Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother

Chapter 249: You Were Always Right

There was a silence on Natalie’s end, but she wasn’t as shocked as she might have expected.

Since Justin had entered her life, and said those bitter and hurting words about her gratitude toward Ivan, she had already started to doubt her assumptions.

But she needed to hear it from Ivan himself.

"Why didn’t you correct me back then?" Natalie asked.

"Back then, I didn’t give it much thought and left it. I assumed it meant you were probably in love with me and held on to the thought of coming back to me one day, which must be the reason for what you claim as your strength," Ivan answered.

"As you weren’t the one who messaged me and became my strength, then there’s no reason for me to feel any gratitude toward you or indebted to you," Natalie said coldly, her tone and eyes devoid of emotion, as though she were speaking to a stranger. "If you had said it was you, I might have considered listening to your request. But now, there’s no need."

Just as she was about to hang up, she heard him say, "Don’t you want to know why I agreed to marry you?"

"Because I was a slaving cow meant to turn your company profitable," Natalie said, her voice icy.

"No. There’s something you still don’t know, but you should," Ivan said. "The people you trusted aren’t what you think they are. You don’t know how they’ve been deceiving you."

about?" she asked, her tone laced

I’ve asked about

her silence as cold as her earlier tone, as though his

my family. For that, you owe me, but I never asked you for anything in return. Today, I’m asking you—what you owe me, you have to repay by granting my mother’s freedom. I give you my word, just this once. If something like this happens again from anyone in my family, I won’t ask

Ivan Brown. After this matter, what we owed each other is settled,

you agree?"

up the call and immediately sent a message to Mia, instructing her to do the

her gaze blankly fixed on

over to her. He gently took the phone from her hand

eyes carrying a tinge of sadness. "You were always right. I invested my gratitude and time in the wrong person. How could you see it,

point in thinking about it. Now that you know the truth, you’re free from that burden of

was off—that this Ivan wasn’t the same as the person who used to talk to me. I consciously ignored that feeling." Her eyes turned moist with unshed tears. "I was such a

not a loser, Natalie. You were incredibly strong. Despite having nothing, you still tried to repay the gratitude you thought you owed. It’s unfortunate that the

heavy praise," Natalie said, her voice muffled

always speak the truth," he replied, holding her tightly. "I will always treasure you. All I ask is that you trust me,

only hum in response before asking softly, "But then, who

her. Then, in a firm yet gentle tone, he said, "Now rest, and