Ch. 1051..1060
Chapter 1051 Not As Fragile As You Think
Barnaby continued murmuring those words until he finally closed his eyes and died. Jerome then walked over to Natalie and pulled her into his arms.
His adjutant and subordinates were still around, but he was hugging her as if they were the only two people around. “Natalie, are you okay?”
Natalie was still in a daze, but she noticed that Jerome was hugging her a little too tightly. “I’m fine, Jerome.” Natalie pushed his chest and tried to move away from his hug. “I’m not as fragile as you think I am.”
“Did you not know how dangerous that was earlier?” Jerome asked sternly. “My subordinates told me you offered to take the original hostage’s place!”
Jerome rarely spoke with Natalie in such a vicious tone. In a way, that was his first time.
However, Natalie did not get angry with him for that. Instead, she answered calmly, “His original hostage was a pregnant woman who has shown initial signs of miscarriage. If she had remained as his hostage, she and her baby might have died. Moreover, I knew that you’d assign a sniper to the matter. As long as I go along with the guy’s plan, I’ll eventually be rescued.”
Jerome stared at Natalie.
There was no trace of anxiety on her face at all.
Natalie then turned to the body on the ground and said wistfully, “Jerome, he’s dead now. Can you give me his ashes? I want to pass them to his wife.”
Jerome frowned. “Do you find me cruel for killing him?”
“No.” Natalie shook her head. “You’ve only carried out your duty, and I’m only feeling a little remorseful. I thought I’d be able to change his mind, but it seemed that he was a stubborn man. I’ve done what was necessary, and so did you.”
Jerome understood what Natalie meant, and he soon brought Natalie away from the scene.
Jerome’s adjutant had wanted to offer to escort her away, but a look from Jerome stopped him.
After one week, Natalie and Jerome were together in a car again.
Natalie sat in the front passenger seat and watched as everything outside the car rushed past her.
Jerome glanced at her side profile and said self-deprecatingly, “I thought I was the one who knew you best in the world, but now I realize that I only know you well as a child. I’m suddenly regretting listening to my father and going to the army to train. If I had stayed by your side instead of going back to Loang, maybe you wouldn’t have needed to suffer that much, and we would have—”
Jerome was about to continue, but Natalie cut him off, “Jerome, I’ve told you before that we’re only like siblings. We used to spend every waking moment together, but I’ve never developed any romantic feelings for you.”
They used to be glued to each other’s sides, but that never made Natalie grow any romantic feelings for him. It would only be the same now.
Jerome could only chuckle bitterly at Natalie’s words.
“My apologies. I was rude,” Jerome said a beat later. “You clarified things with me the other time, but I didn’t want to accept reality.”
While the two talked, they arrived at Natalie’s place.
Just as Jerome was about to say something else, Natalie apathetically bid him farewell and left.
There was nothing he wanted that she could give him, so she would rather not give him anything at all.
Before he gave up on her, she was not going to give him any ambiguous signs that might lead to a misunderstanding.
When Natalie reached the entrance of her house, Emma opened the door.
Upon seeing the blood splatter on Natalie’s clothes, Emma asked nervously, “Ms. Nichols, are you all right?”
“It’s not my blood. Don’t worry.” Natalie made a hushing gesture. “Softer, please. I’ll get changed first. Otherwise, the kids will be even more worried if they see me like this.”
Emma understood Natalie’s concern, so she quickly nodded. “I understand, Ms. Nichols.”
Chapter 1052 The Same Moon
After showering, Natalie changed into clean nightwear and lay down on the bed. She then took an extra pillow and hugged it tightly before breathing in the scent of the pillow.
It had been almost a week since Samuel left. She missed him. She yearned for him even more after the startling episode on the rooftop earlier.
The man had risked his life to get the best treatment for his wife. In fact, he had been repeating his wish to save her even when he was on his deathbed.
Perhaps she would take the same path Barnaby had taken if that happened to her and Samuel. Mount Draghide was a remote place with barely any communication devices.
Natalie turned in the bed to look out the window at the bright moon. I wonder how Samuel’s doing now. Meanwhile, on top of Mount Draghide, Malcolm sighed as he watched Samuel, who was biting on a wooden stick.
