Category: The Double Life Of My Billionaire Husband novel (Natalie Quinn and Sebastian Klein novel)

“Get this old woman out of our sight! She spread rumors about her adopted daughter!”

“How shameless! She’s a liar and a hypocrite!”

The more people that pointed their fingers at Lauren, the more overwhelmed she got.She was so enraged that she needed to take a few deep breaths to regulate her blood pressure.

How she wished in that moment she could strangle Natalie to death! Thankfully, she managed to hold herself back.

She racked her brains for a way to redeem her reputation, but found that she couldn’t refute Sebastian’s statement at all.

There was no way she could admit to the dirty things she had done.Her only choice was to retreat.

Seeing that her mother was nearing defeat, Cassie was furious.

She opened her mouth to give Natalie an earful, but was interrupted by Lauren.

“Calm down, Cassie.” Lauren shook her head.

Then, she whispered into her daughter’s ear, “We’ve lost.Itll be worse if we try to defend ourselves.”

Cassie wrinkled her nose with disdain.

“Mom, I can’t stand her arrogance! When she still lived with us, she never fought back tch deserves to be punished. Who does she think she is, anyway? She’s just a bitch who was abandoned by her biological parents!”

Lauren’s eyes went wide and her hand flew to cover Cassie’s mouth. They weren’t in the confines of their own home.

If Cassie kept talking like this, things would just get worse.

“We’re leaving.”

They couldn’t stay here a second longer.

Lauren shot Natalie one last murderous glare before turning around to leave with Cassie and the timid George.

As they stormed off, Lauren gritted her teeth angrily.She was never going to let Natalie go.She needed to take revenge.

After the Quinn family of three left, the commotion died down and the guest went back to drinking and talking.

Just as Natalie was about to approach Sebastian, several colleagues stopped her.

“Quinn, you took amazing today.If I didn’t see you quarreling with those women, I wouldn’t have recognized you.”Gerda grinned from ear to ear, with a slice of cake in one hand.

“Yes.It was a good chance to make things clear.” Natalie smiled back helplessly.

As she spoke, she craned her neck to look for Sebastian, only to find that his broad back was to her.

Shortly after, he disappeared in the crowd that surrounded her.

“I knew you weren’t the kind of person they made you out to be!” Gerda said enthusiastically, pumping her fist in the air.

Many employees from the Larson Group were at this party.

After the altercation just now, they all knew the truth.

They all came over and toasted to Natalie’s victory.

“We’re sorry, Quinn.We used to think you just lived off of your foster parents’ money.”

“Little did we know that your foster family is the worst! They’re rich, yet they pretended to be poor and miserable here!” “Yeah.We didn’t know the truth and gossiped about you behind your back.We’re really sorry.”

Natalie smiled faintly and her eyes softened.She wasn’t good at this kind of stuff.

What with the crowd that surrounded her, she could only smile and politely clink glasses with everyone.

“It’s okay, you guys.It doesn’t matter now.Just forget it.”

After the crowd dispersed after a while, she let out a long sigh.

Now that she had cleared up the truth in front of so many people, no one would dare accuse her of being ungrateful again.

It was already past midnight when the party ended.

A cold full moon hung in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars.

The Larson Group arranged for luxury cars to send the guests home from the party, which drove off one by one.

Natalie and Sebastian were also led to a car that would take them home.

On the way, Sebastian sat in the backseat silently.

His eyelids drooped slightly, but the corners of his jaw were tight.

Natalie felt he looked a little melancholy and depressed.

After taking a careful look at him, she quietly looked away.

But she couldn’t help but peer at him from the corner of her eye.

“What’s the matter?”

Sebastian saw right through her.He looked up at her and rested his elbow on the car window.

Natalie watched his movements.

His fingers were so elegant and beautiful, as if they were carefully carved by an artist. But the rest of him looked quite rough.

After getting along with him for a long time, Natalie slowly uncovered a lot of strange things about him.

He turned out to be quite meticulous in whatever he did.He always took a shower before sleeping and when he woke up, and he always folded his clothes neatly.He liked to watch live football games without subtitles despite them being from different countries.

It seemed that he could understand without difficulty.

This made Natalie suspect that he knew several foreign languages.

Clenching the hemline of her dress tightly, Natalie looked at him earnestly and asked in a soft voice, “Can you tell me something about your mother?”

A silence fell over the car.

Even the driver didn’t dare to make a sound.

Outside the car window, the trees swayed as the wind whistled through their branches, like a ghost singing in the night.

At Natalie’s question, Sebastian’s expression darkened.

“Well, if you don’t want to talk about it, just forget it.’m sorry I brought it up,”

Natalie apologized immediately, sensing that she had said something wrong.

“I was just curious. didn’t mean to offend you.” she turned around and focused on the scenery outside, watching the trees and scattered lights.

Truth be told, she was a little disappointed.She didn’t know what was with her tonight.

Maybe all the booze from the party gave her the courage to ask Sebastian something personal.

To her disappointment, she failed at the first try.

The wind blew in through the window.

Suddenly, Natalie felt a warm hand holding hers.She turned around to meet Sebastian’s deep eyes.

“Didn’t you want to know about my mother? You’re sitting so far from me.How could I tell you without shouting?” Natalie looked around and found that it was true.

Her whole body was pressed against the window, as though she wanted to put as much distance between her and Sebastian as possible.

Just as she was about to scoot over, the car came to a halt.

They had arrived at their apartment.

“Already?” Natalie muttered unhappily.

Sebastian hadn’t spilled any beans yet.

Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Sebastian got out of the car then helped her out.

He immediately shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Let’s take a walk.”

The man’s coat was oversized on her.

Being enveloped by it, only Natalie’s bright, clear eyes could be seen.

She nodded eagerly, her shining eyes bobbing up and down.

“Okay!”

Together, they walked to the benches in the small park near their apartment.

Purple vines crept up the columns, looking especially enchanting.

“You are lying! We gave you more than that.”

Lauren was rendered speechless.She hugged her handbag to avoid the surprised gazes of the people staring at her.

“We have always been generous with you!” Natalie rolled her eyes.

Lauren’s response didn’t surprise her.She still couldn’t figure out why Lauren hated her so much.

The woman despised her with a vengeance.

When she still stayed with them in their house, Lauren would scold Natalie for even the smallest things.

“I didn’t ask you to adopt me, did I?”

Natalie sounded calm and composed.

“Since you adopted me, you are obligated to raise me.Considering your wealth and income, the money you’ve given me every month does not even cover the standard child custody.I can’t even meet my monthly expenses.I owe what I am today only to Hannah.She struggled to raise me, with her own savings. You’ve done nothing I should be grateful of.”

The onlookers started discussing heatedly.

“How could you do such a thing? A manicure like yours costs more than two hundred dollars!”.

“Since you chose to adopt a child, you should’ve been responsible for her.The Quinn family is rich, yet you gave your adopted daughter so little. Shame on you.”

All the color drained from Lauren’s face.

Little did these people know that the Quinn family was actually poor-something Lauren would never dare to admit.

After a while, Lauren said weakly, “We were worried we’d hurt our biological daughter. If Cassie saw that we treated her adopted sister better, she would’ve accused us of being unfair.And Natalie, even if we didn’t give you that much money, you shouldn’t have forced us to give you more.We adopted you and you should be gratefull”

Natalie set her glass on the table.

