Chapter 1

It was an evening in July. Despite it already being 7:00 pm, the sun had not fully set yet.

Natasha Yaeger stood in front of an unmarked tombstone on Mt. Verdu.

She was dressed in all-black casual clothes, and her delicate features—features that looked like they had been hand-carved by a master artist—were arranged into a cold expression.

"Mom, tomorrow marks the end of the tenth year. I've listened to you and kept a low profile for the past ten years. Tomorrow, I'll be returning to the Yaeger family."

Her surroundings were quiet, and the only response she received was the sound of the breeze.

Suddenly, a loud bang sounded.

Natasha turned to the source of the sound not far away and narrowed her eyes. There, she noticed a black car that was leaning to one side due to a flat tire. A man wearing black sportswear stepped out of the car. He stumbled forward, seemingly injured.

Immediately, another ten or so men appeared behind him, all decked out in black attire.

Henrick Springall glanced backward, and his handsome face turned grim. He clutched his abdomen with one hand as his lips continued to lose color.

The men in black clothes stalked closer toward Henrick, and the leader among them appeared especially menacing. "Stop running. We've already paid such a huge price, so there's no escaping for you," the leader said emotionlessly.

Henrick narrowed his eyes, his tone as cold as ice. "Oh yeah? Just with you lot?"

The pain in his abdomen was numbing his brain, and he could seemingly feel his blood drain from his body. He was worried he would not be able to hold on for much longer.

"Then let's give it a go," the leader said before lunging toward Henrick.

Right then, a stone came flying out from nowhere and hit one of the men. He merely felt a jolt of pain on his hand before collapsing to the ground.

The others were taken aback. "Who's there?" the leader growled.

Natasha's voice was faint and seemingly unfeeling. "You're disturbing my mother's rest. Please go fight somewhere else."

The men's gazes instantly zoomed in on Natasha, and their expressions turned stony.

A flash of surprise also crossed Henrick's dark eyes.

The black-dressed men in front of him were assassins from around the world. Each of them was skilled enough to take down ten men on their own. Yet this young lady had taken one of them down with just a single stone.

She really was something else!

"Don't stick your nose in other people's business unless you wanna die!" The leader snarled.

"Get her!"

The rest of the men swarmed ahead.

Natasha's eyes narrowed slightly as a trace of coldness flashed through them.

"Watch out!" yelled Henrick. He had already leaped into action when he saw the men going for Natasha. Suddenly, he froze right in his tracks as disbelief colored his eyes.

About a dozen trained assassins were now lying on the ground in front of Natasha. They never even got the chance to attack!

As for Natasha, she was still standing in the same spot and wearing the same indifferent expression. She might not have even blinked once. If it were not for her still-extended hands, Henrick would have assumed he was hallucinating.

Natasha tilted her chin up slightly, and her tone was as cold as ice. "Scram!"

The men stared at her as if she were a phantom. "Who are you? What did you do to us?"

Even until now, they still could not figure out how they had just crumpled to the ground.

They only managed to see her raise her hand and throw a fistful of powder at them, and the next thing they knew, they were already on the ground. They hadn't even managed to get close enough to her to touch her. However, before they could hear her reply, the men all lost consciousness.

Natasha lowered her eyes to look at them before shifting her focus to Henrick, who was still standing close by.

Henrick's eyes met hers, and just one look was enough to send a shockwave through his body. Her eyes were so clear and bright that they looked like the full moon. He cleared his head of these thoughts and walked over to her.

"Thank you," he said in a gentle voice.

Natasha spared him a nonchalant glance. "I didn't do it to save you."

She merely did not want others disturbing her time with her mother.

With that, Natasha turned around, gave the tombstone a pat, and said, "I'll get going now. Rest well."

Just as she was about to walk away, she was stopped by Henrick.

"May I know your name? So I can repay you someday."

"My intent wasn't to save you," replied Natasha with a dismissive wave of her hand before she continued to walk away.

"Wai—"

Before Henrick could even finish speaking, he fell straight down with a loud thud.

Natasha turned around to take a look, furrowed her brows, and then continued to walk away.

Right then, a gust of strong wind suddenly blew past. Natasha paused in her tracks and looked toward the unmarked tombstone.

"You want me to save him?"

Her question was met with silence. Natasha stood still for a second before finally giving in.

"Alright. Save him it is."

She kneeled down and pushed his shirt up. She already knew that he had an abdominal injury from what she had observed earlier, and from the looks of it now, it looked quite bad too. However, it wasn't a big issue.

She took a small porcelain bottle out from her bag and sprinkled the contents onto his injury. Then, she took another porcelain bottle, tipped out a pill, and placed it in Henrick's mouth.