Although Jorden said he was rather confident in getting rid of the poison in Samuel, Malcolm could not help but feel that the process of ridding the poison was simply excruciating.
Per Jorden’s words, the process would be akin to a rebirth—it was a trip to the grim reaper’s house. Moreover, it had been six hours. In other words, Malcolm’s dear disciple had been on the verge of death for six hours.
Malcolm could only watch Samuel helplessly as his heart ached, for any medicine he could give to alleviate the pain might interfere with the antidote Jorden had developed.
He left silently.
Samuel continued to stay in the dark room, but his eyes were fixed on the bright moon outside the window.
He silently told the moon about his longing for Natalie.
He had promised her to return safely no matter what.
Even if he had to go through the pain akin to getting skinned alive or melted alive, he was still going to endure it and get all the poison out of his system.
“Nat…” Samuel called out hoarsely.
Although the two were separate, their minds were preoccupied with thoughts of each other that night. Both passed through the long night with their yearnings for one another.
The next day, the news of the robbery spread like wildfire.
When Bastien saw the article, he furrowed his brows and asked Joseph, “What happened afterward?”
Joseph reported, “There were a total of five robbers. Three were shot dead at the scene, and two were brought back for interrogation to find out if there was someone else behind it. It’s mostly to find out if King is involved.”
“Was there a hostage?”
“Yes. Apparently, the first hostage was a pregnant woman, but a young woman negotiated with the robber and swapped places with the pregnant woman. She was then brought to the rooftop. But everything was smooth later on. Major General Sutton led a team of special forces from his troops and successfully rescued the hostage.”
Bastien nodded and commented, “As expected of a descendant of General Sutton. The major-general is like his father. Still, this young woman who volunteered to swap places with the initial hostage is smart and brave. She deserves an award.”
“Indeed,” Joseph agreed with a nod.
“Joseph, make a call and ask about the young woman. I’d like to commend her with an award.”
“Okay.”
Joseph then made a call right there and then and asked some questions to the person on the other end of the line.
After ending the call, Joseph shook his head regretfully. “Prince Jonathan, that young woman did not leave her name behind, but someone took a photo of her back then.”
“A photo?” Bastien’s eyes lit up. “Get the photo from them. I’d like to see what the brave woman looks like.”
“Understood.”
Shortly after, Joseph retrieved the photo from the soldiers.
Joseph did not look closely at the photo before handing it to Bastien. “Prince Jonathan, this is the young woman’s picture.”
The robber’s expression was a bloodthirsty one as he held the young woman hostage. Unlike him, she had a calm look despite her status as the hostage. Her hair was a little messy, but anyone who saw her would still say she was a beautiful woman.
The moment Bastien saw the photo, his heart skipped a beat.
“It’s her?” he exclaimed.
Chapter 1053 His Conjecture
After the surprise, a hint of exhilaration flashed across Bastien’s gentle eyes. He had been looking for her but to no avail. He had missed her over and over again. Yet little did he expect to learn about her news this way.
Joseph took a closer look, and he, too, saw who the girl in the photo was. “Prince Jonathan, she’s the one you’re looking for!” “Yes! Is there any way to find her?” asked Bastien, suppressing his excitement.
“I heard on the phone just now that she made a request with Major General Sutton to collect the robber’s ashes in three days and deliver it back to his wife…” Joseph relayed everything that he had heard from the phone conversation to Bastien. “Three days later? So there are two days left now?”
“I suppose so.” “Joseph, help me make the arrangement. I want to see her on the day she collects his ashes.”
Joseph was very well aware of the importance of this woman to Bastien. He quickly nodded and responded, “Yes, Prince Jonathan. Please rest assured that I’ll make the necessary arrangement.”
Then Joseph left Bastien’s office. Bastien kept stroking the photo on the computer screen, and the corners of his lips curled into a smile. “Natalie, we haven’t seen each other for half a year since we separated in Chanaea. We’re finally going to see each other soon…”
Over the past two days, other than dealing with her work matters, Natalie found Barnaby’s wife, Joan Young, too.
As described by Barnaby, Joan’s brain tumor was very serious. Her condition required a professional brain specialist to remove the proliferative tissue. Otherwise, she would lose her life when the tumor grew and pressed against the nerve.
