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

“Sebastian, you must have misunderstood things here.I scolded my daughter in a fit of anger.It doesn’t mean anything,”

Lauren flashed a sweet smile, her eyes still fixed on the expensive gifts.

“I don’t want to hear any explanation.” Sebastian looked at them indifferently.He was in no mood to listen to their stupid justification.

Seeing that, Sean ran over, packed everything, and took the bags away.

Sebastian didn’t say anything more.He held Natalie’s hand and left the Quinn family’s villa.

Sebastian finally let go of her hand when they walked outside.His face softened as he looked at her.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were going to see your parents?”

Natalie wanted to ask her adoptive parents for money, so she couldn’t take Sebastian with her.

“I didn’t plan on visiting them in the first place,” she lied.

“I happened to take this route, so I decided to drop by.Did you hear all our conversation?”

“I only heard your mother say she didn’t have a daughter like you.Did she say anything else?”

Sebastian turned to look at her, Natalie shook her head.

She was just afraid that Sebastian would find out about the deal and ruin all her plans.

However, Natalie was surprised at how he blindly supported her. She felt Sebastian was a reckless man.

“How could you stand up for me after hearing just one sentence? What if it was my fault? The Quinn family members are not to be trifled with.”

Sebastian looked at Natalie.

Seeing her fluttering eyelashes, he swallowed and said, “I didn’t care about it.”

Natalie chuckled.

The Quinn family members always humiliated her every time she visited them.

However, today, Lauren and Cassie’s frustration made her happy.

She was pleased to see their disappointment.

Moreover, Natalie had witnessed Sebastian’s concern and care for her.

“Are these really gifts from the Klein family?” she asked, pointing at the bags.

“No.The Klein family has abandoned me for years.I rented these to maintain my image for you.I didn’t intend on giving these gifts to them in the first place.”

Sebastian had heard that Cassie was a complacent woman.

Fearing that she would ask the Klein family for benefits and use him for selfish gain after marrying him, Sebastian lied that he had nothing to do with his family anymore.

Glancing at Sean, Sebastian added, “The man carrying the bags works for a luxury rental shop.”

“Hello! Nice to meet you.”

Sean shook Natalie’s hand.He couldn’t help but admire her beauty.

The woman seemed nothing like what he had imagined.She was a pristine beauty and didn’t seem arrogant or selfish.

“Why are you shaking hands with him?” Sebastian glared at Sean, and the latter immediately withdrew his hand.

“Don’t say that. He carried these heavy bags for us.We ought to thank him.It’s surprising to find a rental company that offers exceptional service.They are even carrying bags for their customers.”

Natalie smiled, revealing her cute dimples, Sean was speechless.

He didn’t know how to react to such a statement.

Natalie tied her long hair into a ponytail, squatted, and began to inspect the things in the bags.

“They are not broken, are they? How much do we have to compensate if there are any damages?”

Sean couldn’t help but smile at her.

All the items in the bags were a collection of gifts people had given to Sebastian.

“Don’t worry about the damages.You can return them to our company at any time.”

Sean was an exceptional actor.

Sebastian leaned against the lamp pole and looked at Natalie, who was examining the expensive gifts.

There was not even a trace of greed in her beautiful eyes when she looked at the precious jewelry.She only seemed to appreciate them.

Sebastian sighed.

The woman seemed different from the rumors he had heard.

He felt this “Cassie Quinn” was way better than he had thought.

“Something came up.That’s why I’m late.”

Sebastian stood outside the door, exuding a powerful aura, making it impossible for Natalie to step forward.

“Why are you here? I want to go back.Get out of my way.”

Natalie’s voice broke with anger and sadness.

Seeing her red teary eyes, Sebastian looked at everyone in the living room.Then, he gently grasped her wrist.

“There’s no hurry.”

He took Natalie back to the living room.Sean put the bags on the table and opened them one after the other.

After displaying everything on the table, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and retreated behind Sebastian.

Sean was tired of exerting all his physical strength to do his job.

Natalie’s eyes widened when she looked at the gifts.

Expensive jewelry, watches, wine, and other rare antiques dazzled under the lights.

She wondered if these gifts were also knock-offs, like Sebastian’s expensive watch he had got from his friend.

Although the Quinn family wasn’t the most powerful family in the city, they had seen the world.

They could differentiate fake from the real deal.

Natalie tugged at Sebastian’s sleeve.

“What were you thinking? They’re not easy to fool! Forget it.If they find out these are fake, just tell them that I bought these,”

Natalie stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Sebastian’s mouth.

Natalie’s words amused him.

It was the first time someone had thought he would give knock-offs as gifts.

