Chapter 4

After an exhausting day. Natalie got off from work.

She came out of the hospital and hired a taxi. Half an hour later, the taxi stopped in front of the small house. After paying the taxi fare, Natalie entered the house and saw Lina, her assistant, sitting on the sofa in the living room.

As Natalie entered the house, Lina approached her and took the bag from her hand and placed it on the sofa. "Boss, why did you come so late? You must have been working in the morning after working night duty again"

"The operation was urgent," Natalie said in a tired voice. Lina quickly entered the kitchen and brought a glass of water for Natalie and handed it to her.

"Thank you" Natalie took a sip of the water. "So, what happened at the event?"

Lina sat down on the sofa, "They kept asking about you, boss. They suspected I knew you. When I came out of the hotel after speaking at the conference on your behalf, they started questioning me. I told them straight out that I didn't know you and I didn't know why you selected me to speak on your behalf. They trusted me and let me go. But I don't think they will stop. They will keep looking for you until they find you."

"Let them do whatever they want. I am sorry they bother you because of me," Natalie said in a regretful voice.

"Boss, I think the patient's condition is very bad, that is why they are trying to find you at any cost," Lina said and looked at Natalie. "Will you go and see the patient once?"

"No," Natalie objected directly. "You can go now." Natalie stood up and entered her room.

Lina watched her boss leave. Her boss's behaviour often seemed mysterious to her. She couldn't understand why she was still living in this dilapidated house in the slums despite having a lot of money. Even though the hospital had given her an apartment to live in, her boss objected to her staying there. She didn't even buy a car. She always takes a taxi.

Lina looked around this small house. Although the house was old, her boss had arranged everything beautifully. Despite being busy with patients in the office all day, her boss didn't keep a maid at home. After coming home from the hospital, she started working at home. Seeing her boss's behaviour, she sometimes felt like her boss was mourning for someone.

Lina took a page from her bag and wrote on it that the food was on the dining table. Then she left the note on the coffee table and left.

When Natalie came out of the room to prepare food after taking a shower, her eyes fell on the note on the coffee table. Looking at the note, Natalie understood that Lina had brought her food. She looked at the dining table and saw that there was indeed a packet.

Natalie heated the food in the microwave and started eating. After finishing her meal, she washed the dishes thoroughly and made a cup of coffee. She went outside the house, entered her small garden and sat on the swing. This small garden, which her mother had made, was Natalie's favourite place.

Natalie smiled softly as she looked at the fresh flowers. Just then, a car pulled up in front of her house.

Natalie looked at the expensive car parked in front of her house with curiosity.

"Oh, no. Did Mr. Center's bodyguard find me?" Natalie suspected, then the car door opened and a middle-aged man got out.

As soon as she looked at the middle-aged man, the coffee cup fell from Natalie's hand. The fire of revenge burned in her body. Natalie clenched her fists to control her anger. The man stood in front of her and said, "I am Lucas, your Father. You must be the daughter of my beloved Jenny. I am so sorry, honey. I am late. Forgive me," Lucas said in an emotionless voice.

Natalie was very angry after hearing his words but without expressing it, she said, "Dad, you have come. I was waiting for you. Why did you come so late? While waiting for you, my mother left the world. My mother always told me that one day you would come back to me and take me away." A drop of fake tear rolled down Natalie's eyes.

Lucas was very happy after hearing Natalie's words. "That bitch is dead; I am relieved to hear this. If that bitch were alive today, I would never have been able to take this bastard girl with me." Lucas pretended that he was very hurt after hearing this. He put his hand on his chest as if his chest was starting to hurt after hearing this. "I am so sorry, my daughter. I could not save your mother. I lost my beloved because of my small mistake. Now I don't want to lose you anymore. I want to take you with me. Will you come with me?" Lucas held Natalie's hand and said. Natalie's body shivered in disgust at Lucas' touch. "I will go, Dad. I will go with you."

"I knew you'd forgive me because your heart is as big as your mother's. Come with me right now. I won't let you stay in this slum for another minute," Lucas pretended to care about Natalie.

