Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 175 When Alden's call cthrough, Hamilton's expression darkened immediately.

"I'm sending someone to look for him right now. He can't have gotten far." Hamilton's gaze flickered, his response curt and to the point.

"Once you find him, stash him somewhere discreet, and don't say a word to Natalia. If she asks, just tell her he's long gone." Alden thought he must have heard wrong.

"What? Bro, why all the secrecy?" "Don't worry about the why. Just do it," Hamilton drawled, his voice laced with indifference.

No further explanation came, and with that, he hung up.

Hamilton never made a losing deal.

Natalia could see Graham again, sure. But it would cost her. Like, unblocking his number, for starters. Or, breaking things off with Ryan. At the very least, she should casking for Hamilton's help on her own.

As Hamilton pondered, Natalia's phone began to ring. He glanced at the caller ID, a flicker of coldness passing through his eyes. The n"Ryan" seemed to taunt him from the screen. Without a second thought, he disconnected the call. But it wasn't long before Ryan called again.

Hamilton's brow creased slightly. Then, he picked up the phone.

"Natalia, are you off work yet?" Ryan's voice cthrough, tinged with cheer.

Hamilton let out a mocking laugh, "Mr. Holzer? Sorry, Natalia's out like a light. Tired. Anything you need, I can pass on the message." There was a pause on the line, Ryan's voice instantly chilled.

"Hamilton? Where's Natalia? Let her take the call." Hamilton's brow arched, "Didn't I just tell you? She's asleep." After a moment of silence, Ryan hung up the phone.

When Natalia woke up, she was in a hospital room. Opening her eyes, she saw Ryan sitting beside her bed, his face marred by a bruise. Natalia blinked in confusion before speaking.

"Ryan, what are you doing here? What happened to your face?" Though Ryan's expression was strained, he managed to hide his emotions in front of Natalia.

"Are you feeling alright anywhere else?" Natalia shook her head; aside from feeling weak, she was okay. The cut on her neck wasn't deep, and with medicine applied, it hardly hurt anymore.

"What happened? Did you get into a fight?" "No," cRyan's terse reply as he adjusted her blanket.

Natalia's brows knit together as she noticed something off with Ryan's mood.

"Was it Hamilton?" Ryan paused for a moment. The night before, he had cover and ended up in a scuffle with Hamilton. Even though he knew Hamilton hadn't really done anything to Natalia, the things he said were just to rile him up. But still, he couldn't hold back. He didn't want to tell Natalia about it, though. It would just sound like he didn't trust her.

"Why didn't you tellyou were hurt, Natalia? You promisedbefore that you would letknow if anything happened, remember?" Natalia felt a twinge of guilt; it wasn't anything else but the fact that she might have worried Ryan.

"Sorry, Ryan. It was an emergency, and I didn't have the chance." "Was it that you didn't have the chance, or you didn't think to?" Ryan's tone was sharp, accusatory.

Natalia choked up. After a brief silence, she finally said, "Sorry. In the future, no matter what happens, I'll try to let you know right away." Ryan immediately regretted his harshness. In such a situation, he knew Natalia probably really hadn't had the chance. But he still felt uneasy. There was too much distance between them. She was in trouble and he could never be there for her immediately. Yet Hamilton was always lurking close by. He felt insecure.

"Natalia, when do you plan to officially join the State Department?" Natalia frowned slightly and fell silent. She had intended to move to the State Department right after handling her resignation. But now, due to the penalty fee, she had to sign an agreement with Mason.

"It might be at least another six months." Ryan's frown deepened instantly.

"Didn't you say it would be soon?" Natalia replied, "Plans have changed, but I'll try to make it as quick as possible." Once the new company with Ron Group was on track and her bet with Mason was settled, she could resign.

Ryan was visibly upset.

"Did something happen?" After a moment of silence, Natalia told the truth.

"I need to pay fifty million to break my contract with Hamilton. I had no choice but to sign an agreement with Mason." Ryan's expression darkened.

"Why didn't you tellabout this? Natalia, do you even consideryour boyfriend?" Natalia's face tensed. After a pause, she said, "Ryan, this is something I can handle on my own." Their relationship was still new; she couldn't possibly ask Ryan for the money. And if she could solve a problem through her own efforts, she didn't want to depend on a man. Asking for money always left her feeling one down. Ryan frowned at Natalia. He had always admired her intelligence and independence. But at that moment, he found it hard to appreciate those traits. He hadn't seen what she was like with Hamilton, but it was clear she depended on him when trouble struck. Yet now, she didn't even show the slightest reliance on Ryan.

Ryan knew he shouldn't rush her. She had just cout of one relationship and would naturally need tto commit to another. But with Hamilton as a formidable rival before him, he was full of a sense of crisis.

Natalia reached out from under the covers and took his hand.

"Ryan, can you givesix months?" Ryan looked at her, the question heavy in his gaze.

"Natalia, if—just if-Hamilton cback to you, would you get back together with him?" On the other side of the hospital...

Alden stood in the hallway, his face a tangled web of disgust and concern. Hamilton, with a cigarette pinched between his fingers, had a gaze that could cut through steel.

"Where was he found?" Alden frowned harder.

"Just down the block in an old, abandoned yard. By the twe got there, he was already gone." Hamilton pinched the bridge of his nose, a clear sign of his rising frustration.

"What about the surveillance in the area?" Alden shook his head, "There's only one from a convenience store nearby, but it didn't catch anything useful." After a moment of heavy silence, Hamilton nodded.

"Alright, call it in, and let's get an autopsy scheduled." With that, he turned on his heel and strode toward the exit.

As he approached Natalia's hospital room, Hamilton could hear her voice drifting through the door.

"Ryan, relax, it's over between him and me." Hamilton's already dark mood took a turn for the worse. He grasped the doorknob, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

Upon seeing Hamilton, Ryan's face clouded over.

"Mr. Fowler, I've got things under control here with Natalia. You should get srest."

But Hamilton brushed off the comment, his eyes fixed solely om Natalia in her hospital bed. The man's gaze was heavy, laden with unspoken accusations. Natalia's brow furrowed. Before she could speak, Hamilton commanded, "Step out." The direction of this blunt statement was unmistakable.

Ryan's frown deepened. "Mr. Fowler, you're the one who should leave." Hamilton's impatience flashed across his face. "I said step out. Is that not clear?" His gaze sharply pivoted to Ryan.

Ryan opened his mouth to retort, but Natalia cut in.

"Hamilton, whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Ryan." Hamilton's eyes darted to their intertwined hands. He felt a visceral urge to rip them apart.

Was this necessary? Holding hands at a tlike this?

And then there was that sentence she had just uttered. Sure, Natalia had told him that there was no m chance for them but sayingm it Ryan-it took on a whole new meaning. Was she assuring this man that there was no chance of reconciliation? What if he was bent on winning her back? "Natalia, are you sure this guy is worth all your trust?" Natalia met his gaze without flinching. "He's the person I trust the most right now."

Hamilton let out a scornful chuckle.

Just a few days together and they're already throwing around words like 'trust the most'? Leaning against the wall, he lit up another cigarette and spoke in a tone that was as casual as it was charged.

"Is that so? Then let's all talk about the good old days, back when you and I were a thing, shall we?"