Chapter 1313: Natalia’s Time is Short
Natalia felt a mix of emotions.
The daughter she had just thought of harming was constantly concerned about her.
“How did you know I have insomnia?”
She thought she had hidden it well, and no one had noticed.
Pearl, staring at the pearl on her shoe, softly replied, “You always stand on the balcony alone at midnight.”
She had seen her standing there several times when she got up at night.
Outside the window was a magnolia tree.
The scent of magnolia flowers had a calming effect, and Natalia always carried a faint floral fragrance.
This showed that her insomnia was so severe that she needed the scent of magnolias every day.
Hearing this, Natalia turned and gave Pearl a deep look, showing a loving smile.
“Pearl, you are thoughtful, but my body is not in such bad shape that we need to trouble Miss Lawrence.”
At the same time, Libby felt guilty for her negligence. Her aunt was unwell, and she hadn’t noticed at all.
Now, Pearl had taken the opportunity to show her concern in front of her aunt. How cunning!
“Natalia, there’s no need to be polite. Pearl and I are friends, and you know my parents. Treating you is just a small favor, not a trouble.”
Cheyenne’s words left no room for refusal. “Well then, I’ll trouble Miss Lawrence.”
“It’s no trouble.”
Traditional medicine emphasizes observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. Cheyenne first observed her eyes, complexion, and tongue.
Then she placed two fingers on Natalia’s fair wrist to check her pulse.
After taking her pulse, Cheyenne found that Natalia’s condition was worse than expected. It was a miracle she had managed to survive until now.© NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
The atmosphere became serious as everyone looked at Natalia with concern, waiting anxiously for Cheyenne’s conclusion.
“Cheyenne, how is my mother’s health?”
Pearl lowered her voice, afraid of disturbing the diagnosis.
“It’s nothing serious… Your mother’s health is not too bad. She just has some common ailments that come with age.”
“I noticed she is slightly malnourished and has low blood energy. With proper care, she will recover. I’ll write two prescriptions for you to get from the traditional medicine shop.”
Hearing this, Pearl finally felt relieved.
She looked at Cheyenne gratefully, her eyes full of admiration.
“Thank you, Cheyenne.”
“No need to thank me.”
Even though everyone present was fooled by Cheyenne’s words, Natalia was not.
She knew her body better than anyone else; it was like a candle in the wind-unable to last much longer.
Pearl’s observation of her insomnia was just an illusion. In reality, Libby often vomited blood when no one was watching.
She had mild asthma when she was young, and after twenty years of suffering, her condition had worsened.
Now she frequently coughed up blood but didn’t want anyone else to know. She always endured it alone when it happened.
Cheyenne was the first person to know about her condition.
“Please wait here for a moment. I want to speak with Miss Lawrence alone.”
After coughing lightly twice, Natalia sent Libby and Pearl away to seek Cheyenne’s opinion.
“Miss Lawrence, may I?”
Natalia wanted to discuss something with her privately, likely about her health.
Cheyenne nodded in agreement.
“Of course, Natalia. Lead the way.”
“Follow me.”
The two left the banquet hall one after another and walked towards a secluded corridor.
No one knew what they talked about.
Pearl was surprised at how familiar her mother seemed with Cheyenne. If she didn’t know this was their first meeting, she would have thought they were old acquaintances.
The waiting time felt long and boring.
Suddenly, Libby grabbed Pearl’s arm tightly with a cold and venomous voice like a demon from hell.
Her grip hurt so much that Pearl’s eyes filled with tears.
“Pearl, you were supposed to be the one engaged to Lord Parker today!”
“Let go!”
From the first day they met, they hadn’t liked each other. Now that the last layer of pretense was gone, there was no need to pretend anymore.
Pearl glared back defiantly, looking down at the hand on her arm.
She remembered that Libby didn’t have a tattoo on the back of her hand before.
Today, there was a strange blue-black centipede tattoo on her fair hand.
“And then?”
Pearl knew that Libby’s agreement to the engagement was partly due to their father’s influence or perhaps as part of a deal.
Having chosen this path, there was no reason for her to complain… Initially, Pearl had considered taking on this responsibility herself.
But their father didn’t allow her to intervene, and Libby agreed to the marriage.
“And then you took my position and the man I liked. Now you want to take our aunt too?”
Libby’s words were clear and forceful.
The man she liked?
When Pearl realized who she meant by “man,” she found it unbelievable.
In her memory, Libby and Sam had no interaction; they were rivals on the surface.
“You like Sam?” Pearl gasped and asked calmly.
Mentioning Sam brought a hint of admiration to Libby’s face. She admitted openly, “Yes, only he is worthy of being my rival!”
Can someone really fall for their nemesis?
Apparently so, in Libby’s case!
From the first time she lost to Sam, she had developed a strong interest in him and couldn’t help but start paying attention to him.
For three years, Sam had appeared respectful towards her but secretly sabotaged many of her plans.
She had observed him for three years.
She found that Sam had no women around him; all his actions were driven by the same goal as hers-power!
“You are mistaken. What you feel is not love but admiration or hatred. In any case… it’s not love.”
“Even if you liked him, he wouldn’t like you back. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have wasted three years.”
This last statement hit Libby hard.
It felt like a sharp pain as if blood flowed from an open wound.
“You’re lying! If it weren’t for you, Sam would…”
Before Libby could finish her sentence, Pearl interrupted disdainfully: “Fall in love with you? Or kill you?”
She thought it would be the latter.
Libby intended to make Pearl back off but ended up being mocked instead. It was humiliating!
Though she failed in love with Sam, she had one advantage over Pearl.
“So what if Sam likes you? Your biological mother seems to like me more.”