Natalie did not tell Joan about Barnaby’s death. She even found a brain specialist to perform free surgery for Joan. The surgery was a success.
However, Joan still needed a long period of rehabilitation after the anesthesia wore off. Natalie did not visit Joan at the hospital, but she had quietly fulfilled Barnaby’s last wish.
Although she did not agree with Barnaby’s cruel methods of solving problems, she did not want to comment on anything. After all, she did not know what Barnaby had been through in his life. It was inappropriate for her to judge his ways of doing things blindly.
Soon, it was the day Natalie promised to pick up Barnaby’s ashes.
Natalie wanted to collect Barnaby’s ashes and place them at a cemetery temporarily. After Joan fully recovered, she would tell her everything that Barnaby had done and return the ashes to her.
Having made up her mind, Natalie went to the crematorium to collect the ashes and place them at a cemetery. After getting everything settled, Natalie returned to Dream to work as usual.
However, she did not know that there was a man who had been tailing after her. Bastien, who was sitting in the back passenger seat, looked at Dream’s signboard and muttered, “Dream Corporation?”
“She works here?” Bastien folded his arms, and his interest was piqued. “Joseph, the scope has been narrowed down now. It should be easier to investigate.”
“Yes.” Ten minutes later, Joseph found bits and pieces of information about Natalie.
Joseph reported to Bastien, “Prince Jonathan, it seems that most of Natalie’s information has been encrypted, and I couldn’t find them. What I can confirm now is that she is the chairwoman of Dream Corporation.”
Natalie had always been an outstanding leader. Previously in Chanaea, she had acquired Dexmed Pharmaceutical and also ventured into the entertainment industry. She had invested a huge amount of capital in a TV show and had been bold enough to use a new rising star in the show. The show turned out to be a huge success.
Now, she had left Chanaea and officially ventured into the jewelry industry in Loang. She even signed the genius designer Muse and launched the Rebirth collection, which carried the meaning that women continued to grow and transform. The new products went out of stock right after their launch, and they also received a lot of positive reviews and comments from professionals in the industry.
“Chairwoman?” Bastien was slightly shocked at first, but then later he was overwhelmed with joy.
She had covered her beautiful face with a hyper-realistic mask when he first met her in Chanaea. At that moment, he had known that she was not an ordinary woman.
His conjecture was now confirmed by what Joseph had found.
Chapter 1054 What Does Prince Jonathan Want
This information about Natalie was enough to amaze Bastien. Thinking that what Joseph had found so far was just the tip of the iceberg, Bastien had a stronger urge to approach Natalie.
Joseph, who was in charge of the investigation, was also shocked by the information about Natalie that he had found. He used to think that Natalie was not good enough for Bastien. But now it seemed that she was a lot better than many women from those prominent families.
That feeling felt like a slap in his face. Bastien took a glance at Joseph, who was dumbstruck, and said, “You don’t have to follow me anymore.” “Prince Jonathan, but…” Joseph was a little worried.
“Are my words hard to understand?” A hint of determination flashed across Bastien’s gentle eyes. “Handle my whereabouts tonight properly. I don’t want the spies to find out where I am.”
Although Joseph felt such an arrangement was inappropriate, he had no choice but to leave in silence since it was Bastien’s instruction.
People often said that those who fell in love were lunatics. Joseph felt that Bastien was not far away from becoming a lunatic if he continued to be like this.
It was eight o’clock at night when Natalie and Yandel walked out of the office after finishing their work. Bastien had been waiting for Natalie for a long time. His eyes were filled with affection when he saw her.
The banquet would be held in a few days. If he did not find her, he probably would marry Helma as arranged. However, now that he had found her with just a photo, perhaps things would be different.
Some of the decisions that he had made before might have changed due to such a coincidence. Natalie was startled when she saw Bastien. It’s him!
Natalie remembered when she visited Wendy at work last time, she was almost sexually harassed. It was this man who had come to her rescue and sent her to the hospital. He had saved her life, but they never had the chance to meet again after that.
Yandel was even more startled than Natalie when he saw Bastien. Bastien was Prince Jonathan of Loang.
Yandel knew that Natalie had met Bastien before in Chanaea. However, he did not expect that Bastien would find Natalie again after they came to Loang not long ago.
