Ch. 1111..1120
Chapter 1111 Concern
Upon hearing Natalie’s words, Zophie paled even more. It was only then she realized Natalie’s previous helplessness was a deliberate act to buy time. Natalie had been waiting to strike the entire time.
Zophie remained stubborn as she said, “How could you use such disgusting tricks against me? Don’t let me catch you or I’m never going to let you off the hook!”
“Do you really still need to say these things at a time like this?” Natalie remarked as she looked at Zophie’s hands, which were getting more and more purplish with each passing second. “You’d better save some energy. This poison will seep into the nerves in your hands over time, and the pain will only get worse.”
Natalie walked over to Zophie to restrain her. However, at that moment, a group of men in Loang military uniform charged in, and Jerome was the one leading them.
“Jerome?” Natalie was confused. “What are you—”
“I received an order from the higher-ups to arrest Zophie,” Jerome said with a frown. “This woman is dangerous, so leave her to me. I’ll send someone to send you home.”
Jerome’s answer only made Natalie even more confused. “Just one question, Jerome. Is this an order, or is this your idea?”
After a few seconds of hesitation, Jerome said, “I’m sorry, but it’s an order.”
Having received her answer, Natalie did not ask any more questions and inclined her head at Jerome. “Okay.”
Jerome and his men were quick to subdue Zophie. Her mouth was then duct-taped, and her wrists and ankles were soon cuffed.
As Zophie was an important member of Blaze, Jerome had to personally escort her to a secret prison in Yaleview that held the worst criminals.
Natalie emerged from the situation with multiple injuries and tattered clothes.
Perhaps Jerome had forgotten about it in his haste to depart, but the man whom he said was going to send Natalie back did not appear.
All of a sudden, Natalie felt a weight on her shoulders. A coat with flawless workmanship had been draped over her.
Upon sensing the heaviness on her shoulders, she whipped her head around to see Bastien’s gentle face and dark, worried eyes.
“Relax, Natalie, and leave the rest to me.”
“It’s you…” Natalie narrowed her eyes, but she did not hesitate to shrug off the coat on her.
Joseph took a step forward to berate Natalie for treating Bastien in that way. Although she had shrugged off just a coat, what she had done was equivalent to looking down on the royal family of Loang. No matter how much Bastien doted on Natalie, Natalie had crossed a line.
Nevertheless, before Joseph could say anything, Bastien stopped him with a look.
He slowly picked up the coat from the floor before shaking off the thin layer of dust. In a gentle voice, he said, “You’re hurt, and your clothes are tattered. I merely put this coat on you out of concern for you.”
Bastien had a kind face, and when he smiled, the room seemed to have lit up.
However, that was only his exterior.
Perhaps Natalie had only been attracted to his exterior back when they first met, but now she knew very well that the man was terrifyingly cunning.
Even what happened this time had exceeded her expectations.
“Concern for me?” Natalie scoffed. “If your concern means watching me struggle helplessly in a perilous situation and nearly dying, then please show this concern to someone else. I don’t think I’m worthy enough for this concern.”
Jerome had come at the perfect time—not too early nor too late.
She refused to believe that Bastien had just arrived. Instead, she was sure that Bastien had seen her fight to the death with Zophie.
Then, when Zophie was no longer a threat, Jerome and his men appeared like knights in shining armor. Yet, when she was in the most danger—when things looked as though it was going to take a turn for the worse—she only had Billy and Sarah protecting her from the shadows.
Chapter 1112 Was She Wrong
“Prince Jonathan, you were waiting for the right time, weren’t you? You were waiting for me to trick Zophie into letting down her guard so that she won’t detonate the explosives. That way, the jade key would be safe,” Natalie uttered, revealing what Bastien was thinking about.
The truth was that Bastien had arrived not long after Natalie, but he did not let Jerome and his men appear to rescue Natalie. Once his plan had been revealed, Bastien’s gentle look was replaced by an icy one.
“Natalie, it isn’t a good thing to be too smart sometimes.” Bastien patted the coat and draped it over his arm as he stared at the crafty woman.
“What’s the matter? You need my intellect when we’re up against enemies, but when it’s you I’m facing, I have to be a sweet, foolish girl?”
“I trusted you. I was sure that you would win her.” “Then am I to say thank you for trusting me? For trusting that I would win in the fight against Zophie?”
