Ch. 1071..1080

Chapter 1071 We Can Have More Children

When she saw how supportive Jerome was, she patted him on the shoulder and smiled. “Thank you! You’re indeed like a brother to me!” “Is the injury on your face really fine?” Jerome asked in a concerned tone.

“It’s no big deal. I’ll apply some cream when I’m home, and it’ll be as good as new tomorrow.” Natalie lowered her head to check the time on her phone. “Nevertheless, I’ll have to stay here for coffee and wait till the children are asleep before I go home. Otherwise, they, just like you, will probably be worried sick when they see the mark on my face.” “What about him?”

“Him?” “S-Samuel…” Jerome murmured reluctantly. “He has something important to deal with right now.” Natalie blinked. “Actually, I should be by his side, but he knows that I have my own plans. Not wanting me to suffer together with him, he had me stay here in the end.”

Half a month had passed since both of them last saw each other. Despite Samuel’s absence, Natalie missed him at every passing moment. Moreover, she was confident that he would return to her alive.

Meanwhile, the banquet had finally ended. After Frieda accompanied Mikhail, she was ridiculed by his two other wives again. Nonetheless, she couldn’t wait to check on Bastien once she was done cleaning up the mess from the evening.

At that moment, the grim-looking Bastien was dressing the gruesome wound on his hand.

Even though Frieda was fuming when she arrived, the sight of the wound on the back of his hand caused her anger to dissipate. Instead, she asked with concern, “Bastien, what happened to your hand? Who hurt you?”

“Mother, I hurt myself by accident.”

“Why were you so careless?” Frieda frowned at him. “Does it have something to do with Natalie? Has she cast some sort of spell on you to make you want to marry her despite barely knowing her? Do you know how ludicrous it looked in public?”

After tending to the bandage on his hand, Bastien looked up at Frieda. “Mother, I don’t regret it at all.”

Faced with her unrepentant son, Frieda felt her lips trembling in anger. “Bastien, do you know what you’re saying? Your father favors you, and you have a high chance of beating the other princes to become the king of Loang. Hence, how can you say something so irresponsible?”

“I have never given up on the throne, but neither did I agree to marry the Leitz family’s daughter.” Bastien got up from his chair and walked up to his mother. “Relying on her family to claim the throne would just show how incapable I am. Being the king continues to be my goal, but I’m not giving up on Natalie either!”

His words caused Frieda to gape in shock.

“Y-You’ve gone mad! Did you not hear what she said? She’s married and even has five children. How can such a woman be worthy of you? How can you even marry a woman like her?”

The gentle look in Bastien’s eyes was replaced by one that was bloodthirsty as if he had been overtaken by obsession.

“So what? She’s still young and can bear more children with me in the future.”

“You…” Frieda couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her—all the while gentle and obedient—son’s mouth. “Why her? Why are you so mesmerized by her?”

“Mother, it’s true that before I met her, I had no interest in women and didn’t care who I married. But after she came into my life, I felt as if I was spellbound. Every gesture of hers would stir my emotions.” Bastien broke into an insidious smile. “No matter what, I must have her. If I can’t, I’m willing to destroy her with my own hands.”

Unable to believe what was going on in front of her, Frieda backpedaled in shock.

Her son had changed so much that she could no longer recognize him.

“You can’t do that!”

“Mother, I have made up my mind.” Bastien refused to accept his mother’s advice. “You should go back to your quarters and not worry about me. Otherwise, don’t blame me for sending you away from Yaleview to live out your elderly years.”

Bastien has really gone raving mad! Sending me away is just a pretext for exiling me.

 

Chapter 1072 The Girl In the Oil Painting

Inside the king’s bedroom in Luna Palace, Cynthia stayed by Mikhail’s side. Among Mikhail’s three wives, she was the one who spent the longest time with him and watched how he ascended the throne. Naturally, she understood him the best.

As the stern-looking Mikhail sat frowning on his bed, he exuded an aura that repelled anyone who came close. When Cynthia approached him from behind, thinking to give his head a massage to help him relax, he grabbed her hand before she could reach him. “Your Majesty?”

“I don’t need you to give me a massage.” Mikhail turned around and gave Cynthia a cold stare. Thinking about Natalie’s appearance that evening, Cynthia felt as if she had been stabbed right in her heart. “Your Majesty, I suppose your frustration must have something to do with the girl instead of Prince Jonathan’s marriage…”

Her resemblance to that woman is extremely uncanny. All this while, Cynthia was the most magnanimous among his three wives.

