Ch. 1101..1110

Chapter 1101 The Negotiations Have Fallen Through

Bastien didn’t answer her question right away, but Natalie wasn’t in a rush. She took a sip of coffee and refused to touch the strawberries and cream cake that the man had brought.

“Blaze has been looking for the mysterious jade key that concerns Loang’s ancient artifacts. These thousand-year-old national treasures are the foundation of the country. In essence, whoever gets their hands on the jade key holds Loang’s lifeline…”

Natalie was shocked to hear that, for she was the one who had the jade key. A mixture of emotions surged within her, but her face remained devoid of expression. “What does that have to do with me?”

“Do you know the location of the jade key?” Bastien cut straight to the chase. “The key concerns Loang’s national treasures. Certainly, it’d be more appropriate for a member of the royal family to hold on to it.”

After a brief pause, he added, “I’ll help you rescue your child from Blaze, but in exchange, I hope you’ll tell me everything you know.” “How are you so sure that I have the information you’re seeking?”

“I looked into the child who was abducted. She’s a descendant of the Jankovich family, who’s in control of the jade key.” A crease appeared between Bastien’s brows as he continued, “Although I have no idea how you found her and even managed to adopt her, I’m sure she knows where the jade key is. If you really don’t know, then hand her over to me. I can assure you that I won’t hurt her.”

Looking at the man in front of her, Natalie couldn’t help but notice how he’d become a stranger to her.

The gentle Mr. Nine was nothing more than a façade, and the real him was a monster filled with horrible desires.

Indeed, it was just as she had expected.

Bastien helping her rescue Yumi came with a price, and the price was exactly what Blaze wanted from her—the jade key that was worth a king’s ransom.

“I don’t need your help,” Natalie said, her voice laced with determination as she stared into the man’s eyes. “I don’t know anything about the Jankovich family. All I know is that she’s my daughter and someone I want to protect. I won’t hand her over to you, let alone allow her to be caught up in the royal family’s dispute.”

“Natalie, do you really think you’d be able to rescue her all by yourself?”

In the face of rejection, Bastien became paranoid, and his voice grew louder.

“Your man is nowhere to be found when you need him the most! Do you think you’re that smart and capable of putting up a fight all by yourself? How could you disregard the help that I’m offering with such sincerity?”

Admittedly, Bastien was an ambitious man at heart, but he also knew that his heart lay with Natalie.

However, she scoffed at his sincerity and rejected his assistance in a way that left no room for discussion.

“Prince Jonathan, I believe I’ve made things extremely clear with you during the palace banquet at Luna Palace,” Natalie answered candidly. “You’re a prince, and I’m a commoner. It’s best if we put some distance between us. As for the key and the Jankovich family, I suggest you look into them carefully. The grudge between Blaze and I have nothing to do with the key. It’s solely because I attacked their underground base while I was in Chanaea.”

With that, Natalie left some cash on the table and strode out of the café with her backpack.

She was only doing this for Yumi’s sake.

No matter how important the jade key was, it was merely an inanimate object. On the other hand, Yumi was a young child who shouldn’t have to shoulder such heavy responsibilities.

As such, Natalie was determined to stop anyone who was interested in investigating the little girl.

After Natalie left, a loud crash reverberated through the café. Raw anger shot through Bastien, causing him to swipe the coffee cups off of the table.

The dark brown beverage spilled all over the ground, making a huge mess.

I’m always thinking for her, yet she completely disregarded my sincerity! What an evil wretch!

Just then, Joseph came over to him, handing him a handkerchief to clean his hand.

“Mr. Nine, a woman like her is undeserving of all this,” Joseph couldn’t help but comment.

“Shut up.” Bastien cleaned the coffee stains off of his finger as a sharp glint fleeted across his eyes. “I’ve said that she’s the only woman I’ll acknowledge and accept as my wife. Do not let me hear you speak ill of her ever again.”

 

Chapter 1102 Keep It A Secret

Natalie hadn’t left the café for long when she received news of Billy’s and fake Natalie’s return. Soon, she, too, arrived home.

Emma’s jaw dropped at the sight of the two identical Natalies. “W-What’s going on?” she stammered. “Why… are there two Ms. Nichols?”

