Chapter 6

NATALIE’S POV

The last few days had been hell.

I had tried everything to find a job. Sending out hundreds of résumés, going door-to-door for consultations. But all my efforts were in vain.

Companies reached out after seeing my impressive credentials, only to shut off the door once they heard about my so-called dark past, the one Vanessa had orchestrated three years ago.

I kept telling myself something would come through, that I wouldn’t be stuck like this forever. But the truth was suffocating—I had nothing.

Lucas drove in silence, his fingers tapping against the wheel. The tension in the car was unbearable, but I refused to be the first to speak.

When we pulled into his grandmother’s estate, I reached for the door handle immediately.

Before I could step out, his hand wrapped around my arm—firm, unyielding.

“If you have any funny thoughts, it’s one phone call to St. Luis,” he murmured, his voice calm, but the threat unmistakable.

I clenched my jaw. There was no point in arguing. He knew he had me trapped.

Lucas smirked, then stepped out and circled the car, opening my door like the perfect gentleman. I forced a smile, slipping my hand into his as he guided me toward the mansion.

As we entered the open-air garden where the dinner was being held, my steps faltered.

At the center of the gathering stood my parents. And, of course, Vanessa.

My mother was adjusting Vanessa’s hair, who was pouting like a spoiled child while she whispered something to my father. They looked… happy. A perfect family.

“Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell!” Lucas called out warmly as he strode toward them. “What a surprise! I didn’t know you were coming.”

"Your mother invited us. After all, there is some… connection between our two families," my mother said lightly, her gaze never leaving Vanessa.

“And we wouldn’t miss our biggest investor’s event for the world,” my father added smoothly, his tone all business.

I swallowed hard, waiting—praying—they would acknowledge me. Just once. A glance. A nod. Anything.

But my father’s gaze barely flickered in my direction before looking away.

As if I didn’t exist.

Lucas’ grip on my waist tightened. “Smile,” he muttered through his teeth.

I forced my lips upward, but my hands trembled at my sides.

The evening dragged on in an agonizing blur. I played my role perfectly—laughing at the right moments, making polite conversation, keeping up the charade. But inside, I felt like I was drowning.

The only solace came from Lucas’s grandmother. She kept fussing over me, telling me to eat more, worrying that I was too thin. I smiled at her gratefully.

She was one of the few people who had defended me when I became the target of public scrutiny. She had insisted that Lucas and I go through with our engagement, despite everything.

Thinking of the engagement, a bitter chill settled in my chest.

I had to find the right moment to speak with her—to convince her to let me walk away from this farce once and for all.

But just as the thought crossed my mind, Lucas’s grandmother smiled warmly at me. “Little Natty, when are you and Lucas finally going to have the wedding? You’ve been engaged for so long…”

My face turned pale. Before I could respond, Lucas spoke first.

“Grandma, I’m ready,” he said smoothly. “We’re actually just waiting for Natty’s consent. Let’s pick a good day to get married.”

I snapped my head toward him. What the hell is he talking about?

I tried to keep my voice low, tried to contain the fury simmering beneath my skin. “Lucas, have you lost your mind?”

For years, I had been waiting for the day this engagement would finally lead to a marriage. And now, after everything—after he had slept with another woman, after he had betrayed me with my lifelong enemy—he wanted to marry me?

"Lucas, are you sure?" Vanessa’s voice cut through the air like a blade.

The entire table turned toward her.

Her expression was solemn, laced with subtle sadness and just the right amount of sympathy.

“I didn’t want to say this on Grandma’s birthday,” she continued, shaking her head slightly, “but I just can’t bear to see you being kept in the dark.”

My pulse pounded in my ears.

“Lucas, I have no objection to you marrying her,” Vanessa said, her voice gentle, almost pitying. “But do you know… she can no longer have children—after the miscarriage?”

A gasp rippled through the room.

Vanessa smiled, pulling out a folded document.

I didn’t need to see it to know what it was. My medical records. Proof of my miscarriage. Proof of my so-called infertility.

A dull ringing filled my ears as the doctor's words echoed in my mind—“if you’ve been using emergency contraceptives for a long time, it could have negative effects. We’ll later give you a complete report after all the test results come out…”

Lucas’s jaw tightened. “How did you—”

Vanessa leaned delicately into my mother’s side, her voice filled with mock regret. “Don’t blame me. The hospital sent it to my home. The recipient was Miss Caldwell, so naturally, I thought it was meant for me.”

