Love You Again When the Snow Returns

Natalie Underwood and Damian Abbott were high school sweethearts. Both of them were the most good-looking students back in high school, and when they began dating, they were the most well-known golden couple on campus. There was once when they had made a vow to get married once they reached the legal age to do so. But just when their love for each other reached its peak, Natalie suddenly broke up with Damian before leaving the country with a rich scion. On the day of their break-up, Damian chased after Natalie for a very long time with red-rimmed eyes. To think that a young man as prideful as him kept begging her not to break up with him. He kept promising her that he would be successful one day. Damian begged Natalie not to act so rashly. He pleaded with her to wait for him and not to fall in love with someone else. But Natalie remained cold and aloof to him. She didn't even want to waste her breath on him. Heck, when she witnessed him getting into a car accident during his pursuit, she didn't bother returning to him. It was an extremely serious car crash. Damian's kidney was completely ruptured. He needed a kidney transplant in order to survive. Although he was lying on the surgical table while drenched in his own blood, he insisted on getting up so that he could call Natalie on the phone. But the calls that he had mustered all of his strength to place ended up getting hung up by Natalie repeatedly. For as deep as Damian's love for Natalie ran, hatred could run just as deep. From that day onward, Damien had nothing but burning hatred for Natalie. Chapter 1 "Officer Natalie Underwood, are you sure that you want to reinstate your father, the late Officer Donald Underwood's, police badge number and become an undercover police officer?" Natalie nodded solemnly with the national emblem as her witness. "Yes, I'm sure." The first and most important thing about being an undercover police officer meant erasing all traces of her life in the past. In other words, the person named "Natalie Underwood" would soon cease to exist in this world. Therefore, Natalie's death would be faked, and she would soon be living under another name and alias altogether. Natalie then came home from the police station. However, before she'd even made her way to the bedroom, she could already hear another woman's soft voice coming from inside. She stared blankly at the wide-open door, mentally counting how many women her husband, Damian Abbott, had brought home ever since they got married. Over the past three years, he would always bring home one woman who looked like Natalie every single night and leave the door wide open whilst he slept with them right under her nose. It was his form of "revenge" for her abandoning him years ago. However, this time, after hearing the familiar voice coming from inside the bedroom, Natalie was still as stunned as ever. While she was still in her daze, the two inside the bedroom had just climaxed. Damian then came out with a towel around his waist and looked at Natalie with cold eyes. "You're back just in time. We've run out of condoms. Go out and buy a few more boxes of them." Then, he grabbed a thick stack of cash from a nearby drawer and flung it in her face. "You can keep the change as your tip. You love money, don't you?" Natalie's face stung from being slapped with the cash, but she didn't bend down to pick up the bills. Instead, she looked at him with reddened eyes. "You've slept with plenty of other women over the years. Why did you have to sleep with Cheryl? Why didn't you spare her?" Sure, he could sleep with random strangers if he wanted to, but why did he have to sleep with Cheryl Garcia, her best friend? He knew very well who she was to Natalie! Damian's eyes gleamed coldly. He sneered and said, "Well, did you think about sparing me years ago?" Natalie felt her heart squeezing in her chest. Memories from the past instantly flooded her mind. She and Damian had been dating since they were in high school. They were the best-looking couple in school, and they were quite well-known on campus back then. They had promised each other that they would get married as soon as they were of legal age. However, at the height of their relationship, Natalie suddenly broke up with him and went abroad with a rich heir instead. Damian had chased after her with red-rimmed eyes for a long time the day she broke up with him. He had always been a proud and arrogant person, but there he was, chasing after her and begging her not to break up with him. He had said that he would one day become a successful person too. He begged her to give him some time and wait for him. He also begged her not to fall in love with someone else. However, Natalie had acted very coldly toward him back then and refused to even speak with him. She'd even witnessed him getting into a car accident while chasing after her in his car, but she never looked back even once. The car accident had been a terrible one, and Damian suffered from a ruptured kidney because of it. He had to have a kidney transplant to survive. He lay on the operating table in the theatre, all covered in blood, but he still insisted on getting up to call Natalie. However, after forcing himself to get up with all of his might to call her, every call he made was coldly rejected. From that moment on, all of the love he used to have for her turned into hate. Damian hated Natalie with all of his heart and soul. He spent four years building his empire and finally stood at the pinnacle of the business world, becoming the richest man in the city at a young age. And yet, as soon as he achieved his success, the first thing he did was to use his power to force Natalie to marry him before bringing home random women every day for the rest of their married life just so that he could humiliate her. However, Natalie was the only one who knew that she had broken