Chapter Two

Natalie's POV 

I squinted my eyes severally to adjust my sight to the luxurious surroundings. My aggressive attempt to move to a sitting position caused a bang to resound across my head, making me wince in discomfort. My reaction caught the attention of two women who were whispering from a distance. 

"Oh goodness It's been three days!" The younger one exclaimed happily. 

"My baby" I struggle to speak. 

"Thankfully, your baby is in a good condition. You don't have to worry about that. I must compliment you. You are really strong. The family doctor will be here very soon," the older woman assured with a warm smile. 

I sigh in relief as my last encounter with Lucas replayed in my head. A tear slid from my eyes as I bit my lips in determination to get back on my feet, stronger and healthier, mostly for the sake of my unborn kid. 

My thoughts were distracted by the entrance of an elegantly dressed old woman. The two ladies in the room bowed their heads in greetings as she gracefully walked towards us. Her presence in the room overwhelmed nothing but authority. Then it clicked, she was the same woman who I had expected to be the source of my death, but she had ironically saved me from my predicament. I slightly bowed my head in that position nonetheless.

"Welcome, Granny West" They chorused. 

"You can leave," She dismissed the two of them. 

I gulped nervously when she sat at the edge of the wide bed, "First of all, tell me everything about yourself." She urged in a commanding tone. 

Narrating my story to people close to me sets me in an awkward position, but a stranger is here commanding me to do so. Who in the world is this woman? I just want to lift myself from this mattress and disappear to a place that is less cruel, or a place where feelings do not exist. 

I wanted to scream in her face at the reason why she had not left me to die on that cold night. The same set of people pretend to care at early encounters, but once they find your existence threatening, or less useful, they drain the remaining life in you. This occurs mostly by the wealthy fellows, and here is another one who has an indecent reason to keep me in her abode. There was no way on earth I would tell her my past life for her to feed her fake pity. Never

"I do not know anything about myself other than the fact that I am an orphan," I replied. 

"An orphan who is pregnant and laid on the highway while waiting for death to devour her? I would prefer you regard yourself as a heartless mother-to-be. A disgrace to motherhood" She insulted, her eyes strained into that of my bewildered ones. 

"You wouldn't say that if you were in my situation," I choked on my words as her abuse forced blood to drain from my face. I wasn't expecting such bitter words from her. 

"No matter what the problem might be, you have no right to put the life of your unborn child on the line. So many are out there desperately in search of a child, even if it's a deaf one. Besides, you look nothing unhealthy, but a bit depressed," She argued. 

I felt defeated even though the main reason I had succumbed to suicide was because I supposed my child was dead. I believe it's a miracle that this one wants to stay because anytime I experience such heavy bleeding, it usually results in a miscarriage. A news I had dreaded for the last three years of my unyielding marriage. 

"What do you want from me? Report me for being mentally unstable? Or probably attempting to murder my unborn child?!" I raised my voice at the elderly woman, who from her physical appearance was old enough to have me as a grandchild. 

"Since you are so eager," She paused "I will clarify my instinct for bringing you here in my house," 

My heart softened at her sincerity, which made me calm myself for her to speak. I had no idea why I felt like doing anything for her. As if it was my place to obey her. It wasn't because she had saved me. No. A string of attachment, the type that makes you feel obligated. Strange. 

"You need to answer my question truthfully for I do not want to sound gullible. Agreed?" The granny raised her eyebrow in query, and I nodded in response. 

"Who is the father of your unborn child?" 

I chewed on my tongue as my heart clenched painfully, "Nobody. I do not know the father of my child. I wouldn't have gone extreme if there was someone bound to take responsibility for the child growing in my belly." 

"My findings about you say otherwise. You are the legal wife of a rising businessman, Lucas Knight." she groaned in suspicion. 

"Did your research not clarify the part that he is married to another woman?" I asked bitterly, as my head calculated the days I had been unconscious with the day Lucas might fix for his wedding with Miranda. 

"We were divorced several months ago and it had driven me into a situation where I had recklessly got myself pregnant," I lied smoothly. 

