The Lies Behind Her Marriage novel Chapter 115

Suspicion.

“He—he refused to help?” Serena clarified, trying her best to keep her voice down.

Nathaniel sighed. He leaned back, stretching his arms and resting his hands behind his head. “No, actually. Mom spoke to his stepson. At the time my other mother called, Norman’s stepson was running the business.”

“When Norman contacted me three years ago, he claimed he wasn’t aware of what happened to Neal,” Nathaniel added. “I don’t know if it’s true, but he at least visited my father’s grave.”

"Why did he contact you out of the blue?" Serena asked.

“His main reason was business.” Nathaniel stretched his arms again, resting them on the armrests. “He’s old. He can no longer run the rehabilitation network, but his stepson is abusing his authority.”

“He needed someone to take over,” Serena filled in the missing piece.

Nathaniel nodded, holding her gaze. “Yes. I’m now the new chairman of Stonewatch Rehabilitation Network.”

Then, before she realized it, his arm was around her.

Serena had been so absorbed in his account that she hadn’t noticed him slowly extending his arm until it settled on her shoulder.

She froze for a second, her eyes dropping to his hand. When she looked back at him, Nathaniel was already looking away, pretending he hadn’t noticed at all.

“Anyway,” Nathaniel continued, “as I was saying, I used the opportunity to look into Stefan Montgomery. In every medical mission they sponsored in Greyhold, Stonewatch booked him a hotel, one room for him and his secretary. The records show they always shared it.”

“I had my suspicions,” he added. “I was planning to hire a PI to look into it further—”

“Nathan, no,” Serena said. “And can you please remove your arm from my shoulder?”

“Oh?” He frowned. “How did it get there?”

Serena: “…”

He shrugged. “Old habits.”

After he pulled his arm back, Serena said, “You didn’t have to reconnect with the general. You didn’t have to swallow your pride. For a father to abandon his child like that, Norman doesn’t deserve you.”

“But Stefan—”

“I was handling it,” Serena said.

“How?” Nathaniel asked, his eyes narrowing. “Have you canceled the lakehouse trip tomorrow?”

When Serena didn’t answer, he said, “Then you didn’t really handle it.”

“I’ll handle it,” Nathaniel said.

“I’m here. I’m here,” Nathaniel said, hugging Alisa. “I was sitting with Mommy. I didn’t leave.”

Alisa was crying and had pulled off some of the electrodes from her head. She buried her face in Nathaniel’s chest, unknowingly wiping her tears on his shirt.

“The test is done,” the technician said with a smile. “It’s okay. She woke up naturally. The results will be ready in a week.”

“You did great, Ali,” Serena said with a smile.

“Yes, she did. She’s a brave little girl,” Nathaniel said gently.

They left the room afterward. In the hallway, Nathaniel carried Alisa. He said, “Gavin arranged security and a car service for me. He’s still in Greyhold. I can take you home.”

“Well, since you’re here, I need to inform Dad. You should see Bastin,” Serena muttered, texting her father.

'Wait.' A realization hit her. 'If Nathaniel is the new chairman of Stonewatch, then who was Stefan meeting today?'

She called Milo while walking behind Nathaniel. “Find out where Stefan Montgomery is for me.”

“Yes, Serena,” Milo replied.

Minutes later, they reached the hospital’s exit.