Chapter 338

“Hello! Jennifer, Easton is with me. Hurry and come get him,” Natalie said. “Hello…”

There was no response. Confused, Natalie looked at the phone, noticing it had run out of battery and was shutting down.

“Ugh…” She stomped her foot in frustration. Of all times, the battery had to die now.

“Seriously? Dead battery now?” she muttered angrily, tossing the phone aside. A wave of sleepiness swept over her, and she yawned. Kicking off her slippers, she stepped onto the plush carpet, climbed into bed, and pulled the blanket over herself, falling asleep almost instantly.

She tried reminding herself that Easton was still here and that she couldn’t sleep, but her heavy eyelids wouldn’t cooperate. Before slipping into unconsciousness, she vaguely felt someone holding her.

Easton watched her drift into a deep sleep, a sly smirk playing on his lips. He had slipped something into her glass of milk, and she drank it without the slightest suspicion.

He had done the same last time; otherwise, Natalie would never have let him share the bed with her.

She’d been away for half a month, and during that time, he hadn’t slept well once. Tonight, he was determined to get a good night’s rest.

He realized that Natalie was like a sleeping potion for him. With her beside him, he could sleep soundly.

Recalling what she had just said, he looked grim and thought, ‘She really doesn’t love me anymore. She even tried to push me toward Jennifer and sounded happy when Jennifer called.’

Ignoring the dead phone, Easton gently pulled Natalie into his arms. Gazing at her peaceful, stunning face, he smiled softly and whispered, “Natalie, with your little schemes, how do you expect to outsmart me?"

“Do whatever you want and chase your dreams boldly–I’ll be here to support you. My only condition is that you stay by my side."

He glanced around the room and thought, ‘Did she grow up here? Everything in it seems frozen in time from years ago. Why did Jason bring her back from the impoverished town all those years ago?'

‘She’d rather let the Simpson family misunderstand her than reveal her true identity. But it makes sense. In this way, she could see their true colors clearly.’

Easton turned off the light. Outside, the snowstorm raged. On this snowy night, they lay quietly in the warm bed, and the sound of their heartbeats was like the most beautiful melody in the world.

Easton gently stroked Natalie’s hair, his eyes full of tenderness. She looked so obedient when she was quiet.

The snowy night dragged on, with bitter winds howling. Meanwhile, Jennifer sat on her bed, trying to call Easton.

Today, after returning home, she started to feel unwell. Every time she got sick, Easton would stay by her side, fussing over her. She used to post photos of those moments to provoke Natalie, relishing the sight of her pale, stricken face the next day. But tonight, she couldn’t get through to Easton. He always picked up her calls, but tonight, he didn’t.

Jennifer coughed painfully, looking out at the snowy night sky; the heavy snow intensified the gloom in her heart.

“Easton, are you really forcing me to act against you?” she murmured, her eyes glinting with malice. She thought, ‘Easton has discovered what happened between me and Octavian.

‘Does he not want me anymore because I slept with someone else? He has always trusted me. Why did he suddenly investigate me?’

“Damn it, I had a winning hand, and now it’s ruined,” she cursed under her breath.

If she had known that driving Natalie away would take Easton’s heart with her, she would never have done something so foolish.

She recalled Easton saying he liked the kind–hearted Jennifer and let out a mocking laugh.

When she plotted against Natalie, there was no way Easton hadn’t noticed. He had turned a blind eye because of his favoritism, yet now he had the nerve to call her malicious. He was truly hypocritical.

Jennifer continued calling Easton, but his phone remained off. After some thought, she sent him a message: [Easton, I’m sick. I feel awful, and I miss you so much!]

After sending the message, she lay back on her bed, but sleep eluded her as her mind replayed images of Easton’s cold indifference.

As she wondered when Easton had started to change, her phone rang. She grabbed it quickly, thinking it was Easton, but to her disappointment, it was Octavian. [Jennifer, I miss you. How about we meet tonight at my villa?]

Temptation stirred within Jennifer as she thought of his strong physique. Overcome with excitement, she replied to his message, took the pills on her table, and headed to the villa.

The next morning, Natalie woke up feeling surprisingly well-rested. Her body felt a bit weak, and she couldn’t recall having a single dream the night before. She wondered why she had slept so deeply.

Turning her head, she didn’t see Easton. She let out a sigh of relief, thinking he had left during the night.

Then she stretched languidly, feeling utterly relaxed, and said, “I feel like eating ravioli.” She picked up her phone from the table and called the butler.

“Ms. Shawn, you’re awake. What would you like for breakfast? I’ll prepare it right away,” the butler asked.

Natalie chuckled. “Peter, I’d love some ravioli with brown butter sauce.”

“Of course, Ms. Shawn,” Peter replied.

Hanging up the phone with a smile, Natalie got out of bed to freshen up.

She threw on a thick pink sweatshirt and tied her hair into a bun, admiring the pure and radiant girl staring back at her in the mirror.

She gave a faint smile, thinking, “Ah, I am still alive, and I look so young and vibrant!”

Feeling great about herself, she whispered to her reflection, “Easton, I’m living my best life without you. Those who leave me are not worth holding onto!

“I’m genuinely happy with my current state in life. After the divorce, I’ll have a romantic relationship and make the most of this beautiful face.”

In the end, she patted her rosy cheeks and walked out of the bathroom, humming, “Ah! I’m so pretty, so, so pretty…”

She was startled to see a man standing in her room and shouted angrily, “Easton! Why are you still here?”

Hearing her muttered words from earlier, Easton asked with a dark expression, "Natalie, I’ve told you before, we’re never getting divorced."

Natalie shot him a glare, unwilling to even speak to him, and strode out of the room.

Easton watched her retreating figure, feeling a mix of helplessness and resignation.

After taking a few steps, Natalie suddenly turned around and asked, “Easton, where did you sleep?"

Easton pointed to the sofa. “I slept on the sofa. It’s quite comfortable—more so than the bed."

Truthfully, her blanket was incredibly comfortable, soft, and warm.

He imagined that sharing a bed with her could bring him such deep, dreamless sleep.

Her body was so soft, her waist even slenderer. As he held her while sleeping, he felt a surge of desire, suddenly tempted to explore the boundaries between them.