Echoes Of a Forsaken Heart (Natalia and Hamilton) novel Chapter 284

The moment Hamilton saw her slide the ring off her finger, his heart sank.

Until she spoke those words.

The color drained from his face instantly.

"Say that again!"

Natalia looked straight into the eyes of the man in front of her.

She truly loved him.

They had promised, once back, they would get married.

She had tried her best to move forward.

To let go of the past, to let go of Eveleen, and even that child.

But this was the result she got.

His family didn't like her, and they went as far as to cause her mother's death.

He had promised not to see Eveleen again, yet he did.

In this gamble of love, she had lost.

Lost completely.

"I said, we should break up."

"Hamilton, your family doesn't like me. We shouldn't force this any longer. I can't take it anymore."

"From now on, I won't ask if you can forget about Eveleen. I don't even hope for you to truly let her go anymore. Let's end things here."

Tears fell from Natalia's eyes without warning.

This was the first time Hamilton had seen her cry since he came back.

Even at Tatiana's funeral, she hadn't shed a tear, but now, they just wouldn't stop.

Natalia stood up, the diamond ring falling to the floor with a clear, echoing sound.

She thought.

Some things just can't be fixed.

Like the bathroom mirror.

Once broken, you can only replace it with a new one.

The old one, even if mended, will always show its cracks.

Panic surged through Hamilton.

He hadn't expected Natalia to find out he had seen Eveleen.

"Natalia, I saw Eveleen because..."

He reached for her, trying to explain.

Natalia struggled to break free.

But Hamilton wouldn't let go.

"Natalia, I went to see Eveleen to make things clear once and for all, I..."

Tears in her eyes, Natalia turned back.

"Can you ever make it clear? Hamilton, I don't know what Eveleen means to you. You never let me ask about your past, much less talk about it yourself."

"Over and over, you told me you were done with Eveleen. But in the end? Whenever she needs something, she always calls you. She's like a responsibility you can't shake off. If that's the case, let's not force it. Hamilton, I really can't take it anymore."

Natalia broke away and left.

Hamilton refused to let go.

"Do you want to go through all that pain again?" Natalia's tears kept falling.

Hamilton's fingers stiffened.

"Natalia, if you don't want to stay here, go to Scarlett's. Just cool off for a couple of days, then we can talk again, okay?"

Natalia pulled away from him and left without looking back.

Hamilton was about to follow when his phone rang.

It was Alden calling.

Annoyed, he answered.

"What's up?"

"Bro, Eveleen's dead."

Hamilton went pale.

"What did you say?"

"Eveleen's dead. She's been causing trouble since we left. The nurses had been sedating her, but today, they turned their backs for a moment, and she fell down the stairs. Hit her head right on the edge."

Natalia left the apartment, stepping into the pouring rain that seemed to want to drown the entire city.

Sitting in her car, tears blurred her vision, but she still saw that man with a darkened face leaving the apartment.

He hadn't even noticed she hadn't left yet.

Natalia watched his car disappear before driving off.

Yet, once on the road, she couldn't hold back her tears and pulled over to cry.

She had lost her mother.

She no longer had a mother.

She texted Hamilton.

Hamilton, tomorrow is the seventh day since my mom passed. Come to the cemetery with me, I need to ask you something.

However, the message went unanswered, like a stone dropped into the sea.

On the seventh anniversary of her passing, Tatiana wore a simple black dress and, with a heavy heart, picked up a bouquet of forget-me-nots from the local florist before heading to the cemetery.

Amidst a curtain of rain, she stood from dawn till dusk, a silent figure engulfed by her grief.

It wasn't until Scarlett found her that she seemed to snap back to reality.

"Why are you still standing here?" Scarlett frowned, her face etched with concern. "Didn't you say you'd just come for a visit and then head back?"

Tatiana gazed into the relentless rain for a long moment before nodding.

"Yeah, let's go back."

With that, she turned to leave with Scarlett, but only a few steps in, she suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed.

"Natalia!"

Hamilton only saw Natalia's message the next day.

The funeral of Eveleen had been a never-ending saga of disputes among the Schafer family, and only now had Hamilton found a moment of peace.

He frowned at a photo of Eveleen on the wall, his eyes filled with complex emotions. His memories of their childhood were faint, mostly filled with painful moments.

Only the name "Evi" seemed to be a small comfort amid all the suffering.

He could never have imagined this would be their ending.

Clutching a necklace tightly, Hamilton took a long moment before heading back to his car.

Once inside, he asked in a low voice, "How did the interrogation go?"

Alden frowned. "They indeed had contact with Grandfather's bodyguard and admitted he was the one who signaled them."

A chill flashed in Hamilton's eyes.

"What about Mason and the Powell family?"

"Mason played chess with Grandfather several times, always making sure they were alone. The Powell family, on the other hand, has been unusually quiet."

Hamilton's expression grew colder.

"Tell the Ron Group's branch to get out of Silkwood City!"

Alden quickly acknowledged.

Rubbing his temples, Hamilton pulled out his phone, intending to call Natalia, but his fingers froze the next moment.

He opened WhatsApp and glanced at it before speaking in a deep voice.

"We're heading back to the States, now!"