Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Briena’s Another Plan

The next morning, Briena received a call from her manager, Ana. Still drowsy from sleep, she answered with a frown, "Do you realize the time, Ana?"

"I’m sorry, Briena, but it’s urgent," Ana replied, her tone anxious.

"What is it?" Briena asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Those youngsters, your fans who were instigated to attack Natalie, have been locked up. Their parents are making a scene in front of our office, demanding we help free their kids."

"What the...at this hour of the day?" Briena sat up in bed, suddenly wide awake. "If their kids are my fans and got instigated to attack someone, what does that have to do with me?"

"The parents are saying that because of you, their children committed a crime, and now you need to help them," Ana explained, her tone cautious. "And we did... you know, instigate them for a purpose."

"But no one knows we did it, so we don’t have to take responsibility," Briena snapped, raising her voice. "Tell them to deal with their own mess."

"Alright."

"Where is Natalie?" Briena asked, her tone sharp.

"She was taken to the hospital after the attack," Ana informed her.

A smirk curled on Briena’s lips. "Is she injured badly?"

"I’m not sure. I couldn’t reach her; it seems she’s being kept hidden. The police might be involved, thinking she could be in more danger after this attack. So, no outsiders are allowed to meet her."

"Not an outsider, but a family member can," Briena chuckled, a plan forming in her mind. "Don’t worry, I’ll personally check on her and make sure she is not dead yet."

"I hope she’s not seriously injured," Ana added, her tone wary. "This matter seems to be escalating, and it might affect your reputation if those youngsters get punished."

"Release the news of the fans being imprisoned. The angry ones will rally behind the attack, saying she deserved it for slapping me. They’ll demand the release of the attackers, and more hate will follow Natalie."

"But it might backfire," Ana cautioned.

"You know the power of crazy fans, don’t you?" Briena retorted.

"Yes. I’ll do as you say."

Briena hung up, a smug smile on her face. "I’ll take Ivan with me. It’s time he sees Natalie for what she really is—pathetic, with a husband who’s no match for him. Ivan will be furious when he realizes she ditched him for some nobody, and he’ll hate her even more."

-----

In the presidential suite of the hotel, a man lying on the bed stirred in his deep sleep. His brows furrowed, and he looked restless as he tossed and turned.

"Aiden... Aiden..."

A voice echoed in his ears—a feminine voice calling for him repeatedly. His eyes snapped open, and he sat up in bed, his heart pounding in his chest.

’What’s going on? Whose voice is that?’ He breathed heavily as he tried to clear his mind. ’Why am I hearing that name? Why does that voice sound so familiar? Is it Natalie’s voice? She’s the only one who had called me by that name.’

He buried his face in his large palms, sighing in frustration. ’She’s surely messing with my mind. I really need to maintain my distance from her, or I’ll start believing I’m Aiden Handrix instead of Justin Harper.’

He checked the time and, noticing it was already morning, got out of bed. After getting ready, he found Noah waiting for him as usual, aware that Justin had returned to the hotel.

"Good morning, Mr. Harper," Noah greeted him, noticing that Justin looked a bit tired, as if he hadn’t slept well. "Are you alright, Mr. Harper?"

Justin was momentarily taken aback by Noah’s observation. It was true—he had only known Natalie for a few days, and yet he found himself trusting her more than he typically would trust anyone. So unlike him.

-----

In the hospital, after Natalie woke up and freshened up, she went through the news. Seeing yet another headline about herself, she wasn’t surprised.

’My sister is surely so dumb.’

There was a knock on the door. John entered the room. "Good morning, Ms. Natalie. I brought you breakfast." He proceeded to place the meal on the table with the efficiency of someone who took his duties seriously.

Natalie was taken aback. She hadn’t asked him to bring her anything. "Doesn’t this hospital provide meals for the patients?" she asked, watching the tall, robust bodyguard in his well-tailored dark suit as he meticulously arranged the meal on the table and then moved it closer to her bed.

"Mr. Harper instructed me to ensure you have everything you need. Hospital food is usually bland, and I thought you might prefer something more to your taste," he explained, stepping back once he had everything in place.

Natalie noticed that, contrary to her initial impression of him as focused and stern, John was actually quite easygoing. Since he had gone to the trouble of bringing her a meal, she couldn’t reject it. Besides, food was her weakness, and a good meal could lift her spirits, even in the midst of all the chaos she was dealing with.

"Thank you, John," she said, genuinely appreciative.

He offered a polite nod and turned to leave but paused when she spoke again. "Mr. Harper... when is he coming?"

The question left her lips before she could fully consider why she was asking it. Was she actually looking forward to seeing him? The way he had abruptly left the previous night had left her feeling unsettled, wondering if he had gotten the wrong impression of her.

"I’m not sure," John replied. "For now, Mr. Harper asked Mr. Noah to take care of any matters related to you. We’re to inform him only when anything crucial comes up and needs his involvement."

Natalie, seemingly not pleased to hear it, simply hummed, permitting John to leave.

’Is he trying to keep his distance, thinking that what happened last night was intentional? Does he really think I’m the kind of woman who throws herself at rich men?’ She frowned inwardly. ’I explained it to him. If he still thinks otherwise, that’s on him. Not like I need him to take care of my matters—he’s the one who keeps involving himself into them.’