Nonetheless, that wasn’t her true nature, for she knew better than anyone else who Mikhail truly cared for. It wasn’t her, Frieda, or even Shirley. Mikhail first crush was someone other than them.

Upon hearing Cynthia’s words, Mikhail gradually tightened his grip on her wrist, to the extent of crushing her bones. At the same time, his eyes glistened with a bone-chilling iciness.

“Get lost!”

Instead of screaming in pain, Cynthia simply sneered, “Tsk…”

Just as expected. Is that woman, or anyone who’s related to her, the only person who has a hold on this man’s heart?

No sooner had Mikhail told Cynthia to get lost than he shoved her hand aside. After staggering backward, she had no choice but to leave with a sorrowful heart.

Upon Cynthia’s departure, Mikhail got up from his bed and flicked what looked like a switch for the wall lamp.

Following the sound of a click, a secret room of more than twenty square meters was revealed on the north wall of the royal bedroom. As Mikhail walked routinely in, he was greeted by an exquisite-looking oil painting that hung on the wall.

Within that painting was a young girl, who was wearing a rattan basket on her back, kneeling among the bushes. She was carrying an adorable little rabbit in her arms.

With her innocent smile and glistening eyes, the beauty she exuded made it difficult for anyone to peel their eyes away.

This woman called Natalie… shares the exact same smile as the girl in the picture. Isn’t she supposed to be dead? How did she have children? If that woman is really her child, wouldn’t it make me her father?

Approaching the oil painting step by step, Mikhail couldn’t resist reaching out to run his fingers over the girl’s face as he murmured, “Back then, you were so desperate to escape from my side. I… Am I really her father?”

The look in his eyes and the tone of his voice reflected nothing but longing for her.

At that moment, he no longer looked like the king who ruled over a country.

By the time it was eleven, Jerome drove Natalie back to her home.

Upon their arrival, Emma and the five children were already asleep. Only then did Natalie return to her room in relief.

Even though what happened that night was beyond her wildest imagination, she didn’t regret her decision and neither felt as if she had owed either Bastien or Helma. After all, she never took what didn’t belong to her. Instead, she made her rejection clear and didn’t leave room for any misunderstanding.

On the contrary, the evening’s events caused an uproar within the Leitz family.

Geert waited till the banquet had ended before returning home.

With a sullen expression, he furrowed his brows so intensely that wrinkles could be seen.

The moment the teary-eyed Helma saw Geert, she came forward and inquired, “Father, since I haven’t heard His Majesty decide upon Natalie and Bastien’s marriage, does it mean that my engagement with him still stands a chance?”

 

Chapter 1073 You Are Not Allowed To Harm Her

That night, Helma had become a laughing stock after Bastien skipped her over for the first dance. However, after learning that Natalie was married and would never be able to marry Bastien, she felt a flicker of hope reignite within her.

In spite of the ridicule, she still wanted to marry Bastien. Geert, facing Helma’s hopeful gaze, replied, “Helma, it’s highly unlikely your marriage with Prince Jonathan will proceed. Nonetheless, you don’t have to be too worked up about it, for I’ll try to matchmake you with another prestigious family—”

Before Geert could finish, Helma interrupted him, “I don’t want anyone else. I only want Bastien! You’re well aware that I have always loved him since I was a child, and you even promised me that the marriage would definitely succeed. Therefore, no one is going to stop me from marrying him!”

Ever since she was young, Helma had always behaved with elegance and poise. Thus, when faced with her crying tantrum, Geert couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“All this while, Lady Frieda and I were the driving force behind your engagement with Bastien. As for Bastien, he had never explicitly agreed to it.” Geert explained in resignation, “Now that he has openly invited someone else to dance, it’s obvious that he has rejected you. It’s true that His Majesty didn’t decide on his engagement, but that also means he didn’t do the same for yours. After the banquet ended, I did give Lady Frieda a call, but she wasn’t keen on talking about the marriage. Nonetheless, probably out of guilt, she has given us everything she had previously promised. As a result, she has made up for what happened by showing the Leitz family the utmost respect.”

Helma couldn’t believe what she heard.

The flicker of hope within her was consequently extinguished in that very instant.

“The Leitz family has been shown the utmost respect?” Raising her voice, Helma questioned, “In that case, what about my marriage and happiness? Have they been inexplicably sacrificed?”

“Helma, I understand this isn’t what you wanted, but there’s no other choice right now.”

The tears that were dammed up in Helma’s eyes a while ago gushed out again.

Although Father has done everything he could, I’m not going to let Natalie off the hook that easily.