“Can you tell which one of us is the real Natalie?” asked Natalie with a soft smile. Emma’s eyes darted between the two of them and grew even more bewildered. She couldn’t tell apart the two Natalies at all!

As such, Natalie decided not to tease the middle-aged lady any longer and shot a glance at the woman who was disguised as her. Having caught her hint, the woman took off the hyper-realistic mask, revealing her original appearance.

Disbelief was written all over Emma’s face when she saw that. “Oh my… T-This is scarier than magic!”

“Wonders will never cease in this boundless world of ours, Mrs. Bunton. Naturally, anything could happen, but some might be secrets that shouldn’t be revealed,” stated Natalie, her voice firm and resolute.

“I understand, Ms. Nichols. I won’t say anything I’m not supposed to.” Emma nodded fervently.

“Okay.” After Natalie relayed her instructions, the woman and Emma left the study. Natalie sat leisurely in the chair with her legs crossed. She shot Billy a look and queried, “How was your trip? Smooth sailing, I suppose?”

“A lot smoother than I expected. We mobilized a number of men to protect the substitute in secret, but they weren’t deployed at all.” At the mention of that, Billy furrowed his brows. “Logically speaking, although Blaze has kidnapped Yumi to threaten us, they could very well ambush us and steal the jade key. That would be an excellent move, but they didn’t do so.”

She nodded and fell into deep thought upon hearing that. I wasn’t expecting the substitute to come out of the situation completely unscathed.

“Mrs. Bowers, could it be that they might have something planned out?” Billy articulated his theories.

“Perhaps.” Natalie’s composure was a stark contrast to his nervousness. “No matter what tricks they have up their sleeves, we’ll only find out once we cross that bridge. Let’s not overthink and make a decision when we come to it.”

Her expression showed little emotion, and oddly enough, that gave Billy peace of mind. It was similar to the vibe that Samuel gave off, and to remain as cool as a cucumber in the face of a crisis was a truly admirable trait.

At that, Billy couldn’t help but exclaim, “Mr. Bowers was right about you, Mrs. Bowers.”

“Oh.” Natalie was slightly surprised to hear that. When she thought of Samuel, all of the longing she felt for the man came back. “He’s in the mountain with Jorden and Master. I wonder if they’ve cured the poison by now… But the lack of news means he’s fine. I believe he’ll be able to cure himself of the poison and return to my side.”

Billy felt his heart soften at her words. “That’s right. Mr. Bowers will surely return safely. After all, he can barely bring himself to be apart from you.”

“Mm. Thank you for your hard work for the past few days, Billy. Go home and get some rest. I’ll need your help with rescuing Yumi later on,” she said with a faint smile.

“All right, I understand.” After he left, Natalie sat alone in the study. Although she was tired, her mind felt oddly refreshed and sober.

She was waiting for Zophie to take the initiative to contact her. The latter thought of Natalie as her prey, but to Natalie, it was still unclear who would be the prey and predator.

The minutes continued to tick by. While Natalie was resting with her eyes shut, her phone, which was on the table, began to vibrate.

For some reason, she had a feeling about who the caller might be and instantly opened her eyes. After picking up the call, she brought the phone to her ear and answered, “Hello?”

“Natalie! Did you get the jade key?” Zophie’s voice came from the other end of the line, her tone laced with a hint of menace.

 

Chapter 1103 The Jankovich Family

“I got it,” answered Natalie. “I guess you weren’t bluffing after all!” commented Zophie, who could not help but get emotional. She thought she could not get Natalie to do what she wanted because Yumi was not the woman’s biological daughter. Unexpectedly, everything worked out just fine. Not only will the jade key be mine, but I’ll also exact my revenge on Gale for sure!

“If you want your daughter, meet me tonight,” uttered Zophie slowly. “Bring the jade key to the location I sent you. If I see anyone with you, I’ll immediately detonate the bombs tied around your daughter. I have no reason to hurt her if you do as I say. Give me the jade key, and I promise the child will be unharmed.”

“Fine. You have my word,” promised Natalie without a second thought as soon as Zophie was done speaking. “See you tonight.” With that said, Zophie ended the phone call.

Natalie narrowed her almond-shaped eyes as she put the jade key replicated by Varre into her pocket. After that, she called Billy over to tell him her plan.

“Isn’t that a bit too risky, Mrs. Bowers?” Billy’s eyes widened in shock after he listened to Natalie. “Billy, do you remember what Mr. Bowers told you before he left?” questioned Natalie casually.

Billy remembered, but he did not answer the woman. “Before Samuel left, he said I’d be in charge when he was away, which means I get to decide what you do. When I give you an order, you do your best to execute it without flaws,” reminded Natalie, who was beautiful like a flower yet firm like a tree.

Although Billy worried for Natalie’s well-being, he knew there was nothing he could say to change her mind when he saw the determination in her eyes. “Yes, Mrs. Bowers.”

“Good.”

Meanwhile, in a warehouse on the docks, Yumi shook her head relentlessly as she watched Zophie strap powerful explosives to her legs. “No! No!”

“Isn’t everyone in the Jankovich family supposed to be strong?” mocked Zophie with hatred and condescendence in her eyes. “How are you so weak? Your biological mother never begged for mercy even though she was whipped more than a hundred times. On the other hand, you’re already scared out of your mind when I did nothing but tie explosives to you.”

The Jankovich family?

Yumi’s eyes widened as she gazed at Zophie in disbelief. She had never mentioned her last name since her mother had warned her not to do so.

Yumi was told that her last name would only invite disasters, so she was not to reveal her true identity after escaping to Chanaea.

Because of that, even Natalie, who adopted Yumi and treated the girl like her own, was unaware of who Yumi really was.

Yumi could not help but wonder how the woman before her knew not only that she was a Jankovich but also that her mother had been whipped.

“Why would my mother be whipped?” Yumi suddenly flew into a rage like a wild beast when her mother was brought up, acting completely different from her indifferent and stubborn self in the past two days. If it were not for Yumi’s young age, Zophie would have been stunned by the girl’s reaction.

Looking at the agitated Yumi, Zophie furrowed her eyebrows. So what if she’s furious? She’s still just a five-year-old child. This girl… is also related to Gale’s death!

“You really want to know how your mother was injured, huh? Lucky for you, nobody knows more about it than I do.” Zophie snickered. “That’s because I was the one on the other end of the whip. I saw with my own eyes how bloodied and wounded your mother was.”

 

Chapter 1104 What Her Mother Had Been Through

Although Yumi knew that her mother had already passed away, her eyes could not help welling up when she heard what her mother had been through before dying. “Mom…”

When Zophie saw tears rolling down Yumi’s cheeks, her lips curled up into another smirk. She could not be more pleased with herself for having broken the angry child and regaining control of the situation. “Why did you do that to my mother?” questioned Yumi at the top of her lungs.

“She didn’t have to die, you know? However, she refused to play nice!” Zophie grabbed Yumi by the chin while recalling the night she had tortured the girl’s mother. “If she had just handed your family’s treasure over, King probably would’ve let her live. She just wouldn’t tell us what we wanted to know because she was convinced that her death could keep us from finding you and the jade key!

Do you think she’d regret being tortured for so long if she knew you’d eventually fall into my hands and that Natalie would obediently hand the jade key to me like a dog?”

Yumi’s eyes were already filled with tears at that point. Her hatred for Zophie was clearly visible in them. Unwilling to let Zophie pinch her chin, Yumi tried to bite the woman’s hand, but she evaded her.

“I won’t fall for the same trick twice, you little brat!” Zophie lifted her hand again to give the girl a hard slap. “You’d better remember your place; you’re nothing but a bargaining chip and bait for me to lure out Natalie. So don’t even think about avenging your two mothers! I’d save my breath if I were you. Be a good girl, and I might just let you die beside Natalie.”

Yumi’s cheek was in pain. She regretted asking Natalie to come. If Mommy comes here, she’ll lose not only the jade key but also her life! I’ve already lost my biological mother; I can’t afford to lose Mommy too!

Since Yumi got her hands and legs tied up and her communication device taken away, she had no way of informing Natalie.

At that moment, she hated the fact that she was only a weak five-year-old child. If I were bigger and stronger, I’d be able to protect myself and others!