up with him back then, not because she didn't love him anymore or because she'd turned materialistic and greedy for money. On the contrary, it was completely out of necessity. Her father, Donald Underwood, was an undercover police officer. He had failed in his mission, and his true identity had been discovered by the drug cartels he was investigating. So, after killing Donald, the drug cartels immediately went after his family to kill them off for revenge. Upon receiving the news, Natalie fled with her family. She had no choice but to break up with Damian because she didn't want to drag him into any of this. While fleeing, she learned that Damian had gotten into a serious car crash. She had then risked her life to go to the hospital, donated her kidney to him, and then rushed home immediately without even waiting for him to wake up. However, Natalie never thought that all four of her grandparents, her mother, and her sister had been killed by the drug cartels when she got back. Natalie was the only one who narrowly escaped death. She could feel her eyes turning red as she recalled the gruesome sight of her family's massacre. When Damian saw her eyes reddening, he spoke coldly to her, though he looked at her rather expectantly. "What? You're going to try and tell me that you had your reasons back then?" Natalie snapped back to the present and shook her head resolutely. "There are no reasons. You're right. I'm just as vain and materialistic as you think I am." She couldn't tell him the truth about what happened back then, and she certainly couldn't tell him now. After all, she carried the burden of her family's blood feud, and she knew that it was impossible for her to even dream of a future with him. She had already been enjoying a life of peace and tranquility for far too long. Now, it was time for her to carry on with Donald's legacy and inherit his police badge number. As an undercover police officer, she knew that her missions and assignments would be fraught with danger, but she figured that she would soon be able to reunite with her family once more. Chapter 2 Damian's face turned dark when he heard Natalie's answer. He glared coldly at her, and his tone was laced with anger. "Then, get out of my face and go get the condoms now!" Natalie didn't say a word and picked up the cash from the ground before leaving the mansion. After she got the things he wanted, she left them neatly by the door and went back into her room before locking the door behind her. The sounds from next door never ceased the entire night. Damian kept talking gently and sweetly while doing the deed with Cheryl the entire night, like he was trying to get revenge on Natalie for everything. "You smell so good, Cherry. I love you so much. Won't you also love me forever and never leave my side?" He used to say the exact same things to Natalie back when they were also sleeping together. At that time, they were still living paycheck-to-paycheck in a run-down, rented flat that was less than 200 square feet, but they were very much in love with each other. Natalie had always fantasized about growing old together with Damian and having a son and a daughter together, living happily ever after. Unfortunately for her, those memories were nothing but a fantasy. Beautiful as they were, they would never materialize. She cried the entire night. When she woke up the next morning, her pillow was soaked. She told herself that this was going to be the final time she ever cried for Damian. When she went downstairs, Damian and Cheryl were already up. Back then, the women whom Damian slept with never stayed the night. Cheryl was the first one and also the only one to still be there during breakfast. The maids in the mansion looked a lot busier than usual. It was only then that Natalie learned it was Cheryl's birthday today, and Damian was throwing a massive birthday banquet for her in their home. Plenty of friends and guests from their circle arrived for the party when it started later in the day. They all greeted Cheryl warmly as if she were the actual lady of the household. Meanwhile, Damian continued indulging Cheryl, leading her around while receiving toasts and congratulatory wishes from the guests. After Cheryl made a wish and blew out the candles on the cake, he then fastened a diamond necklace worth millions of dollars around her neck. In the heat of the moment, Damian and Cheryl even shared a passionate kiss in front of all the guests. Everyone erupted into loud applause, and the glances cast at Natalie were mostly those of disdain and pity. "It's truly pathetic to see the actual wife being reduced to this." "Everyone knows that she's the laughingstock of the entire circle. If I were in her shoes, I'd dig a hole in the ground and hide in it for the rest of my life." "Yet, she's behaving like she's not the least bit affected by it at all. She's not even responding to anything." Natalie bitterly forced a smile. She'd already suffered way too much—this was nothing compared to all of that. Halfway through the banquet, Cheryl got hold of Natalie in a secluded corner. "It's been a day. Aren't you going to ask me anything?" Cheryl asked. Natalie just shook her head lightly. "There's no need for me to know anymore." Cheryl was her best friend. So, she was aware of the things that had happened in the past as well. Over the years, Cheryl had witnessed firsthand how much Natalie had suffered. She had watched Damian send her countless photos of random women in his bed every night while Natalie cried alone by herself. At times, Cheryl had felt so sorry for Natalie that she thought of calling him up and just explaining everything to him. However, Natalie had stopped her from telling Damian the truth. She said that there was nothing that would change their fate, no matter what they did. And now, Cheryl was looking at her with red-rimmed eyes. There were just too many