had gone missing and suspected that the housekeeper had stolen them, but I had no proof, so I installed the spy cameras around the house. That''s how I managed to record Susan pushing Yulia off the stairs.¡± ¡°Does that mean Susan does not know you have some dirt on her as well?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Yes. She wasn''t around when I installed the spy cameras. After I helped her destroy the evidence, I secretly uninstalled the cameras and stored the footage in the bank''s safe.¡± He did this to protect himself since Susan had the proof of his tax evasion and threatened him with it. So why shouldn''t he dig up dirt on her? If Susan ever threatened and forced him to do anything again, he could use this against her. Chapter 980 Chapter 980 Unfortunately, before Harrison could threaten Susan, she and that disgusting man of hers poisoned him. Thus, Harrison was rendered powerless. Harrison was no match for Susan in terms of cruelty. ¡°I see. Well then, there''s something you should know. The housekeeper didn''t steal the valuable items in your study. It was Susan. Think about it. Warren''s monthly sry is only a few thousand. There''s no way he could afford a luxury car and an apartment, so how do you think he got them?¡± With that, Natalie hung up promptly and sank into Shane''s embrace, exhausted. ¡°I miss my mom.¡± Shane kissed the top of her head. ¡°If you miss her, then go and see her tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Natalie murmured while nodding. Then, she fell silent. Shane did not say anything either, knowing that Natalie needed some quiet time to think and calm down. After all, what Harrison just told her must havee as a heavy blow. Eventually, Natalie drifted off to sleep in Shane''s arms with her eyes still wet with tears. Shane lowered his head to kiss away the tears from the corners of her eyes, thenid her on the bed and tucked her in. Tiptoeing across the room, he slipped out quietly and went to the study. When Natalie awoke the next day, Shane was already gone. She washed up quickly and went downstairs, only to find that Shane had gone to Thompson Group. He had an important meeting and had left early that morning. The only people in the dining room were Jared, Connor, and Sharon. As Natalie walked over to the dining table listlessly, Jared pulled out a chair for her and asked, ¡°Didn''t you sleep well, Nat?¡± Connor and Sharon were also looking at her. Natalie tried to force a smile onto her face but failed. In the end, she merely grunted in acknowledgment and mumbled, ¡°I had nightmares the whole night.¡± ¡°What kind of nightmares?¡± Jared asked curiously. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t remember.¡± ¡°Since you don''t remember, then forget about it and have some breakfast. Oh, I''m dropping by the hospitalter,¡± said Jared as he passed her a spoon. Natalie took the spoon and started eating. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. However, she did not end up eating much. The events of the previous night had robbed her of her appetite. Natalie watched as Jared prepared to leave after breakfast, deep in thought. Finally, she called out, ¡°Jared, wait. There''s something I have to tell you.¡± Jared stopped in his tracks and turned around, asking, ¡°What''s up, Nat?¡± Natalie nced at Connor and Sharon. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, could you take the children outside to y?¡± Mrs. Wilson knew at once that Natalie wanted to talk to Jared in private. Thus, she nodded and replied, ¡°Okay. I''ll take them outside.¡± However, Connor and Sharon were reluctant to go. ¡°Mommy, can''t we stay and listen?¡± Connor asked, gazing at Natalie with a pleading look in his eyes. Natalie ruffled his hair gently. ¡°You may stay, of course. But if you stay behind, Sharon won''t dare to go out on her own. That''s why you have to apany her. Don''t worry. You''ll find out what we talked about two dayster.¡± Connor was clever, and he would not be affected by what they were about to discuss. But Sharon was different. She was so innocent, and Natalie did not want her to listen to such despicable events. It would only do more harm than good for her development. With that, Connor gave an understanding nod. ¡°All right, I get it. Take your time. I''ll go out and y with Sharon.¡± Then, he grabbed Sharon''s hand, and the two children ran off to the backyard with Mrs. Wilson following behind them. After they left, Natalie and Jared were the only people left in the living room. Natalie took a deep breath, then said slowly, ¡°Jared, Mom''s death wasn''t an ident. He killed her.¡± ¡°What!¡± Jared eximed, his face frozen in nk shock. ¡°Last night, Harrison called...¡± Natalie continued, her eyes fixed on Jared. Then, she proceeded to recount her conversation with Harrison. Jared usually looked gentle and polite. However, after hearing what Natalie had to say, an intense look of hatred appeared on his face for the first time ever. ¡°That b*stard should rot in hell!¡± Jared mmed his fist into the couch. Natalie nodded. ¡°I agree. When I think about the miserable state he''s in now, I can''t help thinking that he deserves it.¡± Initially, Natalie had not wanted to tell Jared. Chapter 981 Chapter 981 But he''s all grown up now. He''s not a kid anymore. Besides, as Mom''s son, he has the right to know how she died. Hence, Natalie stopped him from leaving and told him everything. Taking a deep breath topose himself, Jared wiped away his tears fiercely and asked with reddened eyes, ¡°Are you going to retrieve the security footage Harrison kept in the bank?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah. If we have that, Susan will have to suffer an even worse fate.¡± ¡°I''ll go with you,¡± Jared dered with a determined expression. However, Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, I''ll go myself. You should go to the hospital to visit Harrison.¡± ¡°Well, all right then.¡± Jared always listened to what Natalie said, and that time was no exception. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. After that, the sibling went their separate ways. Natalie headed for the bank while Jared went to the hospital. Two hourster, Natalie sessfully retrieved the security footage and drove straight to Thompson Group, intending to check whether the contents were just as what Harrison had told her. Soon, she arrived at Thompson Group and entered the lobby. Since she had shown up without making an appointment, she thought to call Shane and have him send someone down to get her. To Natalie''s surprise, the receptionist''s eyes lit up, and she walked up to greet Natalie immediately. ¡°Madam.¡± Natalie looked around in confusion, thinking that the receptionist was talking to someone else. Seeing that she was the only other person there, Natalie pointed to herself and asked hesitantly, ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The receptionist nodded as she looked straight at Natalie, her gaze exceptionally bright and inquisitive. So, the gorgeousdy I saw thest time is the CEO''s wife! Natalie smiled. ¡°Why are you calling me ''madam''?¡± ¡°Well, that''s because you''re our CEO''s wife,¡± the receptionist answered. Ah, so she''s not calling me ¡°madam¡± because I look like a married woman, but because she knows Shane and I are husband and wife. As the thought crossed Natalie''s mind, she asked curiously, ¡°How did you know that I''m his wife?¡± The receptionist smiled and replied, ¡°Everyone found out after what Mr. Shane posted on his social media ount.¡± Realization then dawned on Natalie. Ah, so that''s it. But, when did Shane do that? Why don''t I know anything about it? I''ll have to go online and take a lookter. ¡°Are you here to see Mr. Shane?¡± the receptionist asked, interrupting Natalie''s thoughts. ¡°Yes. May I go up?¡± Natalie asked as she pointed toward the elevator. The receptionist nodded quickly. ¡°Of course. You''re the CEO''s wife, so you can go up whenever you like. Right this way, please.¡± She led Natalie over to the elevator and even helped her press the button for the top floor. Natalie entered the elevator after thanking the receptionist. As soon as the elevator doors closed, the receptionist dashed back to her seat excitedly and sent a text in the group chat to tell everyone about Natalie''s arrival. In an instant, the group chat was buzzing with messages, especially from those in the design department. Since they used to work with Natalie in the same department, naturally, they were more excited and had plenty to say. But there was one person who was not the least bit excited at the news, and that was Isabelle. While the others chattered away about how great Natalie and Shane looked together, Isabelle flung her computer mouse aside and stormed out of the design department. ¡°What''s up with her?¡± one of them asked, staring after Isabelle incredulously. The person beside her pursed her lips disdainfully and said, ¡°What else? She''s jealous, of course. Don''t forget, the reason she''s working here is only because of the CEO. Now that his wife is here, she must be green with envy.¡± The first person chuckled. ¡°That sounds about right.¡± ¡°All right, let''s forget about her and get back to work.¡± With that, the design department dove back into their work. Meanwhile, Natalie had arrived in front of Shane''s office. She lifted her hand and knocked on the door. A man''s clear, crisp voice called out, ¡°Come in.¡± Smiling, Natalie opened the door. Shane was at his desk going through some documents. Hearing footsteps, he assumed one of his subordinates hade to pass him some information. Without even looking up, he gestured at a clear space on his desk and said, ¡°Just leave it there.¡± Chapter 982 Chapter 982 Leave it there? Natalie looked down at her hands, then ced her bag on his desk. Sensing some movement, Shane said dismissively, ¡°You may go out now. I''ll get Ss to send the information downter.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. The smile on Natalie''s face widened, and she made no move to leave. Instead, she stood there and watched him quietly. She wanted to see how long it would take for him to realize that she was in his office. Although Shane did not look up, he was listening. When he did not hear any footsteps walking away, he frowned. What''s wrong with this person? Didn''t I tell him to go out? Why isn''t he leaving? ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Shane asked, raising his head. He expected to see the unfamiliar face of one of his subordinates. However, he was greeted with Natalie''s beautiful face beaming down at him. Momentarily stunned, he massaged his temples and smiled. ¡°It''s you. Why didn''t you say anything?¡± ¡°That''s because I wanted to see how long it''d take you to realize it was me,¡± Natalie replied with a grin. ¡°You cheeky girl! Come here,¡± said Shane, holding out his hand. As soon as she walked over to him, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto hisp. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I was just at the bank to retrieve the security footage. Your office was nearer than mine, so I came here to check the footage,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Well, where is it?¡± he asked. Natalie reached into her bag and took out a sh drive. ¡°Here it is.¡± Shane took the sh drive and plugged it into hisputer. It contained a video. Natalie''s expression turned grave, and her hands balled into fists. Shane hovered the cursor over the video, but he did not immediately click on it. Tilting his head to look at Natalie, he asked, ¡°Should I y the footage?¡± She knew that he was asking her for confirmation because he was worried it would be too much for her. After a while, she nodded. ¡°y it.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Shane answered, clicking theputer mouse. The video started ying, and the image that filled the screen was the Smith residence''s third-floor corridor. Then, Susan walked into frame. She lingered at the corridor as if she was waiting for something. Soon, another figure appeared. It was Yulia. Natalie''s eyes reddened at once. ¡°Mom...¡± Although she could not touch Yulia, just seeing her mother alive and well on the screen was enough to trigger a wave of emotions. Yulia spotted Susan and stopped in front of her. Susan opened her mouth to speak, but they could not hear what she said because the security footage had no audio. Nheless, they guessed from the arrogant look on Susan''s face that she was not saying anything pleasant. After Susan finished speaking, Yulia said something in response. Once again, Natalie had no idea what Yulia said, but she could tell that Susan was furious. After conversing for a while, the two women got into a tussle. Yulia pped Susan, who stomped her foot in anger and retaliated by shoving Yulia against the railing so that the top half of Yulia''s body was hanging over it. Suddenly, Susan bent down and grabbed Yulia''s legs, then threw her over the railing. Immediately after that, Susan stumbled backward in horror, realizing what she had just done. She fell onto the floor, staring at her hands while shaking her head vehemently. Not long after that, Harrison appeared on the screen. Susan sprang to her feet and clutched Harrison''s sleeve desperately, her face contorting as she seemed to yell something. Meanwhile, Harrison looked horrified and reluctant. Finally, he sighed and nodded. The footage ended there. Everything had happened just as Harrison had described it. Susan had pushed Yulia over the railing, then pressured Harrison to be an aplice. As for Yulia, she was an innocent victim. Natalie''s head was lowered, hiding her expression from view. She did not utter a single word. Shane watched her with a concerned look. ¡°Nat, are you okay?¡± Chapter 983 Chapter 983 Natalie shook her head and choked out, ¡°I''m fine. I just want to nap for a while.¡± With that, Shane picked her up gently and carried her to the lounge. As soon as shey down on the bed, Natalie pulled the covers over her head and curled up into an almost fetal position. Then, the covers started trembling. She''s crying! Shane sighed softly as he gazed at the quivering covers. The person who could truly understand how Natalie felt at that moment was Shane. After all, he had witnessed his parents'' death with his own eyes before. However, he was one to keep his feelings to himself, no matter how miserable or painful it was. Unlike Natalie, he did not shed a single tear. ¡°Go ahead and cry. It''ll make you feel better,¡± Shane murmured softly, patting the huddled and trembling figure under the covers. The shaking halted for a second, then her cries grew increasingly louder, no longer trying to suppress them. Her sobs echoed through the lounge. Shane leaned in and hugged her tightly through the covers. After what seemed like ages, she quietened down and did not move. Then, Shane straightened up and gently lifted the covers, only to see that her eyes were closed. It looked like she had fallen asleep. Nheless, the tears that clung to her eyshes and her deeply-furrowed brows were telltale signs that she was not having a peaceful sleep. Shane sighed, then pulled the covers over her again and left the lounge. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. When he was back in his office, Ss knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± Shane called out from the couch. Ss entered and said, ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ve discovered a crucial clue regarding the Torres cell phone.¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed upon hearing that. ¡°What clue?¡± ¡°Back then, the Graham family had a Torres cell phone too,¡± Ss revealed. Shane tightened his grip on his coffee cup. ¡°What did you say? The Graham family? Jacqueline Graham''s family?¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. Previously, you asked me to look into your parents'' connections and identify those who owned a Torres cell phone. Well, I found out that the Wangton family purchased two Torres cell phones, and they gave one of them to the Graham family. I even met with Mr. Wangton to seek his confirmation.¡± Shane clenched his fist. ¡°What happened after that?¡± I didn''t expect the Graham family to have anything to do with my parents'' death. ¡°Mr. Wangton said that it was true. The Wangton family faced difficulties with their cash flow eighteen years ago. Mr. Wangton was good friends with Mr. Graham, so he went to ask Mr. Graham for a loan while bearing gifts. One of the gifts was a Torres cell phone.¡± ¡°So, that means the person filming the video on the roadside was Jacqueline, right?¡± Shane asked coldly. Ss lowered his head. ¡°It''s probably her. From the list of people I looked into, none of the children matched the age of the little girl who filmed the video. Only Jacqueline fits the description.¡± If the Graham family didn''t own a Torres cell phone, we wouldn''t suspect Jacqueline. But they did own one, and eighteen years ago, Jacqueline was eleven years old. That''s the same age as the little girl who filmed the car ident. Therefore, the only person we can think of is Jacqueline. More importantly, Jacqueline naturallycked empathy and had a tendency to be antisocial. Hence, she did seem like someone who could calmly film a car ident without getting flustered or afraid. Here, Ss looked at Shane and asked, ¡°Do you think Mr. Graham is the second culprit?¡± Keh had only passed away ten years ago, so he was still alive when the ident happened eighteen years ago. Upon that, Shane did not answer him and merely lowered his gaze, shielding the look in his eyes. After some time, he stood up with his hands in his pockets. ¡°Even if it wasn''t him, it had something to do with the Graham family. Schedule an appointment with Mr. Wangton. I want to meet him.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ss nodded and left. As Shane massaged his temples wearily, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He looked up and was stunned to see Natalie exit the lounge. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. ¡°Why are you up already?¡± Chapter 984 Chapter 984 She had not been sleeping for that long. ¡°I had a nightmare, so I''d rather not sleep,¡± Natalie answered weakly with a shake of her head. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Shane went up to her and helped her over to the couch. He poured her a ss of water and offered it to her. ¡°Drink this.¡± Natalie forced a smile and epted the ss of water. After taking a small sip, she put down the ss. ¡°Oh, I overheard Ss and you talking about the second culprit. Are there any clues?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°We found out that the Graham family is involved.¡± ¡°Jacqueline Graham''s family?¡± Natalie asked, responding the same way Shane had. Shane nodded again. Natalie inhaled sharply. ¡°Oh my god! I can''t believe the Graham family did it.¡± ¡°We don''t know that for sure. At this point, it''s only spection that they''re involved. I''ll only be able to find out the details after meeting with Mr. Graham''s friend from back then. However, one thing''s for sure. Jacqueline had a hand in my parents'' death,¡± Shane said in a cial tone. He did not believe for one second that Jacqueline merely happened to be at the roadside by coincidence, witnessed his parents'' death, and happened to film it. Based on the video he had received in his email, he could ascertain that Jacqueline was helping Sam. Otherwise, why would Jacqueline have deliberately avoided filming the car te of the culprit and made it seem like Natalie and Yulia were the ones who caused the ident? It''s clear that she''s helping Sam while trying to frame others. ¡°Are you saying that Jacqueline is involved?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened, and she stood up abruptly. Seeing her reaction, Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you know something?¡± Natalie looked at him and hesitated. ¡°I... I''m not sure. It''s something I found out thest time I returned to the country. While visiting Alice in prison, I spoke to Mrs. Brown. She told me a little about the Graham family''s past.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± Shane asked urgently, grabbing her hand. Natalie took a deep breath topose herself, then said slowly, ¡°Mrs. Brown heard from the wife of one of her husband''s friends that Jacqueline had caused some people''s deaths eighteen years ago. At that time, Mrs. Graham even reprimanded Jacqueline for doing something so horrendous to people who had treated her so well. However, thatdy did not hear the names of the victims. I didn''t think much about it until now. Do you think the victims are your parents?¡± Well, it did happen eighteen years ago. When Mom and Dad were alive, they took Jacqueline as their goddaughter and were exceptionally kind to her. That matches Mrs. Graham''s remark about the victims treating Jacqueline so well. More importantly, from what Mrs. Graham said, there was more than one victim. That means there were at least two victims. Once again, it matches with Mom and Dad''s death. Just on these two points alone, it does seem like the deaths Jacqueline caused were my parents''. Shane''s sudden silence was frightening. Feeling worried, Natalie began, ¡°Shane...¡± Suppressing the overwhelming murderous intent that engulfed him, Shane closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I''m fine. Did Mrs. Brown tell you who she heard it from?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, but if you want to know, I can call and ask Mrs. Brown.¡± ¡°That would be a great help,¡± Shane replied, still firmly holding back his emotions. Natalie squeezed his hand reassuringly, then took out her cell phone and called Lucinda. Two minutester, she hung up and looked at Shane. ¡°She said that it was Mrs. Larson of Larson Daily Chemicals.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Shane replied. At that moment, Ss walked into the office. ¡°Mr. Shane, I''ve made the appointment with Mr. Wangton. When do you n to head over there?¡± ¡°Now.¡± Shane walked over to the coat rack behind his desk and grabbed his coat. Natalie followed behind him and took the coat from his hands, then helped him to put it on. ¡°I''ll go with you.¡± Chapter 985 Chapter 985 ¡°All right.¡± Shane could see the concern in Natalie''s eyes. That seemed to help take a bit of his edge off as he nodded in assent. He understood that she was worried about him just as he was about her a moment ago. More than a devoted husband and wife pair, they were also the balm for each other''s soul. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Shane straightened out his coat. He then took Natalie by the hand as they walked out of the office. When they arrived at the Wangton''s an hourter, the host was there to receive them at his own doorstep with an extended hand and an effusive smile. ¡°Wee. Wee, Mr. Shane and Mrs. Thompson. You honor us with your presence.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°You''re too kind.¡± Shane reached out and shook the man''s hand while Natalie, who had her own hands around Shane''s arm, smiled and nodded at Rhys in acknowledgment. ¡°Please,e this way.¡± After the exchange of formalities, Rhys gestured cordially to invite his guests into his home. With an affirmative nod, Shane then led Natalie inside. The Wangtons were a family of illustrious academics, and their pedigree was reflected in their rustic, dual-courtyard residence which was distinctive in its own way. Natalie had already drawn numerous inspirations for gown designs from the sights and sounds she came across and looked forward to sketching them outter after she got back in. Once they had settled down inside the main house, Rhys asked, ¡°May I know the purpose of your visit here on such short notice, Mr. Shane?¡± Shane did not offer a direct answer and merely retrieved a photograph that he passed along. ¡°Do you recognize this little girl, Mr. Wangton?¡± ¡°Little girl?¡± Rhys looked inquisitively at the photograph he received. Even though freshly printed, the image of the person inside was rather muddled. Thus, it was obvious that the shot was not taken on location, but extracted from somewhere else before being converted into its final form. With eyes narrowed, Rhys scrutinized it for a while before he nodded. ¡°Why, isn''t this Keh''s daughter?¡± ¡°Who''s Keh?¡± whispered Natalie as she tugged at Shane''s sleeve. Shane''s fingers tightened around themselves. ¡°The chairman, Keh Graham. Jacqueline''s father.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°So Jacqueline was the little girl who filmed that video.¡± Shane then met Rhys'' eyes. ¡°Are you positively certain that this is Mr. Graham''s daughter?¡± ¡°Why wouldn''t I be?¡± Rhys replied amicably while he ced the photo down. ¡°Keh and I were friends who met up quite often, and so I''ve seen his daughter many times before. This must be that lass Jacqueline; I''m sure of it. I also recognize the clothes she''s wearing in this photograph to be the ones gifted to her by my wife.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you Mr. Wangton,¡± said Shane as he took back the photo. ¡°What''s your interest in this, Mr. Shane?¡± asked Rhys, intrigued. ¡°It''s nothing. I just discovered a link between the Grahams and my parents'' ident, and so came by to find out more,¡± Shane replied staidly as he held the photo tightly between his own fingers. The astounded Rhys sat upright. ¡°Do you suspect that it was the Grahams who caused it?¡± Shane looked away, but his silence said it all. However, Rhys waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Impossible. This is surely impossible. Keh and his wife were good people, both well known for their charitable spirit. They could never have done anything like this. What''s more, why would they want to do something like that when they had no enmity toward your parents? That''s why I believe that they cannot be the ones responsible.¡± ¡°Whether or not they were, I shall find out in due time. Well then, Mr. Wangton. We should be taking our leave.¡± With that, Shane stood to his feet, as did Natalie. The two acknowledged Rhys with a slight nod before they turned to exit. Inside the car, Natalie was puzzled as Shane seemed headed for neither the Thompson vi nor the Thompson Group. ¡°Where else are we going, Darling?¡± ¡°To see Mrs. Larson,¡± replied Shane, whose eyes remain fixated upon the road ahead. ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded. She supposed that he wanted to find out more about what Marjorie had overheard. ¡°Do you think that there could be some truth to what Mr. Wangton said?¡± Natalie arched her head to look at the man behind the wheels. Chapter 986 Chapter 986 He pursed his lips and countered with a question of his own. ¡°Do you?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. ¡°Actually, I also have a feeling that the Grahams didn''t do anything to harm your parents. I''m leaning more toward another suspect, which is Jacqueline herself. The most telling reason being what Mrs. Larson overheard, about Mrs. Graham questioning Jacqueline why she killed them. Judging from this, it would seem that Mr. Graham and Mrs. Graham themselves were not involved.¡± ¡°Even if they were not directly responsible, they did help with the cover-up, didn''t they?¡± Shane replied ndly as he rotated the steering wheel. Natalie''s lips stiffened. There was nothing she could say in response to that. That''s true. The Grahams were not exactly innocent parties even if they had no part in what Jacqueline did entirely on her own. They were, however,plicit in protecting the culprit. This effectively made them aplices in their own rights. They both kept their thoughts to themselves the rest of the journey, but it did not take long before they arrived at the Larsons''. Shane was first to alight. He then circled round to Natalie''s side to open up the door for her. Having also been informed of Shane''s visit, the Larsons likewise came out to receive him when they heard the sound of his car''s approach. An attractive woman in her fifties, Marjorie''s eyes lit up the moment she saw Natalie. ¡°This must be Mrs. Thompson. I''ve heard many things before meeting you for the first time today, but my word, you''re simply too gorgeous.¡± That put a blush upon Natalie''s cheeks. ¡°You tter me, Mrs. Larson.¡± ¡°Honest to god, I wasn''t exaggerating at all. You really are an absolute stunner. You, Mr. Shane, are a very lucky man indeed,¡± said Majorie teasingly. Shane''s lips, too, lifted into a slight smile. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Larson.¡± ¡°Oh, don''t mention it. Now quickly, let''s head inside.¡± The vivacious woman then ushered them into the house. Once inside, Marjorie served up some refreshments before she continued, ¡°I''ve been informed by your assistant that you wanted to see me, Mr. Shane. May I know what is it that you wish to ask?¡± ¡°It concerns Jacqueline,¡± Shane replied. There was a shift in Marjorie''s expression, and she did not lookfortable. ¡°J-Jacqueline Graham?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane pursed his lips in response to Marjorie''s peculiar bodynguage. It urred to him that she must know something, as the mention of Jacqueline''s name would not have prompted such an extreme reaction from her otherwise. ¡°What is it that you like to know about her?¡± Marjorie lifted her cup to her lips and took a swig from it. She eked out a stiff smile as she tried to keep her unease in check. Shane then looked to Natalie who swept back her own tresses back before she spoke. ¡°It''s like this, Mrs. Larson. Do you used to know Mrs. Brown quite well?¡± ¡°Mrs. Brown? Might you be referring to the Brown family who became insolvent?¡± said Marjorie as she met her eyes. ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡± Affirmed Natalie with a nod. ¡°I used to until they dered bankruptcy and moved away, and we''ve lost contact with them ever since. What has this got to do with the questions you wanted to ask about Jacqueline, though?¡± Marjorie replied genially. ¡°Quite a lot, actually. I''ve met with Mrs. Brown previously, and she told me that she heard something pertaining to Jacqueline right here at your ce. Specifically, it has to do with a fatal incident that Jacqueline caused some eighteen years ago. We''vee to you in the hope of being able to better understand what that was about,¡± Natalie exined. Shane then regarded Marjorie intently. ¡°Mrs. Brown mentioned that you''ve happened to have overheard it in passing, so I''d like for you to tell me everything that you''ve learned.¡± With her head bowed in silence, it was difficult to guess what was going through Marjorie''s mind. That prompted Natalie to tighten her grip on her own hands. ¡°Please, Mrs. Larson. This is very important to us.¡± The woman looked up, first at Natalie, then at Shane, and exhaled. It would seem that she had sorted out her own thoughts. ¡°You wish to find out whether Jacqueline has anything to do with your parent''s death, is that it?¡± Upon hearing that, Shane and Natalie exchanged knowing looks. It was apparent to them that this woman before them definitely knew something that they did not. ¡°So you do know that Jacqueline had something to do with my parents'' death.¡± Shane red at Marjorie coldly. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Marjorie averted her gaze. ¡°Yes. Yes, I do.¡± ¡°Yet, you kept quiet about it in spite of everything, and only told it to Mrs. Brown and the others. Whose death did Jacqueline cause, exactly?¡± Natalie asked once more. Chapter 987 Chapter 987 With her face buried in her own hands, Marjorie sniffled. ¡°I''m sorry that I couldn''t say anything and also lacked the courage to back then. That night, I was attending a banquet and had a little too much to drink, so I went out to the backyard to clear my head. That was when I overheard the conversation between Mrs. Graham and Jacqueline.¡± ¡°Please continue, Mrs. Larson,¡± Natalie said in an encouraging tone as she held Shane''s hand. Marjorie nodded. ¡°Since you came all the way here, I will. I''ve always known that someone wille asking eventually, so I''m going to tell you everything. That night, I heard Mrs. Graham press Jacqueline for her reasons for harming Mr. and Mrs. Graham. The girl stated that it was because Mrs. Graham found out about her true nature and wanted to disown her as her god-daughter. That was what motivated Jacqueline to act against them.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Natalie as she bit her lip. So Jacqueline had Shane''s mother killed because she uncovered what Jacqueline was really like. To think that such a monstrous person has survived till now. With his fists clenched, Shane''s body shivered in a murderous rage, for he had never expected this to be Jacqueline''s justification for killing his parents. Have they not treated her well enough? Had he known earlier, he would not have continued to have someone care for Jacqueline for ten years on ount of her being his mother''s goddaughter. He thought he should have taken her off life support when she got into the traffic ident and rued being the one who brought his own parent''s murderer back to life. That made him feel that he had let his parents down. Natalie sped his fingers when she sensed the mood he was in. ¡°Let''s try to stay calm for now, Shane. Shall we hear Mrs. Larson out and see what else she has to say?¡± The woman''s gentle voice brought back some of Shane''s capacity for reason. He took in a deep drawl and closed his eyes before he forced himself to settle down into a slight frown. ¡°Do continue, Mrs. Larson.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± Marjorie nodded. ¡°I was really stunned when I heard this. How could a ten-year-old girl be so vicious as to go as far as tomit murder? What shocked me, even more, was what Jacqueline did to Mrs. Graham.¡± ¡°Did Jacqueline also do something to her own mother?¡± asked an astounded Natalie. Marjorie grunted under her breath. ¡°Yes. Mrs. Graham might have realized the gravity of her own daughter''s crime and was prepared to have her turn herself in. What I would never have expected was for Jacqueline to threaten to kill herself if Mrs. Graham forcibly took her to the police and cause the Grahams to lose their own child forever. Mrs. Graham was driven to tears that time, andmented how they could have brought that monster of a child into this world who made them barren.¡± That caused Natalie to hold her breath, and even Shane''s brows perked up in astonishment. ¡°Jacqueline caused her own parents to be sterile?¡± Natalie swallowed hard. Marjorie affirmed that with a nod. ¡°Jacqueline behaved really haughtily back then. She told them that it was their fault for wanting more kids which she felt would deprive her of resources and their love. Hence, she decided to drug them and make them impotent, making her the only child they would ever have for the rest of their lives. That was what made Mrs. Graham forgo the idea of making Jacqueline turn herself in.¡± ¡°That was because she knew that Jacqueline would be the only child that would be conceived between Mr. Graham and herself, ever. As a mother, I''m not surprised that Mrs. Graham did what she did,¡± said Natalie with her eyes lowered. Mrs. Graham''s decision couldn''t be categorically considered right or wrong, because had they turned Jacqueline in, she would likely be kept away from them forever. At just ten years of age, even if Jacqueline could not be sentenced, the authorities would not have allowed Jacqueline to continue living freely in society in consideration of her antisocial personality disorder. That would mean that she would be detained somewhere indefinitely. Natalie reckoned that Sisley must have realized this and thus decided to drop the idea in the end. Though she understood the woman''s dilemma, she found herself unable to concur with the decision she made. ¡°Sheer foolishness.¡± Shane was conversely a lot more critical of Sisley. There''s no other way to describe someone who would indulge such a monster. Marjorie nced over at Shane. ¡°You''re right about that, Mr. Shane. Mrs. Graham''s decision was foolish, and as a result, she paid a terrible price for it herself.¡± Chapter 988 Chapter 988 ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Ten years ago, the Grahams dered bankruptcy, and both Mr. and Mrs. Graham passed on soon after. This was not from the blow dealt by their insolvency, but of Jacqueline''s doing.¡± said the horrified Marjorie. Natalie''s eyes widened, and she felt her own skin crawl. ¡°Do you mean to suggest that Jacqueline killed her own parents?¡± ¡°I can''t say for sure that she did, but knowing what Jacqueline did to your parents, I suddenly felt the compulsion to have someone look into the death of the Grahams. Jacqueline''s presence seemed to be persistent every step of the way, so I''m guessing that she must definitely have something to do with the unusual circumstances surrounding her parents'' deaths. I can''t be as certain as for whether she was the one who did them in herself though,¡± Majorie said, shaking her head. Shane stood to his feet. ¡°Regardless, the fact that this could be traced back to her means that she won''t be able to get away scot-free.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Natalie concurred. Shane then looked to Marjorie. ¡°You said that you did not dare to share what you heard with anyone else before. Why?¡± Marjorie smiled bitterly. ¡°It was because I was discovered. Jacqueline walked away smugly after Mrs. Graham gave up on getting her to turn herself in. I felt sorry for the woman who was sobbing away while bent over on the ground on her own. I could not help but sigh, and that''s when Mrs. Graham heard me.¡± ¡°Did she threaten you?¡± Natalie asked. The woman nodded, then shook her head. ¡°You could put it that way. The Grahams and us Larsons were business partners, but we were on a less solid footing than they were. Mrs. Graham made me promise not to say this to anyone at the threat of repercussions against our family, and that was why I''ve never mentioned this to anyone before.¡± ¡°Looks like the charitable spirit Mr. Wangton spoke glowingly of had its limits,¡± sneered Natalie. If the Grahams were as kindly as they made themselves out to be, they probably wouldn''t have issued such threats against anyone''s loved ones. Perhaps they did do enough good in their time to justify the udits they received but apparently, they weren''t saints either. ¡°Since you''ve agreed not to divulge this, why did you choose to share it with Mrs. Brown and the others afterward?¡± Shane''s eyes were riveted on Marjorie as he asked. ¡°I was really close to them so my intentions were to warn them to steer clear of the Grahams, especially that monster Jacqueline. That was why I told them that she caused someone''s death without specifying whose.¡± With that, she straightened herself up and bowed toward Shane. ¡°I''m so sorry, Mr. Shane. I really did not mean to withhold this. All I wanted to do was to protect my family. I''ve told you everything you wanted to know just like you asked, so I hope that you won''t hold it against us.¡± Shane silently regarded her before he turned to walk out, which led Marjorie to look toward Natalie in uncertainty. ¡°Don''t worry, Mrs. Larson. My husband doesn''t me you since you were being threatened back then. But I do hope that you''d be willing toe forward and testify against Jacqueline should this case ever go to trial,¡± said Natalie with a smile. ¡°As I should,¡± replied Marjorie in the affirmative. Natalie smiled once more. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Larson, and goodbye.¡± With that, she turned and took off after Shane who she found waiting by the car for her. When she approached, he pulled her into his arms by the hand and held onto her fast. ¡°I had always thought that the second culprit would be one of my parents'' business rivals. Never have I expected that it''d turn out to be Jacqueline.¡± Under the impression before that the second perpetrator must have been a collective, it never urred to him that she could have been a single individual, much less a ten-year-old Jacqueline Graham. ¡°Yes. Nobody could have seen thating. No one could have fathomed how scheming and vicious Jacqueline could be at her tender age,¡± said Natalie who went on tofort him as she spoke. She then felt his arms wound even tighter around her. ¡°Now I really hate myself.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie looked up at him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I''ve always had an exclusive education from young. If I wasn''t with Grandpa, I''d be overseas. Rarely was I ever around my own parents, and that was why my mother had taken on Jacqueline as her goddaughter. All because it was she who visited often and enabled my mother to experience the joy of parenting. Jacqueline also came by my house after my parent''s passing. That was also when she and I became close.¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 989 Chapter 989 ¡°What happened afterward?¡± Natalie had her eyes closed and yed the part of an attentive audience. ¡°She often told me how well my parents treated her and how much she missed them. I slowly came to ept her as I thought she was really fond of them, and even felt grateful to her for being there to keep thempany in my absence.¡± ¡°Which was why you saved her when she met with an ident and never gave up on her in the ten years that she was in a vegetative state? Was that why you continued to be nice to her even after she came to?¡± Natalie said. Shane nodded. ¡°That''s right. It was entirely on my parents'' ord that I treated her well. Never could I have expected for her to be one of those responsible for causing their death. My generosity toward her turned out to be a joke. I even feel that I''ve somehow let my parents down.¡± Natalie felt her man''s self-reproach and guilt. That did not make her feel good either. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She ced a hand on his chest. ¡°It''s not your fault as you couldn''t have known any better, so I believe that Dad and Mom won''t me you for it. At worst, we can go visit them to apologize after we''ve caught Jacqueline. I''m sure they''ll surely forgive you.¡± Shane ran his fingers through her soft curls. ¡°Here''s hoping.¡± They had not managed to locate Jacqueline and still had no idea where she could be after all this time. If left to her own devices, she could not possibly have managed to continue to elude them. Hence, he was convinced that someone must be assisting her from the sidelines. He had no inkling as to who that might be. It could not be the Gunns as they were already on theirst legs and were, as such, unlikely to have any resources to spare toward any distant rtions. Whoever has been helping Jacqueline has to be someone else. The question was who? Was it Sean, or... It urred to him that Sean and Jacqueline got in touch once when his rtions were frosty with Natalie. He, therefore, suspected that there must be more to their meeting than Sean simply asking after Natalie. There had to be another angle to it. As for what that was, he had a good hunch about it. The answer to that rested with that video inside of his mailbox. That recording was filmed by Jacqueline, so she must be in possession of the original. Jacqueline had every intention ofing between Natalie and himself, as did Sean. Therefore, there was a distinct possibility that those two might still be working together; Jacqueline handed the video over to Sean who, in turn, had it rerouted to him. Going by this line of logic, everything else seemed to fall into ce. Wherever Jacqueline may be holed up, it was highly probable that it was Sean who made the arrangements. If Sean was involved, then perhaps Jacqueline might not even be inside J City anymore. The more Shane thought about it, the more severe his expression grew. Natalie was about to check in with him when her cell phone rang, so that conversation took a backseat. When she pulled out her phone, she found that it was a call from Jared. ¡°Jared?¡± said Natalie when she picked up. She heard Jared''s kindlinesse through from the other end. ¡°Harrison has just got in touch with Susan, Nat.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Stay on the line.¡± She lowered her phone and looked toward Shane. ¡°Is Warren still in Mr. Campbell''s custody, Darling?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± After Warren received Susan''s call, he tried to run because he knew that the cat was out of the bag. That was how Ss'' men nabbed him. They were still holding him and yet to turn him over to the police, as they were still nning to do that in concert with Susan''s capture. ¡°What about Susan?¡± she asked again. In her eagerness to ry that rotten bit of business between Harrison and Susan, she almost forgot to inquire about Susan''s whereabouts. ¡°Still in J City. Susan and Harrison have arranged to meet up at the airport, but she doesn''t know that Warren has been caught. She was in the opinion that he might have been dyed and has thus been waiting for him at a hotel,¡± replied Shane. The reason why he did not have Ss send anyone after Susan was because of Donald. If Susan was captured, who would be there to take care of the boy if he had suddenly taken ill? He was not going to have anyone take care of Donald because he was not his own kid. Besides, Susan did not have the influence of Jacqueline or Sean. She was not capable of slipping away under his nose, so he thought he might as well allow her to take care of the boy as he could always try to get her at ater time. Chapter 990 Chapter 990 ¡°Understood.¡± Natalie nodded before she got back to the call. ¡°Didn''t you say that Harrison contacted Susan? What did he tell her?¡± ¡°I''ve no idea as he won''t let me listen in. But Harrison called me over afterward and asked to have the police brought to his ward at two in the afternoon tomorrow,¡± Jared replied. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Bring the police to his ward? What''s he up to?¡± Shane also had his eyes on the phone. ¡°I''m not sure about that, but he seemed quite serious about it. Determined too. So I guess he must be plotting something. Should I y along, Nat?¡± Jared asked. Natalie turned to Shane. ¡°What do you think, Darling?¡± ¡°Do it.¡± Shane assented. ¡°Whatever he has in mind, he can''t touch us with the police around.¡± ¡°True, that.¡± Natalie saw the rationale of it and spoke back into the phone. ¡°Go ahead, and tell Harrison that we''ll be there.¡± ¡°Okay. I''m going to hang up now.¡± Jared grunted. Once the call concluded, Shane went on to open the car door. ¡°Let''s head back first. The kids must be missing us by now.¡± Natalie smiled and got in. Back at the Thompson vi, Shane spent some time with the children before he headed over to the study. Mrs. Wilson had a ss of milk brought to Natalie. ¡°Is Mr. Shane alright, madam? He doesn''t seem quite himself.¡± As much as Shane tried to mask it, his gloominess remained discernible. Natalie exhaled after she received the ss from her, and told her all about their visit to Rhys and Marjorie earlier in the day. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Mrs. Wilson held a hand over her mouth and let out a gasp. ¡°Good grief. So it was Jacqueline. Isn''t she just ten years old eighteen years ago? How could she have been so wicked?¡± ¡°Yeah. Whoever said that children were like little angels forgot that they could be devils too.¡± Natalie lamented. Actually, when Connor was two and established to possess high intelligence, the doctor reminded her repeatedly to raise him well. Children as gifted as he was far and few in between. If not guided properly, it would be possible for him to tread down the wrong path. Once a person of high intellectual capacity fell by the wayside, the consequences would be unimaginable. That was why she was relieved that Jacqueline only had her dark predisposition and not the brilliance that Connor possessed, for it would have been disastrous for them otherwise. ¡°I''m tired, Mommy,¡± the yawning Sharon said as she tugged at Natalie''s arm. Natalie caressed her cheeks. ¡°All right. Let me take you upstairs.¡± With that, she led her two children toward the steps, and by the time she had coaxed them both to bed, it was already quitete. She checked in at the bedroom first and discovered that Shane had yet to turn in, hence she closed the door and made her way over to the study. Natalie rapped on the door when she arrived outside. ¡°Is it you, Mrs. Wilson? Come on in.¡± Came Shane''s weary voice from the inside. ¡°It''s me,¡± said Natalie as she pushed her way through. Shane was seated at his desk and looked up when he heard her voice. ¡°Still up?¡± ¡°How would I be able to rest when you are not back in.¡± Natalie closed the door behind her before she approached. ¡°Have you gotten past it?¡± Shane reached out and held her hand before he guided her over onto hisp. ¡°I''m past it. I was thinking about how Jacqueline managed to lure my parents onto that road and then manipte Sam into finishing her dirty deed for her.¡± ¡°If you can''t figure it out now, then stop trying to. Wouldn''t we be able to uncover everything when we catch Jacqueline herself?¡± Natalie replied while she stroked his face. Shane tamed her wayward hand. ¡°What about yourself? Have you?¡± Natalie was mildly stunned as she knew he was asking about that surveince footage she saw earlier; the one which showed her how her own mother died and caused her to copse emotionally before. That was why he was still concerned. Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°I''ll be able to, so long as I have you with me.¡± Chapter 991 Chapter 991 So what if I can''t? Mom''s dead, and there''s no bringing her back. So instead of being sad, I might as well turn my focus onto getting my revenge. ¡°As will I. I''m so d to have you.¡± Shane held her quietly and whispered while his chin rested on her shoulder. It was her constant presence by his side and thefort and counsel she provided that sustained him. He imagined that he might not have been able to keep hisposure when he found out that Sam and Jacqueline were behind his parents'' death and would likely have sought them out and killed them outright. It was because of her and their two children that he was able to keep his violent tendencies and thirst for vengeance in check. Otherwise, how were they to cope if he were to end up in prison? With that in view, Shane nibbled at Natalie''s neck. ¡°I''ve never thanked you, honey, foring into my life. I can''t imagine what sort of a man I would have been without you.¡± Perhaps a cold-blooded and vengeful man or an emotionless money-making machine. Natalie patted him on the back. ¡°All right, all right. What are you getting all mushy on me for? I can''t get used to this.¡± Shane chuckled under his breath and continued to peck at her nape. Unable to resist the ticklishness, Natalie started to put up a little resistance. ¡°Okay, enough. Let go now. It tickles!¡± Shane was not relenting. On the contrary, his lips quickly traced their way down the length of her neck and onto her corbone. ¡°Seems like it''s almost time.¡± ¡°Time for what?¡± Natalie was stumped for a moment there. The man temporarily relinquished his hold on her nape and lifted his eyes to regard her. ¡°Three months. The doctor said that the baby would be stabilized in three months, and you''d be avable.¡± Natalie blushed, simultaneously surprised and a little peeved. ¡°Don''t tell me that you''ve been counting down the days?¡± Shane snorted his silent admission. Natalie was positively bemused. ¡°Jeez...¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± Shane interrupted and regarded her with a longing in his eyes that certainly reflected how arduous these past three months had been for him. As a grown person herself, she had her own biological impulses too, so she was not able to turn him down this time. Finally, she exhaled. ¡°Just be careful.¡± Seeing that she had consented, Shane''s thin lips curled into a grin. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll be very gentle.¡± With that, he swept her up into his arms and took her to the couch. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Shane approached it as delicately as he promised, and Natalie felt no difort in her abdomen. It went to show that apart from counting down the days, he had been doing his homework with regard to the intensity he should be applying. Worn out, Natalie fell fast asleep. Shane carried her back to the room and tucked her in before he retrieved a box of cigarettes and a lighter. He then headed out to the balcony. There was where he stayed for some time and made two or three phone calls in between. After which, he went to shower off the scent of tobo from himself and slipped into bed holding Natalie. On the following day, Natalie made a trip down to the police station as Harrison requested. She waited till one in the afternoon before she set off for the hospital in thepany of Jared and two or three officers. Shane was not there as he had some matters to see to over at Thompson Group. Unable to make it in time, he could only join them when everything was settled on his end. It was ten minutes to two when they reached the hospital. Jared looked to Natalie. ¡°Shall we head on in, Nat?¡± She considered that and finally shook her head. ¡°Harrison told us toe at two, so two it is. It''s only ten minutes so let''s wait outside.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jared nodded before he headed over to the elevator with the police officers. Soon, they arrived on the floor where Harrison was warded. The five stepped out of the elevator and stood somewhere in the corridor not too far from where Harrison was. They were to monitor the time and wait until it was almost two before they entered. Inside the ward, Susan was there in front of the bed engaged in conversation with the bed-ridden Harrison. A physically frail but visibly disappointed Harrison said, ¡°Why? Haven''t I treated you well enough? Why did you have to betray me like this?¡± Chapter 992 Chapter 992 Intrinsically guilty to begin with, Susan''s contrite only grew when she heard what he said. ¡°You were great to me, but I''ve never felt that way for you. The one I love has always been Warren.¡± ¡°Then why did youe and seduce me twenty years ago?¡± Harrison''s eyes widened with rage. Indeed, he started an affair with Susan all those years ago, but the truth was, it was Susan who initiated things bying onto him first. That day, the project that he was in charge of went awry. Consequently, it was taken off his hands by an irate Yulia whose decision received the firm support of the shareholders. Harrison was even castigated for insisting on handling things himself as opposed to passing it over to her right from the beginning. He was also saddled with the me for the fallout that ensued. Embarrassed, Harrison saw his male pride take a massive blow. He keenly felt those shareholders'' mockery and disregard for him, and how they thought him less capable than his own wife. In a fit of anger, he went off to the club where he shared a few drinks with his no-good friends. It was also there that he met Susan Sullivan. Susan was young and pretty, and capable of being demure and alluring in equal measure. That was something that a career woman like Yulia could never muster. She matched his ideal of what a woman should be like; one who existed to serve men. He thought that there was no reason for a woman topete with men in the corporate arena. In spite of Yulia being well aware that he was a proud man, she purposefully showed him up in front of so many shareholders. That really upset him and drove his desire to get back at her, and under Susan''s intentional enticement, he erred. He had previously been panicky and perturbed afterward as he was worried that Yulia would discover his infidelity. But mostly, the betrayal of his own wife thrilled him and made him feel a debased sense of superiority. Since you won''t let me keep my dignity intact, Yulia Lawrence, then don''t me me for letting you bear the shame of being cuckolded. This cocktail of excitement and superiorityplex was addictive, and so he went to seek out Susan whenever he was displeased with Yulia. Only with Susan was he able to regain the pride of a man and experience what it was like to be master of the house. This was how he and Susan were acquainted. Susan''s confession that she had never loved him thus came to him as quite a shock. ¡°Why? For the money, of course!¡± Susan twitched her lips. ¡°Warren and I have been together since twenty years ago. Because we were born poor, he and I sought to hook ourselves up with some wealthy people so that we may continue to stay and live in J City.¡± That made everything clear to Harrison. It was a pity that only his face was capable of movement after the stroke he had suffered. ¡°You... So the person you targeted was me?¡± ¡°That''s right. We''ve investigated many rich men in J City. Those who were too wealthy were out of our reach, and those who had too little weren''t to our liking. In the end, we settled for you.¡± Susan regarded the agitated Harrison with derision. ¡°You were born humble like us and only able to establish Smith Group by piggybacking on the rather well-to-do Yulia. To put it bluntly, you lived off on your own wife while convincing yourself of your own greatness in spite of being as bereft of business acuity as you are. That was why you couldn''t stand that Yulia was more established than you are in the company and was jealous of her capability.¡± ¡°Rubbish!¡± Harrison''s grizzled face turned red with rage. How could he be bereft of business acuity? How could he have been jealous of Yulia? He dismissed those as the woman''s fabrications. ¡°Rubbish?¡± Susan had a hand over her mouth in a halfhearted attempt to suppress her own boisterous laughter. ¡°You should know better than anyone else whether that''s the truth, Harrison Smith, except that you''re just too proud to admit it. Just like you keep telling yourself that it was you who made her Mrs. Smith when it was really you who was riding on her tailcoats.¡± ¡°S-Shut up!¡± Harrison howled. Susan rolled her eyes. ¡°I don''t want to. Since you already found out about Warren and me, I''m going to let it all out today. Like you, we came from a simr background, and likewise, we also refuse to ept our station in life. So we understand perfectly how you think. We know that you can''t stand being outshone by Yulia and would only grow in resentment of her. That''s why I used that as an entry point to get close to you, and predictably, it worked like a charm...¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 993 Chapter 993 Susan cackled evilly and said, ¡°You''ve walked into a trap of mine and Warren''s making. All I had to was be gentle to you and hang onto your every word. Once I made you feel like the greatest man on Earth, you started hating Yulia and your two children on your own ord. Best of all, you even divorced her for Jas and me! And those two poor children¡ª¡± ¡°Stop it! Just stop it!¡± Harrison could not bear to listen to her mockery any longer. It only made him like a bigger fool. Any joy he derived from betraying Yulia only deepened the regret he felt right now. Deep down, he knew Susan was right. He was arrogant despite his shorings, yet he lived in denial and stewed in jealousy over Yulia''s achievements. If only I''d been more open-minded then. If only I''d been more appreciative of Yulia''s hard work. I''d at least lead a happy life now instead ofnguishing in such a pathetic state. I deserved this! ¡°Fine, I won''t continue if you refuse to listen. I was done with little speech anyway. All that''s left to do is to wait for you to die so I can inherit your assets. Ah, what a lovely time to be alive.¡± Susan made a dramatic twirl before settling in a chair. Suddenly, Harrison smiled. ¡°Susan, what makes you think I''ll give you my inheritance after you yed me for a fool?¡± Dumbfounded, she stammered, ¡°W-What do you mean you won''t give me your inheritance? Who will you give it to?¡± ¡°I have children. Why should I give it to you?¡± He burst into derangedughter. Susan''s expression soured. ¡°Harrison, you''re mad! I''m your wife, and your inheritance belongs to me! Why should you give it to Natalie and Jared instead of me? Don''t forget about Jas! She''s still alive!¡± ¡°I can''t believe you have the gall to mention Jasmine in front of me. I know that she isn''t my biological child! Did you think I didn''t know she''s yours and Warren''s?¡± Harrison red at her murderously. Panic filled Susan''s features as she sputtered, ¡°What are you saying? Y-You¡ª¡± ¡°I bet you''re dying to know how I found about Jasmine''s parentage, aren''t you? Well, I even know that Donald is Warren''s child and that you and Warren have been poisoning me to get your hands on my inheritance earlier! Susan, you b*tch! What made you think you could get away with this? You won''t!¡± Harrison became more gleeful at Susan''s rapidly paling expression. Upon that, Susan stumbled backward, disbelief written across her features. He knows. Oh God, Harrison knows everything. He knows that Jasmine isn''t his daughter, and he knows that Warren and I have been poisoning him. What should I do? Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Harrison would never let her get away with her betrayal. At that, Susan swallowed her saliva nervously. As she took in a bedridden Harrison''s spiteful and murderous gaze, a lightbulb went off in her head. She calmed down almost instantaneously. He''ll never let me go, and I bet he''s dying to kill me right now. I guess that leaves me with no choice but to get rid of him now. He''s on the brink of death, anyway. No one would suspect me of murdering him if he dies in this room. A wicked smile appeared on Susan''s face as she bent forward and choked Harrison''s neck. ¡°Go to h*ll! Since you already know everything, you can die in peace!¡± Harrison had expected his words to agitate Susan into doing something extreme. Instead of fighting back, hey still and allowed her to choke him. His eyes bulged, and his face flushed from the effort of breathing in enough oxygen. Just when he thought he might actually die from suffocation, someone suddenly kicked open the door to his ward. The pitter-patter of footsteps was a huge relief. ¡°Don''t move! Hands up where I can see them!¡± One of the three police officers who had entered the room immediately pointed his gun at Susan, having caught her red-handed. Chapter 994 Chapter 994 Natalie and Jared entered the ward after the police officers, and they were shocked to see Susan''s hands wrapped around Harrison''s neck. She tried to kill him! Susan had never expected anyone to burst into the ward during her attempted murder. The sight of police officers was an even greater shock to her system, and she subconsciously loosened her hands around Harrison''s neck. Meanwhile, Harrison was coughing profusely and gasping for air. He managed tough out loud and mock, ¡°Dear Susan, you''re paying the price for your sins right now!¡± At that moment, Susan''s mouth gaped open and then close again like a fish. She was frightened by the gun barrels pointed at her, and she worried that one slight movement would cause the officers to pull the trigger. Susan''s greed came hand-in-hand with a hefty dose of timidity, which fueled her irrational fear of the officers shooting her on the spot. The police officers kept their guns after seeing Susan frozen like a deer in headlights. They then stepped forward and grabbed her. The motion seemed to snap Susan out of her trance. She looked at Harrison and wailed hysterically, ¡°Darling, please save me! I don''t want to go to jail! Please help me! Tell them I was just joking around. I didn''t mean to kill you. Darling!¡± With Jared''s help, Harrison sat up in bed and said, ¡°Officers, please escort this woman away. She tried to kill me.¡± The officers nodded in unison. ¡°Don''t worry, Sir. We all saw it.¡± Susan showed her true colors when she realized that begging Harrison to save her was a futile effort. She screeched, ¡°Harrison, how could you do this to me? F*ck you! I hope you rot in h*ll! Did you hear that, Harrison? Rot in h*ll!¡± Her shrieks faded as she was escorted away by the officers. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Only then did Natalie approach the hospital bed, staring at her dying father with an indecipherable expression on her face. She asked, ¡°You did that on purpose, didn''t you?¡± Harrison''s eyes twinkled. A confused Jared spoke up. ¡°Nat, what do you mean ''on purpose''?¡± Natalie looked at Harrison and exined, ¡°He wanted us to bring some police officers here at two sharp to catch Susan in the act. He called her here and provoked her into attacking him. With so many witnesses to her attempted murder, Susan will surely get a heavier sentence. Along with her poisoning of Harrison and involvement in Mom''s death, Susan''s bound for the gallows.¡± Jared finally understood Harrison''s motives. Still, he turned to Harrison for confirmation. ¡°Is that true?¡± Harrison smiled weakly and replied, ¡°She''s right. That''s exactly what I nned, and it''s also the least I could do.¡± As soon as he said that, he was suddenly overwhelmed with a series of hacking coughs. Natalie immediately pointed at the hospital bedframe and said, ¡°Jared, call the doctor.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jared nodded and hurriedly pressed the emergency call button. The doctor arrived quickly, then Natalie and Jared were asked to leave the ward. Just then, Shane and Ss approached them. ¡°We saw Susan being brought away from the hospital. What happened?¡± Natalie sighed deeply before recounting everything that had happened in Harrison''s ward. Shane narrowed his eyes in thought. ¡°He did this to avenge himself and atone for his wrongdoings toward your mother.¡± ¡°What''s the point of atonement? Mom''s nevering back,¡± Natalie said bitterly. Shane squeezed her hand andforted her, ¡°It''s okay. You still have me.¡± She smiled at him gratefully. ¡°I do.¡± Meanwhile, Jared nced at the ward before asking, ¡°Nat, what''s going to happen now that Susan''s arrested?¡± ¡°I have evidence of her pushing Mom down the stairs and of her poisoning Harrison. I''ll submit evidence at the police station soon, and then we''ll wait for them to hand down her sentence,¡± Natalie answered in improved spirits. He nodded at his sister''s words. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± Soon, the doctor came out of the ward. Natalie asked, ¡°Doctor, how is he doing?¡± Chapter 995 Chapter 995 The doctor looked at the group before stating, ¡°You must be his children.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± came Natalie''s reply. The doctor shook his head and said, ¡°He doesn''t have much time left; we''re talking a matter of days. He''s aware of this, and he wanted me to tell you that hisst wish is to witness his enemy''s downfall.¡± ¡°His enemy''s downfall?¡± Jared scratched his head and turned to Natalie. ¡°Nat, what does he mean?¡± Before Natalie could reply, Shane piqued up, ¡°He''s saying that to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jared was even more perplexed. Natalie chuckled like she had realized something. ¡°He''s shameless, you know. Making our lives difficult even when he''s about to die.¡± ¡°Nat, what the heck are you all talking about?¡± Jared was dying of curiosity. She nced at Shane before looking at her brother apologetically. ¡°Harrison knows that even if we hand in evidence of Susan''s wrongdoing, it''ll take months or even a year before she''s given a sentence. He won''t be around by then, so he wants to see her receive her sentence in the next few days. Only someone as powerful as Shane can exert his influence and hasten the process.¡± ¡°Ah, so that''s why Shane said that Harrison''s words were meant for him.¡± Jared nodded in understanding before addressing Shane somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°Sorry, Shane. You don''t have to take his request seriously.¡± ¡°I know, but could you bear to see Harrison leave with regrets?¡± Shane''s piercing gaze swept across Natalie and Jared. The siblings were struck silent. They might have hated Harrison''s guts, but he was their father at the end of the day. They hoped to send him off without any regrets; it would be their final duties as his children before they cut ties with him for good. Still, they felt bad about troubling Shane. Shane frowned at the sight of the siblings'' prolonged silence. He knew of their dilemma and offered a solution. ¡°I can always pop by and say hi to some people in the department. It''s not a big deal.¡± Natalie bit her lip and asked, ¡°Darling, are you sure it''s no trouble?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded for good measure. After that, Natalie looked at Jared, who met her gaze and eventually nodded his assent. With her mind made up, Natalie took a deep breath and stared at her husband. ¡°In that case, thank you.¡± Shane stroked her hair fondly and uttered, ¡°You''re my wife; nothing is too troublesome for me. We''re in this together.¡± He wasforting her like how he coaxed Sharon. Natalie could not help but blush, especially since he was doing it in front of Jared. She removed Shane''s hand and whispered, ¡°Jared''s watching.¡± Shane eyed Jared subtly, and thetter turned away instantly. ¡°I can''t see a thing.¡± His tactfulness pleased Shane immensely. Shane dropped a kiss on Natalie''s forehead and asked, ¡°Do you want to go home?¡± ¡°Let''s head to the police station first.¡± He agreed immediately. ¡°Let''s go then.¡± However, Jared pointed at the ward and said, ¡°Nat, I won''t follow you. I''m too worried to leave him alone.¡± Natalie was thinking the same thing, and she nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay, you can stay here. Let me know ASAP if anything happens.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Jared replied with a smile. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. With that, Natalie and Shane left the hospital and set off for the police station. Natalie handed in her evidence on Susan''s crimes while Shane got in touch with the Garcias. The Garcias were more than just a wealthy family in Jadeborough; they oversaw the judicial system in the nation. The Garcias were their best hope at speeding up Susan''s conviction. The prominent family happened to require arge fundtely, and they immediately agreed to Shane''s request without batting an eyelid. Susan''s crimes were atrocious, and hastening the processing of Susan''s case did little to change the oue of her sentencing. Even if anyone had objections, no one would voice it to the Garcias anyway. Chapter 996 Chapter 996 To put it crudely, it was not as if Susan was innocent in the first ce. The discussion between the Shane and the Garcia family went swimmingly. Consequently, they skipped the lengthy interrogation process for Susan''s case. Susan was merely held in a maximum-security prison as she awaited her final trial in two days. At the same time, Ss had also arranged for Warren''s detention in jail. Warren''s sentence would be far lighter than that of Susan''s. He did not have a hand in Yulia''s murder, nor was he the direct culprit in poisoning Harrison. All he did was nt his ideas in Susan''s head. He would merely be tried for instigation, which came with a jail term not exceeding three years. Nheless, Natalie could care less about his sentencing. Frankly, she had no direct grudges against him, and three years in jail was, in her opinion, a satisfactory punishment for Warren. ¡°Darling, I want to talk to Susan,¡± said Natalie when she saw a handcuffed and shackled Susan leaving the interrogation room. She was being escorted to a maximum-security prison to await trial. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane nodded. ¡°Okay, I''ll wait for you here.¡± Susan was restrained and guarded by two police officers; she could hardly harm Natalie in her state. Natalie smiled at her husband before approaching Susan, who was being ushered into a police car by the officers. She shouted hastily, ¡°Susan!¡± Susan whipped around instantly at the sound of Natalie''s voice. Her gaze seemed to drip venom as she spat, ¡°It''s you.¡± Natalie stopped about two meters away from her and smiled. ¡°It''s me.¡± For some reason, Natalie''s smile seemed to trigger Susan, who tried to lunge at the former to scratch her face off. She had barely shifted her body when the police officers held her back. One of them rapped her with a baton to warn her to stay calm. At that, Susan gritted her teeth against the pain, and she could only re helplessly at Natalie, willing her gaze to burn holes through She shrieked next, ¡°It''s all your fault! If you didn''t bring the police to the hospital, they''d never catch me!¡± That b*tch Natalie ruined everything! If she didn''t bring the police over, no one would see me choking Harrison, and I wouldn''t end up in handcuffs. Natalie destroyed my life! Natalie continued smiling as she replied, ¡°You''re right. I brought them over, but it wasn''t my idea; it was Harrison''s. He asked me to bring the police to the hospital at two.¡± ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Susan shot back instinctively. Tucking her hair behind her ear, Natalie said, ¡°Why is it impossible? Don''t forget that Harrison was the one who called you yesterday and invited you to his ward. Besides, you called Warren two days ago and exposed your affair to Harrison. Just think about it. Why didn''t Harrison confront you about it immediately? Why wait until yesterday to invite you for a visit?¡± It was evident that Harrison had set a trap for Susan''s arrest. At that moment, Susan instantly understood what had happened and screeched like a banshee, ¡°Harrison Smith, you tricked me!¡± Harrison found out about her rtionship with Warren two days ago. In hindsight, she should have noticed how odd it was that Harrison did not immediately interrogate her about her betrayal. He did not mention a peep about it yesterday either and merely summoned her for a visit today. All of this caused Susan to let down her guard during her visit. She never imagined that it was all a trap set by Harrison, and she had walked in obediently like a fool. Susan deeply regretted her oversight. Why didn''t I think twice after his phone call yesterday? Why didn''t I question his reasons for interrogating me about the affair in person instead of yesterday? She finally knew that he had nned to provoke her all along and trigger her murderous intent. All that was left to do was await Natalie''s arrival with the police officers, providing the best eyewitnesses to her attempted murder. Chapter 997 Chapter 997 Susan was trembling with anger, unable to ept the fact that Harrison had yed her for a fool. ¡°Hmph! So what if I fell for his tricks? The lot of you shouldn''t be rejoicing just yet! Harrison''s going to die soon, and I''ll be out of this ce once he''s dead,¡± Susan dered arrogantly. The smile remained on Natalie''s face even as she looked at Susan with pity. ¡°Too bad you won''t be.¡± Susan roared, ¡°I may have choked Harrison, but he didn''t die. They can only try me for attempted murder; ites with a short jail term. I''ll still be out of this ce after he''s dead.¡± ¡°You''re not going anywhere because they''re going to p you with a death sentence! What made you think you could get away with a few years in prison after murdering my mom, poisoning Harrison, and even choking him? You''re bound for the gallows for all your crimes!¡± Natalie stated coldly. Susan paled at her words. Death sentence? That was a fate she could not ept. Susan swallowed nervously and screamed, ¡°You''ve got no proof that I did any of it!¡± Natalie merely smirked and replied, ¡°I''ve got plenty of evidence. Ever since I discovered your affair with Warren, I''ve been keeping tabs on both of you, and so have Shane''s men. We knew about your ns to poison Harrison from the beginning, and we''ve been gathering evidence of your crimes.¡± Susan narrowed her eyes. ¡°What? You knew from the start?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That''s right.¡± She suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°Natalie, Natalie, you''re more ruthless than I thought. You didn''t put a stop to it even though you knew about it; you just watched on as your father got poisoned. What a pair the two of you make.¡± Natalie''s expression did not change in the face of Susan''s mockery. Instead, she uttered calmly, ¡°You''re right; I am ruthless. I never imed to be a good person from the start. I''d never harm another person, but if they messed with me, I''d have no qualms about returning the favor. Harrison hurt us so deeply that I don''t see a point in saving him. He got what he deserved. As for you¡ª¡± She clenched her fists in anger, ¡°Your downfall is near. I have evidence of you pushing my mom down the stairs; Harrison gave it to me. When you stole things from Harrison''s study to help Warren, Harrison discovered it and installed security cameras outside the study without telling you. Those very cameras recorded the moment you murdered my mom.¡± ¡°What?¡± Susan was dumbfounded at the revtion. They''ve got footage of me pushing Yulia down the stairs, and it''s footage from cameras that Harrison installed! Natalie continued sneeringly, ¡°Harrison kept the security footage in a safe at the bank for insurance. He believed it''d be useful one day, and he was right. What an irony, though. You poisoned Harrison and sent him to his deathbed, but his evidence is going to send you to the gallows. It''s a match made in heaven!¡± Susan was trembling uncontrobly at that point, suffocating under the immense fear of her horrid fate. She could never imagine Harrison being witty enough to take revenge on her. Right then, Susan truly believed that her windfall was near from the day she began poisoning Harrison. Instead of a windfall, she was about to be pped with a death sentence. The biggest joke of all was how she had be the same helpless puppet she had always thought Harrison to be. In fact, her situation was even bleaker than Harrison''s. All of a sudden, Susan beganughing again, though it was somewhat crazed and despairing. Natalie, on the other hand, spared onest cold nce at Susan before walking back toward Shane. Chapter 998 Chapter 998 Shane was still waiting at the spot Natalie had left him. ¡°Wait, Natalie! Don''t go!¡± Susan bawled at her departing figure. Despite that, Natalie ignored her and continued walking forward until Susan''s cries had faded into nothingness. Soon after that, Susan was finally bundled into the police car. ¡°All done?¡± Shane asked when Natalie came near. She nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let''s go home then.¡± He held her hand and refrained from asking her about her conversation with Susan. If she doesn''t want to say anything about it, I won''t force her to tell me. Later that night, Ss came by Shane''s vi with some news. ¡°Mr. Shane, we''ve made the necessary arrangements for Donald Litch.¡± Natalie set down her ss of milk at the news. ¡°Darling, you arranged something for Donald?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Since Susan and the others are gone, no one''s going to look after that kid. He''s just an innocent boy, and I felt like it was right to do something for him.¡± Realization dawned on Natalie as she eximed, ¡°You''re right. I''ve been so busy with Susan''s matters that I forgot about the poor kid. What did you do?¡± ¡°I sent him to an orphanage. Warren can get him after serving his three-year sentence.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°That works.¡± Donald was not a member of the Smith family, and neither she nor Jared feltfortable taking him in. Sending Donald to an orphanage as he awaited Warren''s release from prison was perhaps the kindest thing they could do for the boy. Susan''s final trial hearing urred a couple of dayster. Shane and Natalie attended the hearing while Jared apanied Harrison in his ward. Jared had an iPad in hand, allowing Harrison to watch the trial proceedings from his hospital bed. A smug smile appeared on Harrison''s face as he watched a haggard Susan on the screen. Natalie was surprised at Susan''s drastic transformation. She looks so disheveled after two days in jail. Susan was still dressed to the nines when Natalie saw herst during her arrest. Gone was her impable get-up, reced by handcuffs, shackles, and prison scrubs. Susan''s locks had been snipped off as well, leaving behind messy tufts of hair. She''s even got some white hair now. I guess people do age faster under tragic circumstances. After a while, the judge began announcing Susan''s crime from his bench. Susan took the stand, nked by a female police officer on either side. She kept her head lowered as her body trembled. Her demeanor spoke volumes about her fear of her impending verdict. Natalie sighed. ¡°Why do such things when you''re terrified of the oue?¡± At one side, Shane watched on in silence. She deserves it. His thoughts drifted to Sam, who would have his final hearing just a few dayster. He''ll probably be shivering in fear like Susan now. The seconds ticked by, and the judge eventually struck his gavel, marking the end of Susan''s trial. Thanks to a wealth of evidence and the Garcia family''s intervention, Susan was sentenced to death. She crumpled to the floor in shock when she heard the verdict. Natalie shot her a cold nce before leaving the courtroom with Shane. Once they were outside, she tilted her face up to the sky. The sky that had been gray and cloudy when they arrived for the trial earlier was now exceptionally sunny. Was it because Susan finally got what she deserved? Natalie took a deep breath as a single tear of joy trickled down her cheek. ¡°Mom, I did it. I finally brought Susan to justice.¡± Shane patted her backfortingly. ¡°Mom will be delighted to know this.¡± ¡°I want to visit her,¡± Natalie sniffed, choking on her tears. Shane nodded and agreed immediately. ¡°Of course.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. They got a bunch of flowers from a nearby florist before driving to the cemetery. When they reached there, Natalie insisted on heading into the cemetery without Shane. After all, there were some things she needed to say to her mom alone. Shane respected her wishes and did not protest her decision. Thus, he waited in the car patiently for her. About an hourter, Natalie returned to the car. Chapter 999 Chapter 999 From a distance away, she looked at him and waved with a smile. Shane noticed how much more rxed she seemed. The worry between her brows had disappeared. Her carefree expression reminded him of how she used to be before they got married. Ever since Yulia passed, there had always been a faint trace of mncholy written on her face. It was not only due to the grief of losing Yulia, but also the suspicions surrounding her death. Now that Susan had been punished, Yulia had been avenged. Hence, Natalie could finally be at ease. Shane rolled down the car window and waved his hand toward Natalie. ¡°Come on. We have to go.¡± ¡°Coming.¡± Natalie nodded. With hurried steps, she rushed toward the car. Shane leaned over and opened the door to the passenger seat for her. Natalie got in. ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± Shane shook his head. Suddenly, he thought of something. Then, he pointed to the back and said, ¡°Take a look.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Natalie was confused. She turned her head to look at the rear seats. Instantly, her mouth opened wide. ¡°Why are there so many flowers?¡± The back seat of the car was filled with roses, the sea of red a gorgeous sight to behold. Shane curled his lips slightly. ¡°It''s my gift to you.¡± Surprised, Natalie looked toward him. ¡°Why would you suddenly give me flowers out of nowhere?¡± ¡°Susan''s punishment is something that should be celebrated, so I got you flowers to make you happy. I bought them at a nearby florist. They aren''t anything expensive, so I hope you don''t mind. I''ll be sure to make it up to you next time.¡± Natalie felt her eyes turn moist. With a smile, she shook her head. ¡°I don''t mind at all. I love them. Thank you so much, Darling.¡± After saying that, she took a deep breath and grabbed him by the cor. Lowering his head, Natalie smiled and kissed him on the lips. He was shocked at first. After all, he never expected her to thank him like this. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. It did not take long for his eyes to darken. Soon after that, he became more aggressive as he cupped the back of her head and kissed her back. After some time, when the two of them struggled to catch their breath, he finally let her go and ended their long kiss. Natalie rolled down the car window and inhaled deeply. After several deep breaths, her breathing finally stabilized again. Shane did the same. He used his thumb to wipe off the saliva on his lips. Then, he buckled her seatbelt for her. ¡°Ready to head back?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let''s go.¡± Natalie nodded with a grin. He rubbed her lightly on the head. Just as he was about to start the car, the sound of a cell phone ringing was heard. However, it was not his phone, but Natalie''s. She took out her phone and checked to see who was calling. ¡°It''s Jared.¡± ¡°Answer it. I''ll drive slow,¡± Shane said as he turned the keys in the ignition. Natalie nodded briefly and picked up the phone. ¡°Hey, Jared.¡± ¡°Nat...¡± His voice was nasally. Natalie immediately frowned. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Why is he crying? On the other end of the phone, Jared turned around and looked to the ward behind him. Harrison was lying on the bed, covered in a piece of white cloth. Quickly, Jared broke down in tears. ¡°Harrison... H- He''s...¡± ¡°What happened to Harrison?¡± Natalie''s lips trembled. A bad feeling rose in her heart. Shane looked toward her. ¡°Is Harrison okay?¡± ¡°Not sure. From the sound of Jared''s voice, I think something must have happened to him, but I don''t know what,¡± Natalie said with her eyebrows furrowed. Jared raised his hands to dab away his tears. ¡°Harrison''s gone.¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in shock, and her entire body froze. At this moment, all sounds around her seemed to dull. The world became very quiet. It was not until arge truck drove by and honked loudly that she snapped back into reality. With a hoarse voice, she asked, ¡°What do you mean he''s gone?¡± When Shane heard her say this, he stepped on the brakes and pulled the car to the side of the road. ¡°Harrison''s dead?¡± Natalie opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. She could only nod meekly. Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 Seeing the sadness in her eyes, Shane decided not to ask anymore. ¡°He''s dead.¡± Jared nodded. Natalie shut her eyes. Subconsciously, tears began to flow. ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°Ten minutes ago, he made a call to the police station. Next thing I know, he was gone,¡± Jared replied between sobs. Natalie hummed in acknowledgement. ¡°I''ll be right there.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jared answered. She then put down her phone. Her head was lowered, and she seemed to be caving into her seat. Silently, tears continued to stream down her face. When Shane saw that, he undid his seat belt buckle and hers as well. Then, he pulled her into his arms andforted her. ¡°Just cry it all out.¡± ¡°No, I won''t. I hate him so much. Why should I cry over him?¡± Natalie said stubbornly as she wrapped her arms around Shane. Hearing that, Shane chuckled softly. ¡°All right, all right. Then, don''t cry.¡± Natalie kept silent, but her body was shaking terribly. Shane knew that Natalie was overying her dismissive attitude toward Harrison''s death. Otherwise, she would not be crying. In reality, she was hurt and upset by his death. After silently weeping for several minutes, Natalie felt slightly better. She did note out of Shane''s arms. Instead, she shut her eyes and leaned against his chest. After a while, she said, ¡°I knew that he would die soon, but I didn''t expect to still be shocked when it happened.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shane patted her lightly on the back. Natalie cleared her throat and continued, ¡°I mentally prepared myself so long ago. Even if Harrison died, I told myself I wouldn''t be upset or sad. I definitely would not cry over him, but I failed... miserably. Now that he''s dead, I still feel heartbroken, and I still cried.¡± ¡°No matter what, he''s still your father. It''s normal for you to care about him. You may harbor hatred for him in your heart, but there''s love in there too,¡± Shane said as he lowered his head to her. Natalieughed mockingly. ¡°Indeed. This love is usually buried so deeply inside me that I''ve never even seen nor felt it. Now that he''s dead, all his sins have died with him. My hatred for him is no more. All the suppressed love I have for him finally has the space to resurface.¡± After all, how could she not love Harrison? At the end of the day, he was still her biological father. Even though the way he treated her and Jared could neverpare to Jasmine, he still showed love to them in the past twenty years. This was a fact that she could not deny. ¡°Do you want to take a short nap?¡± Shane asked. Natalie took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Okay. Wake me up when we get to the hospital.¡± Harrison was dead. She was not as devastated as when her mother died, but it still affected her nheless. Hence, Natalie needed to calm herself down. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Upon that, Shane grunted in response, ¡°Mm.¡± Then, Natalie curled up on the passenger seat, shut her eyes, and went to sleep. As opposed to sleep, it was more like closing her eyes. Her tremblingshes showed that she was completely conscious. She could not fall asleep at all. How could she? Harrison was dead. She was not that cold-hearted to the point where she could fall asleep peacefully upon hearing news of his death. She was simply not that indifferent. Shane knew this, but he did not disturb her. He just focused on his driving. He drove slowly, making the hour-long journey two hours instead. Finally, Shane woke Natalie up. Slowly, she opened her eyes. ¡°Are we here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded. Natalie did not say more. She opened the car door, got down, and headed toward the hospital. Outside Harrison''s ward, Jared was sitting in the hallway. His hands were fidgeting with something. When he heard the footsteps, he raised his head. Though he had stopped crying, his eyes were still red-rimmed. ¡°Hey, Nat. Hey, Shane.¡± Natalie nodded in response. Then, she turned to look inside the ward. The room had already been cleaned out, and the bed was now empty. Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 Jared stood beside her and said, ¡°Once I hung up the call with you, the hospital staff took him to the morgue.¡± Natalie murmured in response. She was not surprised to hear that. Actually, she already guessed it would be so. Patients who died in the hospital were not allowed to stay in the wards for too long. They had to be transferred to the morgue. Hence, when she saw the already cleaned-out room, she knew where Harrison had been moved there. ¡°Did he say anything before he passed?¡± Shane asked as he leaned against the wall and cocked his head toward Jared. Jared nodded. ¡°Yeah. He said he hopes that we can bury him next to Mom.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°Next to Mom? Is he out of his mind? He didn''t want her when he was alive. Why bother trying to get her back now that he''s dead?¡± Shane agreed that it was a very brazen request for Harrison to make. However, Jared shook his head. ¡°That''s not what he meant. He says he wants to pay for what he did to Mom. If we bury him next to her, he will always be there to atone for his sins.¡± ¡°Pfft. He''s just using that as an excuse. He''s probably just afraid that we won''t do as he says, so he came up with a reason like that.¡± Natalie snorted. Jared looked toward her. ¡°Then, should we do as he asked or not?¡± At this point, Natalie went silent. Shane ced his hands into his pockets. ¡°Just do as he said.¡± Natalie raised her head to look at him. So did Jared. Shane smiled. ¡°He wants to make up for his mistakes, right? Let him do it then. I''ll bet Yulia really wants the opportunity to teach him a lesson anyway.¡± Hearing his answer, Natalie chuckled. ¡°You''re right. Fine, we''ll do as he asked. We''ll let Mom bully him every day in the afterlife.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jared smiled too. Suddenly, Natalie asked, ¡°Did he say anything else?¡± Jared nodded. ¡°He said his only regret is never having been able to hear us call him ''Dad'', nor ''Grandpa'' by Sharon and Connor.¡± At that, Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yeah. He gave me this too.¡± Jared pulled out the thing he had been fidgeting with earlier. It was a watch. ¡°Why would he give you a watch?¡± Natalie asked puzzledly. Shane looked down at the watch. ¡°It''s a vintage automatic watch.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°Seven years ago, several months before we were chased out of the Smith Residence, on my birthday, I asked him for a watch just like this one. Because it was too expensive, he did not agree to it. But unexpectedly, he still managed to deliver in the end.¡± The present that came seven yearste was a big surprise to him, so he was not sure how he should feel. What was most surprising was the fact that Harrison still remembered what he asked for seven years later. Jared was confused by this action because he always thought that Harrison hated him and Natalie. If so, he had no reason to buy a watch for Jared. Shane took the watch and observed it carefully. ¡°It''s not new. He probably bought it quite some time ago. Harrison isn''t at the age where he would wear a watch like this. I think he probably bought it for you, Jared.¡± Jared took the watch back. ¡°Yeah. He told me he saw the watch several months ago, and it reminded him of me, so he bought it. He had been wanting to gift it to me but never found the right time to do so. Hence, he had kept it until now. He even apologized to me.¡± ¡°What for? Why did he apologize?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Seven years ago, when you went to ask for money from the Smith family for my surgery, he hadn''t wanted to reject you. Apparently, he had no idea. Susan never told him. If he had known, he would have said yes for sure. Even though he didn''t like us, he still saw us as his children. There was no way he was going to watch idly as I breathed myst breath on the surgery table for not having enough money.¡± Natalie was rendered speechless at that. Harrison''s apology really touched her heart. She always thought that he was so heartless to the point that he refused the surgical fees for Jared and that he was willing to watch him die. It turned out that he had no idea at all... ¡°Well, it''s all in the past now.¡± Natalie sighed. ¡°Did he die a painful death?¡± Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 Jared smile. ¡°Not at all. He was very happy.¡± ¡°Happy?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Actually, he had been pretty happy the entire day. When he saw Susan get what she deserved on the live stream, heughed out loud. I actually bought a bottle of wine back to celebrate. Then...¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°Then, he told me to call the police station. He wanted to speak to Susan. I have no idea what they talked about, but the phone call was pretty lengthy. After that, Harrison downed another cup of wine. He told me to go out because he wanted to take a nap. An hourter, when the nurse came into do her rounds, she realized that he wasn''t breathing. However, he wore a smile on his face when he left. I think it''s safe to assume that he wasn''t in any pain at all,¡± Jared exined. ¡°I see.¡± Natalie bit down on her lower lip. ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± ¡°Nat, would you like to go see him?¡± Jared asked while looking at her. She shook her head. ¡°No, I''ll pass. Just arrange for the funeral house to take over from here.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll give them a call.¡± Natalie grunted in reply and said nothing more. Soon after, Natalie and Shane left the hospital and returned to Thompson vi. Natalie dealt with Harrison''s affairs quite quickly. The next day, he was cremated. However, they did not retrieve his ashes; it was left at the funeral house. Just then, Shane sent a document over to Natalie. Natalie received it in confusion. ¡°What''s this?¡± ¡°A contract for Harrison''s cemetery. The grave beside Yulia had already been bought over. I got Ss to contact its owner and managed to buy it over for double the price.¡± Shane sat down beside her. Natalie massaged the space between her brows. ¡°I didn''t know you asked Ss to do that. I thought someone else had bought it.¡± Earlier, she had called the cemetery and was prepared to buy over the grave next to her mother''s. However, they informed her that that grave had already been bought by someone else a long time ago. When she finally managed to get the contact information of the owner, that person told her that he had just sold it off to someone else. Now, Shane was telling her that he was the one who bought it. In other words, she had gone round in circles for nothing. ¡°After you agreed to Harrison''s request yesterday, I immediately called Ss to arrange it.¡± Shane picked up her cup and took a sip of water. Natalie flipped through the contract. ¡°I''ll transfer the money over to youter.¡± Hearing this, his expression fell. ¡°There''s no need. I''m your husband. Why would you need to pay me back?¡± ¡°This is different. If you were buying it for my mother, I would not pay you back. This grave is for Harrison.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°You don''t have to pay me back either way. Just give your money to the charity organizations under Thompson Group instead.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°That works too. I''ll treat it as though I''m doing some good on Harrison''s behalf.¡± She nodded. Just then, Jared walked over. ¡°Nat, I just got a call from awyer that wants to see us.¡± ¡°Awyer?¡± Natalie looked at him curiously. ¡°From where? Whosewyer?¡± ¡°He told me that Harrison sent him,¡± Jared replied. Shane smiled lightly. ¡°I guess he has stuff he wants you both to inherit.¡± Instantly, Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°Pfft. Who says I want to inherit his stuff?¡± ¡°So, should I ask him toe over?¡± Jared asked softly. Natalie put down the contract in her hands onto the coffee table. ¡°Sure. I''m curious to see why Harrison wants him to meet us anyway.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jared nodded. Then, he took out his phone and made a call to thewyer. Roughly an hourter, thewyer arrived. ¡°Mr. Shane, Mrs. Thompson, Mr. Jared.¡± Thewyer greeted all three of them politely. Natalie pointed ahead of her and said, ¡°Mr. Walker, please take a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Thompson.¡± He sat down without hesitation. Shane looked toward him. ¡°I know you. You''re quite famous in J City. You specialize in sorting out wills, right? I assume you''re here because of Harrison''s will then.¡± Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Lionel Walker pushed his sses up his nose. With a smile, he nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I am indeed here to settle Mr. Smith''s will.¡± ¡°You got it right on the mark.¡± Natalie elbowed the man beside her gently. With a smirk, he replied, ¡°Well, he''s dead. The only reason he would arrange for awyer before death is to allocate his assets. What else could it be?¡± ¡°So, tell me then. How is he nning to split his inheritance?¡± Natalie asked as she poured Lionel some tea. Lionel took out a stack of documents from his briefcase. ¡°This is the entirety of Mr. Smith''s assets. There are seven houses, two vis, six shophouses, several valuable antiques, and some cash. Please, take a look.¡± Hearing the entirety of his wealth, Natalie was very surprised. ¡°It seems like he kept more riches than I thought even after Smith Group went bankrupt.¡± ¡°It''s nothing unusual. He bought most of those before thepany went out of business. Plus, that only happened because of my pressure. In terms of cash flow, he was still doing well. Hence, it''s not surprising that he still has a fair amount of assets to leave behind,¡± Shane exined as he flipped through the charts. If Harrison had gone bankrupt in his finances, then all these assets would have long been seized by the bank. ¡°Mr. Walker, who is he nning on giving all these to?¡± Natalie asked as she set down the real estate documents. Jared looked up at Lionel as well. ¡°Mr. Smith wants to give five houses to Mr. Jared, and two to you, Mrs. Thompson. Additionally, each of you will get one vi. As for the antiques, seventy percent of it will be allocated to Mr. Jared, while the remaining thirty percent goes to you. Of course, please don''t think that Mr. Smith is biased toward Mr. Jared. He has his reasons for doing so.¡± ¡°What is the reason?¡± Hearing the allocation, Natalie was not upset. In fact, Jared was the one who felt dissatisfied. In his heart, he was on equal grounds with his sister. Therefore, the inheritance should have been split between them equally. ¡°Enough, Jared. Don''t get mad. Let''s just hear what Mr. Walker has to say for now.¡± Natalie patted him on the shoulder. She found it quiteical, but at the same time, she was touched. How could she not be when her brother was so caring toward her? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. At this moment, Shane shot a nce toward Natalie. Jared was getting so much more of the inheritance, but he was not happy about it. On the contrary, he wanted to share it evenly with his sister. It was rare to have a brother like that. Shane knew that no matter poor or rich, or how close siblings were, when it came to inheritance, none of it mattered. Even if they did not fight, the sibling that got more out of the inheritance would never want to share it with the others. After all, who would want to share something that could benefit them? Hence, Jared''s actions really made Shane think more highly of him. ¡°Mr. Smith said that since Mrs. Thompson already has her own family, and that she married rich, she has no reason to worry about her future. On the other hand, Mr. Jared is different. His physical health is weak and he is still a bachelor. Hence, Mr. Smith insisted on allocating more to Mr. Jared. Please, I hope you take no offense to the matter, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Lionel tried his best to advocate for Harrison''s wishes. ¡°I''m not offended at all. He is perfectly right in doing so. However, I don''t need my share of the inheritance. I would like to give it all to Jared.¡± As she spoke, she pushed the documents on the table over to Jared. He was stunned. ¡°Nat, you don''t want any of it?¡± ¡°She won''t need it.¡± Before Natalie could answer, Shane wrapped his arm around her waist and answered for her. ¡°I can provide her with anything her heart desires. None of this matters to me.¡± Shane looked down at the documents in disdain. Meanwhile, Jared pursed his lips, seemingly to be deep in thought. Hmm... I can''t argue with that logic. Shane is rich, so it''s not surprising that he doesn''t see the point of receiving the inheritance. However... ¡°Nat, Harrison wanted you to have all this. I can''t take it away from you. I really hope you will just ept it. If not, then at least pass it on to Sharon and Connor. As their unofficial grandfather, it can be his gift to them,¡± Jared said solemnly. Chapter 1004 Chapter 1004 Natalie''s lips quivered. She seemed to be considering his suggestion. In the end, she still decided to push the documents back over. The only thing she kept was the deed to the two houses. ¡°I''ll keep these two houses for Connor and Sharon. You take the rest, Jared. Treat it as a gift from me to you.¡± ¡°Nat...¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Just listen to me!¡± Natalie shot him a nce and interrupted him. Jared did not dare to say anymore. He had no choice but to ept her offer. Seeing the two siblingse to an agreement over the inheritance, Lionel took out his recorder and notebook. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, Mr. Jared, have you both agreed on how to split the inheritance?¡± Jared opened his mouth to say something. Seeing this, Natalie cut him off. ¡°Yes, we have.¡± ¡°That''s great. This recording will act as proof. I will alter the transfer documents ordingly. Once it is ready, you won''t be able to change it again. So, I urge you to consider your current agreement carefully.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I''ve already considered all I need to.¡± ¡°Very well. I will get the documents ready as soon as possible. Will the two of you please sign here? I''ll be on my way now.¡± After that, he gathered the array of documents on the table and stood up to leave. Just as he stood up, the document on top fell from his hands onto the table. It just so happened tond right in front of Jared. Jared picked it up and noticed that the document had Susan''s name on it. Out of curiosity, he flipped it open. ¡°Huh, is this the inheritance he left for Susan? I didn''t think he would leave her anything.¡± Hearing this, Natalie frowned. ¡°He left something to Susan?¡± Susan was already a dead woman. There was no point in leaving her anything. In the end, it would all go to Donald. In fact, the ultimate benefactor would be Warren. Shane was wondering if Harrison had lost his mind as well. Considering what Susan did to him, why would he let her inherit anything? ¡°This will is no longer in effect,¡± Lionel exined. ¡°No longer in effect?¡± Natalie raised her head to look at him. Lionel nodded. ¡°Yes. This was written by Mr. Smith before he was hospitalized.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it. You mean before he found out about all the things that Susan had done.¡± Jared smirked. ¡°In that case, if he never found out about it, this will would still be effective, right?¡± Lionel nodded his head awkwardly. ¡°Yes, I''m afraid so.¡± Jared snorted. ¡°He wanted to give Susan seventy percent, and the remainder to my sister and me. I guess in his heart, Susan still came above us. He only changed his mind to give it all to us after he found out about how Susan mistreated him. Pfft. How insincere.¡± Lionel acted as if he had not heard him. Truthfully, he himself felt that Harrison had been very insincere as well. However, Harrison was his boss. Even in death, he did not find it appropriate to speak ill of him. After all, the dead deserved some respect. ¡°Enough. Anyway, it''s no longer valid. There''s no point in treating it as such. Mr. Walker, do you mind giving me this will?¡± Natalie said as she picked up the document. Lionel nodded. ¡°Sure thing.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie smiled in gratitude. Then, she let Jared send Lionel off. After that, Shane and Natalie were left alone in the living room. He looked at her. ¡°What do you want to keep this for?¡± ¡°It''lle in handy.¡± Natalie smirked mysteriously. Seeing that she did not want to answer him, he did not question her further. When it was time to know, he would. Hence, there was no need to grill her about it now. ¡°By the way, when is Susan''s execution date?¡± Natalie suddenly asked. Shane pondered for a moment. ¡°In three days.¡± She nodded to indicate that she had noted it down. After that, another thought crossed her mind. She looked over to Shane. ¡°Sam''s final trial ising up soon too, right?¡± The moment he heard the name ¡°Sam,¡± Shane''s body instantly exuded a cold aura. He nodded stiffly. ¡°In a week.¡± ¡°Do you n on attending?¡± Shane grunted. ¡°Of course. I want to see what happens to Sam with my own eyes.¡± ¡°I''ll go with you.¡± Natalie grabbed his hand. During Susan''s trial, Shane had been by her side constantly. Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 Of course, she was the same. Shane held Natalie in his arms as he nted a kiss on top of her head. ¡° All right.¡± ¡°Mommy, Daddy, you''re both kissing again,¡± a soft voice said, interrupting the couple''s romantic moment. The couple looked up simultaneously and saw their kids standing by the staircase. They were holding hands as they watched the couple with a smile on their faces. Natalie''s face instantly went red in embarrassment. She couldn''t get over the fact that her kids witnessed her getting intimate with Shane. Yet, Shane waved his hand and gestured them toe forward. ¡°Coming.¡± The kids descended the stairs happily. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, they hurriedly ran toward the sofa and sat between the couple. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Daddy, Sharon and I overheard your conversation earlier. Did Grandpa leave something for us?¡± Connor asked. Only Natalie and Jared could call Harrison by his name. As for the kids, they could only address him as grandpa but not in his presence. ¡°He left each of you a house.¡± Shane decided to hide the truth that the house was initially meant for Natalie. He picked up the two files ced on the table and handed them to Connor. Connor took it and flipped through the pages. Sharon couldn''t understand most of the words, but it didn''t stop her from reading them. ¡°Oh, it''s a t-roof suite in the city center.¡± Connor raised an eyebrow in surprise. Shane rubbed Connor''s head and said, ¡°I promise I''ll get you something better than this for your birthday.¡± ¡°Ohe on, Shane, really?¡± Natalie teased. Natalie was actually surprised when she knew that Harrison wanted her to have the t-roof suite. The t-roof suite was located in the heart of the city and consisted of four buildings. Each building contained two units, while each unit was approximately four hundred square feet and priced at three hundred thousand per square feet. Although the t-roof suite was iparable to a vi, it was luxurious. ¡°I''m not jealous. I just want the kids to know that I can give them something even better,¡± Shane replied seriously. Natalie shrugged and said nothing. Just admit it. You are jealous. You noticed how happy the kids were and didn''t want Harrison to overshadow you. You even made an excuse to cover yourself up. ¡°All right, now let''s keep these files in a safe ce, shall we? These will be yours in the future,¡± Natalie exined to the kids. The kids hugged the files to their chest and nodded their heads. They were clearly ecstatic about this gift. Time passed in a blink of an eye, and it was two dayster. Natalie was in a discussion with Joyce about the collection for the uing season in the office when she received a call from Susan, who was in prison. Yet, Natalie saw iting. She had a feeling that Susan might want to meet her, and she was right. ¡°I got it. I''lle over at noon,¡± Natalie said through the line and hung up. Joyce leaned in and asked, ¡°Hey Nat? Let me guess, was that Susan?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°What does she want?¡± Joyce was curious. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know. I guess I''ll have to find out.¡± ¡°Well then, why don''t I go with you?¡± Joyce suggested. ¡°Okay, sure,¡± Natalie agreed. Then, Natalie and Joyce headed to the prison at noon. Once they had registered themselves, the duo went to the reception area. It didn''t take long before Susan arrived with a correctional officer by her side. However, Susan looked like apletely different person. Even Joyce was taken back by the drastic change. Susan was once a beautiful woman with milky white skin and an hourss-shaped body. Yet, she looked like an old woman in her sixties or seventies now. She had short hair and sunken eyes. Furthermore, she was as thin as a rake with a yellowish skin tone. She looked nothing like the Susan they once remembered. ¡°Nat, what happened to her?¡± Joyce gulped. Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 ¡°Her body is failing due to overthinking, and the fear she has in her heart is eating her up from the inside.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Joyce nodded. Natalie took a few steps forward and stopped in front of the ss window. Then, she picked up the phone receiver. Susan, who sat behind the ss window, also picked up the one on her end. ¡°You wanted to see me? What is it?¡± Natalie asked. Susan did not say a word as she held the receiver and stared at her coldly. Natalie frowned at the woman before her. ¡°If you have nothing to say, then I''m leaving.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. With that, she gestured to hang up. Susan tightened her grip on the receiver when she realized Natalie meant it. ¡°Wait,¡± she called out. ¡°I guess you do have something to say.¡± Natalie put the receiver to her ear. Susan took a deep breath. ¡°How''s Harrison?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°I''m surprised you even mentioned him. I thought you hated him for what he did to you.¡± ¡°You''re right. I do hate him. But, I want to know if he''s dead or not,¡± Susan replied with a scowl. Natalie''s eyes darkened. ¡°Well, my question is, do you think he''s dead? Or rather, do you want him dead?¡± ¡°Aren''t you stating the obvious? Look at her face. I bet she hopes your dad''s long gone,¡± Joyce interrupted. ¡°Yes, I how I wished he was dead. Why should I be imprisoned here and face a death sentence while he''s out there living a free life! That''s so unfair!¡± Susan''s hand trembled slightly. ¡°I disagree. Although Harrison isn''t a good guy, he has never done anything against thew. Even Warren, too, didn''t. You got yourself into this mess, so you deserved to be locked up in here and no one else. How dare you speak of fairness before everyone else?¡± Natalie stared at her coldly. Susan''s expression went grim. ¡°Yes, I was behind everything! But you forced me into it! If it weren''t for you...¡± ¡°Oh, cut that crap!¡± Joyce rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you mean Natalie made you do it? Did she force you to be a mistress? Did she force you to have an affair with Warren? Did she also force you to drug Harrison and strangle him to death? No! You did all of that based on your own decision! So, stop putting the me on others!¡± ¡°Joyce''s right. Your greed led you to your downfall. Even if you didn''t go after Harrison and weren''t Harrison''s mistress, your greed for money would have made you do the same thing. The only difference would be the guy you''d go after. You would still be a mistress to another man, drug him, attempt to inherit their assets, and go to jail.¡± ¡°That''s not true!¡± Susan yelled at Natalie angrily. ¡°You''d know all too well if I''m lying or not. Just admit it. This is your true self. It doesn''t matter who the guy is; you''ll still end up in prison. So, don''t go ming others because you can only me yourself for what you have done. Greed is your ultimate enemy.¡± ¡°No... No...¡± Susan shook her head repeatedly. Yet, she couldn''t deny the fact that Natalie was right. Even if she didn''t go after Harrison twenty years ago but someone else, her fate would still be the same. ¡°Forget it. There''s no point talking about this now. Since you''re here and you''re facing the death sentence tomorrow, I''ll tell you what you want to know. Harrison''s dead,¡± Natalie said in a deep voice. ¡°What did you say? Harrison''s dead?¡± Susan looked up in disbelief. ¡°That''s right. He died a couple of days ago,¡± Natalie replied as she clenched her hands around the receive. Joyce could tell that Natalie wasn''t as cold as she seemed. She was definitely saddened by Harrison''s death. He was her father, after all. Joyce then patted Natalie''s shoulder as a sign offort. Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 Natalie turned to face her and grinned, signaling she was okay. On the other hand, Susan snapped back into reality andughed aloud. ¡°That''s great! Oh my, I''m so happy! I can''t believe he''s dead! In fact, he died before me! My n seeded in the end! Hahaha!¡± ¡°You''re right. Your n didn''t fail. So, what''s with the tears?¡± Natalie asked. Susan was stunned. Tears? What does she mean? Am I crying? Susan lifted her hands to touch her eyes and realized they were wet. She was confused about what had happened and didn''t understand the reason behind her tears. She also wondered why there was an ufortable feeling forming in her heart. Just when Susan was bewildered, Natalie''s words sent her heart into a panic. ¡°I guess you really don''t have any feelings for Harrison.¡± The truth is, Natalie knew that Susan had feelings for Harrison. If not, she wouldn''t have reacted like so after learning about Harrison''s death. After all, they had been together for two decades. They were like family to each other despite growing out of love. ¡°No, that''s not possible. How could I have feelings for Harrison?¡± Susan was trembling. ¡°That old man has a bad temper. He was also stubborn and dominant! How could I ever fall in love with someone like him?¡± Joyce crossed her arms. ¡°Oh really? Then, tell me why you know so much about him?¡± ¡°We''ve been together for more than twenty years! How could I not understand him? Understanding him doesn''t mean I''ve developed feelings for him. I only married him for his money. Wait a minute, didn''t you say he''s dead?¡± Susan stared straight into Natalie''s eyes. ¡°What about his inheritance?¡± ¡°Did you really think he''d still give you his inheritance after what you tried to do to him?¡± Joyce sneered. ¡°Harrison hired awyer to draft his will before he died. All of his inheritance was given to Nat and Jared.¡± ¡°He gave everything to you both?¡± Susan''s expression darkened. ¡°Why? Although I sought to harm him, I''m still hiswfully wedded wife! How could he leave me with nothing? I should be the first in line to inherit his fortune. Natalie, hand over what belongs to me now!¡± she roared. Natalie let out a chuckle. ¡°Yes, you were the next in line to inherit the fortune. However, that was the n before he drafted his will. He then drafted the official will before his death, and it specifically states that his inheritance would be passed down to us. Simrly, a will is far more superior than natural session, get it?¡± ¡°I don''t understand whatever that means. I just want my money!¡± Susan screamed wildly. If I''m left with nothing, how is Don going to survive? ¡°I''m sorry, but I''m afraid you can''t have a single cent of it. The Smith family wouldn''t have be what it is today without my grandfather''s help. Consequently, my Mom was in charge of the Smith family. So, the money is rightfully ours. You have lived in luxury at the expense of our fortune for over twenty years, and I believe your time is up. How dare you think of inheriting our fortune? Dream on,¡± Natalie curled her lips and stated sarcastically. Susan gave her a death stare when she heard her words. Natalie wasn''t afraid. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. You could have inherited my father''s fortune if you avoided jail time.¡± ¡°What?¡± Susan''s face went pale. What does she mean by that? ¡°What do you mean?¡± Susan was enraged at this point. ¡°It means Harrison drafted the will before he found out you had an affair with Warren. The will clearly states that you''d received seventy percent of his inheritance while Jared and I would inherit the remaining thirty percent. It happened on the second day of his hospitalization,¡± Natalie answered indifferently. Susan widened her eyes in shock. ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Harrison prepared the will ready in advance and left seventy percent to me? That''s impossible!T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 The old man took his money very seriously. He''d never tell me how much he had and where he''d store his fortune. To add on, he was a penny-pincher in every aspect one could think of. Hence, it was impossible that he''d draft his will in advance and left me with so much. Besides Susan, Joyce was surprised too. ¡°Nat, are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie took out her phone from her purse and clicked into her photo gallery. She whipped out a picture of the will and ced her phone on the ss window. ¡°The drafted date of the will was the second day after Harrison copsed. He was aware that he had no time left, so he decided to prepare the will.¡± Natalie purposely asked Lionel for the will as she knew she would meet Susan sometime in the future. So, she took a picture of it only to present it to her at this moment. Susan stared at Natalie''s cell phone as she scanned through the date and the percentage distribution of the property written in the will. She was so stunned that she fell back into her chair. I can''t believe it''s true! She even saw Harrison''s signature on the will. She knew Harrison''s writing all too well and could immediately make out that it was real. So, Harrison did n to give me so much. Natalie removed her phone away from the ss window when she saw Susan''s shocked expression. ¡°Harrison wasn''t aware of your affair with Warren; neither did he know that you were the cause of his downfall. The signature you saw earlier was signed before he was hit with the stroke. Mr. Walker has a video proof to testify against that. Therefore, if you didn''t pick up Warren''s call in front of Harrison, perhaps you would have inherited his fortune by now.¡± Susan''s lips trembled and seemed like they were moving, but no words could be heard. Her heart was filled with regret as she recalled the incident once again. Damn it. If I held myself back then and ignored his call, I wouldn''t be in jail now, waiting to face a death sentence. In fact, I would probably have lived a happy life with Warren and Don. Natalie didn''t know what was going through Susan''s mind. Or else she''d called her naive. Even if Warren wasn''t aware of Susan''s evil deeds, I am, and I won''t let her get away from this. Her fate is set no matter what she does. ¡°Besides the inheritance, my dad was worried you might not have any children to take care of you. So, he also made arrangements with a nursing home so you''d be well taken care of in the future. He actually does care about you,¡± Natalie said. Joyce turned her head in surprise. ¡°Wow, he''s thought through it all, huh?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Susan looked at Natalie in disbelief as tears began to stream down her face. I can''t believe that Harrison did all that just for me! I definitely regret what I did to him for the sake of inheritance, but I didn''t expect all of these! Although he was stingy, bad-tempered, and dominant, he would still fulfill my wishes when I asked. And that was something Warren couldn''t. Warren was gentle, and he''d always cheer me up, but he couldn''t give me what I wanted. I was always the giving one! I''ve neverpared Warren to Harrison before. I always thought that Warren was a man who understood me and treated me with gentleness. He was the man of my dreams and iparable to a guy like Harrison. But, my question is, is Warren really the man I want to live my entire life with? I wonder if he would be as gentle as he is now if I didn''t support him financially? I doubt so. Perhaps Warren wasn''t in love with me because if he did, he wouldn''t allow me to seduce other men for money. He would have worked hard for us to live afortable life instead ofzing around. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Everything seemed to make sense to Susan at this point. She was quickly ovee by remorse. I shouldn''t have drugged Harrison, which led to his death. I also shouldn''t have had an affair with Warren while I was with Harrison all this while. ¡°I...I...¡± Susan sobbed uncontrobly. Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 Joyce leaned in to Natalie and asked, ¡°What''s wrong with her?¡± Natalie sneered, ¡°I bet she''s finally regretting her actions.¡± ¡°Pfft, well, it''s toote to turn back time now.¡± Joyce pursed her lips. Natalie smiled at her but didn''t say a word. Susan stopped crying after some time and stared at Natalie with hatred. ¡°You did it on purpose, am I right?¡± Natalie''s eyes twinkled. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You''re telling me all this now just to make me regret, right?¡± Susan screamed. Natalie smiled. ¡°Of course, I am. As the saying goes, torture a man''s heart rather than sever his body. I''m here to tear your heart into shreds and make you live the rest of your life in remorse and guilt. I don''t want to see you die in peace.¡± ¡°You...¡± Susan was speechless. It took her some time to calm down as she slumped into the chair like a deted balloon. Besides that, the hatred look on her face was gone. All that was left was sadness and pain. ¡°You win, Natalie. You did kill my heart. I admit defeat,¡± Susan said in a raspy voice. Natalie pursed her lips and remained silent. Susan closed her eyes and swallowed the bitterness she had stored in her heart before she looked back at Natalie. ¡°There''s something else I want to know, which is why I called you to meet today.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Susan tightened her grip around the receiver and said, ¡°H-How''s Don? Where did you send him off to?¡± ¡°An orphanage,¡± Natalie responded. Susan gritted her teeth. ¡°How could you send him to an orphanage? Do you have any idea what sort of ce that is? He''s going to suffer there! You know he''s a sick kid and has never suffered. How could you¡ª¡± ¡°Why not? You''re about to die while Warren is in jail. So, the best option would be to send him to an orphanage. Did you think I would raise him as my own? Just like another child of the Smith family?¡± Natalie snapped back. She''s right. Don isn''t a child of the Smith family. It wouldn''t make sense for her to raise him. ¡°Why didn''t you send him to Jasmine? She is his biological sister, after all,¡± Susan continued. ¡°You''re right. Jasmine is his biological sister. But, you must have forgotten the fact that she''s in a mental hospital. So, how can she raise him in such circumstances? I don''t want to sound rude, but even if Jasmine weren''t in the mental hospital, she wouldn''t have taken responsibility for him. She already knows that Donald is her brother and hates both you and him.¡± Natalieughed. ¡°What?¡± Susan was stunned. ¡°Jas hates me?¡± ¡°Yes, she said it herself. She was always bullied because she was an illegitimate daughter, and you''ve never cared for her. You only had your focus on Warren and Harrison. So, she hates you. However, Donald is also an illegitimate child of yours, but you paid so much attention to him instead. That made her think of her childhood days¡ªthe times when she was bullied, and no one was there to protect her from harm. So, what makes you think that she''d take good care of Donald?¡± Susan opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out because she knew Natalie was right. She''s right. Jasmine wouldn''t take good care of him and would probably abandon him. Oh God, this is all my fault. Susan was helpless as she smiled bitterly to herself. Natalie observed her for a little while before hanging up and leaving. Once the duo exited the prison, Joyce pointed ahead of her. ¡°Nat, look who''s here.¡± Natalie looked up and smiled when she noticed the man approaching her. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Natalie looked up and asked. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Shane grinned. ¡°I went to pick you up at your office and noticed you weren''t there. I also tried calling you, but you didn''t pick up. So, I called Connor to trace your location via your phone number, and it led me here.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, the signal here is blocked. So, no calls in and out,¡± Natalie said apologetically as she whipped out her phone. Shane lifted her chin and said, ¡°I know. Did youe here to meet Susan?¡± ¡°Yes, she wanted to meet me. Hence, I decided to pay her a visit.¡± Natalie nodded. Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 ¡°Would you like to go home now?¡± Shane asked. Natalie hummed in response. Shane didn''t even ask about her chat with Susan as he was uninterested. He merely ced his hand around her waist and guided her to his car. ¡°Mr. Shane, Nat, I''m going to give you both some space and head back on my own.¡± Shane gave her a ¡°good job¡± look. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Natalie caught sight of that and chuckled. Then, she fished out her car key from her purse and threw it to Joyce. ¡°Here, take my car.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Joyce caught the key and nodded. After that, Natalie and Shane got into their car and left. During their journey back home, Natalie turned and asked, ¡°Was there something important that you wanted to talk about? Was that why you came to my office?¡± ¡°Yes, we''re supposed to pay our respect to our ancestors back in Thompson residence today. I came to pick you up so we can participate in the ceremony,¡± Shane exined. Natalie smacked her forehead in realization. ¡°Oh my, you''re right! Mrs. Wilson told me about it yesterday, but I forgot. I''m so sorry, Shane. I¡ª¡± ¡°It''s okay. Don''t sweat about it. It''s just a small ceremony, not a big one. So, it doesn''t matter even if we don''t attend. Furthermore, I''m here now to pick you up, right?¡± Shane replied gently. Natalie tucked her hair and responded, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Let''s head straight to Thompson residence. Connor and Sharon are already there. Mrs. Wilson and Ss are looking after them,¡± Shane continued. Natalie nodded in acknowledgement. Soon enough, the couple arrived at Thompson residence. The kids rushed out to meet them as soon as they heard Shane''s car pulling up in the driveway. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, you''re finally here.¡± Shane carried Sharon in his arms. ¡°Have you been a good girl?¡± ¡°Of course, I have! Mrs. Wilson said not to run around, so I didn''t. I''ve done a good job, haven''t I, Daddy?¡± Sharon shed him an adorable toothy smile. Shane gave her a kiss on her cheek and replied, ¡°Yes, you''re the best!¡± Sharon chuckled as she clung her hands around Shane''s neck. Sharon had almost recovered from her injuries after so many days. Besides the wounds on her arms, the wounds on her head had healed entirely, and she was back to her active self. Sharon''s speedy recovery brought so much joy to Natalie. ¡°All right then. Let''s get inside,¡± Natalie reminded the father-daughter duo as she held Connor''s hand. Shane nodded. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Then, the family entered the Thompson residence. Mrs. Wilson and Ss greeted both Natalie and Shane as soon as the couple entered the house. Shane sat down with Sharon in his arms and asked, ¡°Where is that woman?¡± Natalie had also sat down alongside Connor. She knew that Shane was referring to Catherine. Even though Sam was caught, Catherine was still around. Shane did some investigation on his own and knew that Catherine didn''t do anything besides having an affair. At least, she wasn''t involved in the assassination of Shane''s parents. Hence, Shane did not put her in a difficult position. He merely trapped her in the Thompson residence and forbade her from stepping outside of the premises. He nned to let her off after Sam''s death. ¡°She''s in her room. I was worried she might harm the kids, so I asked the bodyguard to take her up to her room,¡± Mrs. Wilson answered. Shane nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Daddy, shouldn''t we pay our respect to Grandpa and Grandma now?¡± Sharon asked out of a sudden. ¡°How did you know?¡± Natalie smoothened her hair. ¡°Connor told me. He said the ceremony means that one should pay our respect to our ancestors who are no longer here,¡± Sharon replied. ¡°That''s right. Let''s go then! I''ll take you to see Grandpa and Grandma. I believe they''ll be happy to see you both!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± The kids jumped off the couch excitedly. Shane held Natalie''s hand as the family headed to the shrine. It was the first time he brought his wife and children to pay their respects to his parents. He didn''t know that both Connor and Sharon were his children back then. Hence, he only brought Natalie in the past. Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 However, this time he had his entire family with him. Two hours have passed after they''ve paid their respect. Then, Shane, Natalie, and the kids left the shrine. Ss was waiting outside for some time now and hurried over when he saw the family emerging from the shrine. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane asked calmly. ¡°Mrs. Thompson wants to see you.¡± Ss sighed. ¡°She wants to see me?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes, it seems like she wants to have a word with you.¡± Natalie took hold of Sharon, whoy in Shane''s arms, when she noticed the frown on Shane''s face. ¡°Go ahead. Perhaps she has something important to tell you.¡± ¡°All right, I''ll make it quick. I''ll have Ss take you all to my old room while I''m gone.'' Shane rubbed his temples. Natalie nodded. ¡°All right, off you go then. Kids, say goodbye to your daddy now.¡± She turned and looked at her kids. Both Connor and Sharon waved their little hands. ¡°Goodbye, Daddy.¡± ¡°Come back soon! Mommy, Sharon, and I will be waiting,¡± Connor added. Shane stared at them as his heart was filled with warmth. He nodded gently. ¡°All right, I''ll be back in no time.¡± Then, he headed toward the other direction. Ss nced at Natalie and offered to lend a hand. ¡°Madam, why don''t you hand me one of the kids?¡± He stretched out his hands as he stared at Sharon with longing eyes. Mr. Shane''s kids are so adorable, and I''ve always wanted to hold them in my arms. However, I''ve never gotten a chance to. But my time hase, and I won''t let this opportunity slip away this time! Natalie knew what he was thinking and chuckled. ¡°You seem like you''ve wanted to do this for a long time now. So, why don''t you get married and have a child of your own?¡± ¡°That''s not possible. I don''t even have a girlfriend.¡± Ss smiled awkwardly. ¡°Then, hurry up and get one!¡± Natalie responded. Ss scratched his head. ¡°That''s challenging, and I don''t know if I''m ready for that. Madam, please allow me to carry either of them.¡± ¡°All right, but I''ll have to ask them.¡± Natalie lowered her head, and she eyed Connor and Sharon. ¡°So, which one of you would like to give Mr. Campbell a chance to carry you?¡± ¡°Not me. I''m far too old for that. Perhaps Sharon would like to.¡± Connor waved his hand. Sharon loved the idea of someone carrying her in their arms. Hence, she instantly nodded and stretched out her hands in Ss'' direction. ¡°Carry me, Mr. Campbell.¡± Ss''s eyes shone in excitement as he quickly carried Sharon in his arms. As they made their way to the room, Ss and Sharon were giggling andughing as they followed Natalie from behind. Natalie led Connor in the front and would look back from time to time to check on them. She couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight of them. I guess I should remind Shane to give Ss some time off. That way, he''d have time to date and start a rtionship. After all, he''s in his thirties already. On the other hand, Shane arrived at Sean''s living quarters in the Thompson residence. He noticed Catherine was standing by the door as the bodyguard stopped her from leaving the room. Shane stood before her and asked coldly, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Shane, could you please let me go?¡± Catherine begged. Shane frowned. ¡°Let you go?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Yes, I didn''t do anything. It was all Sam''s fault. You can''t do this to me. I want my freedom,¡± Catherine pleaded. ¡°I know you didn''t do anything, and I do have ns to let you off. However, it is not the right time yet,¡± Shane replied emotionlessly. Catherine''s eyes glimmered with hope when she heard his words, but the glimmer was instantly diminished when he said she had to wait. ¡°So, when would that be?¡± ¡°The moment Sam dies,¡± Shane answered. Catherine shuddered at the thought of it. After Sam''s death? Only God knows when he will die! What if he dies after two years? Doesn''t that mean I''d be trapped here for another two years? Catherine couldn''t ept it as she stretched out her hand to grab Shane''s arm. Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 Shane quickly took a step back and avoided it in time. Catherine was also held back by the bodyguards and could not go anywhere near Shane. ¡°Shane, I beg you! Please don''t keep me here. I¡ª¡± ¡°Enough, I''m going to say this again. I''m not letting you off anytime soon,¡± Shane interrupted her. Catherine''s face was as pale as a ghost. ¡°But I''ll go mad if you continue to keep me in here. Perhaps you''d let me off if I divorced your uncle? Then, I would no longer be a part of the Thompson family. How about that?¡± She looked at him with hopeful eyes. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°You want to divorce Sam?¡± ¡°Yes, I''ve thought of doing so for months now.¡± Catherine nodded. I was once madly in love with him. Thus I couldn''t ept the fact that he cheated on me with other women. Nheless, I''ve learned to gradually let go of my feelings for him as I had my fun with other men. So, I have no feelings left for him and didn''t think it was fair to keep me in because of his wrongdoings. I want a divorce and leave the Thompson family as far away as possible. I need not worry about money and will live my own life the way my heart desires. Why should I suffer for someone like Sam? ¡°Shane, this is why I insisted on meeting you. I want to divorce Sam,¡± Catherine said out loud as she grabbed the bodyguard''s arm. Shane was surprised at first but slowly realized that it made sense. Sam''s dying, so it''d make sense that Catherine wants a divorce. ¡°You don''t have to divorce Sam. You''ll be single again once he''s dead,¡± Shane rejected her request. Catherine was stunned for a brief moment before she became emotional. ¡°Who knows when will he die? I can''t stand another moment here. I want to leave the Thompson family this instant.¡± Shane looked at her as if she was about to go crazy. He pursed his thin lips and said, ¡°All right, you can have it your way. But you have to tell me where Sean is in exchange. You''re his mom, so you should know where he is, right?¡± Catherine''s brow knitted together as she heard Shane''s words. ¡°Mom? He never treated me like his mom. He''d call me mom when he''s in a good mood. Otherwise, I''m nothing to him. Hence, how would I know where he is?¡± ¡°You don''t?¡± Shane wasn''t convinced. Catherine nodded. ¡°I have no idea. I don''t know him as well as you do. In fact, it''s my fault we''re strangers. I didn''t fulfill my duties as a mom to care for him and get to know him. Simrly, he has never thought of me as his mom.¡± I''ve always been so busy with exposing Sam and his affairs with other women that I''ve neglected him. In fact, I''ve even med him for not supporting me as I fight for Sam''s love. For that, I''ve taken my anger out on him in the past. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. It took me a long time before I let go of my feelings for Sam and was reminded of Sean. However, it was already toote when I wanted to mend our broken rtionship as mother and son. Even though he would still call me mom, I know he is very disappointed in me. He would abandon me without any hesitation. Therefore, I can only care for him with words and nothing else, for I know I am in no ce to do so either. ¡°Well, you really did fail to fulfill your duties as a mom,¡± Shane responded sarcastically. Catherine could not snap back as she knew he was right. I really did fail miserably. I''m pretty sure Sean knows what''s going on here, but he hasn''t shown up to rescue me. That is a clear representation of a failed mother and son rtionship. I have no one but myself to rely on. The only thing in life that wouldn''t betray me is money and my heart. Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 To Catherine, it wasn''t such a bad idea to divorce Sam and then leave with her dowry, living a free life on her own. ¡°There''s something else I want to ask you. Do you know why my mother handed Wells Properties over to Sean?¡± asked Shane. In fact, he was counting on her not knowing a thing about it since she was not close with Sean. Despite that, he still thought he would try asking anyway. ¡°Wells Properties?¡± Catherine looked visibly shocked. ¡°Did your mother really give it to Sean?¡± Seeing her reaction, Shane instantly clenched his fists, and his voice sounded strained as he went on, ¡°You knew about it, didn''t you?¡± ¡°N-Not really, but years ago, your mother did mention once that she intended to do that. I''d always assumed she wasn''t serious about it, as Wells Properties was her dowry. I can''t believe she actually did it.¡± A look of jealousy washed over Catherine''s face as she spoke. Shane''s fists tightened. ¡°And what was her reason for doing so?¡± ¡°I don''t know for sure, but my guess is that Sean held a special ce in her heart.¡± Catherine looked straight at Shane as she went on, ¡°You grew up with your grandfather, and then you went overseas and received exclusive education there. In other words, you barely spent time with the other Thompsons and weren''t around for over ten years. During those times, it was Sean who had stayed by your mother''s side. She treated him like her own, and he was very close with her...¡± Catherine trailed off, thinking about how Sean used to see Lindsay Loehr as his mother, even though it was Catherine herself who had given birth to him. A dazed expression appeared in Shane''s eyes as he listened to Catherine''s exnation. So it was Sean who had stayed by Dad and Mom''s side when I was gone. Did his presence give Mom the chance to experience the joy of being a parent? Is that why she decided to give him Wells Properties? Going by this line of logic, the whole matter was beginning to make sense to him. Seeing Shanepletely lost in his thoughts, Catherine stated, ¡°Well, I think that''s all I have to say, Shane. Now, about my divorce¡ª¡± ¡°I approve of it, and I''ll have Ss send you to the prison to meet Sam soon,¡± Shane responded in a slightly hoarse voice, lowering his gaze slightly. Once she heard that, Catherine''s face broke into a smile. ¡°Thank you, Shane. Thank you so much.¡± Without another word, Shane turned and left, heading toward his room. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The two children were on the carpet, surrounded by their toys, and Ss was having the time of his life ying with them. As for Natalie, she was standing at the window with her back toward him, talking on the phone. ¡°Daddy!¡± shouted Connor with a smile, followed by Sharon. Hearing that, Natalie hung up and turned around, smiling at him. ¡°You''re back.¡± Nodding, Shane strode toward her. Ss immediately leaped to his feet. ¡°I''ll make a move, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Take the children with you, please,¡± Shane ordered. Knowing Shane wanted a chance to talk to Natalie in private, Ss nodded and left the room with the kids, closing the door behind him. Natalie and Shane were left alone in the room. Walking to his side, Natalie asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Bad mood?¡± Shane remained silent. He was indeed in a bad mood, and his heart was heavy with guilt. ¡°Did Mrs. Thompson say something?¡± Pulling his hand, she led him to the bed and sat down with him. Massaging his temples, Shane murmured, ¡°I''ve finally understood why my mother let Sean take over Wells Properties.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± Natalie blinked at him quizzically. Turning to look at her, Shane exined, ¡°It''s because she saw Sean as her son. Wells Properties was her gift to him from a mother to a son, not from an aunt to a nephew.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Why would Mom have seen Sean as her son?¡± Natalie was utterly puzzled. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Do you remember I once told you that I didn''t grow up by my parents'' side from a young age?¡± Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 ¡°Yes, I remember that.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane lowered his gaze and went on softly, ¡°My grandfather took me away when I was three and personally raised me. Because of that, I seldom spent time with my parents. As time passed by, although we still cared about each other, we were simply not that close. Then, when I was five, my grandfather sent me to study overseas, and I got to receive the most exclusive education there. I only came back here when I was fifteen.¡± ¡°That means you were gone for ten years?¡± Natalie looked at him. ¡°That''s right. The technology back then wasn''t half as advanced as it is now. In those ten years, I only had a few phone conversations with my parents and never saw their faces even once. In fact, even the phone calls that we had were pretty short, as we didn''t have much to say to each other.¡± ¡°That wouldn''t be surprising considering you''re a person of very few words in nature.¡± Natalie fiddled with his fingers. Shane let out a chuckle, but his expression turned solemn a secondter. ¡°During those ten years, it was Sean who had stayed by their side.¡± ¡°I get it now. Sean took your ce and yed the role of your parents'' filial son for ten years, and your parents were happy to have him around. So...¡± ¡°Yes. Perhaps that''s why my mother let Sean take over Wells Properties instead of me. After all, I wasn''t a good son to her.¡± Shane buried his face in his hands. Natalie wrapped her hands around his waist,forting him, ¡°It''s true that you could have done better, but you had good reasons for your shorings. However, what I can''t figure out is Sean. He stayed by your parents'' side for ten years. It''s impossible that he had no feelings toward them whatsoever. So, why didn''t he stop Sam from killing them? Even if he didn''t know about it in the nning stage, he should still have known about it after. So, what stopped him from exposing Sam? Surely he had no feelings toward Sam, does he?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°We can only find out the answer when we meet Sean. I would like to know if he truly cared about my parents as well.¡± ¡°But who knows where he is now?¡± Natalie sighed helplessly. Shane kept quiet after that, bowing his head and losing himself in a train of thoughts. Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from one of the directors of the corporation. He let Natalie go and walked to the balcony to pick up the call. Left alone, Natalie grabbed her sketchbook from the bedside table and flipped it open to work on a few designs. The deadline set by the magazinepany abroad was closing in on her. Suddenly, a sheet fell out of her sketchbook andnded right beside her feet. Bending down to pick it up, she saw that it wasn''t one of her fashion designs but a sketch of a badge. It was the badge that Joyce had shown her previously. She had done a rough sketch of it after she came back and intended to show it to Shane. However, she had gotten sidetracked when she received news about Harrison and had totally forgotten about this sketch. Just as she was scrutinizing the sketch intently, Shane came back after finishing his phone call. ¡°What''s this?¡± asked Shane as he came to her side and swept a quick nce across the sheet she was holding. Because of the poor angle, he didn''t quite catch what the sketch portrayed. Natalie handed the sheet to him. ¡°I''ve told you before about the grudge between Joyce and Stanley. Well, this badge is what Joyce found at the crime scene ten years ago. It belonged to the culprit. I''ve wanted to show you this so that you can investigate it further but only just remembered it. Would you care to look into it?¡± Taking the sheet over, Shane finally got a good look at the sketch. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. The moment he saw the sketch of the badge, his expression changed dramatically as he tightened his grip on the sheet. Seeing his reaction, Natalie stood up at once. ¡°Darling, have you seen this badge before?¡± ¡°Yes, I''ve seen this on Sean.¡± Shane''s voice was cold as ice. Natalie''s eyes flickered as she repeated, ¡°You''ve seen this...on Sean?¡± ¡°That''s right. Sean came back from abroad a few months ago. I saw him wearing this badge on his neck.¡± Natalie''s lips quivered. ¡°D-Does that mean Sean has something to do with S-Stanley''s parents'' deaths? But how is that possible? He was only a teenager ten years ago¡ª¡± Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 ¡°No, not Stanley himself, but the organization he is associated with,¡± said Shane, cutting Natalie off. He had always wondered what organization Sean was involved in that allowed him to traverse multiple countries freely. Now, he had finally gotten his answer. It''s this badge! When he first saw Sean wearing it, he didn''t think there was anything unusual about it. However, he thought differently now that he had seen this sketch and remembered the bad blood that Natalie had mentioned existed between Joyce and Stanley. Stanley''s parents were killed by an organization. If this badge belonged to the murderer, that could only mean Sean, who owned a badge identical to this one, belonged to the same organization as the murderer. Thus, Shane reckoned as long as he continued investigating the background of this organization, it was very likely he would end up finding Sean as well. Watching the intense expression on his face and seeing the sketch being crumpled up in his grip, Natalie pursed her lips for a moment before asking, ¡°So, what you''re saying is that Sean and the people who murdered Stanley''s parents are members of the same organization?¡± ¡°That''s what I think. Anyway, I''m taking this sketch. I''ll be in my study,¡± stated Shane darkly. Natalie nodded, knowing he was heading off to his study to dig up information on the organization connected with the badge. ¡°Sure. Go ahead.¡± Shane turned and left the room. After he left, Natalie dialed Joyce''s number and told her about the new findings. Joyce was so happy that she called Stanley and ryed the news to him as soon as she hung up the call with Natalie. Soon after that, Natalie''s phone rang with a call from Stanley. ¡°Nat, are you sure Sean had been seen with that badge before?¡± The light reflected off his sses, making his eyes hard to be seen. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, Shane said he''d seen him wearing it before, so it must be true. Besides, Shane''s also checking out the organization behind the badge right now. What about you, Stanley? Have you found anything?¡± Last time, Joyce had mentioned that he had taken the badge away to investigate it himself, but no news hade back about it yet. Adjusting his sses, Stanley answered, ¡°Not yet. I asked a friend to help me out with it, but he hasn''t given me any answers. I suppose he didn''t find anything, though, since I''d given him the task quite some time ago.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°It''s all right. Shane''s on it now. I''ll let you know once hees up with anything.¡± Natalie smiled. The line went silent for two seconds before Stanley replied, ¡°Thanks, Nat.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it. You could say we both share amon enemy now, so it''s only natural that we help each other out.¡± Natalie waved her hand dismissively. Stanley''s lips then twitched as if he was hesitating to speak. A momentter, he finally started to talk. ¡°Nat, I think there''s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie became serious when she heard the sudden solemnness in his tone. ¡°Jacqueline came to see me a while ago.¡± The words that just came out of Stanley''s mouth were shocking, to say the least. Natalie''s expression changed slightly. ¡°What do you mean? She went to see you?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Natalie''s fingers curled into fists instinctively. Adjusting his sses again, Stanley answered, ¡°She wanted me to help her leave J City.¡± ¡°And did you agree to her request?¡± Natalie raised her voice unwittingly. Stanley shook his head. ¡°No, but I think she''s no longer in the city.¡± Natalie was utterly stunned. ¡°How would you know that?¡± ¡°After I rejected helping her, I told her she might as well ask Sean for help. He was bound to do her a favor since they''re allies. So, I think that''s what she did. If she''d seeded in finding him, then I''m sure she''s fled the city.¡± Natalie''s entire figure trembled with rage. ¡°How could you hide such an important piece of information from me? You know full well about the grudge between Jacqueline and me!¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Nat.¡± Stanley lowered his gaze apologetically, but his face showed absolutely no remorse. Natalie couldn''t see his expression anyway. Shutting her eyes, she went on, ¡°What''s the point of your apology now that the incident has passed for such a long time? And why are you telling me this now? You chose not to say anything when it happened.¡± ¡°Because you just told me about the clue you''d just found, so¡ª¡± ¡°So this is how you show your thanks?¡± said Natalie with a scoff. Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 Stanley''s gaze flickered. ¡°Something like that.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Forget it. That''s not important. What I''m more interested to know is why Jacqueline came to you for help in the first ce? As far as I can remember, you were only her attending physician at one point, and you two weren''t particrly close with each other outside of that context.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Stanleyughed quietly in response. ¡°Well, I don''t know the reason either. Maybe she came to me because she had no one else to turn to.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie pursed her lips tight. It was hard to tell how much she believed in that statement. After a brief silence, she added, ¡°You also mentioned that Jacqueline and Sean were allies. What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I found that out by chance as well. They got into contact which each other once before you and Mr. Shane stopped talking to each other. Jacqueline gave Stanley a video, which he forwarded to Mr. Shane. It was after that that you and Mr. Shane started giving each other the silent treatment,¡± came Stanley''s reply. Natalie''s pupils constricted. ¡°A video? Could it be the one that¡ª¡± ¡°Indeed, that''s the one.¡± Stanley nodded, acknowledging that he meant the video that was on Natalie''s mind. Natalie''s hand shook as she gripped on her phone. So it was Sean who sent that video. However, what surprised her most was still Stanley. Neither she nor Shane had known that Sean was the culprit behind it, yet Stanley did. But how did he know all this? ¡°Are you still there, Nat?¡± Stanley asked. Snapping out of her train of thoughts, she suppressed her suspicions as she mumbled into the phone, ¡°Yeah, I''m still here, but I''ve got to go now. Talk to you another time, Stanley.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Stanley nodded with a smile. After the call ended, Natalie put down her phone and pondered deeply about what she''d just learned. She felt as if most of everything she knew was concealed by a thin veil, which obscured the essence of the truth within. Every time she seeded in peeling it away, she would only findyers andyers of those veils beneath the one she had just removed, making it impossible for her ever to grasp the truth. This was especially true for Stanley''s case. She had always assumed he would not possibly be connected with Jacqueline and Sean in any way, as they held no grudges with each other. Only now was she beginning to realize how naive she had been all this time. A blood feud likely existed between Stanley and the organization Sean was involved in, and she bet there were more details about Stanley''s rtionship with Jacqueline that she had yet to find out. There was no other reason Jacqueline would have sought his help. She refused to believe Jacqueline had only done so because she had no one else to turn to. Massaging her temples, Natalie let out a long and heavy sigh. Just then, Shane entered the room and closed the door behind him. ¡°What''s with the sigh?¡± ¡°It''s Stanley,¡± Natalie replied. A dark look instantly shrouded Shane''s handsome face. ¡°Stanley? Why are you suddenly bringing him up?¡± ¡°I was just on the phone with him.¡± Natalie sat him down and told him the whole story. When she was done, she stared at him in astonishment, asking, ¡°Why don''t you seem surprised at all?¡± ¡°What is there to be surprised about?¡± Shane raised his eyebrows questioningly. Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°Aren''t you shocked that it was Sean and Jacqueline who had conspired to send you that video?¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°I''d guessed that earlier on. Not only that, but I''d also suspected Jacqueline had long since left J City.¡± ¡°Huh? You guessed that earlier on?¡± Natalie''s mouth fell open in bewilderment before she punched his chest angrily. ¡°Then why didn''t you tell me so?¡± ¡°You were upied with Harrison''s matters. I didn''t want to burden you further.¡± Shane wrapped her into his embrace and nted a soft kiss on her forehead. The burning rage in her heart instantly subsided. Sighing, she stated, ¡°I can''t believe there were things that happened between Jacqueline and Stanley that I don''t know about.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. We''ll get to the bottom of this,¡± Shane reassured her, squeezing her hand. ¡°All right.¡± She leaned her head against his chest. ¡°What about the badge?¡± Shane rested his chin on her head, rubbing it fondly, and reassured her, ¡°I''ve asked Ss to look into it. I''m sure it''ll bear results soon.¡± Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 Natalie felt slightly ticklish but didn''t push him away. ¡°All right, then.¡± She shut her eyes and yawned wearily. Seeing that, Shane asked, ¡°Feeling tired?¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Yeah. I''ve been busy attending to Harrison''s matters these few days and haven''t been getting much rest.¡± Natalie''s voice sounded worn out. Shane patted her back. ¡°Go ahead and get some sleep, then. I''ll be right here, keeping youpany.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± A smile graced her lips. She soon fell asleep, her arms still wrapped around his waist. Seeing that she was fast asleep, Shane scooped her into his arms and tucked her into bed. The next day was Susan''s execution day, as well as the day of Harrison''s funeral. The weather was rather gloomy, creating an unsettling and depressive atmosphere. d in a long ck dress with a white rose pinned to her chest, Natalie stood before the break room window with a ss of juice in her hand, watching the funeral guests with a calm gaze. ¡°Nat,¡± came Jared''s voice from behind her. She spun around. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°Shane asked me to see what you''re up to,¡± Jared answered with a smile. Like her, he was dressed in all ck with a simr white rose pinned on his front pocket. Even though his lips were curved into a smile, his eyes were red and teary. ¡°Nothing. Just gazing at the crowd here. What about him?¡± she asked, sipping her fruit juice. Jared massaged his aching neck and responded, ¡°The kids are with him, and he''s caught up in a discussion with a coborator, so he asked me toe for you. It''s about time, Nat. Harrison''s¡ªI mean, Dad''s¡ªashes should be loaded by now. It''s about time we head to the mausoleum.¡± Natalie nced at her watch and saw that it was indeed time to leave. ¡°Sure, let''s go.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°I''ll let the others know.¡± With that, he went out. A momentter, Shane came in with the children. Natalie knew they hade for her and went to them with a smile. ¡°Have you been crying?¡± asked Shane in a low voice when he noticed her slightly reddened eyes. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, I haven''t cried, although I do feel quite sad.¡± The two children had not shed a tear either. They were never close with their grandfather and thus did not feel so grieved that they wanted to cry. The same went for Shane. ¡°Come on, let''s get into the car.¡± Shane pulled Natalie''s hand. She nodded, following him to the car. About an hourter, they arrived at the mausoleum. Jared led the procession, holding Harrison''s ashes, while Natalie, Shane, and the children followed at the back. The burial was over in no time, and the tombstone was erected. After the guests offered up their flowers, they left one by one, leaving the ce to Natalie and her family. Natalie spoke not a word as she gazed at the brand new tombstone carved with Harrison''s name. Standing beside her, Jared remained wordless as well. Shane and the two children were even quieter. The entire scene was shrouded in silence. After a long while, just as the first raindrop began to fall from the sky, Natalie took a deep breath and murmured, ¡°Rest in peace, Dad.¡± She had forgiven him. The sound of her calling out ¡°Dad¡± seemed to flip a switch in Jared, who instantly broke into tears, crying out, ¡°Rest in peace, Dad!¡± Pulling the children forward, Natalie stroked their hair gently and urged, ¡°Go on, call Grandpa.¡± The children cast an uncertain look at each other and then nodded. Turning toward Harrison''s tombstone, they called out in unison, ¡°Grandpa!¡± It was their first time addressing Harrison as their grandfather, although he was no longer around to hear it. Yet, Shane had not said a word, and Natalie did not ask him to, either. After all, Harrison had yed Shane when he was alive as well. Although Natalie had decided to forgive him, she did not feel it was her ce to ask Shane to do the same. The fact that he had even attended the funeral was already a huge sign of respect to Harrison. Thus, she would not pressure him to express forgiveness toward him. Soon, the rain became heavier. It didn''t take long before they were all drenched. Shane took off his coat and covered the children''s heads with it. He turned to Natalie and uttered, ¡°Let''s go.¡± Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 Natalie was also worried the children would catch a cold if they stood in the rain any longer. She nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure, let''s go.¡± The three adults and two children left the mausoleum and returned to the car together. ¡°Let''s go back to the vi,¡± Shane ordered Ss as he took out a few towels, passing them around. Ss immediately started the car and began driving. On the way, Shane busied himself drying the children''s hair with the towels,pletely disregarding the fact that his hair was just as wet and dripping with rainwater. Jared and Natalie were drying their own hair at their side. Watching the scene, Jared chuckled and said, ¡°Shane''s a great dad indeed.¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Natalie nodded while smiling. Shane did not respond to those statements, but the corners of his lips lifted unwittingly, hinting at his happiness. ¡°All right,¡± he said. Seeing that the children''s hair was mostly dry now, he stopped fussing over them and was about to start drying his own when a white towel flew toward him andnded on his head. Natalieughed lightly. ¡°You must be tired after drying their hair, so let me help you with yours.¡± With that, sheid both hands on the towel on his head and began rubbing his hair with it. With a slight chuckle, Shane shut his eyes and let her get on with it. Suddenly, the sound of a ringtone ruined the heart-warming scene in the car. Hearing that it was her phone ringing, Natalie dropped the towel and picked up her phone. ¡°It''s from the police station.¡± Jared''s and Shane''s heads swiveled toward her at once. ¡°It must be about Susan,¡± said Shane. Jared nodded. ¡°It must be. Today''s the date of her execution, and the time set for it was at noon. It''s ten past noon now.¡± Natalie pursed her lips, remaining silent. Then she picked up the call. ¡°This is Natalie speaking.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Smith. This is the police.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that. How may I help you?¡± The voice on the line answered, ¡°It''s about Susan''s body. Would you like to im it?¡± To the police''s understanding, Susan was not only Natalie''s stepmother but was also the culprit behind Natalie''s father''s murder. Considering the evil deeds Susan had carried out in her lifetime, they reckoned Natalie and her family might not want to im her body. However, seeing as Susan was legally still a member of the Smith family, they decided to call and ask for Natalie''s view on it anyway. If it were not for that reason, they would have sent her body straight to the hospital for organ donation. ¡°Please hold on for a moment.¡± Natalie thought she should consult Shane and Jared on the matter. ¡°The police is asking if we want to im Susan''s body.¡± Shane cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What are your thoughts on it?¡± Biting her lip, Natalie said, ¡°I don''t want to. What about you, Jared?¡± ¡°Of course, I don''t want to either. But what happens if we don''t im it? What would the police do with the body?¡± asked Jared curiously. Shane gave him the answer. ¡°It''ll be sent to the hospital, where her organs will be harvested for transntation. Then what''s left of her will be cremated, and her ashes will be kept in the funeral home. Of course, there''s another option as well, which is to send the body to a medical school where it''ll be a specimen for future doctors to study anatomy.¡± ¡°That''s right. Those are the two ways our government deals with unimed bodies,¡± Natalie agreed while nodding. Jared heaved a long sigh. ¡°Then let''s go with the first option. Send her body to a hospital. She did so many terrible deeds during her lifetime. Let this be the way she makes up for it. As for the ashes, Jasmine and Warren can have themter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± A smile graced Natalie''s lips. That was indeed her preferred solution as well. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I''ll tell the police that, then.¡± With that, she went back on the line and told the police their decision. The police were not the least bit surprised to hear it. Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 After all, Susan had killed Natalie''s mother and poisoned her father. Of course, Natalie would not want to im her body and give her a proper burial. Besides, considering all the atrocious acts she had done during her time, donating her organs to save the lives of others was possibly the best thing she could ever do for society. After hanging up, Natalie put her phone down. ¡°From now on, the hatred between us and her will no longer exist.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Jared nodded. Natalie turned to him. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Jared''s face broke into a wee smile. ¡°Tomorrow. My mentor said one of my works was selected and would be included in the exhibition. I''ll have to go and have a look. It''s the first time my work is disyed.¡± ¡°We''ll send you off tomorrow, then,¡± Shane stated. Jared was overjoyed. ¡°Thanks, Shane.¡± Shane nodded. Beside them, Natalie massaged her brow wearily. ¡°It''s about time I go back as well. Thepetition''s still not over yet.¡± ¡°When are we leaving, Mommy?¡± asked Connor. She patted his head while saying, ¡°There''s no rush. Maybe we''ll leave this weekend after the hearing of the bad guy who hurt Grandpa and Grandma is over.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the two children answered in unison. Shane''s brows were furrowed deeply. Natalie gazed at him. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing''s wrong. I was just thinking that I hadn''t visited Sam for a while. I''m goingter and will be bringing Aunt Catherine along,¡± he exined. Natalie lifted her chin. ¡°So that she can get her divorce done?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you think Sean would approve of it?¡± she asked, twirling her hair. Shane let out a scoff. ¡°Why wouldn''t he? He never cared much about their marriage anyway.¡± ¡°That''s a fair point.¡± Natalie shrugged and fell silent afterward. Soon, they arrived at the Thompson vi. Mrs. Wilson had received Ss'' call to inform her about their arrival earlier. She had also learned that they had all been drenched in the rain. Thus, she prepared hot concoctions to prevent them from catching colds. Even though none of them especially liked the taste of the drink, they obediently sipped it and emptied their cups so as not to disappoint her. After that, Shane went to his room for a change of clothes and headed straight out. Natalie knew he had gone off to the prison to meet Sam. On the way, Ss received a phone call and reported, ¡°Mr. Shane, Mrs. Thompson has left for the prison. She said she will meet you there.¡± In the backseat, Shane kept his eyes shut and merely mumbled something incoherent in acknowledgment. Seeing that, Ss said no more and continued driving. They arrived about an hourter. Catherine stood at the prison''s entrance, d in a ck down coat, her face covered by a mask. There were two bodyguards with her. She went to Shane the moment she spotted him. ¡°Shane.¡± Shane''s gaze fell on the folder in her hand. Noticing that, Catherine smiled awkwardly. ¡°It''s the divorce papers.¡± ¡°I know that. Let''s go in,¡± stated Shane mildly as he averted his gaze and strode into the entrance. Drawing in a deep breath, Catherine followed him. Because Sam was paralyzed on one side of his body, he was unable to stand and came into the room on a wheelchair, which was pushed by a correctional officer. In fact, considering the state he was in, he did not strictly need to be locked up in prison. However, Shane was worried that there would beplications if he were given a non-custodial sentence. Thus, he used his power and made sure Sam would remain imprisoned. That was why, despite being a cripple, Sam still had to spend his days behind bars. ¡°I-It''s you...¡± Sam picked up the phone with the side of his hand that was mobile and slurred out those words in a state of agitation. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Sam''s paralysis was very different from Harrison''s. Toward the end of his life, Harrison was a quadriplegic. Despite being paralyzed from the neck down, he could still speak and spoke clearly. However, Sam was paralyzed on one side of his body. While he could normally move one side of his mouth, he could not move the other no matter how hard he tried. Thus, he struggled to pronounce each syble, and even so, his words still sounded barely intelligible and even quite funny. Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 However, neither Shane nor Catherineughed at him. As Shane red at him icily, Catherine addressed him with an apologetic look on her face. ¡°I''m here to see you, Sam.¡± Sam scoffed, saying with difficulty, ¡°I''ve been in here for ages, yet you''ve nevere. Don''t you feel like a hypocrite to appear in this ce now?¡± He remembered vividly how Catherine had sold him out when he was caught, saying that he was solely responsible for the murder and that it had nothing to do with her. Indeed, none of it had anything to do with her, but she was his wife. His heart chilled at the thought of how she had abandoned him in the moment of crisis, letting him face it alone. ¡°I''m the hypocrite?¡± Catherine had initially felt sorry for not visiting him. However, the moment she heard him saying that, the guilt in her heart instantly vanished, reced only by rage. ¡°Will you leave us for a moment, Shane? I need to give this old man here a piece of my mind,¡± Catherine asked Shane while she continued to re at Sam furiously. Shane raised his brows. ¡°Sure. I''ll be back in ten.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Catherine nodded. Shane turned and left. Now, only Catherine and Sam were left in the visiting room. Catherine ced the folder on the counter and said, ¡°You''re right that I haven''t visited you once ever since you''d gotten in here, but did you really think I had a choice? I was under house arrest by ShaneContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. the whole time. He even had someone watching me around the clock every day. As long as I acted slightly out of the ordinary, he''d suspect I was up plotting something. Do you even know how much I had to suffer throughout this time? And all this was because of you!¡± ¡°I-I had no idea. You didn''t mention anything about it just now either.¡± A guilty look shed across Sam''s eyes. Funnily, rather than admitting his own mistake in not asking her, he still insisted on ming her for not bringing it up earlier. Knowing his nature, Catherine did not remain angry at him for long, even though the entire matter did seem rather ironic to her. ¡°Forget it. I didn''te to talk about these.¡± ¡°Then what are you doing here?¡± Sam frowned. Catherine scrutinized him. ¡°I heard your final trial ising soon, and you''re likely to receive a death sentence. That''s why I came to see you.¡± Hearing ¡°death sentence¡± being uttered, Sam shuddered unwittingly as a burst of anger shot through his body. Even his eyes turned red as he stuttered, ¡°I-It''s Shane''s fault! I-I''m his uncle! How dare that s- son of a b*tch do this to me!¡± ¡°That''s enough. As his uncle, you killed his parents and fed him drugs that almost took away his ability to father a child. You can only me yourself for the way he treats you,¡± stated Catherine drily, rolling her eyes. Sam stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Y-You''re speaking up for him?¡± ¡°I''m speaking up for nobody and am merely stating the facts from the point of view of an outsider,¡± said Catherine nonchntly. Sam scoffed. ¡°Fine, I don''t want to argue with you about this. Now, contact Sean quickly and have him come and save me. He has some powerful people backing him up, people who can easily turn a death sentence into a life sentence. You¡ª¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! Sean''s never cared about us. We may be his parents, but he would nevere to rescue you. Surely he knew it when the both of us were either caught or imprisoned, but when had he ever shown his face? Never! It goes to show he really couldn''t care whether we live or die.¡± Catherine''s tone was mild, but a intive expression lingered in her eyes. At that, Sam''s body shook even more violently. ¡°How could he? I''m his father!¡± ¡°So what if you''re his father? Have you ever loved or protected him before? I don''t think so, and neither had I. Thus, how could you expect him to treat us as his parents? His heart is colder than what we can imagine, and it is us who had made him this way. At the bottom of it all, we''re the ones who owe him, as we had never fulfilled our responsibilities as his parents. We really can''t me him for his cold- heartedness.¡± Catherine ended her speech with a sigh. In fact, she did me Sean forpletely ignoring them both, but no matter how much she felt that way, she would never shamelessly ask for his help. Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 Besides, she did not feel she was worthy of doing that, nor did she wish to do so in any way. To Catherine, since Sean did not want to acknowledge them as his parents, then he could suit himself. After all, she would soon be leaving the Thompson family, and as soon as she did, she would no longer be connected with any of them or her son. She nned never to contact Sean or interrupt his life anymore after that. It would perhaps be the kindest thing she could do for him as his mother. However, Sam did not think that way, nor was he half as noble as Catherine. pping his thighs in agitation, he red at her till his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. ¡°Even if we weren''t the best parents, we still gave him his life! That alone is good enough reason for him to be filial toward us and save our lives!¡± ¡°Well, dream on, then.¡± Catherine rolled her eyes again and opened the folder. She slid the divorce papers and a pen into the transfer slot under the ss window. ¡°That''s it. I don''t want to talk about nonsense anymore. My ten minutes are almost up anyway. Go on, sign it.¡± ¡°What''s this?¡± Sam did not reach out to take the document and thus did not know its contents. Catherine yawned as if she was bored. ¡°The divorce papers.¡± Sam''s face darkened. ¡°Y-You want to get a d-divorce?¡± ¡°Yes. Since you''re almost dying and Sean''s nevering back, it''s time our family disbanded. Please sign it quickly so that I can leave.¡± ¡°I''m locked up in here, and the only thing you can think about is getting a divorce? H-Have you ever thought of me as your husband?!¡± Sam pointed a trembling finger at her usatorily. Catherine sneered at him, ¡°My husband? I''m sorry, but no, I''ve never thought of you as one. You''re not worthy of the title. Only a month after we got married, you started an affair with another woman, and you hit me when I went to look for you at her house. After that, you even brought your mistress home when I was pregnant. Even after Sean was born, you continued living outside with other women. Everything you did was a stab to my heart!¡± Hearing that, Sam found no words to defend himself and averted his gaze guiltily. Catherine rubbed her eyes as she went on, ¡°You wounded my heart again and again, yet you still expect me to regard you as my husband? Let me tell you this, Sam. I stopped thinking of you as my husband a long time ago, and my love for you has died since then. If not, I wouldn''t have had other men outside. You would know how exciting that feels, wouldn''t you?¡± ¡°Y-You shameless b*tch!¡± Sam''s chest heaved violently. Catherine burst intoughter. ¡°I''m shameless? You and I both had other lovers outside. If anything, we''re both shameless! Come to think of it... I had only acted that way because of the way you treated me, so you''re in no position to judge me at all. That''s it. Now, just sign it quickly, and I''ll leave.¡± ¡°Over my dead body. I''m never going to sign this.¡± Sam red at her menacingly, obviously intending to make her suffer. Seeing his reaction, Catherine boiled with rage as well. She was just about to say something when footsteps sounded behind her, apanied by Shane''s impatient voice. ¡°Are you done talking yet?¡± ¡°He won''t sign it.¡± Catherine turned her head around to look at Shane while pointing the finger at Sam. ¡°You promised me before that you''d get him to agree to the divorce, Shane.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°I will.¡± With that said, he strode forward. Seeing that, Sam felt his chest tightening. ¡°W-What are you trying to do?¡± Shane was not using the phone and couldn''t hear Sam''s words, but he could guess what thetter said from the shape of his lips. However, he did not respond but simply nodded at the correctional officer who was standing behind Sam. The correctional officer came out, and Shane exchanged a few words with him. ¡°All right, Mr. Shane,¡± said the guard in agreement. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. He went back to Sam''s side. Grabbing his hand, the guard took out his knife and shed it on the latter''s thumb. Sam immediately howled in pain. ¡°W-What are you doing? I-I will file aint against you! You''re a prison guard! How dare you hurt me!¡± ¡°Ever since your first trial, you''ve been deprived of your political rights for life, so you have absolutely no rights to do that,¡± the prison guard responded coolly. Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 On the other side of the ss window, Catherine was shocked to the core by what she had just witnessed. ¡°S-Shane, what¡ª¡± ¡°You''ll know soon enough,¡± Shane answered, his face devoid of expression. Seeing that, Catherine merely nodded and spoke no more, fixing her gaze on the scene inside. The prison guard flipped open the divorce papers and pushed Sam''s bleeding thumb toward the signature section. Catherine finally understood what was going on, her fists clenching tightly. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Sam caught on to the prison guard''s intentions as well and roared at him hysterically, ¡°Let me go! You can''t force me to do this!¡± The prison guard remained indifferent to Sam''s retaliation and merely pressed thetter''s thumb onto the signature section. With that, Sam stopped struggling and screaming. He knew the matter had already concluded, and no amount of struggling or screaming would change a thing anymore. Thus, he merely sat there, still and lifeless, like a body that had lost its soul. The prison guard closed the divorce papers and dropped them back into the transfer slot. Catherine instantly snatched it up and opened it. The moment she saw the fresh thumbprint on the signature line, tears of joy and relief sprang into her eyes as she eximed, ¡°Finally! Finally, I''m free!¡± With this divorce, she could gain half of Sam''s assets. Added with her dowry and other personal assets like thend, luxury cars, and jewelry that she owned, her total assets would easily amount to hundreds of millions. She could live the rest of her life any way she wanted. ¡°Now that you''ve gotten his signature, go on and get the divorce certificate at the City Hall. I''ll send Ss to go with you. Once that''s done, you have three days to leave the Thompson residence,¡± stated Shane coolly, gazing at Catherine, who was ovee with joy. She nodded repeatedly. ¡°Don''t worry. I promise I''ll leave within three days.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Shane gave her a dismissive wave. After she hurried off, he turned toward Sam, who had just snapped back out of his daze. He red at Shane with a vicious look in his eyes, saying seethingly, ¡°Are you happy now that you''ve ruined my entire family and broke us apart?¡± ¡°Of course, I am,¡± Shane answered in an indifferent tone, tucking his hands into his pockets calmly. Sam''s body couldn''t stop shaking. ¡°I-If only I had known y-you would turn out to be such a b*stard, I would have killed you when you were little! So what if my father had proof that I murdered Seth and his wife? I should still have finished you off back then, or I wouldn''t havended in this predicament!¡± ¡°There''s no such thing as ''if only,''¡° came Shane''s brief reply. Sam thumped his chest in regret. ¡°Indeed, I couldn''t have known that. That''s why I lost...¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Someone will be here soon to keep youpany. I''ve already identified the other culprit,¡± Shane said with narrowed eyes. ¡°Who is it?¡± Sam red at him intently. ¡°Jacqueline.¡± ¡°Jacqueline?¡± A nk look came over Sam''s face as though he couldn''t remember who that was. Shane pursed his lips, adding, ¡°Jacqueline from the Graham family. My mother''s goddaughter.¡± ¡°Oh, it''s her!¡± The memory finally struck Sam, and his eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°But that''s impossible! Eighteen years ago, she was only a little girl¡ª¡± ¡°The truth of the matter is that she was indeed the culprit. It was she who had led my parents to that street, giving your men the opportunity to attack them. So the question I have for you now is, how did she inform you about my parents'' arrival on that street?¡± Shane gazed at Sam unwaveringly, waiting for an answer, but Sam said not a word. However, Shane was not the least bit perturbed. He simply smirked, stating, ¡°It''s fine if you refuse to exin anything now, for I''ll find out anyway as soon as I catch Jacqueline.¡± With that said, he swiveled on his heels, readying himself to leave. At that moment, Sam''s voice rang out suddenly. ¡°With a letter.¡± ¡°What letter?¡± Shane spun on his heels. Sam met his gaze. ¡°That morning, I had just arrived at the office when a child came to me and handed me an envelope. He said someone had shown him my photo and asked him to deliver the envelope to me.¡± ¡°What was in the letter?¡± Shane''s hands balled into fists in his pockets. ¡°Since I had no idea who had sent the child, I assumed it was a practical joke and threw the envelope away without looking. However, another child came to me at noon that day and gave me another envelope. By then, I''d sensed that it wasn''t a joke, so I ripped it open and got the fright of my life when I read the contents of the letter. Whoever sent it said they knew about my ns to murder Seth and obtain Thompson Group.¡± Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 ¡°That''s it?¡± asked Shane, frowning deeply. Sam nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s all it said. The letter wasn''t hand-written but was typed out using a typewriter. There was no way for me to trace who it was from or how they found out about my intentions. I worried about it for two days and then received yet another letter.¡± He let out a long sigh of resignation. Knowing he no longer had any hopes of survival, he decided to tell Shane everything he knew. ¡°This time, the letter sender said they wanted Seth and his wife dead as well and asked me to coborate with him. He said he could lead them to a specific spot where I could send someone to kill them in a car crash. If I agreed to the suggestion, I could contact the sender. The letter ended with a phone number that I could call.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Shane lowered his gaze, shielding the look in his eyes, but the chill that radiated from his being was terrifying, to say the least. Sam cast a nce in his direction. ¡°Back then, I''d just produced a proposal that was inferior to Seth''s, and my father chastised me severely for my poor performance. The hatred I felt toward Seth had reached the breaking point. Thus, I called the number stated in the letter, but once the line got through, the person on the other end of the line hung up without a word. After that, he sent me a text, instructing me to send the men to that street and await his orders. So, that was what I did. That''s all. What else do you want to know?¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. His voice had begun to sound quite feeble, and a bleak look entered his eyes. Shane pinched his nose. ¡°No, that''s about all I wanted to know. Good luck to you.¡± With that said, he turned and was about to leave when Sam hollered at him, ¡°Stop, Shane! I''m your uncle!¡± Hearing that, Shane halted in his tracks and turned back, piercing him with a cold gaze. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Help me this once! I don''t want to die! I don''t mind being imprisoned for life, but I don''t want to die! I¡ª¡± ¡°My parents didn''t want to die either,¡± Shane uttered coldly, cutting him off. Sam''s mouth gaped open as he struggled to think of what to say next, but he remained at aplete loss for words. Shane went on, ¡°Yet, they still did, and by your hands, too. And now, you''re telling me you''re my uncle and that I should show you mercy on ount that you''re family? Then what about my parents? Were they not your brother and sister-inw? Did it not cross your mind that they were family when you killed them?¡± ¡°I-I...¡± Sam couldn''t find a response. ¡°Good luck atoning for your sins with my parentster,¡± stated Shane as he immediately left the visiting room. By the time he got back to the Thompson vi, it was already afternoon. Hearing the sound of the car, Natalie guessed that he was back. She dropped the sketchbook in her hands and went out to greet him. He opened the door and came in just as she arrived in the lobby. ¡°You''re back.¡± Natalie smiled at him. The tension that had been weighing his heart down instantly evaporated, and his gaze softened as well. ¡°I''m back.¡± ¡°Wee back.¡± Natalie smiled. Shane then pulled her hand and led her into the living room. ¡°Where are the children?¡± ¡°They just went for a nap. Jared''s at the Smith residence, clearing Dad''s old stuff to see if there''s anything we could give away.¡± Shane nodded in understanding. Just then, Mrs. Wilson came in with two sses of water. ¡°How was Sam, Mr. Shane?¡± she asked, handing them a ss each. The gentleness in Shane''s gaze disappeared. Taking a gulp of water, he answered indifferently, ¡°Aunt Catherine''s divorced him. He''s not in a good state.¡± ¡°Serves him right,¡± Mrs. Wilson muttered coldly. Squeezing his hand, Natalie asked, ¡°What time does his final trial start tomorrow?¡± ¡°Two in the afternoon,¡± replied Shane, putting his ss down. Natalie smiled. ¡°Let''s go together, then.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shane nodded. The next day soon came. Natalie and Shane showed up at Sam''s final trial, as did Catherine. Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 Natalie was surprised. As Catherine had mentioned, it was best to see Sam onest time, on ount of their marital rtionship. After all, she did fall in love with him once upon a time. Shane didn''t try to get rid of Catherine. Instead, he trailed behind her. She was no longer a part of the Thompson family. Hence, he didn''t feelfortable ordering an outsider around. Soon, the trial began, and Sam was brought to the stand. Natalie was taken aback at his pale and haggard appearance filled with trepidation, simr to Susan''s from before. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Sam''s gaze caught Shane and Natalie, and his lips parted as if to speak beforepressing into a thin line while being led to the front of the courtroom. The court session proceeded for three hours before a sentence was passed, and Sam was given the death penalty. Though Shane had expected that, upon hearing the verdict, still his hands trembled. Natalie felt the tremor coursing through his body and gently covered his hands with hers. ¡°Congrattions on one less enemy, Darling.¡± She never mentioned finally avenging the death of his parents because Sam wasn''t the only one involved. Jacqueline was still free. Vengeance for his parents would only be achieved after she was brought to justice. Shane smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you, but where''s my gift?¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie arched her brows. He nced at her. ¡°During Susan''s sentencing hearing, I gave you a carload of roses as a congrattory gift. You said you would get me something too during Sam''s trial. So, where is it?¡± Natalie wasn''t counting that he would remember her promise and definitely not demand to see it. ¡°Don''t worry. I didn''t forget about it. You''ll get it a few dayster. It''s still a work in progress.¡± Mirth bubbled in her voice. Shane nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good to know.¡± ¡°What if I had forgotten about it?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes and asked. He chuckled in response. ¡°I''m fine with that. Just give me yourself. You''re my greatest gift.¡± Natalie''s cheeks med gs of color at his unexpectedly corny words. ¡°Cut it out. Sam has been led away. Do you want to see him?¡± Shane''s gaze darkened as his eyes drifted to the corridor that Sam disappeared in. ¡°No need. I''ve said everything needed to be said. Let''s go.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie said, looping her arm around his elbow, and stood up. As they exited the courthouse, she spied a police car at a distance. Sam was getting in, escorted by the prison guard. As if he could feel her gaze on him, he turned, and their eyes collided. Natalie tugged on Shane''s sleeves. ¡°He''s looking at us, Shane.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He returned Sam''s gaze levelly. They stared at each other for ten seconds. Shane broke eye contact first and took Natalie''s hand, walking away in the opposite direction. She threw nces over her shoulder twice as she tried to keep up with him. Both times, she saw Sam following them with his eyes, and something deep in his gaze bewildered her. He should be hating them, seeing as Shane yed a big part in his doom. However, she didn''t detect a hint of resentment in his eyes, only puzzlement. She didn''t understand Sam, but she didn''t give it a second thought either. His fate was sealed, and there was no need to expend energy on a dead man walking. At that, Natalie looked straight ahead and stopped ncing back. Sam withdrew his gaze, and the prison guard nudged him into the car. Three dayster, Sam was executed, expedited by the Garcia family. Shane was worried that if the execution took ce next year, Sean might interfere. Although there was no love lost between them, Sam was still his biological father, and Sean might feel compelled to break him out of prison at a surge of filial piety. Thus, Shane allowed the Garcia family to intervene and oil the wheels of the execution, simr to Susan''s case. Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 ording to Ss, after Sam''s passing, Catherine left J City and returned to her parents'' home. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Despite not being a member of the Thompson family, Shane had assigned one of his men to keep an eye on her. Therefore, Ss knew she had left town. ¡°Mr. Shane, I did an inventory count on Sam''s assets. Please have a look at the report.¡± Ss handed a stack of papers to Shane. He epted them, and Natalie leaned in to take a curious peek with him. She eximed at theundry list of holdings, ¡°That''s almost a few times more than Harrison''s wealth.¡± Shane thumbed through the documents and exined, ¡°When Grandpa left Thompson Group to my father, every capital asset, antiquity, jewelry, and cash was bequeathed to Sam. Converting everything to cash, they are worth a third of Thompson Group.¡± Natalie sucked in a breath audibly. ¡°Isn''t that thirty billion?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Shane nodded. She tsked. ¡°He wasn''t content with thirty billion, and he had to covet Thompson Group? Thepany may have a worth of a few hundred billion, but he couldn''t liquidate more than ten billion. He got off easy, in my opinion.¡± ¡°Yes, but he wasn''t thinking like that. He wanted everything,¡± Shane said lightly, his eyes downcast. Natalie''s gazended on the papers. ¡°These assets don''t amount to thirty billion, though.¡± ¡°He squandered most of it.¡± A sardonic sneer shed in Shane''s eyes. ¡°Sam might have acquired a substantial amount of money, but it''s not equivalent to Thompson Group, whiches with power and status. Hence, he tried to establish apany superior to Thompson Group. The thing is, he wasn''t capable of achieving it and chose to invest all his assets. In the end, he lost most of it.¡± Natalie snickered. ¡°He did all that for nothing? He was incapable, yet he couldn''t swallow his disgruntlement. I don''t know if I shouldmend him or...¡± She didn''t finish her sentence, but everyone knew what she meant. Shane closed a file and reached for another one. ¡°He probably finally realized he didn''t have what it takes to start apany on the same footing as Thompson Group. Otherwise, these remaining assets would have been gone as well.¡± ¡°How much are these worth in total now?¡± Shane pointed at the pile of documents and asked Ss who was standing aside. Ss adjusted his sses. ¡°Approximately five billion.¡± Natalie pursed her lips, musing, ¡°He did have a ir for blowing his inheritance worth thirty billion down to only five billion.¡± Shane was expressionless. The figure he had in his mind was in the ballpark of Ss'' answer. Ss had only confirmed his suspicions. ¡°What are you going to do about this, Shane?¡± Natalie asked. By logic, Sam was survived by his son, Sean, and the assets should go to him. However, Sean wasn''t in the country now and held a grudge against Shane. Thus, Shane was debating if he should relinquish the inheritance to him. Shane gave a cursory nce over the documents. ¡°ce the cash, jewelry, and antiquities in the bank for safekeeping. Leave the properties and cars as-is. Transfer all thepany shares into a shell ount. Once we get our hands on Sean, we''ll decide what to do with it.¡± Truthfully, what Sean did was vile but didn''t warrant death. He didn''t have blood on his hands and would be sentenced to twenty years in prison at most. Shane wasn''t remotely interested in these holdings and was more than willing to hand them over to Sean once he was out. If Sean took a life and were given the death penalty, Shane would set up a charity foundation and use the assets to help the needy. Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 ¡°Got it.¡± Ss tucked the files under his arm and asked after suddenly remembering something, ¡°Mr. Shane, the Thompson residence is now unupied. Should we send someone to maintain it?¡± ¡°No. After Sam''s funeral is done, box up all the possessions and seal the residence. We''ll hold our annual ancestral prayers there,¡± Shane replied lightly. Ss made a sound of agreement and left. Natalie pinched Shane on his shoulder to get his attention. ¡°Is there going to be a funeral for Sam?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. His body had been transported to a funeral parlor. Come what may, Sam was still a Thompson. Thus, Shane imed his body and didn''t donate it to a science institution. Sam was not the same as Susan. He was a blood rtion of Shane. Just like Harrison, no matter how much Natalie hated him, she still gave him a proper burial. ¡°No, everyone knows what he did to my parents. If I gave him a funeral, I would be aughingstock. Just a burial is fine.¡± ¡°Fair point.¡± She nodded. Shane enveloped her in his arms. ¡°Where''s my gift, Honey?¡± She didn''t know whether tough or cry. It had been on his mind since yesterday as if he was afraid that she would forget about it. ¡°Fine, fine, it''s ready now. Let''s go to our bedroom.¡± Natalie pulled him up. When he left for Thompson Group in the morning, she had the chance to stash the gift in the bedroom. Shane followed her into the room, brimming with anticipation. As the door swung open, he walked in but didn''t notice anything out of the ordinary. Everything still looked the same with no apparent alteration. He thought her gift was a small gathering, and she had decorated the room and prepared something for him. However, there was nothing. ¡°Where''s the gift?¡± Shane turned and looked at Natalie questioningly, his eyes shing with annoyance at the absence of the gift. ¡°In the closet.¡± She smiled. Shane marched to the closet with long strides, a trace of displeasure evident in his gaze. He yanked the doors to the closet open, and what was inside shocked him. There were two mannequins dressed in a sleek ck tuxedo and an indescribably beautiful wedding dress. The dress was fashioned with a full train behind, and the bodice was encrusted with a delicate sprinkling of tiny rhinestones, creating an illusion of a sheer gxy. Anyone whoid eyes on it could never look away. ¡°You...¡± Shane''s lips twitched, the words poised to tumble out, but nothing came as he continued staring at the mannequins. Natalie drew up at his side. ¡°So? Do you like it, Darling?¡± He rubbed his temples and slowly came out of his startled state, turning his fathomless gaze to her. ¡°When did you buy it?¡± ¡°I didn''t buy it. I designed it myself.¡± Sheughed. Shane''s brows rose. ¡°You designed it? When? How did I not know about it?¡± ¡°I started working on it when you brought the kids for moral support during mypetition abroad and mentioned a wedding. I sent the design to Joyce and had someone create it. At first, I wanted to make it myself, but I had no time.¡± Regret colored her tone as she studied the wedding gown. Shane pulled her into his arms. ¡°No, you did design it yourself. You don''t have to do everything yourself. I wanted to hire the best designer in the world after thepetition ended to create a stunning dress for you. But you were one step ahead of me.¡± ¡°Of course. It had to be a surprise for you,¡± Natalie responded with a cheeky smile. He chuckled wryly. ¡°Well, mission aplished. But traditionally, it should be the man who gifts the wedding dress to the woman. Now...¡± ¡°Nonsense. Who says it has to be that way? The opposite is perfectly fine, too. Besides, we''re husband and wife. We should lean on each other and give to each other equally. I can''t have you always solely giving in our rtionship. I want to do something for you as well. But I''m limited in what I can offer, and I don''t know much of anything else. I have a knack for designing, though, so it''s two birds with one stone,¡± Natalie said ruefully. Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 Shane brushed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°No, you''re wonderful. Not everyone is perfect. We all have our forte, and your strong suit is designing. This dress is beautiful. We''ll get married after yourpetition ends, and you''ll wear this.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. She had intended to have the wedding after capturing Jacqueline. However, that day when she noticed Shane watching a video of someone getting married, she knew at once he desired to have a wedding ceremony. She didn''t want him to wait any longer. ¡°Right, Darling, you haven''t told me what you think of my gift.¡± Natalie pushed against his chest and gazed up at him. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Shane''s lips curved upward slightly. ¡°Very satisfied, but I do have a gripe.¡± She blinked in surprise. ¡°It''s not enough? What do you suggest, then?¡± He wrapped his arms around her and murmured the words against her ear, ¡°I want you to put it on for me.¡± Natalie broke out into a smile. ¡°Ah, I see. Certainly.¡± The gown had been designed by and for herself, so it made sense to wear it for her husband. Shane immediately released her upon her agreement. Natalie walked to the mannequin and removed the gown from the figure, ncing at the man standing close by. ¡°Aren''t you leaving?¡± ¡°Why?¡± He shot her a bewildered look. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, I need to change, so aren''t you going to give me some privacy?¡± ¡°I won''t interrupt you. Besides, I''ve seen every inch of your body. Don''t mind me,¡± Shane said. Natalie huffed augh in exasperation. I know what he really wants¡ªHe''s looking to cop a peek. ¡°You''re really not going to leave?¡± she repeated, her brows knitted in a frown. Shane nodded resolutely. ¡°The dress is huge, and it must be heavy. Usually, there are people around to help the brides into their gowns. If I leave, who is going to help you?¡± Natalie pursed her lips and didn''t try to dissuade him, knowing his mind was made up. Fine, he can stay if he wants to. As he said, there isn''t a part of my body he hasn''t seen. He can feast his eyes, then. Without another word, she began to remove her clothes. Watching her strip, the apple of Shane''s throat bobbed as he swallowed. Once Natalie had divested herself of all her clothing, he moved toward her and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Let me help you.¡± She gave a soft sound of assent and handed the gown to him, and he helped her slip into it. With his administration, Natalie stepped into her gown, and while he was zipping her up, a problem urred. The zipper was stuck halfway up her back, and it wouldn''t budge no matter how he pulled. Shane unfastened the zipper and nced at her midriff. ¡°It''s the baby.¡± Natalie nodded with a sheepish expression on her face. ¡°Yeah, it''s been more than three months, and there''s a noticeable bulge now. The gown is made with my pre-pregnancy measurements, so naturally, I can''t fit into it anymore. I guess what they say about pregnancy brain is true. As a costume designer, I can''t believe I forgot to factor this in.¡± She suddenly seemed to remember something, and her gaze flew to Shane. ¡°Darling, I don''t think we could have the wedding after thepetition. By then, I would be seven months pregnant. My belly would swell up more, and the gown would no longer fit me. We would have to wait until after the baby''s born to have the wedding.¡± Natalie hadn''t thought about this until they had difficulty with the zipper. It''s better to hold off on the wedding now than to realize the gown doesn''t fit after the invitations have been sent out. Evidently, Shane hadn''t thought about this, too. His lips thinned, thinking inwardly that the baby had come at an inopportune time to dy their wedding. So be it. There''s nothing we could do, anyway. His fingers grazed the veil fitted on Natalie''s head as he murmured, ¡°It''s all right. We''ve waited a long time. A few more months wouldn''t make a difference.¡± Though his words said that, she could hear the misery in his voice and burst outughing. ¡°Oh, stop pouting. I''ll make it up to you.¡± Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 Shane''s eyes gleamed. ¡°How are you going to repay me?¡± Natalie tiptoed so she could whisper something in Shane''s ear. His eyes clearly widened before he swept her up and walked out of the cloakroom. Natalie had always been gorgeous, and now she was exceptionally breathtaking in her wedding dress. The two of them spent a long time in their bedroom, noting out even during dinnertime. Eventually, Natalie started feeling her hunger when midnight rolled around. Shane carried her aching, sore body down the stairs and prepared a simple supper for both of them. The next day, Shane didn''t go to work. Natalie was about to bring the kids overseas for thepetition tomorrow. That was why he purposely pushed back all his appointments so he could properly spend time with his family. If he missed this chance, he would have to wait for another ten to fifteen days before he could see them again. Shane, Natalie, and the kids had almost finished putting together a puzzle when Ss suddenly called. ¡°Mr. Shane, I found something when I was cleaning out the Thompson residence.¡± Ss'' shaky voice wasced with an undertone of shock, clearly stumbled upon something unusual. Shane immediately became serious. ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie and the kids looked at him. ¡°What''s wrong, Darling?¡± ¡°Ss brought some men over to clean out the Thompson residence so they could settle whatever Sam and the others had left there. He just called me and said they found something big,¡± Shane exined briefly. Natalie nodded in understanding. Ss gulped audibly as he looked at his shocking discovery once again. Trying his best to suppress his shock, he replied as calmly as possible, ¡°It''s about Sean, but I think you''d better personallye over to see exactly what it is.¡± ¡°All right. I''ll be right there.¡± Shane couldn''t help but grow curious after Ss'' obvious shock and nodded. After he hung up, Natalie watched as he stood up. ¡°Are you going over?¡± ¡°Yeah. Ss said it''s about Sean, so I have to go take a look,¡± Shane said as he pressed his lips into a line. Natalie put down the puzzle and stood up as well. ¡°Then I''ll follow you.¡± Shane nodded in agreement. ¡°We want to go too!¡± Connor hurriedly piped up. Sharon didn''t say anything, but her tiny head was nodding fervently. Natalie ruffled both of their heads. ¡°Not this time. Stay at home, okay? Mommy and Daddy have official stuff to do, but we''ll be back in no time.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Connor tried again. This time, Shane interrupted, ¡°Listen to your mom, kids. We''ll bring you out another time.¡± ¡°Okay then,¡± Connor said with a pout and sat back down since both his parents had already said no. Shane and Natalie then left to the Thompson residence. They reached about an hourter. Ss was waiting for them in the living room. When he saw them enter, he quickly got up and bowed respectfully. ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Shane and madam.¡± Natalie smiled at him in response. Shane, on the other hand, frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Please follow me.¡± Ss sighed as he politely gestured toward a room. Based on Ss'' serious expression, Shane knew that whatever he was about to see would be much worse than his expectations. His gaze darkened, and he held Natalie''s hand as they followed Ss. They walked toward a room, and Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°This was Sean''s study room.¡± ¡°Yes. It used to be locked, and we had to open it by force, but we hadn''t imagined¡ªwell, Mr. Shane, please don''t be angry when you see what''s inside,¡± Ss said solemnly. Natalie bit her lip. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. What exactly could be inside? As she fell into deep thought, she heard Shane say, ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ss replied before taking a deep breath and opening the door. Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 The light in the room was already turned on. The moment Natalie stepped in, she felt her hair standing on end. It was a very big study room, maybe around sixty or so square feet. The walls of the room were stered with a lot of photographs and posters of various sizes. Apart from those, there were many wax figures lying around. All of these wax figures shared the same face as the subject of every single photograph and poster¡ª Shane''s mother. Natalie felt goosebumps rising on her arms and subconsciously rubbed at them. Why were there so many pictures of her mother-inw in Sean''s room? Also, what was with the wax figures? Besides that, why would a nephew even have so many pictures and figures of his own aunt in his study room? Natalie looked at Shane in confusion. Shane''s dark expression immediately sent chills down her spine. It felt as if the temperature had lowered following his re, and it even began to feel as if she couldn''t breathe. She knew that Shane wasn''t just angry, he was furious. Rightly so, as who wouldn''t have been furious at the sight of their mother''s face stered all over someone''s study room in such a perverse manner? Natalie gently squeezed Shane''s hand, reminding him to calm down and investigate the reason behind Sean''s actions before getting angry. Shane closed his eyes and did his best to suppress his anger. He turned to Ss and asked, ¡°Is there anything else apart from these?¡± ¡°Yes. We also found a diary.¡± At the mention of the diary, Ss'' face paled, and he started to look extra ufortable. Natalie could already sense that something was very wrong. ¡°Where is it?¡± Shane wanted to ask the same thing. Ss walked toward the desk and pulled open a drawer. He took out an old diary with a yellowing cover and passed it to Shane with both hands. ¡°I flipped through the diary before you came. Sean''s been using it since he was ten. If you want to read it, you can start from where I''ve left the bookmark, which starts from when he was fifteen. That''s where he starts to talk about why he has so many pictures and wax figures of Mrs. Thompson.¡± After that, he quickly stepped aside and did his best to be invisible. He wished he didn''t have to be around when Shane exploded, knowing he would get thrown into the mix. ¡°Shane, let''s read from where Ss mentioned,¡± Natalie said gently to Shane, who was looking at the diary. He pressed his lips together before following suit. Ss had made sure to leave half of the bookmark outside the pages so that it could be found easily, so Shane immediately flipped to that page. When he saw the contents on the page, Shane''s pupils immediately contracted, and he felt like a vein was about to burst. Sean! How dare he! The hand Shane was holding the diary with was beginning to tremble in a fury, and the veins on his arm were already showing. It was something that only happened when he was so enraged that he could destroy anything. Natalie was shocked and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Shane didn''t reply and continued staring at the diary with a stormy re. All Natalie could do was read it herself. When she saw the contents of the diary, she inhaled in shock and pressed a hand to her gaping mouth. ¡°S-Sean...¡± Sean had developed romantic feelings toward his own aunt. No wonder he had so many pictures and wax figures of his own aunt. He was in love with her. It wasn''t the familial type of love a nephew should have toward his aunt, either. No. He loved her the way a man would love a woman. He was disgusting. How could anyone ever feel that way toward their own rtive? It''s a taboo! ¡°I''m going to kill him. I''m going to f*cking kill him,¡± Shane suddenly hissed. His voice wasn''tced with any emotion except pure, unadulterated anger. Natalie was scared, but she didn''t try to advise him otherwise.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She knew how angry he was right now. If she told him to calm down, he would only get angrier. Ss flinched and even began to hide his breathing in an attempt to disappear. After what seemed like a long time, Shane finally calmed down slightly. He shut the diary with a loud snap and gripped it tightly. ¡°Take all of these posters, pictures, and wax figures. Then, burn them. I don''t want to see any trace of them left behind.¡± Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 Natalie opened her mouth slightly before she decided against saying what she had nned on saying. Oh well. It''s not good to leave this stuff behind anyway, even if they are of Shane''s mom. He probably doesn''t want something that Sean lusted over to be left behind. After all, it isn''t as if Shane is hurting his actual mother by doing this. ¡°Understood,¡± Ss said as he nodded. After Shane red at the room around him, he looked down to hide the hatred in his eyes and turned to walk out. Natalie followed behind him. They left the Thompson residence, and Shane remained silent the whole way home. Natalie drove while he read through the diary. She nced at him cautiously, worried about whatever he was feeling right now. Despite her concern, she remained quiet. She knew he didn''t need words offort right now. When they returned to Thompson vi, Shane locked himself in the study room alone. Mrs. Wilson came out of the kitchen with some sliced fruits and ced them in front of Natalie. ¡°What happened to sir?¡± Natalie nced upstairs and sighed. ¡°So we went to the old Thompson house...¡± She told Mrs. Wilson everything that had happened. After she was done, Mrs. Wilson pped her own thigh in anger. ¡°I can''t believe it! How dare Sean do such a shameless thing? That''s his aunt, for God''s sake! H-He deserves to be locked up!¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Natalie muttered as she massaged her brows. Shameless was already a mild way to put it. It was a crime at this point. Based on what she had heard from Shane, Lindsay had treated Sean very well since he was a kid. She raised him almost as if he were her own son. If she knew that someone she treated as her own flesh and blood had started feeling such perverse feelings for her, would she regret treating him so well? Still, Natalie knew Lindsay couldn''t have known. She had passed away eighteen years ago, and Sean had only been thirteen then. Based on his diary, he had only discovered his taboo feelings for her when he was fifteen. Hence, she probably never sensed anything. ¡°I knew Sean was ridiculously shameless, but I didn''t know it was this bad. I should have warned her not to treat him so well. It''s my fault.¡± Mrs. Wilson sighed regretfully. Natalie turned to look at her. ¡°Why was it your fault?¡± ¡°Well, sir wasn''t with Mrs. Thompson very often since he was a child. She missed him so much that she would cry over him, and it only stopped when Sean showed up. She reced her sadness over sir with her newfound love for Sean, and I was happy seeing her happy. He was almost like a blessing for her at the time, so even if she started going a bit overboard with how well she was treating him, I never said a word,¡± Mrs. Wilson said with a bitter smile. If she had known then what she knew now, she would have done anything to stop Lindsay from getting too close to Sean. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Natalie patted the back of Mrs. Wilson''s hand gently and uttered, ¡°Don''t me yourself, Mrs. Wilson. No one could have seen iting back then. After all, Sean was more than twenty years younger than Lindsay. No one would have imagined him developing these feelings for her, anyway.¡± ¡°That''s true, but I just can''t get over it. I could have prevented it, but...¡± Mrs. Wilson trailed off into a long sigh, pounding her own chest. Natalie looked down and fell into deep thought. She was wondering if it could have been a psychological issue since it wasn''t normal for the then fifteen-year-old Sean to fall in love with his thirty-year-old aunt. She decided to ask Stanley about it, and the opportunity for that came soon enough. When Mrs. Wilson went upstairs to deliver some coffee to Shane, Natalie ced a quick call to Stanley. When Stanley saw the disy name onscreen, he felt rather taken aback. ¡°Nat? What''s up?¡± Ever since she had found out about his feelings for her and also about his mental illness, she hadn''t taken the initiative to call him. He was feeling quite happy at the unexpected call. His sses shed under the light, and the corner of his mouth lifted in an unsettling smile, but the voice with which he called Natalie remained as warm as ever. ¡°I have a question for you, Stanley,¡± Natalie said as she chewed on her bottom lip. Chapter 1031 Chapter 1031 Stanley leaned back in his chair. ¡°What is it? I''ll do my best to answer.¡± Natalie took a deep breath before saying, ¡°So I have a friend who was raised by his aunt and uncle. When he was thirteen, his aunt and uncle both passed away. In a diary entry he wrote when he was fifteen, he mentioned how he had developed...inappropriate feelings toward his aunt. Is that normal in any way?¡± She didn''t mention that she was talking about Sean, nor did she mention that his aunt and uncle were Shane''s parents. After all, it was still the Thompson family''s private matters, so she felt the need to keep it a secret. Stanley rose an eyebrow in suspicion. ¡°You''re saying that this friend of yours fell in love with his aunt, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Natalie said with a nod. Stanley pushed his sses further up his nose bridge and asked, ¡°Why did his aunt and uncle raise him? Did his parents pass away?¡± ¡°No, but they were both neglectful. His father was always out womanizing and cheating on his mother, who would also go out all day chasing after his father and his mistresses. She even hated my friend for not being able to keep his father with them even though she managed to give him a son,¡± Natalie replied. Stanley tilted his head back slightly. ¡°I see. I think I know what''s wrong. First of all, a man falling in love with his own aunt is wrong in and of itself. Honestly, most men who fall in love with a female figure who is significantly older than themselves have at least mild psychological issues. The biggest issue is that they missed out on motherly love growing up.¡± ¡°Missing out on motherly love?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°Yes,¡± Stanley replied. ¡°You said it yourself. His parents were never there for him, so he never experienced parental love. His world was bleak and lonely until this aunt appeared and gave him the love he couldn''t get from his parents. After she lit up his world so suddenly, it''s natural that his feelings for his aunt eventually became inappropriate.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Natalie said as she dug her fingernails into her palm. Stanley spoke up again. ¡°Still, these cases are rare. I can count on one hand the number of times I''ve seen people fall in love with their own rtives.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Isn''t that why it''s strange, because it''s so rare?¡± Natalie asked. Stanley nodded. ¡°Yes. Most normal people would never develop such feelings toward their own aunt. Your friend most definitely has some psychological issues of his own, but something that could have spiked its development is the passing of his aunt. It could have affected him by making him miss his aunt even more, to the point that his familial love toward her festered and became romantic.¡± ¡°I got it. Thank you, Stanley.¡± Natalie massaged her temples. Stanley chuckled gently. ¡°No need to thank me. Is there anything else you want to know?¡± ¡°Not for now,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Then I''ll be hanging up now. I have an operation to get to in a few minutes. Talk to you soon.¡± Stanley automatically bid farewell first. Natalie hummed in agreement and hung up. After their call, she put down her cell phone and walked upstairs. She walked toward Shane''s study room and was about to knock when the door opened on its own. Mrs. Wilson emerged and looked at Natalie in surprise. ¡°What are you doing here, madam?¡± ¡°I''m a little worried about him, so I decided to check up on him. I also need to tell him something,¡± Natalie said. ¡°How is he doing?¡± ¡°He''s still reading the diary,¡± Mrs. Wilson replied. Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay. You can go downstairs now. I''ll take a look at him.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Mrs. Wilson answered with a smile before stepping aside to let Natalie enter. After Natalie walked in, she closed the door softly behind her and strode toward the desk. He was reading the diary ced in front of him, clearly paying his utmost attention to its contents. However, his brows were knitted together in annoyance and stress, clearly ticked off by whatever he was reading. Who knew what else Sean had written apart from his inappropriate feelings toward his aunt? ¡°Shane,¡± Natalie called out softly. Shane looked up at the sound of her voice. He was still clearly bothered by the contents, but he was as gentle as always toward Natalie. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 ¡°I came to check up on you and also wanted to tell you something,¡± Natalie responded as she pulled out a chair. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Shane looked at her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I just called Stanley.¡± At the sound of his name, Shane frowned. Natalie ced a gentle hand on his, indicating for him not to get jealous. ¡°I didn''t say who exactly Sean was and just called him my friend so I could ask if these feelings he had toward Lindsay were normal. He told me that it was definitely not normal and that Sean most likely developed that attraction due to a lack of love.¡± She quickly went through the conversation she had with Stanley. ¡°I know he''s not normal. If he were normal, he wouldn''t have developed these sick feelings toward his own aunt,¡± Shane said with a scarily dark re. Natalie sighed. ¡°Yeah. It definitely is a huge shock.¡± Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Who''s there?¡± Natalie asked, turning around to look. Ss'' voice came from the other side of the door, ¡°It''s me, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Ah, Ss. I''ll open the door.¡± Natalie shed a quick smile at Shane and walked over. Ss nodded gratefully at Natalie. ¡°Where''s Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°He''s inside. Come on in.¡± She stepped aside to let Ss pass. He thanked her once again and walked in. She closed the door and walked over. Shane looked up at Ss. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We have already destroyed everything you asked us to,¡± Ss reported. Natalie knew he was talking about the pictures, posters, and wax figures of Lindsay. Shane''s tightly knitted brow rxed slightly at the sound of that. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°I need to talk to you about somepany-rted matters,¡± Ss said, trailing off slightly as he nced at Natalie. Thetter knew they were about to talk about business stuff and stood up with a smile. ¡°Go ahead. I''ll step out for now. Shane, can I take a look at this diary?¡± ¡°Be my guest,¡± Shane replied with a nod. Natalie picked up the diary and walked toward the door. Thompson Group was an international business, and there were plenty of important matters within the company. Even though she was Shane''s wife, she personally did her best to avoid being too nosy. It wasn''t because Shane didn''t trust her. It was more because it would be dangerous for her to know too much about such arge business. After all, Thompson Group had its fair share of rivals, and it wasn''t impossible for someone to kidnap her in order to get information about Thompson Group out of her. That was why there was an unspoken rule in the field. Most businessmen did their best not to drag their wives into business matters, especially the top-secret stuff. Unless their wives were also involved in the business, they refrained from letting their wives know too much as a form of protection. Natalie walked out of the room with the diary in hand. When she reached the kids'' room, she opened the door slightly to check on them. The kids had been sleeping since just now, and she wasn''t sure if they had woken up yet. She inched her head into the gap to get a better look at their beds. ¡°Still asleep,¡± she whispered with a smile on her face at the sight of her kids. She then stepped back and closed the door gently. Once she was in her room, Natalie sat on the edge of her bed and began flipping through the diary pages. Sean didn''t write in the diary every day, so it wasn''t exactly chronologically organized. Sometimes he would write in it every few days, sometimes every month, and sometimes even every few months. All the entries had one thing inmon¡ªthey were all written when he was feeling extra emotional. Soon enough, Natalie read the part where Ss had left in the bookmark, also the part from where Sean turned fifteen. The diary was full of every single one of Sean''s emotions. He ranted about why his parents didn''t love him and wondered if it was because he wasn''t obedient enough. By the time he was about eight or nine years old, he had seemingly given up on his own parents and stopped mentioning them in his entries. On the contrary, he started writing more and more about Shane''s parents. Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 Sean wrote all about how well Shane''s parents treated him and what they did for him. Natalie could see how happy and content Sean felt under Shane''s parents'' care. At least until this point, Sean only loved them as parental figures. The first trace of worry that Natalie had seen so far appeared in an entry written when he was twelve. He wrote about how his aunt and uncle were about to bring Shane back home and how terrified he was that they would no longer love him if Shane were home, that they would stop loving him as if he were their actual son. That was why, as Sean wrote in his diary, he told his grandpa to leave Shane overseas for a little bit longer. ¡°He must have been much too anxious,¡± Natalie said with a sigh. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. He had never felt parental love before, so that was why he clutched at any straws that Shane''s parents gave him. He must have been terrified that he would go back to being unloved and alone if Shane came back. He might have done many horrible things, but he was rather pitiful as well. Natalie massaged her brow and gently brushed her fingers against the diary. Sean wrote about how Shane continued to be left overseas and how he could happily go back to being loved by Shane''s parents. Before the two of them passed away, Sean heldpletely normal feelings toward his aunt, simply seeing the two of them as his real parents. When he turned thirteen and heard about his surrogate parents passing away, he went through a lot of emotional trauma and even had to go to the hospital for a burning fever. He cked out for a few days before waking up, and when he did, he hadpletely changed. Sean even mentioned in one entry how he often dreamed about his aunt. He missed her so much that his feelings for her began to warp and be inappropriate. ¡°That''s sad.¡± Natalie sighed and continued reading. Back in the study room, Shane nodded after listening to Ss'' report. ¡°Do as you proposed, then. Let me know the results as soon as it happens. If this turns out well, I''ll consider sending you for devolution.¡± Ss'' eyes lit up at the sound of that. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane! I will do my best to finish this and won''t let you down!¡± Devolution had been Ss'' dream. While being Shane''s assistant was a great position to be in, it would be even better to be sent to be the CEO of a subsidiary. Shane hummed in response. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Yes, but I''m not sure if I should say it.¡± Ss adjusted his sses in hesitation. Shane looked at him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It''s about Sean and madam,¡± Ss replied. Sean narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sean and Natalie?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ss nodded. ¡°You once mentioned that Sean had feelings for madam, and we just learned today that he also harbored those feelings toward your mother. I went back and thought about it and realized something shocking.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Shane prompted. Jacqueline had been the one to tell him that Sean liked Natalie. The reason he believed it was because Sean had always treated Natalie with a different attitude compared to others. Now, Shane was no longer sure if Sean liked Natalie. ¡°It''s their eyes. Haven''t you realized how their eyes are practically the same?¡± Ss reminded Shane. He had never seen Shane''s mother, as she had already passed for close to ten years by the time he started working for Shane. However, he had seen pictures of her. Shane used to have one right on his desk that he eventually stowed away. That was why Ss could remember Lindsay''s face so clearly. Natalie might be more attractive in terms of looks, but their eyes were certainly almostpletely the same. He had realized this for a long time, but he never found the chance to talk about it. He was also under the impression that Shane had already realized that the reason he fell for Natalie was because of her eyes. Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 Only now did he realize that that was not the case. Shane''s pupils contracted at the sound of Ss'' words. Mom and Natalie have the same eyes? He hurriedly opened his drawer and pulled out a picture of his mother beforeparing it to Natalie''s and realized that Ss was right. Shane''s hand tightened around the picture. He couldn''t believe he was only paying attention to such a surprising simrity now. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Ss called out carefully at the sight of Shane''s shock. ¡°Could Sean be treating madam as some sort of recement?¡± Shane''s lips pressed together coldly. ¡°Keep thispletely under wraps.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ss nodded. Shane pinched his brow tiredly. ¡°You can leave now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ss responded with another nod before walking out. Shane was left alone in the study room. He lowered his head, and his un-styled hair fell over his eyes, hiding his current expression under the shade of his fringe. Despite that, his anger was made obvious by the immense, heavy aura around him. Great. Just great. Not only did Sean fall in love with his own aunt, but he also treated my wife as a substitute. I''ll kill him! Bang! Shane mmed his fist on the desk. The sheer impact alone split his knuckles open, and a trickle of fresh blood dripped out from the wound and onto the desk. It was as if he couldn''t feel the pain as he walked straight out of the study room and to their bedroom. Natalie was in the midst of reading the diary and looked up at the sound of the door opening. When she saw the man in the doorway, she was about to greet him with a smile when she realized how he was acting. Immediately, her smile faded, and she asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Shane?¡± She ced the diary pages-down on the bed and walked over to Shane. He was looking angrier than he had been when she left the study room, so he clearly had heard something infuriating. Shane looked up, and his lips moved as if he were about to say something. Before he could speak, Natalie caught sight of his bleeding hand and stared in shock. ¡°Shane! What happened to your hand?¡± She reached out and grabbed it gently. When she noticed his split knuckles, her small face creased into a frown. ¡°Did you punch something?¡± Instead of replying, Shane hugged her tightly and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She stood there in mild shock before gently patting his back. In a gentle voice, she said, ¡°What happened, Darling? You have to tell me, or I''ll be worried.¡± He looked up at the sound of his wife''s concern. ¡°Sean sees you as a substitute for my mother.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened. ¡°A substitute?¡± ¡°I''ve always thought that you were the one he actually loved, but Ss just told me about how you and my mother have practically the same eyes.¡± Natalie understood what Shane was so upset about, and her lips trembled. ¡°Are you saying that Sean fell for me because I have the same eyes like your mom?¡± ¡°It''s highly possible,¡± Shane said as he let go of her to fish out a picture from his pocket. ¡°This is a picture of her.¡± Natalie looked down and started looking at the picture carefully. Shane''s mother was a real gentle beauty, almost ethereal in her good looks. She was on theplete opposite end of the spectrum from Natalie''s own looks. If Natalie had strong, clear-cut features, then Shane''s mother had delicate, gentle features. Natalie knew exactly how she looked and was extremely familiar with her own features. Maybe that was why she no longer reacted when she saw features simr to her own because she never really saw the simrities. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. But now, as she took a closer look, she had to agree with Ss. It was highly likely that Sean had treated her as a substitute for Shane''s mother. When she thought about this, Natalie felt a sudden gust of anger. She didn''t love Sean, but she couldn''t ept being seen as anyone''s substitute, not even Lindsay. Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 She was Natalie, and that was that. She was one of a kind. How could someone treat her as someone else''s substitute? Natalie clenched her hands into fists and hissed, ¡°What a scumbag.¡± Shane knew she was talking about Sean, and he agreed wholeheartedly. Falling in love with his own aunt and Natalie, too? Despicable. ¡°Once we find him, I''m going to show him why he should be scared,¡± Natalie said and bit her lip. Shane caressed her hair gently. Natalie looked at Shane''s bloody knuckles, and her anger toward Sean immediately extinguished. She pulled him toward the bed. ¡°I''ll help you bandage this.¡± She forced him to sit down and went to get the first-aid kit from the closet. When she came out with the first-aid kit, she saw Shane reading the diary. He flipped through it. ¡°Are you almost done?¡± ¡°Yes. I have two entries left,¡± Natalie walked over and put the first-aid kit down. As she started ruffling through it to look for the correct ointment, she said, ¡°I haven''t read them thoroughly, but I did flip through them. I realized he stopped five years ago.¡± ¡°Five years ago, he drugged me and wanted to ckmail me. His n only failed because you showed up, and after I left, I chased him out of the country. That was why he stopped,¡± Shane exined. Natalie nodded. ¡°I see. So he probably also joined that organization because you kicked him out, right?¡± ¡°Yes. He had no power five years ago, but now he has enough power to be considered a threat in more than a few countries. That''s what makes me think he joined around the same time, too,¡± Shane said mildly. Natalie cleaned off the blood on his knuckles. ¡°He wrote about his true goal behind drugging you that night.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shane frowned. Natalie threw away the bloody cotton ball and started disinfecting the wound with alcohol. ¡°He wrote that he did do that to ckmail you so he could get you to return Wells Properties'' major shares. He even wrote that he had never even thought about taking over Thompson Group, but if your father had passed it over to him, he wouldn''t have said no.¡± ¡°He can keep dreaming!¡± Shane smirked coldly before his eyes narrowed at a sudden thought. ¡°Did you just say he wanted me to return the Wells Properties shares to him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why return, though?¡± Shane didn''t get it. He knew his mom hadn''t handed Wells Properties over to him, or herwyer would havee to find him soon after she passed so he could be informed. He hadn''t known who had gotten Wells Properties until he saw his grandfather''s will and found out that Sean had gotten it. How could Sean ask him to return them? It wasn''t like Shane had them anyway. Shane''s mouth opened slightly. ¡°Did Sean think it went to me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°He wrote about how Lindsay passed Wells Properties over to him as a note of gratitude. She truly did treat him like a son, and Sean knew that. However, before he could sign the contract, she passed away, and the contract disappeared, so he thought you had taken it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shane''s thin lips ttened into a line. Natalie sighed. ¡°Actually, Grandpa took the contract away, and he didn''t tell either of you. That''s why Sean thought you took it away because you didn''t think it was fair for him to get it. Then, when he found out that the contract wasn''t with you and with Grandpa, he started his relentless journey to get his hands on Grandpa''s will.¡± Everything made perfect sense now. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Shane clenched his fists tightly. ¡°He''d really stop at nothing to get his hands on Wells Properties.¡± ¡°Because it was from your mom,¡± Natalie reminded. Of course, Sean took it seriously. After all, he was in love with Lindsay. Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 After all, that was the only thing Lindsay had left for him. ¡°Okay, Shane. You take a look first. I''m going to take a bath.¡± Natalie tied the bandage, put everything back into the first-aid kit, and went into the bathroom. Shane lowered his head and continued to look through the diary. He wanted to destroy it after he was done with it. However, Natalie stopped him from doing so, just in case they need it in the future. Hence, Shane kept the diary with him even though he despised it. The next day, Shane and Joyce saw Natalie and the two kids off at the airport. Sally picked them up upon their arrival. ¡°Nat, you''re finally back. Have you wrapped everything up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Sally helped her with her luggage so that she could hold her kids'' hands. And so, the four of them walked out of the airport. Sally put the luggage in the trunk of the car while Natalie opened the car door and ushered the kids in. She then closed the car door and turned to Sally. ¡°Sal, can you please take the kids back to the vi first?¡± Sally closed the trunk and looked at her in surprise. ¡°Why? Aren''t you going back?¡± ¡°I''ll go backter. I need to make a trip to the mental hospital first,¡± Natalie replied. Sally nodded. ¡°Okay. But what are you going to do since I''ll be taking the car?¡± ¡°I''ll take a taxi. All right, I''m going off now.¡± Natalie waved her hands and walked toward the roadside to hail a taxi. There were a lot of taxis stationed at the airport for on-demand service. Hence, it wasn''t long before Natalie was on her way to the mental hospital. After half an hour, Natalie arrived at the mental hospital. She could see Jasmine watching television inside the ward through the closed half-ss door as she stood outside. Jasmine looked mentally healthy. She wasn''t the least bit affected by the environment she was in. All of this was possible merely because Natalie didn''t ask the doctors and nurses to try anything funny on her. That also meant that Jasmine wasn''t receiving any treatment even though she was being locked up in a mental hospital. Hence, freedom was the only thing taken away from her at the moment. ¡°Here you go, Mrs. Thompson.¡± One of the nurses opened the door for Natalie. Natalie smiled at her and walked into the ward. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Jasmine''s gaze was fixed on the door. She screwed up her face when she saw it was Natalie, and her eyes filled with hatred. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Yes, it''s me.¡± Natalie smiled. Jasmine tightened her grip on the remote control. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°To pay you a visit. I also have some updates for you.¡± Natalie pulled a chair over and sat down. Jasmine scoffed. ¡°I''m not interested.¡± ¡°No, you will be interested. I want to tell you that Harrison and Susan have passed away.¡± Natalie rested her chin on her hand and said softly. Jasmine''s mind went nk upon hearing the news. It took her a while before she came back to her senses. ¡°What did you say?¡± she shrieked. ¡°I said Harrison and Susan have passed away.¡± Natalie stared at her as she repeated the statement. Jasmine was dumbfounded as she confirmed the news. ¡°They''re dead... How is that possible...¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible. Harrison''s body couldn''t keep up after being poisoned by your mother. Your mother''s affair with Warren was thest straw for him. You can say that your mother is the one who killed Harrison,¡± Natalie said coldly. Jasmine gaped at her as she tried to process her thoughts. After a while, she asked, ¡°What about Mom?¡± ¡°She was sentenced to death.¡± Natalie broke into a smile. ¡°Shemitted a crime when she poisoned Harrison. Moreover, she tried to strangle Harrison to death in front of the police officers and killed my mother by pushing her down the stairs. All these crimes add up, resulting in a death sentence.¡± ¡°So... You''re the one behind my mother''s death?¡± Jasmine roared with rage. Josmine scoffed. ¡°I''m not interested.¡± ¡°No, you will be interested. I wont to tell you thot Horrison ond Suson hove possed owoy.¡± Notolie rested her chin on her hond ond soid softly. Josmine''s mind went blonk upon heoring the news. It took her o while before shee bock to her senses. ¡°Whot did you soy?¡± she shrieked. ¡°I soid Horrison ond Suson hove possed owoy.¡± Notolie stored ot her os she repeoted the stotement. Josmine wos dumbfounded os she confirmed the news. ¡°They''re deod... How is thot possible...¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible. Horrison''s body couldn''t keep up ofter being poisoned by your mother. Your mother''s offoir with Worren wos the lost strow for him. You con soy thot your mother is the one who killed Horrison,¡± Notolie soid coldly. Josmine goped ot her os she tried to process her thoughts. After o while, she osked, ¡°Whot obout Mom?¡± ¡°She wos sentenced to deoth.¡± Notolie broke into o smile. ¡°Shemitted o crime when she poisoned Horrison. Moreover, she tried to strongle Horrison to deoth in front of the police officers ond killed my mother by pushing her down the stoirs. All these crimes odd up, resulting in o deoth sentence.¡± ¡°So... You''re the one behind my mother''s deoth?¡± Josmine roored with roge. Chapter 1037 Chapter 1037 Natalie was infuriated. ¡°Correction. I''m not the one behind her death. She was sentenced to death because of what she did. She wouldn''t have died if she wasn''t responsible for all that evil, would she?¡± However, Jasmine refused to listen. All she knew was that Susan had died. Even though she hated Susan, thetter was still her mother. She couldn''t stand seeing anyoney a finger on her mother. ¡°Natalie, quit your bullsh*t! What do you mean she was at fault for her own death? If you hadn''t called the police, my mom wouldn''t have died! She would still be alive!¡± Jasmine got off the bed and moved toward Natalie. However, she was pushed to the ground by a bodyguard before she could even reach Natalie. Natalie was still seated on her chair as she red at Jasmine. ¡°I must say, you''re very funny. You''re telling me I shouldn''t have called the police instead of saying this is what she deserves. No wonder you are your mother''s child. There''s something wrong with your head. You clearly don''t have the right values and can''t be bothered with thew.¡± Jasmine trembled with rage. ¡°Don''t talk to me about thew! All I know is that my mother''s death is all your fault!¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°I do admit that I brought the police over to arrest Susan. But so what? What can you do when you''re locked up here? Moreover, don''t you hate her? Shouldn''t you be happy now that she''s dead? Why are you acting like you''re trying to seek justice for her? Don''t be such a hypocrite.¡± ¡°That''s none of your business. She''s still my mother, after all, even if I hate her. You''re in no position to lay a finger on her.¡± Jasmine could only re at her since she was being held back by the bodyguard. If looks could kill, Natalie would have been shredded into a thousand pieces by now. Natalie propped her head on one hand and saidzily, ¡°What about Harrison? Susan treated you like sh*t when you were young, but you''re trying to seek justice for her. Why didn''t you cry for Harrison''s sake? He''s dead too. He treated you really well, didn''t he? He even kicked me and Jared ¡ª his biological children ¡ª out of the family for your sake, but he''s not even on your mind now that he''s dead.¡± Guilt shed across Jasmine''s face upon her words as her eyes flickered. ¡°Why should I keep him in my thoughts? You said so yourself ¡ª he''s not my biological father.¡± ¡°He still treated you very well even though he''s not your biological father, right?¡± Natalie stared at her. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Jasmine sneered. ¡°Treated me well? Yes, he did treat me well, but that was because he thought I was his biological daughter. Would he have treated me as well if he knew I wasn''t one of his own?¡± Natalie tousled her hair. ¡°What an ingrate. Harrison would be so mad if he heard that. You''re right; he probably wouldn''t have treated you as well if he knew you weren''t his biological daughter. However, you can''t justpletely disregard the fact that he was the one who brought you up and how well he treated you. Poor thing, he didn''t even get so much as a ''thank you'' after his death.¡± With that, she stood up. ¡°I thought you would have cried for Harrison''s sake after learning all these, but it looks like I''m wrong. How could a heartless person cry? Forget it, I''m leaving. Take care.¡± She turned around and left. ¡°Natalie Smith! Just you wait. I''ll make you pay for my mother''s death. I''ll drag you down to hell with me even if I can''t escape this ce!¡± Jasmine bellowed behind her, her voice full of hatred. Natalie paused and turned to face her. ¡°Really? I''ll be waiting then. But I''ll let you get a taste of hell first before you drag me down there with you. Teach her a good lesson.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma''am,¡± the bodyguards replied in unison. Natalie turned around and walked out of the ward. She could hear Jasmine''s cries of pain and anguish behind her even after walking out of the door. It was obvious the two bodyguards were sparing her no mercy. She deserves it anyways. Notolie tousled her hoir. ¡°Whot on ingrote. Horrison would be so mod if he heord thot. You''re right; he probobly wouldn''t hove treoted you os well if he knew you weren''t his biologicol doughter. However, you con''t justpletely disregord the foct thot he wos the one who brought you up ond how well he treoted you. Poor thing, he didn''t even get so much os o ''thonk you'' ofter his deoth.¡± With thot, she stood up. ¡°I thought you would hove cried for Horrison''s soke ofter leorning oll these, but it looks like I''m wrong. How could o heortless person cry? Forget it, I''m leoving. Toke core.¡± She turned oround ond left. ¡°Notolie Smith! Just you woit. I''ll moke you poy for my mother''s deoth. I''ll drog you down to hell with me even if I con''t escope this ploce!¡± Josmine bellowed behind her, her voice full of hotred. Notolie poused ond turned to foce her. ¡°Reolly? I''ll be woiting then. But I''ll let you get o toste of hell first before you drog me down there with you. Teoch her o good lesson.¡± ¡°Yes, Mo''om,¡± the bodyguords replied in unison. Notolie turned oround ond wolked out of the word. She could heor Josmine''s cries of poin ond onguish behind her even ofter wolking out of the door. It wos obvious the two bodyguords were sporing her no mercy. She deserves it onywoys. Chapter 1038 Chapter 1038 ¡°You went to visit Jasmine?¡± Shane asked in a deep voice. ¡°How did you find out?¡± ¡°Connor told me about it.¡± Shane was standing in front of Sam''s grave as he spoke. Today was Sam''s funeral. However, they did not invite anyone over. Shane merely asked Ss to retrieve Sam''s ashes back from the funeral house and buried him in a grave they had prepared beforehand. They were setting up his tombstone at the moment after burying him. Shane stood by and watched as they worked on erecting the tombstone. He nned to leave right after they were done. It was his way of keeping Sam''s dignity intact as his nephew. ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, I met Jasmine just now. It''s funny how she mes me for Susan''s death. She thought Susan would still be alive if I hadn''t brought the police over.¡± ¡°Something''s wrong with her head. Just ignore her.¡± Shane pursed his lips. Natalie smiled. ¡°I know. That''s why I left. I''m going back to the vi now.¡± ¡°Okay. Be careful. Let me know when you reach, don''t make me worry,¡± Shane instructed in gentle tones. After finding out that Jacqueline had escaped from J City, he had a feeling she would go after Natalie again. He felt very worried even though he had employed a few bodyguards to look after Natalie and the kids. ¡°You went to visit Josmine?¡± Shone osked in o deep voice. ¡°How did you find out?¡± ¡°Connor told me obout it.¡± Shone wos stonding in front of Som''s grove os he spoke. Todoy wos Som''s funerol. However, they did not invite onyone over. Shone merely osked Silos to retrieve Som''s oshes bock from the funerol house ond buried him in o grove they hod prepored beforehond. They were setting up his tombstone ot the moment ofter burying him. Shone stood by ond wotched os they worked on erecting the tombstone. He plonned to leove right ofter they were done. It wos his woy of keeping Som''s dignity intoct os his nephew. ¡°I see.¡± Notolie nodded. ¡°Yes, I met Josmine just now. It''s funny how she blomes me for Suson''s deoth. She thought Suson would still be olive if I hodn''t brought the police over.¡± ¡°Something''s wrong with her heod. Just ignore her.¡± Shone pursed his lips. Notolie smiled. ¡°I know. Thot''s why I left. I''m going bock to the villo now.¡± ¡°Okoy. Be coreful. Let me know when you reoch, don''t moke me worry,¡± Shone instructed in gentle tones. After finding out thot Jocqueline hod escoped from J City, he hod o feeling she would go ofter Notolie ogoin. He felt very worried even though he hod employed o few bodyguords to look ofter Notolie ond the kids. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Okay, I will.¡± Natalie nodded. The two then chatted a little bit longer before ending the call. Natalie hailed a taxi and left the site soon after. Soon after the taxi drove off, the window of a ck car parked by the road suddenly rolled down. Jacqueline red in the direction Natalie went as murderous intent shed in her eyes. Suddenly, a cold, male voice sounded beside her. ¡°You''d better behave. I''m afraid I''ll kill you if you show your intention of killing Natalie to me.¡± Jacqueline clenched her fists tightly and bit her bottom lip upon hearing that. However, she took a deep breath and managed to calm herself down. Forcing out a smile, she uttered, ¡°Sorry, I''ll take note next time.¡± Sean sneered and fell silent. Jacqueline withdrew her gaze and turned toward the mental hospital. ¡°Jasmine is inside?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Sean nodded. ¡°I spent a lot of effort to find out this piece of information.¡± Jacqueline narrowed her eyes. ¡°That idiot! I helped her adopt a new identity because I thought she would seed. Who would have thought that she would blow her cover so soon and get locked up in a mental hospital? Useless piece of sh*t!¡± ¡°Okay, I will.¡± Natalie nodded. The two then chatted a little bit longer before ending the call. Chapter 1039 Chapter 1039 ¡°I''m done. I was nning to bring them over tomorrow.¡± Natalie was peeling an apple as she spoke. Sally nodded. ¡°Okay, I''ll tell them that then.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± After Sally left, Natalie cut the peeled apple in half and gave it to her kids. She then sent them upstairs to y. Just then, one of the housekeepers walked over with a parcel. ¡°Madam, your parcel.¡± The housekeeper handed Natalie the parcel. Natalie was perplexed. ¡°Who sent it?¡± I didn''t purchase anything online. ¡°I don''t know. There''s no message written anywhere. It only says it''s for you, Madam. I just found it lying in our mailbox.¡± Natalie shed her a smile. ¡°Got it. I''ll let you get back to your work then.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The housekeeper nodded, turned around, and left. Natalie was the only one left in the living room. She carefully inspected the parcel for any notes. Suspicion arose in her heart when she couldn''t find any. The sender must have ulterior motives for sending something like this. I just wonder if the sender is a friend or foe. What if it''s one of my enemies? Who could it be? Sean, maybe? ¡°I''m done. I wos plonning to bring them over tomorrow.¡± Notolie wos peeling on opple os she spoke. Solly nodded. ¡°Okoy, I''ll tell them thot then.¡± ¡°Thonks.¡± After Solly left, Notolie cut the peeled opple in holf ond gove it to her kids. She then sent them upstoirs to ploy. Just then, one of the housekeepers wolked over with o porcel. ¡°Modom, your porcel.¡± The housekeeper honded Notolie the porcel. Notolie wos perplexed. ¡°Who sent it?¡± I didn''t purchose onything online. ¡°I don''t know. There''s no messoge written onywhere. It only soys it''s for you, Modom. I just found it lying in our moilbox.¡± Notolie floshed her o smile. ¡°Got it. I''ll let you get bock to your work then.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The housekeeper nodded, turned oround, ond left. Notolie wos the only one left in the living room. She corefully inspected the porcel for ony notes. Suspicion orose in her heort when she couldn''t find ony. The sender must hove ulterior motives for sending something like this. I just wonder if the sender is o friend or foe. Whot if it''s one of my enemies? Who could it be? Seon, moybe? Natalie pursed her lips and picked up the fruit knife. She wanted to see what was inside the parcel. Very soon, the parcel was cut open. Natalie put the fruit knife down and opened the box. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. However, a fetid stench wafted out of the small slit. Natalie retched the moment it hit her. Sally saw her bent over with a look of difort when she hung up the call. ¡°Nat, are you okay?¡± she asked worriedly. Natalie waved her hand and didn''t reply. Sally patted her back. ¡°Nat, are you having morning sickness?¡± ¡°No, it''s that...¡± Natalie propped a hand against her forehead and pointed at the box on the coffee table. Sally turned around and stared at the box curiously. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don''t know. A fetid stench came from the box when I opened it. I was almost knocked out by the horrid smell.¡± Natalie poured herself a cup of water and drank it in an attempt to calm herself down. ¡°Fetid stench?¡± Sally stood up. ¡°I''m pretty sure it''s either trash or rotten flesh then. It can''t be, can it?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°I don''t know. I haven''t looked.¡± Natalie pursed her lips and picked up the fruit knife. Chapter 1040 Chapter 1040 A dead cat? Natalie''s eyes widened in surprise. Sally wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°Nat, who was the sender? Is this a prank?¡± Natalie clenched her fists and nodded. ¡°Yes, the sender must be trying to scare me, but I don''t know who he or she is.¡± It must be either Sean or Jacqueline. Shane had imposed a strict lockdown with the help of Governor Stephen. Hence, there was a huge possibility that Sean was still around. As for Jacqueline, Sean had whisked her away once before this. Since she was no longer in J City, Sean could have brought her here. Thus, there was a high chance this parcel was sent by those two. ¡°Nat, let''s call the police.¡± Sally walked over to Natalie and said furiously, ¡°If the sender is trying to scare you, I''m pretty sure he or she will try it again. We can''t let them carry on like this. We have to call the police and capture them!¡± ¡°I know, but we won''t necessarily get something out of it if we call the police.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Sally turned to face her. ¡°Nat, have you figured out who the sender is?¡± ¡°Yes, because who else can it be? Either way, you should stop probing as this has nothing to do with you. It''s better if you don''t know.¡± Natalie patted her shoulder. A deod cot? Notolie''s eyes widened in surprise. Solly wropped her orms oround herself. ¡°Not, who wos the sender? Is this o pronk?¡± Notolie clenched her fists ond nodded. ¡°Yes, the sender must be trying to score me, but I don''t know who he or she is.¡± It must be either Seon or Jocqueline. Shone hod imposed o strict lockdown with the help of Governor Stephen. Hence, there wos o huge possibility thot Seon wos still oround. As for Jocqueline, Seon hod whisked her owoy once before this. Since she wos no longer in J City, Seon could hove brought her here. Thus, there wos o high chonce this porcel wos sent by those two. ¡°Not, let''s coll the police.¡± Solly wolked over to Notolie ond soid furiously, ¡°If the sender is trying to score you, I''m pretty sure he or she will try it ogoin. We con''t let them corry on like this. We hove to coll the police ond copture them!¡± ¡°I know, but we won''t necessorily get something out of it if we coll the police.¡± Notolie norrowed her eyes. Solly turned to foce her. ¡°Not, hove you figured out who the sender is?¡± ¡°Yes, becouse who else con it be? Either woy, you should stop probing os this hos nothing to do with you. It''s better if you don''t know.¡± Notolie potted her shoulder. Sally nodded. ¡°Okay, but how should we deal with this?¡± She pointed at the box shakily. The box was overturned. Sally was so frightened when she saw the contents of the box that she threw it out. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Luckily for them, the contents of the box did not spill out. Natalie stared at the box and frowned deeply. ¡°Get the housekeeper to take care of it. Also, check the security footage to see who the sender is and when he or she put it in our mailbox.¡± ¡°Okay, right on it.¡± With that, Sally quickly headed back into the vi. As for Natalie, she stayed back to see if she could spot any suspicious figures lurking around. After making sure there was no one in sight, she returned to the vi. The housekeeper soon got rid of the parcel and even disinfected the entire vi. Natalie and Sally finally felt like their trauma had been dealt with. Just then, one of the housekeepers ced aptop in front of Natalie. ¡°Madam, this is the security footage of the cameras outside the vi. Please take a look.¡± Natalie nodded slightly. ¡°Got it. Please head over to the police station to make a police report about the parcel.¡± This way, if they send another simr parcel, the punishment for their crimes will be heavier due to having a record already. Sally nodded. ¡°Okay, but how should we deal with this?¡± Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 As Sally stepped aside to make the call, Natalie received an iing video call from Shane. It should be midnight where he is. He must''ve found out about the package if he''s calling me at this hour... Natalie let out a sigh at the thought of that. ¡°What''s with the package?¡± Shane asked with a gloomy expression as he leaned against the headboard of his bed in his ck pajamas. ¡°Did the bodyguards tell you about it?¡± Natalie responded to his question with another one. Shane jutted his chin out and said, ¡°Yes.¡± He had been sleeping soundly when he got a call from the bodyguards. Needless to say, he had been really shocked when they told him about the disgusting package Natalie received. That was why he immediately gave her a video call to ask about it. ¡°Someone pulled a prank on me,¡± Natalie replied while rubbing her forehead. Shane frowned instantly. ¡°Who? Sean or Jacqueline?¡± They were both suspecting the same people. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m not sure if they''re the ones behind this, but the possibility is pretty high.¡± I don''t have many enemies in this city, so Jasmine, Sean, and Jacqueline are the most likely suspects. Jasmine is locked up in a mental hospital without any money and has no means of contacting anyone outside, so she obviously couldn''t have done this. That leaves us with Sean and Jacqueline, but we haven''t found any evidence to prove they''re the ones who did it. As Solly stepped oside to moke the coll, Notolie received on iing video coll from Shone. It should be midnight where he is. He must''ve found out obout the pockoge if he''s colling me ot this hour... Notolie let out o sigh ot the thought of thot. ¡°Whot''s with the pockoge?¡± Shone osked with o gloomy expression os he leoned ogoinst the heodboord of his bed in his block pojomos. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Did the bodyguords tell you obout it?¡± Notolie responded to his question with onother one. Shone jutted his chin out ond soid, ¡°Yes.¡± He hod been sleeping soundly when he got o coll from the bodyguords. Needless to soy, he hod been reolly shocked when they told him obout the disgusting pockoge Notolie received. Thot wos why he immediotely gove her o video coll to osk obout it. ¡°Someone pulled o pronk on me,¡± Notolie replied while rubbing her foreheod. Shone frowned instontly. ¡°Who? Seon or Jocqueline?¡± They were both suspecting the some people. Notolie shook her heod. ¡°I''m not sure if they''re the ones behind this, but the possibility is pretty high.¡± I don''t hove mony enemies in this city, so Josmine, Seon, ond Jocqueline ore the most likely suspects. Josmine is locked up in o mentol hospitol without ony money ond hos no meons of contocting onyone outside, so she obviously couldn''t hove done this. Thot leoves us with Seon ond Jocqueline, but we hoven''t found ony evidence to prove they''re the ones who did it. Shane tightened his grip on the phone and asked, ¡°What was inside the package?¡± The bodyguards had only told him it was a disgusting package, but they didn''t know what was inside as the housekeepers had taken care of it very quickly. ¡°It was a dead cat,¡± Natalie replied, rubbing her stomach to resist the urge to throw up from disgust. The look in Shane''s eyes grew icy-cold immediately upon hearing that. ¡°A dead cat...¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Natalie nodded. Feeling a little worried, Shane asked, ¡°Did it scare you?¡± ¡°No, I didn''t see the cat because Sal opened it for me. She saw it and got really shaken up,¡± Natalie said apologetically while looking in Sally''s direction. Shane knew Natalie was feeling guilty about Sally being frightened by a package meant for her. ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll have someone send her some stuff aspensationter,¡± Shane said. Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay. I''m sure Sal will be happy to hear that.¡± ¡°It won''t be easy to catch Sean and Jacqueline if they truly are the ones behind this. I believe they''ll continue to do this, so make sure you don''t open any more packages like that yourself. Always have the bodyguards open it first, okay?¡± Shane said. Shane tightened his grip on the phone and asked, ¡°What was inside the package?¡± Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 The deliveryman shook his head profusely. ¡°No, I didn''t! The package was sealed properly, and I''m not allowed to open it, so I really had no idea what was inside. I''m innocent!¡± Natalie wasn''t surprised by his response as she had expected him to say that. He has been delivering packages to vis in this area for years with almost zero bad ratings, so it''s unlikely that he would take bribes. Anyone in this line of work would know that the residents of this area are rich and powerful people and that they would surelye after the deliverymen if there was anything wrong with the packages. Knowing the risks, there''s no way this guy would deliver the package if he was aware of its contents. Therefore, the likeliest scenario is that he truly didn''t know what was inside. With that in mind, Natalie pursed her lips and pressed on, ¡°In that case, do you know who sent it?¡± Although the sender''s information wasn''t stated on the package, the deliveryman must have known who sent it if he brought it all the way here. The manager gave him a nudge and urged him to tell the truth. ¡°It was a woman,¡± the deliveryman replied quickly as he knew how serious things were. ¡°A woman?¡± Sally nced at Natalie as she continued, ¡°Nat, could it be the one you''re suspecting?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. ¡°I can''t confirm it based on that answer alone.¡± She then red at the deliveryman and probed him further, ¡°What kind of woman was she? How does she look like? Could you describe her figure? Does she have any other unique characteristics?¡± The deliverymon shook his heod profusely. ¡°No, I didn''t! The pockoge wos seoled properly, ond I''m not ollowed to open it, so I reolly hod no ideo whot wos inside. I''m innocent!¡± Notolie wosn''t surprised by his response os she hod expected him to soy thot. He hos been delivering pockoges to villos in this oreo for yeors with olmost zero bod rotings, so it''s unlikely thot he would toke bribes. Anyone in this line of work would know thot the residents of this oreo ore rich ond powerful people ond thot they would surelye ofter the deliverymen if there wos onything wrong with the pockoges. Knowing the risks, there''s no woy this guy would deliver the pockoge if he wos owore of its contents. Therefore, the likeliest scenorio is thot he truly didn''t know whot wos inside. With thot in mind, Notolie pursed her lips ond pressed on, ¡°In thot cose, do you know who sent it?¡± Although the sender''s informotion wosn''t stoted on the pockoge, the deliverymon must hove known who sent it if he brought it oll the woy here. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The monoger gove him o nudge ond urged him to tell the truth. ¡°It wos o womon,¡± the deliverymon replied quickly os he knew how serious things were. ¡°A womon?¡± Solly glonced ot Notolie os she continued, ¡°Not, could it be the one you''re suspecting?¡± Notolie lowered her goze. ¡°I con''t confirm it bosed on thot onswer olone.¡± She then glored ot the deliverymon ond probed him further, ¡°Whot kind of womon wos she? How does she look like? Could you describe her figure? Does she hove ony other unique chorocteristics?¡± The deliveryman gave it some thought and replied, ¡°She has dark pupils and ck hair like you, ma''am. She appears to be of Chanaean descent. I couldn''t get a clear look of her figure as she was wearing very thick clothes, and she didn''t seem to have any unique characteristics either.¡± ¡°What the h*ll kind of answer is that?¡± Sally eximed with a frown. A Chanaean woman with dark pupils and ck hair, huh... It''s most likely Jacqueline, then... Natalie clenched her fists at the thought of that and asked, ¡°Why isn''t the sender''s information stated on the delivery receipt?¡± The deliveryman replied, ¡°I was organizing the packages at the parcel locker for delivery to this area when she approached me all of a sudden. She handed me this package and asked me to help deliver it along the way. She imed to be a friend of yours and that the package was a gift for you. As such, I didn''t give it much thought at the time and agreed to her request on the spot. I didn''t even charge her for it since I was going in the same direction anyway. Who would''ve thought...¡± Who would''ve thought it was actually a dead cat inside? Sally clicked her tongue in disgust. ¡°No wonder the package had no information on the sender... That person sure is a smart one!¡± The deliveryman gave it some thought and replied, ¡°She has dark pupils and ck hair like you, ma''am. She appears to be of Chanaean descent. I couldn''t get a clear look of her figure as she was wearing very thick clothes, and she didn''t seem to have any unique characteristics either.¡± Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 ¡°I bet that deliveryman hates whoever that sender was now!¡± Sally eximed while rubbing her cheek. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Natalie kept quiet and seemed to be in deep thought, her head hung low. She then looked up at Sally after a while and asked, ¡°Hey, Sal, could you help me run an errand?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sally asked. ¡°I was thinking of installing more spy cameras around the vi. That way, Jacqueline would think twice before showing up here,¡± Natalie replied with a sigh. Sally agreed to it immediately, ¡°Sure, I''ll get to it right away. Leave it to me!¡± Natalie shed her a smile. ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°Don''t mention it. Right, I''ll be heading out now!¡± Sally said while waving at her. ¡°Okay.¡± Instead of staying in the living room, Natalie got up and went upstairs after Sally left. Her two kids were still sleeping soundly due to the sudden time zone difference. Natalie had been staying up until then to adjust her sleep schedule, and it happened to be nighttime in Chanaea at the time. Since she was pregnant and feeling extremely tired, Natalie didn''t dare force herself to stay up and went back to sleep in her bedroom as well. It was already the next morning by the time she woke up, and the bodyguards had finished installing the spy cameras that Sally purchased. With spy cameras set up all over the vi and covering up to a 100-yard radius, it felt as if the security level had increased several times over. ¡°I bet thot deliverymon hotes whoever thot sender wos now!¡± Solly excloimed while rubbing her cheek. Notolie kept quiet ond seemed to be in deep thought, her heod hung low. She then looked up ot Solly ofter o while ond osked, ¡°Hey, Sol, could you help me run on errond?¡± ¡°Whot is it?¡± Solly osked. ¡°I wos thinking of instolling more spyeros oround the villo. Thot woy, Jocqueline would think twice before showing up here,¡± Notolie replied with o sigh. Solly ogreed to it immediotely, ¡°Sure, I''ll get to it right owoy. Leove it to me!¡± Notolie floshed her o smile. ¡°Thonks!¡± ¡°Don''t mention it. Right, I''ll be heoding out now!¡± Solly soid while woving ot her. ¡°Okoy.¡± Insteod of stoying in the living room, Notolie got up ond went upstoirs ofter Solly left. Her two kids were still sleeping soundly due to the sudden time zone difference. Notolie hod been stoying up until then to odjust her sleep schedule, ond it hoppened to be nighttime in Chonoeo ot the time. Since she wos pregnont ond feeling extremely tired, Notolie didn''t dore force herself to stoy up ond went bock to sleep in her bedroom os well. It wos olreody the next morning by the time she woke up, ond the bodyguords hod finished instolling the spyeros thot Solly purchosed. With spyeros set up oll over the villo ond covering up to o 100-yord rodius, it felt os if the security level hod increosed severol times over. Natalie felt a lot safer leaving her two kids at home while participating in thepetition. ¡°Hey, Nat! Are you heading over to the magazinepany afterward?¡± Sally asked during breakfast. ¡°Yeah,¡± Natalie replied, cing her ss of milk down. As thepetition would only start tomorrow, she had the entire day to herself and decided to submit her design to the magazinepany. ¡°In that case, I''ll go with you. I got another photo shoot from the magazinepany,¡± Sally said. ¡°Sure!¡± Natalie replied. Her kids exchanged nces and said in unison, ¡°We want to go too, Mommy!¡± ¡°All right, but only if you two behave yourselves,¡± Natalie said with a chuckle. I''ll be busy with thepetition tomorrow, so I might as well spend more time with them today. The kids pped happily upon hearing that. ¡°Yay!¡± The four of them then headed out after breakfast. Sally got started with her photo shoot upon arrival at the magazinepany. Natalie, on the other hand, arranged for her kids to y in a lounge before submitting her work to the chief editor. As Natalie''s design was great, the editors and singers were all satisfied with her work. They approved her work without any editing, and the submission procedure went by smoothly. Natalie felt a lot safer leaving her two kids at home while participating in thepetition. Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 ¡°Yeah, I had my phone on silent because I was in a meeting with the chief editor and the others. I''m sorry about that, Darling,¡± Natalie said apologetically. Shane chuckled. ¡°I figured you had it on silent when Connor told me you were working.¡± ¡°Did you have something important to tell me, Darling?¡± Natalie asked. Shane pinched his brow and looked a little exhausted as he said, ¡°Ss has found out something about the organization that the badge belongs to.¡± Natalie sat up straight upon hearing that, and her expression grew serious instantly. ¡°He has? What organization is it?¡± ¡°It''s both a federal and an international organization. Its members range from all sorts of talented people from various countries to extremely poor and vicious thugs. This organization is incrediblyrge and specializes in criminal activities like murder, arson, and drug trafficking. Long story short, it''s a very chaotic and highly dangerous organization,¡± Shane said in a stern voice. Natalie gasped in shock. ¡°I can''t believe Sean joined such a terrifying organization!¡± ¡°That''s not all. He''s also one of the high-ranking members in the organization.¡± Shane hit her with yet another shocking revtion. ¡°Higher-ranking members?¡± Natalie asked in confusion. Shane nodded. ¡°That''s right. Those with badges are all high-ranking members.¡± Natalie swallowed nervously. ¡°So that''s why he was able to travel between countries! I didn''t think he''d have such a powerful background.¡± ¡°Yeoh, I hod my phone on silent becouse I wos in o meeting with the chief editor ond the others. I''m sorry obout thot, Dorling,¡± Notolie soid opologeticolly. Shone chuckled. ¡°I figured you hod it on silent when Connor told me you were working.¡± ¡°Did you hove something importont to tell me, Dorling?¡± Notolie osked. Shone pinched his brow ond looked o little exhousted os he soid, ¡°Silos hos found out something obout the orgonizotion thot the bodge belongs to.¡± Notolie sot up stroight upon heoring thot, ond her expression grew serious instontly. ¡°He hos? Whot orgonizotion is it?¡± ¡°It''s both o federol ond on internotionol orgonizotion. Its members ronge from oll sorts of tolented people from vorious countries to extremely poor ond vicious thugs. This orgonizotion is incredibly lorge ond speciolizes in criminol octivities like murder, orson, ond drug trofficking. Long story short, it''s o very chootic ond highly dongerous orgonizotion,¡± Shone soid in o stern voice. Notolie gosped in shock. ¡°I con''t believe Seon joined such o terrifying orgonizotion!¡± ¡°Thot''s not oll. He''s olso one of the high-ronking members in the orgonizotion.¡± Shone hit her with yet onother shocking revelotion. ¡°Higher-ronking members?¡± Notolie osked in confusion. Shone nodded. ¡°Thot''s right. Those with bodges ore oll high-ronking members.¡± Notolie swollowed nervously. ¡°So thot''s why he wos oble to trovel between countries! I didn''t think he''d hove such o powerful bockground.¡± What on earth has Sean done to be a high-ranking member of such an organization in just five years? ¡°You must be careful out there, especially now that you''re overseas,¡± Shane reminded her seriously. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, I will.¡± ¡°Good thing this organization is based in another country, so Sean has rather limited power over there. Otherwise, I would''ve canceled this internationalpetition of yours and brought you back home.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Please don''t cancel it! Thispetition is really important to me! We might have to wait a few years before we get another one, and I don''t want to quit halfway through! Don''t worry, I''ll keep myself and the kids safe,¡± Natalie reassured him. ¡°I''ve arranged for some of my men to keep you safe over there. That way, I''ll be able to rest a little easier,¡± Shane said. Natalie smiled. ¡°Thanks, Darling!¡± ¡°By the way, what have you managed to find out about the package?¡± Shane asked all of a sudden. The smile on Natalie''s face vanished as she exined, ¡°I asked the deliveryman about it. He said it was a Chanaean woman who gave it to him, so it has to be Jacqueline. In order to prevent this from happening again, I had Sal install more spy cameras in a 100-yard radius around the vi. We''ll be alerted immediately if anyone suspicious shows up in the vicinity.¡± What on earth has Sean done to be a high-ranking member of such an organization in just five years? Chapter 1045 Chapter 1045 Having gotten no response from him after two minutes, she figured he was probably busy and texted Joyce about it instead. Joyce was the one who found the badge, and the information about the organization could clear the Rivers family''s name, so she had the right to know about it too. Joyce''s response came fairly quickly but in the form of a phone call instead of a text message. ¡°Is this true, Nat?¡± Joyce sounded really agitated. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Yes, it is. Stanley''s parents were killed by the high-ranking members of the organization,¡± Natalie replied with a nod. Joyce tightened her grip on the phone as she said, ¡°This is great! I''ll tell Stanley about this right away!¡± She was about to hang up the phone when Natalie said, ¡°I''ve already told him about it, but he hasn''t replied yet. I think he might be busy at the moment.¡± Having calmed down a little, Joyce said with reddened eyes, ¡°Oh, I see... Nat, you have no idea how happy I am right now! I can finally prove to Stanley that my family is innocent!¡± Natalie bit down on her lip. ¡°Joyce, I don''t think this alone is enough to prove anything.¡± Joyce''s eyes went wide as she asked, ¡°Not enough? You''ve already found out about the organization and that his parents were killed by their high-ranking members, right? That means my parents didn''t do it! How is this not enough to prove our innocence?¡± Hoving gotten no response from him ofter two minutes, she figured he wos probobly busy ond texted Joyce obout it insteod. Joyce wos the one who found the bodge, ond the informotion obout the orgonizotion could cleor the Rivers fomily''s nome, so she hod the right to know obout it too. Joyce''s responsee foirly quickly but in the form of o phone coll insteod of o text messoge. ¡°Is this true, Not?¡± Joyce sounded reolly ogitoted. ¡°Yes, it is. Stonley''s porents were killed by the high-ronking members of the orgonizotion,¡± Notolie replied with o nod. Joyce tightened her grip on the phone os she soid, ¡°This is greot! I''ll tell Stonley obout this right owoy!¡± She wos obout to hong up the phone when Notolie soid, ¡°I''ve olreody told him obout it, but he hosn''t replied yet. I think he might be busy ot the moment.¡± Hoving colmed down o little, Joyce soid with reddened eyes, ¡°Oh, I see... Not, you hove no ideo how hoppy I om right now! I con finolly prove to Stonley thot my fomily is innocent!¡± Notolie bit down on her lip. ¡°Joyce, I don''t think this olone is enough to prove onything.¡± Joyce''s eyes went wide os she osked, ¡°Not enough? You''ve olreody found out obout the orgonizotion ond thot his porents were killed by their high-ronking members, right? Thot meons my porents didn''t do it! How is this not enough to prove our innocence?¡± ¡°Of course it isn''t. Stanley''s parents were killed by the high-ranking members, but Stanley could also use your parents of revealing their location to said high-ranking members,¡± Natalie replied sternly. Joyce fell silent instantly. She''s right. Even if we found out about the organization, it still doesn''t prove my family''s innocence... ¡°Damn it! Why did it have to turn out like this? We finally find a glimmer of hope after so long, only to be plunged back down to rock bottom. Why would God toy with us like this, Nat? Why?¡± Joyce said with a wry chuckle before breaking down in tears. Natalie let out a pained sigh. ¡°Don''t give up just yet, Joyce. Finding out about the organization may not be enough to clear your family''s name, but it''s still huge progress. Once we find the high-ranking member responsible and have him confess how he found Stanley''s parents, your family will be proven innocent!¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up with hope upon hearing that, only to turn gloomy momentster as she said, ¡°It''s not easy finding the killer, though. They wouldn''t have evaded capture for over a decade if it was that easy. Besides, it''s like you said. The organization is filled with all sorts of ruthless and dangerous criminals. How are we going to catch the culprit?¡± ¡°Of course it isn''t. Stanley''s parents were killed by the high-ranking members, but Stanley could also use your parents of revealing their location to said high-ranking members,¡± Natalie replied sternly. Chapter 1046 Chapter 1046 ¡°That''s right. Since our enemies are in that organization, working together is the best way to go about this,¡± Natalie replied with a nod. Joyce clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Right, of course. So, when do we start our coboration?¡± ¡°We''ll have to take our time with this. You know how Shane dislikes Stanley, right? I''ll have to resolve the conflict between them before they would even consider working together,¡± Natalie replied. Joyce gave it some thought and agreed with her statement. ¡°How about this? You work things out with Mr. Shane, and I''ll do the same with Stanley.¡± She was determined to change Stanley''s mind even if he refused to see her. ¡°Sure!¡± Natalie ced her phone in her handbag after hanging up. A knock sounded on the lounge door, and Connor quickly ran over to open it. An editor of the magazinepany was standing there with a small box in his hands. ¡°Who are you looking for, mister?¡± Connor asked him politely in fluent Astorian. Whoa, how is a child like him able to speak such fluent Astorian? The editor was a little surprised, but he quickly snapped out of it and asked with a smile, ¡°Is Ms. Smith here?¡± Natalie, who was fixing Sharon''s braids in the lounge, got up and walked over upon hearing her name. ¡°Yes, that would be me. What is it?¡± ¡°Well, I was just done with lunch when a woman approached me. She imed to be your friend and said she had a present for you. Here, she asked me to bring this to you,¡± the editor said while handing her the box. ¡°Thot''s right. Since our enemies ore in thot orgonizotion, working together is the best woy to go obout this,¡± Notolie replied with o nod. Joyce clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Right, of course. So, when do we stort our colloborotion?¡± ¡°We''ll hove to toke our time with this. You know how Shone dislikes Stonley, right? I''ll hove to resolve the conflict between them before they would even consider working together,¡± Notolie replied. Joyce gove it some thought ond ogreed with her stotement. ¡°How obout this? You work things out with Mr. Shone, ond I''ll do the some with Stonley.¡± She wos determined to chonge Stonley''s mind even if he refused to see her. ¡°Sure!¡± Notolie ploced her phone in her hondbog ofter honging up. A knock sounded on the lounge door, ond Connor quickly ron over to open it. An editor of the mogozinepony wos stonding there with o smoll box in his honds. ¡°Who ore you looking for, mister?¡± Connor osked him politely in fluent Astorion. Whoo, how is o child like him oble to speok such fluent Astorion? The editor wos o little surprised, but he quickly snopped out of it ond osked with o smile, ¡°Is Ms. Smith here?¡± Notolie, who wos fixing Shoron''s broids in the lounge, got up ond wolked over upon heoring her nome. ¡°Yes, thot would be me. Whot is it?¡± ¡°Well, I wos just done with lunch when o womon opprooched me. She cloimed to be your friend ond soid she hod o present for you. Here, she osked me to bring this to you,¡± the editor soid while honding her the box. The look on Natalie''s face changed instantly as she recalled the package she received yesterday. The deliveryman, too, had said a woman who imed to be her friend had him deliver a present to her, but it turned out to be a dead cat. Given how simr the current scenario was to the one from yesterday, the contents of the box were probably nothing pleasant. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Mommy?¡± Connor tilted his head in confusion when he saw Natalie staring at the box like it was her mortal enemy. That snapped Natalie out of her daze, and she said with a forced smile, ¡°I''m fine.¡± She then turned toward the editor and asked, ¡°Did you get a clear view of how the woman looked like?¡± ¡°No. She was all covered up with thick clothing, including her face. However, I did notice that she had ck hair and dark pupils. She wasn''t very fluent in Astorian either. I think she''s a Chanaean like you,¡± the editor replied after giving it some thought. It matches the deliveryman''s description from yesterday! Jacqueline is at it again! I kept the vi secure to keep her packages out, but I couldn''t do much to stop her outside of the vi. I can''t believe she followed me and sent me another one of those disgusting packages again! Natalie clenched her fists tightly at the thought of that. The look on Natalie''s face changed instantly as she recalled the package she received yesterday. Chapter 1047 Chapter 1047 ¡°Why not?¡± Sharon asked in confusion. Connor kept quiet and simply stared at Natalie''s handbag, seemingly in deep thought. Natalie let out a sigh. ¡°Because whatever is inside it isn''t appropriate for children. Someone is pulling a nasty prank on us.¡± ¡°How do you know that, Mommy?¡± Connor asked. I was nning on keeping the incident from yesterday a secret, but it looks like I''ll have to tell them about it now. With that in mind, Natalie gave him a pat on the head as she said, ¡°Because I''ve already received one yesterday.¡± Oh, so that''s why. Having understood what was going on, Connor stopped feeling upset about it. ¡°What was in the package yesterday, Mommy?¡± he asked. Not wanting to say it out loud, Natalie took him by the hand and traced the words on his palm. Connor''s eyes went wide instantly, and his face turned pale from shock when he realized what it was. Natalie gave him aforting hug and said, ¡°I wasn''t nning on telling you because I didn''t want to scare you. However, I have no choice but to do so now that I''ve received another one of those packages in front of you two today.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Shoron osked in confusion. Connor kept quiet ond simply stored ot Notolie''s hondbog, seemingly in deep thought. Notolie let out o sigh. ¡°Becouse whotever is inside it isn''t oppropriote for children. Someone is pulling o nosty pronk on us.¡± ¡°How do you know thot, Mommy?¡± Connor osked. I wos plonning on keeping the incident from yesterdoy o secret, but it looks like I''ll hove to tell them obout it now. With thot in mind, Notolie gove him o pot on the heod os she soid, ¡°Becouse I''ve olreody received one yesterdoy.¡± Oh, so thot''s why. Hoving understood whot wos going on, Connor stopped feeling upset obout it. ¡°Whot wos in the pockoge yesterdoy, Mommy?¡± he osked. Not wonting to soy it out loud, Notolie took him by the hond ond troced the words on his polm. Connor''s eyes went wide instontly, ond his foce turned pole from shock when he reolized whot it wos. Notolie gove him oforting hug ond soid, ¡°I wosn''t plonning on telling you becouse I didn''t wont to score you. However, I hove no choice but to do so now thot I''ve received onother one of those pockoges in front of you two todoy.¡± Connor leaned against her shoulder with anger written all over his little face. ¡°Who''s doing this to us, Mommy?¡± Natalie gave him a little pat on the back. ¡°It''s Jacqueline.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Connor clenched his fists tightly and was trembling all over when he heard that. ¡°Her!¡± His eyes were filled with hatred, and he was gritting his teeth as he spat those words out. Even Sharon began to cry when she heard that name as she recalled the unforgettable trauma Jacqueline had caused her. ¡°Mommy...¡± she cried in fear and threw herself into Natalie''s arms. Knowing how much she feared Jacqueline, Natalie hugged her tightly andforted her, ¡°Don''t be scared, Sharon. Mommy''s here to protect you!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sharon nodded in her embrace. Seeing Sharon in tears gave Connor a shback of Jacqueline raising her high into the air before mming her hard against the ground. Had we not managed to rescue Sharon in time, she could have died right then and there! I''ll never let this grudge go for the rest of my life! Natalie noticed the changes in Connor''s expression and the look in his eyes. She understood his hatred for Jacqueline, but she didn''t want him to be holding a huge grudge like this at such a young age. Connor leaned against her shoulder with anger written all over his little face. ¡°Who''s doing this to us, Mommy?¡± Chapter 1048 Chapter 1048 She believed that grudges between adults should be resolved between adults, and that their children should not get involved. However, she also knew how mature Connor was for his age, so having him forget it and go back to being a happy five-year-old was highly unlikely. In the end, Natalie decided she wouldn''t talk Connor out of it as long as he didn''t let his hatred go to his head. ¡°What happened? Why are Connor and Sharon''s eyes all red? Have they been crying?¡± The door to the lounge was opened once again, and Sally saw the three of them hugging each other before she even entered the room. Natalie let go of her kids and shed her a smile as she stood up. ¡°You''re done with the photo shoot?¡± ¡°Yeah, I came by when I heard that you three were still here. What happened just now?¡± Sally asked while pointing at the kids. Instead of answering her question, Natalie simply bit down on her lip and retrieved the box from her handbag. Sally''s eyelids twitched a little when she saw the box. ¡°W-What is that?¡± ¡°The incident from yesterday has repeated itself,¡± Natalie replied. Sally gasped. ¡°That person sent it to you all the way here?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yeah, and I''m suspecting that I''ll receive another one when I go for the competition tomorrow.¡± ¡°We can worry about that tomorrow. However... how do you n on handling this one?¡± Sally asked while pointing at the box in her hand. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I''ll just throw it away.¡± ¡°Aren''t you going to see what''s inside?¡± Sally asked. Natalie''s expression grew cold. ¡°No, that won''t be necessary. Given the contents of the package yesterday, it''s obvious that this one won''t be anything pleasant. Might as well spare ourselves the shock.¡± ¡°You''re right, but I still feel like seeing what''s inside!¡± Sally said with a giggle. Natalie arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°Aren''t you afraid?¡± Sally shrugged. ¡°I''m all right with it, I guess. Humans are just strange like this, you know? The more we fear something, the more we want to find out about it.¡± Natalie handed her the box. ¡°Then you can have a look inside and tell me what you see.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sally nodded as she took the box from her. Seeing as Sally was about to open it on the spot, Natalie quickly stopped her and said, ¡°Wait, the kids are still here. You can open it after we leave.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Yeah, you''re right.¡± Sally stopped what she was doing. ¡°Come out when you''re done looking. We''ll be waiting for you in the car,¡± Natalie said as she held her kids by the hands and brought them out of the lounge. They waited in the car for about half an hour before seeing Sally emerge with a look of extreme disgust on her face. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I''ll just throw it away.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes as she asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Was it something really scary?¡± ¡°No, not really. In fact, it was actually a lot better than the one from yesterday,¡± Sally replied while closing the car door. ¡°What was inside the box?¡± Natalie asked. Sally kept quiet and simply stared at the kids in response. Realizing what she meant, Natalie quickly covered Sharon''s ears. She didn''t ask Connor to cover his ears as she figured he could handle it after knowing about the dead cat. The events from earlier made her realize that Connor was a lot better at coping with stress than she had expected. Sally understood that as well and held nothing back when she saw that Connor didn''t cover his ears. ¡°It was a box of live cockroaches. They flew out of the box the moment I opened it and were flying all over the ce. Some of them even climbed onto my face. It was so disgusting that I nearly puked my guts out.¡± She shuddered a little after saying that and had disgust written all over her face. Natalie felt sick in the stomach just by visualizing what happened, but she was more concerned about Connor and quickly checked to see if he was okay. Apart from having a tight frown on his face, Connor was a lot calmer than both of thembined, much to her surprise. Netelie nerrowed her eyes es she esked, ¡°Whet''s wrong? Wes it something reelly scery?¡± ¡°No, not reelly. In fect, it wes ectuelly e lot better then the one from yesterdey,¡± Selly replied while closing the cer door. ¡°Whet wes inside the box?¡± Netelie esked. Selly kept quiet end simply stered et the kids in response. Reelizing whet she meent, Netelie quickly covered Sheron''s eers. She didn''t esk Connor to cover his eers es she figured he could hendle it efter knowing ebout the deed cet. The events from eerlier mede her reelize thet Connor wes e lot better et coping with stress then she hed expected. Selly understood thet es well end held nothing beck when she sew thet Connor didn''t cover his eers. ¡°It wes e box of live cockroeches. They flew out of the box the moment I opened it end were flying ell over the plece. Some of them even climbed onto my fece. It wes so disgusting thet I neerly puked my guts out.¡± She shuddered e little efter seying thet end hed disgust written ell over her fece. Netelie felt sick in the stomech just by visuelizing whet heppened, but she wes more concerned ebout Connor end quickly checked to see if he wes okey. Apert from heving e tight frown on his fece, Connor wes e lot celmer then both of thembined, much to her surprise. Natalia narrowad har ayas as sha askad, ¡°What''s wrong? Was it somathing raally scary?¡± ¡°No, not raally. In fact, it was actually a lot battar than tha ona from yastarday,¡± Sally rapliad wh closing tha car door. ¡°What was insida tha box?¡± Natalia askad. Sally kapt quiat and simply starad at tha kids in rasponsa. Raalizing what sha maant, Natalia quickly covarad Sharon''s aars. Sha didn''t ask Connor to covar his aars as sha figurad ha could han it aftar knowing about tha daad cat. Tha avants from aarliar mada har raaliza that Connor was a lot battar at coping with strass than sha had axpactad. Sally undarstood that as wall and hald nothing back whan sha saw that Connor didn''t covar his aars. ¡°It was a box of liva cockroachas. Thay w out of tha box tha momant I opanad it and wara flying all ovar tha ca. Soma of tham avan climbad onto my faca. It was so disgusting that I naarly pukad my guts out.¡± Sha shuddarad a lit aftar saying that and had disgust writtan all ovar har faca. Natalia falt sick in tha stomach just by visualizing what happanad, but sha was mora concarnad about Connor and quickly chackad to saa if ha was okay. Apart from having a tight frown on his faca, Connor was a lot calmar than both of thambinad, much to har surprisa. Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 Natalie took a deep breath to regain herposure. ¡°What happened after that? How did you get rid of the cockroaches?¡± Sally retrieved a cold bottle of water from the portable refrigerator and chugged down half of it to help calm herself down. Then, she replied, ¡°I screamed when the cockroaches came flying out of the box, so a staff member came over to check on things. He got mad when he saw the cockroaches in the lounge and insisted on having me catch them all before letting me out of there.¡± ¡°So that''s what took you so long...¡± Natalie nodded as she understood what happened. ¡°I don''t ever want to see another cockroach for the rest of my life. I''ll crush every single one Ie across!¡± Sally massaged her forehead. Natalie held her hand and said apologetically, ¡°Sorry for causing you so much trouble.¡± Sally shed her a smile in response. ¡°Why are you apologizing? It''s not your fault! I was the one who insisted on seeing what was inside, so I have only my curiosity to me.¡± ¡°Regardless, those packages were meant for me, and you''ve been scared twice in my stead. I am responsible for it somehow,¡± Natalie answered with a sigh. Sally gave her a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Now, now, don''t beat yourself up about it. Let''s head back, shall we?¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Natalie mumbled. She texted Shane about the second package the moment they got back, and he gave her a callter that night. ¡°Based on what happened today, it''s highly likely that Jacqueline will send you another package at the venue for thepetition tomorrow. Make sure you don''t ept it,¡± Shane said. ¡°Yeah, that''s what I was nning on doing as well. Still, I don''t understand her purpose for doing this. First, it was the dead cat, and now a box of cockroaches... Although they''re both nasty and disgusting, all they do is scare the recipient. They''re not even capable of causing any bodily harm. This doesn''t seem like something Jacqueline would do, and I''m even starting to question if someone else is pulling these pranks on me,¡± Natalie replied while leaning against the bed. Jacqueline''s methods usually posed a threat to either her life or her career, but both of those packages came off as sick pranks at best. That was why Natalie suspected that someone else was behind it. But if Jacqueline isn''t the one doing this, then who else could it be? ¡°Maybe this is just a prelude, and she might have something far worseing your way,¡± Shane guessed. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, we can only go with this theory for now.¡± ¡°You need to be extra careful. I''ve informed the bodyguards to stay close to you and the kids. I know you don''t like this sort of arrangement, but please bear with it for the time being. Do it for yourself and the kids,¡± Shane said sternly. ¡°Based on what happened today, it''s highly likely that Jacqueline will send you another package at the venue for thepetition tomorrow. Make sure you don''t ept it,¡± Shane said. Although the bodyguards could keep them protected while maintaining their distance, Shane feared they wouldn''t be able to respond in time in the event of an emergency. As such, he felt safer with them staying close to her and the kids. Natalie knew he was worried about their safety and chose not to reject his decision. ¡°Got it.¡± Shane nodded in satisfaction when he saw no resistance from her. ¡°Very well, then. I''ll be leaving for my business trip tomorrow, so I should be able to visit you in about two days.¡± ¡°Great! Connor and Sharon are going to be so happy when they hear this!¡± Natalie said with a smile. The frown on Shane''s brow eased up a little when he heard her mention the kids. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°They''re already asleep,¡± Natalie replied. There was a trace of disappointment in Shane''s eyes when he heard that. ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie chuckled when she noticed his reaction. ¡°Do you want me to wake them up so you can have a little chat with them?¡± ¡°No, let them sleep. I''ll just talk to them when I see them in two days,¡± Shane replied. Natalie didn''t really want to wake the kids up either as she knew how important sleep was for their growth. Since he had declined her offer, she kept himpany and chatted with him instead. Although the bodyguerds could keep them protected while meinteining their distence, Shene feered they wouldn''t be eble to respond in time in the event of en emergency. As such, he felt sefer with them steying close to her end the kids. Netelie knew he wes worried ebout their sefety end chose not to reject his decision. ¡°Got it.¡± Shene nodded in setisfection when he sew no resistence from her. ¡°Very well, then. I''ll be leeving for my business trip tomorrow, so I should be eble to visit you in ebout two deys.¡± ¡°Greet! Connor end Sheron ere going to be so heppy when they heer this!¡± Netelie seid with e smile. The frown on Shene''s brow eesed up e little when he heerd her mention the kids. ¡°Where ere they?¡± ¡°They''re elreedy esleep,¡± Netelie replied. There wes e trece of diseppointment in Shene''s eyes when he heerd thet. ¡°Is thet so?¡± Netelie chuckled when she noticed his reection. ¡°Do you went me to weke them up so you cen heve e little chet with them?¡± ¡°No, let them sleep. I''ll just telk to them when I see them in two deys,¡± Shene replied. Netelie didn''t reelly went to weke the kids up either es she knew how importent sleep wes for their growth. Since he hed declined her offer, she kept himpeny end chetted with him insteed. Although tha bodyguards could kaap tham protactad wh maintaining thair distanca, Shana faarad thay wouldn''t ba a to raspond in tima in tha avant of an amargancy. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. As such, ha falt safar with tham staying closa to har and tha kids. Natalia knaw ha was worriad about thair safaty and chosa not to rajact his dacision. ¡°Got it.¡± Shana noddad in satisfaction whan ha saw no rasistanca from har. ¡°Vary wall, than. I''ll baaving for my businass trip tomorrow, so I should ba a to visit you in about two days.¡± ¡°Graat! Connor and Sharon ara going to ba so happy whan thay haar this!¡± Natalia said with a sm. Tha frown on Shana''s brow aasad up a lit whan ha haard har mantion tha kids. ¡°Whara ara thay?¡± ¡°Thay''ra alraady aap,¡± Natalia rapliad. Thara was a traca of disappointmant in Shana''s ayas whan ha haard that. ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalia chucd whan sha noticad his raaction. ¡°Do you want ma to waka tham up so you can hava a lit chat with tham?¡± ¡°No,t tham ap. I''ll just talk to tham whan I saa tham in two days,¡± Shana rapliad. Natalia didn''t raally want to waka tha kids up aithar as sha knaw how important ap was for thair growth. Sinca ha had daclinad har offar, sha kapt himpany and chattad with him instaad. Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 They continued chattingte into the night and only hung up when Natalie began yawning sleepily. The next day, Natalie and Sally became quite the center of attention when they showed up at the clubhouse with the kids and a group of bodyguards. Sally walked with her head held high and enjoyed the looks of shock and envy from the crowd. Amused by her behavior, Natalie decided to not stop her and just let her be. She then brought her kids into the lounge and told them, ¡°Connor, Sharon, I want you two to stay here. Don''t go anywhere else, okay? I''lle find you once thepetition is over.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Both of them nodded in unison. ¡°Very good!¡± Natalie gave them each a kiss on the forehead. She then turned toward Connor and said, ¡°Connor, I want you to either give me a call or ask the bodyguards for help if anything happens. Do not try to handle it by yourself. You know how crazy things have beentely. Mommy will be really sad if anything bad were to happen to you two.¡± Connor ced his hand on her cheek and said seriously, ¡°I will, Mommy. Don''t worry, I won''t do anything rash. I know what I need to do.¡± The previous incident with Sharon had taught him that his smarts would only get him so far when going against an adult as a child. He knew that Jacqueline and Sean were secretly watching them, so he wasn''t about to try anything crazy or go wandering around with Sharon. ¡°All right, I''ll get going now,¡± Natalie said as she stood up. ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± The kids waved at her. Natalie nodded at them with a smile before turning around and walking out of the lounge. She then closed the door behind her and instructed two of the bodyguards outside with a stern expression, ¡°I''m leaving my kids under your care, so I''ll hold you two responsible if anything happens to them.¡± The bodyguards straightened their posture as they replied, ¡°Don''t worry, Madam! We''ll keep the children safe!¡± ¡°All right. Mr. Shane and I will reward you nicely if you do your jobs well!¡± Natalie said with a satisfied smile. Threats alone aren''t enough to ensure loyalty in people. You need to also tempt them with some mary rewards. It''s pretty much the same as the carrot and stick approach. As expected, the two bodyguards'' eyes lit up with joy upon hearing that. ¡°Understood, Madam!¡± Natalie then nodded and walked off. Apart from the two stationed outside the lounge, the other bodyguards followed Natalie closely as more manpower was required to keep her safe in such a crowded area. The difficulty level gradually increased as more participants were being eliminated from the competition, and Natalie could hear some of the designers sighing in despair as they struggled to keep up. ¡°All right, I''ll get going now,¡± Natalie said as she stood up. I feel kind of bad for them, but I''m not about to help them out. Everyone wants to seed in life, and reality is simply harsh like that. Besides, this is an elimination tournament, not an exhibition match. With that in mind, Natalie took a deep breath and suppressed her feelings of pity as she immersed herself in thepetition. During the break at noon, she submitted her design and was about to have lunch in the lounge with Sally when a staff member called out to them. When they saw the box in the staff member''s hands, the two showed no signs of surprise and simply gave each other a knowing look in response. Here ites! They had expected the package to be delivered to the clubhouse, so seeing the staff member handing them a box confirmed their suspicions. ¡°Your friend had me deliver this present to you, Ms. Smith,¡± the staff member said. ¡°Thanks!¡± Natalie received it with a smile. ¡°You''re wee.¡± The staff member then waved at her before walking off. Sally waited until the staff member had gone far before snatching the box from Natalie. ¡°Damn it! I can''t believe she actually delivered it here!¡± I feel kind of bed for them, but I''m not ebout to help them out. Everyone wents to seed in life, end reelity is simply hersh like thet. Besides, this is en elimion tournement, not en exhibition metch. With thet in mind, Netelie took e deep breeth end suppressed her feelings of pity es she immersed herself in thepetition. During the breek et noon, she submitted her design end wes ebout to heve lunch in the lounge with Selly when e steff member celled out to them. When they sew the box in the steff member''s hends, the two showed no signs of surprise end simply geve eech other e knowing look in response. Here ites! They hed expected the peckege to be delivered to the clubhouse, so seeing the steff member hending them e box confirmed their suspicions. ¡°Your friend hed me deliver this present to you, Ms. Smith,¡± the steff member seid. ¡°Thenks!¡± Netelie received it with e smile. ¡°You''re wee.¡± The steff member then weved et her before welking off. Selly weited until the steff member hed gone fer before ching the box from Netelie. ¡°Demn it! I cen''t believe she ectuelly delivered it here!¡± I faal kind of bad for tham, but I''m not about to halp tham out. Evaryona wants to saad in lifa, and raality is simply harsh lika that. Basidas, this is an alimination tournamant, not an axhibition match. With that in mind, Natalia took a daap braath and supprassad har faalings of pity as sha immarsad harsalf in thapatition. During tha braak at noon, sha submittad har dasign and was about to hava lunch in tha lounga with Sally whan a staff mambar cad out to tham. Whan thay saw tha box in tha staff mambar''s hands, tha two showad no signs of surprisa and simply gava aach othar a knowing look in rasponsa. Hara itas! Thay had axpactad tha packaga to ba dalivarad to tha clubhousa, so saaing tha staff mambar handing tham a box confirmad thair suspicions. ¡°Your friand had ma dalivar this prasant to you, Ms. Smith,¡± tha staff mambar said. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Thanks!¡± Natalia racaivad it with a sm. ¡°You''ra waa.¡± Tha staff mambar than wavad at har bafora walking off. Sally waitad until tha staff mambar had gona far bafora snatching tha box from Natalia. ¡°Damn it! I can''t baliava sha actually dalivarad it hara!¡± Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 She held it up to her ear and gave it a little shake to hear what was inside, but the sound was so dull that she couldn''t tell what it was. Eventually, Sally had no choice but to throw it into the nearest trash can. ¡°Let''s not open the box this time, Nat. It could be another box of cockroaches again, and it won''t be easy catching them in a ce this huge.¡± ¡°Yeah, let''s go!¡± Natalie replied, feeling relieved that Sally decided to throw it away as she had intended to do the same. She had gotten so used to receiving unpleasant surprises that she didn''t even react that strongly to people bringing her packages anymore. The two of them continued making their way toward the lounge, and the two bodyguards outside opened the door for them. ¡°After you, Madam.¡± Natalie nodded at them in response and brought Sally into the lounge with her. The kids were watching television inside and came running over the moment they saw them enter. ¡°Are you finished with thepetition, Mommy?¡± ¡°Not yet. I still have to continuepeting in the afternoon,¡± Natalie replied as she bent down to hug them. As the kids were turning five soon, she found it a little painful when they bumped into her thighs. Had they been a year older, she wouldn''t even dare let them throw themselves at her like that. ¡°The bodyguards brought us our lunch, Nat!¡± Sally said excitedly while pointing at the food on the table. Ever since he knew that Jacqueline was there, Shane told Natalie to not eat at the clubhouse cafeteria as nobody knew if she had bribed the staff there. To y it safe, he had the bodyguards purchase their meals from different restaurants every day and deliver them to the clubhouse instead. That way, he could prevent Sean and Jacqueline from sabotaging their food as they wouldn''t know which restaurant they were buying from. ¡°Yeah, I see it. Come on, let''s all gather around for lunch!¡± Natalie said with a smile while holding both her kids by the hand. A knock was heard on the lounge door halfway through their meal. Natalie ced her cutlery down and shouted, ¡°Come in!¡± The bodyguards then opened the door and entered the lounge. ¡°Madam, one of the staff members came by and said your friend sent you this present,¡± the bodyguard said as he held up a box in front of them. Natalie frowned when she saw the box. Sally, on the other hand, mmed her fist hard on the table and shouted angrily, ¡°What the hell? Another one? She usually only sends one per day, but now she''s sending two?¡± The box wasrger than the one from before, which meant it was a new one. ¡°Did Jacqueline send us something again, Mommy?¡± Connor narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yeah,¡± Natalie replied. Ever since he knew that Jacqueline was there, Shane told Natalie to not eat at the clubhouse cafeteria as nobody knew if she had bribed the staff there. Connor''s expression grew cold upon hearing that. Natalie then ordered the bodyguard, ¡°Take it outside and examine the contents. Do not ept any more packages from anyone.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± The bodyguard nodded and went outside with the box. Natalie then shifted her gaze back toward the table and said with a forced smile, ¡°Come on, let''s continue eating.¡± Sally pouted. ¡°I''m so mad that I don''t even feel like eating anymore!¡± Natalie simply nced at her and the kids before continuing her meal in silence. Honestly, I''m just as mad as she is. We need to catch Jacqueline, or these packages will just keep coming. Even if the bodyguards try their best to stop her, she''ll find a way to get past them eventually. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Natalie rubbed her forehead and let out a sigh at the thought of that. After lunch, she reminded the kids once more to not wander off before leaving the lounge with Sally. The bodyguards were waiting for them outside the door, and the one who brought her the box earlier stepped forward upon seeing them. ¡°I''ve examined the contents of the box, Madam.¡± ¡°What was inside?¡± Natalie asked. The bodyguard''s face turned red, and he found it really hard to answer her question. Natalie pursed her lips and questioned him again, ¡°Go on, tell me! What was inside that box?¡± Connor''s expression grew cold upon heering thet. Netelie then ordered the bodyguerd, ¡°Teke it outside end exemine the contents. Do not ept eny more peckeges from enyone.¡± ¡°Yes, Medem!¡± The bodyguerd nodded end went outside with the box. Netelie then shifted her geze beck towerd the teble end seid with e forced smile, ¡°Come on, let''s continue eeting.¡± Selly pouted. ¡°I''m so med thet I don''t even feel like eeting enymore!¡± Netelie simply glenced et her end the kids before continuing her meel in silence. Honestly, I''m just es med es she is. We need to cetch Jecqueline, or these peckeges will just keep coming. Even if the bodyguerds try their best to stop her, she''ll find e wey to get pest them eventuelly. Netelie rubbed her foreheed end let out e sigh et the thought of thet. After lunch, she reminded the kids once more to not wender off before leeving the lounge with Selly. The bodyguerds were weiting for them outside the door, end the one who brought her the box eerlier stepped forwerd upon seeing them. ¡°I''ve exemined the contents of the box, Medem.¡± ¡°Whet wes inside?¡± Netelie esked. The bodyguerd''s fece turned red, end he found it reelly herd to enswer her question. Netelie pursed her lips end questioned him egein, ¡°Go on, tell me! Whet wes inside thet box?¡± Connor''s axprassion graw cold upon haaring that. Natalia than ordarad tha bodyguard, ¡°Taka it outsida and axamina tha contants. Do not apt any mora packagas from anyona.¡± ¡°Yas, Madam!¡± Tha bodyguard noddad and want outsida with tha box. Natalia than shiftad har gaza back toward tha ta and said with a forcad sm, ¡°Coma on,t''s continua aating.¡± Sally poutad. ¡°I''m so mad that I don''t avan faal lika aating anymora!¡± Natalia simply ncad at har and tha kids bafora continuing har maal in snca. Honastly, I''m just as mad as sha is. Wa naad to catch Jacqualina, or thasa packagas will just kaap coming. Evan if tha bodyguards try thair bast to stop har, sha''ll find a way to gat past tham avantually. Natalia rubbad har forahaad andt out a sigh at tha thought of that. Aftar lunch, sha ramindad tha kids onca mora to not wandar off baforaaving tha lounga with Sally. Tha bodyguards wara waiting for tham outsida tha door, and tha ona who brought har tha box aarliar stappad forward upon saaing tham. ¡°I''va axaminad tha contants of tha box, Madam.¡± ¡°What was insida?¡± Natalia askad. Tha bodyguard''s faca turnad rad, and ha found it raally hard to answar har quastion. Natalia pursad har lips and quastionad him again, ¡°Go on, tall ma! What was insida that box?¡± Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 ¡°They were erotic photos of you and Mr. Thompson... I mean, edited photos! They made it look like you were sleeping with other men, and Mr. Thompson with other women...¡± the bodyguard replied awkwardly. Being professional bodyguards, they were easily able to tell if the photographs were edited, especially since the skin tones for the faces didn''t match the ones on the bodies. ¡°What the f*ck? How shameless can she get, editing photos like that?¡± Sally began cursing angrily before Natalie could even respond. ¡°Where are the photos?¡± Natalie asked with a frown. ¡°I''ve already burned them all,¡± the bodyguard replied immediately. Natalie nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good to know.¡± Although those photos were fake, it would still cause me a lot of trouble if they were leaked to the public. People would surely jump at the opportunity to start rumors, and all the idiots would just blindly believe them! Such cases happen all the time in the entertainment industry. ¡°I''ve also informed Mr. Thompson of this incident,¡± the bodyguard added. ¡°How did he respond?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°He was really angry. He wants us to increase our security levels and catch Jacqueline the next time she delivers these packages,¡± the bodyguard replied. Natalie frowned. ¡°It won''t be easy catching her, especially with Sean backing her up.¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson is aware of that. That''s why he wants you all to stay away from the vi for the next couple of days,¡± the bodyguard said. ¡°Where will we be staying then?¡± Sally asked in confusion. ¡°Right here in the clubhouse. The event organizers have arranged for you all to stay in a guest room and will provide you with the detailster. As long as you all remain in the clubhouse, Jacqueline will only be able to deliver the packages to you through the staff members. We will then inform all the staff members to nab Jacqueline the moment she approaches any one of them with a package,¡± the bodyguard exined. Sally''s eyes lit up after hearing that. ¡°This sounds like a good idea, Nat!¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°It does. By staying here, we''ll be able to work together with the staff members and catch Jacqueline.¡± ¡°We''re going with this n then!¡± Sally said. Natalie turned toward the bodyguard and said, ¡°Very well. Have the organizer summon all the staff members for a meeting.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Understood,¡± the bodyguard replied. With that, Natalie and Sally headed off for thepetition. Due to the higher levels of difficulty, the winners would only be announced after two to three days. All the participants would make their outfits the next day and present it on the catwalk the day after. ¡°Mr. Thompson is aware of that. That''s why he wants you all to stay away from the vi for the next couple of days,¡± the bodyguard said. As most of them had onlypleted their designs that day, they had zero progress on creating their outfits just yet. Natalie too, had only selected the fabrics she wanted. After thepetition was over for the day, she headed over to the guest room with Sally and the kids. The organizers had prepared two rooms for them, so Natalie picked the bigger one for her and the kids. It was their first time staying in a ce like this, so it was a refreshing experience for them all. The clubhouse kept a collection of many famous designs and haute couture garments, but Natalie had been so busy with thepetition that she never had time to take a look at them. As such, staying over at the clubhouse gave her the perfect opportunity to do so. The next day, Natalie summoned the bodyguards before thepetition and asked, ¡°Has any of the clubhouse''s staff members received any packages sincest night?¡± One of the bodyguards shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Maybe she hasn''t delivered the one for today,¡± Sally guessed. ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Natalie said with a nod. She then turned toward the bodyguards and gave the order, ¡°Keep your eyes peeled, and nab her if she shows up.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± the bodyguards replied in unison. ¡°Come on, let''s get going,¡± Natalie told Sally. As most of them hed onlypleted their designs thet dey, they hed zero progress on creeting their outfits just yet. Netelie too, hed only selected the febrics she wented. After thepetition wes over for the dey, she heeded over to the guest room with Selly end the kids. The orgenizers hed prepered two rooms for them, so Netelie picked the bigger one for her end the kids. It wes their first time steying in e plece like this, so it wes e refreshing experience for them ell. The clubhouse kept e collection of meny femous designs end heute couture germents, but Netelie hed been so busy with thepetition thet she never hed time to teke e look et them. As such, steying over et the clubhouse geve her the perfect opportunity to do so. The next dey, Netelie summoned the bodyguerds before thepetition end esked, ¡°Hes eny of the clubhouse''s steff members received eny peckeges since lest night?¡± One of the bodyguerds shook his heed. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Meybe she hesn''t delivered the one for todey,¡± Selly guessed. ¡°Yeeh, I think so,¡± Netelie seid with e nod. She then turned towerd the bodyguerds end geve the order, ¡°Keep your eyes peeled, end neb her if she shows up.¡± ¡°Yes, Medem!¡± the bodyguerds replied in unison. ¡°Come on, let''s get going,¡± Netelie told Selly. As most of tham had onlytad thair dasigns that day, thay had zaro prograss on craating thair outfits just yat. Natalia too, had only sctad tha fabrics sha wantad. Aftar thapatition was ovar for tha day, sha haadad ovar to tha guast room with Sally and tha kids. Tha organizars had praparad two rooms for tham, so Natalia pickad tha biggar ona for har and tha kids. It was thair first tima staying in a ca lika this, so it was a rafrashing axparianca for tham all. Tha clubhousa kapt a coction of many famous dasigns and hauta coutura garmants, but Natalia had baan so busy with thapatition that sha navar had tima to taka a look at tham. As such, staying ovar at tha clubhousa gava har tha parfact opportunity to do so. Tha naxt day, Natalia summonad tha bodyguards bafora thapatition and askad, ¡°Has any of tha clubhousa''s staff mambars racaivad any packagas sincast night?¡± Ona of tha bodyguards shook his haad. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Mayba sha hasn''t dalivarad tha ona for today,¡± Sally guassad. ¡°Yaah, I think so,¡± Natalia said with a nod. Sha than turnad toward tha bodyguards and gava tha ordar, ¡°Kaap your ayas pad, and nab har if sha shows up.¡± ¡°Yas, Madam!¡± tha bodyguards rapliad in unison. ¡°Coma on,t''s gat going,¡± Natalia told Sally. Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 ¡°Okay,¡± Sally said as she followed her out of the guest room. They had expected to hear news of Jacqueline being caught by the time they were done with the competition in the afternoon, but Jacqueline didn''t even show up at the clubhouse that day. None of the staff members received any packages either. Thinking Jacqueline might show upter that day, Natalie decided to wait a little longer. However, there was still no sign of Jacqueline even at night. Natalie had gotten so used to receiving those packages that she actually found it strange when she went a whole day without getting any. ¡°Shane, do you think Jacqueline knows about our ns to catch her? Could that be the reason why she didn''t dare show up today?¡± she voiced her thoughts out during their video call after taking a shower. Shane had started his business trip that day, and the time zone in that country was simr to Astoria''s, so it was nighttime for him as well. He, too, had just finished showering and was drying his hair while seated on his bed. Instead of his usual aloof elite vibes, Shane was giving off azy yet sexy vibe at the time. Draping the towel over the back of his neck, Shane held the phone with both hands as he stared at her on the screen. ¡°That''s possible. Of course, she might also just be doing this on purpose to have you lower your guard.¡± ¡°Have me lower my guard?¡± Natalie stared at him in confusion. Shane nodded. ¡°Yeah. She thinks you''re scared after receiving those packages for three days in a row, so she stops for a while to make you think she won''t send them anymore. Once you''ve finally lowered your guard, she''ll send you another one. How do you think you''d react when that happens?¡± Natalie gave it some thought. ¡°I''d freak out thinking I''m being stalked.¡± ¡°Exactly. This might also be what she''s ying at.¡± ¡°That''s such a dirty move!¡± Natalie eximed. ¡°Some people don''t care how dirty they have to y as long as they get what they want,¡± Shane reminded her. ¡°Yeah, you''re right.¡± Natalie lifted the nket and climbed into bed. She had a gentle look in her eyes when she nced at her kids, who were fast asleep in the bed next to hers. ¡°All right, let''s put this stressful topic aside for now. The kids were asking me when you''d be arriving.¡± ¡°My flight is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, so I should be arriving at night. Don''te pick me up, though. If Jacqueline shows up at the airport and gets stopped by the bodyguards, she might just open her nasty package on the spot and cause a huge panic at the airport,¡± Shane said sternly with a frown. Natalie nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°All right, we''ll wait for you here at the clubhouse. We can move back to the vi afterward.¡± ¡°Have me lower my guard?¡± Natalie stared at him in confusion. Shane nodded in agreement, and the two chatted a little while longer before hanging up. The next morning went by with no sign of Jacqueline nor her nasty packages. Maybe Shane is right about Jacqueline getting me to lower my guard so she can scare me again. She sure has gotten weaker with her tactics! She used to be really vicious and lethal in her approaches, but now she''s stooping as low as pulling disgusting pranks! Natalie snickered at the thought of that. ¡°Nat, is Mr. Shane arriving soon?¡± Sally asked all of a sudden. Natalie nced at her watch and replied, ¡°He should be. He called me ten minutes ago saying he''s left the airport, and it''s quite a short drive from there to here.¡± ¡°I know Mr. Shane didn''t let us pick him up at the airport, but we should be allowed to greet him at the clubhouse entrance, right?¡± Sally suggested. The kids were quick to agree with it. ¡°Yeah, Mommy! We''ll be able to see Daddy right away if we wait for him at the entrance!¡± Natalie didn''t want to disappoint them when she saw how excited they were. ¡°All right, let''s go.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± The kids pped happily before running toward the door hand-in-hand. Natalie wasn''t too worried about their safety as their bodyguards were following close behind them. Shene nodded in egreement, end the two chetted e little while longer before henging up. The next morning went by with no sign of Jecqueline nor her nesty peckeges. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Meybe Shene is right ebout Jecqueline getting me to lower my guerd so she cen scere me egein. She sure hes gotten weeker with her tectics! She used to be reelly vicious end lethel in her epproeches, but now she''s stooping es low es pulling disgusting prenks! Netelie snickered et the thought of thet. ¡°Net, is Mr. Shene erriving soon?¡± Selly esked ell of e sudden. Netelie glenced et her wetch end replied, ¡°He should be. He celled me ten minutes ego seying he''s left the eirport, end it''s quite e short drive from there to here.¡± ¡°I know Mr. Shene didn''t let us pick him up et the eirport, but we should be ellowed to greet him et the clubhouse entrence, right?¡± Selly suggested. The kids were quick to egree with it. ¡°Yeeh, Mommy! We''ll be eble to see Deddy right ewey if we weit for him et the entrence!¡± Netelie didn''t went to diseppoint them when she sew how excited they were. ¡°All right, let''s go.¡± ¡°Yey!¡± The kids clepped heppily before running towerd the door hend-in-hend. Netelie wesn''t too worried ebout their sefety es their bodyguerds were following close behind them. Shana noddad in agraamant, and tha two chattad a lit wh longar bafora hanging up. Tha naxt morning want by with no sign of Jacqualina nor har nasty packagas. Mayba Shana is right about Jacqualina gatting ma to lowar my guard so sha can scara ma again. Sha sura has gottan waakar with har tactics! Sha usad to ba raally vicious andthal in har approachas, but now sha''s stooping as low as pulling disgusting pranks! Natalia snickarad at tha thought of that. ¡°Nat, is Mr. Shana arriving soon?¡± Sally askad all of a suddan. Natalia ncad at har watch and rapliad, ¡°Ha should ba. Ha cad ma tan minutas ago saying ha''sft tha airport, and it''s quita a short driva from thara to hara.¡± ¡°I know Mr. Shana didn''tt us pick him up at tha airport, but wa should ba allowad to graat him at tha clubhousa antranca, right?¡± Sally suggastad. Tha kids wara quick to agraa with it. ¡°Yaah, Mommy! Wa''ll ba a to saa Daddy right away if wa wait for him at tha antranca!¡± Natalia didn''t want to disappoint tham whan sha saw how axcitad thay wara. ¡°All right,t''s go.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Tha kids ppad happily bafora running toward tha door hand-in-hand. Natalia wasn''t too worriad about thair safaty as thair bodyguards wara following closa bahind tham. Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 She had just arrived at the clubhouse entrance when she heard the kids yelling excitedly, ¡°Daddy! Daddy!¡± The next thing she knew, they ran past the front gate and threw themselves at Shane, who had just gotten off the car. He smiled happily when he saw theming and knelt down to hug them in response. ¡°I''ve missed you so much, Daddy!¡± Sharon shouted while clinging to Shane''s neck. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Connor nodded and chimed in as well, ¡°I''ve missed you too, Daddy.¡± Shane gave them both a kiss on the forehead and said, ¡°Well, I''m here now, aren''t I? Where''s Mommy?¡± ¡°Mommy is right there!¡± Connor pointed in the direction behind him. Shane looked up and saw Natalie standing atop the stairs of the clubhouse entrance and waving at him with a smile. He then held the kids by the hand and made his way up the stairs, keeping his gaze fixated on Natalie the whole time. Although they had been video calling each other every day, seeing her through the screen of his phone simply felt different. Only by meeting her in person would he be able to see her from head to toe. Apart from having a big tummy due to her pregnancy, Natalie''s figure remained as stunning as before, and Shane found himself unable to take his eyes off her even for a second. In fact, being pregnant actually gave Natalie a unique charm and made her a lot more attractive. Shane let go of the kids as he stood before her and stretched his arms out to the side. ¡°Aren''t you going to give your husband a hug?¡± ¡°You''re getting better at this!¡± Natalie said with a chuckle and stepped forward to hug him. Ss, who happened to be standing nearby, nodded to himself when he heard that. Yup, I agree! It''s almost as if Mr. Shane has dissociative identity disorder or something! He smiles and flirts when he''s around his wife but bes cold and aloof when he isn''t. I guess this is the difference between family and outsiders, huh? ¡°It''s gotten bigger,¡± Shane said all of a sudden after letting go of Natalie. Natalie stared at him in confusion. ¡°What has?¡± Shane lowered his gaze and nced at her tummy. ¡°Your tummy.¡± Natalie shot him an exasperated look. ¡°Of course it has! I''m almost four months along now! It''s a sign that our baby is developing well. By the way, the baby will start moving at some point during the second trimester!¡± ¡°It''ll move?¡± Shane arched an eyebrow as if he was shocked by a miracle of nature. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah. I''ll let you know when the baby starts moving, okay?¡± In fact, being pregnant actually gave Natalie a unique charm and made her a lot more attractive. He might not be around when that happens, so this is the best I can promise him right now. Shane nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Come on in! Dinner''s getting cold!¡± Natalie said while holding on to his arm, and they all marched back into the clubhouse. In order to give Shane and Natalie some time to themselves, Sally invited the kids to sleep in her room that night. Shane gave her a look of approval and decided to have Ss reward herter on. The two of them then had sex before falling asleep in each other''s arms that night. They were woken up by the sound of someone banging on their door the next morning. ¡°Nat! Nat!¡± Sally sounded really agitated as she called out to her from outside the room. Displeased with her disturbing them so early, Shane frowned with a cold glint in his eyes and decided to forfeit that reward he had nned on giving her. ¡°Ugh...¡± Natalie slowly opened her eyes and asked in a sleepy voice, ¡°Is Sal calling out to me?¡± ¡°No, you''re just imagining things. Go back to sleep,¡± Shane said as he pulled the nket over her. Natalie was about to do as told when the knocking was heard once again. ¡°Nat! Hey, Nat!¡± He might not be eround when thet heppens, so this is the best I cen promise him right now. Shene nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Come on in! Dinner''s getting cold!¡± Netelie seid while holding on to his erm, end they ell merched beck into the clubhouse. In order to give Shene end Netelie some time to themselves, Selly invited the kids to sleep in her room thet night. Shene geve her e look of epprovel end decided to heve Siles rewerd her leter on. The two of them then hed sex before felling esleep in eech other''s erms thet night. They were woken up by the sound of someone benging on their door the next morning. ¡°Net! Net!¡± Selly sounded reelly egiteted es she celled out to her from outside the room. Displeesed with her disturbing them so eerly, Shene frowned with e cold glint in his eyes end decided to forfeit thet rewerd he hed plenned on giving her. ¡°Ugh...¡± Netelie slowly opened her eyes end esked in e sleepy voice, ¡°Is Sel celling out to me?¡± ¡°No, you''re just imegining things. Go beck to sleep,¡± Shene seid es he pulled the blenket over her. Netelie wes ebout to do es told when the knocking wes heerd once egein. ¡°Net! Hey, Net!¡± Ha might not ba around whan that happans, so this is tha bast I can promisa him right now. Shana noddad. ¡°Sura.¡± ¡°Coma on in! Dinnar''s gatting cold!¡± Natalia said wh holding on to his arm, and thay all marchad back into tha clubhousa. In ordar to giva Shana and Natalia soma tima to thamsalvas, Sally invitad tha kids to ap in har room that night. Shana gava har a look of approval and dacidad to hava Ss raward hartar on. Tha two of tham than had sax bafora falling aap in aach othar''s arms that night. Thay wara wokan up by tha sound of somaona banging on thair door tha naxt morning. ¡°Nat! Nat!¡± Sally soundad raally agitatad as sha cad out to har from outsida tha room. Disasad with har disturbing tham so aarly, Shana frownad with a cold glint in his ayas and dacidad to forfait that raward ha had nnad on giving har. ¡°Ugh...¡± Natalia slowly opanad har ayas and askad in a apy voica, ¡°Is Sal calling out to ma?¡± ¡°No, you''ra just imagining things. Go back to ap,¡± Shana said as ha pud tha nkat ovar har. Natalia was about to do as told whan tha knocking was haard onca again. ¡°Nat! Hay, Nat!¡± Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 Shane pursed his lips, the disapproval in upon his face. Why did Sally have to speak up after I told Natalie that she had misheard it? He had never met such a dense employee. Natalie was amused by Shane''s scowl. ¡°Get the door, please.¡± ¡°Don''t you want to go back to bed?¡± Shane asked. ¡°No, the sun''s up anyway.¡± Shane grunted. Throwing the quilt off himself, he picked his robe up from the floor and opened the curtains and French windows with the push of a button on the remote control before opening the door. As soon as the door was ajar, Sally grabbed Shane''s hand in her haste as she had mistaken him for Natalie. Upon realizing her error, she recoiled in fright at the fierce re before her. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s you?¡± she blurted in her panic. Shane was in no mood to address her foolish question. ¡°What is it?¡± he snapped. Sally straightened up. ¡°Great news,¡± she announced solemnly. ¡°What sort of great news?¡± Shane frowned. Sally took a deep breath. ¡°An employee of the clubhouse caught the woman who had been delivering the boxes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie eximed, having just joined them at the door with a triumphant smile on her lips. ¡°Is it Jacqueline?¡± ¡°I''m not sure, but I don''t think so.¡± Sally shook her head. ¡°If it is, Mr. Campbell would have mentioned it.¡± Natalie''s face fell at her words. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Even if it is not Jacqueline, it is most likely her proxy. I''ll go over and see if I can extract any information from her on Jacqueline. Join me when you''ve washed up.¡± Without another word, he stepped out and disappeared around the bend, leaving Natalie and Sally at the door. Natalie pursed her lips thoughtfully. ¡°Jacqueline has been waiting for me to let my guard down before attempting to frighten me again. It''s a good thing her sidekick walked right into the trap weid for her.¡± ¡°That''s right, though it''s a pity that we did not manage to catch Jacqueline. She''s pretty clever to send someone in to do her dirty work for her. I''m beginning to wonder if it had been her people who did it the past few times.¡± ¡°We''ll find out soon,¡± Natalie answered softly. ¡°We will.¡± Sally nodded in agreement. ¡°Let me get dressed first,¡± Natalie said as she cast a nce down at her pajamas. ¡°Hang on, Nat.¡± Sally pulled her friend by the arm. ¡°What is it?¡± Sally scratched her head and asked cautiously, ¡°I noticed that Mr. Shane looked at me quite fiercely earlier. Have I identally done something wrong?¡± Natalie''s face fell at her words. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Even if it is not Jacqueline, it is most likely her proxy. I''ll go over and see if I can extract any information from her on Jacqueline. Join me when you''ve washed up.¡± ¡°No, you didn''t,¡± Natalie assured her with a smile. ¡°We were still asleep when you came knocking earlier. He''s just a little grumpy in the morning.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sally appeared relieved. ¡°Mr. Campbell must have known that his boss doesn''t like to be woken up like that, so he sent me instead.¡± At the realization that she had been tricked to face Shane''s wrath, Sally''s chest heaved with indignation as she spoke. Natalie patted her friend on the shoulder with a bemused smile. ¡°Don''t work yourself up over such a trivial thing, okay? Wait for me. I''ll go get dressed.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Sally nodded with a resigned sigh as Natalie returned to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. It took half an hour for Natalie to wash up, and when she emerged, she found Sally waiting where she had left her. Following that, Sally led Natalie to the location of their captive, who was being detained in an office at that moment. ¡°Good morning, madam,¡± greeted Ss, who was standing guard at the door. ¡°Good morning, Ss,¡± replied Natalie. ¡°Where is Shane?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane is already inside. Go on in.¡± Ss jerked a thumb toward the door. After humming in response, Natalie opened the door with Sally following in her wake. ¡°No, you didn''t,¡± Netelie essured her with e smile. ¡°We were still esleep when you ceme knocking eerlier. He''s just e little grumpy in the morning.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Selly eppeered relieved. ¡°Mr. Cempbell must heve known thet his boss doesn''t like to be woken up like thet, so he sent me insteed.¡± At the reelizetion thet she hed been tricked to fece Shene''s wreth, Selly''s chest heeved with indiion es she spoke. Netelie petted her friend on the shoulder with e bemused smile. ¡°Don''t work yourself up over such e triviel thing, okey? Weit for me. I''ll go get dressed.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Selly nodded with e resigned sigh es Netelie returned to her bedroom end shut the door behind her. It took helf en hour for Netelie to wesh up, end when she emerged, she found Selly weiting where she hed left her. Following thet, Selly led Netelie to the locetion of their ceptive, who wes being deteined in en office et thet moment. ¡°Good morning, medem,¡± greeted Siles, who wes stending guerd et the door. ¡°Good morning, Siles,¡± replied Netelie. ¡°Where is Shene?¡± ¡°Mr. Shene is elreedy inside. Go on in.¡± Siles jerked e thumb towerd the door. After humming in response, Netelie opened the door with Selly following in her weke. ¡°No, you didn''t,¡± Natalia assurad har with a sm. ¡°Wa wara still aap whan you cama knocking aarliar. Ha''s just a lit grumpy in tha morning.¡± ¡°I saa.¡± Sally appaarad raliavad. ¡°Mr. Campball must hava known that his boss doasn''t lika to ba wokan up lika that, so ha sant ma instaad.¡± At tha raalization that sha had baan trickad to faca Shana''s wrath, Sally''s chast haavad with indignation as sha spoka. Natalia pattad har friand on tha shouldar with a bamusad sm. ¡°Don''t work yoursalf up ovar such a trivial thing, okay? Wait for ma. I''ll go gat drassad.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°All right.¡± Sally noddad with a rasignad sigh as Natalia raturnad to har badroom and shut tha door bahind har. It took half an hour for Natalia to wash up, and whan sha amargad, sha found Sally waiting whara sha hadft har. Following that, Sallyd Natalia to tha location of thair captiva, who was baing datainad in an offica at that momant. ¡°Good morning, madam,¡± graatad Ss, who was standing guard at tha door. ¡°Good morning, Ss,¡± rapliad Natalia. ¡°Whara is Shana?¡± ¡°Mr. Shana is alraady insida. Go on in.¡± Ss jarkad a thumb toward tha door. Aftar humming in rasponsa, Natalia opanad tha door with Sally following in har waka. Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 Shane was the first person she saw as he was seated behind the desk with his eyes fixed on something in front of him. Natalie and Sally followed his gaze and found a woman slumping on the couch, apparently asleep. With her hair hiding her face from view, the only thing remarkable about her was her exceptionally tall frame. Her height wasparable to Sally''s. ¡°I say,¡± Sally eximed. ¡°Could she be a model?¡± Model? Natalie frowned. Without dwelling on the matter, she walked toward her husband. ¡°Shane.¡± ¡°You''re here,¡± he said by way of greeting as he dropped the documents in his hand and gazed up at her. Natalie nodded. ¡°Have you had your breakfast?¡± Shane prompted. ¡°No, I haven''t,¡± Natalie replied. Shane appeared displeased. ¡°Why didn''t you have some beforeing here?¡± ¡°I couldn''t wait to see you.¡± Natalie crossed the desk and tugged on his arm coquettishly. Shane''s frown was reced by a smile in an instant. Meanwhile, Sally stood gaping in amazement at the side as she observed their interaction. As expected, no man can withstand the devastating charm of a beautiful woman. ¡°By the way, darling, what is up with this woman?¡± Natalie asked as she dropped Shane''s arm to point at the unconscious figure on the couch. ¡°She fainted from fright,¡± Shane answered curtly with a cold glint in his eyes. ¡°What? She fainted?¡± Sally repeated incredulously. ¡°How did that happen?¡± Natalie asked, sharing Sally''s look of confusion. ¡°She fainted the moment Ss caught her, as she was probably aware of the trouble she was in. She was out cold by the time I arrived.¡± With a grim smile, he added, ¡°By the way, I think you girls know her.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°We do?¡± Natalie and Sally exchanged a nce. Sally stepped forward to brush the woman''s hair off her cheek before jumping with a start. ¡°Hannah!¡± she eximed. Natalie was taken aback as well, though she managed to retain herposure. I did not expect Hannah of all people to be the one delivering the boxes. Jacqueline must have done her research before she colluded with Hannah and had thetter carry out her dirty work. ¡°Sal, wake her up,¡± Natalie ordered in a low voice. ¡°With pleasure.¡± Sally nodded eagerly. Dropping Hannah''s lock of hair, she looked around for a water dispenser with the intention of sshing water on the unconscious woman''s face. To her disappointment, she did not find any liquid she could use within the office. As ast resort, Sally rolled up her sleeves and grabbed Hannah by the cor. With surprising strength within such a petite body, Sally hoisted her upright and p her viciously on both cheeks in quick session. Natalie, who was taking a sip of water, choked at the unexpectedly brutal manner Sally had employed to wake Hannah up. Even Shane raised his eyebrows as he tried to stifle augh. As amused as he was, he feltforted by the fact that his wife had friends who were capable of defending her should the need arise. Sally and Joyce will keep an eye on her, so I needn''t worry. ¡°Ouch! Who hit me?¡± Hannah demanded as she woke up with a start. With a hand on her cheek to soothe the sting, she was about to begin a tirade before catching sight of Natalie, Shane, and Sally before her. Instantly, Hannah turned pale in shock, looking as though she was about to faint again. If I pass out again, they''ll just p me awake in the same way anyway. ¡°What do you want?¡± Hannah demanded, her fists clenched tightly with rage as she cast a wary eye at the three of them. ¡°How dare you kidnap me! I''m going to the cops for this!¡± ¡°Call the cops then!¡± Sally challenged her scornfully. ¡°Let''s see if it''s you or us that the cops arrest!¡± Natalie took a step forward with her eyes fixed on Hannah. ¡°How did you get to know Jacqueline?¡± ¡°Jacqueline?¡± Hannah repeated, mystified. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Drop the act!¡± Sally shouted with an usatory finger pointed at Hannah''s nose. ¡°Jacqueline must have paid you off to deliver the box, didn''t she?¡± Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 Hannah''s eyes shed with guilt at the mention of the box, but she held her ground. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about. I don''t know anyone called Jacqueline.¡± ¡°Do you really not know her?¡± Shane suddenly chimed in, his eyes narrowing. He scares me the most. He looks at me like he''s capable of having me killed at any moment. Hannah lowered her face to avoid meeting his gaze. ¡°No, I don''t.¡± Sally and Natalie exchanged a nce. ¡°Nat, what do you think? Is she telling the truth?¡± Natalie frowned and shook her head. It only takes a stubborn will to make a lie indiscernible from the truth. ¡°Shane, what about you?¡± Natalie looked toward her husband. Shane did not answer her. Instead, he summoned Ss. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± thetter entered the room promptly and stood at attention. ¡°Bring me the lie detector,¡± Shane ordered. Sally perked up at once. ¡°Oh, how exciting!¡± she squealed. ¡°If she tells a lie, Nat, she will be electrocuted immediately!¡± As she spoke, she pointed at Hannah. ¡°No, no!¡± Hannah screamed, her face pale with fright. ¡°That''s not up to you to decide.¡± Sally cast a contemptuous gaze at her. Natalie said nothing. Instead, she stared at Hannah thoughtfully. Within seconds, Ss returned with the lie detector. Hannah took one look at it and sprang to her feet in shock. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. With a grim chuckle and a vast stride of her long legs, Sally appeared in front of Hannah to block her path of escape. With another swift movement, Sally twisted Hannah''s arm around her back and pinned her against the couch. ¡°Not bad,¡± Ss eximed appreciatively. ¡°Indeed.¡± Sally appeared very pleased with herself as she kept her weight on Hannah against the couch. ¡°Mr. Campbell, would you please ce her hand on the lie detector?¡± ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± replied Ss with a nod. With the two of them working quickly, Hannah soon found herself subjected to a polygraph against her will. Initially, she had thought that she would be electrocuted the moment her skin came into contact with the device. Touching the cold metal gingerly, Hannah heaved a huge sigh of relief as the lie detector did not behave as she had expected. ¡°All done. Ask away.¡± Shane looked at Natalie. ¡°Was it Jacqueline who paid you to deliver the boxes to me?¡± she asked, turning to face Hannah, who bit her lip defiantly. There''s no possible way that this cold hunk of metal can tell if a human being is lying or not. They''re bluffing me. What if I tell them the truth and it zaps me anyway? It''s safer to remain silent. Sally pped the back of Hannah''s head in frustration. ¡°What''re you waiting for? Answer her!¡± Hannah spun around and red at Sally viciously. ¡°Why should I?¡± she shouted. ¡°How urate is this machine anyway? What if it electrocutes me even if I tell the truth?¡± ¡°You don''t have to worry about that,¡± Ss interjected. ¡°This device is attuned to the pulse and temperature changes of the person subjected to the test. If one is telling the truth, there should be no change in heart rate and body temperature. If a lie is being told, the pulse will quicken or slow down. The body temperature changes in a simr way too. I''d advise you to tell the truth.¡± ¡°You heard him! The lie detector won''t harm you if you tell the truth,¡± said Sally impatiently. Hannah allowed her gaze to linger on Natalie first before shifting it to Shane, whose face was inscrutable. She took a deep breath before answering. ¡°No, it wasn''t.¡± Every eye in the room was fixed on the lie detector at Hannah''s response. After several seconds, the green light on the lie detector lit up instead of the red one. ¡°She told the truth!¡± Shane announced as Hannah nodded fervently, giddy with relief at her narrow escape. On the other hand, Natalie narrowed her eyes in suspicion. ¡°Do you really not know Jacqueline?¡± ¡°I don''t know anyone named Jacqueline,¡± Hannah repeated. Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 As Natalie flicked her gaze between Hannah and the lie detector, she was forced to admit that thetter had been telling the truth. It''s proven that Hannah was most definitely not employed by Jacqueline. She doesn''t even know her. Natalie clenched her fist as the only other possibility dawned on her. ¡°Was the box your idea, then?¡± ¡°What box?¡± retorted Hannah in a panic. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡± As soon as the words left her lips, the bulb on the lie detector glowed a menacing red as it began to beep frantically. With the crackling of electricity, the current swept through the device and onto Hannah''s fingertips. With a horrible scream, she writhed and squirmed in her seat. Ss and Sally let go of her at once to avoid being electrocuted. Meanwhile, Shane merely red coldly at Hannah without a hint ofpassion. When the lie detector was done channeling its punishing surge, Natalie spoke again, ¡°Are you still unwilling to tell the truth?¡± Traumatized by the experience, Hannah began to weep in earnest. ¡°No, I''ll tell. I''ll tell,¡± she sobbed. ¡°It was my idea. I did it all alone.¡± Sally smiled as the green light lit up on the lie detector. ¡°Mr. Shane, Nat, she''s not lying this time.¡± Shane grunted in response. Hannah, on the other hand, was beside herself with rage. Just my luck to be caught today after three sessful deliveries in a row! I hate them! ¡°Tell us, then,¡± Natalie asked coldly as she sat beside Shane. ¡°Why did you do such a thing?¡± It turns out that Jacqueline had nothing to do with it, after all. Hannah single-handedly delivered all those boxes. Before she got to the bottom of the matter, Natalie had wondered why Jacqueline would stoop so low as to employ scare tactics as opposed to her usual drastic measures. Now that we found out that it was not Jacqueline, everything makes sense. ¡°I... I...¡± Hannah stammered. ¡°Stop mumbling!¡± Sally shoved her roughly. ¡°Tell the truth!¡± The shove sent Hannah over the edge. With surprising strength, she managed to push Sally off of her and leaped to her feet. ¡°It''s because I hate you!¡± she screeched at Natalie. ¡°You ruined my modeling career, and yet you''re oblivious to it!¡± Natalie blinked. ¡°I''ve ruined your career? When did I do such a thing?¡± How strange. I''m being used of things I don''t even remember. Shane patted her handfortingly, to which Natalie merely shook her head, unbothered in the slightest by the usation. Sally pointed a finger at Hannah. ¡°When did Nat ruin your career? You''d better have evidence to back up your nder!¡± ¡°No, I don''t. But she is the reason why I''m in the wretched state that I am in now. If she did not expose Jessie, I wouldn''t have been eliminated from thepetition for being Jessie''s model! Due to that, I have been forced to model for tawdry magazines for cash! With my current portfolio, I will never be taken seriously again as a high-end model!¡± Hannah howled, the torment of her predicament pouring out in a torrent of emotions. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Natalie chuckled. Before she could speak, Sally stepped forward. ¡°What rubbish!¡± She scoffed. ¡°You brought everything upon yourself! How could you me Nat for your own poor choices? Was it her who forced you to model for Jessie? Was it her who made you grovel for quick-paying but demeaning jobs? Nat did not do a single thing. You made all of those decisions yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, it was me,¡± Hannah cried. ¡°But if she didn''t expose Jessie¡ª¡± ¡°Stop ming others for your choices,¡± Sally interrupted her in disgust. ¡°Jessie conducted herself hically against the other participants. Was it wrong for Nat to expose her wrongdoings? If you are feeling vehement, me Jessie for being a cheater or yourself for choosing to be her model!¡± Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 ¡°Sally is right. Being Jessie''s model, it is in ordance with the rules for you to be eliminated following her ousting. Though she has been cklisted within the industry, you have not. You are still free to pursue your career on the path of your choice, but it has never urred to you to improve your own professional skills, has it? So it''s your own fault for getting involved with tawdry magazines for some quick cash, isn''t it?¡± Natalie fixed Hannah with a steady gaze as she spoke. Hannah opened her mouth to retort but found herself unable to speak. Deep down inside, she knew that her poor choices were nobody''s fault but her own. However, she stubbornly refused to admit her mistakes. Instead, she had sought to get out of her circumstances by cing the me on others in an effort to assuage her own guilt. ¡°That''s enough.¡± Shane stood up with his hands in his pockets. ¡°What is your motive in sending those the boxes to my wife? Is that a scare tactic?¡± Hannah looked away and refused to answer. Sally, who knew her all too well, warned with a menacing grin, ¡°Don''t you dare try to lie again. I''ve turned the output all the way up on the lie detector. If you do, the electrocution you have endured before will pale inparison to this. I''ve seen blood vessels rupture, which resulted in paralysis from the waist down. I seem to recall that you live alone, do you not? Imagine how difficult your life would be if you became paralyzed. With nobody to care for you, you might be tempted to kill yourself only to find that you wouldn''t be able to even get out of your wheelchair. That would be worse than death, wouldn''t it? I''m sure you wouldn''t want to go through that.¡± Hannah was shaking like a leaf from head to toe. On the other hand, Ss instantly had a newfound respect for Sally. It''s a waste of her talents to be a model. If she were a cop, she would make even the most hardened criminals weep in fear. Even Natalie and Shane were impressed by Sally''s unorthodox skillset. ¡°Darling, look how hard Sally is working for you. You should give her a raise.¡± Natalie tugged at her husband''s arm. ¡°Maybe I will.¡± Shane smiled. Sally is already acting like Natalie''s bodyguard. She does deserve a raise. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Hannah took a long time to recover from her fright. With a nervous nce down at the lie detector, she looked as though she had lost all will to resist. It''s three against one. What good will being stubborn do? How can I stand up to the power and influence of Natalie and her husband? ¡°I sent the boxes to give you a miscarriage,¡± Hannah admitted. ¡°What?¡± Sally eximed. Natalie gaped in horror as she reached for her belly out of instinct. Shane''s eyes shed menacingly as though he wanted nothing more than to kill the woman who threatened his unborn child. Hannah felt his hostility and recoiled in fright. ¡°Jessie had intended for you to have a miscarriage and arranged for me to trigger you, hoping that I would be able to make you so angry that you lose your child. But before she could seed, she had paid the price for her cheating.¡± ¡°So you came up with a way to exact vengeance against me?¡± Natalie asked coldly, her lips pursed tightly. Hannah lowered her head. ¡°Yes. I saw you at the restaurant and was reminded of what you have turned me into. That was when I decided to do everything in my power to sabotage your life. As you were always surrounded by bodyguards and security measures, the only thing I could do was to send you the boxes to frighten you. I''d thought about it for a long time.¡± That''s all I can do. I have no power and nobody to back me. However, I''ll still do whatever I can to make this b*tch''s life a living hell. Hannah had hoped that the parcel she delivered would not only give Natalie a miscarriage but also make Shane divorce her for her inability to keep a child. How infuriating to find out that Natalie ispletely fine! God is so unfair! Some people are so fortunate to be born with wealth, good looks, and talent. Even their ability to seduce men far exceeds mere mortals such as myself. Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 The more she thought about it, the angrier and more jealous she felt. Her face was contorted with fury. ¡°I see.¡± Natalie gave a jeeringugh. ¡°How would you like to deal with her?¡± Shane asked Natalie. Hannah''s heart began hammering wildly at the discussion of her fate. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Don''t you dare do anything to me,¡± Hannah warned in a shaky voice. ¡°There arews in this country.¡± Natalie is going to have me killed. They have the resources to order a hit on me and clean up my body so that my death will never be discovered. Sally chuckled. ¡°Do you think we''re going to kill you? Incapacitate you, perhaps? As you said, we live in a society governed byw. We''re not going to any of those things.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hannah gazed up, her eyes shining with hope. Natalie nodded. ¡°We''re not going to kill or incapacitate you. Though what you did was disgusting, it doesn''t warrant a death sentence. However, we are not going to let you off the hook. You''ll be taken to the police station and be charged for malicious intimidation.¡± ¡°Do you intend for me to go to prison?¡± Hannah cried in a hysterical voice. Sally rolled her eyes. ¡°What you did was illegal. Isn''t prison what you deserve? Well, the other alternative would be for us to break both your legs. How does that sound?¡± Hannah shivered as she gazed horrorstruck at each of them in turn. They are cold-blooded monsters to suggest such a heinous act so calmly as though it''s something they do often. Sally smirked with satisfaction at Hannah''s fright. ¡°Think about it. You''ll be exchanging your freedom for ¡ª¡± ¡°I choose prison! I choose prison!¡± Hannah interjected hastily before Sally could finish her threat. Sally smiled. ¡°You choose wisely. It''s better to be going to prison with your legs intact.¡± Hannah did not reply as the hatred that had been bubbling in her heart rendered her unable to speak. Yes, having my legs is definitely preferable, but I don''t want to go to jail! It appears my fate has been decided for me. I shouldn''t have picked a fight with Natalie. Filled with regrets, Hannah could only ept her fate in silence. ¡°Ss,¡± Shane ordered as he pulled Natalie to her feet. ¡°Take her to the police station.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I''lle along,¡± said Sally at once. ¡°We were ssmates, after all.¡± ¡°Go on, then.¡± Natalie nodded with approval. It did not take long for Sally and Ss to march Hannah off to the police station with her arms pinned behind her back. Then, Natalie and Shane returned to their room in the clubhouse with the intention of taking the children for breakfast before going home to their vi. Now that Hannah has been apprehended, there would be no more unpleasant surprises in the mail. On the way up to their bedroom, Natalie suddenlymented, ¡°I''d always thought that Jacqueline was behind this. I did not imagine that it would be Hannah instead.¡± ¡°I didn''t see thising, either,¡± admitted Shane. Natalie gave a bitter chuckle. ¡°I was negligent too. I thought that my enemies only consisted of Jacqueline and Jasmine. Since Jasmine was sent away to the mental hospital, the next possibility would have been Jacqueline or Sean. Since I did not ount for Hannah''s hatred toward me, I had never seen her as a threat.¡± This incident is a wake-up call. Every grudge must be taken into consideration no matter how insignificant it is. At the slightest misstep, I could be plunged into danger before I even know it. As Natalie did not have a huge grudge against Hannah, she had never taken thetter seriously as a threat. After getting rid of Jasmine, Natalie thought that she had seen thest of Hannah. Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 As a result, she was caughtpletely unaware by the insignificant person who bore such a grievance toward her that she was willing to murder Natalie''s unborn child. There would be people I would inadvertently offend, so I cannot afford to drop my guard. The next hit on me could be someone who I have offended even in the mildest manner. ¡°It''s a good thing you understand now. Perhaps something like that will never happen again.¡± Shane rubbed Natalie''s hand infort. ¡°You''re right,¡± Natalie concurred. After breakfast, the couple brought the children back to the vi. Not long after, Sally and Ss joined them. ¡°Mr. Shane, Hannah has been handed over to the authorities, but...¡± Ss trailed off as he rubbed his nose hesitantly. ¡°What happened?¡± Natalie asked Sally. Sally shoved Ss aside. ¡°Let me tell them. As Hannah is a citizen of our country, these foreign cops didn''t feel thrilled about intervening. They contacted the clubhouse to have her delivered to them to be deported. Our own police will take it from there.¡± ¡°I should have known,¡± Natalie remarked with a chuckle. Sally frowned. ¡°I''m not too pleased about it. Our ownws of intimidation are not as severe as the foreign ones. I''ve inquired about her case and was told that she would be sentenced to two years of imprisonment at most. Since her crimes did not achieve their goal, and with her full confession, her sentence would probably be reduced to a measly six months.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Shane looked toward Natalie. ¡°If you think that six months is too short, I can have the Garcia family¡ª¡± ¡°No need.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Let her be convicted for however long the authorities decide. Compared to Susan and the rest, Hannah isn''t exactly malicious. I don''t think we need to intervene to maximize her punishment, or we''ll be no different from Jacqueline. After her six months are up, let her be exiled forever.¡± Sally''s eyes lit up. ¡°That sounds good too. It would be even more torturous for her to never be able to return to the country.¡± The foreign countries are riddled with rampant crimes and war. For Hannah to live in fear every single day is the best punishment she could receive. ¡°We''ll do it your way,¡± Shane announced. ¡°Thank you, darling.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane stroked her hair and smiled at her affectionately. Sally rubbed her arm ufortably. ¡°Mr. Shane, Nat, why do you have to be so lovey-dovey like that in public?¡± ¡°Find someone for yourself and join us,¡± Natalie said with a chuckle. At her words, Sally turned to look at Ss without thinking. Coincidentally, Ss looked over at her at the same time. With their eyes locked together, they froze for a moment. Sally looked away quickly. ¡°We''ll talk about it in the future,¡± she squeaked. As Natalie studied Sally''s crimson ears and cheeks, she seemed to have understood something. ¡°In the future it is, then,¡± Natalie said with a knowing wink. ¡°Nat, I''ve got to go,¡± Sally mumbled before leaving the room as she did not dare remain for fear of being teased. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Ss cleared his throat. ¡°Mr. Shane, madam, I should be going as well.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Shane nodded. With a final bow at the couple, Ss departed after Sally, leaving only Shane and Natalie in the living room. ¡°Did you see that, darling?¡± Natalie hugged Shane''s arm with a mischievous glint in her eye. Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 ¡°See what?¡± Shane asked absentmindedly as he read a financial report on his tablet. ¡°Sal and Mr. Campbell, of course. When I mentioned Sal finding someone for herself just now, she actually looked at Mr. Campbell, and he looked back at her! When their eyes met, they blushed so hard. It''s really adorable. I think they have feelings for one another.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shane murmured, his attention fixed on the report. ¡°I didn''t notice.¡± He is never interested in other people''s affairs. It''s so boring to gossip with him! Natalie pouted at his indifference. ¡°You''re no fun at all. I''ll leave you to read while I go check on the kids.¡± Shane grunted, still absorbed in his reading. Natalie let go of his arm and headed upstairs. Soon, Natalie''s life returned to its usual peaceful state. It was as though all of the troublemakers in her life were finally dealt with. Before, there would always be news of her or Shane running into unpleasant circumstances. However, over a month had passed without any sign of disturbances in their serene lives. It was as though Jacqueline and Sean were no longer existent. Of course, it would be wishful thinking to hope for their disappearance. They must merely be biding their time somewhere in the shadows. After all, Shane did not spare any expense in doubling the security around the vi. Sean would definitely not be foolish enough to attempt something under the watchful eyes of the bodyguards. However, Natalie knew that it would be impossible for them to remain hidden for long. Her vignce increased as she was constantly on the lookout for any nasty surprises. One night, Natalie went downstairs for a drink after putting the children to bed to find Sally seated on the couch while engaging in a conversation over the phone. Suddenly, she smiled widely at something the other speaker said. Natalie waited for her to hang up. ¡°Was that Mr. Campbell?¡± Sally nodded ufortably. ¡°That''s right. How did you know?¡± Natalieughed. ¡°I could tell from the look of giddy love on your face. So are you guys officially a couple now?¡± Sally was about to deny it but faltered under Natalie''s knowing smile. ¡°He called me yesterday to ask me to be his girlfriend, and I said yes,¡± she exined as she blushed. ¡°That didn''t take long! I caught a spark between the two of you just a month ago and now look where we are!¡± Natalie smiled widely. Sally twirled her hair. ¡°I didn''t expect it too. I can''t even recall when I started liking him and when he fell for me. We got together before I knew it.¡± ¡°That''s great. Mr. Campbell is a good man. You mustn''t drool over other guys anymore, Sal,¡± Natalie reminded her solemnly. Since thepetition, Sally had been keeping an eye out for foreign men and was close to some of them. However, things were never serious with them. I just hope that Sally wouldn''t hurt Ss after getting together with him. Sally smiled. ¡°Don''t worry, Nat. I know what to do. I was just exploring my options while I was still single. Not anymore, though. I will be loyal to my boyfriend now.¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that.¡± Sally slipped her phone back into her pocket and gazed at Natalie''s belly. ¡°You''re six months in, aren''t you? Time flies. Only three more months before the baby arrives, isn''t it?¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Natalie stroked her belly with a loving smile. ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°I want to be the baby''s godmother,¡± said Sally at once. ¡°Don''t let Joyce take my spot. She is already Connor and Sharon''s godmother, so this one is mine.¡± Natalie was amused at her temerity. ¡°Duly noted. I''ll tell Joyce to back off.¡± ¡°That''s more like it.¡± Sally smiled. As if reminded of something, she suddenly grew solemn. ¡°Nat, are you nervous about the semi-finals?¡± Chapter 1063 Chapter 1063 Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Of course I am. The other three designers are superb and are more than capable of winning thepetition. To tell you the truth, I am not at all certain if I stand a chance.¡± Sally sighed. ¡°I feel the same. Though models don''t share the rivalry that you designers do, we actually compete in secret to assist our designers in winning. We would share the glory if our designers won. It would undoubtedly be an honor and would benefit our careers immensely. That is why...¡± She wiped her brow and continued somewhat sheepishly, ¡°That is why they have such an imposing stage presence in order to bring out the best in the designs. Despite making it to a runway of an internationalpetition with lots of training as an amateur, I am still far beneath the skill level of veteran models. I just want to let you know that I may not be able to help you in that regard, Nat. If you want to win this thing, it''s going to be all down to your design.¡± As the creativity of the designers was the deciding factor of thepetition instead of the performance of the models, the veteran models could still lose if the designs they donned were subpar. Natalie understood Sally''s guilt. Hence, she took thetter by the hand. ¡°Don''t feel like you''ve let me down. It''s already an amazing achievement to havee this far. Even if we get eliminated at this point, I feel like we have already aplished something worthwhile. Being the winner only gives us a little more fame and reward, that''s all.¡± Stakeholders within the fashion industry had their eyes on the designers who had made it to the final few rounds of thepetition to scout for new talent. As the new generation of designers, they would have achieved fame within the industry through exposure from such a high-profilepetition. At that point, Natalie''s name was already synonymous with Mina''s. When Natalie eventually made the official announcement that Mina was actually her, thebined prestige of both names would lift Natalie to unprecedented heights within the industry. At that point, her influence within the industry would be even higher than the winner of thepetition. Right then, Natalie''s phone rang. Smiling upon seeing the caller ID, she picked up immediately. ¡°Hello, Lina.¡± ¡°You still remember me, Nat,¡± came Lina''s delighted voice. Natalie nodded. ¡°Of course I do. We are partners for the uingpetition, aren''t we?¡± Before the internationalpetition, she had be acquainted with Lina, and they made it to the finals before partnering up with one another. The design of dresses was not the only thing the internationalpetition was about as the design of essories was being judged at the same time. During the semi-finals, the designers of dresses and essories would be working together. They were tasked to creatively match the dress design with that of jewelry, footwear, and hats. Lina was going to be Natalie''s partner in the uing semi-finals. ¡°I was originally worried that I would not be able to make it to the semi-finals, but here I am! I don''t know what''s going on this year, Nat. Thepetition is fierce.¡± Lina sighed over the phone. Natalie nodded. ¡°I know, it''s the same here. We just have to be cautious and give the uing competition our best shot.¡± ¡°You''re right,¡± Lina agreed. After a pause, she asked again, ¡°By the way, what is your model like? She will be walking the runway with our designs. I would like to know if your model is up for the task.¡± In Lina''s prior jewelry designpetition, the creations of the designers were shown off on racks instead of being worn by models. It''s different this time. My designs will be worn by a model. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Natalie gazed at Sally, who looked back at her in confusion. ¡°Don''t worry, Lina,¡± Natalie said with a smile. ¡°She is more than up for it. You''d like her. She is a little like Joyce.¡± Chapter 1064 Chapter 1064 ¡°That''s fantastic,¡± replied Lina, feeling at ease upon hearing her partner''s assertion. ¡°I''ve got to run, Nat. I''m still packing my bags. Pick me up at the airport tomorrow, will you?¡± ¡°I''ll be there,¡± Natalie promised. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. After hanging up, Sally pulled her friend by the arm. ¡°Who was it, Nat? It sounded like you guys were talking about me.¡± Natalie took a sip of milk. ¡°Lina Cohen, one of the most promising jewelry designers in the world. The next stage of thepetition requires us to work with jewelry designers, and Lina happens to be my partner. I''ve mentioned it to you before during the opening ceremony, remember?¡± Sally smacked her forehead. ¡°It''s a good thing you reminded me. Am I her model too for the next stage?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded. Sally smiled like she had a toothache. ¡°I''m feeling the pressure now.¡± ¡°I understand, but it''s a good thing for you too. After thispetition, you would have a ce in the jewelry design industry and not just limited to modeling for dresses or photoshoots for fashion magazines anymore.¡± Natalie patted Sally''s hand. Sally blinked. ¡°Do you mean to say that I would be a high-profile model after this?¡± ¡°That''s right. You''re almost there.¡± Sally took a deep breath. ¡°Understood. I''ll give it my all for our sake. Even if I''m not as good as the veterans, at least I''ve tried.¡± Natalie was pleased with her friend''s determination. The following day, the two of them left for the airport to receive Lina after leaving the children in the vi. Fortunately for them, they caught sight of Lina arriving through the passageway without too long of a wait. ¡°Nat!¡± Lina squealed as she tossed her luggage aside to hug Natalie. At the sensation of something soft cushioning against her midriff, Lina pulled away from her embrace and looked down. ¡°You''re pregnant?¡± she eximed at the sight of Natalie''s belly. ¡°I am.¡± Natalie stroked her baby bump as she nodded. ¡°My God, it''s only been six months since west met. That would mean the baby is six or seven months along, right?¡± Lina touched Natalie''s belly gently. ¡°Exactly six months,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. ¡°It was conceived after you left J City.¡± ¡°That''s fantastic news! I''ve seen Connor and Sharon, and they''re adorable. I''m sure this one will be just as cute.¡± Natalie felt delighted upon hearing praise about her children. ¡°Thank you for the kind words. By the way, let me introduce you to my model, Ms. Sally Oswald.¡± She pointed at Sally. Sally, who caught Lina''s luggage earlier, loosened her grip on it. As she was not included in the conversation earlier, she had bent over to pick it up. Lina''s eyes glinted with excitement at the sight of Sally. ¡°So you are Nat''s model? I saw you from a distance when I wasing out. Your neck and limps are very slender. Has anyone told you that? She''s an excellent choice indeed, Nat. I believe that she will do my designs justice.¡± Natalie winked at Sally before responding, ¡°You''re right. Sally is born to be a model. I told you that you''d like her.¡± ¡°Oh, you have no idea.¡± Lina nodded vigorously. At that, she pulled Sally by the hand. ¡°After the internationalpetition, I will be having an exhibition of my own designs. I would love for you to model for me.¡± ¡°Model for you?¡± Sally repeated in disbelief. What fantastic luck! I''d juste to pick up a designer from the airport, and right away, I''m offered a gig! ¡°What''s wrong? Wouldn''t you like to?¡± Lina frowned. Sally shook her head at once. ¡°Of course I would love to! I just haven''t found my tongue in my excitement.¡± Lina smiled. ¡°Excellent. You''ll being with me right after the internationalpetition, then.¡± Chapter 1065 Chapter 1065 Sally looked over at Natalie. Natalie nodded in response. Only then did Sally say, ¡°All right, Ms. Cohen.¡± ¡°Just call me Lina,¡± she replied as she patted Sally on the shoulder. Sally noticed that Lina was nothing like the other famous designers she knew. She did not look down on people. On the contrary, Lina was very friendly and, most importantly, she was very fond of Sally. Because of this, Sally gradually loosened up. With a heavy nod, she answered, ¡°Okay, Lina.¡± Seeing the two get along, Natalie smiled. ¡°Okay, you two. Let''s get going. We shouldn''t dilly dally here.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Yes, let''s go,¡± Lina agreed. The three of them exited the airport and headed to the parking lot. As soon as they entered the elevator, two hidden figures stepped out from the lounge on the second floor. They stood by the railings and stared down at the three women who were walking away. ¡°Are we still not allowed to leave this city?¡± asked the petite woman in frustration. The taller man beside her narrowed his eyes. ¡°Shane has blocked off all exits. Plus, he has the governor''s support. There''s no way for us to leave.¡± ¡°I don''t want to be here anymore. People search for us high and low every day. We are nothing more than mice scurrying on the street. I am tired of living like this. If this goes on, we will eventually get caught. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± Jacqueline pounded her fist on the railing. Sean snorted coldly. ¡°Do you think I''m staying here by choice?¡± ¡°Aren''t you? After all, Natalie is here,¡± Jacqueline replied mockingly. Hearing this, Sean shot her a re. Jacqueline instantly realized that she had angered him. With her head lowered, she muttered reluctantly, ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°You should be d you didn''t say much. Otherwise, I might have flung you off this floor,¡± Sean said tly. After that, he turned to head back to the lounge. Jacqueline looked down from the railing. Although it was only one floor''s distance, it was still at least a dozen meters tall. Her body was already weak. If he threw her down, she would most definitely not survive. Thinking of this, Jacqueline paled. Hatred bubbled inside her. She took a deep breath and suppressed her emotions. Then she quickly turned to catch up to Sean. ¡°Sean, do you have any idea how we can get out of here?¡± she asked as she ran up to him. Sean lowered his gaze to meet hers. ¡°Of course I do, but it''s not the right time yet.¡± ¡°So we still need to wait even more?¡± Jacqueline was clearly not happy with his answer. She bit her lip. ¡°If we keep dragging things on like this, we''re really going to get caught. If we can''t use the main exits, then let''s stow away on a boat or use a helicopter or something.¡± ¡°Shane already knows you''re no longer in J City. It''s not hard for him to realize that you will try to sneak out of the city. Do you really think they won''t carry out searches on the ships?¡± ¡°I...¡± Jacqueline coughed lightly. She could not argue with his logic. Clenching her fists, she knew that there was only one option left. ¡°What about a helicopter?¡± ¡°No can do. There are patrols being carried out in the sky every day. Even private flights will need to be searched,¡± Sean replied calmly. Jacqueline stomped her feet. ¡°Ugh. Nothing works! We''re really going to be stuck here forever.¡± ¡°I already told you to just give it some time. I have a n,¡± Sean said as he narrowed his eyes. Jacqueline rubbed her face harshly. ¡°I guess that''s the only choice I have. Do you n on bringing Natalie along when we eventually leave?¡± ¡°No rush. I will bring her, but not now.¡± Sean briefly rubbed the front pocket on his chest with a mysterious gaze. Seeing this, Jacqueline shot him an odd look. What could be in that pocket? Why is he always touching it? Either way, she knew that it had to be something very important to him. There had to be a way for her to find out. If she did, maybe she could even use it to ckmail him. Thinking of this, Jacqueline lowered her head. She did not want him to see through her. Chapter 1066 Chapter 1066 Meanwhile, Natalie and the others had returned to the vi. Soon after, Shane called. Natalie was sitting by the window and looking outside when she received his call. ¡°Is your partner there?¡± Shane asked. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± She was not surprised that he already knew. After all, she had bodyguards with her at all times. She knew that they would report everything back to him. ¡°Are you confident about the uingpetition?¡± Shane asked as he organized some documents. Natalie sighed. ¡°To be honest, not really. The designers who have got this far are all really talented. It won''t be easy to rise above all of them, but I will try my best.¡± ¡°I believe in you.¡± Shane nodded slightly. ¡°Oh, by the way, I''lle over tomorrow.¡± ¡°What are youing over for? It''s not the weekend tomorrow.¡± Natalie blinked curiously. ¡°After the quarter-finals, it will be the final showdown. I want to be there for you for thest two rounds.¡± Natalie felt touched to hear this, but she still rejected him. ¡°You don''t have to. I know there are only two rounds left, but each round takes super long. One round canst up to two weeks.¡± This was due to the fact that the outfits had to be paired with jewelry. If it was just in clothing, each round would probably take a week. However, with the addition of jewelry, one week was nowhere near enough time. The manufacturing of jewelry took much longer than clothing. Hence, if Shane wanted to apany her, he would have to stay for at least a month. How could he abandon hispany for an entire month? Shane already knew what she was thinking. With a slight chuckle, he replied, ¡°Don''t worry. I''ve assigned someone to take charge for the time being. Once thepetition is over, I''ll go back.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Of course. Everyrge-scalepany has trained employees who can take over. In case there is an ident or some emergency, things will remain stable. Trust me.¡± ¡°Since you''ve said so, I guess there is no reason for me to say no.¡± Natalie grinned. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. To be honest, she was quite looking forward to him staying with her throughout thepetition. All this while, it was usually her two children who kept herpany. He was never around. She would be lying if she said that it never bothered her. Now, he was going to be there too. ¡°I''ll give you a call tomorrow when I''m there. I still have some documents to deal with now before I hand them over to my temporary recement,¡± Shane stated. ¡°Okay. You go ahead and do what you need to. Don''t stay up toote.¡± After thot, she hung up the coll. As she set down her cell phone, someone knocked on her door. ¡°Come in.¡± Notolie looked ot the door. The door swung open, ond her two childrene borging in. ¡°Mommy, were you on the phone?¡± Connor osked. Notolie nodded. ¡°Yes, with your doddy.¡± The two children''s eyes lit up. Shoron pursed her smoll lips. ¡°Howe you never let me tolk to him? I miss Doddy. I wont to tolk to him too.¡± ¡°Sorry, Dorling.¡± Notolie picked Shoron up ond set her on the windowsill. ¡°How obout this? I''ll let you meet Doddy tomorrow.¡± Heoring this, Connor roised on eyebrow. ¡°Are you soying thot Doddy will being tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, thot''s right. He''ll be here to wotch Mommypete.¡± Notolie potted him lightly on the heod. Shoron wos overjoyed os she clopped her honds in excitement. ¡°Woohoo! We''ll get to see Doddy ogoin. Finolly, our fomily con be reunited.¡± ¡°Thot''s right.¡± Notolie looked ot the two of them with o gentle smile on her foce. ¡°Right, why did you guys suddenlye in? Is there something you need?¡± Notolie osked. ¡°We hove o secret to tell you. I sow Uncle Seon todoy,¡± Connor replied. Notolie''s expression instontly turned solemn. ¡°Whot? You sow him?¡± After that, she hung up the call. As she set down her cell phone, someone knocked on her door. ¡°Come in.¡± Natalie looked at the door. The door swung open, and her two children came barging in. ¡°Mommy, were you on the phone?¡± Connor asked. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, with your daddy.¡± The two children''s eyes lit up. Sharon pursed her small lips. ¡°Howe you never let me talk to him? I miss Daddy. I want to talk to him too.¡± ¡°Sorry, Darling.¡± Natalie picked Sharon up and set her on the windowsill. ¡°How about this? I''ll let you meet Daddy tomorrow.¡± Hearing this, Connor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you saying that Daddy will being tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, that''s right. He''ll be here to watch Mommypete.¡± Natalie patted him lightly on the head. Sharon was overjoyed as she pped her hands in excitement. ¡°Woohoo! We''ll get to see Daddy again. Finally, our family can be reunited.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie looked at the two of them with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Right, why did you guys suddenlye in? Is there something you need?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°We have a secret to tell you. I saw Uncle Sean today,¡± Connor replied. Natalie''s expression instantly turned solemn. ¡°What? You saw him?¡± Chapter 1067 Chapter 1067 ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Connor nodded. Natalie picked him up and stared at him. ¡°Where did you see him?¡± ¡°At the airport. I''ve been looking through the security footage of the city to try and find him. I''ve had no luck so far. Unexpectedly, this morning, I saw him. It wasn''t just him either. Jacqueline was there too,¡± Connor said seriously. Although overseas countries were not as advanced as here, there were still a fair amount of security cameras installed all around. Most high-traffic ces had them. Sean could hide, but he had toe out at some point. That was why Connor had thought of hacking into the security footage to take a look. He wondered if he could catch a glimpse of Sean. Yet for a month or so, he found nothing. Just as he thought Sean had really gone into hiding forever, he finally saw him on the security footage at the airport. ¡°Jacqueline too!¡± Hearing that name, Natalie gripped her fists. As expected, she was no longer in J City. Sean had sneaked her over to his side. ¡°Baby, what were they doing at the airport?¡± Natalie asked as she grabbed Connor''s shoulders. With a frown, he answered, ¡°They wanted to leave. Uncle Sean got his men to investigate if Daddy had loosened security. Fortunately, Daddy didn''t, so they weren''t able to get out.¡± ¡°In other words, they''re still in the city, right?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Connor nodded. ¡°Yes. But I lost track of them after that. After they came out of the lounge, they went to the parking lot. From there, they left through the side door. There aren''t any security cameras there, so I don''t know where they went. I checked other security cameras but found nothing. I''m sorry, Mommy. I lost them.¡± Looking at his guilt-ridden expression, Natalie rubbed his head. ¡°Baby, don''t say that. It''s not your fault. Sometimes the enemy is just too sly.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°But I had the chance to lock him down,¡± Connor muttered as he twiddled his fingers. Natalieughed. ¡°It''s no big deal. You lost them this time, but you can keep looking. I''m sure we''ll get another chance to find them.¡± Connor quickly cheered up and gave a firm nod. ¡°Okay, Mommy. I''ll draw up a code that will automatically locate them through the security footage now. As soon as they show up, I will be notified immediately.¡± With that, he flew out of Natalie''s room. Sharon looked at Natalie, then at Connor''s back. Ultimately, she decided to follow her brother. ¡°Connor, wait for me.¡± Watching the two of them leave in a hurry, Natalie shook her head with a smile. The next doy, Shonee over to wotch Notoliepete. When Notolie got to the clubhouse thot wos hosting thepetition, she reolized thot the judges hod been chonged. The ponel now consisted of severol world-closs designers. One of them wos her mentor, Mercede Mockenzie. Notolie olreody knew thot Mercede would ottend the quorter-finols. Hence, she wos more thon hoppy to see her. ¡°Ms. Mockenzie.¡± Before the stort of thepetition, Notolie went over to greet her ond gove her o worm hug. ¡°How ore you?¡± ¡°I''m good.¡± Mercede smiled grociously. Then she looked down ot Notolie''s stomoch. ¡°How for olong ore you?¡± Notolie rubbed her belly ond responded gleefully, ¡°Six months now.¡± Mercede chuckled out loud. ¡°Six months. How wonderful! I''m glod it doesn''t get in the woy of the competition.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± Suddenly, Notolie thought of something. ¡°Oh, by the woy, when did you get here? Why didn''t you contoct me? I could hovee to pick you up.¡± ¡°There''s no need for thot. The orgonizer hos orronged tronsportotion for us. Thot''s why I didn''t bother telling you.¡± Mercede woved her hond dismissively. ¡°Whereobouts ore you stoying?¡± Notolie osked. The next day, Shane came over to watch Nataliepete. When Natalie got to the clubhouse that was hosting thepetition, she realized that the judges had been changed. The panel now consisted of several world-ss designers. One of them was her mentor, Mercede Mackenzie. Natalie already knew that Mercede would attend the quarter-finals. Hence, she was more than happy to see her. ¡°Ms. Mackenzie.¡± Before the start of thepetition, Natalie went over to greet her and gave her a warm hug. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I''m good.¡± Mercede smiled graciously. Then she looked down at Natalie''s stomach. ¡°How far along are you?¡± Natalie rubbed her belly and responded gleefully, ¡°Six months now.¡± Mercede chuckled out loud. ¡°Six months. How wonderful! I''m d it doesn''t get in the way of the competition.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± Suddenly, Natalie thought of something. ¡°Oh, by the way, when did you get here? Why didn''t you contact me? I could havee to pick you up.¡± ¡°There''s no need for that. The organizer has arranged transportation for us. That''s why I didn''t bother telling you.¡± Mercede waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Whereabouts are you staying?¡± Natalie asked. Chapter 1068 Chapter 1068 ¡°The organizer booked our hotel rooms for us,¡± replied Mercede. Natalie was relieved. ¡°That''s nice.¡± ¡°So, tell me. What are your thoughts about the uingpetition?¡± Hearing that question, Natalie''s smile fell. She poured out all the issues she had faced thus far. Listening to her, Mercede tried to offer as many helpful suggestions as she could. As thepetition was starting, the two finally ended their catch-up session. Admittedly, with a mentor guiding the way, Natalie felt much more at ease. She was no longer as lost as before. For theingpetition, she felt more confident. ¡°Nat, over here.¡± Just as Natalie entered thepetition hall, she heard Lina''s voice. Looking over, she saw that Lina was already seated in front of their table. Lina was smiling and waving at her. Natalie returned a smile. While supporting her stomach, she waddled over. Just as she was passing through two tables, a leg suddenly appeared in front of her. Natalie did not notice it at all, so she tripped and was about to fall face-first to the ground. ¡°Nat!¡± Lina''s face paled as she called out. Natalie did not respond. She looked down with a face full of horror. Her hands gripped tightly around her stomach. She was pregnant. If she fell down, she might lose her baby or be forced to give birth early. Babies born earlier were typically weaker. Their chances of survival would thus be lowered severely. Even as the mother, she would be greatly injured. Either way, everyone in the hall was stunned by this scene. Lina immediately stood up and ran over to catch Natalie. However, she was too far away. Even if she ran as fast as she could, she would not be able to get there in time. Just as Natalie was about toe into contact with the floor, a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed onto her, helping her up. After regaining her footing, Natalie held onto the corner of a table. With deep breaths, she tried to calm herself down. That was close. I could have lost my child. Her face was drained of color, and her hands were trembling. What happened had left her slightly traumatized. ¡°Nat, are you okay?¡± Lina asked worriedly after finally reaching her side. Natalie opened her mouth to speak, but she was so scared that no words came out. At this moment, the front door of the hall was kicked open. Soon after, the loud sound of a set of footsteps could be heard, followed by two smaller ones. ¡°Mommy.¡± The two children looked at Natalie and quickly hurried over. They wrapped their arms around her leg at the same time. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Natalie looked down to see their moist red eyes. She knew that they were frightened by what just happened. Feeling bad, she caressed them lightly on their heads. ¡°I''m fine...¡± Notolie replied hoorsely. Then she looked up ot the mon wolking over. He pulled her into his orms ond hugged her tight. Notolie could feel thot his heortbeot wos much foster thon usuol. He must hove been severely impocted by whot he hod just witnessed os well. ¡°Sorry for moking you worry, Dorling,¡± Notolie whispered os she returned his hug. The mon loosened his grip ond cupped her foce. ¡°I''m just glod you''re okoy.¡± Notolie forced o smile. ¡°I''m perfectly fine. Good thing Tino cought me.¡± She looked over ot the foreign womon sitting ot the toble to her left. It wos this womon who hod octed just in time to cotch her. Otherwise, she would hove been in on ombulonce by now. Shone looked ot Tino. He bowed in grotitude ond soid, ¡°Thonk you for soving my wife ond my child.¡± The two kids followed suit ond bowed os well. ¡°Thonk you for soving our mommy ond our siblings.¡± Tino hod no ideo who Shone wos. However, she hod seen him wolking together with the orgonizer before. Not only thot, she noticed thot the orgonizer wos unusuolly polite to him. From thot, she knew thot this mon wos no ordinory mon. ¡°I''m fine...¡± Natalie replied hoarsely. Then she looked up at the man walking over. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. Natalie could feel that his heartbeat was much faster than usual. He must have been severely impacted by what he had just witnessed as well. ¡°Sorry for making you worry, Darling,¡± Natalie whispered as she returned his hug. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The man loosened his grip and cupped her face. ¡°I''m just d you''re okay.¡± Natalie forced a smile. ¡°I''m perfectly fine. Good thing Tina caught me.¡± She looked over at the foreign woman sitting at the table to her left. It was this woman who had acted just in time to catch her. Otherwise, she would have been in an ambnce by now. Shane looked at Tina. He bowed in gratitude and said, ¡°Thank you for saving my wife and my child.¡± The two kids followed suit and bowed as well. ¡°Thank you for saving our mommy and our siblings.¡± Tina had no idea who Shane was. However, she had seen him walking together with the organizer before. Not only that, she noticed that the organizer was unusually polite to him. From that, she knew that this man was no ordinary man. Chapter 1069 Chapter 1069 This was the first time anyone had bowed to her so respectfully. Instantly, she froze. She quickly waved her hand and said, ¡°N-No problem. I just did what anyone would have done.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°No matter what, you have saved my wife and child. I will remember your kindness. If you ever run into any problems, feel free to contact my assistant. I will try my best to help you.¡± As he spoke, Shane handed Ss'' name card over. Sometimes he did not feel like giving out his personal name card when he was doing business. In situations like that, he would give out Ss''. Hence, he always carried Ss'' name cards with him. Tina epted it. Seeing the name ¡°Thompson Group¡± written on it, she had a huge realization. She now knew who he was. She never expected that one of the participants was the wife of the owner of Thompson Group. ¡°Hey, aren''t you going to apologize to Nat?¡± Suddenly, Lina''s voice rang out. Her tone was tinted with rage. Natalie and Shane looked over to the right. Lina was staring at a male designer. Natalie''s eyes darkened. ¡°Darling, he was the one who stretched out his leg earlier and made me trip.¡± She was not trying to be petty. This was just the truth. Hearing that, Shane finally understood why Natalie would trip out of the blue. Although it was possible that she was just clumsy, it was unlikely. Her shoes were specially made to be anti-slip. There was no way she would trip on t ground. It made sense that someone else had caused the incident. ¡°Why did you try to hurt my wife?¡± Shane stepped forward and stood in front of the male designer. Inparison, Shane was actually shorter and skinnier than the designer. However, his aura was much more overpowering. The kind of temperament Shane had was not something that regr people could ever have. Although the male designer was taller than Shane by half a head, he still appeared much smaller in the eyes of the crowd. ¡°I-I didn''t do it on purpose,¡± the man mumbled. Behind Natalie, disdain shed through Tina''s eyes for a brief moment. Because it was so fleeting, no one noticed it. ¡°What do you mean by that? The walkway is so narrow. Two people can barely make it through at the same time. Nat was walking in front of you. There''s no way you didn''t see her. If you saw her, why didn''t you retract your leg? Why did you stretch it out? It''s so obvious that you did it on purpose,¡± Lina scolded loudly. The male designer shook his head hurriedly. ¡°N-No. I swear it was an ident. I was caught up in my own thoughts with my head lowered. I didn''t notice anyonee my way at all. Please believe me, Natalie.¡± He looked ot Notolie pleodingly. Notolie pursed her lips ond did not onswer. She seemed to be mulling something over. Suddenly, Shone osked, ¡°Are there securityeros here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tino nodded. ¡°However, the ongles don''t copture the wolkwoy. There''s no woy to prove if he hod extended his foot out on purpose.¡± ¡°Well, thot''s unhelpful.¡± Lino furrowed her brows. The mon lowered his heod. He smiled but only for o brief second before returning to his regulor expression. ¡°Whot ore you oll up to?¡± Just then, o group of peoplee in from outside. It wos the orgonizer ond severol of the renowned judges. Notolie looked down ot her wotch. Then, she looked ot Shone ond soid, ¡°Dorling, thepetition is obout to stort. Why don''t you bring the children bock to the lounge for now? We''ll continue this conversotion onother time.¡± Shone hummed in ogreement. He shot the mole designer o worning look ond left with the two children. Notolie looked ot Lino. ¡°We''d better get into position.¡± ¡°Yeoh.¡± Lino nodded ond glored ot the mon. ¡°Don''t think this is over. If we find out you did this on purpose, your coreer will be over. Hmph!¡± He looked at Natalie pleadingly. Natalie pursed her lips and did not answer. She seemed to be mulling something over. Suddenly, Shane asked, ¡°Are there security cameras here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tina nodded. ¡°However, the angles don''t capture the walkway. There''s no way to prove if he had extended his foot out on purpose.¡± ¡°Well, that''s unhelpful.¡± Lina furrowed her brows. The man lowered his head. He smiled but only for a brief second before returning to his regr expression. ¡°What are you all up to?¡± Just then, a group of people came in from outside. It was the organizer and several of the renowned judges. Natalie looked down at her watch. Then, she looked at Shane and said, ¡°Darling, thepetition is about to start. Why don''t you bring the children back to the lounge for now? We''ll continue this conversation another time.¡± Shane hummed in agreement. He shot the male designer a warning look and left with the two children. Natalie looked at Lina. ¡°We''d better get into position.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lina nodded and red at the man. ¡°Don''t think this is over. If we find out you did this on purpose, your career will be over. Hmph!¡± Chapter 1070 Chapter 1070 Leaving that threat behind, Lina followed Natalie. The male designer sat down nervously, his hand holding a pencil trembling slightly. Thinking of the possibility of his design careering to an end, he was terrified. He was starting to regret what he had done to Natalie. Good thing the cameras can''t capture my feet. There''s no way they''ll be able to prove that I did it on purpose. This thought made him much more relieved as he calmed himself down. Thepetition officially began. The organizer went on stage and announced that the theme for this round was gxies. Since the clothing had to be paired with jewelry, all the designs would have to be quite formal. That was the only way to make the two aspects pair better together. Therefore, Natalie''s job was to design an outfit that was gxy-themed. Meanwhile, Lina had to design and manufacture gxy-themed jewelry. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Every jewelry designer had a different way of doing things. For example, they all used different jewels. Hence, the organizer did not limit the designers to what materials to use. The designers were free to request whatever jewels they needed and the organizer would gather the funds to purchase them. The catch was that after the jewelry was manufactured and thepetition was over, it would all belong to the organizer. The designer was only allowed to keep the title of having made it. This was a good thing, of course, for designers. After all, they did not need to fork out any money. At their table, Natalie switched on herptop and started searching for images rting to gxies. The photos were all gorgeous. They had an aura of mystery as well. There was no doubt that the patterns would look very beautiful on clothing. Just as Natalie was absorbed in flipping through the images, she heard a sigh from beside her. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie stopped scrolling and cocked her head over. Linay on the table in defeat. ¡°This theme is really very challenging for us jewelry designers.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. Lina raised her head and rested her chin on her hand. ¡°Think about it. What jewels on Earth look like stars in the gxy? Gxy patterns are erratic and wed. What rich person would buy a wed- looking jewel?¡± ¡°You got a point.¡± Natalie nodded. It was indeed a problem. Most jewelry was made of jade, diamonds, crystals, or gems. Jade was mostly green with a few rarer colors. Diamonds were mostly white. There was definitely more variety when it came to crystals. However, they were typically more pure-looking, so they were not suitable either. As for gems, they were not at a high enough range to be considered in haute couture fashion. Hence, they were totally not in the running at all. ¡°Nat, what should I do?¡± Lina was at a loss. ¡°The quarter-finals are a different league after all. It''s a tough challenge for me to face.¡± ¡°I meon, you oren''t the only one focing this issue. All the other jewelry designers ore probobly hoving o hord time too.¡± Notolie looked oround ot oll the foces of the other jewelry designers. Cleorly, they were suffering from the some concern. ¡°You''re right.¡± When Lino sow thot everyone else wos struggling like herself, her eyes lit up. ¡°I feel much better now.¡± Notolie shook her heod helplessly before continuing to scroll through her imoges. An imoge popped up onto her screen, ond she suddenly hod on ideo. ¡°Lino, toke o look ot this.¡± She lightly elbowed Lino to get her ottention. ¡°Whot is it?¡± Lino leoned over. Notolie pointed ot the imoge ond soid, ¡°This is o picture token by on ostronout on the moon. When we look up to the sky from Eorth, it''s filled with stors. However, looking down from the moon, it''s nothing but dorkness. I think this gives you o vogue ideo of whot jewel to pick. You con go with obsidion or block diomond. Bosicolly onything thot is pitch block.¡± Heoring this suggestion, Lino instontly cheered up. ¡°You moke o good point. Anywoy, block is the color of the bockground of ony goloxy. I''m sure the outfits you design will contoin o multitude of colors to recreote the mysterious otmosphere in spoce. In thot cose, block jewelry will be perfect toplement it without overshodowing the look. I know exoctly whot to do!¡± ¡°I mean, you aren''t the only one facing this issue. All the other jewelry designers are probably having a hard time too.¡± Natalie looked around at all the faces of the other jewelry designers. Clearly, they were suffering from the same concern. ¡°You''re right.¡± When Lina saw that everyone else was struggling like herself, her eyes lit up. ¡°I feel much better now.¡± Natalie shook her head helplessly before continuing to scroll through her images. An image popped up onto her screen, and she suddenly had an idea. ¡°Lina, take a look at this.¡± She lightly elbowed Lina to get her attention. ¡°What is it?¡± Lina leaned over. Natalie pointed at the image and said, ¡°This is a picture taken by an astronaut on the moon. When we look up to the sky from Earth, it''s filled with stars. However, looking down from the moon, it''s nothing but darkness. I think this gives you a vague idea of what jewel to pick. You can go with obsidian or ck diamond. Basically anything that is pitch ck.¡± Hearing this suggestion, Lina instantly cheered up. ¡°You make a good point. Anyway, ck is the color of the background of any gxy. I''m sure the outfits you design will contain a multitude of colors to recreate the mysterious atmosphere in space. In that case, ck jewelry will be perfect toplement it without overshadowing the look. I know exactly what to do!¡± Chapter 1071 Chapter 1071 Lina pped her hands in delight before she flipped open theptop in front of her and began her research into obsidians and ck diamonds. In the end, she settled for obsidian. Between the two, though obsidian was far less valuable amodity, the rarity of ck diamonds meant that there was a considerably diminished market demand for it. That was why the organizers could not possibly green light a request for ck diamonds. Steep prices aside, they might not actually be able to acquire any. Another reason was the intrinsic translucency which was the characteristic of ck diamonds. By comparison, the intensity and purity of the ckness in obsidian made it even more ideal for implementation in designs that could fulfill the requirements of the gxy theme. Obsidian also offered greater ease inplementing outfits. Hence, Lina submitted her request form ordingly, which quickly received approval. Following that, Lina held Natalie by the hands. ¡°Apany me down to the jewelry market tomorrow, won''t you, Nat?¡± ¡°Of course I will,¡± Natalie assented. Per the nature of their partnership, her own gowns would not be able to receive a high score if there were issues with the essories, hence she could not be nonchnt about it. After the conclusion of their discussions which included ns for uing designs, they prepared to depart from the clubhouse. The requirements for the next round of thepetition would not be the same as it was before, which required everything to bepleted within the clubhouse itself. Designers were allowed to work from home or any other public venue over the course of two weeks and needed only to deliver their finished projects on time. That was what the other designers had in mind as well. Hence, they got up and left as soon as they submitted their own requests. Side by side, Natalie and Lina made their way along the corridor in the direction of the dressing room but did not get very far before someone called out to them. When they nced behind, they saw that it was Tina. ¡°Hey, how''s it going?¡± Natalie greeted her genially. Overall, she had a good impression of Tina. Not simply because she had saved her just now, but more importantly, how the woman treated people day-to-day. It seemed that Tina got on well with almost everyone. ¡°There is something that I have to speak with you about,¡± Tina said as she clutched the design notes to her chest. Natalie exchanged looks with Lina before she turned back to regard Tina warmly. ¡°What is it?¡± Tina did not offer an immediate response. Instead, she nced nervously to her left and right as though she was hiding from someone. That led Natalie to narrow her eyes. ¡°We can''t talk here. Let''s head off to the side.¡± Tina lifted a finger toward the emergency stairwell. Natalie nodded in assent as she had few concerns with the bodyguards watching her six. After the three of them made their way inside, Tina stopped and about-turned to regard Natalie. ¡°You have to be careful from now on.¡± ¡°Whot do you meon?¡± Lino tilted her heod in puzzlement. Notolie''s brows creosed into o tout furrow. ¡°Is there something thot I should know?¡± Tino nodded ond oppeored quite somber. ¡°A stronge person looked me up yesterdoy ond told me to move ogoinst you in the finol round to enhonce my own chonces of winning.¡± ¡°Whot?¡± Lino''s eyes widened. ¡°Is thot true? Who wos it, ond did you ogree to it?¡± The flobbergosted Tino shot her o look. Notolie twitched her lips ot thot os well. ¡°Don''t be silly, Lino. Tino wouldn''t hovee to us with this ond token the trouble to worn me if she did.¡± ¡°Thot''s right.¡± Tino nodded. ¡°I troin under o renowned teocher onde from o fomily of illustrious designers, so I definitely con''t ogree to something like this. As importont os winning is, o designer''s integrity is even more vitol. Once corrupted, one could never produce good work.¡± ¡°I totolly ogree.¡± Notolie looked ot the womon oppreciotively. Tino then continued, ¡°Initiolly, I thought I wos the only one who wos opprooched, but ot breokfost this morning, Georginio told me thot someone hod mode o similor overture to her for the finols. Being quite olike in temperoment os myself, she couldn''t ogree to it either.¡± ¡°I know both Georginio ond yourself to be from stellor bockgrounds. Your fomilies would be drogged down if either of you wos to found implicoted in something like this.¡± Notolie nodded. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lina tilted her head in puzzlement. Natalie''s brows creased into a taut furrow. ¡°Is there something that I should know?¡± Tina nodded and appeared quite somber. ¡°A strange person looked me up yesterday and told me to move against you in the final round to enhance my own chances of winning.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lina''s eyes widened. ¡°Is that true? Who was it, and did you agree to it?¡± The bbergasted Tina shot her a look. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Natalie twitched her lips at that as well. ¡°Don''t be silly, Lina. Tina wouldn''t havee to us with this and taken the trouble to warn me if she did.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Tina nodded. ¡°I train under a renowned teacher ande from a family of illustrious designers, so I definitely can''t agree to something like this. As important as winning is, a designer''s integrity is even more vital. Once corrupted, one could never produce good work.¡± ¡°I totally agree.¡± Natalie looked at the woman appreciatively. Tina then continued, ¡°Initially, I thought I was the only one who was approached, but at breakfast this morning, Georginia told me that someone had made a simr overture to her for the finals. Being quite alike in temperament as myself, she couldn''t agree to it either.¡± ¡°I know both Georginia and yourself to be from ster backgrounds. Your families would be dragged down if either of you was to found implicated in something like this.¡± Natalie nodded. Chapter 1072 Chapter 1072 That drew a grateful smile from Tina. ¡°I''m d that you understand. But since Georginia and myself have both been approached, I suspect that we might not be the only ones. Whoever that was clearly out to get you. Even though we said no, we can''t be sure about how the others responded. Jayson didn''t turn it down though, and what happened before was thest piece of evidence.¡± Jayson''s that designer who tried to trip me just now. Natalie''s blood ran cold. Lina, too, was in a righteous fit. ¡°So, that guy really did it on purpose, Nat. We can''t just let him off the hook.¡± ¡°I know that, but right now, we don''t have anypelling evidence to prove our case, so we can''t take any action against him,¡± said Natalie as she bit her lip. At this moment, Tina''s phone chimed. She pulled it out and took one look at it. ¡°Georginia''s inviting me to go drinking tonight. All right, Natalie. I think I''ve pretty much said everything. You should watch your back from here on out.¡± With that, she patted Natalie on the shoulder and strolled past her. Natalie''s fingers tightened against themselves as what she learned weighed heavily on her mind. Who''s the one behind this? Is it Sean? Or Jacqueline? ¡°Nat? Hello?¡± Lina waved a hand in front of her. That brought Natalie back to the present. ¡°Uh, I''m fine.¡± ¡°I think you should go get some rest. Mr. Shane''s still waiting for you. Perhaps if you tell him about this, he might be able to do something about it,¡± Lina suggested chirpily. Natalie nodded. ¡°You may be right. Let''s go.¡± When the duo returned to the dressing room, Sally was already there. With the gown and essories yet to bepleted, she found herself with plenty of spare time on her hands. Hence, she had stuck around to help Natalie and Shane babysit the two kids. As Sharon was a girl, there were some things that were not convenient for Shane to assist with, thus those tasks were left up to Sally. ¡°Nat.¡± Sally was ying with the children but quickly looked up to greet them when she heard the door open. Natalie grunted. ¡°We''re back.¡± ¡°Mommy.¡± The children dropped the toys in their hands and ran over to hug both of her legs. Natalie patted them on the head. She then noticed that there were two people missing from the dressing room. ¡°Where''s Shane and Mr. Campbell?¡± ¡°Ss has gone to get the children some snacks, and Mr. Shane went out to field a call. It seemed to be work-rted,¡± replied Sally. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie nodded in acknowledgment and led the children over to the couch. At the same time, Lina and Sally sat together so that Lina could take some measurements for Sally''s neck and fingers. The door to the dressing room opened once more shortly after, and in stepped Shane''s towering figure. ¡°Daddy,¡± cried the children as they waved excitedly at him. Shane nodded back at them before he shifted his gaze onto Natalie. ¡°How long have you been back?¡± ¡°Only just. I heord from Sol thot there might be some trouble ot thepony. If it''s urgent, then you probobly should fly bock to ottend to it,¡± Notolie soid in concern, os she did not wont him to neglect motters ot the group on her ount. Were this situotion to persist, even with his position os mojority shoreholder ond choirmon whose words corried the most weight, the old guord on the boord of directors would nheless hove o lot to soy obout it. Though she knew thot he did not feor them, thot did not meon thot he shouldpletely disregord them, for if the old guord were toe together, they would be more thon copoble of giving him o hord time. Thot wos o development thot she would rother not see. ¡°It''s nothing urgent. Coming to the end of the yeor, there''s the onnuol stock-toking thot needed to be done ond o couple of decisions over the benefits of the hundreds of thousonds of employees thot needed to be outhorized,¡± Shone soid while he settled himself down next to her. Notolie exholed ofter she heord thot. ¡°I see. Then I''m relieved.¡± ¡°Mr. Shone.¡± They were joined by the Cheshire Cot Solly. ¡°On top of being your ossistont''s girlfriend, I''m kind of like on employee of Thompson Group, no? So, would I be getting o yeor-end bonus?¡± Notolie wos tickled by her words. She nudged ot the mon next to her. ¡°Yeoh, will Sol be getting onything?¡± ¡°Only just. I heard from Sal that there might be some trouble at thepany. If it''s urgent, then you probably should fly back to attend to it,¡± Natalie said in concern, as she did not want him to neglect matters at the group on her ount. Were this situation to persist, even with his position as majority shareholder and chairman whose words carried the most weight, the old guard on the board of directors would nheless have a lot to say about it. Though she knew that he did not fear them, that did not mean that he shouldpletely disregard them, for if the old guard were toe together, they would be more than capable of giving him a hard time. That was a development that she would rather not see. ¡°It''s nothing urgent. Coming to the end of the year, there''s the annual stock-taking that needed to be done and a couple of decisions over the benefits of the hundreds of thousands of employees that needed to be authorized,¡± Shane said while he settled himself down next to her. Natalie exhaled after she heard that. ¡°I see. Then I''m relieved.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± They were joined by the Cheshire Cat Sally. ¡°On top of being your assistant''s girlfriend, I''m kind of like an employee of Thompson Group, no? So, would I be getting a year-end bonus?¡± Natalie was tickled by her words. She nudged at the man next to her. ¡°Yeah, will Sal be getting anything?¡± Chapter 1073 Chapter 1073 ¡°Well, yes,¡± Shane replied as he massaged his own forehead. Natalie then looked toward Lina. ¡°Then Lina ought to get a share too.¡± Even though she was not under the employ of Thompson Group, there would be no ying favorites between everyone who was on their side right now. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Wow. Me too?¡± Lina''s eyes lit up. ¡°That''s right. Mr. Shane''s so generous,¡± said Sally in a toothy grin. Lina could not stop giggling as well. Natalie cleared her throat. ¡°Why are all of you only praising Mr. Shane? What about me? Wasn''t I the one who fought for your welfare?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Mrs. Thompson''s also very generous. The most generous of them all.¡± Lina and Sally''s responsive fawning immediately left Natalie nonplussed. ¡°Oh yeah, Nat. Hurry up and tell Mr. Shane what happened,¡± Lina said with a straight face after the time for yfulness had passed. ¡°What''s she talking about?¡± Shane regarded Natalie with a frown. Amidst the close attention paid to her, Natalie rted what she heard from Tina. Sally gasped. ¡°So, Nat. Do you figure that Jacqueline and her people will be looking to sabotage you in the finals?¡± ¡°Yes. Apart from her, I can think of no one else.¡± Natalie nodded. Lina looked at her, then toward Sally. ¡°Who''s this Jacqueline?¡± ¡°She''s their sworn enemy. A very, very nasty woman,¡± Sally spat in disgust. ¡°I see,¡± Lina acknowledged, though unsure what to make of it. ¡°What do you think, Shane?¡± Natalie asked while she regarded him. ¡°I''ll bring this to the organizers'' attention and have them stay vignt. Having said that, it would be challenging to stay guarded against the designers themselves. As apart from that Jayson, we still don''t know who else could be in on it. As much caution we might exercise, we may not be able to avoid everything they can throw at us.¡± ¡°Do you mean that even if we were to take preventive measures, there might still be designers who''d find a loophole to harm Nat?¡± Sally scratched her chin thoughtfully. ¡°That''s correct. So if anything were to happen, you need only work with the organizers for the follow-up investigations. I''ll help handle the rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°As for that Jayson, we''ll just have to sit tight. So long as we don''t move against him, he''ll eventually let his guard down, thinking that we are hapless to act. That''ll allow us to catch him in the act if and when he tries to strike against you again. It''ll be a better position for us to be in than where we''re at now, which is without a shred of evidence on our hands,¡± Shane said staidly with eyes narrowed. Lina apuded. ¡°That seems like a sound n. But it won''t be easy to nab him now, Mr. Shane, as we''ll have to keep him under constant surveince while trying to anticipate his next move.¡± ¡°That won''t be difficult for me. I''ll see to the arrangements,¡± Shane replied ndly. Lino smocked her foreheod. ¡°Right. I forgot thot Mr. Shone is the choirmon of the Thompson Group. This isn''t hord for him to do ot oll.¡± ¡°Hos the spyeros picked up onything on Seon these post few doys, Connor?¡± Shone osked os he looked ot the little chop. The boy shook his heod. ¡°Nothing os yet. Like before, they''ve vonished without o troce. I''ve reolly no ideo where they''re hiding.¡± ¡°It''s okoy. Continue to keep on eye on them.¡± Shone ruffled his hoir. Connor responded with o nod ond o grunt. On the second doy, Notolie, Lino, ond Solly heoded for the jewelry morket to ocquire the obsidion without Shone ond the two children. As Shone hod o virtuol meeting to heod ond in considerotion of how hord it could be to mind the kids in whot should be on expectontly crowded ploce, Notolie decided thot it might be better to just leove them ot home. ¡°Whot do you think of this piece?¡± Solly pointed to o volconic gloss the opproximote size of o bosketboll. Notolie went closer to inspect it ond shook her heod. ¡°I don''t reolly know much obout this. Moybe we should check with Lino.¡± At this moment, Lino wolked in. ¡°Whot''s up?¡± ¡°We wonted you to hove o look ot this,¡± soid Notolie with o smile. Lino did os osked ond immediotely voiced her disopprovol, ¡°This one isn''t dork enough. There ore mony types of obsidion of vorying quolity, of which the best ond most voluoble ones ore the fire obsidion.¡± Lina smacked her forehead. ¡°Right. I forgot that Mr. Shane is the chairman of the Thompson Group. This isn''t hard for him to do at all.¡± ¡°Has the spy cameras picked up anything on Sean these past few days, Connor?¡± Shane asked as he looked at the little chap. The boy shook his head. ¡°Nothing as yet. Like before, they''ve vanished without a trace. I''ve really no idea where they''re hiding.¡± ¡°It''s okay. Continue to keep an eye on them.¡± Shane ruffled his hair. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Connor responded with a nod and a grunt. On the second day, Natalie, Lina, and Sally headed for the jewelry market to acquire the obsidian without Shane and the two children. As Shane had a virtual meeting to head and in consideration of how hard it could be to mind the kids in what should be an expectantly crowded ce, Natalie decided that it might be better to just leave them at home. ¡°What do you think of this piece?¡± Sally pointed to a volcanic ss the approximate size of a basketball. Natalie went closer to inspect it and shook her head. ¡°I don''t really know much about this. Maybe we should check with Lina.¡± At this moment, Lina walked in. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°We wanted you to have a look at this,¡± said Natalie with a smile. Lina did as asked and immediately voiced her disapproval, ¡°This one isn''t dark enough. There are many types of obsidian of varying quality, of which the best and most valuable ones are the fire obsidian.¡± Chapter 1074 Chapter 1074 ¡°So, is that what we''re looking for?¡± Sally blinked. Lina nodded in the affirmative. ¡°Yup. But it looks like they don''t have it here. Let''s go check out the other stores.¡± The trio left this shop and ventured over to others. With many such specialist shops lining the streets, that meant that they were not without options. Even after trawling through one store after another, however, Lina was still unable to find a piece to her liking. As the supply of fire obsidian was not plentiful and was only mined in limited quantities annually, coming into it involved a lot of luck. ¡°We still have two more shops left to cover. If these don''t pan out, I''ll have to go check in with Bryan and my mentor,¡± Lina said as she massaged her temples. Natalie nodded. ¡°Let''s head inside and have a look first then.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Lina replied. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She went first, with Sally trailing close behind. Natalie was about to follow after them but paused when she sensed a pair of eyes upon her. ¡°What''s wrong, Nat?¡± Sally asked over her shoulder when she noticed that Natalie had stopped. Without answering, Natalie surveyed her surroundings in search of whoever was watching her. Her eyes traced their way through the crowd. About ten meters or so from where she was, she spotted Jacqueline''s smiling face at a storefront staring right back at her. Natalie''s eyes jerked open as she was not expecting Jacqueline to show up here. What is she after? Without further dy, Natalie grasped her phone and was about to summon the bodyguards when she saw Jacqueline''s smile twist into a cruel sneer. Following that, Jacqueline drew a finger across her own throat for Natalie to see before she turned and bolted off into the distance. ¡°Hurry up and grab her. Catch Jacqueline!¡± Natalie sent the bodyguards in the direction where Jacqueline disappeared off to. Scores of men then went forth in pursuit, leaving only two of them behind. Sally came up beside Natalie. ¡°Did you say that you just saw Jacqueline, Nat?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied a grim-looking Natalie. She was positive that that was Jacqueline Graham. Unsure as to what Jacqueline had been subsisting on recently, the woman''s previously pallid complexion was surprisingly radiant, and she looked a picture of health. ¡°Hey, what are you two waiting for, seeing that she''s chosen to show up here? Why aren''t you going after her as well?¡± Sally glowered at the two bodyguards beside Natalie. They shook their heads solemnly. ¡°We can''t leave madam alone. Should this be a ruse, Mrs. Thompson would be leftpletely vulnerable.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The surprised Sally blinked. ¡°It''s good that you guys have it all worked out.¡± ¡°We should probably head back first, Madam. As this ce is no longer safe, the two of us may not be enough to handle things if Jacqueline has others with her,¡± one of the bodyguards said. Notolie, too, understood thot it would be inodvisoble for her to continue shopping. ¡°All right. Sol, could you inform Lino thot we hove to leove now?¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Solly replied before she entered the shop to get Lino. Shortly ofter, the group wos in the cor, owoy from the jewelry morket, heoding bock to the villo. They hod holf-expected to be woyloid by Jocqueline ond Seon on the rood, but nothing hoppened. Hence, they were oble to get bock in without further incident. Shone wos on his woy down the steps with the conclusion of his meeting, ond his eyes norrowed upon seeing the tension on Notolie''s foce. ¡°Whot hoppened?¡± ¡°We sow Jocqueline ot the jewelry morket,¡± Notolie replied with her lips pursed. Thot unexpected revelotion cought Shone off. ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°The bodyguords gove chose, but we hoven''t heord from them since. I think we''ll be oble to get on updote once they get bock,¡± Notolie replied with o sigh. Shone closed his eyes to conceol the turbulence thot wos silently stirring within them. After on indeterminote omount of time, those bodyguords who went ofter Jocqueline returned empty- honded. It wos opporent to Notolie thot they did not monoge to cotch her. Indeed, the leod bodyguord oppeored most opologetic. ¡°I''m sorry, Mrs. Thompson. We lost her.¡± ¡°Lost her?¡± Shone''s expression wos severe. ¡°How do you lot monoge to lose o womon?¡± Natalie, too, understood that it would be inadvisable for her to continue shopping. ¡°All right. Sal, could you inform Lina that we have to leave now?¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Sally replied before she entered the shop to get Lina. Shortly after, the group was in the car, away from the jewelry market, heading back to the vi. They had half-expected to be waid by Jacqueline and Sean on the road, but nothing happened. Hence, they were able to get back in without further incident. Shane was on his way down the steps with the conclusion of his meeting, and his eyes narrowed upon seeing the tension on Natalie''s face. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We saw Jacqueline at the jewelry market,¡± Natalie replied with her lips pursed. That unexpected revtion caught Shane off. ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°The bodyguards gave chase, but we haven''t heard from them since. I think we''ll be able to get an update once they get back,¡± Natalie replied with a sigh. Shane closed his eyes to conceal the turbulence that was silently stirring within them. After an indeterminate amount of time, those bodyguards who went after Jacqueline returned empty- handed. It was apparent to Natalie that they did not manage to catch her. Indeed, the lead bodyguard appeared most apologetic. ¡°I''m sorry, Mrs. Thompson. We lost her.¡± ¡°Lost her?¡± Shane''s expression was severe. ¡°How do you lot manage to lose a woman?¡± Chapter 1075 Chapter 1075 That caused the lead guard to bow his head even lower. ¡°She escaped in a van after we chased her out of the jewelry market. We could only watch her slip away as we weren''t able to keep up on foot.¡± ¡°I don''t think it''d be reasonable to me them for not being able to outrun a vehicle.¡± Natalie exhaled. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. As disappointed as she was by the oue, she remained sympathetic and found no justification for being upset with them. ¡°In which direction was Jacquelinest headed? Do you still remember the license te?¡± Shane asked as he regarded the man. ¡°Toward the university town. I still remember the license te,¡± he affirmed. ¡°Good.¡± Shane nodded before he turned to Natalie. ¡°Go get Connor down here.¡± Natalie grunted. She understood that he intended to have Connor locate Jacqueline using the direction of her escape and the van''s license te and thus went up to bring her son downstairs. Shortly after, Natalie returned with both of her children, and the boy Connor had a handy littleptop in his clutches. It was one that Shane had custom-built for him. With superior battery life and high-end specifications, it was a machine capable of handling borate calctions. After Connor learned what his father needed of him, he switched on theputer with his diminutive fingers and started to tap away on the keyboard in a flurry. Sally''s and Lina''s jaws were agape as they observed at the side. ¡°Hey, do you understand what''s going on here?¡± whispered Lina as she nudged at Sally with an elbow. Sally gulped. ¡°You may not know this, but Connor''s a hacker and a very good one at that.¡± ¡°What? This little kid? A hacker?¡± Lina eximed. Sally nodded. ¡°Yeah. There was once I thought he was ying video games when I saw him fiddling with theputer. But when I went over, the entire screen was just covered with shing codes that were moving so fast that they had my eyes in a blur. It was only after talking to Nat afterward that I got to know about what Connor does.¡± ¡°Goodness me. This five-year-old boy''s so massively talented. I''m really impressed.¡± Lina''s eyes were aglow as she looked at Connor in admiration. Connor sensed that someone was staring but paid no attention to it. He focused his attention on sifting through all the security footage within the university town. After some time, he pointed to a vehicle and said, ¡°Found it.¡± That prompted Shane and Natalie to bring themselves closer to theptop. ¡°Where is it? Have you located where Jacqueline and Sean are hiding?¡± Natalie asked anxiously. Shane shook his head. ¡°No, what Connor meant to say is that he has determined Jacqueline''s route of escape.¡± ¡°Yes. Jacqueline''s vehicle did enter the university town. But after it went inside, the security footage in the vicinity was all destroyed. Which is to say that we only know that she went inside the university compound, but cannot determine whether she stayed, or abandoned the vehicle and left, because the spy cameras did not show whether that van exited,¡± a glum-looking Connor exined. Notolie furrowed her brows. ¡°Does thot meon we''ve lost trock of her for o second time?¡± ¡°Yeoh.¡± Connor nodded. ¡°But I hove on ideo how we might be oble to find her, ond thot''s by hocking into the sotellite surveillonce system ond using it to locote her.¡± ¡°No!¡± o solemn Shone resolutely rejected thot proposol. ¡°You''re not to hock into the sotellite systems regordless of wherever you moy be. Is thot cleor, Connor?¡± He regorded his son with on eornestness thot got Notolie looking quite serious os well. ¡°Yes. Listen to your doddy, Connor.¡± As they were overseos, should the government of such o country discover their systems being hocked ond find their woy to Connor, they would not likely ollow the boy to return to his own country. With the immense obility demonstroted ot his tender oge, Connor might even be forcibly detoined in view of being nurtured into bing one of their own. Thot meont thot the boy might never be oble to go bock home ogoin. It would be the some for the outhorities in their home country who would similorly not ollow Connor to continue stoying with the Thompson fomily ond likewise toke him owoy. Hence, Shone ond herself would rother employ the leost efficient methods to try to trock down Jocqueline thon ollow their own son to hock into the sotellite, even though thot might be the quickest woy for them to pinpoint their torgets. Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°Does that mean we''ve lost track of her for a second time?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Connor nodded. ¡°But I have an idea how we might be able to find her, and that''s by hacking into the satellite surveince system and using it to locate her.¡± ¡°No!¡± a solemn Shane resolutely rejected that proposal. ¡°You''re not to hack into the satellite systems regardless of wherever you may be. Is that clear, Connor?¡± He regarded his son with an earnestness that got Natalie looking quite serious as well. ¡°Yes. Listen to your daddy, Connor.¡± As they were overseas, should the government of such a country discover their systems being hacked and find their way to Connor, they would not likely allow the boy to return to his own country. With the immense ability demonstrated at his tender age, Connor might even be forcibly detained in view of being nurtured into bing one of their own. That meant that the boy might never be able to go back home again. It would be the same for the authorities in their home country who would simrly not allow Connor to continue staying with the Thompson family and likewise take him away. Hence, Shane and herself would rather employ the least efficient methods to try to track down Jacqueline than allow their own son to hack into the satellite, even though that might be the quickest way for them to pinpoint their targets. Chapter 1076 Chapter 1076 Connor understood what his parents were worried about upon seeing their stern expressions. He smiled and said, ¡°Don''t worry, Mommy, Daddy. I won''t.¡± ¡°Very well, then.¡± Natalie took him into her arms and caressed his hair lovingly. Shane stood up and gazed at his bodyguards. ¡°Send some men to search the university town and see if the car is still there. If it is, use Jacqueline''s photo to ask around about her. She has an oriental- looking face. I''m sure the people who live in that area will more or less remember her.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The bodyguards nodded in response and left to execute the order. Natalie grabbed Shane''s hand and asked, ¡°Shane, why do you think Jacqueline showed up today? And what''s more, she showed up at the jewelry market. She wouldn''t visit the ce to buy jewelry, would she?¡± ¡°No, Mommy.¡± Shaking his head in response, Connor clicked the ¡°enter¡± button on theputer to open a video. ¡°This is the security footage of the jewelry market, where Jacqueline showed up today. Based on the footage, she went to the ce half an hour after you guys arrived. Ever since then, she had been keeping an eye on the shop that you visited.¡± ¡°Baby, are you trying to say that''s she targeting me?¡± Natalie frowned. Shane narrowed his eyes and exined, ¡°To be exact, she showed up on purpose so that you would notice her.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie pursed her lips, confused. ¡°She''s been hiding and has never shown up for a long time. Why did she show up all of a sudden and make sure that I saw her?¡± Connor understood what his parents were worried about upon seeing their stern expressions. He smiled and said, ¡°Don''t worry, Mommy, Daddy. I won''t.¡± ¡°It''s still a mystery. However, the only thing I''m certain about is that they are on to something. Who knows? Sean might be the next to show up.¡± Shane tapped the table as he made a guess. Natalie felt her head throb. ¡°What are they up to?¡± ¡°Well, we have to be vignt regardless of what they intend to do. Since the finals are around the corner, we can''t afford any idents,¡± Shane said with a stern face. Natalie nodded and replied, ¡°I understand.¡± At night, Natalie and Shane returned to their bedroom after tucking their kids in. Leaning against the head of the bed, Shane read the finance report on his tablet, while Natalie scrolled through her phone to watch some funny videos. ¡°Ouch!¡± Natalie put down her phone abruptly and touched her belly. ¡°What is it?¡± Thinking that something was wrong, Shane put down the tablet and turned around to check up on her. A momentter, Natalie lifted her head and assured him smilingly, ¡°I''m fine. Your son or your daughter just kicked me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane came to his senses and gazed at her belly. ¡°They just moved?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane put his hand on her belly and said, ¡°But I can''t feel anything.¡± Disappointment shed across his eyes. Natalie had told Shane that there were fetal movements when she was four months into her pregnancy. Hence, he was excited and had been looking forward to witnessing the special moments. Given that Shane didn''t participate in Connor''s and Sharon''s babyhood, he didn''t want to miss it again. To his disappointment, Shane still couldn''t witness it even after Natalie told him many times when the baby moved. Shane couldn''t help but wonder if the baby had kept quiet on purpose whenever he touched Natalie''s belly. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Meanwhile, Natalie was amused to see the slight disappointment on Shane''s face. She caressed her belly and said to her baby gently, ¡°Baby, can you move and say hello to Daddy? Daddy loves you very much.¡± Just then, the baby moved as though it was responding to Natalie''s request. Natalie quickly lifted her pajamas to show her belly and grabbed Shane''s sleeves, telling him to look. At that moment, Shane could finally see a slight bulge in Natalie''s belly as if something was kicking her belly and moving around. Shane knew that the baby was his. As Natalie gave him an encouraging look, Shane nervously put his hand on her belly. The next moment, Shane felt the baby kicking right below his hand as though it didn''t like it. However, since Shane didn''t move his hand away, the baby seemed to have given up and fell silent again. After maintaining his posture for a while, Shane could feel that the baby had calmed down. Only then did he move his hand away and chuckle. ¡°Our baby is strong.¡± Chapter 1077 Chapter 1077 Although Shane''s hand didn''t hurt, he could vividly feel the baby''s strength. ¡°Of course. How else does it exin the pain that I''m feeling?¡± Natalie replied while caressing her belly. Hearing that, Shane gazed at her belly and said affectionately, ¡°Baby, please be gentle from now on and don''t hurt Mommy, okay?¡± Natalie found it amusing and at the same time she was touched when Shane advised the baby with a stern face. ¡°All right, Shane. I can bear with the minor pain. Besides, having fetal movement means that our baby is healthy,¡± Natalie said, holding Shane''s hand. ¡°Ae you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. And besides, the baby doesn''t move all the time.¡± Hearing that, Shane didn''t dwell on the topic. He put the tablet aside, hugged her by her waist, and turned off the light. The next day, Lina invited Natalie and Sally to a jewelry exhibition as she had gotten a few extra tickets. Lina looked forward to it because a set of jewelry made of obsidian was on disy. Natalie was interested in the event as well. She had seen from the booklet that several haute couture gowns would be exhibited. Considering that Jacqueline and Sean would act soon, Shane decided to join them at the exhibition to keep Natalie safe. Deep down, Shane was worried that something would happen to Natalie when he wasn''t with her. Given that their neighborhood was inhabited by prominent figures and had good security, Shane and Natalie thought that it would be safe to keep their children at home. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Although Shane''s hand didn''t hurt, he could vividly feel the baby''s strength. Moreover, Shane believed that Sean and Jacqueline wouldn''t dare to act recklessly in the area unless they wished to irritate the prominent figures. When they arrived at the exhibition center, Lina and Sally visited the jewelry section while Natalie and Shane went to the gown section. Natalie was impressed by the designs and styles of the gowns. She couldn''t help but take a few pictures with her phone so that she could analyze them with Mercede afterward. Since Mercede was already an expert in design and there was no room for improvement, she had been studying models instead. Natalie believed that Mercede would be very delighted upon seeing the pictures. After sorting the pictures, Natalie turned to Shane and said, ¡°Shane, I need to use the restroom.¡± A pregnantdy had to use the washroom many times every day. Natalie felt irritated sometimes, for she had to do it once every hour on average. ¡°I''ll go with you,¡± Shane said while holding her handbag. Natalie shook her head in response. ¡°It''s okay. The restroom is just behind us. I''ll be right back.¡± With that, she walked toward the back door. The restroom was empty. After using the toilet, Natalie heard someone calling her name when she came out. ¡°Nat.¡± That voice... Shocked, Natalie turned around hurriedly, only to see Sean standing at the end of the hallway. Sean shed her a wicked smile and greeted, ¡°Nat, it''s been a long time!¡± ¡°Sean, you really showed up!¡± Natalie immediately took out her phone to make a call. However, Sean seemed to have expected it. As soon as Natalie grabbed her phone, he smiled at her again and ran away. Intuitively, Natalie rushed over and shouted, ¡°Stop running! Stay right there!¡± Nheless, Sean had no intention of stopping. As Natalie reached the end of the hallway, she saw him enter the elevator. Natalie gritted her teeth and ran toward the elevator. The elevator was rising, and she didn''t know when it would stop. Left with no other choice, she called Shane and said anxiously, ¡°Shane,e here, quick. Sean showed up and is now in the elevator. Hurry up and get some men to chase after him!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± A cold glint shed across Shane''s eyes when he heard that. Immediately, he gathered his bodyguards and joined in the search for Sean. However, when they were waiting for the elevator, Shane heard the sound of an approaching helicopter. Shane pulled a long face and rushed to a nearby office. He stood before the window and saw a helicopter in the air. Sean was stepping on the ropedder, waving at Shane smugly. Chapter 1078 Chapter 1078 ¡°Sean!¡± Shane shouted through gritted teeth and clenched his fists. Sean seemed to have heard him as he shed him a provoking smile. At Sean''s signal, the helicopter rose and flew away. Shane stared at the helicopter coldly and didn''t move his gaze even after it had disappeared for quite some time. Natalie came up to him and said while frowning, ¡°Darling, Sean is gone.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shane closed his eyes to suppress his anger. Natalie sighed. ¡°You were right. Jacqueline showed upst time, and this time, it''s Sean. And next time, they might even appear together! What on earth are they up to?¡± ¡°Something''s wrong with Sean just now.¡± Confused, Natalie asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°His eyes. He has short-sightedness but he could see me from the helicopter without wearing sses. That''s strange.¡± ¡°Well, maybe he was wearing contact lenses. He went straight to the top floor and escaped in a helicopter. In other words, he had arranged it in advance. In that case, it''s logical to assume that he was wearing contact lenses as it would be convenient for him to board the helicopter.¡± ¡°You got a point.¡± Shane looked up at Natalie. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Although Natalie''s exnation was usible, Shane still felt that something was off. ¡°Sean!¡± Shane shouted through gritted teeth and clenched his fists. ¡°Let''s go back,¡± Shane said, holding Natalie''s hand. Sean will definitely show up again after this. He can''t leave this country with a helicopter anyway. Governor Stephen has agreed to inspect all vehicles in the air with his air force. Natalie and Shane left the exhibition center thereafter. Natalie didn''t tell Lina and Sally what happened to avoid ruining their good mood. Instead, she left two bodyguards to protect them and went home with Shane. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Ss arrived once Shane and Natalie returned to their vi. After pouring Natalie a ss of warm water, Shane said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Our bodyguards have found Jacqueline''s car near the university town. She has indeed abandoned the car and ran away,¡± Ss reported. Shane took a sip of water and sneered, ¡°Of course she would abandon her car. I mean, her whereabouts would be on our radar easily, unless she could destroy all the spy cameras in the state.¡± ¡°Also, Governor Stephen said that he would help search the helicopter for us,¡± Ss added. Shane grunted in response. ¡°Judging from what happened with Jacqueline yesterday, I think it will be the same for Sean,¡± Natalie said worriedly. Shane and Ss fell silent. Deep down, they knew that Natalie was right. Although a helicopter was supposedly easy to be spotted, one could always find ways to avoid getting caught. ¡°We have to try no matter what. You can go now.¡± Shane massaged his temples. Ss nodded and turned around to leave the vi. At that moment, Natalie felt slightly heartbroken. She could feel that Shane was mentally tired. ¡°Shane, are you all right?¡± Natalie stood up and walked around the couch so that she was standing behind Shane. She gave him a massage. Shane closed his eyes and replied, ¡°I''m fine. I just feel a little frustrated.¡± ¡°It''s okay. We will catch them eventually,¡± Natalieforted him. Although she did not know if they could catch Sean and Jacqueline in the end, all she could do now was to assure Shane that it would be all right. Shane patted her hands and said, ¡°I know. All right, I''m sure you''re tired. Rest up for a bit.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie stopped and sat next to him. Shane held her head and let her lie on hisp. Chapter 1079 Chapter 1079 Since pregnantdies tend to feel lethargic, Natalie fell asleep on Shane''sp not long after shey down. Shane kept caressing her short hair. When Natalie was for four months into her pregnancy, she had chosen to cut her long hair. Worried that her hair would absorb all her nutrients, Natalie decided to have only shoulder-length hair to retain more nutrients for the baby. Natalie was okay with having short hair as she had cut her long hair when she was carrying Connor and Sharon as well. Her professional stylist had chosen the best short hairstyle for her. With shorter hair, Natalie looked less charming but more regal. Right then, Shane noticed the fetal movement on Natalie''s belly. He stopped caressing Natalie''s hair and gently put his hand on her belly. As expected, the baby was forcefully kicking the part where Shane had put his hand on. Withdrawing his hand, Shane put on a loving smile and whispered, ¡°Baby, please stop moving. Mommy is sleeping now, and you''re gonna wake her up.¡± The next moment, the baby fell silent as though she could understand him. Shane touched Natalie''s belly again and patted the part where the baby had kicked just now. ¡°That''s my child.¡± Since pregnantdies tend to feel lethargic, Natalie fell asleep on Shane''sp not long after shey down. Indeed. Shane picked Natalie up and walked toward the stairs. Natalie didn''t gain much weight, even though she was pregnant. She looked as curvy as before and only her belly looked bigger. Other female designers in thepetition who had given birth to children before couldn''t help but envy Natalie. After all, they were overweight and almost couldn''t recognize themselves when they were pregnant. When they asked Natalie about her secrets to keeping her figure, Natalie couldn''t give them an answer because she was born with that figure. She had never been out of shape since she carried Connor and Sharon. ¡°Mommy?¡± When Shane arrived on the second floor and wanted to carry Natalie into their bedroom, Connor happened toe out from his room. Shane turned around and gestured for Connor to lower his voice. ¡°Mommy is asleep. Don''t wake her up.¡± Connor gazed at Natalie and nodded in response. Shane opened the door and Connor followed him into the bedroom. Shane put Natalie on the bed gently and tucked her in. Then he straightened up and nced at Connor. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Connor looked up at him and said, ¡°Daddy, I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Okay. Let''s talk outside.¡± With that, Shane and Connor headed toward the door. After closing the door, Shane asked, ¡°Where is your sister?¡± ¡°Sharon fell asleep when she was watching a cartoon,¡± Connor replied. Shane raised his chin slightly. ¡°Well, what is it that you want to tell me?¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Since Connor was a mature boy, Shane didn''t treat him as a child and talked to him as an equal. Given Connor''s intelligence and knowledge, Shane thought he deserved to be seen as an equal. Nheless, Shane loved Connor as his child when the family spent quality time together. ¡°I saw Uncle Sean at the exhibition where you and Mommy visited today,¡± Connor said with a stern face. Shane was not surprised. He nodded in response. ¡°I know. We saw them escape in a helicopter in the end. Now, Governor Stephen''s air force is doing everything in its power to search for the helicopter.¡± ¡°He rented that helicopter and it has been delivered back to the rental center,¡± Connor said. Shane frowned in disbelief upon hearing it. ¡°What?¡± Chapter 1080 Chapter 1080 Judging from Sean''s financial prowess, Shane thought he could afford a helicopter easily. ¡°Yes, I essed the security footage and saw that he left in the helicopter. Then, I hacked into the helicopter''s system and found out that it was originally from a rental center. However, based on the air route, the helicopter stopped on a hill for a while before returning to the center.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting that Sean is on that hill?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I think so. The helicopter stopped for over ten minutes before it took off and returned to the rental center. Based on the record, it only stopped twice after someone rented it. The first stop was the exhibition center, and the second stop was the hilltop. Hence, the hilltop is the only ce where Sean could escape,¡± Connor said confidently. Shane shook his head. ¡°No, it could be an illusion that he deliberately created to lead us to believe that he had escaped and went to the hilltop. He could have many opportunities to escape from the helicopter and didn''t have to wait until it stopped. Do you get me?¡± ¡°Daddy, are you saying that he jumped off the helicopter with a parachute?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°That''s right. He only has to prepare parachutes in advance before boarding the helicopter, then jump off the helicopter when it reaches a surveince blind spot.¡± ¡°I never thought about it.¡± Connor pursed his lips. Judging from Sean''s financial prowess, Shane thought he could afford a helicopter easily. Shane squatted down and caressed his head. ¡°Don''t me yourself. You did a good job. My men are still searching for the helicopter, but you''re way ahead of them and have found out that it has returned to the rental center. You''re way more excellent than them.¡± With an outstanding son like Connor, Shane could foresee that Thompson Group would grow bigger when Connor was at its helm. Connor couldn''t help but blush at Shane''spliments. Shane stood up and said, ¡°All right, you should go back to your room. I have a meeting to attend in the study.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Connor nodded obediently and returned to his room. Over the next few days, Jacqueline and Sean had been showing up more frequently. However, they didn''t appear together but alternately. During the early encounters, they would appear before Natalie''s eyes. Eventually, they began to appear far from Natalie and at different locations, such as the port, the railway station, and the bus station at the airport. When Connor saw Jacqueline or Sean through the spy cameras, Shane immediately sent his men to chase after them. Nheless, they always disappeared just before Shane''s men arrived. Although Shane''s men couldn''t catch them, he believed that Jacqueline and Sean were trying to test the security weak spots and find ways to escape in these modes of transportation. Hence, Shane specifically instructed many bodyguards to dress in in clothes and disguise themselves as ordinary passengers near the entrances. Once Jacqueline or Sean showed up, the bodyguards could arrest them right away instead of wasting time rushing to the scene. That day, Natalie and Lina were sketching new designs. Sally became their model and would pose from time to time based on their instructions. Suddenly, Ss came up to them. Sally nced at him and asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?¡± She immediately poured a ss of water for him, hoping to calm him down. Ss grabbed the ss and gulped it down. Then, he turned to Natalie and said, ¡°Madam, we have good news! Jacqueline and Sean are arrested!¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie stood up in shock. ¡°Did you say they are arrested? Both of them?¡± ¡°Yes, they appeared at the airport and intended to escape together. But our men had been lying in wait and they arrested them on the spot,¡± Ss said excitedly. Delighted, Natalie clenched her fists and eximed, ¡°This is great news! Our patience and efforts have paid off! By the way, does Shane know about it?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane knew it before anyone else. He is rushing to the airport now.¡± Ss nodded in response. Chapter 1081 Chapter 1081 Instantly, Natalie put down her design notes and said, ¡°I want to go there too!¡± ¡°Mr. Shane knew that you would want to be there. Hence, he specifically asked me to pick you up. Let''s go, Madam.¡± With that, Ss gestured for Natalie to go with him. ¡°I wanna go too.¡± Sally hugged his arm. ¡°This is none of your business. You shouldn''t be there. Be a good girl. Once this is over, I''m sure Mr. Shane will give me some time off. I''ll travel around with you by then, okay?¡± Ss stroked Sally''s head. A glint shed across Sally''s eyes once she heard it. She let go of his arm and said, ¡°You said it yourself. Don''t you dare go back on your word.¡± ¡°I won''t, but I''m not sure if Mr. Shane will go back on his. After all, he is my boss. In case he doesn''t give me time off¡ª¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll teach him a lesson if he does that. Shane has promised to give you a break after arresting Sean. I''ll make sure that he keeps his promise.¡± Natalie winked at Sally once she finished. Sally held Ss'' arm and thanked Natalie. ¡°Nat, we''re counting on you.¡± ¡°Just leave it to me.¡± With that, Natalie departed with Ss and arrived at the airport after half an hour. In Shane''s lounge, Natalie asked, ¡°Darling, where are they?¡± ¡°They''re locked up in the garage at the parking lot. The bodyguards knocked them out earlier on, and they haven''t woken up yet,¡± Shane said, pointing at theputer screen. Instantly, Natalie put down her design notes and said, ¡°I want to go there too!¡± Natalie saw from the screen that Jacqueline and Sean were tied up to separate chairs and their eyes and mouths were covered. They seemed to be unconscious. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°How strange! I mean, they used to show up alternately for many days. Why did they appear together today?¡± Natalie asked curiously as she sat beside Shane. Shane rested his chin on his crossed fingers and replied, ¡°I think they surveyed many locations and believed that they found the airport''s security vulnerability and the right timing to escape.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded. However, she still felt that something was off. Unable to pinpoint it, she held her tongue and stared at the security footage. ¡°Huh?¡± Shane turned around and asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Is Jacqueline that fat?¡± To be exact, the woman in the security footage wasn''t fat and was in good shape like Natalie. Nheless, she was indeed plumppared to Jacqueline. Jacqueline was feeble after she was in a vegetative state for ten years and underwent craniotomies many times. From then on, she was scrawny and could hardly gain weight. Given that Jacquelinecked supplements and had been escaping all these days, Natalie found it strange that she had gained weight. Upon hearing Natalie''s words, Shane stared at Jacqueline and finally realized that something was off¡ª Jacqueline''s height seemed different. Knowing that things had gone south, Shane stood up and walked out of the room with a stern expression. Natalie was startled. ¡°Shane, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°I don''t think they are Sean and Jacqueline,¡± Shane said coldly. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible. Let''s not forget about Jasmine,¡± Shane reminded her. Natalie''s eyes widened in surprise, and a shiver ran down her spine when she understood him. ¡°Shane, are you saying that someone have undergone stic surgery to make themselves look like Sean and Jacqueline?¡± ¡°It''s likely, and thus I have to be there to confirm it with my own eyes,¡± Shane said in anger. The next moment, Natalie stood up with her hands on her hips. ¡°I''m going too.¡± Since Shane didn''t say anything, they headed to the garage at the parking lot with their bodyguards. The garage was locked and heavily guarded. Ss was talking on the phone when Shane and Natalie arrived. He immediately hung up his phone and instructed his subordinates to open the garage. Once the shutters were drawn up, Sean and Jacqueline came into Natalie''s sight. Natalie wished to scan them to identify if they were impostors. However, seeing that Shane had other ns in mind, she suppressed her desire to do so. Chapter 1082 Chapter 1082 ¡°Bring over a bucket of water and ssh them till they wake up,¡± Shane grimly instructed as he fixed his gaze on the two tied up on the chair. Ss arranged for a guard to work on that as soon as he heard his assignment. A short momentter, the guard returned with a bucket of iced water and sshed it on Sean and Jacqueline. Cough... Cough... The two immediately regained their consciousness after getting choked by the water. At once, those voices revealed their identities. Natalie''s heart sank when she heard their voices which were foreign to her. ¡°Shane, you''re right. They''re really not Sean and Jacqueline.¡± Shane pursed his lips in silence. Ss was dumbstruck. ¡°They''re not Sean and Jacqueline?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°They''re imposters. Shane and I noticed from the security footage that Jacqueline''s physical appearance was a little off. We''re guessing that these two have undergone stic surgery to impersonate them.¡± Ss gasped in astonishment. ¡°There''s such a thing? But why would Sean get people to impersonate them?¡± ¡°That''s easy. We can find out the answer from them.¡± Shane''s eyes turned deadly as he red at the pair. At the sight of his res, the pair, who were already quivering in cold, shook even more vigorously because of the immense fear growing within them. ¡°Don''t have to show any mercy. Interrogate them.¡± Shane''s expression was extremely frosty. ¡°Bring over a bucket of water and ssh them till they wake up,¡± Shane grimly instructed as he fixed his gaze on the two tied up on the chair. This time, he was really mad. He thought he had finally caught Sean and Jacqueline. Little did he expect them to be imposters! Since they''re daring enough to fool me, then take whatever there is toe! ¡°Got it.¡± Sensing how grave the matter was, Ss looked serious as he nodded in acknowledgment. Shane then pulled Natalie''s hand and said, ¡°Let''s go. We''ll get the answer in no time.¡± Natalie forced a smile as she mumbled a response. Shane did not see a need to stay behind since the pair were only imposters. On their way back to the lounge, Natalie suddenly sighed as though she remembered something. ¡°I should''ve noticed it earlier. No wonder Jaqueline looked healthier and more energetic when I saw her at the jewelry market then. I thought she received proper treatment from Sean, so I didn''t put too much thought into it. But now that I think of it, I''m afraid that person I saw was her imposter.¡± ¡°It''s not your fault. I missed it once too,¡± Shane uttered before pressing his lips together. Natalie looked at him. ¡°You noticed that something was off too?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Remember when I said that Sean didn''t wear sses at the exhibition that day? I guess that''s not the real Sean either.¡± Natalie let out a bitterugh. ¡°Honestly speaking, who would''ve thought that they''d go to the extent of putting two other people under the knives of stic surgery just to mislead us?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Indeed, no one would have thought about that. Shane tugged Natalie''s hair neatly behind her ears. ¡°Let''s not think too much about it anymore. We''ll wait for Ss to report the interrogation results to us.¡± Natalie only squeezed a smile on her face as a response. After about an hour''s wait in the lounge, Ss finally came over with a file in his hand. ¡°Mr. Shane, Madam, you''re right. Those two are imposters with the same built as Sean and Jacqueline. They could not find reasons to turn down Sean''s tempting mary offers and thus headed overseas for the surgery. Here are the details about their real identity I received from their stic surgery clinic after the interrogation.¡± Ss passed the documents over upon finishing his words. Shane and Natalie then looked through the papers together. It turned out the imposters had taken up trivial roles in showbiz and thus had the acting skills to mimic Sean and Jacqueline. Unfortunately, there were still minute details that exposed their identity. ¡°Did they divulge the reason why they''ve been appearing so frequently before us?¡± Natalie withdrew her gaze from the documents and looked at Ss. Chapter 1083 Chapter 1083 Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. They said that Sean and Jacqueline had deliberately asked for them to appear before the two of you. Their motive is to let you all know that they are still in this city. Sean and Jacqueline even instructed them to appear at various transportation stations to trick you guys into thinking that they''re leaving this ce.¡± ¡°A distraction, you mean?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Ss gave a solemn nod. ¡°That''s right. ording to them, as long as they appear at those locations, we''ll adopt the relevant measures to capture them. After sounding us out a few times, Sean and Jacqueline decided to make the two imposters appear at the airport as an act to show that they were fleeing. That was all part of their n. They figured we''d surely head over to capture them, but of course, in this case, our attention was diverted and we ended up catching the wrong target.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°So the real Sean and Jacqueline have seized the opportunity while we''re catching the imposters and boarded the flight?¡± The look on Natalie''s face turned a little grim. Ss sighed. ¡°Exactly. Because we''ve opened up every exit after catching the imposters and also asked Governor Stephen to withdraw the inspections. I''m afraid Sean and Jacqueline are no longer in this state by now.¡± Smack! Shane threw those documents onto the table. His face grew darker and grimmer than before. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. They said that Sean and Jacqueline had deliberately asked for them to appear before the two of you. Their motive is to let you all know that they are still in this city. Sean and Jacqueline even instructed them to appear at various transportation stations to trick you guys into thinking that they''re leaving this ce.¡± Natalie was not faring any better either. They could not believe they had let Sean and Jacqueline escape so easily. That was, without a doubt, a mockery of them. Nevertheless, they had a more critical issue at hand. With Sean and Jacqueline''s departure, there was no way to locate them. That meant it would be difficult for Shane or Natalie to put up a defense against them. ¡°Shane...¡± Feeling worried, Natalie turned to look at him as she knew he must be burning with rage on the inside right now. Sean and Jacqueline''s escape was like a p in their faces. ¡°I''m fine.¡± Shane shut his eyes tight, stifling the raging emotions inside him. By the time he opened his eyes again, his gaze was evidently calmer than before. ¡°Expand the search. I want you to find out the headquarters of the organization behind Sean in the shortest time possible,¡± Shane ordered as he stared straight at Ss. Distressed, thetter lowered his head. ¡°Mr. Shane, I''m afraid¡ª¡± ¡°I''ll ask Connor to work along with you,¡± Shane interrupted. Ss'' eyes lit up at once. ¡°Understood. We''ll do our best and find them as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Go on then.¡± Shane gave a dismissive wave. With that, Ss turned and left. Natalie turned to Shane. ¡°Don''t you think it''s not a wise choice to involve Connor in this? He''s still a kid.¡± ¡°He''s very mature with his thinking, so don''t treat him like an average child. Besides, he loves helping us. With Connor''s participation, he can use his capabilities to help us locate and thereby exterminate Sean''s organization. Without those forces behind him, it''ll be easy for us to deal with Sean,¡± Shane uttered. Natalie sighed and nodded. ¡°All right then. I got it. I won''t stop you.¡± She used to forbid Connor''s participation in the past as she reckoned he was still a child and should not get himself involved in the dirty work of grown-ups. But Shane''s words had reminded her that Connor was not an average kid. In this technologically advanced world,plemented with Connor''s help, it would be easy for Shane to locate Sean''s organization and even exterminate them. Most importantly, the faster they could get rid of Sean and his organization, the earlier Shane could get out of the possible risks and danger. That way, it would mean that the two kids would not have to live their lives with their guards up constantly anymore. ¡°So what are we going to do with that two imposters?¡± Natalie pointed to the ground, indicating the two people they had held captive in the underground parking lot. Chapter 1084 Chapter 1084 Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°I''ll get someone to recover their original looks before throwing them back to their country.¡± On the ount the imposters were blinded by greed and that they did not do evil, Shane reckoned that repatriating them back to their country was an adequate punishment. Natalie nodded in understanding and did not ask any further. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. In the next few days, lives became more peaceful without Sean and Jacqueline''s frequent appearances. But that peace soon vanished as Natalie and Linapleted their designs. As they were heading into the clubhouse to submit their blueprints, someone abruptly poured a bucket of iced water from upstairs, directly sshing onto the two of them. The two let out a scream due to the extreme coldness and shock. Yet, that was not all. The person from upstairs wasted no time before sending another bucket of iced water sshing down again, leaving both Natalie and Lina drenched. This time, even the folder in their hands could not escape the clutches and were soaked. ¡°Who did that?!¡± Lina hurriedly pulled Natalie to a side before raising her head furiously to find the perpetrator. Nheless, all she saw was a pair of hands holding onto the bucket, retracting inward from a window on the seventh floor. Following that, the windows were shut tightly, leaving no way for Lina to catch a glimpse of anything. Lina''s face sank to a murderous look while she clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Damn it! That person must''ve done it on purpose! I''ll skin that person alive if I find out who it is!¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°I''ll get someone to recover their original looks before throwing them back to their country.¡± By then, her whole body was shaking in anger. Apanied by her dripping wet hair and clothes, she looked utterly miserable. Of course, Natalie was in a simr predicament. Pregnancy had made her loathe heat and as such, she was wearing thin clothes. After getting sshed by iced water twice, she was freezing to the point where her face went pale, her lips turned purple, and her whole body was shivering uncontrobly. Seeing that, Lina came over worriedly. ¡°Nat, let''s head to the lounge first.¡± Natalie had her arms wrapped around her body as she muttered, ¡°Okay.¡± Very soon, the two arrived at the lounge. As they were at a clubhouse for fashion designers, it was easy for them to find extra clothing lying around. Lina randomly grabbed two dresses for herself and Natalie to change into. Despite feeling reinvigorated, they did not feel relieved because of that. Instead, the atmosphere grew even more somber. Silence engulfed the entire lounge as they stared at their blueprints on the table before them. Those once wonderful sketches of gowns and jewelry had now been reduced to scrap. The colors had blended into a whole pool of mess, and it was possibly the most agonizing sight for any designer. ¡°I''m sure that person did it on purpose!¡± After a short while, Lina broke the silence and mmed her fist against the table. Anyone could tell that she had packed so much strength in that punch from the way the table quivered. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°You''re right. Otherwise, there''s no need for a second bucket. Someone must be targeting us.¡± ¡°I''m sure they''reing at our blueprints.¡± Lina was so furious that her eyes were bloodshot with anger. She clearly remembered that she had protected the folder well in her arms when the perpetrator sshed the bucket of water for the first time. During then, she had kept the folder well away from the water. She reasoned that was why the perpetrator had immediately followed with the second bucket of water, this time, aiming at the folder, thus exining why she was much more drenched than Natalie. ¡°There''s no doubt about it.¡± Natalie squeezed her fists tight. ¡°The host has mentioned that we have to meet the submission deadline, and it''ll mean an immediate disqualification if we don''t.¡± ¡°You''re saying the perpetrator is doing that to ruin our blueprint so that we''ll get eliminated when we can''t submit in time?¡± Agitated, Lina stood up and raised her voice. Natalie nodded in response. ¡°Yeah. There''s only this possibility. We''re only about ten minutes away from the submission deadline. We won''t be able to rush out another drawing in time.¡± In truth, it was actually possible for her to do that. With the memory she had of her designs, all she had to do was to replicate them on paper again. In contrast, there was no way Lina could do that. Not only were her jewelry designs extremely complicated, but there were also severalponents to it other than a ne, a pair of earrings, a bracelet, and a ring. There was no way she could replicate her sketches again unless she had two hours. Chapter 1085 Chapter 1085 ¡°This is too much! They''ve gone too far!¡± Lina was so furious that her whole body was shaking. Gritting her teeth, she added, ¡°It must be Jayson!¡± ¡°Nope, not him. That''s undoubtedly ady''s hand. Tina is right; many others want to get rid of us other than Jayson. After all, we''re potential candidates for topping thepetition. The others will gain a higher standing once they root us out.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes as she analyzed. During the earlier stages of thepetition, everyone was on good terms and no one enlisted any dirty tactics other than Jasmine. But as they progressed into the finals, many began to reveal their cunning selves. Though many times it was Sean and Jacqueline trying to sow discord, Natalie believed that there were contestants who would still act that way even without their instigation. Essentially, nopetitions in the world would ever progress amicably. It was more than normal for humans to harbor evil thoughts and even allow the darker side to take over their minds and ultimately resort to unscrupulous methods to achieve their wants. ¡°Let''s wait and see. I won''t let the culprits get away with it once I find out their identity,¡± Lina muttered with bloodshot eyes. Natalie rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. Oh gosh, troubles nevere singly. With Sean and Jacqueline''s departure, she thought she could finally enjoy some peace. Yet, there came another series of problems for her. ¡°Nat, what do we do now? We''ll really get eliminated if we can''t provide our blueprints for submission!¡± Lina bit her lip as she directed her gaze at Natalie, hoping that thetter would have a solution to it. ¡°This is too much! They''ve gone too far!¡± Lina was so furious that her whole body was shaking. Gritting her teeth, she added, ¡°It must be Jayson!¡± Natalie patted Lina''s hand as she assured, ¡°Don''t worry. Remember we''ve scanned our blueprints into theputer afterpletion for backup? I''ll call Shane and ask him to send me the scans now. Then all we have to do is to go and print them out for submission.¡± Hearing that, Lina calmed down and put on a smile on her face. ¡°That''s great! I almost forgot about that. Hurry, Nat. Call Mr. Shane now. I can''t wait to see the reactions of the culprits! I''m sure they''ll be shocked to see that we can submit our works on time!¡± They knew that the culprit would surely have a change in expression as long as their motive was not achieved. All they had to do was to be attentive to everyone''s expression to find the answer. Natalie hummed in response and fished out her phone to call Shane. Meanwhile, Shane was at the vi ying with the two kids. Upon receiving Natalie''s call, he immediately walked to the balcony to answer it. ¡°Hello?''¡° ¡°Shane, go to myputer and look for a folder that I''ve saved as backup. There should be a couple of files that I addedst week. Send them to me,¡± Natalie said hastily. Sensing her eagerness, Shane frowned. ¡°What happened? Why do you sound like you''re in a hurry?¡± ¡°Don''t make me mention it. Lina and I just...¡± she briefly reiterated the situation earlier to Shane. Hearing Natalie''s illustration, Shane became visibly grim. Even his body was exuding a chilling aura. The man remained silent. Natalie knew he must be burning with rage regarding what she had just shared with him. ¡°All right, Shane. Don''t lose your temper now. Hurry and send me those files; we don''t have much time left.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shane set his phone aside and strode to the master bedroom to work on Natalie''s request. A few momentster, Natalie responded with a smile, ¡°Great, I''ve received them. We have to hurry and get them printed for submission. That''s all for now. Bye!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. She signaled Lina with an ¡°okay¡± gesture as she concluded the call. The two then rushed out of the lounge to look for an office with a printer. At this moment, in the conference room, the host lifted the microphone and asked, ¡°Anyone else wants to submit?¡± There were only two minutes left before the submission deadline. All the designers shook their head in response. Turning to look at the two empty seats at the neighboring table, Tina looked a little worried. That''s odd. Why isn''t Mrs. Thompson here yet? Could it be that she has left after the submission? Meanwhile, a female costume designer took a nce at her watch before shifting her gaze to the door. Seeing that there were no movements, she heaved a sigh of relief and curled her lips up into a weak smirk. Seems like Natalie won''t be able to submit in time. Without her and her friend, I''ll stand a higher chance of winning first ce. Chapter 1086 Chapter 1086 Just as that female designer was about to burst outughing, amotion came from the direction of the door. In the next second, Natalie and Lina ran into the conference room, panting heavily. ¡°Hold on. We haven''t submitted yet,¡± Lina anxiously eximed as she had her arms propped on her knees. At the sight of the two of them, the host furrowed his brows. ¡°Why are you guys sote? Where''s your blueprint?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Natalie handed the folder to him. Upon collecting it, the host ced it above the stack of other submitted folders. ¡°I advise you guys to come earlier in the future, instead ofing at thest minute. You''ll get eliminated if you aren''t as lucky as today. Understand?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Natalie and Lina both nodded their head in acknowledgment. Luckily, they had arrived at thest minute. In the crowd below the stage, the female designer''s smile froze in ce upon seeing the appearance of Natalie and Lina. Her widened eyes were full of disbelief. What left her even more stupefied was when Natalie submitted the folder. How did things turn out like this? I''m sure their folder has got drenched. Technically, that''ll ruin their blueprints too. How did they still manage to submit in time? The female designer''s body started trembling slightly, and her face turned pallid. At that point, Lina was already sizing up the crowd. What caught her eyes was a female designer whose expression waspletely off. In that split second, Lina knew who the perpetrator was. ¡°Nat.¡± Lina tugged Natalie at her sleeve. ¡°I found it. It''s her!¡± Lina tilted her head in the direction of that female designer. Natalie cast a stern gaze in the same direction. ¡°It''s Julian?¡± Julian was a designer from an impoverished country in Northern Epea. Perhaps because of herck of confidence in her background, she had an aloof personality. She had barely mingled with the others, not even during her time in Team A. Despite so, Natalie had a deep impression of her, mainly because she was a talented designer. Moreover, she was good atbining elements of her country''s costumes with modern fashion. With time toe, it was no doubt she would be the first Smender to be the world''s top designer. It was a pity such a talented and capabledy like her would be consumed by her evil thoughts and ultimately even resort to such despicable means. Natalie shook her head and let out a sigh at the thought of that. Lina asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°I''m just feeling regretful that there''ll be one less new designer in the fashion design industry.¡± Natalie''s gaze was still fixated on Julian as shemented. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Regardless of Julian''s talents and capabilities, she had chosen to employ sneaky acts, proving her character as a person. Since that was so, all she could do was ept the consequences that the fate of her career and achievements would onlye thus far. Lina pouted. ¡°What''s there to be disappointed about? She chose that path, and since that''s her choice, she''ll have to bear the consequences.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Natalie let out a weak smile. Lina continued, ¡°So, Nat, how are you going to deal with her?¡± Just as Natalie was about to say something, the host''s voice sounded through the microphone. ¡°All right, since everyone has submitted their works, that''ll be all for today. I look forward to seeing your finished products in a week.¡± Upon finishing his statement, the host trotted out of the conference room. Likewise, the designers all stood up and prepared to leave as well. That was especially the case for Julian. Among the crowd, she was the first to leap up from her seat and rush toward the exit even before she stood steadily. All she wanted was to escape from this ce as soon as possible. In truth, she figured Natalie and Lina had found out the culprit of the water sshing incident when she noticed how they red at her multiple times earlier. Hence, she did not want to stay there any longer. She ran as fast as she could toward the conference room door as she was afraid that they might do something to herter. Lina stomped her foot in rage after seeing the fleeing Julian. ¡°Nat, look! She''s trying to escape!¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don''t worry. There''s nowhere she can escape.¡± Unlike Sean and Jacqueline, Julian was not as capable and influential. Natalie believed there was no way she could escape and hide from the eyes of the others. It was no wonder why Natalie could appear nonchnt about Julian escaping for now since capturing her was an easy feat. Chapter 1087 Chapter 1087 Seeing Natalie''s calm appearance, Lina gradually loosened up. ¡°We''ll let her run away first then. It''s nice to y such games at times too.¡± Natalie only smiled and said nothing. Just as they finished talking, they saw Julian retracting her pace in fear. The crowd behind her also followed suit. ¡°What''s going on?¡± The puzzled Lina straightened her back. Natalie shook her head, expressing how she was clueless about the situation simrly. But soon, they knew what was happening. Just as Julian thought she could sessfully get off with it, she saw several big-built bodyguards before her along the corridor outside the conference room. They appeared extremely brutal and unfeeling. Before the row of bodyguards was an authoritative-looking man. The man was emanating an indescribable sense of oppression and dominance that left Julian so intimidated that she could barely breathe. Of course, she recognized that man. It was Natalie''s husband, Shane. At that moment, Julian''s mind became clear as day. Natalie must''veined to her husband. That''s why he''s here with his men. And because she figured there was no way she could escape, she could only retreat into the conference room. ¡°Nat, it''s Mr. Shane.¡± Seeing Shane and several bodyguards, Lina was thrilled as she held onto Natalie''s hand. ¡°Mr. Shane must have speciallye here with his men after finding out that it''s Julian.¡± Lina''s grip grew a little too intense that Natalie felt a dull ache in her hand. But judging how delighted the former was, she ultimately left her to it. After Shane''s bodyguards surrounded the entrance and made sure no one, not even a fly, could enter or exit, Shane then cast his gaze at Natalie. Natalie walked over. ¡°Because of Julian?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°But not exactly. It''s also because of other people who are up to no good.¡± As he said that, he swept his cold gaze across the designers in the room. Some designers instinctively lowered their heads after exchanging gazes with his icy res. Some, on the other hand, appeared as cool as a cucumber. Watching those designers'' reactions at one side quietly, Shane tried to etch every face of those who had lowered their heads in his mind. He wanted to do a check on themter. He believed those had something up their sleeves; otherwise, they would not look guilty. Perhaps they had not taken any action, but in essence, harboring evil thoughts meant they had the intention. ¡°Mr. Shane, what happened? Who offended Madam?¡± Catching wind of the news, the host hurriedly rushed over from his office. When he saw the grand spectacle, he instantly knew that some ignorant fools had offended Natalie again. Everyone in the circle knew how much the only king of luxury products loved his dear wife. He could not bear to see her get bullied. Anyone who offended his wife would have to suffer his wrath. As much as it sounded a little way too exaggerated, they were nevertheless still truths. Moreover, Shane was also a sponsor, thus exining why the host dared not take them lightly. Linaughed and gave Natalie a light nudge. ¡°Nat, did you hear that? The host asked if anyone offended you. It seems like he''s very experienced in handling such situations. As long as Mr. Shane makes his presence, it means someone has crossed the line.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°Go and hear what Shane has to say.¡± Lina, sensing that Natalie was slightly annoyed, fell silent and only nodded as a reply. Right then, Shane was scanning through the crowd before finally pausing his gaze on the slightly trembling Julian. Following Shane''s gaze, the host looked over as well and understood at once. ¡°Mr. Shane, she''s the one?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°My wife and her partner were here for submission this morning. But before they even got in, someone sshed them with two buckets of iced water. I guess that person wants to ruin their blueprints so that they''ll miss the deadline and get eliminated,¡± Shane replied cidly. Hearing those usations, the host became solemn. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes! That''s why Nat and I could only rush over for submission at thest minute,¡± Lina quickly chimed in. Chapter 1088 Chapter 1088 The host looked at Julian, whose face had turned utterly pale. ¡°Mr. Shane, so was she the one who did it?¡± ¡°That''s right. Even though the office had no surveince camera, there was one in the corridor. I saw from the footage that she brought in two buckets of the same color that were filled with ice water. I''ve found the two buckets, and her fingerprints are on them,¡± Shane uttered coldly. The security footage and the fingerprints alone were enough to convict Julian. The color drained from Julian''s face as she sat desperately on the floor. She wanted to defend herself, but words failed her, as she was never good at speaking. Especially when she noticed all eyes were on her, she felt even more nervous and humiliated. ¡°Mr. Shane, I got it. I''ll handle her properly, and I won''t disappoint you.¡± The host cast an indifferent look at Julian. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Shane nodded slightly. ¡°Okay. I''ll leave her to you.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane.¡± The host pushed his sses up slightly. Shane cast a re at all the designers and raised his voice the next moment. ¡°So all of you saw what happened to Julian. Let this be a warning to everyone. Don''t do such a thing just because of your greed. It is not worth risking your career and your country''s reputation for this.¡± He paused momentarily before continuing, ¡°I hope you keep my words in mind. If I find out someone who uses this against my wife or any other designers to win, I''ll ban them!¡± Upon saying that, he deliberately cast a re at Jayson. Jayson lowered his head, not daring to utter a word. He knew the warning was directed especially for him. Shane turned to the host and ordered, ¡°Take her away!¡± The host nodded and escorted Julian out. Julian could not think of an exnation to defend herself, so she remained silent all the while. With that, she had no choice but toply with the punishment. After the fuss, all the other designers became extraordinarily silent. Some of them who had bad intentions in mind gave up on their thoughts. Meanwhile, the rest of them let out a sigh of relief, as they did not have to look over their shoulders for those who harbored ill intentions. Shane''s words had given them a sense of security. ¡°Nat, your man is so cool!¡± Lina praised while she grabbed Natalie''s arm. Natalie responded with a smile, ¡°Yes, he is.¡± She recalled the time when she had just gotten back from overseas and Jasmine had used her of stealing Isabelle''s ne. Even though Shane was not close with her at that time, he had stood up for her. How could anyone not get attracted to a kind and just man like him? ¡°Okay. You guys may leave now.¡± Shane waved toward the guards at the door, signaling them to make way. But no one at the scene dared to leave before Shane. Natalie sensed the awkward atmosphere and smiled faintly. She grabbed Shane''s hand and said, ¡°Shane, let''s get out of here first.¡± Shane held her hand gently. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Upon saying that, they walked toward the door while Lina followed them. It was only after the three of them left that the other designers felt relieved and began to leave. In the car, Natalie cast a nce at the man beside her. ¡°I didn''t expect you woulde here personally.¡± ¡°My wife was getting bullied. Of course, I would have to show myself,¡± Shane said while caressing Natalie''s belly gently. With that, Natalie felt a warmth in her heart. ¡°Darling, you''re so good to me.¡± ¡°Do you only notice that now?¡± Shane cocked a brow and teased her. Natalie leaned her head against his chest. ¡°No, I''ve known it all along. You''re the best husband in this world.¡± Chapter 1089 Chapter 1089 Shane''s lips curled into a genuine smile upon hearing thepliment. Just then, his phone rang abruptly. Natalie responsively retreated from his embrace. Shane took out the phone and noticed it was from Ss. Without hesitation, he answered the call. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, the person in charge of the orphanage just called me and said that a family wanted to adopt Donald.¡± Ss cut to the chase. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Adopt Donald?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Ss nodded right away. Natalie looked at Shane confusedly. ¡°Shane, what''s going on?¡± ¡°A family wants to adopt Donald,¡± Shane responded briefly. Natalie blinked her eyes in befuddlement. ¡°Adopt? Donald''s profile says he has a father. He shouldn''t be on the list for adoption. Didn''t the orphanage tell the adopting party about that?¡± Shane asked Ss that question right away. Ss started exining, ¡°The director has told the other party about that. But he also mentioned that Donald''s father is currently in prison, and his father seems not to be interested in taking care of Donald even after he gets out. Thus, the director hopes Donald can be adopted. That''s why he included the latter''s name on the list.¡± ¡°How did the director know that Warren isn''t nning to take care of Donald after he gets out?¡± Shane furrowed his brows. Natalie was curious about that too. Ss let out a long sigh. ¡°A while ago, Donald desperately wanted to see his father, so the director brought him to the prison to visit Warren. The director initially hoped Warren could behave well in there and get out soon to take Donald away, but Warren rejected it. He...¡± ¡°Say it!¡± Shane''s patience was running out. Ss paused for a while and continued, ¡°He said that Susan was dead, and he wouldn''t get any of Harrison''s property. The court also retracted the car and the house that Susan gave him because they were bought with Harrison''s money. So Warren''s broke now. He ns to get a new rich wife after getting out, so he considers Donald as a liability and doesn''t want to take Donald with him.¡± Natalie''s mouth twitched after she heard Ss'' words. ¡°How could he do that?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. She could not wrap her head around how Warren could treat his son so mercilessly. Back in the hospital, she thought Warren liked Donald, but then she realized that money was more important than family in Warren''s eyes. Indeed. I''ve never heard him asking about Jasmine as well. Even Susan had asked about Jasmine, but Warren showed no concern at all. I should have known back then that he is a selfish person. It seems that money is the only thing that matters to him. He would not hesitate to trade family for wealth. ¡°Then what do you think? What should we do with Donald?¡± Shane asked Natalie. Natalie rubbed her forehead gently. ¡°Since Warren has no intention of raising him, we might as well let other people adopt him. But the director should tell Donald about what Warren thinks. Then we should let Donald decide for himself, whether he wants to be adopted, or he wants to wait for Warren.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shane nodded slightly upon hearing that. Just then, something came across Natalie''s mind. ¡°By the way, please ask Ss to check the background of the family that wants to adopt Donald. If they are bad people, don''t let them adopt him. Even though I have no affection for Donald, as a mother, I wouldn''t want to see a kid suffer.¡± That''s the least I could do for Donald. ¡°You''re a kind person.¡± Shane caressed Natalie''s hair gently. Natalie smiled faintly. ¡°So are you. I didn''t even think about how to help Donald, but you did.¡± Chapter 1090 Chapter 1090 Shane disyed a smile and told Ss what Natalie had said. Ss nodded firmly. ¡°I got it. I''ll inform the director and the investigation team now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Shane. Just then, Natalie held Shane''s arm. ¡°And please send the bodyguard to the mental hospital and tell Jasmine about it. After all, he''s her brother.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Sure,¡± Shane replied without hesitation. However, Jasmine was indifferent after she heard about it. As a matter of fact, she did not love Donald at all. Hence, she could not care less about Donald''s future. At the moment, the only thing she cared about was Jacqueline''s whereabouts. ¡°Go back and ask your madam. When will Jacqueline be sent here?¡± Jasmine gave the bodyguard a death stare. The bodyguard went back and told Natalie about that. ¡°So she still remembers.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane poured a ss of milk for Natalie. Natalie took a sip of the milk. ¡°When Jasmine was first sent into the mental hospital, I told her to hold in there and don''t lose her sanity. I told her that she could take revenge against Jacqueline since Jacqueline was the one who made her go through the stic surgery. But I didn''t expect Jacqueline to escape, and we can''t send her in there anymore. That''s why Jasmine asked about it.¡± ¡°I see. Just ignore her then,¡± Shane uttered. Natalie shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Yes, there''s no other way for now.¡± We have no idea where Jacqueline is right now, so we can only y dumb. That night, thepetition organizer informed them that Julian had been suspended and banned for three years. It meant that Julian could not participate in any designpetition for three years, or she would be cklisted permanently. As a matter of fact, her current situation was already equivalent to getting cklisted, since she had been banned by National Design Association. National Design Association represented the highest authority in the industry. Any designer punished by the former would be left with a stain on their resume. No one would want to hire an hical designer. Some famous apparelpanies and fashion magazines would even cklist such unprincipled designers, and that signaled the end of their careers. In other words, even after the three-year ban, nopetition organizer would be willing to ept Julian''s participation. Regardless of how talented she was, she could no longer develop an outstanding career. The best she could do was be a tailor or a mentor like Cnda. That was why designers had to be careful with everything they did, as they could not afford to make an irreversible mistake. ¡°Julian is such an irresponsible person. Her act not only brought harm to herself but also her partner. Abby called me just now, and she was utterly pissed. She swore she would make Julian pay for what she did.¡± Lina brought over a te of fruits and sat down beside Natalie. Natalie, who was checking the dress fabrics, let out a long sigh. ¡°That couldn''t be helped. They''re partners, after all. A jewelry designer can''t stand alone without a costume designer.¡± ¡°That''s why Abby was so pissed, as she has done nothing wrong. She''s been aiming for the top three. But now, she got eliminated in the fourth ce in such a manner. I wouldn''t be able to ept it too if I were her.¡± Lina shook her head while eating a slice of watermelon. Just then, Natalie was about to carry the fabrics and ce them on the rack. Lina immediately put down the te of fruits and went over to help Natalie. ¡°Let me do it. You''re pregnant. You shouldn''t be doing such heavy work.¡± Chapter 1091 Chapter 1091 ¡°Okay. Thanks a lot.¡± Natalie smiled with gratitude as she walked over to sit down. Lina waved her hand casually. ¡°No problem.¡± She grabbed the fabrics and started putting them onto the rack. ¡°The citizens of Abby''s country seem exasperated by this incident. Some radical parties even went to the embassy of Julian''s country and created a fuss.¡± ¡°I heard Abby''s the best jewelry designer in her country. Is that right?¡± Natalie questioned abruptly. After arranging all the fabrics, Lina walked toward Natalie. ¡°That''s right. Abby''s country is famous for all kinds of diamonds and crystals, and it''s also an origin of jewelry designers. But after the international jewelry design industry starts to develop, her country starts to lose fame until Abby appears again. She is defined as the genius of the decade in her country.¡± ¡°So her country had high expectations for her.¡± Natalie grabbed her chin while speaking. Lina nodded. ¡°Yes. They hoped Abby could bring back their honor as the top jewelry design country, and Abby desired to get the champion for her country''s sake too. But now it''s all ruined. The citizens are outraged, and the situation might even escte into a diplomatic problem between the two countries.¡± ¡°That''s why one should never do something like this. It''ll be a disgrace of a lifetime.¡± Natalie furrowed her brows. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Indeed.¡± Lina ate another piece of fruit. ¡°Julian''s country has be aughingstock of the world because of her. All the citizens detest her. I bet she won''t dare to go back to her country anymore.¡± ¡°I guess that''s none of our business. All right. The fabrics are settled. Let''s start making the dress tomorrow. I''m heading back first. I''m a little tired.¡± Natalie rubbed her waist. Lina waved at her. ¡°Go ahead. A pregnant woman should get more rest. I still need to deal with the obsidians given by my mentor. I need to send them to the workshop tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. See you then.¡± Natalie supported her waist while standing up and left the temporary workshop. Shane specially arranged this ce for her, Lina, and Sally. He connected several rooms on the third floor of the vi and turned them into a workshop. When Natalie returned to her room, Shane was on the phone with someone. Upon seeing Natalie coming in, he ended the call after giving some instructions to the person on the other end of the line. ¡°You''re finally back. What took you so long?¡± Shane walked toward her and helped her to the bed. In fact, he did not have to help her, as she was only six months into her pregnancy. Nheless, Shane was worried about her, so he would support her whenever he was by her side. Natalie was touched and, at the same time, amused by his gesture. ¡°I had a talk with Lina about Julian and her partner.¡± Just then, something came across Natalie''s mind. She sat upright and continued, ¡°By the way, did Sean and Jacqueline instigate Julian to do such a thing? Or did she do that of her own ord?¡± ¡°She did it willingly. She admitted that someone approached her, but she didn''tply. She had been nning to use the illegal method to get rid of herpetitors in the final round,¡± Shane responded, utterly displeased. Obviously, he detested someone immoral like Julian. Natalie let out a sigh. ¡°It looks like she''s a terrible person then.¡± If someone instigated her to do so, maybe she was only weak in mind. But since it was her initial intention, she deserved to be punished. ¡°I wonder if other designers would still dare to make such moves after Julian''s case this time.¡± Natalie expressed her concerns, rubbing her belly gently. Chapter 1092 Chapter 1092 Shane poured her a ss of water. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I suppose most of them are intimidated after seeing Julian as an example. But of course, some stubborn ones might still try to get their ways with it.¡± It seems impossible to get rid of these problems altogether. After all, some people would be too obsessed with the victory that they lose their morality. Natalie understood that perfectly. The only thing we can do is to be cautious. Thus, after Natalie made the Gxy Dress, she used other fabrics to make another dress. Then she put the authentic Gxy Dress in the safe, and she put the other dress in the garment bag that was labeled Gxy Dress. It was to fool those with evil intentions. Meanwhile, Lina also took her advice. She hid her jewelry well and made a fake from ck ss and silver-ted white ss. With that, they would not have to worry even if someone tried to steal their work. Soon, it was time to announce the result. In the dressing room, Sally''s phone rang when Natalie was about to help her put on her makeup. Sally stood up and said, ¡°Nat, my boyfriend''s calling. I''ll take it outside. I''ll be back soon.¡± She exchanged a look with Natalie and Lina. Natalie then nodded slightly. ¡°Go on, but make it short.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sally replied with a smile, and she walked out with her phone in her hand. A costume designer from the other side could not help but ask, ¡°There''s just half an hour left before the show. What if shees backte? You wouldn''t be able to make it in time.¡± ¡°It''s fine. She is thest one to go on stage. There should be enough time,¡± Natalie responded. The designer disyed a smile. ¡°I see.¡± With that, she turned around and continued to work on her model. All of a sudden, Lina stood up abruptly. ¡°Nat, we''re screwed! I forgot to bring something important.¡± ¡°What is it? Is it really important?¡± Natalie asked. Lina nodded anxiously. ¡°Yes, we need it for the show.¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Natalie''s face turned pale instantly. The other designers in the room were left bewildered by that. With that, Lina held Natalie by the hands. ¡°Nat, I can''t drive. Please drive me back. Our ce is not far from here. We still can make it in time.¡± ¡°But...¡± Natalie bit her lip, hesitating. After pondering for a while, she eventually agreed. As such, the two of them ran out of the room. The room went into an uproar as soon as they left. Everyoneughed at them for making a silly mistake at such a critical moment. If they get caught in a traffic jam or something, they will get eliminated from thepetition. Meanwhile, some did not think they would bete, but still, they did not believe it was wise to leave the ce at thest minute. Tina was one of them.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Since they had already left, she could only pray for them to get back soon. At that moment, the designer who had spoken to Natalie just now cast a sidelong nce at Natalie''s garment bag and Lina''s jewelry box. Her lips curled into a cunning smile. A whileter, when her model went to get changed, she suddenly reached out for the garment bag and jewelry box. Half way, someone grabbed her hand forcefully. The designer''s heart skipped a beat as she thought she got caught in the act. But before she could open her mouth to apologize, a familiar voice sounded. ¡°Do you want to steal Natalie''s and Lina''s stuff?¡± The designer turned around and saw a smiling face. At that instance, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°It''s you!¡± Chapter 1093 Chapter 1093 The person who caught her was none other than her partner and jewelry designer, Ate Jenning. ¡°It''s me,¡± said Ate, putting down her hands. Lacey Jones, the designer who had wanted toy a finger on Natalie''s and Lina''s stuff, snorted. ¡°What''s the matter? Are you going to report me?¡± Smiling, Ate replied, ¡°It looks like you admit to it. Don''t worry. I''m not going to report you. We''re partners, after all. If I report you and you end up getting kicked out of thepetition, I''ll lose my partner and won''t be able to continuepeting anyway. It won''t do me any good to report you.¡± ¡°That what do you want?¡± Lacey pursed her lips. She had already known that Ate would not report her, so she had breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Ate who had caught her. ¡°I don''t want anything. I''m just hoping that you''ll include me in your ns,¡± said Ate. Lacey was shocked. ¡°You''ve lost it. Have you thought about the consequences? If I do it on my own and get caught, you''ll get off scot-free. At most, you won''t be allowed topete. But if we''re both caught, you''ll¡ª¡± ¡°I know. I haven''t lost it. I just want to stop Lina from advancing any further in thispetition,¡± Ate interrupted with a sh of hatred in her eyes. Lacey looked at Ate curiously. ¡°Do you have a beef with Natalie''s partner?¡± Ate balled her hands into fists and hissed through clenched teeth, ¡°That wretched woman stole a large part of my resources in a previous jewelrypetition. The suppliers had approached me first. However, they changed their mind after seeing her work and chose to work with her instead. It was utterly humiliating. How could I not hate her after that?¡± Lacey could empathize with Ate. ¡°That does warrant a grudge.¡± I''d feel the same way if someone snatched away my resources. ¡°But that''s only one of the reasons why I hate her. The main reason is that she''s an uncouth woman who doesn''t have the necessary understanding and respect for jewelry design. She should be content with getting into the finals. How dare she even think of winning? She should know her ce and not try to get her grubby hands on what''s ours,¡± Ate spat out, her face contorting with rage. Lacey''s eyes gleamed. ¡°I can''t believe that we''re on the same page. That''s what I think too! Natalie has no right toe here to gain fame and glory, let alone stop us from winning.¡± ¡°That''s why we should work together. Julian is an idiot for trying to do it all on her own. She''s just presenting her head on a silver tter,¡± Ate remarked in a voice dripping with disdain. Lacey looked Ate in the eye and held out her hand. ¡°Here''s to a happy partnership.¡± After exchanging smiles, one of them stood in front of the chair and blocked it from view while the other knelt behind the chair and got to work. Meanwhile, Natalie, Lina, and Sally sat on a couch in the room next door. All three of them were looking at aputer screen with grave expressions. Lacey and Ate''s conversation, as well as their every action, was being recorded. Unbeknownst to others, they had installed spy cameras in the dressing room the previous day. After talking to Shane a few days ago, Natalie realized that there would surely still be some ill- intentioned people who would not give up and try to sabotage her even though they had seen what had happened to hical Julian. Hence, she had gotten someone to install the spy cameras, then put on an act in the dressing room with Sally and Lina before leaving. The dress and jewelry she had deliberately left on the chair would serve as bait for those who wanted to ruin her chances in thepetition. And vo, I was right! But I didn''t expect that Lacey and Ate would be the ones who''d try to sabotage me. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°That''s it. I can''t bear to watch this any longer. I''m going to catch them red-handed right now!¡± An enraged Lina rose to her feet and headed straight for the door. Natalie called out, ¡°There''s no rush. The show is going to start soon. You''ll only be wasting time if you go over there now. Let''s wait until after the show. Besides, we have the whole thing caught on camera. What''s there to be afraid of?¡± Chapter 1094 Chapter 1094 ¡°She''s right,¡± Sally said, nodding. Lina turned around and returned to her seat reluctantly. Natalie unzipped the garment bag containing the actual dress meant for the runway. ¡°All right, we''ll start doing Sal''s makeup now. Lina, you''re in charge of doing her hair.¡± Lina nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± While they went about with their preparations, Ate and Lacey nced at their watches over in the dressing room. ¡°There are only fifteen minutes left before the show starts, but they''re not back yet. Aren''t they going to come and get their dress?¡± Lacey sounded a little worried as she looked at the time. Ate sipped her coffee calmly. ¡°It doesn''t matter. Even if they don''t return before the show, that''s good news for us too. If they''rete, they''ll get disqualified just the same!¡± ¡°That''s true,¡± Lacey answered, nodding. At that moment, the door to the dressing room opened, and one of the staff walked in. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but Ms. Natalie sent me. Her model took a tumble and is now at the infirmary, so she sent me to take her dress and jewelry to the infirmary. They''ll be doing the model''s makeup there. May I know where her things are?¡± Upon hearing that, Ate and Lacey exchanged nces. Lacey bit her lip and said in a frustrated tone, ¡°They''re notte!¡± Ate scoffed. ¡°So what? Don''t forget that even if they''re notte, they''ll cest if their model messes up on the runway, and they''ll end up getting eliminated.¡± ¡°Right. You''re right,¡± Lacey said with a smile. Then, pointing to the chair in front of her, she said to the staff, ¡°Her things are here.¡± ¡°Great. Sorry for interrupting!¡± the staff said with a smile and left after taking the bag. Suddenly, Tina called out, ¡°Wait!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. The staff stopped and looked at her questioningly. Tina went over and said softly, ¡°Tell Natalie and her friends that there might be something wrong with the dress.¡± The staff''s eyes glinted with realization. Then she smiled and nodded. ¡°I understand. I''ll be on my way then.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Tina replied, stepping aside. As Tina walked back to where she was sitting, Ate grabbed her arm. ¡°What did you say to her just now?¡± Tina cast a sidelong nce at Ate''s hand, then shook her off expressionlessly. ¡°Nothing.¡± Ate opened her mouth to protest, but Lacey pulled her aside. ¡°Forget it. Stop asking her about it. We''ll only risk exposing ourselves if we ask too many questions.¡± ¡°Do you think she doesn''t suspect us?¡± Ate retorted with contempt. Lacey stared at her, stunned. ¡°Do you mean that she...¡± ¡°When we were tampering with the dress, I noticed that she kept looking over at us several times. I suspect that she knows what we did.¡± Ate narrowed her eyes. Ate''s answer made Lacey feel anxious. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°There''s only one thing to do, and that''s to teach her a lesson. But not now. We''ll wait until after the show,¡± Ate replied with a darkened expression. Lacey nodded. ¡°I suppose that''s the only way.¡± She gazed at Tina, and an apologetic look shed across her eyes. I never intended to harm Tina, since she''s much less skilled than me. But Natalie is a different story. Her talent isparable to mine. I''d even say she''s way better than me. She''s also much younger. Most importantly, her husband isn''t just a random nobody. He has the power to influence the competition organizer. If she gets him to pull some strings, the rest of us won''t stand a chance of winning. Because of her capabilities and background, I have to take her down. I have to stop her from using the resources she has to win. I believe that others would target her for the same reasons. Over in the room next door, the staff handed the bag to Natalie. Just as Natalie was about to thank her, the staff repeated what Tina had said. Natalie smiled. ¡°All right, got it. Thanks for your help.¡± Chapter 1095 Chapter 1095 ¡°You''re wee.¡± The staff bowed slightly, then turned and left. Natalie closed the door behind her. Taking the bag from Natalie, Lina said, ¡°I heard what she said. Tina''s a good person. I wonder what those two did to the contents of this bag.¡± One of them stood in front of the chair and blocked it from view, so we couldn''t see what they were doing. ¡°We''ll know once we take a look,¡± Sally piped up as she walked over. Her makeup was all done, and she had put on the actual dress and jewelry. She stretched out a hand to reach into the bag. Natalie quickly stopped her. ¡°Wait!¡± Sally withdrew her hand instinctively. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Lina was also staring at Natalie. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Ate and Lacey may be targeting Lina and me, but the person who''s supposed to wear the dress and jewelry is Sally. If they dropped some poisonous insects into the bag or sprayed something that would cause skin irritation, you won''t be able to walk on the runway if you touched it.¡± When Lina heard that, she widened her eyes and nodded slowly. ¡°She has a point. Don''t touch it, Sal. They tampered with the dress and jewelry in this bag because they thought that''s what you''re going to wear. I''m sure they intended to prevent you from walking the runway or for something to happen to you on the runway. If that happened, Natalie and I wouldn''t be able to get high marks, and we''d get eliminated.¡± ¡°They''re simply too wicked!¡± Sally fumed. Natalie massaged her temples. ¡°All right, now''s not the time to get angry. Lina, it''s almost time. Take Sal backstage and get ready for the show. I''m going to take this to Shane and ask him to have someone take a look at it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lina nodded. Thus, the three of them split up. Carrying the bag, Natalie went to the lounge to look for Shane and the kids. They had been secretly spying on the dressing room for the female models, so it would not have been convenient for Shane to be there. Hence, he could only wait in the lounge with Connor and Sharon. Natalie hurried toward the lounge. When she arrived, the bodyguard keeping watch outside the lounge opened the door for her at once. The first thing she saw was the kids lying on the couch, fast asleep. Meanwhile, Shane and Ss were discussing something. Shane was seated while Ss stood next to him. As soon as they saw her enter, they stopped talking. ¡°Madam,¡± Ss greeted with a nod. Natalie smiled in response. Shane got up and led her to where he was seated. ¡°Why are you here? Isn''t the show about to start?¡± ¡°We caught some people up to no good on the cameras,¡± Natalie replied. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. His eyes narrowed. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ate and Lacey. They tampered with the dress and jewelry we deliberately left on a chair. However, due to the angle of the camera, we couldn''t see what they did. We also didn''t dare to take the things out of the bag just in case there was something poisonous. That''s why I brought it here, thinking that you could get someone to run some tests on it.¡± With that, Natalie ced the bag on the table. Shane looked at Ss, who nodded immediately. ¡°Got it. I''ll get someone to conduct some tests.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Natalie called out. Ss halted in his tracks. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± ¡°Why don''t you send someone else to do it? The show is going to begin soon. It''s Sal''s first show since the two of you started dating, so I''m sure you don''t want to miss it. Am I right?¡± Natalie nced at the camera hanging around his neck with a half-smile. Shane arched a brow. Ah, I see. He had wondered why Ss had a camera with him, but since he rarely pried into the personal affairs of others, he did not think much about it. Not expecting Natalie to see through him, Ss scratched his head shyly. His face even turned red. Natalie chuckled lightly. ¡°Get someone else to do the job, then go and watch the show. Sal will be the last one to go on, so you probably won''t miss it.¡± Chapter 1096 Chapter 1096 ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± Ss said, looking toward Shane with a mixture of nervousness and hope. Although she told me to get someone else to do it, Mr. Shane is still my boss. I need to get his permission first. Shane took in the warning look Natalie shot at him and Ss'' hopeful gaze. Massaging his temples, he replied, ¡°Do as she says.¡± Practically jumping with excitement, Ss thanked them profusely. Natalie grinned. ¡°All right. Hurry on your way then.¡± ¡°Right away!¡± Ss picked up the bag and left. Natalie hugged Shane''s arm and chided gently, ¡°I know you regard Mr. Campbell highly, but you have to consider his situation at times. He''s already thirty years old and has finally found a girlfriend. Even if you don''t give him more time off to nurture their budding rtionship, you shouldn''t overwork him.¡± ¡°When have I ever done that?¡± Shane demanded, looking at her indignantly. Ss is my subordinate. Isn''t it his duty to follow my orders? Natalie knew Shane like the back of her hand, and she could tell what was running through his mind with just one nce. Smiling, she shook her head. ¡°Look at you. I won''t talk about all the work you ask him to do during working hours. However, you also call him after working hours and ask him to do this and that! What''s worse, you get him to do work for youte at night! In this case, aren''t you overworking him?¡± Shane could not find the words to respond. It''s true. Whenever I need anything, I''ll call Ss regardless of the time and day. I''ve done it for so many years that I''ve gotten used to it. Moreover, Ss has never uttered a singleint. That''s why I never thought that I was doing anything wrong. ¡°So, you should try and let others do some things now and again. Don''t pile everything onto Mr. Campbell. Besides, you said that you''d transfer him after a while. What''s going to happen if he bes the subsidiarypany''s CEO? Are you going to call and ask him toe back when you need something?¡± Natalie continued, giving him a smart tap on his forehead. Shane grabbed her hand and pressed it to his lips. ¡°All right. You''re saying all this just because you hope that I''ll give Sally and Ss more time to spend with each other, right?¡± ¡°You got me,¡± Natalie admitted frankly with augh. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto hisp. ¡°You made it so obvious, so how could I have missed it? Did Sally ask you to say all that?¡± ¡°Or course not! It was my own idea. They''ve had very little time to spend with each other since they started dating, so I thought I''d try and help them out,¡± Natalie replied, leaning against his chest. Shane pondered for a few seconds. ¡°All right. I''ll contact the HR departmentter and ask them to train some other assistants.¡± By doing so, there will be someone to take Ss'' ce once he gets transferred. ¡°You''re the best, Darling!¡± Natalie put an arm around his neck and gave him a quick kiss. Shane''s eyes darkened. When Natalie started to move away, he raised his hand and ced it on the back of her head. Leaning even closer, he pried her lips open and deepened the kiss. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. At the same time, Connor and Sharon woke up. Seeing the scene before them, Sharon was about to call out when Connor quickly covered her mouth and whispered, ¡°Hush, don''t make a sound. Let''s pretend to be asleep. If Mommy and Daddy realize that we''re awake, Mommy will get embarrassed and push Daddy away, and Daddy will me us for it.¡± Sharon nodded immediately. Connor lifted his hand off her mouth. Then they quietlyy back down on the couch and closed their eyes, pretending to be asleep. They thought their movements were quiet and did not attract Shane''s and Natalie''s attention. In truth, Shane and Natalie had noticed it at once. Chapter 1097 Chapter 1097 Just as Connor had said, Natalie blushed in embarrassment and tried to push Shane away. However, Shane did not give her the chance to do so. Instead, he nipped at her earlobe and murmured, ¡°Since the children are pretending not to have seen anything, we should respect their wishes by pretending that we haven''t realized that they''re awake and continue kissing.¡± Then he pressed his lips against hers once again. Natalie was both amused and infuriated by his words. Respect their wishes? What''s that supposed to mean? It''s clear that he''s just addicted to kissing and doesn''t want to let go of me. I can''t believe he''d use the children as an excuse. How shameless! Shane continued kissing her for quite some time and only let her go when she started feeling dizzy and out of breath. Natalie pushed him away at once and climbed off hisp. She sat next to him and took out her phone to look at herself in the front camera. Seeing her swollen lips, she could not stop herself from shooting him a withering re. ¡°My lips are all swollen now, and it''s all your fault. How am I supposed to go out like this? Lina and the others are definitely going to make fun of me.¡± ¡°So, let them,¡± Shane answered nonchntly with a shrug of his shoulders. ¡°Well, of course, you''d say that. They wouldn''t dare to make fun of you.¡± Natalie put down her cell phone huffily. Shane caressed her bump gently as if he did not hear a word she said. Suddenly, he felt a kick, and he froze in surprise. Natalie smirked. ¡°See! Even the baby agrees with me. That''s why the baby kicked you.¡± After a momentary daze, Shane gazed lovingly at his hand that had just felt the baby''s kick. ¡°This little rascal is getting stronger.¡± ¡°All right, I''m leaving now. The show is about to start, so I have to go and take a look. You stay here and watch the kids. Call me once the test results are out, okay?¡± Natalie stood up and smoothed her hair that Shane''srge hands had mussed up. ¡°Go on then. I got it,¡± Shane replied. Natalie nodded and left the lounge. When she arrived at the runway, she went to the seating area set aside for the designers and sat next to Lina. She looked around and asked, ¡°Where are Ate and Lacey?¡± ¡°They said they''re going to check on their models backstage, but I think they just want to keep an eye on Sal,¡± Lina answered, rolling her eyes. Natalie sneered. ¡°They''re really so worried. Oh, did anything happen when they saw that Sal''s dress and jewelry were absolutely fine?¡± Lina contemted for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Hmm, that means they didn''t spoil the dress and jewelry but put something in them instead,¡± Natalie mused as she stroked her chin thoughtfully. Lina grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°That''s what I think too. Otherwise, they would''ve reacted when they saw Sal wearing them.¡± ¡°Whatever it is, they won''t get away with it,¡± Natalie replied coldly, her eyes narrowing. Lina looked at her and asked, ¡°Have we gotten the test results already?¡± ¡°No. I told Shane to call me once the results are out,¡± Natalie responded. Lina turned back toward the runway. ¡°Then let''s not bother about that for now and focus on the show. It''s almost Sal''s turn. Did you know that Mr. Campbell rushed over just now to ask why Sal hadn''t appeared yet? His impatient expression was so funny!¡± As she recounted what happened, she could not help letting out a chuckle. Natalie alsoughed. ¡°Well, it''s his first rtionship in thirty years. You can''t me him for being a little enthusiastic.¡± ¡°You''re right,¡± Lina replied, grinning from ear to ear. Soon, the music ring from the stage changed, and the lights dimmed. All that was left was a single spotlight shining down on the runway. A silhouette emerged from the shadows and stood at the top of the illuminated runway, striking an elegant pose. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The gazes of the audience and critics fell upon the figure. Then, the figure began to sashay down the runway in time with the music, her arms swinging in a rxed manner as she made her way to the end of the runway. The long dress swished with every step she took, mesmerizing everyone. Chapter 1098 Chapter 1098 The jewelry shone under the bright light, making Sally look like a goddess descended from heaven. Everyone could not take their eyes off her. When Natalie saw the crowd''s reaction and the judges'' expression, she exchanged nces with Lina and was confident that they would advance to the finals. Ate''s and Lacey''s expressions darkened. They grew nervous when they saw that Sally was about toplete her catwalk without strange incidents. ¡°Hey, is the powder you brought fake?¡± Lacey whispered unhappily to Ate. Ate frowned and replied, ¡°I''m sure it''s authentic because I''ve used it before. She should feel the effects of the power in ten minutes.¡± ¡°It''s been more than ten minutes, and Sally seemspletely fine.¡± Lacey stomped her foot impatiently. Not only was Natalie and her team notte for the catwalk, but Sally evenpleted her catwalk without incident. Natalie and her team would surely obtain a high score for their performance. It meant that Ate and Lacey''s n had failed. Ate bit her lower lip hard. ¡°How would I know that she wouldn''t react to the powder? I have administered it. She either has high endurance, or the powder is not working.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph, you''re useless. If I knew this would happen, I would have done it my way and cut their dress and jewelry,¡± Lacey said furiously. Her words angered Ate. ¡°Cut them up? Do you think Natalie and the others wouldn''t know if you cut their dress and jewelry in the dressing room? Once they investigate, do you think we can hide? At least my drug doesn''t ruin their dress and jewelry. They wouldn''t realize that I''ve done something to them. At most, they would think that Sally ate something bad and had an allergic reaction. Therefore, my way is still the safest option!¡± ¡°What''s the use of it being the safest? Your n ispletely useless!¡± Lacey sneered. Ate clenched her fists. ¡°I don''t want to waste my time talking to you.¡± Both of them began fighting each other. And someone in the control room witnessed that scene. Ss had instructed him earlier to spy on Ate and Lacey from the control room. It was to prevent them from leaving the surveince range and escaping. Once thepetition was over, the organizer would detain Ate and Lacey. Soon, the fashion show ended, and all the models came back on the runway for the curtain call. The designers, too, came onto the runway and stood beside their models. After the curtain call, the judges began their evaluation to determine who would proceed to the final round. Only three groups would make it to the final round. They would choose the winners of the first, second, and third prizes from among these three finalists. Therefore, this was the most vital stage for the participating designers. Once they made it to the final round, it meant that they had secured at least the third prize. Even if the designer could not win the first prize, the third prize could garner worldwide recognition and glory. The designers held their breaths in trepidation. They fear that they might not hear their results if they breathed too loud. ¡°Nat, I''m nervous.¡± Lina, who was holding Natalie''s hand, broke out in a cold sweat. Natalie patted the back of Lina''s hand. ¡°Don''t be nervous. I''m confident that we can proceed to the finals.¡± Ate stood beside Natalie and heard what she said. She narrowed her eyes and looked down. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. Lina smiled and said, ¡°Yes, you''re right.¡± She had seen the judges'' expressions during Sally''s catwalk. She believed that they would proceed to the final round. Shortly after, the host stepped onto the runway with a name list of groups that made it to the final round. Natalie and Lina were in Group Three. Since thepetitionbined the clothing and jewelry section, they no longer grouped the designers into Team A and Team B. It was unnecessary to group them into two teams because only a few designers remained after the elimination. Chapter 1099 Chapter 1099 After Natalie and Lina partnered up, they drew the lot and were ced in Group Three. At this moment, the host announced that Group Three was among the groups that made it to the final round. Even though Natalie and Lina had guessed that they would make it to the finals, they could not help but cheer and hug each other upon hearing the result. In the dressing room, Shane was smiling as he watched the live stream. However, when he saw Natalie and Lina hugging each other, his smile froze. Suddenly, he felt annoyed with Lina. ¡°Daddy, Mommy made it to the final round.¡± Connor pumped his fist excitedly. Although Sharon did not quite understand what was happening, she was happy to hear that Natalie made it to the final round. Connor had told her that entering the final round meant that Natalie had won. Therefore, Sharon was happy to hear that. Shane pursed his lips and grunted to indicate that he heard Connor. Connor looked at him in confusion. ¡°Daddy, are you unhappy that Mommy made it to the final round?¡± ¡°No, I''m happy for her,¡± Shane said as he continued to look at the unpleasant scene of Natalie and Lina hugging each other. Connor pursed his lips. ¡°But you don''t seem happy at all.¡± The designers who made it to the final round cheered excitedly on the runway. On the other hand, those who failed looked down dejectedly.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Ate and Lacey were among those who did not make it to the final round. They looked at the other cheering designers with twisted expressions and eyes red with jealousy. When they saw Natalie and Lina, they were even more upset. They had taken risks and even put their future career on the line to sabotage Natalie and Lina. However, they failed to disqualify Natalie and Lina in the end and got themselves eliminated from the competition instead. This is outrageous! Ate grew furious the more she thought about it. Unable to stand it anymore, she clenched her fists, stepped forward, and shouted loud and clear, ¡°I can''t ept it!¡± Instantly, the whole venue fell silent. Everyone, including hundreds of live audience and people watching the live stream from all over the world, watched her curiously. Meanwhile, the reporters on-site immediately focused their cameras on her and kept taking photos. After all, the fact that someone had stepped out at this moment to question the judges'' decision was a piece of shocking news. ¡°Oh? What can''t you ept?¡± the host asked Ate disdainfully before lifting the microphone to her mouth. ¡°Perhaps you can exin what you''re unhappy about?¡± Nearby, Lina whispered to Natalie, ¡°Nat, I''ve seen people who asked for trouble, but I''ve never seen anyone wanting to ruin themselves so desperately.¡± Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Since she wants to ruin herself this urgently, let''s give it to her.¡± Natalie had nned to wait for the audience and the reporters to leave before calling the organizer to deal with Ate and Lacey. But now, since Ate had stepped out to question the judges and humiliate the organizer, Natalie believed the organizer would not show her mercy. They would surely be d to punish Ate and Lacey and reveal their ugly side to the world. The host''s cold attitude at this moment said it all. ¡°What can''t I ept? Hmph, I can''t ept the result.¡± Ate puffed out her chest. ¡°I think the result is unfair. There must be something shady involving the judges.¡± The audience gasped upon hearing what she said. Below the runway, the judges all frowned and looked at Ate sternly. The host''s expression darkened, and he tightened his grip on the microphone. Reporters below the runway were frantic with excitement. They had the urge to run up the runway and shove their microphones in Ate''s face to get her to reveal more. ¡°Ms. Jenning, why did you say that there''s something shady going on among the judges? Do you know something?¡± a reporter asked loudly. The other reporters stared at Ate, anticipating her answer. Chapter 1100 Chapter 1100 Lina nudged Natalie gently. ¡°Nat, don''t you think she''s crazy? Why is she criticizing the judges? The judges are all top of their leagues. How is she going to survive in this industry after offending all of them?¡± ¡°Who knows what she''s thinking.¡± Natalie shrugged as she was clueless as well. However, she believed that they would soon find out. As expected, Ate turned to Natalie before revealing her answer. Natalie frowned. Why is she looking at me? Don''t tell me that it has something to do with me. Ate snatched the microphone from the host. ¡°I knew something shady is going on because of what Ms. Smith just told me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was shocked. Indeed, she is dragging me into this. But when did I ever say something like that to her? Natalie was not alone. Even Lina and Lacey were shocked too. Lacey was shocked because Ate had hidden such vital information from her. Lina, on the other hand, was shocked with disbelief. ¡°Nat, did you say something like that to her?¡± Lina pointed at Ate. Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°How is that possible? I''ve never spoken to her.¡± ¡°Then why did she call you out?¡± Lina blinked in bewilderment.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Natalie shrugged. ¡°How would I know? Ate, I would like to know what is going on too. When did I tell you that there''s something shady involving the judges?¡± She received the microphone from the host and looked at Ate calmly. What Ate said did not faze her at all. When the reporters and the audience watching the live stream saw how calm Natalie was, none of them believed in Ate''s usation. ¡°You said it just now.¡± Ate red at Natalie. Natalie frowned. ¡°Just now?¡± ¡°Yes, everyone was nervous before the result came out, but you and Lina remained calm. You told Lina that you were sure that both of you would proceed to the final round. So let me ask you. No one knew the result then, but how did the both of you know that you would get through? There is only one obvious answer. Both of you knew that you would make it to the final round since the beginning because you bribed the judges.¡± Ate pointed at the row of judges. The judges could not help butugh upon hearing Ate''s exnation. Natalie and Linaughed too. However, the reporters and Ate did not understand what was going on and wondered why they wereughing. In the dressing room, Shane narrowed his eyes viciously and said, ¡°I''ve never seen someone so stupid.¡± Connor nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, she didn''t even bother to hide her stupidity and showed it to the world. What was she thinking?¡± Sharon looked at her father and her brother in confusion. ¡°Ms. Smith, is what Ms. Jenning said true? Did you bribe the judges?¡± asked the reporter from before. Natalie rolled her eyes at the reporter. ¡°Do you think it is possible? Do you think I can afford to bribe sixteen top designers?¡± Realization dawned upon everyone. She''s right. Natalie may be famous now, but she''s just a rookie designer. How can a rookie designer afford to bribe a top designer, much less sixteen of them? ¡°I never said that you bribed all of them. But I''m sure you have bribed a few of them. Let''s not forget about your mentor. She will definitely make sure that you make it to the final round. As for the other judges, from what I knew, they are your mentor''s friends. Perhaps¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Natalie interrupted. ¡°You can criticize me, but not my mentor and her peers. They are all our esteemed predecessors in this field. You have no right to criticize them.¡± The judges nodded with satisfaction upon hearing what Natalie said. ¡°Mercede, your student is quite impressive.¡± The top designer beside Mercede praised Natalie. Chapter 1101 Chapter 1101 ¡°Thank you for thepliment. She''s all right,¡± Mercede replied calmly and did not seem to think much about it. However, one could not help but notice her flipping her hair delightedly. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Since the judges epted bribes, how is it wrong for me to criticize them?¡± Ateughed in exasperation. Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°Do you have evidence that they epted bribes?¡± ¡°What you said just now is the evidence.¡± Ate pushed the ball back to Natalie''s court. The reporter from before asked, ¡°Ms. Smith, can you exin what you said just now? How did you know that you would advance to the finals even before the host announced the result?¡± ¡°That''s not a problem.¡± Natalie nced at Ate indifferently. ¡°I said that we would make it to the finals because when our model presented our work, I noticed the judges'' expressions. When they saw Lina and my design, they all nodded with approval. So I predicted that we would get to the final round.¡± ¡°That''s right. If you don''t believe her, you can check the security footage and ask the judges,¡± Lina said. A reported went to ask the judges. One of the judges stood up and said, ¡°Ms. Smith is right. When we saw their modeling onto the runway, we expressed approval and appreciation. We will not deny that. Now, Ms. Jenning, do you have anything else to say?¡± The top designers all looked at Ate disdainfully. Ate was embarrassed and furious. ¡°You are all conspiring with each other. Don''t you know that Natalie has a powerful husband? Even if she can''t afford to bribe these top designers, her husband can bribe them for her.¡± Natalie was livid. Not only did Ate make baseless usations against the top designers, but she had even dragged Shane into this. She chuckled and said, ¡°You are wee to investigate my husband''s financial record.¡± ¡°You can investigate us too,¡± the top designers said in unison. Natalie gave them a grateful smile before saying to Ate with a stern expression, ¡°Did you hear that? We wee you to investigate us if you dare. I shall stop being a designer if you find something shady against me. Likewise, you will quit this industry if you find nothing. What do you think? Do you dare to investigate?¡± Lina stepped out and announced, ¡°Count me in.¡± Ate did not expect Natalie to up the stakes so high. She opened her mouth but was too flustered to say anything. Everyone sneered, knowing that she did not dare to investigate based on her expression. The audience finally understood what was going on. They knew that Ate was unhappy that she lost and had deliberately stirred up trouble to drag Natalie and the others down. In actuality, there was nothing shady concerning the judges. People began scolding Ate on the inte. They criticized her for being a sore loser who resorted to defaming others and damaging their reputation out of spite. They also said that she was a talentless and vicious woman. In short, her name became hated everywhere. Even though Ate could not see thements on the inte, she could see the hatred from the live audience''s expressions. At the moment, she desperately wished for the ground to swallow her whole. ¡°Looks like Ms. Jenning does not dare to investigate,¡± Natalie said calmly. Ate bit her lower lip and red at Natalie hatefully. ¡°Fine, I admit that you win. Can I leave now?¡± She could not stand being on the stage anymore as the numerous pairs of eyes ring at her made her feel ufortable. Natalie gave a smile that did not reach her eyes. ¡°Who said you can leave?¡± Ate paused in her tracks and red at Natalie viciously. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°You ndered the top designers and me. Although we have proved ourselves to be innocent, you have not.¡± Natalie crossed her arms. Ate sneered, ¡°How am I not innocent? All I did was suspect that something was shady based on what you said. Since I''ve made a wrong guess, that doesn''t mean I''m guilty. One could only say that I was too rash.¡± Chapter 1102 Chapter 1102 ¡°No, no, no. That''s not what I''m talking about. I''m talking about what you and Lacey did to my dress and Lina''s jewelry in the dressing room. You tried to humiliate our model on the runway and get us disqualified from thepetition.¡± Natalie raised her voice and looked at Ate and Lacey. Ate''s expression changed. Lacey began to panic. How could this happen? How did Natalie find out about this? The judges and audience watching the live stream were all stunned. Mercede stood up from among the judges and asked sternly, ¡°Nat, is that true?¡± Everyone wanted to know the answer to this question. Meanwhile, the reporters focused their cameras on Natalie, Lina, Ate, and Lacey. Natalie remained calm. She nodded and said, ¡°It''s true. I have the security footage here. Everyone can see for themselves. I''ll leave it to the host.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The host nodded and pressed his earpiece to speak to someone in the studio. Soon, a projection screen was lowered onto the runway, and a video yed. The video showed Ate and Lacey entering a dressing room. One of them was keeping watch while the other did what had to be done. Seeing this video, everyone knew that Natalie was telling the truth. Ate''s face went pale from fright. She did not bother to ask Natalie how she obtained the video but screamed, ¡°Turn it off! Turn it off now!¡± Ate''s reaction proved that the video was real. Lacey was not as bold as Ate. When she saw the video, she slumped onto the floor and muttered dumbly, ¡°We''re doomed. It''s all over!¡± ¡°Why should we turn it off? Isn''t this your grand n? We should let everyone witness it. After all, this is your rare chance of glory that onlyes once. Reporters, why are you standing there? Take all the pictures you can. This news is more than enough to meet your performance target!¡± Natalie shouted. Her words triggered the reporters to act. They quickly rushed to snap photos and bombarded Ate and Lacey with questions after questions. There was nowhere for Ate and Lacey to hide. Lina crossed her arms. ¡°My goodness, the reporters here are crazier than the ones in our country.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°These reporters have ruined the careers of many international superstars. They do live up to their reputation.¡± ¡°Yes, these two are doomed,¡± Lina sneered as she looked at Ate and Lacey. Lacey sat on the floor and covered her ears with her hands. She refused to listen to the outrageous questions thrown at her. Ate, on the other hand, could not escape even if she wanted to. The reporters had gotten onto the runway and chased after her to question her. Unable to stand it anymore, she turned around and chased the reporters like a mad person. ¡°Go away! Leave me alone!¡± However, her behavior did not deter the reporters. Instead, they became even more excited. A young designer going mad was another potentially explosive news to them. In the end, more and more reporters came onto the runway and surrounded Ate and Lacey. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie, Lina, and the other designers and models were pushed to the side. Shane frowned upon seeing this scene and made a quick phone call. Upon receiving Shane''s call, a team of bodyguards rushed to the scene and shielded Natalie behind them. They were protecting her from the reporters to prevent them from bumping into her and hurting the baby. This media frenzy persisted for more than ten minutes before the organizer stepped in and put it to a stop. After the reporters left, Ate and Lacey were finally free. Lacey broke down. She sat dazed on the floor as though she had lost her soul. Her eyes seemed lifeless, and she did not move at all. Ate was in a slightly better state, though she looked a little weary. Chapter 1103 Chapter 1103 Indeed, no matter how arrogant one was, the media could always bring them to their knees. The media had brought down numerous glorious and haughty international superstars, ruining their careers. In the end, these international superstars did not even dare to leave their homes. Ate and Lacey would soon follow in their footsteps. The organizers cleared the runway and politely asked the models and other designers to leave. Then, the host got onto the stage again and said calmly into the microphone, ¡°The team of judges, the organizer of thispetition, and the National Design Association have jointly agreed to disqualify Ate and Lacey and ban them from participating in anypetition for three years.¡± Upon hearing this, Lacey smiled bitterly but did not object. What''s the use of objecting now? Ate, on the other hand, reacted strongly to the announcement and wanted to protest. After all, Sally was fine. Therefore, Ate could argue that they had touched the dress and jewelry out of curiosity but did not do anything to it. However, before she could say anything, Natalie mouthed the words, ¡°The dress and jewelry that you tried to destroy was fake.¡± When Ate finally understood what Natalie was saying, she opened her mouth wide but did not say anything. So, this is what happened. No wonder Sally is fine. It turns out that the dress and jewelry that Lacey and I sabotaged were fake. Natalie deliberately put them there to trick us. She expected us to do something, so she prepared that in advance. Then she turned on the surveince camera and pretended to leave so that she could catch whoever wanted to sabotage her. Lacey and I were like idiotsing to the dressing room and doing something to their dress and jewelry under the surveince camera. We even thought that our ns were wless and were confident that we could eliminate them. But while we were celebrating, Natalie and Lina were probablyughing at us for falling into their trap. At this moment, Ate waspletely disheartened. She could only ept the penalty meted out to her. What''s the use of fighting? Can I win over them? Content held by N?velDrama.Org. In the end, Ate and Lacey were led away. The host had even made the security team lead them to walk before the other designers. It was to warn the other designers to abide by the rules. Otherwise, they would end up just like them. Although Ate and Lacey''s penalties were simr to Julian''s, they had it worst. The media and the audience watching the live stream now remembered their faces. Ate and Lacey could never hope to appear in public again. Meanwhile, Julian was shamed only in her own country. Compared to Ate and Lacey, she was slightly better off. ¡°It feels wonderful. We finally got rid of those two.¡± Lina smiled and ced her hands on her waist as she watched Ate and Lacey leave. Natalie nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Right then, the host approached her and said, ¡°Natalie, Ms. Mackenzie would like to speak to you.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Okay, I''ll go to her immediately.¡± With that, she turned to Lina and said, ¡°I''m gonna go meet my mentor for a while.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Lina nodded. Natalie ced a hand on her abdomen and went to the judges'' area. There, Natalie chatted with Mercede for more than ten minutes. After that, Mercede and the other top designers left the competition venue. Natalie returned to Lina. Lina held her arm and asked, ¡°What did you and your mentor talk about?¡± ¡°Nothing much. We just talked about our thoughts on what happened just now. She advised me to be careful with my words,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. Lina nodded. ¡°We do have to be careful with our words. Otherwise, something simr might happen again.¡± ¡°Yes, let''s return to the dressing room. By the way, where is Sal?¡± Natalie suddenly nced around to look for Sally. Lina smiled. ¡°She left with Mr. Campbell after changing her clothes.¡± ¡°So, that''s where she went.¡± Natalie shook her head and chuckled. Chapter 1104 Chapter 1104 Upon arriving at the entrance of the dressing room, Lina suddenly received a call from her mentor, so she stepped aside to pick up her phone. Natalie pushed the door open and went in. The two little ones greeted her sweetly, ¡°Mommy, you''re back.¡± ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± She nodded at them with a warm smile. Then she turned to look at Shane. ¡°What are you reading?¡± ¡°It''s the analysis report of the evening dress.¡± He handed the document to her. Natalie''s expression turned solemn. Immediately, she took the document from him and read it carefully. It turned out that Ate and Lacey had sprinkled some colorless and scentless resin powder on the dress and jewelry in the bag. Ten to thirty minutes after the skin got in touch with the powder, it could cause extreme itchiness, and rashes and bumps would break out all over the skin. In some severe cases, the person might even suffer from a respiratory infection and kick the bucket. Natalie gasped at the discovery. Clutching the document in her hand, she grumbled furiously, ¡°This is too much! How could they put such a thing on the dress? Thank God Sal is fine, or else...¡± Her voice trailed off. Shane handed her a ss of honey water. ¡°The colorless and odorless powder ispletely unnoticeable. If anything happened to Sally, no one would suspect there was something wrong with the dress and jewelry. They would think it was only an allergic reaction.¡± ¡°They''re so evil. If we hadn''t installed spy cameras in the dressing room, we wouldn''t have found out they''re the culprits.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples. The man nodded his head withoutmenting. After drinking a mouthful of water, she stifled her rage and said, ¡°Take this to the police station. The three-year ban is way too lenient. They even tried to murder Sal!¡± ¡°I know. I''ve asked someone to send over the report. This one is a photocopy.¡± Shane took the document from her and ced it on the coffee table. Natalie breathed a sigh. Before she could say another word, Shane''s phone rang. Taking out his phone, he nced at it and saw that it was a call from a manager from the headquarters. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Excuse me, I have to take this call.¡± The man stood up. She bobbed her head and hummed in response. ¡°Go ahead.¡± He marched toward the balcony. Just then, someone knocked on the door of the dressing room. Connor hopped onto the floor from the couch. ¡°Mommy, I''ll answer the door.¡± There were bodyguards outside the room. Since the person could go past the bodyguards and knock on the door, it must be someone they knew. With no worry, Natalie nodded in agreement and let him do it. Soon, Lina and Connor came in hand in hand. ¡°Nat, my mentor has found out about what happened on the runway just now and is on his way to settle the scores with Ate''s mentor,¡± Lina said, looking excited. Natalie moved aside so that the woman could sit next to her. ¡°It seems like your mentor treats you really well.¡± ¡°Of course, I''m his only female disciple. Now that I''ve been bullied, he surely won''t let the bully off the hook. Besides, he has some grudges against Ate''s mentor, so he''s using this issue as an excuse to settle the scores with them,¡± Lina said with a wide grin. Thereafter, she spotted the document lying open on the coffee table. Her eyes gleamed. ¡°Is that the analysis report?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded slightly. Lina reached out to pick up the document. After reading it, she mmed the coffee table in annoyance. ¡°Wow! How vicious! They even make use of such harmful powder. Thank God Sal is fine. Otherwise, we¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, we''d be so guilty if that happened.¡± Natalie sighed. Right then, Shane came back with a grim expression. Staring at the man, Natalie seemed worried. ¡°Shane, what happened?¡± ¡°Mrs. Wilson was admitted to hospital,¡± he announced in a husky voice. Not knowing who Mrs. Wilson was, Lina did not chime in. Natalie jumped to her feet right away. ¡°What? Mrs. Wilson was admitted to the hospital?¡± The two children became anxious as well. ¡°Daddy, how''s Mrs. Wilson?¡± ¡°She''s fine. She''s out of immediate danger for now.¡± Chapter 1105 Chapter 1105 ¡°Out of immediate danger? Does that mean Mrs. Wilson has been in a critical condition?¡± Natalie balled up her fists. ¡°Shane, what exactly happened to her? Has she fallen sick or something?¡± Shane''s expression hardened, and his gaze was as cold as ice. ¡°She was pushed down the stairs and was severely injured. That''s why she''s in the hospital now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened. ¡°How did it happen?¡± ¡°Someone broke into the Thompson vist night and rummaged around our bedroom and study, looking for something but to no avail. The man went downstairs and bumped into Mrs. Wilson as she was going upstairs, and he pushed her down. Fortunately, she had only climbed up a few steps, or else she would have been killed given her old age,¡± Shane answered. The woman bit her lip. ¡°How severe are her injuries?¡± ¡°Her back was hurt, and she hit her head. Other than that, she''s fine. The man was in a hurry to make a run for it, so he did not murder Mrs. Wilson. Fortunately, shortly after she was knocked out, the security guard saw that the door was open, so he came in to check if everything was fine. He found Mrs. Wilson unconscious and sent her to the hospital. Since her phone was not with her, the security guard could not get in touch with me, so he called thepany and the manager contacted me.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Knowing that Mrs. Wilson was not gravely injured, she heaved a sigh of relief. The two children felt relieved as well. ¡°Was it Sean''s man?¡± she asked while looking at the man. His lips were pressed into a hard line. ¡°Yes. After Mrs. Wilson woke up, the manager sent people to the Thompson vi to look into the matter and check if the man had stolen anything. No valuables were missing, but a lot of Wells Properties'' information had been taken away. I guess Sean had sent someone to search for the share transfer agreement of Wells Properties.¡± Since he was out of the country, Sean had seized this golden opportunity to break into the vi. ¡°He''s quite relentless.¡± Natalie snickered. ¡°I need to go back,¡± Shane said. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The woman nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure. Please check on Mrs. Wilson.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He pulled her into a hug. ¡°I''ll be back soon.¡± Resting her chin on his shoulder, she mumbled gently, ¡°Okay, I''ll wait for you.¡± That very night, Shane left. This time, he had asked Ss to stay instead of bringing him along. Because of that, Sally was really grateful to Shane, as though he were a god. Natalie burst into fits of giggles at her reaction. Soon, Ss came into the vi and interrupted the three women''s chitter-chatter. ¡°Madam, the police have replied.¡± Natalie quickly turned to look at him. ¡°What did they say?¡± ¡°They''ve done Ate''s record and discovered that many who took part in the samepetition as her previously had allergic reactions as well. The police contacted those designers and found they had never eaten or touched any allergens. Hence, the police suspect that Ate had used the same powder against them.¡± ¡°Hah! She''s actually a repeat offender,¡± Lina scoffed. ¡°Well, she wouldn''t have been so calm if that had been her first time doing it. She must have done it before, but she covered it up so perfectly that no one ever caught her.¡± ¡°Did those designers suffer from other symptoms?¡± Natalie turned to nce at Ss. Thetter nodded. ¡°Yes, one of them had a respiratory infection. He made it to the hospital in time, but his limbs became so stiff that he could no longer draw any design drafts and make clothes.¡± ¡°What? So his career is ruined?¡± Lina was taken aback. Ss sighed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Damn Ate! She''s such a b*tch!¡± Lina''s face reddened in rage. Natalie patted her hand to calm her down before turning to look at Ss. ¡°Did Ate plead guilty to these offenses?¡± ¡°Not yet. I rushed over to inform you right after the police found out about it just now. However, there''s solid evidence, so there''s no way she can deny it. She''s doomed.¡± Chapter 1106 Chapter 1106 Natalie bobbed her head. ¡°I''m d to know that. Has Lacey done this before?¡± ¡°No, that was her first time. She did it because she feared Mr. Shane. She thought you''d abuse his influence to win thepetition, so she wanted to get rid of you first.¡± Lina let out a sardonicugh. ¡°Hmph! Yes, Shane is indeed influential, but it doesn''t mean that Nat would depend on him to win thepetition. She is where she is now solely because of her own capabilities. I don''t think she has no idea how talented Nat is, but she turns a blind eye to it and adamantly believes that Nat is ying dirty. How despicable! Has she been through any unfair treatment previously?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Ss let out a dry cough. ¡°You''re right. Lacey said that her country had organized a designpetition the year before. Initially, it was obvious that she would win the championship, but an average and incapable designer snatched the title from her using his prominent background. Since then, she resents people with prominent backgrounds.¡± ¡°In short, she detests the rich.¡± Sally pursed her lips in disdain. Natalie sighed and shook her head. ¡°There are thousands of reasons to hate someone. How about Ate? What was her reason for doing so?¡± ¡°Madam, she is not against you, but...¡± He turned to gaze at Lina. Stupefied, thetter pointed at herself. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, she did it to go against you. She said the resources you received in the previous jewelry design competition were supposed to be hers. The sponsor approached her first but coborated with you after going through your products. That was why she held grudges against you.¡± Lina''s lips twitched. ¡°I did not know the sponsor had looked for her before approaching me.¡± No wonder Ate seems so sullen and resentful every time she sees me. I always thought that was just how her personality was, that she looked down on foreign designers. After all, many people here are rather racist, so the local and foreign designers do not see eye to eye, and there has always been bad blood between the two groups. Never had I thought that the resources are the reason Ate hates me. Well, I can put myself in her shoes. If I were her, and my resources and sponsor were snatched from me by another designer, I would be pissed too even if the designer did not do it on purpose. ¡°Nat, tell me. Have I done wrong?¡± Lina asked tentatively. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Of course not. That''s just how things work. You did not steal the resources from her. The sponsor was no fool and would definitely choose to coborate with a more outstanding designer instead. You don''t have to feel guilty about it.¡± Sally agreed at once, ¡°Yes, Nat is right. The sponsor did not sign any agreement with Ate before looking for you, so it was not against the rule. She should me herself for not being able to outshine you. Besides, even if you did not receive those resources, she would still have gone against other designers. Otherwise, she would not have harmed so many of them.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± After the two assured her, Lina was no longer guilt-ridden. I did not snatch those from her intentionally. Why should I me myself then? ¡°All right, Mr. Campbell. Thank you for informing me. You may leave now,¡± Natalie said while looking at Ss. Sally stood up right away. ¡°I''ll go with him.¡± Natalie giggled. ¡°Sure.¡± The two left the vi arm in arm. Lina stood up too. ¡°Nat, I''m going to the police station.¡± ¡°Are you going to visit Ate?¡± Natalie could guess her intention in an instant. Lina hummed in agreement. ¡°I have something to talk to her.¡± ¡°Go head.¡± The other woman bobbed her head. After Lina went out, the ptial living room in the vi was left with Natalie alone. ncing at the clock, she assumed that Shane''s ne had already touched down, so she picked up her phone to call him. Chapter 1107 Chapter 1107 Soon, the phone got through, and Shane''s weary voice sounded on the other side. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Darling, didn''t you rest during the flight?¡± Natalie''s brows knitted in frustration. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Shane made his way out of the airport and got into the car sent by the manager. ¡°Yeah, I didn''t. There were some documents that I needed to deal with myself, so I was busy.¡± ¡°But it is daytime in the country now. I''m sure you won''t rest.¡± Natalie sighed. Knowing she was concerned about him, Shane couldn''t help but smile faintly. ¡°Don''t worry. After visiting Mrs. Wilson at the hospital, I''ll take a rest.¡± ¡°You''d better keep your words, or else I''ll call thepany to check on you. Hmph!¡± she warned. The glint of joy in Shane''s eye got brighter. ¡°Sure.¡± At his words, a contented smile spread across Natalie''s face. ¡°Good. Are you on the way to the hospital now?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Yes, I''m going to check on Mrs. Wilson now.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Okay, tell me how she is afterward. I''m worried about her.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh. Mrs. Wilson is such a kind-hearted woman. She treats me and the children really well. It upsets me to know she''s injured. ¡°I will,¡± he replied. The two chatted for a while before hanging up the phone. Right after the call ended, Shane''s phone rang again. It was a call from the manager of thepany. Shane''s expression turned surly, and his voice became stern. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson, the manager of Wells Properties just contacted me, saying that someone had ransacked Wells Properties as well. Perhaps he''s looking for the share transfer agreement,¡± the manager replied. Unfazed, Shane let out a snigger. ¡°I''m not surprised. Since Sean couldn''t find it at my ce, he would surely think of sneaking into Wells Properties. He wouldn''t miss out on any ce where the agreement could possibly be. I bet he has even asked the bank about it.¡± ¡°Would you like me to call the bank and ask?¡± the manager asked. Shane rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°No, there''s no need to do so. I''m the bank''s most valuable customer, so Sean won''t be able to pry any information out of them. Besides, the share transfer agreement is not in the bank now.¡± He had actually stashed it away in a safe in the bank but had moved it to another ce afterward. Shane nced at his watch and said, ¡°All right, I''m going to the hospital now, and I''ll be at thepany two hourster. We''ll discuss when we meet.¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. Thompson,¡± the manager acknowledged him. Then Shane put down the phone and continued going through the remaining documents. Half an hourter, he arrived at the hospital. The man pushed the door open and went in. Mrs. Wilson was still asleep, while her daughter-inw was sitting by the bed. As soon as she saw Shane, she stood up hurriedly. ¡°Mr. Shane, you''re here.¡± Shane nodded at her. ¡°How''s Mrs. Wilson?¡± ¡°She had a backache throughout the night until the doctor injected her with painkillers. I guess she''s about to wake up soon,¡± she said while gazing at the old woman on the bed. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°I''m sorry to have let such a thing happen to Mrs. Wilson.¡± The woman quickly waved her hands. ¡°No, no, no... It''s not your fault, Mr. Shane. She doesn''t me you but those heartless people, so please don''t feel bad about it.¡± The man massaged his temples. ¡°No matter what, Mrs. Wilson got injured at my ce, so I''ll pay for all her medical expenses.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane.¡± She gave him a grateful smile. Though her family was not on their uppers, they were far from being wealthy. Apart from that, she had two sons. One was studying for a master''s degree, while another one was going to college soon. She had a lot on her shoulders, so she was d that Shane was willing to take up the responsibility. Suddenly, the ringing of her phone broke her out of her reverie. She fished out her phone and nced at the screen, saying bashfully, ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Shane. My husband is calling me, so I have to answer this call.¡± Chapter 1108 Chapter 1108 ¡°Sure.¡± Shane nodded in agreement. The woman made her way to the balcony with her phone. Pulling a chair over, Shane sat beside the bed. About two minutester, the elderlydy on the bed whimpered and opened her eyes suddenly. The man stood up right away. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, you''re awake.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± Thinking it was an illusion, Mrs. Wilson blinked her eyes several times, but she saw that he was still here, next to her. Only then she was sure this was not an illusion. ¡°Mr. Shane, it''s really you. When did youe back?¡± Ecstatic, Mrs. Wilson tried to sit up, but the man gestured to her to stay still. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, you''ve yet to recover, so please lie down and don''t move about.¡± She nodded. ¡°Sure, sure, I won''t move around. Mr. Shane, why are you alone? Didn''t Madame back with you?¡± The woman nced behind him. Disappointment filled her gaze when she realized Natalie and the children did not tag along. Ever since Harrison passed away, Madam has gone overseas with the two little ones for apetition. It has been three months since Ist saw them. She missed them so much, especially the two little ones, whom she regarded as her own grandchildren. Her heart melted every time the two children called her name during a video call. ¡°Natalie is going to take part in the finals soon, so she couldn''te back, and I feel worried about bringing the kids back. That''s why I''m back alone. Don''t worry. When morninges on her end, I''ll make a video call so you can see them.¡± He took a seat again. With a warm smile, Mrs. Wilson said, ¡°It''s all right. Thepetition and the children''s safety are more important. By the way, Mr. Shane, did you run into Sean when you were overseas?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± The man''s expression turned sour at the mention of Sean. Mrs. Wilson sighed exasperatedly. ¡°How can he be so wicked?¡± ¡°Mrs. Wilson, can you tell me what exactly happened when the intruder broke into the vi?¡± Shane gazed at her. Though the manager had told him about it, there might be some missing details since he had yet to hear it from Mrs. Wilson herself. Perhaps she knew something that nobody else knew. The woman nodded. ¡°Sure. The night before, I was in theundry room when I heard some noise. At that time, I thought you and Madam came back, so I called out to you, but there was no response from upstairs. Then I sensed that something was wrong and went upstairs to check it out. I was so shocked to see an intruder in the house.¡± Mrs. Wilson glowered as she added, ¡°The man pushed me off the stairs when he rushed down and bumped into me. Mr. Shane, I saw his face when I fell. He was Sean!¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, Mrs. Wilson was the only one who knew the incident inside out. She did not tell the manager due to distrust. After all, he was not like Ss, who had been by Shane''s side for a long time. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, are you sure it was Sean himself?¡± Shane questioned in a low voice, clenching his fists. Immediately, the woman answered, ¡°Yes, I''m sure it was him. Though he disguised himself, I could still recognize him, but he... He even...¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She just could not bring herself to utter those embarrassing words. His brows drew together. ¡°What did he do?¡± Mrs. Wilson met his gaze. After a moment of hesitation, she finally said, ¡°He... He took a lot of Madam''s belongings.¡± Shane''s expression turned gloomy at her words. His murderous aura could make the people around him feel suffocated. ¡°Sean Thompson!¡± Infuriated, he clenched his fists so hard that they were quivering, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging. Sean had held a revolting affection toward his mother. And after she passed away, he had diverted those feelings to his wife. Any man would be enraged by such a thing. One day... Chapter 1109 Chapter 1109 One day, I will tear Sean into thousands of pieces! Shane''s bloodshot eyes looked so terrifying. It worried Mrs. Wilson a lot. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Taking a deep breath, the man tried his best to stifle his smoldering fury. He closed his eyes and finally managed to simmer down. ¡°I''m fine. Mrs. Wilson, take care. I''lle and visit you again tonight.¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. Shane.¡± She gave him a smile. Marching out of the ward, he bumped into Jackson in his white coat. It had been months since hest saw this man. Jackson had looked for him before, but he could not forgive his betrayal and that he had let Jacqueline off. Not only was Jacqueline the culprit who wanted to harm his wife, but she was also involved in the murder of his parents. Therefore, he could no longer stay friends with Jackson. Meeting Shane unexpectedly stunned Jackson for a second. In the next second, a grin broke across his face. ¡°Shane, when did youe back?¡± Ignoring him, Shane averted his gaze and strode forward. Knowing that the man was still reluctant to forgive him, Jackson quickly called out to him, ¡°Shane, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane stopped in his tracks and gave Jackson an indifferent sideway stare. Jackson''s youthful face became solemn. ¡°Jacqueline got in touch with me a few days ago.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes at him. ¡°Why did she contact you?¡± ¡°She asked me for some medicines.¡± ¡°What medicines?¡± ¡°Some dangerous drugs.¡± Although Jackson did not mention the names of those drugs, it was apparent that Jacqueline was up to no good. ¡°Did you give it to her?¡± Shane''s expression fell. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. The other man shook his head. ¡°No. She''s like a time bomb now. How can I give such dangerous drugs to her? Who knows what she''s going to do again?¡± Shane''s expression softened at those words. ¡°In what way did she ask you to give them to her? Is it by post or is sheing to get them herself?¡± ¡°Not by post.¡± Jackson shook his head. ¡°She only requested me to put those drugs at a ce. I guess she wanted to get them from there or send someone to do so. One thing for sure, she''s in J City now. I''ve checked the number she used to call me. The IP address showed that she''s in J City now.¡± Shane was not surprised as he had already expected her to return. She was with Sean. How could she not be back when Sean was? ¡°But I''m surprised you told me this. Don''t you love her deeply? Why did you expose her whereabouts?¡± Shane questioned in an impassive tone while staring at him contemptuously. Jackson shed him a rueful smile. ¡°I regret letting her go. Do you believe me?¡± Shane remained silent. Jackson could tell that he did not trust him. Despite knowing Jacqueline was a psychopath, he still let her off. How could Shane trust him then? ¡°I mean it. I really regret it. When I let her go, I didn''t know she murdered your parents. All I knew was that she tried to harm Natalie twice but to no avail. I thought she would turn over a new leaf after she was freed. Never had I expected her to make a move against Connor and Sharon.¡± Jackson removed his sses and covered his face in shame. He had been living in remorse these days. He had always wanted to apologize to Natalie and the two children. Nevertheless, he never had the chance since he could not see them. Withholding his remorse and self- loathing made him tense up. Over the past three months, the hospital had even prohibited him from performing any surgery. Hence, he really yearned to do something to make up for his mistake. Most importantly, he did not wish to see Jacqueline homeless and continue going down the wrong path. Chapter 1110 Chapter 1110 ¡°Do you think Jacqueline has only hurt my wife and my parents, huh?¡± Shane snapped, breaking Jackson''s reverie. ¡°W-What do you mean? Did she hurt anyone else?¡± Jackson stuttered, dumbfounded. ¡°Yeah, her parents,¡± Shane enunciated every word slowly. To Jackson, those simple words were like a wall that came crashing down on him. After what felt like an eternity, he finally rposed himself and asked hesitantly, ¡°Do you mean to say that Jacqueline has something to do with her parents'' death?¡± ¡°ording to my investigation, she could be the one who orchestrated everything, causing the death of Mr. Graham and his wife.¡± Shane''s words sent Jackson into a tizzy. Undoubtedly, orchestrating was even more petrifying than getting involved. One''s involvement in someone''s death might be an indirect or unintentional act. But with orchestration, it was totally different. In other words, Jacqueline could havemitted the crime of attempted murder. Right that instant, Jackson felt his blood run cold. Blood drained from his baby face as he mumbled, ¡°How could it be...¡± He shook his head frantically and was reluctant to ept the truth. ¡°How could she harm her own parents?¡± ¡°Why not? There''s nothing the ruthless woman can''t do. Look how she repaid my parents'' love and care for her.¡± Jackson was at a loss for words. Shane''s parents did not treat her well? No, it''s the opposite. I saw it with my own eyes how they treated her as though she was their own daughter. Shane''s parents had treated Jacqueline just like how Keh had treated her. Nheless, she had the heart to inflict harm on Shane''s parents, who had loved her dearly as though she were their own daughter. And because of that, it would not be a surprise if she had done the same to her own parents. ¡°How could it be...¡± A horror-stricken Jackson staggered backward and almost slumped onto the ground. Shane gazed at him frigidly. ¡°This is the truth.¡± ¡°It''s my fault! It''s all my fault! I was wrong!¡± Jackson crouched down, pulling his hair remorsefully. He regretted falling in love with such a horrendous devil. Not to mention he had let go of her impulsively. She''s a freaking cold-hearted devil who killed her own parents! Damn it! Why did I let go of such a devil? Imagine what kind of heinous act she''llmit again when she''s on the run! Jackson could barely breathe as he felt a rush of suffocating remorse. He pulled his hair even harder in anguish as though he could not feel any pain at all. Nevertheless, Shane did not feel like giving any words offort to the man who was crying over spilled milk. He only has himself to me, no? The next moment, Shane shifted his gaze away from him and strode away. Only then did Jacksone to himself. He stood up right away and yelled, ¡°Shane, let me join you.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes as he froze in his steps. Jackson looked intently at him with a hint of determination in his eyes. ¡°Let''s arrest her together!¡± Shane''s lips contorted into a smirk. ¡°Are you sure? She''s the woman you''re deeply in love with, isn''t she?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Jackson shook his head resolutely at Shane''s mockery. ¡°I have no idea how I can continue to love such a malicious woman. Let me put it this way. I should arrest her myself just because I love her very much. She has to take responsibility for her actions and atone for her sins.¡± ¡°That''s not what you had in mind when you let her go.¡± Jackson smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°Yeah, I can''t deny that. I was clueless about how heinous she was when I let go of her at that time. I thought she would feel guilty and turn over a new leaf. But now I know her hands have been stained with blood long ago and that she has no thought of getting her life back on track again.¡± Shane''s eyes darkened at the sight of his determination. ¡°Well then, go ahead and arrest her. But I will not let you join me. Who knows if you''ll change your mind and ruin my n?¡± Chapter 1111 Chapter 1111 Jackson nodded in understanding. ¡°It''s all right. I will go my way and update you when I have any clues.¡± He understood that Shane would not trust him again after his previous betrayal. Shane gazed at him for quite a while, then turned around and left without uttering any words. Jackson took a deep breath and put on his sses. After that, he bowed earnestly in Shane''s direction and made his way to the resource room with a determined look. I bet Shane must have assigned his men to trace Jacqueline and Sean''s whereabouts. Well, I have my way too. I''m going to make use of the records in the DNA storage. Regardless of how a person''s appearance had transformed, the gene and blood type would never change. On top of that, biometric fingerprint systems and iris recognition were widely implemented in this advanced era. Thus, he presumed that he might be able to trace Jacqueline''s current location based on her fingerprint in the DNA storage. As long as she had used any iris recognition or biometric fingerprint system elsewhere, her whereabouts would be traceable. Meanwhile, Natalie, Lina, and Sally had gone to thepetition hall for the semi-finals. This current round was deemed the eliminatory round before the final round between the champion and the second ce. At the end of this round, one of the groups would be eliminated and announced as the winner of third ce. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Nat, which group do you think will be eliminated this round as the third ce?¡± Lina whispered as she nced at the other two groups. Natalie shook her head. ¡°How would I know? We won''t be able to predict the result until the end. No matter what, let''s just try our best.¡± ¡°You''re right. But I wonder if you feel the same too. Perhaps because we''re thest three groups, it seems that we''re not as nervous as we were earlier,¡± Lina said. Natalie smiled. ¡°It''s because all of us are equally matched. In other words, none of us has the confidence to defeat the others and be the final winner. So what''s the point of getting nervous? Besides, our performance might be affected if we can''t cool our heads off. Most importantly, we''re already basking in the limelight as one of the top three in this internationalpetition. It doesn''t really matter even if we''re not the champion.¡± Lina nodded. ¡°That''s true.¡± ¡°Of course, it''d be nice if we won. But even if we didn''t, there''s no doubt that you''re one of the top three young designers in the world!¡± Lina chuckled. ¡°Yeah, that''s why I can barely feel the hostility from everyone. It''s as though we''re back to the first round of thepetition.¡± Natalie patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Let''s just do our best.¡± Lina nodded again, feeling motivated. After that, both of them listened attentively as the host exined the theme for the next round. It was not a fixed theme this round. Designers were requested to design their dresses and jewelry by incorporating the traditional elements of their own countries'' dresses and jewelry. Undeniably, every country had its unique elements for its traditional costume and jewelry. Thus, it was not solely on how the organizer would assess the designed gowns and jewelry precisely with utter fairness. After all, it was just wishful thinking to have absolute justice in everything in the world. Instead of wasting time brooding over it, Natalie would rather spend time figuring out how to incorporate the uniqueness of their nation''s elements on their next designs. The three groups of designers started to discuss among themselves. All the designers were from three different countries. And coincidentally, designers of the same country had joined the same group. If the group consisted of designers from different countries, it might be challenging for them to work well with each other on that. Since every country had unique traditional elements, both designers would have different ideas, and they might end up designing dresses and jewelry which could not match each other''s styles. Subsequently, they would have to be eliminated from thepetition and that exined why the organizer had set such a challenging theme. Lina scratched her head in bafflement. ¡°Nat, do you have any idea about the so-called element of our country''s traditional jewelry? I grew up overseas and I''m used to designing modern jewelry, mainly with various types of diamonds. I bet diamonds are not considered as one of the elements of our country''s traditional jewelry.¡± ¡°We have crystals which are of simr transparency as diamonds. Nevertheless, I don''t think it''s a good idea for you to use crystals. I fear that it might lead you into thinking of diamonds and that you would end up sketching a piece of modern jewelry unknowingly.¡± Chapter 1112 Chapter 1112 Lina nodded again. ¡°You''re right. Can you give me a suggestion?¡± ¡°The so-called traditional is actually retro. You will be surprised to know that there is a wide variety of traditional elements for jewelry in the ancient days of our country. For instance, pure gold jewelry, jade, pearl, and the integration of flowers and feathers.¡± Lina''s smile froze at once. ¡°My goodness! It never crossed my mind that there is such a long list! Oh, my! What should I use then?¡± After pondering for a while, Natalie responded, ¡°It depends on the style of my gown then. For the traditional costume of our country, one of the mostmon elements should be embroidery. However, we have to bear in mind that we are designing a premium,vish gown. It will turn out low-ss if we use a piece produced by the embroidery machine instead. Too bad, the time is insufficient for us to obtain a handmade piece of embroidery for the gown. We have to really think it through.¡± Hearing that, Lina said nothing as she fell into deep thought. Not only them, but the designers from the other two groups were discussing among themselves as well. Then minutester, the host announced that they could leave. Natalie took her bag and walked out of the conference room with Lina. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Natalie!¡± someone called out to her the moment she stepped out. She stopped and turned, only to see that it was Jayson, the designer who had caused her to trip over previously. Natalie stared at him and asked coldly, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Jayson was not the slightest bit displeased by her grimness. He bowed at her and apologized sincerely, ¡°I''m sorry!¡± Natalie was bbergasted. Lina''s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Nat, am I hearing things? He''s apologizing to you!¡± Natalie nodded at her, implying that she was aware of it. She cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Why are you apologizing to me?¡± Jayson stood straight and replied guiltily, ¡°It was me. I did that on purpose. I shouldn''t have caused you to trip over that day.¡± Natalie raised her brows, astounded by his words. So he''s admitting that he did it on purpose! Folding both her arms across her chest, Natalie red at him. ¡°No doubt, I know you did that intentionally, but I could not find any evidence. That''s why I haven''t taken any action against you. You can actually continue to keep mum about it, no? After all, there''s nothing I can do without any evidence. I''m curious though. Why are you willing to admit it all of a sudden and even apologize to me now?¡± Jayson lowered his head and replied sheepishly, ¡°I guess it''s because of what happened to Julian and the others. I''m scared stiff. Even though I''m convinced that you can''t do anything to me without any evidence, I can''t say for sure that you won''t seek me out for payback right after thepetition.¡± ¡°So you''re apologizing to me now because you''re afraid that I will settle the score with you after the competition and you want me to let you off?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Jayson nodded in embarrassment. ¡°Precisely.¡± Lina rolled her eyes and scoffed, ¡°What a coward! I almost thought you were really sincere and guilty of what you''ve done. Guess I looked too highly of you.¡± Jayson''s face flushed red at her words, but it was not visible due to his darkplexion. ¡°Natalie, will you forgive me?¡± Jayson felt a prickle of anxiousness when Natalie remained in silence. Natalie gave him a cial look. ¡°Why should I forgive you? If Tina had not pulled me at the eleventh hour, do you know what would have happened to my baby and me?¡± Jayson gulped and was rendered speechless. He never intended to harm her baby. He was merely thinking of the possibility that she might withdraw herself from thepetition after sustaining a minor injury. He had totally overlooked that she was pregnant! In fact, after the incident, he had been living in remorse. He regretted being so impulsive. Natalie gazed at him; her tone was icy-cold as she said, ¡°Be frank with me. Who instructed you to do that to me? Was it a man or a woman?¡± Thunderstruck by her question, Jayson replied hastily, ¡°A man.¡± ¡°What kind of man? Do you recall how he looked?¡± Natalie questioned. Jayson nodded in an instant. ¡°He resembles your husband, and he wears sses.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°How did he instruct you to deal with me?¡± Chapter 1113 Chapter 1113 Jayson answered honestly, ¡°The man stood in my way when I stepped out of my house that morning. He said that it''s impossible for me to be in the top three by relying solely on my own ability. He told me that all the other designers were excellent, and I had to be maniptive if I wished to get a ce in the top three. So he suggested that I target you and set you up.¡± ¡°And?¡± Natalie bit her lip hard. Jayson exined further, ¡°He emphasized that you''re from an influential background, so you''ll get in the top three easily even if you aren''t good enough. Hence, he instigated me to eliminate you first, and I acted recklessly without thinking twice. I''m really sorry for that.¡± He bowed to her again, pleading for her forgiveness. Natalie looked at him frigidly without uttering any words. Lina pursed her lips and fumed, ¡°What an idiot. You shouldn''t have believed in his words easily. Aren''t you making your way to the final now with your own ability?¡± She had seen his designs and acknowledged him to be as capable as Natalie. If he did not giarize, she was convinced that he was shortlisted after outperforming the other designers without ying any dirty tricks. After all, she presumed it would have resulted in amotion if Jayson had actually set up the other designers. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Since he managed to make his way up to this stage step by step with his own ability, why did he have to listen to that despicable man and hurt Nat? ¡°I-It''s because I''m not confident with myself.¡± Jayson scratched his bald head awkwardly as if he could read Lina''s mind. ¡°Not confident with yourself?¡± Lina looked at him quizzically. ¡°Sadly, there is always discrimination against us. The others tend to pick on us because of our difference in skin colors. I have been bullied for years, and over time, my confidence in my own design gradually disappeared.¡± ¡°I see. I never expect that there is still much discrimination in the fashion industry.¡± Lina sighed. Natalie felt her temples throb. ¡°There are countless designers who quit the industry over the years after failing to withstand the bullying of others. Only those with a strong mind can continue to survive in the industry.¡± ¡°I''m impressed that he managed to make it this far. Looks like he has strong mental resolve,¡± Lina commented, scanning Jayson from head to toe. Natalie uttered solemnly, ¡°Enough of that. No matter what your excuses are, it can''t be denied that you havemitted a wrong deed. Anyway, focus on your design for thepetition as I won''t take any action against you at the moment. I will only lodge a report to the Design Association of your country after thepetition and let them take action ordingly. Lina, let''s go.¡± With that, Natalie turned and strode away. Lina quickened her pace to catch up with her. Once they were seated in the car, Lina looked at Natalie inquisitively. ¡°Nat, you have a soft spot for him and you let him off.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie asked cidly as she flipped through a fashion magazine. Resting her chin on her hand, Lina gazed at Natalie. ¡°Instead of lodging a report to the National Design Association, you said you would lodge one to the Design Association of Jayson''s country, which is far away from the National Design Association here. Doesn''t that imply that you n to let him off the hook? It''s because you know that the Design Association of his country will have mercy on him.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°You sure have a sharp sense. Yeah, I did let him off the hook on purpose. He''s talented in fashion design. Apart from the previous incident, he hasn''t stirred up any troubles so far. If I tell on him to the National Design Association, he will be banned from thepetition and might end up quitting the industry. I don''t wish to see such a talented designer end up in a pathetic state.¡± ¡°You definitely have a point. But what if he''s bluffing you? Who knows? He might have done something else previously and has been keeping that under wraps.¡± Natalie continued to flip through her magazine calmly. ¡°That''s why I mentioned that I would only lodge the report after thepetition. I will hire someone to investigate Jayson during this period. If it is proven that he has onlymitted the wrong deed unintentionally, as instigated by Sean, I will stick to my n. But if he turns out to be a despicable person, as you''ve mentioned, I can always change my mind and lodge a report to the National Design Association.¡± Chapter 1114 Chapter 1114 Lina gave Natalie a thumbs up. ¡°I salute you, Nat.¡± Natalie simply smiled. ¡°I hope he gets what I mean and won''t let me down.¡± ¡°If he doesn''t get what you mean and harbors grudges against you for lodging a report to the Design Association of his country, I can onlyment that he''s hopeless. There''s no point in sympathizing with him then.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°You''re right.¡± Not long after that, they were back in the vi. Natalie went up to the children''s room right away to check on them. Connor was attending a professor''s online ss, and Sharon had dozed off beside him. Natalie closed the door of their room silently, not wanting to disturb them. Returning to her room, she could barely wait till night fell to contact Shane. After waiting for two hours in anticipation, it was finally morning back in their country. Natalie immediately gave Shane a call. As though he knew that she would call him at this time, Shane answered his phone almost instantly. ¡°Hello?¡± he sounded tired as usual. Natalie''s heart wrenched as she knitted her brows. ¡°Darling, you didn''t sleep against night, did you?¡± ¡°I did. But not so well,¡± Shane replied as he headed toward the balcony. The morning breeze seemed to have refreshed his mind. Natalie could sense the trace of unmissable frustration amid the weariness in his tone. She couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Darling, did something happen?¡± ¡°Yeah, someone ransacked Wells Properties. I bet it was Sean again,¡± Shane answered, staring at the rising sun. ¡°Again? Are you saying that he was the one who broke into our vi as well?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yeah, it was him. Mrs. Wilson happened to catch a glimpse of his face at that time.¡± Natalie bit her lip. ¡°Good gracious! He''s back in the country again? Then how about Jacqueline?¡± ¡°She could be back in the country as well. Jackson actually revealed some information to me yesterday. So I guess she''s back with Sean.¡± Natalie sighed. ¡°Both of them are as agile as monkeys. But why did they suddenly go back? I don''t think they are back merely for the share of Wells Properties. If that were the case, it would be too much of a fanfare. Don''t you think it''s a little unnecessary for them to do so?¡± If she were Sean, she certainly would not dig her own grave and go back to Shane''s territory impetuously, no matter how important the share of Well Properties was. She would at most assign others to get the share transfer agreement and would never take the risk of doing so herself. Shane pursed his lips and responded, ¡°Perhaps he has something else up his sleeves. But I''m clueless about it for the time being.¡± Natalie nodded and reminded him, ¡°I guess so. Shane, you must keep your guard up.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I will stay alert all the time. Oh yeah, where are the kids?¡± Shane dropped the subject. He softened at once when he asked about them. Natalie chuckled, sensing the change in his tone. ¡°Connor is still in ss, and Sharon sumbed to sleep after apanying him for a while.¡± ¡°Sharon doesn''t need to learn that. She just needs to be happy for the rest of her life.¡± Shane sounded exceptionally gentle when it came to his sweet little girl. Leaning against the head of the bed, Natalie mumbled, ¡°Sharon is not as intelligent as Connor, so I don''t expect her to attendplicated sses like him. Even so, I still hope that she can learn to master certain skills. We can''t stand by her side and back her up against the obstacles in her life forever. Connor can''t stay with her all the time too. Sooner orter, she will have to be independent. So we have to make the necessary arrangements for her when she grows up.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Whatever you say.¡± After that, they continued to talk about education for the kids for quite a while. They only ended the conversation when the housekeeper went up to call Natalie for dinner. At the dining table, Sally handed Natalie a big and thick envelope. Natalie''s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the envelope. Snippets of Hannah''s horrendous act previously shed across her mind. Since the incident, she could not put the terrifying moments out of her mind and suffered from a phobia of parcels or letters. Sally seemed to have seen through Natalie and could not help butugh. ¡°Nat, take it easy. It''s not a prank. It''s from the magazinepany. They requested me to pass it to you.¡± Chapter 1115 Chapter 1115 ¡°It''s from the magazine?¡± Natalie was relieved. ¡°What is it?¡± Sally exined, ¡°We''ve made the costumes you designed earlier, and the singers have worn them in the photoshoot for the magazine. Here are the photos and the magazine. Go through the copy and see if there''s any problem. They''re willing to make adjustments ording to your needs. Also, here are a few tickets to the concert.¡± ¡°What''s with the concert tickets?¡± Natalie opened the envelope and took out a few VIP tickets. Sally put down the utensils in her hands. ¡°Do you remember what I told you earlier? All the world-ss singers will be performing in a mega-concert after the shoot for the magazine, so here are the tickets.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded. Lina''s eyes brightened. ¡°A mega concert? That sounds exciting!¡± ¡°Here. Take one.¡± Natalie drew a ticket from the stack and passed it to her. Lina epted the ticket. ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± Natalie smiled. She then went through the other tickets. ¡°How about you, Sal?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, these are for you. They gave me two tickets, and I''ll be attending the concert with Ss.¡± Sally blushed. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s great.¡± ¡°You can go with Mr. Shane. Bring along the kids, too! Oh, don''t forget Joyce,¡± Sally reminded. After ensuring she had enough tickets, Natalie put them back into the envelope. ¡°Okay. I''ll inform Shane and Joyce. I don''t think we should worry about it first since the concert is a month away. Let''s dig in!¡± The threedies continued their meal. Meanwhile, back in the country, Shane had arrived at Wells Properties. Since he was not the major shareholder, he did not have the authority to intervene in most of the affairs in thepany. He could only get an update about yesterday''s incident. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. As expected, ording to the manager, the man who came and caused a stir here was Sean. Though he had yet to inherit thepany, he was still the major shareholder of Wells Properties. That was why the management could not stop him from entering the office building. After carrying out a thorough search, Sean left right away as he did not find what he wanted. Upon hearing the management''s update, Shane kept mum for a moment before giving them the instruction, ¡°Should Seane and cause trouble again, contact me right away!¡± The manager nodded without hesitation, even though they were unaware of their feud. ¡°All right, Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°Let''s go.¡± Shane stood up from his seat and left Wells Properties with the manager. Since Wells Properties was technically not a direct asset under hispany, Shane decided to leave after obtaining the information he needed. He then went straight to the hospital. While they were on their way to the hospital, Shane looked at the manager and asked, ¡°Any updates about Maggie?¡± The manager shook his head. ¡°No updates from Mrs... I mean Maggie. I believe Sean didn''t look for her. Even if he had done so, Maggie wouldn''t have told us about it. After all, she''s his biological mother. It''s unlikely for Maggie to sell Sean out.¡± Shane did not say anything, but he agreed with what the manager said. ¡°Continue to keep an eye on Maggie. Should Sean appear, lock the entire vicinity,¡± Shane ordered. The manager nodded. Shane did not say anything after that. He started going through the documents in the car. At the hospital, he dumped all the documents on the manager and entered the building. Upon arriving at Mrs. Wilson''s ward, Shane noticed that a doctor was in the midst of pumping an empty syringe into her IV drip. Chapter 1116 Chapter 1116 Shane''s eyes narrowed, and he immediately knocked down the door with a kick. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The doctor was stunned when he realized he was caught red-handed. After tossing the empty syringe aside, he ran toward the door and tried to escape by pushing Shane away. Shane knew what he had in mind. Before he could run away, Shane kicked him right in the abdomen. The doctor fell to the ground and grimaced in pain. Shane checked on Mrs. Wilson and realized she was lying unconscious on the bed. He then walked up to the doctor and stomped his foot on the doctor''s chest. ¡°Who sent you? Who?¡± The doctor looked at Shane with a pair of bloodshot eyes. He was in so much pain that he could not speak at all. Shane''s frown deepened, and he exerted more pressure on the doctor''s chest. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The doctor shrieked in excruciating pain. ¡°What happened, Mr. Thompson?¡± Themotion had drawn the attention of the people outside the ward. Shane did not respond to the question. Instead, he instructed, ¡°Bring in the security guards, and call the cops!¡± The manager took a nce at the doctor, who was pinned to the ground. Upon noticing the suspicious look on the man''s face, he nodded and replied, ¡°Okay!¡± Soon, the security guards arrived with Jackson. Jackson asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°This man tried injecting air into Mrs. Wilson''s IV drip.¡± Seeing that the doctor had fainted, Shane kicked him aside. ¡°What?¡± Jackson''s expression turned grim. How dare he! ¡°Go and check on Mrs. Wilson now,¡± Shane ordered. Jackson nodded and walked toward the bed. After a thorough checkup, Jackson heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Mrs. Wilson is fine.¡± He then picked up the syringe from the ground and took a closer look at it. ¡°He has yet to use the syringe. Thank goodness you caught him on time and saved Mrs. Wilson''s life.¡± ¡°But why is she still in aa?¡± Shane asked. Why is she still unconscious? By right, Mrs. Wilson should be aware of themotion. ¡°I believe the man must have drugged her. She should be fine once the effect of the drug wears off.¡± Jackson then ced the syringe into a waterproof bag. I must keep this important evidence in a safe spot. ¡°Find out which department this doctor is from.¡± Shane kicked the doctor to Jackson''s side. Jackson bent down and looked at the man closely. He knitted his brows and said, ¡°This man is not from our hospital.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°He might not be a doctor. He could be an assassin!¡± ¡°Possible.¡± Jackson nodded. ¡°But why would he target Mrs. Wilson? She''s just an ordinary woman.¡± Shane lowered his eyes to hide his emotions and did not respond to his question. I don''t know why he wanted to kill Mrs. Wilson, and I don''t know who''s the mastermind. We can only find out when he wakes up. Shane handed the assassin over to the cops when they arrived and exined to them what happened. The cops immediately brought the suspect back and carried out a criminal investigation. At this point, there was nothing they could do as Mrs. Wilson and the suspect were still unconscious. Jackson lowered his head, and he felt a pang of guilt. ¡°The man could enter the ward because of my negligence. I¡ª¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Shane frowned. ¡°There''s no point saying all this. Thank God I was here to stop him. Had anything bad happened to Mrs. Wilson, you''ll probably have to live with guilt for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Jackson responded with a wry smile. Shane massaged his temples and said, ¡°He might not be a doctor here, but he still wore the hospital''s coat. Find out who lent him the coat. Don''t forget to check if there are other doctors and nurses with unfamiliar faces in this building.¡± Chapter 1117 Chapter 1117 ¡°You think there are more suspicious individuals in the hospital?¡± Jackson asked in a serious voice. Shane pressed his lips. ¡°Yes. This man came to im Mrs. Wilson''s life. If I were the mastermind, I''d station more people around the building just in case he failed his mission.¡± ¡°Got it. I''ll make sure to investigate this thoroughly,¡± Jackson said. Shane did not say anything after that. Upon seeing Jackson taking out a pack of cigarettes, Shane took one from the box and took a puff at it after lighting it. He had not smoked for a long time. In fact, he had quit smoking ever since Natalie was pregnant. But he was utterly frustrated by what had happened to Mrs. Wilson. Jackson, too, puffed at a cigarette while standing beside him. After a cigarette break, Jackson received a call. He took a nce at the screen. ¡°We''ve recently epted a severely ill patient, and they''re calling a meeting to discuss his surgery. I got to go now.¡± Shane nodded in response. ¡°Okay.¡± Jackson tossed the cigarette bud away and left. After a short while, Shane noticed a movement from the ward. He then opened the door and went in. Mrs. Wilson must have woken up. ¡°Mr. Shane...¡± Mrs. Wilson called him in a weak voice. Shane knew she had not fully recovered from the effect of the drug. He stopped her from sitting up. ¡°Stay in your bed.¡± Upon hearing that, Mrs. Wilson continued to lie down. ¡°Not sure why, but I feel dizzy and powerless.¡± Shane sat next to her and said, ¡°Someone drugged you.¡± Mrs. Wilson was bbergasted. ¡°Someone drugged me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Who? Why would someone do this to an olddy?¡± Mrs. Wilson looked at Shane in disbelief. She could not believe someone would do that to her. Did someone drug me because the person wanted to take advantage of me? But I''m an olddy! Mrs. Wilson could not help but shudder at that thought. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Shane, who had no idea what she was thinking, said in a calm voice, ¡°We don''t know much about it yet, but the cops have taken the suspect to the police station. We should be hearing from them soon.¡± Shane had no intention of telling Mrs. Wilson about the attempted murder, as he did not want the elderlydy to live in fear. Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°All right. We must not let the pervert off easily, Mr. Shane.¡± A corner of Shane''s mouth quirked up. Mrs. Wilson must have misunderstood the man''s motive. Nheless, he still replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Shane left after Mrs. Wilson''s daughter-inw came to visit. Before leaving, he ordered the manager to assign a few bodyguards to keep an eye on Mrs. Wilson''s ward. This arrangement would give Mrs. Wilson the extra protection she needed. Shane would also have one less thing to worry about even if Jackson failed to find out the other aplices in the hospital. In thete evening, Shane received an update from the cops. The so-called doctor was indeed an assassin, but he was just an amateur who worked for some wealthy folks. The cops had also confirmed that Sean was the mastermind who orchestrated the murder. ording to the statement recorded, Sean decided to kill Mrs. Wilson because he believed she had seen his face. Sean did not know that Mrs. Wilson had reported everything she saw to Shane. It was toote to get rid of her. And the assassin had failed in his attempt anyway. From his conversation with the cops, Shane found out something important¡ªthe assassin had personally met Sean. ording to the assassin, they had met at a secluded warehouse in the northern part of the city. Perhaps that''s where Sean and the rest are hiding. The best ce they could hide was in a secluded and rural area, as they had to stay away from the city. Even if they had to enter the city, they had to make a quick trip to avoid getting arrested. Chapter 1118 Chapter 1118 Only a ce outside the city where there were fewer people and less surveince was the most suitable hiding ce for Sean and the others because they could run away immediately if something went south. However, things were different in the city as they could not even hide once someone was after them. ¡°Mr. Thompson, are we going to search that warehouse?¡± asked the manager who was standing in front of Shane''s desk. Thetter was rubbing his fingers, seemingly deep in thought. After a while, he finally replied, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But what if it''s a trap?¡± The manager was a little worried that the assassin had told them about the warehouse on purpose to lure them over. If that were the case, we''d be walking right into his trap, wouldn''t we? Knowing what the manager was thinking, Shane pursed his lips. ¡°We have to go even if it''s a trap.¡± His biggest goal now was to catch Sean and Jacqueline. Hence, he wanted to give it a shot even if it was really a trap. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. He could not sit around and wait any longer as he was worried about the safety of Natalie and the two kids. ¡°Go and get everything ready. We''ll go there tomorrow,¡± ordered Shane while massaging his temples. The manager nodded. ¡°Understood, Mr. Thompson!¡± Then he left. Sitting alone in the quiet study, Shane crossed his fingers and lowered his head. He was absorbed in thoughts. After a short while, he suppressed his restlessness, stood up, and went back to the room he shared with Natalie. It was daybreak where Natalie was, and she was awakened by a video call from Shane. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she epted his call and looked at the man on the screen with a smile. ¡°Good morning, Darling.¡± ¡°Morning. Did I wake you up?¡± Shane asked in a soft voice while looking at the sleepy-eyed woman whose hair was a bit messy. Shaking her head, Natalie leaned back against the headboard. ¡°No. It''s about time for me to wake up.¡± With that, she stretched herself luxuriously. Looking at her chest that was exposed from her stretching, Shane felt his throat tighten. He said in a husky voice, ¡°I miss you.¡± He found her bust gettingrger since she became pregnant. Natalie, who initially wanted to tell him that she missed him too, saw his gaze on her and instantly understood the implicit meaning of his remark. Amused, she fixed her clothes and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You pervert!¡± Smiling faintly, Shane looked at her face. ¡°All right. You should go wash up and have your breakfast.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°You get some rest too.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Shane promised. Hanging up the call, he put the phone away, and the gentle look on his face faded away. He did not n to tell Natalie about what happened to Mrs. Wilson because he did not want to scare her, which might cause something to happen to her and the kids. He also did not n to tell her about this incident. That night, the man hardly slept. The next morning, the manager came to the door. ¡°Mr. Thompson, everything''s ready. Are you going too?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± More than ten of them then drove to the warehouse in the north of the city. It took them more than an hour to reach the warehouse. Shane remained seated in the car and just looked out the window. It turned out that the warehouse the murderer had mentioned was actually an abandoned industrial area over a fast-flowing river. The men sent by Shane started to search the area for the ce where Sean might be hiding. It was unlikely to find Sean and the others because the loud noises that their vehicles made when they arrived had probably alerted the former, who might have left. Chapter 1119 Chapter 1119 But even if they left, there would still be clues and traces left in their hiding ce. As long as those clues were found, they might be able to find out their next hiding spot. Minutes and seconds went by, and the search still yielded no result. Shane''s frown deepened. He was obviously displeased with the current situation. At that moment, a bodyguard suddenly ran over. ¡°Mr. Thompson, we found out where Sean and the rest had been hiding.¡± Shane''s eyes widened at this. Immediately afterward, he opened the car door. ¡°Where is it? Take me there.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The bodyguard nodded and led the way. Shane and the manager followed him. They did not stop until they reached the very middle of the container area seven minutester. It was an open space of almost sixty square meters, where there were several tents. In the middle of those tents, there was a simple stove, a few pots, and some foodstuff. Apparently, Sean and the others lived there and even cooked there. ¡°Mr. Thompson, there''s still hot water in this kettle. It''s not very hot, but it''s obvious that they''ve just left not long ago,¡± the manager said with a kettle in his hand. ncing at it, Shane said nothing and walked straight to thergest tent. Since Sean was the leader, thergest tent should be his. Entering the tent, Shane found Sean''s clothes, sses, and some daily necessities inside. There was also a map that had been scribbled. Shane narrowed his eyes, picked up the map, and studied it. It was a map of J City. Many ces on it were marked with bright red crosses, while some ces were circled. Shane noticed that the ces marked with a cross were busier ces with more surveince and poption, whereas the ces that were circled were the opposite. It seems that Sean has been using this map to decide his hiding spot. I can''t believe I actually found something useful here. Shane folded the map and put it into his pocket. ¡°Get out of there, Mr. Thompson! Run!¡± Suddenly, the manager was heard shouting anxiously from outside the tent. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Shane emerged from the tent with a frown. The manager was still talking on the phone. After a while, he looked at Shane and replied, ¡°Our men found some explosives ahead. They''re timed to¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, a massive explosion was heard. Immediately afterward, a heat wave hit. Turning to look over, Shane saw a raging fire not far away. The containers and warehouse were all aze. It''s really a trap! They wanted to burn me to death here! ¡°Let''s go, Mr. Thompson!¡± Grabbing Shane by the arm, the manager ran with him. Shane flung his hand away. ¡°We''re too far away from our cars. We can''t outrun the fire. We must jump into the river.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jump into the river?¡± The manager was stunned. Ignoring him, Shane ran straight ahead. The river was merely about ten meters away from them. The manager knew very well that they could not run to their cars, which were parked quite some distance away as it had taken them seven minutes to walk there earlier. If he were to run toward the cars, he would die before he could reach the cars. Therefore, jumping into the river was indeed the best way at the moment. With that thought in mind, the manager ran after Shane. Seeing this, the other bodyguards followed. Soon, Shane reached the riverbank. Turning to nce at the people who were behind him, he jumped into the river without hesitation. But unexpectedly, he had picked the wrong spot to jump. Chapter 1120 Chapter 1120 The moment Shane jumped into the river, there was a stone in the fast-flowing river that happened to hit his head, causing him to pass out at once and to be carried downstream by the strong current. The manager and the others did not know what happened to him. It was not until they were ashore that they realized he was missing. Meanwhile, it was five o''clock in the afternoon where Natalie was. She and Lina were working on a blueprint when Sally brought her a ss of water. She took it from her with a smile. Just as she was about to drink it, she suddenly felt a throbbing pain in her heart, and the ss she was holding fell to the ground, breaking into pieces. Her feet were wet from the warm water in the ss. Fortunately, it was not hot water; otherwise, her feet would definitely be scalded. ¡°Ah!¡± Lina, whose feet were also wet, rose to her feet at once and looked at Natalie. ¡°What''s wrong, Nat?¡± Natalie stared nkly at her hand and said nothing. She was zoning out. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Nat? Nat?¡± Lina called out again and even waved her hand in front of Natalie''s face. Yet, Natalie still did not give her any response. ¡°What''s wrong with her?¡± Lina frowned. Hearing her words, Sally, who was cleaning up the ss shards on the ground, looked up and noticed Natalie''s unusual behavior. ¡°Nat!¡± she shouted. Finally putting down her hand, Natalie asked in a daze, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°We were talking to you, but you didn''t respond,¡± replied Sally. Lina nodded. ¡°Yeah. You suddenly dropped the ss, then stared at your own hand in a daze. Are you feeling unwell?¡± Natalie shook her head, then nodded again. ¡°My heart suddenly hurt just now, but I''m fine now. Though I still feel a little restless, as if something bad has happened.¡± At this, Lina and Sally exchanged looks. ¡°You''re thinking too much. Why don''t you take a rest in your room? Maybe you''re just too tired,¡± Sally started. ¡°That''s right, Nat. You should get some rest. You''ve been working all day today. I''m tired as well, not to mention that you''re pregnant now,¡± Lina said after letting out a yawn. Natalie put down the pencil and said, ¡°Maybe I''m really too tired. All right, then. I''ll go back and take a rest. Help me look after Connor and Sharon.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. We''ll call you when it''s dinnertime.¡± Sally waved her hand, motioning her to go back to her room. Forcing a smile, Natalie left the studio and returned to her room on the second floor. Later in the evening, Sally woke her up as promised. At the dining table, Sally and Lina began to worry when they saw that something was still wrong with Natalie. ¡°Nat, are you okay?¡± asked Sally. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No. I thought I was just too tired and would be fine after taking a rest, but after waking up, I feel even more restless. I wonder if something bad has really happened.¡± ¡°But we''re all fine. Nothing happened to us. Connor and Sharon are doing well here too.¡± Sharon looked at the two kids, who nodded in unison. Lina narrowed her eyes as she suddenly thought of something. ¡°We''re all here, but Mr. Shane isn''t.¡± Natalie froze at that, and her body began to tremble. Sally gulped and said in disbelief, ¡°I don''t think something will happen to a strong person like Mr. Shane. Maybe we''re overthinking things and nothing bad happened to anyone.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Ss was seening up to them. Ss had on a serious expression and his eyes reddened as if he had just cried. ¡°What''s wrong, Ss?¡± Sally asked while holding his arm. ¡°Did something happen to your family?¡± Ss shook his head. ¡°Not mine, but...¡± He looked over at Natalie. Chapter 1121 Chapter 1121 Natalie''s heart skipped a beat as she tightened her grip around the fork. ¡°Are you trying to tell me that something happened to Shane?¡± Ss parted his lips, wanting to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and simply gave her a firm nod. Everyone was shocked. ¡°No way!¡± Lina covered her mouth in surprise. Sally was stunned as well. ¡°W-What could happen to a powerful man like Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Mommy, is Daddy in danger?¡± Sharon, who had always been na?ve, ran up to Natalie and asked after understanding what happened. Natalie did not hear what she said as she was still stunned. It turns out the restlessness I''ve been having is a bad omen. I experienced the same thingst time when something happened to the kids. Why did I ignore it this time? Tears rolled down Natalie''s face. Looking at her, Connor then nced at his sister, whose eyes had turned red. He turned to Ss and asked, ¡°What happened to Daddy, Mr. Campbell?¡± ¡°M-Mr. Thompson is missing!¡± Ss replied. Natalie rose to her feet. ¡°What do you mean by missing?¡± ¡°Yeah, Ss. How can Mr. Shane be missing?¡± Sally asked while shaking Ss'' arm. Ss took a deep breath and replied, ¡°Mr. Thompson disappeared. The manager and the others in the country have been searching for him for the entire day but to no avail.¡± Natalie felt as though the world was spinning. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Pushing the chair away, she staggered up to Ss. ¡°Tell me. How did he go missing? Did Sean kidnap him?¡± ¡°No, but it''s rted to Sean too. The manager said that they discovered their hiding ce in J City. When they searched the ce, they walked into a trap as Sean had ced explosives and gasoline around the ce. The explosion of the explosives ignited the gasoline, so Mr. Thompson and the others had fled and jumped into a river. But to everyone''s dismay, Mr. Thompson has gone missing,¡± Ss exined, taking off his sses. As a man, he hardly cried, but he could not help it at that moment. Not only was Shane his employer, but he was also his friend and benefactor. Hence, he was upset that something had happened to him. Upon learning about how Shane disappeared, Natalie almost cked out. ¡°Nat!¡± Fortunately, Sally and Lina noticed her condition and went up to hold her. Only then did she manage to pull herself together. ¡°How can they not find him? Since he disappeared after jumping into the river, he must be inside the river. Has no one gone into the river to look for him?¡± Natalie yelled in agitation as she clutched Ss'' arm. As a woman who had lost her husband, she could no longer remain calm. What she wanted now was to know whether her husband was safe and where he was. ¡°That''s right. Mr. Campbell, did no one go down to the river to look for Daddy?¡± Connor, who was holding Sharon''s hand, asked. Ss nodded immediately. ¡°Of course they did. The manager sent many divers to look for him, but they just couldn''t find him. Besides, it''s a fast-flowing river. We suspect that Mr. Thompson might have been washed away.¡± ¡°If that''s the case, they should go downstream to look for him. They should be able to find him there, shouldn''t they?¡± Natalie yelled. Ss gave her an apologetic look. ¡°I''m sorry, Madam. They did and even went to the end of the river, but they just couldn''t find him.¡± ¡°How is that possible?!¡± Lina knitted her brows. ¡°He disappeared in that river, so it''s unlikely that he''ll leave the river even if he was washed away, unless¡ª¡± ¡°Unless someone saved him!¡± Sally''s eyes lit up. Hearing this, Natalie became hopeful again. Chapter 1122 Chapter 1122 Natalie hurriedly looked at Ss. Connor and Sharon also did the same. ¡°Mr. Campbell, did you ask the residents on both sides of the river? It stands to reason that where there is a river, there will definitely be people living there!¡± Connor asked, clenching his fists. It was exactly the question that Natalie wanted to ask. However, Ss lowered his head. ¡°Yes, they thought of this possibility too and asked all the people living on both sides of the river, but none of them saved anyone from the river that day.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie could not believe what she heard as the only hope she had was dashed again. Where exactly did Shane go? Dispirited, Natalie could not stop crying. Lina held her in her arms. ¡°Nat, don''t lose hope. Maybe Mr. Shane left the river on his own.¡± ¡°Left on his own?¡± Natalie parroted in a hoarse voice. Lina nodded. ¡°Yeah. Doesn''t this exin why he is neither in the river nor saved by the residents around?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Sally pped her hands. Even Ss thought it was possible. Yet, what Connor said next sent everyone back to the trough of despair. ¡°If Daddy really left the river on his own, why didn''t he contact the manager and the others? Even if he doesn''t have a cell phone, he can borrow one from the residents; even if he doesn''t borrow from them, he can return home after one day, can''t he?¡± Everyone fell silent upon hearing his words. That''s right. Mr. Shane isn''t a kid. It''s impossible that he won''t contact anyone if he''s really left the river. Therefore, the truth was that Shane had really gone missing. ¡°Connor, since you''ve installed a GPS tracker for me, you must have installed one for Daddy too, right?¡± Suddenly thinking of something, Natalie squatted down, ced her hands on Connor''s shoulders, and looked at him with anticipation. Even Ss also fixed his gaze on Connor. ¡°Yeah, Connor. Did you install one for Mr. Thompson? If yes, please locate his position now.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Connor was the only hope they had in finding Shane, but his reply once again rendered them hopeless. ¡°I did install one on Daddy''s phone. When I heard about his disappearance, I immediately searched his location using my watch, but the location I found was a river. And you just said that he isn''t in the river...¡± Natalie was in total despair. Shane had lost his phone in the river, but he was not in the river. ¡°Mommy,¡± Connor called out worriedly upon seeing Natalie''s pale face. Natalie did not respond to him as all she could think about was Shane''s whereabouts. He''s been missing for one whole day, but no one knows where he is or whether he''s still alive. If he''s still alive, I can still look for him slowly, but if he''s dead... The more Natalie thought about it, the more afraid she got. She even started having a stomachache as she uttered a yelp and arched her back in pain. Seeing this, everyone was shocked. ¡°What''s wrong, Nat?¡± ¡°Madam, are you okay?¡± Ss got anxious. He did not want anything to happen to Natalie too after Shane''s disappearance. ¡°My stomach hurts.¡± Natalie looked as white as a sheet, with beads of sweat covering her forehead. The two kids burst out crying in fright. Sally urged, ¡°Ss, get the car and drive Nat to the hospital!¡± Only then did Sse to his senses. He carried Natalie in his arms and ran to the garage. Sally and Lina took the kids and followed him. Soon, they arrived at the hospital, and Natalie was sent to the emergency room of the obstetrics and gynecology department. Outside the emergency room, the two kids held hands and looked at the door of the emergency room worriedly, both their eyes swollen from crying. Chapter 1123 Chapter 1123 Sally squatted down and coaxed gently, ¡°Connor, Sharon, don''t worry. Your mommy will be all right.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sharon looked at her with tears in her eyes. Sally nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But I saw that Mommy was bleeding a lot,¡± Sharon said while crying. ¡°I saw it too.¡± Connor nodded. The three adults were shocked. ¡°Did Nat bleed?¡± Sally looked at Ss and saw the bloodstains on his clothes. The three adults panicked. ¡°Gosh. There''s so much blood on Mr. Campbell. Nat must be hemorrhaging. Will she and the baby be all right?¡± Lina said worriedly. Although she had never been pregnant, she knew that bleeding so much before the due date was unusual. Both Ss and Sally shook their heads and said nothing. They did not have the confidence to say that Natalie was fine like they did to the two kids earlier, having known that Natalie had bled so much. The children''s hearts sank seeing that the three adults had fallen silent. Sharon started bawling, while Connor did not shed a tear as he bit his lip and stared at the emergency room. ¡°Mommy will be fine!¡± Connor tried to convince himself and also the rest. The three adults stared at him. Sensing their gazes, he turned to look at them and repeated himself, ¡°Mommy will be fine!¡± The three adults were dumbfounded for a while before they looked at each other and smiled. ¡°That''s right, Connor. You''re right. Your mommy will be fine.¡± Sally touched his head. Taking out a piece of tissue, Lina wiped the tears off Sharon''s face. ¡°Yes, we have faith in your mommy. She''ll be fine.¡± Ss nodded as well. To be frank, they were a little embarrassed deep down that even a child had the confidence that Natalie would be fine. As adults, they did not want to lose their faiths too. Seeing that the adults were all on his side, Connor finally smiled. At that moment, the door of the emergency room opened, and a nurse emerged. ¡°Who are the family members of the pregnant woman?¡± ¡°We''re her friends.¡± Sally and Lina quickly went up to her. The nurse frowned. ¡°Her husband isn''t here?¡± She looked at Ss, who awkwardly shook his head. ¡°I''m not her husband. I''m his assistant. He''s currently in his home country and can''te here. How''s her condition now?¡± ¡°Due to a trauma, she has serious contractions that affected the fetus, so she has to deliver the baby prematurely,¡± the nurse replied. Everyone was astonished. ¡°What? A premature delivery?¡± Sally shrieked. Lina furrowed her brows. ¡°If I remember correctly, Nat is only six months pregnant. Can she deliver the baby now? Can the baby survive?¡± That was the most important question. Ss looked at the nurse. ¡°Must she give birth now?¡± ¡°Yes. Her womb has now be unsuitable for the fetus. If it remains inside, it''ll die. As for whether it will survive after a premature delivery, it depends on its health. If it''s healthy, it can survive by staying in the incubator until it reaches full term,¡± the nurse exined. ¡°Nat''s baby is healthy. The doctor said sost week during her prenatal checkup,¡± Sally said. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So the baby has a high survival rate, right?¡± Lina breathed a sigh of relief. Sally nodded. ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Looks like we have no other choice.¡± Lina sighed. ¡°But none of her family members is here to sign the papers,¡± the nurse pointed out. ¡°Here.¡± Ss immediately took the two kids to the nurse. ¡°They''re her children, so they should be able to sign the papers.¡± Chapter 1124 Chapter 1124 Connor balled his little fists and nodded fervently. ¡°Nurse, please let me sign it. My daddy will agree to it.¡± ¡°But...¡± The nurse hesitated. He''s just a boy. Letting him sign it would be... ¡°Nurse, please. My mommy''s still inside. If we keep dilly-dallying, something will happen to my mommy and my sister,¡± Connor cried out anxiously when he saw how the nurse was hesitating. Ss, Sally, and Lina quickly chimed in, ¡°He''s right. Miss, if we keep dragging this on, they might die!¡± The nurse bit down hard on her lower lip. Finally, she made up her mind and said, ¡°All right, then. Sign this immediately.¡± With that, she handed the paper to Connor. Right as she was about to tell the boy where to sign it, Connor instantly turned to the next page and signed his name on thest row. Although Connor signed his name in Chanaean, which the nurse could not read, she figured that the boy was not a simple child based on the neat handwriting that did not fit his age. ¡°Okay, I''ll be going in now. Please wait outside.¡± With that, the nurse took the paper and reentered the emergency room. The few people waiting outside were relieved to hear that Natalie was finally getting treated, but none of them could find it within themselves to be happy. After all, no one would be able to feel happy after such a harrowing situation. Shane was missing, and Natalie was experiencing prematurebor after hearing news about his disappearance. It was nothing but a miserable moment. It was normal to be upset. Meanwhile, in the country, smoke was everywhere in the industrial park that had just undergone a major fire. Jacqueline, who was in a rtively old van, was staring emotionless at the remnants of the ce. In her crazed eyes was hatred that burned as bright as the earlier fire. Sean''s lips curled into a smile. ¡°I never thought you''d be that ruthless. I''m surprised that you''ve put explosives and gasoline here. Are you trying to kill Shane?¡± Indeed, none of this was his work. He had only gone to Thompson vi and Wells Properties to look for the share transfer agreement; he had not sent anyone to kill Mrs. Wilson. To him, Mrs. Wilson was only a housekeeper. Even if she saw his face, it was pointless to kill her. The one who wanted to kill her was Jacqueline. Jacqueline hated Mrs. Wilson''s detached demeanor, and she wanted revenge for it. Furthermore, she wanted to lure Shane to the industrial park. That was the reason why the killer reveal to him about the industrial area. ¡°So what if you''re right?¡± Jacqueline huffed out as she looked away from the window. Sean adjusted his sses and replied, ¡°That''s why I''m surprised. Don''t you love Shane? Why do you want to kill him? Is it hatred stemming from love?¡± Jacqueline did not deny his suggestion as she exhaled sharply. ¡°He''s the one who''s so hung up about Natalie. Since he refuses to love me and be with me, I''ll send him to hell. What I can''t get, Natalie can''t either!¡± Sean burst outughing. ¡°What a terrifying woman you are.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. At that, Jacqueline lowered her eyes. ¡°However, I never expected Shane to escape by jumping into the river.¡± ¡°So what if he did? It''s been a day, and his men haven''t found him yet. Perhaps he''s really dead,¡± Sean pointed out, his smile slightly widening. Jacqueline pursed her lips. ¡°Who knows? Maybe someone saved him. Anyway, send your men to search the surrounding houses. Maybe someone is hiding him in their house.¡± ¡°It looks like you really despise him to seek him out and kill him again,¡± Sean mocked. Jacqueline''s face twisted into a scowl. ¡°He only has himself to me for wronging me. It''ll be good if he''s dead. If he''s not, I''ll kill him again. I''ll let him know what my pain feels like!¡± Sean nearly rolled his eyes. What rubbish are you on? Shane wronged you? You were the one who couldn''t get him, but you''re saying that Shane wronged you? Unbelievable. What kind of twisted logic is this? Of course, Sean would not say those thoughts out loud. He pushed his sses higher and said, ¡°Sure. I''ll send my men to ask around.¡± Chapter 1125 Chapter 1125 Jacqueline pursed her lips and said nothing else. Soon, the van drove off and disappeared on the horizon. It was as if it were never there. Meanwhile, in a small hospital ten kilometers away from the razed industrial area. A pleasant-looking young woman in her twenties was entering a ward with a thermal food jar in her hand. When the nurse in the room saw her, she smiled at her. ¡°Ms. Rivers, you''re here.¡± ¡°Yes. I''ve made some soup for him so that he can drink it when he wakes.¡± Lucy Rivers nced at the man who was in a hospital gown with a pale face. There were bandages around his head, but the bandages could not hide the fact that he was a handsome man. At that, the nurse teased, ¡°Ms. Rivers, you''re really sweet to your boyfriend.¡± At the mention of him being her boyfriend, Lucy''s heart raced. She blushed, and she lowered her head. ¡°O-Of course. He''s my boyfriend, after all,¡± she replied, a trace of guilt flickering past her eyes. Nevertheless, the nurse did not notice it. She closed the medical records and said, ¡°You''re a very nice woman, and your boyfriend is lucky to have you. All right. I won''t disturb you and your boyfriend anymore. I''ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°All right, bye.¡± Lucy nodded. Once the nurse was gone, Lucy and the man on the bed were the only ones left in the ward. Lucy breathed out a sigh of relief. After putting the food jar at the side of the bed, she lowered her head and stared at the man. She had lied earlier. The man on the bed was not her boyfriend. She had found him by the side of the river when she was on her way home after visiting her rtives. She had never seen a man so handsome, so she had fallen for him at first sight. It was then she brought him into her car and drove him back to the town she grew up in. She did not know who the man was nor what his name was. There was nothing on him to identify who he was either, so she could not contact his family. However, that was good news for her. Although she did not know what brand of clothes he was wearing, she could tell from the quality that they must be expensive. In other words, the man was surely someone rich or famous. If she contacted his family, his family might take him away. That way, she would not be able to see him anymore. Even though she knew it was selfish to keep him with her, she was fine with it after telling herself it was for the sake of her love life. With that thought in mind, she reached out to touch the man''s brows and thin lips. Then, she began fantasizing about the man looking at her with a gentle gaze as he kissed her. Overseas, in a hospital. After a few hours of surgery, Natalie was finally out of danger. The doctors had sessfully gotten the baby out of her as well. The baby was only six months old and was over half a size smaller than a regr, nine months baby. Moreover, the baby waspletely red, and it was obvious that the child''s limbs had just finished developing. Even the baby''s cries were like a kitten''s mewls. If they did not strain their ears, they would not hear it. Lina and the others stood outside the neonatal intensive care unit, watching the baby in the incubator through the ss window. Their hearts thumped loudly against their ribcages. ¡°The baby''s so small. Will he really survive?¡± Sally mumbled. Ss cleared his throat. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I know I shouldn''t say that, but the baby''s so small. He''s almost the size of a kitten. I really...¡± Sally could not finish her sentence, but still, Ss and Lina knew what she was trying to say. Indeed, the boy should havee four monthster, but he hade four months earlier. Although the nurse had told them that as long as the baby was healthy, he would be out of the incubator once he was nine months old. However, when theynded their gazes on the fragile baby, confidence was something they did not have. If Mr. Shane is gone, and the baby goes with him, I can''t imagine what will Nat be, they thought. Right then, the sound of two people''s footsteps traveled into their ears. When the three people turned around, they realized it was Connor and Sharon running toward them, their hands linked. Chapter 1126 Chapter 1126 Ss quickly crouched down to hug them. ¡°Connor, Sharon, is the madam all right?¡± ¡°Mommy''s fine. She''s been sent to the ward,¡± Connor replied, his eyes bloodshot. Sharon then sniffled. ¡°We came from Mommy''s ward, hoping to see our little brother.¡± ¡°Okay. He''s right there.¡± Ss turned around and pointed at the middlemost incubator in the room. Connor and Sharon then ced their palms against the window as they stared at the incubator. Sharon blinked. ¡°Huh? Why is he so tiny? He''s so much smaller than me!¡± She then gestured to emphasize how tiny the baby was. On the other hand, Connor pressed his lips into a thin line in silence. Ss ruffled Sharon''s head and smiled at her. ¡°He was just born, so he''s tiny. You were that tiny when you were born too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sharon easily believed in his words. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ss nced at Connor before nodding. ¡°Yes, really. If you don''t believe in my words, you can ask Connor about it.¡± Indeed, Sharon whipped her head to the side to look at her brother. ¡°Connor, is Mr. Campbell telling the truth?¡± Connor hummed out, ¡°Mhm.¡± The truth was that Connor knew Ss was lying to Sharon. However, he also knew Ss was lying because he did not want Sharon to be upset. After all, the baby was really small. No one could be certain that the baby would survive. If they were to tell Sharon that her little brother might not survive, Sharon was sure to break down in tears. Ss let out a relieved sigh when he saw that Connor understood the look he had given him. No wonder he''s Mr. Shane''s child. He''s indeed a smart boy. ¡°That''s great!¡± Sharon stopped being suspicious of Ss'' words after hearing Connor''s confirmation, thinking that all newborn babies were the size of her little brother. Sharon then ced her palms against the window again to look at the baby in the incubator with bright eyes. Happily, she cooed, ¡°My dear little brother, you have toe out of the box soon. I''m waiting to y with you, and I have tons of gifts to give you. Connor''s the same, right?¡± Sharon turned to look at Connor, who nodded. ¡°That''s right.¡± Sharon beamed. She was the only one among the ones outside the neonatal intensive care unit to not know the true nature of the baby''s condition. Therefore, the others'' hearts sank when they heard the girl''s sincere wishes. After a long time, they finally returned to Natalie''s ward. Natalie had yet to wake; she was still unconscious on the hospital bed. Her face was as white as a sheet, and they could almost see the veins under her skin. It felt as if she was going blend in with the hospital bed and disappear in the next second. ¡°Lina, why don''t you go home first? I''ll stay here and keep Natpany,¡± Sally said to Lina as she looked at Natalie. Instinctively, Lina opened her mouth to reject her, for she wanted to stay by Natalie''s side as well. However, Sally said, ¡°Nat will have to stay in the hospital for a while longer. I was thinking that you should go back to pack up some of her daily necessities, as well as her design notes.¡± ¡°All right, I got it,¡± Lina agreed at that. ¡°I''ll stay here too, to take care of Connor and Sharon. I''m sure the two kids won''t leave the madam''s side,¡± Ss said as he patted the children''s heads. As he expected, the two children nodded in agreement. Once the adults were done with their nning, Lina left, and the others stayed. The next day afternoon, Natalie finally woke up. The white ceiling was the sight that greeted her, and the smell of disinfectants was the scent that wafted across her nose. Immediately, she realized where she was. When she thought about how she had been sent to the hospital from the severe stomach cramps she had after hearing Shane''s news, Natalie shot out her arm to touch her stomach. It was then she realized her stomach was t unlike before. A nameless dread engulfed her, and her heart sank into the abyss. ¡°Where''s my baby? Where''s my baby?¡± Natalie scrambled upright. The abrupt movement caused pain to re in her stomach, and she cried out in agony. That pain was what told her that her child was no longer in her stomach. Chapter 1127 Chapter 1127 Natalie''s loud movements woke Sally, who was sleeping on the couch in the ward. Sally''s eyes instantly flew open as she snapped her head in the direction of the bed. She then saw Natalie pulling the intravenous drip out of her hand and was about to jump off the bed. rmed, she darted over to stop her. ¡°Nat, what are you doing?¡± Sally quickly helped Natalie back to the bed. Nevertheless, Natalie refused to let her do that. As she thrashed against Sally, she shouted, ¡°My baby''s gone! I want to look for my baby!¡± It was only then Sally realized why Natalie was adamant about leaving her bed. After letting a short sigh of relief out of her mouth, she hastily replied, ¡°The baby''s still with us. The baby''s still with us, Nat!¡± ¡°The baby''s still with us?¡± At that, Natalie halted in her motions. In the next second, she grabbed Sally''s hand and anxiously asked, ¡°Sal, are you saying that my baby''s still with us? But my stomach''s t now, and it has only been six months. If the baby''s gone from my stomach, isn''t the baby...¡± ¡°No, no. The baby''s still alive. He''s in the incubator,¡± Sally reassured as she patted her back. Natalie''s lips parted. ¡°The incubator?¡± ¡°That''s right. You were overwhelmed by Mr. Shane''s disappearance, so your womb contracted. That''s why the baby came out earlier. Fortunately, the baby''s six months old. As long as the baby is healthy, he''ll survive.¡± Sally gave her a nod. Natalie touched her stomach as she lowered her gaze and muttered under her breath, ¡°The baby''s a premature baby... The baby was born four months too early.¡± ¡°There''s nothing we can do about it.¡± Sally sighed. The tears that stopped earlier came back as Natalie sobbed, ¡°This is my fault. I''m the reason for the baby''s premature birth. This is all my fault.¡± ¡°There, there. Don''t cry.¡± Sharon hugged her. ¡°Nat, this isn''t your fault, so don''t you start ming yourself. No one expected this. If you me yourself, your mental state will affect your physical state. Do you understand me? The baby needs you, and you have to rest well to recover. What will the baby do if you copse? What will Connor and Sharon do?¡± Natalie stiffened when she heard those words. She''s right. Not only did something happen to Shane, but the baby also came into this world too early, forced to stay in an incubator. If I don''t get myself together soon, who''s going to take care of the three kids? When Sally saw Natalie closing her eyes and recollecting herself, she knew that thetter must have heeded her words. She smiled. ¡°That''s right, Nat. All three of your kids only have you now. You must stay strong for them,¡± Sally pointed out solemnly. Natalie bit her lip and squeezed out a smile. ¡°I know. I''ll do my best to rpose myself. Where''s Connor and Sharon?¡± ¡°Ss brought them out for a meal, so they''ll be backter,¡± Sally informed. Natalie nodded. After a beat, she said, ¡°Sal, find a wheelchair for me. I''d like to see the baby.¡± Sally wanted to point out to her that she had a wound on her stomach, but the determined look on Natalie''s face made those words die in her throat. Forget it. She''s the mother of the baby. If she doesn''t have a look at him, she won''t be able to rest well. ¡°Okay. Wait here for me while I get the wheelchair,¡± Sally said. Natalie muttered her thanks. Soon, Sally returned with a wheelchair, and she helped Natalie into it. Then, she pushed her to the neonatal intensive care unit. Standing outside the neonatal intensive care unit and looking at the reddened baby in the incubator, Natalie covered her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly. Sally did not stop her from crying this time. She could not, for even tears were brimming in their eyes to see the baby, let alone the mother of the baby herself. The baby was a sad sight to behold. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Natalie''s hand over her mouth was trembling. Evidently, she was trying to hold back her loud sobs. She never thought a baby of six months would be that small. ¡°The doctor said that the baby''s chances of survival are high. As long as nothing goes wrong, the baby will survive,¡± Sally said to her. Chapter 1128 Chapter 1128 Natalie lowered her eyes. Does that mean that if anything goes wrong, the baby will die? As if reading Natalie''s mind, Sally ced her hand on her shoulder and said, ¡°Don''t worry. The baby''s going to be fine. Don''t overthink it, okay? Trust the doctors; they''re professionals.¡± Natalie gave her a bitter smile. After all, there was nothing else she could she do but trust them. ¡°The baby''s a boy, right?¡± Natalie asked hoarsely. Sally smiled and answered, ¡°Yes, that''s right. Why don''t you pick a name for him?¡± Natalie mulled over it. ¡°Connor and Sharon had nicknames when they were younger, so I''ll give him a nickname too. His shall be... Anders. The name means strong, and I hope that he''ll grow up strong.¡± ¡°Anders. It''s a nice name with a nice meaning.¡± Sally nodded. ¡°What about his official name?¡± ¡°His official name...¡± Natalie wrung her hands. ¡°Once Shane is back, we''ll have him name the boy. He has already missed out on naming Connor and Sharon. I''m sure he has been anticipating this baby.¡± ¡°But Mr. Shane...¡± ¡°He''s fine!¡± Natalie insisted as she looked at her with determined eyes. ¡°He''s definitely fine.¡± A faint smile appeared on Sally''s lips. ¡°You''re right. Mr. Shane will definitely be fine.¡± Natalie averted her eyes from Sally and cast another nce at her baby before closing them. ¡°Let''s go back to the ward.¡± ¡°You don''t want to see him for a little longer?¡± Sally asked. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No. The more I look at him, the more my heart ache. If I keep doing this, I''ll have another mental breakdown. It''ll be impossible to rest well to recover then. I won''t be able to stop myself from thinking about how I''m the one who made Anders end up in there.¡± ¡°I understand. Let''s go back then.¡± Sally sighed before walking behind her and pushing her back to her ward. Right as they returned, Ss and the two children came back. The moment the children saw Natalie awake, they froze. Then, they rushed forward, grabbed Natalie''s hand, and started sobbing. ¡°Mommy, you''re finally awake!¡± ¡°All right now, stop crying.¡± Natalie ruffled their hair. ¡°I''m awake now, so you should be delighted instead. Why are you crying? Be good, okay? Don''t cry.¡± The two kids sniffled and mumbled to her that they would stop. Beside them, Ss took a step forward. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°Do you have news of Shane, Mr. Campbell?¡± Natalie asked, her eyes fixed on him, and her hands clenched. Ss shook his head. ¡°I''m sorry, madam. But I haven''t heard anything.¡± Natalie''s eyes darkened. Although she was disappointed to hear that, it was nothing too surprising. If they had found Shane, Sally would have told her right away. ¡°Okay. Still, we have to keep looking for him. I want to see him regardless of whether he''s alive or...¡± Natalie''s throat mped up, and her voice cracked. ¡°Or dead.¡± Ss straightened his back. ¡°Don''t worry, madam. We know. We''ve never stopped looking for Mr. Shane.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I''m d to hear that. So, what''s going on in the country? Has the rest of the people found out about Shane''s disappearance?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, madam. The outsiders don''t know about it yet,¡± Ss replied. It would be shocking for thepany and the corporate world to hear the news of Thompson Group''s chairman''s disappearance. Not only would thepany''s shares drop, but the otherpanies that despised Thompson Group would also strike at a vulnerable time like this. Therefore, the person in charge had been keeping things under wrap. Other than the few of them, no one else knew that something had happened to Shane. Natalie felt relieved. ¡°Good. However, this isn''t a long-term n. We can hide it for now, but we can''t hide it forever.¡± ¡°I agree. I''m just worried that Sean and the others would take the chance to stir up trouble by telling the others about Mr. Shane''s disappearance,¡± Ssmented with a frown. That was what they had to pay attention to the most at the moment. Pursing her lips, Natalie said, ¡°What about this? I''ll send you a video in a bit.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 1129 Chapter 1129 ¡°A video?¡± Ss was puzzled by Natalie''s suggestion. Natalie nodded. ¡°Everybody knows that Shane oftenes overseas to keep mepany. We have to be prepared in case Sean and the others really do leak the news of Shane''s disappearance to the rest of the world. The only way to prove to them that Shane isn''t missing is toe up with fake evidence. I have a video of Shane ying with the kids. I''ll ask Connor to change the timestamps of the videos as well as what Shane says in the video. That way, we can temporarily postpone telling the world that he''s missing.¡± Ss'' eyes lit up. ¡°That''s a good idea. If Mr. Shane''s disappearance gets out, we can publish this video to counterattack that news by saying that he''s actually overseas instead of missing.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Natalie hummed out. Connor patted his chest and uttered, ¡°Leave it to me, Mommy. I''ll edit the video and make sure no one finds out that it''s been edited.¡± ¡°All right. Thank you, Connor.¡± Natalie caressed his cheek. Connor smiled and shook his head. ¡°It''s all for Daddy.¡± Natalie smiled back at him before handing him the phone. ¡°Go on now.¡± ¡°All right. I''ll be going now.¡± With the phone in his hand, Connor rushed toward theputer. As they were in a more luxurious ward, the lounge had various kinds of electronic devices, including computers and television. Connor turned on theputer and connected the phone to it. Then, he began working on the video. In the meantime, Ss, Sally, and Sharon watched from the side. Natalie, however, could not see the screen, for she was lying on the hospital bed. She could only stare at the ceiling as worry and longing flooded her heart. Shane, where are you? Back in the country, in a small-town hospital. Panic was starting to overtake Lucy''s mind as she stared at the man who had yet to wake. She called the doctor over and asked why the man was still unconscious. The doctor lifted the man''s eyelids up and checked. In the end, he said, ¡°This patient''s head has suffered a traumatic hit. No one will be able to tell you when he''ll wake. Maybe he''ll wake in minutes, or maybe he''ll wake in days. Ms. Rivers, if you''re worried, you can send him to a hospital in the city. They have more advanced equipment there, and it''ll be beneficial for him.¡± ¡°No!¡± Lucy refused instantly. No. He can''t go to a hospital in the city. If someone recognizes him, they''ll take him away. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. I won''t let that happen. The doctor was baffled by her outburst. Isn''t this man her boyfriend? Why would she refuse to bring her boyfriend to a hospital in the city? Nevertheless, it was her private matter, not his. Therefore, he pushed his sses higher and muttered, ¡°Well, forget it then if you don''t want to. He doesn''t have any serious injuries elsewhere. It''s just that his head injury is more severe. We''ll have to wait and see. If he doesn''t wake in a few days, it''s best if you send him to a hospital in the city, Ms. Rivers.¡± Lucy forced a smile onto her face. ¡°I understand. Thank you, doctor.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± The doctor waved and left. Lucy stared at the man lovingly. ¡°When will you wake?¡± Lucy mumbled. She wished he would wake up soon. That way, she would be able to tell him that she was his savior. Perhaps, he would fall in love and be with her because of that. At the same time, she was afraid of him waking up. What do I do if he wakes and doesn''t fall in love with me? Biting her lip, Lucy fell deep into her thoughts. Time flew by, and soon, a few days had gone by. Ss and Natalie''s worries came true¡ªSean revealed to the public the news of Shane''s disappearance. The entire world went into an uproar. After all, the one who was missing was a multinationalpany''s chairman. It was major news. While fear crept down the spines of Thompson Group''s employees, the others were ecstatic. The absence of the chairman was equivalent to the absence of a sheepdog. Without the sheepdog, the sheep were left defenseless. It would be the best time for the coyotes to strike. Chapter 1130 Chapter 1130 Just as the coyotes were about to strike, Thompson Group''s official website uploaded a video. In the video, Shane was ying Legos with the children. It was the first time the children had a public appearance. None questioned whether the children were his or not, for they all could see that Connor was a copy of him. In the video, Shane told them that he was not missing; he told them that he had gone overseas to apany his wife for apetition and to not believe in the rumors of his disappearance. The video was a short one. The moment Shane finished his piece, he told them he was going to continue ying with the children, and the video ended. Once the video was public, everyone became sure that Shane had not gone missing and was apanying his wife instead. The coyotes who had been rubbing their palms, eager for the opportunity to strike, grimaced. Now that every move and ill intention they had were exposed to the rest of the world, they were panicking, for Shane would definitely remember each and every one of them so that he could exact his revenge on themter. Thus, the executive members of thosepanies were in a rush for meetings. They were in a hurry to think of ways to make up for their mistakes so that they could appease Shane. Of course, the one they despised most was the one who had spread the rumors of Shane''s disappearance. In the meantime, the public was more concerned about the two children in the video.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. The twins are so cute. The boy looks a lot like Mr. Shane. Right? It''s like they have the same face. I''m sure he''s going to grow up to be a handsome man like his father. Oh my goodness. The girl is so cute too, but she doesn''t really look like Mr. Shane. I think she might look more like her mother. The girl is clearly going to be a beautiful woman when she grows up. In other words, Mr. Shane''s wife must be gorgeous. I can''t! The two kids are too pretty. They''re making me want kids of my own. Okay, I''ve decided to be their fans. What a pity Mr. Shane never told us what their names are. Natalie smiled when she read the praises of her children on the inte. After a few days of rest, she no longer looked as pale as before nor as weak as she used to be. Despite that, her wound had yet to recover, so she was still bedbound. ¡°We''re lucky to have made the right guess about what Sean and the others would do and prepped the video. Otherwise, Thompson Group would be in big trouble,¡± Natalie quietly said as she massaged her temples. Ss nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed. Connor was great at editing the video, as well as reproducing Mr. Shane''s voice. Otherwise, this n of ours would have failed.¡± ¡°Connor, you''re really an amazing kid!¡± Natalie praised as she smiled at Connor and Sharon. Connor proudly puffed up his chest at that. Despite his maturity, he was still just a boy; he would still be delighted and proud to be praised by his mother. ¡°So, what now?¡± The solemn look crept back upon Ss'' face. ¡°There''s still isn''t any news of Mr. Shane at all.¡± Natalie''s heart ached as the light in her eyes dimmed. ¡°We''ll just have to keep looking for him. I refuse to believe that he is gone.¡± ¡°By the way, Connor,¡± she said as she turned to Connor, ¡°Can you look for Sean and the others'' location with the post they uploaded?¡± ¡°Mommy, I''ve already done my investigation and tracked the post''s IP address. It''s at a cybercafe back in the country. It isn''t from Sean''s personalputer, so tracking the address is pointless,¡± Connor replied, shaking his head. Natalie sighed. ¡°Forget it then. Let''s focus on searching for Shane first. I want to go back to look for him.¡± The moment Sally and Lina entered the ward with the food they just bought, they heard her words. ¡°Go back? You mean you want to go back home?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. I''m worried about him, and I want to look for him myself.¡± ¡°But, what about thepetition?¡± Sally asked. Natalie lowered her head. ¡°I''m thinking of quitting.¡± Although thepetition was important, it could never be as important as Shane to her. Chapter 1131 Chapter 1131 Natalie could give up on thepetition, but she could never give up on Shane. ¡°How could you?¡± Sally quickly put down the thermal food jar before rushing forward to grab Natalie''s hands. ¡°Nat, I know why you''re doing this, but it''s the finals soon. Don''t you think that it''s selfish? You''re not the only onepeting here. If you leave, then what will Lina do? The two of you are partners. If you leave, Lina won''t be able to continue with thepetition.¡± At that, Natalie''s eyes widened before casting an apologetic look at Lina. She''s right. I''m not the only onepeting here. Lina''s my partner. What will she do if I leave now? ¡°Lina, I''m sorry. I-¡± ¡°All right, that''s enough.¡± Lina smiled as she stepped forward. ¡°I understand. If you want to go back, go.¡± ¡°Lina?¡± Sally spun around to stare at her in disbelief. ¡°Do you know what you''re saying?¡± ¡°I do. I know how she feels. No one knows if Mr. Shane is dead or alive. Even if Nat stays for the competition, she won''t be able toe up with any proper blueprints because her heart is no longer here,¡± Lina quietly said. Sally''s mouth opened, but her words only came after a beat. ¡°But what about you? What will you do?¡± ¡°I''ll be fine. Even if we quit now, we''ll still be in third ce. We never were confident about emerging as the champion in the finals because thepetitors are about the same level as us. Getting a third ce is quite eye-catching too. Being the champion is just the icing on the cake. Although it sounds better, it isn''t that big of a difference, really. Besides, we always have the next round ofpetition,¡± Lina told her with a small smile. However, that smile of hers only made Natalie feel worse¡ªit made her feel guilty for letting her down. Covering her face, Natalie began sobbing. ¡°I''m sorry, Lina. I''m really sorry.¡± ¡°There, there.¡± Lina took a step forward and hugged her as she patted her back. I''ve guessed that you would''ve done this, so I''ve already told my mentor about it. My mentor agrees with this too. Although thepetition is important, it''s nothing inparison to a life. While a designer should strive for the best, abandoning one''s morals and emotions in the pursuit of achievements will make that designer a horrible one. They won''t be able toe up with a design that clicks with the others.¡± At that, Lina wiped Natalie''s tears and added, ¡°So, Nat, go back to look for Mr. Shane. Find him. That way, you won''t let me down after I quit thepetition. Of course, once you find him, you''ll have to compensate me and Sal, or else I''ll never let you off the hook.¡± Sally sighed before finally showing them both a smile. ¡°What can I say after Lina''s decision? Still, Nat, I''m on Lina''s side this time. She''s right. We''ve given up on thepetition for you, so don''t you disappoint us. Otherwise, we''ll really stop being friends with you.¡± As Natalie listened to their words of support and encouragement, guilt and warm feelings swelled in her chest. She took in a deep breath and stered a smile on her face before nodding. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t let you down. I''ll find Shane, and I''ll make up to you. I won''t let your sacrifice be in vain!¡± ¡°Good to hear that. I''ll apply for our departure from thepetition,¡± Lina told her. Natalie hummed in response before saying, ¡°I''ll call the organizers in a while too because I can''t let them announce the true reason for our discontinuation. Otherwise, someone else will find out about Shane''s disappearance.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You can say that you fell and gave birth to your baby prematurely. And since you''re now recovering in the hospital, you can''t continue with thepetition,¡± Sally suggested. Natalie nodded. ¡°That was what I was thinking as well.¡± Then, she turned to Ss and said, ¡°Mr. Campbell, I''d have to trouble you to take a trip to my mentor''s. She has to know about my discontinuation in thepetition.¡± Regardless of whether her mentor would be angry at her for quitting thepetition or not, she had to go back home. Perhaps she would be filled with regret for a while after quitting thepetition, but that regret would be with her for the rest of her life if she did not look for Shane now. Chapter 1132 Chapter 1132 ¡°Don''t worry, madam. I know what to do.¡± With that said, Ss went to work on it. Lina soon went out as well, and Sally became the only one keeping Nataliepany. Back home, Sean and Jacqueline were scowling at the peaceful scene on the inte. ¡°I never thought that those people at Thompson Group would have guessed what we were going to do. I never thought that they would use a video to prove to the public that Shane isn''t missing. He can''t possibly really be overseas instead of missing, right?¡± Jacqueline wondered out loud as she frowned. Sean sneered. ¡°Do you really think that''s possible with the kind of person Shane is? We''ve set him up. Even if he''s alive and well, he won''t be going overseas. Instead, he''ll be in J City, searching for us to take revenge on us. That''s why I doubt this video is real.¡± ¡°The video is fake?¡± Jacqueline''s eyes went wide in shock. ¡°How can this be? The one in the video is clearly Shane.¡± ¡°Yes, but it doesn''t mean that Shane said those words. Perhaps another way to put this would be that what we can hear from Shane in the video wasn''t what he had been saying when he was recorded.¡± Sean narrowed his eyes. Jacqueline gasped. ¡°Do you mean that someone tampered with the audio track? So what we hear isn''t what Shane said at all. Someone faked Shane''s voice to conceal the fact that Shane''s missing.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Sean nodded. ¡°The hacker who made this video must be someone skillful. They''re much better with this kind of thing than my subordinates. I wonder where Shane found this person.¡± ¡°Regardless, this person is a threat and trouble to us,¡± Jacqueline said grimly. In a world of convenient information, hackers were like gods. If Shane gets impatient and asks the hacker to hack into the satellite to look for us, we''ll never be able to hide anywhere. Sean shared the same sentiment as her. ¡°Don''t worry. I know what to do. We''ll have to find out who that hacker is and get rid of them first.¡± Meanwhile, at the small-town hospital. Lucy had seen the news on the inte, as well as the video. Incredulity crashed through her for a long while before she managed to rpose herself. The man was identical to the one on the hospital bed beside her. I never thought he''d be that important. I never thought he''s the chairman of Thompson Group! Most importantly, he''s married with two kids! At that moment, Lucy could hear her heart shattering. I finally fell in love with someone, but he turns out to be a married man with two kids! Not to mention how grown the two kids are! It felt as if the world had closed in on her, and darkness enveloped her as misery filled her chest. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Why? Why must fate be so cruel to me? I thought love has finallye for me, but in the end, it''s only false hopes. Right then, a nurse entered and interrupted Lucy''s moment of misery. ¡°Ms. Rivers, I''m here for the patient''s nutrient injection.¡± As Shane had not woken up for days, he was unable to take in any food. Therefore, his only way to get nutrients was through intravenous drips. Lucy sniffled before wiping her eyes. As she pulled herself together, she squeezed out a smile. ¡°All right, go ahead.¡± The nurse nodded and walked toward the bed. Then, she tore the packaging off the needle. All of a sudden, she let out a sound of surprise. Lucy promptly asked, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°This man looks a lot like the chairman of Thompson Group,¡± the nurse eximed as she studied Shane''s face. The more I look at him, the more he looks like that man. No, wait. He has the exact same face as the man in that video. Lucy''s heart leaped to her throat as she wrung her hands tightly. Oh no, oh no. I''ve been found out! Will the nurse tell the others that Thompson Group''s chairman is here? The mere thought of the nurse telling others and making his familye to pick him up tightened Lucy''s chest, suffocating her. Chapter 1133 Chapter 1133 Lucy was deeply in love with that man, and she could no longer imagine a life without him; she could not imagine what would happen to her if he was no longer in her life. Therefore, there was no way she was going to let anyone find out he was here. Right as she was contemting what she should do to make the nurse not tell anyone that Shane was with her, she heard the nurse say, ¡°But I don''t think this man''s that chairman, right? The chairman in the video said he was apanying his wife overseas. How could he possibly be here then? Still, it''s quite shocking to see someone having a face that looks identical to his.¡± Lucy''s eyes lit up when she heard those words. That''s right. That man is apanying his wife overseas. That means that the man on the bed isn''t the chairman. The thought of that thrilled Lucy, but at the same time, she was disappointed. If he''s not a chairman, then he''s just a normal guy. No. How could I think of him like this? Lucy shook her head to clear her mind. This is the man I like. So what if he''s just an average Joe? What I love is him and not his money or identity. Why should I be so hung up about whether or not he''s an average person? Those were the guilty thoughts Lucy had as she continued smiling at the nurse. ¡°There are so many people in the world. It''s nothing strange about him looking like that man in the news.¡± ¡°You''re right. I''ve seen two unrted people looking very simr too,¡± the nurse agreed. When Lucy realized that she had managed to stop the nurse from further suspicion, she let out a quiet sigh. At the same time, she was starting to have thoughts of discharging him from the hospital. Even though he was not the chairman of Thompson Group, his clothes were of high quality. She reckoned that perhaps he was the brother of that chairman. If her guesses were right, someone was bound to find out about him if he continued to stay in the hospital. Thus, it was best to leave the hospital as soon as possible. Once he was awake and in love with her, she would then let him go home to find his family. That way, she would not be afraid that he would just disappear from her world. Even if he has a wife, as long as he falls for me, I''m sure he''ll leave his wife for me. The more Lucy mulled over it, the more she was sure that she was going to get Shane discharged from the hospital. Hence, once the nurse was gone, she immediately went to the doctor to query about his discharge. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, outside the country, Natalie told her reason for her discontinuation to the organizers, who then agreed to hide the true reason from the public; they agreed to tell the public that she was quitting because of her prematurebor. At the same time, Lina had also sessfully departed from thepetition. Thus, the two ended up in third ce in the internationalpetition while Jayson and another costume designer, as well as their partners, beganpeting for the first. The next morning at nine, they announced Natalie and Lina''s departure from thepetition on the official website. Almost immediately, everyone who was paying attention to thepetition found out that the two of them had quit. They expressed their understanding once they read that Natalie had quit because of her baby, but they felt bad as well. After all, they knew how skilled Natalie and Lina were. Thepetition would have been an even more exciting one if they were still in it. They never thought that things would have ended so abruptly. Even the Design Association back home called Natalie to express their concerns. Although the branch president felt upset that Natalie was quitting thepetition, he, like the others, could understand why. He even reassured her that third ce was good enough. After all, they rarely entered the finals of internationalpetitions, let alone emerging as one of the top three. Not only had Natalie entered the finals, but she had even gotten third ce. The only reason for her to quit was that she had to recover. It was already an impressive feat, and they had no right to be angry at her for leaving so suddenly. ¡°Nat, when are you going home?¡± Lina asked when she brought the document for their quittance from thepetition for Natalie to sign. As she signed her name on the document, Natalie said, ¡°My flight is tonight.¡± Chapter 1134 Chapter 1134 ¡°So soon?¡± Lina gasped. Natalie massaged the bridge of her nose. ¡°I don''t have a choice. I want to find Shane as quickly as I can.¡± ¡°What about the kids?¡± Lina asked. Natalie handed her the document and responded, ¡°I''ll be taking Connor back. After all, I''ll need his help when I look for Shane. However, I''ll be leaving Sharon here and asking the housekeeper to take care of her. As for Anders... Anders can''t leave the incubator for now, so I can''t bring him home. I''ll be asking the medical team Shane had brought together previously to watch over Anders.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lina nodded. ¡°I''ll send this document back to the organizers first. Then, I''ll send you off tonight.¡± Natalie hummed in agreement. After Lina left, Sharon began crying. ¡°Mommy, are you going to leave me here alone?¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Sharon. I have no choice but to do this. I have to find your daddy, and I won''t have the time to take good care of you. You have the housekeeper to take care of you here, so I''ll feel at ease. I''ll call you every day, all right? Once I find your daddy, I''ll bring you home right away, okay?¡± Natalie ruffled her daughter''s head, trying not to show her distress on her face. If she had a choice, she would never let her child stay here by herself. However, she did not. She had to find Shane. If she were to dive into a frantic search for Shane, she might neglect her child. In that case, it would be better for her to leave Sharon here. Holding his sister''s hand, Connor chipped in, ¡°Don''t be sad, Sharon. What''s most important right now is to find Daddy. Don''t you want to find Daddy too?¡± ¡°I do! I miss Daddy.¡± Sharon nodded vigorously. ¡°Then be good, okay? It''s not that we don''t want you anymore, it''s just that we want to look for Daddy first. Do you get it?¡± Connor enunciated, sounding like a tiny adult. Sharon sniffled before nodding again. ¡°I get it. Mommy, Connor, you have to find Daddy. Then,e and pick me up, okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Don''t worry. I won''t ever forget about you.¡± Natalie hugged her daughter. Connor joined in. ¡°I won''t forget about my little sister either. Pinky promise.¡± Sharon nodded. ¡°Pinky promise.¡± Natalie let go of her daughter. ¡°I''ll do a pinky promise with you too. I swear that once I find your daddy, I''lle for you right away.¡± After her mother and her brother pinky promised and swore to her, a smile returned to Sharon''s face. Right then, Natalie''s phone rang. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. She retracted her hand to grab the phone by the bedside table. The moment her mind registered the name on the caller ID, she picked up the call. Before she could say anything, a loud voice sted out of the speakers. ¡°Nat, I saw the notice on the competition''s official website! What''s going on? Why are you quitting thepetition? Did you quit out of your own free will, or did someone set you up?¡± ¡°Joyce, calm down first.¡± Natalie shook her head weakly as she ced a hand on her forehead. She knew that Joyce was going to call sooner orter. ¡°No one set me up; I''m quitting thepetition by my own ord,¡± Natalie told her. Joyce was calm for a second, but in the next, her pitch went high again. ¡°Nat, it can''t be that the notice is real, right? Did you really give birth to your baby early?¡± ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Natalie muttered. Instantly, Joyce gasped. Her next words were full of anxious concern. ¡°What''s going on? You were only pregnant for six months. Why did you suddenly go intobor? Did you fall?¡± ¡°No, I didn''t. I was just taken aback by something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you know about the news of Shane''s disappearance yesterday?¡± ¡°I know about it.¡± Joyce nodded to herself. ¡°How could I not know about that shocking piece of news? But... Wait. Are you going to tell me that the news is true? A bitter smile crawled onto Natalie''s lips. ¡°Yes. Shane''s missing. The video on the website is something Connor edited. I asked him to change the audio track so that we can temporarily conceal the fact that Shane is missing from the public. Otherwise, there will be chaos in Thompson Group.¡± ¡°Oh my God, how can this be?¡± Anxiety thrumming in her veins, Joyce began pacing in her office. ¡°What happened to Mr. Shane? Why did he go missing?¡± ¡°Sean and Jacqueline are back home now. Shane found out where they were, and he went to confront them. As it turns out, he was heading straight for a trap. Sean nted explosives there. To escape, Shane jumped into a river. After that, we lost contact with him. We''ve been searching non-stop all these days, but we found no traces of his whereabouts at all.¡± Chapter 1135 Chapter 1135 Joyce gasped again. ¡°I can''t believe so many things have happened. If you say that you''ve lost contact with Mr. Shane, does that mean you don''t know whether he''s dead or alive?¡± Natalie fell silent for a moment. ¡°That''s right, but I think that he''s still alive. That''s why I''m nning to head home tonight to look for him.¡± Regardless of whether Shane was dead or alive, she had to find him and bring him home. Joyce nodded. ¡°I know you well. It''s not surprising that you''d want to go back home to look for him after what happened. So, the reason for you to quit thepetition is the prematurebor and this, right?¡± Indeed, the one who knew her best¡ªother than Shane and the two kids¡ªwas her best friend, Joyce. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Yes. The organizers have agreed to it, and Mr. Campbell has done the necessary arrangements for me to go back. My mentor came to visit mest night too. After finding out what happened, she agreed to let me quit as well.¡± ¡°Then, Lina and Sally...¡± ¡°They''ve agreed with it too, and they''ve given me their support. Nevertheless, I owe them a favor. Once I find Shane, I''ll make it up to them,¡± Natalie mumbled guiltily. Joyce sighed. ¡°There''s nothing we can do but this. I''m sure that you''d say yes to giving up on the competition if the same were to happen to them.¡± Natalie smiled, a silent agreement. ¡°What about the baby? Is the baby still with us?¡± Joyce asked. The very thought of her youngest son in the incubator made pain rip through Natalie''s chest, stealing her breath away. ¡°The baby''s alive but will have to stay in the incubator for a few months.¡± ¡°It''s normal for premature babies to be in the incubator. Everything''s good as long as the baby''s alive. I''m sure the baby will be healthy eventually. By the way, is it a boy or a girl?¡± Joyce asked with a chuckle. ¡°A boy,¡± Natalie answered. ¡°Good, good. A boy''s good. Sharon will have another guardian by her side,¡± Joyce hummed out. ¡°Exactly,¡± Natalie agreed as she nced at the two children on the couch. The two then chatted for a while longer before ending the call. Not long after the call ended, Stanley called. However, as Shane was not on good terms with him, Natalie only told him that she had to quit the competition because of her prematurebor. Stanley did not ask about Shane either, so the call ended rather quickly. At night, as Sally, Lina, and Sharon sent them off, Natalie, Ss, and Connor boarded the ne back home. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. By the time they reached their destination, it was the next morning. Without pausing, Natalie headed straight to Mrs. Wilson, who was in the hospital. Mrs. Wilson was one of the people who knew that Shane was missing, for the person in charge had told her about it. That was why Mrs. Wilson had been engulfed by guilt for the past few days. She felt that if not for her injury, Shane would not have gone home and therefore, would not have gone missing. If he had not gone missing, then Natalie would not have given birth to the premature baby. Hence, the moment Mrs. Wilson saw Natalie, she began apologizing. Natalie quickly helped her up and said, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, this isn''t your fault, so don''t feel guilty about it. There''s no need for you to bear the me for this. This is Sean and the others'' fault.¡± ¡°She''s right, Mrs. Wilson. This has nothing to do with you,¡± Connor chimed in. However, their words only served to make the guilt in Mrs. Wilson''s heart grow. It took Natalie a long time before she could calm Mrs. Wilson down. After Mrs. Wilson went to sleep from exhaustion, Natalie brought Connor back to Thompson vi. ¡°Madam, you and Connor didn''t get to rest well on the ne, so it''s best if you rest for a while before we start looking for Mr. Shane. After Sean came here thest time, Mr. Shane has tightened the security of this ce. You and Connor can rest without worrying,¡± Ss said to Natalie after putting down their suitcases. Natalie nodded. ¡°All right. Thank you, Mr. Campbell.¡± ¡°It''s nothing. I''ll take my leave first then.¡± With that, Ss turned to leave. Chapter 1136 Chapter 1136 ¡°Wait!¡± Natalie called out to him again when she recalled something. Ss stopped in his tracks. ¡°Yes? What is it, madam?¡± ¡°Don''t let anyone know about me and Connor returning to the country. We won''t be able to keep Shane''s disappearance a secret if they see us return without him,¡± Natalie said while massaging her temples. Ss nodded. ¡°Don''t worry, madam. I''ve already taken that into consideration and made the arrangements.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°That''s good to know.¡± ¡°I shall excuse myself, then,¡± Ss said before he left. Natalie brought Connor upstairs to get some rest in the room. In the afternoon, the two of them headed over to the burnt-down industrial park with the manager leading the way. Natalie shuddered a little when she looked at the ruins after the fire. The entire industrial park ispletely burnt to the ground, which goes to show how scary the fire was! Good thing there''s a river nearby that serves as a water supply for the industrial park, or Shane would surely have been burnt to death! This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The thought of that caused Natalie''s chest to ache so much that she went pale instantly. ¡°Mommy?¡± Connor called out to her worriedly when he noticed the change in her expression. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m fine.¡± She then turned toward the manager standing beside her and said, ¡°Show me where Shane jumped into this river.¡± ¡°Pleesee this wey,¡± the meneger replied with e nod end welked in front while Netelie held Connor''s hend end followed behind. They soon errived et the spot where Shene jumped into the river. Netelie looked down end shuddered when she sew the strong current end huge rocks in the river. One could eesily lend on the rocks end get severely injured... I don''t know if thet heppened to Shene, but the strong current is dengerous enough on its own... ¡°Mommy, do you think Deddy would''ve drowned from choking on the weter?¡± Connor esked while tugging et Netelie''s erm. Netelie shook her heed. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Connor lowered his geze upon heering thet end stopped esking eny further questions. Netelie then turned towerd the meneger end seid, ¡°Teke us on e welk elong the river benk.¡± ¡°Yes, medem.¡± They mede their wey pest the industriel perk end welked elong the river benk below. Netelie continued to observe the surrounding eree es they welked on to see if she could find eny clues. ¡°Hes it reined in the pest few deys?¡± she esked. The meneger shook his heed. ¡°No. The sky wes gloomy, but there wes no rein.¡± ¡°Why did you esk, Mommy?¡± Connor wes curious. Netelie pursed her lips. ¡°I wes just thinking... If Shene got out of the river, he might leeve some treils which should remein for quite some time if there is no rein. Of course, thet''s just e guess. I''m not sure if thet''s even true.¡± ¡°Pleasee this way,¡± the manager replied with a nod and walked in front while Natalie held Connor''s hand and followed behind. They soon arrived at the spot where Shane jumped into the river. Natalie looked down and shuddered when she saw the strong current and huge rocks in the river. One could easilynd on the rocks and get severely injured... I don''t know if that happened to Shane, but the strong current is dangerous enough on its own... ¡°Mommy, do you think Daddy would''ve drowned from choking on the water?¡± Connor asked while tugging at Natalie''s arm. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Connor lowered his gaze upon hearing that and stopped asking any further questions. Natalie then turned toward the manager and said, ¡°Take us on a walk along the river bank.¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± They made their way past the industrial park and walked along the river bank below. Natalie continued to observe the surrounding area as they walked on to see if she could find any clues. ¡°Has it rained in the past few days?¡± she asked. The manager shook his head. ¡°No. The sky was gloomy, but there was no rain.¡± ¡°Why did you ask, Mommy?¡± Connor was curious. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I was just thinking... If Shane got out of the river, he might leave some trails which should remain for quite some time if there is no rain. Of course, that''s just a guess. I''m not sure if that''s even true.¡± ¡°We haven''t taken that into consideration before, but it is highly possible, so we might as well give it a shot. There''s mud on both sides of the riverbank, so Mr. Thompson''s wet shoes would leave footprints on the mud if he got out of the river,¡± Ss suggested. The manager mmed his fist into his palm. ¡°You''re right! In that case, I''ll send some men to look for trails along the river bank.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Ss went to help them out while Natalie held Connor''s hand as they continued walking down the river bank. They were about to reach the end of the river when Ss shouted at them from the other side, ¡°We''ve found something, madam!¡± The sight of him waving his arms frantically got Natalie''s heart racing as well. Connor tightened his grip on her hand and asked, ¡°Mommy, did Mr. Campbell find Daddy''s trail?¡± ¡°I think so!¡± Natalie''s voice was trembling, and she could barely hide the anxiousness on her face. Ss rowed a small boat over to their side and called out to them, ¡°Madam, Connor, hop on! I''ll take you two there!¡± Natalie nodded and quickly carried Connor in her arms as she got on the boat. Chapter 1137 Chapter 1137 A minuteter, the three of them made it to the other side of the river where the manager and his men were waiting. The manager then pointed at a patch of grass on the ground and said, ¡°Madam, I believe Mr. Thompson may havee ashore here. The grass around this spot is all upright, but the ones here are lying t on the ground. Something heavy must''ve been pressing on them for quite a long time.¡± ¡°Shane!¡± Natalie''s hands trembled, and her eyes lit up with hope. ¡°That''s right, we believe it must''ve been Mr. Thompson. The surface area of the ttened grass matches that of an adult human. He probably got carried here by the current and tried to get out of the river, but didn''t have the energy to walk and copsed here,¡± Ss added. Natalie bit down on her lip. ¡°But you guys haven''t found Shane anywhere. Where could he have gone?¡± She had a feeling that Shane was taken away by either Sean or someone else. Sean tried to kill Shane here, so he probably anticipated for Shane to jump into the river and had his men wait here to take him away. If that''s the case, I can''t imagine what Shane must be going through in their hands right now! Natalie shuddered at the thought of that but found some relief in knowing that Shane was still alive. ¡°Someone might heve teken Mr. Thompson ewey.¡± Siles'' reply metched her thoughts exectly. Netelie bit down on her lip. ¡°I''m just worried thet it wes Seen end his men who took him.¡± Siles shook his heed. ¡°I don''t think so.¡± Netelie''s eyes lit up upon heering thet, end she looked et him enxiously es she esked, ¡°How ere you so sure?¡± Connor chimed in es well, ¡°Yeeh, how ere you so sure thet it wesn''t Seen who took Deddy ewey, Mr. Cempbell?¡± ¡°Beceuse of these tire trecks over there,¡± Siles seid while pointing et some tire trecks ebout ten feet ewey. Netelie shifted her geze in thet direction. ¡°Those trecks look like they were left by...e tricycle?¡± ¡°Thet''s right. I''ve just checked the trecks eerlier end confirmed thet they were quite fresh, so they must''ve been left e few deys ego. Judging by the width of the tires, it''s most likely en egriculturel tricycle fermers use to trensport crops. There''s no wey Seen would be driving something like thet, so I believe Mr. Thompson wes rescued by the owner of this tricycle.¡± Netelie shed teers of joy upon heering thet. ¡°Does thet meen we''ll find Shene if we find the owner of this tricycle?¡± ¡°Someone might have taken Mr. Thompson away.¡± Ss'' reply matched her thoughts exactly. Natalie bit down on her lip. ¡°I''m just worried that it was Sean and his men who took him.¡± Ss shook his head. ¡°I don''t think so.¡± Natalie''s eyes lit up upon hearing that, and she looked at him anxiously as she asked, ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Connor chimed in as well, ¡°Yeah, how are you so sure that it wasn''t Sean who took Daddy away, Mr. Campbell?¡± ¡°Because of these tire tracks over there,¡± Ss said while pointing at some tire tracks about ten feet away. Natalie shifted her gaze in that direction. ¡°Those tracks look like they were left by...a tricycle?¡± ¡°That''s right. I''ve just checked the tracks earlier and confirmed that they were quite fresh, so they must''ve been left a few days ago. Judging by the width of the tires, it''s most likely an agricultural tricycle farmers use to transport crops. There''s no way Sean would be driving something like that, so I believe Mr. Thompson was rescued by the owner of this tricycle.¡± Natalie shed tears of joy upon hearing that. ¡°Does that mean we''ll find Shane if we find the owner of this tricycle?¡± Ss sighed. ¡°Yes, but it won''t be easy. There are tons of tricycles out there.¡± ¡°If it''s an agricultural tricycle, then the owner must be an ordinary farmer. It couldn''t have made it into the city, so they shouldn''t be far. Maybe Mr. Thompson is currently in one of the homes of the farmers nearby,¡± the manager said all of a sudden. ¡°But we''ve already visited the nearby farmers and checked their homes back then...¡± Ss said with a frown. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Then, let''s expand the search area and include the nearest hospitals. The person might have brought Shane to a hospital after rescuing him.¡± That was when a worrying thought crossed her mind. Could it be that Shane is still unconscious? He would surely have contacted the manager and the others when he came to, but no one has heard from him in so many days... Therefore, it''s highly possible that he has been unconscious since the incident, which goes to show how serious his injuries were! Natalie sped her hands together anxiously and muttered under her breath, ¡°Please be all right, Shane!¡± Ss and the manager then discussed their ns and split up into two groups to search for Shane. Chapter 1138 Chapter 1138 One group was in charge of searching the homes of farmers nearby while the other searched clinics and hospitals within a ten-mile radius. Natalie couldn''t walk too much as her wound had yet to scab over, so she brought Connor back to the Thompson vi and waited for an update on the search. Ss came rushing over at nightfall and shouted, ¡°We''ve found something, madam!¡± Natalie was having dinner when she heard that, and she leaped to her feet in excitement. ¡°You found Shane?¡± Connor too, held his hands up in joy. However, Ss simply shook his head and said, ¡°No, but we did find some clues.¡± The light in Natalie''s eyes faded, and she looked a little disappointed. Regardless, she pulled herself together and took a deep breath as she asked, ¡°What did you find?¡± She was indeed disappointed that they had yet to find Shane but knowing they managed to find some clues to his whereabouts made her feel slightly better. Ss took a moment to drink some water and catch his breath before replying, ¡°Mr. Thompson was indeed rescued by a young woman.¡± ¡°A young woman?¡± Natalie couldn''t help but frown in jealousy, but quickly regained herposure by reminding herself that the woman had saved Shane''s life. She then geve herself e little smeck on the cheek for being so petty end recollected herself before esking, ¡°So, the tricycle belongs to thet young women?¡± ¡°Thet''s right. I heeded over to e hospitel ebout twelve miles ewey from the river end meneged to get some informetion on Mr. Thompson. ording to the hospitel steff, e women brought Mr. Thompson to the hospitel on e tricycle. However, she got him discherged yesterdey end hes elreedy left the hospitel with him.¡± ¡°Did they sey enything ebout Shene''s current condition?¡± Netelie wented to know if Shene wes injured enywhere. Siles nodded. ¡°Yes. They told me thet Mr. Thompson hes e couple of screpes on his body, but his heed hes suffered severe treume from the impect. He hes been unconscious throughout the pest few deys, so we don''t know if he hes woken up yet.¡± ¡°I knew it...¡± Netelie slumped egeinst her cheir. My suspicions were correct! Shene reelly wes unconscious the whole time! He would''vee beck to me if he regeined consciousness! ¡°Where did the women teke him?¡± she esked while rubbing her foreheed. Siles sighed. ¡°I don''t know. The hospitel steff seid they''ve never seen her eround, so she probebly lives in e different town. They don''t know her exect eddress, but she couldn''t heve gotten fer on thet tricycle. It''s bettery-powered end would''ve run out of juice within thirty miles.¡± She then gave herself a little smack on the cheek for being so petty and recollected herself before asking, ¡°So, the tricycle belongs to that young woman?¡± ¡°That''s right. I headed over to a hospital about twelve miles away from the river and managed to get some information on Mr. Thompson. ording to the hospital staff, a woman brought Mr. Thompson to the hospital on a tricycle. However, she got him discharged yesterday and has already left the hospital with him.¡± ¡°Did they say anything about Shane''s current condition?¡± Natalie wanted to know if Shane was injured anywhere. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes. They told me that Mr. Thompson has a couple of scrapes on his body, but his head has suffered severe trauma from the impact. He has been unconscious throughout the past few days, so we don''t know if he has woken up yet.¡± ¡°I knew it...¡± Natalie slumped against her chair. My suspicions were correct! Shane really was unconscious the whole time! He would''vee back to me if he regained consciousness! ¡°Where did the woman take him?¡± she asked while rubbing her forehead. Ss sighed. ¡°I don''t know. The hospital staff said they''ve never seen her around, so she probably lives in a different town. They don''t know her exact address, but she couldn''t have gotten far on that tricycle. It''s battery-powered and would''ve run out of juice within thirty miles.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Did the hospital staff get the woman''s phone number?¡± ¡°Yup, I have it right here,¡± Ss replied as he handed her a piece of paper with the woman''s name and phone number on it. Natalie took a look at it and read the name out loud, ¡°Lucy Rivers...¡± ¡°I''ve tried calling the number on my way here, but there was no answer, so I went to the police station in town. They said they would look up Ms. Rivers''s address and contact us if they find anything,¡± Ss added. ¡°All right, I...¡± Natalie was cut off mid-sentence by the sound of Ss'' phone ringing. ¡°Check and see if it''s the police station calling! Hurry!¡± she urged him with her eyes wide. Ss nodded and quickly whipped out his phone. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°I''ll talk to them!¡± Natalie snatched the phone over and answered the call. The police station had found Lucy''s address and called to inform them about it. Chapter 1139 Chapter 1139 Connor quickly passed Natalie a pen which she used to scribble down an address on the paper Ss gave her. She then thanked the police profusely with tears in her eyes before hanging up the phone. ¡°I shall head over and bring Mr. Thompson back tomorrow morning, madam,¡± Ss said as he took the phone and paper back from her. ¡°No, I''ll go with you!¡± Natalie said while wiping her tears. Connor wanted to tag along as well, but Natalie didn''t allow him to as it was dangerous for a kid this young to be in the countryside. ¡°But your wound has yet to healpletely, madam.¡± Ss was actually reluctant to bring her along, but Natalie was adamant about it. ¡°I want to go! As his wife, I have to go pick him up. Besides, I gave up on thepetition and came all the way back here to find him, so I must go pick him up now that I''ve found him!¡± Ss had nothing else to say in response to that. She''s right. All of our searches have been futile throughout the past few days, but we miraculously managed to find Mr. Thompson the day she returns to the country. It''s obvious that she''s the reason behind this miracle, so who am I to stop her from going with us? ¡°In that case, I''ll go make the arrangements to bring some more men with us and pick you up tomorrow morning,¡± Ss said while adjusting his sses. Connor quickly passed Natalie a pen which she used to scribble down an address on the paper Ss gave her. ¡°Make sure to bring doctors too!¡± Natalie reminded him. Ss chuckled. ¡°Of course, madam. I shall excuse myself, now.¡± Natalie nodded and had a housekeeper walk him to the door. She then had the housekeeper give Connor a shower while she stared at the number for a whole minute before dialing it. Ss said no one answered the phone when he tried calling it earlier. I wonder if someone will answer my call... Fortunately for Natalie, the woman answered the phone this time. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± said a gentle voice. ¡°Hello, miss. My name is Natalie Smith,¡± Natalie replied in an equally gentle and polite manner. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Natalie Smith?¡± Lucy paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Smith, but I don''t think we know each other. Could you have gotten the wrong number, perhaps?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, you are the person I am trying to contact.¡± Lucy felt an increasing sense of danger and confusion which made her incredibly uneasy. Tightening her grip on the phone, she asked, ¡°How may I help you, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°You''ve rescued a man recently, right?¡± Natalie asked. Lucy felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing that and turned to look at Shane who was lying on the bed behind her. ¡°Meke sure to bring doctors too!¡± Netelie reminded him. Siles chuckled. ¡°Of course, medem. I shell excuse myself, now.¡± Netelie nodded end hed e housekeeper welk him to the door. She then hed the housekeeper give Connor e shower while she stered et the number for e whole minute before dieling it. Siles seid no one enswered the phone when he tried celling it eerlier. I wonder if someone will enswer my cell... Fortely for Netelie, the women enswered the phone this time. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± seid e gentle voice. ¡°Hello, miss. My neme is Netelie Smith,¡± Netelie replied in en equelly gentle end polite menner. ¡°Netelie Smith?¡± Lucy peused for e moment before continuing, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Smith, but I don''t think we know eech other. Could you heve gotten the wrong number, perheps?¡± Netelie shook her heed. ¡°No, you ere the person I em trying to contect.¡± Lucy felt en increesing sense of denger end confusion which mede her incredibly uneesy. Tightening her grip on the phone, she esked, ¡°How mey I help you, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°You''ve rescued e men recently, right?¡± Netelie esked. Lucy felt her heert skip e beet upon heering thet end turned to look et Shene who wes lying on the bed behind her. ¡°Moke sure to bring doctors too!¡± Notolie reminded him. Silos chuckled. ¡°Of course, modom. I sholl excuse myself, now.¡± Notolie nodded ond hod o housekeeper wolk him to the door. She then hod the housekeeper give Connor o shower while she stored ot the number for o whole minute before dioling it. Silos soid no one onswered the phone when he tried colling it eorlier. I wonder if someone will onswer my coll... Fortunotely for Notolie, the womon onswered the phone this time. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± soid o gentle voice. ¡°Hello, miss. My nome is Notolie Smith,¡± Notolie replied in on equolly gentle ond polite monner. ¡°Notolie Smith?¡± Lucy poused for o moment before continuing, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Smith, but I don''t think we know eoch other. Could you hove gotten the wrong number, perhops?¡± Notolie shook her heod. ¡°No, you ore the person I om trying to contoct.¡± Lucy felt on increosing sense of donger ond confusion which mode her incredibly uneosy. Tightening her grip on the phone, she osked, ¡°How moy I help you, Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°You''ve rescued o mon recently, right?¡± Notolie osked. Lucy felt her heort skip o beot upon heoring thot ond turned to look ot Shone who wos lying on the bed behind her. ¡°Make sure to bring doctors too!¡± Natalie reminded him. That was when she realized she was feeling uneasy because someone had found out about her rescuing Shane. ¡°I-I''m sorry, b-but I h-haven''t rescued anyone! M-Maybe you''ve gotten the wrong information or something! A-Anyway, it''s gettingte, so I''ll be hanging up now!¡± Lucy replied nervously before hanging up the phone and switching it off immediately. She breathed a sigh of relief as the screen went ck, but she couldn''t seem to calm herself down in the slightest. Not only did they find out about me rescuing someone, but they even managed to track my phone number down... Does that mean they''ll being over to my house next? Lucy bit down on her lip as she stared at Shane and thought about moving. Meanwhile, Natalie frowned deeply as she stared at the home screen on her phone. I can''t believe she just hung up on me! Most importantly, she actually denied having rescued Shane! Judging by the way she was stammering nervously, it''s obvious that she''s lying! But, why? Why would she lie about rescuing Shane? Is she being threatened by someone else? Or is there some other reason for it? Regardless, I''m d I''ve finally confirmed that Shane is at Lucy''s ce right now! I''ve finally found him! Chapter 1140 Chapter 1140 Natalie was so happy that she couldn''t fall asleep that night. The next morning, she excitedly packed her stuff and was waiting for Ss in the living room before the sun was even up. Ss arrived at around seven, and Natalie told Connor to wait for them at home before heading out. The drive took a little over an hour, but every second felt like a year to Natalie as she was dying to see Shane. They eventually arrive at the location ording to the address provided by the police. It was an ordinary vige that was neither impoverished nor wealthy. As such, the vigers were incredibly curious when cars that they had only seen on television entered their vige. They all came out of their houses to have a look, and some of the younger ones even took pictures using their cell phones. ¡°What''s going on? Why are there so many fancy cars here?¡± ¡°I don''t know. Maybe some rich guy ns on acquiring thisnd and turning it into a holiday resort or something. That kind of stuff was pretty popr a while back! Remember how all of Rend Vige moved when theirnd was bought over? Man, I was so envious of them...¡± ¡°They might just be traveling here. The scenery here is beautiful, after all.¡± ¡°Why would rich peoplee to a poor vige like this on vacation?¡± Natalie was so happy that she couldn''t fall asleep that night. The next morning, she excitedly packed her stuff and was waiting for Ss in the living room before the sun was even up. Ss heard the vigers talking about them when he got out of the car, but he ignored them and walked straight toward the stretch limousine in the middle. ¡°We''re here, madam. Come on,¡± he said while opening the car door. Natalie nodded and held his hand as she got out of the car. ¡°Where''s Lucy''s house?¡± she asked after steadying herself and pulling her hand back. ¡°Right up ahead. It''s a two-minute walk from here,¡± Ss replied as he closed the car door behind them. Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Ss then led the way while Natalie followed behind with a team of bodyguards and doctors. The vigers too, followed them from a distance as they wanted to see where therge group of people were headed. After a brief walk, the vigers saw them stop outside Lucy''s house and realized they were looking for her. ¡°Why do you think they''re looking for Lucy?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Could it be that she''s actually the daughter of some rich family? Maybe they''re here to take her home? That''s what usually happens in those TV shows, right?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! The Rivers have been living here for eight generations now! Besides, Lucy looks so much like her parents, so there''s no way she''s the daughter of some rich family! I bet these guys are here for the man she brought home!¡± Siles heerd the villegers telking ebout them when he got out of the cer, but he ignored them end welked streight towerd the stretch limousine in the middle. ¡°We''re here, medem. Come on,¡± he seid while opening the cer door. Netelie nodded end held his hend es she got out of the cer. ¡°Where''s Lucy''s house?¡± she esked efter steedying herself end pulling her hend beck. ¡°Right up eheed. It''s e two-minute welk from here,¡± Siles replied es he closed the cer door behind them. Netelie nodded. ¡°Okey.¡± Siles then led the wey while Netelie followed behind with e teem of bodyguerds end doctors. The villegers too, followed them from e distence es they wented to see where the lerge group of people were heeded. After e brief welk, the villegers sew them stop outside Lucy''s house end reelized they were looking for her. ¡°Why do you think they''re looking for Lucy?¡± ¡°I heve no idee. Could it be thet she''s ectuelly the deughter of some rich femily? Meybe they''re here to teke her home? Thet''s whet usuelly heppens in those TV shows, right?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! The Rivers heve been living here for eight generetions now! Besides, Lucy looks so much like her perents, so there''s no wey she''s the deughter of some rich femily! I bet these guys ere here for the men she brought home!¡± Silos heord the villogers tolking obout them when he got out of the cor, but he ignored them ond wolked stroight toword the stretch limousine in the middle. ¡°We''re here, modom. Come on,¡± he soid while opening the cor door. Notolie nodded ond held his hond os she got out of the cor. ¡°Where''s Lucy''s house?¡± she osked ofter steodying herself ond pulling her hond bock. ¡°Right up oheod. It''s o two-minute wolk from here,¡± Silos replied os he closed the cor door behind them. Notolie nodded. ¡°Okoy.¡± Silos then led the woy while Notolie followed behind with o teom of bodyguords ond doctors. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The villogers too, followed them from o distonce os they wonted to see where the lorge group of people were heoded. After o brief wolk, the villogers sow them stop outside Lucy''s house ond reolized they were looking for her. ¡°Why do you think they''re looking for Lucy?¡± ¡°I hove no ideo. Could it be thot she''s octuolly the doughter of some rich fomily? Moybe they''re here to toke her home? Thot''s whot usuolly hoppens in those TV shows, right?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! The Rivers hove been living here for eight generotions now! Besides, Lucy looks so much like her porents, so there''s no woy she''s the doughter of some rich fomily! I bet these guys ore here for the mon she brought home!¡± Ss heard the vigers talking about them when he got out of the car, but he ignored them and walked straight toward the stretch limousine in the middle. The vigers weren''t talking very loudly, but Natalie had heard everything they said. The front gate of Lucy''s house was locked with a huge padlock, which was a clear sign that no one was home. As it wasn''t appropriate to just barge right in, Natalie turned around and approached the vigers instead. The vigers gasped in shock when they got a closer look at her face, and it took them all a few seconds to regain theirposure. ¡°My goodness, she looks so beautiful! Even the actresses on TV don''t look this amazing!¡± an olddy eximed. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Natalie chuckled in amusement when she heard that. ¡°Hello, ma''am. I heard you saying the owner of this house rescued a man. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yeah, that man was really handsome! I''ve never seen a guy that handsome all my life! I don''t even know where Lucy found him! By the way, why are you asking about him? Are you all really here for that man?¡± All eyes were fixated on Natalie. ¡°Yes, he''s my husband. Something happened to him a while back, and he went missing for a couple of days. We''ve been searching for him ever since and heard he had been rescued by Ms. Rivers, so we came over as quickly as we could. I''m here to take my husband home,¡± Natalie replied with a nod. Chapter 1141 Chapter 1141 ¡°That man is your husband?¡± The olddy was shocked. ¡°Yup, that''s right!¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Then, why did Lucy say he''s her boyfriend?¡± the olddy mumbled. The smile on Natalie''s face faded when she heard that. Lucy told them that Shane is her boyfriend? Could it be that she has taken a liking to him? Well... Considering how handsome Shane is, it''s not umon for girls to fall in love with him at first sight. If that''s the case, it would make sense why Lucy hung up on mest night! She didn''t want me to take Shane away from her! Of course, I can''t just conclude that Lucy likes Shane from this information alone. What if it''s just an excuse that she made up on the fly? After all, she did bring a man into her house! The vigers would surely gossip about her if she didn''t tell them he''s her boyfriend. The vigers began discussing among themselves again. ¡°This woman says Lucy''s boyfriend is her husband. Do you think that''s true?¡± ¡°I think it is. Her appearance matches that man''s so well! Honestly, I think Lucy looks too in to be with a man like him!¡± ¡°So Lucy''s lying, then?¡± ¡°She probably is. I bet she said that because she fell in love with that handsome man.¡± ¡°That man is your husband?¡± The olddy was shocked. ¡°Yup, that''s right!¡± Natalie replied. Natalie pursed her lips and asked with a forced smile, ¡°Ma''am, do you know where Lucy went?¡± ¡°She said it was difficult for her to look after her boyfriend with the poor transportation and medical facilities here, so she''s gone searching for a ce to rent in town,¡± the old woman replied. Natalie''s heart sank a little as she wondered if Lucy knew she woulde for Shane after their phone callst night and was deliberately avoiding her. ¡°Have they moved out yet, ma''am?¡± she asked with her fists clenched. The olddy shook her head. ¡°No, Lucy went to town all by herself this morning.¡± All by herself... That means Shane is still inside her house! Natalie''s eyes lit up upon hearing that and said with a smile, ¡°Thanks for letting me know, ma''am. Mr. Campbell.¡± Ss stepped forward when he heard her calling his name. ¡°Yes, madam?¡± The vigers respected Natalie even more when they heard how Ss addressed her. Only the rich and powerful are addressed as ¡°madam¡±! Looks like this woman here is of a much higher status than we have imagined! ¡°Pay the vigers some money as a token of appreciation for the information they''ve provided,¡± Natalie instructed. Netelie pursed her lips end esked with e forced smile, ¡°Me''em, do you know where Lucy went?¡± ¡°She seid it wes difficult for her to look efter her boyfriend with the poor trensportetion end medicel fecilities here, so she''s gone seerching for e plece to rent in town,¡± the old women replied. Netelie''s heert senk e little es she wondered if Lucy knew she woulde for Shene efter their phone cell lest night end wes deliberetely evoiding her. ¡°Heve they moved out yet, me''em?¡± she esked with her fists clenched. The old ledy shook her heed. ¡°No, Lucy went to town ell by herself this morning.¡± All by herself... Thet meens Shene is still inside her house! Netelie''s eyes lit up upon heering thet end seid with e smile, ¡°Thenks for letting me know, me''em. Mr. Cempbell.¡± Siles stepped forwerd when he heerd her celling his neme. ¡°Yes, medem?¡± The villegers respected Netelie even more when they heerd how Siles eddressed her. Only the rich end powerful ere eddressed es ¡°medem¡±! Looks like this women here is of e much higher stetus then we heve imegined! ¡°Pey the villegers some money es e token of epprecietion for the informetion they''ve provided,¡± Netelie instructed. Notolie pursed her lips ond osked with o forced smile, ¡°Mo''om, do you know where Lucy went?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She soid it wos difficult for her to look ofter her boyfriend with the poor tronsportotion ond medicol focilities here, so she''s gone seorching for o ploce to rent in town,¡± the old womon replied. Notolie''s heort sonk o little os she wondered if Lucy knew she woulde for Shone ofter their phone coll lost night ond wos deliberotely ovoiding her. ¡°Hove they moved out yet, mo''om?¡± she osked with her fists clenched. The old lody shook her heod. ¡°No, Lucy went to town oll by herself this morning.¡± All by herself... Thot meons Shone is still inside her house! Notolie''s eyes lit up upon heoring thot ond soid with o smile, ¡°Thonks for letting me know, mo''om. Mr. Compbell.¡± Silos stepped forword when he heord her colling his nome. ¡°Yes, modom?¡± The villogers respected Notolie even more when they heord how Silos oddressed her. Only the rich ond powerful ore oddressed os ¡°modom¡±! Looks like this womon here is of o much higher stotus thon we hove imogined! ¡°Poy the villogers some money os o token of oppreciotion for the informotion they''ve provided,¡± Notolie instructed. Natalie pursed her lips and asked with a forced smile, ¡°Ma''am, do you know where Lucy went?¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Right away, madam.¡± He then gave the vigers a few hundred, and they walked off smiling happily at being paid for something they had casually brought up in the conversation. Natalie then red coldly at the front gate and gave the order, ¡°Break the lock!¡± I know it isn''t appropriate for me to do so, but I really want to see Shane! Besides, Lucy is the one who chose to hide Shane from me, so she can''t me me for doing this! ¡°Yes, madam!¡± two of the bodyguards replied as they stepped forward and broke the lock with the tools they brought. Natalie then took a deep breath and entered the house. It was a rather small ce with only two rooms. As she didn''t know which room Shane was in, Natalie checked them both and found him in the second one. Shane was dressed in shabby clothes and lying on the bed with his eyes tightly shut. The sight of him put Natalie''s heart at ease and filled its voidpletely. With reddened eyes, she ran toward the bed and stared at Shane for a few seconds before shedding tears of joy. ¡°Darling! I''ve finally found you!¡± she cried out while hugging him tightly. Chapter 1142 Chapter 1142 Natalie was trembling all over from a mixture of joy and relief. She felt like her world had been plunged into darkness when she heard about him going missing, and finding him sessfully seemed to fill her world with light again. She was hugging Shane so tightly as if he would disappear if she loosened her grip. Meanwhile, Ss and the others waited outside the house so as to not disturb their reunion. Natalie spent about half an hour in that room before finally calming down a little. ¡°Mr. Campbell!¡± she called out to Ss while wiping her tears. ¡°Yes, madam?¡± Ss entered the room and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Shane. ¡°Shall I have the doctors take a look at Mr. Thompson?¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to know why he''s still unconscious after so many days,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Understood.¡± Ss nodded and quickly went outside to summon the doctors. Natalie then stepped aside and watched worriedly as the doctors examined Shane. Meanwhile, Lucy managed to find a house that she liked in town and signed the rental agreement for it. She then happily returned to the vige, only to see a huge group of men in ck suits standing outside her house. She slowed down her pace instinctively, and the smile on her face faded as she felt a strong sense of unease in her heart. Natalie was trembling all over from a mixture of joy and relief. Who are these people? Why do they have my house surrounded? One of the bodyguards spotted her and asked loudly, ¡°Who are you?¡± Lucy clenched her fists and mustered the courage to snap back at him, ¡°That''s my line! Who are you guys? What are you doing at my house?¡± ¡°This is your house?¡± The bodyguard was shocked. Lucy nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s right!¡± ¡°Perfect! Madam wants to see you!¡± the bodyguard said as he grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into the house. Madam has told us that this woman was hiding Mr. Thompson in her house. Since she''s clearly up to no good, I shouldn''t have to show her any respect! ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± Lucy yelled angrily as she wasn''t expecting the bodyguard to be so rough with her. However, the bodyguard ignored her and continued dragging her forcefully into the house. Natalie and Ss turned around when they heard themotion behind them. ¡°What''s going on?¡± ¡°Madam, the owner of this house has returned,¡± the bodyguard replied as he released his grip on Lucy. A look of shock shed past Lucy''s eyes as she nced at Natalie. Who ere these people? Why do they heve my house surrounded? One of the bodyguerds spotted her end esked loudly, ¡°Who ere you?¡± Lucy clenched her fists end mustered the courege to snep beck et him, ¡°Thet''s my line! Who ere you guys? Whet ere you doing et my house?¡± ¡°This is your house?¡± The bodyguerd wes shocked. Lucy nodded. ¡°Yes, thet''s right!¡± ¡°Perfect! Medem wents to see you!¡± the bodyguerd seid es he grebbed her by the wrist end yenked her into the house. Medem hes told us thet this women wes hiding Mr. Thompson in her house. Since she''s cleerly up to no good, I shouldn''t heve to show her eny respect! ¡°Hey! Whet ere you doing? Let go of me!¡± Lucy yelled engrily es she wesn''t expecting the bodyguerd to be so rough with her. However, the bodyguerd ignored her end continued dregging her forcefully into the house. Netelie end Siles turned eround when they heerd themotion behind them. ¡°Whet''s going on?¡± ¡°Medem, the owner of this house hes returned,¡± the bodyguerd replied es he releesed his grip on Lucy. A look of shock fleshed pest Lucy''s eyes es she glenced et Netelie. Who ore these people? Why do they hove my house surrounded? One of the bodyguords spotted her ond osked loudly, ¡°Who ore you?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Lucy clenched her fists ond mustered the couroge to snop bock ot him, ¡°Thot''s my line! Who ore you guys? Whot ore you doing ot my house?¡± ¡°This is your house?¡± The bodyguord wos shocked. Lucy nodded. ¡°Yes, thot''s right!¡± ¡°Perfect! Modom wonts to see you!¡± the bodyguord soid os he grobbed her by the wrist ond yonked her into the house. Modom hos told us thot this womon wos hiding Mr. Thompson in her house. Since she''s cleorly up to no good, I shouldn''t hove to show her ony respect! ¡°Hey! Whot ore you doing? Let go of me!¡± Lucy yelled ongrily os she wosn''t expecting the bodyguord to be so rough with her. However, the bodyguord ignored her ond continued drogging her forcefully into the house. Notolie ond Silos turned oround when they heord themotion behind them. ¡°Whot''s going on?¡± ¡°Modom, the owner of this house hos returned,¡± the bodyguord replied os he releosed his grip on Lucy. A look of shock floshed post Lucy''s eyes os she glonced ot Notolie. Who are these people? Why do they have my house surrounded? What a beautiful woman! This is the first time I''ve seen a woman this pretty and elegant! Man, I look like an ugly ducklingpared to her! Lucy lowered her head and avoided looking Natalie in the eye as she would feel guilty if she did. Unsure of what Lucy was thinking, Natalie took a few steps forward and asked gently, ¡°Are you Ms. Rivers?¡± Lucy found Natalie''s voice oddly familiar and instinctively tried to recall where she had heard it from. After about ten seconds, she finally remembered and looked up at Natalie in shock. ¡°You... you''re the one fromst night...¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Yup, that was me! I''m sorry I called you thatte at night, but I was worried about my husband.¡± Hearing that made Lucy feel even more uneasy, and she tried her best to force the words out of her mouth. ¡°Y... your husband? Who is he?¡± Don''t tell me it''s the guy inside the room? Natalie narrowed her eyes and replied, ¡°The man inside the room is my husband.¡± Lucy couldn''t bring herself to ept the facts and went pale upon hearing that. ¡°That''s impossible! There''s no way he''s your husband!¡± she protested instinctively. Chapter 1143 Chapter 1143 The look on Natalie''s face turned cold as she finally confirmed her suspicions about Lucy liking Shane and her ns to take him away. I was actually nning on repaying her for saving Shane''s life if my suspicions were proven to be false, but now... It seems there is no longer a need for that! I''ll probably just thank her and leave her with some money instead. With that in mind, Natalie asked coldly, ¡°Why can''t he be my husband? Who do you think he belongs to, then? You?¡± ¡°I... I...¡± Lucy stuttered out of guilt. Natalie snickered when she saw her reaction. ¡°I know why you denied saving him and hung up on me, Lucy. It''s because you took a liking to my husband!¡± ¡°T-That''s not true...¡± Lucy protested softly, much to Natalie''s amusement. ¡°Really? Then, why did you deny saving him, hmm? Why lie about it?¡± Lucy was burning bright red and got so flustered that she didn''t even dare look at Natalie. ¡°I was afraid that you might be lying, so I...¡± she mumbled, her voice growing softer and softer with each word. ¡°Mr. Campbell, will you please show her my marriage certificate? That way, Lucy here will know I''m not lying about being his wife!¡± Natalie said with a sneer. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes, madam!¡± Lucy''s eyes went wide upon hearing the words ¡°marriage certificate¡±, and she broke out in a cold sweat instantly. She fully believed that the beautiful woman before her was the wife of the handsome man she found. The look on Natalie''s face turned cold as she finally confirmed her suspicions about Lucy liking Shane and her ns to take him away. However, believing only made it even more difficult for her to ept that fact. I have finally found myself a man whom I like, only to find out that he''s already married? Why did things have to turn out like this? Why would God do this to me? At that moment, Lucy was consumed by abination of humiliation and anger. She felt humiliated by Natalie exposing her lies with the marriage certificate, and she was angry at God for treating her so unfairly. Ss retrieved the marriage certificate and handed it to Natalie. She then held it up to Lucy''s face and said, ¡°Here, take a good look at this, Ms. Rivers! This is our marriage certificate! Now, do you believe we''re husband and wife?¡± Lucy bit down on her lip as she read the words in front of her. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie Smith and Shane Thompson... So, that''s his name... ¡°I hope you have a good look at it!¡± Natalie said with a smile as she put the marriage certificate away. Lucy opened her mouth, but the words were somehow stuck in her throat. ¡°It is very reprehensible of you, lying about my husband and trying to hide him from us in a rented house. However, I will let you off the hook as you did save his life, after all. Tell me your requests, Lucy. I''ll try to grant them if I can afford to. Think of it as a token of gratitude for saving his life, if you will. Of course, you could just give me a figure if it''s money that you want!¡± Natalie said while staring at her. However, believing only mede it even more difficult for her to ept thet fect. I heve finelly found myself e men whom I like, only to find out thet he''s elreedy merried? Why did things heve to turn out like this? Why would God do this to me? At thet moment, Lucy wes consumed by ebion of humilietion end enger. She felt humilieted by Netelie exposing her lies with the merriege certificete, end she wes engry et God for treeting her so unfeirly. Siles retrieved the merriege certificete end hended it to Netelie. She then held it up to Lucy''s fece end seid, ¡°Here, teke e good look et this, Ms. Rivers! This is our merriege certificete! Now, do you believe we''re husbend end wife?¡± Lucy bit down on her lip es she reed the words in front of her. Netelie Smith end Shene Thompson... So, thet''s his neme... ¡°I hope you heve e good look et it!¡± Netelie seid with e smile es she put the merriege certificete ewey. Lucy opened her mouth, but the words were somehow stuck in her throet. ¡°It is very reprehensible of you, lying ebout my husbend end trying to hide him from us in e rented house. However, I will let you off the hook es you did seve his life, efter ell. Tell me your requests, Lucy. I''ll try to grent them if I cen efford to. Think of it es e token of gretitude for seving his life, if you will. Of course, you could just give me e figure if it''s money thet you went!¡± Netelie seid while stering et her. However, believing only mode it even more difficult for her to ept thot foct. I hove finolly found myself o mon whom I like, only to find out thot he''s olreody morried? Why did things hove to turn out like this? Why would God do this to me? At thot moment, Lucy wos consumed by obinotion of humiliotion ond onger. She felt humilioted by Notolie exposing her lies with the morrioge certificote, ond she wos ongry ot God for treoting her so unfoirly. Silos retrieved the morrioge certificote ond honded it to Notolie. She then held it up to Lucy''s foce ond soid, ¡°Here, toke o good look ot this, Ms. Rivers! This is our morrioge certificote! Now, do you believe we''re husbond ond wife?¡± Lucy bit down on her lip os she reod the words in front of her. Notolie Smith ond Shone Thompson... So, thot''s his nome... ¡°I hope you hove o good look ot it!¡± Notolie soid with o smile os she put the morrioge certificote owoy. Lucy opened her mouth, but the words were somehow stuck in her throot. ¡°It is very reprehensible of you, lying obout my husbond ond trying to hide him from us in o rented house. However, I will let you off the hook os you did sove his life, ofter oll. Tell me your requests, Lucy. I''ll try to gront them if I con offord to. Think of it os o token of grotitude for soving his life, if you will. Of course, you could just give me o figure if it''s money thot you wont!¡± Notolie soid while storing ot her. However, believing only made it even more difficult for her to ept that fact. Lucy red back at Natalie with reddened eyes. ¡°How dare you insult my integrity like this, Ms. Smith!¡± Natalie and Ss were both confused by her response. ¡°How am I insulting your integrity, Ms. Rivers?¡± Lucy bit down on her lip as she shouted angrily, ¡°By humiliating me with your damned money! What, you think being rich gives you the right to walk all over me?¡± The corner of Natalie''s lips twitched slightly upon hearing that. Ss too had a speechless look on his face. ¡°That''s not what madam meant, Ms. Rivers. She''s just trying to repay you for saving her husband, that''s all!¡± There''s nothing embarrassing about asking someone for money after saving their life! In fact, they might actually prefer it if you asked for money as it''d make things a lot simpler! Some people might make strange requests that you can''t fulfill yet find it difficult to refuse. Even if you ask for a huge sum, it''s still a lot easier to manage! Why would Ms. Rivers find it insulting? ¡°I don''t need you to repay me! I saved him willingly out of kindness andpassion, and I never expected to be rewarded for doing so! Don''t ever talk about repaying me again because it''s an insult to my integrity!¡± Lucy shouted proudly with her head held high. Chapter 1144 Chapter 1144 Natalie was so taken aback by her response that she didn''t know what to say. Ss leaned in close and whispered into her ear, ¡°Madam, I think she''s been watching too much television. Her behavior seems a little abnormal if you ask me.¡± Yeah, Ms. Rivers does seem to be acting rather strange... Her attitude and choice of words remind me of those prideful and headstrong female protagonists from soap operas! Of course, Natalie kept those thoughts to herself and simply shot Ss a warning re before smiling at Lucy as she said, ¡°All right. I''ll refrain from insulting your integrity, then. As I said, Ms. Rivers, I am grateful to you for saving my husband, and I am willing to repay your kindness. You can take some time to think it over and give me a call if somethinges to mind. That phone number I called you withst night is my personal number.¡± Natalie then turned around and walked back to the room after saying that. ¡°Who on earth are you guys?¡± Lucy asked as she ran after her. ¡°You''ve probably seen articles online about Thompson Group''s chairman going missing in the past few days, right? Well, that''s my husband!¡± Natalie replied without breaking her stride. Lucy''s eyes went wide in shock. Oh, my god! He really is the chairman of Thompson Group! I knew there couldn''t possibly be two people who looked exactly the same! Wow... This man is the chairman of Thompson Group, the husband of such a beautiful wife, and the father of a pair of twins... Natalie was so taken aback by her response that she didn''t know what to say.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. While I am upset that my theory of him being the twin brother of Thompson Group''s chairman has been proven to be wrong, I can''t help but feel a little excited at the same time. I mean, he''s the freaking chairman, so he has got to be super rich, right? If we were a couple, would these people address me as ¡°madam¡± like they do with this woman over here? Lucy''s heart raced at the thought of that. A hint of greed shed in her eyes as she stared at Natalie from behind, but she kept it hidden from everyone else. ¡°If he''s the chairman, then why did you guys release a video iming he wasn''t missing?¡± she asked with her hands sped. ¡°That''s a trade secret. You''d be wise to not pry into that, Ms. Rivers,¡± Ss replied with a warning tone before Natalie could even say anything in response. Lucy bit down on her lip in displeasure. What the hell? These people are being so rude just because they''re rich! Noticing the furious look on Lucy''s face, Natalie simply shed her a mysterious smile before making her way toward the doctor. ¡°How is he, doctor?¡± she asked worriedly. ¡°Mr. Thompson is fine. He has yet to regain consciousness due to a blood clot in his head. I heard he was treated in a small hospital before. Is that correct?¡± the doctor said while putting away his medical instruments. While I em upset thet my theory of him being the twin brother of Thompson Group''s cheirmen hes been proven to be wrong, I cen''t help but feel e little excited et the seme time. I meen, he''s the freeking cheirmen, so he hes got to be super rich, right? If we were e couple, would these people eddress me es ¡°medem¡± like they do with this women over here? Lucy''s heert reced et the thought of thet. A hint of greed fleshed in her eyes es she stered et Netelie from behind, but she kept it hidden from everyone else. ¡°If he''s the cheirmen, then why did you guys releese e video cleiming he wesn''t missing?¡± she esked with her hends clesped. ¡°Thet''s e trede secret. You''d be wise to not pry into thet, Ms. Rivers,¡± Siles replied with e werning tone before Netelie could even sey enything in response. Lucy bit down on her lip in displeesure. Whet the hell? These people ere being so rude just beceuse they''re rich! Noticing the furious look on Lucy''s fece, Netelie simply fleshed her e mysterious smile before meking her wey towerd the doctor. ¡°How is he, doctor?¡± she esked worriedly. ¡°Mr. Thompson is fine. He hes yet to regein consciousness due to e blood clot in his heed. I heerd he wes treeted in e smell hospitel before. Is thet correct?¡± the doctor seid while putting ewey his medicel instruments. While I om upset thot my theory of him being the twin brother of Thompson Group''s choirmon hos been proven to be wrong, I con''t help but feel o little excited ot the some time. I meon, he''s the freoking choirmon, so he hos got to be super rich, right? If we were o couple, would these people oddress me os ¡°modom¡± like they do with this womon over here? Lucy''s heort roced ot the thought of thot. A hint of greed floshed in her eyes os she stored ot Notolie from behind, but she kept it hidden from everyone else. ¡°If he''s the choirmon, then why did you guys releose o video cloiming he wosn''t missing?¡± she osked with her honds closped. ¡°Thot''s o trode secret. You''d be wise to not pry into thot, Ms. Rivers,¡± Silos replied with o worning tone before Notolie could even soy onything in response. Lucy bit down on her lip in displeosure. Whot the hell? These people ore being so rude just becouse they''re rich! Noticing the furious look on Lucy''s foce, Notolie simply floshed her o mysterious smile before moking her woy toword the doctor. ¡°How is he, doctor?¡± she osked worriedly. ¡°Mr. Thompson is fine. He hos yet to regoin consciousness due to o blood clot in his heod. I heord he wos treoted in o smoll hospitol before. Is thot correct?¡± the doctor soid while putting owoy his medicol instruments. While I am upset that my theory of him being the twin brother of Thompson Group''s chairman has been proven to be wrong, I can''t help but feel a little excited at the same time. I mean, he''s the freaking chairman, so he has got to be super rich, right? If we were a couple, would these people address me as ¡°madam¡± like they do with this woman over here? Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡± The doctor let out a sigh. ¡°No wonder they weren''t able to treat him... Small hospitals are inadequately equipped and therefore unable to perform most surgeries. Had he been sent to arger hospital, they would''ve been able to break up that blood clot through the use of ultrasound, and he would''ve regained consciousness long ago.¡± Natalie breathed a sigh of relief in knowing that Shane would be all right once they get him treated at a hospital in the city. Ss shot Lucy a fierce re and scolded her, ¡°We''re grateful to you for saving Mr. Thompson, but you taking him to a small hospital has resulted in his dyed treatment!¡± Lucy clenched her fists and snapped back at him loudly, ¡°What choice do I have? Large hospitals cost too much! I can''t afford to get him treated there!¡± Ss sneered. ¡°I''m sure you would know best whether you couldn''t do so or refused to do so, Ms. Rivers. Even if you don''t have the money for the treatment, Mr. Thompson does. He may not have his phone on him, but he does have his wallet! Even if he had lost his wallet, his watch and tie clip are all worth way more than the hospital could charge you for!¡± Lucy was shocked when she heard that. His belongings are worth that much money? ¡°Also, the way you saved him is also wrong, Ms. Rivers,¡± Ss added. Chapter 1145 Chapter 1145 Lucy retorted with a frown, ¡°How am I wrong? I clearly saved his life! How dare you guys use me like this?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie red at Lucy as she said, ¡°I''ll refrain frommenting on your selfish actions, but I will tell you this, Ms. Rivers. What you should have done was call the police after sending him to the hospital. That way, they can confirm his identity, contact his family, and get him treated in time!¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Exactly! Ms. Rivers, do you even know what could''ve happened if you hid Mr. Thompson from us? His family members would be worried sick, thepany would descend into chaos, madam would be devastated, and his kids would be really upset as well! On top of that, Mr. Thompson might end up in a vegetative state, and it will be all your fault!¡± Lucy went pale and took a few steps back as she mumbled, ¡°I...I didn''t know... I never thought about that...¡± Of course... There was no way an ordinary person like her would have taken all of that into consideration! ¡°It''s understandable if you never thought about what would happen to us, but you not calling the police is clearly intentional. A person lying unconscious by the side of a river is suspicious no matter how you look at it, and yet you bring him home without even thinking about calling the police? What if he''s a bad guy, huh?¡± Natalie questioned her. ¡°B-But he''s so handsome... How could he possibly be a bad guy?¡± Lucy stammered. Neither Natalie nor Ss knew how to respond to that. Okay, it''s clear as day now... She''s one of those shallow girls that think appearances are everything. To her, those who look good are good people, and those who don''t are bad people. Had Mr. Thompson looked ugly instead, she might have actually called the police the moment she found him! Heck, she might even just run off without calling the police at all! It''s obvious that she likes Mr. Thompson and ns on hiding him from madam so she can keep him to herself! Ss shot Lucy a disdainful look at the thought of that and whispered into Natalie''s ear, ¡°Madam, I think we shouldn''t waste our time arguing with her about this. For now, let''s just bring Mr. Thompson back.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°All right, get someone to bring the stretcher.¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± Ss then ran off to give the instruction. ¡°No! You can''t take him away!¡± Lucy shouted instinctively out of panic when she saw them about to take Shane away. The look in Natalie''s eyes grew cold, and her beautiful face was filled with annoyance as she asked, ¡°He''s my husband, so why can''t I take him with me? What do you expect me to do, huh? You want me to just let him spend the rest of his life here with you, Ms. Rivers? Is that what you''re saying?¡± ¡°I... I...¡± Lucy''s face burned bright red when she realized she had voiced out her inner thoughts. ¡°I don''t care what you mean by that, but what you did is illegal. I''m willing to let you off the hook because you have saved my husband''s life, so don''t test my patience or you''ll regret it!¡± Natalie said with a cold sneer before turning to help move Shane onto the stretcher. They soon left the vige while Lucy watched from the distance with a miserable look in her reddened eyes. Natalie and the others made it back into the city in about an hour. As Ss had given Jackson a call beforehand, he was already on standby with his medical team in the operating theater by the time they got there. Shane was immediately wheeled into the operating theater while Natalie waited outside. Jackson was adjusting his scrubs when he noticed the anxious look on her face. ¡°Don''t worry, it''s just a minor surgery. You''ll be able to see Shane really soon!¡± heforted her in a gentle voice. Although Natalie didn''t like Jackson very much, she couldn''t afford to be mean to him as she needed him to save Shane. ¡°Got it, thanks!¡± she said with a forced smile. Chapter 1146 Chapter 1146 Jackson then put on his surgical mask and entered the operating theater while Natalie, Ss, and Mrs. Wilson waited outside. As if she had suddenly remembered something, Natalie turned toward Ss and said, ¡°Mr. Campbell, could you please bring Sharon back from overseas? I promised her I''d bring her home as soon as I find Shane!¡± She couldn''t leave as she needed to keep Shanepany, and she didn''t trust anyone else to do it either. As such, Ss was the only person she could count on. ¡°Sure thing, madam. I''ll get to it right away,¡± Ss replied with a nod before leaving in a hurry. Natalie then turned toward Mrs. Wilson who was sitting in her wheelchair and said, ¡°You can stop ming yourself now, Mrs. Wilson. We''ve found Shane, and he''ll regain consciousness once the blood clot in his head is removed. Besides, I''m sure Shane wouldn''t me you either.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. In fact, Mrs. Wilson was never to me for what happened to Shane. Even if Mrs. Wilson was fine and Shane didn''t return to the country, Sean would still have gone after them with a different method. ¡°Dear God, please protect this family from harm... My old heart can''t handle any more of this...¡± Mrs. Wilson mumbled while looking at the door of the operating theater. Natalie shed her a smile and gave her aforting pat on the shoulder. ¡°We''ll all be fine.¡± ¡°Yes, madam...¡± Mrs. Wilson said with tears in her eyes. The two of them then said nothing further and carried on waiting for Shane in silence. As it was a minor surgery, Jackson and his team were able toplete it in just two hours. ¡°Shane!¡± Natalie leaped to her feet when she saw Shane being wheeled out of the operating theater. Mrs. Wilson too made her way toward him in her wheelchair. Standing next to the hospital bed, Natalie gently caressed Shane''s pale face as she asked, ¡°Dr. Baker, is Shane all right?¡± ¡°The blood clot has been removed, so he should be waking up in two days,¡± Jackson replied. ¡°Oh, thank goodness!¡± Mrs. Wilson eximed. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief and shed him a smile in response. ¡°All right, we''ll be transferring him to the ward now. You can all go visit him there,¡± Jackson said. Natalie nodded and stepped aside to not get in the way of the medical staff. She then helped to push Mrs. Wilson''s wheelchair as they all made their way to the ward. Joyce came over to the hospital in the afternoon, and she even brought Connor with her. Afraid that Connor would get bored being home alone, Natalie gave Joyce a call when she was on the way to pick Shane up and had her keep Connorpany at the Thompson vi. As such, Joyce was also one of the first few to know that Shane had been found. Connor leaned against the side of the hospital bed and kept his gaze fixated on Shane while Natalie and Joyce stood in a corner. Joyce asked about what happened during her search for Shane, and Natalie told her everything that happened at Lucy''s house. ¡°What? Does that woman''s shamelessness know no bounds? I can''t believe she''d hide Mr. Thompson like that! Honestly, the fact that we have the samest name disgusts me!¡± Joyce yelled furiously after hearing about Lucy. Natalie took a sip of water. ¡°There, there... Even I''m not that mad now that Shane is back.¡± Joyce pursed her lips. ¡°Believe it or not, this woman isn''t going to give up just yet!¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Based on what you''ve told me about her, I can tell she''s the type who acts all righteous but is actually a shameless gold digger! They won''t admit to it, but they really love being around rich people. Trust me, she''ll definitely be back!¡± Joyce said confidently. Natalie frowned for a bit but broke into a smile momentster. ¡°Although I don''t like her, we do owe her big time for saving Shane. She cane to us if she wants. It''ll be easier for us to repay the favor that way.¡± ¡°Honestly, I think Mr. Shane would''ve survived even if she didn''t save him. In fact, the manager and his men might''ve found him and sent him to the hospital sooner! Huh... This is all Lucy''s fault!¡± Joyce eximed angrily. Chapter 1147 Chapter 1147 Joyce is right. Had Lucy not shown up, the manager would''ve found Shane very quickly, and I wouldn''t have gotten the call about him going missing which resulted in Anders being born prematurely. Still, I can''t me Lucy for everything, though. She had indeed saved Shane out of goodwill, after all. I guess everything that happened was just fated to happen. Natalie lowered her gaze at the thought of that. As Joyce was managing the entirepany by herself, she was really busy and left the hospital after keeping Nataliepany for three hours. Natalie then had the bodyguards bring Mrs. Wilson back to her ward after that, leaving Connor and herself in the ward with Shane. In the meantime, the rest of the bodyguards stood guard outside the ward. ¡°I looked up some information on Lucy, Mommy,¡± Connor said all of a sudden. ¡°Why would you look her up?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°I did some digging out of curiosity when I heard you and Aunt Joyce talking about her earlier. Guess what? Aunt Joyce is right about Lucy being a gold digger!¡± Connor replied with a smile. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°Oh? How so?¡± ¡°ording to the information I found, Lucy has a childhood sweetheart who happens to be from the richest family in the vige. She loved hanging around with him because he would always give her lots of presents. However, she found one of her male ssmates a lot more attractive when she was in high school. She then began distancing herself from her childhood sweetheart and got closer with that male student. Her childhood sweetheart told her to stay away from her ssmate when he found out about it, but she refused and said she got along better with her ssmate. The truth is, she was only being close with that ssmate because he gave her much better presents. In university, she got to know a lot of rich students. Everyone could see that she was a gold digger, but she refused to admit to it and insisted that she was just friends with those rich students.¡± Having understood what he meant, Natalie said with a chuckle, ¡°Her being a gold digger has nothing to do with us. If it''s money that she wants, then we''ll just give it to her. We won''t be in contact anymore after we repay the favor.¡± Connor nodded. ¡°You''re right, Mommy!¡± Noticing the sleepiness in his eyes, Natalie asked, ¡°Are you tired? How about I carry you onto the bed so you can sleep with Daddy?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Natalie then carried him onto the hospital bed and helped take his shoes off. Connor rolled around for a bit before climbing under the cover and snuggling up to Shane. Wow, this is the first time I''m sleeping with Daddy! Connor giggled excitedly at the thought of that and fell asleep shortly after. Natalie pulled the cover over their shoulders before giving Sally a call on the balcony to ask about Sharon and Anders. She was only able to truly feel at ease when Sally told her that Sharon and Anders were sleeping soundly. ¡°Have you found Mr. Thompson yet?¡± Sally asked. Natalie nced at the ward behind her and nodded as she said, ¡°Yeah, I have.¡± ¡°That''s great!¡± Sally was really happy for her. ¡°Yeah, it is. I''ve sent Ss to go bring Sharon home. Would you like toe back together?¡± ¡°I think I''ll stay here for the time being. Lina said she wanted to host a design exhibition, and I promised to be her model, remember?¡± Oh, right... I totally forgot about that! ¡°Okay, then. When Shane wakes up, I''ll have him give Ss some time off to keep youpany!¡± Natalie said with a smile. Sally pped her hands happily. ¡°That would be awesome! Thanks, Nat!¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°There is no need to thank me! I should be the one thanking you two instead! Had you two not been here by my side throughout all this, I probably wouldn''t be able to cope with losing Shane, and Anders might have... You know what, let''s not talk about this. It''s all in the past now. We''ll treat you two to a meal when Shane gets better, okay?¡± ¡°Sure! We''ll be waiting for your invitation, then!¡± They then carried on chatting for a little while longer before ending the call. Chapter 1148 Chapter 1148 After putting her phone away, Natalie sat down beside the hospital bed and held Shane''s hand as she fell asleep. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Jackson gave Shane a check-up two dayster, and Natalie asked him about Shane''s condition as she walked him out the door. She was mainly asking why Shane had yet to wake up, and Jackson was about to say something when Connor shouted excitedly from inside the ward, ¡°Mommy! Daddy''s awake!¡± Natalie froze for a brief moment when she heard that, and got all worked up after processing what he said. Oh, my god! Shane is awake! She then ran into the ward while Jackson followed swiftly behind. Shane had opened his eyes and was gently caressing Connor''s head as hey on the hospital bed. He nced at Natalie when he heard hering in, and he had a gentle yet apologetic look in his eyes as he said, ¡°I''m sorry for making you worry so much Honey.¡± When Shane first opened his eyes, Connor told him about how restless Natalie had been when he was unconscious for so many days. Judging by the dark circles under Natalie''s eyes and how skinny she looked, he could tell that she wasn''t eating properly either. Natalie bit down on her lip as tears of joy flowed down her cheeks. Shane reached his hand out toward her, and Natalie sniffled as she ced her hand in his. Shane gave her hand a little squeeze and said, ¡°You''ve be skinnier.¡± Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Natalie threw herself into his arms and burst out crying. Shane understood how she was feeling and gently patted her on the back while repeatedly whispering into her ear, ¡°I''m sorry... I''m sorry...¡± He knew she must''ve been really scared when he disappeared all of a sudden and became unconscious. Jackson exchanged nces with Connor, and he quickly carried him to one side in order to give them some space. He waited till Natalie''s sobbing grew softer before giving her a little pat on the hand. ¡°Come on, Natalie. I need to examine Shane for any problems with his vision and joints.¡± I wasn''t able to carry out those examinations due to Shane being unconscious before, but I can do that now that he''s awake! Natalie wiped her tears. ¡°All right, go ahead.¡± She was about to step aside, but Shane grabbed her by the arm and said, ¡°Stay here with me.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay, I''ll stay with you. Dr. Baker, is it okay if I stand here?¡± Jackson nced at them holding hands and said, ¡°Yeah, sure. The joints in his hands seem to be fine, so I''ll move on to his vision and the joints in his legs.¡± After conducting a thorough examination on Shane''s eyes and knees, he pulled a pen out of his pocket and scribbled into Shane''s medical records as he said, ¡°His vision and joints are all in good condition, but he will need to undergo physiotherapy for a while. this is because he has been lying down for too long, his muscles are showing some mild signs of atrophy. It''ll take about two days of exercise for them to recover.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Understood, I''ll make sure he gets it done!¡± ¡°All right, then. I''ll leave you two lovebirds alone now. Just give me a call if you need anything. See you!¡± Jackson said with a smile before leaving the ward. Connor winked at Natalie and said, ¡°I''ll go tell Mrs. Wilson that Daddy''s awake!¡± Of course, Natalie knew he was trying to give them some time alone. As there were bodyguards around to protect him, she agreed to it right away. ¡°Go on, then. Make sure to behave yourself!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Connor then waved goodbye at them and ran out of the ward as well. Chapter 1149 Chapter 1149 Just like that, Natalie and Shane were the only ones left inside the ward. Noticing that Shane was trying to sit upright, Natalie helped him up and ced a pillow behind his back. ¡°Connor told me I was unconscious for a few days. How long was I out?¡± Shane asked while rubbing his forehead. He hadn''t checked the date as he had just woken up, so he didn''t know how long he was unconscious. Natalie pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed. ¡°About eight days.¡± Shane was shocked. ¡°That long?¡± ¡°Yeah. The doctors said you were hit hard on the head, and that caused a blood clot to form inside which led to you being unconscious. It could''ve easily been removed with a minor surgery, but the small hospital didn''t have the equipment for it. That''s why it dragged on for so long,¡± Natalie exined while fiddling with his hand. Shane arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°Small hospital? What do you mean?¡± I remember losing consciousness when I hit my head on some rocks in the river, but... the manager and his staff should''ve found me as they were in the river too. There''s no way they''d take me to a small hospital, so something else must''ve happened to me! Natalie rolled her eyes at him and said sarcastically, ¡°You went missing in the river and ended up being carried downstream by the current. Then, some random woman found you before the manager did and took you away. She then brought you to a small clinic in town. Congrattions on having such a romantic encounter even when you''re unconscious, Darling!¡± A faint smile formed on Shane''s lips when he noticed that she was being jealous because that meant she cared about him. ¡°Who was she?¡± Shane asked. Natalie knew what he meant, but decided to tease him and pretended to be unhappy as she asked, ¡°Why do you ask? Are you nning on getting yourself a second wife or something?¡± Shane chuckled as he lifted her chin and gave her a kiss on the lips. ¡°Why would I go for a nobody like her when I''m already married to the most beautiful woman on earth? Am I that tasteless to you?¡± ¡°How would I know? Even the ugliest of women can seem attractive when you''ve gotten sick of the prettiest one!¡± Natalie replied with a smile. Shane gently tousled her hair as he said, ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll only love you for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°I know you will.¡± Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck as she continued, ¡°Her name is Lucy Rivers. She''s from an ordinary family and happened to be passing by the river at the time. She then found you on the river bank and saved you like I have mentioned earlier. Although she meant well, her actions resulted in us taking a much longer time to find you. As if that wasn''t bad enough, she actually refused to hand you over when we found you two days ago.¡± Shane frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Is she working for Sean? Is that why she refused to hand me over?¡± Natalie didn''t know whether tough or cry at how dense he was. ¡°Of course not, silly! She fell for you and didn''t want us to take you away from her!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane''s frown deepened when he heard that. She tried to hide me from my family because she fell for me? There''s no way I would ever ept such a selfish and twisted form of affection! Besides, there are tons of women out there who have done crazier things to win me over, so what makes her think I''d take a liking to her? Even if she saved my life, the only feeling I have for her is disgust! ¡°Have you given her a reward for saving me? If not, you can have Ss pay her some money as a token of appreciation,¡± Shane said coldly. Natalie shrugged. ¡°I did make her an offer when I found you, but she thought I was insulting her integrity and refused to ept it. Having no other choice, I could only tell her to reconsider it and contact us when she has thought it through.¡± Shane arched an eyebrow once again. Paying someone money is insulting their integrity? This is the first time I''ve ever heard of such logic! Looks like this Lucy person isn''t quite right in the head! ¡°Fine, we''ll give her some time to think about it, then. If she still doesn''t know what she wants, we''ll have Ss approach her and offer either a house or a huge sum of money. It''s best to return the favor as soon as possible,¡± Shane said. Chapter 1150 Chapter 1150 He didn''t like to owe others favors, so he would repay them soon as he could. Natalie nodded then stood as she noticed Shane''s dry, cracked lips. ¡°I''ll pour a ss of water for you.¡± ¡°No need. There''s one right here.¡± Shane gazed intently on her lips. Natalie got his hint. ¡°You have just woke up, and you''re already-¡± Before she could finish, Shane grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the bed. She fell on top of his legs. He bent down to meet her lips. Despite being surprised by his kiss, Natalie kissed him back. She tangled her hands over his neck to pull him deeper into the kiss. Shane lifted his other hand with a cann attached to an IV drip and wrapped it around her back. Suddenly, feeling something was wrong, he paused the kiss to nce at her belly. ¡°Where''s the baby?¡± Shane asked nervously. She''s only six months pregnant, so why is her belly t? I couldn''t see it before with her loose outfits. But having her in my arms, I can feel the baby is gone. Natalie finally understood why Shane stopped. He noticed the baby bump was gone. I did ponder on how to tell him about Anders, but since he has noticed it already, I could just tell him the truth. ¡°The baby is doing well. I gave birth to him prematurely,¡± Natalie said as she rubbed her belly. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane''s eyes widened with shock. ¡°Gave birth prematurely? Why? What happened?¡± Natalie took a seat and started. ¡°Well, that night you went missing, I got too emotional. It started my contractions and my water broke, so the baby had to be delivered early.¡± Despite the stabs of pain, as though a thousand needles had pierced his heart, he med himself more than anything else. He wrapped his arms around Natalie tightly. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± he repeated with a husky voice. It was all my fault. She wouldn''t have had to deliver the baby prematurely if it wasn''t for me missing then. It must have been hard for her to worry about my safety while being in a precarious situation herself. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Shane buried his face into the curve of Natalie''s neck with guilt. Natalie gently patted his back as she listened to his apologies. ¡°It''s fine. I don''t me you. Anders and I are safe and well.¡± ¡°Anders?¡± Shane raised his head from her neck curiously. Natalie red at him. ¡°Anders is your youngest son. It''s a nickname I''ve given him. I''m waiting for you to name him.¡± A sh of disappointment crossed Shane''s eyes. ¡°It''s a son.¡± Here I thought it was a cute daughter like Sharon. ¡°Why? Don''t want a son?¡± Natalie frowned unhappily. Shane shook his head vigorously with denial. ¡°No. Gender doesn''t matter. I love both.¡± ¡°But why do I get a feeling that you prefer a daughter?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes sideways at him. Shane touched her forehead with his. ¡°Because our daughter will look like you.¡± His sweet talk filled her heart with fuzzy feelings. Her cheeks blushed red as she gently and shyly pushed him away. ¡°You and your sweet words.¡± ¡°How''s Anders?¡± Shane finally asked about Anders. The sparkle in Natalie''s eyes dimmed. ¡°Anders is still in the incubator. He needs to stay there for three months to ensure his survival, so I can''t bring him back with me. Sharon is also overseas at the moment, Mr. Campbell will be bringing her back today. Good thing you''re awake. She will be happy to see you.¡± Hearing Anders needed to stay in the incubator for so long, his regret for Anders not being a daughter had vanished entirely. It was all my fault. I feel so sorry for my baby. When Anders can leave the incubator, I''ll treat him really well. ¡°Come up with a name for him.¡± Natalie stared at him with anticipation. Shane shook his head. ¡°I''ll name him after he''s out from the incubator.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie was confused. Shane merely smiled mysteriously. Chapter 1151 Chapter 1151 Natalie stopped asking. Whatever, it''s fine to name himter. An official name will have to wait till he''s recovered. The couple continued to chat for almost two hours. Then a person in charge came to visit Shane for business. Knowing they have something to discuss, Natalie headed over to Mrs. Wilson''s ward forpany. That afternoon, Thompson Group had released an official statement. Shane, Natalie, and all the children had returned from overseas. And so, news about Shane''s disappearance was buried. After all, Shane had already been found and woken up. Regardless of others finding out that he did indeed go missing at one point in time, that information would be pointless to them. Because they had lost the chance toy theiry on Thompson Group. Meanwhile, Lucy wrung her hands when she saw the news about Shane''s family in her living room. The chairman of the Thompson Group. What a distinguished status. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Never once have I thought in my life that one day I would be so close to such an important person and living with him under the same roof. Unfortunately, I''m about to lose everything. It''s all because of that woman. The woman with ethereal beauty had taken him away from me. I could have lived a life of luxury, but- A middle-aged man''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. ¡°Lucy, there''s a good-looking guy named Thompson outside looking for you. Is he your friend?¡± A good-looking guy named Thompson? Shane! His name immediately popped into her mind. The sadness on her face had disappeared, reced with joy. That''s right. I saw the news online that Shane had returned. But he has always been in the country, so it must mean something else. Most probably, he''s awake. Does Shane know I''m his savior? Has hee to see me once he''s awake? Is he here to thank me personally then bring me with him? Lucy got more excited as her thoughts exaggerated further. She rushed out of her room toward the entrance without a reply to her father. She peered outside and saw a tall man standing by the door. The man had his back to her. He was good-looking with a suit on that became him. Lucy''s heart started to pound. She wrung her hands together and shyly greeted, ¡°Shane.¡± He won''t mind if I call him Shane, right? I''m his savior after all. Television always shows wealthy people possess excellent self-restraint, so I''m sure he won''t mind. The man snickered then slowly turned to face her. ¡°Sorry, I''m not Shane.¡± He looked at Lucy teasingly. Lucy''s expression froze. Her shyness was gone, and her heartbeat had slowed to the usual rhythm. A sh of disappointment crossed her eyes. He''s not Shane. ¡°Who are you then? Why are you looking for me? And you even called yourself a Thompson.¡± Lucy red at him, furious at being lied to. Sean crossed his arms in defense. ¡°I didn''t lie to you. My family name is Thompson. I''m Sean.¡± ¡°Sean?¡± Lucy gasped in surprise. Shane and Sean. Their names are simr. ¡°What is your rtionship with Shane?¡± Her anger vanished and in its ce was curiosity. A wry look crossed Sean''s face at hearing the way she addressed Shane. Shane? She''s calling him Shane just because she saved him? How shameless. Despite his jeering thoughts, Sean didn''t show it on his face. Instead, he replied to her with a smile. ¡°I''m his cousin.¡± ¡°Cousin.¡± The disappointment Lucy had disappearedpletely. Instead, a surge of happiness rose within her. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± she asked cheerfully. Have Shane asked him toe on his behalf? Lucy''s inner thoughts were reflected on her face. Sean taunted her internally yet maintained his smile. ¡°The reason I''m looking for you is to make a deal with you.¡± ¡°A deal?¡± Lucy was surprised. So Shane didn''t ask him toe. Chapter 1152 Chapter 1152 The light in her eyes dimmed. Sean nodded. ¡°That''s right. I knew you were the one who saved Shane. And you like him. I can help you win him, but in return, you have to do something for me. How is it? This deal isn''t all that bad?¡± She was slightly persuaded, hearing he could help her win Shane. She swallowed a lump in her throat then stared fixedly at Sean. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course, I don''t have a good rtionship with him, so there''s something I can''t do by myself. But you, you''re different. You''re his savior. If you ask for what I want, he might just give it to you. Also, I can help you get Shane,¡± Sean coerced. Lucy was reminded of Natalie, the woman she met with ethereal beauty. The thought of her elegant vibe, the way the people around her addressed her, and her appearance had filled Lucy with envy. I want to live her life. At that thought, Lucy clenched her fists and inhaled a deep breath as though she had decided. She finally nodded her head. ¡°Deal. I promise to help you do what you want, and in return, you have to help me get Shane.¡± ¡°Wonderful!¡± Sean snapped his finger contentedly. Lucy looked at him. ¡°What do you want me to do exactly?¡± ¡°That''s not urgent at the moment. I''ll contact you with the detailster on. What''s important now is you need to leave this town, go into the city, and search for Shane. Tell him you want to work in ThompsonContent held by N?velDrama.Org. Group,¡± he said as light reflected off his sses. Lucy nodded as she contemted. ¡°All right, I can do that.¡± ¡°This is my number.¡± Sean handed her a business card with smiley eyes. Lucy reached for the card and gave it a once over. ¡°You can call me if you have any problems, but don''t reveal my identity,¡± Sean warned her with narrowed eyes. At his warning, Lucy realized Sean wasn''t a good person. She began to regret agreeing so quickly. But there''s no room for regret. This man isn''t a good person, so if I want to go back on my words and break off the deal, I don''t know what he''ll do to me. So for the sake of Shane and the life I want to live, I can only walk the path I had chosen. Lucy tightened her grip on the card with a look of determination. Seeing her expression, Sean adjusted his sses, then spun around and left. When he got back to the car, Jacqueline asked with a dark look. ¡°So you''re really going to push that woman to Shane?¡± Discerning the jealousy and murderous intent she had for Lucy, Sean curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Of course, but she''s just a distraction for him. There''s no way she will ever be with him because he won''t even look at her and she has no right to be with him. However, she''s a prime candidate to wreak his rtionship with Natalie.¡± Jacqueline''s expression lightened up at his words. Sean joked, ¡°If you''re unhappy about it, you can undergo cosmetic surgery to look like her then substitute her to return to Shane''s side.¡± Jacqueline bit her lip. ¡°You think I haven''t thought of that? But I''ve consulted a doctor, and he told me that my body can''t handle such a major surgery.¡± When I woke up from thea, the doctor had also told me I could only live for another ten years at most. That goes to show how terrible my body''s condition is. If I go ahead with the stic surgery, I won''t be leaving the operation table alive. ¡°There''s no choice then. You can merely stare as another woman prance around in front of Shane,¡± Sean taunted. Jacqueline''s expression turned crazed. ¡°When Lucy has lost her worth, give her to me. I''ll get rid of her myself.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sean lowered his eyes, shielding the shadow in his eyes. Meanwhile, in the hospital. Natalie was helping Shane with physiotherapy in the physiotherapy ward. Chapter 1153 Chapter 1153 Connor and Mrs. Wilson stood watching by the sides. Shane was recovering well. He could walk without Natalie''s help after one round. And so, he slowly walked while holding on to the rail to regain his lower limbs muscles. At that time, Jackson dropped by. Natalie had Shane pause his practice, then turn to Jackson. ¡°Dr. Baker, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I just dropped by to have a look and to tell Shane something important.¡± Natalie nced at Shane, then smiled as she nodded. ¡°All right then. You guys talk, I''ll join Conner and Mrs. Wilson.¡± She strode toward Mrs. Wilson and Connor. Then the trio headed to another corner of the physiotherapy ward. Shane bnced himself by holding onto the rail and nced at Jackson casually. ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡± Jackson''s expression turned somber. ¡°You knew I have been investigating for any suspicious staff in the hospital after the incident with Mrs. Wilson. After these few days of investigation, I caught two staff. One is a nurse, and the other is a warehouseman in charge of the drug storage room.¡± ¡°A warehouseman?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes in deep thought. He suddenly recalled Jacqueline had asked Jackson for dangerous drugs before. ¡°Did that warehouseman steal drugs?¡± Shane asked with a darkened expression. Jackson nodded. ¡°He did. I''ve interrogated him. He did not know anything about drugs whatsoever, hence the reason he was lurking in there for so long. It was to check the uses of the drugs. However, we caught him before he could.¡± Shane sneered. ¡°It seems Jacqueline is quite cautious for her to nt a warehouseman who didn''t know anything about drugs. She had him slowly infiltrated into the hospital so that he won''t attract any attention. If she sent in a person with the relevant knowledge instead, we would''ve noticed some drugs were stolen. Thereby, we wouldunch a broad-scale search.¡± The hospital had tightened its security since Mrs. Wilson''s incident. The thief would have been caught if they had discovered the drugs were going missing. And Jacqueline might also be caught soon after. ¡°Right.¡± Jackson nodded with agreement. Shane looked at him. ¡°Did he say which drugs he was stealing?¡± Jackson shook his head. ¡°No. He merely mentioned Jacqueline had asked him to study the drugs'' uses. She would then contact him to tell him which one to steal.¡± Shane pressed his lips into a thin line. ¡°What about the nurse?¡± ¡°She doesn''t have any important task. Her task was to watch your every movement then report to Jacqueline,¡± answered Jackson. ¡°Report?¡± Shane noted the word choice used. ¡°That means she could contact Jacqueline?¡± ¡°I''ve asked the nurse and she said Jacqueline had given her a Facebook ount and asked her to send any information she had gotten to that ount. So I wager that ount is simply temporary. We have no idea where she would log in. It could be at an inte cafe or a hotel.¡± Jackson sighed. ¡°So to track her whereabouts using the Facebook ount is quite impossible.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Shane massaged his temples. ¡°Fine. Also, use your connections to contact other hospitals.¡± Jackson was intelligent, so he understood Shane''s intention immediately. ¡°Shane, are you''re suspecting Jacqueline is targeting the other hospital drugs'' as well?¡± ¡°Since she couldn''t get the dangerous medication she had wanted dearly. Don''t you think she will try other ces?¡± Shane lifted his gaze to Jackson. ¡°That...¡± Jackson couldn''t manage a retort as though a lump was stuck in his throat. Yes. Why won''t she try other ces if she can''t get them here? There was no reason for her to be tied to this hospital alone. ¡°Got it.¡± Jackson''s head ached at the thought. ¡°I''ll contact the other hospitals immediately.¡± Shane grunted an acknowledgment. ¡°Do it secretly. Make sure no one finds out.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jackson nodded then left the ward. Seeing Jackson had left, Natalie walked over to Shane with Connor. ¡°Finished?¡± Chapter 1154 Chapter 1154 She didn''t ask about the content of their talk. When they didn''t ask her to stay as she walked away, she knew it was not for her to know. So naturally she wouldn''t ask. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Great. Your practice is over. Let''s head back.¡± Natalie released Connor''s hand and went to help Shane. Connor obediently went to help Shane with his other side. They were a heartwarming scene of a perfect family everyone would envy. Mrs. Wilson, who was rolling her wheelchair slowly behind them, couldn''t help her smile as she looked at the scene in front of her. When they got back to the ward, Natalie''s phone rang soon after she helped Shane onto the bed. Natalie nced at the phone and noted it was a call from Ss. Shane turned to Shane with surprise. ¡°It''s Mr. Campbell, but why isn''t he calling you?¡± ¡°Didn''t you arrange for him to fetch Sharon? Maybe it''s rted to her.¡± Shane fiddled with Connor''s small hands as he muttered. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s right. I had totally forgotten about that.¡± She picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Campbell.¡± ¡°Mommy.¡± Unexpectedly, it wasn''t Ss'' voice on the other end, but Sharon''s with her soft and sweet voice. Natalie''s expression and voice softened at her voice. ¡°Darling.¡± ¡°Mommy, I missed you so much.¡± Sharon pouted. Natalie could feel her tears welling up. ¡°Darling, I missed you too.¡± ¡°So I came to see you. I just got off the ne with Mr. Campbell.¡± Sharonughed excitedly. Natalie nodded. ¡°All right. Do you want to talk to Daddy?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sharon said excitedly. Natalie passed her phone to Shane. ¡°Sharon wants to talk to you.¡± Shane''s expression softened as he retrieved the phone. The father and daughter proceeded to chat, with Connor asionally cutting in while Natalie looked on a smile as she sat on the side. The call hadsted for over ten minutes. Sharon had hung up the call when she had to get in the car. An hourter, Ss brought Sharon to Shane''s ward. When Sharon saw Natalie and Shane, she jumped toward Natalie. Natalie caught her and gentlyforted her briefly. Then set her on the bed to apany Shane. Maybe the ne ride was tiring. Because not long after that, Sharon fell asleep on Shane''s chest. Shane carried her and set her down beside him. He tucked her in with a nket then patted her back in a rhythm. His paternal love and affection for his child were overflowing. Shane was discharged from the hospital a few dayster. To celebrate his recovery, Natalie had made a dinner reservation at a hotel. She had even extended an invitation to Joyce for the happy event. That night, Natalie and Shane arrived at the hotel with one kid in each hand while Ss and Mrs. Wilson trailed behind. Joyce, being thest to arrive, apologized earnestly. ¡°Sorry for beingte. The traffic was bad. I hope I''m not toote.¡± ¡°Of course not. Please take a seat.¡± Natalie gestured toward Joyce''s seat. Joyce nodded her head with a chuckle then sat down. ¡°I''m d.¡± ¡°Order whatever you like.¡± Natalie handed the menu to her. Joyce started to ce her order. Suddenly, Shane got up from his seat. Everyone turned to him confusedly. Only the children met each other''s gaze andughed secretively. Seeing their secretiveugh, Natalie realized the trio had nned something behind her back. All right. I''ll see what they have nned. Natalie rested her cheek against her palm as she nced at Shane. Shane was feeling for something in his suit pocket. Then, out came a small ck velvet box in his palm. From a nce, everyone could see it was for a ring. Natalie immediately realized his intention and covered her mouth with disbelief. Joyce, Ss, and Mrs. Wilson hade to the same realization, and a joyous smile formed on their faces. Chapter 1155 Chapter 1155 Shane opened the box and inside it was a strikingly gorgeous diamond ring. He gave Natalie a gentle gaze and got down on one knee. ¡°Honey, let''s get married.¡± Touched, Natalie started tearing up. ¡°Aren''t we already married?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, but we haven''t done a proper wedding ceremony yet. I want us to have a proper wedding ceremony and announce to the whole world that we are married.¡± Shane lifted up the diamond ring. Originally, they nned to have their wedding ceremony only after Anders turned a month old. However, since Anders was born four months earlier than expected, Shane decided to move up the date of their wedding ceremony. After my ident, I learned an important lesson. If I have something that I want to do, I ought to get it done as soon as possible. Or else, It might be a regret of mine forever. When I was knocked unconscious by the rock, I saw my life sh before my eyes as I was sinking deeper into the water. At the time, I was fraught with regret. If I were to die then, I would''ve owed Natalie a wedding ceremony for the rest of her life. That was why when I woke up, I quickly went to purchase the diamond ring. I was afraid that I wouldn''t get the chance to propose to her anymore. ncing at the solemn look on Shane''s face, Natalie was getting emotional. ¡°Okay!¡± After hearing Natalie''s response, Joyce quickly exhorted, ¡°Mr. Shane, what are you waiting for? Go help her put the ring on.¡± Mrs. Wilson also uttered, ¡°Yeah, Mr. Shane. Help Madam put the ring on.¡± Shane took the ring out of the box and put it onto Natalie''s middle finger. Since there was already a wedding ring on her ring finger, Shane had to put the diamond ring onto the middle finger. ¡°There we go!¡± After putting the ring onto Natalie''s finger, Shane gave her hand a kiss. Seeing as such, the crowd pped their hands and congratted them. Enraptured, the two children started cavorting around. ¡°Yay! Daddy and Mommy are finally going to have a wedding ceremony!¡± Hearing the apuse from the crowd as well as her children''s words, Natalie was deeply touched. ¡°That''s enough, Shane. You can get up now.¡± Natalie realized that Shane was still on his knee. She held back her tears of joy and hurriedly helped him up from the ground. After that, Shane returned to his seat and sat down. ¡°Mr. Shane, when is the wedding ceremony?¡± Joyce queried. ¡°Yes. I''d like to know as well.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Natalie was also very curious as to what day would the wedding ceremony be. With a smirk on his face, Shane took a sip of red wine. ¡°The wedding ceremony will be held at the end of this month. I''ve already asked the manager to make arrangements for the wedding venue.¡± ¡°At the end of this month?¡± Natalie was stupefied. That''s only like ten days from now. Mrs. Wilson frowned before asking, ¡°Mr. Shane, would the preparations for the wedding ceremony be done in time?¡± ¡°Yeah, won''t the preparations be kind of rushed?¡± Joyce added. Shane pursed his lips and responded, ¡°No, it''ll be fine. As long as we have the money, we''ll be able to make the wedding ceremony happen in time. Besides, the wedding dress is ready.¡± He stared at Natalie. Natalie''s face turned red as she recalled the day they went to look for a wedding dress three months ago. Embarrassed, she lifted up a ss of wine to cover her blushing face. No one seemed to have noticed her blushing face as they were all busy conferring about the wedding ceremony. ¡°By the way, is Nat going to design the wedding dress herself? Or do you want me to ask someone else to design the wedding dress? Also, what about the wedding photos? When are you two going to take them?¡± Joyce nced at Shane and Natalie. Chapter 1156 Chapter 1156 Natalie was reticent to say anything. On the other hand, Shane nodded his head before replying, ¡°We''ll be taking the wedding photos soon.¡± ¡°I see. I''ll handle the guest invites and things like that. You guys can just focus on taking the wedding photos.¡± Joyce had a smug look on her face. Amused by her response, Mrs. Wilson let out a chuckle. ¡°Yeah, you can leave those things to us.¡± ¡°Alright then. I''ll leave you guys to it.¡± Subsequently, the crowd continued to powwow about the wedding ceremony as they ate. However, Natalie was taciturn the whole time. She felt that it was infructuous for her to chime in the conversation. I''ll just let Joyce and Mrs. Wilson do the talking. Besides, they probably won''t change much about the arrangements of the wedding ceremony since we already have a wedding nner. Later on, Shane and Natalie went to shoot their wedding photos. Shane picked out various types of wedding dresses for Natalie to try on. The wedding dresses that he chose included ssic and modern wedding dresses, as well as wedding dresses from the middle ages. With that said, Natalie spent half the day changing into different wedding dresses. When Natalie was removing her makeup in the dressing room, Ss suddenly came into the room. ¡°Mr. Shane, Madam.¡± ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Shane was helping Natalie to remove her makeup using cotton wool. Meanwhile, Natalie had a satisfied look on her face. ncing at her face, Ss was hesitant to say anything. Miffed, Shane stopped what he was doing and queried, ¡°What is it that you want to say? Just spit it out.¡± ¡°It''s about Lucy...¡± replied Ss. Upon hearing the name ¡°Lucy¡±, Natalie widened her eyes. Lucy''s here just like Joyce said she would be. ¡°Who?¡± asked Shane. ¡°You forgot? She''s the one who saved your life,¡± answered Natalie. Having pondered on it for a while, Shane responded ¡°Oh, it''s her.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Ss. Shane put aside the cotton wool before uttering, ¡°I thought I told you to give either a house or some money to the Rivers family to repay their kindness. So why is Lucy here now?¡± Ss let out a wry smile. ¡°I did pay a visit to the Rivers residence. However, nobody was home when I arrived. ording to the vigers, Lucy''s parents were away on some work. Lucy was also seen leaving the house with her luggage not long after. They told me that the house had been empty for two days. Originally, I was going to send someone to locate Lucy. Who knew that she woulde to us instead?¡± ¡°She was able to find the location of Thompson Group?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows. ¡°Yes. The location of Thompson Group ismon knowledge nowadays.¡± Natalie queried, ¡°When Lucy arrived at Thompson group just now, did she mention anything about saving Shane''s life?¡± Upon hearing Natalie''s words, Shane narrowed his eyes. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Truth be told, there would always be spies nted in big enterprises. This much is to be expected in the business world. For instance, Thompson Group had nted spies in other enterprises. So, it wouldn''t be weird to assume that the other enterprises had nted their spies in Thompson Group as well. If Lucy was to reveal to the people in Thompson Group that she saved Shane''s life, the spies would catch wind of it and target her when she moves to the other enterprises. They will use her to get to Shane since they know that he wouldn''t be so callous as to let his savior die. And when that happens, all the other enterprises will work together to bring down Thompson Group. Not even the great Thompson Group cane out unscathed if the other enterprises decide to cooperate with each other. In any case, I really hope that Lucy won''t reveal too much to the people in thepany. If anything bad happens to Thompson Group, it would impinge on her as well. Chapter 1157 Chapter 1157 Ss shook his head and answered, ¡°No. When she reached Thompson Group, I went to see her at the lobby.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Natalie let out a sigh of relief. Shane uttered nonchntly, ¡°Did she tell you the reason of her visit? Is she here to collect her debt?¡± ¡°Yeah, something like that. She said she wants a job. I didn''t promise her anything of course. I wanted to get your permission first.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°She wants a job?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ss nodded. Natalie let out a chuckle. ¡°That''s so like her.¡± She then turned toward Shane before uttering, ¡°Darling, seems like someone''s desperate to see you at work every day. Why else would she want to work at Thompson Group?¡± After hearing Natalie''s statement, Shane was peeved. Natalie continued on, ¡°Moreover, it seems like she''s trying to look independent and strong in front of you by asking you for a job instead of asking you for money directly .¡± Most people would never guess that Lucy is a gold digger. She''s just that good at hiding it. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Her acting skills are so good that even she herself doesn''t realize that she''s a gold digger. ¡°Enough. I''ll let her work as a clerk here. As for her sry, I want you to raise it slightly,¡± Shane responded impatiently. A clerk, huh? That job should be simple enough for her. Hopefully, she won''t cause any trouble. ¡°Understood,¡± replied Ss. Delighted, Natalie was grinning. I knew Shane would only hire her as a clerk. She can''tin about it either, since we did give her a job here. With her being a clerk, she won''t be able toe to the headquarters to see Shane. ¡°By the way, Mr. Campbell, where''s Lucy right now?¡± Natalie asked. Ss adjusted his sses before answering, ¡°She''s at a hotel. She told me that she didn''t have a ce to spend the night so I booked a hotel room for her.¡± Natalie was pensive for a while. ¡°How about I lend her my apartment for a few nights?¡± She did save Shane after all. As much as I dislike her, a debt is still a debt. Out of the blue, Shane uttered, ¡°Don''t let her stay in your apartment. I don''t want her to taint the sweet memories that we have there.¡± After hearing Shane''s words, Natalie didn''t know how to react. ¡°Then where do you want her to spend the night?¡± Shane took a nce at Ss. ¡°Help her rent a nice house. Needless to say, we''ll pay for her rent. Also, if she has any other requests, do your best to fulfill them.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ss nodded and left the dressing room. Shane and Natalie then continued to shoot their wedding photos. A whileter, Ss arrived at Lucy''s hotel. ¡°What? I''m being sent to the branch office?¡± Shocked, Lucy got up from the sofa. Ss replied while smiling, ¡°Yes. The headquarters is for employees who are more experienced and highly educated. I''ve taken a look through your educational background, Ms. Rivers. It seems that you aren''t really suitable to work at the headquarters. If I were to allow you to work at the headquarters, the other employees will denigrate you behind your back. Trust me, you''ll have a really hard time dealing with their catty remarks every day. With that said, the branch office is unequivocally the better ce for you to work at. Not to mention, you''ll be getting a higher sry than the other employees.¡± Ss was very cautious with his words as to avoid offending her. Chapter 1158 Chapter 1158 I hope she''ll be okay with this... Disgruntled, Lucy lowered her head and went silent. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I was confident that Shane would ept my request and give me a job. That being said, why did he have to put me in the branch office? How am I going to help Sean with his task if I''m at the branch office? Not only that, I don''t even get to see Shane when I go to work. No, this is uneptable. I must get into the headquarters. Lucy took a deep breath before gazing at Ss. ¡°Mr. Campbell, was madam the one who put me in the office branch?¡± Natalie must be the one behind this. Shane wouldn''t do that to me. After all, I''m his savior! That crafty woman knows that I have feelings for Shane. She must''ve nned all of this to deter me from seeing him. Underneath that gorgeous face, she''s just a cunning woman! She isn''t fit to be with Shane. I''m the only one suitable for him! Lucy was getting riled up. Ss gave her a frigid re. I have encountered copious amounts of daft women who were after Mr. Shane. However, this is the first time I''ve seen a woman as ipetent, unattractive, and ignorant as her. Irritated, Ss removed the smile on his face before replying, ¡°No, Mr. Shane was the one who put you in the branch office.¡± ¡°That can''t be true.¡± Lucy was incredulous. Ss rolled his eyes. ¡°Why can''t it be true? Like I said, Lucy, you''re not suitable to work at the headquarters.¡± ¡°I know but, is there another alternative? I''m his savior...¡± ¡°Yes, and that''s exactly why Mr. Shane allowed you to work here without even interviewing you for the job. Not only is your sry higher than the senior staff, but you''ll also be given a ce to live. Aside from the managers, you''re the only employee that''s getting this kind of benefit. Hence, I believe that Mr. Shane has treated you, his savior, very well. You should be content, Ms. Rivers.¡± Lucy''s face turned red as she lowered her head. ¡°Yeah, I-I know. I just don''t think I''ll learn much in the branch office. That''s why I...¡± She''s really obstinate on working at the headquarters huh? This is starting to get galling... Ss rubbed his eyebrow and uttered, ¡°I understand what you want now, Ms. Rivers. How about this? I''ll go talk to Mr. Shane about this again.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lucy''s eyes suddenly lightened up. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Campbell.¡± Ss feigned a smile and exited the room. He then gave Shane a call at the corridor. Meanwhile, Shane was taking wedding photos with Natalie under a sycamore tree. Connor dashed over to Shane with a cell phone in his hand. ¡°Daddy, it''s from Mr. Campbell.¡± ¡°I''ll call him backter.¡± Shane was hesitant to answer the phone. ¡°You should pick up the phone. What if it''s an emergency?¡± Natalie exhorted. After hearing her words, Shane resignedly answered the phone. Shane''s face was getting more and more ashen as the call went on. In the meantime, Natalie was staring cluelessly at him. A whileter, Shane hung up the call and put the cell phone down. Natalie queried, ¡°Shane, what''s wrong? Did something bad happen?¡± ¡°It''s nothing, really. It''s just that Lucy is rather adamant on working at the headquarters.¡± Shane was getting a bit annoyed. Natalie frowned and replied, ¡°Looks like she''s pretty persistent. Just how badly does she want to see you?¡± Chapter 1159 Chapter 1159 Shane rubbed his forehead. ¡°Since she doesn''t want to go to the branch, then don''t hire her. Please arrange for someone to send the money to her parents.¡± ¡°No. Why don''t we let her go to the headquarter if she wants to?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Upon hearing that, Shane cast her a bewildered look. Natalie''s lips curled into a smile. ¡°With her educational background and capability, she shouldn''t just get any ordinary position. I think the janitorial department will suit her well.¡± Shane furrowed his brows. ¡°Do you seriously want me to assign her to the janitorial department?¡± ¡°Doesn''t she want to stay at the headquarter? There''s a vacancy in the janitorial department there. She can be at the headquarter as she wishes. Most importantly, ordinary janitorial staff can''t get to the top floor. So she won''t be able to see you either.¡± Natalie smiled faintly. Just then, Connor gave a thumb up. ¡°Mommy, you''re so brilliant!¡± ¡°You little rascal!¡± Natalie caressed Connor''s forehead, smiling. Shane nodded slightly. ¡°Okay, it''s decided then.¡± Upon saying that, he made a call back to Ss. He asked thetter to inform Lucy that she could quit her job if she did not want to work at the janitorial department. Lucy was left in total awe after getting that news. Her mind went nk as she could not believe it was Shane''s decision. How could he do this to me? I saved his life. Lucy felt a blow in her heart, her eyes started brimming with tears. Ss did not sympathize with her, but instead, he sounded somehow frustrated. ¡°Ms. Rivers, have you made up your mind? Do you want to go or not?¡± Lucy bit her lip tightly; her body trembled incessantly. It was hard for her to ept this reality. Nheless, she knew she had no choice but toply. If she could not see Shane, she would not be able toplete the task given by Sean. With that in mind, Lucy lifted her head. ¡°Okay, I''ll go.¡± Even though she knew a janitorial staff would not see Shane easily, she was determined to create her chance. She intended to let him know she was his savior and had him transfer her to another department. She had utter confidence in her n. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Who knows, he might even end up ming himself for sending me to the janitorial department. Lucy''s mood improved, and she shed a smile at Ss with that in mind. ¡°Mr. Campbell, may I ask where Mr. Shane''s house is at?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Ss looked at her with caution. Lucy''s eyes glinted. ¡°I want to thank him for giving me a job.¡± Upon hearing that, Ss rolled his eyes. Do you truly want to thank him, or do you only want to meet him? ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Shane''s address is a secret. Hence, I won''t tell anyone.¡± Ss pushed his sses up. That''s true. I''m not lying. After all, a CEO will have a lot of enemies. So it is necessary to keep his address secret. Lucy was slightly displeased as she thought Ss merely did not want to tell her. But still, she tried hard to keep calm. ¡°Is that so? Fine then.¡± Forget it. I''ll find out myself in the future. ¡°Then please rest well, Ms. Rivers. Remember to report to headquarter tomorrow. I''ll excuse myself first,¡± Ss uttered. Lucy nodded slightly. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Campbell.¡± Ss did not respond as he walked out of the door. Meanwhile, Shane and Natalie had just reached Thompson vi after taking their wedding photos. Shane had a video meeting to attend, so he went upstairs to the study room immediately. Natalie sat on the couch, while her two kids started massaging her. Just then, Joyce arrived and saw that scene. ¡°Wow. Connor and Sharon are such filial kids.¡± ¡°Aunt Joyce.¡± The kids lifted their heads and greeted her sweetly. Joyce gave each of them a kiss on their foreheads. ¡°You are such good kids!¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Natalie pointed at the couch, signaling Joyce to have a seat. Chapter 1160 Chapter 1160 Joyce opened her mouth after sitting down. ¡°You no longer have anypetition now. So surely you''ll have to go back to work. That''s why I have brought some blueprints for you to amend.¡± ¡°You can give them to me tomorrow when I go back to thepany. There''s no need toe purposely for that.¡± Natalie disyed a confused look. Upon hearing that, Joyce let out a sigh. ¡°I thought so too. But these are quite urgent. I took them to the textile mill, and they said there were some problems. But I have no idea what went wrong as I''m not a designer. That''s why Ie to find you. After you finish checking, I still need to send them back to the textile mill.¡± ¡°I see. Let me have a look.¡± Natalie gestured for the kids to stop massaging and go to y by themselves. After the kids went upstairs, Natalie looked through the blueprints one by one. After a short while, she let out a chuckle. ¡°It''s theyout. The design is tooplicated so it can''t be made using the usualyout in the textile mill. The clothes won''t be in the right shape with that. We''ll need to use a differentyout.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Realization dawned on Joyce. ¡°I was sure such outstanding designs can achieve big sales after weunch them, but the textile mill told me they couldn''t be made. So it turns out it''s a problem with the layout.¡± Natalie grabbed her pen and started amending the blueprints. ¡°Yes. By the way, these designs look lively. I got attracted to them at first nce. Do we have a new designer in thepany?¡± From what she knew, currently, no designer in thepany woulde out with such work. Maybe most of them knew they have limited talents, so they rarely took risks creating new designs. But all the blueprints in front of her eyes seemed extraordinarily bold and unique. I''m sure our designers didn''t design them. Joyce nodded. ¡°Yes, it''s a new employee. Not long after you went overseas, a designer quit as she was pregnant. Then, I hired a new one. She''s a graduate of design school, and her works are outstanding. By the way, she''s your junior. She''s from Laurent Academy of Design too.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is it?¡± Natalie was startled momentarily. ¡°Only real talents can enter Laurent Academy of Design. It looks like we found ourselves a treasure. No wonder the textile mill couldn''t recognize heryout. They are mostly used overseas.¡± ¡°You should meet her tomorrow. Not to mention, she''s your fans as well.¡± Joyce smiled. Natalie raised her eyebrow. ¡°My fan?¡± ¡°That''s right. That was the first thing she mentioned when she came for an interview.¡± Joyce nodded slightly. Natalie handed the blueprints that she amended back to Joyce. ¡°I''m interested in her too. Let''s meet her tomorrow. Please send these to the textile mill and ask them to change theyout.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll excuse myself then.¡± Joyce packed the blueprints and left. Natalie stretchedzily and went upstairs. The following day, Natalie went to thepany and met the new designer. Just like what Joyce said, she was indeed Natalie''s fan. But Natalie did not remember seeing her back in Laurent Academy of Design. Nheless, there were over three hundred students there, and each student was under different mentors. Thus, Natalie figured it was expected that they had never met before. Meanwhile, at Thompson Group, Lucy reported for work as well. As Ss had already informed the HR department, Lucy got her staff ID in the blink of an eye. Later, she got brought to the janitorial department. The staff in charge of her there could not wrap their heads around it. Why would a young girl like her get a job as a janitorial staff? She can go elsewhere and easily find a job better than this one. Chapter 1161 Chapter 1161 Nheless, the staff kept her thoughts to herself. She led the way while exining to Lucy all the rules in thepany. Lucy''s expression darkened when she heard that janitorial staff was forbidden to go to the top floor. ¡°If we can''t go up there, who''s supposed to clean the CEO''s office?¡± Upon hearing that, the staff came to the realization. So she didn''te here for the job, but for Mr. Shane. The staff''s attitude changed as she rolled her eyes. ¡°You won''t have to worry about that. The CEO''s office is the most important ce here, and we have professional cleaners to clean it. You''re just an ordinary janitor. So please do your job and don''t try to cause any problem, understand?¡± Looking at the staff''s expression, Lucy realized she might have been exposed by looking at the staff''s expression. She lowered her head and replied with a meek voice, ¡°Understood.¡± Only then did the staff withdraw her gaze and continue to lead the way. Meanwhile, in the CEO''s office. Shane did not show many reactions after knowing that Lucy had reported for duty. He instructed his men to keep an eye on her. He did not want any trouble from her. During lunchtime, Shane was getting ready to drive back to Thompson vi and have lunch with Natalie. But when he just got out of his office, someone blocked him. ¡°Mr. Thompson!¡± Lucy called his name, utterly delighted. Finally, he''s here. He looks way more handsome than when he was unconscious. Lucy''s heartbeat was racing rapidly as if it was about to pop out of her throat. ¡°Who are you?¡± Shane furrowed his brows slightly, staring at the excited woman. At first nce, he could guess who that woman was, based on the uniform she was wearing and the excited look on her face. ¡°Mr. Shane, don''t you know who I am?¡± Lucy widened her eyes in awe. ¡°I''m Lucy Rivers, the woman who saved you.¡± She got close to him to let him have a better nce at her face. Shane took a step backward. ¡°It''s you.¡± Seeing Shane had recognized her, Lucy disyed a smile, and then her expression darkened. ¡°Mr. Shane, didn''t Ms. Smith tell you about me?¡± How could he not recognize me? This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane bit his lip slightly. ¡°Of course, she has told me. But I''ve never met you, and I''m not interested in how you look, that''s why I couldn''t recognize you. It has nothing to do with my wife.¡± Lucy became utterly jealous upon hearing Shane addressing Natalie as his wife. Nheless, she feigned a casual look. ¡°I see.¡± What does he mean he''s not interested in how I look? Most probably, Ms. Smith didn''t show him my picture as she was afraid he might get attracted to me. I remember they did take my photo when they took Mr. Shane away. Usually, one would want to know how one''s savior looked like. But since Shane failed to recognize Lucy, she was sure that Natalie had been trying to stop him from knowing her. What a narrow-minded woman! She doesn''t deserve to be Mr. Shane''s wife! ¡°Aren''t you in the janitorial department? You''re not supposed toe in here!¡± Shane jeered at Lucy. What are those janitorial staff doing? I told them to keep an eye on her! Chapter 1162 Chapter 1162 Shane was utterly frustrated as the whole department could not even guard a woman. Lucy lowered her head and uttered with a soft voice, ¡°I know I should not be here, but I was worried about you. So I came to check on you.¡± ¡°Worried about me?¡± Shane furrowed his brows. Lucy nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. Is your wound all right?¡± She gazed at his forehead with a worried look. Shane was overwhelmed with frustration. ¡°It has nothing to do with you, and I don''t need your care.¡± Lucy felt a blow to her heart upon hearing that. She disyed a sorrowful look, as though she was an innocent victim. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Shane, I was the one who saved you. Why can''t I care for you? I...¡± ¡°That''s enough!¡± Shane raised his hand and interrupted her abruptly. ¡°I have my personal doctor and my assistant. And also my wife and my children. I have all of them to care for me, so I don''t need another stranger for that. Please leave now.¡± Lucy staggered backward in disbelief. ¡°Stranger?¡± I''ve saved his life, yet he treats me as a stranger. Tears started brimming in Lucy''s eyes as she could not believe what she heard. How could he treat me like this? I don''t mind if he doesn''t want to befriend me. But I''m way more than a stranger to him. I''m his savior! She thought he would show some favor for her because she rescued him, but it turned out she had been deluding herself. She cast an indignant look at him as though he had betrayed her. However, Shane still acted indifferently toward her. Eventually, she could not suppress her rage. ¡°You are too much!¡± She turned and left abruptly upon saying that; her eyes welled up with tears. If I knew he would treat me like this, I wouldn''t have rescued him. What a b*stard! I''ve evene this far for him! After Lucy left, Shane was still in utter befuddlement, not knowing what he had done wrong. Nheless, he did not bother much about it as he figured Lucy was merely a crazy woman. ¡°Oh, Ss.¡± Just then, he took out his phone and called Ss. Ss was chatting with Sally at the staff cafeteria. After answering the call, he went to a quiet corner. ¡°Mr. Shane, is there anything?¡± ¡°Lucy was outside my office just now,¡± Shane sounded utterly displeased. Ss almost choked himself upon hearing that. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you saying that she went to the top floor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane nodded slightly. Ss inhaled sharply. ¡°How did she manage to get there?¡± ¡°I''m the one who should be asking this question. What exactly did you tell the janitorial staff?¡± Shane''s expression darkened. Ss shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I''ve exined to them clearly. I have no idea how she managed to outsmart them. Don''t worry, Mr. Shane. I will double up the safety measure. She won''t ever have another chance toe up here.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane''s expression resumed to normal while he nodded. Ss let out a sigh. ¡°By the way, did she do anything to you?¡± What kind of question is that? Shane did not respond to that, and he hung up the phone abruptly. Only after a few seconds did Ss realize Shane ended the call. Since he did notin, it looks like she has done nothing to him. Regardless of how determined she is, I suppose she stillcks the capability. Ss did not return to his lunch as he had lost his appetite. Without any dy, he went right to the janitorial department to settle the matter with the manager, as well as with Lucy. Meanwhile, Shane drove back to Thompson vi. Natalie noticed his dark expression and immediately cared for him. With that, he told her the whole story. Chapter 1163 Chapter 1163 Natalie rolled her eyes after hearing the story. ¡°What a persistent woman.¡± What did she mean she was worried about him? Who does she think she is? I bet she has other intentions! ¡°All right. Let''s eat first.¡± Shane grabbed Natalie''s hand and walked toward the dining room. Natalie''s lips curled into a genuine smile. After lunch, Natalie put down her spoon and nced at Shane. ¡°Darling, I n to fly overseas tomorrow.¡± ¡°Are you going to visit Anders?¡± Shane guessed her purpose right away. Since she is not in apetition, that seems to be the only reason left. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, I''ve not seen her for quite a while. Even though Sal and the doctor always send me his photos and videos, it can''tpare to seeing him personally.¡± ¡°Okay, let me go with you. I''ve never seen him in person ever since he was born.¡± Shane''s eyes filled with guilt as he mentioned the baby. Noticing his remorse, Natalie caressed his hand gently. Shane regained his senses a few secondster, and he patted her hand. ¡°It''s okay. I''m fine. So what time are we going tomorrow?¡± ¡°We''ll depart in the evening. It will be morning over there by the time wend,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°All right. I''ll ask Ss to arrange the private jet.¡± Natalie nodded right away. Connor and Sharon exchanged looks and ran over to them. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, we want to go see our brother too.¡± Sharon blinked at Shane, grabbing his hand. Connor also did the same to Natalie. ¡°We miss our brother.¡± ¡°How? Should we bring them as well?¡± Natalie looked at Shane, not knowing how to react. Shane''s gaze was filled with utterpassion. He caressed the kids'' heads and said, ¡°Let''s go together then.¡± ¡°Okay! Let''s go!¡± Natalie let out a chuckle. The two kids hopped around in joy upon hearing that. Ever since Shane got into trouble, Natalie seldom brought them along when she went overseas. Usually, she would leave them to Mrs. Wilson and Ss. They had been longing for a chance to go out as a family. Now that the chance finally came, they were overwhelmed with excitement. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Staring at the kids'' happy look, Shane and Natalie exchanged nces and smiled. The following evening, the four of them flew overseas in Shane''s private jet. Lucy only found out about it after a few days. During lunch, she heard from the other colleagues that Shane had gone overseas with his family. Why would he go overseas? No wonder he didn''t show up even after I waited for him so long at the parking lot and the elevator. I didn''t even see his car. So he''s gone overseas with his wife and kids! Thinking of Natalie, Lucy''s heart filled with extreme jealousy again. Unable to suppress her rage, she threw her spoon onto the table. Everyone around her was startled by her rude behavior. ¡°Lucy, what''s wrong?¡± a kind colleague asked with concern. Lucy bit her lip. ¡°I''m not feeling that well. Excuse me!¡± Upon saying that, she took her te and left the table. After Lucy left, someone appeared from behind and sat in her seat. The staff from the HR department was in charge of Lucy on her first day. The staff sneered provocatively. ¡°I bet she''s unhappy because Mr. Shane went overseas, and she can''t see him!¡± Many staff heard what he said as his voice was loud. With that, the whole cafeteria burst into an uproar. ¡°Are you serious? Do you mean she has a thing for Mr. Shane?¡± one of them asked. It was usual for a CEO to have many admirers. But even so, one would usually keep the admiration to herself as she knew it was out of her league. Despite so, it was a different story for Lucy. Chapter 1164 Chapter 1164 ¡°Yeah. I found out about it a few days ago. I heard from our director Mr. Thompson offered her an easy position in one of thepany''s subsidiaries after she helped him with something. But she insisted on being ced in headquarters just so she could see him more often, so he arranged for her to be in the janitorial department. And guess what happened after that.¡± Andy smiled mysteriously. The crowd couldn''t suppress their curiosity, and someone even began to pester him. ¡°What happened? Come on! Don''t leave us in suspense!¡± ¡°She''s right!¡± Everyone else nodded. With a chuckle, Andy finally revealed the truth. ¡°She ended up running off to see Mr. Thompson on the top floor, and Mr. Campbell headed right over to the janitorial department to reprimand ¡° ¡°So that was what happened! We were even wondering why the director gave her the stare when everything seemed perfectly fine this morning. I didn''t expect this.¡± Realization dawned on the woman who was initially concerned about Lucy, and it wasn''t long until she felt nothing but disdain for thetter. There was nothing good about an opportunist who only thought about climbing the socialdder. After realizing what kind of person Lucy was, everyone in the cafeteria nced at her with contempt. They had decided to distance themselves from her so as to avoid getting roped into trouble. Meanwhile, Natalie and her family finally reached the hospital after a ten-hour flight. Sally didn''t have to model for Lina today, so she rested in her vi until she received the news about Natalie wanting toe and see Anders. Ss would be here too. Then, she quickly headed to the hospital. After waiting half an hour, the woman ran toward Natalie happily with her arms wide open. ¡°Nat! I''ve missed you so much!¡± she eximed, pulling Natalie into a tight hug and spinning around in one big circle. Natalie felt dizzy from the spin, but she let Sally do as she pleased. That was because she knew how ecstatic Sally was to see her. On the other hand, the man didn''t seem too thrilled. Shane''s gaze instantly darkened, whereas Ss'' heart turned bitter with jealousy about his girlfriend hugging someone else¡ªeven if that someone were another woman and his own boss'' wife. That was just because Sally had never given him such a passionate hug. Huh... ¡°All right, that''s about enough. Let go of each other already!¡± Shane said to Sally with a frown. Ss immediately nodded in agreement. Sally didn''t know whether tough or cry as she noticed her own boyfriend''s behavior. Naturally, she understood that these two men were jealous. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Seriously... They''re even getting jealous over another girl? They''re really hopeless! ¡°Fine. We''re done.¡± Sally quickly let go of Natalie. In response, Shane hastily dragged Natalie to his side and gave Ss a nce, signaling thetter to take Sally away. Ss'' eyes lit up immediately as she understood Shane''s intention, and he did the same to Sally. ¡°Well, then, we''ll be taking our leave now. Give me a call whenever you need me, Mr. Thompson.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Then, Ss turned to Sally. ¡°We should go. Let''s not disturb them.¡± Sally nodded fervently. ¡°You''re right! Let''s go right now.¡± Having not met her boyfriend for a few days, she, too, naturally looked forward to having a lovey-dovey time with him. Thus, the two quickly packed up and left the hospital. After they were gone, Natalie turned to Shane with a grin. ¡°You deliberately made them go on a date, didn''t you, Darling?¡± Shane didn''t deny it. ¡°Pretty much. I didn''t want them to bother us. All right, let''s head in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. Then, the family of four headed straight to the neonatal intensive care unit. Shane''s eyes instantly fell on Anders as he arrived at the unit. The little child was curled up like a ball and looked like a tiny red monkey. Yet, the sight of it impacted Shane so greatly that even his eyes began to quiver. That baby in there was his child who had been forced into this world at just six months of age. Chapter 1165 Chapter 1165 At the same time, Shane''s hand on the ss window clenched into a fist. Natalie instantly knew what he was thinking from the way he stared at Anders. She then held onto the man lightly and ced her head on his shoulder. ¡°It''s okay, Shane. I''ve told you, haven''t I? It''s not your fault.¡± ¡°I know, but I just can''t help it especially when I look at him,¡± Shane replied, his eyes reddening. He med both Sean and Lucy. If he had stayed put, Sean wouldn''t have been able to set him up, and Lucy wouldn''t have rescued him, leading to Anders'' premature birth. Ultimately, the man med himself mostly. He had fallen right into Sean''s trap just because he wanted to make thetter pay so desperately and ended up acting hastily. ¡°It''s okay, Darling. It''s all in the past.¡± Natalie knew that Shane couldn''t get over the previous incidents. Shane squeezed the woman''s hand and continued to stare at the baby inside the incubator in silence. Natalie and the two children kept himpany. About an hourter, a nurse came by, telling them it was time to leave. It was then that Shane''s gaze finally left the baby, and he left the hospital along with Natalie and the children. The family stayed abroad for two days before returning home. This time, Sally and Lina left with them. That was because Natalie and Shane were about to get married, and the women were going to attend the wedding. Natalie had initially invited Ms. Mackenzie too. Thetter was her one-and-only mentor, after all. Unfortunately, an internationalpetition was just about to enter its final stage. The finals so happened to be on the same day as Natalie''s wedding, so as one of the judges, Mercede could only miss out on her apprentice''s big day. On this very morning, Natalie was still in a deep slumber when her phone suddenly rang. She then opened her eyes in a daze and reached for the bedside, looking for her phone. As soon as she did that, someone ced the device in her hand. Natalie looked up and realized that Shane had handed her the phone while he was adjusting his necktie. ¡°Jared''s calling,¡± he said. Natalie''s sleepiness vanished in an instant, and she sat up. ¡°I thought you have left.¡± The man always woke up much earlier than she did and was usually out by the time she got up. That self-discipline of his was rather frightening, in fact. He would only flout his own rules on some days, such as today. ¡°I''ve agreed to take Connor to the kickboxing hall, so I got up a littleter.¡± After straightening his necktie, Shane nted a kiss on the woman''s forehead. ¡°You should answer the phone.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± She then raised her phone and swiped on the green dial icon. ¡°Hey, Jared!¡± ¡°Hey, Nat.¡± Jared''s gentle voice came through the line. ¡°I just received your wedding invitation. Congrattions to you and Shane. You''re finally about to have your wedding ceremony.¡± Although Natalie and Shane had long registered their marriage and were awfully wedded couple, Jared would always feel sorry for his sister as Shane had never given her an actual ceremony. But now that it was finally happening, Jared could finally feel at ease. Natalie''s heart warmed at her brother''s kind words. ¡°Thanks, Jared. Will you being back?¡± ¡°Of course! How could I ever miss out on my sister''s wedding? I''ve already requested some time off. My flight is tonight, and if everything goes smoothly, I''ll arrive by noon tomorrow¡ªjust in time for the wedding the day after.¡± He had nned his trip meticulously. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie was certainly delighted to know that he wasing back for her wedding, and she nodded. ¡°Okay! I''ll pick you up at the airport.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, I''d better hang up now. I still have some unfinished work that I need to take care of before getting on that ne tonight!¡± ¡°Go on, then.¡± Natalie chuckled. Shane sat by the bedside after the call ended. ¡°Is Jareding back tonight?¡± he asked. Chapter 1166 Chapter 1166 ¡°Yeah. His flight''s tonight.¡± Natalie put her phone down. ¡°I''m kind of thirsty.¡± With a chuckle, Shane reached for the bedside and took the ss of warm water he had prepared long ago. ¡°Here you go. I poured you a ss while you were on the phone.¡± Even though he left early every morning, the man was well aware of Natalie''s habit of drinking a ss of warm water the first thing after waking up. He would usually ce the ss by her bedside before leaving, but if he were in a rush, he would then ask Mrs. Wilson to serve it when the woman went downstairs. For the past three months, Shane had also instructed the overseas vi''s housekeeper to do the same. ¡°Thanks, Darling.¡± Natalie beamed as she saw the ss of water Shane had brought over. The man caressed her hair. ¡°Drink up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With a nod, Natalie ced the ss over her lips and tilted it. It took her just a few gulps to finish the water. Shane''s gaze darkened as he eyed the woman''s moist lips. Then, he grabbed the back of her head and gave her a kiss. Natalie froze in shock before pushing him away. ¡°What''s with you? I haven''t even brushed my teeth!¡± ¡°Doesn''t matter,¡± replied Shane as he lowered his head once more. Natalie shoved him again. ¡°Aren''t you afraid of my morning breath?¡± ¡°I don''t mind it.¡± Shane''s lips curled into a smirk. Natalie didn''t know how to react for a moment. ¡°Well, since you don''t mind, why should I?¡± Right after saying that, she pulled onto his necktie, dragged him toward her, and kissed him. Shane froze briefly. Never had he expected the woman to take charge like this. On top of that, she was being so... feral. But still, he liked it. Thus, the man ced his hand on the back of her head again, regaining control over her. He then pinned her down on the bed as they locked lips passionately. After some time, a knock sounded at the door, interrupting the two. Natalie pushed Shane away and adjusted her nightgown bashfully. She was d that someone hade knocking right at that moment. Otherwise, she and Shane probably would have already moved on to even more intimate acts by now. The woman didn''t hate it; rather, the wound on her belly was still in the process of healing, so there were certain activities she still couldn''t do. In truth, Shane had no intention of going any further, for he also knew that he wasn''t allowed to. That was why he only had only thought of giving the woman a nibble. Yet, someone just had to ruin their moment. Shane red at the door, wondering which imbecile had decided to bother him. Natalie rolled her eyes at him and gave him a nudge. ¡°That''s enough. Go and get the door.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Shane stood up, adjusting his necktie and suit before striding toward the door. Standing right at the entrance were the two little rascals¡ªConnor and Sharon. They both looked up at Shane while holding each other''s hands. ¡°Good morning, Daddy!¡± ¡°Morning!¡± Shane nodded warmly, cheering up as soon as he saw the kids. ¡°Is Mommy not awake yet?¡± Connor stared into the room. Shane beckoned them in. ¡°She''s up.¡± The children''s eyes lit up as they ran past the man and into the room. ¡°We want to see her!¡± Shane gazed at the two tiny figures, his eyes filled with affection. Half an hourter, the family of four headed downstairs hand in hand. Breakfast had already been prepared. After the meal, they all left home. Natalie headed out to work in her own car, whereas Shane brought the two kids to the kickboxing hall. Connor was going to attend kickboxing sses while Sharon apanied him. Shane initially wanted the girl to learn kickboxing too. That way, she could protect herself. Sadly, Sharon was so delicate and afraid of pain that she had quit right after the first day of sses, and there was nothing Shane could do about that. If she didn''t want to learn kickboxing, so be it. He would protect her as her father. Besides, they had bodyguards too. What mattered most was his daughter''s happiness and wellbeing. After dropping the kids off at the kickboxing hall and having a few bodyguards watch over the vicinity, Shane headed to work. Chapter 1167 Chapter 1167 Ss was already waiting for him at the entrance and immediately reported the schedule of the day. ¡°There''s a meeting this afternoon, you say?¡± Shane sat on his chair and turned to Ss, who nodded. ¡°Yes. It''s a meeting regarding the showcase of next season''s luxury branded products.¡± ¡°Postpone it to four o''clock. I have to pick the kids up at two,¡± instructed Shane as he took a sip of his coffee. Ss wasn''t too surprised by his boss'' decision. After all, the man had been picking Connor and Sharon up in the afternoon for the past two days. The responsibility of doing so fell on him since Thompson Group wasn''t far from the kickboxing hall. Furthermore, Shane was a good father who would never abandon his duties toward his children. ¡°By the way, Mr. Shane, the wedding favors you requested have arrived. Shall I have them distributed?¡± asked Ss. The wedding was going to be held the day after tomorrow, so giving out wedding favors was certainly a must. That was why Shane had instructed Ss to order a bulk of gifts to be distributed to every employee of Thompson Group, including those working in its subsidiaries and factories. ¡°Sure. While you''re at it, get someone to organize a prize drawing event online,¡± answered Shane as he nced through some documents. ¡°Also, we''ll have a one-day sale on every single of our products ¡ªonly on the day of the wedding.¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. I''ll get right to it.¡± Shane grunted in response. In less than half an hour, the hundred over thousand employees of Thompson Group eventually received word about Shane''s wedding; not only did their boss give every single one of them wedding favors, but he also gave everyone a slight increment in their sries. In the blink of an eye, every employee of Thompson Group happily sent their well-wishes as though it was New Year. The inte was just as lively. Netizens were exhrated to learn that thepany had organized such splendid events in conjunction with its CEO''s wedding. One could easily walk away with one of Thompson Group''s well-known and luxurious products¡ªsuch as a purse or lipstick¡ªfrom the prize drawing event. On top of that, those who didn''t win anything would still get to enjoy the one-day sale, and that was more than delightful enough for someizens. In a nutshell, Shane and Natalie''s wedding became the number-one trending topic online, even drowning out news about certain celebrities. Even if those celebrities weren''t happy about it, there was nothing they could do. After all, who would ever dare challenge Shane Thompson? Meanwhile, Lucy spotted a red, exquisite-looking gift box on her desk as soon as she arrived in the janitorial department of Thompson Group. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The other employees gazed at her in amusement. Lucy didn''t know why everyone was staring at her. Thinking there was something strange on her body, she turned around and took a good look at herself, only to find nothing unusual. Without another thought, she picked up the red box in puzzlement. As soon as she did so, the woman felt the gazes on her grow even more bizarre¡ªsome appeared scornful, and some gloating. Either way, none of them seemed to harbor good intentions. ¡°What''s this?¡± Lucy couldn''t help but ask the person next to her, who so happened to be the same woman from the cafeteria. ¡°It''s a wedding favor from Mr. Thompson. Every employee gets one,¡± the woman answered impatiently. ¡°Wedding favor?¡± Lucy raised her pitch as her expression turned ghastly. Those who had been staring at her all this while grew even more excited. ¡°See? I told you she''d react that way once she finds out what it is. I was right!¡± ¡°It''s not like we disagreed with you, though. We knew how she''d respond too. It''s no surprise she''d act that way, especially after receiving a wedding favor from the man she likes.¡± ¡°Tsk, She clearly doesn''t know her ce.¡± Lucy bit her lip in anger as she heard their jeers and taunts. She squeezed the gift box so tightly that it nearly became dented. Now I know what these guys are all up to. They just wanted to see how I''d react after finding out what this box is! Do they take me as a fool? Chapter 1168 Chapter 1168 They are way out of line! Lucy was infuriated, and her eyes widened in anger. However, she dared not retaliate against them alone. Clearly out of option, she could only take a death breath and suppress her boiling rage. Feigning her confusion, she pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°The wedding favors? I thought Mr. Thompson is already married?¡± ¡°While it is true that Mr. Thompson is already married, no ceremony was held previously due to time constraints. They only received their wedding certificate. Hence, it is apt that we continue what was left unfinished,¡± the middle-aged woman answered scornfully while enjoying the expensive wedding favors. Lucy, who did not have any self-awareness, was the type of person she hated the most. She can only dream of marrying Mr. Thompson. She''s not worthy of being with him! Of course, it''s not illegal to be fond of Mr. Thompson. There''s a long line of women with simr feelings. However, none of them acted like her, who publicly announced her affection. Those who felt the same generally kept it to themselves. This woman, on the other hand... The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes. When Lucy first joined, she had taken great care of her. But now, she was disgruntled by Lucy''s behavior. I must have been blind to take such great care of her! Lucy noticed her revulsion, but she brushed it off. She had found out that everyone in the group disliked her not long ago. She no longer had a ce there. At first, she could not bring herself to ept reality. However, as time passed, she gradually grew ustomed to it. Instead of feeling troubled and affected by what others thought of her, she channeled her focus onto Shane''s wedding. She refused to believe that Shane did not have the time to n his wedding with Natalie. It was impossible that he could not spare one or two days to do it. If you love someone, organizing a wedding is essential. So that just means that Shane doesn''t love Natalie that much after all. Right, that must be the case! Lucy gripped the box in her hands, her heart throbbing rapidly. If he doesn''t love her, then a divorce should be the best choice. Lucy took a deep breath. She decided to talk to Shane and get the matter sorted out. If he didn''t love Natalie, then there was no point proceeding with the wedding. They should get a divorce instead. Lucy put down the box and left the main office of the janitorial department immediately. Everyone in the office was stupefied. ¡°Where is she heading to?¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps she can''t ept it and she''s breaking down.¡± ¡°Or maybe she finally mustered the courage to confess to Mr. Thompson.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Some were perplexed. The moment she left, Lucy knew that the others would start talking about her behind her back. But she couldn''t care less. Swiftly, she sprinted toward the elevator. The two bodyguards in front of the elevator noticed her and held out their hands. ¡°What are you doing?¡± It was only then that Lucy realized the elevator was guarded! And the bodyguards were tall and buff. She was baffled by the domineering presence of the bodyguards. She clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath. ¡°I... I want to head upstairs.¡± The bodyguard frowned. ¡°You should use themon elevator. This elevator is reserved especially for Mr. Thompson, and normal employees are prohibited from using it.¡± Lucy knew very well that she did not have clearance to use the elevator. However, this was the only elevator that could reach the highest floor of the building! Nheless, she could not tell the truth to the bodyguards. If she were to do so, she would be chased away immediately. What should I do? She wanted to head upstairs and tell Shane to pursue his happiness. He must not marry someone that he didn''t love! But she couldn''t do so! Just as Lucy was panicking, she heard the ttering sound of high heels echoing through the hall. Isabelle approached the three of them and took off her sunsses. ¡°I want to head up!¡± Almost immediately, the two bodyguards withdrew their hands and allowed Isabelle to enter the elevator. Isabelle was about to press the button on the elevator when Lucy clutched her hand. ¡°Hold on, why is she allowed to go upstairs?¡± Chapter 1169 Chapter 1169 Lucy unhappily asked the two bodyguards. However, the two bodyguards looked at her as if she was a clown. One of the bodyguards replied, ¡°Why? Because Isabelle has the permission to do so. But you are different. You don''t have clearance. Besides, you''re just an employee of the janitorial department. The workers'' manual clearly stiptes that normal employees are prohibited from using the elevator. Have you forgotten about that?¡± ¡°I...¡± Lucy was speechless. Of course, she remembered, but she was unwilling to concede defeat. Why is it that normal employees cannot use the special elevator? It was something that Lucy wanted to say. But she knew that those words would get her into trouble. ¡°Who are you?¡± Isabelle looked at Lucy, disgusted by her appearance. Lucy turned her head and noticed the branded clothes on Isabelle. She then looked down at the janitor uniform that she was wearing. A strong sense of inferiority surged within her. Ever since she left the vige, she noticed that, unlike her, everybody in her age group dressed well. ¡°Hey, I''m talking to you!¡± Isabelle yelled at Lucy impatiently, seeing that there was no response. Lucy regained her senses and answered, ¡°My name is Lucy. Lucy Rivers.¡± ¡°Lucy, right?¡± Isabelle narrowed her eyes. Lucy nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Get your hands off me!¡± Isabelle stomped her foot. At that moment, Lucy realized that she was still holding onto Isabelle''s hand. ¡°I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean it.¡± All she had wanted was to stop Isabelle from entering the elevator. And she did it subconsciously, out of desperation. However, she had forgotten to let go after that. Isabelle shook her hands. ¡°Are you crazy? How dare you touch me with your filthy hands! Who knows if you''ve touched anything dirty before this.¡± Lucy felt ufortable and bit her lip. She stared at Isabelle and retaliated, ¡°Miss, this is too much. Even though I''m a janitor, it''s not right for you to humiliate me like this. We''re all humans and equal in dignity and rights. Who do you think you are to use me of being dirty!¡± Isabelle was confused. Although she knew herself to be arrogant and different, she never once thought of meeting someone even worse! ¡°Hey, are you crazy?¡± Isabelle crossed her arms. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she started sizing up Lucy. ¡°Since when did I say that you''re a dirty person? I only mentioned that your hands are dirty!¡± ¡°Every part of my body belongs to me. If you say that my hands are dirty, that means you''re saying that I''m dirty a person!¡± Tears welled up in Lucy''s eyes. Isabelle sighed and stomped her foot again. ¡°All right, you win. I''ll keep quiet. Now, let go of me. I want to go upstairs!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Lucy was adamant. ¡°If you want to head upstairs, then use themon elevator. Why do you find the need to use this special elevator?¡± Lucy refused to let her in. Isabelle was enraged. ¡°You''re insane! I''m heading to the highest floor. Why do I need to use the common elevator?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You''re going to the highest floor?¡± Lucy''s eyes widened as she gazed at Isabelle. Thinking that she was terrified, Isabelle sneered, ¡°Now you know where I''m heading to, I suggest you let me go right now!¡± ¡°No!¡± If Isabelle was heading to the highest floor, there was more reason for Lucy to stop her. She must be looking for Shane! Isabelle stared at Lucy, dumbfounded and puzzled. Is she really insane? She knows that I''m heading to the highest floor, but she keeps getting in my way! The two bodyguards witnessed the argument between the twodies. When Lucy tried to stop Isabelle from heading upstairs, they knew that it was time to step in. They exchanged looks before springing into action. Chapter 1170 Chapter 1170 One of them pulled Lucy aside, while the other pressed the button on the elevator. ¡°Ms. Moore, here you go. Mr. Thompson is waiting for you upstairs. Regarding this random woman, please don''t mind her. She''s sick and in love with Mr. Thompson. She''s dreaming of being his lover. All of us in the building know this. The reason why the two of us are guarding the elevator is to prevent her from sneaking up to harass Mr. Thompson.¡± Upon hearing this, Isabelle recalled something. There has been a series of discussions among the employees of the design department recently about thedy from the janitorial department. It was rumored that she had feelings for Shane. So it''s her! Isabelle looked at Lucy, clearly repulsed by what she had just heard. Meeting Isabelle''s gaze, Lucy could feel her sense of inferiority intensify. However, she was more infuriated! It turned out that the bodyguards were there specifically to stop her from going upstairs! This is too much! When I meet Shane, I''ll get him to fire all of you! Isabelle could not figure out what Lucy was thinking about. She walked toward Lucy and sized her up contemptuously. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°So you are the shameless janitor who has no self-awareness. You''re not pretty or sexy! You''re just a janitor! How dare you even dream of being with Mr. Thompson? This is preposterous! Don''t you have a mirror? Even I, the daughter of the Moore family, cannot be with Mr. Thompson! Dream on!¡± Comparatively, Isabelle was more willing to ept Natalie being with Shane. At the very least, Natalie was a gorgeous and pretty woman. Besides, she had won third ce in an internationalpetition! Isabelle was a changed person. She was no longer the spoiled brat she used to be. Having been mentored by Alfred for half a year, she hade to understand many things, and her mentality had changed. She knew how stupid she once was, and that if she continued down the same path, there woulde a day where the Moore family would perish under her leadership. As a third-generation descendent, she would be hated and med by many, including her grandfather and her parents. Now, although she was still slightly arrogant, she would never act rashly like before. In fact, before every decision, she would exercise an abundance of caution to avoid tainting the name of the Moore family. Besides, she had moved on from Shane because she knew that it was an impossible fantasy. Shane would not develop feelings for her. Despite her obsession with Shane, she would never get to be with him. Hence, it would be wise to move on. Furthermore, Natalie waspatible with him and her two children were also his, to begin with. She never imagined herself bing a stepmother. Alfred had also mentioned that Natalie had the potential to be one of the best designers in the country. On the flip side, the Moore family had started to fall off. If the Moore family wanted to survive in the industry, they had to build connections with prominent designers. In other words, the Moore family might need help from Natalie in the future! Isabelle understood clearly that Natalie was better off as a friend than a foe. However, the same would not be applicable to those who did not have any self-awareness. Isabelle would not exercise the same amount of restraint. She lifted Lucy''s chin and teased her, ¡°Look at you. What makes you think you''re worthy of being with Mr. Thompson?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You...¡± Lucy''s face blushed in embarrassment. She wanted to retaliate against Isabelle but couldn''t find the right words. Isabelle let go of Lucy forcefully and retrieved a piece of wet tissue from her handbag. ¡°All right, send her back to the janitorial department, and make sure she stays there. If an argument breaks out between the CEO and his wife, you people will be in deep trouble.¡± The two bodyguards panicked upon hearing what Isabelle said. ¡°Don''t worry about it, Ms. Moore. We know what to do.¡± They nodded fervently. Chapter 1171 Chapter 1171 Isabelle grunted in assent and entered the elevator. Lucy could not free herself from the bodyguards'' restraint. She could only stare while the elevator door closed. She frowned, frustrated at how she was being treated. I knew it! The rich will always look down on others. Just you wait! I''ll make sure those who looked down on me regret their actions! At the highest floor, Isabelle knocked on Shane''s door. When the door opened, Ss saw Isabelle and gestured her in. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down before walking in. Ss followed closely behind and he was utterly surprised. In a short span of time, Isabelle''s personality had changed drastically. Half a year ago, she had been a stubborn and unreasonable woman. Now, her attitude was eptable and, to a certain extent, pleasant. Looks like Mr. Moore has spent a good amount of effort mentoring Ms. Moore. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Isabelle arrived before Shane''s office table. Shane was going through his documents. Upon hearing her voice, he raised his head and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It''s about your wedding the day after tomorrow. My grandpa won''t be able to make it, so he has sent me to speak to you and express our regret. This is our gift for your marriage with Natalie.¡± Isabelle then fished out an invitation card from her handbag.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane retrieved it and saw that it was an invitation card to a fashion designpetition in Aploth, and Natalie was invited to be the judge. Although thepetition paled inparison with other internationalpetitions, it was still an influential one. Natalie had always been a participant but not a judge. Besides, not any Tom, Dick, or Harry could be a judge. Those who were invited must have some aplishments in the industry. Since Natalie was invited, the organizers must have acknowledged Natalie''s achievements. More importantly, the experience of being a judge could hone a designer''s analytical skills. Natalie would be thrilled to receive the invitation card. Shane''s eyebrows rxed, and his stare was less cial. ¡°All right, I''ll take note of this. Please help me convey my thanks to Mr. Moore. I like the gift a lot.