Her eyes flashed with sheer rage.

Even now, Lauren chose to lie through her teeth.

“The money wasn’t for me. just wanted to save Hannah’s life.I didn’t force you to give me more. You were the one who promised me that you’d give me the money if I married Sebastian instead of Cassie.But even after that, you kept refusing to pay me.I was just asking for what was rightfully mine.”

The audience burst into an uproar.

Everyone began to criticize Lauren harshly.

“How dare she!”

“So, she adopted a child but left her in the countryside and didn’t give her any money.Such a criminal should be sued!”

“How the hell could she ask her adopted daughter to marry someone as a substitute for her biological daughter? The poor girl!”

Sebastian was sitting on a black sofa nearby with his legs crossed.

He took a sip from his glass of wine as he watched this scene unfold before him.He had witnessed the whole thing.

“I didn’t know that your wife could be so fierce. You must be beaten up a lot at home, hmm?” Garrett joked, poking fun at Sebastian.

Sebastian’s eyes had been fixed on Natalie the entire night.To him, the woman before him now was a stark contrast to the woman she saw at home.

“She’s a submissive sweet girl at home.”

Sebastian took another sip from his wine, his eyes darkening slightly.

Seeing that his friend looked a little worried, Garrett smiled at him reassuringly.

“Don’t tell me that you want to interfere.From what I can see, your wife can handle this.”

“I suppose we shall wait and see,” Sebastian said gloomily.

At this point, Lauren couldn’t stand the humiliation anymore and dropped her gentle facade.

Her expression changed and she started coughing so violently, one might have wondered if she was terminally ill.

“What’re you doing here anyway? We took you in and raised you.Otherwise, who’s to say you wouldn’t be homeless right now? Isn’t it only right that you married someone for our sake? Just take it as a payment for our kindness.”

When she saw that her mother had changed tactics, Cassie immediately echoed Lauren’s sentiments, adding fuel to the flames.

“How could you have the nerve to talk back? If it weren’t for you, our family wouldn’t have ended up like this. You’ve pissed my mother off. You always think of that old maid but don’t give a damn about your foster mother.Don’t you have a conscience?”

Finally, Sebastian slowly stood up from the sofa.As he did, he drew the attention of the people around him.

Nobody knew who he was.

All they could see was a superior-looking, tall man with cold, black eyes, as alienating yet dazzling as the sun.

Everyone subconsciously felt drawn towards him.

He walked towards Lauren, shrouding her in his shadow.

He looked down at her and the daughter next to her with frighteningly cold eyes and said in a low voice, “Was your kindness enough to give you the right to force your adopted daughter to get married as a substitute bride?”

Being stared at by him like this, Lauren shrank back.

Any trace of arrogance she held earlier now disappeared.

“Wh-what do you mean?” she stammered.

Sebastian sneered coldly.

“When my mother’s family was rich and powerful, you clung to her like a parasite.Thinking you could profit from us in the future, you arranged for your daughter to marry her son when they grew up.Later, when my mother’s financial situation declined, you regretted your decision.Not wanting your biological daughter to marry me, you had your adopted daughter do it instead. Was that the real reason why you adopted a daughter?”

Memories brought about by Sebastian’s words resurfaced in Lauren’s mind.

Sylvia Larson… Lauren hadn’t heard that name in a long time.

Sylvia Larson was Sebastian’s biological mother.

At the time, the Larson family was one of the richest and most powerful in the city.

And Sylvia was beautiful-she was even considered the most beautiful girl in the city.

Sebastian had gotten his good looks from his mother.

And even though Sylvia was born into a rich family, she had a pleasant personality and never put on airs.

Lauren, on the other hand, came from an ordinary family.

When the two girls were in college, Lauren deliberately tried to get close to Sylvia, gunning to become the rich girl’s best friend.

Back then, Lauren had benefited a lot from Sylvia’s riches.

Later, she suggested to Sylvia that their children get married, if one of them had a boy and the other, a girl.

That was how Lauren successfully tied herself to a rich and powerful family like the Larson’s.

However, it wasn’t part of her plan for the Larson family to decline so suddenly.

As soon as Sylvia could no longer be considered rich, Lauren immediately cut off contact with her.

The two of them never spoke afterwards.

It wasn’t until about ten years later that Lauren heard that Sylvia had died.

She had practically forgotten about Sylvia by then, and even when she heard the news of her death, Lauren didn’t give a damn.

“How dare you accuse me of such nonsense!” Lauren said, albeit her voice faltered.

But she couldn’t say anything to defend herself, because Sebastian was right.

Wide-eyed, Natalie turned to look at Sebastian.

Sebastian had never told her before about how the engagement came about.

In the distance, Garrett’s heart leapt to his throat.

He was worried that something big was about to happen.

The subject of Sebastian’s mother was very touchy to him, and he seldom mentioned her.

It had been almost ten years since Garrett first met Sebastian in high school.

But he still didn’t know his friend’s family too well.

Something big had happened back then, which led to the collapse of the Larson family and the rise of the Klein family.

But all rich and powerful families were complicated behind the curtain.

Although the Klein family was powerful on the surface, they were rotten on the inside.

Their dirty secrets were just concealed well.

The onlookers began to talk even more harshly about Lauren.

Lauren didn’t let go of Natalie even after giving the money to her.

Whenever she thought about it, she would curse Natalie, saying she was the bane of her life and that she wanted to kill her.

The next day, a maid gingerly knocked on the door and handed an envelope to Lauren.

“What’s this?”

Lauren looked at the envelope and quickly removed the face mask whilst rubbing the sticky essence onto her cheeks.

“A gentleman just gave it to me.He said it was an invitation to a party.”

Lauren sat up straight and snatched the envelope.

It was an invitation to a party held by the Larson Group.

“George! George! Come out and see what I received!”

Lauren shouted and ran to George, waving the invitation.

The man was happily playing with birds he raised outside the balcony.

George was submissive, but he was not a fool.

He took the invitation and carefully read it.

“The Larson Group? What’s going on? Don’t you think it’s strange? They would never invite the Quinn family to such an occasion.” It was precisely why Lauren was excited.

She gently massaged the residual essence on her face, thinking it would make her look young forever.

“Are you out of your mind? It just proves that our drama in the Larson Group has worked.Maybe they are holding a party, just to apologize to us.”

Lauren grinned dreamily as she thought about attending such a momentous party.

George wasn’t as blindly confident as she was.

He still couldn’t bring himself to believe they got invited to the party.

The party was held at Waterside Manor.

It was a private place exclusively offered to influential celebrities for conducting social events.

Before leaving, Lauren carefully dressed up and applied two thick coats of foundation on her face, hiding her fine wrinkles and freckles.

Cassie was also dressed in an extravagant outfit.

Only wealthy, influential people attended the parties held by the Larson Group.

Lauren felt the occasion was perfect to find her a good son-in-law.

All three arrived at Waterside Manor with great expectations.

“Mom, this place is huge!”

Cassie squealed with excitement as she looked at the splendid building in awe.

“Shush!”

Lauren grabbed her arm and leaned closer.

“Stop looking like an ignorant woman and degrading yourself, Cassie.After all, you are a wealthy diva.Straighten your back and look like a dignified woman.”

Cassie took a deep breath, held her head high, and tried to look like a majestic queen.

However, the next moment, the smile on her face vanished.

“Natalie is also here!”