hidden emotions in her eyes, and Natalie wasn't sure she could decipher all of them. "You know that I hate seeing you like this the most, Natalie Underwood. You always act like you don't care. You don't know anything, so, naturally, you also wouldn't know that I've been in love with Damian for years. "Yet, the only person he cares about is you. I know that you suffered a lot because of him for years, but do you know what kind of life he went through in the years after you left him? "He kept drinking himself close to death every night because of you. He would stay alone in your old rented flat, waiting for you to come home to him for the whole night. He kept a photo you left behind in his wallet for years. "Once, when he got robbed, he preferred to get stabbed a few more times instead of giving up the wallet with your photo in it because he didn't want to lose the only memento of you he had left. He even married you and brought you home as his wife after he succeeded. "Yet, he kept bringing home random women every day simply because he was waiting for you to make the first move and beg him to stop. He was just trying to crack you open. If you'd only told him that you still loved him, he would have abandoned everything and gotten back together with you. You guys would be like how you were in the past. "Do you know how arrogant he is, Natalie Underwood? Yet, he humbled himself to such an extent for you. He hates you, but he loves you even more." Cheryl then paused for a moment. "You know what? I hate you too. I hate that he still refuses to let go of you, even though you keep treating him coldly. "Actually, Damian never wanted to sleep with me. The women he brought back with him every night have all always looked just like you, but I don't look like you one bit. Yet, I will be the woman who will stay by his side the longest. "Do you know why? "That's because I lied to him. I told him that I was the one who donated the kidney to save his life." Natalie listened to everything quietly without saying a word. Seeing that Natalie was still keeping her silence, Cheryl's breathing became increasingly rapid. After a long while, she said, "You haven't given me a birthday gift this year, Natalie. There's only one thing I want from you. "I want you to give Damian to me." At that, Natalie went silent for a long time. Just when Cheryl thought that she wasn't going to be getting a response from her anymore, Natalie said, "Okay." Cheryl smiled with tears in her eyes. "Since you're giving him to me, then you must give him up completely so that he has absolutely no more feelings for you." After saying that, Cheryl released her grip on the staircase railing, closed her eyes, and toppled backward. Chapter 3 The loud noise startled everyone. Damian's face immediately turned dark when he saw Cheryl lying in a pool of blood on the floor. "Natalie Underwood! You're really asking for it this time!" He then hurriedly picked Cheryl up in his arms and ran out the door. The banquet ended on a sour note, and Damian's bodyguards brought Natalie along to the hospital too. When Damian heard that Cheryl had lost a lot of blood and that she had the same blood type as Natalie, he immediately ordered that Natalie donate her blood to Cheryl without any hesitation. Natalie needed to undergo a simple medical examination before she could donate her blood, and that meant her past surgeries and medical history would then be revealed. She couldn't possibly let Damian find out right now that she had donated a kidney to him in the past. At this, though, she purposely put on a cold, indifferent look and said, "I'm not donating anything. It's not like her blood type is rare. Why are you insisting that I must donate blood to her?" Damian then grabbed a thick bundle of cash and slapped it in her face. "You love money, don't you? How much do you want? I'll pay you! Will you finally donate your blood now?" She stared blankly at Damian, who was still throwing more and more banknotes in her face. She felt as though a knife was slashing right into her heart. After Damian had impatiently slapped her with six or seven bundles of cash, Natalie finally crouched down and picked up all of the fallen banknotes on the ground. Then, she smiled and looked at him. "You should have just given it to me earlier instead of wasting my time like that." Then, she went straight to the blood donation center in the hospital. After the medical examination, the doctor looked at the report and shook his head, saying, "This young woman has had surgery before and is missing a kidney. She also has a history of severe bleeding. It's highly recommended that she not give blood at all." Damian frowned hard. "What do you mean by her missing a kidney?" Before Natalie could say anything, he continued coldly, "What's the point? Are you going to try and lie to my face, saying that you're the one who donated your kidney to me after all, just so that you can try to extort more money from me?" Natalie felt her heart clench in her chest. Yet, she forced a smile and nodded. "Bingo. But I didn't think you'd see right through it." Damian's face turned even darker than before. He grabbed the doctor by his collar and gritted his teeth in anger. "I don't care how much she paid you to lie to me, but I will pay you double that amount. Draw as much blood from her as Cheryl needs." The huge needle pierced into Natalie's vein, making her tremble involuntarily. Blood slowly drained away, and she could feel her body grow colder and colder. Her vision began to blur. Natalie didn't know how much blood she had given, but she eventually couldn't hold out anymore and fainted. When she finally woke up, the sun had already set, and it was dark outside. Yet, there was a warm chocolate chip cookie waiting for her next to her hospital bedside table. In the past, Damian would always brave the wind and rain to buy her favorite chocolate