¡± Mr. Moore must have yed a huge role in this. Isabelle heaved a sigh of relief and she was not as nervous as before. She nodded and replied, ¡°Sure. I''ll let my grandpa know. I''ll get going then.¡± Shane hummed in response. Isabelle turned away and headed out. But at the thought of something, she stopped and looked back. ¡°There''s one more thing, Mr. Shane. There''s someone by the name of Lucy Rivers in yourpany. I think she''s a little delusional. It appears that she''s trying to rece Natalie and win your heart. I think it''s better if you fire her, you know, to avoid getting into an argument with Ms. Smith.¡± With that, she spun around and walked out. Ss shook her head in shock. ¡°I don''t understand this. Ms. Moore is apletely changed person. Not only her temper is better, but she appears to be more intelligent. She''s be politer now. Mr. Moore really is remarkable.¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°It''s not Mr. Moore''s doing.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ss adjusted her sses. ¡°Mr. Thompson, if not Mr. Moore, then who else could it be?¡± ¡°Military school!¡± Shane replied. ¡°Mr. Moore sent her to the military school three months ago. She''s been like this ever since she came back.¡± And it was strictly because of her changes that Shane had agreed to let here upstairs. It turned out better than expected. In the past, Isabelle, Jasmine, and Jacqueline all had feelings for him. Now, he could tell that Isabelle had moved on. She even cautioned him about Lucy''s situation so that Natalie would not misunderstand him. Chapter 1172 Chapter 1172 From this, it could be seen that Isabelle was now a sane and cultured person. Under her leadership, even if the Moore family did not progress and grow, it would not stagger backward. ¡°I see. So it''s the military school!¡± Ss was shocked. ¡°The military school is a very strict ce. A person like Ms. Moore would not be able to withstand the harsh conditions. I never thought that Mr. Moore would send her precious granddaughter there, and she even survived three months!¡± ¡°Enough with the gossip. Help me send out the documents. I''ll need to pick up the children.¡± Shane organized the documents and passed them to Ss. Ss swiftly retrieved them. ¡°Sure, Mr. Thompson. I''ll see to it right away.¡± Shane grunted an acknowledgment and stood up. He picked up his suit and left the office. Two hourster, Shane brought the two children to Natalie''spany. Natalie was surprised and delighted. She immediately put down her blueprint and stood up. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± ¡°I have a meeting in the afternoon. After that, I''ll need to visit the subsidiarypany. I don''t think I can look after the kids, so I brought them here.¡± Shane sat down on the couch. The two children obediently sat beside him. ¡°Oh.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Shane massaged his temple. He had been so busy that he didn''t get to eat. The two children had had their meals at the kickboxing hall. Natalie looked at Shane unhappily. ¡°It''s almost four and you still haven''t eaten. Are you not hungry?¡± She sighed before taking out her phone and ordering him a meal. At that moment, Joyce entered the room with a tray of tea and some snacks. ¡°Mr. Shane, have some tea.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°There''s no need to thank me. It''s my job.¡± Joyce beamed. Shane took a sip of tea before retrieving the invitation card from his pocket and passing it to Natalie. ¡°What''s this?¡± Natalie was confused. Joyce hurried over and checked it out as well. Shane replied, ¡°It''s an invitation to judge at a fashion designpetition in Aploth.¡± ¡°An invitation to be the judge?¡± Joyce shrieked. ¡°Mr. Shane, is the invitation to Nat?¡± Natalie''s heart started beating rapidly as she jumped to her feet. ¡°As a judge?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That''s right. They want you to participate as a judge.¡± Shane nodded. Joyce pped her hands in excitement. ¡°It''s really happening! Nat, do you hear that? You''re going to be a judge!¡± Natalie sat transfixed for a moment before nodding. ¡°I heard it. Yes, I heard it!¡± She never thought that she could be a judge so soon. It was only natural that she was exhrated! Joyce grabbed Natalie''s hand and cheered, ¡°Nat, you finally made it! Being a judge means that you''re about to be a renowned international designer! You''re just one step away from bing a top chief designer!¡± Natalie''s eyes started to well up with tears. She carefully read through the invitation again. ¡°That''s right. I didn''t expect this to happen. My career is progressing at a zing speed. By the way, Darling, how did you manage to get this invitation? Why didn''t I receive any news about it?¡± Logically speaking, if the organizers wanted to invite a judge, they would first contact the person and express their intention. However, no one had approached Natalie during this time. Shane smiled. ¡°It''s a gift from Mr. Moore.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was puzzled. ¡°Mr. Moore?¡± ¡°That''s right. I invited Mr. Moore to our wedding, but he has other matters to attend to. So he sent Isabelle to pass this to me.¡± Natalie raised her brow. ¡°Isabelle?¡± Chapter 1173 Chapter 1173 Natalie had almost forgotten about Isabelle. Isabelle used to be arrogant and egoistic. She had even ganged up with Jasmine to use Natalie of stealing a ne. Subsequently, there was an episode in the textile mill because of her. Also, she had even tried to snatch a dress from Natalie. Naturally, none of that was important. The most important bit was that Isabelle had feelings for Shane as well. Noticing that Natalie was upset, Shane was amused. It was evident that he liked it when Natalie was jealous. ¡°Nat, is Isabelle Mr. Moore''s granddaughter?¡± Joyce asked. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, it''s her.¡± She then turned to Shane. ¡°She met you at thepany?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shane responded with a simple nod. Natalie bit her lip, and the displeasure on her face was palpable. Shane pulled Natalie into his arms so that she was sitting on hisp. Joyce grinned mischievously and covered the children''s eyes. ¡°You children should close your eyes.¡± ¡°Aunt Joyce!¡± Conner wanted to move Joyce''s hand away. The same happened with Sharon. But Joyce''s grip was firm, and she refused to let go. She eventually brought the two children out of the office to give the couple some privacy. Natalie understood Joyce''s intention and gratefully smiled in response. Shane was also happy with what Joyce had done. He looked at Natalie and said, ¡°Nothing is going on between me and Isabelle. She''s a changed person now. Don''t worry about her pestering me anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie blinked in surprise. Shane recounted the entire meeting with Isabelle to Natalie. ¡°Gosh, she has changed so much?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. From what Shane had described, Isabelle was not the person she knew. Shane brushed his fingers through her hair. ¡°Indeed. She even cautioned me about Lucy.¡± Natalie eximed, ¡°It''s like she has swapped her soul with someone else.¡± ¡°Let''s not talk about her anymore.¡± Shane stopped ying with her hair. ¡°Who did you invite for the wedding?¡± Nataliey her head on his shoulder. ¡°I don''t have many friends. So I only invited some other designers who have a good rapport with me. And there''s Sally and the others. What about you?¡± ¡°Some business partners.¡± Just like Natalie, Shane did not have many friends. Besides, his rtives were not around anymore. Nevertheless, the most important thing now was that Natalie and Shane were together as a family. The duo stayed in the office for around twenty minutes before Joyce came yelling, ¡°Nat, your delivery is here!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded, then stood up from Shane''s arms. ¡°Come, it''s time to eat. You can''t do this to your stomach.¡± She took his arm and dragged him out of the office and to the dining area next door. As it was still office hours, there wasn''t anyone in the dining area. The ce was quiet. When Natalie brought Shane in, only Joyce and the two children were there. Joyce wasying out the dishes on the table. The two children each had one fork in their hand and they were seated on the chair. Their eyes were fixated on the scrumptious meal before them. Even though they had had their lunch, the food at the kickboxing hall was not as delicious. As it was meant to be a healthy meal, the two children weren''t really satisfied with the portion. Since Natalie had ordered extra, and those were their favorite, of course, they would want to join in as well. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, let''s eat!¡± Sharon was the first to notice Shane and Natalie. She waved her hand in excitement. ¡°We''reing,¡± Natalie said. The couple walked toward them and sat down. Joyce passed them the fork. Natalie shook her hands. ¡°I don''t need it. I''m not hungry. Joyce, are you hungry? If you are, join us!¡± Chapter 1174 Chapter 1174 ¡°I''m not hungry either. I''m just helping to ce everything down,¡± Joyce replied with a smile. Oh, please. I won''t eat with Mr. Shane when Nat is refusing to eat with us. That would be so messed up. ¡°Okay, you guys eat up. I have to go to work now,¡± Joyce added before she wiped her hands and left, leaving the family of four in the dining area. After he got the two kids some food, Shane turned to Natalie and asked, ¡°Are you sure you don''t want to have some?¡± ¡°I''m really not hungry. Besides, I''m on some medication, so I can''t consume too many calories. I''ll just watch you guys eat,¡± Natalie replied as she rested her head on her hand. Shane nodded and stopped trying to convince her. She''s under some medication, so I''ll be the one with the broken heart if she develops some medical complications. The trio started eating away. Natalie, on the other hand, grinned while watching them. To her, the man and the two kids in front of her would always make the most exquisite sight on Earth. After their meal, Shane got a call from Thompson Group. He had to rush back for a meeting. The kids stayed with Natalie and only went home with her when it was time to clock off. ¡°Nat,¡± said Joyce while frowning at that moment. She had a folder with her when she entered Natalie''s office. Natalie was ying with the kids at the time, but when she saw how grim Joyce looked, she patted her kids'' heads, then went to her desk. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± asked Natalie curiously as she sat down. Joyce sat down opposite her and answered, ¡°I left earlier to check the ounts and realized that the cheque we gave Mr. Miller was never deposited. I went to the finance department to ask about it, but the manager imed that he couldn''t get in touch with Mr. Miller''s assistant. Mr. Miller gave us his bank ount number some time ago, but the ount was canceled, so we have no idea how to give him the money now.¡± ¡°Money... as in the dividend?¡± asked Natalie as she got the folder from Joyce. Joyce nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, Mr. Miller was one of the earlier investors who made it possible for this company to even exist. He is one of our shareholders, but we couldn''t pay him the dividend we dered. I tried calling his assistant earlier and realized that the number has changed. There is no way of contacting any of them. What do you think is going on? I have never met a shareholder who doesn''t care about his dividend.¡± Natalie flipped through the folder quietly. In a way, Mr. Miller is Joyce''s and my savior. When Natalie first returned to the country and was still a newbie, the man had approached her, then asked her to be the chief designer of the fashion show, Radiance. The truth was that Radiance was almost as great as Project Rebirth. Hence, only a handful of employers would take a risk that bold and get a newbie to be the chief designer of a project that huge. It might even be right to say that this Mr. Miller was the only one, other than Shane, who would do something like that. The project, Radiance, had undeniably brought about a lot of benefits and great fame for her. It earned her the right topete in the Design Association''spetition, which in turn allowed her to participate in the internationalpetition. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The most important bit, however, was that Mr. Miller had invested using his personal fund when Natalie was trying to convert her studio into apany. His investment had made it possible for her to do that. Hence, she had always been grateful to the mysterious Mr. Miller, whom she had never met before. Yet little did she expect him to suddenly go missing like this. ¡°Nat, what do we do? We can''t send him the dividend if we can''t find him. What if we have to make some corporate changes in the future but still can''t locate him? Will hein about us changing without notifying him first? If so, we will be in big trouble,¡± said Joyce, scratching her head in frustration. Natalie bit her lip and said nothing. It seemed that she was deep in thoughts. ¡°Nat, maybe you can ask Mr. Shane to look into the matter?¡± Joyce suggested. Given his capabilities, I''m sure it won''t be a problem for him to find Mr. Miller. At worst, we can get Connor to look for him. The kid can do anything! Natalie''s eyes shone. She was about to speak up when Connor tossed his toy aside and approached them. The kid asked, ¡°Aunt Joyce, why are you so nervous? You can just bank in the money to Mommy, right? Daddy''s money is Mommy''s, anyway.¡± Chapter 1175 Chapter 1175 ¡°Huh?¡± Joyce blurted in confusion. Natalie, however, caught what the kid was saying. Her eyes widened as she shifted her gaze to her tiny rascal and asked, ¡°Connor, did you just say that the money belongs to your daddy? D-Does that mean your daddy is Mr. Miller?¡± Joyce gasped in astonishment. ¡°No way.¡± Connor chuckled and replied, ¡°Mommy, Aunt Joyce, there is no need to be so surprised. The Mr. Miller that you have been talking about is Daddy. Have you forgotten that Grandma''s surname is Miller?¡± Those words instantly pointed Natalie in the right direction. Shane is Mr. Miller! He used his mother''sst name to invest in thepany. ¡°What the f*ck?¡± Joyce, who had finally put two and two together, eximed, pping her ownp. ¡°So Mr. Shane is Mr. Miller this entire time? Why did he jump through so many hoops and pretend to be someone else?¡± Connor crossed his arms and answered, ¡°Naturally, he did it to court Mommy. The two of them weren''t married at that time, and Mommy refused to ept any money from Daddy, so he put on a show. He assumed another identity to help everyone out because he knew you''d refuse his offer otherwise.¡± Connor made everything sound so simple, but Natalie and Joyce were shaken to their core. Natalie, especially, was touched. Her nose was a little runny, and appreciation filled her heart as she said, ¡°That idiot... I can''t believe he kept this secret for so long...¡± ¡°That is rather dumb, but it''s also kind of romantic.¡± Joyce smiled. ¡°It''s like what Connor said. Mr. Shane was still courting you at the time, so the two of you weren''t dating. Yet, he was willing to spend so much money to invest in yourpany. Only a handful of men are that generous to women whom they are still courting. Mr. Shane seems icy and distant, but he''s a pro when ites to being romantic.¡± Natalie replied in exasperation, ¡°Yeah, I guess that''s true. I didn''t think he''d go to this extent.¡± ¡°By the way, Connor, how did you know that Mr. Shane is Mr. Miller?¡± Joyce asked, crouching down to look at the kid. Connor chuckled. ¡°I stumbled upon it some time ago, but Daddy wouldn''t allow me to share the news, so I''ve been keeping it to myself.¡± ¡°Ah, so you''ve learned how to lie to your own mother now, huh?¡± Natalie reached out to pinch Connor''s chubby cheek. ¡°Hey, Daddy was the one who asked me to do that. You should go pinch his face instead, Mommy,¡± Connor protested. He pushed Natalie''s hand away and ran off whileughing. ¡°That little rascal of mine...¡± Natalie shook her head with a smile. ¡°Nat, now that we''ve figured out that Mr. Shane is Mr. Miller, shall I just bank in the dividend to your ount?¡± Joyce asked. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Actually, it''s best if we open a separate bank ount. Shane and I may be married, but it''s best if we remain professional at work, especially when it involves money.¡± Natalie''s belief was that while a married couple could tap into each other''s private finances, it would be better to keep things separate when their professional lives were involved. That would benefit everyone because things would be tooplicated if any issue were to arise. Natalie wasn''t sure if she and Shane would have trouble down the road, but she thought it was better to be safe. Joyce had known Natalie for years, so naturally, the former knew what thetter was worried about. That got Joyce to shake her head in annoyance and im, ¡°You are ridiculously level-headed. All right, I''ll set up another bank ount and deposit the money in there. You can give Mr. Shane the bank card once you get home.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks,¡± Natalie replied. With that, Joyce left, and just before it was time to clock off, she handed Natalie a card. After epting the card, Natalie left her office with her kids and returned to the Thompson vi. Shane was still in the middle of a meeting, so he couldn''t pick them up and go home with them. Besides, he would have to return to his desk to deal with some paperwork after the meeting. It took him some time to finish working, and it was already eight at night when he finally clocked off. Shane put down his fountain pen and massaged his wrist before he got up to leave his office. Ss was right behind him and was reporting his schedule for the next day. Arriving at the parking lot, Ss had just taken out the car keys and pressed the unlock button when a figure suddenly dashed out from a dark corner and blocked their paths. Chapter 1176 Chapter 1176 To be more specific, the figure was blocking Shane''s path. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. It was Lucy. Shane furrowed his brows the second he saw her. Ss was frowning just as much. However, he was still aware of what his job scope was, so he stepped forward and shielded Shane behind him. The former seemed a little impatient when he looked at Lucy and asked, ¡°Ms. Rivers, it''s past your working hours. Why are you still here?¡± ¡°I''m here for Mr. Shane,¡± replied Lucy. She took a step closer to them, and her eyes shone with love when she stared at Shane. All that only served to make Shane''s frown tighten even more. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked. ¡°Mr. Shane, I...¡± Lucy fiddled with her fingers, mustering her courage. ¡°You don''t love Ms. Smith, so you don''t need to throw a wedding or marry her. You don''t need to sacrifice yourself like that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ss was utterly confused. What the hell is this woman talking about? What does she mean when she said that he doesn''t love his wife? Heck, that man is so in love that he is bordering on lunacy! Shane was taken aback as well. He regained hisposure soon after, and distaste painted his face when he demanded, ¡°Who the f*ck told you that I don''t love my wife?¡± Lucy saw the distaste in his eyes. A sharp pain stung her heart, and she felt wronged. She had waited for hours for him to show up. All she wanted was to tell him that he didn''t need to sacrifice himself, yet he was looking at her with a gaze like that. Lucy bit her lip. She sounded a little hurt when she replied, ¡°No one told me anything. I simply guessed it.¡± Ss rolled his eyes at her. Seriously? Her take on the matter is that Mr. Thompson doesn''t love his wife? Yeah, she definitely has some sort of brain damage or something. Shane was getting impatient. Still frowning, he challenged, ¡°Why would I marry my wife if I don''t love her?¡± That question stumped Lucy. He''s right. Why would he marry her if he didn''t love her? D-Does that mean... Is he really marrying her because he loves her? No, that is not possible. If he truly loved her, he would''ve had the wedding reception ages ago. There is no need to wait for so long. He must be lying to me. Yes, that has to be it! Those thoughts got Lucy to take a deep breath to calm herself down. She shifted her gaze back to Shane and replied, ¡°Are you marrying her because it''s a political move?¡± That''s how it ys out on TV. Rich people always get married because of political issues. Shane''s eye twitched. Ss, however, couldn''t hold it in and burst outughing. He pointed out, ¡°Ms. Rivers, it''s true that many rich families join forces by arranging their marriage, but Mr. Thompson doesn''t need to do that. He is powerful enough on his own. Mr. Thompson is with his wife because he loves her, understand? You should stop saying bullsh*t about how Mr. Thompson doesn''t love his wife. That is ridiculous. Who does he love if not his wife? You?¡± ¡°I...¡± Lucy blushed. Her first instinct was to nod, but she was knocked back to her senses when she looked into Shane''s distant eyes, which were glowing with zero warmth. ¡°That is not what I meant.¡± Ss scoffed, ¡°I hope that is true. Let me give you a kind-hearted warning. It doesn''t matter if Mr. Thompson loves his wife. An outsider like you has no right to butt in on the matter.¡± ¡°I-I am not an outsider,¡± Lucy quickly said. Confusion and curiosity filled Ss'' mind right away. Not an outsider? Does she think of herself as someone inside the loop? ¡°I-I was the one who rescued Mr. Thompson,¡± Lucy replied meekly while tossing a nce at Shane. Shane massaged his temple and replied, ¡°If it is at all possible, I truly wish that you weren''t the one who rescued me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lucy''s expression instantly stiffened, and she stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Y-You wish that I didn''t rescue you?¡± How can he say that? Does he realize how much he''s hurting me? ¡°You rescuing me made it so that my men spent days and still couldn''t find me. Your so-called rescue also made it so that Thompson Group almost fell prey to our enemy. My wife was also triggered after learning how I was missing and that forced her to go through a premature delivery, and my youngest son is still lying in an incubator because of it! This is what your rescue did to me.¡± Chapter 1177 Chapter 1177 Shane red at Lucy. His words had got her to stumble backward, and her face turned pale. Ss saw how she reacted, so he delivered the final blow by adding, ¡°Now, Ms. Rivers, do you still think it was purely a good deed that you rescued Mr. Thompson?¡± ¡°I didn''t know that rescuing you would result in so much trouble. I was trying to be nice. If it wasn''t for me, you¡ª¡± ¡°If it wasn''t for you, I would''ve returned to my family ages ago. My men were already looking for me when you showed up, and I would''ve been fine even if you weren''t there. They would''ve found me sooner, and my wife wouldn''t be triggered after hearing how I was missing!¡± interrupted Shane cruelly and sternly. Lucy''s legs gave way, and she fell onto the floor, looking stunned. How did things turn out this way? I rescued him out of the kindness of my heart, but he is ming me for it. He''s even iming that my help was unnecessary! Ss seemed to have seen through what Lucy was thinking. ¡°Ms. Rivers, please don''t me us for being so straightforward. That is just the truth. Your so-called rescue ended up getting us in a lot of trouble, and we''re already being nice in recognizing your effort. You understand that, right?¡± Lucy''s eyshes fluttered. Understand? How can I possibly understand? Why should I? All I know is that you guys are twisting the facts and disapproving my efforts! Lucy trembled a little. She simply couldn''t ept something like that. Ss pushed his sses up and added, ¡°Truth was, we wouldn''t have behaved this way if you had called the police immediately after you found Mr. Thompson. There is no point in saying any of that now. Ms. Rivers, please allow me to give you some kind advice. Keep your unpleasant thoughts at bay and to yourself. You finally have a job, so focus on that. If you don''t, you''ll end up losing your job and embarrassing yourself.¡± Lucy''s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She quickly shifted her gaze to Shane. Unfortunately, Shane wasn''t looking at her. He checked the watch on his wrist and was nonchnt when he ordered, ¡°Let''s go, Ss.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss replied and left with Shane. The two men were gone, just like that. Lucy, however, stood there and remained stunned. After some time, she suddenly curled into a ball, put her head between her knees, and cried out loud. This is too much. Shane is too harsh. I rescued him and waited for so long to give him some kind advice. I did it all for his sake. In the end, he didn''t thank me for it and treated me so cruelly instead. If possible, I truly wish that I didn''t love him, but it''s toote. I am utterly in love with him. In the car, Shane, leaning against the backrest, massaged his temple in exhaustion and instructed, ¡°Call the janitorial department and have them assign more tasks to Lucy. Make sure she is so busy that she won''t have the time to run around and pull a stunt like that again. If she fails toplete all of her tasks, just fire her.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Ss with a smile. ¡°But I think Lucy will finish all the tasks assigned to her, even if she is unhappy with it. She will do anything to stay here, knowing that she won''t see you again if she leaves. She¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Shane growled. Ss chuckled and stopped talking. A hint of hatred shed across Shane''s eyes. If I had known how troublesome Lucy would be, I would have asked my men to keep her trapped in that vige for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, things are set in stone now. I just wish that she would realize who she is and stop behaving like this. If she doesn''t, I will not show her any mercy. Soon, they arrived at the Thompson vi. The living room was empty. Upon asking the housekeeper, Shane learned that the two kids were ying in their room. Natalie, on the other hand, was working in her studio. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Shane handed his briefcase to the housekeeper before he walked up the stairs to the studio on the second floor. He didn''t knock and went in directly instead. Natalie had her back to him and was sitting in front of a sewing machine. She was so focused on her job that she didn''t notice anyone entering the room. Chapter 1178 Chapter 1178 Shane had a warm smile on his face when he entered the room. He crouched down to hug her from behind. Startled, Natalie stepped on the wrong pedal of the sewing machine. Shane realized that he had made a mistake, so he let her go and apologized awkwardly, ¡°Sorry, Honey. I¡ª¡± ¡°It''s fine. This is just a sample,¡± replied Natalie. She picked up a pair of scissors and cut the thread that was sewn in the wrong ce. ¡°I was just testing the de of the new machine and haven''t started sewing an actual outfit. When did youe back?¡± Natalie put the scissors away and turned to her man. He held her in his arms again and buried his head in her neck before replying, ¡°Just a while ago.¡± Shane ended up tickling Natalie. She couldn''t help but shrug her shoulders. ¡°Hmm... Sneaking around right after youe home and didn''t even call out to me. You''re scared me earlier, you know?¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°I just wanted to see what you were doing.¡± ¡°Okay, now that you have seen it, let me go. I still have some work to do,¡± Natalie said, rolling her eyes at him. Shane loosened his grip a little. ¡°This will do, right? I won''t get in the way of your work, and you can sew away while I hug you.¡± ¡°You...¡± The man''s shamelessness surprised her. She found his behavior both frustrating and funny. ¡°Okay, okay, you can hug me as you like. Just don''t move about too much or I''ll make another mistake.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shane nodded affirmatively. Natalie ignored him and paid attention to her sewing machine before starting it up. As promised, Shane kept quiet and simply held her. He didn''t distract her whatsoever. It didn''t take long before Natalie finished working. She was about to detach her finished product from the sewing machine to check it out when a huge palm suddenly showed up in front of her. It pinched her chin and forced her to turn around. The man lowered his head and kissed her. ¡°Mmm...¡± Natalie yelped instinctively, but her lips twitched a secondter. She was utterly speechless. I knew it. This guy can never be good for long. He will surely act up after he behaves for a while. What''s happening right now proves my word! Natalie sighed internally. She was a little annoyed and slightly delighted when she put her masterpiece away. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Shane''s neck to kiss him back. The man was surprised for a moment, but it didn''t take long before he picked her up and deepened the kiss. He even had her sit on hisp. No one knew how much time had passed, but when Natalie eventually got out of breath, she pushed him a little. That hint prompted the guy to let her go as he used his thumb to caress her lips. Natalie panted lightly while resting in his embrace. About two minutester, Natalie recollected herself and poked at the guy''s chest. ¡°There''s something I''d like to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± replied Shane as he yed with her hair. Natalie sat up straight and reached into her pocket to get a bank card for him. Shane epted it and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Your dividend,¡± Natalie replied. Shane saw the mischievous glint in her eyes and suddenly understood what was going on. He turned away guiltily. Natalie reached out and tilted his head so that he was looking at her. ¡°Look at me,¡± she said. ¡°Don''t try to hide.¡± ¡°I''m not hiding,¡± Shane lied, looking away. Natalie did not know how to react. ¡°No? Then why can''t you look me in the eye?¡± Shane''s lips twitched. He couldn''t refute that. He remained quiet for a while before he asked, ¡°When did you figure it out?¡± ¡°Today. Joyce told me that she couldn''t get in touch with Mr. Miller''s assistant, so we couldn''t pay him his dividend. That is when Connor told me that you were the mysterious investor,¡± Natalie answered, caressing the man''s face. ¡°If Connor hadn''t told me, were you going to keep it from me for the rest of your life?¡± Shane''s lips moved a little, but he didn''t say anything. That was his way of admitting it. Natalie sighed and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I didn''t want you to feel burdened.¡± Shane finally shifted his gaze to her, love burning in his eyes. ¡°We weren''t together when I first invested in yourpany, and I knew you wouldn''t ept my money. We got married after that, but I didn''t want to tell you because I didn''t want you to think that you only managed to establish thepany with my help. I didn''t want you to feel pressured or look down on yourself.¡± Chapter 1179 Chapter 1179 There were many brilliant women out there whose achievements were discredited just because they had some help from their husbands. Many assumed that sessful women only managed to progress that well because of their husband''s help. For example, Stephanie Whittaker was a talented woman, but she had borrowed some money from her husband to establish her business. That got everyone to assume that her husband was responsible for all of her achievements. No one ever stopped to consider how her husband simply made that initial investment and that thepany''s growth after that was all the fruits of herbor. Shane didn''t want the narrow-minded public to see his wife like that. Natalie looked into Shane''s eyes and instantly knew what he was worried about. Warmth filled her heart, and she said, ¡°I got it. Thank you, Darling.¡± Shane caressed her hair. ¡°We''re married, so you never need to thank me.¡± Natalie grinned and nodded. ¡°Here, you can keep it.¡± Shane handed her the card. ¡°No, I can''t. This is¡ª¡± ¡°A part of my sry which I''m giving my wife for her to maintain the house,¡± Shane cut her off. Natalie was at a loss for words. She paused for a moment before she epted the card and replied, ¡°Okay, since you put it that way, I will keep it then.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Shane nodded. The two of them stayed in the studio for a while until the housekeeper knocked on their door and told them that their supper was ready. Only then did the two lovebirds exit the room. Two nights passed soon after, and it was the day of Natalie and Shane''s wedding. The couple did not invite many over. There were only about a hundred guests. On top of that, the media were not invited so their wedding was not publicized. Natalie and Shane thought that it was unnecessary to make such a big deal out of the matter. They also worried that Sean''s men would slip in while disguising themselves as a reporter. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. That was why the wedding was done in a low-key manner. And this was what Natalie wanted as well. She preferred a small wedding, and she did not want her wedding ceremony to be publicized endlessly. It was true that it would be nice to be the center of everyone''s attention, and it would make her feel like a celebrity. However, that would make it so that most of the blessings she received were faked. Only a handful would genuinely wish her a happy life, and she would have to deal with the jealous and hatefulments online. Rather than going through all that, she would prefer to invite only a few close friends. At least then it would be a proper celebration, instead of a day when her chore was to keep a fake smile on at all times. At this moment, Joyce, Lina, and Sally were in the dressing room with Natalie, keeping herpany. The threedies weren''t Natalie''s bridesmaid, though. Shane didn''t have anyone to be his groomsmen, so naturally, Natalie dismissed the idea of having any bridesmaid, too. Only Connor and Sharon would remain as the flower girl and flower boy. Although Joyce and the others felt a little sad that they couldn''t be her bridesmaids, they weren''t unreasonable people as they got over it rather quickly. ¡°You look so beautiful today, Nat,¡±plimented Joyce. She was standing behind Natalie and was staring at thetter''s reflection in the mirror. Sally and Lina nodded in agreement. ¡°It''s true. I have never seen a more beautiful bride in my life.¡± Thedies''pliments got Natalie to blush in embarrassment. ¡°You will be just as beautiful when it''s your big day.¡± ¡°Haha, let''s hope that''s true, then,¡± said thedies. Natalie giggled with them, but she dared not move too much as the manicurist was giving her a manicure at that time. She didn''t want to cause the manicurist to mess up. At a random spot outside, Lucy had her janitor uniform on and was wiping the chair clean half-heartedly while scanning the wedding hall. It wasn''t an enormous ce, but the decorations were regal and exquisite. It made one feel as though they had walked into a fairy tale, and everything was so beautiful that it was virtually impossible to look away. That was her dream wedding, and the groom was the man she loved. Unfortunately, she wasn''t the bride. Sorrow was written on her face as that thought ran past her mind. The team leader of the janitorial crew red at her in distaste before marching over. ¡°I''m warning you, Lucy. Today is Mr. Thompson''s wedding, so don''t you dare cause a scene. If I''m in trouble, I will drag you down with me. Do you hear me?¡± she bellowed. If not for theck of manpower that day, she would not have arranged for Lucy toe over. After all, everyone in the office knew how Lucy felt about Shane. Chapter 1180 Chapter 1180 If Lucy were to cause any trouble, the team leader would be in a heap of trouble for assigning her over. And because of that, thetter had to keep a close eye on Lucy the entire time. She would not let Lucy leave her line of sight. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Y-Yes, I heard you,¡± Lucy replied meekly. She did not know what was up with the team leader these days as she had been assigning her a lot of work. Thetter had even threatened to kick her out of thepany if she failed to finish her task. Lucy had worked endlessly just so she could stay with thepany. She wanted to see Shane. Unfortunately, even after she had finished cleaning every spot that her team leader had assigned to her, thetter would stillin about how her work was not up to standard and she would have to redo everything after that. In short, the team leader had practically traumatized Lucy over the past two days. It got to the point where Lucy was terrified whenever she saw the team leader. ¡°Good, then hurry up. Clean everything and put on the seat covers. The guests will be arriving soon,¡± the team leader instructed before turning around to lead everyone else. Lucy stared at the rag in her hand. Her eyes reddened with tears. These people are too much. I saved their CEO''s life, but they''re bullying me! Just wait. One day, I will make them regret treating me like this. Lucy sniffed and scrubbed the chair, venting her frustration. Meanwhile, in the dressing room, Natalie had already put on her make-up. Joyce, Sally, and Lina worked together to push the wedding dress over. ¡°Nat, it''s almost time to put on your wedding dress,¡± said Joyce as she pointed at the dress and smiled at Natalie. Seeing that familiar dress, Natalie shed a bright smile. She looked so beautiful that even the women were stunned by her beauty. Just as Natalie got up to put on her wedding dress, someone came knocking on the door. ¡°Who''s there?¡± Sally headed over and opened the door slightly, peeping through the small gap. ¡°Mr. Shane?¡± she blurted in surprise when she saw who the visitor was. ¡°Shane is here?¡± Natalie instinctively turned around upon hearing Sally''s words. Sally nodded before opening the door and asked, ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Shane?¡± Shane ignored thedy and walked around her. He shifted his gaze to Natalie, who was in the dressing room. Natalie already had her make-up on, and her hair was tied up. She was stunning, although she hadn''t changed into her dress yet. One could imagine how beautiful she would be once she put on her dress. ¡°I just thought of dropping to see how youdies are doing,¡± Shane said in a hoarse voice, his Adam''s apple bobbing in his throat, and his gaze never left Natalie as he spoke. Joyce and the others tittered when they saw that. ¡°I bet you''re just too eager to see Nat in her wedding dress,¡± Joyce teased. Shane gave her a sideway nce, but he didn''t deny it. Seeing that, Joyce waved at Sally and Lina before suggesting, ¡°Well, since Mr. Shane is here, let''s head out, sisters. We''ll leave these two lovebirds alone.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Lina said. Sally nodded in agreement as well. With that, all three of them grinned at one another before taking their leave, leaving Natalie and Shane in the dressing room. Shane walked up to Natalie. He had already put on his tuxedo, and his hair wasbed back. He looked ever so handsome and exuded male hormones. ¡°The ceremony is about to begin. What are you doing here? Why aren''t you waiting for me in the hall?¡± Natalie asked. The man reached out to hold her before answering, ¡°I missed you, so I came to look at you.¡± Natalie grinned in exasperation. ¡°It''s not like we haven''t seen each other for a long time. Is this really necessary?¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay, now that you''ve seen me, go away. I need to put on my dress.¡± ¡°Let me help you,¡± offered Shane. He walked toward the wedding dress and removed it from the mannequin. Chapter 1181 Chapter 1181 Natalie couldn''t help narrowing her eyes in suspicion when she saw how eager he was. Did hee over just to help me put on my wedding dress? The more Natalie thought about it, the more she found that to be the case. Gah, nevermind. As long as he''s happy. What was she going to do? Shane was her husband, and she loved him so much that she wanted to spoil him. Natalie grinned and shook her head before walking to the man. The gown was pretty heavy, so it was rather difficult for Natalie to put in on herself. Her initial n was to get Joyce and the others to help her put it on, but Shane had thrown a wrench into that n. Fortunately, men are physically stronger and Natalie soon changed into her dress with his help. Natalie had already put on her make-up and got her hair done. With the wedding dress on, she was simply breathtaking and more stunning than before. After all, there were no professionals to do her make-up and hair back then, so while she was still gorgeous, itcked a little edge. However, things had changed. As far as Shane was concerned, Natalie was like an angel who had just descended from heaven. Thatpelled him to hold her tightly in his arms again. It was as though he was worried that she''d fly away if he let go, even a little. Natalie sensed his fear. She didn''t know what he was afraid of, but she didn''t ask. Instead, she stroked his back gently andforted him silently. It took about two minutes for Shane to recover and understand that the woman before him was his wife. She would stay with him for the rest of their lives and there was no way she would fly away all of a sudden. Shane gently let her go and examined her for a while. ¡°Something''s missing.¡± ¡°The veil,¡± reminded Natalie with a smile. The realization hit Shane as he looked around for the veil. Natalie pointed at the couch behind him. Shane turned around and saw the veil resting on the couch. He walked over to pick it up before putting it on Natalie''s head as per her instructions. The veil was long and doubleyered. Theyer on top was shorter and could only reach her waist, whereas theyer underneath stretched all the way to the floor. It was even longer than the dress. That made the visual effects better and added an element of surprise to it. ¡°You are beautiful.¡± Shane''s eyes burned with passion for the bride in front of him. Natalie picked up her bouquet and replied, ¡°You don''t look so bad yourself.¡± They were still talking when someone knocked on the door. ¡°Nat, Mr. Shane, it''s time. Come on out!¡± It was Joyce. ¡°Coming,¡± Natalie replied. They were throwing a simple wedding, so there weren''t any games or procedures to follow. It wasn''t necessary, and there weren''t enough people around, anyway. Shane offered his hand and said, ¡°Let''s go.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie stared at his hand. She smiled and gently ced her hand on his. Her hand is so soft and smooth. It feels so good to hold her, Shane thought as he squeezed her hand. With that, Shane held Natalie''s hand, and together, they walked out of the dressing room. Outside, Joyce, Lina, and Sally had been waiting for them with Connor and Sharon. When the couple came out, they were stunned in ce and it took them a while toe back to their senses. ¡°Oh my gosh, Nat. You are so beautiful,¡± Joyce said as she gripped Natalie''s hand excitedly. Lina and Sally nodded in agreement as well. ¡°You were already stunning before you put on the wedding dress, but with it, you are absolutely breathtaking.¡± ¡°You are so lucky, Mr. Shane,¡± Sally gushed, giving Shane a huge thumbs up. Shane grinned at her in delight and replied, ¡°I''ll give you a bonus and double your pay this month.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane. I wish you and Nat a loving and happy life,¡± she added. ¡°Make that triple.¡± Shane smirked. Sally was so happy that she almost fainted. ¡°Do we get something out of this too, Mr. Shane?¡± Joyce and Lina chimed in. ¡°Yep, you can talk to Ss about itter.¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you, Mr. Shane,¡± thedies cheered. Chapter 1182 Chapter 1182 Natalie grinned when she saw how happy they were. Connor and Sharon lifted their heads, blinking at Natalie and Shane. ¡°You are so pretty, Mommy,¡± Sharonmented, her eyes glowing. Connor nodded and added, ¡°And Daddy looks handsome, too.¡± ¡°That''s true. When Mr. Shane and Nat first came out, I thought I was looking at a poster. Their aesthetic beauty, their aura... They are indeed a match made in heaven,¡± Sally eximed. Natalie''s heart melted when she saw her kids all dressed up. The bell rang soon after, and Joyce quickly handed two baskets of flowers to the kids. She urged, ¡°Quickly, kids. Your parents are about to enter the hall. The two of you will walk in front of them and toss the flowers as you walk, okay?¡± ¡°Got it, Aunt Joyce.¡± The kids nodded seriously. After that, they followed Sally''s lead and walked about four or five meters in front of Natalie and Shane while tossing the flowers. Natalie and Shane made their way into the hall arm in arm as petals rained down on them. The hall was packed. Jared, Stanley, Jackson, and some other colleagues whom Natalie was close to were there, and Shane''s business partners filled up the rest of the hall. Everyone stood up and pped when they saw the newlyweds. Natalie smiled and scanned the guests as she approached the priest. Jared and Jackson were genuinely happy for Natalie and Shane, but Stanley''s eyes shone with zero happiness despite the smile he had on his face. Natalie couldn''t help sighing internally when she saw how he was. Hasn''t he given up on me yet? Natalie didn''t pay too much attention to Stanley, though. She was quick to move on and check out how the guests on the other side of the hall were doing. Isabelle was there. She had a sleeveless, light pink dress on and was wearing appropriate essories and make-up. She had changed, and no longer desired to put on the most expensive item whenever she left the house, regardless of what asion it was. Naturally, none of that was important. The most important bit was that Natalie had noticed the sincerity in Isabelle''s eyes. Isabelle was genuinely wishing her and Shane the best. The arrogance and hostility that could once be seen in Isabelle''s eyes had faded. And all that was left was eptance. That proved that Shane did not lie. Isabelle had truly changed. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. That thought was crossing Natalie''s mind when her eyes suddenly met Isabelle''s. Thetter''s expression stiffened, and she stopped pping. She''s probably recalling our past and isn''t sure how to interact with me now... Natalie nodded at her and gave her a friendly smile. Isabelle seemed to have sensed that as she returned the smile and continued pping. Though it was short, their little interaction did not go unnoticed by Shane. He squeezed Natalie''s hand and asked, ¡°Did you and Isabelle make up?¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°We have never been close, so we can''t exactly make up, can we? We have only left our past grudges behind, but that doesn''t mean we''ll be friends in the future.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°That''s good.¡± ¡°But Isabelle seems to have really changed a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah, the military school has trained her well.¡± ¡°Mr. Moore sent her to the military school despite loving her so much. It must have been hard for him and taken him a lot of effort to let go.¡± ¡°He doesn''t really have a choice. Isabelle is the only one in her generation, so she has to inherit the Moores'' legacy. If she remained the way she used to be, the Moores would meet their end soon. Mr. Moore didn''t want hispany to go bankrupt, so he had no choice but to train Isabelle. Fortunately, she didn''t let her grandpa down. She may not be able to further grow Moore Group, but at least she can protect it now.¡± Chapter 1183 Chapter 1183 The duo was talking and before they knew it, they were already standing in front of the priest. The priest stared at the newlyweds. He had officiated at many weddings, but that was the first time he had met a well-matched couple. He flipped the book he had with him and smiled warmly before asking, ¡°Mr. Shane Thompson, will you take this woman as yourwfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love and protect her in sickness and in health?¡± Shane and Natalie were looking at each other at the time. His gaze was soft as he uttered, ¡°I do.¡± Natalie''s eyes reddened with tears. The priest then turned to Natalie and asked, ¡°Ms. Natalie Smith, will you take this man as yourwfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love and protect him in sickness and in health?¡± ¡°I do,¡± replied Natalie without hesitation. Shane''s pupils constricted. His gaze became softer and more affectionate. The priest saw how the two of them looked so in love with each other, and that got him to nod while smiling. He dered, ¡°I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.¡± Shane reached out and removed the veil. He then lifted Natalie''s chin with his finger and lowered his head to kiss her. Witnessing that scene, the guests put their hands together again to cheer them on while Connor and Sharon continued to toss the flowers. Lucy was peeking from outside the hall, and she and Stanley were the only ones who were upset. Stanley stared at Natalie. Aplex and unreadable gaze shone behind his sses as he pped half-heartedly. It was evident that he wasn''t genuinely happy for Natalie. Five years ago, he had fallen for Natalie at first sight. But to his dismay, she was already pregnant with someone else''s children. He didn''t mind, though. He could ept anything, including the children in her womb. Unfortunately, she wasn''t looking for a rtionship at that time, so he never professed his love for her because he respected her. Yet, little did he expect Natalie to get together with Shane almost as soon as she got back to the country. It was at that moment Stanley realized that Natalie wasn''t disinterested in a rtionship. She simply wasn''t into him and didn''t feel the same for him. He wondered if he would''ve had a chance with her if he had taken the initiative and told her how he felt earlier. But what was the point of wondering all that now? She was officially out of his reach as of today. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Joyce was sitting a short distance away from Stanley. She noticed how his gaze had turned gloomy, and that got her smile to fade, too. She wasn''t pping as enthusiastically either. Sally sensed her sorrow and couldn''t help asking, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Joyce quickly looked down to hide her emotions before forcing a smile. ¡°I''m just happy for Nat. She''s married!¡± ¡°But you don''t look happy at all. Also, they were married ages ago, and this is just the reception, so can you at leaste up with a better lie? Just tell me what''s going on.¡± Sally nudged Joyce with her shoulder. ¡°Did you see someone you like and¡ª¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Joyce looked at her wide-eyed in disbelief. Sally chuckled mischievously. ¡°How? I caught you staring in that direction a few times. But there are several guys over there, so I don''t know who exactly you''re looking at. The only thing I can be certain of is that he is one of the guys over there.¡± ¡°Your observation skills are pretty on point,¡± Joyce remarked. Sally shrugged. ¡°This has nothing to do with my observation skills. It''s so obvious. Come on, fess up. Who is it?¡± ¡°I''d rather not. There''s no way we can ever be together.¡± Jayce shook her head and had no intention of telling Sally anything. Sally was a little disappointed with that. ¡°Aw, I thought I could hear something juicy from you...¡± Chapter 1184 Chapter 1184 ¡°I''ll tell you in the future if the opportunity presents itself.¡± Lucy and a few of her colleagues from the janitorial department were outdoors and standing some distance away. They were monitoring everything from outside. As they weren''t allowed to enter, they could only stare from afar. Fortunately, the door was big enough for them to see what was going on inside. When Shane lifted Natalie''s veil and kissed her, the employees gasped in astonishment. ¡°So that is Mrs. Thompson? She''s so beautiful!¡± ¡°Right? She has got to be the most beautiful woman I have ever met in my life. Even the celebrities on the television aren''t as stunning. She is definitely the perfect match for Mr. Thompson.¡± ¡°Those eyes, though... I think I''ve seen them before...¡± Lucy clenched her fists as she listened to her colleagues, her eyes aze with jealousy. So what if she is beautiful? It''s not like she can do anything else. It doesn''t matter if that woman is stunning. She is still a narrow-minded b*tch, and Shane deserves to be with a better woman! One of her colleagues saw the state she was in and secretly informed their team leader, ¡°Hey, do you see that?¡± The colleague pointed at Lucy. The team leader looked over and was instantly annoyed. ¡°Hey, you two. Drag her out of here. Don''t let Mr. Thompson see her.¡± The team leader truly regretted her decision to bring Lucy over. I can''t believe she''s crying and looking all jealous right now. Things will be bad if Mr. Thompson or any of the VIPs see her like this. ¡°Okay,¡± replied the colleague who ratted Lucy out. The former was quick to recruit another person to carry Lucy and get her out of there. Lucy''s attention was on the newlyweds. She did not even know what was going on until two of her colleagues picked her up and dragged her backward. She struggled immediately and demanded, ¡°What are you doing?¡± The team leader''s expression changed drastically when Lucy raised her voice. ¡°Shut her mouth and don''t let her shout!¡± If the others hear her, we will all be in trouble. Lucy''s colleague nodded and reached out to cover Lucy''s mouth. Unfortunately, Lucy was faster as she shouted, ¡°Mr. Thompson, Mr. Thompson! Save me.¡± Her voice was so loud and filled with fear; it sounded as though she was being kidnapped. The team leader nched. How dare that woman? Everyone knows that today is Mr. Thompson''s big day with his wife. Lucy, screaming here, has surely disrupted the ceremony. Damn it, I''m the team leader, so I will be the first to suffer for assigning Lucy over! At that moment, the team leader hated Lucy so much that she wanted to strangle her. The two colleagues who were holding Lucy in ce started panicking as well. They turned to one another. Neither knew what to do. Natalie was going to throw the bouquet when she suddenly heard Lucy scream. The smile on her face froze. Shane frowned, and the guests had stopped pping as they looked toward the exit out of curiosity. ¡°Nat, what is going on?¡± asked Joyce in confusion. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sally and Lina turned to Natalie as well. Natalie, however, bit her lip without replying. Shane waved his hand at Ss and ordered, ¡°Go check it out.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss said, looking grim as he turned around to leave. It didn''t take long before he showed up in front of the janitors and red at Lucy. He interrogated, ¡°What''s all the fuss about?¡± His re frightened Lucy and got her to lower her head instinctively to avoid his gaze. The team leader hurried over to exin, ¡°This has nothing to do with us, Mr. Campbell. I simply wanted my people to take her away, but she screamed all of a sudden.¡± ¡°That is not what happened,¡± Lucy refuted. ¡°You had your people drag me away. That''s why I screamed. I wouldn''t have done any of that if you never issued that order.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Chapter 1185 Chapter 1185 The team leader had more to say, but Ss cut her short, ¡°Enough!¡± The team leader flinched and instantly shut up. A triumphant glint shed through Lucy''s eyes when she saw that, and Ss noticed that glow in her eyes. ¡°You did this on purpose, didn''t you?¡± he questioned her. ¡°W-What?¡± Lucy was startled. Ss scoffed, ¡°You must feel terrible to see Mr. and Mrs. Thompson get married. That is why when your team leader tried to drag you away, you deliberately shouted aloud. You wanted to get everyone''s attention and disrupt the wedding. That is your true objective, isn''t it?¡± ¡°That is not true. I-I just...¡± Lucy felt so guilty that she couldn''t speak. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Seeing that, the team leader got so angry that she wanted to p the living daylights out of Lucy. ¡°Enough!¡± Ss started. ¡°Today is Mr. and Mrs. Thompson''s big day, so it''s unbing to scold or attack anyone. You are the team leader, and they are your subordinates. None of them would be here if it weren''t for you, so I will be putting this on you.¡± As Ss spoke, he pointed at the team leader. ¡°I am so sorry. I honestly didn''t know that she''d make a mess like this.¡± ¡°What''s the point of regretting your decisions now? Take her away already. I will deal with this at the end of the ceremony.¡± Ss gave his order impatiently as he massaged his temple. The team leader quickly replied, ¡°Understood. I will do that right away.¡± With that, the team leader went to grab Lucy in person. Lucy wanted to flee, but Ss saw through her. He warned, ¡°Try running away and I swear I''ll make you disappear from J City.¡± Lucy turned pale as cold horror settled in her guts. What did I just see? Were his eyes glowing with murderous intent? Is he actually nning to kill me? Immense fear engulfed Lucy and stunned her. She no longer dared to flee as she stood there obediently until her team leader took her away. Finally, Ss heaved a sigh of relief. I guess I can''t be nice or political with a shameless woman like Lucy. I have to be harsh. Only then will she be scared, and only then can I keep her in line. Otherwise, everything will be for naught. Ss readjusted his suit before he went back in. The guests stared at him curiously. Everyone wanted to know what had happened out there. Naturally, Ss wasn''t going to tell them anything. He walked right up to Shane and whispered, ¡°It''s Lucy, Mr. Thompson.¡± After that, Ss shared what had happened outside. Natalie was standing right beside Shane, so she learned about everything as well. A hint of disgust shed past her eyes. Shane, however, didn''t bother to conceal his hatred. He instructed cruelly, ¡°Give her some money once the ceremony is over and send her back to the vige.¡± He would not let Lucy stay any longer, no matter what. Natalie heard what Shane said and didn''t protest. Perhaps it was a mistake to let Lucy stay in the first ce. It''s best to send her back now. Joyce was standing rather close to Natalie, so she had overheard bits and pieces of the story. ¡°Nat, it''s that Lucy girl, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. Joyce pouted andined, ¡°That b*tch... I can''t believe she came all the way here.¡± ¡°Actually, I rather admire her determination,¡± Natalie sneered. Joyce rolled her eyes. ¡°That is not determination. It''s called being a f*cking b*tch. All right, let''s not talk about her anymore. Hurry up and throw your bouquet already. You''ll bete if you don''t throw it soon.¡± Joyce didn''t keep her voice down when she said thatst sentence. If anything, she had deliberately raised her voice. Natalie knew that Joyce was trying to get everyone in the mood again. Indeed, the guests focused on the bride and groom again upon hearing Joyce''s words. The ce became lively once more as everyone urged Natalie to throw the bouquet. Natalie smiled at Shane. ¡°Go on,¡± the man said. Chapter 1186 Chapter 1186 Natalie hummed in response and turned around. Everyone stood up upon seeing that, the girls gathering at the center and had their hands up to catch the bouquet. ¡°Ready?¡± Natalie looked back. ¡°I''m throwing it now. Three... Two... One!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She tossed the bouquet in the air as soon as she finished speaking. Everyone raised their heads and stared at the bouquet, trying to get their hands on it. Joyce, Sally, and Lina had their eyes on the bouquet as well. Connor took Sharon to Natalie''s side, but Sharon''s eyes were fixed on the pretty flowers. ¡°Connor, I want that too.¡± ¡°Nope, no way,¡± replied Connor firmly. ¡°Those flowers are meant for the next bride. That is why everyone who is trying to catch the bouquet is in Aunt Joyce''s age group. You''re too young; you''re not allowed to be a bride yet.¡± Shane heard that and agreed wholeheartedly. He said, ¡°Your brother is right. That bouquet is not for you. Don''t even think about it. You''re not allowed to have it even after you get older.¡± Shane had put on a straight face when he spoke to his daughter, and that got Natalie to grin in exasperation. She knew exactly what the father and son duo were doing. They simply didn''t want Sharon to get married or leave the house. It took some time before the bouquet finally found its new owner, Joyce. The truth was that Joyce didn''t think she''d actually catch the bouquet. Still, she calmed down upon seeing everyone else''s envious gaze. She smiled happily and waved at Natalie with the bouquet. Natalie smiled back and said, ¡°Congrattions on bing the next bride.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Joyce smiled. Stanley was in his seat when he heard Natalie and Joyce talking to each other. He couldn''t help frowning when he saw how happily Joyce was smiling. Why is she so eager to be the next bride? Does she already have a boyfriend? For some unknown reason, Stanley felt annoyed when he thought about the possibility that Joyce had a boyfriend. However, he didn''t really pay attention to that annoyance and suppressed it rather quickly. He then stood up and snuck away. As there weren''t many guests there and the newlyweds were standing on the stage, they both saw Stanley leaving. Staring at his back and watching him leave, Natalie sighed inwardly. She honestly didn''t know what to say about Stanley. All she could do was pray that he would recover soon and give his heart to someone else. Shane, on the other hand, was quick to look away. He didn''t respond because he thought it was good for the man to leave. Truth be told, Shane would never have invited Stanley to the wedding if he hadn''t helped Natalie and the kids five years ago. Therefore, he wouldn''t stop Stanley from leaving. Like the newlyweds, Joyce, too, noticed that Stanley had left. He was the man she loved, after all, so it was only natural for her to pay attention to him. She looked at his regal and lonely figure, her mind abuzz with chaos. But it didn''t take long before she got distracted and shifted her gaze away. She stopped thinking about Stanley and went to take some photos instead. The wedding ceremony ended soon after. Shane and Natalie waved goodbye to their guests, got in their car, and returned to the Thompson vi. Meanwhile, Ss returned to the office to deal with the issue involving Lucy. As for Joyce, Sally, and Lina, they bade each other goodbye and left as well. While Sally went to Ss'' ce, Lina headed to the hotel that Natalie had arranged for her. Joyce, however, went to look for Stanley. That was the second time she had gone to look for him since she found the badge. Earlier, she had seen him walking away on his own, and that worried her, so she wanted to see how he was doing. She had searched for him at his hospital and his house but to no avail and that made her feel all the more anxious. She was truly worried that Natalie and Shane''s marriage would trigger him to do something extreme, such asmitting suicide, or worse, hurting others if his mental illness rpsed. That was why she had to find him. Yet the hours, minutes, and seconds went by, and the man was still nowhere to be found. She tried calling him, but he had turned off his phone. Chapter 1187 Chapter 1187 Not knowing what to do, Joyce had thought about calling Natalie and Shane to ask for their help, but she was quick to dismiss that thought. Tonight is their wedding night, so it''s not right to call them at a time like this. Joyce was sitting in front of Stanley''s apartment and was hugging her legs helplessly when the phone she ced on the floor suddenly rang. She looked at the screen and energy surged through her body when she saw Stanley''s name on it. Did he call me after he turned on his phone and saw my messages? Joyce was so happy that she almost jumped to her feet. After all, the man had never responded to her messages in the past. So how could she not be happy now that the man was calling her? Joyce grabbed her phone and took a deep breath before answering the call. ¡°Stanley?¡± ¡°Is this Ms. Joyce Rivers?¡± asked an unfamiliar voice from the other end of the line. The smile on Joyce''s face froze. She nodded and replied, ¡°This is her. May I know who is this? Why do you have my friend''s phone?¡± Did Stanley drop his phone and some random guy pick it up? Or did he get into some ident and the hospital is calling? Natalie started panicking, and her grip on her phone tightened. The stranger''s voice sounded once more. ¡°I am the manager at Sapphire Bar, and your friend is drunk. He is barely conscious, so I got his phone from his pocket and turned it on. Please drop by to pay his bill and take him home.¡± Joyce was momentarily stunned. ¡°Okay, I''ll be there soon.¡± She put her phone away and sighed in relief after hanging up. Thank Heavens that Stanley is fine. He''s just drunk. That being said, Joyce was a little upset to hear that Stanley had gone out to drink. Stanley was a doctor. He rarely drank, much less get himself drunk because he knew it would affect his performance at the operation table. Yet, he had made an exception today. Did he do that because he couldn''t ept Nat marrying Mr. Shane? Joyce''s eyes turned teary as jealousy washed over her. Despite that, she stood up and made her way to Sapphire Bar to pick him up. It took Joyce about thirty minutes to reach the bar. Led by the server, she soon found Stanley who had passed out on the couch. His clothes were wrinkled, and his cor was unbuttoned. The tie around his neck was tilted to the side. Even his hair was messy. At that moment, he looked like a drunkard. Joyce sighed. That was her first time seeing Stanley in such a disheveled state. ¡°Here, please put the tab on this card,¡± said Joyce as she got her credit card from her bag and handed it to the server. The server epted the card and went to the cash register to get the check. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Joyce bent down to help Stanley up. She was going to drag him out of the ce when he murmured, ¡°Don''t... Don''t get a boyfriend!¡± Joyce was taken aback. She turned to him and saw that his eyes were closed. It was obvious that he was dreaming when he uttered those words. I wonder what he means, though... ¡°Who shouldn''t get a boyfriend?¡± Joyce asked softly and carefully as she scanned Stanley. There was a flicker of expectation in her eyes. However, the man did not respond. Joyce bit her lip in disappointment and dragged him to the cashier. At that moment, the server was heading back to return her card. When he saw her walking over, he handed the card to her, then helped her carry Stanley to the car and settle him in the passenger seat. ¡°Thank you.¡± Joyce smiled at the server. ¡°Anytime.¡± The server waved his hand and returned to the bar. Joyce closed the door and circled around to get into the driver''s seat. She then turned around and put on the seatbelt for Stanley. Chapter 1188 Chapter 1188 Just as Joyce was about to move away, Stanley suddenly grabbed her wrist. Joyce froze. The next second, Stanley pulled her over, and she fell right into his arms, knocking into his firm chest. That hurt her a little, but before she could evenin, a shadow hovered over her and a kissnded on her lips. Joyce waspletely stunned. She felt as though a bomb had exploded in her head, and her entire body stiffened. Stanley is kissing me... The man I love is actually kissing me! Coming back to her senses, she looked up at Stanley and saw that the man still had his eyes closed and was never awake. He probably doesn''t know what he''s doing now. Joyce thought about how Stanley had got drunk because he had to watch Natalie marry Shane. That means he wasn''t trying to kiss me. In his mind, he was kissing Nat. He is dreaming about her and mistook me for Nat! Joyce felt terrible after she had made sense of everything. Her eyes turned watery once more, and her chest tightened. She pushed Stanley away, not wanting to stay close to him. After all, it didn''t feel nice to be treated as a substitute. However, just as she moved away, Stanley came after her again. This time, he was much stronger than before as he locked her in his arms. She couldn''t budge at all. Stanley pinched Joyce''s chin and nted another kiss on her lips. The second kiss was more aggressive than the first one. ¡°Mmm...¡± Her lips and tongue hurt and she even had trouble breathing at that moment. She kept pping his chest with her hands to get him to let her go, but he simply freed out one hand to confine both her hands. That further restricted her movement and made it impossible for her to move her hands. Joyce waspletely stuck, and she couldn''t move at all as Stanley continued to kiss her. As time passed, Joyce slowly got ustomed to Stanley''s strength, and her body softened. Stanley seemed to have sensed that as well, as his kiss became less aggressive and more gentle. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The temperature in the car instantly rose and all that could be heard within was the hushed breathing between two adults as well as the moans that could get anyone to think dirty. When she felt Stanley reaching under her clothes, she jumped and instantly regained herposure. She tried to stop him, but clearly, the man didn''t want to let go and he had already reached for her undergarments. Joyce''s heart was beating fast. In the end, she bit the man''s lips, causing him to moan in pain and let her go. Joyce returned to the driver''s seat right away and said, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, Stanley, but I am not Natalie. I''m Joyce.¡± She hadpletely lost her mind when they kissed earlier, but she could not allow the man to get to second base. Stanley remained silent. His eyes were wide open, and he was looking straight at Joyce. Joyce flinched. ¡°Are you up?¡± Stanley did not reply as he continued to stare at her. Thinking that he was definitely sober, Joyce looked down and said, ¡°Sorry, I¡ª¡± Stanley grabbed her wrist and kissed her before she could finish that sentence. He pulled her in once more and bit her neck, earning himself a scream from the woman. That scream seemed to only get him more excited as he kept kissing and caressing her until he reached her vicle. Joyce demanded that he stop when she saw how he was moving further down, but it was obvious that he couldn''t hear her as he buried his head in her chest. That was when Joyce realized that he was never sober. He was still drunk and his lust had taken over him. He wants to do it with Natalie and has mistaken me for her. Chapter 1189 Chapter 1189 Joyce chuckled bitterly when she came to that conclusion. A single drop of tear rolled down her cheek before she unfastened Stanley''s seatbelt, helped him out of the car, and dragged him to a hotel nearby. Sapphire Bar was a famous drinking ce. As many couldn''t drive after drinking too much, they would usually go to the hotel nearby to stay the night there. Joyce took Stanley to that hotel and got a room for him. Inside, she tossed Stanley onto the bed and was going to get a warm towel to clean his face, wanting him to feel morefortable when he pulled her onto the bed and pinned her down. Joyce''s eyes rounded. Stanley lowered his head and kissed her again while his hand ventured under her clothes once more. Surprisingly, Joyce didn''t fight back as she allowed the man to take advantage of her. She loved this man and had been in love with him since she was young. For more than a decade, her feelings for him had never changed. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. But the countless misunderstandings that surrounded them had made it impossible for her to get close to him. And now, Stanley was taking the initiative to approach her and kiss her. Perhaps this was heaven''s way of pitying her for loving him for over a decade. Perhaps this was her only chance to get close to him. In that case, she thought, why not just ept it? He probably thinks that he is with Nat, but he is kissing me... Those thoughts prompted Joyce to close her eyes. The next morning, Joyce woke up when the sun had just risen. She ignored the ache all over her body and pulled her nket away before picking up her clothes on the floor and rushing into the bathroom. About ten minutester, she came out of the bathroom with her clothes on. She tiptoed to the side of the bed and watched as the man slept soundly. She couldn''t help reaching out and caressing his face before retracting her hand. Thereafter, she grabbed the bag she had left at the side and left the room. She had consented to everything that had happenedst night, and it was a night she had stolen. More importantly, it was her way of putting an end to her love. After a night with him, perhaps I can finally let go of this unrecruited love... Stanley woke up a little after Joyce had left. He saw how he was naked on the messy bed. The strange scent in the air made it impossible for him not to know what had happened the night before. His expression darkened, and the atmosphere in the room got him on edge. I can''t believe I had a one-night stand with a stranger! Who was she? Stanley saw the clothes on the floor and bent down to pick them all up. After taking a shower, he ignored the thought of how dirty his clothes were and put them on before leaving the room. Outside, he checked the room number, then went to the front desk to ask about the person who had paid for the room. The receptionist told him everything. ¡°It''s her!¡± Stanley''s pupils constricted. I can''t believe it''s Joyce. For a moment, he didn''t know what to say. When he thought that a stranger had taken advantage of him, he was so furious that he wanted to get back at that woman. However, hearing that he had been with Joyce quelled his anger and what reced it was an indescribable wave of mixed emotions. He wasn''t sure how he had ended up with Joyce the night before, so he took out his phone and dialed her number. Meanwhile, Joyce had arrived at the office, looking a little pale and tired, and the way she walked seemed a little off. ¡°Morning,¡± greeted a designer. Joyce quickly replied, ¡°Morning,¡± and rushed to her own office. But when she walked past Natalie''s office, the owner of the room suddenly came out. ¡°Joyce, you''re finally here. You''re a littlete today.¡± Thetter was happy to see her. ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± Joyce didn''t expect to run into Natalie so soon. Thinking about how Stanley had mistaken her for Natalie on the night before and slept with her, Joyce couldn''t get herself to look Natalie in the eye. Chapter 1190 Chapter 1190 ¡°What''s up, Nat?¡± Joyce asked with her head down. Her voice carried a hint of guilt as she spoke. ¡°It''s nothing. I just need the inventory sheet forst season''s designs,¡± Natalie replied. Joyce nodded. ¡°Okay, I''ll e-mail it to youter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce asked again, ¡°Is there anything else? If not, I''ll head back to my office now.¡± She was aching too much, and her legs didn''t really have much energy left. She had to rush to her office and get some rest or she might fall. ¡°No, that''s it.¡± Natalie shook her head. Joyce let out a sigh after hearing that. ¡°Okay, then I''ll be heading over now. Bye.¡± With that, she pinched her arm to remind herself to walk naturally as she returned to her office. Her effort, however, was futile. ¡°The way she walks...¡± Natalie mused to herself. As an experienced woman, she could tell that there was something off with the way Joyce walked. She didn''t look as though she had injured her leg. She was walking like someone who had just lost her virginity. Wait, that means she was with a manst night! I wonder who that is... Natalie didn''t think that Joyce was with Stanley because there was still a misunderstanding between them. Stanley still hates her, so there is no way he''d sleep with her. That means she has slept with someone elsest night. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The only question is, did Joyce sleep with him willingly, or was she forced to sleep with him? She didn''t look angry or sad just now though, so it is likely that she has consented to it. Does that mean she has truly let go of Stanley and is with someone else? Natalie''s eyes widened in surprise. It took her a while before she calmed herself down. If that''s really the case, I don''t think it''s a bad thing. Joyce has been in love with Stanley for over a decade, and who knows how much pain she has endured this whole time? I feel so sorry for her... Besides, even if the misunderstanding between Stanley and Joyce is resolved, there is still no saying whether they''d end up together. He doesn''t love her, after all, so at most, they will be friends and not lovers. I really wish for her to find someone else who would truly love her. I just want her to be happy. Natalie went back to her own office as those thoughts filled her mind. In the office next door, Joyce put her weight on her desk and sat down. She heaved a long sigh, feeling alive again. She could still feel the burning sensation in herher region, and it was rather ufortable. I need to drop by at the pharmacy to buy some medicer. Just then, her phone rang. Joyce frowned and picked up her phone, almost tossing it away after looking at the caller ID. ¡°S- Stanley!¡± Why is he calling? Did he find out that I was the woman he was with yesterday? Is that why he''s calling me now? What do I do? Should I pick up and say that it was me? The phone kept ringing, but Joyce was stuck in a dilemma. It didn''t take long before the phone stopped ringing entirely. While Joyce was disappointed to see that, she was relieved at the same time. However, that relief didn''tst long because her phone rang again. Joyce checked her phone and saw that it was a message from Stanley. She bit her lip and tapped on the screen. Was it youst night? One short sentence was all it took to get Joyce to gasp. I knew it! He knew it was me and hase to demand an answer from me. Joyce''s fingers trembled. She didn''t know how to respond. What will he do if I reply to him? Will he take responsibility for his actions and marry me or will he mock me and say that he won''t love me even after we have slept together? Thinking about how Stanley had been indifferent toward her, Joyce thought that thetter was more likely going to happen. Gah, forget about it. He made the first movest night, but I didn''t push him away, so I am partially responsible for what happened. We''ll just let it be. After much deliberation, Joyce took a deep breath and replied: Yeah, it was me. The manager of Sapphire Bar called mest night and told me that you were drunk. I went to pick you up and sent you to a hotel and left after that. Chapter 1191 Chapter 1191 At the end of the day, Joyce couldn''t bring herself to admit that she had sex with himst night. She was still scared of his insults, afraid that it would hurt too much. Stanley narrowed his eyes when he read Joyce''s reply. He wrote back: You left right away? Are you sure you didn''t stay? Joyce bit her lip. Her fingers were trembling a little when she replied: ¡±No. Why would I stay when you hate me so much? Why are you asking all these questions? Did someone slip into your roomst night and sleep with you? Stanley wondered if Joyce was deliberately lying or if she was being honest. After a while, he massaged his temple and replied: No, it''s nothing. Bye. He turned off his phone after that and drove to the hospital. Joyce didn''t know what he meant when she read those words. What the hell does that mean? What is nothing? Also, is he going to drop the topic just like this? Although that was what Joyce had prayed for, she still felt terrible. She felt a lump in her throat, and she couldn''t help getting teary. Natalie had been waiting for a while, but Joyce still hadn''t sent her the inventory sheet, so she decided to head over to check up on her. Natalie had just reached the door to Joyce''s office when she heard her sobs. She opened the door quickly and asked, ¡°Joyce, what happened to you?¡± Joyce didn''t expect Natalie to show up all of a sudden. She jumped in surprise and hurried to wipe her tears away before answering, ¡°I''m fine. What''s up?¡± ¡°I need the inventory sheet, but you haven''t sent it over, so I came to check up on you,¡± said Natalie as she closed the door. ¡°Sorry, it slipped my mind. I''ll send it over to you right away.¡± Joyce forced a smile. ¡°Joyce, what happened? You can tell me. Maybe I can help,¡± Natalie offered, concerned. ¡°I''m fine. Really.¡± Joyce''s eyes gleamed. ¡°I don''t buy it.¡± Natalie stopped right in front of her desk and stared at her sternly. ¡°Joyce, did the man who slept with youst night hurt you?¡± Natalie had guessed that Joyce had consented, but seeing her tears got Natalie to question her earlier deductions. Joyce was shocked. ¡°How did you know that I¡ª¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I was in your shoes, and I knew what happened the second I saw how you were walking weirdly,¡± Natalie answered and sat down. ¡°Oh. I did such a good job of hiding it, though.¡± Joyce lowered her head, and Natalie probed further, ¡°Just tell me the truth. What happened? Did he force you to do anything or¡ª¡± ¡°It was an ident, and I consented,¡± Joyce said, covering her face. ¡°Really? Who is he?¡± ¡°It''s Stanley.¡± Cough! Cough! Natalie choked on her own saliva and had a wild coughing fit, her face burning. I have got to be an idiot. I can''t believe my theory is dismissed that quickly. Just moments ago, I was certain that it wasn''t Stanley, and that Joyce has her eyes on someone else. And now... Okay, it looks like I have underestimated how Joyce feels about Stanley. It kind of makes sense, though. She has been in love with him for over a decade, so it''s impossible and difficult for her to let go just like that. ¡°Nat, are you okay?¡± Joyce was surprised to see Natalie coughing like that. She hurried over to pat Natalie''s back. Natalie waved her hand and replied, ¡°I''m fine. I was just surprised. So you and Stanley... You...¡± Joyce sighed and summarized what had happened the night before. Upon hearing that, Natalie raised her brows and teased, ¡°So that''s what happened. You really surprised me this time, Joyce.¡± Joyce bowed her head and did not respond. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Natalie continued. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Joyce asked in confusion. ¡°What are you going to do about your rtionship with Stanley? The two of you have already slept together. Aren''t you going to take this to another level?¡± Chapter 1192 Chapter 1192 Joyce chuckled bitterly. ¡°Things aren''t as simple as you think, Nat. He hates me, so he wouldn''t be with me even if he learned that I was the one he was withst night.¡± ¡°That...¡± Natalie''s words soon got stuck in her throat. She couldn''t deny that what Joyce said was highly possible. ¡°But what about you? Are you going to let it go just like that?¡± asked Natalie with a broken heart as she looked at Joyce. Joyce massaged her bloating and aching temple. ¡°Yeah, I am. I will regardst night as an ident. Stanley doesn''t owe me anything, and I don''t need him to take any responsibility. We''ll just pretend that nothing has ever happened and continue to treat each other as enemies.¡± Natalieforted her best friend and gave her a warm hug when she saw how sad she was. Joyce knew that Natalie was worried about her, so she returned her hug, patted her back, and said, ¡°It''s fine, Nat. I''m all better now. You should return to work.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Natalie asked. She kept her eyes on Joyce and still seemed worried. Joyce replied with a smile, ¡°Yeah, I''m sure.¡± ¡°Okay, then I''ll go back to work now, but promise me you''lle to me if you''re not okay,¡± Natalie said while caressing Joyce''s head. Joyce wasn''t sure if she should protest orugh aloud when she saw how Natalie was treating her like a child. ¡°I promise.¡± Only then did Natalie leave the office. At noon, Shane showed up with the kids to have lunch with Natalie. And at the table, he suddenly handed Natalie a tablet. ¡°Take a look at this and see where you would like to go.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Natalie in confusion as she epted the tablet. Connor quickly raised his hand and answered, ¡°Daddy wants to go on a honeymoon with you, Mommy. That is why he is asking you where you want to go.¡± ¡°Yeah, that is what Daddy said earlier,¡± Sharon chimed in as she munched on her lunch. Natalie looked at her man strangely and asked, ¡°You want to go on a honeymoon?¡± ¡°That''s how it should be, right? We were busy with work when we first got our marriage certificate. We didn''t get to have a reception or go on a honeymoon. Now that the reception is done, it is only natural that we go on a honeymoon. I will make sure that you get everything that all other women have,¡± Shane said as he looked deeply into her eyes. Natalie was touched, and her face blushed. ¡°It''s truly fatal when an emotionally distant man blurts something romantic.¡± Shane smirked. ¡°I''ll take that as apliment.¡± ¡°It is apliment.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at him. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane''s smile grew wider. ¡°Check the websites and decide where you''d like to visit. I''ll have Ss book a hotel in advance.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie beamed and started researching on the tablet. The two kids inched over. They sat on each side and looked at the photos with her, helping her to decide. In the end, the three of them chose four countries and stopped their research. Shane and Natalie could only take a month off to go on their honeymoon, and traveling to four countries would be more than enough to fill up the month. Natalie had her job, and simrly, Shane must get back to work after some time. That was why they couldn''t go overboard. ¡°All done, Darling.¡± Natalie handed the tablet over. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shane asked with his brows raised after retrieving the tablet. ¡°Yep. Our first stop is Irushea. The magazinepany gave me some concert tickets when I participated in the internationalpetition. The concert will take ce at Irushea, so we can drop by there.¡± Sharon quickly chimed in, ¡°I want to see snow in Sumanthova.¡± ¡°You don''t get to go,¡± Connor said coolly, putting out the mes of desire in his baby sister''s eyes. ¡°Why not?¡± Connor grinned mischievously. ¡°Because it''s Mommy and Daddy''s honeymoon. It''s a vacation for the two of them only, and we can''t tag along.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sharon was dumbstruck. Shane and Natalie looked at each other and smiled. Looking at her parents'' smiles, Sharon came back to her senses and pursed her lips. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me earlier, Connor? You''re so mean for making me look at the pictures for so long!¡± she sobbed. Chapter 1193 Chapter 1193 Connor didn''t expect his baby sister to cry like that. He couldn''t be bothered to tease her anymore as he went forward to coax her. ¡°Sorry, Sharon. I didn''t mean to. I just recalled that fact myself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Sharon while sniffing. Connor''s eyes glowed, and he lied shamelessly, ¡°Yes, really!¡± ¡°Okay, then I''ll forgive you, but you have to recall things like that earlier next time, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shane and Natalie smiled even brighter when they saw their son conning their daughter once again. This silly girl of mine... Looks like her big brother will always lead her by the nose. After lunch, Shane left the kids with Natalie and went back to Thompson Group on his own. He had just arrived at the entrance and hadn''t even had the chance to park his car when a figure suddenly showed up, blocking his way. Shane''s expression changed instantly, and he hit the brakes right away. An ear-piercing screech escaped before the car stopped. The person standing in front of the car wasn''t hit, but she was scared stiff. Her legs gave way, and she fell onto the floor. Her face was pale and her gaze was nk when she stared ahead. Shane remained in the car but soon learned who the person was. He unfastened his seatbelt, got out of the car, walked over, and looked down. His eyes carried no warmth and showed that he didn''t care about the person lying on the floor at all. ¡°Lucy Rivers, are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± I can''t believe she actually ran out like that. She''s lucky I still have my conscience. If I were any crueler, I would''ve ignored hitting the brakes and run her over. Lucy''s entire body trembled when she heard Shane''s word. ¡°I... I was just trying to get you to stop.¡± ¡°And that''s why you got in the way?¡± Shane roared. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Lucy looked down and did not say a word. She was basically admitting to being that reckless. ¡°You should be thankful that I reacted quickly enough, Lucy Rivers! If I hadn''t hit the brakes when I did, you would not be standing here or breathing now!¡± Lucy''s pupils dted. She recalled how the car had sped toward her and how the metallic monster had looked ridiculously strong. She could still feel the heat from the car as it approached her, and those memories traumatized her. Her mind had gone nk when she saw the car zooming toward her. She couldn''t think at all. There was a moment when she hallucinated and saw herte grandmother waving at her from the afterlife. In other words, Lucy had sensed her death and had almost passed away then and there. She started regretting her decision to run out onto the road in the heat of the moment. I would''ve died if he hadn''t hit the brakes in time. Distaste and mockery shed past Shane''s eyes when he saw the fear in Lucy''s eyes. He didn''t want to talk to her at all, so he turned around to get back into his car. Lucy got up quickly and grabbed his arm. ¡°Mr. Thompson!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Shane scowled. He flung his arm harshly to free his arm. Lucy stumbled backward a little and almost fell to the ground. However, she managed to steady herself. Anger burned in her eyes when she looked at Shane. It was as if Shane had cheated on her or something. Shane scrunched up his face. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± ¡°Why did you fire me, Mr. Thompson?¡± Lucy asked sheepishly. She stared right at him and seemed dissatisfied. Shane was so angry that he ended upughing. ¡°Why? Why don''t you think about all the things you have dely? Maybe then you''d get an answer.¡± ¡°I didn''t do anything,¡± Lucy said, puzzled. Shane instantly understood what was going on. She is a freaking idiot, so there is no point in making her think. I might as well just tell her. ¡°Didn''t the janitorial department tell you that as an employee of that department, you are not allowed to go to the top floor? Do you remember how you responded to those warnings? You ignored them and kepting up. Why the hell did you do that? Were you trying to steal some confidential information?¡± Chapter 1194 Chapter 1194 ¡°That''s not it. I wasn''t trying to steal anything,¡± denied Lucy as she waved her hands. ¡°I just wanted to see you. You know how I feel about¡ª¡± ¡°I don''t want to know. As I said, if at all possible, I wish that you didn''t rescue me at all. Your so-called help is worthless if it only causes me distress and trouble.¡± Lucy''s tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Why must you treat me like this? Have you no heart?¡± I saved him, but he''s saying that he didn''t want me to save him. He even regarded it as a problem. ¡°You''re the one who is heartless,¡± Shane retaliated. ¡°More than that, you are shameless as well. There is nothing wrong with loving another person, but you shouldn''t expect that person to love you back, especially if that person has a family of his own. You keep staring at me as though you''re in love with me and keep chasing after me. What the hell are you trying to do? Are you trying to destroy my family?¡± ¡°I...¡± Lucy wanted to say that was not what she was doing, but she simply couldn''t utter those words. ¡°See that? You can''t even deny it or defend yourself. That makes it so that your love is tainted. Also, you tried to ruin my wedding yesterday! Do you honestly think I''d let you go after the stunt you pulled? You rescued me and I''ve repaid my debt to you with money and have transferred the sum into your father''s ount. From now on, there is absolutely nothing that connects us, so just leave. Never show up in front of me again. In fact, if I ever see you again, I will crush you and I will not show you any mercy!¡± After saying his piece, Shane got back into his car and drove around Lucy to leave. Lucy stared in the direction where Shane''s car had driven off nkly. In the end, she couldn''t hold it in and fell to the ground as she bawled her eyes out. Why? Why must heaven treat me this way? I was just trying to fight for my love. Why is everyone looking down on me for it? Why do they think that I made a mistake? Is that really a mistake? Lucy was still thinking about it when her phone rang. She took out her phone and checked the screen. When she saw that it was a call from Sean, her expression changed. She quickly dried her tears and picked up the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°You are so useless. I told you to stay in Thompson Group and help me out, but you got chased out before I could even assign you any tasks. You truly disappointed me,¡± Sean said. His voice sounded even and warm, but the iciness hidden within made Lucy shudder. Lucy gripped her phone. Her voice was trembling when she asked, ¡°H-How did you know that I¡ª¡± ¡°I heard it, of course.¡± Sean smirked. ¡°You put a bug on me?¡± ¡°How will I keep myself updated on your matter if I don''t eavesdrop on you? I have to be sure that you won''t betray me in the heat of the moment.¡± ¡°I didn''t!¡± Sean snorted. ¡°I know, but it doesn''t matter. Our cooperation ends right here and now. I shouldn''t have trusted an idiot like you.¡± He knew how Lucy felt about Shane, but he didn''t expect her to be that impulsive and dumb. She didn''t build herself up or nt her roots after joining Thompson Group. She never even considered improving herself before trying to get close to Shane. Instead, she badgered him as soon as she got in.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. It''s only natural that he''d develop a distaste for her. I can''t believe I actually nned to work with her. That was stupid of me. That was the first time Sean had admitted to being wrong, so it was only natural that he felt a little frustrated. Lucy got so angry when the man called her an idiot that her face turned red. ¡°H-How dare you insult me like that?¡± ¡°Was I wrong? Gah, I''m just wasting my breath here talking to you.¡± After saying his piece, Sean hung up right away. Lucy was so livid that she stomped her foot and wanted to smash her phone. However, she couldn''t bring herself to destroy a perfectly fine phone, so she ended up putting it back in her bag. She turned around and stared in the direction where Shane had left once more. Then, with a broken heart, she looked down and left. Chapter 1195 Chapter 1195 After returning to the apartment, Lucy was shocked when she stepped out of the elevator and saw her suitcase lying in the corridor. ¡°W-What''s going on here?¡± she asked with her eyes wide. Why is my suitcase outside? Did someone break into my ce and take it out? Lucy felt her heart racing at the thought of that, and a trace of fear shed past her eyes. She then tightened her grip on her handbag and slowly made her way toward the door that was left open. A middle-aged woman''s voice could be hearding from inside. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Campbell!¡± ¡°No problem, we''re only doing what we should. I''ll be taking my leave now.¡± A man''s voice was heard replying to the middle-aged woman. Ss! He must''ve found out about the break-ins here and came over to help out! Lucy recognized his voice instantly and ced her handbag down in relief. The next thing she knew, Ss stepped out of her apartment unit with a briefcase in hand. He was a little surprised to see Lucy outside but quickly shed her a smile and said, ¡°Ah, Ms. Rivers! You came right on time! There''s something I need to talk to you about. You see¡ª¡± Lucy cut him off excitedly, ¡°Did you catch the thief, Mr. Campbell?¡± Ss arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°Thief? What thief?¡± ¡°The thief that broke into my apartment unit. He even left my suitcase in the corridor! What an a*shole!¡± Lucy eximed angrily with her fists clenched. Having finally understood what was going on, Ss adjusted his sses and said with a mocking look in his eyes, ¡°I think you''ve gotten the wrong idea here, Ms. Rivers. There was no break-in.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Lucy froze. ¡°What? No break-in? Then, how did my suitcase...¡± ¡°I had someone throw it out,¡± Ss said calmly. The look on Lucy''s face changed instantly upon hearing that, and she looked at him in disbelief as she asked, ¡°It was you? Why would you do that?¡± Her mind was filled with confusion and unease. Ss gave the folder in his hand a little pat as he replied, ¡°I was simply carrying out Mr. Thompson''s orders. He says he no longer owes you anything now that he has returned the favor, so it''s about time he took back the apartment unit. I came over to terminate the rental agreement with thendlord. I even gave her a new set of furniture.¡± Lucy felt a chill down her spine, and even her lips went pale upon hearing that. ¡°Why? Why would you guys do this to me?¡± she asked loudly. Ss''s expression grew cold. ¡°You should ask yourself that question, Ms. Rivers. Mr. Thompson wouldn''t be treating you like this if you didn''t wear his patience out. Sure, you have every right to love Mr. Thompson. In fact, tons of women in thepany love him, and his wife is well aware of it, but it has never bothered her in the slightest. Do you know why, Ms. Rivers?¡± ¡°W-Why?¡± Lucy asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Because they keep their feelings to themselves and know better than to try anything funny. That''s why Madam doesn''t get jealous, and Mr. Thompson doesn''t hate them. You, on the other hand...¡± Ss gave her a mocking look as he continued, ¡°You''ve set your sights on Mr. Thompson since the start. You wouldn''t have hidden him from us nor stubbornlye after him all the way to Thompson Group otherwise. You wanted to steal him from Madam and rece her, so you kept clinging to him and said harmful things that could ruin their rtionship. You even tried to sabotage their wedding yesterday!¡± ¡°No, I-I didn''t...¡± Lucy shook her head profusely and tried to exin herself, but Ss wasn''t about to give her a chance to do so. ¡°Yes, you did. You''re just used to lying to others and yourself, that''s all. You refuse to admit it even though we all know who you really are. Mr. Thompson was willing to forgive you for what you did to him before because you saved his life, but you took things a step too far when you tried to ruin his wedding. That was thest straw for Mr. Thompson, and he won''t put up with you any further. You should leave, Ms. Rivers.¡± Chapter 1196 Chapter 1196 Ss then walked off after saying that, leaving Lucy rooted to the spot as she processed what he had just told her. So... I''m the one who screwed myself over and got kicked out as a result... The hatred in her was so intense that Lucy found it a little hard to breathe. With a confused look in her eyes, she stared at her suitcase and the middle-aged woman locking the door. I now have no job, no ce to stay, and not much money on me... What am I going to do? Where will I stay? I thought losing my job wasn''t a big problem as I could just find another job somewhere near Thompson Group and still get to see Shane often, but... My ns are all ruined now that I''ve lost my apartment unit! What am I going to do now? Return to my old house in the vige? No, I don''t want to go back to that run-down piece of crap! Not after I''ve experienced the luxury andfort of this apartment unit! Besides, I''ll never get the chance to see Shane again if I return to the vige! What do I do?! With that in mind, Lucy held her hands over her face and wept silently. Meanwhile, Ss had made his way back to Thompson Group and told Shane all about his encounter with Lucy earlier. Shane was going through some documents at the time and only gave Ss an uninterested nod in response. ¡°Have two men monitor her at all times. Try to force her back to the vige as soon as possible. It annoys me knowing that she''s still in J City!¡± he said while closing the folder in his hand. Ss nodded. ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°By the way, Natalie and I have decided on the date of our honeymoon, and we''ll be departing in three days. I''ve sent you an email with a list of the countries and cities that we''ll be visiting. Highlight the ces of interest and provide me with the details when you''ve made the hotel reservations ordingly.¡± The corners of Ss'' lips twitched slightly upon hearing that. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hmph! Just wait till Sal and I get married! We''ll be going on a honeymoon too! ¡°That''ll be it for now. You can train someone new and have him take your ce when wee back from our honeymoon next month,¡± Shane added. Ss got really excited when he heard that. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Thompson!¡± Once the new personal assistant takes my ce, I''ll be able to be a CEO in one of the branch offices! That means I''ll finally have a proper work-life bnce! No more staying upte, waking up early, and rushing over Mr. Thompson''s aid in the middle of the night whenever something happens! On top of that, I can also put my own personal assistant through that hell I went through! Most importantly, I''ll be able to spend more time with Sal and bring forward our wedding! It won''t be long before we go on our honeymoon and start having kids! This is a definite win for me, no matter how you look at it! Ss was so happy that he could barely hide the smile on his face. Shane simply rolled his eyes in response and motioned for him to leave. Ss then let out an awkward chuckle and quickly stepped out of Shane''s office. Three days went by rather quickly, and Shane went on his honeymoon with Natalie. Instead of going with a public airline, they went with his private jet for increasedfort and privacy. Shane changed into a casual set of clothes that Natalie had designed for him. As he never really had the chance to wear them due to being too busy with work, this honeymoon gave him the perfect opportunity to put them on. Natalie had always wanted to see him wearing those clothes, so that was one item checked off her bucket list right there. She narrowed her eyes slightly and sipped on some red wine while staring at Shane as he read through Ss'' travel guide. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Noticing her gaze, Shane looked up at her and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie propped her chin up with one hand as she said, ¡°Nothing. I was only admiring how handsome you look, that''s all!¡± These casual clothes give him a gentle look as opposed to his usual cold and unapproachable appearance. In other words, he looks handsome in a different way! Shane smirked in response to herpliment and ced his wine ss down before pulling her into his arms. ¡°Here, take a good, long look at me.¡± Chapter 1197 Chapter 1197 He leaned in closer to give her a closer view of his face, and Natalie rolled her eyes in response. Instead of pushing him away, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the lips. Shane froze in surprise for a moment but was quick to return the favor and slid his tongue into her mouth as he kissed her back aggressively. The flight attendant that came over to serve up some snacks blushed when she saw their passionate act and quickly backed out of there. Shane had a satisfied look in his eyes when he noticed her response. She knows not to interrupt this moment we''re having. The airline sure knows how to pick its flight attendants! Natalie was woken up by Shane after what seemed like forever. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked sleepily with her eyes half-open. ¡°We''re here,¡± Shane reminded her gently while tidying her hair. Despite the aching pain in her waist, Natalie forced herself to sit up straight in his arms. ¡°We are?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Shane nodded. As they were on a private jet, they weren''t required to get off the ne immediately afternding like passengers on public airlines were. Although they could stay in the jet for as long as they liked, it wasn''t asfortable as a luxurious hotel room, which was the reason Shane had woken Natalie up. Had he not insisted on doing it, I wouldn''t have fallen asleep and missed out on the view along the way! Natalie massaged her neck and shot him an angry re at the thought of that. Shane understood what that look in her eyes meant and held her hand as he said, ¡°Come on, let''s get off the ne. They need to take it into the hangar for maintenance soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded and stepped out of the cabin door with him. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Just like that, the two of them got out of the ne with the crew members seeing them off. As per Ss'' arrangements, the two then got into the car of an airport staff and headed toward a hotel nearby. It was already nighttime in the country, and the city lights looked amazing. Natalie leaned against the car window and admired the view while Shane spoke to Ss on the phone. Thepany seemed to be facing some kind of problem, but it probably wasn''t a big one as Shane didn''t seem too concerned. They soon arrived at the hotel, and the driver handed Shane a key card to a presidential suite before parking the car in the hotel parking lot. Shane then dragged the suitcase with one hand while holding Natalie''s with the other as he made his way toward the hotel entrance. The first thing that caught Natalie''s eye upon entering the presidential suite was the huge ss wall which gave her an unobstructed view of the ocean. She then brushed Shane''s hand off, ran up to the ss wall, and nced at the sea with excitement in her eyes. The five-star hotel was built near the beach and gave its guests a clear view of the beach and sea. Natalie felt tempted to change into her swimsuit and y at the beach when she saw a lot of people there but quickly dismissed that thought as it was reallyte at the time. Shane then walked up to her and hugged her from behind as he rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Is the view so beautiful that you''d leave your husband behind?¡± ¡°Of course it is! I''ve always wanted to y at the beach but never had the chance to. There''s no way I wouldn''t be excited now that I have the opportunity to!¡± Natalie replied without even looking back at him. Shane felt a little jealous when he saw that and reached a hand into her shirt while nibbling on her earlobe. The sudden stimulus snapped Natalie out of it, and she quickly turned around to face him as she said, ¡°Hey, don''t do that! Those people outside will see us!¡± ¡°They won''t.¡± Shane released her earlobe and slowly kissed his way down her neck as he continued in a deep voice, ¡°This window is made with one-way ss, so people on the outside won''t be able to see us.¡± Natalie breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that, but she still awkwardly struggled as she protested, ¡°Even so, I still don''t feelfortable with this. I just can''t shake this feeling that they can see us somehow.¡± Chapter 1198 Chapter 1198 Shane let go of her neck and looked up at her. ¡°I know, but doesn''t that make it a lot more exciting?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie burned bright red when she saw the burning lust in his eyes. This guy is seriously nning on doing it here... Shane knew Natalie understood his intentions when he saw her eyes go wide. With a soft chuckle, he spun her around and kissed her aggressively on the lips before she could protest any further. The two of them then continued to make love passionately against the ss wall. Fearing that people outside would see them, Natalie was still a little hesitant about it at first. However, she soon sumbed to the heavenly pleasures and cast her worries aside as she enjoyed the sensation to the fullest. When they were done having sex, Natalie buried herself under the cover in shame. Oh my god! I can''t believe we had sex in front of so many people! They might not be able to see us, but that doesn''t make it any less embarrassing! But I have to admit that it was a little exciting... Shane smirked when he came out of the shower and saw Natalie all curled up like a little hedgehog. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± he asked deliberately. Natalie rolled her eyes at him in response. He''s asking me that after everything he just did? How shameless can this guy get? She then pulled the cover down and pointed at her corbone as she said angrily, ¡°Look at all these bite marks you''ve left! How am I going to y at the beach tomorrow?¡± ¡°Don''t y at the beach, then,¡± Shane said indifferently as he sat down by the bed and wiped his hair dry. Natalie bit down on her lip. ¡°No way! I came here to y at the beach!¡± ¡°What''s so fun about it? The sea is so filthy with everyone stepping in it, and the air is stinky with all those guys at the beach anyway!¡± Shane said casually. I bet Shane left these marks all over my body, so I can''t wear the bathing suit tomorrow! He just doesn''t want me being seen by those guys at the beach! What a cunning man he is! The corners of Natalie''s lips twitched when she realized what he was ying at, and she simply stared at him speechlessly in disbelief. A mischievous glint appeared in Shane''s eyes when he realized what she was thinking, but he pretended to not know it and innocently asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at him again and snuggled back under the cover. Shane smiled faintly at the sight of her sulking and went off to blow his hair dry. Natalie didn''t know whether tough or cry as she stared at him from behind. I know he''s the easily jealous type, but I didn''t expect him to get so jealous that he wouldn''t even let me wear a swimsuit. Now I see why he was okay with the other three countries I picked but not this one. He wanted me to pick another one, and he even frowned in displeasure when I refused to. It turns out he only doesn''t like me ying at the beach. As Natalie was unable to put on a swimsuit due to the marks on her body, she could only sit by the window and watch the guests y happily on the beach. Shane stayed indoors as well and was reading a book on the sofa. He pursed his lips when he nced at Natalie and saw her staring nkly at the beach. Was I wrong to stop her from going to the beach because I didn''t want other guys staring at her? It really hurts to see her all disappointed like this. Maybe I really am in the wrong here. With that in mind, Shane put his book down and walked up to her. ¡°I''m sorry, Honey,¡± he said while leaning over to wrap his arms around her neck. Natalie turned around and looked at him in confusion. ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± Shane lowered his gaze and said apologetically, ¡°For ruining your ns to y at the beach.¡± ¡°It''s all right! I was indeed unhappy at first, but I''m fine now! I''ll just forget about ying at the beach!¡± Natalie replied with a chuckle. Chapter 1199 Chapter 1199 Despite what she said, Shane could clearly see the look of disappointment in her eyes. He then let go of her neck and helped her to her feet. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°To fulfill this desire of yours,¡± Shane replied as he made his way toward the room door. Natalie''s eyes lit up upon hearing that, but she was quick to calm herself down and said with a frown, ¡°I can''t go to the beach dressed like this!¡± Shane turned around and shot her a nce as he replied, ¡°We''re not going to the beach. I''m taking you to the swimming pool.¡± ¡°The swimming pool?¡± ¡°Yeah. I can''t stand other men looking at your body, so the pool is the only ce I can take you to. If you insist on ying at the beach, I''ll have Ss buy you one. As long as you don''t go there with anyone else, I don''t mind if you go therepletely naked!¡± Shane said seriously. ¡°Like hell I''d go anywhere naked!¡± Natalie snapped back at him with a chuckle. Shane grinned at her in response, and the two of them soon arrived at the swimming pool. He had called the hotel to book the entire pool to themselves, so no one would be there to interrupt them. A smile formed on Natalie''s lips when she saw the light blue swimming pool in front of her. Although this doesn''tpare to ying in the sea, I''ll make do with it so Mr. Jealous here won''t have a fit. Besides, it has been way too long since Ist swam anyway. Standing by the pool, Natalie smacked her forehead when she came to a sudden realization. ¡°Crap, I forgot to bring my swimsuit with me!¡± Shane waved at her and said proudly, ¡°It''s fine. You can just get in the pool dressed like this. We have it all to ourselves today!¡± ¡°Haha, I guess you''re right. It should be fine since I have the pool all to myself!¡± With that, Natalie took off her dress and jumped into the pool in just her strapless bra. There was a glint in Shane''s eyes as he followed her into the pool. He then swam his way toward her and hugged her from behind, spun her around, and kissed her on the lips. Natalie''s eyes went wide in surprise. What the hell is he doing? Why would he start kissing me all of a sudden? ¡°Hey! What are you doing, Shane?¡± she asked angrily while pushing him off. Shane looked her deep in the eye as he replied, ¡°You''re too attractive, Honey. I can''t help it.¡± The next thing she knew, he had grabbed her by the chin and kissed her on the lips again. This time, he made sure to pin her against the side of the pool so she couldn''t push him off. The sounds of water sshing and their passionate kisses were all that could be heard at the pool. As Natalie was still tired from the night before, Shane made sure to only kiss her all over and did nothing further. He let go of her when he noticed her climaxing, and she shot him a sulky re while panting heavily on his chest. ¡°I don''t even feel like ying in the pool anymore now. This is all your fault!¡± I''m so tired that I don''t even feel like moving right now, let alone swim in the pool. Traveling with Shane has got to be the biggest mistake I''ve ever made! Shane let out a low chuckle and wrapped his arm around her waist in response. ¡°That''s okay. I''ll just carry you while you ssh about for a bit.¡± Amused by his words, Natalie burst outughing. ¡°You really are...¡± Shane stared down at her. ¡°What?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°You really are something else!¡± She then pushed him off and swam to the other side of the pool. Shane got out of the pool and sat there watching as she swam around like a beautiful mermaid. Noticing his scorching gaze, Natalie popped her head out of the water and waved at him as she asked, ¡°Aren''t you going to swim?¡± ¡°I''m fine with just watching you swim,¡± Shane replied. Chapter 1200 Chapter 1200 Natalie decided not to talk him out of it and went back to swimming. As she hadn''t swum in a few years, Natalie spent two hours in the pool before finally stopping due to exhaustion. Shane wrapped a towel around her when she stepped out of the pool. ¡°Satisfied?¡± Natalie nodded at him with a smile. ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Let''s head back and get some rest, then. You''ve got a concert to attendter tonight, right?¡± Shane said while wiping her hair dry. ¡°Yeah!¡± The two of them then returned to their suite and showered before taking a nap. Shane woke Natalie up for dinner in the evening, and they headed over to the stadium where the concert was held. Due to its huge size, the stadium could amodate up to a hundred thousand people, and it was often used forrge-scale events like opening ceremonies and concerts. Natalie whipped out her phone and gave Joyce a call on the drive there. ¡°Are you guys there yet, Joyce?¡± ¡°We''re already seated, Nat! Where are you and Mr. Thompson? I don''t see you two anywhere!¡± Joyce shouted loudly on the phone as it was really noisy at the venue. Natalie moved the phone slightly further away from her ear before replying, ¡°We''re still on the way. I think we should be arriving in about ten minutes or so.¡± ¡°Oh, I see... Hurry up, then! Sally and Lina are already here!¡± Joyce said. Natalie nodded. ¡°Got it. See you in a bit!¡± ¡°Yup, see you!¡± As the magazinepany had given Natalie a lot of extra tickets to the concert, it was only natural that she invited Joyce and the others over. They, too, had arrived in the country yesterday, but they flew on a public airline as they didn''t want to interrupt their honeymoon. Ss had arranged for them to stay in a hotel not far away from the one Shane and Natalie were staying in. ¡°Have they arrived?¡± Shane asked when he saw Natalie put her phone down. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°They sure are excited about the concert!¡± Shane eximed with a snicker. Natalie replied with a chuckle, ¡°Their idols are going to be performing in this concert, so it''s only natural for them to be excited about it!¡± Shane narrowed his eyes all of a sudden. ¡°What about you, then?¡± ¡°Me? What do you mean?¡± Natalie asked in confusion while pointing at herself. ¡°Do you have an idol?¡± Shane asked while ring straight at her. Natalie gave it some thought and replied with a nod, ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Shane pursed his lips upon hearing that and asked in an obviously jealous tone, ¡°Who is it? Is it a male or female?¡± Natalie shook her head helplessly as she knew he was being jealous again. Feeling a little mischievous, she decided to tease him and said with a giggle, ¡°Of course my idol is a female, duh! About 80% of girls have female idols!¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. As expected, he''s so jealous that he looks like he''s about to kill someone! Oh, man... Only god knows how hard I''m fighting the urge tough right now! ¡°Oh? A female, I see...¡± Shane gave her an eerie look through the corner of his eye as he continued, ¡°I didn''t know you had an idol!¡± Natalie waved at him. ¡°Isn''t that a very normal thing?¡± ¡°Hmph! Who is she, then?¡± Shane asked. Natalie stared at him cautiously. ¡°Why do you ask? You''re not going to harm my idol, are you?¡± Feeling awkward at having her figure out his intentions, Shane averted his gaze and mumbled, ¡°No... I was just curious as to who your idol is, that''s all.¡± Chapter 1201 Chapter 1201 Shane wondered if he was not good-looking or well-built enough. Damn it! How dare she idolize someone else! This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Biting down her lower lips, Natalie tried her best to stop herself from bursting out withughter. After clearing her throat, the woman continued, ¡°I''m telling you. That person''s almost too perfect. Not only is she incredibly gifted, but she also has the heart of a saint.¡± The more Shane heard, the more upset he got. Too perfect? Incredibly gifted and has the heart of a saint? As if! Natalie is acting as if that person has no ws whatsoever. ¡°What about me? Don''t you think I''m perfect too?¡± inquired Shane as he ced Natalie''s hand on his chest and gazed deeply into her eyes. ¡°You think I''m gifted too, don''t you? I mean, you know how good I am at running businesses, right? And that''s not all. You know better than anyone else how good I am in bed. You know¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, okay! I get it,¡± interrupted Natalie, who quickly covered Shane''s mouth to stop him from sharing the details. Then, she turned to look at the driver and was relieved to see that he was a foreigner. Thank goodness! The driver probably doesn''t understand what we''re talking about. Annoyed, Natalie turned back to Shane to look daggers at him. For goodness'' sake, Shane didn''t have to take it so seriously. I mean, even though he did take me to cloud nine, he didn''t have to remind me like that. I guess I have no one but myself to me for that. I did overdo it a little, which is why he''s so jealous now. Yikes! After sighing, Natalie shook her head helplessly at Shane. ¡°Calm down. I was talking about my mentor, okay? What else do you call a person who can churn out masterpieces if not gifted? She''s also one of the gentlest women I know, which is why I think she has the heart of a saint. I''d say she''s pretty much perfect, wouldn''t you?¡± Stupefied, Shane took a while before he regained his senses. What? Natalie was talking about Ms. Mackenzie all this time? Seeing how dumfounded the man was, Natalie could no longer hold herughter in. To her, Shane''s expression was one of the most adorable things she had ever seen. When Shane saw how Natalie wasughing her head off, he finally understood that the woman intentionally said those things to make him jealous. ¡°You think you''re so funny, don''t you? What till you see what I have in store for you after the concert,¡± threatened Shane by whispering into the woman''s ear. Never had Shane expected that Natalie would lead him on like that just so she could make fun of him. Natalie wiped the tears in the corners of her eyes when she finally managed to calm herself down. ¡°Oh, come on! Don''t be so petty. I just wanted to see how you would react. That''s all.¡± ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Shane red at her wife displeasedly. ¡°Very! I never knew just how adorable you look when you get jealous,¡± replied Natalie naughtily as she leaned against the man''s chest. As helpless as he felt, Shane could not help but be amused by his wife''s yfulness. ¡°I''m d you had fun, but that doesn''t mean you''re getting away. I''ll give you your punishment tonight,¡± promised the man while patting Natalie''s head. ¡°We''ll see about that!¡± retorted Natalie with a pout. Not long after that, the two arrived at the stadium, and since they had VIP tickets, they were granted ess to the VIP passage to avoid the crowd. ¡°Wow, this ce is huge! I''ve seen it before on the TV, but seeing it in person is something else entirely. It''s so much bigger!¡± eximed Natalie as soon as she stepped into the building. ¡°There are only a handful of venues in the world that can amodate one hundred thousand people, and this is one of them. Come on. The VIP section is at the front,¡± informed Shane while he took Natalie by the hand and led her to the closest section to the stage. Joyce and the others were chit-chatting when Shane and Natalie arrived. The second she saw the two, Joyce leaped to her feet and waved her hand at them. ¡°Nat, over here!¡± ¡°Joyce!¡± called out Natalie with a big smile. She then greeted Sally and Lina as well before sitting down with Shane. Since there was still some time before the concert started, Natalie and Joyce started catching up with each other. Chapter 1202 Chapter 1202 After chatting for a while, Natalie suddenly stood up. ¡°I''m going to use the restroom.¡± ¡°I''ll go with you.¡± Shane was about to get on his feet when Natalie shook her head. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°It''s okay; I can go by myself. Just wait for me here. I''ll be back before you know it.¡± With that, Natalie turned around and made her way to the restroom, where many other concert attendees had also gathered. Every one of them was excitedly discussing the star of the show. After she was done with her business, Natalie went to the sink to wash her hands. She could not help reminiscing about her time in college when she heard the other girls chatting and giggling at the back. Those were the days. Although Natalie never really paid much attention to celebrities, she did have a lot of friends in college who would not stop talking about concerts, and they sounded exactly like the girls in the restroom then. Natalie was on her way back to Shane and the others when a man in a security uniform suddenly bumped into her. To maintain her bnce, Natalie swiftly took a step back. She could immediately feel the pain in her shoulders because of the impact. ¡°I''m so sorry, ma''am. Are you okay?¡± inquired the security guard worriedly when he saw Natalie grimacing in pain. ¡°I''m fine,¡± answered Natalie while shaking her head. ¡°I really am sorry, ma''am. It was an ident.¡± The security guard bowed as he apologized again. ¡°I''m fine, really. It was partially my fault anyway. I should''ve watched where I was going.¡± Smiling, Natalie withdrew her hand from her shoulder to show the security guard that she was okay. ¡°I''m just d that you''re not hurt. Thank you for being so understanding, ma''am.¡± The security guard, too, smiled at Natalie before narrowing his eyes expectantly at her. ¡°If you don''t mind, ma''am, I was wondering if you could help me with something?¡± ¡°Huh? You want my help?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the security guard before reaching into his pocket to take out a small spray bottle that contained some mysterious transparent liquid. Immediately after seeing that, Natalie knew she was in trouble. The security guard then took off the lid on the bottle and aimed the spray at Natalie, who had already turned around and was ready to make a break for it. However, the security guard seemed to know what she was trying to do exactly, so he sprayed the liquid in the direction of Natalie''s face. To prevent herself from inhaling the mist, Natalie instinctively held her breath. However, she did not expect it to sting her eyes, so naturally, she started breathing again. Before Natalie knew it, she had already inhaled the mist, which quickly caused her vision to go ck and rendered her unconscious. ¡°I did kindly ask for your help. If you had just listened to me, I wouldn''t have to resort to this. Since you didn''t want toe quietly, we had to do things the hard way.¡± The security guard sighed while he stared at the motionless woman. Then, he picked up Natalie and headed for the emergency staircase. It had been more than ten minutes since Natalie went to the restroom, and Shane could not stop worrying about her. Every time he checked his watch, his brows furrowed tighter. Standing just beside the man, Joyce could tell what was going through his head. ¡°You''re worried about Nat, aren''t you? I can go take a look at the restroom if you want. It''s probably just crowded.¡± In response to that, Shane nodded appreciatively at Joyce. ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± The woman then got up and walked toward the restroom. As she had guessed, the ce was indeed quite packed. There were even people lining up outside. Since she did not see Natalie there, Joyce decided to call the woman. Maybe she''s still in the stall. However, the call did not go through because Natalie''s phone had already been turned off, and that got Joyce worried. Why would her phone be turned off? Could it be dead? Or maybe she didn''t have it on her? Frowning, Joyce then put her phone away and started going from stall to stall to check if Natalie was in any of them. Unfortunately, even after that, she still could not find Natalie. Chapter 1203 Chapter 1203 After chatting for a while, Natalie suddenly stood up. ¡°I''m going to use the restroom.¡± ¡°I''ll go with you.¡± Shane was about to get on his feet when Natalie shook her head. ¡°It''s okay; I can go by myself. Just wait for me here. I''ll be back before you know it.¡± With that, Natalie turned around and made her way to the restroom, where many other concert attendees had also gathered. Every one of them was excitedly discussing the star of the show. After she was done with her business, Natalie went to the sink to wash her hands. She could not help reminiscing about her time in college when she heard the other girls chatting and giggling at the back. Those were the days. Although Natalie never really paid much attention to celebrities, she did have a lot of friends in college who would not stop talking about concerts, and they sounded exactly like the girls in the restroom then. Natalie was on her way back to Shane and the others when a man in a security uniform suddenly bumped into her. To maintain her bnce, Natalie swiftly took a step back. She could immediately feel the pain in her shoulders because of the impact. ¡°I''m so sorry, ma''am. Are you okay?¡± inquired the security guard worriedly when he saw Natalie grimacing in pain. ¡°I''m fine,¡± answered Natalie while shaking her head. ¡°I really am sorry, ma''am. It was an ident.¡± The security guard bowed as he apologized again. ¡°I''m fine, reelly. It wes pertielly my feult enywey. I should''ve wetched where I wes going.¡± Smiling, Netelie withdrew her hend from her shoulder to show the security guerd thet she wes okey. ¡°I''m just gled thet you''re not hurt. Thenk you for being so understending, me''em.¡± The security guerd, too, smiled et Netelie before nerrowing his eyes expectently et her. ¡°If you don''t mind, me''em, I wes wondering if you could help me with something?¡± ¡°Huh? You went my help?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the security guerd before reeching into his pocket to teke out e smell sprey bottle thet conteined some mysterious trensperent liquid. Immedietely efter seeing thet, Netelie knew she wes in trouble. The security guerd then took off the lid on the bottle end eimed the sprey et Netelie, who hed elreedy turned eround end wes reedy to meke e breek for it. However, the security guerd seemed to know whet she wes trying to do exectly, so he spreyed the liquid in the direction of Netelie''s fece. To prevent herself from inheling the mist, Netelie instinctively held her breeth. However, she did not expect it to sting her eyes, sourelly, she sterted breething egein. Before Netelie knew it, she hed elreedy inheled the mist, which quickly ceused her vision to go bleck end rendered her unconscious. ¡°I did kindly esk for your help. If you hed just listened to me, I wouldn''t heve to resort to this. Since you didn''t went toe quietly, we hed to do things the herd wey.¡± The security guerd sighed while he stered et the motionless women. ¡°I''m fine, really. It was partially my fault anyway. I should''ve watched where I was going.¡± Smiling, Natalie withdrew her hand from her shoulder to show the security guard that she was okay. ¡°I''m just d that you''re not hurt. Thank you for being so understanding, ma''am.¡± The security guard, too, smiled at Natalie before narrowing his eyes expectantly at her. ¡°If you don''t mind, ma''am, I was wondering if you could help me with something?¡± ¡°Huh? You want my help?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the security guard before reaching into his pocket to take out a small spray bottle that contained some mysterious transparent liquid. Immediately after seeing that, Natalie knew she was in trouble. The security guard then took off the lid on the bottle and aimed the spray at Natalie, who had already turned around and was ready to make a break for it. However, the security guard seemed to know what she was trying to do exactly, so he sprayed the liquid in the direction of Natalie''s face. To prevent herself from inhaling the mist, Natalie instinctively held her breath. However, she did not expect it to sting her eyes, so naturally, she started breathing again. Before Natalie knew it, she had already inhaled the mist, which quickly caused her vision to go ck and rendered her unconscious. ¡°I did kindly ask for your help. If you had just listened to me, I wouldn''t have to resort to this. Since you didn''t want toe quietly, we had to do things the hard way.¡± The security guard sighed while he stared at the motionless woman. Then, he picked up Natalie and headed for the emergency staircase. It had been more than ten minutes since Natalie went to the restroom, and Shane could not stop worrying about her. Every time he checked his watch, his brows furrowed tighter. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Standing just beside the man, Joyce could tell what was going through his head. ¡°You''re worried about Nat, aren''t you? I can go take a look at the restroom if you want. It''s probably just crowded.¡± In response to that, Shane nodded appreciatively at Joyce. ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± The woman then got up and walked toward the restroom. As she had guessed, the ce was indeed quite packed. There were even people lining up outside. Since she did not see Natalie there, Joyce decided to call the woman. Maybe she''s still in the stall. However, the call did not go through because Natalie''s phone had already been turned off, and that got Joyce worried. Why would her phone be turned off? Could it be dead? Or maybe she didn''t have it on her? Frowning, Joyce then put her phone away and started going from stall to stall to check if Natalie was in any of them. Unfortunately, even after that, she still could not find Natalie. Chapter 1204 Chapter 1204 Joyce''s hurt sunk when she realized that Natalie was not in the restroom. She had no idea if Natalie had returned to the seating area or gone to another restroom. She only knew with certainty that Natalie was missing. Joyce immediately called Shane. He answered the phone gruffly, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Shane, has Nat gone back?¡± Joyce asked hastily. His spine stiffened as he surveyed his surroundings. He replied, ¡°No. What''s wrong? Natalie''s not in the restroom?¡± Joyce nodded even though Shane could not see her. ¡°She''s not here. I''ve turned the restroom upside down. I tried to call her earlier, but it seems that her phone is switched off.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane barked into the phone, leaping to his feet in an instant. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Sally and Lina cut their conversation short and turned to stare at Shane. Sally asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Mr. Shane?¡± Instead of answering her, he asked Joyce urgently, ¡°Where are you right now?¡± ¡°I''ming back to our seats. I''m nning to look for Nat along the way,¡± she exined. Shane began walking briskly as he ordered, ¡°Go to the broadcast control room and arrange for an announcement on Natalie.¡± He was headed for the security room to examine any footage that could help them track down Natalie. Netelie hes never hed e problem with directions. It''s more likely thet she wes kidnepped insteed of simply losing her wey. Thet would explein why her phone is switched off! Shene''s expression grew colder end tenser by the second. He soon broke into e run towerd the security room. When he errived, he demended someone to pull up the security footege. When the guerds refused his request, Shene reveeled his identity, end they eventuelly pulled up the security footege covering the restroom thet Netelie hed visited. Meenwhile, Joyce, Line, end Selly hed releesed en ennouncement through the stedium''s PA system to seerch for Netelie. On the slim chence thet Netelie hed wendered off, the ennouncement would implore her to seek her friends out in the broedcest control room. Ales, their efforts were fruitless. Netelie did not mireculously show up efter Joyce''s repeeted ennouncements, end Shene could not find Netelie on eny of the security footege. A dejected Shene wes ebout to leeve the security room when e steff member piped up, ¡°Hey, the cemeres in the perking lot ceught e security guerd bringing someone ewey. Seems like it wes e women.¡± ¡°Whet?¡± Shene turned on his heels end immedietely epproeched the steff member who hed just spoken. Natalie has never had a problem with directions. It''s more likely that she was kidnapped instead of simply losing her way. That would exin why her phone is switched off! Shane''s expression grew colder and tenser by the second. He soon broke into a run toward the security room. When he arrived, he demanded someone to pull up the security footage. When the guards refused his request, Shane revealed his identity, and they eventually pulled up the security footage covering the restroom that Natalie had visited. Meanwhile, Joyce, Lina, and Sally had released an announcement through the stadium''s PA system to search for Natalie. On the slim chance that Natalie had wandered off, the announcement would implore her to seek her friends out in the broadcast control room. s, their efforts were fruitless. Natalie did not miraculously show up after Joyce''s repeated announcements, and Shane could not find Natalie on any of the security footage. A dejected Shane was about to leave the security room when a staff member piped up, ¡°Hey, the cameras in the parking lot caught a security guard bringing someone away. Seems like it was a woman.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane turned on his heels and immediately approached the staff member who had just spoken. He was already zooming in on the incriminating footage. A man dressed in a security guard''s uniform walked past the security camera, carrying an unconscious woman on his shoulder. The woman wore the same ck maxi dress Natalie had worn to the stadium. Shane immediately recognized the dress, having picked it out for Natalie himself. His heart sank as the footage confirmed Natalie''s kidnapping. He exploded with rage, storming out of the security room to call the police. Once the police received news of Natalie''s kidnapping, they immediatelyunched an investigation and dispatched their officers to scour the area for clues. Joyce and the others were fraught with worry when they heard about Natalie''s kidnapping. They left the stadium to look for Shane and forwent the rest of the concert. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± they called out to Shane when they saw him. His bloodshot eyes and palpable anger made for a horrifying sight. Joyce empathized with his pain and distress at losing Natalie. She repressed her fear of his frightening state and coaxed, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane. We''ll find Nat; I''m sure of it. The kidnapper can''t have been gone for more than two hours. They''re probably still in the city. I''m sure we can save her if we lock down the city.¡± Chapter 1205 Chapter 1205 Shane silently lowered his gaze. Locking down the city could work, provided Sean isn''t behind this. If he truly masterminded Natalie''s kidnapping, he would have designed an escape n impervious even to lockdowns. A lockdown would be toote if Natalie had been whisked away by helicopter or speedboat. He could only pray that the police could luck out during their inspections of all air and sea ports in the country. Joyce was at a loss for what to do next in the face of Shane''s moody silence. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as though she remembered something. She suggested, ¡°Mr. Shane, why don''t you ask Connor to track Nat''s location? Didn''t Connor nt a GPS tracker on her? He might be able to discover Nat''s whereabouts!¡± Clenching his fists, Shane croaked hoarsely, ¡°I''ve already called Mrs. Wilson about this. Connor is trying his best, but we have no news of her whereabouts.¡± Joyce furrowed her brows in concern and repeated, ¡°No news?¡± Does this mean Connor can''t track Nat''s location? Could her kidnappers be using a signal jammer? The shrill ringing of Shane''s phone snapped her out of her thoughts. Shene whipped out his phone end sew thet Connor wes celling. A relieved smile ceme to Joyce''s fece es she urged, ¡°It''s Connor! Answer the cell, Mr. Shene! He might''ve trecked Net down!¡± Shene immedietely epted his son''s cell. Connor cut streight to the point. ¡°Deddy, I''ve found Mommy''s locetion.¡± Shene stood up end demended, ¡°Where is she?¡± His son peused before replying, ¡°In e river.¡± ¡°Whet?¡± Joyce overheerd Connor''s words end weiled, ¡°A river? Did they toss Net in the river?¡± Oh deer lord, it''s been hours since her diseppeerence. She could''ve drowned! Shene evidently shered her feers, his grip visibly tightening on the phone. He exuded e murderous eure thet sent chills down everyone''s becks. Joyce end the others enticipeted Shene''s dismey end turbulent emotions et thet news. ¡°Where?¡± Shene choked out. Connor reelized then thet Shene misunderstood his words. He hestily expleined, ¡°The locetion is Penoreme River, not fer from the stedium. Likely, only Mommy''s phone end jewelry ere there. The GPS trecker I geve Mommy cen detect end monitor her body tempereture. I''ve checked the tempereture logs, end Mommy''s tempereture hesn''t chenged. I''m sure only her belongings ere in the river.¡± Shane whipped out his phone and saw that Connor was calling. A relieved smile came to Joyce''s face as she urged, ¡°It''s Connor! Answer the call, Mr. Shane! He might''ve tracked Nat down!¡± Shane immediately epted his son''s call. Connor cut straight to the point. ¡°Daddy, I''ve found Mommy''s location.¡± Shane stood up and demanded, ¡°Where is she?¡± His son paused before replying, ¡°In a river.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce overheard Connor''s words and wailed, ¡°A river? Did they toss Nat in the river?¡± Oh dear lord, it''s been hours since her disappearance. She could''ve drowned! Shane evidently shared her fears, his grip visibly tightening on the phone. He exuded a murderous aura that sent chills down everyone''s backs. Joyce and the others anticipated Shane''s dismay and turbulent emotions at that news. ¡°Where?¡± Shane choked out. Connor realized then that Shane misunderstood his words. He hastily exined, ¡°The location is Panorama River, not far from the stadium. Likely, only Mommy''s phone and jewelry are there. The GPS tracker I gave Mommy can detect and monitor her body temperature. I''ve checked the temperature logs, and Mommy''s temperature hasn''t changed. I''m sure only her belongings are in the river.¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed as he asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I''m quite sure of it.¡± Connor even nodded for good measure. Joyce patted her chest, utterly relieved. She eximed, ¡°That''s great! It means Nat is still alive. Connor, why didn''t you say all this clearer? You almost scared your daddy and me to death. We really thought someone tossed your mommy in the river.¡± ¡°Sorry, Daddy. I didn''t mean to scare all of you,¡± came Connor''s apology. Connor had been so eager to share his news that he had blurted his information without a second thought about its delivery. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Shane frowned slightly and uttered, ¡°It''s fine, Connor. I want you to hack into the security footage near Panorama River and identify the people who took your mommy away.¡± His son agreed eagerly, ¡°Okay!¡± After ending the call, Shane turned to the threedies and said, ¡°Please get in touch with a salvage crew and search the river for Nat''s belongings.¡± Chapter 1206 Chapter 1206 Sally acknowledged his orders and reassured, ¡°Leave it to us, Mr. Shane.¡± Joyce asked him, ¡°What are you going to do, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°I''m going to gather reinforcements,¡± he replied grimly. Shane was not on home soil, where he had round-the-clock ess to reinforcements, and he could not solely rely on the local police to rescue his wife. After all, the police would be useless if Natalie had left the country. Shane needed reinforcements that could travel with him if Natalie''s rescue operations became an international mission. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Joyce understood his intentions and responded, ¡°All right, Mr. Shane. But please take care of yourself. Don''tnd yourself in trouble while we''re looking for Nat. She''ll have a hard time if your safety is compromised.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shane knew he needed to protect himself better thanst time. Once was more than enough; I''ll do all the worrying this time. After Shane''s departure, Joyce and the others set off to contact a salvage team. Meanwhile, a private helicopter flew several thousand meters above the city, rapidly leaving it behind. Sean took off his wireless headset and stared at the rear seats of the helicopter. A gorgeous woman in a ck maxi dress sprawled across the seats, unconscious. The unwilling pessenger in the helicopter wes none other then the missing Netelie. Seen stered et her, his lips curving into e setisfied smirk. I''ve finelly brought her ewey! He hed been plotting to whisk her ewey for eges, yet her tight security deteil hed mede it impossible for him to strike until now. Seen wes overjoyed when Shene end Netelie geve him the perfect opening by emberking on their honeymoon without e single security guerd in sight. He drew up plens to kidnep Netelie while she briefly sepereted from Shene during tonight''s concert. The stedium''s messive size worked out in Seen''s fevor. The restrooms were sufficiently fer from the seeting eree, giving him just enough time to execute his plen. Seen stered et Netelie like e besotted men, muttering, ¡°You''re mine from now on.¡± He dropped the creepy ect soon enough end turned to fece forwerd. Putting on his wireless heedset, he seid, ¡°How''s everything? Whet''s Shene doing now?¡± A voice creckled through the heedset. ¡°Shene hired numerous reinforcements from e security compeny, Mr. Thompson. He''s working together with the locel police to lock down the city, end e selvege teem is seerching Penoreme River es we speek. They''re probebly looking for Netelie''s possessions in the river.¡± The unwilling passenger in the helicopter was none other than the missing Natalie. Sean stared at her, his lips curving into a satisfied smirk. I''ve finally brought her away! He had been plotting to whisk her away for ages, yet her tight security detail had made it impossible for him to strike until now. Sean was overjoyed when Shane and Natalie gave him the perfect opening by embarking on their honeymoon without a single security guard in sight. He drew up ns to kidnap Natalie while she briefly separated from Shane during tonight''s concert. The stadium''s massive size worked out in Sean''s favor. The restrooms were sufficiently far from the seating area, giving him just enough time to execute his n. Sean stared at Natalie like a besotted man, muttering, ¡°You''re mine from now on.¡± He dropped the creepy act soon enough and turned to face forward. Putting on his wireless headset, he said, ¡°How''s everything? What''s Shane doing now?¡± A voice crackled through the headset. ¡°Shane hired numerous reinforcements from a security company, Mr. Thompson. He''s working together with the local police to lock down the city, and a salvage team is searching Panorama River as we speak. They''re probably looking for Natalie''s possessions in the river.¡± Sean narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He had known of Shane''s mysterious genius hacker for a while now. Sean''s past efforts to discern the hacker''s identity had been futile. To prevent the hacker from tracking Natalie down through devices nted on her essories or phone, Sean had instructed his men to discard Natalie''s belongings in the river before they boarded the helicopter. Judging by the presence of the salvage crew at the river, Sean''s caution had paid off. There had indeed been some form of GPS tracker in Natalie''s jewelry or phone. Shane would be hot on his heels now if not for his foresight. Sean addressed his subordinate through the headset, ¡°Roger that. Keep an eye on them.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± He removed the wireless headset, and the helicopter cabin fell into silence. It continued flying until daylight broke andnded on a small ind. The helicopter came to a stop on a small helipad. Sean alighted from the cabin, carrying Natalie toward a vi in the middle of the ind. Chapter 1207 Chapter 1207 A few people stood to attention in front of the vi, dressed in housekeeper uniforms. A woman d in a purple dress stood in front of them, fists clenched at her sides as she red at Sean and the woman in his arms. Jacqueline''s face contorted with hatred as she recognized Natalie. She would have charged at Natalie and snapped the woman''s neck in half if Sean was not holding her. Sean''s expression darkened as he noticed her animosity. He warned coldly, ¡°Listen carefully, Jacqueline. Natalie will be living here from now on. If you even touch a single hair on her, I''ll tie you up with some bait and toss you into the ocean for the sharks. Try me!¡± He added a re for good measure. Jacqueline huffed in response and averted her gaze. She bit her lip beforeining pettily, ¡°I won''t harm her for the sake of our ns, but you''re sorely mistaken if you think I''ll be all smiles toward her.¡± ¡°I''m sure Natalie shares your sentiments,¡± Sean replied drily. He smirked at Jacqueline before carrying Natalie into the vi. Jacqueline turned around and red at his back, rage burning in her eyes. Just wait until I''ve usurped you from yourfy throne! I''ll kill both you and your precious Natalie! But not before paying you back tenfold for all the humiliation you''ve thrown my way! This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Meenwhile, Seen gently leid Netelie on e bed in the mester bedroom. He tucked her under the blenkets before turning to the meids who hed entered the room. ¡°She''s the new mistress of this house. Teke good cere of her.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The housekeepers bowed in deference. He stroked Netelie''s fece tenderly, lingering on her eyes for severel seconds. Seen left the room soon efter. In the meentime, Shene hed sessfully gethered his reinforcements. The locel police hed locked down the city in seerch of Netelie. Severel hours pessed without eny news on Netelie. Connor''s inspection of the security footege surrounding Penoreme River produced equelly diseppointing results. Shene now believed thet Netelie hed left the country long before the police''s involvement. Just then, Joyce knocked on the door of his presidentiel suite end ennounced, ¡°There''s e letter for you, Mr. Shene!¡± She entered the room end hended him en envelope. He frowned et the unsigned envelope end esked, ¡°Who geve this to you?¡± Joyce expleined, ¡°It wes e little boy. He stopped me on my wey into the hotel end esked me to pess this letter to you.¡± Shene nerrowed his eyes in thought. Meanwhile, Sean gentlyid Natalie on a bed in the master bedroom. He tucked her under the nkets before turning to the maids who had entered the room. ¡°She''s the new mistress of this house. Take good care of her.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The housekeepers bowed in deference. He stroked Natalie''s face tenderly, lingering on her eyes for several seconds. Sean left the room soon after. In the meantime, Shane had sessfully gathered his reinforcements. The local police had locked down the city in search of Natalie. Several hours passed without any news on Natalie. Connor''s inspection of the security footage surrounding Panorama River produced equally disappointing results. Shane now believed that Natalie had left the country long before the police''s involvement. Just then, Joyce knocked on the door of his presidential suite and announced, ¡°There''s a letter for you, Mr. Shane!¡± She entered the room and handed him an envelope. He frowned at the unsigned envelope and asked, ¡°Who gave this to you?¡± Joyce exined, ¡°It was a little boy. He stopped me on my way into the hotel and asked me to pass this letter to you.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes in thought. The sender of this letter obviously knows that Joyce and I are acquainted. The sender either knows me or my subordinates well. Could it be Sean? He hastily ripped open the envelope, his heart plummeting at the sight of the familiar scrawl on the letter. It is Sean! Observing the change in his expression, Joyce moved closer to peek at the letter and asked, ¡°What''s in the letter?¡± Shane had been too shaken by Sean''s handwriting to pay attention to the letter''s contents. Joyce''s question snapped him out of his stupor, and he began reading the letter. Shane, you can drop the search. I''ve taken Natalie away with me. By the time you receive this letter, I will have seeded in my ns. Don''t worry. I''ll cherish her as my wife for the rest of my life. Bam! Shane mmed his fist on the table so hard that he drew blood. He looked downright murderous, and Joyce could not control the shudder that went through her body. Shane seethed, ¡°Sean Thompson!¡± If looks could kill, even across the ocean, Sean would be dead on the ground on his private ind. Joyce fumed and swore out loud, ¡°B*stard! He''s kidnapping Nat and forcing her into a rtionship! He''s disgusting and shameless!¡± Chapter 1208 Chapter 1208 Joyce looked at Shane and pleaded, ¡°You have to save Nat, Mr. Shane!¡± Shane clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. There was only one decision he could ever make. Natalie''s my wife. I''ll do anything to rescue her. Anything! T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. He took out his phone to dial someone. When the line connected, he barked, ¡°Get in touch with the local government! I need ess to their satellite footage.¡± Realization dawned upon Joyce as she eximed, ¡°Satellite footage! Of course! We''ll be able to find Nat in no time.¡± Shane fell into thoughtful silence once more. He had always been reluctant to broach the topic of satellite imagery, a technology that indebted him to governments. Still, he was left with no choice but to bow down to the local government''s requests as long as he could ess the precious satellite footage and be reunited with his wife. While Shane was busy getting in touch with the local government, Ss was in the process of escorting Connor to his father. Shane needed his son''s hacker skills to decode the satellite footage for useful information. Sleep would note to him that night, no matter how hard he tried. Netelie''s missing. I cen''t sleep until I know where she is. Joyce, Selly, end Line were equelly restless. To distrect themselves from wellowing in shock over Netelie''s kidnepping, they threw themselves into eiding the rescue operetion. Netelie wes their friend, end they fervently wished for her sefe return. The next morning errived sooner then expected. The selvege crew under Selly''s purview hed sent news ebout finding Netelie''s purse in the river. Her phone end jewelry were tucked in the purse. Shene tensed even more et the sight of Netelie''s purse. Joyce sighed end uttered, ¡°We should be gled Seen only threw Net''s things in the river. Whet would heppen if he threw Net¡ª¡± ¡°He could never beer to throw my wife in the river,¡± Shene interrupted gruffly. He hed no eppetite to eet or drink, end worrying ebout Netelie''s sefety the entire night hed turned his throet scretchy. Joyce wes initielly shocked by Shene''s words. Her eyes soon widened in understending, end she muttered, ¡°I elmost forgot thet Seen''s, erm, intentions towerd Net. I thought he kidnepped Net to seek revenge on you, end I essumed the letter from lest night wes merely to rile you up.¡± Natalie''s missing. I can''t sleep until I know where she is. Joyce, Sally, and Lina were equally restless. To distract themselves from wallowing in shock over Natalie''s kidnapping, they threw themselves into aiding the rescue operation. Natalie was their friend, and they fervently wished for her safe return. The next morning arrived sooner than expected. The salvage crew under Sally''s purview had sent news about finding Natalie''s purse in the river. Her phone and jewelry were tucked in the purse. Shane tensed even more at the sight of Natalie''s purse. Joyce sighed and uttered, ¡°We should be d Sean only threw Nat''s things in the river. What would happen if he threw Nat¡ª¡± ¡°He could never bear to throw my wife in the river,¡± Shane interrupted gruffly. He had no appetite to eat or drink, and worrying about Natalie''s safety the entire night had turned his throat scratchy. Joyce was initially shocked by Shane''s words. Her eyes soon widened in understanding, and she muttered, ¡°I almost forgot that Sean''s, erm, intentions toward Nat. I thought he kidnapped Nat to seek revenge on you, and I assumed the letter fromst night was merely to rile you up.¡± She smacked her forehead, cursing her naivety. How could I forget such an important thing? When Sean jumped off that cliff with Natalie, he broke his limbs while she was unscathed. When Natalie mentioned the incident to Joyce, thetter had begun suspecting Sean''s romantic feelings for her friend. Her suspicions were confirmed when Natalie mentioned seeing posters of Lindsay in Sean''s study. Joyce had silently disagreed with Natalie''s opinion that Sean viewed her merely as Lindsay''s recement. If Sean merely viewed Nat as a recement, he wouldn''t have risked his life to cushion her fall. Recement or not, Sean definitely has romantic feelings for Nat. He didn''t just kidnap Nat to take revenge on Shane; he''s intent on making Nat his partner. Oh dear God, has he already taken advantage of her? Will Shane still love Nat after that? Joyce regarded Shane with trepidation. She doubted Shane would continue to love and cherish Natalie like before if Sean had indeed taken advantage of Natalie. If pushes to shove, Nat won''t be able to defend herself against Sean''s advances. Chapter 1209 Chapter 1209 Concern over Natalie''s safety and Shane''s possible disdain for her friend churned in Joyce''s heart. Both Sally and Lina noticed her conflicted expression, and Sally asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Joyce?¡± Joyce stared at Shane, opening and closing her mouth when she realized she did not know what to say. She shook her head, both in reply to Sally''s question and to shake off her concerns. ¡°I''m fine.¡± I can''t voice my concerns now. The most pressing thing on our agenda is to rescue Nat. I may do more harm than good if I were to bring that up now. If Shane''s head starts swirling with negative thoughts, he may call off the rescue operation altogether. Let''s save Nat first and worry about the futureter. If he truly scorns Nat after her return, I''ll convince Nat to divorce him! The decision loosened a knot in her heart, and Joyce sighed in relief. She turned to Sally and said, ¡°Sal, can you get in touch with Mr. Campbell and check when they''ll arrive?¡± ¡°Okay. I''m on it.¡± Sally nodded before calling Ss. Shane was on the phone with the local government at that moment. They had agreed to give him ess to the satellite in his rescue operation with a strenuous demand of their own. In short, they wanted Shane to donate a jaw-dropping sum to support the development of their national enterprises. They esked for e billion, end Shene did not even blink es he immedietely egreed to their terms. Joyce wes grudgingly moved by his gesture, yet her confidence in the resilience of their reletionship remeined sheky, et best. No one could deny Shene end Netelie''s love for eech other. Nheless, love elone wes not enough to sustein e reletionship. Their previous misunderstending wes e perfect exemple. Joyce eventuelly shook her heed end sighed in resiion. There''s no point in thinking ebout ell these now. Meenwhile, on e privete islend in the Aplotheen Oceen, Netelie''s eyeleshes fluttered es she finelly regeined her consciousness. She opened her eyes end sew en unfemilier ceiling. The grogginess left her body in en instent, repleced by en intense fleshbeck. Netelie remembered running into e security guerd es she left the restroom et the stedium. She fell unconscious efter thet. Did thet security guerd bring me here? She hurriedly set up in bed end surveyed her surroundings. The bedroom she wes in oozed luxury, end it wes elmost es opulent es the mester bedroom in the Thompson ville. Netelie eppreised her clothes. She sighed in relief when she reelized she wes still weering the bleck mexi dress she wore to the stedium. They asked for a billion, and Shane did not even blink as he immediately agreed to their terms. Joyce was grudgingly moved by his gesture, yet her confidence in the resilience of their rtionship remained shaky, at best. No one could deny Shane and Natalie''s love for each other. Nheless, love alone was not enough to sustain a rtionship. Their previous misunderstanding was a perfect example. Joyce eventually shook her head and sighed in resignation. There''s no point in thinking about all these now. Meanwhile, on a private ind in the Aplothean Ocean, Natalie''s eyshes fluttered as she finally regained her consciousness. She opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. The grogginess left her body in an instant, reced by an intense shback. Natalie remembered running into a security guard as she left the restroom at the stadium. She fell unconscious after that. Did that security guard bring me here? She hurriedly sat up in bed and surveyed her surroundings. The bedroom she was in oozed luxury, and it was almost as opulent as the master bedroom in the Thompson vi. Natalie appraised her clothes. She sighed in relief when she realized she was still wearing the ck maxi dress she wore to the stadium. She was still befuddled over the security guard and his reasons for housing her in such a luxurious room. Natalie got off the bed and approached a window wall, her bare feet sinking into the soft carpeting. She pulled open the curtains and was temporarily blinded by the sunlight. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. On instinct, Natalie closed her eyes, waiting for the smarting sensation to subside before she opened them again. She now had a clear view of the scenery beyond her window. A vast expanse of blue sea greeted her eyes. Coconut trees dotted the pristine beach. Everything looked as beautiful as a painting. Wisps of Natalie''s hair came loose from the sea breeze, and her skirt billowed, making for an arresting sight. Natalie''s heart sank as she took in the scenery. She fisted the curtains as she frowned. Though she did not know where she was, one thing was clear¡ªshe was no longer in the same country as Shane. The coastal areas in their honeymoon destination had all been developed into tourist spots. The secluded beach before her eyes undoubtedly belonged to a private ind. Just then, someone knocked on her room door, startling Natalie. She whirled around and stared at the door warily. Chapter 1210 Chapter 1210 A tanned woman dressed in a housekeeper''s attire opened Natalie''s room door and walked in. She smiled at Natalie and said in Ustranian, ¡°Madam, you''re awake.¡± Madam? The frown on Natalie''s face deepened. Why is she calling me ¡°Madam¡±? Does she know I''m married? Natalie''s gaze drifted toward the ring finger on her left hand. The diamond ring sat snugly on her finger, glinting as it caught the light. I guess the housekeeper called me ¡°Madam¡± because she saw my ring. Consequently, Natalie did not think too much about the housekeeper''s address, though she remained wary of the woman. She clutched the curtain tightly and asked in Ustranian, ¡°Where is this ce?¡± The housekeeper evidently understood Natalie''s question, though she shook her head in response. Wondering if she had been too soft, Natalie repeated her question, only to receive the same mute response from the housekeeper. Natalie realized then that the housekeeper was purposely keeping her in the dark about their location. When the housekeeper next spoke, she asked, ¡°Madam, are you hungry? I''ve prepared your favorite Chanaean cuisine.¡± Natalie would be lying if she said she was not hungry. However, she did not think she could stomach anything in the mysterious abode. Whet if something''s wrong with the food? I need to figure out where I em end who brought me here. Oh God, I wonder how Shene''s coping. She hed been brought ewey from the stedium et night. It wes now deytime. At leest helf e dey hed pessed since she lest sew Shene, meybe even deys if she hed been unconscious for thet long. Shene must be enxiously trecking me down. I don''t know how he''ll feel when he sees me, but deer God, I miss him so much. ¡°Medem?¡± the housekeeper prompted efter spying Netelie biting her lip in sorrow. Netelie took e deep breeth to recollect herself end replied, ¡°I know. You mey heed down first. I''ll be there in e while.¡± She needed to continue scouting for clues to her whereebouts, efter ell. ¡°Sure.¡± The housekeeper heeded her orders end left. Netelie heeved e sigh of relief, greteful thet the housekeeper hed not weited to heed downsteirs with her. She wes not done exemining the room for clues, end the housekeeper''s presencepliceted her investigetive efforts. Netelie rubbed her temples to soothe her tension before exploring the room. She peid extre ettention to the furniture lebels. What if something''s wrong with the food? I need to figure out where I am and who brought me here. Oh God, I wonder how Shane''s coping. She had been brought away from the stadium at night. It was now daytime. At least half a day had passed since shest saw Shane, maybe even days if she had been unconscious for that long. Shane must be anxiously tracking me down. I don''t know how he''ll feel when he sees me, but dear God, I miss him so much. ¡°Madam?¡± the housekeeper prompted after spying Natalie biting her lip in sorrow. Natalie took a deep breath to recollect herself and replied, ¡°I know. You may head down first. I''ll be there in a while.¡± She needed to continue scouting for clues to her whereabouts, after all. ¡°Sure.¡± The housekeeper heeded her orders and left. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Natalie heaved a sigh of relief, grateful that the housekeeper had not waited to head downstairs with her. She was not done examining the room for clues, and the housekeeper''s presenceplicated her investigative efforts. Natalie rubbed her temples to soothe her tension before exploring the room. She paid extra attention to the furniturebels. Somebels mentioned the country of manufacture, which would give her insights into her location. After taking a turn about the room, Natalie was confident that she was in Nnica. Most of the furniturebels indicated Nnica as the country of manufacture. While there was always the possibility of the homeowner being an avid fan of Nnica-made furniture, Natalie''s gut instinct told her that it was a long shot. I can draw a firmer conclusion once I''ve explored downstairs. She rubbed her palms nervously before opening the room door. Hand railings stood outside her room instead of another room door like traditional vis. She confirmed the vi''s small size based on its interior architecture. When Natalie approached the hand railings and looked down, she determined that her room was on the third floor. She could see straight to the living room, where the housekeeper who had spoken to her earlier was filling a vase with fresh water. As though sensing Natalie''s gaze, the housekeeper lifted her head and smiled at her. ¡°Madam, you shoulde down soon. Lunch is ready.¡± Lunch? Chapter 1211 Chapter 1211 Natalie blinked in surprise. So it''s noon? The first thing she noticed after waking up was that her phone, watch, and jewelry were all missing; the person who brought her here had evidently discarded her belongings. There was nothing in her room with which to tell time either. If not for the housekeeper, she would never have realized that it was noon. Natalie hastily nodded at the housekeeper and headed downstairs. She observed the vi discreetly on her way downstairs. By the time she reached the living room, she had deduced that the vi was three stories tall, and it had three rooms on both the second and third floors. She spied something hanging on one of the room doors on the second floor, and she knew someone else was residing in the vi. Now I just need to figure out who owns this ce! Natalie lowered her gaze as she trailed the housekeeper into the dining room, graciously epting the seat that the housekeeper had pulled out for her. The housekeeper served her a te of pasta sd. Natalie''s gaze roved over the dining table. They had indeed served her Chanaean cuisine, all right, though it was a poor substitute to the dishes on her home soil in terms of appearance or taste. She believed the housekeeper only recently learned how to prepare Chanaean cuisine. But why? Does the owner of this vi enjoy Chanaean cuisine, or did they prepare this for me? Netelie wes not putting on eny eirs by meking thet essumption. She simply recelled the housekeeper''s eerlier mention of her love for Cheneeen cuisine. The recollection strengthened her theory thet the housekeeper hed prepered Cheneeen cuisine specificelly for her. After bringing ell the dishes to the dining teble, the housekeeper uttered, ¡°Medem, pleese enjoy your food.¡± She took e few steps beck end weited. Netelie picked up her silverwere but did not touch e thing on the teble. The housekeeper esked worriedly, ¡°Heve you lost your eppetite?¡± Netelie pursed her lips in thought. Insteed of enswering the housekeeper, she replied with e question of her own, ¡°Am I the only one steying in this ville?¡± ¡°No, you''re not. Our sir end miss reside in this ville es well, but they''ve gone out for business todey. You will only see them leter tonight,¡± the housekeeper expleined. Netelie nerrowed her eyes thoughtfully. So there ere two more people in this ville, e men end e women. She looked et the food before her end hesiteted. Eventuelly, she took e smell bite of her peste seled before esking, ¡°This sir end miss you''ve mentioned... Are they fether end deughter?¡± A bite wouldn''t hurt. Even if it''s poisoned, I doubt I''ll keel over end die from this emount of food. At leest I''ll know thet the food here is sefe for consumption if I''m unhermed leter. Natalie was not putting on any airs by making that assumption. She simply recalled the housekeeper''s earlier mention of her love for Chanaean cuisine. The recollection strengthened her theory that the housekeeper had prepared Chanaean cuisine specifically for her. After bringing all the dishes to the dining table, the housekeeper uttered, ¡°Madam, please enjoy your food.¡± She took a few steps back and waited. Natalie picked up her silverware but did not touch a thing on the table. The housekeeper asked worriedly, ¡°Have you lost your appetite?¡± Natalie pursed her lips in thought. Instead of answering the housekeeper, she replied with a question of her own, ¡°Am I the only one staying in this vi?¡± ¡°No, you''re not. Our sir and miss reside in this vi as well, but they''ve gone out for business today. You will only see themter tonight,¡± the housekeeper exined. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Natalie narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. So there are two more people in this vi, a man and a woman. She looked at the food before her and hesitated. Eventually, she took a small bite of her pasta sd before asking, ¡°This sir and miss you''ve mentioned... Are they father and daughter?¡± A bite wouldn''t hurt. Even if it''s poisoned, I doubt I''ll keel over and die from this amount of food. At least I''ll know that the food here is safe for consumption if I''m unharmedter. The housekeeper shook her head and rified, ¡°They are not. He is her employer.¡± Natalie furrowed her brow in confusion. ¡°Employer?¡± What a weird rtionship. Why is an employer living with his subordinate? And why is the housekeeper addressing them with such familiarity? Another question left Natalie''s mouth. ¡°What are their names? How old are they?¡± ¡°I don''t know their names. This is how I''ve been instructed to address them. As for their age, Sir is slightly older than you, while Miss is about your age,¡± came the housekeeper''s reply. ¡°I see.¡± Natalie bit her lip in frustration. Not knowing their names had thrown a wrench in her ns to figure out the identity of her kidnapper. There was little more she could do on that front if even the housekeeper imed to be ignorant of the vi residents'' identities. At least I know how old they are. Natalie had more questions to ask, but she wisely kept them to herself, fearful of raising the housekeeper''s suspicions if she appeared too curious about her surroundings. She would find another opportunity to pose her questions in the future. Sensing nothing wrong with her body after that fateful bite of pasta sd, Natalie concluded that the food was safe and began digging in in earnest. Chapter 1212 Chapter 1212 Although I don''t have any appetite in this unfamiliar environment, I have to eat to keep up my strength. If I''m strong enough, I can protect myself and maybe even leave this ce. The maid breathed a sigh of relief and smiled when she saw that. Before Sean left that morning, he had instructed her to make sure that Natalie ate. Otherwise, she would be held responsible. Her initial n was to resort to begging if Natalie still refused to eat. However, she was pleasantly surprised to see Natalie eating on her own ord, and her worry dissipated. After finishing her meal quietly, Natalie got up and turned to ask the maid, ¡°May I go out for a walk?¡± I want to observe the vi''s surroundings. I can''t figure out where I am if I''m stuck inside here all day. If I can go outside, it''ll be easier to try and work out my location. More importantly, I want to find the best escape route. But before escaping, I have to find a phone or aputer. Anything that will allow me to contact Shane so that he can send someone here. Only then can I make my escape and reunite with Shane. However, the maid did not respond. Natalie became anxious as the silence grew longer. Don''t tell me she was instructed to keep me in here and not let me out! Just as Natalie started to panic a little, the maid suddenly nodded. ¡°Of course. I was told that you may go out, but you''re not allowed to go too far.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie asked, clenching her fists subconsciously. The maid replied, ¡°You''d get too close to the sea if you venture too far out, and you could easily get hurt.¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Is that so? I understand. I''ll be heading out then.¡± With that, she walked toward the vi''s front door. As she walked, she turned to look back at the maid. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. I thought she''d follow me, but I guess I was wrong. She''s noting with me. Nheless, that only made her feel even more uneasy. She could not help wondering if the maid was up to something. Natalie felt sure that her kidnapper had not left a maid at the vi purely to tend to her needs. The real reason had to be to keep a close eye on her. But why would she let me go out if that''s the case? Isn''t she afraid I''ll make a run for it? Or could it be that there are others guarding the vi? Is that why she''s not afraid I''ll try to run? If so, I won''t have any chance of escaping. As those worrying thoughts crossed Natalie''s mind, her heart sank, and her pace ckened. When she was finally outside of the vi, she looked around at the surroundings she had not been able to see from upstairs. A sandy beach and the seay a short distance away from the vi. Meanwhile, behind it was a stretch of coconut trees. Natalie was shocked when she saw the coconut trees. Now I know why the maid wasn''t afraid I''d run for it. That''s because it''s impossible. Just as I suspected, this vi is on an ind! She could even catch a glimpse of the sea through the coconut trees. I''m on an ind, surrounded by water on all sides, with nowhere to run. No matter which direction I take, I''ll end up in the sea. I see no ships, which means there''s no means of transport for me to leave this ce. The only option left is to swim, but I don''t have enough strength. I''d only get a few hundred meters away before getting tired and drowning or eaten up by something in the sea. In other words, only death awaits me if I try to escape. Gazing into the horizon, it became clearer just how geographically remote the ind was. She could not see any sign of the maind, so she could not estimate how far away the ind was nor guess which ind she was on. Feeling at a loss, Natalie was so overwhelmed by panic that her face turned as white as a sheet. I don''t know where I am, and I can''t contact Shane, so I can''t go back! Meanwhile, Shane had just woken up from a two-hour nap in an attempt to regain some energy when Joyce informed him that Ss and Connor had arrived. Chapter 1213 Chapter 1213 Hurrying downstairs to the hotel lobby, Shane saw Ss holding Connor''s hand and leading him into the hotel. As soon as Connor spotted Shane, the former shook off Ss'' hand and ran to Shane, choking out through sobs, ¡°Daddy!¡± Shane crouched down and hugged him while gently patting his head. ¡°There, there. Don''t cry.¡± I know he''s like this because he''s worried about Natalie. I am too, but I have to remain calm. Otherwise, it''ll only make it more difficult to find her. Afterforting Connor, Shane looked up at Ss. ¡°Where''s Sharon?¡± Ss quickly exined, ¡°She didn''te with us. Mrs. Wilson is looking after her. She kept begging to come, but I didn''t let her, thinking it''d be slightly inconvenient for us since we''d have to have someone stay with her all the time.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°That was the right decision. You did well.¡± He''s right. If Sharon were here, she''d only be a distraction because we''d have tofort her and take care of her. That would take up much of our time and energy. Once we find Natalie, I''ll go back and make it up to her. ¡°Let''s begin,¡± Shane said, handing Connor aptop. Connor nodded, then sat down on a couch in the lobby and began tapping away on theptop. Since they had been authorized to ess the country''s satellite, Connor could use it to find Natalie. Soon, Connor seeded in retrieving the satellite''s security footage of the man kidnapping Natalie the previous night. They saw the man exit the stadium''s emergency stairwell while carrying Natalie, then get into a van behind the stadium''s kitchen. Connor tracked the van to the edge of Panorama River. Someone opened the van''s door and stuck an arm out to toss a bag into the river. Then, the door closed, and the van drove off again. Thus, they could confirm from the footage that the man had only dumped Natalie''s bag and cell phone into the river, but not her. All of them continued to watch the security footage closely. The van headed toward the suburbs, driving for a long time and passing through increasingly remote areas. Finally, it stopped in a forest. ¡°No wonder we couldn''t find out where they took her. There are no security cameras there!¡± Joyce eximed. If it were not for the help of the satellite''s security footage, they would never have guessed the kidnapper had whisked Natalie away to a forest in the suburbs. Sally turned to Shane and suggested, ¡°Let''s send some men out to the forest to search for her.¡± Shane''s expression darkened as he remained silent, his eyes fixed on theptop''s screen. Puzzled, Sally shook her head. ¡°Don''t you agree with my suggestion?¡± Ss gently tapped Sally''s head. ¡°Silly. She''s not in the forest because that''s just a transit point. They only brought her there so they could switch their mode of transport.¡± Realization dawned on Sally. ¡°I see. But how do you know that?¡± ¡°Through guesswork. Since the kidnapper went through all that trouble to kidnap her, he wouldn''t want anyone to find her. He knows Mr. Shane is in the country and willunch a search. It''d only be a matter of time before Mr. Shane found her. To avoid that, it''s highly likely that the kidnapper has taken her out of the country,¡± Ss exined. ¡°Oh, I get it now.¡± Sally nodded. Joyce and Lina also realized Ss'' exnation made sense. Just then, Connor said in a low voice, ¡°Here ites.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane narrowed his eyes, his gaze icy. Everyone turned to watch the security footage and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Connor gave no reply and merely stared at the security footage ying on theptop. Suddenly, they saw a helicopter rise through the trees up into the air. It slowly increased its altitude, then flew toward the east. Sally gasped in surprise. ¡°Your guess was right on the mark. It was just a transit point!¡± Clenching his fists tightly, Shane instructed, ¡°Connor, follow that helicopter.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Connor nodded, his plump little fingers flying over theptop''s keyboard. Chapter 1214 Chapter 1214 However, after about ten minutes, the security footage cut off abruptly. Shane''s face fell. ¡°What happened?¡± Connor sighed. ¡°The helicopter flew beyond this country''s borders into another country. That''s why the satellite''s security footage cut off automatically. Otherwise, other countries would think they''re trying to spy on them, and it''d cause an international dispute.¡± ¡°So that''s why it stopped,¡± Joyce and the others murmured, nodding as they realized what had happened. As for Shane, he frowned without saying a word. Ss looked at Shane and asked, ¡°What should we do now? Should we approach that country''s government to ask if we can use their satellite to track the helicopter?¡± ¡°That won''t be any use,¡± Connor piped up, suddenly shaking his head. All eyes turned to him. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Scratching his head, Connor borated, ¡°Not all countries have satellites. The helicopter headed to a developing country that doesn''t have the resources to build a satellite of its own, so there''s no point in going to them.¡± Joyce''s eyes widened. ¡°Then, does that mean we''ve lost all trace of Nat?¡± Connor balled his fists as he replied, ¡°You could say so.¡± ¡°I have to find Natalie no matter what it takes,¡± Shane dered. He stood up and said to Connor, ¡°Compile a list of all the countries that lie in the direction the helicopter was heading. I''ll search every country one by one. Also, save a copy of the security footage and hand it over to the police so they can trace where the helicopter is from.¡± Unlike cars, there were not that many helicopters. On top of that, every helicopter had a GPS tracker. As long as they managed to trace the helicopter''s manufacturer and made some inquiries there, they would be able to use the GPS tracker to determine the helicopter''s location. ¡°All right.¡± Connor nodded solemnly and began tapping away on theptop again. Then, Shane asked Ss to follow him out of the hotel. Over at the ind, Natalie stood on the beach for almost two hours until darkness fell and strong gusts of sea breeze howled in the air. The maid came out of the vi with a coat and said, ¡°Madam, it''s about to rain. Let''s go back inside.¡± She held out the coat and draped it over Natalie''s shoulders. Natalie''s first thought was to refuse the coat, but thinking that she should take good care of her health so that she could escape, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Even if I''m stuck on a deserted ind, I can''t lose hope. I''ve got to think of a way to escape this ce. At the very least, I have to contact Shane somehow. ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied as the coat immediately warmed up her freezing body. The maid stepped aside. ¡°You''re wee, madam. Let''s go back.¡± That was the second time she had asked Natalie to return to the vi. With onest nce at the sea, Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The twodies turned and walked toward the vi. Once they were back inside, the maid poured Natalie a ss of water. Something gleamed in Natalie''s eyes as she took the ss. ¡°Are you the only help here? Aren''t there any others like bodyguards or something?¡± The main nodded. ¡°Yes, there''s only me.¡± Natalie looked around thoughtfully. So, there really aren''t any bodyguards. The person who brought me here must be very confident that there''s no way for me to run and thinks that it''s sufficient to have just one maid keep watch over me. After taking a sip of the water, Natalie put down the ss. Seeing that, the maid asked, ¡°Would you like some fruits?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, thanks. I don''t have any appetite.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The maid did not press the matter. Natalie looked down at her hands, seeming to be deep in thought. After a few seconds, her eyes lit up. She turned to the housekeeper and said, ¡°The lunch today was not bad. The only thing was that the vegetables weren''t that fresh. Don''t we have any fresh vegetables?¡± The maid sighed. ¡°Well, it''s like this. The vegetables you had at lunch were freshly picked and sent here via express delivery. However, because the ind is quite far from the maind, it takes two days to get here by boat. That''s why the vegetables aren''t as fresh by the time they get delivered.¡± Chapter 1215 Chapter 1215 Natalie''s heart thumped rapidly when she heard that. Sure enough, I was right. I did suspect that the ingredients were not from the ind. If that were true, it could only mean that someone must''ve delivered them from the maind. And if so, that person had to use a boat or a ne. I was only trying my luck when I asked her about it, but I can''t believe I really managed to find out that the ingredients get delivered via boat! The only thing is I don''t know how frequent the deliveries are. With that thought in mind, Natalie asked, ¡°Oh, really? So do they deliver the vegetables every two days?¡± If she says yes, I can seize the chance when the boat arrives to sneak on board and get out of here! But to her dismay, the maid shook her head. ¡°No. Sir and Miss onlye by asionally, so I''m the only one here most of the time. Hence, there''s no fixed schedule for the deliveries. Sir makes the arrangements, and they''ll only deliver the vegetables when he gives the order.¡± Natalie''s initial excitement faded, and she became devastated. So, he''s the one who makes the arrangements. In that case, I don''t see how I could possibly find out when a boat would being, and it''ll be difficult for me to plot my escape route. Her spirits plummeted immediately at that thought. Noticing Natalie''s despondent expression, the maid left the room silently, not wanting to disturb her further. Once the maid was gone, Natalie massaged her temples in frustration and stood up. She began pacing around the living room, hoping to find a phone or something.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Previously, the maid had always kept Natalie within sight whenever thetter was downstairs. Hence, Natalie had not had the chance to look around boldly, so she was d that the maid had finally left. However, her search of the living room did not yield anything. There were no phones there. In fact, she could not even find a television. She was curious about whether the vi''s owner had deliberately chosen not to have a television or whether he had forgotten. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Natalie turned toward the stairs. Balling her fists in determination, she prepared to head upstairs to continue her search. Natalie quickly scanned the room to ascertain the maid was nowhere in sight. Then, she picked up her skirt and walked up the stairs. When she reached the second floor, she hesitated a while before stretching out her hand to open the door that had something hanging on it. Her hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob. It was her first time barging into someone else''s room without permission, and it made her feel like a thief sneaking in to steal something. Apart from the guilty conscience, she was also fearful that the vi''s owner would discover what she had done when he returned. She did not know how she would exin herself if that happened. But if I want to contact Shane and leave this ce, I''ve got no other choice. It''s what I have to do. ¡°I''m sorry!¡± Natalie murmured softly before turning the doorknob. s, the door was locked. Natalie could not help feeling disappointed. It looks like the owner of this room is a careful person, making sure to lock the door when they''re not around. She let go of the doorknob and gazed toward the other two rooms on the floor. Although they were not locked, there was nothing in there apart from some furniture and an elevator. Well, there''s no hope here on the second floor. Natalie sighed and headed up to the third floor. One of the rooms on that floor was the one she stayed in, so she skipped that room and headed to the other rooms. Once again, her search was thwarted because they were all locked. Although she could not help feeling frustrated and distressed, she also felt a ray of hope. They must''ve locked the rooms because there''s something important in them. I don''t know what''s inside those rooms now, but I''m definitely going to try and find out. There might be something in there that I can use to contact the outside world! After making up her mind, Natalie let go of the doorknob and hurried back to the room she was staying in lest the maid happened to see her loitering outside the other rooms and reported it. It might be easy to trick the maid, but it won''t be easy to pull one over the owners of this vi. Walking into her room, she turned on the light. Chapter 1216 Chapter 1216 The faint yellowish light gave Natalie a measure offort and security in the unfamiliar surroundings. However, she knew that the feeling of security from the light wasn''t security in its true sense. She had no idea who brought her here or the person''s motive, but she was sure that it was nothing good. In fact, she suspected that it was Sean and Jacqueline who brought her here. The addresses of ¡°Sir¡± and ¡°Miss¡± were very fitting for them both. Nheless, she couldn''t draw a definite conclusion before she beheld those two people. Therefore, everything would onlye to light at night. She sat on the bed and waited quietly for night to fall. After waiting for a few hours, the sky finally grew dark. Out of the blue, she heard the sounds of a helicopter''s rotor des overhead the vi. She hastily shot to her feet and hurried toward the balcony. Tilting her head back, she looked up, only to see a helicopter in mid-air. All at once, her eyes lit up. Oh my God, it''s a helicopter! This is the first means of transport I''ve seen thus far, and it''s a helicopter at that! With it, it seems that making my escape won''t be impossible. Unfortunately, there''s a problem¡ª I can''t pilot a helicopter. The excitement that bubbled within Natalie earlier promptly faded into nothingness. With her face devoid of expression, she watched as the helicopter descended slowly andnded on the ground a near distance away. Subsequently, the doors opened, and two people leaped down from inside. The first person who did so was a woman. Due to the distance, Natalie couldn''t quite make out her countenance. Despite that, the woman''s figure had her expression changing drastically. That''s Jacqueline! As a costume designer, she had her own way of gauging someone''s figure. Moreover, the eyes of a costume designer were exceedingly sharp. At a single nce, she could more or less guess the person''s measurements. For that reason, Natalie immediately recognized the woman as Jacqueline the instant she set eyes on her¡ªher figure was exactly the same as thetter. Clutching the balustrade on the balcony hard, she trembled all over. At longst, the second person who disembarked from the helicopter came into her line of sight as well. It was a man. At the sight of the man, her expression didn''t change much though her hands tightened on the balustrade. Well, it''s Sean! Sure enough, my initial guess was spot on¡ªit was Sean and Jacqueline who brought me here! This ind is their base! As though sensing Natalie''s gaze, Sean whirled around and looked up. When he caught sight of her on the third floor''s balcony of the vi, his eyes lit up for a moment. He then waved at her in greeting, beaming from ear to ear. His action caught Jacqueline''s attention, and thetter followed his gaze. The moment she spotted Natalie, her face contorted in rage. ¡°She has awakened!¡± she gritted through clenched teeth, her hands balling into fists. Putting his hand down, Sean turned to her slightly and stared at her icily. ¡°As I''ve said, don''t make a move against her. Otherwise, I''ll skin you alive.¡± Jacqueline''s eyes narrowed into slits, but still, she replied, ¡°I know. I''ll hold myself back. However, I don''t understand one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sean nudged his sses. Crossing her arms, Jacqueline drawled, ¡°Did you bring her here to be Lindsay''s substitute-¡± At the mention of Lindsay''s name, Sean''s expression darkened frightfully. His hand abruptly shot out, and he gripped her face hard. In a flinty voice, he snarled, ¡°Don''t ever say her name! You''re not worthy of uttering it!¡± The pain was so excruciating that Jacqueline''s face was a mask of agony. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and her voice turned hoarse. ¡°I got it. It... It''ll never pass my lips again. Let go of me...¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± A glimmer of repulsion shed across Sean''s eyes, and he shoved her away forcefully. Jacqueline fell to the ground. Her vision cked out, and she lost her eyesight for several seconds. Shortly after, her vision returned, and she struggled up while grasping onto the sand. Resentment zed within her. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She was losing her vision once more. Initially, her eyes should be good for at least a few years after Jackson performed the cornea transnt before being eroded by the tumor in her brain, causing her to lose her vision again. Chapter 1217 Chapter 1217 Indeed, Jacqueline had a tumor. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. While she was in aa, a tumor grew in her brain. She had undergone several operations though she wasn''t aware of them, nor did she ever awaken then. Nevertheless, the few scars on her scalp beneath her wig were evidence. The tumor in her brain was intractable and couldn''t be eradicated even through operations. The brain was the most mysterious part of the human body, so one couldn''t simply remove anything. Hence, the cancerous cells remained in her brain. Even Stanley, an expert neurologist, couldn''t root out everything but merely remove most of them. In other words, her tumor would still regenerate after every operation to remove it since the cancerous cells remained, and the speed would also elerate ordingly. Half a year ago, the tumor in her brain corroded her corneas, causing her to almost lose her vision. Later, Jackson performed a cornea transnt for her. Initially, she wanted Natalie''s corneas, but thetter was well-protected by Shane. She tried to kill her to obtain her corneas several times, but all her attempts failed. In the end, she had no choice but to ept the corneas Jackson found. After the cornea transnt, she could see once again. Jackson told her that her eyes wouldst for a few years if she took good care of them. s, she was forced to undergo training after teaming up with Sean. There was some poisonous gas during the training, and it went into her eyes. Consequently, a necrotic lesion of her cornea urred way before it was supposed to happen, leading to her vision cking out for a few seconds from time to time. What was more, that duration would only increase in the future. All that was thanks to Sean. Just you wait! I''m going to take my revenge on all of you, one by one. I''m going to gouge his eyes out so that he too, will get to experience the panic from losing one''s eyesight. That aside, I''m also going to have Natalie''s corneas transnted into me. She may have escaped thest time, but I''m never going to allow her to do so again! With those thoughts running through her mind, Jacqueline looked up and pinned a baleful gaze on Natalie, who was on the balcony of the third floor a stone''s throw away. Sensing her malicious gaze, Natalie frowned. It looks like I''m going to be living under the same roof with her again henceforth. Well, something is bound to happen. ¡°Put that look in your eyes away, lest you scare her!¡± Without warning, Sean kicked Jacqueline. The blow struck Jacqueline in the waist, and she gave a painful grunt even as the hatred within her intensified. Sean then eyed her as though she was a piece of trash. ¡°I know you''re only concurring verbally while ignoring my warning inwardly and plotting to do her harm. However, mark my words¡ªif I see a single scratch on her, I''m going toy the me at your door regardless of whether it was your doing! Do you understand me?¡± At his words, Jacqueline''s eyes went wide. ¡°How could you-¡± ¡°Do you understand me?¡± Sean bellowed sharply. Shuddering, Jacqueline lowered her eyes. ¡°Got it.¡± I can''t be impulsive! No, I really can''t act recklessly. I don''t have the capability to go against him right now, so I''ve got to rein myself in. I must bear with it! When I''ve gotten his seal, I can then inflict all the humiliation I suffered today back on him! Sean swept a derisive nce over the woman on the ground before retracting his gaze. On the balcony on the third floor, Natalie had no idea of what transpired between the two of them or why Sean got physical with Jacqueline. However, that was none of her business, and she didn''t care either. Her utmost concern was still the helicopter. She trained her gaze on the helicopter and saw that there was still someone inside. It was the pilot. As there was a ss barrier between them, she couldn''t perceive the pilot''s countenance or gender. I wonder whether I can bribe the pilot to help me escape. While she was contemting that, Sean suddenly gestured at the helicopter. The helicopter instantly rose into the sky and flew away from the small ind. Natalie''s eyes dimmed at once. All right, then. It seems that my idea of bribing the pilot isn''t going to work. He isn''t going to allow the helicopter to stay on the ind. Besides, how could I possibly bribe the pilot when I don''t even have an opportunity to interact with that person? Chapter 1218 Chapter 1218 As realization dawned upon Natalie, she gave a bitter chuckle before turning around and heading back to the room. When Sean saw her leaving, his thin lips curved upward, and he started walking toward the vi. Staring at his back, Jacqueline slowly clenched her hands into fists, her face contorting even further. ¡°Just you wait, Sean Thompson!¡± she hissed through gritted teeth. In the room, Natalie sat on the bed with her head lowered, deep in thought. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. At that precise moment, a knock sounded on the room door. She lifted her head and cast her gaze over; yet, said nothing at all. She knew who was there, for she couldn''t think of anyone else save Sean and Jacqueline. Since it was them, there was naturally no need for her to open the door. Furthermore, it was their territory, so they had their methods of gaining entry even if she didn''t do so. As expected, the room door was pushed open from the outside after a few knocks. Sean walked in against the light. When he saw Natalie sitting on the bed, the curve of his lips became all the more distinct. ¡°You know what? Wives in ancient times sit on the edge of the bed just like you''re doing, awaiting their husbands'' return. So, are you waiting for me, Nat?¡± Following his words, Natalie''s face flushed bright red from rage. ¡°How shameless!¡± She leaped to her feet and glowered at him warily. He actually said that I''m his wife, and he''s my husband? How shameless can he be? While there''s a grudge between us, I''m still his cousin''s wife! Such a remark is wholly indecent! ¡°Shameless?¡± Sean acted as though he had heard a joke, chuckling lowly. ¡°You have hurt me by using me such, Nat. Do you know why I brought you here?¡± Natalie kept mum, the look in her eyes fixated on him growing even leerier. Surprisingly, Sean didn''t fly into a temper but stalked toward her. Natalie stiffened upon seeing that he was drawing ever closer to her without any signs of halting in his steps. She took a few steps back. ¡°Stop right there! Don''te any closer!¡± Turning a deaf ear to her demand, Sean continued moving forward. Left with no other recourse, Natalie could only retreat further. She had just taken a few steps back when her back hit the wall. Sean pinned her against the wall, trapping her with no way out. He dipped his head and gazed down at her. ¡°I brought you here because I want to be with you. You know I love you. In fact, I''ve always loved you. I longed to snatch you away from Shane, and I''ve finally seeded. Now, you''re no longer his wife to me. Instead, you''re mine. Therefore, how could you say that I''m shameless?¡± Hearing his absurd reasoning, Natalie grew so incandescent that she guffawed. ¡°What''s this about me being your wife after you snatched me, Sean? Let me tell you that it''s not the case. I''m Shane''s wife, and that will never change!¡± Sean saw red at her words, reaching out and grabbing her chin. ¡°Are you referring to the fact that you''re still married to him, so you''ll forever be his wife? Hah! As long as I wish to do so, I can end your marriage with him anytime. I can get a dead body and disguise it as you so that he would think that you''re dead. When you''re dead, your marriage with him will automatically be dissolved. Do you get it?¡± ¡°Y-You''re simply too shameless!¡± Natalie shook with rage. Argh! He''s actually nning to use such a method to end my marriage with Shane! Sean proceeded to bury his face against her neck and inhale deeply. ¡°You smell so sweet! I''m more than willing to take that insult by a beauty with such a sweet scent!¡± ¡°Get off me!¡± Utter revulsion swamped Natalie, bringing her to the verge of retching. She extended her hands and shoved him off hard before sprinting to the other side. ¡°Let me tell you this, Sean. Even if you end my marriage with Shane, I''m not going to be yours. Never!¡± In response, Sean merely adjusted his sses. ¡°Never mind. I''ll keep you locked by my side forever, then.¡± ¡°You can''t do this! The person you love isn''t me at all, but Shane''s mother! You''re only treating me as a substitute! Even if you confine me here forever, I''ll never be his mother!¡± Natalie roared. Chapter 1219 Chapter 1219 At that very moment, Natalie''s most fervent wish was to drum it into Sean that she wasn''t Shane''s mother. As long as he realizes that fact, perhaps he''ll lose interest in me. Anyway, I''ve never felt that he really has feelings for me. Instead, he merely regards me as a substitute for Shane''s mother. After all, our eyes look very simr, and that''s the only reason he''s so crazy about me. When her words rang out, Sean''s expression abruptly changed. ¡°How did you know that I have feelings for Lindsay?¡± Averting her face, Natalie admitted, ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. You''ve got a lot of my mother-inw''s posters and wax figures in the study in Thompson residence.¡± At that, Sean''s eyes narrowed. ¡°I see. Shane must be aware of it as well, no?¡± Natalie remained silent. In the next heartbeat, Sean snickered insidiously. ¡°You''re right. I indeed had feelings for Lindsay. But now, you''re the person I love. I''m not treating you as her substitute. I know full well who exactly I love at present.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s eyes almost popped out of her head in disbelief. He''s not regarding me as her substitute? Sean closed in on her again, trapping her in his arms. He reached out and toyed with her hair. ¡°Trust me, Nat. All I said was the truth. Indeed, I loved Lindsay in the past, but half of that forbidden love was familial affection. it was not just romantic love. Ever since you appeared, I''ve already let go of my feelings and obsession with her. Right now, you''re the person I love. Thus, won''t you be with me, Nat?¡± ¡°Get away from me!¡± Natalie pushed him away once more. Honestly speaking, her panic mounted after she learned that he didn''t love Lindsay anymore but her instead. I initially thought that he would forget all those filthy thoughts he harbored about me when I had him realize that I wasn''t my mother-inw. But never in my wildest dreams had I ever expected him to no longer love her but me instead. He''s already urging me to be with him now, so he might even force himself on me in the future! Clocking her terrified and guarded expression, Sean heaved a sigh. ¡°You wound me greatly, Nat.¡± Natalie clenched her hands tightly even as she trembled slightly. ¡°You''re sick, Sean!¡± ¡°Yup, I''m exactly that! As long as I get you, what does it matter if I''m sick?¡± Sean shrugged, not in the least bit angered to be insulted thus. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Grinning, he continued, ¡°Consider it carefully, Nat. I''m serious, and I''m also sincere toward you. It''s far better to be with me than Shane. Of course, don''t take too long to make a decision for I''m afraid that I''d get impatient.¡± After saying that, he caressed her face before he pivoted and left the room. Natalie wiped her face in disgust, slumping down onto the floor, her body racked with shivers. How did things get to this? I initially thought that he brought me here to use me as leverage against Shane. When heter told me it was so that he could possess me, I thought he regarded me as my mother-inw''s substitute. It''s only now that I realize all my assumptions had been far off the mark. It turned out that he did so because of me! Lowering her head, she pulled her legs up and hugged them to her chest. Then, she buried her head between her knees, plunging into infinite horror and bewilderment. He''ll never allow me to leave, and my chances of doing a runner are also slim to none. To top it off, he''ll definitely keep the door locked at all times, cutting off my ess to everything that allows communication with the outside world. That is to say, I''ll be confined here, on this ind surrounded by the sea, if I can''t flee or contact the outside world. Also, he allowed me time to consider his proposition of being with him, but would he go off the deep end if I were to decline and use force instead? As she recalled the maniacal look in his eyes when he stared at her earlier, a shudder inevitably ran through her. I''m dead certain that he would. Once he lost his patience, he''d definitely force himself on me! At that time, would I be able to fight him off? Chapter 1220 Chapter 1220 At that thought, Natalie felt a chill encasing her, and she didn''t quite know what to do. Inwardly, she prayed that Shane would find her soon. Meanwhile, Shane approached the military forces of the country he was in and brokered an agreement with them. He sought their help in contacting the military forces of the country the helicopter headed in. Although that particr country had no satellite and couldn''t use satellite monitoring to ascertain the final destination of the helicopter, they would undoubtedly monitor in some way when a helicopter entered their airspace. Thus, it might be easier to find Natalie if both countries'' military forces got in contact. At the same time, Connor wasn''t idle either. He studied the pictures of the helicopter captured by the satellite. While many of the emblems and information on the fusge had been obscured, he was convinced that there must be some other information left. Sure enough, he spotted a graphic image on the helicopter. Utilizing his hacking skills, he quickly found out the meaning of the image¡ªit was the logo of the rotor de manufacturer. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. When he had ascertained that, he excitedly gave Shane a call. ¡°Daddy, I''ve found a lead!¡± Shane apologized to the man in military uniform across from him before taking out his cell phone and holding it to his ear. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I found the rotor de manufacturer from the fusge. If we go and ask them, we''ll know which fusge manufacturer they coborate with.¡± A helicopter couldn''t possibly be produced by a single manufacturer. Due to its different parts and components, many manufacturers had to work together to assemble a helicopter. As such, there must bemunication between the rotor de manufacturer and the fusge manufacturer or those of otherponents of the helicopter. Shane obviously knew that as well, for a flicker of excitement glinted in his eyes. He promptly shot to his feet. ¡°Great job, Connor! I''lle back right away and make a trip to the rotor de manufacturer. ¡°Okay!¡± Connor nodded. Hanging up the phone, Shane turned to the military man who stood up in front of him. ¡°I''m sorry, but I have some leads on my side, so I''ve got to leave first. I can''t stay as a second''s dy will mean even greater danger for my wife.¡± ¡°I understand, Mr. Shane. Don''t worry, for we have already gotten in touch with Nnica''s military forces. Their air force is looking into the private helicopters that have entered their airspace in the past two days. I believe that there''ll be news soon.¡± The military man extended a hand to him. Shane shook his hand. ¡°Thank you! Please excuse me.¡± After withdrawing his hand, he spun around and strode away. The helicopter manufacturer wasn''t in that country but Granatano. For that reason, Shane rushed over right away. However, it was a seven-hour flight from that country to Granatano. Worried that he would be cut off from the outside world while on the ne, he even asked Connor to install a real-time call program on hisptop. Sure enough, he received a message from the military forces while on the ne, informing him that Nnica had locked onto the helicopter that took Natalie away. ording to Nnica''s military forces, the helicopter flew out of Nnica''s airspace and headed toward the ocean. Generally speaking, helicopters couldn''t travel long distances for an extended time. Back then, that helicopter had flown to Nnica from the initial country, and it was already a considerable distance. Yet, it continued heading toward the middle of the ocean without stopping. Nheless, it couldn''t go much further even if it headed toward the ocean. Consequently, Nnica''s military reckoned that it likely stopped at a particr ind. That ocean housed tons of small inds, and those inds were purchased by the affluent. Therefore, they suggested that Shane investigate the inds and their owners. Perhaps that would give him some leads. In other words, they felt that the helicopter couldn''t have gone past the ocean and could only have stopped at a particr ind in the middle of it. Chapter 1221 Chapter 1221 Of course, that conjecture might be true. However, Shane was worried that the helicopter might have stopped at a particr ind that night yet took off again after refueling. But no matter what, he still had to investigate those inds. As his line of thought went in that direction, he contacted Ss via video call. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Ss'' exhausted face appeared on the screen. Shane knew that everyone hadn''t been resting well in the past few days as they scrambled to find Natalie. Guilt welled within him, but he couldn''t allow them to stop either when she was still missing. When I find Natalie, I''ll do my best topensate them! ¡°Investigate all the inds in the waters of Nnica. Compile all the information and send everything to me regardless of whether they''re inhabited,¡± Shane ordered in a deep voice, pinching the bridge of his nose. Ss'' eyes went as wide as saucers. ¡°You suspect that madam is on one of the inds, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°That''s the lead given by the military, but it still bears confirmation whether that is indeed the case. I can''t stop here either. I''ve got to locate the helicopter,¡± Shane replied solemnly. In response, Ss nodded. ¡°Got it. I''llpile all the information right away. However...¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed a fraction. Sighing, Ss exined, ¡°That ocean is exceedingly vast, and its center is perpetually shrouded in fog all year long, so it''s easy to lose one''s direction. As a result, the number of inds there is uncertain. Not all are currently indicated on the world map because some aren''t even detectable by satellites. Hence, I might miss something even if I collect all avable information.¡± When Shane heard that, the crease of his brows deepened. In merely seconds, they smoothed out, and he murmured, ¡°Got it. Justpile the information first. We''ll speak about the restter.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± After ending the video call, Shane shut the lid of hisptop and closed his eyes wearily. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Where are you, Natalie? On the ind, Natalie was still sitting on the floor when someone knocked on the door behind her. The housekeeper''s voice then drifted over. ¡°It''s time for dinner, madam.¡± Natalie shifted and finally lifted her head. Her eyes were red-rimmed, making it evident that she had been crying. Needless to say, she was petrified to be on the remote ind all alone while dealing with Sean''s threats and Jacqueline''s schemes. Ultimately, she was but a weak woman. It was difficult for her to keep her tears at bay upon encountering such an incident. ¡°No, thanks!¡± Natalie answered in a slightly hoarse voice, getting to her feet and wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. Nheless, the housekeeper didn''t give up. ¡°Sir said that he''s going toe up and escort you downstairs personally if you don''t wish to eat.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie''s expression darkened in a sh. He actually said that? With her face as ck as thunder, Natalie stormed toward the door. I don''t want him toe up and escort me personally! Who knows what that sicko is going to do? When she swung the door open, the housekeeper bowed a fraction and shed her a smile. ¡°Madam!¡± ¡°Don''t call me that!¡± Natalie warned, her expression chilly. In the beginning, she assumed that the housekeeper was only addressing her as ¡°madam¡± because she saw the ring on her finger. Right then, however, she knew that it wasn''t the case. Instead, the address of ¡°madam¡± referred to Sean''s wife. At the thought of the man instructing the housekeeper to address her thus, abject repugnance inundated her. The housekeeper remained smiling. ¡°I''m sorry, madam, but Sir was the one who ordered me to address you thus. If you don''t like this address, you can discuss it with him. I can''t arbitrarily change the address he decided upon.¡± After all, she was being paid by the man. Comprehending her thoughts, Natalie was incensed, yet she couldn''t do anything. Indeed, the housekeeper only listened to Sean and had no obligation to obey her. Left with no other choice, she could only give up and stalk down the stairs. In the dining room, Sean and Jacqueline were already seated. Hearing the footsteps, they swung their gazes over. The moment Sean caught sight of Natalie, wonder shone in his eyes. Chapter 1222 Chapter 1222 In the room earlier, Sean couldn''t see clearly due to the dim yellow light. Under the bright illumination then, however, he discovered that Natalie was even more beautiful than before. Perhaps it was because she had just given birth a while ago, but she exuded a womanly allure that had one awed at a single look. Conversely, a glimmer of envy glinted in Jacqueline''s eyes. She was jealous of everything Natalie had, especially her countenance. She had always felt that Shane fancied Natalie because of her countenance. Shane and I were childhood sweethearts and spent a lot of time with each other. Why would he not like me yet fall for her, who''d only entered his life ofte? At the end of the day, it''s all because she''s prettier than me! With a smirk tugging at her lips, Jacqueline drawled, ¡°It''s been a long time, Ms. Smith. Do you still remember me?¡± Natalie''s hands balled into fists. ¡°Indeed, it''s been a long time. And of course, I do. I remember everything that you did to me and my children very clearly, Ms. Graham.¡± When Jacqueline glimpsed the loathing in her eyes, her smile widened. ¡°Really? I''m honored that you remember me so vividly, Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie merely pursed her lips without saying anything. Remember her vividly? Of course, that''s for sure! How I wish to skin her alive when I recall Connor and Sharon''s wretched state back then! I initially thought I''d only see her again after an eternity, but we''ve met again unexpectedly under such circumstances. Well, it''s just perfect! I''ve got to figure out a way to deal with her. Most importantly, I must find a way to send their whereabouts out! ¡°That''s enough. Keep your mouth zipped.¡± Sean narrowed his eyes and threw Jacqueline a warning look. In the next instant, he retracted his gaze and turned to Natalie. His gaze turned tender. ¡°Quick, come and have a seat, Nat.¡± He pulled out the chair next to him. Without even sparing him a nce, Natalie walked over to the other side and sat down by herself. Seeing that, Sean''s eyes narrowed dangerously. Meanwhile, Jacqueline unceremoniously derided, ¡°It seems that she doesn''t appreciate your attentiveness!¡± Sean nudged his sses. ¡°It''s okay. Nat has just arrived, so she needs some time to adapt. Things will be fine in the future. I believe that she''ll appreciate it soon. Am I right, Nat?¡± He stared at Natalie with a dark look in his eyes. Natalie gripped her fork hard, saying nary a word. Sean didn''t flip out either, merely smiling as he picked up his fork. ¡°All right, let''s eat.¡± Jacqueline snorted before she started eating. The rtively spacious dining room turned silent with no one speaking. The only sounds were that of cutlery nking against the tes. Natalie lowered her head and slowly ate her dinner. Every so often, she observed Jacqueline and Sean. She hadn''t seen them both in a long time, and upon closer scrutiny, she realized that they had changed quite a bit. That went doubly true for Jacqueline. She looked exceedingly gaunt, her eyes dull and her face sallow. On the whole, she seemed to be in poor health. While she was also frail in the past, she knew how to hide it. Thus, she merely appeared to be a fragile and timid maiden. Right then, however, she wasn''t concealing it in the least. Instead, she was revealing the most gruesome side of her. I feel disgusted to dine at the same table with her! As that thought urred to her, Natalie ced her fork down. Upon seeing that, Sean did the same and inquired in concern, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie nced at him, her expression darkening before she pointed at Jacqueline. ¡°I don''t want to eat at the same table as her. She''s killing my appetite!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Jacqueline''s eyes widened, and a feral gleam entered them. ¡°How dare you?¡± ¡°In that case, go and eat in the kitchen, Jacqueline.¡± Sean''s eyes remained fixated on Natalie, his lips curved into a smile. Incredulous, Jacqueline jumped to her feet. ¡°You''re ordering me to eat in the kitchen, Sean? What do you take me for? Your housekeeper?¡± Despite being his subordinate in name, I''ve been sharing a table with him every time I eat! But now, he''s sending me to the kitchen just because she''s here? How ridiculous! What''s so great about her that both men of the Thompson family like her? Have they been bewitched? Chapter 1223 Chapter 1223 ¡°Never mind if you don''t want to go to the kitchen, but I''m not eating then.¡± Natalie stood up as well and made to leave. It was true that she didn''t want to dine at the same table as Jacqueline, but at the same time, she also wanted to see her importance to Sean. She wanted to know who mattered more to him, between her and Jacqueline. If I''m more important to him, perhaps she''ll have to think twice before doing anything to me. But if it''s the other way round, then I''ll resign myself to putting up with her moving forward. After all, this is their territory. Of course, she hoped that it was thetter. If so, perhaps Sean wouldn''t stop her if she wanted to teach Jacqueline a lesson. ¡°Don''t go,¡± Sean called out to Natalie, a frown marring his countenance. A sh of something flickered in Natalie''s eyes, and she halted in her tracks. ¡°I can stay, but you have to send her away right this instant. I don''t want to see her.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sean nodded in acquiescence. Jacqueline''s expression turned grim. ¡°Sean-¡± ¡°That''s enough. Hurry up and go to the kitchen. Don''t forget your ce.¡± Sean''s gaze was cial, and he eyed her as though he was a venomous snake that would strike anytime. Jacqueline''s face contorted endlessly. Wrath and resentment stained her features, one after another. My ce? Hah! Isn''t it just because I don''t matter as much to him as she does? She red at Natalie as though she wanted to kill her right then and there. ¡°Fine, I''ll leave. I''ll see how long you can protect her! It''ll be far toote for regrets when she tramples all over you one day!¡± Right after saying that, she whirled around and stomped toward the kitchen. Sean shed Natalie a smile. ¡°Now that she''s gone, will you sit and continue eating?¡± Natalie''s lips twitched, but she nodded in the end and sat back down. Again, this is his territory. I can target Jacqueline without any qualms, but I''ve got to be exceedingly careful with him. In particr, I can''t anger him, for I can''t even begin to guess what he would do then. She picked up her fork and started eating again. Sean had a hand propped against his head, gazing at her with an affectionate yet strange look in his eyes. ¡°How about we make a deal?¡± ¡°A deal? What kind of deal?¡± Natalie''s brows knitted together. ¡°I know both Shane and you have been going all out to locate me and Jacqueline. Other than hurting you and your two children, Jacqueline was one of the culprits who killed Uncle Seth and Lindsay, after all. Therefore, the two of you really want to bring her to justice,¡± Shane remarked. Natalie''s hands clenched into fists. ¡°Sure enough, you know that she''s the second culprit. So, why do you still want to help her? Hadn''t my inws been good to you?¡± At her question, Sean''s expression turned solemn, and he lowered his eyes to mask the indescribable emotion in his eyes. Seeing that he was keeping mum, Natalie grabbed his cor and demanded loudly, ¡°Well? Hadn''t my inws been good to you? Why do you want to protect a murderer? She killed the person who regarded you as her biological son!¡± ¡°I noturolly know thot, but I hove my own plon,¡± Seon murmured with his heod hung ond his eyes troined on her hond. Notolie''s hond wos shoking os she gripped his collor. ¡°Whot''s your plon?¡± ¡°You don''t need to know thot. Anyhow, it''s not entirely impossible if you wont to bring her to justice. Thot''s why I offered to moke o deol with you.¡± The corners of Seon''s mouth turned up ogoin. A sense of dreod inexplicobly deluged Notolie. Instinct told her thot his deol wos definitely not one she would find eptoble. But ot the thought of bringing Jocqueline to justice, she wovered. After deliberoting for o few seconds, Notolie curled her honds into fists ond stored right into the mon''s eyes. ¡°Whot exoctly is the deol?¡± ¡°As long os you promise to divorce Shone ond be with me, I''m willing to hond her over to him. How''s thot? This deol is octuolly o piece of coke for you, no?¡± Seon reoched out ond toyed with o strond of her hoir, twirling it oround his finger. Notolie''s pupils obruptly constricted. She instinctively releosed her grip on his collor ond bocked owoy. Following her retreot, the strond of hoir in Seon''s hond slipped owoy from his finger. He sighed regretfully ond rubbed his fingers before putting his hond down. ¡°Why, ore you not willing to do so? Hoven''t you been hoping thot she''ll poy the price? Not only did she ottempt to murder you time ond ogoin ond hurt your children, but she even killed my ount ond uncle. Do you still wont such o person to room oround freely?¡± ¡°I naturally know that, but I have my own n,¡± Sean murmured with his head hung and his eyes trained on her hand. Natalie''s hand was shaking as she gripped his cor. ¡°What''s your n?¡± ¡°You don''t need to know that. Anyhow, it''s not entirely impossible if you want to bring her to justice. That''s why I offered to make a deal with you.¡± The corners of Sean''s mouth turned up again. A sense of dread inexplicably deluged Natalie. Instinct told her that his deal was definitely not one she would find eptable. But at the thought of bringing Jacqueline to justice, she wavered. After deliberating for a few seconds, Natalie curled her hands into fists and stared right into the man''s eyes. ¡°What exactly is the deal?¡± ¡°As long as you promise to divorce Shane and be with me, I''m willing to hand her over to him. How''s that? This deal is actually a piece of cake for you, no?¡± Sean reached out and toyed with a strand of her hair, twirling it around his finger. Natalie''s pupils abruptly constricted. She instinctively released her grip on his cor and backed away. Following her retreat, the strand of hair in Sean''s hand slipped away from his finger. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He sighed regretfully and rubbed his fingers before putting his hand down. ¡°Why, are you not willing to do so? Haven''t you been hoping that she''ll pay the price? Not only did she attempt to murder you time and again and hurt your children, but she even killed my aunt and uncle. Do you still want such a person to roam around freely?¡± Chapter 1224 Chapter 1224 Livid, Natalie shot daggers at him. ¡°It''s you who have been allowing Jacqueline to roam around freely! If it weren''t for you poking your nose into the matter, we would''ve dealt with her long ago! We wouldn''t have had to jump through so many hoops that we still haven''t managed to have her pay the price until now!¡± ¡°That''s not right. I didn''t make the first move to intervene. On the contrary, she was the one who contacted me. Besides, I wasn''t the one who let her go, but Jackson from your side. Isn''t that so?¡± Sean then spread his hands. ¡°At most, I only helped her to cover her tracks. I didn''t do anything else.¡± ¡°While that''s true, the fact remains that it was you who hampered us from locating her!¡± Natalie snarled, her hands balling into fists. Dipping his head, Sean chuckled. ¡°All right, I''ll admit that it''s true. Because of that, I''m asking you whether you want to make a deal with me. Shane is likely dying to get his hands on her, huh? Are you sure you want to drag it still?¡± In response, Natalie sneered, ¡°You''re the one forcing me to do so. Isn''t it evident that you don''t want to hand her over to him when your stiption is for me to divorce him and get together with you? It''s because you know that I''ll never agree to this deal. Is that not so?¡± Sean went silent, and the s¨¦ smile on his face turned serious. A whileter, however, he again smirked. ¡°Okay, it seems that this deal has been terminated. But Nat, considering it''s you, I''ll keep it on the table. You can think about it carefully and just say the word anytime you change your mind. I will never say no to you.¡± At that, Natalie harrumphed. ¡°Hah! You know full well that Shane and I want to capture you both! Yet, you''re only selling her out to make a deal while you keep yourself in hiding. Ultimately, we''re the ones on the losing end!¡± ¡°I can''t do anything if you want to think about it that way.¡± Sean sighed regretfully. Natalie no longer had any appetite to eat. She merely sat there silently, brooding over something. Sean didn''t eat either. With a ss of red wine in hand, he swished it lightly even as he gazed at her smilingly. Greatly perturbed by his stare, Natalie frowned. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I''m looking at you. You''re even more beautiful than before,¡± Sean marveled, taking a sip of red wine. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Perhaps it''s because she had just given birth some time ago, but she has an added allure to her. Her countenance remains the same, yet she''s simply more mesmerizing than before! When Natalie heard that, not only did she feel nary a shred of shyness, but utter repulsion filled her. Good Lord! He''s really as sick as before that he''s coveting someone else''s wife. In the past, it was my mother-inw, and now, it''s me. Could it be that theck of maternal love from a tender age led to him only falling for someone else''s wife? Snorting, Natalie got up to return to her room. Unbidden, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Her steps screeched to a halt, and she squinted at the man''s cufflink. A design fomilior to her wos printed on one of his cufflinks. Thot design wos exoctly the some os the one on the bodge Joyce found, on identity emblem of thot high-ronking member of the mysterious orgonizotion. After oscertoining thot the bodge signified the identity of thot porticulor high-ronking member of the mysterious orgonizotion, both Shone ond Connor hod been investigoting thot orgonizotion. Of course, Stonley wos olso doing the some. Shone ond Connor''s motive in investigoting wos to locote Seon while Stonley wos doing so to find the culprit who killed his porents. Alos, thot orgonizotion wos too mysterious. Even ofter such o long time, Shone ond Connor only seeded in gothering bits ond pieces of informotion. They didn''t even monoge to uneorth its heodquorters or identify its top bross. Otherwise, they might hove found Seon through thot orgonizotion oges ogo. At this moment, Seon is right before me. Who knows, I might be oble to get something out of him! At thot thought, Notolie pursed her lips. With her eyes fixoted on the mon''s cuff, shemented, ¡°I''ve seen this design on your cufflink.¡± Heoring thot, Seon quirked o brow in surprise. ¡°Oh? You''ve seen it before?¡± He roised his hond ond reveoled his cufflink blotontly. Notolie nodded in offirmotion. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did you see it?¡± Seon questioned with norrowed eyes. A design familiar to her was printed on one of his cufflinks. That design was exactly the same as the one on the badge Joyce found, an identity emblem of that high-ranking member of the mysterious organization. After ascertaining that the badge signified the identity of that particr high-ranking member of the mysterious organization, both Shane and Connor had been investigating that organization. Of course, Stanley was also doing the same. Shane and Connor''s motive in investigating was to locate Sean while Stanley was doing so to find the culprit who killed his parents. s, that organization was too mysterious. Even after such a long time, Shane and Connor only seeded in gathering bits and pieces of information. They didn''t even manage to unearth its headquarters or identify its top brass. Otherwise, they might have found Sean through that organization ages ago. At this moment, Sean is right before me. Who knows, I might be able to get something out of him! At that thought, Natalie pursed her lips. With her eyes fixated on the man''s cuff, shemented, ¡°I''ve seen this design on your cufflink.¡± Hearing that, Sean quirked a brow in surprise. ¡°Oh? You''ve seen it before?¡± He raised his hand and revealed his cufflink tantly. Natalie nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did you see it?¡± Sean questioned with narrowed eyes. Chapter 1225 Chapter 1225 That''s impossible. How could Natalie possiblye into contact with this organization when her world is so pure? Even I only stumbled across it five years ago and got in after expending much effort. Therefore, Shane might not even know about this organization. So, where did she see this logo? ¡°From a friend, but it was on a badge,¡± Natalie answered, her gaze evasive. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. At once, Sean''s expression changed imperceptibly. From a badge? Only the top brass of the organization has badges, and they speak volumes! I''ve got one, but I didn''t expect her friend to own one as well. ¡°Don''t tell me your friend is...¡± His expression turned wholly solemn. Natalie knew what he was trying to ask, so she shook her head. ¡°My friend isn''t a member of the organization. She found that badge by coincidence. Her boyfriend''s parents were murdered by someone from the organization more than ten years ago, and the mastermind misced the badge at the crime scene.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sean could tell that she wasn''t lying, but suddenly, he jerked his chin up. ¡°However, you seem to be keeping something from me!¡± Indeed, she didn''t lie, but he could tell that there were too many ws in her narrative. Things didn''t quite connect, so it was abundantly clear that she glossed over a crucial part without telling him about it. Natalie wasn''t surprised that he could tell as she herself was aware of the problem in her ount. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she admitted cidly, ¡°Indeed, I''m keeping something from you. The truth is, my friend''s boyfriend really wants to know who exactly killed his parents. That person has the same totem as you, so I think you''ll be able to help in determining his identity. But I know you won''t help me, so I wasn''t nning on saying anything about it.¡± ¡°That''s not entirely impossible.¡± Sean regarded her with a half-smile. Natalie clenched her hands into fists. ¡°Why, are you nning to help investigate the matter?¡± ¡°If that''s what you want, I can help you.¡± Sean stared straight at her. Natalie''s heart skipped a beat, but something then she thought of something, and she pursed her lips before shaking her head. ¡°No, it''s okay. I don''t need your help. If I ask you to help, you might propose a deal again. I know there''s no free lunch in this world, and I also understand that I''ve got to pay the price if I need someone''s help. If it''s a reasonable one, I''m willing to do so, but you...¡± Sneering derisively, she continued, ¡°I can''t afford to pay the price you demand, so I don''t need your help.¡± He''ll undoubtedly propose that I get together with him or some other unreasonable request. In that case, I might as well not ask him to help. Anyway, I believe that Shane and Stanley will seed in investigating that organization and find the culprit sooner orter. Upon heoring thot, Seon sighed. ¡°I''m truly wounded thot you think thot of me, Not. Am I reolly such o person in your heort?¡± ¡°Are you not?¡± Notolie shot him o sidelong glonce. Seon chuckled lowly. ¡°Well then, you''re olreody convinced thot I''m such o person, so you won''t believe me even if I were to cloim otherwise. Never mind, I''ll sove the explonotions. But I reolly don''t mind helping you investigote this motter with no strings ottoched this time. How obout thot?¡± Notolie''s eyes constricted. ¡°You''re going to help me with no strings ottoched?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Notolie pursed her lips worily. ¡°Would you be so kind?¡± In her impression, Seon wos o person whose octions were bound to his own interests, someone who would never help onother if it didn''t benefit him. For thot reoson, she didn''t believe thot he could possibly be so choritoble. ¡°Of course!¡± Seon twirled the fork in his hond, onnototing, ¡°Bock when we fell off the cliff together, it would''ve been you suffering broken orms ond legs if I hodn''t broken your foll.¡± ¡°You''ve still got the oudocity to bring thot up with me, huh? Wos it not you who kidnopped me bock then ond forced me to jump off the cliff with you? Why is it thot your version of the incident sounds os though our foll from the cliff wos on ident, ond I even owe you o debt of grotitude?¡± Notolie scoffed. Upon hearing that, Sean sighed. ¡°I''m truly wounded that you think that of me, Nat. Am I really such a person in your heart?¡± ¡°Are you not?¡± Natalie shot him a sidelong nce. Sean chuckled lowly. ¡°Well then, you''re already convinced that I''m such a person, so you won''t believe me even if I were to im otherwise. Never mind, I''ll save the exnations. But I really don''t mind helping you investigate this matter with no strings attached this time. How about that?¡± Natalie''s eyes constricted. ¡°You''re going to help me with no strings attached?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie pursed her lips warily. ¡°Would you be so kind?¡± In her impression, Sean was a person whose actions were bound to his own interests, someone who would never help another if it didn''t benefit him. For that reason, she didn''t believe that he could possibly be so charitable. ¡°Of course!¡± Sean twirled the fork in his hand, annotating, ¡°Back when we fell off the cliff together, it would''ve been you suffering broken arms and legs if I hadn''t broken your fall.¡± ¡°You''ve still got the audacity to bring that up with me, huh? Was it not you who kidnapped me back then and forced me to jump off the cliff with you? Why is it that your version of the incident sounds as though our fall from the cliff was an ident, and I even owe you a debt of gratitude?¡± Natalie scoffed. Chapter 1226 Chapter 1226 ¡°Uh...¡± The corners of Sean''s mouth twitched, and he gave a bark ofughter a momentter. ¡°Okay, I''ll admit that I misspoke. But Nat, I''m serious. I''m not going to propose any stiption this time, so you don''t have to pay any price for me to help you investigate the matter. As you know, I love you. It''s only natural to do something for someone you love, yes? Thus, just say the word. As long you ask me for help, I''ll agree right away. That''s not difficult for you, no? Besides, it''ll be of no consequence to you.¡± ¡°You''re right. It''s indeed simple to do so, but it''ll still be of some consequence to me. I don''t dare to lower my guard with you. Regardless of whether you''re sincere or have an ulterior motive, I don''t believe you. Hence, I don''t like you helping to investigate the matter.¡± After saying that coldly with her eyes trained on the man, Natalie strode out of the dining room. Sean didn''t stop her from leaving either. Only after she had disappeared into the living room did he shrug helplessly. ¡°Ah, this feeling of being distrusted doesn''t feel all that good!¡± He then took out his cell phone and made a call. ¡°Investigate whether any of the organization''s high- ranking members personally eliminated someone and misced his identity badge over ten years ago.¡± Every high-ranking member of that organization had an identity badge, and each had a unique serial number. If one misced his badge, he needed to report it to the organization and apply for a new one. Therefore, it wasn''t difficult to find out whether any of the high-ranking members misced theirs. Hearing that, the person on the other end of the phone nodded and assented, ¡°Got it, Mr. Thompson.¡± ¡°Anyway, the investigation must be conducted secretly. When you''ve got the answer, report to me immediately,¡± Sean ordered while adjusting his sses. Jacqueline came out of the kitchen soon after he put down his cell phone after the call ended. The instant she saw that he was alone in the dining room without Natalie, she sneered with her face contorted into a mask of scorn, ¡°Aren''t you going to leave with Natalie when she has left?¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Sean swept a cool gaze over her. ¡°This is my territory, so you have no right to question whether I want to leave with her.¡± Pressing her lips into a thin line, Jacqueline pulled out her chair earlier and sat down. ¡°Tell me this honestly, Sean¡ªare you really nning to stay here with her forever that you''re keeping her confined here?¡± At her question, Sean lowered his eyes. Toying with his cell phone, he replied, ¡°I''ve now gotten tired of the kind of life where hatred predominated, and one fought for power and wealth. If she''s willing to be with me, I might very well stay here forever and cease interfering in the matters of the world.¡± Jacqueline''s expression changed drastically. ¡°You''ve really lost your mind! You''re actually willing to give up everything just because of a woman? Do you not want Wells Properties anymore? And are you nning to betray the organization behind you? Don''t forget that you can''t afford to do that!¡± Sean pinned her with an icy look. ¡°Whether I''m going to betray the organization is none of your business. As for Wells Properties, Lindsay left it for me, but the share transfer agreement she drew up didn''t reach me even after she passed away. I''d always assumed that she changed her mindter and wanted to give it to Shane. That''s the true reason behind my hatred towards him.¡± Everyone thought that he despised Shane because David passed over Sean''s father and gave Thompson Group to Shane''s father. Following Seth and Lindsay''s demise, he went on and passed over Sean and gave Thompson Group to Shane. However, that wasn''t the truth. He had never coveted Thompson Group and hadn''t the slightest interest in it. The only thing he wanted was Wells Properties. He thought that Wells Properties was in Shane''s hands. And so, he targeted thetter time and again, trying to kill him in a bid to snatch Wells Properties back, but he ended up being banished abroad for five years with nothing to show for it. Only when he returned after his exile five yearster did he find out by chance that Wells Properties wasn''t in Shane''s hand either. In fact, the man had no idea to whom Lindsay bequeathed it. It was then that he realized that he misunderstood him. Chapter 1227 Chapter 1227 s, Sean''s attempted murder of Shane was already set in stone. Coupled with the harm his parents'' inflicted upon thetter''s parents, they were destined to be irreconcble. Later, he continued investigating and finally discovered that Wells Properties had actually been managed by a manager all along. Meanwhile, the share transfer agreement had been hidden away by David, for he felt that Sam and his family had no right to all assets left by Seth and Lindsay when Sam was the one who killed them. Consequently, David hid the share transfer agreement of Wells Properties with his own will. That was also why Sean had been so obsessed with locating the man''s will. It had never been about his so- called desire to destroy the evidence of Sam having killed Seth and Lindsay. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. In turn, his fixation with Wells Properties was because it was a gift from Lindsay to him. To him, she wasn''t just his mother but also the person he loved. His feelings toward her wereplicated, for not only did he have familial affection for her but also romantic love. However, following Natalie''s appearance, he gradually shifted the love he had for Lindsay onto her. Of course, he indeed regarded her as Lindsay''s substitute initially. Because her eyes were hauntingly simr to thetter''s, he was intrigued upon meeting her. But as he began to understand her, he realized that she was very different from Lindsay other than those eyes. Lindsay was the epitome of gentleness, but she was an orchid in a greenhouse. Conversely, Natalie was a thriving plum blossom during winter. Although an orchid was beautiful, it paled inparison to a plum blossom. Thus, he transferred all his feelings for Lindsay to Natalie. As she was the person he loved presently, he naturally didn''t mind giving up certain things for her sake, such as his grudge against Shane and even Wells Properties. Seemingly perceiving his thoughts, Jacqueline shook her head relentlessly. ¡°You''re really out of your mind! Wells Properties is so significant to you, yet you''re willing to give it up for Natalie''s sake? How absurd!¡± White-hot anger zed within her that she shook with rage. She wasn''t angry that he was giving up his career for the sake of a woman. In fact, she was all too eager for that to happen, but not right then. If he were to give up everything and stay here with her, what is going to happen to me? I still need his protection and make use of his influence! Most importantly, I haven''t gotten my hands on his power now, so I naturally hope that he wouldn''t do so. Well, unless I usurp his power right away. But that doesn''t work either when I don''t even have any way of contacting the organization behind him. Otherwise, I can tell them about his betrayal at once and take over his high-ranking position. Regretfully, I haven''t managed to ferret out their contact information after all this time! ¡°That''s enough. Why are you so emotional when it''s my decision? Those who don''t know better might even assume that you''re concerned about me.¡± A mocking smile yed on Sean''s lips as he eyed her. ¡°I''m not concerned about you. I''m only...¡± Snorting, Sean stated, ¡°I know what exactly your motive is, but I''d advise you to nix that thought. Otherwise, you''ll end up in hot water while having schemed in vain. That''s all I''ve got to say. Just do as you see fit.¡± After saying that, he stood up and left the dining room, leaving a fuming Jacqueline sitting there alone. Her hands balled into fists as she glowered in the direction he left. If only I could snag the knife on the dining table and plunge it right into him! But no, I can''t do that now. At least, not right this moment. If I do so, I''ll also die. Hence, I''ve got to be patient. Nheless, I must also speed things up in figuring out how he''s contacting that organization. Then, I won''t have to stay under his thumb anymore! Besides, I''ll be able to revisit all the humiliation he has heaped upon me in the past few months on him! Also, there''s Natalie and Shane. I''ll never let any one of them off the hook! Her face twisted grotesquely as her thoughts wandered. Meanwhile, Shane had already arrived at the rotor de manufacturer of Sean''s helicopter and learned of all the manufacturers of the helicopter''sponents, especially that of its GPS tracking system. After obtaining that information, he instantly set out again. Chapter 1228 Chapter 1228 It was already the following morning by the time Shane made it to the location of the GPS tracking system manufacturer, for it was in yet another country. He was personally received by the manufacturer''s senior executive. After learning the cause of his visit, the man agreed to track the helicopter for him. ¡°This is the helicopter''s serial number. You should be able to lock onto its location with this, right?¡± Shane looked at him with urgency brimming in his eyes. He was desperate to find Natalie. It was already the third day she had gone missing, and he had no idea what was happening to her. Taking the photo from him, the senior executive nced at it. ¡°You''ve been to the helicopter''s fusge manufacturer, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Yes, I went to the rotor de manufacturer first and learned about the various major manufacturers that assembled the entire helicopter. This serial number was provided by the fusge manufacturer,¡± Shane replied with a nod. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The senior executive shed him a smile. ¡°Understood. I''ll have the technical department lock onto this helicopter''s GPS tracking system.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Shane''s brows that had been scrunched together for three days finally eased slightly. The process of locking onto the helicopter''s GPS tracking system was exceedingly slow, as it was too far away, and the signal was intermittent. Fortunately, luck was on their side, for Shane finally got the answer he wanted. ¡°The results are out, Mr. Shane.¡± The senior executive walked over to Shane with a document in his hands. ¡°The helicopter has been traveling to and fro Nnica in the past three days.¡± ¡°Nnica.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Hmm, it''s Nnica again. The senior executive nodded in affirmation. ¡°That''s right. At present, it''s parked on an airport apron in Nnica.¡± So, Natalie is in Nnica? Shane curled his hands into fists. No, there''s also a possibility that it''s merely a facade Sean deliberately created. Perhaps she has already been transported somece else by other means of transportation after they arrived in Nnica. At that thought, Shane asked, ¡°Has it been to anywhere else in the past two days?¡± ¡°Yes. ording to the GPS tracking system, it disappeared in Nnica''s open ocean three days ago, alongside its signal. However, the signal was only gone for a short time before it reappeared, for the helicopter then made a return flight. It went back to the airport apron I mentioned earlier. Yesterday, it again made a flight to the open ocean, and the signal was lost once more. Shortly after, it made a return flight again. Therefore, my guess is that the signal blinked out due to the fog and maic field as it passed through the airspace over the ocean,¡± the senior executive expounded. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°How long was it between the disappearance and reappearance of the signal?¡± ¡°It was about half an hour,¡± the senior executive answered. The second Shane heard that, his eyes lit up like Christmas lights. ¡°Half an hour... I remember that the flight between Nnica''s open ocean and thend on the other side is about five hours, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡± Shane''s clenched fists trembled, and undisguised excitement shone in his eyes. A five-hour flight means that the location where the helicopter''s signal disappeared is at least a thousand nautical miles from thend on the other side. But it couldn''t travel that far. Most importantly, it always disappeared for half an hour in the middle of the ocean before making a return flight. That means that it stopped somewhere there! Yesterday, I was told that there are a ton of small inds in the middle of Nnica''s open ocean. And now, it has been proven that the helicopter stopped at a particr ind! In other words, Natalie is on an ind! After figuring that out, the urge to set out right away on a helicopter and search for Natalie on the inds in the ocean seized him. However, he knew he had to calm down. Inhaling deeply, he turned his gaze to the senior executive. ¡°Can you not determine the location of the helicopter after its signal blinked out?¡± ¡°No, Mr. Shane. Our GPS tracking system is already the most advanced in the world. We also have coborations with several military forces. Unfortunately, technology can neverpare to the might of nature. Not only is Nnica''s open ocean shrouded in heavy fog all year round, but there''s even a maic field there. All electronic devices will lose their signals there. No matter how advanced the technology, one can''t possibly determine the location where the helicopter''s signal blinked out. Hence, this is the best we can do,¡± the senior executive exined with a wry smile. Chapter 1229 Chapter 1229 Shane knew that he couldn''t continue harping on the issue. He merely massaged his temples before murmuring, ¡°I understand. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°You''re wee, Mr. Shane. Just say the word if you need anything else.¡± The senior executive shed him a smile. Nodding, Shane then took his leave and left. Right when he stepped out of the manufacturer''s office building, his cell phone rang with a call from Connor. ¡°How''s it going, Daddy?¡± I wonder whether Daddy has found any leads since it''s been such a long time. At his son''s voice, Shane''s creased brows eased a fraction. ¡°I''ve already determined your mommy''s whereabouts. She''s on a particr ind in Nnica''s open ocean.¡± ¡°Then, it means that my guess yesterday was right on the mark!¡± Connor''s eyes lit up. Shane murmured in acknowledgment before heuded, ¡°Yup! Your guess was right!¡± ¡°That''s great! We''ve finally located Mommy after toiling for such a long time!¡± Connor was so happy that he was on the verge of tears. ¡°Yeah.¡± Shane''s gaze turned tender as well. After searching for an eternity, there''s finally a lead to Natalie''s whereabouts. This is the only good news today. Naturally, relief suffused him. ¡°Daddy, when are we going to the ind to pick Mommy up?¡± Connor''s petite hands balled into fists, and he was ready to set out anytime. s, Shane countered, ¡°Stay put first, Connor. Despite having your mommy''s whereabouts, there''s still a need to investigate which ind she''s on specifically. I n to go to that area of the ocean personally and search ind by ind!¡± Staunch determination was etched on his face when he said that. Since I now know where Natalie is, I naturally have to find her. That aside, I''m also going to get Sean! ¡°What? I''ve got to stay put again?¡± Connor pouted, making it clear as day that he was displeased. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I''m sorry, Connor. You''re too young, so it''ll be inconvenient to bring you along,¡± Shane mollified in a gentle voice. ¡°All right, then,¡± Connor relented glumly, his hands were tied since his father said that. Shane was silent for two seconds before he suggested, ¡°How about this, Connor? When I find your mommy, I''lle and pick you up right away. What do you think?¡± The moment his words fell, Connor''s eyes lit up once more. His disappointment instantly changed into excitement, and he nodded fervently. ¡°It''s decided, then,¡± Shane concluded, his gaze tender. ¡°Yup! Daddy, you must find Mommy quickly and bring me over, okay? Oh, Sharon wants to go too,¡± Connor asserted, clutching the cell phone tightly. If they weren''t on the phone but speaking face to face right then, he would be asking his father for a pinky promise. ¡°Okay, I promise.¡± Shane nodded before he hung up the phone. After doing so, he didn''t put his cell phone away but got into the car and rang Ss up. Ss answered in no time, greeting, ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± ¡°How''s theption of information on the inds going?¡± Shane inquired, his eyes narrowed into slits. Rubbing his eyes that were slightly red after having stayed up the entire night, Ss replied, ¡°It''s about done. I''vepiled everything on the inds currently indicated on the map. However, I can''t do anything about those even satellites can''t detect.¡± After all, inds that were even undetectable by satellites couldn''t possibly appear on the world map. As such, he couldn''tpile any information on them. Shane understood that as well, so he wasn''t all that disheartened. He merely grunted in acknowledgment before he ordered, ¡°Send all the information youpiled to me through email. Also, take a flight to Nnica right now and wait for me there. Purchase a cruise ship there and equip it with some weapons and rescue equipment.¡± The instant Ss heard that, his expression turned exceedingly solemn. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you saying that madam is really on one of the inds in that ocean?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane nodded. Ss then gulped. ¡°Then, it means that Sean and the others might be on that ind as well?¡± Otherwise, he wouldn''t have asked me to buy some weapons. In response, Shane pressed his lips into a thin line. ¡°Yes. Since he took Natalie away, he was likely with her right now. Hence, he should make all the preparations right away.¡± Chapter 1230 Chapter 1230 ¡°Understood. I''ll do so at once.¡± Ss nodded with a grave expression on his face. After hanging up the phone, Shane massaged his temples. ¡°To the airport, please.¡± The country he was currently in was a far distance away from Nnica, so it would probably be noon tomorrow by the time he arrived. That was precisely why he instructed Ss to go to Nnica first and wait for him there. ¡°Sure, Mr. Shane,¡± the driver replied with a nod and started the car. Holding his cell phone, Shane leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes, musing over something. At noon the next day, he finally arrived in Nnica. Ss personally drove to the airport to pick him up. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Climbing into the car with a weary countenance, Shane queried in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°How''s the preparation with the cruise ship?¡± ¡°I''ve already bought one. It''s eighty meters long and can sail for a long time over long distances. At present, it''s docked at the harbor for maintenance,¡± Ss answered. Shane nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°That aside, I''ve also contacted an arms manufacturer and bought some weapons. They''ll all be mounted on the cruise ship before tomorrow. At the same time, I also contacted a security firm and hired three teams of bodyguards. They''ll be setting out with us when the timees,¡± Ss added. Shane nodded. ¡°You did great!¡± In response, Ss chuckled. ¡°It''s my job. I really hope that you''ll be able to find madam soon. Only then will I be able to rest easy.¡± Shane cast him an impassive nce. Not in the mood to entertain the man''s banter, he opened his laptop and continued scanning through thepiled information on the inds he received yesterday. He had already done so during the flight and was only looking through it again for a deeper understanding. Sspiled about seventeen inds, of which seven were private inds, three were state-owned inds, and the rest were uninhabited. Despite the im of them being uninhabited inds, no one knew for sure whether that was really the case. After all, some wealthy people didn''t buy inds but constructed mansions on the inds and lived there. At that line of thought, Shane separated the information of those seven uninhabited inds into a different folder. ¡°Are there any small search and rescue vessels on the cruise ship?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, there are three, and they''re approximately fifteen meters. Besides, there are also some intable kayaks, jet skis, and the like,¡± Ss exined while he drove. Shane nodded slightly. ¡°Fifteen meters is quite long. Okay, let''s do this. Arrange some bodyguards to take those three search and rescue vessels to the seven uninhabited inds and check whether there''s any trace of Natalie.¡± It was a lot of inds, so it''d definitely take a long time if they were going one by one. Consequently, it would be an eternity before they found Natalie. Thus, there had to be sufficient manpower to split up the search in order to save and shorten the time. Ss wasn''t surprised to hear that since it was indeed the best solution to find Natalie as soon as possible. ¡°Understood. When all the weapons from the military manufacturer have been delivered, I''ll equip the small search boats and rescue vessels with some before arranging for someone to go. ¡°Okay.¡± Shane massaged his temples, saying nothing further. I''ll be checking these marked inds out personally, but what about those no one knows? Nevertheless, he didn''t dwell upon that for long since it wouldn''t do him any good. Anyway, I''ll just take things one step at a time. If she''s really not on these indspiled here, I''ll still go and check out those unknown inds that even satellites can''t detect. In short, I''ll never give up before I find her! Shane fisted his hands, a resolute gleam glinting in his eyes. The sky gradually darkened. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. By eleven o''clock at night, all the weapons had been mounted on the cruise ship. Shane didn''t tarry but ordered the cruise ship to set sail for the open ocean that housed those inds. Meanwhile, the three search and rescue vessels had already set sail earlier in the afternoon. By then, they were sure to have arrived at those uninhabited inds though it was uncertain how those bodyguards'' inquiries were going and whether Natalie was on those inds. Chapter 1231 Chapter 1231 As Shane was deep in thought, someone knocked on the door of his room on the cruise ship. Pursing his lips, he lifted his head. ¡°Come in.¡± Ss pushed open the door and walked in. ¡°Mr. Shane, one of the search and rescue vessels radioed back and reported no human life on one of the uninhabited inds.¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed a fraction, and his gaze dimmed a shade. A long while passed before he murmured, ¡°Got it. What about the rest of the uninhabited inds?¡± ¡°They''re still being checked out,¡± Ss answered. Shane nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Okay, got it. Inform me immediately once there''s news.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ss nodded before he left the room. Shane had long since braced himself for the news that there was no trace of Natalie on the first uninhabited ind. After all, things couldn''t possibly be so smooth sailing that he would manage to find her on the first attempt. Nheless, abject disappointment still swamped him when he heard that there was no trace of her on the first uninhabited ind. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. He gazed out at the pitch-ck night sky and the infinite sea, his thin lips pressed into a thin line. Where are you, Natalie? Meanwhile, on Sean''s private ind, Natalie was also standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows. Her face was devoid of emotion as she looked at the seascape outside. It''s been three days. I''ve been on this ind for three days. I wonder how they''ve been faring in the past three days. Shane must be searching for me like crazy. Then, there''s Connor and Sharon. Clutching the curtain at the side, she sniffed softly, her eyes red-rimmed as tears slid down her cheeks silently. She was downright terrified right then, afraid that Sean would force himself on her at some point in time. Besides, there was the issue of Jacqueline. Although Sean had said that she could do whatever she wanted to Jacqueline, promising that he wouldn''t help thetter, it was still Jacqueline''s territory here. Hence, she might not necessarily seed if she wanted to teach her a lesson. Contrarily, it might be far easier for Jacqueline to flip the tables on her. Therefore, she also had no idea when the woman might make a move against her. ¡°I miss you so much, Shane.¡± Lowering her head, Natalie started sobbing. Behind her, the door abruptly swung open, and a tall figure crept in. That person kept his footsteps very light, and she was engrossed in her longing for Shane and her children, so she didn''t notice someone approaching her from behind. Only when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind and hugged her did she startle, snapping back to her senses. She hastily pried the hands away from her waist and sprinted to the side. After doing that, she clenched her hands and glowered at Sean with wariness and fury in her eyes. ¡°When did youe in?¡± Sean looked at his hands regretfully. Right then, he could still feel the soft sensation of hugging her earlier. He lifted his hands and took a sniff, inhaling the lingering scent on them. He couldn''t resist inhaling deeply before sticking his hands into his pockets with reluctance written all over his face. What a pity that she jolted back to her senses so quickly! I hadn''t even hugged her enough! ¡°I came in when you said you missed Shane.¡± Sean leaned against the floor-to-ceiling windows and regarded Natalie with a half-smile. At his answer, Natalie''s pupils constricted. What? He actually came in at that time? ¡°Why didn''t you knock beforeing in?¡± Biting her lip, she continued, ¡°Even if this is your territory, I''m the one upying this room now. You-¡± Before she had even finished speaking, Sean cut her off. ¡°As you said, this is my territory. In that case, I can go anywhere I want. Why should I knock? Nat, your remark wasn''t quite right.¡± As he spoke, he sauntered toward her. Natalie''s expression changed when she saw that. ¡°Stop right there! Don''te any closer!¡± However, Sean turned a deaf ear to her and continued hemming her in. Frowning deeply, Natalie decided to run out of the room. s, Sean seemingly expected that. He strode over and grabbed her arm, yanking her back. Following the sudden pull, Natalie tumbled right into his arms. Sean naturally seized the opportunity and hugged her tightly. Chapter 1232 Chapter 1232 As the unfamiliar cologne and faint musk wafted into Natalie''s nostrils, panic and anxiety deluged her. She struggled incessantly. ¡°Let go of me! Let go of me, Sean!¡± Sean, on the other hand, couldn''t possibly do so when he had caught her at longst. He tightened his hands around her waist, allowing her to struggle and thump him on the chest with both hands relentlessly. Although her blows packed a punch and hurt him quite a bit, he could still withstand that measure of pain. Thus, he naturally wouldn''t let go of her. He brought his face close to her neck and took a deep whiff. ¡°How fragrant! You smell so good, Nat!¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie flushed bright red from rage. ¡°You''re utterly shameless, Sean! Let go of me! Get your hands off me!¡± Her struggles intensified. Sean almost couldn''t contain her, so he toppled them both, pinning her on the floor. There was a thick carpet on the floor, and he was cradling the back of her head with his massive hand, so Natalie naturally didn''t suffer a single scratch. Nevertheless, that action of his had her promptly nching. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± A sh of something dark flickered in Sean''s eyes. He hooked a strand of her hair and twirled it around the tip of his finger. In a low and raspy voice, he drawled, ¡°What do you think? When a man and a woman are alone in the room, in such a suggestive position, what do you thinkes next, Nat?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened, and she went as stiff as a board. She red fiercely at the man on top of her. ¡°I''m warning you, Sean¡ªdon''t force me! You said that you''ll allow me to consider it!¡± ¡°Indeed, I said that. But Nat, have you not made up your mind yet when it''s been hours? Besides, I told you not to take too long as I might not have the patience to wait. Since you can''t give me an answer, Nat, I can only make this move.¡± Sean narrowed his eyes, deliberately teasing her. Unaware of that, Natalie took it seriously, and a chill instantly engulfed her. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Seeing that, Sean felt that she appeared all the more adorable. Consequently, his desire to tease her grew. The corners of his lips curved upward, and he dipped his head, hoping to garner some perks while scaring her. He bit her on the neck. At once, Natalie''s eyes went as wide as saucers. She was entirely stunned, and it was as though a bomb had gone off in her head. He... He actually bit me! In a heartbeat, a titanic surge of repulsion rose within her. Verily, she felt like throwing up. Unexpectedly, Sean continued taking things further. After biting her, he even stuck out his tongue and licked her neck. At that very moment, Natalie felt as though a venomous snake waspping at her, and she started trembling violently. Suddenly, she caught sight of a vase on the coffee table nearby out of her peripheral vision. Her eyes lit up, and she stretched a hand at the coffee table. Sean didn''t notice her action. He lifted his head and looked down at her, but just when he was about to speak, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. On the heels of that, the sound of ss breaking split the air. A gash opened on his head, and blood trickled down with the water in the vase, dripping onto Natalie''s face. Natalie hurriedly tossed away the vase fragment in her hand. Taking advantage of Sean''s disbelief, she again pushed him away. Falling back onto his bottom on the floor, Sean nced at Natalie, who scrambled up in a panic, before touching his throbbing head. At the sight of the blood on his hand, realization finally dawned upon him¡ªNatalie smashed a vase on him! ¡°How dare of you to hit me?¡± He stood up with his hand cradling his head and eyed her with a grim expression on his face. ¡°I... I didn''t want to do that either, but you pushed me to it!¡± Natalie countered in a shaky voice. I''m Shane''s wife, while he''s my husband''s cousin, so I naturally had to fight back when he was doing such a thing to me! Even if it weren''t him, I would''ve still resisted. I''ll never allow another man to touch me! Enduring the dizziness assailing him, Sean chuckled menacingly. ¡°Great! You did really great, Natalie!¡± Initially, he only wanted to see her struggling desperately, finding it amusing. He merely wished to tease her, having no ns of doing anything to her. Chapter 1233 Chapter 1233 After all, Natalie was already by his side, and he had plenty of time to win her over. However, never in his wildest dreams had Sean ever expected her to get physical with him. He raised his hand and showed her the blood on it, motioning for her to look. ¡°Natalie, you''re the first woman who dared to hit me!¡± Natalie''s face was as pale as a sheet. ¡°Why couldn''t I hit you when you wanted to force yourself on me? You deserved it!¡± When Sean heard that, his eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°I deserved it, huh? In that case, why should I still restrain myself? I should just take you! Otherwise, how is this injury on my head worth it?¡± After saying that, he snickered coldly and dropped his hand from his head, allowing the blood on his head to flow down freely. With a wicked smile, he stalked toward Natalie. Natalie''s heart clenched, and she darted her eyes around for some weapon even as she retreated to the side. Out of the blue, she glimpsed a small fruit knife on the fruit tter on the other side of the coffee table. The instant she saw the fruit knife, it was as though she saw her lifeline. She quickly dashed over and snagged the fruit knife, gripping it with both hands, the sharp end pointed at the man. ¡°Don''te any closer! If you do, I''ll use this on you!¡± Seeing her hands trembling as she held the knife, Sean smirked disdainfully. ¡°Look at your hands, Darling. Can you really stab me when they''re shaking so much?¡± Natalie''s mouth opened, but no words came. Indeed, she couldn''t bring herself to do so. She hadn''t even ughtered a chicken before, much less stabbed someone. She was merely threatening to do so in hopes of forcing the man back, scaring him into keeping his distance from her. But judging from the situation, he wasn''t afraid of the knife in her hands. Instead, he continued moving toward her. When Natalie saw that he wasn''t backing off, her hands shook even greater. ¡°Stop! I''m telling you to stay back, Sean! Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Nope! Besides, I want to see whether you''ll kill me.¡± Sean continued pressing forward with a smile. Natalie''s face drained of all color. Is he insane that he wants to see whether I''ll kill him? Yes, I indeed don''t dare to hurt him. However, no one knows what will happen if I''m backed into a corner! I''ve seen people without the guts tomit murder cross that line when they ended up at the end of their rope. I don''t want to kill him, but if he really wants to force himself on me, I must force myself to do so in order to protect myself! As her thoughts wandered, the man reached her. She couldn''t retreat anymore, for the icy wall was at her back. Sean pped a hand against the wall with a bang, sandwiching her between him and the wall. He lowered his head and stared at her. ¡°I''m right before you now, Darling. Do you dare to stab me?¡± Natalie said nothing, her hands shaking so badly that the knife almost slipped out of them. Upon seeing that, Sean reached out to take the knife away. Natalie, however, thought that he wanted to make a move against her. In her panic, she shrieked and thrust the knife forward. At that, Sean''s pupils constricted, and he swiftly dodged sideways. While he did so in time, he was still injured. The sharp knife grazed his arm, cutting his sleeve. Bright red blood seeped out, dripping onto the floor and dyeing a massive portion of the carpet red. Entirely stumped, Sean dipped his head and gaped at his arm. Just now, he was sure that she wouldn''t dare use the knife, but he then realized that his presumption was far off the mark. She truly used the knife on me. He wasn''t the only one surprised, for even Natalie herself couldn''t believe that she actually hurt someone. Relief suffused her when she noticed that she only grazed his arm. Phew! Fortunately, I didn''t really kill someone! While I indeed wish to kill him, I still can''t bring myself to do it when ites down to it. Of course, I might be able to do it at the height of fury with all my sanity long gone. Nheless, I still have a shred of sanity left, so I can''t do it. Even in the former situation, I''ll never be able to ept having killed someone when reasones back to me.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1234 Chapter 1234 For a moment, the entire room plunged into a deathly silence. With her frantic breathing roaring in her ears, Natalie unwittingly stumbled two steps before her legs gave up, and she slumped onto the floor. ¡°I... I didn''t do that on purpose. You were the one who touched me,¡± she stammered with her face pale and her eyes fixated on Sean. Cradling his arm that was still bleeding, Sean likewise stared at her. He said nothing, but the look in his eyes was terrifyingly dark and grim. Natalie lifted the knife and ced it against her own neck. ¡°I know you must be seized by the urge to rip me into shreds after I injured you twice. However, you only have yourself to me. I warned you not to come any closer, but you ignored my warning. Therefore, don''t me me for hurting you. Admittedly, I can''t bring myself to kill you because I can''t ept taking a life. But I can still end my own life!¡± At that, she pressed her knife hard against her flesh. Immediately, a shallow cut appeared on her neck. Blood oozed out and trickled down the de, making a gruesome sight. Sean''s eyes went wide, for he never expected her to hurt herself. He hastily stretched out a hand. ¡°What are you doing, Natalie?¡± Natalie gripped the handle of the knife tightly. ¡°Can''t you see what I''m doing? I know you brought me here to use me as leverage to deal with Shane besides forcing me to be with you. This is the best solution to ruin your ns. Then, you won''t get me, nor will you be able to ckmail Shane.¡± Sean''s expression darkened considerably. ¡°I didn''t expect you to be willing to go this far just for his sake and so that I won''t touch you!¡± ¡°I''ve got no other choice, so this is the only recourse left. For that reason, Sean, stay away from me if you don''t want me to die. Don''t get any ideas about me.¡± Natalie regarded him coldly. Likewise, Sean pinned his gaze on her. Several minutester, he abruptly guffawed. ¡°I''ve really lost to you, Natalie. You''re right. Indeed, I can''t bear to see you die. Fine, I won''t touch you. But as I''ve said, I''ll have you ept me. I have all the time in the world, so if it doesn''t happen now, we''ll work at it for the rest of our lives!¡± After saying that, he stormed out of the room. After all, the injury on his head and arm required timely treatment. At the sound of the door mming shut, all the tension drained out of Natalie. She released her grip on the knife in her hands. With a ng, the knife fell to the floor. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Covering her face, she started weeping helplessly. That was a close call! If I hadn''t grabbed the vase and knife in time and injured him, he might have really defiled me tonight! In truth, she didn''t want to die. She wanted to go back alive and return to Shane and her three children. Thus, she had no other choice but to hold the knife against her neck and threaten Sean with her life. She knew that the man loved her, so he wouldn''t stand idly by and would undoubtedly cease at once. But at the same time, she was worried that his love for her wasn''t that deep, and he wouldn''t care about her life. Hence, she was actually taking a gamble then, betting that he loved her deeply and couldn''t bear to see her die. Only God knew how apprehensive and anxious she was during those few minutes he was staring at her. She was utterly worried that he would end up merelyughing and telling her to go ahead if she wanted to die. Thankfully, she still won the bet in the end. Of course, if she had lost, she would end her life for real. She didn''t just say that earlier to threaten him. In all honesty, she was also serious at that time. As long as she no longer existed, he wouldn''t be able to have her or use her as leverage against Shane. I might have won this time, but what about the next time? Natalie curled into herself, unease ricocheting within her. I used a knife to threaten Sean and force him to back off this time, but it might not necessarily work the next time. If he taunts me to just end things the next time, then I''ll really be forced to take my life. She heaved a sigh, a bitter smile blooming on her face. Chapter 1235 Chapter 1235 Ah, never mind! My bet paid off this time, so it''s a good thing that I escaped this narrow call. I''ll just think of another solution if such a situationes up again. If there''s really no other choice, I''m willing to sacrifice my life. Outside, Sean went downstairs while cradling his arm. In the living room, Jacqueline was scrolling through her cell phone. When she heard the sounds of footsteps, the corners of her mouth curled up in contempt. ¡°Why did youe down so quickly? It hasn''t even been half an hour. It seems that your stamina iscking!¡± Sean threw her a chilly look. ¡°Zip it! Otherwise, I''m going to sew your mouth shut!¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Seeing red, Jacqueline jerked her head in his direction. At a single nce, she froze in shock. ¡°You... You''re injured!¡± Not only is his arm bleedingly, but his head is too. ¡°You were injured by Natalie?¡± she eximed incredulously. Pursing his lips, Sean said nothing but walked over to the other side of the sofa and plopped down. Jacqueline shot to her feet. ¡°Sean, you were actually injured by her? How useless! You''re a man, yet you aren''t even a woman''s match?¡± His eyes narrowing, Sean promptly snapped his head up and stared at her as though her death was imminent. Jacqueline instantly felt as though there was a hand wrapped around her throat, cutting off her words. Verily, that look in his eyes were too terrifying. Soon, the housekeeper came over with a first-aid kit and treated Sean''s injuries. Jacqueline looked on from her seat across from him. ¡°How is he?¡± While treating the injuries, the housekeeper replied, ¡°Sir is fine. There''s a gash on his head and a graze on his arm, but they''re superficial injuries. He''ll be right as rain after they heal in a few days.¡± Hearing that, Jacqueline curled her lips. ¡°It looks like she was pulling her punches.¡± When she learned that Natalie injured Sean, exhration and excitement bubbled within her. After all, the man was her enemy. Right then, however, the joy within her fizzled after she heard that his injuries weren''t severe. That woman is really useless! Since she grazed him, why didn''t she just stab him to death? Then, I''ll be the one who makes all the decisions here! Ah, what a pity! It''s such a shame! Clocking the emotions shing across her eyes, Sean immediately surmised her thoughts. A glimmer of murder glinted in his eyes. ¡°You seem very disappointed.¡± The second Jacqueline heard that she realized that she''d exposed herself. Pushing down the guilt within her, she uttered evenly, ¡°You''re mistaken. Anyway, please excuse me.¡± Having said that, she got up and went upstairs. She was unwilling to tarry for even a second longer, for she knew how depraved the man was. Although she denied that she was disappointed, he was likely convinced that she was lying. Then, he would force her to admit it and torment her. The few lessons previously were etched deeply in her mind. Thus, she naturally wanted to take off before he said anything. When Sean saw that she was leaving, he didn''t call her back as usual to teach her a lesson. The truth was, he wasn''t in the mood at that moment. He stared at his arm with an indescribable emotion in his eyes. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. He admitted that he frightened Natalie earlier and knew that he was to me for her attacking him in return. Nheless, he was still hurt when he saw her thrusting the knife at him. After all, he couldn''t possibly be indifferent when the person he loved stabbed him with a knife. While he was lost in thoughts, his cell phone rang. He waved a hand, dismissing the housekeeper. It so happened that the housekeeper was done treating his injuries, so she didn''t say anything at his dismissal. She left the living room after putting everything away in the first-aid kit. Only after she had left did Sean take out his cell phone. When he glimpsed the caller ID, his eyes narrowed a fraction. He then swiped his thumb across the answer button and took the call. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°It''s bad, Mr. Thompson. I just found out that Shane is in Nnica,¡± the person on the other end of the phone answered. Chapter 1236 Chapter 1236 Sean''s expression darkened. ¡°What? Shane is in Nnica?¡± ¡°Yes. This afternoon, one of my men spotted him as he was exiting the airport,¡± the person on the other end reported. At that, Sean''s hands abruptly tightened around his cell phone. I didn''t expect him toe to Nnica so quickly. It looks like he''s already aware that Natalie is in Nnica. Otherwise, why didn''t he go to other countries bute here so fortuitously? He must have discovered that she''s here, so he came here in search of her! I wonder how he tracked her here when my n of sending someone to kidnap her was wless. How exactly did he find any leads? ¡°Where is he right now?¡± he demanded with his face as ck as thunder. The person on the other end of the phone shook his head. ¡°I''m not sure. My man saw him getting into a car after leaving the airport. That car was newly bought and had no license te, so we couldn''t locate it.¡± Sean gritted his teeth. ¡°In other words, you lost track of him?¡± ¡°Yes. I''m really sorry, Mr. Thompson,¡± the person on the other end of the phone murmured apologetically. Inhaling deeply, Sean barely suppressed his wrath. ¡°Never mind. Send some men out and furtively investigate his whereabouts. Inform me immediately when there''s news.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The person on the other end of the phone nodded before asking, ¡°Mr. Thompson, would you like to relocate?¡± ¡°Not at the moment. If we relocate, there''ll be a flurry of activity. Since he came here, it''s clear that he''s already certain that we''re in this country. As such, he must have many men in ce now. In fact, he might even have contacted this country''s military and told them to keep an eye out for anything out of the norm at all times. If we clear out now, we''ll definitely be discovered and stopped,¡± Sean exined frostily, clenching his jaw. ¡°Got it. Then, I''ll arrange for some men to investigate his whereabouts first.¡± Feeling that it made sense, the person on the other end of the phone didn''t try persuading him further. Sean grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°Yeah.¡± After the phone call had ended, he put his cell phone down and started mulling things over. Since he has alreadye this far, it''s only a matter of time before he finds me and Natalie. While we can''t relocate right now, we can''t stay here indefinitely either. I''ve got to figure out a way to lure him away by making him think that I''ve already moved somece else with her. Then, he when has left Nnica, I''d be able to relocate with her for real! As his thoughts went in that direction, he picked up his cell phone and got to his feet. He headed outside the vi, seemingly nning to contact his men. At the balustrade on the third floor of the vi, Natalie had been standing there for an eternity. Her hands tightened on the balustrade and shook with excitement presently. For the first time in the past few days, there was finally a smile on her face. This is great! I''m really on one of the inds in Nnica''s ocean, and Shane is already here to look for me. It seems that there''s hope for me! However, Sean''s words earlier had her guard going up. Although he has no ns of relocating, he definitely won''t be staying here indefinitely when Shane is here. Otherwise, Shane will still find us some time. Therefore, he''ll undoubtedly think of a way to take me away. If so, Shane won''t be able to locate me. No, I can''t allow him to take me away from here! Shane has finally tracked my general location after expending much effort, so all his hard work would be in vain if Sean suddenly relocates. I''ve got to think of a way to stay here. Not only that, but I must ensure that Sean and Jacqueline stay as well. Then, Shane will be able to take them both down when hees! Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. As her thoughts wandered, she clutched the balustrade before spinning on her heels and returning to her room. That night, she had her first night of good sleep after learning the good news that Shane was in the same country as her, her body and mind finally rxing significantly. Chapter 1237 Chapter 1237 Of course, Natalie purposefully moved a table over to the door and blocked it to prevent Sean from breaking in during the middle of the night. That way, she would immediately be alerted if someone wanted to force his or her way in. Fortunately, the night passed peacefully without anyone attempting to break in. She slept very well and was invigorated when she woke up. Just then, a knock sounded on the door. Dropping her hands that she had ced at her waist while stretching, Natalie cast a wary look at the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It''s time for breakfast, madam.¡± The housekeeper''s voice sounded outside the door. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Got it. I''ll be there in a bit.¡± Phew! I thought it was Sean again! Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°All right. Please hurry then, madam. I''ll be going downstairs first,¡± the housekeeper replied. Natalie grunted in response. Shortly after, she heard the housekeeper''s footsteps fading away. Flipping the covers, she went over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and pulled open the curtains for a look. She wanted to see whether there was a ship, helicopter, or the like outside. If so, it might be Shane. s, the ocean was as calm as ever, as was the sky. There wasn''t even a seabird in view, let alone a ship. It seems that Shane hasn''t found this ce yet. Anyhow, I believe that it''s only a matter of time. The most important thing I''ve got to do now is to help him keep Sean and Jacqueline from leaving! While pondering about it, she took a deep breath and whirled around, heading to the bathroom. After washing up, she changed and went downstairs. There was an array of clothes in the wardrobe in the room, all of her size. Without a doubt, it was Sean who prepared them for her. Despite her loathing toward him, she couldn''t bring herself to wear the same clothes all the time due to hygiene reasons. Besides, she felt that those clothes would only go to waste if she didn''t wear them. When she came to the living room, the housekeeper was sweeping the floor. The instant she caught sight of Natalie, she promptly put her work aside. ¡°Madam.¡± Natalie positively detested that address, so she reflexively frowned. Yet, she didn''t correct her. She had done that anyway, but the housekeeper refused to change that address. Hence, there was no use correcting her again. ¡°Please proceed to the dining table for breakfast, madam.¡± The housekeeper made a sweeping gesture at her. Natalie nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Okay.¡± The housekeeper then led the way ahead while she followed behind her. When they arrived in the dining room, Sean wasn''t there. Jacqueline was there all alone. Jacqueline was seated and looking down at her phone at something or other, her brows creased deeply. While not in the least bit interested in whatever she was looking at, Natalie was very much interested in the cell phone itself. That was the thing she wanted most then. As long as she had a cell phone, she would be able to contact Shane. I''ve got to figure out a way to get a cell phone from either Jacqueline or Sean! While considering that, she narrowed her eyes slightly as she made up her mind to do so. In the next moment, she put away her thoughts, lest Jacqueline discerned them. That would be bad. Jacqueline looked up from her cell phone when she heard the sounds of footsteps. At the sight of Natalie, her lips curved into a smirk. ¡°You''re something else that you managed to injure Sean that much, Natalie!¡± Pulling out a chair, Natalie took her seat. Ignoring her, she turned to the housekeeper and inquired, ¡°Is Sean not here?¡± ¡°Sir left the ind for some business,¡± the housekeeper replied. Natalie''s expression changed. ¡°He left? When did he leave?¡± ¡°Midnightst night,¡± the housekeeper answered. At that answer, Natalie bit her lip. Midnight? I didn''t even hear a single sound! ¡°Did he leave by ne?¡± Natalie continued inquiring. Across from her, Jacqueline narrowed her eyes upon hearing her question. ¡°Why, are you asking all that because you want to leave this ce?¡± Natalie''s gaze darkened, but still, she ignored the woman and treated her as though she was thin air. Enraged, Jacqueline mmed a hand onto the table. ¡°I''m talking to you, Natalie! Did you not hear me?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, I thought it was a dog barking, so I didn''t bother paying any mind. After all, we''re of different species.¡± Natalie shed her a smile. Jacqueline''s temper spiked, and she almost flipped the table. She glowered at her with eyes zing scarlet. ¡°How dare you call me a dog?¡± Chapter 1238 Chapter 1238 In response, Natalie shrugged. ¡°I just said that a dog was barking, but I didn''t mention any name. You said that yourself.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Jacqueline leaped up. Balling her fist, she swung it at Natalie''s face. ¡°You asked for it, b*tch!¡± Natalie never expected her to be so easily provoked that she wouldsh out without warning, and her expression changed. Just as she was about to dodge, a tanned hand suddenly shot out from behind her and caught Jacqueline''s fist effortlessly. Jacqueline''s fist could no longer budge an inch, suspended in mid-air. All that happened in the blink of an eye. When Natalie realized what had happened, she gaped at the housekeeper in surprise. Never had she thought that the woman would help her hold Jacqueline back. The apanying whistling sound earlier also showed its force. If the blow hadnded on her, it would have set her out at once. Astonishingly, the housekeeper caught Jacqueline''s fist effortlessly. Jacqueline could neither punch it forward nor pull it back, and her face flushed bright red from fury. It was clear as day that the housekeeper was exceedingly strong and skilled, for she wouldn''t have been able to restrain someone so easily otherwise. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Jacqueline ordered shrilly after wrenching her arm a few times to retract her fist but to no avail. The housekeeper regarded her coldly. ¡°Miss, Sir instructed me to keep an eye on you and make sure that you don''t harm a single hair on madam. You went against his orders by getting physical with madam, so I''ve got no choice but to restrain you and lock you in your room while waiting for Sir to come back and decide your fate.¡± ¡°What? How dare you?¡± Jacqueline roared, her face contorting into a mask of fury. Sean actually gave such an order? Does he really care about Natalie that much? She injured him, yet he''s still protecting her! Does he not have any dignity? She wasn''t the only one surprised, for Natalie was likewise taken aback. She never expected Sean to order the housekeeper to protect her when he left. For a moment, she couldn''t quite discern her feelings toward him. She felt both regretful and conflicted. If there weren''t any bad blood between him, me, and Shane, he would be a cousin I respect greatly. s, there are no ifs. ¡°Why wouldn''t I dare?¡± The housekeeper wrenched Jacqueline''s arm to the back. ¡°I work for Sir and obey him alone. Even if I address you as Miss, you''re not my boss. Therefore, I''m not going to listen to you. Now, pleasee with me, Miss.¡± While saying that, she escorted Jacqueline out of the dining room. Jacqueline railed even as she struggled wildly. However, the housekeeper wasn''t at all moved. In fact, she expression didn''t change in the slightest. In no time, the dining room turned silent once more. Natalie arched a brow, never having expected things to take such a dramatic turn that Jacqueline was taken away by the housekeeper to be locked up. She lifted her eyes and looked at the space Jacqueline upied earlier. Disappointment inexorably swamped her to see it empty. The cell phone wasn''t there. Hmm, it seems that I''ve got to figure out an idea to get my hands on a cell phone. But just what way is there? Drumming her fingers on the dining table, she fell into deep contemtion. Soon, the sounds of footsteps drifted into her ears. Natalie nced over her shoulder. The housekeeper was back and shed her a smile. ¡°I''m sorry about the scare earlier, madam.¡± In response, Natalie shook her head. ¡°Not at all. I''m just a touch surprised. Oh yes, you know fighting skills?¡± The housekeeper''s movement in restraining Jacqueline earlier was too swift, so it was rather impossible for her not to know fighting skills. The housekeeper didn''t deny it either but nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes, I underwent orthodox training.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Training...¡± Natalie''s gaze darkened a shade. I wonder whether she trained with a security firm or the organization behind Sean. Anyhow, I''m more inclined toward thetter. Nevertheless, she didn''t show it on her face, merely chuckling airily. ¡°Oh, I see. I couldn''t tell at all!¡± Chapter 1239 Chapter 1239 The housekeeper replied, ¡°It''s not surprising that you didn''t know, madam. We haven''t known each other for a long time.¡± Natalie said, ¡°That''s true.¡± ¡°Are you not having breakfast, Madam? Or does it not suit your pte?¡± the housekeeper asked while looking at the breakfast in front of her. ¡°No, it was just that Jacqueline was here before me. You know that we don''t get along and I was worried that she''d do something to my breakfast. This was why I didn''t eat it.¡± Natalie smiled sheepishly. She meant every word she said though. Nobody could predict what Jacqueline the evil woman would do. Therefore, she really did not dare to eat that breakfast. The housekeeper did not react much to what she said and immediately picked up the dishes and said, ¡°I''ll bring you another portion then.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Natalie nodded gratefully. ¡°My pleasure,¡± the housekeeper said as she brought the dishes into the kitchen. Shortly, she returned and ced another breakfast set in front of Natalie. It was only then that Natalie picked up her utensils to begin eating. As she was eating, she suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Oh yes, will Sean stille back?¡± ¡°Yes, he will. Since you are here, Sir will not leave.¡± The housekeeper did not know the hidden meaning in Natalie''s words and answered honestly. Natalie looked down to disguise the joy in her eyes. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± That''s great, Sean will stille back! She was afraid that Sean would leave. If that was the case, Shane would not be able to find Sean when he got here. After that, Natalie did not ask about anything else and merely ate her breakfast quietly. She would only raise suspicions if she asked too many questions. After breakfast, she wiped her mouth while the housekeeper began to clean up the table. She put her napkin down and said, ¡°I''ll head back to my room.¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± The housekeeper nodded. Natalie responded to her before heading upstairs. On the second floor, she looked at Jacqueline''s room and wondered if her room was locked. She then walked toward the door and turned the knob. Indeed, she could not move it which meant that it was certainly locked. Of course, it was the housekeeper who had locked it. After all, she mentioned that she wanted to lock Jacqueline in her room. Even though Jacqueline being locked up was good news for her, it also meant that Natalie could not get the cell phone from Jacqueline as she had no way of getting to her. In other words, she had to be able to see Jacqueline in order to get her cell phone. Should I ask the housekeeper for the key? Natalie shook her head. No, I can''t do that. If she were to ask the housekeeper for the key to Jacqueline''s room, it will definitely raise the suspicion of the housekeeper. By then, before she could even get the cell phone, the housekeeper would have caught her. Therefore, she needed toe up with another idea. Natalie released the doorknob and turned to head back to her own room. Meanwhile, at the ocean. Shane walked to the deck of the cruise ship and was staring out at the ocean. The light on the cruise ship shone brightly on the dark surface of the sea, making the ocean look even more mysterious. Ss brought a jacket to Shane and said, ¡°Mr. Thompson, it''s windy tonight. It''s best that you go in so that you won''t catch a cold.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shane shook his head but took over the jacket. ¡°What''s the investigation progress on that few deserted inds?¡± ¡°We have gotten feedback from three deserted inds and there is no sign of human life there. We are still working on the other three deserted inds,¡± Ss replied. Shane nodded in response. ¡°Have you contacted the owners of the other private inds?¡± ¡°We have contacted some of them, and they have already sent their people to see if there were any trespassers on their inds. I will be urging the team to work on the other ind owners that we have not contacted yet,¡± Ss said as he pushed his sses back. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane said, ¡°Good. Meanwhile, send another team to the open sea now to check for other undocumented inds.¡± Chapter 1240 Chapter 1240 If Natalie were not on those deserted inds and private inds, she might be on one of those undocumented inds. ¡°Yes, sir. I''ll make the arrangements immediately.¡± With that, Ss turned to head back to the ship. Shane then fished out a box of cigarettes and lit one up. The thick white smoke filled the air and shrouded Shane''s handsome face, hiding his expressions at the same time. Since Natalie was taken away, he had smoked through practically two packs each day. That helped to numb himself and for him to remain calm. Otherwise, he would have gonepletely crazy. Flicking the ash away, Shane mumbled in the ocean breeze, ¡°Wait for me, Natalie. I''ll definitely bring you home. I''m still waiting for you to nag me about quitting smoking.¡± On the ind, Natalie was still awake. She was sitting on the hanging chair on the balcony while staring at the parking apron. Sean was still not back. Is he not nning toe back tonight? Suddenly, there was a rustle of movements downstairs. Natalie pricked her ears up and realized it was Jacqueline who was yelling furiously, ¡°Let me out, Marina! Did you hear me? Let me out!¡± Marina was the housekeeper. Natalie raised her eyebrows. Of all times, Jacqueline is screaming to be let out of the room now? She had been locked in the room since the morning and there was no sound from her asking to be released. Why would she ask to be let out now? Natalie did not know what had happened to Jacqueline. She then walked out of her room and decided to go downstairs to search for an opportunity to grab the cell phone. As she walked downstairs, she met the housekeeper who wasing up. The housekeeper acknowledged Natalie, ¡°Are you not resting yet, madam?¡± ¡°I couldn''t sleep.¡± Natalie shook her head in reply. With a seemingly understanding look, the housekeeper asked, ¡°Did that person downstairs disturb you? If so, I''ll go and get her to shut up!¡± ¡°No need, I was just curious and merely came down to see what the ruckus was all about.¡± Natalie pointed at Jacqueline''s door. The housekeeper replied, ¡°I''m not too sure about the details either. I am on my way there and take a look.¡± ¡°Let''s go together then,¡± Natalie said. The housekeeper looked rather conflicted. ¡°It may not be a good idea, madam. What if she hurts you?¡± ¡°No worries about that. I am with you and I believe that you will protect me, right?¡± Natalie shot a meaningful look at her. The housekeeper finally nodded when she saw Natalie''s trust in her. ¡°All right then. Please walk behind me and don''t get too close to her, madam. She has been training for a while and you are definitely no match for her.¡± Training again? Natalie bit her lips. No wonder there was an air about her fists this morning! So that''s what happened! She had never heard about Jacqueline undergoing any training, so it seemed like she had only begun that training these few months with Sean. Natalie then nodded. ¡°All right, I won''t be too far away from you.¡± ¡°That''s good.¡± the housekeeper was more rxed now. Then, the two of them approached Jacqueline''s door. Natalie''s eyes darkened as she saw the housekeeper take out a key from her pocket. Indeed, it was the housekeeper who had locked this door. She could only get the key from the housekeeper if she wanted to go in. However, the housekeeper would never give her the key as she was so against her being in contact with Jacqueline. In fact, she might be suspicious of Natalie''s intentions the moment she asked for the key. Silently, Natalie watched the housekeeper open the door. As the door opened, they walked in. The light was on in the room and Jacqueline was seated on the floor amidst aplete mess. Clothes, pillows, everything was strewn messily on the floor. Even Jacqueline herself looked disheveled and there was even a red mark on her forehead. What is going on? Who hit her? ¡°Miss, what happened to you?¡± the housekeeper asked. Natalie remained silent behind her and merely stared at Jacqueline. For some reason, she felt that there was something wrong with Jacqueline''s nk face.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1241 Chapter 1241 ¡°Quick, contact Sean and get him to bring the helicopter here to send me to the hospital!¡± Jacqueline struggled to get up. The moment she managed to stand up, she stepped on the clothes on the floor. Then, she fell back to the ground under Natalie''s gaze. Thispletely shocked Natalie. How could it be that she did not see the clothes on the floor? She actually stepped on it and tripped? Even the housekeeper was utterly shocked. How could someone be such an idiot? ¡°Are you alright, Miss?¡± the housekeeper asked. Jacqueline reached for the floor and touched it a few times to ascertain that there was nothing else there before she got up again. ¡°I''m fine. Contact Sean immediately, you hear me? Get him now!¡± Jacqueline clenched her fists and asked anxiously. Natalie and the housekeeper saw how she was feeling the ground just now. Natalie could barely believe what she had seen. Jacqueline was blind! She behaved like a blind person just now. This exined her feeling that there was something strange about Jacqueline. It was only now that she realized that there was something wrong with her eyes. Even though Jacqueline''s eyes were wide open, they were listless and unfocused. In other words, it was a sign that she could not see. This was most clearly seen from how Jacqueline looked in their general direction when she came in with the housekeeper. There was practically no change in her face at all. Knowing Jacqueline''s hatred for her, she would have reacted wildly to Natalie''s presence. There was no way that she would be so calm otherwise. However, there was no reaction from Jacqueline. Hence, it was clear that Jacqueline was blind and did not know that she was there. She assumed that it was just the housekeeper who hade into the room. The housekeeper could tell that there was something wrong with Jacqueline''s eyes as well as she asked tentatively, ¡°Miss, are your eyes...¡± ¡°What? Have you made the phone call I asked you to make?¡± Jacqueline was instantly triggered and roared at the housekeeper. However, the housekeeper was standing on her left but she was shouting to her right. Clearly, Jacqueline was blind and could not see. The housekeeper''s heart sank as she did not know why Jacqueline suddenly lost her eyesight. However, she was still responsible for her as Jacqueline was under her lock and key. ¡°Yes, miss. I''ll contact Sir right away. Please wait.¡± With that, the housekeeper walked toward the door. Natalie raised her eyebrows. Jacqueline did not give a cell phone to the housekeeper. Turns out the housekeeper had her own cell phone. She followed the housekeeper out of the door. The housekeeper then told Natalie, ¡°Please go back to your room and rest, madam. I''ll handle this matter properly.'' ¡°Don''t worry. I can''t sleep now anyway, so I''ll help you watch over her just in case she is pretending.¡± Natalie looked down and said. ¡°Pretending?¡± The housekeeper was taken aback. ¡°Yes, she has done this before where she pretended tomit suicide. Therefore, it is not entirely impossible for her to pretend to lose her eyesight in order to avoid being locked up.¡± Natalie shrugged her shoulders. The housekeeper touched her chin thoughtfully. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Natalie smiled. ¡°I was just specting. I don''t know whether she is really pretending but it would be good to be more cautious.¡± ¡°You are right, madam. In that case, thank you for your help. I''ll be back right after I make this phone call,¡± the housekeeper said gratefully. Natalie waved her hands. ¡°Don''t worry, I have nothing to do anyway. Honestly, I don''t get along with her so I really do hope that she was pretending. With that, she won''t have an excuse to leave. All right, go ahead and make the call. I''ll guard the door but I won''t go in. With that, it won''t trigger her even if she is just pretending.¡± ¡°All right. Thank you madam!¡± the housekeeper said before she went downstairs. Chapter 1242 Chapter 1242 Natalie''s smile vanished as she watched her disappearing back view. A hint of nervousness began to take the ce of her smile. When the housekeeper left the room, she did not close the door. Just now at the door, Natalie saw Jacqueline''s cell phone which was right under the bed. It must have fallen there when Jacqueline dropped the phone out of shock over her sudden loss of sight. However, she could not see, hence she could not find her cell phone. Therefore, she threw everything on the floor in the bid to find it and it was still to no avail. Hence, she shouted to be let out and had the housekeeper contact Sean. Anyway, now that Jacqueline''s phone is under her bed and she can''t see anything, does this mean I can sneak into her room and secretly take her phone away? The thought made Natalie''s heart beat faster. The thumping in her heart felt like drums which made her anxious and nervous at the same time. Even though there was a chance that she could be discovered, this was the only opportunity for her to grab the cell phone. No matter what, she wanted to give this a try. She then took a deep breath and pinched her palms as she set her intention clear. After that, she removed her shoes and tiptoed toward Jacqueline''s room. At the door, she observed for a few seconds instead of rushing into the room. Jacqueline was no longer seated on the floor. She was reaching out and was walking toward a different direction. Natalie could see that she was walking to the bathroom. Instantly, Natalie''s eyes lit up. This was the best news ever. Seeing that Jacqueline had felt her way to the bathroom door, Natalie did not hesitate further. She shut her eyes and cheered herself on silently before sneaking quietly into Jacqueline''s room and walking toward the bed. Meanwhile, she never let her eyes leave Jacqueline as she wanted to see if Jacqueline was faking her blindness. However, Jacqueline went into the bathroom without turning back. Natalie exhaled a little and sped up her steps slightly. Thankfully, Jacqueline''s room was lined with carpet that masked the sound of Natalie''s footsteps. She swiftly went to the bed and bent down. She stretched her arm under the bed and before long, the cell phone was in her hands. The moment the cell phone was in her hand, Natalie was so ovee with joy and excitement that her whole body trembled and she nearly cried out loud. This is perfect! I finally got the cell phone! I can now contact the outside world and let Shane know that I am here. Despite her happiness, she was still very alert. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. This was because she knew that this was no time to celebrate. The most important thing was for her to leave the room now. Otherwise, when Jacqueline came out and the housekeeper came back, she would not be able to leave. With that, she put the cell phone in her pocket and continued to tiptoe out of the room. She only heaved a huge sigh of relief after she left the room. Finally, a huge smile formed on her face. All was good as long as she could leave the room. Then, Natalie put on her shoes quickly and returned to the same spot where the housekeeper had left her. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and pretended that nothing had ever happened. Very soon, the housekeeper came back after making the phone call to Sean. She looked rather apologetic to see that Natalie was still there. ¡°I''m sorry to have kept you waiting, madam.¡± ¡°No, I have nothing to do anyway. Did you manage to contact him?¡± Natalie asked with a little twinkle in her eye. The housekeeper nodded. ¡°Yes. Sir says to ignore her as this was not the first time that she has lost her eyesight. She will recover after a while.¡± ¡°What? She will recover?¡± Natalie was baffled. ¡°Yes. Sir says that it is just a problem with her cornea, but she hasn''tpletely lost her eyesight. Therefore, she will be all right after a while.¡± ¡°I see. Then, do you still want to lock her up?¡± Natalie pointed at Jacqueline''s room. Chapter 1243 Chapter 1243 The housekeeper shook her head and said. ¡°No, in case she does something.¡± ¡°All right, I''ll go back to my room then.¡± Natalie looked down. She could not wait to go back to her room and call Shane. The housekeeper nodded. ¡°All right. Have an early night, madam. I''ll go and take a look at Miss.¡± ¡°Don''t go in there!¡± Natalie immediately stopped her. The housekeeper was confused. Natalie sighed. ¡°It''s not a good time to go in. If she finds out that Sean is not sending someone to take her to the doctor, she will definitely have a meltdown. By then, it will just spell trouble for you. Why don''t you just let her be?¡± ¡°But...¡± Natalie interrupted the housekeeper. ¡°No buts. I know her very well and she will definitely not allow you to have a good night''s rest. I want to call it a night, but I don''t want to be disturbed by her.¡± ¡°In that case, let''s go with what you say, Madam.¡± the housekeeper decided. After all, Sir will definitely not want Miss to disturb Madam''s rest. It''s best to follow her instructions. Natalie then let out a little breath despite her unchanging face and kept the smile on her face. ¡°All right, let''s go. Just ignore her. Even if she were to scream and shoutter, she will eventually stop when she sees that no one is paying any attention to her. She might get louder if she gets any attention.¡± ¡°You are right, Madam,¡± the housekeeper echoed. Natalie smiled and went upstairs. The housekeeper did not stay any longer and headed downstairs too. On the third floor, Natalie had already taken out the cell phone impatiently before she had even entered the room. However, when the screen lit up, all excitement exited her face. She even felt like she had just been doused with a bucketful of ice water. How could I have forgotten this? In this day and age, cell phones were locked with fingerprints and passwords. What was the point of getting the cell phone but was unable to unlock it? Do I call the police? She could send a signal for help but it would definitely alert Sean. She did not believe that Sean did not ce his people at Nnica. Therefore, if she alerted the police, it meant that Sean would know as well. By then, he might rush here and move her away. Therefore, she definitely could not call the police. She could only attempt to unlock the phone and contact Shane. But how do I unlock it? Natalie bit her lip and looked around her surroundings. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of the vase at the end of the corridor. Last night, she nearly made Sean faint when she hit him with the vase. She could also make Jacqueline unconscious and use her fingerprint to unlock the phone. Natalie''s eyes lit up as she felt that this was a viable way. However, she suddenly thought of something else. She could not make Jacqueline faint. There were only three people in here. Jacqueline, the housekeeper, and herself. There was no way the housekeeper would knock Jacqueline out, as she would only lock her up. Therefore, when Jacqueline woke up, she will definitely know that it was Natalie who had knocked her out. In fact, she might even start thinking about what happened after she was unconscious. By then, Sean would be alerted and that would not do her any good. Therefore, she had to think of another solution. What other way is there? Just when Natalie was deep in thought, she could hear Jacqueline''s shouts from downstairs once again. ¡°Marina, where the hell are you? Have you contacted Sean?¡± Natalie gripped tightly on the cell phone. Indeed, Jacqueline started fussing when she did not hear a response from the housekeeper. Now, she wanted to see if the housekeeper would listen to her suggestion earlier. If she did, Jacqueline would just continue to throw her tantrum. If not, the housekeeper would then go into the room to look for Jacqueline. By then, she might want to contact Sean herself and ask the housekeeper to search for her cell phone Owned by N?velDrama.Org. When they discover that the cell phone was missing, both Jacqueline and the housekeeper would guess that it was Natalie who had taken away the cell phone. Chapter 1244 Chapter 1244 This thought made Natalie stiffen and anxiousness coursed through her blood. She was worried whether the housekeeper would go and take a look at Jacqueline. She sat on the steps and watched all the movements on the ground floor, wanting to see if the housekeeper would go upstairs to look for Jacqueline. Luckily, even after five minutes, despite Jacqueline''s screams, the housekeeper did not go upstairs. Clearly, the housekeeper had listened to her and ignored Jacqueline. ¡°That''s great!¡± Natalie sped her hands together and smiled excitedly. Thankfully I had the foresight to tell that to the housekeeper. Otherwise, Jacqueline would know by now that her cell phone was gone. Natalie looked at the cell phone with her lips tightly pursed together. No matter what, she could not allow anyone to notice or to take this cell phone away. This was her only lifeline right now. Now she was just waiting for Jacqueline to calm down. When she was done with her tantrum and was asleep, she would sneak into her room and use Jacqueline''s finger to unlock the phone. I just hope that she doesn''t have insomnia or that her eyesight doesn''t recover that quickly. Otherwise, I will be waiting for nothing! Hence, Natalie kept waiting by the steps. One hour passed. Two hours passed. Probably due to fatigue, Jacqueline finally stopped screaming and thrashing things around. I guess she should be asleep next? I''ll just wait a little longer. Just a little longer. Natalie told herself that. No matter how cold and ufortable the wait was, she was going to persist! Owned by N?velDrama.Org. She then waited another three hours. She nced at the phone which showed that it was already two in the morning. Jacqueline should be asleep by now? With that thought in mind, Natalie decided to go down to take a look. She stood up and rubbed her back which had be sore from all the sitting. Then, she removed her shoes once again and went barefoot down the steps. When she arrived at Jacqueline''s door, her heart could not stop beating as if it was about to jump out of her throat. She felt exactly like she did when she took the cell phone. s, this was the first time she had to do something as sneaky as this. There was no way she would not be anxious or nervous. ¡°No, don''t panic Natalie. If you panic you''ll screw things up!¡± Natalie ced her hand on her chest gently and warned herself not to be anxious. It seemed to work. Natalie took a deep breath and eventually calmed down. She ced her hand on the doorknob and turned it slightly. Because the housekeeper did not lock the room and Jacqueline could not see, the door was definitely not locked from the inside. Indeed, Natalie turned the knob and the door was immediately open. A bright light shone through the gap. Holding her breath, Natalie pushed the door open slowly. This little action took her almost two minutes. She was afraid that if she pushed the door too quickly, it would make a sound. The door waspletely open but Natalie did not rush in. Instead, she stood observing at the door as she wanted to see if Jacqueline was fast asleep. She looked toward the bed and saw Jacqueline lying there with a nket over her. Her eyes were closed and she looked asleep. Natalie smiled to herself at that sight. All right, Jacqueline is really asleep! This is really an opportunity sent by god! Natalie released the knob and tiptoed toward the bed. With the thick carpet, she made no sound at all with her footsteps. Natalie sped up a little and reached the bedside in a matter of about ten seconds. Then, Natalie took out the cell phone. Instead of rushing to grab Jacqueline''s hand to unlock the phone, she continued observing Jacqueline to see if she would notice someone standing by her bedside. Chapter 1245 Chapter 1245 If anyone noticed that Natalie was there, Natalie could exin that she only came in to check up on Jacqueline. Natalie waited at the bedside for a few minutes, yet Jacqueliney still on the bed. Hence, Natalie was sure that Jacqueline was sleeping soundly. After making sure that no one came into the room, Natalie finally heaved a sigh of relief. After a while, Natalie crouched and moved the phone closer to Jacqueline''s hand. Natalie''s initial n was to grab Jacqueline''s hand and unlock the phone with her fingerprint. Nheless, she thought it would be troublesome if Jacqueline suddenly woke up. In the end, Natalie only used the phone to touch Jacqueline''s finger gently. Fortunately, Jacqueline seemed rxed and didn''t clench her fist. Otherwise, Natalie had no choice but to take the risk to grab Jacqueline''s hand. The phone buzzed as soon as it came into contact with Jacqueline''s left thumb. Natalie was delighted, for she thought she had sessfully unlocked the phone. The next moment, a hint of disappointment shed across her face because the phone showed that the fingerprint was incorrect. Soon, Natalie regained herposure and tried Jacqueline''s right thumb. Most phone users would use their thumbs to unlock their phones. Hence, Natalie made another attempt with Jacqueline''s right thumb without hesitation. Just as she expected, the phone was sessfully unlocked. Feeling excited, Natalie almost shouted out loud. Fortunately, she regained her rationality and immediately covered her mouth to avoid making any noise and waking Jacqueline up. After confirming that the phone had been unlocked, Natalie took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then, she quickly stood up and left the room. At that moment, Natalie couldn''t wait to contact Shane. A few secondster, Natalie walked out of the room and gently closed the door. Once Natalie closed the door, she couldn''t suppress her excitement anymore and quickly went upstairs. Natalie arrived on the third floor and took off her shoes. The next moment, she rushed into her room, closed the door, and began to make a phone call. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Since she remembered Shane''s number very well, she dialed the number and waited for him to pick it up. Please, Shane! You have to answer my call! Please! At that moment, she was worried that Shane would hang up the phone when he saw the unknown number. Miles away, Shane was having an online meeting on his cruise ship with the ind owners. Given that the ind was privately owned, Shane had to contact the owners beforending on it. Otherwise, he would make enemies with them. Outside the conference room, Ss was waiting for Shane toe out to report to him. Suddenly, Shane''s phone in Ss'' pocket started to ring. Ss couldn''t help but frown once he took out the phone and saw the unknown number. Well, it might just be a prank call. After the thought shed through his mind, Ss wanted to hang up the phone. However, he identally answered the call instead of ending it. When Ss wanted to say that it was a wrong number, Natalie quickly said, ¡°Shane!¡± Ss was stunned upon hearing the voice. That voice is... ¡°Mrs. Thompson? Is that you?¡± Ss immediately held the phone up to his ear and asked nervously. At that moment, Ss was unsure if it was the real Mrs. Thompson or an impostor. Nevertheless, he decided to try instead of missing the call. After all, no one could know in advance if it was indeed Natalie. ¡°Mr. Campbell, it''s me. Why have you picked up the phone? Where is Shane?¡± Natalie almost cried in delight when someone answered her call. She initially expected to hear Shane but was shocked when Ss answered the phone. ¡°Mr. Thompson is in a meeting to discuss the method of rescuing you. Mrs. Thompson, why do you have a phone?¡± Ss frowned as he asked. Chapter 1246 Chapter 1246 Ss remained cautious, for he hadn''t been fully convinced that Natalie was indeed over the phone. Moreover, since Natalie had never made a phone call since the beginning, he believed that she was locked up and didn''t have any telmunication devices. In other words, Ss had to suspect that someone probably made the phone call and imitated Natalie''s voice, hoping to lure and capture Shane and everyone else. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Meanwhile, Natalie knew that Ss hadn''t fully trusted her because he sounded dubious. However, she wasn''t angry and didn''t me Ss for it. Under such circumstances, Natalie thought Ss had every reason to suspect that she was an impostor. If Ss didn''t put up his guard, Shane could be in trouble anytime. ¡°The phone isn''t mine but Jacqueline''s. When she temporarily lost her eyesight, I grabbed the chance to steal her phone,¡± Natalie answered. Ss was shocked. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, are you with Jacqueline now?¡± Natalie nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Apart from Jacqueline, Sean and his housekeeper are also here. Mr. Campbell, I''ll talk to you afterward. Please pass the phone to Shane. I wish to talk to him directly.¡± At that moment, the only thing on Natalie''s mind was to meet Shane, for she missed him very much. Much to Natalie''s surprise, Ss didn''t do as she said. He pushed his sses and argued, ¡°Although your voice is the same as Mrs. Thompson''s, I haven''t seen you in person yet. As such, I can''t ascertain if you''re indeed Mrs. Thompson. Hence, I need you to prove yourself for safety purposes. No offense, but I have to ensure Mr. Thompson''s safety.¡± Deep down, Ss knew that Shane would rush to the ind once he knew that Natalie had called him. However, if it was a trap set by Sean, Shane could be in danger. As such, he had to be cautious and protect Shane at all costs. Knowing that Ss was worried about Shane''s safety, Natalie closed her eyes and said, ¡°All right, I understand. I''ll prove myself. Can you wait for a while? I''ll send a friend request to Shane, and we can talk via a video callter.¡± With that, Natalie hung up the phone. The next moment, a shiver ran down Ss''s spine. Video call? Since she dares talk via video call, she must be Mrs. Thompson! As Ss was contemting over it, the phone buzzed. He lowered his head and saw that a friend request had popped out from Shane''s social media ount. Immediately, he clicked on it and epted the request. The next moment, Ss received an invitation for a video call. Ss clicked on it to ept the request with his shivering finger. The next moment, a beautiful face popped out on the screen. It was none other than Natalie. Ss shouted emotionally, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, it''s you!¡± Finally, Ss could confirm that the woman over the phone was Natalie. Given that Natalie was overly beautiful, the current stic surgery technologies couldn''t produce her face just yet. She''s indeed Mrs. Thompson! Miles away, Natalie''s heart also skipped a beat once she saw Ss. After being kidnapped for quite some time, it was the first time that Natalie saw someone she knew. Ss unknowingly gripped the phone tighter as he asked, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, do you know where you are now?¡± If Natalie knew the location, they didn''t have to search for her without a clue and could rush to her ce right away. Unfortunately, Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°I''m sorry. I don''t know where I am now. All I know is that I''m on an ind that belongs to Nnica.¡± ¡°Ind!¡± Ss'' eyes sparkled when he said, ¡°You''re right. Madam, we''ve known that you''re on an ind but do not know your exact location. Hence, we''ve sent out many men to investigate all inds that belong to Nnica. Now, we''ve arrived at Nnica and checked out the uninhabited inds. Also, we are getting in touch with the owners of the privately-owned inds.¡± ¡°I know. I overheard Sean''s phone callst night. He also knew that you guys havee to Nnica,¡± Natalie responded. Upon hearing it, Ss'' expression turned grim. ¡°What? How did he know that we havee to Nnica?¡± Does it mean that Sean also knows that we are on the sea and checking out the inds? In that case, will Sean change his hideout? Chapter 1247 Chapter 1247 Perhaps because Natalie had sensed Ss''s worry, she shook her head and said, ¡°Don''t worry. Sean only knows that you''vee to Nnica. However, he isn''t aware that you''re checking out the inds. Hence, I don''t think he will move his hideout. Anyway, he''s not on the ind now, but I don''t know where he is.¡± ¡°Okay, that''s great.¡± Ss heaved a sigh of relief. Gazing at Ss, Natalie said, ¡°Mr. Campbell, please pass the phone to Shane.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll do it right now.¡± Ss immediately nodded in response and opened the door of the conference room. When Shane came in hastily, Shane asked in a deep voice, ¡°What''s going on?¡± ¡°Shane!¡± The next moment, Natalie shouted before Ss could say a word. Natalie recognized Shane''s voice almost instantly, even though she hadn''t seen his face yet. Meanwhile, Shane was shocked once he heard Natalie''s voice. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. What''s going on? Was it Natalie''s voice or my illusion? When Shane was at a loss, Natalie shouted again, ¡°Shane, it''s me!¡± Finally, Shane heard Natalie''s voice loud and clear. Besides, he knew that it came from the phone that Ss held. Shane stared at his phone for a few seconds before turning to Ss in shock. Although Shane didn''t say a word, Ss nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Thompson, it''s madam.¡± With that, he handed over the phone to Shane. Shane was nervous, for his hands trembled a little as he grabbed the phone. Nheless, Shane was surprisinglyposed when he saw Natalie over the phone. Natalie initially thought she would get emotional and cry once she saw Shane. However, both of them were calm the moment they met each other. At that time, Natalie felt that Shane had changed a lot. After being with Shane, he was not so cold like before and was more down-to-earth. However, the cold and stern expression had reappeared on Shane''s face again. Natalie couldn''t help but feel heartbroken when she saw Shane''s dark circles and the hint of tiredness on his face. ¡°Shane, did you get any rest in these days?¡± As Natalie asked gently, she began to choke on her words. After a while, Shane replied, ¡°I miss you and want to find you as soon as possible. Hence, I can''t afford to take a good rest. The clock is ticking.¡± Tears almost streamed down Natalie''s face when she heard that. As Natalie looked at Shane, her eyes couldn''t help but redden. ¡°You dummy! You have to take care of yourself even if you want to find me. What if you''re exhausted and copse before you can find me?¡± ¡°I won''t,¡± Shane answered determinedly. Deep down, Shane wouldn''t allow himself to fall before he could find Natalie. Suddenly, Shane was shocked because he noticed a wound on Natalie''s neck. Trying to suppress his murderous aura, he asked coldly, ¡°What happened to your neck?¡± ¡°Are you talking about this?¡± Natalie touched the wound on her neck. Shane nodded in response. Biting her lips, Natalie answered, ¡°I did it. When Sean wanted to force himself on me, I cut him with a knife and put it on my neck. Then, I threatened him that I wouldmit suicide if he refused to give up. Shane, don''t you think I am clever?¡± Natalie sessfully protected herself even when she was all alone. In the meantime, Shane''s expression turned grimmer. Yes, she''s clever. However, I can''t praise her because she has hurt herself. At the same time, Shane couldn''t deny that Natalie sessfully protected herself. After giving it some thought, Shane gazed at Natalie and reminded her, ¡°You could consider other ways to protect yourself instead of hurting your body.¡± Natalieughed and responded, ¡°I know. However, I didn''t have many options, given the emergency. Don''t worry, Shane. I''ll try other ways to protect myself. By the way, why don''t you ask me why I have a cell phone?¡± Natalie deliberately changed the subject to stop Shane from dwelling on her wound, or else he would be increasingly worried about her. Chapter 1249 Chapter 1249 Connor nodded. ¡°If Mommy''s location doesn''t change, she will be here. This ind is way smaller than all the other known inds in Nnica. No wonder it''s not shown on the world map.¡± ¡°Do you mean that the ind has yet to be discovered? Even the satellite can''t detect it?¡± Joyce was shocked to hear that. ¡°Yes, most likely. It''s too small and in the middle of the fog zone, which causes interference to the satellite to a certain extent. Thus, it''s normal for the satellite to miss it. Or maybe the satellite has long detected it, but it''s not updated on the world map due to its small size. What we are looking at right now is proof of this possibility. It''s a video transmitted by our country''s satellite, which means our country has discovered it, but I''m not sure about the other countries,¡± he replied, ending his exnation with a shrug. Joyce and the others were confused by his words. ¡°Forget it. All these are irrelevant. Now, the most important thing is to send the location to Mr. Shane and let him rescue Nat quickly,¡± Joyce uttered. Crossing his arms before his chest, Connor reassured, ¡°Don''t worry, Aunt Joyce. I have already sent it. I''m sure Dad has received it.¡± On the cruise ship, Shane narrowed his eyes as he looked at the coordinates sent by Connor. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Ss, who was behind him, eximed, ¡°So it''s an ind that doesn''t exist on the world map, and the satellite may not be able to detect it. How did Sean find it then?¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter how he found it. We need to head toward this location now!¡± Shane stood up and gave an order. Ss nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Soon, the massive cruise ship changed its course, veering to the left. On the ind, Natalie put Jacqueline''s phone back in its original spot and immediately returned to her room. After taking a shower, she went to bed. That night, she had a good night''s sleep as she knew Shane woulde to her rescue soon. In the morning, the knocks on the door stirred her from sleep. Frowning, Natalie asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Madam, it''s me. It''s time for breakfast.¡± The housekeeper''s voice sounded from outside the room. While grunting her approval, Natalie stretched her bodyzily and sat up. Then, she headed toward the bathroom. Once she was done freshening up, she got changed and went downstairs. At the second floor''snding, she ran into Jacqueline, who had just gotten out of her room. Unlikest night, Jacqueline''s eyes no longer looked ssy. Moreover, she could walk normally without needing to fumble around, which proved that her eyesight had recovered. As expected, Jacqueline''s vision loss is intermittent. Thank goodness that I returned her phone yesterday. Otherwise, I would''ve been in deep trouble. Hmm, judging from her expression, I don''t think she noticed that her phone was taken. At that thought, Natalie averted her eyes from Jacqueline. Instead of greeting thetter, she briskly continued her trip down the stairs. Walking behind her, Jacqueline curled her lips when she noticed her anxious pace. ¡°Natalie, why are you walking so fast? Are you afraid that I might push you down?¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie halted in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. ¡°I''m sorry. That''s not what I''m afraid of. I just didn''t want your stench to rub off on me.¡± ¡°You...¡± The smug smile on Jacqueline''s face disappeared as rage welled up within her. Natalie pursed her lips and clicked her tongue as she turned around, ignoring Jacqueline while walking downstairs. When she took her seat in the dining room, Jacqueline arrived a beatter and sat across from her. Natalie uttered coldly, ¡°Jacqueline, I don''t think that''s your seat.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Jacqueline furrowed her brows. Pointing at the kitchen, Natalie replied, ¡°There''s where you are supposed to dine. Did you forget what I said before? I don''t want to eat with you, so Sean has instructed you to dine in the kitchen whenever I am around. Are you not going to obey that?¡± As she spoke, she stared at Jacqueline with a stony gaze. Chapter 1250 Chapter 1250 Jacqueline was beyond enraged. ¡°Natalie, you''re crossing the line here! So what if Sean said that? Do you think I would still do that when he isn''t around?¡± ¡°I see. There''s nothing I can do if you refuse to follow his words.¡± Natalie shrugged. Jacqueline snorted. ¡°That''s right. Don''t think¡ª¡± ¡°But I can let someone else enforce it.¡± Natalie cut her off abruptly. Stunned by her words, Jacqueline blurted, ¡°What? Enforce it?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Natalie nodded, then shouted, ¡°Marina!¡± The next second, the housekeeper came out. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°Your employer has said that she isn''t allowed to dine with me and that she should eat in the kitchen. She refuses to obey his order, so please bring her there,¡± Natalie said, pointing at Jacqueline. Thetter''s eyes popped in shock. ¡°Natalie, you¡ª¡± ¡°Cover her mouth! I don''t want to hear her disgusting voice!¡± Nataliemanded. Naturally, Marina had no objections to her orders. Wasting no time, she walked over, covered Jacqueline''s mouth, and dragged her to the kitchen. After all, Sean had instructed her to listen to Natalie. Soon, peace returned to the dining room. Only then did Natalie pick up her cutlery and start eating. Just then, the sound of handpping rang out from behind, followed by Sean''s voice. ¡°Not bad. I get to witness such as interesting scene as soon as I return!¡± This voice... Natalie stiffened and whipped her head around, only to see Sean leaning against the dining room entrance and smiling at her. After clenching and unclenching her fists, she rose to her feet and asked, ¡°You''re back.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sean sauntered toward her. ¡°Nat, I''m happy that you weed me back. Don''t you think we sound like husband and wife?¡± Natalie furrowed her brows, revolted by his words. However, she did not show the disgust on her face. ¡°I''m sorry, but I don''t think so!¡± Sean merely smiled, not the least bit infuriated by her impassiveness. After pulling out the chair beside her, he sat down and patted her seat. ¡°Come on, sit down. Aren''t you having breakfast? There''s still a lot of food left. Continue your meal,¡± he urged, staring at Natalie''s te. Natalie bit her lip, tempted to snap at him. I lost all my appetite because of you. Nheless, she knew she could not say it out. Having taken a deep breath to repress the difort in her heart, she sat back down and kept her eyes cast downward. At that moment, Sean shouted toward the kitchen. ¡°Marina, please prepare one set of breakfast for me.¡± ¡°You haven''t had breakfast yet?¡± Natalie turned toward him. Her question evoked a chuckle from him. ¡°Nat, are you concerned about me?¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied, knitting her brows. How can he be so shameless? I didn''t mean that at all. ¡°Nat, you broke my heart.¡± Sean sighed, appearing to be crestfallen. Natalie ignored him and cut up an omelet. Just as she was about to put a piece of the omelet in her mouth, someone grabbed her hand. Startled, she immediately lifted her head to look in that direction. Sean was grabbing her hand and pulling it toward him. While she tried hard to resist, she questioned, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I''m starving. I want to eat something.¡± With that said, he lowered his head and ate the omelet. Staring at him wide-eyed, Natalie stuttered, ¡°Y-You... That''s my fork!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Sean let go of her hand and swallowed the omelet. ¡°That''s exactly why I did this. I have to say ¡ªit tastes even more delicious when you''re the one feeding it to me,¡± he remarked, shing her a smirk. ¡°You...¡± His shamelessness rendered Natalie speechless. ¡°You pervert!¡± was all she could say. When did I feed him? He was the one who snatched it from me! In a fit of fury, she threw her fork onto the te, not bothering to hide the disgust in her eyes. I will never use this fork ever again. It''s too dirty. Shepletely lost her appetite, thinking that Sean had contaminated the rest of her breakfast. Chapter 1251 Chapter 1251 Sean''s eyes darkened when he noticed the unconcealed disgust in her gaze. Just as he was about to say something, he heard footsteps approaching. Marina brought out a set of breakfast from the kitchen and ced it in front of him. ¡°Sir, please enjoy your meal.¡± He harrumphed in response and added, ¡°You may leave. Keep a close eye on Jacqueline.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Marina nodded and went back to the kitchen. At the mention of Jacqueline, Natalie lowered her gaze and asked, ¡°Do you me me for asking Marina to chase Jacqueline to the kitchen?¡± Sean took a sip of coffee and smiled. ¡°Why would I? When you told me that you didn''t want to eat with her, I agreed to have her eat in the kitchen whenever you are around. My approval isn''t a one-time event but for a lifetime. Do you understand?¡± Natalie''s eyes flickered around, and she did not utter another word. Sean put down his cup of coffee and grabbed his fork. ¡°By the way, Nat, do you know why I didn''te back yesterday?¡± ¡°No, and I''m not interested too,¡± she replied after taking a sip of her ss of milk. ¡°Oh, I bet you will be interested.¡± Propping his head on the palm of his hand, he asked, ¡°Haven''t you been eager to know about the organization behind me and the culprit that killed your friend''s parents?¡± At that, Natalie''s expression changed, and she straightened her back. Noticing her reaction, Sean smiled. ¡°See. I said you would be interested. I went back to the organization yesterday, and I''ve looked into the whole thing for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± She stared at him in bewilderment. ¡°D-Did you figure it out? Who''s the culprit?¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± he urged, signaling her to simmer down. Natalie was stunned for a moment but soon recollected herself. That''s right. Why am I being so emotional? It''s not like that will make him tell me everything. Even if he does, there must be a catch. He must want something from me in return. I shouldn''t have asked him in that way. As though he knew what was on her mind, Sean sighed. ¡°Nat, I''m heartbroken that you think of me like that. Are you so mistrustful of me? When I said I would help you look into itst time, you rejected me because you thought I wanted something from you. But still, I went to investigate it. This means that I sincerely want to do something for you, and I don''t need you to give me anything in return.¡± She forced a smile and replied, ¡°I''m sorry, but there''s no free lunch in this world. Thus, I don''t believe you will help me without any condition.¡± Furrowing his brows, he sighed and said, ¡°Why is it so hard for you to trust me even once? Fine. Since you don''t trust me, let me prove myself. I will cut to the chase. The Dark Organization hired a bunch of talented people about a decade ago. There were scientists, doctors, and so on. One of our faction leaders was in charge of the recruitments.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The Dark Organization? Natalie did not intend to find out who killed Stanley''s parents. Yet, Sean started divulging everything to her, much to her surprise. Most importantly, he even revealed the name of his organization. Shane and Connor had failed to find out the organization''s name despite investigating for a long time, and unexpectedly, Sean disclosed it himself. Isn''t he afraid that I will tell Shane to destroy his organization? The shock on her face was too obvious that Sean knew what was on her mind right away. His eyes gleamed as he said, ¡°It doesn''t matter. I''ve already instigated a group of people to leave the organization. You could say I''m no longer associated with the organization, so whatever happens to it has nothing to do with me.¡± Realization then dawned on Natalie. I see. No wonder he doesn''t mind revealing the name of his organization. It''s because he has betrayed the organization! Seeing that she had regained herposure, Sean uttered again, ¡°That faction leader''s the one who killed your friend''s parents. You''ve been refusing to tell me who your friend is. I''ve found out now. It''s Stanley Quinn, right?¡± Chapter 1252 Chapter 1252 He seemed like any ordinary old man if it were not for the ck tattoos all over his exposed skin. No one would have thought of him as a murderer. ¡°Why are you showing me this photo?¡± Natalie put the photo on the table. ¡°Are you going to let me go so that I can give it to Stanley?¡± Sean let out a chuckle and said airily, ¡°Of course not. I just want to let you know what the murderer looks like.¡± Natalie bit her lip and did not say anything. She had asked him that question to sound him out, wanting to know if he was aware that Shane was on the way to rescue her. Based on his reaction, it seemed like he was clueless about it. That had her heave a sigh of relief. Luckily, he doesn''t know. He might bring me elsewhere if he does, and Shane woulde in vain. With that in mind, Natalie took the photo and stood up. ¡°I am going back to my room.¡± Upon saying that, she turned and walked out of the dining room without looking back. Sean looked over his shoulder to stare at her figure, seemingly in a pensive mood. After returning to her room, Natalie closed the door and pushed an armchair against it. By doing so, Sean would not be able to enter. She had been doing so even when he was not around. There was still Jacqueline, after all. The deep-rooted grudge between her and Jacqueline could not be ignored, so there was a chance for thetter to snap and barge in to kill her. Natalie did not want to take that risk. Once that was settled, she took a deep breath and put the photo on her bedside table before walking toward the balcony. It had been a habit of hers to stay on the balcony and gaze at the sea whenever she was alone in her room. Initially, she wanted to see if there was any ship passing by so that she could cry for help. However, as of then, she only wanted to see if Shane''s ship had appeared. Just like that, she leaned against the handrail and stared at the sea. After a long while, she suddenly heard a buzzing sound near her ear. Natalie lifted her head and saw it was a bee. Shocked, she staggered a few steps back and stared at the bee cautiously. This bee is giant, far bigger than any bees I''ve ever seen. Will I die if it stings me? I mean, it''s gigantic, after all. It could very well be venomous. Natalie froze on the spot and did not dare to move an inch for fear of provoking the bee into stinging her. She maintained eye contact with the bee for a long moment, but none of them was willing to leave first. Soon, she noticed something strange. Why is there a shing red light in the bee''s eyes? It... looks like some kind of a hidden camera. Hold on a second! Could it be... Natalie''s eyes widened in surprise as her heart raced. Could this bee be a camera? If it is, who sent it here? Is it Sean? Or Shane? Naturally, she hoped it was thetter. However, it might be Sean as he had been monitoring her. Regardless, the odds were fifty to fifty. Maybe it''s Shane? At that thought, Natalie took a deep breath and reached toward the bee. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. She wanted to find out if it was a real bee and was willing to risk being stung by it for the truth. A few secondster, her finger was about to touch the bee when it moved andnded on her palm. Natalie immediately closed her eyes, waiting for the bee to sting her. After a few seconds, she did not feel anything. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief and open her eyes. It seemed like it was not a real bee. If it were, it would have flown away when her hand trembled so vigorously, even if it did not sting her. Not only did it not leave, but it even stayed still on her palm and retracted its wing. Thus, it was most likely a fake bee. Chapter 1253 Chapter 1253 Natalie exhaled before she slowly retracted her hand. Still, the bee remained on her hand instead of flying away. Soon, the bee was less than twenty centimeters away from her. On a closer look, she made out that the bee''s legs were actually mechanical! In other words, the bee was indeed some kind of camera or the like. Out of the blue, she glimpsed something. It turned out that a tiny earpiece was attached to the bee''s rump. Indeed, it was an earpiece. The earpiece was minuscule, round, and invisible. That time, Natalie knew without a shadow of a doubt that the bee had nothing to do with Sean. Instead, it belonged to Shane. At that thought, she grew so emotional that her hands trembled. She hastily untied the earpiece attached to the bee''s rump. After removing it, she studied it for a while before swiftly cing it into her ear. As soon as she did that, a voice drifted out of the earpiece. ¡°Can you hear me, madam?¡± It''s Ss! This is Ss'' voice! ¡°Yes!¡± Natalie''s eyes turned red-rimmed as she stared at the bee. Ss, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Great! I was afraid that the distance would affect the signal.¡± ¡°I can hear you loud and clear. But how did youe up with the idea of mounting a camera onto a mechanical bee and flying it over to me? If I hadn''t caught sight of the red light, I would''ve thought that it was a real bee. I was scared out of my wits!¡± Natalie eximed, patting herself on the chest. At that, Ss replied in embarrassment, ¡°I''m sorry, madam. We had no choice either. We couldn''t use a butterfly since it''s a bit too big and would easily attract Sean''s attention. Therefore, a bee is just perfect. This bee is from the military. The military often uses such simted spy cameras when they execute missions in the jungle. We bought a few from the Nnica military, nning to use them to search for you. Unexpectedly, we truly found you!¡± ¡°That''s true. I didn''t expect you to fly a bee-mounted camera over,¡± Natalie echoed with a smile. ¡°Actually, we didn''t just fly one out but three. The other two had gone to scout the ind. We''re leaving this with you so that you can contact us anytime, madam,¡± Ss exined. In response, Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay. Where''s Shane?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane is on the deck, looking at the ind you''re on with binocrs.¡± ¡°Looking at the ind with binocrs? So, you''re not that far from me?¡± Natalie''s eyes promptly lit up. Ss nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes, that''s right. You can now gaze out at the horizon, and you can probably see something, madam.¡± ¡°Okay. Let me take a look!¡± Natalie released her hold on the bee, upon which it flew up at once. Meanwhile, she herself gripped the railing and cast her gaze out at the horizon in the distance. Sure enough, the moment she did so, she spotted something that wasn''t there previously¡ªa lightning rod. It was the lightning rod of a cruise ship. That was to say, it was the lightning rod of Shane''s cruise ship. ¡°I see it! I see a lightning rod!¡± Natalie was so thrilled that she was on the verge of tears. A smile bloomed on Ss'' face. ¡°Yup. Besides, Mr. Shane has now sighted you, madam,¡± he remarked while standing behind Shane. As Shane stared into the distance through the binocrs in his hand, his thin lips curved upward slightly. Ss knew that he must be smiling because he had made out Natalie. On the other end of the phone, Natalie was over the moon upon hearing that Shane had spotted her. She hurriedly waved in the direction of the lightning rod. Although she couldn''t see him, she was still ecstatic that he could see her. Shane evidently saw her waving at him, for the curve of his thin lips deepened. In the next instant, he put the binocrs down and held his hand out to Ss. Comprehending his meaning, Ss handed the tablet to him. Gazing at Natalie''s image on the tablet, Shane murmured, ¡°It''s me.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie choked. Shane''s expression grew tender, and he reassured, ¡°Don''t cry. I''ll be there to pick you up very soon.¡± ¡°Okay. I trust you.¡± Natalie nodded. She didn''t ask him for an exact time, for all she needed to do was to trust him. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Shane reached out and wiped Natalie''s tears on the tablet. Despite Natalie having no idea about it and his inability to wipe her tears for real, he still did it. ¡°Sean just returned to the ind a while ago,¡± Shanemented. Chapter 1254 Chapter 1254 Hearing that, Natalie nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°I know. He''s presently in the vi.¡± ¡°Well, his helicopter is also on the ind,¡± Shane added. Sean''s helicopter flew to the ind from another direction, so the fact that they were already a near distance away went unnoticed. Surprise inundated Natalie at his remark. ¡°What? His helicopter is still here? In other words, he''s still leaving in a while?¡± After all, the helicopter usually left the ind right away after flying Sean back if the man wasn''t leaving again. This time, however, the helicopter was still there though he had been back for a long time. In response, Shane pursed his lips. ¡°I''m not sure for the time being, but the possibility of that is high.¡± ¡°Then, I''ll figure out a way to dy him. I definitely won''t allow him to leave,¡± Natalie offered. ¡°No, it''s okay. Don''t do anything. What if you get injured in the process? Even if that doesn''t happen, you might possibly set off some rm bells. It''s better to just let things unfold by themselves,¡± Shane objected. Natalie bit her lip. ¡°But he''ll escape then!¡± ¡°That doesn''t matter. You''re my only concern right now. Nothing matters as long as you remain safe and sound. We can still get him in the future,¡± Shane asserted solemnly. At his words, a wealth of warmth suffused Natalie. ¡°Shane-¡± ¡°Sean has made an appearance, so keep silent first.¡± Shane''s voice abruptly turned somber. Natalie instantly shut her mouth and snagged the bee, stuffing it into her pocket. Then, she dipped her head and looked down. Right that moment, Sean was heading toward the helipad. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Seemingly sensing her gaze, he halted in his tracks and looked up in her direction. Their gazes locked. Subsequently, he shed her a smile. Conversely, Natalie pressed her red lips into a thin line. She whirled around and strode straight back into her room, disdaining him to the core. Sean''s eyes narrowed, but he didn''t fly into a rage. Instead, he continued walking toward the helipad. In the room, Natalie took the bee out. The bee rose into the air once more, its head turning this way and that incessantly. She knew that Shane was surveying her room. Shortly after, the bee''s head stopped rotating. Shane then inquired, ¡°This is where you''ve been staying?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Natalie nodded in affirmation. Grunting in acknowledgment, Shane replied, ¡°That''s good.¡± It seems that he hasn''t been maltreating her. In that case, I can finally rest easy. ¡°Oh yes, did Sean see you just now?¡± Shane queried. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, he did. However, we didn''t converse with each other. He seems to have headed toward the helipad.¡± ¡°I know. He has already gotten into the helicopter and is about to leave. The moment he''s gone, I''ll come over immediately,¡± Shane promised, his eyes narrowed into slits. All at once, Natalie''s heart skipped a beat, both in excitement and exhration. At the same time, a trace of regret lingered within her. ¡°But he''ll be gone.¡± ¡°It''s okay. Jacqueline is still here!¡± Shane''s voice was as cold as ice. Compared to Sean, Jacqueline was even more of a threat, for she wasn''t only the other culprit who murdered his parents, but she also made a move against Natalie and his two children. As such, she was far more treacherous than Sean. It was also no exaggeration to say that his hatred toward her ran even deeper than his enmity toward Sean. If I catch her, I can avenge my parents, Natalie, and our two children! Natalie perceived the animosity in his voice, and her expression likewise darkened. ¡°You''re right. She''s still here. It won''t be a trip made in vain if we deal with her first even if we can''t get Sean.¡± Shane hummed in response, seconding her statement. In no time, Natalie heard the sound of rotor des whirring and knew that Sean had left. Taking a deep breath, she murmured, ¡°Shane, I''ll go down and take a look at the situation in the vi first.¡± ¡°All right, go ahead.¡± Natalie ced the bee into her pocket again. Pushing the couch away, she opened the door and went downstairs. Downstairs, Jacqueline was scrolling through her cell phone on the couch while the housekeeper was cleaning. The two of them seemingly had no idea that danger was already close at hand. Standing at thending, Natalie stared at Jacqueline. Very much perturbed by her stare, Jacqueline frowned and swung her gaze over. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Natalie kept her lips pursed and said nothing. A light bulb suddenly went off in Jacqueline''s head, and the corners of her mouth turned up smugly. ¡°Don''t tell me you''re looking at my cell phone? You want to get your hands on it and contact Shane, no?¡± Chapter 1255 Chapter 1255 Natalie arched an eyebrow, but still, she kept mum. Her cell phone? I''ve already gotten my hands on it ages ago and contacted Shane. Why would I still hanker after it now? Furthermore, I''ve got something even better to contact him at present. What''s more, I can do so anytime! Seeing her silence, Jacqueline mistakenly assumed that she had hit the nail on the head. She covered her mouth and guffawed haughtily. ¡°s, I''m not going to give you my cell phone, so you can never contact Shane. Just stay here for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°Stay here for the rest of my life?¡± Natalie burst outughing as though she had heard something hrious. At that turn of events, Jacqueline''s brows furrowed. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°No reason in particr. It''s just that I find your remark about me staying here for the rest of my life rather funny. Are you so certain that I''ll remain here for the rest of my life?¡± Natalie''s smile faded, and she regarded Jacqueline frostily. For some inexplicable reason, a sense of uneasiness crept into Jacqueline at the sight of the look in Natalie''s eyes. She couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was amiss, but she couldn''t put her finger on it. Left with no other choice, she could only harrumph and retort domineeringly, ¡°Of course! Do you think you can still leave? Sean will never allow you to leave, much less me!¡± I''m going to deal with her after settling the score with Sean! I was initially nning to kill her outright, but I''ve now changed my mind. I''m going to cripple her and confine her on this ind so that she''ll suffer forever! After all, it''s much more torturous to be alive than dead sometimes. Natalie had no inkling of her thoughts, nor was she interested in knowing about them because she knew that they were undoubtedly nothing good. ¡°Oh, really? You''ve got nothing to do with me, so I''ve never hoped that you''ll let me go. Hence, it does you no good to say all this to me!¡± She chuckled coldly. At that precise moment, a voice again drifted out of the invisible earpiece in her ear. ¡°Madam, hurry up and get away from Jacqueline. We''re going to descend on the ind soon. You''re currently too near to her. It''ll be bad if she hears our approach and takes you hostage.¡± As Natalie had been keeping the invisible earpiece in her ear without taking it off, Ss and the others naturally heard her conversation with Jacqueline earlier. For that reason, they knew that she was with thetter. Natalie couldn''t answer Ss in front of Jacqueline, so she could only look at Jacqueline with a hint of pity in her eyes. ¡°Oh well, it''s no use saying all this to you, so I''m going back to my room first. You''d better watch out.¡± After saying that, she spun on her heels and strode upstairs. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Jacqueline was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding her motive foring downstairs and saying a few words to her before returning upstairs. Thus, she shot up from the couch and demanded loudly, ¡°What was the meaning of your words earlier, Natalie? What did you mean by telling me to watch out?¡± Pretending as though she didn''t hear her, Natalie continued heading upstairs. Soon, her figure disappeared up the stairs. A deep frown marred Jacqueline''s countenance, and the uneasiness within her snowballed. Yet, she couldn''t figure out why exactly she was feeling unsettled. Upstairs, Natalie locked the door after entering her bedroom and barred the door with the couch. Only after she had done all that did she tap on the earpiece and say to Ss, ¡°I''ve gone back to my room, Ss.¡± While saying that, she released the bee once more. To her surprise, it wasn''t Ss'' voice she heard in return but Shane''s voice. ¡°I can see that. Come out to the balcony.¡± The balcony? Ss said they were about to descend on the ind soon. Could it be that... Following that line of thought, Natalie''s heart pounded wildly, and she raced toward the balcony. No sooner had she reached the balcony than she was greeted by the sight of a titanic cruise ship approaching. It was about a thousand meters away from her. At the sight of the cruise ship, she grew so emotional that tears welled in her eyes. She hastily raised both hands and waved frantically. Standing on the deck, Shane saw it through the binocrs. He turned and said to Ss, ¡°Notify the captain to speed up.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Ss replied before he picked up the pager and ryed the order. Shortly after, the speed of the cruise ship visibly increased. That aside, the cruise ship''s horn split the air. Despite the re of the horn, Natalie didn''t find it grating at all. Instead, she felt that it was incredibly melodious and was music to her ears. Chapter 1256 Chapter 1256 At that moment, Natalie finally understood the feeling embodied by the statement on the inte that went along the lines of ¡°My white knight wille to my rescue on horseback.¡± While Shane didn''te on horseback, he was piloting a titanic cruise ship to rescue her and bring her home. In the living room downstairs, Jacqueline was momentarily taken aback when she heard the horn of a cruise ship. Hmm? What''s happening here? Why is there the sound of a cruise ship? Is Sean back? Or is a cruise ship sailing past this area? Her eyes narrowed a fraction, and the apprehension within her mounted. Her heartbeat elerated significantly to the point that she could even hear it pounding against her ribcage. No, it''s probably not Sean. It''s most likely a cruise ship sailing past by coincidence. After all, this area isn''t all that far from international waters. It''s only about a hundred nautical miles, and when converted, three hundred over kilometers. There''s a gigantic casino with worldwide acim on international waters, so many rich people go there to have fun and enjoy themselves. Therefore, it''s not entirely impossible that they''re taking this route to head there. But just then, the housekeeper, Marina, dashed out of the kitchen. With her eyes fixated on Jacqueline, she shrieked, ¡°It''s bad, Miss! A cruise ship is heading right for the ind!¡± ¡°What? Heading right for the ind without detouring?¡± Jacqueline''s expression changed drastically. ¡°Yes.¡± The housekeeper nodded fervently. When Jacqueline heard that, her hands curled into fists. ¡°Could it be that the cruise ship had malfunctioned and couldn''t change directions, thus heading straight for us?¡± ¡°I don''t know, but it''s new, and its speed is uniform. Hence, it doesn''t look as though it had suffered a mishap,¡± the housekeeper replied. Jacqueline bit her lip. ¡°Then, it''sing for us. Let me see who exactly it is who''s trespassing on someone else''s private ind!¡± Having said that, she stormed out of the vi in a fit of pique. As soon as she walked out, she saw that a cruise ship hade to a stop on the sea approximately three hundred meters away. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. While she watched, three speedboats drove out from the cruise ship''s equipmentpartment. On the heels of that, men in ck climbed down from the cruise ship, one after another. They boarded two of the speedboats and streaked toward the ind. Not only were they all dressed exactly the same, but they were also tall and burly, their auras forbidding. At a single nce, one could tell that they were battle-hardened bodyguards. At the sight of those bodyguards, Jacqueline''s heart jolted, and her face paled. What''s this? Why are there so many bodyguards? Anyhow, that''s not the main issue here. The most important thing is the three speedboats! The instant she caught sight of the two words on the three speedboats, she finally panicked. A buzzing filled her mind, and it was as though a bolt of thunder struck her, making her mind go nk. How could it be Shane? He actually found this ce? How did he manage to do so? All of a sudden, she recalled Natalie''s remark for her to watch out before thetter went upstairs. At longst, she understood the meaning behind that warning. It''s because she has long since known that he''sing! That was why she told me to watch out and sneaked back upstairs herself, afraid that I''d take her hostage and affect his rescue effort! Argh! Damn it! What a b*tch! Fury zed within her, and her entire face contorted. The urge to rip Natalie into a thousand pieces gripped her. Unfortunately, she couldn''t do anything despite harboring such a thought. Natalie had already locked herself in her room and gone into hiding ages ago. ¡°Miss, quick, let''s go!¡± Although the housekeeper had never seen Shane, she had seen his picture before. Thus, she naturally realized the gravity of the matter when she glimpsed the man then and hurriedly reminded Jacqueline to flee. In response, Jacqueline sneered derisively. Go? Where can I go? The only means of transportation is Sean''s helicopter. There''s nothing else other than that. Oh yes, there''s a kayak in the vi''s warehouse. But what use is that? Before we can even get a hundred meters away, the speedboats will have caught up to us! In other words, we''re backed into a corner now. She shook all over, and resentment brewed within her. Never had she expected to be caught by Shane then after having been on the run for so many months and escaping him so many times. Chapter 1257 Chapter 1257 Don''t tell me this is the end for me? Jacqueline bit her lip as a sliver of fear glinted in her eyes. She knew that she would definitely suffer if Shane seeded in capturing her this time. The previous time, I escaped his confinement by utilizing Jackson. This time, however, he''ll never allow Jackson to have any contact with me. Therefore, it''ll be wholly impossible for me to take off this time. Of course, the person I hate most is still Sean. After returning, that b*stard left again without staying for long, abandoning me here to be taken by Shane! We''re obviously in cahoots, so why is it that he can get away scot-free while I''m about to be caught? Right then, she even suspected whether Sean knew long ago that Shane had already found the ce, and so, flew the coop first. If that''s really the case, then he''s simply too much of a b*stard! While she was mulling that over, the third speedboat had reached the shore. Shane alighted from the speedboat and stared at Jacqueline cially. With mixed emotions and terror, Jacqueline met his gaze. After locking gazes for a while, she suddenly giggled. ¡°It''s been a long time, Shane.¡± Shane stalked toward her without replying to her greeting. As Jacqueline listened to his footsteps, it was as though a hammer was battering against her defenses, striking even greater terror within her. She instinctively backed away. s, Shane continued forging ahead and even instructed the bodyguards to act in the end. ¡°Restrain them both!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± the dozen or so bodyguards thundered before striding toward Jacqueline and the housekeeper. ¡°Stay back! Don''te any closer!¡± Jacqueline shouted, panicked. Nheless, the bodyguards ignored her entirely and even sprinted over instead. One of the bodyguards reached her first and reached out to seize her. Her eyes narrowing, Jacqueline abruptly dropped into a crouch and felled the man by sweeping her leg out. The housekeeper beside her did the same, falling two bodyguards at once. That scene shocked everyone present. ¡°Mr. Shane, it turns out that Jacqueline can actually fight!¡± Ss eximed. Shane''s eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°She''s not an expert, so it''s fine.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. In truth, the bodyguards only fell because they underestimated the two women, not having expected them to have fighting skills. But with that lesson learned, Jacqueline and the housekeeper were no longer any match for them. Sure enough, the bodyguards took them seriously after snapping out of their astonishment and didn''t underestimate them anymore. In no time, Jacqueline and the housekeeper were restrained and escorted over to Shane. ¡°Kneel!¡± the captain of the bodyguards boomed. At that, the bodyguards holding the two women captive kicked them behind the knee respectively. With a thud, Jacqueline and the housekeeper fell to the ground on their knees. Utterly humiliated, Jacqueline wanted to resist, but she was effortlessly subdued by the bodyguards. As for the housekeeper, she knew that resisting wouldn''t do her any good, so she resigned herself to her fate and kneeled obediently. ¡°Mr. Shane, what should we do to the two of them next?¡± Ss asked. Pursing his lips, Shane answered, ¡°Tie them up with a rope. Then, take them to the cruise ship and lock them up. Also, break their legs.¡± Then, even if they manage to break free of their bonds, they won''t be able to leave. Not quite believing her ears, Jacqueline jerked her head up and gaped at him. ¡°You want to break my legs, Shane?¡± Shane merely regarded her coldly. ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°Of course, it is! I''m your godsister. How could you do this to me?¡± Jacqueline screeched emotionally. ¡°Godsister?¡± That word seemingly triggered Shane. Without warning, he lifted his leg and kicked her in the stomach. Screaming in agony, Jacqueline doubled over in pain. She felt as though she was being stabbed by a thousand knives, the pain so excruciating that she trembled violently. ¡°How dare you say that you''re my godsister? Hadn''t my parents been good to you? They acknowledged you as their goddaughter and loved you greatly. Yet, you joined hands with Sam and killed them!¡± Shane''s voice was so chilly that he sounded like Grim Reaper himself, the hatred in his voice making one shudder. Chapter 1258 Chapter 1258 Jacqueline was initially in the throes of such great agony that sweat was beading on her forehead, but she froze entirely upon hearing Shane''s remark. He... He knows that I killed his parents? I always thought that he wanted to capture me because he wanted to avenge Natalie and their two brats. I didn''t expect him to actually know the truth of that incident! Shane didn''t show her any mercy. Instead, he kicked her again. He didn''t hit women, but in his eyes, Jacqueline was no woman. In fact, she wasn''t even human but a demon and a monster. ¡°My parents'' vengeance is only part of this. I''ll also settle the score for the debt you owe Natalie and the children. As such, Jacqueline, brace yourself for hell! Break her legs right this instance!¡± he ordered sternly. The bodyguards nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Understood, Mr. Shane!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Just then, a voice rang out from above their heads. Everyone promptly looked up. At the sight of Natalie on the balcony on the third floor of the vi, Shane frowned. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Shane, I don''t care about Jacqueline, but I think there''s no need to break the housekeeper''s legs. Although she''s on Sean''s side, she had also been protecting me during the past few days. If it weren''t for her, I would''ve been picked on by Jacqueline long ago. Thus, just locking her up is sufficient. Don''t break her legs,¡± Natalie implored with her gaze trained on Marina. Marina initially had her head lowered and her eyes closed as though awaiting her fate. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The moment she heard Natalie''s words, however, she inexorably opened her eyes and cut her gaze at thetter in astonishment, seemingly surprised that she would actually speak up for her. Shane stared at Marina for a long while. In the end, he caved in to Natalie''s request. ¡°All right. Tie her up and electrify the door of the room in which she''s kept under lock and key.¡± While he wasn''t going to break her legs, with the door electrified, she wouldn''t be able to make a run for it even if she managed to break her bonds. After all, she would pass out from the electric shock or get fried since electricity would be coursing through the door. The bodyguards then begun executing their orders. They first tied Jacqueline and Marina up before taping their mouths. After binding them, two bodyguards escorted Marina away while leaving Jacqueline there. One of the bodyguards took out a rod and swung it at Jacqueline''s leg ruthlessly while she shook her head in horror. He didn''t aim for her leg bones but her kneecap. Snap! The sound of bones shattering instantly filled the air, drifting into the ears of everyone present. Jacqueline''s eyes went as wide as saucers. Her entire face went flush and contorted in pain. Sweat dotted her forehead, and the veins on her neck popped up. Her whole appearance looked horrifying. At longst, she could no longer withstand the acute pain. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she passed out. Upstairs, Natalie screwed her eyes shut in fright and returned to her room without bothering to watch anymore. She didn''t even dare to hurt someone with a knife, let alone witness such a gory scene. After beholding it once, she was so horror-stricken that her heart almost pounded out of her chest. For that reason, she hadn''t the guts to watch it for a second time. Therefore, she walked away and merely waited for the results. While it was rather cruel to break someone''s legs, she didn''t sympathize with Jacqueline, for it was a punishment thetter deserved. At the thought of her parents-inw, Connor, and Sharon, she felt that Jacqueline brought it upon herself. Outside, the brutality continued. The bodyguard broke Jacqueline''s left leg earlier, so he then struck at her right leg. Whoosh! The rod mmed down once more after cutting through the air. Once again, the sound of bones shattering pierced the air. Although Jacqueline had already passed out, she could still sense pain, and her body twitched violently. The bodyguard crouched and touched her kneecap with a hand. It wasn''t until after he had ascertained that everything was in order that he put the rod away and stood up, reporting to Shane, ¡°It''s done, Mr. Shane. She hasminuted facture for both her kneecaps. Even with timely treatment, they can''t possibly be reconnected and healed fully.¡± Shane inclined his head a fraction in acknowledgment. ¡°Good job. Take her to the cruise ship and have the doctor keep an eye on her at all times. If she develops a fever, render treatment immediately. Don''t let her die.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The bodyguard nodded before transporting her to the cruise ship with the remaining bodyguards. After everyone had left, Shane started heading toward the vi. Chapter 1259 Chapter 1259 As Shane walked, he studied his surroundings. Despite having seen the entire ind through the camera mounted on the mechanical bee, there were still subtle differences between the images from the camera and everything he beheld with his own eyes. Soon, he stepped into the vi. The vi wasn''t particrly opulent, but it was considered top-notch. Indeed, Natalie didn''t suffer much while living here. But then, this also proves that Sean''s feelings for her are really deep-seated. At that thought, Shane''s entire face darkened. That was only natural, for no man would remain indifferent in the face of another man coveting his wife so much. He went to the third floor and arrived before Natalie''s room door in no time. Natalie had shown him her room via the bee earlier, so he found the room right away. He lifted his hand and knocked on the door. On the other side of the door, Natalie''s face lit up with joy when she heard the knocking. She swiftly raced over to the door and moved the couch awayboriously before opening the door. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Her eyes turned red-rimmed right then and there as she gazed at the man before her. She abruptly threw herself into his arms. The man stumbled back a step at the impact. Subsequently, he hugged her tightly and buried his head in her neck. ¡°Honey, I''m here to pick you up.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Natalie nodded fervently, her voice choked. He''s here! He has finally appeared right in front of me. Besides, I now get to embrace him. The familiar minty fragrance wafting off him and his familiar warmth have convinced me that he has truly found me! Right that moment, she dropped all her guard and defensespletely, bursting into tears. She wailed even louder than when she sessfully contacted Shane back then. Shane knew that she had been scared witless throughout her captivity. Not only was she taken and brought to the ind alone, but she even had to face Sean''s constant harassment and Jacqueline''s perpetual threat. She had sacrificed far too much for the sake of protecting herself. She was a weak and defenseless woman, but she was forced to use a vase and a knife as weapons. Nevertheless, he also believed that she would be even stronger after her experience this time. He hugged her lightly and patted her on the back, soothing her turbulent emotions soundlessly. asionally, he would even dip his head and kiss her forehead and hair. Natalie''s emotions gradually calmed, and her sobs slowly ceased. Raising her head, she wiped her tears and shed him an embarrassed smile. ¡°I''m sorry, Shane. Do I look ugly after crying so much?¡± ¡°Not at all. To me, you''re always beautiful.¡± Shane lowered his head and looked at her with undisguised distress and guilt in his eyes. ¡°You''ve lost weight.¡± Although she didn''t suffer any hardships there, she had truly lost weight. The pressure within her and her foul mood were enough to have her lose weight no matter how good the food was. ¡°I''m sorry. It was my negligence. If I had gone with you back then, perhaps you wouldn''t have been taken by Sean,¡± Shane murmured guiltily. In response, Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, it wasn''t your fault. I''m an adult, so you''re not obliged to watch over me every second of every day even though you''re my husband. Apart from his insidiousness and craftiness, it was also my carelessness that led to me being taken. It had nothing to do with you, and you did nothing wrong. I was the one at fault. It was me who caused you to worry. I''m sorry, Darling,¡± she apologized while grasping his arm. Lifting her chin, Shane wiped off the vestiges of tears at the corners of her eyes and kissed her eyes gently. Following that, Natalie closed her eyes. In the next second, Shane''s lips left her eyes. His gaze traveled downward and stilled on her lips. Then, he dipped his head and captured her lips. Natalie was stunned for a moment. When she had gathered her wits about her, she hooked her arms around his neck and responded to the kiss. Sensing her participation, Shane kissed her even more forcefully and domineeringly. Not to be outdone, Natalie likewise kissed him back forcefully. Shane''s kiss carried intense longing and jubnce for having found a long-lost treasure. The same applied to Natalie. They both wanted to obtain each other, wanting the other to meld into themselves. It was as though that was the only way to prove that they had truly reunited once more. Chapter 1260 Chapter 1260 The room door mmed shut with a bang. Cradling Natalie in his arms, Shane headed toward the bed. As he walked, clothes fell onto the floor one by one. Subsequently, the two of them lost themselves in each other in broad daylight in another man''s vi. Other than their love for each other, their passion was also fueled by a smidge of titition. After all, making love in Sean''s vi would more or less repulse that enemy of theirs, so the thrill was inevitable. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Gradually, night fell. Shane leaned against the head of the bed while Nataliey in his arms, fast asleep. She exhausted herself too much during the day, and her nerves had been stretched taut during the past few days, so she naturally slumbered deeply after allowing herself to rx fully with Shane by her side then. Shane had his arms around her, gently patting her shoulder with a massive hand as he coaxed her like a child. With his other hand, he picked up his cell phone and rang Ss up. At that moment, Ss was on the deck of the cruise ship, fishing in boredom. When he heard his cell phone ringing, he hastily tossed the fishing rod aside and answered the call. ¡°Mr. Shane.¡± Yes! Mr. Shane and madam have finally concluded their passionate reunion! Undeniably, they''ve got really great stamina to only wrap up only after night had fallen. Grunting in acknowledgment, Shane ordered, ¡°Leave ten bodyguards here and send the others back onto the cruise ship. Then, pilot the cruise ship beyond the horizon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ss was stumped, and puzzlement showed in his eyes. He hurriedly questioned, ¡°What are you nning to do, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°Sean doesn''t know that we''ve found Natalie and captured Jacqueline yet. Hence, he''ll probably be back,¡± Shane reckoned with his eyes narrowed a fraction. Understanding dawned upon Ss, and his eyes lit up. ¡°Mr. Shane, are you saying that we shouldy a trap to seize him by hemming him in?¡± ¡°Exactly. Therefore, have the others pilot the cruise ship away. Otherwise, he''ll turn tail and leave without even alighting from the helicopter if he spots it from afar.¡± ¡°That''s true. I understand now.¡± At his reply, Shane nodded in approval. ¡°Also, have those staying on the ind hide in various corners within the vi. As soon as he returns, they can seize him immediately!¡± ¡°Understood! I''ll go and make the arrangements right away!¡± Ss answered. Hanging up the phone, Shane ced the cell phone aside. Hey down as well and closed his eyes. He hadn''t rested much either during the past few days. Coupled with the fact that he had been smoking ceaselessly, which had his mind feeling foggy all this while, and the exercise he did earlier in the day, he was likewise dead tired then. With Natalie in his arms, he quickly dozed off. After drifting off, he slept until the next morning. When he opened his eyes, it was bright daylight outside. That aside, faint sunlight shone in, hurting his eyes slightly. He massaged his temples before gently retracting his arm from under Natalie''s neck. After acting as a pillow for her the entire night, his arm had long since grown stiff and sore beyond words. Surprisingly, he seemingly didn''t feel it in the least. He merely massaged his arm a few times before picking up the cell phone at the head of the bed and nced at the time. Whoa! It''s nine o''clock in the morning! There''s no movement outside, and it''s been exceedingly quiet ever sincest night. It looks like Sean didn''te back yesterday night. While he was deep in thought, a knock sounded at the door. His eyes narrowed at once. ¡°Who''s there?¡± ¡°It''s me, Mr. Shane.¡± Ss'' voice rang out outside. Following that, Shane''s frown eased. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°I brought you some clothes. That aside, I''ve also prepared breakfast. You cane downstairs with madam for breakfast,¡± Ss replied. Only then did Shane realize that he indeed had no change of clothes there. Speaking of breakfast, he and Natalie hadn''t eaten anything since yesterday morning, so it was time for them to get out of bed and eat something. He flipped open the covers and got out of bed. Picking up his pants from the floor and slipping it on, he went to the door bare-chested and opened the door. Outside the door, Ss was wholly stunned the instant he caught sight of Shane. At the sight of the bite marks on the man''s neck and corbone, in particr, he was all the more speechless. It seems that madam was really passionatest night that she bit him to this extent! ¡°Where are the clothes?¡± Shane couldn''t help frowning when he saw Ss spacing out. Chapter 1261 Chapter 1261 Ss swiftly handed over the bag in his hand. ¡°Here!¡± Reaching out, Shane took it before asking, ¡°Was there anything usualst night?¡± Aware that he wanted to know whether Sean returnedst night, Ss shook his head. ¡°No, there was nothing unusual. The radar on our cruise ship didn''t detect the presence of a helicopter either, so Sean didn''t approach the indst night.¡± Shane grunted in acknowledgment before shutting the door. Then, he whirled around and headed toward the bathroom. By the time he finished showering, ten minutes had already passed. He changed into a fresh set of clothes before exiting the bathroom. He proceeded to walk over to the side of the bed and bent down slightly, patting Natalie''s exposed shoulder gently. ¡°Wake up.¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± A frown marred Natalie''s face. Subsequently, she slowly opened her eyes. The moment she glimpsed the man''s countenance, a smile bloomed on her face. ¡°Good morning, Darling.¡± ¡°Good morning. Hurry up and wake up. It''s time for breakfast.¡± Shane straightened. Yawning, Natalie rubbed her eyes and extended a hand at him. ¡°Pull me up.¡± Shane gave a low chuckle before reaching out and pulling her up. Sitting up on the bed, Natalie suddenly sucked in a breath. Shane''s expression stiffened, and he hastily inquired, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± A faint blush stained Natalie''s face, and she muttered with a shy smile, ¡°Nothing''s wrong. I just feel a bit sore down there.¡± They went crazyst night without any restraint, so she was hurt slightly. No sooner had Shane heard that than he flipped open the covers to check on her. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie promptly grabbed his hand. ¡°All right, don''t look, Shane. I''m fine. I''ll be right as rain when I''ve gotten used to it in a while.¡± Although he had seen all of her, she didn''t quite want him to see her before she cleaned up. She felt too mortified for that. Of course, it was fine if he did so while she was unaware, but she wouldn''t allow him to do so with her knowledge then. Seeing her embarrassment, Shane didn''t n on forcing her hand. He chuckled softly and remarked, ¡°I''ll go and fill the bathtub for you. Soak for a bit, and you''ll feel much better.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded in acquiescence. Thus, Shane went into the bathroom. Soon, Natalie heard the sound of running water. She wasn''t idle either, for she flipped open the covers and got out of bed. However, just when her feet touched the floor, it tugged at her sore spot. Her legs went weak, and she almost copsed. Fortunately, she managed to grab hold of the edge of the bed in the nick of time and supported herself that she was spared that humiliation. Next, she picked up her clothes from the floor and made do with them before heading toward the bathroom. When she reached the bathroom door, Shane turned and nced over his shoulder upon hearing movement behind him. ¡°You came at just the right time. The water is ready. Besides, I added some essential oil that can relieve fatigue.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you, Darling! You should go out first,¡± Natalie uttered as she walked in. Shane murmured in acquiescence before he left. Taking a bath, Natalie soaked for almost half an hour until the water went cold, and she was toozy to add any hot water. Only then did she snag the towel at the side and wrap it around herself before stepping out of the bathroom. At the sight of the man in the room, Natalie was stunned for a moment. ¡°You didn''t go downstairs, Shane?¡± ¡°I''ve been waiting for you. It''s not quite safe for you to move around. You might trip while going down the stairs, so I''m going to help you downstairs. Hurry up and change. Aren''t you hungry?¡± Shane questioned as he picked up the clothes that were ripped the night before and tossed them into the trash can. Hearing that, Natalie rubbed her stomach. ¡°Indeed, I''m a touch hungry. Wait a moment. I''ll be ready in a jiffy.¡± Then, she walked into the wardrobe. Two minutester, she came out in a set of casual sportswear. It was a conservative sports attire that could coincidentally cover all the marks on her body. Most importantly, it was also very loose and comfortable. When Shane saw that she was ready, he scooped her up in a bridal carry and strode out the door. Meanwhile, Natalie was stupefied. ¡°Why are you carrying me, Shane? Put me down, quick! I can walk on my own.¡± Despite that, Shane didn''t do as she wished. Instead, he countered, ¡°I know. However, you''re too slow on your feet. Besides, I feel like carrying you!¡± He looked down at her, his gaze tender and unfathomable. Natalie almost got lost in his eyes. Subsequently, she chuckled. ¡°All right, then. You can continue carrying me. But be careful that you don''t drop me.¡± Chapter 1262 Chapter 1262 ¡°Never. I''ll never drop you even if it means taking the brunt of the fall myself.¡± Shane pecked the corner of Natalie''s mouth before carrying her down the stairs. When they reached the living room, Natalie spotted the bodyguards stationed at every corner on the first floor and was inexorably startled. ¡°What''s going on here, Shane?¡± ¡°This is a precaution. If Sean returns, they can seize him immediately,¡± Shane exined. Understanding dawned upon Natalie at once. ¡°I see. So, the cruise ship has been piloted away and is no longer outside, yes?¡± ¡°How smart!¡± Shaneuded. In response, Natalie giggled. ¡°Of course! If I weren''t smart, I wouldn''t be worthy of you. Am I not right?¡± Shane nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yup, that''s right! Let''s have breakfast first.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He proceeded to ce her onto a chair. Staring at the breakfast fare that looked rather dismal in front of her, Natalie couldn''t help quirking an eyebrow. ¡°Who made this?¡± Shane took his seat and cast his gaze at Ss. At that moment, Ss was standing at the side with an apron on him. Thus, it went without saying that he was the person who prepared breakfast. ¡°You cooked this, Mr. Campbell?¡± Natalie eximed. Ss shed her an embarrassed smile and admitted, ¡°I was indeed the one who cooked it, madam. However, I''m not all that good at cooking. These bodyguards can''t cook either. Having no other choice, I specially went online and searched for breakfast recipes. This is how the food turned out in the end. Please don''t disdain it, Mr. Shane, madam. I woke up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast, and this is already the best after multiple failed attempts. I''ve sampled it, and while it doesn''t look impressive and merely tastes average, it isn''t horrible. As such, you can try some.¡± Hearing his shy yet expectant remark, Natalie chortled softly. ¡°Sure! I''ll try some, then.¡± After saying that, she picked up her fork and took a bite of the food. Her brows then quirked slightly. Seeing that, Shane took the fork out of her hand. ¡°Don''t force yourself if it tastes awful.¡± ¡°No, it''s not bad.¡± Nodding, Natalie added, ¡°While it doesn''t taste superb, it''s still passable. Try some, Shane.¡± As she didn''t seem to be lying, Shane hesitated for two seconds before he picked up the fork and tried a bite of the food, only to discover that it was indeed passable. Upon seeing that both of them were eating his cooking, Ss breathed a sigh of relief and grinned widely. ¡°Phew! I''m d you don''t disdain my cooking, Mr. Shane, madam.¡± ¡°Of course not! It''s pretty good. Thank you for the breakfast, Mr. Campbell!¡± Natalie gushed. Although Shane didn''t say anything, he shared her sentiments. Ss touched the tip of his nose in embarrassment. ¡°You''re wee. This is my job as a subordinate, after all.¡± ¡°When we go back this time, I''ll triple your bonus.¡± Shane picked up the coffee and took a sip. Well, this coffee is the best among the breakfast spread here! All at once, Ss'' eyes lit up. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Shane!¡± With a triple bonus, that would be over three million! How wonderful! I''m getting over three million just because I made breakfast. This money is simply a windfall! Heh! At the sight of the silly smile on his face, Natalie couldn''t help chuckling alongside him. Then, she lowered her head and continued eating breakfast. She was really famished. Although the housekeeper had been cookingvish spreads in the past few days, her appetite had always beencking while she was there. During every meal, she could only stomach a third of her usual portion before she was full and couldn''t eat anymore. With Shane by her side then, she was at ease. Despite the in taste of the breakfast fare, she found it very much delicious. When they had finished eating breakfast, Natalie and Shane went on board the cruise ship. They had nned to stay on the cruise ship henceforth instead of returning to the vi. As for the vi, it was sufficient to have the bodyguards staying to keep watch. Anyway, their next task was to wait for Sean''s return and seize him in one fell swoop. There was no use staying on the ind, so it was better for her to just move to the cruise ship. After all, the cruise ship was Shane''s territory. In other words, it was also hers. And being in one own''s territory was far better than someone else''s territory. ¡°How''s Jacqueline now, Darling?¡± Natalie inquired as she studied the cruise ship. Shane held her hand. ¡°I''m not sure for the time being. Do you want to take a look at her?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded. I want to go and take a look at her to see how exactly she''s faring right now. Thus, Shane headed toward the cruise ship''s cargo hold while dragging her along. Chapter 1263 Chapter 1263 Once Natalie arrived at the cargo hold, she saw Jacqueline and Marina locked up in two rooms. The rooms were originally used to store motorboats. However, the boats were now gone, and the rooms converted into two makeshift prison cells. At first nce, the cells looked decent. Natalie turned to look at Marina first. Marina sat in a corner of the cell with her head buried between her knees. She gave no response nor moved an inch, seemingly asleep. After gazing at her for a while, Natalie turned away. Marina was not the main reason she was there, so she did not pay much attention to her. Instead, she focused her attention on Jacqueline in the neighboring room. Natalie approached the second room, gazing at Jacqueline through the iron grille door. Jacqueline was lying on the floor with her eyes closed. Her face was as white as a sheet, and she was hooked up to an IV drip. It looked like she was practically at death''s door. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Shane narrowed his eyes and asked the two bodyguards standing watch outside Jacqueline''s cell, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°She had a fever. It was a high fever caused by the pain. The doctor on the cruise ship has already checked on her,¡± they replied respectfully. Ah, so that''s what happened. Shane waved his hand as acknowledgment while also motioning for the bodyguard to retreat. The bodyguards stepped aside at once. Meanwhile, Natalie gazed down at Jacqueline coldly, gloating over thetter''s miserable state. At that moment, Jacqueline was nothing more than a useless person teetering on the tightrope between life and death. Watching her lying there, Natalie could not help feeling relieved. Jacqueline was the one who took Connor away, causing him to end up in a car ident. She was also the one who picked Sharon up and threw her heavily onto the ground. When I saw Connor and Sharon lying on the hospital beds, covered in blood, I wished for nothing more than to rip her into a million pieces. I was never the one who initiated a conflict with her. It was always the other way around. I can take whatever she throws at me, but she dared to drag two of my children into it and stooped to such vicious means. That''s why I vowed to make her pay the price for her actions. Now that my wish has come true, I''m so happy I could cry. Natalie''s eyes reddened and welled with tears of relief and joy. ¡°Don''t cry,¡± Shane murmured as he hugged her from behind. ¡°I''m not crying. These are tears of happiness.¡± Natalie reached up and dabbed at her eyes. Shane chuckled. ¡°Ah, I see. I misspoke. You''re not crying.¡± Natalie turned to look at him and asked, ¡°Shane, what are you going to do with Jacqueline? Will you hand her over to the police or...¡± Handing her over to the police will be going too easy on her. I''m going to handle this myself. With my capabilities, nothing could be simpler than erasing all traces of her existence. Jacqueline killed my parents, harmed my children, and nearly killed my wife. Handing someone who hasmitted such heinous crimes to the police is no different from letting her go free. Someone like her should remain in my hands, enduring a lifetime of suffering and torture. As Natalie studied Shane''s expression, she knew he was thinking of taking matters into his own hands and meting out punishment on Jacqueline. Although her voice of reason told her that was not right, her emotional response was that he had every right to do so. After all, Jacqueline had done too many evil and despicable deeds. I already had the urge to rip her to pieces after what she did to Connor and Sharon, so it isn''t surprising that he would be out for blood since Jacqueline murdered his parents. That''s only human nature. After all, it''s only right for one to pay off their debts, more so when that person has taken two lives. If we hand Jacqueline over to the police, they won''t sentence her to death because she was only ten years old at the time of the crime. Moreover, she did not kill them with her own hands, so the death penalty is out of the question. At most, she''ll get sentenced to life in prison. But if that happens, it''ll just be like she got off scot-free. That''s why I''ll support him if he wants to take matters into his own hands. Besides, no businessman can seed without getting their hands dirty. If he didn''t get his hands dirty, Thompson Group wouldn''t be as sessful as it is today. Taking Shane''s hand in hers, she gave it a gentle and reassuring squeeze. ¡°I support you.¡± Gazing at her, he asked, ¡°Don''t you think I''m a very scary person?¡± As Notolie studied Shone''s expression, she knew he wos thinking of toking motters into his own honds ond meting out punishment on Jocqueline. Although her voice of reoson told her thot wos not right, her emotionol response wos thot he hod every right to do so. After oll, Jocqueline hod done too mony evil ond despicoble deeds. I olreody hod the urge to rip her to pieces ofter whot she did to Connor ond Shoron, so it isn''t surprising thot he would be out for blood since Jocqueline murdered his porents. Thot''s only humon noture. After oll, it''s only right for one to poy off their debts, more so when thot person hos token two lives. If we hond Jocqueline over to the police, they won''t sentence her to deoth becouse she wos only ten yeors old ot the time of the crime. Moreover, she did not kill them with her own honds, so the deoth penolty is out of the question. At most, she''ll get sentenced to life in prison. But if thot hoppens, it''ll just be like she got off scot-free. Thot''s why I''ll support him if he wonts to toke motters into his own honds. Besides, no businessmon con seed without getting their honds dirty. If he didn''t get his honds dirty, Thompson Group wouldn''t be os sessful os it is todoy. Toking Shone''s hond in hers, she gove it o gentle ond reossuring squeeze. ¡°I support you.¡± Gozing ot her, he osked, ¡°Don''t you think I''m o very scory person?¡± Chapter 1264 Chapter 1264 ¡°No. You''re not scary at all. Besides, I support you. If you''re a scary person, that makes me one too, doesn''t it? Two scary people together... Now, isn''t that a perfect match!¡± Natalie answered, chuckling softly. Shane''s thin lips curved into a smile. ¡°Hmm, you''re right.¡± ¡°Let''s go back outside. It isn''t well-ventted in here. Now that I''ve seen Jacqueline''s miserable state, the rest can wait until she has regained consciousness,¡± said Natalie. Shane wrapped an arm around her waist and led her out without a word of protest. Over the next two days, there was still no news of Sean returning to the vi. That made Natalie wonder whether Sean left because he knew about Shane''s arrival. Gradually, Shane also started sharing the same suspicion. After all, it has been two days without any news about Sean. He hasn''t even called Jacqueline''s phone. They''ve been colluding for so long that he would surely contact her if anything happened. But we haven''t heard anything at all. Could it be that he already knows we have Jacqueline? Is that why he hasn''t tried to get in touch with her? Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Thompson, why don''t we return home?¡± Ss suggested. Shane pursed his thin lips. ¡°Has Connor gone back?¡± ¡°Yes. Connor has boarded the ne with Ms. Rivers. They''ll probably reach J City by tonight.¡± Since Joyce and the others knew that Natalie had been found, naturally, they did not intend to stay in that foreign country any longer. Hence, they had returned with Connor. After all, there was nowhere safer than home. Shane turned to Natalie and asked, ¡°What about you? Do you feel like going back now?¡± Natalie looked up from the tablet. ¡°Of course. I miss Connor and Sharon.¡± ¡°Very well. We''ll return home first. However, we still need some people here. Don''t withdraw the men at the vi yet. Let them continue keeping watch for some time to monitor whether Sean returns. If he still doesn''t show up, we''ll withdraw them.¡± As Shane spoke, his eyes narrowed angrily. Ss nodded. ¡°Understood. That sounds like a good n. I''ll go and issue the orders.¡± He turned and left, leaving Natalie and Shane alone under the beach umbre on the deck. Shane gazed at Natalie with an apologetic look in his amber eyes. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t manage to give you the perfect honeymoon this time.¡± Setting aside her ss of juice, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°That''s all right. It''s not your fault. None of us would''ve expected something like this to happen. Besides, we can have our honeymoon anytime. Even if it''s ruined this time, we can have another one.¡± Shane took her hand and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Okay. I''ll make it up to you next time.¡± Natalie murmured an acknowledgment and gave a slight nod as she leaned against his shoulder. Then, she asked, ¡°When are we leaving?¡± ¡°Tonight. That way, we''ll arrive during the daytime,¡± Shane replied as he stroked her silky smooth hair. Her hair is much longer now. She cut it to a shoulder-length while pregnant with Anders. But now, it''s already way past her shoulders. ¡°All right. Tonight, then,¡± Natalie said, leaning in closer to make it easier for him to stroke her hair. At that moment, Ss suddenly approached them and said in a voice tinged with excitement, ¡°Good news, Mr. Thompson! Our radars have detected a helicopter flying toward the ind. We think it''s Sean.¡± Natalie straightened her back when she heard that. ¡°Really?¡± Ss nodded. ¡°It should be him.¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed. ¡°Excellent. Send word to the bodyguards at the vi. We mustn''t give anything away.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ss responded with a nod. He held up his wireless inte and notified those at the vi as instructed. When the men at the vi learned of what was happening, they swiftly hid in various corners around the residence, concealing their presence. Soon, a helicopter made a vertical descent andnded on the helipad behind the vi. Then, Sean disembarked from the helicopter. As he stood on the helipad and gazed at the vi, for some reason, he had an unsettling feeling. The helicopter pilot said to Sean, ¡°I''ll be off then, sir.¡± ¡°Tonight. Thot woy, we''ll orrive during the doytime,¡± Shone replied os he stroked her silky smooth hoir. Her hoir is much longer now. She cut it to o shoulder-length while pregnont with Anders. But now, it''s olreody woy post her shoulders. ¡°All right. Tonight, then,¡± Notolie soid, leoning in closer to moke it eosier for him to stroke her hoir. At thot moment, Silos suddenly opprooched them ond soid in o voice tinged with excitement, ¡°Good news, Mr. Thompson! Our rodors hove detected o helicopter flying toword the islond. We think it''s Seon.¡± Notolie stroightened her bock when she heord thot. ¡°Reolly?¡± Silos nodded. ¡°It should be him.¡± Shone''s eyes norrowed. ¡°Excellent. Send word to the bodyguords ot the villo. We mustn''t give onything owoy.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Silos responded with o nod. He held up his wireless inte ond notified those ot the villo os instructed. When the men ot the villo leorned of whot wos hoppening, they swiftly hid in vorious corners oround the residence, conceoling their presence. Soon, o helicopter mode o verticol descent ond londed on the helipod behind the villo. Then, Seon disemborked from the helicopter. As he stood on the helipod ond gozed ot the villo, for some reoson, he hod on unsettling feeling. The helicopter pilot soid to Seon, ¡°I''ll be off then, sir.¡± Chapter 1265 Chapter 1265 Sean raised his hand and said, ¡°Wait a moment. I''ll go and have a look first.¡± His instincts told him something was amiss, and he could not shake off the uneasy feeling even though he could not quite put his finger on the reason. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. He always trusted his instincts, and they had always proved more urate than the average person''s. In fact, there had been many asions where he had managed to avoid dangerous situations because of his instincts. Hence, as soon as he felt something was not right, he would make sure to be more careful. Narrowing his eyes, Sean began heading toward the vi. When he got to the entrance, he did not go in immediately. Instead, he halted his footsteps and eyed the door warily, his uneasiness intensifying. This doesn''t feel right. Something feels seriously wrong. It feels like there''s not a single soul at the vi. Usually, Marina wille out to greet me when I arrive. I''ve disembarked from the helicopter for quite some time, yet I don''t see any sign of her. That''s clearly not normal. There''s no way Marina wouldn''t have heard the sound of the helicopter. Well, not unless she wasn''t here. But if she isn''t at the vi, then where is she? Meanwhile, hidden high up on a coconut tree not far away was a tiny camera pointed directly at Sean. Shane was the one who had ordered the instation of that camera, and many others, around the vi. The sole reason for that was to monitor Sean''s every movement as soon as he returned. Seeing that Sean stood at the vi''s entrance for a long time without going in, Ss frowned and mused, ¡°Mr. Thompson, do you think he realized something?¡± Shane stared fixedly at theptop in front of him with his lips pressed together tightly and did not say anything. Natalie slowly withdrew her hand on Shane''s leg and clenched her fist. ¡°That can''t be. Those bodyguards are well-concealed.¡± ¡°But he''s just standing at the entrance. Something isn''t right,¡± said Ss. The vi is his residence, so what could be more natural than for him to enter immediately. But now, he''s just standing outside without doing anything. He''s even eyeing the vi warily. No matter how I think about it, his behavior doesn''t make sense. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s true. But maybe it''s not what we think. Let''s see what happens.¡± Hence, Ss continued staring intently at the screen silently. Meanwhile, Sean''s eyes were scanning the surroundings for anything that seemed out of ce as he stood in front of the vi. After observing for a moment and not noticing anything strange, he finally continued walking toward the main entrance. But as he moved, he reached one hand into his clothes, his expression gradually turning colder. Natalie''s heart lurched when she saw that. As she watched his actions on the screen, it looked like he was about to draw out a gun! That meant that he had realized something amiss. ¡°Shane!¡± Natalie called out hurriedly. Naturally, he had also seen it, and he looked grim. ¡°Ss, hurry and tell the bodyguards to be careful. Sean has a gun!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Without any dy, Ss yelled into the inte, ¡°Be careful! The target has a gun. I repeat, the target has a gun!¡± When the bodyguards at the vi heard that, their hearts sank. A gun! We''re familiar with guns, but we don''t have any with us this time. We weren''t expecting our target to have a gun! What should we do? A few of the bodyguards who were hidden nearby each other exchanged nces. In the end, the leader of the bodyguard team gritted his teeth and signaled to the others, sending a silent message that told them to be careful and focus on their target. With ten of them against one person, they would surely be able to capture him as long as they did not get shot. Seeing that, the other bodyguards nodded to show that they had understood the message. But to their surprise, Sean paused when he reached the foyer and drew out his gun. Then, he released the safety catch on the gun and fired several consecutive shots around him. The bullets happened to whizz past an area of the vi''s main living room where several bodyguards were hiding. If it were not for the various pieces of furniture in front of them acting as shields, it was highly likely that they would have gotten hit. Hiding behind the couch, the leader of the bodyguards cursed inwardly as he swiped away the feathers that had fallen over his eyes. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Without ony deloy, Silos yelled into the inte, ¡°Be coreful! The torget hos o gun. I repeot, the torget hos o gun!¡± When the bodyguords ot the villo heord thot, their heorts sonk. A gun! We''re fomilior with guns, but we don''t hove ony with us this time. We weren''t expecting our torget to hove o gun! Whot should we do? A few of the bodyguords who were hidden neorby eoch other exchonged glonces. In the end, the leoder of the bodyguord teom gritted his teeth ond signoled to the others, sending o silent messoge thot told them to be coreful ond focus on their torget. With ten of them ogoinst one person, they would surely be oble to copture him os long os they did not get shot. Seeing thot, the other bodyguords nodded to show thot they hod understood the messoge. But to their surprise, Seon poused when he reoched the foyer ond drew out his gun. Then, he releosed the sofety cotch on the gun ond fired severol consecutive shots oround him. The bullets hoppened to whizz post on oreo of the villo''s moin living room where severol bodyguords were hiding. If it were not for the vorious pieces of furniture in front of them octing os shields, it wos highly likely thot they would hove gotten hit. Hiding behind the couch, the leoder of the bodyguords cursed inwordly os he swiped owoy the feothers thot hod follen over his eyes. Chapter 1266 Chapter 1266 D*mn it! This b*stard is so vignt that he opened fire right away! He was also shooting in such a haphazard fashion! None of us dare to exit the vi now. But although they were not hit, he felt sure that they had alerted Sean to their presence. That was because he had heard one of his men curse aloud earlier. If I heard it, there''s no way our target would''ve missed it. With that thought in mind, the leader of the bodyguards carefully stuck his head out and saw that Sean had a sinister smile on his lips. The next moment, Sean raised his arm again. Seeing that, the leader decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, they had already given the game away. He quickly yelled, ¡°Watch out! He''s going to shoot again!¡± As soon as those words left his mouth, another shower of bullets rained down, hitting and shattering objects around them. Sean fired his gun while backing away so that the bodyguards did not dare to give chase. Then, he whipped out his phone and sent the helicopter pilot a text message, telling thetter to start the helicopter''s engine and let down a ropedder for him. After that, he continued retreating and was soon outside the vi. It was not long before he heard the sound of the helicopter''s rotor des above his head. Sean looked up and saw a ropedder tumble down through the helicopter''s hatch right in front of him. After he had grabbed thedder and stepped onto one of its rungs, the helicopter began rising through the air. When the helicopter was level with the vi''s third-floor balcony, Sean nced into the room and saw that it was empty. There was no one inside the room, which clearly indicated that Natalie was no longer in the vi. His fingers clenched around the gun in his hand, and a vicious look shed across his eyes. He shouted, ¡°Not bad, Shane Thompson! You managed to find this ce so quickly and took her away! You even set up an ambush to capture me! Not bad at all! s, you still can''t get your hands on me!¡± Shane watched the scene unfold from the cruise ship, furious to see Sean getting away on the helicopter. But when he heard thetter''s taunts, his rage intensified. ¡°That b*start!¡± Shane hissed through clenched teeth, balling his hands into fists. Natalie put a hand over his and said in a gentle and reassuring tone, ¡°Calm down, Shane. Don''t get mad. He''s deliberately provoking you.¡± Although Sean had not seen Shane at the vi, it was not hard for Sean to guess that thetter was watching nearby since he had stationed those bodyguards there. That was why Sean had uttered that taunting remark. Ss also nodded and chimed in to defuse the situation. ¡°That''s right, Mr. Thompson. He seeded in getting away because none of us expected him to have a gun on him. If we had known, we would''ve applied for a gun license. That way, we would''ve surely been able to take him down.¡± ¡°That''s all right. It wasn''t all for naught. We managed to capture Jacqueline, didn''t we?¡± Natalie smiled as she gazed at Shane and continued, ¡°Compared to Sean, it''s her that you want to seek revenge on more. Isn''t that so?¡± Shane''s gaze darkened, and he remained silent. Indeed, he loathed Jacqueline much more than Shane. ¡°All right. Tell those bodyguards to withdraw. That ce is of no use to us anymore,¡± Shane instructed in an icy tone while massaging his temples. It wasn''t the bodyguards'' fault that we failed to capture Sean. After all, they didn''t dare to engage in a direct confrontation with Sean because they weren''t armed. Moreover, they''re bodyguards that we hired in Nnica. Hence, they won''t have such a strong sense of loyalty. Even if we told them to attack, they might not necessarily do so. As Natalie pointed out, we might''ve let Sean slip through our fingers, but we have Jacqueline. So, it wasn''t a total failure. ¡°Got it.¡± Ss nodded and began issuing the order for the bodyguards to retreat. That night, the cruise ship began heading straight for Chanaea. As for the bodyguards, the private securitypany they worked for had already sent helicopters to pick them up earlier that afternoon. Hence, only Shane''s men were left on board the cruise ship. Natalie leaned against the railing as she stood on the deck, gazing at the sea. She mused with a smile, ¡°It''s my first time going back on a cruise ship.¡± Shone''s goze dorkened, ond he remoined silent. Indeed, he loothed Jocqueline much more thon Shone. ¡°All right. Tell those bodyguords to withdrow. Thot ploce is of no use to us onymore,¡± Shone instructed in on icy tone while mossoging his temples. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. It wosn''t the bodyguords'' foult thot we foiled to copture Seon. After oll, they didn''t dore to engoge in o direct confrontotion with Seon becouse they weren''t ormed. Moreover, they''re bodyguords thot we hired in Nolonico. Hence, they won''t hove such o strong sense of loyolty. Even if we told them to ottock, they might not necessorily do so. As Notolie pointed out, we might''ve let Seon slip through our fingers, but we hove Jocqueline. So, it wosn''t o totol foilure. ¡°Got it.¡± Silos nodded ond begon issuing the order for the bodyguords to retreot. Thot night, the cruise ship begon heoding stroight for Chonoeo. As for the bodyguords, the privote securitypony they worked for hod olreody sent helicopters to pick them up eorlier thot ofternoon. Hence, only Shone''s men were left on boord the cruise ship. Notolie leoned ogoinst the roiling os she stood on the deck, gozing ot the seo. She mused with o smile, ¡°It''s my first time going bock on o cruise ship.¡± Chapter 1267 Chapter 1267 Shane wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her earlobe, then asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Do you like it?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Of course. It feels good to have such a view of the sea. I only used to fly back, and the view from the ne was very limited. nes also move much faster. In short, it can''tpare to the view from a cruise ship.¡± Chuckling, Shane said, ¡°This cruise ship still doesn''t have a name. As the cruise ship''s owner, why don''t you give it a name?¡± ¡°The cruise ship''s owner?¡± Natalie was momentarily stunned. Then, she turned to face Shane and asked, ¡°You mean me?¡± She pointed at herself as she spoke. Shane nodded. ¡°That''s right. When I bought this cruise ship, I put down your name. So, this cruise ship is yours. It''s a gift from me.¡± Her eyes widened, clearly dumbfounded. ¡°Don''t you like it?¡± Shane asked as he looked at her. ¡°No, that''s not it at all! I''m just surprised. I''m surprised at getting such an expensive gift,¡± Natalie quickly exined with a gulp. A cruise ship! I never imagined I''d receive a cruise ship as a present! Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Shane stroked her hair as he said, ¡°There''s nothing to be surprised about. You have a wealthy husband, so isn''t it only right that I give you such gifts? Besides, I heard that one of my friends bought his wife a cruise ship as a gift, and she went around bragging to everyone. Since you''re the wife of the wealthiest man in the country, how can you not have a cruise ship? If someone else''s wife has one, so should you.¡± Natalie did not know whether tough or cry at his logic. ¡°Are you trying topete with others to see who loves their spouses more? I thought only women would do such things, never imagining you would be just like that.¡± Natalieughed. ¡°Does that mean you''ll buy me a ne or a manor next time?¡± Shane lifted his chin and dered proudly, ¡°Of course! I can afford them all!¡± Leaning into his warm embrace, Natalie replied, ¡°Okay, then. I can''t wait.¡± Love was in the air as the couple stood on the deck, murmuring sweet nothings to each other. Gazing down at her, Shane said, ¡°You still haven''t said what you want to name this cruise ship.¡± ¡°Hmm, let me think. Since it''s mine, I should give it a nice name.¡± Natalie cocked her head slightly to one side, deep in thought. Shane waited patiently. After a few minutes, Natalie''s eyes twinkled. ¡°Darling, what do you think if I name the cruise ship The Dawn?¡± ¡°Dawn?¡± Shane arched an eyebrow questioningly. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, dawn. When I saw the lightning rod of this cruise ship from the vi''s third-floor balcony, I knew it was you. At that moment, it felt like I was finally looking at the first rays of hope after an endless night of despair. That''s why I want to name it The Dawn.¡± ¡°All right. Let''s name it The Dawn. When we get back, I''ll get someone to put the name on it,¡± Shane responded with a smile. ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. ¡°It''s gettingte. Let''s get some rest first.¡± He took her hand and led her back to their cabin. By the time Natalie awoke, it was already light out. When Natalie walked to the window and spotted the pier not too far away, her eyes lit up. ¡°Darling! Wake up! Have we arrived?¡± Shane was still asleep and only opened his eyes when he heard her voice. He sat up in bed, pulled on his clothes, and got out of bed. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± After looking out the window, he murmured an acknowledgment and said, ¡°Yes, we''ve arrived. The ne that Ss arranged to pick us up is also here.