If Henrick were conscious at the moment, he would've noticed that the pill was the highly sought-after Recovery Pill. One pill was worth about five million dollars on the black market, and though there were people willing to pay that kind of money, there was hardly any supply.

After Natasha made sure Henrick swallowed the pill, she did not linger any longer and turned to leave.

…

A loud, booming roar could be heard coming from the Yaeger's mansion in Rorsten.

"Natasha will never be a part of this family as long as I'm still alive!"

Natasha raised her eyes slightly to look at the furious matriarch of the Yaeger family, Edith Somersby, who was sitting in the middle of the living room.

She looked down again, and there was nothing but indifference in her eyes. At the side where no one could see her, the corners of her mouth ticked up ever so slightly into a smirk.

Natasha had been brought back home by her father, Kevin Yaeger. But before she could even settle in, Edith had somehow found out and asked them to return to the mansion.

The moment they made it past the threshold, Edith made her stance clear. She did not welcome Natasha home at all.

"Mom, Nat is my daughter and your granddaughter."

Kevin tightly clenched his fists that were hanging by his sides while gritting his teeth. He was trying hard to restrain himself.

He had been overcome with joy after finally finding his daughter after ten years. Yet Edith not only refused to allow Natasha to take her place within the family, but she was also treating her with such disregard in front of the whole family.

"She's not worthy! I'll never acknowledge her as part of this family!" shouted Edith as she slammed her hand down on the table. "I only have one granddaughter, and that's Mich!"

Edith turned to look at Natasha, her gaze piercing through her like knives.

Natasha lifted her eyes to meet Edith's gaze before turning away again and allowing Edith to continue to stare as she pleased.

"Now that I've found Nat, I won't let her leave my side again. We've already split up our households anyway, so you don't have to concern yourself with my affairs!" Kevin argued.

"How dare you!" Edith leaped up in anger before continuing, "If you dare bring her home with you, then I'll strip you of your position and take back your shares in the company!"

Kevin sneered, "Position? Shares? Mom, I just hold a small managerial position at the company with a monthly salary of 4,000 dollars. I've always wanted to leave the company, but you never allowed me. As for the shares… Haven't you taken them all back already?"

"You! You're deliberately opposing me, aren't you?" asked Edith through gritted teeth.

Never would she have expected this usually weak-willed and incapable son of hers to defy her just because of Natasha.

As expected, Natasha and her deceased mother were troublemakers sent to stir up trouble between her and her son.

Kevin was just about to say something when Michelle Yaeger, who had been sitting quietly to the side all this while, suddenly spoke up. "Grandma, please let Nat return home."

Edith harrumphed at Michelle, though her expression had softened considerably. "In her dreams!"

"But… But Nat is Mr. Springall's fiancée!" said Michelle, her lips curling up into a smile.

Chapter 2

The room abruptly fell silent.

"What are you talking about? Mr. Springall's fiancée is—" Edith suddenly leaped up mid-sentence. "That's right! The one who was set to be married to the Springalls' son was Natasha. Now that she's back, you don't have to marry Henrick Springall anymore!"

Everyone knew that Henrick Springall, the seventh son of the Springall family—who also happened to be the wealthiest family in all of Jorlina—was a notorious playboy who never did anything of value and was basically a useless mooch.

However, his grandfather, Alfred, loved him dearly. This was especially so when Henrick saved Alfred two years ago and, in the process, became crippled. Since then, Alfred only lavished Henrick with more love and affection.

Henrick, in return, only grew more and more obnoxious and threw Alfred's money around wherever he went.

Recently, someone from the Springall family suddenly appeared and informed the Yaegers that the eldest daughter of the Yaeger family had been promised to them in marriage, and they were thus expected to fulfill this promise.

Edith naturally thought that they meant Michelle and immediately started panicking.

The Yaegers may not be on the same level as the Springalls, but she had poured so much into raising Michelle since young, all so that she could marry someone more superior and who could help elevate the Yaegers' social standing.

And though Henrick was favored, he held no actual power. All his money came from his parents and his grandfather.

Unfortunately, the money was going to eventually deplete one day, and when he had nothing left in his coffers, he would turn to spending Michelle's money instead.

Edith naturally was not going to allow this. However, there was still an agreement between the families, and they could not just blatantly disregard it. Thus, she had recently been thinking of various ways to reject the marriage.

Now that Natasha was back, they no longer needed to do so. Natasha was a country bumpkin anyway, and she would be the perfect match for the disabled Henrick. That way, the Yaegers would still become in-laws with the Springalls, and she would have killed two birds with one stone.

