Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 11

14:24 Chapter 10

Two simple words made Natalia swallow her refusal. She turned to Lionel with a sheepish smile, which he returned with a nonchalant shrug. To Lionel, sharing a meal with Hamilton seemed more like a treat than a chore.

They settled into their seats, and that’s when Ms. Miller nudged Natalia’s elbow with a smirk. “Come on, you two are on a date, aren't you?”

Natalia’s eyes flicked to Hamilton, who appeared unfazed, before she retorted, “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

But Ms. Miller wasn’t offended. She shot Hamilton a mock reproachful look. “Hamilton, since when do you monitor who your employees date? Look at Ms. Jenkins and this gentleman here. They’re picture-perfect together.”

After her comment, Ms. Miller winked at Natalia, as if they were conspirators.

“Ms. Jenkins, don’t mind him. What's wrong with a little romance? He might be the boss, but your personal life isn’t his to police.” Natalia’s lips curved into a thin smile. “Ms. Miller, not even a hearty burger can shut you up. huh?”

Ms. Miller’s face feigned hurt. “Ms. Jenkins, that’s harsh. I’m just looking out for you.”

“Well, that’s awfully considerate of you, Ms. Miller.” Natalia didn’t leave her an inch of dignity.

As tension simmered between them, Hamilton remained calm, meticulously slicing his steak as if oblivious to the brewing storm. The clash of cutlery against the table snapped everyone’s attention as Ms. Miller slammed her knife and fork down in frustration.

Lionel instinctively shielded Natalia, prompting Hamilton to finally glance up. His eyes lingered on Lionel’s protective arm before a sly smile graced his lips. “Lionel, always the knight in shining armor.”

Lionel chuckled, “I can’t play it cool like Mr. Fowler. If my friend’s in a tight spot. | have to step in.”

The buzzing in Natalia’s head grew louder; she knew this could only lead to unnecessary drama. She stood up abruptly and said, “I'm sorry, Mr. Fowler, | don’t feel like having lunch now. Enjoy your meal with Ms. Miller.”

Without waiting for a response, she strode out, and Lionel followed her to the door.

“Sorry about that, Lionel. | owe you one,” she said once they were outside.

Lionel waved off her concern. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not missing out on much.”

After a brief pause, he added, “You okay?”

14:21

Natalia nodded, “I’m fine.”

“Need a lift?” he offered, raising an eyebrow.

“No, thanks. | wouldn’t want to trouble you,” she replied, understanding the unspoken

implications.

Lionel laughed. “Alright then, I'll let you know when the court date’s set. You won't be too busy. will you?” “Til make time.” Natalia assured him.

“Great, take care then,” Lionel said before walking away.

Back inside the bistro, Hamilton was still at the table, his elegant fingers deftly handling the cutlery, his focus back on the steak.

“Hamilton, why didn’t you back me up?” Ms. Miller whined, wearing a mask of innocence. “Ms. Jenkins was out of line. She definitely did that on purpose yesterday, and now this?”

Hamilton finished cutting his steak, untouched on his plate, and pushed it aside. Wiping his hands with a napkin, he was done with both the meal and the pretense.

“Ms. Miller, let’s not pretend you don’t know what you're doing. Our business partnership is

over.”

Ms. Miller’s face drained of color, “What do you mean? Weren't we going to sign the contract after lunch?”

“| don’t like to work with people who don’t have a sense of proportion.”

After saying that, Hamilton tossed the napkin on the table, stood up, and made his way out. leaving Ms. Miller behind.

The streets welcomed Natalia as she wandered aimlessly, not ready to head home just yet. A familiar car pulled up beside her, Hamilton’s face appearing as the window slid down.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Get in,” he said simply.

After a moment's hesitation, Natalia complied.

“When will the test results be out?” he asked, almost as if making small talk.

“This afternoon, at three,” she replied.

“Hmm,” was all he said before the conversation dropped.

Natalia filled in the silence, “I was seeking advice from Lionel about my father’s situation.” “So, was a meal together necessary?” Hamilton's tone was skeptical.

“| don’t like owing favors.”

“Paying off debts with money is simpler.”

“| don’t have money.” Natalia retorted, her eyes meeting Hamilton’s. She knew he was well aware of her financial struggles, considering his mocking expression.

“Did you already blow through yesterday’s million? Ms. Jenkins, are you keeping a gigolo on the side?” “I'm not!” Natalia blurted out reflexively. Hamilton snorted, and silence reclaimed the car.

Natalia didn’t want to share her family troubles with him; he probably wouldn't care anyway given the disdain she saw in his eyes that one time he met her stepfather Graham.

Thankfully, Hamilton didn’t pry further.

After Hamilton dropped her off, he reminded her, “Ms. Jenkins, don’t forget our arrangement.”

Beyond their employment agreement, they had a separate arrangement outlining their relationship as benefactor and mistress, which strictly prohibited any romantic entanglements with other men during the term.

Natalia forced a smile and said, “I haven't forgotten, Mr. Fowler. Rest assured.”

With one last look, he drove away, leaving her to await the results due past three.

The executive secretary strode into Hamilton’s office with a pregnancy test report in hand.

“Mr. Fowler, Ms. Jenkins‘ test results are in.”

Hamilton took the report, glanced at it, and then asked, “Were you there when they took her blood sample?” “Yes.”

With a grunt of acknowledgment, Hamilton fed the pregnancy test into the shredder.

The following day, Natalia was back at her desk. As soon as she stepped into the office, she sensed an unusual tension in the air.

“What's going on?” she murmured to Tess.

Tess leaned in close to Natalia’s ear. “Word has it that a key partnership deal for the latter half of the year was all set-just shy of signing on the dotted line. Then out of the blue, Mr. Fowler pulled the plug, and this morning he shot down several new proposals at the meeting. He lost his cool big time.”

Natalia nodded, unfazed. Hamilton was known for his mood swings; it was nothing out of the ordinary.

She picked up the marketing proposal on her desk and instructed Tess, “Get in touch with Lyra’s agent. We can finalize the contract for the new product launch endorsement.”

14:22

Lyra always rocked the sophisticated lady vibe, and the theme for lvy Gemstone’s new line was a fusion of maturity and allure.

It wasn’t so much that Lyra was a fit for lvy Gemstone’s new campaign; it felt as if it was tailor-made for her. From the moment the new product’s theme was set, Natalia had been in contact with Lyra’s agent. Now that the planning was approved, she was eager to lock things down.

“Sure thing.” Tess replied, heading out. But moments later, she returned with a furrowed brow. “Boss, | just got a call from the executive secretary. We're not going with Lyra for the new

product endorsement. Mr. Fowler has someone else in ing with Lyra for the new