Meanwhile, Natalie was already driving an ordinary car to Moon Harbor, which was located on the north side of Yaleview.

As the largest port in the world, Moon Harbor had five times more imports and exports than the one in Chanaea.

Zophie only asked Natalie to meet her in the forest of containers, as it would be less likely for them to be followed or monitored.

On the way, Natalie received a call from Zophie.

“Hello?”

“Are you on your way?”

“I am,” replied Natalie calmly.

“Now I want you to turn on the speakerphone, Natalie,” ordered Zophie. “You just have to follow my instructions after reaching the Lunar Road intersection, and you’ll find me soon.”

In order to find Yumi, Natalie had no choice but to comply. “Okay.”

As promised, Zophie began to guide Yumi after the latter reached the road mentioned.

Natalie was sure Zophie did not show her the shortest route because the one Zophie had asked her to take was less crowded. On top of that, she could tell she had been going around in circles.

“Why are we circling on the same road?”

“Are you questioning my guidance? If so, you can find your own way to your daughter!” said Zophie threateningly.

“No,” answered Natalie, doing her best to suppress her anger.

“Good. Then keep going!” Zophie demanded.

She had her eyes fixed on a laptop showing the surveillance footage that monitored the roads Natalie took.

Besides Natalie’s black car, no other vehicles were recorded taking the same path twice, which clearly showed the length Natalie was willing to go to get Yumi back.

After getting the confirmation she needed, Zophie let out her first sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 1105 What Are You Looking For

The game of cat and mouse went on for almost an hour before Zophie finally revealed her location to Natalie. “Looks like you really did come alone after all.”

Zophie did not say that because she was impressed with Natalie’s bravery. On the contrary, she thought the woman was a fool for showing up alone. Everyone knows how valuable the jade key is. She must be an idiot to take such a big risk for a girl who’s not related to her by blood. Still, I suppose I should thank her for her stupidity. If she weren’t so cooperative, I probably wouldn’t be able to get the jade key for King or avenge Gale.

“I’m waiting for you, Natalie.” Zophie crossed her legs languidly and broke into a smirk before hanging up.

“Sure.” Forty minutes later, Natalie reached the area of the dock where containers of different colors and sizes were stacked up as tall as high-rise buildings.

Surrounding the giant metal boxes were countless port cranes, and even though they were not active, the steel wire ropes hanging in mid-air were enough to make anyone feel pressured.

Having reached a dark blue container with Zophie’s instructions, Natalie lifted her hand to bang on the metal door.

Bang! Bang! Bang! She knocked on the door so hard that the echo of the noise caused her to feel a tightness in her chest.

Not long after the forceful knocking, the container door opened, and a woman in a black leather jacket and pants walked out. That was the first time Natalie had met Zophie in person.

The latter with exquisite facial features had a high ponytail that perfectly complemented her skintight leather outfit. Even though Zophie looked stunning, she had her finger ready to pull the trigger of a Browning trained on Natalie’s forehead.

“We finally meet, Natalie.” Zophie smiled, but her eyes were filled with hostility. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this day?”

“I have what you want, so return the child to me.”

“Do you seriously think you’re in a position to negotiate with me?” questioned Zophie rhetorically before gesturing with her Browning. “You and the kid both belong to me now. Neither one of you is getting away.”

Zophie pulled the trigger twice, shooting Natalie’s knee and right arm.

Bang!

Bang!

Immediately, Natalie collapsed to the ground in pain as fresh blood flowed out of her wounds and pooled under her. “You…”

Casually blowing on the hot muzzle, Zophie slowly approached Natalie.

“I told you that both you and the child are mine. Nobody’s leaving,” said Zophie as a glint of malice flashed across her eyes. “You didn’t think I was joking, did you? I don’t want just the jade key and the kid; I want to make you suffer too!”

Although Zophie was gorgeous, she looked as mad as a hatter when her hatred for Natalie turned her eyes crimson-red.

After kicking Natalie to the floor, Zophie began to search the injured woman for the jade key because she was sure it was somewhere on Natalie.

She was determined to ensure that Natalie died a horrible death as soon as she got her hands on the key.

However, Zophie could not find it no matter where she looked.

