The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 70

Natalie instantly regretted glaring at him. That little exchange was practically flirting.

She averted her gaze, refusing to give him another ounce of attention.

Adrian raised the photo, handing it up to Hassan. "Mom and Dad."

Gardenia quickly interjected, "Adrian, didn't I tell you? Don't call us that."

The man's tone was incredibly casual. "Let him call us whatever he wants."

Natalie suddenly stepped forward. "Oh, really?"

Hassan's eyes locked onto hers.

She snatched the 'family of three' photo from his hand and, right in front of all of them, ripped it straight down the middle.

She had been doing her absolute best to ignore the two of them—giving them plenty of leeway—but they just couldn't help themselves from parading their little family in front of her.

After tearing the photo into pieces, she threw the shreds directly into the man's face.

"Since you're so desperate to play house and be a father, hurry up and sign the divorce papers. Once that's done, I couldn't care less what you do."

Gardenia stood off to the side, looking at Hassan in utter bewilderment. It had never even crossed her mind that Hassan was the one stalling the divorce.

She had operated under the assumption that Natalie was the one dragging her feet, refusing to let go.

She stared at Hassan, her brow furrowing.

The man's voice was dangerously cold. "You'll get your wish soon enough. Don't worry about it."

Natalie turned on her heel and walked away. After dropping Mia off safely, she had zero desire to return to Sycamore Quays.

Since the performance was tomorrow, she headed straight to the rehearsal studio to practice.

Dawn had barely broken, and the morning mist had yet to fully lift.

The lights in the studio's dressing room were already on, casting a quiet, warm glow.

Natalie was the first to arrive. She went straight to the fitting room to change into her costume.

It was a diaphanous, moon-white ethereal gown. The fabric was as light as mist, clinging to her figure and perfectly tracing her slender, graceful curves. The skirt was embroidered with interlocking peony vines, the petals outlined in silver thread that shimmered faintly beneath the sheer layers.

When she stepped out of the fitting room, the crew members were left completely stunned.

"She's gorgeous."

"She hasn't even had her hair or makeup done yet, and she already looks ready for the stage."

He was wearing a sharply tailored dark suit, his shoulders broad and his posture immaculate. His cuffs were slightly pushed back, and he leaned one elbow casually against the armrest. He looked utterly unbothered by the noise and the bright lights around him, his deep, unfathomable gaze resting quietly on the stage.

Natalie knew perfectly well he wasn't there for her. Gardenia was supposed to be the one on stage today. That was the only reason he was sitting in that chair.

The house lights went down, plunging the entire theater into darkness.

A split second later, a single spotlight pierced the dark, landing dead center on Natalie.

The large peony in her hands seemed to come alive, moving in perfect harmony with her body. She looked like a celestial being stepping straight out of an ancient painting, ethereal and captivating, effortlessly commanding the attention of every single person in the room.

The audience collectively held their breath, their eyes glued to her, as if all the light in the world was focused solely on the woman on the stage.

Her entrance was so breathtaking that the viewership in the live broadcast room instantly skyrocketed. Even the viewers who had clicked the link out of morbid curiosity—because 'disabled dancer' was trending online—were entirely captivated by Natalie.

The moment the dance ended, clips of her performance flooded the internet.

The most popular video racked up over three million likes in a single day.

The comment section was an absolute frenzy. Half the people were leaving poetic praises, the other half were typing out variations of 'holy shit,' and thousands were tagging the official Kingswood Arts Center account, demanding to know when Natalie's next performance was.

Normally, any official account would have immediately jumped on the hype to farm engagement.

But suspiciously, the official Kingswood Arts Center account remained completely silent.