"Are you serious?"

Ruby's enthusiasm spilled through the phone, almost impossible to miss.

Natalie knew Ruby had poured her every waking moment into building her studio since their college days. Its reputation was hard-earned, and there was no way she would let it collapse without a fight.

Natalie replied, "From the way you made it sound, I thought you were in some kind of trouble. Just call me if you want help. I've got plenty of time right now."

Ruby's excitement doubled. She wasted no time arranging the details, anxious that Natalie might change her mind.

Morning came with Ruby's calls jolting Natalie from sleep before the sun could fully rise.

When Natalie finally made it to the studio by taxi, she found Ruby waiting outside, waving so wildly it was impossible to miss her. Before Natalie could even say a word, Ruby dashed over and latched onto her arm, holding tight.

"Come on, let's get moving! Everyone inside can't wait to meet you after I told them you could fix the painting. They've been here since dawn, dying to see what you can do."

Ruby's playful excitement made Natalie chuckle without a word.

Walking inside, Natalie quickly saw that Ruby hadn't exaggerated a bit. The place was packed. As soon as the door opened, every head in the room turned to stare.

Most faces looked welcoming, though a few showed doubt, silently asking whether someone so young could really repair the battered painting lying on the desk.

With the entire room watching her closely, Natalie walked straight to the table and started examining the artwork. It was clear how rough things had gotten—age spots, water stains, and traces of pests showed the years of neglect.

"Did you get everything set up for me?" Natalie asked.

"We've got it all ready!" Ruby replied, hurrying her staff to hand over the supplies.

Even with everyone staring, Natalie remained calm. She began cleaning the surface with steady hands, careful not to make the damage worse.

Her graceful fingers stood out against the brittle, yellowed paper, and the sight drew the crowd's attention like a magnet.

Each stroke carried certainty. Bit by bit, the once faded painting regained its form.

"She's done it! Her hands work like magic. It's unbelievable!"

The spell broke when someone finally spoke, and the crowd stirred with renewed energy.

"Would you take a look at my painting too? I'd like to set up an appointment."

"I can pay two hundred thousand if you help me out."

"I'll give five hundred thousand!"

The entire studio was alive with eager voices, each person hoping to win Natalie's attention before someone else did.

When all the business cards had been exchanged, Ruby could no longer hold back her emotions.

"Natty, are you really sure you don't want to make a comeback? Without your help, this studio would never have even existed. If it hadn't been for your marriage, we could've gone even further by now."

Although years had passed since Natalie had worked in the field, her gift hadn't faded. Her reputation still marked her as one of the brightest talents in the industry.

Pressing her lips together, Natalie stayed quiet for a moment before speaking carefully.

"I've left Thorpe Group, and I've actually been thinking of returning. Do you think there's room for me here?"

She tried to make her words sound light, almost playful, hoping to ease the tension in the air.

Ruby's eyes lit up, surprise and happiness mingling on her face. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"This is the best news! I really need someone like you. If you join me, I'll set you up with projects, only take a ten percent cut, and I'll give you thirty percent of the shares. Does that sound fair?"

Hearing such generous terms left Natalie a little taken aback.

"Wait, the shares..."

Ruby saw Natalie was about to turn her down and jumped in with a determined look.

"Don't even think of saying no. You're the reason I even have this place. I made a promise to you back then, and I meant every word. This is yours by right."

For once, Ruby's expression grew serious, and the sincerity in her words touched Natalie deeply, making her feel a rush of gratitude.

"Ruby..."

"Enough! If you're feeling moved, just stick around and help me out. Let's turn this place into something big. I want to show my dad that I can do it."

With a mischievous lift of her brows, Ruby broke the heaviness of the moment.

Her playful demand made Natalie laugh, and she nodded firmly, as if setting her mind in stone.

Once the day's work was done, Natalie meant to head home for some much-needed rest. But Ruby insisted on celebrating in a fancy restaurant. Natalie caved in the end, figuring a little conversation wouldn't hurt.

Even under Ruby's watchful care, Natalie, being the guest of honor, ended up drinking far more than she intended.

By the time the glasses had gone around several times, dizziness crept in, and she slipped outside in search of air.

"Natalie? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice called out, catching her completely off guard.

Natalie, her head still buzzing from the drinks, blinked hard and turned around. Standing right in front of her was Amelia Thorpe, Lucas' sister.

