Chapter 20 No Different From the Others

• Hearing the two female employees mock and bad-mouth Natalie, Yael didn't grasp all the details, but he could sense it was hurtful.
• "Hey! You're saying nasty things! That's so bad!"
• He crawled out from beneath the table and yelled at the women.
• They were startled, not expecting anyone to overhear them.
• Still, since Yael was only a child, they thought a little persuasion would fix things.
• One of them immediately approached and grabbed Yael, saying, "Come on, little boy. Let's get you something tasty to eat! I'll even get you some toys!"
• Yael, coming from a wealthy family, wasn't easily swayed by such offers.
• He struggled and yelled, "No! I don't want to go! Let go of me!"
• "What are you two doing!"
• Natalie came back, her voice sharp with anger as she carefully took Yael over.
• "We were just trying to—"
• "That's enough! Shut up!" Natalie cut them off. "He refused to follow you. What else are you planning to do? Kidnap him?"
• "Natalie! They're saying bad things about you and uncle! They're insulting you!" Yael shouted out, his words coming out in a rush.
• Natalie glared at the two women with a cold, stern look.
• They had never seen her this angry and felt somewhat intimidated.
• "If you have issues, keep them to yourselves and talk somewhere private! If I catch you doing this again, I won't hold myself back!"
• With that, she took Yael away and stormed off.
• Afterwards, Yael grew even closer to Natalie, almost idolizing her as a superwoman.
• Isaac found it curious that Natalie had such an effect on a child she had just met.
• Curiously, he asked Yael why he liked Natalie so much, and Yael simply replied, "I just like her!"
• The reason was simple. Compared to other strangers, Natalie was his aunt, a familiar face he had met before. Scarlett had also entrusted her with Yael's care, so a close bond was natural.
• However, he remembered his mother's advice and avoided calling Natalie 'aunt' in public.
• That evening, Scarlett arrived to pick up Yael after work.
• She handed Natalie a box with a scarf, saying, "Thanks for helping out today. I picked this up for you. I hope you like it."
• Seeing the brand logo, Natalie knew the scarf was pricey. "You didn't need to get me anything, Scarlett."
• "I'm your sister-in-law. It's only right I get something for you."
• With that, she took the scarf out and wrapped it around Natalie's neck without hesitation.
• When Isaac approached after his meeting, he saw the two of them being friendly. He looked thoughtful for a moment.
• Scarlett didn't want to intrude on their moment, so she soon thanked them and left.
• As Isaac turned around, he had already turned cold.
• "Why are you getting close to them?"
• Isaac's disappointment made him question if the company rumors about Natalie were true—was she scheming for something? He hoped she wasn't that type of person.
• Natalie was taken aback for a moment before understanding his implication.
• It seemed he was thinking along the same lines as the employees—believing she was flattering and ingratiating him to get ahead.
• She smiled bitterly, her eyes filled with cold detachment.
• "So you think I'm that kind of person, huh? Well, you're no different from the others."
• Isaac was momentarily speechless, stung by her words.
• Right then, Scarlett's call came in on Natalie's phone.
• Natalie looked at the screen and said coolly, "Since you're thinking this way, let me clarify. I already knew Yael's mother before this. She specifically asked me to help look after Yael today."
• She answered the call and walked out.
• Scarlett's voice was clear on the line, "Dear sister, would you like to join us for a meal when you're free?"
• Isaac froze, recognizing his sister-in-law's voice.
• Dear sister?
• He recalled Yael's way of referring to Natalie and the various occasions they had met.
• The truth was becoming clear.
• He grabbed Natalie's hand, his gaze locked on hers. "Natalie, are you—"