Chapter 302
Samuel froze for a moment.
“Reciprocate?” His lips curled into a surprised smile.
Natalie nodded. “I’m not looking to start anything new right now. So p>
She just couldn’t return his efforts with feelings. If that meant he’d stop helping her, so be it.
Samuel listened, then gave a short laugh. “That makes sense. I was never the type to do something for nothing, so it’s natural you’d think that p>
Natalie looked at him, caught off guard.
He sat down across from her. “But that was before. Back then, I didn’t really have anyone I trusted. When I first met you, I’ll admit I thought about chasing you, mostly because of Alexander Ramirez. But as I got to know you, I realized you’re the kind of person I actually want as a real friend p>
He didn’t want to fake anything just to get back at Alexander anymore.
Natalie blinked, feeling her cheeks warm. Embarrassment crept up on her.
Noticing, Samuel smiled gently. “I could have handled things better. Anyone would have misunderstood. But now that everything’s out in the open, you don’t have to feel weird about it p>
Natalie took a breath. They were adults. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. Being honest was easier.
“Alright,” she said, her voice steady, her eyes clear and kind. “I’ll accept your help. Once this is all over, dinner’s on me. And if you ever need anything, just say the word p>
The next morning, Natalie arrived at the venue early. Her leg still hadn’t healed, so walking was tough. Samuel had arranged for a wheelchair ahead of time, just in
case.
The hall looked incredible. Lighting, sound, the displays-everything was top notch. Rows of seats waited for guests, perfectly lined up. Staff moved around, busy with last-minute checks before the auction.
But as the minutes passed, Natalie felt a knot tightening in her stomach.
The place that should have been bustling was eerily empty. No buyers showed up. Not even a curious onlooker. The silence was almost too much, broken only by the staff quietly testing equipment.
With less than ten minutes to go, Anne hurried over to Natalie, worry written all over her face. “Nora, we reached out to every buyer on the list. Either they suddenly had
something
come up or they won
even answer. What are we sed
to do? The auction’s about to start. It
doesn’t matter how great the items are if nobody’s here to bid p>
Natalie’s face was tense. She knew exactly who was behind this. Alexander was pulling every string he could. No matter how she solved problem, he just gave her another one. It felt like he always had a way to push her right to the edge.
Just then, Samuel walked in. He took one look at the empty hall, his brow furrowing
as he lowered his voice. “Not a single buyer showed p>
Natalie managed a small nod. “None of the buyers are coming p>
Samuel’s expression turned cold. “He’s really gone too far p>
Natalie let out a quiet, bitter laugh. “She’s his fiancée. To him, I’m the one who killed’ their child. Honestly, the fact that he hasn’t run me out of Cabinda altogether is probably, his idea of mercy p>
With Alexander’s reputation, things could be so much worse.
Samuel stayed quiet for a second, then tried to reassure her. “There’s got to be another way. Let’s think p>
Natalie nodded.
A staff member came over to let them know there were only five minutes left before the auction started. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ
Time was slipping away. Anne paced restlessly. Samuel took out his phone, calling every media contact and collector he could think of, hoping someone would show up at the last minute to save things.
Then, suddenly, Natalie spoke up. “I think I have a plan. It could work p>