The Unwavering Heart That Broke (Nathalie and Lance) novel Chapter 547

Nathalie lowered her gaze, her long lashes fluttering as she stared at the sleeping child. The thought immediately brought her own grandmother, Adelaide, to mind.

For a long moment, she didn't answer.

Lance didn't push it. He knew pressing her too hard would only make her put up walls.

But he could sense her hesitation. She was softening.

Jasper was Felice's son, true, but he was also Jackson's flesh and blood.

And Jackson had always been relentlessly kind to Nathalie.

She could never entirely cast aside that bond.

"..."

The lab results came back exactly an hour later. The serum was a match. It was the genuine cure.

Lorelei let out a smug cackle. "See? Told you it was the real deal. You rich folks really have trust issues."

Lance immediately ordered his medical team to administer the dose to Jasper, followed by an emergency transfer to the hospital to manage the detox and monitor his vitals.

Nathalie looked sharply at Lorelei. "Even if the toxins are flushed out, there's going to be lasting nerve damage. Do you have a fix for that?"

Lorelei's eyes shifted shiftily, and she shook her head with feigned innocence. "Nope. It was a poison, after all. The damage is done. Ain't no magical rewind button for that."

Her voice trailed off defensively as she shrank back from Nathalie's glare.

Nathalie's hands balled into tight fists at her sides. Without another word, she spun around and marched briskly out of the estate.

Lance glanced at his lead security detail. "Take her to the suburban safe house. Keep her locked down."

"Yes, Boss."

Lorelei's smug demeanor vanished instantly. "Wait, what? Are you throwing me in a cage? We had a deal! You can't just lock me up! Hey, come back here!"

Ignoring her shrieks, the guards shoved her into a black SUV and hauled her off to an isolated basement on the outskirts of the city.

Down in her own confinement, Felice paced her room, straining to hear any movement outside. Hours ticked by, but the heavy door remained deadlocked.

Panic began to set in. She pounded her fists against the solid wood. "Hey! Somebody let me out! I demand to see my son! It's time for his visit! Open this damn door!"

But no matter how hoarse she screamed, no one came to unlock the heavy bolt.

The color drained from Felice's face as a sickening realization settled in the pit of her stomach.

Jasper's eyes brightened slightly as he rattled off a few of his favorite meals.

Lance made a quick call to his assistant to arrange the food delivery.

Pulling up a chair beside the bed, he studied the boy. "Does anything still hurt?"

Jasper thought about it for a second before shaking his head. "Not as much as before."

He paused, clutching the edge of his blanket. "Uncle Lance... I'm not going to die anymore, right?"

"No." Lance offered a faint, reassuring smile, gently ruffling the boy's hair. "You're going to grow up just fine."

Jasper looked around the empty hospital room. "Where's my mom?"

"Jasper, tell me the truth," Lance said, his tone turning serious. "Does your mother actually treat you well?"

Jasper nodded earnestly. "She's good to me. I want my mom."

Lance's brow furrowed slightly. "But before she came back, you were doing perfectly fine without her."

Tears instantly pooled in Jasper's eyes. "Uncle Lance, am I not allowed to see her anymore? Do I only get to see my mom when I'm sick? Because if that's true, I want to be sick all the time. I just want my mom."