Chapter 73
Chapter 73: Nathaniel’s Confession
Nathaniel’s Confession.
“Tomorrow, Silas and my family will take over the Hartleys’ secury,” Serena said to Nathaniel early in the morning. “Alice’s family has already agreed to move with me to Rexam. Kindly helps relay this to Witness Protection”
She spent the night with Alice, while Nathaniel and Gavin found aearby hotel to stay in. Serena’s bodyguard, Milo, slept in the living room of Alice’s home.
At six in the morning, Nathaniel fetched Serena for their trip back to Velmon.
Hearing her words, Nathaniel gulped. Alice was his last hold on Serena, and now she was taking the Hartleys to Rexam. What else could he do?
Like the way they came to Westfield, they drove in separate cars. The route to the nearest airport was long, but once they were on the private plane heading back to Velmon, Nathaniel finally found the courage to ask, “You know, for a married woman, you aren’t wearing a wedding ring. Are you really married to Silas Vander, Serena p>
Serena stilled in her seat. She turned to him, her beautiful hazel eyes questioning him. Then her gaze landed on his hand. “I could say the same thing to you, Mr. Thorne. Aren’t you and Vanessa Holt married p>
Nathaniel couldn’t help making a face. “Vanessa and I have no relationship. I used to accompany her because she and her father were helping with my business expansion. In return, she gained popularity and more endorsements p>
“Funny,” Serena said, averting his gaze. “The day before I left Velmon, Vanessa contacted me. She showed me an ultrasound report and said she was pregnant with your child, and that you were getting engaged p>
“What? The day before you left?” Nathaniel clarified, his brows knitting together.
“Yes,” Serena snapped back. “The day before I was supposed to take the flight to Oakridge City. She said you were having a baby and that you were getting married p>
“That’s a lie!” Nathaniel interrupted. “I swear it p>
“How can it be a lie? You were spending time with her,” Serena shot back. “You even kissed when we attended Milona’s birthday p>
Nathaniel was confused. Kissed? When did he and Vanessa kiss?
‘Milona’s birthday,’ he mouthed. When the memory finally surfaced, Timothy teasing him and Vanessa that day, he clarified, “We didn’t kiss. Vanessa asked me to check her eyes because something got into them p>
“Okay, what about Vanessa answering your phone?” Serena pressed.
“Answering my phone?” Yet again, he was baffled. But there were many instances when Vanessa was with Bianca, and during those times, Nathaniel was often with his mother.
A few times, Bianca had also invited Vanessa to stay overnight at the mansion. His phone was sometimes in his mother’s hands or left on the table while he attended to other matters, but it was never with Vanessa.
“She must have” Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. “She answered my alls without my knowledge p>
Nathaniel leaned back and massaged his temples. He couldn’t belive what Serena had just shared. ‘Could Vanessa have contributed to Serena’s resolve to leave Velmon City? What else had she done p>
Bitterness rose in his throat. He swore to teach Vanessa a lesson. Et before that, Nathaniel needed to seize the opportunity to explain everything to Serena.
“I admit my mother wanted Vanessa to be my wife,” Nathaniel said carefully. “But there was never any relationship between us. And I acknowledge that back then, I didn’t correct the rumors, because I thought
He shook his head, realizing his mistake again. “Back then, I thought ending our marriage was the best solution. But Serena… I was wrong. I know that now. When I thought you had gone on that flight to Oakridge, I realized just how much I couldn’t
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“But you used me,” Serena said through gritted teeth, “You madehe believe our marriage was real”
“I didn’t use you,” Nathaniel said, his chest tightening.
Serena shot him a glare, and he sighed, leaning back in his seat. “know how if may have looked that way. Yes, I initially approached you to connect with Victor, but falling in love with you wasn’t calculated. It wasn’t part of the plan. “
“Our relationship, from college to our marriage, was real. I may have had underlying motives, but I always treated you with love.” He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.
He sighed and said slowly, “Serena, if you can look back on our relationship. That part wasn’t a lie p>
“Only that,” he added quietly. “The new evidence against Victor bought the misery back p>
Nathaniel looked down, his head hanging low, elbows resting on his knees. “Jack Spell’s account of how he murdered my father reignited everything. Then my mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness p>
“You probably already know this,” Nathaniel continued. “It was VanderMed’s Vanguard that eventually figured out what was wrong with my mother p>
Serena didn’t answer, but her silence said enough.
“I thought my mother was dying,” Nathaniel said. “Part of her dying wish was for me
to end things with you-again, because of Victor. By extension, she held anger toward you as well. The new evidence, our confrontations with Victor in prison, the court hearings, my mother’s illness p>
He swallowed. “Everything hit at once. I… didn’t know how to hold onto you without breaking us both p>
“There was a piece of evidence tied to Victor,” Nathaniel said reluctantly. “Something that suggested you knew more than you should have. The Holts helped make sure it never surfaced. My mother used it against me. We agreed that if I stopped helping you, it would stay buried p>
“Evidence of my involvement?” Serena asked sharply.
She laughed. “Please. Whatever it was, I bet it was fabricated p>
“One company executive had a recording of Victor’s drunken confession,” Nathaniel stated. “In it, Victor claimed you knew about the stolen patents p>
“He said I knew?” Serena snapped, fury burning across her face.
“Well, specifically, he said,” Nathaniel added, lifting his fingers in air quotes, “Of course my daughter knows about the stolen patents. She is my daughter.”” 1.
Nathaniel expected another argument, but to his surprise, Serena simply laughed. “Have you ever considered that his confession could have meant something else?” Serena asked.
“Something else?” Nathaniel echoed.
Nathaniel’s pulse quickened. He had the uneasy sense that the nex words out of Serena’s mouth would change the shape of everything he believed.
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