Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 61

Hamilton’s gaze narrowed slightly as Natalla finished speaking.

Lounging on the couch with a lazy posture, his eyes settled on Natalla, his expression carrying an enigmatic undertone, “Do you want to get married?”

Natalia hadn't actually planned on getting married, but since Graham had brought it up, it seemed like a situation she couldn't dodge.

She didn’t want to sneak around Hamilton for some matchmaking shenanigans only to stir up unnecessary trouble later. “Not really, It’s Just that he wants to set me up, and avoiding it might mean trouble from him.” Hamilton let out a soft huff. “I recall you mentioning before that you were looking to settle down.”

The memory came unbidden to Natalla; back when she first discovered she was pregnant and wanted to break free from this man, her excuse had been the desire to get married.

“Mr. Fowler, rest assured, there will be no romantic entanglements with any man until our contract is up. Even if | do go on this blind date, It's merely to appease Graham.”

Hamilton’s gaze darkened, unreadable.

But Natalla was speaking nothing but the truth.

After watching her for a prolonged moment, Hamilton grunted, “As long as you understand your position.” With that, he turned his attention back to the contracts he was reviewing.

Natalia leaned back against the headboard, no longer speaking.

Hamilton worked through several contracts, and during that time, the hospital room was eerily quiet. Natalia checked her emails on her phone; Llonel had sent over part of the information she needed.

She glanced at Hamilton’s laptop, then asked, “Hamilton, may | use your computer for a moment?”

He looked at her and passed the laptop over. However, when Natalia reached to take it, he didn’t let go. She paused, a flicker of confusion crossing her face as she looked at Hamilton.

His eyes squinted slightly, and after a moment, he said, “Next time someone tries to set you up, Ms. Jenkins, you can just say you're already taken.”

144 13.08

Bewilderment filled her eyes, but the hand holding the laptop tightened involuntarily.

“What do you mean by that, Mr. Fowler?”

Hamilton arched an eyebrow. “It means I’m giving you permission to claim you have a boyfriend.”

Natalia’s heart threatened to leap out of her chest, pounding deafeningly loud, almost drowning out Hamilton’s voice.

She let out a light chuckle, felgning nonchalance. “You're allowing me to tell people | have a boyfriend? And what if they ask who he is?”

Her voice was shaky despite her best efforts to sound normal.

Hamilton just chuckled. “Do you really not grasp my Implication?”

Natalia’s lips were taut with tension. She genuinely didn’t understand what he was getting at. Why tell her to claim she had a boyfriend?

She dared not let herself think too much, yet she couldn’t help but wonder.

She had loved this man for far too long. From the age of seven, when he first appeared, to the tangled years at twenty-seven, this man had consumed twenty years of her life.

She could feel her love for Hamilton waning, diminishing with every merciless wound he inflicted. Yet, she still held on to the hope that one day, this man would see her worth.

She knew it was pathetic. But matters of the heart are hard to control.

Finally, Hamilton released the laptop, leaning back with arms crossed. “What | mean is, | can, albeit reluctantly, act as a shield for you, Ms. Jenkins. Do you understand?”

The reluctant shield.

Natalia could feel her racing pulse begin to slow, to calm. After a long while, she laughed. mockingly at herself. Knowing the Impossibility, she wondered why she still harbored. delusions.

She composed herself, looking at Hamilton with an air of polse. “Wouldn't that be inappropriate?” never

Hamilton seemed Indifferent. He truly didn’t care. He had always done as he pleased, never considering the feelings of others, but it was different for Natalla.

Claiming to have a boyfriend would indeed spare her many troubles. At least, it would extinguish the hopes of those harboring Inappropriate Intentions.

“There’s nothing Inappropriate about that.

Natalla laughed softly. “Aren’t you worried Ms. Schafer might find out?”

Hamilton gave her a look and a light laugh. “Haven't you emphasized our relationship to

Eveleen more than once? Having repeatedly informed her of our situation, why play innocent now?”

Natalia was taken aback. Indeed, she had indirectly mentioned her Involvement with Hamilton. to Eveleen. But when had it not been under duress from Eveleen’s provocations? And did she ever want to say it?

It was clear she was the one with Hamilton, yet she was made to feel as though she had something to hide. In this triad, she was always the passive one. She never wished to be the third person caught between them.

Natalia fell silent. She sat on the bed, quietly working through the information Lionel had sent. Though her heart felt heavy, she could bear it. Some things become less painful when you stop fixating on them.

Seeing that Natalia was silent, Hamilton’s expression did not improve. He disliked her demeanor, as if she were bearing some great injustice.

“Ms. Jenkins, you need not feel so aggrieved; after all, I’m merely stating the facts,” he said. Natalia tensed. “I’m not aggrieved.” Hamilton scoffed coldly. “Do you think | believe that?”

He stood and approached the bed. His gaze fell on the computer screen, and after a moment, his eyes narrowed. “Are you still helping that Lionel?”

Natalia didn’t look up; her fingers remained busy on the keyboard.

“Weren't it you who said | could do as | please?”

Only after saying that did she raise her eyes to meet Hamilton’s. “Mr. Fowler, you aren’t having second thoughts, are you?” Hamilton's face soured in an instant. “Are you really that hard up for cash?”

Natalia nodded without hesitation. It wasn’t just about the money; it was also about pursuing her passion.

Hamilton snorted. “How much is he paying you?”

Natalia arched an eyebrow at Hamilton. “Are you going to pay me?”

Hamilton huffed. “You sure have wishful thinking.”

Natalia couldn't help but laugh. “That settles it, then. You aren’t going to pay me more, so why can’t | make a little extra on the side? Don’t worry, Mr. Fowler, it's just a collaboration; there won’t be any physical contact.”

Hamilton’s gaze paused for a moment at the smile on her face but quickly turned frosty again. “Ms. Jenkins, were you contemplating any physical contact with that Lionel during your meal 13.09

décomo

today?”

Natalia hesitated for a moment, then said, “It was an accident today. | got dizzy when | stood up and almost took a spill. He just steadied me for a moment, that’s all. If you don’t believe me, you can check the surveillance footage.”

Hamilton was still uncomfortable deep down. He didn’t like Natalia interacting with Lionel. The

two of them looked too well-matched standing together, especially since Lionel did not lack competence or a family background. For a woman like Natalia, he indeed seemed like a catch.

Unfortunately for Hamilton, he wasn’t pleased with this picture.

He reached over, grabbed his laptop, and proceeded to delete the entire section Natalia had translated. Natalia’s eyes widened in shock. “Hamilton, what the hell are you doing?”

own condition? At times like this, you should be

Hamilton met her gaze. “Don’t you know your cutting down on screen time and getting some rest.” Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.