So what if Natalie and William had some marks on them? They were young and engaged. It was normal.
The back-and-forth arguing gave Ashley a headache. She stayed silent, face tight with frustration. Hailey pouted but didn't dare say anything more.
As soon as they returned to her room, Hailey grabbed her phone and called William. "Natalie's back," she said.
William, groggy from sleep, glanced at the time and muttered, "Okay. Got it."
Hailey frowned at his lackluster tone. "Do you… feel sorry for her?"
"Why should I care about a backup blood bank?"
"She's your fiancee!"
"In my heart, you've always been my fiancee. Only you," William said smoothly before hanging up.
Afterward, he picked up a second phone and opened the messaging app. But it was empty.
That was wrong. He had paid the paparazzi—shouldn't they have contacted him by now?
He dialed the number, annoyance brewing… only to hear a familiar voice answer.
"Your people are at the police station. Go get them."
It was Logan.
William froze.
How did Logan know he was calling? That number wasn't linked to him. As long as he didn't speak…
Just as he was about to hang up, Logan's voice came through again, light and mocking.
"Natalie's doing just fine."
William: "???"
His chest tightened. He suddenly felt like a green patch of humiliation had sprouted right over his head.
Logan, on the other end, chuckled and hung up.
He glanced down at his watch.
Parker's Corporation would start the day in two hours.
He reached instinctively for his left sleeve, only to find it empty.
"Sir, would you like me to retrieve your cufflinks?" Dylan asked cautiously.
"No need."
"But—"
Logan gave him a look that made Dylan instantly shut up.
That cufflink wasn't just any accessory. It held a rare gem—the only token of his wife's inheritance.
For years, Garner and Audrey had schemed against him. But they had never dared to kill him, because they couldn't find that token.
Now it was gone.
How could he not be concerned?
"Buy her a gift and deliver it later," Logan said.
"Do you want me to retrieve the cufflink?" Dylan guessed.
Logan shot him another look.
Dylan straightened, "Understood. I'll go buy the gift now!"
…
Natalie slept deeply.
No matter who knocked, she didn't stir until nearly ten in the morning.
After freshening up, she changed into a T-shirt and jeans and headed out.
Downstairs, Hailey and Ashley were sitting with William. The coffee table was piled with snacks and vegetables—but William wasn't touching any of it.
He was too frustrated.
Logan was vicious. Not only had he sent the paparazzi to the police station, but he also summoned everyone connected to the incident, including the manager of the Astoria Hotel, to the Parker Corporation for questioning.
Still, William was confident. He had covered his tracks well. There was no way Logan could link it to him. The hotel staff wouldn't know, and the paparazzi wouldn't dare speak.
But just to be safe, he needed a scapegoat.
Even if the paparazzi failed to get photos, he still had Natalie.
All she had to do was step forward and accuse Logan of assault. That alone could destroy Logan's reputation and give William a valid reason to push him out of the company—convincing both his father and the board.
The moment he heard footsteps upstairs, William looked up, eyes filled with concern and warmth. "Natalie, how are you?"
Natalie looked down at him from above.
His hair was slicked back, and his eyebrows were meticulously shaped. Even his lips had a light layer of colorless balm. His outfit, watch, belt, and shoes were all precisely coordinated—clearly the work of a professional stylist. His appearance was more polished than the most fastidious woman.
Even from a distance, Natalie thought she could catch a faint whiff of makeup and perfume, which made her stomach churn.
William stepped onto the landing.
He opened his arms with a tender expression, clearly expecting Natalie to run into his embrace like a helpless little bird and pour her heart out about her traumatic experience from the night before. But instead, all he saw was her covering her mouth in disgust.
William froze. "???"
His expression turned dark, and he snapped, "Natalie!"
Natalie lazily wiped the corner of her mouth, leaning against the railing with a casual air. "What do you want?"
William's face twisted with displeasure. "I came to see you because I was worried about you."
She smiled faintly and arched an eyebrow. "Worried? Or checking to see whether I slept with someone else?"
William scowled. "That's not what I meant—"
"But that's what happened," she interrupted with a cold smile. "After seeing Logan, I realized something. He's taller than you, more attractive than you, and his body... well, let's just say it radiates masculinity."
Natalie licked her lips as if savoring the memory. "I couldn't help myself."
William stood frozen in disbelief. This couldn't be the same Natalie who used to blush from just holding hands. When did she become so shameless?
As she watched his dumbfounded expression, Natalie added, "Thank you, William. Because of you, I finally learned what a real man is like."
"If it weren't for you, I might've spent my life thinking all men wore makeup and pretended to be women."
"Really, thank you."
The more sincere she sounded, the uglier William's face became.
"Natalie! You... You...!"
"Are you angry?" she asked, smiling.
"Oh, come on, don't be. You should be thrilled. After all, you planned this, didn't you? If it weren't for you drugging my water and personally sending me to Logan's room, how else would I have discovered that true gentlemen like him still exist?"
"Well, your plan worked. You can go back and tell everyone that your fiancée slept with Logan. You can even joke that there's a whole meadow growing on your head, wide enough for a racetrack. Let everyone pity you and curse Logan for stealing your woman."
"Natalie!" William roared, his jaw tight with fury. "Can you stop making a scene?!"
She raised a brow. "A scene? Is that what this is?"
Taking a deep breath, William tried to calm himself. He adjusted his expression, feigning concern and pain.
"Natalie, I know you're only saying this because you're upset. Last night must have been awful for you... Logan must've forced you, right?"
"You're only speaking like this because you're hurting. I understand. What happened was painful, and you're angry. But Natalie, you did it for us—for our future, didn't you?"
"And I don't mind what happened between you and him. I still love you. I love who you are, not your innocence."
Natalie stared at his sickeningly earnest face, her expression turning colder by the second.
"But I mind," she said, voice low and full of suppressed rage. "I can't forgive you for tricking me into taking those sleeping pills, then dumping me in another man's bed like some bargaining chip."