Natalie was taking a nap that day when her cell phone suddenly rang. She blinked, her hands fumbling with the bed before finally reaching for her phone.The screen showed an incoming call from Kelsey. It made her forehead furrow deeply between confusion and surprise. She quickly answered the call. “Hello, Kelsey?”Kelsey was immediately heard crying. Natalie quickly got up, feeling worried. “Kelsey, what’s wrong?”The girl didn’t answer. She continued to cry, and Natalie became confused. Suddenly, she heard a rough, loud banging on the door from the phone.“Who is it?!” Natalie asked.“Sis, I’m scared,” Kelsey whispered through her sobs. She had managed to break away from Lucas but hadn’t had a chance to get out of the flat and could only hide in her bedroom. Now the man was waiting for her to come out.“What’s going on, Kelsey?!” Natalie asked out loud. She was becoming anxious. Something bad must have happened to her little sister, but what was it? Could Lucas have finally shown th
Natalie only had three days to carry out her mission. She was so devastated that she wasn’t in the mood to do anything. The rest of the day, she just lay in bed until nightfall.When Dante came home, Lizzy immediately informed him that Natalie hadn’t left her room since noon. She hadn’t eaten anything since then.Dante sighed. He went to Natalie’s room and entered without knocking. She was lying on the bed listening to music on her earbuds. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn’t sleeping.Natalie was surprised when Dante removed one earbud from her ear. Her eyes snapped open. He put the earbud in his left ear, wondering what song she was listening to.“Dante, I’m not in the mood to talk to you,” Natalie said flatly. “What’s wrong?” Dante sat on the edge of the bed listening to Cinnamon Girl that Natalie was playing. Apparently, she was a fan of Lana Del Rey.“I’m just in a bad mood,” Natalie said. She turned her body around and curled her back to Dante.The man frowned. Suddenly, he hu
“Are you full?” Dante asked as Natalie was enjoying a slice of her Black Forest cake.“Mm. Pretty full,” Natalie replied as she licked her chocolate-stained spoon. People say chocolate can improve your mood. It seemed true because she felt more relaxed and light now.Dante watched Natalie lick her spoon. It looked seductive, even though she wasn’t flirting. He sighed and asked, “Are you feeling better?”Natalie nodded and smiled. “Thank you for bringing me here.”“Do you want to go somewhere?” Dante asked again.The question made Natalie pause. She thought about the three days left. Maybe she should make the most of it with Dante because she knew her life was heading towards ruin.“You offered me to watch a movie at the cinema earlier.” Natalie looked at Dante softly and nodded. “I want to,” she continued.Dante lifted the corner of his mouth. “Do you mind if we go home a little late?”“I don’t mind,” Natalie said.Finally, Dante nodded in agreement. After dinner was over, he took Nat
“Dante, we’re here,” Natalie said after parking Dante’s car. The man had been closing his eyes, but she was sure he wasn’t sleeping.Dante opened his eyes and got out of the car without saying anything. Natalie sighed as she watched the man walk away and ignored her.What really happened to him? Why was he suddenly angry with her?Natalie didn’t understand. Did Dante know about her plan? Or could it be that he knew about all her betrayals?She covered her face with both of her hands. Her mind became foggy. “Two more days, Natalie. Don’t mind him,” she muttered to convince and calm herself.Finally, Natalie got out of the car and locked it. She walked towards the elevator, but suddenly her ears heard something suspicious. Her feet slowly stopped and approached the voice.“Sir, please don’t do this. I’m afraid someone will see.” A woman’s voice was heard from behind an SUV.“Don’t be afraid, sweetie. It’s quiet here. I promise I’ll give you a promotion after this,” said a man whose voic
“Are you still mad at me?” Natalie asked Dante after they arrived at the penthouse. However, he just glanced at her and walked away.Natalie sighed. Maybe she should give Dante time to calm down. She didn’t need to care about him.Finally, Natalie went to her room. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then put on her night cream. Afterward, she sent Irina a video of Harris’ harassment.Not long after, Irina called her. “Natalie, where did you get that video?” she asked curiously.“I recorded it myself. You can share it on social media,” Natalie said.Irina sighed. “But I’m a little scared. After all, Harris is a famous businessman who has influence in the industry,” she whispered.Natalie clucked her tongue. “Irina, I’m sure there are many women out there who have a lot of grievances against Harris. There will be people who support you. I’ll spread the video, too.”“Natalie, don’t be rash. The magazine brand has been around for decades. It won’t be easy to oust the man,” Irina s
That morning, Natalie helped Dante to get ready, like a wife, or maybe an assistant. She pampered him and served him so well that it surprised him.“What’s wrong with you?” Dante asked.Natalie smiled and shook her head. “Nothing,” she said as she put on Dante’s tie.Dante looked at her deeply. After she finished adjusting his tie, he took her left hand and noticed the scar on her palm.“Looks like you’re fully healed,” she commented.“Right.” Natalie nodded.The man kissed the back of her hand and turned to pick up his bag. “I’m not having breakfast. Alex is waiting for me downstairs.”Natalie didn’t say anything. She just followed him out of the bedroom and downstairs. Alex was already waiting for Dante there.“Are you in the office today?” Natalie asked.“Yes,” Dante replied briefly. He looked at Natalie and then kissed her forehead. “Don’t go anywhere. Harris might go berserk if he sees you.”“I know.” Natalie smiled.Dante and Alex finally left, leaving only Aland to watch Natali
“Wait for tomorrow night, Dante. I told you I’d surprise you,” Natalie said, holding back Dante’s hand that was trying to feel her body.“But I want you now.” Dante kissed Natalie’s neck, and she pushed his face away with the palm of her hand.“Dante!” Natalie gave him an annoyed look.The man sighed. Ever since Natalie satisfied him with her mouth while she was on her period, he hadn’t touched her again. They hadn’t had sex in a long time.“Okay.” Dante removed Natalie from his lap, and then he went to his desk. His expression was grim as he began to resume his pending work. Somehow, he looked like a sulking lover.Natalie smiled amusedly. She stepped closer to him, then massaged his shoulders from behind. “Even a guy like you can sulk?”“Who sulks anyway?” Dante snorted. “I have a lot to do, Cavey. You’d better not bother me,” he said unkindly.“Really? But you seem mad at me,” Natalie said.Dante was silent. He ignored Natalie and busied himself with signing documents on the desk.