She was quiet. 

"Did you see a reason why I can't be of use for whatever you have in mind?" I smirked darkly. 

"Of course. I am not giving up on you easily. Instead, your response has given me a reason to proceed." 

"Proceed with what?" I asked curiously, feeling exhausted already. I was still weak. 

"Don't worry. I had purposely come to inform you before you fully recover" She heaved a long sigh. "Have you ever heard of the West family?"

"Everyone in Singapore knows of the famous conglomerate, " I almost rolled my eyes as I recalled Lucas' outstanding admiration for that reputable family. 

There isn't any documentary of the West that he doesn't watch, and it made me realize his tremendous thirst for power. Realization hit me as I remembered the ladies greeting this woman as Granny West. She's the fearful mother of James West? The first wife of the deceased Alexander West? This can't be real?! My eyes widened in shock, but the woman responded with a calm smile. 

"The days when I had to be strict have expired, leaving me with a countable number of hours until my death. I have been in a pandemic until the news of my only son being diagnosed with leukemia got to me a few months ago." She revealed, looking more miserable than ever. 

This wasn't the strong self they portrayed to the media. The West is an extended family, including their adopted kids. It still doesn't sit well with me that I was a few spaces away from a woman who could turn the laws of the country in her hand. What does she want from me?

"The death of James' wife and twin adult kids had caused his health to worsen for the past years, and his relatives weren't concerned. They rather indulged in the conflict on who will be appointed as the new chief executive officer," She continued in her weak voice and coughed. 

I watched her with half-lidded eyes as I tried to comprehend her reason for narrating this to me. 

"Truly, I had outrageously penalized those ladies who tried to seduce him at a young age. Throughout the past ten years after my grandchildren's death, I had tried my best to make him get a woman who could conceive for him, but it was all in vain. The adopted fools and step-siblings are not an option to select as the new C.E.O. They are ready to embezzle and misuse the influence of the company. Of course, I had carried out a series of secret tests on them, but none. No single one is worthy of handling the generational assets." 

"Ohh…" I struggle to construct a sentence. 

"And there comes your commitment. You will make a deal with me to be the secret married wife of my son. I would have preferred you stand as a secret child, but the eagle-eyed fellows will be ready to go for a genetic test just to prove me wrong. So…this is the only way to save the empire from crumbling. It goes like this, you will control the establishment under the cover of waiting until your son, who will be assumed as James' son, becomes an adult and ready to take over. That way, they will have no choice but to go back to hiding their greed." Granny West explained, looking at me as if I was the weapon that could shield her downfall. 

"Why…What…Were you expecting me to come to you one day? What if I betray you and make your worst fear surface? Why trust a stranger?" I stuttered in utter shock. I needed a full recovery to wrap my head around what this woman was saying. 

"You are not a stranger," She affirmed. 

"Then what am I? Your lost child " I scoffed. 

"I do not deserve an answered prayer, and I'm sure that we are not blood-related." She answered, making me feel more clueless. 

"Then what is your reason? Make it sensible. I mean…how do I pretend as a wife to a man who is old enough to give birth to me? You are asking me to live a life where my life is in danger. That doesn't sound amusing enough" 

"You will know the reason when the time comes. But as long as you are not rejecting my offer, you are willing to cooperate while I secretly train you for the next five years, and you have made yourself worthy enough to take over the industry, then you will see no motive to lay down on the road while attempting to commit suicide. Remember, I am no fool to have chosen you because it had been my prayer for years to meet you." She said,

Granny West stood up and sighed. "You have enough time to thoroughly think about the decision that suits you. Remember, your pregnancy is not a hindrance," 

With that last statement, Granny West walked out of the enormous room. I was still staring at the entrance for over one hour as her words of praying for years to meet me kept ringing in my brain. Who am I? Does she know me from somewhere? She had clarified the fact that I was not related to her. Why does she trust me enough to handle the banking and finance industry owned by one of the wealthiest families in Singapore? 

How fast the night changes, but deep down I was willing to embark on this tedious journey.