Amelia eyed Natalie's flushed face with clear distaste. The scent of alcohol reached her, making her wrinkle her nose in disapproval.

"Did you lose count of how many drinks you've had?" she snapped, pinching her nose and waving away the scent as if it might stain her dress. "Don't forget where you stand in this family. You really should be more careful about the people you choose to spend time with!"

All the brightness from Natalie's evening faded at those words.

She understood too well that Amelia had never once seen her as an equal. In Amelia's mind, she never measured up to the Thorpe family and never deserved Lucas.

"I've got a big event at my house the day after tomorrow. You need to show up early and cook. Is that clear?"

Natalie burst out laughing as Amelia rattled off her demands.

"I'm not available. If you can't hire a real chef, that's on you."

Natalie caught the surprise and embarrassment that flashed across Amelia's face, but she didn't feel a shred of her old nervousness.

Back then, she put in the effort to master complicated dishes to win over the Thorpes, only to be treated like she was nothing more than a free help.

It was obvious by now—Amelia kept demanding her cooking not just to save money but to belittle her and wear her out.

Even so, for the sake of Lucas and Martha, Natalie had always held her tongue.

She used to put up with it because she cared about Lucas. Now that their marriage was over, she saw no reason to keep sacrificing her self-respect.

"Natalie, that's how it's going to be?"

Amelia's momentary shock twisted into a storm of anger and frustration.

Locking eyes with Natalie, she tried to understand what had changed in the other woman. In the past, Natalie always kept her head bowed in submission and never said no.

Did Natalie finally decide to stand up for herself, or was she lashing out after a fight with Lucas?

Suddenly, Ella's face drifted through Amelia's mind, and everything made sense now.

So Natalie was acting out of jealousy.

She was so desperate to win Lucas over, but failed completely.

Amelia's next words dripped with contempt as she said, "You'll regret this."

Natalie met her glare with calm resolve, not bothering to reply. Her answer was written all over her face.

Seeing that Natalie would not budge, Amelia let out a sharp snort and stomped away.

Natalie had managed to push her over the edge this time.

Inwardly, she vowed she would never let it go unless Natalie came crawling for mercy.

As Amelia's anger showed plainly while she marched off, Natalie could already picture her running straight to Lucas to complain.

Even so, she found herself too numb to care anymore.

"Natty, are you going to stand here daydreaming all night? Everybody's waiting on you!"

Ruby came up and tapped Natalie's shoulder. She glanced in the same direction, trying to spot what had stolen her friend's focus, but there was nothing unusual there.

Snapping out of it, Natalie managed a small smile. "It's nothing, really. My mind just wandered off." Linking arms with Ruby, she walked back toward the private room.

After several more drinks, everyone started showing signs of being a bit too merry. Ruby, always the responsible host, made sure to arrange drivers so the guests could get home safely.

Natalie pressed her hands against her aching forehead, standing by the curb as the cool night air brushed past.

Right then, Kaden Sutton—a guest from the party—strolled over and greeted her warmly. "I heard you live near Tree Avenue. I'm headed that way myself. Would you like to share the ride?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll just catch a cab," said Natalie, her refusal quick and polite.

"Honestly, I've been meaning to ask you about your restoration techniques. I hope you won't think me too forward for asking."

After that, Natalie saw no reason to turn him down. "All right then. I'll go with you."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Smiling at her agreement, Kaden quickly flagged his driver and opened the car door for Natalie.

Amelia caught sight of them as she waited for her own ride.

"So that's why she dared to talk back. Turns out she's got something going on with him."

Without hesitating, Amelia pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of Kaden keeping the car door open while shielding Natalie as she got inside.

When she glanced at the picture, she couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh at their closeness.

So Natalie was nothing but an unfaithful wife. Amelia swore she'd see to it this country girl got thrown out for good.

Natalie, completely unaware of the gossip swirling around her, felt her headache worsening. The moment she made it home, she hurried through a shower and collapsed into bed.

Worried that Natalie might change her mind about joining the studio, Ruby quickly secured a top-notch attorney to draft an employment contract.

"I had this drawn up overnight. Take a look and let me know if you spot anything you want changed." Early that morning, Ruby showed up at Natalie's place with the contract still fresh from the printer.

