As Marcus and Natalie walked out, Walter followed in silence. From the back, Marcus'' tall, refined frame stood out, while Natalie''s graceful figureplemented his perfectly. Their silhouettes gave off a formidable presence.


    People said you became like the ones you were closest to. The longer Natalie stayed by Marcus'' side, the more she absorbed his cool and steely presence which wasn''t that obvious before.


    Walter stared at their backs, momentarily lost in thought. The Natalie he once knew seemed like a distant memory. He only remembered that every time she came to see him, she would always bring him candy.


    He had brushed it off every time, telling her that as the older one, candy wasn''t for him-it was for the younger ones to enjoy.


    Since childhood, he had always ced himself in the role of Natalie''s older brother.


    Now, yearster, he realized he had wasted the head start their childhood bond had given him.


    A wave of sadness washed over Walter, and subconsciously, his steps grew heavier, falling further behind them.


    As they settled into the car, Natalie nced back and noticed how distant Walter was from them.


    Natalie rolled down the window and called out, waving. "Pick up the pace, Walter!"


    Being away from Amberton meant she had missed a lot, and she needed to check everything with Walter.


    Walter paused briefly, then a smile appeared on his lips. Picking up his pace, he quickly reached the car.


    Marcus hadn''t brought a driver, only Noah, leaving Elijah with Laura.


    Walter pulled open the front passenger door and got in, deliberately avoiding the back seat so as not to intrude on the two of them.


    "Why are you sitting in the front, Walter?" asked Natalie, frowning. "I have a lot to go over with you, and it''s hard to talk like this."


    "It doesn''t have to be now, Nat. We''ll have plenty of time to talk about it once we get to our ce."


    Walter nced back with a smile. "You look tired. Get some rest first."


    "Fine," Natalie muttered, still frowning. She couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off about Walter today. Had they really grown apart after all this time?


    As the car moved forward, Marcus reached out and raised the partition wall. Walter kept his gaze forward, but a deeper sense of bitterness settled in his chest.


    Seeing this, Natalie instinctively moved to lower the partition wall again. However, before she could, Marcus seized her wrist. With one swift motion, he pulled her onto hisp.


    His lips were drawn into a firm line, and his jet-ck eyes were locked onto her with unfiltered possessiveness.


    He could still remember how Natalie said she liked both Walter and Tyler.


    Before Natalie could speak, Marcus grabbed her chin and imed her lips without warning.


    A muffled gasp slipped from her lips as he took her right hand, pressing it firmly to his chest.


    His kiss was rough, leaving her breathless in seconds.


    She whimpered softly like a fragile kitten caught in his grasp.


    When he finally released her, his dark eyes burned with an intensity that sent


    shivers down her spine as if he wanted to consume her whole.


    "Don''t look at me like that," Natalie said as she gasped for air. "Were you jealous?"


    Upon hearing that, a flicker of emotion shed across Marcus'' face, his gaze turning somber. He leaned closer, his voice a low, husky whisper against her ear. "Am I not allowed to be jealous?


    "Nat, the way you look at him-it''s different. Closer. More intimate." A rare trace of grievanceced his tone. "You''re mine, and I don''t want you looking at any other man like that."


    "You''re being ridiculous, Marcus."


    Natalie couldn''t help but chuckle, though there was a hint of exasperation in her tone. His jealousy was far stronger than she had expected.


    "And honestly, aren''t you tired of this?"


    Natalie cradled his face between her palms. "I know who my boyfriend is. I know my limits, and I won''t cross them. But I also need to live my life and have normal social interactions.


    "You can''t get jealous just because someone is a man or because I''ve known them a while. Doesn''t this wear you out, Marcus?"


    A teasing glint shed across her eyes as she cupped his chin. "Walter might be handsome, but he doesn''t evene close to you. Do you seriously have no confidence in yourself? Let me get a good look at this face."


    Sitting on Marcus''p, she tilted his chin up, her smile widening. "I''ve never had a man get jealous over me before! And why do you look so ridiculously cute when you''re jealous?"


    She giggled at her own words before throwing her arms around his neck.


    "Let''s see... who''s got the best boyfriend in the world? Oh, right-that would be me."


    Natalie''s words finally drew augh from Marcus. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he couldn''t help it.


    The possessiveness in his heart ran deep, making it difficult to watch her interact with other men.


    But she was right. She wasn''t an object to be owned; she was a person with her own life. He couldn''t just keep her locked away, treating her like something fragile and delicate.


    Besides, he had always known that her capabilities were meant for something greater.


    "Aren''t you tired, Marcus?" she asked, looking at him with a faint smile on her lips.


    Natalie sighed, resting her head against his chest. "Because I am..."


    She continued, "I don''t understand.


    Who is this person Mrs. Langley Senior speaks of? What''s her real motive? She swapped three children, and shattered three families. And just maybe, there were even more victims we don''t know about. What could drive someone to do


    something like this? Money?"


    Natalie stared into Marcus'' eyes. "Ever since meeting Mrs. Langley Senior, I''ve been thinking about the person behind everything as she said."


    Marcus ran his fingers through her hair, furrowing his brows. "I''ve gone over everything since I took over Holden Group, and there hasn''t been any major adversary or real threat. If such a person existed, they wouldn''t have spent yearsying out a n without making a single move."


    He curled his fingers around her waist. "What about you, Nat? Aren''t you tired? You have your family back, a sessful career, and you Dr. Elim-someone people admire. If not for all this chaos, your life would be so much easier. Honestly, I feel like I''ve only made things harder for you."


    Natalie chuckled. She let out a soft


    sigh and gave the corner of his lips a light peck "Not quite. I''m just a little confused. If anything, this just fuels my curiosity. I need to know th? truth. So, no. I''m not tired. That aside, Marcus, if you stop being jealous all the time, I won''t feel tired


    anymore."


    Marcus'' gaze lingered on Natalie as herughter rang out. The cold reserve that usually defined her faded, leaving behind a lighthearted and almost mischievous


    charm.


    She was the rightful heiress of the Walkers, and she should have been showered with love. But in the Langleys, she endured a cruelty of a different kind.


    "Nat, have you ever asked Mr. and Mrs. Walker if they have any grudges or unresolved conflicts with anyone?"