He is a prince and also the most potential contender to become the crown prince. Why is he here to look for Boss? For her beauty? Medical skills? Dream? Or does he want Boss to do something filthy for the royal family?
Yandel looked at Bastien again, and his eyes were full of vigilance. He took a step forward and subconsciously blocked Natalie with his body.
Bastien walked toward Natalie unhurriedly. He took a quick glance at Yandel, but his eyes were fixed on Natalie right after that.
“It’s been a while, Natalie.”
Natalie had no idea how Bastien found her, but thinking of the favor she owed him, she responded politely, “Indeed, Mr. Nine.” Yandel clenched his fists. What? Mr. Nine? He’s Prince Jonathan!
“Boss, you’ve had a busy day today, and you haven’t had your dinner yet. Let’s go eat first, and I’ll take you home later,” said Yandel, as he did not want Natalie and Bastien to interact too much.
Bastien grinned as he said, “What a coincidence! I haven’t had my dinner too. Do you mind if we eat together?”
Yandel frowned. Why is Prince Jonathan so shameless?
“I don’t think that’s appropriate.” Yandel and Bastien looked at each other.
“Since this gentleman seems to dislike me, let’s just forget it, then,” said Bastien lightly.
Natalie shot Yandel a look and felt that he was being a little strange today. It seemed as if he was at odds with Bastien for some unknown reason.
However, she did owe Bastien a favor, and she had always wanted to repay him. She thought maybe she could buy him dinner as repayment for that favor.
“Don’t listen to him. It’s just dinner. Let’s eat together!” Natalie said with a smile.
“Sure.”
Looking at the situation before him, Yandel dared not leave so soon.
He sat in the driver’s seat obediently. Natalie sat in the front passenger seat, while Bastien sat in the back passenger seat.
Chapter 1055 The Probing Looks Of The Two Men
On the way to the restaurant, Yandel was busy observing Bastien from the rearview mirror while driving. Bastien was dressed in a simple shirt. He seemed to be taking a rest as his eyes were half-closed. However, the lofty aura within him could not be hidden.
Although the king had never announced who the crown prince was to the public, Bastien had the most supporters. A man like him was destined to stand at the peak of power even if he could not reach the highest position in Loang.
Yandel was afraid that Natalie would get involved in a whirlpool of conflict if Bastien approached her with his hidden identity. He fell into deep thought when he stopped the car at a red light.
At that moment, Bastien slowly opened his eyes, and he exchanged gazes with Yandel.
Bastien’s eyes were completely different from when they looked at Natalie just now. The way he looked at Yandel was as though he was giving him a warning. Yandel, who was unprepared, shuddered as he looked into Bastien’s eyes.
Yandel suddenly slammed his foot against the accelerator, and the car almost crossed the pedestrian crossing.
Natalie’s body jerked forward. She turned to look at Yandel. “Yandel, what’s wrong with you today?”
Yandel dared not tell Natalie the reason he felt troubled as Bastien was sitting right behind him. He chuckled dryly and said, “I’m sorry, Boss. I was distracted just now.”
Natalie frowned. “Are you too tired from work? Do you want me to drive?”
“It’s fine.”
“Okay. If you feel distracted again, you must let me know. I can drive.”
“Understood.”
Bastien listened to their conversation while resting his head on one hand.
He was unsure if he admired her because of her impressive thinking skills, or that her thinking skills were impressive because of his admiration toward her. Either way, he was certain that his thoughts about this woman were affirmed now.
He had seen a lot of young ladies from prominent families.
All of these ladies seemed to have been trained to be elegant in the same way. All of them looked no different from one another.
Bastien could only remember which family they were from. However, he could never remember their names.
Along the way, apart from Natalie, who remained calm, Bastien and Yandel seemed to have different thoughts running through their minds.
Considering Bastien’s identity, Yandel deliberately chose a high-end restaurant and booked a private room.
The three took their seats respectively.
Usually, Yandel would order Natalie’s favorite dishes straight away. Yet this time, Natalie handed the menu to Bastien. “Mr. Nine, I’ve always wanted to find an opportunity to thank you for saving me in Chanaea. So, it’s my treat today. Let me buy you dinner to return the favor. Here, have a look at the menu.”
