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

However, Garrett wasn’t a womanizer at all. Or at least he didn’t think so. Contrary to popular claims, he was always serious about every relationship he got into. He had never played with a partner’s feelings.

When he was in love, he would give his girlfriend his all. And once he broke up with someone, he would draw a clear line and never contact the other party again.

Perhaps the problem was that he was rarely single. The media had simply latched on to the number of relationships under his belt and built up his image as a playboy and a heartbreaker.

Garrett was silent for a couple of seconds as pulled himself out of his musings.

“I can only say that you don’t know me, Miss Garcia,” he said with a wry smile.

When he looked down at her wound again, he realized that Laney was bleeding profusely.

“Why do you ask so many questions, anyway?” he grumbled.

“Can’t you just worry about yourself for once? Look, your clothes are practically dyed with blood.”

It wasn’t the first time he had wondered-genuinely wondered-if this woman was made of steel.

Something clicked in her mind at his words, and Laney realized that the pain on her shoulder had indeed worsened.

‘It’s not a serious injury,” she said lightly, even as she tightened the makeshift bandages around her arm.

“We’re in a hospital. It’s not like I would die from this,”

Garrett sighed helplessly and shook his head. All he could do for now was to assist her as they rushed through the hallways.

“Does your girlfriend have a problem with her eyesight?” Laney asked all of a sudden.

He turned to her abruptly and found her brows furrowed in the most adorable way. Now, why would she ask something like that?

“lm not a tomboy, am I?” Laney added before he could say anything. She sounded pretty miffed. Garrett suppressed the urge to chuckle and settled for a smile.

“She was just trying to goad you,” he said patiently.

“Don’t take her comments to heart. You’re a lovely little woman.” They carried on with some mindless chatter as they made their way to the nearest empty ward, as if to distract themselves from the severity of the situation.

True enough, his ex-girlfriend was a very stubborn brat when he had first tried to break up with her, she was adamant with her refusal.

They had broken up eventually, but it seemed like she had turned her love for him into some sinister obsession that prompted her to do horrible things like attacking him with a weapon Garrett hung his head and said nothing more. He wasn’t the type to gossip about his exes, regardless of whether he was in good terms with them or not.

Laney narrowed her eyes at him. Clearly, she didn’t believe a word he had just said.

“Are you sure the fault isn’t entirely yours? Maybe you trampled on her heart too much.”

If the tabloids were to be believed, Garrett had supposedly dated several women at the same time. He was notorious for having a messy love life.

He looked at Laney now, caught between crying and laughing. He was painfully aware of his awful reputation, as well as the fact that most people believed the stories to be a true. However, Garrett wasn’t a womanizer at all. Or at least, he didn’t think so.

Contrary to popular claims, he was always serious about every relationship he got into. He had never played with a partner’s feelings. When he was in love, he would give his girlfriend his all.

And once he broke up with someone, he would draw a clear line and never contact the other party again. Perhaps the problem was that he was rarely single. The media had simply latched on to the number of relationships under his belt and built up his image as a playboy and a heartbreaker.

Garrett was silent for a couple of seconds as pulled himself out of his musings.

“I can only say that you don’t know me, Miss Garcia,” he said with a wry smile. When he looked down at her wound again, he realized that Laney was bleeding profusely.

“Why do you ask so many questions, anyway?” he grumbled.

“Can’t you just worry about yourself for once? Look, your clothes are practically dyed with blood.”

It wasn’t the first time he had wondered-genuinely wondered—if this woman was made of steel. Something clicked in her mind at his words, and Laney realized that the pain on her shoulder had indeed worsened.

“It’s not a serious injury,” she said lightly, even as she tightened the makeshift bandages around her arm.

“We’re in a hospital. It’s not like I would die from this.”

Garrett sighed helplessly and shook his head. All he could do for now was to assist her as they rushed through the hallways.

“Does your girlfriend have a problem with her eyesight?” Laney asked all of a sudden. He turned to her abruptly and found her brows furrowed in the most adorable way. Now, why would she ask something like that?

‘I’m not a tomboy, am I?” Laney added before he could say anything. She sounded pretty miffed, Garrett suppressed the urge to chuckle and settled for a smile.

“She was just trying to goad you,” he said patiently.

“Don’t take her comments to heart. You’re a lovely little woman.” They carried on with some mindless chatter as they made their way to the nearest empty ward, as if to distract themselves from the severity of the situation.