Just when Geert assumed that Helma had accepted the reality of the situation and planned to retire to his room, he felt a hand tugging his sleeve.

Turning around, all he saw was the sullen-looking Helma. “H-Helma.”

“Father, Natalie is the one who has stolen my happiness.” Helma hissed through her gritted teeth, “I just can’t pretend as if nothing had happened. In fact, I’m going to pay her back for all the pain she has caused me!”

Upon hearing her words, Geert pried Helma’s hand away from his sleeve.

“I forbid it!”

With her eyes widened in shock, Helma questioned, “Father, why can’t I? I’ll never be satisfied until she has tasted the pain that I suffered. At most, she’s just a shrewd businesswoman. How can she be more powerful than the Leitz family?”

Geert was under no illusion that harming Natalie was an impossible task although the reason behind it was straightforward.

Having seen Natalie, he was well aware of who she resembled. Despite having no information on Natalie’s relationship with that woman, he could still tell that Mikhail had stronger feelings for the woman than his existing three wives. After all, she was the reason he commissioned the best painter in the country to produce that oil painting of her.

In the event Natalie turned out to be his daughter, Mikhail would definitely protect her from the shadows even if he couldn’t do so in public.

Therefore, regardless of the Leitz family’s capability, taking on the Loang royal family would be madness.

Helma’s action would undoubtedly be her death sentence.

Unfortunately, due to the sensitivity of the secrets belonging to the royal family, Geert was unable to share the reason with his daughter, for fear of being punished by death.

Hence, giving her a stern warning was the best he could manage. “Helma, let me warn you. She’s not someone you can take on. Just let the matter rest, and don’t even think about revenge.”

 

Chapter 1074 A Vicious Vixen

Helma was confused—utterly confused. “Father, I thought I was your favorite!” she cried her heart out at Geert. “Why are you siding with her? Why won’t you let me take revenge? Have you ever thought about my feelings?”

“Don’t be crazy!” Geert got agitated. He pointed at his daughter and rebuked, “I’ve said what I wanted to say, so you should know what I mean by now. Consider yourself going against me deliberately if you lay a finger on Natalie. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Despite sounding harsh, Geert was telling the truth. If Natalie turns out to be Mikhail’s lost daughter, it would mean that she is the princess of Loang. Given how much Mikhail loves that woman, it’s totally possible that he turns his back on those princes and passes his throne to that daughter. Helma is playing with fire if she crosses Natalie! If that happens, Mikhail’s rage will burn against Helma and the whole Leitz family.

With this in mind, Geert decided that the best policy was to stay away from Natalie before the truth surfaced.

Geert did not want to drag the talk out with Helma, for he feared that he might end up spilling the royal family’s secret if Helma kept insisting on getting back at Natalie. So, he slapped her with a stern warning and left without turning back.

Watching her father walking away in a fury, Helma shouted, “Father! Father!”

No matter how desperate Helma cried out, Geert refused to look back.

The woman staggered as the image of her father’s deterrent glare haunted her.

She could not get over how cold he looked.

Although Geert had been a strict father to Helma since she was a kid, he had never looked at her so bitterly before. His stare was so baleful Helma felt a suffocating sensation choking her.

“T-This cannot be…” Helma muttered, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed.

At that moment, Heidi came out from the room beside the living room. She walked slowly to Helma and uttered calmly, “Helma, don’t tell me you still don’t understand why Father is behaving like this.”

“Heidi?” Helma looked up at her sister. “Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?”

“Yes, but if I hadn’t eavesdropped, I wouldn’t have known Father did not care about you at all! Your happiness and grievances mean nothing to him because that vixen is all he could think of!” Heidi seethed as she clenched her fists.

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you see how Father looked at her the first time they met? It is apparent how much he cares for her,” Heidi noted with a sneer. “Not only does that vixen has Prince Jonathan under her spell, but she also has Father beguiled! That’s why Father asked you to swallow your pride after what she did to you. He’s protecting her at all costs!”

Heidi’s words struck Helma.

She’s right! Natalie is nothing! She’s nothing but a businesswoman with no background in Loang. She’s in no place to challenge the Leitz family and Mother! Father keeps asking me to give up on revenge only because he’s afraid I will harm his secret lover!

Heidi approached Helma and hugged her lightly. “Helma, it pains me to see you like this. We should work together and teach that woman a lesson. We can’t just let her walk away with impunity! It’s so frustrating!”

To Helma, being unable to marry Bastien that night was an exasperating mortification. It was as though her whole life had been ruined.

