"I'll send you the address on the eighth day," Mrs. Griffith replied smoothly. "Stay safe out there. I'm going to hang up now, I'll send that red envelope in a second."
"Waitβ" Natalie wanted to ask more, but the line had already gone dead.
A sudden question gnawed at the back of her mind. If Timothy Griffith wasn't Sebastian's biological father, then who was?
And judging by Mrs. Griffith's calm demeanor, it sounded like she had known the truth all along.
Did she keep her mouth shut simply because Sebastian was under Joanna's spell?
That didn't make any sense.
Having been a mother herself, Natalie knew that a mother would endure any sacrifice to protect her child.
Just like in her past life. When Sebastian found out she was pregnant, he threatened to lock her away, warning her that if she rebelled, she would lose the baby.
To ensure her child survived, she didn't fight back. She stayed in that villa for three agonizing months, only to meet a tragic end.
Natalie stood up, pacing the room. As the layers of the mystery began to peel back, a heavy weight settled over her.
Based on everything she had uncovered over the past year, it was highly likely her own grandfather was hiding things from her, too.
"Ugh," she exhaled a long, heavy breath.
Standing by the window, she watched the swirling snow outside. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and a faint, knowing smile curved her lips. "Sebastian, whose pawns are we really?"
She couldn't shake the creeping suspicion that Sebastian's mother was the hidden mastermind behind all of this.
Who exactly orchestrated her disappearance back then?
All she knew was that Mrs. Griffith was a mother willing to do absolutely anything for Sebastian.
In her memories of her past life, Mrs. Griffith had been committed to a psychiatric ward. After that, Natalie never saw her again.
She stood there for a long time before returning to her bed, lost in thought.
Joanna let out a shaky breath. "The doctor said you have a mild concussion. You need to stay under observation for a week. I'll call the doctor in to check on you right now."
"Alright," he muttered.
Then, his eyes fell on her wheelchair. He quickly tested his own limbs.
Relief washed over him when he realized he could move his arms and legs perfectly fine.
"Joanna, what happened to your legs? Why are you in a wheelchair?" he asked, genuine shock coloring his voice.
Joanna looked down, tracing the armrests. The attackers had at least shown a sliver of mercy, only breaking one of her legs.
"It was Natalie. It had to be a premeditated attack. She's in a wheelchair, so she wants us stuck in wheelchairs, too."
She had spent the last twenty-four hours listening to fireworks outside, trapped in a hospital room. The holiday she had been eagerly anticipating was completely ruined.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Bye-bye Trash! Hello Queen!
Chp1060 is missing...
waiting for updates please...
Please update.. thank you ππ».....
Hi ... Could you please publish another novel .. The mocked missed hidden crowns.. thank you ππ»...
Please update.....
Can you please publish another novel - sorry for your loss, its me am the loss...