Bastien took the menu and quickly ordered a few dishes.
Natalie went to the restroom before the dishes were served.
There were only Yandel and Bastien left in the huge private room.
Bastien took a sip of his coffee and looked at Yandel. “You’re aware of my real identity, aren’t you?”
Yandel wanted to deny that but felt that his denial would be hard to believe. Hence, he admitted, “Yes, Prince Jonathan. I’m aware of your identity.”
“I knew it.”
Yandel stared at Bastien and asked, “Prince Jonathan, Natalie is just an ordinary businesswoman. I don’t understand why you want to approach her again and again…”
Here, Yandel paused and added, “I don’t think you and Natalie should cross paths. There’s also no need for you to approach her in this way.”
Yandel’s words were actually somewhat offensive.
But for the sake of protecting Natalie, he could not be bothered about that.
For a long time, Natalie had become the most important person in his life. He could sacrifice anything just to ensure that she was not hurt.
Chapter 1056 Keep Your Mouth Shut
Bastien looked at Yandel with a piercing gaze. “I know you’re her subordinate, and you’re very loyal to her. But I advise you not to interfere in my affairs with her. Since you’re aware of my real identity, you should understand that you’re in no position to interfere, and you shouldn’t interfere.”
Bastien was just telling the truth. Yandel clenched his fists, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged. “Are you going to keep hiding your identity from her?”
“I’ll tell her when the time is right.” Bastien took another sip of his coffee and warned Yandel coldly, “What you have to do now is to keep your mouth shut. Since you know my identity, you should know what it’s like to offend me.” “You!”
“I won’t hurt her. If I wanted to hurt her, I wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths,” said Bastien bluntly. Yandel pursed his lips. He had no choice but to compromise.
When Natalie returned, both Yandel and Bastien looked at each other and fell silent. The room was filled with the fragrance of coffee, as well as an awkward silence. What’s going on?
Natalie was a little confused. She could tell that Yandel had put his guard up toward Bastien. Quickly, the dishes were served.
Natalie offered a toast to Bastien with her coffee instead of alcohol. “Mr. Nine, it’s a pleasure to see you again in Loang. Since you met me at the entrance of my company, I believe you should know that I’m the chairwoman of Dream. I’ll definitely repay you in the future for the favor that I owe you…”
Bastien smiled and said, “Sure. There should be a lot of opportunities for me to ask you for your help in the future.” Hearing that, Natalie froze for a short moment. However, she thought it was probably just a joke and did not think much.
While eating, Yandel thought, It’s obvious that he has an ulterior motive for being nice to Boss! It was quite a delightful dinner overall.
After the dinner, Yandel sent Natalie and Bastien home.
Bastien gave Yandel a fake address. Knowing that it was a fake address, Yandel dropped him off at the destination without saying anything, then sent Natalie home.
In the car, Natalie could not hold back her curiosity anymore. She asked, “Yandel, do you know Mr. Nine? Who exactly is he?”
Yandel gulped and turned to glance at Natalie. “Boss, I just feel that I’ve seen him somewhere, but I’m not sure about his identity. I’m just afraid that he’s a bad guy since he didn’t even tell you his real name.”
“I know that you care about me very much, but don’t worry. I’ll be careful, and I know how to protect myself,” Natalie said.
Yandel nodded. “Sure, I trust you.”
It was ten o’clock when Natalie arrived home.
As soon as she entered the house, she saw a small figure curled up on the couch.
Emma walked up to Natalie and said softly, “Ms. Nichols, I asked Ms. Yumi to sleep early, but she insisted that she would not sleep until you come home…”
“Okay, I got it. Thanks for taking care of her. Go rest now.” Natalie smiled.
“Goodnight, Ms. Nichols.”
After Emma walked away, Natalie moved toward the couch, squatted down, and gently pushed the little girl who was sleeping on the couch.
“Yumi, have you been waiting for me?”
The little girl on the couch rubbed her big eyes and smiled innocently as soon as she saw Natalie. “Yes, Mommy. I’ve been waiting for you. But I think I fell asleep just now…”
Yumi scratched her head shyly as she said that.
Chapter 1057 An Invitation From The Royal Family
Natalie patted Yumi on the head and said with a chuckle, “Well, I’m here now! Is there something you wanted to tell me?”
