The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus) novel Chapter 258

Natalie hugged Charlotte in silence.

Charlotte's eyes immediately stung and grew hot. She hugged her daughter back, trying hard not to let her tears fall.

"Nat, my sweet girl," Charlotte said, her voice soft and reassuring. "I'll make sure the party is as beautiful and grand as possible. You were born to live a life of comfort, surrounded by love and admiration."

Natalie's eyes felt hot as well. She remembered Diana always saying to her, "Natalie, you weren't born for an easy life. Your only use is to provide blood for me. Otherwise, even raising a dog would be better than raising you."

But now, Charlotte told her she was born to live a life of comfort, surrounded by love and admiration.

The difference between love and neglect had never been so clear.

Charlotte hugged Natalie for a long time until she regained control of her emotions. Then, she gently pulled away and smiled and said, "Mom, let's go check out the stables."

"Alright," Charlotte agreed. "But, sweetie, you already had Marcus take Gabriel away. Is there something else that's making you suspicious?"

"Gabriel is related to Cindy. From what Mason told me, Cindy was the one who raised Emma," Natalie said in a low voice. "You weren't home when Cindy was dismissed, so you don't know how it all went down."

"I wasn't there in person, but your dad told me everything," Charlotte said, her expression turning cold. "I told him that if Emma refuses to behave, we won't allow her to stay here. We've spoiled her all these years. It wasn't so she could undermine you.

"This is your home. Even if we've raised her for 20 years, she has no right to compete with you for anything.

"Nat, your dad and I stand firm on this. We've loved Emma since she was little, but her place will never surpass yours. If she hurts you or targets you, just like Selena did, your dad and I won't tolerate it."

Charlotte's tone was resolute, her gaze growing colder. "Nat, you don't have to feel conflicted. Emma's enjoyed a wonderful life here for 20 years. Our family doesn't owe her anything.

"Your dad is already investigating the baby swap incident. If it wasn't just an accident but something done on purpose, we absolutely won't let it slide."

After hearing this, Natalie hugged Charlotte again. She couldn't put into words what she felt. It was like her heart had been steeped in warm honey lemon—tart and sweet, yet soothingly comforting.

"Mom, thank you," Natalie said softly.

"Silly girl, why thank me? I should be the one telling you I'm sorry. We went 20 whole years without realizing Emma wasn't our daughter," Charlotte said, her eyes reddening.

When Charlotte first saw Natalie's photo online, she knew right away that Natalie was her daughter.

At that moment, she was completely overwhelmed with guilt, regret, fear, and eagerness all at once. She rushed to Amberton to find Natalie and make up for every lost day over the years.

"It's not your fault," Natalie said, still holding Charlotte tight. "It really isn't."

"The only right thing Victor ever did was post your information on that family search network. But that doesn't mean I'll ever forgive him," Charlotte said, steadying herself. "They all knew you weren't really their daughter, yet they still used you as a living blood bank. That was intentional abuse. So, I will never forgive them."

"I won't forgive them either," Natalie said with a faint smile. "Over the years, I've given their family far more than anything I owed them. No matter how badly they end up, I won't sympathize. And I won't go easy on them."

"Good. If that's how you feel, then I have no qualms about what I plan to do next," Charlotte said, her eyes moist.

Charlotte reached out and gently ruffled Natalie's hair. Her real daughter was finally letting her in, finally trusting her. She was hugging her and sharing her feelings, just like Emma did.

"Yes. When it comes to the Langleys, there's no reason to hesitate." Natalie's lips curved in a small smile as she glanced ahead. "Is that the stable up there?"