The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming

Chapter 129 What He Talked About with Grace Natalie couldn't ignore Marcus' intense gaze. She walked over to him with a frown. "Mr. Holden-" "Natalie," Marcus interrupted her. His eyes silently reminded her of their current roles.

He was her boyfriend now, and "Mr. Holden" wasn't an appropriate address.

Natalie reacted quickly and immediately corrected herself, "Marcus." Marcus responded smoothly with a hum.

Though the new dynamic felt unnatural, Natalie knew she had to play along. Since Marcus had agreed to help, she couldn't let the opportunity slip away.

"Why are you staring at my grandmother like that?" she asked, her tone curious.

"I'd like to chat with her. Would that be alright?" Marcus replied, his lips curling into a smile that carried a hint of warmth and indulgence.

"Nattie, why don't you pick out a few outfits for Grandma? I'll keep her company," he added casually.

Natalie found his suggestion odd, but Marcus guided her toward the sales assistant before she could respond. "Show my girlfriend around," Marcus instructed.

"Of course, sir," the sales assistant replied enthusiastically, unaware that Natalie was actually the owner of the Nouvelle Zara brand.

As the assistant led Natalie away to browse the latest designs, Marcus made his way to Grace. He sat beside her and said, "Grandma Grace, do you remember me? I'm Marcus. My grandfather was your godbrother- Charles Holden. Does that ring a bell?" Taking out his phone, Marcus displayed a picture of his grandfather.

Grace squinted at the screen, then burst into hearty laughter, clapping her hands in delight. "Oh, yes! I remember! That's my godbrother-Charles! This was him when he was young. Charles was so handsback then. You look a lot like him." Marcus put his phone away and nodded slightly. "Grandma Grace, I'm with Nattie now. I'm her boyfriend." "Really? Nattie didn't tell me!" Grace exclaimed.

"It's true," Marcus said, smiling slightly. "Are you happy about it?" Grace's grin stretched wide. "Happy? Of course, I'm overjoyed! I always hoped Nattie would marry you. Now that you're her boyfriend, it's perfect!" "Nattie also toldthat you're the one who loves and protects her the most. While the Langleys don't care about her, you've always been the one to cherish and shield her," Marcus said, becoming more probing. "But if you love her so much, why did you let Victor and Diana treat her like a blood bank?" "Ah!" Grace froze, her expression blank as if she couldn't comprehend what he had just said.

"Were the Langleys so bankrupt that Mrs. Langley couldn't donate a little of her own blood? Did they really have to rely on Natalie instead?" Marcus's deep, magnetic voice carried a chilling edge, and his sharp, hawk-like gaze bore into Grace, leaving no room for escape. "And the shares you gave Natalie-was that truly for her benefit?" Grace remained frozen, staring blankly as Marcus's piercing gaze stayed locked on her, scrutinizing every subtle change in her expression.

"The shares are for Nattie as a wedding gift..." Grace stammered.

Suddenly, she grabbed Marcus's hand, her expression twisting with fear. "What do you mean by 'blood bank'? Who's using my Nattie as a blood bank? I'll fight them to the death! I'll fight them! You're Nattie's boyfriend; you should protect her! Protect her!" Grace's emotions spiraled out of control. Her sudden outburst startled Natalie, who rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

"Grandma, what's wrong?" Natalie wrapped her arms around the distressed Grace and then turned to Marcus. "What did you say to her?" "Nothing," Marcus replied indifferently. "We were just chatting about your childhood memories. I'm not sure why Grandma Grace suddenly got so worked up." "Really?" Natalie clearly didn't believe him, but Marcus's detached demeanor made it obvious he wasn't in the mood to lie. Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Ms. Walker, are you doubting me?" All he did was test Grace, nothing more.

"Nattie, Nattie!" Grace cried out, clinging to Natalie with an intensity that almost stole her breath away. "Grandma, it's okay. I'm here. I'm fine; don't worry," Natalie reassured her, gently holding her. "I've grown up. I can take care of myself now. Besides, I have a boyfriend now, and he's Marcus!" As Grace settled down, Natalie quickly pulled Marcus toward her.

"Yes, I'm Nattie's boyfriend," Marcus said.

His dark, intense eyes were like a bottomless pit-calm, mysterious, yet radiating an undeniable danger.

Despite his composed tone, Grace shrank back, hiding behind Natalie. "Nattie, I'm scared." Natalie frowned in confusion. She looked at Marcus, silently questioning what he had said to make her grandmother so fearful. Grace had always been completely fond of Marcus before.

Marcus smirked. It was ironic. Even with the mental capacity of a six-year-old, Grace could still recognize that the idea of being used as a "blood bank" was terrifying. She knew it was something worth fighting against, and she had asked him to protect Natalie.

Yet, when Natalie was younger, Grace was far from having the mentality of a child.

"Grandma, are you afraid of Marcus?" Natalie asked softly, guiding her away from Marcus's gaze.

Once they were out of sight, Natalie lowered her voice. "It's okay now. Marcus is gone for a moment. You don't have to be scared. Tell me, what did Marcus say to you?" Grace looked around nervously, as though she feared someone might be listening.

Natalie felt her heart sink. This wasn't the reaction she had expected. She had never imagined Grace would be afraid of Marcus. If that was the case, her entire plan might be in jeopardy. "Grandma, didn't you always like Marcus?" she asked, trying to reassure Grace. "You even toldto be his girlfriend and marry him. Don't you remember?" She gently patted Grace's shoulder, speaking to her in a calm, reassuring tone, like she had so many times before when she was younger.

"Do you think Marcus will hurt me, Nattie?" Grace clutched Natalie's hand tightly, her eyes darting nervously around. "Will he hurt you?" "No, Grandma. Marcus may seem cold, but he's very good to me," Natalie replied, forcing a bright smile.

It was a smile so sweet and genuine that it felt almost out of place-a smile she hadn't given much since e her twith the Langley family or since Grace had gotten hurt protecting her. Seeing her smile, Grace seemed to calm down. She held Natalie's hands tightly and stared at her, studying her face intently.

"Grandma, what is it?" Natalie asked, puzzled by Grace's sudden stillness.

"Nattie, you just smiled," Grace said.

Natalie nodded, smiling again. "I did! I'm in a relationship now! I have a boyfriend who cares for and protects me. Selena and her family can't bully En.anymore. Besides, Marcus is even better than Tyler. He's the one you wanted for me, Grandma. Don't you remember?" For a moment, Grace seemed lost in thought, as if she couldn't quite recall what Natalie was talking about. "Grandma, don't you remember?" Natalie asked again, her smile fading as concern replaced it.

Grace's confused reaction only deepened her worry.