She screamed, "How dare you!"
"Don't move. Kneel down, and put your hands up!" Peter Lowe barked. "Or else, I'll smash it right now!"
Natalie Jennings gritted her teeth hard.
"Hurry up and kneel!" Leo Lowe chimed in, yelling, "New grudges, old debts—we've got to settle them good and proper!"
Natalie had no choice but to compromise. Staring at the jade pendant, her knees slowly bent down…
Just as her knees were about to hit the floor, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a firm embrace: "With me here, you think I'd let you be treated like this? Natalie Jennings, stand up straight!"
A magnetic voice, a warm embrace…
Hayden Sheffield!
Natalie looked up at him in shock. "You?"
"What means so much to you that you'd rather kneel than lose it?" Hayden raised his eyebrow and asked, "Something Jasper Quincy gave you?"
"No. It's the jade pendant my parents left me."
He pressed his lips together and reached a hand out to Peter Lowe. "Hand it over."
Seeing Hayden Sheffield, Peter didn't dare defy him for a second—he immediately presented the jade pendant with both hands.
He handed it to Natalie.
But she didn't take it. Instead, she turned around, grabbed a few tissues, wrapped the jade pendant inside, and wiped it over and over.
She cradled it carefully—the feeling of getting it back was just incredible.
Peter Lowe said with a fawning grin, "President Sheffield, this is my niece. Do you perhaps have an interest in her? That's her good fortune—I'll arrange it for you right away—ah!"
Before he could finish, Hayden delivered a crushing kick. Peter's whole body flew, smashing into the wall and collapsing to the floor.
Leo Lowe saw this and started trembling violently.
Natalie tucked the jade pendant away, watching coldly. "Hayden Sheffield, you orchestrated my family's ruin from behind the scenes. They're just your hired thugs. Is putting on this show supposed to distract me from hating you?"
He asked coolly, "If these two dogs died, would you be satisfied?"
"Maybe a third satisfied," Natalie said. "Only if you die, can I let it all go."
"Easing some of your anger isn't so bad either."
"So," Natalie smiled, "are you really going to deal with Peter?"
"Don't get your hopes up," Hayden tightened his grip on her waist. "What makes you think you deserve for me to go on a killing spree for you?"
She lifted her chin. "Someday, Peter, Leo, and you—I won't let any of you off!"
Hayden sneered quietly, "You couldn't even hold onto a jade pendant. And you think you'll get revenge?"
Natalie was furious. She raised her arm to hit him, but Hayden easily caught her and, with a quick heft, threw her over his shoulder.
"Hayden Sheffield! Put me down!"
He gave her a hard smack on the butt. "Behave."
Natalie thrashed and kicked. "You're just relying on brute strength—fight me one on one if you dare, Hayden Sheffield! I'll bite you!"
Outside, Gideon Grant and Silas Spencer stepped aside to clear a path.
"The two inside, deal with them," Hayden said. "Make sure they never show up in Southedge again."
Gideon grunted in acknowledgment.
"Were they always…" After the two walked off, Gideon pointed after them. "…this intense with each other?"
Silas slouched lazily against the doorframe. "This is nothing—you haven't seen the real fireworks yet."
"Like what?"
"You'll get it once you're married."
Gideon: "…"
He glanced into the lounge at Peter and Leo. "Aren't you getting lost fast enough?"
Peter and Leo scrambled out, practically crawling away.
Half an hour later, Terrence Sheffield rubbed his neck and woke up, groggy: "Who am I? Where am I? What happened?"
...
Sterling Estate.
Natalie Jennings was tossed onto the soft, massive bed.
She rolled over and popped up. "Do you have any idea how to treat a lady?"
"Are you done causing a scene?"
"Causing a scene?" Natalie let out an incredulous laugh. "I got back my parents' keepsake. Is that so wrong?"
Hayden narrowed his eyes. "You skipped work this afternoon, went to a bar without telling me, and got into a fight without permission?"
Natalie suddenly felt guilty. Oh right…she had ditched work…
But soon enough she regained her defiant attitude. "Are you even paying me a salary? I'll work if I feel like it—mind your own business!"
Hayden shot back, "How much do you want for a salary?"
Natalie was momentarily stunned.
Before she could answer, Hayden turned and walked away.
A few minutes later, he came back. "Fill in however much you want."
Natalie looked down—it was a blank check.
"Trying to buy my time with money?" she grinned at him. "No deal! I can come and go as I please at the company—you can't control me."
Hayden leaned over, bracing his hands on either side of her. "Natalie Jennings, am I spoiling you too much?"
"Absolutely! Joined up with Peter Lowe and destroyed my family. Really, you're so incredibly kind."
She said this and ripped the check in half without hesitating.
A vein pulsed on Hayden's forehead.
Yet Natalie only got even bolder. "Anyway, I'm your wife. It's your duty to support me, right? I get half your assets, don't I?"
He pinched her chin. "You really think I won't touch you?"
Natalie couldn't be bothered to argue and turned to walk away.
Hayden reached out and caught her collar. She kept trying to leave, and after a tug-of-war—rip—the fabric of Natalie's clothes…
tore apart.
Her snow-white shoulder was exposed; underneath, only her undergarments were left. Hayden's gaze went dark.
Suddenly, he felt parched, as if a fire was burning inside his body.
"Hey!" Natalie abruptly covered herself. "Hayden Sheffield, you… Why's your face so red?"
No way she'd believe Hayden was embarrassed.
A guy like him was thick-skinned as a fortress.
"No idea," Hayden pressed his brow. "Maybe it's the alcohol."
Natalie's eyes flickered—she remembered. "It was the room fragrance—Peter put drugs in it! You stayed in there for minutes, you must've inhaled a ton!"
She had taken the antidote beforehand, but…Hayden hadn't!
This is bad, really bad!
"Drugs?" Hayden frowned. "An aphrodisiac?"
Natalie nodded firmly.
He suddenly sat up straight, loosening his tie slowly. "Mrs. Sheffield, you're the best cure of all."
Natalie tried to escape instantly, but Hayden closed in and trapped her in his arms.
His lips crashed down on hers, searing hot.
Natalie's whole body stiffened, eyes wide open at his devastatingly handsome face right in front of her…
This was her first kiss!
Soon, Hayden noticed too. "You don't know how to kiss?"
"I…"
She just got a word out when he seized the chance as she parted her lips, invading swiftly.
This cunning man!
Natalie had no idea what to do, but Hayden was clearly satisfied—for him, this proved he was her first man.
Someone so pure and untouched—she belonged only to him.
"Mmph… Hayd— you… mmph… Hayden Sheffield!"
His breathing ragged, he said innocently, "It's not that I want you—just the drug's too strong. I can't control it."
"Hayden Sheffield, how are you so full of schemes!"
"Just telling you the truth." His eyes were dark and restrained. "Unless… you have another way to relieve the drug's effects on me."
"I… I do!" Natalie's eyes lit up. "I've got a way!"