Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart

Chapter 59

Chapter 59 Natalie’s heart ached as Hamilton’s words pierced through her like a cold blade. Was she tainted just because Lionel had helped her up?

She looked straight at Hamilton and retorted, “I suppose the places on you that Eveleen has clung to and embraced are far more numerous.

Hamilton stood aside, merely letting out a faint chuckle. “Do you not understand who the real breadwinner here is? If you have the means to be my sugar mama, | might consider not touching another woman.”

Suddenly, Natalie lost the will to argue. Indeed, what right did she have to make demands of Hamilton? She had forgotten their relationship was anything but equal.

“Just go. | need to take a shower.”

Hamilton glanced at her, his gaze resting on her pale, bloodless face. “You sure you can handle it yourself?”

“lm fine.”

He shrugged nonchalantly and left the bathroom.

As the door closed behind him, Natalie’s tears fell uncontrollably. She bit her lip to keep silent, not making a sound as she wept. After a while, feeling slightly better, she undressed and stepped into the shower.

Her arm was injured, and although she tried to be careful, she still managed to get the bandage wet. The wound had been agitated by Hamilton earlier, and now the dressing was stained with a hint of red.

Pulling herself together, Natalie quickly dried off.

There was a knock on the bathroom door.

“Are you done?” Hamilton’s voice came through.

“Yes,” Natalie responded.

He entered, handing her a set of clothes. “Wear this.”

Taking the clothes, Natalie murmured a soft “Okay.”

Hamilton's eyes fell on the now crimson-soaked bandage on her arm.

“Ill call a nurse to change your dressing.”

She didn’t look up, just muttered a “Thank you.”

As Hamilton left to fetch a nurse, Natalie got dressed and sat on the bed, her wet hair still dripping.

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The nurse frowned upon entering.

“Do you have any idea you’re supposed to be taking it easy after the miscarriage? And you’re letting your hair stay wet?” Natalie looked up. “I'll dry it in a bit.”

“Don’t you have a hairdryer?”

The hospital room, albeit a room for convalescence, wasn’t equipped with a hairdryer. Shaking her head, Natalie admitted she had come in a rush and brought nothing with her.

The nurse shot Hamilton a disapproving look. “What kind of husband doesn’t prepare a hairdryer for his wife when she’s hospitalized after childbirth?”

Hamilton’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression darkening instantly.

Natalie wasn’t sure if he was upset by being called a husband or by the nurse’s reprimand, but she quickly clarified, “You misunderstand. He’s not my husband.”

The nurse frowned, glancing back at Hamilton, but said no more.

As the nurse changed the dressing, Hamilton stood by, seeing Natalie’s wound for the first time. When he arrived that day, she had already been bandaged, and he hadn't been present for any subsequent dressing changes.

Today, he was shocked to see how large and deep the wound on her arm was, aggravated by the water soaking. Hamilton's brow furrowed.

“Be more careful when you shower. Wrap your wound in plastic wrap or something. You can’t just expose it like that. It’s deep and could easily get infected. You wouldn't want to be left with an ugly scar, would you?” The nurse said.

Natalie listened in silence, not responding. After the nurse left with more instructions, Hamilton, with arms crossed, finally asked, “Does it hurt?”

Natalie lifted her eyes to meet his. Hamilton had beautiful, shiny eyes, but there was no trace of concern in them now. His question seemed more out of obligation than genuine worry.

Lowering her gaze to hide her feelings, she said quietly, “It’s bearable.”

Hamilton nodded. “I'll have someone send over a hairdryer. Is there anything else you need?” “No, | should be discharged after tonight,” Natalle replied.

Hamilton didn’t press further, instead grabbing a towel from the bathroom.

“Come here, let me dry your hair.”

Natalie shook her head. “I can do it myself.”

His face clouded with irritation. “Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”

Natalie looked at him, his expression harsh. She knew he was still irked by the nurse’s comment. Tired of arguing, she sat “Own on the stool beside him.

Hamilton’s movements were surprisingly gentle as he dried her hair.

When he was done, he spoke. “I’m sorry for being rough earlier.”

There was no real apology in his tone, and Natalie wasn’t surprised when he added, “But you can’t blame me. Anyone would have misunderstood those pictures. You must understand that. right?”

Natalie let out a hollow laugh. “If you had the basic trust in me, you wouldn’t have doubted me without even asking.”

Hamilton remained noncommittal. He didn’t trust Natalie —- she was too beautiful, too powerless, and without connections. In their circle, she was the epitome of a plaything.

Hamilton had never treated Natalie as a plaything. Their transaction had always been transparent.

In such dealings, the only thing one could trust was the contract itself. Yet, Natalie kept breaking it, testing his limits.

“Ms. Jenkins, you have no grounds for complaints. All this happened because you chose to meet Lionel. If you hadn't, none of this would have happened. Be more careful in the future. | only believe what I see. Trust has never been a word in my vocabulary.”

Natalia let out a scoff. “And how come you bought that story about the kid being yours so easily?”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Hamilton tapped his finger lightly on the edge of the table. “I did the math. Around the time of the pregnancy, you were practically under my watch the whole time. But it doesn’t really matter whose it is; it’s not like the kid’s sticking around anyway.”

Natalia slumped wearily on the edge of the bed, the pain throbbing in her chest as she listened to his emotionless words. In a nutshell, he simply didn’t trust her. But somehow, it didn’t hurt as much as she had expected.

Maybe this was what numbness felt like? She suddenly wanted to know what Hamilton had been through over the years that turned such a charming boy into the terrifying man he was

now.

Alden had once said that Eveleen was the light In Hamilton's life. So why, even as he clung to his light, did he allow himself to become so dark?

But she knew all too well that Hamilton wouldn’t let her pry into his private affairs.

She had actually been quite curious about him. In the past three years, she had tried more than

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once to coax some personal details out of him.

But each time, he dismissed her with a single sentence. “Ms. Jenkins, if it's none of your business, don’t ask.” Natalia gave a bitter laugh. Indeed, as just a lover, what right did she have to inquire about his personal matters? “Hamilton.” Her voice was soft as she called out to him.

“What is it?” Hamilton raised an eyebrow at her.

Natalia lifted her head, her eyes still slightly reddened, meeting his gaze.

“Are you like this with everyone except for Eveleen?”