The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

Marcus' voice was deep, magnetic, and carried no warmth or emotion. Sophia was someone Natalie wanted to protect. By bullying Sophia like this, Samuel was basically undermining Natalie.

As a man who knew about Sophia's circumstances since childhood, Marcus found Samuel's words utterly unacceptable.

Not standing up for her was one thing, but saying something so cruel was another.

At that moment, Marcus made up his mind; he would no longer consider Samuel a friend.

"Samuel, I'm sorry, but I do not have a friend like you."

He looked down at Samuel, who had just been slapped by Elijah. "You spent these past few years abroad, living a carefree life with Sierra, completely ignoring everything that happened in the Sinclair family.

"And don't give me that nonsense about making it on your own overseas. When you left, you were spending Ms. Blair's money. Even the funds for your first business venture after you became an adult came from Ms. Blair."

Samuel chuckled coldly. "My mother sent me abroad. If she didn't give me money, was I supposed to fend for myself? She's my mother. Isn't it her duty to support me?

"And now you want to act all righteous? This is a matter pertaining to the Sinclair family. Whatever happens between Sophia and me is our own business. What does it have to do with you, Marcus?"

"Oh, wow. Just when I thought you couldn't be any more shameless, you proved me wrong," Elijah interjected before Marcus could respond.

"Samuel, you must've peeled the skin off one side of your face just to slap it onto the other—one side thick, the other side shameless.

"Where were you when humanity evolved? Hiding in a cave? I can't believe a single-celled organism like you is actually capable of reasoning.

"Well, isn't that something—a bat is trying to dress up as a chicken.

"You really think going abroad was a hardship? Then, why the hell did you go? You should've stayed behind and let Sophia take your place! If you had stayed in the Sinclair residence, I doubt you'd even be alive today.

"Yet, you have the audacity to look down on Sophia. Ms. Blair would've been better off raising a dog than a son like you."

As Elijah spoke, he slapped Samuel across the face twice more. "If you love being abroad so much, what the hell did you come back for?"

"Marcus!" Samuel roared in fury. "Control your man!"

"Elijah, tear his damn mouth apart," Natalie commanded coldly. "A mouth that doesn't know how to respect women or family isn't worth keeping.

"Marcus, have Noah remove Samuel's name from our wedding guest list. From this day forward, neither the Holden family nor the Walker family will ever allow Samuel or his whore to step foot in our residences.

"Even an insult would be too good for you."

"Natalie!" Samuel's head buzzed from the beating, and the pain coursing through his body was impossible to ignore. But Natalie's words only fueled his fury.

He roared, "Are you Sophia's lapdog? Why are you fighting her battles?"

Natalie's lips curled into a smirk. "Elijah, beat him to death."

"Yes, Mrs. Holden."

Elijah became more energized and continued his assault on Samuel. As he punched Samuel, Elijah whined to Marcus. "Mr. Holden, Samuel just called Mrs. Holden a dog!"

"Break his leg, then," Marcus said leisurely. "Samuel, you insulted my wife, so I'll break your leg. Fair trade."

A gut-wrenching scream escaped from Samuel as Elijah made good on the command.

"Well, now he's a cripple." Elijah clapped after he was done. "Mr. and Mrs. Holden, should I toss him somewhere so he doesn't offend your sight?"

Marcus wrapped an arm around Natalie's waist and hummed in assent. "Don't kill him, though. Elijah can't get himself a murder charge over this scum."

"I know. I'm just pissed." Natalie took a deep breath. She turned to look at Sophia and wondered how much pain and heartbreak she would feel as the victim, especially since an outsider like herself was this furious.

Every time Samuel brought up her past, it was like stabbing another knife into her heart.

As her older brother, not only did he fail to protect or care for her, but he also used her pain as a weapon against her. He was truly disgusting.

Natalie never claimed to be kind, but as a woman, she couldn't help but sympathize with another woman's suffering.

Sophia's experiences made her both heartbroken and furious. Because of that, Natalie didn't hold her deception against her. In fact, she even persuaded Marcus to let it go.

If Sophia's life hadn't been so miserable, she never would have resorted to doing what she did.

"Let's go."

"Sophia, come with us."noveldrama

Natalie shot Samuel one last look of disdain, then turned, grabbed Marcus' hand, and walked off the beach.

"Sophia, don't you dare leave!" Samuel, battered and broken, hadn't forgotten why he was here in the first place. His confrontation with her was still unresolved.

"You had me beaten! You're not leaving until we settle this!"

"Samuel, are you brain-dead?" Elijah stomped down hard on Samuel's back and pinned him to the sand.

"Did Sophia tell me to beat you? No, it was Mr. Holden who gave the order. Are your eyes and ears broken? It's no wonder you talk like a complete idiot."

Sophia stopped in her tracks, looking down at Samuel. After a long silence, she finally forced a bitter smile and spoke softly, "Samuel, I have nothing left to say to you. You wanted to see Mom, and I never stopped you. You were the one who started hurling insults.

"When you returned to Dithoria State, the first thing you did was call me to curse me out. You threw my past trauma in my face, and used the fact that I was raped by the Walker family's housekeeper to humiliate me.

"And then you said Ivan's death was my fault—that I killed my own father just to seize control of the Sinclair family."

Sophia let out a cold laugh before crouching down and slapping Samuel across the face. "What right do you have to say that to me? Do you really not know what kind of life I lived in the Sinclair residence?

"Do you really not know what Mom and I endured these past years? Do you not know how Sky treated me after I was engaged to him?"

Her eyes welled up with tears as she said with rage, "Samuel, anyone in the world can judge me except for you. You deserved to have your leg broken."

With that, she stomped down hard on his injured leg.

Samuel's scream tore through the night.

"Samuel!" A distant voice shrieked. Sierra came running toward him, her face pale with panic as she saw him lying battered and bruised in the sand.