Echoes of a Forsaken Heart novel Chapter 2

Natalia's spine stiffened, a chill creeping up her back.

But she turned her head, managing to keep her expression casual. "And if it were true, what would you do?"

Hamilton's brows were furrowed, his entire demeanor radiating a frosty aura as if the warmth and passion from moments before had been an illusion.

"What else can I do? I'd help you schedule the operation."

Natalia's face gradually lost its color, her hands clenched tightly together.

Hamilton's gaze grew colder.

"Natalia, don't forget the rules of our game."

Natalia's body tensed suddenly.

Right, their relationship had always been a game. After all, she could never truly match up to Hamilton with her background.

She was from an average family.

Hamilton, on the other hand, was the eldest son and heir of the prestigious Fowler family, the true master of its empire.

Their relationship had started by sheer coincidence.

Three years ago, her mother was in a terrible car accident and needed money urgently. Natalia had swallowed her pride and gone to her biological father's mansion to ask for help.

She had collapsed after kneeling outside the opulent mansion for an entire night, without a penny to her name.

It was Hamilton, passing by, who found her.

When she woke up in the hospital, the first thing Hamilton did was propose a game to her.

An adult game with no strings attached.

Back then, all she had asked was, "Will I get paid?"

Hamilton had laughed at that, calling her "sensible."

But over these three years, while Hamilton continued to play his game, Natalia found herself falling deeper and deeper.

This was the man she'd had a crush on for years.

But she understood that this was just an unrequited love that would lead nowhere.

Suppressing the spreading ache in her heart, Natalia forced a smile.

"Don't worry, Mr. Fowler. It's not me."

Hamilton leaned back in his chair, his thin lips curving into a slight smirk. "Ms. Jenkins is always sensible. I can trust that."

Natalia smiled and quickly left the office before he could notice anything amiss.

Once outside, Tess was already waiting for her. "Boss, the meeting starts in five minutes."

Natalia nodded, composed herself, and headed to the conference room.

By the time the meeting was over, it was already 10 p.m.

Victor was cunning and shrewd.

Natalia nearly slipped up several times.

Neither gave in until the very end, finally agreeing on a price that was acceptable to both parties and signing the contract for the next year's collaboration.

As Victor was packing up, he glanced over at Natalia.

"Ms. Jenkins, care to join me for a drink?"

Natalia offered a polite smile, "It's quite late today, maybe another time. I'll treat you then, Mr. Henkel."

But Victor didn't take her refusal seriously. "Ms. Jenkins, just for a brief celebration. Why not?"

That comment gave Natalia a headache. Ever since Victor had started working on a project with her last year, he had been pursuing her.

She had turned him down many times, but Victor never seemed to give up despite her rejections.

"Your colleagues all worked so hard. Shouldn't Ms. Jenkins treat them, too?"

After Victor's insistence, Natalia reluctantly agreed.

The Crest Club was Victor's choice.

What Natalia hadn't expected was to run into Hamilton there.

Victor led everyone to a private room in the Crest Club, and after settling them in, he took Natalia to another room, claiming he had other guests to meet.

Since Natalia and Victor shared many professional contacts, she didn't think much of it and followed him.

As soon as she entered, she saw Hamilton, the center of attention amid a group of his high-flying friends. Each of them was accompanied by a woman, and sitting beside Hamilton was a B-list actress, oozing with flirtatious charm.

Hamilton, however, lounged lazily on the sofa, exuding an air of easy charm but with a distant look in his eyes. He neither accepted the actress' advances nor outright rejected them, maintaining an ambiguous atmosphere that only encouraged her further.

Natalia quickly averted her eyes.

When Hamilton noticed Natalia entering, his eyebrows lifted slightly, but he made no move. However, his brother Alden Fowler's eyes brightened at the sight of Natalia.

Alden glanced at Hamilton and then back at Natalia with a smirk.

"Ms. Jenkins, here for a drink? A little reward for all the hard work?"

Natalia chose a corner seat away from the crowd.

"Why sit so far away? Come over here," Alden called out, always one to stir the pot.

While others might not know of Natalia's relationship with Hamilton, Alden was well aware.

The B-list actress was overshadowed by Natalia's entrance. Natalia was strikingly beautiful, her pretty face paired with a seductive allure that was hard to ignore. Even in her professional attire, she radiated a charm that captivated those around her.

Alden wanted to bring Natalia closer to Hamilton, but she remained unmoved. She didn't want to join the hubbub, and Hamilton's side was already well-occupied. Sitting closer would just make her feel out of place.

Victor brought over a drink for Natalia, trying to warm up to her.

"Ms. Jenkins, to celebrate our successful collaboration today, shall we?"

Natalia didn't take the drink.

"I'm not feeling well today. I'll stick to water."

Victor was visibly displeased. He had finally managed to get Natalia out, hoping to share a drink and perhaps let one thing lead to another. But the cold rejection left him with nothing but frustration.

"Mr. Fowler, Ms. Jenkins of your company really knows how to play it cool. At a shindig like this, she won't even give me the honor of sharing a drink."

Hamilton lazily cast a glance towards them, his eyes briefly resting on Victor, who was cozying up to Natalia.

Natalia subtly shifted back, distancing herself from Victor's arm.

With a slight snort, Hamilton retorted, "If you want to charm Ms. Jenkins into having a drink, you should do the persuading himself. I may be her boss, but her personal life isn't my business."

Victor chuckled with a hint of mischief, "Well, if I end up making her cry later, don't come blaming me."

The insinuation was clear, and being all adults here, the crowd instantly caught on, starting to jeer and tease.

Natalia instinctively looked to Hamilton. But Hamilton merely shot her a fleeting glance, his expression as still as a calm lake. With a faint smile that barely concealed the growing ache in her heart, Natalia appeared to casually avert her gaze.

Alden watched his brother, Hamilton, and then Natalia. Both of them were quite the actors.

He let out a chuckle, poking the bear a little more, "Mr. Henkel, are you saying you've got a thing for Ms. Jenkins?"

Victor didn't bother hiding it, "Is it that obvious? I've been chasing Ms. Jenkins for a while."

His voice dropped to a suggestive whisper as he leaned in toward Natalia, "Ms. Jenkins, may I have the pleasure?"

"Whoa!" Alden's excitement shot through the roof, "Mr. Henkel, are you trying to steal her away right under my brother's nose?"

Victor wasn't fazed, merely locking eyes with Hamilton, "That's the plan. I greatly admire Ms. Jenkins. It's just a matter of whether Mr. Fowler is willing to let go."

Hamilton's gaze swept over indifferently, a shadow flickering in his eyes.

"Whether I let go isn't what matters. What's crucial is how Ms. Jenkins chooses. If Ms. Jenkins wishes to leave, I can hardly insist on keeping her, can I?" He paused, his cool gaze suddenly enveloping Natalia. "Ms. Jenkins, do you want to go with Mr. Henkel?"