“That’s impossible!” exclaimed the woman with furrowed eyebrows, refusing to believe that Natalie would come to rescue the last member of the Jankovich family without bringing the jade key she was promised. I’m not giving up! I probably didn’t look hard enough. Either that or this b*tch really knows how to hide her stuff!

Still, Zophie got nothing even after searching every inch of Natalie’s body.

She was so focused on finding the key that she failed to notice someone approaching her from behind to place the cold tip of their gun against the back of her head.

“What are you looking for, Zophie?” inquired a familiar voice, causing Zophie to doubt her hearing.

 

Chapter 1106 The Real Natalie

“Impossible! How did this happen?” exclaimed Zophie as her pupils dilated in shock. Natalie is right in front of me right now, so why does the person behind me sound just like her?

“Get up, Sarah. Find a place to tend to your wounds,” Natalie ordered the injured woman on the ground. “Yes, Mrs. Bowers.”

Sarah was so good at impersonating Natalie that she only broke character and began acting like herself again after the woman called her by her real name.

As the most powerful warrior Samuel handpicked for Natalie, Sarah was still as capable as ever even though she was injured because Zophie did not shoot her vitals.

Sarah slowly got back on her feet and staggered to the side of another container before tying pieces of cloth she tore from her shirt around her wounds to stop the bleeding.

Zophie’s eyes grew even wider when she finally realized what was going on. “S-She’s not… Natalie.”

“You’re absolutely right,” responded Natalie casually. “The real Natalie is standing behind you now. What you thought you had was merely my substitute. Now you’re mine.”

“A substitute? That woman was someone you trained to impersonate you?” roared Zophie with blood-red eyes. “How dare you fool me with a substitute!”

Natalie would rather not waste her breath to explain herself. It’s not as if any good soldier was ever above playing dirty. If I hadn’t fooled Zophie with Sarah, I would’ve fallen into her trap and lost not only my bargaining chip but also my life. She’d probably even torture me to death.

“I never knew how cunning you were, Natalie! How dare you trick me!” Zophie bit her lip, upset that Natalie had got the better of her.

“I could say the same of you. The exchange hasn’t even started, and my substitute has already been shot twice. Tell me, where are you hiding Yumi? You won’t get the jade key until you tell me where she really is. I don’t think I need to remind you that if you play tricks with me, not only will you die before my daughter, but you’ll also never have the key. I heard Blaze has been looking for it and that it was rumored to be related to Loang’s national treasure. Of course, I’ll be sad if Yumi dies, but she’s just a kid. Whether you get to live and keep the jade key depends solely on your decision.”

What Natalie feared most was Zophie deciding to take Yumi to the grave with her. She did not care about Zophie or Blaze but the girl’s safety.

Zophie kept silent as she thought about Natalie’s words. I didn’t get the jade key or avenge Gale, so how is it worth losing my life just to make Natalie shed some tears?

After some careful consideration, Zophie lifted her hands up high and uttered, “Fine. You have my word, Natalie! We’ll talk about the jade key later, but you have to promise me you won’t hurt me after I bring you to the kid.”

“Enough talking. Get moving!” said Natalie harshly.

Even though Zophie did not appreciate Natalie’s tone, she had no choice but to lead the way in silence since she was at Natalie’s mercy.

Sarah wanted to follow Natalie but did not because the woman gave her a look.

Natalie did not want Sarah to take any more risks even though the woman’s vitals were not shot. She’s already done enough as my substitute.

Knowing what the look meant, Sarah could only stay where she was and wait for orders.

Natalie followed Zophie and headed toward the north.

 

Chapter 1107 A Psychological Battle

Zophie brought Natalie to the container where Yumi was at. It was humid in the container, and there was a lightbulb illuminating the inside. However, it was dim, and it could not light up all the corners of the container.

Natalie still caught sight of Yumi, who was curled up in the corner. She was tied up with nylon ropes, and she had duct tape over her mouth. The moment she locked eyes with Yumi, tears welled up in Natalie’s eyes.

Yumi was younger than her four biological children, but because she was the last member of the Jankovich family, she had to be far more mature than someone her age should be.

