The tea was scalding hot!Its searing heat burned Conrad's skin, causing an excruciating pain. Yet, Bianca's gaze remained fixed on Conrad's face."So, you know I'm the seventh lord's wife?""Lady Bianca...""Get out!"Her words were cold and laced with an underlying danger, pierced the air.Conrad was momentarily stunned!Having observed her defiance against Malcolm in the past, he knew she had a fiery temperament. But he hadn't expected her to be this ruthless. The words she said weren't something a woman from the Entes family would casually utter."Lady Bianca, even if not for yourself, think of the seventh lord...!" Conrad began."Are you still dreaming?" Bianca interrupted him sharply, her eyes fixed intently on Conrad.Conrad was stunned again.Dreaming? About what...?Bianca's mocking voice broke his thoughts without letting him ponder further. "Do you all believe the rumors? Do you really think the sixth and the seventh lord share a cordial relationship?"At th
At the dinner table, Natalie quietly sipped her soup.The taste of the soup was exquisite...!Perhaps because she had been in a bad mood that morning, Cedric had instructed the kitchen to prepare dishes she liked."Kayla, what's wrong?" Cedric furrowed his brows, noticing Kayla's gloomy demeanor.After spending such a long time with the child, he had some understanding of her eating habits.Seeing Kayla's discomfort with tonight's flavors, he urged, "Try a little!""Okay." Kayla nodded, subconsciously glancing at the still icy-cold Natalie.Without looking at them, Natalie sarcastically remarked, "Watching you all act like this is quite nauseating!"Kayla and Cedric were silent.Instantly, Cedric's expression darkened.Though their conversation that morning had made him somewhat sympathetic towards Natalie, her words in front of the child left him feeling uneasy."Some people are just good at pretending, aren't they?" Natalie's tone grew even more mocking when Cedric remaine
As the person finished speaking, danger flashed in Natalie's eyes!"Don't think that you can achieve your goals just because I'm here at Peach Garden!" Natalie hissed through gritted teeth.On the other end of the phone, seemingly unaffected by her emotions, came a calm response, "My goals are none of your concern. Focus on securing those documents."The person's voice dripped with menace.Natalie wanted to slam the phone down. But recalling his earlier words, she asked with a chilling tone, "Did you have something to do with her fever?""Why don't you take a guess?""I don't appreciate this kind of comparison!" Natalie's voice grew heavier.A faint chuckle came from the other end."Do you not like it, or are you lacking confidence?""I may not be as cunning as you, but I won't let a child be used!" Even if she harbored resentment towards Isabella, it didn't mean she could stand by and watch Kayla or any child being ruthlessly manipulated and harmed."It had nothing to do w
After a prolonged stare, Cedric finally said, "I don't need you to accept her!" "You don't need me to? Fine then, I-""Just don't think of her as Isabella's daughter."Natalie froze. The chill that ran through her was uncontrollable. Was he out of his mind?!With a loud bang, she slammed her glass onto the table and turned to head upstairs.From behind, Cedric's restrained voice echoed, "Just think of her as a pitiful child!" She was just a pitiful child.Yes, she really was one.Natalie did feel that Kayla was pitiful."She’s not pitiful because she has you!" Kayla was pitiful before she met Cedric. What part of her was pitiful after she came to Cedric's side?He treated her like a princess.Having said that, Natalie ascended the stairs. A loud 'bang' echoed from above shortly after, indicating she had slammed the door. It was obvious how angry she was.Even the most indifferent person would feel something when faced with the situation at hand. Cedric stood sti
Natalie knew precisely what Clyde was referring to. After all, even if it were any other woman, they would make a comparison to themselves after what they saw at Peach Garden!And she was no exception.Casting a brief glance at Clyde, she replied, "It's not like that.""Nat," Clyde began."You don't understand the dynamics between him and me.""And now...?""I've said it before. I'm not doing this just because of you. There are matters between him and me that need a decisive conclusion."Though Natalie deliberately avoided mentioning Clyde's past, the air around the man shifted subtly. His eyes darkened, hinting at memories he'd rather forget."Don't dwell on it." A chilling touch rested on Clyde's hand, offering comfort.He looked at her earnestly. "As long as you're unwilling, no one in this world can harm you. I hope you realize that.""I trust you," Natalie assured him.Natalie understood Clyde's sentiments. Over the years, he had climbed his way up in Wexford throug
No matter how much Natalie had once felt protected by Irwin, the realization that his kindness had ulterior motives stirred a tempest of emotions within her. It was almost like a raging flood that had overturned all her consciousness.That was how Natalie felt.Yves seemed to have been waiting in the shadows. Upon hearing Irwin's voice, he emerged from the darkness and entered the dining room. Natalie looked at Yves, but he simply nodded at Irwin.Before she could react...A cold gleam flashed, and the sound of something splurting...!Clang!A dagger was thrown onto the dining table, gleaming ominously among the dishes. Meanwhile, a trickle of blood stained Yves' hand, painting a vivid pattern on the marble floor.It was a shocking sight.Natalie was stunned. She couldn't react as she stared at Irwin silently.Irwin casually raised his wine glass to take a sip, his eyes never leaving hers. But his words were directed at Yves, "Well?""I apologize," Yves murmured with
As Irwin had said, all the injuries Cedric inflicted upon her were undeniably real. But in Natalie's eyes, Irwin's schemes were even more terrifying than Cedric's."Let go of me." She struggled to break free from his grasp, but Irwin's grip around her slender waist only tightened further.She was delicate.The more she struggled, the tighter he held her, rendering her motionless. His deep voice rumbled above her, "Did you get the file?"Natalie was silent, and her heart grew colder!All her struggles ceased at his words."How much do you really know about Cly?" she asked."No matter how much, it's just some files. Rest assured... I'll help you destroy the ones in Cedric's hands. After that, no one will threaten you again."Hah!Was he joking?No one would threaten her again?Yet, here he was, doing exactly that.Eventually, Irwin released her.When Natalie left, Irwin personally escorted her to her car. Just as the car door closed, he whispered, "Nat, if I wanted you t
Cedric stared at the Natalie before him, feeling as if she had become a complete stranger. It was as if she no longer cared about anything at all.Once, she had cared for nothing but him.But what about now?"Then what matters to you? The child you have with Caleb?" Yes, Caleb's child. Witnessing her tenderness and affection for the child, no one would believe she was indifferent.Natalie looked at him, her eyes shimmering with cold light."And what matters to you?" she retorted."You...""Once it was Isabella, now it's Isabella's daughter! I'm no longer the most important person to you. Do you still harbor the illusion that you can occupy that special place in my heart as you once did in the past?"The air turned still, a chilling silence enveloping them.In the past...!Now, memories of the past felt suffocating. In those seven years, they had been inseparable. Yet, who could have foreseen the rift that would come after marriage?Indeed, the heart has two chamber