More than that, the way Natalie wanted to protect him and take the blame brought a smile to his face.He gently scratched her soft palm.

“Don’t worry.I never give a fake as a gift.”

It took Lauren and Cassie a few seconds to recover from the shock.

They finally shut their mouths and looked at each other.

Both of them knew the gifts were invaluable.

Lauren smiled sweetly.

“Sebastian, this is your house too now that we’re family.You don’t have to bring gifts when you come.Moreover, these are too expensive.How can we accept them?”

Cassie was drawn to the diamond jewelry dazzling on the table.

Moreover, the limited edition bracelet was her favorite among the others.

Just as she was about to pick it up and put it on her wrist, Sebastian shut the velvet box.He began to close the boxes and put them in the bag.

Sebastian glanced at the mother and daughter who were greedily eyeing the gifts.

“These were supposed to be gifts from the Klein family for you.But I just heard that you don’t regard her as your daughter anymore.Such being the case, there’s no need for me to give these gifts.You are a dignified family.I’m sure you don’t care about these insignificant gifts.”

Both Lauren and Cassie were dumbfounded.

Cassie anxiously tugged at her mother’s sleeve.

“Mom! Say something.I really want that limited edition jewelry.”

Lauren thought she was rich and had seen the luxuries of the world, but clearly she was wrong.

The Quinn family was inferior to the Klein family in every way.

Even though Sebastian was only an illegitimate son of the Klein family, it was normal for him to show his respect to his in-laws by gifting them.

Lauren regretted humiliating Natalie when she could have used her to take advantage of Sebastian in the future.

The taxi stopped outside the Quinn family’s villa. Natalie hurried out and rang the doorbell.

Now that she had married Sebastian as promised, she decided to ask her adoptive parents for money. After all, she did all this only to pay Hannah’s medical expenses.

Lauren was sitting on the sofa, sipping a cup of coffee. She looked up at Natalie and smiled faintly. “How are you getting along with Sebastian? You just got married yesterday. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at your house? Did something happen? Tell me now.”

She didn’t utter a word about the money as if they had never made a deal.

Natalie looked at her sternly. “I’m here to get the money. You promised me that you would give me the money as soon as I married Sebastian.”

Lauren placed the coffee cup on the table and smiled gently. She didn’t plan on giving Natalie the money. It was just a tactic to persuade Natalie. It had only been an oral agreement. And Natalie and Sebastian were married now. Natalie wouldn’t be able to do anything even if they went back on their word.

“Don’t be anxious, Natalie. I’ll give you the money. I’m sure you are aware of our family situation. Your dad has invested in a new business recently. But it turned out to be a shell company. The owner of the company ran away with the money and his mistress, leaving all the problems and burden on your dad’s shoulders. Doing business isn’t easy. Look, your dad’s hair is already grey. Our family has been going through a hard time. We are having trouble with the cash flow and can’t afford such a large sum of money for the time being. Natalie, please try to understand.” Lauren held Natalie’s hand, trying to look pitiful.

Natalie’s body trembled with rage.

Lauren was pure evil. Even a small piece of jewelry she possessed was worth more than Hannah’s medical expenses. She was lying about not being able to afford the promised money.

George frowned. Lauren had gone too far this time, and he felt sorry for Natalie. “Actually, it’s no big deal. We can still afford…”

“What did you say, George? Don’t we have to make ends meet? Cassie is going to study abroad soon. Don’t we need money? The money we have now is my savings over the years after cutting down my expenses. Have you forgotten what I’ve done for our family? But you don’t care about us, do you?” Wiping her fake tears, Lauren glared at her husband.

George was rendered speechless. He didn’t dare to utter another word.

“You promised me that you would give me the money as soon as possible.” Natalie was unhappy, but she couldn’t do anything. After all, it had only been a verbal agreement. She couldn’t demand the money if they really refused to pay.

Wiping her eyes, Lauren smiled. “All right. All right. Dad and Mom will give you the money as soon as we get it. I still have a few thousand dollars. I’ll give that to you first.”

She tried stalling Natalie. After all, once the old maid died, Natalie would have no reason to ask them for money.

‘How could a few thousand dollars be enough?’

Biting her lower lip, Natalie was about to say something. However, Cassie interrupted her. She descended the stairs and shot a disgusted look at Natalie.

“Why are you back? And why isn’t your husband with you? Does he loathe you?” Cassie’s lip curled up into a smirk as she walked toward Natalie.

“I married him on your behalf. You have such a bad reputation. If he loathes his wife, it means he loathes you,” Natalie snapped coldly.

Cassie always thought highly of herself. Hearing the humiliation, she grew furious. Cassie picked up the glass of water and poured it on Natalie, who was sitting calmly on the sofa.

