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The next day, Noah updated Justin about his schedule. as Justin began his work in the study of his
presidential suite.
“Mr. Harper, we have a meeting with a few department heads at ten. These are trustworthy individuals who can keep your presence here confidential. At noon, Ms. Natalie Ford will be coming here to meet you. After lunch, you have a video conference meeting with…” Noah continued listing the day’s tasks, concluding with, “In the evening, you can meet with the interior designer we hired for your new home.”
Justin hummed in acknowledgment, glancing at his wristwatch, mentally calculating how long it would be until he met Natalie again. By the time it would be a lunch time so this seems to be a good opportunity to have a lunch with his step–sister while they chat.
The morning meeting stretched longer than expected. After it ended, Noah handed Justin a cup of coffee and noticed his boss checking the time. Understanding the unspoken message–Justin didn’t like to be kept
waiting–Noah quickly said, “Ms. Natalie should have
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been here half an hour ago. I’ll check where she is,” and pulled out his cellphone.
Justin sipped his coffee, his intense gaze on Noah, who nervously put the phone on speaker mode. The line rang, but no one answered. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Noah dialed Natalie’s contact number again.
This time, the call was answered after a few rings. “What do you want?” came the angry voice of a woman, catching both of them off guard. They hadn’t expected such a tone from someone who had agreed to the meeting.
Noah quickly gathered himself and responded, “Ms. Natalie, you were scheduled to meet Mr. Harper half an hour ago.”
Her voice, still angry and louder than before, cut through the air. “Tell me, is your boss my husband, Aiden Handrix? If not, don’t bother me.”
The unexpected outburst left Noah momentarily speechless. He looked at Justin who was drinking coffee quietly to know what he wanted to say,
but
Justin chose silence.
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“Ms. Natalie, Mr. Harper is not Aiden Handrix. He just wants to meet you-”
“Tell him to go to hell and never bother me again. If he’s not my husband, I have nothing to do with him.”
“Ms. Natalie, your wedding certificate-”
“Throw it away.”
“Ms. Natalie-”
Beep… Beep… Beep…
The call was abruptly cut off. Noah turned to Justin, unsure of what to do next.
“Find out where she is,” Justin ordered calmly.
“Yes, Mr. Harper,” Noah responded, quickly getting to
work.
By now, Justin had his own judgement about Natalie despite what others thought of her. He understood Natalie was straightforward person but not an
unreasonable one.
If she had agreed to meet before and now her behavior had drastically changed, something significant must have happened. Her voice wasn’t just
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angr
it was trembling, as if she was struggling with something emotional.
“Ms. Natalie is at the parking lot of the City Center Hospital, sitting inside her car alone,” Noah reported after checking with the people assigned to follow and
observe Natalie.
Justin raised an eyebrow. “Hospital?”
“She seemed to have some conflicts with her family
there,” Noah put the tablet in front of him, “Here is the video from the hospital.”
An hour earlier, Natalie was preparing to meet Justin wondering why he wanted to meet her.
‘Is he going to finally confess that he is Aiden Handrix and why he married me or is he going to tell me he had found that man?‘
Just then she received a message that her grandfather, who had been hospitalized for some time, was in
serious condition. Overcome with worry, she rushed to the hospital, driving as fast as she could.
Her grandfather Albert Ford was the only person in
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her family who had treated her with kindness and protected her after her mother’s passing. Natalie felt regretful for not visiting him sooner, while being caught up in her own troubles. How could she forget
about him?
‘Grandpa, you better be alright!
Upon reaching the hospital, she headed straight to the floor where her grandfather’s private room was located. As she entered, she noticed that the entire family was present–but the bed was empty.
“Where is Grandpa?” Natalie asked, her voice trembling with anxiety, fearing the worst.
Instead of an answer, she was met with cold, angry glares from her family members. Her grandmother, Sephina, walked toward her, her expression filled with
disdain.
“Grandma, where is-”
Slap!
The sound echoed in the room as Sephina’s hand connected with Natalie’s cheek, the heavy blow left her skin burning and the taste of blood in her mouth. Sephina had not held back, as if all her anger and
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hatred was channeled into that single moment.
“How dare you show up here after driving your grandpa to his death?” Sephina spat out, her voice laced with venom. “You’re a bad omen, just like your
mother.”
Natalie stood there, stunned, her cheek stinging from the slap and her heart aching from the accusation. She looked at the older woman in disbelief, her eyes turning teary, not because of the slap, but because even at this moment of crisis, her grandma didn’t let go of her hate towards her. What had she ever done wrong to make this woman hate her so much while she
showered Briena with love.
“Who called her here?” Sephina’s angry voice echoed through the room, breaking the silence as everyone was left shocked as well.
“Grandma, I called her,” Briena admitted, her tone gentle and apologetic, as if trying to soothe her grandmother’s anger. “I thought, as family, she should be here for Grandpa.”
It only angered Sephina more as she glared at Briena. “After what she did to you last night, you still think of
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her as family? When will you learn to stop forgiving this witch? Haven’t you learned enough lessons to stay away from her? Will it only sink in when she finally succeeds in killing you?”
Briena’s face turned sad, playing the victim once more. “She’s my sister…”
“She is not!” Sephina snapped, turning on Natalie, who still stood there, desperate to hear any news about her grandfather, not minding Sephina’s bitter words.
“Because of you and the scandals you caused, Albert went into shock. It’s all your fault that he’s fighting for his life. You despicable wretch… you…” Sephina’s voice trembled with rage.
Jay Ford quickly approached, gently holding his mother to calm her down. “Mother, don’t be angry.”
“You,” Sephina spat, glaring at Jay. “I told you not to marry her mother back then, but you insisted on marrying that wench. First Caryn, and now her daughter, are hell–bent on ruining us. If something happens to your father…”
“I’ve regretted it for a long time, Mother. I know you were right, but it was too late,” Jay said, his voice heavy
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with remorse as he tried to console his emotionally overwhelmed mother.
Natalie was stunned by her father’s words. Though she had always known Jay wasn’t a good father, hearing him speak so harshly about her mother shook her deeply. But then again, what more could she expect from a man who had kept a mistress while his wife was
still alive?
She had come here worried about her grandfather,
only to be met with blame and hatred from her family.. Despite the hurt, she stood there silently, desperate to know what had happened to the one person who had
ever shown her love.
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