Chapter 25: Natalie’s Husband Is A Random Poor Man

Natalie returned with two coffee mugs in her hands, her heart racing and her mind anxious about what her grandpa and Justin might have been discussing. ’

she thought nervously. ’

As she entered the room, she found the two men sitting quietly. Her heart skipped a beat, fearing that something unexpected had happened.

"You’re back?" Albert said, breaking the silence. "Hurry up, don’t keep my grandson-in-law waiting for a simple coffee."

Hearing this, Natalie felt a wave of relief. She forced a light smile and approached Justin, offering him one of the mugs. "Darling, for you."

Ignoring the way she addressed him again, Justin accepted the mug, though he wasn’t used to drinking instant coffee. At the first sip, his brows furrowed slightly, but he drank it anyway.

Natalie sat at the edge of the bed and asked, "Grandpa, what did you two talk about?"

"It’s a secret between us," Albert replied playfully.

"I want to know," she insisted.

The old man chuckled. "I just told your husband that you can be quite the troublemaker and that it’s difficult to keep up with you, so he should brace himself."

"Am I trouble in your eyes, Grandpa?"

"Aren’t you?" he teased.

She awkwardly cleared her throat. "Maybe a little."

He chuckled and gently pinched her tiny nose. "Good that you know. Don’t trouble your husband too much and try to be a good wife."

"I will."

Talking with the old man, for a while, both left the room. Once in the corridor, Natalie spotted a nurse and said, "Give me a minute." Justin watched her going to a nurse and waited for her while emersed in reading emails on his cellphone.

Natalie inquired about her grandpa’s health and, satisfied with the response, turned back to the busy man.

"Aiden?" she called.

"Hmm?" he responded, turning to look at her.

Natalie was surprised at how naturally he responded to being called by another name, despite being busy. Was he still immersed in the role he was playing, or had he become so accustomed to being called Aiden as if it was truly his own name.

Seeing her not responding, he asked, "Shall we leave?"

Snapping back to reality, she approached him. "You seem to have gotten used to being called Aiden in just an hour."

"I’m perfect in any task I accept," he replied confidently, and the two headed to the elevator.

Once they reached the parking lot, Justin instructed, "Noah will accompany you to the police station."

Natalie nodded but added, "Before that, I have another condition."

Justin gave her an impatient look. "What is it?"

"You must have investigated everything about me by now," she commented.

"I did," he confirmed.

"But you failed to investigate my life in Xyros City," she noted.

He hummed in acknowledgment. "But soon I will get it done."

"No. I don’t want you to do that," she said, her tone and expression serious. "That’s another condition. You are not to investigate anything about me anymore. Once we find Aiden Handrix, we’ll have nothing to do with each other, so let’s keep our lives and personal information separate. A person like you must have many things you don’t wish to reveal either."

"Now you can go to the police station," Justin said, then turned to Noah. "Go with her."

"No need. I can go on my own," Natalie stated firmly. "And thank you for helping today. I’ll make sure to repay you."

"Helping me find your husband will be enough," he replied before turning towards his car, where Noah was already in the driver’s seat.

Meanwhile, two figures had spotted Natalie and the tall man with her.

"Mother, who is that man Natalie is talking to?" Briena asked, trying to get a better look, though they were still at a distance.

"Must be a random man. What nobleman would even breathe the same air here? Look at his clothes—they’re so simple," Clara remarked dismissively. "Even the car is ordinary."

"You’re right, Mother. Let me take a picture so I can show it to Ivan later to show him what kind of men his ex-fiancee is hanging out with." Briena clicked a picture but noticed the man’s face wasn’t clearly captured. "His face isn’t clear."

"Must be an ugly man anyway," Clara interrupted. They watched as the man drove off in his car, and Natalie left in hers.

Just then, a car parked nearby, and Sephina Ford stepped out. "What are you two doing here?" she asked, her tone sharp.

"Mother, we just saw Natalie with a man," Clara informed her. "We were just wondering if she’s doing something inappropriate again to damage our reputation."

"A man?" Sephina exclaimed, her interest piqued. "Where is he?"

"Mother, they’ve just left," Clara informed her, surprised by the sudden shift in her mother-in-law’s demeanor.

"Left?" Sephina asked, her voice laced with anger.

"Yes, Mother. But why do you seem so..."

"That man must be Natalie’s husband," Sephina said, her eyes narrowing. "I just found out she was bringing her husband to meet Albert, so I hurried here."

"So all that talk about not knowing who her husband is was a lie?" Clara asked, incredulous.

"Why are you surprised? Who gets married without knowing the other person?" Sephina scoffed. "Did you two see him?"

"Not clearly, but Briena managed to get his photograph."

Clara turned to her daughter, who was clearly busy cooking a new plan to trouble Natalie. ’

Briena thought. ’

A wicked smirk curled on her lips. ’

"Briena, show your grandma that picture you took," Clara prompted.

Briena snapped out of her thoughts and quickly showed the picture on her phone. It only captured Justin’s back as he was sitting inside the car. "I couldn’t get his face, but Grandma, from his clothes and that low-brand car, you can tell he’s just an ordinary man—no match for our family’s status."

Sephina gripped her cane tightly in anger. "She dared marry a poor man and act like she’s some kind of queen. Soon, I’ll have her on her knees and teach her a lesson she’ll never forget."

They walked towards the elevator, while Briena did something on her mobile, ’Natalie, this is for humiliating me in front of everyone in the last night’s party. You are the one to force me to do it.’