Natalie skillfully dodged the attack. She had expected Cassie to do something like that. When they were children, Cassie liked beating people up when she was mad at them.

“Get out! This is my home!” Cassie barked, pointing at the door. Natalie’s calmness infuriated her.

“I wouldn’t have come here if you didn’t owe me money,” Natalie sneered.

Seeing that her own daughter was bullied, Lauren lost her cool. “How could you talk to your family like this? I don’t have a daughter like you. Get out!”

Natalie’s heart sank with disappointment. Arguing with them was pointless, so she dejectedly stood up to leave.

The moment she opened the door, she saw Sebastian standing outside in a jacket. Behind him stood a man, gasping for breath, holding several bags in his hand.

It was rare for Natalie to dream pleasant dreams lately. In this particular one, Hannah was treated in time and was able to recover. They went home together and life seemed all bright and hopeful.

However, the blaring of the ringtone interrupted her dream. Natalie sat up from the bed and looked at the strange environment in a daze.

It took a while for her to finally remember she was married. She couldn’t adapt to the change yet.

As soon as she opened the door of the bedroom, her gaze fell on Sebastian curling up on the sofa, hugging a pillow. The sofa was too small for his giant body. His legs were dangling out, and a gray blanket was wrapped around him. The sunlight cast a soft glow on his flawless features, making him look like a Greek God.

Natalie was glad to know that Sebastian didn’t make a move on her last night, so she relaxed her guard around him.

Natalie smiled to herself and walked into the kitchen. There were eggs, bacon and bread in the fridge. It looked like the spices were never used before.

Natalie put on an apron and began to make breakfast.

The bacon sizzled, and the delicious smell of butter wafted in the air.

Sebastian woke up. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the woman busy cooking in the kitchen.

He continued to stare at her in a daze. The scene brought memories of the past, as a strong sense of nostalgia engulfed him.

For a moment, he thought it was a dream. His mother always made breakfast before he got up when he was a child, and the entire house would smell of butter.

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. The vision became clear, and he realized it was his newly married wife.

Seeing that Sebastian was sitting on the sofa, staring in a daze, Natalie asked casually, “Do you want some breakfast? The bread is almost ready. Freshen up first.”

She had made a simple breakfast of sandwiches and soup with whatever they had in the fridge.

Natalie was known to be a good cook. Hannah had even suggested she open a small restaurant once.

Sebastian soon came out of the bathroom, pulled a wooden chair, and sat down. His mouth watered when he saw the steaming breakfast on the table. He picked up a sandwich and took a bite.

His heart stuttered as he recalled the time when he and his mother had dinner at this table many years ago when he was a child. Sebastian had eaten all kinds of food from expensive restaurants, but nothing seemed to be at par with what his mother cooked. Now, Natalie’s food seemed to take him back in time — to the good old days.

Sebastian’s face softened. He smiled at Natalie, his eyes gleaming with emotion. “It’s delicious. It tastes just like what my mother used to cook for me when I was a child.”

Natalie’s mouth popped open. She didn’t know what to say. She had made him a simple breakfast with the ingredients they had in the fridge, yet the gratitude and emotion on his face surprised her. She waved her hands, shaking her head.

“I’m flattered. Please wash the dishes after you finish eating. I have something urgent to deal with today.”

Sebastian nodded and ate his breakfast, relishing every bite.

After breakfast, Natalie grabbed her purse and left. She had something important to deal with today.

Not long after she left, a pure black Bugatti trundled to a halt outside the yard.

A man in a striped suit darted in with a bag.

Hearing the knock on the door and thinking it was Natalie, Sebastian opened the door and asked, “Did you forget something?”

Sean Johnson’s eyes widened. Sebastian’s tone sounded strangely gentle. ‘Is boss really happy about this marriage?’ he thought.

“What are you gaping at, Sean?” Sebastian knitted his brows and glanced outside before beckoning him into the house. “Come in.”

“Boss, I have packed breakfast for you from the Michelin restaurant.”

Sebastian was a picky eater. He only ate food from certain restaurants and food prepared by specific cooks. Sean was Sebastian’s assistant and was responsible for his food.

“I already had breakfast.” Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly. “You can eat it if you want. Then, wash the dishes in the sink after you finish eating.”

Sean was shocked again. He couldn’t believe the man in front of him was really his boss. ‘Could marriage change someone so much so soon?’ he wondered.

Natalie was startled. “If I’m not Cassie Quinn, who else do you think I am? It’s such a lame question,” she said jokingly.

Natalie had married Sebastian as Cassie Quinn. If she messed up the plan, Lauren would not give her the money. Hannah was still at the hospital, waiting for the money to get her surgery done.

