While Natalie was lost in thought, she noticed Daniel in a white coat. When Natalie drugged Philip, Natasha had contacted Daniel. It was Daniel who saved Philip from death.Natalie's expression suddenly changed as she realized Natasha's connection to Daniel could lead to trouble.She began to shake uncontrollably as fear consumed her. Finally, she understood what was making her so afraid.Joshua noticed Natalie's face had turned even paler. Worried, he gently asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"But she clearly wasn't. She seemed so fragile that Joshua thought even a gentle breeze might knock her over.Natalie was so overwhelmed that she couldn't hear anything Joshua said.Unsure of what to do next, she feared being caught as the one who locked Natasha in the changing room. The thought of armed bodyguards made her shiver.Suddenly, something cold touched her left shoulder and startled her. It reminded her of the moment when a bodyguard aimed a gun at Joshua.Natalie felt guilty.
Having Carly around made Natalie feel a lot less anxious. She didn't feel as sick as before. Then, it suddenly occurred to Natalie that she had pinned the whole incident on Carly.In Natasha's eyes, Carly was the one who had locked her in the vast, cold changing room.Since Natalie hadn't even been there when it happened, Natasha had no way to suspect her. It would all lead back to Carly's mistake if Natasha dug deeper. Just the thought of it was a relief to Natalie.Urgently, Natalie added, "They're looking for Natasha. She's missing."She knew Carly would take the blame but didn't want the Sullivans making things difficult for Carly.Carly was the only support Natalie had left. Without Carly, Natalie wouldn't be confident enough to appear before the Graysons.Natalie was determined to persuade Carly to take the blame and confess her mistake. Carly was so shocked that she couldn't find the right words. She muttered, "Is it true?"She couldn't believe the Sullivans would go to s
Natalie grew increasingly anxious. "No, no. That's not just any regular neighborhood. A house there costs an astronomical amount! And if it's in Topola, the price would be just as sky high—"Carly gazed at Natalie, but her mind had already drifted.Natalie had been anxiously talking non-stop for a while now. Even though Natalie didn't say it directly, Carly could sense she was trying to warn her to leave.Natalie seemed concerned that the Sullivans would make things hard for Carly if they discovered what Carly did to Natasha. Later, Carly wondered if Natalie was trying to get her to confess.She hesitated and asked, "You knew what I did?""Of course," Natalie immediately replied.Carly was shocked. "You knew?"She had thought she did a good job of pretending to head to the restroom instead of looking for Natasha. A hint of unease crossed Carly's face as she stuttered, "S-So… you knew I went to find Natasha?"Natalie's surprised reaction caught Carly off guard."You went to loo
Natasha sat alone on the freezing floor, hugging her knees for warmth.The cold was unbearable. At first, she was crouching down, but she lost energy quickly. Eventually, she had no choice but to sit on the dirty floor.Then, she noticed a window high up in the ceiling, letting in the cold wind. Sadly, it was too high for her to reach. So, she stayed low to avoid the wind hitting her directly.Besides the chilly wind, there was nothing and no one around. She didn't even have her phone.Peering out the window, she saw the dark sky with a few twinkling stars. It felt as though Jacob was right there with her. Those stars gave her the strength to carry on.Lost in memories, she thought about her past with Jacob.He would take her out to play with sparklers to ring in the new year. Jacob would dash ahead while Natasha followed, holding her sparkler and smiling. Now and then, colorful fireworks would light up the night sky.When Natasha got tired, she'd walk instead of run. Even thoug
Underneath the fireworks, Jacob and Natasha shared their first kiss. It was a moment Natasha would never forget.…Natasha sat on the cold ground, gazing up at the stars while lost in thoughts of the past. However, dwelling on memories only deepened her sadness, so she made an effort to push them aside.As the night went on and the stars multiplied, Natasha felt more and more alone. She worried nobody realized she was missing and feared being stuck in the changing room for days.Carly seemed to have had a loving upbringing, shielded from harsh experiences, so Natasha was shocked when Carly cruelly locked her in the changing room.A headache crept in as she started feeling hopeless. She thought she might freeze to death tonight.Slowly, her head grew heavier, and her body felt warmer. Her thoughts became chaotic, and she couldn't control them anymore.The image of Jacob faded from her mind. She felt her temperature rise as though she was being thrown into a furnace.She wished s
The floor was freezing, but Natasha's fever had her burning up. Despite feeling dizzy, she felt relieved knowing someone had come to rescue her.Raindrops continued to fall from the window, landing on Joshua and Natasha.Joshua came over and took off his coat to cover her. His gentleness reminded her of how Jacob used to treat her. Finally, Natasha started to feel a bit warmer."Natasha?" Joshua spoke softly as if he was afraid of startling her.Natasha was almost unconscious, so she just hummed in reply.Natasha's face was flushed but her lips pale. Joshua noticed she seemed ill and reached out to feel her temperature, only to find that she had a high fever.Concern filled Joshua. He quickly set his torch on the washbasin and crouched down.Fearing Natasha might be uncomfortable, Joshua carefully lifted her. Then, he bent down and grabbed the flashlight.Lying in Joshua's arms, Natasha fought to keep her eyes open. She wanted to confirm if the man she saw was Jacob or if someo
Joshua came out of the changing room with steady steps. A sudden burst of bright light greeted both him and Natasha.Having been in the dim room too long, Natasha couldn't adjust to the sudden brightness. She hid her face in Joshua's arms to shield herself from the light.As soon as Joshua emerged, he found himself surrounded by armed bodyguards who looked at him suspiciously as if they might shoot him at any moment.Joshua remained calm. He had expected this."She's running a fever and needs to go to the hospital now," Joshua said.However, the bodyguards hesitated to let Joshua leave without Daniel's approval. They knew Daniel wouldn't allow anyone to leave until Natasha was found."Why are you all still standing here?" Joshua's voice was strong. He seemed very worried about Natasha, who was in his arms.None of the bodyguards budge.Joshua looked at them with disbelief and added, "The person I'm holding is the one you're looking for. She has a fever. Tell Daniel to get a doc
Natasha had passed out from the fever while Joshua held her.Joshua glanced up when he heard Natalie's gentle voice. He noticed her standing nearby on the steps. She appeared confused and sad, though Joshua couldn't discern her feelings.Natalie seemed to be saying something, but Joshua couldn't make out her words. They were close by, but a few bodyguards stood between them.Even though Natalie was only a few steps away, she felt like she couldn't reconnect with Joshua as easily as she had in the past.A wave of emotions washed over her, as she had never felt so distant from him. She stayed still in her place as she watched Natasha cuddle in Joshua's arms.Jealousy surged within her, and she got furious. She couldn't believe Natasha was flirting with Joshua, especially after Natalie locked her in the changing room.Natalie thought it was unbelievable how Natasha could act so flirty and shameless.Natalie hated women like Natasha, who always tried to get guys' attention and prete