The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus) novel Chapter 402

The Walkers no longer held any grudges against Marcus.

After strolling in the garden with Marcus for a while, Natalie urged him to head to work.

"Get to work, Marcus! Once you wrap things up, we'll head to Amberton."

Marcus went silent for a second. "What are you going to do today, then?" he asked.

"There's something I have to take care of." Natalie took a deep breath. "Connie told me earlier there was something important she wanted to tell me. Since I got drunk that day, I didn't manage to ask her about it. So I'm heading back to my room to call her."

A hint of displeasure flickered across Marcus' face. They had only just made things official and hadn't even spent much time together, yet his girlfriend was already urging him to leave.

Natalie cast him a glare. She said in a cold voice, "Be reasonable, Marcus. A man should focus on his career, not just love."

The love-struck man was left speechless. He just wanted some time with his girlfriend. Was that so wrong?

"Quick, go now." Natalie lifted her chin, speaking in a firm, commanding tone.

She had no intention of letting a relationship take over her life.

Marcus was silent. Then, he extended both arms. "Give me a hug, then I'll leave."

"You're a full-grown man, so why are you so clingy?" Natalie walked over, barely hugging him. "I've made it official and worn your ring. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Marcus took a deep breath, caressing Natalie's hair.

"Sorry, I'll head back now then."

"Alright, go on!" Natalie gestured with her hand. "I'll walk you to your car."

Marcus glanced around, then lowered his head and placed a kiss on Natalie's forehead. "I'll pick you up for dinner after work."

"No." Natalie rejected him without any hesitation. "I'm not sure how long my work will take. Just go straight home after you're done. You should spend more time with Grandpa Charles."

"Well, okay then…" Marcus sighed and gave in. "Just call or text me when you're done."

"Sure."

Natalie nodded. "Now hurry to work! I'll have to take care of my own stuff once you leave."

Marcus pouted, seeing Natalie so eager to send him away. According to what he had read online, wasn't this supposed to be the stage where couples couldn't get enough of each other?

So why did he feel like the clingy one, while she just wanted him gone?

Was work really more important than spending time together?

Natalie had no clue what was going on in Marcus' head. She hurried him along, practically shoving him into the car. The moment he got in, Noah was already standing behind Natalie.

"You're taking Noah with you, no arguments."

Marcus rolled down the window. His eyes were soft as he gazed at Natalie. "Call me when you're done."

"Got it. Be safe, okay? Make sure the driver doesn't go too fast."

Marcus murmured a reply. "Then… I'll get going now."

"Okay, bye!" Natalie said as she waved him off.

Left with no choice, Marcus told the driver to go.

As the car drove off, Noah stood behind Natalie, silently marveling at how his boss had turned into a hopeless romantic.

His boss, who once dismissed love as trivial, was now completely under its spell.

He had to admit—Natalie's charm was something else.

The patient wore a mask, but those eyes—Natalie found them familiar at first glance. It was as if she had seen them somewhere before.

The photos attached were full-body shots, showing the patient sitting, standing, and lying down. They were taken from nearly every possible angle without missing a single detail.

The patient was wearing a sleeveless dress that barely grazed her thighs. Her delicate, almost skeletal frame made the sight all the more haunting.

One particular photo was a close-up of the patient's wrist. Her skin was so unnaturally pale that Natalie could make out something writhing beneath the veins, shifting ever so slightly.

Along with the patient's photos, the attached records documented her years of seeking treatment. Her illness began not long after childbirth. She might seem normal outwardly, but episodes of unbearable pain would leave her writhing helplessly.

Moreover, on the 15th or 30th of every month, she would grow fangs, and a grotesque face would surface over her own, making her look like a twisted version of a vampire.

Once those two days had passed, she'd return to her usual state again. Yet, the pain remained, worsening with each passing day. Her complexion grew so pale that, eventually, her skin became almost translucent.

Despite countless medical consultations, full-body scans, and repeated blood tests, every result came back normal.

With standard medical tests yielding no answers, the patient sought out experts of obscure and rare conditions, but not a single doctor could pinpoint the cause.

After exhausting every other option, she reached out to Connie via email, placing what little hope she had left in this final attempt.

Just as Natalie finished reading through the whole email, Connie called.

"Ms. Walker, you've gone through the email, right?"

Connie asked carefully, "What do you think? Should we accept the case?"

Natalie's fingers drummed softly against the table as she zoomed in on the patient's photo, her gaze lingering on the patient's eyes. On the other end, Connie stayed silent as she waited. She didn't dare to rush Natalie.

A heavy silence settled over the moment.