Sebastian frowned — something seemed out of place. Someone who had previously investigated the daughter of the Quinn family told him that Cassie was an arrogant, willful, vain, brainless woman who liked seducing wealthy men for personal gain.

Therefore, he pretended to be a penniless loser in front of Natalie, thinking she was Cassie so that she would take the initiative to ask for a divorce because the woman despised the poor.

However, the woman in front of him seemed surprisingly accepting of his financial position, as well as his humble abode.

Besides, her nervousness seemed apparent even though she tried her best to remain calm.

Sebastian felt the woman in front of her was kind and sweet. She seemed interesting to him.

But it didn’t matter whether she was the real Cassie or not. He married Cassie only because this was his mother’s last wish on her deathbed.

All he had to do was marry her.

“It was a casual question. Forget about it.” Sebastian picked up the suit jacket and stepped back. “I have finished saying what I want to say. Do you have anything else to add?”

Natalie felt relieved. “No.”

She shook her head and looked around. There was only one bedroom and a tiny sofa in the living room. ‘Do I have to sleep on the same bed with Sebastian?’ she thought.

Sebastian turned around and was about to go to the bathroom when he saw the concern in her eyes. He remembered there was only one bed in the house. The house had been unoccupied for a long time; he only asked the servants to clean it every month.

“There’s only one bed here. I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight. You can sleep in the bedroom,” Sebastian said, casually unbuttoning his cuffs.

Natalie looked at him in surprise. ‘Does he know how to read people’s minds? How does he know what I was thinking?’ she thought.

Although Natalie wanted him to sleep in the living room and was overjoyed that he offered before she asked, she pretended to be embarrassed. “Is that okay? It is our wedding night. Don’t you think it is inappropriate for you to sleep on the sofa? Besides, you are big and tall. How can you sleep comfortably on the small sofa?”

“It is indeed uncomfortable. But there is only one bed here. If I want to sleep comfortably, I might have to sleep here on the same bed with you.” Sebastian lowered his head and leaned closer to her. His eyes darkened as their gaze met. “I’ll join you after taking a shower,” he whispered into her ear.

“You… you’ve misunderstood me. I didn’t mean that.” Natalie’s eyes widened. She braced herself as a blush flamed her cheeks. She lowered her eyes, trying to escape. But there was nowhere to hide. She was forced to retreat to the wooden table.

Seeing that she was about to hit the corner of the table, Sebastian reached out and held her tightly in his arms.

“Then, what did you mean?” Sebastian asked, cocking his head to the side with a playful glint in his eyes.

Natalie blinked at him, looking like a trapped animal.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. She could feel Sebastian’s warm breath blowing against her neck. The man’s body heat cloaked her. She had the urge to run away.

“I just want to sleep alone. And you just said that we only needed to be a nominal couple.”

“Well, I can change my mind. Being a real couple seems like a good option. After all, it looks like you want to consummate the wedding.” Sebastian withdrew his hand from her waist and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“No, I don’t!” Natalie hissed through her teeth. Her face turned red, looking like an angry kitten.

“Well, it looks like it. You are inviting a man to sleep on the same bed with you,” Sebastian said indifferently.

Natalie pushed him away, rushed into the bedroom, closed the door behind her, and locked it.

Seeing her reaction, Sebastian chuckled outside.

Leaning against the door, Natalie panted for breath. Her heart was beating faster than normal. Her face burned as if she had a fever.

As her racing heart gradually slowed down, she made up her mind to hit Sebastian with the lamp on the bedside table if he tried coming anywhere near her.

Natalie then cautiously sat on the bed, her gaze fixed on the closed door. She couldn’t fall asleep until it was very late.

“You better take a shower first. I can wait.” Natalie subconsciously stepped back as if guarding herself against an enemy.

She looked like a trapped bird, struggling hard to hide her panic.

She didn’t know how to face her so-called husband.

The man stood at the table and looked at Natalie.

She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Sebastian looked at her and chuckled. “Don’t be nervous. I won’t eat you. I need to discuss something with you.”

Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and hesitantly walked over to him. She didn’t want to be associated with this man in any way. Everything was happening too fast. She was married to a man she had just met at her wedding.

“What is it?”

Sebastian picked up a wooden chair with one hand and put it in front of her. “Sit down, please.”

Then, he dragged his chair closer to her and sat down. “I don’t like beating around the bush. I know you’re unwilling to marry me.”

‘Is it that obvious?’ thought Natalie.

“A relationship can’t be achieved overnight. It needs time — we need to get to know each other first,” she explained, trying to hide her embarrassment.

