Chapter 172

Chapter 172

Gracia sauntered in, her steps measured, and made herself comfortable on Natalie’s plush couch. “Look, I came here to talk business, not to pick a fight,” she began smoothly. “And let’s face it. This constant one–upmanship is doing neither of us any favors.”

“You want to know what happened in that crash?” she continued, her tone suggesting a truce. “Let’s sit down and hash it out.”

Natalie turned to face her, skepticism written all over her face. “And why should I trust you?” she asked icily.

Gracia was no fool. She had a knack for reading the room and manipulating people’s emotions.

Indeed, what haunted Natalie the most was the untimely death of her son, Zephyr.

But Gracia was a notorious liar, a fact well–known to Natalie.

Gracia had a talent for deceit from the tender age of three or four, framing others with such finesse that even the adults were fooled. Her lies were almost impeccable.

Natalie frequently pondered whether Gracia’s manipulative traits were learned from Lydia, or whether they were part of a more sinister innate disposition, indicative of a naturally bad seed. After years of enduring Gracia’s falsehoods, Natalie had become numb to them. Gracia said with a shrug of resignation, “I’m not forcing you to believe me. I can’t stand to watch certain people profit from our misfortune. I thought I’d share what I know.”

Natalie’s frown deepened.

Sensing a shift in Natalie, Gracia pressed on. “I know about the agreement between you and Brian.”

“The deal I want to discuss involves him. If you agree to walk away quietly, I’ll tell took your child’s life.”

you who

Natalie glared at Gracia for a long moment before responding in a low voice, “Well, go on then. Enlighten me.”

“It was Madelyn,” Gracia said and leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “She was pregnant with Brian’s child a month before you, and when she found out you were too, she clung to Brian, driving a wedge between you two.

When she learned she was carrying a son, she grew paranoid about your unborn child, fearing another boy would threaten her son’s inheritance and status in the Howard family. So, she

decided to act.

And who else has the power to orchestrate a murder to look like an accident, with no loose ends for the police to find? She must have had inside help and had everything prearranged to perfection.”

15:38

As Natalie listened to Gracia’s account, her expression grew conflicted.

Gracia’s narrative seemed plausible. However, Gracia was mistaken about one thing. Nate wasn’t the darling of the Howard family. Nate’s relationship with them was anything but cordial.

“Thirsty?” Gracia asked, noticing Natalie’s uncertainty. She raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

Natalie nodded.

Gracia went to the minibar, her back to Natalie as she grabbed a bottle of water, cracked it open, and returned to Natalie’s side with slow steps.

“I just regret being too young to beat Madelyn to the punch and bear Brian’s child first,” Gracia sighed.

“Madelyn only had Nate’s favor, but the Howard family couldn’t stand her, branding her a fickle femme fatale. It’s me who Davis truly likes. It’s me who the family approves of.”

Gracia’s tale was a mix of truth and lies. However, Natalie had heard a different story from

Sadie.

Natalie was inclined to believe that Sadie had no incentive to lie to her, whereas Gracia seemed to have all the reasons to do so.

If Natalie chose to believe Gracia, her disdain for Madelyn and her resentment toward Nate would grow stronger. After all, it was because of Nate that she had lost Zephyr.