Of course. Everyone knew she was the real heiress.

I let out a quiet, humorless chuckle.

A part of me shattered at hearing those words spoken aloud. But as the room filled with shocked whispers and judgmental stares—my parents’ included—I felt nothing but hollow.

Did anyone even care that I had a miscarriage? Or were they just worried that I’m no longer valuable as a birth machine?

Lucas turned to me, eyes unreadable. “Natty—”

“In that case,” I cut in before he could continue, “please, let’s just cancel the engagement. For the sake of everyone.”

“No way! I won’t look down on you just because you can’t have a child.”

I arched a brow, nearly laughing at his audacity. Look down on me? What right did he have?

Lucas’s mother, Mrs Onyx, suddenly cleared her throat. She’d been watching everything, silent and unmoved. Now, she leveled a gaze at me.

“I can’t let a woman who can’t bear children into our family. Natalie, do the right thing. Step aside.”

I didn’t even need to pretend to hesitate.

Lucas’s grandmother slammed her cane against the ground. “Nonsense! A marriage isn’t just a transaction. Our families agreed to this union, and that’s final!”

My father, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to address this. Given Natalie’s… situation, and since the marriage hasn’t been finalized, I believe we could actually have Vanessa take her place, without literally canceling the engagement between our families. Wouldn’t that be great for all of us?”

I turned to him in disbelief.

That’s the man I thought was my father?

He didn’t even flinch. His wife, seated beside him, avoided my gaze as she patted Vanessa’s hand reassuringly. Beside me, Lucas's expression was unpredictable, and he remained silent.

Grandma’s face twisted in outrage. “Ridiculous! Do you hear yourselves? What kind of nonsense is this?”

Vanessa’s voice dripped with false humility. “Grandma, don’t be prejudiced against me. After all, I’m the real heiress of Caldwell. And just a week ago, I secured a big deal for the company. In terms of qualifications and achievements…” She trailed off with a coy smile. “I surpass my sister in every way.”

Grandma’s fury reached its peak. With all her strength, she threw her cane aside, her face red with rage.

And yet, all I felt was exhaustion.

Then, a deep, unhurried voice broke through the chaos.

“It seems I arrived just in time.”

Malcolm.

The moment he stepped into the garden, the energy shifted. Conversations lulled, heads turned, and every gaze fell on him.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, he walked forward with an unhurried grace, as if the world itself bent to accommodate his pace.

“Malcolm, dear!” Lucas’ grandmother beamed, reaching for him. “You’re finally here. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Malcolm said smoothly, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Lucas’s mother smiled, reaching out to pat his shoulder. “Oh, Malcolm, you’re just in time. We were just discussing the kids’ marriage.”

He effortlessly sidestepped her touch, his smile never wavering.

Grandma sighed. “They’re talking nonsense—trying to cancel Natalie and Lucas’s engagement and replace her with Vanessa. Tell me, Malcolm, isn’t this absurd?”

Malcolm’s gaze flickered to me, then to Lucas. The moment his eyes settled on Lucas, the grip around my wrist tightened.

“What do you think, Lucas?”

Lucas hesitated. “…I’ll listen to the elders.”

His grip loosened, and my hand slipped free. He didn’t even have the courage to look at me.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the last remnants of whatever foolish hope I had for him dissolve completely.

Malcolm hummed, amused. “I’m not interested in family affairs,” he said casually. “I came here to bring some news.”

He pulled a phone from his pocket, scrolling idly before continuing, “Just before I arrived, I received word from Valen, the current CEO of the Gravestone Group.” His gaze flicked to Vanessa. “They’ve decided to terminate their cooperation with you.”

Vanessa visibly stiffened. “What?”

Malcolm smiled. “It seems that ‘big deal’ you were boasting about was nothing more than a dream.”

Vanessa’s face went ghostly pale.

She whipped toward me, fury in her eyes. "It's you! It's your design that disappointed them—"

“I’m afraid not.” Malcolm cut her off smoothly. “In fact, I have one more update from Valen.”

He paused, his eyes locking onto mine.

“The Gravestone Group has extended an offer.” His voice was calm, deliberate. “To you, Natalie. They want you as their new chief jewelry designer.”

Malcolm pulled a crisp envelope from his pocket, holding it out. “Congratulations.”

In that moment, the world seemed to slow.

My head spun. Vanessa shot to her feet. Lucas snapped his head toward me, his glare sharp enough to cut.