However, after saying so, she felt her explanation seemed unnecessary. Sebastian was aware of his position and what people thought of him. He knew Cassie wouldn’t want to marry an illegitimate person like him.

Sebastian knitted his brows and looked Natalie up and down. The woman had been nervous right from the beginning. She had been biting her lower lip, her gaze nervously roaming around everywhere.

“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in this marriage either. We can be a married couple to the outside world, but let’s stay out of each other’s affairs. That way, we can avoid trouble and live in harmony. I spend most of the time outside and seldom come home. I want to have the freedom to do whatever I want. The same goes for you. I will not control or interfere in your business.”

Then, he stood up and picked up the suit jacket from the chair. Then, as if remembering something, Sebastian bent over and grabbed the armrests of the chair, trapping Natalie between his arms.

“Watching a man change his clothes isn’t right. In case, you want me to fulfill your sexual desires, I will be more than happy to satisfy you as a husband.”

The smell of laundry detergent mingling with his scent wafted in the air, making Natalie’s scalp prickle.

“No need,” she hissed through her teeth, trying not to show any weakness.

Sebastian’s face darkened. He glanced at Natalie’s stomach for a split second and warned, “Although we are just a nominal couple, there is one thing I want you to keep in mind.” He took a deep breath and said, “I don’t want to find out that my wife is pregnant with another man’s child one day.”

Loyalty was the most important virtue for Sebastian. He had heard that Cassie changed men like changing clothes.

“I will abide by my duty as a wife as long as we are married,” Natalie answered firmly. “I hope you keep your word and don’t interfere with my life.”

The man’s playful smile faded a little.

He straightened up and stepped back from Natalie. “You’re not Cassie Quinn, are you?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Seeing the frown on Natalie’s face, Sebastian followed her gaze and saw his watch. Moments later, he realized what she was thinking. “This is a knock-off that I borrowed from my friend,” he whispered into her ear. “I usually wear it to look cool but didn’t expect you’d notice it soon.”

Sebastian removed the watch and put it into his pocket.

“It looks real.” Natalie smiled and stepped back, covering her flaming ears.

Sebastian was leaning closer, and she could feel his breath blowing in her ear as he spoke.

As Natalie thought about it, she realized it was normal for a man like Sebastian to have a street friend who sold fakes.

She breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, Natalie had freaked out, thinking Sebastian had done something illegal to make a fortune.

Sebastian knitted his brows. He had heard that the daughter of the Quinn family had several boyfriends and hung out with different men all the time. The girl’s shyness seemed to surprise him.

“The bridegroom is here. Why hasn’t the wedding started yet?” asked a sweet voice of a woman.

Cassie grinned and walked forward, holding her boyfriend’s arm. “Since the bridegroom is here, let me introduce my boyfriend to you,” she said, deliberately raising her voice a decibel higher. “This is Steve Carter, the eldest son of the Carter family. We are family. Steve and I can help you in the future.”

Steve hurriedly lowered his head. It was almost as though he was too ashamed to meet Natalie’s gaze.

When Natalie saw Steve arrive with Cassie, she felt nothing. So she pretended that it was their first time to meet and commented lightly, “Nice introduction. But your current boyfriend is different from the one I saw last week. I wonder if you’re going to be with him or not next week.”

Steve’s feigned smile instantly went stiff.

Smiling embarrassedly, Cassie then shot Natalie a murderous glare and quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, if you’d like, I can refer Sebastian to the Carter family’s company. I’m sure they’d be willing to take him in even if he doesn’t know any technical skills. Maybe he can do the chores like mopping the floor and cleaning the toilet, that kind of thing. After all, it’s better to have a real job than roaming around idly after getting married.”

Natalie stole a nervous glance at Sebastian. Unexpectedly, he didn’t seem to mind such insulting words. He simply broke into a warm smile and waved his hand dismissively. “No, thanks. I like roaming around outside.”

Without getting the reaction she expected, Cassie’s face fell and she returned to her seat sulkily, dragging Steve along with her.

Soon, the priest arrived and hastily finished the wedding.

Sebastian took Natalie back to a small house in the suburb.

The place was small, old, and shabby, but at least they had a house to return to. The house looked empty and hoarded only basic necessities. She felt they were recent additions simply for the wedding. Sebastian was a tall, muscular man; the narrow space somehow looked smaller after he came in.

It seemed obvious that he barely made ends meet.

“This is my home. Make do with it.” Sebastian shrugged casually. He didn’t seem embarrassed in the slightest.

“Yes, it’s a small house, yet it looks tidy. It can accommodate the two of us.”

Natalie was honest. Although the house looked shabby, Sebastian had maintained it well. The yard looked neat, and the house looked spotless. However, it didn’t feel like a home — it was too empty; perhaps because Sebastian seldom stayed there.