At Natalie’s sarcasm, Bastien changed the topic. “You’re hurt. Let me send you to the hospital.”
“No thanks.” “Natalie!” Bastien was starting to get angry, and a crease began to mar his forehead. Still, Natalie uttered, “I don’t need you to stick your nose into my business, Bastien.”
With that, Natalie turned to leave. However, just as she took a few steps forward, something hit the back of her neck. Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness. “Ugh—”
Natalie slumped down, and Bastien quickly scooped her into his arms. Afraid that Bastien would be tired from carrying Natalie, Joseph took a step forward and offered, “Prince Jonathan, let me—”
Before he could say “carry her instead,” Bastien had already hunched over to lift Natalie into his arms. He then said, “Do you still not understand this, Joseph? I’m the only one who’s allowed to carry her. No one else is allowed to touch her.”
When Joseph shifted his gaze to look at Bastien, he was taken aback by Bastien’s intimidating eyes.
Joseph had been working for Bastien for years. Although he knew that Bastien was not as gentle as the public described him, and even though he knew that Bastien had a ruthless side to him, he had never seen a gaze as frigid as that.
Bastien was wearing white, but as Joseph looked at the back of the prince, he felt that the heart of the man was black.
The prince has changed. He’s like a stranger now.
Jerome took the jade key from Zophie, who was indignant about seeing the treasure she had obtained with great difficulty taken away by the others.
“How can you call yourselves a squad from the royal family? You’re nothing but a group of cowards. At the end of the day, you still needed a woman to do everything for you!”
The adjutant grabbed Zophie’s hair and snapped, “Zophie, you’re now in our hands, so why are you still so stubborn? Be smarter, and tell us Blaze’s secrets. That way, you’ll suffer a little lesser.”
Zophie burst out laughing. “Your plan of hitting two birds with one stone was wonderful! You watched as I kidnapped Natalie’s kid and forced her to hand over the jade key. Then you forced us both into a vicious battle before reaping the benefits without lifting a finger! Forget about me. The poor Natalie has been toyed too, huh?”
The adjutant later left the secret prison with Jerome.
When they were on their way out, the adjutant commented, “Major General Sutton, this woman must have a death wish. How could she say arrogant words like these even after getting captured?”
Jerome halted in his tracks and turned to look at his adjutant. “Was she wrong about anything?”
Chapter 1113 He Truly Hated Himself
The adjutant was stunned by Jerome’s gaze, and the gloating look on the former’s face vanished instantly.
“I’m going to ask you one more time. Did Zophie say anything wrong?” Jerome questioned in a deep voice, his face grim. The adjutant hesitated momentarily, at a loss for words.
“Is that not the case? We let a woman handle a dangerous situation alone, while we, as soldiers, hid in the corner and watched her get tortured by the other party. Only when the threats were almost eliminated did we show up to take all spoils and credit that don’t belong to us.” Jerome clenched his fists, causing the veins on his arms to pop out.
The adjutant had never thought that was a problem. Now that he was questioned by Jerome, he did not know what to say. Jerome slammed his fist heavily on the container, making a loud bang.
What a coward! This is terrible! Jerome despised himself to the core. He understood Bastien’s plan to kill two birds with one stone.
From the perspective of the royal family and troops of Loang, Bastien’s command ensured a shameless yet beautiful win. But so what? My purpose for joining the army’s training and following my father’s footsteps is to become stronger so that I can protect Natalie. But now, I’m restrained by military orders and I can do nothing but watch when Natalie’s in danger. Jerome’s actions left the adjutant in a daze. “Major General Sutton, you—”
“Where’s Natalie?” Jerome retracted his fist and cast the adjutant an icy glare. “Did you send her home as I told you to?” The adjutant was hesitant to speak.
Jerome bellowed, “Why aren’t you answering? Speak! Did you send Natalie home safely? Did you complete the task I gave you?”
Under the pressure of Jerome’s questions, the adjutant had no choice but to say, “I did. I followed your orders and instructed someone to send Ms. Nichols home, but when they were halfway there—”
Jerome lost his patience and snapped, “What happened halfway? I’m going to dismiss you and make you watch over the mines at the borders if you keep stuttering like that.”
