When Nathalie reached the bottom of the stairs, spotting Ashley there was thest thing she expected. "Ashley, what brings you here out of the blue?" she asked, masking her surprise.


    Ashley''s face turned slightly awkward. She used to look down on Nathalie, yet here stood the woman who had effortlessly won over Nathan, the man she once adored. In Nathalie''s presence, Ashley felt like the one who had lost, and it was a bitter pill to swallow.


    Luckily, Ashley had moved on, finding sce in a new romance, which had eased the sting of losing Nathan. So, her animosity towards Nathalie had dulled over time.


    "Ms. Nathalie, I''m here to pass on a message to Nathan: The Stewart family has been a fixture in the Capital for a hundred years. We may not have the sh of the Ronds or the Dawsons, but our roots run deep. We''re not going anywhere. He should stop wasting his time trying to bring us down. Why go for mutual destruction?"


    Nathalie''s demeanor shifted. "What do you mean Nathan is going after the Stewart family?"


    She had a hunch about Nathan''s motives-probably to stand up for her. A warm feeling washed over her, but she didn''t want Nathan embroiled in conflict on her behalf. She didn''t want him vulnerable because of her.


    "Ashley, business is like a warzone. You never know the oue until the end," Nathalie shot back. She had no desire to sh with the Stewarts, but Ashley''s smug assurance irked her enough to respond. You can''t show weakness in front of an opponent.


    Ashley, unseasoned in these matters, sensed Nathalie''s confidence and showed a flicker of doubt. She straightened up, trying to muster some bravado. "Nathalie, Nathan might be a business genius, but there''s always someone bigger and better. He''ll meet his match eventually."


    Nathalie''s eyes darkened with intuition, suspecting Ashley was hinting at someone already in y. "Business is a battlefield, sure. But winning isn''t just about strength; it''s about timing, location, and people skills. Especially people skills-they''re a tricky thing. I''ve never seen a familycking integrity standing tall for long."


    Ashley''s expression shifted as she


    bit her lip, finally deciding toe clean. "Nathalie, I know there''s


    history between you and the


    Stewarts. But some things are fated,


    beyond our control."


    Nathalie''s gaze sharpened, fixing on Ashley. "It''s not about forcing fate; it''s about not stooping to chase it. Honestly, I find it distasteful."


    Ashley red up. "What are you implying? Are you calling the Stewart family dirty?"


    Nathalie countered calmly, "Aren''t they?"


    Ashley, frustrated, snapped, "Nathalie... don''t be bitter just because you can''t have what you want."


    Nathalie''s tone was unwavering. "I''ve never had a taste for sour grapes."


    Leaning closer, she closed the gap between them. "The Stewart family owes my mother. Shouldn''t I get what''s mine?"


    Ashley nched. "You don''t have any proof..."


    Nathalie replied firmly, "Whether


    there''s proof isn''t for you to decide. Here''s a piece of advice: If you don''t wan others to know, don''t do it."


    "And another: Justice has a way of catching up." Ashley''s face flickered between anger and fear.


    Trying to regain herposure, sheshed out, her face twisted with defiance. "Nathalie, do you really think Nathan''s squeaky clean If you looked a little closer, you might not be so quick to smile."