The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 95

That evening, Natalie returned to Sycamore Quays.

Hassan was lounging on the sofa, his eyes closed in repose. Usually, when he sat out here like this, it meant he was explicitly waiting for her.

She walked over. "Do I get my chance now?"

He leaned his head back against the cushions, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he opened his eyes to look at her. "What exactly is your brilliant plan?" he asked coolly.

His skepticism didn't surprise her. To the elite circle, the idea of her having ties to a VIP like Seven was utterly laughable.

"I know Seven personally. She happens to owe me a favor."

Hassan wasn't a man who could be easily bluffed. "When did you two meet?"

She sat down, mirroring his indifferent tone. "I don't need to report the details of my friendships to you. All you need to know is that right now, I'm the only one who can help you. But before I do, you drop the charges."

His gaze darkened, his voice dropping low. "And if you fail to deliver? Call her right now. I want to speak with her myself."

Natalie had come fully prepared. She had already coordinated with Nancy to play along.

"Sure," she agreed effortlessly.

She quickly dialed Nancy's number, having saved her contact simply as "Seven."

The call connected. "Hey, Natalie. Do you need something?"

"Have you decided on a corporate partner yet?" Natalie asked.

"Who do you recommend?"

She glanced at Hassan. "If you haven't made a final decision, the Carlson Group is a solid choice."

The person on the other end paused thoughtfully. "Yeah, they're great, but they're massive. You know how it is—if things go south with a giant corporation, I won't be able to handle the fallout."

Hassan lowered his eyelashes, his fingers curling slightly inward. "Fine. I'll have the charges dropped. But I have one condition: you are never to visit that hospital again."

Natalie clenched her jaw, her eyes flashing red. "That's not a condition. You're trying to destroy me."

"Is it really that hard to stay away from your hypocritical relatives?" His tone laced with mockery. "You trust them that much? More than you trust me?"

"Do you even deserve to be compared to them?" she fired back coldly. "Every single piece of pain I've endured has come directly from you."

Why on earth would she trust him? The only thing she trusted was that if she didn't escape him soon, he would just keep tearing her apart.

"When you end up regretting this, don't come begging to me," he said, his voice dangerously low.

The argument ended in bitter silence.

The next day, Natalie defied him and went straight to the hospital. Tilda was there, too. Natalie felt a deep wave of relief that she had managed to pull the deal off; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to look her aunt in the eye.