The Unwavering Heart That Broke (Nathalie and Lance) novel Chapter 185

A faint ache settled in her chest and quickly turned bitter.

Nathalie almost wanted to laugh at the irony. Some guy she’d barely even met believed her, yet her own parents never did. To them, she was nothing but trouble. Always rebellious, always at fault. The kind of kid you warn other people about.

Her voice was hoarse as she spoke, “Freddy, thank you.”

Inside the quiet cell, she sat curled up on the wooden bed, knees hugged to her chest. She looked so small, so breakable. Almost invisible.

Freddy stepped closer without thinking. “Ms. Blair, do you want to come out? I can help.”

Nathalie’s lashes fluttered. She shook her head. “No. I’m fine here.”

It was peaceful. Here, nobody could reach her or mess with her.

Freddy’s eyes softened, something unreadable flickering there. He let out a long sigh. “Alright. I guess I’ll owe you for a little while longer, then. If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know.”

Nathalie’s gaze was steady, honest. “Freddy, you really don’t have to worry about that.”

He turned serious, stubborn even. “No. You saved me. That matters. I’ll never forget it.”

She couldn’t help but feel a little helpless. Some things, you just couldn’t talk people out of.

“I should go,” Freddy said gently. “When you get out, I’ll be here to pick you up.”

That surprised her. But instead of arguing, Nathalie just offered a quiet smile. “Thank you.”

Freddy nodded and left. The room fell silent again.

Nathalie closed her eyes, drew her knees tighter, and buried her face against them. The ache in her heart eased a little. Not much, but enough.

Lance looked up, eyes suddenly sharp and hard to read. “If Jasper saw you like this, he’d probably cry his eyes out. Let’s not put him through that.”

Felice’s smile faltered. “Lance… what is that supposed to mean?”

He leaned back, voice cool and level. “There’s no security footage in the stairwell. Only you and Nathalie know what really happened.”

Her lashes quivered. “I only wanted to ask Nathalie for the chance to work with The Charles Group. I never thought she’d just snap…”

“But the outside cameras caught you dragging her into the stairwell,” Lance pointed out, not mincing words. “Why did it have to be there? I checked. You both could’ve talked it out in the open. No one else was around.”

Felice’s eyes grew wet, her face tightening with hurt. “Lance, are you saying you don’t trust me? Do you really think I’d throw myself down a flight of stairs just to set Nathalie up? Is that how little you think of me?”

Her voice wobbled. Then her tears started to fall.