The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming

Chapter 248 Apologize Natalie's tone was sharp and unwavering. On the other end of the call, Mason froze. The only other person he'd ever seen command that kind of presence was their father, William.

When he didn't respond, Natalie's voice cut through the silence, even more direct than before. "Mason, listen to me. Stay home. Don't go anywhere. Keep an eye on everyone at the estate. This needs to be investigated properly." Mason felt the weight of her words. When he finally spoke, his tone was cautious. "Got it. Don't worry, Nat. I will make sure no one leaves the house." "Good. I'll handle things and head back as soon as I can." "Take your time. If you're busy, focus on what you need to do. I'll make sure this gets sorted." Mason rushed to reassure her. The last thing he wanted was to Natalie down.

Technically, this mess was partly his fault. He had been the one responsible for hosting their guests. But who could have predicted that a simple trip to change clothes and brush his teeth would lead to a full-blown accident right inside Walker Estate? "Alright, then. I'll leave it to you for now." Natalie ended the call, her mind already set. The meeting at Goodwill Pharmacy could wait. She needed to head back to the estate first.

She quickly made a call to Goodwill Pharmacy's person in charge, then stopped by the guest room where Sophia was resting.

Sophia lay motionless on the bed, her face pale as a sheet. Tear tracks had dried at the corners of her eyes. An IV drip was steadily feeding fluids into her fragile body.

Natalie had assigned people to watch over her. No one would leave Sophia's side until Elijah arrived.

Fate had a strange way of circling back. Years ago, on a whim, she had asked Sophia to help keep an eye on Marcus. But instead of telling Marcus the truth about his savior, Sophia had chosen to stay silent.

And now, Marcus had brought Sophia back to her, asking for help.

Natalie had not personally operated on Sophia, but she had supervised the entire surgery and ensured it was done correctly. Because of that, Sophia had survived.

She had stayed true to her original decision-to never claim the credit for saving Marcus' life. But now, Sophia's child had been lost because of an accident at Walker Estate.

It was a tangled mess of fate.

Natalie had no intention of bringing up the past with Marcus, nor did she plan to confront Sophia about it. Sophia had never had it easy in her own family. Growing up in constant fear, she had clung to any security she could find. That was human nature.

Natalie understood it well. She had done the sonce when she lived with the Langley family. At one point, she had even considered clinging to Tyler as her lifeline. But Tyler had never been as powerful as Marcus. He hadn't been able to protect her the way Marcus had protected Sophia.

After everything that had happened, Natalie had long since given up on relying on Tyler. She had distanced herself from him completely.

So, if Sophia had claimed someone else's credit to secure her future, Natalie didn't blher. And she would keep this secret for life because staying far away from Marcus was the best thing for everyone.

"Natalie, don't worry. We've got this covered. Nothing will happen to Ms. Sinclair under our watch." Thomas Zachman, one of Goodwill Pharmacy's elderly volunteers, spoke from behind her. "By the way, is she important to you?" "No," Natalie said evenly. "But she got hurt on my family's property." She turned to face him. "Mr. Zachman, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on things here." "You got it. Don't worry." Thomas had been with Goodwill Pharmacy for years, long before Natalie took over. He had worked under Federrick and had stayed on even after retirement because of his passion for traditional medicine.

His daughter, Helena Zachman, had grown up surrounded by medicine and followed in Thomas' footsteps After graduating from a traditional medicine school, she joined Goodwill Pharmacy to dedicate herself to helping those in need.

Of course, Goodwill Pharmacy had its own policies on fees and services, and neither Thomas nor Helena could bend the rules. However, under Natalie's leadership, the place never had any problems.

Tonight's scene-Ruby storming in and causing a scene-was the first major disruption in Goodwill Pharmacy's history.

Thomas was familiar with the Sinclair sisters. Ever since Phillip Sinclair passed and the family business fell into Ivan's hands, their scandals had been impossible to hide.

Ivan had treated his wife and daughter terribly. It wasn't even a secret anymore.

While looking at Sophia lying weakly in bed, Thomas sighed. Natalie was clearly going to protect her.

"Mr. Zachman, I'll leave this to you." Natalie stared at Sophia for a moment before turning away. "I was supposed to hold a meeting, but this is more urgent. I'll reschedule for later." "Go do what you need to do. We've got it covered." Natalie didn't mind. Federrick had once told her that leadership wasn't about titles —it was about trust, respect, and the responsibility that cwith it. And she had earned all of those.

"I'll be heading out, then." "Take care, Natalie." "See you next time." "See you next time." Natalie left Goodwill Pharmacy and walked toward her car, and just as she reached for the door handle, a hand shot out and blocked her.

"I heard you kicked my daughter." Natalie turned her head and saw a middle-aged man standing there, Ruby clinging to his arm.

The voice belonged to the man himself.

Ruby's features strongly resembled his, so Natalie didn't need to ask to know who he was Kwas Ivan the who he was! current head of the Sinclair family, a deadbeat father to Sophia, and a doting one to Ruby. The bodyguard standing beside him was the one who had physically blocked her.

Ivan took his tscanning Natalie from head to toe. She stood there, calm and indifferent, her face stunning yet devoid of emotion. Her striking eyes were cold, her sharp features framed by high cheekbones and a strong nose.

She wore a black tactical jacket, cargo pants, and combat boots, Her hair was pulled into a heat bun, and her face was bare of makeup. Yet even without it, her natural beauty could rival any actress. Natalie smirked slightly, her voice completely devoid of warmth. "Yeah, that was me." Ivan narrowed his eyes. "Which family are you from? Giveyour name."

He let out a chuckle. "You've got guts, kid. Do you really think you can get Can away with laying hands on my daughter? You must have a death wish." "Damn right!" Ruby straightened her back now that she had her father backing her up. "Get down on your knees, bow your head, and apologize. Maybe then I'll forgive you for your disrespect." Natalie looked at the father-daughter duo like they were idiots.

"What did you say?" Natalie asked in a mocking tone.

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