Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 25

Natalia’s lips quivered slightly as Victor’s thinly veiled insults pierced the air, tinged with a perverse delight in her discomfort. Deep down, she knew she was supposed to be impervious to such barbs, yet a chill still crawled through her veins.

In their elite social circle, she was barely considered a person, a sentiment shared by the likes of Hamilton. She faced Victor, striving to appear unassailable.

“Usurping a nest? What are you implying?”

“It's quite simple: you've snagged Eveleen’s spot, Ms. Jenkins. | always thought you had the sense to know your place, but you seem to be clueless.” Victor sneered.

With a laugh, Natalia retorted, “How absurd. If Hamilton wanted Eveleen back, do you really think | could take her place? Or do you suppose | have the power to sway Hamilton’s will? Since he chose to keep me, this position is rightfully mine. Aren’t you all being a bit too nosy?”

“And another thing.” she paused for effect. “if I’m the bitch here, what does that make a man like you, who can’t seem to stop thinking about me? A dog that can’t walk past the scent of meat? Or a worthless cur, itching for something you can’t have and ungrateful for what you get?”

Victor's smirk vanished. He did yearn for Natalia, a longing that intensified ever since Hamilton made him listen to those suggestive noises over the phone. Now, Natalia’s brazen words ignited a fire within him. He promised himself that once he had her, he would humiliate her thoroughly before casting her aside. He wondered how sharp her tongue would be by then.

“Ms. Jenkins, do you even understand the meaning of shame?” he spat. Standing up, Natalia retorted, “Why should | bother with shame when speaking to someone who knows none?”

With that, she left the garden, exhaling a sigh of relief only once she was out of sight. Back at the office, she caught Eveleen rifling through her purse, holding her antiabortifacient.

“Eveleen!” Natalia exclaimed, snatching the bottle back.

Eveleen smirked coldly. “What's this, Natalia? Got a deadly disease?”

“It’s none of your business,” Natalia replied, tucking the medicine back into her bag.

“A child with any upbringing knows not to snoop through others’ belongings. Is this the extent of your class?” Laughing dismissively, Eveleen retorted, “I reserve manners for those who deserve them, not for a bastard like you.” The word ‘bastard’ stung Natalia, a label she had carried for years, one she never imagined would afflict her child. Struggling to maintain her composure, Natalia didn’t want to argue, knowing it would end in her

14:35,

defeat. “When can you schedule the shoot for the endorsement? It would save us both a lot of

trouble.”

Eveleen scoffed. “Your incompetence has caused this mess, not mine.”

“When are you available?” Natalia pressed on.

“It's uncertain. Talk to my agent.”

With that, Eveleen left, leaving Natalia to glance at the tight grip she had on her medication. She didn’t return to Hamilton’s office but instead called him and left the company. Once outside. she dialed another number. “Dad, | need a drug tester.”

Failing to reach Eveleen’s agent again, Natalia rubbed her temples. The intentional stonewalling was painfully clear. Turning to Tess, she instructed, “Contact Lyra’s agent.”

Tess hesitated. “Boss, are you sure?”

“It's just a call to see if there’s a chance. | want to leak some fake news and put some pressure on Eveleen.” Giving Eveleen a sense of emergency was way better than wasting time for nothing.

However, Tess returned with a frown, shaking her head. “She didn’t seem interested.”

Natalia rubbed her nose bridge and said, “I'll call her.”

She dialed Lyra’s agent directly.

“Just work with me here. We have Lyra’s brands, and we'll talk about her other endorsements some other day.”

Lyra’s agent smiled bitterly and said, “Ms. Jenkins, to be frank, we’re more than willing to work. with lvy Gemstone. After all, scoring an endorsement from one of the top luxurious jewelry firms in the country means Lyra won’t have to run around shooting any other ads for at least half a year.”

She paused, then continued, “But we really can’t do it this time. I’ve done my research on Mr. Fowler’s relationship with Eveleen. We don’t care much about her, but Mr. Fowler is the last person we'd want to offend. If he finds out about this, it'll be the end of our career in this industry.”

Then, she hung up.

Tess asked, “Any luck?”

Natalia shook her head. If Hamilton had promised the endorsement to Eveleen, no one would risk his ire for her sake. She dialed another number, and a voice answered promptly.

“Gideon, | apologize for the intrusion. We're looking to discuss a potential collaboration with

14:35,

Eveleen’s agent, Aurora, but | seem to have lost her contact. Could you have her reach out to me? Sure, thanks. How about dinner sometime to show my gratitude?”

The man chuckled. “Some time? Let’s do dinner tonight. I’m free.”

Natalia’s smile stiffened, and after a moment, she agreed, “Okay, tonight it is. I'll book a place and let you know. Please have Aurora call me.”

Hanging up, Natalia’s fingers clenched her phone until they were nearly white.

Gideon, the notorious head honcho at Gideon Media. A sleazeball whose reputation for making his rounds with the artists was infamous in the industry.

Natalia had dined with him twice, tagging along with Hamilton.

Gideon’s wandering hands and not-so-subtle moves were always part of the package. But Hamilton’s presence had kept him in check, preventing him from going too far with her.

Today, however, she knew Hamilton wouldn’t be accompanying her. He wouldn't help her. If he were willing to help, neither Eveleen nor her agent would dare to put her in such an awkward position.

Not only was he not helping her, but it seemed like he was even enjoying the situation.

Natalia had a hunch that Hamilton was still irked about something. She was puzzled, though. After last night’s fiasco, she was the one who should've been upset, not him.

What was eating him up? Was it really just over that dinner? She racked her brain but couldn’t pin down a reason.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Shaking off her thoughts, she focused on how to handle Gideon. In the end, she decided to book. a table at a trendy open-air restaurant known for its private dining experience.

With the constant flow of people, Gideon wouldn't dare try anything funny. Once the reservation was set, a call from Aurora buzzed in.

“Who would've thought you had connections with Gideon?” she said with a tinge of sarcasm. Natalia chuckled. “In this business, everyone’s networked. Right, Aurora?”

Aurora was at a loss for words at Natalia’s comeback.

“Ms. Jenkins, is our Gideon also one of your special guests?” she probed mockingly.

Natalia ignored the jibe. “Is Ms. Schafer’s schedule confirmed yet?”

Through gritted teeth, Aurora replied, “I just checked Eveleen’s calendar. She’s free tomorrow.”

“Great. Please ensure Ms. Schafer arrives at the studio on time. And if there are any changes, contact me directly. You have my number. A call is more convenient than sending messages, don’t you agree?”

“Of course, Ms. Jenkins. Goodbye.” Chapter 25 After hanging up and making sure everything was in place with the studio, Natalia was ready to call it a day.

The restaurant she had booked was nestled halfway up a hill, known for its culinary delights. amid scenic views. Patrons often opted for the outdoor seating, which was exactly why Natalia had chosen this spot. What she hadn't anticipated was being led to a secluded private room

upon arrival after giving her name at the front desk.