Ashley said, "Well, I haven't seen him show that side yet."

Regan let out a heavy sigh, "We can't put all our eggs in one basket with him."

Seeing Regan, usually as solid as a rock, now looking so stressed and defeated for the first time, Ashley felt a pang of worry. "Grandpa, what's the deal with Nathalie and our Stewart family?"

Regan's face fell immediately. "She has nothing to do with the Stewart family," he snapped, his voice tinged with an unusual anger.

Ashley hesitated, then cautiously said, "Grandpa, I overheard your chat with Nathalie that day. I know she's part of the Stewart family bloodline. Whose child is she?"

In a flash, Regan grabbed the mouse off the table and hurled it at Ashley. It skimmed her forehead, leaving a thin line of blood.

Ashley, shocked, covered her forehead and stared at Regan.noveldrama

Regan took a deep breath, his voice still shaky, "You need to take this secret to your grave. If I catch you mentioning this again, don't blame me for the consequences."

Ashley was utterly confused. Why was Grandpa so scared of Nathalie?

Feeling uneasy, she left the room.

Later that night, feeling down, Ashley headed to a bar alone to drown her sorrows.

A little tipsy, she pulled out her phone and dialed Nathalie.

"Hey, Nathalie, fancy a drink? Come join me."

On the other end, Nathalie heard Ashley's slurred words and remained calm. "Why are you drinking?" "Do I need a reason to drink?"

"Then why call me? We barely know each other."

Ashley, not able to dodge, blurted, "You know why. Why pretend? You coming or not?"

Nathalie replied, "Send me the address. I'm on my way."

After hanging up, Nathalie paused, then quickly grabbed her things and headed out. At the bar.

Nathalie was surprised to find Ashley alone in the private booth.

"Just you?" Nathalie asked.

Ashley poured her a drink, "Yeah."

Nathalie chuckled, "Figures. Must be something you don't want anyone else to hear."

Ashley pushed the glass towards her, "Drink up."

Nathalie eyed the drink but didn't move.

"Worried I spiked it?" Ashley teased.

Nathalie shot back, "Rich folks like you can be pretty sly."

Ashley shrugged, "Let's not beat around the bush. If you want to rant about the Stewart family, go ahead. It's just us here. I know you've got grievances, and I won't hold it against you."

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Nathalie scoffed, "Is the Stewart family really worth the stress? Ashley, they don't mean that much to me." Ashley stared at her, "Have you really moved on from the Stewart family?"

Nathalie's voice turned serious,

"Move on? I still hold a grudge. That's why I keep digging into the past. Once I find proof of how the Stewart family wronged my mom, I'll make sure she gets justice

Ashley looked at Nathalie intently.

"Nathalie, it's been over twenty years. You won't find anything."

Suddenly, Nathalie reached out and placed her hand on Ashley's head.

Ashley was caught off guard, "What are you doing?"

Then she felt a sharp tug, and a few strands of hair were in Nathalie's hand. Nathalie carefully sealed them in a small bag, speaking calmly, "AS long as I'm a part of the Stewart family, the evidence is out there. Unless every last one of the Stewarts is gone."

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