When she was finally tired of crying and had cald down, Justin offered her the water bottle he had brought. Natalie took a few sips, trying to steady her mind as she sat in silence, lost in mories of the past.
"I used to co here with my mother when I was a kid," she said at last. "This is the only place that hasn’t changed—neither in its view nor in the way it makes feel. After she left , I would always co here whenever I was hurt, felt like I had nowhere to go, or thought no one could understand . This place has always been my comfort."
"It is indeed comforting," Justin replied, gazing at the sky. "But I want you to know that this doesn’t have to be the only place where you find comfort or feel less lonely. I’m here to take care of you when you’re hurt. I’ll be the one you can always co to, the one who will always try to understand you. I can be your comfort. And I’ll never let you feel lonely. Just like this place, I won’t ever change—I’ll always remain the sa for you. I give you my word."
Natalie looked at him, and he t her gaze. "I an it, Natalie."
Not knowing what to say, she stared at him for a while as if grappling her thoughts and finally said, "I warn you, my limits of handling betrayal and heartbreak is entirely over."
"I’ll keep that in mind," he replied, removing his coat and draping it over her shoulders. "The air is getting cold."
Natalie didn’t refuse. They sat there for a long ti, letting the peace of the place surround them.
"Don’t you have work to do?" she asked, still looking ahead.
"I’m doing the most important work right now," he replied, following her gaze toward the horizon.
A light smile finally appeared on her lips. "Am I a ’work’ for you?"
"You’re everything to ," he answered smoothly.
Natalie didn’t know how to respond to his words. She stayed quiet, her smile lingering. No one had ever made her feel this special and important the way Justin always did and that too in the most simple way.
They headed ho together, and Justin made sure to stay by her side. He personally cooked a al for her, and they had dinner together.
As they went on stroll after dinner, Justin asked as he caressed her hand he was holding, "Are you feeling alright now?"
Natalie humd replied as they continued the walk, "Now I don’t feel guilty about what happened on my wedding day. I’m glad I didn’t marry him."
"Good."
Natalie looked up at him and asked, "I still don’t fully understand how I ended up marrying you."
"Hmm, let guess and explain how and why it happened," Justin began. "About a year and a half ago, my twin brother, the other Aiden, ca to Imperial City to get your blood sample to check if you were a match as a bone marrow donor for your mother. He had to do it without letting you know anything. But while he was here, he overheard your grandpa and Ivan talking about your upcoming marriage. He learned that Ivan was marrying you for his own selfish reasons.
"My twin brother was raised by your mother, so he values her deeply. He couldn’t stand the thought of her daughter marrying soone like Ivan, so he devised a plan. He needed soone to register your marriage with. He could have used his own na—Aiden Shaw—but he realized that if you searched for him later, you might find him and, through him, your would reach mother as well which he didn’t want it to happen. He needed a safer option, soone you couldn’t easily trace and who wouldn’t harm you either.
"I don’t know why he had an ID with the na Aiden Handrix, but he used it to register your marriage. He didn’t expect the real Aiden Handrix to still be alive. As for how he managed to take you to the registry bureau and how you willingly signed the papers—that’s still a mystery. Only he can explain that part."
"Maybe he fed so kind of drug..." Natalie speculated.
"That’s highly possible since you have no recollection of what you did that day," Justin added. "If you were drugged—or even hypnotized, for that matter—he’s skilled enough to take you away without anyone noticing."
"For whatever reason or thod he used, I’ll always be thankful to him," Natalie replied. "Can I et him?"
"Maybe," Justin said. "But rember, the na on your marriage certificate is mine."
"But the picture is his," she replied with a chuckle, noticing his hint of jealousy.
"We’ll soon replace it with my picture. I already have the ID prepared with that na," Justin replied confidently.
"If you’re Aiden, then what’s his na? And how did you two end up like this?" Natalie asked. "Didn’t your father try to find out where his other son was? Now that he’s alive, shouldn’t you inform your father?"
Hearing her questions, Justin paused, bound by the promise he once made to Jas Harper. "Natalie, what if I say I don’t want to talk about it yet?"
Natalie looked into his eyes, sensing the turmoil within him. She offered him a gentle, reassuring smile. "It’s alright. Take your ti."
Justin was glad that she was always understandng. "I will make sure to give you proper explanation later."
"I will wait for it."
----
At Ford Mansion.
The three won, along with Jay, were in a better mood.
"Mother, with Natalie’s image ruined in the news for the way she acted with the Princess, I’m sure we can use it to our advantage when declaring Briena as the CEO of the Ford Group," Clara comnted.
Sephina nodded in agreent.
Jay, who was equally pleased, added, "Mother, all the preparations for the board eting are complete. I can’t wait to see my daughter finally get what she deserves."
"You’re forgetting you have another daughter as well," a cold voice interrupted their rry conversation.
They all turned to see Albert standing a few steps away, his expression filled with anger.
"Albert, why are you downstairs instead of sleeping? It’s late," Sephina said casually.
"I’m here to warn you—not to ss with Natalie. It won’t end well for any of us," Albert said firmly. "Natalie deserves to lead that company. It’s her right."
Sephina scoffed. "I’ve been ssing with her for years. What could she possibly do to ? And as long as I’m alive, she will never be the CEO."
"I’m warning you for the last ti, Sephina," Albert said, his voice hardening. "I still care for you all as my family—"
"Albert," Sephina interrupted, her tone sharp. "I’m in charge of this family, so you’d better step back. Don’t go back on your words, or I might go back on mine as well. If you don’t listen, you’ll see another trending news piece—this ti about your precious Caryn and her daughter."
"You..." Albert gritted his teeth, his anger barely contained. "Your stubbornness is going to ruin you. Go ahead. Do whatever you want." With that, Albert turned and left.
"Mother," Jay looked worried.
"Ignore him. He has always been biased towards Caryn, forgetting that he had a son as well," Sephina said. "I will make sure Briena is the CEO and Natalie gets nothing out of it."
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