Yumi nodded profusely and stared at her with her large, watery eyes. “Mommy, I think I only told you my birthday once, so you probably don’t remember it. After all, unlike Sophia and the others, I’m just an adopted child. But then, I received your birthday card and bunny music box today!
I waited for you because I wanted to thank you in person for it. Thank you, Mommy. Thanks for adopting me from the orphanage, for remembering my birthday, for getting me a gift, and for providing me with such a complete family!”
Yumi had been worried that she wouldn’t be able to fit in when she first joined this family, but her siblings loved her like their own even though they weren’t connected by blood.
They never treated her like an outsider, so she was truly glad to have met Natalie.
Unsure of what else she could say, Yumi hugged Natalie shyly and buried her face in Natalie’s chest.
“I really like you, Mommy!”
Natalie’s heart was filled with warmth when she felt Yumi hugging her tightly.
“Me too, Yumi!” Natalie glanced at the clock in the living room and flashed her a smile. “The clock hasn’t struck twelve, so your birthday isn’t over just yet. Happy birthday, Yumi!”
Yumi felt so happy that she could barely contain her excitement.
She didn’t want to cry, but the emotions were so overwhelming that her tears just started rolling down her cheeks.
“Mommy!” she sobbed uncontrollably.
Natalie gave her a gentle pat on the back and whispered, “You need to look pretty on your birthday, Yumi. Stop crying, okay? Your daddy is unable to celebrate your birthday with you due to some special reasons, but you have to believe that he likes you a lot too and misses you deeply.”
Yumi nodded while wiping the tears off her reddened eyes.
“It’s really late now. How about I carry you to your bedroom upstairs?”
“Okay!”
Natalie then carried Yumi upstairs, placed her on the bed, and gently tucked her in.
“Good night, Yumi.”
“Good night, Mommy,” Yumi replied as she closed her eyes.
Natalie waited until she was fast asleep before leaving to check on the other four of her kids.
Sophia was sleeping just fine under the blanket. Xavian, Clayton, and Franklin, on the other hand, had their arms and legs sticking out of the blanket.
With an affectionate smile on her face, Natalie shook her head helplessly as she tucked them all in.
All five kids were her greatest source of strength in this cold, harsh world.
One look at their adorable, chubby faces was all it took to relieve her of exhaustion.
After all, the universe had provided her with the cutest and kindest little angels she could ever ask for.
The next day, Natalie got ready to head over to Dream after breakfast.
She had just stepped out the door when she saw Jerome’s car parked outside her mansion.
Jerome looked particularly handsome as he stood there in the sun with his military uniform on. He exuded an aura that was only found in young guys who were entering manhood.
Feeling a little surprised by him suddenly showing up like this, Natalie asked, “Jerome, what are you—”
Not wanting to make things awkward, Jerome cut her off, “Don’t worry, Natalie. I didn’t come here to pester you or anything. I’m here to discuss official business with you.”
Natalie’s expression grew serious when she heard that. “What is it?”
Jerome had a conflicted look in his eyes as he said in a hoarse voice, “Prince Jonathan has invited you to attend his birthday party tomorrow night.”
Chapter 1058 She Absolutely Has To Go
Natalie was utterly dumbfounded. What? How come? Ordinary people don’t usually get invited to royal banquets like these! Even the wealthy don’t get invited unless they have connections or are doing business with the royal family! Why would a nobody like me receive such a grand invitation?
Natalie’s frown deepened. “Do you know why I’m being invited to Prince Jonathan’s birthday party?”
Jerome didn’t know the actual reason she was invited, but he could make a rough guess based on the invitation card and what his superior had told him.
“Don’t overthink it, Natalie. This probably has something to do with that bank robbery a while back. I kept my mouth shut about it, but there were quite a lot of soldiers who witnessed your heroic acts. You saved that boy who got shot and let the robbers take you hostage in place of that woman who was eight months pregnant. I’m guessing Prince Jonathan invited you over so he could give you an award.”
“I see…” Natalie nodded as she gave it some thought. The royal family of Loang does have the power to grant awards like these, so Jerome’s explanation makes perfect sense.
