Chapter 665 Playing Dumb
Natalie nodded her thanks to old Mrs. Windsor and turned to the members of the Hastings family, asking directly, "What would you like to discuss?"
James had sized up Natalie, admitting to himself that she was an impressive woman, yet he believed his daughter to be superior.
Not pleased, James said, "Didn't Ms. Hastings say she was too busy this morning?"
"It wasn't that I was too busy in the morning; I was too busy to meet with you," Natalie stated without a change of expression.
If it weren't for old Mrs. Windsor's call, she wouldn't have bothered to see them.
"You...!" James choked with irritation, "What an attitude!"
Natalie just smiled, "Let's get to the heart of the matter, shall we?"
Oliver whispered something to Mr. Liam on the side before coming back to ask Natalie to sit down and talk.
"Miss Watson, let's be frank with one another," Old Hastings sighed.
"Go ahead," Natalie replied, her opinion of Old Hastings being fairly positive. She had read about his past achievements and respected him as a venerable elder.
"This incident was Susan's fault. We, the Hastings family, failed to raise our only girl properly. She's my only granddaughter, and... I ask you to give an old man like me some face and not to pursue this matter too deeply."
Oliver's gaze toward Old Hastings was slightly cold.
The old man was trying to use his seniority to influence Natalie!
"Mr. Hastings, it's not a matter of whether I give you face or not. You have only one granddaughter in Ms. Hastings, and I have only one life," Natalie replied calmly.
"But you are unharmed now!" Susan interjected urgently, and if one observed her closely, they could see a momentary flash of resentment in her eyes.
Resentful because Natalie was unharmed.
Natalie chuckled, " How does my being unharmed relate to your intention to harm me? If I weren't unharmed, would I even be here to confront you? It almost sounds like you regret that I'm unharmed, Ms. Hastings."
Old Hastings quickly chimed in, "Natalie, Susan meant no such thing."
Natalie smiled at Old Hastings and pressed on, "Old Hastings, it's crucial for you and your family to acknowledge that your granddaughter acted against me. The previous kidnapping almost left me crippled, and this recent incident nearly cost me my life. If the roles were reversed, would you forgive me as easily as you expect me to forgive her?
"Ms. Hastings, the previous incident was my wife's fault, not my daughter's!" James frowned. Although he didn't like Helen, he still held affection for his daughter Susan. It was unfortunate that Susan seemed to have been steered wrong by Helen.
"Mr. Hastings, that sounds like an admission that this time it was Ms. Hastings's fault," Natalie said, raising an eyebrow.
The Hastings family faces showed their discomfort.
"Natalie, just spit it out. What do you mean by humiliating me and my family here? Is this fun for you?" Susan said, filled with indignation.
She took a step toward Natalie, but Oliver was already on his feet, shielding Natalie behind him with a dangerous squint in his eyes.
"Brother…"
Susan looked at Oliver, wounded. Even though it wasn't Oliver who she was up against, just the sight of him standing there, protecting Natalie, was enough to break her heart and fill her with resentment.
"Do you think I want to hurt her?" In that moment, Susan made no attempt to hide her loathing and bitterness toward Natalie.
Oliver replied coldly, "It's not like you've never hurt anyone before."
While Oliver rationally knew that Susan wasn't likely to do anything brazenly aggressive to Natalie in public, his rising to shield Natalie was a reflex, a subconscious action.
Susan clenched her fists tightly, biting her lip.
"Mr. Hastings, Miss Hastings… my stance should be pretty clear. If I wanted reconciliation, I wouldn't have refused to meet with you this morning," Natalie said. She had nearly forgotten about Samuel Hastings since he had been quiet up to this point.
He finally chimed in as though he was just there to make up the numbers, "We thought Miss Watson was just trying to intimidate us. After all, the Hastings family is willing to make a decent offer."
Samuel spoke with a nonchalant air, a touch of laziness in his tone. His words seemed off-topic, siding neither with his own family, the Hastings, nor with Natalie. It sounded more like the indifferent remarks of a bystander at a play.
In that moment, Natalie finally understood what Emily Reed had described about Samuel Hastings: he was indeed eccentric.
Oliver scoffed, "The Hastings can make a decent offer, and you think I, Oliver, can't match it?"
Marjorie nodded in agreement, "Exactly! Our granddaughter-in-law is someone we can take care of ourselves!"
Samuel, far from being offended, nodded in mock seriousness, "That's true."
Natalie thought to herself, ‘It’s confirmed. He's quirky.’
Susan pleaded with her grandfather and father, her eyes filled with distress. She dreaded the thought of going to jail and having a criminal record. The pit was vast, and then the earthquake struck. With such impeccable timing and circumstances, how did Natalie manage to escape death?
Old Hastings saw Natalie's unwilling demeanor and looked toward his longtime friend, humbling himself for his granddaughter's sake, "Marjorie, is there no room for discussion?"
Twirling the emerald bracelet on her wrist, Marjorie feigned helplessness, "I've said it before - I'm not the one involved; I don't have a say in the matter."
Old Hastings accused her, "Marjorie, you're playing dumb."
Then Marjorie dropped the act, "Old Hastings, you see the dilemma. If I help your granddaughter, my grandson will blame me."
"It's between your granddaughter and my grandson, and naturally, I have to stand by my grandson. I'm also helpless and frustrated." Without hesitation, Marjorie called upon Oliver as a shield.
Oliver stood by, indifferent to Marjorie's remarks, appearing to accept them without protest.
"If we can't come to an agreement, then I guess we'll see each other in court!" James abandoned his previous courteous facade, "Miss Watson, we, the Hastings family, were hoping to offer a win-win solution, but since you don't appreciate it, so be it! Your recording can easily be faked. Without additional witnesses or evidence, your odds of winning aren't great. We'll see what happens!"
Old Hastings wanted to stop his son's outburst, but it was too late. In the end, he could only sigh.
The Hastings family left dejectedly.
Old Hastings, weary in body and soul, realized that in fighting for his granddaughter, he had irreparably damaged his relationship with his old friend Marjorie, despite having been the one to swallow his pride.
"Susan, you and your father go ahead, and Samuel, stay with me. I need to clear my head," Old Hastings said.
The Hastings family had driven in two separate cars, so going their separate ways wasn't an issue.
James nodded in agreement, but Susan was worried, "Grandpa... is there something you're not telling me? I know I've caused trouble for the family, but I... I..."
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