Natalie looked around. She saw that Sebastian had taken off his suit jacket and put it on a wooden chair. He was unbuttoning his white shirt. She trailed her gaze across his body and saw the toned muscles under his shirt. It looked like he had been working out regularly.

Sensing her gaze, Sebastian turned his head and met Natalie’s anxious eyes. He stopped and walked toward her. “You’ve been busy all day. Do you want to shower first?” he asked intently.

Everyone looked at the man in awe. He seemed to exude an effortless charm.

Cassie’s eyes lit up. She guessed the handsome man would be one of Sebastian’s two elder brothers. The Klein family was one of the most powerful families in the city. After all, Sebastian was an illegitimate son — Cassie felt he would never stand a chance against the noble members of the family. The man before her looked charming and regal, so she thought he must be the legal heir of the family.

His good looks and charm both surprised and excited her. She thought Steve was a handsome man, but compared with the man in front of her, Steve undeniably became the bottom-of-the-barrel type.

Cassie walked forward and greeted the man. “Are you Sebastian’s brother?” Merely looking him in the eye made her blush. “Well, the groom’s family is yet to come. Please take a seat. The wedding won’t commence for a while.”

She even wanted to ask for his phone number, but because of the occasion, she did not dare be so bold.

The man didn’t bat an eyelid at her. He ignored her and went straight to Natalie.

Cassie’s face burned with embarrassment. The shyness and excitement vanished in an instant.

She angrily returned to her seat. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw the handsome man take position beside Natalie. That was when it dawned on her: he was none other than the bridegroom, Sebastian.

Cassie shook her head in disbelief. ‘How could Sebastian look this handsome?’

She leaned over and whispered in Lauren’s ear, “Mom, why didn’t you find a photo of Sebastian for me? If I had known what he looked like, I wouldn’t have asked Natalie to marry him in place of me.”

Lauren closed her eyes and blew out a loud breath, shaking her head in disapproval. Then, she turned and cast a reproachful look at her daughter. “You are still young. When you grow up, you will know that a man’s appearance is the least important thing. Sebastian is a loser — he doesn’t even have a decent job. He is a useless idiot who doesn’t have a life. He is the perfect match for Natalie. The two will remain outcasts forever.”

Cassie didn’t bother retorting. However, she hated the fact that Natalie was going to marry a handsome man. He looked like a movie star.

Sebastian walked to Natalie and studied her face. “I’m late because I had to deal with personal affairs,” he said flatly, scratching his brows.

“It doesn’t matter.” Natalie didn’t mind. She was glad to know that Sebastian was a good-looking man. There was at least something good about him.

Just as she turned, her gaze settled on the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist that was dazzling under the sunlight.

Although she wasn’t rich, she had seen enough of the world to know the value of the watch. She recognized at a glance that the watch was worth at least a million dollars. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Everyone had told her that Sebastian was a poor lowly man. That was why they wanted Natalie to marry him in the first place. How could he afford such an expensive watch then?

A few days later, Natalie arrived at a small church in the suburbs, wearing a simple white slip dress.

She was getting married today.

She was going to marry a man she had never seen before.

She didn’t bother renting a wedding dress because she didn’t want to pay for it. Natalie had to pay the medical fees for Hannah’s surgery.

She bought some white baby’s-breath in a flower shop and asked the seller to give her an extra white silk ribbon to braid her hair. Natalie looked pure and innocent.

It was time for the wedding, but the groom hadn’t arrived yet. The wedding venue was almost empty — only a few people had arrived.

“Don’t worry. He’s probably stuck in traffic. Let’s wait a little longer,” George comforted Natalie.

Natalie’s breathing faltered.

She had heard something about the man she was going to marry. His name was Sebastian Klein. The man didn’t have a decent job and was an idler who wasted his time hanging out with punks from the streets all the time.

The thought of marrying someone like him made Natalie stomach churn with anxiety, but she had no choice.

“Why hasn’t the groom and his family arrived yet?” Lauren frowned and glanced at the handful of people in the church. She was dressed in a gorgeous, soft purple dress. The subtle makeup accentuated her features — she looked breathtaking

It seemed like the Klein family didn’t value the marriage. However, Natalie wasn’t bothered. She only cared about Hannah’s medical expenses.

Natalie leaned closer to Lauren and whispered, “Will you give me the money as soon as the wedding is over?”

She had promised her adoptive parents to trade her marriage for money to save Hannah’s life.

“We are family. Why do you keep talking about money all the time? Don’t worry. I will give you the money as promised. Don’t keep asking about it.” Regardless of how gentle Lauren tried to sound, impatience was evident in her voice.

