Semua Bab Opening My Eyes to Reality: Bab 171 - Bab 180

The crowd fell into silence. All eyes turned toward the woman making her way confidently to the front—Sienna. Thick glasses sat heavily on her nose, evidence of her deteriorated eyesight, but it didn't stop her. She gripped the microphone with one hand, while the other flung handfuls of documents into the air.She stopped at the center of the stadium and pointed straight at Natalie, still standing on the stage. "Natalie is the illegitimate daughter of my father and a nanny. She wasn't just a mistress who knowingly destroyed someone else's family. She also swapped our lives and identities for 18 years!" Sienna continued, "Ten years ago, her mother was arrested and sent to prison. So tell me—what right does a woman like her with a criminal mother have to stand here and lecture us about success? This is a disgrace. It insults every decent person in this stadium." As she spoke, the papers she had scattered began to fall across the crowd—copies of prison records, DNA test results, al

Rowan's voice was soft, gentle, and full of warmth. The words rippled through Natalie's heart, stirring something long buried. So many years had passed, and she had endured so much. Yet, no one had ever asked her if it had been hard—not once. Not even she had dared to ask herself that question. But today, someone—not even quite a friend—had spoken it aloud. "It's been a difficult journey, hasn't it?" Yes, it had. Natalie frowned slightly as a strange ache tugged at her. She composed herself. By the time she gently pushed Rowan away, the mist in her eyes had cleared.Her gaze was once again calm and impenetrable. This was the Natalie the world knew, the one who could not be shaken. "This is my path. No matter how hard it gets, I'll walk it to the end." Rowan met her eyes. The casual ease on his face masked the storm of emotion beneath. Hands in his pockets, he smiled. "I know." They parted ways at the parking lot. As soon as Rowan got into his car, he reached for his ph

Natalie stared at Rowan in surprise, her wrist still in his grasp. Bruce stood frozen mid-motion, feeling awkward with his hand suspended in the air. Natalie frowned. "Mr. Mattel, care to explain what this is supposed to mean?" Just behind Rowan, Landon fought hard not to laugh. It was plain jealousy. Everyone in the circle knew Rowan was notoriously possessive. Seeing another man so much as shaking hands with Natalie right in front of him? It was unforgivable. Rowan didn't bat an eye. His voice was casual, but his gaze burned with unspoken emotion. "Ms. Sutton, you're making a decision quickly? Are you sure you don't want to think about me a little longer?" His deep eyes locked onto hers. Natalie frowned. Was he seriously improvising now? Fine. If he wanted to act, she'd give him a performance to remember. She yanked her hand out of his grasp with a swift motion, her voice dripping with disdain. "No need to think about it. Anyone who keeps company with Jason isn't wort

Jason's eyes turned cold in an instant. His fists clenched tight. He had known that Natalie wouldn't give him a warm welcome. But even with all the mental preparation, the sting of her slap burned through his self-control, leaving anger simmering beneath his skin.Meeting her gaze—filled with nothing but contempt—his voice dropped to a dark, hollow murmur. "Natalie, do you really hate me that much?"Natalie had always loved passionately and hated even more so. When she loved him, it was with her entire soul. But now that she hated him, it was with the kind of venom that wished him dead.There was nothing left in her to offer—no kindness, not even a sliver of forgiveness. No matter how much regret Jason wore on his sleeve, it wouldn't move her. She would never betray the version of herself that had suffered in silence for three years."Yes, I hate you that much. You're disgusting to me. Just the sight of you makes me want to throw up. So do me a favor and get lost. At the very l

The pressure around her neck was suffocating. Sienna's panic kicked in hard as she clawed at Jason's hand. Her thick glasses slipped from her face and clattered to the ground. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Sienna, even now, you have the audacity to push me into hurting Natalie? How dare you?" Her face had turned a sickly shade from the lack of oxygen. She thrashed weakly, choking out. "L-Let… go…"Jason's eyes were cold. His grip tightened as he leaned in, each word biting like steel. "Yes, I want Natalie. But I won't let you use me like some pawn. If I really did what you said, she'd only hate me more. You think she'd ever want to spend her life with me, then?" He scoffed, furious. "That would be the end of everything."Sienna's hands, once frantically pounding at his arms, began to go limp—her strength draining fast. And still, he didn't let go. "Why didn't I see how twisted your heart really is before? If not for you, Natalie and I wouldn't have ended up like