chip cookies for her if she wasn't feeling well, just to cheer her up. He once told her that he didn't have a lot and could only afford to buy her cheap cookies like these. However, he promised that he would buy her more premium and luxurious ones in the future when he could afford them. Natalie recalled how he used to hug her and comfort her gently, and she felt her heart throbbing painfully in her chest. It hurt so badly that she could barely even breathe. She reached up and took the cookie, biting into it robotically until she finished the whole thing. When she went out, she happened to see Cheryl in the ward next to her, lying in Damian's arms while flirting and speaking coquettishly with him. "It's too warm, Dam. Cool it off for me, please?" Damian then brought the spoonful of soup to his lips, blew on it gently, and brought the spoon back to Cheryl's lips. She took a small sip and pouted hard. "This tastes horrible." Damian didn't look the least bit impatient or offended by her words. He just smiled at her and retrieved a piece of candy from his pocket. He tore off the wrapper and popped it into her mouth. Cheryl blinked again and said, "This still tastes bad." This time, Damian set down the bowl, cupped Cheryl's face in his hands, and kissed her softly and gently on the lips. A short while later, they separated, and Cheryl leaned into his arms, speaking in a soft, coquettish voice. "Dam, can't you stop loving Natalie and love me instead?" Damian happened to look out at that moment and met Natalie's eyes outside the door. There was a moment of silence in the air. He stared at Natalie, his eyes cold and indifferent. "I won't love her anymore. Not for the rest of my life." Natalie didn't say anything. She just smiled bitterly to herself and turned to leave. Chapter 4 During Cheryl's stay in the hospital, everyone was well aware of how much Damian doted on her and spoiled her to bits. Yet, not a single person came to visit Natalie as she stayed alone by herself. An intern thought that Natalie was single and brazenly asked her for her contact number one day. By sheer coincidence, Damian happened to witness it when he asked. He glared at the two of them and didn't say another word. However, the look in his eyes was frighteningly frigid. That night, Natalie saw the fireworks show that Damian set up for Cheryl. The bright fireworks display lit up the entire night sky, and everyone in the hospital couldn't help but come out to admire the show. Natalie stood under the fireworks, admiring the display of beauty that bloomed, though it wasn't for her. The fireworks were fleeting, just like her happiness. After that, she realized that the intern who had been attending to her previously had disappeared. She never saw him again, even until the day she was discharged from the hospital. On the day Natalie was discharged, Cheryl insisted on bringing her back with them. "Let's just bring Natalie back with us, Dam. It's going to be very inconvenient for her to get a cab on her own." Damian just glared at her and said in a hostile manner, "Don't be too kind to her, Cheryl. People are only going to step all over you if you keep doing that. "Also, she's an expert at seducing other men into doing her bidding, too. There are plenty of men queueing up to bring her home." Natalie didn't say a word but still got into their car anyway. Halfway home, Damian suddenly got a work call. He said that he had to attend an important networking lunch that he'd been putting off for far too long. When Cheryl heard that, she immediately begged him to bring her and Natalie along as well because she wanted to see what these networking events were like. Also, she claimed that she was bored to death after staying at the hospital for days. Damian didn't reject her suggestion, so the three of them ended up attending the networking lunch together. When everyone saw him entering the venue holding Cheryl's hand, they naturally assumed that she was his wife instead of Natalie. The businessmen's eyes immediately shifted to her. "And who may this be, Mr. Abbott?" Damian barely glanced at Natalie before answering coldly, "Her? She's our nanny, here to take care of Cheryl." Natalie felt her heart shudder, but she didn't fight back. Some of the businessmen tried talking to her and offering her drinks, and Damian just coldly beckoned Natalie toward them. "Go ahead and keep them entertained. You're not here for leisure. But don't worry. You'll get paid for this as well." Natalie smiled and immediately accepted the drinks from the businessmen, finishing glass after glass of alcohol. When the crowd realized that Damian didn't seem the least bit interested in her, they began coming over to her and pouring out more and more drinks for her, urging her to finish every drop. Meanwhile, Natalie didn't refuse any of their requests either. Somewhere along the way, one of the middle-aged businessmen began groping Natalie in secret. She pushed him off a few times, but he got even more brazen and draped an arm right around her waist in public. Damian watched everything from a dark corner. His gaze was dark and thunderous. After her umpteenth glass of alcohol, Natalie felt dizzy and nauseated and could barely even walk in a straight line. She excused herself to the washroom to freshen up. When she came back out, she saw the middle-aged businessman from earlier taking slow, sure steps toward her. At once, her guard went up as she had a bad feeling about this. She hurriedly backed away from him, but he was quicker as he grabbed her and covered her nose and mouth with a towel soaked in a solution. Natalie felt her body becoming heavier and heavier. Her blood seemed to begin boiling at that instant as well, and she struggled hard as she was dragged away into a secluded corner. Just before she was forcefully dragged into a room, she used the last of her strength to kick the man in