Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother

Chapter 17: Bitter Words And Broken Heart

Jay turned to her, his face hard. "Though I hated your mother, I tried to be good to you because you’re my daughter. I was wrong. You’re just like her. You don’t deserve to be loved. You don’t deserve to be part of this family. Leave while I’m still being nice."

Natalie swallowed the pain that his words inflicted. "I will leave once I know what happened to Grandpa."

"He’s dying because of you. I already told you. Now leave," Sephina repeated angrily. "Jay, I don’t want to see her."

"I’ll leave once I see Grandpa," Natalie insisted, her voice firm despite the turmoil inside her.

Jay, his anger boiling over, stormed toward her.

Slap!

"Didn’t you hear what your grandma said?" Jay shouted at her. "Or would you rather see her lying in a hospital bed too?"

Natalie felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces. It was the first time her father had raised his hand at her.

Though he didn’t show her any fatherly love, he didn’t treat her badly either. But he did watch silently when others in the family hurt her. The tears she was holding back since Sephina slapped her, threatened to roll down her eyes, but she held back. She looked at her father with teary eyes, but her gaze showed stubbornness and defiance.

"Are you done?" she asked, her voice trembling but resolute. "Now tell me where Grandpa is."

clenched his fists, infuriated

is out of danger now," she informed them. "He’ll be brought back to the room shortly. There’s no need for all of you to stay here, as it

with my father," Jay responded quickly. "Can the others

stay too long," the nurse replied before

the nurse left, Natalie hurried after her, knowing she wouldn’t

seemed to be shocked by something, which isn’t good for his current heart condition. Your sister was there before his situation worsened. You might want to ask her what happened. Thankfully, we were able to stabilize him without needing another heart surgery," the nurse explained before moving on with her

him to leave the hospital and attend her wedding. Briena

Ford was wheeled toward his room on a stretcher bed. Natalie rushed to his side.

Clara stopped Natalie, "Didn’t you

tone was

her teeth at this nuisance of a woman. "Stay out of

"Don’t cause a scene here if you don’t want to worsen your grandfather’s condition. Your presence will only hurt him when he wakes up and sees you. What are you going to tell him about your secret marriage, huh? Leave

to see if he’s okay,"

of her family, she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving

him. Now leave and don’t show up here unless you’re asked

hospital staff put the frail old man on the bed and Sephina sat by his side. Before she could take

to visit her grandfather later and explain everything to him. She

she walked down the silent hospital corridor, a familiar

step-sister, Briena—the very person responsible for their grandfather’s current condition—approaching