Frank arrived shortly after. His jaw dropped at the sight of the bleeding woman on the hospital bed.

“Why are you back already?” he demanded.

“And you’ve got a new cut on your shoulder! Don’t you have any respect for the sanctity of life?”

Out of all the problematic patients he had had to deal with, what Frank hated the most were those who were reckless with the matter of life and death.

Garrett looked away guiltily and scratched the back of his head. He cleared his throat and took Frank aside to recount the incident that brought them here.

Not that Frank was any happier for the explanation. Shaking his head, he called for a nurse to help him sew Laney up. His already glum face only grew darker as he inspected the gash.

‘I don’t really care what you do, Laney, but you’re courting death at this point. Your previous injuries haven’t even fully healed yet!

Laney immediately pushed Garrett out of the way. “Run!”

When Garrett saw that woman, he was stunned. He recognized that woman. Garrett was stuck in a trance and wasn’t able to react in time. The woman had closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that it was too late for Garrett to get out of the way, Laney had to run in front of him. She caught the woman’s wrist with one hand, while the other tried to grab the fruit knife.

“Fuck off, bitch! This is between me and that son of a bitch!” the woman shouted. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were wide and bloodshot.

Anyone with a knife was dangerous. The woman, in this crazed state, was unprecedentedly powerful. Moreover, Laney’s wound hadn’t completely healed. She could do nothing but hold the woman in place as the two struggled on the ground.

“Miss, please calm down!” Laney wrapped her legs around the woman’s waist and desperately gripped the woman’s wrist. The woman screamed uncontrollably and kept swinging the knife.

During the altercation, Laney suddenly cried out in pain as her shoulder was slashed, leaving a dazzling bloodstain. The woman was taken aback when she saw the bright red blood. the fruit knife out of the woman’s hand.

“Ah!” she shrieked even louder. Laney seized this opportunity and yanked the fruit knite

Then, she kicked the woman away.The woman collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.

Laney tucked the knife away and pressed her hand against her bleeding shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she shot a murderous glare at Garret.

Seeing that Laney was injured, Garrett finally came to his senses. He ran to her and helped her stand up.

“I’m sorry. I was too slow. Come on. I’ll take you back to the hospital.” Laney sighed and shook her head wryly.

“I just got out of the hospital. Now I have to go back there again?” Staring at her bleeding wound, Garrett frowned and his expression darkened. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

“Don’t worry about that now.” In Laney’s eyes, it was best to solve the problem in front of them first. Cradling her wound, she said through gritted teeth, “I’m fine. Call the police. Let’s sort this out first.”

Judging from what had just happened, the woman’s original target was Garrett.

After mulling over it for a while, Laney asked Garrett seriously, “Who is this woman? Why did she try to stab you?”

Just then, the woman on the ground suddenly exploded into tears. She thrashed her arms angrily and raised her head, revealing her pretty face.

“I’m this scumbag’s girlfriend!” She glared at Garrett with resentment, and then her hateful gaze shifted to Laney.

“Garrett, you changed your type? She’s a fucking tomboy! I can’t believe this.”

“Why did you leave the hospital?” Garrett asked, pulling Laney behind his back cautiously.

“How else would I have seen your new lover? Garrett, you abandoned me and left me in the hospital. What kind of man are you?

I hope you rot in hell, you bastard!” The woman gnashed her teeth and pointed a trembling finger at Garrett.

Garrett frowned. After some slight hesitation, his voice softened somewhat.

‘’ll call the police first, and then I’ll inform your parents. No more messing around. You know why we broke up.”

Hearing this, the woman stared daggers at Garrett. She got up and rushed over to slap him. Fortunately, the security guards in the area had overheard the commotion and had rushed over to stop the woman. Just then, Garrett’s assistant brought the car over.

They were all shocked when they saw the puddle of blood on the ground, Laney’s wounded shoulder, and her paper -white face.

Garrett explained the situation briefly and then turned to the guards, “Restrain this woman and call the police.”

Before leaving, he said to his assistant, “Stay here and see it through. I have to take Laney to have her wound treated first. We’ll talk about the rest later.”

After that, he helped Laney towards the elevator and they went back to the hospital. Inside the elevator, Laney sighed heavily.

She was really unlucky. The knife had cut into one of her old wounds, and it hurt so much.

