Chapter 5

This incident shot straight to the top of the trending searches. Natasha was munching on pumpkin seeds while watching the drama unfold on her tablet. The moment she saw Nicole squaring off against a dog, she burst out laughing. She grabbed her phone and sent a voice note to Liana. "This is hilarious. Sure, the dog bit me once, and I couldn't exactly fight back. But you sending a dog to deal with another dog was some next-level stuff!" After shutting off the tablet, Natasha lay back on the couch and gazed out at the skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows. She had moved out of the Bradley residence before graduating from university. Although she'd grown up there, life had been far from pleasant. It was only after leaving that suffocating place that she discovered how beautiful life could be. A new message snapped her out of her thoughts. Liana had just sent her a 59-second voice note describing the scene in vivid detail. They had known each other since elementary school. Natasha didn't even need to listen to know the first few seconds were the point. The rest was just Liana laughing her head off. It lifted Natasha's mood. Suddenly, her mind wandered to that day at the hotel when she saw Zachery. She had an impulsive thought. "Hey, help me look into what happened when I fell into the lake seven years ago. And that anonymous email from back then, too." A languid voice drifted from the other end of the line. "My dear Nat, are you bored again? Is that why you're dragging me into this? You should've gone back for further studies. You're just wasting your time and talent right now." Owen Hart was a tech genius Natasha had met in university. If it had anything to do with the internet, there was nothing he couldn't dig up. Back then, Liana had just returned from overseas and brought Natasha a gift. Owen happened to be there, and he was instantly smitten. He launched a full-scale pursuit of Liana and took extra care of Natasha along the way. Although he never won Liana over, the two ended up as close friends. "Cut the crap. Do this for me, and I'll put in a good word for you with Liana." Owen laughed helplessly. "You do realize people pay me four figures for this kind of job now, right?" "I know. So what do you want?" Natasha was well-off these days and ready to transfer money on the spot. Owen had helped her plenty before, and she had no problem returning the favor. "Fine. I wouldn't dare take your money. Just help me set up dinner with Liana." Before he could even put his phone down, he saw a notification that money had been transferred to his bank account. "Wait, I was joking! Do you want to disown your poor old dad?" He scrambled to refund it, only to hear Natasha curse amusedly. "When did you become my dad? You'd better watch yourself, Owen. Don't forget, you're the one who needs me. If you send that money back, we're even. Just keep it." She hung up before he could say more, collapsing into bed. The chilly night breeze slipped in through the cracks in the window. She instinctively hugged her shoulders, rolled over, and drifted off. The next morning, a string of cheery ringtone jolted Natasha awake. As soon as she answered, a burst of chaotic background noise hit her ears. "Natasha! If you don't get here soon, the studio's packing up!" Only then did she remember she had a dubbing project scheduled today. Apparently, being too rich made one lose all sense of time. "I-I'm already on my way. Just stall for me a bit longer, Amelia!" She didn't wait for Amelia Brown's scolding to continue. After a quick wash, she grabbed a mask and hat before rushing out. However, the moment she stepped out of the complex, she ran into someone familiar. Natasha yanked her hat lower and tried to sneak past. It was too late. Nicole spotted her. She immediately grabbed Natasha's arm. Natasha's jacket slipped down, exposing her bare shoulder. Matthew couldn't help glancing twice. "Nat, I know you still hate me, but can't you just let it go?" Before she could respond, Nicole suddenly dropped to her knees. It was a busy area. People were coming and going. When they saw the scene, they began whispering among themselves. "That girl's cruel. She's really making her sister kneel out in public?" "Every family has its problems. But they're still family. What could be so unforgivable?" Natasha laughed out of sheer anger. "Don't go pinning everything on me. Since you don't mind making a scene, should I tell them about how my dear sister tried seducing her brother-in-law?" People loved gossip. They didn't feel sorry for jumping to conclusions. In fact, they leaned in closer, hungry for more drama. Voices rose, pressing them to spill everything. Natasha had no time for this. "If you two aren't embarrassed, go ahead and keep kneeling." She let out a mocking laugh and walked off without another word. "Matt, do you think Nat will ever forgive me?" Nicole leaned into Matthew's chest, her voice soft and pitiful. It made his heart ache. "This is all my fault. I'll talk to Natasha." During their argument just now, Natasha hadn't even looked at him once. That stung more than he expected. They used to be inseparable. Now, they were complete strangers. "You're late!" Before the person even rounded the bend in the stairs, the sharp tap of their heels resonated through the space. Natasha rushed in and accidentally bumped into a man wearing a gray hoodie and a face mask. "I'm sorry," Natasha quickly said. If they weren't in public, Amelia would've already gone off on her. "Look, the only reason you're voicing this character is because you have the talent, and the higher-ups specifically asked for you…" Her voice began to fade from Natasha's mind. Her gaze had locked on that man's back. "I'm talking to you. Are you even listening to me?" "Who was that?" Natasha asked. Amelia rubbed her temples in frustration. "I told you yesterday. Jack is coming in today. And now look at you, showing up late and making everyone think you're being difficult." Natasha had caught a familiar scent. That silhouette was similar to Zachary too. "Come on, get upstairs. If you don't go in now, I won't be able to cover for you." Amelia shoved her forward. Once Natasha entered the recording studio, she focused all her energy on work and pushed everything else from her mind. She didn't notice someone standing quietly in the corner. "Mr. Hogan, how was that?" They'd been recording for over two hours. Natasha's voice was starting to go hoarse. The middle-aged man sitting in front of her was David Hogan, the director of the short film. His stubble and weary eyes showed that he'd poured everything into this project. "Great. I knew I picked the right person. But we have plenty of time. There's no need to rush." David focused on results, not personal ties. He might sound gentle now, but if Natasha had shown up any later, the consequences would've been disastrous.