Dumping Him for His Uncle (Natasha and Zachary) novel Chapter 76

Matthew had always called him "Uncle Zachary" out of respect for his father.

But deep down, the one person he could never accept was Zachary because no matter what he did, Matthew could never surpass him.

"If you were capable of replacing me, Matthew, I wouldn't be the one running Foster Group right now. You had everything handed to you but still managed to ruin it. If it weren't for me, Foster Group wouldn't be what it is today," Zachary said sharply.

Under his leadership, Foster Group had become the most powerful name in Cendale, untouchable by almost anyone.

And he wasn't wrong. Everyone knew it.

Just as Natasha debated whether to intervene, Matthew suddenly yanked Zachary by the collar and shoved him to the far side of the staircase.

Still hidden below the stairs, Natasha froze. Neither of them had noticed her.

"Go to hell, Zachary!" Matthew snarled.

Out of nowhere, he seemed to tap into a surge of rage and strength, forcing Zachary into the kitchen's walk-in freezer.

Before Zachary could get back on his feet, Matthew slammed the heavy freezer door shut without hesitation.

Natasha had heard every word, but with Matthew still nearby, she had no way to step in.

Thankfully, he glanced around, saw no one, and headed up the stairs toward the deck.

Only then did Natasha dare to climb the stairs. Following signs of the struggle, she found the freezer door.

"Zachary! Are you in there?" she shouted, her voice tight with urgency.

She'd never handled an industrial freezer like this and had no idea how to open it from the outside, but inside, she could hear faint banging.

Zachary was alive, but with the thick door between them, he probably couldn't hear her clearly.

Frantic, Natasha spent ten minutes searching for a release switch or locking mechanism, but nothing worked.

"Zachary, can you hear me? Don't waste your energy. Try to find something to conserve your body heat!"

Still no answer, and the call wouldn't go through. Frustrated, Natasha finally tossed her phone aside.

The freezer door was thick and heavy. She grabbed the handle and shoved it hard to the right.

It turned out she hadn't been using enough force before, so she'd assumed it wouldn't budge.

Inside, Zachary heard the sound at the door and slowly tried to rise.

He'd only been inside for ten minutes, but already his body was beginning to stiffen from the cold.

"Zachary, hang on!" Natasha shouted, gritting her teeth as she forced the door open just wide enough to squeeze through.

"Mr. Foster?" she called again, her voice sharp with worry as the freezing air slammed into her face.