All eyes turned to her.

The dark green satin dress clung to Natalie’s slim waist, accentuating her perfect features.

Her chestnut curly hair was coiled up with a wooden hairpin.

Her bangs elegantly swayed as a gust of cool breeze brushed against her.

The light makeup and pink lips seemed to brighten her face.

She looked breathtaking tonight.

Natalie stood out among the women dolled up with copious amounts of makeup and dressed in extravagant clothes.

Even Lauren was shocked.

She always knew Natalie was beautiful.

However, the woman somehow looked prettier with every passing day.She was an effortless beauty who exuded a natural charm.

“What the hell is she doing here? I’m going to slap her. You don’t know how she humiliated me in the banquet last time.”

Cassie was seething with rage as she remembered what happened to her at another party last time.She grabbed her dress and almost rushed toward Natalie.

However, Lauren quickly grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

“Don’t be impulsive. If you fight with her on this occasion, it will only ruin your reputation.” Cassie gritted her teeth and suppressed her anger.

Lauren used to be a social butterfly when she was young.She enjoyed dancing at balls and parties.

Many people knew her.

Soon, she began to chat with the other guests.

“Things aren’t going well.” “What’s wrong?” the lady beside her asked concernedly.

Lauren let out a weary sigh, feigning pity.

“It’s kind of embarrassing. You probably know my adopted daughter, Natalie.She is a heartless, ungrateful child.She has taken away all our money from our family.Now, she is leading a carefree life outside, neglecting me and her adoptive father.”

Many guests at the party were employees of the Larson Group.

“You mean Natalie Quinn? We know her.She works in the design department.She seems sweet and well-mannered.I didn’t expect her to be such an evil person.”

As they got into an animated discussion, Natalie walked toward them, grinning broadly with a glass of champagne.

Natalie walked past the crowd of guests in fancy clothes and strutted toward Lauren with an indifferent look on her face.

Natalie’s beautiful eyes turned cold, revealing all the disappointment and anger accumulated in her heart over the years.

Every time Lauren looked at Natalie, she wanted to pluck Natalie’s beautiful eyes out of their sockets.

“Have you ever shown kindness and warmth to me? You have humiliated and tormented me all my life, and now you call me ungrateful? That’s absurd!”

Natalie said calmly as if impervious to Lauren’s ruthless comments.

Lauren was an extraordinary actress.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“We adopted you and raised you with great efforts, but you’ve always milked us for money.How does that make you a good daughter?” Lauren said, waving her hands dramatically.

Her dramatic performance in the Larson Group a few days ago had already attracted everyone’s attention.

Moreover, Natalie hadn’t explained herself to anyone.

Many people regarded her as an ungrateful daughter, and some even took videos on their phones.

However, Natalie didn’t care about what people thought of her.

“You abandoned me after Cassie was born.You sent me to the countryside to live with Hannah. You never cared about me.Hannah was the one who took care of me.She is all I have.I came to you because she was ill, and you promised to give me the money in exchange for a favor.I kept my end of the bargain, but you’ve been cheating me.Why are you creating a scene in front of everyone?”

Lauren wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and sniffed loudly.

“What nonsense! You’re just blabbering.” Natalie laughed, shaking her head.

“Your neighbors don’t know me, and my neighbors in the countryside haven’t seen you.I don’t even have a picture with you. You better think twice before lying.Do you have any evidence to prove that you raised me? Look, I don’t want to talk about the past.I’m grateful to you for giving me a shelter even though you all have loathed me.”

If Lauren hadn’t slandered Natalie in front of everyone, she wouldn’t have uttered a word about the past.

Natalie didn’t have a home that she could call hers.

It was just another place she didn’t belong, where she was abandoned by her “family” again.

Lauren looked around helplessly.

Natalie took out her passbook that had a record of the money George and Lauren had sent Hannah over the past twenty years.

She sneered at Lauren and threw it on her face.

“You were bragging about raising me and accused me of milking you all for money.But this proves how much you’ve really spent on me. You two have been giving only 200 dollars a month for the past twenty years — — not a penny more.

Is that what you call ‘raising me with every penny you have? You always take Cassie to fancy restaurants.One dinner of yours are at least twice or thrice my monthly expenses.Can’t you see the irony here?”

The crowd burst into an uproar.

Most of the women attending the parties offered generous tips.

They didn’t think 200 dollars was a good tip, let alone be a good monthly allowance.

Seeing that Natalie was absentminded, Gerda nudged her with concern.

“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off and go back home? It’s big news now.Everyone’s been discussing it from the morning.I heard that people are complaining and reporting your misconduct to your superiors because they feel what you did was unfair to your adoptive parents.”

“I’m fine.In fact, I already anticipated this result.”

Natalie shook her head and smiled bitterly.She had thought that everything would come to an end once her adoptive parents gave her the money.

Regardless of what Lauren and George did, they took Natalie in and gave her a home after all.

But Lauren couldn’t just let go and let Natalie have the money.

The woman wanted to make trouble for Natalie.

Gerda knew every family had a skeleton in its closet.

But she didn’t expect such a reserved, calmi person like Natalie would encounter such unfortunate things.

“How about you explain it to Ms.Fisher? You should at least fight for it. You still have to build a good rapport with your colleagues in the future.A bad reputation would only ruin your career.Natalie smiled but didn’t say anything, for she knew that was precisely what Lauren wanted.She wanted to ruin Natalie’s reputation once and for all.But Natalie made up her mind not to let that happen.Although she was a little grateful to her adoptive parents for giving her a home, she couldn’t allow Lauren to slander her like that.

“Don’t worry about me.” Natalie patted Gerda’s shoulder.

“Thank you for rooting for me.”

“It’s no big deal.”

Gerda smiled and went on with her work.

Just as Natalie wracked her brains, thinking about how to explain herself to her superior, she received a message from Brandon.

“The company has been receiving complaints about you. What happened?”

Brandon cut to the chase.

Natalie swallowed as her face flushed with embarrassment.She was a little afraid of Brandon.

After all, he was the boss of the company; Natalie didn’t dare to neglect him.

She quickly briefed him about the conflict she had with her adoptive parents.She didn’t know whether he would believe her or not.

Brandon didn’t question her morals and character.

Instead, he asked, “What are you going to do?”

“I want to clarify everything but haven’t figured out how to do it yet.”

Natalie read and reread her message for a long while before sending it.

After all, she felt so stupid for not coming up with an idea yet.

Instead of condemning her for being stupid, Brandon sent a message that surprised her.

“Don’t let this matter affect your work.I’ll handle it for you.”

Natalie was terrified that she dropped her phone.How could she bother her boss by asking him to help with her personal issues? “Thank you, Mr.Larson.But I can handle it myself. This is my private affair,”she quickly replied.

However, Brandon’s profile picture turned gray, and her message was read, but she didn’t receive a reply.

The temperature had dropped after the heavy rain.

The air became cool.

As soon as Natalie took out the key to open the door, she heard footsteps and the rustling of plastic behind her.

Just as she was about to turn around, a black shadow engulfed her.

Her body stiffened, and her heart began to race in her chest.

‘Oh, God! I hope Sebastian has returned home.”

She waved her purse to attack, but the tall figure quickly dodged.

The man’s strong body pressed her against the door.

His steady breath blew against her air.

She could feel his rising body temperature.

The man tucked Natalie’s long hair behind her ear and gently kissed the back of her neck.

