Chapter 327 Imminent Crisis
Watching Natalie turn around, her firm and distant figure seemed to carry a hatred transcending lifetimes.
Even if it required a thousand different methods, they must separate!
Thinking of the hatred brought about by another life, Cedric stiffened. He stood in place with a hint of hurt in his eyes.
Was Natalie really the same as him? Had she really come from another lifetime?
If that was the case, how could he ever make up for the pain she carried in both lifetimes?
Lucas glanced in the direction Natalie left, then approached Cedric and said solemnly, “Mr. Johnson, that person has called three times personally. He hopes you’ll return to Wexford immediately!”
That person…!
Wexford.
That was a side of Cedric that had always remained unknown to others. Not even Natalie or Rebecca had any knowledge of it.
Wexford represented a powerful and mysterious presence–his father!
Who could have thought that the person everyone in the Johnson family believed to be dead had been living in the darkest corners of their world?
Across generations, someone in the Johnson family was always tasked with succeeding in this heavy responsibility. Cedric was the only male bloodline in this current generation, so the task naturally fell onto him.
This time, he had received three personal calls, indicating he had no choice but to return to
Wexford.
However, he never considered leaving over the past half a month because he couldn’t locate
Natalie.
Now, Natalie was back. However, with even greater turmoil awaiting in Simeria, he worried
about her.
“If you anger that person, Madam will only get into more trouble,” Lucas warned in a serious
tone.
This reminder instantly brought Cedric to his senses.
Indeed, that person…!
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He was a person quick to shift blame! If he discovered Cedric had stayed in Simeria because of Natalie, he would definitely resort to extreme measures.
“Madam isn’t someone who easily accepts the love of others. The situation in Wexford is pressing for you,” Lucas continued.
In other words, if Cedric didn’t take over the matters in Wexford promptly, trouble would come Natalie’s way.
With three phone calls from Wexford, it was evident the situation there was also critical.
Cedric frowned and said, “If Malcolm managed to bring her back so smoothly, it means she agreed to his demands.”
As Cedric uttered these words, his tone carried a dangerous edge.
Lucas responded, “Ms. Sanders is crucial to her, so this compromise is temporary. After all, she has the Jarvis family behind her!”
In Lucas’s view, Natalie’s agreement with Malcolm was not due to emotions but rather because of Bianca.
Even so, Cedric was still displeased.
He observed the brightly lit Lotus Villa mansion and closed his eyes. He clenched his fists and trembled as if restraining something with great effort.
Finally, when he opened his eyes again, they were sharp!
Bam!
In the hall of Lotus Villa, Stephen slammed the ashtray on the carved tea table, and Natalie
shrank back.
Stephen had never been this angry before.
She looked somewhat distressed as she called out, “Uncle.”
“I’ve spent so much effort on you in these two years. Do you think those shareholders and elders in their sixties and seventies have a lot of time left to impart what they did to you?”
Natalie stayed silent.
“How would they feel when they find out they’ve educated someone like you? A deputy CEO who loses control impulsively?
“Do you want to send them to an early grave from anger? Is that it?”
“Uncle, I didn’t…”
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“You didn’t what?” Natalie’s words were sharply interrupted by Stephen’s stern tone.
Natalie pursed her l*ps. She knew that Stephen had been seriously angered during their phone
call.
In the past half month, Malcolm had taken away her phone. While it brought peace for half a month, it didn’t change anything.
The consequences she had to bear remained unchanged.
If anything, the fact that Stephen had not calmed down for half a month showed just how genuinely angered he was.
Talking made Stephen angry, and not talking made him even angrier.
“Speak up! What did you agree to with him?” Stephen asked angrily.
In truth, Stephen had probably already guessed that she had agreed to certain conditions with
Malcolm to be allowed back to Simeria.
But as her guardian, Stephen hoped that Natalie would be clever enough to find a better solution, even though he hadn’t thought of one himself.
“Natalie!” Stephen erupted in anger as he called her name.
If it weren’t for his relatively young age, he might have experienced skyrocketing blood pressure like those sixty or seventy–year–old men.
Despite having the advantage of age, Stephen still felt his ch*st heaving as if it were about to
explode.
“Uncle, can you calm down? There was really nothing I could do in this matter.”
“You couldn’t do anything? Do you know what kind of person Malcolm is? Even if you dare to provoke him, that would be one thing, but you also dared to establish a relationship with him!
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Natalie remained silent.
She also understood the severity of the situation. But in that circumstance, she really had no
other choice.
What kind of bargaining chip could she use to exchange with someone who lacked nothing and whose weak point was already dead?
Her head was throbbing.
“I know you’re worried about me, Uncle, but I already signed the marriage contract with him!”
You signed it?!”
Stephen was already angry, but hearing Natalie’s revelation made his blood pressure soar even higher than he thought possible.
Even his vision seemed to darken…!
That was just…!
“Uncle, let me explain!”
“Natalie, you’re trying to kill me. The heavens must send you to kill me.”
“I’m not! You have to believe me!”
“Shut up!”
Stephen was genuinely furious now. Even when Winona caused trouble back in the day, he hadn’t been this angry.
Children were truly troublemakers. When they didn’t cause trouble, everything was fine.
But when they did, it was always a big deal.
Especially Natalie–the audacity of her…!
Natalie pressed her l*ps together tightly. She watched as Stephen struggled to control his
anger.
Comforting him wasn’t an option, but not comforting him wasn’t either.
She knew that the moment she spoke, he would explode again.
After a long while, Stephen’s emotions finally eased slightly after drinking two large glasses
of water.
“Are you feeling better now?” Natalie softened her tone, asking in a cutesy manner.
“Stop trying to act cute!”
“Uncle…”
Natalie knew this trick was working by seeing the cracks on Stephen’s face.
There was no choice. She had to coax him!
Two years ago, she didn’t know what Winona had done to disappoint Stephen and Heather. To this day, Winona had yet to return.
In these two years, they had truly treated and loved her like a child. And sometimes, like a child, she needed to provide them with comfort.
She genuinely worried that Stephen might get seriously ill from anger.
Though I did sign, he made me sign because of the Jarvis family,” Natalie said with emphasis and sincerity.
