Echoes of a Forsaken Heart novel Chapter 206

Hamilton scoffed and let her go.

Natalia glared at him, "Hamilton, are you out of your mind, lurking by my bed in the middle of the night! Get out, and give me back my room key!"

Hamilton chuckled, "You gave it to me, it's mine now!"

He then pulled another key card from his pocket, "This is for my room. To make it fair, let's swap. If you can't sleep here, feel free to crash at mine."

Natalia, fuming, grabbed the key card and threw it at his face.

"Get lost!"

Hamilton didn't plan on overstaying his welcome anyway. He just wanted to check on her.

Seeing she was alright somewhat eased his mind.

He wrapped her in a tight embrace and whispered, "Natalia, sweet dreams tonight."

Then, without waiting for her to react, he let her go.

Natalia watched him leave, her feelings a jumbled mess.

After two days of hustle, the summit kicked off right on schedule.

Natalia moved through the crowd, making sure everything was running smoothly.

Collin watched her with a smile that never faded.

Hamilton couldn't get into the venue, but he still managed to catch glimpses of Natalia through the live broadcast.

Looking at her on screen, he realized for the first time how stunning Natalia truly was.

She seemed to belong there, shining like a beacon.

Yet, for some reason, his heart sank.

The more exceptional she became, the further she seemed from his reach.

Her independence only seemed to grow with her achievements.

At that moment, Hamilton found himself wishing she wasn't so outstanding.

But now, even if he wanted to, he no longer had any right to hold her back.

The summit ended with a surprise: a translator became an overnight sensation, trending across social media.

The celebration dinner hosted by the Foreign Affairs Department was the next big event.

Natalia initially resisted going.

But Collin insisted, and she reluctantly agreed.

What she hadn't anticipated was Hamilton, that infuriating man, showing up.

Hamilton entered alongside Dawson.

The moment he stepped in, his eyes found Natalia.

Natalia averted her gaze after a brief eye contact.

She was mingling, wine in hand, greeting people who came up to her.

Ryan approached her, "Natalia, congratulations."

She raised her glass to his, "I should be thanking you, Ryan. Without your help, who knows how long it would've taken me to get back on track."

Ryan's smile held a touch of bitterness, "Gold will always find a way to shine. Even without me, you'd have made it back."

He paused, then added, "Natalia, I've agreed to start dating, arranged by my family."

Natalia was taken aback, but after a moment, she said, "Ryan, you'll find someone even better."

Ryan nodded, "I hope so."

After a pause, he asked, "Would you dance with me later? As a way to say goodbye."

Natalia agreed, but before she could take a step towards the dance floor, Hamilton swept her into his arms and into the throng of dancers.

Natalia's face flushed with anger.

"Hamilton, what are you doing!"

"Dancing. Isn't it obvious?" Hamilton retorted, his gaze intense.

Furious, Natalia stepped hard on his foot.