Chapter 186

Chapter 186

I couldn't stop thinking about those people who had kidnapped me before.

Whether it was them, Edward, or Milo, they all had their own groups, almost like little kingdoms.

Natalia telling me this meant she definitely knew a lot about the local power dynamics.

But she was just a doctor...

"It's okay, go ahead. I want to know."

Maybe Natalia wasn't just an ordinary doctor after all.

During the time we were neighbors, she did nothing to arouse my suspicion.

Was I overthinking it?

Natalia didn't hesitate and agreed.

"But it's late today. I'm off tomorrow, so I'll tell you more then."

I should feel happy if someone were willing to explain things to me, but my heart felt strangely calm.

After Natalia left, Avery's smile vanished instantly. She whispered, "Caroline, did you know that Natalia's birthday is the same day as Raymond's?"

"What?"

I had never thought these two would be connected, but Avery's serious expression made me frown instinctively. "Why would you think of Raymond?"

There were so many people with the same birthday, and Natalia's from Vesperia. Their personalities didn't seem alike either.

"I happened to see Natalia's personal information today. If she had a different last name, I wouldn't think much of it. But her last name is Jenkins. Do you remember Raymond's mother's last name?"

Too many coincidences were worth questioning.

"Don't be fooled by her youthful appearance. She's actually a few months older than you."

Avery's suspicion sounded quite reasonable.

"But aren't her parents living with her?"

Liliana and Natalia did have some resemblance. It was not impossible that they could have been related.

It was all too confusing... I hoped Natalia was just an ordinary person.

"You can find Orla's appearance online. That woman definitely isn't her."

My voice grew quieter as I spoke.

The online records of Orla's appearance were over twenty years old. Who knew what she looked like then? Even Raymond might not have recognized her.

Avery wasn't entirely sure either.

"Natalia doesn't look anything like her parents, have you noticed?"

She seemed to be recalling something. "If you don't believe it, you'll know next time you see them. A daughter usually resembles one of her parents, but they seem quite harmonious as a family."

Because of their harmony, we had been neighbors for so long without ever doubting Natalia's identity.

But her last name was Jenkins.

How did I not notice?

"Avery, I have a feeling my peaceful life is coming to an end."

Edward and Raymond appeared one after another, and I didn't think much of it. But Vesperia isn't as peaceful as I once thought.

There was conflict everywhere in the world; avoiding it was useless.

Once, my world revolved around Raymond, and I tried desperately to escape from him.

Now, I didn't need to run anymore.

Not only would I not run, but I would stand before him with a new identity.

"Don't say that. Your good days are ahead." Avery slightly smiled. "Believe in yourself, everything will get better."

Really?

I still found it hard to believe.

Perhaps I had been suppressed for too long, felt too defeated. Even when happiness was within reach, I was afraid to grasp it, fearing it would vanish in an instant.

The next day, Natalia woke up around lunchtime. Her parents were out running errands, so I invited her over for lunch.

"Caroline, there's something... Can I ask you? It's okay if you don't want to answer, I'm just curious."

Natalia put down her utensils; her plate was already empty.

"Sure, what is it?" I added some more spaghetti to her plate.

"I just... I want to know about your ex-husband."

Natalia scratched her head. "What kind of person was he? It seems like he did a lot of things to hurt you, so why did you still have his child?"

I paused, setting down my fork.

"Why are you curious about him? He wasn't a good person. As for the child... You've been in Vesperia long enough to know the rules, right? Abortion isn't allowed. Even if I didn't want to have the baby, I had to."

Natalia's questions were very targeted, precisely about Raymond.

Maybe... I should have been suspicious earlier.

"Rules are rules, but people find ways around them. If you didn't want to have the baby, there are always ways to get rid of it."

Natalia's innocent smile as she said this sent chills down my spine.

"I know you don't want to reveal your past, Caroline, but I know that if you didn't want to have Liliana, there would have been a way, right?"

I instinctively felt defensive. "What are you trying to say?"

After spending so much time together, I had seen her straightforward and carefree demeanor often enough to forget that she could make Avery angry.

Natalia's medical skills were on par with Avery's.

How could someone like that be simple? Her background couldn't be ordinary.

And now, her words... Was she revealing her true intentions to me?

"What? I'm just guessing. You still love your ex-husband, but now you're engaged to another man." Natalia tilted her head. "You're strange. Why? Marrying someone you don't love, will you really be happy?"

Someone I didn't love?

I laughed coldly. "Marrying someone you love doesn't guarantee happiness."

I didn't know if marrying Edward would bring happiness, but I wasn't happy in my marriage with Raymond.

And it was my own doing.

Natalia seemed startled by my reaction, hesitating for a moment before softly explaining, "I didn't mean it that way. I just think you should reconsider. Edward, that's his name, right? He's from the Lopez family. The Lopez family has a bad reputation in Vesperia. Your engagement to him will affect your reputation."

Every word seemed to be for my benefit.

Could I have misunderstood her?

"I know, but this is my choice. Whatever the consequences, I'll bear them myself."

With that, Natalia steered the conversation back.

"So what kind of man was your ex-husband? Will he come to your engagement party?"

After a moment of silence, I took a deep breath. "Didn't I tell you? He's dead."

I consider Raymond dead, even if the one who truly died was "Caroline."

"What? How did he die?"

Natalia's relentless questions were becoming overwhelming.

"Before I answer, can you tell me why you're asking all this?" I rubbed my temples. "My ex-husband has nothing to do with you, right? You seem very concerned."

Without hesitation, Natalia replied, "Because your ex-husband is my brother I've never met."