Even so, there are lots of complicated power struggles within the royal family of Loang. I’m only here to do business. I have no interest in learning more about the royal family, let alone getting close to them like this.
“Jerome, can I not attend this party?” she asked tentatively.
“I’m afraid not. I know you don’t like attending social events like these, but you have no choice in this particular one. Invitations from the royal family aren’t the same as invitations from fellow businessmen. According to the local customs, if you insist on turning the invitation down, you will have to explain your reason to Prince Jonathan in person and obtain his permission.
Unlike in Chanaea, Loang practices absolute monarchy, so the king holds ultimate power in the country. Although things aren’t as crazy as they were in the past, the royal family’s authority is still not to be challenged by ordinary folks like you and me.
Prince Jonathan has every right to banish you from Loang if he wishes to. Things are going well for Dream’s development now. It’d be a real shame if you were to get banished now.”
It wasn’t until Natalie heard his lengthy explanation that she fully realized her situation. There simply was no way for her to excuse herself from attending this birthday party.
“Thanks for the information. I’ll be there on time,” Natalie said with a nod. “There’s no need for you to get nervous. All you need to do is follow the servants’ instructions and complete the procedures to receive the award.”
“Okay.” Having gotten that out of the way, Natalie decided it was time for her to head off to work. “I’ll be on my way to the office now.”
Natalie was about to walk away when Jerome called out to her again, “Wait!”
“Hmm?” “Natalie, I’ve been thinking a lot about it after I went back.” Jerome flashed her a faint smile. “I hope we can still remain as friends like we used to be. I want us to go back to being siblings again.”
Natalie stared wide-eyed at him in surprise. “Do you really feel that way?”
Jerome gave her a playful flick on the forehead, just as he used to when they were kids.
“Why would I lie to you? It’s not like you’re the only woman in the world. It was a little embarrassing being rejected by you, but I’m pretty sure I can easily find someone else who’ll like me. I’m not the kind of guy who would shamelessly cling to a woman forever, especially if she’s not even that attractive!”
Feeling relieved when she saw that he could joke about it so casually, Natalie did the same. “Hey! Who are you calling unattractive, huh?”
Chapter 1059 He Will Never Win Her Heart
“You, of course!” Jerome replied with a mischievous grin. Natalie clenched her fist and gave him a punch in the chest. “I give an inch and you take a mile, huh? Looks like I’ll have to put you in your place, Jerome!”
Jerome pretended to rub his chest in pain as he exclaimed, “Ugh! Hey, that hurts! Had I not been toughened up by my many years of training in the military, you probably would’ve broken a rib or two with that punch!”
Natalie felt happy when she saw that they were joking around like when they were kids again. This is great! I’d be really upset if I were to lose a great friend like him because of his romantic feelings!
“All right, I’ll have to stop our little banter here. I really need to get to work now,” Natalie said with a smile as she waved goodbye. “Bye!” Jerome waved back at her.
He then stood there and watched as Natalie got into her car and sped off into the distance.
It wasn’t until her car had completely disappeared from sight that he mumbled to himself, “That was all a lie, Natalie… You wanted to remain as friends, so I had no choice but to act like we were just friends. Just as you don’t want to lose me as a friend, I don’t want to lose you by telling you my true feelings. I’m happy with being around you like this!”
Unfortunately for Jerome, Natalie couldn’t hear any of what he had just said. Emma shook her head when she came out of the house and saw Jerome standing there like a statue.
Oh, my… Mr. Sutton sure is deeply in love with Ms. Nichols! It’s a shame he’ll never win her heart over! Being able to attend Bastien’s birthday party was considered a grand opportunity for most people.
With the exception of Natalie, who wished to keep a low profile, all the other heiresses of prominent families were determined to win Bastien’s heart at the party.
Natalie chose a dress with a simple design and put on very light makeup for the party. Since she had no intention of competing with the other women, she decided to have them stand out better so she could keep a low profile.
Meanwhile, Helma was surrounded by a team of makeup artists and stylists in the Leitz residence. After spending agonizing hours having her appearance worked on, Helma emerged from the room looking her best.
“Ms. Helma sure is a natural beauty! All it took was a slight makeover for her to look as pretty as an angel!” “I know, right? Ms. Helma is bound to be the brightest star at the party tonight!”
