Jullian came fully prepared.

Still Natalie shook her head. Even if there was a tiny chance, a little one that Jullian wouldn't divorce her today, she would take it.

It was better to be humiliated than deal with her father's wrath.

But before she could open her mouth to speak again she heard a familiar voice, but the words were not familiar at all.

"Jullie? Baby? What's taking so long?" The person asked.

Natalie raised her head to see the lady as she walked into her room. She wore a red a short gown that stopped above her mid-thigh, with a blue jacket and red heels.

The jacket and heels... They belonged to her.

Her...

Instantly, Natalie's mind went back to the call yesterday, and the party.

"Baby? Baby?!" She yelled, the words tearing out of her throat. "Did you just call my husband baby?"

The woman who just walked in looked so calm, the complete opposite of Natalie at the moment, as she walked towards Jullian who received her with a smile.

"I'm going..." She struggled to get back up, "I'm going to murder you!" She charged towards the woman who had just walked in.

"Jullian!" The lady screamed, immediately hiding behind Jullian.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Jullian yelled, and Natalie couldn't help but stop in her tracks. "Or you'd be the one dead." he continued.

The lady, who saw that Jullian's wife couldn't do anything to her spoke freely. "Husband?" She asked Jullain, sounding annoyed. "Why does she still call you husband? She hasn't signed it yet?"

Of course.

Natalie knew this idea couldn't he Jullian's. He was too stupid.

It had to be this fucking witch.

She couldn't believe that it was this one... This lady who broke her home.

"I took you into my house, Mirabel," Natalie said in tears, reminiscing about the day she had brought Mirabel home just five months ago. "I helped you when you were at your fucking lowest. How could you do this to me! Why would you do this to me?"

She had done the lady a favor, and yet she was backstapped.

Mirabel, showed no remorse. She felt none either. "It's not my fault that you can't keep a man." She said before rolling her eyes. Then she gently brushed Jullian's upper arm with his. "And it definitely isn't my fault that he picked me over a smelly degraded thing like yourself."

Smelly? Degraded?

Natalie couldn't believe that someone used those words to qualify her.

"Take a look at yourself, Natalie." Mirabel continued. "Compared to me, you look... You look like someone's grandmother." Natalie's subconscious looked down at herself.

It was fatter than before, and a bit swollen, her hair... Unlike Mirabel's long blonde hair was pruned, her black hair was scattered everywhere on her head.

But she just gave birth!

What? She expected her to look like a model?!

"Look at yourself, Natalie," Mirabel sneered. "Compared to me, you look pathetic and disgusting. Jullian deserves better. He deserves me."

Mirabel's last words repeated in Natalie's head.

Jullian deserved better?

Mirabel thought she was better?

Natalie didn't even know when a loud laugher erupted from her lips

She was actually begging this scum to take her back?

Had she gone that low?

No.

Her father could go fuck himself.

She raised her hand to her face and wiped the tears in her eyes with her hands. Then she looked at Jullian. "You actually brought this bitch to the hospital to divorce me? What is she? Your handbag?"

"You..." Jullian fumed but Natalie didn't let him speak.

"You know what? Where are the papers?" She asked?

Her sudden change took Jullian by surprise. He thought he was going to beg a bit more. But he cleared his throat and pointed at the brown envelope near her feet.

Natalie picked up the papers, then she stretched her hand. "Pen."

"What?" Jullian's eyes widened. She was really doing it. He cleared his throat before shoving his hand into his pockets and taking out his pen.

"Don't you worry baby." Natalie heard Jullian comfort Mirabel. "Once this is gone, I'd apologize personally."

Natalie scoffed. His words fueled her. She signed her name on every paper quickly, then threw everything at Jullian.

"That's it right? That's all you came for right?" She asked and Jullian nodded absentmindly, staring at Natalie's signature on the papers.

"Good." Natalie walked towards the door and opened it. "Now get out! I don't want my children's eyes to be stained by the sight of you and that... Thing."

Mirabel eyes widened. 'Did she just call me a thing? Again?'

...

Natalie left the hospital just after midnight, quietly without telling anyone. The only thing she had with her was one small suitcase. Jullian had dropped it before leaving that bitch... Saying that it was all she had left after four years of marriage.

No way. After she was settled, she would return back there and take everything she owned... Not now.

The automatic hospital doors slid shut behind her with a soft hiss.

Cold air struck her immediately, and Natalie shivered.

