Chapter 421 I'm Not Leaving
"Everything’s settled, so it’s inconvenient for Tina to stay here," Arthur said as he picked up a small blanket, wrapped Tina in it, and carefully lifted her.
Although the child usually expressed her aversion to her father, after falling asleep, she appeared very dependent on him. She snuggled into Arthur's arms and moved to find a comfortable spot before she continued to sleep.
Arthur summoned an assistant who quickly packed up Tina's essentials along with the custom-made anatomical models and instruments.
The group departed in haste.
Natalie had a nagging feeling that something was amiss, but she could not pinpoint it. It was not until she had finished her bedtime routine and lay in bed, mentally replaying the night's events, that she sat up abruptly.
"What’s wrong?" Oliver emerged from the bathroom, casually draped in a bathrobe, drying his hair.
Natalie's gaze sharpened as she looked at him.
Oliver set the towel aside and approached Natalie. "Baby, what’s wrong?"
"Did you already know?" Natalie stepped back to avoid his touch.
Oliver was bending down to kiss Natalie when he froze at her words. After a moment, he called, "Natalie..."
"You knew it all along, Oliver." Natalie stepped out of bed, put on her shoes, and dialed the number that had not gone through for Tina.
Arthur's arrival had been too sudden, and he even brought an assistant; it was clearly a well-planned move. He came specifically to take Tina away. He left in such a rush that he did not even care to pack his own belongings. It was impossible for Flora to have asked for the child to be taken away, absolutely impossible!
This time, the call was answered quickly.
"Hello, this is Wine."
A gentle female voice came through the receiver, sounding just like it did in a dream long past.
"Flora, it’s me," Natalie said as tears welled up in her eyes.
The woman on the other end paused for half a second. "Natalie?"
They were best friends, who had once supported each other but had parted ways in their youth. Nonetheless, upon their reunion, they felt no estrangement.
This was not the moment for catching up, so Natalie went straight to the point, asking, "Did you arrange for Tina to be taken away?"
"Was Tina with you?" Flora, initially taken aback, quickly grasped the situation. "No, I didn’t. Did Arthur take her?"
"Yes, he took her away tonight. She was staying with me."
Natalie intended to give Flora the address of Rosewood Estate, but upon noticing Oliver from the corner of her eye, she reconsidered and said, "I’ll find out where Tina is. Don’t worry, Arthur treats her quite well."
Oliver preferred to keep outsiders away from Rosewood Estate.
Flora let out a sigh of relief; her greatest concern was for Tina's well-being. After a moment, she said, "Natalie, I’ve heard that you’re now with Oliver."
During her time abroad, Flora had focused on only two things: caring for her daughter and furthering her studies in design. She had only become aware of the rumors about Natalie and Oliver's marriage upon her return to participate in a competition.
"Yes," Natalie said, "Let’s meet soon - you, me, and Jane. We can discuss everything then."
For now, the immediate concern was Tina's whereabouts.
After ending the call, Natalie felt a shiver run down her spine. She turned around and asked, "Oliver, where has Arthur taken Tina?"
"I don’t know," Oliver replied calmly, looking at Natalie.
"Where could he have gone?" Natalie pressed, skeptical of his response.
"Natalie, I don’t meddle in his business. Arthur has as many properties in Paykston as I do."
It became evident that he truly had no intention of revealing any information.
"Why didn’t you inform me about this tonight?" Natalie questioned.
"Natalie, that’s their affair, and it doesn’t concern you."
Oliver had once intervened in his brother's life, leading to disastrous consequences - Flora nearly lost her life, and Arthur departed for distant lands. Now, with Natalie in his life, his only concern was for her well-being, and he hoped that she would remain uninvolved in others' disputes.
"Flora is my friend!" Natalie responded with a look of disappointment, "Do you understand the significance of a child to a mother? Do you realize I played a role in what happened to Flora?"
"Natalie, if they reconcile, it would be for the best."
Only through reconciliation could the pain, misunderstandings, and hardships Flora and Arthur endured be healed.
Natalie shook her head. "Oliver, you’re merely defending your brother. Throughout this entire situation, Arthur has always had the upper hand, while Flora has remained passive. Without power or influence, how could Flora ever challenge Arthur and the Windsor family?"
"Natalie, I won’t get involved."
Oliver moved to touch Natalie's shoulder, but she moved her arm, avoiding him.
"Does it really matter whether you get involved? Your involvement, or lack thereof, doesn’t change the fact that Arthur is your brother, nor does it change the wealth and connections he holds back home. Oliver, you’re all just using Tina as leverage to force Flora into submission!"
"Arthur loves Flora."
"What does love have to do with this?" Natalie scoffed.
Oliver caught his breath for a moment.
‘What does love have to do with this?’
He knew Natalie had a clear understanding of love and hatred and was very loyal. And at this moment, he realized just how tough and decisive she could be.
"Just because Arthur loves Flora now, does that mean she has to be with him? When he treated her terribly before, why didn’t he consider Flora's feelings for him?"
After saying that, Natalie took a deep breath, picked up her coat, and headed for the door, saying, "Oliver, we need some time apart."
"Where are you going?" Oliver sprang from the bed and reached the door first, blocking her path.
Realizing he had spoken too harshly, Oliver sighed and said, "Natalie, it’s late. Take your frustrations out on me tomorrow, okay?"
"I’m going to sleep in my own room."
Natalie was not leaving. Leaving the house in the middle of the night was not her style; it was both immature and unsafe.
"This is your room," Oliver attempted to persuade her.
"Oliver, please move aside." Natalie was determined.
"This is your room," he reiterated.
Natalie laughed at his obstinacy and childlike behavior. "I don’t want to sleep with you tonight. If anyone should leave, it’s you, not me."
Was it not obvious?
Oliver looked at her. They were locked in a silent standoff.
Outside, the sound of rustling leaves filled the air.
"I’ll leave," Oliver finally conceded. "You can stay here."
He paused after opening the door and turned to glance at Natalie. She had her arms crossed, and her eyebrows were raised mischievously as if to say, ‘I knew you would relent’.
"Make sure to cover yourself well with the blanket tonight," he said, his concern distilled into a single caring reminder..
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