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-"

that much, then let it adorn your face forever. Don't waste

Hamilton hung

her face twisting from

was Hamilton playing

condemning her to

inflicted it

it

It must be Natalia.

then surely, he

for Natalia, he'd let her live with this disfigurement

Eveleen hurled her phone across

on witnessing the scene. She

face matched Lucinda's in its grimness. Never had he imagined Hamilton would actually fall for Natalia,

was the Schafer family's prized jewel; he wouldn't let her future be marred

a higher power. In mere hours, Eveleen had become persona non grata in the cosmetic

with anger,

trying to drive you to your

doing. I hope she

off at Scarlett's before

brief pause, she answered the

to the point. "Ms. Jenkins, I heard from Ronin that you won't be

confirmed it. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to

if you don't mind, perhaps we could meet

given Mason her word, and it was

where Mason was overseeing the setup. Upon seeing Natalia, Mason nodded slightly. "Ms. Jenkins, please have

"Thank you, Mr. Joyner."

waste time. "Ms. Jenkins, I still

replied, "I appreciate the opportunity, Mr. Joyner, but it seems I'm not meant to be part of the Ron Group

studied the woman before him, a contemporary of his son, yet

for a

a

at such a young age, Ms. Jenkins. You're

for what they were and returned a few

tone

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 for me a bit, and delegate the

Natalia's brow furrowed slightly.