Staring at her expressionless face for a long time, Garrett finally broke the silence.

“If it hurts, just tell me. You don’t have to act tough here.” Somehow, Garrett’s heart broke when he saw the stubborn look on Laney’s face. Laney gritted her teeth and applied more pressure on her wound.

“Yes, it hurts. But it’s better to appear invulnerable than to let them think they can defeat me easily. Now they’ll have to think twice before they hurt me next time.”

“I’m not one of them, Miss Garcia.” Garrett sighed helplessly.

Laney stiffened. Was it just her or was Garrett… flirting with her? At this time? Laney rolled her eyes secretly and changed the topic.

“Cut the crap. Was that woman your ex-girlfriend?”

Garrett wasn’t expecting Laney to brush off his question, much less mention the one embarrassing thing he didn’t want to talk about. He held on to her arm and hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Well… She is an ex-girlfriend of mine. She was spoiled all her life, so she’s quite used to doing things without thinking about the possible consequences. I must admit that I am partly at fault here. I should have been more firm when I broke up with her; she wouldn’t have fostered any false hopes that we might get back together again.”

True enough, his ex-girlfriend was a very stubborn brat. When he had first tried to break up with her, she was adamant with her refusal. They had broken up eventually, but it seemed like she had turned her love for him into some sinister obsession that prompted her to do horrible things like attacking him with a weapon.

Garrett hung his head and said nothing more. He wasn’t the type to gossip about his exes, regardless of whether he was in good terms with them or not.

Laney narrowed her eyes at him. Clearly, she didn’t believe a word he had just said, “Are you sure the fault isn’t entirely yours?

Maybe you trampled on her heart too much.”

If the tabloids were to be believed, Garrett had supposedly dated several women at the same time. He was notorious for having a messy love life. He looked at Laney now, caught between crying and laughing. He was painfully aware of his awful reputation, as well as the fact that most people believed the stories to be a true.

Sebastian thought that this conversation was ridiculous.

He sneered and lifted his chin ever so slightly.

His dark eyes gleamed with a cold and contemptuous light.

“You must know very little about me.Based on your relationship with me, why do you think I’ll actually help you? What are you giving me in return? Do you plan to give me a job of serving drinks and sweeping the floor? Is this your idea of a joke?”

The members of the Klein family were all stunned by Sebastian’s blunt remarks.

Was this fierce man in front of them really the same good-for -nothing Sebastian? Regardless of the reaction of the other Klein family members, Sebastian grabbed hold of Natalie’s wrist and said in a whisper, “Let’s go now.”

After having said that, he directly left with Natalie by his side.

Every member of the Klein family was left stunned as they didn’t expect Sebastian to speak to them like that.

After all, he was usually the quiet type who would endure everything in silence.

Ritchie was so angry that he almost forgot that they were at his grandmother’s birthday party.

Clenching his fists in rage, he cursed aloud, “Sebastian’s a loser. How dare he behave so arrogantly?”

Before her straightforward son could say something that would get him into trouble, Elissa quickly stopped him.

“Watch your language, Ritchie.We are at your grandmother’s birthday party.Behave yourselfl”

It was Elissa’s fault for spoiling Ritchie as a kid and turning him into a person who lacked emotional intelligence.

Ritchie eventually kept his mouth shut and stood aside after he got scolded.

With a look of disappointment, Ritchie’s grandmother pointed at Ritchie and said, “How many times do I have to tell you that you need to control your temper? Why are you always causing trouble?”

“That’s not fair, Grandma. You’re always taking Sebastian’s side.He’s just an illegitimate child and he’s not that close to you.Why do you like him so much?”

Ritchie’s anger rose to new heights.

After all, he was smart enough to see what was going on.

Although Nora had never defended Sebastian in public, she was always good to Sebastian in private.

“Shut up, Ritchie!” Elissa glared at Ritchie furiously.

After all, she didn’t want to make a scene in front of all the guests in the hall.

“Go to your room at once!”

Frustrated, Ritchie snorted and walked upstairs.

Although there was no expression on Elissa’s face, a sense of crisis arose in her heart.

Ritchie was right, and it was getting more and more difficult to see through Sebastian.

Sylvia Larson was known for her forbearance and perhaps Sebastian inherited such a character trait from his mother.

For some reason, the moment she looked at Sebastian’s face, she thought of Sylvia.She never found anything odd about Sebastian, even though he was pretty meek in his younger days.

