Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 189

Hamilton's good mood evaporated in an instant.

"What did you say?" he asked, incredulity in his voice.

Natalia looked him squarely in the eye. "Do I really need to repeat myself?"

With that, she shrugged him off and walked away.

Deep down, she knew there was no point in letting these two ruin her mood. Was this kind of drama new to her? Hardly. She'd seen it all before. But still, there was something particularly nauseating about a man who would kiss her one moment and then cozy up with another woman the next. She quickened her pace toward the exit.

Hamilton caught up, his voice low as he tried to explain. "She threw herself at me. I pushed her away."

Natalia didn't even break stride. "Mr. Fowler, you don't owe me any explanations. Hug or kiss or whatever - none of it's my business. But do me a favor? Keep your theatrics away from me, okay?"

Her words once again drew a clear boundary between them.

Inside, Hamilton felt a spark of anger. "Natalia, don't you care even a little bit?"

"Why should I care?" She glanced at him, grabbed her charger, and turned back.

stood at the hospital entrance, the picture of distress. "Ms. Jenkins, I'm sorry, I just missed Hamilton so much. I didn't mean anything by it. Please don't misjudge him

to engage, she breezed past toward the interior. But Hamilton's voice called out

"Natalia!"

hoped that the evening's events might have softened their relationship, but her demeanor remained frigid. "You saw her. She hugged me

that this man had never set clear boundaries with Eveleen spoke volumes. And if he had really wanted to avoid her, Natalia doubted anything could

to Hamilton, instead fixing her gaze on Eveleen. "Eveleen, you've been targeting me for so long, trying everything you can to hurt me. Isn't this what you wanted?

left them behind and entered

to salvage

upon her. "It's what you wanted, isn't it?" he said after a

more forlorn, "Hamilton, you've got me all wrong. I

an inexhaustible resource." Eveleen went pale, her bandaged forehead standing out in the harsh light, evoking a fragile image. "Hamilton, are you really willing to throw

with detachment. "Stop with the charade, Eveleen. Do you think I don't know what you're really like?" Eveleen's facade nearly crumbled, her pretense hanging by a thread. "Hamilton, I'm not

clung to his car door, desperate for even a sliver of reassurance. But Hamilton, with a heart of stone, pried her hands loose and slammed the door shut. The car's interior muffled the outside noise, her crying a distant sound. He lit a cigarette, a headache brewing. Natalia's indifferent attitude only added to his frustration. Not caring. She truly didn't care. Even suggesting Eveleen should 'go for it.' Hamilton

and she nodded eagerly, ready to get into the

then he locked the passenger door. "Sit in the

was taken

getting in? Or should I call

seething with indignation, reluctantly climbed into the

initially dampened, brightened at her friend's infectious enthusiasm. "Hey, by the way, Alden has been poking around about your high school crush for the past few days. It's that jerk Hamilton putting him up to

gaze flickered