The threat was so effective that the adjutant hurriedly admitted, “Halfway there, Prince Jonathan showed up and told me to capture Zophie with you. Meanwhile, he would send Ms. Nichols to the hospital to receive her treatment. P-Prince Jonathan was the one who gave the order, so I didn’t dare to disobey him. And judging from the way he looked at Ms. Nichols, he didn’t look like he’d harm her, so I left.”
Jerome balled his fists as an icy glint appeared in his eyes. Bastien! Looks like his desire for Natalie isn’t gone after what happened at the birthday party. No way! I must get Natalie back.
“Major General Sutton, where are you—” asked the adjutant as he watched Jerome march toward the military off-road vehicle. “Find out which hospital Prince Jonathan took Natalie to.”
“Huh?” The adjutant’s jaw dropped with disbelief written all over his face. Jerome barked, “Do you not understand such simple orders? I’m giving you fifteen minutes to find this out. Otherwise, I’m sending you to the borders.”
The adjutant was rendered speechless. Jerome got into the driver’s seat and slammed on the gas pedal, speeding toward the dock.
Meanwhile, Bastien carried Natalie in his arms and walked along the corridors of the royal hospital as if no one was watching.
Not daring to take the matter lightly, the hospital staff followed behind Bastien closely, with countless questions crossing their minds.
Who on earth is this woman? Why is she covered in Prince Jonathan’s clothes and carried by him in his arms?
Chapter 1114 Useless
Bastien placed Natalie gently on the hospital bed as if he was handling a precious treasure. He then turned to the physician and uttered slowly, “I think she’s severely injured. Treat her using the latest treatment and give her the best medicine. Make sure she recovers completely.”
The experts were stunned by what they heard. Could she be his future wife? If not, why would Prince Jonathan carry her all the way here in his arms?
“Yes, of course. I’ll do my best to treat this lady.” “Thank you.”
Bastien showed no signs of leaving the room even when the physician was about to begin the treatment. The latter asked awkwardly, “Prince Jonathan, I’m going to treat this lady now. Would you like to get some rest in the VIP lounge first?”
“It’s fine,” Bastien replied plainly. “But…” The physician felt a little overwhelmed. After all, he had never encountered such a situation in his many years of treating the royal family.
Noting the physician’s concern, Bastien uttered, “You can cover with a screen. I’m just not going anywhere. I’m going to stay here to keep Natalie company.”
It took several seconds for the physician to come to his senses. He instructed his assistant to open the screen before examining and treating Natalie.
Outside the ward, some nurses began gossiping in the corridor. “That patient is so lucky to be carried by Prince Jonathan in his arms. I’d give up ten years of my life to experience that.”
“There you go daydreaming again. Besides, you think ten years is enough? You must be delusional. You’ll need to give up at least thirty years.”
“Who’s that lady anyway? I don’t think I’ve seen her in the royal news before.” “Is she a commoner? Oh my goodness. A commoner and a prince? How romantic!” All of them spoke softly; they did not sound as if they were chattering.
However, Joseph, who was walking past, overheard them. “Stop gossiping and do your jobs properly! If any of you breathes a word about this outside the hospital, I’m going to arrest you and lock you up in prison for defaming the royal family.”
His expression was frosty, and the hostility in his tone was palpable. It frightened the nurses so much that they scurried off and returned to their positions.
Just then, Jerome stepped into the hospital in his soiled clothes. Spotting Jerome, Joseph immediately stretched out his arm to stop him. “Please hold on, Major General Sutton.”
“What is it? You’re a lower-rank officer. Do you think you have the right to tell me what to do just because you’re on the prince’s side?” Jerome commented with a cynical smile, his eyes glinting dangerously.
Joseph did not expect Jerome to speak so boldly. However, he quickly recollected himself and said, “Of course I’m not qualified to tell you what to do, but this is Prince Jonathan’s orders. He knows how hard you’ve worked in the operation this time, so he hopes you can get some proper rest. Meanwhile, he can handle the others.”
Jerome smirked. “There’s no need for that. I don’t need to rest. Besides, it’s best that I personally handle the others.”
Unwilling to give in, Joseph uttered, “Major General Sutton, Prince Jonathan has always held you in high regard. You’re able to hold the position of a major general at such a young age because Prince Jonathan never hesitated to promote you. Please don’t forget his kindness toward you just because of one person…”
“I don’t need his kindness. I have to take this person away today.” Jerome’s gaze was incredibly frosty.
