The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus) novel Chapter 336

As Natalie spoke, tears fell from her eyes. "Marcus, Sophia shouldn't have been violated by Shane. She is heiress of the Sinclair family, Sky's fiancée, and even your savior. But why did she have to go through something like this?"

Her voice choked with emotion. She wasn't someone who easily showed her feelings, but after seeing the photos Shane had taken, along with the blood-stained bedsheet and its labeled evidence, she couldn't hold back.

As a woman, she despised nothing more than such brutality against another woman.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault." Marcus stayed by her side, gazing at the items in her hands.

Hearing what Natalie said about the past, he finally understood why she had never corrected him when he mentioned that Sophia was his childhood savior.

Because she had once seen Tyler as her salvation, and to Sophia, he had been the same—her sympathy for Sophia was sympathy for the young woman she had once been.

But at some point, something changed. Natalie became the internationally renowned surgeon Elim, and Grace used her shares in the Langley Group to keep her bound, preventing her from leaving.

Marcus still hadn't uncovered how Natalie became the famous Elim. Whenever he approached the truth, some mysterious force intervened, leaving him empty-handed.

"When I was younger, I suggested that Sophia move to the convent where her mother lived." Marcus' deep voice was hoarse. "But I was just an outsider. Sophia's fiancé was Sky, the heir of the Walker family.

"My grandfather warned me—even if Sophia was my savior, I couldn't get too close to her. She had a fiancé; if anything happened, she would turn to him first. The second was her family, and only after that should she come to me.

"I argued with him. Sophia was neglected in the Sinclair family, and Sky only had eyes for Emma. He never truly saw Sophia as his fiancée. But he said that whatever happened between Sky and Sophia was their business. I was an outsider. Even if I was her best friend, I couldn't interfere too much.

"My identity was Emma's fiancé. Sophia's identity meant that one day, she would be my sister-in-law. My grandfather told me to maintain my distance and boundaries and avoid rumors that could damage Holden Group, the Walker family, or the Sinclair family.

"I met with Sky a few times in private, but he asked me if I liked Sophia and was trying to steal his fiancée. He even warned me to remember my place. I was Emma's fiancé, yet I worried about my future sister-in-law. He called it improper."

"Hah!" Marcus let out a mocking laugh. "Sorry, it's my fault. Natalie, if you need someone to blame, blame me."

He took Natalie's hand. "After learning that you were my savior, I never considered taking revenge on Sophia. When I said those things before, it was only because I didn't want you to push me away… I wanted to repay you."

"I'm sorry, Marcus. I didn't mean to blame you." Natalie wiped her tears. "I'm just heartbroken. It wasn't you who hurt Sophia. On the contrary, you've been protecting her all these years. If it weren't for you, she might not have even survived to adulthood.

"Sophia is recovering well now."

"She needs psychological counseling."

They spoke simultaneously, but their thoughts were clearly not aligned.

Natalie paused before saying, "She may look fine, but inside, she's not okay at all."

"I know."

"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I really didn't know she was being threatened in the Walker family or that she went through such horrors."

Marcus blamed himself. If he hadn't listened to Charles, ignored the marriage arrangements between the Sinclair family and Walker family, ignored Sky's accusations, and insisted on sending Sophia to live with her mother, would everything have been different?