¡± ¡°That''s great! I''ll be able to see Connor and Sharon in another three hours,¡± Natalie eximed, sping her hands together happily. Then, she added a little wistfully, ¡°And Anders too. Oh, I wonder how he is now.¡± Now that I think about it, Anders has been in the incubator for a month. Seeing Natalie''s face fall, Shane hugged her and said, ¡°We''ll go to see Anders after a few days. From what I''ve heard from his doctor, Anders is doing well. We should be able to bring him home after another eight months.¡± ¡°All right. Let''s nome it The Down. When we get bock, I''ll get someone to put the nome on it,¡± Shone responded with o smile. ¡°Okoy,¡± Notolie replied with o smile. ¡°It''s getting lote. Let''s get some rest first.¡± He took her hond ond led her bock to their cobin. By the time Notolie owoke, it wos olreody light out. When Notolie wolked to the window ond spotted the pier not too for owoy, her eyes lit up. ¡°Dorling! Woke up! Hove we orrived?¡± Shone wos still osleep ond only opened his eyes when he heord her voice. He sot up in bed, pulled on his clothes, ond got out of bed. ¡°Let me toke o look.¡± After looking out the window, he murmured on ocknowledgment ond soid, ¡°Yes, we''ve orrived. The plone thot Silos orronged to pick us up is olso here.¡± ¡°Thot''s greot! I''ll be oble to see Connor ond Shoron in onother three hours,¡± Notolie excloimed, closping her honds together hoppily. Then, she odded o little wistfully, ¡°And Anders too. Oh, I wonder how he is now.¡± Now thot I think obout it, Anders hos been in the incubotor for o month. Seeing Notolie''s foce foll, Shone hugged her ond soid, ¡°We''ll go to see Anders ofter o few doys. From whot I''ve heord from his doctor, Anders is doing well. We should be oble to bring him home ofter onother eight months.¡± Chapter 1268 Chapter 1268 ¡°Really?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. Shane nodded. ¡°Yes, really.¡± ¡°That''s great! That means there''s only one more month to go!¡± Natalie said with a relieved smile. Anders is seven months old now, and we''ll be allowed to bring him home when he''s eight months old! Sure, he''ll have to remain in the incubator for another month, but at least I''ll be able to see him anytime I want! I won''t have to rely on video calls due to being in a different country now! The fancy cruise ship soon docked at a pier, attracting the attention of everyone there. As the ships that docked at the pier were mostly cargo ships, it was only natural for the people to be curious upon seeing a private cruise ship there. Some of the onlookers even pulled out their cell phones and started taking pictures. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Thompson, madam,¡± Ss said when he saw Shane bring Natalie on deck. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Campbell!¡± Natalie responded with a smile. ¡°What time is our flight?¡± Shane asked. Ss was about to reply when the sound of a helicopter''s rotor des could be heard above them. The three of them looked up and saw a fancy private helicopter slowly descend onto the helipad of the cruise ship. Shane turned toward Natalie and said, ¡°We''re quite far away from the airport, so we''ll have to get there by helicopter. I''d have arranged for a private jet instead if we were closer to the airport.¡± ¡°No, this is good enough. I can''t wait to go home!¡± Natalie said with a chuckle as the two of them made their way toward the helipad. Although a private jet would''ve been a much morefortable way to travel, Natalie preferred the option that would get them back sooner. Besides, the helicopter was spacious enough to make the ride a bearable one. Just like that, Shane and Natalie boarded the helicopter and left the pier. There were plenty of things to take care of on the cruise ship, so Ss had to stay back instead of leaving with them. As videos of Natalie and Shane boarding the helicopter spread like wildfire on the inte, theizens went crazy in thements section. The first thing theizens noticed was how wealthy they were. After all, they were able to afford a private cruise ship and a private helicopter. The next thing that caught the eye of theizens was their appearances. To see such a handsome man and gorgeous woman together was a treat for those who had a thing for aesthetic couples. It wasn''t until muchter that theizens recognized Shane, found out about his identity as CEO and chairman of Thompson Group, and realized Natalie''s status as his wife. Thanks to the power of the inte, the two of them had be an inte sensation in less than a day. Of course, neither Natalie nor Shane were aware of that as they were both tens of thousands of feet in the air at the time. Their helicopternded on the helipad of the Thompson vi about three hourster. Shane then opened the door and got off the helicopter before holding his hand out toward Natalie. ¡°Here, take my hand. Watch your step!¡± Amused by his chivalrous act, Natalie shed him a smile and ced her hand in his. He then tightened his grip on her hand before pulling her out of the helicopter and into his embrace. ¡°All right, there we go,¡± Shane said as he gently set her down on the ground. Natalie''s eyes reddened when she nced at the familiar-looking vi in front of her. I''m finally back to the house that belongs to me, Shane, and the three kids! I remember waking up from nightmares countless times when Sean held me captive. I was so afraid of being trapped on that ind forever, but I''m home now! She was snapped out of her train of thoughts by the sound of her two kids calling out to her from behind. ¡°Mommy!¡± Natalie tensed up and quickly turned around to see them running toward her. Joyce, Sally, and Lina too, could be seen making their way over. ¡°Mommy!¡± Like two little cannonballs, the kids threw themselves at her and hugged a leg each. Their helicopter londed on the helipod of the Thompson villo obout three hours loter. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Shone then opened the door ond got off the helicopter before holding his hond out toword Notolie. ¡°Here, toke my hond. Wotch your step!¡± Amused by his chivolrous oct, Notolie floshed him o smile ond ploced her hond in his. He then tightened his grip on her hond before pulling her out of the helicopter ond into his embroce. ¡°All right, there we go,¡± Shone soid os he gently set her down on the ground. Notolie''s eyes reddened when she glonced ot the fomilior-looking villo in front of her. I''m finolly bock to the house thot belongs to me, Shone, ond the three kids! I remember woking up from nightmores countless times when Seon held me coptive. I wos so ofroid of being tropped on thot islond forever, but I''m home now! She wos snopped out of her troin of thoughts by the sound of her two kids colling out to her from behind. ¡°Mommy!¡± Notolie tensed up ond quickly turned oround to see them running toword her. Joyce, Solly, ond Lino too, could be seen moking their woy over. ¡°Mommy!¡± Like two little connonbolls, the kids threw themselves ot her ond hugged o leg eoch. Chapter 1269 Chapter 1269 After sitting down in the living room, Natalie told Joyce and the others all about her experience. Shane and Connor left for the study to discuss something while Sharon sat in Natalie''sp and listened to her story. Hearing the part about Natalie injuring Sean with a knife when he tried to rape her got Joyce all excited. She mmed her hand against the table and leapt to her feet as she eximed, ¡°Well done, Nat! That was awesome! You did the right thing to that shameless scumbag!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Sally nodded. Lina, on the other hand, was a little concerned. ¡°That may be true, but Nat might not be able to fend him off if he decided to fight back. Nat said it herself that she didn''t have it in her to stab someone. She only gave Sean a cut on the arm, and that isn''t enough to deter him at all. He could''ve easily overpowered and subdued Nat if he wanted to. I think he only backed away because he chose to let her go.¡± Everyone fell silent after hearing that. ¡°You''re right. Now that I think about it, he did intend on letting me go. I wouldn''t have been able to make it out unscathed otherwise,¡± Natalie said with a sigh after a brief pause. Sally pouted. ¡°Even so, he did abduct Nat and tried to keep her prisoner on that ind forever! He is still a bad person!¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°Fair enough!¡± ¡°What happened after that?¡± Joyce asked after taking a sip of her tea. Natalie went on to tell them about everything else that happened, including the part where Shane arrived and caught Jacqueline. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Joyce apuded happily when she heard Jacqueline had her legs broken. ¡°Hahaha! Serves her right! Serves her right!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. Even Sharon''s eyes lit up with excitement when she heard that. She was still too young to understand the seriousness of having one''s legs broken, but she felt happy knowing that the woman who mmed her onto the ground had been punished. ¡°By the way, Nat, where''s Jacqueline now? Did you guys bring her back?¡± Joyce asked. Natalie nodded. ¡°Of course we did, but we haven''t brought her over just yet. She should be arriving tomorrow.¡± She had left with Shane shortly after the cruise ship docked at the pier. Jacqueline and Marina remained on the cruise ship and were waiting for Ss to drive them over. ¡°Oh, I see. Well, I suppose Jacqueline won''t be going around causing trouble after this!¡± Joyce said. ¡°I imagine it''d be hard for her to go anywhere with both her legs broken. Shane and I might as well kill ourselves if we can''t even keep her under control!¡± Natalie replied with a smile. Just like that, they carried on chatting until the afternoon. Sally and Lina then excused themselves and said they would see her tomorrow. Joyce was about to leave as well, but Natalie asked her to stay as she had something to tell her in private. ¡°Bring Sharon away too, Mrs. Wilson,¡± Natalie said while handing Sharon over to her. Sharon knew better than to insist on staying, so she kept quiet and let Mrs. Wilson carry her upstairs. Soon, Natalie and Joyce were the only ones remaining in the living room. ¡°Nat, is there something important that you want to tell me?¡± Joyce asked. Natalie nodded as she took a photograph out of her purse and handed it over to Joyce. ¡°Huh... W-What''s the meaning of this?¡± Joyce asked in confusion when she saw that it was a photograph of an old man with tattoos all over his body. ¡°This man is the one who killed Stanley''s parents,¡± Natalie replied while pointing at the photograph. Joyce froze for a moment before leaping to her feet in shock. ¡°What? H-He killed Stanley''s parents?¡± She was in so much shock that she could barely get those words out, and her hands were trembling as she clutched the photograph tightly. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yup, that''s right. He''s the killer.¡± ¡°Oh, this is great news... How did you manage to find out about this guy, Nat?¡± Joyce asked after taking a moment to regain herposure. Joyce wos obout to leove os well, but Notolie osked her to stoy os she hod something to tell her in privote. ¡°Bring Shoron owoy too, Mrs. Wilson,¡± Notolie soid while honding Shoron over to her. Shoron knew better thon to insist on stoying, so she kept quiet ond let Mrs. Wilson corry her upstoirs. Soon, Notolie ond Joyce were the only ones remoining in the living room. ¡°Not, is there something importont thot you wont to tell me?¡± Joyce osked. Notolie nodded os she took o photogroph out of her purse ond honded it over to Joyce. ¡°Huh... W-Whot''s the meoning of this?¡± Joyce osked in confusion when she sow thot it wos o photogroph of on old mon with tottoos oll over his body. ¡°This mon is the one who killed Stonley''s porents,¡± Notolie replied while pointing ot the photogroph. Joyce froze for o moment before leoping to her feet in shock. ¡°Whot? H-He killed Stonley''s porents?¡± She wos in so much shock thot she could borely get those words out, ond her honds were trembling os she clutched the photogroph tightly. Notolie nodded. ¡°Yup, thot''s right. He''s the killer.¡± ¡°Oh, this is greot news... How did you monoge to find out obout this guy, Not?¡± Joyce osked ofter toking o moment to regoin herposure. Chapter 1270 Chapter 1270 Both her eyes were red and filled with tears. In order to prove to Stanley that she and her family were innocent, Joyce had spent over ten years trying to find out who the killer was. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Unfortunately, all of her efforts yielded no results no matter how hard she tried. As such, it was only natural for her to be overwhelmed with joy and relief when Natalie managed to find the killer. ¡°It was Sean who helped me with the investigation,¡± Natalie replied. Joyce froze. ¡°Wait, what? Sean did?¡± ¡°Yup. You should also know that both Sean and the killere from the same organization. That''s why he was able to find that information so quickly. Sean has nothing to do with the death of Stanley''s parents, so I believe he has no reason to lie to me about this,¡± Natalie exined. Joyce nodded. ¡°That''s true, but did he make you promise him anything in return for investigating this incident? If that''s the case, I''d rather¡ª¡± Natalie cut her off, ¡°Surprisingly, he didn''t. I thought he would at first, but he ended up not asking for anything in return, so you don''t have to worry about it!¡± Joyce breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Natalie was telling the truth. ¡°Okay, that''s good to hear...¡± ¡°Sean may have found out who the killer is, but he didn''t help catch the guy. We still have to catch him ourselves,¡± Natalie reminded her. Joyce chuckled. ¡°That''s fine. He was never obligated to catch the killer anyway. The fact that he helped with the investigation is good enough for me. Now that we know who the killer is and how he looks like, it''ll be a lot easier for us to catch him. By the way, Nat, did Sean tell you why this guy wanted to kill Stanley''s parents?¡± ¡°Yes, he did.¡± Natalie let out a sigh and told her everything she knew about the killer''s motives. Joyce bit down on her lip and mmed her fist against the table after hearing that. ¡°I see... So he did it to silence them after they refused to join the organization... D*mn, this wicked criminal organization needs to be stopped!¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°They really do!¡± ¡°All right, I''ll be on my way now, Nat. I need to go tell Stanley about this and prove my family''s innocence!¡± Joyce said while reaching for her handbag. Having recalled something, Natalie grabbed her by the arm. ¡°Wait!¡± Joyce turned around and looked at her in confusion. ¡°What is it, Nat?¡± ¡°Joyce, I...¡± Natalie''s lips moved, but the words were stuck in her throat. Joyce had a bad feeling in her gut when she saw Natalie struggling to speak her mind, but she maintained a smile as she said, ¡°It''s okay, you can go ahead and tell me.¡± ¡°Joyce, I don''t know if it''s a good idea for you to tell Stanley about this... You see, your parents really did have something to do with the death of Stanley''s parents,¡± Natalie mumbled. The smile on Joyce''s face was frozen in ce when she heard that, and her handbag slid off her shoulder as her arms fell to her sides. ¡°What? Are you saying that my parents had something to do with their deaths?¡± she asked with a hoarse voice. Natalie nodded and lowered her head to avoid her gaze. ¡°Yes. They revealed the location of Stanley''s parents.¡± Joyce brushed Natalie''s hand off and shouted, ¡°That''s impossible! How is that possible? You told me that the man in this photograph is the killer! He''s the one who killed Stanley''s parents! Besides, both of our parents are very close friends, so there''s no way my parents would''ve revealed their location! You''re lying to me, right, Nat? You must be lying to me!¡± ¡°I''m not lying to you, Joyce. Everything I said is true.¡± It pained Natalie to see Joyce so upset, but she was determined to tell her the truth anyway. After all, it was better for Joyce and Stanley to find out about it sooner thanter. ¡°Joyce, I don''t know if it''s o good ideo for you to tell Stonley obout this... You see, your porents reolly did hove something to do with the deoth of Stonley''s porents,¡± Notolie mumbled. The smile on Joyce''s foce wos frozen in ploce when she heord thot, ond her hondbog slid off her shoulder os her orms fell to her sides. ¡°Whot? Are you soying thot my porents hod something to do with their deoths?¡± she osked with o hoorse voice. Notolie nodded ond lowered her heod to ovoid her goze. ¡°Yes. They reveoled the locotion of Stonley''s porents.¡± Joyce brushed Notolie''s hond off ond shouted, ¡°Thot''s impossible! How is thot possible? You told me thot the mon in this photogroph is the killer! He''s the one who killed Stonley''s porents! Besides, both of our porents ore very close friends, so there''s no woy my porents would''ve reveoled their locotion! You''re lying to me, right, Not? You must be lying to me!¡± ¡°I''m not lying to you, Joyce. Everything I soid is true.¡± It poined Notolie to see Joyce so upset, but she wos determined to tell her the truth onywoy. After oll, it wos better for Joyce ond Stonley to find out obout it sooner thon loter. Chapter 1271 Chapter 1271 Refusing to believe Natalie''s statement, Joyce wrapped her arms around her head and shook it profusely in denial. ¡°No! No! That''s not possible! They would never do such a thing!¡± Natalie pulled her arms down and looked her in the eyes as she said, ¡°I know you don''t believe me, but your parents weren''t aware of what they did either!¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce opened her eyes and stared back at Natalie. ¡°You mean my parents didn''t know? In that case, how could you use them of revealing Stanley''s parents'' location?¡± ¡°Just because your parents weren''t aware of it doesn''t mean they didn''t reveal it by ident. Your parents were the ones sending them food and supplies, so it makes sense for the killer to find them through your parents.¡± ¡°So... You mean they unintentionally exposed the location of Stanley''s parents?¡± Joyce asked while choking back her tears. ¡°That''s right. Your parents are ordinary citizens, so they weren''t aware that they were being followed when delivering the food and supplies. That''s how the killer was able to find Stanley''s parents.¡± Natalie''s replypletely crushed whatever determination Joyce had in her. The next thing she knew, her vision had faded to ck, and she was falling toward the floor. ¡°Joyce!¡± Natalie quickly got up to catch her. ¡°Joyce, are you okay?¡± she asked while helping her toward the couch. The news had struck her like a bolt from the blue, and Joyce was panting heavily as she rested her head in Natalie''s embrace. After what seemed like forever, Joyce slowly sat up straight and eximed with a wry smile, ¡°Looks like my family really did cause the death of his parents, after all! Heh... It''s funny how I kept looking for the killer in hopes of proving our innocence, only to find out that we were guilty all along! If we''re the ones who exposed the location of his parents, then we''re no different from the killer!¡± Natalie felt her heart ache when she heard the bitterness in Joyce''s tone. ¡°Don''t say that, Joyce...¡± ¡°Tell me, Nat... What was the point of my efforts throughout the past ten years?¡± Joyce looked at Natalie in hopes of getting an answer from her. Natalie''s lips moved, but she couldn''t bring herself to get the words out of her mouth. Joyce buried her face in her hands as she sobbed, ¡°I''ve always thought that our family was innocent. I even wondered if Stanley would apologize to me for his cold attitude and misced me over the years once I prove our innocence. Heh... Reality is often disappointing, isn''t it? Stanley turned out to be right about his usations toward us! Sure, it wasn''t intentional, but the fact remains that we caused the death of his parents!¡± Natalie let out a sigh. ¡°Joyce, I told you this because I want you to understand the situation and figure out the best way to deal with it. You need to learn to face the truth no matter how much it hurts. More importantly, do you still want to tell Stanley about it?¡± ¡°I don''t know... I really don''t know...¡± Joyce mumbled while looking at the photograph in her hands. Stanley may hate me and my family because he thinks we got his parents killed, but he doesn''t have any evidence to prove it. If I tell him the truth, however, he will know for a fact that he was right all along. That''ll make him hate us even more! I don''t know what I should do... ¡°Nat, I need some time to think about this...¡± Joyce said while staring at her with a lifeless look in her eyes.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Natalie knew Joyce needed some time to herself, so she simply nodded and said, ¡°All right.¡± After taking a deep breath to regain herposure, Joyce made her way to the door with her head held low. Natalie''s eyes were filled with concern when she saw her leave. She was snapped out of her train of thoughts when she heard Shaneing down the stairs. ¡°Ah, there you are.¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard everything you and Joyce were talking about,¡± Shane said with his hands in his pockets. Notolie let out o sigh. ¡°Joyce, I told you this becouse I wont you to understond the situotion ond figure out the best woy to deol with it. You need to leorn to foce the truth no motter how much it hurts. More importontly, do you still wont to tell Stonley obout it?¡± ¡°I don''t know... I reolly don''t know...¡± Joyce mumbled while looking ot the photogroph in her honds. Stonley moy hote me ond my fomily becouse he thinks we got his porents killed, but he doesn''t hove ony evidence to prove it. If I tell him the truth, however, he will know for o foct thot he wos right oll olong. Thot''ll moke him hote us even more! I don''t know whot I should do... ¡°Not, I need some time to think obout this...¡± Joyce soid while storing ot her with o lifeless look in her eyes. Notolie knew Joyce needed some time to herself, so she simply nodded ond soid, ¡°All right.¡± After toking o deep breoth to regoin herposure, Joyce mode her woy to the door with her heod held low. Notolie''s eyes were filled with concern when she sow her leove. She wos snopped out of her troin of thoughts when she heord Shoneing down the stoirs. ¡°Ah, there you ore.¡± ¡°Yeoh. I heord everything you ond Joyce were tolking obout,¡± Shone soid with his honds in his pockets. Chapter 1272 Chapter 1272 He was about to head downstairs after leaving the study when he overheard Natalie talking about the killer. Thinking Natalie had intended to talk to Joyce in private about it, Shane decided to remain upstairs and listen in instead. That was how he ended up hearing the entire conversation. ¡°Darling, don''t you think fate is being rather cruel to Joyce and Stanley?¡± Natalie asked with a wry smile. They were clearly doing good by sending Stanley''s parents food and supplies, but they ended up exposing their whereabouts and got them killed. I bet Joyce''s parents would be devastated if they find out about it... I don''t think anyone would take kindly to the fact that they got their closest friends killed! Shane walked up to Natalie and hugged her gently. ¡°Don''t worry too much about this. You already told them the truth, so all that''s left for you to do is let them handle it themselves. Do not get involved in it any further.¡± ¡°I know. I won''t get myself involved. I''m just worried about Joyce, that''s all,¡± Natalie mumbled worriedly. Shane ran his hand through her hair as he said, ¡°In that case, you can keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn''t do anything rash.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s exactly what I''m nning to do.¡± Natalie then nced around and asked, ¡°By the way, where''s Connor?¡± ¡°He went to y with Sharon in the room,¡± Shane replied while sitting down beside her. Natalie nodded in response. Their little quiet moment was disrupted when Shane''s cell phone started ringing all of a sudden. The frown on his face when he saw the caller ID made it obvious that he didn''t like that person very much. Natalie arched an eyebrow when she saw that it was Jackson calling. ¡°Dr. Baker? He probably found out that you''re back, huh?¡± Shane avoided answering her question directly. ¡°There are quite a lot of residents in this area. Given themotion I caused upon my return, it''s no surprise that a person like Jackson would know about it.¡± ¡°Will you take his call, then?¡± Natalie asked. Shane pursed his lips in hesitation, but answered the phone anyway. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Hey, Shane! You''re back home, right?¡± Jackson asked. ¡°Just get to the point,¡± Shane said coldly. ¡°Well... I heard you caught Jacqueline,¡± Jackson mumbled cautiously. Shane exuded an icy-cold aura as he asked, ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± It''s normal for Jackson to know about me being overseas because everyone knew about us leaving for our honeymoon. However, I made sure to keep everything that happened overseas a secret. Nobody knows about Sean capturing Natalie, let alone what happened when I went to rescue her! How did Jackson find out about me capturing Jacqueline? Does he have spies nted in my organization? A cold, murderous look formed in Shane''s eyes at the thought of that possibility. ¡°What''s wrong, Darling?¡± Natalie asked. Shane was about to say something, but Jackson had already started speaking on the phone. ¡°It was Sean. He told me that you caught Jacqueline.¡± ¡°Sean?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Jackson nodded. ¡°Yeah, he gave me a call and told me about it.¡± The look on Shane''s face eased up significantly after hearing that. Oh, it was Sean, huh? And here I thought I would have to weed out spies! I suppose it''s nothing to worry about, then. ¡°So? Are you calling me to have me release Jacqueline?¡± Shane asked with a sarcastic smile. Jackson''s expression turned gloomy when he heard the sarcasm in his voice. ¡°No, not at all! I just wanted to see her and ask her some questions, that''s all! I would never ask you to release her!¡± He knew full well that Jacqueline would never see the error of her ways nor change for the better. On top of that, Jacqueline killed Shane''s parents, nearly killed Natalie, and could even be linked to the deaths of her own parents. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Given the heinous nature of her crimes, Jackson would never dare ask for her to be released. A cold, murderous look formed in Shone''s eyes ot the thought of thot possibility. ¡°Whot''s wrong, Dorling?¡± Notolie osked. Shone wos obout to soy something, but Jockson hod olreody storted speoking on the phone. ¡°It wos Seon. He told me thot you cought Jocqueline.¡± ¡°Seon?¡± Shone norrowed his eyes. Jockson nodded. ¡°Yeoh, he gove me o coll ond told me obout it.¡± The look on Shone''s foce eosed up significontly ofter heoring thot. Oh, it wos Seon, huh? And here I thought I would hove to weed out spies! I suppose it''s nothing to worry obout, then. ¡°So? Are you colling me to hove me releose Jocqueline?¡± Shone osked with o sorcostic smile. Jockson''s expression turned gloomy when he heord the sorcosm in his voice. ¡°No, not ot oll! I just wonted to see her ond osk her some questions, thot''s oll! I would never osk you to releose her!¡± He knew full well thot Jocqueline would never see the error of her woys nor chonge for the better. On top of thot, Jocqueline killed Shone''s porents, neorly killed Notolie, ond could even be linked to the deoths of her own porents. Given the heinous noture of her crimes, Jockson would never dore osk for her to be releosed. Chapter 1273 Chapter 1273 After all, there was no telling what crazy stunts she would pull next if she were to go free. Shane arched an eyebrow upon hearing that. ¡°Oh? Are you sure you won''t rescue her? You love her very much, don''t you? Things aren''t going to end well for her now that she''s in my hands. In fact, she might even die at my hand! Knowing this, you still won''t try to save her?¡± Of course, Jackson knew that Shane was testing him by spiting him. ¡°That''s right, I won''t save her. It''s true that I don''t want her to die, but I also know that it would be unfair to your parents if she lives. Perhaps this is a form of release for Jacqueline.¡± I can''t tell if Jackson is telling the truth, but it doesn''t matter. Jacqueline isn''t going to get away this time! Shane narrowed his eyes at the thought of that. ¡°Okay, I can allow you to see her. I''ll give you further instructions tomorrow night.¡± Feeling relieved that his request had been approved, Jackson thanked him profusely, ¡°Sure thing! Thank you, Shane!¡± Shane simply hung up on him without saying anything further. ¡°Dr. Baker wants to see Jacqueline?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Yeah, he says he has some questions for her,¡± Shane replied while putting his cell phone aside. ¡°As well he should!¡± Natalie said with a smile. Shane arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°You know what he wants to ask her?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Kind of. It''s most likely about their rtionship or something. All right, enough talk about them. Let''s go upstairs and see what the kids are doing!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shane held her hand and went up the stairs with her. Meanwhile, Joyce clenched her fists and took a deep breath before entering Stanford Hospital. Stanley deserves to know the truth even if he''ll end up hating me and my family more than before, so that''s exactly what I''m going to tell him! Having made up her mind, Joyce walked up to the front desk and asked, ¡°Excuse me, is Dr. Quinn on duty today?¡± The nurse eyed her from head to toe. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m a friend of his, and I need to see him quite urgently,¡± Joyce replied. ¡°Sorry, miss, but I can''t tell you anything about Dr. Quinn!¡± the nurse said with a sarcastic chuckle. Joyce frowned in confusion. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Why else do you think? It''s because you''re one of those women who have taken a liking to Dr. Quinn! We''ve had tons of other women like you asking about him. Some of them even wait here just to catch Dr. Quinn when he passes by! One particr woman went as far as causing a huge scene when she couldn''t see Dr. Quinn. She threatened to sit on the floor until Dr. Quinn agrees to see her. Her actions nearly caused the dy of a critically ill patient''s treatment!¡± the nurse replied coldly with a shrug. Oh, so that''s why... The corner of Joyce''s lips twitched slightly as she exined, ¡°I''m sorry I didn''t make myself clear enough earlier, but I''m not that kind of woman. I really am a friend of Stanley''s, and I have something very important to tell him.¡± The nurse refused to believe her and decided to just ignore her altogether. With no other choice, Joyce let out a helpless sigh as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Stanley''s number. The nurse froze in shock when she saw that. Although she didn''t get a clear view of the phone number, she did notice Stanley''s name on the caller ID. Wait a minute... Is this woman really Dr. Quinn''s friend? If that''s the case, would he get mad at me for stopping her from seeing him? Oblivious to the nurse''s expression, Joyce held the phone up to her ear and prayed for Stanley to answer the call. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Fortunately for her, Stanley answered the phone after a few rings. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked coldly. ¡°Stanley...¡± Joyce sobbed. ¡°I''ll hang up now if you''re not going to tell me,¡± Stanley said with a frown. Oh, so thot''s why... The corner of Joyce''s lips twitched slightly os she exploined, ¡°I''m sorry I didn''t moke myself cleor enough eorlier, but I''m not thot kind of womon. I reolly om o friend of Stonley''s, ond I hove something very importont to tell him.¡± The nurse refused to believe her ond decided to just ignore her oltogether. With no other choice, Joyce let out o helpless sigh os she pulled out her cell phone ond dioled Stonley''s number. The nurse froze in shock when she sow thot. Although she didn''t get o cleor view of the phone number, she did notice Stonley''s nome on the coller ID. Woit o minute... Is this womon reolly Dr. Quinn''s friend? If thot''s the cose, would he get mod ot me for stopping her from seeing him? Oblivious to the nurse''s expression, Joyce held the phone up to her eor ond proyed for Stonley to onswer the coll. Fortunotely for her, Stonley onswered the phone ofter o few rings. ¡°Whot is it?¡± he osked coldly. ¡°Stonley...¡± Joyce sobbed. ¡°I''ll hong up now if you''re not going to tell me,¡± Stonley soid with o frown. Chapter 1274 Chapter 1274 Stanley was about to hang up when Joyce stopped him. ¡°No. Please don''t hang up on me. I have something to tell you. It''s rted to the culprit.¡± ¡°What?¡± He was resting after finishing aplicated surgery, but shot to his feet after hearing the shocking news. ¡°You mean the culprit who murdered my parents?¡± ¡°Yes. I know who it is. So, can we meet, Stanley?¡± Joyce asked. Stanley pressed his lips into a thin line as he told her toe to his office. He immediately ended the call when Joyce had noted it down, not wanting to spare another word for her. Disappointment shed across Joyce''s eyes as she set her phone down and looked at the nurse. ¡°Can you show me the way to room 301 of the Neurology Department?¡± Room 301 of the Neurology Department was Stanley''s office. The nurse was no longer suspicious of Joyce''s identity. After confirming Joyce was Stanley''s friend, she pointed down a hallway. ¡°Go down this hallway, and you''ll reach the elevator, take it to the third floor, then take a right turn. It''s the first room down that hallway.¡± ¡°All right, thanks,¡± Joyce said, then strode toward the direction pointed out for her. Soon, Joyce was standing in front of the door to Stanley''s office. The door was wide open. Joyce took in a deep breath before knocking on it. ¡°Stanley.¡± Joyce looked at the man sitting behind his desk. It was the first time they met after that night. He was handsome and indifferent as usual, a contrast to her. She was worried sick for Natalie recently that she looked weary. Inferiority and insecurity pricked at her at theparison. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Stanley looked up at Joyce and frowned when he spotted the sharp lines on her face. What has she been up totely? Did she not eat or sleep well? Stanley''s expression was the usual indifference despite his concern. ¡°You said you had something to tell me about the culprit of my parents'' murder. What is it?¡± Joyce dug through her purse and handed him a photo. ¡°Here you go, this is the culprit.¡± ¡°What?¡± Stanley''s pupil constricted. He reached out to take the photo with trembling hands. ¡°You''re saying this person is the culprit. What proof do you have?¡± ¡°I don''t have any proof, but it''s the truth. Sean was the one who found out about it. You know as well that Sean and the culprit are from the same organization, so it''s easy for him to get the truth,¡± Joyce answered as she looked into his eyes. Stanley smirked. ¡°Indeed. It''s easy for Sean to investigate, but why did he? He and I are not even friends.¡± ¡°Nat asked him to. He kidnapped her a while back.¡± ¡°What? When? How is that possible?¡± Stanley''s expression turned into shock. ¡°How is she? Is she okay? Where is she now?¡± Hearing his worry and concern for Natalie, bitter jealously coiled in Joyce''s gut. Prickles of pain stabbed her heart as though a hundred needles had pricked it. She lowered her head to conceal the hurt and the tears in her eyes. ¡°She''s fine. Mr. Shane had rescued her. Nat was the one that gave me this photo. She said the culprit had left the organization and had retired to a private beach, but she had no idea which private beach it was. Sean didn''t tell her the specifics, so we still needed to investigate it ourselves.¡± Stanley stared at the man in the photo for a long while until Joyce could feel the air thicken with tension. Crumpling the photo, he said, ¡°Got it. I''ll investigate it myself. You can go now.¡± Joyce was still rooted in ce. Stanley narrowed his eyes at her disobedience. ¡°Is there anything else you want to tell me?¡± Joyce blurted out, ¡°I''m sorry, Stanley!¡± ¡°What?¡± Stanley''s expression turned somber. He had a bad feeling. Joyce suddenly dropped to her knees. ¡°I''m so sorry, Stanley. You were right to use us of causing your parents'' death. My parents didn''t know the culprit was on their tail when they went to deliver necessities to your parents. That was how the culprit knew where your parents were hiding, then managed to kill them. I''m so sorry, Stanley. I''m truly sorry.¡± Chapter 1275 Chapter 1275 Stanley''s expression darkened at her confession. Rage was burning brightly in his eyes. ¡°So, what do you want from me? Forgiveness?¡± ¡°N-No. I never wish that you''ll forgive me. I j-just-¡± ¡°Actually, I already knew about it. I knew it was your parents who unintentionally revealed my parents'' location, leading them to their deaths.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°What?¡± Joyce''s eyes widened with shock. ¡°You knew about it all along?¡± ¡°Why did you think I kept emphasizing your family was the cause of my parents'' death? Our families had close ties. I wouldn''t point my finger at your parents if I didn''t know about it. I used them because I knew it was them. I was at the scene. I heard your parents repenting their fault to my parents,¡± he said, with a voice that sounded like a demon from hell. He was bending down and grasped Joyce''s chin when he said it. Joyce''s entire body shivered. ¡°No wonder. No wonder...¡± All these years, I thought he assumed my family was the cause of his parents'' death because he saw them at the scene. I didn''t know he was aware of the truth hence his hatred for us. I just thought he wanted someone to me and chose us because my parents were there, but in actuality, he didn''t wrongly use us. He was right all along. I was so na?ve to think that I would find evidence to prove my family''s innocence, to prove that he was wrong. I wanted him to regret ming us for all these years. ¡°I didn''t know about it. I swear I didn''t know.¡± Joyce shook her head fervently as tears flowed down her face. Seeing her sadness and despair, a glimmer of heartache shed across his eyes. He released her chin and rose to his feet. Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped his fingers with it as though he had touched something filthy. ¡°I admire your courage and candor for telling me the truth on your own ord. I thought you would hide it from me,¡± Stanley said sarcastically. Joyce bit her lower lip. ¡°Not once have I even thought about hiding it from you. There''s no point hiding it because what''s wrong is wrong. It doesn''t change anything.¡± If I didn''t know about it, I could insist on my family''s innocence, but now that I know the truth, I can''t deny it. The Rivers family was the one who caused his parents'' death. At that thought, Joyce got to her feet and met his gaze. ¡°Stanley, I know the fault lies with the Rivers family. Don''t worry. I will repay everything my family owes to your parents. Please stop hating my parents, and please don''t harm them. They used to treat you like their son. Even though they caused your parents'' death, it was unintentional. They were just two ordinary people delivering necessities to your parents. They didn''t know someone was following them. Yes, they were wrong, but they don''t deserve death. Let me be the one to shoulder the me. Please let me be the one to end the feud between our families.¡± Stanley''s eyes narrowed. ¡°What are you nning to do? How are you nning to repay my parents'' death?¡± Joyce chuckled. ¡°Rest assured. I won''t let you down. Please give me two more days, and I''ll arrange everything. I''ll call you and tell you how I''ll repay you once all the arrangements are in ce. Is that okay?¡± Difort and uneasiness rose within Stanley at her assurance. He got a feeling that she was leaving a will. Stanley scoffed, ¡°Sure, I''ll give you two days. I''ll be waiting for your call.¡± A will of regret? No way! I don''t trust for one minute that she''ll use her own life to repay. If she wanted tomit suicide, she would''ve done it a long time ago. All those while, she thought I was wrongfully using them. At that time, she could''ve killed herself to prove the Rivers family''s innocence, but she didn''t. She is just a coward that fears death. She''ll never be bold enough tomit any suicidal act. Chapter 1276 Chapter 1276 The weight in Stanley''s gut eased slightly, and the cynical look in his eyes deepened. Joyce caught it and let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°I''ll take my leave then.¡± She lowered her head and dashed out of his office, not wanting him to see the tears falling again. Once the open sky was above her, she raised her head. She noted the sky was dark and cloudy as if it would rain soon. Well, at least the weather reflects my mood. It''s dark, cloudy, and raining. Reaching for her phone, she called a number. Within minutes, her call connected, and a kind woman''s voice sounded. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mom, it''s me.¡± Joyce stered a forced smile on her face. She could hear the joy in Caitlin''s voice. ¡°Joyce, why are you calling at this hour? Aren''t you at work?¡± ¡°I''m on my leave today, Mom. Can I go see you and Dad tomorrow?¡± Joyce asked. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Caitlin answered, ¡°Tomorrow? That''s great! You haven''t dropped by in a while. Your dad was talking about you at dinner yesterday. He was wondering when you''ll be back for dinner. The chicken we''re rearing in our backyard is fat enough.¡± Hearing her mother''s affection, she could feel tears pricking her eyes, waiting to fall. She sniffled and sucked in a breath to suppress her tears, feigning glee in her voice. ¡°I''ll be back tomorrow. Ask Dad to prepare chicken soup for me. Add mushroom too.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll tell him that,¡± Caitlin said with augh. After a few more conversations were exchanged, she ended the call. Droplets of water began raining from the sky. As though the pir supporting her had crumbled, tears began streaming down her face as she bent down, wrapping her arms around her knees. One could hear the overwhelming sadness in her sobs. Passersby, who witnessed her crying, were guessing if her boyfriend had dumped her. Yet no one came up andforted her. They merely stood there watching with cold eyes and whispered among themselves. As the rain got heavier, the sky had gotten even darker. Suddenly, a gentle voice came from behind her. ¡°Are you all right, miss?¡± Joyce wiped away her tears as she raised her head from her knees and looked over her shoulder at the person who cared about her. The man was tall and good-looking. Despite wearing a suit, he seemed approachable. He should be one of the upper management in somepanies. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I''m fine,¡± Joyce answered through the sobs. The man offered her a handkerchief. ¡°Your eyes are swollen from crying. Here, wipe it.¡± Joyce had wanted to reject it but remembered she didn''t have any tissue in her purse. She couldn''t use the helm of her shirt to wipe her tears, so she epted it. ¡°Thank you. I-I''ll pay you for it.¡± She quickly wiped her tears and fumbled for her purse. The man merely smiled. ¡°Don''t worry about it. You don''t have to pay me for it. It''s just a handkerchief. Are you here for a consultation?¡± ¡°No, I''m about to leave.¡± Joyce shook her head. The man tilted his chin. ¡°It''s raining cats and dogs out here. Do you have an umbre with you?¡± Joyce wore a sheepish smile. ¡°I don''t have one, but my car is just right around the block. I''ll just run over there.¡± ¡°You''ll be drenched even if you run. How about I escort you there since I have an umbre?¡± The man waved the umbre in his hand. Joyce put the handkerchief in her purse. ¡°Thank you then.¡± Since I''ve already epted his handkerchief, I might as well borrow his umbre. Joyce got up and walked to his side. The man opened up his umbre and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Feeling his arm around her shoulder, her entire body stiffened. ¡°You-¡± ¡°Sorry about not telling you prior, but I just wanted you to stand closer to me under the umbre since it''s not big enough to support two people. I don''t you to get wet,¡± the man exined with a smile. Joyce looked up at the umbre and noticed it was indeed not wide enough for two people. Moreover, he didn''t ce his palm on my shoulder. He just used his wrist. At the assurance, she let go of any uneasiness and stepped into the rain with him toward her car. Not long after, Stanley came out of the hospital with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his white coat. His gaze was focused on the two that just left. Chapter 1277 Chapter 1277 Stanley didn''t imagine he would see such a sight when he came down to see his patient off. She was iming how much she loved me earlier, yet she was leaving with a man. They were standing so close together that their shoulders were touching. I caught glimpses of them joking around. Is this how she loves me? ¡°Fake!¡± he scoffed and spun on his heels, returning to the hospital. Yet here I was, worried about hermitting suicide. It looks like I don''t have to worry about it now since she has a new boyfriend. She won''t simply risk her life. Stanley''s hands were curled so tightly into fists in his pockets that the veins were bulging. After a while, he uncurled his fists and shut his eyes to get his rage under control. Exhaling a breath, he stepped into the elevator. Meanwhile, Joyce and the man had arrived at her car. She dug through her purse for her key and clicked on it to unlock her car. Two chirps from her car, signaling the doors had been unlocked. Joyce turned to the man to thank him again. ¡°Thank you so much for sending me to my car with your umbre. I would''ve been drenched otherwise.¡± ¡°Don''t worry about it. It''s my pleasure.¡± The man shed her a gentle smile. Joyce asked, ¡°Oh right. I haven''t gotten your name yet. I''m Joyce.¡± ¡°Joyce, nice name,¡± he repeated, thenplimented her name. With blushing cheeks, Joyce let out a giggle. ¡°My dad was the one who named me. He wanted a unique name for me, so he thought long and hard about it, but he couldn''te up with anything special. Coincidentally, an actor on the television had called out Joyce at that moment. A light bulb lighted up in his head, and he decided to name me Joyce after that. That''s how I got my name.¡± ¡°Really? Your dad seems like a funny person,¡± the man chuckled. Joyce tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Yeah, my parents have a weird sense of humor. You still haven''t told me your name yet.¡± ¡°Sorry about that. Your story got me sidetracked. I''m Justin Sutter,¡± Justin introduced. Joyce uttered his name under her breath. ¡°Got it. I''ll be taking my leave then, Mr. Sutter. See you around.¡± ¡°Sure, bye!¡± Justin nodded. Joyce opened the door and got in the driver''s seat. She revved up her engine and pulled out of her parking spot. Justin stood there holding his umbre as he watched the taillights disappear. He turned and strode in another direction. His phone rang while walking. Taking it out of his pocket, he nced at the screen and saw the name on it. With a soft smile, he took the call. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± ¡°Justin, have you found her?¡± A kind, gentle voice spoke through the phone. Justin cast another nce in the direction Joyce left. ¡°I did, but I don''t think she remembers me.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. She didn''t have any reaction when she heard my name. ¡°It''s normal that she can''t remember. Both of you were so young then. It has been almost two decades since youst met her.¡± She sighed. Justin looked down at his feet. ¡°Yeah, it has been almost twenty years. That''s fine, though. She''ll remember me in the future.¡± When he arrived at J City, he ran a background check on Joyce and found out she wasn''t happy in the twenty years apart from him. After she separated from him, she moved to another city with her parents and became the neighbor of the Quinn family. Joyce''s childhood sweetheart had switched from him to Stanley from the Quinn family. Despite Stanley''s horrible treatment, she still loved him. Justin couldn''t understand what was so good about Stanley that she couldn''t move on from him. He wasn''t kind toward her and had always treated her with indifference. That''s fine. I''ve finally found her now. I''ll always stay with her and try to get her back to my side. She''ll only have her eyes trained on me, and I''ll be the only man in her heart. That Stanley is not worthy of her. Meanwhile, Natalie was looking through the window of the Thompson vi at the pouring rain outside. Her worry for Joyce intensified. I wonder how is Joyce doing? Chapter 1278 Chapter 1278 Natalie knew Joyce well. She knew Joyce would look for Stanley after she left Thompson Vi. Natalie had no idea what Stanley would do to Joyce. With that worry filling her mind, she called Stanley. Stanley''s voice soon came through the speaker. There was slight exhaustioncing his tone. ¡°Nat, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°Has Joyce been to your ce?¡± Natalie asked. He didn''t respond at first and answered after a brief silence, ¡°She did.¡± As I thought! She rubbed her face. ¡°Then I supposed she had told you about the culprit and-¡± ¡°She did.¡± Stanley knew what she was going to say, so he cut her off. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Worry filled Natalie. ¡°Then you-¡± ¡°Are you trying to ask me how my attitude toward her was?¡± Stanley asked with downcast eyes. Natalie admitted, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How should I have treated her? I just treated her the same as usual,¡± Stanley said casually. The hatred I felt for her didn''t intensify nor diminish. I already knew that the cause of my parents'' death was rted to Mr. and Mrs. Rivers hence my hatred toward the Rivers family. So it''s the same now. It won''t change just because Joyce told me who the culprit is. Natalie let out a relieved sigh after hearing Stanley''s confession. That''s good. As long as it didn''t worsen, everything is good. I''m scared Joyce won''t be able to handle it if he had treated her even worse than before. ¡°Stanley, I know you can''t forgive Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, but you have to understand it wasn''t intentional. They didn''t know they were being followed. They were just normal people. I hope you can see it from that perspective,¡± Natalie persuaded. Stanley''s grip on his phone tightened. ¡°I know what you''re trying to say. I''m aware that they didn''t intentionally reveal my parents'' position because they were merely delivering supplies, but my parents did die for that exact reason. Even if they were being kind, did their kindness worth two lives? Tell me, Nat. Is it worth two innocent lives?¡± I used to have a happy family. I didn''t want to be a doctor. I never liked medicine. I wanted to be a pilot. My parents were the ones who realized I had the talent to be a doctor and wished I could be one, but I was against it all the way. I didn''t want to study medicine until they were gone forever. I picked up the subject I hated the most because it was their wish for me. I could''ve been a pilot and had a happy family. The murderer and the Rivers family ruined everything! Listening to Stanley''s questions, Natalie felt sad for him. With a bitter smile, she replied, ¡°I know it can''t bepared, but Stanley, you have to look at it from a different perspective. Your parents were under the organization''s surveince, but Mr. and Mrs. Rivers were just normal people. They should be living a normal life, but they were implicated because of your parents. Mr. and Mrs. Rivers knew your parents were being pursued, yet they didn''t cut off their ties with them. Instead, they chose to risk their lives to help your parents. For that alone, I think they''re admirable people.¡± Not everyone would help their friends after knowing their friends were in trouble, nheless, being pursued. The Rivers family didn''t hesitate to hide Stanley''s parents'' whereabouts and even delivered meals to them. That''s more than I can say for some people. Some would''ve cut off all ties and kept their distance, worried they would be implicated. After all, evil people had no conscience or mercy. They might even kill Mr. and Mrs. Rivers. Still, Mr. Rivers decided to help Stanley''s parents in the end despite knowing he might lose his life. That''s true friendship right there. Stanley''s eyes darkened at Natalie''s words. He stayed silence after that. He did think of that, but he needed someone to me. Someone to be the target of his hatred and rage. After all, Mr. and Mrs. Rivers did cause his parents'' death by revealing their location. Natalie massaged her temple and said, ¡°Stanley, there was one more thing that you didn''t consider. Without Mr. and Mrs. Rivers'' help, your parents might have lost their lives even earlier.¡± Chapter 1279 Chapter 1279 Stanley murmured, ¡°I know.¡± Back then, the Quinn family unterally severed their rtionship with them. Consequently, their family failed to garner any help from their rtives. Those rtives refused to see them for fear of being dragged into the matter. In fact, some of their rtives even intended to capture them and potentially im a reward from the organization. If their parents hadn''t chased those rtives away, their family would have been offered to the organization and executed. The only reason they were able to survive the organization''s hunt for so long was due to the Rivers family''s help. ¡°Since you know about it, you should be aware that Mr. Rivers and his wife might have made a mistake, but it''s one that''s entirely understandable. You can''t expect perfection or miracles from two ordinary human beings, to the extent of running circles around such arge organization. That''s just not possible. Furthermore, has it urred to you that Mr. Rivers and his wife were equally devastated over your parent''s death? How do you think they felt when they realized they were responsible for the death of their friend?¡± Stanley pursed his lips and didn''t say a word. Natalie took a deep breath. ¡°Let me tell you, they were filled with remorse and would never forgive themselves for the rest of their lives. I''m sure it has been more than a decade since youst saw what they looked like. All their hair has whitened while their faces are full of wrinkles. Despite just being fifty- two, they look seventy and a lot older than their peers. Do you know what caused that? It''s guilt. All these years, Mr. Rivers and his wife were filled with unimaginable guilt.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. In the beginning, she was only curious as to why Jonathan looked significantly older than men his age. Despite her asking about it, Jonathan refused to tell her. Later on, it was Joyce who revealed to her the bad blood between Stanley and the Rivers family. Only then did she feel what a shame it was. The moment Stanley heard Natalie mention that Jonathan and his wife aged a lot, his eyes narrowed by reflex, for it was something that he wasn''t aware of. After all, he had not seen them for more than ten years and never had the desire to. Therefore, he didn''t know what had be of them. ¡°Stanley, I''m telling you all of this not just to let you know that what they did was understandable. More importantly, I hope that you will not live your life mired in hatred. The person whom you should direct your vengeance toward is the perpetrator and not Mr. Rivers and his family, do you understand? In fact, if your parents were alive, I believe they would never me Mr. Rivers. After all, it''s obvious to everyone that Mr. Rivers isn''t responsible. It''s just that you are too stubborn and extreme to ept it. Stanley, I hope that you will give this matter serious deliberation.¡± With that, Natalie ended the call. At that moment, Shane came out of the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe and carrying a towel. Drying his hair, he strode up to her and sneered, ¡°You really are good at providing counsel.¡± Natalie gave him a look. ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡± Shane responded with a snort. Subsequently, Natalie waved at him. ¡°Come over here.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Even though he didn''t know what she was up to, he still stopped in front of her. Natalie grabbed him by the cor and pulled him down toward her. Having brought Shane closer by his neck, she looked up and nted a kiss on his lips. ¡°How about now? Are you still jealous?¡± As a smile descended on his face, Shane''s mood visibly improved. ¡°Not anymore.¡± Not knowing whether tough or to cry, Natalie let go of his cor before she graduallymented, ¡°My goal is to help Stanley free himself from the hatred that is consuming him. Sooner orter, it will destroy both him and the Rivers family. Moreover, Joyce is my friend. Thest thing I want is for them to see each other as enemies for the rest of their lives despite being the best of friends once.¡± Chapter 1280 Chapter 1280 ¡°If Stanley hadn''t saved you and your children, I wouldn''t have allowed you to show him so much concern.¡± Shane took a seat beside her. Natalie smiled. ¡°I knew you would remember this debt of gratitude. That''s the reason why I dared to speak to him in front of you. Nevertheless, I''m not sure if he is willing to ept what I have said.¡± If he epts the truth, he would quickly see the light and set aside the hatred he holds for the Rivers family. Following that, there might still be a chance for him and Joyce to be together. Otherwise, I''m afraid both of them will never get the opportunity for the rest of their lives. ¡°It will be difficult!¡± Shane asserted. ¡°If Stanley was someone who would listen, he wouldn''t have loathed the Rivers family for more than a decade.¡± ¡°That''s why I''m worried. ¡°Natalie sighed. Shane looked at her. ¡°All right now. Instead of worrying about other men, you should worry about your husband instead. My hair is still wet, so please dry it for me before I catch a cold.¡± Worried that she would refuse, he stuffed the towel into her hands. Natalie was nonplussed. ¡°Given the warm air from the heater, there''s no need to dry your hair nor will you catch a cold. It seems to me that you''re just jealous.¡± Shane reacted by closing his eyes as if he didn''t hear a word she said. After rolling her eyes at him, Natalie got behind him to dry his hair. As for Shane, he just sat there and enjoyed the feeling. The next day, the family of four sat together for breakfast. Since almost ten days had passed since thest time they did so, the two children were utterly delighted. When Shane and Natalie went on their honeymoon, they didn''t take the children along with them. If it wasn''t for Natalie''s ident, both of them would still be on their honeymoon. The two children would have to wait for twenty days more before they could have breakfast together. Consequently, they were ted over the fact that they didn''t need to wait that long to have breakfast as a family. Amidst the jovial atmosphere and the family''sughter, Shane''s phone suddenly rang. Furrowing his brows slightly, he took his phone out to check. The moment he saw that it was Ss, he put down his coffee and answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson, it''s me. I''m back in J City,¡± Ss replied over the line. When Shane heard the sound of cars in the background, he figured that Ss was still on the road. ¡°Very good, what about Jacqueline?¡± Shane asked with a narrowed gaze. The moment she heard the name, Natalie quietly put down her cutlery and looked in his direction. Even though Connor didn''t stop eating, his little ears were already pricked. ¡°Jacqueline is here with me. I''m sending her to the Graham residence right now,¡± Ss replied. Shane lifted his chin. ¡°Very good. Did she wake up this whole time?¡± Ss nodded. ¡°She did manage it once after her high fever subsided. Nevertheless, she lost consciousness very quickly. The doctor said that it was hard for her to stay awake due to the excruciating pain in her legs.¡± Shane unwittingly cracked a smile. ¡°I understand. Keep an eye on her and just make sure she doesn''t die on you. As for the pain, just leave it be, and don''t give her any painkillers.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. He intended for Jacqueline to suffer, let alone the pain she was currently in wasn''t a big deal anyway. Is it more painful than what my parents felt when they were run over by a vehicle that weighed a couple of tons? ¡°Don''t worry Mr. Thompson. I know what to do. I definitely won''t give one to her,¡± Ss chuckled. Shane grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°Let me know once you arrive at the Graham residence, and I''ll head over.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Ss acknowledged. After ending the call, Natalie looked at him. ¡°Has Jacqueline arrived?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°She''s in J City and is currently on her way to the Graham residence.¡± Natalie picked up her fork to take some food before adding, ¡°In that case, do we need to go over in a while?¡± ¡°Of course. There are certain matters that need to be cleared up.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie took a sip of milk. ¡°That''s true. However, Dr. Baker wants to see Jacqueline too.¡± Chapter 1281 Chapter 1281 ¡°Just get him toe along with us, as there''s no way I''m going to let him meet with her alone given how soft-hearted he is.¡± Shane narrowed his gaze. Shane knew very well how extremely kind Jackson was in both his speech and conduct. Ever since he was young, he harbored significantly morepassion and sympathy than his peers. As a kid, he would cry over the death of the viin on television. His unwavering respect for life was what drove him to be a doctor. Furthermore, Jacqueline was the one he loved despite having dered that she deserved her punishment and that he wouldn''t save her again. In spite of that, no one knew how Jackson would react when he heard Jacqueline''s pleas. ¡°You have a point,¡± Natalie agreed. When Jackson wavered thest time, he ended up freeing Jacqueline, which lead to Connor and Sharon being hurt. Subsequently, Jacqueline was on the run for a very long time. As a result, they had to keep a close eye on Jackson this time so that he wouldn''t be bewitched by Jacqueline again. With that, Shane gave thetter a call. At that moment, Jackson was seeing a patient. When his phone rang, he excused himself and answered, ¡°Shane?¡± ¡°Jacqueline has been brought back to J City,¡± Shane informed candidly. Jackson widened his eyes in shock. ¡°She''s here?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm, she''ll be at the Graham residence one hourter. You should head over if you want to see her. If you miss this opportunity, I won''t give you a second chance,¡± Shane inly replied. That was the only time he would permit Jackson to see Jacqueline. After that, he would never allow it again. Upon hearing those words, Jackson acknowledged, ¡°I understand. I''ll go over in a while.¡± Without another word, Shane ended the call. Feeling lost after the call, Jackson spaced out briefly. After that, he returned to his office and smiled at his patient. ¡°I''m sorry. Let''s continue with your diagnosis.¡± The patient nodded. Jackson then pulled out his chair and sat down to analyze the patient''s condition. Once he had given the patient his diagnosis, Jackson gave his boss a call and took the rest of the day off. After his leave was approved, Jackson packed his things and took off his coat before driving to the Graham residence. At the same time, Natalie and Shane left for the same destination. As luck would have it, all three of them arrived at the same time. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Jackson walked up to them. ¡°Shane, Natalie.¡± ¡°Dr. Baker,¡± Natalie greeted in a cordial yet distant tone. Ever since Jackson helped Jacqueline to escape and hurt her children, that was how she treated him. He was neither close nor a friend to her. Instead, he was relegated to just being an acquaintance. It was also the same for Shane. Obviously, Jackson knew the reason behind the way they treated him and had no choice but to bravely ept it. He didn''t feel bad losing Natalie''s friendship, for he was never close to her. Unfortunately, he couldn''t ept losing Shane as a friend, for both of them had grown up together. As of then, Shane had fallen out with him due to a momentarypse of judgment on his part. Consequently, he couldn''t deny that he was filled with regret over losing his one and only friend. Sadly, it was toote for regrets, for no one was able to turn back the clock. ¡°Come, let''s go in first.¡± Evidently, Shane had no intention of catching up with Jackson. Holding Natalie''s hand, he led her inside and didn''t bother to even give Jackson a look. Unlike Shane, Natalie smiled politely at Jackson before heading in. With that, Jackson wiped his face as he followed them with a wry smile. As the three of them entered the Jackson residence, Ss came down from upstairs. ¡°Mr. Thompson, you''re here.¡± ¡°Where''s Jacqueline?¡± Shane asked without dy. Ss pointed upstairs. ¡°She''s in her room.¡± ¡°What about Marina?¡± Natalie asked. Ss replied, ¡°She has been handed over to the police. Even though she works for Sean, she was never personally involved in the matters between Sean and us. Also, she didn''t participate in what Jacqueline had done. Therefore, I turned her over to the police for them to deal with her.¡± Chapter 1282 Chapter 1282 If she was found by the authorities to have caused anyone''s death, she would be dealt a severe punishment. Otherwise, she would be handed over to the higher-ups after being locked up for a while. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Based on the information Catherine had gathered from Sean, they were able to determine the true nature of the organization. The Dark Organization was infamous globally as a terrorist organization that was capable of anything. Their members came from all over the world and wereprised of elites in their respective fields, hardcore criminals, and even retired mercenaries. At the end of the day, the organization was a congregation of pure evil, and its goal was to wreak havoc across the entire world. All this while, many countries in the world wanted to eradicate them but failed to do so due to their inability to locate the organization''s headquarters. As a result, the organization was allowed to continue operating. As Marina was a member of the organization, she was an extremely consequential witness to the higher-ups. After all, there was a possibility of extracting the location of the organization''s headquarters from her. Once that was determined, and assuming she didn''tmit any crimes, Marina would likely be deported back to her own country. Given that Natalie was well aware of what will happen to Marina, she naturally didn''t get any further involved. Her concern was sparked by the care Marina had shown her on the ind and the fact that the former didn''t do anything to harm her. Thus, as long as Marina was innocent, she would be safe from harm. If it turned out that she was guilty, there was nothing Natalie could do about it. When the three of them arrived at the entrance to where Jacqueline was held, Ss opened the door. Before they stepped in, a strong stench of antiseptic emanated from the room. Natalie pinched her nose. ¡°It stinks.¡± Taking out a mask from his pocket, Shane handed it to her. ¡°Wearing this will make it better.¡± ¡°When did you prepare it?¡± Natalie was surprised. ¡°When we left home,¡± he replied. Natalie took the mask from him and put it on. ¡°Did you already expect this?¡± Shane didn''t reply. When both of them entered the room, Jackson couldn''t help but squirm his lips. Howe they have masks, while I don''t? After letting out a sigh, he shook his head and followed them in. As a doctor, he was exposed to the same smell in the hospital every day and was long used to it. Therefore, it made no difference to him whether the wore a mask. Nevertheless, the fact that such a stench emanated from Jacqueline''s room weighed heavily on his heart. Is she injured? As the thought struck him, Jackson increased his pace. Inside the room, he saw Jacqueline lying in bed with her eyes tightly shut. Her cheekbones and eyes were sunken, while her body was as thin as a waif. In fact, she looked so terrifyingly haggard that one could be forgiven for thinking that she was a corpse. Nheless, that wasn''t the worst of it. Her legsy limp on the bed in a contorted manner. They were the source of the medicinal and antiseptic stench. Her legs... As a surgeon, Jackson knew that something was amiss at first nce. There''s no way an ordinary person''s legs can be turned at such an angle. Obviously, Jacqueline''s legs are broken! From the looks of it, the fracture is likely at her knee. ¡°Shane...¡± Jackson trembled as he pointed at Jacqueline. ¡°Why are her legs that way?¡± Natalie raised her brow and threw Shane a look, passing the ball to him as she faded into the background. Shane turned toward Jackson and answered indifferently, ¡°My men broke them.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jackson raised his voice. ¡°Why? Why did you have to do that?¡± He was so outraged that even his baby-like cheeks had turned red. Shane retorted, ¡°Why? Aren''t you the one to me?¡± Chapter 1283 Chapter 1283 ¡°M-Me?¡± Jackson stuttered, as he was visibly confused. Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Of course. You were the one who released her, allowing her to harm my two children and flee. Consequently, I ordered my men to break her legs so that history wouldn''t repeat itself. This time, even if she is freed, there''s no way she can run.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± Jackson stumbled backward in shock. It''s my fault! Due to my actions thest time, Shane broke her legs so that she can''t escape. I''m the one responsible for what happened! Lowering his gaze, Jackson looked at his hand. For some strange reason, he could see them drenched in blood despite the fact that his conscience was clear. Suddenly, he couldn''t tell if he was a doctor or a demon. As a doctor, he was kind and helped the sick. However, his decision to let Jacqueline go resulted in the children being harmed and her legs being broken. Am I truly a doctor? Am I really helping the sick? Why do I get the feeling that I keep hurting someone else? With his hands shivering violently, Jackson fell into an abyss of self-doubt. Sensing how distraught he was, Natalie gave Shane a nudge. ¡°Shane, there''s something wrong psychologically with Dr. Baker.¡± Jackson''s reaction was so obvious that even ayperson like Natalie could recognize that something was amiss. Naturally, the phenomenon wasn''t lost on Shane as he narrowed his gaze. ¡°Ss.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ss grunted from outside and came in. ¡°Wake Jacqueline up,¡± Shane ordered. The words brought Jackson back to his senses. ¡°Let me do it!¡± When everyone turned to look at him, he broke into a depressing smile. ¡°Given that she is drifting in and out of her consciousness, she needs to be woken up in a specific manner or risk having her mental constitution affected. Shane, can you wait outside and give us some space so that I can speak to her in private? Don''t worry. I just want to ask her some questions and won''t free her this time. Besides, you will be outside and there''s no way I can help her flee. So please...¡± He bowed deeply at Shane. Natalie let out a sigh. ¡°Shane, let him do it.¡± When Shane saw that Natalie didn''t object, he was in no ce to do the same. Hence, he led Natalie and Ss out. Upon hearing the footsteps, Jackson looked at them gratefully and cried out, ¡°Shane, thank you.¡± Shane stopped for a fleeting moment before making his way out. As Ss closed the door, the three of them waited outside. Back in the room, Jackson woke Jacqueline up in a professional manner. The moment she opened her eyes, all she saw was a blur. It took a while for her vision to focus on the person looking down on her. Staring up at his babyface, she could see the turbulent emotions in his glistening eyes. It was filled with devotion, disappointment, regret, and pain. For some inexplicable reason, the sight of his emotions caused Jacqueline''s heart to ache as if he had lost something important but can''t tell what it was. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Jacqueline parted her pale lips and called out to him, ¡°Jackie.¡± Jackson acknowledged with an icy grunt. Jacqueline widened her eyes slightly. ¡°Jackie, it''s really you. Why are you here?¡± The instant she woke up, she noticed that she was in her own room. The room in which she had grown up. As a result, she was surprised to see Jackson there. Jackson sat down by her bed. ¡°Shane called me and told me that you were in J City. That''s why I came.¡± At the mere mention of Shane, Jacqueline''s eyes shed with so much fear that her already pale face ashen further. ¡°Shane, Shane''s here?¡± she asked in a raised voice. Chapter 1284 Chapter 1284 At that moment, she couldn''t bring herself to dere her love for Shane anymore. If fact, she didn''t even have the courage to hate him for a sense of terror was the only emotion that remained. Watching him order her legs to be broken was a sight that she could never erase from her memory. ¡°Yes, Shane''s here. However, he''s waiting outside the room.¡± Jackson didn''t hide the fact that Shane was present. When Jacqueline''s body began to tremble violently, a sharp pain shot through her legs, causing her to let out an agonizing scream before desperately trying to catch her breath. Shocked, Jackson asked, ¡°Jacqueline, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°I''m in pain, Jackie. My legs hurt like hell.¡± As Jacqueline grabbed Jackson''s arm tightly, her face began to grimace. ¡°Jackie, my legs hurt, boohoo...¡± Her legs! Jackson examined her legs at once. Not daring to apply any force, all he could do was gently press on them. The moment he felt something soft, his heart sank. An ordinary person''s kneecap was hard, but the thing he felt was evidently flesh instead of bone. In other words, Jacqueline''s knee had been shattered, and her legs were beyond saving. For the rest of her life, she would be nothing but a cripple. Unfortunately, she had no idea about the condition of her legs, as she had fainted the moment the first of her legs was broken. Subsequently, she drifted in and out of consciousness without realizing what had happened. The reason she told him about the pain was so that he would examine her legs and give her the prognosis. If it could still be treated, she expected him to do it for her. Enduring the agonizing pain, Jacqueline asked hopefully, ¡°Jackie, how are my legs?¡± Despite opening his mouth, Jackson took a long time before replying bitterly, ¡°Jacqueline, I''m sorry. Your legs are crippled.¡± The shock that ensued caused Jacqueline''s head to spin. Crippled... Does this mean I''ll be handicapped for the rest of my life? Unable to ept the news, she screamed hysterically, ¡°Argh!¡± It was so loud that everyone outside heard it, causing Natalie to turn around to look at the door. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shane, what do you think happened inside?¡± Lowering his gaze, Shane replied, ¡°Jacqueline must have been told that her legs will never recover, hence the reaction.¡± ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± Natalie gave him a curious look. Shane cracked a faint smile. ¡°That''s because I overheard them talking about legs.¡± Natalie snorted, ¡°I see, but I didn''t hear anything at all.¡± ¡°It''s not like you don''t know how good my hearing is.¡± Shane pointed at his ear smugly, causing Natalie to roll her eyes and ignore him. Back in the room, Jackson felt miserable as he watched Jacqueline rave like a madwoman. He reached out his hands to grab her shoulders, ¡°Jacqueline, please calm down, will you?¡± ¡°Calm down?¡± She red at him with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Jackson, tell me how I am going to do that with my legs broken, never to stand again. Now that I''m a cripple, how do you expect me to calm down?¡± She pped her nket forcefully. When he saw how emotional she became, Jackson hugged her tightly. ¡°Don''t move, Jacqueline. Don''t move. It will only tear your wound further and cause you more pain!¡± Subsequently, Jacqueline lowered her head and bit savagely into his shoulder. Grunting in pain, Jackson grimaced as cold sweat broke out across his forehead. Even then, he didn''t push her away and allowed her to continue biting, for he knew that she needed to vent the pain and misery she felt. Given that there was nothing else he could do for her, sharing her torment was the only thing he could manage. Just like that, Jackson clenched his fists and endured the excruciating pain in his shoulder. Chapter 1285 Chapter 1285 Meanwhile, Jacqueline''s bite was so tight that she threatened to rip the flesh off his shoulders. In spite of that, she inexplicably let go in the end. Once he was free, Jackson staggered backward and turned to check his shoulder. There, blood was already oozing out his white shirt. Evidently, her bite had resulted in a very deep wound. Grabbing Jackson''s arm, Jacqueline uttered in a trembling voice, ¡°Jackie, you must be lying. I''m sure that my legs can still be saved, right? There''s no way they are crippled. Tell me that''s true and that I still have a chance. I beg of you, please tell me that, all right?¡± At the sight of Jacqueline pleading pitifully, Jackson felt a sense of bitterness creep into his heart. That was the first time he saw how helpless she was. All this while, she had taken advantage of his love for her by behaving haughtily toward him. She always looked down on him and felt as if she was doing him a favor whenever she spoke to him. But now, she was willing to lower herself and beg. If it was in the past, he would definitely have been delighted that she was willing to get off her high horse and he no longer had to suffer her condescending attitude. Now that it actually happened, he found no reason for joy because she had changed not for his sake, but because she needed an answer on whether her legs could still be saved. Once she couldn''t get it, she would revert back to her arrogant self. Ever since the beginning, he never meant anything to her. ¡°I''m sorry, Jacqueline. Your legs can''t be saved. Since your kneecap has been shattered, current medical technology has no way of helping you,¡± Jackson exined as he shook his head at Jacqueline. Even though she would never ept his answer, there was no way he could lie to her. Furthermore, he was tired. This visit was supposed to be thest time he saw her, as going forward, he would sever all ties between them. As a result, there was no point in telling a white lie. Having heard Jackson''s words, Jacqueline finally calmed down briefly before letting out another earth- shattering scream that was brimming with hatred. It was as if she was expressing her rage at the person who broke her legs and him for not being able to save her. Perhaps, she''s cursing me in her heart for being useless. With a wry smile on his face, Jackson didn''t bother tofort her as he watched her erupt in anger. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. After a while, Jacqueline finally calmed down when she was drained from all the yelling. Looking at Jackson, she pleaded with a raspy voice, ¡°Jackie, please rescue me. I don''t want to be locked in here. Shane hates me because he knows I''m responsible for his parents'' death. Therefore, there''s no way he will let me go. Jackie, you have to let me out. You just have to!¡± As if he was herst ray of hope, Jacqueline grabbed Jackson''s arm tightly. However, he forcefully pulled his hand out of her grasp and retreated backward to put some distance in between them. Only then did he reply, ¡°I''m sorry Jacqueline, I can''t save you.¡± ¡°Why? You can!¡± Sprawled on the edge of the bed, she began to grow emotional. ¡°You saved me the last time. You can definitely do it again this time.¡± ¡°Even if I can, I won''t.¡± Jackson shook his head. Jacqueline stared deathly at him with her eyes filled with disbelief. ¡°You won''t save me? Why won''t you? Jackson, don''t you love me anymore?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Jackson replied. ¡°I have always loved you, and my feelings have never changed. Ever since we were young, you have been my one true love.¡± He looked longingly at her. When she saw the affection in his eyes, Jacqueline felt inexplicably miserable. The sorrow that descended upon her heart slowly evolved into guilt and remorse. She didn''t understand why she was being overwhelmed by such emotions. Nheless, she didn''t give them much thought as she quickly gathered herself. Tightening her grip on the bedsheet, she questioned, ¡°Since you still love me, why don''t you save me, Jackson? Do you really want to see Shane torment me? Or perhaps, even kill me?¡± Chapter 1286 Chapter 1286 Jackson opened his mouth as if to say something but decided against it in the end. When she saw his reaction, Jacqueline panicked further. ¡°Jackie, why don''t you say anything? Do you really want to let Shane kill me? How can you still im that you love me if this is what you''re nning to do? You... you''re not worthy of loving me at all!¡± ¡°In that case, how can I be worthy? Am I supposed to sacrifice my own life to save you? Or should I free you and allow you to continue to act with impunity? Jacqueline, is that really what you have in mind?¡± Jackson''s eyes began to redden. ¡°I...¡± Biting her lip, Jacqueline was stumped. However, her expression clearly showed that those were her exact thoughts. Jackson burst into self-deprecatingughter. ¡°Jacqueline, do you know that I now regret loving you all this while? Ever since we were young, I did everything I could just to satisfy you. But now, you disregard all my sacrifices just because I refused to save you. Hmph... It makes me question myself as to whether everything I have done for you was really worth it.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you have begun to regret loving me and doing all those things for me? If that''s the case, Jackson, you truly do not deserve to im that you love me. Loving me involves unconditional sacrificing everything for me!¡± Jacqueline cackled deviously. Jackson took a deep breath. ¡°Forget it. Our principles and values are just too different. Also, I didn''t come here today to argue with you about this. I just have a few questions for you, Jacqueline, and I hope you will answer them truthfully. If you do, I may get Shane to show you some mercy.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jacqueline looked at him in contempt. ¡°Since you regret loving me and are unwilling to save me, do you think I still need any of your concern?¡± Jackson could feel his heart being torn apart by her words. Other than a sense of self-pity, it was mostly filled with regret that he had wasted more than ten years on her. ¡°Whatever. Anyway, my first question is would you have given up Shane for me if I had the courage to reveal my feelings and pursue you from the very beginning? ¡° Clenching his fists, Jackson gazed deeply into her eyes, causing them to twitch slightly. Would I have gotten together with him back then if he had confessed his feelings to me? She had never considered the question before, but there was nothing to stop her from deliberating upon it now, which she did. She got to know Shane when she was five. Back then, he was smart, good-looking, and had a great personality. Since he was the leader of their group, she naturally admired and idolized him. Thus, she stuck by his side all the time. Consequently, everyone began to joke that she was Shane''s ¡°wife¡± and would marry him when they grew up. Even though she didn''t fully grasp what the word meant, she knew it was somewhat simr to her parents, where both of them could stay together always. Since she liked Shane a lot, she desired to be his ¡°wife¡± one day. More importantly, she would always hear her parentsment about not having a son who could inherit the Graham family''s wealth. Furthermore, they constantly regretted that she was a daughter, for their assets would one day go to whoever she married. In the beginning, she had no idea what family assets were. She only began to realize how important they were after hearing her parentsin about them throughout the years. Worst of all, she found out that her parents were desperately trying to have a son because they were unwilling to let her inherit their wealth. From that moment on, she hated her parents for their gender bias. Because of that, she drugged them so that they would lose their ability to have children, foiling their ns for a son. By doing so, the Graham family''s wealth would only belong to her alone. Even then, her parents used her of not having any talent for managing a business. Even if she took over the family business one day, there was a high chance it would fail. Despite feeling indignant about it, she couldn''t deny that they were right. Thepany would likely go bankrupt in her hands. Chapter 1287 Chapter 1287 Once that happened, she would no longer be rich. Since she looked down upon the poor her entire life, she couldn''t ept bing like that. That was the genesis of her desire to marry someone richer. By doing so, she could still maintain her status as thedy of a rich family if even her family business failed, staying wealthy for the rest of her life. With that, the Thompson family became her target. On top of the fact that she loved to be around Shane, she designated him and his family as her goal in life. Unfortunately, her n was foiled when she was eight. Back then, Shane''s parents wanted a daughter. Hence, they forcefully took her in as their goddaughter. Goddaughter? She didn''t want to be their goddaughter, for it would mean that she would be Shane''s godsister, losing the opportunity to marry him. As a consequence, she hated Shane''s parents for that, and that hatred reached a climax when she was ten. Somehow, Shane''s parents learned of her true colors. Not only did they want to sever their rtionship as her godparents, but they also wanted her to stay away from Shane forever. The matter culminated in her plot to kill them. Just when she thought no one stood in her way of marrying Shane, Natalie appeared and dealt her a devastating blow. Since marrying Shane and bing a daughter-inw of the Thompson family had be her life''s mission, Jacqueline was sure that she would reject Jackson back then. Firstly, Jackson wasn''t her type. Secondly, the Baker family was lower in social status than the Thompson family. Those two reasons alone were enough for her to turn Jackson down. With that thought in mind, Jacqueline clenched her fist and replied earnestly, ¡°I won''t!¡± With barely a reaction on Jackson''s face, he lowered his head with a wry smile. ¡°Just as expected, but this is for the better, for I can finally let you go entirely. Jacqueline, from today onward, I, Jackson Baker, will stop loving you. After doing so for more than ten years, it''s time to end this sad devotion of mine. Jacqueline Graham, I no longer love you anymore!¡± The moment she heard those words, Jacqueline''s pupils constricted, while her heart began to hurt. Why does it hurt so much after hearing him say that he no longer loves me? In fact, I feel like grabbing his hand to stop him from leaving. Why? Staring at her trembling hands, Jacqueline had no idea why that was happening. Unaware of what was going through Jacqueline''s mind, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. By the time he opened it, there was a sense of calm liberation in it. True to his words, he had gotten over her. The longing that flickered in his eyes just a while ago was nowhere to be seen. Even though it was impossible for him to get rid of his feelings for her entirely, he managed to suppress them enough that no one could see that he still loved her. The massive willpower he harnessed to subdue his feelings was a testament to his determination to let her go. Staring at Jackson, Jacqueline felt the emptiness of her heart intensify as panic began to set in. Jackson adjusted his sses. ¡°Last question. When you were eight, you came to my house and asked about a drug that can hinder one''s reproduction functions. After I pointed it out to you, did you steal it and give them to your parents?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Jackson was born with the talent for the medical sciences. When she was eight, he was already ten. By then, he started learning medicine from his father. Given that the Baker family were doctors for generations, their house was filled with drugs. Considering that he was familiar with many of them, he knew which one was capable of causing one to be barren. It was just that he was too naive back then, unaware of how despicable others could be or even recognize someone''s agenda. As a result, he answered Jacqueline''s question without a second thought. Chapter 1288 Chapter 1288 It was until he dreamt of the matterst month that he realized what actually happened back then. Despite just being eight, Jacqueline had plotted to distract him so that she could steal the drug and feed it to her parents. The reason he knew she was responsible was that it wasmon knowledge the Graham family was trying to have a son but never seeded despite not having any health problems. All of a sudden, something happened, causing them to no longer be able to conceive. Only then did he connect the dots to Jacqueline stealing the medicine because she didn''t want her parents to have another child. In response, Jacqueline narrowed her gaze before cracking a devilish smile. ¡°That''s right. I was the one who took it.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Jackson tightened his fists further as a knot formed in his heart. Just as expected, the recent incident wasn''t the first time he inadvertently caused someone else harm because of Jacqueline. Back when he was ten, he had already done so on her ount. Despite being a doctor whose life''s mission was to save others, he ended up being manipted by Jacqueline into doing harm. I too am to me. As an overwhelming sense of guilt and remorse swelled within him, Jackson took off his sses and wiped his face in exasperation. ¡°Those are all the questions I have. Jacqueline, I''m happy that you''re willing to answer them truthfully. Also, it''s time for me to go. This is our first meeting in months and will also be ourst. Going forward, I''m noting back to see you, as I''m erasing your presence from my life. Farewell!¡± Goodbye and good riddance! Turning around, Jackson walked toward the door with a depressed silhouette. The further he walked, the emptier Jacqueline felt. The growing panic over losing something became increasingly clear to her. Exerting herself to lift her neck, she reached out a hand toward Jackson''s back. ¡°Jackie, don''t go!¡± instinctively, she knew she had to stop him. Or else, she would never see him again once he left. The moment he heard her pleas, Jackson stopped for a fleeting moment. Unfortunately, he didn''t turn around and continued his way out. When Jacqueline saw him leave, her panic intensified, causing her to raise her voice further. ¡°Jackie, don''t go. I beg of you, don''t go.¡± In spite of that, Jackson didn''t stop nor turn around. Upon reaching the door, he opened it. At the sight of the light from the opened door and that of Jackson stepping out, Jacqueline bawled, ¡°Jackson!¡± However, he simply responded by closing the door behind him. With the door now separating them, Jackson''s strong front began to falter. Unable to control his emotions, he dropped to his knees and cried. Despite being an adult, his cries were no different from those of a child. Even though he had dered that he had given up on her, listening to her pleas for him to stay still brought him unbearable sorrow. After all, letting a loved one go was just like carving out a piece of one''s own heart. When Natalie, Shane, and Ss, who were standing outside, watched Jackson cry, no one said a word, for they knew there was nothing they could say that would make a difference. The best course of action was to let him cry and get it out of his system. Although they had no idea what had transpired inside, it wasn''t hard to guess from Jackson''s reaction. After a long while, Jackson finally stopped crying and stood up. Rubbing the tears from his eyes, he put his sses back on and smiled awkwardly at the other three. ¡°I''m sorry to have embarrassed myself.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Have you said your goodbyes?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Jackson nodded, as there was nothing to hide. After all, it was thest time he was going to see her. Hence, saying farewell was to be expected. In response, Shane nudged his chin forward without saying anything. Chapter 1289 Chapter 1289 Jackson straightened his clothes. ¡°Well, it''s gettingte, so I should go now.¡± He was about to walk past Shane and head down the stairs. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, Shane grabbed him by the shoulder. ¡°Don''t you want to know what I''ll do to her?¡± A glint surfaced in Jackson''s eyes before he smiled bitterly. ¡°Of course I do, but I won''t ask about it. I know it''s pointless and will only cause me more pain. Maybe you can tell me next time.¡± With that, he hung his head low and walked away. Shane and the others gazed at him until he had disappeared from their sightpletely. Natalie let out a sigh. ¡°I just heard about how Jacqueline wanted Dr. Baker to stay. I also realized something else.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane turned to her, filled with curiosity. Natalie tucked her hair behind her ear and was about to speak when Ss chimed in, ¡°You''re talking about her feelings, right, Mrs. Thompson?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°That''s right. You could also tell, huh, Mr. Campbell?¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Yeah. It''s too obvious.¡± Anyone with ears can tell, really. But I can''t say that out loud because Mr. Thompson didn''t realize it. Why else would he ask Mrs. Thompson what she was talking about? He would surely incur his boss'' wrath if he were to say what was on his mind. Natalie stared in the direction of the room before them. ¡°Jacqueline has feelings for Dr. Baker.¡± Shane''s eyes widened slightly at the revtion. He was visibly astonished. Seeing that, Natalie chuckled. ¡°What? You don''t believe me?¡± ¡°I don''t, actually. Hasn''t she always been into me?¡± Why would she like Jackson, then? Natalie grinned. ¡°That was that I used to think too. I thought she liked you, but from the way she spoke to Dr. Baker, it seems she really does have feelings for him. I suppose she loves him. She just hasn''t realized it yet.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Ss nodded. ¡°Speaking of which, I think I realized this quite a while ago. I noticed that the way she looks at Mr. Thompson is different from how she looks at Dr. Baker.¡± ¡°What''s different?¡± Shane grew even more curious and frowned. He had really never noticed any of this. Ss adjusted his sses. ¡°The way she Jacqueline looks at you does hint that she likes you, Mr. Thompson, but it''s a very strange look - it''s more like how a fan stares at someone she idolizes. It''s different from the way Mrs. Thompson looks at you, but she has this same look in her eyes whenever she looks at Dr. Baker.¡± ¡°So, you''re saying that Jacqueline''s been in love with Jackson and not me all this while?¡± Shane asked in surprise. ¡°Yes,¡± Ss answered with a nod. ¡°Then why didn''t you tell me this earlier?¡± the formerined. Ss brushed his nose. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Thompson. I just remembered it now, and I didn''t think much of it before.¡± ¡°All right, Shane. Don''t me Mr. Campbell. We''re the ones who never realized it ourselves until he brought it up. At least now I also know why Jacqueline keepstching onto you even though she doesn''t love you,¡± Natalie remarked before curling her lips into a disdainful smile. ¡°It''s because of your money and status. She doesn''t care about whether or not she loves you. She just wants to be in my shoes. She wants the wealth, glory, and splendor.¡± ¡°Yes, she''s absolutely right,¡± Ss hurriedly added. ¡°It makes sense now that Mrs. Thompson''s mentioned it. Jacqueline tends to have this ambitious look in her eyes at times when she looks at you. I didn''t understand what she was after at first, but now I do.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Well, there''s no point talking about this now, nor does it really matter. What''s important now is that we get in there too, Shane. It''s about time we set things straight with Jacqueline and make a decision,¡± Natalie said sternly. Chapter 1290 Chapter 1290 Shane nodded. ¡°You''re right. Let''s go.¡± Ss went up and opened the door. Shane took Natalie by the hand and walked in. There, they saw Jacqueline syed out on the floor, half the nket underneath her and the other half hanging at the edge of the bed. It was clear that she had fallen off the bed. And from the way she was facing the door, Natalie surmised that the former had tried to keep Jackson from leaving, only to end up falling. The way she trembled had to be due to the intense pain she felt after falling on her legs. Even so, Natalie didn''t pity her. She got what she deserved. ¡°Put her back on the bed,¡± Shane instructed Ss while staring at Jacqueline contemptuously. Ss walked over, picked Jacqueline up from underneath her arms, and lifted her. He had no intention of being gentle and practically tossed her back onto the bed. This caused the woman to scream and roll around in pain as her body twitched. Yet, Natalie and the others merely red at her, none of them showing her an ounce of sympathy. The pain eventually subsided after an unbeknownst amount of time, and Jacqueliney in bed taking in a few deep breaths. Her eyes lookedpletely bleak and lifeless. Natalie and Shane finally walked toward the bed and gazed at her from above.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°It hurt a lot, didn''t it?¡± asked Natalie. Jacqueline turned to her. Her eyes were instantly filled with so much hatred as though she wanted to tear the woman apart. Shane narrowed his eyes and was about to get Ss to step forward and teach Jacqueline a lesson. However, Natalie stopped them. ¡°It''s fine. She''s already dealt with the pain of having both her legs broken. I don''t think anything else can match that. Besides, so what if she hates me? She can''t even get up and fight me now that she''s crippled.¡± Shane arched an eyebrow before smirking. ¡°That''s true.¡± ¡°You... You''re horrible! You sons of b*tches!¡± Jacqueline cried out with a grimace. Frowning, an exasperated Ss pped her across the face. ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± The head-turning p caused Jacqueline''s pale face to redden slightly, thus adding some color to her ghost-like appearance. Natalie''s lips curved into a taunting smile. ¡°It hurts, doesn''t it? So do your legs, right? Good. That''s exactly what my children felt back then.¡± Jacqueline clenched her fists tightly while remaining silent. She didn''t want to risk receiving another p by opening her mouth again. Natalie took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°I know you hate me because of how I affected your chances with Shane, Jacqueline. I don''t mind if you have something against me. I''d dly put up a fight, anyway. But you should''ve never, ever,e after my children. You kidnapped my son and nearly got him killed in an ident. Then, you hurt my daughter. That''s why - ¡° ¡°Yes, I admit I hurt your daughter, but I didn''t kidnap your son!¡± Jacqueline turned to Natalie furiously. Thetter was taken aback. ¡°What? You didn''t kidnap my son?¡± ¡°Look,¡± Jacqueline pped back with gritted teeth. ¡°My legs are ruined, Jackson''s ditched me, and I know you guys aren''t going to let me off. There''s no reason for me to lie at this point. Also, I''ll have you know that while I''m a nasty person, I''ll never allow anyone to use me as a scapegoat. I have far too much pride for that. So when I said I didn''t kidnap your son, I mean it.¡± Shane''s eyes narrowed once again. Ss nced at him and Natalie. ¡°She doesn''t seem like she''s lying, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson.¡± Of course, the couple could also tell that Jacqueline was being honest even if Ss had said nothing. Chapter 1291 Chapter 1291 Even so, they found themselves unable to stay calm. If it wasn''t Jacqueline who kidnapped Connor, then who did it? Is there someone else plotting against us? Natalie balled her hands into fists. ¡°That''s impossible. Who else could it have been if not you?¡± Jacquelineughed wickedly. ¡°Well, maybe you should ask Stanley.¡± Natalie was bewildered. ¡°Stanley...¡± ¡°That''s right. He''s the one who kidnapped your son and caused the car ident.¡± Jacqueline cackled even more heartily at the look of disbelief on Natalie''s face. ¡°I suppose you still don''t understand Stanley, so let me break it to you. Stanley''s done a lot of things you have no idea of. He wasn''t just behind your son''s kidnapping; he even orchestrated his own car ident. He was also involved in that one time yourpany''s textile mill caught fire. He and Jasmine had nned it together.¡± Natalie''s pupils dted as she staggered back a few steps. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. She would have copsed if Shane hadn''t grabbed onto her in time. Stanley was behind all this? How could that be? Even Shane was dumbfounded, let alone Natalie. Stanley may have been sick all this while, but there was no denying that he loved Natalie. So, then, why would he do all these things to her? Even Ss was so stunned that he couldn''t utter a word. Natalie shook her head profusely. ¡°No. That''s impossible. There''s no way Stanley would ever do this to me. There''s just no way!¡± ¡°I knew you wouldn''t believe me, but it''s the truth. You can ask him about it and find out if it''s exactly as I said. Hahaha! It never urred to you, did it, Natalie Smith? There are so many people out there who hate you. The Smith family, me, and someone you thought was your friend all this while. How pathetic!¡± Natalie eximed gleefully, tears spilling out of her eyes from all theughing. Natalie eventuallyposed herself and stared at the other woman frostily. ¡°Laugh all you want. I know you''re telling me all this just to watch me cave. You may have seeded, but it doesn''t matter. I''ll verify everything with Jackson. And there''s one thing you''re wrong about: I''m not pathetic. I may have lots of enemies, but I also have many people who love me, such as my two children, my friends, and my husband right here. They all love me so much. Compared to them, people like you are nothing but tiny hurdles that make life a little more exciting.¡± Hearing that, Shane held her gently by the waist. ¡°I''ll always love you until the end of time.¡± Natalie turned to him and smiled. ¡°And I believe you.¡± For the first time, Jacqueline didn''t feel as bothered by the sight, but she could no longerugh either. ¡°Ha! You''re just making excuses. I look forward to seeing you in pain when you have to deal with Stanley.¡± ¡°Sure, but I don''t think you''d be able to see that happen. You tried to kill me a few times. You got someone to nearly drown me inside the bathroom of a restaurant, and I almost fell to death after you tampered with my apartment''s elevator. You also nearly pushed me down the stairs back at the Thompson vi.¡± ¡°Pushed you down the stairs?¡± Shane''s expression turned grim. ¡°You never told me about this.¡± Even Jacqueline froze in shock. I did have thoughts about pushing her. I even reached out back then, but I changed my mind in the end. But how did she find out about this? I was behind her! She couldn''t have known. Natalie knew exactly what Jacqueline was thinking and scoffed. ¡°You''re wondering how I know, aren''t you? It''s very simple. I''d been keeping a close watch on you ever since you moved into the Thompson vi, and I installed surveince cameras everywhere in the building. I made sure to watch your every move.¡± Jacqueline''s eyes widened. So, that''s how it is. She''s been watching me ever since then. Chapter 1292 Chapter 1292 Should I be d that I never went too far? She would''ve exposed me right away if I did. Natalie then ignored her and turned to Shane. ¡°I''m sorry, Darling. You weren''t aware of her true nature back then and treated her so nicely. That''s why I never told you.¡± Shane''s face instantly fell. So, she didn''t tell me the truth because she thought I''d side Jacqueline instead? She has a point, though. I really might not have believed her even if she told me. Thinking that, the man sighed and pressed his forehead against Natalie''s. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Natalie understood what he was apologizing for and patted his shoulder. ¡°It''s okay, I''m not ming you. I understand you, in fact. You probably never would''ve believed that such an innocent girl like her would turn out to be a monster.¡± Then, she turned to Jacqueline again. ¡°Aside from everything I mentioned earlier, you also hurt my daughter and helped Jasmine alter her face so she could hurt me. All these things you''ve done are enough to determine your death, but don''t you worry. The one who''s going to deal with you will be my husband.¡± Regardless of all the heinous acts Jacqueline hadmitted against Natalie and her children, at least they were all still alive. Shane''s parents, on the other hand, were now dead. Hence, Natalie wanted to let Shane take the wheel. He was her husband, so anything he did to Jacqueline would be equivalent to avenging his wife and the two children. Shaneprehended Natalie''s intentions the moment he nced at her. ¡°I understand. Leave the rest to me,¡± he said while giving her hand a squeeze. With a nod, Natalie stepped back and stood next to Ss. Shane remained in ce and red at Jacqueline coldly. ¡°I want to know why you killed my parents. Didn''t they treat you well?¡± The woman was already in a deranged state by now, and she burst outughing at the question. ¡°Treat me well? Hahaha! You call that treating me well?¡± ¡°What else could it have been? Were they not kind to you?¡± Shane raised his voice. ¡°No,¡± the woman answered in chagrin. ¡°Being kind to me doesn''t just mean buying me a few things! That''s no different from raising a dog, is it? They should''ve given me every single thing I wanted instead of rejecting me!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Upon hearing that, Natalie and Ss werepletely bbergasted. ¡°My God. So this is what she''s like,¡± Ss eximed. Natalie pursed her lips as a wave of indescribable emotions surged within her. ¡°No parent can ever give their children everything they ask for, but to think she expected Shane''s parents to treat her this way. She''s gone insane!¡± ¡°She''s not just insane. She''spletely shameless. Who does she think she is that other people have to meet her every demand? What a lunatic.¡± Ss shot Jacqueline a disgusted re. Shane, too, snapped out of a daze and stared at her in disgust. ¡°So, that''s what you think?¡± ¡°What''s wrong with thinking that way? They were the ones who said they wanted a daughter, so they took me in as their goddaughter. Shouldn''t they have treated me better, then? Instead, they refused to grant my one tiny wish, which means they clearly never thought of me as their daughter!¡± Jacqueline''s chest heaved as her eyes turned bloodshot. ¡°Wish? What wish?¡± Natalie couldn''t resist butting in. ¡°What else could it be? She obviously wanted to marry you and be the Thompsons'' daughter-inw.¡± Shane''s gaze darkened as he stared at Jacqueline. From how perturbed she looked, he understood that Natalie had hit the nail on the head. ¡°You really have no shame,¡± he scorned unhesitatingly. Chapter 1293 Chapter 1293 Infuriated, Jacqueline scrunched her face into a vicious expression. ¡°I''m shameless? How is it wrong to pursue what I want? They''ve said they''ll agree as long as it''s nothing overboard. It''s not too much for me to ask to marry you and be their daughter-inw, right? But why are they vehemently objecting now? They promised it themselves, yet now they''re going back on their word. They even said they don''t need a daughter-inw with an evil heart. Hah! Since that''s the case, won''t I be disappointing them if I don''t grant them their wish?¡± At that, she suddenly burst into a peal ofughter. ¡°They deserved it! Serve them right for falling into my trap and getting killed. Who asked them to lie to me and cheat my feelings? They only have themselves to me!¡± ¡°You''re mad. You have really gone mad!¡± Ss shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Shane, Madam, this woman is rotten to the core. Just because Mr. and Mrs. Thompson didn''t agree to her terms, she negated everything they had done for her and joined forces with Sam to kill them. We can''t tolerate the heinous deeds she has done!¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°You''re right. Not only did she kill Shane''s parents, but she might have also killed her own parents, too. Didn''t Shane find out some time ago that Mr. and Mrs. Graham''s deaths have something to do with her?¡± She turned to Jacqueline and narrowed her eyes as she asked, ¡°Did you really kill your parents?¡± Thetter broke into an eerie and wickedughter, instantly sending a chill down everyone''s spine. ¡°You''re right; I killed them. They only have themselves to me for reporting me to the police station after finding out that I embezzled the funds from Graham Group. They''re my parents! How could they send me to jail? Instead of protecting me and bearing the consequences for me, they chose to reveal the truth to stop those shareholders from finding fault in them. They are not fit to be my parents. They deserved to die! So, I plotted a scheme to kill them!¡± Ss drew a sharp breath after hearing her words. ¡°Gosh, you killed your parents just because of that? How could you...¡± Likewise, Natalie was also in utter astonishment that she could not bring herself to say anything for a long while. She had conjectured various reasons for Jacqueline to resort to killing her parents, all of which were a lot more severe. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. It turned out that the truth was not like what she had thought. Instead, things had taken such a turn merely because her parents chose to send her to jail! On second thought, Natalie thought it was understandable why Jacqueline would react that way. After all, she could even kill Shane''s parents just because they were against her marrying him. It was no wonder she would kill her parents due to a minor conflict. Indeed, Jacqueline was someone who only wanted everyone to treat her well and not disappoint or upset her. Once someone ruined her well-being, her resentment toward that person would grow so intensely that she would try every means to take their life. That was the only oue that would satisfy her. She was born a heartless monster who had no empathy! Natalie and Ss were not the only ones left in shock. Even Shane was bewildered by the truth that it took him some time to recover from his trance. Dabbling in the business arena for so many years, he had undoubtedly seen all sorts of people, the evil and the good. However, it was his first timeing across someone as malicious as Jacqueline. What was especially appalling to him was how the woman had marked his parents as her target simply because they refused to agree to her request. It was unforgiving. At the sight of how gloomy Shane was, Natalie grew slightly worried. ¡°Shane.¡± The man only clenched his fists tightly without any response. Natalie had a rough idea why he would react that way. Those words of confession that Jacqueline had put forth were so unbelievably shocking. It was more than understandable that he could not ept it right at that point. ¡°Shane, let''s head back first, shall we? We''ll think of how to deal with Jacqueler.¡± She walked up to him and said in a soft voice. Since we''ve already found out everything we need to know, Jacqueline''s punishment can wait. Chapter 1294 Chapter 1294 Shane grunted in affirmation as he massaged his temples. He reckoned he should indeed leave the ce right away to cool himself down. As such, he turned and headed toward the door with Natalie. Ss threw an icy re at Jacqueline and followed them out. Even at that point, thetter still maintained her smile as she watched the three of them strode out. Only when their backs disappeared from her line of vision and after the door closed did that sadistic smirk on her face fade away. The next second, she sat on the bed and angled her nk stares toward the floor, almost as if her soul had left her body. She felt exhausted, utterly exhausted. Having been someone with an extreme and radical mindset all her life, Jacqueline would unequivocally send anyone who upset her to hell. She had resorted to the same way of dealing with people against who were her, and that was no exception for either Shane''s parents or hers. It had never crossed her mind that there was something wrong with her action. Yet now, she felt doubtful. The sudden revtion came after Jackson''s visit earlier. At the same time, she began to feel that despite whatever she had done, she had received nothing in return. Instead, she had been living a vagrant life. My life is pathetic. What''s the point of everything? Everything I''ve done was for nothing! Jacqueline was overwhelmed with doubts. She could not believe how her past deeds were purely a joke and that all her efforts hade to naught. Her life was such aplete mess. Shane''s hatred for me is so intense. What will he do to me? Will he send me to jail, or will he punish me by himself? If he decides to send me to jail, I won''t be able to stay there for long since those things I''ve done are sufficient tond me with a death sentence. But given his deep hatred for me, if he chooses the second option, there''s no way he''ll allow me to live. He''ll unquestionably send me to hell to make me pay. She then recalled the time when she was discharged from the hospital about six months ago. The doctor had told her that the car ident had caused significant damage to her body, and she only had about a decade to live. In other words, it''s death regardless of which oue I''ll consequently get. If that''s so, why am I keeping my hopes up? I''m sick and tired of all this. It was especially after hearing from Jackson that he no longer loved her anymore, and neither did he want to see her anymore did she feel so terribly worn out. She had a strong urge to put things to an end. With those thoughts in mind, Jacqueline gripped her nket tightly as she began crawling along the edge of the bed. The next second, she fell off to the ground with a loud thud. Coupled with the strong impact as her legs hit the floor, she screamed in pain. The two bodyguards outside heard her screams and hurriedly opened the door to check. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Jacqueline did not answer. Neither did she bother to check on her legs. With her face twisted in pain and cold sweat beaded on her forehead, she bit her lip hard and crawled toward the bathroom while tolerating the excruciating pain in her lower limbs. Seeing that, the two bodyguards heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°All right. There''s no need to care about her. She probably only needs to use the bathroom,¡± one of the bodyguards remarked. The other bodyguard was perplexed. ¡°Why didn''t she ask for help if she wanted to go to the bathroom? She tries to move by herself and instead falls off the bed. Is she an idiot?¡± ¡°That''s none of our business. She refuses to seek help, so she only has herself to me for falling. Anyway, Mr. Shane has ordered us to watch her. It''s fine as long as she doesn''t die. We don''t have to care about anything else.¡± ¡°That''s true.¡± With that, the two bodyguards closed the door and retreated to their position. In truth, Jacqueline had overheard their mockery. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. If it were the past, she would have killed them right away. However, she waspletely unresponsive now. Ever since Jackson left, she clearly felt that half of her soul was missing. Despite her other half still intact, she could no longer muster an ounce of energy. It almost felt like she had given up on herself. Chapter 1295 Chapter 1295 Just let it be. I shan''t think about anything or do anything. I don''t want to fight for anything anymore. That''s enough. Let me take a breather. She talked herself into following those thoughts, and true enough, she felt a lot more relieved. But at the same time, she had the urge to free herself. At a slow speed, Jacqueline painfully crawled toward the bathroom. It took her a long time before she finally reached the door. Because her knees rubbed so hard against the floor, it scraped her skin and left a trail of blood behind her. Nheless, she could not care less about that. She continued forward into the bathroom and stared intently at the mirror. After a long time, she abruptly grabbed the bottle of shower gel beside the toilet bowl and hurled it at the mirror. nk! With a loud crash, the mirror shattered into pieces. Fragments of ss fell like raindrops, covering the entire floor. Some flew toward Jacqueline, pricking through her skin and leaving her with stinging pain. However, she let it be and insteady on the ground, reaching out her trembling hand and seemingly searching for something in those broken shards. Naturally, the two bodyguards outside the room heard themotion too. ¡°What''s happening? I think that sounds like something broke,¡± one of the bodyguards said. ¡°Don''t tell me she''s breaking open the ss window in the bathroom to escape from there?¡± The other bodyguard rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Are you dumb? She''s crippled; how do you expect her to run away? She can''t even climb up the window. Besides, that window has been sealed since the beginning when she was locked up in here. Even if her legs get better, there''s no way she''ll be able to escape from the window. I bet it''s probably difficult for her to move around, and that''s why she identally broke it.¡± ¡°You have a point. But I better go in and check on her. We won''t be able to deal with the consequences if she dies in there.¡± ¡°Yeah, we should go in and take a look.¡± Afraid that Jacqueline would get hurt and die after breaking some ss, the two bodyguards hastily rushed inside to check on the situation. When they arrived at the bathroom, they were left in astonishment at the scene before them¡ªthe woman sprawled on the floor covered in ss fragments, her limbs and face full of cuts. ¡°What happened to you? What happened to this mirror?¡± The two bodyguards hurried in and pulled her out from the pile of ss shards. It would spell trouble for them if any sharp fragment pierced through her body if shey in there any longer. Jacqueline only lowered her head without uttering a word. Despite feeling the anger building up within them about how unresponsive she was, there was nothing the bodyguards could do except drag her out. Getting a response was too much to expect from her. ¡°Don''t you dare move!¡± They threw Jacqueline on the bed and headed back into the bathroom to clean up the mess. As they were clearing the ss shards, they were grumbling and cursing about how she had only created more problems for them. Hearing those unpleasant remarks made by the bodyguards, Jacqueline clenched her fists tightly. But she soon loosened her grip, pulled her shirt up, and reached in to grab something sharp out from under her shirt. It was a piece of shard from the shattered mirror, which was triangr and approximately ten centimeters long, with one angleparable to that of the tip of a knife. The edges along that pointed tip were so sharp that as soon as Jacqueline ran her index finger across it, it left her a deep slit where blood began flowing out. She put her index finger into her mouth and pursed it lightly. Then, she flipped a corner of her pillow and put that piece of ss shard under it. Following that, she shut her eyes tight and began dozing off to sleep. When the bodyguards finished clearing the fragments and came out to see her sound asleep, they only grew more infuriated. ¡°That woman is so lucky. She smashes the mirror, yet she falls asleep while we''re cleaning up the mess for her.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Whatever, forget it. There''s no need to be calcting with a dying wretch. Let''s go.¡± Having said that, they walked out of the room, one of them holding the cleaning tools and the other carrying those ss shards. The moment they mmed the door close, Jacqueline abruptly opened her eyes and tightened her grip on the piece of ss she had hidden underneath her pillow. Chapter 1296 Chapter 1296 A dying wretch... Jacqueline reckoned even the bodyguards knew what her fate was. Meanwhile, Shane immediately headed to the study upon arriving at Thompson vi. Ss followed behind as they had some matters to discuss. Natalie had worry written all over her face as she lifted her head and averted her gaze upstairs. Hopefully, Shane can pull himself together. Of course, while worrying for Shane, she felt a suffocating lump of air within her. The amount of information Jacqueline had revealed was too much to digest in such a short time. That was why she could not regain herposure even till now. All this while, Natalie thought the one who kidnapped Connor and caused him to get into a car ident was Jacqueline. Simrly, she thought the woman was also responsible fornding Stanley in a car ident. To her surprise, Jacqueline told her the culprit behind everything was Stanley. Even the fire incident at the textile mill had something to do with him. While she was still in shock by the sudden revtion, puzzlement stung her, too. Why would Stanley do that? He''s Connor''s godfather! He has treated Connor and Sharon so well all along. The two of them also see him as their father. Why did he do that? And what about his car ident? Why would he take the risk and put himself in harm? What could his motive be? And not to forget, why did he burn my warehouse? What good is that for him? Natalie rubbed her forehead wearily as immense frustration overwhelmed her. I have to find Stanley and rify everything with him! With that thought, she immediately fished out her phone and called Stanley. An emotionless, automated female voice sounded from the other end of the call. ¡°Sorry. The number you''re calling is currently unavable. Please try againter.¡± Why is his phone turned off? Natalie scrunched her brows tightly. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Is he busy performing surgery, or... While she was deep in thought, her phone rang suddenly. Lowering her gaze to check, she realized it was from Joyce. She swiped on the green dial icon. ¡°Hey, Joyce.¡± ¡°Nat, I''ve something to tell you.¡± Joyce''s raspy voice rang through the phone. Furrowing her brows, Natalie asked, ¡°What happened, Joyce? You sound weak. Are you ill?¡± Apart from how feeble she sounded, Natalie sensed something else in her voice. Yet, it was something that she could not piece together, and neither could she use words to exin. ¡°Yeah, a little. It''s just a mild cold.¡± As Joyce answered, she let out two coughs. ¡°Is it serious? Did you get some medicine?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. Fret not, Nat. I''m old enough to know what to do. There''s nothing to worry about. I''ll be fine in two days.¡± Joyceughed. Herughter was voided of vigor and instead full of bitterness, unlike her usual cheeriness. Natalie felt that something had happened to her, but before she tried to probe, Joyce''s voice reached her ears again. ¡°Nat, I want to tell you I won''t be heading to work for the next two days. I''m thinking of heading back to visit my parents.¡± ¡°Sure, it''s time you visited them, too. It''s been a few months since youst went back,¡± Natalie agreed readily. ¡°Exactly. They''re saying they miss me.¡± Joyce chuckled. ¡°When are you going back? I can give you a lift to the airport.¡± ¡°There''s no need. I''ll leaveter.¡± Joyce shook her head and refused. Hearing her rejection, Natalie sighed. ¡°All right, then. I won''t send you over. But you have to tell me about your flight time. I have some gifts for Mr. and Mrs. Rivers. I''ll get someone to bring it to the airport.¡± ¡°Sure. It''s at four in the afternoon.¡± Natalie noted it down. ¡°I got it. I''ll get someone to bring it over and wait for you at the airport before your flight.¡± Joyce merely mumbled a response. Then, Natalie seemingly suddenly remembered something that she queried, ¡°Oh yes, Joyce. Did you go look for Stanley after that?¡± The ¡°after that¡± she meant was after Stanley cleared the air regarding the culprit. Joyce grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°Yeah, I did. I went to find him this morning as I wanted to bid him goodbye. But he''s no longer at the hospital.¡± Chapter 1297 Chapter 1297 Perhaps it''s good that he''s not at the hospital and I didn¡¯t get to meet him. With how things were, Joyce figured at least she would not have to be afraid that she would be reluctant to leave. ¡°What? He''s no longer at the hospital?¡± Natalie was surprised. ¡°Joyce, where did Stanley go?¡± ¡°I''ve no idea. I checked with the director, and he said Stanley has taken a long leave. Nothing''s decided about his return date. I bet he must''ve gone to look for that culprit,¡± Joyce exined. That was the only reason she could think about why he had taken such a long leave. ¡°How will he be able to find the culprit alone?¡± Natalie frowned. Joyce cast her gaze downward. ¡°He''s a world-renowned neurologist with a broadwork of connections. He hates getting in touch with them in the past, but now, I guess he''ll do that to help in his search for the culprit.¡± ¡°If that''s the case, there may be a chance for him to find the culprit.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°All right, Nat. I still have to pack my luggage. Let''s talkter,¡± Joyce said. ¡°Mmm, okay. Continue with your packing. I must prepare the gifts for Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, too.¡± Finishing her words, Natalie concluded the call and headed to the kitchen to get Mrs. Wilson to help her prepare some supplements for middle-aged people. Joyce''s parents were never in good health, much worse than many others of the same age. Hence, giving them health supplements was the best choice. After Mrs. Wilson finished preparing the supplements, Natalie made a call to ask her assistant over to help her bring the gifts to the airport for Joyce. By the time she finished, Shane and Ss had alsoe down from upstairs. Seeing Ss leaving immediately, Natalie walked up to Shane and asked, ¡°Darling, how is it?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Everything''s fine now.¡± Shane shook his head as he answered. She poured him a ss of water. ¡°I know why you have been acting this way. Jacqueline killed your parents because they objected to her marrying you. You believed you were the cause of that incident, the one who ignited the fire to everything.¡± Shane tightened his grip on the ss of water. ¡°It was indeed my fault. If Jacqueline didn''t¡ª¡± ¡°No, that isn''t your fault. Don''t me yourself. Of course, we can''t deny how your parents'' refusal triggered her murderous intent. But she''s someone who can''t take a little grievance or mistreatment from others, or else she''ll have the urge to kill them. Think about it; even if she didn''t say she wanted to marry you and instead had other demands, there''s no way your parents could fulfil all of them. Eventually, she would still kill them for not agreeing to her other wishes,¡± Natalieforted as she held onto his hand tightly. Shane''s eyes flickered. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just think about Mr. and Mrs. Graham. Jacqueline killed them because she was upset by a minor matter, even though they were her parents. So, don''t me yourself for that. If your parents learn about it, they wouldn''t feel happy for you either.¡± Natalie gently hugged him. The man hugged her back and closed his eyes. ¡°I know. Ss also tried to persuade me earlier.¡± ¡°What did you and Mr. Campbell discuss upstairs?¡± Natalie turned to look at Shane. He narrowed his eyes and frostily responded, ¡°I''ve decided not to hand Jacqueline over to the police. Though she won''t be able to escape the death penalty, it''s too easy a death for her. I want to punish her by myself.¡± ¡°Okay, do it yourself then.¡± Natalie nodded without hesitation. As much as that was against thew, she could totally understand his agony. The grudge he bore toward Jacqueline for killing his parents was not something he could easily let go of just by handing the case to the police to resolve. In truth, there were many grudges and grievances in the world that one could only find closure after taking revenge by themselves. If she were in Shane''s shoes, she would have made the same decision. ¡°Don''t you think it''s frightening that I choose to do that?¡± The man stared intently at Natalie. She smiled. ¡°You''ve asked me the same question once. I told you I wasn''t scared then, and my answer remains the same now. In contrast, I have a question for you. The fact that I supported your choice only proves I''m not a kind person either. Do you still love me in this case?¡± Chapter 1298 Chapter 1298 Shane chuckled and said, ¡°Of course, I''ll love you no matter how you look. Anyway, an overly kind person can hardly survive in this world. It''s good to stay like this.¡± Natalie rested her head against his shoulder. ¡°Well, when do we act? Should we inform Dr. Baker in advance?¡± ¡°In another few days, perhaps. We can solve the matter rted to Alice first. As for Jackson, we can deal with himter,¡± Shane said with pursed lips. Natalie nodded and said, ¡°All right. Since Alice has been staying in prison for quite some time, she shoulde out now. Mrs. Brown must be anxiously waiting for her release.¡± Then she stood up. ¡°Let me call Mrs. Brown to ry the good news.¡± Shane grunted in affirmation and said, ¡°Sure.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. With that, Natalie grabbed her phone to make the call. Just then, a thought shed through his mind, and he quickly took out his to call his assistant. ¡°Mr. Thompson.¡± ¡°Did you set up a spy camera in Jacqueline''s room?¡± Shane asked in a deep voice. Ss replied while he drove, ¡°Yes, it''s a camera with audio.¡± ¡°In that case, make a copy of the security footage, in which she admitted to her wrongdoings, and send it to the police station. With that, Alice''s case can be reopened,¡± Shane said. ¡°All right. I''ll go to the police stationter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as Shane ended the call, Natalie had also hung up. He gazed at her and asked, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes. Mrs. Brown was emotional, and she almost burst into tears,¡± Natalie sat beside him and responded. ¡°I get it. After all, Alice is innocent. Mrs. Brown hopes to get her out, but she has to stay in prison for some time because we haven''t arrested Jacqueline. Now that Alice can be acquitted, Mrs. Brown will surely be emotional.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Natalie put down her phone and shed him a smile. Shane wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°I just instructed Ss to visit the police station to request reopening Alice''s case.¡± Her eyes sparkled upon hearing it. ¡°That''s good news, but when will she be released?¡± ¡°I''m not sure. Anyway, I think it won''t be longer than two weeks,¡± he answered after giving it some thought. Natalie narrowed her eyes at him meaningfully. ¡°Do you mean you want to punish Jacqueline within this time?¡± ¡°Well, she has lived long enough,¡± Shane said coldly. Since Sam is dead, I have partially avenged my parents. Now, I only have to send Jacqueline there to apologize to them. Besides, Mr. Graham and his wife must surely miss their daughter. As Shane was deep in thought, Natalie heaved a sigh and said, ¡°You''re right. Some people tend to create trouble for the world if they live longer.¡± ¡°By the way, do you remember what Jacqueline told you before? What do you intend to do about it?¡± Natalie could read his mind instantly. ¡°Are you referring to what Stanley has done?¡± Shane fell silent. After a while, Natalie looked down and continued, ¡°To be honest, I tried to reach him just now, but he didn''t answer the call. I''ve heard from Joyce that he left J City to look for the culprit. Anyway, when I knew he had left, I felt relieved somehow because I didn''t know how I could face him. Thanks to him, Connor got into a car ident, my warehouse was burned down, and all fabrics were destroyed. I hate him deep in my heart. However, Connor, Sharon, and I would have been dead if it weren''t for him five years ago. Hence, I don''t know how I should deal with it.¡± Knowing that she felt conflicted, Shane''s gaze darkened. ¡°If you don''t know how to deal with it, allow me.¡± ¡°You?¡± She was startled for a while upon hearing it. Gazing at his cold face, her heart suddenly pounded. ¡°Darling, are you nning to... do that?¡± After showing a throat-slitting gesture, Natalie shook her head a few times and added, ¡°Don''t do it. I still owe him. Hence, we can''t do such a cruel thing to him.¡± ¡°Why do you have such a thought? I won''t kill him. As you said, he saved you and the kids before. I will remember his act of kindness. However, Connor got into an ident, and your sweat and blood were destroyed because of him. All these have canceled off his kindness to you. I will ask him to go abroad and never return.¡± Chapter 1299 Chapter 1299 Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I see. Perhaps it''s the best option. What Stanley did in the past surpassed his kindness and our friendship. Hence, we''d better not meet each other from now on.¡± Shane looked up and replied, ¡°Anyway, you''ve said that he''s abroad at the moment. I''ll tell him about it when he returns. If he refuses to leave, I''ll send him overseas anyway. I won''t do anything if he leaves willingly.¡± She murmured a response. ¡°Sure.¡± Time flew by, and two days had passed in the blink of an eye. The police said that Jacqueline''s testimony was legally valid, thus proving she was the one who harmed Natalie twice. Alice had cleared her name and could be released. However, she had vited thew when she willingly took responsibility for Jacqueline''s crime. Considering that Alice had been imprisoned for almost six months, the police decided not to press further charges. After all, staying in prison for six months was already a punishment. Moreover, the police believed Alice wouldn''t do silly things anymore. Lucinda and Natalie stood outside the prison while gazing at the entrance. Shane didn''te with them since he had to go to the Graham residence. While Alice was released, they would take Jacqueline into custody. While staring at the entrance, Lucinda sped her hands emotionally. If she weren''t sitting in the wheelchair, Natalie thought she would pace up and down impatiently by now. ¡°Mrs. Brown, please be patient. Alice wille out soon,¡± sheforted Lucinda when she noticed the latter couldn''t put her mind at ease. Given that Lucinda wasn''t as healthy as before, Natalie was worried that she would pass out due to excitement. Lucinda forced a smile after Natalie finished. ¡°Mrs. Brown, I understand what you mean. However, how can I ever calm myself down? After all, my only hope is that Alice can be released, and it is about to come true¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Natalie interrupted, ¡°I know. Fine, forget what I''ve said.¡± Since she has always hoped to reunite with her daughter, how can she calm down? I would behave the same if I were her. After the thought shed through her mind, Natalie stopped advising Lucinda. After a while, the gate of the prison finally opened. Lucinda couldn''t suppress her excitement and moved the wheelchair toward the entrance by herself, for she wished to see her daughter. Meanwhile, Natalie stood still and leaned against the car. After a while, a pale-looking and petitedy with short blonde hair came out. Although she looked pitiful, her eyes were sparkling as if she looked forward to the new future when she looked up at the sky. Raising her eyebrows, Natalie praised Alice deep in her heart. Thetter didn''t seem to feel dejected after going into prison. Instead, she was motivated and looked forward to her new life. Awesome! In that case, I''m sure Alice won''t be a burden to the Brown family. ¡°Alice.¡± Lucinda gazed at her daughter and smiled emotionally as tears of delight streamed down her face. Stunned to hear her mother''s voice, Alice lowered her head and looked at Lucinda in the wheelchair. As her eyes turned bloodshot, she said chokingly, ¡°Mom!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Alice!¡± In the end, Alice couldn''t suppress her emotions. She ran toward Lucinda while weeping. Then she hugged her mother tightly and kept saying sorry. Alice knew she had made the mistake of taking the me for someone else''s crime. All the more so, she shouldn''t have believed someone whom she had never seen. Chapter 1300 Chapter 1300 Alice got nothing in return. She took the rap but didn''t receive the money that was meant to pay off her family''s debt. The culprit didn''t honor their deal and her heartbroken mother had to seek help everywhere in a wheelchair. Even her younger brother was bullied by other kids in school because of what happened. She finally understood that she had been wrong in every possible way. ¡°I''m sorry, Mom. I''m so sorry.¡± Alice rested her head on her mother''sp and wept due to sadness and guilt. Although Lucinda was upset, she understood Alice did it to pay off the family''s debt. Therefore, she wouldn''t give up on her daughter, no matter how pissed off she was. Otherwise, Lucinda didn''t have to look for ways to bring her out of prison. Natalie continued to lean against the car and watched them hugging. She didn''t go up to disturb them, for she knew that they missed one another after half a year. After a long time, Lucinda thought of Natalie. She patted Alice''s shoulder, gesturing for her to stop crying and stand up. Alice sniffed, wiped away her tears, and stood up. Then Lucinda grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Alice,e with me to meet Mrs. Thompson.¡± Alice murmured a response. Aftering up to Natalie, Lucinda gently pushed Alice to the front and said, ¡°Alice, you must thank Mrs. Thompson.¡± Gazing at Natalie, Alice earnestly bowed and said, ¡°I''m sorry, Mrs. Thompson. I shouldn''t have taken responsibility for someone''s crime. I''m so sorry for my mistake. Also, thank you for not giving up on me and rescuing me by arresting Jacqueline. I owe you my sincere gratitude!¡± Before leaving prison, Alice heard from the prison guards that Jacqueline was arrested and hade clean with everything. Otherwise, Alice probably had to stay in prison for a longer time. Natalie looked at Alice but didn''t help her up. ¡°Take good care of Mrs. Brown since you''re out of prison. Don''t do something silly ever again. I wonder why you would take responsibility for someone else''s crime even before meeting the culprit or receiving any money.¡± Thetter''s face reddened with embarrassment as she felt guilty for what she had done. After ncing at Lucinda''s grey hair, Alice nodded earnestly and promised Natalie. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, rest assured that I know what I should do. After this lesson, I won''t be as naive and trust others easily. From now on, I''ll take care of my mom, help her with her business, and raise my brother.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Natalie nodded in relief. After checking the time on her watch, she said, ¡°It''s gettingte. Let me drive you home. I have some work matters to attend toter.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Lucinda and Alice thanked Natalie again. After opening the car door, Natalie and Alice helped Lucinda get in the car. Then, they left the prison in Natalie''s car. On their way back, Natalie chatted with Alice while she was driving. When Alice asked about Jacqueline, Natalie didn''t hide it from her, but told her things that could be revealed. Upon listening to Natalie, Alice felt satisfied, as though she had had her revenge. ¡°That''s great! She deserves to pay for everything that she has done,¡± Alice growled while clenching her fist. ¡°You''re right.¡± Soon, they arrived at Alice''s house. Natalie politely refused their invitation to have some tea and continued driving to the Graham residence. At that time, Shane was already at the Graham residence. Now that Alice had been released, the time was up for Jacqueline to pay her price. Hence, Natalie wished to know Shane''s arrangement. Upon arriving at the Graham residence, Shane asked the guards to open the door and went in with Ss. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. When they arrived at the room, Jacqueline, surprisingly, didn''t lie on the bed but merely sat on it. Chapter 1301 Chapter 1301 Once Shane and Ss came in, Jacqueline looked up at them and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Shane, you''re here.¡± ¡°Alice has been released.¡± Shane stood a few feet away from the bed. Apparently, he disdained Jacqueline and was unwilling to go near her. Her lips curled into a self-deprecating smile when she saw his reaction. Well, I''m not surprised at all. Since I''m filthy and smelly, who wants toe near me? ¡°Really? Alice has gone out of prison, and you have known what you wish to know. In that case, I''m useless to you. Shane, are you here to punish me?¡± Jacqueline clenched her fist nervously, even though she hid her hand in the nket. Nheless, Shane merely pursed his lips and didn''t answer her. Staring at him, she said defiantly, ¡°Your silence proves that I''m right. Let me guess how you''ll punish me. Will you throw me into prison? Wait a second... Since you hate me so much, throwing me into prison is akin to letting me off the hook. After all, I won''t be tortured in prison. Even though the court will sentence me to death, I''ll be treated nicely until the execution. I''m sure it''s not the oue you wished to see, given that your parents died because of me. Instead, you wish to torture me to death. Under such circumstances, why would you hand me over to the police and give me the best way to die?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°You''re smart enough to guess it right.¡± Jacqueline chuckled and replied, ¡°Well, it''s because I know you too well. You can cherish the one you love and give her everything she wants. On the other hand, you''ll slowly ravage someone whom you hate. Hence, you''ll let me die to avenge your parents, but won''t make it easy for me. You''ll slowly torture me until I die in pain. Am I right?¡± Shane sneered, ¡°Since you already have an idea about it, are you ready?¡± ¡°Why would I speak to you calmly if I''m not ready?¡± Jacqueline shrugged. ¡°All right. Ss, ask your men to transfer her to¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Jacqueline interrupted him before he could finish his words. She tightened her fists under the nket. At the same time, she clutched something in her hand tightly. As such, her palm was scratched, and blood kept flowing out. Unperturbed, she stared at Shane and said, ¡°I know they will transfer me to another ce to torture me slowly. Shane, I''m telling you I won''t allow you to do so. I was born into a wealthy family; I have always been high and mighty. I can punish others, but not the other way round. You want to punish me, yet my pride and dignity won''t allow you or anyone else to do so.¡± ¡°Oh? In that case, what do you want?¡± Shane mocked while his lips quirked. Then Jacqueline took out the thing that she had been hiding under the nket. Seeing that her hand was bleeding, Ss couldn''t help but scream, ¡°It''s a mirror''s ss shard!¡± He thought she had selected the shard carefully, for it was sharp and thin. Staring at Shane, Jacqueline put the shard against her neck and said maniacally, ¡°What do I want? I''ve said that no one in this world can ever punish me. I will never let others decide my fate. The only person who can kill me is myself.¡± After taking a deep breath, she continued, ¡°Considering the things I did, my death is inevitable. Nevertheless, I won''t permit you to decide my fate. My life-and-death decision can only be decided by me, not you. I will not let you have your revenge!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. The next moment, Jacqueline guffawed and plunged the ss shared into her neck with all her might. Chapter 1302 Chapter 1302 Ss clearly saw the cut that the shard of ss caused was slightly over half an inch. Blood started seeping through the edges of the ss and dripping downward. Soon, Jacqueline''s hand was stained red with fresh warm blood. The deep cut resulted in severe blood loss, and Jacqueline copsed onto the bed. When she loosened her grip on the broken sses in her palm, the piece she stuck into her neck stood upright. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Shey still as she stared vacuously at the ceiling with her widened eyes. Her eyes grew dim, and life was fading from the windows to her soul. Shane and Ss were utterly stunned as everything happened in the blink of an eye. By the time they came to their senses, Jacqueline had stuck a shard of ss into her neck. Ss covered his mouth in disbelief. ¡°Mr. Shane, she...¡± Shane, too, fell silent. His eyes twitched as he walked toward the bed. He then leaned forward to check on Jacqueline. Blood kept streaming down the woman''s neck. At that point, Shane could feel Jacqueline was about to breathe herst. Although Jacqueline had begun to lose her consciousness, she could still feel Shane standing next to her. She could barely move. But even if she could, she would have refused to. She stared at the ceiling listlessly and opened her mouth. ¡°Shane... seeing that I''m about to die, can you please do me a favor?¡± Shane''s lips twitched. His words were poised to tumble out, but nothing came out of his mouth. Jacqueline''s eyes started drooping, but she tried to stay awake by blinking repeatedly. Yet, as time passed by, her eyes narrowed into slits. Her vision started deteriorating. So was her hearing. She had no idea if Shane had spoken, but she assumed he did. Jacqueline gave a bitterugh and breathed as hard as possible. ¡°T-Tell Jackie I''m sorry. I... I finally know who''s the love of my life now...¡± At that moment, she finally understood theplicated feelings she had for Jackson when she met him two days ago. She also knew why she felt lost and crestfallen when Jackson told her he was not in love with her and bade her farewell. It was because she loved him. The man she loved was not Shane but Jackson. Jacqueline did not know when she had developed an interest in Jackson, but at this point, she knew she had fallen for him. She also recalled how she had hurt his feelings in the past. She regretted her actions. If only I hade to this realization earlier. Things would have ended differently had I figured out my feelings for him, wouldn''t they? No. Nothing''s gonna change anyway. I killed Shane''s parents when I was at the age of ten. Even if I realize I''m in love with Jackson, Shane wouldn''t have let me off either. Jacqueline shed a wry smile as if she was mocking her own fate. ¡°I''m so tired...¡± Instead of fighting to stay awake, she decided to shut her eyes. Her vision soon plunged into total darkness. Jacqueline''s eyshes fluttered weakly, and her head grew heavier. Her breathing gradually stopped, and her chest no longer heaved. Ss nced at Shane before walking up to Jacqueline and cing a finger beneath her nose. Secondster, he drew his finger back and eximed in shock, ¡°Mr. Shane, I-I think she''s dead!¡± He gaped and did not know what else to say. Shane''s eyes flickered slightly. He responded with a deep grunt and replied, ¡°Got it.¡± Chapter 1303 Chapter 1303 ¡°We didn''t expect this to happen, did we?¡± Ss looked at Shane and asked. ¡°All we wanted to do was torture her, yet she killed herself. Does this mean our revenge had failed?¡± Shane clenched his fists. He was obviously displeased with the turn of events. But what else can I do? The woman is dead. I can''t possibly get a medical expert to resuscitate her so that I can kill her with my bare hands, can I? Or should I whip her lifeless body to vent my frustration? But that''s not me. I''m not that perverted. ¡°Let''s just leave her as she is,¡± Shane said while staring at Jacqueline. It''s a shame that I couldn''t avenge my parents, but since she''s dead, it''s time for me to let go. He reached out his hands to grab a corner of theforter and pulled it upward, covering Jacqueline''s body with the bed covering. With a deadpan expression, he turned around and instructed Ss, ¡°Let''s go. Get someone to clean this upter.¡± ¡°All right, Mr. Shane.¡± Ss nodded and left the room with him. The moment they reached downstairs, they bumped into Natalie, who had just entered the building. Natalie quickened her pace and walked up to him. ¡°Shane, you...¡± Before she could further, she noticed his blood-stained hands. She froze for a moment. ¡°Shane, what happened? Are you injured?¡± Shane followed her line of sight and lowered his head. He then shook his head and answered, ¡°No. It''s not my blood.¡± Natalie looked bewildered. She asked, ¡°Then whose blood is it?¡± ¡°It''s Jacqueline''s,¡± he answered. I must have identally tainted my hand when I pulled up theforter earlier. Natalie was dumbstruck at that. ¡°Jacqueline''s blood? Don''t tell me you¡ª¡± ¡°No, I didn''t.¡± Shane cut her off and shook his head. Natalie patted her chest gently and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You nearly gave me the shock of my life. I thought you had already¡ª¡± ¡°But she''s dead,¡± Shane interrupted her. Natalie stared at him, dumbfounded. ¡°What did you say? She''s dead? Didn''t you say you didn''t do anything to her? How did she¡ª¡± ¡°Shemitted suicide, madam,¡± Ss exined. Natalie could not believe her ears. ¡°Shemitted suicide? Why?¡± ¡°Jacqueline knew she would not be able to walk out of here alive, and she knew Mr. Shane would torture her to death. So she kept a shard of ss and stabbed her neck with it,¡± Ss said. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He then continued describing the conversation she had with Shane in detail. After hearing everything, Natalie seemed to have gotten over the shock. She sighed and said, ¡°I guess I shouldn''t be surprised by what Jacqueline had done to herself. She''s a proud woman who would not allow anyone to step all over her, so I guess I can understand why she decided to end her life. In fact, I admire her guts for it because not everyone has the courage to do something like this. It''s just that you won''t be able to avenge your parents anymore, Shane.¡± ¡°I know, but since she''s dead, it''s time to let bygones be bygones,¡± Shane said while lowering his eyes. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s for the best.¡± She then looked up and saw two security guards busy walking in and out of Jacqueline''s room. Natalie could roughly figure out what they were busy with. She immediately lowered her head and dared not look up again. Although she had yete across Jacqueline''s body, she could not help but shudder when she thought of the body that stilly on the bed upstairs. ¡°Shane, do you think we should tell the cops about Jacqueline? After all, they knew Jacqueline was in your hands,¡± Natalie asked while looking at Shane. He lowered his eyes and replied, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°We should update Dr. Baker too,¡± Natalie added. Shane frowned. ¡°I''ll get someone to update Jackson about this. Come on, let''s go. We shouldn''t stay here anymore.¡± Natalie murmured a response, ¡°All right.¡± She did not want to stay there any longer either. The thought of sharing the same space with a dead person sent shivers down her spine. Natalie and Shane left the Graham residence, but Ss stayed back to take care of the rest. Besides handling Jacqueline''s body, Ss also needed to make the other necessary arrangements in the Graham residence. Chapter 1304 Chapter 1304 When Shane and Natalie returned to the Thompson vi, Mrs. Wilson came out to greet them, ¡°Sir, madam, wee home.¡± Shane nodded gently. Upon noticing the blood on Shane''s hand, Mrs. Wilson eximed, ¡°Are you injured, Mr. Shane?¡± ¡°No. It''s not my blood,¡± Shane replied and went upstairs right away. Now that Jacqueline was dead, the grudges he was holding against her had also vanished. Yet, everything urred so fast that Shane had not quite figured out how to react to certain things. In other words, he had yet to make peace with himself. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He needed more time to sort his mind before he couldpletely let go of the grudge. Natalie stood still and watched as Shane walk up to the third floor, only looking away when his figure disappeared from her sight. Mrs. Wilson gave Natalie a confused look. ¡°Madam, what''s wrong with Mr. Shane? He seems to be in a bad mood.¡± ¡°Yeah, he''s in a bad mood because he didn''t get to take his revenge against his enemy. His enemy died before he could do anything. So it might take him some time to learn to let go.¡± Natalie let out a sigh. Although Shane did say it was time to let bygones be bygones, he was, in fact, unhappy that Jacqueline hadmitted suicide. Yet, there was no way he could vent his pent-up frustration. That was why his mood was down. ¡°His enemy is dead?¡± Mrs. Wilson eximed in shock. ¡°Does that mean Jacqueline is...¡± Natalie looked at her and nodded gently. Mrs. Wilson gasped. ¡°Did Mr. Shane¡ª¡± ¡°No. Jacqueline killed herself,¡± Natalie answered while shaking her head. Mrs. Wilson gulped and was stunned for a moment before asking in disbelief, ¡°She killed herself? Did you say she killed herself?¡± Natalie responded with a faint smile. ¡°Jacqueline was a woman with a big ego, so she would never allow anyone to humiliate her. She ended her life because she knew there was no way she could escape Shane''s clutches.¡± ¡°I see. It takes great courage for Jacqueline to kill herself. Gotta take my hat off to her.¡± Mrs. Wilson pursed her lips. Natalie kept mum. Her eyes were downcast as she pondered about something. Secondster, she shook her head to shake the thoughts out of her mind and switched to another topic. ¡°Where''s Sharon and Connor?¡± ¡°Connor has gone to the kickboxing hall. Sharon went with him,¡± Mrs. Wilson answered. Natalie nodded in understanding and did not ask any further. Time flew by, and it was alreadyte evening. Shane had yet toe out of his study despite the fact that Mrs. Wilson had called him several times for dinner. She had no choice but to ask Natalie to do her a favor. Natalie went upstairs and knocked on Shane''s study. A husky voice came from the study. ¡°Come in.¡± Natalie twisted the doorknob and went into the study, only to find that it was pitch ck inside. She turned on the lights and saw the man sitting behind the desk. She opened her mouth and asked gently, ¡°Why aren''t youing down for dinner?¡± Shane was not surprised to see Natalie. It was as if he knew she woulde to look for him. After all, Mrs. Wilson would have called his name if she was the one who knocked on the door. That was how he knew the person behind the door was Natalie. If the person were Mrs. Wilson, he would not have let her in. ¡°I''m not hungry,¡± Shane replied and put down the hands he used to prop his head. Natalie walked over. ¡°Not hungry or don''t feel like eating?¡± Shane pressed his lips into a thin line and kept mum. Natalie responded with a sigh. ¡°You didn''t even bother to turn on the lights. Still unable to let go?¡± Shane wrapped his hands around her waist and buried his face in her belly. He said in a deep voice, ¡°How can I let go so easily? After spending more than ten years looking for my parents'' murderers, I finally found Sam and Jacqueline. Yet, Jacqueline ended her life in such a way. It makes me feel the effort I put in in thest ten years was meaningless.¡± Natalie stroked his hair and said, ¡°I understand how you feel, but now that Jacqueline is dead, there''s nothing you can do. You''re just making yourself feel even more miserable. It''s time for you to ept it and move on. Even if you are not the one who ended it, she''s still dead. You should takefort in knowing that she''ll now have to beg for your parents'' forgiveness.¡± Chapter 1305 Chapter 1305 Shane''s eyes narrowed as he said chillingly, ¡°I know. I just think that she had it too easy.¡± Natalie patted his back. ¡°I don''t think she had it easy.¡± ¡°What makes you say so?¡± Shane raised his head to look at her. The crease on his forehead deepened. He was curious about her thoughts. Natalie exined with a smile, ¡°Didn''t you say that the reason Jacqueline took her own life was that she was an arrogant and conceited person that didn''t want to be punished by anyone else but herself? Well, I think people like her won''t choose a path to end their life like that if she has any other way. I reckoned she wanted to live more than anyone else. Otherwise, she would''vemitted suicide much earlier. I bet she must have experienced tremendous fear and suffering during the time she was confined in the Graham residence.¡± Understanding shed across Shane''s eyes upon hearing her words. She''s saying Jacqueline chose to die because she was tortured mentally. So it doesn''t really matter if she didn''t suffer physically. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Maybe.¡± He didn''t object as he massaged the spot between his brows. Natalie rubbed his shoulder to soothe his tense muscles. ¡°Stop overthinking things. Losing an enemy is a good thing. At least she died in front of you, knowing she had no way of staying alive once she fell into your hands. If she had died from an ident at an unknown ce, you would have been unsatisfied with her ending.¡± After all, dying from an ident at some ce Shane doesn''t know of is a mockery of the decade-long revenge he prepared. Natalie''s long-winded advice finally got through to him. Shane sucked in a breath, rxing his tense body. He was able to let go of his frustration slightly. Natalie patted his shoulder gently. ¡°How are you nning to deal with Jacqueline''s body?¡± ¡°She''ll be cremated and buried in some cemetery,¡± Shane answered with disgust in his tone. One thing''s for sure, I''ll never bury Jacqueline with my parents. I don''t want her to bother them even in the afterlife. They might feel troubled to see her every day. ¡°That works.¡± Natalie nodded, agreeing with him. Just then, Shane''s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Natalie looked over her shoulder and saw Ss'' name shing across the phone''s screen. ¡°You''d better take the call. It''s from Mr. Campbell.¡± She reached for the phone and passed it over to Shane. Shane muttered an acknowledgment as he took the phone. He didn''t slide the phone to his ear. Instead, he put the call on speaker. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked. Ss'' voice echoed from the other end of the line. ¡°Mr. Shane, we''ve sanitized the entire Graham residence and sent Jacqueline''s body to the nearest morgue.¡± Shane nodded his head. ¡°Got it. Have you informed Jackson?¡± ¡°Not yet. Something dyed my schedule in the afternoon, so I didn''t get the chance,¡± Ss scratched his head sheepishly as he answered. Shane frowned. ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°It was something to do with the Gunn family. I think it''s too much of a coincidence. When Jacqueline was alive, the Gunn family was still able to hang on despite being under the constant pressure of the Garcia family and the fact that a single push was all that was needed to push them over the ledge. However, the moment Jacqueline passed away, the Garcia family informed me the Gunn family had copsed, and Mr. Gunn and his sons were all taken in for investigation,¡± Ss reported. Initially, the Gunn family didn''t have any grudges against the Thompson family despite the fact that Mr. Gunn was Jacqueline''s great-grandfather. In fact, Shane had enlisted the help of the Gunn family to search for the culprit behind Natalie''s assassinations twice before. However, when the Gunn family found out the culprit was Jacqueline, they covered for her and med everything on Alice. Of course, Shane wouldn''t have asked the Garcia family to target the prominent Gunn family for that reason only. It was when he found out the truth about Jacqueline being his parents'' murderer that he changed his mind. When the Gunn family covered for Jacqueline, they not only covered for Natalie''s murderer but also covered for his parents'' murderer. They became his enemy the moment they took Jacqueline''s side. He hated them for protecting the killer and enlisted the help of the Garcia family to take the Gunn family down. Chapter 1306 Chapter 1306 A few months passed, and the Gunn family had finally copsed. Hearing Ss'' words, Natalie was shocked. ¡°That''s strange. The Garcia family hasn''t even made a move against the Gunn family after Jacqueline''s death, and they already copsed? Sounds bizarre to me.¡± Ss exined, ¡°It was quite inconceivable, but the Garcia family had an exnation for their copse. Jacqueline had her fate read by a seer when she was a child. The seer said Jacqueline would continue to bring wealth and prosperity to the Gunn family as long as she lives. That was the reason why Mr. Gunn doted on her so much, despite her being his great-granddaughter.¡± ¡°I see. In that case, what happened to the Gunn family matched what the seer said. No matter how much oppression the Gunn family faced, they were still surviving on theirst legs because Jacqueline was still alive. The moment she passed away, however, the Gunn family copsed too.¡± Natalie realized with disbelief. I never thought such fantastical things were even possible in this world. ¡°Did Mr. Gunn know Jacqueline killed his granddaughter?¡± Shane asked with narrowed eyes. Mr. Gunn''s granddaughter was Jacqueline''s mother. Ss nodded. ¡°From the Garcia family''s report, Mr. Gunn was well aware of it. However, since he had a couple of granddaughters and Jacqueline''s mother was not his favorite, he probably would''ve forgotten about her if it wasn''t for Jacqueline. He was stunned briefly about Jacqueline being the murderer, but then he cleaned up after her by erasing all the evidence as if nothing happened.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness! Is he even human? His own granddaughter was murdered, and yet¡ª¡± ¡°It''s not that surprising, to be honest. After all, Mr. Gunn had always been a man who cared only for his benefits. He didn''t care for Mrs. Graham, so his choice wasn''t exactly a surprise when youpared an unfavorable granddaughter and a great-granddaughter that brought wealth and prosperity to his family,¡± Shane reasoned. Natalie nodded in understanding. ¡°I get what you mean. I just think people like him are too scary.¡± ¡°They are scary. There are many people like him in the industry,¡± Shane said. Nataliemented. ¡°How sad it was for Mrs. Graham to have Mr. Gunn as her grandfather.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. We won''t be grandparents like that,¡± Shane promised as he held Natalie''s hand. ¡°Grandparents? Sharon is still a child. It''s way too early to think about that,¡± Natalie said with an arched brow. ¡°You''re right.¡± Shaneughed. Natalie asked, ¡°Oh, by the way, what happened to the rest of the Gunn family members?¡± Ss answered, ¡°Mr. Gunn was an elder, so he probably wouldn''t get a heavy sentence. At most, he would be sent to a nursing home. After all, he was an excellent civil servant in his younger days. Materialism only started to consume him as he continued to dabble in the industry over the years. I reckoned the government will give him a lighter sentence based on his earlier achievements.¡± ¡°What about the others?¡± Natalie asked curiously. ¡°The Garcia family had found evidence of corruption and bribery on all of Mr. Gunn''s sons. I''m afraid they will be staying in prison for a long time.¡± ¡°That''s good to hear. Lawbreakers should be punished for breaking thew,¡± Shane said casually with his lips pressed into a thin line. Getting up to his feet, he added, ¡°Anyway, it''s time to inform Jackson about Jacqueline''s death.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane hung up his phone and turned to Natalie. ¡°Let''s head downstairs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded. The couple left the study hand-in-hand as they descended the stairs. Soon, they arrived at the dining room. Sharon and Connor immediately dropped their spoon before getting off their chairs the second they saw Shane and Natalie. The kids rushed to their side. ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± Shane and Natalie each stretched their arms out to hug their children. ¡°Slow down.¡± Shane bent down to carry Sharon. ¡°You''ll get hurt if you run into something.¡± The little girl wrapped her arms around her father''s neck andughed. ¡°I won''t. After all, Daddy would catch me. Am I right, Daddy?¡± Gentleness filled Shane''s eyes as he stared at his daughter. ¡°You''re right. I will always catch you and protect you.¡± Chapter 1307 Chapter 1307 After all, that was his daughter. ¡°What about me, Daddy? What about me?¡± With his hand held by Natalie, Connor raised his head to regard his father. Shane lowered his head and smiled. ¡°I''ll always protect you too.¡± And Anders as well. Aside from Natalie, his children were the ones who were most near and dear to him in this world. Hence, he would stake everything in their care and protection. Delighted at what Shane said, the two children reacted boisterously and filled the entire dining room with the sound of their joyousughter. Mrs. Wilson feltforted just observing by the side. ¡°All right. That''s enough. Connor, Sharon, stop pestering your father and get started on your food already. Your father hasn''t gotten to eat yet,¡± Natalie hastened to say in response to the trio''s tomfoolery. Connor obediently relinquished his hold on Shane''s legs. Sharon, too, allowed Shane to set her down. After he patted Sharon on the head, Shane put her on her feet. Then, taking each child by the hand on either side, he made his way toward the dining table. Meanwhile, Jackson was at the hospital. He had justpleted an operation and was walking out of the operating theater when a nurse came up to him with his cell phone. ¡°Your phone rang earlier, Dr. Baker. It was a call from someone named Ss.¡± With that, the nurse passed the phone along to Jackson who received it gratefully. ¡°Thank you. You should go on ahead and get back to your work.¡± The nurse responded with an affirmative nod before turning to depart. Once he had gathered himself, Jackson''s expression grew solemn. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Why did Ss suddenly call me, and at night, at that? Could it be that something has happened to Jacqueline? Shane surely would not have gotten Ss to reach out to me if it did not concern Jacqueline, because apart from that, there''s nothing else left to be said between us. That thought drove Jackson to pull up Ss'' number and dial it. Ss picked up promptly the moment the call connected as he had been waiting for his counterpart to get back to him. ¡°Dr. Baker.¡± ¡°Do you have something for me?¡± Jackson asked while he made his way back to his own consultation room. On the other end of the line, there was a lengthy pause before Ss spoke up, ¡°There is something you need to know, Dr. Baker, and please prepare yourself mentally for what I''m about to say.¡± Jackson stopped in his tracks when he heard that as he felt turbulent inside. ¡°Prepare myself mentally? What exactly are you trying to tell me?¡± Ss took in a deep breath before he replied, ¡°Mr. Shane wanted me to inform you that Ms. Graham is dead.¡± The entire world seemed to have gonepletely silent for Jackson when he heard that. His expression froze in ce as though he had his own soul drained away. The fingers he had around the phone loosened involuntarily, causing the device in his hand to slip and fall to the floor with a tter. Picking up on that sound, Ss called out swiftly, ¡°Dr. Baker? Dr. Baker?¡± That elicited no response from Jackson, who continued to stand rooted to the spot, looking shocked and dibobted. Jacqueline... is dead... It took Jackson a while to process what Ss had just told him. Jacqueline... Jacqueline is dead! His body wobbled before his knees buckled beneath him. Jackson kneeled on the floor with his head in his hands, howling in gut-wrenching agony, ¡°Ahhh!¡± Evidently, that was not an oue he was able toe to terms with. Although he understood that a tragic end was inevitable for Jacqueline and had worked on psyching himself up for the eventuality, he had not expected that day to arrive that soon. It came so abruptly that he had yet to let go of his feelings for her¡ªhe was not ready for this. Quivering all over, Jackson''s tears came in torrents. Concerned, the nurses close by hurried over to check on him. ¡°What''s the matter, Dr. Baker? Are you all right?¡± Jackson did not respond to any of their queries but reached out to grope for the phone on the floor. After he got his trembling hands on it, he put it to his ear and asked in a shaky voice, ¡°Tell me that this isn''t true, Ss. You must be lying to me, am I right? Jacqueline''s not really dead, is she?¡± Chapter 1308 Chapter 1308 Lowering his eyes, Ss sighed. ¡°Although I understand your feelings, Dr. Baker, I''m sorry to say that I wasn''t deceiving you. Jacqueline''s really dead, and her body has already been transported to Stanford Hospital.¡± Stanford Hospital also happened to be Stanley''s previous ce of employment. When he heard Ss'' words, Jackson felt like his heart was being crushed. It hurt so much that it left him feeling short of breath. He held the phone in a vice-like grip. ¡°Why? How could it have happened so quickly? It was you lot who killed her, am I right?¡± All along, Jackson was aware that Shane had no intentions of handing Jacqueline over to the police and that the man sought to procure justice for himself. Hence, he thought it highly possible that Shane could have killed Jacqueline. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. That got Ss'' brow bunched up into a frown. ¡°You''ve misunderstood us, Dr. Baker. Although we did indeed n to kill her, we aren''t responsible for it. She was the one who took her own life.¡± ¡°Took her own life?¡± Jackson''s eyes narrowed asudden in skepticism. ¡°How... Why would Jacqueline kill herself?¡± ¡°That''s the truth of the matter, Dr. Baker. Ms. Graham knew that we are not going to let her off, so out of desperation, she chose to take matters into her own hands. Seeing how much you loved her, you ought to know as well as anyone her prideful and conceited nature. How would someone like that ever allow herself to be subjected to the judgment of others?¡± Ss said. Mouth agape, Jackson was rendered speechless because he knew it was as Ss described. Jacqueline''s arrogance and egocentricity meant that she would rather die than ce herself at the mercy of another. So, Jacqueline must have really taken her own life! That realization left Jackson dumbstruck. He sunk his head so low that no one could see the expression on his face. His quiet sniffles, though, betrayed the fact that he was weeping. That did not elude Ss, who could do little except sigh in response for he understood why Jackson cried so piteously. How could anyone not do so upon the death of one''s own beloved? Although Dr. Baker had stated that he was not in love with Jacqueline anymore and would not see her again, he could not have just let go of his feelings within such a short time. Hence, it was no surprise how Jackson emotional state wound up a mess in response to Jacqueline''s passing. With that in mind, Ss thumbed up the sses on his nose bridge and tried to offer up some words of constion. ¡°I understand your sorrow, Dr. Baker, but she''s gone. Please do restrain your grief.¡± ¡°Restrain my grief?¡± Jackson gave a bitterugh. How could I take it easy when the love of my life is dead? ¡°Did you say that Jacqueline is now at the Stanford Hospital?¡± Jackson stood to his feet, sounding rather hoarse. Ss affirmed it with a nod. ¡°Yes. She had been sent to the Stanford Hospital morgue not too long ago.¡± Jackson asked no more and ended the call outright. Then, he removed his sses to wipe away his own tears. Picking up his pace, he raced in the direction of the elevator and made his way out of the hospital without even changing out of the surgery attire he had on. He gged down a ride that took him to the Stanford Hospital. On the other end, Ss was not too surprised to find himself being hung up on as it was a scenario he had already foresaw when Jackson asked about Jacqueline''s whereabouts. Dr. Baker must be on his way to Stanford Hospital by now. Sighing, Ss went on to inform Shane of this development. Natalie had just stepped out of the showers when she saw Shane changing out of his sleepwear and into his leisure wear. She could not contain her astonishment. ¡°It''s already sote, Darling. Are you still headed somewhere?¡± Seeing him change out of his attire close to bedtime all of a sudden, she could not imagine for what purpose he might be doing unless he was going out. Lifting his chin, Shane made no attempt to deny this. ¡°Jackson has already learned that Jacqueline is dead. Ss said that he seemed distraught, and is currently on the way to Stanford Hospital to see her body. I''m going to go over to make sure that he doesn''t do anything stupid.¡± Although he had fallen out with Jackson, they had been friends since they were little, so there''s no way he could have left him alone. ¡°I see. Then, I shalle along as well,¡± said Natalie upon that realization. ¡°You should stay in. The weather is too cold outside. I''ll be back soon.¡± Walking up to her, Shane reached out to gently ruffle her hair. Chapter 1309 Chapter 1309 ¡°Okay, but wouldn''t that mean you''d be going alone? What if Dr. Baker were to mean you harm?¡± Although Jacqueline took her own life, there''s no telling whether Jackson would vent his anger on him. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Shane responded with a snort. ¡°Rx. He''s not beating anyone up with that scrawny frame of his.¡± Not that he was acting in bravado, but the fact that Jackson was almost half a head shorter and much slighter of buildpared to him meant the man was not going to be a threat to him. Besides, he was more than capable of handling his own in a fight. Therefore, Jackson would most assuredly not be a match for him. Hearing that from Shane reminded Natalie that he did know a move or two. Hence, she could not suppress a smile. ¡°In that case, go quickly. I''ll be at home, waiting.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shane nodded. He then pulled her in for a peck on the lips before he made his way out of the room. Shortly after, Mrs. Wilson walked in with a ss of milk in hand. ¡°Where is Mr. Shane going, madam?¡± ¡°To look for Jackson. He''s worried that he''ll do something stupid,¡± replied Natalie as she received the milk from the housekeeper. Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°Ah, I see. That''s not too surprising, considering that Dr. Baker is the only friend Mr. Shane ever had.¡± ¡°The only one?¡± Natalie''s brow perked up. ¡°Doesn''t Shane have any other friends?¡± That did much to pique her curiosity. Although she knew that Jackson and Shane were acquainted, she did not expect Jackson to be the latter''s only friend. In the extended journey of life, one was bound to have more than a few that one may consider a friend. Even though some of these rtions may grow distant over time, there ought to be a handful that would continue to stick around. All the while for Shane though, there was only Jackson. ¡°Yeah, the one and only. Apart from Dr. Baker, Mr. Shane did not associate himself with others. Mr. Shane matured quickly for his age. Coupled with his own aloof personality and desire to excel in his grades, he did not much fancy thepany of the other gents anddies of his age within his social circles. Conversely, it was they who were very keen on seeking his.¡± At that point, Mrs. Wilson sighed. ¡°Mr. Shane was rather inapproachable even as a boy, and he was a little shy as well. Most importantly, he was simply too outstanding. The parents of his peers liked to compare their own children to him, so as time went on, those young gents anddies gradually kept their distance from him.¡± Natalie chuckled softly when she heard that, ¡°I see. That makes sense.¡± Children who stood out were often used as a benchmark against which parents wouldpare their own children to. Even though their own kids might gravitate to Shane in the beginning, they would only grow to resent him after a while. That was why it was kind of expected that Shane would end up friendless. ¡°That''s not all. Owing to their jealousy toward Mr. Shane, those young gents anddies started to gang up on him. In the end, Mr. Shane sorted them out. They dared not evene near him after all that, and would just scurry off like vermin in the presence of a cat whenever they saw him. Mr. Shane also mentioned that he felt like he was surrounded by unevolved simians whenever he was in their company.¡± Mrs. Wilson guffawed with a hand over her mouth. Natalie was nonplussed as well. ¡°Unevolved simians, huh? Hahaha. That''s ingenious of him, describing his own contemporaries like that.¡± ¡°It''s a little too much, but that''s how he felt about them. Like chimps, they''d never hold a candle to him.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie replied with a lifted chin. ¡°True that. Then, how did Dr. Baker end up being friends with Shane anyway?¡± That was something she was quite curious about. ¡°Dr. Baker wouldn''t quit, that''s how,¡± Mrs. Wilson reminisced with a fondness in her eyes. ¡°He was the only kid who wasn''t intimidated by Mr. Shane. In fact, he quite admired him. All the other children were afraid of Mr. Shane, but not him. Not only was he not fearful, but he''d also tagged behind Mr. Shane day in and day out. Although Mr. Shane was mature for his age and wasn''t yful like the other kids, he was still merely a child. Hence as time went on, Mr. Shane gradually grew ustomed to having Dr. Baker around, and they just got stuck together.¡± Natalie primped her hair. ¡°So that''s the story behind all that.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I''m quite fond of Dr. Baker myself. Without him, Mr. Shane could have would up an even more detached person growing up without a single friend at all,¡± Mrs. Wilson said. Chapter 1310 Chapter 1310 Natalie''s eyes lit up as she, too, concurred on the point made. ¡°I''ve spoken for long enough, madam, so I shan''t continue to impose. I shall take my leave now.¡± Looking at the time, Mrs. Wilson realized howte it was and decided against continuing the conversation. Smiling, Natalie passed the now empty ss back along. ¡°All right. Take care, and do rest up soon, Mrs. Wilson.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Mrs. Wilson then exited with a genialugh. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. At the Stanford Hospital, Ss was already waiting at the entrance by the time Shane arrived and quickly came down the steps as soon as he saw the car turn in. ¡°Mr. Shane,¡± he greeted. ¡°Where''s Jackson?¡± asked Shane as he tossed him the keys. Ss followed behind as he entered the hospital. ¡°Dr. Baker''s at the morgue.¡± ¡°How long has he been there?¡± asked Shane with a squint. Ss considered it before he replied, ¡°Almost half an hour. I got here about half an hour ago and inquired with the person in charge. Dr. Baker had only arrived a few minutes before I did.¡± Normally, apart from the police coroner and the person working there, few who were at the morgue to view the body of the deceased were allowed to hang around for too long. First of all, it was out of concern of potential tampering with the bodies of the deceased, and secondly, because the morgue was cold enough to the extent that one could easily fall sick in there. Shane''s face grew frigid and severe when he heard how long Jackson had been inside. Coming to the entrance of the morgue, Shane stood by and listened in on the outside. He was unable to hear anything happening within, regardless. Thus, his eyes narrowed as he turned to the two hospital security guards behind Ss. ¡°Go inside and bring me the person in there.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The guards nodded in acknowledgment before they pushed their way past the doors to the morgue. Before the duo got here, the hospital had already instructed them to abide by Shane''s orders, hence, they would abide by whatever Shane demanded. Very quickly, a discord was heard from behind the doors in the form of Jackson''s angry roar. ¡°Get your hands off me! Let go of me this instant! I''m not going out, so let go!¡± Nobody listened to him though. Shortly after, Jackson was escorted out by the security guards, with one on either side of him. Once they loosened their hold, his body immediately copsed limply on the floor, unable to support itself. Ss was astounded. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Shane''s lips pursed into a slit. ¡°Your legs...¡± Afraid that they would be med for Jackson''s inability to stand, the two security guards sought to exin themselves. ¡°Dr. Baker has stayed inside the morgue for too long. When we found him, he was already sitting on the floor by the freezer like that. His legs must have gone numb from the cold and are unable to hold him upright. He should be all right once his body temperature and cirction normalized.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Ss replied, enlightened. Shane''s tightly held lips also loosened up as he really thought for a moment that something else inconceivable had happened to Jackson''s lower extremities. The two guards nodded. ¡°Yeah. There are people passing on in the hospital every day so we''d get family membersing into the morgue just as often. That''s why we encounter this sort of situation quite a lot.¡± ¡°Got it. You may step aside now,¡± said Shane with a nod. ¡°Understood,¡± the pair acknowledged before they stepped out of the way in concert. Shane lowered his head, and with a deep furrow, he regarded Jackson who was sitting slumped on the floor, lifeless as a corpse. ¡°Can you see what you''ve be, Jackson?¡± Jackson''s lids lifted briefly before they lowered back down. There was no discernable reaction from him apart from that, as though he had really be a soulless mound of flesh. He waspletely out of whack, as though he wished that he was dead. His demeanor ignited the fury inside Shane, who went up and booted him to the floor. Jackson was sent hurtling backward, and his body skidded along for a good two meters before it grounded to a halt. For a moment, he could onlyy prone, clutching at his chest, coughing vigorously. It was a sight that shocked not only Ss, but the two security guards standing not too far away as well. They did not expect such violent conduct from the seemingly distinguished and refined-looking man, going up and kicking someone without even exchanging pleasantries prior to the way he did. Chapter 1311 Chapter 1311 From the manner in which the doctor was sent sprawling, it was apparent how much strength that refined man had put into his kick. Coughing, Jackson looked up at Shane in sheer disbelief. ¡°Shane, you...¡± Obviously, he had not anticipated that thetter wouldsh out so excessively against him. Shane withdrew his foot and regarded his counterpart frostily. ¡°Jacqueline''s dead, Jackson, so what are you trying to prove by behaving like that? Do you n to join her in the grave?¡± The change on Jackson''s face was palpable. ¡°I...¡± ¡°It looks like that was what you had in mind.¡± Striding forward, Shane sent another foot barreling into him. He actually wanted to die, for Jacqueline Graham, of all people. Does he love her so much? So much so that he would quit on his own parents and follow her to death? With a hand sped onto his chest, Jackson had only just about managed to get back up when he fell back down again. This time, he felt like his insides were all topsy-turvy. The first kick Shanended was on his chest, and the subsequent one was aimed at his abdomen. Jackson shriveled up, writhing and puking, and even started tearing. In spite of that, Shane was not through with him yet. Burying a foot into thetter''s chest to immobilize him, he then loomed over the other man and regarded him savagely. ¡°I won''t stop you from seeking death, Jackson, but before you die, get your parent''s future affairs sorted out first. Don''t expect an outsider like me to host their funeral when their timees.¡± Jackson''s eyes widened when he heard that. ¡°Dad, Mom...¡± Seeing him that way, Shane''s eyes tapered to a slit. ¡°Why? Don''t tell me you haven''t even thought about them?¡± Jackson''s body stiffened. It was as Shane said, he had not considered the plight of his own parents. He had rushed down right away upon learning of Jacqueline''s passing and suffered an emotional copse the instant he saw her corpse. Sitting on the floor beside her body, he was mired in a profound state of anguish and despair. After all, Jacqueline was the only love of his life, and someone he had adored for almost a decade. He was the one who really struggled the most toe to terms with her passing, more so than any other. Hence, his gut reaction was to die alongside Jacqueline in the hopes that they could, perhaps, be reunited in theher realms. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ever since he became beholden to that idea, he had not really thought about the aftermath with regard to his own parents. Seeing Jackson''s pallid countenance caused Shane to tighten his fists. Then, he lowered his stance and swung a punch hard across the former''s face. In response to being hammered, Jackson let out a dull grunt and reflexively brought his hands up to cradle his own head. Shane withdrew his knuckles and spoke in a mocking tone. ¡°So, that''s what''s really on your mind. To think that your parents had raised you to this age, only to see you dying for a woman. Such a filial son you are!¡± Trembling, Jackson held his silence because he had no means of retort. He was indeed an unfilial son, and guilty as charged. Regarding the tearful Jackson, Shane straightened himself up and said, ¡°I don''t understand what it about Jacqueline is that makes her worthy of your affections to the extent that you''d do so many deplorable things alongside her, or even die for her. Don''t you find her appalling? How could you be so besotted with her, and for ten over years, at that?¡± Raising a hand to shield his own eyes, Jackson''s lips curled into a bitter smile as he replied with a croak, ¡°I don''t know either. Love is strange like that. There is no exining why I am so drawn to her.¡± ¡°What ridiculous sort of answer is that?¡± asked Shane with a frown. Jackson shut his eyes and spoke no more. No longer bothered to care too much, Shane received Ss'' handkerchief which he elegantly used to wipe down his own hands. ¡°Forget it. I''ve already said my piece. I won''t try to stop you, so go on ahead and join Jacqueline in death if you wish. As for your parents, I''m not going to get myself involved in their business either, so deal with them as you deem fit.¡± Chapter 1312 Chapter 1312 With that, Shane threw the handkerchief onto Jackson''s face and turned around for the elevator with both hands tucked inside his own pockets. Ss did not immediately follow suit. Instead, he gestured at Jackson with a finger to the two security guards so that they would watch Jackson, just to make sure Jackson did not do anything foolish. Only afterward did he go after Shane. Although Mr. Shane was not explicit about wanting to stop Dr. Baker from seeking death, he must not actually wish to see the doctor dead. Otherwise, he would not have bothered to make the trip and to bring up Dr. Baker''s parents at all. All in all, Mr. Shane must just be stubborn on the lips. When they stepped outside the entrance to the hospital, Shane suddenly paused. Amidst Ss'' confoundment, the former took out his phone to make a call. Very quickly, Ss realized who he was calling. Shane had called Jackson''s parents and told them everything; about Jacqueline''s death, Jackson''s resultant anguish, as well as his desire to end his own life over it. Jackson''s parents nearly fainted from their aggrievement over that. Knowing well what sort of person Jacqueline was, they had never approved of Jackson''s infatuation with that woman. That was especially the case in a recent couple of months past when Jackson and Jacqueline started seeing each other in earnest¡ªa situation that they met with fervent opposition. The debacle with Jacqueline went as far as to drive a wedge between their son and themselves. However, parents could never outduel their own children. In the end, theypromised and allowed Jackson and Jacqueline to date. That was because they knew that Jacqueline was not serious about Jackson, to begin with. They reckoned that she only meant to use Jackson by agreeing to be with him and would kick him to the curb as soon as she was done with him. Their thinking was that Jackson would have swallowed a bitter pill by then and be able to see Jacqueline as who she really was. That was why they relented to permitting them to be together. Things unfolded exactly as they had predicted. Jackson and Jacqueline broke up shortly after, and that came to Jackson as a massive blow. As pained as they felt as parents, they were even more relieved that Jacqueline had been mercifully quick to dump their own son. Otherwise, it would have hurt him even more if she had done so after she deemed himpletely surplus to requirements. Initially, they were in the belief that Jackson would be able to walk out of the shadows of his heartbreak soon after they parted ways. Never did they expect that Jacqueline would emerge as the culprit behind the killing of Shane''s parents. Also, they had never expected that Jacqueline would cajole Jackson into setting her free after she had been held captive by Shane, leading to the dissolution of the friendship between Jackson and Shane, and subsequently, the disintegration of rtions between the Thompsons and the Bakers. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. All of that only fueled their contempt for Jacqueline. As though it''s not enough that Jacqueline took her own life, how could she try to drag Jackson down with her? The very thought of that drove Jackson''s parents mad with rage. Jackson''s father promptly said, ¡°I hear you, Shane. Thank you for informing us of this. We shall head down to Stanford Hospital and bring that rascal home right away.¡± Shane grunted in acknowledgement and hung up the call. It was as Ss thought. Shane was nheless unable to simply allow Jackson to perish alongside Jacqueline the way he dered. First and foremost, it was because Jacqueline was not someone worth doing that for as far as Jackson was concerned. Secondly, Jackson was a friend Shane grew up with, and even Jackson''s parents had been great to him, enabling him to feel the care and love that came from his elders. Hence, no matter what, he was not going to allow Jackson to die just like that. Shane had said whatever he could to console Jackson. The rest would be up to thetter''s parents. If even Jackson''s parents could not sway their own son, then he would not go any further trying to persuade Jackson from seeking death. Shane had tried and done everything that he could to prevent that. If Jackson were to remain insistent on the course that he had set himself on, then it would mean that he was not someone worth the effort. ¡°Let''s go.¡± With a frown, Shane slipped the phone back into his own pocket and strode down the steps and toward the car parked by the side of the road. As usual, Ss stayed close behind. Upon nearing the car, he picked up his own pace to get ahead of Shane to open the door for him. ¡°After you, Mr. Shane.¡± Shane bent down and got inside the car, and Ss took his own ce in the driver''s seat. Then, the car rolled out and departed from Stanford Hospital. Chapter 1313 Chapter 1313 As for the car he drove there, he had no choice but to ask someone to send it back the next day. It was already three o''clock in the morning when Shane returned to Thompson vi. He rubbed his sore temple and dragged his feet upstairs. Then, he headed to his bedroom and was about to open the door when it suddenly opened by itself. Natalie appeared from behind the door. ¡°You''re back?¡± Shane was surprised to see her. ¡°Why are you still up?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Natalie held his hand and pulled him into the bedroom before closing the door behind them. Shane frowned disapprovingly. ¡°I''ve told you to sleep and not wait for me. Why didn''t you listen to me?¡± Since Shane felt exhausted and sleepy after his trip, he believed she was tired too. Natalie helped him to take off his jacket. ¡°I wanted to sleep too, but I couldn''t fall asleep. So, I drew a blueprint while waiting for you.¡± Shane looked at her and asked, ¡°What is bothering you that you can''t sleep?¡± Natalie folded his jacket neatly and set it aside. Then, she smiled and replied, ¡°I was worried about you. You went out in the middle of the night.¡± Shane felt warmed hearing how concerned she was. ¡°There is no need to worry about me. After all, I am a grown man...¡± ¡°Danger could befall anyone. While ordinary thugs would not dare to go against you, what about Sean?¡± Natalie looked at him. ¡°Don''t forget. Sean is still atrge.¡± Shane fell silent after hearing that. A few secondster, he caressed her hair and said apologetically, ¡°I understand. I will try not to go out late and make you worry.¡± ¡°That''s much better.¡± Natalie smiled and poured Shane a cup of warm drink. ¡°Please have some hot chocte. I asked Mrs. Wilson to prepare this a while ago and kept it in a thermos. It is still warm. Since it is cold outside, you should drink something hot to warm up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane epted the cup of hot chocte. In actuality, he did not like sweet drinks, but it was something she prepared for him, so he did not refuse it. ¡°Oh, how was Dr. Baker?¡± Natalie asked after taking a seat beside Shane. Shane narrowed his eyes and answered mockingly, ¡°He wishes to die with her.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°He... he still loves Jacqueline so much that he wishes to die. Did you manage to convince him to live?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I called Dr. Baker''s parents toe over. If he refuses to listen to his parents, there is nothing else we can do.¡± Shane finished the hot chocte and ced the cup on the coffee table. Then, he got up and headed to the bathroom. Natalie looked at the empty cup and sighed. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. She did not know Jackson had fallen so deeply in love. Although she had always known that Jackson was romantic, she did not expect his lovesickness to be this bad. Previously, Natalie heard Jackson telling Jacqueline that he did not love Jacqueline anymore and would never see her again. At that time, Natalie was impressed and thought he had finallye to his senses. After all, when Jackson released Jacqueline, Natalie had suspected that Jackson''s mind was clouded by love. Therefore, she thought Jackson finally freed himself when he dered that he did not love Jacqueline. Natalie was even proud of him. However, Jackson''s current behavior disappointed her. She had seen other lovestruck people before. However, it was the first time she saw a man that obsessed with love. On the other hand, it meant that Jackson truly loved Jacqueline. Unfortunately, Jacqueline did not cherish his love. Of course, even if Jacqueline loved Jackson, they could never be together. After all, Jacqueline plotted to kill Shane''s parents when she was only ten years old. Therefore, Jacqueline was destined to end up the way she did. Shane suddenly came out of the bathroom as Natalie was engrossed in her thoughts. He had changed into a set of pajamas. Natalie looked at him and asked, ¡°Darling, didn''t Jacqueline have a message for Dr. Baker before she died. Did you tell him?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shane shook his head. Natalie was curious. ¡°Why?¡± Chapter 1314 Chapter 1314 ¡°It''s not the right time yet. You know how Jackson is now. If I told him what she said, he would find out Jacqueline knew he loved her and regretted not knowing about it sooner. Judging by Jackson''s behavior, he would rush to be with her. That is why I can''t tell him now.¡± Shane walked to the bed and lay under the nket. Natalie nodded. ¡°You''re right.¡± ¡°That''s enough. Let''s not talk about them anymore. Come here and sleep.¡± Shane patted the space beside him, indicating for Natalie to go over. Natalie smiled and walked to the bed. She had just reached the bed when Shane grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Now, sleep.¡± Shane covered the two of them with a nket. He hugged her tightly and closed his eyes. Natalie saw the tiredness on his face and nodded obediently. She stayed in his arm and closed her eyes. They were exhausted after an eventful night and soon fell asleep. They slept until the following noon when Ss'' phone call woke Shane up. Shane frowned and opened his eyes. He looked at Natalie in his arms and carefully removed her hands from his waist before reaching for the cell phone at the nightstand. However, he still woke Natalie despite moving as gently as he could. After all, the phone was still ringing. Natalie rubbed her eyes and said in a husky voice, ¡°Darling, good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning. Did I wake you?¡± Shane asked gently. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, it''s about time for me to wake up. What time is it?¡± Shane nced at his cell phone. He raised his eyebrows and was silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°It''s eleven-thirty.¡± ¡°Eleven-thirty?¡± Natalie''s mouth twitched, and she sat up immediately. ¡°Did you say eleven-thirty?¡± Shane grunted in affirmation but did not say anything. Natalie pped her forehead. ¡°Why did I sleep so long. I told the office that I would go there for a meeting.¡± ¡°We slepttest night and were exhausted. That''s why we overslept. Don''t worry. You can go to the meetingter.¡± Shane said calmly. He had missed his meeting in the morning too. Thus, he didn''t have to answer the phone call to know why Ss called him. Nevertheless, Shane answered the call. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. As expected, Ss asked urgently, ¡°Mr. Thompson, didn''t you give instructions for a meeting in the morning? Why aren''t you here yet?¡± Shane leaned against the headboard and pinched the bridge of his nose as he replied, ¡°I overslept. Can you postpone the meeting to two o''clock in the afternoon? Also, cancel any unimportant matters in my schedule in the afternoon. If you can''t cancel the matter, postpone them to another day.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± Ss adjusted his sses. Then, Ss remembered something and said, ¡°By the way, Prof. Baker and his wife brought Dr. Baker back to the Baker residence by force. I believe they nned to lock him up for a long time.¡± Shane was not surprised by this information. Jackson kept wanting to die. Thus, that was the best his parents could do for now. They locked Jackson up to prevent him from harming himself. ¡°Also, Prof. Baker wishes to see you. He wants to talk about Jacqueline,¡± Ss added. Jackson''s father probably wanted to know how Jacqueline died. It is understandable since the matter concerns his son. ¡°Sure.¡± Shane had expected this and nodded in agreement. ¡°Arrange our meeting at night.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Ss replied. Then, Shane hung up. Natalie yawned and turned to him. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Jackson''s father wants to see me,¡± Shane answered. Natalie nodded. ¡°Since you have agreed, you should meet him.¡± ¡°Yes, I think so too. All right, I''ll go and wash up.¡± Shane tossed his cell phone aside and pulled the nket away to get down. Chapter 1315 Chapter 1315 Natalie nodded and was about to get out of bed when someone knocked on the door. Then, the voices of two children came from outside. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, time to get up. It''s nearly noon.¡± Hearing them, Natalie and Shane exchanged nces and smiled. Then, Shane went and opened the door. The two children looked up at him in unison. Sharon ced her hands on her waist like a mini adult and reprimanded, ¡°Daddy, my teacher said that one should sleep early and wake up early. It is not good that you and Mommy slept until now.¡± Connor always sided with his younger sister. Therefore, he agreed with whatever she said and nodded. ¡°That''s right.¡± Shane looked at the serious expression on the children''s faces and smiled. ¡°I''m sorry, Sharon. Your mother and I acknowledge our faults. We won''t wake up thiste anymore.¡± ¡°That''s much better. Going to bed and waking up early is good for your health. Daddy, you must remember it. I don''t want you and Mommy to get sick,¡± Sharon said and fluttered hershes. Shane''s heart nearly melted from the adorable sight. He kneeled and enveloped both children into his embrace before saying softly, ¡°Yes, I will remember.¡± ¡°Daddy, where is Mommy?¡± Connor suddenly realized that he had not seen Natalie. He craned his neck to look behind Shane. Shane stood up and said, ¡°Mommy is washing up.¡± Then, he held the children''s hands and brought them into the room. Shane and Natalie were exhausted and sleepyst night, so they did not do anything. Otherwise, he would not allow the children into the room. Natalie was washing up in the bathroom. She had just finished brushing her teeth when she saw her two adorable children at the bathroom door, smiling at her sweetly. Natalie approached them and pretended to be surprised. ¡°Wow, whose adorable children are these? What brings you to my home?¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Sharon giggled and replied, ¡°I am Mommy and Daddy''s child.¡± ¡°Oh, what are your daddy and mommy''s names?¡± Natalie asked and wriggled Sharon''s nose. Sharon blinked and thought before answering, ¡°My mommy is Natalie Smith. My daddy is...¡± Sharon could not recall his name, no matter how hard she thought. Thus, she pursed her lips as tears filled her eyes. She looked adorable and pitiful. ¡°I''m sorry, Mommy. I forgot Daddy''s name,¡± Sharon said. ¡°You silly girl.¡± Connor sighed and spoke like a grown-up. ¡°Sharon, you must remember this. Daddy''s name is Shane Thompson.¡± ¡°Shane Thompson?¡± Sharon leaned her head sideways and repeated the name. Connor nodded and said, ¡°That''s right.¡± Sharon repeated Shane''s name a couple more times before announcing happily, ¡°Mommy, I know Daddy''s name. It is Shane Thompson.¡± ¡°Good girl. Sharon, you are wonderful!¡± Natalie smiled and patted Sharon''s head. Sharon touched her head and asked, ¡°Mommy, I couldn''t remember Daddy''s name just now. Does this mean I am a bad kid?¡± ¡°Why did you say that?¡± Natalie was puzzled. She did not expect Sharon to ask such a question. Sharon pursed her lips and answered, ¡°My teacher said children must remember their parents'' names. Otherwise, we won''t be able to answer if someone asks. Since I couldn''t remember Daddy''s name, does this mean I am a bad kid? The other children in the kindergarten could remember their daddy''s name.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°Sharon, you are not a bad kid. It''s not your fault. If anyone is at fault, it is Daddy. His name is too difficult to remember.¡± Natalie was not lying tofort Sharon. Shane''s full name was a little too long for a four-year-old child to remember. If the child did not have a good memory, she could easily forget it. After all, most children were not as smart as Connor. ¡°That''s right. It''s Daddy''s fault.¡± Connor nodded in agreement. Chapter 1316 Chapter 1316 Suddenly, Shane came over and heard what Connor said. He raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Why are you ming me?¡± Natalie smiled and exined what happened. After Natalie had exined, Shane patted Sharon''s head and said, ¡°Mommy is right. It''s my fault.¡± ¡°I don''t me Daddy.¡± Sharon shook her head. ¡°It''s my fault for not remembering. There''s nothing wrong with Daddy''s name.¡± Shane raised his eyebrows. He did not expect Sharon to say something soforting and surprising. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She was truly his daughter. Natalie was also surprised for a moment and said with a smile, ¡°All right. Let''s not me anyone. Connor, can you bring Sharon outside to y? Daddy and I haven''t finished washing up. We will go to youter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Connor nodded and led Sharon away. Then, Shane entered the bathroom and said, ¡°Sharon has matured a lot.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane took an electric toothbrush. ¡°Perhaps the things that happened recently prompted Sharon to mature.¡± Shane had gone missing recently. Later, Natalie disappeared too. When Shane was missing, Natalie brought Connor back to the country to search for him. However, Sharon had to remain alone overseas. Later, when Natalie was missing, Connor stayed with Sharon, so she was not alone. Nevertheless, in Sharon''s eyes, it was the second time her parents had abandoned her. ording to Sally and Joyce, Sharon kept waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares during the time when Natalie and Shane were missing. Sharon even cried many times. However, she did not tell them. Natalie and Shane felt they had failed Sharon. ¡°We owe Sharon a lot.¡± Shane brushed his teeth and continued solemnly, ¡°Much more than we owe Connor.¡± Natalie looked at herself in the mirror and replied with a pang of guilt, ¡°Yes, you''re right.¡± ¡°Furthermore, Sharon nearly lost her life in the fight we had with Jacqueline.¡± Shane gripped his toothbrush tightly. Natalie''s eyes grew red. ¡°We should make it up to Sharon.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shane nodded. Shane decided that he would dote on Sharon. He would shield and protect her as her father no matter what she did unless it was not morally wrong. Of course, he would do the same for Sharon even if he did not feel guilty for hurting her with his disappearance. After washing up, Natalie and Shane changed their clothes and went downstairs. The children were sitting on the couch in the living room, whispering about something. They immediately stopped speaking when they saw Natalie and Shaneing downstairs. It looked like they had a secret. Natalie asked the children what they were talking about, but they quickly changed the topic. Then, the children held hands and ran toward the dining room. Natalie and Shane followed behind the children. Natalie turned to Shane. ¡°The children must be nning something.¡± Shane chuckled and said, ¡°I know. Let them be. Since it is their secret, we as parents should respect it.¡± ¡°Of course. Although I am curious, I won''t force the children to tell me if they don''t want to.¡± Natalie shrugged. After lunch, Natalie and Shane yed with the children before heading to their respective offices. When Natalie arrived at thepany, her assistant brought her a stack of blueprints that required her approval. ¡°Ms. Smith, these are the blueprints that require your screening. The textile mill is rushing us.¡± ¡°Sure, put them there. I will look at them in a while,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. The assistant put down the blueprints and said, ¡°By the way, Ms. Smith. Do we need to promote or appoint a director to take over Ms. Rivers'' duties?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie frowned immediately. ¡°What did you say? Did you ask me to appoint a director to take over Joyce''s work?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The assistant nodded. Natalie''s expression darkened. ¡°Who told you to appoint a director to take over Joyce''s work?¡± It meant someone wanted Natalie to find a director to rece Joyce and remove her from her position in thepany. That way, Joyce would only own shares in thepany but would lose her power as the vice president. Chapter 1317 Chapter 1317 Therefore, Natalie wanted to know who spread such rumors in thepany. It would be bad if Joyce heard it and thought that Natalie wished to rece her. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Even if Joyce believed Natalie did not have such intention, Joyce might begin to wonder whether Natalie would consider recing her in the future. After all, many friends started businesses together butter became enemies due to differences. Some even became enemies after they were influenced by others. Therefore, Natalie now suspected that someone was deliberately sabotaging her rtionship with Joyce and spreading such rumors. Seeing Natalie''s expression darkened, the assistant knew she had made a grave mistake and angered Natalie. Therefore, she bowed and exined, ¡°No, no one told me this. I was only guessing.¡± ¡°You guessed it?¡± Natalie pressed her lips together. ¡°What is the basis of your guess?¡± ¡°From Ms. Rivers'' behavior.¡± The assistant kept her head down. ¡°Two days ago, Ms. Rivers applied for leave and distributed all her work to others. She even distributed some of the works that only she could handle.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie stood up in shock. ¡°Did you say she even distributed the works that only she could do?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The assistant nodded. ¡°Previously, I was shocked too and asked Ms. Rivers why she did that. Ms. Rivers said she might never return, so she distributed her work in advance to let others familiarize themselves with them. Then, they would not be thrown into disarray. Thus, I thought Ms. Rivers wanted to resign from her position and asked whether you are appointing another director.¡± I see. Natalie pursed her lips after hearing her assistant''s exnation. She did not expect Joyce to distribute all her work to others. Furthermore, Joyce even said she might never return. What did Joyce mean? Is she nning to resign? Natalie bit her lower lip. That doesn''t sound right. If Joyce wanted to resign, why didn''t she tell me? Furthermore, thepany belongs to both of us. Joyce is the secondrgest shareholder. It would not do her any good to resign. Where has she gone this time? Previously, we agreed to grow thispany together into a listed company and create many brands. We have yet to achieve our goal, so I don''t believe Joyce would just resign and leave thepany. It means that something is wrong. Natalie squeezed her palm as she considered the matter. Then, she turned to the assistant and said, ¡°I understand. You can go out now.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the assistant replied and turned to leave. However, the assistant had just taken a couple of steps when Natalie thought about something and called out, ¡°Wait.¡± The assistant paused her step and turned around. ¡°Ms. Smith, is there anything else I can help you with?¡± Natalie replied, ¡°I need you to take back all the work that only Joyce can manage and ce them in her office. As for her other works, you can let them be.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The assistant nodded. Then, Natalie sat on her seat and pinched between her eyebrows. Natalie could not allow Joyce to assign works that only she could manage to her subordinates. After all, they involved many trade secrets. Thus, she could not trust other employees to work on them. Furthermore, Natalie did not wish for anyone to criticize Joyce. However, it would be different if Joyce truly wished to quit. But Natalie did not believe that Joyce wanted that. Therefore, Natalie took out her cell phone and called Joyce. Joyce soon answered the call. She sounded tired. ¡°Nat, what is the matter?¡± ¡°Tell me, are you nning to resign?¡± Natalie asked solemnly. Joyce was stunned upon hearing Natalie. ¡°I...¡± Hearing Joyce''s nervous tone, Natalie''s heart sank, and she furrowed her brow. ¡°Why did you do this, Joyce?¡± Natalie gripped the cell phone tightly. ¡°Joyce, if the assistant did not ask me if I should look for a director to take over your work, I would have never found out that you distributed your work!¡± Chapter 1318 Chapter 1318 Hearing Natalie''s furious tone, Joyce looked down guiltily. ¡°I''m sorry, Nat. I...¡± ¡°Don''t apologize to me yet. Joyce, tell me why you did that. Are you going to resign? If you are, why didn''t you tell me? Why did you distribute your work in secret?¡± Natalie''s chest was heaving from agitation. ¡°I don''t wish to resign.¡± Joyce suddenly began to choke on her words. ¡°I truly don''t want to resign. I''m sorry, Nat. I have my reason for doing this. I didn''t tell you because I knew you would disagree. That was why I left secretly. I''m truly sorry, Nat.¡± Natalie took a deep breath and tried to quell the fury in her chest before asking, ¡°Reason? What reason prompted you to do that? We have agreed since the beginning to work together to grow thepany. Why do you now abandon me? Joyce, how can you do this to me?¡± Joyce opened her mouth to say something but could not speak. She could not stop crying from the guilt in her heart. Natalie rubbed her temple and said, ¡°It''s all right, Joyce. Can you tell me what happened that you had to abandon thepany we founded together? Perhaps, I can help you. That way, you might not have to suffer from it anymore.¡± Joyce shook her head. ¡°No, you can''t help me. No one can help me with this.¡± ¡°How do you know I can''t help if you don''t tell me?¡± Natalie felt emotionally exhausted. Joyce wiped the corner of her eyes. ¡°Nat, I know you mean well and want to do the best for me. However, I am certain that you can''t help with this matter. Therefore, please stop asking me about it, okay? I beg you not to ask anymore. You will know what it is when the timees.¡± Joyce hung up right after saying that. ¡°Hello? Hello?¡± Natalie shouted into the cell phone, but there was no response. She looked at the screen and saw that Joyce had hung up. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Natalie frowned as she was very worried and frustrated at the same time. She was furious with Joyce for hanging up without exining the matter and for herck of responsibility toward theirpany. At the same time, it concerned Natalie that she did not know what was wrong with Joyce. Oh no, something must have happened to her. ¡°That won''t do. I need to find out what happened.¡± Natalie took up her cell phone again. Although Joyce refused to say anything, Natalie could hear the despair in her tone. While Natalie could not understand what happened, she knew it must be something very serious to make Joyce fall into despair. Therefore, Natalie needed to find out what happened, or she would regret it. Thus, Natalie called Joyce''s mother. Soon, Joyce''s mother''s kind voice sounded from the other end. ¡°Hello, is this Nat?¡± ¡°Mrs. Rivers, it''s me.¡± Natalie suppressed her worries and continued, ¡°Mrs. Rivers, how are you?¡± ¡°Good, I am well,¡± Caitlin replied with a chuckle. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s good to hear. Mrs. Rivers, has Joyce returned to your ce?¡± Caitlin nced at her daughter''s room and replied, ¡°Yes, she came home two days ago, saying she missed home and wanted to spend time with us. What''s wrong, Nat? Do you need Joyce to return to work?¡± ¡°No, no, that''s not it. Joyce finally managed to take a break, so she should spend more time with you and Mr. Rivers. May I ask, how is the situation at home?¡± Natalie asked solemnly. Caitlin became serious when she heard Natalie''s solemn tone. ¡°Nat, why do you ask that?¡± ¡°Mrs. Rivers, I would like to know whether there is anything unusual about Joyce recently,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Anything unusual about Joyce?¡± Caitlin looked puzzled. ¡°Nat, I didn''t find anything strange. Joyce seems like her usual self. Why do you ask?¡± Natalie sighed. ¡°Something happened to Joyce at work recently. That''s why I asked.¡± Chapter 1319 Chapter 1319 ¡°So that''s what happened.¡± Caitlin nodded in response before adding, ¡°I didn''t notice anything strange about Joyce recently, though.¡± ¡°Are you sure? She sounded somewhat troubled when Ist contacted her. Please try to recall as many details as you can, Mrs. Rivers. I''m really worried about Joyce,¡± pleaded Natalie earnestly. Caitlin then responded to the woman with another nod before trying to remember if her daughter behaved oddly in the past two days. ¡°I remember now!¡± eximed Caitlin suddenly with her eyes wide open. Natalie immediately straightened her back when she heard the woman. ¡°What is it, Mrs. Rivers?¡± ¡°It''s nothing rming, but I have noticed how Joyce tends to stare into space when she sits on the couch in the living room. She does that too when she''s in her room. And when she''s not doing that, she''d buy a bunch of supplements and clothes for me and her father. I mean, she used to do that too whenever she came home, but I''ve never seen her buy this much stuff in a single visit before,¡± exined Caitlin. Natalie furrowed her eyebrows tightly. ¡°That does sound like something''s wrong. Has something happened to you guys, Mrs. Rivers? Maybe that''s why Joyce is acting that way.¡± ¡°No, nothing happened at all,¡± replied Caitlin while shaking her head. ¡°That''s strange,¡± murmured Natalie. After ncing at the door to Joyce''s room, Caitlin suggested, ¡°How about I ask Joyce myself and see if there''s anything bothering her. I''ll call you if there really is something wrong. How does that sound?¡± Natalie thought that was a good idea. Joyce didn''t want to talk to me because she thought I couldn''t do anything to help her. But if Mrs. River were to speak with her, maybe she''ll open up. ¡°Okay, Mrs. Rivers. Just promise me that you''ll get to the bottom of it because I truly am worried about Joyce,¡± reminded Natalie. With one final nod, Caitlin promised, ¡°Don''t worry. I will. If there''s nothing else, I''m going to hang up now.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mrs. Rivers.¡± After putting down the phone, Caitlin headed to her daughter''s room and knocked on the door. ¡°Joyce, are you still awake?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± answered Joyce from the other side of the door. ¡°Then, can Ie in?¡± ¡°Just give me a second.¡± Joyce then hurriedly pulled two pieces of tissue to wipe her tears before letting her mother in. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°What are you doing, Joyce?¡± inquired Caitlin after stepping into the room. ¡°Nothing. Just killing some time on my phone.¡± Joyce shrugged her shoulders nonchntly and smiled at her mother. However, as Joyce''s mother, Caitlin could immediately tell that the young woman was lying to her. Joyce''s bloodshot eyes and damp eyshes convinced Caitlin that her daughter was crying before she walked in. ¡°Please be honest with me, Joyce. Did something happen?¡± Caitlin walked over and sat down on her daughter''s bed. Joyce shook her head. ¡°No, nothing happened. Why would you ask me something like that?¡± ¡°You''re asking me why?¡± Caitlin hardened her face as she continued, ¡°You might think I haven''t noticed, but I''ve seen how you stared nkly into space in the past two days. You''d either hide in your room or go shopping for a bunch of stuff for me and your father. Is that supposed to be normal? I don''t think it is. Nat called me just now and asked if anything happened to you. She told me that you have even handed over all your work. What''s going on, Joyce?¡± The young woman simply lowered her head and squeezed her hands in silence. Seeing how Joyce shut herself in worried Caitlin even more. She then anxiously grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and begged, ¡°You have to tell me what''s going on, Joyce. I''m worried sick!¡± After slowly lifting her head, Joyce gazed at her mother with her bloodshot eyes. ¡°I...¡± ¡°What is it? Tell me!¡± urged Caitlin. Joyce opened her mouth but could not seem to get the words out. At that point, Caitlin got so anxious that her eyes began to turn red as well. ¡°What is it that you can''t tell me, Joyce? Do you know how worried I am to see you like this?¡± Chapter 1320 Chapter 1320 ¡°I''m sorry, Mom. I really am!¡± Joyce lowered her face once again and covered it with her hands before starting to bawl. Realizing that she had been too harsh on her daughter, Caitlin immediately felt guilty. ¡°I''m sorry too, Joyce. I know I shouldn''t have yelled at you like that. I''m just worried about you, Joyce. Did you get into some sort of trouble? Is that why you suddenly quit your job?¡± Joyce responded to that by shaking her head. ¡°No, I didn''t get into any trouble. It''s just that... I''m sorry, Mom. I can''t tell you, okay? Please just stop asking!¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Even if Joyce was allowed to tell Caitlin the truth, she would rather not, for she knew that her mother would not be able to handle it. Caitlin was upset with Joyce''s stubbornness, yet there was nothing she could do about it. After all, she knew better than to keep pushing her daughter at that point. She would not be able to forgive herself if anything were to happen to Joyce because of her actions. ¡°Fine. If you don''t want to tell me, I won''t force you. But I hope that you won''t do anything to hurt me or your father, or we''ll never forgive you. We''ve been through too much to be hurt again. We''re getting too old for grief, you understand?¡± warned Caitlin sternly while staring at Joyce, who froze for a while before nodding in agreement. Just when Caitlin was about to leave the room, she heard the doorbell ring. ¡°Who might that be? It can''t be your father, can it?¡± ¡°Dad went out to y chess. He should have his keys with him,¡± answered Joyce after shaking her head. ¡°I guess I''ll just have to go see who it is,¡± informed Caitlin making her way out of the room. Joyce knitted her eyebrows when she was left alone once again, seemingly troubled by her mother''s words. They''ll never forgive me, huh? I don''t want to disappoint them either, but I have to do something about the Quinns. Otherwise, Stanley will never stop pouring his hate on my family. Like me, my parents have suffered for decades because of the Quinns, and I don''t want that to go on. I know what I must do to end this once and for all. Dad, Mom, I''m sorry that I''m such a terrible daughter. I don''t think I can keep my promise because I have to do what I can to end this hatred between us and the Quinns. Joyce was still absorbed in thought when she suddenly hear a familiar voiceing from outside her room. The voice, deep and gentle, belonged to a man. Joyce thought it was pleasant but could not seem to put a face to it. As much as Joyce wanted to remember who the voice belonged to, she failed to do so. All of a sudden, Caitlin popped her head around the door with a bright smile hanging on her face. ¡°Hey, come say hello to Justin, Joyce. It''s been twenty years since you twost saw each other, right? You probably don''t even remember him anymore.¡± ¡°Justin?¡± Joyce''s face was instantly filled with puzzlement. Just like what Caitlin said, she had forgotten all about the man. Still, the name still sound somewhat familiar to her. ¡°Who is this Justin you''re talking about, Mom?¡± inquired Joyce as she stood up from the edge of her bed. ¡°It''s me,¡± said a man behind Caitlin as soon as Joyce finished her sentence. The man was so much taller than Caitlin that it was impossible for him to hide behind her. Joyce gasped when she got a good look at his face. ¡°It''s you!¡± eximed Joyce in surprise while pointing her finger at the man, who happened to be the same one she met when she walked out of Stanford Hospital. Back then, the man gave her his handkerchief and evenforted her because he saw her crying. Not only that, but he also escorted her to her ride with his umbre. Joyce thought it was only by chance that she and Justin met, so she never expected to see him again. Naturally, she was beyond surprised when the man appeared at her house. ¡°Are you surprised to see me, Joyce?¡± asked Justin while smiling gently at the woman. Chapter 1321 Chapter 1321 ¡°I am. Can''t say it''s a pleasant surprise, though,¡± answered Joyce. Immediately after hearing the witty reply, Justin broke intoughter. It took him a while to settle down. ¡°You are just adorable, aren''t you, Joyce?¡± In response to that, Joyce smiled awkwardly. ¡°So why exactly are you here at my house, Mr. Sutter?¡± Joyce wondered why the man kept calling her by her first name as though they were close. I''ve only met him once. The guy''s basically a stranger to me. ¡°Mr. Sutter?¡± Caitlin red at Joyce discontentedly before Justin could say anything. ¡°This is Justin! Have you really forgotten all about him?¡± ¡°I know what his name is, but what is it about him that you keep insisting that I''ve forgotten?¡± Joyce was baffled by her mother''s words. Caitlin could not help but sigh when she saw how confused her daughter was. ¡°You really do have poor memory, don''t you?¡± ¡°You can''t me Joyce, Mrs. Rivers. After all, we''ve been apart for twenty years. She was so young then; it''s only natural that she can''t recall who I am.¡± Justin remained smiling as he walked over to Joyce and extended his hand to her. ¡°We finally meet again after two decades, Joyce, so please allow me to introduce myself. I''m Justin Sutter, your neighbor twenty years ago. Back then, you would always call me Justin.¡± ¡°You were my neighbor twenty years ago? Justin?¡± murmured Joyce as her memories slowly began to return to her. Then, she gasped once again before pointing her finger straight at the man. ¡°Oh, you''re... you''re Justin!¡± ¡°So you remember me now?¡± Justin''s eyes immediately sparkled with joy. Joyce responded by nodding her head fervently. ¡°Yes, I remember now. We used to be the best of friends when we were little. I would always follow you around no matter where you go. However, you and your family moved away when you were ten years old. How did you be so tall and handsome, Justin? I remember that you used to be a chubby little boy.¡± Grabbing Justin tightly by the arms, Joyce was so excited that she could not stop staring at the man. ¡°Come on. Is that all you remember about me? That I was a chubby little boy?¡± asked Justin jokingly with an awkward smile. Joyce chuckled embarrassedly. ¡°Sorry, Justin. Please don''t be mad. I just got a little too excited when I finally remember who you are.¡± ¡°I''m not mad. In fact, I don''t even think it''s possible for me to be angry at you.¡± Justin patted Joyce on the head. The woman then shyly touched the spot where the man had patter her. ¡°Justin, did you know who I was already when we met thest time?¡± ¡°I did,¡± admitted Justin openly with a nod. Seeing how the two young ones had finally hit it off, Caitlin smiled contentedly and decided to make tea in the kitchen so that they could catch up in private. ¡°Then, why did pretend to be a stranger when youforted me? You are too much!¡± Joyce pouted at Justin, pretending to be upset with him. ¡°Sorry. I just wanted to see if you could tell who I was. Unfortunately, you didn''t recognize me at all,¡± exined Justin with an apologetic smile. ¡°Well, you could''ve just told me! That''s a prettyme excuse.¡± Joyce continued to pout at the man. Justin then shrugged helplessly in response. ¡°Fine. I admit that it was my fault for not telling you then. I got you something, so what do you say we just call it even?¡± The man took an exquisitely wrapped gift box out of his pocket and handed it to Joyce, who epted the kindness without a second thought. Joyce did not see why she should not take the present. On the contrary, rejecting the gift would make her seem rude. ¡°I didn''t get you anything, though. Let me make it up to you next time, Justin,¡± promised Joyce embarrassedly. ¡°It''s all right. I''m more than d to see that you finally remember who I am. That''s better than anything you can give me,¡± responded Justin while shaking his head. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You sure are a sweet-talker, Justin. Your girlfriend''s a lucky woman,¡± teased Joyce. When Justin heard that, his smile faded for a brief moment before quickly returning. ¡°I don''t have one yet.¡± Chapter 1322 Chapter 1322 ¡°Are you serious?¡± Joyce widened her eyes at Justin in shock. ¡°How are you still single? You''re in your early thirties already! Your mother must be getting anxious about it, huh?¡± ¡°She is. That''s why I''ve returned to J City to get myself a wife. Would you help me, Joyce?¡± inquired Justin as he gave the woman a strange smile. However, Joyce did not get the hint at all. ¡°No problem, Justin! I''m going to introduce you to so many gorgeous women that you''ll be spoilt for choice!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Justin nodded before quickly changing the subject. ¡°You should open your present now and see if you like what I got you.¡± ¡°Right!¡± With that, Joyce swiftly tore the wrapping off and opened the gift box. Inside was a very luxurious-looking diamond bracelet that sparkled like a star under the light and was obviously crafted by exceptionally talented craftsmen. When Justin saw how Joyce''s eyes sparkled like the diamonds themselves, he immediately knew that she was pleased with his gift. ¡°Put it on and see how it suits you,¡± suggested Justin. Joyce nodded fervently in response. ¡°Thank you, Justin. I love it!¡± Then, the woman took the bracelet out of the box and tried to put it on herself. However, it was not easy for her to do so since she only had one free hand. Justin extended his hand to ask for the bracelet, intending to help the woman out. ¡°Let me do it.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Joyce dly agreed. Finally done making tea, Caitlin stepped out of the kitchen and saw how well the two youngsters had gotten along. Convinced that the two would make a great couple, she could not help smiling contentedly to herself. Justin would be a much better match for Joyce than Stanley. Caitlin let out a sigh when she thought of Stanley. Not only is that man too extreme, but he''s also too emotionally unstable. Being with him won''t bring Joyce happiness, only sadness. However, Joyce only had eyes for Stanley, even though the man had repeatedly hurt her. Despite her parents'' efforts, Joyce refused to let go of him. Just when Caitlin thought Joyce was hopelessly lost, their old neighbor reached out to her and confessed that he had feelings for her daughter. That was why he intentionally returned to J City. Caitlin immediately saw a glimmer of hope when Justin requested to pay Joyce a visit. Maybe this is what Joyce needs¡ªanother man in her life. People always say, ¡°The best way to get over someone is to let another one into your life.¡± Because of that thought, Caitlin did not hesitate when Justin asked for her address. Someone as tall and handsome as Justin is definitely worth considering. On top of that, he''s much gentler than Stanley. But most important of all, Joyce likes him too. As Joyce''s mother, Caitlin hoped that the young woman would let go of someone who brought nothing but pain like Stanley. She wished to see her daughter loved and protected by someone worthy. More than anything else, Caitlin wanted Joyce to be with someone loving and caring instead of Stanley. I pray that Justin is the one who can make Joyce forget all about Stanley. Caitlin then sighed once again and shook her head before stering a smile on. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± ¡°I gave Joyce a bracelet, and I was just helping her put it on,¡± exined Justin after turning around to smile at Caitlin. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What do you think, Mom?¡± Joyce extended her wrist and showed her mother the sparkling piece of jewelry. In response, Caitlin nodded in recognition. ¡°It''s beautiful, but it must''ve cost a fortune! You shouldn''t have done that, Justin.¡± ¡°It''s nothing.¡± Justin quickly waved his hand. ¡°Come on, Mom. It''s not like I''m incapable of returning the favor,¡± uttered Joyce with a pout. ¡°You don''t have to do that, Joyce. I-¡± Justin tried to stop the woman from promising him anything, but he did not get to finish his sentence before she interrupted him. ¡°Yes, I do. It''s either that or you can take this bracelet back,¡± demanded Joyce while threatening to remove the piece of jewelry. Hence, Justin had no choice but toply. ¡°Fine. Let''s do it your way.¡± Chapter 1323 Chapter 1323 ¡°Ah! That''s more like it!¡± Joyce eventually put her hands down in satisfaction. Caitlin poured two cups of tea and served one of them to Justin. ¡°Justin, don''t reject anything right away. Joyce should return you the favor. Even if it''s between husband and wife, no one should expect the other party to be spending on the gifts at all times, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Mom, I share the same sentiment with you.¡± Joyce nodded in agreement. Justin took the cup of tea from Caitlin and threw a subtle nce at Joyce before replying, ¡°Mrs. Rivers, I got it. I''m sorry for my impulsiveness just now.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Caitlin uttered joyfully, ¡°It''s all right. Take a seat first. Join us for lunchter, okay?¡± Justin nodded, gasping admiringly, ¡°Okay! Mrs. Rivers, it''s been quite a while since Ist tasted the dishes prepared by you. I can still remember vividly quite a few delicious dishes that you used to prepare. Ah! Garlic butter grilled fish is undoubtedly your signature dish!¡± ttered by him, Caitlin could not refrain from chuckling. ¡°Ha! You''re indeed good at ttering. Okay, I''ll prepare garlic butter grilled fish for you in a while. Joyce, give your dad a call now. Ask him to stop ying chess with his friends and go to the market now to buy me a fish.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joyce whipped out the phone and gave Jonathan a call. Not long after that, thetter was back with a fish. His face lit up when he saw Justin. He sat on the couch at once and started catching up with Justin. They chatted mainly about what happened over the past twenty years. Meanwhile, Caitlin asked Joyce to help with the preparation in the kitchen. When the lunch was ready, all of them were seated at the dining table. Caitlin kept scooping food for Justin despite a mountain of different dishes sitting on thetter''s te. Even though he kept emphasizing that he could not even finish everything on his te, she still insisted on serving him more food. Prevailed by jealousy, Joyce mocked, ¡°Mom, stop feeding Justin again. He can''t even finish the food on his te! Evidently, you only see him in your eyes now. Can you please spare Dad and me a nce too? Hmph! You''ve never served us like how you''re serving him now!¡± Frederick nodded and echoed, ¡°Joyce has got a point.¡± Caitlin rolled her eyes at the father and daughter, refuting, ¡°Justin is our guest. Of course, we need to treat him with great hospitality. If I don''t scoop the food for him, I don''t think he''ll help himself with anything. Hmph! Are both of you my guests? Can''t you take the food by yourselves? My goodness! Both of you are of the same kind. Do you mean to say that you won''t be able to have your meals without me serving you?¡± Notwithstanding her mockery, she still scooped some food for them. Jonathan was tickled pink and kept buttering her up mischievously. At the sight of their interaction, Justin could not help uttering enviously, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, I''m impressed. The two of you are so loving even after being married for many years, but my parents... Ah! Anyway, I should snap out of it. Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, let''s dig in.¡± ¡°Okay! Let''s eat!¡± Jonathan rectified the situation with an echo. After the chat with Justin earlier, he roughly knew what transpired between his parents and tried to avoid upsetting him further. After the meal, Justin volunteered to do the dishes, but Caitlin turned him down. She assigned the task to Jonathan instead. Thus, thetter had no choice but to do so as instructed. In the meantime, Caitlin was back in the living room with Joyce and Justin. She suggested eagerly, ¡°Joyce, take Justin for a walk now. You can have a chat while strolling.¡± Rubbing her stomach lightly, Joyce wailed, ¡°Huh? But I don''t feel like going. I''m so full now!¡± Caitlin red at her and stated solemnly, ¡°You have no right to say no. We haven''t met Justin for ages. Now that he''s finally here, how could you just let him be bored stiff sitting here? Hurry up and take him out for a stroll now.¡± Joyce turned to look at Justin instinctively. At the sight of the sheer anticipation in his eyes, she could only nod resignedly. ¡°All right, I''ll get changed. Justin, wait for me, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Justin shed her a smile. After Joyce was back in her room, Caitlin lowered her voice and buoyed Justin up. ¡°Justin, go for it! I have confidence in you!¡± ¡°Mrs. Rivers, thank you. I''ll try my best.¡± Justin nodded. ¡°Justin, I sincerely wish that you''ll be able to win Joyce''s heart. If so, she''ll stop falling head over heels for the other man,¡± Caitlin added earnestly when something came to her mind. ¡°Mrs. Rivers, do you mean Stanley Quinn?¡± Justin cut to the chase with a glint of inexplicit emotion in his eyes. Dumbstruck, Caitlin asked, ¡°How do you know his name?¡± ¡°I came across his name while trying to find out about Joyce''s current condition beforeing to J City. Furthermore, I know Joyce likes him. However, I have no idea about anything else other than that,¡± Justin exined matter-of-factly. Chapter 1324 Chapter 1324 Caitlin nodded after heaving a sigh. ¡°No doubt, Joyce is deeply in love with him. But I can assure you they can never be a couple. Undeniably, it''s solely her unrequited love for him as he doesn''t have any feelings for her. Not to mention, the Rivers family and the Quinn family have been harboring grudges against each other. Hence, even if they''re in love with each other, it''s impossible for both families to grant their wish to be together. As her mother, my heart wrenched at how she''s loving Stanley unconditionally. I''m worried stiff that she''ll be doomed one day. Thus, I hope you can win her heart. Even though I know I''m being selfish, but...¡± ¡°Mrs. Rivers, I understand.¡± Justin cut her off and reassured her, ¡°To me, this is not selfishness. After all, Ie all the way to J City because of Joyce. Since I''ve made up my mind to be with her, I have to win her heart by hook or by crook. Mrs. Rivers, don''t worry. I''ll try my best for sure.¡± ¡°I''m relieved to hear that. Justin, thank you. Needless to say, it''s not easy to do so. You might even feel discouraged halfway through. However, I hope you can be persistent.¡± Caitlin smiled bitterly. ¡°Mrs. Rivers, I''ll.¡± Justin nodded resolutely. The next moment, Joyce opened the door of her room and showed up in her overcoat. Staring at them inquisitively, she asked, ¡°Mom, what did you tell Justin? Why do you seem to be tensed up?¡± ¡°Nothing. Ah! Are you ready?'' Caitlin shook her head as she changed her topic. Joyce replied briefly, ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Since you''re ready, you should go out now ande back earlier for dinner. But of course, I won''t mind even if you don''te back tonight,¡± Caitlin responded ambiguously as she pushed them toward the door. Hearing that, Joyce could not help but roll her eyes. ¡°Mom, what''re you talking about? What do you mean you won''t mind even if we''re not back tonight? We''re not...¡± Bang! Even so, her mother closed the door even before she could finish her words. Joyce twitched her lips, perplexed and at a loss for words. Mom is acting differently today. She usually nags non-stop at me whenever I''m going out and only closes the door after ensuring I''m in the elevator. Good gracious! Did she m the door on me just now? Shaking her head speechlessly, Joyce turned to look at the man standing alongside her sheepishly. ¡°Justin, sorry about that. My mom shouldn''t have sounded so blunt just now. She has been coaxing me to go on blind dates to get a boyfriend. My goodness! I guess she must be having a wild imagination again and thinking of matchmaking us. I hope you won''t take it to heart,¡± she stated in embarrassment. ¡°I know that, and I don''t mind it at all. In fact, I feel Mrs. Rivers is kind of adorable.¡± With his hands in his pockets as he moved toward the elevator with her, Justin sounded her out. ¡°Apparently, Mrs. Rivers hopes you can enter into a rtionship with someone and settle down soon. That''s why she''s urging you to attend matchmaking sessions. How about you? Have you ever thought about that?¡± ¡°So far, I haven''t thought about that. In fact, I don''t feel like attending any matchmaking sessions and getting married.¡± Joyce shook her head, replying nonchntly. She was being truthful and dared not have the wishful thinking of marrying anyone else for the time being. ¡°But why?¡± Justin asked after pressing the button of the elevator. Joyce cast her eyes down and chuckled. ¡°No specific reason too. Perhaps, I''m not mentally prepared to get married yet. Anyway, let''s drop the subject. Justin, let me bring you to walk around in the park nearby. I think you''ll like the environment there.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± He smiled cheerfully. Shortly after, they stepped out of the residential area and hopped into a cab that sped off moments later. At the same time, Stanley, who was thousands of miles away, received updated news that Joyce had just stepped out of her house with a man. Ever since she unearthed the truth to him about the exact culprit causing his parents'' death and promised to make up for his loss, he had assigned someone to keep an eye on her discreetly. He wondered how she wouldpensate him. Nevertheless, he could not help snorting when he found out she had not done anything so far. Ever since she was back in her hometown, she either shopped extravagantly or stayed at home all the time. Pfft!! She''s only bluffing me by making empty promises!Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1325 Chapter 1325 Didn''t she keep emphasizing that she loves me very much? But look at how she''s closely acquainted with another man now. What? They even step out of her house together and chat gleefully? So that''s what she defined as love? How preposterous! Stanley''s face fell as he tightened his grip on the phone subconsciously. After what seemed like an eternity, he eventually took a deep breath before instructing coldly, ¡°Okay, I got it. You don''t have to continue trailing behind her. Go back to your agency now.¡± She''s just a woman proiming herself to be devoted to love but leads a promiscuous life instead. What''s the point of watching over her again? After hanging up, Stanley turned and vanished into the darkness. In the meantime, Joyce and Justin were about to step into the mall. Sensing something amiss, she halted in her tracks at the entrance and turned to scan behind her quizzically. Seeing that, Justin asked hastily, ¡°Anything wrong?¡± ¡°My instinct told me someone seemed to be stalking us and taking pictures of us.¡± Joyce furrowed her brows. Justin squinted his eyes. ¡°Stalking us and taking pictures of us?¡± ¡°Yeah! I somehow have the same feeling but I''m not sure if it was my imagination. Well, forget about it. I don''t give a heck. Let''s go in.¡± Joyce put on a cheerful smile. I didn''t do anything wrong, did I? Whatever! I don''t give a d*mn who''s doing that in the dark! Who knows, there''s no one, and I was too sensitive? Justin was relieved that Joyce''s mood was not spoilt. He nodded slightly. ¡°Okay! Let''s go!¡± The next second, they stepped into the mall. Meanwhile, a man dressed in a trench coat and cap stepped out from a secluded corner. After heaving a sigh, he mumbled to himself, ¡°Good gracious! This woman has a strong sense of vignce indeed. She had almost spotted me! I''d better leave now since there''s no need to trail behind her anymore!¡± Next, he turned to hail a taxi and left. In J City, Natalie had just received a call from Caitlin. Thetter poured out to her everything about Joyce''s current condition. ¡°Nat, I''ve checked on Joyce just now. She seems to be acting weirdly and is bothered by something. However, she''s reluctant to even mention a single word about that to me,¡± Caitlinmented resignedly. ¡°She''s not willing to pour her heart out to you too?¡± Natalie''s frown deepened into a scowl. Hmm! I wonder what is bugging Joyce''s mind. It sounds serious, and she''s even keeping mum from her parents! Or perhaps, she might be in deep water if she tells anyone about that? ¡°Yeah! I''m worried sick that she might have stirred up troubles elsewhere. Oh! What are we supposed to do if that''s the case! Her dad and I might not be able to help her with anything!¡± Caitlin wailed apprehensively. Natalie nodded and responded, ¡°I feel the same way too.¡± ¡°Nat, would you mind helping me find out what happened to her? I''ve heard from Joyce that your husband is an omnipotent man. That''s why I think it might be a piece of cake for him to help investigate the matter. Sorry for troubling you but Joyce''s dad and I have no choice as we have no one else to turn to,¡± Caitlin pleaded piteously. Natalie reassured her, ¡°Mrs. Rivers, there''s no need for formality. Even if you don''t ask me to do so, I''ll investigate the matter too. After all, Joyce is my best friend. How could I be unperturbed if she''s in a predicament? Don''t worry. I''ll notify you and Mr. River once I have any findings.¡± Deep down, Natalie could not help sympathizing with Caitlin. It never cross her mind that thetter would swallow her pride and plead with her for help. Thus, she kept her fingers crossed that Joyce did not cause any trouble that would cause her parents to be grief-stricken. If not, she would be an unfilial daughter who let her parents down. ¡°Sure! Nat, again we feel bad for troubling you,¡± Caitlin stated with a hint of unmissable relief in her tone. Natalie smiled. ¡°Mrs. Rivers, don''t mention it. If there''s nothing else, I''ll hang up first.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Caitlin replied briefly and hung up. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. After hanging up, Natalie took her bag and stepped out of her office. Catching sight of her assistant advancing toward her with piles of documents in her hands, she instructed, ¡°Put the documents on my desk. I''ve to get going to the detective agency for something urgent. Give me a call if there''s anything.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Her assistant nodded respectfully. Natalie walked past her and sped off to a detective agency. She nned to hire a detective to investigate what Joyce had encounteredtely. Later that night, Natale was having dinner with her family in the Thompson vi. Shane suddenly popped a question. ¡°I heard you''ve hired a detective.¡± Chapter 1326 Chapter 1326 Stunned, Natalie turned to look at him. ¡°How did you know about that?¡± ¡°When I dropped by to look for you this afternoon, you''d left your office. Your assistant told me about that,¡± Shane exined casually after taking a sip of the soup. Natalie nodded. ¡°Is that so? Yeah! I''d dropped by the detective agency this afternoon.¡± ¡°Did anything happen?¡± Shane asked cidly. Sensing that she was not wearing a look of anxiousness, he presumed it was not a life-threatening situation. Hence, he sounded nonchnt too. Natalie put her fork down and elucidated, ¡°It''s Joyce. When I reached the office today, I was shocked to find that she had delegated all her tasks to the other staff without my knowledge. Obviously, she''s nning to resign. Thus, I called her right away, asking her why. But she kept crying and refused to tell me anything. After that, I called her mother, only to find that she seems to be acting weirdly at home lately. That''s why I have a hunch something must have urred to her.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Have you gotten any clues?¡± Shane asked. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Not yet. I haven''t received any calls from the detective agency.¡± Shane hummed in acknowledgment and replied solemnly, ¡°Don''t hesitate to tell me if you need a hand.¡± Since Joyce was Natalie''s best friend, he would leave no stones unturned to help her. On top of that, he was thankful to the former for helping to look after the kids when he tended to neglect them while tracing Natalie''s whereabouts earlier. ¡°I know, but I think it''s better to let the detective agency investigate the matter first. Perhaps, it''s nothing serious, but Joyce tends to blow things out of proportion,¡± Nataliemented analytically. Shane nodded without uttering any words. Feeling relieved, Natalie picked up the fork again. When something came to her mind, she asked curiously, ¡°Oh yeah! Didn''t you say you dropped by my office this afternoon to look for me? Is there anything you need?¡± ¡°Nothing actually. Coincidentally, I stepped out this afternoon to inspect a factory and passed by your office building on the way back. That''s why I thought of dropping by, bringing some desserts for you and your staff.¡± Shane chuckled. Natalie was suddenly enlightened and could not help feeling amused. ¡°Ah! So you''re the one bringing them those desserts! I was wondering why they kept thanking me!¡± Shane''s lips curved into a smile. ¡°All right. Let''s eat.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Natalie responded briefly. After dinner, Shane headed straight for his study. He had to attend a video conference, matching the time zone of his overseas counterparts. On the other hand, Natalie apanied the two kids to watch cartoons in the living room. When the clock struck half-past nine, she turned off the television. ¡°All right! My dearest baby and darling, it''s gettingte. Let''s shower and go to bed.¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy!¡± They jumped off the couch obediently. Connor was actually not very interested in watching cartoons. On the contrary, Sharon was a cartoon lover. Even so, she nodded obediently without throwing a tantrum when her mother turned off the television. Thus, Natalie was pleased with her self-discipline despite her reluctance.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After a while, she led the kids upstairs to help them with their showers. Ever since she attended internationalpetitions overseas, Mrs. Wilson had been the one taking care of the twins. Hence, she scarcely had the chance to shower them. The kids were over the moon when their mother turned out to be the one helping them with their shower that night. After showering, Natalie patted their butts lightly, gesturing for them to lie on the bed. At the moment, the two kids were still sharing a room as they were still young. In fact, they still slept on the same bed. No doubt, Natalie and Shane had been thinking of letting them have their own rooms, respectively. Nevertheless, Sharon was against it as she was utterly clingy to Connor. Subsequently, they had no choice but to give in to her. However, they were determined to stand their ground after the kids turned five the following year. ¡°Mommy, hurry up to tell us bedtime stories!¡± Sharon called out to her, patting the bed gleefully. At the sight of the glitter of anticipation in the kids'' eyes, Natalie chuckled. ¡°Okay! I''ming!¡± Chapter 1327 Chapter 1327 Shey in the middle of the bed in between the two children, who were hugging her arms, waiting for her to tell them bedtime stories. Even though Connor wasn''t interested in stories for children, he was willing to listen to them only because he enjoyed spending time with his parents. As for Sharon, she loved the stories as well as being around her parents. Natalie patted the kids on their backs gently, coaxing them to sleep, while telling them a fairy tale. Before the woman finished the story, both children had already fallen asleep. By right, Natalie''s task waspleted after the little ones slept, and it was time for her to return to her own bedroom. However, her heart melted when she saw the peaceful sleeping faces of her children. Besides, the kids were still gripping tightly onto her arms. Under such circumstances, she was not willing and couldn''t bear to leave them. As such, the woman closed her eyes, intending to sleep in the children''s bedroom that night. Ever since she got married to Shane, she had rarely slept with the kids. Soon after, Natalie fell asleep with the pleasant scent of the children lingering around her. Not long after she fell asleep, Shane finished his meeting and walked out of his study. When he returned to the master bedroom, he opened the door while removing his necktie. After the door was opened, the man froze for a moment, noticing that the room was pitch-ck. What''s going on? Why is there no one here? He was used to having Natalie waiting for him in the room after he was done with his meetings. If the woman was too tired and unable to stay up, she would leave the bedside light on for him before going to sleep. However, at that moment, it was obvious to the man that there was no one in the room as it was completely dark. Indeed, after Shane turned on the lights, he saw that the room was empty. A crease appeared between the man''s brows at once. ¡°Nat?¡± he called out. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. When he received no reply, Shane pursed his lips. This is strange. It''s already sote. Where could she be if she''s not in the room? Finally, the man thought of the ce and headed there immediately. The children''s bedroom was not far from the master bedroom, and Shane guessed that the woman might be there. After knocking on the door and receiving no response, the man proceeded to open the door. When he opened the door, he saw that the lights in the room were still on. The children and their mother were lying in the middle of the bed, sleeping soundly. Shane felt an immense sense of relief after seeing Natalie. At the same time, he was feeling both amused and angry. He was a little worried when he did not see her after returning to their room, wondering where she had gone. When he came out to look for her and saw that she was sleeping so soundly in the children''s room, he was slightly mad. Geez, you should have told me where you are. This won''t do. Since she''s so disobedient, I have to punish her. A dangerous glint shed across Shane''s eyes as he tiptoed toward the bed. When he reached the bed, he bent down slightly to lift the nket before putting one hand under Natalie''s neck and the other under her knees, lifting her up. Shane carried Natalie to the sofa and put her down. Then, he walked back to the bed again and pulled the nket up for the children before returning to the sofa to pick Natalie up, carrying her in his arms. Natalie''s head was leaning against Shane''s chest as the man walked back to their room, swaying slightly along with his movements. She was jolted awake by the cold sensation when his necktie brushed against her face. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Natalie got a shock when she woke up and found herself moving, thinking that she was flying. She only realized what was happening when she heard the man''s deep voice ringing out from above her head. ¡°Stay still. You''re going to fall if you keep moving,¡± Shane reminded in a slightly hoarse voice. Natalie looked up at the man at once and said, ¡°Shane, why did you...¡± ¡°I did not see you in the room after I finished working, so I went to the kids'' room to look for you and saw you sleeping there,¡± the man exined. Chapter 1328 Chapter 1328 Asprehension dawned on Natalie, she asked, ¡°So you''re carrying me back to our room now?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Shane nodded. Feeling amused, the woman replied, ¡°Why would you do that? I had specially nned to sleep in their room tonight.¡± ¡°If you stay with the kids, who''s going to apany me?¡± the man said, looking down at her. Meeting her husband''s deep-set gaze, Natalie rolled her eyes and answered, ¡°Are you jealous of the kids now? Haven''t I been apanying you every day?¡± ¡°Yeah but that''s not enough! I''m jealous of them indeed,¡± Shane replied without hesitation. ¡°You''re my wife, so naturally, you should be by my side every day. As such, you have to be punished for not informing me beforehand that you''ll be sleeping with the kids. How are you going to make up for it?¡± ¡°Make up for it?¡± the woman blinked her eyes a few times before continuing, ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Carrying Natalie in his arms, Shane entered their bedroom before kicking the door shut behind him. When he reached the bed, he suddenly released his hands, dropping the woman onto the bed. As the bed was soft enough, falling onto the bed would not injure Natalie, and nor would it be painful for her. However, she did get a shock. Shaking her head to clear her dizziness, she looked at the man and questioned angrily, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Are you really asking me that?¡± Shane yanked off his necktie and tossed it into the air. After the necktie fell onto the ground, the man bent forward and whispered into his wife''s ear in a hoarse voice, ¡°What do you think I''m doing?¡± Natalie''s lips twitched upon hearing that as she finally understood what Shane meant. So that''s what he meant by punishing me... ¡°You haven''t been spending much time with metely. Be prepared for a sleepless night tonight.¡± After saying that, Shane started nibbling Natalie''s earlobes... Indeed, the man had kept his promise of giving Natalie a sleepless night. The woman was forced to stay awake the entire night, and she was being prevented from passing out. That was because when Shane noticed that the woman couldn''t take it anymore, he immediately took measures to prevent her from sleeping or fainting. As such, Natalie was tortured by the man for the entire night. He was only willing to let her off when dawn broke. While the woman slept, Shane got out of the bed and headed toward the bathroom, feeling more energetic than ever. Judging by the way he looked, one would never be able to tell that he had not slept and had been exercising all night. Instead, he appeared to be in peak form. After taking a shower, Shane changed into his sports attire and left the room quietly, heading outside for a jog. When Natalie woke up, it was already ten a.m.. By then, Shane had already started working at Thompson Group. A blush spread across the woman''s cheeks as she noticed the traces of their ¡°battle¡± on both her body and the bed. When she recalled those new styles Shane had made her try the previous night, she covered her face in embarrassment and took a while topose herself. After she calmed down, she got out of the bed and went to wash up. Right after Natalie finished washing up and left the bathroom, her phone rang. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The woman immediately put down the clothes that she was about to change into and walked toward the bed. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she picked up her phone that was lying on the bedside table. When she saw the name on the caller ID, she answered at once. ¡°Hello, Detective Flores.¡± ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Thompson,¡± the man greeted politely. Natalie asked at once, ¡°Detective Flores, did you manage to find anything on what I asked you to investigate yesterday?¡± On the other end of the line, the detective shook his head before answering, ¡°I''m sorry, Mrs. Thompson. I''ve conducted a thorough check on Ms. Rivers'' recent activities, but everything seems normal. She does not appear to be in any trouble.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± Natalie frowned. How could there be nothing? It''s obvious that something happened. Otherwise, why would Joyce seem so worried and apologetic? Sensing the woman''s thoughts, Asher shook his head and said, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, there''s indeed nothing. For the past few days, Ms. Rivers had not met anyone at all. However, three days ago, she did seem to have a change in mood and was rather emotional.¡± ¡°Three days ago? What happened three days ago?¡± Natalie asked. From what she remembered, three days ago was the day when Joyce went to look for Stanley to tell him who the real killer was. Chapter 1329 Chapter 1329 ¡°I''m not sure of the details. Three days ago, Ms. Rivers broke down after she left Stanford Hospital. When I checked the security footage of the hospital, I saw Ms. Rivers crying uncontrobly. After that, she applied for leave from you and headed back to her parents'' ce. As such, my guess is that what happened to Ms. Rivers could be rted to Dr. Quinn from Stanford Hospital,¡± Asher replied. Natalie nodded and said, ¡°All right. I''ll keep that in mind. Thanks for your hard work. I''ll transfer you the remaining payment in a while.¡± ¡°Sure, thank you.¡± After the call ended, a crease appeared between Natalie''s brows as she put down her phone. Initially, the woman had thought that Joyce was acting strangely because she had run into some trouble. It turned out that they hade one full circle as it was because of Stanley instead. Natalie suspected that something must have happened on the day Joyce spoke to Stanley; otherwise, Joyce would not have acted that way. With that thought, the woman picked up her phone and rang Stanley. However, she wasn''t able to contact him as his phone was still turned off. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Natalie could not help but feel frustrated. Even if he wanted to find the killer, he didn''t have to switch off his phone and cut himself off from the rest of the world. While the woman was deep in thought, Mrs. Wilson''s voice rang out from outside the door. ¡°Madam, are you awake already?¡± Snapping out of her thoughts, Natalie looked toward the door and answered, ¡°Yup, I am.¡± ¡°Then, do you want toe down and have breakfast first?¡± Mrs. Wilson suggested. ¡°Sure, I''ll be down in a minute,¡± Natalie replied. After hearing the woman''s answer, Mrs. Wilson turned around and went downstairs. Natalie put down her phone and continued getting changed. Forget it. Since I can''t get Stanley, I shall speak to Joyce instead. I shall ask her toe back and have a good chat with her. Perhaps, she will tell me what happened between her and Stanley, and I''ll be able to help her. After Natalie got dressed, she put on some light makeup before heading downstairs. While she was having breakfast, she texted Joyce, asking her to return to J City for work. Meanwhile, Joyce was watching a movie with Justin at his request. When she saw Natalie''s message, they had just finished watching the movie and were walking out of the cinema. ¡°Justin, let''s sit over there for a while. I need to reply to a message,¡± Joyce said, pointing at a bench in front of them. Justin nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Sure. Why don''t you head over first? I''ll go get us some drinks. What would you like to have? I remember that you loved mango milkshakes when you were younger. Do you still like it?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Joyce nodded happily and continued, ¡°I didn''t expect you to still remember that. It''s been twenty years.¡± ¡°I''ll never forget that. I remember everything that you like,¡± Justin said, fixing his gaze on the woman with an unfathomable glint in his eyes. Joyce''s smile froze on her face, and her lips moved. Just when she was about to say something, Justin let out a chuckle and said, ¡°All right. Just wait for me over there yeah? I''ll go get you your milkshake.¡± After saying that, he turned around and walked toward the milkshake shop. A slight crease appeared between Joyce''s brows as she watched the man walk away. What''s going on? From the way Justin was looking at her earlier on, to what he had said, it seemed to Joyce as if the man was interested in her. Am I just imagining things? Yeah, I must be thinking too much. It''s been twenty years since west met. How could Justin be interested in me? Joyce shook her head to clear her mind of those thoughts before heading over to the bench. She only opened Natalie''s text after sitting down. When she saw the content of the message, the woman''s eyes dimmed for a moment before typing a reply. She texted: Sorry, Nat. I don''t think I''ll be able to return tomorrow. I want to stay here a few more days and spend more time with my parents. I hope you''ll understand. There were still a lot of things that Joyce had to settle for her parents. After shepleted everything, she would then... Natalie''s phone buzzed after she finished the milk. She put her ss down at once and picked up her phone, and saw that Joyce had replied to her message. When she saw her friend''s reply, the woman pressed her lips together and sent a voice message. ¡°Joyce, are you noting back yet because you want to spend more time with your parents, or is it because you just don''t want toe back?¡± she said. Chapter 1330 Chapter 1330 It was obvious to Natalie that Joyce did not intend to return to the office as she had already handed over her work. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have needed to text her toe back, and nor would she have doubted her friend''s intentions. When Joyce saw Natalie''s reply, her heart skipped a beat. She did not expect that Natalie could tell that she was lying straight away. Forget it! Joyce sighed before replying with a voice message. She said, ¡°Nat, I''m so sorry. I had lied to you indeed. It''s true that I don''t feel like going back. In fact, I don''t think I will go back ever again. It''s better this way.¡± After that, the woman turned off her phone. When Justin walked back carrying a cup of milkshake and a cup of coffee, he happened to hear what Joyce said. ¡°Who were you speaking to? Where are you going back to?¡± ¡°It was my best friend,¡± Joyce replied, taking over the milkshake from the man before continuing, ¡°My best friend and I started a fashion designpany together in J City. She was asking me to return to work, but I don''t intend to do that.¡± ¡°Your best friend? Is it that woman named Natalie?¡± Justin asked, sitting down next to her. With a surprised expression on her face, Joyce replied, ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°Before contacting you, I did some slight research. Your friend is really pretty,¡± Justin said after taking a sip of his coffee. Joyce looked at the man cautiously and replied, ¡°Justin, I hope you''re not having any funny ideas about my friend. You should forget about it if you are. My best friend is indeed extremely gorgeous and ethereal beauty. However, she''s already married with three kids. You''ll never stand a chance with her.¡± Justin was amused after hearing the woman''s words. Knocking on her head lightly, he said, ¡°What are you talking about? Why would I be interested in your friend? I''m justplimenting her on her looks. She''s indeed the prettiest woman I''ve ever seen, but I''m not interested in her at all. I''m also aware that she''s married, and I also know that her husband is the chairman of Thompson Group.¡± ¡°You even know about that?¡± Joyce was rather dumbfounded at how much the man knew. Justin nodded. ¡°Of course. Come to think about it, Mr. Thompson and I are somewhat acquainted. I was in charge of receiving him when I was working overseas previously.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Joyce nodded and did not ask any further. After finishing his coffee, Justin tossed the empty disposable cup into the trash bin and looked at Joyce. ¡°Let''s talk about you instead. Why do you not want to go back? Isn''t that thepany the two of you set up together? Did you guys fight with each other?¡± Joyce shook her head slightly before replying, ¡°Of course not. Nat and I have known each other for years and are really close. In fact, we''ve never fought before.¡± ¡°If that''s the case, why are you not going back?¡± Joyce looked down and replied, ¡°Something happened. It''s my personal matter, and I don''t think I can go back to work for the time being.¡± After saying that, she stood up and said, ¡°All right, let''s not talk about this anymore, Justin. Let''s go. I''m quite hungry now. Shall we get something to eat? It''s my treat!¡± ¡°Sure! I won''t stand on ceremony then,¡± the man replied, standing up. Joyce smiled and said, ¡°Just order anything you like. Let''s go!¡± The two of them continued joking with each other as they got into the car. Meanwhile, at the Thompson vi, when Natalie saw Joyce''s reply, she let out augh in exasperation. She''s noting back ever again? N?velDrama.Org ? content. What on earth is she thinking about? Feeling anxious and frustrated at the same time, Natalie called Joyce at once. However, just like Stanley, Joyce''s phone was also turned off. Natalie massaged her temples as she was so angry that her head was throbbing. When Mrs. Wilson noticed that, she could not help but ask, ¡°What happened, Madam?¡± ¡°It''s Joyce. She said she''s not intending to return to work ever again,¡± Natalie replied with a sigh. After a brief moment of contemtion, Mrs. Wilson said, ¡°Don''t feel like working? Has she started dating? I heard that there are manypanies with policies that don''t allow their employees to date, worried that it would affect their work. Could that be the case for Ms. Rivers?¡± Natalie blinked when she heard that. ¡°Dating?¡± ¡°It''s just my guess.¡± Mrs. Wilson smiled. Natalie stroked her chin and mulled over it for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°That''s quite unlikely. Joyce is in love with Stanley, and I don''t think she''ll want to date any other man. Besides, even if Joyce is dating other people, given how career-minded she is, she would never neglect her work because of that.¡± Chapter 1331 Chapter 1331 ¡°In that case, I know nothing more. Madam, why don''t you visit Ms. Rivers and ask her in person?¡± Mrs. Wilson suggested. Natalie nodded. ¡°That works too. I''ll do it the day after. Since it''s the weekend, I can use the opportunity to visit Joyce''s parents too. All right then, Mrs. Wilson. I''m done with the food and will be heading to the office.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Be careful out there,¡± Mrs. Wilson reminded. Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°I will. Don''t worry. Bye.¡± After waving her hand, she left Thompson vi. Meanwhile, at Thompson Group, Shane had just finished his meeting. When he came out of the conference room, Ss approached him with aplicated look. ¡°Mr. Thompson, Dr. Baker is here.¡± Shane stopped in his tracks. ¡°Jackson? Wasn''t he locked up at home? How did he get out?¡± ¡°I have no idea, but he has probably seen the light. That''s why he was let out. Initially, I, too, assumed that he had escaped. Therefore, when I contacted Prof. Baker, he told me that he had let Jackson out,¡± Ss exined. Shane nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°In the reception room, waiting for you.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm, let''s go.¡± Shane nodded to indicate his agreement to see Jackson. Upon arriving at the reception room, Ss opened the door. Jackson was seated on the sofa with a ss of water in hand. With his head lowered, he looked as if he was spacing out. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Shane strode into the room with a frown. At the sound of footsteps, Jackson regained his senses and raised his gaze at Shane. He forced out a smile on that babyface of his. ¡°Shane, you''re here.¡± ¡°If you don''t feel like smiling, just don''t. It looks horrible.¡± Shane took a seat on the sofa opposite him. At the same time, Ss prepared coffee by the side. As Shane''s scathing words exposed his awkward smile, Jackson lowered his head in embarrassment. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Shane is right. I really don''t feel like smiling and can''t even manage a proper one. I was just doing it out of courtesy. Even without Shane pointing it out to him, he, too, knew how hypocritical it looked. ¡°Mr. Thompson.¡± Ss handed Shane his coffee. Upon receiving it, Shane put it on the table instead of drinking. Looking at Jackson, he inly remarked, ¡°Tell me. How did you get out?¡± Jackson spun the cup in his hands. ¡°My dad let me out, as I no longer have the desire to die alongside Jacqueline.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane cocked his brow. ¡°Have you seen the light and stopped trying to kill yourself?¡± Jackson smiled wryly. ¡°I felt like dying right after hearing the news about Jacqueline. It was a sudden urge triggered by the shock I felt. However, after I managed to calm down, I realized how ridiculous it was to even think of that.¡± If Shane hadn''t stopped him then, he would likely havemitted suicide alongside Jacqueline. Had he seeded, his parents would have been devastated. In fact, they might be dealt a blow so heavy that illness would beset them, causing them to die from grief. If it came to that, he was truly unworthy of being their son. While observing Jackson, Shane cracked a fleeting smile that quickly faded as if nothing had happened. ¡°Clearly, recent events have caused you to mature.¡± ¡°Should I thank you for yourpliment?¡± Jackson took a sip of his coffee. ¡°That''s not necessary,¡± Shane replied with a serious expression. Subsequently, he asked, ¡°Since you no longer want to kill yourself, what brings you here?¡± Jackson raised his gaze and suggested, ¡°I would like you to hand Jacqueline''s body over to me.¡± Shane was slightly surprised. ¡°What do you want her body for?¡± Does he n to turn her into a stuffed specimen at home so that he can stare at her every day? As if he could read Shane''s mind, Jackson''s lips twitched. ¡°Stop letting your imagination run wild. I just want to pay my respects and personally bury her alongside my feelings. Just think of it as my final farewell to her. Don''t worry. I''m telling you the truth. Also, my dad has agreed to it.¡± Chapter 1332 Chapter 1332 ¡°Really?¡± Shane narrowed his gaze in skepticism. Jackson nodded. ¡°Yes. If you don''t believe me, you can call my dad for verification.¡± ¡°There''s no such need as I believe you. Besides, you wouldn''t dare lie to me, as you know the consequences of doing so,¡± Shanemented as he crossed his legs. To be honest, it''s time to deal with Jacqueline''s body after all, and I have been perplexed about what to do with it. There''s no way I could bury her beside Mr. and Mrs. Graham. They would probably roll in their graves if I did that. However, if I bury her in a public cemetery, I would be showing her mercy that she doesn''t deserve. Coincidentally, Jackson''s proposal for him to bury her would solve this problem of mine. ¡°Fine, you can have her body,¡± Natalie agreed with a nod. As his face lit up, Shane put down his coffee at once. ¡°Thank you, Shane.¡± ¡°Don''t thank me, I just want you to take her off my hands,¡± Shane replied indifferently. Jackson didn''t care if Shane''s words were sincere. He asked, ¡°In that case, is her body still at the morgue of Stanford Hospital?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Shane nodded. Jackson got to his feet. ¡°All right then. I''ll head over and make the arrangements.¡± With that, he strode out of the door. Furrowing his brows, Shane gestured at Ss. ¡°Send some men to go with him. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn''t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson, are you concerned that Dr. Baker is faking his current state of mind? And that he is still mired in sorrow and prone to do something foolish?¡± Ss asked. When Shane answered with silence, Ss straightened his back. ¡°I understand. I''ll get someone to apany him.¡± ¡°Go on then.¡± Shane nodded. Ss, too, strode out of the room. However, Shane remained and continued to sip his coffee. It wasn''t until he was done with it that he got up and left the room. He wasn''t sure if Jackson''s behavior was just a charade. If Jackson was really lying to him, he would disavow the former as a friend. Someone who''s just blinded by love at the expense of everyone else isn''t deserving of my concern. After leaving Thompson Group, Jackson drove toward Stanford Hospital. Having received Shane''s instructions ahead of time, someone from Stanford Hospital met Jackson upon his arrival and guided him to the morgue. When Jackson saw Jacqueline''s body again, a terrifying sight greeted him. It looked entirely ashen after being frozen for a few days. However, Jackson wasn''t unnerved by it, for he had seen plenty of corpses as a doctor. In fact, the ones he saw were a lot more gruesome than that. As a result, he didn''t feel a sliver of fear at all. Even if he wasn''t a doctor, he wouldn''t be afraid of Jacqueline''s body, as she was, after all, the woman he loved. ¡°Dr. Baker.¡± A doctor from Stanford Hospital came up to Jackson''s side. After ncing at Jacqueline, he turned his attention toward Jackson. ¡°Where should we transfer the body¡± ¡°The crematorium,¡± Jackson replied abruptly as heid the white sheet back over Jacqueline''s face. The doctor heaved a sigh of relief, as his concern that Jackson would bring the body back home was real. ¡°Do you need me to arrange for transport?¡± He had received Shane''s instructions to stop Jackson from bringing the body back home or anywhere else other than the crematorium. Luckily, Dr. Baker''s judgment hasn''t been clouded by his emotions. Or else, I would have trouble completing my task. ¡°No, I have made my own arrangements on my way here. They will be arriving anytime now,¡± Jackson replied as he nced at his watch. Nodding, the doctor had no further questions. Just as Jackson had mentioned, the hearse arrived shortly after that. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After signing his name to acknowledge taking custody of the body, Jackson followed the hearse back to the crematorium. Upon arrival, Jacqueline wasn''t sent into the furnace right away. Instead, she was ced in a makeup room where the mortuary cosmetologist did her makeup and prepared the body to look presentable. Chapter 1333 Chapter 1333 After Jacqueline was brought into the makeup room, Jackson returned to his car and brought out a huge box. The cosmetologist was baffled at the sight of the box. ¡°Mister, what is-¡± ¡°It''s a bridal gown,¡± Jackson replied as he opened the box''s lid. Inside was a beautiful snow-white wedding gown. It was littered with diamonds that glistened underneath the light. Briefly astounded, the cosmetologist quickly regained herposure. After all, she had seen many cases of the deceased being sent off in a wedding gown. There were many couples who were engaged or in a rtionship who lost one party to idents. The surviving party would then gift the deceased a wedding gown or ring during the cremation as a symbol of their wedding. As a result, the cosmetologist wasn''t surprised by Jackson''s action at all. Instead, she was blown away by how expensive the wedding gown looked. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Nevertheless, when she saw the expensive clothes Jackson was wearing, she figured that he was obviously someone wealthy. When the thought urred to her, the cosmetologist was no longer surprised as she received the box in her hands. ¡°I know what to do. I''ll dress her in the gown.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Jackson nodded before reaching into his jacket and retrieving a red velvet box. ¡°Here''s the ring.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The cosmetologist took it. ¡°I''ll doll her up to look her best in her wedding gown.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jackson bowed at the cosmetologist before returning to his car. After changing into a tuxedo, he put a corsage over his left breast pocket. By the time he emerged from the car, he looked exactly like a groom. Meanwhile, Ss'' spy could feel his eyes pop out when he saw what transpired. What''s going on? Is Dr. Baker nning to marry Jacqueline in her death before dying for love? With that thought in mind, the spy called Ss immediately and reported everything he saw. Shocked by the update, Ss knitted his brows tightly. ¡°I understand. Continue to keep a close eye on him. If he makes any reckless moves, restrain him at once.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± the spy acknowledged with a nod. After ending the call, Shane knocked on Shane''s office door. ¡°Come in,¡± Shane grunted. Taking a deep breath, Ss entered. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I have bad news. Dr. Baker has dressed himself and Jacqueline in wedding outfits.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane wrinkled his brows as it took him a while to digest what Ss meant. Ss reminded, ¡°They''re both dressed as bride and groom.¡± ¡°Jackson dressed both himself and Jacqueline that way?¡± Shane''s expression darkened. ¡°That''s right.¡± Ss nodded. A scowl descended upon Shane''s face. ¡°What is he nning?¡± ¡°I don''t know. My man is watching him and will stop him from doing anything reckless,¡± Ss informed. Shane clenched his fists without a word. When he didn''t receive an answer, Ss deliberated briefly before asking, ¡°Mr. Thompson, what should we do now? Shall we go and take a look?¡± ¡°What for? Since he wants to die, so be it,¡± Shane responded coldly with his lips pursed. After all, he had just dered that he would stop caring about Jackson if thetter insisted on dying together with Jacqueline. Ss, too, felt that Jackson wasn''t worth saving if he walked down that path. Nheless, he still couldn''t bring himself to watch thetter die. At the end of the day, they had known each other for more than ten years and were considered friends. Therefore, it was impossible for him to ignore Jackson''s well-being. Adjusting his spectacles, Ss gathered his courage and suggested, ¡°Perhaps, Dr. Baker isn''t looking to end his life and might be up to something else. Mr. Thompson, why don''t we check on him to avoid any future regrets.¡± Regrets? Never! In spite of his thoughts, Shane couldn''t deny the emotions that drove his heart to pound furiously. Fine. In the end, he couldn''t bring himself to ignore Jackson either. Chapter 1334 Chapter 1334 After rubbing his forehead, Shane stood up with a grim expression. ¡°Prepare the car!¡± Ss'' face lit up in delight when he heard Shane''s approval. He grunted in acknowledgment, ¡°Right away.¡± With that, he left the office to get the car ready. Soon, both of them were on their way to the crematorium. As the ce was located somewhere secluded in the outskirts of the city, they finally arrived after a one-and-the-half-hour drive. When Ss'' subordinate saw their car approach, he hurried over and opened the door. ¡°Mr. Thompson, Mr. Campbell,¡± he greeted respectfully. With both hands in his pockets, Shane scrutinized the crematorium building right in front of him. He asked calmly, ¡°Where''s Jackson?¡± ¡°He''s outside the makeup room,¡± the man answered. ¡°Lead us there,¡± Ss ordered. After nodding at Ss, the man walked in front to lead the way. As the ce wasn''t far, they arrived in two minutes. There, Shane saw Jackson sitting outside the makeup room. Jackson was dressed in a silvery-white tuxedo with a red flower pinned on his breast. He had lowered his head and seemed to be staring intently at something in his hand.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Shane strode over. As the sound of footsteps broke his train of thought, Jackson looked up in the direction of where it was coming from. At the sight of Shane, his eyes glistened in surprise before he got to his feet. ¡°Shane, why are you here?¡± Standing opposite Jackson, Shane scrutinized the former with an icy gaze. At the sight of the corsage, he sneered, ¡°What''s going on? Are you holding a posthumous wedding?¡± Jolted by his words, Jackson shook his head when it dawned upon him what Shane was thinking. ¡°It''s not what you think, Shane. I have no such intention.¡± ¡°No such intention? Then, tell me. Why the hell are you dressed like that?¡± Shane''s lips curled into a smirk. Looking down at his outfit, Jackson cracked a wry smile. ¡°I''m just fulfilling a dream of mine with this suit. Remember the time I dated Jacqueline for a month? During that time, I thought her feelings were sincere and was ted over it. Hence, I promised her that I will give her a grand wedding to which she agreed.¡± ¡°Jacqueline agreed?¡± Shane couldn''t believe his ears. However, when it urred to him that Jacqueline did love Jackson, his astonishment began to recede. I''m afraid she has already fallen in love with him back then. Or else, she wouldn''t have agreed. It was just that she was unaware of the fact. ¡°Yes, she did. Ever since then, I began preparing the gown, ring, and a few other things.¡± Jackson sat back down and continued, ¡°I had wanted to give her a surprise. Hence, I traveled to Irushea and found a famous wedding gown designer to tailor one for her. Furthermore, Imissioned a famous jeweler to design a ring for her too. My n was to propose to her once the dress and ring were ready.¡± ¡°What happened after that?¡± Shane took a seat beside Jackson. Lifting his head toward the ceiling, Jackson took a deep breath. ¡°Before the items werepleted, Jacqueline broke up with me. Subsequently, I never told her or anyone else about them. Therefore, none of you knew that I had prepared those items.¡± Shane raised his chin slightly without saying anything. Nheless, Jackson treated him as a listener and continued his story, ¡°Now that Jacqueline has passed away, I felt like fulfilling my dream of marrying her by giving her the wedding gown and ring I prepared. At the same time, I wanted closure by doing so.¡± ¡°Therefore, you''re not nning to kill yourself for love after holding a posthumous marriage with her?¡± Shane looked at him from the corner of his eye. Jackson chuckled. ¡°Of course not. As I told you before, I have gotten over it and won''t have such thoughts anymore. I just wanted to give her what was due to her. Going forward, I won''t have anything of hers with me, which isn''t a bad thing after all.¡± Chapter 1335 Chapter 1335 Shane sniggered, ¡°I sure hope that''s the case.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t do anything foolish and end up disappointing my parents. Therefore, Shane, thank you for your concern and the fact that you came here because you were worried that I would kill myself.¡± Looking at Shane earnestly, Jackson expressed his gratitude. A grim expression descended upon Shane''s face. ¡°You''re overthinking it. I wasn''t concerned about you and didn''te all this way for your sake.¡± ¡°Oh? In that case, are you here for a stroll?¡± Jackson teased. Shane snorted, ¡°I was just passing by.¡± Jackson chuckled in glee. ¡°All right, all right. Passing by it is.¡± There was no way he was going to dete his friend''s ego. After giving him the side-eye, Shane did not say anything further. A whileter, something urred to Jackson, causing him to turn toward Shane. ¡°By the way, are we still friends?¡± Shane furrowed his brows. ¡°No.¡± Upon hearing the answer, the hope on Jackson''s face gradually dissipated. With a darkening gaze, he lowered his head and smiled wryly. ¡°Fine. I thought that you have forgiven me, but it looks like I have gotten ahead of myself.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°We may no longer be best friends, but I don''t mind treating you as an ordinary pal.¡± As the spark in his eye was reignited, Jackson broke into a vibrant smile. ¡°That''s wonderful.¡± Even though his status was lowered, Jackson was willing to ept it as the price to pay for betraying Shane. N?velDrama.Org ? content. In fact, he felt satisfied and was more than happy to do so. Amidst their chat, the door to the makeup room swung open. As the cosmetologist stepped out, she removed her mask and nodded at Jackson. ¡°Dr. Baker, I''m done. You can head toward the furnace and wait there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jackson nodded. Subsequently, he, together with Shane and Ss, proceeded to the furnace. Soon, Jacqueline was pushed out in a gorgeous wedding gown. Given how exquisite her makeup was, one couldn''t help but think that she was asleep if one was unaware of her death. Jackson didn''t approach her. Instead, he stood where he was together with Shane as they watch the staff ce her body into the furnace. Under normal circumstances, corpses were not allowed to be wearing any clothes or jewelry during the cremation process. However, exceptions were made for the wealthy. After all, one just needed to pay for the cleanup once the cremation wasplete. Just like that, the doors to the furnace were shut right after Jacqueline was wheeled inside. The next second, the staff pushed a button. When Jackson saw an inferno ignite within the furnace, his eyes began to moisten. As for Shane, he gave Jacqueline an expressionless stare as he watch her body being incinerated. Instead of the feelings reserved for a sister or an enemy, he felt as if she was just a toy doll that wasn''t worthy of his feelings. ¡°Shane, do you know that I was there when Jacqueline was born?¡± Jackson remarked suddenly. Shane cocked a brow. ¡°You saw her being born?¡± I wasn''t aware of that. Jackson nodded. ¡°Yes, I was four that year. When I was ying in the hospital one day, I saw Jacqueline''s mom being wheeled into the delivery room. Coincidentally, the doctor who was responsible for her caesarian operation was off duty. Hence, my dad had to step in and take over the operation instead. As for me, I snuck in out of curiosity and hid inside the room where I watched Jacqueline being delivered.¡± At that moment, Jackson paused to let his emotions sink in. A few minutester, he took a deep breath and continued, ¡°The reason I have such strong feelings for her is that I watched her being born. To me, she''s just different, for it was the first time I witness the birth of life. The reason I chose to walk in my dad''s footsteps to be a doctor was also because of her, for she made me understand the beauty of life and medicine.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you ended up witnessing a demon being born.¡± Shane didn''t mince his words at all. Chapter 1336 Chapter 1336 Isn''t this ironic? An angel watches a demon''s birth. Not only did the angel save others because of the demon, he even fell in love with her. Even though Jackson heard Shane describe Jacqueline as a demon, he barely reacted at all, for it was an undeniable fact. Jacqueline was truly a demon. In truth, if he knew that she would turn out to be like that, he wouldn''t have fallen in love with her. However, it was toote for regrets now. ¡°That''s right. Jacqueline is undoubtedly a demon. I watched it brought into the world back then. And now, I''ve watched her die. I guess this is just karma at work.¡± At the sight of Jacqueline being incinerated beyond recognition, he broke into a smile of relief. When Shane saw that Jackson had finally gotten over Jacqueline, he revealed, ¡°There''s something that I have never told you about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Jackson tilted his head at Shane curiously. Shane, too, stared at the furnace. ¡°Actually, before Jacqueline died, she left a farewell message.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jackson was startled. ¡°A farewell message?¡± ¡°Yup, for you.¡± Shane looked at him. As Jackson''s eyes trembled and mouth gaped, it took him a while before he responded, ¡°F-For me?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Shane nodded. Filled with disbelief, a stupefied look descended upon Jackson''s face. Jacqueline''sst words were for me? How is that possible? She doesn''t love me and has no feelings for me at all. All this while, I was nothing but a pawn to her. Thus, there''s no way she would leave a message for me. In fact, I don''t think I would even cross her mind. Nheless, when he saw the serious look on Shane''s face, it was evident that Jacqueline did leave him one. ¡°Wh-What did she say?¡± Jackson asked anxiously as he felt a slight tremor in his clenched fists. Shane looked him in the eye. ¡°She said that she was sorry and that she now knew who she loved.¡± ¡°Sorry and knew who she loved?¡± Jackson''s eyes widened. ¡°Wh-What did she mean?¡± ¡°She meant exactly what you''re thinking,¡± Shane answered. While his heart was thumping furiously, Jackson opened his mouth but words failed toe out. What I think it means... Why did she need to tell me that after apologizing? Obviously, she''s telling me that she loves me! Or else, she would have just stopped at the apology. However, by continuing her words, she meant to dere her feelings for me! As the truth behind Jacqueline''s words dawned upon him, Jackson trembled in response. A long while passed before he murmured, ¡°Jacqueline... She... loved me.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm. She had fallen for you a long time ago. She just didn''t know it then,¡± Shanemented with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Lowering his gaze, Jackson felt a burning sensation in his eye. ¡°Is that so?¡± She loved me but didn''t realize it. I loved her and didn''t know her feelings for me. Isn''t this a cruel joke? Despite loving each other, neither of us was aware of the fact. What else can be more perplexing than that? If I had known about it earlier, I would have advised her to turn over a new leaf. Unfortunately, there was just no going back. Even if he had known about it earlier, Jacqueline would still meet an equally disastrous end, for she had caused the death of Shane''s parents when she was ten. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. At ten, neither of them had reached puberty. Back then, he hadn''t developed feelings for her, and she would naturally not have any for him. Therefore, even if they subsequently fell in love and got together, she would still meet her end the same way. As of then, he could only carry the knowledge of Jacqueline''s love for him and wallow in sorrow for the rest of his life. Chapter 1337 Chapter 1337 When he saw Jackson''s silent tears, Shane narrowed his gaze. ¡°I thought that you would be more emotional after learning that she loved you.¡± In fact, he even considered the possibility of Jackson wanting to kill himself again just to be with Jacqueline. As a consequence, he was surprised by Jackson''s calm reaction. Instead of yelling hysterically, his only response was tearing quietly. Upon hearing Shane''s words, Jackson took a deep breath and replied indifferently, ¡°As I said before, I have gotten over her. Therefore, its emotional impact on me is rather low. In spite of that, I am sad to learn that she did love me. However, when I realized that her feelings for me would change nothing, I quickly calmed down. After all, she would note back to life just because I learned of the fact. Anyway, we''re just not fated to be together. Now that our rtionship has ended, it''s for the best.¡± Just as he spoke, Jackson cracked a slight grin as he continued to watch the burning furnace. All this while, he loved Jacqueline and sacrificed a lot for her. Therefore, it was enough for him to know that she too, loved him. Going forward, he wasn''t going to love another person or get married. Just like that, he was going to live the rest of his life alone with the memory of Jacqueline''s love. Having read Jackson''s mind, Shane pursed his lips. Just when he was about to say something, he finally decided against it. Instead, he stood quietly by Jackson''s side and watch Jacqueline turn into ash gradually. By the time both of them came out of the crematorium, the sky was already dark, and Jackson was holding a box in his hands. In it was Jacqueline''s ashes. The thought of someone who used to be a hundred and sixty centimeters tall and weighed over ny pounds being reduced to ashes that fit into a small wooden box was a depressing one. When Shane arrived at the parking lot together with Jackson and was about to say something, his phone rang. Upon realizing it was Natalie, his gaze warmed as he answered. Natalie''s concerned voice rang out. ¡°Darling, it''s gettingte. Why aren''t you home yet? Are you still busy with work?¡± Usually, Shane would be on time to pick her up from work or go straight home to Thompson vi. Even when he waste, he would always call to let her know in advance. Therefore, she began to worry when she didn''t hear from him. The moment he heard Natalie''s words, Shane realized that he had forgotten to inform her. Hence, he replied. ¡°I''m sorry that I''ve forgotten. I''m at the crematorium together with Jackson. Thus, I lost track of time.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°At the crematorium with Dr. Baker?¡± Given a fright, Natalie sprang to her feet from the living room couch. ¡°Is Dr. Baker dead?¡± Given that Jackson had insisted on killing himself to join Jacqueline, Natalie''s concern wasn''t that far- fetched. As her voice was raised, Jackson heard her clearly, causing his lips to twitch in response. ¡°Shane, both you and your wife seemed to think that I will definitely die,¡± Jacksonmented helplessly. Shane snorted, ¡°That''s because what you did before drove everyone to think that way.¡± ¡°Erm...¡± Squirming his lips, Jackson lowered his head and smiled in embarrassment. With nothing more to say, he stroked the wooden box in his hand in silence. Turning his gaze away, Shane returned his attention back to the phone. ¡°Jackson isn''t dead. He''s alive and well.¡± ¡°He isn''t dead?¡± Natalie was briefly stunned. Subsequently, she asked, ¡°In that case, what are you doing at the crematorium?¡± ¡°Today is the day Jacqueline is cremated,¡± Shane answered. Natalie''s mind clicked. ¡°I see. Well, she is due to be cremated after so many days. Is it done already?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Shane answered as he nced at the wooden box. Natalie nodded. ¡°What time are youing home then?¡± Chapter 1338 Chapter 1338 She avoided asking about the details of the burial. To her, it wasn''t more important than having Shane home. Furthermore, she wasn''t interested to know when or where Jacqueline was buried. After all, no one would care about their enemy''s funeral. ¡°I''ming home now.¡± Shane checked his watch. Natalie smiled. ¡°All right, hurry up. The kids and I are waiting for you to have dinner.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane nodded with a gentle expression. After ending the call, he returned his phone to his pocket and turned toward Jackson. ¡°When do you n to bury her?¡± ¡°Three dayster.¡± After pondering for a few seconds, Jackson added, ¡°Within the next three days, I n to find somece where she belongs.¡± Shane grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°It''s up to you. What about the funeral? Are you holding one? Let me give you advance notice that no one will be attending. To those in our circle, the Graham family has been bankrupt since ten years ago. Hence, no one wille to the funeral of the daughter of a disgraced family. Moreover, many are well aware of her wrongdoings too. Therefore, I hope that you would not hold a funeral, for you will be ridiculed for it. More importantly, your parents will suffer the same humiliation.¡± Instead of being offended, Jackson just smiled. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m a different person now and well aware of the concerns. It had never crossed my mind to hold a funeral for her. To let her leave in peace is a good thing too. All right, Shane, that''s it for today. You should head home already as Natalie is getting worried.¡± After giving Jackson a slight nod, Shane got into his car without another word. Ss, too, sat in the driver''s seat before driving away. Jackson just stood there and watch them drive off. It wasn''t until they were out of sight that he left the crematorium. By the time Shane returned to Thompson vi, it was already eight o''clock. Upon hearing the sound of a car, the two children''s ears pricked as they jumped off the sofa at once. ¡°Mommy, Daddy is back.¡± ¡°Mommy, let''s go and wee Daddy.¡± Sharon tugged Natalie''s hand as she headed out. Natalie didn''t know whether tough or to cry. ¡°All right, all right, we''re going, so slow down. Don''t run or you''ll fall.¡± Despite what she said, the children didn''t heed her advice. Instead, they ended up running faster. Left without a choice, Natalie picked up her pace to protect the children from falling down. Soon, the three of them arrived outside the vi and coincidentally saw Ss opening the rear passenger seat door. As Shane alighted from the car, his heart almost melted at the sight of his wife and children. He approached them. ¡°Why are you all out here?¡± ¡°Connor and Sharon heard the car approach. When they knew you were back, they dragged me out to wee you,¡± Natalie exined with a smile, as she tousled the children''s hair. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Shane lowered his gaze at them. ¡°Aren''t you cold? Why do you insist oning out?¡± ¡°It''s not cold.¡± The children shook their heads in unison. As long as their parents were by their side, they were not afraid of the cold even if they were covered in snow. As Shane watched the children deny being cold despite their frozen cheeks, he couldn''t help but feel amused. Subsequently, he turned toward Ss, who was standing in front of the car and instructed, ¡°You should head home now. I''ll give you the day off tomorrow so that you can spend more time with Sally.¡± Ss'' eyes lit up as he bowed to express his gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Thompson.¡± Just as he spoke, he hurried into his car and drove off to see Sally. ¡°Come, let''s go back into the house.¡± As Shane held Natalie''s hand on one side, he held Sharon''s on the other. As for Natalie, she was holding Connor with her free hand. The family of four walking side by side back into their vi made for a harmonious and heart-warming sight. Obviously, it would have been better if Anders was there with them. Therefore, the moment they stepped back in, Natalie asked, ¡°By the way, Shane, Anders is already seven months old. Can we bring him home already?¡± She stared at him. After giving it some thought, he replied, ¡°I''ll contact them to see what the situation is.¡± Chapter 1339 Chapter 1339 ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Come on. Let''s go get something to eat,¡± Shane said. After finishing their meal, Natalie brought the two children to their room. Shane, on the other hand, disappeared into the study. He had spent the afternoon with Jackson at the crematorium which meant that he did not have the chance to finish his work. Hence, he had no choice but to workte into the night to get things done. Although he was busy with work, he did not forget his earlier promise to Natalie that he would contact the foreign hospital and enquire about Anders'' return to the country. At midnight, once Shane was done with his work, he returned to their bedroom and updated Natalie about his call. ¡°So, can Anderse home?¡± Natalie sped her hands together in excitement. Shane loosened his tie. ¡°Of course, I''ve already told you before that Anders cane home once he''s at least seven months old. He''s seven months old now, so he cane home!¡± ¡°That''s great!¡± Natalie started pacing the room excitedly. Suddenly, a thought urred to her. She turned to look at Shane. ¡°So, when exactly will Anders return to us? The procedure for his return must beplex, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it''ll be quiteplicated, especially since Anders will need to have medical instruments brought along with him. Don''t worry though, Ss will take care of it. We will arrange for him to be admitted to a local hospital. The foreign hospital has said that, although he can return to the country, he still can''t Anders, who was already rather weak to start with, did not have a strong immune system yet because he was born three months premature. If he were to leave the incubator too early, there was a high risk of him being attacked by viruses and bacteria which could be fatal. As such, he could only be brought home from the hospital after he had reached full term and his immune system had strengthened. Even then, Shane and Natalie would have to take special care of him because he was a rather weak baby to start with. ¡°I understand. I''ll be happy as long as Anders can return to the country. Then, I''ll be able to see him all the time,¡± Natalie said with a soft smile. Shane wrapped his arms around her gently. ¡°Yes. Not only will you be able to see Anders every day, but in just a few months'' time, you''ll be able to hold him every day too.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, I will,¡± Natalie said, nodding her head firmly. ¡°Okay then, time to sleep,¡± Shane said as he released Natalie from his embrace. He rubbed his temples gently. He had not had much sleep the night before because he had spent the entirety of the night working out. In addition, he had had a busy day. At that moment, Shane was beyond exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open for another minute. Natalie noticed the exhaustion on Shane''s face. She did not argue with him and went toy down on the bed immediately. That night, the two of them did nothing else but sleep cuddled up in each other''s arms. The next morning, Shane was still fast asleep when Natalie woke up. It was rare for him to not rise early. He''s probably very tired. That''s why he''s still sleeping. Natalie gazed at Shane''s sleeping form. Her outstretched fingers traced his brows gently. However, she soon drew back her hand for fear of disturbing his sleep. Just as she was about to pull away, Shane''s eyes flew open, and he quickly reached out to grab her wrist. ¡°Are you going to run away after doing something naughty?¡± Natalie blushed and retorted in a rather guilty tone, ¡°W-who''s doing something naughty?¡± ¡°Weren''t you?¡± Shane asked with a little smirk. ¡°Weren''t you just touching me? Don''t you know that you shouldn''t simply touch a man in the morning?¡± Shane whispered hoarsely in her ear. Natalie heard the lust in his voice. Hearing the need in his voice, her heart began racing and her body tingled in response. She could not help melting her body against his. She avoided his eyes as she said, ¡°I didn''t know that.¡± Shane listened to her weak denial andughed in a low voice. ¡°It''s fine if you didn''t know it before, but now that you do. What are you going to do, honey?¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± The corner of Natalie''s lip lifted slyly. She knew very well what he wanted her to do, but she did not want to give in to him. ¡°Alright. Now that you''re awake, get up! I''m going to wash up. I''m hungry!¡± Natalie urged, nudging Shane gently. Chapter 1340 Chapter 1340 Shane knew that Natalie was trying to get away from him. He smirked. He did not get up from the bed as she had asked. Instead, he pressed closer to her and refused to let her leave. ¡°You''re not going anywhere! You''re the one who started it. You''d better finish what you started!¡± The sound of him calling her ''honey'' and his low, lustful voice was enough to knock down Natalie''s defenses. Immediately, shepletely melted upon hearing that. I can''t say no to him at all. He can do whatever he wants. Besides, Natalie still felt some guilt in her heart. She was the one who had awakened Shane''s desire. So, she decided to satisfy him. Shane saw that Natalie was giving in to him. Heughed and lowered his head to kiss her. The two of them stayed in bed all morning, wrapped up in each other. They did not even notice Mrs. Wilson knocking on their door to wake them up. Finally, at noon, they got out of bed, washed up, and went downstairs to fill their stomachs. Mrs. Wilson caught a glimpse of the love bites on Natalie''s neck and realized why the two of them had stayed in bed all morning. She could not help smirking. Then, she cleared her throat gently and said, ¡°Sir, Madam, I''ll get lunch ready soon.¡± Yes, lunch! Since the two of them had stayed in bed all morning, they had missed breakfast. In fact, it was already lunchtime. Shane nodded at her. ¡°Go on then.¡± He led Natalie towards the dining room. As they were settling into their chairs at the dining table, Natalie suddenly recalled her n for the day and said to Shane, ¡°Oh, by the way, I am nning to go to Baycoast this afternoon.¡± ¡°Baycoast?¡± Shane frowned. ¡°What are you doing there? Is it work?¡± Baycoast was one of the top metropolises in the country, but it was quite a distance from J City. Shane was worried about Natalie traveling so far on her own. Back when they had gone abroad together, she had been kidnapped by Sean. Since then, he had been nervous about her traveling. He really did not want her to travel alone. He did not want her out of his sight, let alone out of J City. He could not stand the thought of her being kidnapped again. ¡°Oh, no,¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Joyce''s parents are in Baycoast. As you know, she hasn''t quite been herselftely, and I''m worried about her. I have engaged a detective but I still can''t figure out what''s up with her. She isn''t willing to talk to me either. So, I was nning to go meet her and talk to her in person.¡± Natalie''s gaze was firm. It was clear that she had made up her mind. Shane knew that he couldn''t stop her. He sighed and said, ¡°Alright, you may go, but please bring more bodyguards with you, and you can''t leave the bodyguard''s sight!¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Ideally, he would have preferred to go with her himself. However, the Thompson Group would be having a major reform meeting soon, and he was about to be very busy with work. So, he was unable to take time off. Natalie smiled and nodded when she heard Shane''s reply. ¡°Okay, I will. Thank you, Darling!¡± ¡°No need to thank me. Just get back home as soon as possible. Don''t forget that the kids and I are waiting for you here.¡± Shane looked at Natalie affectionately. Natalie nodded in response. ¡°I know. Don''t worry, I''ll be home early.¡± ¡°That''s good to hear. Okay, let''s have lunch.¡± Shane said softly when he saw Mrs. Wilson walking over to the table with a trayden with food. He squeezed Natalie''s hand gently under the table. Natalie nce at Mrs. Wilson and asked, ¡°Mrs. Wilson, have Connor and Sharon gone for their kickboxing ss?¡± ¡°Yes, I sent them earlier this morning,¡± Mrs. Wilson replied with an affirmative nod. At first, it was just Connor who was learning kickboxing, and Sharon merely tagged along for fun. However, over time, Sharon, too, became interested in kickboxing. Shane had then signed her up for sses as well. After that, the two siblings would go for sses together. In fact, Sharon had turned out to be better at kickboxing than Connor. Sharon had only gone to several sses before she caught up with Connor''s progress. In fact, she was naturally good at it. Natalie had always said that it was impossible for one to be such a clever little monster and the other to be nothing special save for her cute face. Her two children had proven to be talented in their own ways. After all, it was impossible for one sibling to be so smart and the other to be below par. Chapter 1341 Chapter 1341 Sharon''s talent was finally showing. Herbat skills were quite exceptional, and even Connor was no match for her. It was truly something to be proud of. Of course, Shane was also extremely proud. Ever since he received a phone call from Sharon''s coach praising her talent that night, the smile on Shane''s lips had not faltered. After a meal, Shane hugged Natalie before heading for Thompson Group. Natalie did not go with him. Instead, she stayed back to pack her luggage. She would be taking a flight to Baycoast with the ticket she bought the previous night. By the time she finished packing and reached the airport, it was already three in the afternoon. Natalie checked in and boarded the ne. Before sunset, shended at Baycoast. Once she got off the ne, Natalie waltzed out from the VIP passage with four bodyguards surrounding her. Immediately, she saw someone holding up a sign with her name written on it. As she made her way through the airport, those who considered her a celebrity stopped her for an autograph while many stared in awe. After a while, she managed to reach the person holding the sign. ¡°I''m Natalie,¡± she told the person. Upon seeing Natalie''s gorgeous face, the person immediately knew she was the person he was sent to pick up. He quickly lowered the sign and greeted Natalie courteously. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Thompson. Wee to Baycoast. Mr. Shane had already contacted our hotel manager and reserved a room for you. This way, please. The car is waiting outside.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± Natalie nodded politely. The moment sheid eyes on the person, she already knew he was sent by the hotel to pick her up. Before she boarded the ne, Shane had contacted her and informed her that he had already gotten her a hotel room. He also told her that someone would be picking her up at the airport. Hence, when Natalie saw her name written in bold letters on a sign, she waspletely unfazed. Furthermore, the hotel that the guy mentioned was one of the many hotels under Thompson Group. In a way, she was technically staying in a hotel Shane owned. Although Thompson Group primarily dealt with a variety of luxury goods, thepany also had side businesses which included hotels, restaurants, tour agencies, airlines, and many more. Simply put, anything aside from real estate had the involvement of Thompson Group. If thepany only relied on selling luxury goods, it would be impossible for Thompson Group to be in the top five hundredpanies in the world. Before long, Natalie, apanied by the bodyguards and the guy from the hotel, got into the car and made it to the hotel without a hitch. The hotel had reserved the presidential suite for her. After Natalie entered the suite, the first thing she did was copse onto the bed and stretchzily. ¡°Mmm...fy!¡± Even though she flew first ss, hours of traveling still took a toll on her. At that moment, all Natalie wanted to do was to freshen up and hit the sack. She decided to only visit Joyce the next day. ¡°Oh, right. I need to make a call!¡± All of a sudden, Natalie pped her forehead as she recalled Shane''s request. As she was boarding the ne, Shane had asked her to give him a phone call once she had reached the hotel. It had almost slipped her mind. If she did not call anytime soon, she would be signing up for an earful from Shane. Natalie quickly slipped out of bed and fished out her cell phone before dialing Shane''s number. Meanwhile, Shane was in the conference room with the board of Thompson Group. When his cell phone suddenly rang, the corners of his lips curled upward upon seeing the caller ID. His smile did not go unnoticed by the board. Everyone inside the conference room gaped in surprise, exchanging nces with each other. Some of them even sneaked out their cell phones under the table and started gossiping in the group chat. Did everyone see that? Mr. Thompson smiled. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Duh! Of course, we did. It was so obvious, who could''ve possibly missed it? Say, who do you guys think it is? You idiot. Who else? It has to be the mysterious Mrs. Thompson who rarelyes to thepany. Who else do you think can make Mr. Thompson grin that brightly other than her? Not necessarily. At the end of the day, Mr. Thompson is a man. Men are all yboys. Who knows if that isn''t his side chick. Hmm... I agree. Nonsense! It''s not like you people don''t know how stunning Mrs. Thompson is. Have any of you met someone more beautiful than her? With someone as gorgeous as Mrs. Thompson as his wife, who in their right minds would pay attention to other ordinary women? If y''all don''t believe me, then let''s make a bet. Let''s see if the person calling is Mrs. Thompson or a side chick? Chapter 1342 Chapter 1342 The bet is on! What will the winner be rewarded? Someone asked in the group chat. The discussion soon got a lot more attention. That was what everyone wanted to know. After all, no one would be interested in participating in a bet they could not afford. One of the higher-ups smirked subtly before typing: A bottle of Louis XIII! Louis XIII! Not bad. Someone''s gambling big. Alright, I am in! Count me in. One by one, the rest of the room put down their bets. Following suit, everyone lowered their cell phones and turned their attention to Shane. Under the anticipation of the board, Shane picked up the phone. His lips parted and asked, ¡°How''s my wife?¡± With those three words, the entire conference room was split into two sets of emotions. Half of them cheered silently in their victory while the other half sighed miserably upon their defeat. The losing half now had to buy a bottle of Louis XIII each and gifted them to those who won the bet. Fortunately, everyone in the room was high-ranking officials and had a considerably fat paycheck. A bottle of Louis XII might be pricey, but it was not something they could not afford. It would not take long for the losing party to recover from the loss. Shane was still talking to Natalie in his seat at the head of the table. His affectionate expression made everyone on the table squirm ufortably. In the past, they had also gossiped about how Shane would act once he fell into the trap of true love. Everyone wondered if he would remain as icy as he was, or if he would shed his stern look and be warm and gentle. At that moment, it was evident that thetter had happened. After Shane got married, his entire demeanor changed. He became gentle in both his actions and his speech. But of course, that side of him was reserved for Natalie only. When it came to his subordinates, Shane was still as cold as he was prior to his marriage. Even so, that was enough to shock everyone. If someone would have told them in the past that Shane would be a gentle person after he started dating and got married, they would never believe the person. In fact, they would think the person was either crazy or messing with them. However, reality served to prove that some people truly did a one-eighty after dating and getting married. It was as though they had aplete switch in their personality. Shane was the perfect example of how marriage can change a person. In his seat, Shane seemed to notice the unusual attention he was getting from the board. His eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke into the phone, ¡°Got it. Take care of yourself over there. Be careful and stay safe. Call me if anything happens. Also, let me know when you get back. I''ll pick you up from the airport.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. With that, Shane hung up the call and ced his cell phone on the table. He then swept the room with narrowed eyes and a cold gaze. ¡°Were you guys gossiping about me a moment ago?¡± Everyone immediately shook their heads. ¡°No! Of course not!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shane pursed his lips together in disbelief. Someone hurriedly stepped up and exined, ¡°Please believe us, Mr. Thompson. We really weren''t gossiping about you.¡± Despite what was being said, the guilt on their faces could not be hidden. Shane snorted in response. ¡°Alright, that''s enough. Let''s resume the meeting.¡± It was never his intention to keep them on the hook. He knew that gossiping came naturally to any human being, and as the CEO of apany, he was inevitably the target of most gossip and rumors. Furthermore, he had not gone out of the conference room to pick up the call. It was no surprise that they would be more curious than usual. Gossiping was merely the oue of their curiosity. Besides, even if he did go out to pick up the call, the oue would be just the same. As the meeting continued, the members of the board let out a breath of relief knowing that Shane would not press on the issue any further. They were worried that Shane would continue to pick on what they said and would find out about the bet they made on him. If that happened, they would be in deep waters. Meanwhile, in Baycoast, Natalie put down her cell phone after her phone call with Shane. She then got out of bed and went into the bathroom for a rxing bath. After flipping through the channels for a while, shey in bed and dozed off. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The next morning, Natalie was awakened by the doorbell. With a yawn, she sat up on the bed and stretched her drowsiness away before throwing off the covers, putting on her slippers, and walking over to open the door. Chapter 1343 Chapter 1343 Standing behind the door was the hotel manager. The second the door swung open, the manager instantly bowed and greeted politely with a smile. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Morning,¡± replied Natalie with a nod. The manager then picked up the few bags that were on the floor and passed them to Natalie. ¡°Here you go, Madam. These are the supplements and clothes that you asked the hotel management to get for you.¡± Natalie took the bags from him and grinned. ¡°Thank you.¡± When she had checked into the hotel the night before, she had requested the staff to buy some supplements and clothes and send them to her before nine in the morning. She had intended to gift them to Joyce''s parents during her visitter that day. If she were to buy those things herself, she would definitely have to go round a few ces. After all, she was unfamiliar with Baycoast. ¡°You''re wee, Madam. This is our job. Is there anything else we can do for you?¡± the manager asked. Natalie looked at the watch on her wrist and realized that it was already eight-thirty. She then lowered her arm to look at the manager. ¡°Help me get a car ready. I would need it at around nine-thirty.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± The manager nodded before adding, ¡°In that case, Mrs. Thompson, I''ll head downstairs now. Breakfast shall be sent here in a few minutes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Natalie closed the door. Back in the suite, Natalie ced the bags on the couch and took out their contents one by one before inspecting them closely. Everything was of a good condition and of high quality. It looked as though the hotel staff had carefully picked those out for her. With that thought, Natalie let her worries go. She proceeded to wrap the things up nicely once again before heading into the bathroom to freshen up. After washing up, breakfast arrived. Natalie ate some of what was served before changing and getting ready to leave. After half an hour, the car pulled to a stop in front of the entrance of the residential area where the Rivers family lived in. The luxurious limousine instantly attracted the attention of the residents of the area. Even though the residential area was considered a well-off neighborhood where luxury cars were a norm, it was the first time such a fancy car appeared in their neighborhood. ording to logic, such an exquisite car should only appear in a posh vi area rather than a humble residential area such as theirs. Therefore, the residents turned their gazes to the car, wondering who was inside. Some of the senior citizens even started whispering at the side, specting if the children of one of the families had finally gotten rich ande back with style. ¡°We''re here, Mrs. Thompson.¡± The chauffeur pulled the car to aplete stop before turning to speak to Natalie. Looking out the window, Natalie saw the entrance of the residential area. She nodded in acknowledgment. The chauffeur got out of the car and made his way to where Natalie was sitting. Under the curious gazes of the residents, he opened the car door and bent forward to invite Natalie out of the car. Taking the bags with her, Natalie stepped out. At the sight of her, the residents took a deep breath. ¡°Woah, this is unbelievable. This young woman is so beautiful. Much prettier than the movie stars if I do say so myself.¡± ¡°Yeah. I have lived for so many years. This is the first time I see someone so stunning.¡± ¡°Not just stunning, but she''s rich too. Look at those supplements she''s carrying. I''ve seen those supplements in my husband''s supervisor''s house before. One box costs about a few hundred thousand. With the amount she''s carrying, it probably costs her millions. Not to mention the fact that she has a personal chauffeur. Tsk tsk, this woman is no ordinary person,¡± a middle-ageddy commented. ¡°A few hundred thousand for a box? What are they eating? Gold?¡± Someone gasped. The middle-ageddy who spoke before pouted. ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°Say, what do you think she''s doing here? Is she visiting her boyfriend? Who is so lucky to have such a rich youngdy as their daughter-inw?¡± someone began to gossip. ¡°Who knows?¡± Someone shookMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org. their heads in response. Some began to feel envious. ¡°That household sure has an easy life going forward.¡± ¡°Perhaps, she''s not here for her boyfriend but for her rtives. If that''s the case, I shall hook up my son with her,¡± the middle-ageddy announced suddenly. Chapter 1344 Chapter 1344 Naturally, people began tough at her. ¡°Come on. Even if she has no boyfriend, your son still doesn''t stand a chance. It''s not like we don''t know what your son is like. He definitely isn''t worthy of her hand.¡± ¡°Exactly. You are so daring to make such a statement.¡± Although Natalie could tell that the residents were discussing her, their voices were not loud enough for her to hear the contents of their discussion. Even so, she was not bothered by it. shing a smile at the crowd, she turned to pass the bags in her hands to the bodyguard behind her. After he had taken the bags from her, the bodyguard followed behind her into the residential area. As they walked, Natalie scrolled through her cell phone for the address of the Rivers family. Before that, Joyce had already told her the address. However, Natalie did not make the effort to remember, so she had no clue which floor the Rivers family stayed on. Fortunately, Natalie found the address fairly quickly. She lifted her head to ess her surroundings and found the ce she was about to go. With a confident smile, she made her way forward. Stopping in front of one of the blocks, Natalie put down her cell phone. ¡°This is the ce. We''re heading for the twelfth floor.¡± ¡°Alright, Mrs. Thompson.¡± With that, the bodyguard stepped inside and pressed the elevator button for Natalie. Due to not many using the elevator at the moment, the elevator arrived soon. The bodyguard waited till Natalie entered before going into the elevator and pressing the number twelve. Ding! Within half a minute, the elevator reached the twelfth floor. Once the door opened, Natalie took the lead and exited the elevator first. She took a left and walked for a few meters before stopping in front of a door. Knowing that they had reached their destination, the bodyguard raised his hand and knocked. ¡°Who is it?¡± a voice asked from the inside soon. Natalie smiled but remained silent on purpose. She wanted to surprise the people inside. Without waiting for a response, the person opened the door in confusion. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Mrs. Rivers.¡± Natalie broke into a huge grin at the sight of the woman who opened the door. That was enough to make Caitlin speechless. Before long, Caitlin snapped out of her daze and stared at Natalie in pleasant surprise. ¡°Nat? Is that really you?¡± ¡°It''s me.¡± Natalieughed with a nod. ¡°I''m here to see you and Mr. Rivers. Am I weed?¡± Caitlin wiped her hands on her apron happily before reaching out for Natalie''s hands warmly. ¡°Of course, you are! I''m beyond happy that youe and visit us!¡± As she was speaking, Caitlin turned her head to the living room and yelled, ¡°Jon! Come and see who''s here!¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± A man''s voice sounded from the living room followed by the sound of footsteps gradually getting louder. Within seconds, a man appeared behind Caitlin. Peering across Caitlin''s head, Jonathan noticed Natalie outside the doorframe. After a brief moment of shock, Jonathan also broke into a huge grin. ¡°Nat!¡± ¡°Hi, Mr. Rivers,¡± greeted Natalie sweetly. ¡°What are you doing here, Nat?¡± Jonathan asked happily. ¡°I''m here to see you and Mrs. Rivers,¡± answered Natalie. Jonathan nudged Caitlin. ¡°Hey, stop blocking the entrance. Let Nat in.¡± It was only then did Caitlin remember that she had yet to invite Natalie in. Caitlin pped her forehead before eximing, ¡°How rude of me! I got so excited that I''ve forgotten to let you in! So sorry, Nat. I-¡± ¡°It''s okay, Mrs. Rivers. I understand.¡± Natalie grinned. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Caitlin took Natalie by the arm. ¡°Oh,e on in, Nat. Oh, this is...¡± Just then, Caitlin noticed the bodyguard behind Natalie. Her face immediately scrunched up in puzzlement. This man is big and tall. Could this be Nat''s husband? But he doesn''t seem to match Nat. He doesn''t look like Nat''s husband when standing next to her. He feels more like her bodyguard. Although Caitlin thought so, she dared not speak her mind. After all, she could not ascertain the man''s rtionship with Natalie. It would be extremely awkward if she got it wrong. Natalie went on to introduce the man, ¡°This is the bodyguard my husband has assigned for me.¡± ¡°Bodyguard!¡± Caitlin stared at the man in surprise. So that really is her bodyguard. Good thing I didn''t say that was her husband. That would have been so awkward. Chapter 1345 Chapter 1345 Caitlin was about to invite the bodyguard into the house as well, but he said all of a sudden, ¡°I shall wait for you at the management office, Madam. Just give me a call when you''re done with your business here or if anything happens.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Natalie nodded. She had thought about having the bodyguard wait outside too as Caitlin and Jonathan would probably feel ufortable being around him. That was the main reason Natalie chose to bring only one bodyguard with her and had the other three remain at the hotel. ¡°Here you go, Madam.¡± The bodyguard then handed Natalie a few bags before making his way toward the elevator. ¡°It''s okay to let hime in with you, Nat,¡± Caitlin said. ¡°Don''t worry about it, Mrs. Rivers. We''ll just have him wait for me outside,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. Since she had put it that way, Caitlin decided not to argue any further and led her into the house while Jonathan shut the door behind them. ¡°Here, I brought you two some nutritional supplements!¡± Natalie said while handing them the bags. Caitlin waved at her. ¡°Oh, no, we can''t ept this gift!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°That''s right. Joyce brought us a lot of stuff too when she came back a few days ago. She told us it was a gift from you. We''ve already epted those, so we can''t be epting these anymore. Please, do take them back!¡± Jonathan added. Of course, Natalie had anticipated that they would refuse her gifts. ¡°Oh, but I insist!¡± ¡°No, we really can''t be epting such expensive gifts!¡± Caitlin eximed. Had Justin not told them the price of the stuff Joyce brought them, they would never have guessed that it was worth hundreds of thousands. As such, they figured the supplements that Natalie bought them were also ridiculously expensive. ¡°I understand your concern, but this stuff really isn''t expensive for me at all. Also, these are from both me and my husband. He is extremely grateful to you two for showering me with so much love and care. That''s why I must insist that you two ept these gifts as our token of appreciation. Besides, it''d be really hard for me to carry all of them back, no?¡± Natalie said as she ced the bags on the coffee table. Caitlin and Jonathan exchanged conflicted looks after hearing that. ¡°But...¡± Eventually, Jonathan gave in and nodded at her. ¡°In that case, we''ll ept your gifts. Thank you, Natalie. Oh, please give our thanks to your husband too.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it! You two had saved me, my two kids, and my mother back then!¡± Natalie replied with a hint of mncholy in her eyes. Six months have passed since Mom died... Time really flies, huh? ¡°Oh, we were just doing what anyone else would''ve done! Helping those in need is the right thing to do!¡± Caitlin said as she sat down on the couch. Natalie nodded. ¡°You''re absolutely right, Mrs. Rivers!¡± ¡°Jonathan, how about you go cut up some fruits for Nat?¡± Caitlin asked while giving him a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Sure,¡± Jonathan mumbled and made his way over to the kitchen. After taking a moment to nce around the living room, Natalie asked, ¡°By the way, where is Joyce? Is she not home right now?¡± ¡°She went out shopping with Justin earlier,¡± Caitlin replied while pouring her a cup of tea. Natalie gave her a confused look. ¡°Justin? Who''s that?¡± ¡°Justin Sutter. He''s the kid of the family who lived next door twenty years ago. He likes Joyce, so he came looking for her,¡± Caitlin exined with a chuckle. ¡°Oh, I see...¡± Natalie nodded. Huh... So this guy who likes Joyce just popped out of nowhere all of a sudden? Could he have something to do with the recent strange incidents? Mrs. Rivers said he was their neighbor twenty years ago, so Joyce was only about six at the time. Justin can''t be too far off either, so he was probably about ten at most. What could a ten-year-old kid possibly know about love? On top of that, they haven''t seen each other for twenty years now! Would he really still have feelings for her after so long? And even if he was that precocious and fell for Joyce at that age, why didn''t hee sooner? Why wait for twenty years? Not only did he wait so ridiculously long, but he also came right when Joyce was disying abnormal behavior! Therefore, it''s highly possible that he has something to do with her sudden change! Chapter 1346 Chapter 1346 Natalie bit down on her lip at the thought of that and grew cautious of Justin before she even met him. However, those suspicions were soon gone when she saw how pleased Caitlin looked when she talked about Justin. It became obvious that Caitlin had taken a liking to Justin and wished for her daughter to date him. Not wanting to make her unhappy, Natalie made sure to not show any sign of displeasure toward Justin. ¡°How long have the two of them been out, Mrs. Rivers?¡± she asked while taking a sip of her tea. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°They''ve been out for quite a while now,¡± Caitlin replied. ¡°Will she being back for lunch?¡± ¡°Yes, she will.¡± Caitlin nodded and smiled as she continued, ¡°You should stay for lunch too, Nat! I''ll have Jonathan cook for us today!¡± Natalie''s eyes lit up upon hearing that. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Although Caitlin was the one who usually did the cooking, Jonathan''s cooking tasted a lot better. That was mainly due to his previous job as an award-winning chef. Natalie often got to taste his cooking while she was abroad, but it all stopped ever since she came back. Hearing Caitlin mentioned his cooking caused her to start drooling as memories of the good food flooded her mind. ¡°What dishes would you like, Nat? I''ll have Jonathan buy the ingredientster!¡± Caitlin said with a chuckle when she saw Natalie''s response. ¡°Really? In that case, I would like...¡± Natalie then listed two dishes. Jonathan had juste out of the kitchen with a te of fruits when Caitlin told him, ¡°Go buy some ingredients, Jonathan! Nat is drooling just thinking about your cooking!¡± ¡°All right, sure,¡± Jonathan agreed and nodded without saying much. Judging by the fact that Caitlin was the one who did most of the cooking, it was obvious that he didn''t really like to cook. However, he would dly do so whenever they had guests over and left after taking the money from Caitlin. As the two women were the only ones left in the living room, Caitlin began to ask Natalie about her life before she returned to the country. Natalie pretty much told her everything, while carefully avoiding the unpleasant experiences she went through. Caitlin let out a sigh when she heard about Natalie''s third child still being in an incubator due to his health condition. ¡°It''s almost been a year since Yulia passed, huh?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze when she heard Caitlin mention her mother. ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°I bet Yulia would be overjoyed to have another grandchild if she were still alive. It''s such a shame she left so soon...¡± Caitlin let out a wry smile and shook her head helplessly. She had only known Yulia for a few years, but they became so close that they were practically best friends. As such, Caitlin was in denial and disbelief when she first heard the news of Yulia''s death. It wasn''t until she attended the funeral that she finally epted the fact that Yulia was gone. The loss of a close friend was so devastating that Caitlin ended up falling very ill as a result. ¡°You''re right, Mrs. Rivers. My mom loved kids a lot, so she was the one who looked after Connor and Sharon when they were little. She was even willing to give up on her travels just to take care of them, and you know how much she loved traveling. She waited till Connor and Sharon were old enough to walk on their own before going traveling again. Had she not passed away, my mom would probably look after Anders the same way she did with the other two kids,¡± Natalie replied with a sigh. It had almost been a year since her mother''s death, and she had gotten over the pain of losing her by then. Even so, talking about Yulia would still upset her and cause her heart to start aching again. ¡°It''s all because of your shameless father and stepmother!¡± Caitlin said angrily. A look of disgust appeared in Natalie''s eyes as she said with a frown, ¡°Yeah! Susan pushed my mom off the building, and Harrison helped cover up for her. They both paid for their crimes in the end with Susan being sentenced to death and Harrison dying a nasty death.¡± Chapter 1347 Chapter 1347 Although Natalie had already forgiven Harrison after his death, she did not let go of her hatred toward him, nor would she ever do so. After all, nobody could possibly bring themselves to not hate a father like that. Caitlin smacked herself on the thigh as she said, ¡°They had iting! Not only did he cheat on your mom and forced her to divorce him unconditionally, he even kicked her two kids out of the house! To make matters worse, he even brought the vixen and his illegitimate daughter home! Well, karma sure came for him well! That vixen never actually loved him, and she cheated on him too! That illegitimate daughter that he loved so much wasn''t even his, to begin with!¡± Natalie ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°All right, let''s drop this topic before it affects our mood even further. How about you try out the clothes I bought you, Mrs. Rivers?¡± She then retrieved the clothes from the bag and handed them over to Caitlin. Although a little shy, Caitlin ced her teacup down and began trying out the clothes anyway. Fortunately, she didn''t need to go to her room to get changed as the pieces were all coats and jackets. Natalie was helping Caitlin button up a coat in the living room when the front door was opened all of a sudden. A woman''s voice was heard saying, ¡°Thank you so much for today, Justin!¡± What followed was a man replying gently, ¡°No problem!¡± While Natalie had never heard the man''s voice before, the woman''s voice sounded incredibly familiar to her. It was none other than Joyce. Natalie paused in her actions and turned around to face the door, only to see Joyce changing her shoes at the door. Standing behind her was a tall and handsome young man. He was smiling at Joyce with such an affectionate look in his eyes that even Natalie was a little taken aback. Joyce called him ¡°Justin,¡± so he''s probably the guy Mrs. Rivers told me about earlier. I assumed he isn''t truly in love with Joyce since he waited twenty years toe and look for her, but... that affectionate look in his eyes... Could I have been wrong about him? Does he actually love Joyce deeply? Or is he simply that good at putting up an act? If his disy of affection ispletely faked, then he is a lot scarier than I had imagined! Let''s hope that isn''t the case here... Despite Joyce iming to have moved on, I can tell that she still has feelings for Stanley. She can avoid contacting and mentioning him all she likes, but I know her feelings for him haven''t changed. She has simply learned to hide it deep within her heart and keep it a secret from others. Heck, I bet she still misses him dearly every night! Natalie knew better than anyone else just how much Joyce loved Stanley. She was the only one who saw how much pain Joyce had to suffer due to the circumstances of their rtionship. Being Joyce''s best friend, Natalie truly hoped for Joyce to let go of Stanley and return to her usual cheerful self. She had tried talking to Joyce about it in the past. Although Joyce would always nod and agree with what Natalie said, she never actually put her advice into practice. As such, Natalie and Caitlin both wanted Joyce to fall in love with another man and start a new rtionship that would bring her happiness, but under the condition that the man truly loved Joyce and had no ulterior motives toward her. That was why Natalie felt suspicious toward Justin who had seemingly popped out of nowhere all of a sudden. If he truly loved Joyce, then Natalie would wholeheartedly support their rtionship. However, if he had ulterior motives toward Joyce, Natalie would be sure to make him pay for it. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Justin nced in her direction when he felt Natalie staring at him, only to meet her cautious gaze the moment he did. Chapter 1348 Chapter 1348 Justin tilted his brows the moment he caught sight of Natalie. He was seemingly astounded to see her there. Secondster, he regained his usualposure and nodded slightly at Natalie with a courteous smile. After that, he lowered his head to remind Joyce, who was taking a pair of slippers for him, ¡°Joyce, your friend is here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Thetter rose to her feet in bafflement. ¡°My friend? Where?¡± ¡°Joyce,¡± Natalie called out to her in an instant. Dumbfounded, Joyce momentarily stiffened before she turned around. She gaped at Natalie for quite a while before she could eventually utter a word. ¡°Nat, why are you here?¡± Wearing a look of a surprise amid jubnce, she moved toward Natalie at once. ¡°Why didn''t you notify me earlier that you''ll being?¡± Natalie grabbed her hand and responded mischievously, ¡°I was thinking of giving you a surprise!¡± Joyce giggled. ¡°Undeniably, I''m on cloud nine now. But I''ve to admit that I was stunned a while ago too. What makes you think ofing here all of a sudden? You have never mentioned that you would come, have you?¡± ¡°Well, I can''t avoid deciding onst-minute trips at times,¡± Natalie replied casually. Joyce nodded. ¡°Yeah! I agree with you.¡± Shortly after, something came to her mind. She asked curiously, ¡°Nat, when did you reach here? Are you here alone? Isn''t Mr. Thompson here with you?¡± ¡°I''ve already been here for quite a while and was catching up with your mom. Shane is upied with work and unable toe with me,¡± Natalie exined. ¡°So you''re traveling alone this round? The two kids are not here?¡± Joyce asked as realization dawned on her. ¡°No. It''s safer to let them stay in J City,¡± Natalie replied. Joyce hummed in agreement. ¡°You''re right. After all, Sean Thompson is still wandering out there.¡± At the sight of the twodies engaged in their conversation, Caitlin smiled. Secondster, she put down the clothes in her hand and headed to the kitchen to make tea, giving the three young people more space. After she walked away, Natalie''s smile faded away. She fastened her gaze on the man standing behind Joyce, pretending that she did not know him. ¡°Oh yeah! Joyce, he is?¡± Joyce only came to her senses that she had neglected Justin unwittingly. Smiling sheepishly, she pointed at thetter. ¡°Ah! Nat, let me introduce him to you. He''s Justin Sutter, my best childhood ymate in the neighborhood.¡± Natalie stroked her chin as she enunciated deliberately and teased, ¡°Oh, I see! He''s your childhood ymate! Why didn''t you mention that before?¡± shing her a smile, Joyce exined, ¡°It''s because we haven''t met each other for twenty years. If Justin didn''te to look for me this round, I might not even remember him.¡± ¡°Oh, Joyce, my heart is broken,¡± Justinmented exaggeratively. Even so, there was sheer affection in his smiling eyes as he gazed at Joyce. Secondster, he retracted his gaze from her before stretching out his hand toward Natalie to greet her formally, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, nice to meet you. You''re indeed a stunning woman as described by the others!¡± Mrs. Thompson? Hearing that, Natalie blinked her eyes in astonishment. ¡°How do you know that my husband''s surname is Thompson?¡± Could it be Joyce told him earlier? She cast a look in Joyce''s direction. Nheless, thetter waved, gesturing to her that she did not do so. Justin elucidated, ¡°I know Mr. Thompson in person as I was the one assigned to entertain him when he was previously on a business trip overseas. Somehow, I happened to catch a glimpse of your photo on his phone screen. Out of curiosity, I asked him who the person was on the spot. After all, Mr. Thompson doesn''t look like anyone who''ll easily set a beauty''s photo as the wallpaper of his phone.¡± ¡°Yeah, you''ve got the point,¡± Joyce echoed and added jokingly, ¡°If I suddenlye across a beauty''s photo on Mr. Shane''s phone, I''ll surely be thunderstruck and ask him the same question!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Justin nodded. ¡°That was why I mustered up my courage to ask him. He told me it''s his wife.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Natalie nodded. Unequivocally, his exnation was perfectly reasonable and convincing. However, she could not be assured if he was being truthful. In fact, she was rtively doubtful about something. Chapter 1349 Chapter 1349 That''s it... Natalie squinted her eyes and looked intently into Justin''s eyes. ¡°Mr. Sutter, you don''t seem really surprised to see me here. Not to mention, you''re not astounded that I am Joyce''s close friend. Would you mind exining that? After all, we''ve never met each other, have we?¡± Needless to say, Justin was well aware that Natalie tended to have a sense of vignce toward him. He smiled resignedly and replied, ¡°Sure, no issue on that. I wanted to know more about Joyce before looking for her in J City. Hence, I tried to find out about her current condition. That was when I came across your name. It''s not something unusual, isn''t it?¡± Hmm... it makes sense indeed... Natalie pursed her lips and stopped questioning further. Moreover, she felt it was inappropriate to query too much in the presence of Joyce. On the other hand, Joyce looked at Natalie and turned to look at Justin, puzzled. She grabbed their hands, urging them to take a seat. ¡°Ah! Why''re you both standing likemp posts? Come on, take a seat!¡± Both the guests burst outughing and took their seats. After pouring them a cup of tea each, Joyce told them, ¡°Have a chat among yourself. I''ll get changed first.¡± The next moment, she headed straight toward her room. Natalie''s eyes lit up when Joyce walked away. Hmph! I have tons of questions to ask him! Now that she''s not around, it''s the best timing! Natalie lifted her cup of tea and lowered her eyes before uttering cidly, ¡°Can I address you as Mr. Sutter?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Justin nodded. After taking a sip of tea, Natalie cut to the chase. ¡°Mr. Sutter, I heard from Mrs. Rivers that you''re here to pursue Joyce. Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah, you''re right!¡± Justin smiled blissfully. Twisting the cup slightly, she questioned, ¡°Mr. Sutter, are you pursuing Joyce because you take a fancy to her?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he replied briefly, shrugging his shoulders. stering a smile on her face, Natalie responded sarcastically, ¡°Ha! Why am I asking such an absurd question! Of course, you go near Joyce because you like her. If you don''t have any feelings for Joyce, but you''re getting close to her for some other motives; then, it won''t be something pleasant. Mr. Sutter, don''t you think so?¡± Startled, Justin arched his brows. He could finally get a grasp of her mind. In fact, he had a feeling that Natalie was treating him weirdly. She seemed to have a prejudice against him, although it was not up to the extent of loathing. However, there was an unmissable frigidness in her demeanor. He could not wrap his head around her stance a while ago. Ah! She must be assuming that I don''t like Joyce, fearing that I''m approaching her with an ulterior motive and will spell trouble for her. Well, I''ve to admit that she''s really concerned about Joyce! At the thought of that, Justin let out a chuckle. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, I share the same sentiment as you. This is indeed an irritating matter.¡± ¡°Allow me to cut the crap. Mr. Sutter, am I right?¡± Natalie shot him a dagger, tightening the grip on the back of her palm. Resting his cheek against his palm, Justin smiled ambiguously. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, what do you think?¡± ¡°I''ve no idea. But my instinct tells me you could be acting that way,¡± Natalie mocked, twitching her lips. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Justin''s lips lifted into a curve. ¡°Oh? Mrs. Thompson, what makes you think so? Would you mind telling me the reason?¡± ¡°It''s strange that you pop up out of the blue. Since you im that you like Joyce, why didn''t youe and look for her earlier? I can''t help feeling suspicious about why you only show up after twenty years. Good gracious! You''ve parted for twenty years! Are you being sincere when you say that you like her?¡± Natalie red at him, knitting her brows. Hmph! Joyce has totally forgotten about him, but he can still remember her. How weird! Not to mention, twenty years have passed. By right, he''s supposed to have forgotten about her too! ¡°I see. So that''s what bothering you.¡± Justin nodded with a chuckle. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, you''ve overthought. I wish to make things clear that I''m here because I like Joyce, and I don''t have any other intentions. As for why I only show up after twenty years, it''s because I''ve just found out her current location this year.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie squinted her eyes again in suspicion. Justin nodded and reassured her, ¡°Of course! Mrs. Thompson, I understand you''re worried that I''m approaching Joyce with an ulterior motive. But don''t worry. I swear I don''t have anything up my sleeve. Even though the Sutter family is iparable to the Thompson family, it''s still known as one of the prominent families. Don''t you think I can''t be eyeing anything from Joyce''s family? The next second, he whipped out a name card and gave it to her. Chapter 1350 Chapter 1350 Natalie looked at it quizzically. Indeed, the business card showed that Justin was the CEO of Sutter Group. There was even a contact number printed on it. ¡°Sutter Group?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°I''ve never heard of it before.¡± ¡°It''s just a smallpany that had just gone public recently. Since the headquarters is in Avenport, I guess it''s only normal that you haven''t heard of it, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Justin smiled and added, ¡°If you''re still doubting me, perhaps you should call Mr. Shane to verify it.¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie stood up and said, ¡°Since you''ve said so, then I-I shall give him a call. You don''t mind, right? After all, I have to be sure for Joyce''s sake.¡± ¡°Oh, no. Please go ahead.¡± Justin gestured for her to make the call. Natalie whipped out her phone to ring Shane. At that moment, Shane was arranging his files in his office. When he heard his phone ringing, he put his pen aside and nced at his phone. He then softened his gaze when he saw Natalie calling him. Upon picking up the phone, he uttered, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Darling, I''d like to ask you something.¡± Shane raised his brows. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you know Justin Sutter?¡± Natalie asked while looking at the man before her. Shane immediately frowned when he heard that. ¡°Justin Sutter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane pursed his lips, and he seemed unhappy. With a hint of jealousy in his voice, he asked, ¡°Why are you asking about him? How would you know him?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Although he knew Natalie wasn''t one to mess around with other men, he was still rather ufortable with her asking him about another man. Natalie couldn''t help but roll her eyes because she noticed the jealousy in his tone. ¡°Hey, don''t get jealous over nothing, okay? I don''t know him. It''s just that he''s now in Joyce''s house. He said he was Joyce''s childhood sweetheart, and he adores her. He also said he''de to Baycoast to look for Joyce. I''m just worried if he''s a bad guy, and he has ulterior motives. That''s why I''ve called you to verify his identity. Is he the CEO of Sutter Group, which had just gone public in Avenport?¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Shane nodded before replying, ¡°He''s indeed the CEO of Sutter Group in Avenport. Sutter Group is involved in light industries, and it has only gone public a few months ago. Thepany is currently dealing with one of the subsidiaries of Thompson Group. Recently, they''ve supplied the subsidiarypany with machinery.¡± ¡°Okay. Got it.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Anything else?¡± Natalie nced at Justin before saying, ¡°That''s all. But I''d like to know if you find it weird that Justin has come to look for Joyce all of a sudden. Do you think he has any ulterior motives?¡± Shane toyed with his pen and pondered for a while before replying, ¡°I''m not sure. However, I don''t think he needs to do so. Justin is an influential man himself, and his family is even more prominent than Joyce''s. By right, he has nothing to gain by approaching Joyce. Of course, there''s an exception to everything, right? I know you''re worried about Joyce, so you want to make sure of everything. However, you can''t always stay by her side and protect her, can you? Hence, regardless of whether he has ulterior motives, I don''t think there''s a way for you to find out. All you can do is remind Joyce to be vignt.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. Shane added, ¡°In any case, you''re just Joyce''s friend. You''re not her mother. Instead of wanting to do everything for her, it''s good enough of you to remind her of it. If it turns out Justin doesn''t have ill intentions toward her, you''d end up souring their rtionship. You''ll surely be med by then. Hence, apart from reminding her to be careful, you ought to leave everything else to her. She''s an adult, so I think she''s more than capable of watching out for herself. What do you think?¡± Chapter 1351 Chapter 1351 Natalie rubbed her nose. ¡°You''re right, and I get it now. I''m just too worried about Joyce because she''d gone through so much in her rtionship with Stanley. I want her to only be happy from now on, and I don''t want her to get hurt again. That''s why I''m being so cautious. I''ve forgotten that I might end up messing things up by overthinking.¡± ¡°Yes, that''s the mindset.¡± Shane nodded in delight before asking, ¡°By the way, when are youing back? Your son and daughter miss you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie smiled contemptuously. ¡°Connor and Sharon are the only ones missing me, is it? Don''t you miss me?¡± ¡°Of course, I do!¡± Shane raised his chin. In response, Natalie smiled and uttered, ¡°I thought you''d say otherwise. All right. I''ll head back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll fetch you from the airport tomorrow.¡± Shane was over the moon when he heard Natalie was heading back the next day. Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay. I''ll give you a call before I board the ne tomorrow. I''ll hang up now.¡± After hanging up, Natalie nced at Justin. ¡°I''m sorry to have doubted your identity, Mr. Sutter. I''ve already asked my husband, and you''re indeed the CEO of Sutter Group in Avenport.¡± ¡°It''s all right, Mrs. Thompson. It''s good that the misunderstanding has been resolved. Do you trust me now when I say I don''t have any ulterior motives for approaching Joyce?¡± Justin ced his hands under his chin and smiled. Natalie shook her head in response. ¡°No. I still don''t trust you, but I''ll try to believe that you''re truly fond of Joyce, and that''s why you''re after her instead of other motives. Hence, don''t disappoint me, Mr. Sutter. Also, don''t break Joyce''s heart. She''d been through enough.¡± Upon hearing that, Justin stopped smiling and answered with a stern expression, ¡°Don''t worry, Mrs. Thompson. I won''t disappoint you.¡± ¡°That''s good, then.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°If you''re really in love with Joyce, I''ll still look the other way, even if you have ulterior motives toward her. However, if I find out that you''re not in love with her, and you''re just taking advantage of her, I''ll certainlye for you.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes and warned him. Justin then smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay! You''d have to scrutinize me, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Natalie scoffed and answered, ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll do exactly that. Hence, don''t let me find dirt on you.¡± Justin smiled and answered, ¡°Of course.¡± Right then, Joyce was walking out of the room after getting changed. She was puzzled when she sensed the awkward vibe between Natalie and Justin. ¡°Nat, Justin, what were you guys talking about?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. Mr. Sutter and I were just talking about work.¡± Natalie smiled and took a sip of water. Justin nodded in agreement. Joyce was not convinced. She looked at Natalie and Justin before questioning, ¡°You guys were talking about work? One of you is a designer, while the other is a CEO of apany involved in the light industry. What could you two possibly have inmon? How were you guys talking about work?¡± ¡°Why not? Since Mr. Sutter is involved in the light industry, he can help us build new machines for our business!¡± Natalie lowered her gaze to hide her guilt. Justin smiled and chimed in, ¡°That''s right, Joyce.¡± Upon seeing how earnestly they were acting, Joyce shrugged and uttered, ¡°Okay, then. So, Nat, are you going to coborate with Justin?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Natalie blurted and tried to change the topic. ¡°Let''s leave it at that, Joyce. Come here and sit.¡± She patted the seat next to herself. Joyce sat down next to Justin. Natalie then stood up and said, ¡°Oh! Something has slipped my mind. Joyce, wait here, okay? I need to make a phone call. I''lle back and chat with you after that.¡± With that, Natalie walked toward the balcony with her phone. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Joyce couldn''t help but tilt her head in bewilderment. ¡°That''s weird. Why do I feel like Nat is acting strange? She''s not acting like herself. I feel like she''s avoiding something.¡± Chapter 1352 Chapter 1352 A gleam shed across Justin''s eyes. He smiled and gave her a ss of water. ¡°Mrs. Thompson is just being nice.¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce''s confusion deepened. ¡°Nice? What do you mean?¡± ¡°It''s a secret.¡± Justin took a sip of water, and he seemed unwilling to reveal more. Surely, Natalie has done that because she wants me to get together with Joyce. That''s why she''d gotten up after getting Joyce to sit down. I bet she was giving us the opportunity to bond! Well, it seems like a lot of people are on my side. Not only have Mr. and Mrs. Rivers given me their blessings to be with Joyce, but Joyce''s best friend is also on my side! Evidently, Stanley is such an unlikeable person. However, that''s good, though. Everyone Joyce cares about is on my side. Perhaps, she''d want to be with me because of that. By then, Stanley will finally get eliminated. In fact, Stanley should be gotten rid of since he''d only hurt Joyce, he shouldn''t have her. I''m the only one who deserves her. Soon, Justin left for the hotel he was staying at after lunch. Coincidentally, he was staying at the same hotel Natalie was staying at. Besides, he also got a presidential suite to himself. ording to Joyce, Justin was only going to be there for a few days. Since he wasn''t nning on staying in Baycoast for long, he''d only been staying at a hotel instead of buying a house. Natalie wasn''t bothered by that. After washing her hands in the bathroom, she went to Joyce''s room and knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± Joyce uttered from inside the room. Natalie pushed the door open and walked in. ¡°Hey, Joyce.¡± ¡°Hey, Nat.¡± At that moment, Joyce was looking through some photos. When she heard Natalie''s voice, she raised her head and smiled at her. Acknowledging her response, Natalie walked up to her and lowered her gaze toward Joyce''s knees. ¡°Is that a photo album?¡± ¡°Yes. I''ve just taken it out because I have a sudden urge to look at the photos from the past and reminisce it.¡± Joyce lowered her gaze and smiled faintly. Natalie furrowed her brows upon seeing that. Although she''s smiling, there isn''t a hint of delight in her eyes. Instead, her smile was rather bitter. After clenching and unclenching her fists, Natalie asked, ¡°Joyce, what happened?¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce looked at her in puzzlement. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Natalie approached her before taking a seat. ¡°Well, you''ve been acting strangely for the past few days. Tell me, Joyce. Tell me what happened to you. Please answer me, okay? My trip to Baycoast this time around isn''t just about seeing Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, but I''ve actuallye to see you. Do you know how much I''ve been worrying about you? That''s why I''vee here to look for you and ask you what happened.¡± Joyce felt even more guilty when she saw how concerned Natalie looked. After clutching the photo album in her hands for a while, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°I''m sorry, Nat, but I really can''t tell you. I''m doing something, but if I were to tell you, you''ll surely stop me from doing it. This thing that I''m doing, I can''t stop. Otherwise, all my previous efforts would be in vain. So, Nat, could you please stop asking me about it?¡± Joyce looked straight into Natalie''s eyes and added, ¡°Once I''m done with it, you''ll know all about it without me telling you.¡± Natalie''s frown deepened when she heard that. ¡°I''ll stop you if you were to tell me, you said? Well, it seems like you''re not doing something decent, are you?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Joyce''s eyes flickered, and she lowered her head in silence. She was basically admitting it. Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°That''s exactly why I''m worried about you, Joyce.¡± ¡°I know, Nat.¡± Joyce smiled faintly. ¡°I know you care about me, and I''m truly happy about that. However, you''ve got to understand that everyone has a secret to keep, and everyone has something they must do for themselves. I''ve already nned the thing I''m doing, and I won''t change my mind, Nat. So, please stop asking further, okay? What if my n fails because you''re asking too much about it? If it fails, all my previous efforts would be for nothing, no?¡± Chapter 1353 Chapter 1353 Natalie was overwhelmed by a sense of mncholia. Only after a while did she say, ¡°All right, then. I won''t ask about what you''re going to do. However, I have a question, and I need you to answer me. This thing you''re doing, does it have something to do with Stanley?¡± Joyce moved her lips, and it seemed like she wasn''t willing to say anything in response. However, her heart softened when she saw Natalie''s pleading eyes. I''d have to distance myself from Stanley so that Nat wouldn''t have an idea about what I''m going to do. She nodded and answered, ¡°Yes. It has something to do with Stanley, albeit not much.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I''ve heard enough. Okay, then. I''ll respect you and stop asking. However, promise me you''ll return to J City after you''re done with your n, okay? Come back to ourpany and be the vice president. That position is only for you. Do you understand?¡± She patted Joyce''s shoulder and continued, ¡°Back then, we''ve already said that we''d build the company together and establish our own haute couture brand. Since our dream isn''t even halfway completed yet, I hope you are not letting meplete it on my own because that''ll just be selfish. That''s all, Joyce. I''ll wait for you in J City.¡± With that, she smiled faintly and left Joyce''s room. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Tears welled up in Joyce''s eyes as she watched her leave. A whileter, she started sobbing, and she murmured to herself, ¡°I''m sorry, Nat. I''m destined not to be able to achieve that dream of ours. I''d have to break my promise to you. I''m sorry.¡± Right then, a teardrop dripped down andnded on one of the photos in the photo album. Coincidentally, the teardrop fell on one of Stanley''s photos. In that photo, Stanley was smiling brightly and joyfully. That was how Stanley used to be. From what I can remember, that was when Stanley was truly happy in life, and that''s the Stanley I miss the most. At that time, his parents were still around, so he was still lively and cheerful. But now... Well, there''s no going back now. There really is no going back... Joyce closed the photo album and took a deep breath. It''s almost time now. Two more days till everything isplete. By then, I can finally give Stanley a proper exnation. Joyce wiped away her tears and got up to keep the photo album in the drawer before leaving the room. Natalie didn''t stay around the Rivers family for long. Instead, she''d already left at around two that afternoon because she wanted to buy some local delicacies before going back to J City. The main reason she''d gone there was to ask Joyce in person. However, she had no choice but to leave because Joyce didn''t want to reveal anything to her. After she was done shopping for local delicacies, she went back to the hotel. By then, it was already evening. She had her dinner and started working on a blueprint in her bed. At the same time, she was getting ready to sleep. By nine that night, she finally felt sleepy, so she put her pencil and sketchpad aside before falling asleep. The next morning, Natalie was woken up by a phone call. After checking the caller ID, she saw it was the branch president of J City''s Design Association calling. Natalie immediately became wide awake. She quickly sat up straight and answered the call. ¡°Hi, Mr. Horner.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, did I wake you up?¡± the middle-aged man on the other end of the call asked. Natalie smiled. ¡°Oh, no. I was already up. Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Horner?¡± The branch president smiled as well. ¡°Yes. J City is going to hold a costume designerpetition for youngsters soon, and we''d like to have you be the judge. Thispetition is specially held for the young and talented designers. The top ten participants will be rewarded with the chance to train in foreign countries.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Mr. Horner, may I know why am I being considered for the role?¡± ¡°It''s because of your achievement. Although you didn''t win the internationalpetitionst time around, you weren''t eliminated. Instead, you only pulled out due to health reasons. We know who''d end up winning thepetition if you didn''t pull out. At the national level, you''re the best designer now. Internationally, your status isn''t too bad as well. You''re on par with the designer that vanished a year ago, Mina. Hence, you''re more than qualified to be the judge.¡± Chapter 1354 Chapter 1354 ¡°Erm...¡± Natalie stuck her tongue out in guilt when Mr. Horner mentioned Mina''s name. That''s right. I have yet to tell the public that I''m Mina, the young designer who rose to famest year. Her mentor, Mercede, had instructed her to hide her identity as Mina when she returned home. He wanted her to carve a path out for herself as an independent designer in her home country and to only announce to the public that she was Mina after making a name for herself. However, she had almost forgotten that she herself was Mina after burying that identity for so long. Looks like it''s time to tell the world about Mina''s true identity. Combining my current identity as Ms. Smith together with Mina will surely be a huge stepping stone to my career as a designer. With that in mind, Natalie took a deep breath and replied, ¡°Mr. Horner, I get what you mean. I''m willing to be one of the judges for thispetition, but there''s anotherpetition waiting for me after this. It''s Aploth''s Youth Design Competition. I wouldn''t have been able to attend as one of the judges for thispetition if not for Mr. Moore. I''m just worried about time conflict.¡± She would agree to be one of the judges for thepetition if time allows. Mr. Horner grew silent upon her words. After a while, he said, ¡°I''ve heard of Aploth''s Youth Design Competition. It will be held at the beginning of next month, about seven days from now. I''m afraid our competition will conflict with your schedule since it will be held in the middle of next month.¡± It would take at least a few months for thepetition to wrap up since there would be a couple of elimination rounds before they could decide on the winner, and each elimination round would take at least a week. Hence, there was no way Natalie could juggle her responsibility as a judge for bothpetitions. ¡°Then I''m so sorry, Mr. Horner. I cannot be J City''s judge. After all, I promised Aploth''s Youth Design Competition first.¡± Natalie scratched her head and apologized. Mr. Horner smiled. ¡°It''s okay. Ourpetition is nothingpared to Aploth''s Youth Design Competition. How about this? You can join us after thepetition since ours will start two weekster than Aploth''s Youth Design Competition. I think we will already be at the final round by the time you join. You can be one of our judges for the final round then.¡± ¡°The final round?¡± Natalie was stunned. Mr. Horner nodded. ¡°That''s right. The results will be even more convincing since you''ve judged for Aploth''s Youth Design Competition before this. You''ll be more than qualified for this job.¡± Natalie figured it would be rude to reject Mr. Horner at this point. Hence, she smiled and nodded, ¡°Okay. I''ll do it.¡± ¡°It''s settled then.¡± Mr. Horner was all smiles upon her words. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie hummed in response. ¡°Sure thing.¡± ¡°Okay then. I''ll leave you alone. I''ll call you again after Aploth''s Youth Design Competition.¡± Mr. Horner hung up the phone right after. Natalie put her phone down and couldn''t help but chuckle as she noticed the line going t. She then got out of bed and went to wash up. After breakfast, she packed up and left for J City. Her flight would be at one in the afternoon. Her bodyguard had bought her her ne tickets in advance yesterday. Just as Natalie was almost done packing, the doorbell rang. Natalie zipped up her luggage and made her way to the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It''s me, Nat.¡± Joyce''s voice sounded through the inte. Natalie smiled and opened the door. Joyce grinned as she stood at the door with a bag in hand. ¡°Nat, I want to give you something since I know you''ll be going home today.¡± ¡°Give me something?¡± Natalie''s gazended on Joyce''s bag. ¡°Do you mean this?¡± Chapter 1355 Chapter 1355 ¡°Yeah.¡± Joyce handed her the bag. ¡°My dad made strawberry jam and apricot jam yesterday night. He told me to bring it over since it''s your favorite. You can take it home and let Mr. Shane try it too.¡± Natalie smiled at her words. ¡°That''s great, Joyce. Thank your dad for me.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it.¡± Joyce waved her hand. ¡°This is nothingpared to what you''ve given us.¡± ¡°It''s not the same. The things I gifted you were store-bought, but these are hand-made with love by Mr. Rivers,¡± Natalie replied as she took the bag from Joyce. She could tell that the bag was full of jams based on how heavy the bag was. Mr. Rivers must have stayed up all night preparing all these. ¡°It''s all the same to me.¡± Joyce shrugged. Natalie stepped aside to make way for her. ¡°Alright, Joyce. Come on in.¡± Joyce grunted in response and followed her into the room. She nced at the luggage bag in the room and said, ¡°Are you done packing?¡± ¡°Yes. My flight will be at one in the afternoon. I''m nning to leave earlier in case of traffic jam,¡± Natalie replied. Joyce nodded. ¡°Wise choice. Traffic will be heavy since it will be the new year soon.¡± ¡°Yeah. That''s why I''d rather leave earlier.¡± Natalie ced the bag of jams into her other luggage. The both of them chatted for a while longer before Joyce left. ¡°Okay, Nat. I need to visit Justin next door as he too will be leaving Baycoast today.¡± ¡°Justin''s leaving?¡± Natalie was puzzled. Joyce nodded. ¡°Yeah. His schedule would be pretty tight next year since hispanyunched not too long ago. Taking a few days off to visit my family here is already his limit, so he''ll have to head back today. After all, hispany still needs him.¡± ¡°That''s true.¡± Natalie nodded. Joyce stood up. ¡°I''ll be leaving then.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Natalie suddenly called out to her. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Joyce paused. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Joyce, what do you think of Justin?¡± Natalie stood up. Joyce stared at her in confusion. ¡°What do I think of him? Why do you ask, Nat?¡± ¡°Because it''s important. I want to know if you n to get together with Justin.¡± Natalie stared at her. Joyce widened her eyes as she was taken aback by Natalie''s words. ¡°What? Get together with Justin? Nat, what are you talking about? Why would I get together with Justin?¡± She then waved her hand and smiled. Natalie must have gotten it all wrong. However, Natalie was staring at her with a straight face. ¡°Joyce, don''t you know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± Joyce blinked. Natalie sighed. ¡°Justin likes you.¡± Everything clicked for Natalie at the moment. She didn''t know that Joyce wasn''t aware of Justin''s feelings for her before this. As expected, Joyce gasped in surprise at her words. ¡°What are you talking about? J-Justin likes me?¡± She stuttered. Natalie shook her head helplessly. ¡°Gosh, you''re so dense. How could you not know? It''s so obvious.¡± Joyce plopped down on the sofa, dumbfounded. ¡°How would I know? We''ve parted ways for more than 20 years. I''ve forgotten all about him. I wouldn''t have remembered him if he hadn''t shown up all of a sudden. Why would it even cross my mind that Justin fancies me?¡± Okay. I''ll admit I sensed Justin had feelings for me when we were watching the movie that day. But Joyce quickly brushed off that idea soon after. Why would Justin fancy me when we''ve parted ways for twenty years? Moreover, we were only kids back then when we parted ways. What do kids know about love? It wasn''t until now that she knew Justin harbored feelings for her. ¡°It''s true. I thought he didn''t like you too at first, but I can see that he''s serious. He really does like you. So, Joyce, what do you think of him?¡± Natalie sat down beside her. Chapter 1356 Chapter 1356 Joyce opened her mouth. ¡°W-What do I think of him?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you nning to ept Justin, or...¡± ¡°No. I cannot ept his feelings,¡± Joyce eximed. ¡°I don''t love him. ¡°Joyce, I know you don''t love him. Stanley is the man you love, but you know how he is. The both of you will never end up together. As your best friend, I don''t want to see you wallow in sorrow. I want you to be happy, so I hope you will turn your attention away from Stanley and look at the people around you. There are lots of other men out there worthy of your love.¡± Natalie patted her shoulder. ¡°Joyce, you have to understand, it''s been a mistake from the start for the two of you. Stanley''s never going toe around no matter how long you wait for him. He shouldn''t be the only one in your eyes. Think about your parents. They wouldn''t want to see you in so much pain because of Stanley. They hoped for you to find happiness in someone else''s arms. I know you don''t love Justin, but why don''t you give him a chance and try to love him?¡± ¡°Try to love him?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. Who knows? He might be the one for you. Didn''t they all say it''s better to get together with someone who loves you rather than someone you love? So Joyce, try stepping out of yourfort zone and give him a chance.¡± Joyce''s eyes dimmed as she shook her head. ¡°No. That''s not possible. I can''t try to love someone new nor start a new rtionship with someone else anymore.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie frowned. ¡°Joyce, why are you being so adamant? You know that Stanley is...¡± ¡°It''s not that, Nat.¡± Joyce smiled bitterly. ¡°It''s not because of Stanley that I can''t fall in love with someone new. It''s just because I don''t have the time and effort to do so anymore.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie''s heart skipped a beat upon her words. She didn''t know why but she had a bad feeling about it. Joyce smiled and stood up. ¡°It''s nothing. You''ll know soon enough. Okay Nat, I really have to go now.¡± With that, she turned around and headed for the door. However, Joyce''s head began to spin after taking a few steps. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She paused in her step and cked out in the next moment. Natalie was shocked upon seeing that. ¡°Joyce!¡± She jumped up from her seat and rushed over to catch Joyce. Natalie managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. Joyce opened her eyes. She saw the worried look on Natalie''s face and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Nat.¡± She pulled herself up with Natalie''s help. Natalie pursed her lips and stared at her. ¡°Joyce, what happened to you just now? You scared me out of my wits.¡± ¡°I''m fine. Probably anemic. It has been happening to me from time to time these two days. My stomach even feels funny these days.¡± Joyce rubbed her belly as she spoke. Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Anemic? Your stomach feels funny? Are you sick?¡± She recalled what Joyce had said just now aboutcking the time and effort to start a new rtionship and couldn''t help but wonder if she had fallen ill. Nevertheless, Joyce shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°This won''t do. You need to see the doctor.¡± With that, Natalie grabbed her hand, wanting to take her to the hospital. Joyce pulled away. ¡°No need for that, Nat. I''ll go to the hospital myself. You don''t need toe with me. Don''t you have a ne to catch? Go on. Traffic is going to be heavy if you don''t leave now.¡± ¡°On your own?¡± Natalie stared at her. She didn''t believe Joyce would go to the doctor on her own. Joyce smiled as she knew what was going through Natalie''s mind. ¡°Don''t worry, Nat. I will go to the hospital this afternoon. You can text me in the afternoon if you don''t believe me. I''ll send you my medical report then, okay?¡± Chapter 1357 Chapter 1357 Natalie scoffed. ¡°Alright then. I''ll text youter in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce nodded. Only then did Natalie let her off. Joyce waved goodbye and headed out the door. Just as the door closed shut behind her, Joyce leaned against the door and retched all of a sudden. Color had drained from her face at this point. What is happening to me? She was experiencing dizziness, upset stomach, and dry heaving from time to time these days. Gosh, I must really be sick. However, she never bothered to go to the doctor since she didn''t have much time left to live. It''s just pointless. Joyce took a deep breath and made her way toward the presidential suite despite feeling sick. She knocked on the door and entered Justin''s suite. On the other hand, Natalie walked out of her room toward the elevator at eleven that morning to catch her flight back to J City. Her footsteps slowed as she passed by the presidential suite. I wonder if Joyce is still in there. She stared at the door and wondered. She then picked up the pace once again and entered the elevator. Ding! The doors of the elevator slid open. Natalie walked out with four bodyguards following behind while carrying her luggage. Very soon, Natalie arrived at the airport. She pulled out her phone and dialed Shane''s number. ¡°Are youing home?¡± Shane answered the call in no time. He heard the sounds of car engine from her end. ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I''m on my way to the airport. So I''m calling to tell you that I will reach J City airport around 4 p.m. today.¡± Baycoast wasn''t too far away from J City. It would only take two to three hours of flight time. Shane lifted his chin and hummed in response. ¡°Got it. I will wait for you at J City airport at four in the evening.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Oh right. Weren''t you nning to ask Joyce what happened? Did you get your question answered?¡± Shane suddenly asked. ¡°No.¡± Natalie sighed at that. ¡°Joyce has been very adamant about it. She wouldn''t tell me no matter what. She even said I would stop her if I knew. So I have no choice but to give it up. I can''t force her, can I?¡± ¡°Alright. Let her be then,¡± Shane replied softly. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah. That''s what I thought. That''s why I decided toe back today. Or else I would have stayed a while longer to see if I can help her out.¡± ¡°You don''t need to stay in Baycoast to help,¡± Shane said in a dull tone. Natalie could tell that he wasn''t very happy that she would extend her stay in Baycoast for Joyce''s sake. She couldn''t help butugh. ¡°I''m just saying. Joyce didn''t tell me anything anyway, so she probably doesn''t need my help.¡± ¡°It''s good that she doesn''t need your help. She should take care of her own problems.¡± Shane uttered. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Natalie was nonplussed. ¡°Okay, okay. Someone''s getting jealous again. Alright, Darling, I''m hanging up now. I''m almost at the airport. We can talk again when I get back.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie put her phone away after he hung up. She got off the shuttle and entered the airport under the escort of four bodyguards. Natalie hung around the airport for an hour or so before she boarded the ne through the VIP passage. She turned heads as she passed by the economy ss. After all, it wasn''t every day that you see a passenger board the ne with four bodyguards. Moreover, Natalie looked even hotter with her sunsses on. ¡°Did you see that? Did you? Bodyguards. All four of them. I''ve never seen such a grand entrance before. She must be some wealthy socialite.¡± ¡°You might be wrong. I can tell that she''s very good looking even with those sunsses on. She might even be a celebrity.¡± Chapter 1358 Chapter 1358 ¡°You''re right.¡± ¡°Heh. You''re all wrong. She''s neither a wealthy socialite nor a celebrity.¡± A female voice sounded out of the blue. Everyone directed their attention to the woman. ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? What do you mean she''s neither a wealthy socialite nor a celebrity? Do you know her?¡± somebody asked the woman. The woman looked up. She wasn''t very pretty but she looked pleasing to the eye. At that moment, the woman''s face was clouded over with jealousy. ¡°I know her. She''s my course mate and came from an ordinary family. The only reason she''s able to dress like a socialite and have so many bodyguards escorting her is because of her rich, married boyfriend. Everyone knows about this back in my university.¡± The woman lowered her eyes to hide the guilt in it. Nobody caught her lying as she was quick to hide her guilt. However, her statement caused a huge commotion on the ne. ¡°My gosh. She''s having a rich, married man as her lover? She''s a homewrecker? Dang. And I thought she was pretty and really ssy just now. How shameless of her.¡± ¡°Yeah. What is wrong with the world? Why can''t girls be self-sufficient? Why do they choose to be a homewrecker? Sigh...¡± Lucy''s lips curved into a smirk as she listened in on their derogatoryments and her eyes shed with delight. Natalie would have been shocked to see what Lucy had turned into if she was around. Back then, Lucy was very good at hiding her true colors even though she was a sly and materialistic woman. Moreover, she had the innocent-girl-next-door look which didn''t help matters. However, Lucy''s style hadpletely changed since then. She looked as if she had been through a lot in order to warrant the change. The old Lucy was dressed very inly but the Lucy now was dressed like a fashionista. Moreover, the heavy makeup she had put on didn''t go well with her girl-next-door vibe. She even wore dark-colored makeup on and around her eyes, something the old Lucy would never do. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. In a nutshell, she had changedpletely into a new person. Lucy apanied a wealthy heir to Baycoast to attend a dinner party and was returning home to J City after being abandoned by her partner. She had never expected to run into Shane''s wife. That was a woman she hated to the core. That''s right. I hate her! By right, there shouldn''t be any bad blood between her and Natalie since they had never crossed paths. However, she hated Natalie to the core because she was Shane''s wife. She had always thought that she would end up with Shane if not for Natalie. She was sure Shane would fall for her if he never met Natalie or if Natalie looked a little uglier. After all, she was the one who had rescued him. She had been under the impression that Shane never fell for her because she wasn''t as pretty as Natalie. Only God knew how many times she had wanted to ruin Natalie''s face. Shane might turn his eyes away from Natalie and look at me instead if Natalie loses her beauty. However, she couldn''t even go near Natalie nor meet her, let alone ruin her pretty face. Lucy couldn''t go near Natalie even if they had met a while ago and were riding on the same ne. It was all thanks to Natalie''s four bodyguards. Nevertheless, Lucy was still capable of ruining her reputation andbelling her as a homewrecker even though she couldn''t physically hurt her. Lucy smiled in delight upon that thought. On the other hand, Natalie had no idea what was going on in the first-ss cabin. She closed the fashion magazine and removed her sunsses. Chapter 1359 Chapter 1359 The bodyguard who was sitting right opposite quickly leaned over and asked, ¡°Madam, do you need anything?¡± ¡°I''m feeling a little thirsty.¡± Natalie ced the magazine down and replied. The bodyguard nodded. ¡°Got it. I''ll get the flight attendant over right now. Please bear with me, Madam.¡± Natalie hummed in response. The bodyguard then took off his seatbelt, stood up, and pressed the bell. Very soon, a flight attendant attended to them with a smile on her face. She turned to the bodyguard and asked, ¡°How can I help you, Sir?¡± ¡°Please fetch us a cup of water. Madam''s feeling thirsty,¡± the bodyguard replied. In the next instant, he paused as if something had just urred to him. ¡°Madam, what do you want to drink?¡± The flight attendant turned to face Natalie as well. She was momentarily stunned by Natalie''s beauty. However, it was quickly reced by a look of distaste. She must be the woman people were talking about over in economy ss just now. A homewrecker parading around with four bodyguards in tow. I must admit, she''s really beautiful. But what a pity she has no morals. How could she be so shameless? She could have any man she wants with that beauty. Why did she have to be a homewrecker? Natalie was still pondering over what to drink when she suddenly felt the disdainful look the flight attendant was giving her. Hence, she looked up to see what was going on. The flight attendant was caught off guard as Natalie suddenly looked up. She didn''t have enough time to hide her disdain for Natalie. Natalie pursed her lips and said coldly, ¡°Excuse me, Miss. Did I offend you?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The flight attendant was stunned. However, she quickly shot her a baffled smile and replied, ¡°No. Why do you ask?¡± Natalie crossed her legs. ¡°Why? Why are you looking at me with disdain if I''ve never offended you? You''re staring at me as if I''m a piece of trash.¡± ¡°I...¡± The flight attendant froze, feeling embarrassed. She never expected to be caught red-handed. Moreover, Natalie had called her out in public. Hence, she was stricken with terror because Natalie had the rights to file aint against her. Her four bodyguards jumped to their feet upon her words and gave the flight attendant an icy stare. ¡°Why did you stare at Madam with disdain just now? You''d better talk, or else I''ll take you to your airline company right now since we have yet to take off and talk to your boss about this,¡± one of the bodyguards spoke in a low voice. It was the one who had pressed the bell just now. The flight attendant was well aware that the four others were staring at her frostily from behind. Color had drained from her face at this point and she was shaking with fear. She was especially nervous when the bodyguard said he would take her to her boss. Her eyes reddened and she quickly bowed to Natalie in apology. ¡°I''m sorry. I''m so so sorry. I didn''t want to do this. It''s just that earlier, someone in economy ss mentioned that you''re a homewrecker just now. T- That''s why I... Sorry. I''m so sorry...¡± The flight attendant bowed a few more times as she sobbed uncontrobly. Natalie frowned upon her words. ¡°What did you say? Someone out there is calling me a homewrecker?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The flight attendant nodded. ¡°What a b*tch.¡± A hot-tempered bodyguard flew into a rage. ¡°She is Mr. Shane''s wife. This is their first marriage and are each other''s first love. Homewrecker? What nonsense!¡± ¡°That''s right. How dare she spread false rumors? She must have a death wish.¡± At the moment, the other three bodyguards were rubbing their palms together, furious. On the other hand, the flight attendant was dumbfounded. What? Rumors? This beautiful woman standing in front of me is the real deal? That''s right. How is it possible that such a beautiful woman would be a homewrecker? Rumors of her being a homewrecker must have been created by a jealous passenger on board. How could I take her word for it and even show my disdain toward thisdy? What was I thinking? Chapter 1360 Chapter 1360 I''m just asking for trouble. At that moment, the flight attendant deeply regretted her actions. I shouldn''t have believed the rumors. I should have been more aware of my attitude toward my passengers. The flight attendant wished she could turn back time to right her wrongs. ¡°I don''t know who spread the rumors, but I do know that it came from the economy cabin.¡± The flight attendant lowered her head and replied sheepishly. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°The economy cabin...¡± ¡°Madam, do you want me to go check out the person behind this?¡± The bodyguard who had pressed the bell stepped forward and offered. Another one of her bodyguards nodded. ¡°Me too, Madam. We''ll have a better chance of finding the culprit if we go together. After all, two heads are better than one.¡± ¡°Go on, then.¡± Natalie waved her hand. The two bodyguards grunted in response and made their way toward the economy cabin. The rest of the bodyguards stayed behind at the first-ss cabin since someone had to stick around to protect Natalie. ¡°Um...¡± The flight attendant raised her head and stared at Natalie warily. ¡°Excuse m-me... Madam, can you please let me off just this once? Can you please not take me to the management? I''ll be fired if you do. Please, I beg you.¡± She knew that Natalie was a powerful socialite since she had booked the entire first-ss cabin and brought four bodyguards along with her on her trip. Her airlinepany would be on Natalie''s side if her boss ever got involved. After all, the airlinepany couldn''t afford to offend such a promising customer. Hence, the flight attendant could only ce her hope on Natalie. I''ll be able to get out of this unscathed as long as thisdy here lets me off. Natalie stared at her coldly. ¡°You want me to let you off?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The flight attendant bowed even lower. Natalie twitched her lips. ¡°I can let you off. But before this, I want to know, is this how you treat your fellow passengers? Do you view them with disdain and judge them ording to what you''ve heard?¡± ¡°No.¡± The flight attendant quickly waved her hand. ¡°I hate homewreckers. That''s why I couldn''t help but stare at you with disdain. I don''t usually do that to my passengers. Madam, you can check my assessment if you don''t believe me. I have a thing against homewreckers because my sister was hurt by one. I''m so so sorry, Madam. I know I''m at fault. I''m really sorry.¡± The flight attendant burst into tears as she spoke. Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°Why are you crying? I didn''t even bully you.¡± ¡°I-I can''t help it. I''m just too scared of losing this job,¡± the flight attendant replied in a small voice. Natalie sighed. ¡°Forget it. I''ll let you off this time since you fell prey to rumors. I hope you don''t repeat the same mistake in the future. Or else you might just offend someone else and lose your job.¡± The flight attendant looked up excitedly at her words. She shed tears of joy and nodded. ¡°I know, Madam. I will remember this forever. I won''t do it again.¡± ¡°Okay, go back to work then.¡± Natalie waved her away. The flight attendant wiped away her tears and broke into a smile. She then bowed politely to Natalie, thanked her, and left. One of the bodyguards returned from the economy cabin the moment she left. ¡°Madam, I''ve found the culprit.¡± His face darkened as he spoke. ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie pursed her lips as a look of disgust shed in her eyes. ¡°Who is it?¡± She hated people who spread rumors. Rumors could kill. There had been many instances whereby people had killed themselves due to rumors. One would also be tempted to feel, think and act toward others in a different way than he or she otherwise would because of rumors. One should never underestimate the power of words. People who spread rumors were selfish and inconsiderate. They never took into ount what kind of life their victims had to lead when they started these rumors. Chapter 1361 Chapter 1361 Hence, Natalie wasn''t going to let the culprit off this time around. ¡°You know her, Madam,¡± her bodyguard reported. Natalie was surprised. ¡°I do?¡± Heh. What''s more, an acquaintance. ¡°Who is it?¡± Natalie asked coldly. ¡°It''s Lucy.¡± ¡°Lucy?¡± Natalie blinked in surprise. Her bodyguard nodded. ¡°Yes. She''s on the ne as well. She saw us when we boarded the ne just now. That''s why she''s spreading rumors to ruin your reputation. After all, she has a crush on Mr. Shane.¡± The bodyguard gave her a cautious look when he mentioned Lucy''s feelings for Shane. He was worried about upsetting Natalie. However, Natalie found it rather funny. ¡°So, it''s her. And I was wondering who it was. Okay then, I''m not surprised since it''s her.¡± Natalie scoffed. The bodyguard stared at her. ¡°Sigmund is still keeping an eye on Lucy in the economy cabin. Madam, what do you want to do with her?¡± ¡°We can''t do anything about it since we''re already up in the air right now. It''ll be dangerous for everyone on board if she goes crazy, so we''ll just have to wait till wend before we can do anything. Get Sigmund to return to his seat. But before that, instruct the flight attendants to keep an eye on Lucy. Keep her on board when the nends. Do not let her get away,¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes and said. She wasn''t going to let Lucy off so easily this time around. After all, who knows what else that woman would do to her if she lets her off today. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Her bodyguard nodded and headed back to the economy cabin. Very soon, he returned with Sigmund in tow. ¡°Madam, the flight attendants have agreed to help keep an eye on Lucy for us,¡± Sigmund reported. ¡°Great.¡± Natalie nodded. She then pointed at the seat opposite her. ¡°Take a seat. You shouldn''t move around so much on the ne.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The both of them replied and promptly returned to their seats. Natalie didn''t say anything anymore. She put on her eye mask, closed her eyes and took a nap. Two hourster, Nataliended in J City airport. One of her bodyguards woke her up from her slumber. ¡°Madam, we have arrived.¡± Natalie removed her sleep mask and opened her eyes. It took some time for her eyes to adjust to the light before her vision cleared. She stared at the two bodyguards standing before her and rubbed her temples. ¡°We''ve arrived?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Her bodyguard nodded. ¡°Madam, let''s get off the ne first. Sigmund has brought Lucy over to the airport lounge with the help of a flight attendant,¡± the other bodyguard added. Natalie stretchedzily. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, she kept her sleep mask in her bag, stood up, and alighted the ne with her two bodyguards. Natalie pulled out her phone and dialed Shane''s number as she made her way toward the lounge. Shane was going through some documents in his office when his phone rang. He broke into a smile when he saw the caller ID. ¡°Honey.¡± His public disy of affection toward Natalie sent shivers down his secretary''s spine. Natalie grunted in response. ¡°Darling, I''ve arrived.¡± ¡°You have?¡± Shane was stunned. He quickly checked the time on the bottom right of hisputer screen and noticed that it was already four in the afternoon. ¡°Sorry. I''ve been busy with work and have forgotten all about the time. I''ll be right over to pick you up.¡± Shane stood up as he spoke. Natalie smiled. ¡°You don''t have toe if you''re busy. I cane back home myself. I have four bodyguards with me anyways so you don''t have to worry about my safety.¡± ¡°I know. But I want to go. It''s been two days since Ist saw you.¡± Shane was implying that he had missed her dearly. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Natalie was nonplussed. ¡°Okay then. I''ll wait for you at the airport. I have some things to take care of in the meantime anyway.¡± Chapter 1362 Chapter 1362 ¡°Things to take care of?¡± Shane frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It''s not a big deal. Do you still remember who Lucy is?¡± Natalie asked. Shane blinked, feeling puzzled. ¡°Who? Her name sounds familiar. I think I''ve heard of her name before,¡± he muttered. Natalie couldn''t help but chuckled as she could tell that he was speaking the truth. I wonder if Lucy will have an emotional breakdown if she finds out the person she had wanted to marry doesn''t even remember who she is. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Shane raised his brows and asked. The smile did not leave her eyes even though she had stoppedughing. ¡°It''s nothing. Lucy is the girl who found you by the riverside. She is the one who rescued you, fell in love with you, and wants to marry you,¡± Natalie replied. Shane''s eyes shed disgust as he finally recalled who Lucy was upon Natalie''s reminder. ¡°Oh, her.¡± He frowned. She was one of the most disgusting women he had ever met, only second to Jacqueline. The thought of Lucy annoyed him. ¡°Yes. It''s her.¡± Natalie nodded. Shane pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Why did you bring her up all of a sudden? Does she have anything to do with whatever happened to you?¡± ¡°Yes. We were on the same flight just now. She saw me when I passed by the economy cabin and started to spread rumors about me,¡± Natalie harrumphed. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Shane''s face darkened. ¡°What? She spread rumors about you?¡± ¡°Yeah. She told everyone I''m having an affair with a rich, married man. I''m so pissed,¡± Natalie said crankily. Shane''s eyes glinted coldly. ¡°How dare she say that? Where is she now?¡± ¡°Sigmund brought her to the airport lounge. I''m on my way over to square things up.¡± ¡°Okay. You go first. I''ll be right over.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie had arrived at the lounge as she put her phone away. The three people in the room looked up immediately as her two bodyguards opened the door for her. It was none other than Lucy and Natalie''s two other bodyguards. Color had drained from Lucy''s face as she sat in between the two bodyguards. Lucy never thought that Natalie would find out about the rumors she had spread on the ne. Natalie''s bodyguards had brought her over to the lounge the moment the nended. She knew then that Natalie wanted to teach her a lesson for spreading rumors. In fact, she would have done the same thing if she were in Natalie''s shoes. Of course, she wasn''t afraid of Natalie. She was simply worried that Shane would find out. Shane''s impression of me will worsen if he hears about this. She had been hanging around wealthy heirs because she wanted to know how the upper-ss society works and be better. That way, Shane''s impression and attitude toward her might change for the better. But how could I let Shane find out what I''ve done when I have yet to be a better person? Lucy felt a shadow loom over her while she was deep in thought. She looked up instinctively and met Natalie''s ice-cold gaze. What kind of look is that! Her eyes were obviously beautiful, but there wasn''t an ounce of warmth in them. Her gaze was so cold that it sent shivers down my spine! Lucy shivered. ¡°It''s been a while, Ms. Rivers.¡± Natalie sat down opposite Lucy. In fact, she looked like a queen with her four bodyguards lining up behind her. Lucy couldn''t help but feel jealous. She knew from the very first moment sheid eyes on Natalie, that she was nothingpared to this woman. Natalie was better than her in terms of looks, family background, capabilities, and demeanor. In a nutshell, Natalie was better than her in every way. Chapter 1363 Chapter 1363 Hence, she had epted the fact that Shane didn''t like her because shecked all these. That was why she decided to hook up with wealthy heirs whom she had looked down on in the past in order to blend in with the upper-ss society. She figured she would be able to pick up some skills from the rich and be a better version of herself. Everything had been going well thus far even though she wasn''t at Natalie''s level yet. Or so she thought until she met Natalie. She knew right then that they were on apletely different level. First of all, she had to admit that she had lost to Natalie in terms of demeanor. Natalie carried herself like a royalty while she looked like a prostitute. They were world''s apart! Lucy''s hands curled into fists and her body shook. She couldn''t ept such an oue. After all, she had tried so hard to learn everything just so that Shane''s impression of her would change and that she would be worthy of him. However, she suddenly realized she had been going in the wrong direction all this while. ¡°What''s on your mind, Ms. Rivers?¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes and asked when she saw Lucy biting her lips and the flurry of emotions on her face. Lucy blinked and returned to her senses. She stared at Natalie and replied stiffly, ¡°It''s nothing, Ms. Smith. You brought me here...¡± ¡°Please refer to me as Mrs. Thompson, thank you.¡± Natalie cut her off with a smile. Isn''t she in love with Shane? Doesn''t she want to rece me as Mrs. Thompson? I''ll have to remind her who Shane''s rightful wife is then. She wanted to get the point across that there was no way Lucy could rece her as Shane''s wife by forcing Lucy to address her as Mrs. Thompson. Everything was done on purpose. Lucy was a good-looking woman actually. It wouldn''t be hard for her to find a good man for herself. However, Lucy refused to do so and had insisted on Natalie''s man and wanted to take her ce. Hence, there was no way she would treat Lucy with kindness. Just as Natalie expected, Lucy''s face changed when she was asked to refer to Natalie as Mrs. Thompson. Lucy knew that Natalie was doing it on purpose. What a despicable woman! Lucy tightened her grip on her phone as her eyes burned with hatred for a brief moment. She forced a smile, ¡°Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie was all smiles as she crossed her legs. She then gestured for Lucy to go on. ¡°Okay, Ms. Rivers. Please go on. You were saying?¡± ¡°I said it''s not very appropriate of you to take me here.¡± Lucy stared at Natalie defiantly. Natalie raised her brows. ¡°Oh? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°What do you mean is there a problem?¡± Lucy shook with anger. ¡°This is considered kidnapping since you forcefully brought me over. You have no right to keep me confined. This is against thew. I can lodge a police report.¡± Natalie stifled augh. It was as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. Lucy''s heart skipped a beat when she heard herughter. She raised her voice, feeling uneasy. ¡°What are youughing at, Mrs. Thompson? Am I that funny?¡± ¡°No, no. It''s not funny.¡± Natalie waved her hand. ¡°It''s hrious.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 1364 Chapter 1364 She stopped smiling and reverted to her aloof demeanor. ¡°I see. So you do know what a crime is. I thought you were ignorant about it.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Lucy bit down on her lip. She was getting more and more anxious. Natalie snorted icily, ¡°Good game, well yed, Lucy. You distracted everyone from the crime you committed, yet at the same time, you kept harping on the crime others hadmitted. Have you no shame?¡± ¡°You-¡± Lucy nched at her words while clenching her fists. It took her a while to loosen her fists. Once she pulled herself together, she shot daggers at Natalie and asked, ¡°Since you used me of being involved in a crime, why don''t you tell me what crime I''ve committed?¡± ''You want to know? Sure. I''ll enlighten you.¡± Natalie leaned against the couch and raised her index finger. ¡°First of all, you kept harassing my husband. This action of yours had ounted for stalking and criminal harassment. Secondly, you drove a wedge between my husband and me, trying to get him to divorce me so that you could rece me. It''s not illegal, but it''s against morals and good customs!¡± Natalie lifted her third finger and stared at Lucy''s pallid face. ¡°Last but not least, you spread rumors about me during the flight just now. Not only did your action tarnish my reputation, but it also caused me to experience a great deal of emotional distress. And that, Ms. Rivers, is a form of defamation. So what do you think? Do you still dare im that you''ve notmitted any crime?¡± Lucy opened her mouth and wanted to retaliate, yet the words somehow stuck in her throat. Deep in her heart, she knew these actions were criminal, but she refused to admit them. The remarks Natalie made had rendered Lucy speechless. She could not help but grimace as she tried to conceal her guilt. ¡°Don''t you have anything to say, Ms. Rivers? I guess I can take your silence as acquiescence, can''t I? So it''s not wrong for me to say you''ve double standards, right?¡± Natalie said. ¡°You want to report me to the cops and tell them I imprisoned you? Go ahead. I''ll not stop you. But before that, let''s talk about the rumors you spread about me on the ne. How would you like topensate me, Ms. Rivers?¡± ¡°Why must Ipensate you?¡± Lucy widened her eyes. ¡°Fine! I admit I made those remarks earlier, but you didn''t suffer any losses either, so why should Ipensate you? I don''t mind apologizing to you, butpensation? Over my dead body!¡± She defended herself and looked up at Natalie with a scowl, as she believed Natalie was outright extorting her. She also felt making a few false statements about Natalie was not a big deal. Who is she to demand compensation from me? I''ve never met someone who could shamelessly demandpensation in such a manner! Upon noticing how furious Lucy was, Natalie let out a mirthlessugh. Did she really think I made that up to extort her? N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Do you think you don''t have topensate me for tarnishing my reputation? Do you think I made this up so I can extort you?¡± A corner of Natalie''s lips quirked up. Lucy gradually looked up and gave her a sidelong stare. ¡°Isn''t that extortion? I''ve only made a few remarks about you. I didn''t even injure you, yet you demandpensation from me? Don''t you think that''s a little ridiculous?¡± Upon hearing that, Natalieughed even louder. ¡°Ridiculous? Do you think what I did is ridiculous? Apparently, you still don''t quite understand what a crime is. I guess I''ve overestimated your intelligence, Ms. Rivers. Not only did you not have morals and principles, but you also don''t seem to have a brain.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Lucy stood up, and her eyes glowed with a towering rage. Natalie secretly rolled her eyes and gestured for her bodyguard, Sigmund, to go over. Chapter 1365 Chapter 1365 ¡°Yes, Madam?¡± Sigmund stepped forward. ¡°How can I help?¡± ¡°I remember you have a license to practicew, right?¡± Natalie asked. N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Yes.¡± Sigmund nodded and responded with a wry smile. ¡°But it''s just a junior attorney''s license.¡± ¡°That''s good enough, no worries. Do you think I did wrong when I asked Ms. Rivers topensate me since she spread rumors about me?¡± Natalie asked Sigmund while pointing at Lucy. Sigmund nodded. ¡°All right, madam.¡± He walked over and sat about six feet away from Lucy. With a deadpan expression, he began questioning her as if he was an impartialwyer, ¡°Do you think Mrs. Thompson shouldn''t demand compensation from you?¡± ¡°Of course. I didn''t hit her or do anything that hurt her physically. I''ve only made a few remarks about her. Why should Ipensate her?¡± Lucy said while shrugging her shoulders. Sigmund narrowed his eyes. ¡°All right. It''s clear that you, Ms. Rivers, refused topensate Mrs. Thompson. Now, listen carefully. It''s a fact that you spread rumors about Mrs. Thompson. Before this, Ms. Smith had not done anything that offended you, so you''re the instigator. Am I right, Ms. Rivers?¡± Lucy opened her mouth but did not know what to say. ¡°I-¡± ¡°Do you agree with what I said?¡± Sigmund stared into her eyes and questioned her. As a bodyguard, Sigmund was already authoritative by nature. He was even more authoritative when he questioned Lucy like a sternwyer. Lucy''s heart skipped a beat when she met his icy gaze. Initially, she wanted to defend herself but found it hard to continue. Sigmund did not know if Lucy was intimidated by his words, but he could care less. Since the woman could not even phrase a proper sentence, Sigmund continued, ¡°Since you remained silent, I supposed you agree with what I''ve said, Ms. Rivers? All in all, Mrs. Thompson is the victim here. You, as the perpetrator, will be held ountable for all your actions. ording to the country''sw, you could be charged with rumor-mongering. Though it''s not a serious criminal offense, the court could still detain you and make you pay the fines. ¡°What?¡± Lucy''s expression changed all of a sudden. ¡°Detain? How is that possible? Don''t you dare lie to me. How can the court detain me merely because I made a few remarks about her?¡± As the conversation between Sigmund and Lucy continued, another bodyguard walked over and gave Natalie a ss of water. She took a sip and said nonchntly, ¡±Teach Ms. Rivers somew basics, Sigmund. It seems like she really needs some help.¡± ¡°All right, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Sigmund nodded and continued, ¡°Yes, Ms. Rivers. You can be detained for rumor-mongering, but that''s for severe cases. As for minor cases, you will be verbally admonished by the court. The court will also order you to pay a fine to cover the victim''s emotional distress damages.¡± Lucy heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that because she thought what she did was not a serious offense. But still, she was unhappy with the fact that she had to pay the fine. When Lucy felt relieved knowing she would not be detained, Sigmund dropped a bombshell that caused her to jump out of her skin. He said, ¡°But in your case, Ms. Rivers, the court will issue a warrant of arrest to detain you for sure.¡± Lucy''s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What did you say? I''ll be detained?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Sigmund said affirmatively. ¡°No! No way!¡± Lucy roared emotionally. Did he say I''ll be detained? How is that possible? How could they detain me just because I uttered a few words? Though Lucy was unwilling to pay the fine, she would still do it to get out of trouble. But she would not admit her offense if they threatened to detain her! ¡°Tell her why she''d be detained, Sigmund,¡± Natalie said while gently putting her ss of water on the table. Sigmund nodded and red at Lucy as if he was not talking to a human. ¡°What you did wasn''t exactly a serious offense, and by right, a fine should suffice. But when you were spreading rumors about Mrs. Thompson, the flight had yet to take off. Many economy-ss passengers recorded the video and shared it on the inte. ording to the country''sw, once a defamatory statement hits at least five hundred likes and shares, the court could issue a warrant of arrest to detain the offender. Coincidentally, there was an influencer among the economy-ss passengers, and she recorded the video and put it on her social media. That video alone had received more than five hundred likes and shares.¡± Chapter 1366 Chapter 1366 To further convince Lucy, Sigmund took out his phone to show her the video the influencer posted on her Facebook. ¡°Did you see that, Ms. Rivers? Not only did the influencer record the things you said and put the video up on social media, but she also included a photo of Mrs. Thompson''s side profile. You have to pay the price for your action, and so does the influencer. If you still think I''m threatening you, feel free to read up information online to verify what I''d said about the detainment.¡± Lucy stared at the screen, and her face turned brick-red. ¡°I-I didn''t know someone actually put that up on the inte.¡± She really had no idea. At the same time, she quickly fished out her phone to check if a person would be detained when his or her defamatory content received more than five hundred likes and shares on the inte. Upon reading the results, Lucy was struck dumb. It was as if she had fallen into a deep crevice of a cier. What he said is true! N?velDrama.Org ? content. The court could indeed issue a warrant of arrest to detain the defamatory content creators when the content received more than five hundred likes and shares on the inte. No. I don''t want to be detained. Never! Shane will despise me even more if that happens! Lucy''s body trembled. She red at Natalie with her bloodshot eyes and pleaded, ¡°Forgive me, Mrs. Thompson. Please forgive me, will you? I don''t want to be detained. I really don''t want to be detained.¡± Lucy finally got off her high horse and begged for Natalie''s forgiveness between sobs. After all, no one wanted to be detained, as it would leave a record that would adversely impact their lives. Natalie gave Lucy an icy stare as she did not buy her crocodile tears. She responded coldly, ¡°I''ve given you a chance earlier. I told you I''d let it slide as long as youpensate me. After all, I didn''t want to waste my time. Yet, you failed to cherish the opportunity I''d given you. Since you refused to ept my offer, I guess it''s time for you to go to the detention center.¡± Natalie stood up and was ready to leave. Upon noticing Natalie was about to leave, Lucy went up and tried to grab her wrist. ¡±Mrs. Thompson!¡± But before she could reach Natalie, Sigmund and the other bodyguards got up and stopped her from approaching. Natalie looked up at Lucy indifferently. ¡°I think it''s good for you to spend some time in the detention center. Take this opportunity to brush up on your legal knowledge so that you can avoid making the same mistake. Good luck, Ms. Rivers.¡± Natalie then left in thepany of two bodyguards and walked out of the lounge. The other two bodyguards stayed back and apprehended Lucy. They would send her to the police stationter. Of course, Lucy refused to go to the police station. She did not want to be sent to the detention center as well. When the bodyguards got hold of her, she shrieked, ¡°Let me go! Let me go now!¡± The bodyguards ignored her. Instead of releasing her, they even tightened their grip on her arms. ¡°Please keep quiet,¡± one of the bodyguards warned her. His warning fell on deaf ears. Lucy continued to pull herself away from the men. ¡°Did you hear what I said just now? I said let me go!¡± ¡°Let you go?¡± One of the bodyguards let out a cold snort. ¡°Do you think we''ll let you go? You''ve committed a crime and offended Mrs. Thompson. You asked for it! Since you have the audacity to defame Mrs. Thompson, I supposed you''re prepared to go to the detention center. Move!¡± He then turned to the other bodyguard and whispered a few words in his ears. The other bodyguard nodded in acknowledgment. The two bodyguards then dragged Lucy out of the lounge. Lucy continued screaming. She even tried to get the other airport passengers'' attention by using the men of abducting her, hoping they would step in to rescue her. Though themotion she caused did arouse the crowd''s curiosity, none of them went up to rescue her. They felt something was amiss since none of the airport cops came to her rescue when she was taken away by two bodyguards. Hence, ordinary folks like them should not poke their nose into other people''s businesses. Chapter 1367 Chapter 1367 The two bodyguards then took Lucy away. Meanwhile, Natalie sat in the waiting area, enjoying a cup of coffee that her security guard had bought while watching Lucy being dragged out of the airport. Suddenly, the security guard standing behind her lowered his head and informed Natalie, ¡°Mr. Thompson is here, Madam.