The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming

Chapter 657 She Should Go Ahead and Do It Without Worry

Zachary's tone was gentle but firm. Though he hadn't spent much time with

Natalie, he trusted Marcus. And because of the help Natalie had given Sophia, he was also willing to trust her. In other words, Zachary believed in Natalie and Marcus as a couple.

The car sped along smoothly. They stopped every four hours to refuel, rest, and eat. When night fell, the GPS finally prompted them to exit the highway and led them into a small county town.

Once inside, the surroundings changed. It was nothing like the bustling city of Dithoria. The street lamps cast a dull yellow glow, barely lighting the roads and serving more as decoration than illumination.

Most of the shops along the streets had their lights turned off and doors shut tight. Even among the restaurants, only a few remained open.

"This place is called Everwyn County. From here, we still have a long drive through the mountains. After that, the roads only get worse," Natalie said, opening the map on her phone and showing it to Marcus.

"We'll stop near the edge of town to grab dinner and find a motel for the night. We'll continue the journey early tomorrow."

"Alright." Marcus nodded. "Nat, aren't you tired after sitting in the car for so long? We should've just taken a helicopter."

Natalie chuckled. "We can't use a helicopter here. If we would, do you think I'd have arranged for us to drive?"

"Poor Mr. Holden," she teased, reaching over to pinch his cheek. "I bet you've never been to a place like this before."

Marcus nodded honestly. "I really haven't."

"There are lots of poor counties like this in the country. The routes are bad, resources are scarce, and they can't attract business or investment. Most of the locals leave for work elsewhere," Natalie explained.

skills try to squeeze into the big cities. Once they make it there, they fight to keep their

poor, don't you? Then, you'd be wrong. There are places far worse than this-dozens, maybe hundreds

even roads leading out. Just one mountain after another. Girls born there aren't treated as human beings. They're never seen as having any

arranged marriages to benefit their brothers or sold

out. "I funded a school there and hired qualified teachers to

herbs in the mountain and harvest them. Then, we

in

bit. The more remote a place was, the harder it was to change

was difficult in the beginning," Natalie admitted, leaning back again. "The people there are rough but united. We tried all kinds of approaches. In the

were aggressive, so we had to be fiercer. Only then were we able

that they've grown

burn everything down than give in. Mr. Langton sympathized with the girls most.

might not amount to much, but even changing the fate of just

moment they were born. Some, at just 11 or 12

couldn't bear to see it, so he started doing something about

years since he began, but Coalmarsh was only discovered in the last couple of years. That's why development there has

so are you," Marcus said. He now understood why Natalie

not incredible," Natalie said with a faint smile. "I just want to help

of fighting her over anything. I knew she'd had a hard time out there, so I never tried to

hadn't come for me, we probably could have coexisted peacefully. But reality