She tugged at the pendant designed by Dream Company around her neck and detached it as crude hatred clouded her eyes. “Natalie Nichols! This is not the end. A slap is not enough! I will not let you off the hook! No way! I, Helma Leitz, swear right now that I will destroy you with my own hands!”

 

Chapter 1075 Setting Her Up

When Natalie went to work as usual the next day, Lia and Yandel went to her office uninvited. Lia was curious about what it was like to attend a prince’s birthday party, but unlike her, Yandel looked gloomy and pensive. Although he still listened intently to their conversation, he evaded Natalie’s gaze altogether.

At first, Natalie did not think much about it, but as time passed, she could not help but notice something was obviously amiss.

Because there were too many details, Natalie did not tell Lia the whole story. Instead, she only told Lia that Loang’s royal family was heavily-guarded and the palace was glorious.

Lia listened attentively until Natalie finished her story. When she was done telling the story, Natalie found an excuse to ask Yandel to stay behind.

With Lia gone, Natalie was left alone with Yandel in the spacious office.

Natalie cupped her coffee mug with her hands and looked up sharply at the man. “I met Prince Jonathan already, so you can just come clean and tell me why you betrayed me.”

Knowing that there was no way he could conceal the secret, Yandel caved.

“Boss, I didn’t mean to keep this from you,” Yandel exclaimed, putting one palm up as if he was taking an oath. “I didn’t tell you about it back at Chanaea because I never thought you guys would meet one day. I didn’t want you to get involved in the feud of the royal family. I wanted to remind you this time, but Prince Jonathan threatened me not to let you know. I mean, he did threaten me not to give away his true identity, but he also promised he would never harm you. That’s why I didn’t tell you in the end.”

Natalie took a sip of coffee and frowned.

It seems like Bastien planned to ask me for a dance long ago. He had everything planned, and I was simply walking into the trap he had set up.

“Boss, did he mess with you yesterday night? He only told you who he was, right?” Yandel asked worriedly, leaning closer.

“Well, he could’ve told me who he was the moment we met instead of threatening you and acting in front of me. It’s obvious that things are not as simple as they seem!” Natalie replied.

“What? Did Bastien do anything to you?” Yandel questioned, astonished.

“No, he didn’t.”

“That’s a relief.”

“He invited me for a dance to show everyone how he felt about me. That’s it,” Natalie informed casually.

What?

Yandel did not manage to suppress his shock. He choked on his own saliva and started coughing violently.

When he finally recovered from his shock, he commented laboriously, “According to Loang’s customs, what he did is equivalent to asking for your hand in marriage. Did Bastien really invite you for a dance on such an occasion?”

“Yes,” Natalie replied with a nod.

“He asked in front of everyone. Turning him down means disrespecting the royal family; accepting his invitation means marrying him.”

Yandel found it inconceivable. He could not believe Bastien had the audacity to do that.

“So, what did you do in the end?”

“We danced, but I didn’t agree to marry him,” Natalie answered, glancing at Yandel. “Samuel and I are legally married, and I’m a mother of five. There’s no way Bastien and Loang’s royal family can accept that.”

“Um…” Yandel was suddenly at a loss for words. “I should’ve given you the heads-up.”

“It wouldn’t make a difference if you told me. He invited me to his birthday party as the prince, so there’s no way I can decline his invitation. Besides, he helped me in Chanaea, so I have to return the favor. I would still end up in the same situation even if you told me in advance.”

Yandel thought about it and agreed.

“I have antagonized Bastien now that I refused to marry him,” Natalie noted as she rubbed her temples, feeling an impending headache. “He’s laid a lot of traps for me.”

 

Chapter 1076 This Is Just The Beginning

“Helma promised to let Dream be in charge of designing her exclusive jewelry, but I guess this is not happening anymore. Not only that, but it will also become more difficult for us to penetrate the luxury market because of the fallout.”

Natalie was a businesswoman through and through. From her calculation, this fiasco had not only offended many but had also dealt her business a heavy blow. These were all the consequences of rejecting Bastien.

Yandel replied seriously, “Boss, I know you feel it’s a shame to lose the deal, but you managed to save yourself. Bastien’s move was risky and dangerous. It’s not easy circumventing a thorny situation like that.”

“Indeed.” Natalie nodded in agreement. Bastien was Loang’s prince. His status was closely tied to the royal family. Although Natalie had a solid reason not to marry Bastien, turning him down at an event like that was a disgrace to the royal family.