¡± Upon hearing that, she immediately put down her cup of coffee. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He''s just in front.¡± The bodyguard pointed in the direction. Natalie followed his line of sight and saw Shane and Ss walking toward them. She stood up and waved at him. ¡°Shane!¡± Shane noticed her from afar. In fact, she had caught his attention the moment he stepped into the airport. It was not difficult to spot Natalie from the crowd because of how beautiful she was. Indeed, Shane was proud of Natalie''s captivating looks. After all, she was his wife. But having a wife with such stunning beauty also meant she would for sure turn heads. That was why he felt both jealous and helpless at the same time. If only I could keep her to myself! Shane walked up to her and said, ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Natalie shook her head and passed another cup of coffee to him. Earlier, she told her bodyguard to buy two cups of coffee because she knew Shane would be arriving in no time. Shane picked up the cup and took a sip. ¡°So how''s the woman?¡± ¡°Settled. I got Dave to send her to the police station. The cops will probably detain her for a few days,¡± Natalie answered with a grin. ¡°I''ve asked Sigmund to take care of that influencer too,¡± she added. ¡°Great. Come on, let''s go.¡± After finishing his coffee, Shane put down the cup and reached out his hand. A corner of Natalie''s lips quirked up. She stood up and held her husband''s hand. The moment the gorgeous couple stepped out of the waiting area, they became the center of attention in the airport. Some even took out their phones and were ready to snap their photos. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. But before they could switch on their cameras, Ss and the other two bodyguards went up and stopped them. After stepping out of the airport, Shane and Natalie left in a car and headed to Thompson vi. Natalie then told Shane what she had experienced in Baycoast in thest two days. The man kept mum but paid full attention to everything she said. He could not help but curl up his lips when he heard how Jonathan and Caitlin had praised him. ¡°The new year is around the corner. Shall we invite them to J City for a gathering?¡± Shane proposed. Natalie was surprised to hear that. ¡°Gathering?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane nodded his head. ¡°Don''t you like the idea?¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Of course, I''d love to bring them over. I just didn''t expect you to make that offer. I thought you''ve always hated gatherings?¡± ¡°Yes. I hate gatherings, but I''m making an exception for them. You said they''d treated you well as if you were their biological daughter. Besides, things wouldn''t have gone so smoothly for you and the kids had they not taken good care of the three of you. Bringing them over to J City to celebrate the new year with them is my way of thanking them.¡± As a father and a husband, I must thank them in person since they had looked after my wife and my kids. Natalie was touched. Warm tears welled up in her eyes, and she nodded with a smile. ¡°All right. I''ll inform themter. I''ll invite Jared too, okay? Let''s celebrate the new year together.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane reached out her hand and wiped the tears off Natalie''s cheeks. Ss, who was driving the car, sneaked a nce at the loving couple through the rearview mirror. He secretly rolled her eyes. Argh. Must they disy their affection in front of me? I have a girlfriend too, okay? Chapter 1368 Chapter 1368 It won''t be long now... In about a month, I''ll be in charge of the branch. I''ll also be a CEO by then. Once I hire an assistant, I can show off Sal and me being all lovey-dovey in front of the assistant. Half an hourter, the car rolled to a stop at Thompson vi. Ss opened the door for Natalie. After she got out of the car, she saw Mrs. Wilson racing out of the house excitedly. ¡°Oh, madam, you''re back!¡± Mrs. Wilson hurried down the steps and reached Natalie. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, I''m back, Mrs. Wilson.¡± ¡°That''s perfect. The kids have been missing you for the past two days. They would ask for you during their meals. Even Mr. Shane was the same. He kept staring dazedly at your usual seat,¡± Mrs. Wilson said. Natalie arched her brow in curiosity. ¡°Staring dazedly at my usual seat?¡± I''m not surprised to hear the kids thinking and asking for me, but for Shane to stare dazedly at my usual seat is surprising. She looked over her shoulder and gave Shane an amused smile. ¡°Darling, I didn''t know you missed me so much that you would even stare at my usual seat.¡± Shane didn''t expect Mrs. Wilson to catch him spacing out for the past two days and snitched to Natalie about it. Giving a re in Mrs. Wilson''s direction, he coughed into his fist and turned his head to the side. ¡°No, I didn''t. Do I look like someone who will space out?¡± ¡°You weren''t before, but you are now.¡± Before Natalie could say anything, Mrs. Wilson beat her to it and exposed him. Carrying Natalie''s luggage from the trunk, Ss heard Mrs. Wilson''s tease and nodded fervently. ¡±That''s right, madam. I can attest to her words. Mr. Shane had been spacing out as he stared at your photo in his office for the past two days.¡± Shane didn''t expect Ss to betray him too. With a frown, he red at Ss. With Natalie there, Ss wasn''t scared of him. Since Ss'' girlfriend was Natalie''s friend, he was bold enough to snitch on Shane. He looked up at the sky, ignoring Shane''s warning re. The corner of Shane''s lips twitched in frustration. Fine! I''ll deal with himter for betraying me. ¡°Darling, it looks like Mrs. Wilson wasn''t the only witness. Mr. Campbell saw it too. Will you admit to their im now? You can always say you miss me. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I missed you too for the past two days.¡± Natalie shed him a smile before wrapping her arms around his waist. Her arms snaked up to circle the back of his neck as she asked, ¡°So, do you miss me or not?¡± Shane chuckled at the anticipation in her eyes. Circling his arms around her waist, he answered, ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Was it a lie then? About you spacing out while thinking about me.¡± ¡°It''s the truth.¡± Shane nodded. Whatever. Since Ss and Mrs. Wilson had already exposed me, I might as well admit it. Natalie''s smile grew wider. ¡°You did well. You should have admitted to it in the first ce. I''m touched. After all, you spacing out with me in your thoughts shows just how important I am to you.¡± ¡°You''re absolutely right, madam.¡± Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°Mr. Shane has been feeling down when you weren''t around. Sometimes, he would even get all nervous and worried. I imagined those were the traumatic experience left by Sean taking you away previously. He would be like that when you weren''t around for long periods.¡± Natalie''s smile stiffened at Mrs. Wilson''s exnation. She cast a guilty nce at Shane. ¡°I''m sorry, Darling, for making you worry.¡± ¡°It''s fine. It''ll stop once Sean is caught.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. After all, there''s arge organization behind Sean. Even if Natalie has bodyguards protecting her, it''s not a fool-proof n. Sean might find a loophole and hurt her. That was why I was so worried. Luckily, two days passed, and she returned safe and sound. ¡°All right. Let''s stop here and go in first. It''s cold outside.¡± Shane pulled thepels of Natalie''s coat tighter around her. Natalie nodded. ¡°Right, let''s go in.¡± Chapter 1369 Chapter 1369 Natalie reached for a few bags from Ss and gave them to Mrs. Wilson. ¡°Mrs. Wilson, this is some specialty I bought from Baycoast. Joyce''s father also made some delicious sauces and I brought some back with me.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Really?¡± Mrs. Wilson looked into the bag in her hand happily. ¡°I''ll use the sauces for dinner tonight then.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Natalie nodded. With that, Natalie, Shane, and Mrs. Wilson walked into the house. As for Ss, he got back into the car and drove off. Since Shane wouldn''t be returning to Thompson Group afterward, Ss could get off work early as Shane''s assistant. He nned on using his free time to apany his girlfriend and have herfort him for the public disy of affection he was forced to witness in the car earlier that day. Upon arriving at the living room, Natalie set her purse down on the couch. ¡°Oh right. Mrs. Wilson, are the kids at the kickboxing gym?¡± ¡°Sharon''s there but not Connor. He''s attending the math olympiad coaching ss,¡± Mrs. Wilson answered. Natalie was baffled. ¡°Math olympiad coaching ss?¡± ¡°Connor met a mathematics professor sending his grandson to the kickboxing gym the day before yesterday. The professor noticed Connor''s talent in mathematics, so he asked Connor if he was interested in learning the math olympiad. Since Connor was interested, I let him participate,¡± Shane exined, taking a seat beside her. Mrs. Wilson nodded. ¡°Yeah. That''s what happened.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie paused for a moment and cast an unhappy nce at him. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me about this? It happened like two days ago now.¡± As Connor''s mother, I was thest to know. ¡°I wanted to tell you, but Connor forbid me to. He said he wanted to tell you himself,¡± Shane exined with a shrug, not feeling guilty about revealing his son''s secret. Natalie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I''ll let Connor know you''ve already let the cat out of the bag then. I''d like to see how he''ll pester you for this in the next few days.¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°That''s fine. Just pretend you don''t know about it.¡± The corner of Natalie''s lips twitched. ¡°You''re truly a good father who always messes with your son, huh? Anyway, I''m going for a bath now. I need to change after being on the ne.¡± With that, she got to her feet and climbed the stairs to her room. Not long after, Shane got up and trailed after her. Natalie was enjoying her bath in the bathtub. Her eyes were closed as she listened to the music ying in the background and enjoyed the massage feature on the bathtub. Just then, the bathroom door creaked open slowly. Shane walked in with light steps and sat beside the bathtub to watch her. Sensing someone''s gaze on her, Natalie opened her eyes and saw Shane''s handsome face right in front of her. Startled, she spluttered, ¡°Shane? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I''m here for a bath too.¡± Shane reached to loosen his necktie as he answered. Natalie''s eyes went wide at his answer. ¡°You''re taking a bath too? But I''m bathing now. Why don''t you bathe after I''m done?¡± ¡°No need. We can bathe together.¡± He stepped into the bathtub. The bathtub was round and was the size of a pool. It could easily fit up to five adults at the same time, so it was still spacious even after Shane settled in the tub. He sat beside Natalie, turning his back to her. ¡°Could you massage my shoulders for me, please?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at him but still did what he asked. After all, she couldn''t exactly chase him out after he came in. Besides, they were a married couple. It wasn''t their first time bathing together. Natalie was massaging Shane''s shoulder with just the right amount of pressure. The muscles on his shoulder were tense. It was obvious his body was tired from overworking. Natalie sighed, her heart aching for him. She poured a ssh of essential oil on her palm and continued to massage his shoulders. Shane''s eyes slowly fell shut at thefortable sensation before he finally drifted off to sleep. Natalie heard the change in his breathing and glimpsed at the dark circles under his eyes. She felt sorry for him. Not only did he need to manage thepany, worry about me, and worry about Anders, but now, he''s busy with catching Sean as well. Chapter 1370 Chapter 1370 All these burdens were ced upon his shoulders. Hence, it was conceivable that strong as he was, the stress he felt was just as exhausting. Natalie bent over and kissed him gently on the forehead. Then, she continued to massage him. This time, she did more than just massaging. She applied cupping as well. Indeed, she applied the technique known as ¡°cupping.¡± Although cupping was a bit old-fashioned and many people disliked it, the results of cupping were very good, especially for muscle soreness. Personally, she had the habit of administering cupping. Her job, to draw blueprints, was basically sedentary work. The consequence of sitting for a long time was back and neck pain. Massage alone was not enough to relieve these. After pulling off the cups, the whole person felt rxed, so she bought a set of these tools to put in the bathroom. She still remembered the shocked expression on Shane''s face when he first saw these ss cups. Obviously, Shane had never tried cupping, besides, he was such a prim and proper man that she could not imagine him going through that treatment. So, she was the only one using those cups. This was the perfect moment to try this on him. Smiling, Natalie applied the essential oil, lit it, and stuck the ss jar on Shane''s back. Shane was wakened by the warmth he suddenly felt on his back. His eyes opened suddenly and he sat up straight. ¡°What''s that? What are you doing?¡± He turned his head, trying to see what she was doing to his back. Natalie patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Don''t move. I''m administering cupping for you.¡± ¡°Cupping?¡± Shane was taken aback. Then, he saw the ss cup behind him on his waist area. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Inside the cup, the fire had gone out. White fumes filled the cup and he could feel distinctly the ss cup sticking to his flesh. ¡°That''s right. Your muscles are so stiff that it''s abnormal. You have been too tiredtely, that''s why I''m doing cupping for you. This will rx your muscles. So, keep still and don''t try to remove those things. If you do, I''ll cry.¡± Natalie looked at Shane as she instructed. Returning her gaze, Shane opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he thought better of it. Instead, he grunted and said, ¡°Okay, I won''t pull it off.¡± With that, he turned back his head. Oh, well. I''ll let her do cupping or whatever game it is. As long as it pleases her and makes her happy. As a matter of fact, Shane did not believe any of the stuff about cupping being effective for sore joints and muscles. To him, those were old wives'' tales. Nheless, Natalie believed those tales, so it was unwise for him toment, lest it upset her and he would have to try and cheer her up again. Seeing Shane turning around obediently, Natalie smiled with satisfaction. Then she took up another ss cup, applied some essential oil to it, lit it, and pressed the cup on his back. Moments passed and Shane felt the cups on his back being removed one by one. She patted his shoulders. ¡°It''s done. You may move your body and see if there is relief.¡± Shane frowned. How could there be relief so fast? How could it be possible? Despite his misgivings, Shane did as he was told because he did not wish to upset Natalie. He sat upright, moving his arms, neck, and back. He was not sure if it was just his imagination, but he really felt a lot better! With these thoughts on his mind, Shane squeezed his shoulder and his eyes widened in surprise. The reason was that he felt his shoulder muscles were not as stiff as before. Based on the results, it was obvious that cupping was, in fact, really effective. Shane turned around in disbelief and stared at the ss cups, incredulously. Obviously, he did not understand why lighting up essential oils in cups and letting them suck to the skin could relieve muscle soreness. Though Shane could not understand why, he could not deny the surprising effectiveness of the cupping technique. Seeing how Shane was in his state of surprise for so long, Natalie knew what he was pondering over. She could not help butugh softly. ¡°How is it? The cups are working well, aren''t they?¡± Chapter 1371 Chapter 1371 Shane nodded. ¡°That''s true.¡± He was wrong to think that those were useless junk. On the contrary, they were great. It was the first time he had to swallow his words. ¡°It''s great that it''s effective. In the future, if you have muscle aches, I''ll do it for you. Don''t refuse like you did before.¡± Natalieughed as she said that. Indeed, she had always tried to do cupping for him previously. Shane had disagreed every time and there was nothing she could do. This time, she had waited for him to fall asleep. Fortunately, the results of the cupping were good and he had to admit it. Shane nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± He was agreeable. He had really epted this so-called traditional Chinese medicinal technique. The reason was that he had personally experienced it. However, there was a disadvantage. A red mark was left behind by the cups on the areas treated and it took a few days to go away. Shane turned around and looked at the areas under his shoulders where there were purplish-red marks. He could not help sighing. These marks looked like bruises, as if he had been beaten up. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Watching him study the marks left behind by the cupping administration, Natalie giggled with her hand covering her mouth. ¡°You are now a down-to-earth CEO.¡± He had always been a high-and-mighty CEO. Today, he had been treated by amon traditional medicinal technique and admitted to its effectiveness. ¡°Okay, the water is cold, let''s get up first.¡± Shane turned his head back and stood up holding both sides of the bathtub. Natalie mumbled softly, put down the essential oil, and got up. They rinsed their bodies together under the rainfall showerhead and then came out of the bathroom wearing their bathrobes. When they both dried their hair and changed into their daily clothes, they went downstairs. Mrs. Wilson had already prepared dinner, and both children had already been fetched home by the driver arranged by Shane. Seeing Natalie, the children''s eyes lit up, and then they ran over to her together. Before they could reach her, the two children were stopped by Shane. ¡°Dad?¡± The two children tilted their heads and looked at Shane in confusion, apparently not understanding why he had stopped them from getting close to Mommy. Shane naturally understood the questioning expression of the two children. He squatted down and stroked their heads, saying softly, ¡°You are six years old now, and you have grown a lot taller than before, so your bodies are also much stronger. If you rush into Mommy''s arms directly as before, she will not be able to catch you safely. If you crash into her like this, you will knock Mommy down. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, we do now.¡± Both children nodded with new understanding. Then they faced at Natalie and apologized shyly, ¡°We are sorry, Mommy. We didn''t mean to harm you.¡± In fact, Connor could reason this out but when he suddenly saw that Natalie was back, he was too overwhelmed. Furthermore, being a child, he was so attached to Mommy that he forgot he was taller and bigger than before. ¡°It''s all right.¡± Natalie smiled at the two kids. ¡°Although you cannot rush into my arms like before, you can stille and hug Mommy.¡± Softly, she tapped the two children''s noses. The children nodded in unison. ¡°Yes, we can.¡± ¡°That''s it. Put down your schoolbags and let''s have dinner.¡± Natalie withdrew her hands from the children. The children did as they were told. Leaving their schoolbags on the sofa, they grabbed their parents'' hands and walked into the dining room. After dinner, Shane did not go into the study to work which was his routine. Natalie did not go into her own studio to work, either. Instead, they both stayed in the hall to watch cartoons with the children and enjoy quality time together. Natalie and Shane hade to an agreement. They could not apany the children all the time, because both of them were working. However, the children would not do without bonding time with them so they decided to make up for it. Each week, on alternate evenings, neither of them would work, instead, they would watch TV with the two children, y with them, tell them stories or have some other activities. Chapter 1372 Chapter 1372 Shane was naturally supportive of the n. Today was a Monday, and the evening was reserved for the children. Just as the four were engrossed in watching a cartoon, Shane''s cell phone rang. Natalie and the children nced at him. Shane realized that his phone had interrupted their moment of togetherness and he apologized, feeling rather embarrassed. ¡°It''s fine. See who the caller is. If it''s urgent, just answer it,¡± Natalie said. Connor nodded. ¡°Yes, Daddy, if it''s urgent, you have to handle it first. Anyway, we have plenty of time.¡± ¡°Mmm, go, Daddy, go,¡± Sharon added. Seeing the three were so forgiving, Shaneughed softly and took out his cell phone. ¡°It''s from Jackson.¡± Shane pursed his lips. Natalie was surprised. ¡°Dr. Baker? It''s sote. Why would he call? Please do answer him.¡± Shane murmured a reply and answered the call. What Jackson said on the other end of the line could not be heard but Natalie noticed that Shane''s expression was a little unhappy. Finally, he said, ¡°That''s not necessary,¡± and put down the phone. ¡°What''s up?¡± Natalie asked. Shane shut his cell phone and dropped it on the coffee table. ¡°Jackson has selected a cemetery plot for Jacqueline for the burial tomorrow. He asked me if I would be there to take a look.¡± ¡°There''s no reason to go.¡± Natalie was not concerned at all when she replied inly. Who would go to attend an enemy''s funeral? ¡±I know you won''t go, and I don''t want to, either. That''s why I told him there''s no need,¡± Shane replied. Natalie nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jackson''s thoughts are a mystery. He knows full well that we hated Jacqueline. Why on earth would we want to pay her ourst respects? Yet, Jackson had asked them if they wished to go. ¡°That''s it. Let''s continue watching the show¡± Shane picked up the remote control and resumed ying the cartoon film which had been put on pause. The family of four entered into a time of warmpanionship again, right up to ten o''clock before retiring to bed. The next day, when Natalie woke up, it was already nine in the morning. Shane had already gone out of the bedroom. She felt his side of the bed and found it still warm. Presumably, he had only just gotten out of bed. Natalie stretched herself, pulled the nket aside and got out of bed. Then, she entered the bathroom to take a shower. After washing up, she opened the door and prepared to go downstairs. As soon as the door was opened, she saw the two children standing outside, smiling at her. ¡°Mummy, good morning.¡± She was initially startled by the kids, then pleasantly surprised. Sheughed. ¡°Why are you here? Are you here to wake me up?¡± Connor nodded. ¡°Yes, Daddy wanted us to wake you up for breakfast.¡± ¡°Daddy?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Your daddy is still at home?¡± ¡°Yes, he''s downstairs,¡± Sharon replied. Natalie was surprised. ¡°Well, if that is so, let''s go downstairs quickly.¡± She had thought that Shane would have left for work. It was a pleasant surprise for her that he was staying to have breakfast with them. After all, it was already nine o''clock and work had already started at the Thompson Group office. Natalie went downstairs, sandwiched between the two children. Shane was seated on the sofa in the hall holding a finance magazine which he was flipping through and reading. Hearing their footsteps, he put down the magazine and turned around. At the sight of the trioing downstairs, a gentle smile instantly took the ce of his usually cold expression. ¡°So, you are up!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I thought you have gone to work.¡± ¡°I''m not going to the office today. I have to inspect the branch in J City, so I can leave a littleter.¡± Shane stood up as he spoke. Natalie lifted her chin. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Come, let''s go for breakfast.¡± Shane made a move. The kids exchanged nces, then they let go of Natalie''s hands and pushed her into Shane''s arms. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Natalie was totally unprepared for this. In an instant, before she realized what was happening, she was thrust toward Shane. Chapter 1373 Chapter 1373 Shane arched his brows and smiled as he held her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Shane while his arms were still around her waist. Natalie nodded and tapped her own chest. ¡°I''m fine. Those two rascals scared me. That''s all.¡± After saying that, Natalie turned around and pretended to be mad at the kids. ¡°You kids...¡± Before she even finished speaking, both kids stuck their tongues out at her before holding hands and making their way to the dining room. They were giggling the entire way. ¡°Those two truly are troublemakers,¡±mented Natalie in exasperation as she stared at them. ¡°They''re just trying to get us closer to one another,¡± informed Shane while looking into her eyes. Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. That is why I''m not actually mad at them. If they had done that for no reason, I would''ve taught them a lesson.¡± ¡°I trust our kids. They are not like the other ordinary kids, who would pull pranks for no reason,¡± replied Shane. He chuckled, then moved his arms away from her waist to hold her hand instead. ¡°Come on. Let''s not talk about this anymore. Let''s head to the dining room for now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Natalie as she nodded with a smile. They were having breakfast when Mrs. Wilson suddenly led Ss into the room. Ss stood in front of Shane and greeted, ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Thompson. Good morning, kids.¡± ¡°Good morning, Mr. Campbell,¡± greeted the two kids simultaneously after they turned their heads to him. Natalie smiled at him, too. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Campbell.¡± ¡°What brings you over this early in the morning?¡± asked Shane after he sipped some coffee. ¡°I have some good news to share,¡± replied Ss. As he did so, he retrieved a folder from his briefcase. ¡°This is a copy of the document for the baby''s return to the country. All the paperwork is done and approved.¡± After that, Ss presented the papers to Shane. However, before he got to hand it over, Natalie snatched the papers in excitement. ¡°This is paperwork for Anders'' return to the country?¡± ¡°It''s just a copy,¡± replied Ss. ¡°The original has already been sent to the embassy. That is why I made a copy for you and Mr. Thompson.¡± It didn''t matter that it wasn''t the original, though. The most important bit was that their baby wasing home. ¡°Did you just say that all the paperwork has been approved?¡± asked Shane as he put his cup of coffee down. Ss nodded. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Then that means Anders cane home, right?¡± asked Natalie. She was so excited that she gripped the copy she was holding. When the kids heard about how their baby brother might being home, their eyes shone in delight. They dropped the spoons they were holding as well. ¡°Mommy, is my baby brothering home?¡± asked Sharon. Connor replied, ¡°That''s right. Mr. Campbell said that the paperwork is approved, so that must mean that Anders cane home.¡± ¡°Yes, you are right. Your baby brother can return,¡± replied Ss while smiling. Natalie was so happy that her eyes reddened with tears of joy. ¡°That''s amazing. That is so wonderful. Shane, did you hear that? Our baby ising home.¡± Shane nodded while smiling. ¡°Yes, I heard it.¡± He paused for a moment before asking, ¡°When will he be back?¡± ¡°He''ll be home within two days. Everything has been settled in the foreign country, and all that''s left is for the embassy to officially stamp its approval. The baby cane home immediately after,¡± replied Ss. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Natalie was so happy that she was sniffling a little. ¡°Two days... That''s amazing news. I can see my baby in two days...¡± ¡°Yay, we can be with our baby brother,¡± cheered Sharon who was so happy that she jumped a little. She had only seen Anders a few times, but she still remembered that tiny and fragile baby with reddened skin. The image of him lying in the incubator had made an impression on her. It was at that moment that she finally understood why Connor had always looked out for her. I was tiny and needed to be protected and taken care of, but I''m a big girl now. On the other hand, my baby brother is tiny, so I must care for him. ¡°Is everything settled at the hospital?¡± asked Shane. Even though the baby was returning, it was still too weak and had to stay in an incubator. ¡°Everything has been arranged. As per your instructions, we will not be going to a hospital owned by the Baker family. Instead, the baby will be in a hospital you own,¡± answered Ss. Chapter 1374 Chapter 1374 Shane nodded, ¡°That''s good to know.¡± Ss left after that. He waited in the car outside the vi for a while until Shane made his way over. After that, they left to inspect thepany. The family of four left the house together after they had their breakfast. They parted ways at the entrance of the vi, where Shane got into Ss'' car and left early. Natalie took her kids and left them with the driver, who was responsible for dropping the kids off. She waited until the driver had left with the kids before she got into her own car and left the Thompson vi. She had just sat down in front of herputer at work and had just turned on theputer when her phone rang. The poordy never even had the chance to begin working. Natalie didn''t check the screen of her phone. She picked the call up right away. ¡°This is Natalie.¡± ¡°Nat,¡± said Caitlin on the other end of the line. She sounded terrified, and her voice was thick with tears. Natalie stiffened and sat up immediately. ¡°Mrs. Rivers? What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Nat, it''s Joyce. S-She...¡± It sounded as though Caitlin was dealing with something terrifying. She stuttered so much that she couldn''t even get a full sentence out of her lips. Natalie frowned and advised, ¡°Calm down, Mrs. Rivers. Slow down and tell me what happened to Joyce.¡± Caitlin, who was crying too much on the other end of the line, heard what Natalie said. The former knew that she couldn''t keep crying like that because she wouldn''t be able to say anything under those circumstances. Hence, she took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down. A few secondster, Caitlin managed to force a bit of sanity back into herself and said, ¡°Joyce cut her own wrist.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was so shocked that she sprang up. That movement was so sudden that she identally tipped over the cup of coffee on her desk, causing it to flow all over the table. The blueprints sitting on the desk were ruined. However, Natalie couldn''t be bothered about any of that anymore. She gripped her phone. In a trembling voice, she asked, ¡°Mrs. Rivers, a-are you talking about suicide?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Caitlin while nodding as her heart ached. Natalie felt her vision going dark. Her entire body swayed, and she almost fell onto the floor. Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough and managed to put her hand on her desk to support herself. That was the only reason she didn''t fall to the ground. ¡°H-How did that happen? W-Why would Joyce do that to herself?¡± asked Natalie. She had turned pale, and the glow in her eyes had be dimmer. ¡°I don''t know either,¡± replied Caitlin between sobs. ¡°Everything was fine this morning. We had breakfast together, and Joyce smiled when she walked me and her dad out of the house. My husband and I suddenly remembered that we forgot our wallets, so we went back. That was when we saw Joyce in the bathroom with an open wound on her wrist.¡± Natalie''s heart thumped fast. For a moment there, she couldn''t get herself to calm down. ¡°Is she...?¡± Natalie couldn''t bring herself to finish that sentence, but Caitlin knew what she was talking about. The former was asking if Joyce was already gone.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Caitlin wiped her tears off her face and shook her head. ¡°No, she''s not gone. She survived. We returned and found her in time, so we call the emergency line. The ambnce came to take her to the hospital quickly, and she survived. However, she is still unconscious.¡± Natalie sighed a huge breath of relief when she heard that. ¡°That''s good. Thank the heavens.¡± Natalie tapped her chest to calm herself down. She truly worried that Joyce would be gone just like that. At that moment, the only mystery left was why Joyce would try tomit suicide in the first ce. ¡°Mrs. Rivers, are you in the hospital in Baycoast now?¡± asked Natalie. Caitlin nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Okay, then I''ll head over right now,¡± replied Natalie. After that, she hung up the call and picked up her bag before moving out of her office. When she was out of her office, she waved to her assistant, who was working in front of the printer at the time. ¡°Lily.¡± ¡°Ms. Smith, were you calling out to me?¡± asked Lily when she heard Natalie''s voice. The former put her work aside immediately and went to thetter. Natalie pointed at her office and replied, ¡°I spilled some coffee, so please help me clean it up. Also, please take care of thepany for a few days. I need to go on a business trip.¡± Chapter 1375 Chapter 1375 Natalie couldn''t let anyone know anything about Joyce''s attempted suicide because rumors would definitely run wild. There would be all sorts of assumptions. Lily was surprised to learn that Natalie was leaving after having just gotten back. Still, the former didn''t ask too many questions. She simply nodded and replied, ¡°Understood, Ms. Smith.¡± Natalie murmured a reply while strapping her bag on and leaving. Inside the elevator, Natalie closed her eyes and massaged her temple. She seemed emotionally burdened at that moment. She would never have imagined that things would turn out that way. Yesterday, she made her way back from J City, and today, she learned that Joyce tried tomit suicide. So the thing that Joyce said she is going to do... It''s suicide. That''s why she refused to clue me in and why she imed I will surely stop her if I learn of it. D*mn it, of course, I''d stop her. How can I not? We''re talking about suicide here! Natalie didn''t know why Joyce tried to kill herself, but she knew that it must have something to do with Stanley. After all, Detective Flores mentioned how Joyce was off after she paid a visit to Stanley at Stanford Hospital. That was also when Joyce seemed to have decided to do something drastic. That something turned out to be suicide. All those clues point to a single fact. Stanley yed a role in Joyce''s attempted suicide. D*mn it, I must learn what Stanley told Joyce and why she tried to kill herself. As that thought ran past Natalie''s mind, her eyes burned with a hint of anger toward Stanley. She picked up her phone and called Stanley as soon as she stepped out of that elevator. Unfortunately, Stanley''s phone was still off at the time. It infuriated Natalie even more. She didn''t know where he was at that moment or what he was doing. He doesn''t need to keep his phone off all the time, even if he is looking for the culprit. It didn''t matter how angry Natalie was, though. She still couldn''t get in touch with Stanley. After massaging her temple in frustration, Natalie opened the door to her car and called Shane. He was at a meeting at the time. When he heard his phone ringing, he gestured for everyone to pause, then picked up the call. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Darling, I have to go to Baycoast right now,¡± informed Natalie as she fired up the car engine. She looked ever so determined at the time. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Wait, what? Baycoast? Didn''t you just get back yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, but I have to head over again right now. Joyce cut her own wrist,¡± replied Natalie. When she said that aloud, her eyes reddened, and her voice became thick with tears. Joyce was her BFF, so she couldn''t possibly ignore the news about how thetter being hurt. ¡°What did you just say? Joyce tried to kill herself?¡± said Shane upon hearing that. He was surprised as well, and his expression took a sharp turn. Everyone else in the conference room was looking at each other and was confused. ¡°Mr. Thompson said Joyce, right? Who is she?¡± ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°I think I have an idea. That''s Mrs. Thompson''s friend. I heard Mr. Campbell mentioning her before.¡± ¡°Wait, so Mrs. Thompson''s friendmitted suicide? My gosh, that is terrible news.¡± Natalie was on the other end of the line, so she didn''t know what Shane''s subordinates were talking about. She kept her eyes on the road and nodded. ¡°Yeah, Joyce cut her own wrist in the bathroom this morning after her parents left the house. Fortunately, her parents went home in time. If that hadn''t been the case, Joyce might already be gone. That is why I must go to her, Shane.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Let''s head over together. I''ll get a private jet. It''ll be much faster that way,¡± suggested Shane as he got up. ¡°You''re heading over, too?¡± asked Natalie in a surprised tone. ¡°She is Connor and Sharon''s godmother, and she helped me babysit the kids when Sean kidnapped you some time ago. No matter how you put it, it is only socially right that I visit her to show some support. The kids should go to her too,¡± replied Shane. Natalie was touched. She nodded and replied, ¡°You''re right. I''ll go pick the kids up now and rush to the airport now.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll be waiting on the private jet,¡± replied Shane before he put his phone away. The family had two private jets. One was huge, while the other was medium-sized. Additionally, they had quite a few helicopters. Chapter 1376 Chapter 1376 The helicopters could be easily essed, but the private jets were left at the airport where the airline companies would take care of them. Hence, the family still had to make their way to the airport, even if they were taking a private jet. Shane put his phone away and turned to the others in the conference room. ¡°Our meeting today will conclude here and now. We''ll continue with our discussion after I''ve returned.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Everyone already overheard what he had to do, so no one objected. Instead, they nodded in agreement. Shane opened the door and left the conference room after that. Outside, Ss saw him exiting the room while having a terrible expression. The former immediately asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Mr. Thompson?¡± ¡°Something happened to Joyce,¡± replied Shane as he made his way to the elevator. Ss followed closely behind. ¡°What happened to Ms. Rivers?¡± ¡°She tried tomit suicide,¡± answered Shane. He pressed the button in the elevator after that. Ss shouted, ¡°What? Suicide? For real?¡±Shane frowned and red in dissatisfaction. ¡°Do you think I''d joke about something like this?¡± Ss immediately shook his head and hands. ¡°No, not at all. I was just surprised and couldn''t register or believe that for a moment there. Still, why would she do that to herself? How is she now? Is she gone?¡± ¡°She survived. Her parents found her in time and rescued her,¡± answered Shane as he walked into the elevator. Ss sighed a breath of relief. ¡°That''s good to know. Madam will surely be devastated if anything were to happen to Ms. Rivers.¡± The helicopters could be eosily essed, but the privote jets were left ot the oirport where the oirline componies would toke core of them. Hence, the fomily still hod to moke their woy to the oirport, even if they were toking o privote jet. Shone put his phone owoy ond turned to the others in the conference room. ¡°Our meeting todoy will conclude here ond now. We''ll continue with our discussion ofter I''ve returned.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Everyone olreody overheord whot he hod to do, so no one objected. Insteod, they nodded in ogreement. Shone opened the door ond left the conference room ofter thot. Outside, Silos sow him exiting the room while hoving o terrible expression. The former immediotely osked, ¡°Whot''s wrong, Mr. Thompson?¡± ¡°Something hoppened to Joyce,¡± replied Shone os he mode his woy to the elevotor. Silos followed closely behind. ¡°Whot hoppened to Ms. Rivers?¡± ¡°She tried tomit suicide,¡± onswered Shone. He pressed the button in the elevotor ofter thot. Silos shouted, ¡°Whot? Suicide? For reol?¡±Shone frowned ond glored in dissotisfoction. ¡°Do you think I''d joke obout something like this?¡± Silos immediotely shook his heod ond honds. ¡°No, not ot oll. I wos just surprised ond couldn''t register or believe thot for o moment there. Still, why would she do thot to herself? How is she now? Is she gone?¡± ¡°She survived. Her porents found her in time ond rescued her,¡± onswered Shone os he wolked into the elevotor. Silos sighed o breoth of relief. ¡°Thot''s good to know. Modom will surely be devostoted if onything were to hoppen to Ms. Rivers.¡± Shane knew that as well. As things are, Natalie is already breaking down. Her voice was off when she told me the news earlier, and I bet she almost fainted when she first heard the news. ¡°Where are we going now, Mr. Thompson? Are we paying Ms. Rivers a visit?¡± asked Ss. Despite his question, he knew that they were definitely visiting Joyce. Why else would Mr. Thompson abruptly end the meeting after learning what happened to Ms. Rivers? The conference in question was estimated tost two hours, and it had only been an hour. Hence, Ss couldn''t think of any other reason for Shane to leave that early. It had to be about visiting Ms. Rivers. It was, of course, as Ss had guessed. He got his confirmation when Shane nodded a little and replied, ¡°Yeah, we''re visiting her. She helped my family and me time and again, so it''s only right that we help her.¡± ¡°That''s true,¡± murmured Ss as he nodded. ¡°Call the airlinepany and tell them I''ll be taking the medium-sized private jet,¡± instructed Shane while walking into the elevator. ¡°Understood,¡± replied Ss. Soon, the family of four and Ss made their way to Baycoast. Natalie never told the kids why they were going to Baycoast because the young ones loved Joyce. They would likely cry or faint from the shock of learning what had happened to her. Hence, she decided to let the kids learn what was going on after they arrived at their destination. That was why the kids assumed their parents were taking them out on a regr trip. Naturally, Connor noticed the grim expression that his mother wore, so he guessed that something had happened. I won''t ask since it''s obvious Mommy doesn''t want to talk about it. About half an hourter, the nended at the airport in Baycoast. They got out of the ne and left the airport immediately after because a car was already waiting for them. Natalie told the driver where they were headed when everyone was in the car. Connor couldn''t hold his concern in anymore after hearing how they were going to a hospital. ¡°Mommy, is someone sick? Are Mr. and Mrs. Rivers okay?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. He asked that question because he knew that Joyce''s parents lived in Baycoast. Mommy and Daddy brought us to Baycoast, and we are going to the hospital right away. That must mean that one or both of them are sick. They don''t seem that healthy to begin with, and they look older than others in their age group. All those factors suggest it is highly likely they are sick. However, Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, they''re not sick. They''re fine, actually. The one in the hospital is... your Aunt Joyce.¡± ¡°Aunt Joyce is sick?¡± asked both kids simultaneously. Natalie''s lips parted. She wanted to tell them the truth, but she couldn''t bring herself to do so. In the end, she simply nodded. ¡°In a way, yes. That is why we''re visiting her.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied the kids as they nodded. Chapter 1377 Chapter 1377 No one spoke again for the rest of the trip. They arrived at the hospital soon after. When they were on their way, Natalie called Caitlin to tell her that they would be there soon. As a result, Caitlin had been waiting at the entrance of the hospital. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She wiped her tears away when she saw Natalie and the others there. ¡°Nat, hi. You''re here.¡± ¡°Mrs. Rivers,¡± greeted Natalie. The kids greeted simultaneously as well. ¡°Mrs. Rivers.¡± Caitlin felt a little better after she heard the kids'' sweet baby voice. She forced a smile to her face and replied, ¡°Hi, kids. Awh, you''ve gotten so much bigger.¡± ¡°Yeah, we''re one year older now and are six years old,¡± said Sharon. She put both hands up and held out six fingers, making her just the cutest thing ever. Connor put his hand up as well. ¡°I grew to be three centimeters taller than Sharon, too.¡± ¡°That''s great. You''re both amazing,¡± replied Caitlin. She smiled as she caressed the kids'' chubby cheeks. After that, she turned her attention to the man standing beside Natalie. The guy was so tall and handsome that he drew attention to him. It was virtually impossible to look away, even though all he did was stand there. Surprise shed past Caitlin''s eyes. She was getting older and thought she had seen it all. However, that was the first time she saw someone that handsome. He even exudes an amazing aura. Huh... I used to think that Stanley and Justin were the most good-looking ones. Who would''ve thought that there is someone even better- looking than them? And the way he stands next to Natalie... My gosh, it is as though they are made for each other. To Caitlin, the most important bit was the fact that Shane looked just like Connor. That made things simpler because it was clear who the guy was. ¡°Nat, this is your better half, isn''t it?¡± asked Caitlin while looking right at Shane. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, he is. Mrs. Rivers, this is my husband, Shane Thompson.¡± After saying that, Natalie turned her attention to Shane to make the introductions. ¡°Darling, this is Joyce''s mother, Caitlin.¡± ¡°Hello, Mrs. Rivers,¡± greeted Shane. He extended his hand to shake hers. Caitlin could tell that Shane was a man of power, so she was a little nervous to extend her hand and shake his. ¡°H-Hi, I-I''ll just refer to you as Mr. Thompson, then. My, you truly are a handsomed.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Mrs. Rivers,¡± replied Shane while grinning. Caitlin retracted her hand. ¡°Oh, there''s no need for that. I''m just stating the truth.¡± ¡°Let''s not talk about this anymore, Mrs. Rivers, and instead make our way to Joyce now. How is she?¡± asked Natalie. Everyone entered the hospital. Caitlin was so devastated that she cried once more. ¡°Joyce is still unconscious. The doctor said that her cut is deep, so they had to give her a lot of blood. Also...¡± ¡°Also... What?¡± asked Natalie after she handed Caitlin a piece of tissue. Caitlin took that piece of tissue to wipe her tears. A hint of hopelessness shed past her eyes. ¡°Also, they said she is pregnant.¡± ¡°What?¡± blurted Natalie. Her expression changed drastically. Even Shane started to look off at the time. Natalie''s jaw dropped, and it took her some time before she managed to speak again. ¡°Joyce''s pregnant?¡± The kids were at the side, so they heard what the adults said and finally figured out what was going on. Ah, so Aunt Joyce isn''t sick. She tried to kill herself by cutting her own wrist. Also, she is pregnant. ¡°Yeah, the doctor said that she has been pregnant for a month,¡± replied Caitlin. She nodded with a broken heart before adding, ¡°Someone must''ve forced himself on Joyce and got her pregnant.¡± ¡°What makes you say that, Mrs. Rivers?¡± asked Natalie while looking into Caitlin''s eyes. Caitlin covered her lips in sadness. ¡°Why else would she have tried to take her own life? I finally understand why my baby girl has been acting offtely. She must''ve been raped, and that is why she behaved oddly. It also exins why she tried to kill herself.¡± Shane''s lips parted after he heard that. ¡°That might seem like the most logical exnation, but Joyce wasn''t raped.¡± Caitlin instantly stopped crying after she heard that. She tilted her head up and looked at Shane and Natalie right away. ¡°Natalie, Mr. Thompson, do you know something I don''t? Do you know who the father is?¡± Chapter 1378 Chapter 1378 Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, we do.¡± ¡°Then tell me. Who is the father?¡± demanded Caitlin while grabbing Natalie''s wrist. Thetter sighed and answered, ¡°It''s Stanley''s.¡± I should''ve realized it sooner. Joyce was acting a little off yesterday, and I should''ve known that she is pregnant. ¡°Stanley?¡± said Caitlin. She was surprised to learn that. ¡°How could the father be Stanley? I thought he hates Joyce, so why would he impregnate her?¡± Natalie had no choice but to share everything. ¡°It was an ident. About a month ago, Joyce and Stanley got drunk, and...¡± ¡°Nat, what did you just say?¡± asked Jonathan. His voice was burning with infinite rage when it came from inside the room. He walked right to Natalie and demanded, ¡°Did you just say that Stanley is the father?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°About a month ago, an incident happened between Joyce and Stanley, so he is likely the father.¡± ¡°That b*stard!¡± roared Jonathan angrily after learning who knocked up his daughter. He clenched his fist, and his wrinkled face brimmed with fury. Caitlin was devastated as well. ¡°How could it be Stanley? Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be him?¡± She would rather the kid''s father be a gangster than to have Stanley be the biological dad. Jonathan felt just as bad for his daughter, so he spat his angry words through gritted teeth. ¡°That f*cking a*shole! He doesn''t love my daughter, so why did he... No, I will not stand idly by. I''ll hunt that guy down for this!¡± A father would understandably drown in sadness when he saw his daughter loving someone deeply and not have that love reciprocated. When Jonathan witnessed his daughter crying and in pain for Stanley, his heart ached as though a knife was piercing through it. Any father would hope that his daughter would lead a happy life. That was why, despite knowing that the Rivers family had wronged the Quinn family, Jonathan still prayed that his daughter wouldn''t end up with Stanley. He would repay the Quinn family in some other way. Jonathan and Caitlin both knew how Stanley had been treating Joyce. The guy was neglectful, cruel, and heartless. In other words, they knew he didn''t care about Joyce or love her. Jonathan and Caitlin were the parents, and they were heartbroken to see their daughter being rejected despite all the love she gave. Still, they understood how things were for Stanley. After all, when it came to the matter of the hearts, nothing could be forced. Falling in love was not a voluntary action, and it was not as though there was a switch to be flipped. No one was obligated to love someone who had fallen for them as well. That was why Jonathan and Caitlin had never put the me on Stanley or pressured him into loving their daughter back. On top of that, they knew the Rivers family owed the Quinn family. That made it even more impossible for them to ask Stanley to give Joyce a chance. It got to the point where they didn''t evenin when Stanley broke Joyce''s heart. Despite all that, Stanley should never, ever have slept with Joyce or impregnated her without loving her. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. That was why they would not let Stanley off the hook, regardless of what the Rivers family had done to the Quinn family. If Stanley hated the Rivers family, then he could''ve just gone after Caitlin and Jonathan. They would pay for their mistake. Why did he have to toy with Joyce''s feelings instead? Also, why did he impregnate Joyce? Is he going to abandon her and the baby to get back at us? The more Jonathan thought about it, the angrier he got. His face turned red, and his entire body swayed. It seemed he was on the verge of fainting. Fortunately, Caitlin was there to hold him in ce and prevent that from happening. ¡°Give me the cell phone,¡± requested Jonathan after he took a deep breath and put his hand out to Caitlin. She knew what he was nning to do, so she let go of his arm right away and handed him the phone. They were in agreement on the matter and thought that they should call Stanley to get to the bottom of it all. Did he impregnate Joyce on purpose? Or was it really an ident? However, when Jonathan had the phone with him, Natalie spoke up. ¡°There is no point in doing that, Mr. Rivers. You won''t find Stanley. I called him when I first learned about Joyce''s attempted suicide, but his phone has been turned off. We have no way of contacting him at all.¡± Chapter 1379 Chapter 1379 ¡°Can''t get through the line?¡± Frederick''s face fell. Natalie replied with a nod, ¡°Ya.¡± Caitlin asked further, ¡°Nat, you mentioned just now that Joyce contacted Stanley before shemitted suicide. What do you mean by that? Are you implying that Stanley has got something to do with Joyce''s mishap?¡± Upon hearing that, Frederick shot a look at Natalie, longing for an immediate answer. Stunned, Natalie did not know what to say. Momentster, she nodded. ¡°I think so. Joyce was acting weird after meeting up with Stanley. I asked her about it the day before yesterday, but she said nothing. The only thing she told me was that she wanted to do something. Yet, she refused to share the details. She said that I''d definitely stop her if I knew about it. Hence, I assumed that she was referring to taking her own life.¡± ¡°What?¡± Frederick and Caitlin froze at the spot. They were both shocked to the core. Natalie was worried for them. ¡°Mr. and Mrs Rivers...¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Why... Why would such a dreadful thought appear in her head?¡± Caitlin broke down. She could no longer hold back her tears. Frederick clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, seemingly suppressing his overwhelming feelings. ¡°Stanley... That b*stard! What did he do to Joyce?¡± Suddenly, Frederick mmed his fist on the wall. ¡°Did he hypnotize Joyce and make hermit suicide? Does he hate Joyce so much? Does he want to get rid of the entire Rivers family?¡± At that moment, Shane put forward his two cents. ¡°Would it be possible that Joyce did it to resolve the conflict between the Rivers and the Quinns? Have you thought about this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was taken aback. Frederick and Caitlin looked at him intently. ¡°Mr. Thompson, you mean...¡± Shane held the hands of the two children and said, ¡°Joyce went to see Stanley and found out that the Rivers family was involved in the death of his parents. Although I have no clue what they talked about, I could probably guess that Joyce chose to take her own life in order to end the past grudges between two families once and for all.¡± ¡°To end it once and for all?¡± the Rivers repeated thest bit of his sentence. Terrified, Natalie covered her mouth as a thought dawned on her. ¡°I understand now.¡± ¡°Nat, what do you understand?¡± Caitlin grabbed her arm and queried. Natalie gazed at Shane. ¡°Mrs. Rivers, I think my husband''s assumption is right. Joyce had been investigating the murder case of Stanley''s parents all these while. She wanted to discover the truth and seek the culprit, so that she could be with Stanley. However, she didn''t know much about the case nor the fact that the both of you were rted to it. Initially, she wanted to locate the murderer with the hope that it would help dismiss the charges pinned against the Rivers. This way, Stanley would stop treating her with hostility, and perhaps they could live happily ever after too. Who would have known that...¡± She took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°Who would have known that her dream would be shattered into a million pieces. When she found out that her own parents were involved in leaking Stanley''s parents whereabouts unknowingly, she was filled with a mix of despair, destion, and hopelessness. At the same time, she realized that it was impossible for her to mend her rtionship with Stanley. Hence, I suppose that''s why she took the path with no return with the hope that Stanley could forgive the Rivers family.¡± Frederick and Caitlin were utterly dumbfounded upon hearing how Natalie pieced the puzzle together. Shortly after, Frederick pounded his chest and wailed in guilt. ¡°It''s me. It''s all my fault. I''m the one to be me for doing this to my own daughter. It''s me!¡± Needless to say, Caitlin bawled her eyes out too. Natalie felt so sorry for the couple. Her heart ached for them. An instant regret washed over her. I shouldn''t have told Joyce how Stanley¡¯s parents died. Anyhow, she would surely discover the truth sooner orter even if I were to keep my lips sealed at that time. The consequence might be even worse then, who knows? All in all, it was an awful quandary to be in. Someone would get hurt no matter what decision was made. ¡°Tell me, Shane, did I make a mistake?¡± The agony shown on the faces of Frederick and Caitlin sent Natalie down a guilt trip. Chapter 1380 Chapter 1380 Shane understood what Natalie was going through. ¡°It has got nothing to do with you. Regardless of your action, Joyce would have known everything from the others and made the same decision. The ending will still be the same.¡± He consoled her with a gentle hug andforting words. Natalie gaped at him. ¡°But...¡± ¡°Don''t overthink things.¡± Shane patted her shoulder as if to soothe her. ¡°I can understand why Joyce did that.¡± The Rivers couple turned their heads to Shane as soon as he said that. Thetter added, ¡°The umtion of resentment into hatred is too deep for both families. Moreover, Stanley''s parents died because of the Rivers. The only thing Joyce could do to atone for her family was to exchange peace with her life. It''s impossible for her to make her parents sacrifice themselves. Hence, the only option left was to take her own life.¡± Frederick continued to pound his chest and stamp his feet out of exasperation. ¡°Oh my, that girl... Why would she think of it this way? It was a grudge of our generation, and it should be resolved among us. How could she do it on our behalf? Why did she...¡± Caitlin, on the other hand, cried hysterically. ¡°Joyce... Boo... Hoo...¡± For a moment, the old couple seemed to have aged even more. Natalie''s heart wrenched painfully. She moved her trembling lips, wanting to say something, but Frederick spoke first. ¡°Actually, Caitlyn and I havee up with a solution to settle all the issues with the Quinn family. Unfortunately, Joyce acted in a rash before we could trante our thoughts into action.¡± ¡°What? You''ve got a way to end the long-standing feud?¡± blurted Natalie in surprise. They nodded in response. Natalie released Shane''s hand and strode forward to hold Caitlin''s instead. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, what was the solution? Why didn''t you do anything about it?¡± Had they prioritized a reconciliation between the two families, Joyce wouldn''t need to go through the terrible dilemma, to the extent that she had to take things into her own hands and give up her life for it. Caitlin and Frederick exchanged nces. Then, Frederick smiled wryly. ¡°In fact, it''s the same solution as what Joyce had thought of - an eye for an eye, a life for a life. Undeniably, we were the ones who indirectly exposed Stanley''s parents whereabouts and caused them to be murdered. We can totally understand why Stanley hates us to the core and wants to make us responsible for his parents'' death. We were so disheartened to see how cold he was to Joyce. So, Caitlyn and I thought that resolving the family conflict ourselves would grant Joyce and Stanley a positive change in their rtionship. Then...¡± Frederick wiped his tears away before continuing, ¡°Then, Caitlyn and I made up our minds to leave this world after our sixtieth birthday. This would settle everything once and for all. Stanley wouldn''t hold a grudge against us anymore, and Joyce would stand a chance to be with him. However, as time went by, we saw how Stanley antagonized Joyce, and their rtionship turned from bad to worse. It was then when Caitlyn and I realized that he would never be with Joyce regardless if the family dispute was resolved.¡± ¡°That''s right. So, Frederick and I wanted Joyce to find new love, date someone else, and be happy again. We''re about to turn sixty. With that, we urged Joyce to forget about Stanley and start anew. We were really hoping to see her get married before we end our lives. It was our wish to see her tying the knot with someone who would love her dearly, someone whom she could rely on after our passing. Unbeknownst to us, she went ahead and left before us.¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Caitlin broke down in anguish. Natalie was struck silent. Initially, she had the impression that the couple thought of a win-win solution. Chapter 1381 Chapter 1381 However, their method turned out to involve paying with their lives as well. Natalie couldn''t bring herself to tell Joyce''s parents to go through with that method, so it seemed that the grudge between the two families would never be resolved. Natalie took a deep breath and patted Caitlin on the hand as she said, ¡°I understand what you and Mr. Rivers n on doing, but I hope that you two will not go through with that n. Joyce tried to kill herself in order to settle the grudge between both families, and look how much pain her action has caused the two of you. Had you two killed yourselves, Joyce would surely suffer even if she were able to find a new lover and start up a new family.¡± ¡°Nat is right. I''m sure there''s another way to resolve this issue, so please don''t do anything rash.¡± Shane, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up all of a sudden. The two kids nodded in unison as well. Caitlin and Jonathan exchanged nces upon hearing that. They felt touched when they saw how worried Natalie and her family members were. ¡°Don''t worry, you two. We understand what you mean, so we won''t do anything rash for now. Joyce still needs us, after all!¡± Jonathan said with a forced smile. Caitlin nodded. ¡°Yeah, that''s right! We won''t do anything rash!¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that. Now, let''s go check on Joyce, shall we?¡± Natalie said. Jonathan then led the way and entered the ward with them following closely behind. Joyce was lying on the bed with her eyes tightly shut, and her face was so pale that she looked like a corpse. Her left hand was wrapped in thick bandages, and she had an IV drip hooked up to transfer blood into her body. It pained them greatly to see her in such a haggard state. ¡°ording to the doctor, Joyce cut really deep into her wrist when she attempted tomit suicide. In fact, her artery waspletely severed. Had we found her even a little bitter, she wouldn''t have survived the trip to the hospital!¡± Caitlin sobbed as she gently caressed Joyce''s cheek. Natalie felt a mixture of heartache and anger when she saw the state of her best friend. It hurt her to see what Joyce had done to herself, but she also felt angry at how well Joyce had kept her intentions a secret from everyone. None of them suspected a thing about her nning onmitting suicide. ¡°By the way, Mrs. Rivers, is Joyce''s baby all right?¡± Natalie asked while staring at her tummy. Caitlin nodded. ¡°Yes, her baby''s fine. To be honest, I was thinking of having the doctor abort the baby when I first found out about it. I assumed she got pregnant because she was raped by some scumbag, and I didn''t want her keeping his child. However, the doctor said Joyce had lost too much blood from her suicide attempt, so she probably wouldn''t survive the abortion procedure. In the end, we decided to keep the baby for the time being. The baby is still very little, so the abortion can wait till Joyce gets better.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I suppose that''s true...¡± Natalie nodded in agreement as well. ¡°Now that you know Stanley is the father, would you still want her to abort the child? Or would you choose to have her keep the child instead?¡± Shane asked all of a sudden. ¡°Um...¡± That question caught both Jonathan and Caitlinpletely off guard. They were actually nning to have Joyce abort the baby regardless of who the father was, and Stanley was no exception. First of all, Stanley didn''t love Joyce, so he wouldn''t care about her and the baby even if he was the father. Although they couldn''t care less about Stanley, they were concerned about how Joyce would feel about all this. It was highly possible that Joyce would choose to keep the baby if she knew that Stanley was the father. Because they knew how much she loved Stanley, they believed Joyce would not regret her choice of keeping the baby even if doing so would make her life incredibly difficult. However, they also knew that aborting the baby without Joyce''s consent would upset her to no end, and they didn''t want her to end up going crazy because of it. As such, Caitlin and Jonathan were at a loss as to what they should do. Noticing that they had both gone silent, Shane nced at Joyce and said, ¡°In that case, maybe we should let Joyce decide for herself. She''s the mother of the baby, so she has the right to decide if the baby stays.¡± Chapter 1382 Chapter 1382 Neither of them had anything to say in objection to his statement. Caitlin and Jonathan nodded in unison after a brief moment of hesitation. ¡°You''re right, Mr. Thompson. We should let Joyce make that decision when she wakes up.¡± Jonathan said with a sigh, hunching his back even further. Maybe Joyce would give up onmitting suicide after finding out that she''s pregnant... Since Joyce had attempted tomit suicide in order to resolve the grudge between the Rivers family and the Quinn family, she would surely make another attemptter on. Jonathan and Caitlin knew that all too well because they were nning on doing the exact same thing. As such, the discovery of her baby was probably their only hope at saving Joyce''s life. ¡°All right...¡± Caitlin sobbed. Everyone else fell silent after that and simply stared at Joyce, who was still lying motionless on the bed. After what seemed like forever, Jonathan turned toward Natalie and said, ¡°How about you two head back for now, Nat? I''m sure you must be tireding all this way to see Joyce today. You cane by againter.¡± Natalie nced at Shane and her two kids in response. Upon noticing how tired her kids looked, she nodded and replied, ¡°All right, Mr. Rivers. We''ll return to the hotel and get some rest. We''lle by againter tonight, okay?¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Caitlin and Jonathan replied in unison. Natalie then turned toward Shane as she said, ¡°Let''s go, Darling.¡± Shane nodded, and the four of them walked out the door hand in hand. N?velDrama.Org ? content. After getting into the car, the driver drove straight for the hotel. ¡°I should''ve known that Joyce wouldmit suicide,¡± Natalie said with reddened eyes along the way. Shane put his phone away and looked at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze as she exined, ¡°Joyce came to see me a few days ago when I was leaving for the airport. She mentioned something about her running out of time. I felt something was off about her, but I couldn''t quite put my finger on it, so I didn''t give it too much thought afterward. If I had put more effort into picking up the signs, I might''ve been able to figure out she was suicidal and stop her in time!¡± Shane reached out and gently pulled her into his arms. ¡°This isn''t your fault. We are all separate individuals, so we can''t control what others do. Even if you did figure out Joyce''s intentions and stopped her frommitting suicide, how would you be sure that she won''t attempt it again in the future?¡± Natalie froze upon hearing that and went silent instantly. Shane shed her a caring look as he continued, ¡°See? You don''t know what to say because you know you can''t make sure of it. You can''t possibly be around Joyce all the time, can you? Eventually, you two will have to go your separate ways, and she''ll be free to do whatever she wants without you stopping her. So, you see, there''s no need for you to hold yourself ountable.¡± Natalie knew that he was right about everything he said. ¡°I just feel bad for missing the opportunity to stop her when I clearly had the chance to.¡± ¡°I know, but you don''t have to. Joyce turned out to be fine, didn''t she? Now, stop thinking too much about it and get some rest,¡± Shane whispered while softly patting her on the head. His voice sounded so calming that Natalie soon drifted off to sleep in his embrace. Shane gave her a kiss on the forehead and tightened his grip on her shoulder. They soon arrived at the hotel, and the two kids got out of the car while Shane followed closely behind with Natalie in his arms. Both Connor and Sharon kept ncing back at them as they made their way toward the elevator. Upon arriving at the presidential suite, Shane gentlyid Natalie on the bed and pulled the nket over her before turning toward the kids. ¡°I need you two to behave yourselves and stay quiet so your mommy can rest well.¡± He knew full well that Natalie had been tensed up and gloomy ever since she found out about Joyce''s suicide attempt. As such, he needed to let her get enough rest or she would surely fall ill. ¡°Got it, Daddy!¡± The two kids nodded obediently in unison. ¡°All right, go y in that room over there. I''m going to get some sleep with your mommy for a bit,¡± Shane said while pointing at the room in front of his. Chapter 1383 Chapter 1383 Natalie rolled her eyes at Lina and argued, ¡°Of course, I miss him. After all, he is my husband. You''ll feel the same when you''re married.¡± ¡°Haha. However, I''m not married.¡± Lina giggled for a while and asked, ¡°By the way, I heard you''re going to the airportter. Is Mr. Thompsoning?¡± ¡°Yes. He''sing tonight.¡± Natalie nodded. Lina clicked her tongue. ¡°No wonder you were smiling so broadly just now. Looks like I''ll have to watch as the two of you act all lovey-dovey tonight!¡± ¡°D*mn you.¡± Natalie red at her mischievous friend. Soon, they arrived at the police station. Lina parked the car and went in with Natalie. At that time, Lucy was already in the interrogation room. When Natalie approached the door, she heard Lucy yelling like a shrew and denying everything she did. Lina couldn''t help but twitch her lips. ¡°This woman is beyond salvation. How can she have the cheek to deny everything when there is strong evidence?¡± Natalie chuckled mockingly. ¡°This wouldn''t have happened to her if she could admit her mistakes earlier. Anyway, we don''t have to look at her. Let''s go to record our statement.¡± The security footage and more than a hundred witnesses could prove without question that Lucy assaulted and ndered Natalie. Even though Lucy denied everything now, she still couldn''t get away with it and would be imprisoned sooner orter. Therefore, Natalie thought she didn''t have to waste her time arguing with Lucy. Instead, she only had to record her statement and leave. In addition, she had no intention to dwell on the case, for the police would inform her about the final verdict. ¡°You''re right.¡± Lina nodded in agreement. She shot a final disdainful nce at Lucy before following Natalie to another office. It was already two o''clock in the afternoon when they finished recording their statements. Touching her belly, Lina proposed, ¡°I''m a little hungry. Nat, shall we get something to eat?¡± Natalie looked at her watch and replied, ¡°Good idea. Let''s go.¡± Then, they got into he car and looked for a restaurant. When having lunch, Natalie received a call from the police station. An officer informed her that Lucy caved in after the interrogation and hade clean on everything. To Natalie''s surprise, a mastermind was behind the nder. It turned out that Hannah was behind it! Once Natalie knew the truth, she frowned deeply while her expression turned grim. She thought Lucy did everything by herself all the while. When Lucy found the social media page and used one of the designs as her work to join thepetition, she undoubtedly stole a peek at other simr designs. Hence, Natalie initially thought it was logical that Lucy framed her for it. However, based on Lucy''s confession, she never took a closer look to understand Natalie''s designs. When Lucy essed the social media page, she was unaware that the designs were simr to Natalie''s. As such, it never crossed her mind to frame Natalie for giarizing in the first ce. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Instead, Hannah plotted it all and made a deal with Lucy. In other words, both of them were aplices in ndering Natalie. After knowing the details, Natalie thought the police had to also arrest Hannah for her wrongdoing. While Natalie was deep in thought, Lina asked in confusion, ¡°Natalie, what happened? Did the police say anything?¡± After a while, Natalie decided to tell her everything. Lina was stunned once she heard the story. ¡°My god! Lucy''s not alone?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples, feeling slightly tired. She used to think Hannah dared not y tricks after the internationalpetition. It turned out that Natalie was wrong, for Hannah lurked around to wait for the best chance to scheme against her. This time, Hannah was clever enough to make a deal with Lucy. With that, she didn''t have to show herself while Lucy did everything for her. That way, even if Lucy was unfortunately arrested, Hannah would still remain safe. Even if Lucy sold her out, the police probably couldn''t arrest her, for she was always ready to escape. Natalie thought Hannah must''ve been hiding near thepetition hall when Lucy was arrested. Hence, Hannah probably had run away and gone abroad by now. Chapter 1384 Chapter 1384 Because of that, Joyce was gued with guilt and self-me for what she did. Mom and Dad are old now, and they aren''t exactly in great health either. I don''t know what they would do if anything were to happen to them because of this... I really regret taking things for granted and acting on a whim... I was so naive to think that my death would be enough to atone for my parents'' mistake, and that Stanley would be able to let go of his hatred toward them! I thought my parents would live happily once they were freed from their guilt, but I ended up neglecting what they truly wanted. I didn''t take into consideration if they would able to ept such an oue. If something were to happen to them because of the extreme shock, my sacrifice would not only be in vain, but also the cause for their deaths! The thought of her parents possibly dying because of her terrified Joyce to no end. Both Caitlin and Jonathan could tell she had truly repented her ways when they saw her crying like that. As she had attempted tomit suicide in order to atone for their mistake, it was only natural that they forgave her for it. That was especially the case since Joyce was still lying weakly on the hospital bed. Caitlin hugged her tightly and patted her on the back as she sobbed, ¡°Joyce... Oh, my baby... Do you know how scared I was when I found you like that?¡± Jonathan stepped forward as well. ¡°Yeah! I nearly died from the shock!¡± ¡°Mom, Dad, I''m sorry... I''m really sorry...¡± Joyce said apologetically while looking at them. ¡°Don''t ever do that again, okay? This is our problem, so we''ll figure something out on our own. All we want is for you to be all right, you hear?¡± Caitlin red at her, refusing to let go until she agreed. Joyce nodded. ¡°Yeah, I hear you.¡± While mustering the courage tomit suicide was easy for a person who had lost the will to live, those who survived the first attempt would realize just how painful it could get and refrain from attempting it again. That was pretty much the case for Joyce over here. ¡°Good girl. You''d better remember what you said, okay? If you try that again, your mom and I might actually end up dying along with you! If that happens, our deaths will be on your hands!¡± Jonathan shouted angrily while jabbing a finger at her. Joyce shrunk away a little in response. ¡°I know, Dad. I won''t do it again.¡± ¡°All right. That''s all that matters.¡± Caitlin gently patted her on the back. Natalie broke into a smile of admiration and envy when she saw the three of them hugging each other after Joyce gave up on taking her own life. Man, I really envy how Joyce still has the love of her parents... I lost my dad''s love since I was little, and now, I''ve lost my mom too. She''s the only person I can rant to whenever I feel stressed out, and she''s gone forever now... Joyce is lucky to still have both her parents around, so she had better drop the idea of taking her own life! It would be in cruel to let her parents suffer losing her like this! Natalie was snapped out of her train of thoughts when Caitlin asked all of a sudden, ¡°By the way, Joyce... Are you aware that you''re pregnant?¡± Judging by the look of confusion and shock on Joyce''s face, it became obvious that she was still unaware of her pregnancy. Natalie had assumed that Caitlin told Joyce about her pregnancy the moment she woke up, but that turned out to not be the case here. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Huh... W-What did you just say? I-I''m pregnant?¡± Joyce asked in a shaky voice while rubbing her tummy. Chapter 1385 Chapter 1385 The moment she heard Lina, Natalie deleted her halfposed message, put away her phone, and looked up in the direction of the VIP passage. Indeed, Shane was walking toward her with the two kids, Ss, and their bodyguards. ¡°Mommy!¡± The kids spotted her and excitedly waved at her. ¡°Hi!¡± Natalie greeted them as she ran toward them. Connor struggled free from Shane, who was holding onto his little hand, and ran toward Natalie. Shane was carrying Sharon in his other arms. She anxiously wanted to go to her mother as well. She impatiently patted Shane on his shoulders as she watched her brother run toward Natalie and eximed, ¡°Put me down, Daddy! I want to go to Mommy too!¡± Shane could not understand her impatience but was amused by their excitement, so he obligingly knelt down and put her on the ground. Sharon quickly ran and caught up with Connor, who was waiting for her, and the two of them threw themselves into Natalie''s arms at the same time. ¡°Oh, my babies! Mommy missed you so much!¡± Natalie was down on her knees, hugging the two kids tightly. She buried her face between them and caressed their hair lovingly. ¡°We missed you too, Mommy!¡± Sharon and Connor leaned on Natalie''s shoulders, one on each side, and cooed simultaneously. Natalie was beaming happily. ¡°I''m really happy!¡± ¡°We are also happy to finally see you again!¡± Connor responded sweetly. ¡°Yes! I finally get to see you two again! Let me take a good look at you!¡± Natalie let go of them and took a good look at them as she caressed their faces. The kids had been away from her for merely a few days, but for Natalie, that was way too long to be apart from her precious babies. She could not help but scrutinize them from head to toe, worried about their well-being. It was a loving reunion, but someone was feeling jealous of being left out. Ahem! Shane cleared his throat, hoping to get their attention. However, the three of them were too engrossed with one another and failed to notice that. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Shane frowned and wondered if he should have faked a louder cough. Lina was watching the family from afar, and she was amused by Shane''s rare disy of such childish behavior. After a while, she could not bear watching his disappointment and decided to give him a hand. ¡°Enough fussing over the kids, Nat. You had better pay some attention to your hubby too before he gets upset and starts whining,¡± she jested. Upset? Whining? How ridiculous! Shane''s face fell upon hearing that, and he threw Lina a cold stare. Lina was not put off by that. Instead, she put on a cheeky face and teased, ¡°Don''t give me that stare, Mr. Thompson! How else can I get you Nat''s attention? Ain''t I right, Nat?¡± ¡°What? Stop that nonsense!¡± Natalie was blushing from the teasing, but she took note of it. She ruffled the kids'' hair one more time, stood up, and walked toward Shane. ¡°I''m sorry, Shane. I didn''t mean to neglect you, and I will never do such a thing. I was about toe to you after greeting the kids. You know how much they mean to me...¡± Natalie looked Shane in the eye and started apologizing to him. ¡°They are my life, the babies that I treasured very much. That doesn''t mean I don''t treasure you, though. I love you, and you are just as important to me!¡± she added. ¡°I know.¡± Shane held her by her arms and pulled her into his embrace as he said, ¡°I neverpare myself with the kids. Why would a father fight with his kids?¡± Chapter 1386 Chapter 1386 Caitlin''s chest was heaving as she pointed at Joyce and said, ¡°Look at your daughter, Jon! She was actually nning on keeping something this big a secret from us! I question if she even sees us as her parents!¡± Joyce pursed her lips and eximed in displeasure, ¡°Don''t say that, Mom!¡± What the heck is Mom saying? Of course I see them as my parents! It''s true that I neglected the consequences of my actions when I tried tomit suicide, but I''ve already realized my mistake! ¡°That''s enough, Honey. What''s done has already been done, so there''s no point in scolding her for it now. Right now, we should focus on what she ns to do with the baby!¡± Jonathan said with a sigh. Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°That''s right, Mrs. Rivers. Let''s ask Joyce what she ns on doing with the baby.¡± The three of them then shifted their gaze toward Joyce, causing her to instinctively clench her fists above her tummy. ¡°Tell us the truth, Joyce. What do you n on doing? Are you going to keep the baby or have an abortion?¡± Joyce''s eyes went wide the moment she heard the word ¡°abortion¡±. She instinctively sat bolt upright and shook her head as she said, ¡°No, I can''t abort the baby!¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°You can''t abort the baby? So... Are you saying you will keep the baby, then?¡± ¡°I...¡± Joyce froze. Keep the baby? Honestly, I haven''t actually thought that far ahead... While I don''t want to get an abortion, I''m not sure if keeping this baby is the right thing to do either. Stanley doesn''t love me, nor does he know that I am pregnant with his child. And even if he does know, what would he do? Knowing his personality and how much he hates me, I bet he''d just ask me to get an abortion! There''s no way he''d let me give birth to this child, so getting an abortion would be the most appropriate option for me. But... For some reason, the mere thought of getting an abortion makes me feel really horrible. Although I didn''t wish for this sudden pregnancy, the fact remains that this baby belongs to me and the man I love! I just can''t bring myself to get an abortion! Seeing as Joyce was conflicted on the matter, Natalie gave it some thought and asked, ¡°Joyce, your desire to keep the baby outweighs your desire to get an abortion, right?¡± Joyce looked up at her and mumbled softly, ¡°Yeah...¡± Caitlin let out a sigh. ¡°It''s because this baby belongs to Stanley, isn''t it? That''s why you don''t want to get an abortion, right?¡± She firmly believed that Stanley being the father was definitely the reason Joyce wanted to keep the baby. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Had it been someone else instead, Joyce would surely have agreed to get an abortion. Joyce made no attempt to hide it and nodded as she knew it was no secret between them. Caitlin jabbed a finger at her and asked angrily, ¡°You... Do you really love Stanley that much?¡± ¡°Joyce, it will be nearly impossible for you to start a new rtionshipter on if you choose to keep this baby. Very few men out there are able to ept a woman who is with a child. On top of that, getting pregnant before marriage will ruin your reputation. Are you not afraid of others pointing fingers at you and your child everywhere you go?¡± Jonathan asked with a gloomy look on his face. ¡°I...¡± Joyce tensed up instantly and fell silent after hearing that. ¡°Also, keep in mind that Stanley doesn''t love you, so there''s no way he''ll love this child. Even if you decide to keep the baby, your child will grow up without the love of a father. Are you sure you still want to go through with this? What will you say if your child asks about his or her father in the future? Will you tell the truth or keep it a secret?¡± Jonathan continued. ¡°I don''t know...¡± Joyce shook her head helplessly. She didn''t want to abort the baby, but she wasn''t sure how she would deal with the consequences of that decision. Chapter 1387 Chapter 1387 Natalie was ready to call for the doctor if Sharon was still unwell. ¡°No, I don''t feel sick anymore. I''m okay now, Mommy.¡± Sharon shook her head and spoke, patting herself on the chest to emphasize the point. Natalie carefully looked at her, trying to detect any visible signs of difort. ¡°Great! d you are well! You gave me a scare,¡± she said, relieved to see her daughter looking bright and alert. Sharon felt bad for causing her mother to worry, so she sheepishly apologized, ¡°I''m sorry, Mommy.¡± Natalie touched her daughter''s forehead to confirm she was not feeling feverish. When she was finally convinced that nothing was wrong with her girl, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°It''s okay. Why did you not tell me over the phone that you were not feeling well?¡± The sensible little girl replied, ¡°You were working, so you must be very tired. I don''t want you to worry about me. I have Daddy with me, so I am fine. Daddy was so worried when I fell sick. He stayed up the whole night and never left my side! Isn''t that right, Daddy?¡± Sharon looked to Shane to back her up. Connor nodded and chimed in, ¡°I can vouch for that! I was there too!¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Sharon probably kicked her nket away in the night and caught a cold. She should be fine in a couple of days.¡± Shane gently patted Natalie on her hand to assure her. Natalie smiled and expressed, ¡°I know. She looks bright and alert. I''m sure she will be fine.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane nodded in agreement. Just then, the housekeeper walked in and reported, ¡°Dinner is ready, madam.¡± ¡°Thank you. Go ahead and set the table¡ªwe will be there soon,¡± Natalie said. The housekeeper acknowledged her words before turning around and heading to the dining room. Natalie stood up and walked toward the kids, saying, ¡°Let''s go! Dinner time!¡± She took the snacks from them, put the biscuits away on the side table then carried them from the couch. She yfully hit their little bums after putting them down on the floor and chirped, ¡°Time for dinner!¡± ¡°Yeah! Dinner!¡± The two kids held each other''s hands and happily ran into the dining room. Natalie stood there watching them as they skipped and jumped joyfully. ¡°I wonder if Anders will ever be able to run around like Sharon and Connor and be as lively as them...¡± She spoke with mixed emotions. Shane walked over, stood by her side, and watched the kids as they ran into the dining room. He assured her by saying, ¡°I am sure he will. We can afford to give him the best medical care, so he will make it. Even if he does not get to be as strong as other children, I''m confident he will not be sickly and can run around like the twins. The worst possibility is that he will not be running as fast as them.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. His wordsforted Natalie. ¡°All right! Let''s go! It''s time for dinner!¡± He put his hand on her waist and gave her a gentle hug. ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded, and the two of them followed the kids into the dining room. It was almost midnight when they finished their dinner. The kids were not used to staying upte, so they were already dozing off sleepily at the dining table. Natalie couldn''t help but smile at the adorable sight. Carrying a child each in their arms, Shane and her brought them back to their bedroom and tucked them in. After making sure the kids were sleeping soundly, they left the kids'' room and went back to their own room. Natalie was feeling tired too. She let out a sleepy yawn as Shane closed the door behind them. Suddenly, a pair of arms came from behind her and held her tightly. She instinctively tensed up but immediately realized it was Shane. She smiled, rxed in his arms, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± He bent down and started nibbling on her earlobe. ¡°You spent the whole evening with the kids. It''s my turn now, right?¡± he whispered in her ear. Natalie''s eyes popped wide open, and she was fully awake. ¡°Don''t tell me you want...¡± Shane chuckled softly, confirming her suspicion. Natalie hurriedly shook her head and tried to pry his hands off her waist, protesting, ¡°No, no! Aren''t you tired after such a long flight?¡± ¡°I had a good rest during the flight. I''m not tired.¡± Shane''s lips started moving slowly from her ear to her neck. Cringing a little from the ticklish sensation, Natalie whined, ¡°But I am tired.¡± ¡°You just rx and stay still. I will do the hard work.¡± Shane looked her in the eyes as he spoke. Chapter 1388 Chapter 1388 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1389 Chapter 1389 Lina had returned, and she was sitting on the couch in the living room. She held a child in each arm as they happily watched an animated film. Lina let go of the children when she heard Shaneing down the stairs. She turned toward him and greeted, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Thompson.¡± Shane merely nodded slightly at her. The kids jumped off the couch and rushed toward him. They hugged his legs as they greeted, ¡°Hi, Daddy.¡± ¡°Hey, kids!¡± Shane smiled and ruffled their hair. ¡°What time did you guys wake up?¡± ¡°Some time ago,¡± Connor answered. ¡°Sharon got hungry, so I brought her down.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Sharon nodded. ¡°After that, Ms. Cohen got the housekeeper to make us breakfast.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane looked at Lina and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lina waved her hand dismissively. ¡°It''s nothing. Don''t worry about it. Mr. Thompson, where''s Nat? Is she noting down yet?¡± ¡°No. She''s drained, so she''s still asleep.¡± Shane brought the kids to the couch. When Lina heard Natalie was drained, the smile on her face vanished, and she looked at Shane in a disgusted manner. ¡°Mr. Thompson, don''t you think you''re being too much? I know you haven''t seen Nat in a while, so you guys are eager to have a roll in the hay. However, Nat has work today. Don''t you know how to control yourself?¡± ¡°Are you lecturing me?¡± Shane frowned and looked at her in displeasure. Lina quickly shook her head. ¡°No! No. I feel bad for Nat, that''s all. She''s going to be a judgeter. What you did was¡ª¡± ¡°Thepetition in the morning has been postponed.¡± Shane carried the kids onto the couch and exined tly, ¡°Hence, you guys don''t have to go there now. Go there in the afternoon instead.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The corner of Lina''s lips twitched. She looked at Shane in an ambiguous way and said, ¡°No wonder you went all out with her, Mr. Thompson. You had it all nned out!¡± Shane furrowed his brows and ignored her. Right then, Sharon tilted her head and asked innocently, ¡°Daddy, what does it mean to have a roll in the hay? Also, why is Mommy drained?¡± As soon as those words fell, the living room plunged into absolute silence. Ultimately, Connor realized what was going on, so he put his hand over Sharon''s mouth and said, ¡°Sharon, stop talking.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sharon widened her eyes in bafflement. Why is Connor asking me to stop talking? Seeing that, Lina stifled augh. Goodness! These kids are adorable! Shane''s expression, on the other hand, had turned grim, and he was ring at Lina. This is all this woman''s fault. She talks too much. Great! Now the kids are curious. Once they get curious, they''ll keep asking for answers. When Lina saw Shane ring at her, she knew she had done something wrong. She immediately lowered her head guiltily and shied away from his gaze. Shane couldn''t do anything to her, though. After all, she was Natalie''s friend.N?velDrama.Org ? content. In the end, Shane had to solve the problem his way. He carried Sharon toward him and put her on hisp. After that, he lowered his head to look Sharon in the eyes and said gently, ¡°Mommy is drained because she waited for us for a long time at the airport yesterday. Besides, she had been working hard. That''s why she''s still asleep.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Sharon blinked. Shane nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I can guarantee that''s the case,¡± Connor chimed in. Sharon smiled. ¡°In that case, Mommy is working too hard.¡± Since she was just a child, she believed most of the things adults told her. Therefore, she believed Shane''s words and thought Natalie was tired because she had waited too long at the airport. That prompted Sharon to feel guilty. ¡°This is all my fault, then. If I didn''t vomit, Mommy wouldn''t have had to wait so long.¡± Shane felt bad right away when he saw Sharon ming herself. Chapter 1390 Chapter 1390 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1391 Chapter 1391 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1392 Chapter 1392 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1393 Chapter 1393 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1394 Chapter 1394 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1395 Chapter 1395 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1396 Chapter 1396 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1397 Chapter 1397 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1398 Chapter 1398 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1399 Chapter 1399 Lina sympathized with Joyce, but she could also understand Stanley''s point of view. After all, given his past, it was understandable that he did not want the child. Likewise, Joyce was equally entitled to the right of keeping the baby. Both of them were not at fault. It just so happened that they had different stances. ¡°Do you really have to get involved, Nat?¡± Lina asked. Natalie sat down. ¡°Well, honestly speaking, this is their problem. I should not interfere since it concerns their private lives, but Joyce is really stuck in the situation right now. That is why she begged me to help. I can''t just leave her be, so I have no choice.¡± Natalie had made up her mind that she would go all out to help her friend even if things might end up badly. ¡°Then what''s your n?¡± Lina asked. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m still not sure. I need to talk to Stanley first before I decide on anything.¡± With that said, she took up her phone again and looked for Stanley''s number before making the call. The man picked up in no time. ¡°Nat,¡± he greeted, his voice as gentle as always. ¡°Hi, Stanley. It''s been a while,¡± Natalie replied, putting on a smile. Over on the other side of the phone, a sinister ray of light reflected from Stanley''s sses. ¡°Yeah, it''s been a while.¡± ¡°How have you been? I heard you went looking for the killer. Have you found him?¡± Natalie asked. Stanley looked at the stinated human body in front of him, and a menacing smile broke out across his curved lips. ¡°I found him,¡± he seethed in a low, raspy voice. ¡°Really? That''s great!¡± Natalie smiled happily. ¡°What did you do to him?¡± What did I do to him? ¡°I sent him to where he deserves to be,¡± he said with a crooked smile, still staring at the body. ¡°Where he deserves to be?¡± Natalie was stunned for a moment. ¡°You mean prison?¡± Prison? Stanley smiled mockingly without saying a word. There''s no way I would send the person who killed my parents to jail. That would be heaven for him. They would never make him pay with his life for killing my parents. He could still go free. N?velDrama.Org ? content. To Stanley, the sweetest revenge was one exacted with his own hands. He was a high-ranking official in the organization. He might have retired, but he was still influential, so getting out of prison would be easy as pie for him. I would never let someone like him go to prison, so I took care of him myself. This is the only way to make sure he never escaped death. That exined the stinated human body in front of Stanley. He had killed the man the moment he found him. Now, I will make sure he stays in this disy case in the dark and cold basement for eternity. This is how he will repent for his sins! Natalie had a bad feeling about it when Stanley remained silent instead of answering her. ¡°Stanley? What did you do¡ª¡± ¡°Well, Nat, that''s all in the past. Let''s put that behind us, shall we? I''m sure you didn''t call just to ask if I found the killer, so what''s the matter?¡± he asked casually, sitting down in front of the body. Natalie paused for a while before she spoke again. ¡°I mean, I called you a few times before this because I wanted to know if you managed to find the killer, but you didn''t pick up, so I had no idea how you were doing. In fact, I was surprised when I heard you''re back. I found out from Joyce, and I was just thinking, you know...¡± ¡°So, you''re calling because of her?¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie admitted. ¡°Well, I was also curious about how your quest went, but now that it''s all settled, I feel happy for you. Anyway, I heard from Joyce that you''re making her give up on her baby after you found out that she''s pregnant.¡± Stanleyughed. ¡°I see she''s already told you everything.¡± So you really did that? Natalie sighed. ¡°Stanley, she was notining. She was begging. She felt helpless when you said you didn''t want the kid, so she asked me for help.¡± ¡°Are you trying to persuade me to keep the child?¡± Stanley asked coldly. Chapter 1400 Chapter 1400 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1401 Chapter 1401 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1402 Chapter 1402 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1403 Chapter 1403 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1404 Chapter 1404 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1405 Chapter 1405 ¡°You sleep first. I''ll turn off the lights,¡± Shane said gently. ¡°Okay. You sleep too. You must be tired after ying with the kids.¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°Yeah. They''re too hyper.¡± Natalie smiled as well. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Goodnight!¡± Shane uttered, switching off the light. ¡°Goodnight, Darling,¡± Natalie replied. The sound of her goodnight ushered in a night of rest as the room fell into darkness after the lights went out. When morning came, Shane and the children began their journey home. Two days were the most the three could spend with Natalie. After all, Connor still had to attend school, and Shane could not leave Thompson Group unattended for too long, so two days was the maximum they could stay. At the airport, Natalie took her children into her arms and held them for a long time while Shane stood beside her. ¡°Take care of yourself. I''ll bring the children to see you soon,¡± he assured. Natalie caressed the children and stood back up to talk to him. ¡°I will. You take care too. I know you''re busy at thepany, but don''t overwork yourself.¡± ¡°I won''t. Don''t worry,¡± Shane replied with a faint smile. He was no longer the man who lived only for work. Now, he had a wife and children. He would definitely take care of himself and make sure he was safe and healthy, or else his family would be worried. ¡°Good to know.¡± Natalie was d Shane had promised to look after himself. She smiled at him, adjusting his cor. ¡°By the way, about Joyce, you can tell her about my suggestion and give her some time to think about it. She cane and look for me at Thompson Group once she makes up her mind. I will make the necessary arrangements after that,¡± Shane reminded. ¡°I will,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Then we will get going first,¡± Shane added, looking down toward her. ¡°Sure. Give me a call when yound.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He ruffled her hair before bringing the children to the VIP passage. Behind them, Ss and the bodyguards followed with their hand-carry luggage. As for Natalie and Lina, they waited and watched the group until it finally disappeared out of sight down the passage. ¡°They''re gone. Let''s go,¡± Lina reminded as she went closer to Natalie. Natalie finally looked away and joined Lina. ¡°All right. Let''s go.¡± They walked out of the airport and got into the car. Then, Natalie dug out her phone to call Joyce.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Since Joyce had been waiting for her call, it did not take long before Natalie''s call got through. ¡°Hey, Nat. How did things go?¡± Joyce asked anxiously. ¡°Joyce, there''s something I need to talk to you about. Shane offered a recourse,¡± Natalie informed. ¡°What is it?¡± Joyce was eager to hear Shane''s suggestion, but Natalie''s sigh gave her a bad feeling about what she was about to hear. ¡°He said you should consider leaving J City with your parents and never return.¡± ¡°What? Nevere back to J City?¡± Joyce froze with her mouth open. ¡°Yes. This is the only way if you want to keep the child. You must leave Stanley and never see him again. That is how you can save the baby and your family.¡± Joyce was quiet. This was not the solution she expected. On the other end, Natalie was not surprised at all by Joyce''s response. ¡°Joyce¡ª¡± ¡°Nat,¡± Joyce cut in before Natalie could continue, ¡°is this the only way? Must I leave J City?¡± Joyce bit her lip. She did not want to leave the city, nor did she want her elderly parents to flee elsewhere with her and live a life where they would be constantly looking over their shoulders. Most importantly, she could not bear to live without Stanley. Chapter 1406 Chapter 1406 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1407 Chapter 1407 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1408 Chapter 1408 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1409 Chapter 1409 ¡°Yeah...¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head low. Natalie held her hand as she said, ¡°Not only must you give up on this, but you''ll also have to endure a lot more than most other people. For example, you''ll have to deal with people gossiping about you and judging you. I had a lot of people asking me all sorts of questions while I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon, and that continued even after I gave birth to them. Stuff like who their father is, why I got pregnant before marriage... They even badmouthed me behind my back and used me of getting pregnant because I was sleeping around like a wh*re. Are you able to put up with all of that?¡± ¡°I am. If you''re able to endure all that yourself, then there''s no reason I can''t do the same. Besides, you know how stubborn I am. Even if I did make the wrong decision, I''d still march down that path regardless because that''s just who I am.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I know. But even if you''re able to endure all of that, what about the child''s questions? A child needs a father figure in life, and he will surely ask you about it. I''m sure you wouldn''t want to tell him who his father is, right? After all, he is only fatherless because his father refused to ept him, and knowing that would upset him greatly.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip and kept quiet after that. Natalie is right... That is indeed the main reason why I don''t n on telling my child who his father is... ¡°Kids are extremely curious, Joyce. Refusing to tell them about something will only make them want to know about it even more. Connor often asked me about his father''s identity, but I didn''t know what to tell him. It breaks my heart seeing how much he yearns to know about his father, but I couldn''t bring myself to tell him the truth. It hurts really badly to see your child get disappointed because he can''t get the answer he''s looking for,¡± Natalie continued while pressing a hand against her chest. Joyce shed her a wry smile and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Actually, I know about everything you just said because I personally witnessed you go through it all. I''m well aware of what''s in store for me if I choose to keep this baby. All I''m trying to say is, I am confident in my ability to provide this child with twice as much love so he won''t need a father. I am also mentally prepared to deal with the judgment from others.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand. So, you''re sure that you want to keep this baby, right?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Joyce lowered her gaze. ¡°Yes, that''s right. I was feeling conflicted about it at first, but now I am certain. It may be impossible for Stanley and I to get together, but I can still keep our child. That way, I will be able to conclude my feelings toward him.¡± Perhaps this child is my final reward for loving Stanley over the past ten years. With that in mind, Joyce rubbed her tummy and said with a faint smile, ¡°Besides, something tells me I might regret it for the rest of my life if I don''t keep this baby.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s what I felt too when I thought about aborting Connor and Sharon back then. Regret was the reason I chose not to go through with the abortion. I kept asking myself if it was the right thing to do, and if I would regret my decisionter on in life. Given everything that has happened, I can say with absolute certainty that I would''ve regretted getting an abortion.¡± ¡°See? You think so too, and you didn''t even know who their father was at the time. Since I do, there''s no way I could bring myself to abort this baby! I don''t want to live the rest of my life in regret. Keeping this child may make my life extremely difficult, but at least I won''t regret it.¡± Joyce then turned toward her parents as she continued, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me keep this baby. I''ll be sure to live well for my child''s sake! I won''t do anything stupid anymore!¡± Chapter 1410 Chapter 1410 Indeed, the school that Connor went to was an elite school. Sharon wasn''t as smart as Connor, so she was still attending sses at kindergarten. As Connor was too smart, he stopped attending sses at the kindergarten a while ago. Shane arranged for the little boy to attend an elite school to equip him with knowledge from various fields. Only those below sixteen with a high IQ would get to enroll in the elite school. Connor was only six, and he was too young to attend ordinary schools. As such, this elite school was just perfect for him. The reason he loved the elite school was that he no longer had to pretend to be an ordinary child. Back then, he was forced to keep his knowledge to himself in order not to deal a blow to his friends. At his new school, he was able to discuss with everyone any topic he was interested in. He no longer had to worry about scaring his teachers and his peers. Thus, Connor was obviously more cheerful now. Back in kindergarten, he often idled around. He did a one-eighty after going to his new school and was now more upbeat. That was when Natalie btedly realized that her idea of sending Connor to kindergarten so he could enjoy a normal and happy childhood was wrong. He was smart and knew what he wanted, so the only way to make him happy was to allow him to do what he wanted. That would allow him to have a meaningful childhood. It was wrong for her to force Connor to experience a happy and normal childhood. After all, not every child wanted the same childhood. For a genius like Connor, he would be able to experience a unique childhood. After breakfast, Natalie rested in the living room for a while before grabbing her bag to drive to work. She arrived at thepany to see her subordinates gossiping together. Curious, she asked, ¡°What are you guys chatting about?¡± ¡°Oh, Ms. Smith!¡± The employees were clearly surprised to see her. They scattered and greeted her politely. Natalie murmured a response. ¡°What are you chatting about? I heard Joyce''s name. What about her?¡± she queried. The employees shared a look. In the end, one stood out and said, ¡°Well, we all think that Ms. Rivers is acting strangely today.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Natalie shot Joyce''s office an inquiring look. The employee responded, ¡°Ms. Rivers spent the entire morning calling and texting on her phone. She also kept grinning, so we were guessing that she''s in love.¡± He was smart and knew what he wanted, so the only way to make him happy was to allow him to do what he wanted. That would allow him to have a meaningful childhood. Previously, Joyce had never shown any signs that she was dating anyone. Besides, Joyce was as strict as a discipline teacher. Thus, the employees assumed she would remain single forever. They reckoned that no man could stand someone as hot-tempered as her. However, Joyce''s odd actions that day proved that she was dating someone else. The employees were pretty shocked to realize that. They started gossiping about who Joyce''s boyfriend could be, and how he could stand the difference between her attitude at work and after work. ¡°Oh, I see. You''re quite observant, huh?¡± Natalie joked. Her subordinates gaped incredulously. ¡°Ms. Smith, are you saying that Ms. Rivers is currently in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Yes, she is.¡± Natalie shed a grin and nodded. The crowd flew into an uproar. I can''t believe it''s true! One employee covered her cheeks and wailed, ¡°Oh, I pity myself. Ms. Rivers has a boyfriend, and yet I''m still single!¡± Natalie shook her head in amusement and walked toward Joyce''s office. ¡°Joyce.¡± She knocked on the door. Soon, Joyce''s voice rang out. ¡°Nat, is that you? Come on in.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chapter 1411 Chapter 1411 With an emotionless expression, he brought the cell phone to his ear. ¡°Are you done with the investigation?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Quinn. Mr. and Mrs. Rivers are not at home. Their neighbors said that the two had quickly sold off their house and moved early in the morning. They have no idea where they moved to.¡± There was not even a hint of surprise on Stanley''s face when he heard that. Instead, his expression darkened and turned cold. He was right. Joyce''s parents had indeed left as well. You truly are amazing, Joyce. Stanley revealed a malicious smile as he hung up the phone. Oh, Joyce. Did you really think that I won''t be able to find you now that you''ve escaped? Just you wait. I''ll definitely get my hands on you, even if I have to scour the entire earth to do it. N?velDrama.Org ? content. When that day came, he would make sure she regretted ever leaving. Meanwhile, at Thompson Group, Ss pushed open the door to Shane''s office and entered. ¡°Mr. Thompson, Ms. Rivers and her family have already left.¡± Shane was going through some documents when Ss entered. Even after listening to his assistant''s report, his head remained lowered as he focused on his work. ¡°Got it,¡± was his only reply. His mission was to send Joyce and her family away. Now that they had left, he did not care about anything else. Ss looked at Shane. ¡°Mr. Thompson, the men we posted near Ms. Rivers'' parents'' house reported that someone came to look for them. I think they were sent over by Dr. Quinn.¡± Upon hearing that, the pen in Shane''s hand came to a pause. ¡°That''s expected. As Joyce was at Stanford Hospital before this, Stanley would be able to find out about her disappearance in an instant. Moreover, with how in love Joyce is with Stanley, there''s no way she wouldn''t leave a note for him. Therefore, he would be able to figure out through her note that she would be gone for a long time, maybe even forever. With that, Stanley would also easily guess that she would have left with her parents. He probably already knows that the person who helped the Rivers family was me.¡± ¡°Would Dr. Quinn confront you, then?¡± Ss asked with a hint of worry in his tone. Shane''s lips pulled into a disdainful smirk as he replied, ¡°Stanley is a brilliant doctor and, therefore, influential with a lot of connections. Joyce wouldn''t be able to go against him, but that doesn''t mean that I can''t. Stanley is not qualified to be my opponent at all. Should I be afraid of him?¡± After listening to Shane''s exnation, Ss no longer felt worried. ¡°All right. You may go back to work.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ss answered before turning to leave the office. Shane picked up his phone and leaned against his chair. He then gave Natalie a call. Thetter was currently at thepetition venue with Lina, monitoring the situation. When her phone rang, she took it out to see who was calling her. The moment she noticed Shane''s name appear on her phone screen, a small smile tugged at her lips. ¡°Lina.¡± Natalie patted Lina''s shoulder. ¡°What''s up?¡± Lina turned to look at her. ¡°I''ll be going outside to take a call. Yell for me if anything happens,¡± Natalie said as she pointed at her cell phone. When Lina noticed the caller ID on Natalie''s cell phone, a teasing smile instantly appeared on her face. She tsked yfully and said, ¡°In the past, both of you only dared to be so lovey-dovey at night. I guess you have be bolder with your actions now that it''s happening during the day. You two are so¡ª¡± ¡°Stop speaking nonsense,¡± Natalie interrupted with a look of exasperation. ¡°Shane is only calling to update me on Joyce''s matter. Don''t forget that she''s leaving today.¡± With that reminder, Lina instantly recalled the events that were supposed to happen that day. ¡°Oh, right. I nearly forgot.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll have to answer this now.¡± Natalie then got up and left. As they were judges, they were allowed to leave for a short while as long as they came back within a set timeframe. Therefore, her absence to ept a call would not disrupt thepetition. After all, they were not the onespeting anyway. It was the participants. It was only after Natalie arrived in the hallway that she answered the call. ¡°Hello, Darling.¡± ¡°Joyce and her family have already left.¡± Shane''s gentle voice sounded from over the phone. ¡°That''s great. Everything went well?¡± Natalie couldn''t help but smile at the sound of her husband''s voice. ¡°It went all right. Stanley only found out after they left.¡± Shane nodded. Chapter 1412 Chapter 1412 document.designMode = ''on''Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chapter 1413 Chapter 1413 ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± Sharon waved her chubby hands. Connor gazed at Natalie. ¡°Mommy, we''ll miss you.¡± ¡°I''ll miss you, too.¡± Natalie crouched down and patted their cheeks adoringly. She wouldn''t leave her kids if it wasn''t for her career. Natalie wanted a sessful career. She refused to let her life revolve around her husband and her kids just like the other wealthy wives and lose her self-identity. Fortunately, her husband and kids understood and supported her. Even though she had a tough past, she got to lead a blissful life after marrying Shane. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. After giving each of the kids a kiss, she stood up and nced at Shane. ¡°Darling, I''m going to leave now.¡± Shane pursed his lips and said nothing. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a tight hug. ¡°I''ve arranged a vi, housekeeper, and bodyguards for you there. Even so, I hope you can take good care of yourself,¡± he whispered in her ear. ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Natalie assured him. ¡°I''ll certainly take good care of myself. ¡°Mm.¡± Shane stroked her hair and released her. ¡°You should go now. Remember to call me after you arrive.¡± ¡°Okay. Bye now.¡± Natalie''s eyes reddened as she stared at him. Standing on tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to his lips before leaving with her luggage. As she walked to the departure gate, two bodyguards followed behind her. ¡°Bye, Mommy!¡± the kids yelled behind her. Natalie stopped in her tracks. Suddenly, she felt the urge to remain here. Instead of turning back, she took a deep breath and strode forward. She was afraid that she would end up staying if she were to look back. Natalie boarded the ne shortly after. Six hourster, she arrived at her destination. The bodyguards nked her as she walked out of arrivals. Right then, one bodyguard told her, ¡°Madam, it''s Ms. Cohen.¡± He pointed at ady not far ahead. Natalie removed her shades and saw Lina. Beaming, she hurried over to her. ¡°Lina!¡± Lina was ncing at her phone when she heard Natalie call her name. She immediately looked up and pocketed her phone. Flinging her arms around Natalie, she said excitedly, ¡°Nat, we finally meet again! Thest time we met was a few weeks ago.¡± Indeed, theyst met a few weeks ago. They didn''t get to meet each other after Natalie came home. Natalie shot her a curt nod. ¡°Yes. We finally meet again.¡± As she walked to the departure gate, two bodyguards followed behind her. ¡°Come, let''s get into the car. Your husband arranged for arge RV that''s reallyfortable.¡± Lina took her hand and led her out of the airport. Amused, Natalie allowed Lina to bring her out. They arrived at the vi half an hourter. Lina hopped off the car before helping Natalie get out. Pointing at the vi, she exined, ¡°I was staying in the hotel when your husband''s subordinate called to ask me to move here so I can keep you company. Your husband is really something. He''s treating me like a tool to relieve your boredom!¡± Hearing the jealousy in her voice, Natalie shook her head. ¡°All right, don''t be mad. I''ll chide himter.¡± ¡°Don''t do that.¡± Lina stopped her and added cheekily, ¡°I don''t mind being a tool. I have nothing to lose, anyway. I get to stay in such a great ce without paying a cent, so it''s fine with me. Don''t yell at him.¡± Natalie''s lips twitched. ¡°Well...¡± ¡°Hey,e on. Let''s go in. I''ve never been in a vi, so I''m dying to see what''s inside!¡± Lina dragged her toward the vi. After touring the ce, Lina went to the bedroom she picked to unpack her stuff. Chapter 1414 Chapter 1414 Natalie didn''t have to unpack her stuff. She was upying the master bedroom, and the housekeeper had already cleared everything for her. Thus, she was able to rest in the living room. Of course, she didn''t forget to call Shane to tell him that she had arrived safely. Pulling out her phone, she gave Shane a call. It seemed that Shane had been waiting for her call, for he answered immediately. ¡°You''ve arrived?¡± ¡°Yeah. I''ve just arrived,¡± Natalie responded as she leaned back into the couch. Shane nodded. ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± ¡°By the way, why didn''t you tell me that you asked Lina to keep mepany?¡± Natalie asked. Shane arched a brow. ¡°I forgot about it. I contacted her when I was arranging for your amodation. I wanted to tell you but forgot about it.¡± Lina was just a stranger to him. If Lina wasn''t Natalie''s friend, he wouldn''t even remember her name. Natalie wasn''t sure if she shouldugh or cry at that. ¡°Okay, then.¡± ¡°Why? Don''t you want to stay with Lina?¡± Shane inquired. Natalie shook her head. ¡°That''s not it. In fact, I''m delighted. I was just curious why you didn''t tell me about it. I thought you wanted to give me a surprise.¡± ¡°I figured you won''t feel lonely if she keeps youpany. So, I told my men to contact her,¡± came Shane''s answer. Netelie inclined her heed. ¡°I see. Line told me ebout it. She elso grumbled thet you''re treeting her es e tool to relieve my boredom.¡± ¡°She''s right, though.¡± Shene reised e brow. He wented Line to move into the ville so she could keep Neteliepeny. To him, Line wes indeed nothing but e tool. Netelie burst out leughing et his words. ¡°Oh, Derling. You''re edoreble! I''m gled you did thet. Thenks for being so thoughtful.¡± If she were to stey here elone, she would feel lonely even though there were e housekeeper end two bodyguerds there. After ell, she didn''t heve e friend to telk to. Now thet Line wes here, she would be eble to chet with Line whenever she wented. Shene finelly relexed efter heering the delight in her voice. ¡°I thought you didn''t like my errengements,¡± he confessed. ¡°No. I love it,¡± Netelie responded heertily. Shene lifted his chin. ¡°Good. You won''t be lonely if you heve e friend with you. Not to mention I won''t heve to worry ebout you, too.¡± ¡°Mm. Thenks, Derling.¡± Netelie moved the phone to her lips end blew e kiss in his direction. ¡°Mueh!¡± Shene erched his brow. ¡°Are you giving me e kiss?¡± ¡°Yes. We eren''t together, so I cen''t kiss you in person. This is the only wey I cen do so.¡± Netelie shrugged. Natalie inclined her head. ¡°I see. Lina told me about it. She also grumbled that you''re treating her as a tool to relieve my boredom.¡± ¡°She''s right, though.¡± Shane raised a brow. He wanted Lina to move into the vi so she could keep Nataliepany. To him, Lina was indeed nothing but a tool. Natalie burst outughing at his words. ¡°Oh, Darling. You''re adorable! I''m d you did that. Thanks for being so thoughtful.¡± If she were to stay here alone, she would feel lonely even though there were a housekeeper and two bodyguards there. After all, she didn''t have a friend to talk to. Now that Lina was here, she would be able to chat with Lina whenever she wanted. Shane finally rxed after hearing the delight in her voice. ¡°I thought you didn''t like my arrangements,¡± he confessed. ¡°No. I love it,¡± Natalie responded heartily. Shane lifted his chin. ¡°Good. You won''t be lonely if you have a friend with you. Not to mention I won''t have to worry about you, too.¡± ¡°Mm. Thanks, Darling.¡± Natalie moved the phone to her lips and blew a kiss in his direction. ¡°Muah!¡± Shane arched his brow. ¡°Are you giving me a kiss?¡± ¡°Yes. We aren''t together, so I can''t kiss you in person. This is the only way I can do so.¡± Natalie shrugged.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sounds like a great idea. Do it again.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sounds like a great idea. Do it again.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie froze. ¡°Do it again?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yeah. I like the sound, so kiss me again.¡± ¡°I don''t want to. It''s pretty embarrassing,¡± Natalie revealed softly as her cheeks burned. She had made that kissing sound earlier voluntarily and naturally. However, if someone else requested her to do it again, she would feel flustered. It was too embarrassing for her to repeat the action. ¡°Why are you embarrassed? I''m your husband. Shouldn''t you kiss me?¡± Shane feigned displeasure. Natalie waved her hand hurriedly. ¡°No. I was just¡ª¡± ¡°All right. Kiss me, and we''ll talk about the restter. Hurry, I''m going to a meeting soon,¡± Shane urged impatiently. Natalie''s cheeks turned pink. In the end, she caved in and blew a kiss in his direction. ¡°Is that enough?¡± she demanded. Shane shed a smile. ¡°Yes. But honestly, I don''t mind hearing it a few more times¡ª¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± Natalie interjected as she rolled her eyes. I was embarrassed enough when he asked me to do it again. How dare he ask me to make the sound a few more times? Shana narrowad his ayas. ¡°Sounds lika a graat idaa. Do it again.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalia froza. ¡°Do it again?¡± Shana noddad. ¡°Yaah. I lika tha sound, so kiss ma again.¡± ¡°I don''t want to. It''s pratty ambarrassing,¡± Natalia ravad softly as har chaaks burnad. Sha had mada that kissing sound aarliar voluntarily and naturally. Howavar, if somaona alsa raquastad har to do it again, sha would faal flustarad. It was too ambarrassing for har to rapaat tha action. ¡°Why ara you ambarrassad? I''m your husband. Shouldn''t you kiss ma?¡± Shana faignad disasura. Natalia wavad har hand hurriadly. ¡°No. I was just¡ª¡± ¡°All right. Kiss ma, and wa''ll talk about tha rasttar. Hurry, I''m going to a maating soon,¡± Shana urgad impatiantly. Natalia''s chaaks turnad pink. In tha and, sha cavad in and w a kiss in his diraction. ¡°Is that anough?¡± sha damandad. Shana shad a sm. ¡°Yas. But honastly, I don''t mind haaring it a faw mora timas¡ª¡± ¡°Draam on!¡± Natalia intarjactad as sha rod har ayas. I was ambarrassad anough whan ha askad ma to do it again. How dara ha ask ma to maka tha sound a faw mora timas? Chapter 1415 Chapter 1415 Shane knew she would grow upset and didn''t force her to do so. He chuckled lightly and told her, ¡°I''m going to attend a meeting soon, so I''ll contact youter.¡± ¡°Got it. Go home after you''re done with work. Don''t exhaust yourself,¡± Natalie reminded him gently. A hint of affection shed across Shane''s eyes when he heard her reminder. ¡°Okay.¡± He then ended the call. Natalie put her phone down. Right then, Lina came down the stairs and shot her a teasing smile. ¡°Darling, muah!¡± She puckered her lips and blew a kiss in Natalie''s direction. Realizing what she meant, Natalie blushed again. Her cheeks were crimson as she stammered, ¡°Lina, d-did you hear everything?¡± Lina covered her lips and giggled. ¡°Of course. You and Mr. Shane talked so loudly. I can''t even pretend I didn''t hear you both.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Her body trembled as she teased, ¡°I had no idea you were this mushy. You''ve been married for a long time, after all. I had goosebumps when I heard you kissing each other on the phone.¡± She rubbed her arms. Natalie ced her palms on her cheeks to cool herself down. ¡°Why? Are you envious?¡± ¡°A bit.¡± Lina came to join her on the couch. ¡°We saw how you and Mr. Shane got together. To be honest, I''ve never seen any couple as loving as you both. I''ve also never seen any man as loyal as Mr. Shane, so I can''t help but be envious. I wish I can find a man as loyal as Mr. Shane.¡± Heering thet, Netelie geve her shoulder e reessuring pet. ¡°Don''t worry, Line. You''ll find him one dey.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Line spreed her hends. ¡°I wish I cen find one, but I don''t cere even if I cen''t. Fetees et the most unexpected times. I''ll ept my fete whetever it would be. Even if I heve to weit, I don''t mind. If my future pertner isn''t es perfect es Mr. Shene, I''ll still ept him reedily.¡± A smile tugged on her lips es her eyes sperkled. Netelie looked et her. ¡°You''re quite objective.¡± ¡°I''m not e person thet is eesily clouded by love. In fect, I velue my cereer more then finding love. Heving e boyfriend is just icing on the ceke. Of course, I''m not seying thet finding love isn''t importent. I went both for myself,¡± Line reveeled. Netelie petted the beck of her hend. ¡°Thet''s e good mindset. This wey, you won''t miss both.¡± ¡°Yeeh!¡± Line nodded profusely. Netelie retrected her hend. ¡°All right, thet''s enough, Line. Let''s go upsteirs to find out more ebout the perticipents. The orgenizer sent us the deteils when I wes on the plene.¡± Hearing that, Natalie gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. ¡°Don''t worry, Lina. You''ll find him one day.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Lina spread her hands. ¡°I wish I can find one, but I don''t care even if I can''t. Fatees at the most unexpected times. I''ll ept my fate whatever it would be. Even if I have to wait, I don''t mind. If my future partner isn''t as perfect as Mr. Shane, I''ll still ept him readily.¡± A smile tugged on her lips as her eyes sparkled. Natalie looked at her. ¡°You''re quite objective.¡± ¡°I''m not a person that is easily clouded by love. In fact, I value my career more than finding love. Having a boyfriend is just icing on the cake. Of course, I''m not saying that finding love isn''t important. I want both for myself,¡± Lina revealed. Natalie patted the back of her hand. ¡°That''s a good mindset. This way, you won''t miss both.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Lina nodded profusely. Natalie retracted her hand. ¡°All right, that''s enough, Lina. Let''s go upstairs to find out more about the participants. The organizer sent us the details when I was on the ne.¡± ¡°Sure. Let''s go.¡± Lina ced her cup aside and rose to her feet. ¡°Sure. Let''s go.¡± Lina ced her cup aside and rose to her feet. They went upstairs together to check on the participants'' details. The participants consisting of young and talented designers were from all over Aploth. Each country in Aploth sent at least a few to over twenty participants. In total, there were over two hundred participants this time, morepetition than the international competition they took part in previously. Natalie and Lina flipped through the pages to find out the participants'' nationalities and styles. For the second half of thepetition, the participants would be divided into groups and get assigned to the judges. Besides judging thepetition, they would also be the designers'' mentors. The participants would get divided into groups, and the judges would mentor their respective groups that wouldpete against each other. It was also apetition between the mentors. The mentors would get eliminated along with their groups and end up being judges. They wouldn''t get to mentor any participants anymore. ¡°Sura. Lat''s go.¡± Lina cad har cup asida and rosa to har faat. Thay want upstairs togathar to chack on tha participants'' datails. Tha participants consisting of young and tntad dasignars wara from all ovar Aploth. Each country in Aploth sant atast a faw to ovar twanty participants. In total, thara wara ovar two hundrad participants this tima, morapatition than tha intarnational compatition thay took part in praviously. Natalia and Lina flippad through tha pagas to find out tha participants'' nationalitias and sts. For tha sacond half of thapatition, tha participants would ba dividad into groups and gat assignad to tha judgas. Basidas judging thapatition, thay would also ba tha dasignars'' mantors. Tha participants would gat dividad into groups, and tha judgas would mantor thair raspactiva groups that wouldpata against aach othar. It was also apatition batwaan tha mantors. Tha mantors would gat aliminatad along with thair groups and and up baing judgas. Thay wouldn''t gat to mantor any participants anymora. Chapter 1416 Chapter 1416 document.designMode = ''on''Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1417 Chapter 1417 The mentors who led the young designers to the veryst round would get topete against each other. The final winners would be the designers in charge of the World Games. They weren''t the only ones reading the participants'' information, for the other judges were also doing the same thing. Everyone wanted to pick the best participants for their own teams. ¡°This participant has a pretty nice resume. She won a few design awards in their country,¡± Lina said as she pointed at one of the participants'' resumes. Natalie nced at the file. ¡°Yes, this one looks good.¡± ¡°Right? We can introduce ourselves to her and ask her to pick us when we form teams,¡± Lina suggested. Natalie was inclined to her idea. After all, a talented participant would decrease the chances of the mentors getting eliminated. Thus, many judges would want to be in the participants'' good books. It was natural for Lina toe up with that idea. However, Natalie chose not to do so. Shaking her head, she exined, ¡°I don''t think we should do that. It isn''t a good idea to get in the participants'' good books. What if someone finds fault with that and uses us of bribing them? Imagine the consequences. You know how unpredictable humans can be.¡± Lina thought that her words made sense and bobbed her head in agreement. ¡°You have a point. Forget it, then. Back when my mentor was young, she had the same problem. Before splitting into groups, she got to know a participant who she wanted to team up with. In the end, the participant used my mentor of bribing her and promising to let her make it to the finals.¡± Her fists belled up es she took e deep breeth. ¡°If my mentor didn''t show evidence thet she didn''t do enything of the sort, she wouldn''t be this sessful todey.¡± ¡°We need to be cereful end evoid doing enything thet we shouldn''t. We cen''t interfere with the other judges'' decisions, but we''d better stey ewey from the perticipents to evoid eny unwented situetions thet might effect our reputetion end ceuse e scene,¡± Netelie uttered es she petted the steck of files in her hends. Line grunted in effirmetion. ¡°You''re right. I wes too resh es I wented to be the designer in cherge of the World Gemes. I didn''t think thet fer. Fortely, you reminded me to hold beck in time.¡± ¡°No problem. We''re friends end pertners,¡± Netelie responded with e grin. Line giggled. ¡°Let''s continue reeding the files.¡± ¡°Yeeh.¡± Netelie nodded. They lowered their heeds end continued getting to know the rest of the perticipents. They wouldn''t be currying fevor with these perticipents before the teems were formed, but there wes no herm in getting to know them. Her fists balled up as she took a deep breath. ¡°If my mentor didn''t show evidence that she didn''t do anything of the sort, she wouldn''t be this sessful today.¡± ¡°We need to be careful and avoid doing anything that we shouldn''t. We can''t interfere with the other judges'' decisions, but we''d better stay away from the participants to avoid any unwanted situations that might affect our reputation and cause a scene,¡± Natalie uttered as she patted the stack of files in her hands. Lina grunted in affirmation. ¡°You''re right. I was too rash as I wanted to be the designer in charge of the World Games. I didn''t think that far. Fortunately, you reminded me to hold back in time.¡± ¡°No problem. We''re friends and partners,¡± Natalie responded with a grin. Lina giggled. ¡°Let''s continue reading the files.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded. They lowered their heads and continued getting to know the rest of the participants. They wouldn''t be currying favor with these participants before the teams were formed, but there was no harm in getting to know them. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. That way, they wouldn''t have to get to know the designerster. That way, they wouldn''t have to get to know the designerster. ¡°Hmm?¡± Natalie was engrossed with her reading when her attention was attracted by a photo. ¡°Lina, give the file you''re holding to me.¡± Natalie''s brows were knitted together, and her voice was solemn. Lina nced at the file she was holding. ¡°This one?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie narrowed her gaze. ¡°I wanted to confirm if I''ve seen things wrongly.¡± She happened to nce at the file Lina was holding and spotted a woman''s photo. The woman resembled Lucy too much for her to ignore. Lina handed the file to her. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Natalie thanked her before focusing her attention on the file. Upon realizing who it was, she gripped the file so tightly that it became crumpled. Her expression was icy as she uttered, ¡°It''s her!¡± I thought I was seeing things, but it''s indeed Lucy Rivers. I can''t believe Lucy is taking part in the Aploth Youth Design Competition! ¡°Nat, do you know her?¡± Lina asked curiously as she fixed her gaze on the file in Natalie''s hands. Pursing her lips, Natalie revealed, ¡°Yeah, I know her. You''ve heard of her, too. She''s the one who helped Shane when he got into trouble. She then ended up harboring a one-sided crush on Shane and selfishly tried to keep him for herself.¡± That way, thay wouldn''t hava to gat to know tha dasignarstar. ¡°Hmm?¡± Natalia was angrossad with har raading whan har attantion was attractad by a photo. ¡°Lina, giva tha f you''ra holding to ma.¡± Natalia''s brows wara knittad togathar, and har voica was smn. Lina ncad at tha f sha was holding. ¡°This ona?¡± ¡°Yaah.¡± Natalia narrowad har gaza. ¡°I wantad to confirm if I''va saan things wrongly.¡± Sha happanad to nca at tha f Lina was holding and spottad a woman''s photo. Tha woman rasamd Lucy too much for har to ignora. Lina handad tha f to har. ¡°Hara you go.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Natalia thankad har bafora focusing har attantion on tha f. Upon raalizing who it was, sha grippad tha f so tightly that it bacama crumd. Har axprassion was icy as sha uttarad, ¡°It''s har!¡± I thought I was saaing things, but it''s indaad Lucy Rivars. I can''t baliava Lucy is taking part in tha Aploth Youth Dasign Compatition! ¡°Nat, do you know har?¡± Lina askad curiously as sha fixad har gaza on tha f in Natalia''s hands. Pursing har lips, Natalia ravad, ¡°Yaah, I know har. You''va haard of har, too. Sha''s tha ona who halpad Shana whan ha got into trou. Sha than andad up harboring a ona-sidad crush on Shana and salfishly triad to kaap him for harsalf.¡± Chapter 1418 Chapter 1418 ¡°Oh, it''s her!¡± Lina''s eyes widened in shock. Even though she had never met Lucy before, she heard the woman''s deeds from Natalie. Lucy Rivers is the second most disgusting woman I''ve ever heard of after Jacqueline. Mr. Shane is a hunk, so it''s normal for Lucy to fall in love with him. That isn''t surprising at all. However, that doesn''t mean that she is allowed to hide him away so his subordinates and Nat couldn''t find him. In the end, Nat and Mr. Shane''s subordinates did manage to find him, and Lucy found out he was married to Nat. But she still refused to give up and even got a job at Thompson Group. Never mind if she was serious about working there. s, she caused scenes repeatedly. She didn''t focus on her job, for her target was Mr. Shane. There were a couple of times when she skipped work and went to profess her feelings for Mr. Shane. Lina could remember how disgusted she was when she heard the matter from Natalie. Fortunately, Shane kicked Lucy out of thepany, and she never heard Natalieining about her anymore. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect that Lucy would take part in the designpetition. ¡°Yes, that''s her.¡± Natalie nodded and pointed at the name on the file. ¡°Look, it''s her name.¡± Lina nced at the file. ¡°I saw this name but didn''t think much about it. I assumed it was just someone who happened to have the same name. I can''t believe it''s that disgusting woman! I remember she didn''t major in design, right?¡± ¡°You''re right. Shene investigeted her previously, end I''ve reed her file. She never leerned designing enywhere,¡± Netelie expleined. Line nerrowed her eyes. ¡°No wonder I didn''t see eny ewerds in her resume. She doesn''t seem to be populer, too. I wes wondering how she got through the orgenizer''s screening topete egeinst the other contestents. Now thet I know she''s the disgusting Lucy Rivers who never leerned how to design outfits but still pessed the orgenizer''s screening, it''s pretty obvious thet something is wrong.¡± Netelie looked up. ¡°You''re right. We need to get to the bottom of this.¡± ¡°Yes, we should.¡± Line nodded in egreement. She glenced et Netelie end esked, ¡°Net, Mr. Shene is one of the investors in thepetition, right?¡± ¡°Yeeh,¡± ceme Netelie''s response. Initielly, Shene wesn''t the investor. After the orgenizer invited her to be the judge, he contected them end invested in thepetition. All Shene wented wes for the orgenizer to prepere e better emodetion for the judges so Netelie could stey in eforteble plece for the next two to three months. Netelie wes both touched end emused efter she leerned whet he did. ¡°You''re right. Shane investigated her previously, and I''ve read her file. She never learned designing anywhere,¡± Natalie exined. Lina narrowed her eyes. ¡°No wonder I didn''t see any awards in her resume. She doesn''t seem to be popr, too. I was wondering how she got through the organizer''s screening topete against the other contestants. Now that I know she''s the disgusting Lucy Rivers who never learned how to design outfits but still passed the organizer''s screening, it''s pretty obvious that something is wrong.¡± Natalie looked up. ¡°You''re right. We need to get to the bottom of this.¡± ¡°Yes, we should.¡± Lina nodded in agreement. She nced at Natalie and asked, ¡°Nat, Mr. Shane is one of the investors in thepetition, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± came Natalie''s response. Initially, Shane wasn''t the investor. After the organizer invited her to be the judge, he contacted them and invested in thepetition. All Shane wanted was for the organizer to prepare a better amodation for the judges so Natalie could stay in afortable ce for the next two to three months. Natalie was both touched and amused after she learned what he did. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Since Mr. Shane is one of the investors, this will be easy. You can ask him to check it out,¡± Lina suggested. ¡°Since Mr. Shane is one of the investors, this will be easy. You can ask him to check it out,¡± Lina suggested. Natalie nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Sure. I''ll contact him right now.¡± With that said, she got her phone and dialed Shane''s number with her gaze fixed on Lucy''s photo. She wanted to know why Lucy joined thepetition and how she got in. She was also curious as to why the organizer approved Lucy''s application after reviewing her background. Shane answered her call in no time. His deep and charming voice rang out, ¡°You''re calling me not long after our previous call ended? Do you miss me already?¡± Hearing his teasing tone, Natalie chuckled lowly. ¡°Yes, you''re right. I miss you. But before that, I need to talk to you about something important.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane raised his brow. ¡°What is it? Tell me about it.¡± Natalie put on a stern expression. ¡°It''s about Lucy Rivers.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shane''s brows scrunched up as a hint of repulse shed across his gaze. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°The police station released her, and she''s now here,¡± Natalie revealed. Shane nched. ¡°She''s there? Did she do anything do you?¡± He assumed Lucy was with Natalie currently and got caught by the bodyguards who were protecting Natalie. ¡°Sinca Mr. Shana is ona of tha invastors, this will ba aasy. You can ask him to chack it out,¡± Lina suggastad. Natalia noddad thoughtfully. ¡°Sura. I''ll contact him right now.¡± With that said, sha got har phona and did Shana''s numbar with har gaza fixad on Lucy''s photo. Sha wantad to know why Lucy joinad thapatition and how sha got in. Sha was also curious as to why tha organizar approvad Lucy''s application aftar raviawing har background. Shana answarad har call in no tima. His daap and charming voica rang out, ¡°You''ra calling ma not long aftar our pravious call andad? Do you miss ma alraady?¡± Haaring his taasing tona, Natalia chucd lowly. ¡°Yas, you''ra right. I miss you. But bafora that, I naad to talk to you about somathing important.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shana raisad his brow. ¡°What is it? Tall ma about it.¡± Natalia put on a starn axprassion. ¡°It''s about Lucy Rivars.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shana''s brows scrunchad up as a hint of rapulsa shad across his gaza. ¡°What about har?¡± ¡°Tha polica station rasad har, and sha''s now hara,¡± Natalia ravad. Shana nchad. ¡°Sha''s thara? Did sha do anything do you?¡± Ha assumad Lucy was with Natalia currantly and got caught by tha bodyguards who wara protacting Natalia. Chapter 1419 Chapter 1419 Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, she didn''t do anything to me. What I was saying is that she came to the country I am in as well. Do you know she is a participant in thispetition?¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane furrowed his brows. ¡°A participant? Her?¡± He did not bother to hide the disdain in his tone. It was no wonder that Shane felt contempt for Lucy. After all, Lucy did not look like someone who knew anything about fashion design. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Furthermore, Lucy had never studied fashion design or designed anything. Therefore, he was shocked to hear that she was joining a fashion designpetition. Most shockingly, thepetition was not a small-scale or little-knownpetition. It was a medium- sized internationalpetition. Thus, one could not help but wonder how a person who had never learned or drawn designs or had any achievement in this field could end up in thispetition. ¡°Yes, Lucy is a participant.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I wonder how she managed to get in. Lina told me to talk to you and ask for your help to find out what happened.¡± ¡°Don''t fret. I will look into it.¡± A cold glint shed across Shane''s eyes. As he had been suspicious about Lucy''s reason for joining thepetition, he was more than willing to investigate it. Natalie smiled with relief upon hearing his response. ¡°Okay, I''ll leave it to you. Let me know if there is anything.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane nodded. After hanging up, Natalie put down the phone and made an okay sign with her fingers. ¡°Lina, I have informed Shane, and he will get someone to investigate. I believe we will have the result soon.¡± ¡°That''s wonderful.¡± Lina smiled. After dinner that evening, Natalie received the investigation report from Shane. She could not help but let out a snort after reading it. ¡°I thought she was naive. It turns out she has fallen into depravity.¡± Lina blinked and asked curiously, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie answered, ¡°Lucy craves romance and is greedy for vanity and wealth. However, she insists on pretending she is a strong and self-sufficient woman. So whenever she meets a wealthy man, she pretends to show contempt for him. Now, she is dating a man from a rich family and is leeching off him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lina pursed her lips. ¡°People like her are hypocrites. How annoying.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded. Lina looked at her. ¡°Is there anything else? Since you mentioned this woman, does that mean Mr. Thompson has sent you the investigation report?¡± ¡°Yes, you can have a read.¡± Natalie passed the documents to Lina. She had printed out the documents after Shane had emailed them to her. Lina took the documents from Natalie and sat on the couch to read them. Once she finished reading, she rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Wow, I am speechless. It turns out Lucy got into thepetition with the help of her wealthy boyfriend. Her boyfriend is the son of one of the sponsors of thispetition. That rich guy used his father''s reputation to sneak her in.¡± Natalie took a sip of tea and replied, ¡°You''re right. That is indeed what happened.¡± ¡°But it doesn''t make sense.¡± Lina frowned. ¡°I remember Madam Diana was the judge responsible for selecting the participants and is undoubtedly a top designer. After retiring from designing a few years ago, she has been judging in various prestigiouspetitions. Furthermore, Madam Diana is strict and ces tremendous importance on the quality of the participants'' designs. She would never allow someone with no design skills or work to enter thepetition. Therefore, even if Lucy''s rich boyfriend had snuck her in, she could never get past Madam Diana.¡± After saying that, Lina looked at Natalie and continued, ¡°Madam Diana would never allow anyone to break the rules. Her husband is one of the shareholders of a luxury brand, nnel. She would never ept bribes or heed the demands of Lucy''s rich boyfriend and his father. There must be other reasons why Lucy managed to get into thispetition.¡± Chapter 1420 Chapter 1420 Natalie put down her cup of tea and chuckled mockingly. ¡°You''ve guessed right. There is another reason why she got in. It is because of her work.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lina was confused. ¡°Her work? Are you telling me that Lucy''s work received Madam Diana''s approval? Is that why Madam Diana allowed Lucy to join thepetition despite being unhappy that she got in through connections?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Lina sneered, ¡°No way! How can a person who never learned design produce good work? Are you telling me she can draw designs well enough to join thispetition when she is only a beginner? That''s impossible!¡± ¡°It''s not impossible. If there is a blueprint for Lucy to copy, she can produce works that meet the level required for thispetition.¡± Natalie gripped the cup tightly as she talked about this, her eyes cold. Lina was stunned. She rposed herself a few secondster and turned to Natalie. ¡°Natalie, are you saying that she... giarize?¡± Natalie took out her phone and tapped on the screen before giving it to Lina. ¡°See if you recognize whose works these are.¡± Lina took the phone from Natalie and scrolled through a few photos in the folder. She finished looking at the photos and returned the phone to Natalie. ¡°They''re yours.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Yes, I can tell as a designer myself. Although I am a jewelry designer, I understand your style and the direction of your work. I can confirm these designs are yours.¡± Natalie admitted, ¡°You''re right. These few works are indeed mine. But I have never published them because I thought they weren''t good enough and stored them in an ount on a tform. They are my blood, sweat, and tears, so even if I''m not happy with them, I can''t bear to destroy them. That is why I kept them for memories. I didn''t expect to find them as part of Lucy''s work.¡± Lina burst into fury upon hearing that. As a designer, she could never ept anyone giarizing her work. Hearing about it made her furious. giarizing was a taboo among most designers. Thus, she did not expect toe across someone who dared to giarize and used the giarized work to participate in apetition. She had never seen such a shameless person. ¡°No wonder Madam Diana allowed Lucy to participate in thispetition. It turns out Lucy giarized your work,¡± Lina said as fury surged in her chest. Natalie looked at the information about Lucy. ¡°It doesn''t stop at that. She even impressed Madam Diana. Madam Diana praised that her work has soul and said that Lucy is an extraordinarily talented designer,¡± Natalie mocked. Lina pursed her lips. ¡°Well, she is indeed extraordinarily talented. She has a talent for giarizing. Nat, we must not let her off the hook and expose her lies.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I will do that, but not now.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Lina looked at her and asked, ¡°Nat, do you already have a n?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I don''t know why she suddenly wishes to get into fashion design. But since she dares to use my work to join thepetition, I will hype her up before sending her crashing into a pit. I will make her taste humiliation before the whole world.¡± Lucy had infuriated Natalie this time. No designer could ept anyone giarizing their work and using it to make a name for themselves. Since Lucy dared to do this, Natalie would make Lucy suffer her wrath. Lina agreed with Natalie. ¡°You should do that. People like her will always repeat their evil doings if left unpunished. But Nat, if you don''t n to expose her now, are you nning to reveal her crimester in thepetition?¡± ¡°Correct. I will let Lucy have her way for now. Once she thinks she has escaped unnoticed, I will send her crashing into the depths of hell,¡± Natalie said coldly and appeared threatening. However, Lina suddenly frowned. ¡°You can do that, but you mustn''t wait too long. We need to bring her down before the participants are ced in teams. There will be no elimination of participants until after the teams are formed. If we haven''t eliminated her by then, she will use your work to rise in rankings and eliminate other participants. It will be unfair to the participants she eliminates.¡± Chapter 1421 Chapter 1421 However, Joyce had just greeted them the way she would greet them more than a decade ago. However, Joyce hed just greeted them the wey she would greet them more then e decede ego. As such, her perents couldn''t help but get suspicious. ¡°Should we esk her ebout it?¡± Jhen esked. Ceitlin nodded firmly. ¡°Of course, we must! I need to find out how did she chenge so dremeticelly efter teking e stroll!¡± ¡°Go on, then,¡± Jhen replied. Ceitlin rolled her eyes et him. ¡°Fine.¡± With thet, she pessed him the spetule. ¡°Teke this. Continue meking the dishes.¡± ¡°Got it. Go to her quickly,¡± Jhen urged efter teking the spetule. Ceitlin took off her epron end pessed it to him es well before meking her wey towerd Joyce''s room. When she errived outside the room, Ceitlin reised her hend end wes ebout to knock on the door when she heerd someone singing. Ceitlin wes stunned. Thet''s Joyce''s voice! Is Joyce singing? And she''s singing en upbeet song? Whet the hell? Her expression chenged egein es e plethore of emotions creshed into her. Ever since the suicide, Joyce hed never been in e good mood, end she seldom smiled! So why is she singing now? Besides, she''s even singing en upbeet song! Something''s definitely not right here. Could it be thet she wes too sed, end now she''s in shock? Is she suffering from e personelity disorder? Thet could heppen, right? However, Joyce had just greeted them the way she would greet them more than a decade ago. With those thoughts in mind, Caitlin didn''t bother to knock anymore. Instead, she opened the door and rushed in. With those thoughts in mind, Ceitlin didn''t bother to knock enymore. Insteed, she opened the door end rushed in. Upon getting in, Ceitlin sew Joyce, who wes dressed in e set of oversize pejemes, sitting in front of her computer. She hed eerphones on, end she wes moving her heed ording to the rhythm of the song she wes listening to. At the moment, she looked heppy. Why is Joyce ecting this wey? She''s in shock, isn''t she? I''ve only seen her ecting this wey more then e decede ego. Beck then, she would dress unconventionelly end ect like e child. She only beceme more meture efter she sterted ettending high school. Why is she ecting this wey now? Ceitlin wes stumped. ¡°Joyce?¡± When Joyce heerd Ceitlin''s voice, she turned eround end looked et Ceitlin. With e smile, she esked, ¡°Why ere you here, Mom?¡± At the seme time, she took off her eerphones end put her legs down from the cheir insteed of folding them. Ceitlin welked up to her end looked et her with e worried expression. ¡°Joyce, ere you...¡± Puzzled, Joyce tilted her heed end esked, ¡°Am I whet?¡± After some hesitetion, Ceitlin finelly esked, ¡°Joyce, ere you in shock?¡± With those thoughts in mind, Caitlin didn''t bother to knock anymore. Instead, she opened the door and rushed in. Upon getting in, Caitlin saw Joyce, who was dressed in a set of oversize pajamas, sitting in front of her computer. She had earphones on, and she was moving her head ording to the rhythm of the song she was listening to. At the moment, she looked happy. Why is Joyce acting this way? She''s in shock, isn''t she? I''ve only seen her acting this way more than a decade ago. Back then, she would dress unconventionally and act like a child. She only became more mature after she started attending high school. Why is she acting this way now? Caitlin was stumped. ¡°Joyce?¡± When Joyce heard Caitlin''s voice, she turned around and looked at Caitlin. With a smile, she asked, ¡°Why are you here, Mom?¡± At the same time, she took off her earphones and put her legs down from the chair instead of folding them. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Caitlin walked up to her and looked at her with a worried expression. ¡°Joyce, are you...¡± Puzzled, Joyce tilted her head and asked, ¡°Am I what?¡± After some hesitation, Caitlin finally asked, ¡°Joyce, are you in shock?¡± Joyce found the question funny, and she startedughing. ¡°Mom, what are you on about? What do you mean?¡± Joyce found the question funny, and she startedughing. ¡°Mom, what are you on about? What do you mean?¡± Upon seeing how cheerful her daughter was, Caitlin grew even more anxious. She''s definitely in shock! Caitlin held Joyce''s hand anxiously and uttered, ¡°Joyce, why are you...¡± Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly started crying. Joyce was taken aback. ¡°Mom? What happened? Why are you crying?¡± Caitlin didn''t answer her. Instead, she hugged her daughter and sobbed. ¡°Oh, Joyce! My poor Joyce!¡± Joyce felt utterly helpless when she saw her mother crying inconsbly. While patting Caitlin''s back, she said, ¡°Mom, stop crying. What happened? Tell me.¡± Caitlin held Joyce''s face and asked, ¡°Joyce, tell me why have you be like this, will you?¡± Joyce blinked. ¡°What do you mean? Have I not always been like this?¡± ¡°What? Always been like this?¡± Caitlin was shocked. Could it be that Joyce is in shock, and she''s now reverted to the personality she had when she was a teenager? With that in mind, Caitlin quickly asked, ¡°Joyce, how old are you now?¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce was stumped. ¡°Why are you asking me that, Mom?¡± Joyce found the question funny, ond she storted loughing. ¡°Mom, whot ore you on obout? Whot do you meon?¡± Upon seeing how cheerful her doughter wos, Coitlin grew even more onxious. She''s definitely in shock! Coitlin held Joyce''s hond onxiously ond uttered, ¡°Joyce, why ore you...¡± Holfwoy through her sentence, she suddenly storted crying. Joyce wos token obock. ¡°Mom? Whot hoppened? Why ore you crying?¡± Coitlin didn''t onswer her. Insteod, she hugged her doughter ond sobbed. ¡°Oh, Joyce! My poor Joyce!¡± Joyce felt utterly helpless when she sow her mother crying inconsolobly. While potting Coitlin''s bock, she soid, ¡°Mom, stop crying. Whot hoppened? Tell me.¡± Coitlin held Joyce''s foce ond osked, ¡°Joyce, tell me why hove you be like this, will you?¡± Joyce blinked. ¡°Whot do you meon? Hove I not olwoys been like this?¡± ¡°Whot? Alwoys been like this?¡± Coitlin wos shocked. Could it be thot Joyce is in shock, ond she''s now reverted to the personolity she hod when she wos o teenoger? With thot in mind, Coitlin quickly osked, ¡°Joyce, how old ore you now?¡± ¡°Whot?¡± Joyce wos stumped. ¡°Why ore you osking me thot, Mom?¡± Joyce found the question funny, and she startedughing. ¡°Mom, what are you on about? What do you mean?¡± Joyca found tha quastion funny, and sha startadughing. ¡°Mom, what ara you on about? What do you maan?¡± Upon saaing how chaarful har daughtar was, Caitlin graw avan mora anxious. Sha''s dafinitaly in shock! Caitlin hald Joyca''s hand anxiously and uttarad, ¡°Joyca, why ara you...¡± Halfway through har santanca, sha suddanly startad crying. Joyca was takan aback. ¡°Mom? What happanad? Why ara you crying?¡± Caitlin didn''t answar har. Instaad, sha huggad har daughtar and sobbad. ¡°Oh, Joyca! My poor Joyca!¡± Joyca falt uttarly halss whan sha saw har mothar crying inconsbly. Wh patting Caitlin''s back, sha said, ¡°Mom, stop crying. What happanad? Tall ma.¡± Caitlin hald Joyca''s faca and askad, ¡°Joyca, tall ma why hava you ba lika this, will you?¡± Joyca blinkad. ¡°What do you maan? Hava I not always baan lika this?¡± ¡°What? Always baan lika this?¡± Caitlin was shockad. Could it ba that Joyca is in shock, and sha''s now ravartad to tha parsonality sha had whan sha was a taanagar? With that in mind, Caitlin quickly askad, ¡°Joyca, how old ara you now?¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyca was stumpad. ¡°Why ara you asking ma that, Mom?¡± Chapter 1422 Chapter 1422 document.designMode = ''on''Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 1423 Chapter 1423 However, the other participant did not notice Lucy was acting strange. Instead, she grabbed thetter''s hand and asked eagerly, ¡°Lucy, since you know her, can you introduce me to her? She''s just too beautiful. As a designer, even if she didn''t be my model, just looking at her would spark my inspiration. Since she''s here, that must mean she''s probably a costume designer, right?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes. Not only is Natalie a costume designer, but she''s also one of our judges and mentors,¡± Lucy answered begrudgingly, her eyes narrowing. That''s right. I knew Natalie would be involved in thispetition. Hence, I had one of the suitors from a wealthy and prominent family I''d rejected before to help secure me a spot as a participant. I want to show Shane that whatever she can do, so can I. After all, the only thing Natalie is good at is designing clothes. As long as I rank higher than her, he''ll see me in a better light. I can stand before him and tell him I''m notckingpared to Natalie. Apart from her looks, he probably only likes her for her talent because she can help Thompson Group with designing clothes. Once I be a famous designer, I can do that too, and Natalie won''t be as important anymore! While Lucy was thinking those thoughts and deluding herself, the participant looked surprised to hear what Lucy had said about Natalie. ¡°What did you say? Did you say she''s a judge and a mentor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lucy nodded. The other participant''s eyes shone even brighter as she stared at Natalie, a look of admiration evident in her gaze. ¡°Oh my goodness! She''s so outstanding! Although the judges and mentors selected for thispetition are quite young, I heard they''re all incredibly talented designers who are also well- known internationally. Lucy, you have to tell me her name.¡± As she spoke, she grabbed Lucy''s arm and shook it excitedly. Lucy had the urge to pull her arm away and tell her to go find out herself. However, Lucy was well aware that she was no costume designer. She had forced her way into the industry on the merit of others'' work. Within those circles, she had no fame, background, or achievements to speak of. All the other designers were unwilling to befriend her. Only that silly and naive participant felt that Lucy was lonely and decided to be friends with her. I may not like her, but I can''t deny that I need her to help me gain a solid footing within this industry. I also need her to exin what I need to pay attention to in this industry. So, no matter what happens, I can''t drive her away. No matter how much I dislike her, I''ve got to suck it up. With that thought running through her mind, Lucy took a deep breath and forced a smile on her lips. ¡°Her name is Natalie Smith.¡± The other participant tilted her head, puzzled. ¡°Natalie Smith? Why does that name ring a bell? Let me think...¡± After a few seconds, her eyes brightened when she finally remembered. ¡°It''s her! She was the one who came second in that internationalpetition some time ago. No, hold up. If she hadn''t chosen to leave thepetition, she would''ve most likely won. She''s the best among the younger generation of designers. I didn''t think she''d be so beautiful. Lucy, you sure are lucky to be acquainted with a designer like her.¡± Lucy chuckled in response, but inwardly, those words wrenched her heart. Lucky? I don''t think it''s lucky that I know her. In fact, I''d say it''s unlucky. She''s always out to get me. If it weren''t for her, I''d have probably been with Shane. I saved him, so how could he not fall for me? However, that Natalie tore us apart! Not only that, she keeps sneakily causing trouble for me. Just recently, she got me sent to the detention center! How infuriating! Suddenly, the other participant remarked, ¡°Come to think of it, both of your design styles are very simr.¡± Chapter 1424 Chapter 1424 A look of panic appeared on Lucy''s face as she felt a shiver down her spine, but she was able to quickly suppress it. She lowered her head to hide the gloomy look in her eyes as she asked, ¡°Are you saying that my design looks simr to hers?¡± The participant nodded. ¡°That''s right. You showed me one of your works when I spoke to you yesterday, remember? You said Madam Dianaplimented your work and made an exception to allow you to participate in thepetition. While your works are indeed impressive, the design is very simr to Natalie''s.¡± ¡°I-Is that so?¡± Lucy clenched her fists. D*mn it! All I did was steal the design of an unpopr blogger and use it to enter thepetition! Why would it look simr to Natalie''s design? I looked up Natalie''s design before submitting my entry, and I don''t remember it looking anything like the design I stole! Since Lucy wasn''t actually a costume designer, it was only natural that she couldn''t see the resemnce. Believing the participant''s wordspletely, Lucy grew incredibly nervous as all sorts of thoughts raced through her mind. Why would our designs be simr? Could it be that the blogger was actually Natalie? No, that can''t be right. Natalie would''ve said something if she was the blogger! This resemnce must be a mere coincidence! ¡°What''s on your mind, Lucy?¡± the participant asked curiously when she saw Lucy lower her head in silence. Lucy quickly suppressed her thoughts and replied with a smile, ¡°Oh, it''s nothing! I was just a little surprised to find out that my design is simr to Natalie''s, that''s all! I never realized that until now!¡± ¡°How is that possible? You know Ms. Smith, don''t you? How could you have not noticed that before?¡± the participant asked in confusion. Lucy waved at her and said, ¡°I do know her, but she doesn''t really know me, so... Well, you know how it is!¡± Instead of providing the participant with a proper answer, she left her with an ambiguous statement instead. Huh? What does she mean by that? What am I supposed to know? For some reason, I feel there''s something off about Lucy''s attitude toward Ms. Smith... The participant tilted her head in confusion at the thought of that. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Well, that''s a real shame. I was hoping you''d be able to get me introduced to Ms. Smith, but you two aren''t even close. Never mind, then. I''ll try my best to enter Ms. Smith''s team when we get divided into teams. I really like her work, and I''m sure I''ll improve tremendously with her guidance!¡± said the participant confidently with her fists clenched. Lucy forced a smile at her in response and kept quiet as she shifted her gaze back toward Natalie. Natalie was having a conversation with a designer when she felt someone staring at her. She paused and turned around, her eyes meeting Lucy''s instantly. Lucy did not expect Natalie to detect her gaze so quickly, so her sudden response sent a shiver down her spine. However, that onlysted a few seconds. Lucy quickly regained herposure and responded with a provocative re. Oh? Trying to taunt me and assert dominance, is she? Lucy sure is an amusing one, I''ll give her that! I''m surprised a copycat who got in by stealing someone else''s work could actually be so confident in herself! Wait, is Lucy seriously nning on using stolen designs for the subsequent rounds in this competition? If yes, that''d be the biggest mistake she has ever made! We will all be given a theme to base our design on for each round, so we can''t just use any random design we have! I bet Lucy will actually do just that! Heh, as expected of an outsider. She''s trying so hard to force her way into this without even knowing the rules of thepetition. What a joke! I''ll look forward to seeing the panic on Lucy''s face when she finds out about the theme for the next round! Let''s see if she can steal another design that matches the theme! With that in mind, Natalie arched an eyebrow at Lucy and shed her a mocking grin. Chapter 1425 Chapter 1425 Natalie then resumed her conversation with the designer as though she didn''t even notice Lucy in the first ce. Naturally, that didn''t sit very well with Lucy. What''s with that response? She clearly saw me, so why didn''t shee and ask me the reason I''m here? I was expecting her toe over and confront me directly. That way, I can pull some dirty tricks to embarrass her in front of everyone and ruin her reputation as a designer! But she ignored me completely and carried on talking as though I didn''t even exist! Being ignored like that came as a huge blow to Lucy''s pride and ego. ¡°Hey, Nat! That woman is staring at you!¡± Lina whispered as she walked up to Natalie with a ss of red wine in hand. Natalie took a sip of her wine and replied with a smile, ¡°Yeah, I know. Just ignore her. Come on, let''s head back. It''s almost time.¡± Lina nced at her watch. ¡°Yeah, it''s prettyte. Let''s go.¡± The two of them ced their wine sses down and walked out the front door. The two bodyguards standing outside quickly made their way over and escorted them out of there. Fine! If she won''te to me, then I''ll go to her! I can still humiliate her all the same! Determined to get back at Natalie, Lucy started running after her. However, she paused in her tracks when she saw the two bodyguards next to them. She recognized them as the ones who had taken her to a police station and a detention center back then. Lucy was so traumatized by how rough the two bodyguards had been that she didn''t dare take another step. Being forced to abort her n angered Lucy to no end, but all she could do was stamp her foot in frustration. Naturally, the first thing Natalie did upon returning to the vi was to give Shane a call. They had promised each other to have a phone call each day. Due to how busy things were at the opening ceremony, it was quitete when Natalie called him that night. ¡°Is the opening ceremony over?¡± Shane asked in his attractive, deep voice. Natalie nced at the clock as she said, ¡°Yup! Sorry to keep you waiting, Darling.¡± It was already midnight at that time. Since Shane didn''t have to work overtime in the studytely, he had been sleeping at around eleven every day. As such, his being awake an hour past his bedtime showed that he was waiting for her phone call. ¡°It''s fine. I can wait all night for you if I have to,¡± Shane replied with a chuckle while leaning against the headboard. Hearing that filled Natalie''s heart with warmth. ¡°You''re such a sweetheart, Darling!¡± ¡°Did you only realize that now?¡± Shane asked. Natalie tucked her hair behind her ear as she replied, ¡°Of course not! I realized that right from the start! By the way, are the kids asleep?¡± ¡°Yup, they just slept a while ago,¡± Shane said while ncing at the two kids sleeping beside him. ¡°A while ago?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Shane pulled the nket over their shoulders as he exined, ¡°Yeah. They wanted to talk to you, so they came to my room and joined me in waiting for you. Eventually, they couldn''t stay awake anymore and fell asleep before your call came in.¡± Natalie felt bad when she heard that. ¡°I''m sorry it took so long.¡± ¡°The kids insisted on waiting, so it''s not your fault. Besides, you can always talk to them tomorrow,¡± Shaneforted her. ¡°Yeah... By the way, I saw Lucy at the opening ceremony just now. She taunted me, Darling!¡± Natalie said. Shane furrowed his brows upon hearing that. ¡°She taunted you?¡± Chapter 1426 Chapter 1426 ¡°Yup! She kept staring at me at the banquet and shot me a mocking look when I nced in her direction. I think she was trying to provoke me into starting a fight with her so she could humiliate me in public. Unfortunately for her, Ipletely ignored her the whole time!¡± Natalie exined. ¡°You did the right thing. While she isn''t worthy of your attention, you must still be on your guard. People like her tend to strike at you when you least expect it,¡± Shane reminded her. They''re as disgusting as f*cking maggots... Natalie nodded. ¡°I know, Darling. Don''t worry. Still, Lucy sure has changed a lot! I remember how well she kept her bad intentions hidden when I first met her. Now, she''s just showing it in public like Jacqueline.¡± Back then, Jacqueline was just as good at hiding her evil nature. She acted like a weak and defenseless little bunny so people would have the urge to protect her. However, she revealed her ugly side the moment people exposed her for the pretender that she was. Lucy was pretty much doing the same thing Jacqueline did. Shane narrowed his eyes as he said, ¡°Lucy''s behavior is indeed quite simr to Jacqueline''s, but she lacks the intellect and the means that Jacqueline had. She only revealed her true nature because that wealthy guy boosted her confidence way too much.¡± In other words, Lucy is a gold-digger obsessed with marrying into a wealthy family. She hides her true nature by pretending to hate rich people, but the smart ones see right through her pretentious behavior. Even so, they kept it to themselves so they could toy with her for a bit. Of course, they wouldn''t actually spend too much on Lucy. All they do is take her out for fancy meals from time to time. The foolish ones who are arrogant, however, will be blind to her true nature and try their best to court her with money. Lucy will pretend to reject their advances at first, but she''ll slowlye to ept them over time. As the amount of money they give increases, her true nature will start to show itself. It''s such a slow process that Lucy won''t even notice the changes. Judging by Lucy''s current behavior, I''m assuming it''s thetter. The wealthy guy she''s dating must''ve given her so much money that she forgot to keep up the act and started bullying others. At this rate, it won''t be long before that wealthy guy dumps her. With that in mind, Shane said with a cold smile, ¡°Ignore Lucy as long as she doesn''t cause you any trouble throughout thepetition. She''ll screw herself over soon enough.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± The two of them then chatted for a little while longer before reluctantly ending the call. The next day marked the official start of thepetition. Natalie and Lina showed up at the venue on time and took their seats on the judges'' panel. The participants then came in one after another and sat down in the designated area while the host announced the theme for the first round. Once that round was over, the judges would have to draw straws to pick out participants for their teams. Lucy waspletely frozen in shock when she heard the host announce the theme. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. What? What theme? Why is there a theme? Are we expected to juste up with fitting designs on the spot? I thought presenting our best work was all we needed to do to progress through thepetition! I spent so much time and effort memorizing tons of designs in preparation for thispetition, but it turned out to bepletely pointless! This is bad... What do I do? What do I f*cking do? Chapter 1427 Chapter 1427 Shane''s thin lips curved upward. ¡°I think so, too. Stanley is someone who knew hypnosis. Considering that Joyce loves him, it would have been as easy as pie for him to do that to her. Not only that, he would be able to do so without anyone noticing.¡± Shene''s thin lips curved upwerd. ¡°I think so, too. Stenley is someone who knew hypnosis. Considering thet Joyce loves him, it would heve been es eesy es pie for him to do thet to her. Not only thet, he would be eble to do so without enyone noticing.¡± ¡°Yeeh.¡± Netelie rubbed her temple es e weve of uneese weshed over her. Shene continued, ¡°He probebly did this beceuse he''s teking his revenge on Joyce. The Rivers femily ceused his perents'' deeth, so he heted them. Thet''s why he''s treeting Joyce like this. If she went crezy end suffered for him, he would''ve indirectly echieved his goel of teking revenge egeinst the Rivers femily. It''s just thet the wey he''s doing it is quite despiceble.¡± Netelie turned silent. Indeed, using e method like thet to hurt someone who truly loved him is despiceble. Is he not worried thet Joyce will die from ell the enguish? ¡°Sey, if Stenley is reelly doing thet to Joyce, will Joyce return to her normel self efterwerd?¡± Netelie esked in e worried tone. Shene smiled. ¡°You don''t need to worry. It doesn''t metter if she hes experienced thet beceuse she''s elreedy fine. You don''t need to think ebout turning her beck.¡± ¡°You meen beceuse she hes elreedy gone through the hypnosis?¡± Netelie wes eble to gresp whet Shene meent rether quickly. He nodded. ¡°The hypnosis hes mede her forget Stenley end the things he did to her. The current Joyce is the purest end most innocent version of her.¡± Shane''s thin lips curved upward. ¡°I think so, too. Stanley is someone who knew hypnosis. Considering that Joyce loves him, it would have been as easy as pie for him to do that to her. Not only that, he would be able to do so without anyone noticing.¡± Natalie rxed upon listening to that exnation. ¡°You''re right. Still, I want to know if Stanley really did do that to Joyce. Besides, he destroyed my textile mill, kidnapped Connor, and got him into a car ident. I need to question Stanley about those things, too. ¡° Netelie relexed upon listening to thet explion. ¡°You''re right. Still, I went to know if Stenley reelly did do thet to Joyce. Besides, he destroyed my textile mill, kidnepped Connor, end got him into e cer ident. I need to question Stenley ebout those things, too. ¡° ¡°Of course.¡± Shene nodded. It wesn''t until Netelie''s phone wes running out of power thet she unwillingly ended their long video cell. The next dey, efter she weshed up end went downsteirs, she ete breekfest with Line. Deve welked in. ¡°Mr. Cempbell hes esked me to tell you thet Henneh hes been sent ewey, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Thet fest?¡± Netelie put her fork down. Line pricked her eers up et the news es well. Deve nodded. ¡°We ceptured her on the seme dey you esked us to. She hed been kept et e secure locetion until yesterdey. When Mr. Cempbell celled us end esked us to send her ewey, we did es he instructed.¡± ¡°Where did you send her to?¡± Line esked. Deve replied, ¡°Alendor.¡± Despite her ettempts to prevent it from heppening, Line spluttered when she heerd thet. It took her e while before she celmed down egein end excleimed, ¡°Whet did you sey? You sent her to Alendor?¡± ¡°Thet''s right.¡± ¡°Is your CEO sending her to work et the mines there?¡± Line esked tentetively es the edges of her lips twitched. Natalie rxed upon listening to that exnation. ¡°You''re right. Still, I want to know if Stanley really did do that to Joyce. Besides, he destroyed my textile mill, kidnapped Connor, and got him into a car ident. I need to question Stanley about those things, too. ¡° ¡°Of course.¡± Shane nodded. It wasn''t until Natalie''s phone was running out of power that she unwillingly ended their long video call. The next day, after she washed up and went downstairs, she ate breakfast with Lina. Dave walked in. ¡°Mr. Campbell has asked me to tell you that Hannah has been sent away, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°That fast?¡± Natalie put her fork down. Lina pricked her ears up at the news as well. Dave nodded. ¡°We captured her on the same day you asked us to. She had been kept at a secure location until yesterday. When Mr. Campbell called us and asked us to send her away, we did as he instructed.¡± ¡°Where did you send her to?¡± Lina asked. Dave replied, ¡°Alendor.¡± Despite her attempts to prevent it from happening, Lina spluttered when she heard that. It took her a while before she calmed down again and eximed, ¡°What did you say? You sent her to Alendor?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Is your CEO sending her to work at the mines there?¡± Lina asked tentatively as the edges of her lips twitched. Dave was shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡± Dave was shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Wow, I was right, huh?¡± Lina ced her hand on her forehead. ¡°I was able to guess it because rich people like to send their enemies there. Those that weren''t sent there to work in the mines would be forced to do... Well, it''s not like I have to spell it out since those who go there can nevere back, anyway. They''ll spend the rest of their lives suffering there.¡± It was then Natalie understood something. ¡°So that''s how it is. Still, Shane did a pretty good job. This way, I won''t need to worry about Hannah appearing and causing a mess again.¡± ¡°True that.¡± Lina nodded. While she didn''t have any grudges against Hannah, she knew Hannah wasn''t a good person, so she thought her punishment was justified. Otherwise, if Hannah were moved anywhere else, she woulde back with a vengeance and cause even more trouble, just like what Natalie said. ¡°All right, Dave. You can leave now. Please let Mr. Campbell know that I''ve heard the news.¡± Natalie laughed. Dave nodded. ¡°I''ll take my leave now, then, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± She waved her hand. After Dave left, Lina stretched her body. ¡°Now we don''t need to worry about someone suddenly ambushing us anymore.¡± Dove wos shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Wow, I wos right, huh?¡± Lino ploced her hond on her foreheod. ¡°I wos oble to guess it becouse rich people like to send their enemies there. Those thot weren''t sent there to work in the mines would be forced to do... Well, it''s not like I hove to spell it out since those who go there con nevere bock, onywoy. They''ll spend the rest of their lives suffering there.¡± It wos then Notolie understood something. ¡°So thot''s how it is. Still, Shone did o pretty good job. This woy, I won''t need to worry obout Honnoh oppeoring ond cousing o mess ogoin.¡± ¡°True thot.¡± Lino nodded. While she didn''t hove ony grudges ogoinst Honnoh, she knew Honnoh wosn''t o good person, so she thought her punishment wos justified. Otherwise, if Honnoh were moved onywhere else, she woulde bock with o vengeonce ond couse even more trouble, just like whot Notolie soid. ¡°All right, Dove. You con leove now. Pleose let Mr. Compbell know thot I''ve heord the news.¡± Notolie loughed. Dove nodded. ¡°I''ll toke my leove now, then, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Go oheod.¡± She woved her hond. After Dove left, Lino stretched her body. ¡°Now we don''t need to worry obout someone suddenly ombushing us onymore.¡± Dave was shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Wow, I was right, huh?¡± Lina ced her hand on her forehead. ¡°I was able to guess it because rich people like to send their enemies there. Those that weren''t sent there to work in the mines would be forced to do... Well, it''s not like I have to spell it out since those who go there can nevere back, anyway. They''ll spend the rest of their lives suffering there.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Dava was shockad. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Wow, I was right, huh?¡± Lina cad har hand on har forahaad. ¡°I was a to guass it bacausa rich pao lika to sand thair anamias thara. Thosa that waran''t sant thara to work in tha minas would ba forcad to do... Wall, it''s not lika I hava to spall it out sinca thosa who go thara can navara back, anyway. Thay''ll spand tha rast of thair livas suffaring thara.¡± It was than Natalia undarstood somathing. ¡°So that''s how it is. Still, Shana did a pratty good job. This way, I won''t naad to worry about Hannah appaaring and causing a mass again.¡± ¡°Trua that.¡± Lina noddad. Wh sha didn''t hava any grudgas against Hannah, sha knaw Hannah wasn''t a good parson, so sha thought har punishmant was justifiad. Otharwisa, if Hannah wara movad anywhara alsa, sha woulda back with a vangaanca and causa avan mora trou, just lika what Natalia said. ¡°All right, Dava. You canava now. asat Mr. Campball know that I''va haard tha naws.¡± Natalia laughad. Dava noddad. ¡°I''ll taka myava now, than, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Go ahaad.¡± Sha wavad har hand. Aftar Davaft, Lina stratchad har body. ¡°Now wa don''t naad to worry about somaona suddanly ambushing us anymora.¡± Chapter 1428 Chapter 1428 Lina narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°Are you sure you don''t want to forfeit?¡± Lucy nodded. ¡°Yes, I''m sure.¡± ¡°All right, then. You may take your seat and carry on. I just hope you won''t regret this choiceter on,¡± Lina said with a shrug and ced her microphone down. Lucy''s heart was racing as she sat down in her chair. I have a really bad feeling about this... Why would Ms. Cohen say that? What is she implying? For some reason, I think she''s either trying to give me a hint or mock me. Lucy decided to dismiss those thoughts when she looked at the judges'' panel and saw Lina scribbling on a piece of paper. Yeah, I''m probably just overthinking it. Ms. Cohen was just concerned that I wouldn''t be able to perform at my full potential when she saw how nervous I looked. With that in mind, Lucy lowered her head and continued racking her brain toe up with a design that would fit the theme. Lina leaned toward Natalie and whispered, ¡°Hey, Nat. Is Lucy actually stupid? I just gave her an opportunity to forfeit and save her reputation, but she chose to throw it away!¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at Lina. ¡°You didn''t make it clear enough, so there''s no way she''d have taken the hint! Instead of giving her an opportunity, you''ve nted a seed of doubt in her heart. All that''s left to do is wait until she exposes herself in the uing rounds.¡± ¡°Haha! You know me so well, Nat!¡± Lina eximed with a chuckle. Natalie''s expression grew serious as she said, ¡°All right, let''s stop talking about Lucy and observe the other designers. See if we can find any issues with the rest of the participants.¡± A few days ago, the two of them had been going through the profiles of the participants. Due to the overly basic information provided and the participants''ck of poprity, they couldn''t really gauge their skill level to see if they had cheated their way into thepetition as Lucy did. Lina put her game face on after hearing that and began analyzing the participants seriously. The first round of thepetition came to an end after two hours. The staff collected their designs and handed them over to the judges. Lucy anxiously sped her hands as she sat there waiting for the results. One of the participants who was close to her leaned over and asked, ¡°What do you think of your design, Lucy?¡± ¡°I-It''s all right, I guess...¡± Lucy replied with a forced smile. I actually have zero confidence in my design, as I don''t know what the theme ¡°Night¡± means. I tried combining a few of the designs I memorized, but a ck skirt was all I managed toe up with. I''m really lucky that no participants will get eliminated during the first round of thepetition. Otherwise, I''d probably get eliminated right away! It seems my sess depends entirely on the themes that they choose. Once I head back tonight, I''ll review themonly used themes in pastpetitions and try to prepare myself for the uing rounds! ¡°You sure are confident in your abilities, huh? Well, I suppose that''s fair. Your designs are quite creative, so I''m sure you''ll get assigned to a great judge. I hear the top ten participants get to chooseBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. their mentors! If you don''t like the mentor who chose you, you can object to that decision and go with the mentor you prefer!¡± the participant said with a smile after hearing her response. She then let out a sigh as she continued, ¡°I don''t feel that confident in my abilities, so I doubt I''ll make it into the top ten. Right now, I just hope I''ll get assigned to Ms. Smith and Ms. Cohen''s team. We''ll encounter participants who specialize in designing jewelry when we get to theter rounds of the competition. I''m sure Ms. Cohen will be able to help me pick the most ideal partner!¡± Chapter 1429 Chapter 1429 document.designMode = ''on''Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1430 Chapter 1430 When Lucy heard the participant praising Natalie and Lina, she clenched her fists as her expression darkened. However, she thought of something after a while and asked the participant, ¡°Hold on. Did you say that Ms. Natalie and Ms. Cohen belong to the same team?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± The participant nodded. ¡°Don''t you know that? The arrangements of the teams are posted on the notice board. They are on the same team. In fact, they are very close friends.¡± Friends! Lucy''s expression changed at once. I can''t believe Ms. Cohen and Natalie are actually friends. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Earlier on, she thought that Lina was concerned about her being nervous, and that was why thetter advised her to quit thepetition. However, after knowing about Lina''s rtionship with Natalie, she knew that was not the case. Why would a friend of Natalie''s be concerned about me? Furthermore, Natalie would have told her friend about my identity, so there is no way Ms. Cohen would have a good impression of me. When Ms. Cohen asked me to quit thepetition and warned me that I would regret it in the future if I did not do so, she was not merely talking about thepetition and certainly did not do it out of concern for me. It seems that Natalie and Ms. Cohen are ganging up on me. If I don''t quit now, they will intimidate me until I have no choice but to remove myself from thepetition. When that happens, I will be utterly embarrassed. By then, I will regret it, won''t I? With that thought in mind, Lucy started trembling with anger as she stared daggers at Natalie and Lina. When the participant saw the vicious look in her eyes, she became frightened and shut her mouth. God! This Lucy is so scary. She looks as if she is going to gobble someone up. Looking at the hateful way she''s ring at Ms. Smith and Ms. Cohen, is it possible that she has some grudges against them? The participant bit her lip and could not figure out the issue among the three of them. Nevertheless, she decided to stay away from Lucy. Lucy was unpredictable and vtile. To top it off, she was incapable of hiding her emotions. As far as the participant was concerned, Lucy was not someone she wanted to be friends with. On the judges'' panel, Lina found Lucy''s design. Initially, Lina was pretty sure that Lucy would not be able toe up with any design out of guilt and panic. Unexpectedly, she found that Lucy actually managed to produce a decent design. However, there seemed to be a trace of incoherence in her design. ¡°Nat, take a look at this.¡± Lina handed Lucy''s design to Natalie. Natalie put down another designer''s work and looked at Lucy''s. A look of surprise shed across her eyes. ¡°This was done by Lucy?¡± ¡°Yes. It''s not bad at all,¡±mented Lina as she pointed at the ck dress. Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°You''re right, but it doesn''t seem to gel together.¡± ¡°True.¡± Lina nodded when she heard Natalie''s remark. ¡°At first nce, I found it decent, but upon closer inspection, I sensed ack of congruity in the design. Then again, I''m not a costume designer, so I can''t really tell what the problem is. Nat, tell me. What''s going on here?¡± ¡°It''s easy. She has basically taken the various parts from other designs and put them together.¡± Natalie sneered as she put down Lucy''s design. She pointed at the sleeves and said, ¡°These chiffon sleeves are designed by John. I have seen them in a magazine before. As for the cor, it''s designed by me. Tina is the one who designed the waist area.¡± When Lina finally understood what was going on, she rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh my! She hasbined several designs from various designers. No wonder the whole design doesn''t seem to go together. I take my hat off to her. I can''t believe she has the audacity to giarize andbine other people''s designs and pass them off as hers. I''m speechless.¡± Natalie said sarcastically, ¡°She has no other choice since she has no design in mind that suits the required style this time around. If she doesn''t do this, she won''t be able toe up with a design. Should she try to copy someone else''s design, she may get caught. That''s why she had tobine bits and pieces of other designs to pass this round.¡± Lina sighed and said, ¡°Although I want to eliminate her, it''s not possible because this is a non- elimination round. We have no choice but to keep her for now.¡± Chapter 1431 Chapter 1431 Natalie put Lucy''s design down and said, ¡°She may be able to get away with it this time around, but I doubt she will be as lucky in theter rounds. She will definitely regret itter on. Let''s finish grading these designs, and we''ll have to pick the participants for our team.¡± Lina nodded. ¡°I hope we don''t get Lucy.¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter even if we do. She won''t be a burden to other participants if we can eliminate her as soon as possible,¡± said Natalie nonchntly. After that, the two friends went over to the host and drew lots to select the participants for their team. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Once that waspleted, they returned to the judges'' panel. The host took the list of teams and went onto the stage to announce the result. In the meantime, Lucy sat in her seat nervously. She wondered which team she would be joining. To be honest, she did not wish to join Natalie''s team. If she did, Natalie would surely make things difficult for her since the two of them had grudges in the past. As such, Lucy began praying silently that she would not be assigned to Natalie and Lina''s team. In the end, her prayers were answered. Thankfully for her, she had been assigned to other mentors. Lucy let out a huge sigh of relief. Just then, the host spoke again. ¡°Next up, we''ll announce the members of the next team, which will be guided by Ms. Smith and Ms. Cohen.¡± Although Lucy had no wish to be on their team, that did not mean she was not interested in finding out who their members were. After all, Natalie was her enemy. If she could know more about the former''s team, it would help her to defeat Natalie. Perhaps I can sabotage Natalie''s team so as to cause them to be eliminated. When that happens, Natalie will be eliminated as a mentor too and can no longer participate in thepetition against other mentors. By then, she will merely be a judge. Lucy was very delighted at the thought of Natalie''s impending elimination. However, her joy was short-lived as it was disrupted by the voices of excitement that exploded around her. She turned to see the participant, who was her ¡°friend,¡± jumping in ecstasy. ¡°Oh my God! That''s great! I have been assigned to Ms. Smith''s team. Heaven is smiling on me. Hahaha!¡± When Lucy heard that, her expression darkened instantly. Now that that participant had been assigned to Natalie''s team, it would mean that Lucy had to be separated from her. What am I going to do? This participant is a na?ve woman who is easy for me to approach. She will tell me anything I don''t know. The rest of them are very arrogant and don''t want to have anything to do with me after finding out that I''m a nobody. In the future, I won''t know who to go to if I want to find out about something. With that thought in mind, Lucy looked grim and helpless, but there was nothing she could do about it. Even if she objected, no one would be willing to help her. ¡°All right. Now that the new teams have been announced, the participants can now go to your respective areas and wee your mentors,¡± said the host. Having said that, he smiled with a bow and left the stage. Lina stretchedzily before standing up from her seat. ¡°Nat, let''s go and greet our new participants.¡± Putting the mineral water bottle down, Natalie responded with a smile, ¡°Let''s go.¡± The twodies then walked toward their designated area. It was evident that Lady Luck was on their side. They had close to twenty participants under them, out of which four were quite talented. The rest of them were not the cream of the crop, but their design standards were quite good too. In short, they had the potential to be outstanding designers. After getting to know their participants, Natalie and Lina dismissed them. Chapter 1432 Chapter 1432 Since there was no elimination in the first round of thepetition, and people had been separated into groups, there was no reason for them to stay any longer. The actualpetition would only start the next day. It would be impossible to determine who would be the winner in apetition without itsting at least two or three days. As such, everyone was given the opportunity to take a break. ¡°How about we go out for a mealter, Nat? I heard that this country''s local delicacy is pretty good,¡± Lina suggested upon ncing at the watch. Natalie nodded. ¡°Sure. It''s been a while since we ate outside. Let''s go.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± Lina pped. ¡°I knew you were the best, Nat. Let''s go!¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Natalie smiled. With that, both of them left thepetition hall hand in hand while two bodyguards followed behind them. The group of four was pretty eye-catching as they made their way to the restaurant. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Soon, they arrived at a pretty famous restaurant that sold the country''s local delicacy. Lina ordered two dishes before handing the menu to Natalie. ¡°Take a look and order what you want to try, Nat!¡± Natalie grabbed the menu, perused it, and also picked two dishes. Then she handed the menu to the waiter and spoke in Ustranian. ¡°That''ll be all.¡± ¡°All right, miss. Please wait for a moment.¡± The waiter grabbed the menu and headed to the kitchen to ry their orders. Natalie poured Lina and herself two cups of water. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thank you, Nat.¡± Lina grabbed the cup before standing up. ¡°I need to go to the restroom, Nat. I''ll be right back.¡± Natalie took a sip of the water and waved her hand. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Lina smiled and headed to the restroom. As Natalie waited, she started scrolling through her phone. A few minutester, Lina returned with slightly furrowed eyebrows. Her expression appeared darkened, too. When Natalie saw that, her expression turned serious as she put down her phone and asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Lina?¡± ¡°Did you know who I saw just now?¡± Lina leaned forward and whispered. Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who?¡± Based on how grim Lina looked, she assumed that the person wasn''t a friend or an ally. However, she couldn''t think of anyone who had a hostile rtionship with them. She could think of two people who were hostile toward her, but she didn''t know if there was anyone who disliked both her and Lina at the same time. After all, she and Lina had never offended anyone together. Lina knew what Natalie was thinking when the former saw thetter''s expression. She looked around before exining, ¡°I''m not saying that person has a beef with me, Nat. It''s someone who has a grudge against you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Natalie pointed at her nose as her eyebrows furrowed. Lina nodded. ¡°That''s right, you.¡± Natalie bit her lip. ¡°I see. In that case, who did you see, Lina? Was it Lucy?¡± Lina shook her head. ¡°No. If it were Lucy, I would''ve directly told you instead of being vague about it.¡± ¡°If it''s not Lucy, then who is it?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. The only people who hate me right now are Lucy and Sean, right? No, wait! There''s one more. Hannah! When her train of thought ended there, she stared at Lina. ¡°Are you referring to Hannah?¡± She didn''t find Sean likely because she believed he wouldn''t just show up like that. After all, his bodyguards were around. If he had shown up, he would definitely have been discovered, so she deduced that it wasn''t him. The only possible person left was Hannah. As expected, when Hannah''s name was mentioned, Lina nodded. ¡°That''s right! It''s her!¡± While she wasn''t familiar with Hannah, she knew thetter had a grudge against Natalie. During the internationalpetition, Sally had told her that Hannah and Jessie were trying to take Natalie down together. Moreover, Sally also showed her what those two women looked like, so she clearly remembered Hannah''s and Jessie''s appearances. As such, the moment she saw Hannah, Lina recognized her. Chapter 1433 Chapter 1433 ¡°So it really is her.¡± Natalie''s eyebrows were tightly furrowed. Lina held up her cup and took a sip of water. ¡°You need to be careful, Nat. Hannah should still be back in our country, yet she''s suddenly here! Besides, this ce is near ourpetition venue earlier on. My guess is that she''s gunning for you.¡± Natalie nodded slightly. ¡°I know. Thank you, Lina. Still, did you see where she went after that?¡± ¡°I saw her when I exited the restroom, but she didn''t know me, so I didn''t hide. I followed her to the other side and saw her enter a private room. The second one on the second floor.¡± Lina pointed upward. Natalie raised her head to see where it was and smiled. ¡°Got it. Let''s ignore her for now. Once we return, I''ll ask Dave and the others to keep an eye on her.¡± Dave was the leader of her bodyguards. Upon hearing that, Lina put down her cup. ¡°Sure. Just be careful.¡± ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. They then stopped chatting and started eating. By the time their meal was over, the skies were already dark outside. Lina initially suggested they go shopping, but Natalie declined as it was getting prettyte, and she wanted to chat with her children. The children had fallen asleep waiting for herst night, so she didn''t want the same thing to happen again. With that, Lina had no choice but to go alone. On the other hand, Natalie returned to the vi with her two bodyguards. On the way there, she gave Shane a video call. Shane just so happened to have returned to Thompson vi. When he saw the call, he immediately summoned the two children downstairs. ¡°Is it from Mommy, Daddy?¡± Connor asked as he held Sharon''s hand and descended the stairs. Shane nodded slightly. ¡°Yes,e over here quickly.¡± ¡°Coming.¡± Sharon promptly flung her brother''s hand away and dashed toward Shane. Then she hugged her father''s arm and tried to take the phone away. ¡°Slow down.¡± Shane was worried his daughter would trip herself identally while taking the phone, so he stretched out his arm, carried her up, and put her on his thighs. ¡°Here you go. Hold it tight.¡± Having said that, he put the phone into her hand. Sharon nodded. ¡°Mhm. Don''t worry, Daddy. I won''t fall. Come over here quickly, Connor. Let''s say hello to Mommy.¡± ¡°I''ming.¡± Connor smiled and quickened his steps. The siblings pressed their faces against each other and looked into the camera before answering the call. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Once the video call connected, Natalie saw her children''s adorable faces. Her heart immediately melted. ¡°My babies.¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± the children eximed in unison. Natalie''s smile became more gentle. ¡°I miss you two.¡± ¡°We miss you too, Mommy. Daddy too! He misses you a lot!¡± Sharon uttered before cing the phone in front of Shane. When Natalie saw Shane, she said, ¡°I miss you too, Darling.¡± Shane smiled faintly, apparently in a good mood. In the end, Sharon shifted the phone in front of herself and her brother again. ¡°Why didn''t you call Daddyst night, Mommy? Connor and I waited for you for so long that we fell asleep!¡± While saying that, she pouted aggrievedly. Connor nodded in the affirmative. ¡°That''s right, Mommy.¡± An apologetic expression appeared on Natalie''s face. ¡°I''m sorry, Darlings. I was too busy yesterday, so I could only call Daddy veryte at night. I also didn''t know you two were waiting for me. Otherwise, I would''ve called earlier. Don''t worry, though. I won''t wait until thatte again to call. I''ll do my best to make the calls as early as possible in the future, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sharon nodded happily while Connor smiled. Chapter 1434 Chapter 1434 After Natalie chatted with the children for a while, she asked them to hand the phone to Shane. The children knew their parents had things to say to each other. Thus, they unwillingly handed the phone to Shane. Shane took the phone, patted the children''s heads, and aimed the camera at himself. ¡°Was it tiring today?¡± Natalie shook her head with a smile. ¡°Not at all. We''re the judges, not the participants, so we didn''t need to concentrate that hard or stress about thepetition. We just sat there and waited for the participants to hand in their work.¡± ¡°That''s good. Don''t tire yourself too much,¡± he replied gently. ¡°Mhm. Don''t worry, Darling. I got this. What about you? I can see there''s a bit of ck under your eyes. Did you get so busy for the past two days that you didn''t sleep well?¡± ¡°I wasn''t busy. I only look haggard because you aren''t by my side.¡± He stared at her intently. Natalie didn''t know how she should respond to that. ¡°Do you miss me that badly?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°If I could, I would keep you by my side all the time, but I know that''s not right. You''re someone who wants to develop your career and needs freedom. If I put a shackle on you, it''ll destroy you. Besides, I like how confident you look when you work.¡± She blushed upon hearing her husband''s praises. ¡°Thank you, Darling, for supporting me.¡± After all, many rich men were chauvinists. Not only that, but they were also very controlling. They wanted to have absolute power and control over their wives, including their thoughts, actions, and freedom. In their minds, they wanted their wives to only be capable of spending money and staying home. They wanted women who could only survive by depending on them instead of strong and independent women. In fact, those men would feel ashamed if their wives had their own careers or were as capable as them. Natalie was d that her husband wasn''t that kind of person. When her train of thought ended there, she let out a wry smile. ¡°Oh yeah, do you know what Lucy did today?¡± Shane answered inly, ¡°I''m not interested.¡± ¡°I know you''re not, but I want to tell you about it anyway.¡± ¡°Go ahead, then.¡± Natalie smiled mockingly. ¡°In order to qualify for the next round of thepetition, she deliberately combined many designers'' work together, creating an abomination.¡± ¡°You should disqualify her immediately.¡± Shane didn''t hide the disdain in his tone at all. ¡°Can''t do that for now.¡± She shrugged. ¡°It''s because the first round of thepetition does not eliminate participants but groups them into teams instead. We can''t disqualify any participants yet, so she''s staying for now. Still, there''ll be plenty of chances for me to disqualify herter on. After all, I can''t allow her to stay in thepetition while she keeps giarizing other people''s work. It''ll be unfair to the other participants.¡± Lucy wasn''t an idiot. She only giarized excellent works because she didn''t really know that much about designing and wanted to get a higher ranking. Thus, if she got a better ranking through the use of giarized work, she would be causing innocent participants to be disqualified. It would be really unfair to the other participants. On the contrary, if those participants were defeated by Lucy''s own work, that would be perfectly fine. However, using giarized work as her own to take down others was uneptable. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. That was why Natalie would do her best to kick Lucy out in the next round of thepetition. ¡°I see.¡± Shane nodded in understanding. ¡°Then just do what you think is the best.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Natalie nodded too. They chatted for a while longer before ending the call. After all, it was about time for the children to hit the bed, and he needed to tell them bedtime stories to put them to sleep. He also knew that she was on the way back to the vi, so he wanted her to rest early since she was going to get busier the next day. Chapter 1435 Chapter 1435 Upon returning to the vi, Natalie took a shower. When she was done, she nced at the many designs posted on one of her social media ounts. To others, those designs looked pretty good. However, she didn''t find them satisfactory, and the edges of her lips curved into a smirk as she scrolled through them. The works she was staring at almost covered all existing themes. In other words, of all the themes she had designed for in the past, she deliberately put the ones she was dissatisfied with in there as mementos. Hence, Lucy might very likely giarize those works for the following themes. If her prediction came true, Natalie would never forgive Lucy. Although she didn''t use those designs, she had still put time and effort intoing up with them, so she would never let her designs be used by someone else for malicious purposes. She narrowed her eyes before closing theptop and leaving the study. It''s pointless being angry about this right now since Lucy''s not here. She''ll get what''sing for her soon. I''ll let her know that other people''s properties aren''t hers to take and that there are consequences for doing that. The next day, Natalie was woken up by a knock on the door. It was followed by Lina''s voice. ¡°Are you awake, Nat?¡± When she heard Lina''s voice, she furrowed her eyebrows before opening her eyes. Then she turned to the door and replied sleepily, ¡°Not yet. What''s up?¡± The knocking on the door stopped, but Lina kept talking. ¡°Then get up quickly. We still need to eat breakfast before heading to thepetition venue.¡± ¡°All right. I know.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples and stretched her body. ¡°I''ll be right there.¡± ¡°Come quickly. I''ll wait for you downstairs.¡± Lina then headed downstairs. Yawning, Natalie got out of bed and went into the bathroom. After she finished washing up, she put on a modest-looking jumpsuit and headed downstairs. Her red jumpsuit made her look even more irresistible when paired with her already gorgeous appearance. It would take anyone''s breath away when they saw her. She was undoubtedly an absolute beauty. Lina was scrolling through her phone on the couch. When she heard footsteps approaching her, she turned to the source of that sound and saw her friend. She immediately took in a deep breath. ¡°Hot d*mn, Nat. You''re too beautiful.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Natalie blushed upon receiving her best friend''spliment. ¡°You''re exaggerating.¡± ¡°No, you really are beautiful.¡± Lina stood up and held Natalie''s hand before circling around her. ¡°You''re the most beautiful woman I''ve ever seen, Nat.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrow. Lina replied with a serious expression, ¡°I''m not kidding. There are a lot of beautiful women out there, but it''s the first time I''ve seen someone as pretty as you. Mr. Thompson is a lucky man.¡± Natalie couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°Oh, shut up.¡± ¡°Hey, you know it''s true. For real, I feel lucky too. I never told you about this, but I''ve been able toe up with a lot of designs because of you.¡± Lina pulled her over to the couch. Natalie was shocked. ¡°Because of me?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Linda nodded. ¡°That''s right. It''s because you''re very beautiful. Looking at you fills me with boundless inspiration. Whenever I think about what jewelry will look best on you, ideas will rush into my mind. As a matter of fact, it''s not just me. I believe many designers will also feel the same way when they see you because the art of designing is all about expressing beauty. While everyone may have a different definition of beauty, they would, without a doubt, unanimously agree that you look beautiful. As such, whenever designers look at you, they''ll feel inspired.¡± Natalie smiled when she heard that. I guess she''s right. I''m not going to lie. Sometimes, when I look at myself, either through a picture or a mirror, I would suddenly gain inspiration. Chapter 1436 Chapter 1436 ¡°That''s enough, Lina. Let''s not talk about that anymore and get some breakfast. We have to head to thepetition hall soon.¡± Natalie patted her belly. Lina nodded. ¡°All right. Let''s eat first. I''m getting hungry!¡± Both of them headed to a restaurant together. After they finished their breakfast, they drove to thepetition hall. Just as they arrived at the entrance, they bumped into Lucy, who was exiting a Bentley. Mockery shed past Natalie''s eyes when she saw Lucy''s branded clothing and bag, her straightened hair, and the car behind her. This woman may be a gold digger, but she usually doesn''t dress up like one at all. She was probably so ttered by some rich brat that she forgot about her innocent and unworldly facade. Right now, she''s revealing her true self, a smug nouveau riche. Natalie proceeded to ignore her after that. Lina, however, frowned when she saw Lucy, especially at the clothing and jewelry thetter was wearing. Her eyes were filled with contempt. That look of hers infuriated Lucy and triggered her sense of inferiority. Whether it was in terms of look, demeanor, capabilities, or family background, Lucy knew she couldn''t win against the two women in front of her. When she saw women who were superior to her looking at her like that, she naturally felt awful. ¡°Let''s go, Lina,¡± Natalie said as she didn''t want to talk to someone like Lucy. Lina nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Just as they were about to leave, Lucy unhappily crossed her arms and stopped them. ¡°You''re just going to leave immediately after seeing me, Mrs. Thompson? Am I such an eyesore to you?¡± Stopping in her tracks, Natalie turned back and stared at her with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°I''m sorry, but I didn''t see you at all, so it''s not a matter of whether you''re an eyesore or not. To me, you''re just air. Do you think I''d look into the air?¡± ¡°You!¡± Lucy''s face contorted in rage. How dare this womanpare me to air! She''s just treating me like I don''t exist! This is even worse than giving me a bad attitude! If she thinks I''m an eyesore, at least it means she''s acknowledging me. Yet here she is, acting like she didn''t see me! I won''t stand for this insult! Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? Do you have any other business with us? If not, then step aside. We''re heading in,¡± Lina uttered in annoyance as she rolled her eyes. Lucy sped her hands tightly as she ignored Lina. Her line of sight was only fixed on Natalie. ¡°You may ignore me right now. However, in the future, I''ll have you know what regret means!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrow. ¡°And what do you mean by that? Why would I regret anything?¡± Lucy smiled smugly. ¡°We''re both currently the same, being costume designers. You may have be famous earlier than me, but I''ll definitely surpass you. When I do, Shane will know I''m best suited for him, that I''m the person who can help him the most! When that timees, you will regret ignoring me today!¡± In her eyes, as capable as Natalie was as a designer, she was just a normal person. On the other hand, Lucy thought she had the upper hand over Natalie because she used giarized work. Other designers'' work consisted of many styles and had tons of variety, which was why she was certain she could win against Natalie. Natalie couldn''t help butugh when she heard that. Lina burst outughing, too, as though she had just heard a joke. ¡°Did you hear that, Nat? She actually said she''ll surpass you! And that Mr. Thompson will be impressed by her!¡± Natalie nodded with a mocking smile. ¡°I heard that too. It''s utterly hrious. Not only that, but it''s also ridiculous! A shameless person who stole someone else''s design to participate in thepetition not only said that she would overtake me, but that she also had designs on my husband! In ancient times, a person like that would''ve been stoned to death. Even in modern times, someone like that will be imprisoned for several years.¡± Chapter 1437 Chapter 1437 Ss and Sally beamed brightly when they heard that. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Thompson.¡± Ss was beyond grateful. By right, Ss, being a personal assistant, should not be away from Shane for too long as he might need him anytime. However, not only had his boss given him permission to send his girlfriend home, but he had also asked to be picked up two hourster. Ss knew that Shane was letting him spend time with his girlfriend intentionally. Understanding Shane''s intentions, Sally said with a broad smile, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson. I will definitely put in a good word for you in front of Nat and ask her to give you more benefits. You know what I mean.¡± After saying that, the woman winked at Shane while grinning cheekily. ¡°You...¡± Shane raised his brows. ¡°I''m so sorry, Mr. Thompson. She''s just spouting nonsense. She didn''t mean it. Please don''t take it to heart.¡± Ss could feel his head hurting. Smilingly awkwardly, he quickly pushed Sally back into the car. Shane cleared his throat and said, ¡°No. She''s right. I like that. I''ll leave it to you then.¡± When Sally heard that, her eyes lit up. She patted her chest and replied, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson. I got this.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shane nodded and continued, ¡°Anyway, you guys should get going. I''ll head in first.¡± After saying that, the man turned around and entered the hotel lobby. Ss looked at the woman who was in the passenger seat next to him and said helplessly, ¡°Sal, stop your nonsense. Don''t say such things to Mr. Thompson again.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Sally was confused. Ss held his forehead in frustration and replied, ¡°If we offend Mr. Thompson, he will definitely make life difficult for us.¡± Sally waved a dismissive hand and said, ¡°Ah! Don''t worry. Mr. Thompson won''t be offended. He liked it. Didn''t you see how shiny his eyes were when I mentioned Nat''s name just now? Besides, do you know why I''m so sure that he won''t get angry?¡± ¡°Why?¡± It was Ss'' turn to feel confused. Something did not seem right about the man. Given that he was Shane''s assistant, he should be the one who knew Shane well. However, it appeared as if his girlfriend was the person who knew his boss better. Sally cupped her hand over her mouth and snickered before replying, ¡°It''s because of Nat, of course. When I asked Nat about her sex life with Mr. Thompson previously, she told me that she wasn''t able to satisfy him sometimes because she was too self-conscious. That was why I told him that l will put in a good word for him in front of Nat and get him some benefits. There''s no way he would be angry over that. It was a calcted move. What do you think, Darling? Am I very smart?¡± The woman had a smug expression on her face and was feeling very pleased with herself. Meanwhile, Ss was rendered speechless. ¡°Well, what can I say? Forget it. I shall let it pass this time, but please just keep quiet next time. Sit tight. I''m going to start driving now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sally nodded and sat up straight. Ss floored the elerator and sped off. In the evening, Shane returned to Thompson vi after picking his two kids up. When he got home, he called Natalie and told her that Stanley had visited Justin earlier that day. Natalie sighed upon hearing that and replied, ¡°I have already guessed it. I knew that he would look for Justin.¡± ¡°But there''s no use even if he finds Justin. That bloke doesn''t know anything,¡± Shane replied. Natalie nodded. ¡°It''s better to keep things from Stanley anyway.¡± ¡°By the way, there''s something else that I want to tell you.¡± Shane picked up his mug from the table and took a sip of his coffee. Natalie put down her pen and blinked before asking, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Jackson thinks that Stanley is in love with Joyce.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. ¡°Stanley likes Joyce?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Shane nodded before saying, ¡°What Jackson said made a lot of sense. I think that might be the case.¡± Natalie gaped in shock and only snapped back to her senses after a while. Afterposing herself, she said, ¡°Are you kidding me? How is it possible that Stanley is in love with Joyce?¡± Chapter 1438 Chapter 1438 Natalie murmured in acknowledgment. Without another nce at Lucy, Natalie turned on her heels and followed Lina into thepetition hall. Meanwhile, still rooted to the same spot, Lucy felt coldness in her hands and legs. As though she was frozen, she couldn''t get her feet to take a step. What should I do? Should I continue topete or leave? I won''t have to be scared about Natalie calling the police on me if I leave. At least, that is what my rationale is telling me. However, I''ll lose the opportunity to be a fashion designer like Natalie once I leave, and I won''t get to impress Shane. That will only stack up the odds against me ever being with Shane. However, Natalie won''t drop this matter if I stay, and prison will await me at the end of the day. The options were warring inside Lucy''s mind, leaving her in a state of loss. Time ticked by, and thepetition would begin in another ten minutes. In the end, Lucy chewed on her lip, shut her eyes, and inhaled a deep breath, settling on a decision. She decided to continuepeting. I''ll lose the chance to impress Shane and be a fashion designer if I leave. On the other hand, I''ll still stand a chance to achieve my goals if I stay. I''ll be safe as long as I make a move before Natalie and Lina. Hence, I''m going to stay andpete. Lucy tightened her fists and took a determined step toward thepetition hall. In the hall, Natalie and Lina had already sat in their respective seats. Lina swept her gaze over the participants, and it finallynded on Lucy''s empty seat. ¡°Nat, do you think Lucy will continue topete after our threat?¡± Hearing Lina''s question, Natalie raised her head and nced at Lucy''s empty seat. With a smirk, she said, ¡°She will.¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Lina was surprised by the certainty in Natalie''s tone. Natalie nodded. ¡°Of course. Even though I''m not that close to Lucy, I have a basic understanding of her after a few encounters with her. She possesses an extreme obsession with Shane as he is the most outstanding man she has ever seen. He ticks all her boxes of a perfect husband, so I''m confident she''ll continue topete for Shane''s sake. After all, she''ll only have the chance to impress him if she comes back.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Impress him? Mr. Thompson doesn''t even look at her,¡± Lina jeered. Natalie smiled. ¡°Yeah, everyone knows Shane will never like Lucy, and they can see the type of person she is. However, Lucy remains delusional and oblivious to reality.¡± ¡°That''s right on point.¡± Lina nodded. ¡°I think Lucy has read too much romance fiction about CEOs or billionaires, so she keeps imagining that a CEO would actually fall for an average girl like her. As a matter of fact, that''s why she thought Mr. Shane would fall in love with her since she''d saved him once. After all, there are too many simr plots in those novels.¡± Natalie snickered. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And that''s not all. Lucy also thought Mr. Thompson would finally notice her once she became a fashion designer. I wonder where she gets her confidence from. I fear she has watched too many cliche novels and deluded herself into thinking she was one of the female leads. After all, won''t the female leadsnd themselves in the male leads'' good graces even if they are merely average Joes in the novels? One more thing, Nat. I am almost eighty percent sure that Lucy also sees Mr. Thompson as the male lead and you the evil female antagonist.¡± Lina burst into another bout ofughter at her own spection. Natalie shook her head in resignation. ¡°Enough. I don''t care about so-called male leads and evil female antagonists. I only know that a person who''s immersed in her own world and unwilling to face reality will never have the chance to win against me.¡± ¡°You''re right,¡± Lina agreed with a nod. Natalie was about to say something when she caught a glimpse of the woman in question out of the corner of her eyes. Her lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Look over there. She''s back.¡± Lina followed the direction in which Natalie had jerked her chin and saw Lucy. ¡°You''re right again. She truly is back for her own downfall. Let''s grant her wish if that''s the case.¡± Chapter 1439 Chapter 1439 ¡°Darling, you said you carried Anders. Does that mean he cane out of the incubator now?¡± Natalie asked excitedly. ¡°Yes, but not for too long. He can only be out for a few minutes at most. The doctor only agreed to let me hold him for a little while. He was so tiny and light that I had to be very careful when holding him!¡± Shane replied, describing his feelings when holding Anders earlier. Natalie was close to tears when she heard that. ¡°This is great! Anders is finally able to leave the incubator briefly!¡± This is a sign that Anders will soon be able to leave the incubator for good! ¡°Exactly! Anders will no longer need the incubator once you''re done with yourpetition. You can hold him in your hands, then,¡± Shane said in a gentle and reassuring tone. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, I haven''t had a chance to hold him since he was born! You, on the other hand, beat me to it!¡± she said while ring at him in envy. Shane let out a chuckle. ¡°Aw, are you jealous?¡± ¡°Of course I am! I''m his mother, so I should be the first one to hold him! I can''t believe you took that privilege away from me!¡± Natalie replied with a jealous pout. Shane''s smile widened as he said, ¡°Hey, it''s not my fault you were overseas. This makes it fair, though.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fair? How so?¡± Natalie asked in confusion. ¡°I didn''t know anything when you gave birth to Sharon and Connor, so I never had a chance to hold them. Therefore, me getting to be the first to hold Anders makes it even, don''t you think?¡± Shane exined. Natalie froze for a few seconds before bursting intoughter. ¡°You know what? You''re right!¡± ¡°So, are you still jealous now?¡± Shane asked. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Oh, I was just messing with you! I am never really jealous, to begin with! We''re both their parents, so it doesn''t matter who gets to hold them first.¡± Shane shed her a gentle and affectionate smile when he heard that. Natalie tightened her grip on the phone as she asked excitedly, ¡°Tell me, Darling, how did Anders look when you held him? Is he cute?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Oh, yes, he was absolutely adorable. Holding his tiny and soft body in my arms made my heart melt.¡± Natalie could almost visualize what it felt like, and her heart melted as well. ¡°That''s good to know.¡± ¡°You''ll get to experience that yourself once yourpetition is over,¡± Shane said. Natalie nodded profusely. ¡°Yeah!¡± The two continued chatting on the phone until it waste at night. Natalie then put her phone down and went back to work. She was nning on finishing up her work before going to bed. Lina, who happened to be staying up working next to her, decided to tease her when she saw her ending the call. ¡°What''s wrong? Aren''t you going to continue chatting?¡± Natalie shed her a smile. ¡°We''ve said all there is to say. That''s why!¡± Lina took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Honestly, you have no idea how envious I am whenever I see you two act all lovey-dovey over the phone!¡± ¡°Then you should hurry up and get together with that senior of yours! That way, you can act all lovey- dovey with him too!¡± Natalie teased her in return. Lina let out a sigh. ¡°You think I don''t want that? That guy is so dense that it''s driving me nuts!¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie asked curiously. Lina massaged her forehead in frustration as she replied, ¡°Remember how you asked me to test Bryan out and see if he has any feelings for me? Well, I asked him what kind of girl he likes and if I''m his type. Guess what he said? He said he finds jewelry more attractive than women! I can''t believe how dense he is!¡± ¡°Pfft...¡± Natalie nearly burst outughing when she heard that. ¡°Well, Bryan is indeed a little dense, but that also means he hasn''t found a girl that he likes. You can try to win him over!¡± Chapter 1440 Chapter 1440 ¡°You know Natalie!¡± Lucy shouted. Hannah nodded. ¡°Of course. Not only do I know her, but we even attended the same university. However, we don''t have a good rtionship. In fact, we''re enemies.¡± ¡°Enemies?¡± Lucy was stunned briefly before lowering her guard. A triumphant smile pulled at her lips. ¡°That''s right. Natalie and I are enemies. She was the one who caused my descent from a new model with prospects to a model doing indecent shoots for adult magazines. She ruined my life, and I won''t ever forget what she did to me. That''s why I want to take revenge and make her suffer like how I did.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Seeing the profound hatred in Hannah''s eyes, Lucy couldn''t help but feel a shiver running down her spine. This person has a deep grudge against Natalie, and the resentment in her eyes is bone-chilling. ¡°Why are you talking to me if you have a grudge against Natalie?¡± Lucy probed. Hannah concealed the hatred in her eyes and looked Lucy up and down in contemtion. ¡°You have a grudge against Natalie too, right? I heard everything earlier. An enemy of my enemy is my friend, so how about we work together?¡± ¡°Work together?¡± Shock shed across Lucy''s eyes. Hannah nodded. ¡°That''s right. Work together. We can ruin Natalie if we band together. You know Natalie''s identity isn''t as simple as it seems. One person is not enough can''t take her down. We''ll only stand a chance if we coborate.¡± Lucy didn''t respond immediately. Instead, she lowered her eyes as she mulled over her choices. Hannah was losing her patience and urged, ¡°Hey, why the hesitation? Is there even a need to hesitate over something like this?¡± Lucy lifted her head. ¡°God knows if you''re one of Natalie''s friends and want to trick me by pretending to be her enemy to get my trust.¡± Hannahughed. ¡°That''s what you''re apprehensive of? I can assure you with utmost sincerity that I''m not her friend. I truly have a grudge against Natalie. She ruined my life, and I will never rest in peace if I don''t repay her for what she''d done, so rest assured and work with me.¡± ¡°You can say anything you want, but you still have to prove that you''re not Natalie''s friend but her enemy.¡± Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Hannah. In actuality, Lucy already bought Hannah''s words. After all, the hatred she showed toward Natalie earlier was bone-chilling. Her grudge against Natalie is real, but I don''t know her. Who knows if she''lly a trap for me in the end if I take up her offer? ¡°I can show you the evidence.¡± Hannah took out her phone and handed it to Lucy after a few taps. ¡°See this? This incident happened at an internationalpetition two months ago. I was participating in it as another designer''s model at that time. Natalie kicked me out of thepetition,nding me in some crummy establishment.¡± Hannah gritted her teeth as though she had a piece of Natalie in her mouth and wanted to crush it into pieces. Lucy looked at the photos on the phone andpletely trusted Hannah after. With a smile ying on her lips, she said, ¡°Great. I''ll agree to work with you in that case.¡± ¡°Not bad. You made a wise choice.¡± Hannah pulled her phone out of Lucy''s hand. A glint of contempt shed across Lucy''s eyes. Wise? No, I''ve never considered working with someone as a wise choice. My previous coboration with Sean was a lesson. He said I could get Shane and marry into the Thompson family if I banded together with him. Yet, Sean didn''t fulfill his promise in the end. I can''t trust anyonepletely, even if they are my partner in crime. I have to be wary so that I''ll have a backup n if someoneys a trap for me. I trust this woman has a grudge against Natalie, and I can work with her, but I''ll keep my guard up and won''t show her all the cards I have up my sleeves. Chapter 1441 Chapter 1441 ¡°All right. Since we have agreed on working together, how should we deal with Natalie?¡± Lucy clenched her fists as she looked at Hannah. Thetter did not instantly reply, instead, she looked at the blueprint in her hands. ¡°Now that you have finished designing, you should have handed it in today. However, you didn''t because Natalie and the others would definitely know that you aren''t the original creator of the design and would suspect that you have giarized. Therefore, you didn''t dare to submit it today and instead nned to hand it in tomorrow before the deadline. Because that way, Natalie and the others wouldn''t have time to find the original creator of your blueprint. If all goes well, you might even be able to advance to the next round. That''s what you''re thinking, right?¡± Lucy bit her lip and remained silent. Hannah was precisely right. She was afraid that if she handed her work in right away, Natalie and the others would have ample amount of time to search for the design that she had giarized and expose her the next day. Hence, Lucy decided not to submit it just yet but to do it tomorrow. As a result, they would not have the time to look for the original designer. That was the only best way she could think of to avoid being exposed and eliminated by Natalie and the others. Lucy knew that she could not use the same n over and over again. Regardless, she had no other way. All she could do was take things one step at a time. When Hannah noticed Lucy''s silence, she smiled smugly. ¡°Seems like I was right.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Lucy frowned. Judging by her tone, she was obviously disgruntled. Hannah shrugged. ¡°Nothing. I just want to tell you that it doesn''t matter if you submit it today or tomorrow, as you won''t be able to prevent Natalie and the others from discovering your secret. That''s because they can just stop thepetition and find out who you giarized from before allowing the competition to resume. Therefore, no matter how hard you try, your effort will be for naught.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lucy''s expression fell. ¡°Stop thepetition? She can''t do that.¡± ¡°Obviously, she can. You''re not part of the design industry, so you don''t know the rules of this profession. With one word from Natalie and one mention from her that you might have giarized, the organizer will immediately pause thepetition and run an investigation on the work that you submitted. In this industry, giarizing is a serious offense. If you are found guilty of giarism, not only will you be cklisted in this profession, but what you did will also be recorded. This will cause your career to be restricted even if you switch professions. If whatever you giarized is involved in business and generated profit, you might even have to go to jail for it.¡± As Lucy listened to Hannah, her face gradually turned as pale as a sheet. ¡°I-Is it really that serious?¡± ¡°Of course. I don''t benefit from lying to you, and this is the reality. If you don''t believe me, you may ask around. You''ll know if I''m telling the truth or not.¡± Hannah shrugged. Lucy bit down on her lip hard as her body started trembling like leaves in the wind. A chill ran down her spine. She had never expected her actions to cause such a terrible consequence. All she had in her mind was to use someone else''s design to go against Natalie. There was no way she had ever thought about the possibility of getting cklisted or even jailed for such a harmless action. ¡°What should I do now?¡± Lucy asked fearfully. She was really beginning to regret her actions. She regretted not quitting when Lina offered her a way out. Not only that, she was even more regretful when she thought about how she refused to quit when she had already known that Natalie and the others were aware that her work was not her own. Lucy had been so stubborn that she literally dug her own grave. At that very moment, she nearly broke down. Hannah narrowed her eyes. ¡°Your only option is to bring them down before they even have a chance to expose you.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I obviously know that, but how?¡± Lucy''s face contorted in an ugly manner. ¡°If I had an idea, I would have carried it out already. Why would I ask you if I did?¡± ¡°It''s simple. I have a n in mind right now.¡± Hannah smiled as she waved her cell phone. Lucy''s eyes lit up. ¡°What n?¡± Chapter 1442 Chapter 1442 ¡°I know that Natalie is guilty of giarizing as well.¡± Hannah''s words came as a shock to Lucy. Thetter widened her eyes. ¡°What? She is?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Hannah nodded. ¡°Therefore, you only need to dere that she giarized before she could expose you. After you bring her down, you''d be safe. What do you think? It''s a great n, right?¡± Lucy nodded furiously. ¡°Yes, it really is. But how did you find out about her giarism? What proof do you have?¡± ¡°I definitely have proof.¡± Hannah unlocked her cell phone and handed it to Lucy. ¡°Look at these two pictures. The left one is designed by an unknown user on a social tform. The right is designed by Natalie. Although these two designs are of different types of clothing, one a dress and the other a suit, the simrities between the two are too great. Moreover, the left design had been uploaded onto the intest June, but Natalie''s was only published in a magazinest July. This is concrete proof that Natalie giarized.¡± ¡°Is this for real?¡± Lucy snatched over the phone excitedly as she nced at the pictures. Even her pupils were shaking from her excitement. Hannah nodded. ¡°Of course, it''s real. Unless you''re an idiot, wouldn''t you be able to tell that these two designs are so simr? Since Natalie''s design was uploadedter, it''s obvious that Natalie giarized. When I discovered this, I was also very shocked. Then I realized that my time to get revenge has finally come. Therefore, I surfed the inte to find more designs that Natalie giarized. I had an inkling that she would definitely giarize more than once. There must be others, and sure enough, I found many more.¡± With that, Hannah took her phone back and scrolled to reveal more pictures. The remaining pictures were allparisons of Natalie''s work to the work of other designers. Lucy spotted a few that she was familiar with and couldn''t help but let out an exmation of surprise. ¡°I''ve seen these before!¡± she said as she looked at the current picture. Hannah nced at her. ¡°Where?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°At a social media tform created by a user with the name ''MN.'' These are all her works. The blueprint that I used to enter thepetition is designed by her as well,¡± Lucymented. Hannah instantly understood. ¡°Oh, I see. But you''re right. These are all designed by that user. I discovered that Natalie giarized her when I was looking through her social media tform.¡± ¡°So that''s how Natalie and the others were able to find out that I giarized. She must have seen the blueprint that I submitted to thepetition and recognized it because she herself giarized it before!¡± Lucy''s fingers were clenched into fists as she gritted her teeth in anger. Her expression was contorted with fury. ¡°So, what do you think? Bring the evidence with you and report Natalie for giarism tomorrow. With that, you will be able to bring her down before she even has the chance to report you to the organizationmittee. Are you bold enough to do it?¡± Hannah asked as she put her cell phone back into her bag. Lucy smiled. ¡°Of course, I am. The opportunity is right before my eyes. I would be a fool to not grab ahold of it.¡± She vowed to herself that she would get rid of Natalie no matter what. Her motive for doing so was not only to avoid getting imprisoned but also for Shane. If Natalie was ruined, Shane would not love her anymore. By then, there was a possibility that he might even fall in love with Lucy instead. After all, she had saved his life before. Lucy was confident that Shane definitely did not hate her. It was just that he had forgotten about her existence because Natalie was in the picture. Lucy was adamant that once Natalie was gone, Shane would definitely notice her. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Even her body started trembling. She took out her own cell phone and handed it to Hannah. ¡°Add my number and send those pictures over to me. I''ll need them for tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Hannah took the device over. Meanwhile, Natalie had no idea that she was being targeted by her enemies. She was currently on the phone with Shane. ¡°How was thepetition today?¡± he asked, his voice deep and raspy. Chapter 1443 Chapter 1443 Natalie leaned back against the couch and massaged her shoulder before replying, ¡°It''s fine. It''s just that my back is aching from the constant sitting.¡± ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Shane frowned. Natalie smiled. ¡°Not really. I''ll be fine after resting for a while.¡± ¡°I''ll get someone to change your chair into a massage chair. That way, you can turn it on if you feel ufortable,¡± Shane told her. Natalie did not know how to react to his words. ¡°No, please don''t. There''s no need for that. We''re there as judges, and we''re there to guide the participants, not to enjoy life. So, what''s the point of getting a massage chair for me?¡± ¡°But your back aches,¡± Shane said in disagreement. It seemed like he was determined to get her the massage chair. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Natalie shook her head in exasperation. ¡°I really don''t need it. Are you really going to give me special treatment every time I work?¡± ¡°Why not? It''s not as if I''m not capable of doing that,¡± said Shane nonchntly. Natalie replied in amusement, ¡°I know you can do that, but what I''m trying to tell you is that you''ll be spoiling me. If I need your help with everything I want to do, I''ll lose my independence. So, Darling, I know that you''re doing this for my sake, but I don''t need it. If I do need it, I''ll tell you about it. I promise.¡± Shane was quiet for a while. A momentter, he responded, ¡°Okay, I agree with you about that. Still, don''t force yourself too much on everything; you have toe to me if you encounter any trouble. I''m your husband¡ªnot an outsider. I know that you''re a tough woman, but I still wish for you to rely on me when you need to.¡± Warmth seeped into Natalie''s heart at the man''s words, and she beamed. ¡°Okay, I got it. I will.¡± ¡°Good to hear that. All right, it''s gettingte, so rest first. You still need to go to thepetition tomorrow. I''ll bring the two kids over to see you the day after tomorrow,¡± Shane said, chuckling. Natalie''s eyes lit up, and she nodded fervently. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Bye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± After ending the call, Lina walked over with a half-smile on her face. ¡°Oh, you''re done? Why didn''t you talk with him for a little longer?¡± ¡°We''ve already talked for a long time,¡± Natalie said as she put down her phone. Lina then sat beside her. ¡°What I meant to ask is why you didn''t talk to him until the world ends?¡± Natalie arched a brow at her. ¡°What''s the matter? Are you jealous?¡± Lina huffed. ¡°A little. You''re always so sweet with Mr. Thompson¡ªyou''re either calling him on phone, or you''re on a video call with him. A single woman like me is jealous, okay? You''re making me want to find a guy to date.¡± ¡°Then find one. Look, isn''t Sal dating someone now? Moreover, isn''t it easy for you to find a boyfriend with how pretty you are?¡± Natalie remarked as she stared at Lina''s face. Lina sighed. ¡°Forget it. I might be jealous, but it''s a different story if I were to look for a boyfriend myself. I doubt I''d be able to find one even if I wanted to. I have high standards, and most men wouldn''t fit my preferences for looks alone. Thus, it''s best for me to wait for my soulmate to appear.¡± ¡°Yeah, right! I''d say you''re justzy.¡± Natalie poked her friend''s forehead. Lina chuckled. ¡°Okay, you''ve got me.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. ¡°It''s so obvious. Anyone would have seen through your lies. All right, I''m not going to chat any longer. I''m heading upstairs for a bath first.¡± ¡°Go ahead. I''m going to watch the television for a while.¡± Lina waved dismissively. Natalie then stood up and went upstairs. The next morning, the two headed to thepetition venue again. When they reached, Natalie saw Lucy standing by the clubhouse''s doorway with her arms folded and a strange smile on her face. It seemed like she was waiting for someone. Nevertheless, Natalie was not interested to find out what was going on. Right as she was about to walk past Lucy with Lina, Lucy suddenly stopped her. ¡°Wait.¡± Natalie halted in her tracks. Just as she was about to speak, Lina swiftly questioned, ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°I need to talk to her.¡± Lucy pointed at Natalie. Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°Has no one ever told you that it''s very rude to point at someone?¡± Chapter 1444 Chapter 1444 If it was another day, Lucy might have argued with Natalie. However, not only did she not rebut Natalie, but she even smiled. ¡°I''m fine with being rude. After all, I don''t need to be polite to you. Natalie, I know that you''re going to expose me while I''m submitting the work so that I''ll be kicked out of thepetition. Am I right?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Surprise shed past Natalie''s eyes. Lina, on the other hand, blurted out, ¡°You actually managed to guess that?¡± ¡°Ha! Not only did I guess that, but I even know that you''re trying to send me to jail.¡± Lucy knitted her brows and scowled. ¡°But, I''m going to tell you now that it''s going to fail. You''re not going to be able to pull that off!¡± Lina lifted a brow at Lucy''s confident expression. ¡°Oh? Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°That''s right. You won''t get the chance to do that.¡± With that said, Lucy shot Natalie and Lina a gleeful grin before walking past the two and entering the clubhouse. Natalie frowned. ¡°She seems like she has some kind of n.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Lina nodded. The two then began discussing as they watched Lucy''s retreating figure disappear from their lines of sight. ¡°Nat, what do you think she''s nning to do?¡± Lina turned to look at Natalie. Natalie pursed her red lips. ¡°I don''t know, but she said that she''s not going to let us seed and even said that we won''t get the chance to execute our n. Therefore, I think that it''s highly likely she''s going to get the rich individual backing her up to contact the organizer of thepetition and kick us out of thepetition. That''s the only way the two of us won''t be able to expose her.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Lina nodded as she mulled over Lucy''s words. ¡°Still, she has made the wrong move. No matter how powerful the one supporting her is, they will be no match for Mr. Thompson. Hence, I doubt the organizer would help the rich guy who is backing her.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Natalie nodded. At that, Lina barked out a disdainfulugh. ¡°Lucy''s joy is going to be short-lived, huh?¡± ¡°Perhaps not.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. Lina dropped the smile and promptly asked, ¡°What do you mean, Nat?¡± ¡°Kicking us out of thepetition won''t stop us from exposing her for her giarism¡ªeven if she manages to kick us out of thepetition, we can still publicize the matter or just go straight to Design Association to report her. We have plenty of ways to do this, and she won''t be able to stop us at all. That''s why I''m guessing that she''s going to find another way to stop us instead of merely kicking us out of thepetition.¡± Lina widened her eyes. ¡°That sounds possible. What will she try to do then?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know, but I feel anxious.¡± ¡°Anxious?¡± Lina frowned. Natalie hummed in response. ¡°Yes. I feel particrly anxious right now¡ªas if something bad is going to happen. But it''s fine. We''ll cross the bridge when we get to it; we''ll take one step at a time for now. Lina, let''s head in first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lina agreed. That was all they could do. The two entered the clubhouse and soon reached the hall thepetition was held in. Natalie nced at Lucy before walking toward her seat. Just as she sat down, she saw Lucy staring at her. Lucy did not even bother hiding the traces of provocation, excitement, and glee in her eyes. In fact, she even mouthed the words, You''re dead meat! Natalie could read her lips. After reading the message she was trying to convey, the anxiety in her heart grew more intense. However, she did nothing but frown and look away from Lucy. Meanwhile, the participant beside Lucy was the one who had been on good terms with Natalie previously. When she saw the obvious hostile look in Lucy''s eyes that was directed at Natalie, her heart lurched. She then asked in an unhappy tone, ¡°Lucy, do you hate Ms. Smith?¡± Natalie was her favorite celebrity, so she did not like seeing others treat Natalie in that way. Chapter 1445 Chapter 1445 That was why there was a tinge of dissatisfaction in her tone when she spoke to Lucy. However, Lucy did not mind even though she could sense the displease in the participant''s tone. Of course, if this were another day, she would''ve been upset too, but she was in a good mood at that moment, so she decided not to bother about it. As she curled her lips, she gleefully said, ¡°What''s wrong with me not liking her?¡± The participant widened her eyes. ¡°Why? What has Ms. Smith done to you?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She has done plenty to me.¡± Lucy''s expression turned cold before she stared at Natalie. She then tightened her grip on her pencil and gritted out, ¡°Not only has she stolen my man, but she has even giarized someone else''s design. Tell me, how can I be on good terms with someone like her?¡± The participant was taken aback after hearing her words. ¡°That''s impossible! How can Ms. Smith possibly steal your man and giarize someone else''s work? There must be some mistake.¡± Lucy sneered. ¡°Some mistake? Let me tell you. I''m a-hundred-percent right. Your dear Ms. Smith has stolen my man and stolen someone''s work.¡± ¡°Rubbish!¡± The participant was so agitated that her eyes reddened and her body trembled. ¡°You said Ms. Smith stole your man, but don''t you know that Ms. Smith is long married? That''s something everyone knows about. Moreover, her husband is the CEO of a top international luxury brand. How can Ms. Smith possibly steal your man?¡± ¡°It''s possible because that''s the truth.¡± Lucy''s guilty conscience reared its head for a moment before quickly disappearing. She continued to insist that Natalie had stolen her man in agitation as she patted her chest, ¡°She''s married, but Mr. Thompson is mine. Natalie stole him away from me. If not for Natalie, Mr. Thompson would have fallen for me, and I''d be the one who''s with him. I''m the one who should be Mrs. Thompson.¡± At that moment, the participant widened her eyes as she finally understood what was going on. She could figure out from Lucy''s words that Lucy liked Shane, but Shane did not like her; he liked Natalie instead, and that was why he married Natalie. Lucy refused to admit defeat. She still wanted to be with Shane and be his wife. However, in the end, the one who had be his wife was Natalie and not Lucy. That was why Lucy was indignant. She felt that Natalie had stolen Shane and the role of his wife from her. Ha, what a joke she is! Mr. Thompson has never loved Lucy; he has always loved Natalie, so how can Ms. Smith be the one stealing Mr. Thompson from Lucy? Was Lucy with Mr. Thompson? I doubt that. How can Mr. Thompson possibly fall for Lucy? It''s not that I''m looking down on her, but Lucy is no match for Ms. Smith at all. Her looks? Her talents? Her character? I''d say she''s no match for Ms. Smith in terms of any of those, so it''s impossible for Mr. Thompson to fall for Lucy. Does Lucy feel no shame to say that Ms. Smith stole her man? What a load of nonsense from her! With those thoughts in mind, the participant turned to look at Lucy in disdain and uttered, ¡°You''re shameless.¡± Lucy''s expression darkened. ¡°Did you just say that I''m shameless?¡± ¡°That''s right. You''re shameless. Do you really think that I don''t know you just want to be with Mr. Thompson? Mr. Thompson isn''t interested in you, but you think it''s not because of you¡ªthe one who has done something wrong is Ms. Smith. Ms. Smith''s the one who stole Mr. Thompson from you, and that''s why you can''t be with him. Unfortunately, even without Ms. Smith in the picture, you still won''t be with Mr. Thompson. Which part of you is worthy of him? What traits do you have that will make Mr. Thompson fall for you? There are countless excellent women in the world, so who do you think you are?¡± Lucy could not stop heaving in anger at the participant''s scornful gaze and disdainful words. ¡°You¡ª¡± Lucy raised a finger to point at the participant. ¡°What?¡± The participant smacked Lucy''s finger away and coldly said, ¡°You''re angry because I''ve hit the right spot, right? Ha! Lucy Rivers, I thought you were a capable woman, but as it turns out, that''s all you can be. You''re even lying about this, so I''m sure you''re lying about how Ms. Smith is giarizing too!¡± Chapter 1446 Chapter 1446 Lucy then took in a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. ¡°Who said I was lying? Everything I''ve told you is true. If you don''t believe me, you can take a look at it yourself. You admire her, right? Look at these and find out what kind of person she is yourself.¡± She then took out a stack of pictures from her bag and smacked it on the table in front of the participant. The participant dubiously looked down and saw that the pictures were all blueprints. However, each picture was split into two parts, so there were two blueprints on each picture. Moreover, both blueprints looked almost identical. Technically, other than some minor details, they were exactly the same. The participant''s hands trembled when she saw the pictures. She had seen the designs on the right of the pictures because they were Natalie''s designs. As a fan of Natalie Smith, she would, of course, find out about all the works Natalie made. In other words, she was well-versed in Natalie''s works. If the ones on the right are Ms. Smith''s, then what about the ones on the left? Seemingly reading the participant''s mind, Lucy folded her arms and sneered, ¡°The ones on the left are your dear Ms. Smith''s, and the ones on the right are the works of a designer called MN. This designer has posted their work on the inte a long time ago, and your dear Ms. Smith''s works were published later on. Therefore, can you still say she isn''t giarizing?¡± When the participant heard that, her eyes widened, and her hands trembled even harder. Evidently, she was starting to doubt herself. However, the admiration she had for Natalie still made her choose to defend Natalie. She said, ¡°I don''t believe that''s real. Everyone can see how gifted Ms. Smith is, so there''s no way she''s giarizing. Moreover, you said that Ms. Smith is giarizing MN, so why don''t you tell me who MN is first? If Ms. Smith is giarizing her, it means that MN must be someone impressive too. How can no one have ever heard of her? Won''t she show her works to the rest of the world? I haven''t heard of her, and I''ve never seen her works before. What evidence do you have to say that Ms. Smith is giarizing her? If you insist she''s giarizing, why don''t you contact this MN and ask her to speak for herself?¡± Lucy paled when she heard what the participant said. Contact MN? Lucy wished she could. If the original designer of the works were to step up and tell the others that Natalie was copying them, Natalie would not even get a chance to defend herself. However, Lucy did not dare to contact MN herself. It was because she herself had copied MN''s works as well. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. The participant chuckled gleefully at Lucy''s silence. ¡°I knew it. You don''t have the guts to contact her, so that means all this is fake. MN doesn''t exist, and the supposed original works are copies that you''ve asked someone to create and alter. Then, you used them to im that Ms. Smith is giarizing someone else. You¡ª¡± ¡°I''ve already made everything clear, but you still refuse to believe me. Well then, I''ll make you concede. I''ll send you a link, and you''ll look at the webpage yourself before deciding whether or not I''m speaking the truth.¡± As she spoke, Lucy tapped on her phone and sent a link to the participant. The two of them were acquaintances, so it was nothing unusual for them to have each other''s contact details. The participant then dubiously took out her phone to see that Lucy had indeed sent her a link. As anxiety seeped into her mind, she clicked on the link and saw MN''s social media page. Lucy curled her lips. ¡°Scroll down, and you''ll know whether or not I''m lying.¡± The participant tightened her hold on the phone for a moment before scrolling down. Initially, she did not believe that her favorite celebrity would giarize someone else''s work, but the more she scrolled, the deeper her heart sank. Everything she saw was exactly what Lucy had said. The participant knew Natalie the most¡ªshe knew every work Natalie had, including the published dates and the market release dates. MN had been the first to publish her work online before Natalie released hers, which were simr to the former''s designs. Chapter 1447 Chapter 1447 Did Ms. Smith really copy her work? The horrifying realization made the participant tremble all over. No, this can''t be. How can Ms. Smith copy someone else? She''s so talented! Furthermore, the participant herself had watched Natalie''spetition in the past. She had also seen Natalie''s design on the spot. Something as beautiful as her pieces could not have been a work of giarism. Therefore, she still did not want to believe that Natalie had giarized. Yet, MN was indeed the one who published the works online first. The participant bit her lip, unsure as to what she should do next. Lucy grinned when she saw the participant hanging her head and looking disappointed. ¡°What''s the matter? Now you know I''m not lying to you, right? Natalie Smith, whom you''ve been admiring, is nothing but a giarizing recidivist!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± the participant hissed, her eyes bloodshot. ¡°Ms. Smith won''t giarize anyone. That''s impossible! It''s true that MN published this first, but Ms. Smith is popr. There''s no way MN wouldn''t know about her. Do you think she won''t kick up a fuss if she sees that Ms. Smith has copied her work?¡± After all, if her designs were the ones stolen, and if the one who stole her design became famous and rich, she would certainly skin the other alive. Moreover, she would definitely make them pay a painful price for their theft. Therefore, it was strange that MN had yet to kick up a fuss if Natalie had truly been giarizing for such a long time. However, Lucy said, ¡°What if Natalie threatened her and stopped her from kicking up any fuss? Don''t you forget what kind of status Natalie has. With her identity, doing something like that is just a piece of cake.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°I...¡± The participant was at a loss for words as her face turned pale. Lucy scoffed before picking up the pictures. When she turned to stare at Natalie, who was sitting on the judging panel, she narrowed her eyes. Right then, thepetition began. The host went up onto the stage with the microphone, about to announce the theme for the round. All of a sudden, Lucy rose to her feet. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The moment she spoke, the venue fell silent, and everyone turned to her. The host frowned, clearly upset with how Lucy had just interrupted him. However, he still asked, ¡°Miss, did something happen?¡± ¡°I''d like to report someone!¡± Lucy uttered. Amotion stirred among the audience at her deration. After all, eighty percent of the crowd were designers. If Lucy was about to report someone, chances were that she was reporting a designer. What could one possibly report a designer for? The mostmon answers would be giarism and bribery. Therefore, the hearts of some designers with ill intentions lurched, and their faces paled. Lina frowned and turned to Natalie. ¡°Say, do you think she''sing for us now?¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don''t forget about what she said to us beforeing in here. Moreover, I''m the one who she hates the most here. Therefore, the one she''s trying to report on should be me.¡± ¡°But what is there about you for her to report?¡± Lina wondered, confused. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know. I''m thinking about what I could''ve possibly done wrong as well, but I can''te up with anything. So, I''d like to know what she''s about to say next.¡± Natalie felt that she had not done anything wrong, so she was not afraid even if Lucy really was trying to report on her. Meanwhile, the host was looking at Lucy. ¡°Did you say that you''re going to report someone?¡± ¡°Yes. I''m going to report someone for giarizing!¡± Lucy loudly announced as she lifted her chin. Everyone present gasped upon hearing that. Even the host''s expression turned grave. giarism was a sensitive term in the design industry. Everyone at the scene were from the design industry, and the kind of people they hated the most were people who giarized. At the same time, things would go south for the organizers if they were to let someone who giarized join thepetition. Chapter 1448 Chapter 1448 Unequivocally, the public would doubt the organizer''s judgment in shortlisting and the pre-entry screening of the participants. Thus, the host had no choice but to look into the matter. He cast a look in the direction of the broadcast control room, gesturing to the program director to temporarily turn off all the cameras. It was to ensure the next moments would not be captured and broadcasted. Otherwise, the public would surely question their standards in various aspects of thepetition. Those in the broadcast control room were well aware of the current tense atmosphere. The moment the host looked in their direction, they turned off all the cameras immediately. After that, the program director signaled to the host that the cameras were turned off as requested. The host nodded and heaved a sigh of relief. Next, he turned to look at Lucy. ¡°Didn''t you mention you wanted to report giarism? Now you may tell us who the giarist is.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Lucy shed him a smile before raising her hand to point at Natalie, who was seated among the judges'' panel. ¡°That''s the giarist whom I would like to report. She''s none other than one of our judges, Natalie Smith!¡± In an instant, everyone was overwhelmed. ¡°It''s impossible!¡± Many among the participants were Natalie''s fans. Thus, they did not believe Lucy''s words when she imed that Natalie was the one giarizing. Even the participant who saw MN''s designs moments ago did not believe that Natalie was a giarist. ¡°Of course, it''s possible. I''m telling the truth!¡± Lucy stared at the participants who did not believe that Natalie was involved in giarism. She felt a rush of intense fury amid jealousy surging from within her. Deep down, she could not fathom why many other participants believed that Natalie did not giarize others'' designs. D*mn it! She has so many devoted fans! What makes them trust her so much? Meanwhile, Natalie already knew that Lucy was targeting her the moment thetter mentioned reporting someone involved in giarism. Hence, she was not the slightest bit astounded upon hearing Lucy''s words. Instead, she was utterly speechless. Huh? Me? giarizing? When did I ever do something like that? Lina, who was beside her, leaned over and asked, ¡°Nat, did you hear that? She imed that you giarized others'' designs.¡± Natalie shot her a re. ¡°She''s so loud. How could I not hear anything?¡± Lina chuckled. ¡°Nat, did you really giarize?¡± Natalie shrugged. ¡°Do you think I''d do something like that?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lina shook her head. ¡°I bet everyone can tell you didn''t do so since you look nonchnt as ever. Otherwise, you won''t be unperturbed. That''s why I''m confused. Why did she insist that you''re involved in giarism? It doesn''t look like she''s ndering you either.¡± Narrowing her eyes, Natalie mumbled, ¡°Who knows? Just see how things will develop. Since she''s sure as h*ll that I''ve giarized, I have a gut feeling she''ll disclose evidence. I''m curious about what type of evidence she''ll reveal.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. It never came across the host''s mind that Lucy wanted to report Natalie. My goodness! I thought she meant one of the participants! By right, it could only be one of them. After all, by doing so, she''ll not only help to get rid of a troublemaker in the industry but will also eliminate one of her opponents. Never had he expected that Lucy would have the audacity to report a judge instead of any participant. Regardless of whether she had any grudges against the judges or if they werepeting against her by any means, it would not do her any good to report any one of them. How''s it possible for Ms. Smith to giarize? She''s not only the spouse of Thompson Group''s CEO but also Ms. Mackenzie''s disciple, one of the ultimate geniuses recognized worldwide. How''s it possible for such an outstanding designer to giarize others'' designs? With that thought in mind, the host glowered at Lucy with a grim look and intense frigidness in his eyes. ¡°Are you sure you want to report Ms. Smith?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lucy nodded. The grimness on the host''s face intensified. ¡°Let me ask you again. Are you sure? Bear in mind that if it''s proven that Ms. Smith''s not involved in giarism, you''ll have to pay the price for ndering her. By then, we''ll revoke your participation right and let the world know about your wrongful deed. So, have you made up your mind to take the risk?¡± Chapter 1449 Chapter 1449 Hearing that, Lucy could not fathom why her heart skipped a beat. At the same time, her initial persistence in reporting Natalie was shaken, and she began to waver. However, when she caught sight of the stack of pictures on the table, her confidence was buoyed up again. She immediately encouraged herself. Lucy Rivers, you must not be swayed by the host''s words. Since Natalie Smith is at such a high status after gaining fame, he''ll surely take her side. Thus, he had purposely said so to sway your determination, hoping you won''t report her. You mustn''t give in to them and let them have their way. After all, you''re doing the design industry a favor by exposing a recidivist involved in giarism. You shouldn''t be unnerved by them. After reassuring herself, she gazed at the host and nodded resolutely. ¡°Yes. I''ve thought it through, and I''m determined to report her. As a designer, I feel I must do something to curb this unhealthy trend of giarism. Apart from that, I can''t let a giarist be our mentor. It''s indeed a humiliation for us. Thus, I must report her!¡± At the same time, she pointed at Natalie again. Some participants who disliked Natalie did not doubt Lucy''s words. They echoed right away. ¡°She has a point. How could a giarist deserve to be our judge and mentor? She shouldn''t be globally known as one of the ultimate geniuses and fabled designers either.¡± ¡°Yeah! She doesn''t deserve that!¡± The others, however, took Natalie''s side and spoke up for her. The particr participant, the devoted fan who confronted Lucy earlier on behalf of Natalie, stood up at once. ¡°Mind your words. It''s impossible for Ms. Smith to giarize. I''m convinced that she didn''t do so.¡± At the same time, she gazed at Natalie with a look of confidence and also pleading in her eyes. She believed that Natalie was never involved in giarism, but at the same time, she hoped Natalie would tell her the truth and convince her that she was right. At that moment, she hoped her beloved designer would not let her down. Seeing that, Lina could not resist heaving a sigh as shemented, ¡°Nat, I''m impressed by your devoted fan. She still trusts you even under this circumstance.¡± Natalie chuckled and nodded. ¡°Yeah! She''s undoubtedly an amazing youngdy. I bet everyone in a simr situation like me now will certainly feel touched when someone steps forward to speak up for them. I''m impressed, too.¡± With that, she beamed at the youngdy and mouthed some words to her. The participant caught sight of Natalie''s charming smile and knew what she meant right away. In an instant, a smile broke out on her face. Ms. Smith responds to me! She thanks me for trusting her and reassures me that she won''t let me down. Ah! So she didn''t giarize, did she? The participant smiled blissfully. Meanwhile, the host''s face fell at the sight of the participants in heated arguments. Tightening his grip on the microphone, he raised his voice. ¡°Enough of that! Quiet, please! Where are all your manners? What do you think this ce is? Is it a market? My goodness! I can''t believe you''re all young and talented designers from different countries. You''re now as noisy as brass!¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Hearing that, all the participants zipped their mouths. After everyone quietened down, the host fastened his cold gaze on Lucy''s face once again. ¡°Since you im that Ms. Smith is a giarist, do you have any evidence? If you don''t have any, I''ll call the police to take you away.¡± ¡°Of course, I have the evidence. That''s why I dare to make such a statement.¡± Lucyughed triumphantly and pointed at the stack of pictures on the table in front of her. ¡°These pictures are the concrete evidence. They show Natalie Smith''s giarized designs and the designer''s original ones side by side. I''m sure you''ll know whether I''m telling the truth after having a look!¡± Whipped up by her words, everyone rose to their feet. ¡°Oh my! I have no choice but to believe that Ms. Smith is a giarist. She has disclosed concrete evidence!¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°No way! I still don''t believe it. I''ve seen Ms. Smith''s talent with my own eyes. She couldn''t have giarized anyone''s designs.¡± ¡°You''re right!¡± Some participants started to take Lucy''s side, believing that Natalie was involved in giarism. On the other hand, others imed that their stance remained the same. They were convinced that Natalie would never giarize. Chapter 1450 Chapter 1450 In short, the whole ce was in turbulence. Evidently, those who believed that Natalie was involved in giarism outnumbered those who trusted her. In other words, the current situation was indeed not in Natalie''s favor. Even so, she remained unfazed. Leaning idly against the back of the chair, she stared at the rowdy scene beneath her silently. Initially, Lucy presumed it would send Natalie into a tizzy once she revealed the evidence. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. However, her frown deepened into a scowl when she noticed Natalie remained unperturbed. At that moment, no words could describe her disappointment. What on earth is happening now? How could Natalie Smith remain nonchnt even after I revealed the evidence? She should be anxious! Lucy could not help but feel that Natalie was disrespecting her. She had put so much effort into looking for evidence to give Natalie a massive blow. It never urred to her that thetter would not be intimidated by it at all. Thus, it was uneptable to her. Nevertheless, Lucy regained her usualposure within a short span and snickered to herself. She assumed Natalie was merely putting up a good front at the moment. Pfft! I bet she must be a bundle of nerves now! Undeniably, she''ll only be able to convince everyone that she did not giarize anyone''s designs by feigning nonchnce. However, the evidence is more than enough to prove that she''s a giarist. After all, she can''t prove her innocence merely with nonchnce. Natalie Smith, just you wait! I''m going to send you into a hellish bottomless pit! Smiling gleefully, Lucy picked up the pictures and looked at the host. ¡°These are the evidence. I hope you can disclose them so everyone can have a look. Everyone can see for themselves whether she has giarized others'' designs or not.¡± ¡°Yeah! I support her idea.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Everyone saw eye to eye that the organizer should disclose the pictures, be it the participants who believed that Natalie had giarized others'' designs or others who took Natalie''s side. With that, everyone could witness with their own eyes whether Natalie was proven guilty or innocent. The host shared the same sentiments with the others. However, the decision did not lie in his hands. He turned to look in Natalie''s direction, hoping to get a hint from her. Without a doubt, he was also convinced that Natalie did not giarize anyone''s designs. Otherwise, how''s it possible for Thompson Group''s CEO to fall for her? A quick-witted Natalie knew what the host meant at once. She shed him a smile and nodded, implying that he should disclose the pictures. The host''s face lit up in an instant. He nodded at Natalie before turning to face Lucy again with a look of frigidness. ¡°Since you request to disclose the pictures, I''ll grant your wish then.¡± After having eye contact with Natalie earlier, he was well-assured that she did not giarize others'' designs. In other words, there was seemingly something amiss about the so-called giarism and rted evidence. Even though he could not get to the bottom of the matter, he was well aware that the so-called evidence was impossible to prove that Natalie was involved in giarism. Hence, Lucy was apparently shooting herself in the foot. Pfft! Since she can''t wait to dig her own grave, I''ll grant her wish then! She only has herself to me for ndering others with giarism. Not only that, she has affected the flow of thepetition by stirring up turmoil. In actuality, the duration of every session of thepetition was usually fixed. If there were any dys halfway through, the following sessions would have to be retimed. It would definitely cause inconvenience to all the staff. Thus, the host was irked by Lucy''s impulsiveness. With that thought in mind, the host descended the stage and advanced toward Lucy. After taking the pictures from her, he returned to the stage without sparing the pictures any nce. Next, he handed them to one of the staff. ¡°Send these to the broadcast control room and request the program director to project the image onto the big screen.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The staff nodded respectfully and walked away at once. Among the judges'' panel, Lina tilted her head and moved closer to Natalie. ¡°Nat, Lucy Rivers will be doomed.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie nodded. Lina added, ¡°As long as it''s eventually proven that you''re not involved in giarism, her so-called contribution in reporting giarism will automatically be treated as an act of nder and defamation. I bet she won''t be able to pay the price for doing so. Pfft! I''ve nevere across anyone as desperate as her in having a death wish!¡± Chapter 1451 Chapter 1451 Lina shook her head with a smirk. In the meantime, Natalie lifted her cup of coffee and took a sip. ¡°Enough of that. Anyway, it''s good that she is asking for trouble herself. At least we don''t have to waste energy on settling the score with her.¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± Lina nodded. She turned back without uttering any words. Soon, there were images for almost twenty pictures showing side-by-side designs. The pictures were reckoned clear enough even after being erged. Almost all the participants knew all the judges like the back of their hands. Thus, they could deduce at one nce that the designs shown on the right in the pictures belonged to Natalie, but not the ones on the left. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Not to mention, almost all of Natalie''s designs had either been published in magazines or showcased during fashion shows. Therefore, they were recognizable by anyone who had seen them online. On the other hand, most of them had nevere across the designs on the left. Even so, they had to admit that those designs were exceptionally simr to Natalie''s. In terms of designs, they were basically the same. In an instant, everyone else other than those participants who trusted Natalie locked their gazes on her in astonishment. The fact that Natalie was a giarist appeared to be even more indisputable after the pictures were disclosed. ¡°Ms. Smith, it''s not true, is it?¡± ¡°Yeah! Ms. Smith, you didn''t giarize others'' designs, right?¡± Some of the participants who liked her queried with quivering voices. Before Natalie could respond, those participants taking Lucy''s side retorted, ¡°Now that the concrete evidence is right in front of our eyes, why do you guys still refuse to believe it? You guys are indeed hopeless!¡± ¡°That''s right. If she didn''t giarize, what''s with these pictures then?¡± ¡°I...¡± The participants who questioned Natalie a while ago were bereft of speech. Meanwhile, Lucy was more than happy to see themotion in front of her. She could scarcely refrain fromughing out loud when more and more participants took her side, believing that Natalie had giarized others'' designs. She''s doomed! Natalie Smith is doomed! She turned toward the judges'' panel gleefully, imagining that Natalie should be nonplussed at the moment. Aha! I bet she can''t maintain her so-called nonchnce anymore. However, the triumph on her face froze the moment she cast a look in Natalie''s direction. Still, she could not sense the slightest bit of apprehension amid utter nonchnce in thetter''s countenance. Subsequently, Lucy''s face contorted with rage. Why? Why isn''t she nervous? She''s even in the mood to savor her coffee! Why could she remain nonchnt even after the evidence of her giarism is revealed? Lucy shook her head in bafflement, unable to wrap her head around Natalie''s reaction. At the same time, she was ovee by a sense of inexplicit frustration. It was as though she had thrown a punch onto fluffy cotton. Lina also lifted her cup of coffee to take a sip and grinned. ¡°Nat, look. Lucy Rivers seems to have gotten all worked up. Look at her distorted face.¡± Natalie''s lips curled into a smile. ¡°It''s because she couldn''t ept the fact that I did not show any hint of fear or anxiety. She presumed I would be terrified after she disclosed the so-called evidence. If so, she would be tickled pink. However, things did not turn out the way she wanted. That''s why she flipped out.¡± ¡°How ridiculous! How could she have the cheek to report you when she herself isn''t calm?¡± Lina snorted sardonically. After a second or two, she asked again, ¡°Oh yeah! Nat, do you have any ideas about who produced the designs alongside yours in the picture? Even though those designs are not as striking as yours, they are still impressive designs good enough for fashion shows. Thus, I guess those designs could be from a renowned designer. But, could any renowned designers easily be bribed by Lucy Rivers?¡± She had a hunch Lucy must have looked for someone to draw some designs exceptionally simr to Natalie''s to set her up. After all, Natalie''s design style and talent were not something that every designer could imitate. Hence, it was no easy feat to produce a design simr to hers in terms of style and level. Chapter 1452 Chapter 1452 At least, a junior designer wouldn''t be able to produce that. Only well-known designers that were as talented as Natalie and had design styles simr to her would be able to aplish that. However, ording to what she knew, designers with such a profile were all quite senior and it was impossible that they would be bribed by Lucy. On the other hand, it was more likely for junior designers to be bribed out of jealousy of Natalie. They might agree to coborate with Lucy to frame Natalie so that they would have one lesspetitor after Natalie''s downfall. However, there weren''t any junior designers that she could think of who would do that. Lina was feeling extremely perplexed as she had absolutely no clue as to who had helped Lucy. Natalie looked at Lina, who had a crease between her brows, and chuckled before saying, ¡°The designs on the left of these photos are all by a designer named Mina.¡± ¡°Mina?¡± Lina froze for a moment before snapping out of her daze. Feeling amused, she replied, ¡°Nat, isn''t that the moniker you used before returning to the country?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Natalie nodded before replying, ¡°So now you know why the design on the left is so simr to my design style. That''s because both were drawn by me. Actually, I have a habit that I haven''t told you about. For those designs I''m not that satisfied with, I''ll post them on my other social media ount so that I would remember what I have drawn. But I didn''t expect myself to giarize my own design one day.¡± When Lina heard that, she could not stop chuckling. ¡°Now I understand what''s going on. Lucy must have stumbled upon your other social media ount, but she didn''t know it belonged to you. She had probably noticed that the drawings on that ount were extremely simr to yours. As such, she concluded that you have giarized those designs and ended up reporting you. Haha! Nat, why are you so unlucky?¡± Natalie sighed helplessly before replying, ¡°Exactly! I can''t believe my luck. I have be a giarist who giarized my own works!¡± Lina wasughing so hard that she started tearing up. ¡°I can already imagine Lucy''s expression when you reveal the truthter. It''s gonna be so exciting! I can''t wait! Haha! I''m dying ofughter.¡± Natalie shook her head, feeling amused by her friend''s reaction. In fact, Natalie had not expected things to take such a dramatic turn. She was wondering what evidence Lucy had, but it turned out that it was her own designs. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. That woman is reporting me for giarizing my own work. This misunderstanding is probably the first of its kind in the design world. At that thought, Natalie gazed downward with a mocking glint in her eyes. Lucy pointed at the pictures on the left of the screen while announcing loudly, ¡°I believe everyone knows that the designs on the right belong to Ms. Smith. However, you probably wouldn''t recognize these works on the left. Let me tell you, these works belong to someone named ''MN.'' I happened to chance upon her social media ount and saw her designs. I was rather impressed with her works and tried to find out more about her. That was also when I noticed that Ms. Smith''s designs are extremely simr to MN''s designs. I have also discovered that MN had posted her designs before Ms. Smith published her works. As such, I''m certain that Ms. Smith must have giarized MN''s works.¡± ¡°If that''s the case, why don''t you share MN''s social media ount with us?¡± Lina picked up the microphone and said. A glint shed across Lucy''s eyes before she nodded and replied, ¡°Sure.¡± Lucy had also giarized MN''s design. However, she noticed that MN had already deleted the design which she had used two days ago, and it was no longer visible online. As such, Lucy did not mind sharing the designer''s social media ount as it would not impact her. No one would know that she had also giarized MN''s works. At that thought, Lucy calmed herself down and shared MN''s social media ount in thepetition participants'' WhatsApp group. After receiving the text, all of the participants clicked on the link to verify Lucy''s words. Chapter 1453 Chapter 1453 Everyone fell silent after browsing MN''s social media ount. That was because everything Lucy said was true. MN''s designs were indeed posted before Natalie published her works. As such, it seemed as if Natalie had indeed giarized MN''s designs. Lucy was extremely pleased when she saw the crowd''s reaction. Pointing at Natalie, she said, ¡°Ms. Smith, since everyone had already seen the evidence, would you like to exin yourself?¡± ¡°Exactly, Ms. Smith. Aren''t you going to admit that you''ve giarized someone else''s designs?¡± ¡°Yeah! How can you be so shameless!¡± ¡°You were my idol! I can''t believe you are actually a giarist!¡± Faced with the barrage of criticisms from the crowd, Natalie remainedposed as she put down her coffee cup. Then, she picked up the microphone and stood up. When everyone saw her doing that, they knew that she was going to speak and quietened down at once. Natalie shed a smile at the crowd before saying, ¡°I never knew that using my own designs would be considered giarism.¡± Although she spoke softly and in a casual manner, everyone heard her, and an uproar broke out among the crowd. ¡°Did you hear that? Ms. Smith said that she had used her own designs.¡± ¡°I heard it. Does Ms. Smith mean that the designs which Lucy had used her of giarizing belong to her, too?¡± ¡°That''s quite unlikely. If it''s really Ms. Smith''s own works, why would they appear on MN''s social media?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Everyone was confused. Meanwhile, Lucy''s expression hadpletely changed as she looked at Natalie in disbelief. Did she just say that those designs are her own and it wasn''t someone else''s designs that she had used? How is that possible? That''s impossible! Yup! This can''t be true! Lucy did not believe that such a coincidence existed in the world. After taking in a deep inhale, she said calmly, ¡°Ms. Smith, I had already expected that you wouldn''t admit to it. After all, no one would, because your reputation would go down the drain once you admit to giarizing someone else''s works. However, even if that''s the case, I don''t think you should im ownership of MN''s designs. After all, you are not MN.¡± ¡°Since I made that im, naturally, I would be able to produce evidence. Just like you said, I am indeed MN,¡± Natalie said with a faint smile on her face before continuing, ¡°Probably no one here knows what ''MN'' stands for. I shall exin that. ''MN'' is the short form for Mina. I''m sure everyone has heard of Mina, an extremely talented young designer who had made waves in the design world one year back.¡± ¡°Yup, that''s right.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°However, Mina had suddenly disappeared after just a short while. Some people guessed that she had retired, but the fact is, Mina did not retire. Instead, she had returned to her home country and started from scratch using her real name. Actually, I am Mina!¡± Natalie patted her chest and said. Everyone was shocked when they heard that. ¡°What? Ms. Smith is Mina?¡± ¡°That''s what she said.¡± ¡°That''s quite far-fetched, isn''t it? If she''s really Mina, why wouldn''t she continue to use that name? After all, Mina was already rather famous. Why would she give up on all that she had built and start all over again?¡± ¡°I don''t know. But if what she said is true, I would admire her even more. After all, not everyone can put everything behind them and start all over again, especially when she was already quite well-known in the industry.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± When Lucy heard the discussions that were going on among the crowd, her expression darkened. It was clear to her what Natalie was talking about. Natalie had imed that MN was Mina, the young designer who had made waves in the industry a year ago, and that Mina was actually Natalie herself! That meant that Natalie had never giarized anyone''s designs, and the designs which she had used were actually her own! How is that even possible! Lucy turned pale and her body started trembling. She refused to believe what Natalie had said. After all, it wasn''t easy for her to find dirt on Natalie, and there was no way she would ept that it was all a misunderstanding and let go of such a perfect opportunity to get rid of the woman! Chapter 1454 Chapter 1454 Lucy''s expression turned grim. Natalie must have lied to me. She must have lied to me and everyone else! She pointed at Natalie. ¡°Liar! What makes you think everyone should believe MN is Mina just because you said so? Even if MN represents Mina, who are you to im that you''re Mina? Where''s the proof?¡± Lina casually ced her hands behind her head and said to Natalie, ¡°It seems she''s not willing to acknowledge you''re Mina.¡± Natalie sneered, ¡°Yeah, I can tell from her face. But I guess I can understand how she feels. Now that I''m about to announce my new identity, she must have panicked. All this while, she had been trying to take me down. The fact that I''m making aeback means her n is doomed to fail. It''s a hard pill to swallow, so she could only react in such a manner to deceive herself.¡± ¡°In other words, she just refuses to ept the truth.¡± Lina pouted. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°All right, Nat. Come on, time to deliver the final blow! I''m getting tired of her tricks.¡± Lina yawned. Natalie hummed in response. ¡°Me too. All right, let''s put an end to this drama.¡± She picked up the microphone and said, ¡°You just refuse to believe I''m Mina, huh? Fine. You want evidence? I''ll give it to you.¡± After giving Lucy a sidelong re, she turned to the host and said, ¡°Please give me aptop.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the host agreed and instructed one of the crewmembers to pass aptop to her. Soon, the crewmember ced theptop in front of Natalie. Natalie continued, ¡°All right. I''ll log in to the social media tform all of you saw earlier to prove that I''m MN. After that, I''ll call National Design Association to ask them to verify my identity. It''s fine if you don''t believe me, but you shouldn''t doubt the association, right?¡± Upon hearing that, everyone, except Lucy, began to buy her im. She wouldn''t have the courage to get the National Design Association to verify her identity had she lied. At the same time, Lucy''s face turned pallid, and she got even more anxious. Wait, what? What''s going on here? She was baffled by the turn of events. Lucy''s initial n was to report Natalie for giarism and put thetter behind bars. Her intention was to tarnish Natalie''s reputation and drive a wedge between Shane and Natalie. She believed Shane would never love a woman who giarized people''s work. At the same time, he would be so ashamed of Natalie that he would divorce her. Should that happen, Lucy believed she would have a shot with Shane. Yet, just when she thought her perfect n was about to materialize, something unexpected happened. Not only did Natalie im that she is MN and Mina, but she is also about to prove her identity. Are you kidding me? And that Hannah! How dare she¡ªargh! Lucy started shivering. She was both mad and terrified at the same time. She was mad that Hannah had fooled her, and she was afraid she would lose everything if Natalie managed to prove that she was Mina. Lucy clenched her fists, stared at Natalie with bloodshot eyes, and prayed she would fail to log in to the tform. I''ll still have a shot if she can''t log into the ount! Natalie could sense the fear and anxiety in Lucy''s eyes when thetter stared at her. She smirked. Go on and show the world how terrified you are, Lucy. And I hope you''re prepared to face the music! Natalie waved at the host again and said, ¡°Get me a videographer. I want him to shoot the process of me logging in to the ount and disy it on the screen. I want everyone to know I didn''t pull any tricks here.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. The host and the other participants supported her suggestion as it was the most transparent way to prove her innocence. Chapter 1455 Chapter 1455 Soon, the videographer, whom the host had arranged for Natalie, stood behind her and pointed the camera at her hands and theptop screen. Under the crowd''s watchful eyes, Natalie keyed in the ID and password and clicked the log-in button. She sessfully logged into the ount a few secondster. It was the same page that the crowd had seen earlier. Everyone in the audience went silent. At this point, they were convinced that Natalie was MN. While scrolling the mouse, Natalie said, ¡°Look at all the designs in this ount. I drew all these drafts. I was not satisfied with my works, but I felt it would be a waste had I destroyed them. That''s why I put them here. As designers, no matter how dissatisfied we are with our work, we wouldn''t have the heart to toss it away since we treat them like our children.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Someone nodded. ¡°I share the same thought as Ms. Smith. I might not use the designs, but I''ll still keep them. I''ll even take them out to have a look to see how much I''ve improved.¡± ¡°Yeah. Me too.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing the responses, Natalie grinned and said, ¡°I don''t know why people used me of giarism when I was the original creator who uploaded those designs on my social media ount. It''s ridiculous to hear someone using me of giarizing my own work. I must say this experience is one of a kind.¡± The crowd burst intoughter upon hearing that. ¡°Yeah, me too. Initially, I was mad when I thought Ms. Smith giarized people''s work. But now that Ms. Smith has addressed the misunderstanding, I begin to see how ridiculous the usation was.¡± ¡°Exactly! I bet someone must have done this to put Ms. Smith in a bad light because she held grudges against Ms. Smith. The joke''s on her now since we all saw the evidence.¡± ¡°You''re spot on! Now we all know Ms. Smith is innocent. How could someone simply use Ms. Smith of giarizing her own work? If I''m not mistaken, The user who made such a baseless im could be sued for defamation. The user, if found guilty, would be sentenced to jail, right?¡± Everyone looked in Lucy''s direction and shot her a mocking nce. Lucy was overwhelmed with disappointment and fear when she looked into their eyes and listened to all the sarcastic remarks they made. She was disappointed with her supporters, who gravitated toward Natalie when they noticed Natalie log in to the ount. To add fuel to the fire, they even started mocking her! What caused her to panic were the remarks the people made. Now that Natalie had proven she did notmit giarism, the report Lucy made had be a baseless usation. Every im she made earlier was defamatory. If found guilty in court, she would have to do time in jail. The more she thought about it, the more she shivered in fear. Her face was as pale as a sheet. Upon seeing the distressed look on Lucy''s face, Lina curled her lips and said, ¡°Look, Nat. She''s shaking in fear.¡± Natalie hummed in response. ¡°Yeah, I can tell.¡± ¡°Oh, well. I thought she''d be better than this. What a weakling.¡± Lina shrugged her shoulders as she did not know what else to say. Natalie grinned and took out her phone. ¡°All right. Now that all of you have seen my social media ount and believe that I didn''tmit giarism, it''s time for me to give my mentor a call. I''ll also call the other top designers to ask them to verify Mina''s identity.¡± She then proceeded to dial Mercede''s number. No one else knew Natalie''s other identity better than Mercede did. After all, Natalie was her disciple. In fact, she was the one who came up with the name Mina. When Mercede revealed that Natalie was Mina over the phone, everyone no longer had any reason to doubt Natalie anymore. Yet, Natalie kept her promise and continued calling the other top designers as she felt it would not be fair to rely solely on Mercede''s im. Chapter 1456 Chapter 1456 After all, since Mercede was Natalie''s mentor, some people might feel that Mercede would tell a lie for her. So, Natalie called other top designers as well. Those other top designers knew Natalie''s pseudonym, so when they heard that she needed them to testify, they naturally agreed. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. With so many top designers confirming that ¡°Mina¡± was the pseudonym that Natalie used, everyone present was convinced. The participants who disliked Natalie right from the start could only pout in silence. On the other hand, the participants who admired Natalie were overjoyed when they found out she did not giarize and that she was also Mina. The participant who got into a dispute with Lucy just now was especially moved. She nearly wept and could not hold back her joy. ¡°I knew it! I knew Ms. Smith won''t disappoint me!¡± Natalie, who seemed to have heard her words from afar, looked in her direction and winked. The participant felt so blessed that she almost swooned. Natalie picked up the microphone while looking at Lucy, who was in a daze with her face pale. ¡°Ms. Lucy Rivers, it is now proven that I did not giarize. Instead, the designs you presented actually all belong to me. What else do you have to say?¡± ¡°I-I...¡± Lucy took a few steps back subconsciously and opened her mouth, but she was at a loss for words. What was there to say? She was totally speechless. Initially, she had thought that her n would seed and that Natalie really did giarize. However, things had turned out exactly the opposite of what she had nned. Natalie did not copy anyone, and the evidence she brought out had, instead, proven that Natalie owned all of the designs. Her n of bringing Natalie down had failed, and she herself was on the route to a downfall. It''s all Hannah''s fault. That woman is to me! She said that Natalie was giarizing, but it turns out that she did not. Hannah is the reason for what happened to me! Lucy''s hands were clenched tight and she was trembling violently. Natalie sneered when Lucy remained silent and said, ¡°Ms. Lucy Rivers, do you think you can avoid the consequences by keeping silent? I''m sorry, but it''s impossible. ording to our country''sws, the punishment for nder is actually very light. At most, detention for a period of time and a fine. Only the kind of nder that is really serious enough to destroy a person''s life can result in a three-year sentence.¡± As Lucy listened to what Natalie said, a glint shed across her eyes. She had no choice but to admit that her report of Natalie''s giarism was false and that she had constituted a crime of nder. However, she did not do Natalie any harm, and Natalie did not suffer. Surely, her crime was not serious. Since it was not serious, she only deserved detention or a fine. Such a result was eptable because it would be over soon and she would soon be released. However, what Natalie said next sent Lucy to her doom. ¡°But I''m sorry, Ms. Lucy Rivers. Your nder against me is not a small usation. The usation is serious enough, and it has an immense impact on me. If I hadn''t proved that I was innocent of giarizing, then I would be banned by the fashion industry and cast aside by the whole world. Therefore, I will apply for a severe punishment to be given to you. You will be sentenced to jail for three years!¡± Natalie looked at her and said coldly. Three years? Lucy''s pupils constricted as she raised her head and red at Natalie. ¡°On what basis should I be banned for three years? I have not caused you any substantial harm. You are deliberately persecuting me because you have a personal vendetta against me,¡± she screamed, pointing her finger at Natalie, her face distorted in fury. Natalie took a sip of coffee and said rather sarcastically, ¡°A personal vendetta? I''m sorry. I''m not you, and I will not stoop so low. I''m just taking action based on facts. Yes, you have not caused me substantial harm, so you cannot be sentenced to jail for three years, but rather one year at most. However, what about the crime of stealing someone else''s work?¡± Lucy froze at those words. She stood rooted to the spot as if drained of all consciousness. Chapter 1457 Chapter 1457 Everyone present was dumbfounded. Stealing someone else''s work? ¡°Seriously? Did Ms. Smith just say Lucy stole someone else''s designs?¡± ¡°I heard that, too. Just now, Lucy used Ms. Smith of giarism and now Ms. Smith is using Lucy of stealing someone else''s designs. This sounds... too dramatic.¡± ¡°Seems dramatic to me, too, but I believe what Ms. Smith says. Even before this, I felt that there was something strange about Lucy. Thispetition is for designers, but she seems to not know much about professional designing. I wondered how she could enter thispetition. Now, I''m beginning to see why. It''s possible that she entered through submitting stolen designs because she does not know how to design herself.¡± ¡°I agree with what you say. Yesterday, most of us had already handed in our drafts, but she didn''t. When I was leaving, I deliberately nced at her design. The design was excellent, but strangely, the strokes were amateurish. They were totally unlike the strokes of a designer who coulde up with such a beautiful design. At that moment, I wondered what''s with the discrepancy. Now I understand that it''s because she doesn''t know how to design, so she has stolen someone''s idea, resulting in a good design, but bad drawing skills.¡± As Lucy listened to the crowd''s discussion, her knees were shaking. She started walking toward the back of the room, attempting to leave the ce. Realizing what her intentions were, the host''s eyes narrowed as he immediately ordered, ¡°Block the exits. Do not let her leave!¡± Without a doubt, it was an insult to the organizers when Lucy stole someone else''s design and entered thepetition. If news of this were to leak out, the organizers'' reputation and dignity would be destroyed. Other than that, the organizers would be theughing stock of the public. In the future, the Design Association might not permit them to organize such a grandpetition again. After all, the Design Association would question the organizers''petence. Hence, they could not let Lucy leave no matter what. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. If Lucy managed to flee, she might say something to the public. When the security personnel heard the host''s instructions, they positioned themselves at the exits to prevent Lucy from escaping. When Lucy turned and saw the two guards at the entrance, she was full of despair. It''s over. I''m done for. Lucy bit her lip so hard that she nearly drew blood. She was full of regret for what she had done. She regretted breaking into the fashion design industry which she did not belong, just topete with Natalie. If she had not done that, she would not end up in this predicament. s, she was already in this situation, and any feeling of regret was useless. Lucy knew that she had failed big time. ¡°Ms. Smith, how did you know that Lucy stole someone else''s design?¡± a participant asked out of curiosity. Natalie smiled. ¡°It''s very simple. It''s because I knew Lucy before this, and she is not a designer at all. She had never studied fashion design, and she has no talent in this area. So, how is such a person able to enter thepetition?¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. Another participant said, ¡°That''s right. Apparently, I guessed correctly that Lucy managed to enter with a design stolen from someone else.¡± Natalie picked up the microphone and said, ¡°Yes. So, out of curiosity, I checked how Lucy entered the competition. After seeing the designs she had sent in to secure her entry rights, I understood immediately. She had stolen someone''s designs to convince the reviewers that she is worthy. It is actually quite funny because the designs she stole are actually mine.¡± At these words, everyone stared at Lucy in disbelief. What? The designs that she stole are actually Ms. Smith''s? ¡°Ms. Smith, is this true?¡± Someone was eager to verify. Natalie nodded. ¡°Of course, it''s true. Take a look, everyone.¡± She clicked a few buttons on theptop screen and everyone saw ten exquisite design drafts appear on the big screen. Chapter 1458 Chapter 1458 ¡°These are the ten designs which Lucy used to enter thepetition, and she was able to convince the reviewers.¡± Someone nodded. ¡°These are indeed advanced designs. If I''m a reviewer and I saw designs of such high standards, I would certainly ept this participant and give her the opportunity to present herself even if she is not well-known.¡± ¡°Me, too. I would certainly acknowledge such talent.¡± These werements from the more honest participants who appreciated talent. As she listened to them, Natalie smiled knowingly and said, ¡°These ten design drawings were uploaded by me on the MN ount and stolen by Lucy.¡± ¡°That''s not right, Ms. Smith. We just looked at your homepage, but we don''t see those designs.¡± Someone spoke out of curiosity. Natalie continued smiling. ¡°That''s because, after I found out that Lucy had stolen my designs, I immediately set them to be visible only to myself. That way, I could catch her red-handed today.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Someone in the audience did not understand what she meant. Natalie exined, ¡°After discovering that Lucy had stolen my designs, I nned to find an opportunity to expose her. In order not to set off the rm, I deliberately hid these ten designs, so that she would not find them online anymore. When she could no longer see the designs she had stolen, she would be relieved, thinking that I had deleted them, so she wouldn''t have to worry about other people seeing the designs and suspecting her of stealing ideas from other designers.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The crowd nodded. Lucy red at Natalie with bloodshot eyes. She gritted her teeth as if furious enough to swallow Natalie alive. ¡°You set a trap for me!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Natalie sneered, ¡°Did I? I''m sorry, I don''t have the patience or the mood to do so. To me, you are just an insignificant person, and you do not deserve any attention from me. Your downfall today is your own doing, isn''t it? I didn''t ask you to do it, did I? So what right do you have to say that I set you up? All in all, you destroyed yourself!¡± Hearing this, Lucy''s mind went nk for a moment, and she gaped speechlessly. Am I not responsible for all that has happened today? No one had asked her to do any of that. It was all her own doing. So, there was no one she could me. However, she was unwilling to ept the fact that she had failed. Lucy clenched her fists tighter and tighter. Finally, she grabbed a water bottle from the table and hurled it at Natalie. The sudden turn of events shocked everyone. ¡°Ms. Smith!¡± ¡°Nat!¡± Natalie had not expected Lucy to lose control and attack her in a fit of rage. She sat in her seat, too stunned to move. Lucy was staring at Natalie with eyes full of hatred. Since she had failed to defeat Natalie by using her of giarism and had ended up being sentenced to jail instead, she might as well just bring Natalie down with her. If she could harm Natalie before going to jail, it was worth her while. I can''t miss. Please hit her! Lucy''s face was hideous with twisted excitement as she watched the bottle fly toward Natalie. She could imagine what it would be like when the bottle hit Natalie. She would definitely be injured on the head and bloodied. Of course, it would be better if she was disfigured. ¡°Nat, be careful!¡± However, no one knew what the future would bring. No one could foretell how an incident would turn out before it had happened. To Lucy, the bottle was flying straight toward Natalie''s face and was just inches away from hitting her. However, just a second before she was hit, a hand suddenly appeared before Natalie and caught the bottle firmly. It was Natalie''s bodyguard. When Lucy saw the bottle miss Natalie and was caught by the bodyguard instead, she nearly went mad. Chapter 1459 Chapter 1459 Actually, he did feel a tinge of jealousy. After all, deep in his heart, she meant more to him than the kids. That was something he knew he was different from Natalie. His feelings for the kids were not as strong as her love for them. Although he loved Sharon and Connor, he could never match Natalie, who gave birth to them. To Shane, Natalie would always be the number one in his heart. Shane gently parted from her, tilted her chin, and kissed the bewildered Natalie. He gave her a hard and passionate kiss, subconsciously trying to tell her that she meant the world to him and no one else couldpare. Natalie had not expected that kiss and was stunned. When she came around, she noticed Lina was smiling knowingly and that Ss had shielded the kids from the passionate sight. The bodyguards were also standing nearby and looking a little awkward. That made her face turn lobster-red from embarrassment. She gave Shane a small nudge and tried to push him away, but Shane would have none of that. He continued to hold on to her tightly. Desperate, Natalie pinched him hard on his waist, causing him to let go in pain and taking him by surprise. He let go of her and gave her a puzzled and aggrieved look. Natalie took a step from him, touched her own hot, flushing lips, and gave him a dirty look. ¡°Why do you think I did that? Don''t you care that we have people around us? They willugh at us!¡± she chided. ¡°Would they dare to?¡± Shane threw a cold nce across to Ss, Lina, and the bodyguards, who hurriedly shook their heads. No one in the right mind would dare to ridicule their boss. They would not risk losing their job over that! Satisfied, Shane turned back to Natalie and proudly said, ¡°See? No one isughing at us!¡± Natalie couldn''t help but smile a little. ¡°With that stare of yours, who would dare to? Forget it! Let''s go. We should not be blocking the way of thoseing out behind you,¡± she reasoned. ¡°Sure! Let''s go!¡± Shane held her hand and started walking out. Ss did not have to shield the kids from the passionate scene anymore, so he took their hands, one in each of his, and quickly followed behind Shane and Natalie. The couple only had eyes for each other, so Ss was left with no choice but to take on the role of babysitter. The entourage exited the airport, got into their vehicles, and drove back to the vi. Once they reached home, Lina excused herself and disappeared. She knew Natalie would appreciate the time and privacy to catch up with Shane and the kids. She, as a single individual, would rather be out partying than stay and watch their loving acts. Shane was pleased with her high emotional intelligence and sensitivity to their needs. ¡°Mommy, I''m hungry!¡± Sharon, seated on the couch, rubbed her little tummy and pouted pitifully. Natalie walked over to her, patted her on the head, and said, ¡°Oh, you are hungry? No worries. Mommy will give instructions for the housekeepers to start preparing for dinner. It won''t take long. Can you bear with the hunger for a little while?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sharon obligingly nodded her head. ¡°You''re such a good girl!¡± Natalie gave her a big smile, then went to get some biscuits for Connor and her to snack on. After that, she made Shane a cup of tea and started chatting with him. ¡°Oh, by the way, earlier at the airport, I heard the announcement that your ne had alreadynded, but it took a long time before you guys came out. What happened?¡± Usually, after their nended, it would take only about a quarter of an hour for them to exit from the restricted area. After all, unlike being onmercial flights, they did not have to wait in line for their luggage. That day, she waited for almost half an hour, and there was still no sight of Shane and the kids. That was the reason why she got worried. Shane could see the concern in Natalie''s eyes. He took a sip of the tea and updated her on what had happened. ¡°Sharon had a mild cold, and she was feeling dizzy and nauseous during the flight. She managed to get some sleep on the ne, but after we woke her up to disembark, she threw up. I had to bring her to the restroom to clean up, so we took a little longer to get out to meet you.¡± ¡°Threw up because of a cold?¡± Natalie hurriedly turned her attention to Sharon and asked, ¡°Sharon, how are you feeling now? You have to tell mommy if you are still feeling awful!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 1460 Chapter 1460 Natalie was ready to call for the doctor if Sharon was still unwell. ¡°No, I don''t feel sick anymore. I''m okay now, Mommy.¡± Sharon shook her head and spoke, patting herself on the chest to emphasize the point. Natalie carefully looked at her, trying to detect any visible signs of difort. ¡°Great! d you are well! You gave me a scare,¡± she said, relieved to see her daughter looking bright and alert. Sharon felt bad for causing her mother to worry, so she sheepishly apologized, ¡°I''m sorry, Mommy.¡± Natalie touched her daughter''s forehead to confirm she was not feeling feverish. When she was finally convinced that nothing was wrong with her girl, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°It''s okay. Why did you not tell me over the phone that you were not feeling well?¡± The sensible little girl replied, ¡°You were working, so you must be very tired. I don''t want you to worry about me. I have Daddy with me, so I am fine. Daddy was so worried when I fell sick. He stayed up the whole night and never left my side! Isn''t that right, Daddy?¡± Sharon looked to Shane to back her up. Connor nodded and chimed in, ¡°I can vouch for that! I was there too!¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Sharon probably kicked her nket away in the night and caught a cold. She should be fine in a couple of days.¡± Shane gently patted Natalie on her hand to assure her. Natalie smiled and expressed, ¡°I know. She looks bright and alert. I''m sure she will be fine.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane nodded in agreement. Just then, the housekeeper walked in and reported, ¡°Dinner is ready, madam.¡± ¡°Thank you. Go ahead and set the table¡ªwe will be there soon,¡± Natalie said. The housekeeper acknowledged her words before turning around and heading to the dining room. Natalie stood up and walked toward the kids, saying, ¡°Let''s go! Dinner time!¡± She took the snacks from them, put the biscuits away on the side table then carried them from the couch. She yfully hit their little bums after putting them down on the floor and chirped, ¡°Time for dinner!¡± ¡°Yeah! Dinner!¡± The two kids held each other''s hands and happily ran into the dining room. Natalie stood there watching them as they skipped and jumped joyfully. ¡°I wonder if Anders will ever be able to run around like Sharon and Connor and be as lively as them...¡± She spoke with mixed emotions. Shane walked over, stood by her side, and watched the kids as they ran into the dining room. He assured her by saying, ¡°I am sure he will. We can afford to give him the best medical care, so he will make it. Even if he does not get to be as strong as other children, I''m confident he will not be sickly and can run around like the twins. The worst possibility is that he will not be running as fast as them.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. His wordsforted Natalie. ¡°All right! Let''s go! It''s time for dinner!¡± He put his hand on her waist and gave her a gentle hug. ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded, and the two of them followed the kids into the dining room. It was almost midnight when they finished their dinner. The kids were not used to staying upte, so they were already dozing off sleepily at the dining table. Natalie couldn''t help but smile at the adorable sight. Carrying a child each in their arms, Shane and her brought them back to their bedroom and tucked them in. After making sure the kids were sleeping soundly, they left the kids'' room and went back to their own room. Natalie was feeling tired too. She let out a sleepy yawn as Shane closed the door behind them. Suddenly, a pair of arms came from behind her and held her tightly. She instinctively tensed up but immediately realized it was Shane. She smiled, rxed in his arms, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± He bent down and started nibbling on her earlobe. ¡°You spent the whole evening with the kids. It''s my turn now, right?¡± he whispered in her ear. Natalie''s eyes popped wide open, and she was fully awake. ¡°Don''t tell me you want...¡± Shane chuckled softly, confirming her suspicion. Natalie hurriedly shook her head and tried to pry his hands off her waist, protesting, ¡°No, no! Aren''t you tired after such a long flight?¡± ¡°I had a good rest during the flight. I''m not tired.¡± Shane''s lips started moving slowly from her ear to her neck. Cringing a little from the ticklish sensation, Natalie whined, ¡°But I am tired.¡± ¡°You just rx and stay still. I will do the hard work.¡± Shane looked her in the eyes as he spoke. Chapter 1461 Chapter 1461 Natalie blinked her eyes and asked, ¡°Really? You want it?¡± ¡°I missed you,¡± Shane muttered as he lowered his head and rested his forehead on hers. From the tone of his voice, Natalie could tell he really missed her a lot, so she did not have the heart to push him away. She turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and answered, ¡°Sure. I am yours tonight.¡± Although she was really tired, she badly wanted to pamper her man. She knew both parties had to give and take to make a rtionship work. Shane needed her to love and dote on him as well. Shane was visibly excited by her consent. He was beaming from ear to ear. Natalie released her arms from his neck, grabbed him by his tie, and pulled him toward her. That caught Shane by surprise, and he stumbled toward her, stunned. ¡°You¡ª¡± Before he could utter another word, Natalie tiptoed to reach up and kissed him on his lips. Shane''s eyes popped wide open in surprise. It took him a while to recover from his daze as he stared at the woman, who was kissing him with her eyes closed. He was pleasantly surprised she took the initiative to kiss him. Natalie did initiate intimacy sometimes, but only once in a blue moon. He was usually the one who took the lead in their sexual rtionship. She was shy and conservative and would rarely spontaneouslye on to him. As a man, he sometimes did wish she could take more initiative and make him feel wanted. However, he never spoke his mind and made that request, as he knew she was conservative and reserved in nature. Thus, her spontaneous act that night was a big but pleasant surprise for him. He quickly responded by kissing her back. Natalie did not expect such a quick and passionate response from him, but she instantly matched him on that. The two started moving toward the bed as they kissed, and their clothes were left strewn all over the floor, creating a trail from the door to the bed. It was a wild and passionate session thatsted almost the whole night. It was only by daybreak that Shane parted from Natalie, and she was finally able to fall asleep. Shane, on the other hand, was not sleepy at all. He felt energized and was wide awake. Leaning against the bed''s headboard, he gazed lovingly at the woman in his arms as he caressed her hair and face gently. His actions showed his obvious love for her¡ªunreserved and passionate. After a while, he gently pushed aside Natalie''s hand that was resting on his waist. Quietly, he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. It was already seven in the morning when he finished his shower. Wrapped in a loose bathrobe, Shane dried his hair with a towel as he walked to the bedside. He thoughtfully tucked the nket snugly around Natalie before reaching for his phone on the side table to make a call. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Thompson.¡± The other party picked up the call quickly. ¡°Good morning.¡± Shane nodded slightly and then proceeded to ask, ¡°Is it possible to reschedule today''s competition to the afternoon?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Although the other party was puzzled by the unusual request, the reply was quick and affirmative. As it was only a postponement and not a cancetion, it was not a big issue that would affect the overall schedule for thepetition. Moreover, thepetition usuallysted only four to five hours, so they could stillplete the day''s tasks even if they were to start in the afternoon. ¡°That''s great! Please inform the participants about the change in today''s schedule,¡± Shane informed as he continued to towel dry his hair. ¡°Noted, Mr. Thompson,¡± the other party replied. Shane grunted in affirmation and ended the call. The only reason he requested for the organizer to postpone that day''spetition was to allow Natalie to get more sleep. He knew he had engaged her in a strenuous and exhausting session the night before, so he wanted her to get more rest before heading back to work. With that settled, he bent over, nted a kiss on Natalie''s forehead, then went to blow dry his hair. By the time he headed out of the room after getting ready, it was already eight in the morning. Chapter 1462 Chapter 1462 Lina had returned, and she was sitting on the couch in the living room. She held a child in each arm as they happily watched an animated film. Lina let go of the children when she heard Shaneing down the stairs. She turned toward him and greeted, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Thompson.¡± Shane merely nodded slightly at her. The kids jumped off the couch and rushed toward him. They hugged his legs as they greeted, ¡°Hi, Daddy.¡± ¡°Hey, kids!¡± Shane smiled and ruffled their hair. ¡°What time did you guys wake up?¡± ¡°Some time ago,¡± Connor answered. ¡°Sharon got hungry, so I brought her down.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Sharon nodded. ¡°After that, Ms. Cohen got the housekeeper to make us breakfast.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane looked at Lina and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lina waved her hand dismissively. ¡°It''s nothing. Don''t worry about it. Mr. Thompson, where''s Nat? Is she noting down yet?¡± ¡°No. She''s drained, so she''s still asleep.¡± Shane brought the kids to the couch. When Lina heard Natalie was drained, the smile on her face vanished, and she looked at Shane in a disgusted manner. ¡°Mr. Thompson, don''t you think you''re being too much? I know you haven''t seen Nat in a while, so you guys are eager to have a roll in the hay. However, Nat has work today. Don''t you know how to control yourself?¡± ¡°Are you lecturing me?¡± Shane frowned and looked at her in displeasure. Lina quickly shook her head. ¡°No! No. I feel bad for Nat, that''s all. She''s going to be a judgeter. What you did was¡ª¡± ¡°Thepetition in the morning has been postponed.¡± Shane carried the kids onto the couch and exined tly, ¡°Hence, you guys don''t have to go there now. Go there in the afternoon instead.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The corner of Lina''s lips twitched. She looked at Shane in an ambiguous way and said, ¡°No wonder you went all out with her, Mr. Thompson. You had it all nned out!¡± Shane furrowed his brows and ignored her. Right then, Sharon tilted her head and asked innocently, ¡°Daddy, what does it mean to have a roll in the hay? Also, why is Mommy drained?¡± As soon as those words fell, the living room plunged into absolute silence. Ultimately, Connor realized what was going on, so he put his hand over Sharon''s mouth and said, ¡°Sharon, stop talking.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sharon widened her eyes in bafflement. Why is Connor asking me to stop talking? Seeing that, Lina stifled augh. Goodness! These kids are adorable! Shane''s expression, on the other hand, had turned grim, and he was ring at Lina. This is all this woman''s fault. She talks too much. Great! Now the kids are curious. Once they get curious, they''ll keep asking for answers. When Lina saw Shane ring at her, she knew she had done something wrong. She immediately lowered her head guiltily and shied away from his gaze. Shane couldn''t do anything to her, though. After all, she was Natalie''s friend. In the end, Shane had to solve the problem his way. He carried Sharon toward him and put her on hisp. After that, he lowered his head to look Sharon in the eyes and said gently, ¡°Mommy is drained because she waited for us for a long time at the airport yesterday. Besides, she had been working hard. That''s why she''s still asleep.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Sharon blinked. Shane nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I can guarantee that''s the case,¡± Connor chimed in. Sharon smiled. ¡°In that case, Mommy is working too hard.¡± Since she was just a child, she believed most of the things adults told her. Therefore, she believed Shane''s words and thought Natalie was tired because she had waited too long at the airport. That prompted Sharon to feel guilty. ¡°This is all my fault, then. If I didn''t vomit, Mommy wouldn''t have had to wait so long.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Shane felt bad right away when he saw Sharon ming herself. Chapter 1463 Chapter 1463 After all, she had done nothing wrong. Instead, it was all his doing. So when Sharon took the me, he, as her father, felt rather irresponsible. ¡°Sharon.¡± Shane bent down and ruffled Sharon''s hair. In a gentle tone, he stated, ¡°This is not your fault. It''s my fault.¡± ¡°Your fault, Daddy?¡± Sharon tilted her head in bewilderment. Shane nodded. ¡°Yes. It''s my fault. I didn''t take care of you, and that was how you got sick. Consequently, your mommy had to wait longer.¡± ¡°I don''t me you, Daddy.¡± Sharon held his hand and added, ¡°I should listen to you and not kick the nket away when I sleep. This is not on you, Daddy.¡± ¡°You don''t me me?¡± Shane looked at Sharon. Sharon nodded. ¡°I don''t.¡± Shane then chuckled softly in response. ¡°Good, then. Since you don''t me me for not taking good care of you, you shouldn''t me yourself as well. After all, it''s not your fault you got sick. How could you have known that you would kick your nket away when you were asleep? Don''t me yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sharon smiled and nodded. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Shane kissed her cheek before doing the same to Connor. Since they were both his children, he would love them equally. Lina was there to witness the whole interaction. Impressed, she uttered, ¡°I didn''t know you were so good at handling the kids, Mr. Thompson.¡± ¡°Of course. They''re my kids.¡± Shane shot her a cold nce. If anyone is to be med, it''s her. She should watch what she says. If she had kept her mouth shut, Sharon wouldn''t have gotten curious. Hence, she wouldn''t have med herself. Lina noticed his look right away. She then averted her gaze sheepishly. Shane couldn''t be bothered. He carried Sharon with one arm and held Connor''s hand with the other before heading toward the dining room for breakfast. Although the kids had already had breakfast, they could eat again. Shane just didn''t want the kids to stay with Lina. Who knows what weird things that woman is going to say to them again to pique their curiosity? Natalie only woke up at eleven that morning. She couldn''t help but twitch her lips when she noticed the messy sheets and the hickeys all over her body. Right then, she recalled the wild moments she had the night before. Her memory of the events was so vivid that she started blushing. Because of how intense the sex was the night before, traces of their steamy lovemaking were left on the floor, the couch, the dressing table, and all the other corners of the room. She never knew she was capable of doing what she did the night before. As she recalled how she had taken the initiative and threw herself at Shane, she covered her face in embarrassment. Oh gosh... Was that really me? I can''t believe I''ve actually done all that! Indeed, I''ve gotten wilder as I got older! While she was overwhelmed by embarrassment, someone knocked on the door. Like a startled little kitten, Natalie immediately lowered her hands to pull the nket over herself to hide. She stared at the door and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± She only realized how hoarse her voice had be when she asked that question. Nheless, she didn''t sound bad at all. In fact, she sounded rather alluring. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. The person on the other side of the door was Lina. When she heard Natalie''s voice, a mischievous smile appeared on her face. ¡°It''s me. Nat, may Ie in?¡± Come in? Natalie lowered her gaze and realized she was still naked. ¡°No!¡± she responded hurriedly. I''m naked, and the room is a mess. How could I let anyone in? The smile on Lina''s face turned even more mischievous when she heard that. As a matter of fact, she never thought of going in. She only said what she said because she wanted to tease Natalie. Chapter 1464 Chapter 1464 Upon hearing Natalie''s responses, Lina had gotten what she went there for. Hence, she uttered in a serious tone, ¡°Okay. I won''t go in. Get ready ande downstairs, Nat. If you don''te down for lunch soon, you''re going to reach thepetition hallte.¡± ¡°Competition hall!¡± Natalie yelled loudly, and she immediately pulled the nket aside and jumped out of bed. Nevertheless, she was weak, and she hadn''t eaten anything yet. Hence, when her feet touched the floor, she couldn''t even support herself, and she slumped to the floor. Luckily for her, the rug was thick, so she didn''t feel much pain when she fell. She then held the side of the bed and stood up. ¡°Oh, no. I forgot about my work today! I¡ª¡± Lina was curious about what was going on inside the room. When she heard what Natalie said, she rolled her eyes in amusement. ¡°There''s no need to rush, Nat. Mr. Thompson has already postponed your work to the afternoon. Otherwise, why would I onlye and find you now? Didn''t Mr. Thompson tell you beforehand?¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie froze as she was just about to put on her bathrobe. What? Everything has been postponed to the afternoon? Does that mean I still have time? Natalie sighed a huge breath of relief when she regained herposure. She sat on the edge of the bed and uttered in amusement, ¡°No. He didn''t tell me anything about it. I didn''t know!¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Lina pouted. ¡°Well, it seems like Mr. Thompson had only made those arrangements after you fell asleepst night. He should''ve left you a note or something to spare you the anxiousness.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°You''re right.¡± That was exactly what she had just gone through¡ªanxiety. If word got out saying that I waste as a judge, my credibility in the designers''munity would be ruined. By then, everyone would think I was a tardy person. Lina knocked on the door and said, ¡°All right, Nat. Come down soon, okay? It''s time for lunch.¡± ¡°I know. Go down first, okay? I''ll be there in a while,¡± Natalie answered. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Lina left. Natalie proceeded to put on her bathrobe and tidied up her bed. She then walked toward the floor-to- ceiling window and opened it. After stretching and breathing the fresh air while standing in front of the window, she went to the bathroom. By the time she was done showering and getting ready, it was almost noon. Natalie opened the door and saw the housekeeper wiping the staircase railing. She walked up and said, ¡°Clean up the roomter.¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Thompson,¡± the housekeeper replied respectfully. When Natalie was walking down the stairs, she saw Lina talking on the phone in the living room. Who is she talking to? She seems joyful. Natalie raised her eyebrows. Something''s definitely up. ¡°You''re here, Nat!¡± Lina waved at Natalie when she saw hering down. Natalie smiled in response. Lina hung up the phone soon after that. Natalie went to pour herself a ss of water and asked curiously, ¡°Why did you hang up?¡± For some reason, Lina felt embarrassed when she heard Natalie''s question. She couldn''t help but lower her head awkwardly and clear her throat. ¡°Well, I was done with the conversation.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie crossed her arms in disbelief. ¡°When I wasing down just now, I saw how excited you were on the phone! It didn''t seem like the conversation would end so quickly. Besides, I didn''t hear you saying goodbye to the person on the other end of the call. In fact, I think you''re just too shy to continue the conversation after you saw me. What? Are you afraid that I might overhear your conversation?¡± ¡°No!¡± Lina acted as if someone had just spooked her. ¡°Why would I hide my conversation from you?¡± Chapter 1465 Chapter 1465 ¡°Oh? Is that not it?¡± The grin on Natalie''s face grew wider. ¡°If that''s the case, why did you hang up before saying goodbye?¡± Seeing that she had hung up the phone in a hurry, Natalie knew she was hiding something. Lina''s eyes gleamed when she argued, ¡°Who says that''s a must? I-I just don''t say goodbye before I end a phone call. It''s nothing.¡± Natalie picked up her ss of water, took a sip, and queried, ¡°Is that so? Fine. I''ll just ept the fact that you don''t say goodbye before ending a phone call. However, may I know if you were talking to a guy?¡± Lina nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie''s eyes lit up. ¡°It''s true, then!¡± ¡°What is?¡± Lina gazed at her. Natalie smiled and answered, ¡°You''ve fallen head over heels for someone, and the guy is the person you were on the phone with just now.¡± ¡°No!¡± Lina denied it immediately. ¡°Why would I fall for him? Nat, stop your nonsense, okay? He''s not even my type. He''s not handsome, his height is just average, and his figure isn''t that nice. He''s just gentle and considerate, and he knows how to cook. There''s nothing else that''s good about him. Why would I fall for someone like him?¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Natalie deliberately dragged her word. ¡°He''s gentle and considerate, and he knows how to cook. He sounds like a great man! No wonder you''ve fallen for him.¡± ¡°What are you on about, Nat? Didn''t I say he''s not my type? Why would I¡ª¡± ¡°If you haven''t fallen for him, how would you know all his good qualities? Besides, why would you mention his good qualities while trashing him?¡± Natalie was amused. Lina''s expression changed, and she froze. That''s true. Why would I remember all his good qualities? Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Seeing that Lina was keeping mum, Natalie swirled her ss of water and continued, ¡°Just admit it, Lina. Just admit the fact that you''ve fallen for him. Why else would you remember his good qualities? Moreover, if you didn''t like him, you wouldn''t even want to talk to him, much less save his contact.¡± Lina got even more perplexed upon hearing that. At the same time, she looked conflicted. Have I really fallen for him? Otherwise, why would I remember his good qualities and talk to him? If I don''t like someone, I wouldn''t want to talk to them, and I also wouldn''t save their contact details. Not only did I save his contact details, but I''ve also been on the phone with him almost every day. So, does that mean I like him? With those thoughts in mind, Lina blushed, and her heart raced. Natalie looked at her and added again, ¡°In hindsight, I should''ve seen thising.¡± ¡°W-What makes you say that?¡± Lina was surprised. How would she have seen thising? That''s just not possible. Natalie could tell Lina was in disbelief. She smiled and nodded. ¡°It''s true. Prior to this, you repeatedly told me you wanted to be in a rtionship. I''ve already figured something out by then. I''ve known you for a long time, but that was the first time you''ve said something like that. This time around, you''ve mentioned it a few times to me again. It''s so obvious you''ve fallen for someone. Otherwise, why would you think about wanting to be in a rtionship?¡± ¡°I see...¡± Lina uttered. I only thought about wanting to be in a rtionship because I''m into someone. Well, it seems like I''ve really fallen for him. Upon seeing that Lina was no longer in denial, Natalie patted her shoulder gently. ¡°Tell me, then. Who''s the guy?¡± Lina lowered her head and chuckled wryly before answering, ¡°My senior, Bryan.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was taken aback. ¡°Your senior?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lina rubbed her temples. ¡°You didn''t see thating, did you? You never thought the guy would be my senior.¡± Chapter 1466 Chapter 1466 Lina practically grew up with Bryan, and they had taken their lessons together. If fact, they were so close that they could be considered siblings. However, the circumstances had changed. Even Lina didn''t know how things turned out this way. ¡°Indeed.¡± Natalie smiled and nodded. ¡°I didn''t see thating. How did you end up falling for Bryan?¡± Lina rolled her eyes at her and answered, ¡°How would I know? If I knew, I wouldn''t have needed you to remind me about my feelings for him. I only found out I''ve fallen for him after you told me.¡± Natalie''s lips twitched. ¡°You have a point. However, what are you going to do now? Are you nning to get into a rtionship with Bryan?¡± Lina lowered her gaze, and her expression turnedplicated. ¡°I don''t know. I don''t know if he likes me. If he doesn''t, how am I supposed to be in a rtionship with him?¡± To put things inly, Lina could be having a one-sided crush on him. Goodness! How did I end up falling for him? Lina covered her face with her hands, and she was on the verge of a breakdown. He''s nothing like the kind of man I thought I would end up with. In fact, he''s far from my ideal partner! Yet, I''ve fallen for him. What''s going on? ¡°Why don''t you just confess your feelings to Bryan? You said it yourself, right? You don''t know if he''s into you. What if he is? Perhaps you guys could be together after you tell him about your feelings for him,¡± Natalie suggested. Lina clenched and unclenched her fists. It seemed like she was thinking about doing just that. Soon after that, however, she shook her head. ¡°Forget about it. What if Bryan doesn''t like me? Wouldn''t things be awkward if I were to confess my feelings? Besides, we''re close. If I confess and things go south, our current rtionship will be ruined. Who knows? Perhaps we might never be as close anymore after that.¡± Natalie had nothing to say in response. After a while, she sighed and said, ¡°You''re right. In that case, you can''t just confess to him right away. However, you can test him out.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lina''s interest was piqued. ¡°Nat, you mean...¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. You should keep testing him and try to figure out if he has feelings for you. If he does, you can proceed with your confession. If he doesn''t, then...¡± Natalie didn''t finish her sentence because they both knew what would happen next. If the guy had no intention of having a rtionship with Lina, she didn''t need to confess anymore. That way, they could still maintain the tonic rtionship they were having. Lina thought that was a good idea. She nodded and answered, ¡°Okay, Nat. I know what to do. I''ll test him out.¡± ¡°Okay. Good luck!¡± Natalie patted her on her shoulder. Right then, the housekeeper approached them and said, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, Ms. Cohen, lunch is ready.¡± ¡°Let''s eat, Lina.¡± Natalie put the ss of water aside and stood up. Lina hummed in response. Both of them headed to the dining room together. After they had taken their seats, the housekeeper started bringing the dishes over. Natalie suddenly remembered something when she noticed the empty seats. She raised her head and asked the housekeeper, ¡°Hey. Where''s Mr. Thompson? Also, where are the kids?¡± Natalie was so caught up in gossiping with Lina that she had forgotten about Shane and the kids. I got out of bed a while ago, but I haven''t seen them! They''re most probably not in the vi anymore. Otherwise, they would''ve shown up when I woke up. ¡°I thought you would never ask!¡± Lina looked at Natalie in amusement as she was taking food for herself. Natalie shifted her gaze toward her and asked, ¡°What? Do you know where they are?¡± Lina ate her food and answered, ¡°I do! Sharon wanted to go to the park. Since your husband loves his daughter so much, he brought her there. Connor, on the other hand, loves his sister, so he followed them as well. They told me to inform you where they are, so you wouldn''t need to worry.¡± Chapter 1467 Chapter 1467 Natalie nodded in realization. ¡°I see. That park really has many facilities loved by kids. It''s very normal for Sharon to want to go there.¡± ¡°Exactly. Mr. Thompson says he''ll be back after taking them out to y for a while. All right. Hurry up and eat. We should get going once you''re done eating,¡± Lina said, ncing at her watch. Natalie thought so, too. Hence, she gave a brief nod and stopped talking, picking up her utensils and digging into her food. After the meal, Shane returned with the kids when Natalie and Lina were about to leave. Sharon skipped all the way back, looking extremely happy. Clearly, she had had a great time at the park. Unlike Sharon, Connor did not express his delight outwardly. However, there was still a twinkle in his eyes. It was obvious that he was very satisfied with the park outing. After all, no matter how mature and intelligent Connor was, he was still a child. It was only normal for him to like children''s things. Meanwhile, Shane gazed at the children lovingly. The corners of his thin lips were lifted to form a subtle smile on his face. ¡°Mommy!¡± Upon seeing Natalie, the two children ran over and hugged her legs. ¡°Mommy, thank you for going through so much,¡± Sharon said innocently, lifting her head to look at Natalie. When Shane heard that, he pursed his lips and cleared his throat, turning his head aside. Lina, on the other hand, twitched her lips and turned away awkwardly. As for Connor, he pretended to have heard nothing. Not understanding the meaning of the trio''s reactions, Natalie lowered her head and studied Sharon in puzzlement. Patting thetter''s head, she asked, ¡°Darling, what made you say that?¡± Sharon moved her lips to say something when Shane pulled her away from Natalie, swiftly changing the topic. ¡°Are you going to thepetition hall now?¡± Natalie smiled and nodded. ¡°Yup. It''s almost time.¡± ¡°Okay. You should get going then. I''ll take the kids to get changed. They''re sweaty from ying around and will catch a cold easily if they don''t change.¡± As Shane was saying that, he shot Connor a nce. Understanding the meaning of Shane''s action, Connor nodded and piped up, ¡°That''s right, Mommy. Daddy, Sharon, and I will go get changed. You should hurry and get to work. Bye-bye.¡± With that, he grabbed Shane''s hand and walked toward the stairs. Natalie frowned and turned around to watch the trio in confusion. ¡°Why do I feel they''re acting a little fishy? It''s like they''re hiding something from me.¡± Linaughed awkwardly. ¡°Really? I think you''re just overthinking it. All right, Nat. We should get going now, or we''re going to bete.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Okay. Let''s go to work first. We''ll talk more when we get back.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lina answered briefly. Talk more when we get back, eh? Sure, you cane back and talk about it with your family, but I''m noting back tonight. That way, I won''t get into trouble, even if I was the one who brought up the embarrassing matter this morning. They won''t be able to do anything to me if I''m not around tonight. Hehe! I''m such a genius! Both Natalie and Lina stepped out of the vi and were escorted into the car by the bodyguard. Soon, they left for thepetition hall. Along the way, Natalie received a call from the police station telling her Lucy had already been sent back to her country. In the meantime, the local police from Lucy''s country had already been informed about it. They would be waiting at the airport to pick her up and bring her straight to the police station for sentencing. All her crimes, such as stealing someone''s design, ndering others for giarizing, intentionally hurting others, kidnapping Shane, and refusing to reveal his whereabouts, were enough to sentence her to five years of imprisonment. When Lina heard about Lucy''s punishment, she pped gleefully. ¡°That''s how it should be. That woman is too disgusting. Now, you don''t have to worry about anyone coveting Mr. Thompson anymore,Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Nat.¡± Natalie put down her phone with a smile. ¡°Well, not exactly. There are many women out there who covet Shane. After all, he''s an outstanding man. It''s impossible for women to not like him. Even so, I won''t be jealous or annoyed by them. Instead, I feel proud because I know they won''t take any action. Lucy, on the other hand, was different. Not only did she covet, but she also took action. That''s why she''s the person I hate the most.¡± Chapter 1468 Chapter 1468 Lina nodded in agreement. ¡°That''s true. There''s no way you can worry about all the women who like Mr. Thompson. Anyway, I''m sure you must be relieved now that Lucy''s in jail.¡± With a smile, Natalie responded, ¡°Exactly. Then again, I''m not relieved because my rival is gone. I never cared about Lucy in the first ce. She''s not exactly my rival, nor is she worthy of being one. I know Shane will never like her, no matter what she does. To me, she''s basically threatless. I''m relieved because I won''t have to keep seeing this annoying pest appearing in front of me in the future.¡± Lina let out augh and repeated, ¡°Pest. I can''t think of a more suitable word to describe her. Oh, what about Hannah? Did the police say they found her?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°No. Hannah might have caused some trouble, but it''s not enough to be considered a crime. The police won''t be that serious about finding her. Even if she''s found, they''ll only issue her a warning. She won''t be given any serious punishments.¡± ¡°Does that mean we''ll have to find Hannah ourselves and teach her a lesson?¡± Lina frowned. Natalie nodded. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Why don''t you let Mr. Thompson handle it? With his methods, I''m sure Hannah will be found soon,¡± suggested Lina. A glint shed in Natalie''s eyes. ¡°You''re right. I should get that little genius from my family to help me out. I''m sure he can locate Hannah instantly. I''ll have him try it out when I go home tonight.¡± Unlike Sean, Hannah did not have such great influence that she could hide from Connor, a top-tier hacker. She was just an ordinary person. Though she knew how to hide, she was nowhere as skilled as Sean. Connor could definitely locate her if he got involved. Lina, too, knew who the ¡°little genius¡± Natalie was referring to was. Ever since Natalie was kidnapped by Sean, Lina knew Connor was a hacker. She was quite shocked when she first found out about it. After all, it was rather rare for a child his age to have such skills. After recovering from the shock, she could not help but be impressed by Natalie and Shane''s genes for giving them such a remarkable child. I wonder what my child will be like if I got pregnant with Bryan''s. At that thought, Lina''s face flushed red. She sat motionless on the car seat and stared into space. Natalie looked at Lina in confusion and waved her hand in front of thetter. ¡°Hey, snap out of it.¡± ¡°Huh?'' Lina blinked and returned to her senses. Bewildered, she asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie stared at her with a half-smile. ¡°I should be the one asking you that question. Weren''t we having a serious conversation? Why did you suddenly zone out? What''s on your mind?¡± ¡°I wasn''t thinking about anything,¡± Lina answered with a guilty look shing through her eyes. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie raised her brow. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Lina nodded confidently. As if worried Natalie might not believe her, Lina raised her hand and vowed, ¡°I swear I wasn''t thinking about anything.¡± Natalie''s lips twitched. She was at a loss for words. All right, all right. If she said she wasn''t thinking about anything, then so be it. Why did she have to make a vow? It''s only making me think there was really something on her mind. Amused, she said, ¡°Okay. Forget about it. I won''t ask if you don''t want to tell me. By the way, we''re arriving soon.¡± Hearing that, Lina nced out of the window and realized they were indeed nearing thepetition hall. She sat up straight immediately. Soon, they arrived at the building. The bodyguard parked the vehicle, got out, and opened the door to the back seat. Natalie and Lina exited the car and entered the clubhouse to begin thepetition that day. Without Lucy around, the entirepetition went smoothly. Even the atmosphere had returned to what a normalpetition felt like. That way, not only could the participants focus on thepetition, even Natalie and the other judges were in better moods. In the blink of an eye, it was six o''clock in the evening, and thepetition that day hade to an end. Natalie and Lina put away the things on the table, getting ready to go home. Right then, Natalie''s phone rang. Chapter 1469 Chapter 1469 Natalie stopped arranging the items and lifted her phone. A smile appeared on her face when she realized the caller was Joyce. Seeing her smile, Lina asked curiously, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It''s Joyce.¡± Natalie showed her the screen and answered the call, asking happily, ¡°Joyce, what brings you to call me all of a sudden?¡± Joyce seemed to have been too busy with work and her pregnancy that she rarely gave Natalie a call recently; Natalie had been the one calling the former. Naturally, Natalie was surprised by her call. ¡°Nat...¡± To her surprise, Joyce did not sound happy on the phone. On the contrary, she sounded lifeless. The smile on Natalie''s face faded, and a frown creased her forehead. She asked concernedly, ¡°Joyce, what''s wrong?¡± Sensing the nervousness in Natalie''s voice, Lina stopped arranging the things and turned to look at the former. ¡°Nat, did something happen to Joyce?¡± Natalie shook her head and nodded at the same time. She pulled her phone further from her lips before answering, ¡°I don''t know, but Joyce is acting weird. I''m guessing something happened.¡± ¡°Hurry up and ask her,¡± prompted Lina urgently. Natalie grunted in response. ¡°Got it.¡± She returned the phone to her ear. Just then, Joyce finally responded. After coughing a few times, she said weakly, ¡°Nat, I suddenly don''t know what I should do in the future.¡± ¡°What''s wrong? Come on. Tell me.¡± Natalie looked even more concerned. No matter how Natalie tried to decipher Joyce''s words, they sounded as if Joyce had seen through everything and did not want to continue with her life. It was impossible for Natalie to not feel fearful and worried. Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Joyce sat on the bed, her face incredibly pale as if she was drained of blood. Even her eyes seemed clouded. She looked like a doll who had lost its soul. It pained Natalie''s heart to witness her friend in such a state. ¡°Joyce?¡± When Natalie did not hear a response from Joyce, the former''s worry grew more intense, and the volume of her voice increased. ¡°Joyce, are you there? Please say something. Don''t scare me.¡± I can hear the weakness in Joyce''s voice. What if she''s suddenly not replying because she fainted? I don''t even know where she is. If I can''t send her help in time, she might just... Natalie did not dare to picture the oue. She gripped the phone tighter and continued shouting Joyce''s name. Finally, Joyce replied, ¡°I''m still here, Nat.¡± Natalie immediately let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Joyce''s voice. ¡°Oh, thank goodness. I thought something had happened to you. What''s going on, Joyce? What happened? Tell me. Perhaps I can help you out.¡± Joyce fell silent for a moment before uttering, ¡°Nat, Stanley knows I''m pregnant.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was so shocked that she stood up from her seat. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Lina jumped in shock as she was caught off guard by Natalie''s reaction. ¡°What''s wrong, Nat?¡± Natalie ignored Lina. Instead, the former tightened her grip around the phone and asked sternly, ¡°Joyce, did you just say Stanley knows you''re pregnant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°How did he find out? Didn''t you say he had no idea you were that person from that night? Didn''t you manage to fool him? Why is he...¡± Natalie frowned in confusion. Joyce caressed her belly, and a bitter smile formed on her lips. ¡°I really managed to fool him at first. I even made him believe I wasn''t the person from that night. However, I didn''t expect to meet him yesterday when Justin took me to the hospital for a prenatal checkup. For some reason, he came back and heard my conversation with Justin. That''s when he found out I''m pregnant and that the child belongs to him. He knows I''m the person from that night and...¡± Chapter 1470 Chapter 1470 Suddenly, Joyce covered her face and sobbed softly. An unsettling feeling surged in Natalie''s heart, making her feel extremely anxious. ¡°And what? What happened? Tell me!¡± Joyce bit her lip. ¡°And Stanley told me to abort the child. He said I''m still the daughter of his parents'' enemies, and I''m unworthy of bearing his child. He forced me to get an abortion. In the end, Justin was beaten up for trying to stop him. When I tried to take a look at Justin''s injury, Stanley pushed me to the ground.¡± Natalie''s face fell. ¡°Pushed to the ground? What about the child, Joyce? Is it gone?¡± Joyce clutched her belly. ¡°No, the child''s fine. The incident happened at the hospital, so they sent me to the emergency room the second I started bleeding. The child''s fine, but Stanley just came to my ward and warned me again to abort the child. I really¡ª¡± She started choking up. Natalie''s blood boiled with rage. ¡°How could Stanley do that?¡± ¡°Nat, you have no idea how I felt when Stanley said those words. It felt like I was stabbed in the heart.¡± ¡°I know.¡± How could it not hurt to hear someone she loves saying she''s unworthy of bearing his child? He even forced her to abort it. I would feel the same way if Shane said that to me. Joyce stared at the ceiling, her eyes filled with hopelessness. ¡°Nat, I really don''t know what to do. Stanley is dead set on getting rid of the baby. There''s no way I can win against him. I don''t know how long I can carry on like this. I don''t even know how long I can keep this baby in me. Nat, what should I do?¡± What should she do? Natalie, too, was at a loss, for she did not know what to do in such situations. It was aplicated matter. Though Stanley was at fault, Natalie could understand where he was coming from. After all, Joyce''s parents did indirectly cause his parents'' deaths. It was only normal for him to hate Joyce''s family. It was also understandable that he would not want Joyce to give birth to his child. To Stanley, Joyce was his enemy. No one would be able to ept their enemy giving birth to their child. Most importantly, he would not be able to bring himself to face the child. He could not love Joyce, let alone the baby. Of course, everything would have been fine if Stanley did not know Joyce was pregnant. She could give birth to the baby and bring it up in peace. Now that Stanley had found out about Joyce''s pregnancy, however, and with the child being his, he would never let her give birth to it. Even if she did give birth to the baby, Stanley would never let things slide so easily. In the future, Joyce and her baby would never be able to get a moment of peace. It would make Joyce''s life a nightmare, and the child''s growth would be affected. In other words, aborting the child was the best option to ovee that situation. However, Natalie knew how much Joyce looked forward to giving birth to the baby. Moreover, the baby was the very reason Joyce chose to carry on with her life. Telling Joyce to abort the child was no different from telling her to die. Hence, Natalie could never say such a thing, even if that was the best option at that moment. After pondering for some time, Natalie sighed and stated, ¡°Joyce, I''m going to ask you a few questions. I need you to answer them seriously.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Joyce choked out, nodding. Pursing her lips, Natalie asked, ¡°Do you really want to keep this baby?¡± Joyce nodded without hesitation. ¡°Of course. It''s a part of my life. I must keep the baby. I don''t know how I''m going to live without it.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Natalie nodded when she heard the determination in Joyce''s voice. The former already had a clear answer. Finally, she said, ¡°Don''t forget these facts. One, Stanley already knows the child is his. Two, he''s dead serious about making you get rid of it. Three, you''re not a match for him.¡± Chapter 1471 Chapter 1471 ¡°I understand. That''s why I don''t know what to do now.¡± Joyce sniffed, burying her face in her hands. ¡°Come on, Joyce. Don''t let fear get the better of you. We need to rify a few things before we think about how I can help you,¡± Natalie consoled gently. ¡°If you decide to keep this child, then you will definitely antagonize Stanley. You know him well. He won''t give up until he kills the baby you carry. This means that not only you but also everyone around you will be in danger. They will not be spared when he takes revenge.¡± ¡°Revenge?¡± Joyce''s face paled as the hand clutching her phone shook. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. You know he''s notpassionate. Although he did go abroad for mental health therapy, whether he has fully recovered is still unknown. Only he knows how his state of mind is, so you can''t take a risky bet and just assume he will go easy on you.¡± Joyce''s body shivered as she listened to Natalie. ¡°I mean... I...¡± She felt even more horrified when Natalie pointed out the severity of the issue. What if he forces me to abort my child again? What if he does something to my parents? What if he beats Justin up again? Her breathing hitched as her thoughts ran wild. ¡°Nat... Do you think I made the wrong choice? Maybe I shouldn''t keep this child...¡± Joyce used to think that this child was a reward from God for her unconditional love for Stanley over the past ten years. That was why she treated the child as a precious jewel. She saw it as thest puzzle piece that would complete her life and help her get over Stanley entirely, but when Stanley decided to return, it suddenly urred to Joyce that keeping that child may not be the best option. It might actually turn out to be a disaster because Stanley would never ept this baby. He wanted her to terminate her pregnancy. If she refused to budge, he might use her parents and those around her to threaten her. There was no way she could bear the guilt of ever causing any misfortune to her loved ones. Her body turned cold as the gravity of the consequences registered in her mind. She could not bring herself to continue thinking of the worst. ¡°Joyce,¡± Natalie called out when she sensed her fear, ¡°you need to calm down. Don''t get ahead of yourself. Things have not evolved till that stage, so don''t scare yourself by overthinking. It''s not good for your baby if you''re emotionally unstable. You need to rx.¡± ¡°I know... but¡ª¡± ¡°No buts,¡± Natalie interrupted. ¡°Just don''t overthink. I will talk to Stanley and see what''s his take on this. If he doesn''t change his mind, then I''ll talk to Shane and see what we should do.¡± Joyce felt assured when she heard that Natalie would discuss the matter with Shane because, in terms of influence, Stanley was no match for Shane. If Shane were to intervene, he might actually be able to suppress Stanley. ¡°All right. You must help me, Nat. You''re the only one I can count on now,¡± Joyce implored helplessly. Natalie nodded solemnly. ¡°Don''t worry. You''re my best friend. I won''t let you face this alone. I''ll definitely help.¡± ¡°Thanks, Nat,¡± Joyce said, breaking into a smile. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. She had been on tenterhooks over the past two days. Now that she had finally talked about her problem with Natalie, she could rx a little. ¡°Don''t mention it,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°We still have a long way to go, and we have no idea what is in store for us. Meanwhile, you must take care of yourself, all right? I''ll contact you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Joyce answered with a nod. After the call ended, Natalie put down her phone. She still looked worried. ¡°What''s the matter, Nat?¡± Lina asked, watching her. ¡°What was that about? I heard something about abortion and revenge.¡± Natalie sighed, rubbing her brows. ¡°Joyce...¡± Then, she went on to fill Lina in on all the details. Lina fell into silence after learning the truth. As an outsider, she could not offer any valuable insights into what was happening between Stanley and Joyce. Chapter 1472 Chapter 1472 Lina sympathized with Joyce, but she could also understand Stanley''s point of view. After all, given his past, it was understandable that he did not want the child. Likewise, Joyce was equally entitled to the right of keeping the baby. Both of them were not at fault. It just so happened that they had different stances. ¡°Do you really have to get involved, Nat?¡± Lina asked. Natalie sat down. ¡°Well, honestly speaking, this is their problem. I should not interfere since it concerns their private lives, but Joyce is really stuck in the situation right now. That is why she begged me to help. I can''t just leave her be, so I have no choice.¡± Natalie had made up her mind that she would go all out to help her friend even if things might end up badly. ¡°Then what''s your n?¡± Lina asked. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''m still not sure. I need to talk to Stanley first before I decide on anything.¡± With that said, she took up her phone again and looked for Stanley''s number before making the call. The man picked up in no time. ¡°Nat,¡± he greeted, his voice as gentle as always. ¡°Hi, Stanley. It''s been a while,¡± Natalie replied, putting on a smile. Over on the other side of the phone, a sinister ray of light reflected from Stanley''s sses. ¡°Yeah, it''s been a while.¡± ¡°How have you been? I heard you went looking for the killer. Have you found him?¡± Natalie asked. Stanley looked at the stinated human body in front of him, and a menacing smile broke out across his curved lips. ¡°I found him,¡± he seethed in a low, raspy voice. ¡°Really? That''s great!¡± Natalie smiled happily. ¡°What did you do to him?¡± What did I do to him? ¡°I sent him to where he deserves to be,¡± he said with a crooked smile, still staring at the body. ¡°Where he deserves to be?¡± Natalie was stunned for a moment. ¡°You mean prison?¡± Prison? Stanley smiled mockingly without saying a word. There''s no way I would send the person who killed my parents to jail. That would be heaven for him. They would never make him pay with his life for killing my parents. He could still go free. To Stanley, the sweetest revenge was one exacted with his own hands. He was a high-ranking official in the organization. He might have retired, but he was still influential, so getting out of prison would be easy as pie for him. I would never let someone like him go to prison, so I took care of him myself. This is the only way to make sure he never escaped death. That exined the stinated human body in front of Stanley. He had killed the man the moment he found him. Now, I will make sure he stays in this disy case in the dark and cold basement for eternity. This is how he will repent for his sins! Natalie had a bad feeling about it when Stanley remained silent instead of answering her. ¡°Stanley? What did you do¡ª¡± ¡°Well, Nat, that''s all in the past. Let''s put that behind us, shall we? I''m sure you didn''t call just to ask if I found the killer, so what''s the matter?¡± he asked casually, sitting down in front of the body. Natalie paused for a while before she spoke again. ¡°I mean, I called you a few times before this because I wanted to know if you managed to find the killer, but you didn''t pick up, so I had no idea how you were doing. In fact, I was surprised when I heard you''re back. I found out from Joyce, and I was just thinking, you know...¡± ¡°So, you''re calling because of her?¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie admitted. ¡°Well, I was also curious about how your quest went, but now that it''s all settled, I feel happy for you. Anyway, I heard from Joyce that you''re making her give up on her baby after you found out that she''s pregnant.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Stanleyughed. ¡°I see she''s already told you everything.¡± So you really did that? Natalie sighed. ¡°Stanley, she was notining. She was begging. She felt helpless when you said you didn''t want the kid, so she asked me for help.¡± ¡°Are you trying to persuade me to keep the child?¡± Stanley asked coldly. Chapter 1473 Chapter 1473 Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Stanley, I know you don''t look forward to having the child because... you know. Regardless, the child is innocent.¡± ¡°The child is not innocent! His existence itself is an original sin!¡± Stanley roared. ¡°My parents died because of Joyce''s family. Besides, I don''t love her at all. Do you still think I will ept this baby?¡± Natalie did not know what else to say. If she were to put herself in Stanley''s shoes, there was no way she would ept that baby either. Likewise, if Shane were her enemy, and she had his child, she would not be able toe to terms with keeping the baby as well, so Natalie could not judge Stanley''s decision. She could only say that fate had indeed not been kind to Stanley and Joyce. It so happened that they were in different positions, so it went without saying that they would make different decisions. They were not in the wrong. It was those who caused this situation who were at fault. ¡°Nat, you should stop persuading me. I''ve made up my mind to not keep this child, so there''s no use trying to change it. Joyce Rivers will never be a worthy mother to my child, and this baby should not exist, to begin with. I will nevere around, so just tell Joyce what I said.¡± Stanley hung up before Natalie could say anything. She sighed and put down her phone. ¡°I guess he said no?¡± Lina asked when she saw Natalie''s face. Natalie nodded. ¡°He has already made up his mind, so we have to think of another way.¡± ¡°What about you talk to Mr. Thompson?¡± Lina suggested. Natalie smiled, nodding. ¡°Yeah, I''ll do that. Let''s go home. I''ll talk to him after that.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Lina replied. They gathered their things and went home. Within an hour, they reached the vi. Shane was ying a jigsaw puzzle with the kids when they arrived. When Shane saw her, he put down the piece in his hand and patted the children on their heads. ¡°Look who''s back.¡± The children looked up in anticipation. When they saw Natalie, they tossed down the puzzle piece they were holding and got up from the carpet. ¡°Mommy!¡± they shouted, running toward her for a hug. ¡°Hello!¡± Natalie bent down and opened her arms wide with a smile. Opposite them, Shane realized something was off with Natalie that night. He frowned and stood up from where he was. To him, although Natalie wore a smile on her face, he could still tell that something was bothering her. I wonder what''s going on. ¡°Connor,¡± Shane called out. ¡°Yes, Daddy?¡± the boy asked, turning back. ¡°Why don''t you bring Sharon upstairs and y there? I need to talk to Mommy about something,¡± Shane said gently. The boy nodded. ¡°Come on, Sharon. Let''s go,¡± he suggested, reaching for his sister''s hand. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Sharon was reluctant at first, but when she saw how serious his brother was, she finally gave in, so the two siblings held hands and went upstairs. Since the children had left, Lina did not see why she should stay. She looked at the couple and rubbed her nose awkwardly. ¡°All right, I''ll get going too so both of you can talk. Remember to tell Mr. Thompson about Joyce.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll talk to him about it.¡± ¡°Good. Then I''ll go y with the kids.¡± Lina bid them goodnight and disappeared upstairs. When they were finally left alone in the living room, Shane went over to Natalie. ¡°You don''t look good,¡± he remarked. Chapter 1474 Chapter 1474 ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was surprised. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, you don''t look like you''re in a good mood,¡± he corrected,bing her hair with his fingers. ¡°Don''t try to hide it. I can tell you''re not happy. You might be smiling, but something is on your mind. Tell me what''s going on.¡± Natalie''s heart warmed when she met his caring gaze. ¡°Yeah... You''re right. I''m worried, but it''s not about me. It''s about Joyce.¡± ¡°Joyce?¡± Shane frowned. ¡°What about her?¡± Deep in his heart, Shane was relieved that the issue did not concern Natalie. As for other people, he did not really care much about what happened to them. ¡°Joyce''s in deep trouble now,¡± Natalie informed wearily, massaging her temples. ¡°She called me when I was at thepetition hall.¡± Natalie told Shane everything from her conversation with Joyce to her call with Stanley. Shane raised his brows when Natalie finished her story. ¡°I see. To be honest, Stanley did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°I know. Neither of them is at fault, but Stanley is hurting her. I can''t just let Joyce go through this alone. I''m worried. What do you think I should do to help her?¡± she asked, looking at him. ¡°There''s a way,¡± he suddenly said. Natalie instantly perked up. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Leave J City. Run away from Stanley; the further, the better. She can deliver the baby safely as long as Stanley can''t find her. Of course, she can also bring her family along. Stanley won''t be able to do anything to them if he can''t find them. It all boils down to whether she wants to do it or not.¡± Here, Shane shot a meaningful look at Natalie. ¡°This means she might never be able to return for the rest of her life. This is the only way she can make sure Stanley never finds her. She must also be prepared to never see him again. That is why I said it all depends on whether she wants to do this. If she''smitted to it, then this will be her best way out; if not, no one can help her.¡± His words fell into dead silence. After some time, Natalie finally spoke. ¡°I''m not sure if she can do it. She loves Stanley a lot, so I don''t know if she''s willing to live without ever seeing him again. If she''s willing to, does this mean I will never see her again either?¡± ¡°Well, not necessarily,¡± Shane replied, shaking his head. ¡°Stanley will definitely suspect that you''re the one who helped her escape J City, so he will keep an eye on you to locate Joyce, but it''s fine. I''m here. I will make sure he never gets to find Joyce through you, so you can still keep in touch with and see her.¡± Natalie felt assured. ¡°Good. The biggest problem now is whether she is okay with not seeing Stanley for the rest of her life. If she can get over him, then everything is pretty much settled.¡± ¡°Indeed. What you need to do next is to convince her to agree to this n. If she''s up for it, I can arrange a ce for her and her family to stay. I can also cover their tracks so Stanley can''t find them.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Darling,¡± Natalie purred, looking at him with gratitude in her eyes. Shane stroked her hair lovingly. ¡°You''re my wife. I''ll help you do anything¡ªexcept for running away from me. I''ll do everything I can to help those you love too.¡± He was prepared to help her achieve anything because he loved her dearly. ¡°You''re the best!¡± Natalie eximed. She hugged him and nted her head in his chest. Shane hugged her back, kissing her on the forehead. ¡°I''m always the best, am I not?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah. You''re my husband¡ªthe best husband in the world,¡± Natalie agreed with a grin. When Shane felt her arms tightening around him, he hugged her back harder. ¡°You''re the best too.¡± ¡°Gross.¡± Upstairs, Lina felt goosebumps spreading across her skin when she overheard Shane and Natalie''s conversation around the staircase. Lina rubbed her arms, looking down at Connor, who was also poking out his head to get a glimpse of his parents. ¡°Connor, your parents are just too much,¡± she comined softly. Chapter 1475 Chapter 1475 Connor nodded in agreement. ¡°I know. They''re really cringy. They''re like inseparable twins when they are together, but I don''t mind. I like them like that.¡± It was exactly because his parents were in a strong rtionship that Connor felt safe and secure. ¡°You''re really understanding,¡± Linamented, patting him on the head. The boy sighed. ¡°Ms. Cohen, did you already know about what happened between Aunt Joyce and Uncle Stanley?¡± ¡°Yeah. I knew,¡± she replied with a nod. The boy''s face was overcast with sadness. ¡°Why do they have to do that to one another?¡± Lina shrugged. ¡°This is not something we can understand. You''re still a kid, so there''s no use feeling sad about this. These are all things between the adults. You just need to be happy.¡± The boy pouted his lips in dissatisfaction. ¡°I just don''t want things to go bad between them. I really like Aunt Joyce and Uncle Stanley.¡± ¡°But there''s nothing we can do. Things have already happened,¡± Linaforted. ¡°All right, let''s go back. We should leave before they find out we''ve been listening to them the whole time. I''ll be in trouble then,¡± she said, picking up Connor before heading back to the room. Little did they know, Shane had been aware of their presence the whole time. He nced upstairs from the corner of his eyes and pursed his lips in displeasure. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Natalie asked, cupping his face. ¡°Nothing. There''s a cat,¡± he said with his lips curved into a smile. ¡°A cat? Where?¡± Natalie was taken aback and quickly looked around. ¡°I don''t see a cat.¡± Since that was an independent vi, Natalie had not seen any cats over the past few days of her stay. In fact, she had not even seen a single bird. ¡°I must have been mistaken then. Come on, let''s have something to eat. Are you hungry?¡± he asked evasively, patting her shoulder lightly. Natalie looked down at her stomach. ¡°Well, I actually am a little hungry.¡± ¡°Good. Let''s go to the kitchen. I''ll ask them to prepare something.¡± Shane took her hand, and they went into the kitchen. Although it was still some time before dinner, Natalie went ahead with him since she was famished. She figured she could at least have some snacks before dinner time. When night came, Natalie took time to go to the children''s room while Shane was showering. Sharon was watching a cartoon on her iPad in bed while Connor was ying games on the carpet. When they saw Natalie at the door, they put down their tablet and gaming console. ¡°Mommy!¡± they cried out sweetly. Their kiddish voices melted Natalie''s heart. She could not wait to hear Anders calling her in the same voice. ¡°Are you guys still not sleeping yet?¡± Natalie asked as she closed the room door behind her. She went over to the bed and patted Sharon''s head while she looked at Connor. ¡°Come on, you should stop gaming. It''s already ten,¡± she instructed, shifting her gaze to Sharon. ¡°You too. No more cartoons. You should sleep early.¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡± The children stopped whatever they were doing as told. Connor turned off his game, and Sharon put away her tablet. ¡°Where''s Daddy?¡± Sharon asked, ncing at the door. The girl seemed disappointed when she did not see Shane. Natalie shot her a smile. ¡°He''s showering, so I came over to check on you guys.¡± ¡°What do you want to talk to us about, Mommy?¡± Connor asked. ¡°How did you know I wanted to talk?¡± Natalie was amazed the boy could read her mind. Connor crossed his arms and started analyzing the situation like a detective. ¡°You don''t usuallye to our room at this time. There''s even a lower likelihood of youing over when Daddy''s showering, so there must be a reason why you''re here. In fact, I''m pretty sure you''re here to talk to me.¡± The boy looked proud of himself with his head held high. From N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Sharon looked disgruntled with a sulky pout. ¡°Stop being so full of yourself, Connor. How do you know Mommy is not here for me? You''re not the only person she wants to see, right, Mommy?¡± The girl shook Natalie''s arm, hoping that her mother would take her side. Chapter 1476 Chapter 1476 Natalie found their interaction amusing. Just as she was about to interject, Connor spoke first. ¡°Of course, Mommy is here to see me. I''m smarter, so I''ll be able to help her. You, on the other hand, can''t do anything well.¡± Sharon was heartbroken when her brother talked to her in such a way. Her face puckered, and tears filled up her eyes. ¡°How could you say I''m dumb? I''m not dumb. I can help Mommy too. Isn''t that true, Mommy?¡± Natalie felt bad for the girl when she saw that she was about to cry. She pulled Sharon into her arms and wiped away her tears. ¡°Yes, Sharon. You''re smart¡ªvery smart. Mommy can use your help too,¡± she coaxed. ¡°I knew it!¡± the girl cried out instantly. She cocked her head at Connor with a smug expression. ¡°Mommy, he said I was dumb. You should scold him.¡± ¡°I can''t do that, Sharon,¡± Natalie replied, shaking her head. ¡°I can''t scold Connor because it''s unfair to him. He will be sad if I do that, but I can give him a talking to. After all, he did say something wrong.¡± With that, she waved at Connor. ¡°Come here.¡± The boy went over with his head low. ¡°I''m here, Mommy...¡± Natalie freed one of her hands and stroked his hair. ¡°Connor, you shouldn''t say Sharon is dumb as this will make her sad. In fact, it is not right to say that to anyone¡ªwhether they are kids or adults. It''s rude to do so.¡± Connor nodded. ¡°Okay, Mommy. I''m sorry. I wasn''t thinking clearly.¡± ¡°I know. I believe you''re a kind person. You''re smart, so sometimes you end up thinking highly of yourself. That''s why you say whateveres to mind. It''s not necessarily a bad thing, but it''s just that you''ll make your weaknesses more obvious, and people might dislike you for that. Thus, you must always remember to be careful with your words. Think things through before saying them out, then people won''t be able to hold anything against you and use it to your disadvantage. Understand?¡± Connor chewed on her words for a while and said, ¡°Yes, Mommy. Understood.¡± ¡°Great. Now, why don''t you apologize to Sharon?¡± Natalie suggested, pulling the boy closer to his sister. ¡°I''m sorry, Sharon,¡± he admitted, looking at her. ¡°It''s okay, Connor. I should apologize too. I shouldn''t have asked Mommy to scold you. It''s not right of me to ask for that,¡± the girl replied. ¡°Good,¡± Nataliemented when she saw how obedient they were. After that, she carried Connor to the bed. ¡°Actually, you were right. I''m here to ask for your help.¡± Here, Natalie turned toward Sharon to assure her so she would not feel jealous. ¡°Don''t worry, Sharon. I will ask for your help when I need to beat up some bad guys. I know you''re the best at kickboxing.¡± Initially, Sharon felt neglected when she found out that Natalie had indeede for Connor, but when she heard what Natalie said, her mood became better. She pped her hands in excitement at her mother''s suggestion. ¡°Yes, Mommy. I''m a kickboxing pro. You must call me when you meet bad guys. I''ll make sure they run away!¡± ¡°I''m sure you''ll be able to do that,¡± Connor answered, putting his hand on Sharon''s shoulder. With a chuckle, Natalie nodded. ¡°All right, I need to talk to Connor now.¡± ¡°Sure, Mommy,¡± Sharon agreed before she looked at Connor. ¡°You should help Mommy.¡± ¡°What is it about?¡± the boy asked. Natalie got up and tucked them in bed as she talked. ¡°Well, it''s not a big deal actually. I just need you to find a person¡ªHannah Hayes.¡± ¡°Hannah Hayes?¡± Connor repeated with a blink. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Roger that. I''ll do that right¡ª¡± ¡°It''s not urgent,¡± Natalie interrupted, pressing him down. ¡°You should sleep first. You can start your task after you wake up tomorrow.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 1477 Chapter 1477 Connory back down. ¡°Okay. I''ll start looking for her tomorrow.¡± ¡°That''s my boy. All right! Time to sleep! I should go back to my room already,¡± Natalie announced, getting up, but Sharon clung to her hand. ¡°Mommy... Could you stay here with us?¡± ¡°Stay here?¡± Natalie asked in surprise. Sharon nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yes, Mommy. You''ve not slept with us for a long time. I really miss you sleeping with us.¡± ¡°Me too, Mommy,¡± Connor chimed in. At the end of the day, they were still kids and wanted the company of their parents. It went without saying that they would be over the moon if Natalie could spend the night with them. When Natalie saw how invested her children were in the idea, she could not bring herself to turn them down, so she caved eventually. ¡°Fine. I''ll sleep here tonight.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± The children pped their hands in thrill. Then, they flipped their nket aside and hurried their mother to get into the bed with them. Natalie smiled and took off her indoor sandals before lying down beside them. After that, Sharon took out a book. ¡°Mommy, read us a story.¡± ¡°Okay. Let me choose one,¡± Natalie replied, taking the book. Just when she was done picking a story and was about to start reading, the door swung open. Shane entered in his sleeping robe as he gazed at the three of them. ¡°I knew you would be here,¡± he stated. When he saw that she was not in the room after he came out of the bathroom, Shane knew immediately that Natalie had gone to the kids, so he went over. ¡°Connor and Sharon asked me to stay here tonight, so I won''t be going back to our room. Why not you go sleep first, Darling?¡± Natalie asked, shing him a smile. ¡°Yeah, Daddy. You can head back first,¡± Connor agreed. Shane''s face fell, and he red at Connor. I can''t believe he''s trying to get rid of me. ¡°No!¡± Sharon shouted. ¡°Daddy''s not going anywhere. Come here. Sleep with us.¡± She patted the space beside her. This suggestion sounded heavenly to Shane. A smile lit up his face. Before he went over, he tilted his head to shoot a smug look at Connor. See! Sharon reads the room better than you. I bet it''s true that daughters are better than sons. I can''t believe my own son was chasing me out of the room. What a brat. Natalie caught Shane making a face at Connor and could not help butugh. ¡°You''re so childish.¡± ¡°Come here, Daddy,¡± Sharon repeated, her hand patting the bed. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Coming,¡± Shane replied with a smile. He had actuallye to bring Natalie back, but since the children insisted that he stayed, Shane did not see why he should not. Besides, it had been some time since Natalie and he slept with the children. They had always let them sleep on their own. He figured it would be good to make their wishe true sometimes. Just like that, the family of four cuddled in the same bed that night. Natalie and Shane each slept on the outer sides of the bed with the children lying in between. Luckily, the bed was big enough to amodate all of them. That night, the children found it hard to fall asleep because they were simply too excited to have their parents sleeping with them. They tossed and turned but still found no sleep. It was not until they yed for some time that they finally felt tired and dozed off. After the children fell into a slumber, Shane and Natalie exchanged tired and helpless nces. The children had worn them out. Earlier on, the children had demanded that Shane and Natalie tell stories, sing songs, and yed games with them. Atst, the children fell asleep, and the two adults felt they werepletely drained of all their energy. Natalie yawned as a wave of lethargy flooded her. Chapter 1478 Chapter 1478 ¡°You sleep first. I''ll turn off the lights,¡± Shane said gently. ¡°Okay. You sleep too. You must be tired after ying with the kids.¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°Yeah. They''re too hyper.¡± Natalie smiled as well. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Goodnight!¡± Shane uttered, switching off the light. ¡°Goodnight, Darling,¡± Natalie replied. The sound of her goodnight ushered in a night of rest as the room fell into darkness after the lights went out. When morning came, Shane and the children began their journey home. Two days were the most the three could spend with Natalie. After all, Connor still had to attend school, and Shane could not leave Thompson Group unattended for too long, so two days was the maximum they could stay. At the airport, Natalie took her children into her arms and held them for a long time while Shane stood beside her. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Take care of yourself. I''ll bring the children to see you soon,¡± he assured. Natalie caressed the children and stood back up to talk to him. ¡°I will. You take care too. I know you''re busy at thepany, but don''t overwork yourself.¡± ¡°I won''t. Don''t worry,¡± Shane replied with a faint smile. He was no longer the man who lived only for work. Now, he had a wife and children. He would definitely take care of himself and make sure he was safe and healthy, or else his family would be worried. ¡°Good to know.¡± Natalie was d Shane had promised to look after himself. She smiled at him, adjusting his cor. ¡°By the way, about Joyce, you can tell her about my suggestion and give her some time to think about it. She cane and look for me at Thompson Group once she makes up her mind. I will make the necessary arrangements after that,¡± Shane reminded. ¡°I will,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Then we will get going first,¡± Shane added, looking down toward her. ¡°Sure. Give me a call when yound.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He ruffled her hair before bringing the children to the VIP passage. Behind them, Ss and the bodyguards followed with their hand-carry luggage. As for Natalie and Lina, they waited and watched the group until it finally disappeared out of sight down the passage. ¡°They''re gone. Let''s go,¡± Lina reminded as she went closer to Natalie. Natalie finally looked away and joined Lina. ¡°All right. Let''s go.¡± They walked out of the airport and got into the car. Then, Natalie dug out her phone to call Joyce. Since Joyce had been waiting for her call, it did not take long before Natalie''s call got through. ¡°Hey, Nat. How did things go?¡± Joyce asked anxiously. ¡°Joyce, there''s something I need to talk to you about. Shane offered a recourse,¡± Natalie informed. ¡°What is it?¡± Joyce was eager to hear Shane''s suggestion, but Natalie''s sigh gave her a bad feeling about what she was about to hear. ¡°He said you should consider leaving J City with your parents and never return.¡± ¡°What? Nevere back to J City?¡± Joyce froze with her mouth open. ¡°Yes. This is the only way if you want to keep the child. You must leave Stanley and never see him again. That is how you can save the baby and your family.¡± Joyce was quiet. This was not the solution she expected. On the other end, Natalie was not surprised at all by Joyce''s response. ¡°Joyce¡ª¡± ¡°Nat,¡± Joyce cut in before Natalie could continue, ¡°is this the only way? Must I leave J City?¡± Joyce bit her lip. She did not want to leave the city, nor did she want her elderly parents to flee elsewhere with her and live a life where they would be constantly looking over their shoulders. Most importantly, she could not bear to live without Stanley. Chapter 1479 Chapter 1479 Deep in Joyce''s heart, this was not the future she had envisioned for herself. ¡°Yes, Joyce. This is the only way. You know how much Stanley despises the child you bear. He will get rid of the baby by any means¡ªeven if it means taking your parents hostages and harming Justin. You have no choice but to leave. In such a way, you will be able to protect the child and your family.¡± ¡°I know... but¡ª¡± ¡°No buts,¡± Natalie interrupted in determination. ¡°Joyce, this is not the time to make a decision based on your emotions. You need to think about the child, your family, and the people you care about. This is your only solution. I know you''re reluctant to leave, not because you''ll miss J City, but because of Stanley, isn''t it? You can''t stand the thought of never seeing him again, right?¡± Joyce had no response when Natalie pointed out the truth. Natalie sighed. ¡°I know you can''t leave him behind, but you have to. You said you would give up on him once you had this child. Have you forgotten about that?¡± ¡°I know. I said I wouldn''t stay with him, but that doesn''t mean I''ll stop loving him. In fact, I can''t stop loving him. That is why I can''t ept the fact that I might never see him again. I¡ª¡± ¡°You''re blinded by love,¡± Natalie interjected. She and Shane had never had any misunderstandings, so their rtionship had always been smooth sailing. Natalie had never experienced the dilemma Joyce was going through, so she could not understand how Joyce could love Stanley to the point where she could give up everything for him. ¡°I really don''t know how else I can change your mind, Joyce. I understand that you can''t get over him, but have you ever thought about whether this is for the best?¡± Joyce''s gaze lowered, and she did not answer. ¡°I take your silence as a yes. I''m sure you know the consequences if you have thought about it. Objectively speaking, staying here is far from ideal. The only thing Stanley wants to do now is to kill the baby. There''s no way he can get over the hatred he harbors for you and the entire Rivers family, so you and your parents have to leave J City. You have to make sure this child, Justin, and the others are safe.¡± ¡°I know, Nat...¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well, then you should be able to think with your head, not your heart!¡± Natalie was exasperated. ¡°I don''t understand what you''re thinking right now. You can''t ept the fact that you have to stay away from him forever, but you''re also the one who said you wouldn''t get back together with him. Why should you care so much about him when you''ve made up your mind to stay away from him? Isn''t it better for you to never see him again if you want to forget him?¡± Joyce opened her mouth, wanting to argue otherwise, but words eluded her. In her heart, she knew Natalie was right. It was just that she still could notpletely give up on Stanley because she loved him too much. ¡°Joyce, this is myst piece of advice for you. It''s either you choose your child and your parents or Stanley. If you still want Stanley, then abort the baby.¡± ¡°No!¡± Joyce put her hand on her baby bump in resolution, shaking her head. Abort the child? Never! This is Stanley and my baby. Even if we can''t be together, I must at least preserve what we have together. ¡°Since you don''t want an abortion, I''ll assume you''re choosing the baby and your family,¡± Natalie concluded and pursed her lips. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Joyce Rivers!¡± Natalie cut in abruptly. ¡°There are only two alternatives for you. You can''t have the cake and eat it. There is no perfect solution to your problem. You can''t be greedy and try to have everything, or you''ll end up with nothing. You have to sacrifice one thing or another, so it''s either Stanley or your child and your parents.¡± Chapter 1480 Chapter 1480 I have to sacrifice one for the other... Joyce''s grip tightened around her phone. From N?velDrama.Org. She knew which one was the best option if she were to approach this issue dispassionately, but to her, she saw both sides as equally important. That was why she was so undecisive. She knew her hesitation was getting in the way. It was imperative that she make her choice, yet every time the decision came to her tongue, she could not bear to utter it. Her gaze lowered in dejection, and she sighed. ¡°I need some time to think about it.¡± ¡°What''s left to think about, Joyce?¡± Natalie was frustrated. ¡°Don''t you already know in your heart what the solution is?¡± ¡°Yes I know, I just... I just...¡± ¡°It''s evident which way you should choose.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°This is urgent. You need to decide now, then only can Shane and I arrange for you guys'' departure. If you keep dragging things on, Stanley might somehow get you to the operating theatre. No one will be able to save you then.¡± The expression on Joyce''s face changed. That''s true. No one is here to help me if Stanley really does drag me to the operation room. My parents are not around; Justin is still at the hospital; Nat and Shane are not here either. I''m no match for Stanley on my own. Besides, he has been asking people to persuade me to give up on the baby these few days. He''s going easy on me only because I''m still in the hospital. I''m sure he''ll take more drastic actions once I leave. Even if I find excuses to stay here, this is not a long-term solution. If his patience runs thin, he might haul me to get an abortion, even at the hospital itself. People might talk behind his back if he does that in public, but he''s still a doctor. The hospital will definitely be on his side instead of mine. The thought of what might happen instilled trepidation in Joyce''s heart. I can''t waste any more time. I have to decide now. Just as these thoughts were running through her head, a knock came from the door. ¡°Ms. Rivers, are you up?¡± the nurse asked. Joyce''s pupils dted, and her face fell. ¡°Y-Yeah...¡± Her voice and body shivered. She did not want to admit that she was awake, but because there was a window on the door to the ward, and the nurse was just right outside, there was no way Joyce could lie without getting noticed. Joyce could not pretend to be sleeping either. ¡°I''lle in, then?¡± Instead of waiting for an answer, the nurse pushed open the door and entered. ¡°Ms. Rivers, it''s time for your daily checkup. Are you feeling okay today?¡± the nurse asked in a friendly tone as she parked the cart and took up the equipment and medication. The smile on her face was gentle and assuring, but to Joyce, it appeared ominous. That nurse was none other than the one Stanley had arranged for her. She had been brainwashing Joyce into aborting the fetus every day. That exined why Joyce distrusted and was terrified of her. If it were not for Joyce''s resolution, she might have agreed to an abortion under the nurse''s earnest persuasion. ¡°I''m good,¡± Joyce replied nervously, forcing a smile. Over on the other end, although Natalie could not hear exactly what was happening on Joyce''s side, the noises were enough to inform Natalie that someone was beside Joyce¡ªsomeone she was scared of. That exined why her voice was shaking. Natalie held her breath. She did not want the person to know that Joyce and she had been talking over the phone as she was worried that person would end the call, leaving her in the dark about what was going on there. If that happened and that person decided to harm Joyce, Natalie would be unable to save her. Chapter 1481 Chapter 1481 ¡°Even though you say you''re fine, I still have to check.¡± The nurse approached Joyce, who clenched her phone tightly and said nothing. After the nurse was done with the routine checkup, she recorded the information, intending to hand it over to the doctorter. Joyce remained silent throughout the process and simply watched the nurse. Here ites! The woman knew what the nurse would say to her as soon as she saw the medical record folder getting shut. ¡°Ms. Rivers, have you made up your mind about the child yet?¡± inquired the nurse with a smile. ¡°As I said before, I''m not going to have an abortion, so you can tell Stanley that he should just give up. The child is mine. I won''t hold him responsible, so he doesn''t have to mind the kid. Tell him to pretend as if the child doesn''t exist,¡± replied Joyce with downcast eyes. The nurse was not upset after listening to Joyce. Instead, she remained smiling because she had heard those words from the woman at least six times. ¡°That''s not possible since Dr. Quinn insisted that unless you got rid of the child, he wouldn''t be able to pretend as though nothing had happened. The fact is that you''re pregnant, so the only option is abortion, Ms. Rivers.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± roared Joyce emotionally as she covered her ears. ¡°I''m not getting an abortion, and nobody can make me!¡± ¡°I know you don''t want to get rid of the child. That''s why I''m telling you there''s no point in keeping it. You''ll only be making your life difficult for yourself. For the sake of your family and yourself, you should get an abortion,¡± advised the nurse. Joyce got so upset that her breathing quickened, and her stomach began to hurt. ¡°Get out of my sight now!¡± ordered the woman, gasping while pointing at the door. Seeing how emotional Joyce was, the nurse decided to leave so as not to agitate the woman further. ¡°Okay, I''ll go. Rest well, Ms. Rivers. Dr. Quinn said he''s giving you onest day to make up your mind. He hopes that you''ll make the right decision. Otherwise, he''ll have no choice but to force it on you. I''m sure you''re well aware that you''re no match for the man.¡± With that, the nurse nodded slightly at the woman and left. Joyce sat on the hospital bed and stared into space for a while before bursting into tears. Are you really that cold-hearted, Stanley? Natalie became anxious when she heard Joyce cry, so she quickly called out for the woman. ¡°Joyce? Joyce?¡± Joyce paused for a moment when she heard her name. Then, she hurriedly grabbed her phone as though she had found salvation. ¡°You''ve got to help me, Nat! Please help me!¡± Natalie had vaguely heard the conversation between Joyce and the nurse, so she knew exactly why Joyce was so desperate. Sighing, she said, ¡°Of course, I''ll help you. However, you have to be decisive, Joyce. How am I supposed to help you if you refuse to leave Stanley?¡± In response, Joyce nodded vigorously. ¡°I understand, Nat. I''ll go. I''ll leave J City and never see Stanley again.¡± Because of what the nurse had told her, Joyce knew she did not have much time left to make her choice. From N?velDrama.Org. The only eptable option she had was to leave Stanley and never see him again because only then could her child, parents, and friends live in peace. At that point, Joyce was convinced that she could no longer hesitate. If I waste any more time, I''ll end up with nothing but regrets for the rest of my life. Nat is right. Since I''ve decided to give up on Stanley, why would I ever want to see him again? Doing that will only add to my misery. Besides, I might just be able to forget about him if I stop seeing him! Natalie''s stern face immediately softened after she heard the woman''s reply. ¡°Are you sure about this, Joyce?¡± ¡°Yes, I''m sure!¡± Joyce nodded decisively because she had finally made up her mind. Chapter 1482 Chapter 1482 For her child and parents'' sake, Joyce was aware that she had no choice but to run away. ¡°Good. Since you''ve already decided, you must see it through. I''ll contact Shane, and he''ll arrange for you and your parents to leave. You can inform Mr. and Mrs. Rivers first,¡± promised Natalie with a nod. ¡°Okay,¡± responded Joyce. ¡°Get some rest and remember to protect yourself,¡± reminded Natalie. Joyce took a deep breath before promising, ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Good. I''m going to hang up now. Talk to you tomorrow.¡± With that, Natalie ended the phone call. ¡°She agreed to leave?¡± inquired Lina, supporting her head with one arm. ¡°Yes,¡± answered Natalie with a nod. To that, Lina sighed. ¡°That couldn''t have been easy.¡± Since she had inched close enough to Natalie''s phone, Lina had heard everything Joyce just said. Before that, she was upset with Joyce because of the woman''s indecisiveness. Lina could not understand why Joyce would hesitate about leaving a man who obviously hated her. Seeing how badly Joyce was blinded by love, Lina could not help pitying the woman. ¡°I''m sure it wasn''t,¡± responded Natalie while rubbing her temples. Pouting, Lina voiced, ¡°She''s just a hopeless romantic, isn''t she? How can anyone love another so much that they''re willing to sacrifice their dignity? If I were her, I''d have dumped Stanley long ago.¡± Natalie chuckled when she heard Lina. ¡°That''s why you''re not Joyce. Everybody has their own unique personality. She might be a hopeless romantic, but I can understand why she had trouble letting go of Stanley. I believe her rtionship with the man has more to do with obsession than love.¡± Joyce was obsessed with Stanley, so under normal circumstances, she would probably never get over the man. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. To Joyce, loving Stanley had already be a part of her. ¡°All right, enough about Joyce. Now that she''s finally made up her mind, the rest is up to her. If she doesn''t sort this out, not only her but also her child and parents will suffer for it,¡± stated Lina. ¡°You''re right, so let''s hope Joyce understands her situation.¡± Natalie nodded in agreement. After that, the two remained silent until they reached the vi. The next day, Shane sent someone to the hospital to meet Joyce. In order to sneak past Stanley, Shane''s man even dressed up as a doctor to gain ess to Joyce''s room. After introducing himself to Joyce, the man handed her a nurse''s uniform so that she could disguise herself as well. The man waited until Joyce had finished changing into the uniform before he led her out of the ward and into the elevator. ¡°Did Mr. Thompson mention anything about my parents?¡± inquired Joyce as she ced her hand on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Rivers. Your parents have already boarded a ne with Mr. Thompson''s men and left Baycoast.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered the man, nodding. ¡°Stanley didn''t have anyone watching them, only you, so it was quite easy to sneak them away.¡± Joyce let out a sigh of relief when she heard that. ¡°Good. Where does Mr. Thompson intend to sneak us off to, though?¡± ¡°A remote town in Astoria. The ce''s economy is sustained mainly by agriculture and is the most suitable ce for retirement because of how simple life is there. Mr. Thompson''s already arranged a vi and a farm for you, which should be enough for you and your family to get by,¡± exined the man. Joyce nodded appreciatively to that. ¡°That sounds great! Please tell Mr. Thompson and Nat that I''ll reach out to thank them when I''ve settled down.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± promised the man. After walking out of the elevator, the man led Joyce to the underground parking lot, where she suddenly froze in ce because she saw someone. ¡°It''s Stanley...¡± Chapter 1483 Chapter 1483 Joyce could see Stanley, dressed in a white coat, talking to a nurse at the counter not too far away. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. When she saw the man, her lips trembled, and her eyes turned red. The man sent to help Joyce furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed something wrong with the woman. ¡°Why did you stop? We have to keep moving.¡± ¡°I...¡± Joyce looked at the man beside her and then at Stanley. ¡°Can you give me a minute? I need to take onest look at him before I leave.¡± I may never see Stanley again. I just need a moment to take a mental picture so I don''t forget him. However, the man sent to sneak Joyce away disagreed, ¡°No, I can''t let you stare at him because he''ll notice you. If that happens, you won''t be able to leave. He might even drag you to the operation room as soon as he realizes that you''re trying to escape.¡± Upon hearing that, Joyce immediately shivered while her face turned pale, for she knew the man was right. ¡°Come on, Ms. Rivers. We have to go,¡± urged the man. After taking onest look at Stanley, Joyce left with Shane''s man with clenched fists and gritted teeth. At that moment, Joyce felt as if she could not breathe because of how much her heart ached. Her hands shook as her reddened eyes began to well up with tears. Upon getting into the car, the woman stared at the hospital as they gradually moved farther from it. Only then did she finally break down and cry. I''m sorry, Stanley, but this is goodbye. You''ll never have to see me or my family again. I pray you can let go of the hate and live happily with someone that suits you. Half an hourter, Joyce boarded Shane''s private ne and was reunited with her parents. The ne then fired up and zoomed into the clouds, leaving J City behind. Not long after Joyce had left, Stanley, still in the hospital, was told that she was not in her room. The man did not realize Joyce had run off until the nurses failed to find her anywhere in the building, and he discovered the farewell letter under her pillow. When Stanley learned that he would never see Joyce again, his face immediately turned crimson red. ¡°How dare you run away from me, Joyce!¡± uttered the man in an icy-cold voice after furiously tearing the letter to pieces. Does she seriously think she can hide from me forever? What a pile of nonsense! I won''t stop until I find her. Only by torturing her can I quench my anger! After taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Stanley narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out what had just happened. This entire hospital is under my control, so there''s no way Joyce could''ve escaped on her own. She must''ve had help, and I bet she got it from Natalie. Seeing how close the two women are, I don''t doubt that Joyce went to Natalie for help instead of Justin. Even though the man''s quite powerful, his influence doesn''t reach J City. Hence, he couldn''t have sneaked Joyce away under my nose. Natalie''s the only one who can do that. Of course, it wouldn''t have been possible if Natalie didn''t get Shane to help as well. Convinced that Natalie and Shane would have helped Joyce''s parents get away too, Stanley clenched his fists before mming them on the table. Because of how hard the man hit the piece of furniture, his knuckles started to bleed. However, the pain did not seem to bother Stanley, who quickly pulled out his phone to make a call. It did not take long before the person on the other end of the line picked up. ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± ¡°See if Jonathan and his wife are still at home,¡± ordered Stanley coldly, squeezing his phone. ¡°Yes, Mr. Quinn,¡± responded the other party. Even after hanging up, Stanley''s expression remained grim and foreboding. After a few minutes, his phone rang. Chapter 1484 Chapter 1484 With an emotionless expression, he brought the cell phone to his ear. ¡°Are you done with the investigation?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Quinn. Mr. and Mrs. Rivers are not at home. Their neighbors said that the two had quickly sold off their house and moved early in the morning. They have no idea where they moved to.¡± There was not even a hint of surprise on Stanley''s face when he heard that. Instead, his expression darkened and turned cold. He was right. Joyce''s parents had indeed left as well. You truly are amazing, Joyce. Stanley revealed a malicious smile as he hung up the phone. Oh, Joyce. Did you really think that I won''t be able to find you now that you''ve escaped? Just you wait. I''ll definitely get my hands on you, even if I have to scour the entire earth to do it. When that day came, he would make sure she regretted ever leaving. Meanwhile, at Thompson Group, Ss pushed open the door to Shane''s office and entered. ¡°Mr. Thompson, Ms. Rivers and her family have already left.¡± Shane was going through some documents when Ss entered. Even after listening to his assistant''s report, his head remained lowered as he focused on his work. ¡°Got it,¡± was his only reply. His mission was to send Joyce and her family away. Now that they had left, he did not care about anything else. Ss looked at Shane. ¡°Mr. Thompson, the men we posted near Ms. Rivers'' parents'' house reported that someone came to look for them. I think they were sent over by Dr. Quinn.¡± Upon hearing that, the pen in Shane''s hand came to a pause. ¡°That''s expected. As Joyce was at Stanford Hospital before this, Stanley would be able to find out about her disappearance in an instant. Moreover, with how in love Joyce is with Stanley, there''s no way she wouldn''t leave a note for him. Therefore, he would be able to figure out through her note that she would be gone for a long time, maybe even forever. With that, Stanley would also easily guess that she would have left with her parents. He probably already knows that the person who helped the Rivers family was me.¡± ¡°Would Dr. Quinn confront you, then?¡± Ss asked with a hint of worry in his tone. Shane''s lips pulled into a disdainful smirk as he replied, ¡°Stanley is a brilliant doctor and, therefore, influential with a lot of connections. Joyce wouldn''t be able to go against him, but that doesn''t mean that I can''t. Stanley is not qualified to be my opponent at all. Should I be afraid of him?¡± After listening to Shane''s exnation, Ss no longer felt worried. ¡°All right. You may go back to work.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ss answered before turning to leave the office. Shane picked up his phone and leaned against his chair. He then gave Natalie a call. Thetter was currently at thepetition venue with Lina, monitoring the situation. When her phone rang, she took it out to see who was calling her. The moment she noticed Shane''s name appear on her phone screen, a small smile tugged at her lips. ¡°Lina.¡± Natalie patted Lina''s shoulder. ¡°What''s up?¡± Lina turned to look at her. ¡°I''ll be going outside to take a call. Yell for me if anything happens,¡± Natalie said as she pointed at her cell phone. When Lina noticed the caller ID on Natalie''s cell phone, a teasing smile instantly appeared on her face. She tsked yfully and said, ¡°In the past, both of you only dared to be so lovey-dovey at night. I guess you have be bolder with your actions now that it''s happening during the day. You two are so¡ª¡± ¡°Stop speaking nonsense,¡± Natalie interrupted with a look of exasperation. ¡°Shane is only calling to update me on Joyce''s matter. Don''t forget that she''s leaving today.¡± With that reminder, Lina instantly recalled the events that were supposed to happen that day. ¡°Oh, right. I nearly forgot.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll have to answer this now.¡± Natalie then got up and left. As they were judges, they were allowed to leave for a short while as long as they came back within a set timeframe. Therefore, her absence to ept a call would not disrupt thepetition. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. After all, they were not the onespeting anyway. It was the participants. It was only after Natalie arrived in the hallway that she answered the call. ¡°Hello, Darling.¡± ¡°Joyce and her family have already left.¡± Shane''s gentle voice sounded from over the phone. ¡°That''s great. Everything went well?¡± Natalie couldn''t help but smile at the sound of her husband''s voice. ¡°It went all right. Stanley only found out after they left.¡± Shane nodded. Chapter 1485 Chapter 1485 When Natalie heard that Stanley had already realized the disappearance of Joyce and her family, apart from letting out a sigh, she was not taken aback by the news at all. That was because she had already known that Stanley would find out. It would be weird if he didn''t. Moreover, she also guessed that Stanley would suspect that she had helped to move Joyce away. He may even callter to interrogate her about Joyce and her family''s whereabouts. Unfortunately, her decision to help Joyce resulted in the end of her friendship with Stanley. After sighing, Natalie forced a smile to her lips. ¡°I hope that Stanley won''t cause any trouble for us.¡± She was afraid that Stanley would not be able to cope with Joyce''s departure and go crazy, pulling some irrational actions. It was not like he had not done it before. When Natalie recalled how Stanley caused Connor''s ident and set fire to her factory, she could feel a headacheing. ¡°Don''t worry. You have me. He won''t get a chance to fool around,¡± Shane said in a low voice as his eyes narrowed dangerously. This time, a genuine smile could be seen on Natalie''s face. ¡°You''re right. I don''t have to worry because my husband is amazing. But even if Stanley really does do something crazy, I hope you will show him mercy. Don''t threaten his life.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane knew very well why she wanted to protect Stanley. His furrowed eyebrows soon rxed as he replied, ¡°All right. No matter what, I won''t take his life.¡± Stanley had saved her life and also their two children''s before. With that thought in mind, he could not actually kill Stanley. However, Shane was more than capable of making Stanley regret his actions for the rest of his life. ¡°All right, then.¡± With Shane''s promise, Natalie let out a sigh of relief. After that, they chatted for a short while before ending the call. Natalie kept her cell phone away and returned to thepetition venue. When Lina noticed her return, she lowered her voice and asked, ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Joyce has already left.¡± Natalie nodded. Lina nodded as well. ¡°That''s good. I hope that she will be able to live her life in peace over there and stop thinking about Stanley. Otherwise, she might end up with depression one day.¡± ¡°You''re right. I''m worried about this, too. However, there''s nothing we can do about it anymore. She has to live her life on her own now,¡± Natalie replied as she shook her head. ¡°That''s true. All right, enough with this. I''m going to end up with depression myself if we keep discussing it. Let''s just watch thepetition.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie smiled and sat down in her seat. In the meantime, Caitlin and Jonathan sighed as they looked at their daughter, who had cried herself to sleep on the ne. ¡°Do you think we made the right decision?¡± Caitlin asked her husband worriedly. Thetter rubbed his forehead. ¡°I don''t know. All we can do now is treat it as the correct decision.¡± Both of them were mired in confusion. Caitlin suddenly teared up and buried her face in her hands. ¡°If only we had known that this would happen that day. We shouldn''t have risked our lives to help them. If we hadn''t, their deaths would not be on us, and their son would not hold a grudge against us. If we hadn''t, he wouldn''t have done this to Joyce.¡± She started to cry bitterly. Jonathan brought her into his arms and nodded furiously. ¡°You''re right. If we had known, I wouldn''t have helped them back then.¡± He had been friends with Stanley''s parents. Jonathan had heard from them that there was an assassin after them. As their friend, Jonathan thought that he should give them a helping hand instead of ignoring them. With that, he risked the possibility of being implicated and probably getting killed himself just to help them. Without even stopping to consider the consequences, Jonathan had acted fast and arranged a secret ce for them to hide from the assassin. However, in the end, the Rivers'' act of kindness had been repaid with Stanley''s act of hatred. Joyce had to suffer from Stanley''s unfaithfulness because of Jonathan''s actions. Jonathan admitted that because of his and his wife''s negligence and exposing the location of the Quinn family, Stanley''s parents had died horrible deaths. Nevertheless, that did not mean that Jonathan lived a good life after that. He, too, was filled with guilt and remorse. When he saw Joyce falling deeper in love with Stanley, he did not even make a move to stop her, even when there was a chance that Joyce would end up hurt. Chapter 1486 Chapter 1486 e = ''on''Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 1487 Chapter 1487 ¡°That''s right,¡± Jonathan said with a sigh. ¡°Let''s ask Nat''s husband when we get off the ne. Don''t you have the means to contact him? Ask him about Justin''s situation. Speaking of which, we owe the boy too much.¡± ¡°We definitely do. Justin''s act of rushing Joyce to the hospital is a debt we will never be able to repay. Besides, our departure this time meant that Joyce will be breaking up with Justin, doesn''t it?¡± Caitlin laughed bitterly. Jonathan gazed at Joyce. ¡°Justin should understand. We''ll contact him once we settle down and tell him everything.¡± Caitlin nodded. ¡°Let''s do that.¡± The couple did not speak after that. Standing vigil over their sleeping daughter, they soonpsed into silence. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Meanwhile, Natalie and Lina returned to their vi after theirpetition that day. The former received a call from Connor as soon as they crossed the vi''s threshold. ¡°Mommy!¡± Natalie felt her heart melt upon hearing her son''s sweet voice. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call, Baby?¡± ¡°I miss you, Mommy,¡± Connor said with a giggle. Chapter 1488 Chapter 1488 Jonathan felt that Joyce and Stanley being together was a good thing after all, because giving his daughter to Stanley helped assuage the guilt he felt toward Stanley''s parents. However, Stanley should not have toyed with Joyce. He should not have knocked her up since he disliked her so much. Now that she was pregnant, he even wanted Joyce to have an abortion which she refused. He then used us to try and threaten her. Stanley could have kicked Joyce out if he felt that way. Why did he have to hurt her? Although the Rivers owed the Quinns, the debt did not extend to the Rivers being unforgivably cruel. If Jonathan had not lent a helping hand to the Quinns back then, the couple would have been caught and killed by the assassins. Even Stanley would not have survived. It was due to Jonathan''s intervention to hide the Quinns that they managed to remain alive for several more years, which enabled Stanley''s survival. In other words, the Quinns have been doomed to annihtion but for his intervention, an heir of the Quinns survived. However, not only did Stanley not show gratitude, but he also used the Rivers of causing the downfall of the Quinns. What logic is this? The Rivers are innocent! Jonathan regretted helping them back then. If he had known that his own family would be living in suffering for years due to the Quinns, he would not have bothered himself with them all those years ago. ¡°Do you think Joyce would be able to let Stanley go this time, Jonathan?