Chapter 73 An Unexpected Presence
Fresh from a shower, Natalie found herself lying in bed, her thoughts a whirlwind. Avery had given her permission to visit Rosalie the following day, a prospect that filled her with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.In her interactions with Avery and Alice at the Cullen Villa, Natalie had been the picture of subservience, a humble mouse tiptoeing around a pair of sleeping cats. She was terrified of provoking their ire, but it seemed her meekness had found favor with them.Rosalie's kidney transplant surgery had been a harrowing ordeal, one that Natalie had only been privy to once. That single encounter had been marked by severe rejection reactions, culminating in a frantic rush to the emergency room. Natalie had spent countless hours in prayer, pleading for Rosalie's survival.But recently, Rosalie's condition had improved, and Natalie found her worries gradually subsiding.Visiting the hospital had necessitated a disguise, a necessary precaution in a city like Vachilit, teeming with hundreds of hospitals and private clinics. With her limited resources, it was impossible to comb through them all.Gritting her teeth in determination, Natalie pulled up a map on her phone. She had to find Rosalie. She yearned for an escape from Vachilit, a fresh start in a place where no one knew her, a peaceful life with Rosalie.She wanted to put distance between herself and the Cullen Villa, and most importantly, Adrian. Using the travel time as a guide, she eliminated the five closest hospitals, leaving the farthest ten as potential locations. Gradually, she was narrowing down Rosalie's whereabouts.Relying on her memory of the hospital ward's layout, the appearance of the corridors and elevators, she eliminated a few more hospitals.Eventually, exhaustion claimed her, and she surrendered to sleep, the light switched off and the room plunged into darkness.In her half-asleep state, she felt a sudden weight on her chest, a suffocating pressure that made it difficult to breathe. Her eyes fluttered open, and before she could scream, her lips were silenced by a warm, familiar kiss. Panic surged through her, but the breath against her was unmistakably Adrian's.This was her room. How could Adrian be here?She froze as he began to undress her, her shock giving way to a surge of defiance. "What are you doing? Adrian, are you crazy?" she demanded, fumbling in the dim light to switch on the bedside lamp. As the light flooded the room, Adrian's handsome face came into sharp focus.It really was him."Am I crazy?" Adrian's voice was laced with a madness that chilled her. He seemed to believe that only insanity could justify his actions. His hot breath against her face turned her wheat-colored skin a deep shade of red.In a voice that was deep and hoarse, he growled into her ear, "Who is that man? Natalie, don't forget who you are!""I know who I am! Do you know who you are?" Natalie's retort was cut short as Adrian tore at her clothes again, her face paling at his sudden fury. She gritted her teeth, her brows furrowing in confusion and anger."He doesn't have a girlfriend, a wife. Why can't I be with him?" She couldn't comprehend Adrian's rage. She had distanced herself from him, so why couldn't he let her go? Did he still see their relationship as a game of cat and mouse?"Adrian, you're interfering too much! I am with Dr. Kamel, and it has nothing to do with you. We truly love each other." She was at a loss to understand Adrian's irrational behavior.Her declaration of "true love" seemed to shatter Adrian's remaining sanity. His eyes were bloodshot, his demeanor demonic, as if he had emerged from the depths of hell. Natalie watched him, fear creeping into her heart, unsure of how to handle the situation.Then, a smile appeared on Adrian's handsome, indifferent face. In the dim yellow light, it was a chilling mix of coldness and gentleness. "Natalie," he said, reaching out to take her phone. He flipped through the contacts, stopping at a particular number. "Is this his number?"
Without waiting for her response, he pressed the dial button.
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