The Alpha's Four Hidden Heirs (Natalie and Samuel) novel Chapter 66

Shawn’s gaze remained fixed on me, his eyes holding that same intense expression. I almost felt compelled to say something, but the truth was, he had only been kind—nothing more. He hadn’t crossed any boundaries or acted inappropriately. There was still a chance I was misreading the situation, so I chose to stay silent. If he ever made a move, I would be the first to put him in his place.

Carefully, Shawn broke the silence. “I don’t want you to misunderstand the nature of my relationship with her.”

I stretched my neck and rubbed my tired shoulders, glancing up at him with a weary smile. “I’m not misunderstanding anything. I’m just disgusted by her. Honestly, I’m too drained to deal with her nonsense,” I confessed.

I had been putting on a brave face all day, but inside, I was exhausted. She might have seemed fine, but I was completely worn out.

Shawn pressed his lips together, falling silent, his face clouded with deep thought. After a moment, he finally spoke. “I won’t pretend I wasn’t attracted to her type once upon a time, but I’ve grown. Now, I see people like her for what they truly are—shallow, with no real depth.”

His words struck a chord deep inside me. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

“Exactly, Shawn. You hit the nail on the head. But it’s getting late, and I can’t stay out here forever. I need to get home,” I said, standing up.

He offered, “Of course. Let me give you a ride.”

I shook my head gently. “No, that’s not necessary. You already treated me to an amazing dinner—I don’t want to trouble you further. A cab will be fine.”

I could tell he didn’t like the idea. He opened his mouth as if to argue but then thought better of it and simply nodded.

He hailed a cab for me, and after we exchanged goodnights, the vehicle sped off into the night.

At home, Xavier and Clayton were away at summer camp, a five-day, four-night program organized by their training center. Initially, they had resisted going, thinking it childish and dull. But I insisted—they needed to experience a normal childhood, just like any other five-year-old, despite their intelligence.

Reluctantly, they packed their bags and left, but I had to admit, I missed them terribly. This was the longest they’d ever been apart from me. Still, it was good for them—and it gave me the time I needed to finally sift through the files Theo had sent, hoping to crack this case that had me completely stumped.

The elevator doors slid open on my floor just as I was digging through my bag for the keys. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted two familiar little figures crouching by the doorway.

The moment they heard footsteps, Franklin and Sophia looked up simultaneously, their wide eyes sparkling with delight.

I was utterly surprised. How had they gotten here? I hadn’t expected them at all.

“Franklin, Sophia… what are you two doing here?” I asked, my voice a mixture of shock and concern.

Sophia stayed silent, but Franklin answered for them. “We were just walking around and ended up here. You came back right after we arrived.”

He tried to sound casual, but I sensed something was off. There was no way a protective father like Samuel would let them wander the town unsupervised until they stumbled on my place.

Knowing Franklin’s mischievous streak, I wasn’t surprised if this was one of his schemes.

“So you just happened to be wandering and found your way here?” I pressed.

“Yeah, that’s right,” he replied, sticking to his story.

Sophia didn’t bother with words—she simply threw her arms around me and whispered softly, “I miss…”

Her innocent voice melted my heart. “Did you miss me?” I asked, smiling.

She blinked and nodded enthusiastically.

He hesitated but eventually handed over the phone. “There you go.”

I took it and noticed it was switched off. Turning it back on, a flood of unread messages appeared instantly, the phone vibrating nonstop.

I tapped the screen to read the texts.

“Where are you? Answer my calls! Stop messing around! I’m old, and my heart can’t take this! If you don’t show up, your father will kill me!”

Just as I was scrolling through Steven’s desperate messages, the phone rang.

The caller ID showed Steven’s name.

Franklin glanced nervously at the screen and muttered, “Can you not answer it? Once he knows we’re here, he’ll definitely take us home.”

“We can talk about that later,” I said, stroking Franklin’s hair gently. “But this is your fault for not telling anyone where you were. He’s really worried. Have you ever thought about how that feels? Have you considered his feelings?”

Franklin and Sophia exchanged guilty looks and lowered their heads.

I answered the call.

Steven’s voice came through, filled with relief and excitement. “Oh, thank the goddess, Franklin! You finally answered my call!”

Ignoring his enthusiasm, I spoke calmly. “Mr. Bowers, this is Natalie. Franklin and Sophia are at my house.”