The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 32

Cecily turned her sharp gaze to Natalie. "What exactly is going on here? Tell me the truth."

Hassan's eyes locked onto hers. Beneath his sharp brow bone, his deep eyes were like fathomless pools, and it wasn't hard for Natalie to read the unspoken threat in them.

He was warning her. If she dared to say a word, she could forget about her grandmother ever getting her surgery.

She forced a smile and finally spoke. "I really did choose to leave on my own. I've joined a new dance troupe now, so please don't worry about me."

Cecily ground her teeth, glaring at Gardenia. "Well, I absolutely will not allow this woman to run wild in a place funded by the Carlson family. Hassan, call them right now and fire her."

With red-rimmed eyes, Gardenia looked up at Hassan.

He positioned his broad shoulders solidly in front of her. "Grandma, her schedule is already set. The performance is coming up soon, and the roster has been submitted. She can't be replaced."

Natalie let out a sudden, cold laugh. When her name had been on the submitted roster, she was easily replaced. But somehow, Gardenia was untouchable.

She didn't care about these trivial details anymore, nor did she have any desire to stick around and watch this family argue. "My troupe has some things to handle. I need to get going."

Cecily frowned, looking at her with genuine concern. "...Alright, you go ahead. I'll deal with things here."

It was just an excuse, of course. As Quinn had mentioned, the troupe didn't have any major activities lined up yet.

She headed straight for the lab instead. The Research and Technology Expo was right around the corner, and she was determined to win first place in the exhibit voting. She buried herself in work, staying in the lab from dawn until dusk.

She had planned to grab dinner with Professor Adler to discuss her afternoon's progress.

But then Cecily called.

When she answered, it wasn't Cecily's voice on the line, but Hassan's. "Grandma is at the house. Dinner is ready. When are you coming back?"

She paused for a second before the reality of his words hit her. Instantly, goosebumps prickled her arms.

Cecily nodded understandingly. "I see. Well, if you don't like the real ones, I'll have someone send over some high-end silk floral arrangements. They'll brighten the place up and put you in a better mood."

She just nodded, letting Cecily take charge of the little things.

"Now that you're back, let's eat," Cecily said with a warm smile, heading toward the dining room.

The housekeeper served the food, but as Cecily scanned the spread, she frowned. "Why isn't there a single dish that Natalie likes?"

The housekeeper froze in panic. Since Natalie had moved out, she naturally hadn't factored her preferences into the grocery shopping or meal prep.

Just as she was about to stumble through an excuse, Natalie smoothly intervened. "It's fine, Cecily. I've been wanting to switch up my diet lately, so I asked her to try some new recipes. Eating the same things all the time gets boring."

Cecily gave her a strange, assessing look and beckoned her over. "Come here for a second."

Natalie hesitated before walking over. Cecily placed two fingers against her wrist, checking her pulse. "You're not pregnant, are you? You've been making a lot of changes around the house, and usually, a woman's tastes shift dramatically when she's expecting."