“My husband is inside. If you dare to even lay a finger on me, he will beat you to death!” Natalie’s voice quivered with fear.

“You have another husband?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Natalie finally breathed a sigh of relief.She turned around and pinched his arm.

“That wasn’t funny.I was so scared that my heart was in my throat the entire time.”

“I’m sorry.Let’s go inside.”

Sebastian smiled and ruffled her hair.

Then, he leaned forward and opened the door.

As soon as they entered the apartment, Sebastian grabbed her waist, and the two fell onto the sofa.

Natalie moaned as he peppered kisses on her ear and collarbone.

Sebastian was strong and aggressive.

“I miss you so much.We agreed to sleep in my room tonight,” he said breathlessly.

Natalie didn’t remember agreeing to it.

“No.I have something important to tell you.Please listen to me. Brandon texted me again,” Natalie said, turning her head aside.

Her ears turned red, and she felt itchy.She told Sebastian about what happened in the company today.

After listening to everything, Sebastian buried his head in the crook of her neck.

“It’s good that your boss is willing to help you.I’m sure he can solve the problem,” he said in a muffled voice.

“I still don’t understand why Brandon wants to help me.In fact, I’m kind of afraid of him,” Natalie said, shaking her head quizzically.

“You’re just overthinking this.As the CEO of the company, he must protect the company’s interests first. Perhaps he doesn’t want your personal issues to come in the way of your work.Solving such a trivial problem would be a piece of cake for him.”

Natalie cast a skeptical look at him as her heart sank with dejection.

Sebastian was always calm whenever she mentioned Brandon.He was a possessive husband.

However, he seemed tolerant of Brandon.She just couldn’t understand why.

Sebastian looked up at her.

His unfathomable eyes bore into hers.

He smiled and bit her earlobe, wrapping his arms around her.

“Didn’t you say that you would cook a delicious meal for me? Or do you want to go to my room first?”

He wondered if she’d be able to come out after they went in.

Natalie’s eyelashes fluttered.She blinked and shyly pushed him away.

“We have nothing in the fridge. Wait for me at home.I’ll go and buy some groceries right away.” Sebastian pressed himself against her.

With Natalie’s slender legs wrapped around his waist, he grabbed her fingers resting on his chest and kissed therm.

“Don’t buy anything.I just want to eat you. Will you allow me?”

Natalie’s face turned red as she felt something hard poke her hip.

“No, no.!’m still on my period…”

Sebastian shook his head and chuckled.

He gently bit her lip and finally got up.

The plain white T-shirt clinging onto his body revealed his pert, chiseled abs.

Natalie quickly got up and hurriedly smoothed her dress.

‘Gosh, he is like a dog who is constantly biting me.” Sebastian sat up and looked at her.

“How about I come with you?”

“No, no.I can go on my own.”

Natalie’s mind went blank, and her body was burning.

She quickly smoothed her coat and darted out of the house.

Autumn had finally arrived.

“I want to ask you something.My adoptive parents suddenly returned the money.Did you do anything?” Natalie asked.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips when she heard his resonant voice.

Sebastian sat in his office, a beam of light streaming through his floor-to-ceiling windows and falling on his voice.

His eyes softened as he listened to Natalie’s voice through the phone.

“Yes, I did have a hand in exposing your sister’s substitution matter and your parents’ debt. The Quinn family does business with a lot of notable partners, so it’s only a matter of course that they try to save their reputation as soon as possible. That’s probably why they decided to finally pay you what they owe.They have no other choice at this point.”

Garrett rarely heard Sebastian speak this much in one breath.

With raised eyebrows, he pricked his ears and leaned forward slightly, trying to hear more of the couple’s conversation.

On the other side of the line, Natalie frowned.

Sebastian sounded calm and casual about his explanation, but she knew it couldn’t have been so simple.

“Tell me the truth.Did you spend a lot of money to make this happen?”

“Of course not.It cost nothing just to spread a bit of news. You’re thinking too much.”

Sebastian’s tone remained patient.He swiveled his chair and looked out of his massive office windows.

Garrett struggled to contain his laughter and ended up snorting.

The CEO of the Larson Group was so powerful that people were willing to bend over as soon as he gave the word.

He didn’t even need to lift a finger to have them do his bidding. Natalie sighed.

“I know, I know.Stop patronizing me.”

Her life was already a mess to begin with, and now she even got Sebastian involved in her troublesome affairs.

He had neither the money nor the power to stand up against people like her adoptive family.He must have gone to great lengths in order to bring their selfish deeds to light.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Sebastian’s lips.He threw a pointed glance at Garrett, who was now openly and shamelessly eavesdropping.

The man immediately straightened and nodded.

He understood the message-Sebastian was about to say things that weren’t meant for anybody else’s ears.

Garrett strode to the door and left the office.

When he was gone, Sebastian leaned back against his chair and tapped his nose with his forefinger.

“Hmm?” he said on the phone, his voice quiet and lazy.

“What is it that you know?”

“I know that you’re awfully good to me.”

Natalie’s voice had also fallen into a whisper.She covered her phone’s receiver and looked around to make sure no one could hear her.

“Is your husband reliable?’

“Yes, yes.”

“Come to my room tonight.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to fuck you senseless until morning,” Sebastian rasped.

A delicious shiver ran down Natalie’s spine.She looked around again as she felt her ears burn.

“Stop it! It’s still the middle of the day.”

“Why are you being shy all of a sudden?” Sebastian chuckled.

“Sebastian Klein!” Natalie snapped.

“Cut it out.I’ll cook something delicious for you when I get home.”

Despite her protests, she already felt hot all over her body.

She hung up the phone and covered her face with her hands, as if that could stop the desire and temptation from coursing through her veins.

It was well into the afternoon when she returned to her office desk.

Gerda saw Natalie approach and gave her a wink.

“Hey, I heard that the old couple downstairs earlier were your adoptive parents, is that right? The whole company is talking about

Of course, they were.

They were probably badmouthing her, too.

Natalie looked around, and sure enough, her colleagues were staring at her with morbid curiosity.

She instantly lowered her eyes.

“They came for some family matters.”

Gerda could tell that there was something else Natalie didn’t want to talk about, something that wasn’t particularly pleasant, like a secret.She decided to offer the new girl some advice.

“You had better make things clear as soon as possible.Everybody loves to gossip, and they tend to exaggerate every little detail. You never know what those silly rumors would eventually become.”

Natalie said nothing and just sat at her desk.

She had been expecting this much.

After all, Lauren had raised quite a ruckus in front of so many people this morning.

It didn’t help that Natalie made no response and just walked out on Lauren and George.

Without any explanation from Natalie, the onlookers were naturally led to believe that she was an ungrateful daughter, just as Lauren had so publicly claimed.

“You kept pestering us to give you money.Why else do you think we are doing here?”

Lauren wiped her eyes, took out a stack of cash from the kraft paper bag, and purposefully handed it to Natalie as all the employees watched them.

Then, she sniffed and began to cry out loud.

“Don’t come to our house asking for money again.We’ve sold all our possessions to give you money.We don’t have anything else to give you.Please don’t force us again. We can’t afford an adopted daughter like you. We have raised you all these years without expecting anything in return.But you can’t treat us this way.We are getting old.”

It looked like the two had come to the Larson Group just to ruin Natalie’s reputation.

