The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

Laura and Cassie's friendship quickly solidified.

Cassie treated her exceptionally well. After their first meeting at Holden

Residence, Cassie would frequently call and text her, inviting her out for shopping trips. She even delivered lunch to Laura at work and showered her with countless

gifts.

Every time Cassie showed up, Laura's colleagues would look on with envy, whispering about how lucky she was. Not only did she have Wesley, the perfect boyfriend, but also a future sister-in-law who adored her.

Laura would simply smile whenever she overheard these conversations. They weren't wrong. She truly felt happy to have met such a wonderful family.

As Laura and Wesley's wedding plans progressed, Cassie was by her side every step of the way, helping her handle every little detail. The wedding itself was a grand affair, making Laura the most envied bride in Dithoria that day.

After the wedding, Laura, Wesley, and Cassie continued living in Holden Residence. It wasn't long before Laura became pregnant.

Charles was overjoyed and gifted her numerous presents, even suggesting that she resign from work to focus on her pregnancy.

Cassie chimed in, reasoning that, as part of the Holden family, Laura had no need to work while expecting a child. If she truly wanted to pursue a career, the family could set up a private studio for her.

After giving it some thought, Laura realized that her job was not only exhausting but also barely comparable with the price of one of Cassie's designer handbags.

Plus, given that she was carrying the Holdens' first grandchild, their concerns were understandable. In the end, she took Charles' advice and left her job to focus on her pregnancy.

Throughout her pregnancy, Cassie spoiled her with an endless stream of gifts- everything from food to clothes to entertainment. The sheer amount of presents filled several rooms. Even Wesley couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. "It feels like I found a wife for Cassie rather than for myself," he joked.

Laura laughed, teasing, "Are you really jealous over our good relationship?"

Wesley playfully bantered with her, and those days became some of the happiest of Laura's life.

As her due date approached, Holden Residence welcomed a team of medical professionals.

Since Laura was carrying the Holdens' first grandson, Charles took no chances, and Cassie was equally anxious. She meticulously double-checked everything- from the medical team to the postnatal care centre and the nutritionists-wanting to ensure that nothing was overlooked.

Laura's pregnancy had been smooth, but the labor was another story. She suffered through hours of pain with no dilation. In the end, Lucy had to administer labor-inducing medication.

However, once she was finally ready to give birth, they discovered that the baby's umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.

Fortunately, Lucy was the most skilled obstetrician in town. Thanks to her swift and precise actions, Laura successfully delivered her baby without further complications.

As soon as the baby was born, Lucy instructed Wesley to fetch some chicken broth for Laura. But in his panic and concern, Wesley was stumbling all over the place. In the end, it was Cassie who brought the soup to Laura and carefully fed it to her.

"Rest for a moment," a voice suddenly interrupted Laura's recollection.noveldrama

"Mrs. Holden, you told me before that your delivery went smoothly, and the chicken broth was simply brought to you afterward. You didn't know who handled it along the way," Natalie pointed out.

Laura's expression turned bitter as she forced a smile. "That's right. But after taking Federrick's medicine, I entered a trance-like state, and the memories I saw both matched and contradicted what I originally remembered.

"Nat, in my hallucination, everything felt so real-like I had actually lived through it," she murmured, her voice carrying a mix of unease and conviction. "Nat, I think my memory was tampered with."

"If that's the case, then you're saying the events from your hallucination might be your real memories?"

Natalie frowned. If Laura's

memories had truly been altered,

then what role had Wesley played in

all of this?

Marcus' expression turned just as grave. They had initially believed Laura had simply been poisoned with Umbrahex, but now it seemed even her memories had been manipulated.

"Mother, keep going," Marcus said gently, taking her hand. "Don't be afraid.

Natalie and I are here with you."

Laura met Natalie's gaze, and

Natalie nodded encouragingly. "No

matter which version of events is

true, we will find out," Natalie

reassured her. "Dr. Maine is already on her way back. She's a

witness. Once she arriv

and we

gather more evidence, we'll uncover

the truth."

Laura hesitated, then slowly nodded before continuing her story.

...

Wesley had been too flustered to carry the soup steadily, so Cassie had taken over. She carefully spoon-fed Laura, her expression full of concern.

"Laura, you went through so much," Cassie said, her voice filled with heartache. "Wesley is actually making you suffer like this! I'm telling him to get a vasectomy later!"

Despite the pain and exhaustion,

Laura felt an overwhelming sense of

happiness. "Cassie, don't blame

Wesley wanted this," she

murmured. "I'm just so

mother now. Besides, you're

be a

officially an aunt now. How does it

feel?"

Cassie's eyes sparkled. "Amazing!"

She eagerly took the newborn in her arms. "Look at him, Laura! He looks like both you and Wesley. With parents this good-looking, my nephew is definitely going to

be a heartthrob when he grows up."

Laura chuckled. "I'll take that as a blessing."

Cassie sighed dreamily. "I'm so jealous. This is just too wonderful." She carefully adjusted the baby in her arms and asked, "Have you picked a name yet?"

Laura glanced toward the window. "He was born on a winter night... How about Marcus?"

Cassie thought for a moment before nodding. "Marcus-Marcus Holden. It sounds strong."

"But do you think Father and Wesley will agree? It does have a bit of a cold, serious feel to it."

Laura bit her lower lip, worried. Though Wesley and Charles had both insisted she could name the baby, they had been nothing but kind to her-so much so that she felt guilty for making the decision alone.

Cassie, however, was firm. "No, they already said it's up to you. If you like it, then it's settled."

She beamed. "Marcus Holden-I love it! Hello Marcus, I'm your aunt! Come on, open your eyes and look at me!"

Still cradling the baby, Cassie turned to Laura. "I'm taking him to see Father. You get some rest. I'll check on you later."

"Alright, go ahead."

Laura trusted Cassie completely. And after drinking the chicken broth, exhaustion quickly took over, pulling her into a deep sleep.