Meanwhile, Cassie also arrived.

She walked into the church in a splashy outfit and expensive jewelry, holding her boyfriend’s arm.

She strutted toward George and Lauren with a smug smile. She had stolen Natalie’s wealthy boyfriend, leaving her to marry the worthless illegitimate child of the Klein family.

Steve’s brows furrowed when he saw Natalie in her wedding dress. A ball of guilt settled in the pit of his stomach.

It was all his fault. A moment’s passion had ended his relationship with the love of his life. Natalie was going to marry someone else.

He didn’t intend to attend the wedding. Cassie had practically dragged him to the church. However, he couldn’t refuse after learning that Cassie was pregnant with his child.

Steve’s eyes had been fixed on Natalie ever since he arrived at the church. Cassie couldn’t bear to watch him gape at the woman she despised.

Nothing had changed even after all these years. Natalie managed to captivate everyone with her charm. People always paid attention to her instead of Cassie.

Jealousy reared its ugly head. Cassie grew furious and began yelling at Steve, irrespective of the occasion. “Believe it or not, I’ll gouge your eyes out. What the hell is so good about that bitch? Why are you staring at her like that?”

Then, she turned and sneered. “Why hasn’t the bridegroom arrived yet? The man is late for his own wedding. How could he be reliable? His family hasn’t bothered to come either. It looks like they don’t care about that bastard.”

Cassie was a princess at home. No one would blame her for making such rude comments. However, they were in a public place, and she was the bride’s sister. Her rude, presumptuous behavior had become the topic of everyone’s gossip.

Natalie gently lifted her hemline and stepped forward. Natalie had tolerated Cassie regardless of how arrogant and heartless she had been in the past. However, she couldn’t put up with her nonsense anymore. “Cassie, don’t call anyone a bastard! You’re in a church now. Mind your language! Don’t you have basic manners?”

Cassie was taken aback. She had never seen Natalie like this — the woman had always been tolerant.

Hearing that, the church fell silent. Just then, the gate creaked open.

A tall man stepped inside. The dazzling sunlight seemed to outline his slender frame.

As the church gate closed again, the man looked up. His deep eyes swept across the crowd, his lips pursed into a thin line. He buttoned up his suit and smoothed his coat as if he had come here in a hurry.

The sunlight cast a soft glow on his handsome face. It looked like God had put all effort into creating him. All eyes were on him as if he had cast a spell on everyone in the church.

“I have given myself to you. Why don’t you break up with Natalie?” the woman asked in a seductive, breathless voice. She was half-naked and hovering above a man.

“Don’t mention her name when we are making out.” The man was so excited that he squeezed the woman’s breasts and moaned in pleasure.

The woman seemed dissatisfied as she didn’t get the answer she wanted. “No way! She is an adopted daughter — even our dog holds a more important position in our family than she does. What’s so good about her?”

The man didn’t say anything. He gripped the woman’s waist and thrust harder, which made her scream and moan his name.

Natalie Quinn stood in front of the door, listening to everything in the room. Her tired eyes turned cold as she understood what was going on.

She had just returned from the hospital.

Hannah, who had raised Natalie ever since she was a child, was diagnosed with advanced liver cirrhosis three months ago. The woman needed a liver transplant right away. Natalie had to gather the money to pay the medical expenses.

To make her situation worse, her younger sister hooked up with her boyfriend. Natalie felt her life was falling apart.

“Did you hear me? You have to tell me your decision tonight. It’s either her or me. The choice is yours.” Cassie Quinn pounded on Steve Carter’s chest, desperate to hear his answer.

Natalie kicked the door open and glared at the couple. “Let me save you the trouble. He is just a man. You can have him if you want.”

Although Natalie sounded nonchalant, her heart broke to watch her boyfriend cheat on her with her sister.

Steve was Natalie’s college classmate. He was a handsome man from a wealthy family. He had chased after Natalie for three years.

He had confessed his love to her again right before their graduation.

It was on the playground of their college. Many people were around, and almost all the students had witnessed the romantic scene. The crowd cheered, and Natalie finally agreed to be his girlfriend.

The pain of betrayal crushed her. Looking at the two people in front of her, Natalie clenched her fists, her nails sinking into her flesh.

Steve hurriedly pushed Cassie away, put on his pants, and got out of the bed.

Cassie almost fell down. Natalie’s words ignited her anger.

She had put a lot of effort into hooking up with a wealthy, handsome man like Steve.

Natalie had won his heart without doing anything, which infuriated Cassie.

After all, Natalie was just an adoptive daughter.