Natalie was his motivation to climb up the ladder of power throughout the years.
Being an ordinary soldier is more than enough to protect the country. Military ranks are useless. What’s the point of being a major general if I can’t even protect her?
Chapter 1115 Pulling Strings
Once again, Jerome’s response exceeded Joseph’s expectations. Joseph did not expect Jerome to treat Natalie the same way Bastien did. Natalie is the perfect example of “women are nothing but trouble.”
Having lost his patience, Joseph said in annoyance, “Major General Sutton, please think wisely before you do anything. Are you sure you want to be at loggerheads with Prince Jonathan over this person?”
Jerome could not be bothered to waste his breath on Joseph. He shoved Joseph’s arm away and stormed toward the royal lounge. Seeing that, Joseph launched an attack by swinging his left fist into Jerome’s face.
Jerome avoided it swiftly and countered with punches faster than Joseph’s attack, which made it difficult for Joseph to dodge. The gusts of wind that followed the punches left his face feeling sore.
Jerome did not earn his military rank by pulling strings. Joseph knew his combat prowess was no match for Jerome. Even so, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue fighting.
Jerome had already made up his mind and could not be bothered by his military rank. He attacked Joseph viciously, wanting to defeat the latter using the shortest amount of time.
Just when Joseph was almost losing, Bastien stepped out of the ward and approached Jerome. “What are you doing, Jerome?” asked Bastien while gesturing for Joseph to stop.
Panting slightly, Jerome answered, “Return Natalie to me.”
In an unhurried manner, Bastien said, “She’s getting treated. She needs to recuperate to let her wound and broken bones heal. Where are you planning to take her to? What other place in Yaleview has better medical facilities than this hospital?”
“I’m aware that Natalie’s severely injured, but you don’t have to worry about it. My family is acquainted with a well-known doctor. Once I take her with me, I’m going to provide her with the best treatment.”
Bastien’s eyes immediately glinted with hostility. “Jerome, do you really want to offend me because of this?”
Jerome did not seem to be afraid. “Offend is a wrong choice of word. Natalie is my childhood friend, and I’ve let her down at the dock just now. Since I’ve promised to send her home, I’ll make sure to deliver it. If not, I’m not worthy of being an ordinary person, let alone a major general.”
Jerome knew he and Natalie could never become lovers. Hence, he had done his best to fulfill his role as her friend. Though he could not harbor any feelings for her, he would never betray her.
Bastien’s eyes darkened. “What if I say no?” “Then I’ll—” Before Jerome could even finish, an elderly voice rang out.
“Then my son and I will do everything in our power to take her away.” The voice belonged to Jerome’s father, Daniel. He was leaning on his walking stick and glaring at Bastien. “That lady is a daughter of a family friend. Surely it isn’t a problem for an elder of the Sutton family to take her away? You, on the other hand, don’t have a deep relationship with her. If you insist on keeping her, you’ll make me upset. Please think wisely of what His Majesty will think of you.”
Daniel was steady and reserved, but his words held great power. He made the Sutton family’s stance clear and threatened Bastien at the same time.
It moved Jerome to see his father getting involved. “Father…”
Ignoring his son, Daniel continued speaking to Bastien. “Prince Jonathan, this child has suffered a lot. My wife and I will take good care of her.”
With that, he ordered his men to proceed with Natalie’s discharge procedure. Bastien pursed his lips and remained silent, exuding an aura that got more hostile by the second. Alas, he could only watch the father and son take Natalie away.
Chapter 1116 A Pity
Bastien narrowed his eyes as he stared at the hospital exit. I just wanted to keep her company and take care of her since she was injured. Why does the Sutton family think I’m going to do her harm? Jerome and his father are worse. One disobeyed me while the other threatened me.
Joseph, whose face was bruised, staggered over to Bastien’s side. “Prince Jonathan, they’ve left.” “Let’s go, Joseph,” Bastien said calmly, although his eyes were cold. “Okay.”
Right then, Bastien raised the corners of his lips into a smirk. Will I only get what I want when I take over my father’s position? If that’s the case… I’ve got to go all out, then.
Meanwhile, at the Sutton residence, Patricia studied Natalie, who was asleep on the bed. She could not help but feel sorry for her.
