Echoes of a Forsaken Heart novel Chapter 9

The morning sun had barely peeked over the horizon when Natalia's doorbell chimed, rousing her from a restless sleep. Standing on her doorstep with a warm smile was the executive assistant from the office.

"Good morning, Ms. Jenkins. Mr. Fowler has arranged for you to have a check-up today," she said, her tone polite yet friendly.

Natalia nodded, her voice still groggy, "Thanks, I appreciate it."

They arrived at the clinic, where the sight of Scarlett by the blood draw station eased Natalia's nerves. After the blood work, the assistant suggested grabbing a bite to eat.

"Mr. Fowler mentioned you could take today off," she said, her eyes scanning Natalia for a reaction.

"Sounds good to me," Natalia agreed without hesitation, her mind already on the other matters she had to attend to.

They parted ways, and Natalia made a beeline for the diner where she had agreed to meet Lionel.

"What can I get ya?" Lionel asked as soon as Natalia slid into the booth opposite him.

"Just water, thanks," she replied, keeping it simple.

Lionel flagged down the waitress and ordered a glass of ice water for Natalia. She took a sip and got straight to the point.

"You mentioned you needed my help with something. What's up?" Natalia asked, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. "I didn't get the details before, but you weren't about to ask me to go jewelry shopping with you, were you?"

Lionel chuckled and shook his head. "No, it's actually something serious." He slid a document across the table to her. "Could you help me translate this?"

Natalia paused, surprised, as she picked up the document and skimmed through the Italian legal jargon.

"What's this about?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"We're handling a complex international economic dispute and the documents are in Italian. We've been scrambling to find a professional translator, and then you called," Lionel explained.

Natalia fell silent, pondering for a moment. "How did you know I speak Italian?"

Lionel gave a knowing smile. "I've seen one of your speeches. Back at Boria University, you were quite the sensation—fluent in several languages and even served as an interpreter for dignitaries. Then you aced the diplomatic service exams during grad school."

Natalia felt a twinge of nostalgia. "Those were the days," she said, "but let's not dwell on the past."

She focused on the legal text, translating it with ease.

Lionel's eyes lit up. "I knew you'd be perfect. Would you be willing to interpret for us in court, too? We're really in a tight spot with the Italian."

"I'll have to check my schedule," Natalia replied cautiously.

"No worries. I'll let you know the court dates, and if you're available, great. If not, we'll figure something else out," Lionel said, his tone reassuring.

The two chatted for a while, and Lionel suddenly asked, "You’re not looking so good. Is it because of what happened with your stepfather?"

Natalia smiled and replied, "Sort of." She didn't really want to tell Lionel too much about her personal affairs. She didn't want anyone else to know about her affair with Hamilton either.

Although Lionel did help her a lot, in the end, Lionel was different from Scarlett.

Their conversation drifted on until Lionel glanced at his watch and suggested they grab lunch. He had a reservation at a nearby steakhouse, a place Natalia wouldn't have expected to visit, given her familiarity with Hamilton's dislike for such fare.