Natalie checked the money and realized at least three or four hundred thousand dollars were in the paper bag.

Besides, she had also saved up after selling the things she had got from them in the past.

The money would be sufficient enough to meet Hannah’s medical expenses.

Natalie was thrilled.

Now that she had the money, she didn’t have to worry about Hannah’s medical expenses anymore.

The fake pitiful looks on George and Lauren’s faces disgusted her.

Natalie wasn’t in the mood to talk to them anymore.

“Thank you.lf you don’t have anything else to say, I’d better return to work.”

Seeing that she was about to leave, Lauren hurriedly stopped her.

Natalie tried wriggling out of her hold.

But even before Natalie pulled her hand back, Lauren screamed and fell to the ground.

“How can you do this to us, Natalie? You didn’t bother calling us your parents when I gave you the money.Now, you’ve pushed your mom to the ground. You’re an ungrateful daughter! God will punish you. If you have a conscience, tell everyone how we’ve raised you all these years.But you’ve forgotten all that.Money is all you need.But we have nothing left to give you.Do you want to take our lives? Would that satiate your greed?”

Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Lauren.

“You have never been nice to me.Now, you owe me money.What are you up to now? All right, go ahead.Bring it on.I’ll see what you can do.”

“You ungrateful bitch!”

Lauren waved her hands in exasperation.She continued to pound the ground and cry, which seemed to garner everyone’s attention.

It was working hours now.

Several employees were walking in and out of the Larson Group.

Hearing Lauren’s accusations, they cast a disgusted look at Natalie.

“Gosh, could she be more greedy?”

“Look at their clothes! Her parents look like they’re struggling to make ends meet.

How could their daughter ask them for money instead of supporting them?”

“It’s said that she is an adopted daughter. How could an adopted daughter ask for money from her parents with such arrogance when she should be grateful for them?”

Natalie turned a blind eye to Lauren’s performance.

Since Lauren didn’t allow her to leave, she used the chance to count the money.

After carefully counting and recounting it, she put the money back and neatly tucked away the bag.

“Well, the sum is correct.But your performance was pathetic.Don’t you feel ashamed to stay here?” she asked, looking into Lauren’s eyes.

Her lips curled up into a smile.

Natalie was glad that she got the money and didn’t care about what anyone thought of her.

“If you’re not tired yet, you can sit down and cry a little longer.I have to give the money to the hospital for Hannah’s treatment right away, so I won’t be able to watch your performance.”

“What? You’re going to leave with the money? That’s your sister’s tuition fee! Your father and I struggle to make ends meet.Do you want us to sell our kidneys to support our family now?”

Seeing that Natalie was about to leave with the money, Lauren raised her voice a decibel higher and shouted, “Your father and I lead miserable lives. We have raised an ungrateful daughter. You are sucking the life and money out of us!”

Just then, Tiffany arrived and was about to enter the company.

A frown lined her forehead when she saw Natalie and the crowd around her.

“What’s going on, Quinn? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“Everything is okay, Ms.Fisher.Don’t worry.I can handle it.! want permission to take off from work for an hour or two.I have to pay the medical fee for my family member in hospital.I’ll be back in the afternoon.”

Natalie smiled at Tiffany.

Lauren’s tricks didn’t affect her the slightest.

“Okay, come back soon,” Tiffany readily agreed.

Then, she saw Lauren lying on the ground and frowned.

“What are these two homeless people doing in there? Security! Get them out of here. We don’t want them to affect our work.” With that, she turned around and strutted into the building.

Considering she got Tiffany’s permission, Natalie left.She didn’t want to talk to Bemie and Lauren anymore.She was already running out of time and had to pay for the surgery as soon as possible.

Lauren looked around in embarrassment.

Natalie had left the place, leaving her all alone.

However, she didn’t want to give up easily.

Lauren waved her hands dramatically and began to cry again.

“Natalie treats us like filth.Although we are her adoptive parents, we have always treated her as our own.But she is an ungrateful girl! “ Natalie turned a deaf ear to Lauren’s words.She already hailed a taxi and rushed to the hospital.She didn’t want to waste her time dealing with George and Lauren.

After Natalie left, Lauren slowly got up and left with George.Once they got far away from the Larson Group, George scolded Lauren.No one had ever humiliated him this way.

“We could have just given her the money without playing any tricks.God, it was humiliating!”

However, Lauren didn’t seem to care.

“Oh, come on, George. You should be happy.’m sure our drama would have ruined Natalie’s reputation.Didn’t you see the look on the faces of the people there? They all hate Natalie now.Sooner or later, Natalie will get fired.”

Meanwhile, in the hospital.

Natalie paid the fees and confirmed the date of Hannah’s surgery.

She slumped on the chair and breathed a sigh of relief.

All the worries and quandaries in her mind were cleared, and Natalie finally began to wonder why George and Lauren had returned the money all of a sudden.

She leaned against the railing outside the corridor and called Sebastian.

The heavy rain had awoken the entire city. The trees and greeneries looked lush and vibrant.

The cool breeze seemed to refresh everyone.

Lauren’s lips twitched, until her face contorted into a hideous expression.

They shouldn’t have adopted Natalie in the first place! Even as a child, she had always stolen the limelight from Cassie.

As an adult, all she did was to go against the Quinn family.

If Lauren had known that things would turn out like this, she would have just left Natalie to die in the cold.

“No, please don’t hang up, Mr.Walton!” she cried out in a hurry.

“Let’s continue with this discussion.Please tell me what we need to do so that you’ll continue working with us.” The man snorted derisively.

“Do honestly need me to spell it out for you? Don’t you have any idea what you’ve done wrong at all? Our cooperation was built upon integrity, something that the Quinn family is painfully lacking.”

Then he hung up the phone before Lauren could say anything else.

Lauren’s blood boiled after she hung up the phone.She gritted her teeth for a while before bursting into tears.

“Ah! Natalie is out to destroy us! George, you’d better man up and do something before it’s too late. Mark my words.I will divorce you and leave with Cassie if the Quinn family goes bankrupt.Don’t expect me to languish in poverty with you!”

The events that led to Natalie’s adoption replayed in her head at this moment.

“I told you not to adopt a child, but you refused to listen to me. Your parents accused me of being infertile and made my life a living hell because we were childless.I was forced to adopt that child.She turned out to be a jinx who has made it her point of duty to destroy us.It’s all your fault.! didn’t do anything wrong, so I won’t suffer with you here!”

The bankruptcy news took Cassie by surprise.

She sprang to her feet and asked anxiously, “Mom, what did you just say? We are on the verge of bankruptcy? How come? I thought we are extremely wealthy.”

She had been busy living a carefree life, so she knew very little about her family’s current financial situation.

The death of George’s father had dealt a huge blow to the Quinn Group.

George was a pushover, so he couldn’t run the company like his father.

It was harder for him because all the senior executives left with their loyal subordinates one after another.

Even now, he didn’t know what to do.He just curled up in the corner of the sofa like a child.

After a while, he said, “Let bygones be bygones.We can’t undo what has already happened.Let’s focus on the issue on the ground.What should we do now?”

This question added fuel to Lauren’s anger.

As her hand which was holding the teacup shook, she shot him a cold glare.

“What else can we do? We need to give Natalie the money in public, so everyone would know that we are honest people.” “Mom, do we really need to give her the money? Don’t you think that bitch has gotten enough from us? I am notin support of it!” Cassie angrily stamped her feet and added, “She’s always winning against us!”

