Whisper Destiny

Chapter 14

~ 3rd Party POV ~

"I believe my lawyer here is capable of making your life miserable, Mr. Nicholas. You will be convicted of criminal offenses, by recording explicit content without consent, and with that, I will make sure you have no career at all in the future," Catherine's voice resonate in the room, appearing out of nowhere with a lawyer by her side.

"Oh, now this is the famous Catherine Ortiz, the one you've despised your whole life Natasha, trying to save you," Nick smirked, while glancing at Natasha.

"You don't have evidence I did it without consent. Your threat isn't working on me, Ms Ortiz," he sneered.

Catherine remained calm, her demeanor unshaken. "Do you think I would come unprepared, Mr. Nicholas?" she asked. She then detailed every criminal act Nick had committed, threatening to expose them and ruin his life if he didn't leave Natasha alone.

"And this is my last warning to you: hand over all copies of the video, not a single one left, and I will give you a sum of money to start your new life comfortably somewhere far away. In return, leave Grayson alone. If you ever be in the picture again, you will know what I can do to change your life forever, Mr. Nicholas." Catherine finished her speech, still calm and composed.

"Mr. Sanchez, please prepare the necessary documents for him to sign and ask my team to prepare the money. I want this matter settled discreetly by tomorrow morning, and please ask the FBI to check and ensure all the tapes and recordings are destroyed. For backup, reach out to my IT team to ensure everything is gone. If I ever find a single copy, I will make sure everyone involved gets in trouble," Catherine commanded with a firm, authoritative tone Natasha had never heard before. Mr. Sanchez nodded, understanding the assignment.

"And you, by tomorrow morning, I don't want to see your face or anything related to you near Natasha or the Graysons. Do you understand?" she asked.

"Why do you think I will follow your instructions?" Nick retorted, still trying to play his game but looking a bit wary.

Catherine laughed this time. "Oh, trust me, Mr. Nicholas, you don't ever want to try, not to follow what's I've said" she said. Nick looked at her, still not believing her words.

Catherine took out her phone and typed something. A few second later, Nick's phone ding, signaling a new message. When he looked at his phone, he surprised and angry.

"Do you still want to try, Mr. Nicholas? I can send another one, a very good one, indeed," Catherine said, her tone cold.

"You should know that you don't want to play around with the Ortiz or Grayson. We can make your life hell," Catherine continued, her harshness evident, making Nick waver.

"Mr. Sanchez..." Catherine called, give a silent instruction through her eyes.

"Let's go, Mr. Nicholas. I believe there are lots of documents and things we need to settle tonight," Mr. Sanchez said, escorting Nick out. Natasha couldn't even bear to look at his face.

Before Nick left the room, Catherine spoke one last time, her voice icy and unyielding. "Please make sure I never meet you again, and don't think for a moment that I don't have my people observing every action you take. Keep that in mind, Mr. Nicholas."

Nick hesitated, a flicker of fear crossing his face before he finally turned and followed Mr. Sanchez out of the room.

Tonight was a harsh slap in the face for Natasha. It hurt enough to know that Nick's love was never true, but discovering he had recorded their intimate moments without her consent, and even drugged her, was beyond belief.

Natasha could only hear her parents' and Catherine's voices from afar. Nick had crushed her badly, shattered her world.She didn't think she could ever bounce back from this.

After everyone else had left the room, leaving only Grayson behind, Natasha stepped closer to Emmette. She patted his back, offering a gesture of moral support. Emmette pulled her into a hug, his voice breaking as he said, "Thank you so much, Cate. I don't know what I would've done without you tonight. You've saved Natasha's and Grayson's dignity."

"You're like a father to me, and I believe my parents would have done the same if they were still alive," she reassured him, her voice gentle. She glanced down at Noel, sensing the myriad of words she wanted to say but couldn't, as Natasha continued to sob in her arms.

"Let's take Natasha home for now. I've arranged very strict security to ensure no reporters see us," she said, directing her bodyguard to escort Grayson home safely.

"You'll follow us, right?" Noel asked Catherine, his voice tinged with hope. Catherine nodded.

Catherine knew that in times like these, the Graysons needed her support the most. It was the least she could do for Noel and Emmette, considering all they had done for her over the past ten years.

*****

Since the incident, Natasha had become a mere shadow of herself, living life like a robot, following instructions mechanically. She ate only because Noel forced her to, and she looked miserable, having lost a significant amount of weight.

Most of the time, she locked herself in her room. Chase visited frequently, trying to entertain and comfort her, but she showed no emotion. It pained Chase deeply and fueled his hatred for Nick.

Noel and Emmette were also heartbroken by their daughter's condition. They hired a private psychiatrist and psychologist to help her recover.

Catherine occasionally visited the Graysons to offer her support, but she never met with Natasha. She knew how much Natasha resented her, so she decided to provide support from a distance.

Noel and Emmette were immensely grateful to Catherine for being part of their lives. She offered support in every way she could, never seeking anything in return. Despite her lack of emotion and attachment to others, her actions showed how much she cared for Natasha.

Sometimes, Catherine would send Natasha her favorite flowers, hyacinths in various colors, a box of red velvet cupcakes, her favorite fruits, or even a vinyl record from her favorite artist. Although she never met Natasha face to face, her presence was felt.

It took nearly a year for Natasha to begin become herself again. She wasn't fully herself, but she started venturing out of her room to the pool garden, sometimes wandering around with her camera. Chase also tried to bring her out to do things outside the house.

However, the cheerful, wild, and spontaneous Natasha was long gone.

One day, as Noel getting ready for her business meeting, she found herself drawn to the picturesque scene unfolding outside her window. From the confines of her room, she could catch a glimpse of Catherine, her elegant silhouette poised in the distance, silently observing Natasha as she gracefully captured the essence of the flowers in the garden through her lens. Yet, it was the subtle flicker in Catherine's eyes that caught Noel's attention, igniting a mother instinct within her.

With each passing moment of observation, Noel's confidence in her intuition grew, an unspoken assurance that she could trust the subtle whispers of her instincts. She made a mental note to confide in Emmette, on her proposal.

As she allowed herself one final glance at the view before her, a soft smile graced Noel's lips, a silent prayer of hope that her forthcoming endeavors would herald a brighter tomorrow for all of them.