Chapter 11 Warns Her

Marcus' disdain for Natalie had reached its peak. Although they had never formally met, he had already sentenced her to damnation in his mind. To him, she was a vain, vindictive woman, shamelessly self-serving and willing to do whatever it took to marry into wealth. "Ethan, confirm if it's her. If it is, bring her to me," Marcus said, his voice cold and commanding. His expression darkened, but he refrained from mentioning Natalie's name in front of Charles. "Yes, Mr. Holden." Ethan hurried toward the small door. His eyes scanned the surroundings until he spotted Natalie through a window, sitting at a table. She wasn't alone. Sitting across from her was a strikingly beautiful woman with delicate, exotic features, likely of mixed heritage. The two seemed to be enjoying their meal. Ethan frowned, his emotions conflicted. Ms. Walker was truly persistent, following Mr. Holden all the way from Amberton to Balford. Her determination was unsettling. Ethan approached the table and stopped in front of Natalie. "Ms. Walker, we meet again." Natalie looked up, her expression calm yet slightly surprised. Swallowing her food, she asked, "Mr. Carter, what brings you here?" Ethan blinked, caught off guard by her question. Was she serious? She had followed them here yet acted as though his presence was the odd coincidence. He cleared his throat and replied politely, "Ms. Walker, my boss, Mr. Holden, wishes to see you." Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Let me finish eating first." She gestured toward the table and added, "Would you care to join me, Mr. Carter? My treat." Ethan shook his head quickly. "No, thank you, Ms. Walker. Please, take your time. I'll wait." With a nod, Natalie resumed her meal. Dining at Quinton Hospital often came with special care from the director. While she was indifferent to most luxuries, good food was one indulgence she appreciated. Natalie ate with grace, savoring each bite with haste. Just like that, 20 minutes passed before she rose, her demeanor as composed as ever. Ethan immediately stood. "Ms. Walker, this way, please," Ethan said. "Nat." Connie stood as well, her tone hesitant. Natalie had reminded her not to call her "Ms. Walker" so politely in public. "I'll go with you," Connie offered. "No need," Natalie replied casually, then turned to Ethan. "Shall we, Mr. Carter?" Connie stopped in her tracks. Ethan led Natalie along the same path they had taken earlier, guiding her back to their previous spot. Marcus had instructed the bodyguards to take Charles to the room arranged by the director. Meanwhile, he stood nearby, leaning against a wall as he spoke on the phone. "Mr. Holden is over there," Ethan said, pointing ahead. Natalie looked over and saw a tall man, around six-foot-three, in a perfectly tailored black suit. Even from behind, he radiated elegance and authority. Natalie glanced at him briefly, recalling Grace's words. It made sense why Grace had suggested him as a potential match. She had always admired those with charm and presence. But why did Marcus want to meet her? "Ms. Walker, this way," Ethan said. "Alright." Natalie followed Ethan, but they barely made it halfway when Marcus suddenly turned and strode briskly toward the hospital entrance. "Mr. Holden! Mr. Holden!" Ethan called after him. "Don't bother," Natalie said calmly. Though she hadn't seen Marcus' face, his abrupt departure without a word only reinforced her impression of him—a man utterly devoid of manners. "If Mr. Holden is busy, we can arrange another time," Natalie added coolly, turning away. She had patients to attend to and no tolerance for trivial games. "Ms. Walker! Ms. Walker!" Ethan called out in frustration, his gaze darting between Natalie's and Marcus' retreating figures. After a brief hesitation, he let out a resigned sigh and quickly followed after Marcus. Back in the director's office, Connie and Peter were waiting. Natalie soon stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and drew the curtains shut. Without a word, Peter walked to a bookshelf and pressed a concealed button. The shelf slid aside, revealing a hidden passage. Natalie stepped in without hesitation. It wasn't long before Natalie reappeared, transformed into a spirited older woman with gray-streaked hair, faint wrinkles on her face, and a pair of glasses perched on her nose. Connie handed her a lab coat and mask, which she wore to complete the disguise. "Ms. Walker, the test results of the patient from the Holden family are in." Peter handed over the examination results, and Natalie carefully reviewed each page. By the time she finished, the diagnosis was clear in her mind. "Ms. Walker, you were right. There's indeed an issue with the blood vessel near the patient's heart," Peter said, wiping sweat from his forehead. Without Dr. Elim's insight, Peter admitted silently, he never would have spotted the tiny aneurysm beneath the heart. Natalie nodded slightly. "Next time, be more thorough. A case serious enough for the Holden family from Dithoria State to seek a specialist won't be simple." If the tiny aneurysm went unnoticed, it could cause complications during surgery. For an elderly patient, such an oversight could lead to cardiac arrest and eventually death. Natalie always took her work seriously. If she accepted a case, she wouldn't let the patient die under her care. "Ms. Walker, there's a message for you," Connie said, handing her the phone. During work, Natalie left her phone with Connie, who handled her calls and messages unless she was in surgery. After all, Natalie had multiple identities. While Connie managed tasks related to Dr. Elim, other personnel handled her remaining roles. Natalie took the phone and opened the message. It was from an unknown number. "Ms. Walker, I'm warning you. Stop using my grandfather to find out where I am. As a woman, you should have some self-respect." Natalie raised an eyebrow. What's wrong with this guy? Without hesitation, Natalie blocked the unknown number. "From now on, if you see messages from lunatics like this, block them immediately," she said, tossing the phone back to Connie. "And plant a virus in their phone while you're at it. Make every message they send turn into Penny Porcine stickers." "Yes, Ms. Walker," Connie replied, taking the phone and stepping over to her computer. She began typing as soon as she sat down. Meanwhile, Marcus grew increasingly annoyed when Natalie didn't reply to his message. Earlier, Marcus had left abruptly due to an unexpected situation and his concern over his grandfather's ongoing tests. The thought of a woman trying to dig into his whereabouts or preferences just to get closer to him was unbearable. Thus, he had sent the message to warn her off. To his surprise, the vain, scheming woman—who he believed was trying to marry him out of spite against the Langley family and her ex-fiancé—didn't even bother to respond.