The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 81

Natalie waited until the sounds completely died down before pushing the door open and stepping out.

She texted Marvin Ford, letting him know she was grabbing a cab home.

As she stared at her screen waiting for a reply, Gardenia's words inexplicably echoed in her mind.

*He probably just didn't sleep well because of the move.*

Would a man as cold as him really lose sleep over worrying about her? Natalie would never forget his indifferent 'Whatever,' or how easily he had said he could just find a new Mrs. Carlson.

That evening, Natalie returned to Sycamore Quays.

Hassan was sitting in the living room, reading a book. He lifted his dark, heavy gaze, letting it sweep over her before pausing on her neck. He lowered his eyes. "Are you alright?"

Natalie kept her head down as she changed her shoes, not saying a single word.

Cecily looked confused. "What's wrong with Natalie?"

"It's nothing," Hassan replied.

Cecily eyed the two of them. "You both seem off. Did you not sleep well last night?"

Natalie didn't want to say another word. She turned and headed straight for the bedroom.

Cecily caught sight of the bite mark exposed on the back of Natalie's neck. She paused, her expression softening as she turned to Hassan. "I know you're eager for a baby right now, but you still need to make sure you're resting."

Hassan lowered his gaze, glancing back at Natalie's silent retreating figure. He pulled out a cigarette.

Cecily frowned. "You're still smoking while trying to conceive? You never used to have a nicotine addiction."

While Hassan had smoked in the past, it was incredibly rare. Almost no one ever saw him do it.

He crushed the unlit cigarette in his hand, his fingers clenching tight. Standing up, he said, "You should get some rest, Grandmother."

Cecily couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong with him. "You're the one who needs to rest early. Also, Natalie has been looking unhappy these past few days. No matter what happened, you need to coax her more. I won't lecture you on the Gardenia situation since I know you have a sense of boundaries, but listen to me—no matter how much a woman loves you, if she's neglected for too long, her heart will turn cold. Just sweet-talk her a little."

She thought about killing him. She knew the Carlson family would never let her go, and she was even willing to trade her life for his.

If she were dead, the pain would end.

But she couldn't bring herself to be that selfish. Her grandfather and grandmother were her two weak spots.

"End us both." He murmured her words in a low voice, letting out a soft, dark chuckle. "Alright. You want to die together? Try it."

He pulled her into his arms again. "Even in death, you'd still be my Mrs. Carlson."

"Doesn't it make you sick? Didn't you say you were going to replace me? Go ahead and do it then. There are plenty of women desperate to be your Mrs. Carlson. You won't have any trouble finding one."

"I wouldn't have trouble, no. But who was the one who said she'd cling to me no matter what? Who said that even if I was freezing cold, she would be my Mrs. Carlson for the rest of her life?"

"That was you, Natalie," he murmured, taking her earlobe between his teeth.

Natalie's voice was hoarse. "She's already dead."