Chapter 474 Seen It Before
If not for Natalie’s timely intervention, Wendy dared not fathom how she might be sullied by Gerik and his bunch of hoodlums.
Seeing Natalie comfort her in spite of her injuries, Wendy simultaneously felt awful and warm inside. Her eyes puffed up red like a rabbit’s.
Not knowing how she might be able to repay Natalie, she bawled on for some time more before she eked out, “I’d continue to work earnestly so I’d make you lots and lots of money, Boss.”
“Good to hear. Good to hear.” Natalie could not help but chuckle at that. “Looking forward to it already.”
Bastien looked on glowingly at the pair.
This woman isn’t very well built, but she showed no fear whatsoever in spite of the odds that were stacked against her. Her diminutive figure belies an indomitable will no lesser than most men.
Though he was positive that he had not met this little woman prior, her silhouette felt somehow familiar, as though he had seen it somewhere before.
It was only after Lucas came out to investigate on account of Natalie and Wendy’s prolonged absence did he realize what they had gone through.
“Are you okay, Wendy?” Lucas looked upon Wendy with such concern that his eyes were oozing with anguish. “I’m sorry for being so negligent. I should have come looking when you failed to return, and shouldn’t have taken this long to realize that something was amiss.”
With her own hands firmly in Lucas’ grasp, Wendy averted her gaze, seemingly at a loss as to how to react.
“Wendy’s quite shaken, but is otherwise unharmed,” Natalie said. “See her back to the hotel and help me take good care of her, Lucas Monroe. Otherwise, you’ll be answering to me!”
“Understood.” Lucas nodded vigorously.
The frowning Wendy was still worried for Natalie. “What about you, Boss? You seem to be hurt too!”
There was no way Natalie was going to allow herself to intrude upon Wendy’s and Lucas’ rare alone time, so she patted Bastien on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, for Mr. Nine and I are really tight! Aren’t we, Mr. Nine?”
Joseph glared at Natalie and was about to berate her for being presumptive when Bastien replied amicably, “Rest assured that I’ll look after her.”
Secure in the belief that Natalie would be in the care of friends, Lucas and Wendy departed.
When the pair disappeared from sight, Natalie turned to regard Bastien. “Sincerely, thank you for everything tonight, Mr. Nine. I guess that I, too, should be taking my leave.”
With that, Natalie turned around. She meant to exit when a subtle shift of weight onto her right foot sent shockwaves up her nervous system.
This foot…
She needed to seek medical attention and it did not appear that it might be something that she would be able to manage on her own.
Natalie had not gone too many steps before she heard an astonished “Mr. Nine” from Joseph. Then she felt a pair of sinewy arms slide around her calves and lift her up into a princess carry.
Stunned, she turned her gaze sharply into the man who had just put her in his cradle.
“You… This…”
“Your leg’s hurt,” Bastien lowered his eyes and said.
“I know that,” Natalie murmured, “but I don’t need you to carry me. I can go to a doctor myself.”
“You don’t want me to?”
“No, I don’t,” Natalie replied without the slightest hesitation.
Bastien was a little surprised that Natalie would refuse him, as was Joseph. How many a young lady in Loang clamors for Mr. Nine’s touch, so is this fugly woman nuts? To think she doesn’t appreciate that Mr. Nine’s degrading himself by carrying her, she’s also refusing him as well.
“You ought to tone it down a little since your leg is hurt,” Bastien replied staidly. “Don’t overthink this either. Considering that I’ve chosen to help you, take it that I’m just following through on a good deed to the end by taking you to a doctor.”
Having heard Bastien put it that way, Natalie offered up no more protestations and allowed for him to continue on all the way with her inside his arms.
As he held her and took in the herbaceous scent that emanated off her body, Bastien only found that sense of familiarity grow and become increasingly apparent.