“If we don’t give her the money, what else can we do? I honestly don’t know if Natalie is winning because she has a powerful person backing her up or that we just have ill luck. How come Mr.Walton find out?”

Lauren sighed and rubbed the comers of her eyes.

She was so stressed that more wrinkles appeared on her face.

When she was done with the massage, she looked at Cassie and said, “My dear daughter, you must marry a good and wealthy

man.Natalie is so arrogant now, and this is really driving us crazy.Fortunately, we still have you. You are our only hope.Don’t let us down.By the way, your relationship with Jason is going well, right?”

“Yes, Mom.Our relationship is blissful. Trust me, I won’t let you down.”

Cassie quickly took a sip of her coffee to hide the guilt on her face after lying.

She was yet to tell her mother that Jason had dumped her.

The same person who put her family in this mess was also the reason why he broke up with her.

“Oh, you are a good child.Keep up the good work.”

Lauren heaved a long sigh and slammed the cup on the table.

Sheer resentment filled her up as she thought about her adopted daughter.

She wiped her tears and spewed, “Natalie is such an ungrateful bitch! After everything we did for her, she wants to repay us with

wickedness.Why did she open our family affairs to the public? Does she want me to commit suicide or die of a heart attack before she would be satisfied?”

George was still in that fetal position.

“I’ll give Natalie the money tomorrow and then talk to Mr.Walton about the cooperation.Let’s wait and see if things would pan out,” he said sheepishly.

Lauren glared at him unwillingly.

Losing the family’s fortune was one thing she could never accept.

The thought of being poor scared her out of her wits.

‘Aargh! We are about to lose everything because of that jinx, but we still have to give her the money.She must be very happy now!’ It began to rain heavily outside.

The downpour was accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Lauren wiped her t her fists tightly.

A murderous expression replaced the sadness on her face in a trice.

‘Natalie, you will not go scot-free!’ She made up her mind to teach her adopted daughter an unforgettable lesson.

In the design department of the Larson Group Considering it wasn’t working hours yet, most employees were having breakfast.

“Why did you take the day off yesterday?”

Gerda munched on her sandwich and inadvertently glanced at Natalie.

“Well, I had something private to deal with,” Natalie mumbled.

She recalled the passionate kiss she shared with Sebastian on the sofa last night.

They had been kissing for quite a while.

Her lips had become numb after it.

Natalie quickly brushed the thought away as her cheeks became hot.

Gerda arched an eyebrow and studied her face.

Seeing Natalie giggle like a teenage girl, she understood what had happened.

“Oh, you went on a date? Quinn, please control yourself.We are in the company now.Don’t laugh like a crazy, lovesick woman.” Natalie immediately pursed her lips to suppress her smile.

“Oh, come on.Stop talking nonsense.”

Gerda didn’t want to argue with her.

The sudden commotion downstairs caught her attention.

She looked out of the window and asked curiously, “What’s going on? Why have so many people gathered downstairs?”

Many workers were standing by the window, staring downstairs.

Natalie also joined them to see what was going on.

Her eyes widened; she was taken aback for a moment.

In the middle of the curious crowd stood George and Lauren.

Natalie quickly ran downstairs.

Seeing her come out of the building, Lauren quickly rushed to her, carrying a kraft paper bag.She looked depressed and indignant.

Natalie frowned at her.

“What are you doing here?”

Strangely enough, both George and Lauren were wearing ordinary, wrinkly clothes, unlike their usual expensive ones.

They didn’t look wealthy and extravagant like they usually did but looked like two peasants who had just come out of their farm after work.

Lauren looked much older than usual.She looked like she was in her fifties or sixties, probably because she deliberately wore haggard makeup.

The dark circles under her eyes and her wrinkly face made her look pitiful.

Natalie finally nodded in agreement.

A faint smile stretched across Sebastian’s lips.

He cupped her cheeks and kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth.

They were a couple now.

The Quinn family’s house was still clamorous after Sebastian and Natalie left. The maid was cleaning the red stains on the carpet, listening to the three of them bicker.

Cassie lost her temper.

She sniffled loudly and burst into tears as if she had just broken up with her boyfriend.

“How could Sebastian do this to me? How could he compare me to that bitch? I’m in no way inferior to her! Mom, no one has ever humiliated me this way!”

George was reading the newspaper, scowling with frustration. He couldn’t understand what his daughter was thinking.

‘What makes her think Sebastian would like her? Besides, isn’t it a good thing he doesn’t like her?’ he thought.

Since Sebastian didn’t like her, he wouldn’t blame them for marrying him to Natalie instead of Cassie.

George couldn’t understand why his daughter was making a fuss.

Lauren was also furious.She had been dreading this day, thinking Sebastian would ruin their lives if he found the truth.

However, the man showed completely no interest in Cassie, which infuriated them.

“Stop crying.Otherwise, your eyes will become puffy and bloodshot. You won’t be able to go out.Sebastian is just a loser.He doesn’t deserve you.”

Lauren patted Cassie’s back to comfort her.But Cassie began to weep harder.

Gritting her teeth, she picked up the teacup on the table and threw it on the floor.

“But he doesn’t like me.He even compared me with that bitch. That’s the biggest humiliation of my life!” Lauren’s heart clenched at the sight of the shattered remnants of the antique vases and cups on the floor.

She had spent a lot of money on them, but Cassie smashed them in an instant.

“That’s a good thing. What would you have done if Sebastian pestered you to marry him?”

Lauren continued to persuade her daughter.

Hearing that made Cassie calm down a little.

“Of course, I wouldn’t have agreed.” She sniffed loudly.

“But I should be the one denying him and this proposal.I can’t believe he doesn’t want me.”

“Sebastian is not a good man.I’ve asked you not to let his good looks deceive you.Keep my words in mind.Otherwise, sooner or later, you’ll fall for the wrong man and suffer.” Lauren poked Cassie’s temple with disappointment.

At that moment, George’s phone rang.

Lauren picked up the phone and glanced at the screen.

“George, it’s a call from the company you have partnered with.Answer it now!”

She nudged George’s arm, who was about to doze off on the sofa.

“What’s the matter? Why have they called me at this hour?”George sat upright, clearing his throat.

“Hello, Mr.Walton.What’s up?”

The caller was the CEO of one of the Quinn family’s partnering companies.

“Mr.Quinn, the senior executives of our company have decided to terminate our cooperation with your company.” George sprang up from his seat in horror.

“Wait, Mr.Walton.Why? What’s with the sudden decision? Are you not happy with our collaboration?”

George wasn’t good at handling business.

The company was barely holding on over the years as he struggled to retain the connections his father had built in the past.

This collaboration was crucial for business.

Once they withdrew, the Quinn family would face severe downfall.

The partner then spoke, his tone bland.

“I heard that you once arranged your biological daughter’s marriage, only to make your adopted daughter many in her stead. You still owe the girl a sum of money, don’t you? Yet you refuse to give her proper compensation. Your adopted daughter has made this matter public, and she certainly wasn’t subtle about it.Clearly, you are not a trustworthy person.In our recent meeting with the shareholders, we have reached a consensus to no longer engage in any cooperation with your dubious enterprises.”

Although the man’s voice was relatively calm, George felt it rumble in his core.

