The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus) novel Chapter 421

Laura walked to the door but hesitated. She turned back to Natalie, her voice filled with quiet desperation. "Dr. Elim, could you have Mark step out for a while?"

Her eyes held a sorrow that felt impossible to escape, and her entire presence was weighed down by an invisible grief. The son she had longed to see for years was standing right in front of her, yet she could not reveal her identity to him. In this state, hardly anyone would be able to accept her, let alone her son.

There were nights when Wesley took her out for some air under the cover of darkness, only for them to run into strangers. Those strangers called her a ghost, a monster—some even called her a witch or a demon. Some had tried to attack her, drag her away, or even threatened to burn her alive.

Luckily, Benson always had bodyguards shadowing her from a distance, ensuring she did not get caught. Even so, the fear had settled deep in her bones. She was Marcus' biological mother, yet she had never held him, never once cared for him since the day he was born.

Before seeing him, she had spent years longing for this moment. Yet, now that it had arrived, she was afraid.

Natalie watched the emotions flicker across Laura's face and instantly understood her struggle. She gave a small nod and said, "Alright, I'll have him leave for now."

"Thank you." Laura was beyond grateful, though a trace of disappointment lingered in her heart. Still, she quickly steeled herself. Once this strange illness was cured, she could meet Marcus as a normal person.

She repeated, "Thank you so much, really."

"Don't mention it, Mrs. Holden." Natalie's heart felt heavy. Laura's condition was complicated, and she needed to dig into research immediately.

She continued, "Mrs. Holden, please arrange a guest room for me and make sure no one disturbs me. Also, before we begin any treatment, I need to understand what happens when your symptoms appear."

"Of course, I'll do whatever you say," Laura agreed right away. She turned and grabbed the notebook Wesley had been keeping, then handed it to Natalie before wrapping herself up tightly in her coverings again.

"Dr. Elim, when you send Mark away, would it be alright if I stood by the door to watch him leave?" Her voice was cautious, as if afraid of overstepping. "I won't get close. I won't risk infecting him."

"Mrs. Holden, this is your home. You can stand wherever you like. I'll tell Mark he needs to head back," Natalie said as she took the notebook.

Before she turned to leave, she paused and added with a gentle smile, "By the way, Mark really loves his parents. He always says the people he's most grateful for are the ones who brought him into this world—his mom, dad, and his grandfather."

The moment those words left Natalie's lips, Laura froze.

"I'll ask him to leave now." With that, Natalie walked past her, heading toward the stairs. But before she reached them, she heard the sound of muffled sobbing behind her.

Laura was trying to hold it in, forcing herself to cry without making a sound. However, the more she tried, the harder the pain hit.

She wanted so badly to run out, to hold Marcus and tell him she was his mother. Yet, she could not find the courage to do so.

After all, she might look normal for now, but in a day or two—maybe even sooner—her symptoms would return. And when they did, she would look terrifying.

Tears streamed down Laura's face as she choked out her apologies. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Natalie stood at the top of the stairs for a long moment before finally making her way down. Meanwhile, Wesley was already waiting at the bottom. The moment he saw her, he rushed forward.

He asked, "Dr. Elim, is there any hope for Laura's condition?"

He sounded cautious, and it was understandable why. He had sought out so many doctors over the years that he had lost count of how many times he had gone from hope to disappointment, from disappointment to despair. If this also failed, he would have no choice but to watch Laura waste away.

Outside, Marcus was standing beneath a flame tree, chatting with Benson. When he saw Natalie step out, he immediately walked over and asked, "Dr. Elim, you're done with the patient?"

Natalie sighed and said, "Mark, you should head back. There's nothing you can do here, so just go back to work and make me some more money."

Marcus frowned slightly. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Natalie pulled him aside and whispered, "Exactly like what I said. Marcus, listen to me. You need to leave. Go back and set up our new home like we planned."

Marcus's frown deepened. "Nat, just be honest with me. Can this family be cured? Or is it really that bad?"

"It is." Natalie hesitated, thinking about how to phrase her words. Then, she continued, "But I can't say much more. Patient confidentiality applies, even if you're my boyfriend. I can't disclose anything right now."

Wesley and Laura had spent years keeping the truth from Marcus, and they would rather have him resent them than let him know what was really going on. So, without their permission, she could not tell him either.

Natalie looked at Marcus seriously, her eyes locked onto his. "Marcus, you understand, right? You're the best boyfriend in the world, so of course, you'll support my career. Right?"

Marcus replied without hesitation, "I'm not leaving, and I won't get in your way. I can help out with whatever you need."

Natalie shut him down immediately. "That's not an option. You have to go."