Chapter 293

Chapter 293
Natalie's POV

I sat frozen in my chair, watching helplessly as Ethan walked away holding that bitch Lucy's hand.

My cheek stung where she'd slapped me. But the humiliation burning inside was far worse than any physical pain. Ethan had chosen her again—without hesitation, without even hearing my side.

Damn it, how could he look at me that way, like I was nothing? After everything I've done for him...

"Are you alright?" Mike's voice interrupted my self-pity.

I couldn't even look at him. "Mike, what happened to Ethan?" My voice sounded hollow.

Mike sipped his drink, studying me. "You mean, why is Ethan—who's always been cold and distant—so different with Lucy? Why is he so... devoted to her?"

His bluntness made me flinch.

"You know," he continued, "it's ironic that someone like you can't understand what he feels. After all, you're in love with someone who belongs to someone else too."

My head snapped up. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Natalie. I've known you since Harvard. Your feelings for Ethan have always been obvious—at least to me."

Shit! I felt the blood drain from my face. Had I been that transparent?

"You've loved him for years," Mike continued, "But you never said anything because you're step-cousins, and because of Ivy Wilson. The girl who saved his life, the one he felt indebted to."

I stared at the tablecloth, unable to deny it.

"That's why you've worked so hard all these years, isn't it? To prove you could be his perfect match. Then Ethan had that accident, married Lucy, and somehow fell in love with her. That wasn't in your script, was it?"

No, it wasn't. The truth in his words hurt more than Lucy's slap ever could.

As Mike spoke, memories flooded back that I couldn't stop. I remember clearly the day Katherine Smith first introduced me to her family. I was seven, newly adopted by the Smiths after losing my parents in that terrible fire. Katherine told me: "Natalie, this is my son Ethan. Someday, you'll be his wife."

From that moment, my entire life revolved around that goal. Every piano lesson, every art class, every book—all to become the perfect wife for Ethan Storm. I mastered three languages, graduated with honors from Harvard Business School—all to prove I was worthy of him.

Ivy Wilson was always my greatest enemy. That pampered princess from the Wilson family, with her perfect pedigree and the fact she'd once saved Ethan's life. I HATED her, but I always believed I could outshine her with my abilities.

For years, I secretly managed Ethan's European investments from London—even Katherine didn't know. I planned to show Ethan my business acumen, make him realize I was the perfect partner in every way.

Then that damn accident happened. I was swamped with work in London and couldn't get back immediately. By the time I could break free, I received the bombshell news: Ethan had married a hospital aide named Lucy Owen.

It felt like my world collapsed.

I remember Katherine's reassurance: "Don't worry, dear. She's just a temporary solution. Once Ethan recovers, we'll find a way to get rid of her."

Two years ago, when Ethan divorced Lucy and Ivy disappeared, I thought my chance had finally come. I increased my visits to New York and eventually requested a transfer to the Manhattan office.

Only to discover Ethan had fallen deeply in love with Lucy.

The fucking irony. The man I'd spent my life preparing to marry—the cold, distant Ethan Storm—could love someone so passionately. Just not me.

"You know," Mike's voice pulled me back to reality, "Lucy isn't just an ordinary woman. She's not only beautiful but also exceptionally skilled in medicine. And Ethan has always had high standards—if he loves her this much, she must be truly special."

"But I'm the one who could help Ethan more!"

Mike shook his head. "That doesn't matter. Don't you see? Lucy is his one and only, Natalie. You've seen how he looks at her."

I had. And that look of love made me want to vomit.

"Don't be a moth to the flame," Mike advised gently. "Pursuing a married man isn't just hopeless—it's wrong."

My face hardened, bitterness filling my mouth. Wrong? What about my entire life being built on a lie? What about wasting years loving a man who never saw me?

I won't give up. Not now. Not ever.

---

Cole's POV

Standing outside Lucy's apartment building, my phone vibrated in my pocket. The caller ID made me frown: Natalie Smith.

"Cole," her voice sounded tense, "I have a proposition for you."

"I'm listening," I answered cautiously.

"We want the same thing," she said bluntly. "You want Lucy. I want Ethan. I propose we work together."

Her directness almost made me laugh. "And how exactly would that work?"

"I'll be your inside person at Alpine Group. I can provide valuable information to help bring them down. You attack from the outside, I weaken from within. When Alpine collapses, we each get what we want. You get Lucy, I get Ethan."

Her plan was as absurd as it was malicious. "No," I refused flatly, then hung up.

Is this woman insane? I leaned against the brick wall, contemplating what had just happened. Natalie Smith was clearly desperate—the kind of desperate that makes people do stupid things.

A gleaming black Bentley pulled up at the curb, and my heart sank. Damn, it's his car. The driver's door opened, and Ethan Storm stepped out, walking around to open the passenger door. Lucy emerged in the glow of the streetlights.

She was laughing, her whole face lit up. That genuine smile that used to be for me. Ethan's arm circled her waist, pulling her close as they walked toward the entrance.

Lucy, you haven't smiled at me like that in so long.

Watching them so intimate together felt like a knife twisting in my chest. The way Ethan held her waist, how Lucy nestled against him—it drove me crazy with jealousy. That should be my place.

I tried calling Lucy again. It was my fifth attempt tonight. Please, Lucy, pick up. I just want to hear your voice.

She glanced at the screen, frowned, rejected the call, then turned to Ethan as they entered the elevator together.

Lucy, are you really not going to forgive me?

The pain of complete rejection was suffocating. I used to be her most trusted person, her safe harbor. Now she wouldn't even take my call. And Storm, that arrogant bastard, effortlessly had all her love and trust.

Why him? A dark rage churned in my stomach. Why does he get everything? Why does he get Lucy?

All these years, I'd been waiting for Lucy, protecting her from afar, believing she was meant to be mine. We shared childhood memories—I knew everything about her—her dreams, her fears, her secrets. And Storm? He was just a privileged rich boy, a selfish man who treated Lucy like a trophy.

He doesn't deserve her.

But if I really worked with Natalie... if Lucy found out about my plans against Ethan, she'd hate me, wouldn't she? She'd be even more angry with me.

But if I do nothing, I lose her forever.

I watched them disappear into the elevator, feeling an unprecedented determination rise within me. No, I couldn't give up. Lucy was mine. Always had been. Storm was just an episode, a mistake. I had to make Lucy see that.

I'll get her back. Whatever it takes.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Natalie's number.

"I've changed my mind," I said through gritted teeth when she answered. "I'm in."