“What the hell are you saying? You sound like you dumped Steve. It’s Steve who dumped you, bitch!” Cassie sneered as she pulled the quilt closer to her body. Then, she looked at Steve and asked, “Steve, what did you say to me just now? Tell that to Natalie!”

Steve had slept with Cassie purely out of impulse. The woman had seduced him, and he lost control of himself.

He kneeled and grabbed Natalie’s wrist. “Natalie, please forgive me. I didn’t know what I was thinking.”

Although tears filled her eyes, Natalie looked at him with disgust. Once Natalie set her mind to something, no one could change it.

She withdrew her hand from Steve’s hold. “I’m sorry, Steve. I don’t want anything that’s tainted by Cassie. You two are a perfect match. Let’s break up.”

Cassie was taken aback. Steve was on the verge of a breakdown, but there was not even a trace of sadness on Natalie’s face. Anger surged through her veins because she didn’t achieve what she had wanted.

Natalie didn’t have the time to talk to them. Cassie had always been competing with her ever since they were kids and she enjoyed taking away whatever belonged to Natalie. She used to snatch Natalie’s toys. Now that they had grown up, she snatched her boyfriend as well.

Natalie was used to it. She was only worried about Hannah’s medical expenses now.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard the clacking of footsteps from the corridor.

“It’s late at night. What’s with all the noise?”

Natalie’s adopted parents, George Quinn and Lauren Duncan, rushed over after hearing the commotion.

George walked into the room first. His eyes widened in horror when he saw his daughter sitting on the bed wearing nothing — except for the quilt wrapped around her. “What the hell are you doing? You are going to get married soon. What are you doing with another man?” he bellowed.

Cassie hugged herself and looked at George with bloodshot eyes. She gritted her teeth to suppress her rage.

The Klein family and the Quinn family had an agreement to get their kids married when they grew up. Her fiance was an illegitimate child, and the Klein family had driven him out of the house a long time ago. He was poor and didn’t even have a decent job. He was just an idler who wasted his time doing nothing. Cassie didn’t want to marry him.

She felt she deserved someone better than him.

“I’m pregnant!” Cassie said, pointing at Steve. “I am pregnant with his child. So I can’t marry anyone else. You better cancel the wedding.”

Steve was dumbfounded. He had slept with Cassie only a few times. How could she get pregnant?

“What nonsense! You must marry into the Klein family!” George was fuming with rage. He wanted to slap Cassie for acting stupid.

After all, the wedding was a matter of his prestige. What could he tell the Klein family if they asked the reason for calling off the wedding?

Lauren protectively stood in front of her daughter. She was protective of Cassie and seldom scolded her. Her husband was seething mad, and she couldn’t watch him shout at Cassie.

“George, why are you mad at Cassie?” Lauren cried. “Natalie is also a daughter of the Quinn family. She can also marry into the Klein family.”

George and Lauren didn’t have any child for the first few years after they got married. Due to the pressure of the elders of the Quinn family, they had to adopt Natalie. Years later, Lauren finally got pregnant and gave birth to Cassie.

The whole thing only made her hate Natalie even more. Natalie’s existence was proof of her infertility. The mere sight of her adopted daughter irked Lauren.

After giving birth to Cassie, Lauren became partial toward her daughter and despised Natalie.

Later, as time went by, Natalie grew up to be a better woman than her daughter in every aspect. That seemed to intensify her hatred for Natalie even more.

Lauren’s words enraged Natalie. “You had agreed to get Cassie married into the Klein family, not me,” she roared. “Why are you planning to get me married just because your sweet daughter has been banging someone?”

“We have raised you all these years. It’s time for you to repay our kindness, Natalie,” Lauren said in a low voice, her eyes twinkling with cunningness. “Don’t you want that maid to have the surgery? We will pay for the medical expenses as long as you marry into the Klein family in place of Cassie.”

A complacent smile emerged on Cassie’s face. She felt Natalie and the illegitimate son of the Klein family would be perfect for each other.

Natalie gritted her teeth as Lauren’s words infuriated her. However, the doctor’s words flashed in her mind. Hannah didn’t have much time left.

Natalie had just graduated and couldn’t afford to pay for Hannah’s treatment.

Although George and Lauren adopted Natalie, they never really cared about her. Hannah, the maid of the Quinn family, raised Natalie. Hannah was like the grandmother Natalie never had. She couldn’t leave her alone.

Noticing her hesitation, Lauren walked up to Natalie. “You will have to marry someone in the future. Why don’t you help us by marrying the son of the Klein family? I will give you the money as soon as you get married.”

Natalie’s feet trembled as everyone in the room stared at her. She needed money to pay Hannah’s medical fee.

Tears finally streamed down her cheeks. She lowered her head and replied in a low voice. “Okay, I’ll marry him.”