Chapter 484
Oliver looked down, meeting Natalie's gaze.
Her eyes were calm and indifferent, devoid of expectation or pleading. It was as if she wasn't even considering his response, merely responding to the doctor.
The room fell silent, waiting for Oliver's words.
After what felt like an eternity, with no discernable emotion on Natalie's face, Oliver conceded, "She'll heal on her own."
The doctor nodded reluctantly, jotting down notes in the medical record while reminding them, "Come in for a check-up every two weeks, make sure to maintain a balanced and nutritious diet, and be careful not to bump or injure yourself again."
That night, Oliver had arranged for a restful stay on a property he owned in Tycoon City, and planned to return to Paykston the following day.
A gourmet meal prepared by a private chef was served for dinner. Perhaps spurred by the doctor's words, Natalie ate more than usual.
Before bed, Oliver retrieved two rings, laid their bands in his broad palm, and paused before Natalie.
"Do you still want these?" he asked.
Natalie shook her head firmly. "Oliver, I no longer wanted it the moment I took it off."
Why would she need that ring when she didn't even want to get married in the first place?
With a nod of understanding, Oliver stood, extended his arm out the window, and threw the rings flying into the night. It glistened briefly in the lamplight before vanishing from sight.
Just beyond the window lay a serene lake. Although Natalie didn't see it, she still visualized the ring's descent into the depths of the water. It would cause ripples, break the surface, then sink into oblivion, possibly swept away by the undercurrent into a river, even out to sea, or buried in silt.
"Is it over?" Natalie's gaze lingered on the night outside.
Oliver seemed to emerge from the cold night, a suffocating tension in the air around him, as if seeing through Natalie.
She couldn't grasp this sudden shift in his mood.
"Did you really harm yourself just to get a divorce?" Oliver had been uncharacteristically patient around Natalie lately, holding back his temper at least in her presence. But now, the intensity of his stare was something she hadn't faced before.
Startled for a moment, Natalie's expression turned to surprise.
"Judging by the skid marks on the carpet, the wheelchair stopped because you hit the brakes," Oliver pointed to Natalie's wheelchair and continued, "Susan couldn't have flipped you and your wheelchair over unless you did it on purpose, not with her strength."
Natalie had forgotten that the wheelchair had been acquired by Oliver. He was meticulous and would have surely familiarized himself with its mechanics well before letting Natalie use it. Given his smarts, it wasn't a stretch to think he'd mastered every detail down to the last bolt.
A chill ran down Natalie's spine. She prided herself on her cleverness, having deceived the entire Hastings family, even having Samuel on her side. But Oliver had seen through her ruse in an instant.
"Why didn't you just expose me then?" she asked defiantly.
It was almost amusing to Oliver. He took a seat at the foot of the bed, and with a wry smile, he asked, "Natalie, you dare play such games with your own body but can't guess why I kept your secret?"
Why, indeed? It was either because she was his wife, and to some extent, he had to maintain her dignity in public, or maybe, just maybe, he did it out of a simple desire to protect her.
Her gut told her it was the latter, but she couldn't voice it. She had essentially declared war on Oliver.
"You don’t trust me?" Oliver's face darkened with a mixture of emotions.
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