Chapter 33: Briena’s Another Plan

The next morning, Briena received a call from her manager, Ana. Still drowsy from sleep, she answered with a frown, "Do you realize the time, Ana?"

"I’m sorry, Briena, but it’s urgent," Ana replied, her tone anxious.

"What is it?" Briena asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Those youngsters, your fans who were instigated to attack Natalie, have been locked up. Their parents are making a scene in front of our office, demanding we help free their kids."

"What the...at this hour of the day?" Briena sat up in bed, suddenly wide awake. "If their kids are my fans and got instigated to attack someone, what does that have to do with me?"

"The parents are saying that because of you, their children committed a crime, and now you need to help them," Ana explained, her tone cautious. "And we did... you know, instigate them for a purpose."

"But no one knows we did it, so we don’t have to take responsibility," Briena snapped, raising her voice. "Tell them to deal with their own mess."

"Alright."

"Where is Natalie?" Briena asked, her tone sharp.

"She was taken to the hospital after the attack," Ana informed her.

A smirk curled on Briena’s lips. "Is she injured badly?"

"I’m not sure. I couldn’t reach her; it seems she’s being kept hidden. The police might be involved, thinking she could be in more danger after this attack. So, no outsiders are allowed to meet her."

"Not an outsider, but a family member can," Briena chuckled, a plan forming in her mind. "Don’t worry, I’ll personally check on her and make sure she is not dead yet."

"I hope she’s not seriously injured," Ana added, her tone wary. "This matter seems to be escalating, and it might affect your reputation if those youngsters get punished."

"Release the news of the fans being imprisoned. The angry ones will rally behind the attack, saying she deserved it for slapping me. They’ll demand the release of the attackers, and more hate will follow Natalie."

"But it might backfire," Ana cautioned.

"You know the power of crazy fans, don’t you?" Briena retorted.

"Yes. I’ll do as you say."

Briena hung up, a smug smile on her face. "I’ll take Ivan with me. It’s time he sees Natalie for what she really is—pathetic, with a husband who’s no match for him. Ivan will be furious when he realizes she ditched him for some nobody, and he’ll hate her even more."

-----

In the presidential suite of the hotel, a man lying on the bed stirred in his deep sleep. His brows furrowed, and he looked restless as he tossed and turned.

"Aiden... Aiden..."

A voice echoed in his ears—a feminine voice calling for him repeatedly. His eyes snapped open, and he sat up in bed, his heart pounding in his chest.

He breathed heavily as he tried to clear his mind. ’

He buried his face in his large palms, sighing in frustration. ’

He checked the time and, noticing it was already morning, got out of bed. After getting ready, he found Noah waiting for him as usual, aware that Justin had returned to the hotel.

"Good morning, Mr. Harper," Noah greeted him, noticing that Justin looked a bit tired, as if he hadn’t slept well. "Are you alright, Mr. Harper?"

Justin nodded, brushing off the concern. "What’s the schedule for today?"

"There are a few meetings, but I kept the day mostly free for you," Noah replied.

Justin raised an eyebrow. "Any special day today?"

"No, Mr. Harper, but with Ms. Natalie in the hospital and everything that’s been going on..."

"From now on, you’ll handle her matters and only inform me of any significant developments," Justin interrupted him. "I need to focus on my work, so keep my schedule busier than before."

Noah was taken aback. He had expected Justin to want to personally oversee his sister’s situation, but the sudden shift in priorities surprised him. "Yes, Mr. Harper. There is another piece of news today."

"What is it?" Justin asked, settling into the chair.

"They’ve released news about the fans being imprisoned, and it’s enraged the rest of them. They’re all demanding the release of the attackers," Noah placed a tablet in front of Justin. "There’s even more hate directed at Ms. Natalie. You should read the comments."

Justin scanned the comments, seeing Briena’s fans cursing and accusing Natalie, using all kinds of vulgar language. They called her unreasonable, shameless, and even justified the actions of the attackers. Some even threatened to attack her again if she didn’t stop troubling their idol and refused to push for the release of the attackers.

Justin closed the tablet with a slight frown. "It seems they don’t know the full story of how she was attacked. Do you have a clip of it?"

"Yes, Mr. Harper. Shall we release it and prepare everything in Ms. Natalie’s defense?"

"First, go talk to her and see what she wants to do. She’s more than capable of making decisions for herself. She hasn’t even used the last clip you sent her, so she must have her own plans."

Noah paused, staring at Justin with a look of surprise.

"What?" Justin frowned, noticing Noah’s expression. "Do you want to make decisions for her instead?"

Noah quickly shook his head. "I was just thinking about how much you trust her. It’s rare for you to show such confidence in anyone."

Justin was momentarily taken aback by Noah’s observation. It was true—he had only known Natalie for a few days, and yet he found himself trusting her more than he typically would trust anyone. So unlike him.

-----

In the hospital, after Natalie woke up and freshened up, she went through the news. Seeing yet another headline about herself, she wasn’t surprised.

’

There was a knock on the door. John entered the room. "Good morning, Ms. Natalie. I brought you breakfast." He proceeded to place the meal on the table with the efficiency of someone who took his duties seriously.

Natalie was taken aback. She hadn’t asked him to bring her anything. "Doesn’t this hospital provide meals for the patients?" she asked, watching the tall, robust bodyguard in his well-tailored dark suit as he meticulously arranged the meal on the table and then moved it closer to her bed.

"Mr. Harper instructed me to ensure you have everything you need. Hospital food is usually bland, and I thought you might prefer something more to your taste," he explained, stepping back once he had everything in place.

Natalie noticed that, contrary to her initial impression of him as focused and stern, John was actually quite easygoing. Since he had gone to the trouble of bringing her a meal, she couldn’t reject it. Besides, food was her weakness, and a good meal could lift her spirits, even in the midst of all the chaos she was dealing with.

"Thank you, John," she said, genuinely appreciative.

He offered a polite nod and turned to leave but paused when she spoke again. "Mr. Harper... when is he coming?"

The question left her lips before she could fully consider why she was asking it. Was she actually looking forward to seeing him? The way he had abruptly left the previous night had left her feeling unsettled, wondering if he had gotten the wrong impression of her.

"I’m not sure," John replied. "For now, Mr. Harper asked Mr. Noah to take care of any matters related to you. We’re to inform him only when anything crucial comes up and needs his involvement."

Natalie, seemingly not pleased to hear it, simply hummed, permitting John to leave.

She frowned inwardly. ’