Chapter 173

Chapter 173

That must have been why Gracia came to see her, to speak these words that hung like a thick fog.

Distracted, Natalie accepted the water from Gracia’s hand, intending to take a sip when she caught Gracia’s piercing gaze fixed on her every move.

Having studied psychology and criminology, Natalie was no novice at deciphering micro–expressions.

Something was off about the water.

Giving nothing away, she sipped lightly and casually set the water aside.

Seeing Natalie drink, Gracia let out a silent sigh of relief and continued, “I honestly believe it’s not Nate’s fault. His only mistake was being born into the Howard family at the wrong time. I have nothing against Nate, but Madelyn is truly vile. She pushed my affair into the tabloids and ruined my career! I heard she’s been up to no good with you, too? Getting Sofia to bully you on set?”

Natalie locked eyes with Gracia for a moment, then nodded. Just then, Natalie’s vision blurred, and she reached to massage her temples.

“Feeling unwell?” Gracia inquired, eyeing her closely.

Without a word, Natalie staggered toward the bathroom.

A smirk curled at the corners of Gracia’s mouth. The drug Davis had supplied, intended for Brian, was proving effective on Natalie instead.

Pretending to be caring, Gracia followed her, smoothing Natalie’s back, whispering, “Natalie, what’s wrong? Dizzy? You okay?”

As her words fell, she leaned in close to Natalie. Then she felt a sudden, excruciating pain at the back of her neck and collapsed before she could even groan.

Natalie rinsed her mouth with calmness that belied the situation, cleaned her lips, and turned a cold gaze upon Gracia on the floor.

She had warned Gracia once that she was no longer the meek Natalie of the past, but Gracia

never seemed to learn.

Minutes later, a knock on the slightly ajar door echoed through the silence.

“Come in,” called Natalie’s gentle voice from within.

The room was dimly lit, with only the foyer light on. The man entering glimpsed a figure on the bed, clad in a sheer nightgown.

He hadn’t expected Natalie to be so provocative and ready that she hadn’t even undressed herself. Without a second thought, he lunged at the figure on the bed.

12.03

Chapter 173

Feeling a throbbing pain in her head, Gracia came to her senses, barely awake. Before she could rise, she felt someone tearing at her clothes.

“Who are you?” she screamed, “Get off!”

“You invited me in. Now you play coy?” the man laughed, responding in a foreign tongue.

It dawned on Gracia who the guy on top of her was.

“You’ve got the wrong girl! I’m not Natalie!” she struggled against the man’s grip.

The door was pushed open then, and the room flooded with light.

Gracia let out another scream, frantically grabbing the nearby blanket to cover herself.

She had invited several media outlets, hoping to catch Natalie in a compromising position, but she hadn’t anticipated they’d capture her instead!

The man on top of her finally realized his mistake. He looked down, only to find the woman beneath him wasn’t Natalie.

“Bitch!” he cursed furiously, his hand swiftly moving to strike Gracia’s face. The audacity of her to dare to set him up!

He was a well–known director and a jury member at the film festival that evening.

Someone had slipped him a note earlier with an obvious proposition. It read that Natalie greatly admired his talent and hoped he could give her a chance to expand her acting horizons and step onto a broader international stage.