Coming to this conclusion, Edith immediately spoke up. "Natasha has my permission to return to the family. Go home and teach her some etiquette and manners as she'll be engaged to Henrick in one month's time. Make sure she doesn't embarrass me at the engagement party."

Kevin and Susan Wendolf both froze, staring at Edith in disbelief. They had not yet recovered from what Michelle had said earlier.

Finally, Kevin jerked his head up in shock. "What engagement? The one who's engaged to Henrick Springall… Isn't it—"

"Natasha is the eldest daughter of the Yaeger family, so the one who is to be married into the Springall family is her. Now that she's back, she should naturally be the one to fulfill this engagement."

Susan furrowed her brows after hearing this, and she turned to look at Natasha with pity. She could clearly see through her mother-in-law's schemes.

It was no wonder Edith relented so easily when it came to allowing Natasha back into the family. It appeared that Edith had ulterior motives.

Everyone knew that Henrick was crippled, and that was why Edith hadn't been keen on Michelle marrying him. But now, she wanted Natasha to go through with it instead.

"I won't agree to it!" Kevin growled, his expression dark.

"It's clearly Michelle who is to be engaged to Henrick!"

"Dad, it's not that I don't want to marry Henrick, but Nat is the true eldest daughter of the Yaeger family. If I were to marry him and the Springalls find out about this in the future, they'll blame us for lying to them…"

Michelle made her words deliberately ambiguous. She lowered her gaze slightly, hiding the calculative look that crossed her eyes.

"That's right!" Edith nodded her head before continuing, "We can't afford to get on the Springalls' bad side."

Kevin's face flushed red with anger as he let out an exasperated huff.

Edith, however, did not pay him any attention. Instead, she turned to Natasha. "If you wish to return to this family, then you must fulfill the engagement with Henrick Springall."

Natasha raised her head and met Edith's gaze head-on, her own eyes clear and glimmering. After a while, she answered calmly, "Alright. Engagement it is."

Regardless of whatever it took, she had to return to the Yaeger family!

Natasha's lips curled up into a barely-there-smile. One of the things she was planning to do after returning to the Yaeger family was to cancel this engagement to Henrick anyway.

Once they left the Yaeger mansion, Natasha followed Kevin and Susan back to their home.

Edith had already kicked Kevin out of the mansion about eight years ago, so now, the couple was living in Splendor Hills, a neighborhood that was located a fair distance from the city center. The neighborhood was slightly run down, and because of how old it was, one could see peeling paint everywhere.

Kevin and Susan lived in a small three-bedroom apartment. Natasha made herself busy once they got home and went to her bedroom. She had just arrived that very day and thus hadn't even unpackaged her luggage.

She had barely closed the door when there was a knock on the door.

"Do you need something, Mr. Yaeger?" asked Natasha as she stepped aside to let Kevin in.

"Yes." Kevin bit his lip, not knowing how to proceed.

"Go ahead. What is it?" Natasha offered him a chair while she remained standing to the side.

"I want to cancel the engagement for you."

Natasha looked at him in surprise.

Susan walked over too, took Natasha's hand, and led her to sit on the bed. She explained in a gentle voice, "Here's the thing. Your father believes that a marriage is a lifetime commitment. Henrick Springall is a cripple, and if you marry him, you'll need to look after him for the rest of your life.

"Your father wants to find someone with good character, someone who truly cares for you and will protect you for as long as you live…"

Susan paused for a moment before continuing, "But this engagement was arranged by your mother, so we still wanted to ask for your opinion."

Though Susan had never met Natasha before, she still felt sorry for the young lady because Henrick wasn't a good match at all. It didn't matter that the Springalls had wealth and power. They were still a viper's den. If she went in, she would never make it out alive.

Natasha studied Susan, and a faint smile tugged on her lips. "Yes, I do intend on canceling the engagement."

Susan was Kevin's second wife and her stepmother. In these short few hours that they had spent together, she did not find herself disliking Susan. She could also tell that Kevin and Susan genuinely cared about her.

"That's great!" Kevin leaped up in excitement. "I'll get in touch with the Springall family right away to let them know we're not going through with it."

…

Meanwhile, on Mt. Verdu, three figures stood in front of the unmarked tombstone deep in the middle of the forest.

The one who stood on the left was dressed in trendy clothes and had ear piercings. He looked at the lithe man standing next to him and said, "Henrick, it's been two days, and the young lady still hasn't shown. I don't think she'll be coming at all. Let's just go."

"Let's wait a little longer," responded the man in the middle as he stared at the unmarked tombstone, a glimmer in his dark eyes.

He was wearing a black casual outfit, and some of his hair fell across his forehead. His handsome face also carried a touch of iciness.

