The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus) novel Chapter 319

Charlotte suddenly chuckled.

"Looks like the most pitiful ones in the Sinclair family are still Sophia and Samantha. But, pity or not, it's a good thing the engagement was called off before any real feelings got involved."

Noah had sent the dossier to all three of them, but since they were sitting together, they had simply read it on Natalie's phone.

With their heads huddled close, they looked quite harmonious.

Noah stood nearby, maintaining his respectful posture.

Once he saw they had finished reading, he finally spoke again, "Ms. Walker, Mr. Holden called earlier. He said to let him know once you were done as he's waiting to talk to you."

Natalie exhaled lightly and took the phone Noah handed her. The screen showed an ongoing call, 15 minutes and counting.

Marcus had been considerate enough not to interrupt while she was enjoying the gossip.

"Hello, Marcus."

She cleared her throat slightly, her tone as cool and composed as ever.

"Finished reading?"

His deep, magnetic voice flowed into her ears—smooth and rich, like the sound of a cello, a true feast for the senses.

"All done." Natalie's lips curled into a slight smirk. "You're fast."

"As long as it was useful to you." Marcus chuckled. "Sinclair Group isn't a threat. Whatever you need to do to protect your rights, just do it. You don't have to worry about them overpowering Holden Group, whether it's Ivan or anyone else."

He made his message clear—no one could challenge him.

"Natalie, give me a chance to repay my debt. But even if you don't, I'll still do it anyway."

Because when Marcus set his mind on something, not even Natalie's refusal could stop him.

"You gave me this information, which means I can do whatever I want with it, right?" Instead of responding directly to Marcus' words, Natalie changed the topic.

"I gave it to you, so naturally, it's yours. Do whatever you want with it."

"Good. Then stay out of the rest. I can't stop you from repaying your so-called debt but don't interfere with my life or my work. Otherwise, if I lose my temper, even I won't be able to handle myself."

On the other end of the call, Marcus couldn't help but chuckle.

This little woman—acting all cold and fierce in front of him, yet deep down, her heart was softer than anyone's. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been fooled by Grace's fake kindness for all these years.

"Marcus!" Natalie's voice shot up the moment she heard his laugh.

"Yes, I heard you loud and clear." Marcus suppressed his amusement. "I won't interfere with your life or work. Don't worry."

"Good. Bye."

Without hesitation, Natalie hung up and tossed the phone back to Noah. "Why are you still standing here? You delivered the gift, so now you can leave."

"Mr. Holden has assigned me to you starting today. From now on, I will be responsible for your safety, Ms. Walker," Noah responded respectfully.

"Mr. Holden believes there are quite a few short-sighted people in Dithoria State. Even though everyone knows you are the real heiress of the Walkers, they still refuse to show you the respect you deserve.

"Some even allow their housekeepers to point fingers and insult you to your face. Mr. Holden finds that unacceptable. He has instructed me to follow you around. In the future, if anything like this happens again, you won't need to lift a finger as I will handle it."

As he spoke, he turned toward Charlotte and Sky.

"Mrs. Walker, Mr. Sky, these are Mr. Holden's orders. If either of you has any concerns or additional requests, you may speak to Mr. Holden directly. He is willing to make further adjustments to ensure Ms. Walker receives the best possible protection."

Charlotte looked completely stunned.

Sky, on the other hand, was just speechless.

Julia had tried calling Wendy's phone—no answer. Then, she called Ruby's—also no answer.

At that moment, she knew something was wrong.

Forcing herself up despite feeling unbearably unwell, she stepped out of the car and made her way inside.

"Wendy, what happened to you?"

The moment Julia saw Wendy lying on the ground, she gasped in shock. "Who did this to you?"

She had barely raised her voice when a violent fit of coughing overtook her.

Her throat burned and itched unbearably as if a swarm of ants were crawling inside, gnawing at her flesh.

Her face was pale as she clawed desperately at her neck as if trying to dig out whatever was tormenting her from within.

Her entire body trembled from the force of her coughing, and before she could stop it, a mouthful of bright red blood burst from her lips.

The blood splattered onto the floor. Charlotte immediately grabbed Natalie and yanked her backward several steps.

"Oh my God! Is this some kind of contagious disease?" she shrieked.

Her reaction wasn't unreasonable. After all, the dossier Marcus had sent them made it painfully clear just how wild Julia had been in her younger years.

The way she messed around—reckless and excessive—was the perfect recipe for catching something infectious.

"Sweetie, stay far away from her! We can't risk getting infected. Honestly, if she's sick, she should be staying home instead of running around spreading it to innocent people! Does she not care about leaving behind a good legacy for her descendants?"

"Shut up! I don't have anything contagious!" Julia wheezed between ragged coughs.

The force of her coughing made her eyes water, blurring her vision. She could barely make out the figure standing before her, let alone who they were.