the balls. Then, she took advantage of the moment he loosened his grip in pain and shoved the man off her body before staggering out toward the door. She found a random room to hide in, feeling her body heat up quickly as the drug began taking effect. She knew then that the drug from earlier must have been an aphrodisiac, and she was now suffering from it. In her haze, she saw the room door being pushed open as a tall man walked into her field of vision. She couldn't see his face clearly because of the backlight and assumed that he was just a waiter. So, she hurriedly rushed toward him and grabbed him by the arm, crying, "Quick, get me a man!" The "waiter's" voice was cold and indifferent. "Do you even know what you're saying?" Natalie bit down on her lip, forcing herself to stay sober. "I… I can't die… Please, you have to help me…" The man laughed coldly again and said, "Why are you asking me to look for a man for you when I'm already standing right here?" The voice was very familiar to her, and Natalie suddenly sobered up a lot more after recognizing him. She forced her eyes wide open and saw that it was Damian. Then, she pushed him off with whatever strength she had left in her body. "You… You won't do… I can't…" Damian's face turned dark and thunderous again. He rushed up to her in fury and grabbed her by the neck, choking her hard. "Why won't I do? Weren't you the one who said that you'd never leave me as long as I was rich? I'm rich now! So, why won't I do?" Natalie was stunned for a while. Tears began falling from her eyes a short while later. Her voice shook as she said, "Because… Because you're Damian… Because you're my Damian…" Her words were like a tidal wave, making Damian completely lose his control as he forced her back against the wall and kissed her deeply. CHapter 5 Natalie and Damian ended up rolling in the sheets for the entire night. When she woke up again, it was already the next day. Natalie looked at the hickeys and bite marks all over her body and felt her face heat up. Damian, who was lying next to her, had also woken up. His gaze was unreadable, and he looked like he had a ton of things he wanted to say to her. However, he ultimately only said in a cold voice, "Watch your mouth and don't you dare gossip about this to Cheryl." Natalie forced a bitter smile on her face. She was his rightful, legal wife, and they were supposedly just doing what regular spouses did. And yet, she was not allowed to let Cheryl know about this. Was there anything even more absurd than this in the world? Natalie laughed out loud and said, "Sure, but you're going to have to pay me. I won't say a word about it if you pay me enough." Damian turned purple in the face as he grabbed a wad of cash from the side and flung it at Natalie in great disgust. Then, he got up, got dressed, and walked out the door without even looking back. After going back to the mansion, Natalie learned that Cheryl would be moving in with them on that day itself. Cheryl's things and suitcases took up almost all of the space in the living room, and the maids were all helping her sort them out. When Cheryl saw Natalie, she greeted her like she was the lady of the house instead of Natalie. "You're back. I've already told the maids to move all of the stuff in your room into the guest room. You don't mind that, do you?" It didn't matter whether Natalie minded it or not. Nobody would ever care about her feelings anyway, and it wasn't like she was also going to be staying in this home for long. … Ever since Cheryl moved in, she and Damian began acting even more like a lovey-dovey newlywed couple who couldn't bear to be apart from each other for even a minute. At meals, Damian would keep looking out for Cheryl, cut up her steak for her, and even blow on hot foods to cool them down before spoon-feeding her himself. When Natalie walked by the living room, she would almost always catch sight of the duo hugging each other or engaged in intense make-out sessions with each other. Even though her room was now the guest room, she would still hear lewd, sticky, slapping noises coming from their room every time she walked down the hallway at night. They had basically set up an intricate web and trapped her within it, slowly cornering her until Natalie was completely bruised and battered. Damian even tormented Natalie on purpose by making her "stand guard" at the door while he was sleeping with Cheryl inside. "You love money, don't you? Then, stand guard at the door for us the whole night. I'll pay you ten grand per night. What do you say?" Damian looked handsome and alluring when he spoke to Natalie. His thin lips were slightly upturned in a cold, aloof smirk. Natalie stared at him for a long time in silence. Finally, she replied, "Make it 20 grand." Damian's face twitched slightly. The bulging veins on his forehead looked particularly frightening as he glared at her. He gritted his teeth and grabbed another stack of hundred-dollar bills from the side and flung them in her direction. "Get out." Natalie then picked up all of the fallen bills before leaving the room, not forgetting to carefully close the door behind her. Damian's endless torment and humiliation didn't just stop there. He forced Natalie to decorate the bedroom at night with petals, buy seductive lingerie for Cheryl, wash up Cheryl's spent body in the bath, and even clean up the aftermath of their intense lovemaking in the bedroom. Every time Natalie was done doing everything he told her to, he would then fling a stack of cash in her face. Natalie never refused to do anything he told her to do. She also remained exceptionally calm every time she was told to do something. She didn't look indignant, dissatisfied, unhappy—nothing at all. Instead, she would just calmly pick up all of the money on the floor before doing everything she was told, just like a robot. It felt as though she had absolutely