Yumi saw Natalie, too, and for a moment, she stiffened. She then began shaking her body like a frustrated tiger cub, seemingly trying to free herself from the ropes that were restraining her.

“Mm… Mm…”

Zophie knew Yumi was trying to tell Natalie to leave the place immediately. It was at that moment she felt glad that she had taped the girl’s mouth before leaving. Otherwise, the girl would have ruined her plan.

Zophie angled her body a little and said nonchalantly, “Natalie, I’ve brought you here, so can you give me the jade key now?”

“Zophie, do I look like someone you can easily fool?” Natalie questioned as she continued to keep the gun trained on the back of Zophie’s head. She made no move to shift it away.

“You’re… breaking your promise!”

“How can I not when I’m up against a woman like you?” Natalie retorted. “Get over and untie Yumi right now.”

“Natalie, do you think I’m stupid?” Zophie did not move. “You’ll pull the trigger on me once she’s free! Yes, I’ve underestimated you, but I hope you don’t underestimate me either. Don’t you dare assume that I’m helpless just because you’re pointing a gun at me! Push me any further, and I won’t mind for all three of us to die tonight!”

Natalie did not expect Zophie to keep her cool even in a situation like this. Even so, she said calmly, “Tell me what you want, then.”

“My life, or the jade key. One of these has to be mine!”

“Okay.” Natalie pursed her lips. “Zophie, which one do you want first?”

Hearing that, Zophie tensed up.

She had been thinking of ways to make Natalie agree to it. Little did she expect Natalie to agree to it so easily.

Even though Zophie wanted to avenge Gale, she had grown greedy for the jade key. If it was something even King wanted, it certainly had to be something priceless. If she could get the key and pass it to King, Zophie was sure that King would agree to let her leave Blaze and return her freedom for the rest of her life.

After a moment of hesitation, Zophie answered, “The jade key. Give me the jade key first.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I am.” A pause later, she continued, “Give me the jade key, and I’ll untie the girl.”

Natalie stood still after hearing her answer, deep in her thoughts.

Zophie quietly waited at the start, but soon, she grew impatient. “Natalie, are you done thinking yet, or would you rather die with me than hand me the key?”

Both parties knew they had a bargaining chip in their hands.

Yet, neither wished to be the one to take the risk of handing the token over first.

It turned into a psychological battle.

For the two of them to be in a stalemate, both had to be equally smart and flexible.

Their battle would be one of wits and state of mind.

Whoever became greedier first, whoever became rash first, and whoever lost their rationality first would take the first step toward failure.

Natalie was intentionally making Zophie wait. She wanted Zophie to lose her wits in anxiety.

Only when Zophie impatiently urged her did Natalie slowly say, “Sure, I can give you the jade key, but you’ll have to let Yumi go right away. Then, you’ll have to pass her to the substitute who was pretending to be me while I keep an eye on you.”

 

Chapter 1108 Once I Am Back

“Okay, no problem,” was Zophie’s fast response. Natalie took out the jade key she had hidden earlier and handed it to Zophie. The second Zophie took the key, her focus was attracted to it.

Even though she had known early on that the jade key was an exceptionally brilliant item, she still could not help but be awed by it upon seeing it with her own two eyes.

The jade was particularly smooth in her hands, and she had never touched anything as wonderful as it. The phoenix on the top of the key almost seemed alive as if it was about to spread its wings and soar into the sky.

Zophie lamented inwardly, So this is the item that Gale has been looking for the entire time when he was still alive. This is the treasure that King has been ordering the organization to search for all these years.

Meanwhile, after Natalie passed the key to Zophie, she started studying Zophie’s expression. When she saw the look of greed and awe on her face, she knew that Zophie did not doubt the authenticity of the key.

But of course, the jade piece used for this replica was the best jade Yandel has ever found all these years. The one who crafted this replica is the most famous craftsman in Loang in decades. The head of Blaze may not have seen the jade key with his own eyes, let alone his subordinate Zophie.

It was within Natalie’s expectations for Zophie to fall for the trick.

She let Zophie admire the key for a while.

After a moment of watching Zophie caress the key in bliss, she said, “I’ve given you the jade key, so it’s time for you to fulfill your end of the deal.”

Zophie kept the precious jade key carefully.