“Jennie will be so heartbroken if she finds out Natalie is in such a state. I’m so sorry, Jennie. It’s all my fault that she had to endure so much suffering in Loang.”
While Patricia paced around, she suddenly thought of something and pounded Jerome on the shoulder a few times.
“Jerome Sutton! You rascal! What have you been doing all these years in the army? How could you have failed to protect Natalie? Your years of training have gone to waste!”
Jerome only endured the beating in silence, which only left Patricia feeling more enraged.
Daniel let out a sigh and said, “That’s enough, Patricia. Stop finding fault with him. He truly wanted to protect her, but there are some things he can’t decide with his rank. If I didn’t show up today, your son might not be able to bring Natalie back.”
Patricia was surprised by the news. “How come?” “Let’s talk outside and let Natalie rest here.” Jerome and Patricia nodded and followed Daniel out of the guest room.
The moment they stepped into the living room, Patricia could not hold back anymore. She asked, “You two better explain everything to me today. What’s going on? What do you mean, Jerome can’t decide with his rank?”
Daniel crossed his arms and rested them on the walking stick. “Why don’t you explain this, Jerome? What exactly is going on?”
Jerome recounted the kidnapping and the incident at the dock to her parents. “That’s everything that happened.”
As soon as Patricia found out Jerome had been hiding in the corner when Natalie was attacked by Zophie, she picked up her house slipper and threw it at him. “How could you do this to her when she treated you so well in the past? Have you forgotten what you promised me? Is this what you mean by protecting her?”
However, throwing the slipper did not help with venting her anger. Just as she was about to throw the ashtray, Daniel stopped her. “That was not what he wanted. He received orders from Bastien.” “Prince Jonathan?”
Daniel nodded. “Yes. If Jerome had taken action, it might have brought harm to Natalie and ruined the jade key as well. What Bastien did was shameful, but that was the safest way. It’s a pity Natalie had to go through that.”
Patricia knitted her brows. “What the heck? How is he a prince? Is he even a man? How could he let a woman be in such danger?”
Daniel knew how hot-tempered his wife could be. He patted her shoulder and assured her, “Patricia, I’m sure Bastien has considered things carefully before making that decision. And based on my observation, his feelings toward Natalie are rather obvious.”
Patricia was perplexed. “Feelings? What feelings?”
Jerome pursed his lips without saying anything. Daniel sighed heavily. “What else? The feeling a man has for a woman!” “What?”
A frown crept up between Daniel’s brows as he explained, “The royal hospital is not a place any ordinary person can enter. Yet, Bastien brought her there to be treated. Besides, Jerome had made it clear that he wanted to bring Natalie away, but Bastien did not give in until I brought up the king. See? He has such deep feelings for her.”
Chapter 1117 Stop Hiding The Truth
Patricia staggered backward at the news. “How is that possible? Since when was Natalie acquainted with Prince Jonathan?”
Jerome said calmly, “They met each other once by coincidence back in Chanaea. However, Prince Jonathan didn’t tell Natalie his true identity. She thought he was just an ordinary businessman.”
When Jerome finished his sentence, all of them fell silent. At the same time, their faces clouded over. If Bastien were an ordinary person, the Sutton family would do anything to get Natalie out of the mess.
However, Natalie had formed a deep bond with the royal family, which meant that Daniel might not be able to protect her again.
After pondering for some time, Patricia said firmly, “Natalie already has five children. Bastien can’t just do whatever he wants no matter how much he likes her. We shouldn’t worry too much, either. Besides, no one knows what’s going to happen in the future. We’ll just do our best to protect her if they really meet again. Remember the time I was still pregnant with Jerome? He and I almost died when we fled to Chanaea because of premature fetal movement. It’s all thanks to Jennie that we survived. If not for her, Jerome and I wouldn’t be here today. This is a favor Jerome and I owe her.”
Hugging his wife, Daniel promised, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you both with this.”
Jerome, too, nodded seriously. “I understand, Mother.” About ten hours later, Natalie finally opened her eyes. She was finally awake.
When she tried to move, she felt a terrible ache spread all over her body. The right side, especially, put her in so much pain when she had only moved just a little. She could not help but inhale sharply.
Hearing that, Jerome rushed to her side, gazing at her concernedly. “You’re awake!”
