Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 175

When Alden's call came through, 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 come asking 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 name "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 came through, 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?"

weak, she was okay. The cut

Did you get

Ryan's terse reply as he adjusted her

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

"Was it 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

You promised me before that you would let me know if anything happened,

twinge of guilt; it wasn't anything else but the

was an emergency, and

it that you didn't have the chance, or

tone was sharp,

a brief silence, she finally said, "Sorry. In the future,

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

plan to officially

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

at least another six

Ryan's frown deepened instantly.

you say it would be

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

Ryan was visibly upset.

"Did something happen?"

moment of silence,

Hamilton. I had no choice

Ryan's expression darkened.

me about this? Natalia,

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

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

her. She had just come out of one relationship and would naturally need time to commit to another. But with Hamilton as a formidable rival before him, he was full of

under the covers and took his

give me six

looked at her, the

you, would you get back

other side

of disgust and concern. Hamilton, with a cigarette pinched between his fingers, had a gaze

"Where was he found?"

Alden frowned harder.

down the block in an old, abandoned yard. By the time we got

the bridge of his nose, a

the surveillance in

from a convenience store nearby, but it didn't catch anything

moment of heavy