Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Dawson paused for a moment, "Looks like the overseas assignment will have to be pushed back."

"What if I wanted to go abroad for personal reasons?"

Dawson replied softly, “You can apply, but the approval process is going to be a nightmare, and it'll take forever."

Natalia let out a sigh, "Alright, I get it."

After hanging up the phone, Hamilton stepped out of the bathroom, a chill still clinging to him.

He slipped into his pajamas before coming over to embrace her.

"Not sleepy yet?"

In a low voice, Natalia said, “Hamilton, you'll keep our baby safe, won't you?"

Hamilton held her tightly, and it was a while before he responded.

"Yeah."

Natalia didn't know when she fell asleep, but even in her sleep, her brows were furrowed.

Hamilton, feeling a pang of sympathy, pulled her closer into his embrace.

He thought to himself, this time, no matter what, he wouldn't let anything happen to her again.

In the following days, Natalia rarely left the house.

But she knew that Hamilton had set up a lot of safeguards around the neighborhood.

The men and women coming and going were mostly his doing.

Even the groceries and necessities were delivered by someone assigned by him.

Natalia had the housekeeper place a lounge chair on the balcony, where she would relax every afternoon.

Outside, it was snowing, but inside, it was cozy and warm.

Holding a book, she was reading leisurely when her phone suddenly rang.

It was an unknown number.

She thought for a moment, then decided to hang up.

But shortly after, a message came through.

It's Mrs. Joyner.

Not long after the message was sent, the phone rang again.

This time, Natalia answered.

"Mrs. Joyner, hello."

Mrs. Joyner's voice came through from the other side, "Natalia, let's meet."

Natalia bit her lip, "Mrs. Joyner, if you have something to say, we can talk over the phone."

Mrs. Joyner chuckled softly, "Natalia, considering you're the regional manager for the Ron Group, and I am the chairman's wife, is it too much to ask for a meeting?"

Natalia's voice carried a hint of apology.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Joyner, I really can't."

"Alright, I won't insist then," Mrs. Joyner ended the call without further ado.

Natalia stared at the disconnected call, her brows slightly furrowed.

Hamilton entered and saw Natalia staring blankly at her phone.

"What's up? Your soul caught by the phone?"

"Mrs. Joyner just called, wanting to meet me."

A shadow passed through Hamilton's eyes, "Did she say why?"

Natalia shook her head, "I told her I couldn't, and she just hung up." Hamilton draped a blanket over her legs.

"I'll have someone look into it."

Natalia nodded.

On the other side, Mrs. Joyner, after hanging up, looked at the stack of documents on her table.

She had been skeptical, but everything Mason did after arriving in Silkwood City seemed to aim directly at Natalia.

Even after Natalia left the Silkwood City branch, Mason acted as if he had given up on the company.

He was ready to let go without even trying to salvage it.

Mrs. Joyner clenched the documents tightly, then made another call.

"Check on Natalia."

Natalia, now six months pregnant, received a call from her doctor advising a detailed scan.

Hamilton had the car ready early; Natalia wore a bulky coat, making her pregnancy less obvious.

Hamilton fetched a scarf from the closet and wrapped it around her neck, causing her to sweat profusely.

She fidgeted with the scarf, but Hamilton just laughed.

"It's cold outside, better to layer up."

Natalia remained concerned about her appearance, "My belly isn't noticeable, right?"

Standing in front of the mirror, she inspected herself from all angles.

"You can't tell. At most, you look a bit plumper."

Hamilton's gaze lingered on her chest.

Since becoming pregnant, Natalia's already ample figure had become even more voluptuous.

Natalia threw a mask and a hat at him in response.

Hamilton laughed, then scooped her up from behind.

"Complimenting you, and you don't want to hear it?"

Natalia scoffed, "I don't get any use out of it."

Hamilton's eyes darkened, "Well, it's all benefits for me and the baby."

Natalia, "For the baby."

Hamilton raised an eyebrow, "But I've already enjoyed it countless times."

Natalia snorted coldly, "Can you have some shame?"

Laughter filled Hamilton's eyes.

Snow fell outside, and Hamilton drove with extra caution.

Surrounded by their bodyguards' cars, the journey that usually took less than halfnoveldrama

an hour took over an hour today.

At the hospital, Hamilton had everything arranged.

They entered through a private entrance, going straight to the doctor's office.

After the examination, it was nearly noon.

Ingrid stepped out of the clinic and saw Hamilton with a woman, who

Die bly Natalia despite

the mask and hat, coming out from the innermost room.

Something seemed off about Natalia.

Stunned, Ingrid hurried towards them but was suddenly stopped.

"This area is off-limits right now."

Several bodyguards stared her down coldly.

Ingrid grew anxious, "Do you know who I am? This is the Spiegel family's hospital,

and I am a Spiegel!"

Yet, the bodyguards remained unmoved.

Ingrid was fuming, "Are you guys blind? Or deaf?"

The bodyguards didn't even bother to acknowledge her existence.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Ingrid shot the two bodyguards a glare before turning on her heel and storming off.

Outside, she saw Hamilton already helping Natalia into the car.

A flicker of emotion crossed Ingrid's face before she re-entered the hospital.

Only after the bodyguards had left did she make her way to the clinic.

The doctor recognized her immediately as a member of the prestigious Spiegel family.

She asked her questions, and the doctor, not daring to neglect her, gave her the same four words: menstrual irregularity.

Ingrid's face fell in disappointment.

She had thought Natalia was hiding some scandalous illness, but it turned out to

be just menstrual irregularity.

"All this fuss for a period problem?" she muttered to herself as she entered the restroom.

Unexpectedly, she overheard two nurses whispering inside.

"Who do you think she is? Making a prenatal check-up seem like a covert operation."

"Who knows? Maybe she doesn't

want

it

yone to find out. Better koet

we're not supposed to

gossip about people like that."

"It's not like I said much. But that man, he was quite the looker. Must be one of the

Fowlers, right?"

"Whoever he is, it's none of our business. Let's drop it."

Ingrid froze.

The Fowler family, a prenatal check-up?

Could it be Natalia and Hamilton?

It wasn't menstrual irregularity? But a prenatal check-up?

Natalia was pregnant?

She stood there, stunned, before a smirk took over her face. Pulling out

her phone, she walked and

dialed a number.

"Delilah, you're not going to believe what I just found out."