The housekeeper froze, her face a mask of shock and terror. She began to cry. "Mr. Griffith, it wasn''t my fault! You''re the one who always said that. I was just afraid that if I put Ms. Sanders on the second floor, Ms. Scott would be upset, and then you would be upset, so... so I..."


    "Get out!" Sebastian snapped, tugging at his tie in frustration.


    He had inflicted so much pain on Natalie without even realizing it.


    He felt agitated and didn''t want to hear another word from anyone.


    The housekeeper jumped, then hurried to her room to pack. Damn that Natalie. Who the hell did she think she was, getting her fired?


    Her daughter was still in college. How was she going to pay for her living expenses now?


    The housekeeper decided to call Joanna. Only Joanna could help her now.


    After all, she had been the key witness when Joanna staged her fall down the stairs. She dragged her luggage outside the main gate and dialed Joanna''s number.


    "Ms. Scott, Mr. Griffith fired me just for putting Natalie in a room on the first floor. Ms. Scott, take it from someone who knows, Mr. Griffith has started to fall for Natalie. You need to watch out."


    Joanna scoffed. “Sebastian would never fall for Natalie. Go back and beg him to take you back."


    The housekeeper''s spirits lifted. "Yes, yes, of course! I''ll go back and beg Mr. Griffith to let me stay. Ms. Scott, I''ll keep an eye on the old woman and Mr. Griffith for you. But you have to promise to get my son a job, preferably at the Griffith Group. My son and I can both help you deal with Natalie."


    “Fine,” Joanna agreed. “I''ll arrange it when I get back."


    The housekeeper happily turned to go back inside.


    From the shadows, Natalie emerged.


    She watched the housekeeper open the gate and go back in.


    Natalie was shocked. The housekeeper at her grandmother''s estate was one of Joanna''s spies.


    No wonder. When Joanna had faked


    her fall, the housekeeper had imed that she saw them arguing Her ambiguous testimony-that she saw Natalie ming Joanna but didn''t actually see a push-was what convinced Sebastian that Natalie was guilty.


    It seemed Joanna had spies all around Sebastian. That must have been how she


    found his exact location when he went diving on that remote ind.


    Joanna was certainly dedicated to him.


    Natalie nced back at the estate, then turned and walked away slowly.


    She left the gatedmunity and waited for Luna to pick her up.


    She sat on a stone step by the roadside, gazing at the distant city lights, feeling utterly defeated. She hugged her knees, her heart heavy, Was her very existence that bothersome to people?


    Why was all this malice directed at her?


    Natalie felt the urge to cry again. She tilted her head back. They say if you look up, the tears won''t fall.


    But even as she looked up at the moon, a single, crystalline tear escaped the corner of her eye.


    Half her face was in shadow, the other half bathed in light—a vision of haunting beauty.


    From a distance, a photographer captured the ethereal, solitary moment with a soft click of his shutter.


    He didn''t approach, not wanting to disturb her, and quietly slipped away.


    "Well, hey there, beautiful. Someone hurt your feelings? Why are you sitting out here crying all alone?"


    Three men, fresh from a bar, stumbled over to Natalie. The beautiful night and the alcohol in their veins had made them bold.


    Natalie say the three drunks and slowly stood up. She was already in a foul mood, and now three perfectTM


    punching bags had just presented themselves.


    One of the men stepped closer, reaching out to grab her.


    *


    Just as Natalie was about to strike, a long leg shot out from behind her, sending the


    man flying through the air.