PART 4

PART 4

I take pleasure in the fear clearly reflected on her face.

Just wait until the time comes.

I will drag that woman into prison,

and let her spend the rest of her life there.

Natasya Wilona Jordan, will not be intimidated by anyone.

**

“No! It wasn’t me who hurt you, Natasya!”

Everyone turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice.

Silva.

The woman with a gentle face and a smaller build than Natasya was the one who had just shouted. Silva—Edgar’s wife and Roby’s sister-in-law—stepped forward toward Natasya, her face pale as death.

Both of her hands trembled, as if she were struggling to suppress a fear she had long kept buried.

Since the commotion began, Silva and her husband, Edgar, had chosen to remain silent. They felt it was not their place to interfere in the marital affairs between Natasya and Roby.

Their presence at the gathering that day was solely because Silva could not bring herself to refuse Camila’s invitation.

“Silva, was it you who did it?” Camila accused her daughter-in-law.

The woman’s expression suddenly changed, as if she had just recalled something.

“As far as I remember, that day I asked you to deliver food to this house. Yet you returned home very late. Until… until I heard from Roby that Natasya had been hospitalized.”

“Silva? Is it true that you were the one responsible?” Edgar, Silva’s husband, stared at his wife with a horrified expression.

“No. I didn’t do anything,” Silva replied firmly, shaking her head.

“I could never hurt Natasya. She has helped me so much all this time. I am not a cruel woman!”

“Then why did you return home so late that day?” Camila pressed.

A terrifying thought crossed Camila’s mind, imagining one daughter-in-law harming another.

“Natasya,” Silva called softly.

“By God, I am not the one who did this.”

Natasya took a deep breath.

“I am waiting for your explanation, Silva.”

“That day… two years ago. I was supposed to be in this house.”

Camila gasped instinctively.

“So it’s true—you were the one responsible? You were the one who struck Natasya?”

“I never even made it to this house, Mom!”

Silva almost shouted.

“Let her speak first,” Natasya commanded.

Deep down, Natasya was certain that Silva could not have been the culprit. The woman’s figure was smaller than hers. She still remembered clearly that the blow had been delivered by someone far taller than Silva.

“Let me explain,” Silva finally said.

“It is true that Camila asked me to come to your house that day. She asked me to bring food she had prepared herself.”

The room suddenly fell silent.

Roby fixed his gaze on Silva.

“Then what happened? Why did I not know about this? Why did no one inform me that Silva was on her way to this house that day? When I found Natasya, this place was completely deserted.”

Silva drew a long breath.

“I left around noon that day. However, my car broke down halfway.”

“I panicked. I was alone. So I contacted the security guard of this house—Jordy.”

The name made everyone exchange glances once more.

“Jordy came to help me,” Silva continued. “He assisted me in pushing my car to the nearest repair shop.”

Natasya nodded slowly.

“And my house?”

Silva lowered her head.

“I did not arrive here on time. I thought everything was safe. The repair at the workshop took a long time, and once it was finished, I went straight home. I did tell Camila that the food had already been delivered to you. In truth, the food was left behind at the repair shop. Please forgive me. If my car had not broken down, perhaps I could have helped you that day.”

“Jordy!” Roby shouted.

Footsteps approached. Jordy, Natasya’s house security guard, stepped forward, his face filled with guilt. He bowed deeply.

“I am very sorry, Mrs. Natasya,” he said softly. “I confirm everything Mrs. Silva has stated. I also bear responsibility for what happened to you.”

Roby turned sharply toward him.

“What do you mean by that, Jordy?”

“That day, I left my post to help Mrs. Silva. I thought it would only take a moment. I… I forgot to lock the side gate.”

Camila let out a small cry.

“My God!”

Jordy clenched his fists.

“It was my mistake. I sincerely apologize. I did not know that a thief had entered the house.”

“I am the one who should be blamed here, not Mrs. Silva.”

Natasya closed her eyes for a brief moment. What appeared on her face was not anger, but a profound exhaustion.

“I am not blaming you, Jordy.”

Everyone fell silent.

“What?” Roby exclaimed reflexively.

“Oh God! If I had known you were the reason that intruder entered my house and assaulted Natasya, I would have fired you long ago, Jordy!”

Roby shouted angrily at him.

“I am not blaming anyone,” Natasya repeated calmly. “Not Silva. Not Jordy.”

Roby looked at her in disbelief.

“You almost died, Natasya! How can you possibly—”

Natasya looked at each face before her.

“I know.”

“Then why are you so calm?” Roby asked hoarsely.

“What you need to understand is this,” Natasya said firmly. “The person who entered my house was not a mere thief. He was someone who intended to erase me from this world.”

Roby shook his head quickly.

“No, Natasya. There is no one who hates you enough to want you dead.”

“Is that so?” Natasya replied softly.

“You are a good person, Natasya! What kind of fool would want to eliminate you? I am certain it was just a thief. He broke into the house to steal and panicked when he saw you.”

“It is possible that someone does dislike Natasya,” Camila cut in sharply. “All because of her arrogant and conceited nature.”

“Arrogant? Conceited?” Natasya asked in disbelief.

She fixed her sharp gaze on Camila.

“If I truly were arrogant and conceited, I would have let you live as a homeless woman out there, Camila.”

“Natasya, can you show some respect to my mother?” Roby snapped.

He could not tolerate anyone insulting his mother, including Natasya.

“Then tell your mother to know her place!” Natasya shot back.

“All this time, she has lived off my money—off my father’s wealth!”

“You are always like this, Natasya. You forget that without Roby, your company would never have grown the way it has,” Camila said arrogantly.

“And without my father’s wealth, Roby would be nothing,” Natasya retorted without backing down.

“Mom, please,” Roby pleaded with Camila, hoping she would stop provoking Natasya.

Natasya took a deep breath.

“Listen to me carefully.”

The room fell silent once more.

“I will not stop searching for the person who wants me dead.”

Her gaze swept across the room. She walked forward calmly, confidently. Natasya was certain that among those present, there was one heart pounding violently in fear.

She did it on purpose.

She wanted to toy with that person’s emotions.

The true culprit.

“Sooner or later, I will find that person.”

Her eyes locked onto Camila.

“And when I do—”

Her voice turned icy.

“I will show no mercy.”

“Who do you think wants you dead, Natasya?” Silva asked softly.

She had been listening all along, feeling burdened with guilt. In her heart, Silva cursed whoever had the cruelty to harm Natasya. She knew Natasya was a good person.

“Someone who is envious of my life,” Natasya answered, a mysterious smile forming on her lips.

“Someone who wants to take my place in this house… or in the company.”

Natasya then turned her gaze to Larisa.

“Larisa, where were you on the day it happened?”

Larisa’s face turned deathly pale.