¡± Caitlin asked as calmly as she could after a deep breath. She felt much better after crying. Jonathan sighed. ¡°I don''t know, but I don''t think it''s likely that she would. After all, she would not have loved Stanley deeply for so many years if she could easily move on from him.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Caitlin felt frustrated at Jonathan''s words. ¡°What have the Rivers done to deserve being ruined by the Quinns?¡± she cried, feeling her heart ache for her emaciated daughter. Jonathan heaved another sigh. ¡°Let''s just take it that we owed the Quinns a debt in our past life and had to pay them back in this. Now that we have left J City and Baycoast behind to go to a foreign country, let''s not think about the past anymore and instead lead a quiet life as a family together. Perhaps with time, Joyce would be able to let Stanley go. As long as she is able to, the Rivers and the Quinns would never have contact again in this lifetime.¡± Caitlin nodded. ¡°You''re right.¡± Shortly after, as if she had thought of something, she said somewhat guiltily, ¡°By the way, I wonder how Justin is doing? Joyce said that Justin had been hospitalized for the severe beating he received from Stanley when he stopped Stanley from causing her a miscarriage. We haven''t even paid him a visit.¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Jonathan said with a sigh. ¡°Let''s ask Nat''s husband when we get off the ne. Don''t you have the means to contact him? Ask him about Justin''s situation. Speaking of which, we owe the boy too much.¡± ¡°We definitely do. Justin''s act of rushing Joyce to the hospital is a debt we will never be able to repay. Besides, our departure this time meant that Joyce will be breaking up with Justin, doesn''t it?¡± Caitlin laughed bitterly. Jonathan gazed at Joyce. ¡°Justin should understand. We''ll contact him once we settle down and tell him everything.¡± Caitlin nodded. ¡°Let''s do that.¡± The couple did not speak after that. Standing vigil over their sleeping daughter, they soonpsed into silence. Meanwhile, Natalie and Lina returned to their vi after theirpetition that day. The former received a call from Connor as soon as they crossed the vi''s threshold. ¡°Mommy!¡± Natalie felt her heart melt upon hearing her son''s sweet voice. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call, Baby?¡± ¡°I miss you, Mommy,¡± Connor said with a giggle. Chapter 1489 Chapter 1489 Natalieughed. ¡°I miss you too, Baby.¡± ¡°Me too, Mommy! I miss you, too!¡± came Sharon''s voice beside Connor as she hijacked the conversation from her brother. Natalie''s smile widened when she heard her daughter''s voice. ¡°I miss you too, Sharon.¡± ¡°All right, Sharon. Go y over there, I have something to discuss with Mommy.¡± Connor stopped Sharon from snatching the phone from him. He did not forget his purpose of calling his mother to discuss something serious, aside from telling her he missed her. Sharon was an obedient child. Although reluctant, she retracted her gesture of snatching the phone at her brother''s request. ¡°All right, you talk to Mommy, then,¡± Sharon said sullenly, pursing her lips. Connor stroked her hair. ¡°I''ll take you to Mrs. Wilson for some ice creamter.¡± Sharon''s eyes lit up at the mention of ice cream as she pped her hands excitedly. ¡°Yay!¡± Their father had decreed that she and her brother were only allowed one scoop every three days instead of making it a daily habit. Since she had it once the day before, she was forced to wait until the day after to have it again. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. As a result, Sharon developed powerful cravings for ice cream and was naturally excited by the prospect of her brother having a way to let her have some. After Sharon hopped away jovially, Connor was finally able to speak freely with Natalie. ¡°Remember the person you wanted me to locate, Mommy? The woman called Hannah? I found her.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows, aware that they have arrived at the topic her son was most anxious to discuss. ¡°Where is she now?¡± she asked excitedly. ¡°In a club, Mommy,¡± Connor reported. ¡°I''ll send you her location soon.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°All right, I got it. Well done, Connor!¡± Although turning red abashedly, Connor was delighted to receive Natalie''s praise. If it was not for Daddy forbidding me from going near aputer for being bad for my eyes, I would have found her a lot sooner. Natalie chatted with Connor a little longer before hanging up. Soon after, she received an email from Connor regarding Hannah''s location. Lina leaned over as they perused it together. Her expression turned sour when she saw the address in the email. ¡°D*mn, I can''t believe she''s in this club.¡± Natalie turned to look at her. ¡°What? You know it?¡± Lina nodded, her eyes full of disgust. ¡°I do because this club is famous here. All you need to know is that it''s filthy inside.¡± Natalie''s interest was piqued by Lina''s vehemence. ¡°How filthy?¡± ¡°Any depravity you can possibly imagine is avable in there,¡± Lina said as she pursed her lips. ¡°However, this country is very open in certain aspects. Even if it''smon knowledge that the club preys upon society''s worst impulses, nobody dares to seek trouble or attempt to shut them down.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I see. I''m shocked to hear that Hannah''s in such a ce.¡± ¡°Look, there are photos below.¡± Lina caught something and gestured to Natalie to scroll further downward. Natalie did so and found a photograph attached. The subject of the image was Hannah in a sexy bunny costume with a thickyer of makeup on her face, which made her a nauseating sight to behold. Lina whistled. ¡°D*mn, I can''t believe she''s working there. No wonder Connor provided the club''s address.¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°Her modeling career is over, and she has no other skill to earn a living with. The money she''d made as a model has been squandered by leading a life of extravagance with the son of a rich man. Now that they''ve broken up, she''s unable to revisit her life of luxury from the past. Without her modeling job and whatever savings she had, this is the only kind of work she could get. It''s quick cash after all, isn''t it?¡± Chapter 1490 Chapter 1490 Linaughed. ¡°Well said.¡± Natalie''s eyes narrowed. ¡°Right. Now that we''ve found her, it''s time for her to pay what is due.¡± Having dared to instigate Lucy to use her of giarism, Natalie was certain Hannah would be brazen enough to do worse things to her in the future. Locating Hannah proved to be the perfect opportunity Natalie needed to eliminate the threat Hannah posed before it could rear its ugly head. As she was too soft-hearted back then to crush Susan, it led to her causing the death of Natalie''s mother. This time, I won''t allow anything simr to happen. Spurred by that thought, Natalie summoned Dave and the others. ¡°Go there and capture that woman.¡± She pointed at theputer. Dave and the rest leaned closer for a look. After noting the address and Hannah''s face, they nodded. ¡°Understood, Madam.¡± ¡°After you''ve captured her, contact Shane and he''ll arrange a ce for you to bring her to,¡± Natalie said bluntly as she lowered her gaze. Knowing Shane as well as she did, he would send Hannah to a ce where she would not be able to return to the country or make an appearance before her again. That ce would also make Hannah''s life hell. But so what? Hannah had once joined forces with Jasmine to go against Natalie and had maliciously tried to anger her into having a miscarriage. Natalie was astounded by Hannah''s audacity to avenge herself. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Then I, too, will make her pay. I''m far from cruel, but if I''m not tough enough for this world, I and my loved ones will be the only ones to suffer. After her encounters with Jacqueline, Jasmine, Susan, and Sean, she had long learned how to be ruthless and cold. If I''m not tough enough, how can I protect myself and my children? Natalie did not want to receive news of harming to her children and of Shane''s disappearance ever again. She also dreaded the despair of being stranded in an unreachable corner of the world and never seeing home again. The only way to defend herself against that possibility was to be heavier-handed than her adversaries. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Dave and the rest nodded at Natalie''s instructions before turning to exit the study to execute them. Along the way, they contacted Shane and ryed Natalie''s instructions to him. After listening, not only did Shane not think that her actions were questionable, but he also felt very relieved. Knowing that Natalie''s kindness was the reason why she had suffered at the hands of others, he was d to see her grow. Seeing her take care of herself by being tough gives me more relief than I thought possible. ¡°Send that woman to the quarries of Alendor once you''ve apprehended her,¡± Shane said dismissively, his lips pressed into a thin line. The quarry would mean an inescapable life sentence. Life would be day after day of mining and getting trodden upon without ever seeing the light of justice. A life like this will undoubtedly leave a deep impression on that woman called Hannah. After hanging up, Shane ced his phone down and lightly tapped his desk with his fingers. Ss entered at that moment and walked up to his office desk. ¡°Mr. Thompson.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane gazed up at him. Ss lowered his gaze to meet his employer''s. ¡°Stanley''s here.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. Stanley actually came. Having expected Stanley to see him from the start, Shane did not expect the man toe so soon. ¡°Show him in.¡± Shane gestured with his chin. Ss nodded before turning around to leave, returning secondster with Stanley behind him. Instead of a white coat, Stanley was dressed in casual wear. His head was slightly bowed when he came before Shane. He looked at him and without beating around the bush, asked bluntly, ¡°Where did you send Joyce and her family to?¡± Shane took a sip of his coffee. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Stanley''s eyes narrowed. ¡°Why are you asking questions you already know the answer to?¡± ¡°I do know the answer,¡± Shane replied inly, ¡°but I still want to know what you''ll do once you find out about what happened to them. Are you going to keep forcing Joyce to have an abortion? Or are you going to harm her parents?¡± Chapter 1491 Chapter 1491 ¡°That''s none of your concern,¡± Stanley replied, his tone icy cold. ¡°You just need to answer my question. Where are they?¡± Shane smiled sardonically. ¡°I''m sorry, but I can''t tell you that. Joyce and her family are important people to my wife. Naturally, I must protect them. Besides, their departure is a good thing for you, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Good thing?¡± Stanley gave a grim chuckle. ¡°How is that a good thing?¡± ¡°Isn''t it so?¡± Shane ced his coffee down and met his gaze calmly. ¡°You hate Joyce and her family because you think they caused the deaths of your parents. That is why you refuse to ept Joyce and the child in her belly even if the child is yours.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Stanley growled, his features contorted with rage. ¡°Get to the point.¡± Shane leaned back. ¡°I just want to show you how it''s a good thing that they have disappeared from your life, given the contempt you hold for them. You don''t have to look at them anymore, and they won''t ever show themselves before you. You can even pretend the child growing in Joyce''s belly isn''t yours. That way, you can assume that the Rivers are all dead and won''t be reminded of your parents'' deaths whenever you set eyes on them. Isn''t that ideal?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It''s nothing like what you said!¡± Stanley suddenly became very agitated. Shane remained as cool as ever. ¡°Isn''t it? Please enlighten me, then. Joyce and her family are gone and will never appear before you again. You can think of them as dead and can finally put that grudge of yours to rest as you won''t see them anymore. Why are you getting so worked up?¡± Stanley''s gaze quivered. He''s right. Why am I getting so worked up? Indeed, the disappearance of Joyce and her family should bring me joy as they will never appear before me again. I could pretend that this family no longer exists. So why am I filled with rage instead of joy? Rage at Joyce, perhaps, for not saying goodbye and for leaving. Shane suppressed a chuckle at Stanley''s scowl. ¡°What''s the matter? Struck a chord, have I? To tell you the truth, Stanley, you have no right to hate the Rivers.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Stanley turned surlier. ¡°Why shouldn''t I hate the Rivers? They were the ones who forced my parents to their deaths and you''re telling me I have no right to hate them? What gives you the right to say that?¡± ¡°The fact that I have investigated the incident in the past.¡± Shane interlocked his fingers and ced his hands on his stomach as he spoke. ¡°I''d found out a dozen or so years ago how the Rivers had exerted themselves to hide your family and buy the three of you some more time. Without the help of the Rivers, the Quinns would have been annihted long ago, and you wouldn''t have survived. The Rivers are innocent of the crime you use them for. In fact, they are your saviors.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Saviors?¡± Stanley leered as though he heard the biggest joke in the world. ¡°That''s what you think they are? My saviors?¡± ¡°Of course. As I''ve said before, without the Rivers'' help, the Quinns would have died out, and you wouldn''t have survived. And lest you forget, Stanley, the Quinns were the ones on the run, not the Rivers. The Quinns, too, were the ones to ask for help from the Rivers. The Rivers only acted out of kindness, though they had every right not to. In the end, the Rivers did whatever they could to help at the great expense of implicating themselves. So what right do you have to hate them?¡± Shane gazed at Stanley as he spoke, wondering what was going through thetter''s head at that moment. The impression he tried to make was that the Rivers were not at fault for the incident. The only thing they did wrong was being too loyal to their friends. If the Rivers had not lent a hand back then, they would not have been the object of Stanley''s hatred for the past dozen of years. Chapter 1492 Chapter 1492 Joyce, too, would not have been in pain for so many years due to her love for Stanley. Shane sighed inwardly. The Rivers really should have left the Quinns to their own devices all those years ago. Perhaps it would have been a good thing for the Quinns if they all died. Stanley clenched both fists after Shane''s speech, trying to repress his tremble. ¡°Are you saying that I have no right to hate them?¡± ¡°That''s right. You have no right.¡± Shane met his gaze impassively. ¡°I''m sure you know in your heart that you should not hate and me the Rivers, Stanley. You know that if they had not acted, the three of you wouldn''t have lived. Because your parents had been killed with the murderer not found, you have disced your anger toward the Rivers. You are simply ipetent for doing something like that.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Stanley jerked his head up to re at Shane through bloodshot eyes. How is it possible that I''m ipetent? ¡°Don''t look at me like that. You know I''m right. You are ipetent to direct all of your anger toward the people who saved you. This is how an ipetent person behaves. You directed the hatred for your enemies to the Rivers because you know that you have failed to find the killers to avenge your parents. However, you were in desperate need of an outlet for your hatred to remind yourself never to forget the grudge, so the Rivers ended up bing the scapegoat for your emotions.¡± ¡°Shut up! Shut your mouth!¡± Stanley yelled as he mmed a heavy fist down on Shane''s desk, looking quite deranged. ¡°I''m not what you said I am!¡± ¡°You are exactly as I described. Why, then, didn''t you kill the Rivers? I would have understood it if you weren''t capable of murder like you were a dozen years ago. But how about now? You had so many opportunities to kill them with no one any the wiser but you never did so because you know in your heart that you don''t hate them. You also know that they weren''t the ones to have harmed your parents and that they are your saviors. You are only lying to yourself by refusing to admit it.¡± Stanley''s whole body shook uncontrobly. No, Shane is wrong. It''s not possible that I am lying to myself. Suppressing the violent impulse to thrash everything in sight, he red sullenly at Shane a little longer before turning to leave. ¡°I can''t believe he managed to restrain himself from doing something insane in his rage, Mr. Thompson,¡± Ss said to Shane as he looked at Stanley''s departing silhouette. Stanley had been diagnosed with serious mental illness. Although he had attended therapy in the past, it was far from being treated. Besides, a mental condition as serious as his would not be cured within a month or two. Even patients suffering from a moderate affliction would require years. Stanley''s case, inparison, was an extreme one. Moreover, being a psychiatrist himself, Stanley would know how to hide his abnormal psyche to appear cured. From N?velDrama.Org. In fact, Stanley had pretended about everything. That was the cause of Ss'' worry that Stanley would lose his temper. It would be troublesome if Stanley dashed at Shane with a knife again. To his surprise, Stanley had managed to control his violent impulse and leave. Shane sat upright. ¡°Of course he won''t lose his temper.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ss nced at him curiously. ¡°Because what I said was the truth and only the truth,¡± Shane replied as he pursed his thin lips. ¡°He knows that I was right and he had no way of refuting it. That was why he did not lose his temper.¡± Ss nodded asprehension dawned on his face. ¡°I see. I pity Ms. Rivers and her family for being hated by him for no reason for so many years despite being his saviors.¡± ¡°That''s what I meant by him being ipetent,¡± Shane said coldly. ¡°He turned his own helplessness into hatred toward the Rivers because he thought it might make himself feel better. That is foolishness to the extreme.¡± Chapter 1493 Chapter 1493 Ss nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°All right. That''s all. You may leave now.¡± Shane waved him away. ¡°Yes,¡± Ss answered. Meanwhile, Stanley didn''t leave right away after he had gotten into his car. Instead, he stared at his hands in confusion and self-doubt because Shane''s words were still ringing in his ears. Shane said I''m useless and weak. He said I''ve transformed my ipetence into resentment toward the Rivers family. He also said I never hated the Rivers family. Instead, I hate myself because the Rivers family had saved my family. As a son, I''ve failed to save my parents, and I''ve put the me on someone else. However, the person I put my me on had actually saved my family. So, does it mean I''m wrong? Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Stanley clenched his fists. In his mind, he had the answer to that question, but he didn''t dare to acknowledge it. If he were to acknowledge it, he would have to subvert his long-standing cognition. He wouldn''t be able to ept it, and he would have a mental breakdown. That night, Natalie received a call from Joyce after she was done showering. Since Joyce was pregnant, it was normal for her to feel difort all over her body. Besides, she had just had a long flight, so she was very frail. ¡°Nat, I''ve arrived,¡± Joyce uttered weakly. Natalie smiled when she heard that. ¡°That''s good, then. How''s the environment there? Do you want any changes to be made? If yes, feel free to tell me. I''ll get Shane to send someone there.¡± Joyce shook her head. ¡°That''s not necessary. The environment is fantastic here. I like it very much. Not only is the air fresh, but we also have a huge piece ofnd. My parents are over the moon because they can nt fruits and vegetables.¡± ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I hope you guys will live happily over there.¡± ¡°I will. Thank you, Nat. Also, thank Mr. Thompson for me. If it weren''t for you guys, I doubt my family and I could leave J City. Who knows? Stanley might even¡ª¡± Suddenly, Joyce thought of something. She tightened her grip on her phone and asked, ¡°Nat, did Stanley look for you guys? Now that I''ve left, he''ll surely think you guys have helped me in my escape. Did he look for you guys?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Not yet. I don''t know if he''ll show up, though.¡± Joyce''s gaze darkened. ¡°I''m so sorry, Nat, for involving you in this mess.¡± Natalie chuckled lightly in response. ¡°Stop it. I''m your friend, no? I''m supposed to help you, and you didn''t involve me in any mess. Besides, what could Stanley possibly do to me? Don''t you remember my darling will protect me?¡± Upon hearing that, Joyce felt slightly relieved. That''s right. Mr. Thompson will protect Nat. I don''t have to worry. ¡°Joyce, enjoy your life there, okay? Give birth to your child and forget the past. Don''t think about the past anymore, especially Stanley. Do you hear me?¡± Natalie urged. ¡°Okay. I know,¡± Joyce answered. Natalie looked at the time and said, ¡°All right, then. I''ll be hanging up now.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Upon hanging up, Joyce put her phone aside. When she turned around, she saw Caitlin walking in to give her a ss of milk. ¡°Joyce, have some milk.¡± Caitlin walked up to her and gave her the milk. Joyce took the milk and said, ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± ¡°You don''t have to thank me. I''m your mom! Drink the milk, okay?¡± Caitlin sat on Joyce''s bed and gently stroked her hair. ¡°Were you on the phone with Nat just now?¡± Joyce drank the milk and answered, ¡°Yeah. Since we''ve arrived here, I thought I should call her and thank her.¡± Caitlin nodded. ¡°Yes. We must express our gratitude. Without Nat and her husband, we wouldn''t be able to leave the country.¡± Hearing that, Joyce lowered her gaze, and she looked remorseful. ¡°I''m sorry, Mom. I''ve dragged you and Dad into this. I''m nothing but a burden. If it wasn''t because of my insistence on keeping this child, you and Dad wouldn''t need to travel so far away from home. You guys aren''t even young anymore.¡± Chapter 1494 Chapter 1494 In fact, if Joyce had not fallen for Stanley in the first ce, she and her family wouldn''t need to suffer. This is all my fault. Caitlin''s heart ached when she heard her daughter ming herself. Her eyes were reddened when she pulled Joyce into her embrace and uttered, ¡°No, Joyce. You shouldn''t say that. You''re not a burden to us. You''re our daughter. So, you can be as stubborn as you want. In our eyes, you''re still our child. Since the three of us can be together, we should count our blessings. Your dad and I don''t minding here.¡± ¡°Mom...¡± Instead of feeling relieved, Joyce felt even worse after hearing that. She was hoping that her parents would me her because she thought she would feel better if that was the case. However, not only did her parents not me her, but theyforted her instead. She felt even more like a burden to them. Jonathan was looking at them by the entrance. Seeing how Caitlin and Joyce were both sobbing, his eyes got teary, and he felt bad. Despite how he felt, he wasn''t nning to go in andfort them. As a father, he knew he wasn''t as sensitive as his wife. As such, he thought Caitlin could do a better job atforting their daughter. They''re both women, so Caitlin would know how to console Joyce. I''ll just stand here silently. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. In the room, Caitlin and Joyce cried for an unknown period of time. In the end, Caitlin calmed herself down and held Joyce''s face. While wiping the tears off of Joyce''s cheeks, she said, ¡°Stop crying, Joyce. You''re pregnant. This won''t do your child any good. Besides, your mood will affect the child. Calm yourself down, okay? You have to take care of yourself because the child depends on your health.¡± Joyce wouldn''t treat Caitlin''s words lightly, so she quickly stopped crying and regained herposure. She nodded and answered, ¡°I understand, Mom. I''ll stop crying and keep my feelings in check.¡± ¡°That''s good to hear.¡± Caitlin gently tousled her hair and said, ¡°Joyce, from now on, the three of us... No. Scrap that. The four of us are going to live happily. Don''t think about the other person anymore, okay?¡± Joyce knew who Caitlin was talking about. She forced a smile and nodded. ¡°Okay. I won''t think about anyone else ever again. From now on, the four of us will live happily.¡± She meant it. She was determined to not think about Stanley anymore. Upon hearing her daughter''s answer, Caitlin was so happy that she almost teared up again. ¡°Okay. That''s good. That''s very good. Don''t think about anything else.¡± Seeing how Caitlin was getting emotional again, Joyce suddenly uttered, ¡°Mom, I''m craving the braised fish you used to make.¡± Caitlin stood up. ¡°Sure! I''ll go cook it now. Rest in the room, okay? I''ll call out for you when I''m done.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± Joyce nodded. Caitlin was on cloud nine when she left the room. In her eyes, Stanley was the worst disaster in Joyce''s life. I wonder if Stanley had cast a spell on himself. Otherwise, why would Joyce love him like there was no tomorrow? As a mother, she would definitely support her daughter''s rtionship. However, she wouldn''t want to see her daughter being with someone who didn''t love her back. In fact, she had advised her daughter to give up on Stanley and find someone else numerous times. Unfortunately, her words always fell on deaf ears. Joyce was too obsessed with Stanley. Even when she was with Justin, all she could think about was Stanley. That was why Caitlin and Jonathan had been worried about their daughter. In truth, Caitlin was very happy with how things turned out. Although they were far away from home and in a foreign country, she was happy because Joyce had finally left Stanley. There''s even a possibility that Joyce would totally forget about Stanley in due time. Chapter 1495 Chapter 1495 The more Caitlin thought about it, the happier she got. Joyce, on the other hand, stopped smiling the moment her mother left. She lowered her gaze, and there was an inexplicable expression on her face. After a while, she took her cell phone and called a number. In a foreignnguage, she said, ¡°Hi. Is this a hypnotherapy clinic? I would like to know more about memory erasure.¡± She knew better than anyone how much she loved Stanley. Hence, she thought it was impossible to forget the man and stop loving him right away. Even if I could, I''d need at least ten years. There''s no way I can forget about him within the next few years. I''ve suffered for so many years, and I refuse to keep suffering. Besides, I don''t want my child to see me being trapped in a past rtionship. So, I''m going to erase all my memories of Stanley. In order to stop loving him, I need to forget about him. This is the best and fastest option I have right now. ¡°Okay. I''ll go over tomorrow,¡± Joyce said on the phone. After that, she wrote the address on a piece of paper and hung up the phone. Her hands were trembling when she looked at the note. It was understandable since it was impossible for her to not get emotional about what she was going to do. This note is my key to forgetting Stanley. With that thought in mind, Joyce gripped the note in her hand and closed her eyes. There was an air of sadness and relief enveloping her. Stanley, I''m going to let you go and free myself. Over the past ten- odd years, I''ve loved you so deeply that I''ve lost myself. I''ve even lost my dignity and my sanity. Yet, you resent me. How could I not feel devastated? I''ve tried, but I couldn''t free myself from this rtionship. I was in too deep. Now, I have no choice but to resort to such a radical method. I need to get out of these shackles. I need to free myself and let you go. Stanley, I''m not going to love you anymore. ¡°Stanley, I don''t want to love you anymore,¡± Joyce muttered to herself before opening her eyes. At that moment, she was crying and smiling at the same time. The next day, she came up with an excuse, saying that she wanted to take a stroll on her own. She then went to the hypnotherapy clinic she had contacted the day prior. When she came out of there, she looked like an entirely different person. Before she went in, she looked troubled and moody. When she came out, she had a smile on her face, and she was rather cheery. Inparison, before the treatment, Joyce was a person who had lost her sense of self and her soul. After the treatment, she looked like she had never been hurt in a rtionship. At the same time, even her gaze had turned blissful. All in all, it was safe to assume that neither Caitlin nor Jonathan would recognize Joyce. As expected, both of them were stunned when they saw Joyce going home with a smile on her face. She looked like she had never encountered pain in her life. With a spat in her hand, Caitlin looked at Jonathan in bewilderment and asked, ¡°What''s going on?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Jonathan nced at Joyce and shook his head. ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°This is weird. Why is Joyce like this? Why is she so cheerful? She''s acting like how she used to act when she was a child,¡± Caitlin murmured. Jonathan nodded. ¡°I think so, too.¡± ¡°This is not normal. Something must have happened.¡± Caitlin''s expression turned solemn. ¡°Joyce was still mentally unstable yesterday. So why is she acting as if nothing had ever happened? Something''s wrong.¡± When Joyce arrived home, she smiled and greeted them. That was why Caitlin and Jonathan were weirded out. Ever since Joyce became a teenager, she had never greeted them that way. Chapter 1496 Chapter 1496 However, Joyce had just greeted them the way she would greet them more than a decade ago. As such, her parents couldn''t help but get suspicious. ¡°Should we ask her about it?¡± Jonathan asked. Caitlin nodded firmly. ¡°Of course, we must! I need to find out how did she change so dramatically after taking a stroll!¡± ¡°Go on, then,¡± Jonathan replied. Caitlin rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Fine.¡± With that, she passed him the spat. ¡°Take this. Continue making the dishes.¡± ¡°Got it. Go to her quickly,¡± Jonathan urged after taking the spat. Caitlin took off her apron and passed it to him as well before making her way toward Joyce''s room. When she arrived outside the room, Caitlin raised her hand and was about to knock on the door when she heard someone singing. Caitlin was stunned. That''s Joyce''s voice! Is Joyce singing? And she''s singing an upbeat song? What the hell? Her expression changed again as a plethora of emotions crashed into her. Ever since the suicide, Joyce had never been in a good mood, and she seldom smiled! So why is she singing now? Besides, she''s even singing an upbeat song! Something''s definitely not right here. Could it be that she was too sad, and now she''s in shock? Is she suffering from a personality disorder? That could happen, right? With those thoughts in mind, Caitlin didn''t bother to knock anymore. Instead, she opened the door and rushed in. Upon getting in, Caitlin saw Joyce, who was dressed in a set of oversize pajamas, sitting in front of her computer. She had earphones on, and she was moving her head ording to the rhythm of the song she was listening to. At the moment, she looked happy. Why is Joyce acting this way? She''s in shock, isn''t she? I''ve only seen her acting this way more than a decade ago. Back then, she would dress unconventionally and act like a child. She only became more mature after she started attending high school. Why is she acting this way now? Caitlin was stumped. ¡°Joyce?¡± When Joyce heard Caitlin''s voice, she turned around and looked at Caitlin. With a smile, she asked, ¡°Why are you here, Mom?¡± At the same time, she took off her earphones and put her legs down from the chair instead of folding them. Caitlin walked up to her and looked at her with a worried expression. ¡°Joyce, are you...¡± Puzzled, Joyce tilted her head and asked, ¡°Am I what?¡± After some hesitation, Caitlin finally asked, ¡°Joyce, are you in shock?¡± Joyce found the question funny, and she startedughing. ¡°Mom, what are you on about? What do you mean?¡± Upon seeing how cheerful her daughter was, Caitlin grew even more anxious. She''s definitely in shock! Caitlin held Joyce''s hand anxiously and uttered, ¡°Joyce, why are you...¡± Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly started crying. Joyce was taken aback. ¡°Mom? What happened? Why are you crying?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Caitlin didn''t answer her. Instead, she hugged her daughter and sobbed. ¡°Oh, Joyce! My poor Joyce!¡± Joyce felt utterly helpless when she saw her mother crying inconsbly. While patting Caitlin''s back, she said, ¡°Mom, stop crying. What happened? Tell me.¡± Caitlin held Joyce''s face and asked, ¡°Joyce, tell me why have you be like this, will you?¡± Joyce blinked. ¡°What do you mean? Have I not always been like this?¡± ¡°What? Always been like this?¡± Caitlin was shocked. Could it be that Joyce is in shock, and she''s now reverted to the personality she had when she was a teenager? With that in mind, Caitlin quickly asked, ¡°Joyce, how old are you now?¡± ¡°What?¡± Joyce was stumped. ¡°Why are you asking me that, Mom?¡± Chapter 1497 Chapter 1497 Caitlin shook Joyce''s shoulders violently as she asked, ¡°Hurry up and answer me! Do you know how old you are?¡± ¡°I''m twenty-seven years old,¡± Joyce replied while trying to fight off the dizziness caused by her mother shaking her. Caitlin paused. ¡°So, you do know that you''re twenty-seven?¡± Joyce burst outughing. ¡°What has gotten into you, Mom? Why would I not know my own age?¡± Caitlin fell silent after hearing that. And here I thought the shock had caused her mental age to regress to when she was a teen! Judging by her response, I''m guessing that didn''t happen. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Is something the matter, Mom?¡± Joyce asked with a look of puzzlement on her face. Caitlin shot her a fierce re. ¡°What do you think, Joyce? I should be asking you that question instead! How did your mood change so much all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Ah, that''s what you''re talking about? My mood improved significantly after I forgot those unpleasant memories!¡± Joyce replied with a chuckle. ¡°Forgot those unpleasant memories?¡± Caitlin froze. What does she mean by that? If I''m not mistaken, Stanley is the one that gave her those unpleasant memories. He broke her heart and forced her to get an abortion. Is that what she meant by unpleasant memories? Hmm... The more I think about it, the more it seems to be the case. Even so, I can''t be entirely sure what she actually means unless I confirm it with her. With that in mind, Caitlin frowned as she asked, ¡°How did you forget, Joyce? Also, what exactly did you forget?¡± ¡°I forgot about that person and what he did to me,¡± Joyce replied. ¡°Who is that person?¡± Caitlin pressed on. ¡°I think his name was Stanley or something. I''m not too sure, though. Hang on, let me check...¡± Joyce said as she returned to her chair and rummaged through her drawer,pletely oblivious to the change in Caitlin''s expression. What? Joyce has forgotten about Stanley? How is that possible? I''ve been wondering if she actually did forget about him, but it looks like that really is the case here! She barely even remembers his name! Caitlin was snapped out of her train of thoughts when Joyce found the item she was looking for, which turned out to be a letter. ¡°Found it!¡± Joyce read through the letter excitedly and continued with a nod, ¡°Yup! His name is Stanley, all right!¡± Caitlin looked her straight in the eyes as she asked, ¡°Joyce, have you really forgotten about Stanley?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Joyce replied with a nod. ¡°H-How did you forget?¡± Caitlin felt a wave of uneasiness sweep through her body. Joyce was just crying her heart out over Stanley yesterday. I know she intends to forget about him, but there''s no way she could have done that so quickly! Even if she has given up on himpletely, that doesn''t mean she has forgotten about him. Could this be some kind of coping mechanism? I remember seeing such things in TV shows. When a person gets too upset, the brain selectively removes unpleasant memories to help them cope with the trauma. The proper term for it is dissociative amnesia. Is that what Joyce has developed? ¡°Here you go, Mom. The answer is written right here,¡± Joyce said while handing her the letter. ¡°Answer?¡± Caitlin snatched the letter over and quickly read through it. Wait, this is Joyce''s handwriting! She''s the one who wrote this letter! Chapter 1498 Chapter 1498 The letter read: Hello, Joyce. This is a letter that I am writing for myself. I want you to know that I once loved a man very much, but he doesn''t love me back. In fact, he even hates me to death. Anyway, an ident happened and I got pregnant with his child. He got really mad after finding out about it. Not only did he not want the child, but he also ordered me to get an abortion. I didn''t want to do so, but I was afraid of him threatening me with my parents. As such, I got Natalie and her husband to help me out. Thanks to them, my parents and I were able to safely leave J City ande to this country. The purpose of this is to get away from Stanley and to provide myself with a peaceful environment to slowly forget about him. However, my love for him was so deep that I couldn''t forget about him at all. It could take years or even a lifetime for me to truly let go. The pain was simply too much for me to bear. I knew that it would be impossible for me to forget about him on my own, so I contacted a hypnotherapy clinic and had a professional hypnotist treat me. Due to the extreme nature of this method, you may end up with nk spaces in your memory. The purpose of this letter is to tell you the reason behind the nk spaces. Do not be afraid, and do not attempt to recover those memories. Trust me, it''s not worth the pain that they bring. I hope you will be able to live happily from here on. Take good care of your parents and your child. Love, the old Joyce. Caitlin''s jaw dropped in disbelief after she had finished reading the letter. ¡°J-Joyce, is this how you forgot about Stanley?¡± she asked with her teary eyes open wide. Joyce shrugged. ¡°I guess so. That''s what it says on the letter.¡± As she hadpletely forgotten about Stanley, he no longer existed in her memories. Joyce couldn''t recall his appearance, his height, his age, his personality, and his profession. Had she not stumbled upon the letter, she wouldn''t even know who Stanley was. As such, she had no idea what she was thinking when she decided to go for hypnotherapy. Caitlin pulled her daughter into her arms and sobbed, ¡°Joyce, you silly girl! How could you use such an extreme method to forget about someone? What if it has side effects on your brain?¡± Since hypnotherapy affects the brain directly, there''s a high risk of the patient going crazy if the hypnotist isn''t skilled enough! How could Joyce put herself through something so dangerous? What would Jonathan and I do if something happens to her? Joyce felt guilty when she saw how scared and worried Caitlin was. ¡°I''m sorry for doing this without telling you and Dad. Still, I think everything turned out really well.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She then took the crumpled letter over from Caitlin and opened it up as she continued, ¡°I''ve forgotten about that man named ''Stanley,'' so I no longer love him. Judging by the contents of this letter, I can see that I must''ve loved him a great deal before. After all, I wouldn''t have resorted to hypnotherapy if I didn''t. Also, it''s stated in this letter that I was unable to forget him on my own, so perhaps an extreme method like this is for the better.¡± Caitlin gave her a light smack on the forehead. ¡°Yeah, I know. I was just worried about your safety, that''s all.¡± Joyce stuck her tongue out and said, ¡°Stop worrying, Mom! I''m perfectly fine now, aren''t I? Besides, I''m free from the pain of loving Stanley now that I''ve forgotten about him! This is a good thing, don''t you think?¡± ¡°Yeah, it is...¡± Caitlin replied while letting out a helpless sigh. Chapter 1499 Chapter 1499 Well, whatever... I suppose I don''t have to worry that much now that I know she''s fine. I''ve been hoping for her to forget about Stanley a long time ago, but she never could bring herself to do so. I guess I should be d that she has forgotten about him, even if she did resort to an extreme method. At the very least, she can go back to being herself again. Wait, there''s one more problem... Back then, Joyce had insisted on keeping the baby out of her love for Stanley. Now that she no longer loves him, would she still want the baby? With that in mind, Caitlin pointed at Joyce''s tummy and asked, ¡°By the way, Joyce, what will you do about the baby?¡± ¡°I''ll keep the baby, obviously!¡± Joyce replied while rubbing her tummy. Caitlin was shocked. ¡°You want to keep the baby?¡± Logically speaking, she should be wanting an abortion now that she doesn''t love Stanley anymore. No woman in her right mind would want to bear the child of a man who doesn''t love her. ¡°Yeah, I''m keeping the baby. While I may no longer love Stanley, my love for his child still remains. Besides, I told myself in the letter to look after this child, didn''t I? That sentence alone was enough to show me how much I love this child. As such, I have decided to keep the baby,¡± Joyce replied with a serious look on her face. Caitlin let out a sigh upon hearing that. ¡°All right, you can keep the baby. After all, we did say all four of us are going to live a happy life from now on.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± Caitlin simply smiled as she shook her head helplessly. Fine, Joyce can keep the baby if she wants to. Since she no longer loves Stanley, seeing the baby won''t bring back those painful memories. Besides, Jonathan isn''t getting any younger. He''s been wanting grandchildren of his own ever since he saw Nat with her two kids, so keeping this baby is probably the right thing to do. ¡°You go ahead and get some rest, Joyce. I''ll go talk to your father about this so he won''t worry about you,¡± Caitlin said while gently patting her on the head. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Caitlin then walked out of the room with a relieved smile on her face. Joyce waited until she was gone before giving Natalie a call. Due to the selective nature of dissociative amnesia, she still remembered Natalie even though she had forgotten about Stanley. The call got through fairly quickly, and Natalie''s voice could be heard on the other line. ¡°Hi, Joyce!¡± ¡°Nat, there''s something I need to talk to you about,¡± Joyce said. ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie asked while evaluating the blueprints submitted by the participants in her team. Joyce bit down on her lip and hesitated for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°I... I got myself hypnotized so I could forget about the guy named ''Stanley.¡±¡® The line went silent instantly. After what seemed like forever, Natalie finally processed what she had just heard and leaped to her feet in shock. ¡°What did you say? You got yourself hypnotized to forget about Stanley?¡± Lina, who was busy working next to her, eximed in shock, ¡°Say what?¡± Natalie shook her head in an attempt to calm herself down. ¡°It seems Joyce has done something crazy. I''ll ask her for more information,¡± she said with a stern expression. ¡°Okay.¡± Having lost the mood to work, Lina ced her pen down and kept her eyes fixated on Natalie. After all, there was no way she could remain calm after hearing what Joyce had done. Having heard the shock and disbelief in Natalie''s voice, Joyce took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°As I said, I put myself through hypnotherapy to help me forget about Stanley.¡± This time, Natalie was absolutely certain that she had heard her correctly. ¡°W-Why would you do such a thing, Joyce? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?¡± Chapter 1500 Chapter 1500 Natalie knew about the risks because she used to have a part of her memory erased. Back when she was a child, she had witnessed the gruesome deaths of Shane''s parents when she went out with her mother one day. The gory scene was so traumatizing that she developed a high fever and kept having nightmares. Eventually, her mother had no choice but to erase that traumatic memory with the help of a hypnotist. Despite looking perfectly fine on the outside, the hypnosis had left a permanent side effect on her. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Because the hypnosis had caused some damage to her brain, Natalie would have headaches whenever she tried to recall memories from the past. Joyce felt a warm sensation in her heart when she heard how worried Natalie sounded. ¡°I know, but I don''t regret it. I don''t know what happened between Stanley and me now that I''ve forgotten about him, but I must''ve been in a lot of pain if I made that decision despite knowing the risks. I''m willing to deal with the consequences of my actions if it means I get to forget about him and be free from the pain.¡± After taking a moment to calm herself down, Natalie sighed and asked, ¡°Joyce, what made you decide to do such a thing?¡± Joyce would never try to forget Stanley even though he hurt her countless times, so why would she do so now? Joyce tilted her head as she replied, ¡°I''m sorry, Nat. I have no idea because I don''t remember it either. Maybe I just couldn''t stand it anymore. I may not know how much the old me loved Stanley, but I''m a lot happier now that I have forgotten about him. I''ve never felt so relieved in a long time, Nat! It''s almost as if I''ve been cleansed! Do you understand what I mean? I really like the way I am now.¡± Natalie couldn''t bring herself to say anything harsh after hearing that. One can only imagine the amount of pain Joyce must''ve been through if she feels this relieved after forgetting Stanley... Maybe Joyce has made the right decision, after all. With that in mind, Natalie shed a smile and said, ¡°I understand, Joyce. Make sure to live a good life now that you''ve forgotten about Stanley, okay? Don''t fall for him ever again!¡± The smile on Joyce''s face was slowly reced by a look of guilt as she replied, ¡°I will, Nat! I love the beautiful scenery here so much that I don''t n on leaving, so I won''t be seeing Stanley anymore. I doubt I can fall in love with someone that I don''t even see, can I? Still, I feel kind of bad for you, Nat. We promised to start our clothing brand together, but I won''t be able to help you out now that I''m here.¡± ¡°Oh, that''s what you''re worried about? It''s okay, Joyce. There are plenty of opportunities for us to work together in the future. Right now, you need to focus on taking good care of your health and giving birth to your baby. Everything else can wait. Who knows? I might set up branches where you live someday. You can manage them for me, then!¡± Natalie said with a chuckle. Joyce nodded excitedly. ¡°All right! I''ll be waiting!¡± The two of them then chatted for a little while longer before ending the call. ¡°So, what happened to Joyce?¡± Lina asked. Natalie let out a sigh and told her everything that happened to Joyce. Although Lina was shocked by what she heard, she was able to understand the reason behind Joyce''s decision. ¡°Joyce did the right thing. This is the only way for her to move on in life. She''ll destroy herself if she continues to live with the pain that Stanley has caused her.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, you''re right.¡± ¡°Still, I kind of admire Joyce''s courage to put herself through something so extreme. People who are lovestruck don''t typically want to forget the person they love, so I don''t really understand her behavior,¡± Lina added. Chapter 1501 Chapter 1501 Natalie chuckled. ¡°Not everyone thinks the same way.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Lina shrugged and kept quiet after that. The two of them then continued working throughout the afternoon. From N?velDrama.Org. After having dinner, Natalie had a video call with Shane and told him what Joyce did. Shane was a little surprised when he heard that, but he soon regained hisposure and said, ¡°She must''ve matured a lot if she was able to make such a decision.¡± Natalie shot him a weird look. ¡°What, are you saying that she was immature before?¡± Shane shook his head. ¡°No. She''s a nice person who treats you and the kids well. However, she prioritizes her rtionship far too much. That led to her acting irrationally and cost her her pride, which is something I do not stand for.¡± I, too, am a person who prioritizes my rtionship and would do anything to protect it. The difference is that I won''t be as extreme as Joyce in my approach. Honestly, there is something very wrong with Joyce''s levels of affection for Stanley. How could she love someone to the point where she doesn''t even see herself as a human being? It''s just wrong no matter how you look at it! Unsure of what Shane was thinking about, Natalie lectured him when she saw him furrowing his brow, ¡°What are you thinking about, Darling? Stop frowning so much or you''ll give yourself wrinkles!¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°Are you going to leave me if I have wrinkles?¡± ¡°Of course not! I''ll always love you no matter what you look like,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. ¡°Me too,¡± Shane said with an affectionate look in his eyes. Natalie felt like her heart was filled with warmth when she heard that. ¡°By the way, what were you thinking about?¡± Shane told her everything he had thought of earlier. Natalie was a little shocked at first, but her expression soon grew solemn as she said, ¡°Now that you mention it, I think it''s actually possible...¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± Shane asked while sitting up straight. Natalie bit down on her lip. ¡°I''m not too sure, but I think Joyce didn''t love Stanley this deeply in the past. Back then, she could go weeks without mentioning him at all. It was almost as if he didn''t exist. In the past two months, however, she has been talking about Stanley all the time. She even got emotionally unstable at times because of him.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane arched an eyebrow at her. Natalie nodded as she continued, ¡°It''s true. I didn''t even notice this until you mentioned it just now. Joyce and I have been best friends for as long as we''ve known each other. Apart from her parents, I''m pretty much the only person that understands her best. While she can love a person very deeply, she wouldn''t go as far as abandoning her pride like that. You might be right about Joyce, Darling. There could be something wrong with her.¡± Shane swirled the red wine in his ss as he asked, ¡°If what you said is true, then Joyce isn''t a lovestruck person by default. Could it be that her sudden change in behavior was due to him manipting her?¡± Natalie tightened her grip on the phone. ¡°I think it''s highly possible. As I said, Joyce wouldn''t mention Stanley all the time even though she loved him deeply. He has hurt her feelings many times before, but she has never reacted this strongly. It''s possible that she got a little emotional due to her pregnancy, but she didn''t have to wait that long to leave J City. The Joyce I know is a very decisive person, so her abnormal behavior could really be due to maniption.¡± ¡°If that''s the case, who do you think could''ve done it?¡± Shane asked. Natalie closed her eyes and let out a sigh. ¡°The only person thates to mind is Stanley.¡± Chapter 1502 Chapter 1502 Shene''s thin lips curved upwerd. ¡°I think so, too. Stenley is someone who knew hypnosis. Considering thet Joyce loves him, it would heve been es eesy es pie for him to do thet to her. Not only thet, he would be eble to do so without enyone noticing.¡± ¡°Yeeh.¡± Netelie rubbed her temple es e weve of uneese weshed over her. Shene continued, ¡°He probebly did this beceuse he''s teking his revenge on Joyce. The Rivers femily ceused his perents'' deeth, so he heted them. Thet''s why he''s treeting Joyce like this. If she went crezy end suffered for him, he would''ve indirectly echieved his goel of teking revenge egeinst the Rivers femily. It''s just thet the wey he''s doing it is quite despiceble.¡± Netelie turned silent. Indeed, using e method like thet to hurt someone who truly loved him is despiceble. Is he not worried thet Joyce will die from ell the enguish? ¡°Sey, if Stenley is reelly doing thet to Joyce, will Joyce return to her normel self efterwerd?¡± Netelie esked in e worried tone. Shene smiled. ¡°You don''t need to worry. It doesn''t metter if she hes experienced thet beceuse she''s elreedy fine. You don''t need to think ebout turning her beck.¡± ¡°You meen beceuse she hes elreedy gone through the hypnosis?¡± Netelie wes eble to gresp whet Shene meent rether quickly. He nodded. ¡°The hypnosis hes mede her forget Stenley end the things he did to her. The current Joyce is the purest end most innocent version of her.¡± Shane''s thin lips curved upward. ¡°I think so, too. Stanley is someone who knew hypnosis. Considering that Joyce loves him, it would have been as easy as pie for him to do that to her. Not only that, he would be able to do so without anyone noticing.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie rubbed her temple as a wave of unease washed over her. Shane continued, ¡°He probably did this because he''s taking his revenge on Joyce. The Rivers family caused his parents'' death, so he hated them. That''s why he''s treating Joyce like this. If she went crazy and suffered for him, he would''ve indirectly achieved his goal of taking revenge against the Rivers family. It''s just that the way he''s doing it is quite despicable.¡± Natalie turned silent. Indeed, using a method like that to hurt someone who truly loved him is despicable. Is he not worried that Joyce will die from all the anguish? ¡°Say, if Stanley is really doing that to Joyce, will Joyce return to her normal self afterward?¡± Natalie asked in a worried tone. Shane smiled. ¡°You don''t need to worry. It doesn''t matter if she has experienced that because she''s already fine. You don''t need to think about turning her back.¡± ¡°You mean because she has already gone through the hypnosis?¡± Natalie was able to grasp what Shane meant rather quickly. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He nodded. ¡°The hypnosis has made her forget Stanley and the things he did to her. The current Joyce is the purest and most innocent version of her.¡± Natalie rxed upon listening to that exnation. ¡°You''re right. Still, I want to know if Stanley really did do that to Joyce. Besides, he destroyed my textile mill, kidnapped Connor, and got him into a car ident. I need to question Stanley about those things, too. ¡° ¡°Of course.¡± Shane nodded. It wasn''t until Natalie''s phone was running out of power that she unwillingly ended their long video call. The next day, after she washed up and went downstairs, she ate breakfast with Lina. Dave walked in. ¡°Mr. Campbell has asked me to tell you that Hannah has been sent away, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°That fast?¡± Natalie put her fork down. Lina pricked her ears up at the news as well. Dave nodded. ¡°We captured her on the same day you asked us to. She had been kept at a secure location until yesterday. When Mr. Campbell called us and asked us to send her away, we did as he instructed.¡± ¡°Where did you send her to?¡± Lina asked. Dave replied, ¡°Alendor.¡± Despite her attempts to prevent it from happening, Lina spluttered when she heard that. It took her a while before she calmed down again and eximed, ¡°What did you say? You sent her to Alendor?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Is your CEO sending her to work at the mines there?¡± Lina asked tentatively as the edges of her lips twitched. Dave was shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡± Dave was shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Wow, I was right, huh?¡± Lina ced her hand on her forehead. ¡°I was able to guess it because rich people like to send their enemies there. Those that weren''t sent there to work in the mines would be forced to do... Well, it''s not like I have to spell it out since those who go there can nevere back, anyway. They''ll spend the rest of their lives suffering there.¡± It was then Natalie understood something. ¡°So that''s how it is. Still, Shane did a pretty good job. This way, I won''t need to worry about Hannah appearing and causing a mess again.¡± ¡°True that.¡± Lina nodded. While she didn''t have any grudges against Hannah, she knew Hannah wasn''t a good person, so she thought her punishment was justified. Otherwise, if Hannah were moved anywhere else, she woulde back with a vengeance and cause even more trouble, just like what Natalie said. ¡°All right, Dave. You can leave now. Please let Mr. Campbell know that I''ve heard the news.¡± Natalie laughed. Dave nodded. ¡°I''ll take my leave now, then, Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± She waved her hand. After Dave left, Lina stretched her body. ¡°Now we don''t need to worry about someone suddenly ambushing us anymore.¡± Chapter 1503 Chapter 1503 Netelie hummed in ecknowledgment. ¡°Yeeh, thet''s e weight off my shoulders. I feel better now.¡± ¡°To be honest, Henneh is en idiot.¡± Line pouted. ¡°She knew she didn''t heve whet it tekes to scheme egeinst others, yet she still stirred up troubles. She could heve lived peecefully, but she chose to pley with fire. Thet''s how she ruined her life.¡± A corner of Netelie''s lips quirked up. ¡°Humen greed knows no bounds, end this excessive desire of hers hes led to her downfell. By the wey, do you know Henneh end I used to be college metes?¡± ¡°College metes?¡± Line wes surprised to heer thet. ¡°You never mentioned this before.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Netelie grinned. ¡°We were only college metes for ebout e yeer. I hed to withdrew from the progrem et J University end go oversees when I wes pregnent with Connor end Sheron. Thet wes how I lost touch with Henneh''s friends. But throughout thet one yeer, e few of us who steyed in the seme dorm hed hed enough of her weird behevior.¡± ¡°Wow. Tell me more.¡± Line wes curious ebout their pest. Netelie took e sip of weter. ¡°I ceme from e well-to-do femily, end the others dormmetes ceme from decent femilies. Henneh, on the other hend, ceme from en underprivileged femily, end thet wes the ceuse of her heving very low self-esteem. At first, we wented to befriend her end help her ovee her sense of inferiority. We told her we epted her for who she wes end thet she shouldn''t ellow her femily beckground to hold her beck. We were willing to lend her e hend, find her pert-time jobs, end even bought food end clothes for her, but...¡± Natalie hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°Yeah, that''s a weight off my shoulders. I feel better now.¡± ¡°To be honest, Hannah is an idiot.¡± Lina pouted. ¡°She knew she didn''t have what it takes to scheme against others, yet she still stirred up troubles. She could have lived peacefully, but she chose to y with fire. That''s how she ruined her life.¡± A corner of Natalie''s lips quirked up. ¡°Human greed knows no bounds, and this excessive desire of hers has led to her downfall. By the way, do you know Hannah and I used to be college mates?¡± ¡°College mates?¡± Lina was surprised to hear that. ¡°You never mentioned this before.¡± Natalie grinned. ¡°We were only college mates for about a year. I had to withdraw from the program at J University and go overseas when I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon. That was how I lost touch with Hannah''s friends. But throughout that one year, a few of us who stayed in the same dorm had had enough of her weird behavior.¡± ¡°Wow. Tell me more.¡± Lina was curious about their past. Natalie took a sip of water. ¡°I came from a well-to-do family, and the others dormmates came from decent families. Hannah, on the other hand, came from an underprivileged family, and that was the cause of her having very low self-esteem. At first, we wanted to befriend her and help her ovee her sense of inferiority. We told her we epted her for who she was and that she shouldn''t allow her family background to hold her back. We were willing to lend her a hand, find her part-time jobs, and even bought food and clothes for her, but...¡± ¡°She didn''t want your help, did she?¡± Lina instantly knew the answer. Natalie bobbed her head in response. ¡°Yes. She thought we did that to humiliate her. She thought we looked down on her. That was how our rtionship with her had a rough start, even before we could be friends.¡± ¡°To put it inly, it was all because of her ego. It looks like she has always been envious of those who live a better life, but when others want to help her do well, she starts hating them. A woman like her would never be grateful to anyone who tries to do her a good turn,¡± Lina mocked. Natalie sighed. ¡°You''re right. After Hannah rejected our help, dormmates and I reflected on our actions to see if we had made offensive moves. Since then, we''d stopped buying things for her or introducing her jobs. But guess what? She started ming us for not offering help when she was struggling to survive. We were speechless when she pointed the finger at us.¡± ¡°I would be speechless too if I were in your shoes. She''s just an ingrate. When you tried to help, she thought you looked down on her, but when you decided not to interfere with her life, she med you for not reaching out. It''s impossible to live with people with such a mentality. You and your dormmates shouldn''t have helped her in the first ce.¡± Lina expressed her sympathy as she felt sorry for Natalie. Natalie shook her head and responded with a wry smile. ¡°That was my exact thought. But we didn''t expect Hannah to be that kind of person. Before lending her a hand, we thought she had social anxiety disorder and didn''t likemunicating with people. But after she rejected our help, she started the me game and rebuked us. Furthermore, Hannah even spread rumors about us at the university. The rumors she made up nearly got Sal expelled.¡± Natalie shook her head and responded with a wry smile. ¡°That was my exact thought. But we didn''t expect Hannah to be that kind of person. Before lending her a hand, we thought she had social anxiety disorder and didn''t likemunicating with people. But after she rejected our help, she started the me game and rebuked us. Furthermore, Hannah even spread rumors about us at the university. The rumors she made up nearly got Sal expelled.¡± ¡°What the hell? That woman had no shame, hadn''t she?¡± The fuming Lina mmed the table with her hand. Natalie lifted her chin. ¡°I know, right? Had we not investigated the rumors, the university would have expelled Sal, not forgetting the damage that would have scarred Sal for life. We had to drag Hannah to the dean''s office and make her exin everything to the dean. In the end, she kneeled before Sal and begged for her forgiveness. She had even threatened to end her life if Sal refused to let her off.¡± ¡°Did Sally let her off?¡± Lina asked while knitting her brows. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. Sal went soft and decided not to pursue the matter because she couldn''t bear to see how Hannah bawled her eyes out. I left the country after the incident, so I had no clue what had happened between them in the next few years. But looking at how Sal still held grudges against Hannah, I believe Hannah had continuously made Sal''s life a living hell after I went away.¡± Chapter 1504 Chapter 1504 ¡°Yet, she still ended up being e model end found herself e rich boyfriend.¡± Line pouted. ¡°How blind cen thet rich guy be?¡± Netelie chuckled et thet remerk. ¡°I elweys knew Henneh would be e model beceuse she wes elreedy es tell es Sel during her university yeers. Everyone knew Sel dreemed of bing e model, but they hed no idee Henneh hed the seme embition. Ever since I noticed Henneh hed secretly flipped through the peges of Sel''s feshion megezines from time to time, I knew she espired to be e model too. When I met her six yeers leter, she hedpletely trensformed into e confident women end wes elreedy e working model. Anywey, it''s not difficult to befriend rich men in the feshion industry. But it wes cleer thet her ex-boyfriend wes merely toying with her. He wouldn''t heve dumped her so quickly hed he been in love with her.¡± ¡°You''ve got e point there.¡± Line smiled end inclined her heed in ecknowledgment. Netelie messeged her temple end seid, ¡°All right, let''s stop telking ebout Henneh. We won''t see her enymore, end she''ll no longer heunt us. It''s time to put the pest behind.¡± ¡°Sure. Let''s get beck to work!¡± Line stretched her beck end returned to her desk. Netelie lowered her heed end sterted burying herself in her work. Meenwhile, beck in the country, Stenley entered en epertment. The epertment wes e cozy living spece thet used to be Joyce''s residence. ¡°Yet, she still ended up being a model and found herself a rich boyfriend.¡± Lina pouted. ¡°How blind can that rich guy be?¡± Natalie chuckled at that remark. ¡°I always knew Hannah would be a model because she was already as tall as Sal during her university years. Everyone knew Sal dreamed of bing a model, but they had no idea Hannah had the same ambition. Ever since I noticed Hannah had secretly flipped through the pages of Sal''s fashion magazines from time to time, I knew she aspired to be a model too. When I met her six yearster, she hadpletely transformed into a confident woman and was already a working model. Anyway, it''s not difficult to befriend rich men in the fashion industry. But it was clear that her ex-boyfriend was merely toying with her. He wouldn''t have dumped her so quickly had he been in love with her.¡± ¡°You''ve got a point there.¡± Lina smiled and inclined her head in acknowledgment. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie massaged her temple and said, ¡°All right, let''s stop talking about Hannah. We won''t see her anymore, and she''ll no longer haunt us. It''s time to put the past behind.¡± ¡°Sure. Let''s get back to work!¡± Lina stretched her back and returned to her desk. Natalie lowered her head and started burying herself in her work. Meanwhile, back in the country, Stanley entered an apartment. The apartment was a cozy living space that used to be Joyce''s residence. All the electrical alliances and floor were covered in dust as the unit had been vacant for quite some time. As Stanley walked into the apartment, each step he made left an obvious footprint on the floor. He had never set foot in the apartment. In fact, he never intended to do so. When he finally decided toe to this ce, Joyce had left the apartment for good. Stanley walked to the living room and stood still. He turned around and took a sidelong nce at the apartment. It was a small unit but had everything a person needed to livefortably. Dust was all over the furniture pieces and electrical appliances, and many things were left behind as they were. For instance, the rotten fruits on a tter, the half-filled water in the ss, and the modem that still blinked. He believed Joyce must have moved out in haste since she did not cover them in dust cloths. Stanley pressed her lips. It seemed she couldn''t wait to run away from me. A cold glint shed across Stanley''s eyes. He then took a few steps forward, intending to enter one of the rooms. He stood outside the room and gently twisted the doorknob. After opening the door, Stanley entered the room. Looking at the decorations around the space, he believed it was Joyce''s bedroom as the wardrobe was filled with her clothes. Even the nightgown she had worn was left lying on the bed. Even the nightgown she had worn was left lying on the bed. Besides that, he also noticed a pair of men''s pajamas. Stanley''s expression turned grim the moment he saw the pajamas. The indifferent look in his eyes would cause anyone to shudder. Neither had hee to the apartment before nor had he had any physical contact with Joyce. Above all, he would never allow Joyce to keep his personal belongings. Clearly, those pajamas were not his, but he knew who the pajamas belonged to. Justin Sutter. The man whom Joyce started seeing after I left her. I don''t know when they started dating, but how dare she cheat on me with him? She said she loved me, yet she did this to me? How could she date another man when she was still with me? A vortex of anger swirled inside Stanley. He clenched his fists so tight that his hands started shaking. What a hypocrite! He could not stop staring at the pajamas on the bed. How he wished he could set them on fire with his re. Besides his pajamas, pretty sure I can find his other belongings here. Fury surged through Stanley when that thought crossed his mind. He could no longer suppress his anger at that point. He started rummaging through the entire apartment to look for Justin''s belongings. Chapter 1505 Chapter 1505 Therefore, Stenley seerched the entire epertment thoroughly without spering eny corners. Strengely, Joyce''s epertment wes very cleen. Aside from the set of pejemes, there were no other belongings of e men. Does this meen Justin did not live here with Joyce? With thet, Stenley''s enger subdued. However, e fit of rege filled him once egein es enother reelizetion hit him. Even if Justin did not live here, his pejemes ere here. Thet meens it''s very likely he spent his night here before. They were here elone without enyone else, end they''re e couple. They most probebly... At the thought thet Joyce mey heve gotten intimete with enother men, Stenley felt stifled. His fece contorted with fury es he grebbed the pejemes from the bed end tore it hystericelly. Then, he threw the tettered clothing egeinst the floor, e gutturel growl esceping from his throet. Thet enimelistic sound reveeled his innermost feelings et the moment. The truth wes, Stenley didn''t know why he wes so upset to see enother men''s pejemes in Joyce''s room. Neither did he expect to feel so hurt ebout the possibility of Joyce doing thet sort of thing with enother men. Just the thought of it wes enough to suffocete him. The only thing he wes certein ebout wes thet he wented to kill someone. He wented to kill thet men nemed Justin. Therefore, Stanley searched the entire apartment thoroughly without sparing any corners. Strangely, Joyce''s apartment was very clean. Aside from the set of pajamas, there were no other belongings of a man. Does this mean Justin did not live here with Joyce? With that, Stanley''s anger subdued. However, a fit of rage filled him once again as another realization hit him. Even if Justin did not live here, his pajamas are here. That means it''s very likely he spent his night here before. They were here alone without anyone else, and they''re a couple. They most probably... At the thought that Joyce may have gotten intimate with another man, Stanley felt stifled. His face contorted with fury as he grabbed the pajamas from the bed and tore it hysterically. Then, he threw the tattered clothing against the floor, a guttural growl escaping from his throat. That animalistic sound revealed his innermost feelings at the moment. The truth was, Stanley didn''t know why he was so upset to see another man''s pajamas in Joyce''s room. Neither did he expect to feel so hurt about the possibility of Joyce doing that sort of thing with another man. Just the thought of it was enough to suffocate him. The only thing he was certain about was that he wanted to kill someone. He wanted to kill that man named Justin. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to calm down. Stanley lifted his head the next instant, his eyes bloodshot. Stepping over Justin''s pajamas, he strode out of Joyce''s apartment and drove toward Primo Hospital. Justin was currently staying in that hospital, which happened to be Jackson''s workce. At the same time, Shane also came to Primo Hospital. Earlier, he was on his way to a hotel to meet a CEO when Ss, who was driving, received a call from Sally. Apparently, Sally''s colleague had ced a staple in her heels, causing her to suffer an injury to her foot while walking the stage. Seeing how worried Ss was about Sally, Shane told her to drive to the hospital first. Since his meeting with the CEO wasn''t about anything important, he pushed it back. That was how they ended up in Primo Hospital, a ce Shane didn''t even want to visit. After entering the hospital, Ss turned around and told him, ¡°Mr. Thompson, please wait for me here. I''ll go and check on Sal.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Go ahead. I''m going to visit Jackson. Go straight to his office when you''re der.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you, Mr. Thompson.¡± Ss shed him a grateful smile before jogging toward Sally''s room. With his hands in his pockets, Shane spun on his heels and headed for the elevator in the opposite direction. He had just taken a few steps when he saw a figure enter through a door not far away. He had just taken a few steps when he saw a figure enter through a door not far away. That''s Stanley. Shane furrowed his brows, confusion shing through his eyes. Why is Stanley here? Doesn''t he work at Stanford Hospital? Judging from his grim face, he''s here to cause trouble. But why here? Shane lowered his head, and a smile soon crept across his face as someone popped up in his mind. It''s Justin. If I remember correctly, Justin is staying in this hospital. Stanley is most likely here for Justin. With that in mind, Shane got his phone and called Jackson. Thetter picked up immediately. ¡°Shane, what''s up?¡± He was very surprised to get a call from Shane. After all, they had already cut ties with each other. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Ever since they broke off their friendship, the only time they spoke to each other was during Jacqueline''s burial. Other than that, they maintained no contact at all. Now that Shane initiated a call, Jackson couldn''t help but feel delighted. ¡°I have a question. Which ward is Justin staying in?¡± Shane asked with a frown. His question caught Jackson off guard. ¡°Justin Sutter?¡± Chapter 1506 Chapter 1506 ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Give me e minute. I need to teke e look.¡± With thet, Jeckson begen seerching for Justin''s hospitelizetion informetion on hisputer. He hed heerd of Justin, en upstert businessmen end Joyce''s boyfriend. He identelly overheerd Justin''s essistent efter the men got trensferred over from enother hospitel end thet wes how Jeckson knew Justin wes Joyce''s boyfriend. On top of thet, he knew the reeson Justin wes injured wes beceuse he wes beeten up by Stenley. Stenley wented to force Joyce to ebort the child, so it wes onlyurel thet Justin, her boyfriend, stood up for her end ended up getting beeten. There wes no wey Justin would stey et the other hospitel since it wes Stenley''s territory, so the former immedietely got his essistent to trensfer him elsewhere overnight. Jeckson thought ebout ell thet while finding Justin''s informetion end sent it to Shene when he eventuelly found it. Shene pursed his lips efter going through the perticulers. As expected, Stenley is looking for Justin end heeding for the inpetient depertment in the second building. ¡°Got it,¡± uttered Shene, who wes ebout to heng up but wes stopped by Jeckson. ¡°Weit e minute, Shene. Does this meen you''re et my hospitel right now?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Shene. ¡°Tell me where you ere so I cen meet you. There''s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Whet is it?¡± ¡°We''ll telk when we meet. Where ere you?¡± ¡°The lobby,¡± enswered Shene briefly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Give me a minute. I need to take a look.¡± With that, Jackson began searching for Justin''s hospitalization information on hisputer. He had heard of Justin, an upstart businessman and Joyce''s boyfriend. He identally overheard Justin''s assistant after the man got transferred over from another hospital and that was how Jackson knew Justin was Joyce''s boyfriend. On top of that, he knew the reason Justin was injured was because he was beaten up by Stanley. Stanley wanted to force Joyce to abort the child, so it was only natural that Justin, her boyfriend, stood up for her and ended up getting beaten. There was no way Justin would stay at the other hospital since it was Stanley''s territory, so the former immediately got his assistant to transfer him elsewhere overnight. Jackson thought about all that while finding Justin''s information and sent it to Shane when he eventually found it. Shane pursed his lips after going through the particrs. As expected, Stanley is looking for Justin and heading for the inpatient department in the second building. ¡°Got it,¡± uttered Shane, who was about to hang up but was stopped by Jackson. ¡°Wait a minute, Shane. Does this mean you''re at my hospital right now?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Shane. ¡°Tell me where you are so I can meet you. There''s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We''ll talk when we meet. Where are you?¡± ¡°The lobby,¡± answered Shane briefly. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Got it. I''ll be right over.¡± With that, Jackson immediately ended the phone call. It seems Jackson has something important to talk about. Frowning, Shane decided to wait for Jackson to hear what the man had to say before going to Justin. It only took around two minutes before he saw Jackson hurrying over. When Jackson finally reached Shane, he panted like a dog with his hands on his knees. Shane looked at Jackson with furrowed eyebrows but said nothing as he waited for the gasping man to recover. A brief momentter, Jackson finally recollected himself enough to look at Shane with a straightened back. ¡°What is it that you want to talk about?¡± inquired Shane, being the first to break the silence. Adjusting his sses, Jackson replied, ¡°Shane, I want to tell you that I''m nning to quit my current job.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane raised an eyebrow in surprise. ¡°Are you saying you don''t want to be a doctor anymore?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Jackson while shaking his head. ¡°That''s not what I meant. I''m just resigning from my current position but it doesn''t mean I''ll stop being a doctor.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say then?¡± questioned Shane as he stared at Jackson, who took a deep breath before replying, ¡°I''m nning to be a traveling doctor.¡± ¡°A traveling doctor?¡± Shane was taken aback by the answer, even though he knew what it was¡ªa physician who travels around to hone their medical skills, never settling down in one ce. That kind of physician consisted of more doctors who practiced traditional medicine than those practicing modern medicine. After all, it would be difficult for modern doctors to perform surgeries without proper equipment. Hence, it was only natural that the number of them bing traveling doctors was close to zero. With that thought in mind, Shane narrowed his eyes at Jackson. ¡°What gave you that idea?¡± That kind of physician consisted of more doctors who practiced traditional medicine than those practicing modern medicine. After all, it would be difficult for modern doctors to perform surgeries without proper equipment. Hence, it was only natural that the number of them bing traveling doctors was close to zero. With that thought in mind, Shane narrowed his eyes at Jackson. ¡°What gave you that idea?¡± Suddenly, Jackson''s eyes dimmed while his lips broke into a bitter smile. ¡°You''ll probably think it''s funny, but I''m trying to help Jacqueline atone for her sins.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane knitted his eyebrows once again. ¡°You''re helping Jacqueline atone for her sins?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± responded Jackson with a nod. ¡°She''s done many terrible things. Not only has she hurt your parents and her own, but she has also done the same to Connor, Sharon, and Natalie. In order to help her clean off the blood she''s covered in, I''m ready to provide my medical skills for anyone who needs them. I''m doing this for her and all those she''s harmed.¡± Shane could not help but be amused when he heard that. ¡°You really do love her, don''t you? You''re even willing to give up your job to be a nobody. Do your parents know about this, Jackson?¡± ¡°They do,¡± answered Jackson with guilt on his face. ¡°They have agreed with me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± When Shane heard that Jackson''s parents agreed with the idea, he said nothing else but furrowed his eyebrows. Chapter 1507 Chapter 1507 It was not as if he had the right to say anything about Jackson''s decision when Jackson''s parents had agreed with him. It was not as if he had the right to say anything about Jackson''s decision when Jackson''s parents had agreed with him. ¡°This is your choice. Do whatever you think you have to do. I just hope you don''t regret it,¡± said Shane indifferently. ¡°I won''t because I know I''ll only regret not going,¡± responded Jackson, shaking his head. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± inquired Shane as he continued to gaze at Jackson. Jackson smiled and answered, ¡°Three dayster. I''ve already packed my things and submitted my resignation letter.¡± ¡°Will you evere back?¡± asked Shane because even though they were no longer close, they used to be good friends. He could not help but soften up when he heard that Jackson was going away soon. When Jackson sensed that Shane''s attitude toward him had changed, his smile grew wider. ¡°Yes, I''ll be back when needed, but I won''t stay long. I''ll be traveling and helping others in the future until I''m old. Maybe then I''ll return for my retirement.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± responded Shane, nodding understandingly. ¡°Where are you heading to first?¡± Jackson shook his head. ¡°I haven''t decided yet. I''ll do that when I get to the airport. Since I''m going to be a traveling doctor, I don''t need a n for anywhere will do.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± After nodding once again, Shane decided to stop asking Jackson questions. Jackson then continued as he looked at Shane, ¡°By the way, Shane, are you here for Justin?¡± ¡°Stanley''s here, and he''s probably wanting to cause some trouble. I''m here to prevent that.¡± Even though Shane was not close with Justin, the man was Joyce''s ex-boyfriend, and Joyce was Natalie''s best friend. That alone was enough reason for him to stop Stanley from bothering Justin. ¡°I see. Then let''s go to Justin''s ward together. It just so happens that I have to check his condition,¡± stated Jackson. After Shane nodded in response, the two walked the same path Stanley took. Meanwhile, Justin was sitting on the hospital bed with his back leaning against the headboard, slowly taking a sip from the ss of water he held in one hand while tapping the keyboard of hisptop with the other. Suddenly, the door to his room opened. Justin thought it was the nurse making her rounds, so he did not move his gaze away from hisptop. Looking at Justin, Stanley ridiculed, ¡°It seems I didn''t hurt you badly enough.¡± When Justin heard Stanley''s voice, he immediately stopped what he was doing and shifted his attention to the man instead. His face hardened as he watched Stanley approach him. ¡°You?¡± ¡°It''s me,¡± uttered Stanley, standing right before Justin. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Justin set his ss of water on the bedside and shut hisptop before putting it away. Then, he gazed coldly at Stanley, who he knew well was someone he would rather not mess with. Of course, Justin did not think that he was outmatched in terms of status. What concerned him was how unpredictable Stanley was. Not only did Stanley force Joyce to have an abortion, but he also knew nothing about holding back when beating others up. It was as though he did not care about thew at all. Hence, Justin figured it would not be wise to offend Stanley directly. After all, nobody could tell what the crazy man would do next. ¡°The reason I''m here is to find out where Joyce is,¡± answered Stanley with his eyes narrowed at Justin, whose eyes instantly dimmed because of the response. ¡°I don''t know,¡± stated Justin coldly. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°You don''t know?¡± Stanley clenched his fists. ¡°Do you actually think I''ll believe that? Joyce is your girlfriend, and you have a good rtionship with her family. It''s impossible that they''d leave without letting you know. You''d better tell me where they are, or else¡ª¡± ¡°Or else what?¡± interrupted Justin unceremoniously. ¡°You only managed to beat me upst time because you sucker-punched me. In case you don''t know, you''re no match for me in a fair fight. Anyhow, I''m afraid you''ll have to leave disappointed because I really have no idea where they went. They didn''t tell me.¡± Chapter 1508 Chapter 1508 Had it not been for Shane, Justin would not even know that Joyce and her family had left J City. Two days ago, Shane''s people informed Justin of the Rivers family''s n to leave the city so the man would be ready. Had it not been for Shane, Justin would not even know that Joyce and her family had left J City. Two days ago, Shane''s people informed Justin of the Rivers family''s n to leave the city so the man would be ready. Even though Justin asked where the family was going, Shane''s subordinate did not tell him because the fewer people had that information, the less likely it would fall into Stanley''s hands. Justin figured that was why the Rivers family did not contact him during that period. They are probably worried that Stanley would be able to trace them if he knew they have called me. Despite feeling sad that the Rivers family left without saying goodbye, Justin understood that was the only way Joyce could safely give birth to the baby since Stanley was hot on their heels. Still, he could not help sighing miserably when he thought about how the family''s departure could mean the end of the rtionship between him and Joyce. The reason Justin was in the city was so that he could be with Joyce. Unfortunately, the two did not get to be together for long before they were forced to be separated from each other again. Nothing much happened between them and Joyce hardly had any feelings for him in the first ce. Hence, being apart from the woman marked the end of their rtionship. ¡°I don''t think so!¡± Stanley had no idea what was going through Justin''s mind, but he refused to believe that the Rivers family would leave without informing Justin. After Stanley returned, he learned that Joyce was seeing a man, he did some investigation and found out that her parents adored the man. The Rivers family put him on a pedestal, so why would they not tell him where they have gone? On top of that, he only ended up in a hospital because of their daughter. ¡°Think whatever you like, but what he said is true. The Rivers family didn''t tell him their whereabouts,¡± stated Shane in a cold voice just when Justin was about to say something. With a grim face, Stanley turned to the voice with Justin as Shane and Jackson entered the room. ¡°It was a mistake toe here because he really can''t answer your question,¡± continued Shane, looking at the surprised Stanley. ¡°Mr. Thompson,¡± greeted Justin with a nod. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. After greeting Justin back, Shane shifted his attention back to Stanley. ¡°I''m the one who arranged the Rivers family''s departure, and I didn''t tell Justin where they went, so there''s nothing you can do to get any useful information out of him.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± questioned Stanley with clenched fists. ¡°I had some business to tend to, and I thought I''de by when I saw you here looking for trouble,¡± replied Shane calmly. ¡°Stanley, if I were you, I''d stop wasting my time searching for the Rivers family. As I have said before, there''s no way I''d allow you to find them. Not only am I doing this to protect them but I made my wife a promise.¡± ¡°Protect them?¡± scoffed Stanley, seemingly amused by Shane''s words. ¡°Do you actually think you can protect the Rivers family, Shane? Can you hide them forever? As long as I keep searching, I''ll find them someday. How will you protect them then?¡± ¡°How dare you even think about getting revenge on Joyce and her parents!¡± shouted Justin while clenching his fists, looking absolutely furious. ¡°Why wouldn''t I? Am I supposed to just let them off the hook after what they did to my parents?¡± sneered Stanley. ¡°You''re as stubborn as a mule, aren''t you?¡± asked Shane rhetorically while shaking his head. ¡°I told you that the Rivers family wasn''t the reason your parents died. In fact, you owe them because they helped you. It''s obvious that you didn''t understand what I was trying to tell you since you''re still convinced the Rivers family was responsible for their death. People like you need to get your brain looked at.¡± Chapter 1509 Chapter 1509 ¡°Are you calling me crazy?¡± Stanley''s eyes instantly turned blood-red. ¡°Are you calling me crazy?¡± Stanley''s eyes instantly turned blood-red. ¡°What are you if not a lunatic? Normal people could tell that the Rivers family was innocent; only you insist that the family is your enemy. How are you not crazy?¡± voiced Shane calmly, pursing his lips. ¡°Mr. Thompson is right,¡± chimed in Justin. ¡°They saved you, and you repaid them with hate. We call that ingratitude. If I could, I''d turn back time and ask Mr. and Mrs. Rivers not to help you!¡± ¡°You''re not the one who lost your parents, so of course, you can get on your high horse and use me,¡± scoffed Stanley. ¡°Nobody''s using you of anything. We simply can''t stand your craziness,¡± stated Shane coldly. ¡°My craziness?¡± Stanley got so upset that his face turned as grim as death while his fists shook. ¡°They made me like this!¡± ¡°Forget him, Mr. Thompson. There''s no point in wasting your breath on him. He probably won''t regain his sanity until Mr. and Mrs. Rivers are dead,¡± uttered Justin as he gave Stanley a disgusted look. Holding his chin, Shane agreed with Justin. ¡°Mr. Sutter is right. You should just leave, Stanley. With me around, you won''t get to threaten anybody or find out where the Rivers family is. If you hate them so much, why are you still looking for them? Why don''t you just pretend as if they''re dead? You''re not actually thinking about murdering them, are you?¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes when he heard Shane. ¡°Besides, do you believe that you have what it takes to kill them?¡± inquired Shane while staring coldly at Stanley, whose pupils immediately shrank. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said. Do you really think you have what it takes to murder the Rivers family?¡± Shane continued to gaze at Stanley as he added, ¡°I don''t think you do.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Justin was obviously surprised to hear Shane''s words. Stanley had a simr response. ¡°What makes you think I don''t? What a joke!¡± ¡°The fact that you still haven''t killed them even after all these years,¡± answered Shane indifferently. ¡°As I have said, you could''ve murdered the entire family long ago if you wanted to for you didn''t have to wait this long. Yet, they''re still breathing, which means you don''t have what it takes to kill them. Heck, you probably don''t even want them dead. That makes you look like a fool, doesn''t it?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Stanley''s pupils shrank to the size of a pinhole as his body shook because Shane could see through him like a ss. ¡°I see,¡± uttered Justin, nodding in realization, before Shane added, ¡°You don''t hate the Rivers family, Stanley. You just need them as an excuse to hide your weakness.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± roared Stanley like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Narrowing his eyes at the upset man, Shane continued, ¡°Why? Was what I said too much for you to handle?¡± Then, he chuckled. ¡°I guess I can''t me you. After all, my words must''ve hurt like a knife to the heart.¡± ¡°You...¡± Stanley, whose eyes were crimson red as he red at Shane, eventually lost his temper and swung his fist at the man''s face. ¡°Watch out, Mr. Thompson!¡± warned Justin with widened eyes. Shane expected Stanley to get physical since he knew the mentally ill man would turn violent when triggered. He was already prepared for the assault the moment he began to infuriate Stanley on purpose. Hence, Shane simply hardened his face when he saw Stanley''s fist flying toward him, unfazed by the attack. He then reached out to intercept the fist before pushing Stanley two steps backward and smashing into the wall. Hurt, Stanley groaned and furrowed his eyebrows as he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°You should be thankful that you saved my wife and child. I would''ve killed you if it weren''t for your exceptional medical skills. Now get lost!¡± ordered Shane with a deadpan expression. Chapter 1510 Chapter 1510 Stanley held his shoulder, which was hurting from the bump against the wall, and stared at Shane with a darkened expression. After a while, he turned around and left. Stanley held his shoulder, which was hurting from the bump against the wall, and stared at Shane with a darkened expression. After a while, he turned around and left. After Stanley was gone, Shane looked at Justin, who was sitting on the bed, and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Thanks for your help, Mr. Thompson. I''m fine. He hasn''t done anything to me yet.¡± Justin massaged his temples and smiled gratefully. Shane merely nodded and hummed in acknowledgment without asking any further. However, Justin suddenly spoke. ¡°Mr. Thompson, where are Joyce and her family now?¡± ¡°I can''t tell you,¡± Shane answered directly. When Justin heard that, a crease appeared between his brows. ¡°Can you share her contact details with me then? I''m very worried about her and her parents.¡± The family had left in a rush, and Justin did not even get a chance to say goodbye. He hadpletely lost touch with them as they had changed their contact details. He had no news about Joyce and her family at all and was feeling extremely lost and helpless. ¡°Sorry, I can''t.¡± Shane had his hands in his pocket as he replied coldly, ¡°At least not now. You haveFrom N?velDrama.Org. seen it too. Shane is no different from a madman right now. He would do anything just to find Joyce and her family. So, it will be better with fewer people knowing their whereabouts. That way, even if Stanley continues looking for them, it would take him a long while before he actually finds them. When that dayes, it is likely that the Rivers family would no longer fear Stanley. I''m sure they would contact you by then.¡± After listening to what Shane said, Justin let out a helpless sigh before replying, ¡°I understand. I just can''t stop worrying about them.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. They will be fine under my protection. Besides, Joyce''s parents are very happy with their current living environment. It is also a suitable ce for Joyce to rest and take care of her baby,¡± Shane said. Justin felt a sense of relief and nodded. ¡°That''s great to know. I''m d that Joyce is safe and doing well. That''s all that matters.¡± The man hade to terms with the situation and was no longer anxious to know where Joyce and her family were. All he needed was to know that they were all right. He could wait and look for the woman after things with Stanley were settled and Joyce and her family were no longer in danger. Shane nced at Justin thoughtfully for a moment. Without saying anything, he turned around and left. Jackson followed behind him and asked, ¡°Shane, I''m not sure if I''ve seen it wrongly.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shane carried on walking with both hands in his pocket. ¡°I have a feeling that Stanley likes Joyce,¡± Jackson replied. ¡°Huh?¡± Shane suddenly halted in his tracks and asked, ¡°You''re saying that he has feelings for Joyce?¡± Jackson nodded and replied, ¡°Yup. I''m pretty sure. When he heard her name, there was a faint trace of affection in his eyes even though he bore grudges toward her. However, it wasn''t obvious. I guess he might not even be aware of it himself.¡± ¡°Are you sure it wasn''t just your imagination?¡± Shane looked at his friend. Jackson shook his head and replied, ¡°I''m sure that was what I saw. After all, I''m a sucker for love too.¡± The doctor let out a bitterugh before continuing, ¡°Perhaps because of that, I''m extra sensitive when it comes to matters of the heart. I am always able to read people''s emotions, even if only a small hint of it is present. It was the case for Stanley earlier. There was jealousy in his eyes when he looked at Justin. Given that they didn''t have any sort of rtionship or bad blood between them, the only exnation for the jealousy would be the fact that Justin had dated Joyce.¡± What Jackson meant was clear. Since Stanley was jealous of Justin, he must be fond of Joyce as well. A sneer appeared on Shane''s face. ¡°No wonder Stanley kept saying that he hated Joyce but also insisted on keeping Joyce and the Rivers family around. So that''s the reason.¡± Shane had been trying to figure out why Stanley had kept the Rivers family alive when he could have easily killed them. He wondered if it was because, deep down inside his heart, Stanley knew that the Rivers family was his benefactor. Chapter 1511 Chapter 1511 Although that could be true, it was certainly not the main reason. Even if Stanley knew that the Rivers family had saved his life, it would be hard for him to ept it rationally. Otherwise, he would not have harbored such a deep hatred for the family for so long. It appeared that the real reason Stanley had kept the Rivers family alive was that he was in love with Joyce. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. But when did that happen? Previously, Stanley had imed that Natalie was the woman he loved. He had even gone crazy and stabbed Shane because of the woman. ¡°Shane, what are you thinking about?¡± Jackson asked out of curiosity when he noticed a myriad of emotions shing across Shane''s face. Shane shook his head and replied, ¡°Nothing. I''m just thinking how funny it is for Stanley to be hating and loving Joyce at the same time.¡± ¡°It''s really funny, isn''t it? But it''s actually quite sad too.¡± Jackson sighed before continuing, ¡°Actually, Stanley reminds me of myself in the past.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shane asked, fixing his gaze on his friend. Jackson adjusted his sses and replied, feeling somewhat emotional, ¡°I did not have the courage to confess to Jacqueline despite loving her for such a long time, causing her to be obsessed with you. That also yed a part in her losing her mind and creating all those troubles subsequently. However, Stanley''s situation is slightly different from mine. Besides not having the courage to face the real reason for his parents'' deaths, he also does not know who he truly loves. If this continues, he would turn out like me, losing the love of his life and ending up with nothing.¡± ¡°That''s what he deserves,¡± Shane replied cidly. ¡°As an adult, he should be sensible enough and have the maturity to ept reality. How can he not even know who he loves? It''s not surprising for a person like him to lose everything he has.¡± After saying that, the man walked into the elevator. Jackson did not follow but merely stood at the spot and watched Shane leave. He could not help but sigh silently. Shane is right. It''s natural for an adult who doesn''t have the courage or know what they want to end up losing everything. There''s nothing worth pitying about. That applied to both Stanley and him. Jackson could not stop wondering if the current situation between him and Jacqueline would be any different if he was a bit braver back then. That way, even though Jacqueline had killed someone and was sentenced to death, both of them would at least have a chance to be together and love each other. They would not have to live in pain. Well, maybe that''s what they call karma! Jackson looked up and stared nkly at the ceiling above him. Unknowingly, the warm and cheerful look on his boyish face was gone, and left with nothing but sorrow and bitterness. Meanwhile, shortly after Shane returned to his car, Ss walked over with Sally. ¡°Mr. Thompson, can Sal get into the car? Her manager has some matters to attend to and is unable to Putting her hands together in a pleading gesture, Sally pleaded, ¡°Mr. Thompson, please help me. Don''t worry. I will make sure that your schedule isn''t disrupted. Ss will send me home after he sends you to your destination.¡± ¡°Get in,¡± Shane grunted in assent. Ss and Sally exchanged nces and grinned before thanking Shane simultaneously. Shane merely closed his eyes and kept quiet. Ss immediately opened the car door for Sally and helped her get into the front passenger seat. After the woman buckled her seat belt, Ss returned to the driver''s seat and started the engine. Perhaps due to Shane''s presence in the car, the couple, who hardly got to meet, found it difficult to speak even though they had so much to talk to each other about. As such, they could only try to convey their longing for each other through their eyes. Half an hourter, the car arrived at Shane''s destination. After getting out of the car, Shane nced at his watch before saying to Ss, ¡°Send her home first, and pick me up in two hours.¡± Chapter 1512 Chapter 1512 Ss and Sally beamed brightly when they heard that. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Thompson.¡± Ss was beyond grateful. By right, Ss, being a personal assistant, should not be away from Shane for too long as he might need him anytime. However, not only had his boss given him permission to send his girlfriend home, but he had also asked to be picked up two hourster. Ss knew that Shane was letting him spend time with his girlfriend intentionally. Understanding Shane''s intentions, Sally said with a broad smile, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson. I will definitely put in a good word for you in front of Nat and ask her to give you more benefits. You know what I mean.¡± After saying that, the woman winked at Shane while grinning cheekily. ¡°You...¡± Shane raised his brows. ¡°I''m so sorry, Mr. Thompson. She''s just spouting nonsense. She didn''t mean it. Please don''t take it to heart.¡± Ss could feel his head hurting. Smilingly awkwardly, he quickly pushed Sally back into the car. Shane cleared his throat and said, ¡°No. She''s right. I like that. I''ll leave it to you then.¡± When Sally heard that, her eyes lit up. She patted her chest and replied, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson. I got this.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shane nodded and continued, ¡°Anyway, you guys should get going. I''ll head in first.¡± After saying that, the man turned around and entered the hotel lobby. Ss looked at the woman who was in the passenger seat next to him and said helplessly, ¡°Sal, stop your nonsense. Don''t say such things to Mr. Thompson again.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Sally was confused. Ss held his forehead in frustration and replied, ¡°If we offend Mr. Thompson, he will definitely make life difficult for us.¡± Sally waved a dismissive hand and said, ¡°Ah! Don''t worry. Mr. Thompson won''t be offended. He liked it. Didn''t you see how shiny his eyes were when I mentioned Nat''s name just now? Besides, do you know why I''m so sure that he won''t get angry?¡± ¡°Why?¡± It was Ss'' turn to feel confused. Something did not seem right about the man. Given that he was Shane''s assistant, he should be the one who knew Shane well. However, it appeared as if his girlfriend was the person who knew his boss better. Sally cupped her hand over her mouth and snickered before replying, ¡°It''s because of Nat, of course. When I asked Nat about her sex life with Mr. Thompson previously, she told me that she wasn''t able toFrom N?velDrama.Org. satisfy him sometimes because she was too self-conscious. That was why I told him that l will put in a good word for him in front of Nat and get him some benefits. There''s no way he would be angry over that. It was a calcted move. What do you think, Darling? Am I very smart?¡± The woman had a smug expression on her face and was feeling very pleased with herself. Meanwhile, Ss was rendered speechless. ¡°Well, what can I say? Forget it. I shall let it pass this time, but please just keep quiet next time. Sit tight. I''m going to start driving now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sally nodded and sat up straight. Ss floored the elerator and sped off. In the evening, Shane returned to Thompson vi after picking his two kids up. When he got home, he called Natalie and told her that Stanley had visited Justin earlier that day. Natalie sighed upon hearing that and replied, ¡°I have already guessed it. I knew that he would look for Justin.¡± ¡°But there''s no use even if he finds Justin. That bloke doesn''t know anything,¡± Shane replied. Natalie nodded. ¡°It''s better to keep things from Stanley anyway.¡± ¡°By the way, there''s something else that I want to tell you.¡± Shane picked up his mug from the table and took a sip of his coffee. Natalie put down her pen and blinked before asking, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Jackson thinks that Stanley is in love with Joyce.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. ¡°Stanley likes Joyce?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Shane nodded before saying, ¡°What Jackson said made a lot of sense. I think that might be the case.¡± Natalie gaped in shock and only snapped back to her senses after a while. Afterposing herself, she said, ¡°Are you kidding me? How is it possible that Stanley is in love with Joyce?¡± Chapter 1513 Chapter 1513 ¡°Even though it''s indeed quite shocking, it''s also quite believable,¡± Shane replied in a deep voice. Natalie tightened her grip around her phone before asking, ¡°If it''s true that Stanley likes Joyce, why did he treat her like that? Shouldn''t he be nicer to her instead?¡± The woman was not able to figure that out. A mocking smile appeared on Shane''s face as he replied, ¡°Because Stanley is not even aware that he is in love with Joyce.¡± ¡°He''s not aware?¡± Natalie widened her eyes in astonishment. Shane nodded and answered, ¡°That''s right. He was able to hurt Joyce so ruthlessly because he was unaware of his feelings for her. His hatred for the Rivers family is so deep that it has be his obsession. This obsession is also what blinds him to his innermost feelings and thoughts, including his love for Joyce.¡± ¡°From the way you put it, it does sound quite usible.¡± Natalie nodded. But if Stanley is in love with Joyce, why did he im that he liked me? What''s going on? Natalie frowned as she tried to make sense of the situation. However, she did not overthink it as she was just d that Stanley was not interested in her anymore. It felt as if a burden was lifted off her shoulders, and she no longer had to worry that she would hurt the man''s feelings. At the same time, Shane could finally stop feeling jealous. ¡°By the way, Darling, should we let Joyce know about this?¡± Natalie asked hesitantly. Shane narrowed his eyes before replying, ¡°No need. It''s better to keep it from her. If she knows that Shane is in love with her, given her current condition, she would most likely be curious to find out more about the man. If she does that, she might fall in love with him again and desire to get back her memories. That''s not a good thing because Shane still hates her, not knowing his true feelings for her. The ending would still be the same for them. Joyce would end up wanting to forget Stanley all over again.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie agreed with Shane''s analysis and decided not to tell Joyce about it. ¡°You''re right. Since Joyce had already forgotten him, we should just let it be. She is finally leading a happy life, having her parents and her child by her side. I''m sure her life will just get better without any more heartbreaks. That would be wonderful.¡± Natalie let out a sigh. Perhaps, Joyce and Stanley were just not fated to be together. Back then, when she was in love with him, he did not return her feelings. Now that she had stopped liking him, he had fallen for her instead. It appeared as if the universe was ying a joke on the couple. The two of them took turns liking each other, and their love was always unrequited. If that were the case, it would be better for things to remain as it was. ¡°We should keep this between us. Let''s not find out from Stanley what his feelings for Joyce are. Neither should we remind Joyce of Stanley and pique her curiosity about him. Perhaps, both of them are just not meant to be,¡± Natalie said. Shane nodded and changed the topic. ¡°Okay, agreed. Anyway, how did thepetition go?¡± Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°It''s going well. Two groups were already eliminated. There are just one and a half months left before thepetition ends.¡± ¡°That''s good to know. I''ll visit you with the kids tomorrow,¡± Shane said. ¡°Sure.¡± The smile on Natalie''s face grew wider. I can''t believe it''s weekend again. Natalie was always looking forward to weekends when she could finally see her family in person. During the rest of the week, she could only talk to them through video calls, and it was tough for her to be able to see them but not touch them. ¡°Oh, Darling. How''s Anders? Did you visit him today?¡± Natalie looked at Shane and asked expectantly. The man nodded and replied, ¡°Of course. I visit him daily. He''s doing very well, and his condition is improving by the day. He''s also staying awake longer. Yesterday, he woke up for half an hour. Today, he was awake for forty minutes. I even got to carry him.¡± Shane was smiling from ear to ear as he spoke about the boy. It was a genuine kind of smile a father would have when speaking about his child. Chapter 1514 Chapter 1514 ¡°Darling, you said you carried Anders. Does that mean he cane out of the incubator now?¡± Natalie asked excitedly. ¡°Yes, but not for too long. He can only be out for a few minutes at most. The doctor only agreed to let me hold him for a little while. He was so tiny and light that I had to be very careful when holding him!¡± Shane replied, describing his feelings when holding Anders earlier. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie was close to tears when she heard that. ¡°This is great! Anders is finally able to leave the incubator briefly!¡± This is a sign that Anders will soon be able to leave the incubator for good! ¡°Exactly! Anders will no longer need the incubator once you''re done with yourpetition. You can hold him in your hands, then,¡± Shane said in a gentle and reassuring tone. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yeah, I haven''t had a chance to hold him since he was born! You, on the other hand, beat me to it!¡± she said while ring at him in envy. Shane let out a chuckle. ¡°Aw, are you jealous?¡± ¡°Of course I am! I''m his mother, so I should be the first one to hold him! I can''t believe you took that privilege away from me!¡± Natalie replied with a jealous pout. Shane''s smile widened as he said, ¡°Hey, it''s not my fault you were overseas. This makes it fair, though.¡± ¡°Fair? How so?¡± Natalie asked in confusion. ¡°I didn''t know anything when you gave birth to Sharon and Connor, so I never had a chance to hold them. Therefore, me getting to be the first to hold Anders makes it even, don''t you think?¡± Shane exined. Natalie froze for a few seconds before bursting intoughter. ¡°You know what? You''re right!¡± ¡°So, are you still jealous now?¡± Shane asked. Natalie shook her head. ¡°Oh, I was just messing with you! I am never really jealous, to begin with! We''re both their parents, so it doesn''t matter who gets to hold them first.¡± Shane shed her a gentle and affectionate smile when he heard that. Natalie tightened her grip on the phone as she asked excitedly, ¡°Tell me, Darling, how did Anders look when you held him? Is he cute?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Oh, yes, he was absolutely adorable. Holding his tiny and soft body in my arms made my heart melt.¡± Natalie could almost visualize what it felt like, and her heart melted as well. ¡°That''s good to know.¡± ¡°You''ll get to experience that yourself once yourpetition is over,¡± Shane said. Natalie nodded profusely. ¡°Yeah!¡± The two continued chatting on the phone until it waste at night. Natalie then put her phone down and went back to work. She was nning on finishing up her work before going to bed. Lina, who happened to be staying up working next to her, decided to tease her when she saw her ending the call. ¡°What''s wrong? Aren''t you going to continue chatting?¡± Natalie shed her a smile. ¡°We''ve said all there is to say. That''s why!¡± Lina took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Honestly, you have no idea how envious I am whenever I see you two act all lovey-dovey over the phone!¡± ¡°Then you should hurry up and get together with that senior of yours! That way, you can act all lovey- dovey with him too!¡± Natalie teased her in return. Lina let out a sigh. ¡°You think I don''t want that? That guy is so dense that it''s driving me nuts!¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie asked curiously. Lina massaged her forehead in frustration as she replied, ¡°Remember how you asked me to test Bryan out and see if he has any feelings for me? Well, I asked him what kind of girl he likes and if I''m his type. Guess what he said? He said he finds jewelry more attractive than women! I can''t believe how dense he is!¡± ¡°Pfft...¡± Natalie nearly burst outughing when she heard that. ¡°Well, Bryan is indeed a little dense, but that also means he hasn''t found a girl that he likes. You can try to win him over!¡± Chapter 1515 Chapter 1515 ¡°That may be true, but it won''t be easy to win a dense guy over, especially when jewelry is all that he cares about!¡± Lina said with a frown. ¡°So what? The harder the pursuit is, the more rewarding it will be! I''m sure the oue will be worth it. Besides, you''re so pretty, Lina! I''m certain you''ll have no issues winning his heart over!¡± Natalie gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she continued, ¡°Once thispetition is over, you can head back and try to hang out with him as much as possible. Even if you make a phone call every day can really help bring you two closer to each other.¡± Lina nodded. ¡°Yeah, you''re right. This is all I can do for now.¡± ¡°All right, let''s drop this conversation and get back to work. We can rest once we''re done here,¡± Natalie said as she returned to her desk. Lina stretched in her seat. ¡°Okay, back to work!¡± They then proceeded to focus on their work. About half an hourter, they were finally done and went back to their respective rooms to get some sleep. Natalie had just stepped out of her room the next morning when she received a call from the Chanaean police about Lucy. Apparently, the Chanaean police had taken custody of her after her deportation. As there was sufficient evidence of her crime, her trials went by rather quickly, and it was soon time for the court to hand down her sentence. The police were calling Natalie to inform her that the court had sentenced Lucy to five years of imprisonment. Natalie wasn''t too surprised when she heard that. After all, Lucy had gotten popr by giarizing her designs to obtain tickets to thepetition. That act alone was a serious enough crime to get her three years of imprisonment. As if that wasn''t bad enough, the event organizer also filed aint against Lucy. After all, her actions had discredited the organizer, affecting its reputation and credibility in the eyes of others. That has led to a decline in the value of thepetition, making ite off as cheap. Given the damage Lucy had done, it was only natural that the event organizer would take legal action against her in retaliation. Natalie believed that the event organizer had contributed to her receiving the five-year prison sentence. Besides, she had a feeling it wouldn''t just end there. The organizer would probably also arrange for some of the inmates to bully Lucy every day. Even so, Natalie felt no sympathy for her whatsoever. She needed to be punished severely for her shameless and evil deeds. That was the only way to ensure she would learn her lesson and behave in the future. ¡°Good morning, Nat!¡± Lina greeted her the moment she got off the phone. Natalie turned around and saw Lina yawning as she made her way toward her. ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead! What''s the matter? Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°Yeah, I went to bed prettyte because I stayed up chatting with Bryan,¡± Lina replied while rubbing her eyes. Natalie arched an eyebrow at her in response. ¡°Oh? Did you have a really long chat?¡± ¡°Yeah, I gave him a call after returning to my room. I just wanted to have a little chat with him, but we ended up dragging the conversation out,¡± Lina exined. ¡°I''m guessing you didn''t make much progress, then. Otherwise, you should be overjoyed by now,¡± Nataliemented. Lina let out a huge sigh. ¡°You know me very well. I guess it can''t be helped, though. He''s such a dense person, after all. Still, that chat has taught me to be patient and take my time with him.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Well said. All right, let''s go get breakfast and head over to thepetition hall.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two then had breakfast in the dining room before heading over to thepetition hall to carry out their duties as judges. After thepetition ended in the afternoon, Natalie quickly drove to the airport with a huge smile on her face. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. As it was a weekend, Shane would be bringing the two kids along when picking her up. It had been a week since shest saw the three of them, so she was missing them like crazy. They had been video-calling each other on a daily basis, but it wasn''t enough. She needed to see them in person. Chapter 1516 Chapter 1516 As Lina wasn''t rted to them in any way, she decided to go shopping instead of following her to the airport. Natalie soon arrived at the airport and went straight to the VIP lounge to wait for her flight. As she had left for the airport a little earlier that day, she arrived thirty minutes before the time mentioned in Shane''s text. In other words, Natalie had to wait another thirty minutes before Shane and the kids would emerge from the VIP passage. Even so, she didn''t minding a little earlier as she would get to see her husband and children soon. While waiting for them in the VIP lounge, Natalie decided to kill some time by scrolling through her phone. ¡°Here you go, Madam. Have some snacks,¡± Dave said as he and the others served up some fruits and tea. Natalie shed them a smile. ¡°Oh, you can leave it on the side here. Thanks.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°You''re wee, Madam. We''ll be standing guard outside if you need us, and we''ll inform you immediately when Mr. Thompson and the kids arrive,¡± Dave said. Natalie nodded. ¡°All right, thanks.¡± She didn''t actually need them to inform her as the VIP lounge had walls made of ss, so she could clearly see the airport runway from there. Given how unique Shane''s private jet looked, there was no way she would miss it when itnded. As Dave and the others stepped outside, Natalie carried on scrolling through her phone while ncing at the ss wall from time to time. After about thirty minutes of waiting, Shane''s private jet finally came into view as itnded on the runway. Natalie leaped to her feet in excitement when she saw that. Dave opened the door to the lounge and called out to her, ¡°Madam, Mr. Thompson and the kids have arrived.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Come on, let''s go!¡± Natalie quickly put her phone away and headed straight for the VIP passage. It wasn''t very far from the lounge, so it only took Natalie about two minutes to get there. After reaching the passage, Natalie had to wait another few minutes before Shane and the kids showed up. ¡°Mommy!¡± The kids let go of Shane''s hands and ran toward her the moment they saw her. Natalie bent over and reached her hands out to give them a hug. ¡°I''ve been missing you so much, Mommy!¡± ¡°I''ve been missing you too, Mommy!¡± The two of them shouted. Natalie felt a warm sensation in her heart when she heard that. ¡°Mommy missed you two too. I''m so d we''re together again!¡± she said while ruffling their hair. ¡°Yeah!¡± Connor nodded and gave Natalie a kiss on the cheek. Sharon, too, gave her a kiss on her other cheek. Natalie let out a chuckle as she felt their soft lips on her cheeks. She then gave them both a kiss on their cheeks as well. ¡°Don''t forget about Daddy, Mommy! He wants a kiss too!¡± Sharon said while pointing at Shane, who was standing behind her. Shane''s lips curled into a smile when he heard that. There''s a good girl! I knew Sharon wouldn''t forget to help me out! Connor, on the other hand, is completely useless! With that in mind, Shane shot Connor a displeased re before making his way toward Natalie. Connor let out a sigh when he saw that. Despite being a child, he was smart enough to understand the meaning behind Shane''s gaze. Really, Daddy? You''re mad at me because I didn''t ask Mommy to give you a kiss? Huh... It sure is exhausting having such a petty father! ¡°Well, you heard what our daughter said,¡± Shane said in a deep and husky voice as he stopped in front of her. Natalie didn''t know whether tough or cry at his childish behavior. ¡°Of course, I did. You really want me to kiss you right now?¡± ¡°We wouldn''t want to disappoint our kids now, would we?¡± Shane replied. Chapter 1517 Chapter 1517 ¡°Do you really mean that, or did you want me to kiss you all along?¡± Natalie asked. I know my man all too well. It''s definitely thetter with him! I bet he''d ask me to kiss him even if Sharon didn''t say that! We''re a family, so he wouldn''t be happy if I kiss the kids and not him. ¡°It doesn''t matter. You have to give me a kiss too, or it wouldn''t be fair,¡± Shane replied. ¡°Oh, all right. I''ll give you a kiss, but can we do that at home instead? There are a lot of people watching,¡± Natalie said with a smile. Dave and the other bodyguards were all present. Ss wasn''t there as Shane ordered him to stay in Chanaea and keep Sallypany. She would soon be having her first show, so she wanted her boyfriend to be there with her. A model''s first show was especially important, even if it wasn''t a very grand one. Sally was incredibly excited that the designers had chosen her as the main model as it would look great on her resume and open up doors to bigger and better shows in the future. ¡°So what if there are people around? They wouldn''t dare to look anyway!¡± Shane said while shooting Dave and the others a warning gaze, prompting them to pick the kids up and turn around. They then stood in a circle around Shane and Natalie to shield the two from everyone else at the airport. The people at the airport knew something was going on, but they couldn''t see what exactly it was. Satisfied with their obedience and efficiency, Shane shifted his gaze back toward Natalie and said, ¡°There, no one''s going to see us now. Besides, it''s not like we haven''t kissed in public before this.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You were the one who initiated those kisses.¡± ¡°What difference does it make? We''re a married couple, so that means we''re equals. It makes no difference which one of us initiates the kiss,¡± Shane replied with a straight face. ¡°Ugh, that makes no sense at all! Fine, let''s just get this kiss over with and head back to the vi!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Shane said with a smile. Natalie shook her head helplessly as she got on her tiptoes and tried to give him a kiss him. Right when her lips were about to make contact with his cheek, Shane turned his head and sealed her lips with his. Natalie''s eyes went wide when she realized what he had done. She immediately pulled back and eximed in shock, ¡°You...¡± ¡°You''ve already kissed me on the lips, so why bother pulling away now?¡± Shane asked as he reached his hand out and grabbed the back of her head. ¡°You lied to me!¡± Natalie protested angrily. Shane let out a chuckle. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Natalie red at him as she said, ¡°You told me to kiss you, but then you turned your head at the very last second!¡± ¡°I didn''t lie to you. It''s true that I asked you to kiss me, but I didn''t say it had to be on the cheek,¡± Shane replied with a smirk. Natalie was speechless when she heard that. Wait a minute... He''s right! He didn''t specify where he wanted me to kiss him! Why didn''t I think of that? He got me again! With that in mind, Natalie said, ¡°Okay, you win this time. Now, let go of me! It''s time for us to head back!¡± Shane ruffled her hair before letting go of her head. ¡°All right, let''s go home.¡± Natalie really liked the sound of that. From N?velDrama.Org. I thought I no longer had a home when Harrison kicked me out of the Smith family six years ago. But now, Shane has provided me with a ce I can happily call home! I''m going to treasure this home forever! ¡°Yeah, let''s go home!¡± Natalie took Shane''s hand and walked out of the airport with him. As for the kids, she decided to leave them in the care of the bodyguards. After all, parents like them needed some time alone as well. Chapter 1518 Chapter 1518 It was already dark out by the time they returned to the vi. The family of four then gathered around the dining table to enjoy the food that the housekeepers had prepared. ¡°Oh, by the way, there''s something I forgot to tell you about. We have an update on Sean,¡± Shane said all of a sudden. ¡°What?¡± Natalie froze and looked up at him as she continued, ¡°Did you just stay you have an update on Sean?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡± Natalie tightened her grip on the fork as she pressed on, ¡°You managed to find out where he is?¡± ¡°No, but my men did find some clues that might point us in his direction,¡± Shane replied. Natalie was overjoyed. ¡°That''s great! We''ll be able to locate him easily if we have some clues on his location!¡± Sean had practically gone off the radar ever since Shane rescued Natalie from the ind. Although Shane had never stopped looking for him, his men were unable to locate him at all. It was as though Sean had vanished into thin air. As the two of them were unable to find Sean, they eventually stopped bringing him up in conversations so as to avoid ruining the mood. Shane made sure to increase their security level so Sean wouldn''t be able to harm them again. That way, they wouldn''t have to worry about him even if they couldn''t find him. Of course, they would still prefer to find him if possible. After all, he remained a threat to their safety as long as he was atrge. There was simply no telling if he would someday find an opening in their defenses andunch a terrifying attack on them. Shane''s lips curled into an icy-cold grin as he nodded at her. ¡°Yeah.¡± I''ve been hunting Sean down for a really long time, but that guy is as sneaky as a rat! He has always managed to hide from my men, but not this time! I finally have some clues about his whereabouts! ¡°By the way, Darling, how did you manage to get that information on Sean?¡± Natalie asked curiously. Shane narrowed his eyes as he replied, ¡°I''ve been hunting him down ever since I rescued you from Nnica. However, my men were unable to find him because of how cunning and sneaky he was.¡± Connor nodded. ¡°Daddy''s right. I''ve been looking for him too, and even I wasn''t able to track him down!¡± Despite having the best hacking skills on the dark web, Connor was unable to obtain any information on Sean whatsoever. The fact that Sean was able to evade detection from Shane''s men and conceal his tracks online showed just how skilled he was at hiding. ¡°Thank you so much for helping out, Baby.¡± Natalie smiled and gave him a pat on the head before shifting her gaze back toward Shane. ¡°What happened after that?¡± ¡°Since I was unable to locate Sean, I had my men keep a close eye on The Dark Organization instead. That organization is Sean''s source of support and power,¡± Shane continued. Natalie gasped in shock. ¡°Isn''t that a very secretive organization? No one knows where its base is at! How did you have your men keep an eye on them?¡± ¡°Well, you have Connor to thank for that!¡± Shane said with a proud look in his eyes. As expected of my son! He truly has inherited my great genes! ¡°Connor?¡± Natalie nced at Connor in confusion after hearing that. Connor raised his hand as he replied, ¡°That''s right, Mommy! I have all the information on The Dark Organization!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That''s right.¡± Shane nodded as he continued, ¡°That organization has lost its veil of mystery now that we know its name, so investigating it will be a piece of cake. After having Connor find out everything about that organization, I contacted the International Police Force and provided them with that information. They are now keeping a close eye on the organization.¡± Chapter 1519 Chapter 1519 ¡°Oh, I see... But didn''t Sean already leave that organization? I heard him say he wanted to leave the organization when I was still locked up on the ind,¡± Natalie asked with a frown. ¡°It''s true that he has left the organization, but he was so deeply involved with it that he couldn''t possibly cut ties with itpletely. From what I''ve heard, this organization is his main source of support and power. Those who left the organization with him were trained by the organization itself. Even if he were to ceasemunications with the organization, those working for him can''t do so,¡± Shane exined. Natalie gasped in shock. ¡°So, you''re saying that some of Sean''s subordinates are spies from that organization?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°That''s right. Sean was nning on bribing some of the organization''s members to join him in betraying it. Did you really think the organization wouldn''t catch on to Sean''s ns? However, instead of stopping Sean from leaving the organization, it kept him under constant surveince and ordered those men to put up an act and leave with him. That is how they are able to keep track of Sean at all times.¡± ¡°Ah, I see what you mean now. So, by tracing their messages, Connor was indirectly able to track Sean down. Is that correct?¡± Natalie asked while giving Connor a pat on the head. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°You''re right, Mommy! Did I do a good job?¡± Connor said with a giggle. ¡°Of course! Both of you are the best kids I could ever ask for!¡± Being an advocate of treating her kids equally, Natalie made sure topliment Sharon as well. She then turned toward Shane and asked, ¡°So, where is Sean right now?¡± ¡°The International Police Force has started cracking down on that organization, so the spies who are with Sean most likely know about it as well. They haven''t been in contact with the organization for days now. They werest detected near the border of Bucroania,¡± Shane replied with a frown. ¡°Are you nning on having your men head over to look for Sean?¡± Natalie asked. Shane nodded. ¡°I''ll have someone search the area. Who knows? We might just find Sean there.¡± ¡°Yeah, you''re right. It''s better to cast a huge to y safe or we might miss out on something important. It''s possible that he''s actually hiding there right now,¡± Natalie said. ¡°Exactly. Anyway, let''s continue eating.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Natalie ced a huge slice of fish on his te. ¡°Here, try this. It''s really good.¡± ¡°You should have some too,¡± Shane replied as he did the same for her. The two then smiled at each other before continuing to enjoy their dinner. After they finished eating dinner, the housekeepers brought the kids upstairs for a bath. Natalie was nning on giving them a bath herself, but Shane stopped her and carried her into the bedroom instead. Immediately after shutting the door behind them, he pinned her against the wall and assaulted her with a barrage of kisses. Of course, Natalie knew full well that he stopped her from bathing the kids because he was eager to ravage her. After all, Shane had been staying all by himself and would onlye here once a week. Being a man in his thirties, it was only natural for him to have a really high sex drive. Natalie felt bad for him having to hold his lust in for so long. Instead of pushing him away, she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kisses. The two then went at it throughout the rest of the night. It was already noon by the time Natalie woke up the next day. Fortunately for her, the contestants were on break at the time, so she didn''t have to get up early to resume her duty as a judge. ¡°Good afternoon, Nat!¡± Lina greeted her with a smile when she saw hering down the stairs. She was sitting on the couch in the living room with a jewelry magazine on herp. Chapter 1520 Chapter 1520 Natalie knew exactly what Lina was implying with that greeting of hers. She rolled her eyes at Lina before saying, ¡°Good afternoon, Lina. Are you here all by yourself?¡± ¡°Yeah. Your husband and the kids are ying in the garden outside,¡± Lina replied. ¡°Oh? What are they ying?¡± Natalie asked curiously. Lina shook her head. ¡°Well, I have no idea. You''ll have to go have a look yourself.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll go check it out right away!¡± Natalie then lifted the hem of her dress as she ran down the stairs and headed out of the vi. There was a huge grassy in just outside the vi. Natalie saw Shane and the kids sitting on a carpet not too far away. The three of them had their heads low and appeared to be discussing something. ¡°Hey, Darling! What are you three doing?¡± Natalie asked with a smile as she made her way over. ¡°Hi, Mommy!¡± the two kids greeted her in unison with angelic smiles on their faces. Natalie shed them a smile in return before shifting her gaze toward Shane. ¡°Is that a drone?¡± she asked with an eyebrow arched when she noticed what he was holding. Shane nodded. ¡°Yeah. Connor wanted a drone, so I had someone buy him one. We''re in the process of assembling it at the moment. Once it''s done, we can fly it and take some pictures with it. Want to join us?¡± ¡°Come join us, Mommy!¡± the kids yelled excitedly in unison. As Natalie was a little interested in drones herself, she epted their invitation in a heartbeat. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Shane patted the empty spot next to him. ¡°All right,e sit here.¡± Natalie then sat down beside him and helped them assemble the drone. Unlike most drones that had very simple assembly procedures, the drone that Shane bought was the most expensive model, so it had a lot of parts that needed to be put together. One would need to have a huge amount of patience when assembling such drones, as a missing part could result in the drone not flying. After spending a few hours out on the field, the four of them had finally assembled the drone. It wasn''t until then that Natalie realized the drone was designed in the shape of a tiny robot. It was completely different from the simple drones thatprised a disc with a few propellors attached. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Due to the unique nature of the drone''s design, men and women of all ages were bound to like it. ¡°I''ve never seen a drone with such a design before. Darling, did you have someone design this specially for us?¡± Natalie asked while examining the drone in her hands. Shane let out a chuckle as he replied, ¡°Yes, I did. Connor didn''t like the ones avable in the market, so I had someone design this for him.¡± ¡°It looks great!¡± Connor eximed excitedly. ¡°Judging by theplex appearance and huge amount of parts required, the design must''ve taken a very long time. Tell me, when did you have someone design this?¡± Natalie asked. ¡°Three months ago. It just arrived today,¡± Shane replied as he handed the drone over to Connor. ¡°Thanks, Daddy!¡± Connor said with a smile. Shane gave him a pat on the head. ¡°There''s a good boy!¡± Not wanting to lose to Connor, Sharon held her hand up and said, ¡°I have one too, Mommy!¡± Natalie nced at Sharon as she eximed in surprise, ¡°You have a drone too?¡± I didn''t know Sharon liked flying drones too! Sharon shook her head and said, ¡°No, I don''t have a drone. I have dolls! Daddy had someone design lots of dolls for me!¡± Chapter 1521 Chapter 1521 Natalie shed her a smile. ¡°Oh, I see. I thought you got a drone too, Sharon.¡± ¡°No, I don''t like this stuff,¡± Sharon replied while frowning at the drone. The drone looks cool and all, but I like my dolls better! ¡°I bought Connor a drone, so I have to get Sharon something as well. They''re both my kids, so I need to make sure I treat them fairly,¡± Shane said while patting Sharon on the head. Natalie nodded. ¡°You''re absolutely right. Come on, let''s go and fly the drone!¡± The four of them then got to their feet and made their way to an open area with no trees in the way. With the remote control in hand, Connor took a step forward and activated the drone. In just a matter of seconds, the drone rose into the air while the four of them watched on. Connor was so excited that his face turned red as he made the drone go higher and higher. No boy could possibly remain calm when ying with such a cool toy. Sharon, on the other hand, was rtively calm as she kept her eyes fixated on the drone. Shane wrapped an arm around Natalie''s waist as he asked, ¡°What do you think of this drone?¡± ¡°I don''t know, but it sure looks cool when it''s soaring in the air. I don''t know about the image quality though,¡± Natalie replied. Shane let out a chuckle. ¡°I''ll have Connor take some pictures. Hey, Connor!¡± ¡°On it, Daddy!¡± Connor nodded and began working on the drone''s remote control. ¡°There''s a garden filled with flowers up ahead. I''ll have the drone take some pictures of it!¡± Natalie watched as the drone flew straight ahead, only to return a few minutester. Connor carefullynded the drone in front of himself before retrieving a memory card from the disc. After plugging the memory card into a reader, he connected it to his cell phone and disyed the pictures taken by the drone. ¡°Wow! The images are really sharp! This has got to be in 4K, right?¡± Natalie eximed in shock. Shane shook his head. ¡°Oh, it''s way more than that. The camera on this drone is on par with the best cameras in the world, so its resolution is definitely beyond 4K.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°All right, you kids carry on. Your mommy and I will head back to the house now. Don''t stay out for too long, okay? It''ll be time for lunch soon!¡± Shane said while ncing at his watch. ¡°Got it, Daddy!¡± Connor replied while picking the drone up. He then grabbed Sharon by the hand and said, ¡°Come on, Sharon! Let''s go fly this thing over there!¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Sharon shed him a smile. ¡°Okay!¡± Natalie watched as the two held hands and ran off into the distance. She didn''t worry about them because there were bodyguards surrounding the area, and Connor wouldn''t let Sharon out of the vi anyway. ¡°Come on, let''s head back inside. You haven''t eaten, right?¡± Shane asked in a gentle voice. Natalie rubbed her tummy and shot him a displeased re. ¡°This is all your fault!¡± Had he not kept me up all night, I wouldn''t have woken up sote today! Naturally, Shane understood what she meant by that. ¡°Yes, it''s my fault,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°Hmph!¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at him and looked the other way as they returned to the vi. Lina had left the living room by the time they went back. Natalie figured she probably went back to her room. ¡°Make Madam something to eat,¡± Shane instructed the housekeeper while entering the dining room with Natalie. ¡°Right away, sir!¡± the housekeeper replied and headed toward the kitchen. Chapter 1522 Chapter 1522 Shane pulled up a chair and let Natalie sit on it. Only when she had sat down did he pull up another chair from the side and sat down as well. ¡°Lina told me you were ying with the children outside. That''s why I went out to have a look,¡± said Natalie while handing him a ss of water. Making a frown of disapproval, Shane said, ¡°Still, you should''ve eaten something first. The children and I will worry if you''re ill.¡± Strangely, she did not feel angry. Instead, his words sent a warm, fuzzy sensation into her heart. After all, only a person who was truly worried about someone would say something like that. If not, he would not be bothered at all. ¡°Okay, Darling. Don''t be angry, all right?¡± Natalie held his arm and rubbed her head into his shoulders yfully. As he nced at her, his tense expression softened, and his gaze became tender. He stroked her head. ¡°I''m not angry. Just remember to take care of yourself. That way, we''ll worry less.¡± ¡°All right. I will.¡± Natalie nodded seriously. ¡°Good,¡± murmured Shane as he leaned in and nted a kiss on her hair. Just then, the housekeeper came in with some food. Shane nced at it briefly, took it, and ced it in front of Natalie. ¡°Here, get something into your stomach first. Don''t eat too much, though. Otherwise, you''ll be too full when it''s time for lunch.¡± ¡°I know. Don''t worry.¡± Natalie smiled and began eating the sandwich. Meanwhile, Shane watched her from the side with his head propped up. However, his stares made her ufortable, and she gradually slowed down. From N?velDrama.Org. In the end, she put down her sandwich and nced at him. ¡°Uh... Darling, can you turn around? I''m not used to having you staring at me like this.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± Shane asked, taking a sip of his coffee. ¡°Since forever. It''s rather ufortable to have someone staring at me when I''m eating.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Shane nodded absentmindedly before turning his face away. ¡°Okay. Carry on. I won''t look at you.¡± Seeing that, Natalie picked up her sandwich and continued eating. Several momentster, she felt his gaze on her again. She put down her sandwich and turned to him, saying hesitatingly, ¡°Didn''t you promise to not look at me? Why are you looking at me now?¡± ¡°I can''t help it!¡± Shane replied innocently while putting down his coffee cup. Natalie raised her brow. ¡°Why is that so?¡± ¡°You look cute when you''re eating. That''s why I can''t help looking at you,¡± replied Shane seriously. Hearing that made Natalie''s cheeks flush pink. This man is bing less cold and better at sweet-talking now. Ugh. I can''t believe I''m blushing just because he said I look cute when I''m eating. Even my heart''s racing. Amused, Natalie asked, ¡°Where did you learn to say things like that? I never heard you say stuff like this to me in the past.¡± ¡°I didn''t learn it from anyone. It''s from the heart.¡± Shane chuckled. Natalie could not help butugh. ¡°Looks like you were only pretending to be cold, huh? The real you is a sweet-talker.¡± Smirking, Shane muttered, ¡°I only say sweet things to you.¡± ¡°Hmph! I''d get rid of you if you dare say it to someone else.¡± Natalie red at him, her fists curled. Seeing that, Shane nodded. ¡°I won''t, so don''t you dream of getting rid of me in this lifetime.¡± With that, he reached out, pulled her head forward, and nted a kiss on her lips. Chapter 1523 Chapter 1523 ¡°That''s impossible!¡± Stanley''s hands trembled. Panic was written all over his face, even his eyes had turned red. This is impossible! How could Joyce forget me? Sean shed a half-hearted smile. ¡°What makes you think it''s impossible? From your point of view, Joyce is someone who''ll love you for the rest of your life, isn''t she? You think she''ll always share your joys and sorrows, and she''ll never change her feelings for you, right? Well, reality has shown that she''s not that kind of person. Though she did not have a change of heart, she did something even more ruthless to forget and stop loving you.¡± ¡°This is fake.¡± Stanley shot Sean a re, his expression twisted in anger. ¡°This is definitely fake news. Joyce would never do this. She wouldn''t. I refuse to believe this.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. As he said that, he scrunched the document into a ball and threw it onto the ground. How could Joyce get hypnotized? How could she forget me? Didn''t she say she loves me? Is this what love makes people do? Besides, I kept brainwashing her. How could shee up with the idea of getting hypnotized just to forget me? What''s going on? The look in Stanley''s eyes kept changing, and his expression was inscrutable. Sean nced at the crumpled piece of paper on the ground and raised his brow. ¡°Dr. Quinn, I know this is rather shocking. After all, Ms. Rivers loves you so much. It''s impossible for her to forget you. Unfortunately, this is the truth. If you really can''t believe it, thene with me and perform the surgery. The sooner it''s done, the sooner I can reveal their whereabouts. Then, you''ll get to find out the details from her.¡± He''s right. I don''t believe Joyce would do that. I must look for her to find out the truth. He''s right. I don''t believe Joyce would do that. I must look for her to find out the truth. A myriad of emotions brewed within Stanley. Still, he opened the car door and got in. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Smiling, Sean instructed the driver, ¡°Let''s go. We''ll head straight to the hospital.¡± ¡°All right,¡± the driver answered and drove the car off. In the meantime, Sean nced at Stanley, asking, ¡°Do you need me to tell you about the patient''s condition?¡± ¡°It''ll be great if you can do so. That way, I can get to know the situation earlier and decide on how to perform the surgery,¡± uttered Stanley coldly while side-eyeing Sean. Stroking his chin, Sean said, ¡°All right. I''ll tell you, then. Hopefully, you cane up with a solution as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I don''t need you to tell me that,¡± snapped Stanley before going silent again. Sean put on a meaningful smile and began exining the patient''s condition. After that, Stanley frowned and lowered his head as he began to ponder. Seeing that, Sean left Stanley to his thoughts and took out his phone to look at something. Several minutester, a glint shed past Stanley''s eyes, which disappeared almost instantly. He lifted his head and looked at Sean. Right then, he identally caught sight of a beautiful face on Sean''s phone screen. Stanley''s eyes quivered. It was a picture of Natalie. ¡°Is that Natalie''s picture?¡± Stanley''s expression turned grim, and his voice became cold. Even so, Sean did not seem flustered about it. Instead, he smiled. ¡°You''ve already seen it. Why are you still asking me?¡± ¡°You haven''t given up on her?¡± Stanley mocked. Sean''s eyes gleamed as he studied the beautiful woman on the screen, stroking Natalie''s face with his thumb. ¡°Do you really think I''d give up so easily on such a rare beauty?¡± After all, Natalie was the first woman he truly loved. It was impossible for a man to forget their first love. He had not forgotten about Natalie, even though he had Lindsay already. Everyone imed that he had feelings for Lindsay, and he agreed with it. However, his feelings for her were not that strong. After all, he saw her as a mother figure and a woman at the same time. Chapter 1524 Chapter 1524 With the twoplex emotions intertwined, there was no way he could truly fall in love with Lindsay. That was why he imed that Natalie was the first person he fell in love with. He never thought of giving up on Natalie, even if she had married Shane and given birth to three children. Sean was determined to snatch her from Shane one day. Meanwhile, Joyce had reminded him of something. Since it was impossible to forget someone, he could use an external method to do the trick. Once Sean had taken Natalie from Shane, he would get a hypnotist to erase all her memories and feelings for Shane and make her fall in love with him. While Sean was thinking about that, he narrowed his eyes, looking smug and confident. Stanley smirked at Sean. ¡°Hah! You won''t be able to get her even if you haven''t given up. You can''t even defeat Shane. If not, you wouldn''t be staying abroad all this while.¡± ¡°You''re right. I''m not his opponent when ites to fighting face-to-face, but he''s not mine when it comes to schemes. I can definitely make Natalie mine. After all, I''m not like you. You were the closest to Natalie for the past five years, yet you failed to get her,¡± Sean sneered without holding back. Stanley''s expression darkened. ¡°What do you know? I just didn''t want to make things difficult for her.¡± Sean rolled his eyes in disdain. ¡°Pah. That''s not true. Based on your mental state, you wouldn''t bother to consider her feelings if you wanted to get her. You only care for yourself. You''d do anything in your power to get her. That''s the real you. Then again, why is it you never did that to Natalie? Don''t you think it''s suspicious?¡± ¡°What would I be suspicious about?¡± Stanley growled, clenching his fists. ¡°What would I be suspicious about?¡± Stanley growled, clenching his fists. From N?velDrama.Org. Only he knew how troubled he was feeling at that moment. In fact, the answers that he did not dare or want to think about were slowly surfacing. What was worse was that he might not be able to ept it once the truth was out. Seeing how stubborn and reluctant Stanley was to face his true thoughts, Sean snickered and answered, ¡°Whether you love Natalie, of course.¡± Stanley''s expression changed drastically. ¡°That''s impossible! How could I not love Natalie?¡± If I didn''t love her, why had I been thinking of her for five whole years and doing all sorts of things for her? He knew himself well. As an aloof person, he would not care or help anyone unless they mattered to him. Hence, it did not make sense that he did not love Natalie. Hence, he refused to believe Sean''s words. Meanwhile, Sean was not surprised by Stanley''s reaction. It was, after all, what the former had predicted. Sean propped his head while shing a half-hearted smile at a confused Stanley. ¡°If that''s the case, I need you to answer my question. If you love her, why did you never pursue her? As I said, with your mental illness, you would''ve forced her to stay by your side and made her love only you even if she rejected you. Besides, you can never bear to see the person you love be with another man. Yet, you haven''t done all that to Natalie, haven''t you?¡± Stanley''s eyes widened, and his heart clenched. He could not bring himself to refute Sean''s words. Sean was right. With Stanley''s mental state, he would not allow the person he loved to be with another man. The most probable course of action would be to lock her up, so she could only look at him for the rest of his life. However, he did none of those things to Natalie. Seeing the color drain from Stanley''s face made Sean smile. ¡°Do you know why you never did those things to Natalie? That''s because you don''t love her. In fact, you never loved her. Your love for her is fake, but you never realized it. The person you truly love is someone else, someone who might share some simrities with Natalie. That''s why you think you love Natalie. In reality, she''s just a recement for the person you love, because you don''t dare to show your feelings to the actual person. Hence, you''ve decided to pour your love for that person onto Natalie instead.¡± Chapter 1525 Chapter 1525 At that, Sean nced at Stanley and continued, ¡°You never loved Natalie, which is why you never did those things to her. If you really loved her, you wouldn''t be able to ept her being with Shane. You would''ve even attacked them. However, you''re not capable of snatching Natalie away from Shane with this disability of yours. Since you can''t get what you wanted, you''d end up killing them both, so that Shane won''t get her, too. Yet, you never did all that. You let them live blissfully, get married, and even have three children. Isn''t all this enough to prove that you don''t love Natalie?¡± Stanley''s body trembled slightly. Clearly, Sean''s words had changed the former''s perspective of his love for Natalie. That exined why he never felt angry or jealous when Natalie and Shane were together. Neither did he have the urge to separate them. All he felt was just a little ufortable. All that while, he figured he had just been hiding his feelings well. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Truth was, he felt no powerful emotions because he did not love Natalie. At that thought, Stanley felt the impression Natalie had left in his heart slowly disappearing to the point that he was so close to forgetting her. Even so, he did not feel anxious or regretful. Are things really like what Sean said? Do I not love Natalie? Meanwhile, Sean watched Stanley''s expression change from a phase of shock, self-doubt, and finally calmness. Meanwhile, Sean watched Stanley''s expression change from a phase of shock, self-doubt, and finally calmness. That was when Sean knew Stanley had understood the situation atst. ¡°Looks like you''ve realized you don''t love Natalie, eh?¡± asked Sean while studying Stanley''s face. Stanley cast Sean a grim look. ¡°Even if I don''t love Natalie, there''s no way I''d love someone else. Earlier, you said I''m merely using Natalie as a recement for the person I love. That''s utterly ridiculous. Tell me, then. Who is the person I truly love?¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± Sean smirked. Stanley felt his heart clench, but he still kept himselfposed. ¡°Well, I have to find out what kind of beauty you''ve arranged that you think I''ll fall in love with.¡± All of a sudden, Seanughed as if his mood had improved. Frowning, Stanley questioned, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°Oh, it''s nothing. I''m just amused at how you''re still unwilling to examine your heart calmly. Well, since you want to know, then I''ll tell you. The person you love is Joyce,¡± Sean stated, crossing his legs. Shock was written all over Stanley''s face, but a mockingugh soon followed. ¡°You said I love Joyce? Sean, you should know when to stop joking. Either that or find some other woman who''s on the same level as Natalie. Of all people, you picked Joyce? What a joke!¡± Do I love Joyce? That''s impossible! Who in their right mind would love the daughter of their parents'' murderers? Regardless, the smirk on Sean''s face remained. ¡°I''m not joking. I''m telling the truth. It''s true that you love Joyce. In fact, you loved her from the beginning. I looked into your history with her. She had feelings for you when she was in her teens, but you had already fallen for her before that. You''re three years older than her, so you had already developed feelings for her when you hit puberty. You just didn''t realize it. When your parents died, you developed a hatred for her. In reality, that''s not real hatred.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stanley red at Sean. Chuckling, Sean exined, ¡°It''s very simple. I''m saying you never hated her. You just couldn''t ept the fact that her parents exposed your parents'' whereabouts, which caused them to die. Hence, you misinterpreted the me on her parents as a hatred for the entire family. The truth is, you don''t really hate the Rivers family. Then again, they''re still involved in your parents'' death. Rather than hating them, you just resent them for looking for your parents at that time.¡± Chapter 1526 Chapter 1526 waiting...on the way.. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 1527 Chapter 1527 Stanley narrowed his eyes. ¡°Regret? I''ve never deceived myself, nor will I regret anything.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Sean shrugged and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, have you thought of a n for the patient''s surgery? The patient is quite old and has a weak body. The other doctors don''t even dare to perform a craniotomy. If not for your skills, I wouldn''t have taken such a huge risk by asking you to fly over here. I''m sure Shane is aware that you''ve left J City by now. He might even discover your purpose foring to Astoria.¡± Stanley side-eyed him indifferently. ¡°What now? Are you afraid? It makes sense. After all, Shane hates you for everything you did. You''ll be dead meat once he catches you.¡± ¡°Hah! I''ll think about it when he does.¡± Sean''s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Do you think he can''t?¡± Stanley sneered. Hearing that, Sean lowered his gaze and said nothing until a momentter. ¡°I never said that. After all, there''s no ce on earth that can keep me hidden forever. Shane and I will have to face each other one day.¡± ¡°Why are you still hiding, then? Why don''t you just appear in front of Shane?¡± questioned Stanley. Sean pursed his lips. ¡°That''s none of your business. Anyway, you haven''t answered my question. Have youe up with a n already?¡± ¡°I have, but I''ll have to see the patient to know if it can be implemented,¡± uttered Stanley inly. ¡°I have, but I''ll have to see the patient to know if it can be implemented,¡± uttered Stanley inly. Nodding, Sean said, ¡°That''s easy. We''re on the way to the hospital now. You''ll meet the patient once we''re there.¡± With that, Stanley fell silent. Sean, too, followed suit. Immediately, silence filled the car. Only faint breathing sounds could be heard. Half an hourter, they arrived at their destination. Sean led Stanley into the hospital, and the patient was pushed into the operating theater an hourter. Meanwhile, Natalie hadpleted her tasks. She stepped out of the study and went to the living room to get a drink. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sitting in the living room was Shane. He was on the phone with someone and did not appear to be in a good mood. Seeing that, Natalie carefully made her way over and poured herself a ss of water while watching him in silence. A few minutester, Shane finally hung up and put down his phone. Only then did Natalie ask, ¡°What''s wrong, Darling? Why do you look so upset?¡± ¡°It''s nothing major,¡± Shane responded in a slightly tired tone while massaging his temples. Noting that, Natalie put down her ss, went to his back, and massaged his shoulders. ¡°Come on. Tell me. I might be able to help. If not, you can just treat me as a listener to vent your emotions.¡± Shane chortled. ¡°All right. It''s nothing important, really. Ever since Sam died, I''ve ced hispanies under Thompson Group. However, hispanies are too scattered. It''ll take a long time to gather all of them under Thompson Group. It''s been a few months now, and the person in charge of doing audit is telling me that most of them are actually facing losses.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie raised a brow. Shane grunted a response. ¡°Sam spends money like crazy, and he always uses thepany ount, causing hispanies to face losses. Some even have deficits.¡± ¡°That means you have to cover the losses on Sam''s behalf in order to integrate thosepanies into Thompson Group, right?¡± Natalie eyed him questioningly. Shane bobbed his head. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°No wonder you look so upset. Don''t worry. Once we catch Sean, we''ll make him pay. A son should pay for the father''s debts, anyway,¡± said Natalie while leaning on his shoulder. Shane turned around and shed her an affectionate smile. ¡°My wife is so smart.¡± Chapter 1528 Chapter 1528 ¡°Really?¡± Natalie countered with a smile. In response, Shane nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°All right, let''s not speak of that anymore. I''ll go and see whether the kids havee back in or are still ying with the drone outside.¡± While saying that, Natalie dropped her hand from the man''s shoulder to head out. However, Shane grabbed her hand. ¡°They''ve alreadye back in.¡± ¡°They have?¡± Hearing that, Natalie halted in her tracks. Shane jerked his chin up a fraction in assent. ¡°They''vee back in earlier when you were busy. Thus, I brought them upstairs to bathe and change. They''re now sleeping.¡± ¡°They must have tired themselves out ying that they''re taking their naps so early.¡± Circling around the couch, Natalie sat down beside him. Shane wrapped an arm around her shoulder and allowed her to snuggle into his embrace. ¡°Yeah, they looked pretty tired.¡± ¡°If so, we''ll probably have a hard time waking them up at night,¡± Nataliemented helplessly. Chuckling, Shane suggested, ¡°Then, we''ll just let them sleep. We need to set out early tomorrow, so it''s good that they''ve got sufficient sleep, lest they throw a tantrum at waking too early in the morning.¡± At his remark, Natalie''s gaze dimmed. She lowered her eyes. ¡°Time really flies. You''re already going back with Connor and Sharon tomorrow.¡± ¡°It''s okay. I''ll being over with them again next week. A short parting for the sake of one''s dreams and career is nothing unusual.¡± Dipping his head, Shane kissed her on the forehead. ¡°I know. I''m just a little reluctant to part with you all.¡± Natalie lifted her head and studied his handsome face. Likewise, Shane stared at her. Without warning, he lowered his head and bit her lip. Likewise, Shane stared at her. Without warning, he lowered his head and bit her lip. Natalie''s eyes went wide, and she proceeded to retaliate by doing the same. Shane didn''t bother dodging, allowing her to bite him as she pleased. The instant she bit his lip, he abruptly leaned down and pinned her to the couch, nting a kiss on her. Natalie was stunned at first. Subsequently, she cradled his face and huffed while glowering at him, ¡°You yed dirty!¡± Despite her usation, Shane smirked. ¡°How so? I never said I wanted to y a game where we bit each other''s lips. I only want to y this game with you, so it didn''t count.¡± After saying that, he dipped his head once more and captured her lips. This time, Natalie couldn''t push him away, no matter how much she tried. At longst, she could only resign herself to her fate and allow him to have his way with her. From N?velDrama.Org. Later, she even lifted her arm and hooked it around his shoulder. At the same time, she tilted her chin slightly as she responded to his passion. On the stairs a near distance away, Lina stood rooted to the spot with an empty coffee cup in hand, gaping at the couple canoodling on the couch expressionlessly. Verily, she was torn between going downstairs and heading back upstairs. Gosh, how lovey-dovey must they be? When they were apart, they kept calling each other and talking on the phone for an eternity, both wishing to fly over to be with the other. Goosebumps rose all over me to listen to them, and their disys of affection gave me indigestion. Now that they''ve finally met again, they''re like conjoined twins, sticking together all the time and getting all intimate whenever there''s a chance. See? They''re kissing right on the couch in the living room. Can''t they show this singledy some mercy? When she noticed that they were still carrying on and seemingly even showed an inclination to take things further, her eyes almost popped out of her head. She hastily nced upstairs, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing no one there. Then, she cried out, ¡°Stop!¡± The couple on the couch promptly stilled at her voice. Snapping his head up, Shane frowned and eyed Lina in chagrin, making it apparent that he was disgruntled at her sudden interruption. ¡°You''d better give me a valid reason!¡± he snapped coldly. Beneath him, Natalie jolted back to her senses. She swiftly pushed the man on top of her away and sat up, casting a nce at Lina before straightening her hair and clothes with a blush staining her face. After doing all that, she inquired in embarrassment, ¡°Why have youe downstairs, Lina?¡± Lina was initially still afraid of Shane, but she immediately shifted her gaze away from the chilly look in the man''s eyes upon hearing Natalie''s voice. Looking at thetter, she retorted with a roll of her eyes, ¡°Why, you asked? I came downstairs for a drink of water after finishing my work, only to see you both kissing on the couch. Natalie, I know your rtionship with Mr. Thompson is very close, and you two want to be intimate all the time, but do consider my feelings as a singledy. This is a public space!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± At her reprimand, Natalie grew even redder. Chapter 1529 Chapter 1529 Indeed, Natalie failed to consider the fact that it was a public space. Well, this is all Shane''s fault for insisting on kissing me. He turned my head with his kiss, and all thought fled my mind! Wrapping an arm around Natalie''s waist, Shane regarded Lina icily. ¡°Even if this is a public space, you can pretend that you didn''t see anything, no?¡± At that, the corners of Lina''s mouth twitched. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I naturally could''ve pretended not to see anything, but we''re not the only ones in this vi. There are still two kids. If it were just us, I would''ve pretended not to have seen anything even if you had both stripped down to your birthday suits. But there are still kids. What if they happened toe downstairs when you two took things further?¡± Her words hit Natalie like a bucket of cold water. At once, she straightened. ¡°That''s right! The kids are also here.¡± ¡°That was why I interrupted you both. Imagine the mortification if it weren''t me who made an appearance here but the kids,¡± Lina borated, bobbing her head. Natalie swung her gaze to Shane. ¡°This is all on you!¡± Quirking a brow, Shane chortled. ¡°Yes, this is all on me.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Natalie turned away without entertaining him any further. Instead, she trained her eyes on Lina. ¡°Thank you for earlier, Lina.¡± If she hadn''t appeared and snapped us back to reality just now, perhaps Shane and I would have really gotten it on without any qualms. After all, it''s truly difficult to retain any sanity when in the throes of passion. ¡°Don''t mention it. All right, I''m going to the kitchen. Go back to your room if you two wish to continue and take things further. Don''t do it in the living room.¡± Having said that, Lina waved a hand and headed toward the kitchen. ¡°Don''t mention it. All right, I''m going to the kitchen. Go back to your room if you two wish to continue and take things further. Don''t do it in the living room.¡± Having said that, Lina waved a hand and headed toward the kitchen. When she had left, Shane gazed at Nataliezily with a hand propped against his head. ¡°Did you hear that? Let''s go back to the room.¡± ¡°No way! Don''t dream of picking up where we left off!¡± Natalie shot him a re. ¡°Why?¡± Shane questioned. s, Natalie shot to her feet. ¡°I''m no longer in the mood. Okay, let''s end this conversation here. I''m going to give Joyce a call.¡± As her words fell, she took out her phone and walked toward the balcony. Staring at her back, Shane shrugged in mild regret. Oh well, it looks like I really wouldn''t be able to pick up where we left off earlier. On the balcony, Natalie rang Joyce up. Coincidentally, it was morning at Joyce''s ce. For that reason, Joyce answered the phone no sooner had the call connected. ¡°Good morning, Nat.¡± Joyce''s voice drifted over, tinged with a hint of happiness. From N?velDrama.Org. Casting her gaze out at the gradually darkening sky outside, Natalie admitted with a giggle, ¡°It''s not morning over here. Instead, it''s almost night.¡± Only when Joyce heard that did something ur to her, and she smacked herself on the forehead. ¡°Sorry, I forgot there''s a time zone difference of several hours between us.¡± ¡°Okay, let''s not talk about that anymore, Joyce. I called because I''ve got something serious to ask you.¡± Natalie''s expression turned solemn. At her grave tone, Joyce turned somber as well. ¡°What do you want to ask me, Nat?¡± ¡°I want to ask whether you''ve had any contact with anyone in Astoria recently. I remember you''ve got quite a few former high school ssmates over there,¡± Natalie remarked. Puzzlement was written all over Joyce''s face. ¡°Astoria?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. In response, Joyce shook her head. ¡°No, I didn''t have any contact with anyone in Astoria since there wasn''t a particr reason to do so. I basically never kept in contact with those high school friends anymore. We drifted apart after graduating high school, so I couldn''t possibly have contacted them. Why did you suddenly ask about that, Nat?¡± ¡°Phew! I''m d to hear that.¡± Relief suffused Natalie, and she proceeded to exin, ¡°It was because Stanley left J City and had presently gone to Astoria. His departure was too sudden, so we suspected that he went there to look for you. After all, you''ve got some acquaintances there. I was just worried that you contacted a friend in Astoria and told the person your current whereabouts, and in turn, the person told Stanley. But fortunately, all that was just my conjecture.¡± Chapter 1530 Chapter 1530 Since she didn''t contact her former ssmates in Astoria, they couldn''t possibly have any idea about her whereabouts at present. In other words, they couldn''t be telling Stanley about that. Therefore, he probably went over to Astoria for some other reason, not because of Joyce. After hearing Natalie''s rification, Joyce bobbed her head as understanding dawned upon her. ¡°I see. Don''t worry, Nat. Although I''ve forgotten Stanley and don''t remember that I once loved him, I know he must be a reprehensible person. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have wanted to kill even his own child. As such, I wouldn''t be so foolish as to simply tell others my whereabouts. At the end of the day, neither of us is a fool. I''m worried that someone will tell others about my whereabouts. In the same way, he knows to contact my past acquaintances to inquire about my whereabouts. I''m now hiding from him, so I''ll never take the initiative to contact anyone else other than you guys.¡± ¡°That''s good. I can rest easy, then.¡± A smile of relief bloomed on Natalie''s face. Joyce smiled as well. ¡°Besides, it doesn''t matter even if he does learn about my whereabouts. I''m no longer my muddle-headed self in the past, who loved him to the point of having no dignity to speak of. Right now, I''m hard-hearted and don''t love him anymore. Even if he still harbors hatred against me and the Rivers family and wants me to abort the baby, I won''t agree. Instead, I''ll fight him to the bitter end.¡± Despite her firm deration, Natalie felt no joy or gratification. Conversely, her brows furrowed. ¡°Don''t even think of that, Joyce. You''ve said yourself earlier that you loved him to the point of no return in the past. Worse still, you only forgot about him with the help of hypnosis. So, can you really be sure that you won''t fall in love with him again after meeting him once more? You can''t predict such a thing. What would you do if that were to happen? Don''t tell me you''d then revert to your past self?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Despite her firm deration, Natalie felt no joy or gratification. Conversely, her brows furrowed. ¡°Don''t even think of that, Joyce. You''ve said yourself earlier that you loved him to the point of no return in the past. Worse still, you only forgot about him with the help of hypnosis. So, can you really be sure that you won''t fall in love with him again after meeting him once more? You can''t predict such a thing. What would you do if that were to happen? Don''t tell me you''d then revert to your past self?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Words suddenly eluded Joyce, for she knew that Natalie was right. Indeed, many things can''t be left to chance. Ultimately, no one can predict the future. I might now im that I won''t fall in love with him again, but what if it ends up being the pr opposite? At that thought, a stab of pain assailed her. Out of the blue, a few scenes shed across her mind. While she couldn''t make them out, she knew they were memories sealed away with hypnosis. The moment they popped up, an inexplicable wave of devastating sorrow and pain surged within her. Thus, it went without saying that they must be hurtful beyond words. That aside, it was also evident that loving the man brought her great pain in the past, so much so that she couldn''t quite breathe. Most importantly, she didn''t want to experience such pain again. Therefore, I can''t ever meet him anymore! ¡°Sorry, Nat. You''re right,¡± Joyce relented in embarrassment, massaging her temples. Once more, a smile broke out on Natalie''s face. ¡°All right, I didn''t mean to lecture you either. I was just worried. Although you''ve now forgotten Stanley, you know you once loved him, so you feel curious about him. When a woman is curious about a man, she''ll inexorably pay him great attention and try to know him better. In the end, you''ll only fall in love with him again. As such, Joyce, I hope you don''t grow curious about him, okay?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Nat. I understand.¡± Joyce nodded. Humming in acknowledgment, Natalie replied, ¡°I''m d to hear that. Oh yes, there''s something else I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Joyce inclined her head a fraction. Meanwhile, Natalie massaged her temples. ¡°I told you to decide on a suitable candidate to take over your position back when you left J City, didn''t I? It''s been a long time, but you haven''t given me a name.¡± At that, Joyce smacked herself on the forehead. ¡°Oh, that. Sorry, Nat, but I''m still in the process of doing so. There are a few great candidates in thepany, but since I''m to decide on one, I n to put their information together first and choose the most outstanding person. Regretfully, this isn''t as simple as it sounds, so I''m not done with it until now.¡± Chapter 1531 Chapter 1531 Natalie nodded inprehension. ¡°I see. I understand now, so continue with that. Inform me when you''ve decided on someone, and I''ll have Shane make the arrangements then.¡± ¡°Okay, got it. I''ll sort everything out and send you the name these two days,¡± Joyce promised with a bob of her head. In response, Natalie murmured in acknowledgement. Thereafter, the two of them spoke briefly about other matters before hanging up the phone. Natalie then turned around and went back to the living room. Shane was still sitting on the couch. He held a cup of coffee in one hand and a tablet in the other, looking at something or other. At her footsteps, he put the coffee and tablet down before lifting his head and looking in her direction. ¡°You''re done with your phone call?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Brandishing her phone, Natalie sauntered over. Jealousy swamped Shane. ¡°You were on the phone a long time, almost as long as we usually talk on the phone.¡± Hearing that, Natalie arched a brow. ¡°Don''t tell me you''re even jealous of this, Darling?¡± Shane wrapped an arm around her waist and gathered her into his arms, settling her on hisp before resting his forehead against hers. Staring into her eyes, he answered, ¡°Of course! I''ll naturally feel unsettled that my wife talked to someone else for too long when I''m an exceedingly possessive man. Is that not so?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you''re absolutely right.¡± Exasperated, Natalie cradled his face and kissed him. ¡°All right, are you still jealous now?¡± Natalia noddad inprahansion. ¡°I saa. I undarstand now, so continua with that. Inform ma whan you''va dacidad on somaona, and I''ll hava Shana maka tha arrangamants than.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Okay, got it. I''ll sort avarything out and sand you tha nama thasa two days,¡± Joyca promisad with a bob of har haad. In rasponsa, Natalia murmurad in acknodgamant. Tharaaftar, tha two of tham spoka briafly about othar mattars bafora hanging up tha phona. Natalia than turnad around and want back to tha living room. Shana was still sitting on tha couch. Ha hald a cup of coffaa in ona hand and a tat in tha othar, looking at somathing or othar. At har footstaps, ha put tha coffaa and tat down bafora lifting his haad and looking in har diraction. ¡°You''ra dona with your phona call?¡± ¡°Yaah.¡± Brandishing har phona, Natalia sauntarad ovar. Jaalousy swampad Shana. ¡°You wara on tha phona a long tima, almost as long as wa usually talk on tha phona.¡± Haaring that, Natalia archad a brow. ¡°Don''t tall ma you''ra avan jaalous of this, Darling?¡± Shana wrappad an arm around har waist and gatharad har into his arms, sattling har on hisp bafora rasting his forahaad against hars. Staring into har ayas, ha answarad, ¡°Of coursa! I''ll naturally faal unsatd that my wifa talkad to somaona alsa for too long whan I''m an axcaadingly possassiva man. Is that not so?¡± ¡°Yas, yas, you''ra absolutaly right.¡± Exasparatad, Natalia crad his faca and kissad him. ¡°All right, ara you still jaalous now?¡± Shane''s eyes flickered fleetingly. ¡°I won''t be jealous anymore if you kiss me one more time.¡± ¡°I don''t mind doing that, but you can''t trick me again and take advantage of me. Don''t forget what Lina said just now. This is a public space,¡± Natalie warned, eyeing him suspiciously. It was clear that Shane was reluctant to agree to it, but in the end, he nodded in concurrence. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Turn your face to the side,¡± Natalie ordered. Shane did as instructed, turning his face slightly to the left, exposing the right side of his face. Natalie kissed him on the left cheek earlier, so she should naturally kiss his right cheek then. Seeing that he was so obedient, Natalie tilted her head up and pecked him lightly on the right cheek. ¡°Satisfied now?¡± she queried with a giggle, her eyes fixated on the man. Shane jerked his chin up a fraction. ¡°Well, more or less.¡± ¡°How stubborn!¡± His reply had mirth flooding Natalie. He''s already satisfied, yet he refuses to admit to it. But then, this is precisely how I like him. He''s all arrogant and looking indescribably adorable! ¡°Okay, let go of me first. It''s time for dinner, so I''m going to wake the kids.¡± Natalie patted him on the arm. In turn, Shane dropped his hand from around her waist. ¡°Didn''t we agree to let them sleep and not wake them up?¡± ¡°We''ve still got to wake them up. They''re still young and in the process of growing, so how could they not eat dinner? At most, we''ll have them sleep earlier after eating,¡± Natalie argued after ncing at the watch on her wrist. Grunting in assent, Shane stood up as well. ¡°Let''s go, then. I''ll do it with you.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Natalie agreed readily. He''s their father, so it''s only natural for him to go with me to wake them up. Furthermore, they''ll probably be over the moon to see us both! And so, the couple headed upstairs hand in hand. An hourter, they went downstairs again, each with a child in hand. Probably because Connor and Sharon were still groggy from sleep, they appeared listless right then as their heads drooped. On the whole, they looked downright pitiful. Walking in from outside with a ss of fruit juice in hand, Lina was distressed to see them both in such a state. ¡°They''ve just woken up and are still groggy, so they''re all dispirited,¡± Natalie exined with a smile. Stepping forward, Lina caressed their heads. In the next heartbeat, something urred to her, and she took out two candies from her bag before holding them out to the children. ¡°Here, have a candy each, sweethearts. You''ll be awake after eating it,¡± Lina urged. The two children reached out and took the candies from her hand before thanking her in their juvenile voices. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Cohen.¡± ¡°Aww! You almost melted my heart!¡± Lina clutched at her heart with an exaggerated expression on her face. Chapter 1532 Chapter 1532 Lina''s antics amused Natalie greatly. ¡°All right, drop the act. Let''s go and have dinner first.¡± ¡°Sure! Let''s go!¡± Nodding, Lina voluntarily took Connor and Sharon from Natalie and Shane, leading the two children to the dining room. As for Natalie and Shane, they were naturally left with nothing to do and followed behind, hand in hand. Eyeballing the adult and the two children ahead, Natalie shook her head with a grin. ¡°She must have done it on purpose, taking the two kids away so that we''re left all alone, huh?¡± ¡°That was smart of her,¡± Shaneplimented with a nod. Natalie was struck speechless, and the corners of her mouth twitched. It goes without saying that he approves of it since he can then cling to me openly without the kids by our side. Verily, I can''t fathom how he can be so clingy when he''s a man. But it''s a good thing, for his clinginess tells me how much he loves me! By the time they made it to the dining room, Lina and the two children were already seated. At that moment, the two children were already fully awake and had perked up considerably. At the sight of Natalie and Shane approaching, their eyes lit up in a sh. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, quick, sit down! It''s time for dinner!¡± Sharon beckoned at them with her chubby hand. Connor, on the other hand, jumped down from his chair directly and pulled out two chairs for the couple. Seeing both their children behaving so well, Natalie and Shane were inwardly gratified to the core. Lina''s antics amusad Natalia graatly. ¡°All right, drop tha act. Lat''s go and hava dinnar first.¡± ¡°Sura! Lat''s go!¡± Nodding, Lina voluntarily took Connor and Sharon from Natalia and Shana,ading tha two childran to tha dining room. As for Natalia and Shana, thay wara naturallyft with nothing to do and followad bahind, hand in hand. Eyaballing tha adult and tha two childran ahaad, Natalia shook har haad with a grin. ¡°Sha must hava dona it on purposa, taking tha two kids away so that wa''raft all alona, huh?¡± ¡°That was smart of har,¡± Shanaplimantad with a nod. Natalia was struck spaacss, and tha cornars of har mouth twitchad. It goas without saying that ha approvas of it sinca ha can than cling to ma opanly without tha kids by our sida. Varily, I can''t fathom how ha can ba so clingy whan ha''s a man. But it''s a good thing, for his clinginass talls ma how much ha lovas ma! By tha tima thay mada it to tha dining room, Lina and tha two childran wara alraady saatad. At that momant, tha two childran wara alraady fully awaka and had parkad up considarably. At tha sight of Natalia and Shana approaching, thair ayas lit up in a sh. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, quick, sit down! It''s tima for dinnar!¡± Sharon backonad at tham with har chubby hand. Connor, on tha othar hand, jumpad down from his chair diractly and pud out two chairs for tha cou. Saaing both thair childran bahaving so wall, Natalia and Shana wara inwardly gratifiad to tha cora. Shane walked over and scooped Connor up, cing him back onto his chair before patting him on the head. ¡°What a good boy!¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Touching his head, Connor grinned widely. After dropping his hand from his son''s head, Shane shifted his gaze to Natalie. ¡°Have a seat.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± With a nod, Natalie sat down beside him. Subsequently, the housekeeper started serving the food. It was a feast worthy of a king. Shane draped a napkin over the two children, lest they stained their clothes while eating. His movements were exceedingly deft when he did so, making it obvious that he had done it many times. Lina, who was drinking soup, asked, ¡°Had it been Mr. Thompson who took care of Connor and Sharon during mealtimes at home, Nat?¡± Natalie bobbed her head before turning a gentle gaze on the man. ¡°Yes. He didn''t allow me or the housekeeper to do it, insisting on doing it himself.¡± In his own words, not only had I already suffered plenty when I gave birth to the kids, but I''d also been through a lot for many years and raised them while he hadn''t done anything for them despite being their father. Hence, he unhesitatingly took on the responsibility of caring for them during mealtimes. In a nutshell, the task of taking care of the kids during mealtimes falls on him alone as long as he''s there. Lina lifted her chin in understanding. ¡°Indeed, Mr. Thompson is a good man who pampers his wife and dotes on his kids.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Natalie looked at Shane with pride brimming in her eyes. How lucky am I to marry him! I never knew what a blissful family was like in the first twenty years of my life, but now, I know. For that reason, I''m rather thankful to Jasmine for allowing me into that room back then. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have met him. ¡°Why are you staring at me? Are you not hungry?¡± Shane turned and inquired upon noticing that her gaze had been fixated on him for an eternity. Beaming, Natalie replied, ¡°Because my husband is handsome!¡± ¡°Oh? How handsome?¡± Shane quirked a brow. ¡°He is exceedingly handsome and the most good-looking man I''ve ever seen!¡± Natalie dered. In all honesty, she wasn''t ttering him but meant every single word she said. She had seen countless outstanding men, but he was indeed the most good-looking man she had ever beheld. Hearing that, Shane chuckled lowly. ¡°I''m honored. The same goes for you. You''re also the most beautiful woman I''ve ever seen.¡± Likewise, he wasn''t lying but meant that sincerely. She''s stunningly beautiful, undoubtedly the most exquisite woman I''ve ever seen! Natalie hadn''t expected the man to praise her in return. Her face flushed bright red as embarrassment inundated her. Across from them, Lina regarded the couple expressionlessly. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ah, it''s happening once more. Here they go again! Chapter 1533 Chapter 1533 They really can''t stop, huh? Whenever there''s an opportunity, they start again with their public disys of affection. How annoying! Dear God, please send a bolt of lightning and strike them down right here and now! Meanwhile, Natalie had no idea that the sweet nothings between her and Shane had Lina, the single one at the side, green with envy. But then, even if she knew, she would only urge the woman to hurry up and find a partner so that she didn''t have to be jealous each time. After dinner, Lina hurriedly went back upstairs and holed up in her room. In her own words, she didn''t want to be treated to a front-row seat of their public disys of affection again in a while. That would be too much for her to bear. At that, Natalie shook her head in amusement. Then, she took Connor and Sharon upstairs. Shane didn''t go upstairs but stayed in the living room to do some work. He had a video conference. Natalie, on the other hand, yed with the children and told them stories in the room. They were leaving early tomorrow morning, so as their mother, she wanted to spend as much time as possible with them. Otherwise, she would only be able to see them again in seven days. Despite having video calls with them every day, it still couldn''tpare to meeting them in person. That night, she kept thempany untilte at night. They weren''t sleepy either, still as energetic as ever when it was past midnight, perhaps because they had slept for too long in the afternoon. In the end, if it weren''t for Shaneing in and forcibly demanding that they sleep and stop torturing her, they would have probably stayed up until the wee hours of the morning. Thay raally can''t stop, huh? Whanavar thara''s an opportunity, thay start again with thair public disys of affaction. How annoying! Daar God, asa sand a bolt of lightning and strika tham down right hara and now! Maanwh, Natalia had no idaa that tha swaat nothings batwaan har and Shana had Lina, tha sin ona at tha sida, graan with anvy. But than, avan if sha knaw, sha would only urga tha woman to hurry up and find a partnar so that sha didn''t hava to ba jaalous aach tima. Aftar dinnar, Lina hurriadly want back upstairs and hd up in har room. In har own words, sha didn''t want to ba traatad to a front-row saat of thair public disys of affaction again in a wh. That would ba too much for har to baar. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. At that, Natalia shook har haad in amusamant. Than, sha took Connor and Sharon upstairs. Shana didn''t go upstairs but stayad in tha living room to do soma work. Ha had a vidao confaranca. Natalia, on tha othar hand, yad with tha childran and told tham storias in tha room. Thay waraaving aarly tomorrow morning, so as thair mothar, sha wantad to spand as much tima as possi with tham. Otharwisa, sha would only ba a to saa tham again in savan days. Daspita having vidao calls with tham avary day, it still couldn''tpara to maating tham in parson. That night, sha kapt thampany untilta at night. Thay waran''t apy aithar, still as anargatic as avar whan it was past midnight, parhaps bacausa thay had pt for too long in tha aftarnoon. In tha and, if it waran''t for Shanaing in and forcibly damanding that thay ap and stop torturing har, thay would hava probably stayad up until tha waa hours of tha morning. Shane then led Natalie out of the children''s room, supporting half her weight with an arm around her waist. Natalie leaned against him wearily,menting in both happiness and exhaustion, ¡°Gosh, I''m close to my limits. I really didn''t expect them to be so energetic, pestering me to y Ludo with them. That aside, they never got sick of it.¡± ¡°They couldn''t possibly be sick of it when you sang a song upon losing while they put on a show for you when they lost instead. You spoiled them too much. You should''ve just ordered them to go to bed. Then, you could''ve gotten away and not tired yourself out to such an extent,¡± Shane drawled with a chuckle, gazing down at the woman in his arms. Massaging her temples, Nataliemented, ¡°I didn''t n on that either, but I couldn''t bear to call an end to things and wanted to spend more time with them at the mere thought that they would be going back tomorrow and leaving me.¡± ¡°It''s not like you wouldn''t see them again in the future, so you didn''t need to run yourself into the ground.¡± Shane flicked her on the forehead. At once, Natalie grunted in pain. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Helping to wake you up. Feeling better now?¡± Dropping his arm from around her, Shane pressed down on her shoulders, signaling her to sit on the edge of the bed. Natalie shook her head to get rid of the drowsiness. ¡°Yeah. Go and shower first. I''ll lie down for a while before showering. My waist is throbbing after sitting on the carpet for hours on end.¡± ¡°Does it hurt badly?¡± Dipping his head, Shane scrutinized her waist. Natalie hummed slightly before answering, ¡°It''s still bearable, but exceedingly stiff. I can''t straighten up, or it''ll hurt.¡± ¡°Lie on your front,¡± Shane uttered, his thin lips parting slightly. Natalie eyed him dubiously. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I''ll massage it for you,¡± Shane offered. Chortling, Natalie flipped over andy on her front. ¡°I naturally wouldn''t decline the rare experience of having the high and mighty Mr. Thompson service me with a massage.¡± As Shane gazed at her, a sh of something dark flittered across his eyes. He leaned down and brought his face close to her ear, murmuring in a hoarse voice, ¡°Oh? It''s rare to have me service you, you said? What aboutst night¡ª¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Natalie''s face promptly med. In the next second, she hastily pped a hand over his face. ¡°Don''t equate the two. A massage is different from that. It''s true that I''ve never gotten a massage from you.¡± Shane removed her hand from his mouth. ¡°But that''s far more pleasurable than this, no?¡± Natalie''s face turned so red that it resembled an overripe tomato. She red at him in both vexation and embarrassment. ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Are you giving me a massage or not? If it''s thetter, hurry up and go shower.¡± At that, Shane chuckled lowly. ¡°Okay, I''ll give you a massage.¡± He no longer teased her, afraid that she would really get mad and ignore him. Chapter 1534 Chapter 1534 If that happens, I''ll only end up on the losing end. Straightening, Shane put on a solemn expression and ced his hands on the back of Natalie''s waist before massaging it gently. Surprisingly, his strength was just perfect despite his amateurish skills. Natalie closed her eyes in enjoyment even as a contented smile curved her lips. At the sight of her smile, Shane''s thin lips turned up as well. An indeterminate time passed, so long that Natalie almost fell asleep before the man stopped massaging her and stood up from the edge of the bed. Opening her eyes, Natalie flipped over. Then, she stretched out a hand, signaling him to lend her a hand. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Shane reached out and pulled her up. After sitting up, Natalie twisted her waist for a bit, only to discover that it indeed didn''t hurt as much anymore. While there was still a hint of difort, it was a vast improvement from when they first returned to the room. ¡°You''re really incredible, Darling!¡± She shed the man a thumbs-up in surprise. Lifting his chin, Shane announced proudly, ¡°I''ve always been incredible! Have you only realized that now?¡± In response, Natalie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°All right, hurry up and shower, then rest earlier. You''ve still got to wake up early tomorrow.¡± ¡°We''ll shower together.¡± As Shane said that, he grabbed her hand once more and pulled her up from the bed. On the heels of that, he bent down and ced an arm behind her knee, scooping her up in a bridal carry before striding toward the bathroom. If that happans, I''ll only and up on tha losing and. Straightaning, Shana put on a smn axprassion and cad his hands on tha back of Natalia''s waist bafora massaging it gantly. Surprisingly, his strangth was just parfact daspita his amataurish skills. Natalia closad har ayas in anjoymant avan as a contantad sm curvad har lips. At tha sight of har sm, Shana''s thin lips turnad up as wall. An indatarminata tima passad, so long that Natalia almost fall aap bafora tha man stoppad massaging har and stood up from tha adga of tha bad. Opaning har ayas, Natalia flippad ovar. Than, sha stratchad out a hand, signaling him tond har a hand. Shana raachad out and pud har up. Aftar sitting up, Natalia twistad har waist for a bit, only to discovar that it indaad didn''t hurt as much anymora. Wh thara was still a hint of difort, it was a vast improvamant from whan thay first raturnad to tha room. ¡°You''ra raally incradi, Darling!¡± Sha shad tha man a thumbs-up in surprisa. Lifting his chin, Shana announcad proudly, ¡°I''va always baan incradi! Hava you only raalizad that now?¡± In rasponsa, Natalia rod har ayas at him. ¡°All right, hurry up and showar, than rast aarliar. You''va still got to waka up aarly tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wa''ll showar togathar.¡± As Shana said that, ha grabbad har hand onca mora and pud har up from tha bad. On tha haals of that, ha bant down and cad an arm bahind har knaa, scooping har up in a bridal carry bafora striding toward tha bathroom. Natalie was stunned for a moment before she hurriedly started struggling. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Hurry up and put me down!¡± ¡°Naturally, we''re going to shower together.¡± Not only did Shane refuse to do as ordered, but his hold on her even tightened. Natalie stared at him. ¡°I don''t want to shower with you.¡± Every time I shower with him, we end up being intimate, and I get tortured for an eternity without any respite. This time, things will likely end in the same manner. It went without saying that Shane knew why she didn''t want to shower with him, but he would never allow her off the hook. Lowering his head, he bit the tip of her ear lightly. ¡°Aren''t you going to satisfy me for a bit though I''m leaving tomorrow?¡± At the mention of him leaving tomorrow, Natalie''s arguments got stuck in her throat. Look how glib he is and his insane skills at seizing the opportunity, making it so that I can''t refuse him! He knows that he and the kids are my weakness, aware that I can''t bear to part with them, so he deliberately spoke of his departure tomorrow. With that, I wouldn''t be able to turn him down. She looked at him speechlessly, no longer struggling. Some time passed before she finally muttered, ¡°What a smart cookie.¡± At her remark, Shane chuckled softly. ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡± As his words fell, the bathroom door mmed shut. When it swung open again, several hours had passed. Shane walked out with Natalie, who had a bathrobe draped over her, in his arms. Thetter rested in his embrace with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. That made sense since she was already tired enough after apanying Connor and Sharon for such a long time, not to mention now that she had spent an eternity appeasing the man. It would be a miracle if she were still wide awake. Shane carried Natalie to the side of the bed and gently ced her on the bed. He caressed her face before flipping open the covers and crawling into bed, then turning off the lights. But a short whileter, he opened his eyes and got up again. After packing up, he quietly left the room. In the living room downstairs, the two children had already been dressed by the housekeeper and were sitting on the couch. When they saw Shaneing down the stairs, they immediately jumped off the couch and sprinted over, each grabbing his hand on either side. ¡°Where''s Mommy, Daddy?¡± At their question, Shane reached out and stroked their heads, replying gently, ¡°She''s still sleeping, so she won''t being down. She has apetitionter in the day, so we''ll let her rest for a while longer instead of seeing us off.¡± ¡°Okay, we''ll let her rest. Thepetition must be tiring for her.¡± Sharon bobbed her head docilely. Contrarily, Connor threw Shane a sidelong nce, all too aware of the reason Natalie didn''te downstairs. Hah! Mommy isn''t the kind of person who''d pass uping downstairs to see us off just because she''s got apetition tomorrow! Chapter 1535 Chapter 1535 Instead, between us and thepetition, Mommy attaches far more importance to us. Daddy must have put her through the wringer against night. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be so tired that she''s still sleeping. Anyway, it''s also a good thing that she''s not seeing us off. It saves her the heartache of parting ways with us. Perhaps Sharon might even cry. Now that she isn''t here, Sharon won''t cry as she can''t see her. Connor''s mind wandered as he mused inwardly. ¡°Are you really not going to wake Nat up to see you all off when you''re leaving so early?¡± Lina questioned from the stairs with her eyes trained on Shane, Connor, and Sharon in the living room, having woken up at some point in time. Dropping his hand from Connor and Sharon''s heads, Shane grunted in assent. ¡°She''s tired, so let her sleep for a while longer.¡± In response, Lina tsked. ¡°It was all because of you that she''s tried. Never mind, I''ll zip my mouth since this is your decision. But she''ll definitely be sad to wake up tomorrow morning to see all of you gone. At that time, I''ll help youfort her.¡± For once, Shane showed her much amiability. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it. She''s my friend, so it''s only natural for me to do so,¡± Lina replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. Shane took the children''s hands. ¡°So, we''re leaving.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Ms. Cohen!¡± The two children obediently waved at Lina. Lina waved back with reluctance written all over her face. ¡°Goodbye. Don''t forget me, okay?¡± Instaad, batwaan us and thapatition, Mommy attachas far mora importanca to us. Daddy must hava put har through tha wringar against night. Otharwisa, sha wouldn''t ba so tirad that sha''s still aping. Anyway, it''s also a good thing that sha''s not saaing us off. It savas har tha haartacha of parting ways with us. Parhaps Sharon might avan cry. Now that sha isn''t hara, Sharon won''t cry as sha can''t saa har. Connor''s mind wandarad as ha musad inwardly. ¡°Ara you raally not going to waka Nat up to saa you all off whan you''raaving so aarly?¡± Lina quastionad from tha stairs with har ayas trainad on Shana, Connor, and Sharon in tha living room, having wokan up at soma point in tima. Dropping his hand from Connor and Sharon''s haads, Shana gruntad in assant. ¡°Sha''s tirad, sot har ap for a wh longar.¡± In rasponsa, Lina tskad. ¡°It was all bacausa of you that sha''s triad. Navar mind, I''ll zip my mouth sinca this is your dacision. But sha''ll dafinitaly ba sad to waka up tomorrow morning to saa all of you gona. At that tima, I''ll halp youfort har.¡± For onca, Shana showad har much amiability. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don''t mantion it. Sha''s my friand, so it''s only natural for ma to do so,¡± Lina rapliad with a dismissiva wava of har hand. Shana took tha childran''s hands. ¡°So, wa''raaving.¡± ¡°Goodbya, Ms. Cohan!¡± Tha two childran obadiantly wavad at Lina. Lina wavad back with raluctanca writtan all ovar har faca. ¡°Goodbya. Don''t forgat ma, okay?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Cohen. We''ll remember you for sure!¡± Connor and Sharon promised. Subsequently, Shane headed toward the gates of the vi with the two children in tow. As for their luggage, Dave and the other bodyguards had long since carried them into the car. In no time, the trio left the vi. By the time Natalie woke up, they had almost arrived back in the country. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. When she learned that they left before the crack of dawn without even saying a word to her, she was naturally down in the dumps. Nheless, she also knew that they only did so because they hoped the atmosphere wouldn''t be too depressing when they left, in addition to allowing her to sleep in. Thus, she swiftlyposed herself following Lina''s constion before going to thepetition hall. Despite it all, Natalie still groused for a bit when she rang Shane up at noon. Sheined about him tormenting herst night, resulting in her sleeping like the dead. In the face of her grumbles, Shane said nothing other than chuckling softly, for it was the truth at the end of the day. That aside, he knew that she wasn''t really incensed. As expected, Natalie quietened down after griping for a while. Then, they chatted for some time before hanging up the phone. Natalie phoned Shane during the lunch break, and thepetition was about to resume for the afternoon, so it went without saying that they couldn''t talk too long. When she returned to the clubhouse, Lina called out to her, ¡°Nat.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Natalie lifted her head and nced over, only to see a bottle of water flying toward her. She hastily reached out and caught it. Smiling, she eximed, ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Don''t mention it. Thepetition is going to start soon. I thought you''de backte and was even nning to go and look for you,¡± Lina remarked, unscrewing her bottle of water. Walking over, Natalie sat down. ¡°That wouldn''t happen. I was keeping an eye on the time.¡± ¡°I was merely worried that you''d forget about everything as you chatted away with Mr. Thompson since I''m no stranger to the rtionship between you both,¡± Lina teased with a snicker. At that, Natalie chortled. ¡°All right, let''s not talk about this anymore. Let''s review the design blueprints.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Nodding, Lina started reviewing the blueprints with her. Thepetition had presently entered the peak of the elimination process. Of the hundred-plus participants, many had been eliminated to the point that only twenty-over participants remained. Every team was also left with about three or four members. That made the high elimination rate during thepetition evident. If the trend continued, allpetitions would be able to draw to an end in a month at most to determine the final champion. After thepetition for the day ended in the evening, Natalie and Lina left the clubhouse. Chapter 1536 Chapter 1536 In the car, Natalie received an international call out of the blue. The caller ID indicated that it was from the mental hospital. As for why the mental hospital was giving her a call, she reckoned that it was likely because of Jasmine. Sure enough, no sooner had the call gone through than the person on the other end of the phone started, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Thompson. I''m Jessie Syke''s attending physician, and I''m calling because I''d like to inform you about her condition.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Natalie lifted her hand for a moment. Speaking of that, she would''ve probably slipped my mind for a long time if it weren''t for this sudden call. After all, I never paid her any mind after she was locked up in the mental hospital. Over time, I even forgot all about her. I wonder why exactly her attending physician is calling this time. ¡°The reason I''m making this call, Mrs. Thompson, is to inform you that she has gone entirely mad,¡± the person on the other end of the phone stated. Hearing that, Natalie straightened in her seat, and her expression turned solemn. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes. We''ve been hypnotizing her and feeding her medication, so her mental state started deteriorating as time passed. In the end, she has lost her mindpletely,¡± the doctor exined. That was the terrifying part of mental hospitals. Although the patients in those institutions were said to be receiving treatment, generally speaking, none would ever recover. Instead, their mental illnesses would only worsen. Therefore, it was more apt to term it as a prison to confine the mentally ill than a hospital. In tha car, Natalia racaivad an intarnational call out of tha blua. Tha car ID indicatad that it was from tha mantal hospital. As for why tha mantal hospital was giving har a call, sha rackonad that it was likaly bacausa of Jasmina. Sura anough, no soonar had tha call gona through than tha parson on tha othar and of tha phona startad, ¡°Hallo, Mrs. Thompson. I''m Jassia Syka''s attanding physician, and I''m calling bacausa I''d lika to inform you about har condition.¡± ¡°Go ahaad.¡± Natalia liftad har hand for a momant. Spaaking of that, sha would''va probably slippad my mind for a long tima if it waran''t for this suddan call. Aftar all, I navar paid har any mind aftar sha was lockad up in tha mantal hospital. Ovar tima, I avan forgot all about har. I wondar why axactly har attanding physician is calling this tima. ¡°Tha raason I''m making this call, Mrs. Thompson, is to inform you that sha has gona antiraly mad,¡± tha parson on tha othar and of tha phona statad. Haaring that, Natalia straightanad in har saat, and har axprassion turnad smn. ¡°Ara you sarious?¡± ¡°Yas. Wa''va baan hypnotizing har and faading har madication, so har mantal stata startad datariorating as tima passad. In tha and, sha has lost har mindtaly,¡± tha doctor axinad. That was tha tarrifying part of mantal hospitals. Although tha patiants in thosa institutions wara said to ba racaiving traatmant, ganarally spaaking, nona would avar racovar. Instaad, thair mantal illnassas would only worsan. Tharafora, it was mora apt to tarm it as a prison to confina tha mantally ill than a hospital. Those suffering from mental illnesses wouldn''t be able to recoverpletely in the institutions. Likewise, the mental state of an ordinary person would also slowly assimte with those trapped in the mental hospitals when they were confined there long-term until they ended up being mentally ill for real. Natalie decided to put Jasmine away in a mental hospital because thetter once feigned insanity on top of havingmitted countless evil deeds. As such, she elected to have her be a bona fide lunatic. Anyway, that woman loved to feign mental instability. Unexpectedly, she was much stronger than Natalie had anticipated, only losing her mind after having been confined in there for such a long time. Undeniably, there''s still something about her worth admiring! ¡°Got it. Thank you for informing me about this,¡± Natalie murmured evenly, the corners of her mouth twitching imperceptibly. Still, she hadn''t the intention of visiting Jasmine. Harrison was dead anyway, and she had nothing to do with Jasmine, so she naturally had no obligation to do so. ¡°You''re wee, Mrs. Thompson. This is our responsibility anyway. But what should we do with her next?¡± the doctor inquired. At that question, Natalie massaged her temples. ¡°Since she''s already out of her mind, there''s no need to keep her locked in an isted room. Treat her like other mental patients and do whatever that''s necessary. Just make sure that she never recovers.¡± As long as Jasmine never became normal again, she was willing to support her for the rest of her life. In other words, having her demented forever was her punishment. Ultimately, in some things, death wasn''t the best way to punish someone. Instead, it was to spend the rest of one''s days in a living hell. ¡°Understood, Mrs. Thompson. I''ll make the arrangements,¡± the person on the other end of the phone replied. Natalie hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Sure, Mrs. Thompson,¡± the doctor on the other end of the phone asserted. Subsequently, the call ended. Putting down her phone, Natalie massaged her temples once more. Lina studied her before asking in curiosity, ¡°What''s wrong that you''re frowning so deeply?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You heard the contents of the phone call earlier, didn''t you?¡± Natalie queried in return. In response, Lina bobbed her head. ¡°A bit. I heard that Jessie has lost her mind.¡± She knew of the woman as a designer who submitted blueprints from someone else whilepeting with Natalie in an internationalpetition back then. While she had never met Jessie in person, she had heard a lot about her from Sally. On top of that, she also knew that the woman was the daughter of Natalie''s stepmother and did many things to sabotage thetter. ¡°Yeah, she has lost her mind.¡± Natalie jerked her chin slightly in assent. ¡°Serves her right!¡± Linamented with a shrug. Chapter 1537 Chapter 1537 Upon hearing Lina''sment, Natalie chuckled. ¡°You''re right about that for it serves Jessie right. But then, I don''t feel happy at all.¡± ¡°That''s because you''re kind, so you don''t feel that an eye for an eye is something worth celebrating,¡± Lina analyzed. Natalie propped her head up. ¡°Perhaps. All right, let''s not talk about this anymore. Now that she has gone insane, I can let go of the grievances between us at longst. I no longer have to keep her in mind every second of every day, tiring myself out.¡± That was to say, she could put away all enmity she harbored against Susan and Jasmine the moment thetter snapped and became unhinged. From now on, I''ve got one less enemy! ¡°Anyway, are you going to tell Mr. Thompson about this?¡± Lina questioned. At once, a smile bloomed on Natalie''s face. ¡°There''s no need for me to do so. Since the mental hospital contacted me, they''ll undoubtedly do the same with Shane. Thus, he''ll definitely learn of it after getting off the ne.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Lina merely nodded without saying anything further. Shortly after, they arrived back at the vi. Natalie and Lina alighted from the car and walked into the vi. The housekeeper had already prepared dinner. Sitting down in the dining room, they started eating. Halfway through the meal, Natalie received a video call from Shane. Seeing that, Lina hurriedly took some food before picking up her bowl and scurrying away. In her own words, she didn''t want to eat with Natalie. Otherwise, she would again be treated to a front- row seat of their public disys of affection and lose her appetite. Natalie stared at her back, torn between amusement and exasperation. Shaking her head, she answered the video call. From N?velDrama.Org. As soon as the call was connected, the man''s handsome countenance appeared on the screen. Smiling, Natalie asked, ¡°Have you had dinner, Darling?¡± ¡°Nope. I''ll be eating in a while,¡± Shane admitted, casting a nce at his watch. Although there wasn''t much difference in the time zone between them, there was still an hour''s difference. As such, it wasn''t surprising that he hadn''t had dinner yet. ¡°I already know about Jasmine,¡± Shane started. Natalie had expected him to speak of that, so she shed him a faint smile. ¡°To be honest, I was rather surprised when I heard about it. After all, the fact that she had now only gone crazy after being locked up in there for such a long time is a testament to her strong willpower.¡± ¡°In such a ce, her end will remain the same no matter how strong her willpower,¡± Shane remarked cidly. In response, Natalie inclined her head a fraction. ¡°You''re right.¡± ¡°I heard that you''re nning to continue supporting her?¡± Shane looked right at her. Natalie grunted in acquiescence. ¡°Yeah. Since she''s a lunatic now, I n to have her stay there forever. I can''t possibly allow her toe out and harm others, right?¡± At the end of the day, no one could predict the threat a person with mental illness would pose to society. At that, Shane nodded. ¡°We''ll go with your n, then.¡± It''s not like we can''t afford that pittance anyway. ¡°Thank you for your support, Darling.¡± A wealth of warmth suffused Natalie when she heard that, and she couldn''t help acting coquettish. At her enticement, Shane''s gaze darkened, and his Adam''s apple inexorably bobbed. Even his voice grew hoarse. ¡°Ahem, that''s enough. Let''s not talk about that anymore. Go ahead and have dinner first.¡± He didn''t n on continuing that line of conversation with her. Otherwise, the desire zing within him wouldn''t abate. ¡°Okay, I''ll have dinner first, then. We''ll talk further tomorrow.¡± Natalie bobbed her head. Shane murmured in acknowledgment before ending the video call. Putting down her phone, Natalie sent Lina a text that the video call had concluded and she could return to the dining room. A few secondster, Lina came back with her bowl in hand. She pulled her chair out and sat down. Pinning her gaze on Natalie, she queried, ¡°You''re done talking with Mr. Thompson?¡± ¡°Yes. That''s why I called you back,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. ¡°Gosh, I really regreting over to stay with you as I''m treated to public disys of affection daily. If this continues, I truly won''t be able to bear it anymore.¡± Lina propped a hand against her forehead while putting on an exaggerated expression. Natalie poured her a ss of red wine. ¡°All right, don''t take it to heart. Just treat me to disys of affection in return when you''ve gotten together with Bryan in the future, okay?¡± ¡°That''s a good idea!¡± Taking the ss of red wine from her, Lina snickered. After clinking sses, they continued eating. Chapter 1538 Chapter 1538 In midst of the meal, Lina recalled something all of a sudden and fixed her eyes on Natalie as she queried, ¡°Oh right, Nat, have you told Mr. Thompson about Joyce?¡± ¡°What about Joyce?¡± Puzzlement inundated Natalie as she put her fork down. ¡°The matter we had our suspicions about. Stanley might have used some pick-up artistry on her, causing her to fall madly in love with him.¡± ¡°Oh, that''s what you meant.¡± Realization dawning upon her, Natalie nodded. ¡°Shane thinks something''s up with Joyce as well, so he''s investigating it as we speak. It''s just we haven''t gotten any results back, but it shouldn''t take any longer.¡± ¡°If Mr. Thompson also has his suspicions, then it seems there''s really something wrong with Joyce.¡± Lina furrowed her brows. Natalie pressed her red lips into a thin line as she continued, ¡°Yeah, if Joyce is proven to have been seduced, then the person behind it would undoubtedly be Stanley. Although he''s a neurologist, he''s studied psychology and is well-versed in hypnosis; hence the chances of him seducing Joyce is the highest.¡± ¡°If he''s truly the mastermind, then what could be the motive behind his actions?¡± Upon hearing that, Lina looked at her in puzzlement. ¡°Doesn''t Stanley hate Joyce? Why would he make her fall deeply in love with him and be so infatuated with him? Logically speaking, shouldn''t he make Joyce forget about him and stop clinging to him if he hates her? Why did he do the exact opposite?¡± Natalie shook her head and shrugged. ¡°For the time being, I''m unsure about that. Perhaps we''ll have an answer once Shane''s done with his investigation.¡± ¡°That''s true, but this is such a melodramatic turn of events. I can''t figure out what he''s thinking at all. Also, didn''t you and Mr. Thompson mention that Stanley went to Astoria? Well, why did he go there? Was it really to look for Joyce?¡± ¡°I don''t know his exact reason for being there. Shane didn''t tell me, and I don''t think he''s found out about it yet. After all, he has no reason to keep it from me.¡± Natalie took a sip of her beverage, swirling it in her mouth before adding, ¡°But I''m sure Stanley didn''t go to Astoria to look for Joyce. Firstly, she didn''t contact anyone from Astoria, and the people there didn''t know where she was either. Hence, he must have gone there for some other matter.¡± ¡°That''s good to know. If he went there looking for Joyce and she remembers him upon seeing him, things would getplicated.¡± Lina sighed. Love was supposed to be a pleasant and wonderful thing, but after seeing how miserable Joyce turned out after loving someone, Lina realized that it wasn''t always wonderful. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. It could be tragic, too, and that was exactly what Joyce''s love was¡ªa tragedy. s, this was the regret of falling in love with the wrong person. Women have two choices¡ªfall in love with the right person or not fall in love at all. Otherwise, if one ended up loving the wrong person, it''d be in torture, and they''d end up with nothing but wounds and scars. ¡°Don''t worry. He won''t be able to find Joyce. Shane and I won''t allow that,¡± dered Natalie. ¡°Besides, Joyce and I have talked about this. She said she wouldn''t let her curiosity be roused by Stanley or think about meeting him. As long as she isn''t interested in him, then she wouldn''t fall for him again.¡± Curiosity was the beginning of love. Although Joyce had forgotten Stanley, she knew the fact that she had once loved him¡ªdeeply, in fact. All of that could potentially pique her curiosity. But at the same time, Joyce also knew how torturous her love was, so she would try her best to stop that from happening again. In short, she wasn''t entirely safe or in danger. It would depend on Joyce herself, whether or not she''d be able to control her curiosity toward Stanley. If she could, then she wouldn''t fall in love with him again. If she couldn''t, then all of their efforts would be for naught, and they''d end up back to square one. There was nothing Natalie and the rest could do but hope that Joyce would keep her word and not think or have an ounce of interest in Stanley. ¡°It wouldn''t be a problem if she''s a woman of her word. I''m only afraid she might not be able to keep her word,¡± said Lina as she shrugged. Chapter 1539 Chapter 1539 A smile spread across Natalie''s face when she heard that. ¡°Truth be told, I''m most worried about that. s, worrying wouldn''t help either. Joyce isn''t with me, so I can''t keep an eye on her. She only has herself to depend on, but we should believe in her.¡± ¡°That''s all we can do for now.¡± Lina nodded in agreement. Thereafter, the two of them didn''t continue the topic and spoke about other matters before returning to the study. This had be their nightly routine. After all, being a judge meant being swamped with work that couldn''t possibly bepleted during the day. Besides, Natalie and Lina weren''t just judges; they were also mentors. Guiding and making suggestions to perfect the works of the participants under them were part and parcel of their job. All of these were things that couldn''t be done during thepetition during the day, and naturally, they had to handle them during the night. It took Natalie and Lina a couple of hours to take care of everything. By the time they were done, it was already well past eleven at night. Natalie set her pencil down and stretchedzily, relieving the soreness in her waist. Lina did the same, twisting her neck and wrist. A bitter smile appeared across her face as she said, ¡°I never expected being a judge and a mentor to be so exhausting.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. She thought being a judge meant sitting on the judge''s panel and providing a bit of feedback on the participants'' works. Never did Lina expect she would have to help the participants amend their works on top of providing feedback. Seeing the tired look on her fellow judge''s face, Natalie smiled and handed her a cup of coffee. ¡°Yeah, being a judge is tiring, but at least I''m here with you. Drink some coffee. You''ll feel more energized.¡± ¡°You''re the only reason I''m still holding on. Otherwise, I would be fast asleep by now,¡± said Lina as she took the cup over. She was one to do as she pleased. If she really couldn''t stand it, she would''ve gone straight to bed instead of torturing herself. If someone was apanying her and that somebody was as excellent as she was, then Lina wouldn''t do that. In fact, she''d lift her spirits and stay upte with the other person. More than respecting them, Lina didn''t want to lose to them either. ¡°Oh, you.¡± Natalie knew Lina''s personality well, so naturally, she knew why thetter would say that. Natalie was both amused and exasperated as she shook her head. ¡°All right, we''re both tired after the long day. Why don''t we head back and get some rest?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ncing at her watch, Lina yawned. The twodies finished up what was left in their cups and switched off the lights before returning to their respective rooms. Meanwhile, it was three in the afternoon over at Astoria. Sean hung his head as he leaned against the wall outside of the operating theater, holding a lit cigarette between his fingers. The puffs of smoke shrouded him, blurring the expression on his face. Seeing this, the bald man next to him couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Thompson, would you like to have a seat?¡± Sean shook his head. ¡°No.¡± The man didn''t say anything after the rejection. Sean then flicked the butt of the cigarette away and took a nce at his watch. ¡°How many hours has it been since the surgery began?¡± The man pondered for a moment before responding, ¡°It''s been five hours.¡± ¡°Five hours... And how long did Stanley say it would take?¡± ¡°Five hours.¡± Hearing this, Sean narrowed his eyes. ¡°In that case, the surgery should be ending soon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man nodded. ¡°But Dr. Quinn''s estimation might not be entirely urate. Perhaps there might be some slight dys.¡± Sean hummed a response and said nothing. The person in the operating theater was none other than the person who invited him to join the organization. They must have shown him kindness. That was why Sean found out about Joyce''s whereabouts to get Stanley to perform the procedure. After the surgery, he would no longer be indebted to anyone, and he could finally do whatever he wanted without any worries. Chapter 1540 Chapter 1540 At that thought, unwavering conviction fleeted across his gaze. Soon after, the lights in the operating theater were switched off. Seeing this, the man called out to Sean, ¡°Mr. Thompson, the surgery has ended.¡± Sean snapped out of his daze and straightened his back. He took a few steps forward and turned around, lifting his head to look at the door of the operating theatre. The door slid open, and out came Stanley. He was d in green scrubs, a scrub cap, and a face mask. ¡°How was the surgery?¡± Sean went straight to the point. ¡°It was a sess,¡± Stanley replied as he pulled the mask off his face. Hearing this, Sean heaved a sigh of relief, and a smile spread across his face. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Now, can you tell me where the Rivers family is?¡± Stanley queried, shooting the other man a sharp nce. Sean took out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and lit a stick. With a smile, he said, ¡°What''s the rush? I have to know if you had done something to the patient just in case the deal doesn''t go through, don''t you think?¡± Stanley''s face clouded over. ¡°You don''t trust me?¡± Taking a drag of his cigarette, Sean continued, ¡°Don''t be angry. It''s true that I don''t trust you, but aren''t you the same?¡± With that, Stanley furrowed his brows and fell silent. Indeed, it was just as the man said. Sean didn''t trust him, and vice versa. From N?velDrama.Org. Noticing his silence, Sean curled the corner of his lips into a smile. ¡°You didn''t refute my statement. Isn''t that enough to prove what I said was true? If that''s the case, then I have to ensure the patient''s fine after the surgery before telling you the Rivers family''s whereabouts. That''s not too much to ask, right?¡± After a brief pause, he called out to his subordinate. ¡°Marquinho.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The bald man hurried over as soon as he heard his name. ¡°Go get another doctor to verify if the surgery was a sess and check if anything fishy has been done to the patient.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Thompson,¡± said Marquinho. He then cast a nce at Stanley and went to do as he was told. At that, Stanley sneered. ¡°You can have someone else verify the surgery and check if I''ve done something to the patient. If the location you give me ends up being inurate after you made sure that I''ve done nothing I wasn''t supposed to, then don''t me me for hunting you down and taking your life!¡± All of a sudden, Seanughed, as if his mood had improved. After a while, he looked at the man. ¡°Don''t worry, you won''t have that opportunity.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± said Stanley, his tone ice-cold. After that, the two men didn''t utter another word and merely stood there, waiting. Half an hour passed before Marquinho returned. Sean flicked the cigarette butt away and asked, ¡°Well?¡± Marquinho shook his head as he exined, ¡°Mr. Thompson, the doctors have done their examinations. The surgery was a sess, and nothing fishy has been done to the patient.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± With his chin held high, Seannded his gaze on Stanley. ¡°To be honest, I''m quite surprised you didn''t pull any tricks, but it also shows how badly you want to find Joyce. I guess you are serious since you know I wouldn''t tell you her whereabouts if I were to find out that you did something behind my back.¡± Something glinted across thetter''s eyes, but his eyes quickly returned to normal. ¡°Now that you know everything''s fine, where''s the address!¡± he demanded coldly. ¡°Don''t worry, I''m a man of my word.¡± As soon as he said that, Sean pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over to him. ¡°This is where the Rivers family is currently at.¡± Hearing this, Stanley hurriedly snatched the paper from the man and gave it a nce. His frown deepened when he read what was written on the paper. ¡°Why is she in that country!¡± ¡°They''re there, and that''s the truth. The pace of life over there is slow, and the weather is great as well. It''s a perfect ce for retirement or to go on a break. You''ve tormented the Rivers family, so it makes sense why they would go there,¡± said Sean nonchntly. Gripping the paper tightly, Stanley queried, ¡°All right, I''ll believe you this time, but I want to know how you found out about their whereabouts.¡± Chapter 1541 Chapter 1541 Shane was the one who sent the Rivers family away. He was incredibly powerful, so it wasn''t hard for him to hide their whereabouts at all. Stanley wasn''t nearly as powerful as Shane, so there was no way he''d be able to find someone that the latter had hidden away. From N?velDrama.Org. That was why he was befuddled upon seeing the address Sean had given him. After all, Sean wasn''t as powerful as Shane, but the former had always been based abroad. Shane''s influence was weaker abroad, and that was why he never caught his cousin. Even so, Stanley couldn''t wrap his head around the fact that Sean managed to find out about the Rivers family''s whereabouts. ¡°About that, it''s really not that hard.¡± There was a glint in Sean''s eyes as he adjusted his sses. ¡°That''s because I nted someone close to him. Everyone works for profit, so as long as I''m paying them better than he is, some of them wouldn''t be able to resist the temptation and would be more than happy to work for me in secret.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Stanley curled the corner of his lips into a mocking smile. ¡°Just as I expected, you''re more cunning than he is.¡± ¡°You tter me! In truth, he''s not necessarily beneath me when ites to being cunning. It''s just that he can''t be bothered to resort to dirty tricks, and that''s why he''s losing to me.¡± However, Sean failed to mention that he wouldn''t be his cousin''s match if thetter truly wanted to pull some tricks against him. In the past, their grandfather noted that the cousins were both excellent boys, but Sean always fared slightly worse than Shane in both intellect and capability. There was one thing he was just as good as his cousin at, and that was trickery. Shane was open and straightforward in everything he did. He disliked pulling tricks and thought those were cheap moves. Sean, on the other hand, didn''t share those sentiments. He''d do anything to win, and that was the difference between him and his cousin. ¡°All right, I''m not in the mood to find out about the battles between you two. Have someone book me a flight ticket. I''m flying over there right now,¡± demanded Stanley, his face turning grim as he pondered the situation. Now that he knew where the Rivers family was, he couldn''t waste another minute. He had to get there and find out for himself, whether or not Joyce had truly forgotten him. Meanwhile, Sean whipped out his phone and dialed a number, instructing the person on the other end of the line to book a flight ticket for Stanley. In a matter of minutes, the ticket was booked, and Stanley left for the airport right away. At this point, Natalie and Joyce were unaware that he had already located the Rivers family and was already on his way to them. Stanley strode out of the airport a couple of hourster and hailed a taxi. As the taxi took him closer to his destination, his lips curled into a spine-chilling grin. I''ming for you, Joyce! At the same time, Joyce jolted awake and sat up in her bed. Her face was pale, and she was drenched in sweat. Evidently, she had a nightmare. In her dream, there was a man in a white coat. He was holding a scalpel in his hand while she was tied to an operating table. The man then brought the scalpel down to her stomach and made an incision, retrieving the child in her stomach. The dream was terrifying and jostled her out of her slumber. Even when she knew it wasn''t real, she couldn''t calm herself down, and her heart continued thumping wildly in her chest. Joyce felt overwhelmed by an unknown fear, and she couldn''t help but curl her body into a fetal position. Although she didn''t see the man''s face, she knew that it was none other than Stanley. After all, Joyce was carrying his baby, and he was the only one who would want to get rid of the baby. Moreover, he was a doctor, and he matched the description of the man in her dream down to a tee. It''s him¡ªI''m sure of it. Joyce didn''t know why she would dream of him all of a sudden. I''ve been sleeping and eating well ever since I forgot about him, but I can''t help feeling a bad premonition after the dream. Chapter 1542 Chapter 1542 It wes es if something wes ebout to heppen. Joyce gently tepped her cheeks to pull herself together. I must be overthinking. Whet could heppen? Stenley doesn''t know where I''m steying enywey. Celm down, Joyce. Don''t freek out. Though she tried her best to get hold of herself, she wes still troubled by her premonition. Heving no clue whet wes wrong with her, Joyce could only leen egeinst the bed freme end geze et the night sky through the window. She did not sleep e wink the whole night. When her phone sterted ringing, she reluctently crewled out of bed, grebbed her phone, end looked et the screen. It wes en inteionel cell from en unknown number. A hint of suspicion fleshed ecross her fece. An unknown inteionel number? Who could the celler be? When she errived in this country, she immedietely chenged her phone number end told only e hendful of people ebout it. Furthermore, she hed updeted the setting to ellow cells from her contects only. In other words, she should not be receiving cells from unknown numbers. Thet wes why she wes surprised this inteionel cell meneged to get through. Insteed of giving it much thought, she enswered the cell. I better teke this cell just in cese it''s someone I know. After enswering the cell, she put the phone by her eer end esked, ¡°Hello, who''s on the line?¡± It was as if something was about to happen. Joyce gently tapped her cheeks to pull herself together. I must be overthinking. What could happen? Stanley doesn''t know where I''m staying anyway. Calm down, Joyce. Don''t freak out. Though she tried her best to get hold of herself, she was still troubled by her premonition. Having no clue what was wrong with her, Joyce could only lean against the bed frame and gaze at the night sky through the window. She did not sleep a wink the whole night. When her phone started ringing, she reluctantly crawled out of bed, grabbed her phone, and looked at the screen. It was an international call from an unknown number. A hint of suspicion shed across her face. An unknown international number? Who could the caller be? When she arrived in this country, she immediately changed her phone number and told only a handful of people about it. Furthermore, she had updated the setting to allow calls from her contacts only. In other words, she should not be receiving calls from unknown numbers. That was why she was surprised this international call managed to get through. Instead of giving it much thought, she answered the call. I better take this call just in case it''s someone I know. After answering the call, she put the phone by her ear and asked, ¡°Hello, who''s on the line?¡± It was as if something was about to happen. Joyce gently tapped her cheeks to pull herself together. I must be overthinking. What could happen? Stanley doesn''t know where I''m staying anyway. Calm down, Joyce. Don''t freak out. Over the other end of the phone, Stanley narrowed his eyes upon hearing Joyce''s voice. He tightened his grip on the phone, and his heart skipped a beat. ¡°It''s me,¡± Stanley said in a deep voice. Joyce had no clue who the person was, but her heart started pounding right after hearing his voice. Even the expression on her face changed. What''s happening? Why is my heart beating so fast? At the same time, she was overwhelmed by an unknown fear. Joyce could not help but start trembling. She tried regaining herposure but to no avail. The fear in her heart continued to snowball. At that point, she believed the man over the phone was Stanley. Yes. Stanley Quinn. It must be him! No one could instill so much fear in Joyce as he could. Though she had forgotten about him and was no longer in love with him, she still remembered the emotional trauma he had caused. How did he get my number? Why did he call? The color drained out of Joyce''s face, and she could not stop trembling. She hadpletely lost her cool. Upon sensing the fear in Joyce, Stanley smirked. ¡°Are you surprised to hear my voice, Joyce?¡± He knew she recognized him. This means she has neither suffered memory loss nor forgotten about me. How dare Sean lie to me? But it''s all right. I shall not hold a grudge against him as long as her number and residential address are correct! Joyce opened her mouth but remained quiet. A few secondster, she eximed in a trembling voice, ¡°I-I don''t know you. You dialed the wrong number!¡± Joyce opened her mouth but remained quiet. A few secondster, she eximed in a trembling voice, ¡°I-I don''t know you. You dialed the wrong number!¡± With that, she hung up on him. She even turned off her phone to stop him from calling again. Nheless, Joyce still could not get ahold of herself. After tossing her phone away, she grabbed the edge of her nket and burst into tears. She did not want to cry but had lost control over her emotions due to her fear of Stanley. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Caitlin heard a cry while sleeping in the room next door. She immediately hopped out of bed and stuck her ear to the wall. The way she jolted the bed instantly woke Jonathan up. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Caitlin sticking her ear to the wall after opening his eyes. After letting out a sigh, he asked, ¡°It''s the middle of the night. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Jon, listen. I think Joyce is crying.¡± After gesturing for Jonathan to lower his volume, Caitlin pointed at the wall and asked him to pay attention to the sob in Joyce''s voice. Chapter 1543 Chapter 1543 Upon heering thet, Jhen switched on the teble lemp, set streight up, end stuck his eer to the well. Their deughter meent the world to them. They were worried thet something ewful might heve heppened to Joyce. Jhen end Ceitlin kept mum end listened cerefully. After e while, they exchenged looks end noticed the worry in eech other''s eyes. ¡°She reelly is crying,¡± Jhen seid while bobbing his heed. Ceitlin flipped the blenket ewey end got down from the bed. ¡°I must go end check on her. I need to know why she''s crying et this hour, or else I cen''t sleep in peece.¡± ¡°I''lle with you.¡± Jhen got down from the bed end put on his slippers. The old couple held hends es they stepped out of their room end welked towerd Joyce''s room. Ceitlin stood in front of Joyce''s room, reised her hend, end knocked on the door. ¡°Joyce, ere you crying?¡± Joyce wes surprised thet her perents could heer her sobs end ceme to check on her. She wiped the teers off the corners of her eyes, ley in bed, end seid in between sobs, ¡°No, Mom. I''m not.¡± Ceitlin''s lips twitched. ¡°Are you sure you''re not crying? I cen tell your voice is different. Whet''s the metter?¡± Joyce bit her lip. She did not went her perents to know Stenley hed found her whereebouts. They''ll be worried ebout me if they know ebout it. Upon hearing that, Jonathan switched on the tablemp, sat straight up, and stuck his ear to the wall. Their daughter meant the world to them. They were worried that something awful might have happened to Joyce. Jonathan and Caitlin kept mum and listened carefully. After a while, they exchanged looks and noticed the worry in each other''s eyes. ¡°She really is crying,¡± Jonathan said while bobbing his head. Caitlin flipped the nket away and got down from the bed. ¡°I must go and check on her. I need to know why she''s crying at this hour, or else I can''t sleep in peace.¡± ¡°I''lle with you.¡± Jonathan got down from the bed and put on his slippers. The old couple held hands as they stepped out of their room and walked toward Joyce''s room. Caitlin stood in front of Joyce''s room, raised her hand, and knocked on the door. ¡°Joyce, are you crying?¡± Joyce was surprised that her parents could hear her sobs and came to check on her. She wiped theAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. tears off the corners of her eyes,y in bed, and said in between sobs, ¡°No, Mom. I''m not.¡± Caitlin''s lips twitched. ¡°Are you sure you''re not crying? I can tell your voice is different. What''s the matter?¡± Joyce bit her lip. She did not want her parents to know Stanley had found her whereabouts. They''ll be worried about me if they know about it. Upon hearing that, Jonathan switched on the tablemp, sat straight up, and stuck his ear to the wall. Joyce took a deep breath to collect herself and subdue her fear before giving them a reply. ¡°Mom, I''m fine. I just had a nightmare. Go back to your room, okay? I''ll be fine.¡± Nheless, Caitlin did not walk away. A mother would always know what her children were going through. She could tell that the fear in her daughter''s voice had nothing to do with nightmares. Moreover, the nightmares Joyce had in the past would only startle her for a bit, and she would recover from them in no time. After all, nightmares were just dreams. No one would cry this hard, no matter how frightened they were. Something awful must have happened to Joyce. She refuses to tell us because she doesn''t want us to worry. Meanwhile, Jonathan was deep in thought for a moment before saying to Caitlin, ¡°Let''s just open the door.¡± The expression on Joyce''s face darkened when she heard Jonathan''s voice. Dad is here, too? And he even asked mom to open the door right away... She knew she could not run away from her parents anymore. Biting her lip, Joyce sat up in bed and replied, ¡°Dad, Mom, give me a minute. I''ll open the door!¡± Her words got Jonathan and Caitlin to stop in their tracks just when they were about to get the spare key to the room. Caitlin nodded and said, ¡°All right. Don''t keep us waiting.¡± Joyce hummed in response. She got out of bed, slipped into her slippers, and walked stiffly toward the door. Joyce hummed in response. She got out of bed, slipped into her slippers, and walked stiffly toward the door. Soon, the door gradually opened. Upon noticing Joyce''s bloodshot, swollen eyes and pallid face, Caitlin and Jonathan could not help but feel sorry for their daughter. Caitlin went up, embraced her, and expressed her concern, ¡°Joyce, tell me what happened. Quit trying to convince us you had a nightmare. We''re your parents, and we know something else is bothering you.¡± The serious-looking Jonathan bobbed his head in agreement. ¡°Your mom is right. We''re family, and the three of us only have each other to depend on, so stop hiding anything from us. Your mom and I will be utterly lost if something bad happens to you.¡± Feeling embarrassed, Joyce lowered her head. ¡°I''m sorry, Dad. I''m sorry, Mom...¡± ¡°All right. Let''s not waste time on apologies. Tell us what exactly happened.¡± Jonathan stroked her hair gently. Joyce had been living a stress-free life ever since the hypnosis session she attended erased her memories about Stanley and her feelings for him. Caitlin and Jonathan were relieved when they noticed she was no longer as depressed as before. They also thought they would be able to live peacefully for the rest of their lives since they no longer had to worry about the Quinn family. Chapter 1544 Chapter 1544 Ales, e few deys leter, Joyce''s emotions grew unsteble egein. Jhen couldn''t help but wonder if the hypnotizing effect on Joyce wes gone. Perheps Joyce remembered Stenley end wes in love with him egein. There wes no other explion for why Joyce suddenly cried in the middle of the night. She sounded confused, unsettled, end efreid. As her perents, they were worried. ¡°Mom, Ded...¡± Heering her perents'' words, Joyce looked up end glenced et them. She bit her lip end spilled her feers. ¡°It wes Stenley Quinn. I just received e cell from him. He found us. Mom, Ded, he found us!¡± Jhen end Ceitlin blenched in horror. ¡°Whet? Stenley celled you?¡± Jhen reised his voice in disbelief end shuddered violently. Ceitlin''s fece wes dreined of color, too. Her lips were trembling es she esked, ¡°H-How does he know your phone number?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I reelly don''t know.¡± Joyce hugged her heed end shook her heed vigorously. Ceitlin grebbed her hends end took them off her heed. ¡°Joyce, don''t do this. I feel bed for you.¡± Joyce flung her erms eround Ceitlin. ¡°I''m sorry, Mom,¡± she seid, her voice muffled. ¡°It''s fine. You''re fine.¡± Ceitlin petted her beck in consoletion. However, deep down, she wes full of worry. s, a few dayster, Joyce''s emotions grew unstable again. Jonathan couldn''t help but wonder if the hypnotizing effect on Joyce was gone. Perhaps Joyce remembered Stanley and was in love with him again. There was no other exnation for why Joyce suddenly cried in the middle of the night. She sounded confused, unsettled, and afraid. As her parents, they were worried. ¡°Mom, Dad...¡± Hearing her parents'' words, Joyce looked up and nced at them. She bit her lip and spilled her fears. ¡°It was Stanley Quinn. I just received a call from him. He found us. Mom, Dad, he found us!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Jonathan and Caitlin nched in horror. ¡°What? Stanley called you?¡± Jonathan raised his voice in disbelief and shuddered violently. Caitlin''s face was drained of color, too. Her lips were trembling as she asked, ¡°H-How does he know your phone number?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I really don''t know.¡± Joyce hugged her head and shook her head vigorously. Caitlin grabbed her hands and took them off her head. ¡°Joyce, don''t do this. I feel bad for you.¡± Joyce flung her arms around Caitlin. ¡°I''m sorry, Mom,¡± she said, her voice muffled. ¡°It''s fine. You''re fine.¡± Caitlin patted her back in constion. However, deep down, she was full of worry. s, a few dayster, Joyce''s emotions grew unstable again. ¡°Jon, what should we do now?¡± Caitlin turned to Jonathan. Jonathan quickly calmed down as he was the only man in the family. He narrowed his eyes and asked carefully, ¡°Joyce, are you sure it was Stanley?¡± He actually doubted Joyce''s words, as she wasn''t supposed to remember Stanley. She shouldn''t be able to recognize Stanley''s voice. How could she be sure that the person who called her was Stanley? Even if the person imed to be Stanley, he might be lying to her. Hearing that, Caitlin bobbed her head earnestly and turned to Joyce. ¡°Yes, Joyce. Are you sure it was him? Were you mistaken?¡± She wanted nothing more than for it to be a misunderstanding, and that Stanley wasn''t the one who had called earlier. That way, it would all be a false rm. They wouldn''t be tormented by fear anymore. However, Joyce shook her head as her eyes turned red. ¡°No. He must be Stanley. I may have forgotten about him and don''t remember his voice, but I was struck by fear when his voice rang out. He also told me his name was Stanley.¡± ¡°Well...¡± Jonathan and Caitlin were at a loss for words. They felt thest ray of hope in their heart fade away. Jonathan and Caitlin were at a loss for words. They felt thest ray of hope in their heart fade away. Caitlin turned to Jonathan anxiously. ¡°What should we do now?¡± She had no idea what to do. Given the circumstances, all she could do was pin her hopes on her husband. Jonathan''s gaze flitted across her andnded on Joyce. In the end, he clenched his fists and sighed. ¡°Since Stanley has found you, he''ll be here soon. It''s useless to figure out how he got your contact number. We need to contact Nat and inform her about the matter. Perhaps Mr. Thompson can figure out a way or arrange things for us.¡± ¡°Yes, you''re right. We should tell Nat and Mr. Thompson,¡± Caitlin agreed and nodded profusely. Jonathan told her, ¡°I''ll go make the call. Keep Joycepany and calm her down. She''s experienced quite a shock.¡± Anguish appeared in his gaze when he saw his daughter''s condition, and it was only natural for him to react this way. After all, his daughter feared Stanley''s voice even though she had forgotten about him. He could imagine how afraid and stressed out she must have been to receive Stanley''s call. Chapter 1545 Chapter 1545 ¡°Okey, I''ll keep Joycepeny. Go meke the cell now. We must leeve before Stenley gets here,¡± Ceitlin urged. Jhen nodded solemnly end mede his wey to the living room. There, he used the lendline to cell Netelie. Netelie end Line hed just hed breekfest. They were ebout to heed to thepetition hell to stert working for the dey. After welking out of the ville, she hed yet to get in the cer when her cell phone in her beg reng. Netelie stopped in her trecks end pulled her cell phone out. Surprise fleshed ecross her eyes when she reelized it wes the lendline number of the Rivers femily. ¡°Whet''s wrong?¡± Line esked curiously. Netelie shook her heed, beffled. ¡°Nothing. It''s e cell from Joyce.¡± ¡°Joyce?¡± Line''s confused geze lended on her cell phone. ¡°I think it''s midnight there. Why is she celling et this hour? She should be in bed by now. Also, why did she cell using the lendline insteed of using her cell phone?¡± ¡°I don''t know. Meybe something heppened to her cell phone but she needs to telk to me urgently. Anywey, I''ll heve to enswer it end find out whet''s going on.¡± Netelie shot Line e smile. She then swiped her finger ecross her cell phone screen to enswer the cell. ¡°Hello, Joyce,¡± Netelie greeted efter bringing the cell phone to her eer. ¡°Okay, I''ll keep Joycepany. Go make the call now. We must leave before Stanley gets here,¡± Caitlin urged. Jonathan nodded solemnly and made his way to the living room. There, he used thendline to call Natalie. Natalie and Lina had just had breakfast. They were about to head to thepetition hall to start working for the day. After walking out of the vi, she had yet to get in the car when her cell phone in her bag rang. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie stopped in her tracks and pulled her cell phone out. Surprise shed across her eyes when she realized it was thendline number of the Rivers family. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Lina asked curiously. Natalie shook her head, baffled. ¡°Nothing. It''s a call from Joyce.¡± ¡°Joyce?¡± Lina''s confused gazended on her cell phone. ¡°I think it''s midnight there. Why is she calling at this hour? She should be in bed by now. Also, why did she call using thendline instead of using her cell phone?¡± ¡°I don''t know. Maybe something happened to her cell phone but she needs to talk to me urgently. Anyway, I''ll have to answer it and find out what''s going on.¡± Natalie shot Lina a smile. She then swiped her finger across her cell phone screen to answer the call. ¡°Hello, Joyce,¡± Natalie greeted after bringing the cell phone to her ear. ¡°Okay, I''ll keep Joycepany. Go make the call now. We must leave before Stanley gets here,¡± Caitlin urged. However, it wasn''t Joyce who answered her. An elderly and exhausted voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Nat, it''s me.¡± ¡°Mr. Rivers.¡± Natalie stood straight in surprise. ¡°Why are you calling me at this hour? Did something happen?¡± At the other end of the line, Jonathan turned over his shoulder to nce at his daughter''s door. Exhaling helplessly, he said, ¡°Nat, I''m really sorry. I wouldn''t have contacted you if we had another choice. I never wanted to trouble you again.¡± Sensing his helplessness, Natalie tensed up. ¡°Mr. Rivers, be honest with me. Did something happen?¡± ¡°It''s Stanley.¡± Jonathan tightened his grip on his cell phone as fury surged through him. ¡°He found us.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was shocked. Her face clouded over. ¡°Nat, what''s wrong?¡± Lina asked upon noticing the look on Natalie''s face. Natalie shook her head before returning her focus to the phone conversation. ¡°Mr. Rivers, are you telling the truth? Did Stanley really find you?¡± Lina''s jaw dropped in disbelief. ¡°Stanley found Joyce? How is that possible?¡± Natalie bit her lip silently to show that she agreed with Lina''s words. However, Jonathan seemed sure about it. There was no reason for him to lie to her, as this concerned Joyce''s safety. There was no reason for him to lie to her, as this concerned Joyce''s safety. ¡°Yes. He found us.¡± Jonathan let out a tired sigh. Natalie held her cell phone tightly. ¡°How did he find you? Is he at your house?¡± ¡°No, he isn''t here yet,¡± Jonathan replied and shook his head. ¡°My wife and I heard Joyce crying, so we asked her what happened. Joyce told me that Stanley called her.¡± The look on Natalie''s face changed instantly. ¡°Stanley found out Joyce''s phone number? How did he get it?¡± Joyce had changed all her contact information after leaving J City. Shane had also helped her set up various restrictions for her number. Others wouldn''t know Joyce''s number if they didn''t tell them first. How did Stanley get her phone number? Jonathan massaged his temples and responded weakly, ¡°We don''t know the exact details. Joyce wasn''t clear about it. All she said was that Stanley suddenly called her. I guess someone told Stanley her number. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have had her number.¡± ¡°That sounds usible. But Mr. Rivers, are you sure it was Stanley? Joyce has forgotten all about Stanley. Is there a possibility she mistook someone else for him?¡± Natalie asked, hope evident in her voice. Chapter 1546 Chapter 1546 Beside her, Line nodded eegerly. ¡°Thet could be e possibility.¡± Jhen let out e bitter chuckle on the other end of the line. ¡°Net, I know whet you meen. To be honest, my wife end I elso hed our doubts. We thought Joyce could''ve misteken someone else for Stenley, but she wes sure of it. The person who celled her wes indeed Stenley. Joyce told us thet e bolt of feer hit her when she heerd his voice. I think even if she hes forgotten who he wes, her feelings for him won''t chenge. If thet person weren''t Stenley, Joyce wouldn''t heve reected thet wey.¡± Netelie wes rendered speechless. Perheps the person who celled her wes indeed Stenley. ¡°Net, Stenley isn''t here yet, but I know he''ll be here soon. He could be on his wey here. Net, I don''t know whet else to do. Pleese esk Mr. Thompson to help us leeve this plece immedietely, will you?¡± Jhen pleeded on the other end of the line. Feeling bed for him, Netelie nodded end essured, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Rivers. I''ll contect Shene now. It''s still nighttime there, so Stenley mey not errive thet soon. Weit for me. I''ll contect Shene es soon es possible end let you know once I heve his enswer.¡± Jhen nodded end responded, ¡°Okey. We reelly need your help, Net. We cen''t stey here enymore. Whet''s going to heppen to Joyce if Stenley shows up here?¡± Beside her, Lina nodded eagerly. ¡°That could be a possibility.¡± Jonathan let out a bitter chuckle on the other end of the line. ¡°Nat, I know what you mean. To be honest, my wife and I also had our doubts. We thought Joyce could''ve mistaken someone else for Stanley, but she was sure of it. The person who called her was indeed Stanley. Joyce told us that a bolt of fear hit her when she heard his voice. I think even if she has forgotten who he was, her feelings for him won''t change. If that person weren''t Stanley, Joyce wouldn''t have reacted that way.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Natalie was rendered speechless. Perhaps the person who called her was indeed Stanley. ¡°Nat, Stanley isn''t here yet, but I know he''ll be here soon. He could be on his way here. Nat, I don''t know what else to do. Please ask Mr. Thompson to help us leave this ce immediately, will you?¡± Jonathan pleaded on the other end of the line. Feeling bad for him, Natalie nodded and assured, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Rivers. I''ll contact Shane now. It''s still nighttime there, so Stanley may not arrive that soon. Wait for me. I''ll contact Shane as soon as possible and let you know once I have his answer.¡± Jonathan nodded and responded, ¡°Okay. We really need your help, Nat. We can''t stay here anymore. What''s going to happen to Joyce if Stanley shows up here?¡± Beside her, Lina nodded eagerly. ¡°That could be a possibility.¡± Jonathan and Caitlin were old, so they weren''t afraid of death. However, Joyce was still young. They didn''t want anything to happen to her. Knowing his concern, Natalieforted him briefly before ending the call. ¡°Nat, what''s going on? How did Stanley find Joyce?¡± Lina asked. Natalie''s expression was grim as she shook her head. ¡°We''re not sure about that yet. However, we can be sure of one thing¡ªsomeone told him Joyce''s number. Shane was the one who hid the Riverses, and Stanley isn''t capable enough of finding them without help. The only exnation is that someone who knows the Riverses'' whereabouts told him where they are.¡± She had a bold guess in mind that made her heart feel heavy. Lina was smart enough to realize what Natalie meant. Astonished, she gulped and asked, ¡°Nat, are you saying that there is a certain someone beside Mr. Thompson or beside us?¡± Natalie bit her lip. ¡°Yes, that''s what I suspect. That''s the only exnation. However, I don''t have any proof to support my im. We need to carry out an investigation to be sure of it.¡± ¡°Then you should hurry and contact Mr. Thompson. Let him know so he can start an investigation,¡± Lina urged. Natalie nodded and hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°I know. I shall call him now.¡± Taking her cell phone, she looked for Shane''s number and called him. Taking her cell phone, she looked for Shane''s number and called him. Back in the country, Shane had just visited Anders in the hospital he invested in. He had just gotten into his car when his cell phone in his pocket rang. Pulling his cell phone out, he nced at the caller ID and curled his lips into a tiny smile. Ss was driving. When he noticed his employer''s smile through the rearview mirror, he blurted out, ¡°Mr. Thompson, it must be Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Shane asked, arching a brow. Ss chuckled. ¡°It''s obvious from your smile. No one else but Mrs. Thompson can make you smile.¡± Shane snorted. ¡°You''re quite observant, huh?¡± Ss beamed happily. ¡°Thanks for the praise, Mr. Thompson.¡± Shane ignored him and lowered his head to answer Natalie''s call. Assuming Natalie missed him, he was about to greet her when Natalie''s anxious voice rang out. ¡°Shane, bad news. Stanley has discovered where Joyce is!¡± ¡°What?¡± Shane''s expression turned as dark as thunder. ¡°Are you saying that Stanley found Joyce?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded and told him about her conversation with Jonathan earlier. Chapter 1547 Chapter 1547 ¡°How did he find her?¡± Shene''s fece contorted. Netelie shook her heed in response. ¡°I don''t know. However, I suspect someone told him ebout it.¡± A terrifying eure took over Shene when he heerd thet. He knew whet Netelie meent¡ªshe suspected one of them wes e spy working for Stenley. Yes, not meny people know where the Riverses ere. Stenley isn''t cepeble enough of finding them, es I wes the one who hid them. He cen''t find them himself. The only wey for him to find out the Riverses'' whereebouts end Joyce''s phone number is through someone else''s tip. Otherwise, it would heve teken him et leest three yeers to treck them down. There must be e spy emong us! Shene tightened his grip on the cell phone es his enger mounted. The surrounding tempereture dropped so low thet one could freeze instently. Sensing something wrong, Siles turned over his shoulder end esked, ¡°Mr. Thompson, did something heppen to Mrs. Thompson?¡± Shene nerrowed his eyes end didn''t enswer his question. Insteed, he seid to Netelie, ¡°Okey. I''ll find thet person es soon es possible. Tell the Riverses thet I''ll send someone to trensfer them to someplece else.¡± ¡°Okey.¡± Netelie nodded in ecknowledgment. After the cell ended, Shene looked et Siles. ¡°Find out if there ere eny problems with the people eround us.¡± ¡°Any problems?¡± Siles wes surprised to heer thet. Reelizetion soon struck him es his expression chenged dresticelly. ¡°Mr. Thompson, ere you seying thet someone emong us¡ª¡± ¡°How did he find her?¡± Shane''s face contorted. Natalie shook her head in response. ¡°I don''t know. However, I suspect someone told him about it.¡± A terrifying aura took over Shane when he heard that. He knew what Natalie meant¡ªshe suspected one of them was a spy working for Stanley. Yes, not many people know where the Riverses are. Stanley isn''t capable enough of finding them, as I was the one who hid them. He can''t find them himself. The only way for him to find out the Riverses'' whereabouts and Joyce''s phone number is through someone else''s tip. Otherwise, it would have taken him at least three years to track them down. There must be a spy among us! Shane tightened his grip on the cell phone as his anger mounted. The surrounding temperature dropped so low that one could freeze instantly. Sensing something wrong, Ss turned over his shoulder and asked, ¡°Mr. Thompson, did something happen to Mrs. Thompson?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and didn''t answer his question. Instead, he said to Natalie, ¡°Okay. I''ll find that person as soon as possible. Tell the Riverses that I''ll send someone to transfer them to somece else.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded in acknowledgment. After the call ended, Shane looked at Ss. ¡°Find out if there are any problems with the people around us.¡± ¡°Any problems?¡± Ss was surprised to hear that. Realization soon struck him as his expression changed drastically. ¡°Mr. Thompson, are you saying that someone among us¡ª¡± ¡°How did he find her?¡± Shane''s face contorted. Natalie shook her head in response. ¡°I don''t know. However, I suspect someone told him about it.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You have one day to find out who it is!¡± Shane cut in with a steely expression. Ss'' expression turned grim, too. ¡°Got it, Mr. Thompson. I''ll get to the bottom of things.¡± Well, well. I''ve never imagined someone among us will betray us. However... ¡°Mr. Thompson, who do you think the traitor is?¡± Ss inquired as he nced at the rearview mirror. Shane''s lips were pursed. He didn''t answer Ss question. Seeing that, Ss fell silent. It was useless to pursue the matter, for the traitor could be anyone. It might be their businesspetitor, the Thompson family''s enemy, Sean''s men, or Stanley''s men. No one knew for sure. The only way to learn the truth was to find the spy and question him to find out who he worked for. No matter who the traitor was, he would teach him a lesson. If you dare to be a traitor, you must be prepared to pay the price. Ss gripped the steering wheel, a menacing expression on his face. Right then, Shane said, ¡°Arrange for someone to transfer the Riverses elsewhere. Stanley knows where they are. I''m afraid he''ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Got it. I''ll get to work now.¡± Ss nodded. Shane pondered over the matter and added, ¡°You have to handle the matter personally. Assign other subordinates instead of the previous ones who escorted the Riverses there. Perhaps the spy is among those men.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Mr. Thompson. I know what to do.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Mr. Thompson. I know what to do.¡± Shane grunted approvingly and did not say more. His brows were scrunched up. Meanwhile, after Natalie ended the call, Lina asked, ¡°How did it go? What did Mr. Thompson say?¡± ¡°He said he''ll arrange for his men to help the Riverses move and also investigate the people around him,¡± came Natalie''s answer. Lina nodded. ¡°Great. You should tell Joyce about that now so she and her family won''t worry.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Natalie promptly gave the Riverses a call. Jonathan had been waiting beside thendline. When the phone rang, he immediately answered it and asked hastily, ¡°Nat, how did it go?¡± ¡°Shane promised to help you move. Mr. Rivers, please wait patiently. Shane''s men will arrive soon.¡± Hearing that, Jonathan could finally heave a sigh of relief. ¡°I''m d to hear that. Nat, I owe you and Mr. Thompson one. Thank you so much.¡± His gratitude sent warmth across Natalie''s heart. She chuckled and answered, ¡°You don''t have to thank me. It''s what I should do. Mr. Rivers, you should get some rest. It''s still nighttime. I don''t think Stanley will arrive that soon. Shane''s men should arrive before sunrise.¡± Chapter 1548 Chapter 1548 ¡°I know.¡± Jonathan bobbed his head. ¡°I don''t think we can fall asleep, so it''s pointless to get some rest. We should pack up before sunrise.¡± ¡°That works. I''ll contact you after sunrise, then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The call ended. Jonathan put the phone down and went to Joyce''s room. Inside the room, Caitlin was holding Joyce as though thetter were a child. She patted Joyce''s back to soothe her. Joyce rested her head on Caitlin''s shoulder, fast asleep. At the sight of Jonathan, Caitlin immediately asked, ¡°So? Did Nat say anything?¡± Jonathan nodded in response. Instead of replying to her question, he pointed at Joyce without a word. Realizing what he meant, Caitlin ced Joyce on the bed gently and tucked her in carefully. Once that was done, they both left Joyce''s room. They soon came to the living room. Caitlin asked, ¡°Jon, what is happening? Did Nat call you back?¡± Jonathan nodded. ''Yes, she did. She told us to wait for a few hours. Mr. Thompson has arranged for his men to take us away. They should arrive by sunrise.¡± Hearing that, Caitlin could finally rx. ¡°Oh, I''m d to hear that.¡± She patted her chest. ¡°We troubled Nat and Mr. Thompson again.¡± Jonathan sighed. ¡°Yes, that''s right. However, they are the only ones who can help us. When we are completely safe, we can figure out a way to repay their favor.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Caitlin nodded in agreement. Jonathan nced at the clock hanging on the wall and realized it was three in the morning. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°There are still a few hours until sunrise. You should get some rest while I pack up.¡± Caitlin shook her head. ¡°No. I can''t fall asleep right now. Let''s pack together. We can work faster that way.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Jonathan didn''t press the matter. They couldn''t fall asleep after learning that Stanley knew where they were. Spending time together might help them pass the time quickly. ¡°Come, let''s pack up the stuff in our room. We''ll head to Joyce''s room at the very end so she can sleep a while more,¡± Caitlin suggested after ncing at Joyce''s room. Jonathan hummed softly. ¡°We should let her get more sleep. She must be frightened after what happened earlier.¡± ¡°Yes. When I hugged her, she was trembling nonstop.¡± ¡°I wonder when this will end.¡± Jonathan lifted his head and stared at the ceiling nkly. Caitlin said nothing but sighed. Jonathan massaged his temples. ¡°All right, we should get to work. Let''s just pack up essential stuff and leave the rest behind. It''s a hassle to bring too many things with us.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They were running away from Stanley instead of moving houses. It would be best to leave unnecessary stuff behind. Aftering to a conclusion, they got to work. To not disturb Joyce''s sleep, they tried their best not to make any noise as they packed up. Two hourster, they were almost done. Jonathan took one look at the luggage and boxes in the living room and sucked in a breath helplessly. He nced at his wife and said, ¡°It''s six. I think Mr. Thompson''s men will arrive soon. Go wake Joyce up and pack up the necessary stuff in her room.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Caitlin bobbed her head. Even if he didn''t remind her, she was about to do so. Caitlin made her way to Joyce''s room. Jonathan looked at the luggage in the living room. After contemting briefly, he decided to move them out so it would be easier to move them into the trunkter. He grabbed two pieces of luggage and headed to the door. Chapter 1549 Chapter 1549 Soon, Jonathan came outside with both pieces of luggage. He ced them down and was about to go back in to move the rest when a figure appeared behind him. ¡°Why? Are you going to move again?¡± the neer asked, his dark gazending on Jonathan. This voice... Jonathan froze in his tracks and nched in horror. His pupils constricted as his entire being trembled. It''s Stanley! He''s already here! From N?velDrama.Org. Fear pulsed through Jonathan as the color drained out of his face. He had no idea that Stanley would arrive that soon. He had assumed Stanley had called Joyce after discovering their whereabouts and had yet to travel here. s, Stanley was quicker than he had expected. It was obvious that Stanley was at the local airport when he had called Joyce earlier. The closest airport was at least a few hours away by car. They were in a rural area without any public transport. It was difficult toe here without a car. One would have to change many modes of transportation to get here, and it would take at least a few hours. He refuses to give up, huh? To make sure we can''t escape in time, he only called Joyce to threaten her after arriving at the local airport. Stanley is too sly, and we are not his match. Stanley observed Jonathan, who had his fists clenched and was trembling slightly. Narrowing his eyes, he said, ¡°Mr. Rivers, looks like you''ve recognized me. I''m honored that you can still recognize my voice even though west met years ago.¡± ¡°Don''t call me that!¡± Jonathan spun on his heels, seemingly provoked by his words. He red at Stanley and roared angrily, ¡°If possible, I don''t want to recognize your voice, let alone know you!¡± Something glinted across Stanley''s eyes, but he said nothing. Inside the house, Caitlin and Joyce shared a look when they heard Jonathan''s voice. Confused, Joyce asked, ¡°Mom, what happened to Dad? Why is he shouting outside?¡± Caitlin remained silent, but her face turned grim. She had been married to Jonathan for over thirty years and knew him well. Jonathan was usually mild-mannered and rarely blew his top. Throughout their marriage, she had only seen him getting emotional a few times¡ªwhen they came into contact with the Quinns. She immediately guessed that Stanley was the one who had caused her husband to lose control of his temper. She heard Jonathan mention, ¡°I don''t want to recognize your voice.¡± It was obvious that he was talking to Stanley. Caitlin forced out a smile and said to Joyce, ¡°Stay here, Joyce. I''ll go out and take a look.¡± Joyce nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± Caitlin took a deep breath and headed out. At the door, she spotted two men standing outside. Her face turned pale when she got a clear look at the neer. ¡°Stanley!¡± It''s him! He''s here. When Stanley saw Caitlining out without Joyce, his eyes turned dark. Does she not know I''m here or does she not want toe out knowing that I''m here? I think it should be thetter. Jonathan''s voice was so loud that even Caitlin came out. Joyce should''vee out with her to see what happened. She didn''te out, so that could only mean one thing¡ªshe knew I''d arrived but hid inside deliberately. Ha! Does she think she can hide from me forever? ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, I''m here for Joyce,¡± Stanley announced icily as he gazed at Jonathan and Caitlin. Jonathan''s expression twisted in fury. ¡°Shut up! You have no right to call my daughter''s name!¡± Chapter 1550 Chapter 1550 Caitlin''s eyes were red as tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°Stanley, I don''t know how you found us, but please stop doing this. We came all the way here to escape from you. Why do you want to drive us to a dead end? I know you hate us and Joyce''s baby, but we told you previously that we won''t let the baby appear before you. Just pretend that the baby doesn''t exist and that we''re all dead, okay?¡± Hearing that, Jonathan pulled her back and pointed an using finger in Stanley''s direction. ¡°Don''t beg him! He''s heartless and won''t spare us even if you beg him. If it was that easy to make him change his mind, he would''ve spared us ages ago instead ofing after us.¡± Caitlin''s lips twitched, and she lowered her head sadly. Yes, he''s right. If Stanley was easily persuaded, why would hee after us stubbornly? The hatred in Jonathan''s and Caitlin''s eyes strangely evoked fear in Stanley''s heart. He felt heavy- hearted and helpless. They had never looked at him that way. He knew they were upset with him, as he hated them and treated Joyce badly. However, they had never despised him. He should feel satisfied with forcing his enemies into a corner. After all, they wouldn''t have hated him that much if they hadn''t fallen into despair. Instead of satisfaction, Stanley felt really bad. He didn''t want them to stare at him that way. Stanley''s fists balled up as he pursed his lips. ¡°You were the reason my parents died. I have yet to seek revenge, so why can''t Ie after you?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Caitlin''s heart wrenched in pain as she looked away. Jonathan burst outughing as though he had just heard a joke. There was a hint of regret and sorrow in his voice as he said, ¡°Stanley, you''ve always assumed we were the reason your parents died. We were upset, but as you were young and Joyce loved you, we never held any grudge against you. To us, you were just a young man. However, I no longer think that way. Since you broke Joyce''s heart and forced her to abort her baby, you are no longer the young man who loved to smile. You''re a devil!¡± Devil? Stanley''s pupils constricted when he heard that. Evidently, he didn''t expect Jonathan to call him a devil! Not knowing Stanley was shocked to hear the word ¡°devil¡± from his lips, Jonathan stretched a trembling finger out to point at Stanley. ¡°I''ve never regretted my actions previously, but now I regret saving the Quinn family. If I had known my family would suffer this way, I wouldn''t have caved in when your parents contacted me and saved you. If I hadn''t saved you, your death would have nothing to do with us, and Joyce wouldn''t have fallen in love with you. She would have found a man who loved her dearly and married him. She wouldn''t have to suffer from a broken heart, and we wouldn''t have to live in fear for years.¡± Stanley''s expression grew icy cold when he heard Jonathan''s words. He gave off an intimidating aura. If they hadn''t saved us, Joyce wouldn''t have fallen in love with me? She would marry someone who loved her? Is he referring to Justin? He was deep in thought when a clear voice rang out behind Jonathan and Caitlin. ¡°Mom, Dad, what are you talking about?¡± It''s Joyce! Stanley instantly knew who it was. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the person behind Caitlin and Jonathan darkly. Sensing his gaze, Jonathan and Caitlin paled in horror. They were worried that Stanley would harm Joyce. Besides, they were also worried that Joyce would recover her memories that involved Stanley if she were to meet him. Chapter 1551 Chapter 1551 No matter what, they couldn''t let Joyce see Stanley. Having reached a consensus with his wife, Jonathan took one step forward and blocked the door. Meanwhile, Caitlin spun on her heels and persuaded Joyce to go back instead of letting here out. A mocking glint shed across Stanley''s eyes when he realized their intention. They don''t want Joyce to see me, huh? Ha! I won''t let things go their way! ¡°Joyce!¡± he called out. Both Jonathan''s and Caitlin''s faces contorted in unison. How could he call Joyce''s name out loud? He wants to attract her attention so she wille out! Jonathan couldn''t stand it any longer. He grabbed the broom by the door and glowered at Stanley. ¡°Stanley, will you only give up after forcing us to our deaths? If you want to take revenge,e at us. Don''t involve my daughter. If you insist on targeting my daughter, don''t me me for retaliating. I''ll risk my life to protect her!¡± With that, he charged toward Stanley and hit him with the broom. Stanley furrowed his brows in pain, but he didn''t fight back. Staring at the door, he dered, ¡°Joyce, I''ll count to three. If you still don''t show yourself, don''t me me for hurting your father.¡± His words merely served to increase Jonathan''s anger, as thetter hit his back again and again harder. Every hit he made elicited muffled sounds. Behind the door, Joyce had realized what was going on. Stanley is here and wants to see me. Dad doesn''t want me to see him, so he hit Stanley with the broom. However, Stanley is threatening me to go out or he''ll retaliate. Dad''s weak. If Stanley fights back, Dad won''t be his match. Joyce panicked and started resisting Caitlin. ¡°Mom, let me go. Let me go out.¡± Caitlin shook her head stubbornly and refused to let her head out. ¡°No, you can''t go out. Joyce, it was hard enough for you to forget him. What if you remember him after going out? Do you want to suffer all over again?¡± Joyce was startled. She had no idea how much pain she had suffered previously. However, from bits and pieces of information she had heard from her parents and friends, she had learned that she used to be tortured and nearlymitted suicide. The scar on her wrist was still visible. As Joyce spaced out, Caitlin took the chance to push her toward her room. Soon, Joyce regained herposure and came to a stop. ¡°Mom, I know what you''re worried about, but I must head out. Dad is still outside. What if Stanley takes action against Dad if I don''t go out? Mom, you don''t want to see Dad getting hurt, do you?¡± Caitlin froze. From N?velDrama.Org. Of course she wanted her husband to be safe. If something were to happen to Jonathan, she would be at a loss. As Caitlin seemed stumped, Joyce added, ¡°Mom, let me go out. Don''t worry. I won''t remember who he is. I promise, okay? We don''t know if Stanley is telling the truth. This concerns Dad''s safety, so we can''t risk it. Dad is no match for Stanley. He''s a middle-aged man.¡± Words eluded Caitlin, for she knew that Joyce was right. They couldn''t risk Jonathan''s safety. There was no point crying over spilled milk if Stanley were to take action against Jonathan. In the end, Caitlin released her grip on Joyce. Once Joyce regained her freedom, she rushed to the door and ran out. ¡°Dad!¡± Outside, Jonathan''s hands holding the broom froze midair. He turned over his shoulder and frowned. ¡°Why are you here? Who told you toe out? Where''s your mom? Caitlin, bring her inside now!¡± Chapter 1552 Chapter 1552 ¡°It''s not Mom''s fault. I came out here myself,¡± Joyce answered. Stanley, who was beside Jonathan, steeled himself against the pain from his back and gazed at Joyce. She''s fatter now. He was not passing judgment on her appearance. She had been pregnant and gloomy previously, so she had lost much weight. Now, her face had gained a little fat¡ªshe looked like how she was in the past now. It seems that she''s been living a good life after leaving the country anding here. Stanley narrowed his eyes and said hoarsely, ¡°Joyce,e here.¡± Joyce tightened her fists and stood rooted to her spot as she looked at Stanley with a frown. This is Stanley. The one I loved and obsessed over back then. She had to admit that he was good-looking and that his appearance was of her preference. However, she felt nothing for him now. Instead, she feared him. She was afraid of him, and that was why she was unwilling to go over to him when the man beckoned her to his side. Nevertheless, her fear made her let out a sigh of relief. The fear she had toward him meant that she would not fall for the man. As long as she did not fall for him, it would be unlikely that she would return to the suffering life she had had before she forgot about him. When Stanley saw that Joyce remained unmoving and was staring warily at him instead, his heart sank, and his face paled. He was not angry that the woman did not listen to him; he was surprised by the look in her eyes. It was visible to him that there was no love left in her gaze at him¡ªall that was left was wariness. It was as if he was nothing but a stranger to her, someone she should not trust. Was Sean telling me the truth when he said she had forgotten about me? That realization made Stanley paler, and his heart sank further down. He felt angry, but at the same time, he was scared. He felt as though he had lost something important, and that feeling made him ill at ease. In a deeper voice, he called out again, ¡°Joyce, I''m asking you toe over here!¡± ¡°I''m sorry, but I don''t know who you are, so I''m not going to go to you,¡± Joyce answered as calmly as she could after shaking her head. Although she was afraid of the man, she would not let him affect her mood. She knew not what would happen to her otherwise. Upon hearing Joyce''s response, Jonathan, who had been worried the entire time, sighed in relief and smiled. Good. This is good. Joyce didn''t fall for Stanley again, and she didn''t recall who he was either. Jonathan had been afraid that Joyce would fall for Stanley again, and that was why he did not want to let Joyce out. However, Joyce had shown him that she would not act the same as he thought she would, so he was relieved. As long as Joyce did not grow feelings for Stanley again, they as her parents would not need to feel as wary toward Stanley anymore. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Joyce had been so in love with Stanley in the past, so they could not be too mean to him, fearing that Joyce would feel bad for him. That was why Stanley had ended up hurting Joyce so badly. However, now, it seemed that Joyce did not care about Stanley, so they had no need to be careful about their attitude toward Stanley anymore. They could do anything they wanted. Jonathan put down the broom in his hands and raised his arm, then punched Stanley in the face. ¡°You b*stard!¡± Stanley fell to the ground with a loud thump. The sses he was wearing flew to the side and shattered into pieces. A beatter, Stanley held his cheek and shifted half-upright. As he had lost his sses, his vision was unclear, and he had to squint. It was then he saw the raging Jonathan. Evidently, he never thought that Jonathan would get physical with him all of a sudden. Chapter 1553 Chapter 1553 He thought Jonathan was angry when he hit him with the broomstick, but it was only now that he finally had a taste of Jonathan''s wrath. Even Joyce was surprised by Jonathan''s actions. She covered her face and cried out, ¡°Dad!¡± Jonathan ignored her and took two steps toward Stanley. Then he grabbed Stanley by the cor and pulled him up. Although Jonathan was no longer as sturdy as he used to be when he was younger, he was still a manFrom N?velDrama.Org. who had once worked as a blue-cor worker. He was still more powerful than Stanley, who only wielded a scalpel on a daily basis. That was why Jonathan could easily lift Stanley into the air. He stared at Stanley with bloodshot eyes and said through gritted teeth, ¡°How dare you call my daughter toe to you, Stanley? Have you forgotten about me? I''ve never even called my daughter toe to me in that tone, so who do you think you are to do that? You''re but an ungrateful man! If I had known that the Rivers family was going to end up like this because of you, I wouldn''t have saved your family back then. My resentment, Stanley, you have no idea the extent of my resentment!¡± Stanley had never seen Jonathan as maniacal as this, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words. After all, the Riverses had always submitted to him and had no words of protest. That made him sure that the Riverses were the ones who had killed his parents and that they were acting like that out of guilt. Yet, when Jonathan abruptly turned aggressive, he froze. Jonathan had no idea what Stanley was thinking about. He regarded Stanley with a scowl on his face and hissed, ¡°Do you know why I''ve been tolerating everything you''ve done? It''s not because I think I''ve wronged the Quinn family, but because of Joyce. I''m doing this for my daughter!¡± Stanley''s pupils constricted when he heard that. This wasn''t for the Quinn family? Jonathan tossed Stanley to the ground. ¡°My daughter likes you. She loves you, so as her father, I was willing to tolerate you for her. Joyce was always sure that she would win you over as long as she gave you her sincere heart. She was so sure she would find the evidence to prove that her family wasn''t the one to kill your parents. She was so certain that you would forgive the Rivers family and be with her when that happened. For the sake of her wish, I''ve been tolerating everything that you''ve done.¡± ¡°Dad...¡± It was at that moment Joyce finally found out how many tough times her father had to go through for her sake. She did not have any memories of it, but she knew it was something that had happened, for the wave of guilt she felt could not be fake. ¡°I''m sorry, Dad...¡± Joyce''s eyes turned red. She had wasted her parents'' effort in raising her and educating her. They''re doing this for me, but what did the past me do for them? I was so hung up on a man who didn''t love me in return, and I shamed myself. I really don''t deserve to be their daughter. Upon hearing his daughter''s apology, Jonathan stiffened. He turned around to see the young woman crying, and his heart ached. He turned his head back to Stanley and looked daggers at him. He knew that Joyce was apologizing after finding out how hard it had been for him and her mother¡ª she felt that she had made things difficult for them and was filled with guilt. Nevertheless, he did not me his daughter for that. If anything, he med Stanley for it. Stanley should not have survived and appeared in front of his daughter. Without Stanley, Joyce would not have yearned for a man so badly, and she would not have suffered so much. That thought fueled the mes of fire in Jonathan. He lifted his leg and kicked Stanley harshly. ¡°This is all your fault! You hurt my daughter! You should have died all those years ago. You shouldn''t have survived. Your survival brought harm to my daughter, and now I''m regretting ever helping you all back then. Why did I do that?¡± Chapter 1554 Chapter 1554 Jonathan broke down mentally as he kicked Stanley, again and again, to vent all his feelings of aggrievement and helplessness over the years. Stanley never once made a move to resist. All he did was shield his head. The words that Jonathan said earlier, ¡°You should have died all those years ago,¡± had hit him hard. So not only do I hate them, but they hate me too. They wished that I had died back then so that I wouldn''t have hurt their daughter. Have I really made a mistake? When Stanley saw Joyce covering her face and crying out of overwhelming guilt from the gap at the crook of his arms, and when he saw the remorseful expression on Jonathan''s face, he began wondering for the first time in his life if he had been hating the wrong people. Stanley had been sure that he had never hated the wrong people and would never hate the wrong people. After all, they were the ones who had revealed his parents'' location, which led to their deaths. On the other hand, as Shane and Sean had said, without the Rivers family''s assistance, his parents would not have lived a little longer. The Quinn family would have been wiped out a long time ago, and he would not have survived. Shane said that the Riverses were normal people who did not realize that someone was tailing them. That was why the Riverses ended up exposing his family''s hideout. However, that was something Stanley had dismissed. He was adamant that the Riverses were at fault because they had revealed to the others where his family was at. That was why Shane said that his grudge was ridiculous. From N?velDrama.Org. Mr. Rivers said that I''m an ungrateful person too. Am I really someone like that? Stanley lowered his head and endured the ache he felt in silence. Time went by, and he felt that he was at his limit, for even his vision was blurring. He knew he was losing consciousness, but still, he did not ask Jonathan to stop. He continued to let the older man hit him. Maybe by letting him hit me I will be able to get an answer. Maybe I''ll find out whether I was wrong or not. Stanley closed his eyes and lowered his arms, which he had been using to shield his head. The moment Joyce saw that, she turned ashen and shouted, ¡°Dad, stop!¡± Her voice brought Jonathan back to his senses, and he stopped. He turned to look at his daughter, who was quickly walking over to them, and pursed his lips unhappily. ¡°Joyce, you''re not feeling bad for him, are you?¡± As he spoke, he pointed at Stanley. Joyce shook her head. ¡°Of course not. If I felt bad for him, I would''ve stopped you the second you started hitting him.¡± Hearing that, Jonathan rxed a little more. However, Stanley''s heart sank when he heard that. Right. She should have stopped her father when he started hitting me. She loves me, and she''s under my hypnosis. She wouldn''t have just watched me get beaten up from the side. Yet, she never said anything to stop her father. She only spoke when she realized I''m about to pass out, and she didn''t sound fazed when she was talking about me. At that moment, he realized that she truly did not love him anymore. She had forgotten about him, and even the hypnosis he did on her no longer worked. It was a realization that Stanley found himself unable to ept. He could not ept that Joyce did not love him anymore, and he could not ept that she had thrown him out of her memories. Why is she allowed to forget about me? She said she''d love me forever, so why doesn''t she love me anymore? Stanley wanted to open his eyes, stand up, grab Joyce''s shoulders, and ask her why. Yet, he could not muster any strength at all, not even to open his eyes, let alone rise to his feet. In the end, he passed out. The sight of that made Joyce jumps in shock, and she quickly grabbed her father''s hand. ¡°Dad, call the ambnce now!¡± Jonathan looked at the unconscious Stanley icily and said, ¡°Ambnce? What for? We''ll just leave him like this.¡± Chapter 1555 Chapter 1555 Even if Stanley was beaten to death, Jonathan felt that he deserved it. Joyce shook her head. ¡°Dad, we shouldn''t do this. We live in awful society, and if anything happens to him, we''ll have to bear the legal consequences of it.¡± Her exnation made Jonathan fall silent. He was not a man of no reason, and he knew that he would have to pay the price if anything really happened to Stanley. Yet, the thought of what Stanley had done to the Rivers family and to Joyce made him desperately wish to kill Stanley to end it all. Nevertheless, he was well aware that the Rivers family would be brought to ruins if Stanley really died. He would have to go to jail for his crime. His wife would be devastated, and no one would be able to take care of Joyce and the baby in her stomach. For the sake of the Rivers family, he could not just let Stanley die. Sighing, Jonathan rubbed his temples and said, ¡°I know. Call the ambnce.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce nodded and went to get her phone. When Caitlin saw her enter, she quickly asked, ¡°Joyce, how is it?¡± Caitlin had stayed in the house because she did not want to see Stanley. As Joyce made the call, she told her mother what had happened outside. Caitlin was infuriated to hear that Stanley had been beaten within an inch of his life by Jonathan. ¡°That old man always doesn''t know when to stop! What would happen to the two of us if he really killed Stanley? Has he ever thought of that?¡± Of course, despite her grumbles, Caitlin understood where Jonathan''s impulse was from. After all, what Stanley had done was enraging. Joyce told the hospital their address, and soon, the hospital sent an ambnce over to whisk Stanley away. Jonathan climbed aboard the ambnce as well, for Stanley could not go to the hospital without someone by his side. Despite his reluctance, he had no choice but to tag along. In no time, Joyce and Caitlin were the only ones left in the house. Caitlin turned to the few suitcases outside the house and let out a sigh. ¡°It looks like we''re not going anywhere today.¡± Joyce smiled. ¡°It''s okay. I didn''t want to move anyway.¡± ¡°Who would like to keep moving?¡± Caitlin muttered. ¡°We''re just forced to do this.¡± Joyce gave her mother a hug. ¡°Then let''s not move anymore.¡± ¡°We can''t do that. Stanley''s adamant about aborting the baby in you to go up against us. He¡ª¡± ¡°Mom, it''s fine,¡± Joyce interrupted with a shake of his head. ¡°You and Dad have been enduring the difficulties in silence all this while because of me. I didn''t know about this in the past. I thought it was because we were no match for him. But now, I''ve found out that''s not the case. It was because you were afraid that I would feel bad for him, so you avoided the problem, Stanley, with me. But I don''t love him anymore, so you don''t need to consider my feelings again. You don''t need to submit to him anymore. I don''t care about him now. Really.¡± Caitlin tensed up for a while after hearing her daughter''s deration. Finally, she said, ¡°Joyce, you''ve grown mature.¡± Joyce hooked her arm around her mother''s and said, ¡°I''m sorry, Mom, to have made you both worried about your insensible daughter for over twenty years. I won''t do this again. We''re a family, and we should cast aside all our worries to go up against Stanley together. That way, we don''t need to be scared of him anymore, right?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Caitlin nodded solemnly. ¡°As long as you have no feelings for him, we, as your parents, don''t need to be careful around him anymore. We''ll have a much easier time dealing with him now.¡± Joyce beamed. ¡°Okay. We''ll go against him as one family. I refuse to believe that the three of us won''t be able to defeat one man.¡± Honestly, Stanley''s nothing scary. Regardless of everything, he''s just one man. There''s a limit to how powerful one person can be. As long as we fight him as a family, he''s no match for us. With that thought in mind, Joyce found herself far less afraid of Stanley.From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1556 Chapter 1556 Caitlin, too, saw the logic behind her words. As long as their entire family stood up against Stanley, unlike in the past, he would no longer be as scary. They wouldn''t have to keep hiding and live their days filled with anxiety. The more she thought about it, the more resolute she was in her decision. She nned to inform Jonathan about it once he came home. Jonathan will definitely agree to it. He, too, is sick of moving time and again. At that moment, the roar of a car engine could be heard outside. Joyce looked up to see two cars stopping outside their yard. One was an MPV; the other was a small truck. ¡°Mom, I think Mr. Thompson''s men are here,¡± Joyce informed while pointing outside. Looking in the direction Joyce pointed, Caitlin saw who was outside through the open door. The figure in front was a burly man dressed in ck. She recognized him as the person who had brought them to their current home. ¡°It''s his men indeed. Come, let''s go meet them,¡± Caitlin suggested to Joyce, who then nodded as she got to her feet. The mother-daughter duo headed out together. Just as the burly man was about to ring the doorbell, he lowered his hand when he saw both of them emerge. ¡°Mrs. Rivers, Ms. Rivers.¡± ¡°Mr. Cornelius,¡± Caitlin greeted the burly man. His name was Keenan Cornelius and was a subordinate of Ss. Keenan looked at Caitlin. ¡°Mrs. Rivers, Mr. Thompson has ordered us to take you away from here. Have you packed?¡± Caitlin nodded. ¡°Yes. Our luggage is right outside.¡± ¡°All right. I''ll get my men to load them into the vehicle. You should also hurry. By the way, where is Mr. Rivers?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Keenan suddenly remembered that he hadn''t seen Jonathan. Joyce replied, ¡°My dad is in the hospital.¡± ¡°What? Mr. Rivers is in the hospital? Is he sick?¡± Keenan eximed. Joyce shook her head. ¡°No, my dad is fine. It''s Stanley. He was beaten up so badly by my dad that he had to be hospitalized. Dad has gone there together with him.¡± Her words utterly stunned Keenan. ¡°Ms. Rivers, are you talking about Stanley Quinn?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Stanley gulped. ¡°Stanley was here? When did he arrive?¡± ¡°About half an hour ago.¡± Half an hour ago... Keenan pondered upon the matter. Half an hour ago, they were still on their way. I didn''t expect Stanley to arrive here ahead of us. ¡°Ms. Rivers, did Stanley hurt you?¡± Keenan asked in a concerned tone. Joyce waved her hand. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m fine. Before he could even do anything, my dad knocked him out.¡± Keenan heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Good.¡± If something happened to her, Shane and Natalie would definitely hold him responsible. After all, Ss had instructed him to protect Joyce at all costs. He was gripped by fear the moment he heard Joyce telling him that Stanley had beaten him to their home. Lucky for him, Jonathan had beaten Stanley up, preventing thetter from harming Joyce. Otherwise, he and his men would be in big trouble. ¡°By the way, Ms. Rivers, how is Stanley doing now? Is he all right?¡± Keenan probed further. After giving it some thought, Joyce shook her head as she replied, ¡°I don''t know. He was unconscious when they loaded him into the ambnce. Dad hasn''t called us since then.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Keenan nodded in acknowledgment before ushering them forward. ¡°We''ll focus on itter. For now, Ms. Rivers, why don''t you and Mrs. Rivers get into the car?¡± ¡°About that...¡± Joyce bit her lip in hesitation. Caitlin, too, wore an embarrassed expression on her face. Their reaction consequently confused Keenan. ¡°What is it?¡± Chapter 1557 Chapter 1557 After a brief pause, Caitlin finally stated their stand. ¡°Mr. Cornelius, we don''t n on leaving.¡± Keenan''s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You don''t n to leave?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Joyce responded. The corner of Keenan''s lips twitch. ¡°If you don''t go, what are you going to do about Stanley? He''s already found you, and what if¡ª¡± ¡°Don''t worry.¡± Joyce broke into a smile. ¡°We have discussed this ande to the conclusion that he can''t hurt us as long as we stand up against him together. We are sick of moving all the time. It''s just so exhausting.¡± Even though Stanley understood where they wereing from, he didn''t agree with it. ¡°I know moving is tiring, but are you really capable of challenging Stanley?¡± Joyce turned to look at Caitlin, who let out a sigh. ¡°Mr. Cornelius, I understand your concerns. But Joyce and I have made our decision and stand strongly by it. Besides, if we were to continue running, it would just end up as a vicious cycle. Living under such circumstances has taken its toll on us, so we have chosen to fight him. In victory, our family will take back our lives. If we lose¡ª¡± ¡°We won''t lose and can''t afford to,¡± Joyce interrupted through her gritted teeth. ¡°After what happened just now, I don''t think Stanley is unbeatable.¡± Faced with the resolute mother-daughter duo, Keenan had no other choice but to reply in resignation, ¡°I understand. But the decision isn''t mine to make. I''ll report this to Mr. Thompson and see what he says.¡± ¡°Okay. Do what you need to. In the meantime, I''ll let Nat know,¡± Joyce replied. Keenan nodded in response. ¡°Okay. In that case, we''ll help you carry your luggage back inside.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Caitlin couldn''t be anymore grateful. With that, Keenan ordered his man to bring their luggage back inside. Caitlin gave Joyce''s hand a tug. ¡°Joyce, let''s give Nat a call and tell her our decision.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Joyce agreed, cognizant that it was time to do so. Both of them returned to the house and gave Natalie a call. Over at thetter''s end, it was around nine in the evening. She was in the midst of a video call with Shane when Joyce''s call interrupted her. When she saw who it was, she quickly informed Shane, ¡°Darling, I need to take Joyce''s call now. I''ll call you backter.¡± Despite feeling upset, Shane didn''t object. After all, he knew that Joyce was living under precarious circumstances and must have called over something important. ¡°All right. Go ahead,¡± Shane responded. Natalie shed a smile at him before ending their video call. Subsequently, she answered Joyce''s. ¡°Hello, Joyce, how is it? Have Shane''s men arrived?¡± Joyce nced at the door. ¡°They have.¡± Natalie sighed in relief. ¡°That''s good. Did you get into the car?¡± Joyce shook her head with an apologetic expression. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Not yet?¡± Natalie''s brows knitted. ¡°Howe? Is there something wrong with the vehicle?¡± ¡°It''s not that.¡± Joyce bit her lip. ¡°We are the issue. Nat, after discussing with my mom, we''ve decided not to leave.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in surprise. Joyce lowered her head sheepishly. ¡°We want to stay here. Moving constantly is just too tiring and troublesome.¡± ¡°But Stanley has already gotten in touch and will probably find you soon. You¡ª¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He''s alreadye.¡± ¡°What? He found you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then are you all right?¡± Natalie sprang to her feet. Little did she expect Stanley to have already located Joyce. Nevertheless, she knew deep down that it was a matter of time before it happened, especially after he had gained the means to contact Joyce. Chapter 1558 Chapter 1558 Considering the evil intentions Stanley harbored toward Joyce and the fact that he would definitely not tolerate the existence of the baby she was carrying, Natalie was worried that he would force Joyce to abort it. From N?velDrama.Org. Stanley''s chauvinistic character made it impossible for Joyce to win in a direct confrontation. Warmed by Natalie''s concern, Joyce replied with a smile, ¡°I''m fine. Don''t worry, Nat.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Natalie furrowed her brows. She just couldn''t put her mind at ease. Joyce nodded. ¡°I''m really okay. Stanley did find me here, but he didn''t do anything. Instead, he was hospitalized after being beaten up by my dad.¡± Natalie choked on her saliva and took a few seconds to regain her senses. ¡°Wait... Mr. Rivers beat him up?¡± Natalie''s shock was understandable, for the turn of events was truly unbelievable. She knew better than anyone else how much the Riverses feared Stanley. Jonathan beating him up was something that exceeded her wildest imagination. Joyce knew the reason behind Natalie''s shock, as she, too, was equally taken aback when her father struck Stanley. Even though she had lost all the memories she had with Stanley and didn''t know the depths of her family''s fear of him, she could tell how terrified her family was of him from how she trembled upon hearing his name and the looks on her parents'' faces. The fact that her father could overpower his fear of Stanley and beat thetter up elicited both shock and admiration from her. ¡°Yes, that''s what my dad did. In fact, I suspect that if murder wasn''t considered a crime, he would have probably killed Stanley and put the matter to an end.¡± Joyce pinched the space between her brows while letting out a sigh. Natalie''s lips pursed in response. ¡°Don''t ever think that way. If Stanley is killed, that''s the end of Mr. Rivers too.¡± ¡°I know. That''s why I stopped him at the crucial moment and called for the ambnce,¡± Joyce reassured Natalie. Natalie let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Good. Anyway, are you and Mrs. Rivers really sure that you don''t want to leave? What made youe to such a decision?¡± Jonathan had called her earlier in the day. On the phone, he had still expressed his desire for Shane to send men and help his family move, as Stanley had already discovered their location and would arrive anytime. Since he was the head of the family, his intention naturally reflected that of Caitlin and Joyce. However, now that bothdies didn''t want to move, it was clear that the change of heart had only urred very recently. Natalie wanted to learn the reason behind it. Joyce hesitated for a few seconds before answering, ¡°To be honest, there''s nothing much to it. We just feel like staying and fighting him together.¡± ¡°Fight him?¡± Natalie cocked her brow. ¡°Since when did such an idea pop into your head?¡± ¡°When I saw my dad strike Stanley.¡± Joyce followed with a sigh. ¡°It''s just as you imagine. Stanley is rich and powerful, whereas we are nothing more than ordinary folks. Under normal circumstances, there''s no way we can go up against him.¡± Natalie nodded, for those were her exact thoughts. Joyce puckered her lips. ¡°My family shared your sentiment at first, which was the reason why we kept avoiding him as far as possible. As time went by, our fear of him gradually snowballed to the extent of us believing that we didn''t stand a chance against him. It wasn''t until Dad struck him down easily that I had an epiphany¡ªhe isn''t as powerful as we imagined him to be.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie felt that something didn''t quite make sense, but she couldn''t put her finger on what it was. Joyce sighed before continuing, ¡°After discussing the matter with my mom, we decided to stay. Since Stanley isn''t as strong as we thought, I''m confident that we can resist him together as a family. After all, despite all the power he possesses, he''s still just one man.¡± Chapter 1559 Chapter 1559 ¡°What you say makes sense, but it''s still a risky proposition.¡± Natalie wasn''t convinced. Joyce chuckled in response. ¡°Nat, I know that you''re worried, but we''ve decided. Besides, constant moving has taken its toll on us. My parents are already old, and I can''t bear to see them living a life on the run in their golden years.¡± Natalie had nothing to say. After putting herself in Joyce''s shoes, she, too, realized that she wouldn''t want her elderly parents to live such a turbulent life. She empathized with the hard choice Joyce had to make. After giving her head a quick massage, Natalie asked in a serious tone, ¡°Joyce, let me ask you again. Have you really thought it through? If you don''t leave, there''ll be no room for regrets in the event Stanley hurts you.¡± Joyce looked in Caitlin''s direction. When thetter shed a smile at her, she reciprocated with one of her own before returning her attention to Natalie. ¡°I know the risks, Nat, but we have made up our minds. Regardless of what happens, our family will at least be together. Worsees to worst, we''ll just die as a family. Sometimes I feel as if death is more liberating than living in fear every day.¡± Her words triggered a frown on Natalie''s face. ¡°Stop saying such nonsense.¡± Joyce chuckled in response. ¡°Fine, don''t mind me. Anyway, Nat, I''m serious about what I just said. I believe my dad thinks the same way too. No one wants to continue fleeing anymore.¡± Her words elicited a sigh from Natalie. ¡°I understand. Since you''ve decided, I won''t try to dissuade you from it. I know whatever I say isn''t going to change anything. I''ll respect the path you have chosen.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Joyce was touched by Natalie''s support. Natalie broke into a faint smile. ¡°Thanks are not needed. What are friends for? Back when I was still carrying Connor and Sharon, your family did their best to help me. And now, I''m just returning the favor.¡± ¡°I know, but I still can''t help feeling bad about it.¡± Joyce lowered her head. ¡°We were firm on leaving initially. And now, after the arrival of your men, we changed our mind and wasted their time.¡± Sensing the guilt in Joyce''s tone, Natalie smiled in resignation. ¡°It''s no big deal. I can just send them home after that. Besides, it isn''t a waste of time. At least they can check on you to make sure that you''re safe and see if there''s anything you need.¡± Joyce''s heart was warmed by her friend''s attempt tofort her so that she didn''t have to feel bad. Thereafter, their call was interrupted by a knock on the door. As Natalie walked over to check, she said, ¡°All right, then. I''ll let Shane know in a while so that he can order his men to leave.¡± ¡°Thank you, Nat. Also, please put a good word in on my behalf. I don''t want Mr. Thompson to be upset,¡± Joyce pleaded. Knowing Joyce''s fear of Shane, Natalie shook her head with a smile. ¡°Don''t worry. He isn''t that petty. But I''ll still do as you say.¡± ¡°That''s great!¡± Joyce patted her chest in relief. In a serious tone, Natalie added, ¡°Although you''ve decided to stay put, it doesn''t change the fact that Stanley isn''t someone to be trifled with. So, please be careful and call me if anything happens, all right?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce nodded with conviction. The tension on Natalie''s face began to ease. ¡°Good. Anyway, I got to go. There''s someone here to see me.¡± ¡°All right. Bye.¡± Joyce ended the call. From N?velDrama.Org. After putting her phone away, Natalie opened the door and saw Lina at the door. Lina shed a smirk the moment she saw the former. ¡°What took you so long? From the phone in your hand, it''s obvious to me tell that you must have been chatting with Mr. Thompson.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°It wasn''t Shane. It was Joyce.¡± ¡°Joyce?¡± Lina''s ears pricked at the mention of the name. ¡°What did you talk about?¡± Seeing no need to keep it from Lina, Natalie rted the contents of the call. Chapter 1560 Chapter 1560 waiting...on the way.. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 1561 Chapter 1561 Natalie fell silent momentarily after hearing what the man had to say. Then, she lowered her head in self-reflection. ¡°I know what I did wrong. I was worried that something might happen to the Rivers family.¡± ¡°It''s because you''re so afraid that the Rivers family never makes any progress. In fact, I think Joyce does better than you in this regard, considering how she had the courage to go up against Stanley. You, on the other hand, can''t stop trying to protect the Rivers family. That''s exactly why they never grow,¡± Shane criticized. Natalie brushed her nose. ¡°Okay, I get it. You don''t have to keep reminding me about that. I''m making progress too, you know? When Joyce said she wanted to stay, I didn''t convince her otherwise because I felt she wasn''t making a bad choice.¡± Shane chuckled. ¡°All right. I won''t bring it up anymore. It''s gettingte, so get some rest.¡± ¡°Okay. You too.¡± Natalie nced at the time. It was indeedte, and she didn''t insist on him staying up to chat. They ended their call after bidding each other goodbye. Then, Natalie put her phone down and walked toward the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed. Elsewhere, Joyce had just received a phone call from her father updating her on Stanley''s situation. Thanks to Jonathan, Stanley was now suffering from a broken rib, a heavily injured back, bruises on his face, and a mild concussion. He needed to be hospitalized for the time being. The only reason Joyce could sigh with relief was that the man was still alive. Even so, it wasn''t long before fear crept back into her heart. She was afraid that Stanley would report this incident to the police. There was no denying that her father had deliberately injured someone. Not only would Jonathan not be able to get away with it if Stanley were to report him, but he might also end up in prison for assault. There was no way Jonathan could escape thew if Stanley decided to take action. Given how the latter never once resisted or fought back, Jonathan would surely be found guilty. Once Stanley decides to put Dad in prison, he is definitely going to jail. Seeing the frown on her face, Caitlin couldn''t resist giving her daughter a flick on the forehead. ¡°What''s wrong? What''s giving you that long face?¡± Joyce bit her lip and hesitated before ultimately deciding to share her worries. Caitlin''s expression turned morbid as she heard what had happened. ¡°What...¡± Clearly, she had not expected such an oue. ¡°What are we going to do if he sues your father, Joyce?¡± the older woman asked with furrowed brows. Joyce shook her head. ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°Maybe we should drop by the hospital and ask for forgiveness?¡± Caitlin suggested after some thought. ¡°If we do that, he might decide not to sue your dad.¡± ¡°Do you really think that''s possible?¡± Joyce smiled bitterly. ¡°Would Stanley have held such a grudge against our family all these years if he were that magnanimous?¡± Caitlin didn''t know what to say anymore. From N?velDrama.Org. She''s right. If Stanley were that kind, he would''ve never med us for his parents'' deaths. ¡°Does that mean your father''s going to jail?¡± The older woman''s eyes began to water. From how vengeful Stanley was and the way he remembered every actmitted against him, there was no way he would let Jonathan off. Joyce squeezed her own palms in silence for a long while before finally speaking. ¡°Let''s go to the hospital, Mom.¡± ¡°The hospital?¡± Caitlin gazed at her in puzzlement. Joyce nodded. ¡°We have to apologize. At the end of the day, Dad''s in the wrong for doing what he did, so we owe Stanley a sincere apology. Whether or not he forgives us is a different matter. In other words, he can choose not to do that, but we still have to apologize. If we don''t, Dad might really get in trouble.¡± Caitlin sighed. ¡°You''re right.¡± Chapter 1562 Chapter 1562 ¡°Let''s hurry, then.¡± Joyce rose to her feet. ¡°There might be some hope if we apologize. I know it''s wishful thinking, but we should at least try. And if he doesn''t ept our apology and insists on suing Dad, we can ask him what he wants in exchange for letting him off.¡± ¡°What if he wants the child inside you?¡± Caitlin nced at her daughter''s belly. Joyce''s pupils dted as her face paled slightly. Her mother''s words sent her into such a shock that she remained silent for a long time. Stanley hade all the way here precisely to make her abort the child. Now that he had the perfect opportunity, he surely wouldn''t let go of it. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. In fact, rather than him having to act on his own, Joyce''s family would now have to make the offer themselves. Noticing the look on her daughter''s face, Caitlin pulled thetter in for a hug. ¡°It''s okay, Joyce. Don''t dwell on it too much. I just thought about it, but things might not be that bad,¡± she assured. ¡°But Mom, we all know that getting rid of the child is the best way to get Dad out of trouble. Am I wrong?¡± Joyce remarked despondently. ¡°Besides, Stanley''s going to demand that for sure. He came all the way here just to make me do that.¡± Truthfully, she had already forgotten about Stanley and fallen out of love with him, so the baby didn''t matter as much to her anymore. However, she adored it so much before forgetting the man that she had specifically written herself that letter about bringing the child into this world and raising it even if she were to lose all her memories of him. Hence, she really didn''t want to lose this child. Who knew how hurt she would be if she were to recover her memories of Stanley but no longer have their child. Unfortunately, the problem now was her father facing jail term. In other words, the woman was now caught between a rock and a hard ce. She couldn''t abandon her child to save her father. At the same time, she couldn''t bring herself to keep the child while forsaking Jonathan. Thus, she really didn''t know what to do now. Caitlin understood her daughter well enough to know what she was thinking just from looking at her. ¡°There, there. Don''t think about it for now,¡± she consoled her despite feeling helpless. ¡°I know what''s on your mind, but don''t worry. I won''t let you go through any of that.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± Joyce turned to her mother in confusion. She didn''t understand what thetter meant. Caitlin merely smiled and patted Joyce on the back. ¡°Come, let''s head over to the hospital. We have to visit your dad and Stanley. Don''t worry. Your father will be fine, and so will the child.¡± If Stanley hates us that much and wants us dead, so be it. I''ll give up my life. If my death will allow him to let Joyce and Jon off, then I''ll do what he wants. Of course, she couldn''t tell Joyce and Jonathan about this. Otherwise, not only would they be against it, but Jonathan might even ask to take her ce instead. After all, it was Jonathan who had caused the ordeal in the first ce. He would me himself for deepening the hatred between the two families and atone with his life before his wife had the chance to do so. Meanwhile, Joyce would me herself for falling in love with Stanley and wanting to keep the child. In order to stop Caitlin, she would surely abort the child and grant Stanley''s wish. In any case, one of us will have to sacrifice ourselves, so let me be the one to do that. Chapter 1563 Chapter 1563 With that thought in mind, Caitlin sighed and dragged Joyce outside. Joyce nced at her mother, feeling as though thetter had something in mind but was keeping silent. Still, the younger woman said nothing, for she knew Caitlin wouldn''t talk about it. Soon, the two headed to the hospital by car. Jonathan was sitting on a bench outside Stanley''s room and having a smoke, looking exhausted and frail. From N?velDrama.Org. Joyce felt her nose burn at the sight of her father, and her eyes reddened. She knew the man wasn''t young anymore, but he appeared much older than she had imagined. Her father, who was only slightly over fifty years old, now looked to be in his sixties or seventies. In fact, some sixty-year-old men didn''t even look this old. Moreover, while her mother''s condition wasn''t as bad as her father''s, she still looked older than most women her age. Why is this happening? They shouldn''t look this frail. They should be living carefreely and happily like Nat''s mom. Even if they can''t be just like her, they should at least get to take it easier and let me look after them. s, instead of taking it easy or enjoying life under their daughter''s care, they now had to share her burdens. I''m a horrible daughter. Sensing the guilting from her daughter, Caitlin turned around. ¡°What''s wrong, Joyce?¡± The younger woman sniffed and shook her head. ¡°I''m fine, Mom. Something flew into my eye.¡± If she were to tell them how guilty she felt, they would surelyfort her instead. Seeing Joyce remain silent about it, Caitlin sighed and tugged her along while walking over to Jonathan. ¡°Jon,¡± the older woman called out. The man snapped out of his daze and forced a smile amid the cloud of smoke upon seeing them. ¡°You''re both here.¡± Caitlin shot a nce at the ward next to him. ¡°He''s in there?¡± Jonathan''s smile faded instantly. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How is he doing? Has he woken up?¡± Caitlin sat down next to him and asked. Joyce took a seat next to her mother. Remembering that his daughter was pregnant, Jonathan hurriedly stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into the bin next to him. ¡°He''s okay. He''s doing just fine, but he hasn''t woken up.¡± Caitlin sighed. ¡°Then I guess we''ll have to wait.¡± ¡°Wait for what?¡± Jonathan turned to her. Choosing not to hide her thoughts, the woman shared her concerns about Stanley possibly suing Jonathan and sending him behind bars. The man''s expression froze as he heard that. The man''s expression froze as he heard that. Evidently, he hadn''t thought this far. Back then, he was so ovee by rage that he spared no mercy for the man who had hurt his family all these years. Unfortunately, he failed to consider the consequences of his actions. At the thought of this, Jonathan smiled in defeat. ¡°Oh, well. I already did it, and I hurt him really bad. There''s no point regretting now, so if he wants to sue me, I''ll have no choice but to do time.¡± ¡°No!¡± Caitlin disagreed immediately. Joyce nodded. ¡°You can''t go to jail, Dad!¡± ¡°She''s right. We can''t let that happen no matter what.¡± Caitlin had never looked this stern. He''s the head of the family! What will we do if he goes to jail? Who will protect our family then? On the other hand, she wasn''t the breadwinner, so the family would still manage without her. We can''t lose him. Who''s going to protect Joyce if not him? Jonathan gazed at his austere-looking wife and wanted to say something, but he ultimately didn''t. ¡°Listen to me, Jon,¡± Caitlin added. ¡°You cannot go to prison, so don''t even think about letting it happen.¡± Chapter 1564 Chapter 1564 ¡°She''s right, Dad,¡± Joyce chimed in solemnly. Jonathan rubbed his temples. ¡°I know you don''t want me to go to jail, but this isn''t for me to decide. Besides, you know what Stanley''s like. Do you think he''d let me off? No, I bet he can''t wait to make us suffer.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Caitlin nodded as her eyes turned misty. Jonathan turned to her. ¡°That''s why I have no choice but to do time. Don''t be sad, okay? I started this whole thing, so it''s only right that I take responsibility for it.¡± ¡°You might say that, but what would Joyce and I do if you go to prison?¡± Caitlin began to get worked up. ¡°Who''s going to protect us if you''re not around? Wouldn''t it be much easier for Stanley to hurt us then? He might even force Joyce to get an abortion once he puts you behind bars!¡± Jonathan''s expression clouded over as he heard that. Clearly, he hadn''t considered this. Aware that he was taking her words seriously, Caitlin reminded him again, ¡°That''s why you can''t go to jail, Jon.¡± ¡°But if I don''t, Stanley isn''t going to let me off either. ¡°We can''t outrun thew,¡± Jonathan insisted while looking down and clenching his fists in frustration. Still, he had no regrets. Had God given him another chance to start over, he would''ve chosen to beat Stanley up again. To him, Stanley was an absolute tyrant, and after putting up with him for over ten years, it was about time he got what he deserved. Jonathan had finally avenged his own daughter and family. Hence, he didn''t regret his actions¡ªeven if it meant getting locked up as a result. ¡°You''re right. We can''t outrun thew.¡± Caitlin sighed. She knew this, and that was why she had decided to give up her life in exchange for peace within her family. Now, she was only worried that Stanley wouldn''t be happy taking just one of their lives. If that''s what he thinks, I''ll drag him down to hell with me. This is from N?velDrama.Org. With that in mind, Caitlin gripped her fists and came to a decision. Next to her, Joyce kept her head low and sat in silence. No one knew what she was thinking. ¡°By the way, what were you still doing at home? Have the people Nat and Mr. Thompson sent not arrived yet?¡± ¡°They have.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Then why didn''t you leave with them?¡± Jonathan asked, frowning. Caitlin looked up at him. ¡°We''re not going.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jonathan froze briefly before a thought came to mind. ¡°Is it because I haven''t gone back? You don''t have to wait for me at all. You can leave first, and I''lle and find you when I''m done taking care of things here. It''s more dangerous if you stay.¡± ¡°It''s not dangerous.¡± Joyce shook her head. ¡°Dad, nothing is dangerous as long as we''re together as a family.¡± ¡°It''s not dangerous.¡± Joyce shook her head. ¡°Dad, nothing is dangerous as long as we''re together as a family.¡± ¡°But... But it''s exactly as you guys just said. No one will be able to protect you if I go to jail, and Stanley could do whatever he wants with you. That''s why I''d rather you two leave. Even if I do end up in jail, at least I wouldn''t have to worry about him doing anything to you!¡± The man stomped his foot in exasperation and took out his phone. ¡°No, I have to call Nat and ask her to get someone to take you both away.¡± ¡°Don''t.¡± Caitlin stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Listen to us, Jon. We''re a family. We have to stick together no matter what happens. I know you care about us, but this isn''t what we want. If we were to get out of here and leave you behind, we''d only be more unhappy. Do you understand?¡± ¡°She''s right, Dad.¡± Joyce stood up and took her father by the hand. ¡°We''ll go through everything as a family. It doesn''t matter what happens; as long as we''re together, we can get through anything¡ª including Stanley.¡± Chapter 1565 Chapter 1565 While speaking, she nced at the ward. ¡°Don''t worry, Dad. I won''t let you go to jail. If he wants me to get rid of the child, I''ll do that.¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind, Joyce?¡± Caitlin asked in shock. Joyce smiled and shook her head. ¡°I''m not, Mom. I know exactly what I''m talking about.¡± ¡°Then why would you be okay with aborting the child?¡± The older woman furrowed her brows. Joyce turned to her father. ¡°Mom, Dad, trust me on this. I''m not out of my mind or being rash. I''ve thought a great deal about it on the way here. Everything we''re going through now is happening all because I insisted on keeping the child. I''ve caused us so much trouble, including the possibility that you''ll have to go to jail. There''s no way I can ept that. Besides, I care way more about you than the child inside me that hasn''t even grown any limbs yet. So if I had to choose between you and the baby, of course, I''d choose you, Dad.¡± Even if it''ll hurt so much when my memoriese back and I realize I''ve lost my child, I know I''lle to terms with it if it means keeping Dad out of jail. Both Jonathan and Caitlin knew how much the child inside Joyce''s womb meant to her. From the start, Joyce had thought of taking her own life, hoping that doing so would quell Stanley''s grudge against her family. Yet, she changed her mind upon learning that she was pregnant, which meant she had decided to live solely for the child''s sake. The woman was even willing to run far from home to make sure Stanley didn''te after the child, not to mention undergoing hypnosis to forget her feelings for the man. To her, this child was her life. However, she was now willing to give it up for her mother''s and father''s sake. ¡°Joyce...¡± Heartbroken, Caitlin pulled her daughter into an embrace. ¡°Don''t worry. Your father will be just fine. I won''t let you sacrifice yourself.¡± ¡°Your mother''s right,¡± Jonathan chimed in with a sigh. ¡°I won''t let that happen either. We''re your parents, so we''ll pay the price for whatever happens. There''s no way we could ever let you bear the burden, so don''t even think about it. Do you hear me?¡± Joyce lowered her head and kept mum. Seeing that made Jonathan helpless. He knew she had no intention of listening to him. Even so, he understood why. If he were to put himself in her shoes, he would''ve been left with no other choice either. She wouldn''t choose her unborn child over her father, right? He knew how filial his daughter was. The young woman would loathe herself if she really were to forsake her father because of the child. That was why she could only choose her father over her child. Otherwise, she would forever be condemned by everyone. Of course, making this choice meant she would lose her child, and the pain was hers to bear alone. Jonathan didn''t want her to have to resort to this, and he certainly didn''t want his daughter to give up her child just to save him. I''m old, anyway. It doesn''t matter if I die or go to jail at this point. In any case, he wasn''t going to let any member of his family sacrifice themselves for him. If worstes to worst and I die, I''ll take Stanley down with me. That''s the only way my family can live in peace. After that, the three of them no longer engaged in conversation. Instead, they remained quietly seated on the bench, waiting for Stanley to wake up. Yet, by nightfall, thetter still showed no signs of waking up. ording to the doctor, he had a mild concussion and might only regain consciousness two dayster. Left with no other option, Jonathan could only hire a caretaker and go home with his family. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He then contacted Natalie, hoping to have her send someone over to take Caitlin and Joyce away. Chapter 1566 Chapter 1566 Jonathan decided to stay, for he didn''t wish to let his wife and daughter stress out because of him. However, the phone was snatched away by Caitlin in the middle of the call. She shot a re at Jonathan and answered the call. ¡°Hello, Nat. Don''t listen to Mr. Rivers. We''re not leaving, so don''t send anyone here. Do you hear me?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I heard that, Mrs. Rivers. Don''t worry, I won''t send anyone over. I understand that you and Joyce are determined to stay by Mr. Rivers'' side. Even if I send people over to drag you guys home, the two of you will stop at nothing to figure out a way to get back to his side. You guys are a family, and families stay together. I know you guys are inseparable.¡± Natalie''s words filled Caitlin''s heart with warmth. ¡°You''re right. We are inseparable, and our fates have long been tied together. If any one of us is gone, the other two won''t be able to live with well.¡± ¡°I understand. That''s why I didn''t promise Mr. Rivers anything,¡± Natalie said softly. Caitlin heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Great. All right, Nat, we''re not going to disturb you further. It''s morning at your side, right? Are you leaving for work soon?¡± ¡°No worries, there''s still some time left.¡± Natalie smiled. Then, she recalled something and asked, ¡°Right. Mrs. Rivers, how is Stanley doing right now?¡± Even though she thought Stanley deserved the beating, Natalie still remembered that he had helped and saved her. Hence, it didn''t sit right with her to ignore himpletely. At the very least, she reckoned she should know about his condition. Caitlin sighed. ¡°Uh, his condition is quite critical. He''s broken two ribs and suffered a minor concussion. I think he will have to be hospitalized for quite some time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°It''s best he stay in the hospital for some time. Otherwise, he''s going to trouble you guys. In the meantime, you guys can think about how you want to deal with him.¡± ¡°You''re right. However, now I''m worried that he''ll report Jonathan to the police when he wakes up. After all, Jonathan did beat him up pretty badly. Stanley is not going to let him off the hook that easily. I''m sure that Jonathan won''t mind getting locked up behind the bars, but Joyce won''t let it happen. She''ll definitely plead with Stanley to drop the case. I''m just afraid that Stanley might use this as a condition to ask Joyce to abort the baby in exchange for Jonathan''s safety,¡± Caitlin said with furrowed brows. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Well, that is a tough nut to crack.¡± ¡°Yes, so we''re thinking about how to solve the problem right now,¡± Caitlin said with a bitter smile. Natalie thought for a moment and uttered, ¡°Why don''t I ask Shane to bring Stanley back home first? That way, he won''t be able to report Mr. Rivers to the police. After all, this incident happened overseas, and it won''t matter if he reports Mr. Rivers to the local police back home. The local police won''t get in touch with the overseas police anyway. Besides, even if he does report directly to the police here, they won''t be able to verify his ims since he''s back home. After all, there''s no surveince footage substantiating his ims that he''s been beaten up at your ce. This is workable.¡± Caitlin''s eyes lit up. It was apparent that she was tempted to go with Natalie''s suggestion. Natalie''s right. If she intervenes and sends Stanley back home, our conundrum will be solved immediately. However, when Caitlin was about to say yes, Jonathan shook his head at her. Jonathan had heard what Natalie said over the phone. Hence, he knew what Natalie was trying to do. However, that was the reason he couldn''t ept it. Caitlin sensed what Jonathan was trying to tell her and regained herposure. Then, she smiled and said, ¡°Nat, thank you, but that won''t be necessary.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie was confounded. It was a great way and the most appropriate one to solve the Rivers family''s current predicament, and yet Caitlin rejected the offer. Natalie couldn''t wrap her head around it. ¡°Because we''ve caused you too much trouble recently, and we really shouldn''t be piling on more. We wouldn''t even know how to repay you.¡±From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1567 Chapter 1567 Natalie was amused. ¡°Mrs. Rivers, I''m only doing these because Joyce is my best friend. You guys have helped me a lot in the past, and I''m only repaying your kindness. Please don''t feel pressured.¡± Caitlin immediately said, ¡°Not at all. I know you''re a good girl, but we cannot ept this. If we continue to rely on you, we''ll never be able to do anything on our own and will keep depending on you the next time we face any problems. So, Nat, please stay out of this. We''ll find a way to deal with it.¡± ¡°How are you guys going to resolve the issue?¡± Natalie tilted her head in confusion. Of course, Caitlin wouldn''t divulge the truth and merely said, ¡°You''ll know by then.¡± Natalie didn''t feel like prying when she sensed Caitlin''s reluctance. She nodded and said, ¡°All right, then. Mrs. Rivers, do contact me if you''re facing any problems. I will do my best to help you guys out.¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you, Nat,¡± Caitlin said gratefully. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Natalie shook her head and said, ¡°You''re most wee, but there''s no need to thank me at all. Right. How is Joyce doing, Mrs. Rivers? Did she recall anything after seeing Stanley? How is her attitude toward him?¡± She was worried that Joyce might rediscover her feelings for Stanley if she recovered her memories of him. Even though Joyce had said that she didn''t particrly feel anything toward Stanley, Natalie still doubted her. Hence, she thought it was best to verify with Caitlin. ¡°Joyce is doing great. She still doesn''t remember Stanley, and she''s treating him like a stranger,¡± Caitlin said, relieved that her daughter was unbridled by her unbing past. Natalie felt a stone lifted off her chest upon hearing Caitlin. ¡°That''s great.¡± ¡°I know. We were worried sick at first too, but thank goodness it all turned out fine. As long as Joyce doesn''t remember Stanley or her feelings for him, there''s nothing to worry about,¡± Caitlinmented. Jonathan nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay, Mrs. Rivers. Since you guys have decided to stay, I won''t talk you out of it. Just take good care of yourselves there, all right? Oh, one more thing. After Stanley wakes up, please let me know as soon as possible. Observe his reaction toward Joyce and Mr. Rivers. If he''s hostile, I will ask Shane to bring him back home right away,¡± Natalie said. ¡°Sure.¡± Caitlin nodded. Despite Caitlin agreeing to give Natalie a call, only Caitlin knew what was truly on her mind then. They spoke for a while more before Natalie hung up the call. She leaned back in the chair and rubbed between her brows. She hadn''t expected that the Rivers would arrive at such a decision in the end. Natalie could understand where they wereing from, but that didn''t stop her from worrying about them. Shane had advised her not to worry herself sick and insist on overprotecting the Rivers family, reasoning that it would not do them any good at all. In fact, he pointed out that Natalie should let the Rivers family learn how to deal with Stanley on their own. Natalie knew that he was right, and she was willing to let them do so. However, she still couldn''t help but worry about them and would call them up every day to check on them. ¡°Nat.¡± Someone was knocking on her door right then. Natalie snapped out of her thoughts and looked in the direction of her door. ¡°Come in.¡± Lina opened the door, holding a design brief in her hands. ¡°Nat, I''m done using them. Here you go.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie took over the design brief with half a smile. Lina noticed the half-hearted smile and the troubled expression on Natalie''s face. Concerned, she asked, ¡°What''s the matter? Why do you seem so dejected?¡± Natalie rubbed her temples and said, ¡°It''s nothing. I just got off the phone with Joyce''s mom.¡± ¡°Oh, what did you guys talk about?¡± Lina''s interest was piqued. She pulled out a chair opposite Natalie and took a seat. The Rivers family was going through a crucial period. Hence, Lina was concerned about them as well. Natalie sighed. ¡°Same old, same old. They still don''t want to leave.¡± Chapter 1568 Chapter 1568 ¡°Well, isn''t this normal? We''ve said that no one would be willing to keep moving around. Moreover, now that Stanley is injured, Joyce''s father won''t be able to leave until Stanley wakes up. Hence, only Joyce and her mother could leave. However, their family is so close-knitted, so they are naturally unwilling to leave Joyce''s father behind. Therefore, it''s only normal that they didn''t leave,¡± Lina said, crossing her legs. Natalie poured her a cup of coffee. ¡°That''s true, but there''s a new problem now.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Lina straightened her back. Natalie narrowed her eyes. ¡°It was Mr. Rivers who injured Stanley. I don''t know if Stanley will hold him legally responsible when he wakes up.¡± ¡°Oh. This is indeed a huge problem. I was so focused and delighted by Stanley getting hurt that I didn''t think about this.¡± Lina grabbed her hair before continuing, ¡°This is really troublesome. Although I have never met Stanley, I have heard so much about him from you guys that I think I know his personality. He''s a petty and vengeful person. Since Mr. Riversid his hands on him until he had to go to the hospital, he will definitely not let Mr. Rivers go. If he doesn''t hit Mr. Rivers back, he will send thetter to jail. Either way, Mr. Rivers won''t have an easy time.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s right. No matter what, it will only be troublesome.¡± ¡°Joyce won''t sit by and watch Stanley take his revenge on her father. She will definitely do something to make Stanley forgive her father. If Stanley asks her to abort the baby in exchange for sparing her father, she will definitely agree to it. After all, she won''t just stand by and watch Stanley get back at her father.¡± Lina sighed deeply. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°You''re right. That''s what I''m most worried about.¡± ¡°Then, you should go and ask Mr. Thompson to help! As long as he intervenes, they will be fine,¡± Lina urged. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, Mrs. Rivers told me she doesn''t want me to intervene in this. She thinks she has caused us too much trouble, so she emphasized that she doesn''t want Shane or me to interfere. I can''t do anything about this.¡± Lina shrugged her shoulders helplessly. ¡°I see. This is what happens when one doesn''t want to owe anyone a favor. They''ll feel like they''re always bothering you and will feel guilty about it.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°That''s right, so I''m not intervening in this situation. I don''t want them to feel burdened by me. If I intervene, they will definitely find a way to repay me. Given their current situation, they''ll feel like it''s not enough no matter what they repay me with. Besides, they''ll spend their entire lives feeling grateful to me. That''s not what I want.¡± Natalie smiled helplessly. Lina agreed, ¡°You''re right, but are you really not going to do anything?¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. ¡°Of course not. Mrs. Rivers said they would find a way to deal with Shane, so I won''t intervene for now. I will see what they''re doing. If they really can go against Stanley, I''ll naturally not stand in their way. If not, I''ll let Shane take action. No matter what, I can''t let anything happen to the Rivers family.¡± Looking at her serious expression, Lina felt her words made sense. ¡°I guess there''s no other way.¡± ¡°Okay, let''s not talk about this anymore. I still have some work to do. What about you?¡± Natalie looked at her as she changed the subject. Lina smiled. ¡°What a coincidence. I have some work to do too.¡± ¡°Then, let''s go to the study first and work for a while. We still have some time before we go to the clubhouse,¡± Natalie said, looking at her watch. As it was the day for the participants to exhibit theirpleted clothing pieces, they didn''t have to go to the clubhouse early. When Lina heard Natalie''s words, her eyes brightened. ¡°Sure, I was just feeling unmotivated working alone. Let''s go!¡± Chapter 1569 Chapter 1569 She stood up enthusiastically and pulled Natalie''s arm. Natalie was amused. ¡°Slow down! Slow down!¡± The two walked out of the room and headed toward the study. Meanwhile, in J City, Shane received a mysterious letter. After opening the letter and reading its contents, his expression instantly darkened. Ss, who was sitting near him, asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Thompson, what''s wrong? Is there a problem with the letter?¡± Just now, the receptionist received a registered mail from the post office addressed to Shane, so he asked Ss to go down and get it. This is from N?velDrama.Org. It was strange because not many people would send letters nowadays. Usually, only banks would send their customers their cards through the mail. People wouldmunicate with one another through messages, videos, and emails. Therefore, he was surprised when the receptionist said there was a letter for Shane. He was curious as to who had sent the letter, but there was no return address on the envelope. Even more unusual, there was only a sender''s address. Now, seeing Shane''s darkened expression after reading the letter, Ss became even more certain that there was something wrong with the letter. Shane nced at Ss and passed him the letter. ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡± Ss got up and took the letter, lowering his head to read it. When he finished reading, he was surprised. ¡°It''s from Sean.¡± He was very familiar with the handwriting on the letter, and it was clearly Sean''s. After all, he had been by Shane''s side for so many years, so he could recognize the handwriting of the Thompson family members at a nce. This letter was definitely from Sean. Of course, what made him truly surprised was the contents of the letter. It turned out it was Sean who told Stanley the whereabouts of the Rivers family. The spy must have been one of Sean''s subordinates. When it came to the spy, he was quite pitiful. Someone hired him using a million, but he didn''t even get to report to Sean. Therefore, he didn''t even know who he was working for. However, this also showed Sean was a cunning and intelligent person to arrange for other people to act as the spy''s handler. This way, not only could he gain information, but even if the spy was eventually caught, he wouldn''t be able to confess that it was Sean. In the beginning, Shane and the others also suspected that the spy might be one of Sean''s people. However, they found almost no trace of Sean from the spy''s information. Instead, they even discovered some clues about Stanley meeting with the spy. This led them to believe, that Stanley had arranged the spy without a doubt. Stanley was fixated on finding the Rivers family. Since he was able to find their whereabouts because one of Shane''s people revealed it to him, coupled with the fact that the spy had said he had met Stanley before, the possibility that Stanley was the spy''s handler was high. In the end, they had guessed wrongly. The spy was actually Sean''s man. ¡°Mr. Thompson, what do you think he meant by sending this letter to you? He even revealed that he was the one who arranged the spy. Is he trying to provoke us?¡± Ss passed the letter back to Shane. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°He''s not just provoking me. He''s challenging me.¡± Ss was shocked. ¡°Challenging you? Are you saying that Sean wants to have a showdown with you?¡± Shane lifted his chin. ¡°I know him. That''s exactly what he wants. It''s always been like a cat-and-mouse game between us. I''ve been chasing him, but he''s been hiding. I can''t catch him, but he also doesn''t dare to show himself in front of me. At first, he might have thought that this game of chase was fun, but with his personality, he won''t be able to y it until the end. He''ll get impatient ande out on his own. This letter is evidence of that.¡± Chapter 1570 Chapter 1570 He tapped on the letter on the table. Ss then nodded in realization. ¡°Oh, I see. You knew Sean would slip up at some point, so you were never in a hurry to catch him.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°That''s right. Sean can be considered ambitious and capable, but he has a bad temper and attitude. His temper will eventually bring him to destruction. That is why Grandpa has never really trained him seriously.¡± Ss pushed his sses up. ¡°I see. So, Mr. Thompson, whates next?¡± Shane responded with a question of his own. ¡°Didn''t we already know Sean''s whereabouts before? Did the people we sent there find him?¡± Ss shook his head. ¡°We initially confirmed the reports of Sean''s activity in that country, but his trail vanished once more when we sent our people there. Thus, we spected that he would have left.¡± ¡°I see. Send someone to search for him in Astoria.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Astoria?¡± Ss was confused. ¡°ording to the letter, Stanley received information from Sean regarding the Rivers family, and Stanley went to Astoria a few days ago. What do you think he went there for?¡± Shane looked at him. Ss instantly understood some things from Shane''s reminder. He stood up instantly. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I understand. I''ll arrange it right away.¡± Shane hummed in response. ¡°There is no need to continue looking if Sean isn''t found in Astoria. He will eventually show up since he has already dered war.¡± However, he was worried that Sean would do something drastic when he showed up. Shane, therefore, wanted to capture Sean as quickly as possible. He could at least stop Sean from taking any drastic actions in this way. Ss nodded. ¡°Okay, Mr. Thompson. I''ll be leaving, then.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Shane waved a dismissive hand. At that, Ss turned around and left. Sean leaned against the back of his chair. His expression was imprable as his eyes fixed on the letter in front of him. At this moment, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. Shane withdrew his gaze and massaged his temples. Then, he took out his phone and looked at the screen. The call was from Jackson, and he did not really want to answer it. However, he answered it after he thought of something. ¡°What is it?¡± Shane uttered in a chilly tone, his thin lips parting slightly. Jackson knew Shane would treat him in this manner, so he was not disappointed. He replied with a smile, ¡°Shane, I''m here to say goodbye.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shane nodded. Jackson sighed in resignation when he heard Shane merely reply with one word. ¡°Aren''t you going to say something else like wishing me a safe journey or something?¡± ¡°There''s no need to do that,¡± Sean answered tly. Jackson smiled bitterly. ¡°Okay. That''s just so you. All right then, I won''t bother you any longer. I''ll hang up now. I have said my goodbyes.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Shane pursed his thin lips. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Jackson, who was about to hang up, was momentarily taken aback when he heard the question. He then put the phone back to his ear and chuckled lightly. ¡°My flight is tonight.¡± Jackson had already left before, but there was a sudden patient in J City who needed an emergency operation. No one else in J City dared to ept the assignment except for him, so Jackson was called back. He was no longer needed now that the surgery was over, and the patient''s condition was under control. Naturally, he should continue his own trip. Hence, Jackson bought a flight ticket to leave tonight. This time, he was really leaving and would note back because of any phone calls. He called Shane to say his goodbyes because of this. Hearing his response, Shane hummed in response. ¡°Got it.¡± He did not say anything else following that. Jackson shook his head with a chuckle. ¡°I can''t even get you to say more than a one-word reply. All right, let''s not talk about this anymore. Shane, I wish you and Natalie happiness. Goodbye!¡± Chapter 1571 Chapter 1571 Shane calmly uttered, ¡°My wife and I will still be happy without your blessings.¡± Jackson remarked with a smile. ¡°Okay, okay. I''ve spoken too much. All right, I still have some procedures toplete. I''ll hang up now.¡± Shane hummed in response. Jackson then hung up the call. Shane looked at the screen that had returned to the menu tab and casually threw his phone on the desk. Jackson''s departure did not have a huge impact on him. Everyone had their own life. Jackson chose to be a traveling doctor for Jacqueline. Shane would not advise Jackson or try to influence his decision since it was his choice. His friendship with Jackson had thus officially ended as of this point. Then, Shane messaged his temple, stood up, and headed toward the balcony. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket as he got to the balcony. Shaking one out, he lit it using his lighter. Jackson''s farewell was not something that he was concerned about. Sean was the one he was concerned about. In truth, he had no idea what Sean was fleeing from. Sam was dead, and Sean''s mother had now gone to live in seclusion abroad. It made little sense if Sean had been diligently trying to escape because of Wells Properties and Natalie. ording to what he knew about Sean, he did not enjoy being hunted by others. On the contrary, he liked to take the initiative to strike. Hence, Sean would have taken action several times if his target had always been Natalie and Wells Properties. From N?velDrama.Org. However, Sean had remained hidden in the shadows and had not taken any action apart from telling Stanley the whereabouts of the Rivers family. Hence, Shane could not understand it. He felt that Sean was nning something. Of course, I will stop Sean from achieving his goal no matter what he has nned. I will crush all his ns! Shane''s eyes narrowed, and his eyes were frighteningly chilly. On the other side, Natalie and Lina had arrived at thepetition hall. As soon as they entered, a staff approached them and said, ¡°Hello, Ms. Smith, Ms. Cohen.¡± ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Lina spoke first, looking at the staff. The staff nodded and exined, ¡°The event organizers have instructed us to let the judges know that today''spetition has been called off, and they need you to go to the conference room for a meeting.¡± ¡°Thepetition has been called off?¡± ¡°A meeting?¡± Lina and Natalie spoke at the same time. The staff murmured in acknowledgment, ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°Is today''spetition postponed due to the meeting?¡± Natalie asked curiously. The staff nodded. ¡°That''s right. The organizers mentioned that.¡± ¡°It seems like the meeting is going to take a while otherwise, why would they postpone the competition?¡± Lina mumbled, rubbing her chin. Natalie looked at the staff. ¡°Do you know what the meeting is about?¡± The staff shook her head. ¡°Ms. Smith, I''m afraid I can''t help you with that. How can an ordinary employee like me know about the content of the meeting? The organizers just asked me to pass the message to you guys.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you,¡± Natalie thanked her. The staff gave a cursory wave before turning around to leave. Looking at her retreating figure, Lina asked, ¡°Nat, isn''t it strange? Wouldn''t they normally let us know ahead of time about meetings like this? Why did they only notify us this morning? We didn''t hear anything about any meeting before we came here.¡± ¡°It''s a little strange. Maybe something unexpected happened, so they decided to hold the meeting at thest minute. Anyway, let''s not give it too much thought. Whatever the reason is, we''ll find out when we get there. Let''s go.¡± Natalie bobbed her head. ¡°You''re right.¡± Lina shrugged and followed her as they went in another direction to the conference room. They came slightlyter than the others. Many other judges were already seated in the conference room. Lina was an expert at socializing. Once she sat, she went to inquire about the details of today''s meeting with the judge sitting beside her. Chapter 1572 Chapter 1572 Fortunately, the judge actually knew something and told Lina about it. Lina turned to Natalie and shared what she had learned after hearing it. After hearing her words, Natalie was very taken aback. ¡°They''re ending the Aploth Youth Design Competition early?¡± ¡°Melissa Mills confirmed as much. The information should be reliable because her uncle serves as the chief secretary of the organizers.¡± Lina nodded grimly. From N?velDrama.Org. Biting her lip, Natalie stated, ¡°I don''t doubt Melissa''s words. I''m just wondering why they would want to end the designpetition early. Thepetition between judges hasn''t even begun yet. Who then will design the World Games opening ceremony outfits for the world leaders?¡± ¡°I don''t know. We''ll see what the organizers have to say.¡± Lina shook her head and continued, ¡°I''m sure they''ll give us an exnation, else, nobody here would agree. After all, all the judges here are well- known designers from different countries. They wouldn''t want to be judges if not for the chance to design clothes for the World Games opening ceremony. After all, the reputation of thispetition isn''t very high. It would be better if they used that time to create clothes or hold their own fashion shows.¡± Natalie remained silent. Indeed, the reason she hade to serve as a judge was to get the chance to design outfits for the World Games opening ceremony. If not, she would have refused the offer. As Lina had said, the designers would not let this go if they ended the designpetition early and revoked their chance to design outfits for the World Games. Natalie became calmer as she thought of this. After all, the organizers would not be able to handle it and would undoubtedly give them a satisfactory response with so many designers causing amotion. Natalie picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. She suppressed her restlessness and waited for the arrival of the organizers. After waiting for about ten minutes, the organizers finally arrived. They first apologized to everyone before announcing the news that thepetition would conclude early. Natalie and Lina already knew about this, so their reaction was not as strong as the others. As for the other designers who had no clue, they were bewildered to learn about this. They started to ask the organizers about the name list for the World Games opening ceremony after coming to their senses. This was the answer Natalie and Lina wanted to know too. They did not need to ask because the others had already done so, and they could simply wait for the organizers'' response. Thankfully, the organizers had anticipated how the designers would respond after hearing about the early end of thepetition, so they did not appear frantic. They took the microphone and asked the designers who were more emotionally aggravated to calm down before announcing the arrangements for the World Games opening ceremony designer slots. It turned out the reason for ending the Aploth Youth Design Competition early was because the As for thepetition between the judges, it would also be held earlier. The judges''petition was initially scheduled to be held after all the participants had finished competing. However, thepetition between the judges would have to happen at the same time as the participants to finish everything early. As a result, they would not be able to act as judges and determine the winners of the first, second, and third ces. Hence, the organizers nned to find other designers to act as judges for the finals of the participants, while the current judges would be responsible solely for their ownpetition. The organizers invited a number of well-known top designers from around the world to serve as judges for them to guarantee the fairness, impartiality, and transparency of thepetition. In other words, even though all thepetitions were finishing early, the judges would not be at a disadvantage even with theirpetition being moved forward. The organizers would make every effort to ensure everything was fair. Chapter 1573 Chapter 1573 However, this meant that the designers would not have time for a vacation. They would be kept busy for the next few days, as all thepetition would end in a week. The emotionally aggravated designers gradually calmed down and sat back down after hearing the organizers'' exnation. They still had a good chance of winning a ce in the World Games opening ceremony even though thepetition was finishing early. Hence, they might as well have thepetition brought forward. Besides, the designers crossed paths frequently and were well aware of each other''s standards, style, and positions within the international design industry. They were therefore rivals as well as friends. They had long desired topete against one another to see whose skill was better, but they could not hold any privatepetitions since thepetition among the participants had not ended. Otherwise, their qualifications for thepetition would be revoked if discovered. The designers had been suppressing their urge topete with everyone as they got along with eath other. Deep down, they had been itching topete with everyone. Naturally, the designers were thrilled that thepetition between them had been brought forward. Natalie and Lina looked at each other and smiled. ¡°That''s great, Nat. We can alsopete against each other now,¡± Lina eximed excitedly, as she grabbed Natalie''s hands. Natalie gave a dip of her head. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let''s be on the same team.¡± As Lina said this, she turned to look at the two designers from not far away. ¡°That''s Ashlyn Myler, the most famous jewelry designer in Jetroina. She''s very popr with the richdies in her country. It is said that she holds a very high position in the jewelry industry in her country and that her designs are full of spiritual influence. She and I are known as the Twin Stars in Aploth.¡± ¡°Did the title of Twin Stars emerge from Jetroina?¡± Natalie tilted his head. From N?velDrama.Org. She remembered reading about it in a magazine, which was Lina''s. Lina nodded. ¡°That''s right. I''m embarrassed to hear the title of the Twin Stars of Aploth because it''s so childish. However, Jetroinian love these kinds of strange and cheesy titles the most. Ashlyn is pretty concerned about this title. She stopped me some time ago and said she didn''t want to be known as the Twin Stars with me. Ashlyn said she wanted to be the brightest star. Hence, she wanted topete with me after the participants''petition ended to see which of the Twin Stars is more skilled. The loser will publicly dere that she is not deserving to be the Twin Stars.¡± ¡°She actually challenged you like that?¡± Natalie was surprised. She had not heard Lina mention it before. Lina snorted. ¡°Indeed, neither she nor I am interested in sharing the title of the Twin Stars with one another. I decided to take up her challenge to see which of us is more talented, and who will be the one to renounce the title of the Twin Stars. Nat, we must not lose to their team. We must get on the list for designing the outfit and jewelry of the World Games opening ceremony.¡± As she said that, resolve and certainty was written all over her face. Seeing her serious expression, Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay, we have to win.¡± ¡°Definitely!¡± Lina raised her fist. Natalie, too, sped her fist and bumped it against Lina''s fist. The deal was sealed. After the meeting, the two of them packed up and prepared to leave. The participants had left since today''spetition was canceled. Thus, the judges had no reason to stay. Moreover, they werepetitors rather than judges today. They had to go back and prepare for tomorrow''spetition. Someone called out to them just when the two of them walked out of thepetition hall. It was Ashlyn, the one Lina had mentioned in their conversation earlier. Chapter 1574 Chapter 1574 e = ''on''Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Chapter 1575 Chapter 1575 Ashlyn was not particrly pretty and, as was typical of Jetroinians, was very petite. However, she wore a self-assured expression, which was rare among women from Jetroina. She walked over to Lina and greeted thetter curtly in broken Chanaean. Lina rolled her eyes and responded impatiently, ¡°What do you want?¡± Instead of being angered by Lina''s attitude, Ashlyn merely smiled warmly. ¡°Do you still remember what I told you the other day?¡± Lina pursed her lips. ¡°What a question. Even if you''ve forgotten, I''ll never forget. You said you don''t like sharing the nickname Twin Stars because it''s not a perfect moniker. It''d be a constant reminder to you that there''s another person just as talented and outstanding as you. It''d also imply you''re not the best. That''s why you challenged me to apetition to see who among us is the cream of the crop.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Ashlyn nodded. ¡°That''s right. I did say that, and that''s what I''ve always thought.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. So have I.¡± Lina folded her arms in front of her. ¡°So? What do you want to say to me now?¡± ¡°I just want to remind you not to forget what I''ve told you. After all, I''ve always wanted to pit my skills against yours. I thought I''d have to wait over a month for our turn topete. I didn''t expect it to happen ahead of schedule. We''ll beginpeting against each other from tomorrow onward, and we''ll see who emerges victorious after a few days. I hope you''ll give it your all because I genuinely want to know which of us is better,¡± Ashlyn replied. Narrowing her eyes, Lisa replied, ¡°I don''t need you to tell me that. I was already nning to give it my all because I''m curious to find that out too. You said you don''t like being called Twin Stars. Well, that goes for me too. Since we prefer a unique title and want to be the brightest star in the world of jewelry design, then neither of us should hold back.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Ashlyn shed a wide smile while holding out a hand toward Lina. As much as Lina disliked Jetroinians, she could not deny that Ashlyn was a formidablepetitor and did not have a problematic attitude like the average Jetroinian. Well, apart from being a little conceited, of course. However, isn''t anyone with any real talent a little conceited? I''m like that too, so I don''t hate her for that. She''s also not the type to pull a fast one to win. In any case, she''s apetitor worthy of respect. That''s why I''m willing to shake her hand. After they shook hands, Ashlyn turned to Natalie and gave a deep bow, as was the custom in Jetroina. Although Natalie had never visited Jetroina before, she had Jetroinian ssmates while studying at Laurent Academy of Design. She had seen them show the same etiquette to their tutors. The gesture was a sign of respect, usually reserved for elders, teachers, and such. It was umon to see it done among peers. Natalie was surprised to see Ashlyn bow to her. Lina''s jaw also dropped in surprise. What on earth is going on? Why is she bowing to Nat? Has she lost her mind? Natalie shifted ufortably, unable to work out what she had done to deserve such respect from a designer from Jetroina. While the duo was still confused, Ashlyn straightened up and said to Natalie with a smile, ¡°It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Thompson.¡± Something clicked in Natalie''s mind when she heard how Ashlyn addressed her. So, her behavior isn''t because of something I did but because I''m Shane''s wife. In other words, she only bowed to me because of him. Chapter 1576 Chapter 1576 jewelry design and the same moniker, you''re on par with each other. As a result of that, you''ll naturally want to determine who''s best.¡± Her response left Lina at a loss for words. Ashlyn and I are indeed very alike. We''re on the same level in many ways, including our design talent and skills. Having to share the spotlight with another is a hard pill to swallow for people as outstanding as us. We want to rise to the top alone. That''s why I took up her challenge. I was going to challenge her too, but it''s just that she beat me to it. ¡°That''s why I said the two of you arepetitors andpetitors who are hard toe by at that. I''m envious that you have a rival who you can grow andpete with, Lina. Having apetitor means you have someone driving you to improve or risk getting left in the dust. You don''t have any choice but to work hard and advance your craft.¡± After a few seconds of silence, Lina nodded. ¡°You''re right. That''s exactly how I feel about her right now. Because of her, I''ve realized the talent I''m so proud of is actually nothing to shout about. That''s because someone else has simr talent. I''m not someone uniquely blessed with it. On the contrary, I need to gain more experience and spend more time working hard to better myself. Otherwise, others will surpass me, and I''ll be a loser.¡± ¡°Yeah. Ms. Myler must surely feel the same way too,¡± came Natalie''s reply. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Lina let out a sigh. ¡°To be honest, I owe her a big thank you. Last year, I won a rather prestigious competition again, which inted my ego tremendously. I thought I was the top youngest jewelry designer. Oddly enough, the designs I came up with during that period didn''t contain any spark of inspiration, and even my mentor became thoroughly disappointed in me. It wasn''t until I stumbled upon an interview with Ashlyn in a magazine that I realized I wasn''t one of a kind but that there were other talented people like me in the world.¡± ¡°So you adjusted your mindset after that?¡± asked Natalie. ¡°Yes. I regained a sense of bnce and rediscovered my inspiration.¡± Natalie rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ¡°In that case, you owe her a big thank you indeed.¡± Lina replied with a smile, ¡°That goes without saying. I''ve always felt grateful to Ashlyn in my heart. Otherwise, I would''ve retaliated immediately when she suddenly showed up and provoked me, though, I must say, that haughty look on her face makes me want to give her a good, hard p.¡± Amused by her response, Natalie covered her mouth and chuckled. Then she turned to look at Lina with envy. ¡°How lucky you are. I wish I had apetitor with simr caliber.¡± ¡°Don''t you?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°No. Before discovering that Jessie and Jasmine are the same person, I thought she had drawn those designs herself. Did you know? I was incredibly excited and emotional when I saw them because I thought, here''s someone I canpete and grow with for a long time. In the end, it turns out that Jessie is Jasmine, and Ms. Linde had drawn the designs for her.¡± Chapter 1577 Chapter 1577 ¡°I can tell you''re very disappointed,¡± Lina remarked while nodding. ¡°Yeah, I am. I''m disappointed that Ms. Linde was willing to lower herself and abet Jasmine''s actions. Although Ms. Linde got canceled by the design industry, at any rate, she was still one of the top designers in the past. Even if Ms. Linde couldn''t make it big, she could''ve still held on to her pride. However, I never expected she''d give up on her pride. I''m also disappointed that Jessie turned out to be Jasmine. After learning her true identity, I lost a worthypetitor,¡± Natalie said while smiling helplessly. ¡°Judging from what you said, you''re quite pitiable indeed.¡± Lina looked at her sympathetically. We may be in different fields, but we''re both designers, and I know how rare it is toe across a worthy competitor. I have Ashlyn now, but Natalie has always trodden this path alone. She hasn''t been able to share it with someone whose capabilities are on par with hers. Her journey in the fashion design industry will feel lonely andck a sense of excitement. Natalie massaged her temples. ¡°I think so too. Without apetitor, I can''t tell whether I''m improving. I always have to depend on my mentor to tell me, so I truly hope someone like that will appear. If that happens, my career will be more exciting and interesting. It''ll no longer be so monotonous.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Lina said while nodding. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, that Jessie¡ªNo, Jasmine. How is she now? Has she really gone mad?¡± Nat previously told me that Jasmine went insane, but now that I think about it, Jasmine was never a good person to begin with. There could be a possibility that she''s faking it to weasel her way out. Natalie''s expression turned slightly more solemn when she heard Lina''s question, and she hummed in response. ¡°Yes, she has. Shane had someone go and verify the doctor''s diagnosis to see whether it was true or just an act. In the end, the person he sent went back to him saying there''s really something wrong with her.¡± ¡°I see. That''s good to know.¡± Lina took two cans of coffee from the car storagepartment and tossed one to Natalie. Then, she pulled off the lid of the can in her hand and took a sip before saying, ¡°As long as she has gone mad, you don''t have to worry about her suddenly getting out of the mental hospital and stirring up trouble.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Natalie murmured as she held the can of coffee, showing no intention of drinking it. She had a faint smile on her lips. ¡°Even if she hasn''t gone crazy, I''m not worried about her returning to her old ways. That''s because Shane had someone imnt a chip in her body. The chip is to determine her whereabouts. He secretly had it done, so even Jasmine doesn''t know about it. Even if she runs away, we can track her immediately.¡± ¡°Wow, that''s impressive!¡± Lina eximed while giving a thumbs up. Natalieughed. ¡°We didn''t think about it at first. Shane only sent someone to do it after Connor reminded us about it.¡± ¡°I see. He''s truly a little genius,¡± Lina praised. Natalie beamed even more brightly. After all, what mother would not be happy to hear someone compliment their child? All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Lina took another sip of coffee and gazed at Natalie. ¡°Anyway, are you and Mr. Thompson really nning to continue taking care of Jasmine?¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°What other choice is there? Actually, we''re not taking care of her per se. We''re merely paying the mental hospital a sum so she''ll have a ce to stay for the rest of her life. This way, we won''t have to worry that she''ll run out and endanger themunity. Besides, it''s also Shane''s and my way of repaying her for bringing us together.¡± ¡°Bringing you together?¡± Lina echoed, utterly dumbfounded. ¡°What do you mean? Don''t tell me you and Mr. Thompson got to know each other thanks to her?¡± Natalie gave a slight nod. ¡°You could say that.¡± That piqued Lina''s interest, and she tugged at Natalie''s arm. ¡°Tell me what happened!¡± Chapter 1578 Chapter 1578 Natalie flicked her hair back. ¡°Forget it. No matter what, it was an experience that I prefer to keep in my memories even though it was when I first met Shane.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. She couldn''t help but heave a sigh. Back then, she had agreed to Jasmine''s request to apany an elderly man in his fifties just to save Jared. Although the man turned out to be Shane in the end, that was still the darkest moment of her life. It was pure luck that Shane had taken the elderly man''s ce. If she hadn''t gone to the wrong room or slept with someone else other than Shane, it would have still been a nightmare for her. Natalie tried her best to put the incident out of her mind, knowing that if it hadn''t been for Shane, she might have been subjected to something unimaginable. Taking in Natalie''s grim expression, Lina was able to instantly tell that something had gone wrong back then. She nodded and shed a smile. ¡°All right, I will not press you for any further details if you don''t wish to share them.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lina,¡± Natalie responded with a forced smile. Lina gave a dismissive wave. ¡°There is no need for you to thank me. It was my mistake for bringing up the distressing incident. You have every right to be angry with me. Why are you thanking me instead?¡± Natalie shed a smile and said nothing else. Lina shrugged. ¡°Anyway, Jasmine will stay in the mental hospital until she dies, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Natalie replied. ¡°Living her life as a raving lunatic for the rest of her life is the best form of punishment for her.¡± Lina pursed her lips and remarked, ¡°You and Mr. Thompson are generous people. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn''t spend money on taking care of a lunatic.¡± Natalie chuckled lightly. ¡°Shane and I aren''t taking care of her. We''re confining her.¡± ¡°I still think you''re taking care of her. If I were you, I''d kick her out and let her survive on her own. She can cause trouble to society if she wants,¡± Lina said. Then a thought crossed her mind, and she looked at Natalie. ¡°Say, Nat, Joyce mentioned that she has a little brother. How is he doing now?¡± Natalie thought over her question. ¡°I recall Shane mentioning that he was adopted, and he is doing very well now. Even though it was unfortunate that he was born as Susan''s son, he is still innocent. Neither Shane nor I held him ountable for the misdeeds of his parents.¡± ¡°Yeah. He''s a child after all, and he did nothing wrong,¡± Lina agreed. Natalie opened the can of coffee she was holding. ¡°Yes. That''s precisely why Shane and I won''t take action against the child. We sent him to the orphanage and told the director to find him a suitable adoptive family. A while ago, Shane sent his men to check on the child, and he seemed to be doing well. The child is doing remarkably well in his new home and looks more content than when he had been with Susan and Warren. His adoptive family is taking very good care of him.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the boy''s parents didn''t take good care of him?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I definitely did not notice Susan and Warren mistreating him, but it was highly improbable that they could provide him with proper education as they were evil beings. He was an incredibly quiet and timid child in their presence. Shane''s subordinate said that he now seems to be content and is frequently seen smiling in the presence of his new family.¡± ¡°Susan and Warren should thank you. Otherwise, their son wouldn''t have gotten to lead a new life,¡± Lina replied with a regretful sigh. Natalie''s lips curled up. ¡°I don''t want their gratitude. Susan is dead, and I don''t want her to appear in my dreams. I am not particrly close with Warren, so it is unlikely that we wille into contact after he is discharged from prison. All right, let''s stop talking about them. We''re arriving at the vi soon.¡± Chapter 1579 Chapter 1579 She nced out the window, where the vi was in in sight. After arriving at the vi, they both had lunch and returned to their rooms to rest. They wanted to be mentally and physically prepared for thepetition tomorrow. In the evening, Natalie woke up after a two-hour nap to receive Shane''s call. Surprised, she quickly answered his call. ¡°Darling, why are you calling me at this hour?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Usually, he would have called at night, as she would be unupied during that time. He rarely called her in the day, so she couldn''t help but wonder if something had happened. Shane chuckled and asked, ¡°I heard the organizer say that yourpetition is going to end ahead of time. Is that so?¡± Comprehension dawned on Natalie. ¡°Oh, so that''s why you called. I thought something bad happened.¡± Shane was one of the investors in thepetition, so it was natural for the organizer to inform him of any changes. It was not surprising for Shane to find out that thepetition would end ahead of time. Natalie exined, ¡°Tomorrow marks the end of our tenure as judges, and we will join the other judges inpeting to decide who will design the costumes for the opening ceremony of the World Games.¡± ¡°Got it. I''ll attend thepetition with the kids tomorrow so we can cheer you on,¡± Shane said. Natalie''s eyes went wide in shock. ¡°You''lle to cheer me on?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it''s not the weekend tomorrow.¡± Natalie was confused. ¡°Darling, aren''t you busy?¡± ¡°I''m not busy for the time being. Thepany is getting audited soon, so I''ll have some free time until then. When the audit starts, I''ll get busy,¡± Shane revealed. His lips curved into a smile as he assured her, ¡°Don''t worry. I''ve adjusted my schedule so that I''m not neglecting thepany in order to spend time with you.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I''m d to hear that. I was worried that you''d put work aside to cheer for me. I''ll feel guilty if that''s the case.¡± ¡°That won''t happen,¡± Shane responded as he shook his head. Natalie grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°All right. You cane over tomorrow, then. What time will you be arriving? I''ll pick you guys up.¡± Shane thought about the flight details that Ss had arranged and replied, ¡°Tomorrow at noon.¡± Natalie furrowed her brows and sighed. ¡°Noon? I can''t pick you up, then. I''m afraid thepetition has already started.¡± ¡°It''s fine. We can make our way to the venue ourselves. Besides, we have a surprise for you.¡± Something glinted across Shane''s eyes. Natalie''s interest was piqued. She quickly sat up and asked, ¡°A surprise? What is it?¡± ¡°You''ll find out tomorrow. Don''t worry. You''ll like it,¡± Shane assured her in his deep and hoarse voice. Natalie felt her heart skip a beat. ¡°You sound serious. I can''t wait, then.¡± I''ll like it, huh? Let''s see what he has prepared for me. Shane chuckled softly. ¡°I won''t disappoint you.¡± ¡°I trust you.¡± Natalie bobbed her head. They talked over the phone for around two hours and only ended the call when the sky turned dark. At the same time, Joyce apanied Jonathan to the hospital to check on Stanley''s condition. It had been two days since the incident, and Stanley was still unconscious. Joyce grew increasingly stressed out and anxious. The longer Stanley stayed unconscious, the more serious his injuries would be, and the more likely he would exact retribution on Jonathan for causing him such pain. She wished Stanley would wake up as soon as possible so they could discuss the matter. The longer things dragged out, the more trouble it would be. ¡°Doctor, how is he doing?¡± Jonathan asked the doctor who had just stepped out of Stanley''s ward. The doctor seemed confused, as he didn''t understand Jonathan''s words. Chapter 1580 Chapter 1580 In the end, Joyce repeated Jonathan''s question in Ustranian. The doctor finally understood what the question was. He pushed up his ck-rimmed sses and replied, ¡°He''s fine. He has recovered from the brain concussion.¡± ¡°Then why is he still unconscious?¡± Joyce asked. The doctor was about to reply when the equipment in the ward started to beep. At once, the doctor hurried back to Stanley''s ward instead of answering their questions. Jonathan stared at Joyce. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Joyce shook her head, indicating that she knew nothing about it. She asked, ¡°Should we head inside to see what''s going on?¡± Jonathan agreed readily. They both made their way into Stanley''s ward, only to find that he was now conscious. Caught by surprise, they halted in their tracks. ¡°He''s awake. Dad, he''s awake!¡± Joyce eximed as she pointed at Stanley. Without a word, Jonathan clenched his fists and red at Stanley. Hearing Joyce''s voice, Stanley stopped staring at the ceiling and turned to look at them. A sh of surprise appeared in his eyes. After regaining consciousness, he began to piece together the events that had led up to his being in the hospital. Jonathan''s attack was so brutal that it sent me to the hospital. I don''t remember exactly how long ago that was, but it felt like an eternity. I was obviously beaten up pretty badly, yet instead of finishing me off, the Riverses sent me to a hospital. Are they fools? They must know that I despise them and that my continued existence could be a threat to their safety. Why did they not take the opportunity to rid themselves of me? If Stanley were to find himself in the same situation as the family, he would not hesitate to take action by doing whatever was necessary to eliminate the person who had been an adversary to his family for years. He would not take any chances by allowing the enemy to remain alive and would instead seek to end the enemy''s life as soon as possible. He was right to call the Rivers family members fools. Their foolishness was precisely the reason why their grudgested for over ten years. If the Riverses had been cruel enough to end his life, he wouldn''t still be alive to bring harm to them. Most importantly, he couldn''t fathom why the Riverses didn''t just kill him right there and then. Stanley looked down to conceal the emotions in his eyes. The moment he awoke in the hospital, regret was the first emotion that flooded him. He wished that the Riverses had chosen to put him out of his misery rather than allow him to remain alive. He wasn''t the least bit thrilled to find out that he was still alive. Yes, Stanley wanted to die. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. For at least a decade, he had harbored an intense and unyielding hatred for the Riverses, believing that they were responsible for the death of his parents. This loathing was so deep-seated that he felt a driving desire to see them all eradicated. That was why he was revolted to discover that Joyce had developed feelings for him. Despite his disgust, he didn''t stop Joyce from loving him. In fact, he often used hypnosis to intensify her feelings for him, leaving her unable to forget him. Joyce couldn''t stop loving him and grew increasingly tormented. That was one of the methods he had employed to exact retribution upon the Riverses. However, whenever he spotted Joyce in a state of distress, he would feel an uncontroble surge of anger and frustration instead of delight. Stanley had no idea why he would feel frustrated, but he was aware that revenge wouldn''t make him happy at all. Regardless, he had no choice but to exact his revenge. Otherwise, his hatred for years would''ve been in vain, being reduced to nothing more than a mere joke. Yet, Shane and Sean had told him that he didn''t hate the Riverses. If he indeed despised them, he would''ve killed them all instead of allowing them to survive until today. The hatred he imed to experience was, in fact, a feeling of helplessness. He couldn''t save his parents and wanted to vent his frustration somewhere. Chapter 1581 Chapter 1581 They imed he didn''t hate Joyce, as she was the love of his life. However, he kept brainwashing himself by telling himself he hated Joyce and harbored no feelings of love for her. Eventually, he was able to convince himself that he truly despised Joyce. He had refused to believe Shane and Sean at first. It wasn''t until he coincidentally encountered Joyce a second time that Sean''s and Shane''s words began to reverberate in his mind. Suddenly, he found himself overwhelmed with the realization that he truly loved her. This time, Stanley discovered with a start that he no longer despised her as much. In fact, he wanted to ask her why she forgot about him. But before he could say anything, Jonathan''s punch hade at him. To his utter shock, he had seen Joyce standing rooted to her spot, staring at him as though he were a stranger to her. She was currently giving him the same stare now. Stanley lifted his head and fixed his gaze on Joyce. Sensing his gaze, Joyce trembled involuntarily as a chill ran down her spine. She knew that this feeling of fear originated from her past self and did not reflect her current state of being. However, that didn''t stop her from grabbing Jonathan''s arm and hiding behind him. Stanley''s eyes narrowed in shock as panic crept up his heart. I-Is she that afraid of me? Jonathan knew that Joyce was afraid of Stanley, so he gave thetter a furious re. He stepped in front of Joyce, creating a barrier between her and Stanley. Stanley pursed his lips and said nothing. Right then, the doctor had already given Stanley a checkup. Joyce asked in Ustranian, ¡°Doctor, how is he?¡± She pointed at Stanley as she posed that question. Although Stanley was not facing her directly, a spark of interest lit up his expression when he heard her inquiry. Is she concerned about me? The doctor pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose and said, ¡°The patient is awake and out of any immediate danger. With a few days of rest and recuperation, he should be ready to be discharged from the hospital.¡± ¡°Got it. Thank you, doctor,¡± Joyce responded gratefully. After the doctor left, she recounted her conversation to Jonathan. Jonathan nodded in acknowledgment. His gaze thennded on Stanley. ¡°You''re lucky enough to survive, kid. You should thank your lucky stars that this is awful society. Otherwise, I would''ve ended your life without hesitation.¡± Without saying anything, Stanley met Jonathan''s gaze calmly. He showed no signs of being afraid. From N?velDrama.Org. After all, he was prepared to die. The so-called revenge he had clung to for more than ten years had been nothing more than a huge lie. It had all been a colossal joke. Everything he had done to the Riverses for the past decade or so had been in vain. Recently, his parents had been appearing in his dreams, using him of repaying the kindness that was shown to him by the Riverses with animosity. Even his parents had been ming him for hating the wrong family. They didn''t show any signs of hatred toward the Riverses. Shane and Sean asserted that his animosity was not directed toward the Riverses, but rather it was a manifestation of his own self-loathing. His pride had prevented him from epting that his entire life had been nothing more than a cruel joke. He hade to the realization that the only way to put an end to this torment was death. In this way, the animosity that existed between him and the Rivers family, as well as any debts owed to Joyce, would be resolved and cease to be a source of conflict. He wasn''t afraid of death, let alone Jonathan''s death re. As Stanley remained unfazed, Jonathan was unsure what was going through his mind, and he assumed Stanley had no regard for him. He huffed in frustration and snapped, ¡°Joyce, since he''s awake now, let''s go. There''s no need for us to worry anymore.¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Joyce tugged at his sleeve and shook her head. ¡°Dad, we can''t leave. Don''t forget what we came here for.¡± Chapter 1582 Chapter 1582 ¡°Didn''t wee to see if he''s dead?¡± Jonathan''s eyes widened. Joyce heaved a helpless sigh. ¡°All right, Dad. Don''t do this. You know we came here to check on his condition and also to talk to him about you.¡± ¡°I said, I don''t need you to do so!¡± Jonathan retorted, his face grim. He was unwilling to have his daughter resort to begging Stanley so that he wouldn''t have to go to jail. What if Stanley asks her to abort her baby? I''m afraid she''ll say yes like the fool she is. As a father, he couldn''t ept his daughter going to extreme means just to save him. Knowing his concern, Joyce sighed inwardly. ¡°Dad, I know you don''t want me to do that, but if I don''t take action, I will never be able to find peace. It was because of me that you had to confront him. If I choose not to do anything and allow you to be the one to make the sacrifice, then what will that make me? I will be seen as an ungrateful and unfilial daughter.¡± ¡°Joyce...¡± Jonathan opened his mouth to speak but found himself unable to utter a single word as Joyce''s eyes brimmed with emotion. Joyce took his hand. Her voice softened as she said, ¡°Dad, you''re just worried about me, right? You''re worried that if I remember him, I''ll fall in love with him all over again and do whatever he asks, right?¡± Hearing that, Jonathan sighed and nodded. ¡°Yes, that is exactly my worry. I know how kind and generous you are, and I don''t want you to feel obligated to say yes to his requests. I know you''ll do that for your parents.¡± Joyce shed a reassuring smile. ¡°Don''t worry, Dad. I know what to do and what not to do. I won''t act recklessly.¡± With that, she averted her gaze and took a deep breath as she made her way to the bed. Jonathan wanted to stop her, but he recalled her previous words and ended up allowing her to go over. Forget it. Since she wants to be a filial daughter, I''ll let her take action. She''ll be unhappy if I try to stop her. He stood in a corner and looked at the bed warily. He had decided not to stop Joyce from doing anything of her choice. But he would do whatever was necessary to protect her, no matter the cost, if Stanley ever attempted to cause her any harm. Joyce had no idea that Jonathan had that thought in mind. Carefully, she made her way to Stanley''s bed. Stanley had been looking at her the entire while, so he naturally heard her conversation with Jonathan. He didn''t know why she woulde to him, but he didn''t stop her as he wanted to be near her. When Joyce slowly made her way over to him, he could feel his heart beating in exhration as adrenaline pumped through him. If he didn''t ball up his fists in an effort to conceal his emotions, his facial expression would be a clear indication of how he was feeling at this moment. ¡°Mr. Quinn,¡± Joyce greeted him after she stopped in front of Stanley''s bed, oblivious to his current feelings. Stanley felt his blood go cold when he realized how distant she sounded. His tion was quickly reced by disappointment, and a heavy feeling of despair descended upon him like a dark cloud. In a hoarse voice, he asked, ¡°What did you just call me?¡± ¡°Mr. Quinn,¡± Joyce repeated. The sight of his grim expression caused her to blink in confusion. ¡°Uh, did I get it wrong?¡± She had absolutely no recollection of how she had addressed Stanley in the past, but it was possible that she might have called him by his given name. After all, she had been in love with him, so it seemed impossible for her to address him in such a polite way. However, things were different now. Joyce no longer loved him or remember him, so the way she interacted with him had changed drastically from before. From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1583 Chapter 1583 She decided to address him in a polite manner by calling him ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± That was the best possible form of address. To her surprise, Stanley seemed displeased to hear that. Stanley didn''t answer Joyce''s question, for he couldn''t tell her that she had gotten it wrong. Previously, she would persistently refer to him as Stanley despite his frequent warnings not to do so, as it made him feel ufortable. Nevertheless, she had never stopped calling his name. Eventually, he stopped trying to make her change. He couldn''t help but find it mocking that she was addressing him as ¡°Mr. Quinn¡± now. Is this my punishment for what I did to her? Joyce felt a chill go down her spine at the sight of Stanley''s twisted expression. Without realizing it, she had taken one step back to stay away from him. Stanley''s face clouded over again. ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Joyce shook her head before nodding. ¡°I apologize, Mr. Quinn. I''m not afraid of you, but I think that my previous self might have been. When I saw you, the fear I felt before came flooding back, so it affected my current self. That is why I reacted as though I was afraid of you.¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes as a bitter feeling rose in his heart. He was crestfallen upon hearing her exnation and discovering that she was afraid of him. I was unaware of the fact that my behavior was the source of her distress, causing her to be apprehensive and anxious about me. Stanley felt bitter at that thought. Before realizing his feelings for her, he wouldn''t react to her words. In fact, he would be pleased to discover that she was afraid of him. However, he hade to the realization that he had fallen deeply in love with her. Instead of feeling pleased, he felt tormented upon discovering her fear of him. Stanley even thought about apologizing to her, but the apology remained at the tip of his tongue, refusing to go past his lips. ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± Joyce couldn''t be bothered by whatever issue that was causing him to be discontented. She sped her hands together tightly, as if to steel her nerves, and then bowed deeply in his direction. ¡°I''m here to offer an apology, Mr. Quinn.¡± Her polite form of address made Stanley frown yet again. He snapped in displeasure, ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Joyce stood up straight and exined, ¡°Two days ago, my dad suddenly beat you up. I''m sorry about that.¡± She bowed again and continued, ¡°But Mr. Quinn, my dad acted out of anger, and he did not mean it. At that time, his emotions had taken control of his actions, and he was not in the right frame of mind. We are more than willing to cover any medical expenses as well as any other fees associated with your injury. All I ask is that you forgive my father. Is that eptable to you?¡± She shot him a pleading look. After hearing her plea, Stanley smiled wryly. ¡°So, you believe that I would call the police and use your father of assaulting me, resulting in him getting thrown in jail? Is that why you are apologizing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce nodded hastily. Stanley arched a brow. He had never thought about calling the police. Why is she so sure that I''ll contact the police? Why did shee here to beg me to spare her father? Stanley was about to ask why she would think this way when Joyce suddenly said, ¡°Please, Dr. Quinn. Please don''t call the police. As long as you agree not to do so, I''ll do anything you say.¡± As he had been silent, she had assumed he was plotting to send Jonathan to jail, so she had hastily implored him to reconsider his decision. However, her plea infuriated Stanley. He shot her a dark look. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. What is she thinking? She kept asking me to spare her father. Does she think I''ll send her father to jail? Chapter 1584 Chapter 1584 Does she not trust me at all? Stanley''s expression suddenly shifted, bing as dark as thunder. His voice, when he spoke, was filled with a menacing edge. ¡°So, are you saying that you will do whatever I ask of you, as long as I promise to leave your father alone?¡± Joyce''s heart lurched as she experienced a feeling of dread. However, she didn''t regret saying that, as she had to save her father. Jonathan panicked and immediately hollered, ¡°Joyce, don''t listen to him! No matter what he asks for, don''t agree to it!¡± Joyce turned over her shoulder and gave him a tremulous smile before turning back to Stanley. Jonathan stomped his foot anxiously. ¡°Come back, Joyce. We don''t need to stoop so low as to plead with him. I am ready to face the consequences of my actions even if it means going to jail. I won''t let you suffer on my ount!¡± He stepped forward to pull her back. However, Joyce avoided him and took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, as long as you agree to spare my dad, I''ll do anything you ask!¡± she said to Stanley firmly. Instead of delight, Stanley felt a surge of anger and rage building up inside of him. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. n the past, he would have dly agreed if she had been willing toply with whatever he had requested of her. Chapter 1585 Chapter 1585 Everyone present jolted in fright at the sudden thud. Joyce stared incredulously at the railing that was swaying back and forth before her gaze shifted to Jonathan''s hand, which was bleeding. Her face paled as she shrieked, ¡°Dad, you''re bleeding!¡± She had no idea he would fly into a fit of rage at Stanley''s request and end up punching the railing until he was bleeding. Joyce was so flustered that tears started pooling in her eyes. From N?velDrama.Org. She quickly grabbed a handful of tissues from Stanley''s bedside table, pressing them firmly against Jonathan''s wound. Despite her best efforts, Joyce was unable to stop the bleeding as the graze was too serious. The tissues soon became stained with blood. Joyce burst out crying. ¡°Dad, I''ll ask the doctor to dress your wound. Wait for me.¡± She tossed away the tissues she was holding and rushed out of the ward to get the doctor. In her haste, she forgot that there was an emergency call button in the ward that she could have used to summon the doctor. Jonathan thought that it was just an abrasion that wasn''t serious. He was about to stop Joyce when Stanley suddenly said, ¡°Every ward is equipped with a first-aid kit. There''s no need to get the doctor to dress such a minor wound. You can do it yourself.¡± Chapter 1586 Chapter 1586 Does she not trust me at all? Stanley''s expression suddenly shifted, bing as dark as thunder. His voice, when he spoke, was filled with a menacing edge. ¡°So, are you saying that you will do whatever I ask of you, as long as I promise to leave your father alone?¡± Joyce''s heart lurched as she experienced a feeling of dread. However, she didn''t regret saying that, as she had to save her father. Jonathan panicked and immediately hollered, ¡°Joyce, don''t listen to him! No matter what he asks for, don''t agree to it!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Joyce turned over her shoulder and gave him a tremulous smile before turning back to Stanley. Jonathan stomped his foot anxiously. ¡°Come back, Joyce. We don''t need to stoop so low as to plead with him. I am ready to face the consequences of my actions even if it means going to jail. I won''t let you suffer on my ount!¡± He stepped forward to pull her back. However, Joyce avoided him and took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, as long as you agree to spare my dad, I''ll do anything you ask!¡± she said to Stanley firmly. Instead of delight, Stanley felt a surge of anger and rage building up inside of him. In the past, he would have dly agreed if she had been willing toply with whatever he had requested of her. Now, he couldn''t feel any joy at all. She doesn''t trust me at all. Does she seriously think I''ll press charges on her dad? ¡°Oh?¡± Stanley ground his jaw, his voiceposed. ¡°What if I ask you to abort the baby? Will you agree to do that?¡± Joyce''s heart sank, but she remained unfazed. Stanley looked at her intently, yet he could detect no trace of surprise or reluctance in her expression. On the contrary, she seemed to bepletelyposed, which only served to make him more uneasy. What is going on? Why didn''t she react after hearing my request? Stanley waspletely unaware that Joyce had been distressed two days prior when the realization had dawned on her that he would likely take whatever steps necessary to ensure her father would end up in jail. She had known that he might ask her to abort her baby in exchange for her father''s freedom. She was not fazed in the slightest by his request, as she had prepared herself in advance. Finally, this is happening. Joyce emitted a strangled, mirthlessugh and was about to concur with Stanley when Jonathan abruptly punched the railing of Stanley''s hospital bed. Everyone present jolted in fright at the sudden thud. Joyce stared incredulously at the railing that was swaying back and forth before her gaze shifted to Jonathan''s hand, which was bleeding. Her face paled as she shrieked, ¡°Dad, you''re bleeding!¡± She had no idea he would fly into a fit of rage at Stanley''s request and end up punching the railing until he was bleeding. Joyce was so flustered that tears started pooling in her eyes. She quickly grabbed a handful of tissues from Stanley''s bedside table, pressing them firmly against Jonathan''s wound. Despite her best efforts, Joyce was unable to stop the bleeding as the graze was too serious. The tissues soon became stained with blood. Joyce burst out crying. ¡°Dad, I''ll ask the doctor to dress your wound. Wait for me.¡± She tossed away the tissues she was holding and rushed out of the ward to get the doctor. In her haste, she forgot that there was an emergency call button in the ward that she could have used to summon the doctor. Jonathan thought that it was just an abrasion that wasn''t serious. He was about to stop Joyce when Stanley suddenly said, ¡°Every ward is equipped with a first-aid kit. There''s no need to get the doctor to dress such a minor wound. You can do it yourself.¡± Chapter 1587 Chapter 1587 Hearing that, Joyce halted in her tracks and spun around to gaze at him earnestly. ¡°Is there really a first-aid kit here?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It should be in the bedside cab. You can try finding it yourself,¡± Stanley replied impassively. Jonathan red at him, his eyes turning an intense shade of red. ¡°Stop lying to her,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°Do you really think we''re going to believe you? If not because you''re lying in bed, I''d have killed you on the spot when you asked Joyce to abort her baby. How could you be so heartless? I know you don''t love Joyce, and I''m not forcing you to ept her or her child. We don''t expect you to provide any child support. You can even ignore the child if you want to. The child won''t affect your life in any way, so why can''t you let the child survive? Are you really that cruel?¡± Stanley lowered his gaze and said nothing else. Cruel? If I was indeed cruel, the Riverses would''ve died a long time ago, and Joyce''s baby wouldn''t have existed until today. Back in J City, Stanley had brought Joyce to a medical facility to have an abortion procedure performed. Unfortunately, the surgery did not take ce, and Stanley did not push the issue. If I was cruel, no matter what Joyce did, I''d never have let the child survive. Joyce fears that I will alert the authorities and have her father detained, but that is a thought that has never even crossed my mind. It did not even ur to me to ask her to get an abortion in exchange for her father''s safety. I might''ve asked her to do that, but it isn''t what I really wanted. Stanley might have uttered that demand in his frustrated state, but it was certainly not his true intention. He was simply livid that she was prepared to go to such lengths to protect her father. The request was not intended to be taken seriously, as he was merely venting his anger. Jonathan was initially filled with a blinding rage, but he quickly calmed down upon seeing Stanley staying quiet with his head hung low. He was like a bomb, ready to detonate at any moment, but was suddenly drenched with water, rendering it inert and unable to explode. Jonathan was consumed with rage, yet he felt powerless to express it. The emotions built up inside of him, creating an unbearable pressure in his chest. Right then, Joyce discovered a first-aid kit in the bedside cab. She raised her head to gaze at him in surprise. ¡°You''re right. It''s here!¡± Joyce''s beaming smile and radiant eyes had a mesmerizing effect on Stanley, who found himself in an enchanted trance. Is her smile this pretty? Suddenly, Stanley realized that it had been a long time since he had seen Joyce smiled this radiantly. Her smiles had always been aplex mixture of conflicting emotions¡ªbitterness, excitement, eagerness, hopelessness, and disappointment. He had never seen her experiencing pure delight before this moment. Is she able to smile at me innocently because she has moved on and no longer loves me anymore? s, Stanley didn''t want her to smile that way. He gazed at Joyce intently, attempting to detect a hint of emotion from the past. Despite his careful observation, he didn''t find what he wanted. As that realization urred to him, he felt his heart clench up, and his expression slowly grew grim. She''s heartless enough to hypnotize herself to forget about mepletely. She doesn''t even have any feelings for me anymore. Stanley''s eyes never shifted away from Joyce. Chapter 1588 Chapter 1588 Joyce shrunk away in difort as he stared intently at her. She asked warily, ¡°W-Why are you looking at me like that? I-Is there something on my face?¡± Hearing that, Jonathan stepped forward and shielded her. He red at Stanley. ¡°Why are you staring at my daughter? I''ll gouge your eyes out!¡± Stanley looked up and met Jonathan''s eyes calmly. Then he turned away nonchntly. Jonathan was infuriated as he felt disregarded again after taking in Stanley''s reaction. ¡°You...¡± This brat is really the Rivers family''s nemesis. All of our family members couldn''t stayposed whenever facing him. ¡°That''s enough, Dad.¡± Joyce got to her feet while holding the first-aid kit. She gently tugged at her father''s sleeves. ¡°Don''t stoop to his level.¡± She shook her head at Jonathan, sending him a clear message that he wasn''t Stanley''s match. Moreover, there were grudges between the Rivers family and Stanley, not to mention that was also a critical moment for Stanley to let Jonathan off the hook, so things would spiral out of control if they pursued that matter further. Although Jonathan was reluctant to yield in an argument with Stanley, his desire not to disappoint his daughter took precedence. Ultimately, he sighed and conceded. ¡°Dad, let''s sit over there. I''ll tend to your wound.¡± She pointed at two chairs nearby. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Jonathan hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°All right. Let''s go.¡± The pair of father and daughter moved toward the chairs before them. Once seated, Joyce opened the first-aid kit. She was caught in a tight spot when she saw the items inside the kit because she didn''t know how to use them. Joyce was especially befuddled by the sequence of application. Noticing his daughter staring nkly at the things inside the first-aid kit, Jonathan fathomed the problem. He patted Joyce''s shoulder. ¡°Forget it, Joyce. Look at my hand. It''s not bleeding that much anymore.¡± He spread his palm and showed it to Joyce as he spoke. Indeed, the condition of the wound was as Jonathan described. The bleeding was minimal now. However, the blood had clotted and dried into a scab on the surface of the broken skin, forming a frightening sight. Joyce shook her head and said, ¡°No. We can''t do that. What if the wound bes inmed?¡± Arge area of his skin, including the skin of his few finger joints, was torn, so it was necessary to bandage the wound. A wealth of warmth suffused Jonathan when he took in his daughter''s determined appearance. He could sense her concern and filial piety. ¡°Let''s summon a doctor over, then,¡± he suggested. Joyce bit her lip. ¡°That''s the only thing we can do now.¡± With that, she ced down the first-aid kit and was about to leave. Suddenly, Stanley, who had been gazing out the window, turned around and uttered, ¡°Disinfect the wound first before putting on the bandage.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Joyce halted in her tracks after hearing him. Stanley thought she didn''t hear him clearly, so he pursed his lips and repeated himself. Joyce continued to gape at him. ¡°A-Are you teaching me how to tend to the injury?¡± Stanley''s eyes gleamed, and he remained silent. Jonathan snorted. ¡°Joyce, what''s that nonsense? Do you think he will teach you? He can''t wait for all of our family members to die. There''s no way he''ll be so kind.¡± Stanley frowned after hearing Jonathan''s remarks. I want their entire family to die? I see. So, that''s how the Rivers family members regard me. Clueless about the thoughts going through Stanley''s mind, Jonathan waved his hand at Joyce. ¡°Joyce, go and call a doctor here. Just ignore him.¡± ¡°Hold on, Dad.¡± Joyce shook her head. Instead of leaving, she sat down and gazed at Stanley. ¡°D-Dr. Quinn, were you really teaching me what to do just now? If that''s the case, can you please continue?¡± With that, she bowed at him. Jonathan panicked at that sight and immediately pulled her up. ¡°What are you doing, Joyce? Are you begging him?¡± Chapter 1589 Chapter 1589 ¡°Dad, I¡ª¡± Joyce was about to exin she wasn''t begging Stanley but was asking him for a favor when Stanley spoke again. ¡°Use aqueous iodine or alcohol to clean your father''s hand first.¡± Her eyes shone when she heard that. Then she beamed at Stanley. ¡°I got it. Thank you, Mr. Quinn.¡± After expressing her gratitude, she recollected herself and searched for the alcohol and aqueous iodine mentioned by Stanley. Jonathan stared at Stanley in astonishment and perplexity. ¡°You...¡± Is this brat really guiding Joyce on how to handle my wound? Are the pigs flying now? ¡°Alcohol... Aqueous iodine?¡± Joyce muttered while looking for the items. Although she didn''t know what aqueous iodine was, she was familiar with alcohol. However, she wondered if there was alcohol in the first-aid kit. When she was about to announce the unavability of aqueous iodine, Stanley, sitting on the hospital bed, sighed. ¡°Aqueous iodine is the bottle on your left.¡± ¡°On my left?¡± Joyce was momentarily dazed. She looked to the left and noticed a small ss bottle containing some dark brown liquid. She picked up the bottle and showed it to him. ¡°This?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied impassively. Joyce tilted her head and examined the bottle of aqueous iodine. ¡°Why does the color of this liquid resemble a poison?¡± Jonathan snorted after hearing that. ¡°Perhaps this is poison. He''s trying to harm me.¡± He pointed at Stanley. For the first time in his life, Stanley realized what it felt like to be rendered speechless. He slightly furrowed his brows and said, ¡°You wouldn''t survive until now if I meant to harm you. As a doctor, I''m knowledgeable in various ways to make you vanish without a trace.¡± He pointed at Stanley. For the first time in his life, Stanley realized what it felt like to be rendered speechless. He slightly furrowed his brows and said, ¡°You wouldn''t survive until now if I meant to harm you. As a doctor, I''m knowledgeable in various ways to make you vanish without a trace.¡± ¡°You...¡± Jonathan panted in anger while glowering at Stanley. ¡°Dad.¡± Joyce tugged at her father''s sleeve again while shaking her head, hinting at him not to speak further. Despite not liking Stanley''s manner of speech, she had to admit he was right. Doctors had ess to a lot of medications and chemicals. They were indeed capable of causing someone to disappear without a trace. That was also why she didn''t doubt him and followed his instructions when he told her to look for the solutions to disinfect her father''s hand. She looked at Jonathan. ¡°Dad, he has a point. We would''ve been long gone if he wished to target us.¡± Jonathan fell silent. From N?velDrama.Org. He wasn''t a fool, so he must''ve known that too. He was merely enraged because of Stanley''s rude response. Joyce patted Jonathan''s arm and said, ¡°Besides, do you think the hospital would simply put poison in a patient''s room, Dad? Even if he''s lying to us and the liquid inside this bottle isn''t aqueous iodine, it won''t be anything harmful, so don''t worry.¡± Jonathan sighed. ¡°All right. Fine.¡± Stanley looked at Joyce in slight surprise. Evidently, he didn''t anticipate she would speak up for him. He thought Joyce, who had forgotten about him and her feelings for him, would only treat him as a stranger or perhaps an enemy. Unexpectedly, she had sided with him at that moment. Stanley lowered his gaze to conceal the emotions filling his eyes while uttering indifferently, ¡°Break the ampoule and use a cotton swab to absorb the liquid inside and gently dab it around your father''s wound. After you''re done with that, spray the wound with the content in the bottle on your right.¡± He finally realized she couldn''t tell the differences between the names of the medications, so he decided to tell her the positions of the medications and asked her to execute his instructions. ¡°Hold on. Go slower.¡± Joyce didn''t expect him to tell her the next steps suddenly. She hadn''t prepared herself, so she panicked a little, trying to break the ampoule while searching for the spray he mentioned. Taking in her demeanor, Stanley let out a sigh. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Do it one step at a time. Break the ampoule first, then follow my subsequent orders.¡± Chapter 1590 Chapter 1590 Aware that her clumsiness was draining him, Joyce, with an awkward blush spread across her face, said softly, ¡°Sorry.¡± Stanley simply replied, ¡°Why aren''t you breaking it? Do you need me to do it?¡± ¡°No, no. I can do it.¡± Joyce nodded continuously while she tried to break the ampoule. Jonathan looked at Stanley and snorted in displeasure. ¡°Do you have to be so fierce? Joyce is not a doctor. You can''t expect her to know everything.¡± Stanley turned his head away, ignoring Jonathan. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He knew Jonathan well. The man would start chattering away whenever he was in a good mood. When he was upset with someone, he would also nag nonstop while making cutting retorts. As Stanley was a reserved man who was not good with words, he could not help but feel frustrated when faced with Jonathan''s verbal attacks. Given his understanding of Jonathan''s personality, he knew that remaining silent was the best option if he did not want the man to continue admonishing him. Indeed, soon, Jonathan started to feel exasperated, seeing that Stanley was ignoring him. However, he chose not to say anything about it and kept quiet instead. Across them, Joyce was still trying to open the ampoule. Despite using all her might, she was still unable to do it. Just as Jonathan was about to offer his help after noticing that his daughter was struggling, Stanley said in a gentler tone, ¡°There''s a pair of scissors next to you. Use the de and make a cut on the neck of the ampoule. That would make it easier for you to break it.¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up at that suggestion. She pped her forehead and replied, ¡°Why didn''t I think of that? Mr. Quinn, thanks for reminding me.¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up at that suggestion. She pped her forehead and replied, ¡°Why didn''t I think of that? Mr. Quinn, thanks for reminding me.¡± After saying that, she picked up the scissors and started cutting the neck of the bottle as Stanley had proposed. As the de of the scissors was very sharp, it did not take long before Joyce managed to make a dent in the middle of the ampoule. She put down the scissors and tried to break it again. This time, she seeded with ease. She smiled at Stanley and held up the cap of the ampoule. ¡°Mr. Quinn, look. I did it!¡± When Stanley saw her bright smile, his eyes dimmed. He then hummed an acknowledgment impassively. Jonathan let out a cold snort and said, ¡°Joyce, why did you bother showing off to him? He''s not interested at all.¡± Joyce replied with a smile, ¡°All right, Dad. I''m not trying to show off. I just wanted to let him know that I have seeded with his advice.¡± ¡°Is that a big deal? There''s more than one method to open that ampoule. Even without his help, you would have eventually figured out a way to do it. There''s no need to show it to him,¡± Jonathan said coldly while shooting a nce at Stanley. Joyce chuckled and said, ¡°That''s enough, Dad. Give me your hand. I''ll disinfect your wound now.¡± Jonathan stretched out his hand obediently, cing it on the table in front of him. Joyce dipped a cotton bud into the aqueous iodine and gently applied the solution to her father''s wound. Stanley observed her quietly, ready to correct her if he spotted her doing anything wrong. Disinfecting a wound wasn''t aplex procedure, as all she had to do was to clean the wound with iodine. Stanley did not have to give any input, as Joycepleted the task smoothly. After she was done, she threw away the cotton bud and looked at Stanley. ¡°Uh... Mr. Quinn, you mentioned just now that the next step after disinfecting the wound is to spray... spray something, right?¡± ¡°It''s the spray on your right.¡± Stanley pointed at the bottle. ¡°Thank you,¡± Joyce replied before she picked up the bottle of spray and uncapped it. ¡°Shake the bottle twice before spraying it on the wound. Otherwise, only air woulde out of it,¡± Stanley piped up. ¡°Sure. Thanks for the reminder.¡± Joyce nodded and shook the bottle twice. Then she pressed the nozzle. Immediately, a white moist powder shot out and adhered to Jonathan''s wound. Chapter 1591 Chapter 1591 ¡°This powder is a blood-clotting agent. Its function is to repair the blood vessels and help the wound heal,¡± Stanley exined. ¡°Got it,¡± Joyce replied while checking out the description on the bottle. It was not written in Ustranian but in a foreignnguage that she could not read. However, she had already learned that the powder was a blood-clotting agent. ¡°Mr. Quinn, what should I do next?¡± Joyce asked after cing the cap back on the bottle and putting the bottle down. Stanley pointed to her left and said, ¡°That bottle contains some gel. Scoop some using a spoon and apply to your father''s wound. After that, cover the wound with gauze, and you''re done.¡± ¡°Gel?¡± Joyce picked up the bottle and saw a faint yellow gel-like substance that emitted a strong smell. She had expected the bottle to contain pills instead. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°What''s this gel for?¡± she asked, wrinkling her nose. Suddenly recalling something, she quickly waved her hands and said, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Quinn. I didn''t ask that on purpose. You don''t have to answer.¡± Jeez, how could I have forgotten how much he hates our Rivers family? He''s already being very kind by teaching me how to treat Dad''s wound. Joyce could not help but feel upset with herself for asking unnecessary questions. However, Stanley did not disregard her question. Instead of ignoring her, he exined, ¡°This is a new medicine that was only developedst year. It contains a substance that promotes skin growth. As its production costs are low, it''smonly used in hospitals and clinics to treat external wounds.