"I trust you, Ruby." Barely glancing at the details, Natalie signed her name with no hesitation.

With the signed contract in her hands, Ruby pressed a kiss to the corner of the page, her excitement bubbling over.

Watching this display, Natalie felt amused. She was about to joke with Ruby when her phone buzzed. When she saw Lucas' name, her smile faded right away.

She assumed he meant to scold her after Amelia complained about her, but instead, he surprised her by mentioning Martha's birthday.

"Grandma's birthday is next Sunday. She's mentioned you a few times lately."

He paused a moment before adding, "If you're able, you should come see her."

Guilt settled on Natalie as she lowered her gaze.

The rush of her work had pushed Martha's birthday clean out of her mind.

Martha had always been the only member of the Thorpe family who showed her genuine kindness. Without Martha standing up for her, Natalie's life in that household would have been far rougher.

"Tell Martha not to worry. I'll be there on Sunday for her birthday."

Natalie ended the call, barely aware of her own actions, her mind already racing with thoughts about the perfect gift for Martha.

"You..."

Lucas started to say something more, but the line went dead before he could finish.

For a moment, he just stared at the phone, disbelief flickering across his features.

Still trying to process what had happened, Lucas was interrupted when Colin, who had only been pretending to watch TV, finally spoke up.

"Dad, if Mom wants to talk, tell her I'm tied up until nine. She can call me back then."

A frown spread across Lucas' face. "She already ended the call."

"Wait, what? That can't be right!" Colin shot to his feet, his eyes widening in disbelief. "She didn't even ask about me?"

Irritated, Lucas brushed Colin aside and headed straight up the stairs. "Ask her yourself if you're so curious."

Colin watched his father disappear and felt an ache of frustration he couldn't quite explain.

Life had felt emptier since Natalie left. The nanny barely knew his habits, the tutors lacked her patience, and his teachers scolded him repeatedly for slipping behind on his assignments.

He had been convinced she would come home once her anger faded and plead with Lucas to let her stay. When that happened, he planned to stand up for her.

Days had slipped by, though, and there was still no sign of Natalie—no calls, not even a message.

Frustration and grievance churned inside Colin. He decided that Natalie would pay for making him wait.

Natalie had no idea what Colin was thinking. On the day of Martha's birthday, she came early, a carefully wrapped present in hand.

Stepping inside, she spotted Ella at the center of attention, doted on by every member of the family. Beside Ella, Colin sat looking like he'd stepped out of a storybook. Whatever happiness he'd shown vanished the instant his gaze landed on Natalie.

She used to hover near Colin, always reading his mood and offering comfort whenever he threw a fit. Today, she walked right past without so much as a glance, choosing instead to settle quietly by the coffee table on the other side of the room.

Colin fumed inwardly, too stubborn to make the first move, and sat stiffly with a sulk written plain on his face.

Meanwhile, Amelia abandoned her usual sharpness toward Natalie and put on a sugary smile for Ella. She squeezed Ella's hand and spoke with warmth.

"It's such a surprise to see you back. If you hadn't come for Grandma's birthday, I'd never have known you returned. Now that you're here, you must visit more often. I've always thought of you as family since we were kids. I mean that, truly. If only..."

Her eyes flicked to Natalie, and her words took on a sharp edge.

"When it comes to marriage, it matters that you choose someone who is your equal. If you end up with a partner who is always petty and jealous, someone who can't help you succeed and only drags you down, it always ends badly. No wonder divorces happen!"

Hoping to humiliate Natalie, Amelia threw her barbed words like daggers, but Natalie refused to react. She didn't even turn her head.

Amelia felt her effort land flat, her irritation growing.

Knowing exactly what Amelia was trying to do, Natalie tuned her out and moved forward to present her gift to Martha. "Martha, I'm wishing you happiness and many more wonderful years."

Martha received the gift with a gentle smile, then took Natalie's hand in hers and studied her face with care. "You look thinner than before. Have you been pushing yourself too hard?"

Touched by Martha's kindness, Natalie blinked back a shimmer in her eyes, forcing a cheerful grin. "I've just been busy, that's all. Once things calm down, I'll make sure to eat more and get my weight back."

The two chatted for a while, and when Natalie tried to excuse herself, Amelia blocked her path.

"Leaving so soon, Natalie? Is there something you're trying to hide from us?"