Surprisingly, as the years passed, Sebastian grew up to be a composed and respectable person, just like his mother, Sylvia.

During all the years that Sebastian spent living a humble life in society, Elissa was too busy thinking about the Klein family’s company instead of making things difficult for Sebastian.

However, it became clear as day to Elissa that Sebastian was no longer the shy boy he used to be.

Elissa feared that Patrick would attach great importance to Sebastian after finding that he had great potential.

The thought of Sebastian returning to the Klein family was intolerable for Elissa because she wanted her two sons to take over the

Klein family business.

Elissa walked to Patrick’s side and tentatively said, “It seems that Sebastian is all grown up now.He seems to have what it takes to speak with Curt.”

Patrick never paid much attention to Sebastian in the past, but now he seemed very keen on him.

It had been shocking news that Sebastian managed to befriend Curt; after all, they both came from .

different worlds and they shouldn’t have had crossed paths.

After pausing to think, Patrick fiddled with his thumbs and stared at the backs of Sebastian and Natalie, who were walking away.

“Sebastian isn’t the same person anymore.He doesn’t seem to be as shy and cowardly as he used to be,” he finally said.

Elissa gritted her teeth contemptuously.

She knew that it was time to take action as Sebastian might soon pose a threat to them.

Sebastian and Natalie left the party venue and walked to the bus station.

Because the two of them were both well-dressed and good-looking, they attracted many people’s attention.

Passers by couldn’t help but stare as they walked past.

Suddenly, Natalie thought about Sebastian’s and Curt’s conversation.

She asked curiously, “How did you know that Curt? You seem to be good friends.”

“I liked hiking years ago.One time, Curt had a stroke half way up the mountain and I was the one who rushed him to the hospital. We got to know each other because of that.Later we found that we had a lot in common so we hung out a lot,” Sebastian explained.

In fact, that was only part of the story.He didn’t actually like hiking.

All he ever did was work.

While it was true that he had joined a hiking club, it was only because he wanted to befriend people like Curt to begin with.

But it was true that they had become friends because they shared similar interests and got along well.

“He must be a very influential man. They all seemed to respect him.”

Natalie could tell that all the people at the party were practically in awe of Curt.

“Well, despite his high status, he’s very easy-going.”

Noticing that Natalie was rubbing her arms vigorously, Sebastian shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

Then, he pulled her into his arms and asked, “Are you tired? We can take a cab back. Your hands are freezing.”

Natalie buried her head in his chest, eager to feel his warmth.

Looking up, she could only see the sharp angles of his jawline.

Natalie could tell from the way Sebastian behaved today that he wasn’t afraid of the Klein family.

To be more precise, he didn’t seem to care about them too much.

Sebastian was a sophisticated visionary.

He and Curt were the same type of people.

That was why they became fast friends.

As Natalie thought about it, she suddenly had a sinking feeling about this.

“What if the Klein family comes after us?”

Sebastian raised his hand to hail a taxi and then helped Natalie into the car.

“Nothing has happened yet.Worrying too much about the uncertain future brings nothing but trouble.” Sebastian spoke like a wise sage.

His identity of Brandon was enough to protect him.

But he was siill a little hesitant to let her know about that.

After all, Brandon and the Klein family were at war.

If people found out that Natalie was Brandon’s wife, she would be in more danger than if she was just Sebastian’s wife.

“It’s really none of your business.Stop sticking your nose in other people’s business!”

Kaya’s words were harsh but Natalie knew it wasn’t the right time to argue with her.

She planned on getting rid of Kaya away as soon as possible, But how could Kaya let go of Natalie so easily? Kaya still held a deep-seated grudge against her.

How could she let go of such a great opportunity to get back at Natalie now?

“Hey, don’t leave now!  I’m right, aren’t I?”

‘It’s apparent that you don’t in fact live a good life, Natalie,” Kaya said, continuing to pester her and grabbing her wrist to stop her from leaving.

Meanwhile, several well-dressed playboys still surrounded Sebastian and mocked him ruthlessly.

One insult after another flowed freely.

Suddenly, a passing guest accidentally broke a bottle of La Romanée-Conti wine.

The guest looked around and ordered, “Waiter, have this cleaned up.”

Ritchie shoved Sebastian aggressively and said, “Are you deaf or something? He told you to clean up, waiter!”

