Olivia, who had everyone running around worrying about her, was now lying in the hospital, her eyes burning with rage.
The dance troupe had just called her–because of her injury, she couldn’t perform, so the opportunity she’d been scheming for had to go to her understudy.
Originally, the lead role of the Black Swan was supposed to be hers, no question.
She’d spent over half a year preparing for this tour. If she nailed it, there was even a chance to land the lead in a new choreography by an internationally renowned dance master.
That was why, even when she staged the car accident, she made sure not to get seriously hurt–she couldn’t risk her career.
But Natasha went straight for the kill and wrecked her leg in one move.
‘How dare she? Back in the day, Natasha would’ve just taken the hit to her dance career without a word. When did she learn to fight back and plot revenge?
This is unacceptable!‘ Olivia roared inwardly.
Thankfully, she had no clue the courtyard she was about to inherit was now a pile of ash. Otherwise? Forget the broken leg–nothing short of a coma would’ve kept her from losing her shit.
Olivia hung up the phone, her eyes red, putting on a face that screamed, “I’m upset but don’t want anyone to worry.”
Lucas, who was keeping a close eye on her, immediately noticed something was off. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Does it hurt? I’ll call the doctor.”
“No!” She reached out and grabbed his hand. “Well, the troupe just told me someone else got the Black Swan lead. I’m just a little disappointed.”
She held back her tears, forcing a smile that would make anyone’s heart ache.
Lucas fell silent. He knew how much this role meant to her.
“Sorry about that. Natasha’s the type who acts first and thinks later, I’ll make it up to you properly, promise,” he said.
Olivia watched his hand slip away like nothing happened. And when she heard him apologize like he was family to Natasha, a cold fury flashed in her eyes. “It’s fine. I get it. After all, Natasha was always Grandma’s favorite.
“It’s normal for her to claim Grandma’s things as her own. Honestly, if she really can’t let go, I’d be willing to give her the house. Even though it holds so many memories for me, I don’t want to see
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you two argue over me.”
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Lucas adjusted her pillow and helped her sit up. “Don’t blame yourself. Grandma’s house was always meant to be partly yours. And right now, you need it more.”
He let the silence hang for a beat before adding, cool voice meant to reassure her, “She owes you this.”
It was just a house–it could never stack up against Olivia, who lost her mother because of Natasha.
Lucas thought Natasha was just stuck in a mental rut. She’d been domineering since childhood, never allowing anyone to touch what she liked.
Though she’d been taught over the years to yield and be gentle to Olivia, the truth was, she never touched any of the toys Olivia took, played with, and then returned.
Right now, Natasha probably didn’t want that house to pass through Olivia’s hands either.
Honestly, Lucas didn’t really get it. ‘It was just an inanimate object. What does it matter who holds it?
‘Even if it’s transferred to Olivia, would Olivia really bar Natasha from entering if she ever wanted to visit?‘
But thinking about how Natasha hadn’t looked him in the eye once since the failed proposal and wouldn’t even answer his calls, he felt a headache coming on.
The old Natasha was stubborn but easy to coax. This time, she was being unprecedentedly resolute.
His gaze
drifted unconsciously to his phone, where her number remained unanswered, and he felt inexplicably irritated.
“Natasha still not picking up? Wanna try again? I can explain to her for you that you didn’t mean to leave during the proposal that day,” Olivia said.
At that moment, Noel walked into the hospital room with a lunchbox. He couldn’t help but mutter, “She’s so dramatic, holding a grudge over something so small. Meanwhile, she’s the one who beat you up and hasn’t even apologized. Why should Lucas be the one making amends?”
“Oh, Noel,” Olivia chided, her voice laced with playful reproach.
Noel promptly zipped it, literally sealing his lips with a finger–zipping motion.
Lucas watched the siblings, lips pressed tight. Truth was, little Noel used to shadow Natasha all the time, too.
She used to follow him around proudly, bragging, “Lucas, I have a little brother now. Want him? I can lend him to you for five minutes–no, one minute’s enough. Noel is such a crybaby. He can’t do
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Chapter 15
without me.”
Shaking off the memory, Lucas dialed the familiar number again.
No matter what, after days of no contact, he was genuinely worried about Natasha.
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Once she cooled off, he wanted to talk things through. He’d make up the proposal to her, but she’d have to apologize for her violence toward Olivia, too.
Unexpectedly, the call connected this time.
All three pairs of eyes in the room locked onto Lucas’s phone.
“Natasha-”
“Hello.”
Two voices sliced through the air at the same time.
“Who are you?! How did you pick up Natasha’s phone?” Hearing the deep, groggy voice of a man who’d clearly just woken up, Lucas was instantly on high alert, his heart tightened.
The guy on the other end didn’t answer his question. “Natasha? She’s still asleep.”
“How’d her phone end up with you? Where are you guys?” Lucas urged.
Hearing the aggressive interrogation, Alexei frowned in annoyance and simply hung up–then turned the phone off.
He threw another look at the stubbornly silent door, sighing quietly to himself. Then, he flopped back onto the couch, dragging a hand over his eyes–trying to block out the light and his irritation.
Earlier that morning, Natasha had gone back to her room to catch up on sleep, leaving her phone on the coffee table in the living room.
She was sleeping soundly, but poor Alexei, trying to rest on the couch, had suffered greatly.
From “Dad,” “Mom,” “Brother,” to “gold–digging bitch,” “blue–haired simp,” “ex–boyfriend“-the calls never stopped. One after another, relentless, like they wouldn’t quit until she picked up.
Worst of all, every single one of them came in hot, starting with a barrage of yelling, all seemingly
over the same woman named Olivia.
At first, Alexei was furious at being disturbed, ready to drag them all out and feed them to the hounds. But eventually, he found himself amused, wondering just how much Natasha had pissed people off.
She wasn’t just compatible with him–it was a match made in hell.
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Even the famously unflappable iceberg Alexei laughed in the end.
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The funniest part? The moment the other party realized a strange man had answered, every single one of them lost their minds.
As he thought back to the stack of files once left on his desk, a mocking smirk tugged at his lips.
Done with the damn calls, he moved his arm and glanced around the dim living room.
Unfamiliar place, injuries still fresh–yet despite only for a few hours, he’d slept surprisingly well.
After playing unpaid customer service all morning, he decided he’d demand a little compensation once the lady of the house woke up.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Lucas was anything but calm.
A strange man. Still asleep at noon. He didn’t even dare to think about what that implied.
He shot up, ready to storm over to Natasha’s place and demand answers–until Noel’s words stopped him cold. “Humph. What’s Natasha up to now? Even faking a relationship with some guy? Pathetic.”
