Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Natalia could sense something was off with Hamilton just by the tone of his voice on the phone.

In a soft voice, she asked, "Hamilton, is something wrong?"

Hamilton's laugh was deep and mellow, "Do I need a reason to miss you?"

Natalia suddenly fell silent.

Neither of them spoke, quietly listening to the sound of each other's breathing over the phone.

After what felt like an eternity, Natalia finally whispered, "If it's nothing, then I'm going to hang up."

Hamilton chuckled, "Natalia, do you miss me?"

Natalia ended the call without a word.

They had only been apart for half a day, what's there to miss?

But for some reason, recalling the tone Hamilton used when he spoke made her worry.

She hesitated, considering calling Alden.

But moments later, she decided against it.

If he didn't want to talk about it, then perhaps their relationship was at a stage where she didn't need to pry.

The following days were filled with back-to-back meetings for Natalia.

Collin had handed off nearly all his work to her.

She was hesitant at first, knowing it would be harder to maintain her professional presence as her pregnancy progressed.

But Dawson simply told her, "Whenever you need a break, we can have Mr. Collin step in for a while. If you don't take over, he can't retire in peace."

With Dawson putting it that way, Natalia felt it would be rude to refuse any further.

After taking on the job, her days were consumed by work.

Only in the quiet of the night did she find herself thinking about the man who lingered in her heart.

Standing by the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, Natalia clutched her phone tightly. On the screen were photos sent by Alden.

In the pictures, Hamilton looked pale, leaning against the back of a chair, beads of sweat still visible on his forehead.

Natalia, I know you're probably still mad at my brother. But he was tricked too. At the end of the day, both of you are victims. To recover his childhood memories, he's been like this every day after leaving the therapist's office.

You might not be able to get over what happened with Mrs. Joyner. If you need someone to blame, blame me. Back in Frendland, I was the one who told him he needed to end things with Eveleen. Otherwise, he would have come straight back to see you.

I'm sorry, Natalia.

As Natalia read Alden's messages, her heart felt heavy.

How could she possibly blame Alden?

She glanced at the photo again.

Hamilton had mentioned wanting to recover his childhood memories.

She had thought it was just talk.

But he was actually trying to do it.

Outside, the rain began to fall, the chill of the late autumn night making it seem even colder.

Holding her phone, Natalia felt as if her mood mirrored the damp weather.

After a moment's hesitation, she called Hamilton.

"Natalia? Calling me out of the blue? Did you miss me?"

Hamilton's voice was as playful as ever.

Natalia's gaze dropped as she asked softly, "What treatment are you undergoing?"

Hamilton paused, then laughed, "I tried some acupuncture. Thinking about you at night, I needed to find some way to cool off, and using my hands just wasn't satisfying enough, so I went for some acupuncture to help with that."

"Hamilton!" Natalia exclaimed into the phone, "Can't you be serious for once?"

Hamilton suddenly fell silent. After a long pause, he laughed, "Alden really can't keep a secret."

"Natalia, don't worry. I'm fine. It's just some therapy to help me sort through my feelings. It might make me a bit uncomfortable, but it's not harmful to my health." Natalia's lips turned pale.

"Hamilton, stop it."

"Natalia, I told you, I want to recover my childhood memories."noveldrama

Natalia's lashes trembled.

"It's not necessary. Whether you remember or not, it won't change anything between us."

Hamilton's voice still carried a smile, "I know, but I want to know. Natalia, I want to remember. I want to fix every regret we have between us."

Natalia felt a tightness in her chest.

After a long pause, she finally said, "If you want to know, Hamilton, I'll tell you."

Hamilton swallowed hard, then said softly, "Okay."

As October came to an end, Natalia had planned to hand over her work and head back to Silkwood City.

She was going to celebrate Scarlett's birthday and also needed to attend her prenatal checkup.

And then there was Hamilton; she knew she had to face him too.

She wasn't sure if agreeing to tell Hamilton about their past was the right decision.

But seeing him torment himself like this was also painful for her.

Even if it was just for the sake of the baby, she was willing to step back.

Before she could leave, however, Scarlett called to say she was on a business

trip.

Natalia had to push back all her plans.

And just like that, half a month slipped by.

Natalia's belly was now slightly rounded.

Dressed in loose clothing, she spoke softly with her colleagues as they stepped

out of the Foreign Affairs Department.

She had just emerged when someone draped a coat over her shoulders.

Natalia assumed it was Killian, as usual.

But the next moment, she froze.

The coat carried a familiar scent she knew all too well.

Turning around, she saw Hamilton standing behind her.

His smile was still there, but Natalia noticed he had lost weight.

Seeing Natalia's concerned expression, a colleague quickly said in a low voice, "Natalia, we'll head out first."

Natalia nodded, "I'll discuss the rest over the phone with you."

Once they were alone, Natalia finally spoke.

"When did you get here?"

Hamilton chuckled softly before pulling her into an embrace.

"I got here this afternoon, just to catch a glimpse of Ms. Jenkins. It sure wasn't

easy."

They were surrounded by colleagues bustling about the Foreign Affairs Department, causing Natalia to feel a bit awkward as she tried to push him away gently.

But Hamilton was having none of it, refusing to let her go.

Natalia suddenly regretted it; this man's brazenness and persistence were extraordinary.

"Let me go."

Instead, Hamilton led her straight to his car.

Once inside, he didn't give her a moment to breathe, kissing her passionately.

It was a fervent and dominating kiss, filled with the longing of the past several

days.

Natalia instinctively wanted to resist.

But Hamilton held her hand against his chest.

"Natalia, can you feel how much I've missed you?"

Hamilton's heartbeat was exceptionally fast.

famil

If it hadn't been for dealing with the troublesome affairs of the Fowler he would have come to her much sooner.

Ever since Natalia mentioned she'd tell him about her childhood, he'd been almost

unable to wait.

But, as fate would have it, his father, who had disappeared for over a decade, returned the very next day.

Not only did he return, but he also brought with him a half-brother only two years Hamilton's junior.

The old man then played his hand.

Either marry the woman he had chosen for Hamilton or the head of the family position could easily go to someone else.

But Hamilton could see through his father's threats, just like the time they brought Orpheus back into the fold.

Now that Orpheus was out of the picture, the old man had brought these two back instead.

Hamilton had patiently dealt with the family drama for a few days before finally

making his way to her.

Feeling his erratic heartbeat,

Natalia's fingers curled slightly.

lips

she could speak, Hamilton's

found hers once again

Meanwhile, his other hand intertwined with hers, fingers slipping between hers.

After struggling a bit, Hamilton whispered in her ear.

"Don't hurt the baby."

He nibbled on her earlobe, "Is it okay after the first trimester?"

Natalia froze at his words.

Then, feeling something pressing against her, her mind buzzed, and she

instinctively lifted her leg and pushed upwards.