Sebastian shot a frigid glance at Ritchie.

His sharp and threatening look made all the young men around shudder.

Another person stepped forward to diffuse the situation.

In a persuasive voice, he said, “Mr.Klein, let this go.”

After all, the blood of the Klein family ran through Sebastian’s veins.

Although he was well aware that Sebastian was an illegitimate child, how could they let him work as a lowly servant? Ritchie turned a deaf ear to the persuasive words and remarked with a wry smirk, “The work Sebastian does on a regular basis is quite similar to this in any case.I heard that his job was unloading goods in a convenience store.That’s right! Sebastian is well suited for this kind of cheap, physical labor.”

“Hahaha, Ritchie has hit the nail on the head! He calls a spade a spade!” the others echoed and burst into laughter with renewed vigor.

When Ritchie noticed that Sebastian didn’t move, he pushed him roughly on the shoulder and shouted, “Hey! Sebastian, I ordered you to clean this mess up.Are you really ignoring my instruction?”

Just then, an old man donned in a tunic came over with his walking stick in hand.

With a cough, he said, “Excuse me, boys.Please give way for me to pass.I have to go to the bathroom.”

Ritchie was overcome by rage because someone had the audacity to interrupt him.

He turned his head with a dark, forbidding expression on his face, and was astounded to see that it was none other than Curt

Benton who had the gall to interrupt him.

Curt was a distinguished guest invited by the Klein family.

He was a key person in the business circle.

After a momentary pause, Ritchie nodded respectfully, and said to the others, “Make way for Mr.Benton.And who put this couch right here to block the way? Move it this instant.”

Everyone made way for Curt.

“This way, Mr.Benton,” Ritchie said.

It was clear that he wanted to assist Curt.

Curt, however, managed to dodge his help at the right moment.

He threw a cursory glance of displeasure in Ritchie’s direction and said, “Thank you, Mr.Klein.But you are the noble young master from a strong family.How can I bother you?”

The color drained from Ritchie’s face and he looked frighteningly furious.

The business area into which the Klein family had recently decided they wanted to expand fell under the jurisdiction of Curt.

The reason they had specifically invited Curt this time was not only because they wanted to celebrate Nora’s birthday but also because they wanted to obtain cooperation with Curt.

Accordingly, they couldn’t afford to offend Curt the slightest bit.

Ritchie could clearly hear the sarcastic undertone in Curt’s comment but all he could do was bottle up his anger. He nodded and bowed reverentially. He looked at the huge pool of red wine before him and impatiently clicked his tongue at Ethan. “Ethan, do you want me to teach you a lesson before you clean up this mess?”

Ritchie’s loud tone attracted Curt’s attention.

Sebastian? Curt turned to look at the tall, well-postured man who Ritchie had addressed and was dumbstruck.

He then smiled at Sebastian and said, “You brat, what are you doing here?”

Sebastian had met Curt Benton on a hike five years ago.

At the time, Curt had a sudden stroke halfway up the mountain, and it was Sebastian who carried him down the trail and drove him to the nearest hospital.

Since then, the two had kept in touch, and soon realized that they had a lot in common.

Needless to say, they had become very good friends.

Curt was also among the few who knew Sebastian’s real identity as Brandon Larson.

He had been doing business for decades, after all, and was quite well-informed about the business of his peers, both public and private.

Sebastian reached out and shook hands with his old friend.

“I’m here for my grandmother’s birthday party.” He winked at Curt then, silently telling the latter not to say anything regarding

Brandon Larson.

Being a shrewd man, Curt instantly understood the subtle message.

He refrained from asking more questions and just said, “I haven’t seen you for a long time, you brat!”

He hobbled closer to Sebastian and glanced at the wine spilled on the floor.

“Find a servant to clean this up, or it might ruin Mr.Klein’s shoes.”

Curt’s assistant nodded and waved a staff over to relay the instructions

“Now,” Curt said, turning to Sebastian.

“Let’s go and talk about the good old days. You brat, did you ever realize we haven’t spoken in over half a year? Are you avoiding me because I’m He winked at Curt then, silently telling the latter not to say anything regarding Brandon Larson.

Being a shrewd man, Curt instantly understood the subtle message.

He refrained from asking more questions and just said, “I haven’t seen you for a long time, you brat!”He hobbled closer to Sebastian and glanced at the wine spilled on the floor.

