Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 165 Hamilton picked up the call with unusual haste.

He sat on the couch, his face clouded with brooding shadows.

The housekeeper approached with a cotton swab soaked in antiseptic.

"Mr. Fowler, perhaps you should tend to that bite before it gets worse." Blood still stained Hamilton's arm from where Natalia had sunk her teeth into him.

He glanced at the wound with detached indifference and muttered, "Leave it." It was a mark from Natalia, a debt he intended to repay in kind.

Eveleen, on the other end of the line, overheard the housekeeper and felt a surge of hope.

Was Hamilton's injury the reason he hadn't shown up? "Hamilton, are you hurt? Is that why you didn't come? I'll wait for you, we can postpone the surgery until you're better." Hamilton took a drag from a freshly lit cigarette before replying, "No need to wait. The surgery's off." Eveleen's heart skipped a beat, panic rising in her voice.

"Hamilton, you promised you wouldn't abandon me! You can't go back on your word!" A scoff escaped Hamilton's lips.

"Eveleen, I did promise to help you with the surgery, and I said I wouldn't leave a scar. But if you're the artist behind your own scars, then it's a different story altogether." Eveleen choked up, her anxiety intensifying.

"What do you mean, Hamilton? How could I have done this to myself? I'm not crazy." Silence was his only response, and in those moments of quiet, Eveleen's panic soared.

"Hamilton, I-" Before she could finish, Hamilton cut in, "How many times have I warned you, Eveleen? Do you take my words for wind?" "I didn't, Hamilton, I really didn't-" "If you love scars that much, then let it adorn your face forever. Don't waste medical resources." With that, Hamilton hung up.

Eveleen stared at the disconnected call, her face twisting from hurt to a seething rage.

What was Hamilton playing at? Was he condemning her to live with this scar? All because she inflicted it upon herself? Or was it because of Natalia? It must be Natalia.

If Hamilton had discovered the scar was self-inflicted, then surely, he must suspect her involvement in the supposed kidnapping.

And for Natalia, he'd let her live with this disfigurement for life? Furious, Eveleen hurled her phone across the room.

Lucinda's expression darkened on witnessing the scene. She had overheard the entire conversation. "Hamilton can be so ruthless," she muttered, shooting a disdainful glance at Patrick. "We should have ended Natalia when we had the chance! Instead, you insisted on letting her change her name. Look where that's gotten us-stuck with a ticking tbomb!" Patrick's face matched Lucinda's in its grimness. Never had he imagined Hamilton would actually fall for Natalia, the daughter he'd cast aside, now climbing to heights his own pampered daughter could not reach. It left him feeling as though he'd swallowed bile. "What's the rush? It's just a plastic surgeon. If Hamilton can find one, can't we find another?" Patrick said as he dialed out, confident in his connections within the medical community. Eveleen was the Schafer family's prized jewel; he wouldn't let her future be marred by a scar.

But as he made call after call, Patrick realized he had been naïve. Once doctors heard Eveleen's name, they recoiled as if warned off by a higher power. In mere hours, Eveleen had becpersona non grata in the cosmetic surgery world. Patrick returned with a grim face, relaying the situation.

Lucinda turned pale with anger, and Eveleen sobbed uncontrollably.

"Is Hamilton trying to drive you to your grave?" Lucinda seethed.

"It's all that wretch Natalia's doing. I hope she rots for this!" Meanwhile, Natalia had left her apartment to drop things off at Scarlett's before heading to the hospital. Her phone rang unexpectedly-it was Mason.

After a brief pause, she answered the call.

Mason got straight to the point. "Ms. Jenkins, I heard from Ronin that you won't be joining the Ron Group anymore. Is that true?" Natalia confirmed it. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to take the position, Mr. Joyner." His voice deepened with seriousness. "Ms. Jenkins, if you don't mind, perhaps we could meet to discuss this?" After a moment of silence, Natalia agreed. She had given Mason her word, and it was only right to explain the situation in person.

They arranged to meet at a coffee shop beneath the Ron Group's Silkwood City branch, where Mason was overseeing the setup. Upon seeing Natalia, Mason nodded slightly. "Ms. Jenkins, please have a seat." "Thank you, Mr. Joyner." Once settled, Mason didn't waste time. "Ms. Jenkins, I still hope you'll consider joining the Ron Group." With a courteous smile, Natalia replied, "I appreciate the opportunity, Mr. Joyner, but it seems I'm not meant to be part of the Ron Group after all." Mason studied the woman before him, a contemporary of his son, yet markedly more composed than his own son.

His gaze flickered before he inquired, "I heard from Ronin that you're aiming for a spot at the State Department?" Natalia nodded affirmatively, "It's a rare opportunity, President Joyner." Mason gave a nod of approval.

"Not bad, to get into the State Department at such a young age, Ms. Jenkins. You're going places." Natalia recognized the pleasantries for what they were and returned a few of her own.

But Mason's tone shifted suddenly.

"However, who says joining the State Department precludes you from joining the Ron Group? Ms. Jenkins, I'll say it again, I still hope to entrust the Silkwood City branch to you. Even if you're with the State Department, you just need to strategize fora bit, and delegate the rest to Ronin. A little consulting on the side won't interfere with your diplomatic duties." Natalia's brow furrowed slightly.

She hadn't expected Mason to make such an offer.

The Silkwood City branch was newly established, brimming with om challenges, and the dea of her merely holding a title without doing the real work didn't sit well with her.

"May I ask what exactly has impressed you so, President Joyner?" Mason's piercing gaze settled on Natalia, and after a lengthy pause, he finally spoke.

"The Silkwood City branch is Ronin's brainchild. Ever wonder why he's so set on a branch in Silkwood City?"

"It's your exceptional qualities that have caught his attention. Consider it for Ronin's sake that I insist on keeping you on board." The truth behind Mason's words was unclear to Natalia.

She was aware that Ronin might find her interesting, but not to the extent of setting up a branch office just for her. Yet she didn't press further, simply nodding.

"I'll consider it." Her commitment to consider was obviously diplomatic.

She had always believed in the adage, "No reward without effort." Mason's generous offer paradoxically filled her with disquiet.

Mason seemed to understand her hesitance.

He didn't press, simply offering a smile. "Ms. Jenkins, I await your good news." With that, he rose and took his leave.

Natalia returned to the hospital, her mind a whirl with Mason's true intentions - was it really all for Ronin? Unable to cto a conclusion, she let the thought go.

She began to gather her things, preparing to bathe Tatiana.

But then a clamor from outside disrupted the calm.