Her body was still weak from childbirth. Every step sent pain shooting through her abdomen, but she forced herself to keep moving.

She had nowhere else to go.

The twins stirred softly against her, their tiny movements making her chest tighten painfully.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears burning her eyes. “I’m so sorry…”

She didn’t even know which apology hurt more.

Apologizing to her children for failing them…

Or apologizing because she had brought them into a world where nobody wanted them.

The streets were nearly empty. They were dark and silent. A few distant streetlights flickered weakly against the pavement.

Natalie tightened her grip on the suitcase and kept walking slowly toward the main road.

She needed a taxi.

After that… she would figure things out somehow.

Even if it meant returning to her father.

The thought alone made her stomach twist violently. Her father didn’t tolerate failure.

And divorce? Divorce after being abandoned?

That was humiliation.

Natalie could already imagine the look on his face.

Disgust... Cold disappointment and punishment.

Natalie looked down at the twin in her arms. Her father wouldn't accept them.

Wouldn't it be better for her to just take them to an orphanage? Somewhere far away from the family?

No. She immediately shook her head.

She couldn't give up her children. She went through too much to give them up. She was selfish.

A tear left Natalie's eyes.

Her breathing became uneven.

The pain was getting worse.

She stopped walking beside the road, trembling slightly as she adjusted the baby in her arms.

For one terrifying second, her knees nearly gave out beneath her.

No.

Not now.

She couldn’t collapse now.

Not with the twins.

She forced herself to stand back up, ignoring the pain between her legs.

Headlights suddenly appeared in the distance.

Natalie looked up quickly.

A car.

Hope flickered inside her chest.

She stepped forward immediately, raising her hand desperately.

“Please!”

The vehicle slowed.

But before she could sigh in relief, another black car appeared behind it.

And another.

And another.

Natalie froze...

This was...

Her heart slammed hard against her chest.

Three black SUVs stopped in front of her one after another, their tinted windows reflecting the pale streetlights.

Her feet stumbled, and she held her suitcase tighter in her arms, while eyeing the three vehicles.

The back doors opened simultaneously.

Men dressed entirely in black stepped out from the first and last vehicles. They were all tall with broad shoulders and they had an expressionless look on their faces.

Natalie’s heartbeat spiked violently. Her grip tightened around the babies.

“W...Who are you?” she asked shakily, stepping backward.

Nobody answered.

The men spread out silently around her instead.

Blocking every possible escape.

Fear crawled up Natalie’s spine.

Her instincts screamed at her to run.

But how could she?

She turned around... she shook, they were everywhere.

“Please…” she whispered. “I just gave birth, I don’t have money…” she cried, her voice breaking. God, she couldn't afford to be mugged now.

But the men remained cold and unmoving, like statues.

Then...

The rear door of the middle SUV opened slowly.

And the atmosphere changed instantly.

With her heart beating loudly against her chest, Natalie turned to look at the man who stepped out slowly.

The first thing she noticed was his height. She noticed it from his tall legs. He was tall enough that the other men seemed smaller around him.

And then the dark tailored coat.

She noticed the aura around him.

It was dangerous. And worse, it seemed familiar.

"Jullian?"

Natalie’s breathing caught as soon as he looked up at her.

No... It wasn't Jullian. His eyes weren't this dark, and his hair wasn't black.

A shiver ran down Natalie's spine as soon as he looked at her.

What was worse... She could hardly make up the expression on his face, but she already felt so scared.

For a moment, he didn’t even look at her face.

His gaze went directly to the twins... Maybe if she had seen his face, she would have seen the look of surprise that ran through his eyes.

Then he looked at her.

And Natalie felt her entire body tense instinctively, and her legs unconsciously moved backwards.

He took one slow step toward her, then another.

The sound of his polished shoes against the pavement echoed loudly in the silence.

Natalie backed away immediately.

“Stay back,” she warned weakly, though her trembling voice ruined any intimidation.

The man stopped.

Close enough now for her to see his face clearly beneath the dim streetlights.

Handsome... No beautiful.

Jullian was one of the most handsome people Natalie knew, but compared to this man in front of her, he was less than ordinary.

But just like the other men around her, his face was expressionless.

Natalie frowned slightly.

She had seen him before.

But where?

The man slid one gloved hand into his pocket casually.

Her pulse quickened.

“What do you want?” she asked carefully.

The man’s gaze lowered briefly toward the twins again.

