Ditch Fake Bond She’s Tycoon Wolf Heiress (Natalie) novel Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: I Need Rest**

**Chapter 16: I Need Rest**

**Landon’s POV:**

Aaliyah was still awake, her eyes bright with concern as she waited for my return. I cast a fleeting glance toward Natalie’s room, the door firmly shut, not a hint of light seeping through the cracks.

Had Natalie really played me like this? Leaving me alone in the cold shadows of the night, waiting for her to show up?

Frustration surged within me, and I instinctively loosened my tie, feeling the constriction around my neck. I quickly changed my shoes, my mind racing with irritation, and strode towards Natalie’s door. Just as I reached for the doorknob, a gentle but firm grip caught my wrist.

“Landon, what’s wrong? This is Natalie’s room,” Aaliyah whispered, her eyes wide with confusion and a touch of apprehension.

Reality hit me like a wave. Of course, I had always respected the boundaries of our separate rooms. What was I thinking, trying to enter Natalie’s space in the dead of night, especially right in front of Aaliyah?

I inhaled deeply, forcing my anger to subside, and allowed Aaliyah to guide me away from that door, away from my reckless impulse.

**Aaliyah’s POV:**

Back in the sanctuary of my room, Landon finally let the dam break. He poured out everything that had transpired, his voice a mixture of frustration and disbelief.

A knot of worry had been tightening in my chest, fearing that he might be developing feelings for Natalie. But as he spoke, a wave of relief washed over me.

“She never used to behave like this with me,” Landon murmured, his voice low and heavy, carrying a weight of frustration I had never encountered before. He was usually so composed in his relationships, always maintaining an air of control, even when he was pursuing me.

“Do you see it now?” I replied softly, hoping to soothe him. “Women can become spoiled easily. You’ve been far too lenient with her over the years. Now, she’s taking your kindness for granted. She doesn’t want to adhere to the Richardson family rules anymore.” I poured him a cup of warm honey water, the steam rising gently, and settled beside him, my fingers working their way into the knots of tension in his shoulders.

Landon placed his hand over mine, but his eyes remained clouded with doubt. “Natalie isn’t like that.”

Even after everything, he was still defending her. It was as if he couldn’t see that Natalie’s behavior was a reflection of her true self. Did he believe this was merely a cry for attention, a response to feeling neglected since I had moved in? His attention, divided, was causing ripples in our relationship, and today, his frustration was fueled by his sister’s antics.

The thought that Landon’s feelings for Natalie might be shifting sent a pang through my heart, tightening like a vice.

“That’s not all,” she continued, her tone clipped. “I need to request a few days’ leave from the Richardson Group. I need rest.”

My voice rose in disbelief. “Leave? Now? The Richardson Group just lost a major project. This is the critical period to recoup losses. How can you even think of taking leave?”

“The workload has been overwhelming. I’m not feeling well. Can the Richardson Group not function without me?” Natalie interrupted, her voice sharp and icy. “Yesterday, when your assistant needed me to sign documents, I was busy negotiating a massive energy coin compensation package with a client. I was swamped, with no time to spare. And then? Grace kept calling, demanding I drop everything to prepare nursing meals for Anna, claiming she’d only eat my cooking.”

She paused, allowing her words to hang in the air, before adding with a touch of sarcasm, “Landon, be honest. At a moment like that, is asking me to abandon negotiations worth millions of dollars in compensation to cook for your sister reasonable?”

My throat tightened, the gravity of her words sinking in. I understood the importance of that client and the effort Natalie had poured into the negotiations.

“I know you’re caught in the middle, but they shouldn’t be causing trouble like this,” I replied, my voice a mix of frustration and concern. “You shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of their demands.”

Her tone grew heavier, laden with frustration. “I am not the Richardson family’s private chef. When I didn’t go yesterday, Grace accused me of defiance over the phone. Anna claimed I was putting on managerial airs. Did you know any of this?”

Silence enveloped me as I absorbed her words, sharp and unyielding, leaving me momentarily speechless.