Natalie thought about what Yandel said and felt surreal that she managed to get herself out of the situation in one piece.

Bastien liked her, and unlike his father, Mikhail, whom the people had mixed sentiments about, Bastian was unusually down to earth.

He was easygoing and did not, in any way, make things difficult for Natalie. Neither did he rebuff Natalie after what happened, let alone punish her.

Natalie was deeply perplexed. She felt there was more to things than met the eye.

Deep down, she felt like the party the night before was just a prelude to a storm, and that was just the beginning of a disaster.

For the whole morning, Natalie could not concentrate on work.

Meanwhile, Franklin, Sophia, Xavian, Clayton, and Yumi were all in the same classroom at the kindergarten.

Their brilliance, appearance, and good behavior set them apart from the other children, who would often cry and fight among themselves.

The teachers favored the five children because it was easy handling them and gave them free rein in class.

They could do whatever they wanted as long as they stayed in the kindergarten.

So, Franklin, Xavian, and Clayton each took out their laptops and did their own thing.

Franklin looked into futures and stock indices while Clayton checked out the latest artwork.

As for Xavian, he was coding to hack a forum of some unethical company.

Since Yumi and Sophia were uninterested in what the boys were doing, they went out to the field to enjoy the sunlight while they played blowing bubbles.

As they played, a short-haired woman slowly approached.

More specifically, she was walking toward Sophia—her target.

That’s Natalie’s daughter. Since I can’t do anything to Natalie, I’ll take Sophia with me. I don’t believe Natalie will be so cold-hearted as to sacrifice her own child.

Information about the four children was classified, so retrieving them was hard. Still, motivated by the determination to avenge Gale, that woman had already hidden undercover in Chanaea and Loang for two whole months. She was waiting for that moment to arrive when she could finally seek revenge for Gale.

“Yumi! Blow a bubble! They look so pretty!” Sophia suggested before puffing out a transparent bubble.

Yumi nodded firmly. “Let me do that too!”

Although the two girls saw the woman from the corners of their eyes, they did not pay much attention to her, thinking that she was a new teacher at the kindergarten. They were unaware that danger was encroaching.

Zophie walked up behind Sophia and covered her face with a towel doused with chemicals, but Yumi turned and saw her.

“You!”

Zophie’s pupils shrank as she stared at the girl in disbelief.

Zophie remembered the girl, for she once saw a photo of her when Gale was on a mission.

He showed her the picture and told her that that girl held the key to a secret that could completely upend Loang’s royal family, so much so that King ordered him to find the girl, no matter what.

Yet, after Gale was bombed to death, King entrusted the mission to someone else.

Never in her wildest dream would Zophie imagine that she would bump into that girl when she was kidnapping Sophia.

 

Chapter 1077 She Is A Kidnapper

Yumi saw Zophie holding a wet towel and cried out in warning, “She’s a kidnapper, Sophia! Quick, run!” Upon hearing that, Sophia instinctively jerked her head around. At once, Zophie’s malicious countenance entered her line of sight.

“N-No…” Dropping the bubble machine in her hand, Sophia whirled around to sprint away.

Zophie’s eyes glinted maliciously. She clapped the drug-doused wet towel over Sophia’s mouth. Merely two to three seconds later, Sophia passed out on the ground after inhaling the specialty drug.

“Sophia!” Yumi never expected the woman to do such a thing to Sophia, and she inevitably stood frozen on the spot. Should I stay and save Sophia or try to flee and phone Mommy to have her save Sophia?

She was so anxious that tears shimmered in her eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to attempt an escape. With my efforts alone, I won’t be able to save Sophia. That aside, I’m also likely to lose my life!

Having thought things through, she took to her heels. Zophie narrowed her eyes, hissing through gritted teeth, “You want to run? I’ve finally found you, so where do you think you’re going?”

Yumi heard what Zophie said, but she already had no other way out right then. All she could do was speed up and try her best to lose the woman.

However, a five-year-old child couldn’t possibly outrun an adult no matter how well-developed her muscles were. In no time, Zophie grabbed her collar from behind.

“L-Let go of me! What do you want?” Yumi shrieked, her eyes red-rimmed.

“I was actually targeting that little girl, but I unexpectedly found you here. What a stroke of luck! I didn’t have to expend any effort at all. You’re far more valuable than that little girl!” Zophie’s lips curved into a sneer.

“Let… go of me!” Yumi flailed her limbs. Unwilling to admit defeat, she snarled, “Our mommy will never let you go when she knows you’re treating me and Sophia in such a manner!”

