Echoes of a Forsaken Heart novel Chapter 174

Hamilton's face was ashen, particularly when he saw Natalia, half-drenched in her own blood. His expression was icy, like a layer of frost had settled over his features.

As his gaze lifted to meet Graham, who was hotfooting it in their direction, his eyes seemed capable of murder. Graham had never expected to run into Hamilton here of all places. But before he could pivot and flee, Hamilton's foot shot out, connecting squarely with his chest. Graham coughed up blood and crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Natalia's legs were jelly, her neck wound still oozing. She looked back at Graham's limp form, then clutched at her throat, her voice quivering as she whispered, "Thank you," to Hamilton.

Hamilton's eyes narrowed, and a cold laugh escaped him. "Natalia, you've got a lot more to thank me for!" Without another word, he scooped her up in his arms.

Natalia began to struggle. "Hamilton, let me go! I can walk on my own!" She hadn't forgotten that she was now Ryan's girlfriend. And here she was, in the arms of another man—what would people think?

But Hamilton was resolute, refusing to release her. Tears welled in Natalia's eyes. "Please, I'm begging you, okay?"

Hamilton paused mid-stride, looking down at the woman in his arms, only to realize her tears were already falling. A pang of pain jabbed at his heart. "Can't I even hold you for a moment now?"

Natalia didn't respond, just struggled out of his embrace. She slipped her feet into her shoes, which lay discarded on the ground. Once her tears were wiped away and her composure regained, she stood before Hamilton, her tone neutral. "Mr. Fowler, this is inappropriate."

Her demeanor was as normal as it could be, a stark contrast to her earlier vulnerability. Hamilton scoffed. This woman, could even her tears be a facade in his presence? "What's inappropriate? You used to be all over me. What's changed?"

Natalia's lips were a tight line. After a moment, she finally spoke. "Hamilton, I'm someone else's girlfriend now." His expression turned stony.

But he still retorted stubbornly, "So what? I saved you today, not this Ryan character!" Natalia's eyes held a complex mix of emotions as she looked at Hamilton. "Hamilton, I've told you, I don't joke about feelings. Loyalty is the bare minimum in a relationship."

Hamilton's Adam's apple bobbed, his face betraying a flicker of discomfort. Natalia's gaze swept over his face. "Of course, loyalty doesn't apply to us. Our arrangement was purely transactional, devoid of emotion."

With that, she turned, clutching her bleeding neck, and limped away. Hamilton watched her retreating figure, the ache in his chest spreading. He wanted to pull her back, to ask her if she truly felt nothing. Could someone devoid of emotion kneel for a whole day and night just to get him a single string of prayer beads?

In the end, he swallowed his words. This wasn't the time for such confrontations. He approached her, crouching in front of her. "I won't carry you, but what about a piggyback? At this pace, you'll bleed out before we reach the hospital."