Natalie and Marcus saw that Laura was in good spirits, so they chatted with her for a while before leaving to prepare for the banquet held by the Remington family.


    The Herbalist''s Sanctuary was Natalie''s home, and she had her own room there. However, since she wanted to stay close to Marcus, she chose to stay at a guesthouse next to his.


    Now that it was time to get ready, Natalie brought Marcus to her room at The Herbalist''s Sanctuary. Her room wasn''t far from the medical room, tucked away behind a field of peonies.


    "These peonies are used to make skincare products," she exined as they walked through the flower fields.


    "Every flower, herb, and tree you see at The Herbalist''s Sanctuary has a purpose. In other words, we don''t grow anything useless here. We don''t keep dead weight."


    Marcus chuckled. "Does that mean the people at The Herbalist''s Sanctuary should also be useful?"


    "Not exactly." She smiled. "It''s just that there are no useless people here. Everyone is highly skilled."


    She then added, "We''re here."


    Natalie led him through the peony fields and down a small path. Soon, a sunflower field came into view, surrounding a quaint little house.


    "This is my ce."


    She scanned her fingerprint on the digital lock, and the door opened. The interior was bright and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.


    Outside, a sea of sunflowers stretched endlessly. There weren''t too many furnishings, but everything was arranged in a way that felt warm and inviting.


    One side of the living room hadrge windows that could be opened. Natalie walked over and pushed them open one by one, letting fresh air flow in. "Marcus, make yourselffortable."


    He stood at the doorway, noticing that she had changed into indoor slippers when she entered. However, the shoe cab by the entrance didn''t have any men''s slippers.


    "There''s no need to change your shoes. Juste in." She turned to him with a smile. "Sit anywhere you''d like. Someonees by to clean every day."


    "Alright."


    He stepped inside and sat on the couch, taking in his surroundings. From the outside, the house didn''t look too big-around 1,200 square feet-but inside, the living room felt open and airy.


    She poured him a ss of water. "I''m going to change my clothes. Please give me a moment."


    "Take your time."


    She then walked into the master bedroom. Most of her old clothes were ck or sporty, which Federrick disapproved of. In response, he had stuffed her closet full of elegant dresses and stylish outfits.


    In her other closet were the clothes she designed for Nouvelle Zara. She had plenty of clothes, but because of her unpleasant experiences at the Langley residence, she had never worn anything too fancy before.


    She casually picked out a light gray dress adorned with shimmering details and paired it with a short cardigan. Her legs were long and slender, and the scars she had once carried from her time with the Langleys had gradually faded after returning to the Walker residence and using scar removal cream.


    Her exposed legs were now smooth and fair, instantly drawing attention.


    After some thought, she changed out of the dress and into loose-fitting casual pants instead. This was someone else''s banquet. If she dressed too beautifully, it would steal the spotlight, which wasn''t appropriate.


    She opted for afortable yet refined outfit, applied light makeup, and tied her hair into a simple ponytail. Slipping into a pair of t leather shoes, she looked both sharp and elegant.


    Once she was ready, she grabbed another bag and stepped out of the bedroom.


    Marcus, as always, was dressed in a ck suit. His natural good looks made him handsome in anything. But his noble, powerful air elevated his appearance even more.


    She approached him with a slight smile. "I''m ready. Shall we go?"


    "Yeah, let''s go."


    Marcus'' gaze flickered over to her with admiration. He had seen her inbat gear countless times-ck tactical jackets, sportswear, sneakers. But every time she changed her look, she still managed to take his breath away.


    That said, the most stunning side of her that he had ever seen was at the banquet the Walkers threw for her. That night, she had worn a long gown and looked like an ethereal goddess.


    She had been radiant, dazzling like a celestial being walking through the crowd, leaving an indelible mark on his heart.


    "Let''s go." She handed her bag to him. After locking the door, she took him down a different path.


    This detour made him marvel at just how hidden and vast The Herbalist''s Sanctuary truly was.


    Once they got into the car and left the manor, she leaned against his shoulder and closed her eyes.


    "Marcus, wake me up when we get there."


    "Alright."


    He grabbed a small nket from the car, unfolded it, and draped it over her. Then,


    he adjusted his arm to make her morefortable as she rested.


    "Sleep well."


    "Mm." She closed her eyes and soon drifted off into a deep sleep.


    Marcus, on the other hand, wasn''t tired. He pulled out his phone to check his messages.


    Samuel and Sophia had both sent him texts.


    Samuel wanted to discuss business matters, while Sophia was asking whether


    the rumors about Sierra finding her biological parents were true.


    He turned his phone''s volume down and responded to both of them swiftly.


    After replying, he noticed Natalie shifting slightly in his arms. He gently held her a little closer, making sure she remainedfortable.


    The car moved smoothly along the road, and the temperature inside was just right. Natalie slept soundly the entire way.


    When they arrived at the Remington residence, Marcus softly called out to her, "Nat, we''re here."


    "Mm?" She slowly opened her eyes, still a little groggy from sleep.


    He took a tissue and gently wiped away a tiny bit of drool from the corner of her mouth.


    She immediately grabbed his hand. "I can do it myself."


    "Alright."


    She took the tissue from him and finally felt awake after freshening up a little. "Did my makeup smudge?"


    He studied her face for a long moment, then shook his head. "No, I can''t even tell you''re wearing makeup."


    "Huh?" She looked at him skeptically. Was he just saying that to tter her?


    If no one could tell she had makeup on, then wasn''t her effort wasted?


    "What''s wrong?"


    He met her scrutinizing gaze and was unsure if he had said something wrong.


    "Nothing." She shook her head and pulled out apact mirror and touched up her makeup with a few travel-sized products in the car.


    Once she was sure everything was in ce, she stepped out of the vehicle with him.


    The Remington residence was located in Causeway Bay of Amberton. The area was peaceful and secluded, yet conveniently close to the city centre.


    Jonathan and his wife never had another child after losing their biological daughter. Over the years many people had tried to take advantage of them, so Jonathan chose to settle in Causeway Bay for security reasons.


    His wife, Melissa Sandler, had


    strug with depression due to the


    loss of their child. Unwilling to burden Jonathan further, she had moved into a convalescent home.


    Now that Sierra had finally been found, Jonathan had brought Melissa back


    home.


    For the past few days, Melissa had been preparing herself emotionally. After the initial wave of overwhelming joy, she had focused on taking care of herself so that she would be in the best possible state when her daughter returned home.