Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 160 Victor's eyes lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July the moment he laid eyes on Natalia.

He had been itching to get close to her for stnow.

But he could tell, as clearly as the writing on the wall, that Natalia wasn't exactly fond of him.

He had planned to orchestrate a "chance" encounter with Natalia, but as luck would have it, today, they had stumbled upon each other naturally. "Ms. Jenkins, long tno see." Natalia barely gave him a glance, not even bothering with a response.

Victor wasn't put off; he pressed on.

"Maybe if you're free later, I could take you out for a bite to eat?" A wave of nausea swept through Natalia at the thought.

"Let's not and say we did. I can't afford to dine on your dime." With that, she turned to leave.

But Victor stepped right in her path.

His brow furrowed as he looked at Natalia, his face etched with conflict.

After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"Ms. Jenkins, about before... I'm sorry." Victor truly regretted the harsh words he had exchanged with Natalia in the past.

Had he known his heart might someday skip a beat for her, he would've bitten his tongue.

Natalia frowned, wondering what gthis man was playing now.

She had no intention of indulging him, sidestepping to go by, but then Hamilton grabbed her wrist. "Who are you dining with?" Natalia let out a laugh.

"Where do you get off? Such a busybody!" She broke free from Hamilton's grasp and headed into a nearby private dining room.

Before the door could swing shut, Ronin's voice spilled out from within.

Hamilton's expression darkened in an instant.

A Ryan on the left, a Ronin on the right, and now a Victor in the mix.

Natalia really knew how to play the field.

Victor caught the look on Hamilton's face, and it made him pause. He had never thought Hamilton truly harbored feelings for Natalia. How could someone as icy as Hamilton fall for a woman like Natalia? Especially with Eveleen in the picture.

As long as Eveleen was around, Hamilton would never truly see Natalia.

But now, Victor sensed he had been wrong.

And not just wrong - spectacularly so.

Whether Hamilton had feelings for Eveleen was beyond him, but one thing was crystal clear: he, Victor, was smitten with Natalia. Victor glanced at Eveleen.

Eveleen, catching his gaze, let out a mocking laugh.

"You have sights set on Ms. Jenkins now? Seems Ms. Jenkins is quite the belle of the ball. What do you think, Hamilton?" Hamilton, already in a foul mood, felt a surge of irritation at her words.

He shot Victor a look. "You're really going after her?" Victor shrugged. "Is there a problem? She's single, after all." Hamilton snorted. "Don't get your hopes up. You don't stand a chance!" With that, he strode out.

Victor followed with a chuckle, "Why not? Hamilton, you're not still hung up on her, are you? After all, you've got Eveleen. She's been waiting for you for how long now? You can't keep her hanging forever, can you?" Hamilton glanced at Eveleen but said nothing, climbing into his car.

Eveleen's face twisted into a scowl.

What was Hamilton's game? Ignoring her like this? She moved to pull open the car door, but Hamilton rolled down the window instead.

"Go on home; I'll be there for the surgery tomorrow." Eveleen stalled. "Hamilton, you're sendinghalone?" "Let Victor send you," he said calmly.

Eveleen couldn't accept it. "I want you to!" Hamilton lit a cigarette, his gaze drifting back to the restaurant.

That private room was tightly shut, hiding whatever was happening inside.

"Either Victor gives you a ride or you take a cab. Your choice." Eveleen's throat tightened as tears threatened to fall.

Yet, Hamilton didn't so much as glance her way.

His eyes stayed fixated on that private dining room.

Eveleen seethed with rage.

That witch Natalia, already cozy with someone else, what was there to pine for? Was she really less than Natalia? She wasn't about to walk away today.

Hamilton's recent coldness towards her was too stark.

If this kept up, Natalia would surely eclipse her in his heart.

"Hamilton, remember our days living in the fishing village? They were truly the happiest times for me." Hamilton's brow knitted slightly. He was about to speak when Eveleen cut in again.

"You know, after you left the village, I waited for you. But you never came." As she spoke, tears escaped.

She knew too well how much those days meant to Hamilton.

Only by evoking those memories would she stand a chance.

It worked; Hamilton's expression softened a touch.