nothing to do with Damian after all. She didn't care about him. She didn't care that he slept with someone else. She also didn't care that he might have fallen in love with someone else. Damian, however, was driven mad by her indifference. In the dead of the night, when nobody else was around, he grabbed her by the waist and pinned her against the wall, demanding an explanation from her. "Why are you acting so cold and indifferent toward me? Why don't you care? Why aren't you the least bit jealous at all? "Did you ever love me at all, Natalie Underwood? Who the hell am I to you?" Natalie maintained her composure, and her gaze was devoid of any affection for him at all. "I only care about money. If you want me to show the emotions you just mentioned, I will gladly do that, but you're going to have to pay me more." Chapter 6 This time, however, Damian didn't go berserk. He just watched Natalie laugh coldly as his eyes gradually reddened. Then, he shook her off and left without a backward glance. A few days later, Damian went to Snowpeak Hills for business. Natalie hadn't known about it at first, since he never usually told her where he was going. She only learned about it after hearing the maids whispering to each other. "I heard that Mr. Abbott went to Snowpeak Hills for business and got caught in an avalanche on his way back. We haven't heard back from him since!" "Is that for real? Then, what are we supposed to do? I heard that it was snowing very badly at Snowpeak Hills this year. Wouldn't an avalanche mean that his chance of survival is very slim?" "It's for real! I overheard Ms. Garcia talking to Mr. Abbott's secretary, Terrence Dudley, about it on the phone. They've already sent rescuers to find him, but it's still snowing very heavily on the mountains, and the rescue team doesn't dare to head in. We don't even know if they'll even be able to find Mr. Abbott!" Natalie felt herself stiffen at that. She felt as though someone had just poured a bucket of icy-cold water over her head. She shakily unlocked her phone and went online to check the news. Just like the maids said, the first news report she read was that a massive avalanche had happened at Snowpeak Hills, and the CEO of Abbott Group was still missing. Natalie had never felt this afraid in her life. She was so frightened that she couldn't even hold her phone steady, and it dropped to the floor with a thud. A million images flashed before her eyes, and her face instantly turned pale. It couldn't be. She couldn't let anything happen to Damian. Natalie hurriedly got up, found her coat and scarf, and put them on before rushing out of the mansion. When she arrived at the foot of Snowpeak Hills, she saw that the rescue team was trapped by the blizzard there and didn't dare to proceed up the mountain. She rushed to the front of the crowd of people resolutely, grabbed a snowmobile, and was just about to start the engine when someone stopped her. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? The blizzard is too heavy, and the visibility is far too low! You won't be able to save anyone, and you might not even make it back down alive! "The only thing we can do now is to wait for the blizzard to stop before going in to rescue anyone." Natalie gritted her teeth and shoved the person aside. She said, "Leave me alone. I will make sure I bring him back safe and sound." Just as she was done saying that, she revved the engine and shot forward into the white abyss. The blizzard was even worse uphill than it was at the foot of the mountain. Despite wearing thick winter clothing, Natalie still couldn't help shivering hard from the cold. The entire mountain was covered in white, and finding Damian seemed like looking for a needle in a haystack. Still, she wouldn't stop calling out his name in the snow. "Damian! Damian Abbott! Where are you?" The blizzard drowned out her voice. Her throat was hoarse from all the shouting, but she didn't give up and called out his name relentlessly. An hour later, she finally spotted Damian under a tree. She immediately rushed up to him like a madwoman and took off her hat and scarf before putting them on him. At that point, Damian had already passed out from the cold, and his face was as cold as ice. Natalie couldn't stop crying as she dragged him back onto her snowmobile. "You'll be fine, Damian. You'll be alright. I won't let anything bad happen to you." On the way back, Natalie's leg was stabbed by a branch hidden in the snow, but she didn't even seem to register the pain. There was only one thing on her mind, and it was to safely bring Damian back to the foot of the mountain. She drove the snowmobile for three hours before finally reaching the foot where the rescue team was. The rescuers were all shocked to see both Natalie and Damian returning in the snow and hurriedly rushed up to them. They never thought that a woman like Natalie would have enough strength and courage to brave the harsh weather conditions on the mountain to bring Damian back to safety. When she saw the crowd rushing toward them, Natalie glanced back at Damian one last time before finally passing out in relief. She didn't know how long she stayed unconscious before waking up again. Damian was long gone from the hospital by then. Natalie then quickly tidied herself up and got herself discharged from the hospital. It wasn't until she finally got home that she realized Cheryl had long brought Damian back home. Meanwhile, Cheryl had also claimed credit for braving the snow and saving him from the blizzard. When Natalie saw that Damian was safe and sound, she said nothing and simply turned around to go upstairs. Behind her, Damian saw that Natalie didn't seem the least bit concerned about him, so he called out to her coldly. "Are you seriously going to be that cold-blooded, Natalie Underwood?" Natalie shivered slightly. However, she didn't reply and continued up the