Chapter 34: Where Is Your Husband?

Once Natalie finished her breakfast, her cellphone rang. Seeing her grandfather’s name flash on the screen, her heart skipped a beat.

She quickly answered the call.

"Grandpa—" she began, but Albert’s hasty, worried voice cut her off. "Where are you? Where are you hurt? Tell me—"

Grandpa, calm down. I’m not hurt," she tried to sound reassuring.

"I read in the news that you were attacked."

"It’s nothing serious."

"Which hospital are you in?" he asked, already concluding she must be hurt.

Natalie hadn’t planned on telling him she was even slightly injured, but her sister had made sure the news was out there. "I’m in the same hospital as you," she braced herself for the inevitable scolding.

Instead he asked, "Which floor and room?"

"Grandpa, I’ll come to you—"

"No, tell me. I’m not crippled yet that I can’t come to you when you’re hurt," his retorty left no room for argument.

She sighed, knowing it was useless to argue with him. "Floor above yours. VIP room number three."

"I’m coming." He hung up before she could say anything else.

"John," Natalie called out.

John promptly entered the room. "Yes, Ms. Natalie?"

"My grandpa is on his way here. Make sure he doesn’t see any of you. He has no idea who your boss is," she instructed firmly.

John understood what to do and left.

Before Natalie could brace herself for the inevitable headache coming her way, her phone rang again. The screen displayed an unknown number, but she knew exactly who it was.

she thought reluctantly, then answered the call. "What do you want?"

"So much anger already? That means my little sweet is alright," the voice on the other end replied smoothly. "Or I was about to blow that rotten brain out of your butthead sister."

"You’re not allowed to meddle in my affairs. We agreed on that."

"As long as you’re unharmed, I have no reason to. But if you are hurt, not only will I drag you back here, I’ll kill whoever laid a finger on you," he threatened, his tone darkening.

"Stop going overboard," she snapped back. "Have you found anything about that man?"

"Not yet, but my people are on it," he responded, his tone now more business-like.

"So, unless you find him, don’t call me," she said, then quickly hung up. But no sooner had she ended the call than the phone rang again. Frustrated, she clutched it tightly and answered, "Don’t you understand the simple words?"

A laugh echoed from the other side of the line. Natalie glanced at the screen—it was Sean. "I’m working on the project, alright?" she shouted, still annoyed.

"I know, I just called to check if you’re still alive and that it won’t affect the project," he teased. "But you sound well enough, so I guess I can relax."

"Asshole," she muttered, hanging up on him and promptly putting her phone on silent. "Why do these two always call me at the same time? One’s more annoying than the other."

Just as she was about to take a moment to collect herself, the door opened, and a man in a wheelchair was pushed into the room by a nurse. Recognizing her grandfather, Natalie was about to get out of bed, but his firm voice stopped her.

"Stay there," Albert ordered, his tone gentle yet commanding.

The nurse wheeled him next to her bed, and Albert dismissed her with a nod. He then turned his full attention to his granddaughter, his eyes carefully scanning her. He noticed the minor scratches on her head and the back of her palm, as well as the tape around her foot.

Sensing her grandfather’s serious, scrutinizing gaze, Natalie spoke hesitantly, "G-Grandpa, I’m alright."

"I can see that," his displeased voice echoed in the room. "How dare you not tell me about the incident when I was just next to you?"

"It was nothing serious, and I didn’t want to trouble you...."

"Everything about you is a serious matter. What trouble? I am your grandpa. I should be with you when you’re hurt, even if it’s just a tiny scratch."

She could only stay quiet like a sinner.

"Where is Aiden? Why isn’t he with you when you’re hospitalized? Is this how he ignores you?"

"No, Grandpa. He was with me the entire night. He just left for work. He’s new in the city, and with a new business, he needs to..."

"Is his work more important than his wife?" the old man said angrily. "When your grandma had just a stomachache once, I left an important meeting midway to be with her. That’s how a husband should be."

Natalie was left speechless, though in her mind, she thought, ’

"Call him and ask him to be here," Albert instructed.

Natalie panicked internally, realizing she didn’t even have Justin’s contact number. If her grandfather found out, it would only expose the lie she was desperately trying to maintain.

"Grandpa, let him be...."

"You don’t want to call him? Alright," Albert said, pulling out his cellphone from the pocket of his hospital shirt. "I’ll call him and give him an earful. How dare he be irresponsible towards my granddaughter?"

Natalie’s mind raced in shock. ’

"Aiden, is this how you treat my granddaughter, your wife?" she heard her grandfather say on the call, sending another shockwave through her. ’

She couldn’t hear what Justin replied, but the old man’s satisfied expression told her enough.

"Good. I’m waiting for you here," Albert said before hanging up the call. He turned back to Natalie with a calm smile. "He apologized and is coming here right away."

Natalie could only stare at Albert in shock. ’

As the two of them talked for a while, it didn’t take long for Justin to arrive at the hospital. He entered the room, his clothes already changed from the expensive ones to the normal ones- a simple, perfectly fitted white shirt and pants, exuding a relaxed yet still undeniably commanding presence.

At the sight of him, Natalie found her heart beat faster, the memories from the previous night came crashing at her the moment their gazes met.