While she placed her hand on her wound, visions of what happened before she passed out came flooding back to her mind. Immediately, she frowned. “Where am I? Tell me, where am I?”
“Don’t worry. This isn’t Luna Palace. This is my house.” Jerome propped Natalie up by placing a soft cushion behind her, making it more comfortable for her to sit up. “I promised to send you home safely, and I’m going to keep my word.”
“I remember seeing Bastien before I passed out…” Natalie grabbed the hem of Jerome’s shirt. “How did you bring me back? Did Bastien cause you any trouble?”
She knew without a doubt that Jerome would protect her. However, Bastien was more powerful than Jerome in Loang, and that was a fact.
She feared Jerome had offended Bastien by protecting her. Jerome answered half-heartedly, “You’re still injured. Don’t worry about—”
“Jerome! Tell me the truth! What happened when I passed out? How were you able to bring me to your house? What happened that Bastien agreed to let you take me away?” Natalie refused to let the matter go.
In the end, Jerome had no choice but to recount the incidents that happened after she fainted. Natalie was touched by what she heard. “Uncle Daniel…”
Daniel and Patricia treated Natalie as if she was their biological daughter even though she was not. She swore to always remember the kindness they had shown.
Meanwhile, Jerome brought some painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills for her.
After taking them, Natalie returned the glass to him.
Noting the hesitant look on his face, Natalie eyed him suspiciously and asked, “Do you have something to tell me?”
Jerome was mildly stumped. “H-How do you know?”
Natalie looked into his eyes and said plainly, “How can I not know? We grew up together, and I know the meaning behind every expression you make. Stop hiding the truth. Just say whatever you need to say.”
Chapter 1118 It Is All Because Of Me
Jerome took a deep breath before uttering with difficulty, “I’m sorry. I promised to protect you, but I watched you get hurt at the dock. I let you become the bait.”
He truly hated himself. At that moment, he felt he was no different from a coward no matter how great his reputation was.
Natalie looked down and smiled. “It’s not your fault. Besides, this is probably the best outcome we can ask for. It’s just a minor injury anyway. Now, Yumi is safe, and you have captured Zophie. Besides, no explosion happened at the dock.” Jerome stressed, “Natalie, it’s not a minor injury!”
A subtle smile remained on Natalie’s lips. “Silly, it’s a minor one if I can talk to you like this, so don’t apologize to me anymore. You don’t owe me anything. Besides, you knew how much I hate being in Bastien’s presence, so you risked everything to bring me back to the Sutton residence. Apologize one more time and I’m going to lose my temper.”
“All right.” Jerome knew Natalie had said that to make him feel better. However, it only made him more determined to be loyal to her. If the same thing happened again, Natalie’s safety would be his first priority.
Looking pale, Natalie said weakly, “Jerome, I’m a little tired. I’d like to get some rest. Could you contact Yandel and tell him to work with Emma to take care of the kids? Yumi, especially. Help me come up with an excuse and tell them I’ll be away for a few days. I’ll go back once I’m better.”
Jerome nodded. “Don’t worry and get all the rest you need. I’ll handle the others.” “Okay.” Natalie trusted Jerome with all her heart. She was reassured to hear his words, and she soon fell back to sleep.
Seeing she had fallen asleep, Jerome studied her haggard face.
Without realizing it, he lifted his hand and was about to stroke her face when he suddenly thought of something. He hurriedly retracted his hand and tucked her in before turning around to leave.
Some distances had to be maintained, or there would be no turning back.
Natalie was not an indecisive person.
In fact, she would help him decide if he hesitated.
All Jerome could do at that moment was to control himself.
Meanwhile, Yandel was busy taking care of Franklin, Sophia, Xavian, and Clayton at the Moss residence.
Billy had brought Yumi to Yandel’s home.
As soon as the door opened, Yumi appeared before the four children.
Seeing that, Sophia rushed over and hugged Yumi, wailing, “Yumi, you’re finally back! Are you okay? Are you all right?”
They played with each other the most since they were girls.
When Yumi was kidnapped by Zophie, Sophia was never in a good mood even when Yandel coaxed her with delicious food.
The sight of Yumi caused all the emotions Sophia had been suppressing to rush out, and the latter instantly burst into tears.
Yumi, too, was touched to see all of them again.
She was already an orphan back at the orphanage.
