Chapter 84

They were good friends, and she had come to him because she knew she could trust him.
Dylan looked at her intently. “Wendy, we’ve been friends for years. If you need anything, you have to promise you’ll tell me.”
Wendy forced a smile, said her goodbyes, and left the hospital. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the results on the way, afraid of the pain it would cause.
Back at her hotel, she finally opened the envelope containing the paternity test. The moment she read the words confirming that Joanna was Nathan’s daughter, she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Oh, God
How could she have been so stupid? How did this happen? Nathan had been lying to her for over twenty years. That monster. She would make him wish he were dead.
Natalie had tried to warn her, but she had never believed her.
“Natalie, I’m so sorry. Your mother is so, so sorry Wendy was consumed by grief and regret. She remembered the cruel things she’d said to her daughter last night and felt she didn’t deserve to be a mother. How could she have spoken so viciously to her own flesh and blood? The vicious ones were Joanna and Nathan. Her Natalie had been innocent all along.
Nathan, you want my family’s fortune? Dream on.
Sebastian, you deceived my daughter so you could marry Joanna? Fine, I’ll help you.
She would never again let Natalie be with a man like Sebastian. The fault, all of it, lay with her. For the past year, Sebastian and Joanna had been tormenting her Natalie, and she and her family had been complicit. They had let her suffer alone. No wonder she was so angry.
She was a terrible mother. She truly was.
Wendy took several deep breaths to compose herself and tried to call Natalie. The call wouldn’t go through. With a fresh wave of tears, she realized her daughter had blocked her. Natalie didn’t want her anymore. She remembered the final, cutting words Natalie had said to her.
Wendy collapsed onto the bed, her cries echoing in the empty room, heartbroken and alone.
Instead of sketching designs, Natalie
spent the day handling company
affairs The design team was
bloated, with several employees who had gotten their jobs through connections.
After sorting through the key personnel, Natalie sent a list to Keith.
[Keith, investigate these people. Fire anyone who is unnecessary or taking kickbacks. This company is not a charity.]
Keith replied: [You got it, boss!]
Natalie checked the time. It was already eight o’clock, and she hadn’t eaten Fresh chapters posted on
dinner. She and Luna left the office, planning to grab a bite nearby.
As they stepped outside, a cool night breeze washed over them.
Natalie stretched. “Luna, the office just isn’t for me. Once we clear out the dead wood, I’m going back to designing from home.”
Luna noted her weary expression. “It’s because you haven’t been well, boss. You haven’t had a proper chance to recover these past few years.”
།
“Ah, the foolishness of youth,” Natalie sighed. “Nearly gave my life to save someone who wasn’t worth it.” She quickly shook off the
thought. “Let’s not talk about the n
past. I don’t want to dwell on it. I’ve been through enough pain to appreciate the freedom and life I have now.”
She tilted her head back, the wind tousling her hair, her smile as bright as the stars.
Seeing that she had truly moved on, a rare smile appeared on Luna’s usually stoic face. “Let’s go, boss.”
“Yeah.”
As she stepped toward the street, she saw a tall, imposing figure and froze.