Chapter 473
Until that moment, Natalie had been oblivious to Oliver's investigative work. She had presumed that Helen, with her audacity, had concealed her tracks too effectively to be implicated in any misstep.
However, it seemed that there was hope. Could the gathered clues lead to a convincing argument? After all, concrete evidence was still missing.
"Mr. Windsor, you might face a lawsuit for defamation for making unfounded accusations such as these!" Helen retorted with a smirk, assured that she had left no evidence behind for them to uncover. She looked at Natalie with disdain and added, "Considering the number of enemies Natalie has, who can say it wasn’t someone else with a vendetta against her who had her kidnapped?”
"How do you know that?" Oliver asked with a cunning smile, seemingly able to see through Helen.
Helen realized she had revealed too much. No one beyond their immediate group was supposed to know Natalie had been kidnapped. She quickly recovered her poise, "I, I was just making an educated guess.”
"Enough!" Mr. Hastings exclaimed, forcefully bringing his cane down on the floor with a loud thud that startled everyone present. His stare was intense as he looked at Helen.
Helen felt her heart skip a beat.
"Oliver, the responsibility for this issue rests with me. I offer my apologies," Mr. Hastings stated solemnly, his gaze then shifting back to Natalie.
Natalie saw the strange look in Mr. Hastings’ gaze. There seemed to be a hint of yearning. She narrowed her eyes, annoyed. She was acutely aware of her striking resemblance to the Hastings family, a thought she found utterly abhorrent. The idea of any connection or similarity to them filled her with repulsion.
"Mr. Hastings, the one who errs should be the one to apologize," Oliver said.
Helen, for her part, had managed to avoid any serious missteps in the past, with the exception of the recent incident. Furthermore, she had brought two children into the Hastings family. Although Susan's reputation had suffered a blow, Samuel was young, talented, and was seen as the future of the Hastings family. For all these reasons, Mr. Hastings was reluctant to turn his back on Helen.
After observing his reaction, Oliver chose not to press the issue further. Instead, he said, "There’s one more thing. Tell Susan to return my ring."
"What ring?" Mr. Hastings asked, visibly taken aback by this additional complication.
"Just ask her," Oliver replied, his tone cold.
Natalie, out of habit, rested her hand on her leg, inadvertently allowing Mr. Hastings to catch sight of the pink diamond ring on her ring finger. His gaze, almost reflexively, shifted to Oliver's left hand, which was conspicuously bare.
Mr. Hastings's expression darkened as realization dawned on him; he understood the significance of the missing ring. Were it not for his self-control, he might have lost his temper.
"Fetch Susan for me at once!" he commanded, striking his cane against the floor with such force that it left the servants in a stunned silence.
Natalie and Oliver, however, remained unfazed by his outburst.
When a servant returned, she said tremblingly, struggling to deliver the message, "Sir, Miss Susan, she, she said that she’s unwell and that she’s unable to join us.”
It was evident that Susan had sequestered herself in her room, overwhelmed by guilt and unable to face the consequences of her actions.
"Tell her that if she doesn’t come down immediately, I’ll have to make my way up there myself! Is that what she wants?" Mr. Hastings demanded angrily.
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