“Mommy?” Zophie was promptly startled.

Seemingly realizing her slip of the tongue, Yumi hastily zipped her mouth and said nothing further.

Zophie, on the other hand, slowly got the picture. She stared at Yumi, her smile turning all the more sinister. “Like Sophia Bowers… you call that woman ‘Mommy?’ It looks like I really shouldn’t have underestimated her. No wonder we couldn’t find you even after searching every inch of Chanaea. It turns out that she hid you away and spirited you to Loang, putting you right under our noses!”

At her remark, understanding dawned upon Yumi.

She was probably one of those who once hunted me down in Loang!

Mistakenly assuming that the woman knocked Sophia out because of her, she struggled all the more wildly, just like an aggressive little beast.

“Let me tell you that I’m the person you’re seeking! It has nothing to do with Sophia and the rest! Just take me away. I’ll go with you, but you’re not allowed to hurt them! Do you hear me?”

Zophie didn’t expect a child to have such strength when she was struggling.

Yumi’s cries were too loud, so she feared they would attract attention. She hurriedly used the same wet towel to cover her nose and mouth. Similarly, Yumi’s struggles weakened in the blink of an eye. In the end, her hands went limp in Zophie’s arms.

Dipping her head, Zophie glanced at the little girl in her arms. Then, she looked over her shoulder at the little girl on the grass.

If I were to take both of them away at the same time, the difficulty would almost double compared to my initial plan. Therefore, I can only take one of them if I want to leave safely. Should I take Sophia? Or should I go with this little girl in my arms?

After mulling it over, she decided that taking the latter would be more beneficial.

With Yumi in her arms, Zophie strode out of the kindergarten.

Soon, it was the kindergarten’s breaktime.

Franklin, Xavian, and Clayton left the library and went to look for Yumi and Sophia. Alas, they found Sophia unconscious on the grass.

“Sophia! Can you hear me? Wake up!” Franklin crouched and shook Sophia.

 

Chapter 1078 Do Not Give Yumi Up

Sophia’s head spun. Her eyelids only twitched when she heard her brother calling out to her. The instant she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of Franklin’s anxious expression.

“F-Franklin…” Ugh! I feel so dizzy. What’s going on here?

Balling her hands into fists, she thumped her head incessantly, forcing herself to recall the events that transpired earlier. “Why are you alone, Sophia? Wasn’t Yumi playing with you? Why did I only see you here? Where is she?” Franklin inquired, helping her up.

Following his reminder, Sophia’s memories surged to the forefront. In utter panic, she exclaimed, “Oh no, Franklin! Yumi was knocked out by that evil woman! She was initially targeting me, but Yumi saved me.”

Xavian and Clayton rushed over. When they didn’t see Yumi, their faces immediately darkened frightfully. “What happened next, Sophia? Where’s Yumi?”

Sophia bit her lip hard as she attempted to recall some leads, but her memories stopped at the point where she collapsed to the ground after having been smothered with a wet towel.

While she was lying on the ground, she vaguely saw the woman rendering Yumi unconscious.

So overwrought that her eyes went scarlet like a rabbit’s, she frantically clutched Franklin’s arm. “She must have been taken away by that evil woman! She’s in extreme danger now! She was taken away in my stead, so you all must figure out a way to save her!”

Franklin, Xavian, and Clayton looked at each other.

We probably can’t depend on the teachers. If they were of any use, that evil woman wouldn’t have possibly been able to enter the kindergarten so easily. At the moment, we must contact Mommy at once regarding this matter!

As the eldest among them all, Franklin swiftly made the division of tasks.

“Xavian, go and check the kindergarten’s surveillance footage right away. See whether you can find any leads about that woman’s identity. Clayton, you go and inform the kindergarten about Yumi’s disappearance. As for me, I’m going to keep Sophia company here and also convey this information to Mommy. Although Yumi isn’t related to us by blood, we can’t give her up!”

Nodding, Xavian and Clayton started going about their tasks respectively.

Meanwhile, Franklin whipped out his phone from his pocket and gave Natalie a call.

When Natalie was handling the final document, she glimpsed a call from Franklin flashing on her phone screen.

At this hour, they should all be studying at the kindergarten. Why would they call me out of the blue? They’re usually exceedingly obedient and independent. If it isn’t something decidedly tricky, they seldom take the initiative to phone me.

The veins at her temples pulsed. Without an ounce of hesitation, she answered the call.

