Chapter 6
James wanted her to apologize to the person who had hurt her?
Pain lanced through Natalie's heart, but she shook her head firmly. "I did nothing wrong. I won't apologize. Not ever."
Sophie knew that if this dragged on any longer, the truth might come out. She lifted her tear-streaked face and tugged at his arm.
"James, my face hurts so bad. Please, just take me away from here?"
The sight of her reddened, swollen cheek made James' expression shift instantly. Cold fury replaced by panic and tenderness. He swept her into his arms and carried her out without another word.
Natalie watched them disappear into the distance. The anger that had been surging through her veins slowly cooled, leaving nothing behind but an ocean of hurt and heartbreak.
The tears she had been holding back for so long finally spilled over. She wiped them away. This would be the last time she ever cried for James.
She had barely stepped out of the jewelry store when a car came hurtling straight toward her.
There was no time to dodge. The impact sent her flying several feet, her body hitting the ground in a bloody heap.
The pain was blinding. Cold sweat poured down her face as every wound she carried seemed to tear open at once. By the time she reached the hospital, consciousness was already slipping away.
The nurse took one look at the severity of her injuries and used Natalie's fingerprint to unlock her phone. She scrolled through the contacts until she found the one labeled Honey.
A minute passed before James' voice came through, still sharp with lingering anger.
"If you've finally realized you were wrong, come home and apologize to Sophie."
The nurse froze for a moment, then calmly explained Natalie's condition.
James didn't believe a word of it. He was convinced this was just another one of her stunts—a performance she had staged herself.
"Even if she really was in a car accident, she apologizes first. Then I'll sign whatever needs signing."
He hung up without waiting for a response.
Left with no other choice, the nurse worked her way down the contact list and called Natalie's parents, then Andrew.
They all said the same thing. That Natalie had no manners. That she was cruel and heartless. That she needed to beg Sophie for forgiveness.
In the end, Natalie had no choice but to endure the searing pain, lift her still-bleeding hand, and sign her own name on the surgery consent form. Her writing was shaky, barely legible.
The surgery was a success. During the days she spent under observation, not a single person came to visit.
Everything—every small task, every necessary errand—she had to drag her broken body out of bed to handle herself.
It wasn't until the night before the wedding that James finally appeared at the hospital. He stood over her bed, looking down at her like she was something beneath him.
"I was ready to cancel tomorrow's ceremony, you know. But Sophie begged me to give you another chance. She's always thinking of others, and this is how you repay her kindness?"
Natalie lifted her gaze to meet his. She managed to force the faintest smile onto her face.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would be free of all of them forever.
She didn't lash out. She didn't scream accusations. Her voice was calm, almost gentle. "Then thank her for me. And tell her I'm sorry."
James froze. When their eyes met, he sensed something was different.
She was too calm, unnaturally so.
He pushed down the unease rising in his chest. When he spoke again, his voice carried an unfamiliar softness. "I'll bring flowers for you. Just focus on getting better."
Shortly after James left, Natalie checked herself out of the hospital.
As she passed the restroom, voices drifted out—Sophie and one of her friends.
"Sophie, if you wanna get back at Natalie, you don't have to go this far. Just hire someone to grab her at the wedding."
Sophie laughed softly. "You don't get it. This is the only way to make the Bennetts and James hate her even more, and feel sorry for me. Tomorrow I'll put on a show, make it look like she hired people to abduct me. Then I can get rid of her for good."
Natalie listened in silence, then walked away. She sent Rachel a message.
Sophie's little performance would be the perfect cover for her to fake her own death and disappear.
On the day of the wedding, the only attendees were Natalie's family and James.
Her father, Theodore Bennett, Mabel, and Andrew had only come because Sophie had begged and whined until they agreed. Andrew looked Natalie up and down, taking in her gaunt frame, and sneered. "You don't look anything like an heiress. Makes you wonder if they mixed up the DNA results."
Mabel tugged half-heartedly at Andrew's sleeve. "That's enough. Stop."
Theodore glanced around the room, suddenly aware that something was off. "Has anyone seen Sophie?"
The words had barely left his mouth when James pushed through the door. At that exact moment, his phone rang.
On the other end, Sophie's voice came through in hysterical sobs. "James, help me! Someone took me! They're going to—" Her voice cracked. "They're going to rape me!"