Chapter 352 Childish
‘Oli’ and ‘Little Baby’ both sounded childish.
Oliver could not help but laugh despite his irritation. ‘Does she really think I’ll be stumped by this?’
Then, he said meaningfully, “Mrs. Windsor, have you forgotten that you eventually need to return home?"
Natalie made a tsk sound and responded, "Who says I have to return to Rosewood Estate?"
She considered staying at Jane’s place until she remembered Anthony was there.
Just then, Lilian hurried over with a long down jacket, placing it over Natalie, who wore only a windbreaker.
Natalie, caught off guard, was about to express her gratitude when Lilian explained, "Oliver told me to bring you a jacket. He said it’d be cold tonight and that if you fall sick, he’d send me back to France.”
Then, Lilian lowered her voice to whisper before she added, “It’s not even that cold. Do you feel warm? If so, I’ll take the jacket away.”
"It’s okay. Thank you, Lilian," Natalie said, holding her phone in one hand while keeping the jacket over her shoulder with the other.
The jacket shielded her from the chill of the late winter air.
Lilian's words lingered in Natalie's thoughts.
‘He reached out to Lilian so quickly. Why didn’t he say anything on the phone?’
After Lilian left, she said, “Lilian brought me a jacket.”
Oliver replied in a soft tone, "Hmm... She acts quite fast."
"Thank you," Natalie said, pausing briefly before adding, "Honey."
Oliver was momentarily stunned. Her voice was gentle and affectionate. Throughout his life, most people addressed him with respect. In short, he was very pleased with this term of endearment.
…
On the other side, Susan’s feelings were in turmoil. She was shocked when she confirmed that Natalie was indeed on the phone with Oliver. She thought about her calls to Oliver; each and every time, she would be the one talking, initiating conversations, while Oliver played a passive role in listening. However, not only did Oliver take the initiative to call Natalie, but based on how brief Natalie’s replies were, it was clear that Oliver did most of the talking.
Susan found this hard to accept. She had always pegged Oliver as a distant and cold person. However, it seemed like his cold exterior would melt away in Natalie’s presence.
This insight stirred a deep jealousy within Susan; she was almost driven to the point of madness by this.
…
Meanwhile, the program's ample funding meant accommodations were at a luxurious seaside hotel, where opening a window welcomed the soothing sounds of waves crashing and the salty scent of sea air.
After her shower, Natalie noticed an unread message from an unknown sender on her phone.
[The likelihood of a leukemia relapse following chemotherapy is quite high. Natalie, have you ever wondered why your bone marrow isn't a compatible match?]
The words struck a chord, causing her to freeze for a moment. Finding a bone marrow match for Lucas had always been of paramount importance to her, and she had always regretted the fact that her bone marrow did not match his.
Considering the anonymity of the sender, Natalie was worried about the sender’s intention. Before she could think about it further, the other party called.
“Who are you? What do you want?” Natalie asked bluntly.
“Meet me at the beach,” a familiar voice said.
Natalie was in disbelief when she heard the voice.
“Hailey?”
"Oh, you recognized my voice? Well, I guess it’s not surprising considering you stayed with us for so many years,” Hailey said, making no attempt to hide her identity, “Come to the beach alone, and don’t tell anyone. I know Jane is staying in the room to your left and Lilian to your right. I know everything about your surroundings. It’d be wise for you to refrain from attempting any tricks. You should know I wouldn’t look for you unless I’m very confident.”
“What do you want, Hailey?"
Natalie, standing by the bedside, had a view of the rocky beach's edge from her position. The area was engulfed in darkness, deserted at night. If something were to happen, there would be no one to help her.
"Don’t try to fool me, Hailey. It’s not unusual for biological siblings to be incompatible for a bone marrow match," Natalie said, probing cautiously.
"Believe what you will!"
Hailey's laughter mingled with the sound of the sea breeze.
"If I don’t see you in ten minutes, I’ll leave. This is the only chance for you to discover the truth.”
With those final words, Hailey ended the call, clearly confident about the outcome.
Natalie hesitated and refrained from acting impulsively. Given Hailey's current situation, abandoned by Robert who was surrounded by rumors of his secret child with his secretary, Hailey was relatively helpless.
Natalie and Lucas had severed ties with the Watson family, and Hailey had lost her value. With Robert's advancing age, the prospect of him fathering another child was slim.
‘Who leaked the information to Hailey? Who sent her here? Even Oliver doesn’t know that my room is between Jane’s and Lilian’s…’
After a moment's deliberation, Natalie quickly changed her clothes and sent a message.
Natalie: [Follow me but stay hidden.]
After that, she shared her location.
Natalie, who had known Hailey for ten years, knew that Hailey must have some tricks up her sleeve. She was not so foolish as to recklessly put herself in danger.
This situation called for someone like Casey, an experienced professional bodyguard. Given Casey's recent assignment to Natalie, few were aware of his existence.
…
The beach was devoid of streetlights, and on this particular night, even the moon was obscured by clouds. The distant, rotating lighthouse beam provided the only sliver of light, warding off total darkness.
Following the call with Natalie, Hailey proceeded to dial another number.
"Hailey, why are you calling me again? Didn’t I make it clear that we’re done?” Susan said irritably, “I’ve already gotten you released, so we’re even. Don’t call me again!”
Susan naturally knew that it would not be beneficial to be entangled with Hailey.
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