Chapter 8

A sharp pain shot through Natalie’s foot, and her body began to sink.
Mrs. Spencer Sr. gasped for air. Something had pricked her foot, causing a cramp in the deep end. She had nearly drowned. Seeing Natalie sinking, she cried out in alarm, “Miss, are you alright? Get out of the water!”
Natalie forced herself to stay calm. Gritting her teeth against the searing pain, she fought her way back to the surface. Mrs. Spencer Sr. saw the blood clouding the water around Natalie and the gash on her leg. Her eyes hardened. Someone had put something in the pool.
“Miss!” Mrs. Spencer Sr. tried to pull Natalie out, but she was too weak.
Natalie felt a wave of dizziness. Something was wrong. She pushed herself up with all her might, only to collapse helplessly beside the woman. The world was spinning. The substance in the water must have been laced with an anesthetic.
“Grandma… there’s… there’s something in this water,” Natalie slurred, her strength failing. “It’s making me weak.”
She was soaked, and blood was streaming from the gash on her foot. The wound was deep and gruesome. Mrs. Spencer Sr. saw that Natalie’s injury was far worse than her own. She, too, felt her strength draining away.
“It’s alright, my bodyguard will be here any second,” Mrs. Spencer Sr. said weakly. “Thank you for saving me. If it weren’t for you, I would have died here today.”
Mrs. Spencer Sr. was fading fast. Natalie tried to speak, but her consciousness was slipping away.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” Mrs. Spencer Sr.’s bodyguard ran over, his face pale with panic.
She pointed a trembling finger at Natalie. “Quick, get her to a hospital. She’s badly hurt.”
“Ma’am, I have to get you there first,” the bodyguard insisted.
“Don’t argue with me! She saved my life. Get her to the hospital now!” her voice was firm, leaving no room for debate.
The bodyguard didn’t dare delay. He lifted Natalie into his arms and rushed toward the hospital. As they disappeared from view, Mrs. Spencer Sr. finally fainted.
Just then, Joanna arrived, having missed the entire scene. She ran to Mrs. Spencer Sr.’s side. Seeing her unconscious, Joanna quickly jumped into the pool, soaked herself, then climbed out and cradled Mrs. Spencer Sr. in her arms. For origınal chapters go to
“Help!” she screamed. “Help! Someone’s drowned!”
At that moment, Mrs. Spencer Sr.’s grandson arrived to pick her up. Hearing the cries, he broke into a run.
“Grandma! Grandma!”
Marshall Spencer was more
beautiful than any woman, yet his beauty was not feminine He was tall and lean, with an air of lazy elegance. Joanna stared at him, mesmerized. Compared to a cold, distant man like Sebastian, this was the man of her dreams.
“Sir, we need to get her to a hospital, quickly,” Joanna urged.
Marshall glanced at her, his eyes filled with gratitude. “Thank you for saving my grandmother. Here’s my card. Please contact me tomorrow.”
Joanna took the card, her face a mask of concern. “Sir, it was nothing. Please, just get your grandmother to the hospital.”
He said with emphasis. “You must call me.”
Marshall’s gaže fell on the blood staining the poolside. His eyes darkened. Someone had tampered with this area. His grandmother was an excellent swimmer; she would never have had an accident like this on her own the lifted her into his arms and left, his bodyguards clearing a path.
Joanna stared at the business card in her hand, a triumphant, sinister smile spreading across her face R She had been delayed escorting Sebastian to the banquet hall, but the outcome was exactly what she had hoped for.
Just you wait, Natalie, she thought. I will crush you completely.
…
Natalie didn’t wake up until the next day.
Wayne was sitting by her bedside. When he saw her eyes flutter open, the tension
in his handsome face finally eased.
“You brat,” he scolded, though his voice was thick with relief. “If you hadn’t woken
up soon, they would’ve been carving your name on a tombstone.”
“You’re saying I almost died?” Natalie asked, shocked.