Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Natalia leaned against the door, her smartphone clutched in hand, lost in thought.

A wave of bitterness washed over her heart.

Even without Eveleen in the picture, there was still the Fowler family standing between them.

She truly didn't dare to hope anymore.

Scarlett, stretching lazily, emerged from her room and paused upon seeing her.

"Natalia, why are you back so soon?"

Approaching, Scarlett's brow furrowed in concern.

"You look pale. What's wrong?"

Snapped back to reality, Natalia shook her head slightly, her gaze lowered. "It's nothing, my assignment got postponed."

But Scarlett could tell something was off.

"That's no reason to look so down. What happened?"

A bitter smile crossed Natalia's face. "Hamilton somehow found out I'm pregnant."

Scarlett felt a chill. "And then? He's bothering you again?"Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.

Natalia's smile was full of bitterness.

"He said he wants to give me and the baby a home."

Scarlett scoffed coldly, "A home, he says, as if it's that simple. What about the Fowler family? Will they agree? He hasn't even sorted out his own mess, and he's pestering you? Does he want you to suffer even more?" She glanced at Natalia.

"So, what now? What's your plan?"

Hamilton was like a bad penny, always turning up.

He probably never intended to let go in the first place.

And now that he knew about the baby, he was unlikely to back off.

Natalia rested her hand on her belly.

After a moment, she smiled weakly. "Nothing."

She wouldn't risk her child's safety, and she couldn't forget how, when her mother was not around, she couldn't reach him because he was with Eveleen.

He had asked for a chance to atone.

But some sins can be forgiven, and others, never.

That day, she lost not just her mother.

But also the courage to love.

Scarlett sighed and nodded understandingly.

"Then you should try to avoid him as much as possible."

Natalia nodded in agreement.

That night, rain began to fall suddenly.

Sitting on her bed, Natalia looked at the three keepsakes left by Tatiana.

Her gaze fixed on a broken pendant, feeling a familiar sting at the tip of her nose.

She wondered what Tatiana was thinking when she tried to piece the pendant back together.

Would she have been sad to know it would never be worn again?

Taking a deep breath, Natalia tucked the pendant into the back of her drawer.

Then she picked up the diary.

Tears fell as she flipped through it briefly.

Tatiana hadn't written much, spanning several years.

But nearly every page, every entry, was about her.

"Natalia won another award today. My girl is truly something."

"Natalia lingered outside a shop today. She liked a dress but was too shy to tell me. It's my fault; I can't even afford a pretty dress for her." "Finally saved enough to buy Natalia that dress!"

"Natalia's necklace broke. It's all my fault."

Natalia's fingers paused, crumpling the page slightly.

She remembered Tatiana bedridden for days, yet all she worried about was her broken necklace!

Guilt overwhelmed Natalia.

Clutching the diary, she suddenly froze, her eyes landing on a date.

Quickly, she pulled out her phone and opened the transaction record Hamilton had sent her from Graham's account.

Her heart raced as she scrolled.

When she found the transaction on the same date as her necklace breaking, her fingers stiffened.

She compared the dates in the diary and on Graham's transaction record.

The same day her necklace broke, Graham received a payment of two hundred thousand.

Just like the payment he received the day of Tatiana's accident.

Natalia's heart pounded uncontrollably.

If the money for Tatiana's accident was someone paying Graham, what about the day the necklace broke?

Pushing Tatiana into danger for

money made some twisted sense considering people like Lucinda and Patrick never intended to leave Tatiana alone.

But her necklace? Who would benefit from that?

Natalia's thoughts were a whirlwind.

She briefly considered Eveleen's necklace, then dismissed the thought.

Hamilton had admitted to giving it to Eveleen.

Taking a deep breath, she wondered if she was overthinking.

Maybe it was just a regular transaction?

But could such coincidences exist?

Scarlett walked in with a glass of milk.

"You're supposed to be resting!"

Natalia managed a small smile, pushing aside her chaotic thoughts.

After leaving Natalia's, Hamilton returned to his apartment.

The housekeeper had dinner ready and looked surprised. "Ms. Jenkins hasn't come back?"

Hamilton just nodded and headed to his room.

Following him, the housekeeper asked, "Did you two have a fight again?"

Without stopping, Hamilton instructed, "Pack some of Ms. Jenkins's things and take them to

her. Find an excuse to stay and look after her."

The housekeeper paused, unsure.

"Is Ms. Jenkins not coming back here to live?"

Hamilton hesitated before responding, "She will."

With no further comment, the housekeeper went to pack.

After showering, Hamilton went straight to his study and pulled out a pink crystal necklace from a drawer.

Once a seed of doubt is planted, it's hard to uproot.

He examined the necklace, then covered half with his hand.

Looking at the half-visible necklace, he swallowed hard.

Moments later, he picked up his phone and called Alden.

"Did you dig into Eveleen's background?"

Alden replied, "I did, but there's something off. It's like her records before she turned seven have been wiped clean, on purpose."

"It's only after she turned seven that

things start to show up again. I've already got someone trying to track down the Schafer family's old neighbors, but you know, after more than twenty years, it's not gonna be easy."

Hamilton nodded, then added, "Check if the therapist who worked with me back in the day ever had any sessions with Patrick."

Alden paused, not quite getting why he was asking, but he quickly agreed to look into it.

After hanging up, the housekeeper knocked and entered.

"Mr. Fowler, I've packed up Ms. Jenkins' belongings. Should I head over now?"

It was raining outside, causing Hamilton to glance briefly out the window.

"I'll drive you over."