“I bet Prince Jonathan won’t be able to take his eyes off her!” Helma knew they were just trying to butter her up, but she didn’t mind rewarding them generously since they had done a really good job.
After taking some time to admire her beauty and elegance in the mirror, Helma stood up and said, “You can get your payments from the butler over there.”
“Yay! Thank you, Ms. Helma!” they cheered in unison. Geert and Heidi were already waiting for her in the living room by the time Helma made her way down the stairs.
“Wow! As expected of my daughter! You look really beautiful and elegant, Helma! I bet you and Prince Jonathan would look amazing together!” Geert exclaimed happily when she saw how gorgeous Helma looked.
“Yeah! I’m sure Prince Jonathan would like you even more if he saw how you look tonight,” Heidi chimed in as well.
Helma looked away shyly after being complimented by her father and sister. “Father, Heidi, Prince Jonathan has yet to confirm he’ll marry me. Don’t talk about it like we’re already married! What if he doesn’t choose me to be his wife? That’ll be really embarrassing!”
Chapter 1060 Not To Be Trifled With
Heidi grabbed her by the hands and said, “What are you talking about? Everybody knows this birthday party is meant to confirm your marriage with Prince Jonathan! I’m looking forward to enjoying the luxurious life once you become a princess!”
Heidi had changed her mindset from before. All she wanted was for Helma to marry Bastien, as it would grant her more resources to get her revenge on Natalie. I’ll make her pay for all the humiliation she put me through!
Geert didn’t know the actual reason behind her sudden change of heart. Thinking his daughters had forgiven each other, Geert said with a smile, “Haha! I’m glad to see you two united again!”
I may not have a son, but my daughters make up for it with their success in life. If Prince Jonathan becomes king, then I’ll be the father-in-law of the king!
Helma nodded. “I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations, Father!” The Leitz family then headed out to Luna Palace, the place where the royal family of Loang resided.
With over four hundred years of history, Luna Palace was constructed entirely with large bricks. It had a beautiful curved roof to contrast the rigid shape of the building.
The design of the building looked incredibly magnificent, and the signs of aging added an air of solemnity and majesty to it.
This was Natalie’s first time standing before the entrance of Luna Palace.
Instead of feeling amazed by the palace’s grand appearance, all she felt was immense pressure from its overwhelming air of solemnity. “Here’s my invitation.” Natalie handed her invitation card with a chip over to the castle guard.
After scanning the chip on her card and seeing the level stated, the castle guard refused to let her in. “Is there a problem with my invitation?”
“No. Your invitation says you are to be escorted inside by a five-star servant.” “A five-star servant?”
Although Natalie had developed a certain level of understanding of Loang culture, she didn’t know much about the protocols and hierarchy in the royal family.
“Servants are ranked according to the number of stars, with zero being the lowest and five being the highest. The number of stars a servant has depends on their qualifications and performance. Five-star servants are the most trusted servants of the head of the royal family,” the castle guard explained.
Natalie nodded. “Ah, I see. Thank you for the information!”
I’m just here to receive an award, though. Why would Prince Jonathan have his most trusted servants receive me? Isn’t he overdoing it a little?
Moments later, a middle-aged man dressed in a white uniform appeared before Natalie. “Greetings, Ms. Nichols. Please come with me.”
“Sure,” Natalie replied as she followed the middle-aged servant through the castle gate.
“That woman is neither the daughter of a government official nor a socialite from a prominent family. Why did you even bother explaining that much to her?” asked the castle guard standing on the side.
“Do you take me for a fool or something? We’ve scanned dozens of invitation cards today, and this woman is the first guest to be escorted by a five-star servant! We may not know who she is, but she’s definitely someone important! If I get on her bad side, she may complain about it to the royal family. I’ll be screwed if that happens!”
That was when the other guard had a sudden realization. He’s right! That woman may not seem like much, but she is definitely not to be trifled with!
The middle-aged servant led Natalie into a luxurious lounge and said with a friendly smile, “Ms. Nichols, you may rest here for the time being. I will inform you when the banquet begins.”
“Wait!”
“Yes?”
“About the award ceremony later… Is there anything I should know about the procedure? I’m not too familiar with your local customs because I’m not from Loang. So I figured I’d ask you.”