This man, whom Natasha had saved, was none other than the crippled son of the Springall family—Henrick Springall.

As for the man who spoke first, that was Julian Xandith, the youngest son of the Xandith family—a family whose social standing ranked third in Jorlina.

"We can't wait anymore. If we stay here any longer, you'll miss your engagement with the daughter of the Yaeger family."

Julian rubbed his earlobes while chuckling. "Ms. Yaeger is well-known for her talents in Rorsten, and she's also been betrothed to you since you two were kids. Your grandfather has repeatedly reminded you that the engagement party must go off without a hitch!"

Henrick's lips curled into a faint smile. "Have the Yaegers not canceled the engagement?"

"The Springall family is the most revered in all of Jorlina. Would the Yaegers even have the guts to break it off? Even if you were a useless piece of trash and a cripple, they still wouldn't cancel it. Besides, you're clearly not."

If the Yaegers knew that Henrick was not a cripple or a brainless scum, it'd be impossible for them to oppose the engagement.

"Oh," said Henrick as his eyes darkened.

It wouldn't be fun if the Yaegers didn't cancel.

Seeing Henrick's reaction, Julian knew that he had wasted his breath, so he decided to drop the subject.

"Since your savior isn't going to make an appearance, let's just leave. When I find my fellow apprentice, Ms. Protégé, she'll be able to save Yelena too."

Henrick gave him a pointed look. "Ms. Protégé? Are you sure that's an actual person?"

Julian was so flustered by the retort that he choked on his spit.

It took him a while, but finally, he was able to gasp out the words, "Of course! Ms. Protégé is beautiful inside and out, and her medical skills are especially outstanding. She can even raise the dead and grow new flesh! That's why I call her Ms. Protégé!"

He had barely finished speaking when the man standing to the right of Henrick, Finn Quinton, spoke up. "Julian, you don't know her name, and you don't know what she looks like now. You don't even remember the way back to your mentor's place, and yet you're still bragging about her like she's the best thing since sliced bread.

"Ms. Protégé only appears in your dreams, doesn't she? If we're looking for a healer, we might as well wait for the Black Alliance to get in contact with the Divine Healer."

Raise the dead and grow new flesh? Even the professors at the most prestigious research institutes wouldn't dare say such things.

Julian retorted animatedly, "What? No! Of course, she doesn't only appear in my dreams! She's real! Very real! Moreover, that Divine Healer comes and goes as he pleases and often hides away from others. He won't even see patients if he doesn't feel like it. We've looked for him for so long, and we still haven't heard anything. He might not even be taking in patients.

"I suspect he's not really that great. I bet his skills aren't even as good as Ms. Protégé."

How ignorant! A mere mortal like Finn would clearly not be able to fathom the wonders of Ms. Protégé.

Even though Ms. Protégé never mentioned her name when they were training together, and ten years had passed so she likely wouldn't look the same anymore, he believed that he would still be able to recognize her right away when he saw her.

"Fine. She's real."

Finn did not want to continue to squabble with Julian, mostly because Julian had a weird obsession with this fellow apprentice of his.

Henrick shot both of them a glance before taking one last look at the unmarked tombstone.

Then, he turned and said, "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Finn asked.

The corners of Henrick's lips curled up. "Rorsten. I'm going to make my fiancée cancel the engagement!"

Chapter 3

Meanwhile, back at Splendor Hills, Kevin was about to call the Springall family to cancel the engagement when the sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted him.

Kevin and Susan got up to open the door. Natasha, too, followed to greet the visitors as it was the polite thing to do.

The person on the other side of the door was Michelle.

Kevin and Susan both froze. Even Natasha's eyebrows flew up slightly in surprise.

They had only just returned from the Yaeger mansion, and Michelle was already on their doorstep?

"Mom, Dad, I've come to visit and also to bring some clothes for Nat."

Michelle was wearing a light-colored dress, and her hair was tied into two ponytails. She also had a sweet smile plastered on her face, which made her look especially demure and graceful.

Susan glanced at the bag in Michelle's hands, and her expression faltered.

Those were clothes that Edith had bought for Michelle, and most of them had only been worn once.

"That's very thoughtful of you," said Susan as she took the bag and placed it to the side.

"Why did you drop by so suddenly?" asked Kevin.

He, too, had noticed the contents of the bag, and his expression had darkened considerably.

Michelle's gaze flickered slightly as she lifted her eyes to meet Kevin's. Her eyes filled with tears, and she pouted sadly as she responded, "I know you've just found Nat and want to spend more time with her, and you don't want to see me… But… But Grandma asked me to come here to teach Nat some etiquette and manners."

