Chapter 21

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Chapter 21

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Lucas, swayed by Olivia and Noel’s advice, decided to wait for Natasha to apologize first before forgiving her.

But as he stared at his silent phone day after day, it suddenly hit him–over half a month had passed.

They’d never gone this long without contact before.

Regret crept in. He knew Natasha was stubborn. ‘Why did I have to pick a fight with her?‘

And then… he thought of grandma’s burned–down courtyard.

Though the Clark family tried hard to hide it, fearing Olivia might get upset in her fragile state, Madeline had to come clean when Olivia brought up transferring the property.

Without the emotional weight of the courtyard, it was just a piece of remote wasteland. The so- called “lucky charm” the fortune–teller once mentioned no longer held water.

Olivia was heartbroken. “That was Grandma’s most treasured place. How could Natasha be so cruel?”

Madeline comforted her endlessly, promising to find her an equally meaningful antique.

“It’s not about me. I’m just sad that now there’s no Grandma… and no her home anymore.”

Lucas watched Olivia, wrapped in Madeline’s arms, lost in sorrow, but his mind wandered.

Having grown up with them, he knew Natasha’s bond with Grandma ran deeper than Olivia’s.

‘If Olivia was this devastated… what about Natasha? What was going through her mind when she lit the fire? How had things gotten so bad for her?‘ He suddenly regretted not being there when she needed him most.

But his calls went straight to voicemail, and no one answered the door at her place. Lucas panicked.

If Sadie hadn’t chewed him out over the phone–at least confirming Natasha was okay–he’d have called the cops.

With all worst–case scenarios ruled out, only one possibility remained: Natasha was truly done with

him.

Lucas spiraled into anxiety.

lights turn on at night. But Natasha never opened the door. When he knocked too

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Chapter 21

a few days, Lucas looked

Margot was

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a child, the apple of the Clark family’s eye,

Natasha drifted apart from her family, and she grew

seeing her son come home defeated again, she blurted out in frustration, “Might as well swap

her son’s terrifying expression scared

nothing. The only one I’ll marry is Natasha.”

do you always pick Olivia over Natasha?”

husband’s true feelings–one cared more about a foster daughter than his own girlfriend, the other preferred a daughter–in–law who could milk more benefits from

festering wound, yet somehow ended up the

Lucas’s heart ached.

Olivia. His Natasha grew up in

had I even done?‘

Lucas returned

but she seemed genuinely angry, dead set on giving him the

big deal. Natasha was always softest on those she cared about. I’d win her

others, his persistence painted

buzzing around. Lower than a cockroach in

Back when he was investigating Natasha, this name popped up frequently in

the guy had just been

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Chapter 21

L‘

he be? Oh, and let’s not

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between him and Olivia, well, you know what they say–where there’s smoke, there’s

rushing home to feed his little rose, Alexei

corpse of a first love would

was planning to date Natasha or anything. But he sure as hell wasn’t

a quick death, peeling back his fake, hypocritical layers to

Natasha felt nothing but disgust every time she

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