“Hello—”

“Mommy, it’s me, Franklin! Today, a woman broke into the kindergarten. She wanted to kidnap Sophia, but for some unknown reason, she changed her target, knocking out and taking Yumi away,” Franklin reported, cutting straight to the chase.

“What?”

Hearing that, Natalie frowned deeply. Unadulterated shock surfaced in her eyes.

Yumi has been kidnapped!

“Is there any blood at the scene?” Natalie demanded.

“No. Yumi was probably not hurt, but I don’t know whether that will remain true.” Franklin’s breathing turned heavy.

“Okay, I got it. All four of you are to stay together. Do not go anywhere else alone. I’ll have Yandel come over and protect you all. Each and every one of you is my weakness,” Natalie said, trying to console him.

Franklin clenched his hands tightly into fists.

Ultimately, he mustered his courage and pleaded, “Mommy, don’t give Yumi up.”

“Huh?”

Natalie was stunned for a moment, never having expected her son to say such a thing.

“Mommy, while she isn’t our biological sister… I hope she can return safely…” Franklin uttered with much difficulty.

Abruptly comprehending why he was making such a comment, Natalie declared resolutely, “Franklin, since I adopted her, I’ll naturally treat her the same as Sophia. No matter the circumstances, I’ll never abandon her!”

After Franklin received that reply from her, his voice was no longer as tense and depressed. “Don’t worry about us, Mommy. Go and save her. As the eldest, I’ll take good care of Xavian, Clayton, and Sophia.”

“Okay,” Natalie answered.

 

Chapter 1079 Too Dangerous To Act Alone

Hanging up the phone, Natalie instantly made a call to Yandel using the internal line. Yandel noticed something amiss with her expression. “What’s wrong, Boss? Did something happen that you called me over so urgently?”

Natalie made a shushing gesture at the man. Catching on to her meaning, Yandel allowed her some space. Natalie massaged her throbbing temples, forcing herself to calm down before making any specific decisions.

Otherwise, her rationality would be affected by her emotions, and that would only be detrimental to Yumi’s rescue. A long moment later, she sensed some of her clarity returning.

Only then did she begin, “Yumi had been kidnapped by an unidentified woman, her whereabouts currently unknown. I need you to head to the kindergarten now and pick Franklin, Clayton, and the others up, ensuring their absolute safety! I have to figure out a way to save Yumi. It’s naturally best if I can accomplish that. But if otherwise, I can only wait for that woman to contact me.”

However, Yandel was worried about her safety. “Should I have Lia take care of the kids instead, Boss? I’ll stay by your side. No matter what, I should be of some help!”

“No,” Natalie declined without even thinking about it. “Boss—”

“The kids are my everything. If anything else were to befall any one of them, I wouldn’t be able to focus on saving Yumi. You’re the person I trust most, Yandel. Entrusting the kids to you is equivalent to me handing you half my life!” Natalie patted Yandel on the shoulder.

“But it’s too dangerous for you to act alone,” Yandel protested.

In order to reassure the man, Natalie drawled with a chuckle, “Don’t worry about me. Do you still not understand me after having been with me for so long? I’m not foolish, nor am I thoughtless. I won’t jump into a trap so easily. Contrarily, those who want to make a move against me should first consider their future and destiny.”

At the sight of the faint smile playing on her lips, the corners of Yandel’s lips inexorably turned up.

That’s true. How could I have doubted her, of all people?

He had never believed in miracles in the past, but after having gone through so much with her, he deeply understood that when someone was sufficiently hard on herself and staunch enough to go against fate, miracles would really take place.

“Got it.” Putting his worried expression away, he stated firmly, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Franklin, Sophia, and the others.”

“Thank you.”

Thus, Yandel went to the kindergarten to pick the four children up.

In the meantime, Natalie combed through her memories.

Who would want to make a move against Sophia and Yumi? The possibility of them being the targets are low. Instead, it’s highly likely that they’re gunning for me. I made an enemy of the Jones family and the Leitz family in Loang. With regard to the former, Olivia and Bridger have already been detained and are currently awaiting sentencing. As for the latter, they had just learned that I’ve got kids. I encrypted the kids’ identities, so they couldn’t possibly have located them so quickly even if they sent someone to investigate the matter. Who could it be, then? Bastien? But if he really wanted to take revenge against me, he would’ve picked Sophia instead of a kid with no blood ties to me.

Failing to make head or tail of things, she could only phone Jerome and seek his help in the end.

Right then, Jerome was detailing the military rehearsal to Bastien.

“Aforementioned is the deployment strategy of our military forces, Prince Jonathan.”

