"You...!""You wouldn't dare," Irwin countered Cedric easily."Bring her back!" Cedric practically hissed each word through gritted teeth.However, the only response was the abrupt beep of the call ending.Irwin had hung up.The tension in the study, already palpable, reached an unbearable peak. Despite puffing on several cigarettes in quick succession, Cedric couldn't quell the storm raging within him.Lucas was standing nearby, and he sensed the brewing storm. "What now?" he asked hesitantly. The quietness of the study made even the faint sounds from the phone call audible.If it was about how the relationship between them had fallen apart, it had happened a long time ago. But this time... it was completely shattered.Whether it was about the documents or the individual involved, everything had come crashing down between them.Rubbing his throbbing temples, Cedric muttered, "We must find Natalie as soon as possible." The tone in his voice was tinged with regret. He h
Natalie shook her head. "It's not that cold!"Everything Irwin had prepared was top-notch. Though she looked a little puffy and resembled an actual penguin, Natalie genuinely didn't feel the cold much.Irwin looked at her and smiled.There was a skiing resort in Mount Elven where winter holidaymakers gathered. Irwin had brought her here via helicopter. Looking down, they saw a vast area filled with crowds, exuding sheer joy. "So, this used to be your world," Natalie remarked as she looked below.Irwin was slightly stunned when he heard that, and he fell silent.He tightened his grip on Natalie's hand and sighed deeply. "Nat, we agreed not to talk about the past this month.""But are you truly present?" Natalie remarked piercingly, her gaze into Irwin's eyes becoming even more profound.Irwin remained silent.Indeed, was he truly living in the present at this moment?"She holds a significant place in your heart, doesn't she?"Again, Irwin remained silent.Natalie's hand
Irwin's swallowed harshly, feeling as if there was something stuck in his throat.Too calm.Natalie's tone was too eerily calm.Irwin's gaze rested upon her serene profile, and he felt choked up inside. "Nat!""Is it a taboo?" Natalie's lips curled into a smile, but that very smile was enough to unsettle anyone.The glint in her eyes was as chilling as a blade.Irwin averted his gaze from her face and uttered, "Blair Russell.""Blair... That's a beautiful name."However, that name struck a nerve with Natalie at this moment.Irwin tried to say something more, but words failed him.Finally, he murmured, "Nat, it's not good for a woman to be too clever in matters of the heart."Not good?Natalie sneered but said nothing more.That cold sneer made Irwin's heart tightened.-In Wexford, Cedric had been frantically searching for Natalie, turning almost every possible location Irwin might have taken her upside down.Finally, when he discovered they were in Mount Elven and was
Genuine?When Irwin uttered those words for Cedric, Natalie laughed. Her laughter was icy and dripping with sarcasm. "Is anything you two tell me even real or genuine anymore?"Genuine?What was genuine?After years of lying, one would even start to believe in their own falsehoods. Wasn't that the case with Irwin and Cedric?Genuine... hah!"What exactly were you three to each other?" Natalie's tone was chillingly cold, sending shivers down one's spine.Irwin fell silent, unable to respond.What had they been to each other? In that fleeting moment, profound pain surged in his eyes. It vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a stoic calm."Never mind. As I said, I'll unravel everything, bit by bit!" She repeated the words she had said moments ago. Her teeth clenched, her voice dripping with venom and resentment, causing anyone who heard it to wince.Irwin looked deep into her eyes. At that moment, the emptiness in his heart felt more profound than ever before.She
The grip he held her in was overpowering.At this moment, Irwin distinctly felt the chilling coldness emanating from Natalie—so icy that it was bone-chilling. It wasn't just her temperature… even her aura felt distant.Despite being right before his eyes, in that fleeting instant, she seemed miles away. She felt farther than Irwin had ever felt before. She had distanced herself entirely.This sensation was unsettling for Irwin, and he despised feeling this way. This was precisely why he had never allowed Natalie to learn about Blair despite any animosity he shared with Cedric.A decade of vengeance...Somehow, that revenge had morphed over time. Blair was initially part of a plan—to strike Cedric when Natalie was at her most vulnerable, deeply in love. But an unexpected presence, Isabella, entered Cedric's life, causing a rift between them. Watching Natalie struggle with her emotions had shifted Irwin's original intentions.Inside Natalie, it felt as if a wild beast was t
When it came to Isabella's daughter and her own, he chose Isabella's without hesitation. No matter how many years had passed, she wasn't the one he truly chose. So when the moment of decision came, he easily leaned towards the other side.The strength of Irwin's embrace tightened once more."Nat, it's not what you think...""Are you speaking for yourself or for him? Your relationship truly is something else!" Natalie's biting words cut off Irwin's attempt to explain.He was speaking up for Cedric?!Indeed, in Natalie's eyes, wasn't everything Irwin was doing right now merely an attempt to justify Cedric's actions? The seemingly broken duo still, at crucial moments, seemed to think of each other!"Nat!""To go to such lengths for a woman, was it worth it?""You...""It was no wonder Blair was intolerable!" Natalie looked at Irwin with a chilling gaze.A shiver ran down Irwin's spine.With an even more menacing tone, Natalie continued, "She... deserved to die!""Natalie!"
Irwin's head was throbbing intensely now.This was why Natalie could never find out! Once she did, many things would spiral out of control. And that was precisely where they were now: a state of complete chaos!Natalie's entire body trembled. The ten years of their relationship had already been completely overturned in her heart. Now, knowing that Cedric's people were planning to take Luna too, it was as if the wild beasts deep within her had finally been unleashed. She had suppressed these feelings for so many years. She wasn't a saint! How could she keep suppressing everything after all that had happened?!Smack!"..."The crisp sound of a slap echoed as Natalie used all her strength to slap him across the face. Her sharp nails left bloody marks on his skin.The air stood still.For a long while, Irwin stood motionless, unable to respond. By the time he came to his senses, Natalie had already left.-Upon hearing that Natalie had returned, Cedric looked at Kayla. T
Cedric stared at Natalie.There was something shattered deep within his eyes! His heart was in turmoil, as if a storm had erupted inside!She knew… she knew all of it! When Casey went to Terra Manor, Irwin had already taken her away.In fact, Cedric knew back then...! He knew she would find out eventually. Being around Irwin, nothing was certain. And in Wexford, she... would come to know about that matter!It all circled back to the fact that she got entangled in the affairs of Wexford.After what felt like an eternity, Cedric managed to gather his thoughts and looked at Natalie, murmuring, "Nat...!""The resemblance is uncanny, isn't it?" Natalie said, observing the pale-faced man across from her, with a storm raging in her mind.Ten years!A decade of feelings...! Who could have imagined that the one who once held her dear was merely in love with the idea of her, a mere shadow?Because of their uncanny resemblance, he could still hold her close, even if she was just