The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

Sophia felt like her throat was stuffed with cotton, and her eyes burned with a sudden sting. She clutched her phone tightly, but for a moment, no sound came out at all. She couldn't speak-couldn't even breathe properly.

"Sophia, are you crying?" Natalie's cool, calm voice came through the phone.

She repeated the question when she received no response. "Are you crying?"

Sophia quickly shook her head, then realized Natalie couldn't see her. She hurried to speak. "Nat, I'm not crying. I'm just feeling a little down."

"Where are you?"

"I'm not far from the parking lot entrance. Where are you?"

"On the beach. Come over."

"Okay."

Neither of them hung up. They stayed on the line, occasionally checking in to confirm each other's location.

Soon, Sophia spotted Natalie. She and Marcus were walking hand in hand along the beach, speaking softly to each other. Sophia saw Natalie smile at Marcus, her eyes curving sweetly.

The air around Natalie had changed. She used to keep her distance from everyone, never warm, often even cold and detached. That was especially true for Marcus. She would avoid him as much as possible, always keeping her distance.

But now, standing beside each other, the two of them looked perfectly matched. Their gazes were gentle when they looked at one another, and the happiness between them was so tangible it couldn't be hidden.

Sophia looked on with envy. If she hadn't gone through all those terrible things, maybe she, too, could have been like an ordinary girl, happy and carefree with someone she loved.

Still, seeing Natalie and Marcus happy was enough for her.

"Nat, I see you," Sophia said, sniffling as she tried to steady her emotions. "I'm coming now."

"Okay."

Natalie ended the call and turned toward the shore. Sophia was dressed in black sweats and sneakers, which made her stand out among the swimsuit and t-shirt clad crowd.

But Natalie understood. After the psychological trauma Sophia had endured, her sudden shift in clothing style made sense.

Sophia quickly approached. "Nat, Marcus, hi!" She greeted them with a smile, handing Natalie the interlocking circle sculpture and placing the rest of the gifts in front of them. "A wedding gift for you both. Congratulations, Mr. Holden, on finally marrying Mrs. Holden!"

Sophia remembered what Zachary had told her. She followed his advice and presented the gift, calling Natalie "Mrs. Holden".

Sure enough, in the next second, Marcus' smile spread across his face, bright and uncontainable. "Thank you."

Natalie held the sculpture and motioned for Marcus to open the box. "Marcus, open it and see what Sophia got us."

"Alright." Marcus opened the box and found the love lock and the set of uniquely designed jewelry inside.

Natalie, being a designer, understood the meaning at a glance. "Marcus, the bracelet is mine. You use the necklace to open it and put it on me. The necklace is the man's piece. From now on, the key to my bracelet will be around your neck."

"Really?" Marcus was clearly delighted. He looked at Sophia. "Ms. Sinclair, thank you for the gift."

Sophia paused when she heard him call her "Ms. Sinclair", then quickly realized that this was exactly what Zachary meant.

Marcus was intentionally keeping his distance from all women. He had a strong sense of possessiveness and jealousy but also held himself to the same standard. He wouldn't give Natalie even the slightest reason to feet insecure.

Sophia looked at Marcus gazing at Natalie with such tenderness and indulgence. He really did love her.

Natalie, on the other hand, stayed composed. She asked Marcus to help her put on the bracelet, then took the sculpture and led Sophia for a walk along the beach.

"We've been back for a while but haven't had the chance to meet up," Natalie said, glancing at Sophia. "How have you been lately?"

Sophia nodded. "Honestly, not bad. If Samuel hadn't returned, it would've been even better."noveldrama

"Samuel?"

"Yes, my brother. We share the same

mother." Sophia's smile turned

bitter. "Mr. Holden knows him. They

used to play together when they

were young. But later, Samuel took

Sierra and went abroad. So, they haven't kept in touch."

"Sophia, you don't need to act so distant," Natalie said, glancing at Marcus. "And

you don't need to call her 'Ms. Sinclair', Marcus.

"You grew up together. You used to look out for her a lot. Just because we're married doesn't mean you have to treat her like a stranger."

Natalie's words made Marcus a little embarrassed. He really had wanted to keep his distance. In the past, he had mistakenly believed Sophia was his savior, and some people even spread rumors that he liked her, that they were childhood sweethearts.

It was all nonsense, of course. But it was true that he had protected Sophia since they were little-far more than Sky ever did.

"Back to Samuel," Marcus said, changing the subject. "What happened to him?"

Sophia's eyes reddened. She turned away, staring at the vast ocean. "He said a lot of cruel things. So cruel that I can't even repeat them. But they really, really hurt."

Sophia thought she was strong enough. She had managed to keep her composure even in front of Samantha. But facing Natalie and Marcus now, she suddenly couldn't hold it in. She felt wronged, so deeply wronged.

She turned and threw her arms around Natalie. "Marcus, sorry. Let me borrow Nat for a hug."

Before Marcus could say anything, Natalie gave him a sidelong glance. That look was all it took, and he stepped back a few paces.

"There. Now, tell me what happened," Natalie said gently, holding the sculpture as she softly patted Sophia's back. "You're someone I brought back to life. I won't let anyone destroy you again."

At those words, Sophia's tears came pouring down.

"Nat, I—" Her sobs overtook her voice. She couldn't say another word.

Natalie didn't speak either. She just quietly patted Sophia's back.

What Sophia did before-pretending to be Marcus' savior-was certainly wrong.

But Natalie chose to forgive her. She didn't hate her. On the contrary, she felt sorry for Sophia.

"Go ahead. Cry if you want to," Natalie said softly. "Cry. I'm all yours today."

And with that, Sophia broke down completely.

Natalie let her sob, holding her gently and soothing her like a child.

No one knew how much time had passed before Sophia finally stopped crying.

She let go of Natalie, her eyes red and swollen.