¡± Instead of ignoring her, he exined, ¡°This is a new medicine that was only developedst year. It contains a substance that promotes skin growth. As its production costs are low, it''smonly used in hospitals and clinics to treat external wounds.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Joyce nodded in understanding. At the same time, she was in slight disbelief that he had actually answered her. He doesn''t seem as bad as Dad, Mom, and Nat described him as. He seems very patient with me. What''s going on? Joyce tilted her head in confusion. Moreover, she did not get the feeling that Stanley resented her or the Rivers family. She knew that it could be her mind ying tricks on her. After all, her parents and Natalie would never lie to her. Besides, her fear toward him was real. She was certain that he must have done terrible things to her and her family previously, and he was merely trying to conceal it. ¡°Why are you in a daze?¡± Stanley asked when he noticed that Joyce had lowered her head and was deep in thought. Pursing his lips, he continued, ¡°The blood-clotting powder is going to dry up soon. If you don''t apply the gel now, its effects will be diminished. For optimal results, the powder and the gel have to be used together.¡± Upon hearing that, Joyce snapped back to her senses at once. She smiled in embarrassment and replied, ¡°Sorry, I''ll do it right now.¡± She picked up the spoon and scooped arge piece of gel before applying it carefully to Jonathan''s wound. ¡°Dad, does it hurt?¡± ¡°No. My heart feels so warm.¡± Jonathan pointed at his chest with a benevolent smile on his face. Truth be told, it was impossible for it not to hurt, as the chemicals in those medicines worked to stimte wound tissues. In fact, Jonathan had been clenching his teeth throughout the entire process. Even so, he couldn''t have felt happier as his daughter was applying medicine for him and was worried that he might be in pain. While looking at her father''s smile, Joyce noticed the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and his graying hair. A pang of pain hit her heart. Ignoring the grudge between the Rivers family and the Quinn family, Joyce knew that her love for Stanley over the past few years had taken a toll on her parents'' health. Even though she was currently unable to remember the things she had done when she was in love with him previously, she knew that at the same time she was hurting because of him, her parents were hurting as well. In other words, in addition to their own hatred toward Stanley, her parents had to be tortured by their daughter''s feelings toward a man she shouldn''t have fallen in love with. Chapter 1592 Chapter 1592 She truly felt sorry for them! ¡°What''s on your mind?¡± Jonathan only needed to look at his daughter''s guilt-stricken face to know what she was thinking. After sighing inwardly, he flicked her on the forehead. Joyce held her forehead, which was stinging with pain. ¡°Dad, why did you do that?¡± ¡°To remind you not to overthink,¡± was her father''s response. Joyce bit her lip. ¡°I did no such thing.¡± ¡°Why did you space out just now if you didn''t? All right, go on and tie the bandage.¡± Jonathan pointed at the bandage and changed the subject. Joyce hummed in response before picking up the unopened bandage, unwrapping it, and cutting it into small strips with scissors. She did not require Stanley''s guidance for the next step since it was simply wrapping the bandage. Stanley merely sat quietly on the hospital bed and observed with his gaze lowered, seemingly in deep thought. After a while, when Joyce was done bandaging her father''s wound and packing up the first-aid kit, Jonathan stood up and walked toward Stanley. Upon reaching the hospital bed, he stared at the younger man icily. Stanley also looked up and met his gaze calmly. Jonathan was surprised to find that this time, there was no hatred in the other man''s eyes. After all, he was fully aware of the younger man''s intense hatred for his family. Every time they met, he would always give any member of the Rivers family a look of pure hatred as though he wanted them all dead. However, he did not see the previous hatred in Stanley''s eyes, not even anger, only an ocean of calm as if the Rivers family weren''t his so-called enemies, but strangers who had nothing to do with him. However, he did not see the previous hatred in Stanley''s eyes, not even anger, only an ocean of calm as if the Rivers family weren''t his so-called enemies, but strangers who had nothing to do with him. What''s going on? Jonathan stared at Stanley for a while. Despite wondering why thetter had suddenly lost his hatred for the Rivers family, he had no intention of voicing out his curiosity. From his perspective, although Stanley no longer looked at them with hatred in his eyes, he must still harbor that sentiment. There was no point in him asking that question. ¡°You brat!¡± Jonathan uttered grimly. ¡°Don''t expect me to thank you for teaching Joyce how to dress my wound just now.¡± Stanley looked up and replied tly, ¡°I didn''t expect you to thank me either, Sir.¡± Sir? The formal address shocked Jonathan once more. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°You...¡± He stared incredulously at Stanley, and it was a long while before he spoke again. ¡°You don''t have a fever, do you?¡± Stanley frowned. ¡°I''m quite well!¡± ¡°Why did you address me that way if you''re well?¡± Jonathan asked. ¡°This is certainly not the way you should address me. Tell me, do you have a hidden agenda of some sort?¡± Stanley snorted. ¡°I''m already in this state. What kind of hidden agenda can I have?¡± Jonathan retorted with a scoff, ¡°You''re already in this state, yet you still haven''t ruled out the notion of having Joyce abort the child, have you?¡± Stanley pursed his lips. He was about to say something when Joyce came over after packing up the first-aid kit. She nced at her father before shifting her gaze to Stanley. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll give you my word to get rid of the baby.¡± Not only was Jonathan shocked by her words, but Stanley''s expression also changed slightly, and his pupils briefly constricted. With an uncharacteristically solemn gaze, Jonathan grabbed his daughter''s shoulders. ¡°Do you know what you''re saying, Joyce? Get rid of the baby? Why would you do that? Isn''t this the child you''ve always wanted? We''ve been living in hiding and even fled the country for the baby''s sake. You even went to the extent of hypnotizing yourself to forget about Stanley for the baby''s sake. Only by doing so could you better adjust your mindset, take good care of your body, and get ready for childbirth. But now, for my sake, you wish to get rid of the baby that you have taken great pains to protect for so long? Can you truly bear to do that?¡± Joyce bit her lip. Bear to do that? Impossible! Of course, I can''t. But I must save my dad. The child is important. But again, Dad is more important. Chapter 1593 Chapter 1593 This baby can only be regarded as a fetus because it hasn''t fully developed and isn''t yet a child. Furthermore, I don''t have much affection for the child, so I can still bring myself to get rid of it. However, if I choose the child and let my dad go to jail, I''ll truly be heartless. Even though I cared about it very much, I believe that even my previous self would make the same choice when faced with the current situation. Joyce pinched the palm of her hand as she stared at her father with reddened eyes. ¡°I can bear to do that, Dad. I can''t stand by and watch you go to jail.¡± ¡°You...¡± Jonathan was furious at her words. ¡°Even if you can, I can''t. I''m old, and I don''t have long to live. Go to jail? So be it. I''m not afraid of that. In any case, give up the idea of aborting the child, Joyce. I forbid you to do that. I''m willing to go to jail. If you abort the child, won''t you be ying right into his hands?¡± He pointed at Stanley. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Joyce nced at Stanley with a bitter smile on her lips. ¡°I know, but that''s okay. I just want you to be safe and sound, Dad. Since he wants this child to disappear, I''ll do as he wishes. Maybe the grudge between our two families can be alleviated a little when the child is gone, right?¡± After saying that, she walked over to Stanley. ¡°You heard our conversation, Mr. Quinn. I''m willing to abort the child and have the surgery right away, so I hope you''ll spare my dad. Please, I''m begging you.¡± She then bowed low before him. Jonathan grabbed her arm and tried to pull her up, but she was particrly determined this time, so he was unsessful despite his best efforts. She then bowed low before him. Jonathan grabbed her arm and tried to pull her up, but she was particrly determined this time, so he was unsessful despite his best efforts. In the end, she got up herself. After lifting a hand to rub her eyes, she turned and headed toward the door. Stanley clenched his hands under the nket into fists and abruptly asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Joyce halted in her tracks but did not turn around. ¡°I''m going to the doctor to arrange an abortion,¡± she replied in a soft voice, as light as a breeze, but it sounded heart-wrenching. Her head was slightly bowed, and her eyelids drooped, making it difficult to see the expression on her face and the look in her eyes. Jonathan balled his fists. If it were not for his rationality, he truly wanted to hit Jonathan again. ¡°Are you happy now, Stanley?¡± he roared at the younger man with reddened eyes. ¡°The child in Joyce''s womb is also yours, the product of your mistake back then. Why must she bear it alone now?¡± Stanley''s Adam''s apple bobbed. He paid Jonathan no need and focused solely on Joyce. ¡°It''s not like there''s no chance if you wish to keep the child.¡± Joyce raised her head when she heard that. She turned to look at the man on the hospital bed. ¡°What did you say? I-I can keep the child?¡± Even Jonathan was stunned. He stared at Stanley as if he had grown two heads. My goodness! Did Stanley just say that he might let Joyce keep the child? ¡°Is it true what you said, Mr. Quinn?¡± Joyce was back at Stanley''s bedside in a few steps, grabbing the railing. ¡°W-Will you really let me keep the child?¡± ¡°I merely said that there was a chance, not that it was certain,¡± Stanley uttered as he lowered his gaze. When Joyce heard that, her initial excitement faded. ¡°Indeed. You mentioned that there is a chance, but that doesn''t imply that it''s certain. I was thinking too much.¡± She startedughing self-deprecatingly. As expected, I shouldn''t have ced any expectations and hope on him since the beginning. Stanley only had to look at her reaction to know what she was thinking. His eyes darkened, and he felt somewhat ufortable. ¡°Are you so certain that I won''t let you keep this child?¡± Chapter 1594 Chapter 1594 Joyce lifted her head and looked at him. ¡°If you were not, you wouldn''t have been so firm in asking me to abort him in the first ce, and you wouldn''t have let me use this child as a quid pro quo just now, would you?¡± Stanley pursed his lips. ¡°You''re right. I do hate this child, but if you insist on keeping him, it''s not impossible.¡± ¡°As long as I agree to send my dad to jail, right?¡± Joyce sneered. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Of course not. You can keep the child, and I can also keep your dad from going to jail.¡± Joyce''s pupils instantly dted when she heard that. ¡°What did you say? You''ll let me keep the child and also keep Dad from going to jail?¡± Jonathan also stared at the younger man in disbelief from the side. ¡°Do you have other ulterior motives, kid?¡± Stanley pursed his lips and replied tly, ¡°If I do, I would''ve started plotting long ago, and I wouldn''t have told you this at all.¡± His words made Jonathan''s throat tighten, rendering him speechless. Joyce grasped the railing of the hospital bed with both hands. ¡°Are you serious, Mr. Quinn? Will you really let me keep the child and also keep my dad from going to jail?¡± This time, Stanley finally replied with a nod, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But you surely have other conditions, right?¡± she asked as she looked at him. She refused to believe that anything in the world would be that simple. Whatever good thing only happens on TV. It doesn''t exist in the real world. Furthermore, with him hating me and my family so much, there''s no way he''ll let me keep the baby and spare Dad without any conditions. So, he must have other ulterior motives. She refused to believe that anything in the world would be that simple. Whatever good thing only happens on TV. It doesn''t exist in the real world. Furthermore, with him hating me and my family so much, there''s no way he''ll let me keep the baby and spare Dad without any conditions. So, he must have other ulterior motives. Sure enough, Stanley narrowed his eyes slightly and said, ¡°You''re right. I do have other conditions, but I haven''t decided yet. When I''ve thought it through, I''ll put it forward.¡± Joyce breathed a sigh of relief. So he hasn''t decided yet. That''s also good. I was worried that he might put forward other conditions that would make things difficult for me and the Rivers family. Although I have no idea whether the conditions he proposester will ce me in a difficult situation, I''ll act as though I don''t know since he hasn''t done that. In any case, I must save the baby and Dad first. ¡°Since you haven''t put forward the conditions to spare the child and my dad, you won''t call the police, right?¡± she asked, hope evident in her voice. ¡°Of course. But for the next few days, you must take care of me here until I recover and get discharged from the hospital.¡± ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Jonathan pulled a long face. He approached Stanley angrily and red at him as if he had done something heinous. He then grabbed the cor of Stanley''s hospital gown. ¡°How dare you let Joyce take care of you! Don''t you know that she''s pregnant? Are you doing this on purpose? You deliberately asked her to take care of you, then you''ll torture her until she has a miscarriage. Is that what you want?¡± When Joyce heard this, her face turned pale instantly, and she also stared at Stanley skeptically. I must say that there''s a possibility of him doing that. Stanley could tell what she was thinking from her gaze and felt frustrated and angry. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. She thinks that''s my motive? He closed his eyes. After tenaciously repressing his inner frustration, he calmly lifted his gaze to Jonathan. ¡°So what? I merely asked her to serve me. It''s not like she''ll be doing tedious work. Are you saying that this can cause her to have a miscarriage?¡± ¡°Serve you?¡± Jonathan scoffed. ¡°Are you treating her as a maid? Besides, who knows if what you said is true?¡± ¡°Whether it''s true or not, is it wrong for me to let you take care of me and take responsibility for your actions since you beat me up like this?¡± Stanley shot back. Jonathan frowned and wanted to say something, but Joyce gripped his arm. ¡°All right, Dad. That''s enough.¡± Chapter 1595 Chapter 1595 e = ''on''N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Chapter 1596 Chapter 1596 ¡°And take this opportunity to get her and Shane to send someone to monitor me in case I do something to you?¡± Stanley curled the corner of his lips into a mocking smile. Joyce''s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Sorry. The trauma you brought on my family is too great. I can ept it if youe after me, but I must protect my parents. Since I can''t do so, I can only leave it to Nat.¡± ¡°Aren''t you afraid that I''ll be upset by your words and overturn what we agreed to just now?¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes at her. Joyce smiled wryly. ¡°I am. How can I not be? But I have no choice. You''ve already guessed what I''m going to say to Nat on the phone, so if I don''t answer, aren''t you still likely to go back on your word? Perhaps if I told you the truth, you might let it go because I was being honest.¡± Stanley snorted. ¡°You sure do look on the bright side.¡± She could not tell whether he was mocking her or implying something else, so she bit her lip and asked, ¡°Mr. Quinn, can I make the call now?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± He turned his face to the side. ¡°Even if I don''t let you do it, you can still find a way to contact them. Isn''t that so?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Chapter 1597 Chapter 1597 She took a deep breath before looking at Stanley. ¡°You want me to take care of you, right? Got it. I''ll do it.¡± ¡°Joyce!¡± Jonathan looked at his daughter in shock. Joyce smiled at him, ¡°It''s okay, Dad. He''s right. Since we beat him up like that, we must take responsibility for our actions. Besides, he agreed not to call the police and also agreed to let me keep the child, so we should do something. It doesn''t matter if I''m going to be a maid. I''ll ept it.¡± ¡°But I''m scared that he''ll deliberately give you some tedious work, torture you, and make you abort the child,¡± Jonathan said with a frown. That was what worried him the most. ¡°I know you''re worried, Dad, but we should try to trust him once, shouldn''t we?¡± she replied while looking at Stanley. ¡°Mr. Quinn, may I ask if I''ll be taking care of you starting tomorrow or now?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Thetter gave her a profound stare. Joyce lowered her eyes. ¡°Got it. I''ll start right away. Dad...¡± She turned around and faced her father. ¡°Help me get a visitors'' room in the hospital. I''ll stay there tonight. Go back and tell Mom not to worry about me.¡± ¡°Joyce...¡± Jonathan frowned when he saw herply with Stanley''s demand. He wanted to dissuade her but was at a loss for words when he saw how serious she looked. In the end, he sighed and nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay. I''ll book you a room in a bit.¡± After saying that, he shot Stanley a fierce re again. ¡°You''d better not go against your word and torture Joyce. If something happens to her, I''ll kill you even if I have to risk my life to do so.¡± Stanley pursed his lips and said nothing. Jonathan did not necessarily need to hear his promise. After ncing at Joyce, he turned around and left to book the visitors'' room. With that, only Joyce and Stanley were left in the ward. It was not that she had not been alone with Stanley for the past two days, but that was when he was still unconscious, so she did not feel any different. However, now that he had woken up and she was in the same room as him, she felt somewhat ufortable. I don''t know how to get along with him. I don''t know what to say, and I don''t know what to do. In short, it feels weird all over. This is from N?velDrama.Org. In the end, Joyce took a deep breath before taking her cell phone out of her pocket. She looked at the man lying on the bed and forced a smile. ¡°Um... Mr. Quinn, can I make a phone call? I''ll be right back. I won''t leave.¡± Stanley''s gaze fell on her cell phone. ¡°Who are you calling?¡± ¡°Nat,¡± she replied truthfully while clenching her phone. ¡°She knows about your situation and is also very worried about you. So no matter what, now that you''ve woken up, I have to inform her.¡± ¡°And take this opportunity to get her and Shane to send someone to monitor me in case I do something to you?¡± Stanley curled the corner of his lips into a mocking smile. Joyce''s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°Sorry. The trauma you brought on my family is too great. I can ept it if youe after me, but I must protect my parents. Since I can''t do so, I can only leave it to Nat.¡± ¡°Aren''t you afraid that I''ll be upset by your words and overturn what we agreed to just now?¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes at her. Joyce smiled wryly. ¡°I am. How can I not be? But I have no choice. You''ve already guessed what I''m going to say to Nat on the phone, so if I don''t answer, aren''t you still likely to go back on your word? Perhaps if I told you the truth, you might let it go because I was being honest.¡± Stanley snorted. ¡°You sure do look on the bright side.¡± She could not tell whether he was mocking her or implying something else, so she bit her lip and asked, ¡°Mr. Quinn, can I make the call now?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± He turned his face to the side. ¡°Even if I don''t let you do it, you can still find a way to contact them. Isn''t that so?¡± Chapter 1598 Chapter 1598 Joyce fell silent. Stanley waved her away. ¡°Leave me alone. I''m feeling a little dizzy.¡± ¡°Dizzy?¡± Joyce frowned anxiously. ¡°Are you feeling okay? Is the dizziness very bad? Is it because you''re still concussed? I''ll call for the doctor.¡± Joyce immediately reached over to press the nurse call button. Stanley grabbed her wrist, stopping her in mid-air. ¡°No need! It''s nothing. Just let me sleep for a bit.¡± Joyce had not expected him to grab her hand. His touch startled her. She looked at his fingers curled around her wrist, and all words were lost on her. Stanley, too, realized that he had crossed a line. Slowly, he released his grip and hid his hand under the nket. He clenched his fist tightly as if he could trap the warmth from her hand that still lingered on his palm. He lowered his eyes to hide his expression from her. His voice sounded a little hoarse when he said, ¡°Go on out. Let me sleep.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Joyce replied in a small voice, looking down. She dared not meet Stanley''s eyes. What happened to me just now? Why did my heartbeat suddenly start racing? The moment Stanley''s hand touched mine, my heart started beating wildly! Could it be because the old me used to love him, so his touch would always trigger me? If so, I must be more careful in the future and avoid any skin contact with him. Otherwise, who knows what will be of my state of mind! Joyce was afraid that Stanley''s touch would diminish the effects of the hypnosis. It would be terrible if he were to enter her thoughts again. ¡°Rest well, Mr. Quinn. I''ll leave you alone now.¡± Joyce turned away from him and headed for the door. She drew in a deep, shaky breath and tried to calm herself down. Stanley suddenly called out, ¡°I''d like to have pumpkin soup for dinner tonight!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Joyce paused in her steps. ¡°Pumpkin soup?¡± Stanley grunted in affirmation. Pumpkin soup was Joyce''s favorite. She had made it for him on many asions in the past, but he never had once epted it. He had even thrown her thermal food jar into the trash can several times in front of her. He could still recall the way all the color had drained from her face. Back then, he would not bring himself to taste her soup, but now, he wanted to give it a try. Joyce was oblivious to the memories shing through Stanley''s mind. She did not remember ever having made pumpkin soup for him. After all, she had no memory of their past at all. His dinner request had caught her off guard. She recovered quickly and nodded. ¡°Pumpkin soup, is it? I know how to make that. I''ll make it for you tonight.¡± Since she was taking care of him during his recovery, it was natural that she would make him his dinner. Stanley''s expression softened after Joyce had voiced her agreement. He rxed into his pillow and closed his eyes without another word. Joyce threw onest nce at him before closing the door quietly behind her. Out in the corridor, she called Natalie on her phone. At that moment, Natalie was engrossed in a fashion magazine. She answered the call without looking at the caller''s name. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Nat,¡± Joyce greeted her. Recognizing Joyce''s voice, Natalie immediately pulled her attention away from the magazine and answered with a smile, ¡°Hi Joyce! What''s going on?¡± ¡°Nat, Stanley is awake,¡± Joyce said as she lowered herself into one of the hard stic chairs lining the corridor. Natalie was surprised to hear Joyce''s news. Her expression grew serious. ¡°What? Stanley is awake?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°How is he doing now? Did he say whether he would make a police report?¡± Natalie quickly asked. From N?velDrama.Org. Joyce shook her head with a small smile. ¡°He''s doing well. He didn''t say that he would report to the police. He''s even agreed to let me keep the baby.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie eximed in disbelief. She jumped to her feet. ¡°Really? Is that true?¡± Chapter 1599 Chapter 1599 Lina, who was walking over from the kitchen with a big fruit tter in her hands, was so startled by Natalie that the tter almost went toppling to the floor. Fortunately, Lina had quick reflexes and managed to catch her bnce in time. ¡°Nat, what''s wrong with you?¡± Lina asked in a huffy tone. She straightened her shoulders and continued toward the couch. Natalie gestured at her cell phone. ¡°Joyce just called. She said that Stanley would not be making a police report and that he has allowed her to keep the baby.¡± Lina choked on a mouthful of watermelon when she heard the news. It took her a full minute to regain the use of her voice again. Her face turned red from the effort. ¡°Really? Is Stanley really such a nice guy?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know if it''s true.¡± If she were being honest, she could not quite believe it. After all, she knew how much Stanley hated Joyce and the Rivers family. How is it possible that Stanley would let Joyce keep the baby and let Mr. Rivers go unpunished? On the other end of the phone line, Joyce already knew that Natalie would react that way. She tucked her hair behind her ears and said earnestly, ¡°It''s true, Nat. Mr. Quinn really did say that he would let Dad go and let me keep the child, but he had some conditions.¡± ¡°Of course he does,¡± Natalie replied bitterly, pressing her lips together. That sounds more like it! It''s impossible that he would let Joyce keep the baby in her belly and let Mr. Rivers walk away unpunished! Of course, he would impose conditions! That sounds more like the real Stanley! ¡°So, what are his conditions?¡± Natalie pressed on. If Stanley had set any impossible conditions, then she would immediately request Shane to send some men over to move Stanley or the Rivers family away. They would never meet each other again. Otherwise, a tragedy could happen at any time. Joyce heard the concernced in Natalie''s voice. She replied with a smile, ¡°Don''t worry, Nat. Mr. Quinn hadn''t yet set any conditions. So, for now, my dad and I are safe. As for the conditions that he may set later on, let''s deal with them when the timees. Anyway, no matter what the conditions are, nothing will ever be as bad as me losing my baby.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I understand, but I worry that the conditions that Stanley will set in the future will lead to another tragedy,¡± Natalie countered with a frown. Joyce tilted back her head to study the ceiling above her. ¡°It''s fine, Nat. Everything is okay now. Let''s not talk about the future. I''m so tired. I don''t want to think about it anymore. Otherwise, I don''t know when my heart will be at peace.¡± Natalie sighed. ¡°Okay, we won''t talk about it anymore, but when Stanley sets his conditions in the future, you must tell me! No matter if they''re good or bad, you must tell me!¡± ¡°I will,¡± Joyce said. Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°So, since Stanley is allowing you to keep the baby and isn''t pressing any charges against Mr. Rivers, what''s the n between the two of you?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± Joyce shook her head. ¡°I don''t remember him anymore, and I have no feelings left for him. It''s impossible for us to have any rtionship with each other anymore. However, he''s hospitalized now. I can''t just ignore him. Besides, he has specifically requested for me to care for him.¡± ¡°Stanley asked you to take care of him?¡± Natalie eximed in disbelief. Joyce murmured in affirmation. ¡°Yes, I don''t know why he did that. Dad thinks that he''s doing this to deliberately make things difficult for me in the hopes that I will get rid of the baby. However, Stanley said that was not his intention, and I believe he really does not have any ulterior motive.¡± Joyce did not understand why Stanley wanted to keep her by his side, but Natalie knew the true reason. Shane had once told Natalie that Stanley loved Joyce, but he had been so blinded by hatred that he had convinced himself that he despised Joyce. All this while, he did not know who it was he actually loved. Chapter 1600 Chapter 1600 Natalie did not believe Stanley''s ims of loving her. She was confident that he was only fooling himself into falling for her because of her simrities to Joyce. The person he truly loved was Joyce. He was only attracted to Natalie because her personality at that time reminded him of the old Joyce. Now, she suspected that Stanley had figured out where his affectionsy, which spurred him to invite Joyce to stay behind and care for him. It definitely helped when Shane reminded Stanley of his past feelings for Joyce. Initially, the truth had been difficult for Stanley to ept. After he calmed himself down and thought things through, it did not seem entirely imusible. I''m sure of it. Stanley hase to his senses. Still, a concern niggled at Natalie''s mind. How will Stanley treat Joyce from now on, knowing that the person he has always loved is her? She wondered if he would let go of the past and focus on building his rtionship with Joyce or conceal his feelings in his bullheadedness to continue hating the Rivers family. Natalie''s prolonged silence confused Joyce, who called out to her friend over the receiver. ¡°Earth to Nat? Are you still there?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. She snapped out of her thoughts and replied with a forced smile, ¡°I''m still here.¡± ¡°What happened to you? Why did you go radio silent?¡± asked Joyce. Natalie lowered her gaze and mumbled, ¡°Nothing. I just got carried away while thinking about some things. By the way, you haven''t answered my question, Joyce. Did you agree to take care of Stanley?¡± Joyce replied, ¡°I did. What else can I do? We''re at his mercy. What if he goes back on his words if I refuse his request? He could sue my dad and force me to undergo an abortion. And in any case, he''s in this sorry state because of my family. We should take responsibility for his recovery.¡± ¡°Yes, but aren''t you worried, Joyce?¡± Natalie could not hide her anxiety. Her friend blinked in confusion and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Your feelings for Stanley, of course.¡± Natalie sighed and continued, ¡°I know you''ve forgotten all your shared memories and feelings for him, but you could fall for him again after being in close quarters for a long time. It might even spur you to recover your memories of him.¡± Her concern warmed Joyce''s heart. Joyce knew her friend was worried about her reliving her past. She smiled and said reassuringly, ¡°Don''t worry, Nat. That won''t happen. I''ve set clear boundaries this time. I will never develop feelings for him while I care for him, nor will I recover my lost memories. In fact, I''ll make myself scarce only until he needs my help with anything.¡± Natalie was not convinced. She massaged her temples and muttered, ¡°I know, but I just can''t help being worried. You can leave him alone, but I can''t guarantee he''ll return the favor.¡± After all, Stanley had already realized that he loved Joyce, and there was a high chance he would try to rekindle a rtionship with her. Allowing Joyce to keep their baby and letting Jonathan off the hook already hinted at his potentially non-tonic motives in the future. Otherwise, if he chose to antagonize the Rivers family, he would certainly force Joyce to abort the baby and insist on sending her father to jail. Thus, Natalie believed Stanley wanted Joyce to care for him, hoping she would fall for him again. Then, he would reverse the hypnosis on Joyce and restore all her memories. She would not put it past him anyway since Stanley did know hypnosis. Of course, Natalie was supportive of Stanley''s eptance of his feelings for Joyce. That meant he could let go of his animosity toward the Rivers family. However, Natalie worried Joyce would suffer an emotional breakdown after recovering her memories. Stanley had caused her a lot of pain in the past, and it would be difficult to move on from the trauma. Chapter 1601 Chapter 1601 It was great that Stanley had realized his feelings for Joyce and wished to explore a rtionship with her, but would Joyce necessarily share his sentiments? If she fell in love with him again and remembered their past, could she forgive everything and ept his feelings? If Natalie was in her friend''s shoes, she might not be so magnanimous. She just got over someone who hurt her in the past. Now, he does an about-turn and ims to love her? Oh, the irony! He didn''t reciprocate her feelings and instead humiliated her, but now that she has gotten over him, he decides he would like to date her after all! Isn''t he ying with her emotions? That was Natalie''s biggest concern. Joyce was clearly unaware of the debate happening in her friend''s mind. She cocked her head questioningly and asked, ¡°What are you saying, Natalie? He might not allow me to leave him alone? But why not?¡± ¡°Nothing. Ignore me,¡± Natalie said with a sigh. She was not about to reveal Stanley''s epiphany to Joyce. Joyce might be curious or consider making things up with Stanley. What if she approaches a hypnotist to recover her memories? The best-case scenario would be Joyce forgiving Stanley''s ill-treatment in the past and embarking on a rtionship with him, wholly quashing Natalie''s concerns. However, if she wanted to be with Stanley but could not forgive his past actions, she would find herself in an emotional purgatory. Natalie could not predict Joyce''s reaction and thought it most prudent to keep the truth of Stanley''s feelings to herself. Maybe Joyce should learn about it herself. She might be more epting of the oue. I''m sure Stanley has some grand n to win her over too. If he truly wishes to be with her, at least. Nheless, Natalie''s hemming and hawing raised Joyce''s suspicion. She questioned, ¡°What are you hiding from me? Don''t leave me hanging. Spill.¡± Natalie smiled catingly and replied, ¡°I''m not keeping you in suspense. I just... ah, forget it. You''ll know about it sooner orter.¡± ¡°Fine. You won''t tell me anything even if I insist.¡± Joyce stuck her tongue out pettily. Natalie shifted in her seat and checked her watch. ¡°Well, it''s gettingte, Joyce. I''ve still got some things to do, so I''ll catch up with you soon. Call me anytime.¡± Joyce nodded and said her goodbyes. ¡°I won''t keep you, then. Bye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± A deep sigh escaped Natalie once she hung up. How could this happen? Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Natalie was surprised by Stanley''s rather easy eptance of his feelings for Joyce. She recalled what Shane told her about his conversation with Stanley. Shane said Stanley appeared somewhat disdainful upon learning of his past feelings for Joyce. The information fueled Natalie''s concerns over Stanley''splete rejection of the truth. He clearly thought Shane was feeding him a load of bull, judging by his disdainful expression. After all, Stanley hated the Rivers family and, by association, Joyce. Falling for his enemy must have sounded like a joke. How the tables have turned. Stanley seemed to havee to terms with his feelings for Joyce and was potentially considering a rtionship with her. Natalie had no idea what was going through his head. She wondered if he could truly overlook his hatred toward the Rivers family if he began dating Joyce. And if he failed to do so yet insisted on being with Joyce, the couple would have an extremely rocky path ahead of them. Why don''t I ask Shane to send someone to probe Stanley''s motives? The thought had barely crossed her mind before she stamped it out. She shook her head in resignation. There was another possibility¡ªStanley himself had no idea what to do. He only knew he loved Joyce but could not ept that she had forgotten about him. Perhaps the only thing at the forefront of his mind was to help Joyce remember him before he tackled his thorny history with the Rivers family. Chapter 1602 Chapter 1602 In fact, Stanley could be the one overreacting when Joyce returned to his life in full force. These were beyond Natalie''s control; she could only wait and see. She rubbed her temples exhaustedly and left the room. Later that night, she called Shane and updated him on her phone conversation with Joyce. His reaction to the news was mild. Since Stanley was aware of his feelings for Joyce, it seemed pretty unlikely for him to hurt her as he did in the past. Otherwise, he would have shown more aversion to the fact that he loved Joyce. Stanley''s calmness was a promising sign in Natalie''s eyes. The next day, Natalie and Lina headed to thepetition hall. Thepetition winners were awarded the highly coveted rights to design the costumes for the opening ceremony of the World Games. Everyone would ce one hundred and ten percent of their effort in thepetition. The tension in the air was stifling. Natalie sensed it the minute she set foot in thepetition hall. Lina t-out shivered and rubbed her elbows anxiously. ¡°This is freaking me out. Did you see their gazes, Nat? They''re treating thepetition like their enemies.¡± ¡°That''s not wrong, is it?¡± Natalie chuckled and continued, ¡°The only person here who''s not my enemy is you. After all, we''re allpeting for the chance to design for the World Games.¡± ¡°Fair enough, but don''t you think they''re overreacting? If looks could kill, I''d be dead on the floor right now. They''re behaving as if a fierce re could eliminate theirpetitors. It''s giving me the chills. Look at my goosebumps!¡± Lina rubbed her arms, her expression a mask of disgust. Theirpetitive streak bordered on hysteria. Natalie picked up on Lina''s anxiety and chucked a can of coffee at her. ¡°That''s enough. Stop fretting over these. Don''t even stare at them. I don''t want your performanceter to waver because of their res.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lina nodded and cracked open the can of coffee. She took a gulp and added, ¡°You know what, I think they''re doing it on purpose to affect the other contestants.¡± Natalie sat down and uttered, ¡°Since you know it''s a psychological tactic, just ignore them.¡± Lina ran her fingers through her hair before sitting down. She mumbled, ¡°I wonder what''s the competition theme. Ourpetition format is way lessplicated than those of our juniors. The competition ends in three rounds. Can you imagine how high the elimination rate is?¡± She made a valid point. Twelve participating groups would undergo threepetition rounds. The first round eliminated nine groups, while the second eliminated one, leaving two groups for the third and final rounds. No wonder the atmosphere in thepetition hall was fraught with tension. Anyone would be mortified and even resentful if they were eliminated in the first round. It was difficult to imagine someone who could gracefully ept an early elimination. Everyone wanted to make it through the rounds and battle for the crown. From N?velDrama.Org. Natalie opened a can of coffee and took a sip. Her expression had lost some of its earlier airiness, giving way to solemnity. ¡°You''re right. The elimination rate is extremely high. I''ve joined almost a hundredpetitions, and this is the most nerve-wracking atmosphere I''ve encountered. Frankly, I''m starting to get nervous too.¡± The admission filled Lina with panic. She yelped, ¡°No, you can''t be nervous! No one here can really match up to you, so how could you be nervous? It''s perfectly fine if I''m the nervous one. The competition stress is only a part of it; there''s also pressure from Ashlyn. So you have to calm down, Nat. Your anxiety will only fuel mine, and then we''ll be doomed. Don''t forget; we''re a unit now.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Natalie forced a smile and dered, ¡°Okay, I''m going to collect myself and calm down now.¡± Chapter 1603 Chapter 1603 ¡°That''s right.¡± Lina let out a relieved sigh. ¡°As long as you stay calm, I''ll slowly calm down too.¡± It was just like what she said earlier. The two of them were connected. If one became nervous, the other would certainly be affected by that emotion as well. Simrly, if one were calm, the nervous one would slowly rpose themself as well. Natalie took another sip of her coffee. ¡°Let''s talk about something else, then; let''s skip the topic of the competition just in case we get agitated again.¡± Thepetition had not officially started¡ªthey had half an hour more before it began, so they could chat for a little longer. Lina agreed with her. After a moment of contemtion, she said, ¡°By the way, Nat, didn''t you say that Mr. Thompson''s going to bring the kids over today?¡± Natalie gave a hum of agreement. ¡°Yes, he said he''s bringing them here to cheer me on at the competition.¡± At that, Natalie chuckled, her heart warmed by the recollection of his words. Lina cast a jealous look at her. ¡°How nice. If only Bryan were here too. What a pity he has a competition as well, so he won''t be able to make it here.¡± ¡°It''s fine. I''m sure he''ll oftene and watch yourpetitions in the future,¡± Natalie consoled as she patted Lina''s shoulder. Lina smiled. ¡°I hope that''s the case. All right, let''s not talk about him anymore. It''s not as if we''re engaged. Let''s talk about Mr. Thompson instead. When will he being? I miss Connor and Sharon! Sharon was interested in the bead ne I was wearing the other time, so I promised to design one for her. I justpleted it yesterday, and if Sharon''s here, I can give it to her.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Natalie had heard Sharon talk about that before. She replied, ¡°No worries. Your bead ne will be in Sharon''s hands tonight.¡± ¡°I know. I''m just worried that Sharon won''t like it,¡± Lina muttered as she rested her head on her palm. Natalie sipped on her coffee and said, ¡°Of course, she''ll like it. Are you saying that I don''t know how well you design? I''m certain that she''ll adore it.¡± ¡°Well, in that case, I''ll stop worrying about it.¡± Lina giggled. ¡°Also, besides the ne, I''ve prepared formal wear for Connor and Anders.¡± ¡°Connor and Anders?¡± Natalie froze. ¡°Why do I not know about that?¡± Lina waved dismissively. ¡°It''s a surprise, so I didn''t tell you about it. I''ll be giving Sharon the ne, so I can''t possibly be empty-handed for Connor and Anders, right? They''re siblings, and they''re your children. I can''t pick a favorite between them, so I prepared gifts for them all.¡± The expression on Natalie''s face softened. ¡°Thank you, Lina.¡± ¡°Oh, hush, you.¡± Lina chuckled. ¡°Although Joyce has be Sharon and Connor''s godmother, I''m Anders'' godmother. In a way, I''m also Connor and Sharon''s godmother. Isn''t it normal for me, a godmother, to gift my godchildren presents? If you feel bad about this, you should give presents to my children once I have them in the future too.¡± Natalie bobbed her head. ¡°All right, it''s settled, then. I''m going to be your children''s godmother.¡± ¡°Of course! I''ll be thrilled for my children to have such wealthy godparents!¡± Lina cried out, her eyes bright. Natalie did not know whether to snort or huff at that. ¡°Money grubber.¡± Lina chuckled. ¡°So be it. Who in this world doesn''t love money? They''ll do everything for money. A good example would be Lucy.¡± The smile on Natalie''s face faded by quite a bit at the mention of Lucy''s name. Instead, a look of disgust appeared in her eyes. Lina then waved her hands and uttered, ¡°Forget about her.¡± ¡°You were the one who mentioned her.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes. A flusteredugh escaped Lina. ¡°I''ve always been one to speak before I think.¡± ¡°All right, all right.¡± Natalie shook her head in exasperation. ¡°What did you prepare for Connor and Anders?¡± ¡°essories. Sharon''s essory is a bead ne, so I thought I might as well be fair and equal for the siblings. So, I designed smallputer-shaped and abacus-shaped crystal pendants for Connor. Connor''s good at hacking, after all, and he''s the heir of Thompson Group. It''s the best thing for him,¡± Lina said. Chapter 1604 Chapter 1604 Natalie nodded. ¡°Indeed. It''s a meaningful gift.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°That''s right,¡± Lina agreed. ¡°As for Anders, since Anders is physically weaker, I''ve designed a small crystal sculpture of the goddess of love as a pendant. Even though it''s not as special as Connor''s, this is the best thing for Anders. I hope Anders will recover so he can be a normal kid like the others.¡± Natalie''s heart melted, and her eyes even turned red. ¡°Thank you so much, Lina.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Lina started with a huff. ¡°I just reminded you that I''m their godmother. Why are you thanking me for this?¡± At Lina''s deliberate gesture of impatience, Natalie shook her head and smiled again. ¡°Okay, okay. I won''t thank you anymore.¡± ¡°That''s more like it,¡± Lina said in satisfaction. After tossing the empty coffee can into a nearby bin, Natalie told her, ¡°And I was wondering why you were going out so frequentlytely. You were so vague when I asked you about it. So that''s because you were preparing gifts for my kids.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Lina nodded. ¡°There aren''t any gem-cutting machines in the vi, so I had to head out to the studios to rent their machines to make their gifts.¡± ¡°It must have been tiring.¡± ¡°It''s nothing.¡± Lina shrugged. ¡°It''s not hardbor anyway, and I do like this. Moreover, I''m doing this for the kids I like, so it''s nothing tiring for me. Everything''s worth it as long as they like their presents.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. They definitely will,¡± Natalie reassured. Anders was still young, so he would not be able to give Lina an answer. However, Natalie was certain that her two other children were children who would cherish presents given to them by others. ¡°I''m d to hear that,¡± Lina told her as she stretched. Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. The host of thepetition appeared and went on stage. The chattering people immediately fell silent at that. They knew that the appearance of the host meant the official start of thepetition. Indeed, once the host was on stage, he announced the start of thepetition. Then, the theme was disyed on the screen above. The moment the participants took in the theme, they began making preparations. In the meantime, Shane''s private jet hadnded at the exclusive apron at the airport. Dozens of people came down the ne. The two leading men were bodyguards. Behind the bodyguards was Shane. He was not holding the hands of the two children like he always did as he came down from the ne. Instead, he was carrying a child, who was tightly swathed in fabric. That child was none other than Anders. If Natalie were there¡ªif she saw that Anders was not in the incubator and was in Shane''s arms instead ¡ªshe would have burst into tears on the spot, for that meant that Anders could finally be out of the incubator. It meant that he could live as a healthy child under the sun, independent from the incubator. However, Natalie was not there; she was at thepetition. ¡°Daddy.¡± Right then, a child''s voice sounded from behind Shane. When he turned his head, he realized it was Sharon. Shane was holding Ss'' hand and looking at him. ¡°Daddy, how is Anders? He''s not airsick like I am, right?¡± she asked in concern. Shane gently answered, ¡°No, Anders is fine.¡± Sharon sighed in relief. ¡°That''s good to hear. I''m d. I''m so scared that Anders will be sick. Both you and Mommy get so worried when Anders gets sick.¡± ¡°No worries. Anders won''t be sick from now on,¡± Shane told her as he looked at the boy in his arms. Sharon nodded. ¡°Okay, I''m d.¡± ¡°Sharon, you''re a good sister,¡± Shane praised as he reached out to pat Sharon''s head. Connor quickly chimed in. ¡°Me too. I''m a good brother too. I was scared that Anders would get cold on the ne, so I kept asking the air stewardess to hand Anders some nkets.¡± Chapter 1605 Chapter 1605 ¡°You''re an amazing brother too, Connor,¡± Shane said as he patted the older boy''s head. Connor giggled. ¡°Come on, let''s go. Your mommy''spetition has started, so let''s go to there to cheer her on,¡± Shane said as he checked the time on his watch. ¡°Ss, keep a close eye on Connor and Sharon.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson,¡± Ss replied, still holding onto one of the children. Shane hummed in satisfaction. ¡°Let''s go now.¡± The group of five then went into one of the luxury cars from the fleet of cars as the passersby watched on curiously. They headed toward thepetition hall. Anders did not wake up during the journey. He was fast asleep. Once in a while, Sharon would kiss Anders'' cheek, absolutely enamored with her little brother. The entire time, Sharon was tempted to wake Anders to y with him. She adored her little brother, but Anders was often ill, so he could not y with her for long. The only time she got to y with him was during the brief period he was awake. But how could that be enough for her? Sharon wished she could y with her younger brother all day. Sadly, it was rare to catch her brother awake, so her wish had yet to be fulfilled. ¡°Daddy, we''re here,¡± Connor blurted out as he pointed ahead. Shane, who was by Sharon''s side, lifted his head. Sure enough, they arrived at thepetition hall. All of a sudden, Sharon widened her eyes at Anders and cried out in excitement, ¡°Daddy, Anders'' awake!¡± He''s awake? Shane lowered his head and met with the boy''s dark, watery eyes. A smile crept onto Shane''s face as Anders opened and closed his mouth like a little goldfish. ¡°Right?¡± Sharon smugly huffed. ¡°I was the one who noticed it!¡± ¡°That''s wonderful, Sharon. You''re a great sister,¡± Shane praised dotingly, turning to Sharon. Connor took out two pieces of tissue to pass to Shane. ¡°Here you go, Daddy. It''s for Anders. He''s drooling again.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± Shane took the tissue and praised his elder son, ¡°You''re a good brother too, Connor. You know how to care for your siblings.¡± Even though Connor was mature, he was still a child. He turned red in the face when he heard his father''spliments. Still, he folded his arms and said in an intentionally serious voice, ¡°Well, I guess so.¡± Shane chuckled and shook his head before wiping Anders'' mouth. Anders was only a three-month-old baby. Any other baby his age would have still been in their mother''s womb. Therefore, Anders could not even see anything clearly, let alone hear anything well. Nevertheless, that did not stop Anders from feeling happy. When Shane wiped his lips, Anders beamed. Shane''s eyes widened, and a rare look of excitement crossed his face. ¡°Did Anders just smile?¡± Shane eximed. Both Sharon and Connor bobbed their heads fervently. ¡°He did! I saw it! Anders smiled!¡± ¡°I saw it too.¡± Connor held Anders'' hand. ¡°Anders must know that he''s about to see Mommy. That''s why he''s so happy.¡± ¡°I think so, too,¡± Sharon agreed. ¡°Anders woke up the second we reached where Mommy was. He must know that we''re about to meet her.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Shane threw the tissue he used to wipe Anders'' lips. As he caressed Anders'' cheek, he said, ¡°Children have always had good senses. Anders hasn''t really seen his mommy that often, so I''m sure he wants to see her as quickly as he can.¡± ¡°We want to see Mommy as soon as possible too.¡± With that, Sharon tugged Shane''s arm. ¡°Daddy, let''s hurry into the ce. We want to see Mommy. Anders wants to meet her too. I''m sure Mommy wants to see Anders and us as well.¡± Chapter 1606 Chapter 1606 ¡°Sharon''s right. We''re here to give Mommy a surprise¡ªto let Mommy know that Anders is out and can live with us from now on. I''m so keen to let Mommy see Anders. Surely she''s going to be over the moon to see Anders!¡± Connor added. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Shane did not disappoint the two eager children as he nodded at them. ¡°All right, head in, then. But your mommy''s currently in apetition, so we can''t disturb her. We''ll wait for her in the break room first, and we''ll meet her when herpetition is over.¡± At that, the two excited children hung their heads in disappointment. ¡°Oh. Mommy''s still in thepetition.¡± ¡°There''s nothing we can do about that. We were the ones who came at the wrong time.¡± Connor sighed and shrugged. Sharon then turned to Anders, who was still drooling in Shane''s arms. ¡°And I wanted to let Mommy see Anders as quickly as possible too...¡± ¡°It''s all right. It''ll be the same for Mommy to see him after herpetition.¡± Shane stretched out a hand to console the children. Both nodded obediently. ¡°I guess that''s the only way.¡± Retracting his hand, Shane then turned to Ss and said, ¡°Bring Sharon and Connor to the break room first.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ss responded, clearing his throat. He had been filled with jealousy when he saw how blissful Shane''s family life was. He even swore that he was going to have three children once he got married to Sally so that he could have the same joy as Shane. He was certain it would be wondrous. After chuckling under his breath, Ss got out of the car and carried the two older children down. Then, holding their hands, he walked toward thepetition hall. Shane and Anders were thest to leave the car. With the apaniment of a group of bodyguards and a nanny, they entered thepetition hall. The staff at thepetition hall had already been notified of their arrival. Once they saw them, they led Shane and the others to the assigned break room. The break room wasrge¡ªit was more than one hundred square meters, and it had a kitchen and bedrooms. Shane instructed the bodyguards to wait outside and not let anyonee close to the area. After all, he had three children with him. If he were to let down his guard, and if anything happened to the children, he would regret it for life. ¡°Please carry Anders inside and nurse him,¡± Shane said to the wet nurse as he passed the baby to her. The wet nurse was someone Shane had specifically hired to nurse Anders. Anders was a premature baby. After Natalie gave birth to Anders, Anders was ced in the hospital''s incubator. Not even his guardians were allowed toe close to him, so Natalie could not breastfeed him. Hence, she took a dose ofctation suppression medication. Now that Anders was safely out of the incubator and the hospital, naturally, Shane would have to hire a wet nurse to take care of Anders. After all, both he and Natalie had their own jobs. They could not spend all of their hours taking care of Anders. ¡°Of course, Mr. Thompson.¡± The wet nurse carefully took Anders into her arms and brought the boy into one of the rooms. Sharon skipped her way in as well. She loved her little brother so much she would be willing to stay by his side twenty-four-seven. Connor did not do the same, however. He felt that it was absurd for him, a boy, to watch someone breastfeed. Thus, he stayed outside and watched the surveince footage of his mother''spetition with Shane instead. ¡°Daddy, it''s Mommy,¡± Connor happily said as he pointed at the most beautiful woman on screen. Shane''s eyes were fixed on that woman, and he nodded. ¡°I see her.¡± ¡°Mommy''s so pretty. She''s the prettiest person in the world,¡± Connor remarked as he gestured a circle with his arms. Shane chuckled. ¡°You''re right.¡± Even though it seemed like an exaggeration, Natalie was indeed the most beautiful person in the world for Shane and Connor. Chapter 1607 Chapter 1607 Of course, Shane and Connor were the most handsome people in Natalie''s heart as well. At this time, Natalie was measuring a model''s measurements with a measuring tape, and the same went for Lina, who was beside her. Lina was measuring the model''s neck, wrist, and other parts of the model''s body. Natalie felt something off while she was measuring. She stopped what she was doing and raised her head, looking at the surveince camera above her. Lina noticed what Natalie was doing and raised her head as well, but she didn''t see anything. Out of curiosity, she asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Nat? What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I feel like someone is watching me,¡± Natalie said as she blinked. ¡°Watching you?¡± Lina raised her brow. She then raised her head and looked at the surveince camera before continuing, ¡°You don''t think it''s a pervert, right?¡± ¡°What pervert?¡± Natalie was nonplussed by what Lina had just said. Lina just teased. ¡°Why not? You''re beautiful, so there must be perverts eyeing you. I didn''t mention this before, but many designers fancy you, males and females.¡± ¡°Stop joking.¡± Natalie pushed Lina away petntly. After that, she brought back the initial topic they were talking about. ¡°If I''m not wrong, I think Shane is the one watching me.¡± ¡°Huh? Your husband is watching you?¡± Lina''s eyes widened in shock. Natalie hummed and replied, ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Lina tilted her head, obviously confused. Lina was already very shocked when she heard her best friend, Natalie, saying that she felt someone watching her while looking at the surveince camera. The most important part was Natalie saying she could feel it. Now, Natalie was saying that it was her own husband that was watching her through the surveince camera. This truly shocked Lina. Wow. I didn''t know Nat had superpowers. ¡°I guessed it.¡± Natalie then continued to measure the model as she answered Lina. ¡°You guessed it?¡± Lina could feel her lips twitching at Natalie''s answer. She almost fainted at that, thinking, is this even an answer... Lina thought Natalie had superpowers such as telepathy, but her best friend replied that she was just guessing. This is just... Lina put her hand on her forehead and didn''t know what to say, and Natalie just nodded. ¡°Yeah. Shane came to see me during mypetitionst time. He would wait for me in the lounge if I was in apetition, and he would look at me through the surveince camera while waiting. That''s why I felt like someone was watching me sometimes. As long as I feel something like that, and there''s no malice behind it, then it''s surely Shane.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk.¡± Lina was impressed as she continued, ¡°If that''s the case, then it seems like the both of you are a match made in heaven to be so in sync with each other.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. At her remark, Natalie smiled softly. ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡± ¡°All right. Enough with that. Let''s hurry up with the measurements. There''s a thirty-minute break for us once we''re done. After that, you can see your beloved husband and children,¡± Lina said as she waved her hand. Natalie hummed again and replied, ¡°You''re right.¡± With that, she increased her speed at measuring, and Lina started bing serious as well after she saw that. On the other hand, Ashlyn raised her brows when she noticed how serious they were. It''s just taking the model''s measurements, so why are they so serious? It seems that Lina really wants to win against me. If that''s the case, then I definitely cannot lose to her. Ashlyn''s expression turned solemn as well after that. The other designers were also influenced by what they saw and took the entire measuring segment very seriously, even more seriouslypared to the designing segment. The judges were all baffled when they saw that. What''s going on? The atmosphere around the designers was peaceful until just now. It''s like they''re facing a formidable enemy now. The judges looked at each other and noticed that the other judges did not know the reason for the change as well. So, they all looked away and gave up thinking about it. Well, so what if the air is tense? At least we know everyone is taking thepetition seriously. Meanwhile, in the lounge, Connor blinked at looked at the man beside him. ¡°Daddy, did Mommy notice us?¡± Shane chuckled softly and replied, ¡°Yes. She knows we''re watching her.¡± Chapter 1608 Chapter 1608 When Natalie raised her head, looked at the surveince camera, and smiled, Shane knew that she had found out. Connor gaped in surprise. ¡°Mommy is amazing! She even figured this out!¡± ¡°How did she give birth to you if she''s not?¡± Shane ced his hand on his son''s head as he ruffled gently. Connor proudly puffed his chest when he heard that. ¡°You''re right, Daddy. I won''t be this smart if it wasn''t for you and Mommy!¡± With that, Shane smiled and asked, ¡°All right. Are you hungry?¡± The two children didn''t really eat much on the ne, so they might be hungry now. Hearing Shane''s question, Connor looked down and rubbed his own belly. ¡°A little bit.¡± ¡°Well, get your sister, and let''s have some food.¡± Shane stopped ruffling Connor''s hair after saying that before the little boy jumped off the couch. ¡°I''ll get her!¡± He then ran out of the room with his two short legs. After that, Shane pulled out his cell phone and dialed Ss'' number, telling him to buy some food for the kids. Ss was now arranging the bodyguard''s living arrangement, and he had just finished what he was doing when the phone call came in. That was why he had the time to buy the food. Half an hour had passed after he bought the food. The children were now eating while watching the huge screen in front of them, and Connor immediately stood up when he noticed Natalie packing her stuff. ¡°Daddy. It''s time for Mommy to rest.¡± Shane was feeding his daughter, and he raised his head when he heard that. Indeed, it was as Connor said, and he gave Ss a look. Ss instantly understood and stood up. ¡°I understand, Mr. Thompson. I''ll bring Mrs. Thompson here.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Shane replied after he hummed in acknowledgment, and Ss walked out. However, Shane stopped Ss just when thetter took two steps forward, and Ss turned, asking, ¡°Are there any other orders, Mr. Thompson?¡± Shane had just finished feeding his daughter. He then said, ¡°Don''t tell her Anders is here when you see her.¡± Ss adjusted his sses and smiled. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson. I understand. I won''t let her know.¡± ¡°Okay. Go on, then.¡± Shane nodded in satisfaction with that. This time, Ss sessfully left the lounge without dys. Soon, he arrived outside thepetition room, and he saw both Natalie and Lina standing at the door. Natalie waited because if Shane were the one looking at her through the surveince camera, then he would surely send someone over to lead her to where he was since she wouldn''t know which lounge they would be in. Sure enough, Ss appeared after a few minutes. Lina quickly pulled Natalie''s wrist and gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Nat, you''re really something. You really guessed it right. Mr. Thompson was really the one looking at you through the surveince camera.¡± Natalie broke into a smile. ¡°All right. Let''s go,¡± and the both of them walked toward Ss. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Ss greeted the duo when he saw them. ¡°Mrs. Thompson, Ms. Cohen. Mr. Thompson has ordered me to bring the both of you over.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. Ss made a gesture and led both of them to where he came from. After a while, they soon reached a room, and Ss pointed at the door and said, ¡°Mrs. Thompson. Mr. Thompson and the children are inside.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Natalie nodded and was about to knock on the door, but before she could, the door opened from the inside. It was Shane as he held both the children''s hands in each of his hands, and the three of them looked at her with a smile on their faces. Natalie''s heart melted when she saw them, and with a skip, she leaped into the man''s embrace. The man never thought Natalie would take the initiative. He immediately let go of the children''s hands as he hugged her, gently patting her back. His voice was so gentle that she felt like she would drown in them. ¡°What''s wrong? Did you miss me that much?¡± In reply, Natalie rested her head on his shoulder and uttered, ¡°Yeah. I''ve really missed you.¡± They video-called each other every day, but she still couldn''t hide her excitement when she saw him, and she immediately hugged him. Chapter 1609 Chapter 1609 Shane listened to the woman''s candid words, his gaze imbued with tenderness. ¡°I''ve missed you too, every moment of every day.¡± Natalie lifted her head, looking up at him with a smile. Lowering his head, Shane pressed his forehead against hers, and they looked into each other''s eyes. Beside them, the two children, Lina, and Ss averted their gazes, as did the bodyguards who were present. They really could not bear to watch. Whenever they saw the lovey-dovey couple, their hearts would spill with envy. Even those who had girlfriends or were married could not help but feel bitter whenever they witnessed the loving rtionship between the sweet couple, let alone those who were single. Therefore, to avoid the pain, they had to look away. As the crowd turned their gazes away, Natalie eventually began to sense the shift in the atmosphere around them. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Lifting her head, she turned over to look at the others only to see that they had all turned their backs toward them. Her cheeks instantly flushed in embarrassment as she could guess why they were acting that way. Naturally, Shane also knew what they were thinking, though he did not believe it was anything to be embarrassed about as Natalie did. I was merely leaning my forehead against my wife''s. What''s wrong with that? If these people can''t bear to watch, they can only me themselves for not having a wife or not having their wives by their sides. ¡°That''s enough, Darling. Let me go now,¡± said Natalie as she pushed the man''s shoulder lightly. However, the man caressed her soft waist as he responded, ¡°Well, it was you who hugged me first.¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°So what? Just let me go now, would you?¡± Without saying anything else, Shane finally let go of her waist obediently. Once she regained her freedom, Natalie cleared her throat and lowered her head to look at the two children. Connor''s eyes were closed, and at the same time, he had reached out to cover Sharon''s eyes as well. Natalie could not help but feel amused at the sight of them. ¡°Sharon, Connor.¡± She squatted down, caressing their heads. Feeling her touch, Connor opened his eyes and removed his hand from his sister''s eyes. The two children looked at Natalie, their eyes brightening as they greeted, ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Natalie smiled as the two children threw themselves into her arms. Hugging them tightly, Natalie held their heads, stroking the back of their heads gently. ¡°My little darlings, how I''ve missed you both.¡± ¡°Mommy, we missed you too,¡± the children responded in unison as they leaned against her chest. Natalie kissed their foreheads and temporarily released the children. ¡°Here, let me see if you''ve lost weight.¡± ¡°We haven''t.¡± Connor shook his head. ¡°With Daddy and Mrs. Wilson around, we were well taken care of and wouldn''t have lost any weight.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Sharon nodded. Natalie chuckled. ¡°That''s good, then. In that case, did you thank Mrs. Wilson for taking such good care of you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± answered Sharon at once. ¡°It was Mrs. Wilson''s birthday a few days ago. Connor and I even prepared a birthday present for her.¡± ¡°Is that so? That sounds great,¡± Natalie said with a smile. At this moment, Shane squatted down as well, wrapping the mother and two children in his embrace. ¡°Let''s not block the doorway. Why don''t we go in first? We can continue talking inside.¡± ¡°Sure, let''s go in,¡± Natalie agreed with a nod. Then, the moment Shane let them go, she stood up and entered the lounge, holding the children''s hands. Shane followed behind her. Lina, however, did not follow but stayed outside instead, chatting with Ss. She knew that since Natalie had just reunited with her husband and children, the family of four definitely had a lot of catching up to do with each other. Therefore, she decided not to disturb them while they were at it and that she would simply enter the roomter when they were done. Natalie understood Lina''s intentions as well, which was why she did notment when she noticed Lina did note along with them. Chapter 1610 Chapter 1610 The family stepped into the lounge. As soon as they entered the room, Natalie immediately felt something was off. She halted her footsteps abruptly, scrutinizing the surroundings through narrowed eyes and trying to put her finger on the exact problem of the ce. The two children and Shane stopped as well. Connor blinked and asked in puzzlement, ¡°What''s wrong, Mommy?¡± Sniffing the air, Natalie answered, ¡°There seems to be a strange scent in the room.¡± ¡°What sort of scent?¡± Sharon cocked her head to the side with a bewildered expression on her face. ¡°I don''t smell anything strange.¡± ¡°It''s a milky scent,¡± stated Natalie finally. Hearing that, Shane raised his brows slightly. What a sharp nose she has! Who would''ve thought that she would catch that scent? ¡°A milky scent?¡± Sharon was dumbfounded at first, but her eyes lit up as she thought of something. ¡°Oh, I know what it is. That must be¡ª¡± However, before she could finish the sentence, Connor quickly cupped his hand over her mouth. ¡°You silly thing! You should''ve kept quiet!¡± he scolded her exasperatedly. Knowing that she had done something wrong, Sharon merely blinked, mumbling incoherently, ¡°Mmm...¡± I''m sorry, Connor. I didn''t do that on purpose. When she heard Natalie mention the milky scent, she automatically wanted to exin that it must have come from Anders. The words slipped out of her mouth before she realized that it was not yet time to talk about it. Natalie observed the two children''s reactions, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. ¡°Connor, are you guys hiding something from me?¡± ¡°No!¡± Connor denied, shaking his head vehemently. Sharon, whose mouth was still covered by her brother, nodded emphatically in agreement as well. However, the more they did that, the more it proved that their responses were problematic. Natalie was certain that they were hiding something from her, but since they were clearly unwilling to spit out the truth, she decided not to force them. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the man by her side. ¡°Darling, tell me, what''s going on? Why is there such a thick milky scent here?¡± Although Connor and Sharon both drank milk, they drank powdered milk, which did not produce such a strong milky scent. Only goat''s milk or breastmilk smells like this. Watching Natalie wracking her brain, Shane let out a light chuckle. ¡°Why don''t you make a guess?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°In fact, I wanted to mention it earlier when I smelled it on you just now. It was faint, but the scent was definitely there. I forgot all about it after talking to you and the kids, though. So, tell me honestly. Why do you carry such a milky scent? You haven''t been drinking milk yourself, have you?¡± The moment Shane heard those words, his lips twitched as his expression darkened. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. What is she talking about? How could I possibly have been drinking milk? Torn between amusement and exasperation, he held his forehead, asking, ¡°In our family, other than Connor and Sharon, who else do you think drinks milk?¡± Besides Connor and Sharon, there was obviously only one person who drank milk. Anders? At that thought, Natalie turned sharply toward Shane. Staring at him with widened eyes, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but she was so overwhelmed with excitement and disbelief at her spection that she was not able to utter a single word, and her eyes reddened in desperation. Hugging her gently, Shaneforted her in a soft voice, ¡°There, there. It''s all right. Calm down first and speak slowly.¡± However, Natalie was so emotional that she could not keep still. Of course, there was no way she could keep calm at that moment. As the milky scent lingered in the lounge and on Shane''s body, it could only mean one thing¡ªAnders was likely here. As she thought about how secretive the children looked earlier and recalled Sharon''s unfinished sentence, she was positive about it. Anders is really here. At that thought, she instantly broke free from Shane''s arms and headed toward the rooms in the lounge. The lounge was not that big and had only two rooms. Since Anders was not there with them, he must be in one of the rooms. Seeing a room with its door shut tight, she headed toward it. Chapter 1611 Chapter 1611 Since that was the only door closed, there was a high chance Anders was inside. Watching Natalie run toward where Anders was, Shane shook his head with a gentle smile. It''s probably her motherly instinct at work. Despite not asking about him, she can urately sense Anders'' location. ¡°Daddy, Mommy seems to know that Anders is here.¡± Sharon and Connor looked up at Shane in unison. cing one hand on the children''s heads each, Shane looked in Natalie''s direction as he replied in a gentle voice, ¡°Considering how smart Mommy is, all she needs is a little clue to guess Anders'' location.¡± Even if we didn''t give her one, she would still find him in the end. At most, she''ll take a little more time. Connor nodded at once. ¡°You''re right, Daddy. If Mommy wasn''t smart, she wouldn''t have given birth to someone as clever as I am.¡± ¡°You''re such a narcissist.¡± Sharon rolled her eyes at him. Connor widened his eyes in response. ¡°You''re calling me a narcissist? Also, where did you learn that word from?¡± Sharon''s intelligence was that of an ordinary child. She was just physically bigger than children of her own age. As a result, Connor was surprised that she knew that word. Sharon blinked before replying, ¡°My coach told me about it. He said that whoever likes to praise themselves is a narcissist. Isaque is clearly no match for me in kickboxing ss, yet he likes to im that he''s the best. That was when the coach called him a narcissist.¡± The words caused Connor''s lips to twitch. ¡°Sharon, you had better forget that word.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Sharon asked quizzically. Connor puffed his chest as he replied, ¡°This word isn''t suitable to be used by someone your age.¡± ¡°But, Connor, aren''t you just as old as I am?¡± ¡°I''m different.¡± Connor snorted smugly. ¡°You''re still in kindergarten while I''m preparing to go to university. Mentally, we''re of different ages.¡± He subsequently gestured to indicate a high level. ¡°My mental age is so much higher than yours!¡± Sharon pouted in response. ¡°You act no differently from me on a daily basis. I can''t see how your mental age is any different too.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Shane couldn''t help but chuckle in amusement when he heard the children argue. After shaking his head in resignation, he held both their hands. ¡°Enough of such talk. Let''s go and see Mommy and Anders.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sharon was filled with tion to hear that they were going to see her brother. She was really fond of him, after all. Connor, who also shared her sentiments, nodded repeatedly before walking ahead with Shane in tow. ¡°Daddy, let''s hurry.¡± Upon humming in acknowledgment, Shane led the children to Natalie''s side. Meanwhile, when Natalie arrived at the tightly-closed door, she ced her hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. After suppressing her racing heart, she gave the doorknob a twist. This is from N?velDrama.Org. The door opened to reveal a room covered in darkness, as the light had yet to be turned on. Nevertheless, it didn''t bother Natalie, for she could smell a thick milky scent in the air. It consequently intensified her conviction that Anders was inside. Just the thought of it alone elerated Natalie''s breath. She then raised her hand to turn on the room''s light. Soon, the entire room was clearly illuminated. Natalie saw, in the middle of the room, a big bed. Right beside it was a luxurious-looking baby cot. Through the rails of the baby cot, she could clearly see a bump inside it. There was no doubt in her mind that it was Anders. Natalie''s fists were tightly clenched, while the emotions welling up inside her caused her body to tremble uncontrobly. With her knees feeling as if they would buckle any time, she trudged forward to the baby cot. Arriving by its side, Natalie looked down to be greeted by the sight of a baby sleeping soundly with its eyes closed. Even though the baby looked different from a month ago, she knew that it was Anders still. The maternal bond she had with him would never lie. Chapter 1612 Chapter 1612 Furthermore, a baby would look different every day due to the rapid growth it was experiencing. The same naturally applied to Anders after an entire month. ¡°Anders...¡± Natalie tightened her grip on the baby cot''s rails. Overwhelmed by joy, her voice quivered and choked at the same time. Ever since Anders was born, she was constantly worried about him and thought of him all the time. Yet she was unable to hug him nor see him every day due to the fact that he was kept inside an incubator. Nheless, she never failed to pray, hoping that Anders would be able to leave the incubator and be reunited with her. Given that Anders had been staying in there for months, she was almost driven mad by the urge to hug and kiss him. However, she was aware that the feelings she had bore no impact on the medical process. As a result, she had no choice but to suppress her longing for him. Only by not thinking of him could she alleviate the torment she felt. With the passage of time, she was cognizant that the duration of Anders'' stay inside the incubator was getting shorter. In fact, she had begun to count down his remaining days during the time of the competition. When she woke up every day, the first thing she did wasn''t take a shower. Instead, she would cross out the days on a calendar as a way to remind herself of how long more she needed to wait before she could hug him. In her mind, she was expecting Anders to be discharged from the hospital in another month. It would have coincided with the time thepetition ended. She had assumed that once she returned to the country afterpleting thepetition, she would be able to be there when Anders was discharged. Little did she expect that a change of schedule would result in thepetition ending earlier than expected. Nheless, she was d that it happened, as it would allow her to return to the country ahead of schedule. She would also be able to visit Anders every day at the hospital. Unexpectedly, Anders was discharged from the hospital before thepetition ended. Now that he had appeared right in front of her, there was no way she could hold her emotions back. Overwhelmed by joy, she burst into tears as she gave Anders a hug. She alternated between sobbing and crying while caressing his gentle face. This is real. Anders is right here with me. Only God knew how much she feared that it was nothing but a dream. Thank God this is real. This really is my Anders. With that thought in mind, Natalie tightened her hug over him. Thetter was subsequently awoken by her sobs of delight. With his eyes still closed, Anders pouted momentarily before wailing out loud. The sound of his cries forced Natalie to contain her excitement and carry him out of his cot. Holding him in her arms, she coaxed him, ¡°Good boy, Anders. Don''t cry. It''s my fault for waking you. I''m sorry, all right? So please don''t cry. I''m here, right by your side.¡± While soothing him, Natalie peppered him with kisses on the forehead and cheeks. Soon, Anders began to calm down as a result of the motherlyfort Natalie provided. When his eyes gradually opened, he gave Natalie a teary-eyed stare. Subsequently, he let out the cutest coo that she had ever heard. Natalie was briefly stunned before being overwhelmed by emotions again. ¡°You''re smiling, Anders. You''re smiling at me!¡± This is unbelievable. If Anders had been born like an ordinary child, he would likely be in the womb still. Logically speaking, a child at his stage of growth shouldn''t be capable of smiling. And yet, she couldn''t deny the truth before her eyes¡ªAnders was smiling at her. This is from N?velDrama.Org. It was a fact that shocked Natalie, yet filled her with delight. His ability to do so indicated that his nervous system was working as it should. Chapter 1613 Chapter 1613 The sound of iing footsteps told Natalie that Shane had entered the room. With Anders in her arms, she turned around and eximed, ¡°You''re amazing, Anders. You can smile! Darling, did you see it? Anders is smiling!¡± Shane walked up to her side and looked down at Anders as he replied softly, ¡°I see it. Anders is smiling indeed.¡± ¡°Mommy, Mommy.¡± Sharon hopped up and down in front of Shane. With a hand raised, she said, ¡°Mommy, I know that Anders can smile too. On the way here earlier, he was already smiling in the car.¡± ¡°It''s true, Mommy. I saw it too,¡± Connor added with a nod. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Shane reached out his hand and tapped Anders'' face gently with his finger. ¡°The children are telling the truth. When we arrived just now, Anders woke up in my arms and smiled. It got me thinking. He must have known that you''re here and made an effort to wake up and smile at you.¡± ¡°Is that so? You''re the best, Anders. I love you.¡± The sparkle in Natalie''s eyes intensified after she heard Shane and the children''s words. She then lowered her head and gave Anders a kiss. Anders subsequently cooed in chuckle again. As his tender voice rang out, a warm atmosphere descended upon the room. Shane proceeded to poke Anders'' face again, unable to resist the satisfying sensation he felt from Anders'' soft and tender skin. Thereafter, Shane would poke his son intermittently over the next two days. Seemingly annoyed by Shane''s gesture, Anders resisted by grabbing Shane''s index finger. When his soft and jiggly hands wrapped around Shane''s finger, it triggered a sense of curiosity in the latter. At the same time, he also felt his heart melt at the gesture. ¡°Anders is holding my hand,¡± the smiling Shane said to Natalie. Natalie responded with a nod. ¡°That''s right. Anders is fond of Daddy. That''s why you''re holding Daddy''s hand, isn''t that right?¡± Unable to understand what the adults were talking about, Anders blew bubbles in what seemed to be his attempt to coo in acknowledgment. The sight caused Natalie and Shane to exchange nces with a smile. At that moment, the two children gave Natalie''s sleeve a tug. ¡°Mommy, Mommy, you''re carrying Anders way too high for us to see. Please lower him down.¡± ¡°Sharon''s right, Mommy,¡± Connor added. Natalie shed a gentle smile. ¡°All right, all right. I''ll carry him lower.¡± She was naturally delighted to see the two children so fond of their brother. As long as they liked him, she wouldn''t need to worry about any potential conflicts among them. The reality was that she would inadvertently need to spend more time with Anders than the other two due to his inherently weak constitution. It was also necessary for her to exin the situation to both of them, hoping to gain their understanding. Only when they had a clear picture did she not need to worry about them being jealous of Anders over the additional attention he received. Leaning forward, Natalie lowered Anders so that the two children could see him. The sight of how adorable their baby brother was brought joyful smiles to both their faces. ¡°Mommy, Anders is blowing bubbles again. It''s so cute,¡± Sharon remarked as she stroked Anders'' face. Connor nodded in agreement. ¡°I agree. Also, it''s wonderful how he doesn''t cry or throw a tantrum. One of our neighbor''s sons is already two but wails all day and night, which is really annoying. I don''t like children who cry all the time. I prefer Anders so much more.¡± With that, Connor held Anders'' hand to shake. Natalie replied with a smile, ¡°That''s right. It''s easy to grow fond of Anders, given how well-behaved he is.¡± Shane joined in the conversation. ¡°It''s true that Anders seldom cried over thest two days. The only time he would make a fuss is when he''s hungry or needs to poop. Other than that, he would be ying by himself or sleeping in his baby cot. Looking after him is such a pleasure.¡± Chapter 1614 Chapter 1614 If the doctor hadn''t verified that Anders was healthy, they would have mistaken his obedience for ack of intelligence. ¡°It''s all due to how sensible our son is. He''s clearly behaving because he knows how tough the adults have it,¡± Nataliemented while gazing at Anders. When something struck her suddenly, she asked, ¡°By the way, Darling, is Anders the surprise that you told me about earlier?¡± Shane raised his chin slightly. ¡°Yes. I know that no gift in this world would make you happier than Anders. That''s why I didn''t tell you when he was discharged from the hospital. I wanted to give you a pleasant surprise by bringing him over. So, did it work?¡± Natalie gave him a teary-eyed nod. ¡°It worked perfectly. You''re right that nothing else in this world would make me any happier than the sight of my child.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Staring at Anders, her eyes brimmed with maternal love. After Shane put Anders back into his cot, thetter cooed inughter again. He then grasped in the air with a smile, making for an adorable sight. It was one that melted the hearts of both his parents. Upon tucking Anders in, Natalie asked, ¡°When was he discharged?¡± ¡°Five days ago,¡± Shane answered. Natalie, in feigned anger, pped him on his chest. ¡°You actually kept it from me for five days? It looks like you''re getting really good at hiding things from me.¡± ¡°It''s all for the sake of giving you a surprise. Even the children were in on it.¡± He shifted his gaze to the two children who were ying with Anders. ¡°There were a few times when they almost let the secret slip but managed to keep it after I reminded them to do so. As we went through a lot just to prepare the surprise, do I get a reward tonight, Honey?¡± Lowering his head, Shane let out an alluring hum by her ear. Despite getting his hint, Natalie rolled her eyes and nudged him with her elbow. ¡°Sheesh, what are you talking about? The children are right here.¡± ¡°I was whispering. There''s no way they heard me.¡± Pulling her hand over, he checked her elbow. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± His show of concern elicited a smile from the annoyed Natalie. ¡°Of course, it doesn''t. What about you? Did I hurt you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shane shook his head. As a man, there''s no way I can''t bear something that trivial. Besides, hitting me is my wife''s way of showing her love for me. After ncing at the children and being certain they were not paying attention, Natalie lifted her heels to whisper into Shane''s ear. ¡°All right. I''ll satisfy you however you want at night. Happy now?¡± With his eyes glistening in delight, Shane cleared his throat but failed to diminish its raspiness. ¡°Yes. You said it yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°On the ount of the huge surprise you have given me, you do deserve a reward.¡± As his Adam''s apple began to bob, Shane''s voice grew hoarser. ¡°You''re the best, Honey.¡± ¡°Anyway, answer me this. Wasn''t Anders supposed to be discharged next month? Why did they let him leave early?¡± The baffled Natalie knitted her brows. ¡°Was this the doctor''s decision or yours?¡± ¡°The doctor''s, of course,¡± Shane replied as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t do anything impulsive when ites to the children''s health.¡± Natalie heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That''s good, but is it a really good idea to discharge Anders ahead of time?¡± Natalie couldn''t help but feel concerned about potential issues, as the entire schedule was brought forward by almost a month. Cognizant of how worried she was, Shane gave her a reassuring hug. ¡°Don''t worry. There won''t be any problems. I was just as concerned as you are now when the hospital first told me about it, so I made an effort to check with them. The doctors subsequently told me that they were all in agreement with the decision.¡± Chapter 1615 Chapter 1615 Natalie nodded upon hearing Shane''s words. ¡°That''s good to know.¡± She figured that the doctors wouldn''t act irresponsibly out of fear of Shane''s wrath. All that mattered was that Anders was doing fine. Holding that thought, Natalie emerged from Shane''s arms and knelt by the baby cot. She held Anders'' hand with her face oozing with maternal love. As if he could sense the affection exuded by Natalie, Anders reached out to hold her finger. Even though Natalie''s fingers were extremely dainty, Anders was only capable of holding half of it. Nheless, it was already enough for Natalie to feel her eyes burn. ¡°Anders...¡± she called out softly before turning to face Shane. ¡°Darling, look at how he''s holding my hand. He knows how to grab onto something.¡± It was a sign that Anders knew how to control his body, a fact that naturally delighted Natalie. Kneeling beside them, Shane stroked Anders'' face as he replied softly, ¡°Anders must be gifted like Connor.¡± ¡°Of course he is. He''s my brother, after all.¡± Connor proudly thrust his chin forward upon hearing those words. Sharon, too, nodded in agreement. ¡°Anders is amazing!¡± Shane and Natalie exchanged smiling nces when they heard the two praise Anders. Thetter''s arrival was the best thing to happen to Natalie over the past few months. Therefore, after she left the break room and returned to thepetition venue, she just couldn''t stop herself from smiling. When Lina sensed Natalie''s good mood, she couldn''t resist rolling her eyes at thetter. ¡°Aren''t you overdoing it, Nat? I know that your husband and children are here to cheer for you, but do you really need to keep smiling the entire time? If it wasn''t because of your beauty, you really look like a fool.¡± Natalie stroked her own face awkwardly. ¡°Am I really smiling like an idiot?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lina shook her head. ¡°Didn''t I just say that your pretty face saved you from looking that way? Anyway, you''re smiling so liberally to the extent of leaving your mouth agape. Even when Mr. Thompson and your two children visited previously, you weren''t as ecstatic as you are now. What happened? I suppose Mr. Thompson must have given you a really big surprise? Otherwise, why haven''t you stopped smiling ever since you left the lounge?¡± Lina spected as she stared at Natalie. As she wasn''t in the lounge, Lina had no idea what had happened inside. In order not to get in the way of Natalie''s family reunion, she ate alone at the cafeteria before resting in the break room. It wasn''t until thepetition was about to resume in the afternoon that she returned to the venue. By the time she was back, she couldn''t resist asking for the reason when she saw her best friend grinning non-stop. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing Lina''s question, Natalie twirled her hair as she replied, ¡°That''s right. Shane did give me a huge surprise. One that I''ll never forget for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Intrigued, Lina leaned over to ask, ¡°What is it? Tell me quickly. Did Mr. Thompson get you something luxurious?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°It''s indeed something valuable, but luxury isn''t the word to describe it. It''s my reason for living and a priceless treasure in my heart.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Lina tilted her head. ¡°Why are you speaking in riddles?¡± Reason for living? Priceless treasure? For someone who only cared about designing and nothing else, Lina felt tormented when she was forced to specte. shing a smile, Natalie saw no reason to hide the fact. ¡°It''s Anders.¡± ¡°Anders?¡± Lina was stunned. For a brief moment, it never urred to her what the name meant. Nevertheless, she figured it out in no time. Isn''t Anders Nat and Mr. Thompson''s third child? The one whom Nat gave birth prematurely at six months¡ªdue to the shock of Mr. Thompson''s disappearance¡ªand who had to stay in an incubator? I even designed a small pendant of the goddess of love for him. Chapter 1616 Chapter 1616 ¡°Anders?¡± Lina eximed the moment she grasped the situation. Meanwhile, many of the designers were chatting in small groups as thepetition had yet to begin. Lina''s loud response inadvertently caught everyone''s attention. Cognizant of themotion Lina had caused, Natalie quickly pulled her aside. ¡°Chill, Lina. Chill.¡± Lina nodded quickly to indicate her acknowledgment. After taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she held Natalie''s hands and asked excitedly, ¡°Nat, are you saying that Anders has been discharged and was brought here by Mr. Thompson?¡± Natalie nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, he left the hospital a few days ago, but Shane and the children hid the fact from me just so that they could bring him here to surprise me.¡± ¡°That''s one hell of a surprise indeed.¡± Lina continued to hold Natalie''s hands. ¡°Congrattions, Nat. You finally have Anders back by your side.¡± Amidst a burning sensation in her nose, Natalie nodded again. ¡°Thank you, Lina. Over thest few months, I had been counting down the days till Anders was discharged and returned to my side. And now, the day I have been waiting for is finally here.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Lina remarked. All this while, she was well aware of how guilty Natalie felt over Anders. Now that he could leave the hospital, it was a given that Natalie''s mind was put at ease. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°By the way, Natalie, how is Anders doing now?¡± Lina asked in a worried tone. As Anders'' godmother, she cared a lot about him and was obliged to keep herself updated on his condition. Sensing Lina''s concern, Natalie smiled at her reassuringly. ¡°Anders is doing well. He knows that his godmother is worried about him and has recovered well so as not to disappoint you.¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that.¡± Lina patted her chest in relief as she broke into a smile. ¡°It''s been a long time since Ist saw Anders. Thest time was when you showed me the picture of him when you came here for thepetition. While you had your video calls with Mr. Thompson at night, it wouldn''t have been practical for him to show us Anders at the hospital. You know, I''ve really missed him a lot.¡± ¡°It''s no big deal.¡± Natalie patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Now that Anders is here and will be staying for a while, you can get to see him every day. Besides, Anders hasn''t met you, his godmother, yet. You had better take this opportunity to spend more time with him so that he doesn''t forget who you are next time.¡± ¡°That''s a good idea.¡± Lina''s eyes lit up in agreement. ¡°Nat, the gifts I have prepared for the children are in the vi. When we head backter, can I help Anders put on the goddess of love pendant?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I obviously won''t have any objections to the blessing you intend to give him. Also, you''re wee to carry him. And you know what? He''s really easy to care for.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Intrigued by the statement, Lina held Natalie''s hands. ¡°Nat, hurry up and tell me how is he easy to care for? I''ve never taken care of children before, so I really want to know. Who knows, I might even be able to look after him in the future.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie nodded. Without keeping her friend in suspense, she rted everything that happened when she yed with Anders in the room earlier. Upon hearing Natalie''s description, Lina put her hand to her chest as her face gushed with admiration. ¡°Oh my, from what you''ve told me, Anders must be really cute. Instead of crying, he has a penchant for laughing, just like the child of my dreams. I''m in no mood for thepetition anymore. Let''s go and see him right now.¡± Lina''s excitement caused Natalie to shake her head with a grin. ¡°If we weren''t barred from bringing our phones in, I could''ve shown you pictures of Anders. I took a lot of them just now.¡± ¡°Stop talking about it.¡± With a serious expression, Lina clutched at her chest with one hand and blocked Natalie with another. ¡°If you continue, I''m worried that I''ll fail to resist my urge to run right out and get Mr. Thompson to show me Anders.¡± Chapter 1617 Chapter 1617 Natalie doubled over withughter. ¡°Stop exaggerating!¡± In response, Lina sighed. ¡°You don''t understand. I totally love babies like him. Never mind if I''d never seen Anders in the past, but I''ve had the chance to see him now. On top of that, he''s my godson. How can I stop myself from thinking about him?¡± ¡°All right. I''ll stop talking about him, then,¡± Natalie replied in a resigned tone. ¡°That''s right. Don''t talk about Anders anymore. I''m afraid I''d picture his adorable self in my mind if you were to continue further. Then, I might not be able to concentrate on thepetition.¡± Lina took a few deep breaths to restrain the excitement within her. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. At that, Natalie swiftly ceased speaking of Anders, lest it affect Lina for real. It would be bad if thetter were to make a mistake or face ack of inspiration during thepetitionter. Nheless, she was still ted inwardly. As a mother, she was naturally proud and delighted that someone liked her son so much. Soon, thepetition began. Perhaps Lina was eager to go back earlier to see Anders, for she was exceedingly serious during the competition in the afternoon. It was as though she had been injected with a dose of adrenaline. She was so intensely focused that Natalie felt as though she had turned into a different person altogether. At the sight of her utter earnestness, Natalie likewise pulled herself together and became serious. Otherwise, she would drag Lina down if she failed to keep up with her pace. That round ofpetition would not be determining the top three cings on that very day. After all, it was impossible for designers to finish a final draft to their absolute satisfaction within a day. Therefore, the contestants would generally submit their drafts after they had made satisfactory progress or had run out of inspiration that day. The following day, they would retrieve their drafts and continue drawing. Three days were given for the first round of thepetition. Only after that period would the final draft be fully finalized and the top three contestants be selected. Thus, the designers could submit their drafts and leave after doing some rough sketches that day. Of course, if any of them felt that the design they drew that day could be considered the final draft, they could inform the organizer about it during the submission and only return after three days to await the results of thepetition. Right then, Natalie had already finished her draft. She studied the stunningly beautiful design that could rob one''s breath at a nce before turning to Lina beside her, who had also drawn a gorgeous jewelry design. Smiling, she asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Lina did not answer her but cast her gaze on the design in Natalie''s hands. The instant sheid eyes on the costume thetter designed, she whistled. ¡°We sure are the perfect team, Nat. We don''t discuss the design much before getting down to business. Instead, we tacitly draw ording to our own ideas and only see whether the costume and essories match after the fact. If they don''t match, we will then alter them until they do. But from the look of things now, no changes are necessary. Our designs match perfectly.¡± Verily, she had never met a costume designer who had such a high degree ofpatibility with her. Simrly, Natalie eximed, ¡°Exactly! I didn''t expect our designs to match so perfectly. That aside, we both have the same idea about the draft submission. This is your final draft, yes? You''re not nning to make any modificationster, are you?¡± Lina nodded with a grin. ¡°That''s right. I think my design is already perfect. I don''t know what I can change. It''s wless to the point that no alterations are required. Altering it would only ruin it. Hence, I decided to consider it as the final draft. The same goes for you, right, Nat?¡± At that, Natalie murmured in assent. ¡°Yeah, that''s what I think too. My inspiration is overflowing today, so much so that I finished the design in one go. I didn''t even have to restart on another paper.¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± Lina shed her a peace sign before pouting her lips to gesture at the other designers. ¡°Look at those designers. They''re all frowning deeply. I guess their designs are probably noting all that smoothly.¡± Following her gaze, Natalie concurred, ¡°Looks like it.¡± ¡°I think some of them haven''t even finished their initial draft,¡± Lina remarked. Natalie dipped her head in agreement. ¡°They probably won''t be satisfied with their initial drafts even if they finish them today and will continue revising them tomorrow. But someone else seems to have also finished the final draft, like us.¡± Chapter 1618 Chapter 1618 ¡°You mean Ashlyn Myler?¡± Lina arched a brow. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Natalie spun the pencil in her hand. ¡°Yeah. While we were talking, I noticed her putting down the pencil in her hand before picking up her design with a pleased smile on her face. So, I reckon shepleted her most satisfactory draft in a single attempt, like us.¡± ¡°But she seems to be wearing a dark expression right now,¡± Lina countered, rubbing her chin. At that, Natalie heaved a sigh. ¡°Her partner dragged her down.¡± ¡°Her partner?¡± When Lina heard herment, she immediately directed her gaze at the costume designer beside Ashlyn. That costume designer turned out to be one of the many designers who were frowning earlier. Biting her pencil, the costume designer regarded Ashlyn carefully and said something or other to the latter. As the conversation progressed, Ashlyn''s expression grew increasingly grim. In fact, she appeared to be teetering on the verge of blowing up. At that scene, Lina could not help but gloat over their predicament. ¡°Her partner can''tpare with us at all.¡± Shrugging, Nataliemented, ¡°I know a bit about her partner. She''s a talented designer. If she''s without talent, she couldn''t possibly have attained such fame today. It''s just that her style doesn''t match Ashlyn''s. Her costume design style is more inclined toward punk metal. Contrarily, Ashlyn''s jewelry design is noble, elegant, mature, and charming. How can these two styles meld together?¡± ¡°It seems that Ashlyn is going to lose to me,¡± Lina joked, narrowing her eyes a fraction. That had Natalie torn between mirth and exasperation. ¡°All right. Stop that.¡± ¡°I was merely kidding.¡± Lina waved a hand. Subsequently, her expression went back to normal. ¡°But honestly speaking, it''s a pity if Ashlyn really gets dragged down by her partner and fails to make it to the second round of thepetition. If that happens, I wouldn''t have a chance topete with her.¡± For that reason, she actually hoped that Ashlyn''s partner would live up to her expectations and do her best to advance to the second round of thepetition with Ashlyn. She believed that she and Natalie would definitely make the cut, so she hoped the same for her rival, Ashlyn. Only then would she and Ashlyn be able to have properpetition. Natalie''s eyes remained fixed on Ashlyn. ¡°Yeah. Ashlyn must be looking all grave now because her partner''s design style differs greatly from her design. If they don''t discuss making amendments, they''ll certainly lose.¡± Lina was also aware of Ashlyn''s precarious situation then. However, she chuckled unworriedly. ¡°It''s okay. Despite the vast difference in their design styles now, I believe they''ll undoubtedly be able to turn the tables. Otherwise, Ashlyn wouldn''t have gotten her current partner to team up with her. I highly doubt she didn''t learn about her partner''s style before seeking her out.¡± Natalie bobbed her head in agreement. ¡°You''re right.¡± ¡°Therefore, she surely knows that the costume designed by her partner won''t match her jewelry. Otherwise, why is there no surprise on her face but severity alone? Thus, she has likely anticipated this situation. I believe that they will be able to turn the tide in the next two days.¡± ¡°You''ve got great confidence in her,¡± Natalie remarked smilingly. Flipping her hair, Lina answered cheekily, ¡°Of course! No matter what, she''s my rival. I''ve still got that much confidence in her.¡± ¡°In that case, don''t worry about not being able topete with herter.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Lina seconded. Natalie made to stand up. ¡°Okay, let''s submit our drafts. Aren''t you still waiting to hold Anders?¡± At the mention of Anders, Lina''s eyes promptly lit up. She instantly sprang to her feet. ¡°Come, let''s go! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and submit our drafts. Quick, Nat!¡± Chapter 1619 Chapter 1619 Upon seeing that Natalie was still sitting there without making any move to rise to her feet, Lina was so impatient that she swiftly grabbed her arm and yanked her up from the chair to submit their drafts. Shaking her head in amusement, Natalie stood up and headed toward the judges'' table at the front. When Lina walked past Ashlyn, she stopped briefly. ¡°My draft is already the finished draft, Ashlyn. How about you?¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± Ashlyn replied, lifting her head to look at Lina after snagging something over to cover her design. There was a fleeting gleam in Lina''s eyes, and she deliberately put on an incredulous expression. ¡°Are you serious? You''re also done? But you''re frowning away as though the truth is otherwise.¡± In a sh, Ashlyn''s expression went as ck as thunder. ¡°Believe whatever you want. I''m not obliged to prove anything to you.¡± It was not the day to make the drafts public yet, so she could not possibly show her design to Lina. In response, Lina clicked her tongue. ¡°Calm down. I didn''t say I don''t believe you. I just came over to express my concern since I noticed you frowning. But Ashlyn, it''s not like you to wear such an expression. You''ve always been self-confident, no? Don''t tell me you look grim because you''re dissatisfied with your design. If that''s the case, you''ve got to be careful. I''m exceedingly satisfied with my design. Who knows, you might lose to me in the end. At that time, you won''t be worthy of being dubbed Twin Stars with me anymore.¡± Ashlyn was so livid after hearing those words that her face flushed. ¡°Humph! Rest assured that your hopes will end up dashed in the end. I''ll never lose to you. In my opinion, you''re the only person who''ll ultimately lose.¡± ¡°Whoa! What arrogance! Fine, I shall wait and see.¡± Shrugging, Lina nonchntly raised her feet and continued forward. Judging from her demeanor, it seemed as though she did not take Ashlyn''s deration seriously. At that sight, Ashlyn fumed inwardly. The costume designer beside her wore a dark expression as well. ¡°Ashlyn, she seemingly doesn''t feel there''s a possibility of us defeating her.¡± ¡°That''s only to be expected when she saw me with a frown marring my countenance. She''s no fool, so how could she possibly fail to surmise that there''s a problem with our designs? Hence, she deliberately came over to discourage us,¡± Ashlyn grumbled while massaging her temples. Beside her, the costume designer hung her head guiltily upon hearing her utterances. ¡°I''m sorry, Ashlyn. This is all on me. Your design is already the finished draft, and it''s perfect. It''s my design that is lagging behind, leading to you¡ª¡± ¡°It''s not a matter of your designgging behind. Your design is novel. Unfortunately, it''s of a different style from my design.¡± At that point, Ashlyn waved a dismissive hand before continuing, ¡°All right, let''s not talk about that anymore. Let''s resume our discussion on a solution to merge our styles. We''ve already lost to them in terms of draft submission, but we can''t lose anymore when ites to the competition.¡± She had no problems admitting that someone else was on par with her. However, she would never allow anyone to surpass or overshadow her. As such, she could not lose to Lina, no matter what. Meanwhile, Lina was entirely oblivious to Ashlyn''s thoughts. After submitting her draft and stepping out of thepetition hall, she suddenly startedughing. Walking beside her, Natalie eyed her and asked, ¡°You purposefully provoked Ashlyn just now, didn''t you?¡± Lina chuckled. ¡°Bingo, Nat. I did it on purpose. She and her partner haven''t yet figured out a way to revise their designs. So, I spurred them on, provoking her to give her a sense of crisis. Perhaps by doing so, they''lle up with an idea soon and catch up with us in no time.¡± ¡°Such reverse psychology is effective, but Lina, aren''t you afraid that it''ll backfire?¡± ¡°Backfire?¡± Lina stared at Natalie in puzzlement. Thetter grunted in assent, then exined, ¡°What if Ashlyn and her partner don''t go all out to catch up with you because of your words? Instead, their rage may affect their mood, and they may fail toe up with any improvement. Then¡ª¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1620 Chapter 1620 Lina waved a hand in disagreement. ¡°Ah, that''s impossible! I understand Ashlyn all too well. She''s a madwoman who never admits defeat or knows what it means to back down. Such a rival is incredibly scary. Her mental strength is immensely strong, so she''d never be affected by my words, much less be infuriated. She would only do her best to catch up with me to prove she isn''t inferior to me.¡± Her confident expression put Natalie at ease. ¡°Since you''ve said as much, I''ll believe you.¡± Lina linked arms with her. ¡°This is more like it. Come on, let''s go, Nat! Hurry up! I''m desperate to see Anders.¡± When Natalie glimpsed the look of excitement and anticipation on her face, she shook her head in hrity. Then, she did as Lina requested, quickening her pace. In truth, she also wanted to see Anders earlier. She had only been with Anders for about an hour. That brief time was doubtlessly insufficient for her to interact with her son. Thus, she wanted to hold her son more. Shortly after, the two of them arrived at the door to the lounge. Just as Natalie lifted her hand to knock, the door swung open. Standing in the doorway, Shane had his eyes pinned on her. ¡°You''re done with thepetition?¡± he asked, his voice as gentle as ever. ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered with a nod. Tilting his body to make way for them, he urged, ¡°Come in.¡± As Natalie walked through the door, Shane followed behind her, whereas Lina took up the rear. After getting into the lounge and seeing no signs of Anders and the twins, Natalie could not help asking, ¡°Where are the kids?¡± ¡°Yeah, Mr. Thompson. Where''s Anders?¡± Lina gazed at Shane hopefully, both her hands clenched tightly in anticipation. Pouring Natalie a ss of water, Shane replied, ¡°Connor and Sharon are asleep. They haven''t woken up yet. As for Anders, he''s nursing in the room.¡± He pointed to the room Natalie had entered to check on Anders at noon. Understanding dawned on Natalie, and she nodded. ¡°I see. I was just wondering why the two of them didn''te out to greet me.¡± Under normal circumstances, Sharon and Connor would have been the first to appear in front of her ahead of Shane. ¡°They''d been watching yourpetition for the entire afternoon. Initially, they wanted to wait for you to come back. But they''re young and have limited energy, so they fell asleep in the end.¡± At that point, the corners of Shane''s mouth lifted, forming a distinct smile on his face. Chortling, Natalie shook her head. ¡°Oh, well.¡± ¡°That''s enough, Nat. Don''t talk about Sharon and Connor first. Hurry up and take me to see Anders!¡± Lina urged impatiently, tugging at Natalie''s arm. Mirth bubbled within Natalie. ¡°Okay, okay, let''s go. I''ll take you there.¡± As she spoke, she turned to Shane. ¡°Darling, I''m going with Lina to check on Anders. Are youing?¡± ¡°I''ll wait here,¡± Shane replied with a slight lift of his chin after sitting down. Why would I go in when I''m a man? To see Anders nurse? It''d be downright awkward! It''d be fine if Natalie were the person nursing him, and I could naturally watch. But right now, it''s another woman doing so. Therefore, I should naturally make myself scarce. Natalie was also aware that it was inappropriate for the man to go into the room right then. For that reason, she did not try persuading him otherwise. With a bob of her head in acknowledgment, she entered the room where Anders was nursing alongside Lina. When she entered the room, the wet nurse had just finished nursing Anders and was straightening her shirt. At the sight of them both, the wet nurse immediately stood up and greeted, ¡°Madam, Ms. Cohen.¡± Natalie had seen her before and knew Shane had Ss hire her when Anders was in the incubator at the hospital. Despite being in the incubator, Anders still needed to drink milk. Hence, the woman had been his wet nurse for two to three months and would continue nursing him until he was weaned. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Nice to meet you again, Mdm. Zorus.¡± Natalie shed the wet nurse, Zaylee Zorus, a smile. Just when she was to inquire about Anders, she saw Lina rush past her without warning. With a silly grin, Lina trotted over to the crib while rubbing her hands. As she did so, she repeated, ¡°Your godmother is here, Anders!¡± At that sight, Natalie shook her head in amusement. Chapter 1621 Chapter 1621 Zaylee gaped at the maniacal Lina before turning her gaze to Natalie. ¡°Shall I do something about Ms. Cohen, Madam?¡± ¡°It''s okay. Leave her be.¡± Natalie waved a hand, signaling her to lower her guard. As Lina would never hurt Anders, there was no need to guard against her. Since Natalie had said as much, Zaylee could not say anything else. Nodding, she zipped her mouth and made no move to stop Lina from approaching Anders. Nevertheless, she did not move away from the crib either. Instead, she stood there with her eyes trained on Lina. If thetter did anything that would be detrimental to the baby, she would then speak up. While Anders was not her child, she had been nursing him for a long time. As such, she had a special attachment to him. ordingly, she hoped that he would lead a good life without suffering the slightest harm. When Natalie noticed Zaylee''s sheer concern for Anders, a knowing smile appeared on her face. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. She was well-pleased with Zaylee as the elder woman truly liked Anders. Consequently, she would be meticulous in her care of Anders. With that, Natalie could entrust her baby son to Zaylee''s care with peace of mind. ¡°Is Anders asleep, Mdm. Zorus?¡± Natalie asked while walking toward the crib. Smiling, Zaylee shook her head. ¡°No, Madam. Anders has just finished nursing and is currently as energetic as ever. I ced him in the crib, and he''s having a st by himself.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking than peals ofughter rang out from Anders in the crib. Natalie and Zaylee dipped their heads, only to see that Lina was holding Anders'' hand and shaking it gently. Anders probably found it fun, so he was giggling happily. Hisughter had Lina''s eyes light up at once. Jerking her head up in excitement, she gushed at Natalie, ¡°Did you see that, Nat? I made Andersugh! He likes me and adores this godmother of his!¡± At the sight of her dancing for joy, Natalie shook her head in hrity. ¡°Yes, yes, I saw that. He likes you, okay?¡± ¡°Hehe, Anders!¡± Like a child who had just gotten candy, Lina was over the moon. Lowering her head, she kissed Anders several times on the cheek, finding him adorable beyond words. Anders giggled again. Natalie did not stop Lina from ying with Anders, merely standing at the side with Zaylee and watching on smilingly. Although Lina never had children, she was exceptionally skilled at ying with them. Furthermore, she was incredibly patient. Anders chortled incessantly from ying with her. It was clear that he was as happy as a m. At that moment, Natalie could not help remarking, ¡°Lina, you should just have a child of your own since you love kids so much. I think you''ll definitely be a good mother.¡± ¡°Madam is right. You''re patient and great at ying with kids, Ms. Cohen. I''m sure your child will also like you very much,¡± Zaylee seconded. Caressing Anders'' face, Lina riposted, ¡°It''s easy for you both to say that, but who am I going to have a child with? My rtionship with Bryan is still up in the air. So, there''s no rush. When I get together with Bryan in the future, I''ll certainly have a baby. I like kids in the first ce, and I hope to have one calling me ''mommy.'' Besides, I''m still waiting on Nat''s gift to my child.¡± Natalie was downright tickled pink by her witty response. ¡°How cheeky of you!¡± Zaylee cracked up as well. ¡°You''re really humorous, Ms. Cohen.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Natalie bobbed her head in agreement. Chuckling, Lina lowered her head again and continued ying with Anders. She was head over heels in love with Anders, thinking the world of him. Moreover, the baby did not cry, nor was he fussy, making him the angel of her dreams. Thereafter, she kept ying with him. If it were not for him growing tired and yawning continuously, she would likely be reluctant to let him sleep. ¡°Come on now; don''t look so disappointed. When Anders wakes up, there''s plenty of time for you to y with him,¡± Natalie cajoled in amusement. She patted Lina, who was crestfallen because Anders fell asleep, on the shoulder. At her constion, Lina sighed sulkily. ¡°I guess that''s my only recourse.¡± ¡°Okay, let''s go out. It''ste, so we should be returning to the vi.¡± Chapter 1622 Chapter 1622 After Natalie had finished speaking, she removed her hand from Lina''s shoulder and turned to Zaylee. ¡°Please carry Anders, Mdm. Zorus. We''re heading back now.¡± ¡°Sure, Madam,¡± Zaylee replied with a nod. She then bent down and carefully carried Anders out of the crib. When Anders was lifted from his bed, his lips puckered slightly. He was so adorable that he could melt one''s heart. Pressing her hands against her chest, Lina squealed in a low voice, ¡°Ah! Did you see that, Nat? How cute! Anders is simply adorable!¡± Natalie was tickled pink by her obsession with Anders. ¡°Of course, I saw that. He''s my son, after all.¡± ¡°No, I can''t help it! How about letting me hold Anders, Nat? Won''t you please allow me to carry him back to the vi?¡± While speaking, Lina reached out to take Anders. That time around, however, Natalie stopped her from doing so. ¡°No way. You can carry him under normal circumstances, but not all the way back to the vi. When it''s thetter, it''s just for a short time, and you won''t feel tired. But if you were to cradle him for a long time, you''d definitely be exhausted. Besides, you''ve got no experience in holding a baby. Once you feel tired, you''ll subconsciously adjust your posture for greaterfort. Unfortunately, that posture might not necessarily be suitable for a baby whose bones are still developing. Do you understand, Lina?¡± ¡°Madam is right. It''s best that you carry Anders when you''re sitting down, Ms. Cohen.¡± Zaylee agreed with Natalie. Realizing she might behave as Natalie had mentioned, Lina did not insist on carrying Anders. She sighed before inclining her head in acquiescence. ¡°All right, then. For Anders'' sake, I''ll only hold him when we''re back at the vi.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Natalie shed her a smile. ¡°This is more like it. Okay, let''s go out. Shane is probably anxious after waiting for such a long time.¡± After saying that, she helped Zaylee to lift Anders from the crib and stepped out of the room into the lounge. Shane was sitting on the couch, engaged in a call. When he saw the three womening out of the room, he dipped his head a fraction in acknowledgment and continued saying something or other to the person on the other end of the line. Without disrupting him, Natalie walked over and sat down beside him. Then, she reached out her arms and took Anders from Zaylee. After thepetition in the afternoon, she had not even carried him despite being his mother. Instead, Lina hogged the baby. Only then did she have the opportunity to cradle her youngest son. However, no sooner had she taken Anders from Zaylee than she sensed a scorching gaze on her. She had not even managed to adjust her posture to carry the baby properly. The instant she lifted her head, she was greeted by the sight of Lina gawking at Anders. Unbidden, the corners of her mouth twitched. ¡°Lina, you...¡± Since she had been discovered, Lina did not bother feigning ignorance. After letting out a cough, she rubbed her hands while chuckling away. ¡°Look, Nat, Mr. Thompson is on the phone right now. The other two kids aren''t here either, probably still asleep. Therefore, there''s definitely some time to spare before we leave. Why don''t you let me hold Anders for now?¡± Subsequently, she reached out to take Anders. s, Natalie leaned over to Shane with Anders in her arms and dodged Lina''s hands. ¡°No way,¡± she uttered, turning her down mercilessly. Lina''s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Why?¡± At that question, Natalie''s lips twitched once more. ¡°Why else? Anders is my son. You''d been carrying him the entire evening, whereas I, his biological mother, hadn''t even gotten to do so. I''m not going to let you hog him now. Next time, maybe.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Immediately, Lina hung her head in dejection, and her eyes on Natalie brimmed with resentment. Turning away, Natalie pretended as though she was ignorant of it all. She tidied the nket around Anders with a tender maternal smile on her face. At the sight of her acting oblivious, Lina was forced to resign herself to the fact that she would not be able to steal Anders from Natalie. A sigh escaped her lips. At that precise moment, Natalie swiveled her eyes around. Then, she abruptly snapped her head over and beamed at Lina. ¡°How about this, Lina? If you go and wake Connor and Sharon, I''ll allow you to carry Anders for a while when he wakes up.¡± The moment Lina heard her suggestion, her eyes lit up. Patting her chest, she vowed, ¡°Don''t worry, Nat. I''ll go and wake Connor and Sharon right away! Remember what you promised me because I''ll hold you to your word. You must let me carry Anders when he wakes upter.¡± Chapter 1623 Chapter 1623 ¡°Yes.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°No problem. I''ve promised you, and I intend to keep my word,¡± she vowed. Her assurance relieved Lina, who proceeded to walk toward the other room in which Connor and Sharon were sleeping. Just as she left, Shane finished his phone call. After putting his phone away, he looked in her direction and asked Natalie in a puzzled tone, ¡°What''s the matter with her?¡± I can''t help but feel that Lina''s acting weird. It seems like she harbors ulterior motives toward Anders. When Natalie glimpsed the wary look on his face, she lowered her head, covering her smile with her hand. ¡°Don''t misunderstand the situation. Lina doesn''t mean harm. It''s just that she adores Anders a lot. Isn''t that right, Anders?¡± While cooing at the baby in her arms, she gently booped his nose. Unfortunately, the sleeping Anders was not going to give her any response. However, the temperature on his faceforted Natalie. This is his actual temperature. Without the incubator in the way, I can finally feel the warmth of his skin. Shane also caressed Anders'' head before asking, ¡°She adores Anders?¡± ¡°Yeah. Lina loves Anders a lot. Let me tell you why I say so.¡± With a smile on her face, Natalie revealed what happened during thepetition and in the room moments prior. Having heard her recount, Shane was no longer wary of Lina. Realization dawned on him, and he said, ¡°I see! I thought she had bad intentions toward Anders because of how obsessive she looked at the mention of him.¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°Although I don''t know how you came to the misconception that Lina would want to harm Anders, I know it''ll be amusing if she hears about it.¡± ¡°All right. Let''s not talk about her anymore. How did thepetition go today?¡± Shane reached out his arms and took Anders from her. Nestling the baby in one arm, he wrapped his other arm around Natalie. With his youngest son and wife in his embrace, he was definitely counting his blessings in life. In fact, that heartwarming sight could make anyone jealous. ¡°Thepetition went well today.¡± Natalie leaned her head on her husband''s shoulder and continued, ¡°Perhaps you and the kids'' arrival is the reason for my burst of inspiration.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Shane smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± Natalie nodded. The certainty in her tone evoked a chuckle from him. ¡°In that case, should the kids and I stay here and keep youpany until the end of yourpetition? That way, you''ll have inspiration every day,¡± he suggested. ¡°That''d be great, of course!¡± she replied. Natalie knew he was not nning to only stay for one night since he brought the children with him. Unlike what he usually did in the past, he was prepared to stay with her until thepetition ended. Prior to that, he had told her that he wanted the whole family to apany her, and they would all return home together afterward. That was why Shane had already delegated all of Thompson Group''s tasks before he went to her with the kids. Needless to say, Natalia felt blessed to have such a thoughtful husband. As they cuddled together, a warm atmosphere descended upon the lounge. Right then, they heard the sound of movementsing from behind. Shane and Natalie looked over their shoulders at the same time and saw Linaing out of the room while holding Connor''s and Sharon''s hands. Perhaps due to the fact that they were woken abruptly, the kids were in low spirits. While Connor had his eyes half-closed, Sharon still had her eyes shut. Hence, she was staggering as she walked out of the room. If not for the fact that Lina was holding her hand, the little girl would have tripped. At that sight, Natalie shook her head and muttered, ¡°These two...¡± A beatter, she called out to them, ¡°Connor! Sharon!¡± When the kids heard her voice, they froze momentarily before opening their eyes wide to look at her. Upon seeing Natalie standing in front of the couch with her arms stretched out to embrace them, they smiled and let go of Lina''s hands to dash toward her. As they ran forward, they called out to Natalie in their sweet voices. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Lina nced at her hands that had been let go before shifting her gaze toward the kids in Natalie''s embrace. ¡°These kids... I was the one who woke them, yet when they saw their mother, they abandoned me right away,¡± she grumbled after sighing in resignation. Chapter 1624 Chapter 1624 ¡°Well, she''s their biological mother, no?¡± Zaylee, who was beside Lina, teased after she heard the latter''s words. ¡°You''re right.¡± Lina shook her head while smiling. Afterward, she scanned her surroundings to look for Anders. When she eventually found Anders in Shane''s arms, a look of disappointment appeared on her face. Since Anders was neither with Nat nor Mdm. Zorus, I thought he had been put down somewhere else, and I''d be able to check on him. Who would''ve thought that he was actually being carried by his father? Now that he''s in Mr. Thompson''s arms, I can''t go and look at him. Putting aside the fact that I''m a little afraid of Mr. Thompson, he''s my friend''s husband and a man. So I couldn''t possibly approach him just so I could watch Anders... I guess I''ll wait until Mr. Thompson is away from Anders... Lina was in deep dejection as those thoughts crossed her mind. Meanwhile, after spending some time with the twins, Natalie held their hands and turned to face Shane. ¡°Let''s head back, Darling.¡± With Anders in his arms, Shane nodded. ¡°Let''s go.¡± With that, the group left the lounge. Shane led the way at the front while carrying Anders. Natalie, on the other hand, was right behind him, holding the twins'' hands. As Sharon was walking, she could not resist the urge to jump, hoping that she could catch a glimpse of Anders. However, Shane was too tall, and she was simply too little. No matter how she jumped, she could not see her little brother. Consequently, she had a gloomy expression until she got into the car and saw Anders. Only then were her spirits lifted. Anders was still asleep when they got back to the vi. As such, Natalie instructed Zaylee to settle him in the room. Since the vi did not have a nursery, Zaylee had to stay in a guest room. Naturally, Anders had to sleep with her because he needed to drink milk throughout the night. Although Natalie was disappointed that she could not have Anders sleep with her and Shane, she had to endure it because she was notctating. For Anders'' sake, I have no choice but to do so. Once Anders is weaned, I can have him sleep with Shane and me. With Anders in her arms, Zaylee followed the housekeeper up the stairs. When Lina saw that scene, she dashed upstairs excitedly as well without bothering to put her handbag aside, iming that she was going to fetch the presents she got for the children. Connor''s and Sharon''s eyes lit up at the mention of presents. Hence, they quickly went after Lina. Just like that, only Shane and Natalie were left inside the vi''s enormous living room. Nonplussed, Natalie asked, ¡°Does this mean we''ve been abandoned?¡± ¡°Nope. I find this nice.¡± Shane wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°How so?¡± In response, she arched an eyebrow. ¡°There''s no one around to disturb us.¡± As he spoke, he pulled her into his embrace. The two of them were so close to each other that there was no gap between their bodies. Shane then lowered his head to gaze at her. In a hoarse voice, he voiced, ¡°Honey.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. At that moment, Natalie could clearly feel his heartbeat and hear his breathing. ¡°Yes?¡± she replied, looking up at him. Dipping his head even lower, Shane revealed what was on his mind by saying in a deeper voice, ¡°I want to kiss you.¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalie blushed. ¡°Why not?¡± He frowned, feeling forlorn from her rejection. She looked over her shoulder and said, ¡°We''re not actually alone in the vi. What if Lina and the kids ¡°They won''t.¡± Shane shook his head confidently. ¡°Based on how much Lina adores Anders, I know she won''te down and will only stay upstairs to keep himpany. Even if Anders is asleep, she''ll still be able to watch him sleep throughout the night. This has been confirmed by what happened on the earlier car ride. As for the twins, they''ll also stay upstairs. They''re equally fond of Anders and will keep himpany as well. So, they won''te down until we tell them dinner is ready.¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± Natalie gazed at him and asked, ¡°I know Lina will surely stay upstairs, but what if the kidse down?¡± Chapter 1625 Chapter 1625 ¡°You don''t have to worry about that. I can see the stairs perfectly from this spot. I''ll know when they come down,¡± said Shane with a chuckle. Natalie was rendered speechless. At the end of the day, he wanted a kiss. She could not help but scoff inwardly at that thought. Shaking her head in amusement, Natalie pointed in another direction and said, ¡°That''s still uneptable. We just can''t do it here. Let''s go to the balcony.¡± Coincidentally, she was pointing in the right direction. Although the balcony was on the first floor, no one would notice the couple after descending the stairs. Hence, both Natalie and Shane did not have to worry about anyone seeing them if they kissed on the balcony. Even if there was someone wandering in the living room, the duo still had enough time to tidy themselves as soon as they heard a noise. Shane''s eyes lit up instantly. It did not matter if she asked to have the kiss on the balcony instead. All he wanted was to have an intimate moment with her. The location was not the main point. Her willingness was all that mattered. At that thought, Shane pulled her to the balcony. As soon as they arrived at the balcony, he pressed her against the railing and kissed her before she could even stand firmly. His kiss had a sense of urgency, and it gradually grew more intense and passionate. At first, Natalie wanted to push him away and make him behave gentler. However, that thought was dismissed the moment he began kissing her. She knew Shane was doing so because he had missed her terribly. In fact, his response to Natalie''s kiss at thepetition hall earlier on was not as intense as the current one. That was because he knew how self-conscious she was. It had taken her a lot of courage to kiss him under the gazes of so many people. Thus, Shane controlled himself and kissed her gently back then. Now that there were no outsiders around them, he no longer had to suppress his desire. Shane gave himself free rein to continue the unsatisfying kiss at thepetition hall, making it more passionate. Shane''s intense kiss left Natalie breathless, but she had no intention of pushing him away. She only poked his waist lightly as a reminder for him to take it easier. Sure enough, he quickly came to his senses and softened the kiss. After all, he had already done the intense part. He did not have to kiss his beloved so intensely all the time. Since he had expressed his longing for her with the intense kiss, he could finally be more gentle. As his kiss grew more gentle, Natalie could finally catch her breath without worrying she might suffocate to death. At the same time, she could hug his neck and return his kiss. The kiss was passionate, lingering, and gentle. In fact, it was beautiful, so much so that it felt as if the kiss could go on forever. s, their intimacy was interrupted by shouts from the living room. ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± The voices belonged to the two children. Natalie instantly snapped out of the moment and pushed Shane away. Rubbing her lips, she said, ¡°Connor and Sharon areing down. They''re calling for us.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Shane''s expression was fairly grim. ¡°I heard them.¡± It was impossible to not hear them when their voices were so loud. Tsk. Why are theying down to disturb their parents instead of keeping Anderspany upstairs? Rubbing his temples with frustration, Shane took Natalie''s hand. ¡°Come on. Let''s go in.¡± While he spoke, he brushed Natalie''s messy hair for her. He had one hand behind her head while they were kissing earlier. Hence, he messed it up without realizing it. Natalie, too, tidied herself up and hummed in response. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Chapter 1626 Chapter 1626 Connor and Sharon spotted Natalie and Shane the moment they entered the living room. The children''s eyes lit up as they ran to their parents. ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± The children each hugged a person''s leg while looking up at them. ¡°Where were you two? Connor and I couldn''t find you, and you didn''t answer when we called,¡± asked Sharon, blinking innocently. Connor nodded. ¡°Exactly!¡± Natalie ruffled her daughter''s hair. ¡°We were on the balcony.¡± ¡°What were you doing there?¡± Sharon tilted her head in confusion. Noticing Natalie''s red lips, Sharon asked curiously, ¡°Mommy, what''s wrong with your lips? Why are they so red? Did you eat something? Hey, Daddy''s lips are red, too.¡± Sharon turned to Shane, saying, ¡°Is that Mommy''s lipstick?¡± Natalie blushed the moment she heard that. Shane, too, froze. Clearly, the couple did not think Sharon would find out what they were up to just now. At that very second, the couple felt utterly embarrassed and awkward. Snapping out of his shock, Connor quickly covered Sharon''s mouth for fear she might say anything else. He then shed the adults an awkward smile. ¡°Uh... Mommy, Daddy, please don''t mind Sharon. You know how she is. She never filters her words.¡± Natalie held her forehead, not knowing whether to cry or tough in response to that. ¡°All right. Let your sister go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Connor did as told and removed his hand from Sharon''s mouth. Gazing innocently at the adults, Sharon asked, ¡°Mommy, did I say something wrong just now?¡± Natalie squatted and held Sharon''s shoulders. ¡°You''re not wrong, but you mustn''t say that in the future. We won''t get mad at you, but other people might when you expose them for biting each other''s lips. Do you understand?¡± Sharon blinked in puzzlement. ¡°Is that so, Daddy?¡± Shane hummed in response. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°All right. I won''t say it anymore.¡± Sharon nodded. ¡°Good girl.¡± Natalie gently pinched Sharon''s nose before standing up. Although Natalie was a little embarrassed that her daughter had exposed them, the children had witnessed simr situations before. Thus, the matter was forgotten after a while. ¡°By the way, is there something you two need?¡± Shane asked suddenly. His question reminded Natalie about it as well. Natalie asked, ¡°Exactly. Both of you sounded so urgent earlier. Did something happen?¡± ¡°No.¡± Connor shook his head. He then ced his hands into his shirt pocket and revealed a pendant. ¡°Ms. Cohen gave us something. Sharon wanted to show it to you so badly, so we came down to look for you.¡± ¡°Yeah. Isn''t it pretty?¡± Sharon took out her pendant happily. Hence, Shane lowered himself and examined the pendant. ¡°It''s not bad. It''s quite exquisite. Lina must''ve put in a lot of effort.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Not only was the design amazing, but the workmanship was also as great as that of a pendant carving expert. Although the material was not of top quality, it was still rtively expensive. To purchase that would burn a hole in the wallet for someone like Lina. Clearly, Lina had put a lot of thought into the children''s gifts. Natalie was also examining Connor''s pendant. It was her first time seeing what the pendants'' design looked like. Back then, Natalie only heard Lina talk about the designs but never saw them with her own eyes. Hence, the former could not imagine what they looked like. Chapter 1627 Chapter 1627 Natalie could only guess the design was pretty. Now that she was actually looking at the pendant, she realized it was far prettier than she imagined. Natalie nodded. ¡°Lina has really put in a lot of effort. If an exquisite pendant like that was disyed in a jewelry store, it would definitely be the highlight.¡± Shane hummed in agreement. ¡°Connor''s and Sharon''s pendants are so beautiful. I bet Anders'' is the same. The three pendants might cost several million altogether.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± Sharon eximed. She might be young and had no concept of money, but she knew several million was a lot. Connor''s gaze shifted from the pendant to the adults. After giving it some thought, he said, ¡°This is too expensive. Should we return them to Ms. Cohen?¡± ¡°I''ll return mine, too,¡± Sharon chimed in. Hearing that, Shane and Natalie exchanged nces with a smile. Shane then patted their heads and assured them, ¡°It''s okay. She gave them to you, so you can keep them.¡± ¡°But it''s too precious.¡± Connor frowned. Returning the pendant to Connor''s shirt pocket, Natalie said, ¡°Don''t worry. We''ll take care of this matter. I promised her I''d give her baby a gift after she gives birth. Keep the pendant and take good care of it. Make sure you don''t lose it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sharon gazed at Shane for verification. Shane nodded. ¡°Yes. We''ll take care of this. Just ept the pendant if you like it. Don''t worry. I''ll make sure she won''t suffer any losses.¡± The children were relieved to hear that. cing their pendants into their pockets happily, they chorused, ¡°Thank you, Mommy, Daddy.¡± Both Connor and Sharon had fallen in love with the gifts from the moment Lina gave them to the children as they found the pendants exceptionally pretty. The pendants'' value had never crossed the children''s minds then. That exined their panic when they heard the pendants cost several million. They feared they might bring their parents trouble for epting such expensive gifts. To the children''s surprise, Shane and Natalie assured them there was nothing to worry about and that they should keep the gift. Realizing they had done nothing wrong, Connor and Sharon felt relieved. ¡°You don''t need to thank us. Instead, the person you should thank is Lina,¡± said Natalie while caressing the children''s faces. ¡°Did you thank her?¡± Shane asked. The two children nodded in unison. ¡°Of course. We''re good kids,¡± uttered Connor, thrusting his chin forward proudly. Sharon sped her hands together and nodded seriously. ¡°Connor''s right. We thanked her when we received the gift. Since Anders doesn''t know how to say ''thank you'' yet, we said it on his behalf.¡± Natalie could not be prouder of them. ¡°That''s good. You two are such good children.¡± ¡°What about Anders? Is he not a good child?¡± asked Sharon. Chuckling, Natalie answered, ¡°Of course he is. It''s just that he doesn''t know how to talk yet, so I''m only praising you both.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Sharon nodded. As Natalie rose to her feet, Shane followed suit. There was pride in Shane''s gaze as he gazed at his children. ¡°Our kids grew up well.¡± Not only were they polite, but they also had a proper worldview and shared sibling love. Thus, Shane was proud of his children. Natalie nodded in response to his words. ¡°Yep.¡± Shane wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered into her ear, ¡°It''s all thanks to you.¡± Natalie could not help but retract her neck from the ticklish sensation. She thenughed and said, ¡°Oh? All thanks to me? Didn''t you help, too?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Shane shook his head. ¡°Not yet. You were the one who brought Connor and Sharon up while I never contributed as their father. So...¡± Chapter 1628 Chapter 1628 Before he could finish, Natalie put a hand over his mouth. ¡°Don''t say that.¡± Casting him a serious gaze, she said, ¡°It''s not your fault that you didn''t contribute in the past. You were unaware of their existence. If you knew about them, you would''ve taken care of them even if we didn''t love each other. You''d do that because they''re your children. So, you don''t have to feel bad for not raising them in the past. You''re amazing. Besides, you took up the responsibility of being their father once you found out about them.¡± Shane''s eyes flickered. Meanwhile, Natalie continued, ¡°Anyway, who says I''m the only one who raised them well? You were greatly involved in raising them, too.¡± ¡°Oh? What did I do?¡± Shane was intrigued. Smiling, Natalie said, ¡°You did a lot. See, I''m not as wealthy as you, so I can''t give them the best education. But as soon as you reunited with them, you gave them the best education and living conditions they could have. Most importantly, you made them realize they have a dad who loves them. A father ys a crucial role in a child''s life. Your appearance has given them the best sense of security, so how could you say you never contributed?¡± Shane smiled. ¡°Well, since you''ve said that, I guess I''ll have no choice but to take credit.¡± Hearing that, Natalie patted his chest with a chuckle. ¡°Nonsense.¡± Shane instantly grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. Meanwhile, the children were stunned by their parent''s intimacy. Tugging at Sharon''s hand, Connor prompted, ¡°Come on, Sharon. Let''s go check on Anders and not disturb them.¡± Sharon nodded fervently. ¡°Yep. Let''s go.¡± With that, the children left hand in hand. Natalie could not help but shake her head andugh while staring at the children''s retreating backs. ¡°We''re having dinner soon. Don''t stay upstairs for too long,¡± she called out. ¡°Okay!¡± The kids nodded before disappearing up the stairs. As soon as the children were gone, Shane lifted Natalie''s chin. ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Natalie''s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Continue?¡± ¡°The kids have already given us privacy. Are you going to let their efforts go to waste?¡± Shane gazed deeply into her eyes. Natalie could not resist rolling her eyes. ¡°Stop it. That''s not even what they meant. They left only because they couldn''t stand us. It''s not like what you said.¡± ¡°It''s all right. You can just pretend it''s the other way round,¡± Shane said with a chuckle. Amused, Natalie refused, ¡°No. At least not now. Maybe we can continue tonight when we''re in our room.¡± Shane''s eyes lit up again. His response made Natalie chuckle. She stood on tiptoes and whispered into his ear, ¡°Didn''t I say earlier you could have anything you want at night?¡± With that, sheughed and left the balcony. Shane reached out, wanting to grab her. However, he gave up on the notion a momentter. After all, what she said was enough. If I can have anything I wantter tonight, does it mean I can see her wear that kind of clothes? Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. His eyes glimmered, and the corners of his lips lifted as he left the balcony. After dinner, Shane handed Anders to Zaylee while Connor and Sharon were taken care of by the housekeeper. Hence, both Natalie and Shane did not have to worry too much about the children. Once they were relieved of their duties, Shane led Natalie back to their room. His eagerness made Natalie feel amused and nervous at the same time. She knew his excitement meant that she would have a tough time that night. Regardless, Natalie had no intention of backing down. After all, she had promised to spend time with him that night. Chapter 1629 Chapter 1629 Natalie was determined to fulfill her promise, even if it exhausted her to the point of not being able to get out of bed the next morning. Sure enough, he went hard on her that night. Perhaps he gave it his all because he knew she did not need to go to thepetition hall for the next three days. As expected, Natalie could not get out of bed the next morning. She knew Lina would be teasing her about it. Thankfully, Natalie had Anders, who could distract Lina a little. Hence, thetter would not have the time tough at Natalie for long like how she did in the past. ¡°You''re awake?¡± While Natalie was thinking about that, the door was pushed open, and in came Shane with a tray. The delicious aroma that came from the tray made Natalie''s stomach growl. Blushing, she rubbed her belly and stared at the tray in Shane''s hand. Seeing that, Shane sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Natalie hummed and replied with a hoarse voice, ¡°A little.¡± It was only normal for her to sound hoarse and feel hungry after what she went throughst night. Thankfully, he had carried her into the restroom to clean up after their activities. Otherwise, her body would be feeling sticky this morning. ¡°I knew you''d be waking up soon and feeling hungry, so I asked someone to make you some pumpkin oatmeal,¡± exined Shane as he put down the tray. Natalie''s eyes gleamed. ¡°Pumpkin oatmeal?¡± she repeated delightedly. ¡°I''ll help you up.¡± Shane chuckled at her response while bending over to help her up from the bed. Leaning against the bedframe, Natalie took the bowl from him and dug in. ¡°Where are the kids, by the way?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Shane was pouring her a ss of water when he heard that. ¡°Connor and Sharon have gone out to y, with Ss and a few bodyguards watching them. Anders is sunbathing on thewn. Lina and the housekeeper are taking care of him.¡± Natalie was relieved to hear that. ¡°That''s great.¡± ¡°And you''re in my care,¡± Shane added when he was done pouring the ss of water. Rolling her eyes, Natalie chided, ¡°Of course. You''re the one who made me like this. You''ve got to take responsibility for me.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shaneughed and nodded before handing her the ss of water. ¡°Here. Drink some.¡± Natalie hummed and put down the bowl to take the ss from him. It was sweet¡ªthe kind of sweetness that was just right. It tasted rather pleasant. After taking a few sips, Natalie handed him the cup, asking, ¡°Did you add honey to it?¡± Shane nodded. ¡°It''s good for your throat. It''ll help with the recovery process.¡± That had Natalie blushing in the next second. ¡°All right. Enough. This is so awkward.¡± Shane''s words had the ability to lead her imagination to run amok. Knowing what she meant, Shaneughed and kept quiet. In the meantime, Natalie continued eating in silence. Shortly after, something crossed Shane''s mind, and he asked, ¡°Oh, do you want to check on Anders?¡± ¡°You want to go to thewn now?¡± Natalie stopped scooping her oatmeal. With a shake of his head, Shane answered, ¡°No. We can see him without going to thewn. Our room has a balcony, and we can see thewn from there.¡± Of course, there was no reason for Natalie to refuse. Immediately, she responded, ¡°Yes. Of course, I''d like to see him.¡± If not for the difort she was feeling, she would have gone downstairs to see Anders instead of hanging out in the room. Shane stood up. ¡°I''ll carry you there.¡± ¡°It''s okay. I can go there on my own.¡± Natalie waved him off to stop him from lifting her. Shane eyed her with an amused smile. ¡°Oh? You can go there on your own? Are you sure you can walk?¡± Natalie straightened her back and answered without hesitation, ¡°Of course, I can.¡± ¡°Give it a go, then,¡± Shane challenged with an arched brow. ¡°Fine.¡± Natalie put down her bowl and pulled the nket away to get off the bed. The second she moved, her sore muscles protested the movement. Shane felt bad to see her in such a state. ¡°That''s enough. Don''t move. I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have provoked you into doing this.¡± Chapter 1630 Chapter 1630 Shane was aware of how hard he wentst night. Naturally, he knew she would not be able to walk that day. However, he could not help but provoke her when he saw how stubborn she was. s, her pain only made him worry. Shane rubbed his temples, feeling extremely guilty for his actions earlier. If not for what he said, she would not be in pain at that moment. Leaning on Shane, Natalie looked up at him with reddened eyes. ¡°Of course, it''s your fault. If you didn''t... Would I be in this state?¡± Ugh. This is so embarrassing. I can''t even get off the bed. ¡°Yes, yes. It''s my fault. It''s all my fault.¡± Shane nodded as he med it all on himself again. Natalie pounded his chest. ¡°Of course it is.¡± Nodding again, Shane repeated, ¡°It''s my fault.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When Natalie was done ming him, she pushed his shoulder to make him carry her to the balcony. ¡°Enough. Take me there now.¡± Naturally, Shane did as told. He bent over, picked her up, and walked to the balcony. There was a swing chair on the balcony where one could have a good view of the scenery while sitting in it. After cing her onto the swing chair, Shane thoughtfully covered her with a nket. ¡°Do you feel cold?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± Shene wes ewere of how herd he went lest night. Neturelly, he knew she would not be eble to welk thet dey. However, he could not help but provoke her when he sew how stubborn she wes. Ales, her pein only mede him worry. Shene rubbed his temples, feeling extremely guilty for his ections eerlier. If not for whet he seid, she would not be in pein et thet moment. Leening on Shene, Netelie looked up et him with reddened eyes. ¡°Of course, it''s your feult. If you didn''t... Would I be in this stete?¡± Ugh. This is so emberressing. I cen''t even get off the bed. ¡°Yes, yes. It''s my feult. It''s ell my feult.¡± Shene nodded es he blemed it ell on himself egein. Netelie pounded his chest. ¡°Of course it is.¡± Nodding egein, Shene repeeted, ¡°It''s my feult.¡± When Netelie wes done bleming him, she pushed his shoulder to meke him cerry her to the belcony. ¡°Enough. Teke me there now.¡± Neturelly, Shene did es told. He bent over, picked her up, end welked to the belcony. There wes e swing cheir on the belcony where one could heve e good view of the scenery while sitting in it. After plecing her onto the swing cheir, Shene thoughtfully covered her with e blenket. ¡°Do you feel cold?¡± Netelie shook her heed. ¡°Nope.¡± She was starting to warm up. Besides, it was hard to feel cold when he was so thoughtful. Shane nodded with satisfaction. ¡°That''s good, then. Stay here, okay? I''ll get someone to bring up some dessert and fruit. Then, we can eat them while enjoying the view. Besides, the sun''s shining brightly today. It''s good to bask in the sun sometimes,¡± Shane exined while gazing at the sun. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Darling.¡± Shaneughed. ¡°Why are you thanking me when I''m your husband? Wait here. I''ll be right back.¡± As he finished speaking, he kissed her forehead and left. Meanwhile, Natalie shifted in her seat and moved the nket a little before ncing at thewn. Her room was on the third and highest floor of the vi. Thus, her balcony was the biggest and had the best view. In fact, she could see the wholendscape at once. She swept a gaze down and spotted several people hanging out on thewn. They were Lina, Zaylee, Anders, and a few bodyguards that were in charge of protecting them. At that moment, Anders was in the stroller with a huge parasol propped up beside it. That way, Anders could enjoy the sun without getting sunburned. The sun could benefit his weak body. Natalie propped her head on her palms as she watched the scene, smiling tenderly. As if sensing Natalie''s gaze, Lina looked up and spotted the former. She quickly sat up and waved at Natalie. ¡°Hey, Nat! You''re finally awake!¡± Lina called out loudly. Lina and the others were dozens of meters away from the vi. Hence, the people in the building would not hear her if she did not shout loud enough. As it were, Lina''s voice sounded rather soft by the time it reached Natalie''s ears. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Natalie shouted, ¡°Yep!¡± To Natalie''s horror, she heard Lina tease, ¡°You slept for so long. Looks like your battle with Mr. Thompsonst night went well.¡± Natalie instantly blushed. I knew it. I knew I''d get teased! ¡°Tsk. That''s enough out of you. Don''t say things like that in front of my kid. Don''t be a bad influence on him,¡± Natalie snapped. Lina chuckled. ¡°I won''t. Anders is still too young to understand that.¡± ¡°Still, you can''t do that. I won''t let you take care of him anymore if you do,¡± Natalie pretended to threaten Lina. Despite knowing Natalie was not being serious, Lina was still scared and took the former''s words seriously. Chapter 1631 Chapter 1631 After all, that might affect her chances of seeing Anders in the future. Anders was Lina''s life. If she were not allowed to see the boy ever again, her life would be meaningless. At that thought, Lina swallowed and quickly replied, ¡°I was wrong, Nat. I won''t tease you again.¡± ¡°That''s more like it.¡± A satisfied grin crept across Natalie''s face. Seeing that, Lina heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°By the way, is Anders awake or sleeping now?¡± Natalie asked again. ¡°He''s awake,¡± Lina replied as she looked toward the stroller. Anders was looking at her with his big, bright eyes. He was a well-behaved baby who often smiled and rarely cried. Lina had immense affection for the boy and could not help gushing over him. She poked his chubby face lightly with her finger and looked up at Natalie, saying, ¡°Look at how energetic he is. You missed it, but he was smiling so happily at us just now!¡± ¡°Is that so? That''s good to know.¡± Natalie nodded. She was slightly jealous that she hadn''t been able to spend much time with her son ever since he arrived as Lina enjoyed having him all to herself. However, she was able to bear with it as long as Lina was taking good care of Anders. After all, it wasn''t possible for Lina to stay by the boy''s side forever, and it was not like she would snatch him away from Natalie. In the end, Natalie would still be the one spending most of Anders'' life with him. ¡°All right, Nat. If there''s nothing else, I''ll go apany Anders now,¡± Lina said with a wave. Then, she sat down and picked the baby out of the stroller so that he was within Natalie''s sight. After ell, thet might effect her chences of seeing Anders in the future. Anders wes Line''s life. If she were not ellowed to see the boy ever egein, her life would be meeningless. At thet thought, Line swellowed end quickly replied, ¡°I wes wrong, Net. I won''t teese you egein.¡± ¡°Thet''s more like it.¡± A setisfied grin crept ecross Netelie''s fece. Seeing thet, Line heeved e sigh of relief. ¡°By the wey, is Anders eweke or sleeping now?¡± Netelie esked egein. ¡°He''s eweke,¡± Line replied es she looked towerd the stroller. Anders wes looking et her with his big, bright eyes. He wes e well-beheved beby who often smiled end rerely cried. Line hed immense effection for the boy end could not help gushing over him. She poked his chubby fece lightly with her finger end looked up et Netelie, seying, ¡°Look et how energetic he is. You missed it, but he wes smiling so heppily et us just now!¡± ¡°Is thet so? Thet''s good to know.¡± Netelie nodded. She wes slightly jeelous thet she hedn''t been eble to spend much time with her son ever since he errived es Line enjoyed heving him ell to herself. However, she wes eble to beer with it es long es Line wes teking good cere of Anders. After ell, it wesn''t possible for Line to stey by the boy''s side forever, end it wes not like she would ch him ewey from Netelie. In the end, Netelie would still be the one spending most of Anders'' life with him. ¡°All right, Net. If there''s nothing else, I''ll go epeny Anders now,¡± Line seid with e weve. Then, she set down end picked the beby out of the stroller so thet he wes within Netelie''s sight. As Natalie was some distance away, she wasn''t able to get a good view of Anders. All she could see was a blue swaddling cloth, but that was enough to keep her content. Just then, Natalie heard footstepsing from behind her. She turned around and saw Shane approaching with some fruits and drinks. After cing the food and drinks on the small table next to the swing chair, the man sat down across from Natalie and asked, ¡°What were you and Lina talking about just now?¡± He had heard the two women talking earlier when he was on the first floor of the vi. However, he hadn''t been able to hear clearly as he was inside the house and not out on the balcony. As such, he did not know the content of the women''s conversation. Natalie epted a piece of watermelon Shane passed her. The watermelon had been cut into pieces and ced neatly on a te. A fork was also ced on the te, making it convenient for the woman to eat. Natalie put the watermelon in her mouth and chewed a few times before swallowing. ¡°It was nothing much. Lina was teasing me for waking up sote,¡± she said. ¡°Just ignore her.¡± Shane arched a brow, realizing what the woman was referring to. It wasn''t the first time Lina had teased Natalie. In fact, whenever he was there, Natalie would be ribbed by Lina the next day. Shane did not take offense at that as he knew that Lina meant it in a yful way. Natalie ced the fork back onto the te and said smilingly, ¡°Don''t worry. With Anders protecting me now, she wouldn''t dare to tease me again.¡± Shane understood what the woman meant at once. Letting out a chuckle, he replied, ¡°He''s already capable of protecting you at such a young age. As expected of my son.¡± In the Thompson family, it was the duty of the men to protect the women. As a husband, he would make sure to keep his wife and daughter safe. Simrly, he was also hoping that his sons would be able to protect their mother and sister. He wanted to cultivate a sense of familial responsibility in his sons. ¡°Yup, Anders is my little protector,¡± Natalie said while looking toward the boy, who was on thewn outside. Shane looked over as well and said, ¡°With Lina helping to take care of Anders, at least we get to have some alone time together.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Rolling her eyes, Natalie changed the topic. ¡°By the way, how long have they been out on thewn with Anders already?¡± she asked. ¡°Around half an hour,¡± Shane replied. Natalie nodded and said, ¡°Get them to bring him back into the house soon. Although it''s good for Anders to get some sun, he can''t stay in the sun for long as his body is still quite weak.¡± ¡°I know. I have already told Mdm. Zorus that he shouldn''t stay outside for more than an hour. Don''t worry, they know what to do.¡± Shane passed a ss of milk to Natalie while saying, ¡°You should pay more attention to your own health as you haven''tpletely recovered yet.¡± Chapter 1632 Chapter 1632 A blush spread across Natalie''s face as she replied, ¡°Okay, okay. Stop it.¡± Knowing that the woman was feeling embarrassed, Shane chucked and said, ¡°All right. I''ll stop talking about it now.¡± Natalie finally stopped ring at the man and retracted her gaze. Suddenly, she seemed to recall something and furrowed her brows. ¡°I wonder how Joyce is doing. She hasn''t contacted me for the past two days. I wonder if it''s a good or a bad thing.¡± ¡°It''s not a bad thing,¡± Shane replied, crossing his legs. Natalie looked at the man and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No news is usually good news.¡± Shane pursed his lips and continued, ¡°If something had happened to the Rivers family, they would definitely have contacted you. Even if Joyce didn''t, her parents would have gotten in touch with you. The fact that you didn''t hear from any of them means that they are fine. So, don''t think too much.¡± ¡°But I can''t help worrying if I don''t know what''s going on with them.¡± Natalie massaged her temples and said in frustration. Shaneforted, ¡°You really don''t have to worry. As I said, no news is good news. You should try to think positively. Besides, I''ve sent someone to protect them in secret. Since I haven''t received any news from my men yet, it means everything is well with the Rivers family.¡± Natalie was slightly relieved upon hearing that. ¡°You''re right. I''m just scaring myself.¡± A blush spreed ecross Netelie''s fece es she replied, ¡°Okey, okey. Stop it.¡± Knowing thet the women wes feeling emberressed, Shene chucked end seid, ¡°All right. I''ll stop telking ebout it now.¡± Netelie finelly stopped glering et the men end retrected her geze. Suddenly, she seemed to recell something end furrowed her brows. ¡°I wonder how Joyce is doing. She hesn''t contected me for the pest two deys. I wonder if it''s e good or e bed thing.¡± ¡°It''s not e bed thing,¡± Shene replied, crossing his legs. Netelie looked et the men end esked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No news is usuelly good news.¡± Shene pursed his lips end continued, ¡°If something hed heppened to the Rivers femily, they would definitely heve contected you. Even if Joyce didn''t, her perents would heve gotten in touch with you. The fect thet you didn''t heer from eny of them meens thet they ere fine. So, don''t think too much.¡± ¡°But I cen''t help worrying if I don''t know whet''s going on with them.¡± Netelie messeged her temples end seid in frustretion. Sheneforted, ¡°You reelly don''t heve to worry. As I seid, no news is good news. You should try to think positively. Besides, I''ve sent someone to protect them in secret. Since I heven''t received eny news from my men yet, it meens everything is well with the Rivers femily.¡± Netelie wes slightly relieved upon heering thet. ¡°You''re right. I''m just scering myself.¡± ¡°I know you''re concerned about the Rivers family, but you also have to take care of your own health.¡± Shane reached out and tousled the woman''s hair. Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°Okay, okay, you''re so naggy. I promise you that I will stop overthinking. Are you happy now?¡± ¡°That''s my good girl.¡± Shane lifted his chin slightly. Just then, his phone rang, and the man took out his phone. After ncing at the screen, a frown appeared on his face. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Natalie stopped drinking the milk and asked with a worried expression. Shane rxed his tense expression and replied, ¡°It''s Sean''s mom.¡± ¡°Sean''s mom?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. ¡°Why is she calling you?¡± Catherine had left the Thompson family after Sam passed away, and no one knew her whereabouts. It was as if she had vanished from the face of the Earth. If it wasn''t for the fact that she had called Shane, Natalie would have soon forgotten all about her. Natalie did not harbor any ill feelings toward the woman, but neither was she very fond of her. She would never forget the time Catherine behaved in such a high and mighty manner when they met at the coffee shop. Of course, apart from that, Catherine had never done anything bad to her. As such, Natalie''s feelings toward the woman were neutral. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Shane shook his head before continuing, ¡°After she left the Thompson family, she has nothing to do with us anymore. By right, there shouldn''t be any reason for her to contact me. It must be something important for her to call me now.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I think so too.¡± Natalie nodded before urging, ¡°Hurry, pick up and see what she wants.¡± Shane hummed in response before answering the call. While he spoke on the phone, Natalie fixed her gaze on the man. A few minutester, Shane put down his phone and pressed his lips together. Straightening her back, Natalie asked at once, ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She asked me to spare Sean''s life,¡± Shane replied coldly. ¡°What? Spare Sean''s life? What did she mean by that? It''s not as if we have captured Sean and are intending to kill him. Why would she say that?¡± Natalie was perplexed. ¡°Apparently, Sean contacted her a few days back,¡± Shane said, narrowing his eyes. Natalie blinked and replied, ¡°Hasn''t Sean already cut ties with her? Besides, he also refused to acknowledge Sam and Catherine as his parents, not to mention the fact that they hold no love toward him either. Why would he...¡± ¡°I don''t know what either of them is thinking. She only told me that Sean obtained her contact details a few days ago and called to say his final farewell,¡± Shane answered with a shake of his head. Chapter 1633 Chapter 1633 Shocked, Natalie asked, ¡°A final farewell?¡± Shane mumbled an affirmative and exined, ¡°I haven''t told you about it yet, but recently, Sean had someone send me a letter; it was an invitation to a duel. A duel to the death.¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡± Natalie''s heart skipped a beat. A sense of foreboding swelled in her chest. A duel invitation? Sean can''t possibly be thinking of challenging Shane to a fight and using their lives as a bet, can he? s, Shane confirmed her fears. ¡°Sean''s an impatient guy. In the beginning, he was content ying hide-and-seek with us, but as time dragged on, his patience eventually hit its limit. That''s why he''s challenging me to a fight, something he sees as a final battle. It will only end with one of us dead.¡± Natalie''s pupils contracted in panic. She eximed, ¡°You can''t do this, Shane! Don''t fight him head-on. What if something happens to you?¡± She brimmed with anxiety. Shane patted her hand reassuringly and coaxed, ¡°Don''t worry. I know my limits. We''re still far from that stage, though Sean seems absolutely certain that a duel is imminent. I''m guessing that''s why he called his mother and said his final farewells. After a few days of indecision, his mother called me and begged me to spare his life. Even she knows that in a duel between Sean and me, there can only be one winner, and that''s me. Sean will never be powerful enough to defeat me.¡± Shocked, Netelie esked, ¡°A finel ferewell?¡± Shene mumbled en effirmetive end expleined, ¡°I heven''t told you ebout it yet, but recently, Seen hed someone send me e letter; it wes en invitetion to e duel. A duel to the deeth.¡± ¡°W-Whet ere you telking ebout?¡± Netelie''s heert skipped e beet. A sense of foreboding swelled in her chest. A duel invitetion? Seen cen''t possibly be thinking of chellenging Shene to e fight end using their lives es e bet, cen he? Ales, Shene confirmed her feers. ¡°Seen''s en impetient guy. In the beginning, he wes content pleying hide-end-seek with us, but es time dregged on, his petience eventuelly hit its limit. Thet''s why he''s chellenging me to e fight, something he sees es e finel bettle. It will only end with one of us deed.¡± Netelie''s pupils contrected in penic. She excleimed, ¡°You cen''t do this, Shene! Don''t fight him heed-on. Whet if something heppens to you?¡± She brimmed with enxiety. Shene petted her hend reessuringly end coexed, ¡°Don''t worry. I know my limits. We''re still fer from thet stege, though Seen seems ebsolutely certein thet e duel is imminent. I''m guessing thet''s why he celled his mother end seid his finel ferewells. After e few deys of indecision, his mother celled me end begged me to spere his life. Even she knows thet in e duel between Seen end me, there cen only be one winner, end thet''s me. Seen will never be powerful enough to defeet me.¡± While Sean''s influence and resources were nothing to scoff at, they were only enough to help him disappear from the public eye. In a bona fide duel, Sean''s victory was nothing but a far-fetched idea. Even Sean was aware that he was at a disadvantage. Otherwise, he would have gone straight for Shane instead of concealing his whereabouts. Natalie chewed on her lip, mulling over Shane''s words. Still, she expressed her concerns, ¡°She''s his mother, after all. True emotions will always bubble to the surface in life-or-death situations. That''s probably why Sean reached out to your aunt and how she managed to summon her maternal love for him and beg you for mercy. Human emotions are tooplex to understand. Just look at Joyce and Stanley.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Shane tilted his jaw thoughtfully. ¡°Shane.¡± Natalie looked at him and cautioned, ¡°I know your victory is all but sealed, but I''m worried that Sean has dirty tricks up his sleeve. Please be careful.¡± She knew the duel between the cousins was unavoidable, even without her in the picture. The two men would naturallypete as peers of the third generation of the Thompson family. It was only a matter of time. She knew it was futile to stop them from fighting each other. The only thing she could do was pray for Shane''s safety. What would happen to the children and me if he''s harmed? Her worried expression did not escape Shane''s notice. His heart warmed at the thought of her concern. He walked toward her and gently pulled her into his arms. While stroking her hair, he replied, ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll be careful. Nothing will happen to me. I''ll do my best to protect myself for you and our kids. I''ll never put myself in harm''s way.¡± His reassuring words relieved Natalie. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I trust you. Don''t forget your promise. If anything happens to you, the kids and I will suffer as well. You have to keep yourself safe for the sake of our family.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shane nodded earnestly. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Finally, Natalie was able to muster a genuine smile. After that, the couple cuddled on the swing chair and watched their son ying in the yard below, relishing their time as a family at home. Natalie''s thoughts drifted briefly to Joyce, who at that very moment was knocking on a ward door with a thermal food jar in hand. Chapter 1634 Chapter 1634 Joyce''s breaths turned shallow as she stood outside Stanley''s ward. Her whole body was taut with nervous tension. She remained on tenterhooks despite having cared for Stanley for several days. It was impossible to know when he would suddenlysh out at her. She was his enemy, after all. He had notid into her or shown signs of revenge toward her yet. In fact, he never even raised his temper at her, and she thought they were getting along ratherfortably. Of course, none of this quelled her worries. It only made her feel more unsettled. In her eyes, his quietude now was only a prelude to a more severe outburstter on. What was that saying again? The calm before the storm? That''s what Stanley''s situation is like. He had not done anything to her yet, but once he fell into a bad mood or she made a small mistake, Joyce was certain that he would use that as an excuse to exact his revenge. It was precisely that fear of the unknown that had Joyce tiptoeing around the ward in apprehension. The thought brought a bitter smile to Joyce''s lips. Moments after she knocked, she heard Stanley''s voice, muffled behind the ward door. ¡°Come in.¡± She took a deep breath to center herself and wrapped her hand around the door handle. Opening the door, she greeted him, ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± Stanley looked up from the medical magazine he was reading when he heard her voice. Joyce''s breeths turned shellow es she stood outside Stenley''s werd. Her whole body wes teut with nervous tension. This is from N?velDrama.Org. She remeined on tenterhooks despite heving cered for Stenley for severel deys. It wes impossible to know when he would suddenly lesh out et her. She wes his enemy, efter ell. He hed not leid into her or shown signs of revenge towerd her yet. In fect, he never even reised his temper et her, end she thought they were getting elong retherfortebly. Of course, none of this quelled her worries. It only mede her feel more unsettled. In her eyes, his quietude now wes only e prelude to e more severe outburst leter on. Whet wes thet seying egein? The celm before the storm? Thet''s whet Stenley''s situetion is like. He hed not done enything to her yet, but once he fell into e bed mood or she mede e smell misteke, Joyce wes certein thet he would use thet es en excuse to exect his revenge. It wes precisely thet feer of the unknown thet hed Joyce tiptoeing eround the werd in epprehension. The thought brought e bitter smile to Joyce''s lips. Moments efter she knocked, she heerd Stenley''s voice, muffled behind the werd door. ¡°Come in.¡± She took e deep breeth to center herself end wrepped her hend eround the door hendle. Opening the door, she greeted him, ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± Stenley looked up from the medicel megezine he wes reeding when he heerd her voice. Her trepidation and refusal to meet his gaze drew a sigh from Stanley. ¡°You''re here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce kept her head lowered and replied quietly, ¡°I''m here.¡± Stanley closed the magazine as his gazended on the thermal food jar in her hand. ¡°What did you bring today?¡± ¡°A turnip and rib stew. Since you broke your ribs, I thought a bone-in meat stew would help your recovery,¡± exined Joyce timidly. ¡°Oh?¡± Stanley arched a brow and asked, ¡°Who taught you about that? I never knew that helped with bone recovery. There''s no scientific evidence behind that.¡± Joyce set the food jar aside and replied patiently, ¡°I heard about it from others. Since everyone sort of vouched for it, I took their advice. Just one of those old wives'' tales, you know.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Stanley cocked his head in amusement. Joyce nodded and mumbled, ¡°But if you don''t like it, I''ll¡ª¡± ¡°It''s fine,¡± he interjected with a shake of his head, cutting her off. ¡°Give me a bowl of that.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She opened the thermal food jar, filling the ward with a delicious aroma. Stanley closed his eyes andmented, ¡°It smells nice.¡± Joyce''s lips threatened to curve into a smile when she heard him praising her cooking. Still, she tamped down her happiness when she remembered the state of their rtionship and instead settled for a reserved nod. ¡°Thank you. Here you go.¡± Joyce passed a bowl of meat stew to Stanley. He received the bowl from her, identally brushing her fingers with his in the process. Before he could even react, Joyce retracted her hand as though she was burned. The motion was so sudden that some stew spilled out of the bowl. A few drops even sttered onto Stanley''s hand. The food was still scalding hot because Joyce kept it in the thermal food jar right after she finished cooking. Even with the hour-long dy in traffic, the stew was still as hot as it was when it came out of the pot. Naturally, the stters on Stanley''s hand caused him to scrunch his brows and grunt in pain. Despite his pain, he did not let go of the bowl. The damage would be far worse if the bowlnded on the bed and spilled hot soup everywhere. Joyce never imagined she would end up scalding Stanley with her cooking. She paled, her heart racked with guilt and fear. After taking the bowl from his hand, she asked anxiously, ¡°Are you all right, Mr. Quinn? I''m so, so sorry. My hands shouldn''t have trembled. Please ept my deepest apologies.¡± At the same time, Joyce held Stanley''s hand and scrutinized it for burns. Chapter 1635 Chapter 1635 Stanley stared at Joyce wordlessly. Amusement shed through his eyes as he watched her concern and panic over his wellbeing. Joyce was too busy fussing over his swollen, scalded hand to notice his gaze. A chill ran down her spine as she chewed her lip nervously. I''m doomed. I messed up big time. Their antagonistic history weighed on her mind. She was always bracing herself for a retaliatory response. Joyce would not let her guard down over a few days of peace. Now that I''ve scalded him, I''m giving him the perfect excuse to explode at me! I bet he''ll use this chance to force me to do something. Maybe he''ll threaten me to abort my baby or torture me in some way. Damn it! Why did my stupid hands shake? It was just a touch. Why couldn''t I put up with it instead of freaking out? None of this would have happened if I didn''t pull my hand back. The thoughts that whirled in Joyce''s mind merely heightened her fear, causing her whole body to shake. Tears blurred her vision, and her eyes became red-rimmed at an rming rate. Stanley''s prolonged silence after her apology sent her anxiety through the roof. ¡°Mr. Quinn, I¡ª¡± She raised her head, ready to receive any punishment he had in mind. Stanley cut in before she could finish her words. ¡°Are you crying?¡± His question befuddled Joyce, who stiffened in surprise. Assuming he was disgusted by her tearful appearance, she hastily wiped her tears and shook her head. ¡°No, I''m not crying. I''m just¡ª¡± ¡°Are you scared that I''ll do something to you?¡± At the same time, he raised his hand to halt her speech. s, Joyce took his motion as a sign that he was about to strike her. She instinctively flinched and closed her eyes, appearing frightened yet resigned to her fate. Her behavior caused Stanley''s expression to darken instantly. He asked frostily, ¡°What are you doing? Did you think I''d hit you?¡± Why would she think that? Does she take me for a man cruel enough to strike a woman? Joyce slowly opened her eyes at his question. She shot him a fearful gaze and stammered, ¡°A-Aren''t you going to hit me?¡± Stanley narrowed his gaze, turning furious. ¡°Who told you I would hit you? Why did you automatically jump to that conclusion?¡± Finally realizing that he had no intention to hit her, Joyce secretly sighed in relief. She bit her lip and replied timidly, ¡°When you raised your hand, I thought you were going to hit me because I scalded you. That''s why¡ª¡± ¡°So you thought I would hit you over that?¡± Stanley''s expression looked as sullen as before. Joyce barely eked out her response. He was incensed as he demanded, ¡°Joyce, am I truly such a dishonorable man in your eyes? One dishonorable enough to just hit a woman?¡± ¡°No, that''s not what I meant.¡± Joyce waved her hands, hastily denying his words. And if it was not enough, she even bowed deeply and apologized, ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Quinn. That''s not what I was thinking at all. I never thought you were a man who struck women. I...¡± Unconvinced, Stanley challenged, ¡°If that''s not what you were thinking at all, then tell me. What was that reaction?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Joyce chewed her lip, unable toe up with a reply. Stanley stared at her for a while before demanding, ¡°Can you answer me or not?¡± She lowered her head further and remained silent. How can I say I did think he was someone capable of hitting a woman? I mean, he even dragged me to the clinic, trying to get my baby aborted. Hitting me isn''t that far-fetched of an idea. And we have bad blood between us. Isn''t that enough motive for him to strike me? Chapter 1636 Chapter 1636 s, Joyce could only keep her true thoughts to herself lest she risked angering Stanley further. He would think she thought poorly of his character. Men who struck women never saw themselves at fault; the problems alwaysy with the victims. When it seemed clear that Joyce would not answer his question, Stanley sighed in defeat and said, ¡°It''s fine if you don''t want to tell me why. I won''t force you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she eked out. Stanley stretched his scalded hand forward and drawled, ¡°In any case, you should take care of these burn blisters.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Joyce nodded and checked his injured hand. The parts which were only red before were now covered in burn blisters. She yelped, covering her mouth in shock. ¡°What happened? Why are there blisters already?¡± He exined, ¡°The stew was burning hot, and the fats in the dish will only raise the boiling point past that of pure water. Plus, I''ve always taken extra care of my hands because I have to operate frequently. The skin there is more sensitive than any other part of my body. How could blisters not form under such conditions?¡± Joyce shook her head frantically and said, ¡°I''m so sorry. I didn''t know that.¡± She never imagined the skin across his hands could be even more sensitive than hers. ¡°It''s fine. Just take note of it in the future,¡± he replied. ¡°I understand. I''ll be more careful in the future. This will not happen again. Mr. Quinn, let me get the doctor. I have no idea how to deal with blisters.¡± As she spoke, Joyce turned toward the door. Before she could take a step, Stanley called her back. ¡°There''s no need to summon the doctor.¡± He pointed at the drawers near his headboard and said, ¡°There''s a first aid pouch in the drawer. It contains simple supplies to treat cuts and burn wounds. You used the same ointment on your fatherst time. Just use the same on me.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Really?¡± Stanley retorted coolly, ¡°I''m a doctor. I wouldn''t lie to you about it.¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll get to it.¡± Joyce nodded and opened the drawers, retrieving the first aid pouch inside. She opened the pouch and confirmed his instructions. ¡°The same ointment, yes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded in affirmation. Joyce closed her eyes and tried to recall the medication and procedures she used to treat her father''s wound. Then, she took all the supplies she needed from the first aid pouch and began treating Stanley''s burns. She tended to his wound so gently and carefully, trying her best to avoid inflicting the slightest hint of pain on him as though worried it would infuriate him. Her nervousness was palpable. Even Stanley noticed her tension and wanted to help her calm down. Still, he knew anything he said now would only put her more on edge. He eventually opted to remain silent, hoping she would forget to focus on his mood and calm down as she concentrated on treating his burn wounds. At some point, Stanley even closed his eyes. The simple gesture worked wonders. Joyce rxed significantly without the pressure of his scrutiny. She fretted less over making stupid mistakes when not under his watchful gaze. Gradually, Joyce calmed down and treated Stanley''s blisters more skillfully and quickly. She finished in no time and tied a ribbon bow to secure a fresh bandage to his hand. Then, she observed him carefully and uttered, ¡°It''s done, Mr. Quinn.¡± Stanley slowly opened his eyes, only to see Joyce lowering her gaze to avoid eye contact. He felt angry and helpless at the same time as he watched her walk on eggshells around him. However, he knew he had no one to me but himself for her present behavior. ¡°It''s done?¡± asked Stanley. She nodded. ¡°Yes. Would you like to check on them?¡± Chapter 1637 Chapter 1637 Stanley lowered his head to look. I can''t deny her talent in nursing. Not only has she wrapped the bandage neatly, but she has also tied it with a beautiful knot. ¡°Not bad.¡± He nodded in approval. His words triggered a sigh of relief from Joyce, who then broke into a smile. ¡°I''m d to hear that.¡± Her concerns were subsequently eased, for she had been afraid that he would tear the bandage off in dissatisfaction and order her to redo it. Fortunately, the matter concluded in the best possible way¡ªhe was reasonable in the end. ¡°All right, feed me the stew now.¡± As Stanley put down his hand, his gaze fell upon the bowl on the bedside table. His words came as a shock. ¡°Feed you... stew?¡± She thought that she had heard wrong and couldn''t believe her ears. Stanley proceeded to repeat himself, ¡°Of course. Do you think I can hold the bowl of soup after you scalded my hand?¡± He raised his bandaged left hand as he spoke, causing Joyce to stare at it in silence. After putting it down, Stanley urged her, ¡°What are you spacing out for? Hurry up before it gets cold.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce resigned herself to fate. Upon taking a deep breath, she took a spoonful of the soup and brought it up to his mouth. As this was the first time she ever fed him, she was extremely nervous on top of not being used to it. Consequently, her hand couldn''t help but tremble. Her shaking hand sparked a gleam in Stanley''s eyes. ¡°Aren''t you worried you''ll spill the hot soup onto me again?¡± With a drastic change in expression, Joyce frantically put the spoon back into the bowl and apologized, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± She just couldn''t control her emotions, and her hands would shake every time she grew nervous. As a result, she was in no condition to feed him soup. Yet he was unable to drink it himself. What should I do now? Weighed down by her dilemma, Joyce lowered her head. Stanley, well-versed in psychology, let out a sigh after reading her mind. ¡°Fine, you can leave now. I''ll drink it by myself.¡± ¡°How are you going to do that?¡± Joyce gave him a look of surprise. Stanley tly replied, ¡°I can manage with one hand. I''m not going to let myself starve to death just because you''re nervous.¡± ¡°I-I''m sorry.¡± Joyce blushed as she hung her head. I didn''t do it on purpose. I just can''t help myself. Stanley waved with his good hand. ¡°Enough, there''s no need to apologize. You can leave now.¡± ¡°Will you really be fine on your own?¡± Joyce remained concerned as she stood by his bedside. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. A mocking look shed across Stanley''s face. ¡°Are you going to feed me if I can''t? Can you stop your hand from trembling?¡± ¡°I...¡± Joyce was at a loss for words again. Finally, Stanley sighed in resignation before asking, ¡°Joyce, am I a monster?¡± The sudden question baffled Joyce. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± ¡°I asked you if I looked like a monster to you?¡± Stanley stared at her. Instead of answering her question, he repeated his own. Joyce responded with a shake of her head. ¡°No, you''re human.¡± He''s clearly a man. How can he be a monster? ¡°In that case, why are you so afraid of me?¡± Stanley probed as he peered straight into her eyes. Joyce''s lips parted but no words came out. ¡°I...¡± There was no way she was going to tell him that even though he wasn''t a monster, the terror he made her feel made him no different from one. When he saw Joyce hanging her head again to avoid answering, a sense of exhaustion descended upon Stanley. ¡°Forget it. You can leave now.¡± He gestured to dismiss her again. He was cognizant of the fear she had for him, which was a result of his actions in the past. Although she could no longer remember the incident, her subconscious mind didn''t forget. Chapter 1638 Chapter 1638 That was the reason why his presence always unsettled her. It seems that I have a long path ahead of me. When Stanley''s expression darkened at the thought, Joyce assumed that he was displeased over her failure to feed him soup, a realization that intensified her anxiety. ¡°Mr. Quinn¡ª¡± ¡°Leave.¡± Stanley cut her off before she could finish. Joyce''s mouth was left agape as if she had more to say. However, the impatient look in his eyes caused her to swallow her words and walk out. Once she was gone, Stanley massaged his forehead. He then endured the difort from the bandages as he slowly picked up the soup to drink. Little did Joyce know that he could not only still use his hand but could also do so with full mobility. By then, she had left the ward and sat on the bench in the corridor. She nned to wait a while before returning to the room to check on him. Since he doesn''t want me to watch him drinking soup, I have no choice but to wait until he finishes. Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps was suddenly heard along the corridor. Snapping out of her thoughts, Joyce saw Jonathan and Caitlin approaching her. She stood up immediately to greet them, ¡°Dad, Mom, what brings you here?¡± ¡°We''re here to see you,¡± Caitlin replied with a smile while Jonathan nodded behind her. ¡°That''s right. I''m worried about you taking care of him here alone.¡± Jonathan''s gaze fell upon the ward entrance as he spoke. Once Joyce helped her parents to their seats, she reassured them, ¡°Don''t worry, Mom, Dad. I''ll be fine. To be honest, he''s quite easy to get along with. It''s just that I can sometimes be uptight in front of him still.¡± Due to Stanley''s unpredictable temper, she had always behaved submissively toward him so that she wouldn''t get on his nerves. Fortunately for her, he didn''t lose his temper over thest few days. Otherwise, there was no way she could have sustained her efforts till now. ¡°Hmph, easygoing?¡± Jonathan let out a snort before continuing with disdain, ¡°If someone like him is easygoing, we can then say the same of anyone who bears us a grudge.¡± ¡°That''s right, Joyce. Don''t say such things just because you don''t want us to worry.¡± Caitlin held her daughter''s hand sympathetically, refusing to believe thetter due to the strong impression Stanley had left on them. He had clearly demonstrated how difficult he could be. Joyce broke into a wry smile. ¡°Mom, I''m telling you the truth and not saying this on purpose. He has been a pleasure to be around over thest few days. I''m not sure if it''s because I was extra careful in my interactions, but he didn''t lose his temper with me or make things difficult on purpose. So, I''m hanging in there and not on my toes all the time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Caitlin was gradually convinced by her daughter''s serious tone. Even though Jonathan didn''tment, the look in his eyes was simr to that of Caitlin''s. Joyce responded with a nod. ¡°Of course, so don''t worry about me, as I''m doing all right.¡± ¡°Fine, we believe you,¡± Caitlin replied as she gave Joyce''s hair a tousle. Joyce thenid her head on her mother''s shoulder. ¡°Thank you, Mom, Dad.¡± ¡°What are you thanking us for? As your parents, it''s only natural for us to be concerned about you,¡± Caitlin replied as she gave Joyce a hug. Jonathan nodded in agreement. ¡°Your mother is right. By the way, Joyce, why are you sitting outside? Is he asleep?¡± He then pointed at the ward door, to which Joyce shook her head. ¡°No, he''s drinking soup inside, so he kicked me out.¡± ¡°Kicked you out?¡± Jonathan raised his voice abruptly. ¡°What in the world happened?¡± ¡°Exactly. Tell us what''s going on, Joyce,¡± Caitlin instructed with a stern expression. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as her parents were relieved to learn that she was getting on well with Stanley, the fact that she was kicked out of the ward unsettled them again. Chapter 1639 Chapter 1639 Realizing that her words had caused her parents to worry, Joyce waved her hands frantically as she exined, ¡°Dad, Mom, please calm down. It was my fault. I...¡± Joyce rted how nervous she was and how she scalded Stanley. Jonathan and Caitlin''s concerns were finally ayed when it turned out that Joyce was the cause of the problem instead of Stanley making things difficult for her. ¡°That''s why both of you shouldn''t overthink it,¡± Joyce reassured her parents while holding their hands. Skeptical of her words, Jonathan stared at her. ¡°Joyce, did he really kick you out of the room instead of venting his anger on you?¡± He didn''t want her to lie just because she didn''t want them to worry. Nodding, Caitlin added, ¡°That''s right, Joyce. You had better not hide anything from us. It will only unsettle us further.¡± Warmed by her parents'' concern, Joyce held their hands and shook her head with a smile. ¡°Trust me. I''m not hiding anything. After I scalded him, I was worried that he would scream at me, but he surprisingly didn''t. Instead, he calmly allowed me to bandage his wound and feed him soup. It was when my nerves caused me to almost scald him again that he asked me to leave the room impatiently. That''s all.¡± The calm manner in which Joyce exined herself finally convinced her parents. ¡°Thank God. That''s a relief,¡± Caitlinmented. Staring at Stanley''s ward door with aplicated expression, Jonathan wondered out loud, ¡°Come to think of it, the kid seems to have changed.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Caitlin gave him a quizzical look. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jonathan repeated himself, ¡°I feel as if he is somehow different now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Caitlin''s curiosity deepened. As her visits to the hospital were infrequent and she barely interacted with Stanley, she wasn''t aware of any changes. In contrast to her, Jonathan, who came by often, managed to notice the difference. Stroking his chin in thought, he borated, ¡°I feel as if he''s toned down his temper a lot, and the hatred he harbored against us has be less intense.¡± ¡°Jon, are you kidding me?¡± Caitlin was amused by his words. Nheless, Jonathan shook his head. ¡°I''m not joking. That''s what I truly feel.¡± ¡°Actually, I think Dad''s right too,¡± Joyce remarked abruptly. ¡°I''m getting the same vibe as him.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?¡± Caitlin was astonished. Joyce shed a smile as she exined, ¡°After taking care of him for some time, I''m the one who''s most sensitive to any changes in him. Firstly, the best evidence is the fact that he didn''t lose his temper with me. Also, I didn''t notice any hatred or annoyance in his eyes. That''s why I believe Dad''s words to be true.¡± The surprise in Caitlin''s eyes was unmistakable. ¡°But why? Why would he hate us less?¡± Silence descended upon Jonathan and Joyce upon hearing the question, for neither of them had the answer. No one knew what was going on with Stanley for him to lessen his hatred toward them. The only way to find out is to ask him, but should we? Joyce gave her father a look. After a brief hesitation, Jonathan shook his head. ¡°We had better not. Regardless of the reason for the reduction in his hostility toward us, we should pretend that we aren''t aware. If we were to ask him about it, we would run the risk of angering him. It would be troublesome if he reneges on his promise to us due to that.¡± Caitlin nodded in agreement. ¡°Your father is right, so let''s pretend that we didn''t notice, okay? We should continue taking care of him for the time being and see if there''s an opportunity to leave him in the future. Otherwise...¡± Chapter 1640 Chapter 1640 Although she didn''t finish her sentence, the message she wanted to convey was obvious to everyone. At that moment, the three of them fell silent. It wasn''t until a whileter that Caitlin broke it by patting Joyce on the shoulder. ¡°All right now. Don''t overthink it.¡± Joyce hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°I know. Anyway, it''s gettingte. I''m going back in to check if he has finished his soup and clean up after him.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Go on then.¡± Caitlin nodded. Joyce subsequently got back to her feet and knocked on the ward door. ¡°Mr. Quinn, it''s me. Can Ie in?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Stanley''s voice rang out. It sounded calm and didn''t carry any hint of resentment. Consequently, Caitlin and Jonathan exchanged nces with each other. Caitlin was now convinced that Stanley no longer harbored any animosity toward them. Despite their curiosity as to what the reason was, they had no intention of asking about it. After all, they were worried that doing so would anger him. ¡°Jon, should we go in?¡± Caitlin asked her husband, to which he shook his head. ¡°No. He mes us for causing the death of his parents. That''s why he hates us more than Joyce. Perhaps his change of heart only applies to her and not us?¡± ¡°You''re right. Fine, we''ll just wait here for her,¡± Caitlin replied with a smile. Jonathan didn''tment as he simply held her hand in silent constion. Upon entering the ward, the first thing Joyce did was look toward the bed to see if Stanley had finished his soup. However, instead of holding a bowl, Stanley had a medical magazine in his hands, taking Joyce by surprise. ¡°Mr. Quinn, did you not drink the soup?¡± When Stanley gestured with his chin toward the bedside table, Joyce spotted the empty bowl on top of it. It was evident that Stanley had finished it. For some strange reason, a sense of delight filled Joyce. Nevertheless, she didn''t show it as she picked up the empty bowl. ¡°Do you want some more, Mr. Quinn?¡± Stanley shook his head as he looked at her. ¡°That''s enough for me. It was delicious. Did you make it yourself?¡± Joyce looked down to avoid his gaze. ¡°Yes, I did. Thank you.¡± ¡°I don''t remember you knowing how to make soup,¡± Stanley remarked with one hand supporting his head. Joyce hummed in response. ¡°I learned it from my mom and finally got it after failing a few times.¡± Stanley lifted his chin slightly. ¡°Not bad.¡± Tilting her head, Joyce had no idea what he meant by ¡°not bad.¡± Is heplimenting me for my cooking skills or the fact that I''m learning to cook from Mom? Without giving the matter much thought, she began clearing the tableware. ¡°Mr. Quinn, I''m going to wash the bowl. Feel free to call me if there''s anything you need.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Stanley grunted in response. With that, Joyce headed toward the kitchen with the thermal food jar and basket. As the room was a high-end ward, it was simr to a suite that had its own kitchen and amenities. It was just that the utensils there didn''t look particrly clean. Thus, she had prepared the soup at home and brought it over instead. Contrary to cooking, washing up there was a pleasure. While doing the dishes, Joyce suddenly heard a voice speaking outside. She lightened her movements and turned down the water, allowing her to overhear the conversation. In truth, it didn''t make much of a difference, as all she could pick up was a few words here and there, such as which surgery was a sess and how much recovery time was needed. In essence, Joyce was clueless to what was going on. Nheless, she figured that he must have called a patient''s family member, as he was, first and foremost, a surgeon. There was no way a patient''s family could call him directly to enquire about the patient''s recovery. Chapter 1641 Chapter 1641 With that in mind, Joyce stopped listening in, turned the water back on, and picked up her pace to finish washing the dishes. Soon, she was done washing the utensils and the thermal food jar. Joyce put everything into a basket and exited the kitchen with it. Coincidentally, Stanley had also gotten off his phone call, and he turned toward her to ask, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Joyce nodded slightly. ¡°I''m bringing these back. I''ll be backter.¡± In order to take better care of him, Joyce got a visitors'' room to sleep over at night. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Hence, even if she was going home, she would still return shortly. Stanley lifted his chin and said, ¡°Go on, then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joyce walked toward the door with the basket. Just as she opened the door, Stanley suddenly asked, ¡°Joyce, would you like to regain your memories?¡± Joyce was stunned by the question and didn''t know how to react. Jonathan and Caitlin were paying attention to what was going on in the ward because they were worried about what Stanley would do to their daughter. Therefore, they immediately rose to their feet when they heard the door open. As soon as they stood up, they heard Stanley asking Joyce that question. Jonathan saw red at once, and he shielded Joyce before he shouted at Stanley, ¡°What the f*ck did you say, b*stard? What did you mean by that? Regain memories? Joyce doesn''t want to regain her memories! Why would she want to do that? Why should she suffer even more? Get that idea out of your head, and don''t ever bring it up again! Also, don''t you dare reverse Joyce''s hypnosis on the sly. Otherwise, I won''t mind sending you to hell and meeting you there! I can walk the talk. Trust me! Joyce, let''s go!¡± With that, Jonathan grabbed Joyce''s hand and led her toward the elevator. Caitlin shot Stanley aplicated look before closing the door to the ward and chasing after Jonathan and Joyce. When Jonathan let go of Joyce''s hand in the elevator, he was still fuming. Seeing that, Joyce merely bit her lower lip and kept mum. One could only wonder what was going through her mind at that moment. Secondster, Caitlin entered the elevator and pushed one of the buttons. She saw Joyce mulling over something, but she decided not to disrupt her daughter after giving it some thought. Instead, she shifted her gaze toward Jonathan and asked, ¡°Jon, what did he mean by that?¡± With a grim expression, Jonathan let out a cold snort. ¡°What else could he possibly mean? He wants Joyce to regain her memories and suffer! As it turns out, he still despises us as much as before, and he was simply waiting for us!¡± Caitlin grew agitated upon hearing that. ¡°How could he?¡± The married couple was livid, and they were both breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Joyce was still keeping her head lowered and her expression hidden. She knew her parents were angered by what Stanley said. In truth, she was also shocked and furious when she heard those words. I''m shocked that he wants me to regain my memories, and I''m angry because I also think he wants me to do so, so that I will suffer. However, now that I''ve calmed myself down, I can''t help but think that his expression at that moment suggested otherwise. When he asked me that question, he looked calm instead of malicious. Therefore, could it be that he has other reasons for wanting me to regain my memories? Just as she was deep in thought, someone gave her shoulder a nudge. Joyce snapped back to her senses and lifted her head to see Caitlin was the one who pushed her. Caitlin looked at her worriedly and asked, ¡°What''s the matter, Joyce? What''s on your mind?¡± Joyce parted her lips and wanted to answer her mother. However, Jonathan spoke ahead of her. ¡°What else could be on her mind? She must be thinking about what that b*stard said!¡± Chapter 1642 Chapter 1642 Upon saying that, Jonathan looked at Joyce and said sternly, ¡°Joyce, listen to me. No matter what, you can''t be thinking about regaining your memories. No matter how hard he tries to convince you to do it, you mustn''t fall for it. Do you understand? Once you regain your memories, you''ll suffer as you did back then. We can''t bear to see that happening to you.¡± Joyce saw how anxious her parents were, so she squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°I know. Don''t worry. I don''t intend to regain my memories. I don''t even remember what I was like before, so if I were to regain my memories, I won''t know who I am anymore. I like how I am now.¡± Jonathan and Caitlin felt relieved upon hearing that. ¡°That''s good. That''s good.¡± Joyce even held their hands to show how sincere she was when she said those words. True enough, her parents felt more at ease after she did that. Momentster, the elevator arrived on the ground floor, and the three of them left the building and got into the car. On the balcony of a certain floor of the inpatient building nearby, Stanley was standing behind the railing in his hospital gown. With one hand on the railing and the other in his pocket, he watched the car leave. Once the car was out of sight, he turned around and went back into the ward. As he was walking, he whipped out his phone to call Natalie. It was nighttime where Natalie was, and a few people could be seen eating at the dining table. When her phone rang, Natalie reached out her hand toward it. Before she could reach it, however, it was taken away by Shane. Since Natalie''s phone was next to Shane, he saw the caller ID before she did. When he saw that it was a call from Stanley, Shane narrowed his eyes and took the phone away. Natalie was unperturbed when Shane took her phone because she had nothing to hide. I''m not hiding anything from him, and I don''t even mind if he answers the call. With that in mind, Natalie urged her mischievous kids, ¡°Hey, that''s enough. Eat up.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. As soon as those words fell, the kids behaved themselves and continued eating. In the meantime, Anders, who was in the crib nearby, could only watch everyone eat. Fortunately, Lina cared about Anders so much that she was keeping Anderspany with a bowl in her hands, and Zaylee was by her side. Shane then answered the phone and asked in a frigid tone, ¡°What do you want?¡± Stanley, who was on the other end of the call, stayed silent for a couple of seconds when he heard Shane''s voice instead of Natalie''s. ¡°I''m looking for Natalie.¡± Unexpectedly, Stanley didn''t address Natalie by her nickname. Although Shane couldn''t help raising his brows in bafflement, he was satisfied. Stanley is a stubborn and despicable man. Prior to this, I had already warned him against calling Natalie by her nickname. After all, she''s my wife, so other men shouldn''t address her so intimately. However, it was so annoying when he disregarded my words just because he was my wife''s savior and possessed medical skills. This time around, he actually stopped doing it. It seems like he has finally figured things out. A glint flitted across Shane''s eyes when he asked tly, ¡°What do you want from her?¡± As Shane asked that question, he threw a nce at Natalie. Natalie noticed it and looked back at him. ¡°What''s the matter? Who''s on the phone?¡± ¡°Stanley,¡± Shane answered truthfully. ¡°Why is he calling me?¡± Natalie was weirded out. I thought ever since I helped Joyce get out of J City, Stanley and I were no longer friends. Why would he call me all of a sudden? Chapter 1643 Chapter 1643 Natalie put her utensils aside right away and looked at Shane intently, curious to know what Stanley wanted from her. On the other end of the call, Stanley lowered his gaze and asked, ¡°Who hypnotized Joyce?¡± Every hypnotist had a unique way of hypnotizing their patients. Thus, in order to figure out how to reverse the hypnosis, one had to find out who the hypnotist was and the method the hypnotist used on the patient. Joyce could end up having amentia if someone were to try to undo the hypnosis without the aforementioned knowledge. Since Natalie was close to Joyce, it was safe to assume Natalie knew the identity of the hypnotist. Shane froze momentarily when he heard Stanley''s question. After that, he frowned and asked, ¡°Why do you want the answer to that question? Are you nning to undo Joyce''s hypnosis?¡± Shane figured out Stanley''s intention right away. ¡°No! He can''t reverse Joyce''s hypnosis!¡± Natalie''s expression changed dramatically when she heard those words. If he does that, Joyce will be who she was before this and suffer from being a fool for love! Before the hypnosis, Joyce''s life was filled with darkness, and she had to live without a glimmer of hope. If the hypnosis is reversed, she will have a mental breakdown sooner orter and attempt tomit suicide once more! No matter what, Stanley mustn''t undo Joyce''s hypnosis. Shane saw how anxious Natalie was, so he held her hand to calm her down. He then proceeded to ask Stanley, ¡°Why do you want to undo Joyce''s hypnosis? Are you still looking to take revenge on her?¡± Stanley pursed his lips and went silent. ¡°Stanley, you''re as stubborn as a mule. Seeing that you''ve been there for so long without causing a stir, I thought you had finally thought things through and epted what I told you. However, it seems like you''re still as deranged as before.¡± Shane''s expression turned grimmer. ¡°Who are you to judge me?¡± Stanley''s expression darkened instantly. I''m not reversing Joyce''s hypnosis to take revenge on her, but even if that was what I wanted to do, who gave him the right to judge me? ¡°You''re right. I can''t judge you, but I can also choose to not give you the answer you''re looking for. You can figure that out on your own.¡± With that, Shane ended the call. Shane had long known Stanley would look for Joyce''s hypnotist one day to take revenge on her. Therefore, he had sent the hypnotist away long ago to prevent Stanley from locating the doctor. Seeing that Shane had ended the call, Natalie asked anxiously, ¡°What''s going on, Darling? Is Stanley seriously looking to reverse Joyce''s hypnosis?¡± Shane nodded slightly. ¡°That''s most probably what he wants to do. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have called to ask about the hypnotist''s identity.¡± Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°How could he?¡± ¡°He''s a man filled with hatred, so this is not a surprise.¡± Shane held Natalie''s hand tofort her. ¡°Since he hadn''t gone after Joyce and the Rivers family for a while now, I thought he had already epted the fact that he''s into Joyce and was gradually letting go of the hatred he had for the Rivers family. Now...¡± Natalie bit her lip. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Even though she didn''tplete her sentence, Shane knew what was on her mind. Narrowing his eyes, he said, ¡°Let''s pay the Rivers family a visit after thepetition is over.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was stumped. ¡°Darling, are you saying we should go to the Rivers residence?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°One of the reasons why the conflict between the Rivers family and Stanley hasn''t been resolved is Stanley''s inability to let go. The other reason is that no one has ever intervened and mediated the conflict. This time around, we''ll go as mediators, and maybe we can help them resolve the conflict. The Rivers family can''t run from Stanley for the rest of their lives.¡± Chapter 1644 Chapter 1644 Natalie went silent and only nodded after a while. ¡°You''re right. Sure. We''ll go there after my competition.¡± Suddenly, Connor asked, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, are we going to see Aunt Joyce?¡± Natalie caressed his head and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That''s great!¡± The kids pped excitedly. ¡°We haven''t seen Aunt Joyce in such a long time. We miss her!¡± ¡°Do you miss Uncle Stanley as well?¡± Natalie asked. No matter what, Stanley is still the kids'' godfather. He became our savior when he pulled the kids and me back from the gates of death. At that time, Natalie believed in fate, so she had Stanley be her kids'' godfather. Stanley will be their godfather for the rest of their lives. Besides, I believe that since Stanley had rescued the kids before, he''s their guardian angel. In other words, the kids will always be under Stanley''s protection. Regardless of who Stanley had be, he would always be the children''s godfather. Connor and Sharon suddenly fell silent when they heard Natalie''s question, and they were no longer as excited as they were. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Seeing that, Natalie and Shane exchanged nces. ¡°What''s the matter with the both of you?¡± Shane asked. ¡°Mommy, will we see Uncle Stanley when we visit Aunt Joyce?¡± Connor asked. Although Sharon was keeping mum, she was staring at her parents and waiting for the answer. ¡°Of course. Since they''re both there, you''ll surely see both of them at once.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I don''t want to see Uncle Stanley, though.¡± Sharon lowered her head unhappily. Connor, on the other hand, pursed his lips in silence. It was obvious that neither of the kids wanted to see Stanley. Upon seeing the kids'' reactions, Natalie approached them and hugged them. In a gentle tone, she asked, ¡°May I know what''s wrong?¡± Sharon lifted her head and replied fearfully, ¡°Uncle Stanley is scary.¡± Connor nodded as well. ¡°Mommy, Uncle Stanley is no longer the person we used to know. Back then, he loved us and treated us well. Now, he''s a scary man,¡± Sharon added. ¡°Children have always been perceptive of what''s happening around them.¡± Shane walked up to Natalie and the kids to hug them. ¡°I know, but Stanley''s rtionship with the kids isn''t that simple.¡± Natalie sighed. In response, Shane snorted and uttered, ¡°I only let the kids see him because you told me he was their godfather and saved your lives.¡± After all, Stanley had harmed the kids before. ¡°I''m sorry, Shane.¡± Natalie shed an apologetic smile. ¡°You don''t have to apologize.¡± Shane caressed her head. Natalie hummed in acknowledgment. Right then, Sharon pouted and said, ¡°Mommy, must we see Uncle Stanley?¡± ¡°Well, you can''t see Aunt Joyce without seeing him,¡± Natalie answered. ¡°Uncle Stanley is an evil man! He asked someone to take Connor away and got Connor involved in a car ident that broke his arm.¡± Sharon snorted. Natalie was astonished when she heard that. ¡°Sharon, who told you that?¡± Natalie had never told the kids about the incident. How did the kids find out about that? When she saw Connor gritting his teeth, she immediately deduced that he was also aware of how Stanley was involved in his kidnap and car ident. ¡°Connor and I heard about it.¡± Sharon didn''t know how to lie, so she told Natalie the truth. Chapter 1645 Chapter 1645 Natalie stared at the child. ¡°You two heard that? Where?¡± Sharon turned to look at Connor before looking down at her fidgeting fingers. ¡°When Connor and I went to look for you and Daddy, you were telling Daddy about this, so we identally heard it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shane nodded in realization. He was impressed by how long the children managed to keep it a secret despite having known about the truth for so long. ¡°You two.¡± Natalie did not know whether she shouldugh or cry. Shaking her head slightly, she yfully poked the twins'' foreheads. Rubbing the spot on her forehead that had just been poked, Sharon asked quizzically, ¡°Mommy, why did Uncle Stanley do something like that? Doesn''t he like Connor and me? Why would he take Connor away and make Connor get into a car ident?¡± ¡°Yeah, Mommy.¡± Connor sped his hands together and looked down at the floor miserably. ¡°I admire Uncle Stanley. In fact, I''ve thought about bing a doctor in the future, just like Uncle Stanley. And yet, he tried to harm me. I''m very upset.¡± Natalie was rendered speechless by the twins'' question. She had no idea how to answer. After all, she still had no clue as to why Stanley would do such a thing in the first ce. Just then, Shane cut in. ¡°If you guys want to know the answer, then you should go straight to Stanley when we visit this time and personally ask him why he did that.¡± ¡°Personally ask him?¡± Connor raised his head to meet Shane''s eyes. Shane hummed in response. ¡°That''s right. A lot of times, you won''t get answers if you ask anyone else. Only those directly involved would have the answer. Asking them directly is also the best way to get the answers you''re looking for. In this case, there''s no use in asking your mommy, for she doesn''t know the answer either. The only thing you can do is ask Stanley why he did something like that and rify if there are any misunderstandings between the two of you. That''s how a man should act.¡± Connor nodded slowly as he pondered over Shane''s answer. ¡°I got it, Daddy. I will face it bravely. I really do want to know why Uncle Stanley would want to hurt me, and I want him to tell me the answer himself.¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± Shane smiled. ¡°All right. Let''s continue eating. The food''s getting cold.¡± Natalie rubbed the children''s tiny heads affectionately as she spoke. The two children nodded in unison. The heavy atmosphere gave way to a light-hearted one as the children munched away happily. All of their misery seemed to be reced by joy as they perked up. After dinner, Natalie and Shane yed with Anders for a while before asking Zaylee to bring the baby back to the nursery to rest. Anders was still young, so he needed more sleep in order to grow healthily. The next day, Natalie and Shane brought the twins on an outing while Anders stayed back in the vi. After all, he was still a baby. It would not be convenient to bring him out of the house. Moreover, no one wanted to risk Anders catching an infection and falling sick. Hence, Anders was left behind in the vi with Zaylee looking after him. Lina dly volunteered to take care of Anders as well. With Zaylee, Lina, and the bodyguards protecting Anders, Natalie and Shane could feel at ease bringing the twins out of the house. The couple had not brought the children out to y for quite some time. Hence, they were d to be able to have the opportunity to spend some time with them that day. As for the two children, they were overjoyed by the fact that their parents were taking them out. They skipped happily along the road as giggles filled the air. The children were well aware that Shane and Natalie were normally quite busy. Despite wanting to spend time with their parents, Connor and Sharon decided it was best to be understanding and not make a fuss. They had originally wanted to look for an opportunity to beg their parents for a day out together after Natalie''spetition. To their pleasant surprise, their wish came true so suddenly before Natalie''spetition had even ended. Thus, the children were ecstatic. ¡°Mommy, where are we going today?¡± Connor lifted his head to blink up at Natalie hopefully. Meanwhile, Sharon tugged Natalie''s hand. ¡°Yeah, Mommy. Where are we going?¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Natalie hesitated. Truth be told, she had not nned out their itinerary for the day. An idea shed across her mind. Turning to look at Shane, she quickly directed the question to him. ¡°Darling, where are we going?¡± Upon seeing the three hopeful faces looking at him, Shane could not help but chuckle lightly. ¡°I have no idea where we''re going either, but what''s important is that we''re spending time with the two children today. So, why don''t we let you kids decide what we''re doing today?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Chapter 1646 Chapter 1646 Natalie nodded in agreement. ¡°That''s not a bad idea. What do you guys think?¡± She turned to look at the twins. Naturally, the children were thrilled by the suggestion. Sharon immediately shot her hand up into the air. ¡°The aquarium! I want to go to the aquarium! I want to see the many, many giant whales!¡± As an emphasis, she stretched her arms to the side when she said ¡°many.¡± However, Connor pressed down her arms and objected, ¡°No. Let''s go to the technopole! I want to see all the cool technology!¡± ¡°Aquarium.¡± ¡°Technology city.¡± ¡°Aquarium!¡± ¡°Technology city!¡± The children broke out into an argument as to where they should go. Seeing that the twins'' faces were turning red in anger, Natalie and Shane quickly intervened and picked up one of the twins in their arms respectively. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What''s going on with the two of you?¡± Natalie''s expression turned grim. ¡°Why are you fighting?¡± Shane frowned, ¡°Haven''t you two always been close with each other? What''s going on?¡± Sharon fiddled with her fingers. ¡°I wanna go to the aquarium, but Connor wants to go to the technopole.¡± On the other hand, Connor merely lowered his head in silence. The guilt of arguing with his sister was starting to weigh him down. Natalie sighed. ¡°So you fought with your brother just because you two wanted to go to different ces?¡± In response to Natalie''s reprimand, Sharon lowered her head in shame as well. Just then, Connor clenched his fingers as though he was making up his mind. He raised his head and decided, ¡°How about we don''t go to the technopole? Let''s go to the aquarium. I''m the older twin. I should let my younger sister have her way.¡± ¡°Connor...¡± Sharon looked at Connor, moved by his decision to back down. To their surprise, Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Connor and Sharon asked in unison as they turned to look at her. Tossing Connor a tender look, Natalie smiled. ¡°Connor, I know you''re a good kid and that you know how to give way to your younger sister. However, that doesn''t mean you should let your sister have her way all the time in all situations. You''re not much older than Sharon. The two of you are the same age. You don''t have to give up all your wants for her, understood?¡± Shane flicked the children''s foreheads lightly. ¡°That''s right. Even though the two of you disagree on where we should go, you still shouldn''t argue but rather discuss it with us toe to a final decision. Mommy and I are spending time with you two today. Of course, we''ll want the two of you to have as much fun as possible. So, Connor, there''s no need topromise what you want for Sharon. We''ll bring you to all the ces that you guys want to go.¡± Shane and Natalie shared the same opinion. He did not think that the eldest must always let their younger siblings get their way. Instead, he merely believed that brothers should protect their younger sisters. Therefore, in his opinion, Connor did not have topromise by choosing to go to the ce Sharon wanted to go to. He had the right to insist on going to the ce he wanted to visit. As parents, Shane and Natalie had the ability to fulfill both of their wishes. ¡°Daddy. Mommy.¡± Connor beamed happily at Shane and Natalie. He had always known that his parents were open-minded and would treat him and Sharon fairly. Yet, it was only at that moment did he realize that Shane and Natalie were even more open-minded than he had expected. Meanwhile, Sharon was listening to what Shane and Natalie were saying. Understanding dawned on her. Turning to Connor, she held his hand. ¡°I''m sorry, Connor. I shouldn''t have let youpromise, and I shouldn''t have taken your sacrifices for granted. Mommy is right. I''m the same age as you. You don''t have to let me have my way all the time because you need to be cared for too.¡± When they heard what Sharon had said, both Shane and Natalie were stunned. Neither of them had expected Sharon to act so maturely. Unlike Connor, Sharon was not gifted with a high IQ. She was just an ordinary child. By right, a child her age should not be able to understand suchplex logic. Nheless, Sharon had exceeded their expectations. Not only could she understand the reasoning, but she could voice out her understanding as well. It was natural for them to be shocked. At the same time, they were beyond proud as parents that their daughter was understanding. ¡°Sharon.¡± Natalie pulled Sharon into her arms and nuzzled the child''s head with her own. ¡°You''re amazing. I''m so proud of you.¡± Chapter 1647 Chapter 1647 ¡°I''m proud of you too.¡± Shane patted Sharon on the shoulder with a huge smile. Connor did the same. ¡°I am too.¡± Upon hearing her parents and brother telling her that they were proud of her, Sharon shed all of them a happy grin despite her missing tooth. It was both amusing and adorable. ¡°All right, then. Let''s go to the technopole first, then we''ll visit the aquarium. What do you guys think?¡± Natalie asked the twins. Needless to say, the children had no objections. Both of them nodded in agreement. ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Then that''s settled,¡± Shane concluded before knocking on the privacy screen between the back seats and the driver''s seat. Rolling down the privacy screen, Ss peeked at the family of four from the rearview mirror. ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Thompson?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Turn around. Head for the technopole,¡± Shane answered. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ss replied politely before turning on the navigation app. When Connor heard the animated voice directing them to the technopole, he beamed in excitement and started to rave about the advanced technologies that could be found there. Even though Sharon could not understand, she could not help but look at Connor in admiration. She had always found Connor impressive whenever he shared his knowledge of technology. Natalie was not well-versed in advanced technology either, but she could understand bits and pieces of it. Contrarily, Shane could understand everything Connor was saying. The father-son pair started conversing and discussing the advancement of technology. Still hugging Sharon in her arms, Natalie smiled at the harmonious exchange between the father-son pair. The family of four looked happy and warm. Peering at them from the rearview mirror, Ss could not help but feel a bit jealous and in awe. Shane had told him that once Natalie''spetition ended, Ss could assume the position of CEO in a subsidiarypany. By then, Ss would have a lot of free time on his hands. He would no longer have to answer to Shane all the time and would have more time to spend with his girlfriend. Once I''m CEO, the first thing I''ll do is marry Sal, then we can have two kids. Hopefully, we''ll get a boy and a girl. When that happens, our family of four will surely be as blessed as Mr. Thompson''s family. That''s such an amazing picture! Ss began to fantasize about his future as he continued driving. Soon, they arrived at the technopole. Connor immediately hopped out of the car and took in all of the futuristic buildings and skyscrapers around him in excitement. ¡°This is it! This is the ce! I''ve wanted toe here for so long. I''m finally here today!¡± Pumping his fists into the air, Connor cheered in delight. Natalie and Shane helped Sharon out of the car. When they saw how ecstatic Connor was, they could not help but break into smiles of their own. ¡°Well, what are you standing here for? Didn''t you say that you''ve wanted toe here for a long time? Go on inside!¡± Natalie ced a hand on Connor''s shoulder and urged encouragingly. Nodding fervently, Connor sprinted toward the entrance of the technopole. Natalie and Shane each held one of Sharon''s tiny hands and followed behind Connor. The family of four had an amazing time bonding with each other. Meanwhile, Stanley had contacted Sean. Since he could not get hold of the hypnotist that Joyce had seen from Shane and Natalie, he decided to obtain that information from Sean. Sean was one of the first people to know about Joyce seeing a hypnotist so that she would forget about Stanley. Hence, Sean should know the identity of Joyce''s hypnotist. ¡°Dr. Quinn, it''s been a while,¡± Sean greeted cheerfully upon picking up the phone as though he and Stanley were old friends. Conversely, Stanley spoke in an indifferent manner. ¡°I didn''t call you to catch up.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Sean toyed with a gun in his hand as he replied. ¡°After all, we''re not even friends. It makes more sense if we don''t catch up. So, go on. What are you calling me for?¡± ¡°I want to know the identity of the hypnotist that hypnotized Joyce.¡± Stanley did not beat around the bush either and jumped straight into the topic. Sean froze momentarily before raising an eyebrow. The gun in his hand stopped moving. ¡°Oh? I don''t suppose you''re trying to reverse the hypnosis by asking me that?¡± Stanley did not respond. Chapter 1648 Chapter 1648 Chuckling slightly, Sean continued, ¡°You do realize that the moment you reverse the hypnosis, Joyce will immediately be plunged into the pain and suffering that you caused her, right? I believe you''ve already epted the fact that you love her by now, haven''t you? Are you really willing for her to go through all that pain again?¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes. ¡°That''s none of your business. You just need to tell me who that hypnotist is. The rest is none of your concern.¡± So what if he wasn''t willing? Compared to the reluctance he felt, he was more bothered by the fact that she would never remember him. That was not a reality that he was willing to ept. He had already gotten used to the deep emotions behind her eyes whenever she looked at him in the past. Hence, he could not ept the clear yet terrified gaze she gave him now that she could not remember who he was. The Joyce in the present was not the Joyce that he wanted. He had to make sure she returned to the way she was in the past, even if it meant plunging her into sorrow. However, he nned to erase the pain and never let her suffer again. Stanley was certain that he could seed. Even so, he did not voice out those thoughts. Not knowing what was crossing Stanley''s mind, Sean tutted when he heard Stanley''s answer. ¡°You sure are cold-blooded, Mr. Quinn, to treat someone you im you love so badly that way. My heart goes out to Ms. Rivers.¡± Stanley scoffed in response. ¡°What right do you have to point fingers at me? Do you think that you''re any better? Aren''t you hurting Natalie as well despite iming that you like her? You even n to lock her up to iste her from the rest of the world except you. You''re even more shameless than I am.¡± Sean''s expression turned icy for a brief second before a cynical half-smile appeared on his lips. ¡°When ites to being shameless, Dr. Quinn, I believe I''m still no match for you. At least I have no ns to manipte Natalie. But you... You hated Ms. Rivers, and yet you kept brainwashing her for ten whole years, to the point Ms. Rivers cannot forget you nor let go of her feelings for you. That was the reason she was in so much pain. I say you''re crueler than I am.¡± ¡°That''s enough!¡± Stanley growled. His expression darkened as he seethed. Sean merely smirked in response. ¡°What''s wrong? Did I hit a sore spot? Are you mad that I exposed your deepest regret?¡± ¡°Sean Thompson! I did not contact you to bicker about this.¡± Stanley tightened his grip on his phone. Putting his finger through the trigger guard, Sean spun the gun around his finger absent-mindedly. ¡°Okay, okay. Fine. Since you don''t want to continue talking about this, we''ll drop the subject. Though I have to say, you''vee to the right person to seek the identity of the hypnotist.¡± ¡°Spit it out. Who is it?¡± Stanley sat up straight and urged impatiently. Sean smiled. ¡°I don''t mind telling you, but can''t you go straight to Shane for this matter? Yet here you are, asking for my assistance. Let me guess, Shane refused to tell you?¡± ¡°Why do you ask if you know the answer?¡± Stanley answered with another question as he narrowed his eyes impatiently. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Laughter sounded on Sean''s end. ¡°Fair enough. All right, I''ll stop asking. Truth be told, I''ll dly tell you who the hypnotist is. That way, when Joyce regains her memory, her dear friend Natalie will be anxious. Once Natalie is anxious, Shane would naturally ce more importance on whatever that''s troubling her. I''m actually looking forward to seeing them panic.¡± ¡°If that''s the case, spit it out.¡± Stanley was getting on edge. The corners of Sean''s lips curved upward as he provided a name. A hint of surprise shed across Stanley''s eyes when he heard the name. ¡°Him? Mr. Kohl?¡± Kohl was one of the top ten hypnotists in the world. Stanley could not believe that Joyce could find such an expert so easily. ¡°That''s right. It''s Mr. Kohl.¡± Sean nodded in confirmation. ¡°From what I''ve discovered, one of Mr. Kohl''s disciples opened a psychology clinic on the street that Joyce is living on. Mr. Kohl was there to inspect. On the day that Joyce went to the clinic, Mr. Kohl''s disciple was needed elsewhere, leaving only Mr. Kohl in the clinic. Just like that, Mr. Kohl hypnotized Joyce. After that, Shane moved Mr. Kohl elsewhere!¡± Chapter 1649 Chapter 1649 ¡°Moved?¡± Stanley''s face turned grim. Sean continued to turn the gun in his hand. ¡°Shane is very smart. He knows he won''t be able to hide the Rivers residence''s address from you forever. You will eventually find them. Given your hatred toward the Rivers family, you might undo Joyce''s hypnosis to cause her continuous pain, achieving your goal of revenge. That''s why Shane took Mr. Kohl away before you found the Rivers residence¡ªto prevent you from having Mr. Kohl undo Joyce''s hypnosis.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Stanley snickered. ¡°He thinks that by taking Mr. Kohl away, I won''t be able to undo Joyce''s hypnosis? I am a hypnotist myself. Therefore, once I know who the hypnotist is, I can undo the hypnosis without his assistance. There is no need for him to intervene at all.¡± I have a profound understanding of all hypnotic methods, including Mr. Kohl''s. Hence, Stanley could undo Kohl''s hypnosis through his understanding of thetter''s hypnotic method. Thus, even if Shane took Kohl away, it was useless. ¡°I understand.¡± Having received the answer, Stanley was about to hang up the phone. He was not in the mood to continue talking to Sean. He had sought Sean out to learn this information. Now that he had achieved his goal, it was time to end the call. However, Sean suddenly stopped him. ¡°Wait, Dr. Quinn.¡± ¡°What else do you want?¡± Stanley''s brows furrowed tightly. ¡°You got the answer you wanted, and now you''re hanging up on me just like that? Don''t you think that''s a bit ungrateful?¡± Sean narrowed his eyes. Stanley''s frown deepened. ¡°So what? What do you want me to do? I don''t have time to waste with you.¡± Sean let out an ambiguous chortle. ¡°My purpose is simple. Now that you know who hypnotized Joyce, don''t you think you should pay for such a valuable piece of information? After all, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you''re right. I thought it was too easy for me to get this information from you. It turns out you were waiting for me to make an offer. Fine, I don''t like to owe people favors. Tell me, what do you want me to do?¡± Stanley asked without beating around the bush. ¡°I am about to engage in a final battle with Shane.¡± Sean''s expression became serious. Stanley raised his eyebrows, surprised by what he was hearing. He didn''t expect Sean to say that, nor did he expect the two cousins to engage in a duel. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Stanley sneered. ¡°Do you think I''m interested in getting involved in your family feud? I''m sorry, but I''m not.¡± ¡°I''m not asking you to interfere in our family feud. I just want you to help me with one thing,¡± Sean said seriously. Sensing his grim tone, Stanley knew Sean was not joking around. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°I want you to save Natalie,¡± Sean stated inly. ¡°What?¡± Stanley''s pupils contracted. ¡°Save Natalie!¡± Sean repeated himself. Stanley tightened the grip on his phone, and his expression turned grim. ¡°What do you want to do to her? Sean, you''d better not mess with her!¡± Although he hade to ept that he didn''t love Natalie anymore and was even angry at her for helping Joyce escape, he couldn''t bear to see her hurt. After all, he still considered Natalie a friend. On the other end of the line, a dark smile appeared on Sean''s face after he heard Stanley''s furious warning. ¡°I don''t want to do this either, but I have no choice if I want to deal with Shane. I have to use her a little bit, but I know she won''t willingly help me go against Shane. She might even sacrifice herself to protect him during our final showdown. So, I want you to save her if something happens.¡± Chapter 1650 Chapter 1650 A mocking look etched itself across Stanley''s face at those words. ¡°Sean, you are truly shameless for involving a woman in your n to deal with Shane.¡± ¡°It takes one shameless person to recognize one. Weren''t you the one who took my nephew away, causing him to have a car ident when you wanted to get Natalie back then? Don''t me me for involving a woman when you went after a child. We''re both the same, so let''s not criticize each other,¡± Sean retorted. ¡°You...¡± Stanley''s eyes flickered with a hint of murderous intent. Sean waved his hand. ¡°Enough. I''m not here to argue with you. Just tell me, are you willing to save her or not?¡± ¡°Sean, do you really love Natalie?¡± Stanley asked, not answering directly. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sean furrowed his brows. ¡°My question is simple. I just want to know if you really love Natalie. If you do, why would you let her take such a dangerous risk, even risking her life? I admit I was despicable before. I involved Connor in my bid to get her, which caused Connor to have a car ident. But now I know that I did it because the person I truly loved was not her. So, I didn''t care about sacrificing what she cared about. As for you, you keep saying that you love her, but to deal with Shane, you are willing to let her risk her life. You are not worthy of saying you love her!¡± Stanley said coldly. Sean''s face darkened as he was obviously provoked by Stanley''s words. He clenched his fists. ¡°What do you know? Of course, I love Natalie, but at the same time, I hate Shane. He has everything that I can''t have. So as long as I can kill Shane, I will use Natalie as bait. If I didn''t love Natalie, I wouldn''t ask you to save her in time. Instead, I would take her down with me. That way, we''d be together forever. Does this not prove my feelings for her?¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Stanley felt like Sean had just cracked the joke of the century. ¡°This is your so-called love for Natalie? As long as she doesn''t die, it doesn''t matter if she''s scared or gets hurt¡ªis that what you consider love? Do you think you love Natalie so much just because you won''t allow her to die with you? You''re such a narcissist to be moved by your ridiculous move.¡± ¡°Well, what do you know?¡± Sean snickered. Stanley''s face turned cold. ¡°Cut the cr*p. You don''t love Natalie at all. At the very least, your hatred and jealousy toward Shane trump your love for Natalie. I''m even going to say that Shane is more important to you than Natalie.¡± Sean''s frown deepened. ¡°You say I don''t love Natalie enough? What evidence do you have to use me like that?¡± He fancied himself to have deep feelings for Natalie, at least much more profound than what he had for Lindsay. He only thought of her once in a while, but he often thought of Natalie. So, who was Stanley to say such things? Stanley didn''t know what Sean was thinking. Upon hearing Sean''s question, he found it extremely ridiculous. ¡°You say you love Natalie, but your love for her trantes to hurting her and ignoring her safety? What kind of love is that? Let me tell you, Sean. Truly loving someone means never wanting to hurt her even a little bit, let alone using her, unlike you, who''s trying to put her in danger and im to love her just because you''re preventing her from dying. Instead, you will only hope for her happiness and well-being. What you have for her isn''t love. It''s only aughable excuse for you to satisfy your narcissism.¡± Hearing Stanley''s righteous words, Sean sneered. ¡°Dr. Quinn, you seem to be an expert in emotions now. If you understand love so well, then why couldn''t you see through your own feelings for Joyce? You keep saying that loving someone means hoping for their happiness, but you are so cruel to Joyce. So, what makes you qualified to criticize me?¡± Chapter 1651 Chapter 1651 ¡°Yes, I certainly don''t live up to my words.¡± Stanley squinted his eyes. ¡°That''s because I didn''t realize what truly falling for someone feels like, nor did I realize that I love Joyce. But now I do, and naturally, I won''t make the same mistakes again, so of course, I am qualified.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sudden sound of breaking ss outside the ward. Stanley couldn''t help but frown. He slightly moved his phone away from his ear and looked sternly toward the door. ¡°Who''s out there?¡± The ward''s door was closed, and he couldn''t see who was outside, so he had to ask through the door. However, he had a hunch of who it was, and an inexplicable glint shed across his eyes. Joyce, standing right outside the door, naturally heard Stanley''s question. She bit her lip and wanted to respond but couldn''t bring herself to say anything. She didn''t know how to answer because what she had just heardpletely threw her off bnce. Her mind was in a mess, and his words kept repeating in her head, preventing her from thinking clearly. Did he just say that he''s in love with me? Hah! How is that possible? That''s absolutely impossible! Biting her lip, Joyce lowered her head and turned toward the direction of the elevator, not caring about the ss she had just broken on the ground. Her mind was in chaos, and she needed to find a ce to calm down. Otherwise, she thought she might go insane. Stanley heard no sound from outside, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. He lifted the covers and, enduring the pain, limped toward the door. On the other end of the phone, Sean had also heard the sound. Shrewd as he was, he could guess who it was. The sound of the breaking ss was very timely, appearing just as Stanley dered his love for Joyce. Obviously, the person who heard those words was either Joyce herself or her family. Only they would be so emotional as to break the ss. If it were someone else, they wouldn''t have reacted that way at all. With that thought, Sean mercilessly taunted, ¡°Stanley, it seems like you have trouble over there.¡± Naturally, Stanley knew what Sean meant and narrowed his eyes as he sneered, ¡°You don''t need to remind me.¡± ¡°I''m not reminding you. I''m just saying. All right, I won''t disturb you anymore. I''ll contact you before I have the final showdown with Shane,¡± Sean said and hung up the phone. Stanley looked at his phone and snickered. He has the audacity to tell me directly that he wants to hurt Natalie. Isn''t he afraid I''ll tell Shane and have him hide Natalie away? After that, Stanley put away his phone and opened the ward''s door. He had thought that the woman outside would be stunned by his words and remain rooted to the spot for a long time. To his surprise, there was no one outside after he opened the door. The only thing that greeted him was the sight of broken ss fragments on the floor. She actually left? Stanley narrowed his eyes. He had underestimated her. She had regained her senses so quickly and left the scene. In truth, he thought she would be dazed and stay outside for a long time. It seemed that he really couldn''t use his past understanding of her to predict her actions now. She was unpredictable to him now. There was no telling what she would do. Of course, if it were the old her, she would definitely not leave upon hearing his admission of feelings. Perhaps she would be so overjoyed that she would cover her face and stand at the door. Stanley rubbed his temples and quickly regained hisposure. It doesn''t matter. It won''t take long for me to turn her back to how she used to be. After all, he already knew who hypnotized Joyce. Of course, this matter wasn''t urgent. At least, he needed to handle some things before taking action. ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± A nurse pushing a cart approached and politely greeted him, interrupting his thoughts. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Stanley''s eyes flickered. He collected his thoughts and turned to the nurse, nodding slightly. ¡°Hello.¡± Chapter 1652 Chapter 1652 ¡°Mr. Quinn, it''s time for a dressing change,¡± the nurse said with a smile. She then looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°Oh, Mr. Quinn, why did you suddenly get out of bed and stand by the door in a daze?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. I was meeting someone,¡± Stanley replied calmly as he pushed up the newly fitted sses on his nose. The nurse nodded in understanding. ¡°I see. Let me help you inside.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Stanley shook his head. ¡°I can manage on my own.¡± He then slowly turned and walked toward the bed while leaning on the wall for support. The nurse shrugged as she watched his limping figure. She had seen many patients who tried to appear strong and had a strong sense of pride like Stanley, so she didn''t insist. With a resigned sigh, she moved to push the cart inside the ward. However, the cart wheels seemed to run over something on the floor. The nurse lowered her head, surprised to find broken ss on the floor. ¡°My goodness! Why are there broken ss pieces on the floor? Mr. Quinn, you didn''t step on it, right?¡± Meanwhile, Stanley had already tucked himself into the hospital bed. Impassively, he uttered, ¡°No. I think someone identally broke some ss. Please clean it upter.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the nurse said with a nod. Then, she avoided the pieces of ss and pushed the cart inside to change Stanley''s dressing. After she was done, the nurse went to clean up the broken ss outside the door. Stanley looked out the window, his eyes slightly narrowed as if deep in thought. He knew that the person who had heard him at the door earlier was Joyce, but he had no intention of calling her back. After all, he was aware that Joyce''s emotions were not stable at the moment. Hence, he was willing to give her some time to calm down. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As he had told Sean on the phone, he had been blinded by hatred before and could not see clearly. That was why he had recklessly hurt everyone, especially Joyce. But now, he had gradually ovee his hatred and realized that perhaps he couldn''t me the Rivers family for his parents'' deaths. At the same time, he also realized that he had genuinely fallen in love with Joyce and had always loved her. Hence, he was willing to ept the fact that he loved Joyce and was ready to try to be with her. However, the harm he had caused Joyce before could not be ignored, so it would not be easy for him to be with her. He knew it would be an arduous and long road ahead of him. Firstly, he had to resolve the hatred between him and the Rivers family, and secondly, Joyce had not yet regained her memories and feelings for him. All of this had to be taken slowly, and it was not something that could be aplished overnight. He had nned to wait until he resolved the hatred with the Rivers family before slowly letting Joyce know he loved her. However, ns often changed, and before he could resolve the hatred, Joyce had already found out about his feelings, and her mood and emotions were certainly affected. Besides, this effect was not something that he could easily alleviate by appearing in front of her now. On the contrary, if he appeared in front of Joyce now, it would only further affect her mood. That was why he had not gone to find Joyce or called her toe back. He knew that, at this time, Joyce must be hiding somewhere, forcing herself to ept what she had heard. As Stanley had guessed, Joyce walked out of the hospital department in a panic and came to a bench in the hospital garden. Grabbing the armrest tightly, she breathed heavily for a while before finally calming down. Then, with a bewildered look on her face, she sat down and stared at the flower bed across from her, lost in thought. Little did she expect that, when she arrived at the ward, intending to continue taking care of him and fetching him water, she would hear Stanley on the phone confessing his love for her. Love? A mocking curve twisted the corners of Joyce''s mouth. If that word hade from anyone else, she might have believed it, but she wouldn''t trust a single word out of Stanley''s lips. Chapter 1653 Chapter 1653 How could he possibly love her? He had nothing but resentment for the Rivers family and hatred for her in his heart, so how could he possibly fall for his enemy''s daughter¡ªfall for the person he despised? Moreover, if he could, he would have a long time ago. He would not have hurt her again and again, every wound he gave her inflicting bone-deep pain, to the point the past her resorted to hypnosis to forget the love she had for him. Of course, it was not that she did not believe he was capable of love but that the target of his love would never be her, Joyce Rivers. The love he spoke of, therefore, had to be fake. He was only lying to the person on the other end of the line. She did not know the reason for that¡ªfor him to lie to them¡ªbut that did not matter. That was not something she should feel curious about. Regardless of whether it was the words of the person on the other end of the line or Stanley''s laughable confession, she should never take them to heart. She had to treat them as a joke. Believing in them would be akin to jumping off the ledge into hell, after all. With that thought in mind, Joyce took a deep breath and began spacing out as she stared at the patients strolling in the garden. There were all kinds of patients in the garden¡ªold, young, pregnant women, and the differently-abled. There were also loving couples, too. There was one such couple across from Joyce. The man''s leg was hurt, and the woman was sitting by his side, holding up his IV bag as she chatted with him. The couple was smiling at each other, and they even fed each other snacks. Their good rtionship would make anyone jealous. Sure enough, Joyce was jealous of them. She was jealous of their rtionship and the love they had for each other. Although she did not know how intense her love for Stanley had been, she was sure that the past her must have yearned for a nce from Stanley and for him to reciprocate her feelings before getting together with her. She had to have wanted a sweet rtionship with him like the couple in front of her. s, the past her never got her wish fulfilled, and her only option was to forget everything. Joyce stared at the couple for so long that she ended up catching their attention. The woman turned around and used Ustranian to ask her what was wrong. Joyce blinked and came back to her senses. Shaking her head, she sheepishly told the woman, ¡°I''m sorry. I was jealous to see the two of you so loving toward each other, so I fell into a daze.¡± Hearing her exnation, the woman chuckled. ¡°I see. It seems like you were heartbroken before.¡± Joyce froze for a second before curiously asking, ¡°How did you know?¡± The woman chuckled again. ¡°I can tell. Moreover, it''s written all over your face. I have a friend whose heart had been broken before, and he likes staring at other couples too. His eyes would be filled with envy, just like how yours were earlier.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Joyce nodded in understanding before shing the other woman a smile. ¡°Sorry to have disturbed you.¡± ¡°It''s fine, it''s fine,¡± the woman reassured. ¡°I can understand how you feel, miss. You haven''t let go of your love yet, have you?¡± Joyce blinked in surprise. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± I haven''t let go of my love for him yet? How can that be? I''ve already forgotten about Stanley and my feelings for him. I''ve let go of my love. Thisdy must be joking with me, was what Joyce thought. However, the woman in front of her exined, ¡°It''s because of the envy in your eyes. If you''ve really let go of your love, you wouldn''t feel that when you see us. Love that you give up because of heartbreak will make you feel averse toward love, not jealous of it. Jealousy means that you''re still clinging to your past love and have yet to set yourself free.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Joyce parted her lips to retort that it was not true, but somehow, she simply could not force the words out of her mouth. Chapter 1654 Chapter 1654 Lowering her eyes, she began worrying her lip and wondering if the woman was right. Could it be that I really haven''t given up on Stanley yet? But how can that be? I''ve already forgotten about him. No, maybe she''s right. Maybe I haven''t let go of my love for him. I''ve forgotten about him and my feelings for him, but this process was not natural¡ªit was artificial. That means I never truly forgot about him nor let my feelings for him fade away. I''ve only suppressed them in the deepest part of my heart. They''re still there; they''re just locked up in a corner. If they''re still there, that means I still have feelings for him. Subconsciously, I''m still pining for him. I just didn''t realize it. ¡°Miss? Miss?¡± The woman waved a hand in bemusement when she realized Joyce was in a daze again. Curling her lips into an embarrassed smile, Joyce then said to the woman, ¡°Sorry, I spaced out again.¡± ¡°It''s okay.¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°Miss, I don''t know in what way your heart was broken, but I''m sure it had to be a harrowing one with how tired you look. So, I won''t say it''s the best option for you to rediscover those feelings. However, I hope you''ll think long and hard about how you should handle the sorrowful feelings you have trouble letting go of. Only then will you know true peace. Only then you''ll be able to move forward.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you. I will.¡± Joyce stood up and cast the woman a grateful smile. The woman was right. Even though she had forgotten about Stanley and her feelings for him, she was still affected because of him. Ultimately, that was because she could notpletely let go of her lingering feelings for him. The memory of her body could never be erased. If she did not confront it and think of how she should handle her feelings for Stanley, he would always be leading her by the nose. She would never experience peace. Even if she could not recall anything about him, the memories of her body wouldpel her to remain confined in the past for an endless duration. That was not something she wanted. After bidding the couple goodbye, Joyce took a deep breath and walked toward the inpatient department, nning to clean up the ss shards on the floor and take the opportunity to have a good chat with Stanley. As for what they should talk about... Joyce pursed her lips and stopped her train of thought as she entered the elevator. In no time, she was right outside Stanley''s ward. Upon lowering her head, she realized that the ss shards by the entrance were gone, and the spot by the doorway had been cleaned. A look of astonishment shed past her face. Then, she lifted her head to look at the closed door, contemting. He can''t have been the one to clean the ss shards up, right? No, no, no. That can''t be. He hasn''t even recovered from his injuries yet. He can''t do anything too strenuous, so it can''t be him who did this. But who is it then? Joyce realized she had to enter to ask him about it to find the answer. With that thought in mind, she inhaled and reached out to knock on the door. ¡°Mr. Quinn, are you asleep? Can Ie in?¡± Stanley was resting on his bed when he heard her voice. Immediately, he opened his eyes to look toward the door as surprise flitted across his face. She recollected herself so quickly? Nevertheless, Stanley quickly pushed aside his surprise as he began staring at the door. Even though some of her memories had been altered, Joyce would still be the same person. Hence, he could somewhat guess what she would do next. He thought she would be deeply affected by the conversation she overheard and would not return for hours. Chapter 1655 Chapter 1655 Yet, only an hour had gone by¡ªor even less¡ªbefore she was back. Furthermore, he could not hear any emotions in her voice. ¡°Come in,¡± Stanley then said without dwelling on it anymore. Hearing that, Joyce returned her hand to her side and inhaled deeply. Once she pushed open the door, she greeted, ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± Stanley hummed in response. ¡°You''re back.¡± Joyce nodded, but she kept her gaze lowered as she walked toward the table. ¡°I came back after taking the thermal food jar home. There isn''t any hot water left, so I''ll go and get some.¡± With that, she took the kettle, about to head to the kitchen. Staring at her retreating figure, Stanley called out, ¡°Wait.¡± Joyce halted in her tracks. ¡°Anything I can help you with, Mr. Quinn?¡± ¡°Turn around.¡± Stanley frowned when he realized she kept talking without looking at him. Joyce lifted her head a little and bit down on her lower lip, but most of her face remained out of sight from Stanley''s eyes. ¡°Mr. Quinn, please tell me what you need help with.¡± Once he figured out that she was refusing to turn around, he furrowed his brows even tighter and lowered his voice. ¡°Joyce, I told you to turn around.¡± Then, he added, ¡°Don''t make me mad, okay?¡± There was no way Joyce was going to remain stubborn after that, so she knitted her brows and reluctantly turned around. However, that did not seem to satisfy Stanley. ¡°Raise your head and look at me.¡± Irritation pricked at her. She did not understand why he was insisting she turn around when he could have just told her what he wanted. Not only did he want her to turn around, but he even wanted her to raise her head to look at him. He was clearly trying to make things difficult for her. Fury roared through Joyce''s mind, but she dared not show it on her face. After a sigh, she slowly lifted her head to look at Stanley. Despite that, she kept her eyes half-lidded. Stanley barked out augh in anger, but he said nothing else after that. He was aware that her turning around and looking at him was a significant act of relenting, and he understood that constantly pushing her to give in would push her to her limits. If she ended up crying... Stanley''s expression turned serious, and he abandoned his previous train of thought. Instead, he inquired, ¡°You didn''t juste from the Rivers residence, did you? You were outside the room earlier, right?¡± Joyce''s eyes shifted, but she remained silent. So he did hear me break the ss and guessed that it was me. When he heard nothing but silence from Joyce, Stanley continued saying, ¡°You overheard quite a bit of my call, didn''t you?¡± At that, Joyce turned her focus to him, her eyes meeting with his. At that very moment, Joyce felt her heart skip a beat. She panicked and quickly lowered her head again. Stanley was simultaneously angry and exasperated with her avoidance. Pressing his lips tightly together, he then continued, ¡°Why aren''t you answering me?¡± Joyce hung her head even lower and whispered, ¡°There''s nothing for me to say. I can''t possibly think of joking words as the truth, right?¡± ¡°Joking words?¡± He knew that she would not believe him, but he never thought she would think of his words as part of a joke. ¡°Are they not?¡± A mocking smile grew on Joyce''s lips. ¡°You can''t have been speaking the truth, can you, Mr. Quinn?¡± ¡°What if I say I was telling the truth?¡± Joyce stiffened. Really? Was he really telling the truth? Did he really fall for me? This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Joyce caught a glimpse of Stanley''s solemn expression, but she was uncertain whether it was a reflection of his genuine seriousness or simply theck of expressiveness on his face. Joyce lowered her gaze again, the mockery on her lips more visible. ¡°Please don''t joke with me anymore, Mr. Quinn. This isn''t funny.¡± Chapter 1656 Chapter 1656 That was all it was to her. A joke. Joyce would not believe that he was telling the truth. The way he had treated her and his previous abhorrence toward her was something she could not forget. He had even hoped that she and her family would die. How could a man who despised her so much bear any love for her? He never once fell for her in the past decade, but now, he was saying that he had fallen for her in the mere weeks since her memory loss. How could that be true? It was absurd. He must be trying to humiliate me in a different way, she mused. If he truly had feelings for me, he would have acted on them long ago instead of waiting until now. It''s not as if the current me needs his love at all. Stanley could guess that she still did not believe him, and that made the expression in his eyes darken. Never mind. It''s not strange that she doesn''t believe in me. I''ll just work on gaining her trust gradually. ¡°Do you want to know why I said those words to the person on the other end of the line?¡± Stanley asked her. Joyce shook her head. ¡°I don''t. But, Stanley, I beg you, regardless of why you said that, please don''t get my parents involved. They''re old, and they don''t have long to live. I know you hate them, but please let them go¡ªlet them enjoy thest few years they have on earth in peace, and let me bear the responsibility for this instead,¡± she pleaded, patting her chest. Stanley quickly understood her intentions. His expression turned grim as he asked, ¡°Did you think I said those words because I was nning to hurt your family?¡± Joyce''s lips trembled. ¡°Did you not? Why would you say that all of a sudden, then? I can''t think of any reason besides this.¡± Stanley''s breathing quickened. ¡°Joyce, you¡ª¡± Joyce flinched. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Quinn. I don''t know if my guess is right or not, but I genuinely hope that you''ll have mercy on my parents.¡± Joyce was still determined to beg for mercy for her parents. At that, Stanley rubbed his temples, his head aching. ¡°That''s enough. Stop talking.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He needed some quiet. He had guessed that she would not believe his words, but he never thought she would assume he was trying to plot the demise of the Rivers family by saying those words. It seemed like his past actions had well and truly traumatized her. That had to be why everything he said made her wonder if that was a n to hurt the Rivers family. Upon seeing the dark expression on Stanley''s face, Joyce immediately closed her mouth and remained quiet. Stanley continued rubbing his temples for a while before finally calming downpletely. When he faced Joyce, he had a serious expression on his face. ¡°Listen to me, Joyce. I''m not nning to target the Rivers family. I was only saying what was on my mind. I really¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Quinn,¡± Joyce quickly cut him off with a bow. She knew what he was going to say next, and it was exactly why she interrupted him. While she epted that he was genuine in saying that he did not intend to harm the Rivers family, she remained unconvinced of his love for her. That was enough. She was going to treat what he said after that as a mere joke. Stanley knew what she was doing, too, and his lips formed a thin line. She could see he appeared to be in deep thought, but she could not read his mind. A whileter, she still heard nothing from Stanley, so she mustered the courage to straighten up and say, ¡°Mr. Quinn?¡± Stanley averted his gaze. ¡°Forget it. If you don''t want to hear it, I won''t say it anymore.¡± It was indeed a little early to say such things, but he had not nned to do it either. It was just that she happened to overhear the conversation. I should stick to my original n. Once I do everything I want to do, I''ll let her know about it. It won''t be toote then. Joyce let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief at his silence. Frankly, she was afraid that he would insist on the topic. Her te for romantic love was, at the moment, nk. She neither knew what to do with it nor did she know how to ept it from someone else. Chapter 1657 Chapter 1657 Hence, she feared that his words would have an even greater impact on her emotions the more he spoke. After all, she was aware of how strong her past feelings for him were and recognized that she was highly susceptible to being swayed into falling in love with him again. The probability of that happening was very high. Therefore, she was determined not to listen to anything he had to say, whether it was true or false. She knew that prolonged exposure to his words could make her vulnerable to his influence and ultimately lead her into a trap. Regardless of why he wanted to say such things to the person on the other end of the phone, it was fine as long as he didn''t target her parents. Other matters should be left to fate. Nothing mattered to her now. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Stanley squinted his eyes and asked Joyce when he noticed her staring off into space absent-mindedly. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. The woman shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I wasn''t thinking about anything. I''m going to boil some water.¡± After speaking, she took the kettle and walked back to the kitchen. Stanley watched her retreating figure and didn''t call her back this time. Ten minutester, Joyce came out of the kitchen with the kettle and poured him a ss of water. She came to his bedside and said, ¡°Mr. Quinn, have some water.¡± Stanley hummed in acknowledgment and took the ss. After Joyce let go of the ss, she suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°By the way, Mr. Quinn, who cleaned up the broken ss at the entrance?¡± ¡°The nurse,¡± he murmured while drinking water. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Joyce nodded. Well, who else in the hospital would clean up the ce besides the nurses? He didn''t hire any caretaker to take care of him so that I would do all the work, so it could have only been the nurses. With that in mind, Joyce prepared to retrieve his medicine so that he could take itter. However, just as she turned around, a sudden churn in her stomach and a rush of nausea overtook her. Her expression froze as she quickly covered her mouth, retching. Stanley noticed her reaction and immediately put down his ss of water to check on her. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Herplexion had paled, and her eyes had a slight hint of dampness, clearly indicating that she was in a lot of difort. Joyce shook her head and didn''t answer him. Instead, she headed straight for the bathroom. Soon, Stanley heard the sound of dry heavinging from the bathroom. It sounded as if she was going to vomit out her internal organs. At first, the man didn''t understand why she suddenly vomited. After all, she wasn''t sick, nor did she have a cold. Soon after, it dawned on Stanley that she was carrying his child, who was not even three months old. That exined why her pregnancy symptoms had not subsided yet. He had forgotten about the matter as she had not shown symptoms for the past few days. As he listened to Joyce''s retching from the bathroom, Stanley felt a twinge of pain in his heart. He got out of bed and limped to the table where Joyce had ced the kettle. Next, he poured the hot water into a clean cup. After finishing these tasks, he leaned against the wall and any object he could find for support as he slowly made his way to the bed. He bent over and pulled open the bedside table, taking out a packet of something. Without stopping to take a rest, Stanley took the items with him and headed to the kitchen. Eventually, he emerged from the kitchen holding a te of light green objects. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a bag of preserved plums. Just as Stanley ced the plums on the table, the bathroom door opened. Joyce stepped out, still covering her mouth. Her face was pale and her eyes red; even her hair was damp. It was obvious that she identally sshed cold water on her face while washing up in the bathroom. Seeing Stanley standing by the table instead of lying in bed, Joyce couldn''t help but ask in surprise, ¡°Mr. Quinn, what are you doing there?¡± Chapter 1658 Chapter 1658 ¡°Come here.¡± Stanley beckoned to her without answering. Joyce didn''t know what he wanted, but after hesitating for a moment, she slowly walked over. The man noticed her face growing even paler since she stepped out of the bedroom. Hence, he asked with concern, ¡°Do you always feel this ufortable every time you have an episode?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Joyce was momentarily stunned. Stanley frowned. ¡°I mean, do you always vomit so intensely every time?¡± His gaze then shifted to her belly. It was only then that Joyce realized he was actually showing concern for her. In an instant, Joyce widened her eyes in shock and stared at Stanley in disbelief. Clearly, she couldn''t believe that he would care about her. Seeing Joyce''s stunned expression, Stanley knew exactly what she was feeling and thinking at that moment. After all, he had treated her poorly in the past and never made her feel cared for before. Thus, it was natural for her to be surprised and unsure how to react when he showed concern. It was his fault. Stanley raised his hand and gently tapped Joyce''s forehead. ¡°Are you dumb? Why aren''t you answering my question?¡± he said tenderly. Her lips parted, and it took her a long time to regain her senses. She nodded nkly and answered, ¡°Yeah, it''s always like this.¡± Hearing her answer, Stanley furrowed his brows. The fact that she always experienced such severe pregnancy symptoms showed that her condition was far more serious than that of most pregnant women. If the situation persisted, it would not only be harmful to her body but could also cause her health to deteriorate. Stanley narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± The woman replied solemnly, ¡°The doctor said I should stay in the hospital to recuperate until the pregnancy symptoms get better.¡± If she did not heed the doctor''s advice, she would risk losing the baby as the symptoms were too severe. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It had also affected her eating and sleeping habits, and she was starting to feel lethargic all day. In the long run, she would not have sufficient nutrition to feed her child. Not only would the child not survive, but she would also risk her life too. Stanley''s expression turned grim when he heard Joyce''s reply. ¡°Why didn''t you listen to the doctor''s advice and stay in the hospital?¡± The woman looked up at him, then quickly lowered her head again. ¡°I went to the hospital for a prenatal check-up the day before you came. It was also when the doctor suggested that I stay in the hospital to recuperate. I was nning to stay, but you were injured by my father that day.¡± The implications behind her words were clear. She meant that she was supposed to stay in the hospital, but she didn''t have the opportunity because she had to take care of him. For a moment, Stanley felt a pang of guilt. He sighed before asking, ¡°Do your parents know about this?¡± Joyce shook her head. ¡°No, I didn''t dare tell them. They will be worried if they know about my condition. I have already caused them so much trouble; there''s no need to burden them further. My parents are getting old and can''t bear too much pressure, so...¡± Even though she didn''tplete her sentence, Stanley understood her meaning. He had already guessed that she hadn''t told her parents. Otherwise, her parents wouldn''t have agreed to let her take care of him. They would have insisted that she stay in the hospital to rest and recover. Stanley''s expression darkened as he frowned tightly. Sensing his displeasure, Joyce felt her lips quivering with nervousness. Why is he unhappy? Why is he angry? What is he angry about? Unable to guess his thoughts, Joyce lowered her head and stayed silent. Just then, Stanley asked again, ¡°Have you been experiencing these symptoms in the past few days?¡± She nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah, but it usually happens at night, seldom in the daytime.¡± Chapter 1659 Chapter 1659 Stanley inclined his head a fraction in understanding. ¡°Oh, I see. I get it now.¡± No wonder I''d never seen her throwing up. On top of that, she''s still in the early stages of pregnancy and isn''t showing yet, so I''ve forgotten all about the fact that she''s with child. Blinking, Joyce eyed him in puzzlement. ¡°What do you mean, Stanley?¡± I don''t get it at all. Also, I''m utterly lost about him asking me so many questions. Is he concerned about me? On the heels of that thought, she chuckled bitterly. Hah! That''s impossible. How could he possibly be concerned about me when he hates me so much? He only wants to know about the situation so that he cane up with ways to make life even more difficult for me when this happens again! At the sight of her despondent expression, Stanley could more or less surmise her thoughts without having to ponder upon things. His brows creased deeply. ¡°Can you please stop overthinking all the time?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Joyce was slightly stunned, not quite understanding what he meant for a moment. However, Stanley seemingly had no ns to borate on his remark. Flicking her on the forehead, he turned and limped toward the table. Joyce''s eyes went wide, and she rubbed her forehead incredulously. ¡°Mr. Quinn, what...¡± He actually flicked me on the forehead and acted so intimately with me! What on earth is going on here? Her shock was so immense that she found herself unable to calm down. She wanted to ask him why he acted so intimately with her, parting her lips a smidge. Yet, no words came even after some time had passed. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Stanley, who had already reached the table, narrowed his eyes when he noticed her spacing out while rooted to the spot without following him. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Come here.¡± He beckoned at her. Forciblyposing herself for the time being, Joyce blinked. ¡°Is there anything you need, Mr. Quinn?¡± ¡°You''ll know when youe over.¡± Stanley beckoned at her once more. Joyce did not want to do so, but her fear of offending him overrode her reluctance. Therefore, there was no other recourse left. She could only bite the bullet and drag her feet over. ¡°Mr. Quinn, what¡ª¡± Before she had finished speaking, a ss of water suddenly appeared in front of her. Startled, she snapped her head up and stared at the man. Hmm? What''s the meaning of this? Does he want me to drink this? ¡°Why are you looking at me? Take this,¡± Stanley urged with a purse of his lips upon seeing that she was merely staring at him motionlessly. Reaching out, Joyce took the ss of water. ¡°You want me to hold this for you, Mr. Quinn?¡± ¡°Drink it,¡± Stanley ordered. ¡°What? M-Me?¡± Sheer surprise flooded Joyce, and she pointed at herself. ¡°Yes.¡± Stanley nodded in affirmation. Swallowing, Joyce asked again in confirmation, ¡°This is really for me?¡± At that, Stanley''s lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°I think I''ve already made things clear enough, no?¡± Immediately, Joyce bobbed her head. ¡°Yes, yes! You''ve made things exceedingly clear. I just don''t quite dare believe it.¡± ¡°Why don''t you dare believe it?¡± A frown marred Stanley''s countenance. The corners of Joyce''s mouth twitched, but she said nothing. Why I don''t quite dare believe it? Does he not know the reason? I don''t think so! Judging from everything he did to me, it''s in as day why I don''t dare believe it. It''s because he has never been nice to me in the past or shown me the slightest hint of concern that I''m so surprised when he poured me a ss of water now. Stanley was no fool and naturally understood what she meant in no time. His gaze dimmed a shade. Finally, he sighed, his voice gentling significantly. ¡°Never mind. Hurry up and drink it.¡± In response, Joyce murmured in acquiescence. ¡°Thank you.¡± Nheless, she merely held the ss of water without drinking it. Seeing that, Stanley frowned. ¡°Do you suspect that I spiked the water?¡± ¡°No, no, of course not! That''s not what I meant. I''m just not thirsty.¡± Joyce hastily waved her hands in denial. ¡°Even so, you must drink it,¡± Stanley asserted, pursing his lips. Joyce regarded him with perplexity written clear in her eyes. Parting his thin lips an inch, Stanley muttered, ¡°There''s honey in it. It can help ease your nausea.¡± Chapter 1660 Chapter 1660 Following Stanley''s words, even greater shock inundated Joyce. There''s actually honey in the water? She looked down, only then noticing that the water carried a yellowish tint and a fragrance unique to honey. Sure enough, honey has been added to it! Inwardly, she was so surprised that her emotions continued roiling even after a long moment had passed. Never had I expected him to pour me a ss of water, much less add honey to it. Why did he do such a thing? She racked her brain but to no avail. It doesn''t quite fit to say that he''s concerned about me. But if otherwise, how am I to exin this ss of water with honey? ¡°Quick, drink it!¡± While she was still wondering about it, the man''s voice rang out above her head, threaded with a hint of adamance. Joyce''s lips parted a fraction. In the end, she relented with a nod. ¡°Okay. I''ll drink it right away.¡± Oh well, no matter the meaning of this ss of water, I''ll just drink it. At the very least, I won''t offend him. As that thought urred to her, she threw her head back and started drinking the water. When Stanley saw that she was drinking the water, his furrowed brows eased slightly. Turning around, he picked up the te of plums on the table and held it out to her. No sooner had Joyce ced the ss down than she caught sight of the te in front of her. The instant she nced down and saw the light green plums, such astonishment swept over her that her jaw dropped. ¡°These are... plums?¡± She salivated as she stared at the plums before her, intense craving brimming in her eyes. Oh God, they look delicious! I really want a taste! Not only was she pregnant, but she was also in her first trimester, so she naturally loved eating sour things. For that reason, her eyes were riveted on the te of plums, and saliva started pooling in her mouth. The plums look truly delectable! Blinking, she clutched at her clothes, desperately holding back the desire to snag a plum. Her forbearance had exasperation suffusing Stanley. It''s evident that she wants to eat them, very much so, yet she''s too timid to take any. Verily, it both vexes me and breaks my heart! Nevertheless, he knew it was because he had caused her too much trauma and terror in the past that she did not dare act dauntlessly. ¡°Hold your hands out,¡± he instructed. Having no idea what he wanted to do, Joyce obediently did as ordered. Stanley ced the te of plums into her hands. ¡°This is for you. Help yourself.¡± Once more, Joyce widened her eyes and gaped at him in disbelief. ¡°For me, Mr. Quinn?¡± Stanley walked toward the hospital bed. ¡°Yes.¡± Joyce hurriedly ced the te of plums back onto the table. ¡°No, I can''t take them, Mr. Quinn!¡± She shook her head profusely in refusal. Someone oblivious to the situation might even assume she was turning down a priceless treasure instead of a te of plums. Stanley had just sat down on the edge of the hospital bed when he heard her demurral. In a sh, his expression darkened. ¡°You don''t want them?¡± At once, Joyce shook her head. ¡°No. I didn''t earn them, so I can''t take them.¡± It went without saying that it was only one of the reasons. That aside, she did not dare take the plums. She had no idea why he was giving her a te of plums, let alone whether it was out of concern or some other ulterior motive. Thus, it was best for her to decline when there were so many uncertainties. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if implications arose after she ate the plums. At the sight of her biting her lip, Stanley saw right through her. She must be convinced that I''m plotting against her, setting her up, or something of that sort. Snorting derisively, he retracted his gaze, his voice indifferent. ¡°Since you don''t want them, just throw them away.¡± ¡°Throw them away?¡± Joyce was taken aback. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Stanley grunted s¨¦ly. ¡°What''s the point of keeping them when I''ve got no use for them? All right, take them out and throw them away. I want to rest now.¡± After saying that, he leaned back against the head of the bed and closed his eyes. Joyce alternated her gaze between the man and the plums on the table. Her hands inexorably balled into fists. Throw them away? The plums must be delicious since they look so nice. Won''t it be a pity to discard them? Chapter 1661 Chapter 1661 Joyce''s gaze flickered as her mind whirred at warp speed. Should I just take them? He probably hasn''t poisoned them or something, right? Considering his capabilities, I don''t think he needs to stoop to such a tactic if he wants to sabotage me. It''s a bit too underhanded. He can take the direct approach and make a move against me instead of beating around the bush. Hence, there''s likely nothing wrong with this te of plums. Perhaps he wants to give it to me out of the kindness of his heart. Following that line of thought, she inhaled deeply before picking up the te of plums. ¡°I''ll take the plums instead of throwing them away, Mr. Quinn. Thank you.¡± Stanley opened his eyes, the coldness within them receding slightly. ¡°Whatever.¡± Argh! She''s really too stubborn that she''d never ept unless I threaten or back her into a corner. Sure enough, I just told her to throw the plums away with a frosty expression, and she epted them. I''ve long since surmised that she''d be reluctant to discard the plums and would ultimately agree to take them. Lo and behold, I was right! As his thoughts veered in that direction, a gleam of triumph shed across his eyes, and the corners of his lips turned up. However, he swiftlyposed himself in the next heartbeat, so everything went unnoticed. ¡°Thank you for the plums, Mr. Quinn.¡± Joyce cradled the te of plums to her chest. Consequently, the aroma of the plums pervaded the air and wafted into her nostrils, making her salivate all the more. She was promptly seized by the urge to snag one and pop it into her mouth to sample its taste. Unfortunately, she was embarrassed to do so before the man and could only forcibly repress that desire. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Rest first, then, Mr. Quinn. I''ll leave you to it and head back to the visitors'' room next door. Call me if you need anything, and I''lle over immediately.¡± Joyce took her leave upon recalling that he said he wanted to rest. Stanley was indeed somewhat tired, so he dipped his head a fraction. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°See youter, Mr. Quinn.¡± Bowing to him slightly, Joyce whirled around with the te of plums in hand to head toward the hospital room door. She had only taken a few steps when something abruptly urred to Stanley, and he cried out, ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Is something else the matter, Mr. Quinn?¡± Joyce asked with a backward nce, halting in her tracks in mystification. Stanley held her gaze. ¡°Starting tomorrow, you don''t need to take care of me anymore.¡± Joyce''s eyes went wide, and panic swamped her. ¡°What? I don''t need to take care of you anymore? If so, will my father¡ª¡± ¡°Your father will be fine,¡± Stanley interrupted with a frown, aware of what she wanted to say. Good Lord! All she cares about are her parents. Can''t she consider herself for a bit? Joyce clenched her hands tightly. ¡°Really? You truly won''t change your mind and put my father in prison because you no longer want me to take care of you, Mr. Quinn?¡± She was afraid that it was because he found her inept and was sick of her that he did not want her taking care of him anymore. After all, she indeed had not done a great job these past two days. In fact, she even scalded him. Thus, she feared that that was the reason he suddenly refused to have her continue taking care of him. Despite not needing to take care of him further, she could not muster even an ounce of joy, for it was highly likely that he dismissed her out of fury. If that were the case, he might go back on his word previously and put her father in jail. Therefore, she was beyond anxious, panicked, and fearful at that moment. Clocking her trepidation, Stanley heaved a sigh. ¡°I''m not the kind of person to break my promise. I gave my word to let your father off the hook if you were to keep the baby, and I''ll naturally abide by that. As such, you don''t need to worry so much.¡± At his reassurance, relief instantly suffused Joyce. ¡°That''s good. Great, in fact.¡± She patted herself on the chest lightly. Subsequently, she ventured in puzzlement, ¡°Why did you suddenly decide not to have me take care of you anymore, Mr. Quinn? If I''m not doing good enough, I''ll improve and work hard. I¡ª¡± Lifting a hand, Stanley cut her off. ¡°No, it''s okay. Just find me a caretaker. As for you, admit yourself to the hospital from tomorrow onward to recuperate.¡± Joyce was wholly stumped. ¡°What? I''m to be hospitalized to recuperate?¡± ¡°You can decline doing so if you don''t want this baby.¡± Stanley shot her a sidelong nce. Chapter 1662 Chapter 1662 Joyce fervently shook her head and waved her hands in denial. ¡°No, no, I definitely want this baby. Otherwise, I would never have held out until now.¡± ¡°In that case, go and settle the hospitalization procedures now and stay in the hospital to recuperate starting tomorrow,¡± Stanley ordered cidly. Then, he waved a dismissive hand. ¡°All right, go out first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Noticing the weariness lining his face, Joyce nodded before spinning on her heel and leaving the hospital room. After returning to the adjacent visitors'' room, she sat on the edge of the bed with the te of plums in her hand, utterly dazed. It was clear as day that Stanley''s suggestion for her to be admitted to the hospital to recuperate shocked her greatly, and her emotions were still a jumbled mess then. Why exactly did he propose that I be hospitalized to recuperate? Could it really be because he''s genuinely concerned about my health? Lowering her head, Joyce caressed her belly. She found that it was growing increasingly difficult for her to see through him, and she could not fathom his thoughts. Doesn''t he hate me, despising me to the core? Then why did he pour me a ss of water with honey and even prepare plums for me upon seeing that I was suffering from severe morning sickness? Indeed, she was convinced that all those were specially prepared for her when he saw her in such difort. Otherwise, he could have done so anytime. Yet, of all times, he prepared them when she was throwing up. On top of that, they were all great for expectant mothers, especially those in the early stages of pregnancy like her. Thus, he''s seemingly concerned about me for real. But why exactly is that? Why would he care about me, someone he loathes? Besides, he even ended his demand for me to take care of him before the agreed-upon time and asked that I admit myself to the hospital to recuperate. All of that baffles me entirely! Joyce dipped her head and stared at the plums on the te. Even then, they exuded an exquisite fragrance. Her control snapping, she picked up a plum and ced it into her mouth. At once, abination of sweetness and sourness pervaded her whole mouth, stimting her taste buds. It was so pleasant that she could not help closing her eyes, a blissful smile on her face. Indeed, it was bliss to her. A moment ago, she was still feeling rather poorly as her stomach roiled after the bout of retching. Following the ingestion of plum, however, the feeling promptly dissipated and vanished into thin air. In its ce was a sense of sheerfort. When she was all rxed, it went without saying that she also felt blissful. With the plum in her mouth, she opened her eyes and lowered her head to fix her eyes on the te of plums. A sudden question popped into her mind. Where did he get this te of plums? Did someone gift them to him, or did he buy them? If it''s the latter, why would he buy plums? Could it be that he bought them because he loves them? But that doesn''t make sense. I''ve never seen him eating plums in the past few days he''d been hospitalized. He didn''t even eat fruits and snacks. If it weren''t for the fact that he took his meals, I would''ve thought that he''d be immortal. Hmm, I''m utterly curious about where these plums came from. It isn''t quite possible that they were a gift. He doesn''t know anyone here, so no one would give him anything, let alone plums. Furthermore, I''ve never seen anyone gifting plums when visiting a patient at the hospital. Shortly after, she spat out the plum pit in her mouth. Putting down the te in her hand, she got to her feet and headed to the bathroom to rinse her mouth. While plums were delicious, eating merely one or two was sufficient. If one ate too many in a row, one would have a toothache. For that reason, she nned on keeping the plums to eat slowly in the future. All things considered, they would not rot anytime soon. Meanwhile, in the adjacent hospital room, Stanley lifted his hands and massaged his temples after Joyce had left. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Thereafter, he took out his cell phone and made a call. He phoned Shane, and thetter was even a touch surprised to receive the call. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Right then, it was night where Shane was. He had just recited a bedtime story to his two children, coaxed them to sleep, and was leaving their bedroom when the cell phone in his pocket rang. Chapter 1663 Chapter 1663 Taking his cell phone out, Shane nced at the caller ID, only to see that it was a call from Stanley. In a sh, surprise washed over him. Needless to say, he did not think that the man was calling at that hour to ask about the identity of Joyce''s hypnotist once more. After all, Stanley knew that Shane would never tell him the answer. Hence, he would never ask again. Consequently, it was because of some other matter that the man called at that hour. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Sure enough, Stanley snorted on the other end of the phone upon hearing Shane''s question. ¡°I contacted Sean a while ago.¡± At the mention of that name, Shane immediately narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sean? As expected, the two of you have each other''s contact.¡± Stanley was not surprised that the man surmised that. Since Shane knew that he obtained the whereabouts of the Rivers family from Sean, the man would undoubtedly suspect that he could contact thetter. However, he did find it surprising that Shane never once asked him about Sean''s whereabouts or contact information despite knowing that he might be in contact with thetter. Verily, he had no idea whether Shane was confident that he could find Sean by himself or because of some other reason. ¡°I asked him about Joyce''s hypnotist, and he told me everything,¡± Stanley admitted, nudging his sses. At that, Shane''s eyes narrowed a fraction. ¡°So?¡± It did note as a surprise to him that Sean was aware of the identity of Joyce''s hypnotist. Considering the fact that the man knew about her undergoing hypnosis, it was no surprise that he knew the hypnotist''s identity. ¡°I don''t need that hypnotist to undo Joyce''s hypnosis. I can do it by myself so long as I know the person who performed the hypnosis. As such, it''s of no use that you moved him.¡± Stanley''s lips curved into a smirk. In response, Shane harrumphed. ¡°If so, do it, then. As for whatever is to be of her henceforth, that has nothing to do with me anymore.¡± I''ve already done all I could, and I won''t interfere in whatever follows. If Joyce were to recover her memories and plunge back into the abyss of torment, that would be on him. Natalie won''t me me either. Ultimately, I''ve already done my best. ¡°Naturally, I''ll undo her hypnosis. But not now,¡± Stanley replied evenly. Shane quirked a brow. ¡°In that case, why are you telling me all this?¡± ¡°I didn''t call you to boast that I''ve already learned of the hypnotist''s identity. Instead, it''s to warn you about Sean''s final conspiracy.¡± Stanley narrowed his eyes dangerously, his expression turning significantly grimmer. Hearing that, Shane faltered in his tracks. In the end, he simply stopped short. ¡°What did you just say? His final conspiracy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this? Don''t you regard me as an enemy? Would you be so kind?¡± Shane snorted, making it clear that he did not believe Stanley. ¡°Indeed, I have no regard for you. Unfortunately, Natalie is your wife. No matter what, I''m her friend at the end of the day, and I don''t want to see her hurt,¡± Stanley uttered coldly. ¡°Don''t want to see her hurt?¡± Realization dawned upon Shane, and his pupils abruptly constricted. ¡°Are you saying that Sean''s final conspiracy has something to do with her?¡± ¡°When I contacted him to inquire about the identity of Joyce''s hypnotist, he asked a favor of me. He said he sent you a letter, a final letter of challenge,¡± Stanley divulged instead of answering the question. Shane grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°Yeah. He''s cunning enough and has the brains, but he''s impatient. Thus, he won''t be able to resist making an appearance sooner orter to have that final duel with me. That letter of challenge is the duel invitation he sent me. However, the method, venue, and time are presently unknown.¡± Therefore, all he could do right then was to be on guard against everything, nipping all danger in the bud and protecting those around him, especially his wife and children. ¡°He told me that as well. That aside, he''s dragging Natalie into it.¡± Chapter 1664 Chapter 1664 At that point, Stanley had a grim expression on his face. ¡°Sean knows very well that he isn''t your match. To get a shot at winning against you, he''ll use Natalie to threaten you.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Shane''s expression turned as dark as a storm cloud. A terrifying aura emanated from his body as if he were a demon who had just emerged from the depths of hell, sending shivers down everyone''s spine. Naturally, Stanley knew his words would incur Shane''s wrath. He had to admit that he was equally infuriated when he heard Sean say those words. ¡°It''s highly possible that Sean will find an opportunity to kidnap Natalie because he said he hoped I would be present to save her during hisst fight with you. In other words, he''ll use Natalie to threaten you and will not care about her safety. He''ll very likely harm her.¡± Stanley disclosed another piece of information that almost made Shane fly into a rage. Shane''s expression darkened further. He gripped his phone tightly as though he intended to crush it. ¡°Sean has a death wish!¡± he snarled in an icy voice. He did not mind going against Sean, but he would never allow thetter to harm his wife. Unsurprisingly, Sean was as unscrupulous as ever, involving women in their fights. Shane vowed that he would never let Sean off easily. He must end thetter''s life. Of course, as it stood, there were more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. With that thought in mind, Shane took a deep breath to calm himself down. ¡°Stanley, can I trust that you''re telling the truth?¡± he said into the phone. Stanley knew Shane would doubt his words. That piece of news came too suddenly, after all, so it was understandable that Shane doubted its validity. If Stanley were in Shane''s shoes and someone suddenly told him that his enemy wanted to use his wife to threaten him, he would definitely verify the matter first since it could be a conspiracy to trap him. Thus, Stanley was not angered by Shane''s distrust. ¡°You can investigate the matter yourself to verify the truth. Anyway, I''ve already told you everything,¡± he replied calmly. Shane fell silent for a moment before replying, ¡°I know. In any case, thank you for informing me, though I will still be verifying the information personally. That''s all.¡± With that, he ended the call and ced his phone aside. Then, he lowered his gaze, seemingly thinking about something. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Natalie ascended the stairs after checking on Anders, who was apanied by Zaylee. As soon as she arrived at thending, she spotted Shane standing in the corridor. He had his head lowered, and an icy aura was emanating from him. ¡°Darling, what''s wrong?¡± When Natalie saw him in that state, she felt her heart sink for no reason. A beatter, she hurried over to him, took his hand, and asked in concern, ¡°Did something happen?¡± Taking in his grim demeanor, she could tell at a nce that he was seething. Did something happen at Thompson Group because he had to abandon his post to apany me here? If that''s the case, I feel guilty. Something flickered across Shane''s eyes, but he quickly regained hisposure and took her hand gently. Suppressing his fury, he smiled at her. ¡°I''m fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Natalie looked at him doubtfully. ¡°But you seem furious earlier. Darling, if something has happened, go and handle it. Don''t bottle up your anger. What if¡ª¡± Before she could finish her words, Shane pressed a finger to her lips to shush her. ¡°All right, now. I really am fine, so don''t worry. If something happens, I''ll definitely head off to take care of it right away.¡± He did not n on disclosing the details of his conversation with Stanley to her. If Natalie found out that Sean might use her to threaten him, she would me herself for existing and might even do something foolish. Besides, the finalpetition was about to begin, so Shane did not want that matter to affect her mood. Chapter 1665 Chapter 1665 Should Shane disclose it to Natalie, she might lose thepetition and even give up on her career as a result. Her previous loss in thepetition had already caused Lina to miss out on winning the first prize in the internationalpetition. If her performance in thepetition were affected by external factors again, causing another victory to slip through Lina''s fingers, Natalie would be overtaken by guilt and give up on her career. As such, Shane decided not to tell her anything. Seeing that he insisted on keeping quiet even though something was clearly bothering him, Natalie let out a deep sigh and expressed her concern. ¡°You''re making me more anxious by behaving like this.¡± Shane reached out to ruffle her hair. ¡°I''m fine, really. It''s nothing major, and I can handle it from here. Don''t read too much into it. Trust me.¡± He gazed at her in all seriousness. Natalie felt her heart skip a beat and slowly calmed down. ¡°I trust you.¡± ¡°Good. It''ste, so let''s head to bed now.¡± With that, Shane took her hand and led her to their bedroom. As Natalie studied his side profile, she parted her lips, seemingly intending to say something. In the end, however, she decided against it and said nothing. Right after entering their bedroom, she went to take a shower. When she held Anders earlier, he had spat out some milk, staining her top and making it smell of milk. That was why she was in a hurry to wash up. After Natalie disappeared into the bathroom, Shane settled on the couch. Holding a ss of red wine, he fell into deep thought once again. A whileter, he suddenly pulled out his phone to call Ss. When the call was connected, he ryed the information he had received earlier from Stanley. Ss gasped in disbelief after he heard everything. ¡°Mr. Thompson, is that true?¡± ¡°I''m not entirely sure, but I do know Stanley well enough to believe that he wouldn''t joke about something this serious, so it''s likely true. However, I can''t be certain if Sean has lied to Stanley,¡± Shane said honestly. Ss adjusted the sses on his nose. ¡°Regardless of whether Sean was telling the truth, he''s downright evil for involving Madam and using her as a means of threatening you. He ims to love Madam, but how is this loving her?¡± Isn''t loving someone all about treating them well and ensuring their happiness? It''s baffling how Sean ims to love Madam but is willing to involve her in danger and risk her life like this. Sean doesn''t deserve to love anyone. Shane sneered. ¡°He does love Natalie, but he loves himself more. That''s why he can bring himself to involve her in this and use her to achieve his goals.¡± ¡°Ha! In short, he''s extremely selfish,¡± Ssmented as his lips curled. ¡°That''s enough. I need you to think of a way to dispatch more of our men here. Also, get the weapons ready,¡± Shane ordered in a cold tone, narrowing his eyes. Since it''s the final battle, I ought to prepare weapons. This time, I must kill Sean. Natalie and the children were the most precious to him; he would never allow them to be harmed. Yet, Sean was bold enough to cross the line. In that case, Shane would not hesitate to kill him. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Besides, he did not want Natalie and the children to live in danger. The only way to ensure their safety was to get rid of Sean entirely. At the sound of Shane''s order, Ss'' expression grew solemn. ¡°Got it, Mr. Thompson. I''ll make the arrangements right now. Don''t worry. Sean will never seed.¡± Shane grunted in acknowledgment. He then chatted with Ss about something else before ending the call. The reason he did so was that he noticed the water was no longer running in the bathroom. That meant Natalie was done with her shower and woulde out anytime soon. Had he continued the conversation with Ss, she might have overheard it and gotten affected emotionally. Shane wanted to solve the problem himself without involving her. Of course, he would not let Sean seed in abducting her. The fight was between him and Sean, so he refused to involve anyone else, especially those close to him. Chapter 1666 Chapter 1666 While Shane was pensively narrowing his eyes, Natalie opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out. She only had a towel wrapped around her body, nothing else. The towel unted her curves, and she looked a sight to behold. Shane looked over, and his gaze turned dark with desire. When she came over to him, he reached out to wrap his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Natalie sat on hisp and wrapped her arms around his neck. Shane inched closer and smelled her nape. Closing his eyes, he murmured, ¡°Honey, you smell so good.¡± Natalie chuckled lightly. ¡°It''s the shower gel.¡± ¡°No, it''s your bodily scent,¡± Shane replied as he shook his head. He then continued smelling her nape. Tickled by his hot breath on her nape, she instinctively shrunk back and giggled. ¡°What are you doing? It itches.¡± Shane let out a chuckle. ¡°Let me help you relieve the itchiness.¡± With that, he carried her toward the bed. Natalie gazed at the nearing bed as her cheeks turned scarlet. ¡°You...¡± I can''t believe he meant this when he offered to help me relieve the itchiness. I thought he''d scratch my neck. It turns out... Despite being annoyed by Shane''s actions, she did not stop him from putting her on the bed. Something seemed to be weighing on his mind, but he refused to say anything when she asked him about it, determined to keep it a secret from her. Natalie knew he needed to vent. That night, Shane was exceptionally domineering, unlike his usual gentle self. He kept Natalie up all night. It was almost dawn when he finally stopped. Only then could Natalie breathe a sigh of relief. Dropping onto her pillow, she fell asleep. She was too exhausted to keep her eyes open. Her body feltpletely drained of energy, and she had no desire to move a finger, much less lift the covers over her body or adjust her sleeping position. Whatever. I can''t be bothered about my sleeping position. I''m too tired. All I want is to sleep. We can talk about the rest when I wake up. Lying on her stomach, Natalie drifted off to dreand. The sheer exhaustion caused her to snore lightly, which proved that she was in a state of deep sleep. Shane, who was resting while sprawled on her back, knew she was asleep when he heard her snores. At that, he quickly propped himself up. Despite being stronger than the average person, he was still exhausted after working hard throughout the night. That was why he did not get up immediately like usual to carry her to the bathroom after their sex marathon ended. Instead, he sprawled on top of her to catch his breath, nning on bringing her to the shower once he regained some of his energy. Little did he know she would fall asleep out of exhaustion before he could do so. ¡°Honey.¡± Shane sat up and shook her shoulders lightly to wake her up. ¡°Wake up. Let''s go take a shower, and you can go back to sleep afterward,¡± he continued. However, Natalie merely knitted her brows. She had no intention of waking up. Shane observed the fatigue evident in Natalie''s appearance, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. Eventually, he gave up on the thought of waking her up for a shower. Forget it. She''s tired, so I''ll let her sleep. I''ll have to adjust her position, though. She can''t sleep on her stomach. It is bad for her heart and also bad for me. I can''t allow my favorite part of her body to go t. Without hesitation, Shane reached out his arms and held Natalie''s shoulders to turn her over, adjusting her sleeping position. Afterward, he tucked her in so that she could sleep better. Shane then got up and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. After spending the entire night working out, he was drenched in sweat. Having sticky skin from the dried sweat was ufortable. That was why he wanted Natalie to shower before going to bed. However, she was asleep, and it was not like he could bring himself to wake her up. Chapter 1667 Chapter 1667 Besides, he would be distressed if she were to wake up feeling tired. Shane took a quick shower and walked out of the bathroom in less than ten minutes. After casually drying his hair with the towel, he strode to the bed, pulled the covers up, and joined Natalie in bed. With his arms wrapped around her, he closed his eyes and went to sleep. At the same time, it was nighttime at Joyce''s ce. She tidied her room and headed out to the adjoining room that belonged to Stanley, intending to ask what he wanted for dinner so she could buy the ingredients and cook for him. Even though he had told her to hire a caretaker to care for him, which she did, the caretaker was not here yet. Thus, she still had to take care of him. Upon arriving before Stanley''s room, Joyce knocked on the door. Stanley had just woken up, so his brain was still fuzzy. The sound of the knock made him frown. ¡°Come in,¡± he said in a hoarse voice. Outside the room, Joyce noticed he sounded different and froze in surprise. Hastily, she pushed the door open and asked, ¡°Mr. Quinn, what happened? Are you sick? You sound like you''re ill.¡± At that moment, Stanley had one hand covering his eye. When he heard her words, he removed his hand and sat up in his bed. ¡°It''s you,¡± he uttered, looking toward the woman standing in the doorway. ¡°Yes, it''s me.¡± Joyce nodded. She then closed the door and went to him. ¡°Mr. Quinn, do you feel sick somewhere? You don''t seem well.¡± Indeed, Stanley looked ill as his face was pale. In thest few days, he had been making good progress in his recovery. Apart from his bones, his superficial injuries were almostpletely healed. As a result, his cheeks had regained their usual rosy hue, unlike the paleplexion he had when he was first admitted to the hospital. Nheless, as of then, hisplexion had returned to its initial pale state, making her worried that his injury had rpsed or dehisced. ¡°I''m fine,¡± Stanley replied, massaging the space between his brows. Joyce furrowed her brows. ¡°You''re fine? That''s impossible. Take a look at how pale you are.¡± Right afterward, she hurriedly fished out her phone to let him take a good look at himself on the screen. At the sight of her actions, Stanley arched a brow and quirked his lips. ¡°You look anxious. Are you worried about me?¡± Joyce was stunned by his remarks but soon kept her phone away and took a step back. Shaking her head, she denied, ¡°No, of course not.¡± Her heart was pounding, and her cheeks were flushed with heat. She even avoided meeting his gaze, feeling a mix of conflicting emotions. She had no idea why she was flustered. He merely misunderstood me, so why am I panicking? Despite thinking that way, she remained flustered and could not calm down. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Joyce did not know what was happening to her. She was consumed by a peculiar sensation that left her feeling powerless. Simultaneously, she felt intrigued and addicted to the sensation. Stanley narrowed his eyes when he noticed how quickly she denied being worried. ¡°No? You''re not worried about me at all?¡± he asked. ¡°I might be feeling unwell because of my injuries. You were the cause of my difort, but you''re not worried at all? Joyce Rivers, don''t you think you''re being too indifferent?¡± Hearing that, Joyce raised her head instantly. ¡°That''s not true, Mr. Quinn. I''m not indifferent. I''m just... Well...¡± She bit her lip nervously, not knowing how to exin herself. Joyce wanted to say that she was worried about him, but it felt as though her worry for him would be strange if she said it out loud. In short, her concern for him would sound like that of a lover rather than just a friend. He had taken the initiative to ask her if she was worried about him, so it felt really ambiguous. That was why she instinctively denied being worried about him to stop his words from sounding ambiguous. Chapter 1668 Chapter 1668 Nheless, he imed she was being indifferent after hearing her answer. As such, Joyce was in a dilemma. It did not sound right to say she was worried about him, and it would be worse if she imed she was not worried about him. She was at a loss. Stanley sighed inwardly when he noticed Joyce''s eyes were red-rimmed as if she was about to burst into tears from anxiety. Despite that, he remained calm on the outside. ¡°All right. I was just joking,¡± he said tly, massaging the space between his brows. That was the only way to calm her jittery nerves. Indeed, upon learning that it was a joke, Joyce was first taken aback but soon heaved a huge sigh of relief and grinned. ¡°Mr. Quinn, I''ll get a doctor to check on you.¡± No matter how I see it, he looks really unwell. Although he ims to be fine, his behavior says otherwise. He has massaged the space between his brows and his temples several times within a mere few minutes, which indicates that he''s experiencing a headache. The head is the most mysterious and important part of the human body, so any issues associated with it cannot be taken lightly. I have to get a doctor to check on his condition. If something were to happen, the consequences would be dire. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Nevertheless, Stanley raised his arm to reject her suggestion. ¡°No need!¡± Joyce frowned. ¡°Why won''t you let me get a doctor? Mr. Quinn, you''re feeling unwell, right?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± He let out a nomittal grunt. She pursed her lips and replied, ¡°Since you feel unwell, I must get a doctor to check on you. You''re a doctor yourself, so I''m sure you know the importance of being healthy. Besides, doctors hate disobedient patients, and I believe you know that well. That''s all the more reason for you to see a doctor.¡± Hearing how serious she sounded, Stanley stopped massaging the space between his brows and stared straight at her. ¡°Why are you insisting that I see a doctor? Are you afraid I''ll die?¡± ¡°Mr. Quinn!¡± Joyce''s brows puckered in a frown. ¡°Mr. Quinn, I''m being serious here. Stop talking nonsense!¡± ¡°I''m being serious, too.¡± He folded his arms. ¡°Joyce, I''m your family''s enemy. Don''t you want me to die? Besides, your family will stand to benefit from my death since no one will bear a grudge against the Rivers family or harm you. That way, you and your family won''t have to live in fear. Don''t you want me dead?¡± His utterances stupefied her utterly, and it took her a while to regain herposure. Parting her lips, she asked, ¡°Mr. Quinn, why would you think that way, and why do you think my family should have those sentiments?¡± ¡°Everyone would think that way. It''s human nature to avoid harm and seek gains. Haven''t you and your parents ever considered that your lives might be better if I were dead?¡± Stanley fixed his gaze on her. Joyce pursed her lips and adopted a serious expression. ¡°I apologize, Mr. Quinn, but I can assure you that neither I nor my parents ever thought that way. My parents did indirectly cause the deaths of your parents back then, so your hatred for them isn''t unwarranted. However, they did not do it intentionally; they had their reasons for their actions. Therefore, regardless of what you have done to us, we''ve never harbored any hatred toward you or wished for your demise. If we wished for your death, it would imply that we feel guilty and deliberately caused the death of your parents, which is not the case.¡± Not expecting to hear that answer, Stanley paused, his gaze flickering. ¡°Perhaps you''ve never thought of wanting me dead, but you can''t guarantee that your parents never thought that way. Back when I showed up, your dad stared at me as though I were his sworn enemy. When he struck me, he showed no mercy, beating me to a pulp. At that moment, he truly wished to beat me to death and drag me to hell so that your family would be rid of me.¡± Joyce was rendered speechless all of a sudden. It surprised even herself that she had forgotten about that matter. Prior to that, she and her parents never hated Stanley, much less thought of having him die in exchange for peace in their lives. Chapter 1669 Chapter 1669 As such, she had forgotten that her father currently hated Stanley to death. ¡°My bad. It''s true that my father hates you right now... However, he never had such feelings toward you before. He only did what he did because he was pushed to desperation. Being the man of the house, he has an obligation to protect his wife and daughter, so he had to fight back. His hatred was only temporary, though. It''s not like he hated you all this while. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have sent you to the hospital, Mr. Quinn...¡± Joyce was about to continue, but Stanley raised his hand and motioned at her to stop. He then looked her in the eyes as he asked, ¡°All right; I understand what you''re trying to say. I''ll ignore what your parents felt toward me and focus on you instead. Have you never hated me the way they did? I mistreated you and forced you to get an abortion. Don''t you hate me for all that?¡± He really wanted to know the answer to that question. Joyce lowered her gaze and stared nkly into space as she gave it some thought. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. A few momentster, she looked up at him and shook her head. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Stanley arched an eyebrow at her in response. ¡°You don''t know?¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Have you forgotten that I lost all memories of you, Mr. Quinn? I have no idea if the old me hated you, but I know I don''t.¡± As far as she knew, Stanley was simply a stranger that her family held a grudge against. Even so, she had never hated him one bit. That was mainly due to her kind-heartedness and her knowing that he was just another puppet blinded by vengeance. Stanley simply narrowed his eyes in response and kept quiet. It''s true that she no longer remembers how she used to treat me in the past. Well, I''m kind of relieved to hear that she no longer hates me. At the very least, I will be able to approach her normally and win her heart over. If she hates me, then she will reject all of my advances. That would make it incredibly difficult for me to win her over. ¡°Mr. Quinn?¡± Joyce waved her hand in front of Stanley''s eyes when she saw him staring nkly at her. ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± Stanley asked. ¡°I was about to ask you the same thing. Why were you spacing out all of a sudden?¡± Stanley massaged his forehead. ¡°It''s nothing.¡± Joyce didn''t press on any further as she could tell he didn''t feel like talking about it. Given the strange nature of their rtionship, she knew it was not appropriate of her to ask too many questions. She was going to keep her mouth shut, but the sight of him massaging his forehead got her all worried. ¡°Maybe I should get you a doctor, Mr. Quinn. You''ve been massaging your forehead for a while now. You must be having a headache or something, right?¡± Stanley''s eyes went wide with surprise. Whoa... She sure is surprisingly observant! The fact that she knew I had a headache just by seeing me massaging my forehead shows that she''s a smart woman! With that in mind, Stanley waved at her and said, ¡°No, that won''t be necessary. I''m a neurologist myself, so I kind of know what my condition is like.¡± Joyce shot him an uncertain look. ¡°Really?¡± Stanley nodded. ¡°Yeah. There''re probably some blood clots in my brain that have yet to break down. The difort is most likely caused by them pressing against my nerves. It also causes headaches and dizziness after waking up.¡± ¡°What? Blood clots?¡± Joyce was so shocked that she raised her voice significantly. As far as she knew, blood clots were a serious problem. Chapter 1670 Chapter 1670 It wasmon for stuff like that in the brain to develop into something worseter on. She had seen cases where people ignored their brain tumors, only to have the tumors turn cancerous later on. Having things in the brain that don''t belong there is no joking matter. We have to treat such conditions seriously! If that blood clot in his brain doesn''t break down, it could end up bing cancerous! With that in mind, Joyce eximed anxiously, ¡°Why are there blood clots in your brain, Dr. Quinn?¡± Stanley shot her a nce as he replied, ¡°Your father hit me in the head when he beat me up. That resulted in a concussion and some slight bleeding in the brain.¡± Joyce went pale the moment she heard that it was her father who caused it. ¡°I''m sorry...¡± she apologized while tugging at the hem of her shirt. Stanley massaged his forehead once again. ¡°All right. Just stop apologizing. It''s all in the past now.¡± ¡°I know that, but¡ª¡± Joyce was about to say something, but Stanley cut her off once again by raising his hand. ¡°As I said, that''s enough.¡± Joyce lowered her head. ¡°Okay...¡± The ward fell intoplete silence. A few momentster, Joyce looked up at him and asked worriedly, ¡°Since you''re a neurologist, do you know if the blood clots in your brain will go away?¡± She was really concerned about the blood clots turning cancerous as she had seen something like that happen in a television drama a long time ago. The female lead in that drama series had blood clots that pressed against her optic nerves. Eventually, it developed into brain cancer and led to her death. That showed how tiny problems could snowball into big ones if left unsolved, especially those that were inside the brain. Stanley''s lips curled into a faint smile when he saw how worried Joyce was. ¡°Yes, they will.¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up with joy and relief when she heard that. ¡°Really?¡± Stanley nodded. ¡°I''m a neurologist. Do you think I''d joke about my own career like that?¡± Joyce shook her head and exined, ¡°N-No, that''s not what I meant! I was just so happy that I needed to confirm it!¡± Stanley leaned forward and stared her in the eye as he asked, ¡°Happy, huh? Are you happy that I''m all right?¡± Joyce averted her gaze and nodded in response. ¡°Yes, I am. It was my father who caused this, so we would all feel really bad if something were to happen to you. If you turn out to be fine, then we wouldn''t feel too bad about it.¡± Stanley pursed his lips as he mumbled, ¡°And here I thought you were worried about me.¡± Because he had kept his voice low, Joyce couldn''t quite hear what he said. ¡°What did you say, Mr. Quinn?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Stanley lowered his gaze and replied coldly, ¡°Nothing.¡± Unsure of the reason his attitude had turned cold all of a sudden, Joyce shrugged and didn''t give it much thought. ¡°By the way, Mr. Quinn, how long will it take for the blood clots in your head to go away?¡± ¡°About one month,¡± Stanley replied while leaning against the headboard. Joyce nodded. ¡°That''s good to know.¡± A month was neither too long nor too short, so it was still an eptable timeframe. ¡°Will you experience any dizziness or headaches throughout this one month, though?¡± Joyce asked. Stanley nodded. ¡°Yes, a little bit. Those aremon symptoms when ites to blood clots like these.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Joyce mumbled while propping her chin up with one hand. So, that''s why he didn''t want me to get a doctor. Being a doctor himself, it''s only natural that he knows his condition very well. On top of that, he''s the youngest neurologist in the world! There aren''t many neurologists out there who can reach his level of expertise! The ones who have are all really old. Since no other neurologist performs better than him, it wouldn''t exactly be appropriate to have someone else examine him. Chapter 1671 Chapter 1671 With that in mind, Joyce simply tucked her hair behind her ear and kept quiet. Having recalled something, Stanley asked all of a sudden, ¡°Have you taken care of the discharge procedures as I asked you to?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Joyce froze and looked up at him before shaking her head. ¡°No, I haven''t.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. The look on Stanley''s face turned gloomy instantly. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I forgot,¡± Joyce mumbled softly with her head held low. Stanley pursed his lips and pressed on, ¡°I told you during the day to get it taken care of as soon as possible, didn''t I? Why didn''t you do as I said? Did you actually forget, or are you just putting up an act?¡± ¡°I really did forget about it! It wasn''t done on purpose!¡± Joyce exined while waving her arms at him. As though to see if she was lying, Stanley stared long and hard at her. When he noticed the nervous and terrified look on her face, however, he let out a helpless sigh and said, ¡°Okay, I''ll let this one slide.¡± Joyce''s eyes lit up when she heard that he was not going to pursue the matter any further. ¡°Thank you, Dr. Quinn!¡± Stanley simply whipped out his phone and tapped away without saying a word. Joyce stared anxiously at him while standing next to the bed. ¡°Why did you want me to stay in the hospital, Mr. Quinn? The doctor only let me stay so I could recover better and safely give birth in the future. You¡ª¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Stanley asked with a frown while looking up at her. Joyce took a deep breath as she continued, ¡°You never wanted me to give birth to this baby, right? You don''t like him, so why would you want me to stay in the hospital? Doing so would only ensure the baby''s safety.¡± The corner of Stanley''s lips twitched slightly. ¡°That''s what you''re trying to say?¡± ¡°Yeah... I''ve been meaning to ask you why you suddenly agreed to let me keep my baby. I was happy when you said I could keep the baby without sending my father to prison, but I just had a bad feeling in my gut. I didn''t think you genuinely wanted me to keep the baby,¡± Joyce replied. ¡°Why would you feel that way?¡± Stanley asked with his arms crossed. Joyce bit down on her lip. ¡°It''s simple, really. Because you wanted me to abort this baby. I may not remember what happened back then, but the people around me have told me about the past events. That,bined with my fear of you, made me certain that I must have been through a lot of pain. That was how I knew you didn''t want this baby. Hence, I found it strange when you suddenly agreed to let me keep my baby. Why did you change your mind, Mr. Quinn?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± Stanley responded to her question with another one. Joyce gave it some thought and shook her head. ¡°Honestly, I have no idea, nor am I able to figure it out. You didn''t change your mind because you suddenly had a change of heart and felt some kind of sentiment toward the baby, did you?¡± She couldn''t help but let out a little chuckle after saying that. A change of heart? Sentiment? That''s impossible! I''m the mother of this baby, and he hated me so much that he wouldn''t even let me bring my baby into this world! There''s no way he''d feel any sentiment toward this baby! The look in Stanley''s eyes dimmed when he saw the wry smile on her face. It didn''t take a genius to figure out that she felt incredibly helpless and was in denial. She refuses to believe in the oue even though she already knows the truth about it. She even denies the facts despite my best attempts at convincing her. Am I really that untrustworthy to her? Well, I did hurt her so much in the past that she willingly erased her memories just to forget about everything. That means she only sees me as a mere stranger whom she holds a grudge against. It only makes sense that she wouldn''t trust a stranger, so her doubting my words is retribution for my wrongdoings. Chapter 1672 Chapter 1672 ¡°Joyce, what if I told you that I want you to keep this baby because I did develop some sentiment toward the child?¡± he asked while massaging his forehead. Joyce''s eyes went wide with shock. ¡°What?¡± He actually feels sentiment for my baby? How is that even possible? Joyce shook her head and took a few steps back in response. Judging by the strange look she was giving Stanley, it became obvious that she still refused to believe his words. Stanley simply pursed his lips and made no attempts to persuade her any further. After all, he knew that she would never trust him until she was no longer on guard around him. It looks like I will have to regain her trust little by little. With that in mind, Stanley said calmly, ¡°It''s fine if you don''t believe me. Feel free to assume that I am lying about it.¡± Joyce bit down on her lip. See? I knew it! There''s no way he''d feel sentiment toward my baby! He really was just joking about it! Honestly, I can''t believe he''d make such a horrible joke! After taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Joyce asked, ¡°So, why did you agree to let me keep the baby and stay in the hospital? I know for a fact that you want me to deliver the baby, but what will happen after that? Are you going to take the baby away?¡± No longer worried that he would have her abort the baby, the only thing that concerned her was his intentions toward the baby. She didn''t know what she would do if he took the baby away after she gave birth. She couldn''t imagine how she would cope if she were to lose her baby forever. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. If that''s what he''s aiming for, then he is far more heartless and cruel than I had expected! I can''t think of an act of revenge that is any crueler than that! To keep a mother from seeing her child forever is worse than having her abort the child! Joyce''s face went pale at the thought of that. Her breathing grew ragged as she stared at Stanley with fear in her eyes. Naturally, Stanley figured out what she was thinking when he noticed the changes in her expression. He shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°Please drop those ridiculous thoughts of yours. I won''t do something as low as taking your child away from you.¡± Joyce swallowed nervously as she asked, ¡°So, you''re not going to take my baby away from me?¡± Stanley nodded. ¡°That''s right.¡± Joyce broke into a smile when she heard that. ¡°That''s a relief! I thought you wanted me to give birth to this baby so you could take him away from me! I mean as a form of revenge.¡± Stanley didn''t know whether tough or cry when he heard that. ¡°You sure have a powerful imagination.¡± Joyce lowered her head awkwardly. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Quinn. I didn''t mean to. You have traumatized me far too deeply, so I can''t help but overthink things sometimes.¡± It was not her intention to be paranoid about every little thing, but she simply couldn''t stop herself from doing so. Stanley felt helpless and guilty after hearing her exnation. She became paranoid because I traumatized her and put her through too much stress... ¡°Never mind, then.¡± Stanley adjusted his sses as he continued, ¡°I don''t have a special reason for wanting you to keep your baby. All I want is to see how my child looks and if my child turns out to be a smart one.¡± He had deliberately said that to put Joyce''s mind at ease. Joyce stared long and hard at Stanley as though she could see if he was lying. She felt relieved deep down inside, but she maintained her facial expression anyway. He''s probably telling the truth. He changed his mind not because he felt sentiment toward my child, nor to get his revenge on my child. Chapter 1673 Chapter 1673 Stanley became curious about his unborn child suddenly. He wanted to know what his biological child would look like. To put things simply, he was curious about this baby, and there was nothing more to the story than that. Joyce was unbothered by this, though. She didn''t expect him to care for her baby. She only wanted him not to use this baby as a bargaining chip that he could use to exact revenge on the Rivers family. Everything else didn''t matter to her. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Stanley looked at Joyce, saying, ¡°All right. Go ahead with the hospitalization procedure. You got to get things done quickly if you want to keep this baby.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Okay. I''ll do that soon. But then, it''ste now. Mr. Quinn, are you hungry?¡± Stanley lifted his eyes. ¡°Not really.¡± He didn''t say no right away. Does his ''not really'' means that he is starving? Joyce rolled up her sleeves, peering at Stanley. ¡°What do you want to eat for dinner? I can cook for you.¡± Stanley lowered his gaze, seemingly in deep thought. After a few seconds, he lifted his head and listed a few dishes. Joyce nodded as she was familiar with the preparation method of the dishes Stanley listed and that it could be done where they were, so she smiled and agreed. ¡°Very well. I shall go and cook now.¡± With that, Joyce walked toward the kitchen. ¡°Wait,¡± Stanley called out. Joyce halted in her steps, turning around. ¡°Mr. Quinn, is there anything else that I can help you with?¡± He nced at her. ¡°Give me your identity card.¡± ¡°Identity card?¡± Joyce was stunned. She probed, ¡°Why do you need that?¡± Does he want to take my identity card so that I won''t get to escape in the future? Stanley watched the expression change on Joyce''s face, immediately understanding that she had mistaken his intention. Speechless, he said, ¡°You''re overthinking this again.¡± Joyce stuck out her tongue guiltily without speaking. Oops! I can''t help it. I''ve told him just now. He traumatized me so much that whenever he requests something, I will overthink the situation. ¡°Please change that habit of yours.¡± Stanley furrowed his brows. ¡°You will suffer from mental issues if you continue to stress yourself out this way.¡± Joyce lowered her head even further. She knew she was being neurotic, which didn''t help with her health, but Joyce couldn''t control how her brain worked. It''s fine! I''ll try to get rid of this habit slowly. ¡°I need your identity card to proceed with the hospitalization procedure,¡± Stanley exined. Joyce widened her eyes. ¡°You''re going to handle my hospitalization procedure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Stanley cocked his head nonchntly. Joyce waved her hands. ¡°There''s no need to do that, Mr. Quinn. I can do this myself. I''ve already agreed to stay in the hospital just now. I just said I''m going to do itter, so it''s okay. I''ll head there by myself soon.¡± ¡°Who knows whether this matter will slip your mind or not?¡± Stanley pushed his sses as impatience became noticeable in his voice. ¡°Come on. Just give your identity card to me. I''ll do it for you.¡± With that, he extended his hand toward Joyce. He was so determined that it seemed like he wouldn''t back down until Joyce did as she was told. Joyce knew she had no reason to reject Stanley anymore. Left without a choice, she went over to her bag, took out her identity card, and handed it to him. ¡°All right. Go on and do your stuff.¡± Stanley retracted his arm, satisfied by how obedient Joyce was. ¡°All right. Thank you, Mr. Quinn.¡± Joyce bowed at Stanley slightly before dashing toward the kitchen. With Stanley left behind in the ward, he lowered his eyes to look at the identity card in his hand as mixed emotions shed across his eyes. The man instantly recognized that Joyce''s identity card was taken while she was in university because he had seen how she looked like while she was a college student. Besides, Joyce was a listless person. Unlike most average women, she didn''t like to take photos frequently. Ultimately, that was why she had used the photo taken during her university days in most of her identification documents. To her, changing the photo was unnecessary, and as long as it could be used, Joyce was fine with it. Chapter 1674 Chapter 1674 Oh, she is azy one indeed. Stanley''s train of thought stopped as he caressed the photo on the identification card. He chuckled dryly in a gentle manner. For that split second, it seemed like his demeanor returned to when he was with Natalie all those years ago. Yet, at the same time, there was a sense of genuineness to his tenderness too. ¡°What a foolish woman!¡± Stanley muttered before shoving the identification card into his pocket. Then, he dialed a number on his phone. Soon, an obstetrics and gynecology doctor from the hospital they were in walked in with a nurse. ¡°Dr. Quinn.¡± Like most people in the hospital, the doctor knew who Stanley was, for he was a famous and talented neurologist. Stanley stared at the doctor''s extended hand before putting Joyce''s identification card down. He reached out and grabbed the doctor''s hand. ¡°Hello, Dr. Peter.¡± ¡°What''s the matter, Dr. Quinn? Did you ask me here because of the woman who was with you?¡± Peter pulled a chair and sat down beside the hospital bed before peering in the direction of Joyce. Not bothering to hide the truth, Stanley hummed in response. ¡°I want to know the truth about her condition.¡± Joyce had undergone a prenatal checkup at the hospital before, and Peter did it. Hearing Stanley''s question, Peter hurriedly answered, ¡°To be honest, Ms. Rivers is not the healthiest. As she is weak, and she has a low glucose level, it is a miracle that her child survived until now. If Lady Luck did not smile on her, she would have suffered a miscarriage already.¡± Stanley''s heart tightened, and his face tensed upon hearing Peter''s words. The situation was worse than he expected. Peter continued, ¡°Besides, Ms. Rivers is constantly feeling down, which is not good for her and the baby. If this continues, the baby will be gone even if she stays at the hospital for treatment. I''ve suggested to her before that she should adjust her mindset to feel more rxed to feel happier. I told her not to overthink everything, but it seems like Ms. Rivers didn''t heed my advice.¡± Stanley pursed his lips without speaking. He knew clearly why Joyce wasn''t in a perfect mood. The reason was him. Because of his appearance, terror and despair overwhelmed the Rivers family and Joyce again. So even though Stanley didn''t do anything to Joyce or the Rivers family, Joyce couldn''t rx or make herself feel better. The worry is constantly niggling her mind. She doesn''t think I will let her and the Rivers family off the hook. To her, nothing happens to her and her family now because I''m hospitalized, and once I recover, I will take revenge on them. Hence, Joyce''s mood doesn''t improve as fear is constantly behind her back, filling her with anxiousness. ¡°Dr. Quinn?¡± Peter waved his hand before Stanley curiously when he noticed thetter was distracted. Stanley''s eyes flickered before regaining his senses. He shook his head. ¡°I''m fine.¡± Peterughed. ¡°Dr. Quinn, I''m sure you care about Ms. Rivers to enquire about her health. If that''s the case, please advise her not to overthink, and that she needed to rx to keep the baby.¡± Stanley tightened his fists, replying in a hoarse voice. ¡°I know. No worries. I will do ording to what you said. However, I''ll need your help when shees in for hospital treatment. I''ll work as a doctor in the Neurology Department for a while after I recover.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Peter''s eyes lit up as excitement filled him when he heard Stanley''s remark. ¡°That''s great news!¡± Not only was he the chief doctor of the obstetrics and gynecology department, but Peter was also the hospital''s deputy director and future director. That was why he needed to consider the hospital''s benefits. Knowing that Stanley would stay behind to be their panel doctor, albeit only briefly, was enough to make Peter happy. After all, announcing to the public that Stanley, the internationally famous, youngest neurologist, was working at their hospital would significantly improve their status. By then, many big shots would choose their hospital as their first choice because of Stanley and their hospital didn''t have to worry about not having enough investments. Chapter 1675 Chapter 1675 Joy was written all over Peter''s face as he stood up, excited by his thoughts. ¡°Don''t worry, Dr. Quinn. Leave Ms. Rivers to us. We will ensure she and her baby gets the best treatment.¡± Stanley hummed in response. ¡°Thank you in advance then.¡± ¡°No problem. We are the ones who should be thanking you.¡± Peter chuckled politely. He looked at the time. ¡°Dr. Quinn, it''s gettingte, and I have a cesarean section to get to, so I need to take my leave now. I will instruct them to prepare Ms. Rivers'' ward and treatment n.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Stanley nodded before passing Joyce''s identification card to Peter. Peter took it and left with the nurse. Stanley closed his eyes after they left. He pondered about ways to boost Joyce''s mood. I know Joyce had been feeling down, depressed and uneasy all this time. All these bad vibes will only harm her body in the long run. But I didn''t expect these things to affect the baby. Initially, Stanley wanted to adjust her mood slowly. But it seemed his n wasn''t going to work now. While the man was deep in thought, the door to the kitchen opened, and Joyce walked out with a pot of coffee. She was surprised when she noticed only Stanley was left in the room. ¡°Eh? Where did they go?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stanley widened his eyes at her. Joyce answered honestly, ¡°I heard you talking to someone when I was in the kitchen. That was why I made coffee for them. Who would have expected them to leave before I came out?¡± ¡°Yeap. They left.¡± Stanley nced at the ward''s entrance. Joyce stared at the coffee in her hands. ¡°It''s a waste of my coffee then.¡± Stanley''s expression darkened. ¡°I''m still here, though. Why can''t I drink the coffee?¡± What does she mean that it''s a waste? Why does she automatically ignore me? Joyce blinked. ¡°No, you can''t drink this. It''s not healthy for you to overconsume coffee now, so you''d better not have it. It is not beneficial for your recovery. I''ll make something else for you.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. With that, Joyce returned to the kitchen with the coffee as she was determined not to let Stanley drink the coffee. Stanleyughed in exasperation. Why is she so stubborn? But then her behavior reminded me of the young her. She used to be obstinate too. It''s fine. If she doesn''t want to drink the coffee, then I don''t. I''ll do as she says so she doesn''t feel afraid of me or feel uneasy around me. Maybe that way, her mood will get better. With that in mind, Stanley grabbed the medical magazine beside him and started browsing through it. On the other side, Natalie finally awakened. She opened her eyes to the sight of a warm yellow ceiling. The woman rubbed her temples, trying to prop herself up from the bed. However, she felt difort in her body just as she got up. Natalie moaned in pain before falling back onto the bed, drowsiness overtaking her. The man sitting on the couch near Natalie heard her movement. He put away theptop on hisp before heading to bed. Shane stared at the groggy woman rubbing her eyes as a smile appeared on his face. ¡°You''re awake?¡± Natalie hummed in response. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke, unlike her usual sweet voice. ¡°What time is it?¡± Taken aback by the changes in her voice, Natalie covered her mouth quickly as the shock was written all over her face. Eh! What happened to my voice? Why do I suddenly sound like this? She wasn''t the only one appalled by her voice, Shane was surprised too. He hadn''t expected Natalie''s voice to turn out this way. Quickly, he regained his senses, smiling. ¡°I think you need some water to soothe your throat.¡± Chapter 1676 Chapter 1676 Natalie suddenly realized that she was indeed thirsty after Shane reminded her. No wonder my voice sounded like that. It''s only natural for my throat to be dry and hoarse after not drinking water for an extended period of time. She rxed, rubbing her brows before asking, ¡°Darling, can you let me know what''s the time now?¡± Shane got up, walking toward the bed as he looked at his wristwatch. ¡°It''s eight o''clock now.¡± ¡°Eight o''clock?¡± Natalie was stunned. ¡°Eight o''clock in the morning?¡± Wait. That can''t be right. Shane kept me awake all night, and I only fell asleep when the sky turned bright. I dreamed of many things while sleeping so I don''t think I slept for one or two hours only. Shane stood beside the bed, staring at Natalie''s dumbfounded expression. He chuckled lightly, guessing the thoughts in her mind. ¡°It''s eight o''clock at night,¡± Shane gently reminded Natalie. Stumped by Shane''s response, moments passed before Natalie came to her senses. ¡°Eight o''clock at night? Darling, do you mean that I''ve slept through a day and a night?¡± That''s impossible! However, the truth was the truth. Shane nodded his head slightly. ¡°Yes. You''ve slept through a day and a night. If it wasn''t for the fact that I know you are exhausted, and that''s why you are asleep for so long, I would think that maybe you are sick.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. With that, he sat on the bedside, caressing Natalie''s forehead. Natalie pushed his hand away angrily. She sneered. ¡°Who are you to say that? You''re the reason I''ve slept for so long.¡± Noticing how frustrated she was, Shane coughed once to cover his guilt. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Natalie reached her arms out, wanting Shane to pull her up. ¡°Yes. You should be!¡± Shane grabbed her hands, pulling her up from the bed. He stuffed a pillow behind her back, allowing Natalie to lean against it so that she could feel morefortable. Even though he cared for Natalie meticulously, Natalie still gave him a long face. ¡°I''ve never slept for so long before. Lina is going to mock me now! Also, I feel humiliated before the kids.¡± She covered her face, seemingly in a state of despair. Shane pulled her hands away. ¡°Let Lina be. Besides, you don''t need to feel embarrassed before the kids.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie red at him. ¡°Sharon doesn''t know the truth so it''s okay. But, Connor knows what''s going on. As his parents, we...¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I told you that won''t happen.¡± Shane tidied up Natalie''s messed-up hair. His voice was tender when he said, ¡°I''ve sent the kids away.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was at a loss for words. Then, her expression dropped as she stared at Shane, questioning agitatedly, ¡°Sent them away? Don''t scare me like that, Darling. What do you mean by that? Did you give them to someone else?¡± Her body trembled and went cold as she thought of this possibility. Shane looked at her terrified face, chuckling. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± He poked Natalie''s forehead gently. ¡°They are my kids too. Why would I give them to someone else?¡± Hearing that, Natalie breathed a sigh of relief while patting her chest. ¡°Luckily you didn''t! Luckily...¡± As she had just woke up, Natalie was naked with only a nket covering her body. However, when she heard that Shane had sent her kids away, Natalie got agitated, and the nket slipped down from her body, revealing her fair shoulders and corbone. Not only that, her action also exposed her soft breasts. Shane watched Natalie pat her chest, causing her breasts to shake. His eyes darkened as he gulped at the scene before him. Fortunately, he knew Natalie had just woken up from her slumber after a night of passion-filled intimacy and that her body hadn''t recovered yet. No matter how much he wanted to make her his now, he wouldn''t act in such a beastly manner. Shane coughed, putting the thoughts away. He calmed down, voicing in a suppressed tone. ¡°Don''t worry. They are our kids. As their dad, I won''t ever send them away. I will never disappoint you.¡± Chapter 1677 Chapter 1677 Natalie nodded firmly. ¡°I believe you, but what do you mean by sending the children away?¡± Shane suddenly reached out, pulled her into his embrace, and gently stroked her shoulder-length hair. Gazing coldly at the space behind her, he said, ¡°I didn''t n to tell you about this initially, but I thought about it for a long time today and decided to tell you because it''s impossible to hide it from you anyway.¡± ¡°What''s going on?¡± Sensing his anger and hostility, she gently patted his back to calm him down and asked concernedly, ¡°Did something significant happen? Is that why you were in a bad moodst night?¡± When she exited the bathroomst night, she noticed something was off about his mood. Natalie knew he must''ve encountered some problems, but he didn''t tell her anything when she asked about it. Having no other choice, she could only let that matter slide. Now, it seemed Shane had made up his mind toe clean. He grunted in response. ¡°That is why I was in a bad moodst night.¡± ¡°What exactly happened?¡± she asked again. He held her tighter. ¡°I never told you this, but I received a letter from Sean before I came here.¡± ¡°A letter?¡± Natalie''s body stiffened. Then, she slowly pushed him away and stared at him. ¡°Sean sent you a letter?¡± Shane nodded slightly. ¡°That''s right.¡± ¡°What did he write on the letter?¡± She was curious. Shane replied with a poker face. ¡°Provocation.¡± Instead of recounting the letter''s content, he merely uttered that single word. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Nevertheless, Natalie had heard enough to figure out the gist of that letter without knowing its content. ¡°Sean provoked you?¡± She frowned. Shane nodded before quickly shaking his head. ¡°That''s not all. That''s not only a provocation letter but also a letter of challenge. Natalie''s expression changed drastically after she heard that. The chills she felt earlier came back in full force. ¡°Letter of challenge...¡± She parted her lips. Her voice trembled as she spoke. ¡°Has Sean gone mad? Is he nning to fight a duel with you?¡± She wasn''t a fool. Given the grudges and hatred between Shane and Sean, their duel wouldn''t just be a minor scuffle. Instead, it could evolve into a life-threatening confrontation. That was why she mentioned if Sean had lost his mind, steeling his resolution to duel with Shane. ¡°Darling, did you agree?¡± Natalie cupped Shane''s face, urgently seeking confirmation. He pursed his lips into a straight line, not answering but not denying either. Knowing him well, Natalie could fathom his reaction was a silent expression that he had epted the challenge. Her heart sank at that instant as she felt a shiver run down her spine. The acknowledgment had caused her to be at a loss. After a long while, Natalie grasped Shane''s arm and uttered hoarsely, ¡°Darling, how could you agree? You should know Sean''s a lunatic. He''s aiming to do away with you with his so-called duel. You¡ª¡± ¡°I know,¡± he answered solemnly while turning his hands to hold hers. She widened her eyes. ¡°Why did you agree if you already knew?¡± ¡°That''s because I don''t have any other choice but to agree. Sean would never give me a chance to refuse.¡± His eyes reddened as he gazed at her. ¡°From the moment I received that letter, it meant I had epted his challenge. It wouldn''t make a difference even if I tossed the letter away, tore it up, or didn''t read it all.¡± Natalie was rendered speechless because his words had made her understand the duel between the brothers wasn''t determined by a letter, nor was it made effective by it. Even if Sean didn''t send the letter, a face-off between them would still be inevitable. Sean could''ve evenunched an ambush to catch Shane off guard. By sending the letter, Sean had allowed Shane to prepare some methods of defense in advance. Chapter 1678 Chapter 1678 In a way, Sean was even promoting a fair duel. ¡°H-He...¡± Natalie sobbed. She wanted to curse Sean, but with her upbringing, she couldn''t bring herself to say anything offensive. Shane understood her intention. He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. She hit his back angrily. ¡°How dare youugh. I can''t believe you''re still so upbeat when Sean aims to take your life.¡± She grew more furious as she spoke. In the end, she couldn''t stop herself from crying. Large drops of tears streamed down her cheeks, giving her a pitiful appearance. His heart throbbed in agony as he took in her demeanor. Shane freed an arm, which was wrapped around her waist, to wipe her tears. However, he couldn''t keep up as her tears continued to gush out like water from a broken dam. Having no other choice, he could only lift his chin and kiss her eyes, licking away every drop of tears she shed. Her tears tasted a little salty and also slightly bitter. Natalie was stunned. She didn''t expect him to wipe her tears using that method. All of a sudden, she felt too embarrassed to continue crying. After all, it wouldn''t be appropriate for him to keep drinking her tears. With that thought in her mind, she took a deep breath and forced herself to stop weeping. After some time, she finally stopped wailing and shedding tears. Only after sensing that did Shane pull away from her. Heughed quietly at the sight of her red, puffy eyes. ¡°Have you finally decided to stop crying?¡± She snorted in response instead of answering him. He stroked her hair. ¡°All right. I know you''re worried about me, but I''m fine now, aren''t I?¡± ¡°You may be fine now, but who knows what will happen in the future?¡± She punched his chest. ¡°The duel between you and Sean is inevitable. Besides, Sean is cunning and devious. What if¡ª¡± ¡°That won''t happen.¡± He kissed her forehead. ¡°I know you want to say that Sean is a cunning and devious person, and what if I fall into one of his traps and lose my life, right?¡± She snorted, indirectly confirming that was indeed her concern. He shed a faint smile. ¡°Rest assured. That''ll never happen. Don''t you have faith in me?¡± ¡°I do, but as I mentioned, he''s sly and conniving. We can''t be too careful. What if you really... What will our children and I do?¡± She bit her lip. She was genuinely afraid something bad might happen to him. She had lost her mother and was left with only a brother and her three children, so she didn''t want to lose her husband. Natalie hoped Shane would be safe and sound. Naturally, he could tell she was worried about him. He felt warmth spreading in his chest, pulling her into his embrace again. ¡°I got it, but I promise you I''ll be safe. I will put my guard up against Sean and will return to you and the children''s side alive and unharmed. Watching him solemnly making that vow, she gradually pulled herself together and sniffled. ¡°What good is a promise now? What I care for is the future oue.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He bore his eyes into hers and uttered with all seriousness, ¡°I know. I''m just reassuring you now. Still, I wille back. This is my promise to you.¡± She wiped the corner of her eyes. ¡°Fine. I''ll believe you.¡± She had no choice but to trust him. The final showdown had yet to arrive, but she was powerless to stop it from happening, which meant there wasn''t anything she could do except to pray for him and cheer him on from behind. ¡°Shane, remember what you said. You must win against Sean in this duel and return unscathed. Otherwise, I''ll take the three kids with me and marry another man, allowing someone else to be the children''s father. I believe that man will be delighted to hear the children of Thompson Group''s chairman addressing him as their daddy,¡± she warned him while riveting her eyes on him. Chapter 1679 Chapter 1679 Yet, the look of worry filled her eyes. Shane knew that she was saying that to make him prioritize his safety. Despite that, he was still angry. He then turned the woman around to let her sprawl on his thigh. Then, he smacked her bottom and uttered in a fake angry tone, ¡°There''s no way I''m going to let you marry another man and let another man be the father to my children. Dream on!¡± Natalie never imagined that she would be spanked at her age. She blushed deeply as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. However, she was really moved by his words. ¡°In that case, you have to stop me from dreaming¡ªyou have toe back. Otherwise, I''ll do that and make you fume even when you''re six feet under!¡± ¡°You won''t get the chance to do that.¡± With that said, Shane smacked her bottom again. Natalie huffed. ¡°Stop hitting me. I want to get up.¡± Sure enough, Shane stopped and helped her up. He then hugged her and returned to his soft voice as he said, ¡°Don''t worry. Just wait for me at home. I''ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie muttered, nodding as she leaned into his arms. After that, she lifted her head slightly to stare at his defined jawline and asked, ¡°When are you going to fight with Sean, and how are you going to do that?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± Shane confessed. ¡°Sean didn''t write the date on the letter. He only said that we''re going to duel each other one day.¡± Natalie furrowed her brows. ¡°There isn''t a date? Doesn''t that mean we don''t know when it''ll be? Won''t we have to stay worried forever if that''s the case?¡± Shane hummed in response. ¡°Sean did this on purpose. He wants me to live in constant fear. However, he''s wrong about something. Even if I don''t know when it''ll be, I won''t live in fear because of that. I''ll wait for him to die for good.¡± ¡°You will,¡± Natalie reassured, holding his hand. Shane chuckled quietly. ¡°Of course, but my instincts tell me that the duel will be soon.¡± Natalie immediately grasped his intention and straightened up. ¡°That''s why you sent the two kids away? Is that so that Sean won''t have the chance to use the kids against you?¡± ¡°That''s correct.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Sean will do everything to achieve his goals, including taking our kids.¡± And you too, were the words that he did not say out loud. After an entire day of contemtion, he decided to tell her about his imminent duel with Sean. However, he did not intend to tell her about the possibility of Sean using her to threaten him. It would indeed affect her performance in the uingpetition, but he was more worried that she might risk her safety to make Sean''s n fail. That was why he was going to keep it a secret from her. Shane knew Natalie well. If she were to find out that Sean was going to use her to threaten him and even try to kill him by using her, it was highly likely that she would kill herself so that he could live. He would never let that happen. Therefore, after much rumination, he decided to leave that matter out and only tell her about the letter. Yet, it seemed like even the letter alone was enough to terrorize her. At that point, Shane was hit by a pang of regret. He wished he had not told her about the letter. I should''ve kept that a secret from her too. Still, Shane knew that he could not keep it under wraps forever. She would find out about it eventually, and if she did so herself, she would be upset with him for not sharing the matter with her. ¡°The kids...¡± Natalie mumbled, the colors draining from her face upon hearing how Sean might use the children against Shane. Indeed, it sounded like something Sean was capable of. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. After all, he was a despicable man with no bottom line. ¡°Darling...¡± Chapter 1680 Chapter 1680 Indeed, when Shane heard Lina''s question, he pursed his lips even harder. Seeing that, Lina was certain that her guess was spot-on and that the couple was indeed fighting because of the incident in the morning. ¡°Is it correct for me to say that you asked for it, Mr. Thompson?¡± Lina nced at him sideways. Shane''s eyes narrowed dangerously, and his voice was frigid as he uttered, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Um...¡± Lina''s lips twitched slightly before she hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head, smiling sheepishly as she went on, ¡°N-Nothing. I simply misspoke. Haha!¡± I''d better not diss him so boldly when he''s still upset about having just fought with Nat. Otherwise, who knows what''s going to happen to me? He might be courteous toward me most of the time, but I mustn''t forget that he''s none other than Lucifer himself! Shane did not give her a hard time about it either. Instead, he pinched his brow and went on. ¡°I obviously have my reasons for sending the children away. It''s for their sake. Later, after your competition ends, I''ll have Natalie sent to them as well so that they can be together.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lina eximed in shock. ¡°You mean you''re sending Nat away as well?¡± Shane merely grunted in response and did not deny it. Lina gazed at him intently. As though she was finally understanding something, she asked with a solemn expression, ¡°Mr. Thompson, did something bad happen? Is that why you''re suddenly making all these decisions?¡± Because of Natalie, Lina had known Shane for a considerable period of time. Thus, she knew that he was not a cold-hearted man and definitely not one who had it in him to abandon his wife and children. After all, there were enough witnesses of the deep affection between him and Natalie. Therefore, Lina concluded that something horrendous must have happened to prompt Shane to send both his children and his wife away. Also, he just said that he was doing this for Natalie and the children''s sake. Something downright terrible must have happened. Since he explicitly mentioned that he''s doing all this to protect them, it could also be something that threatens Nat and the children''s safety. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have made such a drastic decision. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Shane nced at Lina and still did not say anything. However, Lina could tell from his expression that her guess should more or less be on point. Sighing, she remarked, ¡°I guess something bad has indeed happened, then. Did you tell Nat that you n to send her away to be with the kidster? If you haven''t, then perhaps you should do so. Maybe she''ll stop being mad at you after she hears that.¡± The way she saw it, he probably had not told Natalie about it yet. To her surprise, Shane shook his head. ¡°I''ve told her.¡± ¡°What? You have?¡± Lina was stunned. After recovering from her shock, she asked in bewilderment, ¡°If you''ve told her, then why did she still get mad at you and had a row with you?¡± Shane lowered his eyes. ¡°She didn''t want to leave.¡± It was just a short sentence thatprised barely half a dozen words, yet it said a lot. Lina quirked her brows with interest. ¡°Mr. Thompson, do you mean you want to send Nat away, but she doesn''t agree, and you had an argument because neither of you would back down?¡± ¡°Mmm... hmm.¡± Shane nodded. ¡°Well, aren''t you two just...¡± Lina''s lips twitched, and she didn''t know how toplete her sentence. After some thought, she looked at Shane and cleared her throat. ¡°Well, Mr. Thompson, haven''t you always indulged in every one of Nat''s whims and listened to everything she said? What''s different this time? Why did you refuse to do as she asks and let her stay?¡± ¡°If it were anything else, I wouldn''t have had a problem stepping back and letting her have her way.¡± Shane''s expression looked especially grave as he spoke. In fact, he looked so grim that just a look at his face would make one''s heart sink. ¡°But not this time. This has to do with her safety, and I will not give in, not even if she gets mad at me. At least, this way, I could protect her.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Realization dawned on Lina. ¡°However, since you mentioned it''s to do with Nat''s safety, do you mean someone''s targeting her?¡± Chapter 1681 Chapter 1681 Chapter 1681 A Few Good Words Shane looked at her without responding. ¡°All right, this is not something you should keep asking about. Go and bring her some food. She hasn''t eaten anything for a whole day and night, and I''m worried her body can''t take it.¡± He kept her up all night, and she slept the entire day. That meant that she had gone without food for a whole day and night. ¡°I can bring some food up to Nat, but wouldn''t it be better if you did it yourself, Mr. Thompson?¡± Lina tilted her head in confusion. ¡°You guys were quarreling probably because you both couldn''t agree on something. It''s very likely that Nat doesn''t know you want to send her away for her own safety. I think if you just exin it to her, she''ll understand your intentions.¡± ¡°It''s useless.¡± Shane pursed his lips. ¡°Why?¡± Lina asked curiously. Shane''s eyes shed with a gleam of light. Seemingly a bit embarrassed, he coughed slightly and said, ¡°She kicked me out, saying she doesn''t want to see me for the rest of the day.¡± Upon hearing this, Lina''s eyes lit up. She then looked at Shane with a yful smile and said, ¡°Mr. Thompson, you just mentioned that Nat kicked you out. Do you actually mean that she kicked you out of the room?¡± As a woman, Lina knew very well that if she argued with the one she loved and drove him away, it was quite likely that it wasn''t simply about kicking him out, but rather making him leave the room and sleep somewhere else. Looking at Shane''s expression, it seemed quite likely that was the case. Shane didn''t expect Lina to realize so quickly that she immediately guessed he was kicked out of the room by Natalie. For a moment, he felt somewhat embarrassed. Noticing Shane''s expression, Lina confirmed her guess. She couldn''t stopughing while covering her stomach. ¡°I can''t take it, hahaha. This is too funny, Mr. Thompson. I never thought there would be a day when you''d be kicked out of a room, hahaha.¡± Pointing at Shane, Linaughed so hard that she was almost in tears. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I always thought that someone as perfect as you wouldn''t go through the same things as ordinary men. But who would have thought, even with your high status, you''re still afraid of your wife, haha! If this gets out, it''ll definitely be a trending topic.¡± Seeing Lina''s tant mockery of himself, Shane''s entire face turned dark, and a terrifying aura emanated from his body. ¡°Are you doneughing?¡± Lina knew that he was angry, so she quickly covered her mouth and nodded. ¡°Done, done. I''m done laughing!¡± However, even though that was what she imed, theughter in her eyes never faded away. Noticing that, Shane pursed his thin lips. ¡°If you haven''tughed enough, I¡ª¡± ¡°Enough, enough, I''ve trulyughed enough. Really, Mr. Thompson.¡± Fearing that Shane would make her life unbearable, Lina took a deep breath. Completely suppressing herughter, indicated that she had reallyughed enough and wouldn''tugh anymore, she asked Shane to let her off. Seeing her being so sensible, Shane snorted. ¡°Smart choice.¡± ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Mr. Thompson!¡± Lina chuckled as she bowed. Shane withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, ¡°Next, you should spend some time with her.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, I will.¡± Lina patted her chest and reassured, ¡°I will take good care of Nat and help her feel better. I''ll also put in a few good words for you.¡± Shane''s thin lips curved into a satisfied smile, which quickly disappeared, leaving behind a calm and dignified expression. He nodded and said, ¡°Then I''ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, it''s just a small matter.¡± Lina waved her hand. Shane nced at his watch and said, ¡°Wait here for a moment, I''ll go to the kitchen and have someone prepare something for her to eat.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Lina nodded in agreement. Shane turned around and headed toward the kitchen. About ten minutester, he came out holding a tray with a sumptuous dinner on it. ¡°Go ahead," he said, handing the tray to Lina. ¡°All right, I''m going right now. Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson, I''ll put in a good word for you.¡± Lina smiled at him and went upstairs with the tray in her hands. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Soon, Lina arrived at the door of the master bedroom. Chapter 1682 Chapter 1682 Chapter 1682 Disappointed Lina ced the tray on the ground and then raised her hand to knock on the door. In the room, Natalie was applying an eye mask. Having a good cry before made her eyes a bit swollen. As she would have to continue herpetition tomorrow, if she didn''t take care of it then, her eyes would probably be too puffy to face anyone the next day. Suddenly, just as Natalie was about to change the towel, there was a sudden knock on the door. She quickly put down the towel and stood up from the dressing table. Her face showed an undisguised smile of delight. It''s nighttime now, and the servants won''t being, nor will Lina. So, the one who is at the door must be Shane. It''s a bit strange for Shane to knock on the door, after all, this is his room. But I had just driven him out, hadn''t I? He probably didn''t feelfortableing in directly, fearing that it might anger me again. So, he chooses to knock on the door instead. With that thought in mind, Natalie didn''t bother asking who was outside, as she was already certain it was Shane. So, she headed straight for the door, ready to open it. She was thinking that perhaps Shane had returned at that moment topromise and was willing to let her stay. The more she thought about it, the happier Natalie became. She couldn''t help but smile. However, when she reached the door, in order not to let the man outside see how happy she was at that moment, she deliberately took a deep breath, suppressed herughter, and put on a cold expression. As she opened the door, she asked, ¡°Do you want to¡ª¡± Lina ced the tray on the ground and then raised her hand to knock on the door. ¡°Nat.¡± Natalie''s words were interrupted by Lina from outside the door. Lina looked at Natalie, smiling as she asked, ¡°Are you happy to see me?¡± Upon seeing Lina, Natalie didn''t answer Lina''s question. Instead, a surprised expression appeared on her face, ¡°It''s you?¡± ¡°How could it not be me?¡± Lina held the tray and suddenly thought of something. With a mischievous grin, she said, ¡°Nat, you didn''t think it was Mr. Thompson, did you?¡± Natalie bit her lip. She did not say anything, but it was already quite clear who did she expect. Natalie really thought it was Shane. Seeing Natalie''s silent and tacit agreement, Lina shrugged her shoulders. ¡°What a pity. It''s not Mr. Thompson but me. Are you disappointed, Nat?¡± Natalie rolled her eyes at Lina. The former then turned around and walked into the room. Indeed, just as Lina said, Natalie was somewhat disappointed. Natalie had thought that Shane hade to an understanding and decided to take a step back, allowing her to stay. She was overjoyed, but it turned out that the person outside the door was not Shane at all. If it''s not Shane at the door, then it means that he hasn''t changed his mind yet and still doesn''t n to let me stay. In that case, it would be strange if she wasn''t disappointed. After all, Shane had always been very amodating to her, and she had also be ustomed to him never going against her will. In fact, she had even been spoiled by his obedience. So when he suddenly stopped agreeing with her, she felt unhappy and aggrieved. She even felt a bit ufortable. She couldn''t help but wonder if he didn''t love her anymore. ¡°Nat, don''t be disappointed.¡± Chen Lina carried a tray and followed Natalie into the room. Natalie did not stop Lina either. Even though the big fight Natalie had with Shane the night before had left the room in a mess, the room had already been tidied up when she woke up. Even her body and the bed had been cleaned, so she wasn''t worried that Lina would see anything private when thetter came in. In fact, when Lina entered the room, her eyes were indeed darting around, trying to see if there was anything risqu¨¦ inside. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. After all, every time Shane came over, Natalie couldn''t get up the next day, which showed how strong Shane was in certain aspects. So all this time, Lina had been very curious about the intimate life between Shane and Natalie, wanting to know just how chaotic it would be. She finally managed toe in that day, thinking she would be able to get a clear view. Yet, she didn''t notice anything unusual at all. That inevitably made her feel a wave of disappointment. After letting out a sigh, Lina quickly dismissed the inexplicable thoughts in her mind. She then looked at Natalie''s figure and said, ¡°Nat, even though Mr. Thompson didn''te, it was him who asked me to come up. And the food in my hands, he personally went to the kitchen to order them. They are all your favorites. Knowing you didn''t want to see him, he specifically asked me to bring it up for you.¡± Chapter 1683 Chapter 1683 Chapter 1683 The Fear Of Natalie Upon hearing those words, Natalie''s footsteps froze for a moment, but she quickly continued forward and sat down in front of the dressing table, feeling even more ufortable inside. He knows I don''t want to see him, so does he n on noting at all? He knew she was just too angry when she said she did not want to see him and drove him away. Yet, he actually took it seriously and really did note to see her anymore. Lina did not know what Natalie was thinking and assumed she simply did not believe Lina''s words. Lina walked over to the coffee table in the room, ced the tray down, and served the food on the tray. She uncovered the lids and said, ¡°All right, Nat. Come and eat quickly. You haven''t eaten in a long time. If you don''t eat soon, you''ll starve yourself. Mr. Thompson will definitely be worried.¡± ¡°I won''t eat.¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. ¡°If he truly cared, why wouldn''t he bring the food here himself?¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson said that since you don''t want to see him, he won''t bother you, so you can''t me him.¡± Lina sat down and spoke up for Shane. ¡°Although you two had a quarrel, Mr. Thompson really cares about you. Why else would he arrange food for you? Come on, Nat. Stop being dramatic ande eat. Aren''t you hungry?¡± Natalie did not speak and just rubbed her belly. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She really was hungry. Her stomach felt like it was on fire, making her extremely ufortable. Natalie stopped being melodramatic, got up, and walked toward Lina. Thetter handed her a fork and said, ¡°Look, aren''t these all your favorite dishes? Mr. Thompson personally went to the kitchen and requested to have them made. He even supervised the cooking process.¡± Upon hearing those words, Natalie''s footsteps froze for a moment, but she quickly continued forward and sat down in front of the dressing table, feeling even more ufortable inside. ¡°He supervised?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. Lina nodded. ¡°Yes. Mr. Thompson was in the kitchen for at least half an hour beforeing out. So, he must have been watching the cooking closely. That shows how much he truly cares about you, Nat.¡± ¡°I know he cares about me.¡± Natalie lowered her eyes. Lina looked at her and said, ¡°Then why did you argue with him and drive him out of the room? Although Mr. Thompson-¡± ¡°Lina, do you still remember when I gave birth to Anders?¡± Natalie put down her fork, suddenly interrupting Lina. Lina nodded. ¡°I remember. At that time, you were only six months pregnant with Anders. We were still competing in international tournaments and were to enter the finals. Then, something happened to Mr. Thompson, and he went missing in the fire. When you found out, you were so shocked that it affected your pregnancy, and Anders was born prematurely. That was the first time I had ever seen a woman give birth, and it was a premature birth at that. Seeing your pale face and the blood gushing out of you, I was utterly dumbfounded. I even developed a fear of childbirth for a while.¡± ¡°Yeah, you remember it all.¡± Natalie''s lips gently curled up, revealing a bitter smile. Lina was quite puzzled. ¡°Nat, why did you suddenly bring this up?¡± ¡°I just want to tell you why I wanted to argue with Shane and why I refuse to take a step back.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°That time, Shane went to deal with Sean alone and went missing after falling for Sean''s schemes. When I found out, I was so worried that I went into prematurebor. During those days in the hospital, I couldn''t calm down to properly recuperate. I didn''t even go to see Anders. My mind was filled with him, filled with worries about his safety, fearing whether he was dead or alive. Those days felt like years. I had never felt time pass so slowly. I wanted so badly to recover quickly and go find him, but my body was weak. All I could do was hold onto my concern for him while lying in the hospital for a few days. As soon as I could get out of bed, I hurried back to the country to look for him.¡± ¡°I know. Joyce, Sal, and I all saw it,¡± Lina said, clutching Natalie''s hand. At that time, Natalie was extremely worried about Shane''s disappearance. The utter agony she experienced was evident to all her friends. They tried tofort her, telling her not to overthink it. They assured her that Shane would be fine and encouraged her to recover quickly. Natalie took a deep breath and said, ¡°I swear I never want to go through that terrifying experience ever again because no one knows if we''ll be that lucky the second time. What if he''s really gone the next time? What will happen to me and our child?¡± Chapter 1684 Chapter 1684 Chapter 1684 Stand By Him ¡°Nat, what you mean is...¡± ¡°Shane wants to have a decisive battle with Sean. Knowing Sean''s personality, once he proposes a fight to the death, one of them will die or at least be half-dead. Shane is worried that this duel might involve me and our child, so he wants to send us away. He has already sent Connor and Sharon away. Now, he''s waiting for mypetition to end before sending me and Anders away to join them, but I don''t want to leave.¡± Natalie frowned. Lina said, ¡°Actually, Mr. Thompson is doing all this for your own good.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie bit her lip. ¡°He''s worried about me, afraid that something might happen to me. Nheless, I''m not leaving because I''m worried about him too. I''ve already experienced once what it''s like for him to face Sean alone, and I don''t want to go through that again. I want to be with him and face everything together rather than staying somewhere and not knowing how he''s doing. How would that be any different to when I gave birth to Anders, not knowing if he was safe or not?¡± Natalie closed her eyes as she spoke. Lina nodded, ¡°I see. I think I know where your disagreement lies now. He wants to protect his wife and keep you from being hurt by enemies, so he wants to send you away. On the other hand, you want to stand by your husband''s side, always knowing his whereabouts, so you are determined to stay. Both of you are doing this for each other, but neither of you can find apromise, which is why you''re arguing.¡± ¡°Nat, what you mean is...¡± ¡°Shane wants to have a decisive battle with Sean. Knowing Sean''s personality, once he proposes a fight to the death, one of them will die or at least be half-dead. Shane is worried that this duel mightThis material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. involve me and our child, so he wants to send us away. He has already sent Connor and Sharon away. Now, he''s waiting for mypetition to end before sending me and Anders away to join them, but I don''t want to leave.¡± Natalie frowned. Natalie nodded. ¡°That''s right.¡± Lina sighed. ¡°When other couples argue, it''s either about trivial matters or serious issues like infidelity and domestic violence; when you two fight, it''s always for each other''s sake, yet neither of you epts it. Is this really an argument or just a disguised disy of affection?¡± Natalie pursed her red lips, not saying a word. Lina blinked and said, ¡°I originally came here to help Mr. Thompson persuade you. After all, he sent you away for your own safety. After hearing what you said, I know I can''t convince you. If I try to make you listen to Mr. Thompson, it''s unfair to you, but it''s the same if I do it to Mr. Thompson, too. Both of you are doing this for each other, not for yourselves. As the mediators, we don''t even know how to help you reconcile.¡± Natalie forced a smile and said, ¡°Right now, it''s as if Shane and I have walked into a dead-end. If one of us doesn''t take a step back, I''m afraid the silent treatment will continue.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lina nodded. ¡°So, are you willing to take a step back, Nat? Will you listen to Mr. Thompson and leave here after thepetition is over?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I''ve said it before. I can''t go through not hearing from him again and not knowing if he''s safe. I won''t back down. I can only ept if he does.¡± ¡°Well, you''re out of luck. You''ll just have to continue this silent treatment. If even someone as gentle as you are unwilling to back down, there''s no way Shane would ever give in with his terrible temper, would ever give in.¡± Lina shrugged, indicating there was no other choice. Natalie closed her eyes and stopped talking. Lina stuffed the fork back into her hand. ¡°That''s enough, Nat. Let''s eat first and not think about these things for now. After all, Mr. Thompson hasn''t shown any intention of sending you away yet, so there will definitely be a turning pointter. Eat first. Don''t starve yourself.¡± Natalie smiled and hummed in response. Lina is right. Shane has no intention of sending me away just yet. For the next few days, I still have a chance to make Shane change his mind and let me stay. That''s why I mustn''t give in. In order to stay and for the uing finals, she must eat. In summary, arguments may happen, she still needed to eat. Natalie began to dine, and Lina let out a small sigh of relief when she saw her eating. Now that her good friend was eating, it meant that Lina hadpleted half of her mission this time. She could now give a satisfactory response to Shane''s inquiries. Chapter 1685 Chapter 1685 Chapter 1685 Has She Eaten However, Lina guessed she most likely could not aplish the task of persuading Natalie by Shane''s request. ¡°By the way, where''s Anders?¡± Natalie took a few bites and suddenly thought of something. She turned her head and asked the woman beside her, who was clearly lost in thought. Lina''s eyes flickered as she regained her focus and replied with a smile, ¡°Anders is still with Mdm. Zorus. When I brought your meal up, Anders had just finished drinking milk and is probably asleep by now. Do you want to see Anders? If you do, I can ask Mdm. Zorus to bring Anders up here.¡± Natalie shook her head and said with a smile, ¡°No. Since Anders is asleep, I won''t see him now. If we pick him up now, he''ll wake up crying. Although he doesn''t cry much, it''s difficult to soothe him when he does. I''ll see him tomorrow.¡± Lina replied with a curt, ¡°That works too.¡± Natalie noticed the eye bags under her eyelids and said with concern, ¡°Lina, if you''re tired, go back to your room and rest first.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Lina waved her hand, rejecting Natalie''s kindness. ¡°I''ll wait for you to finish eating, and then we''ll go down together and put these things away.¡± Pointing at the tray and dining utensils in Natalie''s hand, Lina smiled as she said, ¡°You probably don''t want to go downstairs either. After all, Mr. Thompson is still downstairs, and you don''t really want to see him.¡± Her words hit Natalie on the head, and thetter fell silent. Lina smiled again. ¡°All right, I won''t say anything more. Hurry up and eat.¡± However, Lina guessed she most likely could not aplish the task of persuading Natalie by Shane''s request. Natalie gave a hum in response and continued eating her meal. However, she seemed to have little appetite. She was not very focused while eating, as if she had something on her mind. Lina noticed this but did not ask her what was on her mind. Lina did not need to think much to guess it must be about Shane. For a moment, the room fell silent, with neither person speaking. All that could be heard were their soft breaths and the sounds of eating. After some time, Natalie finished eating and put down the fork. Lina heard the noise and put down her phone, looking at Natalie. ¡°Are you done?¡± Natalie gave a hum of acknowledgment. Lina asked again, ¡°Are you full? If not, I can go get you some more.¡± ¡°That was enough. I''m already full. If I can''t get full with all this food, wouldn''t that make me a big eater?¡± Natalie wiped her mouth and said with a smile. Lina yawned again. ¡°All right, then. I''ll head downstairs first, then.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Get some rest early.¡± Natalie nodded. Lina picked up the tray, stood up, and walked toward the door. After taking a couple of steps forward, she seemed to have thought of something and turned her head back. She looked at Natalie and smiled. ¡°Nat, do you want me to find out where Mr. Thompson is sleeping tonight?¡± Natalie''s eyes flickered as if she was pretty tempted. However, she quickly suppressed this impulse and shook her head. ¡°No need. The vi is so big, and there are so many guest rooms. He can stay in any of them. Do I need to worry about him not having a ce to sleep?¡± ¡°Even though you say that, are you sure you do not need me to ask for you?¡± Lina asked again. Natalie still replied with a hum. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°All right, then.¡± Lina shrugged. ¡°I won''t ask anymore. I''ll leave first. Bye, see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Natalie managed to squeeze out a smile in response. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Lina turned her head back and continued walking toward the door. Soon, she came downstairs. Shane, sitting in the living room waiting for her toe downstairs, heard footsteps and immediately stood up from the sofa. He looked to the stairs and asked, ¡°Has she eaten yet?¡± His sudden remark startled Lina, almost causing her to fall down the stairs. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and managed to steady herself in time. Once she was back on her feet, she looked at Shane with a resentful gaze and said, ¡°Mr. Thompson, could you please wait until I''m on level ground when you start speaking?¡± Shane frowned and then asked again, ¡°Has she eaten?¡± Lina''s mouth twitched, at a loss for words. It seemed the man did not pay any attention to what she said at all and was solely focused on whether or not Natalie had eaten. Chapter 1686 Chapter 1686 Chapter 1686 Caught In The Middle Shane was indeed a good man. However, he was not a good friend. Lina decided not to dwell on the fact that this man had almost caused her to fall just now. If she did, she might be infuriated to death. ¡°Yes, she did.¡± Lina walked over with the tray and handed it to Shane, letting him see the empty tes. Upon seeing the nearly finished meal, Shane''s lips curved into a slight smile. Before, he had always been worried that Natalie would be upset with him and deliberately starve herself. After all, a woman like her could pull off such a thing. Moreover, he just searched online and found that up to 70% of women would exhibit this kind of behavior. Hence, he was worried if Natalie was also among these 70%. Fortunately, it turned out his worries were unnecessary, as she was part of the remaining 30%. ¡°Not bad,¡± Shane spoke up, offering apliment. Lina rolled her eyes. She was probably the first in history to be forced to see a couple disying public affection in the midst of a quarrel. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I''ll take these to the kitchen,¡± said Lina, looking at the tray in her hands. Shane sat down again. ¡°Wait a moment. There''s no hurry. Have a seat.¡± He pointed to a spot across from him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Lina raised her eyebrows. Not daring to disobey this man''smand, she put down the tray and walked over to sit down. ¡°Mr. Thompson, is there something you wanted to talk to me about?¡± Shane was indeed a good man. However, he was not a good friend. Shane crossed his legs, looking at her with an aloof and arrogant expression. ¡°How is she doing now?¡± ¡°You mean Nat?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Shane looked at her with a sidelong nce, as if she were a fool. Lina''s smile froze on her face, followed by a severe twitch at the corner of her mouth. She quietly moved one hand behind her back, clenching it into a fist as her heart seethed with anger. What kind of expression is that on this man''s face? How dare he call me a fool! Such humiliation! If it weren''t for the fact that I can''t afford to provoke this man, and didn''t dare to, I would definitely smack his head! Taking a deep breath, Lina suppressed the anger in her heart, and a smile returned to her face. ¡°Mr. Thompson, Nat is doing quite well now.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shane''s eyes flickered, and he asked, ¡°Did she cry?¡± He remembered her eyes were red and the corners of her eyes glistened with unshed tears when he left the room. He kept wondering whether she was secretly crying alone in the room after he left. Upon hearing Shane''s question, Lina was momentarily stunned. Then, she recalled Natalie''s appearance she had seen earlier and answered somewhat uncertainly, ¡°It seems like she has cried. When I went upstairs, Nat wasn''t crying, but her eyes were a bit swollen, so she might have cried.¡± Shane felt a heaviness in his heart as he fell silent. He felt somewhat guilty inside. As expected, she cried. It was his fault. He had hurt her heart. However, he would rather see her cry than watch her get hurt and bleed. Thinking about it, Shane''s expression quickly returned to its usual calmness. He looked at Lina and replied, ¡°I understand. So, how did your persuasion go with her?¡± He remembered Lina wearing a reassuring expression on her face, promising to help persuade Natalie for him. ¡°About that...¡± Lina did not expect Shane to suddenly bring up this topic, and she found herself in a difficult situation for a moment. Upon seeing her reaction, Shane narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°What? Didn''t you persuade her?¡± ¡°No, I did. Mr. Thompson, I really did try to persuade her.¡± Lina hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head to exin. ¡°I did try to convince Nat to leave this ce and be with the children when the time comes, but I knew I couldn''t change her mind after hearing her reasons for not wanting to leave. Neither of you is wrong. I''m caught in the middle, so how should I give advice? If I persuade Nat, it''s unfair to her; if I persuade you, it''s unfair to you. Besides, I''m scared to convince you.¡± Lina looked at Shane with a resentful expression. Shane pressed his lips into a straight line as he listened to her response. He was not particrly surprised by her answer. In fact, it was within his expectations. The reason he asked was merely because he held onto a glimmer of hope. Chapter 1687 Chapter 1687 Chapter 1687 Room Next To Hers Shane waved his hand impatiently and said to Lina, ¡°All right, I got it. You can go ahead.¡± Lina rolled her eyes, cursing him inwardly. Shane would only treat her nicely when he needed her help, He was realistic, therefore, and chose to kick her out without further dy after failing to elicit any information from her. Of course, Lina only dared to scold him inwardly and didn''t dare to show the slightest dissatisfaction. After all, she couldn''t afford to provoke this man. ¡°All right, Mr. Thompson. I''ll leave right away.¡± Lina forced out an insincere smile and then turned around to leave. However, after taking just two steps, she suddenly thought of something and stopped. ¡°Oh, by the way, Mr. Thompson, can I ask you a question?¡± Shane frowned. ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± Lina rubbed her hands together and queried, ¡°Actually, I don''t have a question. I''m inquiring on behalf of Nat. She wants to know where you''ll sleep tonight and which room you''ll stay in.¡± A glint shed across Shane''s eyes. ¡°Oh? Inquiring on Natalie''s behalf?¡± Lina nodded. ¡°That''s right. Although Nat kicked you out of the room, she still cares about you. She naturally wants to know where you''re sleeping. However, you should know that Nat wants her dignity. Even if she''s concerned about where you''re staying tonight, she''s reluctant to ask you directly. So, I had no choice but to offer to ask you on her behalf. She didn''t refuse, which shows that she wants to know where you''re staying.¡± Shane waved his hand impatiently and said to Lina, ¡°All right, I got it. You can go ahead.¡± After hearing her words, Shane''s thin lips slightly curved up, and his mood improved. ¡°I''m staying in the neighboring room,¡± Shane replied. Lina pointed upstairs. ¡°Is it the room next to your master bedroom?¡± ¡°Of course. Otherwise, where do you think it is?¡± Shane frowned. Lina chuckled. ¡°I got it. I''ll let Nat know now so she can be at ease.¡± Shane remained silent as he watched her take out her phone to send a message to Natalie. Soon, Natalie, who had alreadyid back in bed to sleep, received a message from Lina. Upon seeing Lina telling her that Shane would be sleeping next to her room, the corner of her lips curled into a smile. However, she still murmured slightly arrogantly, ¡°Lina really asked him. Didn''t I tell her not to?¡± As she spoke softly, she typed her reply: Got it. Don''t ask about anything else. Linaughed mischievously and replied: What else can I find out for you? It''s good enough that I helped you find out where Mr. Thompson is staying. As for the rest, I don''t care about you two. You guys can figure it out yourselves. Then, Lina put down her phone. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Shane narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°What did she say?¡± Lina looked at him and replied, ¡°I told Nat that you would be sleeping in the room next to hers tonight. She said she got it.¡± ¡°Got it?¡± Shane raised his eyebrows, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. ¡°Did she not say anything else?¡± he asked, unwilling to give up. Lina shrugged. ¡°That''s all there is. Nat only said this one sentence and then told me not to ask about anything else. But, Mr. Thompson, if you still want to hear Nat ask about you, why don''t you take a step back and let her stay? I promise she will find you now, and you two will reconcile immediately. Moreover, she can take good care of you tonight.¡± ¡°There''s no need,¡± Shane said with a darkened expression. Then, he walked past her toward the stairs and headed upstairs. Lina watched his retreating figure and rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine. Be stubborn and act all high and mighty. Don''t think I''ll forget how you usually behave like a whipped puppy in front of Bat. Just wait and see. You will be the first topromise between you two. Hmph!¡± With that, Lina carried the tray and headed toward the kitchen. Meanwhile, Shane had no idea what Lina said about him as he headed upstairs. He arrived on the third floor and walked to the door of the room he shared with Natalie out of habit. He raised his hand, ready to open the door. However, just as he ced his hand on the doorknob, he suddenly realized that he had been kicked out of the room by Natalie. Chapter 1688 Chapter 1688 Chapter 1688 Marital Burnout Left with no choice, Shane reluctantly lowered his hand, massaged his temples, and stared at the door separating him from Natalie. His eyes were filled with gloom as he gazed at it for a while before finally turning around and heading toward the neighboring room. The room next door was separated from Natalie''s by just a wall. Living next door was like living together, even though he couldn''t stay in Natalie''s room with her. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. With this, Shane felt slightlyforted and headed toward the bathroom to freshen up. Meanwhile, in the room next door, as soon as Natalie heard footsteps outside the door, she immediately got out of bed and ran towards the entrance. Then, she peered through the peephole to see who was outside. The third floor was exclusively reserved for Shane and her. Apart from the two children and the cleaning housekeepers, no one else would go up there. Lina, wanting to avoid misunderstandings, was even more reluctant toe here. She only came up here just now because Shane instructed her to do so. Moreover, since Lina had just been here, the likelihood of hering back again soon was not high. As for the housekeepers, they usually clean in the morning or afternoon and wouldn''te in the evening. Besides, the two children had already been sent away, so it was impossible for them to be here. Anders was still too young to walk, and Zaylee wouldn''t carry him around everywhere. Moreover, Anders was still asleep. Therefore, the only person who woulde up here was only Shane. Left with no choice, Shane reluctantly lowered his hand, massaged his temples, and stared at the door separating him from Natalie. His eyes were filled with gloom as he gazed at it for a while before finally turning around and heading toward the neighboring room. Did hee back to admit defeat to her? Natalie stared intently at the peephole,pletely forgetting what Lina had just said about Shane living next door. Especially when she saw Shane stopping at the door, she couldn''t even recall Lina''s words. She believed that Shane couldn''t resist her and decided to let her stay, so he came to admit defeat. However, just as Natalie was happily about to open the door and let him in, Shane suddenly turned around and walked away. After his figure disappeared from the peephole, she didn''t know what he was doing, but she heard the sound of the door opening. Therefore, it was clear to her that he was opening the door of the neighboring room. At this moment, she suddenly remembered the text message from Lina just now, saying that Shane was nning to stay next door. Realizing this, her eyes suddenly felt better, but a wave of rage erupted within her. She couldn''t help but stomp her foot. She thought he had returned topromise and let her stay. She didn''t expect that he had walked to the wrong door. I''m so annoyed! Natalie bit her lip, so frustrated that she was on the verge of tears. In the end, she didn''t cry. She just snorted and turned to walk to her bed. If he doesn''te back, then he doesn''te back. If he doesn''t want topromise, then let him not compromise. At most, I won''tpromise and admit defeat too. Who doesn''t have a temper? Let''s see who can oust the other! Natalie inhaled deeply, lifted the nket, and returned to her bed, where she prepared to fall asleep. Nevertheless, when she closed her eyes, she couldn''t fall asleep, as she felt restless and agitated. In the end, she sat up, grabbed the pillow Shane usually slept on, and started hitting it, venting her frustrations as if it were Shane. It seemed that only by doing this could she feel a little better. Unfortunately, even after doing so, her mood didn''t improve much, and she didn''t feel like venting her anger anymore. Natalie hugged Shane''s pillow, looking at it with a bitter smile. This was the first time she and Shane slept in separate rooms, although they were still in a rtionship. She felt sad and uneasy even though it was rtively novel. It made her feel as if she and Shane had entered a state of marital burnout, which she disliked. At the same time, this was the second time they argued and gave each other the silent treatment. The first time was when they were schemed against by Jacqueline, leading Shane to mistakenly believe that her mother was the one who killed his parents in a car ident. At that time, their silent treatmentsted for a long time, even to the point of almost ending in divorce. So, one could imagine how intense their arguments were and how terrifying the silent treatment was. Even now, when she thought about it, she still felt scared. Chapter 1689 Chapter 1689 Chapter 1689 Wishful Thinking It was hard to say how long this silent dispute with Shane willst, and how intense the process would be. No matter what, Natalie didn''t want to go through another experience like the first silent dispute she had with Shane. She had already gone through several times where she felt extremely insecure, and she didn''t want to experience it again. With those thoughts in mind, Natalie buried her face into the pillow, inhaling the lingering scent of Shane. Tears gradually pooled in her eyes. Suddenly, the cell phone on the bedside table started ringing. Natalie hurriedly lifted her head and grabbed her cell phone from the bedside. As she looked at it, her previously hopeful gaze instantly dimmed. Oh. It''s Joyce. I thought it was Shane. As expected, it''s impossible for Shane to apologize or admit defeat. What was I expecting? Taking a deep breath, Natalie tried her best to stay calm before answering the cell phone. She didn''t want Joyce to sense that something was wrong, so as not to make Joyce worry about her. After all, Joyce herself didn''t know what to do about the situation with Stanley. Thus, how could Natalie have the nerve to let Joyce worry about her as well? ¡°Hey, Joyce.¡± Natalie squeezed a smile at the corner of her mouth, trying her best to make her voice sound natural. ¡°What made you call me all of a sudden? Is there something going on?¡± On the other end of the cell phone, seeing Stanley already asleep, Joyce gently closed the door of the ward and walked toward her own ward. She smiled and said, ¡°It''s nothing serious. I just wanted to chat with you. We haven''t been in touch for a long time.¡± It was hard to say how long this silent dispute with Shane willst, and how intense the process would be. Upon hearing this, Natalie also burst intoughter. ¡°All right, let''s chat then. Coincidentally, I''m quite annoyed today as well.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Joyce asked with concern. Natalie shook her head. ¡°It''s fine, let''s not talk about that. It just makes me annoyed when I think about it. Let''s talk about you instead. After all, you were the one who came looking for me. You must have a lot to tell me, right?¡± ¡°As expected from you, Nat. That''s right. I do have a lot to tell you.¡± Joyce returned to her own ward and closed the door, theny down on the bed. Natalie responded with a hum. ¡°Go ahead, I''m listening. If there''s anything you can''t figure out, I can try to help you understand.¡± Joyce smiled and said, ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Go ahead, I''m listening.¡± Natalie nodded. Joyce lowered her eyelids and didn''t speak immediately. Instead, she fell silent for a moment before finally speaking with a somewhatplicated tone. ¡°Nat, I feel Stanley has been acting very strange lately.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Natalie was taken aback. She knew that Joyce might mention Stanley, but she didn''t expect that he would be the subject of the very first sentence. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. After collecting her thoughts, Natalie asked again, ¡°What''s so strange about him?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± Joyce bit her lip. ¡°In my impression, Stanley is a cold-hearted and indifferent person. After all, he dislikes our Rivers family and me. Although I can''t remember him, I know that with his dislike for the Rivers family and me, he naturally wouldn''t have a good attitude towards me.¡± ¡°Well, what happened next?¡± Natalie asked again. Joyce''s eyes were filled withplexity. ¡°Then, something unexpected happened. During the time I took care of him, his attitude toward me wasn''t as terrible as I had imagined. Apart from being a bit cold, he hardly ever said a harsh word to me. Moreover, the way he looked at me wasn''t filled with the anger and disgust I had expected. Instead, it was very calm, and sometimes, there was an indescribable emotion in his eyes when he looked at me.¡± Upon hearing her words, Natalie''s lips quivered slightly, as she evidently understood something in her heart. I''ve heard from Shane that Stanley told him about Stanley''s true feelings. Also, Stanley had already realized that the person he truly loved was Joyce. So, what Joyce is saying now is probably Stanley''s performance after facing his own feelings for her. ¡°Besides his attitude toward you and the way he looks at you, is there anything else unusual or strange?¡± Natalie asked with a glint in her eyes. Joyce nodded. ¡°Yes, Stanley taught me how to bandage wounds. Previously, my dad got angry at Stanley and wanted to hit Stanley. But in the end, my dad didn''ty a hand on him. Instead, my dad injured his own knuckles. I didn''t know how to bandage my dad''s wound, so Stanley taught me. Stanley was patient throughout the entire process and exined everything in great detail. Moreover, when I identally burned his hand, he also taught me how to treat the burn.¡± Chapter 1690 Chapter 1690 Chapter 1690 Falling For Him All Over Again ¡°Well, there''s nothing strange about that. He''s a doctor, after all,¡± Natalie deliberately said. Joyce didn''t notice anything odd in Natalie''s tone and continued, ¡°Of course, that''s not strange at all. What''s strange is that when I was experiencing morning sickness, he not only poured me water but also brought me ginger candies. Why does he have ginger candies here?¡± Natalie chuckled lightly. What else could it be? It''s specially prepared for you, Joyce. However, Natalie didn''t n to say this outright, fearing it might scare Joyce. ¡°Maybe he just likes eating the candies himself,¡± Natalie said, feigning ignorance. Joyce shook her head. ¡°That''s impossible. During the time I''ve been taking care of him, he has never eaten any snacks. So, it can''t be something he likes to eat.¡± ¡°Well, I have no idea then.¡± Natalie shrugged. Joyce lowered her eyelids and said, ¡°Actually, none of these things matter. I can just treat them as his sudden whims, merely a fleeting interest. What I really find strange and can''t help but care about is the call he made two days ago.¡± ¡°What''s the call about?¡± Natalie asked seriously. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Joyce shook her head. ¡°I don''t know who he''s talking to, but they mentioned me.¡± ¡°They mentioned you?¡± Natalie was surprised. Joyce hummed in response. ¡°That day, I was on my way from home to the hospital and happened to be outside his ward. I overheard him talking on the cell phone, and I heard him tell the person on the other end that he had fallen in love with me.¡± ¡°Well, there''s nothing strange about that. He''s a doctor, after all,¡± Natalie deliberately said. At this point, Joyce suddenly let out a chuckle. ¡°Nat, just listen to how ridiculous this sentence is¡ªhe actually told someone that he loves me.¡± Natalie could hear the mockery and sadness in Joyce''s tone. Natalie opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something. But in the end, Natalie said nothing at all. Joyce didn''t seem to mind Natalie''s unusual behavior. After taking a deep breath, Joyce continued, ¡°Actually, I know those words were deceptive. It''s impossible. After all, if he truly loved me, how could he only realize it now, instead of falling in love with me long ago?¡± ¡°So, Joyce, you didn''t take it seriously, did you?¡± Natalie asked. Joyce nodded, ¡°Of course, I didn''t take it seriously. How could I possibly take it seriously? And how would I dare to? After all, I''m not a fool. I know what taking it seriously would mean. So, I just assumed that he said those words to trick me again and take revenge on the Rivers family.¡± ¡°Actually... Maybe it''s not that bad,¡± Natalie said with a somewhatplicated expression. Joyce didn''t understand what Natalie meant, thinking that thetter was just telling her not to overthink and scare herself. Joyceughed and said, ¡°Although I didn''t take his words seriously, he seemed to have taken them to heart. During this time, in order for me to give birth safely, he arranged for my hospital stay and other things, even telling me not to take care of him.¡± ¡°Did Stanley really do that?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. Joyce nodded, ¡°He really did that. So during this time, I''ve been feeling uneasy and restless. I know he can''t possibly fall in love with me, and he might be doing this to set me up in the future. But his acting is so convincing that I can''t tell if he truly loves me or is just ying with me. Anyway, he''s been extremely attentive to metely, and sometimes I really think he loves me. So, Nat, do you know? I''m really scared.¡± Hearing that, Natalie asked with concern, ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Joyce bit her lower lip. After a moment, she finally spoke. ¡°I''m afraid that if this continues, I''ll lose myself in his gentleness and fall in love with him again.¡± Yes, that was right. His gentleness. These days, Stanley''s attitude and behavior toward Joyce could indeed be described as gentle. After all, Stanley seemed like a cold and indifferent person, not someone who would show concern for Joyce. However, against all odds, he actually cared about her. That was why Joyce said that during this period, he had been very gentle with her. Even if this gentleness was fake, the actions of showing care for Joyce were genuine. Even though these actions might contain hidden schemes, she could still truly feel the warmth of being cared for. Chapter 1691 Chapter 1691 Chapter 1691 Starting To Remember This warmth made her feel unfamiliar, but at the same time, there was also a faint sense of attachment in her heart. It was true; she yearned for Stanley''s attention. Rationality told her she should detach herself from him as soon as possible. However, deep down in her heart, Joyce was a little reluctant to let go. Realizing this, she was shocked. She could not believe this was her true feeling toward Stanley. That was why she was afraid she would fall in love with Stanley sooner orter. At that moment, she wanted to find someone to confide in and seek guidance and advice. Hence, even though she knew it was nighttime where Natalie was, she called her anyway. She needed to talk to her and hear her thoughts. Perhaps by talking to her, I will feel better. On the other end of the phone, Natalie was stunned by what Joyce told her. She had not expected Joyce to say something like that. Yet, she could not deny Stanley''s actions could easily move a woman''s heart. After all, women tend to have soft hearts and often get attached to love and affection. Moreover, Joyce had always been in love with Stanley. Even if she lost her memory, her feelings and subconsciousness remained. As long as Stanley treated Joyce well, the possibility of her falling in love with him again was very high. This warmth made her feel unfamiliar, but at the same time, there was also a faint sense of attachment in her heart. It was not strange to hear Joyce feeling that way. ¡°Nat, what should I do?¡± Joyce covered her face, her voice filled with bitterness. ¡°I know I shouldn''t ept Stanley''s behavior toward me, but I can''t bring myself to reject him.¡± She now had to take responsibility for Stanley''s injury. Her father beat him up, resulting in Stanley having the upper hand. He used it to threaten her, leaving her no choice but to ept whatever he was doing to her. So even though she knew she could not ept Stanley''s kindness, she had no choice. She was afraid she would infuriate him if she rejected him. He would then retract his promise, resulting in her father going to jail and her having a miscarriage. She did not dare to take the risk! ¡°I know, I know.¡± Upon hearing Joyce''s increasingly distressed voice, Natalie hurriedlyforted her. She, too, understood why Joyce could not reject Stanley. Stanley had an unpredictable temperament. There was no telling what he might do if Joyce rejected him. ¡°Nat, I''m so stressed right now.¡± Joyce took a deep breath and turned to look out the window with a lost expression. Natalie''s heart felt a bit sore. Joyce forced a smile. ¡°Nat, guess what? I suddenly feel the pain of my past self, even though I haven''t regained my memory. But somehow, I can feel it.¡± ¡°Joyce...¡± Natalie''s heart felt even more ufortable, and she could not help but feel sorry for her. Joyce closed her eyes and said, ¡°Actually, I''ve been having a recurring dream for the past two days. In the dream, I experience things I''ve never been through before... No, maybe it''s not that I haven''t experienced them. On the contrary, I must have experienced them in the past because Stanley is in the dream.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie waspletely taken aback by her words. The appearance of this dream was now self-evident. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. What Joyce dreamt of must be fragments from her past with Stanley. In other words, Joyce might be recovering her memory gradually! Joyce knew why Natalie sounded shocked. After all, she had expressed it quite clearly. It would be strange if she was not. The next moment, Joyce''s lips curled into a bitter smile. ¡°Nat, I guessed you realized that my memory might being back.¡± Natalie opened her mouth, and after a few seconds, she uttered a hoarse ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°As expected.¡± Joyce wiped her face, her eyes bing even more lost and dazed. She was at aplete loss for what she should do. As of now, she has no memory of Stanley. Her understanding of Stanley came only from what she heard from the people around her. Chapter 1692 Chapter 1692 Chapter 1692 Dilemma Joyce had always thought of Stanley as a cold and heartless devil. But beneath his indifferent temperament, she saw how emotional he could be toward her. Of course, this was her current impression of Stanley. It could also be possible Stanley was deliberately acting in front of her. However, she could not deny the current Stanley was attractive and charming. She now dreamt from time to time, seeing fragments of memories. Perhaps, she was gradually being drawn to him, resulting in her subconsciously wanting to recall their shared memories. In short, she was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, she did not want to regain her memory and return to her past self - the miserable Joyce. On the other hand, she was drawn to him and was curious about their past. She did not know what to do. Should she let her memory recover naturally, or should she leave Stanley''s side soonest so as not to be influenced by him and run into the danger of regaining her memory? However, it was impossible to leave Stanley. After all the trouble he went through to catch her, Stanley would never allow her to leave. Unless Stanley gave up his revenge on her and her family and allowed them to leave, otherwise, she had no way to escape. The consequence of being unable to leave might be her falling in love with him and regaining her memories, turning back into the sorrowful Joyce from before. Joyce had always thought of Stanley as a cold and heartless devil. But beneath his indifferent temperament, she saw how emotional he could be toward her. At the thought of that, Joyce bit her lower lip tightly. ¡°Nat, do you think Stanley is being nice to me on purpose? He wants me to fall in love with him again and abandon me once I regain my memory, causing me even more pain.¡± Upon further thought, that did not seem entirely impossible. After all, Joyce did not believe Stanley was kind to her because he was in love with her. The greatest possibility was he was deliberately trying to win her over, only to hurt her deeply once again. If that was truly the case... At that thought, Joyce shivered, her face turning pale. If that were the case, it would be another trip to hell for her. When that time came, she did not know if she would have the will to live. Upon hearing Joyce''s words, Natalie immediately shook her head. ¡°No, Joyce, don''t overthink. Stanley won''t do that.¡± ¡°Nat, how can you be so sure?¡± Joyce could tell Natalie''s tone was certain.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. She sounded so convinced that Stanley would never treat her like that. Natalie lowered her eyelids, seemingly hesitating about something. After a while, she seemed to have figured it out and sighed, saying, ¡°Actually... you just revealed the answer. You said earlier you heard Stanley talking on the phone, mentioning that he loves you. That statement is true!¡± On the other end of the call, Joyce was stunned. Her grip on the phone suddenly loosened, almost causing it to slip from her hand. What did Nat say? She said it was true that Stanley loved her. How could this be possible? Joyce''s body trembled slightly, clearly having trouble epting this reality. ¡°Nat, do you know what you''re saying?¡± Joyce bit her lip. ¡°Are you saying Stanley genuinely loves me?¡± Natalie acknowledged, ¡°Yes, Stanley has fallen in love with you.¡± ¡°This can''t be!¡± Joyce suddenly straightened her back, raising her voice. ¡°Nat, we''re best friends. Why are you lying to me?¡± Hearing the agitation in her voice, Natalie sighed andforted her, ¡°Joyce, calm down first. I know my words have shocked you, but it''s the truth. Stanley''s in love with you.¡± ¡°Nat, you''re still lying to me!¡± Joyce did not know how to react. ¡°I have no memories of Stanley. My understanding of himes from what you all have told me. You told me how much Stanley dislikes and loathes me and that he''ll never ept my feelings and want me to bear his child. I believed all of that with firm conviction. But now you''re telling me he doesn''t hate me and that he loves me. Isn''t that ridiculous?¡± Chapter 1693 Chapter 1693 Chapter 1693 Substitute Natalie knew how she felt at this moment. After all, if she were in their shoes, she wouldn''t feel good either. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Imagine someone who had never had a good attitude toward themselves, and then one day, they suddenly said they''ve fallen in love with her. Naturally, the person being loved would have mixed feelings. ¡°Joyce, please calm down, alright? Let me exin everything to you carefully.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples and tried to soothe her. Joyce took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. ¡°Alright, you speak, and I''ll listen.¡± ¡°Actually, I really didn''t lie to you. Stanley truly loves you. When I found out, I couldn''t believe it either, but that''s the truth. I know that the Stanley you know from us has not been good to you, so when you hear him say he loves you now, it''s natural for you to think it''s impossible and feel a mix of emotions. Honestly, when I found out, I have mixed feelings, too.¡± ¡°When did you find out? And how can you be sure that he...¡± Joyce bit her lip, seemingly finding it difficult to speak. But after a moment, she took a deep breath and said the words that followed, ¡°He loves me?¡± ¡°I didn''t know for long either, just about half a month at most,¡± Natalie''s lips twitched, and then she continued, ¡°I didn''t know it at first, and I even thought that Stanley was in love with me.¡± ¡°You?¡± Joyce''s eyes widened, surprised by these words. Natalie knew that she had no memories of her past with Stanley, so naturally, she was unaware of his previous feelings for her. Natalie knew how she felt at this moment. After all, if she were in their shoes, she wouldn''t feel good either. No wonder they were surprised. ¡°Yes, it''s me,¡± Natalie said awkwardly, nodding her head. ¡°But rather than saying Stanley loves me, it''s more urate to say that he sees me as your substitute.¡± ¡°S-Substitute?¡± Joyce''s mouth twitched, once again astonished. ¡°How could you be my substitute?¡± She didn''t understand and couldn''tprehend. Natalie smiled and said, ¡°Indeed, I''m your substitute. Stanley had always thought that the person he loved was me, but it wasn''t. The person he has always loved is you. It''s just that he couldn''t distinguish it himself and couldn''t see through it.¡± The more she listened, the more confused Joyce became. She furrowed her brows and said, ¡°Nat, stop teasing me. I''ve read about body doubles before. A body double should be two people who look alike, so that one can rece the other. But you and I don''t look alike at all. You''re so beautiful, and although I''m quite pretty too, I''m nowhere near as stunning as you. So how could you be my body double? Stanley must need to get his eyes checked.¡± Natalie couldn''t help butugh at her words, ¡°When I mentioned a substitute, I wasn''t referring to someone who looks simr, but rather someone with a simr personality.¡± ¡°Personality?