The next day, Natalie prepared a romantic dinner for Dante. She bought many fresh red roses and small, sensually scented candles and decorated the dining table and penthouse room with them.Dante didn’t know about it. Natalie forbade Aland and Lizzy to tell him. She really wanted to give him a surprise. The first and the last surprise.“Miss, why so sudden?” Lizzy asked while helping Natalie cut the stems of the roses.Natalie smiled. “Actually, I’ve been planning this since yesterday. Lizzy, stay in your bedroom tonight. Understood?”Lizzy nodded and smiled. “I won’t disturb your dinner.”“Aland, you should also stay in your room if you don’t want to watch something inappropriate,” Natalie said with a chuckle.Aland nodded in understanding. He didn’t suspect much and just thought Natalie would be having an intimate dinner with Dante, so she didn’t want anyone else watching.“What would you like to serve?” asked Lizzy.“There’s no need for too much food. I just want steak and champagn
“What happened to you, sis?” Kelsey let go of the hug. She cupped her hand on Natalie’s cheek and gently wiped away her tears. A complicated look filled her eyes.They had been separated since Kelsey was in middle school. Even before Natalie was imprisoned, they rarely saw each other. Even so, Kelsey used to see Natalie’s face either on the internet or in magazines. She knew her sister’s appearance wasn’t like that and shouldn’t have changed that much.Natalie shook her head and smiled. “Nothing. I just had surgery to change my identity. Call me Cavendish in the future, okay?”Kelsey didn’t say anything. She pulled Natalie’s hand towards her dorm room. She lived alone there, so she had more freedom to bring guests in.“Sis, I missed you.” Kelsey hugged Natalie after they entered the room. She burst into tears. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be a good sister,” she said through tears.“No, Kelsey.” Natalie shook her head. “You’ve suffered a lot over the years. Living alone isn’t easy, but you’ve
Natalie sat near the plane window. Her seat was only economy class, but she didn’t complain or mind. Just being able to go to London was good for her.Moments later, the plane took off. Natalie stared out the window in silence. She tried not to think about anything, including Dante. Since yesterday, she had always distracted her mind from thinking or remembering anything about him.Meanwhile, Dante was in the first-class seat. He wasn’t worried that Natalie would escape his watchful eye. They were on the same plane, after all.The trip took a while. They arrived in London at midnight. Natalie got off the plane and immediately looked for a money changer at the airport. Luckily, she had experience flying to London, so there was no confusion.She exchanged her dollar bills for British currency and then left the airport to find a place to stay. Somehow, she felt that someone was following and watching her. She quickly turned around and looked around, but no one looked suspicious.Natalie
The next day, Aland went to Dante’s penthouse without Natalie knowing. He sneaked out and pretended to be mysterious when leaving the hotel. George, who had been watching them since last night, frowned.“Where is he going?”George quietly followed Aland. He became even more curious after realizing Aland was going to Dante’s penthouse. “What’s he planning?”Aland was asked by Dante to pretend to steal. So, he acted mysteriously and carefully. He knocked on the door. It wasn’t long before Cedric opened it.“Aland, you—”“I want to see Mr. Vittorio,” Aland said.Cedric let him in and closed the door again. Then Aland went straight to Dante. It turned out that the man had already prepared the items he would take.“Here are Natalie’s passport and wallet. She has to leave tonight,” Dante said seriously.“Are you really going to just let her go? What if she runs into trouble in London?” Aland asked cautiously.Dante smiled. “You don't need to worry. I’ve already arranged everything.”Aland c
Dante lay in the coffin comfortably. The lid was not closed, so he could see Alex looking at him flatly. “Looks like you’re quite happy living in a coffin,” Alex quipped.The smile on Dante’s lips grew. He heard the sound of approaching footsteps and signaled Alex to be quiet. This time, he wanted to know how his younger brother would respond.Anthony stared at the black coffin in the living room with narrowed eyes. Roberto, who saw his arrival, immediately asked, “Why did you come here?”“Grandpa, I heard about it,” Anthony said without removing his gaze from the coffin. He hadn’t gotten close enough to it to see Dante’s face or body.“Why do you have to hide things like this? Is my brother really dead?” Anthony asked his grandfather.Roberto took a deep breath. “Anthony, how many people expected his death? If our enemies find out about it, they will immediately take advantage of the situation,” he replied seriously.“Why did you come here? You haven’t answered my question,” the old