stairs. There was no need for her to explain anything anymore anyway. She would just let him continue hating her like this. Chapter 7 Damian became even more excessively kind toward Cheryl ever since the blizzard rescue. Even the maids knew that Cheryl was literally the second-in-command at home, second only to Damian. He had promised her that he would do anything for her and fulfill any of her wishes. Cheryl leaned into his arms and spoke to him in her ever-gentle voice. "I don't really want anything. I just want you to acknowledge what we are. "You know it, Dam. I've always wanted to marry you and be your wife." Damian's hand froze. After going quiet for a while, he said slowly, "I can give you anything but that." Cheryl immediately looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "It's because of Natalie, isn't it? You love her so much, but does she even love you? "Can't you see who has been by your side this whole time, Damian? Or are you just choosing to be blind to it?" Then, she shoved him aside and rushed out with reddened eyes. Damian hadn't even managed to rush out after her before hearing a loud screech of the tires and a sickening thud at the door. When he rushed out, he saw that Cheryl was lying in a pool of blood again. His face fell immediately as he ran up to her and gathered her in his arms. She was so frail, and she looked like she was about to disappear from his life forever. Damian's hands shook as he held on to her, looking at her with a sorry and heartbreaking expression on his face. "I'll marry you! I'll give you anything you want!" Cheryl finally smiled after hearing his reply. The accident wasn't a serious one. She just had her injuries bandaged up at the hospital before she was sent back home. The first thing Damian did after they got back from the hospital was to bring up divorce with Natalie. They sat on the living room couch, treating each other coldly and indifferently. Damian was the first to speak. "How much money do you want? Name your price." Meanwhile, Natalie flipped through the divorce agreement casually and said, "It's up to you. There's only one thing I really want." He frowned. "What is it?" Natalie turned the divorce agreement over and replied nonchalantly, "The opal locket you gave me years ago." The locket wasn't just any locket. It was something like a token of their love. If she failed in her mission next time, she wanted the opal locket to be buried with her ashes. In a way, it was akin to her finally fulfilling her own wishes and also giving herself a keepsake. At that, Damian's eyes lit up at once. He suppressed the trembling in his heart as he said in a low voice, "If you don't want the divorce, you can just say it…" She knew what Damian wanted to hear, but she wasn't going to let him hear it from her. "Of course, I want the divorce! I'll be able to get more money from you with the divorce. Why wouldn't I want the divorce? "I've already asked around about the price for the locket, and they told me that it's a very valuable piece. You have to give it to me!" Damian's face went purple with anger when he saw how shamelessly greedy Natalie was. He curled his hands into fists as his dark gaze pierced into her. "You're a heartless wench, Natalie Underwood. I'll see you at the courthouse tomorrow for the divorce!" Natalie never imagined that her marriage to Damian would end this way in such a simple manner. Given his personality, she initially thought that he would be the one refusing to let her go and tormenting her until she finally broke down and fell into despair. Yet, when she looked at the finalized divorce papers bearing both her and his names on it, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness in her chest. From that day onward, she would have nothing to do with Damian anymore. They were like parallel lines now, who were bound never to meet again for the rest of their lives. Chapter 8 Before the divorce was finalized, however, Damian had made a request of Natalie. He would be giving her a large sum of money. However, the catch was that she had to attend his wedding with Cheryl and stay by her side for the rest of the preparations and frills and fancies, including trying on wedding dresses, wedding shoes, and ring shopping. Also, Natalie was to be Cheryl's only bridesmaid. He would only truly let Natalie go after she'd fulfilled everything. Natalie simply couldn't understand why he would make her do this. Wouldn't it be awkward for him to have his ex-wife at his wedding? However, soon, she quickly found out the reason why. Everything he did for Cheryl had been things that he'd promised he'd do for Natalie. And now, Natalie was forced to witness with her own eyes as he fulfilled all of his promises to her, but with another woman by his side. Back when she and Damian got married, there was no wedding ceremony and no wedding photos. He had simply taken her to the town hall to register their marriage before living together. That marriage was nothing but just a fever dream—it was also his revenge on her. It was meant to hurt her. So, he naturally didn't need to put his heart into it. Now, he was about to begin a new life with another woman, and his marriage would finally be a happy one. While Cheryl tried on wedding dresses, Natalie sat by the side, watching her change into wedding gown after wedding gown in the boutique. The wedding dresses were already stunning in the display windows. However, when Cheryl wore them, they seemed to look even more ethereal than ever. It was no wonder that they said every woman's dream was to try on wedding dresses. Wedding gowns really looked and felt different when they were being worn. Damian stood below the tiny stage, watching Cheryl with doting eyes as she changed into outfit after outfit and giving her reassuring nods every single time. The staff around them were full of praise for Damian. "Mr. Abbott really adores