Kevin's eyebrows furrowed tightly as a flash of annoyance crossed his eyes.

"Here she goes again!" he thought to himself.

In recent years, Michelle was always crying and acting as if someone had mistreated her whenever she came over. But the reality was, ever since she had gained Edith's favor, she looked down on them, her adoptive parents.

Who was she even putting on this show for?

Kevin's anger flared inexplicably. "Teach her manners? Nat has great manners and doesn't need to be taught! And she's not getting married to a king anyway, so why does she need to learn all this etiquette?"

Natasha weirdly found Kevin's words hilarious, and a snort escaped her.

"Mr. Yaeger is… actually quite funny," she sniggered to herself.

Michelle's face flushed red. She lowered her head and bit her lower lip. "Dad, that's not what I meant. I—"

"Alright, that's enough. You can go back and tell your grandmother that I'm canceling this engagement with the Springalls. And since she doesn't think much of Nat, she doesn't need to concern herself with Nat's manners either," spat Kevin in annoyance.

"What? Cancel the engagement?" Michelle's mask nearly slipped right then. Her hands clutched her dress tightly as hatred filled her eyes to the brim.

What ridiculous hypocrites! As expected, the biological daughter was sure to receive special treatment.

Previously, when the Yaegers had believed that she was the one to be married to Henrick, she had hinted that she did not wish to go through with it. But what had Kevin said to her then?

He had said that he could not make decisions for the family, and only Edith could decide whether to cancel the engagement or not.

And now?

Natasha had only just returned home, and Kevin was already so keen on rejecting the marriage. Why wasn't he saying that he couldn't make decisions for the family now?

"That's right. Nat is only 19 years old, and I just got her back. I'm not going to marry her off right now. Tell your grandmother to stop using Nat as a pawn," said Kevin sternly.

He was well aware of what was going through Edith's head. Previously, he could obey her every word, but when it came to Natasha, there was no room for negotiation. He would go up against anyone who dared to mess with Natasha.

"But…" started Michelle as she bit her lip, feeling indignant.

"Nat has agreed to marry Mr. Springall. If she doesn't go through with it, then the Springall family will blame us. And if we get on their bad side, our days will be numbered."

Michelle looked at Natasha and said in a gentle voice, "Nat, you don't want anything to happen to our family, right? Grandpa worked hard his whole life to give us what we have today. If it weren't for you…"

She deliberately did not finish her sentence.

Hearing this, Natasha lifted her head, and the corner of her lips curled up into a barely-there smile.

"Okay, but I don't feel like marrying him. How about you marry him instead?"

Michelle froze, and her carefully formed expression faltered. In no universe did she want to marry that cripple, Henrick.

She was one of the most talented people in Rorsten and had made significant success in various fields. Moreover, she was also a top student at Nebula High, and she had a bright future ahead of her. How could she ruin it by marrying that cripple?

What was Natasha playing at? Was she deliberately trying to disgust her?

"Nat, your joke wasn't funny," said Michelle as she tried to squeeze out a smile. Though, unfortunately for her, the smile turned out rather hideous.

Natasha blinked a few times then tilted her head to the side. "I wasn't joking."

Michelle's anger flared. She had to stop herself from launching at Natasha and slapping her across the face.

"I give you an inch and you take a mile?" she fumed to herself.

"You're the actual eldest daughter of the Yaeger family!" Michelle screeched, her gaze darkening menacingly.

"Oh. So you're instructing me, the eldest daughter, on how to do things?" asked Natasha flatly.

"You!" Michelle's fists clenched, but she quickly took a deep breath before plastering on a smile again.

"You've misunderstood me, Nat. I would never dare to tell you how to do things. Grandma's the one who said that this engagement is very crucial. More importantly, once you're engaged, the Springall family will invest money into our family's company, so under no circumstances are we to cancel the engagement."

Michelle then stood up without giving Natasha a chance to respond.

"Dad, I need to go to the office in a bit, so I can't stay. Grandma told me to tell you that she won't agree to Natasha canceling the engagement. If you insist on going through with your plan, then she'll take this apartment back."

Edith naturally hadn't said any of this. Michelle was the one who came up with it all on her own. However, she could influence Edith before Kevin had a chance to talk to her.

Kevin's expression darkened. He was about to say something, but Michelle had already walked out.

Chapter 4

Kevin slammed his mug onto the table after Michelle left.

"Absolutely despicable!"

Susan poured water into his mug while comforting him, saying, "Alright, don't be upset. That child has long since not cared for us, so there's no use being so riled up."