"I want to go with you too, Dad, but I can't go with you now. Give me a day. I will go with you tomorrow," Natalie said.

Lucas wanted to take Natalie with him right away, but since she agreed to go with him he hadn't said anything against Natalie's wishes. He was afraid that if he forced her now, Natalie might refuse to go with him. Lucas promised to come and pick her up tomorrow and left immediately.

When the car left, Natalie smirked and whispered, "The game is starting"

At Hospital

Are you sure you want to quit your job, dear? If you have any problems and you need time off, you can take as long as you want. I won't stop you," The dean said as Natalie handed in her resignation letter.

"I'm leaving this town. I don't know when I will be back. That is why I want to quit," Natalie said.

"If you want to quit, I won't force you to stay here. Whenever you come back to this city, the door of my hospital will always be open for you," The dean said and accepted Natalie's resignation letter.

Natalie thanked him and left the cabin. She said goodbye to all her colleagues and left the hospital.

After packing her necessary things in a bag, Natalie bid goodbye to her neighbours. After a while, Lucas arrived and Natalie looked at her beloved house for the last time and then left with Lucas.

Natalie was sitting in the car and looking out the window with annoyance because Lucas was crying in the seat next to her. The sound of Lucas's crying was unbearably annoying to her.

Natalie looked at Lucas at one point, unable to bear the sound of crying in her ears. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

Natalie asked him reluctantly. "My chest still hurts when I think about your Mother. I cry when I think about your Mother. If I had found you earlier, I could have saved my beloved wife."

Natalie clenched her fists in anger at hearing her Mother's name from this man's mouth. She was very angry but kept quiet. When Natalie remained silent, Lucas spoke again, "Your Mother and I worked hard to build a company. Your Mother had many dreams that one day you would take care of that company. But now I don't think I can fulfil your Mother's wish. Because the situation of my company is very bad now. My company could be auctioned at any time.

There is a man who has agreed to help me but he has one condition. If I accept that condition, he will help me financially.

"Condition? What condition?" Natalie asked and pretended to be very shocked to hear about the company.

"That man said that if I marry my daughter to his grandson, he would help me financially. I wanted to marry your sister Natasha to that man's grandson, but your sister, Natasha, objected. Now I have no other choice. I am taking you with me to keep you safe and give you everything, but if my company goes up for auction, I will not be able to keep you safe. I am feeling so helpless," Lucas said and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. Natalie understood why Lucas was telling her this.

Despite knowing everything, she said to Lucas to look good, "I am also your daughter. I am willing to marry that man's grandson." Natalie noticed that Lucas's eyes sparkled with slyness upon hearing this.

"Are you serious my dear? Will you really marry him? I knew you couldn't bear to see your Father in pain. Because your heart is so soft and gentle. Don't worry. That man is very rich, you will be very happy with that man. I will make all the wedding arrangements very beautifully." Natalie smiled softly after hearing Lucas' words and looked out the window again.

After three days

Wearing a white wedding gown, Natalie stood in front of the mirror and looked at her reflection. She still couldn't believe that today she was getting married to a man she had never seen or even knew his name.

"Hurry up. You don't have all day to get ready. Even if you take all day to get ready, you are still an uneducated and ugly girl from a village. Even if you put on this thousand dollars of makeup and expensive clothes, no one will look at you. Just looking at your face makes my stomach upset. So hurry up and get ready," Mary entered the room and said in a rude voice.

Natalie looked at her once and then at the mirror again. "Shut your filthy mouth and get the hell out of here. Who let this barking dog in? My head is starting to hurt from the barking"

Natalie said as she put on the necklace her Mother had given her.

Hearing Natalie's words, Mary's body started to burn with anger. She clenched her fists in anger and shouted, "How dare you say such things to me, you bitch? You need to know your place. I will kill you!" Mary screamed in anger and rushed towards Natalie to slap her, and just then Lucas entered the room.

"Mary. Don't you dare raise your hand on her!" Lucas shouted at his wife.

When Lucas shouted at her for the first time in his life that too for Natalie, Mary's face turned red with anger. She glared at her husband and stormed out of the room.

