The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

As soon as Natalie finished speaking, Marcus remained silent for a long time. He stared at the trees before him, feeling as if his heart was being gripped tightly, making it hard to breathe.

The sky was bright, but he felt as if the world in front of him was plunged into darkness.

Natalie didn't say another word. Marcus was smart, so there was no need to elaborate further.

Marcus understood Charles's condition, but he refused to accept it. That was why he was asking her.

But she would never lie to him about something that important. Even if it had good intentions, she didn't want to lie to him.

Time ticked by, minute by minute. The daylight faded into dusk, and then night fell. The lights around Holden Residence gradually lit up, illuminating the darkness.

Yet, in Marcus' eyes, the world remained pitch black.

Natalie stepped forward, gently squeezing his fingers. "Marcus, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he murmured. "Sorry for worrying you."

Then, Marcus' gaze locked onto hers. "Nat, let's get engaged."

At that moment, he seemed to finally regain his focus. Then, he repeated his

words slowly and clearly, "Let's get engaged, Natalie Walker."

"Hm?" Natalie reached out to touch his forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

Marcus let out a bitter chuckle. "No, I'm serious."

As he spoke, he suddenly dropped to one knee, pulling a small ring box from his pocket. He had carried this ring box with him ever since they made their relationship official, waiting for the right moment.

But the right moment never came.

Now, knowing that Charles had lost the will to leave, Marcus realized he couldn't hold onto him any longer. He wished that before Charles left them, he could witness his engagement.

"Nat, will you marry me?" Marcus' eyes were red-rimmed, his voice hoarse. "I know that this is sudden, and I didn't prepare anything special. But Nat, will you marry me?"

Natalie didn't hesitate. She extended her right hand and said, "Put it on. Hurry."

This time, Marcus was stunned. He stared at her in disbelief, momentarily forgetting what to do next.

Natalie frowned. "Didn't you just propose? I said yes. So put the ring on me!" "Oh, right."

Marcus quickly slid the ring onto her finger before pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly.

Natalie wrapped her arms around his waist and said, "Marcus, I know how sad you are. Let's get engaged first and fulfill Grandpa Charles' wish."

"Nat, thank you. Thank you so much." Marcus choked out.

Natalie understood him completely, so she didn't need him to explain a thing.

"Grandpa Charles needs some time to calm down, so let's not disturb him for now. I've already sent a message to my parents, asking them to come talk to him. But whether it helps or not, I don't know."noveldrama

"My family owes you too much." Marcus' eyes were bloodshot. "And now, I'm asking you to do this for me. Nat, I feel like a scumbag."

"Aren't we couple?" Natalie patted his shoulder lightly. "Or are you saying you only want to date me, but not marry me? For me, I dated you intending to get married. If I'm with you, it's for life."

Her voice was calm yet resolute. "Back when I was engaged to Tyler, it was the Langleys arrangement. But I knew he wasn't the one for me. That's why I never imagined actually marrying him."

After a short pause, she continued, "Marcus, you're different. I'm serious about us, about spending a lifetime with you.

"To me, it doesn't matter if you propose today or tomorrow or next year. But if doing it now can give Grandpa Charles some peace, then now is the perfect time."

Marcus' eyes turned even redder. He didn't know how to express his gratitude. "Nat, thank you."

"Well, why don't we go share the good news with Grandpa Charles?" Natalie smiled, her tone lighter. "I'm sure he'd want to attend our engagement party."

"Okay." Marcus' voice was low and rough, and his eyes were still red. He rarely showed his emotions, but now, he was displaying his vulnerability in front of Natalie.

Natalie intertwined their hands and said, "Let's go. There's nothing to worry about."

"Thank you, Nat." Marcus' vision blurred again, but he forced himself to hold back his tears.

"Marcus, Grandpa Charles needs you," Natalie said.

With that, Marcus' tears finally spilled over.

No, Charles didn't need him anymore. His faith had crumbled.

Even though Marcus hadn't seen what was on that USB drive, judging by the shattered remains of the laptop on the floor, he knew what was inside.

Furthermore, the paternity test result between Cassie and Charles had dealt a serious blow. It was so bad that it caused Charles to lose his will to live. Even their engagement might not be enough to keep him going.

"Marcus, we haven't even tried yet," Natalie said, squeezing his hand as they walked. "It's not like you to give up that easily."

"This is different. It's Grandpa." Marcus closed his eyes, trying to force back the tears.

Charles was the man who raised him. He was the most important person in Marcus' life. He was a great man who didn't deserve to be deceived of his love and devotion like this.

Even if he didn't investigate what happened to the Jenkins family, that wasn't his crime to bear. Vivan's sins were hers alone to bear.

Even though Marcus didn't say these thoughts out loud, Natalie understood. Back then, when Charles was weak and had heart issues, Marcus searched the world for specialists. He even used every possible connection and finally obtained Connie's email.

Marcus had spent so much time and effort to contact Elim, just to save Charles. He didn't care about the price he had to pay. All he wanted was for Charles to be alive and healthy.

But now, Yvette had ruined everything.

"Marcus, my parents should be here soon. When you see them, just keep quiet. I'll do the talking."

Natalie stared at Marcus. His eyes were still red, and the tears at the corners of his eyes might fall at any given time.

She had known him for quite some time, but this was the first time she had seen him this shaken and heartbroken.

Her heart ache for him.