“Find a servant to clean this up, or it might ruin Mr.Klein’s shoes.”

Curt’s assistant nodded and waved a staff over to relay the instructions.

“Now,” Curt said, tuming to Sebastian.

“Let’s go and talk about the good old days. You brat, did you ever realize we haven’t spoken in over half a year? Are you avoiding me because I’m too old to be doing what you cool young ones are into these days? Anyway, do you remember those stocks that you said had huge potential? Well, I bought a bunch and ended up making a tot of profit.”

The man who was always aloof and distant to others was now gushing like a teenager.

“What are they doing?” Nora said indignantly, “Didn’t I already tell them not to pick on Sebastian? Why didn’t they listen to me?”

Elissa immediately made her way up to Nora and blocked her line of sight.

“I’m sure they are only catching up. There’s nothing wrong with that, right? Would you like to see some of your gifts? There’s a painting and I’m sure you’d love it.It took Patrick a great deal of effort to find it.”

As she said this, she exchanged glances with Ritchie, grabbed hold of Nora’s wheelchair, and was about to take her up the stairs.

Seeing that Sebastian was flanked on all sides by a group of men in suits and leather shoes and that the men were doing everything in their power to humiliate him, Natalie was pissed off.

She pursed her lips tightly, wanting to stand up for Sebastian Just as she was about to walk to Sebastian’s side, her wrist was grabbed tightly by someone.

“Natalie! What are you doing here?” Natalie turned around and discovered that it was Kaya.

Kaya was wearing a Chanel dress, with her short hair braided and a pearl hairband on her head.She seemed to have some work done recently.

Natalie observed that her eyelids, which used to be single-folded and unique, were now double-foilded.She decked out from head to toe in luxury brands, like any wealthy lady.

If it weren’t for the way she addressed her, which sounded gentle but tinged with sarcasm, Natalie would have trouble realizing it was her.

“What’s wrong?”

Glancing over in Sebastian’s direction, Natalie didn’t have time to make small talk with her.

Now it dawned on Natalie that after Kaya ruined her works by “accidentally” pouring coffee on her computer, she was completely disgusted by Tiffany and repulsed by all their colleagues.

After that, she didn’t think she could continue being employed under the Larson Group, which was why she resigned.

Natalie had no idea why Kaya was here.

Kaya let go of her hand and crossed her arms in a proud manner.

“I’m a part of the Klein family now so why shouldn’t I be here?”

Natalie asked impatiently, “Are you the help here?”

“What? No! Who the hell are you calling the help? I happened to marry into the Klein family not too long ago, to Mrs.Nora

Klein’s niece’s son.His name is…”

Natalie kept on watching Sebastian and didn’t pay attention to Kaya’s words.

She could recall that Kaya came from an ordinary family.

How in the world did she manage to marry into the Klein family? Kaya discovered that Natalie was not listening to what she was saying at all.

She looked in the directian of her gaze, sneered, and lifted her chin in an arrogant manner.

“Is that your husband?” Natalie nodded.

She, in fact, wanted to go find Sebastian, but Kaya had gotten in her way.

Finally, she stared Kaya down and said in a cold voice, “What on earth do you want?”

Kaya was now very smug.

She kept right on talking, “Why did you decide to marry that bastard? I heard that he’s actually poor and that he can’t even get a decent job.Life must be very hard for you.No wonder you have to work so hard.If you don’t, you might even starve. That’s why I think every woman should marry a rich man.See? Work is a thing of the past for me.”

Soon, the guests began whispering among themselves, though they didn’t really bother to keep their voices hushed.

“Isn’t he the illegitimate son?”

“Oh, the son of that dead woman from the Larson family?”

When Natalie heard these words, she sneaked a sideways glance at Sebastian.

To her relief, he didn’t appear to care about the chatter.

If anything, he ignored everyone else and ushered her in another direction.

Taking his cue from him, Natalie mustered her courage and did her best to hold her head high.

Sebastian led her to an inner room, where a radiant old woman was sitting on a wheelchair.

“Grandma,” Sebastian greeted with a polite smile.

“Hmmm, it’s good to see that you are here.” Nora nodded briefly at him before turning her attention to Natalie.

Sebastian put an arm around Natalie’s shoulders and pulled her forward.

“This is my wife, Natalie.” Natalie acknowledged the old woman by calling her Grandma, then offered her well wishes.