you, Ms. Garcia! You don't usually get a groom who's so attentive whenever accompanying his bride to choose a wedding dress!" "You're both a match made in heaven! You're perfect for each other!" "Mr. Abbott must spoil you rotten, Ms. Garcia! These wedding gowns all cost a fortune each. Regular people would never even dare to touch them in the display window!" Cheryl lowered her head shyly and glanced occasionally at Natalie. "Yeah… Dam really treats me very well." After they were done trying on wedding dresses, the three of them then made their way to the beachside venue where their wedding ceremony would be held. It was Cheryl's idea to have the ceremony there. She said that she loved the sea, and that the ceremony would first be held on the beach before they moved onto a yacht that night for the reception and afterparty. It would be a free and easy yet romantic wedding. After getting on the yacht, Damian began discussing details with the staff there while Cheryl and Natalie rested on the deck. For some reason, Cheryl happened to catch sight of the locket that Natalie had carefully tucked away. Back when Natalie first received the locket, she had excitedly shown it to Cheryl first, so Cheryl naturally knew what it was and how much it meant to them. Her face fell at once as she snatched the locket from Natalie without another word. "Didn't you say you were going to break up with him? Why are you still holding on to this locket?" Natalie anxiously tried to get the locket back from Cheryl. "It's just a locket. Give it back to me." Cheryl grew even more resentful when she saw how nervous and anxious Natalie was about the locket. She flung it to the ground in fury and stomped hard on it. "If you're going to break up with him, then you should be severing all ties with him completely! What is the point of this lingering attachment?" The opal locket shattered into pieces instantly. However, before Natalie could even get upset about it, Cheryl suddenly grabbed her and jumped into the sea with her. Chapter 9 Neither Natalie nor Cheryl could swim, and the icy seawater slowly engulfed them completely. Natalie stared at the glimmer of light above her head. Her mind was completely blank. She recalled falling into the water once when they had only just gotten together. Back then, Damian had been so anxious and worried about her that he jumped into the icy creek in the wintertime without any hesitation to save her. And when he finally realized that she was safe and sound, his eyes turned so red it looked like he was bleeding. That had been the first time she'd ever seen him cry for her. He hugged her so tightly and told her that he thought he was going to lose her forever. He said that the one thing he was most afraid of in his life was losing her. The second time she saw him cry was when she told him that she was breaking up with him. He had never stared at her with such a small, helpless expression on his face before. He wouldn't stop asking her if it was something that he did and behaved like a child when he begged her not to leave him or abandon him. Now that the situation was different, would he still come to save her? Natalie didn't know, and she didn't feel confident whatsoever. The seawater gurgled in her ears, but she couldn't hear anything. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the light, but it rushed toward Cheryl next to her instead. At the very least, she didn't end up drowning in the sea. The yacht staff pulled her back onboard, and the first thing she saw was Damian tenderly hugging Cheryl in his arms. He anxiously checked her body for any injuries. He happened to turn around and look at Natalie, who'd just been fished out of the sea in a bedraggled manner. She also happened to meet his gaze then. Natalie's eyes were hollow and looked like shattered stars in the sky, making his heart clench inexplicably. Damian averted his gaze and looked away. "Don't look at me like that. Cheryl is now the love of my life. Saving her was the right thing to do. "I've already stopped loving you a long time ago. Did you really hope that I would still save you like how I used to in the past without a care in the world?" Natalie sniffled softly and nodded, saying, "It's fine. This is fine. It's good that you don't love me anymore." It was really a good thing that he didn't love her anymore. After getting back, Damian threw the mansion's property deed in front of Natalie and said, "This mansion reeks of you, and it's not suitable for me and Cheryl to continue living here anymore. I'll buy a new mansion for her with brand-new everything. "I don't want this place anymore either because it's too disgusting for me. You can have it. "Cheryl and I are having our wedding tomorrow. Pull yourself together and make sure you're there for the ceremony. After that, you can go wherever you want and do whatever you want. It won't have anything to do with me anymore!" Natalie didn't reject his offer and simply nodded. "I wish you a lifetime of happiness from the bottom of my heart, Damian Abbott." He trembled slightly as he walked out of the mansion, but he still never looked back at her. Natalie had been sincere about her well-wishes for his happiness. However, she wouldn't be able to make it for the wedding tomorrow. She had only just received word from her direct supervisor that the date of her staged death would be tomorrow, and she was expected to report back for duty on a new mission. So, Natalie couldn't attend the ceremony anymore. On the day of the wedding, Natalie stood in the mansion that once belonged to her and Damian and looked at her phone. Damian had been sending her countless text messages since a while ago, urging her to hurry up. "Natalie Underwood! Do you know what time it is? Why aren't you here yet? "You have exactly 20 minutes to show yourself right now! "I dare you to try and go back on your word again, Natalie!"