Whisper Destiny

Chapter 12

 
  ~ Natasha ~
 
  I returned home after my meeting with Nick. Yes, your suspicions are correct: we had sex.
 
  The house was eerily quiet, an unusual stillness hanging in the air. I couldn't pinpoint my parents' whereabouts, but my dad's BMW and my mother's Range Rover were parked in their usual spots. They were definitely home.
 
  I hadn't seen Cate since my return. Not even once since the New Year's Eve party. But I couldn't care less.
 
  As I climbed up the stairs to my room, one of the housekeepers stopped me, "Your father is looking for you," she informed me.
 
  "Where is dad?" I asked, a mix of anticipation and dread curling in my stomach. I hoped it was good news. Nick had just emphasized the same thing when we met just now — when would my father finally call him to start working at Grayson Industries?
 
  The housekeeper told me he was in his home office.
 
  I hurried up to my father's home office, my steps echoing in the silent house, and burst into my father's office without knocking. "Are you looking for me, Dad?" I asked.
 
  My father looked up, visibly startled by my sudden entrance. His eyes narrowed slightly. "You need to knock before entering, darling. I've told you so many times before," he said, a note of disapproval in his tone.
 
  I offered him a contrite smile. "I'll remember that, next time."
 
  He studied me for a moment, then sighed. "What do you want to talk about? Is it about Nick?" I asked, cutting to the chase.
 
  My father nodded but held up a finger, signaling me to wait. He picked up his phone and dialed a number, his expression unreadable.
 
  "Hello, my love. Are you busy right now" I assume he was talking to my mother. I'm wasn't sure why he needed her for a business discussion like this.
 
  "Care to join us, me and Natasha?" he asked again. Then said okay before disconnect the phone call.
 
  "I hope you don't mind to wait for your mother. I want us to have this discussion as a family" my father stated. I just nodded, do not mind at all.
 
  While waiting for my mother to join us, my father filled the silence with small talk, asking how I was doing and when I planned to join him at the office.
 
  "I'll be ready when Nick starts working there too," I replied, confidently.
 
  A soft knock on the door interrupted us, and my mother stepped inside. She and my father exchanged a glance that makes me unsettle. This is not a good sign, I thought.
 
  My mother gave my father a quick kiss on the cheek and then sat down beside me. "Natasha, I need to confront something with you. But before I share anything, I want you to understand that we are doing this because we love you so much, darling."
 
  My heart beat spike. "What is it? You're scaring me, Dad," I said.
 
  My father took an envelope from his drawer and handed it to me slowly. I took it and glanced inside. The first page made my stomach drop. I skimmed the rest of the details, feeling nauseous.
 
  "Sweetheart, before you think the worst, let me explain," my father began, but I cut him off, standing up abruptly.
 
  "What are you doing, Dad?" I demanded, disbelief and anger rising in my chest. "This is too much. You've crossed the line." I threw the envelope's contents onto the table and backed away from them both.
 
  "Sweetheart, please sit down and listen to what your father has to say," my mother pleaded, trying to calm me.
 
  "Are you in this too, Mom?" I asked, feeling a deep sense of betrayal. I had trusted her, but why was she doing this to me?
 
  "Natasha, listen. I had no choice but to dig into Nicholas. Ever since I met him, I've had a bad feeling about him," my father explained.
 
  I stopped him again. "Why didn't you just ask me? I could have answered all your questions about him."
 
  My father took a deep breath, trying to reason with me. "This is why we didn't involve you from the start. He's clouded your judgment, darling. I know this is wrong, digging into your relationship with him without your permission, but I just want to protect my family. I want to protect you."
 
  But I had already stopped listening. Even as my mother tried to support my father, I shut her out.
 
  I rushed to the door, my mind made up. "I don't want you to meddle in my life. I know what I'm doing, and I know who Nick is. He would never do something like this to me," I said angrily. Before storming out, I grabbed the envelope. "If you ever try to break us up, I will run away with Nick. I don't care about the wealth, and I believe Nick doesn't either. Don't you ever dare try to break us up."
 
  With that, I slammed the door and drove off, my mind in turmoil, not knowing where I was headed.
 
  ******
 
  Finally, I drove to my family lake house, seeking solace in the tranquility it offered. I still couldn't believe what my parents had done to me. The betrayal felt like a dagger in my heart.
 
  I thought about calling Nick, desperate to pour out my anguish, but something held me back. An inexplicable doubt crept into my mind. I recalled all the pep talks Chase had given me, and the red flags he had always pointed out. Was there truth in his warnings?
 
  The doorbell rang, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. It must be Chase. I had asked him to come over—I needed someone to talk to, someone who understood me.
 
  I watched the housekeeper open the door, and there stood Chase, his eyes filled with concern as he took in my disheveled appearance and tear-streaked face. Without a word, he walked straight to me and enveloped me in a tight, reassuring hug.
 
  "It's going to be okay," he murmured repeatedly, even though he yet to know what's going on.
 
  I melted into Chase's embrace, finding comfort in his warmth and strength. For a moment, I allowed myself to believe him, clinging to the hope that everything might indeed turn out fine.
 
  I poured out everything to Chase, leaving nothing unsaid. He listened attentively, his silence a comforting presence, for which I was deeply grateful.
 
  As he sifted through the evidence my father had given me earlier, a furrow formed on his brow each time he came across something significant. His concentrated expression mirrored my own growing dread.
 
  "You need to sleep," he finally advised, his voice gentle but firm. "Get some rest tonight. We'll sort everything out tomorrow when your mind is clearer."
 
  I nodded, feeling utterly spent. The tears had drained all my energy, and I just needed to lie down, even though I knew sleep would be elusive.
 
  Chase offered to stay with me, but I needed to be alone tonight. "I'm just a call away," he reassured me, "and I'll be here as fast as lightning if you need me."
 
  Predictably, sleep refused to come. My mind wandered to all the moments I had shared with Nick, replaying them from the day we met until now. I wanted to believe that Nick loved me with all his heart. Surely, if he were dishonest, I would have sensed it, right? I pondered, my heart aching with uncertainty.
 
  Slowly, I reached for the envelope my father had given me earlier. Taking a deep breath, I began to examine the contents one by one, my hands trembling as the information started to registered in my mind.
 
  In the Grayson household, Noel paced the living room, her worry for Natasha evident in every tense line of her body. Emmette, seated calmly in his armchair, tried to reassure her. "Just give Natasha some time to digest everything," he said, his voice steady with conviction. He knew their daughter was in a safe place; his private security had discreetly followed her to the lake house.
 
  "I trust Natasha will make the right decision," Emmette continued, his gaze meeting Noel's anxious eyes. "After all, she is a Grayson."
 
  Noel sighed but nodded, taking some comfort in her husband's confidence. They had raised Natasha to be strong and discerning, but a mother's heart could never fully rest.
 
  That evening, Catherine had come by, sensing something was amiss. As Emmette and Noel shared the events of the day with her, she listened intently, her presence a balm to their fraught nerves. Catherine had an uncanny ability to provide comfort, and her timing had been impeccable.