Michelle was a child they adopted eight years ago. Kevin had been consumed with trying to find Natasha, but he had no leads even after a long time. That was when he unexpectedly met Michelle.

He found that the upper half of her face somewhat resembled Natasha. Because he missed Natasha so much and he also felt pity for Michelle, he decided to adopt her.

Michelle was well-behaved and well-mannered, and she knew how to say the sweetest things, which would always delight the people around her.

That was how Edith was utterly charmed by her. Two years after they adopted Michelle, Edith asked to raise her herself. Within a few short years, she had cultivated Michelle into someone who was famous for her talents in Rorsten. Many people were envious of her.

However, after Michelle went to live with Edith, she started to look down on her adoptive parents. She didn't show it outwardly, but her words were often like daggers, striking them through their hearts.

Kevin and Susan weren't idiots either. After a while, they saw through Michelle, and thus, they naturally didn't spend as much time with her anymore.

"It's all my fault! I never should've adopted her!" said Kevin while he pounded his chest in frustration.

"You were being kind," said Susan before she turned to look at Natasha.

"The problem we should be focusing on now is how to cancel the engagement. It seems like Edith is determined to have Natasha marry into the Springall family. If we don't go along with it, I'm worried she's going to cause problems."

"I'm definitely going to cancel this engagement. The worst that can happen is that my mom takes this apartment back. I refuse to believe that I, a grown man, can't manage to support my wife and child!"

Susan sighed. She feared that Edith wouldn't even allow them a place to rest their heads in Rorsten.

Natasha's head was lowered as she stared at the information on her phone. She had paused on a page that listed out details about Henrick Springall.

As a well-known figure from the Springall family, the information on Henrick was quite interesting. Other than a lack of a photo, everything else was listed down. Even his phone number.

"Mr. Yaeger, don't worry about it. I can cancel the engagement myself. And don't stress about not having a place to live either. I'll buy you a house," said Natasha with a grin.

Considering that Kevin had been quite nice to her, she would buy them a house as a show of gratitude.

"Nat…"

Kevin was thinking about how to respond when Natasha abruptly stood up and dialed a number on her phone.

Once the call was connected, Natasha immediately went straight to the point. "Is this Mr. Springall? I'm the eldest daughter of the Yaeger family."

On the other end, Henrick's eyebrow raised slightly. "Yes?"

"I want to cancel the engagement," said Natasha in a crisp voice.

Henrick froze for a second before his lips curled up into a smile. "Done!"

Natasha was in a daze as she stared at her phone that showed that the call had ended.

That was it? He was also in agreement?

…

Meanwhile, at a high-end club somewhere in Rorsten, Henrick was sitting on a couch with one leg crossed over the other. His slender fingers were holding his phone, and his deep-set eyes were staring at his call records. His lips curled up into a smile.

"Was that really the daughter of the Yaeger family?" asked Julian in disbelief, a liquor glass in one hand.

"That's what she said," answered Henrick in his deep voice.

Julian clicked his tongue. "She sure has a strong personality. This makes me see her in a new light."

Henrick might not have a good reputation, but his family was very wealthy. Thus, there were still an uncountable number of women who wanted to marry him, but Alfred had long since arranged for his partner to be the eldest daughter of the Yaeger family.

He had assumed the Yaegers wouldn't cancel the engagement.

He had done his research. Their family business had been on the decline these past few years, and they were severely lacking in funding. Once they went through with the engagement, they would receive an investment from the Springall family. This was one of the conditions Alfred had set out previously.

So, there was no possibility for the Yaeger matriarch to agree to the cancellation of the engagement.

Thus, it was quite surprising that it was the eldest daughter herself who came to break it off.

As expected of this famous young lady of Rorsten. The integrity she possessed was one that was rarely seen in other women.

Henrick was feeling great. His eyes lit up as his finger flew across his phone.

Julian sidled over to take a peek. Feeling surprised, he blurted out, "Henrick, why are you saving the recording of that call?"

Henrick raised an eyebrow as he continued to tap on his phone. "How can I not let my grandfather know about such great news? He deserves to feel happy!"

"I feel like your grandfather will get so angry that he'll have a heart attack when he finds out."

Julian couldn't even picture how horrifying it'd be once Alfred heard the news.

"He won't get a heart attack. But he will make a fuss and throw a tantrum." Those were Alfred's go-to tactics.

Alfred had deployed all kinds of headache-inducing methods just to make him agree to marry the daughter of the Yaeger family. Now that she was the one who took the initiative to break it off, Alfred would probably ease off the pedal for a bit.

Julian took a sip of his liquor, then turned to look at Henrick in confusion.

