She Was Never Just the Billionaire’s Wife (Natasha and Chase) novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18 The Successor

(Nathanial)

Holding my phone to my ear, I stare out the large window of my office.

“Mother, you need to come to Los Angeles,” I tell her firmly.

“Sonia is pregnant. She is very upset and needs you right now.”

A long, heavy silence fills the line.

“You know I can’t go to Los Angeles, Nathanial,” my mother finally whispers.

Her voice sounds thin and weak.

“I can’t handle it yet. My psychiatrist says it’s important that I don’t rush the process. The memories in that city are simply too much for me.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I let out a loud sigh.

“Sonia is going through a massive life change,” I argue, trying to keep my temper under control.

“She’s carrying Chase Warren’s child. Her reputation is at risk. She needs her mother to support her.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs. “I’m just not strong enough to do it. Please, take care of your sister for me.”

The line goes dead before I can respond.

Dropping the phone onto my desk, I rub my tired eyes.

Dealing with mother’s anxiety is always exhausting.

My mother ran away with me when I was just a boy.

She was already pregnant with Sonia at the time, but she was so beautiful that she caught the eye of a very wealthy man almost instantly after we left.

He married her even though she was carrying another man’s child.

One thing I never understood is why she left my other sister behind.

Nat was just a little girl, and incredibly sweet.

My mother refuses to answer the question. She completely erased her past.

She even changed her first and last name to fit seamlessly into her new life.

I kept my first name, but taking my step-father’s last name made me a Morton.

I also gained two older step-siblings from his first marriage.

Growing up in that massive house was a constant, brutal battle.

My step siblings and I fight bitterly for our father’s approval every single day.

He expects total perfection.

Winning the CEO spot of his company is my ultimate goal, and I refuse to let his biological children beat me.

Closing this current merger with Jeffrey Bauer is exactly how I plan to win.

It’s the only reason I agreed to partner up with Chase Warren.

To prove I’m the only son my step-father should pick as his successor.

But my mother’s hidden past is always in the back of my mind.

I want to know what exactly happened back then in California.

I want to know what happened to Nat. Is she safe and happy?

I’m just hoping my mother’s new psychiatrist can finally help her deal with the past.

Facing the ugly truth is the only way for her to move forward.

Finding Nat is something I think about often. But fear always stops me from hiring an investigator.

What if she doesn’t even remember me?

She was only a little girl back then. She’s a fully grown woman now.

She might hate me for leaving her, even if I was only a child myself.

Thinking of Nat instantly brings another woman to my mind.

One with the same name.

Natasha. Chase Warren’s pregnant wife.

They share the same first name, but that’s obviously just a coincidence.

Natasha’s last name is Kelly.

My biological father’s last name was Bailey.

Besides, Chase has mentioned Natasha’s parents are from Pennsylvania.

We have completely different family backgrounds.

Still, hearing her name always gives me a strange, unsettled feeling in my gut.

Ever since we left the hospital a few days ago, the situation with Chase has grown much worse.

I sense a major shift in him.

He’s completely ignoring my sister’s phone calls.

Instead of dealing with his personal mess, he simply throws all of his energy into our business project.

I won’t allow this cowardice to continue.

Sonia is having his baby. Listening to her crying in her bedroom every day is killing me.

I was furious with my mother when she ran and left Nat behind. I refused to talk to her.

Then she nearly died giving birth to Sonia, and I promised myself I’d always be there for them.

Pacing across my large office, a fierce protective anger builds inside me.

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I won’t allow Chase’s stubborn wife to ruin my sister’s happiness.

Natasha is standing directly in Sonia’s way.

The dangerous game she’s playing with Jeffrey Bauer is keeping Chase trapped.

I will do whatever it takes to protect my family.

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