Chapter 3 Not Interested in You

Natalie looked down to see a little girl who looked to be around five years old. She was wearing a cute, white princess dress, and her hair was done up in pigtails. She was also holding an expensive stuffed toy in her arms. "Are you the lady that Daddy saved? He'll be back soon," said the girl. She lifted her head and stared unblinkingly at Natalie with huge, sparkling eyes. "You're amazing, miss!" There was admiration written all over her dainty face. Natalie was startled. The little girl gestured excitedly. "I saw everything just now! You beat up the bad man until he screamed! Just like the heroine in a movie!" Natalie laughed. She was about to reply, but then her eyes suddenly widened. When the little girl raised her hand, her sleeve slipped, revealing a dark red, butterfly-shaped birthmark on her left shoulder. Natalie instantly stopped breathing. That birthmark… looked exactly as the one in her memories. Natalie reflexively stretched out a hand and asked in a trembling voice, "Kiddo, is—" A cold, masculine voice suddenly interrupted her. "Star!" Natalie had reached out a shaking hand, trying to touch the birthmark, but she was violently pulled away just before she could. The deep, cold voice of a man rang out from behind her. "What are you trying to do? Stay away from my daughter!" Natalie staggered and looked back to meet a frosty gaze. The man was tall and wore a suit that highlighted his figure well. His jaw was chiseled, sharp as a knife's edge. Horatio Hurrell—the leader of Hurrell Group and a familiar face in financial magazines. Natalie instantly recognized him. She quickly calmed down and said pacifyingly, "Sorry, I had the wrong person. Thank you for sending me to the hospital, Mr. Hurrell. Please let me know your contact information. I'll reimburse you for the medical expenses going forward—" Horatio interrupted her, a hint of scorn flashing through his eyes. "There's no need for that. You'd best deal with your own affairs first, Ms. Lunsford." He snorted inwardly. He had encountered plenty of women like her who employed petty tricks like this just to get his attention. The little girl—Estella Hurrell—suddenly exclaimed, "I like this lady, Daddy! She's really amazing, and she smells good! I want her to be my mommy." "Star!" Horatio snapped sternly, picking her up. When he turned around, he caught the scent of gardenias coming off Natalie's body and paused imperceptibly. Her scent seemed familiar. He slowly looked at her. She might be beautiful, but she was far too scheming. Yet, Horatio somehow felt that she and Estella looked somewhat similar. He must have really gone insane. His lips parted, and he said in a low voice, "I'm not interested in you." Natalie's eyes instantly widened in confusion at that. It finally occurred to her that Horatio thought she was attempting to use his daughter to gain his attention. How narcissistic of Horatio! This man had either been dropped on the head as a child or kicked by a donkey. She took a step back and replied coldly, "You can rest assured that I'm even more uninterested in you, sir. I'll transfer my medical expenses to you later." She then turned and left. It looked like she would have to find another opportunity to pay Horatio back for her medical expenses. She didn't want to owe him any favors. Estella suddenly started struggling in Horatio's arms, her face red. "Bad Daddy! I don't like you anymore." Horatio hurriedly tried to pacify her. Estella was in poor health and couldn't afford to get worked up. She had been constantly taking a medicine developed by the Lunsford family. It was also due to this that he had a closer relationship with the Lunsford family and had thus been invited to the banquet. As he gazed at Natalie's back, he suddenly recalled the day of the engagement party when she had been shoved to the floor. Everyone had been laughing except Natalie, who had been curled up on the floor with blood from her forehead flowing into her eyes. Nobody had cared. For some unfathomable reason, he had instructed someone to send her to the hospital. In hindsight, he definitely made a mistake doing that. A woman like Natalie would deliberately plot to approach Estella… At that moment, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the end of the corridor. "Mr. Hurrell! Dr. Guiver is looking for you!" shouted his assistant, Bennett Fletcher. "Alright. Got it." Estella happened to be due for a follow-up examination today. She was born prematurely and had been weak since birth. She had also been born with a congenital heart defect. In fact, she only survived thus far because the Hurrell family had invested a lot of money into raising her all these years. In the consulting room, Estella's primary doctor, Stephen Guiver, was holding her latest examination report. He had a huge frown on his face. "Your daughter's condition… does not look very optimistic, Mr. Hurrell."