Chapter 11: Lost

The clouds grew darker and stormier, and a looming storm darkened the sky, but Natasha's mood was so bright and lit up it blinded her from her surroundings, and to everything around her.

She continued walking, without pause or a second thought about her direction. She found herself questioning her own emotions—how could she find happiness in a compliment from the very lips that had cast her aside? From a man who had pushed her to the brink and then abandoned her? She was sure she had grown to despise him. So why did her heart betray her by reacting this way?

Her cold, fierce hatred for William began to fade, evident in her beaming smile, flushed cheeks, and the goosebumps that erupted across her skin. She struggled to suppress these uninvited feelings. Despite the warmth his recent actions stirred within her, she couldn't forget the immense pain and heartache he had inflicted upon her. No amount of kind words or courageous deeds could erase those memories.

As Natasha walked on, her m