569 Iâm Sorry
âEric would not approve of this,â Jason followed after Natalie, who wanted to climb into the car but she couldnât because he was standing in her way.
Naomi said to him, âIâve never required Ericâs approval to go whenever I want to,â
âI know, but both of us know how risky this is and the fact Eric wouldnât approve of it either if he knew...â
Jason stopped and looked around his environment, checking to see if there was anyone close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. However, there was no one but the driver and he leaned closer to Natalie, albeit with a little space between them so they donât look intimate.
He whispered, âYou promised me that you wouldnât do anything reckless. You said you only needed to know about Edward, thatâs all.â
âYes, I know that,â Natalie admitted, âHowever, that was until I realized that Iâve been living in a safety bubble all this while. Edward is dead. My daughter...â She choked, the emotion clogging her throat, âI donât even know where the heck my daughter is.â
âYour daughter is safe,â Jason lied, but it was for good reason. His boss Eric was going to bring Arianna to her, but until then, he didnât want Natalie to know her daughter is in the hands of Marcel, Danielâs son, or else that would really break her. Yeah, it was really messed up.
He went on, âSheâs been taken care of by Edwardâs brother. However, she doesnât know about you and is living a comfortable life. Do you want to ruin that?â
Natalie sighed, rubbing her temple where she could feel a headache brewing.
.....
âI just want to see Penelope,â
âThe Luciano family owns the plot Penelope is buried on and the walls have ears. What if you draw attention to yourself and Daniel comes after you?â Jason reasoned.
No, he was tired of reasoning with her. But then, heâd be in hot soup if Eric finds out he has been helping Natalie with stuff behind his back.
Natalie lifted her head, âWell, thatâs the problem, Iâm not scared of Daniel anymore. I have spent half of my life fearing him, perhaps, itâs time he begins to fear me,â She said coldly, her lips pressed together.
She had come back here to spend the rest of her days in peace, but after hearing about Penelope and Edward, she was furious. Daniel deserved to pay for all he has done to her.
âSo can you move out of the way?â Natalie ordered him. No one was going to stop her from seeing Penelope today.
Jason tapped his feet against the ground, thinking hard.
âAt least, cover your face properly,â He said, pulling the veil over her face. If she was going to take such a risk, he didnât want her to be seen.
Natalie was dressed thoroughly in black like someone in mourning. And Yes, she was mourning. Although she was mourning too late, Natalie would give the dead that respect. The two people she loved so much lost to the cold hands of death and she never even knew.
After Ericâs family rescued her, Natalie erased her past thinking it was much better. Let everyone assume that she was dead and move on. It was much safer that way. Moreover, she had nowhere to go, not after her father had betrayed her.
Jason stepped out of the way for Natalie to get into the car. The veil covering her face would make it difficult for one to see her face, a precaution since they were walking into untested territory.
âWhat are you doing?â Natalie was surprised when Jason climbed in after her.
âAs if I would let you go alone, boss would skin me alive if anything happens to you,â Jason said, trying to fix his tie, but the exasperation on his face was obvious. No wonder he was having a hard time with his tie.
Natalie simply turned and helped him fix his tie and he had no choice but to let her. Done, she patted his tie and let out a small smile, âThank you,â
Jason didnât say anything, but he turned the other way, clearing his throat. Women, he sighed inwardly.
She didnât have a hard time identifying Penelopeâs grave because, unlike the others, it was embellished with gold. Natalie couldnât tell how Penelopeâs life with Daniel had been, but it was obvious from the gesture that her son, Marcel, loved her. She hoped so. Just like she held on for Arianna, she prayed Marcel gave her enough happiness.
Natalie placed a bouquet on the grave, staring at it for a while. She lifted the veil covering her face and said, âHello Penelope,â
No response came other than the breeze.
âYou must be cold in there, arenât you? And I am a very horrible friend,â Natalie sniffed, brushing away the tears from her eyes.
âIâm so sorry,â She apologized, bursting into tears as she was unable to control her emotions.
âWe made a lot of promises, but I failed every one of them. However, do you know what pains the most? The fact that you took my place. You shouldnât have married Daniel in the first place. I was the one you wanted, but then, you took up the punishment for me. I thought leaving my daughter was the worst punishment I had been given, but knowing that you went through without me, with no one by your side, it breaks my heart the most. I canât breathe... I feel like I want to die... Iâm the most horrible person.
âNo, Iâm probably the most selfish person. I forced myself into believing that never searching for you and the others was the best thing, but then, I must have known inwardly. I just didnât know how to face it. Iâm so sorry... Can you ever forgive me....?â She poured out her heart on the grave.
Natalie cried so hard that she didnât even realize her phone was ringing until Jason appeared in her peripheral.
âW-what is it?â She hurriedly cleared her eyes with the back of her hands, embarrassed he saw her crying.
âWe have to leave now!â Jason said firmly, taking her hand and pulling her along before she could ask what was going on.