"Come to think of it, why don't you want to marry Ms. Yaeger? Michelle's gorgeous, has excellent grades, and has supposedly found success in various fields. Also, with her grades, she'll easily get into a prestigious university. That's the kind of wife one can only dream of."

Henrick placed his phone down, grabbed his glass, and gave it a swirl. "Since she's so outstanding, she shouldn't be saddled with me, the cripple."

Julian's gaze flicked to Henrick's long—and perfectly fine—legs before silently looking away again.

…

Back at Splendor Hills, Natasha had just gone into her bedroom when her phone started ringing.

She glanced at the caller ID, and her expression faltered. She walked over to the window and answered the call.

A deep male voice came from the other end of the call. "I've found some info. On the day your mother died, there were people from four different families from Jorlina who appeared at your house."

Natasha's eyes darkened. "Four different families?"

"That's right!" the man answered before continuing, "The Chessons, the Songrens, the Yonkers, and… the Springalls."

Natasha froze. "The Springalls? As in Henrick Springall's Springall?"

"That's right. There are four major families in Jorlina—the Springalls, the Xandiths, the Yaegers, and the Worgens. The Springall family is considered the most prominent of the four and is a truly wealthy aristocratic family. Of the four families who went to your house, other than the Springalls, the other three are considered more middle class."

The man paused for a beat before continuing, "The Chessons, the Songrens, and the Yonkers were at your house trying to find something. As for what that thing is specifically, I haven't found out yet. And the person the Springalls sent was none other than Henrick Springall…"

Natasha's eyes grew large, and her pretty eyebrows furrowed tightly. "Henrick Springall? What was his goal?"

"It appeared as if he was looking for someone."

Natasha fell silent as she leaned against her bed while her slender fingers tapped on the window sill. After a long while, she finally spoke up.

"Keep digging. Find out what the Chessons, the Songrens, and the Yonkers were trying to find. Don't bother with the Springalls. I'll look into them myself."

"Okay."

Chapter 5

Natasha ended the call and opened the window. Her expression was cold as she stared at the blue sky.

"Mom, who did you offend exactly?"

She had only been nine years old when they left the Yaeger family. The memories she had was mostly of Edith being mean to her mother, who kept bearing it in silence.

At that time, she couldn't understand why her mother—a woman who was smart and capable—wouldn't fight back when being bullied.

After they left the Yaeger family, they were hunted down by multiple parties. She had witnessed her mother's profound martial arts skills and her ability to seal acupoints with just a needle, and it was then that she realized that her mother wasn't incapable of fighting back. Rather, she had just been lying low from others who wished to kill her.

Then, one day, her mother received a call. Natasha had noticed that there was something off about her mother's expression, but she was still young and had experienced multiple bouts of escaping, so she only assumed that there were people on their tail again.

Yet that very night, her mother ended her own life. She died after ingesting a poison she had developed herself.

Her mother's last words had been for her to go to Verdu Monastery and look for a priest named Bartlot Abelard and learn martial arts from him. She was also not allowed to leave the place for the next ten years and had to lay low for the whole duration as well.

Her mother had also specifically instructed her to cremate her body after she died and that she wasn't allowed to erect a tombstone.

Then, after ten years, she was to return back to the Yaeger family and look for her father, Kevin, and follow through with the wedding to Henrick Springall.

Natasha had completed every one of her mother's instructions, except for one—marrying Henrick.

She had lived with the trauma of her mother's death for the past ten years, and she was determined to seek revenge. She wasn't going to let a marriage stand in her way.

Yet she had just found out that Henrick was involved with the events of the past too.

She had already canceled the engagement, so she had to think of another way to look into what happened that fateful day.

A round of frantic knocking pulled Natasha from her thoughts.

She opened her bedroom door, only to find Edith and some other family members barging in through the front door.

A dozen or so people, including the families of Edith's two older sons, along with Michelle, were squeezed in the tiny living room.

Anger was etched on every one of their faces. Their rage flared even more when they caught sight of Natasha. It seemed like they wanted nothing more than to shred her into pieces.

"Natasha, you insolent thing! Who allowed you to cancel the engagement with Henrick Springall? Do you have any respect for me at all, you wretched girl?" roared Edith as soon as she saw Natasha, fire flaring in her eyes.

She never expected Natasha to make such a call and cancel the engagement herself.

If it weren't for Alfred calling to tell her, she would still be left in the dark.

Fortunately, this marriage was important to Alfred, so he didn't place blame on her. And despite Henrick being a cripple, half of Alfred's fortune would eventually go to him anyway. Thus, Michelle would not suffer by marrying Henrick, and he would help out with the Yaeger family's business in the future too.

