After Marcus thanked her, he averted his gaze. Had Natalie observed closely, she might have seen the slight tremor in his fingers.


    Growing up, Marcus never met his parents. Whenever he inquired about them, Charles would simply pat his head and assure him that they were traveling and would return with gifts.


    There was a time when he nearly drowned in the sea. Following his rescue, he pleaded with Charles, yearning to meet his parents, but his desire remained unfulfilled.


    Charles did bring Sophia to his home and allowed her to spend the night. However, the following day, he had her return to the Sinir residence.


    Following this, Sophia and Marcus developed a friendship. Marcus visited the Sinir residence multiple times. Aware that Sophia''s circumstances there weren''t favorable, he began to offer her protection asionally.


    The Sinirs were known for currying favor with the influential. When Ivan realized his daughter had formed a friendship with the eldest son of the Holden family, he no longer dared to openly target the mother-daughter duo.


    Over the years, Marcus would asionally visit the Sinir residence and invite Sophia out for gatherings or meals. His aim was to signal to the Sinirs that Sophia was under his protection.


    Since childhood, Sophia was promised in marriage to Sky Walker from the Walker family. As a result, Marcus only saw her as his savior and never had any romantic feelings for her. Sophia felt the same way, and their friendship remained


    Throughout the years, Sophia never asked about Marcus'' rtionship with his parents and wasn''t as daring as Natalie to confront Charles about it. Natalie was the first person to defend him regarding his parents, even though he had previously treated her poorly.


    "Marcus, are you feeling down?" Natalie gently asked while they exited the dining room together. "Would you like to be my partner for the first dance at my wee party?"


    To Natalie, who she danced with wasn''t particrly important. However, since Charles had asked her to do this, even though she nned to maintain some distance from Marcus, it was hard to refuse.


    "Do you really think I have a choice?" Marcus asked, a hint of bitterness in his expression. "Even though you defended me and questioned Grandpa, nothing has changed."


    "Have you considered the reasons behind it all?"


    Marcus nodded, then shook his head. He had indeed thought about it and tried to find answers countless times, but Charles never provided any useful information. Over the years, he''d also looked into his parents'' past but found nothing. It was as if they had fulfilled their duty by having him and then vanished. To them, he felt like an unnecessary and familiar stranger.


    "Okay, quit overthinking it," Natalie said, gently patting Marcus'' shoulder. "I would like you to be my partner for the opening dance."


    She continued, "You don''t need to take myments too seriously. If you have questions, it''s best to ask Grandpa Charles directly, since I''m just an outsider."


    Smiling at him, she added, "Thanks again. Let''s head back."


    "Okay."


    The pair departed from Holden Residence, and Natalie could easily tell that Marcus was feeling down. He stayed quiet the entire drive back. After dropping Natalie at the Walker family home, Marcus drove off.


    Natalie paused in front of the expansive window, contemting for a moment before pulling out her phone and essing a mysterious website.


    King of Hearts had posted a directive. "Order: Find the location of Wesley Holden and Laura Reed from the Holden Group."


    Almost instantly, a response came, "By King''s order. The mission will bepleted."


    Without responding, Natalie logged out.


    She headed upstairs, intending to get a good night''s sleep and prepare for the wee party the next day. While the Walker family busily double-checked every detail that night, Natalie had some free time.


    She and Olivia rxed in their room, enjoying snacks, watching movies, and indulging in a full-body treatment along with various beauty treatments to ensure they were perfectly groomed. By 10:00 pm, Natalie and Olivia were in bed right on schedule.


    The following morning, Charlotte''s knocking on the door roused Natalie from her sleep. Instead of feeling grumpy, she swiftlyposed herself and opened the door.


    "Nat, the stylist is here. Let''s have breakfast first, and then we''ll get your makeup done. I''ve got 18 evening gowns ready for you. Pick your favorite. If you love them all, we can use them all. The stylist will be avable all day to change your look as needed," Charlotte said, brimming with excitement.


    She had started nning this wee party quite some time ago. Once Natalie returned, she went over every small detail again. Naturally, to make it a surprise for her daughter, she had ensured everyone kept it a secret beforehand, making it appear as though she only started preparing after Natalie arrived home.


    Natalie was aware of this and yed along by not letting on. She understood that this was Charlotte''s way of showing her love.


    "Great! Mom, can I invite Olivia to join?"


    "Of course!" Charlotte replied without hesitation. "I''ve been keeping Olivia at home just waiting for this day."


    "Thanks, Mom." Natalie smiled as she turned and took Olivia''s hand, leading them both to follow the stylist for their hair and makeup session.


    "Mom, can I wear the Starry Brilliance dress that''s in Emma''s closet?" Natalie''s eyes and eyebrows showed a trace of excitement. Her voice even carried an unintentional hint of coyness.


    Charlotte was bursting with excitement. Without hesitation, she eximed, "Of course it''s okay. Absolutely okay. My dear daughter, you can have anything you want."


    "Let''s go. I''ll take you to get the dress." Charlotte took Natalie''s hand and guided her directly into Emma''s bedroom. The Starry Brilliance was disyed in the most prominent spot in the closet.


    "Nat,e here. Let me help you try it on," Charlotte said as she grabbed the dress, holding it up to Natalie''s body. "I''m just not sure if it fits right. If we have to make alterations now, we might run out of time."


    "The size is just right," Natalie replied, running her fingers over the fabric.


    She had designed the dress to her


    own measurements. Life in the Langley family hadn''t been easy, and she''d always been quite thin. Even as an adult, she couldn''t seem to gain weight. So, the dress still fit her perfectly. If it didn''t fit her, it wouldn''t fit anyone else.


    "I''ll try it on first," Natalie said, taking the dress.


    Charlotte promptly asked everyone else to exit the room. Natalie then brushed her hair forward, removed her clothes, and gradually slipped into the Starry Brilliance.


    Charlotte stood behind, her eyes slowly filling with tears. The Starry Brilliance seemed perfectly designed for her daughter. The dress shimmered brilliantly under the lights.


    Natalie delicately lifted the hem and twirled gracefully. With every smile and move, the dress resembled a flowing gxy, resplendent and unmatched in its brilliance. "Mom, could you take a picture of me and post it on Facebook?" Natalie asked with a gentle smile. "Make sure only Emma can see it, alright?" Ovee with emotion, Charlotte nodded. She retrieved her phone and took several photos of Natalie. She then wrote a caption, organized the images into a nine-square grid, set the privacy to be visible only to Emma, and hit the post button.