Something unreadable flickered through his eyes before disappearing completely.

Then he finally answered.

“You.”

Natalie’s face paled.

Fear exploded inside her chest.

Natalie swallowed hard.

Her body screamed in pain, exhaustion clawing at her limbs, but adrenaline forced her to stay standing.

“Who are you?” she whispered. The man didn't answer. He just stared at her.

Natalie’s fingers tightened protectively around the twins.

“What do you want from me?” she asked again, panic slipping into her voice now.

The handsome scoffed, a smirk spreading across his lips. “You’re coming with me.”

Natalie’s heart nearly stopped. She shook her head, moving backwards. “No.”

But his face remained calm... “It wasn’t a request.”

As soon as he said that, the men who stood behind her took a step forward, as though reassuring her that she had nowhere to run.

Fear surged violently through her chest.

She ignored the obvious message and tried to escape. Her body moved before her brain could catch up.

She turned abruptly, but pain shot through her abdomen immediately, nearly making her collapse. Strong hands grabbed her before she hit the ground.

Natalie gasped sharply, panic exploding inside her. “Don’t touch me!” she cried out desperately.

One of the guards reached for the baby carrier instinctively.

Natalie jerked away violently.

“No!” she screamed. “Don’t touch my children!”

The entire street fell silent.

Even the guards paused, they looked up to their boss for the next move.

The cold handsome man stepped forward slowly.

Close enough that Natalie could smell his cologne now... His dark, expensive, and dangerous perfume.

She looked up at him with visible fear.

And Lucien spoke quietly.

“You’ll die if you stay out here tonight.”

Natalie’s lips trembled.

Maybe he was right.

But going with him felt worse somehow.

“I’d rather die,” she whispered.

The man smirked and then leaned down to whisper in her ears... "That can be arranged later." And then he snapped his fingers. "But not with the twins."

What did he...

Before Natalie knew what was going on, she felt something pressing on her nose and mouth from behind, and she couldn't even struggle... The last thing she saw was his handsome face staring at her before her eyes closed, and she fell unconscious.

...

Lucian looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms. He caught her before her body hit the ground.

She was finally in his arms.

He gave an order for the twins to be taken into the car before carrying Natalie.

Lucian couldn't help but stare at her face. He had gone to the hospital to see her only to be informed that she had insisted on leaving. It was only by luck he saw her.

Judging from her situation, he was certain that his idiotic brother... Her husband had gotten the divorce that he wanted... So maybe they could be used for something greater.

A flicker passed through his eyes as he stared at the twins.

Jullian could leave his wife after she just gave birth... Yet he was the cruel one.

...

Natalie winced, turning on the bed. It took a few seconds but she finally opened her eyes, one after the other.

As soon as she did, her lips bent downwards to form a frown.

This... She wasn't at the hospital. She was already used to the white walls, ceiling, and smell of that place after staying for two days.

And... This wasn't her bedroom back in her husband's... Wait, ex-husband's home either.

It was way smaller than this. Julian had moved her to the room on the ground floor a few months ago with the excuse that her belly would be too big to climb the stairs and it would be dangerous.

She had thought then that he cared about her, but thinking about it now... He only wanted space so he could be with his mistress.

This wasn't her room back at her father's house either.

Natalie suddenly sat up and looked around.

Where was she?

"Where am I?" She asked no one in particular as she stared at the huge bedroom, her heart slamming hard against her chest.

Slowly, memories of last night came back to her.

"What the hell..." Natalie exclaimed, standing up from the bed. Then she realized something...

Her children.

Her eyes widened and she ran to the door.

"Hey! Where are my children? Hey! Get me out of here! Give me back my children!" She yelled, hitting the door mercilessly.

"Ma'am, can you please stop that?" A voice suddenly said from behind Natalie, and she turned around quickly.

It was then she realized that someone had been in here all along. He was one of the guys from last night. She walked towards him and demanded, "Where are my children? Where am I?"

She held his shirt and the guard raised both hands up. He couldn't dare touch her. "Ma'am..."

"Do you know who the fuck I am? My husband wouldn't sit still once he found out that I'd been kidnapped."

"The same man who divorced you?" Natalie heard someone reply to her. Her fingers holding the man's shirt froze because the voice sounded familiar.

Next thing she heard was the door being opened, and she turned around.

It was the same guy from last night.

Her gaze made Lucien's heart beat faster. "Does she remember?" He thought to himself as he walked towards the other side of the room.

