Natalie’s eyes flew wide open in disbelief.
When was that recording made?
Behind the decorative screen, Adrian glanced over at Anathea and oticed that her face was completely emotionless.
She had pressed the recording pen’s button just as Natalie had turned to look at the private chapel.
Natalie had been too full of herself, thinking her words would crus Anathea’s spirit. Even the two men didn’t even bother watching her.
What they overlooked was what ultimately destroyed them.
What Anathea didn’t expect, though, was for that recording pen to end up in Gregory’s hands.
Through the painted scenery on the decorative screen, she looked toward Gregory, who was seated on the throne chair.
His expression was unreadable, like a deep pool with no visible bottom. It gave nothing away. But the chill he gave off crept into the bones.
“No, this recording is fake! It’s edited! It’s not my voice!” Natalie shouted, trying to deny it.
But Gregory wasn’t here to listen to her lies. “Whether it’s real or fake doesn’t matter. What matters is that however you hurt Anathea, I’ll make you pay it back. You used Anathea’s father to break her, so I’ll use your mother to return the favor.”
“What do you mean?” Natalie was stunned.
Her mother?
She had grown up in a welfare home. She didn’t have a mother.
Gregory went on, “You probably don’t know this. Your godmother is actually your birth mother.”
Natalie froze.
Even Anathea looked briefly surprised.
Adrian, however, remained calm, like he had known all along.
Natalie felt like something had lodged in her throat. The revelation stuck there, hard to swallow.
It did explain why Eleanor had always treated her so well over the years–almost like a real daughter. As it turned out, she really
was one.
But if she really was Eleanor’s daughter, wouldn’t that make Gregory her brother? Then why had Eleanor wanted her to marry Gregory?
And if she truly was her daughter, why had Eleanor insisted on having Natalie call her by her first name?
Gregory seemed to sense her confusion as he said flatly, “You must be wondering why Eleanor insisted on being just your godmother, right?”
His tone and demeanor eerily mirrored how Natalie had spoken to Anathea in the attic.
She hadn’t hesitated to break Anathea back then. Now, Gregory was simply returning the favor, but with a hundred times the intensity.
His gaze turned colder as it fell upon Natalie. “Because your mother abandoned you.”
The words fell like thunder, splitting Natalie open.
“You’re Eleanor’s daughter but not Holden’s. You’re the child she had with another man. But to reclaim her place in the Sinclair
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family, she didn’t hesitate to abandon you. She dropped you at a welfare home to grow up without parents.
“And even if she brought you back as her goddaughter, you’d always be an outsider, with no real status or standing in the family.
“Also…” Gregory’s gaze locked onto Natalie. His lips parted slowly “Do you believe that she’ll abandon you again this time just to save herself?”
“N–No way!” Natalie shook her head. She pointed at Gregory, secting. “You’re lying! Eleanor would never abandon me!”
“Then let’s wait and see.” Gregory smiled.
He raised his hand, and two bodyguards stepped forward, forcing the cloth gag back into Natalie’s mouth. No matter how much she struggled, it was useless. They dragged her into the side hall.
Anathea looked at Gregory. She still couldn’t tell what he was planning to do.
Meanwhile, Adrian handed her a cup of warm water. Confused, Anathea parted her lips, ready to ask her questions.
But Adrian raised a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, then glanced past the decorative screen, looking like he was ready to watch a show.
A moment later, Eleanor’s panicked voice echoed from outside. “Gregory! Where did you take Nat?”
