Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 68

The heavy rain was accompanied by a subtle touch of snow, resulting in a bone chilling coldness that permeated the atmosphere, penetrating every cell in the body and sending a shiver down the spine.

Growing increasingly impatient as Sherri Landor continued to take an eternity to arrive, Natalie headed upstairs to fetch a cigarette and a lighter.

Perched on the sofa, Natalie delicately cradled a cigarette between her slender fingers, igniting it with the flicker of a lighter. The swirling smoke wistfully concealed the complexity of her emotions. Despite finishing a cigarette, her inner turmoil refused to dissipate. Retrieving another from the box, she lifted it to her lips, poised to light it anew. At that very moment, the blare of Sherri incessantly honking the car horn outside could be heard.

Natalie extinguished the half-smoked cigarette and rose to her feet, making her way toward the door. As she moved, her hand instinctively picked up a conveniently positioned black umbrella before entering Sherri’s Mercedes-Benz passenger side.

The rain poured relentlessly, drenching the seat. Sherri inquired, her voice laced with curiosity, “Please, do tell me, what is the reason behind summoning me to pick you up? And where exactly are we headed in this weather?”

Sherri knew Natalie well enough to know that her friend would not go out of her way to request assistance unless necessary. The fact that Natalie had asked for her to pick her up from Adare Manor, Trevon’s residence, indicated a compelling and crucial reason behind her presence there.

Natalie playfully quipped, “Let’s go to Lovers’ Cafe to meet Trevon’s awful lover.”

Sherri turned around in shock and asked, “What do you mean?”

Observing Sherri’s perplexed expression, it became clear that she did not grasp the underlying meaning of Natalie’s remark. “Don’t zone out. Come on, take me there. Once we arrive, everything will become clear,” Natalie urged.

As Natalie’s words resonated, Sherri slowly met Natalie’s eyes before shifting back to face forward. She ignited the engine, stealing another glance at Natalie before focusing on the road ahead.

Natalie was dumbfounded and wondered, “Is she going for a confrontation?”

This time, Sherri drove relatively quickly while Natalie navigated from the passenger seat.

Following the instructions provided by the unfamiliar individual, Natalia pushed the door open and entered the private room with Sherri trailing closely behind her.

As they entered the private room, their attention was drawn to the presence of a woman with flowing, milk tea-colored curly hair. She exuded an air of elegance, adorned in a limited-edition Chanel suit that accentuated her style. Her white down jacket hung gracefully on the coat rack near the entrance.

coffee. Her nails, meticulously adorned with black sugar caramel tea-inspired nail art, shimmered and glimmered, capturing attention effortlessly. Clearly, she had invested considerable effort into her appearance, perhaps intending to

contrast to the woman’s lavish presence, Natalie’s down jacket, valued at a few

the sight of the woman seated within. She

Landor, I see you’re also here. Did Miss Foster bring a

remark did not sit well with Sherri, and she took a step

Natalie gently placed her hand on Sherri’s arm, leaning closer to whisper in her ear. “Sherri, wait for me downstairs. Your presence here might

apprehensive about leaving Natalie alone in the presence of Trevon’s ex-girlfriend. Uncertain of Natalie’s feelings towards Trevon, the unexpected

her friend to leave.

opting for a simple glass of plain water. She held the glass

radiate

not immediately acknowledge Mia. She paused before speaking slowly. “May

displeasure at Natalie’s perceived aloofness, responded with an air of arrogance, “You may address me as Miss

the purpose of our

she wasted no time. Exuding even more incredible arrogance, she replied in a commanding tone, “Leave Trevon Wilson.” As she spoke, Mia placed a check on

her eyes widening with surprise at the substantial amount. However, instead of accepting the offer, she placed the check back down. Natalie then posed a counterquestion with a steady voice, “Miss Mia, while I appreciate your generous offer of 200,000 dollars. But, I must inquire

are nonexistent, and even if you were to leave now, you would still be rewarded with 200,000 dollars. It’s a rather generous offer. Do not think that a physical relationship with him entitles you to assume Mrs. Wilson’s position or allows you

with a calm yet probing tone, “Hmm, you speak as if you are the sole person deserving of his affections. I’m curious to know what gave you

by Natalie’s sharp retort and refusal to be swayed, Mia found herself at a loss for

“First and foremost, who are you? You’re making such demands without even figuring out your own identity. What gives you the right to speak when you have not even figured out who you are to Trevon? Let me help you: Are you an ex-girlfriend, a casual fling, or a mistress? Which category do you believe you fall into?” Without waiting for a response, Natalie continued, her tone laced with sarcasm, “Secondly, it appears that you may be lacking a few brain cells. If I were clinging onto Trevon Wilson, who possesses substantial wealth, do you truly believe! would be interested in your paltry check? Do you possess some misguided

the check tightly and fixed a piercing gaze upon Natalie. “So it appears that your true motive is simply money, isn’t it?”

you even believe that yourself? You had the audacity to arrange this meeting with me today, indicating that you must have dug into the true nature of my relationship with Trevon, Well, let me remind you, based on our legal status, regardless of who you may be, you’re nothing more than a mistress. Do you understand that? It’s bad enough being the third party, but to proudly announce

crude

to argue, Natalie fired back,

the esteemed high-society mistress? Do you take pride in counting the number of times you’ve slept with Trevon Wilson? Is being a mistress considered

“Yes, it

on that day,”