When she left the room, Lucas approached Natalie and asked, "Are you okay? Did she lay a hand on you?" Natalie felt disgusted by Lucas's false care.

"I am okay, Dad. I don't know why she was angry with me. I didn't tell her anything," Natalie said in an innocent voice.

"I know you didn't do anything. You don't have to worry about this. Get ready quickly. I will come and pick you up in a while," Lucas said and left the room.

When Lucas came out of the room and entered the living room, he saw Mary sitting with a frown. Why are you sitting like that? What happened to you?" Lucas asked Mary, and Mary was furious.

"Don't try to pretend you don't know anything, Lucas. I am warning you. I am not Natalie, who going to believe your lies. How dare you yell at me for that bitch Natalie?" Mary said angrily.

"Do you know what would have happened if you had laid hands on her and if anyone from the Center family had seen the mark on her cheek? Wouldn't they have suspected us, thinking that we had tortured our own daughter? Would they have helped me financially after knowing this? "I didn't mean to yell at you," Lucas said.

Even after listening to Lucas's words, Mary didn't calm down. She stood in front of Lucas and said, "You don't think Natalie is that innocent, she is not that innocent and stupid. You have no idea what kind of voice she was using to talk to me. I am warning you, this girl could get us in trouble one day," Mary said and left. Lucas ignored Mary and went to her room to get Natalie.

When she entered the church, she saw that there were only five or six people there. Reluctantly, she held Lucas's hand and when she reached the altar, she was stunned to see her future groom. Because her future groom was not standing at the altar, but sitting in a wheelchair. Natalie could not see his face because he was looking down.

Seeing the condition of her future groom, she understood that her so-called Father was much worse than she had imagined. Natalie did not say anything even after seeing her future groom sitting in a wheelchair. She stood quietly in her place.

Her future groom was still looking down. His legs were covered with a sheet.

When she stood in her place, the man standing next to the wheelchair told the Bishop to quickly start the wedding ceremony.

The Bishop nodded, and Soon the Bishop started reading his book, and everyone took their seat...

The Bishop looked towards the groom and spoke up,

"Do, you Lucian Center,

Take, Natalie Roberts,

To be your wife,

To have and to hold,

From this way forward,

For better, for worser,

For richer, for poorer,

In sickness and in health,

To love and to cherish,

Till death, do your part"

Natalie was completely stunned by the Bishop's words. She looked at the man in the wheelchair with an incredulous look. "Did I agree to marry the man who was looking for me?" Natalie became very nervous. Just then she heard a deep husky voice, "I do"

Hearing his deep voice Natalie felt nervous.

The Bishop then looked towards Natalie and spoke up,

"Do, you Natalie Roberts,

Take, Lucian Center,

To be your husband,

To have and to hold,

From this way forward,

For better, for worser,

For richer, for poorer,

In sickness and in health,

To love and to cherish,

Till death, do you part"

When the priest asked Natalie's consent, Natalie did not answer but just stared at the man in the wheelchair. She had never imagined that she would stand in front of Lucian Canter.

When Natalie did not answer, the Bishop asked her again. Natalie closed her eyes this time and her Mother's face flashed before her. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and saw two deep eyes staring at her. Lucian stared at her with fiery eyes.

Natalie began to tremble under his powerful gaze. Fisting her hand she spoke up, "I do"

The Bishop then gave them the wedding ring.

"What nonsense? How can she put the ring on his hand? She has to come to Lucian's level, and for that, she has to sit on the floor. Will she sit on the floor to put the ring on his hand?" The people present in the church started talking to each other.

John got very angry after hearing the guests. He was about to say something, but to his surprise, Natalie sat on Lucian's lap, and they slipped it into each other's hands. Seeing this, everyone was stunned.

"Now, you both are husband and wife. You may kiss" The Bishop cleared his throat and started to speak, but before he could finish his words, Lucian looked at the Bishop with fiery eyes. Bishop immediately fell silent. Lucian looked at John. John understood the hint in his boss's eyes and immediately handed Natalie a card and left with Lucian leaving Natalie alone on the altar.