“You look so beautiful,” Nora crooned, seemingly in high spirits.

She nodded wistfully and sighed.

“You got married in the blink of an eye, huh? That’s good.I’m relieved.” Elissa watched the interaction from a distance.

Not wanting Sebastian to steal any limelight that wasn’t meant for him, she signaled at Ritchie.

“Grandma,” Ritchie called as he ambled toward them.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen Sebastian.Can you give us some time to talk in private?”

He slung an arm over Sebastian’s shoulder and grinned at him, as though they were close brothers who had been apart for quite some time.

Nora shot Sebastian a tentative look and said nothing.

“I’ll come and talk to you again later, Grandma,” Sebastian said in a cold, clipped voice.

He followed Ritchie to the side, his face darkening with every step he took.

Sebastian was invited, too, and he decided to take Natalie with him.

They drove to the outskirts of the city and through winding roads that led to a manor sitting at the foot of a mountain.

Already, a long line of luxury cars snaked from the entrance of the venue and past the driveway.

It was a shocking sight for Natalie.

For a brief moment, she expected to step out of the car and onto a red carpet leading inside the manor.

It finally dawned on her just why everyone looked up to the Klein family.

Based on what she had seen so far, they might very well be a prestigious clan from legends of old.

“Watch your steps now,” Sebastian said, offering his hand to Natalie as he helped her out of the car.

He was dressed in a sleek, all-black suit that complimented his elegant bearing perfectly.

Natalie held on to Sebastian’s arm as they glided into the manor.

A huge chandelier hung over the main hall, its countless crystals glimmering in the bright light.

All around, people garbed in exquisite evening attire loitered and engaged in light conversations.

As they waded their way through the hall, Natalie realized that dozens of sharp eyes were fixed on her.

No, to be exact, they were fixed on Sebastian, following his every move.

Elissa and Ritchie were standing in a far corner of the room, their disdainful gazes also locked on Sebastian.

Soon, the guests began whispering among themselves, though they didn’t really bother to keep their voices hushed.

“Isn’t he the illegitimate son?”

“Oh, the son of that dead woman from the Larson family?”

When Natalie heard these words, she sneaked a sideways glance at Sebastian.

To her relief, he didn’t appear to care about the chatter.

If anything, he ignored everyone else and ushered her in another direction.

Taking his cue from him, Natalie mustered her courage and did her best to hold her head high.

Sebastian led her to an inner room, where a radiant old woman was sitting on a wheelchair.

“Grandma,”

Sebastian greeted with a polite smile.

“Hmmm, it’s good to see that you are here.”

Nora nodded briefly at him before turning her attention to Natalie.

Sebastian put an arm around Natalie’s shoulders and pulled her forward.

“This is my wife, Natalie.”

Natalie acknowledged the old woman by calling her Grandma, then offered her well wishes.

“You look so beautiful,” Nora crooned, seemingly in high spirits.

She nodded wistfully and sighed.

“You got married in the blink of an eye, huh? That’s good.I’m relieved.”

Elissa watched the interaction from a distance.

Not wanting Sebastian to steal any limelight that wasn’t meant for him, she signaled at Ritchie.

“Grandma,” Ritchie called as he ambled toward them.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen Sebastian.Can you give us some time to talk in private?”

He slung an arm over Sebastian’s shoulder and grinned at him, as though they were close brothers who had been apart for quite some time.

Nora shot Sebastian a tentative look and said nothing.

“I’ll come and talk to you again later, Grandma,” Sebastian said in a cold, clipped voice.

He followed Ritchie to the side, his face darkening with every step he took.

The Klein had an extensive family tree, and most of the younger generation were present in the event.

The moment they saw Ritchie pull Sebastian aside, they flocked to them, bombarding Sebastian with inane greetings that ranged from tepid pleasantries to sarcastic comments.

“Sebastian, long time no see!”

“Say, what do you do now?”

“How is your life, huh? Do you have a job? Or perhaps, would you like me to recommend you for a job opening somewhere?”

Someone even reached out and tugged at Sebastian’s suit.

“Where the hell did you get this? Wow, the fabric feels as cheap as it looks. Didn’t you know that these synthetic fibers are bound to harm your skin?”

The thing was, although Sebastian looked decent enough for high society, he still stuck out like a sore thumb among the other guests who had lived their lives in endless luxury.

