Chapter 21
Celeste had just finished the surgery and barely had a moment to rest when the received a phone call from home saying Natalie was missing She hurried back anxiously.
she approached the front door, she ran into Natalie. “Natalie!
Swing Natalie standing there safe and sound, Coleste instinctively touched her chest, clearly relieved.
“Thank goodness you’re back! just got a call from James saying you were missing and hadn’t returned home. I was terrified! If something happened to you, I wouldn’t know how to explain it to your mother.”
No one could know how scared she was when she received that call
Natalia halda thermal container in one hand and gently parted Celeste’s back with the other. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Locke. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Celeste shook her head. “It’s fine, as long as you’re back. Let’s go inside”
In the living room, James and Phoebe were also preparing to head out to look to her
“Naralia?” When the door opened, Phoebe’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Natalie
After a moment of shock, she rushed forward and grabbed Natalie’s hand, her voice trembling with emotion. “Nattle, where have you been? I returned to grab my wallet and told you to wait
“I didn’t expect you just to disappear was so worried, searching everywhere for you, and had to rush back to inform everyone at home.
Before Natalie could respond, her gaze fell on the thermal container in Nate’s hand, and she noticed the words “The Acoma House” printed on it. “Oh, so you went to the Aroma House for
* you had told me earlier, it would’ve been fine. Don’t leave alonext. It worries everyone when they can’t find you.”
Proviously, Celeste and James had only thought that Natalie was genuinely lost and hadn’t inquired about the details. Now, hearing Phoebe’s container with newfound curiosity
explanation, they both looked at the thermal
Natale couldn’t help but want to applaud Phoebe, What a clever way to absolve herself of the blame for going missing and shift the narrative to make it sound like she had eaten alone! Truly, Phoebe was worthy of being the female lead in a story
She wasn’t about to back down, though, the confidently placed the thermal container on the coffee table and quickly composed herself. “I was worried you’d be concerned, so I didn’t say anything but it seems you’ve misunderstood my situation.”
With a misty fools, she turned to Phoebe, rigning innocence. “Phoebe, you said you’d be back quickly after grabbing your wallet and asked me to wait for you at the alloy, but 1
time and you didn’t come back
“Two thugs even came and harassed me, and I was scared. If it weren’t for my luck in running into solders who saved me, I might have…” Her tears started to flow silently down her cheeks, her nose ring red and looking piriful
Celeste her heart ache as she stepped forward to embrace Natalie “Ch, dear, you’ve been through so much. Why didn’t you say anything earlier? James clenched his Beech, his fists tightening in anger. “Nattie, don’t cry! Those damned thugs–if I get my hands on them, I’ll give them a good beating!”
“I’m fine.” Natale wiped her tears and put on a brave smile for them, then turned back to Phoebe. “Phoebe, after being rescued, I went to the store to find you.
I waited a long
**The salesperson aid you were shopping for quite a while after getting your wallet. Why didn’t you come back sooner? You knew I was waiting for you, yet you left me alone there, and i
almost
With that, she deftly shifted the blame right back onto Phoe
