The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming

Chapter 111 Find That Mystery Man Marcus' gaze was cold and piercing as he scanned Natalie from head to toe. It was as if he was trying to see through her.

Natalie found his reaction odd but remained calm. She had cto Dithoria State solely to treat Charles' illness. Once her job was done, she planned to leave and never cross paths with this handsbut clearly troubled man again.

She gave Marcus a slight nod as a greeting. Then, she called Connie to join her as they headed to Charles' bedroom.

Connie had already set everything up, and after a good night's rest, Charles was feeling quite refreshed. When they entered, Charles patted the spot next to him with a smile.

He asked warmly, "Connie and Nath, did you both sleep well last night? You two have really worked hard, especially you, Nath. I know this hasn't been easy for you!" Charles chuckled as he praised them. "Connie's acupuncture technique was amazing. I didn't feel any pain at all. And before I knew it, the session was over." Connie smiled shyly and instinctively glanced at Natalie. Since Natalie was disguised as a man, they were not sharing the sroom. Connie could not help but wonder how Natalie managed to bind her chest so tightly that it left no trace.

"We rested well, thank you for asking, Grandpa Charles," Natalie replied as she sat on the bed. "How are you feeling today?" "I'm feeling great," Charles said with a sigh of relief. "As long as I stay calm and don't stress, things should be fine. Marcus toldthat in three months, the little tumor near my heart should be completely cured." He sighed again, his expression tinged with nostalgia. "I don't know how much longer I have, but I've lived a good life-eating and drinking well, thoroughly enjoying myself. I really can't complain." He continued, "The only thing I regret is not living long enough to see Marcus get married and have kids." Charles glanced at Natalie with a meaningful look. "Nath, don't let Marcus' polished, unfriendly image fool you. Sure, everyone treats him with respect and calls him Mr. Holden, but he's had a tough life." Natalie raised a skeptical brow. If someone like Marcus, born with every advantage, was suffering, then there probably was not anyone truly struggling in this world.

Charles seemed to catch her doubt and quickly added, "I don't mean material hardships. I'm talking about emotional burdens. Sometimes, the higher you stand, the heavier the weight you carry. My precious grandson lives such a disciplined life that he's practically a monk!" Natalie found it hard to believe that Marcus was anything like a monk. After all, the way he had looked at her after being drugged definitely did not feel like the gaze of someone disinterested in such things. Still, she had to admit, his self-control was impressive.

Charles sighed again and continued, "I have no idea what kind of person Marcus likes, but I did make an interesting discovery last night." He paused, carefully observing Natalie's reaction. "I saw a man coming out of his room." Charles leaned in as if sharing a juicy secret. "That man kept his head down, so I couldn't see his face. When I asked Sheldon about it, he said the man must've been someone Marcus snuck in and was hiding in his room!" Natalie was left speechless. Charles had put her in a tough spot, and she had no idea how to respond to something like that.

Charles said earnestly, "Nath, since you're a man too, I want you to helpkeep an eye on Marcus. I need to figure out who this mystery man is!" Natalie froze. The man Charles saw leaving Marcus' room last night was actually her.

She took a deep breath and decided to cclean. "Grandpa Charles, the man you saw leaving Marcus' room last night was me." Charles immediately chuckled as if she had told a joke. "Don't kid around, Nath. Marcus may not know who you are, but I do. There's no way it was you! Anyone could've been in that brat's room but definitely not you." "It really was me," Natalie insisted, her expression serious.

Charles waved her off with a laugh. "I know you're trying to cover for Marcus, but you don't need to go that far." Then, as if dismissing the topic entirely, he added, "Anyway, isn't it tfor the acupuncture, Connie?" "Yes, Grandpa Charles," Connie replied, already preparing the tools.

Charles sighed and lay back, pulling on an eye mask to relax. "Nath, make sure you helpfind out who Marcus is hiding. I need to know!" With that, he closed his eyes and waited for the session to begin.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Marcus' deep, commanding voice. "May I cin?" Still wearing his eye mask, Charles answered calmly, "Cin." Marcus stepped inside, dressed in a sleek black lounge set with matching slippers. His cold, stern expression and commanding presence filled the room, making it impossible to ignore him.

Charles remained relaxed, motioning toward Connie. "Connie, you can start now." "Yes, Grandpa Charles," Connie replied, pulling out her acupuncture kit. She glanced at Natalie, who gave her a slight nod, signaling her to proceed without minding Marcus.

Natalie focused entirely on the task as she picked up the silver needles, her pale, slender fingers moving gracefully. She placed each needle precisely on the designated points on Charles' back, twisting them in gently. Marcus stood silently, watching her every move. The way her hands worked—calm, confident, and precise—- made the scene feel less like a medical procedure and more like an elegant performance.

Soon, Charles' back was covered with silver needles, and the soothing scent of herbal medicine filled the air. Gentle instrumental music played softly in the background, adding to the serene atmosphere.

After finishing, Natalie checked the timer on the table and waited patiently. When the twas up, she carefully removed each needle, then applied a small amount of ointment to Charles' back using her fingertips. Once the procedure was complete, Natalie packed up her tools and signaled Connie to handle the cleanup. Then, she stood and gave Marcus a slight nod before leaving the room without saying a word.

Marcus' gaze followed her as she walked out. In a much softer tone, he asked, "Grandpa, how are you feeling?" Charles, still wearing the eye mask, nodded slightly. "I feel great."

Marcus exhaled a breath of relief.

Given Charles's age, Marcus had been worried that the three-month acupuncture treatment might be too much for him. However, things seemed to be going well so far.

Natalie's skills were undeniably impressive. "Good. Then get srest," Marcus said. "If you need anything, letknow." Charles waved him off. "I don't need you for that. Sheldon will take care of me. What you should do is take Nath out to explore Dithoria State today." "No excuses," Charles added quickly. "Connie will stay here to continue my treatment, but you need to make sure her cousin enjoys his there. Be a good host." "Yes, Grandpa," Marcus finally relented, though his tone was reluctant. He turned to Connie and gave her a polite nod. "Ms. Sterling, thank you for your hard work." Connie quickly smiled back. "It's nothing. I'm just doing my job." Without another word, Marcus left the room.

Meanwhile, Natalie had finished washing her hands after the acupuncture session and was now did sitting in the dining room, enjoying a quiet breakfast. Behind her, Sheldon lingered, looking like he wanted to start a conversation but was not sure how.

Marcus, however, had a storm brewing inside him. He remembered the report Ethan had given him last night and changed the way he saw Natalie entirely. The disdain and suspicion from before crept back into his expression.

This woman had dared to disguise herself as a man and appear in front of Charles back in Balford. Charles must have known all along that Nathaniel was actually Natalie, and they had both kept him in the dark.

If Marcus had not investigated and confronted Ethan, he might have believed Charles had genuinely accepted him liking men.