Chapter 3

Austin grabbed Natalie's wrists and pinned them hard against the wall above her head. Like a feral beast, he kissed her frenziedly. She could no longer hold back her tears. They slowly slid down her cheeks, but even then, he showed no sign of stopping.

She truly couldn't take it anymore, so she bit down hard on his lip. Wincing in pain, he released her at last.

The Austin she knew had always been gentle. Judging by how fierce and aggressive he was acting now, she figured he probably loathed her more than anything else. The thought made her heart clench painfully.

Austin continued to keep her wrists restrained, refusing to let go. His hot breath brushed against her cheek.

"Since you disappeared from my world, you should've disappeared for good and not let me see you again," he said, his voice hoarse and cold as ice, each word like a blade carving into her heart.

The pain in Natalie's chest made her feel like her heart was being torn apart. She could barely breathe through the agony.

"Okay," Natalie answered, her response crisp but her voice choked with bitterness.

Only she knew that he had never truly disappeared from her world. She'd heard that those who met someone far too incredible in their youth would end up spending the rest of their life alone, unable to forget that person. She now knew how true that was.

Austin finally released her and brushed his fingers over his bitten lip. Then, without any lingering sense of attachment, he walked right out of the stairwell.

Feeling weak, Natalie slid down the wall, tears blurring her vision. His scent still lingered on her lips. Her heart felt like it had shattered again, the pain making it hard for her to breathe.

After staying in the stairwell for some time, she regained her composure. Wiping her tears from her face, she took out her phone and sent Hestia a message.

"Something came up, Hessy, so I had to leave. Help me hire a delivery person to send my handbag to my place."

Natalie used the wall for support to get back on her feet. She took a deep breath and wiped the last of the tears clinging to her eyes before heading down the stairs. Feeling both physically and emotionally exhausted, she wanted to avoid running into Austin as much as she could.

Hestia soon replied, "Good job, Nat! You bit Austin's lip so hard that it's bleeding. Guess things got pretty intense, huh? You've got my full support. We should definitely keep our distance from men with girlfriends."

Natalie's lips curled bitterly. Her heart felt hollow as she left the place.

…

Late at night, the dinner gathering finally ended. The roads were fairly empty, with only sparse traffic dotted throughout.

The warm streetlight spilled into the car, casting a dim glow across Austin's dark, shadowed profile. His wounded lip stood out.

Emily hadn't had any alcohol, so she was driving. Even though she seemed pretty focused on that, she gripped the steering wheel tightly, radiating a mix of anger and jealousy.

After a glance at Austin's lip, she snapped, "Sandbury is a massive city! Why did we have to run into her of all people?"

Austin turned his head toward the window, his hollow eyes fixing on the passing streets. He didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked, "How did you end up coming over?"

Emily stiffened. "I asked Shane, and he told me you'd be here."

"Stop trying to force your way into my social circle," Austin growled harshly.

"Aust, did you decide to join them because you knew about their friendship with Natalie?"

Feeling irritated, Austin closed his eyes and said nothing.

Emily studied his expression. Seeing no strong reaction from him, she pressed on, "That bitch Natalie betrayed you! Don't tell me you still want to get back together with her?"

"What she did to me is my business," Austin said icily. "It's not your place to make rude comments about her."

The more Emily thought about it, the more furious she became. Her voice sharpened as she questioned, "Why are you still defending her, Aust? After what she did to you back then, you—"

"Can you shut up?" Austin cut her off.

Emily's voice died out at once, and she didn't speak again. However, the memory of how deeply in love Austin had been with Natalie in the past made her uneasy.

When Natalie broke up with him, he'd sobbed his heart out and begged her to change her mind, acting like he'd lost his head completely. To win her back, he stood in Janshire's chilly autumn rain for seven hours, until he collapsed and was taken to the hospital.

Even though she'd said the cruelest words possible, he refused to give up.

After graduating from college, Natalie changed all of her contact information and left Janshire. Only then did the two finally make a clean break.

…

"Nat, let's get married after graduation."

"Why the rush?"

"The world beyond the campus is bound to be filled with far more temptation. I know for a fact that tons of guys are going to covet my gorgeous girlfriend."

"You've got nothing to worry about. I, Natalie Sherman, will only ever love one man, and his name is Austin Chandler."

"If you love me, marry me. Let me have that sense of security."

"Okay. We'll get married after graduation."

"Where do you want to have the wedding?"

"Well, I like the ocean and the beach. I like having a lot of sunlight."

"Whatever you like, I'll like too, Nat. We'll have a beach wedding then."

…

The ringing of her phone disrupted Natalie's dream, jolting her awake. Her mind slowly cleared. The dark curtains were tightly drawn, leaving the room dim, with only a thin line of sunlight seeping through a gap.

Her eyes felt damp again. She'd dreamed of the past once more.

Picking up her phone, she saw the name Zeke Cox on the screen. Just the name alone disgusted her. She sat up before answering the call, closing her eyes as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Come to the hospital. It's time to pay the bills," Zeke demanded.

"Got it," she replied curtly before ending the call.

After tossing her phone aside, she lay back down in bed.

Five years ago, her father, Franklin Sherman, had gone to prison. He'd been charged with assaulting Billy Cox, Zeke's father, leaving him in a coma.

Franklin insisted he was innocent and framed for the crime. However, all of the evidence and even the eyewitness statements pointed to him. The day before the incident, he'd gotten into an argument with Billy and shouted, "I'm going to kill you tomorrow!"

Just like that, the motive was established. He was sentenced to a 22-year prison sentence and a fine of 800 thousand dollars. He was also required to cover all of Billy's medical expenses during his hospitalization.

Franklin had always been an honest, gentle, and kind man, while Billy was notorious for being the local hooligan.

Natalie firmly believed Franklin was innocent. To get the ruling overturned, she took the bar exam and got her license to practice law. For the last few years, she'd persistently investigated the incident, gathering new evidence to apply for a retrial.

She was determined to clear Franklin's name.