Ella felt puzzled as she couldn't grasp why Joshua was unwilling to enter the apartment.Natalie was asleep inside, so Ella assumed Joshua would go inside to check on her or wake her as couples typically did.Despite her confusion, Ella refrained from asking. She knew whatever Joshua decided was the last word, and she had to comply."Mr. Grayson, please hold on outside for a moment. I'll wake Ms. Lovelace up right away," Ella said before heading toward the bedroom.Before she could take a few steps, Joshua suddenly spoke up, "Hold on."Ella turned around."Does Natalie usually wake up at this time?" Joshua asked while glancing at his watch, which indicated noon."Um… w-well…" Ella stammered.Typically, Natalie did wake up around this time unless there was something urgent. She pondered whether Natalie had mentioned her early rising habits to Joshua."Go on." Joshua's expression was neutral as he fixed his gaze on her.Ella struggled under the pressure and could only manage to
Joshua leaned against the car with a cigarette in hand. The tip of the cigarette glowed softly. He stared off into the distance, deep in thought.As Natalie approached, he stubbed out the cigarette and said, "You're here? Let's go."His words were terse. Their distant interaction mirrored that of colleagues on a business trip.Natalie pondered whether Joshua was upset. She glanced at her phone. It read 1:01 pm.Surely, he couldn't be angry just because she was a minute late? Or perhaps it was because he saw her without makeup?But Natalie felt confident in her natural appearance. While she might not be as polished without makeup, surely it wasn't enough to intimidate a man.Noticing Natalie's hesitation, Joshua spoke in a low voice, "You're not coming?"His tone carried a hint of impatience."I-I'm coming." Natalie quickly nodded.Her last bit of pretense faded away in the face of his cold gaze."Josh... I... um," Natalie began as she settled into the car, feeling the need to
"You don't know her?" Natasha asked, her expression serious as she awaited Daniel's answer."The name sounds familiar, but I don't think she's part of the Sullivan family," Daniel replied."You've heard the name before?" Natasha asked.She thought Natalie might not have lied if Daniel recognized her name."Wait a minute. It's coming back to me. The last time I visited Grayson Hospital, I saw a woman outside Mr. Grayson Senior's ward. Her name was Natty, wasn't it?" Daniel recollected.Natasha raised an eyebrow."Yeah, I remember now. She has the same name as you, so it stuck in my mind. She seemed composed and quite pleasant," Daniel said, squinting as he tried to recall the scene from that day.His words triggered a memory for Natasha of that day in the hospital. "You have quite the memory. That person was indeed Natalie."Daniel chuckled, his grin widening with pride. "Guess I'm not getting old. My memory's still sharp."Natasha nodded, sharing in the smile."Did she say sh
Natalie couldn't understand how Joshua seemed so energetic despite flying all night to get to Topola. She was exhausted but he didn't notice or care about her feelings.Memories washed over Natalie of moments spent with Joshua, leaning against each other as they watched sunsets together in the past.They stood at the city's highest point, overlooking the bustling streets below and the glimmering river beyond. Those truly were sweet moments.In the past, whenever fatigue weighed her down, Joshua's tender care lifted her spirits. Whenever sadness crept in, his affection was a comforting balm.However, the stark contrast of the present reality left Natalie in disbelief.It was clear to her now that love, or the lack thereof, revealed itself in the smallest gestures. She realized that love dwelled in the details, just as its absence did.Natalie followed Joshua, grumbling under her breath while keeping her head down.Suddenly, Joshua stopped and she accidentally bumped into him. Clu
Joshua sensed something was bothering Natalie. So, he shut the car door and turned to her. "What's the matter?"Natalie quickly glanced away from Natasha and replied, "Nothing."She didn't want Joshua to catch sight of Natasha, not even a bit."I just spotted a dog over there. That's all," Natalie casually explained. "It seemed quite a pity. Should we offer it some food?"Natalie sincerely believed Natasha was a stray dog, surviving on the kindness of strangers without an owner to call her own. The Graysons, being naturally kind-hearted, were quick to offer assistance.However, Natalie never expected that after a few acts of generosity from the Graysons, Natasha would shamelessly attach herself to them."A dog?" Joshua repeated in a low voice.It was quiet in the suburban neighborhood. Joshua couldn't fathom how a stray dog had ended up here. After all, survival for dogs in such an environment seemed improbable.However, he quickly pushed the thought aside. His main focus was r
Joshua was puzzled by Natalie's behavior. "What's going on? Why do you seem so flustered?""Oh... it's nothing," Natalie stammered.To lighten the mood, she pretended to be surprised and pointed at Joshua's clothes. "Hey, Josh, there's a leaf on your shirt. Let me get it off for you."As Natalie stretched out her arm, she smoothly shifted toward Joshua to block his view with her body. She was determined to prevent Natasha from seizing any opportunity at all.Joshua looked where she pointed and noticed a small leaf, barely noticeable in size, resting on his clothes. As he glanced further, he realized that his clothes had become creased.Frowning, he thought that his clothes were so rumpled they might as well be thrown away.Natalie also noticed the creases on Joshua's clothes, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across her face.She understood the significance of this particular garment to Joshua and why he had chosen to wear it today.Natalie was in a state of panic. She couldn
When Joshua and Natasha made eye contact, it was as if everything else froze around them.Natasha's thoughts raced as she struggled to keep a composed facade, though inwardly, she was far from calm.She was overwhelmed with questions. How had Joshua found her here? What was his reason for coming? Had he uncovered her true identity, or did he have another agenda?In Natasha's mind, a whirlwind of questions filled her thoughts.Like many before him in the Sullivan family line, Austin valued peace highly. That was why the Sullivans built Sullivan Villa in such a calm and tranquil area.Another reason for this choice was its nearness to Herb Valley, a place bursting with rare medicinal herbs. This meant anyone living in the villa could easily gather herbs whenever needed.Natasha was surprised to see Joshua in this secluded spot, known exclusively to the Sullivans."Is that Natasha? She looks just like her. What's she doing here?" Natalie blurted out, interrupting the quiet moment.
Joshua raised an eyebrow and stated, "You followed me here because you wanted to see me, didn't you?"Even though Joshua had already figured out the answer, he hoped Natasha would admit it.Meanwhile, Natalie's expression was unreadable. Eventually, she pretended to be surprised. She quickly covered her mouth and asked, "What? Natasha has been following us this whole time?"Her tone carried a sharp edge."Seriously? Natasha, you could have just asked Josh if you wanted to join us. He would have brought you along. Why sneakily trail us?"Natalie's words seemed like a friendly reminder, but her tone dripped with sarcasm.She regarded Natasha with pity and added, "The road from the airport to Sullivan Villa is all wilderness. How did you manage to get here? Did you drive alone? That must have taken quite some time."Josh and I spent the entire night on the plane to get to Topola! You've gone through quite a journey to see Josh."Natasha smirked and questioned, "Why would I follow