Chapter 870 I Won't Hurt You (Flowers Added)
Liam remarked that even when Marjorie and Hillary were pregnant, they had never received so many gifts. Thus, it was clear that apart from the gifts sent due to Oliver's relationships, a significant portion had arrived thanks to Natalie's own charm, skills, and professional standing.
"Natalie, take a look at this," Liam said, presenting a palm-sized box.
Crafted from exquisitely precious wood, the box radiated an aura of rarity and antiquity. Inside lay an emperor green jade bracelet. The bracelet was transparent and elegant, displaying a uniform color—indeed, it was a top-quality item.
Although Natalie was not well-versed in jade, she could recognize that this bracelet was likely a collector's item, valued at no less than one hundred million.
Inside the wooden box, there was also a card. The bold inscription read: I promise to love you for a lifetime.
"Natalie, this gift is unsigned; I don't know who sent it," Liam said, looking puzzled.
Although there was no signature, Natalie was certain of the sender—Roger.
Observing Natalie's complex expression, Liam did not inquire further and produced another velvet box, saying, "Natalie, this one is also without a signature."
Natalie carefully placed the bracelet in its box and opened the velvet one. It contained a collector-grade ink bottle alongside an exquisite fountain pen. The pen was small, clearly designed for a child. With her background in penmanship, she could discern that the pen was expertly crafted. She lifted the ink bottle and pen, examining them intently, and her attention was drawn to the pen nib where subtle engravings were barely visible.
"Liam, do you have a magnifying glass?" she asked.
"Yes," Liam replied before instructing a nearby servant to fetch one.
Natalie used the magnifying glass to scrutinize the engravings at the connection point, revealing the words: May you be well for the rest of your life.
Feeling overwhelmed, Natalie's hand trembled, and the magnifying glass slipped to the floor.
"Natalie, what's wrong?" Mr. Liam asked anxiously when he noticed her pale face, "Is there something wrong with the pen?"
"No," she responded quietly, placing the pen on the table and gazing at it, next to the priceless jade bracelet.
Natalie remembered Roger once mentioning in high school that it was a family tradition to gift a bracelet when marrying, and this bracelet was handed down through generations. She could not help but think of the bracelet before her. Jade bracelets of such quality and rarity had not appeared in the market or auctions for years. Could this be the heirloom bracelet Roger had spoken of?
Both gifts, given the card and the engraved words, seemed to come from Roger. However, the styles and meanings of the gifts were distinctly different, as if not from the same person. If they were from the same individual, why separate them into two distinct gifts? There was only one explanation: one was from Roger, and the other from another personality of his, perhaps an alter ego.
"Liam, thank you for handling these," Natalie said, her voice even, "I'll go upstairs first."
"Alright, take your time, Natalie," Liam responded, giving her a nod of understanding.
Natalie hurried upstairs with her phone, returned to her room, and dialed Roger's number. The room felt close and stuffy, prompting her to walk to the balcony. With each step, her heart raced faster, filled with thoughts about whether the person who would answer would be Roger or his other self.
"Natalie."
The voice on the other line was unmistakably Roger's, gentle and warm, carrying a hint of a smile.
Natalie's grip on the phone tightened as she tried to discern which personality she was speaking with, but it was impossible to tell.
"Natalie?"
"Who are..." Natalie's voice trailed off as her throat went dry. She paused for a moment and asked again, "Who are you?"
Silence fell on the other end of the phone.
"Who are you?" she repeated, her voice becoming somewhat agitated.
When Natalie had first learned of Roger's split personality, she was not afraid, just mildly concerned. The emergence of his alter ego was a result of his own struggles. For a long time, Natalie had not contacted Roger, partly to avoid raising suspicions as Roger had reasserted his stance, and partly because she believed Roger needed space to address this psychological issue.
During that lengthy period, Roger had never initiated contact with Natalie, leading her to conclude that he was still dealing with his alter ego. Unexpectedly, this other personality was still active— not only present but also displaying behaviors starkly different from Roger's typical demeanor.
"Human nature is inherently biased," Natalie murmured to herself, her inclination clearly toward Roger's original personality.
"I'm Roger," the man spoke again, his voice no longer as gentle but carrying a hint of playfulness and dominance.
Natalie could almost see him smirking mischievously. Her heart skipped a bit as she asked tremblingly, "What about the old Roger?"
Roger stood in the dark living room, the lighting poor and the space devoid of any subordinates or servants.
"Natalie, are you afraid of me?" he asked patiently before he said, "My presence only manifests with Roger's inducement and permission. I won't harm him, let alone you. What are you afraid of?"
"I'm asking you, did you send the emperor green jade bracelet to me?" Natalie’s voice carried a tinge of disappointment when she spoke.
"Why do you not suspect it was the old Roger who gave it to you?" he countered.
Natalie's heart chilled. "So you admit it."
If it had not been for the subsequent gift of the ink bottle and pen, Natalie might indeed have thought the heartfelt message had been written by Roger. But after conversing with Roger, she quickly confirmed that the emotionally charged sentence came from the alter ego, not Roger himself.
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