He frowned, then offered her a tissue.

"Don't worry, I'll always take care of you." Eveleen brightened, but then Hamilton added, "But Eveleen, cut out the games. I'm not endlessly patient." Eveleen opened her mouth, but no words cout.

She forced a smile" "Hamilton, you've gotall wrong." Hamilton gave her a look and, after a long silence, finally said, "Head home." Inside the private dining room, Ronin had already ordered their meal.

As Natalia stepped in, his eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Didn't I say to givea shout when you got back? I would've picked you up," grumbled Ronin with a hint of annoyance.

Natalia chuckled lightly, "It's no biggie. A cab ride is pretty convenient." Ronin's eyes flickered with a brief shadow of regret before he murmured an apology.

Raising an eyebrow, Natalia prodded, "So, it seems you're in the loop?" Ronin nodded sheepishly, his guilt evident. "I didn't expect Thalia to confront you. I've already told her that it waswho made the first move. She won't bother you about it again." Natalia nodded, casually lifting the glass of water from the table and taking a sip.

"Well then, thanks for that, Mr. Joyner."

Ronin didn't linger on the topic, quickly shifting the conversation to the new company launch. They were on when, suddenly, deep in discussion the private dining room door swung open. Natalia's brow furrowed as she saw Hamilton standing at the threshold, an unwelcintrusion. Her expression soured instantly. She never thought Hamilton would becsuch a pest. "Is there something you need, Mr. Fowler?" Leaning against the doorway, Hamilton didn't enter but simply stared at the two of them.

"Just saw a familiar face and thought I'd say hi," he said nonchalantly.

Ronin couldn't help but smirk. "Well, if you're done, maybe you could leave?" Hamilton shamelessly retorted, "I'm not done yet." Ronin clicked his tongue in irritation.

Natalia dismissed Hamilton with a wave. "Ignore him. Let's just enjoy our meal." Ronin nodded in agreement, and they continued their meal and conversation, effectively leaving Hamilton out in the cold.

The man's face struggled to maintain composure, yet he forced himself not to react inappropriately.

As the meal neared its end, Natalia finally spoke up.

"Mr. Joyner, I might not be able to take on the role of General Manager at the Silkwood City branch." Ronin was taken aback, "Is this about Thalia?" Hamilton was surprised, too.

Before he could revel in the news, he heard Natalia add, "No, I'm planning on joining the Foreign Office." Ryan had taken her to the Foreign Office, where she had bumped into Collin. Their conversation echoed what Ryan had mentioned before. It was a rare opportunity, one not likely to caround again.

After pondering over it for a night, Natalia decided to chase her dreams and career. As for the medical bills, she could only hope that Hamilton wouldn't interfere with the sale of her villa. Hamilton's eyes narrowed.

Join the Foreign Office? That seemed even harder to compete with than sticking with Ronin! Ryan was far more formidable an opponent than Ronin! Ronin's eyebrows knitted together. "So, you're considering Ryan?" Hamilton's face darkened further at Ronin's words.

Ronin, however, seemed optimistic. "No worries. As long as you haven't made things official with Ryan, I still have a chance. Natalia, I won't give up." Hamilton couldn't help but interject with a sour tone, "Your persistence is futile. Can't you see? Ms. Jenkins is out of your league."

Ronin laughed off the comment. "At m least I'm still in the game. What about you, Mr. Fowler? You're history. M Maybe it's tyou stopped hanging around." Hamilton's gaze was stormy with anger, and just as he was about to retort, Natalia's phone rang abruptly.

She glanced at the caller ID, her heart skipping a beat as she clumsily answered. It was Debby, her mother's caregiver, and her voice was tinged with urgency. "Ms. Jenkins, you need to cto the hospital right away. Something's happened to your mother." Stunned, Natalia sprang to her feet, ready to rush out.

Hamilton seized her wrist. "What's wrong?" Shaking off his grip, she said, "I have to get to the hospital." Ronin was quick to offer, "I'll drive you." As Hamilton was about to call after her, he saw Natalia, without a sideways glance, follow Ronin to his car.

Frowning deeply, Hamilton hopped into his own car and followed them into the night.