Bastien scanned his eyes over the strategy proposal before nodding. “Just execute it as detailed.”

Whenever Jerome reported work matters to his superiors, he handed his phone to his adjutant for safekeeping. But he had instructed the latter to inform him at once if he received a call from Natalie, no matter the situation.

After glimpsing the caller ID, Jerome’s adjutant went over to him and murmured, “It’s a call from Ms. Natalie, Major General Sutton.”

The instant his words rang out, Jerome’s expression changed.

Even Bastien’s pupils constricted, his dark gaze falling on the phone in the adjutant’s hand.

 

Chapter 1080 Where Did You Hide It

His eyes glinting, Bastien questioned coldly, “Why aren’t you answering the call, Major General Sutton?”

Jerome glanced at his phone. “Please excuse me while I take this call, Prince Jonathan.”

Toying with the pen in his hand, Bastien queried solemnly, “Why are you excusing yourself? If you continue dragging your feet, the call will be disconnected soon, Major General Sutton. Just answer the call here. I don’t mind.”

Despite his seemingly nonchalant words, his tone carried an inexplicable hint of coercion. “Prince Jonathan—”

“Are you suspecting that I’ll eavesdrop on your military intelligence?” Bastien placed the pen in his hand down, his countenance turning flinty in a flash.

“Of course not.” “In that case, answer the call in front of me.” Left with no other recourse, Jerome could only take the call before Bastien. “Hello, Natalie.”

Natalie’s voice promptly drifted out of the phone.

“Jerome, Yumi was kidnapped by a woman at the kindergarten. When the woman entered the kindergarten, Sophia was with Yumi, but she let Sophia go and took Yumi away. I’ve pondered for a long time, but I can’t think of anyone who’d do such a thing. I don’t have any leads at the moment, so I’d like to seek your help to investigate this matter.”

Knowing Yumi’s importance to her all too well, Jerome hastily promised in all solemnity, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.” “Thank you.”

Subsequently, the call was disconnected. Jerome put his phone away and said to Bastien, “Prince Jonathan, please excuse me as I’ve got some personal matters to handle.”

In response, Bastien nodded. “You may be dismissed.” Shortly after Jerome had left, Bastien got to his feet.

“Send someone to keep an eye on him and see what exactly Natalie wanted him to investigate,” he instructed Joseph beside him.

Aware that the man still couldn’t forget Natalie after she declined his offer of marriage, Joseph could only answer with a dip of his head, “Understood.”

Then, he left.

Bastien, on the other hand, couldn’t help walking over to the window. As he gazed out at the darkening sky, his long and slender fingers clutched at the window frame.

Never had I expected Natalie to be so familiar with Jerome. Sure enough, there are too many things about her that go beyond my expectations. Anyhow, I’ve already made up my mind to bag her! No matter her past or the reprehensible means I’ve got to stoop to in order to have her, I’ll never change my mind!

Meanwhile, Yumi was jolted awake by cold water that was thrown right into her face with a splash.

Splash!

Her thick eyelashes fluttered as she slowly roused.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of Zophie’s grim and icy face. Such fear struck her that her heart lurched.

“I-It’s you…”

Upon seeing that she was awake, Zophie pinched her chin and sneered, “You’re awake?”

“What do you want… with me? Let go of me… Let me go!” Yumi’s chin hurt from the woman’s grip, and tears escaped her eyes unbidden.

Conversely, Zophie shot daggers at her.

“Spit it out! Where did you hide that jade key?”

Jade key?

Yumi’s pupils abruptly constricted, and her eyes brimmed with panic.

Ever since she escaped to the orphanage and was taken in, no one hunted her down anymore. Even after Natalie adopted her later, no similar incident transpired.

She thought they had given up pursuing her, so she was finally safe, but she never expected to be caught in Loang in the end.

“I… I don’t know what you’re saying! What key are you going on about? Keys are only ever iron. How could there be a jade key?” Yumi countered stubbornly.

She wanted to play dumb to fool Zophie, but the latter had long since seen her picture at Gale’s residence and knew that she couldn’t have gotten the wrong person. Sneering, she continued tightening her grip.

“You’re still playing dumb with me and lying to me?”

Terror inundated Yumi, but she knew that she could only keep herself alive by holding firm to that lie.

“J-Jade key? I really don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Brat, it seems that you’re not going to speak the truth without me forcing it out of you. The jade key is exceedingly crucial, yet I didn’t find it even after searching you from head to toe earlier. Where exactly did you put it? Or… did you entrust it to Natalie for safekeeping?”