Ashley was clearly not having it. "Who said I''m single? I''m the prized daughter of the Stewart family, blessed with looks and a degree from a top-notch university. There are plenty of men out there who fancy me. All I need to do is pick one outstanding guy, say yes to Then, with a sly grin, she added, "Ms. Nathalie, ever heard of secret marriages? You know what that means, right?"


    marrying him, and that''s that."


    The hint was clear: she was already hitched. And the guy who gave her the Forget-Me-Not wedding ring? He was her secret husband.


    But wait a minute-Nathan had told Nathalie that the Forget-Me-Not ring was one of a kind, a family heirloom meant for his future wife.


    A chill ran down Nathalie''s spine, and she stumbled a bit.


    Ashley gave her arm a little pat, mixing mockery with a touch of pity. "Ms. Nathalie, don''t long for what''s not yours. Otherwise, when it''s gone, you''ll know just how much it hurts."


    "Ashley, we''re leaving," Dustin called over, and Ashley bounced off happily.


    Nathalie, though, stood there, stuck in a daze, until Nathan came over, gently taking her hand. "Let''s head home."


    Feeling like she''d been bitten by a snake, Nathalie jerked her hand away.


    Nathan''s face fell, looking so forlorn. "What''s up?"


    Seeing the depth and sincerity on his face left Nathalie feeling muddled. What if she''d gotten it all wrong? He had always been so genuine with her.


    She softened her stance, took his hand again, and said gently, "It''s nothing, let''s just go home."


    Nathan let her lead him, still a bit dazed, as they walked out together.


    Outside, a few guests lingered at the entrance. The Stewart family patriarch and Ashley were chatting with Mason. But as soon as they spotted Nathan, they mmed up and quickly made their exits in separate cars.


    Nathalie frowned. "They act like they''ve seen a ghost when they see you. You''re a decent guy. Why are they so scared of you?"


    Nathan replied, "In business, it''s all about the bottom line. I just happened to take what they cherished most. That''s why they can''t stand me."


    His words carried a hint of loneliness.


    Nathalie tried to cheer him up.


    "Nathan, being at the top can be


    lonely. You''re at the pinnaclet


    now,


    and some solitudees with that."


    Nathan squeezed her hand tightly. "Don''t leave me."


    Nathalie, feeling uneasy but resolute, looked him in the eye. "As long as you don''t let me down, I''ll never leave you."


    Nathan shed a big, genuine smile. "Alright."


    That warm, sincere smile put Nathalie at ease.


    But as Nathan went to get the car, chaos erupted inside the hall.


    Voices rose, saying, "Mrs. Dawson''s lost it!"


    "Mrs. Dawson''s lost it!"


    Nathalie thought, perplexed, "Wasn''t Greta just fine a moment ago?"


    Curiosity got the better of her, and she headed back in.


    Sure enough, Greta was causing quite a scene, stripping down in front of everyone. If Cameron hadn''t been stopping her, she would''ve been down to her underwea


    "Greta, what''s going on?" Cameron asked, clearly frantic.


    But Greta, looking spaced out, kept muttering, "I''m innocent, believe me."


    "I won''t ever go after her again."


    Then she started pping herself, hard. "I was wrong, I swear this is thest time. I won''t mess with her again."


    Greta''s face quickly swelled, looking


    like a puffy


    scratchedmpling. She''d


    herself so hard that ber


    face was streaked with


    Even though Nathalie had no love lost for Greta, seeing her in such a state of self-destruction made her sigh with pity.


    "What happened to her?" she asked someone nearby.