The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming

Chapter 219 This Restaurant Belonged to His Mother Sky watched Natalie's retreating figure for a long moment before speaking coldly. "Drive back to the office." "Yes, Mr. Walker." At the next intersection, the driver made a U-turn. Through the window, Sky caught a glimpse of Natalie, who had just crossed the street.

"Mr. Walker, should we pick up Ms. Walker and take her back?" the driver asked hesitantly.

"Mind your own business," Sky replied icily. "She's more than capable of getting hon her own." The driver said nothing more and focused on the road.

Natalie glanced around casually before heading in a certain direction. She wasn't far from the Helianese restaurant she had in mind.

She had been willing to reconnect with her real family, but Emma? What relationship did Emma have with her? Natalie had already allowed her to stay at the Walker residence, as long as they kept out of each other's way. That was more than enough.

Whether Emma felt the sway, Natalie had no idea.

Either way, someone like Emma was never going to be her friend or sister.

The moment Natalie arrived at the Helianese restaurant, her phone chimed with a notification.

She pulled it out and saw a photo, a snapshot of her crossing the street just moments ago.

Along with the image was a message from Code Zero. "That idiot, Sky, just dumped you on the side of the road." Natalie was rendered speechless. "Did you plant surveillance onor something?" she replied.

Code Zero instantly responded, "Take a guess." Natalie simply sent back a string of ellipses.

The number was just a sequence of zeros, so she had saved the contact as Code Zero.

Now, she was certain-whoever this was had been watching her all along. And it might not even be a single person, it could be an entire organization.

She sent another message. "Cout and meet me." Code Zero's response was blunt. "No." Natalie smirked. "What's wrong? Too ugly to show your face?" Unexpectedly, Code Zero replied, "Yes." Natalie wasn't ready to give up just yet. "You're not spying onwhile I shower or use the bathroom, are you?" Code Zero responded calmly, "I'm a person, not an animal." Natalie smirked and tapped out another message. "Are you male or female?" Code Zero replied, "I can be male or female, straight or gay, dominant or submissive." Natalie stared at the screen, utterly speechless, and sent back another string of ellipses.

Fine. Unless this person wanted to talk, there was no way she was getting any useful information out of them. Still, at least for now, they didn't seem to have any ill intentions toward her.

Natalie entered the Helianese restaurant and made her way to the sprivate room she had used before. She had just sat down when there was a knock at the door. It was Noah. "Ms. Walker, Mr. Holden is in the adjacent room. He invites you to join him." Natalie raised an eyebrow.

Marcus? Here, again? That seemed a little too coincidental.

Seeing her hesitation, Noah politely added, "Ms. Walker, meeting like this must be fate. Dining alone can be quite lonely." Natalie stood up. "Alright. Please thank Mr. Holden for the invitation." Noah immediately smiled. "Ms. Walker, this way, please." In the next room, Marcus sat alone by the window, gazing out at the horizon where the sea met the sky.

Without looking away, he asked, "Ms. Walker, dining alone?" "Yes. And you, Mr. Holden, seem to be dining alone as well." "I am." Marcus' expression remained calm. "You seem to be quite fond of this restaurant." Natalie nodded slightly. "It's alright. Mr. Holden seems to like it quite a bit, too." "This Helianese restaurant... it belongs to my mother." Marcus lowered his gaze, his slender fingers picking up a glass with practiced ease. He poured Natalie a drink, his movements effortlessly refined.

"I see." Natalie fell silent for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Did Marcus think she had deliberately chere just to "bump into" him? During her stay at Holden Residence, she had never once seen Marcus parents. She had assumed that, just as Grace had raised her, Charles had been the one to raise Marcus.

The thought of Grace made her mood sink.

"Ms. Walker, would you like to sign up for a membership here?" Marcus' voice was low, his mood seemingly just as subdued. Though he spoke to Natalie, he never actually looked at her.

"Thank you, but there's no need." If she hadn't just learned this restaurant belonged to Marcus' mother, she might have considered it. But now that she did, there was no way she could.

Still, the IP address she had traced for Code Zero had led her here.

She had already suspected Marcus, and now, she was even more convinced.

She had originally invited Sky to dine here in hopes of gathering more information. But their disagreement over Emma had cut that plan short.

"Ms. Walker, let's order." Marcus handed her the menu.

"Grandpa's health has improved a lot. I've been meaning to thank you, but you've been busy lately." He paused slightly before adding, "Since we happened to meet here, and since you like this restaurant, lettreat you to a meal." "Alright, I'm quite hungry." Natalie took the menu and ordered a few dishes she liked. "Mr. Holden, I'm done ordering." "Alright." Marcus took the menu from her, added a few more dishes, then handed it back to Noah. "Tell the kitchen to prepare the food." "Yes, Mr. Holden." With Noah gone, only Marcus and Natalie remained in the private dining room.

They had already laid everything out in the open.

Although they sat together, seeming at ease, the atmosphere between them was undeniably strange-a quiet awkwardness lingering in the air.

They weren't quite friends as they weren't close enough for that.

But they weren't strangers either, considering they could sit here and hold a conversation without tension flaring. Natalie had always been remarkably patient. Since Marcus remained silent, she saw no reason to speak either.

The room was so quiet that even a pin drop would have been audible.

She simply lowered her head and sipped her drink, her demeanor calm and unbothered.

Meanwhile, Marcus' gaze lingered on her.

Her fair, translucent skin, her dark, silky hair tied up in a neat bun, the effortless simplicity of her black utility jacket and cargo pants-practical, sharp, yet impossible to ignore. ove Her almond-shaped eyes-when not masked by an icy gaze-held a natural warmth, a quiet depth.

But she had never once looked at him that way.

Marcus lifted his cup and took a slow sip.

They sat across from each other, yet neither spoke. They were even more distant than strangers as of this moment.

Natalie pulled out her phone and sent a message to Code Zero. "Guess where I am right now." After sending it, she discreetly observed Marcus.

He sat straight-backed and proper his gaze fixed on her. Yet there was an undeniable melancholy in his expression, an inexplicable sadness that shrouded him. Natalie tapped out a few more messages to Code Zero, then waited.

Marcus didn't move. His phone didn't vibrate, didn't light up-not even a flicker of activity.

Natalie glanced up just as their eyes met. His gaze was calm, unwavering.

"Something wrong?" Marcus asked.

Natalie shook her head. "Nothing." She lowered her gaze again.

The number couldn't be called, yet messages were always delivered and responded to.

After a brief pause, she looked up again. "Mr. Holden, my phone just died. Can I borrow yours to make a quick call?" mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1