“Okay.”

She took the lead toward Yumi as Natalie continued to press the gun against her body.

“You’re one lucky girl,” Zophie hissed before crouching down to undo the ropes on Yumi. Shortly after, the ropes were all undone.

However, Zophie did not tear the duct tape off Yumi’s mouth.

“It’ll be tough for you to carry the girl while you’re holding the gun,” she started. “How about this? I’ll carry her while you stay behind me until I hand her to the substitute.”

Yumi shook her head vigorously at that. “Mm!”

Natalie could guess what Yumi was trying to tell her. However, as long as Yumi was there, she could not let go of the gun.

“Stop moving, Yumi!” Natalie cried out. “You’ll be safe soon, so listen to me. You have to listen to me this time!”

Yumi’s eyes watered, but she continued to shake her head.

She was thrilled to have Natalie rescue her, but she was also terrified that Zophie would hurt Natalie.

“Listen to me!”

It was then Yumi looked at Natalie’s reddened eyes and relented with a tearful nod.

When Natalie saw Yumi going quiet in Zophie’s arms, her expression softened.

Just like that, Zophie carried the quiet Yumi to their original spot.

Sarah took off the hyper-realistic mask she was wearing to reveal her original appearance. She had bled a significant amount, so her face was visibly pale.

“Mrs. Bowers!”

Sarah leaped to her feet in excitement upon seeing Natalie.

Natalie gave Sarah a look and instructed, “Take care of Yumi.”

Sarah asked anxiously, “Mrs. Bowers, what—”

“Do you really want me to repeat myself?” Natalie snapped. “Take care of the girl. If you don’t do your job well, I’ll hold you accountable for this once I’m back.”

The last words that Natalie said made Sarah realize what Natalie was actually trying to tell her. Promptly, a look of determination flashed across her eyes, and she replied, “I understand, Mrs. Bowers.”

 

Chapter 1109 All Because Of You

Zophie snorted at Natalie and Sarah’s exchange. Wait for Natalie to go back? Who knows if Natalie gets to go back?

With Yumi in her hands, Sarah limped in the opposite direction from Natalie and Zophie. In no time, Natalie and Zophie were the only ones by the port containers.

“Natalie, the girl is safe now, so you should keep your promise and lower your gun,” Zophie said with a sneer. “Burning bridges right as you cross it isn’t something someone like you will do, am I right?”

“You don’t need to agitate me,” Natalie uttered, “and I’ve never cared about good and evil. I’ve only done things I wanted to do. Sure, you can get me to lower my gun, but you’ll have to tell me if Blaze is involved in my granddad Arnold Bayer’s death.”

The investigation into Natalie’s maternal grandfather’s death had been paused after Thomas and Dexmed Pharmaceutical were bought over by Dream.

However, the pause did not mean that Natalie had given up on finding out the truth behind the matter.

There was no way Natalie would let the opportunity of having a Blaze member in her hands slip by without asking questions.

Her question was one that Zophie did not expect. She was momentarily stunned before she laughed in contempt. “I’m only a few years older than you, but you’re hoping to find out something about the truth behind your granddad’s death from me? Unfortunately, I know nothing. I heard from my seniors that Arnold used to be a famous doctor in Chanaea and that King wanted him to join the organization. Alas, Arnold was a prideful and stubborn man. Not only did he not join Blaze, but he even went up against the organization in every way he could. In the end, King was the one who ordered his death. I think he used Arnold’s useless son-in-law to kill him.”

When Natalie heard that Blaze had killed Arnold in that way, her eyes widened into saucers.

“Natalie, why must you make Blaze your enemy?” Zophie grinned hideously. “If you can put aside the vengeance of the previous generation and pledge loyalty to King, King will surely see great value in you with Dream and the hyper-realistic mask you made. By then, it will not be a pipe dream for you to have all the wealth in the world.”

“No way. There’s no way that’s ever going to happen!” Natalie hissed through gritted teeth.

Those were words that Zophie only said to enrage Natalie.

While Natalie was distracted by the fury in her, Zophie spun around and grabbed Natalie’s wrist before hitting it to make her drop her gun.

Natalie’s wrist ached, and once she lost her gun, she began fighting Zophie.