Natasha had only just returned, and the Yaeger family had not made her identity known yet, so Alfred was still unaware that the person marrying Henrick was going to be Natasha instead of Michelle.

However, Edith did not care about that. After all, Alfred had technically asked for the eldest daughter of the Yaeger family to be married to Henrick, so as long as Natasha stepped up, the Yaegers would still get each and everything that was promised to them.

That was, until the bitch went and canceled the engagement!

Natasha lowered her eyes, and there was a cold presence about her. She stared at Edith without saying a word.

Kevin went to stand protectively in front of Natasha before saying sternly, "I was the one who asked Natasha to cancel the engagement. If you want to blame someone, then blame me."

Edith, enraged, raised her arm and slapped him across the face. "You traitor! Do you know what this marriage means to our family?"

She might have been reluctant to have Michelle marry Henrick before, but she never actually planned to cancel it. She merely wanted to find a way that could keep Michelle out of it while also getting the investment from the Springalls.

However, if Natasha's earlier actions were to offend the Springall family, then they would not be getting even one cent.

"What does it mean?" Kevin scoffed. "Isn't this all just for your reputation? You don't care for Nat, so you're willing to just sacrifice her!"

"Kevin!" Kevin's oldest brother, Robert, started with a frown. "How can you say that about Mom? She's doing all this for the sake of our family. Also, the Springalls have already said that they'll treat Natasha well."

Kevin's second oldest brother, Harold, piped in too.

"That's right, Kevin. Though Henrick is a cripple, he's still from a very wealthy family. Look at Natasha. She was raised in the countryside and never underwent higher education. And did she even graduate from high school?

"She's 19 years old now, and she can't go to university, so she'll need to go find a job. But with her qualifications, she'll likely only be able to land some waitressing job. Then when she starts looking for a husband, she'll only be able to marry someone very average. In that case, what's wrong with marrying Henrick? At the very least, she won't have to worry about money."

"Enough!" Kevin roared. "Nat is my daughter. I have the right to decide who she marries. It doesn't matter how great Henrick is, Natasha isn't going to be married off!"

"You're being ridiculous!" Robert snarled, his face flushed red with anger.

Edith glared at Kevin angrily. "You don't call the shots in this family. Since Natasha is a Yaeger, then she should do her part for the Yaeger family! We don't keep useless people around!"

Natasha snorted, a look of disdain flashing across her eyes.

Edith spun around to look at her, her gaze dripping with contempt. "What are you laughing at?"

Natasha raised her head to stare at Edith. "I'm laughing at how forgetful you are. I believe that from the day I was born, I've never spent a dime of your money. Since the Yaeger family never raised me, then why should I do my part for you guys?"

Though she had been very young then, she still clearly remembered that this grandmother of hers had never even bought her a piece of candy.

"You!" Edith was enraged, and there was a trace of resentment in her eyes as she glared at Natasha.

"This little bitch has quite the silver tongue!" she huffed to herself.

"Natasha! How can you speak to your grandmother like this? She's your elder! Is this how your mother raised you?" Robert roared.

The corners of Natasha's lips tugged upward slightly. She shoved her hands into her pockets, appearing impassive.

"Apologies. My mother's dead. Would you like to take a trip to the afterlife to question her about how she raised me?"

Ronald's red flushed red. "You're insolent!"

The other Yaeger family members standing around were also furious at how indifferent Natasha appeared to be, but because Edith was here, they didn't say anything. That did not stop them from glaring at Natasha, though, and each one of their gazes reflected their intention to shred her into pieces.

Natasha lifted her chin slightly, completely unbothered by their glares.

Edith stared at Natasha for a long beat before taking a few deep breaths to suppress her rage. Her tone softened a little. "This marriage was arranged by your mother. Surely, she wouldn't do it if it weren't in your interests? Alfred has already stated that he still wishes for you and Henrick to go through with the marriage."

Natasha looked at her with a wry smile and did not give a response.

With a frown, Edith continued coldly, "Natasha, need I remind you that I was the one who provided you with this apartment? If you don't marry Henrick, then I'm taking it back. Also, I'll kick your father out of the company. As long as I'm alive, he'll never find another job in Rorsten, and without income, he won't be able to support your family!"

Without waiting for a response from Natasha, Kevin strode forward and said solemnly, "If you want to take the apartment back, then go ahead. I have arms and legs, so I'm sure I'll be able to find a way to support my wife and child financially. Regardless, I'll never shove Nat into a lion's den!"

Edith wanted nothing more than to strike him across the face again, but she managed to restrain herself. She glared at Kevin as she gritted out, "Fine! You have a backbone. Though, I'm keen to see just how long that'll last. You have one hour to move out!"