Charlotte turned her head aside, unable to hold back her tears. Sky was her and William''s firstborn, and they had poured so much care and love into raising him.


    Later, when she had Lincoln, Hector, Timothy, and Mason, Sky had always been a responsible older brother.


    Especially with Emma. Sky practically doted on her like a father, taking care of her every need. He clearly treasured Emma most among the whole family. Now, that became the very reason he made such a grave mistake.


    "It''s my fault for not teaching him well," Charlotte said in a choked voice. "I can''t shirk my responsibility as his mother. I relied too heavily on Sky and neglected to educate Emma properly."


    "This has nothing to do with you," William said, pained by the sight of his wife ming herself for someone else''s mistake.


    "Don''t let this weigh you down. Sky and Emma are adults. They knew what they were doing. If they make mistakes, they should pay the price. We can''t keep covering for them their whole lives.


    "My dear, don''t me yourself anymore. Don''t waste tears on those two. What we need to do now is check on Sophia. She''s the biggest victim here, the one who suffered most."


    His words shifted Charlotte''s attention. "Yes, you''re right. We need to go see Sophia and do our best to make it up to her."


    She wiped her eyes. "Sweetie, if there''s anything you need, call us at once. Don''t worry. Your dad and I won''t help Sky or Emma. Sky should pay the price. Maybe some time in jail will clear his head."


    "Okay. Thank you, Mom." Natalie stepped forward and hugged Charlotte. "Don''t be too hard on yourself."


    "I won''t," Charlotte said, hugging her back. "Your dad and I will head to the hospital now to see Sophia. You get some rest."


    "Alright."


    Charlotte asked Gorge to get many supplements ready. Then, she and William left.


    Standing at the window, Natalie watched their car drive away.


    Lincoln came up behind her and ced his hand on her shoulder. "Nat, Marcus just sent me a message. He says he''sing by to pick you up and head to Sinir Group. Is there something going on between you two?"


    Lincoln had wanted to ask how Marcus got so attentive all of a sudden, but he put it more tactfully.


    "Don''t get me wrong, Nat. I know Marcus pretty well. He''s never been close to any woman. Even when he was engaged to Emma, he only kept up a polite facade. In private, he never let her get close to him. Later, as you know, he called off the engagement. He also called off yours."


    Lincoln almost outright said he was worried Marcus would take Natalie away. No matter how good Marcus was, calling off the engagement alone made him unworthy of her.


    His words reminded Natalie of the kissst night. Marcus had caught her off guard with that sudden move, so she hadn''t reacted until it was toote.


    The memory shed in her head, heating her cheeks. She hurriedly lowered her gaze, trying to fight off the flustered feeling she knew she shouldn''t have.


    "Nat, if Marcus ever does anything to you, tell me right away. I may be an actor, but I work out regrly. I can fight him."


    Lincoln watched her carefully. The moment he saw her blush, he felt a twinge of rm.


    "Got it, thanks." Natalie forced away the memory and smiled sweetly at him. "Besides, I know how to fight myself."


    "All of us can fight." Lincoln kept his expressionposed and offered a smile. Maybe one day we can spar. I''d like to see your strength. It''s good for a woman to know self-defense."


    "Sure!" Natalie agreed at once. "We don''t have to fight for real. We can just find a sparring partner."


    "Sounds good."


    "Mr. Lincoln, Ms. Walker, Mr. Holden has arrived," a helper reported.


    Right after that, Marcus walked in with Ethan, who was carrying a briefcase and following Marcus respectfully.


    "Hello, Lincoln, Nat," Marcus greeted as he walked over to them. His gaze fixed on Natalie.


    She was dressed casually in a white blouse and ck cks, wearingfortable slippers. Her hair was loosely tied, and she had no makeup on.


    Her small face looked fresh and clean, with a soft pink flush on her cheeks. Her pretty eyes, usually dates now cred


    and cool, now carried a hint of softness.


    "Ethan," said Marcus.


    "Yes, Mr. Holden," Ethan replied and immediately took out a file from his briefcase.


    Marcus took it and then handed it to Natalie. "Nat, this is for you."


    Natalie hesitated when she saw "Sinir Group Acquisition Contract" on the


    cover.


    Marcus noticed her reluctance and pushed the file directly into her hands. "Take


    it."


    She stared at it. This was like a hot potato. Wasn''t the n to give it to Sophia and Samantha? Why was Marcus handing it to her?


    "Marcus," Lincoln said with a smile, stepping forward. "Nat, don''t casually ept a gift from a man. Give it back to him."


    "Alright." Natalie quickly handed the document back to Marcus. "Mr. Holden, you should keep it yourself."


    The way she addressed him made it clear that she wanted to keep her distance.


    Marcus locked eyes with her. His face betrayed no emotion as he handed the file to Lincoln. "Please pass this on to her."


    "We aren''t short on money. She doesn''t want it," Lincoln said coldly, pushing the file back at him.


    Lincoln clenched his fists. He understood all too well what Marcus was trying to


    do.


    "Nat, go make tea for our guest," Lincoln said with a smile. Then, he


    turned to Marcus and said politely, "Marcus, please sit over here. Keep your document. It''s valuable. Don''t give it away so casually."


    "It''s not valuable," Marcus replied with a smile. "Just a little something for Nat to y with."


    Lincoln was speechless. Marcus had absolutely no sense of boundaries. He really wished the man would just go away.