Chapter 62

Murray asked seriously, “Why?”

Natalie chuckled, “Because I know he’ll be a good man—kind, gentle, and considerate. He’ll be rich in the future, too. So, we’ll work hard, and maybe one day we can benefit from his success and make a lot of money.”

Murray was speechless. He had no desire to ride on Maurice’s coattails with Natalie. After all, he was the son of the Spencer family; he didn’t need to.

Still, Natalie wasn’t wrong—Maurice was young and capable, and partnering with him could prove beneficial.

A knowing smile appeared on Murray’s charming face as he gazed at Natalie.

He realized that Easton was a loser with horrible taste. He was unable to see the amazing qualities in Natalie and instead choosing a toxic woman.

“Natalie, how about joining me for dinner tomorrow night? My grandmother wants to meet you. Despite the fact that you slapped me ten times and broke my hands, she says I matured overnight because of it,” Murray suggested.

“She wants to thank you and invites you to meet her,” he added.

Natalie was speechless; this was her first time encountering someone who actually wanted to thank the person who hit them.

She was also surprised by Murray’s invitation, especially after their tumultuous past. In her previous life, influenced by Jennifer, Murray had never shown her any mercy.

“Alright, then. The day after tomorrow, I’ll come and see Mrs. Spencer. I can also check if there’s any residual poison in her system,” Natalie agreed.

“Oh, by the way, Mrs. Spencer’s bodyguard has woken up. He’s in my car. You can take him back in a bit. His injuries aren’t severe, but his leg was fractured. He’ll need three months to recover before he’s able to work normally,” she added.

“It was he who carried me to the hospital, so I wanted to help him in return,” she explained.

Finally, Murray understood everything that had happened that day. He smiled mischievously, his deep gaze fixed on her. “Alright! Natalie, thank you!” Murray then took the bodyguard and left.

Valerie walked over and asked, “Natalie, are you really going to let Easton and Jennifer off that easily? They’re in it together.”

Easton, listening nearby, felt slightly exasperated. ‘How could Valerie say that? Why would she think I’m in cahoots with Jennifer against Natalie?’

Natalie sighed. “I know they’re in it together. They toy with me to satisfy their twisted sense of amusement. But you know as well as I do that even if I send Jennifer to prison, Easton will do whatever he can to bail her out.”

“Easton is head over heels in love with Jennifer. In fact, I’d rather they get together sooner so I can get my divorce papers as quickly as possible.” That was her honest opinion.

Of course, Jennifer wasn’t going to prison just yet—Natalie still needed her to reveal the person pulling strings behind the scenes. That person was the real threat.

Easton’s eyes darkened with anger. ‘So Natalie believes this, too?’

Valerie cautioned Natalie, “Natalie, Jennifer will bring you disaster, and even your loved ones could get hurt. You need to keep your distance from her—and from Easton, too. If you like, I can help you break the bond between you and him.”

“No need, Valerie. Doing that would only cause backlash for you. Easton’s actions have already broken my heart, so whether that bond exists or not doesn’t really matter anymore. What matters is that I’ll be putting distance between us,” she said.

“Let’s go; James said he’d pick up something delicious for us tonight. If we go now, we’ll be back just in time. I even asked him to bring your favorite fried shrimp,” Natalie changed the topic.

Valerie looked at her deeply. “Silly girl, I don’t know what to do with you.”

Natalie laughed, “Just let things run their course!”

The two walked off, their footsteps gradually fading.

Easton felt a sense of desolation. He thought back to the first time he’d met Natalie—so full of life and hope, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Hello, Easton, I’m Natalie.” She’d introduced herself, cheeks flushing pink right after.

Now, the idea of Natalie actually giving up on him felt unacceptable. It was hard to believe that the girl whose heart was once full of love for him could just stop loving so easily.

Annoyed, he brooded over how highly she now regarded Maurice. He wondered what Maurice had that made her speak so well of him.

‘Natalie, you’ll always be my wife,’ Easton thought stubbornly.

On his way back, Easton couldn’t stop thinking about Natalie’s spirited smile and the way her clear, earnest eyes used to look at him with pure affection.

He thought about her being in pain that afternoon and the way he’d brought her back to the Simpson residence.

He hadn’t realized it was all part of Jennifer’s performance. So, those times when Jennifer had claimed Natalie was scheming against her might also be lies.

A look of desolation clouded Easton’s face. He was starting to fear he was about to lose Natalie for good.

He turned to Xavier, who was driving. “Xavier, have you found out where Natalie is staying yet?”

Xavier shook his head. “No, Mr. Garcia. Our people haven’t been able to track her down; every attempt has come up empty.”

In fact, Xavier thought Easton deserved to lose Natalie.

He’d witnessed everything that had happened tonight and could see just how ruthless Jennifer truly was. She’d do anything to push Natalie out and keep the entire Simpson family’s resources to herself.

But it was a case of “can’t see the forest for the trees.” As an observer, he could see through Jennifer’s true nature clearly, but Easton, blinded by his love for her, couldn’t.

Xavier turned on the car’s radio, deliberately choosing a station that played dramatized novels. Coincidentally, the novel playing was titled The True and the False Heiress.

It told the story of an adopted daughter in a wealthy family who schemed against the family’s biological daughter, fearing she’d lose everything. Eventually, her manipulations led to the biological daughter being cast out by her parents.

Easton froze, Xavier noticed his dark expression in the rearview mirror and quickly turned the volume down. He, too, was taken aback by the eerie coincidence.

Easton sat deep in thought, lips tightly pressed, unable to utter a single word.

In the Simpson residence, Jennifer and Nick watched as two men slipped out through the back door.

Once inside, Jennifer looked around but didn’t see Wendy, which made her anxious. “Dad, where’s Mom?” she asked, fearing that Wendy might stop believing her from now on.

Nick’s face darkened. “She’s probably upstairs.”

Jennifer quickly remembered the “tonic.” “Dad, she has to take that ‘tonic’ every day for it to work. Go heat it up and make sure she drinks it. Once she has dementia, we’ll be able to move forward easily.”

Nick nodded. “Alright! Tomorrow morning, go find Easton and tell him you have no idea what happened tonight. Blame everything on Natalie. He trusts you, so just make sure he’s reassured. Once he’s back on your side, he won’t doubt you again.”

“Dad, you don’t need to worry about Easton,” Jennifer replied confidently. “No matter what I do, he’ll always forgive me.”

Relieved, Nick said, “Good. I’ll brew the ‘tonic’. Another two weeks of this, and slowly she’ll start showing symptoms of dementia.”

Jennifer smiled. “Dad, my mom’s waited over twenty years for this moment. Don’t let her down this time.”

Nick patted her head gently. “Don’t worry. Soon, our family will have the happiness we deserve.”

Jennifer headed upstairs to her room, while Nick went to the kitchen.

Underneath the staircase, Wendy had overheard everything. Stunned, she clasped a hand over her mouth, her face filled with disbelief.