“Mr.Walton, these allegations aren’t true at all! We have our fair share of difficulties.Can’t you please reconsider the matter?”

George was so frightened that he could barely think properly before speaking.He was still honest, to a degree.He wanted to acknowledge the Quinn family’s fault in the issue with the marriage, but he didn’t know how to even begin his explanation.

“Why should I? How dare you insist on a collaboration when you and your family have already been exposed for your deceit?” George felt his face bum with shame.He had nothing to say to that.

Lauren was seated beside him, and she had been pressing her ear to the other side of the phone the whole time to listen in on the conversation.

She was just as shaken to learn that their business partner intended to terminate their cooperation.

Unlike George, however, she was quite adept with words.

“Let me talk to him,” she said impatiently as she grabbed the phone from his hands.

“Please, Mr.Walton,” Lauren said in a singsong voice.

“You must allow us to explain our side of the matter. You can’t just listen to what other people are saying.It is true that we have an adopted daughter.However, this so-called expose of hers is nothing but a ploy to extort us of money.Such an ungrateful girl, really.We raised her like our own, and here she is now, maligning us for profit.I’m afraid that she won’t stop until she has taken every single penny to our name.We would have gladly given her what she needed, but we know her well enough to know that she’s only going to squander any cash she gets her hands on. This is a family matter, Mr.Walton.We are trying to handle it as best as we can, but I hope you understand that personal affairs have no place in business transactions.”

Lauren had fully expected to convince the man with her persuasive ways, but she only received more disdainful remarks.

“I disagree.As a matter of fact, I had this issue investigated exactly because of our existing collaboration.I must say, I’m quite appalled that you persist in slandering your adopted daughter.I already know that Natalie asked you for money in order to finance the surgery of a maid that used to serve the Quinn family.She wasn’t going to spend it on herself.It seems that you and your husband are incapable of truth.Only an idiot would be willing to enter a business deal with you, and I assure you, I am no idiot.Furthermore, the Quinn family has been on the decline in recent years. The only reason why we kept giving you contracts is to honor the friendship between the previous generations of our two families.Now that you have broken that trust, I believe I have no other choice but to sever our ties for good.”

Sebastian was sitting on the sofa beside her.

The dim light from the TV cast sharp shadows on his face, making his features look sharper.He was leaning comfortably against the sofa, sending messages on his phone.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Natalie rubbed her eyes.

A gray blanket slipped down from her shoulders.

“I thought you would wake up any time.” Sebastian smiled and handed a glass of warm milk to her.

“Drink this and go to your room.It would be more comfortable for you to sleep there.”.Natalie took the milk and drank it obediently.

The room fell silent again.

“By the way, thank you for helping me last night.Did your hand get hurt when you smashed the wine bottle?”

She had been busy worrying about Hannah that she almost forgot what happened in the Quinn family house.

Holding the glass, she studied Sebastian’s face.

His expression remained the same throughout.He put down his phone and took a sip of beer.

“It’s okay.We are husband and wife,”he said, his eyes still fixed on the TV.

“You don’t have to thank me.” Natalie pulled the blanket closer in her arms and looked at him.

The light from the TV brightened her face.

She drew circles on the rim of the glass, carefully choosing her words.

“Now that you know I wasn’t the one you had planned to marry, do you still want to be in a serious relationship with me as my husband?” Sebastian stopped drinking beer and turned his head.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

“Why do you ask? Who else do you want to marry?” Natalie’s hair stood on end when she heard the threat in his tone.She looked away and shook her head.

“No.1 didn’t mean that.”

Sebastian was an excellent man, and she had no reason to stay away from him.

After a moment’s thought, Sebastian asked, “You always refused to consummate our wedding and be a real couple.Was it because you married me as a substitute? Were you planning on leaving me one day?”

Natalie’s mouth parted.She didn’t know what to say.

Sebastian had observed her every move intently.

“Well, that was one of the reasons.But I didn’t intend to leave without telling you the truth.I just wanted to wait for a proper timing to tell you everything so that we could decide what to do next.”

A blush flamed Natalie’s cheeks.She didn’t know why they were talking about this all of a sudden.

“What about now?” Sebastian grabbed her wrist.

The warmth of his body seeped into her skin.

He pushed the blanket away and leaned closer to her.

His tall nose and chiseled jaw made him look manly.

Natalie pulled the blanket closer to her as she felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

At such a close distance, she could see his drooping eyelashes.

“I… ‘m not ready yet.! have to pay for Hannah’s surgery.There are still a lot of things for me to do.I have to finish the design for the company as well.And… and there are eggs in the fridge… well, we have to finish them as soon as we can. They have been in the fridge for almost two months.”

Sebastian arched his brows and listened to her rant about the most random thing to avoid the topic.

“How long do you think you can avoid it?”

Flustered, Natalie cleared her throat and said, “You know what, Sebastian. The money George and Lauren give me won’t even cover up to half of the surgery fee.I have to find a way to pay for it.Now, I think I have no choice but to borrow money from the bank even if the interest rates are high.”

Sebastian slowly loosened his grip on Natalie’s wrist.His slender fingers trailed down her hand and interlaced her fingers.

He kissed her knuckles and smiled.

“You have said a lot.Catch some breath now.Is your throat dry?”

Natalie was taken aback; she stared at him with wide eyes.

A blush crept onto her cheeks.

She lowered her gaze, batting her eyelashes.

Sebastian didn’t say anything more.He stroked her palm and looked at her shy face.

The smile lit up his face; he looked more handsome than ever.

Somehow, the lust in his eyes seemed appealing rather than annoying.

“Tell me something. Would you rather get a loan from a bank than ask me for help?”

“You are no better than I am. You have no money.Even if you have savings, I don’t think it would be enough to pay for the surgery.”

Natalie smiled and looked at him.

Then, she drank the milk and placed the glass on the table.

Sebastian was rendered speechless.

Judging by Natalie’s impression of him, it was indeed unreasonable for him to offer the money for the surgery.

It would gamer her suspicion.He frowned and said, “You should have at least asked me to find a way to help you.I could also ask around for money.”

After a moment’s thought, Natalie looked at him intently.

“I don’t have the habit of depending on others.Hannah is old and weak.I have been solving all the problems myself without seeking anyone’s help ever since I was a child.If I started depending on others, then it would become a habit.As time goes by, it would turn into a weakness.After all, you can only rely on yourself.”

“That makes sense, in a way.” Sebastian nodded in understanding.

He leaned against the sofa, his hair bouncing with every move.

“Come here,” he said, stretching out his hand.

Natalie bit her bottom lip in embarrassment. But her body reacted on its own accord.She nestled in Sebastian’s arms and let out a weary sigh.

Sebastian pulled Natalie closer to him and wrapped the blanket around them.

“Are you cold? Do you want me to get a quilt from the bedroom?” Outside the window, the streets were pitch dark.

Only the dim lamps illuminated the road.

The wind howled, and the raindrops pattered on the green leaves.It finally began to rain.

“No need.” Natalie nestled closer to him.

The warmth of his body seeped into hers.

It felt as if he were her own, cozy heater.

She leaned against Sebastian’s chest and inhaled his fresh, manly scent.

A contented sigh escaped her lips.

Suddenly, her eyes sprang open.She looked at him and asked.

“Did you collect the clothes I washed today?”

“Yes. have folded and kept the clothes in your bedroom.”

