The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

The car cruised steadily down the road, the scenery outside the windows blurring past. The farther they drove, the more distance they put between themselves and Ashford Vale.

Lynette, Sue, and Ann were full of excitement. All three leaned against the car windows, eyes wide as they took in the world outside without blinking.

Natalie noticed but didn't say a word. She didn't stop them, either. She wanted them to experience it, to feel everything for themselves.

There was still plenty of paperwork to complete for school enrollment, but the Goodwill Foundation had a dedicated team handling all of that. Natalie's only responsibility was to get the girls there safely.

The foundation had its own private high school. But when it came to university, the students would need to apply and be accepted on their own.

Taylor had already explained the process to the girls before they left, so they didn't ask many questions now. They simply sat quietly, waiting for Natalie to guide them through whatever came next.

On the way back, they passed through Everwyn County again. Just like before, Natalie had Elijah stop so they could rest for the night.

"We'll stay here tonight. Let's grab something to eat, get some rest, and head out again tomorrow," she said after getting out of the car.

She stretched a little after stepping out, her body sore from sitting too long.

Marcus got out, too. "Nat, are we eating at the same place across the street?"

He was referring to the restaurant they'd visited on their way in.

"Yeah, let's go there again. That place was cleaner."

"Alright."

Natalie then turned to Elijah and said, "Elijah, help the girls check into their room and drop off their bags. Marcus and I will go order the food."

"Yes, Mrs. Holden."

Elijah called the three girls over to check into their room. Once everything was settled, he brought them over to the restaurant across the street.

Natalie and Marcus had already ordered. The two of them were sitting at a table in the back, with Marcus reaching over to massage Natalie's shoulders.

"Hi, Ms. Natalie, Mr. Marcus," the three girls greeted them politely.

Natalie gently patted Marcus' hand, and he immediately pulled it back, acting like nothing had happened.

"Take your seat," she said.

Once everyone was seated, Natalie called out to the owner. "Ma'am, we're ready. Can you bring the food out now?"

"Sure thing!" the woman called back.

Not long after, the dishes were brought to the table and neatly laid out.

Natalie reached for the stack of plates and cutlery on the table, but before she could do anything, Marcus reached over and grabbed it first.

"Nat, let me do it."

"Alright."

Marcus began laying out Natalie's plate and cutlery before her first. Then, he did the same for Lynette, Sue, and Ann.

When he finished with the girls' sets, he turned to Elijah. Clearly flattered, Elijah held out his hands, waiting for his plate and cutlery like it was some great honor.

"Thanks, Mr. Marcus! You're especially cool today."

Marcus just gave him a sideways glance and said nothing.

"Thanks, honey," Natalie said casually, curling her lips into a small smile.

"Huh?" Marcus was caught off guard for a second, then the corners of his mouth lifted despite himself. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

Natalie's smile deepened. Under the table, she reached out and lightly tapped his fingers.

During the ride back, she'd sat in the backseat with Lynette, Sue, and Ann, while Marcus had been up front in the passenger seat.

He hadn't said anything about it, but she could tell he hadn't been happy.

So, the moment they got out of the car, she'd pulled him along to order food, using the opportunity to sneak in a little affection.

Marcus was pretty easy to win over these days. A bit of attention, a little sweetness, and the corners of his mouth would lift in no time.

Sure enough, the second he felt Natalie's subtle gesture under the table, his lips twitched into a smile-though he kept his expression neutral, still playing it cool. "Alright, everyone, let's eat. Don't be shy," Natalie said, motioning for them to dig in.

Then, she turned to Marcus. "Honey, you eat too."

"Thanks," Marcus replied, picking up some food and placing it on her plate. "You should eat more, too. Look at you, you've lost weight."

"Really?" Natalie touched her cheek. "Well, maybe that's not a bad thing. Good time to drop a few pounds."

Before Marcus could respond, his phone chimed with a notification. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen-a new email had just come in.

Marcus opened it and saw the sender. It was Sheldon.

His eyes darkened slightly. Without a word, he tapped the message and began reading.

"Dear, Mr. Marcus,

"I hope this email finds you well. By the time you're reading this, I'll probably be off traveling, maybe just around the country, or maybe even around the world.

"Want to take a guess where I am right now? If you can't, that's okay. I'll be sending you and Mrs. Natalie a little something from wherever I land next.

"Mr. Marcus, I'm sorry, I won't be able to help you and Mrs. Natalie take care of your future kids after all.

I figured that while I'm still healthy

and mobile, this is the perfect time to go see the world.

"I'll start with foreign countries first. Once I've had my fill, I'll come back and explore the beautiful places in our own country.

"I've already emailed your parents too, so you don't need to miss me or worry about me. I might be a bit older now, but I'm still in great shape.

"Oh, and one last thing, Mr. Marcus. When I was in Frigara, I ran into Cassie. She was with a man. I followed them for a while and found out he was her kept man.

"But here's the twist-that guy already had a girlfriend. Turns out, he and his girlfriend were in it together, and they killed Cassie.

"I never expected to run into her overseas, of all places. Honestly, I was planning to teach her a lesson myself, but before I even had the chance, her boy toy beat me to it. Guess that was karma finallynoveldrama

catching up with her.

"Anyway, she's gone now. I say we let the past die with her. Whatever bad blood

there was, it's over.

"Mr. Marcus, I hope you and Mrs. Natalie stay happy. Grow old together. Have a bunch of kids, and fill Holden Residence with joy and laughter.

"Heh. I'm off to have fun now, so I won't ramble on any longer. Just wait for my gift to arrive.

"Love always, Sheldon."

After reading the email, Marcus let out a quiet breath. Thankfully, it didn't contain anything he'd been worried about.

"Nat, Sheldon sent me an email," he said, forwarding it to Natalie. "Take a look."

"Sure," Natalie replied. She pulled out her phone, opened the email, and quickly read through it.

"It's good that Sheldon decided to

travel. He spent his whole life taking care of Grandpa. After Grandpa passed, I was worried Sheldon wouldn't be able to move on

Marcus said.

Natalie nodded. "Yeah. The fact that he chose to travel right after our wedding

probably means he has moved on."

"Alright, let's eat. After dinner, we'll head back and get some rest."

"Okay."

After they finished eating, Natalie suggested taking a short walk with Marcus while

Elijah took Lynette, Sue, and Ann back to the motel.

Everwyn County was a small place. Everything Lynette had told Zachary about

the local government and their experience in Ashford Vale was true.

This county could barely manage its own development, let alone spare the resources—financial or human-to support a remote and underdeveloped place like Ashford Vale.

At one point, Natalie had considered investing here. But after a thorough evaluation, she realized this wasn't the right place for development or investment.