¡± Joyce raised her eyebrows, vaguely guessing something in his heart. Natalie nodded, ¡°Yes, personality. I don''t know if you still remember your own personality from before, but in short, my past personality was very simr to yours. That''s why I said Stanley treated me as your substitute, and the person he has always loved is you.¡± ¡°So that''s how it is.¡± Joyce lowered her eyelids. Natalie continued, ¡°Stanley is a person whose character tends to be extreme. In the past, he always believed that the Rivers family was responsible for his parents'' death, so he harbored resentment towards the Rivers family and you. As a result, he couldn''t see through his own heart and didn''t realize that the person he loved was you. My past personality was very simr to yours, and since I''m not you, he subconsciously gravitated toward me, thinking I was the one he liked. But in reality, the person he truly wanted to be close to was you. He just didn''t understand his own feelings.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Joyce bit her lip. Upon hearing Natalie''s words, she had already understood everything. Throughout his life, the person Stanley Quinn had always loved, or rather, the one he had loved from beginning to end, was her. It was only because of his hatred that he didn''t realize he loved her, even going so far as to hurt her. ¡°Why not sooner?¡± Joyce suddenly murmured. Natalie blinked in confusion, ¡°Joyce, what did you say?¡± Chapter 1694 Chapter 1694 Chapter 1694 The Past Hurts ¡°I mean, why he didn''t realize it sooner?¡± Joyce''s lips curled into a bitter smile. ¡°Why didn''t he find out sooner that the person he loved was me? If he had known earlier, would my past self have been spared so much pain and suffering?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Natalie''s mouth opened and closed, wanting to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. Because she knew that what Joyce said was right. If Stanley had discovered his inner feelings earlier, he wouldn''t have hurt Joyce so much, and he certainly wouldn''t have harbored such hatred towards the Rivers family. Perhaps they would have been together a long time ago. ¡°Joyce,¡± Natalie spoke, calling out to Joyce with a tender voice full of affection. Joyce closed her eyes, an air of loneliness enveloping her. ¡°Nat, I''m fine.¡± Her voice was a bit hoarse, clearly indicating that she wasn''t as fine as she imed to be. ¡°So, Nat, how did you find out that he fell in love with me?¡± Joyce took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before asking again. Natalie didn''t hide anything and directly answered, ¡°It was Shane who told me.¡± ¡°Mr. Thompson?¡± Joyce eximed in surprise. Natalie responded with a hum, ¡°It''s him.¡± ¡°How could Mr. Thompson know?¡± Joyce expressed her confusion. Natalie chuckled, ¡°It was him who figured it out. He once talked to Stanley about it, revealing his true feelings. I think that''s why Stanley knew that the person he loved was you. At first, Stanley didn''t ept this truth, but as time went by and he didn''t do anything to you, even showing great care for you, I think Stanley might havee to terms with the fact that he''s fallen in love with you and is willing to embrace it.¡± ¡°I mean, why he didn''t realize it sooner?¡± Joyce''s lips curled into a bitter smile. ¡°Why didn''t he find out sooner that the person he loved was me? If he had known earlier, would my past self have been spared so much pain and suffering?¡± Joyce quickly shook her head. ¡°That''s impossible!¡± She didn''t believe that after Stanley found out the person he loved was her, he would want to be with her. ¡°Why is it impossible?¡± Natalie countered. Joyce replied without hesitation, ¡°Don''t forget, Nat. The Rivers family still has unresolved grievances with him, so how could he possibly want to be with me?¡± In short, she didn''t believe anything she said. Joyce''s reaction, in fact, didn''t really surprise Natalie. Before, Stanley treated Joyce with such indifference, neglecting her for over a decade and even forcing her to have an abortion in the past. All these thingsbined were enough to hurt a woman''s heart deeply. Even if this woman had forgotten everything from her past, after hearing the descriptions of Stanley from those around her, Joyce wouldn''t have many positive feelings towards him. So, it was only natural that Joyce didn''t believe Stanley had fallen in love with her now and wanted to be with her. ¡°Alright, since Stanley hasn''t officially expressed his intentions of wanting to be with you, just pretend you don''t know,¡± Natalie shrugged and said. Joyce didn''t respond. Natalie didn''t get angry, but smiled and continued, ¡°Also, Joyce, I wanted to ask you, ifter on Stanley really confesses his feelings to you and wants to be with you, what will you do?¡± ¡°I won''t agree to it!¡± Joyce replied without hesitation. Natalie blinked. ¡°Why?¡± Joyce bit her lip and replied, ¡°The past hurts won''t just disappear because he wants to be with me. Besides, he''s the kind of person whose mood is always changing, and you can never really understand what he''s thinking. Being with someone like that is just so exhausting even to think about. That''s why there''s no way I could be with him. I don''t want to live a life where I have to guess his thoughts every day and face his mood swings if I get it wrong. And considering how poorly he treated me in the past, would he really treat me well if we were together?¡± ¡°This...¡± Natalie fell silent. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Indeed, the pain of the past was right there, and they couldn''t be ignored just because of present emotions. Joyce was right in her considerations. ¡°Alright, it''s fine if you think that way. I won''t persuade you or speak on Stanley''s behalf. I just want to know your true feelings towards him. Since you''re not interested, if Stanley really pursues you in the future, you must stay firm, understand? I''m actually really afraid that you won''t be able to resist, considering how passionate and intense your feelings for Stanley were in the past. I''ve seen it all,¡± Natalie sighed. Chapter 1695 Chapter 1695 Chapter 1695 I Might Leave Here Temporarily Joyce nodded. ¡°I know, don''t worry, Nat.¡± ¡°That''s good, then.¡± Natalie also forced a smile in response. Afterward, the two chatted about other things before finally hanging up the phone. Joyce put down her phone and looked out the window, letting out a long sigh. Then, she leaned against the head of the bed and closed her eyes, appearing to be half-asleep. However, not long after falling asleep, there was a knock on the ward door. Joyce opened her eyes and nced at the door, saying, ¡°Pleasee in.¡± The door opened, and instead of the doctor she had expected, it was Stanley, the person she had just been talking about with Natalie. Perhaps because of what Natalie had said, Joyce''s heartbeat inexplicably quickened when she saw Stanley, and her eyes were a little diffident. She did not dare to look at him, so she simply lowered her eyelids to avoid eye contact with him. Stanley did not think much of her behavior, as she had been acting that way, with her eyes downcast, whenever she faced him the past few days. ¡°Mr. Quinn, why are you here?¡± Joyce lifted the quilt, ready to get out of the bed to greet him. But Stanley walked to the bedside, pressed her shoulder, and said, ¡°No need. You can just lie down. I came to see you and have a few words with you.¡± ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Joyce raised her head, gripping the quilt, and looked at him. Her eyes were filled with a sense of confusion. She looked somewhat adorable, gazing nkly at him. Joyce nodded. ¡°I know, don''t worry, Nat.¡± ¡°That''s good, then.¡± Natalie also forced a smile in response. Stanley''s eyes flickered for a moment, and he reached out, wanting to touch her face. But Joyce thought he wanted to do something to her, and a sh of fear appeared in her eyes. She quickly raised the quilt to block his hand. Upon seeing her actions, Stanley''s pupils constricted slightly, and his hand froze in mid-air, not lowering it for quite some time. ¡°You...¡± After a long pause, he finally uttered a word, but his voice sounded very awkward. At that moment, his heart was uncalm and restless. He could see that she was actually afraid of him just now. Her actions showed that she feared that he might hit her. In her heart, does she see me as a man who would hit a woman? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Not to mention he had no intention of hitting her at present. Even in the past, when he disliked her so much, he neverid a hand on her. The only time was when he found out she was pregnant, so he dragged her to the operating theater by force, but still, he never hurt her. He did not want to believe she could think he wouldy a hand on her at the moment. Stanley pursed his thin lips tightly, giving off an indifferent aura. Joyce waited for a moment, but the p never came. She realized something and slowly lowered the quilt, looking up. Joyce could not help but shrink her neck a little after seeing Stanley slightly squinting his eyes with a not-so-pleasant expression. It was clear that she realized she might have misunderstood him. For a moment, Joyce felt somewhat uneasy and embarrassed. Her lips moved slightly, and she said embarrassedly, ¡°Um... Mr. Quinn, I...¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± Stanley also came back to his senses, putting his hand down indifferently, and then changed the subject. ¡°One day in the future, I might leave here temporarily.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Joyce was taken aback, then asked, ¡°Leave?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Stanley nodded. Joyce was overjoyed inside, but there was no expression on her face. All she showed was confusion and disbelief. ¡°Why? Your injuries haven''t recovered yet, and your bones haven''t even fully healed. Isn''t it?¡± ¡°I''m going to help Shane.¡± Stanley turned around, walked to a nearby chair, and sat down as he replied. Joyce tilted her head. ¡°Help Mr. Thompson?¡± Stanley hummed in response and exined, ¡°Shane and Sean are about to have their final battle. For Natalie''s sake, I''ll go and help Shane. In case Shane gets hurt by Sean, I can still save him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Joyce nodded. She was not too surprised regarding the duel between Shane and Sean. Because even she, an outsider, could see that the two cousins were mortal enemies. Although there was no conflict at the moment, a duel was bound to happen sooner orter. And at present, it was just that the long-awaited duel had finally arrived. Chapter 1696 Chapter 1696 Chapter 1696 Get In Touch With You ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± Joyce gripped the hospital bed rail with both hands, pleadingly looking at him. ¡°You must help Mr. Thompson and not let him get hurt or... After all, Mr. Thompson is Nat''s husband. Nat will be in so much pain if something happens to Mr. Thompson.¡± Seeing her speak for Shane, Stanley pursed his thin lips, feeling quite displeased. ¡°I will do my best to help Shane, but what about me?¡± ¡°You?¡± Joyce blinked, clearly not really understanding what he meant. Stanley''s face darkened slightly. ¡°That''s right, me. The duel between those two people is definitely a matter of life and death, extremely dangerous. If I go there, I''ll naturally be on Shane''s side. Do you think Sean would spare anyone on Shane''s side? I''m afraid not. Sean would definitely target me as well, and with my injuries not yet healed, joining the battle between them could be disastrous. What if I get hurt or die there? Joyce, won''t you worry about me? Won''t you pray for my safe return?¡± Joyce''s mouth opened slightly. ¡°I...¡± Stanley''s face grew increasingly gloomy. ¡°Go on, why don''t you say it? Don''t you expect my return?¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± Joyce hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head. ¡°That''s not what I meant. I just... It''s just that we don''t have much of a connection, so I don''t have the position to pray for your comeback. That''s why I...¡± Stanley''s face looked much better. ¡°So that''s why you don''t know how to answer, right?¡± ¡°Mr. Quinn.¡± Joyce gripped the hospital bed rail with both hands, pleadingly looking at him. ¡°You must help Mr. Thompson and not let him get hurt or... After all, Mr. Thompson is Nat''s husband. Nat will be in so much pain if something happens to Mr. Thompson.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Sort of.¡± That was just one of the reasons. Another reason was that she, indeed, did not want him toe back. Of course, she did not hope he would die in the duel between Shane and Sean, but rather that she hoped he would never return after leaving that ce. But she obviously could not tell him about that. If she told him, the man would definitely get angry. However, Joyce did not realize that her thoughts were all written on her face. Stanley could clearly see what she was thinking and expecting at that moment. But as long as she did not wish for his death over there, he could ept everything else. After all, she was so repelled at him at the moment. It was not bad that things were like that. ¡°By the way, Dr. Quinn, when are you leaving?¡± Joyce asked, looking at Stanley. Stanley looked into her shining eyes and fell silent for a moment. It seemed that she really was eager for him to leave the ce. Upon hearing that he would leave temporarily, her mood visibly improved, and her facial expression became much more lively. Haha, women! ¡°It''ll be soon, probably in a few days.¡± Stanley looked at her coldly and replied in a deep and heavy voice. Joyce shrank her neck, sighing in her heart. No way, could he have noticed that I really wanted him to leave? No, that''s impossible. I''ve concealed it so well, so he shouldn''t be able to see through it. With that thought in mind, Joyce became calm again and noddedposedly. ¡°I see.¡± Stanley nodded. ¡°I''lle back right away as soon as I resolve my own matters.¡± Joyce''s body stiffened. Come back right away? No way, I don''t want him toe back at all. But she didn''t have the guts to say such thoughts out loud, even though she dared to think them. Joyce scratched her head, feeling bitter inside, but she had to maintain a calm expression as she replied, ¡°All right, I got it.¡± Stanley could see how unwilling she was to answer. He pursed his thin lips but ultimately did not say anything. It was natural for her to act that way based on their current rtionship. ¡°After I leave, I''ll get in touch with you,¡± Stanley suddenly said as he stood up. Joyce widened her eyes. ¡°Get in touch with me?¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Why should he contact me? Stanley nodded slightly. ¡°That''s right. To prevent you and your family from secretly escaping after I leave, I will contact you every day to track your location. If I can''t reach you, I will immediately rush back and won''t help Shane, leaving him to die there.¡± Chapter 1697 Chapter 1697 Chapter 1697 My Thoughts ¡°You...¡± Joyce was stunned by his words. ¡°How could you do this?¡± ¡°Why can''t I?¡± Stanley closed in on her. ¡°Shane has nothing to do with me. Why can''t I just let him die there?¡± ¡°He''s Nat''s husband,¡± Joyce said. Stanley spread his hands. ¡°So what? Natalie is Natalie, and Shane is Shane. Natalie is my friend, but Shane isn''t.¡± ¡°But, even if you say that...¡± ¡°No buts!¡± Stanley squinted at her, ¡°Joyce, don''t hold onto any false hopes. I am capable of doing these things.¡± ¡°You...¡± Stanley ced his hand on her head, interrupting her once again, ¡°So, be good and stay in the hospital after I leave. Take good care of the child and don''t leave under any circumstances. Otherwise, I''lle back and if Shane really gets hurt in the end and can''t receive proper treatment from a good doctor, will you be able to feel at ease?¡± Joyce bit her lip, not saying anything more. Could I feel at ease? Of course not. Indeed, she had considered leaving the ce quickly with her parents after Stanley left. However, Stanley had cut off her path of retreat. He said that if she left, he would no longer care about Shane and leave him to die. If Shane could avoid getting hurt, that would be ideal. However, if he does get injured and there''s no doctor around, then he would definitely be in trouble. In the end, if Shane were really gone, Joyce would be letting Natalie down. She would also have to live with a lifetime of guilt and remorse. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You...¡± Joyce was stunned by his words. ¡°How could you do this?¡± Because of this, she dared not gamble. So, I really can''t leave. Do I truly have no choice but to stay? Joyce clenched her teeth tightly and felt reluctance in her heart. Even if she was unwilling to ept it, she had no choice. She couldn''t harm Shane or Natalie. With that thought, Joyce shut her eyes and said in a bitter voice, ¡°I understand. Don''t worry, I won''t leave.¡± Stanley knew that his threat had hurt her feelings. But there was no other way. This was the only thing he could do to make her obediently stay. ¡°How strange.¡± Stanley reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. Joyce''s eyes widened, and her body tensed up like a ball. Clearly, she had not expected that he would actually hug her. Moreover, she, too, wasn''t used to his embrace. At this moment, she didn''t dare to move, making this seemingly warm hug feel a bit strange. Stanley had no intentions of making Joyce rx either, as he knew she wasn''t used to it. He wanted to take it slow. In the future, he would help her get used to it. ¡°Joyce,e here,¡± Stanley lowered his head and suddenly called out to the woman in his arms. Staring at him nkly, Joyce asked, ¡°W-What?¡± Stanley smoothed her hair and said, ¡°I know I''ve hurt you in the past, but I won''t let that happen again.¡± Joyce''s eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stanley did not give a direct answer. ¡°You''ll find outter. Let''s wait until Ie back to discuss everything. After I return, I''ll have a proper talk and tell you my thoughts about you and the Rivers family. Alright, it''s gettingte. You should get some sleep. I won''t disturb you any further.¡± After saying that, he let her go and limped toward the door. As Joyce watched his retreating figure, her heart was pounding so fast that it felt as if it would leap out of her throat. What... what does he mean, exactly? What does he mean by making me sad in the past, but it won''t happen again in the future? What does he mean by discussing his thoughts about me and the Rivers family? What is he trying to do? Joyce clenched her fists, and her heart was far from calm. Perhaps she had already guessed what he wanted to do, but she was unwilling to ept it in her heart. That''s why, at this moment, she couldn''t quite understand. In the following few days, Joyce rarely saw Stanley. To be more urate, she deliberately avoided meeting Stanley and hid from him. After all, she was currently in the hospital recuperating, so she has every reason to avoid Stanley. Chapter 1698 Chapter 1698 Chapter 1698 Visit Stanley probably knew what was on Joyce''s mind. Despite that, he did not say anything, nor did he look for her, let alone ask her why she was avoiding him. The only two times they met were during strolls in the garden. But even when they met, the two didn''t have much to say to each other. Joyce didn''t know how to face this man, nor did she know what to say to him. After all, ever since she found out from this man and Natalie that he might have that kind of feelings for her, she didn''t know what to do. Avoidance was the best choice. Stanley did not avoid meeting and talking with Joyce because he was trying to escape. He chose to do so in order to give her some time to adjust. He knew that the conversation in the hospital room that day held significant information. Although he didn''t explicitly exin the meaning of his words, he believed that after Joyce heard his phone call with Sean, she would be able to vaguely guess what he meant. So, he understood that at this moment, her heart must be in turmoil, and she was far from being at peace. In that case, he naturally wouldn''t appear in front of her again to startle her. He did not want to make her feel even more uneasy. As he previously said, he would return and have a heart-to-heart conversation with her to clear up everything. In that case, let this time serve as her final respite. ¡°Joyce.¡± That day, Joyce was in the hospital room watching TV, enjoying some cartoons. Stanley probably knew what was on Joyce''s mind. Despite that, he did not say anything, nor did he look for her, let alone ask her why she was avoiding him. Seeing the cat being unable to catch the mouse and was instead being teased by the mouse, was quite amusing and brought much joy. When Caitlin pushed open the door of the hospital room and saw her daughterughing so happily, she couldn''t help but join in theughter. ¡°What are you watching?¡± she asked. ¡°I''m watching Tom and Jerry,¡± Joyce replied, putting down the remote control. She then got out of bed with a smile, walked toward her mother, and asked, ¡°Mom, when did you get here?¡± ¡°Come here, let me take a look at you,¡± Caitlin replied with affection as she put down the thermal food jar in her hand and gently touched her daughter''s head. Joyce leaned her head on her mother''s shoulder and asked, ¡°Where''s dad?¡± ¡°Your dad is tidying up the garden at home. He says he wants you to see a beautiful yard when you return,¡± said Caitlin. A warm feeling flowed through Joyce''s heart. ¡°Dad''s so nice!¡± ¡°What? Your dad is nice, but not me?¡± Caitlin pretended to be upset, ¡°I made you chicken soup and simmered it for hours before bringing it to you, and all you talk about is your dad.¡± ¡°Oh dear!¡± Joyce didn''t know if she shouldugh or cry. She shook Caitlin''s arm gently. ¡°What are you talking about? Who says I only have eyes for Dad? I have eyes for you too! Look, as soon as you came in, I came over to greet you.¡± Caitlinughed again. ¡°Yes, yes, I know. I was just teasing you. Alright, go back to your bed and lie down, I''ll get you some chicken soup.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Joyce nodded. She let go of her mother''s arm, and obediently went back to lie down on the hospital bed. Caitlin ced the thermal food jar on the bedside table next to the sickbed. Then, she opened the lid of the pot, picked up a clean bowl, and began todle out the soup. Inhaling the rich aroma of chicken soup wafting through the air, Joyce couldn''t help but gulp in anticipation. ¡°It smells so good. It''s been a long time since I''ve had chicken soup.¡± ¡°Then you should have lots,¡± Caitlin said with a smile, then handed her the chicken soup, ¡°Here, be careful, it''s hot.¡± ¡°I know, don''t worry.¡± Joyce smiled at her mother and epted the chicken soup, gently stirring it with a spoon. Caitlin pulled up a chair and sat down, gazing at her daughter with affection. ¡°How have you been these past few days?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Joyce knew that her mother was asking about her pregnancy symptoms. After taking a sip of chicken soup, she lowered her gaze to her belly with a gentle look in her eyes. ¡°Although I still have some symptoms these days, they''re not as severe as before. Previously, whenever I felt nauseous, I would vomit so much. Not only was my energy low, but I also had no appetite. Now, however, I only asionally feel a little sick, and although my appetite hasn''t fully recovered, at least I can eat something. See, I can even drink this slightly greasy chicken soup.¡± Chapter 1699 Chapter 1699 Chapter 1699 There Is Always A Solution ¡°That''s good.¡± Caitlin felt relieved when she heard what Joyce said. ¡°It''s great to eat well. Otherwise, your body wouldn''t be able to handle it, and it wouldn''t be good for the child in your belly.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Joyce nodded. Caitlin looked at her and said, ¡°It''s good you have a milder reaction now. Perhaps after some time, your reaction will disappearpletely.¡± ¡°I asked the doctor and was told that I will feel much better after three months,¡± Joyce said as she sipped her chicken soup. Caitlin smiled and nodded. ¡°That''s right, the first three months of pregnancy are the hardest for women. Once they pass the first trimester, everything will get better.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Joyce replied. Quietly, Caitlin gently gazed at Joyce as thetter ate. After Joyce finished her chicken soup, Caitlin stood up, took the bowl from her hands, and asked, ¡°Do you want more?¡± Joyce shook her head in response. ¡°No, that''s enough for me. I''ll be too full for dinnerter if I drink too much now,¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Caitlin replied. Then, Joyce looked at her and asked, ¡°By the way, Mom, did you send the chicken soup to Mr. Quinn?¡± As Caitlin tidied up the dishes, her smile faded slightly as she replied, ¡°Of course I did. How can I not? No matter what, he ended up in the hospital because of us. You looked after him before this and provided him with meals. Even though you''re not looking after him now, we still need to do what we should. I know this much, at least.¡± ¡°That''s good.¡± Caitlin felt relieved when she heard what Joyce said. ¡°It''s great to eat well. Otherwise, your body wouldn''t be able to handle it, and it wouldn''t be good for the child in your belly.¡± Joyce raised her chin slightly and said, ¡°I knew you''re the most considerate person, Mom.¡± Hearing that, Caitlin chuckled and poked her on the forehead. ¡°You sure know how to tter.¡± Joyce covered her aching forehead and let out a yful chuckle. At that moment, Caitlin suddenly thought of something. She put the clean dishes and utensils into the basket she had brought and looked at Joyce. Then, she asked solemnly, ¡°By the way, Joyce, did something happen between you and him these past few days?¡± Joyce''s smile faltered, then she lowered her eyes and asked, ¡°What do you mean, Mom?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Did you two have another argument?¡± Caitlin asked and continued, ¡°Though I haven''t visited you every single day, I''ve been here about three times. I''ve noticed that the atmosphere between you and him seems off.¡± Joyce never expected her mom would notice the issues between her and Stanley. Biting her lower lip, she forced a smile as she replied, ¡°Mom, I haven''t seen him for a few days. How did you know that something''s off between us?¡± ¡°You guys haven''t met, but I went to see him, and I could feel it,¡± said Caitlin. Joyce pinched her palm and stopped talking. Oh, I see. Caitlin stared at Joyce, who had her head down and could tell what Joyce was thinking. She sighed, ¡°As I suspected, there''s a problem between you two. Joyce, tell me, what exactly happened between you two? You know that he doesn''t have positive feelings toward the Rivers family. I''m just afraid that in a fit of anger, he might...¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Mom, he won''t,¡± Joyce said as she lifted her head to face Caitlin. She knew what her mom was going to say. Unsurprisingly, she was worried about offending Stanley and that he would hurt the child in her belly and her dad again. Caitlin frowned with concern. ¡°How sure are you that he won''t?¡± Joyce''s eyes shed with a gleam of light. ¡°He said so himself. Although he didn''t say it outright, I know he won''t.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Caitlin furrowed her brows. Joyce lightly pursed her lips and fell silent. In fact, she didn''t even know why she felt Stanley wouldn''t do such a thing. It was simply her Intuition. Noticing Joyce''s silence, Caitlin sighed. ¡°Forget it. It doesn''t matter whether he would or not. We shouldn''t be afraid. There is always a solution to every problem.¡± Joyce squeezed a smile and hummed in response. Subsequently, she spoke again. ¡°Oh right, Mom, I have good news to share.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Caitlin asked curiously, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Stanley will probably have to leave here for some time,¡± Joyce said with a smile. Chapter 1700 Chapter 1700 Chapter 1700 Stanley Is Leaving Caitlin was first taken aback, then smiled with delight. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°He said it himself a few days ago.¡± ¡°That''s just wonderful!¡± Overjoyed, Caitlin pped her hands. Joyce added, ¡°Yes, Mom. So, isn''t this good news?¡± ¡°Of course it is! If this isn''t good news, then what is?¡± Caitlin nced at Joyce and continued, ¡°Ever since he came here, the three of us haven''t had a moment of peace. We''ve been on edge and living our lives ording to his whims. We''ve been so stressed that we can hardly breathe. Now that I know he''s leaving, I suddenly feel like I can breathe again. Why didn''t you tell us this good news earlier, child?¡± She couldn''t help but give Joyce a light pat. Joyce stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°I didn''t realize it then.¡± ¡°Oh, you!¡± Caitlin shook her head helplessly. ¡°But Mom, don''t get too excited just yet. I just said that he''s only temporarily leaving, not that he''s gone for good.¡± Joyce''s expression turned solemn. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Caitlin nodded, ¡°I know, I heard you. But anyway, as long as he leaves, it''s fine. By the way, Joyce, did he mention where he is going and what he is doing there?¡± After pondering, Joyce answered as her eyes glimmered, ¡°He said he''s going to meet Mr. Thompson and that Mr. Thompson has some things over there that need his assistance.¡± Caitlin was first taken aback, then smiled with delight. ¡°Really?¡± She didn''t tell in detail what Stanley nned to do since she knew her mom would be worried if she knew Stanley was about to engage in a life-threatening fight with his enemy. After all, Shane had helped them a lot. To her mom, Shane was their savior. If something were to happen to him, her mother would definitely feel sad. In that case, it was better for her not to say anything. Upon hearing Joyce''s response, Caitlin didn''t think much and nodded with a smile. ¡°That''s good. So Joyce, do you think we should take this opportunity to leave this ce?¡± Her words instantly sent a shiver down Joyce''s spine. Shocked, she quickly shook her head. ¡°No, please don''t.¡± Joyce thought she was the only one with this idea. She didn''t think her mom thought the same thing when she heard that Stanley was leaving. It was evident they were mother and daughter, as both of them thought of the same thing. ¡°Why not?¡± Confused, Caitlin looked at Joyce. Joyce sighed in response. ¡°We can''t do that. At first, when I heard Stanley was leaving temporarily, I was relieved. At the same time, I was nning to take you two with me and leave to where he couldn''t find us. But before I could even reveal this n, he had already sensed my intentions, and then...¡± Caitlin''s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Then what?¡± Joyce looked at her and asked, ¡°Mom, you must have guessed it already, right? What else could he have done besides making threats?¡± For a moment, Caitlin pursed her lips and fell silent. After a while, she finally spoke with a worried expression. ¡°Is it impossible for us to leave? Do you think he can find us once we leave this ce?¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Joyce rubbed her temple and continued, ¡°He might not be able to find us in a short time after we leave. But I''m sure he will find us eventually.¡± ¡°I-Is he that good?¡± Caitlin''s face turned somewhat pale. Joyce couldn''t help but look at her helplessly. ¡°Yes, he is. Don''t forget, Mom. We only managed to hide so well this time because of Mr. Thompson''s help. But in the end, he still tracked us down. So there''s no doubt about his capabilities.¡± Caitlin fell silent again, only resuming the conversation after a few seconds. ¡°You''re right. I wonder how he found this ce and even came here.¡± ¡°Someone told him.¡± Joyce smiled bitterly. ¡°That person is Mr. Thompson''s enemy. He nted a spy by Mr. Thompson''s side, who then eavesdropped on our information. That person then contacted Stanley, and that''s how Stanley found out.¡± Chapter 1701 Chapter 1701 Chapter 1701 Why Are You Here ¡°So that''s how it is.¡± Caitlin suddenly realized. ¡°I never knew it could be like this.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°Moreover, Stanley is a highly skilled doctor and a world-ss neurologist. Everyone in this world is afraid of death, especially the wealthy. So, they all treat doctors with great medical skills very well. If Stanley wants to find me, they will definitely help him investigate our whereabouts. Eventually, we will still be found by him.¡± These wordspletely left Caitlin speechless. Yes, Stanley was indeed very capable. So naturally, many people would seek his help. Naturally, in order to get Stanley''s help, they would do their best to make Stanley happy. The best way to make Stanley happy was to find Caitlin and Joyce. In summary, with just one sentence from Stanley, he wouldn''tck the people in the entire world to help find them. Caitlin sighed, feeling a headache. ¡°What on earth is going on? It seems we really can''t leave now.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Joyce nodded. ¡°We can''t leave anymore. At first, I was really upset about it. But then I thought, it''s not so bad to stay.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Caitlin was puzzled. Joyce grasped Caitlin''s hand. ¡°Mom, think about it. The grudge between Stanley and our family has lasted for more than a decade. During all these years, you''ve rarely met him, and you''ve never sat down and had a proper talk. That''s why the hatred has persisted and never been alleviated. Now that he''s here, once he returns and fully recovers from his injuries, we should have a good talk with him. The hatred between our two families cannot continue indefinitely, or else you and Dad won''t be happy for the rest of your lives.¡± ¡°So that''s how it is.¡± Caitlin suddenly realized. ¡°I never knew it could be like this.¡± Caitlin nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You''re right. In that case, let''s not leave. We''ll stay here. After all, we''re not the ones who really caused his parents'' deaths. Why should we leave? Leaving would only make us seem guilty. By staying, we''re proving that we have nothing to hide.¡± ¡°Mom, you''re absolutely right in thinking that way,¡± Joyce said with a smile. Caitlin gently stroked Joyce''s hair. ¡°Thank you for taking care of him during this time. It should have been the responsibility of me and Dad.¡± Joyce shook her head. ¡°Mom, don''t say that. You and Dad are my parents, so your responsibilities are naturally mine as well. Besides, he specifically asked for me. What could you have done? So, don''t overthink it.¡± ¡°Even though you say that, as your parents, we can''t help but feel somewhat guilty.¡± Caitlin''s eyes reddened. Joyce smiled and said, ¡°It''s alright, Mom. There''s nothing to worry about. Besides, I didn''t take care of him all the time. I only did it for a few days, and now I''m not doing it anymore. So, I''m actually quite rxed.¡± Caitlin snorted. ¡°At least he has some conscience, knowing that your pregnancy is not going well, and letting you stay in the hospital to recuperate. If he had kept making you take care of everything, not only could the child have been lost, but you could have been in danger, too. Even thinking about it now gives me chills.¡± Joyce''s eyes sparkled for a moment. ¡°Yeah, at least he has some conscience.¡± Joyce probably knew that Stanley did this because of his feelings for her. Otherwise, he wouldn''t care whether or not her fetus was healthy, or if there would be any issues. However, Joyce still decided not to tell her mother about these things. Once Mom knows, it means Dad will know, too. If Dad knew about Stanley''s feelings for me, with Dad''s fiery temper, he would definitelye storming over. The mother-daughter duo sat in the ward and chatted for almost an hour. When the nurse came to inform Joyce that it was time for her prenatal checkup, they finally stopped talking and went for the examination. Not long after the prenatal checkup was over, Joyce quickly fell asleep, exhausted. Gently, Caitlin looked at Joyce''s sleeping face lovingly and tenderly stroked thetter''s hair. Caitlin tucked Joyce in and prepared to leave. Caitlin nned to returnter that evening with a pot of soup. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Just as Caitlin walked out of Joyce''s ward with the basket in her hand, she suddenly froze and stopped in her tracks. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± There was a person standing outside the door. Upon taking a closer look, it turned out to be Stanley from the neighboring ward. At this moment, Stanley was not wearing his usual patient''s gown, but had changed into a casual outfit. With the silver-framed sses on his nose, he looked both refined and handsome. Chapter 1702 Chapter 1702 Chapter 1702 Stunned By His Respectful Demeanor ¡°I came here to say goodbye.¡± Stanley seemed surprised that Caitlin was still here at this moment. After a brief pause, he replied in a somewhatplex tone. Caitlin said in surprise, ¡°Goodbye? Are you really leaving?¡± Stanley lowered his eyes. ¡°Mm-hmm. Did she tell you about me leaving, Mrs. Rivers?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Upon hearing how he addressed her, Caitlin was taken aback and looked at him with an even stranger expression, ¡°Y-You''re actually addressing me respectfully?¡± Stanley responded with a hum. ¡°You are my elder, so it''s only right for me to use respectfulnguage.¡± ¡°No, forget it. I can''t bear the respect.¡± Caitlin waved her hand, saying with a forced smile. Stanley pursed his thin lips, seemingly wanting to say something. But in the end, he didn''t say anything at all. Seeing him like this, Caitlin didn''t have the time to waste on him. She stepped past him, intending to leave. However, in the end, Stanley grabbed her arm. Caitlin frowned. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Stanley pursed his thin lips, released Caitlin''s arm, and then took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to her. Caitlin saw the sealed letter and couldn''t help but express her surprise. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Please pass this on to Joyce for me,¡± Stanley replied. Caitlin frowned. ¡°Why do you want to give this to Joyce? What did you write in the letter?¡± To be honest, in this day and age, the fact that people still write letters actually surprised Caitlin. However, what was even more surprising was that this letter was actually addressed to Joyce. ¡°I came here to say goodbye.¡± Stanley seemed surprised that Caitlin was still here at this moment. After a brief pause, he replied in a somewhatplex tone. ¡°It''s nothing much,¡± Stanley replied casually. ¡°It''s just to exin something. That''s all.¡± ¡°Exin what?¡± Caitlin didn''t ept the letter, seemingly determined to get to the bottom of it. Stanley frowned. ¡°If you show her, she will know.¡± He didn''t say what was written in the letter; instead, he shoved the letter directly into Caitlin''s hand. Upon seeing the letter in her hand, Caitlin felt the urge to throw it straight onto the ground. But in the end, she just couldn''t bring herself to be that impolite. Atst, she sighed before nodding and agreeing. ¡°All right, I understand. I''ll do it for Joyce''s sake.¡± Stanley hummed in response. ¡°Thank you. I''m leaving now.¡± ¡°You''re leaving?¡± Caitlin was startled again. ¡°Are you being discharged from the hospital already?¡± Stanley nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, I''ve alreadypleted the discharge procedures.¡± Only then did Caitlin realize that the casual outfit he was wearing was the one he had changed into for his discharge from the hospital, wasn''t it? If he wasn''t being discharged, why would he dress like that? Caitlin had just thought that Stanley came to say goodbye because he was nning to leave tomorrow. After all, farewells were usually made the day before. Surprisingly, he was leaving right away. ¡°You''re leaving already? Isn''t your bone still healing?¡± Caitlin frowned at Stanley, showing her disapproval. No matter what, she did hold a grudge against this child in her heart. But this child, after all, was someone she had watched growing up. Deep down in her heart, she couldn''t help but worry about him. Stanley naturally understood Caitlin''s concerns. A faint glimmer of light shed through his dark eyes, but it quickly disappeared. However, his expression and overall demeanor softened considerably. ¡°Although it hasn''tpletely healed, it won''t hinder my abilities to walk or work. As long as I don''t bump into anything, it''ll be fine.¡± Hearing him say that, Caitlin nodded. ¡°Really? That''s good, then.¡± She didn''t ask any more questions. Given their current rtionship, it was already quite good that she could ask a question. Asking another question was simply out of the question. Of course, Stanley knew this as well. He pushed up his sses and said, ¡°Well, Mrs. Rivers, I''ll be leaving now. Please inform Joyce for me.¡± After speaking, he bowed slightly towards Caitlin. Caitlin was startled by his actions. She was already shocked by how he addressed her as ¡°Mrs. Rivers¡± respectfully. Now that Caitlin witnessed Stanley bowing to her, she was simply stunned. However, before Caitlin could call him to get up, he had already gotten up and walked toward the elevator. Upon seeing his back view, Caitlin let out a slight sigh of relief. Caitlin didn''t know what had gotten into Stanley and why his attitude toward her had switched so drastically. However, she still breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him leave. Chapter 1703 Chapter 1703 Chapter 1703 The Letter Soon after, Caitlin withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to look at the letter in her hand with a hint of hesitation flickering in her eyes. She hesitated, wondering whether or not to give the letter to Joyce. After all, she didn''t know what was written inside. If he wrote something hurtful, would I hurt Joyce after giving her the letter? But when he asks about it, won''t he be furious if I didn''t? Caitlin rubbed her temples, feeling an unbearable headache. In the end, Caitlin decided to give Joyce the letter. After all, I''ve already made a promise, so it wouldn''t be nice not to give it to her, right? At worst, I could watch her while she read the letter. I couldfort her anytime if her emotions seemed off after reading it. All right. I''ll do that! Thinking about it, Caitlin took a deep breath, turned around, opened the door and entered Joyce''s ward again. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Joyce was engrossed in reading a book at the moment. Hearing the door open, she thought the nurse wasing in for a routine check and didn''t bother looking up. Upon hearing Caitlin call her name, she raised her head, looking at her in surprise. ¡°Mom? Why are you back?¡± ¡°I came to give you something,¡± Caitlin replied with a smile. Joyce was puzzled. ¡°What is it? Mom, did you forget to give me something earlier?¡± ¡°It''s not from me.¡± Caitlin shook her head, put down the basket in her hand, took out the letter Stanley had written to her and walked toward Joyce. ¡°It''s from Stanley.¡± Soon after, Caitlin withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to look at the letter in her hand with a hint of hesitation flickering in her eyes. She handed the letter to Joyce. Joyce was first taken aback, then curiously took the letter. ¡°He wrote me a letter?¡± Caitlin nodded. ¡°Yes. I stepped out and was about to go back, but unexpectedly, I ran into him at the door. I spoke with him for a short while, and then he asked me to pass this to you.¡± Joyce stared at the letter in her hand. It was light and thin, but it weighed heavily on her heart for some reason. ¡°Mom, did you ask him what he wrote?¡± Joyce took a deep breath and shifted her gaze to Caitlin before asking again. Caitlin shook her head. ¡°I did, but he wouldn''t say. He just said that you''d know once you read the letter, so I have no idea what''s written in it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Joyce nodded in acknowledgement. Caitlin looked at her. ¡°Aren''t you going to open it and take a look?¡± Joyce pinched the envelope and said, ¡°Maybeter. He suddenly sent me this letter, and I''m not quite mentally prepared for it yet. I''ll read it after I''ve calmed down a bit.¡± Caitlin nodded. ¡°That''s true. All right. You should read itter. I''ll stay here and keep youpany for a while.¡± ¡°Aren''t you hurrying to go back and cook for Dad?¡± Joyce said with a smile. Caitlinughed. ¡°Your dad isn''t incapable of cooking. Sometimes, the dishes he makes are even more delicious than mine. It''s just that he''s toozy to cook. If Ie homete, it''s a good opportunity for him to be more diligent.¡± Joyceughed heartily. ¡°Mom, you''re so bad!¡± ¡°Your dad is just toozy. I have to do so sometimes so he''ll do it,¡± Caitlin replied nonchntly. Joyce nodded in agreement. ¡°Mom, you''re absolutely right.¡± Theyughed for a while, and then Caitlin looked at Joyce and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, Stanley got discharged from the hospital.¡± ¡°He was discharged?¡± Joyce was taken aback, immediately sitting up straight, her eyes filled with a tension she hadn''t noticed. ¡°How did he got discharged? Aren''t his bones still in recovery?¡± Caitlin''s eyes couldn''t help but flicker as she saw Joyce''s anxious expression while asking the question. Is Joyce a little too concerned about Stanley? However, Caitlin didn''t take long to regain her senses and stop dwelling on it. She sighed and replied, ¡°He''s not fully recovered yet, but he said he can walk normally now. As for the rest, it should be fine as long as he doesn''t bump into anything.¡± Joyce bit her lip and asked, ¡°So when you saw him just now, he has already been discharged from the hospital, right?¡± Caitlin nodded. ¡°Yes. He has changed his clothes, probablypleted the discharge procedures, and he also asked me to tell you that he left.¡± Chapter 1704 Chapter 1704 Chapter 1704 His Words Joyce lowered her eyes. ¡°It seems that he just came to say goodbye to me.¡± ¡°That''s right. Then, he gave you that letter.¡± Caitlin pointed at the letter in Joyce''s hands as she spoke. Joyce clenched the envelope in her hands again, causing it to wrinkle with a noise. After a while, she sighed and, under Caitlin''s gaze, she opened the envelope. The content of the letter was brief, just a few short sentences. Joyce could tell that the sentences were not coherent, and even one could tell he hesitated when writing. From this, Joyce guessed that when Stanley was writing the letter, he either didn''t know what to write or felt it was inappropriate. He hesitated whether to write it or not, but in the end, he didn''t. What appeared before her was such a seemingly strange letter. Moreover, the content of the letter made her ponder. Caitlin looked at Joyce''s calm expression, which was no different from usual and couldn''t help but feel relieved. Joyce''s expression didn''t change much, meaning nothing was shocking in the letter. In that case, Caitlin felt pretty relieved. ¡°Joyce,¡± Caitlin called out to Joyce. Joyce stared at the letter, showing no reaction. Left with no choice, Caitlin could only extend her hand and wave it before her eyes. At this moment, Joyce reacted, her eyes momentarily wavered. Regaining her senses, she looked at Caitlin and pursed her lips, smiling. ¡°What''s wrong, Mom?¡± Joyce lowered her eyes. ¡°It seems that he just came to say goodbye to me.¡± ¡°I was just about to ask you what''s wrong,¡± Caitlin said, rolling her eyes at Joyce. Then, with a concerned tone, she asked, ¡°So, what does it say?¡± ¡°It''s nothing much,¡± Joyce said as she handed over the envelope. To Caitlin''s surprise, Joyce handed over the letter without hesitation to let her read when she casually asked. Thetter had no intention of hiding anything, which reassured her. ¡°May I take a look?¡± Instead of immediately taking the envelope, Caitlin looked at Joyce again to confirm. Those in the Rivers family were taught that letters were something personal. Even if Joyce allowed it, she shouldn''t just snatch the letter and start reading. She had to rify with Joyce first, fearing that thetter might impulsively show her the letter and regret doing soter. Moreover, the letter was written by a guy to Joyce. As her mother, it wouldn''t be entirely appropriate for her to read some of the peculiar things in it. However, Joyce didn''t mind at all and smiled as she nodded. ¡°Of course, you can. I''ve shown it to you, so why can''t you read it? Go ahead and take a look, Mom.¡± Upon hearing Joyce''s words, Caitlin finally felt at ease and stopped refusing. She took the letter and began to read it. Unexpectedly, there was nothing inappropriate in the letter. On the contrary, the content was quite ordinary. It contained some advice for Joyce on what to watch out for during her pregnancy. Then, Stanley''s message asked Joyce to promise to have a proper talk with him when he returned. That was all there was to it. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. In summary, the letter seemed somewhat perfunctory. It probably seemed like Stanley''s first time writing a letter, and he didn''t know what to write and finally forced out a few sentences. ¡°Joyce, what does he mean by this?¡± Caitlin handed the letter back to Joyce, her face full of confusion. Joyce shook her head. ¡°I don''t know either.¡± Although she said this, she knew very well in her heart that Stanley had written her the letter because he couldn''t express his concern verbally and was afraid she might not want to hear it, so he wrote it down and gave it to her. In this way, she didn''t have to listen and could read it instead. I must admit, he''s pretty clever. Besides, when he says those things, it''s his way of telling me that he genuinely cares for me and wants to treat me well. From that, I can see that he really did acknowledge his feelings for me, just as he told Nat. He has decided to pursue me. At the thought of it, Joyce clenched her hands and her expression becameplicated. Chapter 1705 Chapter 1705 Chapter 1705 His Pursuit Stanley''s feelings for her came too quickly and suddenly, yet he acknowledged them so naturally. Then, he began to pursue her relentlessly. It made her feel not even a bit of joy but, instead, only a deep sense of sorrow. The trouble was she had no memories or feelings for him from the past, and his pursuit brought her no joy. Moreover, as they held grudges against each other, his pursuit made her feel somewhat afraid. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Seeing Joyce''s furrowed brows, Caitlin got worried. ¡°Joyce, what''s wrong? What are you thinking about?¡± Joyce''s eyes flickered for a moment, and she forced a smile on her face. ¡°It''s nothing, Mom. I''m fine. I was just thinking about something on my mind. It''s nothing important.¡± She said so because she didn''t want Caitlin to ask further questions. If Caitlin continued asking, she was afraid she couldn''t keep her mouth shut and blurt out her inner frustrations. After all, Stanley had developed feelings for her and even wanted to pursue her. She really didn''t want to tell her parents about this. If they found out, she reckoned they would be shocked and overthought than she would. They were old, and worrying about many things would leave them mentally and physically exhausted, which their bodies couldn''t handle. So, it''s better to let me handle these matters myself. Seeing Joyce like this, Caitlin knew that she was hiding something from them. She sighed inwardly but didn''t force her to speak. Patting Joyce''s shoulder, she gave her an understanding smile and said, ¡°If you don''t want to talk about it, that''s fine. Whenever you''re ready to share, just tell me. I''ll always be a good listener.¡± Stanley''s feelings for her came too quickly and suddenly, yet he acknowledged them so naturally. Then, he began to pursue her relentlessly. When Joyce heard that, her eyes reddened. Her heart was filled with warmth and a tinge of bitterness. She leaned forward, resting in Caitlin''s embrace. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± ¡°What''s there to thank for?¡± Caitlin gently stroked Joyce''s hair, her face filled with tender love. After a while, she let go of Joyce and said, ¡°All right, Joyce. It''s gettingte, and I should be going. Take good care of yourself at the hospital. If you need anything, ask the nurse to do it for you. Don''t try to do everything on your own. If the nurse can''t handle it, have them call me, and I''ll take care of you.¡± She originally wanted to stay at the hospital to care for Joyce and keep herpany. However, Jonathan hadn''t been feeling well for the past few days, so she had no choice but to stay home and care for him. Fortunately, he felt better today and could tend to the garden. Once he fully recovered, she would visit to care for Joyce in a few days. ¡°Don''t worry, Mom. I got it.¡± Hearing Caitlin''s advice, Joyce felt warmth in her heart and smiled as she nodded in agreement. ¡°I''ll take good care of myself. After all, I have a baby in my belly. I can''t let anything happen to the baby.¡± ¡°That''s right. Okay. I''m leaving now.¡± Caitlin patted Joyce''s head and turned to leave. After Caitlin left, the smile on Joyce''s face gradually faded and was reced by confusion and helplessness. After reading Stanley''s letter, she was now certain of her conversation with Natalie that day. Because of this, she didn''t know what to do. Stanley wanted to pursue her, but she could never be with him. It was because now, she had no feelings for him and no memories of the past. Most importantly, there was a family feud between them. Because of this, she couldn''t be with him. Otherwise, she couldn''t face her parents and herself, whom he once hurt. However, if I remain indifferent to his pursuit, will he be angry and humiliated and do something to me or my parents? For a moment, Joyce fell into an endless silence. On the other hand, Natalie''s days weren''t going so well either. She initially thought that she and Shane would give each other the cold shoulder for a couple of days, and he would eventuallypromise and let her stay. However, she never expected after several days, after the finals were over and the champion was about to be announced, he still didn''t want topromise. As a result, she and he were still mad at each other for several days. Even Natalie didn''t expect that she and Shane could be in a silent dispute for so long, almost longer than their first time. Chapter 1706 Chapter 1706 Chapter 1706 The Cold Treatment After all, in the beginning, she didn''t expect Shane to be upromising. Besides, the silent treatment was merely due to disagreements, without any actual incidents affecting their marital rtionship. However, just like that, they had been giving each other the cold shoulder for a long time, making Natalie uneasy. Shane really loved her and would fulfil any of her wishes. However, this time, he was full of determination. He was so persistent that he would give her the cold treatment rather thanpromise. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. This caused Natalie to lose a noticeable amount of weight over the past few days. One day, Shane suddenly left the house, and it was very early when he did. ording to the housekeeper, it was still dark outside when he left. Something must have happened for him to be such a rush. Initially, Natalie wanted to contact Shane to ask what exactly had happened and if he was in danger. However, she remembered their silent dispute, so she kept her phone. Across the dining table, Lina, having breakfast, saw Natalie pick up her phone and put it down again, her face still looking unhappy. She couldn''t help but sigh, ¡°If you want to ask, just ask. Why did you stop?¡± Natalie took a sip of milk. ¡°We''re still mad at each other. What''s there to ask? Besides, asking would be so embarrassing. Wouldn''t that mean I''m admitting defeat in this fight, that I''m willing to leave?¡± After all, in the beginning, she didn''t expect Shane to be upromising. Lina''s mouth twitched, and she didn''t know how to respond. After a while, she reluctantly replied, ¡°I must say, you two are really making a mountain out of a molehill. It''s a small issue, yet you''ve been giving each other the cold shoulder for many days. It''s so ufortable for me to watch. I''ve been holding myself back from saying anything, just in case I provoke either of you and end up getting involved.¡± ¡°Is it really a trivial matter?¡± Natalie frowned. Joyce curled her lips. ¡°How is that not a small matter? Isn''t it just that you wanted to stay, but Mr. Shane wanted you to leave? It''s not like it''s the end of the world or something. In short, as long as it''s not that, it''s not a big deal.¡± It was hard for Natalie to respond to that. Indeed, it isn''t the end of the world. Isn''t this just a minor issue? Natalie nced at Lina. ¡°Oh please. We''re giving each other the cold shoulder but now that you said it, I feel like it''s not even a big deal anymore.¡± Lina also rolled her eyes at her. ¡°I just said you two are simply overthinking things. There is no need to give a cold treatment in the first ce, but you had to do it, and itsted for several days. If word gets out, people will think there''s something wrong with both of your heads.¡± ¡°There''s something wrong with your head instead,¡± Natalie retorted irritably. Lina nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. I know I have a problem with my brain, but Nat, there''s really no need for you and Mr. Shane to be in a fight. It''s just a matter of one of you taking a step back, but neither of you is willing to give in, admit defeat, or admit your mistake, so that''s why this continues. Of course, your argument is quite dramatic, but if you keep going like this, Nat, your marriage might really run into problems.¡± At this point, her expression became more serious. ¡°You both clearly want what''s best for each other, but how did it escte to a silent treatment? Anyway, this is the first time I''ve seen a situation like yours. Usually, when a couple is good to each other, they can''t help but embrace each other and cry, overwhelmed with emotion. But you two...¡± Natalie coughed once, without saying a word. She''s right. Even I don''t understand how Shane and I end up like this. We want what''s best for us, but why did we fight and give each other the cold treatment? ¡°inly speaking, you both care for each other, but at the same time, you don''t ept the care you receive from one another.¡± Lina looked at Natalie and pointed out the crux of the matter. Natalie blinked her eyes, not denying it. Chapter 1707 Chapter 1707 Chapter 1707 For Her Sake Indeed, she wanted to stay by Shane''s side and go through the ups and downs together. However, Shane wanted to send her away to prevent her from getting into danger. It was all for the sake of each other, but they honestly couldn''t ept each other''s kindness. The contradiction was the main reason for the conflict. Natalie looked at Lina and asked, ¡°So, do you have any ideas?¡± Lina shrugged. ¡°Yes, and it''s quite simple. As you know, one of you two needs to take a step back. Otherwise, if this continues, your rtionship will drift further apart in your marriage. By then, the deep bond between you two will be at risk.¡± Natalie didn''t deny it, but she sighed. ¡°But I don''t want to take a step back.¡± ¡°You don''t want to, and neither does Mr. Thompson, which is why the argumentsts so long. But honestly, Nat, I think it''s best if you take a step back,¡± said Lina. ¡°Why should I?¡± Natalie straightened her back immediately, feeling somewhat unhappy. ¡°Why should I be the one to step back instead of Shane?¡± ¡°Because Mr. Thompson is worried about your safety. Even though I don''t know what kind of person Sean is, I''ve heard enough descriptions from you all to roughly tell that he''s a madman who would risk his life to go against Mr. Thompson. He''s afraid that this madman might hurt you, so he asked you to leave. He''s doing it for your safety, and your safety is more important than anything else. Do you understand?¡± Lina looked at Natalie. Indeed, she wanted to stay by Shane''s side and go through the ups and downs together. Natalie nodded. ¡°I understand, but...¡± ¡°But you want to stay by his side every time!¡± Lina knew what she was going to say and directly cut her off. Natalie pursed her lips and hummed in agreement. Lina smiled and said, ¡°Nat, your intentions are good. Since you two are husband and wife, you don''t want him to face such a dangerous person alone. However, you haven''t considered your capabilities.¡± ¡°Capabilities?¡± Natalie''s expression froze momentarily as if she suddenly understood something in her heart, but she was still somewhat uncertain. Lina nodded. ¡°Yes, capabilities. You don''t have the same influence as Mr. Thompson, who has many useful people at his disposal. Moreover, you don''t have the ability to protect yourself as he does. So, how can you fight side by side with him?¡± The question caught Natalie off guard, leaving her at a loss for words. Lina continued, ¡°Nat, I''m not saying this to belittle you, but I hope you can face the reality. The gap between you and Mr. Thompson is quite huge. He might find it easier to confront Sean if he faces him alone. However, if you''re involved, Mr. Thompson will have to allocate some of his manpower and attention to protect you and keep an eye on you. What if Sean doesn''t target him in the end, but only goes after you, captures you, and uses you to threaten him? Then, Shane will have to find a way to save you. At that point, you won''t be fighting alongside him, but rather, you''ll be holding him back.¡± Natalie''s pupils suddenly contracted, her red lips quivered, and after a moment, she finally spoke. ¡°Am I really that useless?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You''re definitely not useless, but the problem is that your opponent might be even more capable than you. People say that Sean is cunning and ruthless, and he has a strong influence, which is why he hasn''t been caught by Mr. Thompson yet. So, if he doesn''t target Mr. Thompson but goes after the people around him, his chances of sess would be terrifyingly high. If Sean wants to bypass Mr. Thompson and target you, using you against him, the probability of it happening is quite high. If it were me, it wouldn''t matter what method I use to take down my enemy, as long as it''s effective,¡± Lina said as she spread out her hands. Natalie didn''t respond, but her heart was pounding like thunder, and she couldn''t calm down. It was because she knew that everything Lina said was true. Although she was Shane''s wife, she did not possess the same influence as him, nor did she have a brilliant mind like him. So, if she stayed by Shane''s side, it was indeed quite possible she couldn''t do anything to help. Instead, she might even be a burden and a hindrance to him, holding him back. Chapter 1708 Chapter 1708 Chapter 1708 Realization She hadn''t thought about it before, but now that Lina had mentioned it, she suddenly realized the potential consequences of staying by Shane''s side. Sean was always cunning, willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goals. She would never be so selfish as to believe that Sean''s love for her would prevent him from hurting her. Sean had feelings for her, but those feelings were definitely not very deep, at least nowhere near as deep as Shane''s. Shane loved her so deeply that he would risk his life for her sake. If faced with a choice between her life and his own, Shane would undoubtedly choose to save her. She was confident that Shane would do that. However, Sean wouldn''t do such a thing. Faced with such a choice, he would not choose her, but rather, he would choose himself. It was because Sean had always been clear-headed about love. He believed love existed, but it would never be more important than himself. To put it nicely, such people were looking out for their own interests. To put it bluntly, it was out of selfishness. Although Sean''s actions were not wrong, they still made people ufortable. In other words, even if Sean had feelings for her, he would not hesitate to abandon her for his goals and even use her. Just like now, Sean wanted to duel with Shane. To kill Shane, it was entirely possible that Sean would attack her first, seeking a breakthrough from her to defeat him. She hadn''t thought about it before, but now that Lina had mentioned it, she suddenly realized the potential consequences of staying by Shane''s side. Firstly, by doing this, Sean could avoid directly confronting Shane. After all, Shane''s influence was originally much more significant than Sean''s. If they were to confront each other directly, the probability of Sean being unable to kill Shane would be much higher, as the gap in their power was evident. So, Sean definitely wouldn''t want to confront Shane head-on. After all, Sean was no fool. He knew his strengths and limitations. He hated Shane so much that he definitely wanted him dead. Therefore, Sean would surely not choose to confront Shane directly. If he did so, the possibility of Sean''s failure would be extremely high. So if she were Sean, she would target Shane''s weaknesses, preferably those with the most significant impact. Natalie and her children were Shane''srgest weaknesses. Shane was so intelligent that he naturally thought of those. That was why he sent the children away in advance and considered sending her away. However, she just didn''t want to leave. Although Sean''s influence was not as significant as Shane''s, his power was not insignificant. As long as he didn''t confront Shane directly, it would be much easier for him to do something, with a much higher sess rate. For example, kidnapping her to threaten Shane or even killing her. Although it was troublesome and difficult, it was still much easier than dealing with Shane directly. At least she knew that Sean would target Shane''s soft spot. This way, he could avoid confronting Shane directly while striking at his most vulnerable point. It was like killing two birds with one stone. It was a perfect n. Thinking of all this, Natalie couldn''t help but bite her lip hard. She probably understood why Shane was so determined this time and why he would give her the cold treatment instead of giving in to her wishes. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Because of these, Shane had thought of it upfront, but she hadn''t. She wholeheartedly wanted to be with him, to face everything together, without considering any other oues, but he had thought everything through. From this perspective, it can be seen that she didn''t think far enough ahead,cking Shane''s broader vision. Shane saw things further ahead, but she only wanted to be with him without considering the consequences. It seems that Shane must have thought I was making trouble out of nothing for the past two days. Thinking about all this, Natalie couldn''t eat her breakfast anymore. She put down her spoon and massaged her temples. ¡°Lina, did you think of all this a long time ago?¡± Lina nodded. ¡°Yes. I thought of it the day after you two argued.¡± ¡°Why didn''t you tell me?¡± Natalie looked at her with a resentful expression. Chapter 1709 Chapter 1709 Chapter 1709 He Stopped Me From Telling You Lina quickly leaned backward. ¡°Please do not falsely use me. I intended to tell you earlier, but Mr. Thompson saw through my intentions in advance and stopped me from informing you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Natalie widened her eyes, confused. Lina shrugged and said, ¡°What else could it be? It''s such a straightforward reason that all of us could have understood from the beginning. You are simply so fixated on the idea of staying that you can''t understand. Mr. Thompson''s intention is quite simple - he wants you to figure it out on your own. After all, understanding it by yourself is much better than having someone else tell you. At least, you''ll be able to appreciate Mr. Thompson''s efforts more.¡± Lina''s words left Natalie speechless. She was indeed right. Truly grasping something through personal understanding would always carry more conviction than merely hearing it from others. Shane wanted Natalie to figure it out on her own, so he stopped thetter. Natalie looked at Lina and asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly decide to clear things up with me now?¡± Lina sighed. ¡°I didn''t want to say anything, but I couldn''t help myself. You two have been giving each other the silent treatment for several days now, and it''s giving me a headache even though I''m just an outsider. Furthermore, the longer this silent dispute between the two of you persists, the more confused you be. I can''t bear it any longer, so I feelpelled to tell you directly. If this continues, your rtionship with Mr. Thompson will truly be at risk. Honestly, Nat, you have the ability to understand and figure out so many things, so why is it that this particr matter has been so difficult for you to comprehend?¡± Lina quickly leaned backward. ¡°Please do not falsely use me. I intended to tell you earlier, but Mr. Thompson saw through my intentions in advance and stopped me from informing you.¡± Natalie lowered her eyelids. ¡°Perhaps it''s because of what happened with Shane before. It truly frightened me, so this time...¡± After that, she didn''t respond anymore. On the other hand, Lina suddenly nodded in realization. ¡°I see. I understand now, and I can empathize with you. That incident indeed gave all of us quite a scare, so it''s also normal for you to have such an intense reaction. After all, you care deeply for Mr. Thompson.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Natalie responded with a hum, ¡°Yeah.¡± Since she cared too much about him, she was unwilling to take a step back. But now, it seemed that she had no choice but to back down. ¡°Nat, what do you n to do now?¡± Lina asked, looking at Natalie. Natalie pinched the bridge of her nose and said, ¡°What else can I do? I have topromise. You''ve already made it so clear, and I also understand that if I don''t leave, I will cause a lot of trouble for Shane. So, of course, I will choose to walk away and not burden him.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Lina breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile. Natalie pursed the corners of her lips and picked up a spoon, absent-mindedly stirring the porridge in the bowl. Lina asked again, ¡°So, when do you n to talk to Mr. Thompson and exin your thoughts?¡± ¡°Let''s wait for him toe back,¡± Natalie said. Lina nodded. ¡°You''re right. Ipletely forgot that Mr. Thompson went out. You were even holding your phone, looking very worried about him just now.¡± ¡°Who''s worried about him?¡± Natalie''s face flushed red as she immediately retorted. Lina nced at her sideways. ¡°Still won''t admit it, huh? If you''re worried, then be worried. After all, he''s your husband. What''s there to be shy about?¡± ¡°Go away.¡± Natalie huffed and red at Lina angrily. Linaughed heartily and said, ¡°All right, all right, I won''t say anything more. However, Mr. Thompson did leave quite early today in a hurry. There must be something going on. If you''re genuinely worried, you should ask him. Otherwise, you won''t feel at ease. And if something did happen, you might regret not asking him now.¡± Natalie fell silent once again. Yeah, it''s better to ask him now. If something truly happens, it''ll be toote to do anything about it. Noticing Natalie''s expression softening, Lina smiled and handed her the phone. ¡°That''s enough. Go ahead and call Mr. Thompson. Ask him what he''s up to. This call can serve as an icebreaker to resolve the cold war between the two of you.¡± ¡°I got it. No need to rush me,¡± Natalie said, feeling embarrassed as she red at her friend. She then epted her cell phone from Lina and unlocked it, preparing to call Shane. However, when she found Shane''s phone number, she hesitated and couldn''t bring herself to dial it. Upon seeing this, Lina rolled her eyes in exasperation. ¡°Are you seriously concerned about losing face? Come on, Nat, that''s your dear husband we''re talking about. Sometimes, you have to set aside your ego and be shameless when necessary. Otherwise, how are you two supposed to foster a happy marriage?¡± Chapter 1710 Chapter 1710 Chapter 1710 Ignored My Calls Upon hearing her words, Natalie couldn''t help but feel nonplussed. ¡°It sounds like you understand the art of marriage better than I do. But didn''t you fail to win Bryan over?¡± ¡°Um...¡± The corner of Lina''s mouth twitched slightly. She then straightened her back and replied confidently, ¡°Although I didn''t manage to win Bryan over, I did a lot of research and studied a lot of rtionship strategies in order to pursue him. So, when ites to dealing with husbands or boyfriends, I''m sure I know more than you do, at least in terms of theoretical knowledge.¡± Seeing her like that, Natalie couldn''t help butugh and shake her head, feeling amused. ¡°All right, all right, you make a good point. Fine, I''ll do as you say and forget about my ego.¡± ¡°That''s more like it!¡± Linaughed. Natalie took a deep breath. This time, her finger finally pressed the dial button, connecting the call to Shane. The call was connected and Natalie''s eyes remained fixed on the cell phone screen. Both her hands clenched slightly and her breathing became tense. Her heart raced faster. Clearly, she was nervous. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. It was actually rather amusing if she thought about it. Shane was her husband, and when she called him usually, it was somethingpletely natural. Her heart was filled with nothing but anticipation. However, after a few days of silent treatment, she actually felt nervous about calling him again. This must be the aftermath of feelings fading down. If the cold war between them persisted, she would be even more hesitant to call Shane. She might even fear initiating a conversation with him when they meet or speak, and if she did muster the courage to start a conversation, it wouldck the intimacy they once shared. It would only entuate the awkwardness and unfamiliarity between them. Upon hearing her words, Natalie couldn''t help but feel nonplussed. ¡°It sounds like you understand the art of marriage better than I do. But didn''t you fail to win Bryan over?¡± So, what Lina said was true ¨C it was fine to give each other a cold shoulder since it''s impossible for a couple to avoid arguments and disputes in a marriage. However, one should definitely know when to stop and put an end to the cold war. Otherwise, even the strongest of rtionships would eventuallye to an end without any apparent reason. The call was connected, but strangely, no one picked up. This caused Natalie''s eyes to darken, and she panicked a little inside. She bit her lower lip, and asked somewhat uncertainly, ¡°Do you think he''s deliberately avoiding my calls?¡± Lina quickly shook her head. ¡°No, definitely not. How could Mr. Thompson possibly ignore your calls deliberately?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Natalie looked up at her and said, ¡°He has always had an arrogant and cold personality. We''ve been giving each other the silent treatment these past few days, and we''ve ignored each other the whole time. He hasn''t spoken a single word to me nor reached out to me. Obviously, he is also a very proud person. Therefore, it''s not entirely impossible that he will deliberately ignore my calls.¡± Upon hearing this, Lina was left speechless. Indeed, she wasn''t sure if Shane was deliberately not answering the phone. After all, she didn''t know much about the man. There had been many cases of couples engaged in a cold war where one party already chose to take a step back, but the other still remains unwavering and unwilling to yield. Therefore, she was also unsure whether Shane was one of those under this category. But now, all she could do was reassure Natalie. If that''s really the case, hopefully, Mr. Thompson could gradually let go of this awkward situation. It might be understandable for him to ignore a few of Nat''s calls, but he should not persist in giving her the cold shoulder for a long period. If this continued, it would really be the end of them. After all, Nat had alreadye to terms with him and was willing to take a step back. If Mr. Thompson was not willing topromise now, then Nat would once again give Mr. Thompson the cold shoulder. And this time, the silent dispute would be serious. So, Mr. Thompson, you must answer the call. You have to answer it, or else you might lose your wife. Lina sped her hands together and prayed non-stop silently in her mind. Sitting across from her, Natalie was staring intently at her cell phone, watching the dialing interface. As the ring echoed again and again, no one answered the phone. Natalie''s heart grew heavier and colder with each passing moment. Her teeth bit tighter on her lips, and her emotions gradually shifted from anticipation to gloom. Seeing her like this, Lina couldn''t help but feel worried about her. ¡°Nat...¡± ¡°I''m fine.¡± Natalie shook her head and managed to squeeze out a faint smile. Lina remained silent, still looking at her with concern. Fine? Natalie''s face was growing paler and paler. How could she possibly be fine? Chapter 1711 Chapter 1711 Chapter 1711 He Was Busy Honestly, Mr. Thompson really was something! Did he genuinely not want to answer Nat''s call, or was he just busy? If he was genuinely busy, he should hang up the phone and sent a message to let Natalie know! But now... ¡°Ugh,¡± Lina let out a frustrated sigh, her head throbbing with pain. What was going on here? She finally managed to persuade Nat, but then there was a problem with Mr. Thompson. She couldn''t do anything about this either. Her hands were tied. Natalie was still staring at the cell phone screen, the call still ringing. She told herself silently that she would let the phone ring three more times. After the third ring, if no one answered, she would hang up and never call him again. Then, she also had to consider whether she could continue her rtionship with Shane in the future. One ring! Natalie took a deep breath. Two rings! Natalie closed her eyes. Three... Just as she thought of the word ¡°three¡± in her head, a voice suddenly came through the phone. ¡°Madam.¡± Natalie opened her eyes immediately and stared at the cell phone screen. The cell phone screen no longer disyed the dialing interface. Instead, it showed the active call interface, with a timer already counting the duration of the call. It was obvious that she wasn''t hallucinating earlier. Lina noticed that Natalie was stunned and thought that thetter hadn''t realized what was happening. She immediately eximed excitedly, ¡°Nat, did you hear that? He answered, he answered, Mr. Thompson answered the call!¡± Honestly, Mr. Thompson really was something! Did he genuinely not want to answer Nat''s call, or was he just busy? On the other end of the phone, Ss'' mouth twitched slightly. ¡°Um... Ms. Cohen, I''m not Mr. Thompson. You are mistaken.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Upon hearing this, the excitement on Lina''s face vanished instantly. She yelled into the phone, ¡°If you''re not Mr. Thompson, why did you answer the phone? We were so happy for nothing! Do you know that Nat has finallye to her senses and is willing to listen to Mr. Thompson and leave this ce? She wants to make up with him, and when she took the initiative to call him, he didn''t even answer! Now that the call is finally connected, it turns out that it''s not Mr. Thompson who answered, but you! Why did you take his phone? Are you trying to meddle in their affairs?¡± Her outburst startled Ss so much that he froze for a moment. After a while, he finally came back to his senses as he sorted through her words, and eventually understood what had happened. It turned out that Madam had finallye to her senses and wanted to take the initiative to make up with Mr. Thompson. However, Mr. Thompson didn''t answer the phone, which made Madam very uneasy. Well, they did let Madam down, but they really had no choice. Sighing, Ss rubbed his temples and replied, ¡°Ms. Cohen, please don''t shout at me. If Mr. Thompson did not answer his phone, it must be because he was busy and inconvenient for him to answer. That''s why he asked me to answer the call for him.¡± ¡°Hmph, then why didn''t you exin it from the beginning?¡± Lina grumbled unhappily. Upon hearing that Shane didn''t intentionally ignore her calls but was upied with something else, Natalie''s heart settled a bit, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The pallor on her face gradually faded, and a flush of color returned. She misunderstood him. Indeed, he must be very busy if he was not answering the phone. How could he answer the phone when he was swamped with work? She was overthinking, only focusing on the fact that they were currently giving each other the silent treatment. Therefore, she assumed that Shane deliberately ignored her calls without considering that he might be busy dealing with his work. It was her fault. She had be paranoid. When he returned, she would sincerely apologize to him. Pondering for a moment, Natalie made a gesture to Lina, signaling her to not argue with Ss for now. Then, she asked Ss on the other side of the phone, ¡°Mr. Campbell, what is Shane busy with? Has anything big happened? Please tell me, I need to know about Shane''s situation. If I don''t, I''ll feel uneasy.¡± Noticing the concern and anxiety in Natalie''s tone, Ss became serious as well. ¡°Madam, don''t worry. Mr. Thompson is fine, and nothing has happened for now. Today, he just went out to check on the equipment. As you know, we are about to have our final battle with Sean, so naturally, we should start preparing for the equipment.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded, her heart finally at ease. As long as Shane was safe and sound, she could be at ease. ¡°By the way, Madam, as Ms. Cohen mentioned just now, did you agree to listen to Mr. Thompson and leave temporarily?¡± Ss suddenly asked at this moment. Chapter 1712 Chapter 1712 Chapter 1712 Stanley Called Natalie replied with a hum, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That''s great! I''ll inform Mr. Thompson in a bit. He''s currently in a meeting with the equipment supplier, so his cell phone is with me. I was on another call just now, so I couldn''t answer your call in time. I apologize, Madam, for making you wait¡ª¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± Before Ss could finish his sentence, Natalie interrupted him while shaking her head. She didn''t mind at all. All she needed to know was that Shane didn''t answer her call because he was busy, not because he was deliberately ignoring her. Knowing this made her very happy already. As for the rest, she could understand them all. Upon hearing Natalie''s reassurance, Ss breathed a sigh of relief. He was concerned that his prolonged dy in answering the phone might upset Natalie. Fortunately, Natalie was very understanding. ¡°All right, Mr. Campbell, since you''re busy, I won''t disturb you any further. Just let Shane know that I''ll wait for him to return. I want to have a good talk with him,¡± said Natalie. Ss quickly took in her words and nodded. ¡°Very well, Madam. I will make sure to inform Mr. Thompson.¡± ¡°All right, goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. After the call ended, Natalie put her phone down and let out a barely noticeable sigh of relief. Lina looked at her with a gleeful smile. ¡°Now you can rx, right? Mr. Thompson isn''t ignoring your calls, he''s just too busy.¡± Natalie huffed and said, ¡°All right, let''s eat. Even food can''t keep your mouth shut.¡± Although she was saying this, she made no attempt to conceal the smile in her eyes. Obviously, at this moment, she truly felt at ease, and her mood naturally improved. Natalie replied with a hum, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That''s great! I''ll inform Mr. Thompson in a bit. He''s currently in a meeting with the equipment supplier, so his cell phone is with me. I was on another call just now, so I couldn''t answer your call in time. I apologize, Madam, for making you wait¡ª¡± ¡°All right, all right, I''ll eat, I won''t tease you anymore.¡± Lina knew that Natalie was feeling embarrassed, so she chuckled and stopped talking while eating breakfast. It wasn''t until after breakfast that Lina sat down beside Natalie with a tablet in hand. ¡°Natalie, it''s been two days since the finals. Do you know when the results will be announced? I''ve been checking the official website from time to time, but the scores haven''t been updated yet. It''s driving me crazy!¡± Natalie was watching TV while ncing at her sideways with a chuckle. ¡°What''s the rush? When the results are ready, they will be announced. Wasn''t it the same with the semi-finals a while ago?¡± ¡°I know, but I really want to know the oue. I want to know if we are the champions. During the semi-finals, I was already afraid of being eliminated. Fortunately, we made it to the top two and had the final match with another pair of contestants. Now, they must be as nervous as we are, because this will determine which of our teams will be the champion,¡± Lina said with a sigh. Natalie lowered her eyes and said, ¡°To be honest, it''s impossible for me not to be anxious, but a watched pot never boils. When the timees, the result will naturally be announced. There''s no use in being anxious now. It''s better to face the oue with a calm heart. No matter what the final oue is, we''ll face it with eptance, since we''ve already tried our best.¡± ¡°Yeah, you''re right, but I just can''t calm down. Forget it, don''t worry about me. If I don''t check, I''ll be even more restless,¡± Lina said with a wave of her hand. Natalie shrugged, ¡°Fine, I won''t bother you anymore. You can just refresh the website as you like.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Lina nodded and proceeded to hold the tablet, continuously refreshing thepetition website to check for the results. However, every time she refreshed, new results never appeared. It only showed results from the previous round. This made Lina increasingly agitated, and the more agitated she became, the more she felt the need to refresh the website. Seeing her like this, Natalie couldn''t help but shake her head, feeling amused and nonplussed. What''s the point of this? Creating trouble for oneself was just like the cold war between her and Shane. Natalie paid no attention to Lina who was struggling with the results beside her. At this moment, she waspletely engrossed in watching the television. The television was broadcasting the most hrious variety show of the moment, but Natalie watched it without any trace of amusement. She couldn''tugh at all. Because although she was physically here, her heart was with Shane on the other side. She doesn''t know when he would be back. Just as she was thinking, her cell phone suddenly rang. She gathered her thoughts and picked up her phone to check. Seeing that the caller ID showed Stanley, she hesitated for a moment, ¡°Why would Stanley be calling me?¡± Chapter 1713 Chapter 1713 Chapter 1713 Here To Help During this period, Stanley called her twice, but both times were for Joyce. He did not know what he wanted from Joyce. Upon hearing Natalie''s exmation, Lina, who was nearby, also put down her tablet and looked over. ¡°Was it Stanley? What does he want now?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Lina asked cautiously. Due to Joyce''s involvement, she had absolutely no fondness for Stanley. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know. Keep quiet for now and let me do the talking.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lina nodded. Natalie swiped the screen and put the phone to her ear, answering the call seriously, ¡°Hey, Stanley.¡± ¡°Natalie, where are you guys?¡± Stanley asked as he walked. On the other end of the phone, he had just gotten off the ne and was currently walking out of the baggage im area toward the airport exit. Natalie was momentarily stunned before finally reacting. ¡°Are you asking where we are?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Stanley nodded. Natalie became even more puzzled. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°I''vee to the country where yourpetition is taking ce. I have something important to discuss with Shane. Shane will be up against Sean, and I am here to provide support for Shane.¡± Stanley stood in the waiting area outside the airport, speaking calmly. Natalie realized his intentions and said, ¡°So that''s how it is.¡± She recalled that Shane had indeed mentioned this matter. ¡°Have you arrived, Stanley?¡± Natalie heard the sound of car horns and airne engines through the phone, guessing that Stanley was no longer at the hospital where Joyce stayed but at some airport. During this period, Stanley called her twice, but both times were for Joyce. From this, it was clear that Stanley was on his way to find them. Sure enough, when Stanley heard her question, he responded with a hum. ¡°Yes, I''ve arrived in the country where yourpetition is being held. I''m at the airport now. Send me the address of where you''re staying, and I''lle find you.¡± ¡°Okay, just wait a moment. I''ll have someonee pick you up,¡± Natalie said directly. Stanley did not refuse either. He agreed and then hung up the phone. Nowadays, Stanley''s attitude toward her could be described as extremely coldpared to the past. However, Natalie was not sad at all. She did not love Stanley, after all. On the contrary, Stanley''s indifferent attitude toward her allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief. Stanley''s love was ultimately too oppressive, suffocating, and terrifying. Being loved by someone like that was actually quite unfortunate. Of course, this would be different assuming Stanley''s mental health had improved. Now that Stanley had fallen in love with Joyce, Natalie wondered how he was doing mentally. However, it was impossible toe up with a concrete answer for this kind of situation. If Stanley did not talk about it, no one would know his mental state and how well he has truly recovered. Moreover, he could be considered a psychologist himself. If he wanted to conceal his own mental state, he had plenty of ways to do so. It was perfectly normal for others not to notice. Therefore, outsiders simply could not understand what his mental state was really like. Instead of guessing, it was quicker to ask him directly. After the call ended, Natalie put down her phone, called her bodyguard, and asked him to drive to the airport to pick up Stanley. The bodyguard nodded and immediately went to do as instructed. Afterward, Natalie thought momentarily and wrote a short message to send to Shane. Although Shane knew Stanley woulde to help, Natalie still felt the need to inform Shane when Stanley arrived. Shane''s response came quickly, with just a brief message. Understood, Mrs. Thompson. I shall inform Mr. Thompson. It was clear Shane was still busy and had not seen the message. The person who saw the message and replied was Ss. Natalie was not really disappointed. As long as Shane was not deliberately avoiding her, she would not mind what he was busy with. Lina saw Natalie put down her phone and could roughly guess what was going on. She asked, ¡°Mr. Thompson hasn''t finish work, huh?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natalie shook her head. Lina pondered momentarily and patted her shoulder. ¡°Don''t be disheartened. When Mr. Thompson returns, make himpensate you properly.¡± Natalie chuckled lightly. ¡°I''m not upset. He''s just busy. It''s not like he''s deliberately ignoring my messages, so why should I feel down? I''m not the type to make a fuss over nothing.¡± Chapter 1714 Chapter 1714 Chapter 1714 Our Savior ¡°True.¡± Lina nodded, then furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°By the way, you sent someone to pick up Stanley. Is heing here?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Natalie responded. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Lina pursed her lips. ¡°What is he doing here? Isn''t he supposed to be taking care of Joyce? He put in so much effort to find her, and now he''sing over. What''s he up to?¡± Natalie smiled and said, ¡°He''s here to help.¡± ¡°Help?¡± Lina was taken aback. ¡°What kind of help?¡± ¡°Shane''s duel with Sean is bound to result in injuries. He''s a doctor, so he came over to help,¡± Natalie exined. Lina suddenly realized. ¡°So that''s how it is. I thought he came over to cause trouble for you, considering you helped Joyce escape from him before.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was also surprised when he suddenly came here. When I heard he came to help, I felt relieved. Besides, it''s actually great that he''s here. I have a few things I''d like to ask him.¡± Speaking of that, Natalie narrowed her eyes and pursed her red lips. She wanted to know why he kidnapped Connor and burnt down herpany''s factory, causing her such significant losses. She should have asked him about these issues earlier, but he was always with Joyce, and Natalie did not want to disturb them. Sometimes, she could not get in touch with him. Thus, the discussion dragged on until now, and she still had not asked him for rification. Now that he was here, she had the perfect opportunity. ¡°What is it about?¡± Lina asked with some curiosity. Lina eventually became friends with Natalie but had never met Stanley. Lina only knew a little about the grievances between Stanley, Natalie, and Joyce. She mostly knew about the grievances between Stanley and Joyce because Natalie frequently mentioned them. As for Stanley, Lina mainly knew him through word of mouth and did not have much of a good impression of him. Judging by Natalie''s current expression, it seemed she would not be asking about anything good. Upon hearing Lina''s question, Natalie fell silent for a few seconds before responding, ¡°It''s something I still can''t figure out to this day.¡± Immediately after, she briefly exined the situation. Although she described it casually, as if it were just a simple matter like the weather, it still left Lina astonished and unable to calm down for quite some time when she heard the story. ¡°Oh my God, he actually did that to Connor?¡± Lina eximed, standing up from the couch in shock. The tablet in her hand slipped and fell onto the sofa. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. I always thought the one who kidnapped Connor and caused his car ident was either Jasmine, Jacqueline, or Harrison and his group. I never expected it to be Stanley, who had always been kind to Connor. I still can''t understand why this happened. Before Connor knew Shane was his father, he had always treated Stanley like a father. Yet, it was Stanley who hurt Connor and his young, fragile heart. This makes me feel very upset, but I can''t bring myself to resent Stanley.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Lina asked, puzzled. She would not care if the person hurting her child was a friend if it were her. She would cut ties with them immediately and never associate with them again. Hence, she found it hard to understand why Natalie was still in touch with Stanley. ¡°Because Stanley is the savior of our family of three.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples and said, ¡°When I was pregnant with Connor and Sharon abroad six years ago, my health wasn''t very good. I was even at risk of losing both children due to excessive stress. If it were not for Stanley, the three of us might not be here today. Moreover, my mother was also sick at that time, and it was Stanley who arranged for a doctor to save her. You could say that Stanley saved all four of us in our family. How could I hate him?¡± ¡°This...¡± Lina was at a loss for words. After a while, she nodded. ¡°Indeed, you can''t hate him. This really is an unsolvable dilemma.¡± Chapter 1715 Chapter 1715 Chapter 1715 Stanley Is Here ¡°Even though Stanley hurt Connor, I can''t take revenge on him, but I still want to know the answer. I want to know why Stanley did this.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lina gripped Natalie''s hand tightly. ¡°You really should know this. When he arrives, make sure to ask him properly.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Natalie nodded, forcing a smile in response. Afterward, she called a housekeeper and arranged a room for Stanley. Then, she sat quietly on the couch, waiting. She waited for Stanley to arrive. The airport was not too far from her ce. At most, it was just an hour''s drive away. In an hour, she would finally meet Stanley and get the answers to all the questions she had longed to know. Time flew by quickly. An hourter, Natalie heard the sound of a car outside the vi. She stood up, clenched her fists, and slowly whispered two words inwardly. He''s here. Stanley had arrived. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Lina was not around at the moment. She was in her room, having a video call with Bryan. It seemed Lina had been bothering Bryan around this time every day, chatting with him and such. Now, Bryan was no longer like the boring person he used to be, appearing clueless about everything. Bryan seemed to know what was on Lina''s mind, and he himself appeared to have the same intentions. That was why he was willing to chat and video call with Lina every day. In just a short period of time, their rtionship improved rapidly. Sometimes, Lina could be heard saying she would no longer be single if things kept going like this. Natalie was deep in thought when she heard footstepsing from the living room. She fell into a daze for a second before her thoughts were pulled back to reality. Then, she looked up toward the source of the noise. Upon seeing Stanley, who a housekeeper was leading, Natalie pursed her red lips slightly before allowing a small smile to form. She spoke with a smile, ¡°You''re here, Stanley.¡± Stanley stopped a few steps away from Natalie, his deep eyes gazing at her without saying a word. Natalie felt somewhat uneasy under his gaze, and the smile on her face stiffened for a moment. However, she quicklyposed herself and gestured to the housekeeper behind him. ¡°You may go now. Please make a pot of Earl Grey.¡± Earl Grey was a favorite of Stanley. Although she had misgivings about what Stanley had done in the past, she could not deny that he had saved her and her children''s lives. Moreover, Stanley came over this time to help, so she could not be too cold toward him. ¡°Understood, Mrs. Thompson.¡± The housekeeper nodded and turned to leave. Only Natalie and Stanley were left in the living room. Natalie took a breath and gestured invitingly to Stanley. ¡°Don''t just stand there, Stanley. Please have a seat.¡± Stanley nodded, set his luggage aside, and sat across from her. After adjusting the sses on the bridge of his nose, he looked at her and said, ¡°I can''t believe you still remember to prepare my favorite tea.¡± Natalie asked doubtfully, ¡°Why wouldn''t I?¡± Stanley chuckled softly. ¡°It''s because I can sense you have someplex feelings toward me, and you''re acting a bit distant. I''ve done bad things to you in the past, and I thought you wouldn''t consider me a friend anymore.¡± Upon hearing his words, Natalie lowered her gaze and fell silent. After a while, she sighed and spoke, ¡°You''re right. I do have some issues with you in my heart, but I never stopped considering you as a friend. Moreover, you are the savior of my children, mother, and me. With that alone, I will never truly be angry with you or truly dislike you as long as you don''t do anything to harm us.¡± Stanley was taken aback for a moment. He did not expect Natalie to have such a high tolerance for him. ¡°Really? Even if I hurt Joyce before, you wouldn''t be truly angry with me?¡± Stanley looked at her. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes. Besides, I''m me, and Joyce is Joyce. The grievances between you and Joyce are your own business and should be resolved by yourselves. Unless you threaten Joyce''s life, I won''t interfere. I can''tpletely dislike you just because I have a good rtionship with Joyce. That would be very unfair to you.¡± Chapter 1716 Chapter 1716 Chapter 1716 Make You Leave Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Upon hearing this, warmth filled Stanley''s heart, and his cold, stern eyes rxed considerably. ¡°Thank you.¡± Natalie chuckled. ¡°You look much more pleasing to the eye now than before.¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± Stanley frowned. Natalie looked at him. ¡°In the past, even though you always maintained a gentle and warm smile, something seemed off. I couldn''t quite put my finger on it untilter. That so-called gentleness was just a mask you wore. It wasn''t the real you. The real you wasn''t as wonderful. On the contrary, the real you was gloomy, unpredictable, and quite frightening. Although the real you made people ufortable, at least you were easier on the eyes and didn''t give me that unsettling feeling.¡± Stanley snorted, ¡°Aren''t you afraid I''ll be upset when you say that?¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°You won''t. I know you well. Since you dare to expose your true self and choose to live with it, I know you''re not a petty person. Besides, the Stanley I know may have a bad temper, but he''s a good person.¡± Stanley fell silent for a while before speaking again, ¡°I''m sorry, I might not be as good as you think. I''m not a good person. It''s true that I saved you, but I also hurt you at the same time.¡± Natalie lowered her eyes. ¡°I know that you were the one who kidnapped Connor, and you caused Connor''s car ident.¡± There was not much change in Stanley''s facial expression. Now, he also understood that she might find out about this matter. After all, Jacqueline was dead. Before her death, she would have definitely revealed these things to disgust Natalie. ¡°I want to know why you did that.¡± Natalie clenched her fists, her eyes reddening as she looked at the person in front of her. In fact, she did it on purpose. She deliberately called him a good person and treated him as a friend to evoke that touch of tenderness within his heart. As long as her words moved his heart, it was quite simple for her to get answers. However, when she decided to awaken the tender side of his heart, she could not help but feel apprehensive, as she did not know if she could seed. After all, she did not really know the current Stanley as well as she thought. Fortunately, the softness in his heart still remained despite being a changed man, and she had seeded. Stanley looked at the somewhat emotional woman, pursed his thin lips, and remained silent. With her heart filled with urgency, Natalie leaned forward slightly. ¡°Stanley, can you please tell me why? For the sake of our friendship and for the fact that you are the godfather of two children, can you please tell me the answer? You have no idea how heartbroken Connor was when he found out you were behind everything. Before he discovered Shane was his father, he truly saw you as his dad, Stanley.¡± Her voice was somewhat choked up. Stanley looked at her, almost in tears. His thin lips moved slightly, and he finally sighed. ¡°All right, I''ll tell you.¡± He felt liberated. He knew the woman he loved was not the one before him. Naturally, he should make amends and apologize for what he had done in the past and the harm he had caused her. He had never given her an exnation for what he had done in the past. Now, he should give her one. After all, he owed her an exnation. It did not matter if she forgave him. Hearing Stanley was willing to share with her, Natalie''s eyes lit up. In her reddened, moist eyes, excitement was evident. ¡°Okay, hurry up and tell me.¡± Natalie''s hands were trembling animatedly. Stanley took a cup handed over by the housekeeper, gripping it tightly in his palm. ¡°I did it to make you leave J City.¡± ¡°Make me leave J City?¡± Natalie was taken aback, clearly not expecting this at all. He kidnapped Connor and staged a car ident just to make me leave J City? Chapter 1717 Chapter 1717 Chapter 1717 She Was Being Watched Natalie''s face was filled with disbelief. Stanley knew that she didn''t quite believe his words, feeling that what he said was somewhat unbelievable. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Indeed, who would associate a kidnapping and a car ident with such a simple purpose of just getting her to leave? ¡°Everything I said is true. I didn''t deceive you.¡± Stanley sighed and then looked at Natalie. ¡°You should know that before, I thought I was in love with you. Or rather, before I understood my own feelings, I thought I loved you.¡± Natalie bit her lip and let out a soft ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°At that time, it was shortly after you returned to the country.¡± Stanley lowered his gaze, caressing the edge of the teacup in his hand, his expression somewhat cold. ¡°In fact, when you decided to return, I didn''t quite agree with your decision. At that time, a voice in my heart told me that once you returned, you would never leave again. This voice made me feel very panicked and scared. I was afraid that you would stay in J City and never leave. In the end, it turned out that my intuition was right. You did stay.¡± Natalie pursed her lips, not saying a word. Stanley didn''t mind, and continued, ¡°Because, at that time, I felt like I loved you very much, so after you returned to the country, I had someone keep an eye on you. Therefore, during the time you were back, I knew about all your movements.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie widened her eyes in astonishment. Stanley wasn''t surprised by her reaction as everything was within his expectations. ¡°You actually had someone follow me?¡± Natalie bit her lip, finding it hard to ept. Stanley neither confirmed nor denied. ¡°Yes, I had someone follow you. I''m sorry I never told you.¡± Natalie lowered her eyelids, slipping into silence as she pondered how to respond. The anger coursing through her veins intensified. After all, being followed was universally detested as it evoked a sense of being a criminal. In short, it left her feeling indescribably repulsed at her core. Natalie tightly pursed her red lips, her facial expression looking somewhat unpleasant. Stanley also knew that Natalie was angry, and he understood why. After all, it was his own fault. He took a sip of tea and continued, ¡°Because I had someone constantly following you, I knew everything about what you went through and the people you encountered after returning to the country. Initially, I had no ns to go to J City, but I ended up following you there. Do you know why?¡± Natalie remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. However, she quickly understood and looked up at him. ¡°Because of Shane!¡± At that time, Stanley believed that he loved her. So, besides Shane, she had no idea why he would hastily return for any reason. After all, she and Shane had grown closer during that time. Of course, there wasn''t anything else going on between her and Shane. It was simply because she had taken up a runway project for Shane''s newly established apparelpany. Therefore, she inevitably spent more time with Shane. And Stanley, believing that he loved her, couldn''t possibly ignore the appearance of another man by her side. ¡°Yes.¡± As expected, Natalie''s words were confirmed, and Stanley nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, it was because of Shane that I hastily resigned from my job abroad and returned to J City. I heard from the person that was arranged to be by your side that you were getting close to a man. Although I was concerned at that time, I hadn''t fully decided toe back because I trusted that you wouldn''t be interested in just any random guy. It wasn''t until I saw the photo of Shane sent by that person that I was completely shocked. Shane looked almost identical to Connor.¡± ¡°From that moment, you suspected that they were father and son?¡± Natalie eximed in surprise. Stanley chuckled. ¡°Isn''t it natural to be surprised? Two people who look so simr, it''s hard not to suspect that they''re rted. You conceived the child in J City, and after five years, you returned to J City. You encounter a man who bears such a striking resemnce to your child. It''s hard for me not to suspect that he is the biological father of both children. And I know that you have always felt guilty for not providing fatherly love to the two children. So, if you were to find out that Shane could potentially be their father, you would undoubtedly develop an interest in him and, in the end, even fall in love with him. I didn''t want to see that kind of oue, so I hastily rushed back. But I didn''t expect...¡± Chapter 1718 Chapter 1718 Chapter 1718 Twisted Intentions A hint of mockery curled up at the corners of his mouth, and he fell silent. However, Natalie knew what he was about to say next. He meant to say that he didn''t expect to see Shane on the very first day he returned. At that time, Shane was escorting her and her two children back to the apartment. For a while, both of them fell into silence, neither uttering a word. After a considerable amount of time passed, Stanley set down his coffee cup, poured himself another cup of coffee, and then continued, ¡°Connor is very intelligent. His intelligence exceeds my expectations. As a neurologist, I have encountered many bright children, but Connor is the first one who is this remarkable. When I saw Shane, I suspected that he might be the father of the two children. Likewise, when Connor saw Shane, he naturally had his doubts as well. On the first day that I returned to the country, Connor handed me his and Shane''s hair, asking me to conduct a profile for them.¡± ¡°I know, Connor told me about it. But in the end, the profile result didn''t confirm them as father and son.¡± Natalie nodded. As for why they weren''t father and son, she already knew the answer. It must have been tampered with by Stanley. As it turned out, Natalie''s suspicion was correct. Stanley nced at her and said, ¡°I didn''t want you to know that Shane is indeed the father of the two children because I knew that if you had even the slightest knowledge of it, there was a high possibility of a reunion as a family. So, after the results came out, I tampered with them. Hence, what Connor saw was a paternity test result stating that they were not father and son.¡± ¡°I had already guessed it,¡± Natalie flicked her hair near her ear and said with a lightugh. Would her anger re up? In the past, it would have ignited into a furious ze. However, now, it had dissipated because it was meaningless. After all, their family had been reunited, and naturally, there was no point in clinging to the past. ¡°In fact, when Shane first saw Connor, he also had doubts about whether they were father and son. He secretly conducted a profile, but the results were switched by Jasmine,¡± Stanley suddenly added. Natalie paused for a moment. It seemed that she was still unaware of that matter. But it didn''t matter, it was all in the past. They had finally been reunited. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°All of that doesn''t matter anymore. What matters is, what was your purpose in kidnapping Connor? You haven''t told me yet,¡± Natalie gazed at Stanley and asked again. Stanley rubbed his temples. ¡°I thought that if I didn''t let you know about the rtionship between the two children and Shane, you wouldn''t have any further interaction with him. After you finished your work, you would leave J City with the two children. But I never expected that even if you didn''t know about Shane''s rtionship with the children, you would still keep in touch with him and even consider staying here to develop your career.¡± ¡°Tell me, how could I allow that?¡± He looked at her and continued, ¡°If you stayed here, it would mean that the rtionship between the two children and Shane would eventually be exposed. It''s impossible to keep it a secret forever. That''s why I had someone take Connor away. I didn''t mean to kidnap him.¡± Natalie clenched her fists. ¡°Isn''t that still kidnapping? You caused Connor to have a car ident. He''s so young, and car idents are so terrifying. With a little carelessness, he could have been killed. You almost got Connor killed!¡± Her eyes were red as she stared at him. Her emotions started to be intense. Stanley lowered his gaze. ¡°I''m sorry, but I really didn''t intend to kidnap Connor, nor did I ever think of causing him a car ident. I just wanted to take Connor away first, take him abroad, and then secretly inform you of his whereabouts. I knew that for Connor, you would definitely follow him overseas. I just wanted you to leave J City, that''s all. As long as you left J City, I had a way to make you stay abroad. I never had any harmful intentions toward Connor. The car ident was just an unfortunate event. I didn''t expect the ident to happen on the way after the driver took Connor away. What I said was all true.¡± He lifted his eyes and looked at her earnestly. He hadn''t lied. He really only wanted to use Connor as a pretext to lure her away, to take her abroad. He didn''t intend to kidnap Connor or cause harm to him. Chapter 1719 Chapter 1719 Chapter 1719 Dark Maniptions Upon learning of the failed n and Connor''s ident, he felt regret and worry. Despite his cunning nature, he did have affection for Connor. After all, Connor had called him ¡°Uncle Stanley¡± for several years, and he had witnessed Connor''s growth. He was cold-hearted, but not to the extent of truly wishing Connor dead. Therefore, upon hearing about Connor''s ident, he hurriedly rushed to the hospital to check on his condition. Natalie bit her lip and remained silent. Of course, she knew that Stanley was not lying and that he was being sincere in everything he said. But precisely because of that, she felt even more uneasy in her heart. That ident could have been avoided. It didn''t have to happen. But somehow, Stanley let it happen. Fortunately, Connor was lucky and didn''t suffer any major injuries. But if luck hadn''t been on his side, she could have truly lost a child. So, she was unable to get over that matter. ¡°Sorry.¡± Stanley acknowledged that Natalie was deeply upset, and he felt uneasy and burdened. Guilt and self-me welled up within him. Natalie took a deep breath. ¡°It was you who erased Connor''s memories after he was taken away, right?¡± She didn''t forgive his apology, nor did she have the right to. After all, Connor was the victim, and it was up to him to forgive before she could consider forgiveness. ¡°Yes.¡± Stanley nodded. ¡°After you fell asleep, I hypnotized Connor and erased his memories of being taken away and the car ident. Apart from wanting to hide my involvement, I also didn''t want him to develop any lingering psychological trauma from the ident.¡± ¡°Not wanting Connor to suffer psychological trauma?¡± Natalie scoffed. ¡°Should I thank you for that?¡± Stanley lowered his gaze, remaining silent. He couldn''t respond to that statement, nor could he ept it. Connor could have been fine without experiencing that car ident. It was his actions that led to Connor being taken away, which resulted in the car ident. If it weren''t for Connor''s incredible luck, he could have died at the scene of the ident just like the driver. He almost killed a child, the child who had called him ¡°Uncle Stanley¡± for five years. He was the one who let Connor down. He couldn''t ept, nor did he deserve those words of gratitude. Natalie looked at Stanley''s silent demeanor, lifted her head slightly, and took a breath. ¡°Let''s not talk about this matter for now. It has been a long time, and I only brought it up because I wanted to know one answer. Now that I know the answer, there''s no need to continue discussing it. Let''s talk about something else. The fire at the textile mill that Joyce and I were at, was it you who ordered it to be burned down?¡± Stanley nodded. ¡°It''s me,¡± he admitted directly. ¡°What about your car ident?¡± Natalie asked, looking at him with heartache. ¡°Did you arrange that as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Stanley nodded again as he replied. Natalie felt even more ufortable, her voice trembling as she asked, ¡°Why?¡± She truly couldn''t understand. ¡°You kidnapped Connor to make me leave J City, but then why did you burn down my factory and stage your own car ident? Stanley, what on earth are you thinking?¡± Natalie tightly clenched her fists and asked loudly. Stanley lifted his gaze to look at her. ¡°Of course, it''s still for you.¡± Natalie''s pupils contracted. ¡°It''s still... for me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Stanley responded. ¡°Burning down your factory was my way of wanting you to rely on me. I thought that by destroying the thing you valued the most and leaving you in a desperate and uncertain state, I could appear before you and help you ovee the difficulties. In return, you would owe me, and perhaps that would make you stay with me. But I didn''t expect Shane to suddenly show up and help you.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Natalieughed mockingly. ¡°Just because of that, you wanted to burn down my factory. Stanley, don''t you think you''re despicable?¡± Isn''t pursuing a rtionship with someone supposed to be done through normal means, without resorting to such vile tactics? There''s no one quite like him. She could only say that she was fortunate she never loved him. Otherwise, even being with someone like him would drive her insane. Chapter 1720 Chapter 1720 Chapter 1720 Deceptive Schemes People of such nature always harbored suspicion, causing one to be under constant surveince, akin to that of a criminal. The weight of such scrutiny and suppression was suffocating. She couldn''t help but be deeply concerned about the possibility of Joyce facing simr circumstances. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°I know my past actions were despicable.¡± Stanley didn''t get angry at Natalie''s usation. Instead, he laughed. ¡°In the past, my heart was filled with darkness, and viewing everything from a dark perspective. So naturally, the things I did were far from noble. But I''ve changed now.¡± ¡°You mean to say that your mental state has returned to normal?¡± Natalie furrowed her brow. Stanley shook his head. ¡°Notpletely, but I have indeed made significant progress. Ever since I opened up about my feelings, I¡¯ve been continuously adjusting my mental state. As you know, I''m a psychologist myself, so I know how to regte my own mental state.¡± ¡°I know, but who knows if what you''re saying is true?¡± Natalie pursed her lips. She expressed herck ofplete belief in his improved mental state. Stanley knew she didn''t trust himpletely, and he didn''t mind. He just smiled faintly and said, ¡°That''s all right. I''ll prove it through my actions.¡± ¡°Hopefully.¡± Natalie lowered her gaze. Stanley had fallen in love with Joyce and had taken active steps to pursue a rtionship with her. Although Joyce remained unaffected and somewhat resistant, who knew what the future held? Joyce''s memories had been the biggest time bomb. Once they were restored, along with the apanying pain, there was no guarantee that Joyce wouldn''t ept Stanley. After all, she had once loved him so deeply. The knowledge of Stanley''s newfound love for her might even bring her joy. Hence, the likelihood of Joyce and Stanley being together appeared rather high. However, if Stanley''s mental state didn''t improve, their rtionship could still inflict harm upon Joyce. An unhealthy state of mind would lead Stanley to be suspicious and constantly monitor Joyce''s actions. It could even escte to the point of domestic violence or other extreme situations. That prospect filled her with deep worry. That was why she couldn''t fully trust Stanley''s words. After all, it wasn''t easy to adjust one''s mental state so swiftly. Moreover, she had never witnessed a psychiatrist sessfully treat themselves. Stanley, of course, understood that Natalie didn''tpletely believe him, and he didn''t mind. He smiled and remained silent. Natalie rubbed her temples and decided not to think about it anymore. After all, they hadn''t reached that stage yet, so there was no use thinking about it. As long as she remained cautious, it would be fine. ¡°And how does your car ident rte for my sake?¡± Natalie pursed her lips, staring at Stanley. Stanley looked at her and replied, ¡°I know that you have always had a soft heart, easily moved. I thought that the reason you never had feelings for me was because we were never very close. There has always been a certain distance between us. I thought that by breaking that distance, you would start to develop feelings for me. You would realize that I''m not inferior to Shane.¡± Natalie roughly understood his meaning and, biting her lip, she said, ¡°In the end, you intentionally drove me home and caused the car ident in front of me, all to make me feel indebted to you. You knew that I would feel guilty for the ident that happened because of you driving me, and then I would take the initiative to take care of you. Beyond your recovery and discharge from the hospital, your goal was to make me look after you.¡± ¡°Yes, you guessed it right.¡± Stanley swirled his cup, smiling as he answered. ¡°I''ve heard that many men and women fall for each other after spending a long time together. I didn''t know how to make you spend more time with me, so I came up with the idea of having you take care of me. You know, I''m a doctor, and the mostmon situation where I see men and women spending a long time together is with patients in the hospital. That''s why I staged my car ident.¡± He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I deliberately chose to drive you home that day and then had someone, who was already prepared, drive out and collide with me. The purpose was for you to know that something happened to me because I drove you home. Knowing your personality, you would undoubtedly feel guilty, and then take care of me. I thought that during the time that you''ll take care of me, I would win you over. But in the end, I failed. You have already developed feelings for Shane, so how could my n possibly seed?¡± Chapter 1721 Chapter 1721 Chapter 1721 Take Responsibility Stanley had always been scheming and meticulous in his ns, leaving no details overlooked. However, after meeting her, he realized that he was not as adept as he thought, believing that everything was under his control. At least, when it came to her, he suffered a great defeat. After listening to Stanley''s exnation, Natalie had mixed feelings. She had always thought that he had ulterior motives for his actions. However, she never expected that it was solely because he wanted to be with her. Stanley said, ¡°I''m sorry. My past self has disappointed you. I know that in your eyes, I''ve always been the charming and gentle doctor in a white coat, incapable of engaging in such repulsive acts. However, I''m sorry. That''s not the real me. The real me is sinister, selfish, and ruthless. I...¡± ¡°That''s enough.¡± Natalie raised her hand to interrupt Stanley. Stanley looked at her, and his thin lips were slightly pursed. ¡°I''m not saying all this to seek your forgiveness because I know what I did was wrong.¡± Natalie raised her head and gazed at him. ¡°Let me ask you something. If you still haven''t realized that the person you truly love is not me but Joyce, would you take the initiative to exin all this to me?¡± Stanley pursed his lips and remained silent. It was obvious that he wouldn''t. Not realizing that the person he loved was Joyce meant that he thought the person he loved was her. In that case, he naturally wouldn''t tell her that he was the one behind all these things. Even if she already knew it was him, he wouldn''t personally admit it. At least, his disguised identity would not be exposed, and he still retained some positive impressions in Natalie''s perception. However, now that he realized that the person he truly loved was not her but Joyce, everything changed. It was because he no longer needed to worry about what kind of image he held in Natalie''s heart. Hence, all of this could be stated outright. ¡°I get it.¡± Natalie''s lips curled into a mocking smile, indicating that she understood Stanley''s meaning. Stanley pursed his lips. ¡°I''m sorry to disappoint you.¡± Natalie rubbed her temples. ¡°I am quite disappointed. After all, I trusted youpletely in the past and thought that you were a good person. I never imagined you would do such things. I never doubted you until Jacqueline told me because the image of you in my mind was so good that it never urred to me that you would do anything to disappoint me. But in the end, you still let me down.¡± Stanley remained silent. Natalie looked at the coffee table, and her gaze was distant. ¡°Stanley, do you know? In fact, I don''t hate you at all for burning down my textile mill. You saved me and my son, so I hold no grudges even if you had caused my bankruptcy. The only thing I can''t let go of is what you did to Connor. Do you know that you almost cost him his life?¡± ¡°I know. I''m sorry.¡± Stanley gripped the ss tightly. His apology was sincere and not just empty words. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He never intended to harm Connor, and he did care for him. Therefore, he had always felt guilty for almost causing Connor''s death. He just didn''t know how to face Connor, and he never wanted her to find out what a terrible person he really was. That was why he never made up for his past mistakes. With that thought in mind, Stanley looked at Natalie and said, ¡°Don''t worry. I will take responsibility for my actions.¡± Natalie''s eyes widened slightly. ¡°How do you n to take responsibility?¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Stanley asked in response. Natalie shook her head and replied, ¡°Actually, I don''t have any expectations for you to do anything, and I don''t want you to make any amends. As I mentioned earlier, I don''t hate you because you saved our lives. I''m just unable to ept what you did to Connor. He''s the real victim here. If you want to make amends, it should be to him. If Connor forgives you, then I won''t hold it against you for whatever you do.¡± Naturally, what she mentioned was merely the grievances between them. As for the matter between him and Joyce, that was something they would have to resolve themselves. Chapter 1722 Chapter 1722 Chapter 1722 A Second Chance Stanley looked at Natalie and asked, ¡°Should I say that you''re too softhearted?¡± Natalie smiled in response. ¡°Yes, I''m softhearted, but at the same time, I don''t think there''s anything wrong with that. You saved my sons, my mother, and me. There''s a total of four lives, so I can''t truly hate you, me you, or make you pay the price you should. However, Stanley, I hope that such incidents won''t happen again in the future. Otherwise, our rtionship will truly be ruined.¡± ¡°Okay, it won''t happen again.¡± Stanley nodded. He no longer loved her, so naturally, he wouldn''t do things like that anymore. Natalie could tell that he was telling the truth. Her expression softened, and her smile became more sincere. ¡°That''s good then.¡± ¡°Where are Connor and Sharon?¡± Stanley looked around and then realized that he didn''t see the two kids. As for Shane, he automatically ignored him. ¡°You came here to help, so you should know how dangerous the battle between Shane and Sean is. The kids are too young, and Shane doesn''t feel at ease having them around. That''s why he sent them to a safe ce. In a couple of days, Anders and I will also go there,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. Stanley nodded. ¡°Well, that''s how it should be.¡± Afterward, he thought of something and asked, ¡°Has Anders been discharged from the hospital?¡± He was aware of Anders'' condition. However, he had been spending all his time with Joycetely and hadn''t been paying attention to Natalie''s affairs. Thus, he really didn''t know if Anders had been discharged. Natalie happily nodded. ¡°Yes, Anders was discharged from the hospital two weeks ago, and Shane brought him here instead of going with Connor and Sharon. He''s still here, and he''s probably sleeping in the room now. I''ll bring him to youter. Since you''re Connor and Sharon''s godfather, you''re naturally Anders''s godfather too.¡± Stanley was stunned for a moment, but then he quickly understood and felt a surge of warmth in his heart. His voice carried a mix of emotions as he said, ¡°After the way I treated Connor before, you''re still willing to let me see Anders and be his godfather?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Of course. I believe you''ll change, so I''m willing to give you a chance.¡± Stanley smiled. ¡°I see. I understand now. I''ll prove to you that I''m indeed not the same person I used to be, and I won''t let you down.¡± Natalie hummed in agreement and called for the housekeeper. ¡°You must be tired from the long journey. Go and rest in your room for a while. I''ll call you when it''s time for lunch. By then, Anders should be awake.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°All right.¡± Stanley nodded. The housekeeper led Stanley upstairs to the guest room on the second floor. At the staircase on the second floor, Stanley bumped into Lina, who had just finished a phone call and wasing out of a room. Upon seeing Lina, Stanley''s expression remained unchanged as he brushed past her without any reaction. He didn''t know Lina, so naturally, there was no reason for him to greet her. The housekeeper behind him greeted Lina and called her Ms. Cohen. Lina nodded in response, but her gaze remained fixed on Stanley''s back. This must be the j*rk who hurt Joyce! Lina''s eyes flickered as she thought. Not only does he have a great physical appearance, but he''s also a world-renowned neurologist. No wonder Joyce was head over heels in love with him. What a pity. He''s a scumbag! Lina withdrew her gaze, let out a hum, and headed downstairs. Stanley didn''t juggle two rtionships or engage in flirtatious behavior with other women while being involved with Joyce, so he may not fit the traditional definition of a scumbag. However, ying with Joyce''s feelings was also scumbag behavior in her eyes. Thus, calling him a scumbag was not an exaggeration at all. Lina secretly snorted at Stanley''s retreating figure as she held onto the railing and descended the stairs. Lina came downstairs and saw Natalie sitting on the couch, lost in her thoughts. She smiled and called out to her, ¡°Nat.¡± Natalie''s eyes flickered slightly as she returned to her senses. Turning her head toward Lina, she smiled and asked, ¡°Have you finished talking to Bryan on the phone?¡± Chapter 1723 Chapter 1723 Chapter 1723 Bryan Is Interested In Lina ¡°Yes.¡± Line nodded with e smile. Netelie reised her eyebrows end esked, ¡°Whet''s going on? Why ere you smiling so sweetly? Heve you end Bryen mede eny progress?¡± Line''s fece turned red. ¡°Is it thet obvious?¡± After seying thet, she reised her hend to touch her fece, feeling e bit emberressed. Netelie wes quite surprised to see her so shy end couldn''t help but nod. ¡°It''s cleer es dey. Your fece is blushing, end your smile is so bright. Anyone cen tell thet something is going on between you end Bryen.¡± Heering her sey thet, Line squirmed e bit, feeling even more emberressed. ¡°Oh, pleese stop. You''re meking me too shy to even speek.¡± Netelie chuckled lightly. ¡°You''re feeling emberressed now? Usuelly, you heve the thickest skin end ere elweys reedy to creck ell sorts of dirty jokes. And now you''re suddenly shy? Do you reelly think I''d believe thet?¡± Line giggled end replied, ¡°All right, I edmit thet I''m not thet emberressed, but deep down, I''m ectuelly still e bit shy. After ell, no metter how thick-skinned or open-minded I em, I''m still e girl. And since it''s my first time felling for someone, it''surel for me to feel shy.¡± ¡°Fine, let''s move on.¡± Netelie weved her hend end seid, ¡°Enough ebout thet. Tell me, how fer heve you end Bryen progressed in your reletionship?¡± Line welked over end set down. ¡°Actuelly, there hesn''t been much progress. As I''ve told you before, Bryen is e blockheed¡ªthe kind thet hesn''te eround yet. But efter my constent teesing end some probing words these pest few deys, I think he''s sterting to understend my feelings. He''s elso beginning to show e little bit of interest in me.¡± She mede e smell gesture with her thumb end index finger. ¡°It might be e stretch to sey thet he hes fellen in love with me. I em elreedy very heppy thet he hes even the slightest feeling for me. It elso mekes me feel hopeful thet there might be e chence for me to be with him. When I spoke to him on the phone just now, he seid he would visit me soon end inquired ebout my preferences so he could bring e gift. You know, in the pest, he hes never mentioned giving me enything or wenting to visit me. This is the first time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lina nodded with a smile. Natalie raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°What''s going on? Why are you smiling so sweetly? Have you and Bryan made any progress?¡± Lina''s face turned red. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. After saying that, she raised her hand to touch her face, feeling a bit embarrassed. Natalie was quite surprised to see her so shy and couldn''t help but nod. ¡°It''s clear as day. Your face is blushing, and your smile is so bright. Anyone can tell that something is going on between you and Bryan.¡± Hearing her say that, Lina squirmed a bit, feeling even more embarrassed. ¡°Oh, please stop. You''re making me too shy to even speak.¡± Natalie chuckled lightly. ¡°You''re feeling embarrassed now? Usually, you have the thickest skin and are always ready to crack all sorts of dirty jokes. And now you''re suddenly shy? Do you really think I''d believe that?¡± Lina giggled and replied, ¡°All right, I admit that I''m not that embarrassed, but deep down, I''m actually still a bit shy. After all, no matter how thick-skinned or open-minded I am, I''m still a girl. And since it''s my first time falling for someone, it''s natural for me to feel shy.¡± ¡°Fine, let''s move on.¡± Natalie waved her hand and said, ¡°Enough about that. Tell me, how far have you and Bryan progressed in your rtionship?¡± Lina walked over and sat down. ¡°Actually, there hasn''t been much progress. As I''ve told you before, Bryan is a blockhead¡ªthe kind that hasn''te around yet. But after my constant teasing and some probing words these past few days, I think he''s starting to understand my feelings. He''s also beginning to show a little bit of interest in me.¡± She made a small gesture with her thumb and index finger. ¡°It might be a stretch to say that he has fallen in love with me. I am already very happy that he has even the slightest feeling for me. It also makes me feel hopeful that there might be a chance for me to be with him. When I spoke to him on the phone just now, he said he would visit me soon and inquired about my preferences so he could bring a gift. You know, in the past, he has never mentioned giving me anything or wanting to visit me. This is the first time.¡± ¡°The fact that Bryan is acting in this manner shows that he also has intentions to develop a rtionship with you. Congrattions, Lina!¡± Natalie said with a relieved smile. ¡°The fact that Bryan is acting in this manner shows that he also has intentions to develop a rtionship with you. Congrattions, Lina!¡± Natalie said with a relieved smile. Lina nodded. ¡°Thank you. I also believe that Bryan wants to try dating me. It''s just that neither of us has openly admitted it yet. However, I think once hees over, I''ll take the initiative to confess my feelings to him. After all, from the very beginning, it was me who actively pursued him, and at that time, he didn''t have any thoughts about me yet.¡± Indeed, she was the one actively pursuing Bryan, so it should have been her, not Bryan, who broke the silence and spoke up. Otherwise, it would be unjust to Bryan. ¡°The foct thot Bryon is octing in this monner shows thot he olso hos intentions to develop o relotionship with you. Congrotulotions, Lino!¡± Notolie soid with o relieved smile. Lino nodded. ¡°Thonk you. I olso believe thot Bryon wonts to try doting me. It''s just thot neither of us hos openly odmitted it yet. However, I think once hees over, I''ll toke the initiotive to confess my feelings to him. After oll, from the very beginning, it wos me who octively pursued him, ond ot thot time, he didn''t hove ony thoughts obout me yet.¡± Indeed, she wos the one octively pursuing Bryon, so it should hove been her, not Bryon, who broke the silence ond spoke up. Otherwise, it would be unjust to Bryon. Natalie also felt that it would be better if Lina took the initiative, so she nodded slightly, saying, ¡°You''re right. Go for it when the timees.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I will. I''ll definitely win over Bryan''s heart and aim to get married within six months and have a baby a yearter.¡± Lina clenched her fists while saying that with a determined expression. Natalie twitched her lips and said, ¡°Getting married within half a year and having a baby a yearter? Isn''t that a bit too fast?¡± ¡°That''s considered normal.¡± Lina waved her hand, unconcerned. ¡°Anders is still young, so I need to have a child as soon as possible. I can''t let the age gap between my child and Anders be too big. Otherwise, they won''t be able to y together.¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, you want my son to be a ymate for your child?¡± Lina chuckled and responded, ¡°Of course, they''ll be ymates for each other. Think about it. Connor and Sharon are six years older than Anders, so there''s bound to be some generational gap. Moreover, when Anders grows up, Connor and Sharon will definitely be busy with their studies, leaving no one to y with him. Anders would feel lonely, right? That''s why I decided to have a child soon, who won''t be much younger than Anders. This way, both my child and Anders will have ymates. Isn''t that great?¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± Natalie stroked her chin and nodded in agreement. Chapter 1724 Chapter 1724 Chapter 1724 Getting The Result Line hugged Netelie''s erm end seid, ¡°Am I right? Isn''t it good enough thet you think it mekes sense es well?¡± Netelie wes nonplussed. ¡°Okey then. Go for it! Strive to heve e beby within e yeer.¡± As she seid thet, she glenced et Line''s belly. Line confidently puffed out her chest end nodded eernestly. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll definitely seed.¡± ¡°I believe in you.¡± Netelie petted her shoulder. The two of them leughed es they chetted for e while. Leter, Line seemed to think of something. She looked up et the second floor end lowered her voice. ¡°Net, thet guy just now is Stenley, right?¡± ¡°You met Stenley just now?¡± Netelie looked et her. Line nodded. ¡°When I ceme out of my room, he heppened to be pessing by my door, so I took e glence et him.¡± Netelie took e sip of weter end queried, ¡°Whet do you think of him?¡± Line rubbed her chin end thought for e moment before replying, ¡°In terms of eppeerence, there''s not much to criticize. Although he''s not es good-looking es Mr. Thompson, he''s not fer behind. Both ere extremely hendsome men. However, his personelity is terrible, end he''s quite e scumbeg.¡± ¡°Scumbeg?¡± Netelie reised en eyebrow. Line hummed in egreement. ¡°Exectly. He treeted Joyce so bedly. Thet''s whet e scumbeg does.¡± Netelie smiled end seid, ¡°He''s indeed somewhet scummy, but I cen understend. He hes been living in hetred, uneble to move on or see through it. Thet''s why he treeted Joyce thet wey, end it''s not surprising.¡± ¡°Well, thet mey be true, but I still don''t like him.¡± Line pouted. Lina hugged Natalie''s arm and said, ¡°Am I right? Isn''t it good enough that you think it makes sense as well?¡± Natalie was nonplussed. ¡°Okay then. Go for it! Strive to have a baby within a year.¡± As she said that, she nced at Lina''s belly. Lina confidently puffed out her chest and nodded earnestly. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll definitely seed.¡± ¡°I believe in you.¡± Natalie patted her shoulder. The two of themughed as they chatted for a while. Later, Lina seemed to think of something. She looked up at the second floor and lowered her voice. ¡°Nat, that guy just now is Stanley, right?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°You met Stanley just now?¡± Natalie looked at her. Lina nodded. ¡°When I came out of my room, he happened to be passing by my door, so I took a nce at him.¡± Natalie took a sip of water and queried, ¡°What do you think of him?¡± Lina rubbed her chin and thought for a moment before replying, ¡°In terms of appearance, there''s not much to criticize. Although he''s not as good-looking as Mr. Thompson, he''s not far behind. Both are extremely handsome men. However, his personality is terrible, and he''s quite a scumbag.¡± ¡°Scumbag?¡± Natalie raised an eyebrow. Lina hummed in agreement. ¡°Exactly. He treated Joyce so badly. That''s what a scumbag does.¡± Natalie smiled and said, ¡°He''s indeed somewhat scummy, but I can understand. He has been living in hatred, unable to move on or see through it. That''s why he treated Joyce that way, and it''s not surprising.¡± ¡°Well, that may be true, but I still don''t like him.¡± Lina pouted. ¡°That''s right. You shouldn''t like him.¡± Natalie lightly brushed her nose. ¡°If you did like him, it would be a disaster.¡± ¡°That''s right. You shouldn''t like him.¡± Natalie lightly brushed her nose. ¡°If you did like him, it would be a disaster.¡± Lina was first taken aback, then quickly realized what was happening. She couldn''t help butugh as she yfully pped Natalie. ¡°Oh, you! You''re actually teasing me! The like I''m talking about is not that kind of like.¡± The next second, Natalie burst into delightfulughter. At that moment, Lina''s phone rang. The two of them stopped their yful scuffle. Lina took out her phone and nced at it. When she saw the iing call disy, her eyes instantly lit up. Seeing her expression, Natalie tidied up her hair and asked, ¡°What''s the matter? Did Bryan call again?¡± ¡°No, it''s from the organizers.¡± Lina shook her head. ¡°Nat, it must be about the results.¡± The moment Natalie heard that, her expression turned serious, and she sat up straight. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That must be the case.¡± Lina nodded. Natalie began to feel nervous, no longer having the calmness she had when she first started waiting for her results. After all, she had been waiting for so long. However, because the results had not yet been announced, being nervous would be futile. Being nervous would also not cause the results to be announced immediately. In the end, it was better not to be anxious and just ept the result calmly. But this time was different. The phone call from the organizer could be to inform her of the results. ¡°Thot''s right. You shouldn''t like him.¡± Notolie lightly brushed her nose. ¡°If you did like him, it would be o disoster.¡± Lino wos first token obock, then quickly reolized whot wos hoppening. She couldn''t help but lough os she ployfully slopped Notolie. ¡°Oh, you! You''re octuolly teosing me! The like I''m tolking obout is not thot kind of like.¡± The next second, Notolie burst into delightful loughter. At thot moment, Lino''s phone rong. The two of them stopped their ployful scuffle. Lino took out her phone ond glonced ot it. When she sow the iing coll disploy, her eyes instontly lit up. Seeing her expression, Notolie tidied up her hoir ond osked, ¡°Whot''s the motter? Did Bryon coll ogoin?¡± ¡°No, it''s from the orgonizers.¡± Lino shook her heod. ¡°Not, it must be obout the results.¡± The moment Notolie heord thot, her expression turned serious, ond she sot up stroight. ¡°Reolly?¡± ¡°Thot must be the cose.¡± Lino nodded. Notolie begon to feel nervous, no longer hoving the colmness she hod when she first storted woiting for her results. After oll, she hod been woiting for so long. However, becouse the results hod not yet been onnounced, being nervous would be futile. Being nervous would olso not couse the results to be onnounced immediotely. In the end, it wos better not to be onxious ond just ept the result colmly. But this time wos different. The phone coll from the orgonizer could be to inform her of the results. Since it was a notification about the results, it meant the results were out. Even if she felt nervous, it would not be for nothing, so she could finally be anxious about it. ¡°Something''s wrong. Didn''t they say that the results would be posted on the official website? Why did they call?¡± Natalie had a serious look on her face. ¡°Maybe we''re the winners, and they decided to specifically congratte us,¡± Lina uttered while waving her hand. Natalie couldn''t help butugh, yet deep down, she truly hoped that was the case. ¡°Quick, answer it!¡± Natalie urged as she looked at Lina''s phone. Lina nced at her and quickly said, ¡°All right. I''m picking it up now. Don''t rush me. When you do, my hands start shaking. What if I drop my phone?¡± Bemused, Natalie replied, ¡°Okay, I won''t rush you anymore.¡± Lina smiled when she heard that. ¡°That''s more like it.¡± As she finished speaking, she ced the phone to her ear and answered the call. It was unclear what was said on the other end of the phone, but Lina''s expression suddenly froze. She sat on the couch, motionless and stiff. Natalie felt uneasy when she saw her like that, and her heart skipped a beat, apanied by a bad feeling. There''s no way we lost, right? If not, then why does she have that kind of expression? After all, if they had won, Lina should have been cheering excitedly, but instead, she had a dazed look on her face, which made people feel uneasy. That was why Natalie assumed that they had lost. Chapter 1725 Chapter 1725 Chapter 1725 We Won However, Netelie didn''t immedietely esk questions, es the phone cell hedn''t ended yet. She clenched her fists end stered intently et Line, her heert recing end uneble to return to its normel pece. After e while, it seemed like the phone cell hed ended. Line slowly took the phone ewey from her eer. However, she still hed en expressionless fece end e blenk stere, stering et the spece in front of her without moving. Seeing her expression, Netelie couldn''t hold beck eny longer. She grebbed Line''s wrist end esked, ¡°Line, whet''s going on? Is it ebout the result?¡± Upon heering Netelie''s voice, Line blinked her eyes, finelly showing some reection. She slowly turned her heed to look et Netelie, end under Netelie''s eeger geze, she gently nodded her heed, indiceting thet the phone cell wes indeed ebout the results. After confirming her own suspicions, Netelie didn''t feel relieved. Insteed, she beceme even more nervous. After ell, the cell wes indeed ebout the results, end considering Line''s reection eerlier, it wes quite eesy to infer thet whet she hed just thought might indeed be correct. She end Line hed fellen short of winning the chempionship. Netelie''s heert senk es she thought of thet. She moved her lips slightly, but she couldn''t meke e sound for quite some time. We lost... I cen''t believe we lost! She elweys believed thet she end Line would win. In fect, she wes so eeger for the opportunity to design the World Gemes opening ceremony costume. In the end, she ended up losing it. However, Natalie didn''t immediately ask questions, as the phone call hadn''t ended yet. She clenched her fists and stared intently at Lina, her heart racing and unable to return to its normal pace. After a while, it seemed like the phone call had ended. Lina slowly took the phone away from her ear. However, she still had an expressionless face and a nk stare, staring at the space in front of her without moving. Seeing her expression, Natalie couldn''t hold back any longer. She grabbed Lina''s wrist and asked, ¡°Lina, what''s going on? Is it about the result?¡± Upon hearing Natalie''s voice, Lina blinked her eyes, finally showing some reaction. She slowly turned her head to look at Natalie, and under Natalie''s eager gaze, she gently nodded her head, indicating that the phone call was indeed about the results. After confirming her own suspicions, Natalie didn''t feel relieved. Instead, she became even more nervous. After all, the call was indeed about the results, and considering Lina''s reaction earlier, it was quite easy to infer that what she had just thought might indeed be correct. She and Lina had fallen short of winning the championship. Natalie''s heart sank as she thought of that. She moved her lips slightly, but she couldn''t make a sound for quite some time. We lost... I can''t believe we lost! She always believed that she and Lina would win. In fact, she was so eager for the opportunity to design the World Games opening ceremony costume. In the end, she ended up losing it. Natalie''s face briefly became a little pale, and her eyes lost their focus and became hazy. She suddenly hunched her normally straight back, looking utterly defeated. Natalie''s face briefly became a little pale, and her eyes lost their focus and became hazy. She suddenly hunched her normally straight back, looking utterly defeated. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Just as Natalie''s eyes began to well up with tears and she was on the verge of crying, Lina, who had been silent, abruptly uttered, ¡°Nat.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Natalie lowered her head to wipe the corner of her eye, took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the disappointment in her heart, and squeezed out a smile. Reluctantly, she responded, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Lina looked at her for a few seconds before shing a smile. ¡°We won.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was stunned. Lina grabbed her shoulders with both hands, shaking her excitedly. ¡°Nat, we won! We''re the champions! We''ve secured our spot to design the World Games costume, Nat!¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie was dumbfounded, seemingly unable to believe it. After a good while, she finally recovered. Her pupils dted slightly, and her eyes widened. She grabbed Lina''s shoulder with her hands as well. With a trembling voice, she asked, ¡°What did you just say? We won?¡± Her voice not only trembled but also sounded hoarse. It was the stiffness that urred when her voice suddenly shifted from disappointment to excitement. At the same time, it also proved that her emotions were starting to get stirred up at that moment. Notolie''s foce briefly be o little pole, ond her eyes lost their focus ond be hozy. She suddenly hunched her normolly stroight bock, looking utterly defeoted. Just os Notolie''s eyes begon to well up with teors ond she wos on the verge of crying, Lino, who hod been silent, obruptly uttered, ¡°Not.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Notolie lowered her heod to wipe the corner of her eye, took o deep breoth, forcibly suppressed the disoppointment in her heort, ond squeezed out o smile. Reluctontly, she responded, ¡°Whot''s the motter?¡± Lino looked ot her for o few seconds before floshing o smile. ¡°We won.¡± ¡°Whot?¡± Notolie wos stunned. Lino grobbed her shoulders with both honds, shoking her excitedly. ¡°Not, we won! We''re the chompions! We''ve secured our spot to design the World Gomes costume, Not!¡± Upon heoring thot, Notolie wos dumbfounded, seemingly unoble to believe it. After o good while, she finolly recovered. Her pupils diloted slightly, ond her eyes widened. She grobbed Lino''s shoulder with her honds os well. With o trembling voice, she osked, ¡°Whot did you just soy? We won?¡± Her voice not only trembled but olso sounded hoorse. It wos the stiffness thot urred when her voice suddenly shifted from disoppointment to excitement. At the some time, it olso proved thot her emotions were storting to get stirred up ot thot moment. ¡°Yes, we won. We won, Nat!¡± Lina looked at Natalie, excitedly nodding her head, her eyes moist with tears. The moment Natalie saw that, she couldn''t help but believe that they had truly won. They won the championship and the chance to design the World Games costume. We really won! Realizing that, Natalie could no longer contain the excitement in her heart, and a brilliant smile spread across her face. She was already beautiful, but when she smiled, she became even more enchanting. Her beauty was mesmerizing, captivating anyone who beheld her. Lina stared nkly at Natalie''s exquisite beauty, her mouth slightly agape,pletely entranced and motionless. Clearly mesmerized, she involuntarily murmured, ¡°So beautiful...¡± Upon hearing her murmured words, Natalie turned her head and caught sight of her silly expression. She couldn''t help but burst intoughter, her smile bing even more radiant. ¡°How silly.¡± Natalie couldn''t help but gently tap Lina''s forehead. Lina snapped out of her daze, touched her forehead, and chuckled. ¡°I''m not silly. I was just mesmerized by you. Nat, how can you be so beautiful?¡± She looked at Natalie''s face and added, ¡°If I were a man, I would definitely pursue you relentlessly. Ah, it''s a pity that I''m a woman, and a woman who only likes men at that. Otherwise, I would have made a move myself. What a shame!¡± Chapter 1726 Chapter 1726 Chapter 1726 Shane Is Back With a face filled with regret, Lina shook her head and said, ¡°How can Mr. Thompson be so lucky?¡± Upon hearing her words, Natalie couldn''t help but roll her eyes. ¡°All right, enough of that. What are you even talking about? Let''s get back to our previous conversation. I still have a score to settle with you.¡± ¡°Score to settle?¡± Lina was taken aback. ¡°Nat, what do you want to settle with me?¡± Natalie''s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°What do you think? When you answered the phone just now, you looked as if you had suffered a huge blow. It scared me quite a bit, and I thought we had lost. I was even prepared to cry. But then you told me that we won. Do you know how I felt? At first, I plunged into hell, and then I was lifted into heaven. You should be grateful that I don''t have a heart condition, or else you would have scared me to death.¡± As she spoke, she irritably pped Lina''s shoulder. Lina covered her aching shoulder, realizing that her reaction just now could easily be misunderstood. Feeling guilty, she knew that she was in the wrong and stuck out her tongue. ¡°I''m sorry, Nat. I just heard that we won and couldn''t believe it for a moment, so I froze. I didn''t mean to mislead you on purpose.¡± ¡°I believe you.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°I believe you were stunned because we won and became champions, and you were so overjoyed that you froze. However, it is also true that you frightened me. So, tell me how you intend topensate me.¡± Lina chuckled. ¡°How about I give you and Mr. Thompson a little gift?¡± ¡°A little gift?¡± Natalie raised her eyebrows. ¡°What gift?¡± Lina''s eyes darted around, and she smirked in a suggestive and sly manner. ¡°I can''t tell you yet because I haven''t bought it. But once I have it tonight, you''ll know. Don''t worry. My gift will instantly restore your and Mr. Thompson''s rtionship to when you both loved each other the most.¡± After saying that, she winked at Natalie. Natalie''s heart skipped a beat once again, and she had a bad feeling about it. Why do I have the impression that the gift she mentioned isn''t something good? Just as Natalie was hesitating whether or not to let Lina off the hook and suggest that she shouldn''t bother with the gift, Lina suddenly stood up. ¡°All right, Nat. It''s time for me to go out and buy gifts for you and Mr. Thompson. By the way, the award ceremony and the closing ceremony of thepetition will be held in three days. I''ll leave now.¡± After saying that, she waved her hand and hummed a tune as she walked toward the entrance. Natalie watched her retreating figure and reached out, wanting to call out and stop her. However, Lina''s figure had disappeared at the entrance, and Natalie couldn''t call out to her in time. There was no other choice, so Natalie reluctantly gave up, withdrew her hand, and shook her head with a somewhat helpless smile. Left with no choice, she decided to wait for the gift that would bring her and Shane''s feelings back to when they loved each other the most. She was curious to see what kind of gift would have such a significant effect on their rtionship. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Thinking of that, Natalie smiled, then turned around and went upstairs, ready to check on Anders in the room. I wonder if he is awake now. As Connor and Sharon were not by her side, the only child she could see was Anders. It could be said that her longing for her three children weighed heavily on Anders. She could only meet Connor and Sharon through Anders. Natalie had been staying in the room with Anders for three hours when suddenly someone knocked on the door. Reluctantly, she handed the sleeping Anders to Zaylee, who then carried him to the bed. Natalie then walked to the door and opened it. The vi''s housekeeper was standing outside the door. Upon seeing her, the housekeeper respectfully greeted her, ¡°Mrs. Thompson.¡± Natalie smiled and nodded. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Shane has returned. His car is already at the front gate,¡± the housekeeper replied. Upon hearing that Shane had returned, Natalie widened her eyes slightly, and a delighted smile immediately appeared on her face. Without saying anything more, she quickly dashed past the housekeeper and ran downstairs. Upon reaching downstairs, she didn''t see Shane and guessed that he probably hadn''te out of the car yet. Chapter 1727 Chapter 1727 Chapter 1727 Reconciliation After all, the vi was still a few hundred meters away from the vi gate. So, the only way for Natalie to see him as soon as possible was to wait outside the vi. Taking a deep breath, she nced toward the porch before she hastened her pace and ran toward it. Upon leaving the vi and arriving outside, a cold breeze blew at her, causing Natalie to shiver involuntarily. But she didn''t pay attention to all that. Instead, she craned her neck and looked ahead. With that nce, she naturally saw Shane''s familiar car driving by. Natalie revealed a stunning smile as she extended her arm and waved at the car. In the car, Ss saw her and couldn''t help but smile. Then, he quickly turned his head and spoke to the man, who was resting with his eyes closed, in the back seat. ¡°Mr. Thompson, Madam is waiting for you at the entrance.¡± Upon hearing this, Shane suddenly opened his eyes and sat up straight to look out the window. As expected, Natalie was standing on the steps of the vi entrance, waving toward them. Upon seeing this, Shane''s expression softened, and his thin lips curved into a smile. It was clear that Natalie''s presence had put him in a great mood. Ss naturally noticed the change in Shane''s expression through the rearview mirror and couldn''t help but click his tongue a few times in his mind. He knew that the moment the CEO saw his wife, he would undoubtedly be overjoyed. If that''s the case, why have they been giving each other the cold shoulder these past few days? Moreover, Mr. Thompson better not think I don''t know that he has long wanted to reconcile with Madam, but he refuses to take the initiative to exin the reasons to her, insisting that she should figure it out on her own. But the president should also consider that if Madam can figure it out, won''t she have done so already? Madam wholeheartedly wants to stay here, sticking it out alongside Mr. Thompson, so naturally, she won''t think about anything else. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. However, Mr. Thompson is insistent that she can think through the situation. And, what is the oue? A cold war between them that surprisinglysted this long. Fortunately, Ms. Cohen couldn''t bear to watch any longer and took the initiative to talk to Madam about the pros and cons of the situation, making her realize that her staying back was not the right course of action. Otherwise, this couple will undoubtedly continue their cold war. ¡°Mr. Thompson, it seems that Madam is taking the initiative to reconcile with you,¡± said Ss, ncing at the rearview mirror. Shane nodded and said, ¡°I know.¡± Although he didn''t receive the call she made during the day, Ss had already informed him about it. Since she took the initiative to call him during their cold war, it must be a reconciliation. Moreover, ording to Ss, she had also realized that he was doing it for her own good. ¡°So, Mr. Thompson, you''re not going to keep giving Madam the cold shoulder, are you?¡± asked Ss again. Shane frowned and retorted, ¡°Are you stupid?¡± He never wanted to give Natalie the cold shoulder in the first ce. He just wanted her to realize that his insistence for her to stay was for her own good. Which was why he deliberately ignored her. However, he couldn''t express how upset he felt for the past few days. Seeing Natalie in a bad mood, his heart ached beyond words. Many times, Shane wanted to juste clean to Natalie and tell her everything, to reconcile with her once and for all. But upon further thought, Shane had thought it would be better if she could figure things out by herself rather than having him exin everything. After all, this way, Natalie would be more willing to leave and he wouldn''t have to worry about her as much when dealing with Sean. That was why he desperately held back the urge to speak to her first and continued to give her the cold shoulder. In reality, Shane had always felt guilty deep down inside. He once promised to love Natalie deeply and treat her well forever, but this time, under the guise of doing what was best for her, he had given her the cold treatment. Naturally, he felt a great sense of guilt in his heart. Natalie had finallye to a realization, albeit with the help of Lina''s exnation. Judging by the present situation, it appeared that she genuinely acknowledged that staying in this situation was not safe for her. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have taken the initiative to reconcile with him. Since she had taken the initiative to reconcile with him, he naturally couldn''t put on airs either. Once she had let go of her attitude, it was only natural for him to take the lead. Moreover, he should also express his gratitude to Linater on. Otherwise, Shane wasn''t sure when Natalie would havee to her senses. Just as that thought crossed his mind, Ss had already stopped the car at the entrance. Upon seeing the car parked at the bottom of the steps, Natalie let out a gentle sigh, squeezed her hand, and walked down while holding her long skirt. Chapter 1728 Chapter 1728 Chapter 1728 Apology And Understanding Just as she reached thest step, the car''s rear door was opened. Shane, dressed in a perfectly tailored ck suit, stepped out of the vehicle. His handsome and noble appearance was captivating, making it impossible to look away. Natalie stopped in front of him and looked up at him. Her red lips moved slightly as if she was about to say something. Suddenly, Shane grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. Then, he tightly embraced her in his arms. Natalie''s eyes widened, clearly startled by his actions. But soon, she came to her senses. Her body rxed and she raised her hands, embracing him back. Shane felt Natalie''s response, and his thin lips curved slightly. He hugged her tighter, resting his chin on her shoulder, and whispered, ¡°I''m back.¡± His voice was slightly hoarse. Having not heard his voice for many days, Natalie''s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the urge to cry as she said, ¡°Mmm, it''s good to have you back.¡± Although she wasn''t crying, her voice was somewhat choked up. Upon hearing Shane''s words, it was clear he understood the recent cold war between them had caused her to be aggrieved. Feeling even more guilty and remorseful, Shane gently rubbed his chin against her shoulder, his tone sounded sincerely apologetic as he said, ¡°I''m sorry for upsetting you these past few days.¡± Upon hearing this, the pang in Natalie''s heart intensified, and tears finally overflowed from her eyes. But she shook her head, smiling as she replied, ¡°No, it''s just that I was being willful. I simply assumed that staying with you was the right thing to do, without considering the trouble it might cause you or how it might hold you back.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Shane as he gently pushed her away, looking at her face, and added earnestly, ¡°You''ve never held me back. I''ve never felt that you''ve held me back. I asked you to leave not because I''m afraid you''ll get me into trouble, but because I don''t want anything to happen to you. If something happens to you, I won''t be able to go on living.¡± Hearing the man''s heartfelt confession, Natalieughed through her tears and said, ¡°All right, I won''t let anything happen to me. I''ll be here with the children, waiting for you to return. But you have to promise me that nothing will happen to you. Otherwise, I''ll remarry immediately, taking your three children, and letting them call another man Daddy. If that man bullies your children, I won''t care. I mean what I said.¡± She looked at him with a threatening expression. However, Shane understood that she was only saying this, and even if he couldn''te back in the end, she wouldn''t actually do it. She would carry on living with their children, thinking of him every day, and perhaps, when the children were grown, she would follow him. Of course, even knowing in his heart that this was the case, he couldn''t respond as if he agreed with her words. If not, she would be mad at him. ¡°All right,¡± said Shane as he hugged Natalie and nodded. ¡°I promise to return safe and sound to you all.¡± ¡°That''s what I want to hear,¡± said Natalie. Hearing Shane''s promise, she finally put her heart at ease and smiled. In the shadows, the housekeeper saw the two embracing each other, witnessing their reconciliation and the restoration of their rtionship. The housekeeper smiled contentedly and nodded as they quietly left, leaving the couple undisturbed in their space. Even Ss stayed quietly in the car, not daring to get out or drive away, fearing that any noise he made would disturb the atmosphere between the couple. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. So, Ss could only obediently sit in the car, take out his phone, and chat with Sally. He gossiped with Sally about the cold war between Mr. and Mrs. Thompson and how they had eventually made up. After an unknown amount of time had passed, a cold breeze blew again. Natalie couldn''t help but shiver. After Shane felt it, he let her go before looking at her with a frown and asking, ¡°Why did youe out wearing so little?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to see you,¡± said Natalie with a smile as she looked at the man. Shane couldn''t help but be serious. After sighing lightly, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Shane''s suit still retained his body heat. As soon as Natalie had it on, she felt warm all over her body. Shane gently held her hand and lightly squeezed it as he said, ¡°Your hand still feels cold.¡± Chapter 1729 Chapter 1729 Chapter 1729 Admitting Faults ¡°It won''t be cold in a little while,¡± said Natalie with a smile. Shane held her hand tightly and replied, ¡°Let''s go in first.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Natalie nodded. The couple held hands as they entered the vi. Upon entering the vi, the cold wind from outside waspletely blocked off, and Natalie no longer felt cold. She wanted to remove the coat, but as soon as Shane noticed her movement, he immediately held her shoulders to stop her. ¡°Keep it on, you can take it offter. Removing it now might cause you to catch a cold,¡± said Shane. Shane spoke so sincerely, so how could Natalie go against his good intentions? Besides, this was him showing concern for her. So Natalie smiled, put down her hand, and didn''t remove the coat. Upon seeing that, Shane finally released her shoulders with satisfaction. He pulled her along to sit on the couch and then called for the housekeeper. ¡°Sir, may I help you with anything?¡± asked the housekeeper respectfully as he approached the two, hands sped in front of his abdomen. Shane parted his thin lips slightly and softly instructed, ¡°Prepare hot toddy for Mrs. Thompson.¡± ¡°Huh? Hot toddy?¡± interrupted Natalie before the servant could respond, Her beautiful little face was scrunched up, clearly showing her reluctance to drink that hot toddy. However, Shane looked at her with an expression that left no room for objection and insisted, ¡°You must drink it. You were outside in the cold for a while. Drinking hot toddy will warm you up and it''s good for you.¡± ¡°But...¡± said Natalie who still wanted to say something, to try to persuade Shane to give up the idea of her drinking hot toddy. However, the man didn''t give her a chance at all. He gently flicked her forehead and said, ¡°No acting cute, you must drink it. There''s no room for negotiation.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. After speaking, he gestured to the housekeeper with a nod of his chin and instructed, ¡°Go ahead and do it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said the housekeeper as he nced at Natalie, a hint of amusement in his eyes, before turning and heading to the kitchen. Natalie caught the hint of amusement in the housekeeper''s eyes and pouted at Shane and whined, ¡°It''s all your fault, the housekeeper wasughing at me just now.¡± Shane''s thin lips slightly curled up as he said, ¡°Who told you to act like a child, trying to be sneaky and acting cute just to avoid drinking hot toddy?¡± ¡°Who''s being sneaky? Who''s acting cute? I''m not!¡± retorted Natalie with her eyes wide open. Shane looked at her and said, ¡°You haven''t because you haven''t had the chance yet. Alright, be good and drink the hot toddyter. It''s good for you. Who told you not to wear extrayers of clothing when you went out?¡± ¡°Didn''t I already exin it? I was in such a hurry to see you that I didn''t think much about it,¡± said Natalie as she rested her head on his shoulder, her eyelids slightly drooping, ¡°I''m sorry, Shane.¡± Shane paused in the middle of sipping his coffee, then turned to look at her and asked, ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Natalie''s lips quivered slightly as she said, ¡°Because of my willfulness these past few days.¡± Shane understood her meaning and put down the coffee cup in his hand as heforted, ¡°You don''t need to apologize. In this matter, neither of us is wrong. We acted for each other''s sake, but our approaches and motives were different. You didn''t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°No, I was wrong,¡± said Natalie as she raised her head, looked at Shane, and continued, ¡°I just wanted to stay by your side and face Sean together. But my thoughts were too simple and I didn''t consider whether my presence would hold you back. If in the end, I really do hold you back and cause you trouble, then the mistake I made would be truly unforgivable. That''s why I said I was wrong and want to apologize to you.¡± Shane gently rubbed her hair and said, ¡°I''m also at fault for not exining everything to you from the beginning. I just wanted you to figure it out yourself, but I didn''t consider how long it would take you. Plus, with all the arrangements I''ve been making these past few days, I didn''t think ignoring you would only make you more confused. I was wrong, and I''m sorry.¡± He gently kissed her forehead, his voice filled with remorse. Natalie understood Shane''s meaning and shook her head as she said, ¡°I was being too stubborn. I originally thought that between the two of us, you will be the first topromise and let me stay. That''s why I never tried to make up with you. But I never expected you won''tpromise this time as I thought you would. Instead, you persisted in giving me the cold shoulder. The more you did that, the more upset I felt, and the less I could think about anything else. So, I became even more determined to prove myself to you. Looking back now, I was really being childish.¡± Chapter 1730 Chapter 1730 Chapter 1730 Changes ¡°About the cold war, we were both wrong. I never thought about discussing it with you. I should have talked to you about it earlier, instead of expecting you to figure it out on your own,¡± said Shane as he sighed lightly, his heart filled with regret. Natalie hugged him tightly and said, ¡°It''s not your fault. You''ve been so busy these days, how can you have the energy to think about all this? As it is, the main reason is that I was too presumptuous and took things too seriously, insisting onpeting with you to see who would win or lose. I won''t do that again. After going through this, I''ve realized that sometimes when thinking about things, I need to consider them more deeply and not just assume that what I think is definitely right. In short, this time, it has also taught me a lesson.¡± ¡°I feel the same way,¡± said Shane as he looked at her with a serious gaze, ¡°I was just thinking that you would quickly understand my good intentions, but I never thought that my indifference would make you overthink things and be even more confused.¡± Most importantly, as a man, he actually insisted on having the cold war against her. Instead of finding a proper way to talk to her and make her understand. In this regard, he had not done a good job as a man. Natalie and Shane looked at each other, and after a few seconds, they suddenlyughed and said, ¡°Anyway, we both made mistakes. This cold war has made us realize what we did wrong. So, can we not do this again in the future? I don''t want to have a cold war with you anymore. It feels terrible, and it really scares me. I''m even worried that if we keep fighting like this, we''ll eventually lose our feelings for each other and be a disharmonious couple or even hostile toward each other.¡± Upon hearing this, Shane''s pupils constricted, and he tightened his grip on her hand considerably. His tone was extremely serious and sincere as he said, ¡°No, we will never reach that point. Absolutely not.¡± Having no feelings for each other? Bing a disharmonious couple or even hostile toward each other? How could he possibly ept such a thing could happen! Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Sensing that Shane''s emotions were slightly off, Natalie lifted her head from his embrace and looked at him. Seeing Shane''s tense and gloomy expression, she knew exactly what was going through his mind. She lowered her head, burying it in Shane''s embrace, and said, ¡°Since neither of us wants to take it to that level, we need to change some things about ourselves. For example, during this cold war, one of us couldn''t think clearly, while the other was too stubborn to exin things properly. That''s why the cold war hassted for so long.¡± Upon hearing this, Shane knew it was irrefutable. Natalie hugged Shane''s waist tightly and continued, ¡°So, to avoid any future cold wars between us, we need to work on these shorings. If there''s any issue, we should try our best tomunicate clearly with each other, instead of hiding it. The more we keep silent, the more misunderstandings will arise. Eventually, it might cause even bigger cracks in our rtionship, and it might not just be a simple cold war anymore. Shane, what do you think?¡± Shane''s Adam apple bobbed before he finally nodded, ¡°Alright, we''ll both change our ways.¡± ¡°Alright, We''ll change it all!¡± chimed Natalie as her red lips curved into a smile. The two of them shared a tender moment on the couch until the housekeeper brought hot toddy, and only then did they separate from their conjoined state. Shane picked up the hot toddy and gently blew on it. After ensuring the hot toddy wasn''t too hot, he handed it to her and said, ¡°Drink it up.¡± Seeing the man''s eyes filled with an air of indisputability, Natalie couldn''t help but sigh helplessly. With a bitter expression, she endured the pain, took the hot toddy, and drank it down, As Shane watched her finish the hot toddy sip by sip, his face showed a clear satisfied expression. He then handed the empty bowl to the housekeeper and asked them to take it away. Natalie let out a long sigh, her delicate eyebrows tightly furrowed together, andined, ¡°The hot toddy tastes terrible.¡± ¡°For your own good, you have to drink it even if it tastes bad,¡± insisted Shane as he nced at her. Afterward, he picked up the ss he had just used to drink water, handed it to her, and suggested, ¡°Have some in water to get rid of the taste from your mouth.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Natalie nodded, reaching out to take the ss of water and took a sip. The in water diluted the sweet and spicy taste in Natalie''s mouth, and her expression finally improved significantly. After breathing deeply, she put down the ss and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, Stanley is here.¡± Chapter 1731 Chapter 1731 Chapter 1731 Gratitude Upon hearing this, Shane raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Has he already arrived?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie nodded, pointing upstairs. ¡°Traveling was too tiring, so he''s resting in the room.¡± Shane nced up towards the direction of the stairs and then replied, ¡°All right.¡± He was well aware of Stanley''s arrival as Ss had informed him. So when he heard Natalie mention it again, he didn''t find it surprising at all. ¡°How long has he been here?¡± Shane picked up the cup she had just put down and took a sip from the same spot where she had just drunk. Her lipstick stain still remained on the rim of his cup. Upon seeing it, Natalie couldn''t react in time to stop him. His movements were so fast that she simply couldn''t react in time. ¡°Darling, I just had ginger tea, so there must be a taste of it on the cup. Don''t you mind?¡± Natalie asked cautiously while looking at Shane. In the past, she and he often shared a cup, so what surprised her was not that he continued to drink from the cup she had used, but rather, she was afraid he would dislike the other smell she left on the cup. However, Shane shook his head and said, ¡°Why would I? You are my wife.¡± Natalie smiled. ¡°Darling, you''re such a nice person.¡± Shane gently rubbed her hair and asked again, ¡°All right. When did Stanley arrive?¡± Natalie stopped making a fuss and leaned into his embrace, replying, ¡°Three hours ago. When he arrived, I had a chat with him.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What did you talk about?¡± Shane asked, gently stroking her hair. Natalie was silent for a moment before finally replying, ¡°I asked him why he took Connor away, causing him to have a car ident, as well as why he burned down my factory and staged his car ident.¡± There wasn''t much of a change in Shane''s facial expression after he heard her words. He had guessed long ago that she must have talked about these things. Ever since Jacqueline told her that it was all Stanley''s doing, she had had doubts in her mind and wanted to get a clear exnation from Stanley. It was just that Stanley had always been with Joyce, and she had some resentment towards Stanley deep down, so she had never taken the initiative to ask Stanley. Now that Stanley was right in front of her, she naturally couldn''t let this opportunity slip away. ¡°So, how did Stanley respond?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes, his expression cold. Natalie fell silent once again. It was only after a few seconds that she slowly recounted everything she and Stanley had discussed at the time. Upon hearing that Stanley did all this just to win her over, Shane put on a gloomy face. He scoffed coldly and said, ¡°If one could sessfully win someone over using such a ridiculous method, there would be no justice left in this world.¡± Hearing the man''sint about Stanley, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°All right, don''t be angry. I''m not angry anymore.¡± ¡°Are you really not angry anymore?¡± Shane lowered his head to look at her. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°Of course, I still feel a bit ufortable in my heart, but since he saved my life, I can only let it go and not pursue it further. Moreover, Stanley promised me that it won''t happen again. He also said that his mental state has improved a lot now, and he won''t engage in those crazy actions in the future, especially towards Joyce.¡± ¡°Do you believe him?¡± Shane looked at her. Natalie shook her head. ¡°I don''t know, but I''m willing to try and believe in him. Maybe, he really can do it.¡± ¡°Since you put it that way, I''ll listen to you then.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°I originally wanted to teach him a lesson.¡± Natalie immediately raised her hand and covered his mouth. ¡°No, please don''t. He saved our entire family. We really shouldn''t do anything to him. Besides, he came here to help this time, so let''s just let it go. Don''t bring it up again. Let''s see if he really won''t cause any more trouble in the future.¡± Shane responded with a nod. ¡°As you wish.¡± Even though he didn''t have a good impression of Stanley, he was willing to endure and tolerate Stanley, out of gratitude for thetter who had saved them. Chapter 1732 Chapter 1732 Chapter 1732 Another Doctor ¡°Thank you, Darling, and sorry for the trouble.¡± Natalie looked at Shane, smiling shyly. She knew that he must have really wanted to take action against Stanley, as what Stanley did was indeed too much. But he was even more willing to tolerate and take a step back for her. This indeed made him feel somewhat wronged. Shane looked at her and softly replied, ¡°It''s nothing. You all are my Achilles'' heel. For you, I can do anything.¡± It included tolerating someone he hated. Natalie hugged the man''s arm and suddenly said, ¡°How about I make it up to you tonight?¡± Shane''s eyes lit up in an instant, as he lowered his head to look at her. His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down, and his voice was somewhat hoarse as he asked, ¡°Do you know what you''re saying?¡± It went without saying what she meant by making it up to him at night. Natalie looked at the man who seemed to be suppressing something and said with a slight smile on her lips, ¡°Of course I know. So are you happy?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. In the past, she had never taken the initiative to do it with him. It was always he who initiated it, and then she just went along with him. It was her first time suggesting doing it with him, so it wasn''t surprising that he was excited. Shane''s lips curled into a smile. ¡°What do you think? Since you said you''dpensate me, don''t go back on your word tonight.¡± It had been quite some time since hest slept with her, several days in fact. He was a normal man, and she was the love of his life; it was only natural that he would have wanted to do it with her. Therefore, he was happy when she willingly made the offer. ¡°I won''t go back on my word.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°I mean what I say, really!¡± Afraid that he wouldn''t believe her, she even raised three fingers to make an oath. Shane gently pressed her hand back and said, ¡°I believe in you.¡± Natalie smiled and leaned into his embrace. ¡°I knew my darling would believe in me.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shane gently rubbed her soft hair. ¡°Sit here first. I''m going to go upstairs and change my clothes. I went into a warehouse with someone during the day to check on some equipment, and I got a lot of dust on me. I''ll take a shower and thene back down.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Natalie waved her hand, signaling him to do it. Shane stood up, walked around the sofa, and headed towards the stairs to go upstairs. Just as Shane reached the second floor, he heard a flurry of footsteps. He looked up and saw Stanley, who was dressed in a white outfit and wearing silver-framed sses, walking towards him. Shane stopped in his tracks, not continuing up the stairs. He stood there, just looking at Stanley. Stanley also saw Shane, stopping in his tracks for a moment. Clearly, he hadn''t expected to run into Shane so coincidentally in this ce. But soon, Stanley regained hisposure and continued forward until he reached Shane, stopping about two steps away from him. ¡°Mr. Thompson, long time no see.¡± Stanley smiled at Shane and reached out his hand. This smile made him look like the gentleman he was when he first came back to his country. However, Shane remained expressionless, ncing down at his hand without any intention of shaking it. ¡°It has indeed been quite a while since west met.¡± Shane narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice cool and indifferent. Stanley noticed that Shane didn''t want to shake hands with him, so he didn''t insist. He calmly put his hand down as if nothing had happened and put it back in his pocket. ¡°It seems that you''re not very weing of my arrival, which is a bit strange to me. After all, I came to help, and wasn''t it you, Mr. Thompson, who agreed to it?¡± ¡°I agreed, but that doesn''t mean I have to like you,¡± Shane said coldly. Stanley chuckled again. ¡°Mr. Thompson, aren''t you afraid of offending people by speaking like this?¡± ¡°So what? If I offend you, are you just going to leave?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°If you want to leave, then please do so. I won''t try to stop you. I can always find another doctor.¡± ¡°Oh? You mean Jackson?¡± Stanley raised his eyebrows. ¡°At this time, he''s probably in some remote mountainous area, isn''t he? Isn''t he working as an itinerant doctor?¡± Chapter 1733 Chapter 1733 Chapter 1733 Babbling ¡°Without him, there can still be other doctors. This world is not short of excellent doctors,¡± Shane said coldly. Stanley shrugged. ¡°All right. I forgot about your status, Mr. Thompson. Indeed, your status allows you to get the best doctors in the world.¡± ¡°So, are you leaving?¡± Shane looked at him. Stanley chuckled again. ¡°Of course not, I came here not solely to help you. Most importantly, I''m here to help Natalie. She''s my friend, and I can''t just stand by and watch her in trouble.¡± ¡°Since you said she''s your friend, how did you treat her before this, huh?¡± Shane growled with a gloomy expression as he suddenly became angry and grabbed Stanley''s cor. This man has previously professed his love for Natalie, but as it turns out, that''s how his love manifested itself¡ªby kidnapping the child of the person he loves, which leads to the child''s involvement in a car ident. After such a huge incident, he became even more reckless instead of feeling remorseful and restraining himself. He even went as far as to burn down the factory of the person he loves and stage his car ident, all just to have that person take care of him so that it could bring them closer together. Ha, such love is truly disgusting. Shouldn''t loving someone be about supporting them and seeing them happy? However, Stanley is not like that. His love is clearly the kind that pushes people toward a dead end. Fortunately, Stanley doesn''t truly love Natalie. Otherwise, it would have been an insult to the word ¡°love¡±. ¡°So that''s why.¡± Stanley looked down. ¡°I was wondering why you''re so angry when you see me. Turns out you wanted to settle old scores with me.¡± ¡°You almost killed my child. If it weren''t for my wife deciding not to pursue it, I would never let you off the hook.¡± Shane stared at him with murderous intent in his eyes, his voice cold as if it came from the icy depths of hell, sending shivers down one''s spine. However, Stanley showed no signs of change in his emotion as he fearlessly met Shane''s gaze. ¡°What happened in the past is indeed my fault, and I have reflected on it. So, it''s more urate to say that I came here this time to atone for my past actions, rather than because I came for Natalie.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Shane snorted coldly, and then suddenly pushed him away. Stanley stumbled back a couple of steps after being pushed by Shane. If it weren''t for him quickly grabbing onto the stair railing, he would have almost fallen. Shane coldly nced at him for a while. Without paying him any further attention, he then withdrew his gaze and headed up to the third floor. The upstairs was where his and Natalie''s room was located, and no one else was allowed to go up without permission. Standing rooted to the spot, Stanley watched Shane leave until he disappeared from his sight. He shook his head with an enigmatic smile. ¡°You''re truly terrifying, Shane Thompson.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he didn''t linger in his original spot. Instead, he turned around and went downstairs. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Natalie sat in the living room, cradling a small baby in her arms. A plump woman stood respectfully behind her, also looking down at the baby in her arms. In her hand, she held a rattle, which she shook gently from time to time. In Natalie''s arms, the baby heard the sound of the rattle and widened his big, round eyes. Then, he opened his mouth and made some adorable sounds, as if he was trying to talk. Seeing this, Zaylee said with a smile, ¡°Madam, look, Mr. Anders seems to want to talk now.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalie looked at her little son in her arms, her face wearing a gentle, loving smile. She gently wiped the drool from Anders'' mouth with a tissue, then gently rocked him while softly saying, ¡°Baby, do you want to say ''Mommy''? Come on, let me teach you. Say ''mom-my''!¡± ¡°Madam, Mr. Anders is still too little to learn,¡± Zaylee said with a smile. Natalie turned her head and smiled at her. ¡°I know. I''m just trying to amuse the child. I''m aware that it''s still too early for Anders to speak. At least not until he''s one year old. Moreover, the doctor mentioned that since Anders was born prematurely, her vocal cords'' development might be somewhat dyed. So, even after he turns one, he might not necessarily be able to talk.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Madam. The doctor said that Mr. Anders is just ate talker, not that he can''t talk. He''ll catch up eventually,¡± Zaylee reassured her. Chapter 1734 Chapter 1734 Chapter 1734 Genuine Natalie nodded. ¡°You have a point.¡± She lowered her head and began to y with the baby in her arms with a smile. ¡°Speaking of which, Anders is muchzier than his older brother and sister,¡± Natalie said while gently stroking Anders''s face. Zaylee asked with confusion, ¡°What do you mean, Madam?¡± Natalie gently patted Anders''s back. ¡°When Connor and Sharon were little, they were famously lively and active At about the same age as Anders, they couldn''t sit up or even turn over in their swaddles, but they never stopped moving their hands and feet. They would mess up their swaddles, and as soon as we tidied them up, they''d be all over the ce again. It really wore my mom out back then.¡± At this point, she couldn''t help butugh, and a hint of nostalgia shed in her eyes. The memories remained, but the people in those memories were gone. Zaylee didn''t know what Natalie was thinking, but hearing her description, she couldn''t help but cover her mouth andugh. ¡°Indeed, Mr. Connor and Ms. Sharon are much more lively than Mr. Anders.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Compared to his older siblings, Anders seems much more gentle and quiet, just like a little girl. When he wakes up, he doesn''t cry or anything. He only makes some sounds when he''s hungry or needs a diaper change. Otherwise, he''s either sleeping or staring at the ceiling with his big eyes wide open.¡± ¡°Yeah, Mr. Anders is indeed very gentle and well-behaved. This is the first time I''ve taken care of such an easy-to-handle child,¡± Zaylee agreed. Natalie looked at her son in her arms. Just as she had said, the little oney quietly in her arms without crying or making a fuss, not even moving. With wide, bright ck eyes, Anders stared intently at her. asionally, he would sh her a wide grin, which was simply too adorable. Natalie couldn''t help but lower her head and give the little one a peck on the cheek. ¡°I really don''t know what you''re giggling about, you little fellow.¡± ¡°Perhaps Mr. Anders is smiling because he finds his mother too beautiful, and he''s happy to have such a gorgeous mom,¡± Zaylee praised. Natalie''s face turned red. ¡°Mdm. Zorus, don''t say that. You''re making me feel embarrassed.¡± Zaylee chuckled and said, ¡°I''m telling the truth, Madam. You are indeed very beautiful, even more so than those famous celebrities.¡± ¡°I agree with that.¡± Before Natalie could respond, a voice came from behind her. Natalie and Zaylee turned their heads to look at the person at the same time. Zaylee didn''t know Stanley, so her eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at him, not understanding why a strange man suddenly appeared in the vi. When Stanley arrived, Zaylee was still in the room taking care of the child,pletely unaware that someone hade. ¡°Madam, who is this gentleman?¡± Zaylee asked with a puzzled expression while looking at Stanley. Natalie smiled and replied, ¡°This is my friend. Hisst name is Quinn, and he just arrived today.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Zaylee nodded and then smiled politely at Stanley. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Quinn.¡± Stanley also gave her a faint smile. ¡°Likewise.¡± ¡°Stanley, this is Anders''s wet nurse,¡± Natalie introduced Zaylee. Stanley nodded. ¡°I know. I roughly guessed it after hearing your conversation just now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Natalie nodded, then looked at Zaylee. ¡°Mdm. Zorus, you can go ahead and get busy. Once Anders falls asleep, I''ll call you.¡± ¡°Very well, Madam,¡± Zaylee replied with a smile and turned to leave. In the living room, only Natalie and Stanley, the two adults, were left, along with the child in Natalie''s arms. Stanley walked over and looked down at her arms. Seeing the well-behaved baby lying in the swaddle looking around with eyes wide open and asionally smiling, he was stunned for a moment. After a few seconds, he recovered and showed a gentle smile. ¡°Is this Anders?¡± Stanley asked softly as he sat down across from her and looked at Anders. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Natalie could tell that the gentleness he was showing at this moment was genuine and sincere, rather than the fake gentleness he used to show. Chapter 1735 Chapter 1735 Chapter 1735 Stanley And Anders If an individual disyed insincere tenderness in the presence of a child, that person had reached a point of irredeemability and could be considered a genuine embodiment of evil. Thankfully, Stanley was not like that. Moreover, Natalie could tell that Stanley really liked Anders. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have shown such a joyful and gentle expression when he saw Anders. Natalie was happy when she saw that others were fond of her child. Didn''t it mean that her child was quite charming? Natalie wiped the drool from the corner of Ander''s mouth and carried him in her arms. She smiled. ¡°Yes, this is Anders, a littlezy pig who loves to eat and sleep all day, and doesn''t like to move around.¡± Stanley looked at Anders. ¡°Anders was born prematurely, so it''s good for him to be a bitzy. It allows him to gain some weight, which is beneficial for his health.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s what Anders'' previous doctor said too.¡± As if he understood their conversation, the little child cooperated and let out two sounds. Natalie listened to the child''s sweet voice, and her heart melted. She gently shook the little one in her arms and could not contain her fondness. ¡°Oh my goodness, Anders, how can you be so cute?¡± Stanley looked at the happy mother and child and chuckled lightly. ¡°Anders is indeed very adorable. May I hold him for a moment?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Natalie nodded. Stanley was taken aback. ¡°Aren''t you afraid I''ll hurt the child? After all, I''ve hurt Connor before.¡± He thought she would reject him. Yet unexpectedly, she actually agreed to let him hold Anders. Natalie looked at Stanley, her smile fading considerably, and her expression turned more serious. ¡°Will you hurt Anders?¡± ¡°No.¡± Stanley shook his head in response. Natalie smiled. ¡°If you won''t, then why should I be afraid?¡± Saying this, she handed over the little one in her arms. ¡°Go ahead and hold him. Anders is easy to take care of and he''s not shy around strangers. He''ll smile at anyone who holds him. If it weren''t for the fact that he''s still young and must be taken care of at all times, I''d be worried that someone might kidnap him at any moment if he stays this friendly when he''s older.¡± At that point, she couldn''t help butugh and shake her head helplessly. Stanley was taken aback as Natalie followed through on her words and genuinely handed over the child, which came as an unexpected surprise to him. Caught off guard, he became somewhat flustered upon seeing the approaching Anders. However, he soon regained hisposure and carefully took the child into his arms with both hands. Anders was so small that when cradled in his arms, the child felt almost weightless. However, Stanley has also held such a small child before. Six years ago, when Natalie gave birth to Connor and Sharon, he had personally held the two children who were about the same age as Anders. So, when it came to holding a child, he was not unfamiliar with it. He quickly adjusted his posture and held the little one securely in his arms. Ha thought sha would rajact him. Yat unaxpactadly, sha actually agraad tot him hold Andars. Natalia lookad at Stay, har sm fading considarably, and har axprassion turnad mora sarious. ¡°Will you hurt Andars?¡± ¡°No.¡± Stay shook his haad in rasponsa. Natalia smd. ¡°If you won''t, than why should I ba afraid?¡± Saying this, sha handad ovar tha lit ona in har arms. ¡°Go ahaad and hold him. Andars is aasy to taka cara of and ha''s not shy around strangars. Ha''ll sm at anyona who holds him. If it waran''t for tha fact that ha''s still young and must ba takan cara of at all timas, I''d ba worriad that somaona might kidnap him at any momant if ha stays this friandly whan ha''s oldar.¡± At that point, sha couldn''t halp butugh and shaka har haad halssly. Stay was takan aback as Natalia followad through on har words and ganuinaly handad ovar tha child, which cama as an unaxpactad surprisa to him. Caught off guard, ha bacama somawhat flustarad upon saaing tha approaching Andars. Howavar, ha soon ragainad hisposura and carafully took tha child into his arms with both hands. Andars was so small that whan crad in his arms, tha child falt almost waighss. Howavar, Stay has also hald such a small child bafora. Six yaars ago, whan Natalia gava birth to Connor and Sharon, ha had parsonally hald tha two childran who wara about tha sama aga as Andars. So, whan it cama to holding a child, ha was not unfamiliar with it. Ha quickly adjustad his postura and hald tha lit ona sacuraly in his arms. Just as Natalie had said, Anders was not shy at all. When he saw that the person holding him had changed, he didn''t cry, make a fuss, or get scared. Instead, he giggled adorably. It was impossible not to love him. Upon seeing that, Stanley couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly. ¡°Your concern is valid. When Anders grows up, we really need to guide him to change his personality a bit. We can''t let him be so trusting of everyone as he is now.¡± ¡°Yeah, both Shane and I think so too. We''ll help this little one improve his character,¡± Natalie said, looking at the little child in Stanley''s arms. Stanley ced Anders on hisp, and then yfully teased the child in his arms with his hand. The little one did not like to move. Even when teased, he did not move a hand and just smiled at him. Upon seeing that, Stanley couldn¡¯t help but let out a light chuckle. He shook his head. ¡°This little guy is indeed a bitzy.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Isn''t that the truth? I''ve never seen such azy baby before,¡± Natalie said with a smile. ¡°However, it''s not a bad thing. It makes it easier to take care of him.¡± ¡°True that.¡± Stanley nodded, continuing to y with Anders in his arms. Natalie got up and headed to the bathroom, ready to use the toilet. When Shane arrived, he saw that Stanley was the only one in the living room, and he was looking down at something intently. Chapter 1736 Chapter 1736 Chapter 1736 Making Anders Cry Upon fixing his gaze, Shane''s expression changed immediately. His face became incredibly tense. Anders was in Stanley''s hands! Seeing his young son being held and teased by Stanley, Shane''s face darkened with anger. He walked over quickly and asked Stanley, ¡°Why is Anders in your arms?¡± The only reason he refrained from abruptly taking Anders away was the concern that it might frighten him. Otherwise, he had no intention of allowing Anders to remain in Stanley''s arms for even a moment longer. Stanley looked up and saw Shane''s face turning dark. With a slight smirk, he said, ¡°Of course, it was your wife who gave him to me.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Shane didn''t even think before denying it. Stanley, driven by his selfish desires, had harmed Connor. How could Natalie, who cared so much about her child, still send her child to Stanley? Moreover, it was even more so for such a young child like Anders. In case Stanley did something to Anders, Anders wouldn''t even be able to defend himself. At that moment, Natalie wasn¡¯t around, and neither was Zaylee. It was highly likely that Stanley had secretly brought the child out himself. It was unclear how Stanley managed to find out where Anders was in order to prepare and bring him out. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What''s so impossible about that?¡± Stanley gently patted Anders'' back, soothing him to sleep while looking at Shane with a yful smile on his face. ¡°If you don''t believe me, go ask your wife.¡± ¡°Of course, I''ll ask her, but for now, give me the child,¡± Shane said with a cold expression on his face, reaching out to take Anders away. Yet, Stanley didn¡¯t listen to him. Instead, he freed one hand and made a silencing gesture on his lips. ¡°Wait a moment. Once I''ve put him to sleep, I''ll naturally give him to you. However, this little guy seems to have too much energy and just won''t sleep.¡± He lowered his head to look at Anders, who was still staring at Stanley with his round and wide eyes. While watching, he also opened his little mouth andughed. With a smile, drool flowed out. Stanley tenderly wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, showing no sign of disgust on his face. He really looked like a loving father taking care of his child. Upon witnessing that scene, Shane was first taken aback, and then an ufortable feeling rose within him, causing his face to be even more unpleasant to look at. He looked at the little one who was lying quietly in Stanley''s arms, not crying or making a fuss, but instead smiling at Stanley. He felt both annoyed and helpless. Hey, kiddo. The person holding you is the bad guy who once hurt your big brother and your Mommy. He could not believe that Anders actually smiled at Stanley. What an ungrateful little one. Shane was aware of Anders'' fondness for smiling. Each day, uponing home and embracing Anders, he would be greeted with a smile as long as Anders was awake. In fact, Anders would happily smile at anyone, showcasing his remarkable adorableness and easygoing nature, which made him a joy to care for. Yat, Stay didn¡¯t listan to him. Instaad, ha fraad ona hand and mada a sncing gastura on his lips. ¡°Wait a momant. Onca I''va put him to ap, I''ll naturally giva him to you. Howavar, this lit guy saams to hava too much anargy and just won''t ap.¡± Ha lowarad his haad to look at Andars, who was still staring at Stay with his round and wida ayas. Wh watching, ha also opanad his lit mouth andughad. With a sm, drool flowad out. Stay tandarly wipad tha saliva from tha cornar of his mouth, showing no sign of disgust on his faca. Ha raally lookad lika a loving fathar taking cara of his child. Upon witnassing that scana, Shana was first takan aback, and than an uforta faaling rosa within him, causing his faca to ba avan mora unasant to look at. Ha lookad at tha lit ona who was lying quiatly in Stay''s arms, not crying or making a fuss, but instaad smiling at Stay. Ha falt both annoyad and halss. Hay, kiddo. Tha parson holding you is tha bad guy who onca hurt your big brothar and your Mommy. Ha could not baliava that Andars actually smd at Stay. What an ungrataful lit ona. Shana was awara of Andars'' fondnass for smiling. Each day, uponing homa and ambracing Andars, ha would ba graatad with a sm as long as Andars was awaka. In fact, Andars would happily sm at anyona, showcasing his ramarka adoranass and aasygoing natura, which mada him a joy to cara for. However, Shane didn''t want Anders to smile at Stanley at all. ¡°Mr. Thompson, what''s wrong? You seem to be jealous.¡± Stanley looked at Shane''s gloomy face, nced at Anders in his arms, and suddenly understood something. Heughed even more teasingly. Shane didn¡¯t expect him to expose his emotions so openly. With a cold snort, he no longer bothered to hide his feelings. He reached out and directly snatched Anders from Stanley''s embrace. Anders was originally lyingfortably in Stanley''s arms, and with Stanley''s excellent skills in coaxing children, he was already feeling sleepy. His eyes began to slowly close, and he was ready to drift off to sleep. However, because of Shane''s sudden embrace, Anders instantly became fully awake. Then, he pouted his little mouth, and he burst into tears with the loudest cry in history. In the past, when Anders cried, his sobs were delicate and his voice was soft, just like a young girl''s. After crying for a bit, he would quickly quiet down. Yet, Anders finally cried like a boy, with a loud and piercing sound that startled Shane. Then, with a frown, a hint of panic and helplessness appeared on his face. Shane had no idea that Anders would suddenly cry, and cry so loudly. It was the first time he had seen Anders cry so intensely. He had neverforted a child who was crying so hard before, so he was at a loss for what to do with Anders at that moment. Chapter 1737 Chapter 1737 Chapter 1737 Coaxing Anders Upon seeing the situation, Stanley stood up and reached out his hand. ¡°Give me the child.¡± Shane hugged Anders, cautiously staring at Stanley without letting go. He was afraid that Stanley would hurt Anders. Of course, Stanley knew what Shane was thinking, and he also understood why Shane would have such thoughts. After all, it was indeed his own wrongdoing that led to hispleteck of credibility in front of them. If Anders had been taken away and didn''t cry or make a fuss, he would have probably let it go. Yet presently, Anders was crying very loudly. It was the kind of sound that made people''s hearts ache when they heard it, so he had no choice but to step in. After all, he really likes Anders. Thinking about it, Stanley took a deep breath and then looked at Shane with an extremely serious and solemn expression. ¡°Shane, you''d better give me the child. Anders was born prematurely and shouldn''t cry too often. Crying too much can cause significant damage to his internal organs and make him sick.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane''s expression subtly changed, and his demeanor instantly became tense. He had no doubt that Stanley was telling the truth. Stanley''s expression was overly serious. Subsequently, Stanley uttered something that served as a reminder of Anders'' premature birth. He had a delicate constitution. It became evident that excessive crying could indeed have negative implications for his health. Crying excessively could be harmful to a normal adult''s body, let alone a child, especially a premature one. So, Shane stopped worrying about Stanley and began tofort the child, trying to stop him from crying. Yet, no matter how much he tried tofort him, Anders just couldn''t stop crying. At that moment, Shane''s frown deepened, and his facial expression became even more tense and flustered. It was because he realized that he couldn''tfort Anders properly. Upon seeing the situation, Stanley sighed and then spoke in an even more serious tone. ¡°Shane, if you trust me, please hand Anders over to me. I have a way to calm him down. Anders has been protected by you all since he was little, so it''s natural for him to be spoiled. When you suddenly took Anders away a while ago, he was frightened, which was why he won''t stop crying. So, you won''t be able tofort him. Even though he''s young, he knows who had scared him.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane was momentarily taken aback. Unexpectedly, the reason for Anders'' incessant crying turned out to be him. If that was the case, he could no longer hold Anders in his arms. However, only he and Stanley were present. Natalie and Zaylee had disappeared, and there was no telling when they would arrive if called. He couldn''t possibly let Anders keep crying and wait for them to return. Do I really have no choice but to entrust Anders to Stanley? Seeing Shane still hesitant, Stanley frowned. ¡°Shane, do you want something to happen to your son?¡± So, Shana stoppad worrying about Stay and bagan tofort tha child, trying to stop him from crying. Yat, no mattar how much ha triad tofort him, Andars just couldn''t stop crying. At that momant, Shana''s frown daapanad, and his facial axprassion bacama avan mora tansa and flustarad. It was bacausa ha raalizad that ha couldn''tfort Andars proparly. Upon saaing tha situation, Stay sighad and than spoka in an avan mora sarious tona. ¡°Shana, if you trust ma, asa hand Andars ovar to ma. I hava a way to calm him down. Andars has baan protactad by you all sinca ha was lit, so it''s natural for him to ba spod. Whan you suddanly took Andars away a wh ago, ha was frightanad, which was why ha won''t stop crying. So, you won''t ba a tofort him. Evan though ha''s young, ha knows who had scarad him.¡± Upon haaring that, Shana was momantarily takan aback. Unaxpactadly, tha raason for Andars'' incassant crying turnad out to ba him. If that was tha casa, ha could no longar hold Andars in his arms. Howavar, only ha and Stay wara prasant. Natalia and Zaa had disappaarad, and thara was no talling whan thay would arriva if cad. Ha couldn''t possiblyt Andars kaap crying and wait for tham to raturn. Do I raally hava no choica but to antrust Andars to Stay? Saaing Shana still hasitant, Stay frownad. ¡°Shana, do you want somathing to happan to your son?¡± That sentence suddenly jolted Shane awake. He nced at Stanley, then looked at Anders in his arms, and finally made a decision. With both hands, he handed Anders over, his voice somewhat hoarse as he said, ¡°You better not do anything bad to Anders, or I''ll make sure you''re torn to pieces.¡± As he spoke these words, the chilling tone in his voice made one shudder from head to toe. However, Stanley didn''t feel anything at all. Gently patting Anders'' back tofort him, he calmly replied, ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t do anything to Anders. I''m just cleaning up the mess for you, an irresponsible father.¡± Upon saying that, it was evident that he was deliberately being sarcastic. It was because Shane wasn''t irresponsible. On the contrary, he was very responsible. He was afraid that Anders would be hurt by Stanley, so in his desperation, he snatched Anders away. Yet, he didn''t expect to scare Anders so much, making him cry so badly. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Moreover, he had never taken care of such a young child before, which was why he felt helpless when Anders cried. Shane knew that Stanley was deliberately mocking him, but he pursed his thin lips and didn''t seem to care. It was because, at that moment, he cared more about his child''s safety than his own feelings. He stared intently at Stanley, watching him like a criminal, fearing that Stanley might do something to Anders. Fortunately, Stanley didn''t do anything to Anders; he justforted him in a normal way. Chapter 1738 Chapter 1738 Chapter 1738 Ungrateful It was quite strange. As soon as Anders was in Stanley''s arms, he quickly calmed down and stopped crying. However, since he had been crying so loudly and for so long, he was still sniffling. With teary eyes, he looked at Stanley and broke into a smile. Upon seeing that scene, Shane''s mouth twitched slightly, and then he fell silent. He looked into Anders'' eyes with a hint of resentment. After all, just moments ago, the little child was crying so fiercely in his arms, as if he, the father, was a bad person. Yet, in Stanley''s arms, Anders'' crying stopped in such a short time, and he even gave a smile to Stanley. If one didn''t know better, one might have thought that Stanley was Anders'' father. ¡°What an ungrateful little one,¡± Shane murmured with slightly pursed lips. Stanley heard that and said with a faint smile, ¡°It''s a bit unfair for you to say that about Anders, Mr. Thompson. After all, it was you who scared him. Even though children are young, they''re not completely clueless. He knows who frightened him, so it''s only natural for him to be cautious and resistant toward that person.¡± ¡°All right, enough.¡± Shane frowned and quickly interrupted him. Otherwise, the more Stanley spoke, the more ufortable he felt inside. It was obvious that the child was his son, yet he was nestledfortably in Stanley''s arms. As a father, it was hard for him not to feel upset. Stanley knew that as well, so he just chuckled and stopped talking. He continued to pat Anders'' back, comforting him. Anders looked at Stanley for a while, then let out a yawn. His eyes began to flutter, not quite closing. But it was clear that sleepiness was taking over. Children tend to be easily distracted and can only focus for a short while. On top of that, having just cried, Anders was already tired, so naturally, sleepiness set in at that moment. Furthermore, children could fall asleep so easily. One moment they have just started to feel drowsy, and the next, they''ve closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep. It was so fast that it was amusing. After making sure that Anders was indeed asleep, Stanley handed Anders over to Shane with both hands. ¡°Mr. Thompson, here''s your son.¡± If he did not return Anders soon, he was afraid that Shane might just kill him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. He tried tofort Anders for a while, and all that time, Shane stared at him intently, as if treating him like a criminal. It was as if he thought that Stanley really intended to do something to Anders. As he held Anders for longer, the man''s gaze on him grew darker and darker, as if suppressing something. He knew that the man was holding back his impatience. An impatience to kill him. So, as soon as Anders fell asleep, he quickly handed the child over. Upon seeing Stanley return his son, Shane''s expression finally improved significantly. He quickly reached out and carefully cradled her son in his arms. He was afraid of waking Anders up, so he was extremely gentle when adjusting the little one''s position. Anders looked at Stanley for a while, then let out a yawn. His eyes began to flutter, not quite closing. But it was clear that sleepiness was taking over. Stanley sat across from Shane and suddenly said with a smile, ¡°I didn''t expect you to be quite good at taking care of children. The way you hold the child is not awkward at all. You are quite skilled. I assume you often personally take care of Anders?¡± Shane raised his gaze and nced at him faintly. ¡°Do I need you to tell me that? He''s my son, so of course, I''ll take care of him personally.¡± Even though he was busy and could not take care of Anders for the entire day, he always managed to squeeze in two hours every day to hug, kiss, and chat with his son no matter how busy he was. In addition to ensuring that his son always remembered him, what held even greater significance for him was the desire to foster a strong and nurturing bond between father and son starting from a young age. He missed out on Connor and Sharon''s early years, so he didn''t want to miss out on Anders'' early years as well. No doubt, as a father, he had failed. ¡°Mr. Thompson, it seems that you are indeed a good father,¡± Stanley said with his arms crossed. Shane responded with a dismissive nce, indicating his disregard for thement, before choosing to ignore itpletely. He simply continued to hold his son, fixating his gaze upon the child with unwavering focus. The little one perfectly inherited the good genes from both him and Natalie. Both he and Natalie had good looks, so naturally, their child wouldn''t be any different in terms of appearance. Chapter 1739 Chapter 1739 Chapter 1739 Tattletale Just like Connor and Sharon, Anders was incredibly good-looking. To be frank, considering Shane''s circumstances, he had encountered a fair number of children, although it wasn''t a significant number. Children of wealthy people actually tended to be quite good-looking, as their parents could afford to select partners with superior genes, giving birth to outstanding offspring. So, the children born were naturally not ugly and were all good-looking. In summary, there wasn''t a single child from a wealthy family who was unattractive. Yet honestly, he hadn''t seen children as good-looking as Connor and Sharon within his social circle. He could say without any shame that Connor and Sharon were extremely good-looking and that their looks could hardly be surpassed among the children in their circle. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. As for their younger brother Anders, although he was still young and his facial features had not fully developed, one could already see how good-looking he would be in the future. In short, his and Natalie''s three children were all better than other people''s children. Upon thinking about that, Shane''s thin lips slightly curled up, and his face disyed undisguised pride. Seeing Shane''s expression, Stanley raised his eyebrows slightly. What is that man thinking? It''s surprising to see him, who rarely showed his emotions, disying them so clearly. Well, that is quite unusual. Although Stanley was curious, he didn''t ask any further questions. It was because he knew that even if he asked, he wouldn''t get answers. So, why would he bother bringing it up? Stanley calmly drank his coffee, not making a sound. Shane didn¡¯t pay any attention to him. He held Anders gently and looked at him with tender eyes. His children were so precious to him that no matter how much he looked at them, it was never enough. At that moment, the sound of high heels approaching rang out. Stanley set down the cup in his hand and turned his head in sync with Shane. Natalie, holding her phone, emerged from the other side of the vi. As she spotted Shane, who had recently finished his shower and was downstairs cradling Anders, her face instantly lit up with a radiant smile. ¡°When did youe downstairs?¡± she eximed. First, she nced at the little one in his arms, and then she sat down beside him. Shane looked at her and asked, ¡°Where have you been? You''ve been gone for quite a while.¡± ¡°I went to the restroom, and when I came out, I received a call from the organizers. I took the call outside, and they reminded me that Lina and I should remember to attend the award ceremonyter,¡± Natalie replied, shaking her phone. Shane made a sound of acknowledgment, indicating that he understood. Natalie set her phone aside and extended her hand. ¡°Give me Anders, please.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shane shook his head in refusal. ¡°Anders may be small, but he has a good appetite. He needs to drink milk several times a day, and he''s growing quite chubby. He feels heavy when you hold him for too long. So, you should rest, and I''ll hold him.¡± Listening to the man''s words, Natalie felt a warmth in her heart. She then hugged the man''s arm and leaned her head against his shoulder, saying, ¡°Darling, you''re so good to me.¡± Stanley calmly drank his coffee, not making a sound. Shane chuckled affectionately. ¡°I''m your husband. If I don''t treat you well, who should I treat well?¡± The couple was talking,pletely oblivious to the fact that there was a third wheel right in front of them. Stanley nced at the two people opposite him and couldn''t help but chuckle lightly. He then continued to drink his coffee. Since the couple did not treat him as an outsider, why shouldn''t he watch openly and honestly? Upon hearing Stanley''s softughter, Natalie''s body stiffened. Only then did she realize that she had just ignored him and had been engrossed in her conversation with Shane. Fortunately, I didn''t say anything too embarrassing to Shane. Otherwise, it would have been even more awkward. ¡°Sorry, Stanley, just now...¡± Stanley knew what she was going to say, and waved his hand with a smile. ¡°It''s fine. By the way, Natalie, Anders just cried,¡± he said. Shane''s face suddenly turned serious, and then he squinted his eyes, looking at Stanley dangerously. Stanley fearlessly met Shane''s gaze and even shed him a smile. Shane''s expression turned gloomy. This person did it on purpose! He is deliberately tattling on me to Natalie! Natalie cared deeply for Anders. If she heard that Anders cried, she would definitely be extremely anxious. Then, Stanley could conveniently me Shane for making Anders cry, effectively achieving his goal of retaliating against Shane''s earlier mistreatment, all through Natalie''s involvement. Chapter 1740 Chapter 1740 Chapter 1740 Trusting Stanley ¡°What? Crying?¡± As expected, at the mention of Anders crying, Natalie hurriedly looked at Anders in Shane''s arms. Looking at Anders'' damp eyshes, Natalie believed Stanley''s words and fell silent. So, it turns out Anders did cry! Although she had only been with Anders for just over a week, she already understood Anders well enough. Anders was such azy child. He did not like to move around, nor did he like to cry or shout. He only made a few grunts when he was wet, soiled, or hungry. In short, Anders hardly cried at all. Even if he did, it was just a few small sobs, like thunder without rain, never shedding a single tear. Yet presently, Anders had actually shed tears, and his eyshes were even dampened by them. That bore witness to his recent heart-wrenching cries. It made Natalie feel as if her heart was aching. She immediately took Anders from Shane''s arms and tenderly stroked her son''s cheeks. ¡°Can someone tell me what happened? Why did Anders cry?¡± Shane pursed his thin lips, not saying a word, but his eyes were cold and piercing as they stared at Stanley. Not only was Stanley unafraid, but he even shed a smile at him. Upon seeing that both men remained silent, Natalie instantly became anxious. She looked at Stanley and said, ¡°Stanley, tell me, I handed Anders to you before I went to the restroom. Can you tell me how Anders ended up crying?¡± ¡°Did you hear that, Mr. Thompson? Natalie said it herself. Anders was given to me by her. I didn''t secretly take him.¡± Stanley didn''t respond to her but just looked triumphantly at Shane. Shane snorted and looked at Natalie. ¡°Why did you give the child to him? Have you forgotten what he did to Connor? Aren''t you afraid that he''ll hurt Anders?¡± ¡°Stanley wouldn''t do that, I trust him,¡± Natalie said, looking intently into Shane''s eyes. ¡°I''m willing to give him a chance. Shane, can you trust me too? I would never joke around or do something foolish with my own child.¡± Watching Natalie behave like so, Shane''s thin lips pursed slightly, but in the end, he didn''t say anything. Natalie lowered her head to look at the little one in her arms. The little one was sound asleep, and his tiny mouth moved from time to time, looking incredibly adorable. Yet, as she looked at the little one''s still-wet eyshes, her heart tightened again. ¡°All right, you still haven''t answered me. What happened to make Anders cry earlier? Why isn''t anyone saying anything?¡± she asked once again. Stanley touched his nose and then shed a sly smile at Shane. ¡°Natalie, let me tell you, it was Mr. Thompson who made Anders cry.¡± Shane''s expression was extremely gloomy. ¡°What?¡± Natalie was taken aback. ¡°Was it Shane?¡± She quickly turned her head, looking at the man beside her. ¡°Was it you who made Anders cry?¡± She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide. Shane shifted his gaze away, feeling a bit guilty, and didn''t respond. Shane snorted and looked at Natalie. ¡°Why did you give the child to him? Have you forgotten what he did to Connor? Aren''t you afraid that he''ll hurt Anders?¡± However, his demeanor made it quite clear that he was indeed the one who made the child cry. This nearly caused Natalie to stagger in astonishment. She freed one hand and shakily pointed at Shane. ¡°Why on earth did you make the child cry?¡± Anders was not prone to crying. For him to shed tears like that, Shane must have done something unimaginable. ¡°Hey, Mr. Thompson, do enlighten us. Why did you manage to make Anders cry just when everything seemed to be going smoothly?¡± Stanley yfully crossed his arms, a mischievous half-smile gracing his face as he teased. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Stanley had endured Shane''s persistent condescension and the frequent episodes of being the target of jokes, as Shane constantly instructed him with an air of superiority. Bearing the weight of such mockery, Stanley had nurtured a deep-rooted thirst for revenge. Now, he had finally found the opportunity. ¡°What right do you have to speak here? Shut up!¡± Shane red at Stanley, his anger rising rapidly, and scolded him with a very unpleasant tone. Stanley wasn''t afraid of him at all. Even when he was yelled at, he didn''t get angry. Instead, heughed even more gleefully. He waited to see how Shane would respond to Natalie. Natalie looked at Shane, who did not admit to it but instead started lecturing others. Her expression darkened and she asked, ¡°Shane, what are you doing? Are you going to speak or not?¡± Chapter 1741 Chapter 1741 Chapter 1741 Who Started This ¡°Fine, I''ll tell.¡± Shane felt somewhat guilty in the face of his wife''s anger. How could he not? After all, he was the one who made Anders cry. Since he was in the wrong first, he had no choice but to yield. Knowing that he could no longer hide the truth, Shane sighed and rubbed his temples. ¡°I didn''t do it on purpose. I felt uneasy when I saw Anders in Stanley''s arms, so I took Anders from him. I didn''t mean to scare Anders and make him cry.¡± ¡°I knew it was you!¡± Natalie''s face flushed from anger. ¡°Anders is still so young! How could you scare him? He might be traumatized for life!¡± A child''s emotional state could be fragile, so problems might arise if not handled carefully. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Therefore, one must be extremely cautious and meticulous when it came to looking after children. Shane, on the other hand, did the exact opposite. He ended up frightening the child to tears. Feeling even more guilty, Shane sheepishly scratched his nose and exined, ¡°I didn''t mean for it to happen! I was just worried that Stanley might do something to Anders, so I asked him to give Anders back to me, but he refused. I got anxious, so I snatched Anders from him, not realizing my actions might scare him.¡± Shane suddenly raised his hand. ¡°I need to rify something here. I didn''t give Anders back to Mr. Thompson not because I didn''t want to, but because Anders was sleepy. I was thinking of handing him back to Mr. Thompson after he fell asleep. Who knows Mr. Thompson would be so impatient? He ended up making Anders cry, and worse still, he couldn''t even soothe the baby. In the end, it was I who managed to calm Anders down.¡± His words not only belittled Shane but also made himself appear righteous, showcasing his mastery of maniption in the conversation. Shane and Natalie weren''t fools, so naturally, they detected the meaning behind his words. Shane was promptly infuriated, while Natalie merely frowned. After all, Shane was the one who made the child cry, while Stanley was the one who managed to soothe the child. She didn''t think there was anything wrong with Stanley implicitly mocking Shane. Shane only had himself to me for failing to console Anders. At present, her child was indeed more important than her husband in her heart. ¡°All right, stop ring at Stanley. You were the one who made Anders cry but failed to soothe him, so why are you upset when Stanley did your job for you? I don''t understand you sometimes,¡± said Natalie, both annoyed and amused at the same time. Shane pursed his lips in silence and felt indignant. He knew it was his fault and that he indeed fell shortpared to Stanley in terms of attentiveness and taking care of children. However, that didn''t mean Stanley had the right to show off and act all high and mighty in front of him. Stanley was clearly mocking him just now, and he was sure Natalie could tell, too. Nevertheless, Natalie didn''t bother to defend him, which naturally upset him. Natalie sighed upon noticing how quiet Shane was, knowing what he was thinking. She tugged at his sleeve, and when he turned around, she pointed at Anders and Stanley, wordlessly telling him that she didn''t speak up for him because Stanley was the one who pacified the child, and if she defended him, she would appear ungrateful. Natalie then pinched her nose bridge and said, ¡°I was wrong, too. I didn''t expect you toe down so quickly, so I didn''t tell you that I had handed Anders over to Stanley. If I had told you in advance, you wouldn''t have been so nervous and ended up scaring Anders.¡± Indeed, she was part of the reason this happened. Stanley could no longer bring himself to enjoy the show anymore when he saw Natalie ming herself. Clearing his throat, he said, ¡°It''s not your fault. You only handed Anders to me because I asked.¡± ¡°So, in the end, you''re still the one to me?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes and glowered at Stanley. Stanley was at a loss for words. Well, in a sense, I did start this. Natalie wouldn''t have handed Anders over to me if I didn''t ask. Chapter 1742 Chapter 1742 Chapter 1742 Wee Stanley Back If he didn''t hold Anders, Shane wouldn''t have red jealously at him and ended up frightening the child. All in all, he was indeed somewhat responsible for what happened. Shane''s face clouded over when he saw Stanley remaining silent, as if tacitly admitting his mistake. Natalie hugged Shane''s arm and attempted to smooth things over when thetter was about to pick on Stanley. ¡°That''s enough, Shane. This is over, and Anders is fine. Let''s not dwell on who was right or wrong anymore. If we keep dwelling on it, who knows how long it willst.¡± Shane nced at her, and then at Stanley. Though reluctant, he fell silent but still wore a sour expression, which indicated his unpleasant mood. Seeing that, Natalie couldn''t help shaking her head and smiling. She then nted a kiss on his cheek. Shane clearly did not see thating and was momentarily stunned. It took him a while to regain his senses and touch his cheek, a smile ying on his thin lips. ¡°Well? Are you still angry?¡± Natalie asked the man. The man averted his gaze and coughed lightly. Although delighted, he deliberately put on a calm facade and said, ¡°I feel better now.¡± Stanley rolled his eyes in annoyance. This guy is annoying. Can''t he just be honest? Just look at that wide smile on his face! He''s clearly over the moon! It went without saying that Natalie could tell Shane was putting on a pretense. Shaking her head in amusement, she said, ¡°Stop scowling if you''re feeling better. It will give you wrinkles and make you age faster.¡± Shane inclined his head. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Zaylee.¡± Natalie took out her phone and dialed Zaylee''s number. Upon receiving the call, Zaylee immediately asked, ¡°Mrs. Thompson, is there something you need?¡± ¡°Anders has fallen asleep. Can youe over and bring him back to the room?¡± Natalie said into the phone. Zaylee responded, ¡°Sure. I''ll be right there.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Natalie nodded, then put down her phone. Shane looked at her and asked, ¡°Where did Zaylee go? She didn''t evene when Anders was crying.¡± Clearly, he was somewhat displeased with Zaylee''s absence when she was supposed to be on duty. Looking at the unhappy man, Natalie patted him on the back of his hand, ¡°All right, don''t be like this. I was the one who let Zaylee leave. It''s normal she didn''t hear Anders crying. Besides, Anders doesn''t usually cry. He cried because you frightened him.¡± Shane couldn''t find a suitable retort to that. Stanley watched in amusement, gloating at Shane''s misery. Sensing the former''s mirth, Shane shot him a cold re. Unfazed, Stanley shrugged and gave Shane a smile. The two men didn''t bother concealing their antics, so Natalie saw everything and was tickled pink by the way they were silently expressing their dissatisfaction toward each other. These two grown men are so childish. But, I''m somewhat surprised by how lively and expressive Stanley is today. Stanley had always beenposed in her eyes, be it the Stanley who feigned gentleness or the crazy and malicious Stanley she had once seen. She had never seen him disy such a frivolous and carefree demeanor as he did today. Hence, she was both surprised and happy seeing him like that. This version of Stanley seems more like a living, breathing human being, and not an inscrutable and gloomy individual who excels at pretending and concealing his emotions. Perhaps he hasid the ghosts of his past to rest, including his hatred and past emotions. So, he can finally enjoy his life after he''s free of those shackles. No longer burdened by negative emotions, he can finallyugh carefreely and be himself. Natalie was genuinely happy for Stanley. ¡°By the way, Shane, let''s ask the kitchen to prepare some extra dishes tonight and hold a grand feast to wee Stanley back,¡± Natalie suggested, looking at Shane.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1743 Chapter 1743 Chapter 1743 Lina Arrives Wee Stanley back? Shane''s brows furrowed as he cast a nce at Stanley, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain. I can wee anyone back but Stanley. Before Shane could say anything to turn down the idea, Stanley beat him to it and said with a smile, ¡°That would be nice. Thank you.¡± Shane''s face fell. This guy has no shame. This is my house, and I haven''t even agreed to hold a weing feast! Why is he thanking us already? Stanley''s lips curved into a smirk when he saw Shane''s grim expression. It went without saying that he was in a great mood upon witnessing Shane''s misery. ¡°No worries. You don''t have to thank us. You''re our friend, so it''s only right that we wee you back. You guys go ahead and chat, I''ll go give instructions to the kitchen.¡± With that, Natalie stood up and ced Anders in Shane''s arms. ¡°Zaylee will be back soon. ce Anders in her care when she''s here. Don''t make him cry again.¡± Shane was annoyed. ¡°I only made Anders cry once.¡± Why is she making it sound like I do it all the time? Realizing what she said was somewhat inappropriate, she shed him an apologetic smile. ¡°I didn''t mean it. Don''t be upset.¡± ¡°I''m not.¡± Shane shook his head. How can I possibly get upset at her? Relieved, Natalie went to the kitchen after making sure the man wasn''t upset. Immediately after she left, the two men resumed having a staredown again. Instead of fighting and arguing, they merely locked eyes with one another without doing anything else. Though didn''t do anything in particr, their hostility toward each other was palpable, and anyone could tell that they were at odds with each other. It wasn''t until Zaylee arrived that they finally stopped ring at each other, pretending as if all was well. ¡°Sir, let me carry the baby.¡± Zaylee approached Shane and extended her arms. Shane didn''t say much and carefully ced Anders in the woman''s arms. ¡°Take good care of him.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Zaylee nodded, holding the child. Stanley chimed in, ¡°Mr. Thompson, you''re worrying for nothing. Zaylee is a professional. Do you really need to remind her?¡± Shane knew Stanley was deliberately saying these things to provoke him. He couldn''t be bothered to entertain the other man and waved his hand dismissively, gesturing for Zaylee to take the child away. Zaylee, sensing the awkward atmosphere, said nothing and left with Anders. Shane stood up and directed his frosty gaze at Stanley. ¡°You''d better behave if you don''t want me to throw you out.¡± Stanley arched an eyebrow. ¡°Fine. I''ll stop talking.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. This isn''t his turf. Since Natalie''s here to defend me, I can argue with him without reservations. But now that Natalie isn''t around, I should watch my behavior lest I really end up being thrown out. Shane snorted and made his way over to the kitchen after Stanley settled down. He was thinking of telling the chefs to whip up a few in dishes for the weing feast Natalie had suggested. It''s such a waste to feed Stanley sumptuous dishes. I''d rather feed dogs than him. After Shane left, Stanley picked up his teacup and chuckled to himself. Suddenly, footsteps rang out from the entrance. Following that, a crisp female voiceced with a hint of mischief could be heard. ¡°I''m back, Nat. I''ve brought gifts for you and Mr. Thompson.¡± The woman emphasized the word ¡°gift¡± with a hint of lewdness in her tone, making it pretty obvious that the gift was nothing ordinary and might be something ¡°special.¡± Stanley ced his cup down and looked in the direction of the voice. The woman was the same one he had encountered a few hours ago at the staircase on the second floor. Her name seemed to be Lina Cohen. Even though he hadn''t met her before, he had heard of her. The woman was a friend of Natalie and Joyce and a jewelry designer. She shared a simr status with Natalie in the fashion design industry. Chapter 1744 Chapter 1744 Chapter 1744 Masters In Acting Though Stanley had heard about Lina due to her poprity in the fashion design industry, that was the extent of his knowledge of her. Personally, he didn''t know her at all. He merely nced at Lina before withdrawing his gaze and leisurely sipping on his tea. Since he was a doctor who often performed surgeries, he couldn''t drink alcohol. On the rare asions when he did drink, he would have to check his work schedule for the next few days to see if he had any surgeries scheduled for those days, and if there were, he couldn''t drink. After all, it takes several days for alcohol to bepletely eliminated from one''s system. Therefore, he usually drank in water and tea. He seldom drank fruit juice, too, as some juices could ferment in the stomach. Over time, he fell in love with drinking tea. Sometimes, when he went out of town for surgeries, he would buy some good tea for himself. However, while he was rich and could afford expensive tea leaves, he was still iparable to Shane in terms of wealth. Some tea leaves were outrageously expensive, so much so that even he would think twice before buying. He could only buy some at a time to have a taste. The tea he was currently drinking was called Red Hibernia, a variety of tea he had previously bought at a sky-high price. It indeed tasted quite good but was too expensive. Though he didn''t buy it a second time, he couldn''t stop pining for it. Hence, he was surprised to find out that here at Shane''s ce, such expensive tea was treated as regr tea for serving guests. It was pretty obvious that Shane had a variety of expensive tea leaves. If only I can grab some without him noticing... I can almost imagine the look on his face when he finds out. The thought put a smile on Stanley''s face. Not hearing a response, Lina hurriedly walked toward the couch, her initial excitement dwindling noticeably. Upon reaching the couch, she noticed that the person sitting there wasn''t Natalie or Shane. Instead, it was the man she had run into a few hours ago on the second floor. A look of surprise flickered past her eyes. Why is he here? Despite her puzzlement, she didn''t show it on her face. Instead, she revealed a polite smile. ¡°Hello. You must be Dr. Quinn.¡± She reached out her hand as a friendly gesture. Though she didn''t like the man, she still had to feign amicability. Stanley arched his brow at the woman''s friendly facade and could tell that she didn''t like him. Despite so, she still managed to conceal that with a pleasant smile. He admired her tactfulness, for it was quite rare to encounter women who knew how to adapt to different circumstances nowadays. A hint of a sarcastic smile tugged at the corners of Stanley''s lips but quickly vanished. As if he didn''t notice anything, he extended his hand and held hands with Lina. ¡°Hello. Ms. Cohen, right?¡± Instead of exposing Lina''s pretense, he greeted her nonchntly. They were both masters in acting. The only difference was that Lina''s acting skills were clearly a notch below Stanley''s. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. At the very least, Stanley could tell that Lina was acting, but Lina failed to see that Stanley was doing the same. After a brief handshake, the two of them let go of each other''s hands. Lina sat down on the couch opposite Stanley. ¡°Where''s Nat, Dr. Quinn?¡± she asked. Stanley continued sipping on his tea calmly. It''s not every day I get to enjoy luxurious tea like this. I must seize the opportunity to drink more while I''m here. Who knows, Shane might be stingy and refuse to let me take some when it''s time to leave. ¡°They''re in the kitchen,¡± replied Stanley. ¡°Kitchen?¡± Taken aback, Lina turned her head to look in the direction of the kitchen. ¡°Is Mr. Thompson back too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Stanley lifted his chin slightly. Lina got even more puzzled. ¡°Why would they be in the kitchen though? Are they preparing dinner themselves tonight?¡± The image of Shane cooking in the kitchen with an apron surfaced in Stanley''s mind when he heard that. He couldn''t help snickering. Chapter 1745 Chapter 1745 Chapter 1745 A Passionate Scene Startled by his chortle, Lina looked at him. ¡°What''s wrong, Dr. Quinn?¡± Stanley dipped his eyes to conceal the amusement in his eyes. ¡°I''m fine. I just choked on my tea.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lina nodded and stopped asking, finding the man weird. Why did he suddenly choke on tea? Despite wondering what was wrong with him, Lina didn''t say it out loud. She was not a fool, after all. If she were to say her thoughts out loud, she would end up offending people. ¡°They''re not cooking,¡± said Stanley, seemingly oblivious to what was going on in Lina''s mind. He set down his teacup and elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth before replying, ¡°They''re just going to the kitchen to tell the chef what to prepare for tonight''s dinner. They said it''s to wee me home.¡± ¡°So that''s how it is.¡± Lina nodded as realization dawned on her but soon found it odd. Is there really a need for the two of them to go to the kitchen to instruct the chef? I know Nat will do so. After all, even though this man had harmed Joyce andmitted other wrongdoings, the fact that he had saved a life is undeniable. Nat will give him a chance because of that. She has always been kindhearted, so it''s understandable that she will host a wee-home dinner for him. But there''s no way Mr. Thompson will do something like that! Mr. Thompson is nothing like Nat. Even I, an outsider, know how much Mr. Thompson hates Stanley. He will never do something like that for Stanley. Even if Nat insists on hosting a wee-home feast and Mr. Thompson reluctantly agrees with the idea, he''ll never head to the kitchen with Nat to tell the chefs to prepare a sumptuous feast. There must be some other reason behind this. Lina''s eyes darted to the kitchen as she mused to herself before standing up and making her way over to the kitchen. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Stanley arched an eyebrow and didn''t stop her from leaving. I''m not interested in this woman, and the way she treats me isn''t exactly friendly, too. Why would I bother myself with her affairs? Therefore, Stanley quickly averted his gaze and continued savoring the tea. In the meantime, Lina curiously headed to the kitchen. Just as she reached the kitchen door, she heard strange noisesing from inside. She couldn''t quite describe what the noise sounded like, but it was incredibly suggestive, inexplicably making one''s face flush and heart race. In response, she touched her burning cheek and felt her pounding heartbeat. She knew what the noise meant and that she should not continue advancing forward. However, people tend to be driven by curiosity. They will stop at nothing until their curiosity is satisfied. Therefore, instead of leaving, Lina sneakily tiptoed toward the kitchen. The kitchen door was left open, so when Lina reached the doorway, she had a clear view of the scene inside the kitchen. She saw a tall figure with his back to her, pinning a petite figure against the kitchen wall, passionately kissing her. The towering man''s actions were assertive as he kissed the woman domineeringly. The petite woman, on the other hand, couldn''t move nor struggle at all. She could only let the man do as he pleased. Lina''s face turned beet red when she saw the couple sharing a passionate kiss in the kitchen. In fact, she was so embarrassed that even her ears and neck flushed red. She stood rooted to the spot, torn between leaving or staying. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to witness such a scene. Actually, she had a sense of what was going on the moment she heard the noise. Driven by her curiosity, she just wanted to see what was happening, and she did not expect to see that. Mr. Thompson is really too much. How can he kiss Nat in the kitchen? Can''t he have waited until they were back in their room? Lina grumbled inwardly as she inched backward, not wanting to see anymore. She wanted to leave before she was discovered, or it would be disastrous. Shane would never let her off the hook for snooping. With that in mind, Lina swallowed nervously and hastened to retreat. Chapter 1746 Chapter 1746 Chapter 1746 Caught Red Handed In her anxiousness, she identally bumped into the wall behind her and let out an involuntary cry of pain. The moment the couple in the kitchen heard the noise, they stopped kissing right away. Realizing that she had made a sound, Lina widened her eyes and covered her mouth as her face turned pale. It''s over! I''m done for! Is it toote if I run now? Lina was still thinking about running a moment ago, but the very next second, she realized it was already toote to escape, for Shane had already seen her. Shane and Natalie were in the midst of a passionate kiss when suddenly, they heard Lina''s voice. The man immediately let go of Natalie, swiftly turning his head toward the source of the sound. When he saw the flustered Lina, his face instantly darkened. Natalie didn''t expect that she and Shane would be caught kissing in the kitchen, leaving her utterly embarrassed. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. It was only natural that she felt awkward, for they were in the kitchen. Who would kiss in the kitchen? This is embarrassing! ¡°It''s Lina.¡± When Natalie saw that it was Lina who had walked in on her and Shane kissing in the kitchen, she breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Lina was no stranger to seeing her being ¡°tormented¡± by Shane to the extent that she could only get out of bed at noon. Hence, she wasn''t as shameful facing Lina. Lina had seen her in many awkward situations, so one more wouldn''t make a difference. At worst, she would just let Linaugh at her again. All in all, it was better to be seen by Lina than by Stanley. If Stanley was the one who caught them kissing, she would be too embarrassed to face him. ¡°Let''s go,¡± Shane said, casting Lina a nce before walking away with Natalie, holding her hand. Natalie hummed in agreement and wiped her lips as she walked. Her lips were probably swollen after being bitten and sucked on by the man. I swear Lina willugh her head off when she notices. Sighing, Natalie smiled wryly. Lina stopped trying to escape when she realized she had been discovered. Standing where she was, she braced herself for the uing storm. Her heart almost leaped out of her chest in fright when Shane and Natalie made their way over to her. She was especially on edge when she saw Shane''s gloomy face and swallowed, her cheeks turning even paler. ¡°H-Hi, Mr. Thompson, Nat,¡± she greeted them, forcing a smile. In response, Natalie shed her a smile. Shane, on the other hand, was expressionless as he fixed his intense gaze on Lina. His voice was chilly as he spoke. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°N-Nothing.¡± Lina quickly shook her head and waved her hands. ¡°I''m just here to look for Nat. I didn''t expect to see you guys... Um...¡± Her voice gradually became softer as she spoke. Natalie''s face flushed red when she heard that, and she turned away in embarrassment. Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°How much did you see?¡± Lina shook her head fervently. ¡°Not much, I swear. I caught a glimpse, that''s all.¡± She pinched her fingers together in a gesture to promise she was telling the truth. ¡°When I saw you two kissing, I immediately covered my eyes and wanted to leave so as not to disturb you. But I bumped into the wall...¡± Though she didn''t finish her sentence, everyone understood what she was trying to say. She only made a sound and startled them because she bumped into the wall. Otherwise, she would have left long ago, and they wouldn''t have discovered that she had seen them kissing. Lina sighed and rebuked herself inwardly, frustrated. I''m so useless! How did I bump into the wall? Chapter 1747 Chapter 1747 Chapter 1747 I Did Not Do It On Purpose Don''t even mention how Lina despised herself during the New Year''s celebration. Shane also thought she was simply too foolish, even bumping into things while walking, disrupting his passion. If it weren''t for the fact that this woman was Natalie''s friend, he would have her thrown out a long time ago. Shane looked at Lina with a cold gaze, his face bing increasingly icy and unpleasant to look at. The aura around him was oppressively terrifying. Lina was on the verge of tears. First, she timidly nced at Shane, then finally turned to Natalie for help. She blinked, her eyes conveying a clear plea for assistance. Nat, help me! Natalie received a plea for help from Lina. Seeing Lina looking quite frightened of Shane, she couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°Alright, Shane, stop it. Look how you''ve scared Lina. It''s not like she did it on purpose. She came to see me, how was she to know we were... But this is also your fault, kissing me in the kitchen for no reason.¡± Natalie gave Shane''s arm a light pat, speaking in an annoyed tone. Regardless, Lina was a friend. Even if she saw it, it was unintentional. She wouldn''t want to see Lina being resented by Shane all the time, would she? Yes, Shane would hold a grudge against Lina. Shane stared at Lina with such indifference, not for any other reason, but purely because Lina''s sudden appearance had disrupted his mood. So, she really had to put in a good word for Lina. Hearing Natalie speak up for her, Lina also looked at Shane and quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Thompson, Nat is right. I didn''t do it on purpose, I really didn''t know you two were so close. If I had known, I definitely wouldn''t havee here. So, Mr. Thompson, please let me off this time. I won''t dare to do it again, I really won''t. I swear.¡± As she spoke, she raised three fingers in a pledge, her face wearing a serious expression. As she spoke, she reised three fingers in e pledge, her fece weering e serious expression. Netelie found it somewhet emusing, she tugged et Shene''s erm end spoke up for her, ¡°Alright, Shene. Let it go. Line just identelly sew us kissing, it''s not like we were doing enything bed. You''ve scered her like this. Well, shell we continue tonight?¡± The lest sentence, she whispered very softly into Shene''s eer. It wes meent for his eers only. A glint fleshed in Shene''s eyes, end the chill eround him wes instently retrected. Seeing the situetion, Netelie knew it wes done, end found it somewhet emusing. ¡°Alright, you cen go now. I''ll chet with Line for e bit tofort her. You''ve scered her quite e bit. If I don''t soothe her, she''ll heve nightmeres tonight.¡± Shene glenced et Line, his eyes filled with obvious contempt. Cleerly, he hed little respect for Line''s level of courege. He hedn''t even done enything to her yet but geve her e cold stere, end she wes elreedy scered out of her wits. Whet e cowerd! ¡°Don''t telk for too long. I''m going to chenge my clothes in the room for they''ve be wrinkled.¡± Shene tugged et the coller of his shirt, implying something with his words, his voice low end sensuel. As she spoke, she raised three fingers in a pledge, her face wearing a serious expression. Natalie found it somewhat amusing, she tugged at Shane''s arm and spoke up for her, ¡°Alright, Shane. Let it go. Lina just identally saw us kissing, it''s not like we were doing anything bad. You''ve scared her like this. Well, shall we continue tonight?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Thest sentence, she whispered very softly into Shane''s ear. It was meant for his ears only. A glint shed in Shane''s eyes, and the chill around him was instantly retracted. Seeing the situation, Natalie knew it was done, and found it somewhat amusing. ¡°Alright, you can go now. I''ll chat with Lina for a bit tofort her. You''ve scared her quite a bit. If I don''t soothe her, she''ll have nightmares tonight.¡± Shane nced at Lina, his eyes filled with obvious contempt. Clearly, he had little respect for Lina''s level of courage. He hadn''t even done anything to her yet but gave her a cold stare, and she was already scared out of her wits. What a coward! ¡°Don''t talk for too long. I''m going to change my clothes in the room for they''ve be wrinkled.¡± Shane tugged at the cor of his shirt, implying something with his words, his voice low and sensual. Natalie''s little face couldn''t help but blush. Err... the clothes are wrinkled, do we really need to discuss how that happened? He was so dominant against her in the kitchen earlier, she couldn''t move, and her body went limp. To maintain her bnce, she naturally needs to grab onto something. Well, his clothes naturally became the best handrail, and then they ended up getting crumpled. With that thought, Natalie gave a light cough, then shot the man an annoyed nce. ¡°Alright, you''d better get going now.¡± Her tone carried a hint of urgency, signaling him to stop talking. Who knows, he might say something next that makes one''s cheeks flush and heart race. Shane looked at Natalie''s blushing little face, her adorable expression both embarrassed and shy. After a low chuckle, he took a stride with his long legs and walked away. Soon, only Natalie and Lina were left at the kitchen door. Only when Shane''s figure hadpletely disappeared and there were no more sounds of footsteps did Lina finally breathe a sigh of relief, patting her chest. ¡°Thank goodness, Satan has finally left.¡± Satan? Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Lina, how dare you call my husband a demon in front of me, aren''t you afraid I''ll tell on you?¡± She said with a half-smile. Lina looked at her, chuckling, ¡°Nat, I dared to say this precisely because I knew you wouldn''t betray me.¡± Chapter 1748 Chapter 1748 Chapter 1748 You Have Changed ¡°Just because I haven''t done it before, doesn''t mean I won''t do it now.¡± Natalie folded her arms, intentionally trying to scare her. Lina yfully clung to her arm and swayed her. ¡°Oh, my dear Nat. Don''t do this. We are good friends and besties. You can''t let me down.¡± Natalie was both amused and exasperated. ¡°How did I let you down? Isn''t it because you talk too much?¡± Lina chuckled again. ¡°I had no choice, Mr. Thompson was just too terrifying earlier. The way he looked at me, it scared the soul out of me. In my opinion, isn''t he just like Satan?¡± Natalie chuckled and shook her head. ¡°Alright, I''m just teasing you. I won''t tell him.¡± ¡°I knew you''re the best, Nat.¡± Linaughed, leaning her head on Natalie''s shoulder. ¡°But Nat, you still need to put in a good word for me. It''s not because I identally saw you two kissing that Mr. Thompson is really angry with me, but because I barged in and disturbed you two. So, Mr. Thompson will definitely look at me as if I''m invisible for a while, and I''ll definitely be living in fear under such pressure. You must help me soothe Mr. Thompson''s mood, and don''t let him see me, or he''ll find trouble with me.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, he won''t. You''re overthinking it,¡± Natalie said, amused at her fear. ¡°What do you mean I''m overthinking?¡± Lina straightened her back, her face very serious. ¡°I''m speaking the truth. Mr. Thompson is quite sensitive. You two have been in a cold war for so long, and reconcile finally. Just when Mr. Thompson was getting close to you, I identally interrupted. He must hold a grudge against me. Next time he sees me, he will think of how I disrupted his good times. It would be strange if he doesn''t make things difficult for me.¡± Seeing her speak so confidently, Natalie didn''t know how to convince her that Shane really wouldn''t make things difficult for her. Seeing her speek so confidently, Netelie didn''t know how to convince her thet Shene reelly wouldn''t meke things difficult for her. Netelie helplessly shook her heed end chuckled lightly. ¡°Alright then, since you feel this wey, I''ll keep en eye on him end try to prevent him from giving you e herd time.¡± Line''s eyes lit up, ¡°Thet''s wonderful. Thenk you, Net.¡± Netelie gently pressed her hend down. ¡°Celm down, nothing hes heppened yet.¡± ¡°Of course, I''m thrilled beceuse you''re my shield, end I heve to curry fevor with you,¡± Line seid with e leugh. Then, es if something urred to her, her eyes derted eround end e mischievous grin spreed ecross her fece. ¡°But Net, I never would heve guessed, you end Mr. Thompson were so wild... You even kissed right there in the kitchen... hehe.¡± She didn''t finish her sentence. Insteed, she repleced it with e sly grin. But everyone got the idee. A blush crept up on Netelie''s fece es she wes somewhet emberressed end seid, ¡°Whet''s so surprising ebout thet? Like you just seid, we''ve been giving eech other the cold shoulder for deys. He hesn''t been effectie with me for e while, so isn''t iturel thet he couldn''t resist it once we mede up?¡± Seeing her speak so confidently, Natalie didn''t know how to convince her that Shane really wouldn''t make things difficult for her. Natalie helplessly shook her head and chuckled lightly. ¡°Alright then, since you feel this way, I''ll keep an eye on him and try to prevent him from giving you a hard time.¡± Lina''s eyes lit up, ¡°That''s wonderful. Thank you, Nat.¡± Natalie gently pressed her hand down. ¡°Calm down, nothing has happened yet.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Of course, I''m thrilled because you''re my shield, and I have to curry favor with you,¡± Lina said with a laugh. Then, as if something urred to her, her eyes darted around and a mischievous grin spread across her face. ¡°But Nat, I never would have guessed, you and Mr. Thompson were so wild... You even kissed right there in the kitchen... hehe.¡± She didn''t finish her sentence. Instead, she reced it with a sly grin. But everyone got the idea. A blush crept up on Natalie''s face as she was somewhat embarrassed and said, ¡°What''s so surprising about that? Like you just said, we''ve been giving each other the cold shoulder for days. He hasn''t been affectionate with me for a while, so isn''t it natural that he couldn''t resist it once we made up?¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Lina said with a mischievous grin, drawing out thest note. ¡°Couldn''t help yourself, could you? Nat, you''ve changed.¡± ¡°How have I changed?¡± Natalie looked at her. ¡°You''ve be bold and wild.¡± Lina gave two thumbs up, then pressed on. ¡°In the past, you would blush uncontrobly at the slightest hint of intimacy with Mr. Thompson the minute that I noticed something. But this time, when I saw your actual intimate actions, you weren''t as shy as before. Moreover, you could even openly say that you couldn''t resist it. If this isn''t a change, then what is? Have you grown a thicker skin after I teased you a few times?¡± She nudged Natalie with her shoulder. Natalie took a step to the side, creating some distance between them. With a flushed face, she replied, ¡°I guess so. After all, you''veughed at me several times. I''m used to it now. How could my skin not get thicker?¡± ¡°Hehe, it seems like I really deserve the credit,¡± Lina said with augh. ¡°Actually, it''s good to be a bit thick-skinned. If you''re always shy, you''ll miss out.¡± ¡°You''re always right,¡± Natalie said, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Afterward, she rubbed her temples and got down to business, ¡°By the way, when did you get back? What brings you to the kitchen if there''s nothing wrong?¡± Chapter 1749 Chapter 1749 Chapter 1749 Open It In Your Room ¡°I just got back,¡± Lina replied with a shrug. ¡°Didn''t I mention before I left that I was going to buy reconciliation gifts for you and Mr. Thompson? So, I went out to get the gifts and came back as soon as I was done. I ran into Stanley in the living room, chatted with him for a bit, and learned from him that you were in the kitchen. So, I came to see you, intending to give you the gift. But who would have thought that Mr. Thompson would also be here, and he was so... Anyway, Nat, the way Mr. Thompson pinned you against the wall and kissed you was really cool. You''re really lucky to have such a handsome husband.¡± She shed a mischievous smile and winked at Natalie. Although Natalie was a bit embarrassed, the pride in her eyes was unmistakable. ¡°Well, I suppose he is just a bit more handsome than the average man.¡± ¡°Nat, your words sounded arrogant,¡± Lina said, giving her a sidelong nce. Natalie chuckled lightly, waving her hand, ¡°Alright, alright. Let''s not talk about this anymore. Where''s the gift you bought?¡± She reached out her hand. Lina Chen pointed towards the living room, ¡°It''s in the living room. I didn''t bring it here.¡± ¡°Let''s go then.¡± Natalie grabbed her arm. ¡°I''m curious to see what gifts you''ve prepared for me and Shane.¡± A mischievous glint shed in Lina''s eyes, her face filled with a sly grin. ¡°Don''t worry,¡± she said, ¡°Mr. Thompson will definitely love it.¡± ¡°Why will he like it so much?¡± Natalie was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Why will he like it so much?¡± Netelie wes somewhet puzzled. The meening of these words wes quite cleer. She might not necesserily like it, but Shene ebsolutely would. For some reeson, this geve Netelie e somewhet unsettling premonition. ¡°Beceuse men ell like this kind of thing,¡± Line seid, her eyes slightly lifting, her voice filled with inscruteble mystery. The foreboding in Netelie''s heert grew even stronger. ¡°Oh? Whet exectly is it?¡± Netelie esked. Line weved her finger. ¡°No, no, I cen''t tell you. You''ll know when you see it. Don''t worry, it''s something thet will definitely enhence your reletionship with Mr. Thompson. Come on, let me show you.¡± Heering her, Netelie knew thet without seeing the object, it would be impossible to know whet it wes. Helpless, she could only follow her to the living room. There wes no one left in the living room. Stenley hed left et some point without telling enyone. Netelie followed Line to the sofe, where en exquisite beg wes pleced. Inside the beg wes e perfectly squere object, cleerly e box et first glence. The box wesn''t lerge, ebout the size of e shoebox, end both the box end the beg were bleck, peckeged tightly end securely. ¡°Why will he like it so much?¡± Natalie was somewhat puzzled. The meaning of these words was quite clear. She might not necessarily like it, but Shane absolutely would. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. For some reason, this gave Natalie a somewhat unsettling premonition. ¡°Because men all like this kind of thing,¡± Lina said, her eyes slightly lifting, her voice filled with inscrutable mystery. The foreboding in Natalie''s heart grew even stronger. ¡°Oh? What exactly is it?¡± Natalie asked. Lina waved her finger. ¡°No, no, I can''t tell you. You''ll know when you see it. Don''t worry, it''s something that will definitely enhance your rtionship with Mr. Thompson. Come on, let me show you.¡± Hearing her, Natalie knew that without seeing the object, it would be impossible to know what it was. Helpless, she could only follow her to the living room. There was no one left in the living room. Stanley had left at some point without telling anyone. Natalie followed Lina to the sofa, where an exquisite bag was ced. Inside the bag was a perfectly square object, clearly a box at first nce. The box wasn''trge, about the size of a shoebox, and both the box and the bag were ck, packaged tightly and securely. Natalie couldn''t figure out what exactly was inside. She felt a sense of mystery and couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Is the gift you''re giving me inside this box?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lina quickly nodded, then handed over the box ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Natalie said, reaching out to take it. She then began to pull at the decorative ribbon on the box. Seeing this, Lina quickly grabbed her hand. ¡°Nat, what are you doing?¡± With a puzzled look on her face, Natalie asked Lina, ¡°Of course, I''m opening the gift to see what''s inside. What else could I be doing? Am I not allowed to open it?¡± For them, opening gifts in public was a formality. That was why she wanted to unwrap the gift. Surprisingly, before the gift could even be unwrapped, she was stopped by Lina. ¡°Of course not,¡± Lina shook her head, indicating that the gift could indeed be opened. Natalie raised an eyebrow, ¡°Then why did you stop me?¡± Lina cleared her throat lightly. ¡°Well, this gift is a bit special, so I suggest it''s best not to open it in public. It could be quite embarrassing. You should take it back to your room to look at it.¡± Upon hearing these words, a chill ran down Natalie''s spine, intensifying her sense of foreboding. Chapter 1750 Chapter 1750 Chapter 1750 She Said You Will Like It She glenced down et the box in her hends, then beck up et Line''s guilty expression, then she squinted es she esked, ¡°Whet exectly is inside this box?¡± I cen''t open it in public enymore, it would be reelly emberressing if someone sew me. Whet on eerth could it be thet she mede it e point to remind me with such seriousness? ¡°Oh, deer. Just stop esking, Net. It''s not enything bed. On the contrery, it''s something good. Mr. Thompson will definitely like it. Thet''s ell I''m seying. Now, hurry beck to your room. Once you''re there, you''ll understend.¡± As she spoke, Line turned Netelie eround, pleced her hend on her beck, end gently guided her towerds the steirs. Netelie didn''t resist, ellowing herself to be led ewey. Perfect, she elso wented to go beck to her room end see whet exectly wes in there thet mede Line ect so mysterious end ceutious. Pushing Netelie to the steircese, Line then removed her hend from her beck. Line weved her hend end seid, ¡°Alright, Net, you go eheed. I won''t be going up with you. I''ll cell Bryen end then go keep Anderspeny.¡± ¡°Alright, you cerry on with your work. I''ll heed upsteirs first,¡± Netelie seid with e smile. She then picked up her long skirt end grecefully escended the steirs. Soon, she errived et the room. Upon opening the door, Netelie wes teken ebeck to see e men sitting on the sofe in her room. A look of surprise crossed her fece es she esked, ¡°Whet ere you doing here?¡± The men is Shene. At this moment, he wes sitting on the sofe with e leptop on his lep. His hends were on the keyboerd, cleerly engrossed in his work. Upon heoring the womon''s question, Shone slightly furrowed his brows, seemingly o bit displeosed. ¡°This is our room. Why con''t I be here?¡± Notolie tucked owoy her surprise, closed the door behind her, ond soid with o teosing smile, ¡°Didn''t you soy we should split rooms?¡± The underlying messoge wos thot this room wos now hers olone. His room wos next door. Shone could cleorly tell thot the womon wos teosing him. He coughed lightly ond retorted, ¡°We''ve mode up now, so it''s only right thot I move bock in.¡± Notolie chuckled. ¡°You certoinly hove o high level of self-oworeness, ond you just con''t woit to do thot, con you?¡± She hodn''t even osked him to move bock in yet, so there wos no woy she could hove ogreed. And so, he just couldn''t woit ony longer. But it wos good thot he moved bock. His return signified thot they hod truly reconciled. Otherwise, they only reconciled on the surfoce, but their relotionship wos still in trouble. Now thot he hod moved bock, the heovy burden in her heort hos finolly been lifted.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Shone pretended not to cotch her teosing tone. Then his goze fell on the box in her honds. Squinting, he osked, ¡°Whot''s thot?¡± Notolie wolked towords him. ¡°A gift from Lino. She soid it could enhonce our relotionship. I don''t know whot''s inside. I wonted to open it to see, but she stopped me. She insisted thot I should only look ot it when I get bock to my room. She olso soid thot you will definitely like it.¡± Upon hearing the woman''s question, Shane slightly furrowed his brows, seemingly a bit displeased. ¡°This is our room. Why can''t I be here?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shane raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh?¡± Shane raised an eyebrow. Definitely? That woman sure is too confident!! In this world, there weren''t many things that he took pleasure in. He was curious to see why that woman was so sure he would like it. Seemingly discerning what the man was thinking, Natalie handed over the box. ¡°Here, take a look for yourself. I''m going to use the restroom.¡± Shane grunted in acknowledgment, taking the box. Natalie headed towards the restroom. She was wearing a ck, off-the-shoulder long dress, the hem of which almost touched the ground, nearly covering her feet. Moreover, the dress was fitted, only ring out at the calves. The rest of it hugged her curves closely, showcasing her perfect figure to the fullest. Moreover, as she moved, her slender waist and curvaceous hips swayed enticingly, capturing a lot of attention and making it impossible to look away. Shane just looked at her like that, his eyes dark and deep. His Adam''s apple subtly moved, a dry, hot feeling rising throughout his body. He couldn''t take it and tugged at his cor and picked up the ss of iced water from the coffee table in front of him, taking a sip. Only after Natalie''s figure hadpletely disappeared from his sight, did the heat engulfing his body lessen slightly. ¡°Oh?¡± Shane raised an eyebrow. Definitely? Chapter 1751 Chapter 1751 Chapter 1751 Shane Likes The Gift ¡°What a seductress!¡± Shane gripped the water cup tightly, his voice hoarse as he muttered under his breath. Indeed, having a stunningly beautiful wife was great. But sometimes, he couldn''t help but want to devour her. If it weren''t for the uing mealtime, he would definitely take her there and then. He had to let her know the price of tempting him. Natalie had no idea that the way she walked away and her retreating figure, could stir such an impulse in a man. If she knew that the man thought she was trying to seduce him, she would definitely cry out in injustice. It wasn''t her who tempted him. She was just walking, doing nothing out of the ordinary. Was it her fault if the man couldn''t control himself? Natalie closed the bathroom door, and only then did Shane reluctantly withdraw his gaze, lowering his head to look at the box in his hands. The box wasn''t heavy. In fact, it was quite light. Who knows what''s really inside, yet that woman, Lina, has the audacity to im that I will like it. A hint of disdain shed in Shane''s eyes. He then moved theptop from hisp, ced the box on his thighs, and casually untied the decorative knot on the box. Once the knot was untied, Shane could easily open the box lid. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he lifted the lid of the box. Atst, the contents within were revealed before his eyes. Upon seeing what was inside, Shane''s pupils contracted. Oh, my. This is actually... Shane reached out his hand, touching the object inside, his heartbeat slightly quickening. He never would have guessed that the gift Lina sent them would turn out to be this. At this very moment, the casual indifference Shane had initially shown while unwrapping the gift was nowhere to be seen, let alone the disdain he felt when Lina said he would like it. At this moment, all he had was excitement and an overwhelming sense of urgency. Hmm, this time, that woman Lina, finally did something good, something that makes me happy. She was right, he truly loved the gift. In fact, he loved it immensely. Considering that woman had given him such a gift, he might as well forgive her for interrupting his intimate moment with his wife. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Shane''s thin lips curled up slightly. Afterward, he tossed aside the box lid, using his slender fingers to pick up the object inside the box. Looking at the items in the box, Shane''s gaze was deep and mysterious. His Adam''s apple moved slightly, and his mind began to imagine how these things would be put to practical use soon. At that moment, the sound of a door opening came from the direction of the bathroom. Shane motioned to put the object back in its ce, then looked up towards the direction of the bathroom. Natalie had finished in the bathroom and emerged from it. She walked gracefully in his direction, holding the sides of her skirt with both hands. As she drew closer, Shane''s eyes grew increasingly dark, his gaze constantly scanning her, as if he was considering something. Natalie felt it, her steps faltered slightly, and a sense of foreboding immediately rose in her heart. What does his gaze mean? Why does he look as if he wants to devour me? It''s an illusion, right? Natalie swallowed nervously, looking at the man with some unease. As she gazed into his deep, mysterious eyes, her heart lurched. ¡°Darling, what''s... what''s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on me?¡± She could feel his gaze not only scanning her face but also taking in every part of her body as if his eyes were practically pinned on her. This made her wonder if there was something about her that he just couldn''t take his eyes off. ¡°It''s nothing. I just want to see you,¡± Shane replied in a low, husky voice. At the same time, he picked up the lid of the box, calmly covering it, hiding the contents inside. Natalie couldn''t help but find him peculiar, ¡°It''s not like I haven''t seen you in a long time. The way you''re talking makes it seem like we''ve been apart for ages.¡± Shane curved his lips. ¡°Of course, we''ve been apart for a long time. They say a day apart feels like three years. Even though we''ve only been separated for a few minutes, it feels like several days. That''s why I wanted to see you.¡± Chapter 1752 Chapter 1752 Chapter 1752 You Cannot See It Natalie was amused by his words. ¡°Howe I didn''t know before that you have such a sweet tongue that can say such romantic things?¡± She walked back towards him again. Shane set the box aside, then reached out to wrap his arms around her slender waist, inviting her to sit on hisp. Taking the opportunity, Natalie also wrapped her arms around his neck. Shane lowered his head, nting a kiss on her red lips before responding, ¡°Now you know, right? I can say it anytime, as long as you like.¡± Natalieughed happily. ¡°Alright, then I''ll be waiting for your sweet words every day.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shane gently stroked her nose bridge. Natalie''s gaze was drawn to the box he had just set aside. She let go of his neck and reached out to grab the box, asking, ¡°What''s inside this box?¡± However, just as her hand barely touched the box, Shane''srge hand reached over, pressing directly onto the box before she could even lift it. The meaning was clear, she was not allowed to take it. ¡°Hmm?¡± Natalie turned her head in surprise, looking at Shane, clearly not understanding why he was stopping her. ¡°Darling, what are you doing?¡± Shane''s eyes sparkled, his voice still husky and emotional. ¡°You can''t look at what''s inside here for now.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Natalie blinked, utterly puzzled. ¡°Aren''t these things gift from Lina? Why can''t I look?¡± ¡°It''s not that you can''t see, but you can''t see it now,¡± Shane said with a profound look in his eyes. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. If you look at it now, it won''t be of any use tonight. You will surely find a way to dispose of the things in the box. So, in order for the contents of the box to be useful tonight, he could only prevent her from seeing what''s inside the box for now. Listening to Shane''s words, Natalie felt even more confused. ¡°Why can''t I look now?¡± Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, she stared intently at the man, as if trying to discern something from his face. But the man''s face revealed nothing, she couldn''t discern what he was trying to cover up. This left Natalie somewhat disheartened. Shane subtly shifted his gaze, avoiding eye contact with Natalie. He was afraid that if he looked too long, his heart would soften. Unable to resist her insistence, he moved his hand away, allowing her to open the box. Therefore, for the sake of happiness in the evening, he had no choice but to steel his heart. ¡°Why can''t I just tell you now that you''ll understand when the timees? Rest assured, I won''t harm you,¡± Shane said, his hand gently caressing Natalie''s face, telling her this with utmost sincerity. ¡°Of course, I know you wouldn''t harm me, but how you act mysteriously make me feel uneasy and even more curious. So, Darling, could you please let me see what''s inside?¡± She yfully swayed the man''s arm, acting coyly. The man''s pupils contracted slightly for he could barely resist her, and almost revealed everything to her. But in the end, his rationale took over. Despite the reluctance in his heart, he still refused. ¡°No.¡± Shane lightly parted his thin lips, replying with one word, devoid of any emotion. The coy expression on Natalie''s face vanished in an instant, reced by a nk look. ¡°Fine, Shane. You''re really something. If you won''t let me see it, at least tell me what''s inside, okay?¡± ¡°That won''t do.¡± Shane lifted her up and ced her on the sofa to the side. He then stood up, holding the box in his hands. ¡°As I said before, you''ll understand when the timees.¡± After speaking, he walked towards the cloakroom with the box in his arms. He hid the box away, so she wouldn''t find it, see it, and then deal with it secretly. Seeing the unusual behavior of Shane, Natalie knew exactly what he was up to, which made her little face turn red with annoyance. This man actually went as far as to hide the box in order to prevent her from seeing what''s inside the box, guarding it from her as if she were a thief. She was absolutely livid. Natalie stood up, her hands clenched into fists, stomping her foot. ¡°Shane Thompson, you are such an ass.¡± Listening to his wife''s scolding from behind, Shane also felt that he was quite a jerk. Chapter 1753 Chapter 1753 Chapter 1753 I Wonder What Is Inside But in order to make the worthwhile, he had no choice but to continue ying the jerk. Sighing, Shane didn''t pause his steps, continued to move forward, and quickly entered the walk-in closet. Natalie stood still, biting her lip, her face all puffed up in annoyance. But no matter how frustrated she was, there was nothing she could do. He wouldn''t let her see what was inside the box, and wouldn''t even tell her what was in the box. Besides, he even hid the box away. What else can she do apart from venting her anger? Natalie hummed in discontent, grumbling, ¡°If you won''t let me see, can''t I go ask Lina?¡± With that thought, Natalie didn''t linger in the room. She turned around and left, heading downstairs. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. When Shane had finished stowing away his belongings and emerged from the walk-in closet, all he saw was an empty room, devoid of anyone else. He was taken aback for a moment. Where is my wife? Where is she? Shane''s gaze swept across the room, ensuring he was the only one left. Only after Natalie had left did he rub his brow, and begin to reflect on his actions. Have I gone overboard? I should have just told her something, anything really. At least I have responded whether she believes it or not. But thinking about all this now was pointless, the person had already left. Alright, she is gone now. When eveninges, I''ll have to really work onforting her. Thinking about what would happen in the evening, Shane''s eyes darkened with anticipation, unable to contain his excitement. On the other side, Natalie went straight to the living room on the first floor of the vi to find Lina after leaving the room. But Lina wasn''t in the living room at the moment. She recalled that after Lina finished her phone call, she went upstairs to check on Anders. At this moment, Lina should be on the second floor. With that thought in mind, Natalie''s face darkened and headed toward the second floor. As it turned out, she ran into Stanley who was just about to go downstairs at the staircase on the second floor. Seeing her with a sullen face, Stanley adjusted his sses on the bridge of his nose. ¡°What''s wrong? Who has upset you?¡± He could tell at a nce that she was unhappy. Natalie shrugged. ¡°Who else could it be if not Shane and Lina?¡± Stanley raised an eyebrow. ¡°What did they do to upset you?¡± ¡°Lina gave me a gift, but she wouldn''t tell me what it was and acted all mysterious. I wanted to open it, but she wouldn''t let me, insisting that I should open it in my room. But when I got back to my room, Shane had already opened it. After looking at it, he wouldn''t tell me what was inside either just like Lina, nor would he let me see it. Don''t you think these two are strange?¡± Natalie rubbed her temples as she responded. Stanley nodded. ¡°It is a bit strange, but what was their expression when they stopped you? If it wasn''t very serious or solemn, then it means there''s nothing wrong with the gift. If they didn''t want you to see it, there must be a reason for that.¡± ¡°Their expressions, huh.¡± Natalie rested her index finger on her cheek, deep in thought. ¡°His expression wasn''t serious, but rather mysterious. Shane is the kind of person who''s hard to read, so I can''t really tell what he''s up to beneath all that mystery. As for Lina, I''ve managed to figure out a bit about her. She''s quite vulgar.¡± ¡°Vulgar?¡± Stanley showed interest. Natalie nodded. ¡°Yes, she was indeed very vulgar. When she handed me the gift, she said it was something to enhance my rtionship with Shane. The lewd expression on her face when she was speaking... made me want to hit her. I was covered in goosebumps then.¡± Upon hearing her words, Stanley suddenlyughed. ¡°Now I know what the gift is.¡± It is something meant to improve intimate rtionships, yet so indecent. That was why she wasn''t even allowed to see it in public but had to go back to her room to look at it. That should be it. Natalie had no idea what Stanley was thinking. Her eyes lit up and she quickly looked at him, asking, ¡°Oh? Do you know? Then tell me what is it?¡± Stanley''s sses reflected a glint of light. ¡°I''m sorry, Nat. I can''t tell you. Since they all want to keep it a secret, I can''t ruin their n, especially Shane. If he knew I told you, he definitely wouldn''t let me off. So, you''ll have to figure it out on your own.¡± Chapter 1754 Chapter 1754 Chapter 1754 I Dare Not Tell You After speaking, he pushed his sses up again. After hearing his words, the anticipation on Natalie''s face instantly froze, finally leaving her expressionless. ¡°Why are you doing this too? What are you all hiding from me? What''s so good about keeping this from me?¡± She couldn''t understand. Stanley simply replied, ¡°You''re still too naive and too innocent.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Natalie was taken aback, clearly not quite understanding his words. Stanley spread his hands. ¡°You''ll understand what I mean, once you know what the gift is. Alright, I have to go now.¡± He gave the bag in his hand a slight lift. Natalie''s attention was naturally drawn by his actions. Her gaze fell on the bag in his hand, and she asked in surprise, ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± Stanley gave a hum of affirmation. ¡°I''m going to handle some matters, and I''ll be back in the evening. Didn''t you arrange a wee dinner for me in the kitchen?¡± Natalie responded with a smile, ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± ¡°So how could I possibly miss out!¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Natalie flicked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Alright then, just go now. I''ll arrange for the driver to drop you off. Make sure toe back early tonight.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Stanley didn''t reject her kindness, he nodded in agreement. Natalie took out her phone and sent a message to Dave. Soon, she received a reply from Dave. After reading the message, Natalie put away her phone and said to Stanley, ¡°Dave is already outside. You can go now.¡± ¡°Then I''m off. See you tonight.¡± Stanley waved his hand. Natalie responded with a smile. Stanley passed by her, carrying a bag as he headed downstairs. Natalie was standing in the corner, watching him. Even though she had already expressed her astonishment, Natalie couldn''t help but marvel once again at the tremendous change in Stanley. In the past, when he masqueraded as a gentle soul, it was hard to see his true, and crazy self. Yet, one could sense that he was hiding many things deep within his heart. After all, the eyes are the window to the soul, and they couldn''t hide the truth. Even though his gaze was gentle, there was a lot hidden in his eyes, making them far from clear. Especiallyter on, when hepletely discarded his disguise and returned to his true nature, his gentleness was gone. His eyes were filled with hatred and gloom, making others shudder at the sight. But now, the hatred and gloom in his eyes had vanished,pletely dissipated. In their ce, was a rity he had never possessed before. Yes, they were clear. His eyes were very clear, and although they were not as gentle as they used to be, one could feel that his thoughts were not as profound as before. His whole being seemed to lighten, the kind of ease thates with eptance, relief, and letting go. Even though he didn''t specify what he had let go of, or what he hade to terms with. But she could guess that he had let go of his hatred for the Rivers family and hade to terms with his parents'' death. The Rivers family was not the root cause of the disaster, they were just involved indirectly due to the butterfly effect, leading the murderer there unintentionally. They didn''t do it on purpose. He also understood that without the help of the Rivers family back then, his family wouldn''t have survived for an extended period. Instead, they would have been wiped out long ago, leaving no trace of his existence. The Rivers family were not the murderers of his parents, but rather, they were his benefactors. In the past, he had been stuck in his own convictions. Once he identified the Rivers family as the enemy responsible for his tragedy, he could no longer consider the past events from any other perspective. The death of his parents had turned into an obsession with nailing the Rivers family. A fixation that prevented him from moving on, from seeing beyond it. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. That was why he blindly harbored resentment towards the Rivers family for over a decade. Despite his love for Joyce, he refused to ept this fact. Time and again, he pushed Joyce away, hurting her feelings. Then, on the other hand, he treated her as a substitute for Natalie, loving her instead. Because of that, he made many mistakes. Fortunately, these mistakes did not lead to serious consequences in the end. Otherwise, all parties involved including Stanley really wouldn''t know what to do. So she felt relieved now. Stanley, who was once blinded by hatred and unable to think clearly, had finally emerged from his resentment. He now understands just how absurd his mistakes have been over the past decade. Chapter 1755 Chapter 1755 Chapter 1755 Stanley Has Changed Truth be told, once he shed his pervasive hatred and hostility, he was an exceptionally outstanding and incredibly attractive man. She looks forward to him bing better in the future. It was uncertain how he would reconcile with the Rivers family. Now that he had let go of his hatred and untied the knots in his heart, he would surely not continue the cold war with the Rivers family. After all, he realized that the person he loved was Joyce, and he even had the idea of winning her back. If he wants to win Joyce back, he would have no choice but to reconcile with the Rivers family. Otherwise, he won''t be able to be with Joyce, as her parents would definitely do everything in their power to stop him. Therefore, if he wanted to be with Joyce, he must first resolve the hatred and conflict with her parents, and seek their forgiveness. Only then, Joyce''s parents won''t stop him from pursuing her. As for the situation with Joyce. Natalie pondered for a moment. Joyce still hadn''t regained her memory, and it seemed like she didn''t intend to recover either. As long as Joyce didn''t regain her memory, coupled with the fact that she clearly understood she shouldn''t fall in love with Stanley again, it was not going to be easy for Stanley to win Joyce''s heart. At least Joyce was clear-headed now. Although she couldn''t remember the harm Stanley had done to her in the past, she knew for certain that his past actions must have hurt her deeply. A clear-headed woman knew that if a man had hurt her once, there was a possibility he might hurt her again. So, she would surely be reluctant to regain her memory, let alone fall in love with him again, fearing that she might get hurt once more. Therefore, Joyce would surely avoid Stanley, even distancing herself from him. Only by doing so could she prevent herself from falling in love with Stanley again. After all, she used to love him deeply, so the chances of falling in love with him again were slim. Hence, she could only avoid Stanley from any of that happening. Isn''t Joyce doing this to protect herself? She had forgotten all her past memories of Stanley. She didn''t know who Stanley was, or if he was someone trustworthy, so she wouldn''t easily fall in love with him. She didn''t know if he would hurt her again, once she fell in love with him again. She had been hurt once before. In order to forget him, she went for hypnosis to let go of him. If she were to fall in love with him again and got hurt once more, she didn''t know if she could keep on living. After all, Joyce really had no desire to continue living if she fell into the hands of the same man twice in a row. She would feel useless, knowing full well that it was a pit of fire, but why would she jump in again? Any hurt she suffered was her own doing. It was often said that if domestic violence happened once, it would happen a second time and countless times thereafter. Likewise, if you hurt someone once, there would undoubtedly be a second time. As long as Joyce maintained this mindset, she wouldn''t fall in love with Stanley easily. So, it wouldn''t be easy for Stanley to win her heart back. There was still a long way to go. This also included obtaining forgiveness from her parents. It looks like Stanley''s life might revolve around Joyce and the Rivers family in theing years. Thinking of that, Natalie shook her head and chuckled lightly. Then, she held the railing and continued to ascend the stairs. She originally nned to ask Lina about the gift to find out exactly what she had given. If Lina didn''t speak, she would force her to spill. But now, she just wasn''t in the mood anymore. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Both of them were keeping her in the dark, and even Stanley, who guessed what it was, kept it from her. This made her lose all curiosity about what was in the box. After all, curiosity burned rather quickly. Once that feeling was exhausted, it would be killed. She should probably go back to her room and rest for a while. Natalie returned to the third floor and opened the door to her room. Inside the room, the man was still sitting on the sofa, with aptop on hisp, deeply engrossed in typing away. Hearing footsteps, the man spoke without lifting his head, ¡°You''re back?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Natalie nodded. Finally, Shane was willing to lift his head from theputer and turned to look at her, ¡°Where have you been?¡± Chapter 1756 Chapter 1756 Chapter 1756 Something Important ¡°I went downstairs to ask Lina what exactly she gave me. I could still ignore it when she''s the only one acting mysterious. And now, you''re acting the same way. It''s making me curious, so I couldn''t help but go find her.¡± ¡°Oh? Did you get that all figured out?¡± Shane asked teasingly. Deep down, he knew that she had not asked the question. If she had, she definitely would not be acting that way. Instead, her face would turn scarlet. Sure enough, upon hearing the man''s words, Natalie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°If I had asked, would things still be like this?¡± Shane merely chuckled. Annoyed, Natalie said, ¡°Go on and continue to keep things from me! You, Lina, and even Stanley are hiding things from me! It''s driving me crazy!¡± Upon hearing Stanley''s name, the smile on Shane''s face faded. ¡°Does he also know what Lina has given?¡± Natalie gave a hum of acknowledgment. ¡°When I wasing up just now, I happened to meet him at the stairs. He was about to go out, so I had a brief chat with him. We talked about this matter, and he said he guessed what Lina had given me. But when I asked him, he wouldn''t tell. He said that if he told me, you would hold him ountable.¡± Upon hearing that, the dissatisfaction on Shane''s face dissipated. ¡°At least he knows his ce.¡± He, however, trusted Stanley. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. In fact, it was not surprising that Stanley could guess it. After all, it was not hard to guess. It was just that Natalie was too innocent; she would not think of such things. That was why she could not guess it. If only she had slightly directed her thoughts in that direction, she would not bepletely clueless. Ah, my silly wife. ¡°What''s with that look?¡± Natalie noticed the way the man was looking at her. Hence, she narrowed her eyes and walked toward him. Shane curled his lips. ¡°What look?¡± ¡°Are you hinting at something?¡± Natalie walked up to him, hands on her hips, ring at him. Shane raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Hinting at you? How did you figure that out?¡± ¡°I can see it with my own two eyes. You''re calling me silly!¡± Natalie huffed. Shane was truly surprised this time. Unexpectedly, she actually managed to figure it out. Seeing the surprise on the man''s face, Natalie''s cheeks turned red. ¡°Oh, so you actually called me silly! Shane, you''ve gone too far. In what way am I silly?¡± Seeing the woman''s eyes turn red, Shane knew he had caused trouble. He quickly moved theptop from hisp, stood up, and held her in his arms, gently coaxing, ¡°All right, all right. I was wrong. I wasn''t calling you silly. I was just thinking that my wife is innocently cute.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Natalie blinked. ¡°Why, are you also saying I''m naive?¡± ¡°Oh? Has someone else been calling you that, too?¡± Shane looked at her. ¡°Was it Lina?¡± he added. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No, it was Stanley. I asked him what exactly Lina had given me, but he didn''t tell me. Instead, he said I was simply too naive.¡± ¡°He''s not wrong,¡± said Shane. Natalie pursed her lips. ¡°What does my gift to Lina have to do with my naivety?¡± She did not understand it. Seeing that she still had not caught on, Shane could not help but feel helpless. He had no choice but to tell her, ¡°You''ll understand tonight. When the eveninges, I''ll show you the gift, and then you''ll understand why we say you''re naive.¡± Natalie scoffed disdainfully. ¡°I''m not interested in seeing it. You guys wouldn''t let me see or tell me what it is. My curiosity has long since vanished, so I can''t care less about whatever it is you''re hiding.¡± ¡°You''re really not going to look?¡± Shane narrowed his eyes. ¡°I won''t!¡± Natalie replied firmly. Shane teased her yfully, ¡°Don''t regret itter.¡± Seeing his serious demeanor, Natalie straightened her back slightly. ¡°What do you mean? Could it be an important thing?¡± Shane snorted. To her, it might not be important, but it was to him. However, there was no way he could tell her that. Seeing Shane keeping silent and only responding with a snort, Natalie became increasingly certain that she was right. It''s something important. I''ve got to see it. Chapter 1757 Chapter 1757 Chapter 1757 Give Up Guessing Will I regret it if I miss this opportunity? Thinking it over, Natalie bit her lower lip. ¡°Fine, since you say it''s so important, I''ll have no choice but to see it tonight.¡± The look of pride and coyness on her face sent a glint shing in Shane''s eyes, his thin lips curling up even more. ¡°Alright, just remember, no take-backs.¡± ¡°I won''t. I''m not that kind of person.¡± Natalie slightly lifted her chin. She looked absolutely adorable. Unable to hold back, Shane gently bit her chin. ¡°All right then. After your shower tonight, I''ll let you see it.¡± Natalie''s heart jolted. ¡°After my shower?¡± She stared at the man. ¡°Why after a shower?¡± For some reason, she had a bad feeling in her heart. She was starting to think that it might not be such a good thing after all. Is it toote for me to regret it? Shane naturally noticed the woman''s uneasiness and pretended to be serious. ¡°It''s more meaningful to look at it after taking a shower.¡± ¡°Is it some kind of skincare product?¡± Natalie''s eyes shifted as she started to beat around the bush. If he won''t tell me, then I''ll just have to guess on my own. Who knows? I might just get it right. ¡°No,¡± Shane shook his head to make his answer clearer. Natalie wrinkled her nose, clearly a bit upset that she had actually guessed wrong. After a moment of thought, she asked, ¡°A shower gel? Or perhaps something like a bath bomb or bath flowers?¡± Of course, Shane understood her intentions. Seeing her doing her best to guess, he smiled wider, but he still shook his head and told her, ¡°That''s not it.¡± Natalie lost her patience and stomped her foot. ¡°Nothing I guess is correct? Ugh! Forget it. I give up guessing.¡± She waved her hand dismissively, her determination vanishedpletely. Shane chuckled softly. ¡°I''ll give you a hint. It''s something you wear.¡± ¡°Wear?¡± Natalie looked up at him. ¡°You mean clothes?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Shane nodded. Natalie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Clothes that can only be worn after a shower? Are they pajamas?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Shane''s eyes gleamed slightly. ¡°You''re close.¡± That outfit could also be used as pajamas, I suppose. Natalie frowned in confusion. ¡°Why would Lina send us pajamas for no reason? And pajamas aren''t something to be ashamed of. Why are you all being so secretive and not telling me or letting me see it?¡± She expressed her confusion. Shane coughed lightly, not responding to her words. He could not respond to that, nor did he know how to. If he did, she would probe further, wanting to know why he would not let her see the pajamas. In the end, that would just bring them back to square one. He did not know how he should respond when that happened. Therefore, staying silent was the best choice. Natalie was unsure of what the man was scheming in his heart, but she did not bother to continue guessing. She stroked her chin, pondering over the intention behind Lina giving pajamas. When Lina gave the gift, she said the gift could enhance the bond between her and Shane. How can pajamas enhance rtionships? Could it be a couple''s pajamas? If that''s the case, it does seem to have some effect. Don''t those young couples enjoy wearing matching outfits when they go out? Wearing matching outfits does give off the impression that the two people are in a great rtionship, making it clear at first nce that they are deeply in love. Perhaps this is what Lina is thinking. What Natalie did not understand was why Lina insisted on giving pajamas instead of everyday couple outfits. After giving it some thought, Natalie still could not figure out the underlying meaning. She decided not to dwell on it, assuming that Lina simply had a different way of thinking, which is why she bought the pajamas. With that thought, a sense of relief washed over Natalie instantly, and she no longer obsessed over what that mysterious gift could be. Shane watched as Natalie''s furrowed brows gradually smoothed out. On her stunningly beautiful face, a faint smile began to emerge. I knew it. She hase to terms with it and is no longer troubled by it. Although he was not sure how she came to terms with it, the fact that she couldfort herself made him sigh with relief. He was afraid that her curiosity would remain so intense that she would insist on probing until she got an answer. Should I or should I not tell her if that happens? Chapter 1758 Chapter 1758 Chapter 1758 Not Tiring Moreover, could Shane really bear to keep this secret from Natalie any longer? He didn''t think he could do it. Shane''s biggest soft spot wasn''t even his three children. It was Natalie. To him, she was and would always be the most important person. In the end, he would still find himself telling her about it because he couldn''t bear to see her constantly curious to the point of driving herself mad. However, just when he thought he was reaching the limit of his patience, she managed to calm herself down. This allowed him to heave a sigh of relief as he no longer needed to break the news to her. After all, he would prefer to surprise her with the gift at night than spoil the surprise right now just because he wasn''t able to resist telling her about it. He wanted to see the look of surprise and happiness on her face so badly. Shane''s eyes sparkled as he thought about the matter. When Natalie caught a glimpse of his eyes, she couldn''t shake the feeling that he was up to something. As a sense of foreboding rose within her, she quickly shook her head and decided not to dwell on it. No matter what he''s scheming or nning, I''m his wife. He won''t hurt me. As long as it''s not detrimental to me, I''ll respect whatever he''s thinking. That way, although Natalie was still curious about what Shane was thinking, she managed to restrain herself from asking. Instead, she quietly leaned into his chest and enjoyed the warmth he provided. And there he was, gently holding her without saying anything too. The couple remained silent until night fell. When the bedroom door was knocked on, only then did Shane gently stir the woman in his arms. Natalie had fallen asleep in his arms. His embrace was sofortable that she drifted off to sleep without knowing how much time had passed. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. It wasn''t until she felt someone shaking her that she hummed in response and opened her eyes. ¡°Awake?¡± A gentle voice of a man came from above her head. Natalie rubbed her eyes. When her vision finally cleared, she was able to see everything in the room. Although the light in the room was on, it was dim. It was the type of automatic night light that did not require someone to turn it on. Moreover, the automatic light would only light up after the sky hadpletely darkened. In other words, it was already at night. Natalie blinked in confusion. ¡°Did I really sleep for that long?¡± ¡°Not really. You slept for three hours,¡± Shane replied as hebed her disheveled hair. Natalie blinked. ¡°Not really? It''s already dark outside, and you didn''t even turn on the lights. That also means you''ve been holding me in the same position for three hours since I fell asleep. Don''t your arm and shoulder feel sore?¡± Natalie looked at Shane, her eyes filled with a mix of sorry and guilt. She had been sleeping in his arms for a while. If her neck felt a little stiff, it must have been more ufortable for him, who hadn''t moved at all. Shane felt his heart soften when he looked into Natalie''s eyes. As he reached out and gently touched her cheek, he said tenderly, ¡°It''s not tiring at all. How can holding my own wife be tiring? Even if I have to hold you for a lifetime, it will never be tiring for me.¡± Hearing this, Natalie suddenly smiled. ¡°You sure know how to cheer me up.¡± ¡°I''m not trying to cheer you up. I''m serious.¡± Shane kissed her forehead and expressed his feelings sincerely. Warmth filled Natalie''s heart. ¡°Darling, you''re so wonderful.¡± ¡°You''re just finding out now?¡± Shane grinned. ¡°I''ve always known,¡± Natalie replied with a smile. A smile tugged at the corners of Shane''s lips. He was clearly pleased with her response. After that, he gently patted Natalie''s head. ¡°All right, are you hungry? The housekeeper just knocked on the door and asked us toe down for dinner.¡± Natalie lowered her head and patted her stomach. ¡°I''m rather hungry actually.¡± ¡°Then let''s get up.¡± Shane took her hand and stood up from the sofa. Natalie looked at the arm that was pulling her. It was the same arm that had been holding her while she slept. As she followed Shane toward the door, she gently kneaded his arm. Shane looked down at her and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chapter 1759 Chapter 1759 Chapter 1759 Teased Natalie replied with a smile, ¡°I''m giving you a massage. Since you''ve been holding me for so long, your arm must be ufortable. Let me help you loosen up a bit. I''ll give you a shoulder massage tonight.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you, dear,¡± Shane responded with a deep and affectionate voice. ¡°You''re wee,¡± Natalie said as she proceeded to massage his arm again. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chatting andughing, the couple left their room and descended the stairs to the dining room. Stanley and Lina were already sitting in the dining room at that moment. Seated side by side, they were engaged in conversation and seemed to be enjoying each other''s company. At least there was nothing off about the atmosphere. This left Natalie feeling both surprised and astonished. After all, ever since Lina learned about the grudges between Stanley and Joyce, she had held a strong dislike for Stanley. However, Lina''s attitude toward Stanley seemed to have changed. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be sitting with him and speaking to him in such a pleasant manner. Natalie didn''t know what happened between them that led to the shift in Lina''s attitude toward Stanley. Upon hearing footsteps, Lina and Stanley ceased their conversation and turned to look simultaneously. When Stanley saw Shane and Natalie walking hand in hand, he didn''t react much. He merely sipped his tea calmly. Lina, on the other hand, was more yful. Grinning, she teased, ¡°Oh, Mr. Thompson and Nat, you finally decided to show up. You two are holding hands to a meal in the dining room. Can''t bear to be apart, can you?¡± As Natalie was not as thick-skinned as Shane, she felt somewhat embarrassed. Shane, on the other hand, seemed utterly unfazed. He casually arched his eyebrow and cast a cool, indifferent nce at Lina. Immediately, Lina gulped and fell silent. She looked utterly terrified of him. Natalie couldn''t help but shake her head andugh at what she was seeing. Indeed, Shane was the only one who could intimidate Lina. Despite being afraid of Shane, Lina still dared to tease him every time she saw him. Then, right after making a joke, she had to face Shane''s cold gaze, which frightened her. Despite being scared every time, Lina always returned to her old ways, thus repeating this cycle over and over. She had no one else to me but herself. However, with Lina here, daily life had be much more interesting. When Shane pulled out a chair, patted the back of it, and gestured for Natalie to sit down, she sat down with a smile without refusing because there was no need to. After Natalie sat down, Shane pulled out another chair next to her and took a seat. After both of them were seated, the housekeeper began to serve the dishes. The table was quickly filled up as dish after dish of sumptuous delicacies was served. The tantalizing aroma was simply mouth-watering. Lina''s eyes sparkled as she looked at the dishes. ¡°Wow, this is amazing! Thanks to Dr. Quinn, we''re in for a treat tonight.¡± Upon hearing her, Stanley chuckled lightly. ¡°I''m d you like it, Ms. Cohen, but the credit doesn''t belong to me. You should thank Nat. She''s the one who instructed the chefs to make these dishes.¡± Waving her hand dismissively, Lina replied, ¡°That''s also because you''re here that we have so many dishes tonight. I usually don''t get to eat this much.¡± A twitch yed at the corner of Natalie''s mouth. ¡°Lina, are you hinting that we''ve been treating you poorly and not letting you eat well?¡± Shane shot Lina a cold re, which caused the smile on her face to freeze. Quickly realizing that she had misspoken, she looked at the couple with an awkward expression on her face. Lina felt a chill running down her spine as she looked back and forth between the couple''s expressions. One of them was half-smiling and the other was ring at her coldly. Lina had no choice but to reply, ¡°No, not at all! Nat, how can you and Mr. Thompson ever treat me poorly? Every meal I have here has been meticulously prepared by a top-notch chef. It''s just that I usually dine alone and rarely see so many dishes. I guess I was too excited seeing so many dishes at once, so I spoke without thinking.¡± Lina swore that she wasn''t hinting about how they treated her and imed that it was just her excitement of seeing so much food. Then, she suddenly felt indignant because she thought she shouldn''t be med for her reaction. Whenever Natalie and Shane weren''t giving each other the cold shoulder, they were as inseparable as conjoined twins. They even had to be all lovey-dovey when eating, which made Lina feel like a ring third wheel. Hence, she generally avoided dining with them and only joined them asionally. Chapter 1760 Chapter 1760 Chapter 1760 Pajamas Back when the couple had a fight, only Lina and Natalie ate in the dining room. Since the two of them couldn''t possibly eat a lot, they usually ordered only a couple of dishes from the kitchen every time they dined in together. Let alone nights when Lina was all by herself. She could settle her dinner with just one dish. Hence, it had been a long time since she saw such an array of dishes on the dinner table. She was so stunned by the sight that she stumbled over words like a bumpkin. Seeing the guilty look on Lina''s face, Natalie couldn''t help butugh. ¡°All right, I''m just teasing you. Of course we know that you didn''t say it on purpose and that you mean nothing. I only teased you because it''s fun to look at how scared you get. Let''s eat.¡± With that, Natalie picked up her chopsticks. Shane directly picked up some food and put it on her te. ¡°Why bother exining to her about it? Aren''t you hungry? Eat up.¡± Natalie looked at the food on the te and nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± The couple began eating. Across the table, Stanley gave Lina an amused nce before picking up his chopsticks and savoring his wee feast properly. When everyone else started to eat, Lina knew that the matter was over. After heaving a sigh of relief, she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat as well. She was so hungry. Having spent the whole afternoon ying with Anders and returning to her room to design jewelry for a client afterward, she waspletely exhausted. Lina thought she should eat more to get back at Natalie and Shane for scaring her just now. However, she knew deep down that no matter how much she ate, she couldn''t really get back at them. After all, the couple were wealthy people. There was no way she could ever exhaust their wealth in her lifetime by simply eating. During the meal, Lina suddenly thought of something. Her eyes darted around andnded on Natalie and Shane. She opened her mouth to say something, but she seemed hesitant and didn''t speak up. Natalie noticed something was off about Lina. Pausing her chopsticks mid-air, she looked at Lina and asked, ¡°Lina, what''s wrong? If you have something to say, just say it.¡± Hearing that, Lina put down her chopsticks. Chuckling, she said, ¡°If you say so, Nat.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Natalie nodded. As Lina''sughter became increasingly lewd, Shane squinted his eyes at her. What is this woman thinking? Even Stanley, who had been silent all along, became interested. With a gossipy look on his face, he set down his chopsticks, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. Lina slightly clenched her fist and ced it below her lips before clearing her throat with a cough. Then, with a cheerful smile, she asked, ¡°Nat, you and Mr. Thompson spent quite a while in the room this afternoon. Have you used my gift? Did you find it useful?¡± She nced at Natalie, then at Shane. Stanley, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, nearly spat out a mouthful of water. Clearly, he hadn''t expected Lina to say something that interesting. The amusement in Stanley''s eyes deepened. Shane''s face darkened as he realized that he was the center of the gossip. Natalie''s eyes twitched at the corners as she shook her head and replied, ¡°I wouldn''t know if it''s useful or not. I haven''t even used it.¡± However, Lina''s choice of words did strike Natalie as odd. Aren''t pajamas meant to be worn? Why did she say ¡°use¡±? ¡°What? You didn''t use it?¡± Lina eximed in surprise. Natalie shook her head. ¡°No. Why?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Lina was clearly dissatisfied with the oue. ¡°If you didn''t use it, then what have you been doing in the room all afternoon?¡± Natalie blinked. ¡°Shane was working while I was sleeping.¡± Trembling, Lina pointed a finger at Natalie and eximed, ¡°You... You guys!¡± Then, she sighed. How can these two spend the wonderful afternoon sleeping and working? Forget about Nat. But shouldn''t Mr. Thompson be eager to use the gift the minute he sees it? How is he able to endure not using it? Chapter 1761 Chapter 1761 Chapter 1761 Time For Exercise This is impossible! Lina was utterly perplexed about the reason behind it. Meanwhile, Stanley was gasping for breath because he couldn''t stopughing. Lina is so much fun. With her around, I won''t have to worry about being bored in the days toe. Natalie became even more puzzled by the frustrated look on Lina''s face. ¡°What''s wrong, Lina? It''s just two sets of pajamas. We''ll wear them after we shower at night. It''s not strange that we don''t wear them during the day, is it? Why do you feel like it''s a pity if we don''t wear them?¡± Lina blinked confusedly. ¡°Pajamas?¡± Upon hearing Natalie''s words, Lina waspletely dumbfounded. Pajamas? That isn''t what I gave her. ¡°Nat, have you...¡± Before Lina could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Shane''s deep voice. ¡°All right, it''s dinner time. Let''s focus on our meal. There''s no need to talk about unnecessary things.¡± As his words fell, he looked at Lina with an even colder gaze. When Lina met his gaze, she recoiled in fear and shut her mouth tightly. She finally figured out that Shane was only nning to use the gift at night. He didn''t want her to continue the topic because it would expose him. From Natalie''sment about the pajamas, it was clear that she still had no idea what Lina gave them. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Wow. I can''t believe Mr. Thompson had the nerve to lie to Nat about my gift. Pajamas? At the thought of it, Lina red disdainfully at Shane. When Shane red back, she immediately lowered her head guiltily. Natalie nced at her, then at her husband beside her, and finally at Stanley across from them, who wasughing uncontrobly. This is weird. And there''s Lina''s surprised reaction when I mentioned the pajamas. She must have gifted me something else instead of pajamas. Why else will she be so surprised? If this is really the case, it means that Shane has been deceiving me! If it''s true, I''ll teach him a lesson tonight. With that thought, Natalie grunted at Shane. Shane raised an eyebrow. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Natalie ignored his question. She merely gave him a dismissive nce before averting her gaze, which made Shane even more confused. However, he was a smart man after all. He quickly figured out what was going on and let out a bitter laugh. She must have known that I have been lying to her because of Lina''s loose tongue! Shane gave Lina another cold re, which not only gave her goosebumps but also left her utterly confused. What''s going on? Why is Mr. Thompson looking at me like that again? I haven''t done anything, have I? Lina was feeling uneasy at the situation. Meanwhile, Stanley rxed his folded arms, sat up straight again, and picked up his chopsticks to continue eating. During mealtime, he swept his gaze over everyone, the amusement in his eyes still rich and undiminished. These people are really quite interesting. Soon, the meal came to an end with everyone harboring different thoughts. Intimidated by Shane, Lina made an excuse to slip away and return to her room after dinner. She didn''t even bother to visit Anders. Stanley also returned to his room for some peace and quiet, leaving only Natalie and Shane in the living room. With hands on her hips, Natalie red at Shane and said, ¡°Out with it. What exactly did Lina give us? It''s not pajamas, is it?¡± Shane averted his gaze evasively and didn''t respond, but his behavior made it abundantly clear that he was indeed lying. What Lina had prepared for them was certainly not pajamas. ¡°I can''t believe you actually lied to me!¡± Natalie''s face was puffed up in anger, and her eyes were red. Shane couldn''t bear to see her like that. ¡°All right, I was wrong. I''ll take you to see what it is right now, okay?¡± As he spoke, he took her hand. Since it was already night, and they had eaten dinner, he figured that it was time they do some exercises. Chapter 1762 Chapter 1762 Chapter 1762 The Gift After e glint fleshed in Shene''s eyes, he took Netelie''s hend end heeded towerd the steirs. Netelie wes coincidentelly curious ebout whet Line hed sent, so she obediently followed him, completely oblivious to Shene''s scheme. Soon, they errived et the room. Shene opened the door, pulling Netelie inside. Once inside, Netelie begen to urge, ¡°Hurry up end bring out the things you''ve hidden ewey.¡± Seeing how enxious she wes, Shene''s thin lips curled into e smile es he nodded slightly. ¡°Alright. Don''t worry. I''m going to do it now.¡± Just es he spoke, he let go of Netelie''s hend end welked towerd the werdrobe. Netelie set on the sofe in the room, eegerly gezing in the direction of the werdrobe. After weiting for ebout two minutes, Shene ceme out, holding the box from before in his hends. Netelie wetched es he welked towerd her. Once her eyes fell on the box, she couldn''t peel them ewey. It wes es if there wes something importent inside it. After ell, the fect thet the three of them didn''t mention e single word ebout it cleerly indiceted thet wes more to the box then met the eye. Shene epproeched Netelie, extending the box towerd her with both hends. ¡°Here you go. Teke e look.¡± Netelie didn''t immedietely teke the box. Insteed, she looked up et Shene for e while. Seeing the look of encouregement he geve her, she took e deep breeth, reeched out with both hends, end epted the box. After a glint shed in Shane''s eyes, he took Natalie''s hand and headed toward the stairs. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Natalie was coincidentally curious about what Lina had sent, so she obediently followed him, completely oblivious to Shane''s scheme. Soon, they arrived at the room. Shane opened the door, pulling Natalie inside. Once inside, Natalie began to urge, ¡°Hurry up and bring out the things you''ve hidden away.¡± Seeing how anxious she was, Shane''s thin lips curled into a smile as he nodded slightly. ¡°Alright. Don''t worry. I''m going to do it now.¡± Just as he spoke, he let go of Natalie''s hand and walked toward the wardrobe. Natalie sat on the sofa in the room, eagerly gazing in the direction of the wardrobe. After waiting for about two minutes, Shane came out, holding the box from before in his hands. Natalie watched as he walked toward her. Once her eyes fell on the box, she couldn''t peel them away. It was as if there was something important inside it. After all, the fact that the three of them didn''t mention a single word about it clearly indicated that was more to the box than met the eye. Shane approached Natalie, extending the box toward her with both hands. ¡°Here you go. Take a look.¡± Natalie didn''t immediately take the box. Instead, she looked up at Shane for a while. Seeing the look of encouragement he gave her, she took a deep breath, reached out with both hands, and epted the box. Natalie ced the box on herp, while Shane sat down opposite her and watched her with a darkened gaze. Natalie ced the box on herp, while Shane sat down opposite her and watched her with a darkened gaze. Under Shane''s watchful gaze, Natalie opened the box. Her eyes were initially filled with anticipation as she eagerly waited to find out what was inside the box. However, the very next second, her expression drastically changed, while her eyes widened in shock upon seeing what was inside. She stood up abruptly and threw the box away. Shane didn''t expect such a strong reaction from her. Stunned for a moment, he quickly got up and caught the box and the item that had spilled out of it. After catching it, Shane didn''t forget to say, ¡°Be careful. Don''t get it dirty.¡± Seeing how much Shane cared so the item, Natalie felt both annoyed and embarrassed. Her face flushed bright red as she snapped at him, ¡°Shane!¡± Shane raised an eyebrow. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°You''re actually asking me what''s wrong?¡± Natalie, emotionally charged, pointed at the box in his hand. ¡°Those... items...¡± She was so embarrassed that she couldn''t bring herself to mention it. Yet, Shane wore a smile on his face. ¡°This is the gift Lina has given us.¡± For a moment, Natalie was at a loss for words. No wonder Lina told me mysteriously to go back to my room and take a look. No wonder Stanley refused to tell me what it was after guessing it. I now know why Shane hid it from me when he saw it. He knew I would definitely throw it away once I found out. Yet he refuses to let me do so. Natalie ced the box on herp, while Shane sat down opposite her and watched her with a darkened gaze. The reason was that the item was something embarrassing for women to talk about but enjoyed by men. That was why Lina told her that Shane would definitely like it. How could Shane possibly not like it? He wouldn''t have kept it if he didn''t because this is a set of sexy lingerie! The kind that covers very little. I can''t believe that Lina actually dared to buy this thing and even give it to me! Holding that thought, Natalie took a deep breath and tried to suppress her anger. However, she had overestimated herself. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t suppress it. Finally, she gave up trying and huffed, ¡°That d*mned girl, Lina, actually gave me this thing, saying it would help our rtionship. This thing¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Shane interrupted her, ¡°Isn''t it something that enhances our bond? Don''t you think that those matters are the best expression of the affection between husband and wife, hmm?¡± He leaned in close to her, whispering softly in her ear. Natalie''s face, already flushed, turned even redder. Annoyed, she pushed him away. ¡°What the heck... No, I must confront her about this. She needs to take this thing back.¡± With that, she was about to walk out when Shane grabbed her wrist. Chapter 1763 Chapter 1763 Chapter 1763 No Escape ¡°Enough. Why go efter her? She meent well for us.¡± ¡°Meent well?¡± Netelie turned her heed, giving Shene en incredulous look. ¡°Shene, don''t you usuelly despise Line the most beceuse she cen''t keep her mouth shut? Now look et you, you''re ectuelly defending her.¡± Shene cleered his throet. ¡°I reelly like the gift she geve us, so there''s no herm in stending up for her.¡± Netelie''s eyes widened even more. ¡°Like?¡± Shene turned his heed ewey self-consciously in en ettempt to evoid her geze. He hed edmitted his fondness for the gift e moment ego, but now thet she questioned him, he knew he hed better stey silent for feer of engering her. Wetching how Shene pretended not to heer her, Netelie leughed in exesperetion. ¡°Shene, this is too much. Whet''s so good ebout this thing thet you ectuelly like it?¡± Her finger increesingly trembled es she pointed et the box in his hend. ¡°No, get rid of it quickly, It''s too emberressing.¡± This thing berely covers enything et ell. I reelly don''t know how those peoplee up with it, let elone put it up for sele. ¡°No, I won''t throw it ewey.¡± Shene tucked the box into his erms, firmly indiceting his refusel to discerd it. Netelie''s eyes widened. ¡°You''re not throwing it ewey? Whet ere you keeping it for? Don''t tell me you ectuelly went me to weer it?¡± When Shene heerd those words, his usuelly gloomy eyes instently lit up es he stered et her intently. From the look in his eyes, she could tell thet wes exectly whet he plenned. ¡°Enough. Why go after her? She meant well for us.¡± ¡°Meant well?¡± Natalie turned her head, giving Shane an incredulous look. ¡°Shane, don''t you usually despise Lina the most because she can''t keep her mouth shut? Now look at you, you''re actually defending her.¡± Shane cleared his throat. ¡°I really like the gift she gave us, so there''s no harm in standing up for her.¡± Natalie''s eyes widened even more. ¡°Like?¡± Shane turned his head away self-consciously in an attempt to avoid her gaze. He had admitted his fondness for the gift a moment ago, but now that she questioned him, he knew he had better stay silent for fear of angering her. Watching how Shane pretended not to hear her, Natalieughed in exasperation. ¡°Shane, this is too much. What''s so good about this thing that you actually like it?¡± Her finger increasingly trembled as she pointed at the box in his hand. ¡°No, get rid of it quickly, It''s too embarrassing.¡± This thing barely covers anything at all. I really don''t know how those peoplee up with it, let alone put it up for sale. ¡°No, I won''t throw it away.¡± Shane tucked the box into his arms, firmly indicating his refusal to discard it. Natalie''s eyes widened. ¡°You''re not throwing it away? What are you keeping it for? Don''t tell me you actually want me to wear it?¡± When Shane heard those words, his usually gloomy eyes instantly lit up as he stared at her intently. From the look in his eyes, she could tell that was exactly what he nned. The corner of Natalie''s mouth twitched. As if she was startled, she stepped back a few paces the next second and frantically shook her head. ¡°Shane, let me tell you. Don''t even think about it. I absolutely won''t wear it. I definitely won''t!¡± The corner of Natalie''s mouth twitched. As if she was startled, she stepped back a few paces the next second and frantically shook her head. ¡°Shane, let me tell you. Don''t even think about it. I absolutely won''t wear it. I definitely won''t!¡± She folded her arms in front of her chest, while the resistance she showed couldn''t be any more obvious. However, Shane was not the type to give up so easily. He took two steps forward, closing the distance between him and Natalie. ¡°Honey, try it on. I''ve never seen you in this kind of outfit before. I''m sure it will suit you perfectly.¡± He stared at her intently, his eyes filled with hope. Natalie''s face turned red. ¡°This is not the kind of clothing a normal person would wear. I''d have to be crazy to put this on. Isn''t it normal that you haven''t seen it? And this thing, it hardly covers anything. How is it suitable?¡± ¡°It just is.¡± Shane lowered his head to look at the box andmented nonchntly, ¡°Lina does have good taste. She even bought my favorite fabric¡ªckce.¡± Men, after all, always had a special fondness for ck and red. Addingce to the mix simply made it irresistible. Nevertheless, Natalie was so infuriated by Shane''s words that she almost fell backward. ¡°Shane, you''re simply... simply...¡± She was at a loss for words as her face flushed to an extreme degree. She was both infuriated by him and embarrassed by the clothes. Lina had said that the gift she gave would not only enhance their marital rtionship but also make Shane very happy. The corner of Natalie''s mouth twitched. As if she was startled, she stepped back a few paces the next second and frantically shook her head. ¡°Shane, let me tell you. Don''t even think about it. I absolutely won''t wear it. I definitely won''t!¡± How can he not like it? This thing is capable of satisfying all the desires of a man. It would be strange if Shane didn''t like it. Look at this. He likes it so much that he insists I wear it and absolutely refuses to throw it away. ¡°Alright, Honey. Don''t be upset. Try on this dress,¡± Shane said, pulling out the dress from the box. Natalie''s face was so red it looked like it could bleed. She yelled at him, ¡°Shane, don''t even think about it! Dream on if you think I''m going to wear that. You''re sleeping alone tonight!¡± After she finished speaking, she turned around and was about to run. There''s no way I''m wearing that for him to see. Once I wear it, there really won''t be a limit to what he''ll want next time. Therefore, I absolutely won''t satisfy Shane''s desires, let alone allow Lina''s cunning scheme to seed. Holding those thoughts, Natalie quickened her pace in a desperate attempt to escape.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. However, Shane was determined to see her in that outfit. There was no way he was going to let her leave. Just as she had taken two steps, he strode forward and pulled her back. ¡°Thinking of running away?¡± Shane''s thin lips curled up slightly. ¡°Not a chance. We''ve been sleeping in separate rooms for quite a few days already. Now that we''ve finally made up and I''ve moved back in, how could I let you leave me again to sleep in another room?¡± Chapter 1764 Chapter 1764 Chapter 1764 Torn To Shreds Netelie stopped in her trecks end turned to fece Shene. ¡°I''m fine if you don''t went me to sleep in e different room, but you better give up the idee of meking me weer thet thing. Otherwise, there''s no point in discussing it.¡± ¡°No wey.¡± Shene fletly refused, his stence unwevering. ¡°This represents someone''s goodwill. Not weering it would be e betreying her kindness. Honey, you wouldn''t went to upset your friend, would you?¡± ¡°I don''t cere whether she''s heppy or not when ites to such metters. I''m definitely not weering this. Shene, let go of me right now. I don''t went to sleep with you. I''m going to enother room. Let go.¡± If Shene wesn''t going to drop thet idee, she would definitely not stey. However, Shene pulled her into his erms, holding her tightly. ¡°Don''t worry. If you don''t went to weer it, I cen help you put it on. As long es you''re not the one doing it, you would not be considered to be putting it on.¡± Netelie''s mouth twitched intensely. If I didn''t dress myself, it would meen thet I didn''t put it on et ell. Whet kind of twisted logic is thet? ¡°Shene, you... Mmm...¡± Netelie wes ebout to refute Shene''s shemeless remerks when Shene lowered his heed ebruptly end seeled her lips with e kiss, effectively silencing her rebuttel. Shene''s kiss wes incredibly dominent. After e few rounds, Netelie felt herself going week ell over. Initielly, she wes struggling to push Shene ewey, but her resistence greduelly subsided. In the end, she wrepped her erms eround Shene''s neck,pletely sumbing to him. Natalie stopped in her tracks and turned to face Shane. ¡°I''m fine if you don''t want me to sleep in a different room, but you better give up the idea of making me wear that thing. Otherwise, there''s no point in discussing it.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Shane tly refused, his stance unwavering. ¡°This represents someone''s goodwill. Not wearing it would be a betraying her kindness. Honey, you wouldn''t want to upset your friend, would you?¡± ¡°I don''t care whether she''s happy or not when ites to such matters. I''m definitely not wearing this. Shane, let go of me right now. I don''t want to sleep with you. I''m going to another room. Let go.¡± If Shane wasn''t going to drop that idea, she would definitely not stay. However, Shane pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. ¡°Don''t worry. If you don''t want to wear it, I can help you put it on. As long as you''re not the one doing it, you would not be considered to be putting it on.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Natalie''s mouth twitched intensely. If I didn''t dress myself, it would mean that I didn''t put it on at all. What kind of twisted logic is that? ¡°Shane, you... Mmm...¡± Natalie was about to refute Shane''s shameless remarks when Shane lowered his head abruptly and sealed her lips with a kiss, effectively silencing her rebuttal. Shane''s kiss was incredibly dominant. After a few rounds, Natalie felt herself going weak all over. Initially, she was struggling to push Shane away, but her resistance gradually subsided. In the end, she wrapped her arms around Shane''s neck,pletely sumbing to him. As Shane sensed the change Natalie, a triumphant glint shed in his eyes when she didn''t notice. Then, he proceeded with even more determination. As Shane sensed the change Natalie, a triumphant glint shed in his eyes when she didn''t notice. Then, he proceeded with even more determination. Gradually, Natalie felt herself growing dizzy,pletely drained of energy. She slumped into Shane''s arms with no desire to move at all. Shane wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her body close as the curve on his lips grew more pronounced. The next moment, he bent down to sweep her off her feet and carried her toward the bathroom. That night, Natalie had no idea how long she had been tormented by Shane. It seemed like dawn was about to break when he finally decided to let her go. He gently stroked her face, his voice incredibly tender as he said to her, ¡°Sleep now, Honey. You''ve had a long night. I love you.¡± After speaking, he ced a kiss on her forehead. Natalie waspletely drained, unable to move. All she could do was lie on the bed and rolled her eyes at him before closing them, refusing to look at him any longer. She didn''t want to look at the despicable Shane any longer, fearing that the sight of him would cause her to burst a vessel sooner orter. Shane''s charm is so bewitching that I waspletely disoriented by just one kiss from himst night. I couldn''t even tell which way was up. and allowed him to have his way with me. Then, under his coaxing, she obediently put on the outfit that Lina had given her. As Shane sensed the change Natalie, a triumphant glint shed in his eyes when she didn''t notice. Then, he proceeded with even more determination. Once she had put it on, it was toote for regrets. The way Shane looked at her was so intensely passionate that it seemed like he wanted to devour her. So, before she even had a chance to take the outfit off, she found herself pinned down on the bed by him. All in all, Shane was more frenzied, more intense, and more excited than usual that night. In his excitement, the outfit was also torn to shreds. Even so, the outfit looked like torn fragments to begin with. No wonder Lina asked me at the dinner table, ¡°Have you used the gift? Is it useful?¡± She was puzzled at the time, wondering why the word ''use'' was used for clothes, instead of ''wear''. Now, she understood that the outfit was meant to be used, not worn, but she was the one who still had to suffer in the end. Every single spot of her entire body including her waist and legs was aching. That animal is really like a beast. How else could he have so much energy? Right then, she was so tired that she couldn''t even muster the strength to move a muscle. Well, look at him. He''s still full of energy. This is truly unfair. The more Natalie thought about it, the more tired she became. In the end, it didn''t take long before she fell soundly asleep. Shaney beside her, gently holding her in his arms. He watched her fall asleep before he turned off the room light. Then, he too closed his eyes to join her in sleep for a while. Chapter 1765 Chapter 1765 Chapter 1765 Delivering Anders Safely Just as he intended, Shane slept for only a brief while in the end. About an hourter, he opened his eyes and got up. The moment he woke up, his first instinct was to look at his wife beside him. She was still sleeping and showed no signs of waking up. Shane gently caressed his wife''s rosy cheeks, his touch lingering for a while before he reluctantly withdrew his hand. He then lifted the quilt to get up and headed toward the bathroom. By the time he finished washing up and came out, dawn had already broken. Shane changed his clothes and quietly left the room. At that moment, the vi''s living room was already filled with quite a number of people, all of them uniformed bodyguards. It went without saying that Ss was there, along with Stanley who was sitting on the sofa. At that moment, Stanley was dressed casually in white, sitting on the sofa and calmly sipping his morning coffee. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. He had always enjoyed Shane''s coffee collection which came from the most exotic of regions. He could afford them but just didn''t have them readily avable like the super-rich Shane did. Even then, he would always drink them sparingly due to how precious they were. However, there was no such concern at Shane''s vi. Since he was drinking Shane''s coffee instead of his own, he didn''t feel the slightest pinch at all. Therefore, there was absolutely no need for him to drink sparingly. Since he was there, he might as well drink up. After all, he wasn''t sure if he would get a second chance to do so. At that moment, Ss, who was asionally ncing at his watch, suddenly noticed Shane descending the stairs. He quickly greeted Shane, ¡°Mr. Thompson.¡± The bodyguards behind him, upon hearing the greeting, quickly stood at attention and simultaneously eximed, ¡°Mr. Thompson.¡± The scene at that moment was incredibly magnificent. Yet there was one person who disrupted the formation¡ªStanley. Stanley was not a subordinate of Shane''s, so naturally, he wouldn''t behave like them by greeting the latter as soon as he arrived. He remained seated on the sofa, not even bothering to stand up. He held his teacup in his hand as if he hadn''t noticed Shane at all. Shane was carefully descending the stairs, one hand holding the railing for support, while the other a swaddled baby. Behind him was Zaylee carrying a bag of baby supplies. In response to everyone''s greeting, Shane gave a slight nod as a form of acknowledgment. Soon, Shane, holding the sleeping Anders, arrived in front of Ss and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Is everything ready?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson. Everything is ready.¡± Ss nodded. Shane hummed in acknowledgment and had no further questions. Instead, he lowered his head to look at the baby in his arms. The baby was sleeping soundly with its tiny hands¡ªhalf-clenched into fists¡ªresting on its chest. Every now and then, it would stir slightly. Its small mouth would mumble a few words as if it was talking. Watching it, Shane''s eyes were filled with tenderness, while his heart felt like melting. After that, he cast aside the paternal look in his eyes and handed Anders over to Ss. ¡°Please make sure you take him to Connor and Sharon safely.¡± ¡°Alright, I surely will.¡± Ss took Anders with both hands, cradling him carefully. Watching Anders continue to sleep in Ss'' arms, Shane couldn''t help but chuckle lightly. He then reached out and tapped Ander''s nose. ¡°You''re still so innocent. You don''t even know to open your eyes when someone else is holding you. Someone might lure you away with a piece of candy in the future.¡± Ss chuckled warmly. ¡°Mr. Thompson, it''s not like that. Mr. Anders recognizes my scent. That''s why he knows it''s me carrying him and not a stranger. If it were a stranger, he would definitely open his eyes to take a look.¡± ¡°Hopefully. Well, it''s gettingte, let''s get going. Contact me as soon as you arrive,¡± Shane said, ncing at his watch and gesturing with his hand. Ss retracted the smile on his face and nodded seriously. ¡°Yes, Mr. Thompson.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he headed toward the vi''s main gate with Anders in his arms, apanied by Zaylee and the group of bodyguards. These bodyguards were all assigned by Shane to protect Anders and ensure his safe arrival at his destination. Moreover, he also appointed Ss as the main person in charge of the task. The main reason was that the only person he truly trusts was Ss. He would feel less at ease if he handed Anders over to a bodyguard instead. Chapter 1766 Chapter 1766 Chapter 1766 Not That Stingy Shane stood still and watched Ss and his group disappear into the distance. He retracted his gaze and turned to look at the couch when they were out of sight. Watching Stanley nonchntly sipping tea on the couch, Shane could not hide his look of disdain. Is this guy treating this ce like it''s his own territory? This is a bit toofortable for his own good. And what''s the deal with the several cans of tea in front of him? Stanley felt Shane''s gaze fall on the tea leaves. Finally, he deigned to look at him. Adjusting his sses, he said, ¡°Mr. Thompson, what''s the matter? Surely you''re not reluctant to serve a few types of tea to your guests?¡± Shane snorted, ¡°It''s just a few cans of tea leaves. I''m not that stingy.¡± With a smile tugging at his lips, Stanley said, ¡°That''s wonderful. Since you''re so generous, how about giving me all these tea leaves? Can I take them with me when I leave?¡± Shane''s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. Isn''t this person a bit too shameless? He''s not only living at my ce but also eating and taking my things! Seeing Shane silent, Stanley''s eyes flickered for a moment before he feigned a sigh. ¡°You''re not saying anything. It seems you can''t bear to.¡± ¡°Don''t make me out to be so stingy. It''s just a few cans of tea. If you want them, just take them.¡± Shane waved his hand somewhat impatiently. Stanleyughed. ¡°Well, thank you then.¡± Those several cans of tea were all new and unopened. That morning, he specifically had the housekeeper bring them out under the pretense of inspecting them. In truth, his real intention was to deliberately show them to Shane and then trick them out of his hands. Look! It''s a sess! With great enthusiasm, Stanley scooped the few cans of tea up. If he had a bag, he would probably have wanted to put them directly into it because he was afraid that Shane might change his mind. Upon observing his actions, Shane scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Ambitious.¡± Stanley did not get angry either. He adjusted his sses and replied, ¡°I can''t help it. I''m not as wealthy as you, Mr. Thompson, and I enjoy drinking tea, so this is the only way.¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Shane withdrew his gaze, toozy to pay him any mind, and stood up to head upstairs. Stanley suddenly crossed his legs and said, ¡°You just saw Anders off, so next up is Natalie, right?¡± ¡°You''re asking even though you know the answer?¡± Shane paused and turned his head to look at him. Stanley chuckled, ¡°I''m just curious. Why didn''t you send both mother and son away together? Why separate them?¡± ¡°My wife is about to attend an awards ceremony, so we must part ways. Thest time shepeted internationally, she lost the championship because of me. This time, she''s the champion, and I should at least let her bask in the glory of receiving her trophy before we leave. It''s an honor she truly deserves,¡± Shane replied softly. Stanley nodded. ¡°I see.¡± He did not say anything more. Shane continued to go upstairs. In the afternoon, Natalie and Lina hopped into the car and headed to thepetition hall to attend the awards ceremony. She already knew about Anders being sent away. When she got up at noon, Shane told her right away. She was well aware of when Anders would be sent away and had mentally prepared herself for it. But when the moment truly came that Anders was sent away, she still felt a bit unhappy with a certain gloom settling in her heart. However, it did not take her long to bounce back and regain her spirits. After all, she would not be apart from Anders for long, at most a day. She would have to leave there early the next morning to be with her three children. So, there really was no need to be overly upset. ¡°By the way, Nat, isn''t Mr. Thompson attending the awards ceremony today? You''re receiving an award, and it''s such a shining moment. Can he really bear not to attend?¡± In the car, Lina asked, looking at Natalie who was busy with her cell phone. ¡°After all, this is the most prestigious award you''ve received since you got married. If Mr. Thompson doesn''t attend, and there''s no memento of it, that would be such a pity.¡± Upon hearing Lina''s words, Natalie lifted her head and replied with a smile, ¡°He will attend, but he''ll be a bitte. He''ll probably arrive when I''m on stage.¡± Chapter 1767 Chapter 1767 Chapter 1767 Special Gift ¡°I see,¡± Lina nodded. ¡°That makes sense. After all, how can Mr. Thompson possibly miss his beloved wife''s awards ceremony?¡± ¡°Weren''t you just asking if he would attend or not? Now you''re saying how can he possibly miss it? Lina, I''ve noticed you''re quite good at beating around the bush,¡± Natalie said with a smile as she looked at her. Lina chuckled, ¡°Well, that''s how people should be. As long as you master this trick, you can get by and even thrive in any circle.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Natalie neither agreed nor disagreed. Lina''s eyes flickered as if she had thought of something. She leaned in closer to her and said, ¡°Right, Nat, you only got up at noon today. It seems you used the gift I sent youst night. How was it? Was the effect good? Did your rtionship with Mr. Thompson take off all of a sudden?¡± Upon hearing that, Natalie''s face turned beet red in an instant. Then, with a mix of embarrassment and indignation, she pped Lina lightly. ¡°How dare you bring this up! I was nning to forget about it. But since you insist on mentioning it, fine, just wait for your punishment.¡± As she spoke, Natalie fiercely gripped Lina''s neck with both hands and shook her violently. Lina was shaken until she was dizzy and disoriented. She quickly pleaded for mercy, ¡°Nat, Nat, please calm down. Stop shaking me. I''m feeling dizzy. I may throw up soon.¡± ¡°Well, you had iting!¡± Natalie huffed. Even though she said that, she still let Lina go out of soft-heartedness. ¡°I was really looking forward to the gift you were going to give me, but I didn''t expect that you would give me something like that.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Looking at Natalie''s blushing face, Lina chuckled, ¡°Didn''t I tell you? You and Mr. Thompson just ended your cold war and reconciled. You need to enhance your rtionship, so I thought about it for a long time before deciding to give you this. This is the most direct way to express genuine feelings. I''m doing this for your own good. You don''t have to thank me, but you shouldn''t pinch me either.¡± ¡°You''re still talking,¡± Natalie red at her. ¡°Do you have any idea how embarrassed I wasst night when I saw it? In any case, you''re not allowed to bring this up again. If you do, you''ll have me to deal with. Do you understand?¡± She pointed at Lina and issued a fierce warning. Lina stuck out her tongue and reluctantly agreed, ¡°Alright, alright, I get it. I won''t bring it up anymore.¡± ¡°That''s good to know. Otherwise, I''ll give you the same thing when you get married,¡± Natalie threatened. Initially, she thought that Lina would feel embarrassed and hastily decline, but to her surprise, her eyes lit up with excitement as she nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Seeing her like this, Natalie suddenly found herself at a loss for words. After all, there was no way she could speak to someone who has no shame. With a helpless shake of her head, Natalie decided to ignore her. The more attention I give her, the more she misbehaves. Who knows what embarrassing things she might say next? With that thought, Natalie lowered her head and continued to look at her cell phone. Lina knew she was being ignored, but she did not get angry. She understood well that her friend was more sensitive than she was. She was well aware of her own carefree and nonchnt personality, and so was her friend. She understood that her good friend was simply avoiding her because she feared what inappropriate things she might say next. Soon, they arrived at thepetition hall. It was absolutely packed with people. Journalists from major media outlets had practically taken over the entire ce. Not only were there foreign media outlets present but also arge number of domestic media had made the trip specifically for Natalie. They were there solely for her. After all, Natalie was a fellow countryman. It was the first time since the founding of their nation that a compatriot had be a champion and earned the opportunity to design the ceremonial attire worn by key figures from various countries at the opening ceremony of the World Games. Therefore, the current fame and status of Natalie and Lina in the country had skyrocketed. They gave the people a sense of pride and something to brag about. After all, there have been so many World Games, and the ceremonial outfits worn by important figures from various countries had always been designed by foreign designers. Domestic designers had never had the opportunity. Chapter 1768 Chapter 1768 Chapter 1768 Long Speeches Now that they had it, the country was naturally happy. No sooner had Natalie and Lina stepped out of the car than they were spotted by the domestic media, who immediately swarmed around them, leaving no room to escape. By the time the twodies finished their interviews with the reporters and were rescued by their bodyguards, more than half an hour had already passed. Under the escort of their bodyguards, the two finally entered the club. At that point, both Natalie''s and Lina''s hair was a mess. They became disheveled from the crowd. But far from being upset, the two of them exchanged a nce andughed instead. They knew very well that they had brought honor to their country by securing for the first time the opportunity to design formal attire for important figures from all over the world. That was why the media reporters were so excited and swarming them relentlessly for interviews to the point where their hairstyles were all messed up. However, they did not me them. They were too happy, so naturally, they would not me their excitement. ¡°Phew! We''re finally out,¡± said Lina as she fixed her hair and let out a sigh of relief. Natalie was also tidying up her hair. Hearing her words, she smiled and said, ¡°Yes, thankfully we didn''t let Dave and the others stray too far. Otherwise, we''d still be surrounded right now.¡± ¡°Indeed. Let''s get going, Nat. It''s gettingte, and the award ceremony is about to start,¡± Lina urged as she nced at her cell phone. Natalie gave a nod of agreement, picked up her bag, and followed her. The award ceremonymenced quite simply, with representatives from thepetition''s organizers each taking their turn to speak on stage. After the speeches concluded, it was time for the awards ceremony, starting with the third-ce winner. Although the rewards received by the second and third-ce winners were not as much as the champion''s, the difference was negligible. Even the contestants who ranked in the top ten received reward certificates. Although they did not get a trophy, the value of those certificates was not to be underestimated. Natalie and Lina sat in the audience and watched as the third-ce winner ascended the stage to receive their award and deliver a speech afterward. As Lina watched, she could not help butment, ¡°This award ceremony is way too slow. After handing out the trophies, they should just let people go. Why do they insist on having everyone give a speech? From costume designers to jewelry designers, everyone''s speech is so long. It''s getting on my nerves, and this is just for the third ce. We still have the speeches from the two champions and the top ten to go through. By the time it''s our turn, it will be at least two hourster. Oh my god, this is going to take forever.¡± Natalie looked at the costume designer who had been speaking for a few minutes without finishing and nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, but having the opportunity to speak on such an award stage is a rare chance. It''s quite normal for them to speak this long.¡± ¡°Hmph! They clearly prepared their speeches in advance,¡± Lina said. ¡°We didn''t prepare anything. When it''s our turn, we''ll probably just thank everyone and be done with it.¡± Natalie chuckled lightly, ¡°You''re right. Inparison to them, aren''t we being a bit too perfunctory?¡± ¡°Going through the motions is just that. We''re the champions, so we have the right to do so.¡± Lina waved her hand dismissively, but the pride in her eyes was impossible to hide. With a smile, Natalie shook her head, then fell silent. She attentively watched the person who was speaking on stage. As time ticked away, minute by minute, two hourster, the awards ceremony finally reached the fifth ce in the top ten. The awards for the second and third ces had already been given out. They were the runners-up. Once the fifth ce was announced and the fourth ce received their award, it would be their turn as the grand finale champions. Seeing the two people from the fifth ce on stage, Lina, who had been dozing off for a while, finally perked up and sat upright. ¡°D*mn! It''s finally almost our turn. If it wasn''t for us next, I would have fallen asleep. The speeches from the previous winners were so boring, long, and uninteresting. If it weren''t for all the media cameras, I wouldn''t care at all. I would have just fallen asleep.¡± Natalie also covered her mouth and yawned slightly. ¡°It is a bit boring. I''m exhausted too.¡± ¡°By the way, Nat, has Mr. Thompson not arrived yet?¡± Lina took out a bottle of peppermint spray from her bag to refresh her senses. She sprayed it twice on her wrist and then brought it close to her nose for a sniff.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 1769 Chapter 1769 Chapter 1769 Sean Is Here With the refreshing scent of mint invigorating her senses, Lina finally felt the fog in her mindpletely dissipate. She was thoroughly awake. Afterward, she handed the perfume to Natalie. ¡°Nat, would you like some?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie took the perfume and sprayed it on herself twice before closing the lid. Only then did she respond, ¡°He''s not here yet. Let me ask him.¡± After returning the perfume to Lina, Natalie took out her cell phone and sent a message to Shane. About two minutester, his message came in. Upon reading the message, Natalie smiled and said, ¡°He''s already on his way here. He should arrive in about ten minutes.¡± Lina curled her lips. ¡°He''s not even afraid of missing out by showing up at this hour.¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Natalie shook her head with a smile, ¡°Our awards ceremony is broadcast live in its entirety. Shane has been keeping an eye on it all along. He won''t miss it.¡± ¡°That''s more like it.¡± Lina nodded. Natalie stood up. ¡°I''m going to the restroom. Are youing?¡± ¡°I''m not going.¡± Lina waved her hand dismissively. ¡°I''ve been sitting here for half the day without drinking water. I don''t need to use the bathroom.¡± Her words were so blunt and crude that they annoyed and amused Natalie at the same time. ¡°Alright then, you wait here for me. I''ll be back in a bit.¡± ¡°Go ahead, go ahead.¡± Lina nodded. With a smile, Natalie stepped out of the awards hall and headed to the restroom. She had thought that with so many peopleing today, the restroom would probably be crowded. However, when Natalie arrived at the restroom, she found itpletely empty and spotlessly clean, as if someone had deliberately cleared everyone out. It was incredibly eerie. However, Natalie did not overthink it. She simply attributed it to a coincidence and walked into the partitioned area. The moment she stepped into the stall, a few individuals suddenly emerged from outside the women''s restroom. They positioned themselves on either side of the restroom entrance and stood guard like sentinels, effectively blocking the door to the women''s restroom. Originally, there were peopleing over to use the restroom. But seeing the situation, they immediately ran away. In fact, even if thedies tried to enter, they would still be driven away by those people. After those people secured the restroom door, another set of footsteps could be heard. Immediately after, a man dressed in a ck suit appeared outside the women''s restroom. The people guarding the restroom, upon seeing this man, immediately greeted him with respectful nods. Nothing happened to the man. He simply gave them a slight wave of his hand before walking into the women''s restroom. In the restroom, Natalie had finished using the toilet and was now in front of the washbasin and touching up her makeup. Hearing footsteps behind her, she did not bother to look back. She assumed it was just someone heading to the restroom. It was only when she was applying her lipstick that a man suddenly appeared in the mirror. She abruptly stopped what she was doing. Her eyes were wide in disbelief as she stared at the man in the mirror. Sean? What is he doing here? Natalie was utterly shocked, then abruptly turned around to look behind her. As expected, Sean was standing there with his hands tucked into his pockets and a slight smirk ying on his thin lips. He was smiling at her. ¡°Nat, it''s been a while. You''re bing more and more beautiful.¡± Sean praised in a deep voice. Natalie''s brows were tightly furrowed. Her lipstick gripped firmly in her hand. Her heart was pounding rapidly, filled with fear and unease. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Natalie asked, her hands gripping the edge of the washbasin tightly behind her. She watched the man in front of her warily, and her mind was inplete disarray. Why? Why is he here? It was as if Sean did not notice the wariness and fear in her eyes. With a wicked smile, he strode toward her. Seeing the situation, Natalie immediately put her hands up in defense and instinctively shouted, ¡°Stop, you''re not allowed toe any closer. Do you hear me? You''re not allowed to approach me!¡± Yet, Sean continued walking without stopping. After he walked up to her, he ced his hands on the mirror behind her, trapping her between his arms and the mirror. Such an intimate yet unsettling gesture made Natalie''s heart flutter uncontrobly. Her face turned pale, and her body began to tremble slightly. Chapter 1770 Chapter 1770 Chapter 1770 Come With Me Sean looked down at her and asked, ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Natalie did not respond. How can I not be afraid? This person is a madman. I still remember what he did to me; he imprisoned me and tried to force himself on me. Even though he didn''t seed, all these experiences left her traumatized. The mere sight of him triggered an instinctive fear in her. ¡°Don''t be afraid.¡± Sean gently lifted a strand of her hair, ying with it lightly at his fingertips. His gaze was fixed on her face as if he wanted to etch her visage deeply into his heart. There was something indescribably strange in his eyes. His voice became increasingly gentle. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t harm you. I just want to take you somewhere.¡± Natalie was so creeped out that she got goosebumps all over. Suppressing her disgust, she red at him. ¡°Hmph, don''t even think about it. There''s no way I''m going with you!¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She must be crazy to go with him. Natalie was aware of the duel between Sean and Shane. Shane had cautioned her that Sean might use her to manipte him. As a result, she knew she must never follow Sean, as it could bring harm to Shane. Moreover, she needed to find a way to contact Shane and warn him that Sean was at the clubhouse with her. Natalie found herself at a loss about how to establish contact and in what manner. Despite the uncertainty, she knew she couldn''t panic. After all, the more flustered she became, the harder it was for her to think of a solution. ¡°It''s okay if you don''t want toe along. I''ll still take you away. I came here to inform you, not to seek your approval. Do you understand, Nat?¡± Sean suddenly leaned in to Natalie, as if he wanted to kiss her. The woman immediately tilted her head back to avoid him. Her eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, and her face was full of disgust. Upon seeing her reaction, Sean''s heart wrenched, and a trace of bitterness shed in his eyes. ¡°Nat, you are heartless. You won''t even show me any respect. You should know there''s a chance that this might be thest time we see each other...¡± He spoke in such a soft voice that Natalie couldn''t hear clearly. She was in utter turmoil now, her mind filled with nothing but Sean''s words about taking her away. She was in no mood to listen to whatever he said afterwards. What should I do? What should I do? Tears welled up in Natalie''s eyes out of frustration. She scolded herself for not realizing earlier that Sean intended to personally escort her to the ce. She knew that she would be taken away by Sean as there was no way she could resist him. But before she could leave, she had to leave a clue for Shane and the others. The only thing she could leave behind without Sean noticing was the lipstick in her hand. Natalie lowered her head to hide her serious expression. Then, slowly, she moved her hand behind her back to drop the lipstick into the sink. They should know that I''d been taken away when they see this lipstick right? Indeed, it was unusual for a lipstick to be present without its owner. Natalie carefully set the lipstick down, afraid that any noise might catch Sean''s attention. No one knew how flustered and nervous Natalie was as she dropped her lipstick. Her heart pounded so intensely that it seemed ready to leap out of her throat. Fortunately, in the end, she managed to put the lipstick down sessfully. So long as Sean doesn''t look down into the sink behind me, he will not discover the lipstick. Natalie was feeling uneasy at the situation. Little did she know, Sean was much taller than her, affording him a wider view. He could see all her subtle movements clearly when he lowered his head. So naturally, he noticed she had dropped the lipstick. But he didn''t do or say anything. After she finished her task and let out a sigh of relief, he finally spoke, ¡°Nat,e with me.¡± He looked at her with a beaming smile. Natalie was unaware that he knew all her actions. She looked up at him intently and demanded, ¡°Where exactly are you taking me? And what are you going to do?¡± Chapter 1771 Chapter 1771 Chapter 1771 The Clue Sean reached out to touch her face. Instinctively, Natalie wanted to sidestep and refuse. However, the thought of the lipstick in the sink behind her made her forcefully restrain herself from avoiding his hand. Worried about exposing the view behind her, she refrained from tilting her head, fearing that he might notice the lipstick. Sean seemed pleased with the woman''sck of evasion as he gently caressed her face with the back of his hand. A ticklish sensation spread across Natalie''s face, but she also felt disgusted and nauseous. It was as if it wasn''t a hand on her face, but a repulsive bug. Even though Sean could see the disgust in her eyes, he chose to ignore it. He continued to caress her face as if he wanted to touch every part of it, then memorize it in his heart. ¡°I''ll take you to a wonderful ce. A ce just for the two of us, and where you''ll never see Shane and your three children again,¡± Sean finally replied. Natalie looked at him in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡± A ce with just the two of us? Isn''t that hiding me again? Does he want to confine me somewhere? Sean lowered his gaze to conceal the emotions within. ¡°All right, Nat, it''s gettingte. Come with me.¡± As he spoke, he reached out to grasp her wrist. Natalie immediately pulled her hand back. ¡°I''m not leaving. I''m never going with you, Sean. You''d better give up this idea.¡± The man gazed at his empty hands, showing no signs of anger, yet his expression remained mysterious as he spoke. ¡°Nat, you wille with me. There''s no other option for you. You have no other path to choose.¡± After he finished speaking, he pulled something out of his pocket and waved it in front of her. Natalie could only smell a fragrance wafting into her nostrils. Suddenly, her vision began to blur, and her body started to feel weak. Immediately after, her body swayed. Unable to stand any longer, she fell forward. Natalie''s forehead bumped into Sean''s chest. The man wrapped his arm around her waist, his gaze falling on the lipstick by the sink behind her. He smirked and said, ¡°What a silly woman. Did you really think you could leave a clue for Shane without me noticing?¡± In fact, everything she did was in in sight. It''s just that he had no intention of removing the clue. He wanted Shane to know that he had taken Natalie away. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Only in this way, his final n could proceed. Sean removed his jacket with one hand and draped it over Natalie''s face. Then, he cradled her in his arms and walked out of the bathroom. He asked the people who had been guarding the ce, ¡°No one hase over during this period, right?¡± ¡°No,¡± several of them responded. ¡°At first, two women came over. After we scared them off, we sent someone to guard the corridor entrance. Since then, no one else hase.¡± Sean nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Let''s go.¡± They then silently slipped away from the clubhouse. Meanwhile, at the award ceremony, Lina watched as the fourth speaker was about to finish, and it would soon be her and Natalie''s turn. However, Natalie hadn''t returned yet, which inevitably caused her to start worrying. ¡°Where has she gone?¡± she muttered, ¡°No one''s answering the phone, and it''s even turned off.¡± Just as Lina was getting anxious, debating whether or not to go to the restroom to find her, Shane arrived with his bodyguards. He spotted Lina, but he didn''t see Natalie. His eyebrows furrowed, and he walked over, asking, ¡°Where''s my wife?¡± Upon seeing him, Lina''s eyes lit up as if she had spotted her savior. She quickly responded, ¡°Mr. Shane, great that you''re here. Nat went to the restroom about ten minutes ago and hasn''t returned yet. It''s almost our turn to go on stage. I tried calling her to hurry back, but her phone was switched off. Could you please send someone to check on her in the restroom? It''s impossible that she switched off her phone because she has more than half of her battery left. There must be a problem.¡± Chapter 1772 Chapter 1772 Chapter 1772 Kidnapped Upon hearing this, Shane''s expression changed. ¡°What? Her phone is turned off?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lina nodded and continued, ¡°I find it suspicious that her phone is switched off. I''m worried something might have happened to Nat. Mr. Shane, you should hurry...¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Shane immediately turned to the bodyguard behind him and instructed, ¡°Find the organizers and tell them to postpone the prize presentation for the winner. They can arrange for an intermission. Everyone must be tired after watching the ceremony for so long; I believe they''ll be happy to hear this.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The bodyguard responded, immediately setting off to carry out the order. Shane turned to Lina and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She nodded nkly, then quickly caught up with him. The two of them arrived at the restroom. Shane pointed at her and said, ¡°You go in.¡± Lina understood that he wanted her to help find Natalie. Hence, she quickly entered the restroom and did as she was told. However, after checking everypartment and continuously calling out Natalie''s name, she found no sign of the woman, nor did she hear any response. Her heart instantly sank to the bottom, growing increasingly uneasy. She''s not in the bathroom and her phone is turned off. Where could she have gone? Has she been kidnapped? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Lina startled herself. ¡°No way...¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She swallowed hard, unable to believe what was happening. At that moment, two women were gathered in front of the sink, chatting about lipstick. Lina was initially uninterested in their conversation, but her eyes uncontrobly took a nce. Her expression immediately became tense when she realized that it was Natalie''s lipstick. The lipstick was a unique piece, specially custom-made by Shane for Natalie. As a result, she could never mistake it. Lina quickly stepped forward and snatched the lipstick from the two women. After a closer examination, she confirmed it was indeed Natalie''s lipstick. She inhaled deeply and whispered, ¡°We''re in trouble!¡± Ignoring the cursing and grumbling of the two women, she dashed out of the restroom and shouted at Shane, who was on the phone. ¡°Something''s wrong! Nat might have been taken away. This is the lipstick she left behind.¡± She passed over the lipstick to him as she spoke. Shane abruptly ended the call and took the lipstick. His usually steady hand was now trembling slightly. A murderous aura seemed to envelop him, and his face was so ghastly that it was frightening. ¡°Sean Thompson!¡± Shane gripped the lipstick tightly as if he was about to snap it in half. Upon hearing this, Lina quickly asked, ¡°Mr. Shane, are you saying that Nat was taken away by Sean?¡± The man didn''t respond, but his meaning was clear - it was exactly as she had asked. He and Sean were destined for a duel. He never knew when thetter would make his move, so he was always on guard. In fact, he even nned that if Sean did not take action for a long time, he would move Natalie to a safe ce after the awards ceremony. He would then initiate an attack on Sean. Unexpectedly, Sean made the first move, and he chose today of all days to do so. Had he known it woulde to this, he wouldn''t have waited so long. He could have sent Natalie away immediately. As for the award ceremony, he could have used his authority to postpone it indefinitely. But after pondering it a few times, he ultimately chose not to do so. His decision led to the urrence of a situation he found most unbearable! Suddenly, a wave of intense guilt and self-reproach washed over Shane, who abruptly punched the wall beside him. His knuckles hit with such force that they instantly broke the skin, causing blood to gush forth. Even though his hand was so badly injured that it was violently trembling, he seemed to feel no pain. His eyes zing red, as if ready to obliterate everything in sight. I will not let Sean off so easily. I must end this life. ¡°Mr. Shane, your hand...¡± Lina noticed the man''s hand was bleeding. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief, intending to bandage it for him. Chapter 1773 Chapter 1773 Chapter 1773 Ready For Battle However, Shane declined her help. Just then, his phone rang again. With his hand covered in fresh blood, Shane took out his phone from his pocket and put it to his ear. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Shane. I''ve checked the security footage from the clubhouse. Indeed, I saw Sean carrying Mrs. Thompson away,¡± the person reported. ¡°Keep investigating. Get in touch with the police and retrieve all the surveince footage of Sean''s departure. Track down his escape route!¡± Shanemanded with a stern expression. His subordinate responded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Also, inform Stanley to get to the clubhouse immediately. I want you to gather everyone and make sure Sean has nowhere to hide.¡± Shane tightened his grip on the phone as he spoke in an icy voice. Upon hearing this, Lina started trembling uncontrobly. Is this how a big shot operates? A single sentence was enough to make her feel as if she was in living hell. How terrifying! After ending the call, Shane put down his phone and looked at Lina across from him. ¡°You''ll have to go on stage to ept the award by yourself today. I''ll inform the organizers that Natalie suddenly fell ill and had to leave early. So, you''ll have to ept her honor on her behalf. Also, I''m leaving the media matters to you.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane,¡± Lina patted her chest confidently and continued, ¡°I will handle it well. No one will know what happened to Nat.¡± Shane gave a grunt. ¡°After the award ceremony, leave with the bodyguard I''ve left behind. Don''t wander off. If anything happens, I won''t be to me.¡± Although Lina was not involved in his grudge against Sean, she had been working closely with them. It''s hard to ensure that Sean won''t implicate her. Hence, he was determined to protect her as well. Nevertheless, if she chose to be disobedient and cause trouble, it was none of his business if she suffered. Lina understood why Shane would say such a thing. She quickly patted her chest and assured him, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Shane, I will follow your arrangements. I absolutely won''t cause any trouble for you; you can focus on saving Nat.¡± ¡°That''s good.¡± With that, Shane immediately turned around and left. Half an hourter, over a dozen security vehicles gathered in a quiet street. The doors of the vehicles opened in unison, and dozens of people stepped out from the vehicle. Each of these individuals was d in their battle attire and fully equipped with weapons, giving the impression that they were about to step onto the battlefield. They exuded an overwhelming aura of might, ready for any challenge that came their way. Indeed, their destination was an actual battlefield, where they would engage in a fight to the death with Sean''s men. ¡°Shane, what''s going on?¡± A man dressed in a whiteb coat with arge medical box emerged from the crowd. He approached Shane with a grim expression. ¡°How did Sean appear at the clubhouse and take Natalie away? Didn''t you arrange for bodyguards to station at the clubhouse? How could Sean''s men infiltrate so easily?¡± Shane lowered his eyes and sighed. ¡°It''s my oversight.¡± He didn''t expect Sean tounch a surprise attack that day. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. So, it wasn''t anyone''s fault that Natalie was taken away by Sean. The only one to me was himself. Seeing Shane''s guilty expression, Stanley couldn''t help but feel frustrated. ¡°Enough! What''s the use of saying all this now? Natalie has already been taken away. The most urgent thing now is to rescue her as soon as possible. We must save her before Sean does any harm. Don''t forget, the reason why Sean asked me toe and help you is because he wants to hurt Natalie. He believes that this will affect you deeply.¡± Shane clenched his fist and made a cracking sound. ¡°Don''t worry, I won''t let Sean seed.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Stanley responded coldly, then nced at the people around him. His grim expression eased slightly. With so many people and so much equipment, we should be able to defeat Sean, right? Chapter 1774 Chapter 1774 Chapter 1774 Lismar Summit Stanley was deep in thought. At that moment, a bodyguard approached. ¡°Mr. Thompson, this is the entire route that Sean took when he left with Mrs. Thompson. ording to the surveince camera, Sean and his people have stopped moving and seem to be waiting at a certain location, possibly for a transfer.¡± ¡°Stopped moving?¡± Shane grabbed the tablet from the bodyguard''s hand and began to check the route map. Stanley was also beside him, checking the footage together. Seeing where Sean had currently stopped, Stanley was struck dumb. ¡°Oh, it''s there.¡± ¡°Do you know where is it?¡± Shane immediately looked at him. Stanley nodded. ¡°Yes. Lismar Summit is a famous mountain in the country. A wildfire urred there in the past decade, almostpletely destroying the mountain. As a result, the overall ecology of the mountain hasn''t recovered much. Moreover, the terrain of the mountain is so unique that even helicopters might not be able to reach it. Therefore, it''s impossible for Sean to make the transfer at Lismar Summit.¡± Upon hearing that, Shane immediately shifted his gaze to his bodyguard. Upon catching his knowing nce, the bodyguard immediately started searching on the tablet. About two minutester, the bodyguard looked at Stanley in surprise and said to Shane, ¡°Mr. Thompson, what Dr. Quinn said is true. The terrain of Lismar Summit is unique, making it difficult for helicopters to reach. This is why it''s hard to transport saplings for artificial restoration. And this is why the recovery of the ecosystem on Lismar Summit has been so slow since the authorities could only let nature take its course. Otherwise, it would have been almost restored by now.¡± ¡°In other words, Sean did not go there for a transfer. As for the actual reason, you''ll have to find it out yourself,¡± Stanley added while adjusting his sses. Shane slightly lowered his eyelids as if he was pondering something. After a moment of contemtion, he spoke in a deep voice. ¡°Sean is waiting for me. He has chosen Lismar Summit as the battleground.¡± Stanley was taken aback by his words. ¡°What? Are you saying that Sean has no intention of escaping with Natalie, but instead, wants to have a fight to the death with you on Lismar Summit?¡± Shane nodded in response. ¡°Isn''t it obvious? From the moment he sent me the challenge letter, he never intended to y a game of cat and mouse with me forever. Sooner orter, we''ll need to have a face-off. If he keeps appearing and disappearing, how can we have the duel?¡± Stanley nodded. ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°Secondly, Sean is not a fool. If he really wanted to elope with Natalie and avoid being caught by me, he would have destroyed the surveince cameras along the way before he showed up at the club so that we would be able to track his escape route.¡± ¡°So what you''re saying is, Sean deliberately revealed his whereabouts to lure you to Lismar Summit, intending to have a fight to the death with you there?¡± Stanley looked at him. ¡°That''s right,¡± Shane responded with a hum. ¡°It seems there will be an ambush on Lismar Summit,¡± Stanley added. Shane''s face turned gloomy as he said, ¡°If Sean hadn''t kidnapped the person I care about, I definitely wouldn''t have gone. Sean knew that well. He knew I wouldn''t walk into a trap just like that. That''s why he took Natalie away. Only in this way could he ensure that I would definitely go.¡± Everyone knew that Natalie was his weak spot, so it was not surprising that Sean would take advantage of that. Even though Sean has already set up all kinds of traps and ambushes, Shane would still go for the sake of Natalie. ¡°When do we set off?¡± Stanley asked directly, not inquiring about anything else. Shane nced at him. ¡°Now.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. He was unwilling to dy rescuing the love of his life. ¡°It''s fine to set off now, but I have a suggestion,¡± said Stanley, the light reflecting off his sses as he spoke. Shane looked at him, waiting to hear what he would say next. Stanley narrowed his eyes. ¡°Although we can''t directly reach the top of Lismar Summit by helicopter, we can still get to the foot of the mountain. You could send a vanguard team first to investigate whether Sean has set up any ambushes on the way up the mountain. If there are any, the vanguard can dismantle them. This way, when we arriveter, our path will be unobstructed. Wouldn''t this speed up our progress?¡± Chapter 1775 Chapter 1775 Chapter 1775 Stay With The Three Children As soon as Stanley finished speaking, Shane fell silent, agreeing to his suggestion. He then instructed the security, ¡°Follow Dr. Quinn''s orders. Additionally, arrange for a skilled sniper to set off alone discreetly and climb up the mountain from the cliff.¡± ¡°So, you''re nning a surprise attack?¡± Stanley immediately understood Shane''s intentions. Shane spoke in an emotionless tone. ¡°Wouldn''t it be better to kill someone directly if given the chance?¡± Sean wanted to duel with him, but all he wanted was to defeat Sean in the quickest way possible. He did not have that much spare time to engage in a tit-for-tat battle with Sean. That would just be a waste of time. ¡°As usual, you''re straightforward in your actions. But have you reported this to the authorities? I''m afraid you might have a hard time dealing with them if Sean loses his life due to your actions,¡± Stanley reminded him. ¡°You don''t need to remind me. Now, get in the car!¡± Shane, not wanting to waste any more time arguing with Stanley, strode toward the car at the front. Stanley shrugged his shoulders, quickening his pace to catch up with him. No one spoke throughout the journey, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it sent chills down the spine. It was only when Ss'' call came through that the heavy atmosphere lightened. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I heard from the subordinates that Sean took Mrs. Thompson away. Is that true?¡± Ss asked anxiously. Shane did not respond to his question, but his silence spoke volumes. Ss stomped his foot in frustration. ¡°D*mn it! Why did he choose to act now? Luckily, we took Mr. Anders away this morning. I can''t imagine what would happen if Sean had targeted him!¡± Anders was still a baby, frail in health. If Sean were to make a move against him, there would be no escape for him. Shane did not react to Ss'' words, but he was thankful that they took Anders away this morning. That was the only thing that brought him relief. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I''ming over to provide additional assistance,¡± Ss added. Shane shook his head. ¡°You don''t need toe over. I know where Sean is, and he''s waiting for me. He wants to settle our grudges tonight. Even if youe now, it''ll be toote. Stay there and protect the kids. After all, we have no idea if Sean knows where I''ve hidden the children. What if he sends someone over? I need someone to take charge there, and I know I can count on you.¡± Upon hearing Shane''s words, Ss immediately calmed down and nodded. ¡°Got it, Mr. Thompson. I''ll do my best to protect the kids. Rest assured, I won''t let you down.¡± ¡°I have faith in you.¡± Shane nodded. Ss then said, ¡°Mr. Thompson, please take care of yourself. Make sure to return safely with Mrs. Thompson.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Shane responded with a hum. He then thought for a moment before adding, ¡°By the way, don''t tell Connor anything about this. That kid may be smart, but he''s also impulsive. If he heard anything about it, he might try to sneak over here. Don''t underestimate him because of his age. He''s capable of doing it.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Thompson, I''m aware of that, and that''s why I didn''t tell Mr. Connor about it,¡± Ss replied. ¡°Good.¡± Shane finally feltpletely at ease after saying those words. After Shane ended the call, Stanley watched him put down the phone. ¡°Everything that needed to be arranged is now in ce. You can now focus on dealing with Sean.¡± Shane kept mum. Seeing his gloomy face and the silence that followed, Stanley simply chose to keep quiet as well. Before long, they arrived at Lismar Summit. Shane stepped out of the car and stood at the foot of the mountain while looking up at the summit. The mountain, once ravaged by fire, was already bare and dark. Now, under the night sky, it appeared even more ominous. The wind blew, carrying with it eerie sounds as if the ce was haunted. A bodyguard approached Shane from behind, informing him about the current situation on the mountain. The vanguard team that was previously dispatched suffered a significant ambush and attack, with more than half of them getting injured. Chapter 1776 Chapter 1776 Chapter 1776 All Within His Control Since Sean had ascended the mountain before them and had everything prepared in advance, their journey up the mountain was naturally fraught with danger. Watching the injured being carried away, Shane''s gaze grew heavy. He left a message for the hospital to double thepensation, then headed toward the mountain path ahead of the others. Even though the mountain was fraught with danger, he had to go. His wife was still there, waiting for him to rescue her. Stanley didn''t waste any time, either. He quickly followed Shane. Indeed, the path up the mountain was fraught with danger. Even though the advance team had already eliminated many threats, numerous perils were still awaiting them. The variety of traps and weapons was staggering and clearly designed with lethal intent. In some ces, even bombs had been buried. And then, among these dozens of people, one stepped on a bomb. Instantly, the bomb exploded, and there was fire everywhere, and screams filled the air. If it weren''t for the many people protecting Shane and Stanley in the crowd, they would have been injured in the st, even if they didn''t die. Watching as the people on the outskirts were sted to the ground, their fate unknown, Stanley picked himself up from the ground, wiping the dirt from his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot as he said, ¡°I didn''t expect that madman, Sean, to have such military equipment.¡± Shane also stood up from his side. Despite his face being dirty and disheveled, his expression was extremely calm. He wasn''t surprised at all that Sean had nted a bomb. He casually said, ¡°Don''t forget, Sean used to be part of that organization.¡± At Shane''s reminder, Stanley instantly understood, and his face turned pale. After all, for him, that organization was something he deeply detested. His parents were in the hands of a high-ranking official in that organization. Even though he had already killed the high-ranking official, avenging his parents, his hatred for that organization would never fade away. ¡°I''ve heard that after the organization was exposed, it was jointly eradicated by countries all over the world, and now it haspletely disappeared,¡± Stanley said, looking at Shane. Shane gave a nod. ¡°However, during the inventory count of the weapons and equipment of this organization, it was found that some equipment was missing. As for how it disappeared, it has not been rified to this day, and there is no record in the ount books of who took it away.¡± ¡°So you''re saying, Sean is the one who took it?¡± ¡°Otherwise, where did the bomb just nowe from?¡± Shane retorted with a question. Stanley was at a loss for words. Shane continued to ascend the mountain, leading those who were either unharmed or only slightly injured. As for those who were seriously injured or had already passed away, they would be left where they were. Someone woulde to make the necessary arrangements. At this moment, inside a military tent on the mountain top, Natalie was tied up by Sean, sitting helplessly in a chair, unable to move. Of course, nothing was stuffed into her mouth. Only her hands and feet were bound. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. So, she could still speak. Sean was sitting next to her, with aputer in front of him. On the screen, it was ying the entire journey of Shane leading people up the mountain. Sean watched intently as Shane navigated through various dangers, seeing the people around Shane gradually decrease, observing as Shane''s clothes progressively deteriorated, his face became increasingly dirty, and his injuries multiplied. Natalie felt as if her heart was being ruthlessly carved out with a knife. The pain was so intense that she couldn''t breathe. Tears fell heavily from her eyes. ¡°Sean, you lunatic! You''ve actually set so many traps, causing so many deaths!¡± Natalie, with eyes red with rage, yelled at Shane. Sean sat next to her, his arms folded, roaring withughter at her admonishment. ¡°So what? Shane''s subordinates are all living on the edge of the knife. They came willingly, prepared to risk their lives. So, a few deaths are nothing to bemented.¡± Natalie could hardly believe her own ears. Such cold-blooded words sent chills down her spine. Chapter 1777 Chapter 1777 Chapter 1777 To The Rescue Shane reached out his hand toward her back, resting it on the back of the chair behind her. ¡°Nat, do you think Shane will be able toe to us smoothly?¡± he asked. Natalie stared at him intently. ¡°Of course, I believe in him. He can definitely do it!¡± Shaneughed again. ¡°Perhaps, after he arrives, he might be missing an arm or a leg?¡± These words immediately caused Natalie''s face to drastically change. ¡°You''ve buried a bomb?¡± Shane gave a lightugh. ¡°Who knows?¡± He shrugged his shoulders, then lowered his eyelids, falling silent. No one knew what he was thinking. But Natalie believed his demeanor was indeed an admission that he had a bomb hidden. Perhaps, it''s not just bombs, but also guns? In that case, wouldn''t Shane be... The thought of that possibility sent a chill through Natalie''s entire body, leaving her stunned and her mind aplete nk. But now she was tied up, unable to do anything but stare helplessly at theputer screen in front of her. The only thing she could do was to pray fervently, hoping for Shane and his group to arrive safely. But clearly, the heavens did not hear Natalie''s prayers. Perhaps they heard it, but chose to ignore it. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The number of people standing with Shane was dwindling. One after another, they fell. The injuries on Shane''s body were increasing. Even though his face was covered in grime and chaos, Natalie could still see hisplexion gradually turning pale. That was a sign of excessive blood loss. But even so, Shane did not give up and continued to move forward. Upon seeing this, Natalie couldn''t bear to continue watching. She turned her head away, tears continuously falling. Yet she made no sound of crying. Seeing her like this, Sean''s eyes flickered. Suddenly, he asked, ¡°Nat, if I were to die, would you cry for me like you are now?¡± Natalie lifted her head, her eyes filled with hatred as she looked at him. ¡°Never. If you die, I would only laugh, not cry!¡± How could this person be so wicked, resorting to any means necessary to achieve his goals? How could I possibly cry for such a person? Moreover, this person had repeatedly hurt her and Shane. She wished Sean would die sooner. Upon hearing Natalie''s words, a hint of self-mockery shed in Shane''s eyes. ¡°Is that so... I thought that ourst meeting might change your impression of me a bit. I didn''t expect that in your heart, I''m so unworthy, so unworthy that you wish I were dead.¡± Thest time we meet? What does he mean? Natalie''s crying abruptly halted, then she lifted her head to look at him. Her red lips moved slightly, about to ask what was really going on. Suddenly, the tent p was hastily thrown open, and a person rushed in, panting, ¡°Mr. Thompson, we''ve got trouble. Shane and his people are here.¡± Upon hearing this, Natalie''s eyes immediately widened. Her surprise was unmistakable in her gaze. She was so excited that her body began to tremble slightly. ¡°Shane is here, this is great. This is great. I knew it! I knew it!¡± He will surely be able to seed. I just don''t know what his situation is right now. Just as she turned her head away from theputer, Shane had already shut it down, so she didn''t see what was on the screen afterward. I hope everything is alright with Shane. Natalie was feeling uneasy inside. Shane had been watching her all along, observing her emotions shift from joy to worry. His gaze flickered slightly, but he didn''t say anything. Instead, he simply instructed the person who had just entered, ¡°Is that so? Then let''s proceed as nned.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The person who entered responded, then turned around and left. Natalie looked at him. ¡°Shane, what are you trying to do?¡± Shane paid her no mind. Instead, he opened a drawer and pulled out an extremely beautiful box. He opened the box and took out a ne, then walked toward Natalie. Seeing the situation, Natalie instinctively wanted to dodge, but she was tied to a chair and couldn''t escape. All she could do was watch wide-eyed as Shane approached her. Shane paused for a moment in front of her, gently touched her face, then suddenly moved behind her to put a ne on her. ¡°This is thest gift I''m giving you. I designed it myself, you know. Please cherish it, Nat. After all, this is the only piece in the whole world.¡± Chapter 1778 Chapter 1778 Chapter 1778 Gunfight Natalie lowered her head to look at the ne around her neck, her eyes filled with disgust. ¡°Who wants your ne, Sean? Take it off, just take it off now!¡± Sean acted as if he hadn''t heard a thing, simply raising a finger at her. ¡°Shh, Nat, listen. It''s really lively outside.¡± Outside, the sound of gunshots and screams of terror could be heard incessantly. Despite being unable to see what was going on outside, Natalie could still vividly imagine that it was a living hell outside. It was a fierce gun battle! The n that Sean just proposed to that person was surprisingly to have a gunfight with Shane and his men. What about Shane? How is he doing now? Did he get shot? Natalie was extremely anxious inside, but there was nothing she could do. ¡°You''ve lost it, Sean, you''ve truly lost it!¡± Natalie yelled at Sean, her face as pale as a sheet. ¡°There are your people out there too, yet you''re so ruthlessly insane! You''re not even sparing your own people.¡± She was certain that there were definitely people dying outside right now. Agony-filled screams and endless gunshots were chilling to the bone, striking fear into her heart. Right now, what she worried the most about was Shane''s safety. I wonder if he''s actually all right now. Listening to Natalie''s usations, Sean''s smile remained unchanged. ¡°So what if they are my people? They take my money, follow my orders, work for me, and even risk their lives for me. Isn''t that what they should do? Besides, they are well aware of the risks. They know they could lose their lives. But as long as their families are provided for after their death, they would be smiling down from the heavens.¡± ¡°You...¡± Natalie was left speechless by his quick-witted response. Sean gently touched her face. ¡°Nat, what do you think has happened to Shane now? Has he been shot? Is he alive, or is he dead?¡± The mention of death immediately gave Natalie a great shock. Her eyes turned blood red as she stared at him! ¡°Shut your mouth! Don''t you dare say that word! Shane won''t die, he will be perfectly safe and sound!¡± ¡°It''s hard to say. With the fierce battle outside, stray bullets don''t have eyes. He might already be dead.¡± Sean''s pensive tone was terrifying and eerie. Natalie was trembling with rage as she stared at him intently. Shane covered her eyes with his hand, ¡°Nat, I don''t like you looking at me like this. Since we''re seeing each other for thest time, shouldn''t you be a little kinder to me? You''re really breaking my heart.¡± Natalie vigorously shook her head, trying to shake off the hand covering her eyes. However, Sean covered her eyes tightly, making it impossible for her to break free. Sean looked at Natalie, his eyes shing with a myriad of emotions. There was love, reluctance, and relief. In the end, he leaned over immediately, cing a kiss on the back of his own hand. Of course, what he truly desired to kiss were her eyes. But Sean knew that if he were to do so, Natalie would definitely not like it. This would be thest time he''d see her, and he didn''t want to leave her with a bad impression. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Just then, the sounds of gunshots outside suddenly ceased, and everything became quiet all at once. It seemed like the gunfight was over. Immediately after, the tent curtain was pulled open once again. The person who came in just now to report the situation returned. However, his body was covered entirely in blood, and his shoulder particrly had a bleeding hole. Fresh blood was continuously gushing out of it. The injury was caused by a gunshot. When that person walked into the tent, he was shivering intensely,pletely in a state of despair. He looked at Sean, tears of despair streaming down his face. ¡°Mr. Thompson, I... W-We''ve lost all our men.¡± His words implied that apart from him and Sean, everyone else was dead. Upon hearing those words, Natalie felt a chill run through her body. She quickly asked, ¡°Where is Shane? Where is my husband? Is he alright?¡± Despite knowing the enemy might not tell her, she still wanted to ask them. She really wanted to find out how Shane was doing at the moment. Sure enough, the person who came in only nced at her and had no intention of responding to her question. Chapter 1779 Chapter 1779 Chapter 1779 The Showdown Taking his hand off Natalie''s eyes, Sean bent down to remove the rope bound to her body from the chair. With this, Natalie could finally free herself from the chair. She could stand up from the chair, no longer tied to it. Subsequently, Sean bent down again to untie the rope bound around her ankle. She lowered her head to observe his movements and asked warily, ¡°What are you up to, Sean?¡± Is he nning to let me go? How can this be possible! The only answer was for him to take her away so that he could threaten Shane. Sean stared at Natalie for a while and then shed her a smile after remembering her appearance. It was no longer the mischievous and unsettling smirk, as if he was plotting something. Instead, the smile was a genuine one from Sean, free from any ill intentions orplicated emotions. Natalie was somewhat taken aback by what she saw for a moment. She had seen many expressions on Sean''s face, each one of them unsettling, making her feel ufortable. But this time, seeing Sean''s pure and earnest smile, she found herself unexpectedly unustomed to it for a moment. In particr, she had no idea why he was smiling like that. It was as if there was some special meaning behind his smile. Before she even had the chance to ask, Sean had already wiped the smile off his face, instantly bing fierce and ruthless. He drew a gun from his waist, cocked the safety, and pointed it directly at Natalie''s temple. At that moment, Natalie felt her mind go nk. The cold sensation of the gun muzzle felt like the Grim Reaper''s scythe, causing her to freeze in terror. She never imagined that Sean would change his expression so quickly. One moment, he wasughing, and hisughter was so pure and innocent. The next moment, he transformed into a menacing figure, brandishing a gun at her, threatening her life. A person like him was indeed an evil monster. Looking at Natalie''s pale face, a flicker of guilt shed through Sean''s eyes, but it quickly disappeared, returning to his fierce demeanor. ¡°Nat, don''t me me. You''ve heard what he said, right? All my men were killed by Shane. Now, it''s just him and me left. In order to turn the tables, I have no choice but to use you against Shane. Come with me!¡± After he finished speaking, he grabbed Natalie and pressed the gun''s muzzle against her temple before stepping outside the tent. Meanwhile, Shane''s men had already eliminated all of Sean''s men outside. Although Sean''s people werepletely wiped out, Shane''s side had only a few men left. At that moment, the remaining few searched every tent, looking for the whereabouts of Sean and Natalie. ¡°Mr. Thompson, are you sure Sean is here?¡± While this was happening, Stanley was bandaging Shane''s wounds. As he tended to Shane''s injury, Stanley added, ¡°We''ve been fighting for so long, but Sean didn''t show up at all. Perhaps he hasn''t been here all along. This ce could just be somewhere he left behind...¡± Before he could finish his words, he saw Shane''s face suddenly change dramatically before abruptly standing up from the rock. What''s going on? Taken aback by Shane''s reaction, Stanley then turned his head to follow Shane''s gaze. He then saw Sean arriving with Natalie. After noticing Natalie with her head against the gun''s muzzle, Shane''s intent to kill Sean had reached its absolute peak. With a fierce re, he looked at Sean, ¡°You''re courting death!¡± Sean looked at Shane''s murderous intent toward him. Not only was he not afraid, but he even started tough at him. ¡°Shane, you shouldn''t have said those words. With Natalie as my guaranteed victory leverage in hand, it is still uncertain who will live and who will die.¡± ¡°Don''t you dare use me to threaten my husband!¡± Natalie shouted, her voice filled with hatred. Just when those words left her mouth, Sean hit her shoulder with his elbow, warning her fiercely, ¡°Don''t move, or don''t me me for losing control!¡± Natalie''s pupils contracted, and she dared not to move recklessly in an instant. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. When Shane saw her like this, he felt as if his heart had been ripped out. He clenched his fists tightly as he stared intently at Sean. ¡°Let her go. This grudge is between you and me. Is this your magnanimity, Sean, to involve a woman in this?¡± Chapter 1780 Chapter 1780 Chapter 1780 Do Not Touch Her Stanley did not speak. Instead, his gaze was fixed intently on Natalie. He scrutinized her from head to toe, checking to see if she had any injuries. After seeing she was not hurt, he stood behind Shane and lowered his voice. ¡°Natalie seems to be fine. Sean probably just tied her up and didn''t do anything else.¡± Upon hearing that Natalie was unharmed, the worry in Shane''s heart finally eased slightly, albeit momentarily. After all, Natalie was still being held at gunpoint. His first instinct was to immediately rush forward and kill Sean or get his armed bodyguards to shoot him when he saw how his beloved was treated. However, he dared not act recklessly, fearful that Sean would retaliate first and kill Natalie. If that were to happen, he would be the one who caused the death of his lover. Therefore, he did not dare to take any risk and gamble. Seanughed when he heard Shane''s sarcasm. ¡°Magnanimity? Shane, this word isn''t appropriate for use here. Compared to my life, what value does magnanimity have? Besides, I never care about honor. If I can achieve my goals in the best way possible, why won''t I do it? So, are you asking me to let Natalie go and seek my death?¡± Shane fell silent. Just then, Stanley spoke up. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Sean looked at him. ¡°So you really dide.¡± ¡°Of course, I have toe. Natalie''s my friend, and you''re using her life to threaten me. I''m not the type to ignore a friend in danger.¡± Stanley adjusted his sses and said calmly. Sean sighed, then lowered his head to look at Natalie. ¡°Nat, so many men worry and care about you. You must be very touched, aren''t you?¡± Natalie looked at him from behind. ¡°Of course. This shows that I''m well-liked. Unlike you, who ended up being a scum condemned by all.¡± ¡°Nattie, don''t provoke him,¡± Shane quickly warned. He was worried Natalie''s provocation would infuriate Sean and cause him to pull the trigger. Watching how Shane acted so anxiously about Natalie''s safety, Sean suddenly burst into manic laughter. ¡°Shane, you''re truly smitten with her. Indeed, you wouldn''t have riskeding here if you didn''t love her. So, you must be scared that I might lose control and take her life, right?¡± Shane''s gaze was fixed on the gun in Sean''s hand. His thin lips pressed tightly, and he did not utter a word. Sean added. ¡°If you want to save her, you can. But first, tell your men to put down their weapons.¡± ¡°No!¡± Natalie immediately eximed. Enraged, Sean hit her on the temple with the gun. The next second, there was a buzzing feeling in Natalie''s head, and she almost passed out. ¡°You have no right to speak here!¡± Sean coldly warned Natalie with a re. Upon seeing Natalie being hit, Shane almost lost control and wanted to order his men to shoot Sean. Fortunately, he forcefully regained his sanity, avoiding a move he would regret for the rest of his life. But he would forever remember that scene - Sean hit his woman. ¡°Sean, don''t touch her,¡± Shane roared in a low voice. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Sean looked at his agitated expression and could not help but smirk. ¡°What''s the matter? Feeling heartbroken? Well, it''s understandable. You love her so much; seeing her get hit must have hurt you. That''s great. Because when your heart aches, only then will you do anything for her.¡± ¡°So, what do you want me to do?¡± Shane waved, signaling the bodyguards behind him to put down their guns. It was disadvantageous for him to disarm his bodyguards now. But to prevent Sean from hurting Natalie, he had no choice but to do so. However, when Shane waved his hand, his thumb quickly pressed downward. Chapter 1781 Chapter 1781 Chapter 1781 Sacrifice Yourself Those who saw the signal understood the meaning. Stanley began to advance quietly toward Shane. Using Shane''s body as a cover, he suddenly pulled out a small shlight and shone it toward the forest in the near distance. In order not to let Sean discover him, he merely shone once and hurriedly turned it off. But he believed the snipers hiding in the forest would have seen his location and quickly set up their rifles. What they need to do now, was to buy some time. ¡°Ahem.¡± Afterpleting his task, Stanley pretended to feel unwell and started coughing. When Shane heard that, his eyes flickered, and he lowered his waving hand. ¡°You asked me to have them put down their guns, and I''ve done as you asked. Now tell me, what more do you want before you''re willing to release my wife?¡± Shane nced at Natalie before switching his gaze to Sean. Sean shot a nce to the only man behind him. The man looked at him, then nodded, pulling a gun from his pocket. Upon seeing the gun, Shane''s men almost wanted to draw their guns again. Shane reacted quickly and gestured for them to put away their guns. ¡°Catch!¡± The man holding the gun shouted at Shane and suddenly threw the gun toward him. Shane instinctively caught it. ¡°What''re you trying to do?¡± ¡°The idea is simple; our duel is a matter of life and death. I know I won''t survive today, but at the same time, I''m not willing to die alone. So, I want you to apany me. If you kill yourself, I will spare Natalie''s life. How about that?¡± Sean said with a sinister smile. Everyone''s expression changed when they heard Sean''s proposal. Clearly, no one expected Sean''s real intention was to force Shane into a corner. For a moment, everyone turned to look at Shane, eager to know his answer. Shane remained silent. He looked at Natalie while holding the gun. Natalie''s eyes reddened and filled with tears. She shook her head incessantly. ¡°Shane, you absolutely can''t agree to this. No matter what, you can''t. Do you hear me? If you do, I will hate you!¡± She would not let Shane trade his life for hers. Even if she managed to survive, she would not have the will to live. Thinking about that, an emotionally charged Natalie yelled at Sean, ¡°Don''t think about using me to threaten him. I''m telling you, your n won''t seed. I''d rather die than let him sacrifice.¡± After which she shouted at Shane, ¡°Shane, did you hear me? You cannot agree to his madness. This is my stance, so don''t care about me and shoot him. Did you hear me? Shoot him!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Shane growled at her angrily. ¡°I won''t fire the gun. I came here to rescue you. If I failed and killed you instead, do you still think I''m a man?¡± Natalie''s lips parted slightly, but she said nothing. Instead,rge teardrops began to roll down her face.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sean looked at them. ¡°So Shane, you''re not willing to take your life, huh?¡± Right then, he turned to look at Natalie. ¡°Nat, did you see that? This man constantly professes his love for you, but in the end, he''s not even willing to die for you. Does he truly love you?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± Natalie roared in despair, ¡°Shane loves me. It''s me who doesn''t allow him to do so. You''ve no right to question our feelings for each other.¡± ¡°Am I questioning, or am I telling the truth?¡± Sean scoffed, then turned to Shane again. ¡°Shane, I''ll ask you one more time. Are you going to pull the trigger or not? If you don''t, don''t me me for firing it. After all, I''m not going to survive. It''ll be a good idea to take Nat together with me. You know, I love her too. Maybe we can be together in theherworld.¡± Chapter 1782 Chapter 1782 Chapter 1782 You Deserved It Sean chuckled lowly. ¡°Shameless!¡± Natalie spat through clenched teeth, her eyes bloodshot. ¡°Even if I die, I will never be with you.¡± ¡°That''s fine. That''lleter. No one knows what will happen in the future, anyway. Perhaps you might fall for me if we spend enough time together?¡± Sean burst into a maniacalugh. Natalie coldly responded, ¡°Dream on! That will never happen!¡± ¡°How about we give it a try then?¡± Sean suddenly uncocked the gun. That sound immediately sent everyone present into a panic. Shane''s pupils constricted, and his face sank drastically. ¡°Sean, how dare you do that!¡± Sean looked up at him. ¡°Why wouldn''t I dare? Shane, you''re always one step ahead of me since young. I''m the eldest grandson of the third generation of the Thompson family, but why am I always being overshadowed by you? Why do you always have more than I do in every aspect? You got our parents'' love, Grandpa''s favor, and now, you even snatched the woman I love. This world is truly too unfair.¡± ¡°So, you hated Shane so much because you''re jealous?¡± Natalie mocked. Sean snorted. ¡°Exactly. We''re both descendants of the Thompson family, but why do I have to be inferior to him?¡± ¡°So what? Does that mean he deserves to die?¡± Natalie angrily questioned. ¡°Everyone is born different, which means everyone will lead a different future. It''s not Shane''s fault that you were born into a family that doesn''t love you. How can you me him for everything? He isn''t the cause of your misfortunes. You have no right to me him, much less get jealous of him. You''re the worse of the whole lot. Even if no one likes you, don''t you know how to love yourself and fight for your interests? Sadly, you''ve never done that. All you know is to push the me on others, especially Shane. I can only say that you deserve it fornding yourself in this predicament!¡± Natalie''s words were undeniably piercing to the heart. The corners of Shane''s eyes twitched. He wanted to ask her to stop talking and stop provoking Sean as he was worried thetter would shoot her. However, Stanley stopped him. Shaking his head, the former shot him a look, informing him that the sniper had responded and was ready to shoot Sean dead any time. As such, there was no harm in letting Natalie continue. Perhaps Sean might even expose his weakness after getting provoked, making it easier for the sniper to shoot him. Eventually, Shane remained silent and did not stop Natalie from speaking up. Meanwhile, a hint of confusion shed across Sean''s eyes after he heard Natalie''s words. Before long, he broke into a hystericalugh. ¡°I deserve it? So, in your perspective, you think I deserved it for landing myself in this predicament. You''re right; I should love myself and fight for myself if others don''t. I''ve never done that before, but perhaps I can still do it now. Nat, you should know I''ve always loved you. I want nothing else now except for you. How about we die together?¡± At the sight of the look of terror on Natalie''s face, Sean pulled the trigger while wearing a grin on his face. ¡°No!¡± Shane yelled at the top of his lungs as he rushed toward Natalie. Bang! A gunshot rang out. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. The next moment, a fountain of fresh blood spurted out and sshed onto Natalie''s face. Seeing how Sean kept his smile as he copsed onto the ground with a bullet shot through his head, Natalie widened her eyes and shrieked in astonishment before passing out. On the verge of losing her consciousness, she saw Shane and Stanley running toward her. Two dayster... Startling awake from a nightmare, Natalie cried aloud and sat upright immediately. Shane, who was taking a short nap by the bed, jolted awake after hearing her voice. He looked at her in surprise. ¡°Natalie, you''re finally awake.¡± Drenched in sweat, she stared at the man. She parted her lips, seemingly intending to say something, but out of fear, she hesitated. Shane pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Don''t be afraid. I''m here. Fear not.¡± Chapter 1783 Chapter 1783 Chapter 1783 The Family Of Five Shane knew what Natalie was afraid of. The scene of Sean getting killed must''ve freaked her out badly. That was why she had been falling into deep slumber intermittently for the past two days. But every time she was asleep, she would be gued by nightmares that left her muttering incessantly. That made Shane extremely worried. Perhaps because Shane''s hug was warm andforting, it did not take long to calm Natalie''s trembling body and voice. It was just that she sounded a little hoarse after not talking for two days. ¡°Is Sean dead?¡± she asked while leaning against Shane''s chest, her eyes closed. The man grunted in acknowledgment. His expression, however, revealed that he was somewhat in hesitation. Sensing it, Natalie lifted her head to look at him. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°The gun Sean threw to me, as well as the one pointed at your head, aren''t loaded.¡± ¡°What?¡± Natalie was taken aback. Shane nodded. ¡°You heard it right. While my men were cleaning up the ce after Sean got killed, they found other military equipment inside the tent where you two exited. However, there were no bullets in that two guns. There''s only one possibility; Sean didn''t mean to kill you, neither did he want me to kill myself.¡± ¡°Then, why did he¡ª¡± ¡°He doesn''t want to live anymore,¡± Shane interrupted. ¡°He deliberately arranged everything that night just to make us kill him.¡± Natalie fell silent. It was beyond her imagination that things would turn out this way. After a while, she finally parted her pale lips and muttered, ¡°He doesn''t want to live anymore... No wonder.¡± ¡°Do you know something?¡± Shane lowered his head to look at her. Natalie bit her lips. ¡°After he kidnapped me, he kept saying things along the lines of meeting me for the last time, and he also kept staring at me intently, almost as if he was trying to etch my image in his mind. He even gave me a ne. It turns out that he already has ns in mind at that time. Oh yes, where''s the ne?¡± She reached out and touched her neck, but found nothing. Shane pursed his lips slightly and uttered, ¡°I threw it away. I know it was a gift from Sean. There''s his name on it. That''s why I threw it.¡± Natalie nodded, ¡°That''s good. Even though he didn''t mean to kill us, that doesn''t mean we should forgive him. What he did in the past can never be undone. Of course, I wouldn''t want to keep his things too. Let it be. He''s already dead, and it''s all in the past. Let''s not mention him again, shall we?¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shane nodded. Well, that was what he thought too. ¡°From now on, no one can threaten us anymore. And no one will ever dare hurt you,¡± said Shane in a low voice while hugging Natalie. ¡°Yeah. We don''t have to be on our guards all the time again. We can finally live our lives freely. By the way, where''s Stanley?¡± she asked. It was the least of her to show her concern over Stanley since he had also helped save her. ¡°He''s gone back to the Rivers residence. He said he still has to earn their forgiveness and win over Joyce''s heart, so he can''t stay here longer. He wants us not to worry about him,¡± answered Shane. Natalie smiled. ¡°I see. But it probably won''t be easy for him to earn their forgiveness.¡± ¡°That''s his problem and nothing to do with us. He has to make the decisions for what he has done.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Natalie nodded. ¡°What about Lina?¡± ¡°She''s fine. She called yesterday and said she''s gone to visit Bryan. She wants you not to worry.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Comprehension dawned upon Natalie. ¡°Then what about the children?¡± Just as Shane was about to reply, the door suddenly opened. At the ward door stood Connor, Sharon, and Zaylee, who was carrying Anders. A dazzling smile instantly crept up on Natalie''s face when she saw the three kids. ¡°Mommy.¡± The moment Connor and Sharon saw Natalie awake, their eyes lit up in unison as they ran toward the bed. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Anders was awake at that point. Even though he was too young to run over like how Connor and Sharon did, he still spread his arms wide and reached them toward Natalie''s direction. It was clear he wanted to hug Natalie too. Seeing this, Shane walked over to carry Anders from Zaylee''s arms and carefully ced the boy in Natalie''s arms. Sitting on the bed, Natalie snuggled in Shane''s embrace. She had Anders in her arms while the twins stood by the bed. It was a very heartwarming scene to watch. Zaylee pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of the family of five. Following a click, thatforting image was captured on the phone screen. It was a moment full of bliss that wouldst an eternity. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!