Wife by Day, Boss by Night

Curiosity wasn't just the talk of the town. Natalie was dying to know herself.

“Natalie,” Rosie exhaled, a note of exasperation in her voice.

She was about to continue when a car barreled around the corner out of nowhere, skidding to a dramatic halt right in front of them.

Rosie barely had time to react before letting out a shriek of terror.

“Hit the brakes!” In the nick of time, Natalie reached over from the passenger seat, yanking the steering wheel hard, and slammed the car against a sidewalk railing to stop.

Smoke filled the interior, and airbags burst out in all directions.

“Has that driver lost their mind?” Rosie gasped for air, her voice shaky with the aftershock of their near miss.

Thank goodness Natalie had buckled up, or only God knows what might've happened!

Natalie had nicked her forehead in the chaos, wincing at the sharp sting.

Before Natalie could check if Rosie got hurt, she heard a gentle tapping from outside the window.

Bagot stood there, his face a mask of urgency as he peered through the glass.

“Miss Natalie, Mr. Howard requests your presence outside the vehicle,” he said quietly.

Breathing heavily, Natalie looked ahead at the sleek Maybach. “Brian is a psycho.” she thought. She glanced at Rosie, their eyes meeting in shared bewilderment, as Bagot continued, “Don’t worry, we'll take good care of Ms.

James here.”

As soon as Natalie pulled open Brian's car door and hadn't even settled in, his hand shot out, pulling her close in a rush, his voice a deep growl, “Where's Nate?"

Natalie froze, her brow furrowing. Didn't he know Nate had gone over to the Morales family? “Natalie, what will you do if something happens to Nate? You might not care about him, but I do!” Brian's voice rose, tinged with anger, as he bore down on her silence.

In her heart, Natalie knew she'd treated Nate like her own son ever since he first reached out to her. But Brian's words stung as if she'd wronged Nate.

“When have I ever been bad to Nate?” She held Brian's gaze for a few intense seconds, a bitter laugh in her voice.

Madelyn was the one doting on Nate, not her. Why didn’t he go to Madelyn instead of taking it out on her?

Just then, Brian's phone rang again. Natalie caught a glimpse of the caller ID. It was Brian's Grandpa.

It was a call from Herbert.

“Answer it,” she directed softly, nodding toward his phone. “Find out where your son is.”

At the Morales estate, Natalie sat on a bench outside, taking in the quaint courtyard.

Years had passed, yet everything remained the same. The ground was blanketed with sycamore leaves in the fall and the old ginkgo tree towered behind her.

Down the long road, every house looked identical except for the door numbers.

Next door sat the Remington family, and a bit further was the residence of Benjamin.

: a The Remington family's house was dark, its curtains drawn shut as if it , 5 2

hadn't seen life in ages. A Jeep trundled up from a distance, stopping a few steps from her. A woman with cascading waves and a sultry vibe stepped out.

Their eyes met, and Natalie rose from the bench. She fell silent, unsure how to address her. It would be wrong

. > , either way, after all. She was Brian's mother.

Karin hadn't changed much over the years, and time had only refined her beauty, lending her an elegant allure.

) )

Audrey's charm couldn't hold a co , candle to Karin's. Although Audrey's features were softer and more

+ “ 5 dl delicate, Natalie admired Karin's striking beauty, a look of independence and confidence. But men often had a soft spot for the more fragile type.

Noticing Natalie outside, Karin furrowed her brow slightly but said nothing. She shut the Jeep's door with a flick and headed straight for the entryway.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.