After all, she was the final member of the Jankovich family. There was no one else left.
Just when Yumi thought she was going to spend the rest of her days in the orphanage, she was—much to her surprise—adopted by Natalie. She did not even expect to have siblings like Sophia and Xavian.
When Yumi felt Sophia’s arms around her, tears started streaming down her face. “I missed you, too, Sophia! I’m fine. I’m all right. Everything’s all right.”
As Sophia let Yumi go, she discovered some bruises on her face.
“You’re lying! How are you all right?” exclaimed Sophia, wiping Yumi’s tears and examining her wounds. “Look at you. So many parts of your face are swollen. It’s all because of me. If you hadn’t distracted her to protect me, I would’ve been the one who got kidnapped.”
Chapter 1119 Sharp Tongue
Yumi knew Sophia had misunderstood the reason Zophie was kidnapping people. However, because the matter had too many ties to her background, she couldn’t let Sophia, Xavian, Franklin, and Clayton learn the truth. Thus, she had no other choice but to let Sophia continue to misunderstand the situation.
“It’s not like that, Sophia!” Yumi shook her head. “It was a coincidence that I was caught. We’re all fine right now.” Upon hearing that, Sophia finally felt much better.
After taking a tissue paper from nearby, she rubbed her tears and snot away. Xavian and Clayton arrived in front of Yumi and uttered in unison, “Welcome back, Yumi!”
Yumi nodded while crying and smiling. “Thank you, Xavian, Clayton.” Meanwhile, Franklin glanced at Yumi’s face rather expressionlessly. His usual coldness was still present on his countenance.
Seeing that Franklin wasn’t saying anything, Yumi didn’t feel like it was a good idea to say much to him either, so she smiled at him faintly instead. “I’m back, Franklin.”
“Mhm,” Franklin replied. When Yandel noticed how cold and reserved Franklin was, he grumbled in a low volume, “You’re resembling your father more and more…”
“Where’s Mommy?” Sophia inquired after she wiped her tears away. Then she sniffed and turned to Yandel. “Since Yumi’s back, Mommy should be coming back to pick us up, right? Why don’t I see her?”
The other children thought the same when they heard that. “That’s right! Why isn’t Mommy back yet?” “We’ve been staying here for long enough! I want to see Mommy!” “Me too! I want to meet Mommy!”
Before Billy arrived, he had already informed Yandel of Natalie’s condition. Yandel knew the children valued Natalie more than anything else in the world. Therefore, if they learned she was severely injured, they would no doubt make a fuss about wanting to meet her.
Left with no other options, Yandel could only smile playfully and lie, “You lot will be staying here for a few more days. After your mommy captured that woman, she obviously needs to investigate her background and history. Your mommy doesn’t trust anyone else to handle this matter, so she’s conducting the investigation herself. I promise that she’ll be back in a few days.”
Billy was relieved as he watched Yandel lie. The children didn’t suspect anything because Yandel’s expression appeared natural and normal. Thus, they nodded, trusting his statements.
Seeing that the children all bought into his lies, Yandel took a sip of water before turning around and releasing a massive breath of air. That was intense! Even though they are only five or six years old, they won’t be fooled if I don’t pull out all the stops while acting naturally! I need to get out of their faces right now. Otherwise, if I accidentally expose my lies, even just a little bit, they won’t be easy to deal with!
During the night, Yumi was walking down the second-floor corridor when she suddenly realized Franklin was leaning against the wall. “Franklin,” she greeted. “What’s the matter?”
Under the moonlight, Franklin shifted his gaze away from her and handed a porcelain bottle in his hand to her. “Take this.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “W-What is this?”
“You have a lot of bruises on your face. Applying this to those bruises will help remove them.” His tone sounded urgent and slightly annoyed.
Upon grabbing the bottle, Yumi opened the cap, allowing the fragrant herbal scent from within to enter her nose.
Even though she hadn’t applied the medicinal ointment to her face yet, she could already tell it was good. Hence, she smiled at him with gratitude. “Thank you, Franklin!”
Franklin involuntarily turned his gaze to her and saw her beaming at him. It was so sweet that he almost fell into a daze.
Even though he liked looking at her smile, he pretended as though he didn’t care. “Don’t misunderstand anything. I just think the bruises on your face are an eyesore. That’s why I gave you the bottle—to help you get rid of those bruises quicker. Once those bruises go away, you’ll look much better…”
After he concluded his sentence, he turned around and left in a hurry. As Yumi held onto the warm bottle, her smile became brighter.
