457 As If She Were Her Own

Natalie was lost in her thoughts, unconsciously rolling the ring on her finger when the door to her room opened, rousing her attention instantly.

She glanced up at the figure at the door and was relieved to see that it was Jason, having been waiting for him.

“You asked for me, Ma’m” Jason walked into the room and bowed his head slightly as he stopped directly in front of her. Even without Natalie being Eric’s fiancée, she was one of the oldest members of the household and was respected, although she wasn’t active in the family business.

historical

“Yes, please sit.” Natalie directed him to the sofa beside her. When he settled down, she turned to face him, licking her lower lips and Jason recognized that move as a show of nervousness. Whatever the reason Natalie wanted him here, he had a feeling his boss had no idea of it.

“I need your help.”

And there it is.

“My help?” Jason asked, pretending not to have seen that coming. He only hoped that favor wasn’t going to land him in trouble. His boss loved the woman dearly and if anything happened to her, it was his head on a spike.

“Yes, I need information on someone,”

“Who?” Jason intentionally raised a questioning brow, already guessing it was about her daughter. Eric had asked him to search for her daughter in secret too, it seems she has changed her mind about it. He would be sure to inform his boss that the woman was now showing interest in her long-forgotten daughter.

.....

Natalie took a deep gulp before saying, “My daughter’s father.”

At once, Jason’s questioning brows furrowed instantly. It wasn’t about her daughter, but the father? What does she want to know about him when it was years already? Moreover, why was this coming up the exact moment his boss proposed to her? Was she having a change of heart? Nonetheless, it was none of his business.

“I assume that you don’t want the boss to know about it?” Jason asked, holding her gaze as he waited for her answer. Only her response would determine whether he was going to take that risk.

Natalie nodded, “Yes, Eric can’t know that I’m looking for him else he misunderstands my intention. I just want to know how he’s been living all these years and if possible, thank him for taking care of our daughter all by himself. I don’t deserve to be a mother to her, but Edward deserves...” She couldn’t find the right words to express her gratitude to the man.

“I understand,” Jason nodded in understanding. He knew about Natalie’s story and when he wasn’t running errands for Eric – and now Elijah – his other work was covering Natalie’s tracks and making sure that asshole Daniel never finds her – and the fact that she’s still alive.

It was a miracle that Eric’s father had found her on that dock bleeding and nearly drowning to death. Just to escape Daniel, she had shot herself thankfully, in the stomach and fallen into the water to die, fortunately for her, they were carrying out a secret mission underwater that night and when she fell in, they had been the ones to rescue her.

Not that Eric would let that old bastard lay a hand on her, but it was better safe than sorry. There was a reason why everyone avoided Daniel and it wasn’t only the fact he played dirty. He was a two-faced bastard and the only time he was truthful was when it benefitted him. Aside from that, anyone entering a deal with Daniel and expecting honestly from him had better well dug his grave.

“Thank you,” Natalie smiled at him gratefully, “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“It’s nothing.” Jason stood to his feet and bowed once more, “I’ll see you then when I have the information intact.” He had his hands full digging up information for Eric, and did he forget that rascal Elijah, then lastly, Natalie. Now, where was he going to begin?

As soon as Jason left, Natalie was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Once Jason provided her a means to communicate with Edward, she would visit him – and maybe catch a glimpse of her daughter. He wouldn’t need to introduce her to their daughter, just make up a lie that she’s a friend or something.

However, thinking about it now, she doubted it was going to work. Natalie remembered that day she stumbled into her daughter at the café, the girl was her copy. The resemblance was uncanny except for the fact she had inherited the red hair from her father’s side. Edward was no redhead but his grandmother had been.

Luckily for her daughter, she had her father and a whole lot of relatives to take care of her, unlike her own family that ousted her as soon as she became a liability. Natalie took a deep breath recalling her father cutting all ties with her just to push her to Daniel. Her mother had fought hard, but she was not strong enough.

By the time Natalie opened her eyes, she realized tears were sliding down her cheeks. God, she hated this. It was all in the past, but still, it cut deep inside of her remembering she had a family far away from here yet couldn’t identify with them. At first, she had wished her Papa death, but he was still her father nonetheless.

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thoughts, and she jerked in the direction only for the door to swing open in a matter of seconds and a blur ran in her direction, nearly knocking her down to the ground when their bodies collided.

“Aunt Natalie, I’m back!” Rose screamed, throwing her entire weight on her and God knows, the girl was heavier than the last time they met.

Rose was Eric’s only daughter and child he had with his former baby mama and the girl was quite a handful yet a darling.

“I missed you, aunt Natalie,” The girl pressed cute kisses all over her face and Natalie’s heart swelled with affection. It was true that she didn’t have a chance with her daughter but she would treat Rose as if she were her own.