The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus) novel Chapter 129

Natalie couldn't ignore Marcus' intense gaze. She walked over to him with a frown. "Mr. Holden—"

"Natalie," Marcus interrupted her. His eyes silently reminded her of their current roles.

He was her boyfriend now, and "Mr. Holden" wasn't an appropriate address.

Natalie reacted quickly and immediately corrected herself, "Marcus."

Marcus responded smoothly with a hum.

Though the new dynamic felt unnatural, Natalie knew she had to play along. Since Marcus had agreed to help, she couldn't let the opportunity slip away.

"Why are you staring at my grandmother like that?" she asked, her tone curious.

"I'd like to chat with her. Would that be alright?" Marcus replied, his lips curling into a smile that carried a hint of warmth and indulgence.

"Nattie, why don't you pick out a few outfits for Grandma? I'll keep her company," he added casually.

Natalie found his suggestion odd, but Marcus guided her toward the sales assistant before she could respond.

"Show my girlfriend around," Marcus instructed.

"Of course, sir," the sales assistant replied enthusiastically, unaware that Natalie was actually the owner of the Nouvelle Zara brand.

As the assistant led Natalie away to browse the latest designs, Marcus made his way to Grace. He sat beside her and said, "Grandma Grace, do you remember me? I'm Marcus. My grandfather was your godbrother—Charles Holden. Does that ring a bell?"

Taking out his phone, Marcus displayed a picture of his grandfather.

Grace squinted at the screen, then burst into hearty laughter, clapping her hands in delight. "Oh, yes! I remember! That's my godbrother—Charles! This was him when he was young. Charles was so handsome back then. You look a lot like him."

Marcus put his phone away and nodded slightly. "Grandma Grace, I'm with Nattie now. I'm her boyfriend."

"Really? Nattie didn't tell me!" Grace exclaimed.

"It's true," Marcus said, smiling slightly. "Are you happy about it?"

Grace's grin stretched wide. "Happy? Of course, I'm overjoyed! I always hoped Nattie would marry you. Now that you're her boyfriend, it's perfect!"

"Nattie also told me that you're the one who loves and protects her the most. While the Langleys don't care about her, you've always been the one to cherish and shield her," Marcus said, becoming more probing. "But if you love her so much, why did you let Victor and Diana treat her like a blood bank?"

"Ah!" Grace froze, her expression blank as if she couldn't comprehend what he had just said.

"Were the Langleys so bankrupt that Mrs. Langley couldn't donate a little of her own blood? Did they really have to rely on Natalie instead?"

Marcus's deep, magnetic voice carried a chilling edge, and his sharp, hawk-like gaze bore into Grace, leaving no room for escape. "And the shares you gave Natalie—was that truly for her benefit?"

Grace remained frozen, staring blankly as Marcus's piercing gaze stayed locked on her, scrutinizing every subtle change in her expression.

"The shares are for Nattie as a wedding gift..." Grace stammered.

Suddenly, she grabbed Marcus's hand, her expression twisting with fear. "What do you mean by 'blood bank'? Who's using my Nattie as a blood bank? I'll fight them to the death! I'll fight them! You're Nattie's boyfriend; you should protect her! Protect her!"

Grace's emotions spiraled out of control. Her sudden outburst startled Natalie, who rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

"Grandma, what's wrong?"

Natalie wrapped her arms around the distressed Grace and then turned to Marcus. "What did you say to her?"