Chapter 309
Natalie bit her lip as her father stared at the financial reports, his face aging ten years in minutes. Snow Corporation stock had crashed harder than a drunk at a wedding.
“We’re screwed,” he muttered, massaging his temples. “Haven’s payment barely plugged our overseas leak, and now
this?”
–
She leaned against the window, watching Silver City’s skyline once dotted with buildings bearing their company logo, now reduced to just headquarters.
“We’ll think of something,” she said, sounding bolder than she felt.
Her father snorted. “Unless you’re hiding a winning lottery ticket somewhere, I don’t see how.”
Natalie’s mind latched onto their only remaining lifeline: Sophia Haven’s persistent interest in her as Adam’s future wife. Not ideal, especially with Adam’s obvious disinterest, but drowning people couldn’t be picky about
lifeboats.
She pulled out her phone, thumb hovering over Sophia’s contact. “I think I’ll swing by the Haven place this
weekend,” she said casually. “Sophia mentioned those headaches of hers are back.”
Her father perked up slightly, desperation giving way to a flicker of hope. “That… might actually work.”
“It has to,” Natalie whispered, pressing call before second thoughts kicked in.
Outside the window, clouds gathered over Silver City, matching her mood as she waited for Sophia to answer.
The Haven mansion stood like a postcard of wealth, familiar to Natalie from previous visits but somehow more
intimidating now that her family teetered on financial collapse. A maid showed her to the sitting room where
Sophia waited, wrapped in a burgundy dress that complemented her still–elegant figure. Despite pushing sixty, Adam’s mother carried herself like someone who’d never doubted her place in Silver City’s pecking order.
“Natalie!” Sophia brightened, hands outstretched. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.”
Natalie squeezed her hands before settling onto the sofa. “Just buried in work. Came up for air and thought of you immediately.”
“How sweet, spending your free time with me,” Sophia said, eyes sparkling with knowledge she didn’t voice. The
Snow family’s previous little deception still rankled, but practicality trumped grudges. The Snows remained useful,
and Natalie still checked all the daughter–in–law boxes.
“Oh please,” Natalie laughed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at herself. “Hanging out with you beats most of my
Calternatives.”
Sophia winced, fingers pressing her temple. “Getting old is no picnic. These headaches are killing me lately.”
Behind her sympathetic expression, Sophia’s thoughts drifted to her stubborn son and his baffling interest in Irene Sterling. So what if Sterling had a pretty face? In their world, background trumped looks. Adam needed
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Chapter 309
someone who spoke their language, not some random doctor with three kids in tow.
‘Don’t stress about it, Natalie scooted closer, touching Sophia’s arm. She swallowed her distaste at playing nurse- friend. I’m a doctor, remember? Let me help.”
Sophia’s expression brightened considerably. “You’re such a treasure.”
“Let me check you out, Natalie said, slipping into doctor mode. “I think I can fix this.”
The sun shifted position as time passed, shadows lengthening across the plush carpet. The butler appeared carrying enough medication and equipment to make Natalie blink twice. For a simple headache, the Havens had gathered stuff that would make most small clinics jealous.
She glanced around the room, taking in the casual wealth–everything from the wallpaper to the flowers screamed money. The contrast with her family’s desperate scramble for solvency hit like a cold shower.
If I married into this family, this would be my everyday, she thought, resolve hardening. With Snow Corporation on life support, failure wasn’t an option. You can get used to luxury overnight; giving it up would crush me.
She mixed a headache remedy with practiced hands, returning to Sophia with renewed purpose. “Ready when you
are.”
Sophia looked up gratefully. “You’re a saint. The butler just gave me regular pills and told me to rest.”
“Might as well fight a bear with a butter knife,” Natalie said, genuinely smiling for the first time that day. “Actually, I could stop by regularly for the next few days. Headaches are my thing–I bet I can knock this out completely before next weekend.”
Sophia lit up like a Christmas tree. “Would you really? God, I’ve been dying for decent company. Sometimes I wish I’d had a daughter instead of just Adam!”
Natalie smiled, feeling the hook set firmly. Mission: progressing nicely.
The city lights sparkled through Haven mansion windows the following afternoon as Natalie’s fingers worked gentle circles on Sophia’s temples after giving her medicine. They chatted about everything from city gossip to the latest medical breakthroughs Natalie had read about.
The front door opened, breaking their bubble. Adam wheeled into the room with Thomas trailing behind.
“Mom,” he nodded, then glanced at Natalie with the enthusiasm of someone spotting a parking ticket. “Natalie.”
“Adam,” she replied, keeping her voice neutral.
Sophia perked up instantly. “Adam! What a surprise. Taking a break from world domination?”
“Something like that,” he answered, eyeing the medical supplies spread across the coffee table. “Everything okay
here?”
“Just headaches. Nothing serious,” Sophia waved dismissively, grabbing Natalie’s wrist. “Natalie’s been magical. She’s coming to treat me personally.”
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Adam’s expression tightened slightly as he scanned the scene. His mind spun through possibilities. Funny how Natalie has time for house calls when her family business is supposedly tanking.
“If you’re not feeling great, maybe get checked out at the medical center,” he suggested.
“Why would 12” Sophia scoffed. “I’ve got my own personal doctor right here.”
Sophia beamed at the younger woman, mentally stacking her against every potential match she’d considered for Adam. Natalie outshines them all–smart, pretty, respectful, and from a good family. If only her pigheaded son would see what was right in front of him instead of chasing that Sterling woman.
Adam watched silently, his expression growing more distant with each passing second. “Your call,” he finally said. “Just don’t ignore your health.”
Having confirmed his mother wasn’t in actual danger, he caught Thomas’s eye with a slight head tilt. The women’s voices faded as they walked out.
Traffic crawled through downtown as their car navigated between towering skyscrapers. “There’s been a development,” Thomas said, breaking the silence. Adam looked up from his phone, instantly alert.
“That guy who attacked Irene when you were away–we’ve traced his history,” Thomas continued. “He worked security for the Wright family. Specifically, he was on Samantha’s personal team.”
Adam’s eyes narrowed. “Wright connection?” The news rearranged his mental puzzle, revealing an unexpected picture. “Any direct link to Samantha herself?”
“Nothing concrete,” Thomas admitted. “Guy has zero personal beef with Irene that we can find. The problem might actually be Samantha.”
“Where is he now?”
Thomas shook his head. “Disappeared after hitting Silver City. No tracks, nothing. Someone with serious pull is helping him stay invisible.”
Adam’s fingers tapped his armrest, his voice dropping dangerously. “Get everything on the Wright family. If Samantha’s behind this…”
The sentence hung unfinished, but his eyes filled in the blanks perfectly.
Thomas nodded, rarely having seen this particular look on his boss’s face. This wasn’t about business strategy anymore. Anyone who’d dared harm Irene had unknowingly awoken something far more dangerous than Haven
Enterprise’s CEO.
The car hummed through afternoon traffic, Adam’s mind already mapping his next moves. Irene’s safety wasn’t
negotiable–and neither was what would happen to whoever had threatened it.