But it took him just a few seconds to realize that she didn't.

She was only looking because of his face.

He cleared his throat. "What are you staring at?"

Natalie heard the handsome man who walked in less than a minute say and she immediately blinked before shaking her head.

"No... nothing."

She had gotten carried away for a minute. But then again, how could she not? He looked even better in the day.

"L... Let me go." Natalie shook her head, this wasn't the time for her to be distracted. "How did you know about my divorce? It's barely been a day."  She added.

Or did... Did Jullian publicly announce their divorce?

If he did, then her father might already know.

"You can't lock me up like this..." Natalie continued. She inhaled before bluffing again. "Even if my husband doesn't do anything, my father will!"

"Your father?" Lucien scoffed again.

'Does this woman think she can lie to me?' he wondered as he stared at her. " The same man who pushed you to marry your husband despite knowing that he had no feelings for you... You think that man would save you from me?"

Natalie's eyes went wide.

He knew about that too.

She panicked, backing away until her back touched the wall.

"Just who the fuck are you?!" She cried.

It wasn't her father... it was Jullian... she had no enemies. "What do you know about my family? How do you know about them?!"

That wasn't the main issue.

Julian and her father didn't exactly keep their hate for her hidden.

Fuck it. "Give me back my children!" She yelled again.

Children... That reminded Lucian.

He gestured to the man in black who quickly went to stand next to him.

"Boss..."

"Prepare the nursery, and the pediatrician on standby." He instructed, ignoring the shocked expression on Natalie's face.

Confused, the man nodded. "Yes sir."

Before he could turn around, Lucian continued. "Instruct the chef to make postpartum meals for the mother."

Meals?

"Y..yes sir." The man nodded again. "And double the security around the entrance." Lucian paused, for a second before he continued. "It's unlikely that anyone would save her, but it's possible."

"Yes, boss." The man in black nodded before he turned around and left the room.

"I'm right here," Natalie spoke after the man left, and Lucian nodded. "I know."

Bluffing wouldn't work on him... Natalie realized that. "This isn't acceptable, I don't even know who you are. Please... Just let me go."

Lucian walked towards her slowly, a brow raised. "Why would I go through the trouble to get you if I'm just going to let you go?" He asked.

'So he wasn't going to let her go?' Natalie wondered, her heart beating loudly in her chest at his proximity.

She got her answer almost immediately from his next words.

"You're never slipping out of my hands ever again."

Her heart dropped. "What?"

The next thing she heard was a sharp cry...

"What's that sound?" Lucian stepped back.

Natalie realized the cry... It was one of the children. But before she could say it, the door was pushed opened and a woman walked in holding the boy.

"Boss..." The woman greeted Lucian with a bow.

Natalie's eyes followed her. "My baby..." She breathed.

"This one wouldn't stop crying, boss." The woman holding the child explained, gesturing to the baby.

Natalie forced herself to stand up so she could take him from her hands, but before she could get there, she heard the handsome man say "Give him to me."

"Boss..." Even the lady holding the baby was surprised. But she handed the baby over anyway.

Natalie panicked. "Hey, you..." The rest of the words she wanted to say disappeared as soon as the handsome man held her baby.

Why?

Because he stopped crying.

Natalie's eyes went to the man's hand. His suit had shifted downward a bit revealing the tattoo on his wrist... Something she hadn't noticed last night because he was wearing gloves.

It was two letters.

LV

Then her eyes went back to look at his face, at the way he held her baby.

It was soft... And calm.

Jullian didn't even bother to hold their child, he didn't even want to see them.

She felt something in her chest as she watched the harsh man being so gentle with her baby.

Harsh... Could she even classify him as that?

Apart from kidnapping her, everything else he had done was gentle.

So what did he want from her? And more importantly... Why her?

“Don’t mistake kindness for softness,” she heard him suddenly say, and Natalie shook, snapping out of the trance she had unknowingly been in by watching him. "... I'm not the person you should stare at like that." The man said, his voice back to being cold.

"You asked who I was right?"  He turned away from her baby to look at him.

Natalie stared at his seemingly family face, and the tattoo on his wrist flashed in her mind.

LV.

V...

There was only one powerful family that had the initials V, but they only had one son.

Wait... Her eyes widened as she stared at him.

They had two!

She stumbled backwards... But the son was banished from the country... How could he be...

"Lucian Vale."