Even though he has a sharp tongue, his heart’s soft! He was very worried about the bruises on my face, yet he pretended as though he didn’t care.
Chapter 1120 Promise
Natalie was getting much better thanks to the Sutton family’s care. Most of the time, it was Jerome taking care of Natalie. When he wasn’t around, Patricia would assume the responsibility.
Patricia couldn’t help but sigh when she thought about the lost potential of Natalie becoming her daughter-in-law. “Jerome told me all about you and Samuel, Natalie. What a shame! I should’ve brought you and Jennie with me when I returned to Loang. If I had done that, Jennie would’ve been alive longer, and you would’ve been the Sutton family’s daughter-in-law!”
Natalie knew Patricia really liked her, but when it came to matters involving feelings, no one could force it.
In response, she smiled at Patricia. “Don’t lament the past, Aunt Patricia. The decisions made back then are always for the best! Jerome may have missed out on the opportunity to get together with me, but perhaps he’ll meet someone who’s even more compatible with him as a result. No need to keep sighing. If you sigh again, your beauty will decline a little.”
“Really?” The older woman promptly touched her own face in a slight panic. “I was just joking!” Natalie smiled. “You’ve always been beautiful. No wonder Uncle Daniel was always enamored with you.”
“You have such a good way with words.” Ever since she was a child, Natalie had always been excellent at cheering Patricia up. She only needed to utter a few words to make Patricia smile very brightly.
Even though the older woman had stopped talking about the topic, she couldn’t hide the disappointment and regret swirling in her eyes. What she said sounds easy, but in reality, it’s likely not. What are the chances Jerome will meet another woman more suited for him after missing out on Natalie?
Not long after, Jerome returned. It was pretty obvious he wanted to say something but was holding himself back from doing so.
As the saying went, a mother knew her son best. Hence, Patricia could tell from a glance that her son had something he wanted to speak with Natalie about in private. She provided an excuse about wanting to prepare some fruits and left the guest room, giving the two a space to talk.
After the older woman left, Natalie cut straight to the chase. “Do you have something you want to ask me, Jerome?”
“Natalie…” Jerome hesitated but ultimately inquired candidly, “How did this jade key arrive in your possession? Zophie said the kid you adopted, Yumi, is a descendant of the Jankovich family, Loang’s tomb guards for generations. Even though the jade key has been retrieved, the girl’s identity is too special. It’s not appropriate for you to keep her by your side. Additionally, her existence may draw danger to you…”
“So you’re saying…” “You should hand the girl over to His Majesty.”
The instant Jerome stopped speaking, Natalie refuted, “No! I won’t do it! Yumi is my child! I won’t hand her to you or anyone else!”
“I know you care deeply about the girl, Natalie, but there are some matters where you cannot allow your emotions to get involved.” He arrived next to her.
“Look at how severely injured you are after saving her this time. What if there’s a next time? What will you do if something like this happens again? Will you be prepared?”
Her red lips formed an extremely cold grin. “What will I do? What else can I do? I’ll just continue to protect her!” she responded, unperturbed. “Do you want me to hand her over to the royal family and then allow them to abandon her without hesitation if it’s no longer beneficial for them to keep her around?
I can’t do that, and I’m not willing to test that possibility either! The royal family is the most heartless entity around! A king has no problem sacrificing a child. He won’t think anything’s wrong with that! However, I don’t possess that same mindset. All I know is that Yumi is just as important to me as Franklin, Clayton, Xavian, and Sophia are after she called me Mommy.”
Seeing how Natalie had made up her mind, Jerome couldn’t help but sigh. “As I expected… I knew this was going to be your answer before I even asked you. You’re too caring, too inclined to keep your word. It doesn’t matter to you if you’re hurt. I’m sure you’re even willing to put your life on the line to protect those you care about and fulfill your promise.”
Upon hearing that, she slowly raised her head and smiled at him. “Jerome.”
“Don’t worry.” He grinned. “While you have a promise to keep with Yumi, I have one to keep with you, too. Did you forget what I said when I was at your back in the past? When we were children, you protected me. Now that we’re adults, it’s my turn to protect you!”