Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie) novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163 More Like Sisters

Natalie’s POV:

Leonardo’s grip was tight, as if he was drawing the strength to continue from our clasped hands.

+20 Free Coir

“Her name is Natalie,” Leonardo said, his voice steadier now, filled with a solemn sense of commitment. “She’s my mate. The only one I will ever love.”

I gently sat on the grass beside him, not caring if the morning dew soaked my dress.

“Hello, I’m Natalie,” I said softly but sincerely. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with Leonardo from now on. I’ll take care of him and love him as best as I can.”

I paused, my gaze tender as I looked at the photo on the headstone. “And thank

you. Thank you for bringing him into the world. Thank you for giving us someone so good and exceptional.”

Those words seemed to hit Leonardo directly in his deepest, most unhealed wound.

His fingers tightened around mine abruptly, so hard my knuckles turned white.

Leonardo’s POV:

For as long as I could remember, everyone who mentioned my mother did so with pity and sorrow. It was as if my very existence was a mistake, one that stole my mother’s life and my father’s happiness.

Those silent accusations clung to me like a cold weight, lingering my whole life. On countless nights jolted awake by nightmares, the thought that “I should never have been born” festered in my soul.

But now, Natalie was saying “thank you.”

It was not pity, nor regret, but profound gratitude. She was grateful to the one who gave me life, and to my very existence and worth.

A sudden, warm glow of her words hit me, burning into a heart unacquainted with true warmth.

The self-loathing and guilt buried deep down were jolted.

Natalie’s POV:

He lowered his head. I could clearly see the tense line of his neck and his shoulders, which trembled uncontrollably. The hand holding mine transmitted a feeling of almost convulsive suppression.

I knew what he was thinking. I wrapped my other arm lightly around his broad yet now incredibly vulnerable shoulders. I let his slightly bowed forehead rest against my neck, silently conveying my understanding and support.

A long time passed. The sun rose fully, its golden warmth piercing the clouds and thin mist, showering our embracing figures and chasing away the morning chill.

“Would she ever have regretted it?” His voice was muffled. His question was seemingly out of nowhere, but

1/3

18:32 Thu, Jan

Chapter 163 More Like Sisters

I understood instantly.

+20 Free Coin

“Never,” I stated firmly. My tone was certain and strong. “She loved you more than anything in this world, even her own life. That’s why she made that choice. I believe her greatest wish was for you to grow up safe, healthy, and happy and to become a good, strong man capable of love.”

I gently rubbed his back and said, “Leonardo, you were the proudest decision of her short life.”

Leonardo’s shoulders shook violently once more.

Leonardo’s POV:

I had never heard words like these.

My father’s coldness and the quiet, lingering sighs of others had long nailed me to the cross of original sin.

And Natalie, with such simple conviction, was personally taking me down from it.

I leaned against her for a long time-absorbing warmth and absolution that was twenty years overdue.

Finally, I slowly raised my head. The rims of my eyes were faintly red, but his gaze seemed relieved of a heavy burden, becoming clearer. “Natalie, let’s go home,” I said.

Natalie’s POV:

At noon, after handling the Scott Group’s routine affairs, I headed downstairs for lunch. As the elevator doors opened, I saw Lily. She walked out with her head down, looking dazed. Her aura was chaotic and faint, tense with fear.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify