Charlotte suddenly chuckled.


    "Looks like the most pitiful ones in the Sinir family are still Sophia and


    Samantha. But, pity or not, it''s a good thing the engagement was called off before any real feelings got involved."


    Noah had sent the dossier to all three of them, but since they were sitting


    together, they had simply read it on Natalie''s phone.


    With their heads huddled close, they looked quite harmonious.


    Noah stood nearby, maintaining his respectful posture.


    Once he saw they had finished reading, he finally spoke again, "Ms. Walker, Mr. Holden called earlier. He said to let him know once you were done as he''s waiting to talk to you."


    Natalie exhaled lightly and took the phone Noah handed her. The screen showed an ongoing call, 15 minutes and counting.


    Marcus had been considerate enough not to interrupt while she was enjoying the gossip.


    "Hello, Marcus."


    She cleared her throat slightly, her tone as cool andposed as ever.


    "Finished reading?"


    His deep, maic voice flowed into her ears-smooth and rich, like the sound of a cello, a true feast for the senses.


    "All done." Natalie''s lips curled into a slight smirk. "You''re fast."


    "As long as it was useful to you." Marcus chuckled. "Sinir Group isn''t a threat. Whatever you need to do to protect your rights, just do it. You don''t have to worry about them overpowering Holden Group, whether it''s Ivan or anyone else."


    He made his message clear-no one could challenge him.


    "Natalie, give me a chance to repay my debt. But even if you don''t, I''ll still do it anyway."


    Because when Marcus set his mind on something, not even Natalie''s refusal could stop him.


    "You gave me this information, which means I can do whatever I want with it, right?" Instead of responding directly to Marcus'' words, Natalie changed the topic.


    "I gave it to you, so naturally, it''s yours. Do whatever you want with it."


    "Good. Then stay out of the rest. I can''t stop you from repaying your so-called debt but don''t interfere with my life or my work. Otherwise, if I lose my temper, even I won''t be able to handle myself."


    On the other end of the call, Marcus couldn''t help but chuckle.


    This little woman-acting all cold and fierce in front of him, yet deep down, her heart was softer than anyone''s. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been fooled by Grace''s fake kindness for all these years.


    "Marcus!" Natalie''s voice shot up the moment she heard hisugh.


    "Yes, I heard you loud and clear." Marcus suppressed his amusement. "I won''t interfere with your life or work. Don''t worry."


    "Good. Bye."


    Without hesitation, Natalie hung up and tossed the phone back to Noah. "Why are you still standing here? You delivered the gift, so now you can leave."


    "Mr. Holden has assigned me to you starting today. From now on, I will be responsible for your safety, Ms. Walker," Noah responded respectfully.


    "Mr. Holden believes there are quite a few short-sighted people in Dithoria State. Even though everyone knows you are the real heiress of the Walkers, they still refuse to show you the respect you deserve.


    "Some even allow their housekeepers to point fingers and insult you to your face. Mr. Holden finds that uneptable. He has instructed me to follow you around. In the future, if anything like this happens again, you won''t need to lift a finger as I will handle it."


    As he spoke, he turned toward Charlotte and Sky.


    "Mrs. Walker, Mr. Sky, these are Mr. Holden''s orders. If either of you has any concerns or additional requests, you may speak to Mr. Holden directly. He is willing to make further adjustments to ensure Ms. Walker receives the best possible protection."


    Charlotte lookedpletely stunned.


    Sky, on the other hand, was just speechless.


    What the hell was Marcus up to?


    First, he wanted to break off the engagement. Now that he''d gotten his way, he suddenly pulled this stunt. What kind of nonsense was this?


    Noah, seeing the three of them utterly speechless and struggling to process the situation, bowed respectfully and said, "Mrs. Walker, Mr. Sky, Ms. Walker-Mr. Holden asked me to pass on a message.


    "He said that he must have been out of his mind before. He has offended you all


    in the past and sincerely asks for your forgiveness."


    Charlotte shot Natalie a puzzled look. What was going on? Had something changed between her and Marcus that she wasn''t aware of?


    Natalie remained silent.


    Pressing her fingers against her temple, she felt a headacheing on. Now wasn''t the time to deal with this. The priority was settling things with the Sinirs. "Mom, let''s talk about thister."


    "Ah, yes." Charlotte immediately followed her lead.


    "Right now, we need to deal with the Sinirs and their housekeepers who dared


    to bully you. With me here, sweetie, you have nothing to fear."


    Natalie nodded obediently. She wasn''t afraid, not even a little.


    But for now, she had to maintain the pitiful, helpless image she had presented to Charlotte over the phone-the teary-eyed girl too afraid to cry out loud.


    She had only just returned to the Walker family and had met many new people, but now wasn''t the time to reveal too much of her sharpness.


    After all, a person''s face was visible to all, but their heart was hidden in the dark.


    Among those who had attended her wee party and spoken warmly to her, how many were truly happy for her?


    Just then, Julia''s voice rang out.


    "Wendy? Ruby? Why haven''t you bought the medicine ande back yet?"


    She had been waiting in the car for a long time, but the two still hadn''t returned. Not long ago, she had also


    seen Ivan''s car arrive, and since then, he hadn''te back out either.


    Julia had tried calling Wendy''s phone-no answer. Then, she called Ruby''s also


    no answer.


    At that moment, she knew something was wrong.


    Forcing herself up despite feeling unbearably unwell, she stepped out of the car and made her way inside.


    "Wendy, what happened to you?"


    The moment Julia saw Wendy lying on the ground, she gasped in shock. "Who did this to you?"


    She had barely raised her voice when a violent fit of coughing overtook her.


    Her throat burned and itched unbearably as if a swarm of ants were crawling inside, gnawing at her flesh.


    Her face was pale as she wed desperately at her neck as if trying to dig out whatever was tormenting her from within.


    Her entire body trembled from the force of her coughing, and before she could stop it, a mouthful of bright red blood burst from her lips.


    The blood sttered onto the floor. Charlotte immediately grabbed Natalie and yanked her backward several steps.


    "Oh my God! Is this some kind of contagious disease?" she shrieked.


    Her reaction wasn''t unreasonable. After all, the dossier Marcus had sent them made it painfully clear just how wild Julia had been in her younger years.


    The way she messed around-reckless and excessive-was the perfect recipe for catching something infectious.


    Pn


    "Sweetie, stay far away from her! We can''t risk getting infected. Honestly, if she''s sick; she should be staying home instead of running around spreading it to innocent people! Does she not care about leaving behind a good legacy for her descendants?"


    "Shut up! I don''t have anything contagious!" Julia wheezed between ragged


    coughs.


    The force of her coughing made her eyes water, blurring her vision. She could barely make out the figure standing before her, let alone who they were.