Sebastian moved his arm, pulling her closer to him, making her lean on his shoulder more comfortably.

Once the football game ended, Sebastian picked up the remote control and switched to a horror movie. It was still pouring outside.

“You have to change your habit,” Sebastian said, breaking the silence.

Natalie was engrossed in the film.

Hearing his voice, she turned and looked at him quizzically.

“What?”

“From now on, you have me.You don’t have to struggle on your own,”

Sebastian said softly, stroking her silky hair.

Natalie looked out of the window without answering him.

“Don’t think about a loan for the time being.I’ll try to find a way to get the money.Listen to me.We still have a couple of days left.Let taking a loan from the bank be our last resort.”

Sebastian rubbed his fingers against her soft cheek and looked into her eyes.He wanted her to trust him.

Sebastian’s handsome face made her dizzy.

“When I was one year old, George and Lauren adopted me.But a year later, Cassie was bom.Since they had a daughter of their own, they stopped caring about me.Hannah was a maid in the Quinn family.She was the one who raised me.I was living with Hannah in the countryside before I grew up and came to the city.George and Lauren gave Hannah some money every month.However, that was not enough to meet our expenses. They didn’t bother increasing the monthly allowance.Hannah bought things for me with her money. She doesn’t have any family, and I have been taking care of her.She is all I have.Now, to make things worse, Lauren has secretly intercepted the liver for Hannah’s transplant.I don’t know how long it will take to find another donor.I don’t know how she is going to manage.”

Natalie sniffed, gasping for breath.

Sebastian pulled out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her.

Seeing Natalie hitching with sobs, he pulled her into his arms.

“So you told me about your deal with them in a fit of anger?” Sebastian asked softly, his chin resting on her head.

He felt sorry for her.He had thought that Natalie was an optimistic carefree woman but didn’t think she shouldered a lot of burden and responsibilities on her own

“It was because they broke their promise.”

Leaning against his strong chest, Natalie frowned and complained like a child.Her answer amused Sebastian.

He hailed a taxi and pulled her inside.

Natalie hugged him tighter and pressed her face against the crook of his neck.

“Don’t worry!” Sebastian stroked her hair.

“I have a lot of friends.I’ll help you figure something.”

Natalie’s head became hot and heavy after all the crying.She felt sleepy.

Sebastian’s embrace comforted her.She rubbed her cheek against his chest and snuggled up to him.

Silence fell.

The ride was quiet, except for the whooshing of the wind.

“I’ve lying to you the whole time.Aren’t you mad at me?” Natalie asked, interlacing her fingers with his.

‘How could every part of his body look beautiful?’ She looked at the blue veins running across his muscular hand in awe.

Sebastian let her play with his hand as he watched her intently.

The flickering light cast a soft glow on his face.

He put his other arm around her shoulder and sighed.

“When I found out that you deceived me, I was furious.But later, I was simply glad that I didn’t marry Cassie. Fortunately, it was you”

His every word felt like fireworks exploding in her ears.Her heart stuttered in her chest.She began to sob uncontrollably.

The pain was unbearable.

Her vice-like grip wrinkled Sebastian’s T-shirt that was soaked in her tears.

“It’s okay.I’m here.It’s over now, Natalie.”

Sebastian hurriedly took out a tissue and wiped her tears.

He peppered kisses across her cheek and lips to comfort her.

Natalie looked at him through her teary eyes, and her nose had turned red.She was so vulnerable at the moment that she shrank in his arms.She wrapped her arms around Sebastian’s neck and cried, “What do I do now, Sebastian? I have severed all ties with my adoptive parents, and Hannah is in fatal danger now.I feel like I have no one in this world.Nobody wants me.”

Natalie felt abandoned and helpless.

Living in a world without any hope or anyone to hold on to was tragic.

Natalie wasn’t an optimistic person.She always pretended to be strong and happy to protect herself from the world.

“You still have me.l’ll always be with you.”

Sebastian pulled her closer into his arms.He meant every word he said.

Natalie pressed her face closer against his neck and continued to sob silently.She clung to him for dear life.She didn’t know how and since when she started trusting Sebastian.

But at the moment, the man was her savior.

He continued to stroke her back comfortingly.

After crying out her emotions, Natalie leaned against Sebastian’s chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.She felt sleepy.

As she closed her eyes, Sebastian pulled the jacket tighter, covering Natalie’s neck, and kissed the top of her head.

“Forget everything and sleep.”

When Natalie woke up again, it was already midnight.She was lying on the bed in her room.

It looked like Sebastian had carried her into the house.

A nightmare woke her up.She wanted to close her eyes and sleep again but couldn’t.Her mind was filled with thoughts about Hannah.She tossed and turned on the bed all night.

The next morning, Natalie walked out of the room.

Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

After she called her company and took a leave of absence, Natalie went to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

She planned to go to the hospital to see if they had found another suitable liver for Hannah.

“Your phone is ringing.”

Sebastian knocked on the bathroom door and came in with Natalie’s phone.

A frown lined his forehead when he saw Natalie’s tired eyes.

Natalie answered the phone and quickly turned her head.

She looked haggard today and didn’t want Sebastian to see her in this state.

“Hello, Miss Quinn? I’m a nurse from the municipal hospital.I’m calling to tell you that the liver that was originally assigned for Hannah Stone is available again. The liver transplantation operation will be performed as scheduled.”

“Oh, okay, okay. That’s great!” At first, Natalie was overjoyed.

But later, she remembered what they had done earlier.

“Didn’t you say the patient decided to continue with his treatment? What happened now?”

She wondered which corrupt doctor in the hospital had secretly colluded with Lauren.

“Well…”

The nurse sounded embarrassed.

She cleared her throat and said, “Well, I just called to inform you that the surgery will be performed as planned.” Natalie hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief.

After a moment’s thought, she turned to look at Sebastian.

“How did you make it?”

Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck nonchalantly.

“Well, I know a few people working in the hospital.”

Natalie examined his face.

Sebastian’s eyes were droopy, and his hair was a mess.He was leaning against the sink, brushing his teeth.

Somehow, Natalie sensed something was wrong.She didn’t believe him.

After all, she believed Sebastian was just a common man.How could he know more influential people than Lauren did?

But soon, Natalie forgot about everything as excitement bubbled up in her heart.She was so happy that she didn’t bother probing how it all happened.

“Aren’t you going to work today?” Sebastian asked in a muffled voice as he wiped his face with a cotton towel.

“No, I have taken the day off. I planned to go to the hospital, but that seems unnecessary now.” Clenching a rubber band between her teeth, Natalie casually coiled up her chestnut curly hair into a bun.

After that, she smoothed her unruly bangs in front of the mirror, tucking long strands of hair behind her ear.

She looked like a college student.

However, the dark rims around her eyes made her look haggard.

“All right. Then, sleep well at home.”

Sebastian playfully ruffled her hair and lowered his head to meet her eyes.

Their faces were inches apart.

The next moment, the darkness consumed Natalie as he pecked on her lips.

“I’m going to work.”

With that, he left.

Natalie touched her lips in a daze.

By the time she returned to her senses, the door was closed, and the apartment returned to silence.

After breakfast, Natalie slumped on the sofa and watched TV.It was humid and dark outside.

The cloudy sky showed signs of a rainstorm.

Natalie didn’t know when she fell asleep.

When she woke up, the light in the living room was off, and a football match was playing on the TV.