Zophie took on the offensive role, while Natalie took on a defensive stance.

Zophie attacked with ease, but Natalie had a hard time keeping her defense up.

After all, Zophie had undergone strict training in Blaze since young. She was one of the best fighters among the women, and she could even leisurely hold her ground against four to five ordinary men. Natalie, on the other hand, did not receive such training. While she had gone through some basic combat training, those were only for emergency and self-defense purposes. She was not as skilled as Zophie in combat.

Natalie was struck in her abdomen, and she fell down on her knees, the pain threatening to tear her apart.

Zophie glanced at Natalie in derision. “Today is not the day you die, Natalie.”

Natalie panted and tried to climb to her feet, but Zophie gave her another kick.

“I won’t let you die so easily.” The thought of Gale’s tragic death made Zophie scream hysterically. “I’m going to make you feel all the pain you’ve inflicted on Gale back then! If not for you, Gale would have still been fine. This is all because of you! It was all because of you!”

 

Chapter 1110 Turning The Tables

Natalie was unfamiliar with the name “Gale.” When Zophie noticed the lack of recognition in Natalie’s eyes, she leaned over to grab Natalie by her hair and snarled, “What? You blew him up into pieces, but you don’t even remember him? Why? Why are you allowed to keep breathing when he’s gone from this world?”

Zophie’s love for Gale had toppled her over the edge. Flames of hatred burned bright in her eyes. Her grip on Natalie’s hair was deathly tight. Natalie’s scalp hurt so much that she started to wonder if Zophie was going to pull her hair off.

“So it’s him… It’s him…” The man who died in the explosion at the underground base. Natalie finally recalled who he was, but she did not regret her actions at all.

If that man did not die back then, she would have died instead. Even if time turned back and she was put in that situation again, she would still detonate the explosive.

Upon realizing that Natalie seemed to have recalled Gale, Zophie let out a melancholic laugh. “Gale never said he loved me, but he was the only one in the organization who cared for me. There were missions with high risk factors, and he would take my place for them while letting me do the easier tasks instead. He was the only trace of warmth I had in the organization, but you killed him! You took him away from me!”

Natalie’s scalp stung again, and she could even feel blood seeping out this time. When she locked eyes with Zophie’s bloodshot ones, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Nevertheless, Natalie did not beg Zophie for mercy. Instead, she was counting down in her mind.

Half an hour since Zophie touched the jade key should pass soon. I’m aching all over, and I’m sure I have a few hairline fractures, but only by holding on will I get the chance to turn the tables!

All of a sudden, Zophie shrieked, and she let go of Natalie’s hair. Her hands abruptly turned green, and she even felt as if bugs were chewing on her bones. It tickled, and it hurt. She wished she could slice off the skin of her hands.

“W-What’s going on?” Zophie was baffled at the sudden change, but she was soon gripped by shock. “My hands… Why have my hands become like this?”

Once Natalie was out of Zophie’s restraint, she slowly rose to her feet and wiped the blood that seeped out from the corner of her lips.

“Do you still not understand, Zophie?”

“I… You…” Zophie gave a long look at Natalie before looking back at her hands. Belatedly, she realized what was going on. “You tricked me! You did something to that jade key—you applied something to it! How dare you pull such a lowly trick on me, Natalie?”

“You kidnapped my child, threatened me, and tricked me several times.” Natalie’s lips curled into a sneer. “I’m just letting you have a taste of your own medicine, so why are you saying that I’m using lowly tricks now?”

The colors drained from Zophie’s face. She screamed, “What did you use on the jade key?”

“Just a kind of poison. You’ll suffer, but don’t worry, it won’t end your life. However, don’t expect to fight or hold a gun with these hands in the next five hours.”

Natalie had won the fight. She had guessed that Zophie would tie a bomb by Yumi’s side.

Afraid that Zophie would choose to end both her and Yumi’s life together upon realizing that the poison on the jade key was a lethal one, Natalie chose to use a slow-acting poison.

It was mild, and it would take a while for the effects of the poison to take place. That way, Natalie would have enough time to send Yumi somewhere safe. In other words, Natalie’s earlier endurance was for the sake of turning the tables.