The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

After their conversation, a deep unease settled over Natalie. It wasn't Federrick's uncertainty that troubled her, but the fear of how much Laura would have to suffer.

Laura had endured so much for so long. She had never caused harm, and all she wanted was to be with her child. Yet, fate had been merciless, burdening her with endless suffering.

Natalie knew all too well what Laura looked like in pain. If Federrick feared she might not survive the hallucinations, then that had to be where the true agony and despair lay.

She pondered for a long while before she carefully asked, "Can I let Marcus in, Mr. Langton?

"Laura has held on all this time because the thought of overcoming her illness and reuniting with her child has been her driving force. If Marcus were here with her, I'm sure she'd have even more strength to fight through the hallucinations."

Federrick then observed Laura's condition. Though the pain was evident, her condition remained relatively stable.noveldrama

Now that the herbal baths were no longer necessary, she looked just like anyone else in her clothes, except for her face which was still worryingly pallid.

At last, Federrick nodded. "Alright. Bring him in to stay with her."

"Okay, Mr. Langton."

As Natalie stepped out of the medical room, she saw Hector by the door, but there was no sign of Marcus.

"Where's Marcus, Hector?"

"He went to find Mr. Holden Senior."

Hector's face was clouded with worry. "I'm scared that Marcus and Mr. Holden Senior might end up in a fight."

"That's not going to happen, Hector. You're overthinking it."

Natalie glanced toward the herb garden nearby, pulled out her phone, and called Marcus. "Marcus? Come now. Mr. Langton and I need you to stay with Laura."

"Alright, I'll be there right away."

Hanging up the call, Marcus gazed intently at Charles. "I'm going to look after my mother, Grandpa. I hope by the time she recovers, you'll have decided where you stand."

Charles's face remained unreadable as he sighed quietly. "Believe me, Marcus. I had no idea."

"I'm going, Grandpa."

Marcus turned to leave, not wanting to say anything else.

Ethan had found Lucy and was escorting her back. With Lucy's arrival, everything would unfold, and the truth would finally be clear.

For now, Laura's health took precedence over everything else.

"Marcus," Charles called out from behind. "I swear, I had no involvement in what happened to your mother.

"Please, believe me."

Marcus stopped abruptly, turned back, and stared straight at Charles. "You brought me up with love and care, Grandpa. I don't want to suspect you, but I need answers. I need justice for my mother.

"Do you truly know nothing? And can you say you never covered for anyone?"

Under Marcus' unwavering scrutiny and serious questioning, Charles found himself momentarily unable to respond.

"Grandpa, I'll be honest with you. I've already started looking for Cassie," Marcus remarked.

Marcus didn't have a good

relationship with Cassie. Ever since

ene

he was young, Cassie had been saying many harsh words to him. For instance, she'd say, "Your mother didn't want you, and neither did your father.

"You're just a dead weight, a waste of food and air. If you had any decency, you'd walk into the street and let a car take care of you.

"Oh, Marcus, you latch onto your grandfather-don't you have any shame? Other kids have their parents, but you? You're just a burden to your grandfather.

"You're nothing but a nuisance! You don't belong in the Holdens, and you know what? You should've been gone long ago and started over in another life."

Cassie had spewed insults like these more times than one could count. It wasn't until Charles caught her red-handed one day and barred her from entering Holden Residence that she finally toned it down.

That day, Charles spent a long time talking to Marcus, doing his best to console him. He told Marcus to ignore Cassie's words and dismissed her as someone who had mental issues.

No matter what anyone said or did, Marcus was Charles' favorite. Neither Cassie nor anyone else could force him out of the Holdens or take him away from Charles.

At that time, Marcus took the

chance to ask why his parents were

gift

never home. Charles told him they had set off on a journey after his birth, searching for the perfe for him-and that one day, they would return with it.

Cassie did hold back a little after that, but some people were just rotten to the

core.

"Grandpa, do you still remember what happened in Balford? Cassie brought Jessy, claiming she was Dr. Elim, to perform surgery on you."

Marcus spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. "If we hadn't uncovered the truth about Jessy in time, have you ever thought about whether or not you'd still be here?

"Grandpa, Cassie is your daughter, but my father is your son too. If she's truly responsible for this, I'll never forgive her, and no one has the right to ask my mother to let this go."

After a brief pause, Marcus added, "This is my stance, Grandpa. I trust you, but I need to make sure you know exactly how I feel about this."

With that, Marcus turned and left.

Instead of speaking, Charles remained frozen in place, standing there for what seemed like an eternity.

As Marcus went into the medical room, Natalie took out a pill and commanded, "Open up."

Without asking why, Marcus opened his mouth.

After he swallowed the pill, Natalie stared at him. "You're seriously not even asking what this is? What if it's poison?"

"I trust you, Nat." Marcus grabbed her hand. "How's my mother doing? Is she okay?"

"We're at the final step now," Natalie replied with a solemn look.

"She's taken the last dose, and she'll soon be trapped in an illusion. Whether she escapes or not is up to her. The only thing that's kept her going is her belief that she'll see you again. That's why you need to be here. Your presence might be what gets her through."

"Okay, I know what I should do." Marcus followed Natalie to the bedside. The

sight of Laura hit him like a dagger to the heart.

Laura was bound at the wrists and ankles, secured to the bedframe. There was a

gag in her mouth. Her face was pale, and her hair was in wild disarray. She looked like she was trapped in unbearable suffering.

"I'm sorry, but we had to restrain Laura to keep her from hurting herself," Natalie explained, guilt heavy in her voice. "Marcus, I really didn't want to..."

"There's no need to apologize, Nat."

Marcus closed his eyes, willing away the sharp ache in his chest. "I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, my mother..."

His voice faltered. The usual deep timbre now carried an unmistakable tremor.