Natalie whined, her teeth chattering.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

She shouted, “The eggs! I forgot all about them!”

She broke free from Sebastian’s embrace and ran to the kitchen in a hurry.

Sebastian followed behind her.

He stared at Natalie, who was extremely flustered, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“You silly girl! I told you to keep an eye on the eggs!”

Shaking his head, he gently pulled her to the side while he cleaned up the mess himself in the kitchen.

Twiddling her thumbs, Natalie stood in the corner, restlessly watching Sebastian clean up after her.

“I’m sorry.I thought you were talking to Charis, so I rushed to you and forgot I was cooking.”

Sebastian had guessed this.

After drying his freshly washed hands, he raised his eyes to look at Natalie seriously.

“It’s my fault.I didn’t give you enough sense of security.”

After saying that, he spread out his arms and said gently, “Come here.”

Natalie obeyed and leaned her face against his chest, blushing slightly.

Then, thinking about the invitation from Patrick, she murmured, “The Kleins treat you badly, especially Ritchie.He hates you and

I just got him into trouble.He probably has a huge grudge against us. Won’t something bad happen if we just go there?”

Sebastian smiled at her dotingly and raised his hand to rub the tip of Natalie’s nose.

“You’re a smart girl.”

After he mulled it over for a while, his expression became unreadable.

“I’m sure my grandmother’s birthday isn’t the sole reason why Patrick’s summoning me.He must have something else up his sleeve.”

After all, the Klein family must’ve heard about the so-called plagiarism issue.

They probably would’ve been really happy if Natalie’s reputation was ruined in the process, but in the end, it was Ritchie who married his own name by his own doing.

Natalie could feel that Sebastian was a little unhappy.

So she softened her voice and said with a small smile, “Then we’d better not go, right?”

She was thinking that if avoiding all this potential conflict was an option, she’d take it.A simple and happy life with Sebastian was all she wanted.

Hearing this, Sebastian chuckled.He gently tucked Natalie’s hair behind her ear, revealing her beautiful, fair face.

After looking into her clear eyes for a long time, he finally said, “I don’t want to go either.But because Ritchie has stirred up trouble for us, I can’t ignore the Klein family any longer and neither can they.”

He could hide for a while, and he couldn’t hide forever.

Even if he refused to go this time, the Klein family would look for other opportunities to make life difficult for him.

Besides, Sebastian wasn’t the kind of man who would let someone push him around.

Disappointed and depressed, Natalie lowered her long eyelashes and mulled over things for a while.

“Well, I guess you’re right. We can’t keep avoiding the Klein family forever.Now that they’ve come to us, we have to face them.”

Natalie looked down as she spoke, which worried Sebastian.

“Is there something else on your mind? Are you upset?”

Natalie shook her head, absent-minded.

“No, no.”

Sebastian’s expression immediately darkened.

Without warning, he scooped Natalie up and made her sit on the kitchen counter.

Before the woman could respond, he grabbed her chin and stuck his tongue into her mouth, his fingers moving restlessly towards her crotch.

“Hmm… Sebastian!”

Natalie tried to push Sebastian away, but it was useless.

She could only let him do whatever he wanted with her.

It wasn’t until he felt that her body was trembling did he finally pull away.

In a hoarse voice, he said, “Tell me the truth.”

Natalie’s fingers reached for his shirt.Her face was scarlet as a tomato.

Pouting, she finally relented.

“Fine.I feel a little upset.”

With his hands on her waist, Sebastian lowered his head and rested his forehead on her shoulder.

With remorse, he murmured, “It’s my fault. This conflict was supposed to stay between me and the Klein family, but you got caught in the crossfire simply because you married me.”

He paused for a few seconds and then continued seriously, “But Natalie, now that you’re with me, I won’t let you suffer.I’ll avenge you.”

Blushing, Natalie shook her head and didn’t seem to notice that there was a hint of viciousness in the man’s voice.

She reached out her arms and wrapped them around his neck.

“We’re a couple.Of course we’re going to have to face problems together.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything.

After a long time of silence, he quietly nodded and lowered his head to plant a kiss on Natalie’s neck.

His kiss was very light yet possessive.

His lips gradually made it’s way to the woman’s lips and the two kissed each other passionately again.

It was not until Natalie noticed that Sebastian was on the verge of losing control that she pulled away shyly.

“Calm down. I’m on my period.”