Chapter 171

Chapter 171

The hotel manager hesitated, a conflict playing across his features as he handed Natalie a small blue velvet box tied with a white satin ribbon.

“A gentleman asked me to give this to you around nine… But,” he trailed off, glancing at the clock, which showed it was nearing midnight.

Natalie’s eyes fell upon the box with curiosity and dread.

“The gentleman planned a proposal, you see. We even set up a little area there in the corner for the occasion. But it looks like he’s already left,” the manager continued, gesturing toward a nook adorned with white and pale blue balloons, a table elegantly laid with a large bouquet

of white roses.

Without a word, Natalie took the box from the manager’s outstretched hand, opened it, and found a pristine, sugar cube–sized blue diamond, the simplicity and elegance of its setting unmistakably Kellan’s taste.

Nobody needed to say his name, but she knew it was him.

Kellan had planned to propose tonight. And then, as her fiancé, he would have accompanied her to the evening’s gala. He had meticulously arranged everything for this very night. But she

had let him down.

“Thanks,” Natalie said softl

nodding to the manager.

Even if Brian hadn’t shown up, Kellan’s proposal wouldn’t have succeeded. She couldn’t allow herself to be the reason for holding Kellan back.

Kellan wasn’t getting any younger. Over the years, he had never seemed to have another woman by his side, always returning home to spend each day with her and Nina unless he had pressing matters to attend to.

She once asked Uriah if Kellan hadn’t found the right person yet. Uriah had been evasive, merely commenting on Kellan’s high standards and how few met his criteria.

Only then did Natalie understand that Kellan had someone in his heart, which kept him from getting close to others.

With a sigh, Natalie placed the ring back in the box, re–tied the ribbon, and tucked it into her purse to return to him the next time they met.

s

Walking up to her room with her head down, she was startled to find someone waiting at her door.

Their eyes met, and Gracia smiled, breaking the silence first. “Natalie, isn’t it fate that we’ve stumbled upon each other in a foreign land? Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“In your dreams,” Natalie replied emotionlessly.

She retrieved her key card from her bag, swiped it through the door lock, and stepped inside.

7/2

15:38

Chapter 171

Just as she was about to close the door, Gracia shamelessly wedged her foot in the doorway to stop it from closing.

“Get lost before I lose my patience,” Natalie warned her coldly, her gaze icy.

Just seeing Gracia’s face brought back memories of that video, which disgusted her.

Seemingly oblivious to Natalie’s disgust, Gracia gently pushed the door open further, a sly smile on her lips. “I came to tell you something. About the car accident three years ago, the one that caused your miscarriage… Haven’t you ever been curious?”

At her words, Natalie frowned involuntarily.

She and Kellan had looked into the car accident and her subsequent miscarriage several times. It had appeared to be a tragic coincidence.

The driver had been drunk, unaware, and negligent of the red light when he hit several pedestrians, including her.

The driver was doing his time, and his wife had divorced him before he went into prison, fearing the financial ruin that awaited them. His accounts had shown no suspicious transactions over the years, no large sums deposited unexpectedly.

To all appearances, it was a traffic accident, a stroke of bad luck. But Gracia’s words hinted at a hidden truth behind that day’s event.

Chapter 172