That night, Natalie ran out of the apartment building looking like a mess. Her long hair was tangled and messy. She was only wearing pajamas, so her arms, bruised from Dante’s whipping, were visible to others.Her cheeks were red from the man’s slap, and there were even traces of his fingers. She looked down and covered it with her hands because she didn’t want others to see it.Barefoot, Natalie ran on the sidewalk. People might notice her, thinking she was crazy or homeless. However, she didn’t care. Her feelings were completely shattered, and she just wanted to escape as far as possible.Snowflakes fell onto her body, making her even colder. Her lips turned pale and blue. She hugged her body in the hope that no one would chase her.Unknown to Natalie, someone was watching and following her from afar. It was George who was always watching the apartment building. He wanted to approach her to find out if the information about Dante’s death was true.Just as he was about to approach Na
Natalie was really sick. That whole day, she just lay in bed with a weak body. Even the next day, she had trouble getting out of bed. Lizzy, who knew about her situation, became worried.“Mister, don’t you want to do something? She’s really sick, not just pretending,” Lizzy said to Dante. She hoped he would call a doctor or do something to treat Natalie.Dante was lazing around in his room. He was pretending to be dead, so he couldn’t do any work outside. When Lizzy spoke, he only glanced at her. “Just let her be sick. I won’t bother her,” he said.“Don’t you still need her existence? If she’s sick, how will she get to London?” Lizzy continued to persuade her employer.“Why do you care so much about her? You’re better off here, keeping me company,” Dante said as he patted the bed beside him. He smiled sweetly at the girl.“Sir, no kidding!” Lizzy gave Dante an annoyed look. She knew he wasn’t serious.“Alright. I’ll see her later,” Dante said indifferently.Lizzy finally stopped bothe
That night, Natalie was too tired from crying until she fell asleep sitting on the floor and leaning against the side of the bed. She woke up when someone suddenly opened the door in the morning.Lizzy came in carrying a tray of breakfast. She placed it on the table and stepped closer to Natalie.“Miss...” The girl looked at Natalie sadly. What happened last night really saddened her. She hadn’t expected Natalie and Dante’s relationship to suddenly fall apart.Natalie looked down and tried to stand up. She looked at her own horrible-looking reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy and red. Her lips were pale, and her appearance was a mess, but she didn’t care.“I want to talk to Dante,” Natalie said hoarsely. She had been crying for so long that her voice was almost gone.Lizzy sighed. “Miss, he wants you to leave America immediately.”“Leave America?” Natalie was surprised to hear that.“Mr. Vittorio wants you to go to London. He doesn’t want to see you again or have anything to
In the middle of the night, Roberto was about to fall asleep when Marco suddenly knocked on the door and entered his room. “Sir, Alex wants to see you. He has urgent news,” Marco said seriously.Dante’s grandfather frowned. He finally sat up. “In this middle of the night?”Marco nodded. Roberto sighed. “Let him in,” he said.Before Marco left the room to call Alex, Alex had already barged in. His face looked pale and worried. “Sir, I have some bad news,” he reported.“What is it?”Alex swallowed. He looked down and said, “Something happened to Dante. He’s...”Roberto looked at him sharply. “What happened to my grandson?!”“Someone badly injured him. He’s... dying,” Alex replied quietly, without daring to look at the old man.“No way!” Roberto shook his head in disbelief. Suddenly, he held his heart and looked in pain. “What... has happened?”Alex raised his gaze and panicked at Roberto’s pale face. Had he lied too much to the old man to cause a relapse of his heart disease?“Sir, calm
In the car, Alex waited uncertainly. Dante still hadn’t called him, so he was worried. Was everything okay?He held his cell phone uncertainly. After some consideration, he finally decided to call him. The phone rang for a long time, but Dante didn’t answer.“Ah, too long. I’d rather go up to the penthouse,” he muttered.Finally, Alex grabbed the gun from the dashboard and exited the car. He had to carry a weapon, just in case. After that, he hurried up to the penthouse.Arriving at the penthouse floor, Alex pressed the bell several times. Unfortunately, no one would open the door for him. He sighed and barged in with his access card.The first sight he saw surprised Alex. The penthouse was a mess. Rose petals and small crushed candles were scattered on the floor. Some glassware, such as vases, was also broken and scattered.Alex immediately went deeper and saw Dante sitting quietly at the dining table. Lizzy and Aland, who were standing in the corridor, immediately looked at Alex exp