Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 154

As noon approached. Sherri descended the stairs in her loose pajamas, rubbing her tired eyes.

Surprisingly, she spotted Natalie waiting downstairs and wondered if she was hallucinating

Quickening her pare, she bounced over to join Natalie’s side “When did you get here? Why didn’t you

wake me up?” Meanwhile, Juana went to the kitchen for Ruby’s meals. Natalie had already heard the

rough details of Sherri’s scolding in the morning from Ruby Though Ruby’s storytelling skills were not

the clearest, Natalie managed to grasp the gist of it

With a smile, she playfully remarked. “Didn’t want to disrupt your beauty sleep, did 11⁄2”

Quickly catching on to Natalie’s teasing. Sherri fired back. “Ah. you’re savoring every bit of this, aren’t

you? Sister, I barely made it out alive this morning It felt like a never-ending marathon race”

Natalie grinned, a mixture of amusement and envy evident on her face

After their early departure from the Landor family’s residence, she returned to Evergreen Gardens with

Jasper. Perhaps due to her intense fever from the previous night, she appeared a bit weary after a long

day.

By the time they arrived at Evergreen Gardens, it was already 7:00 PM. She tended to the usual

evening routines of bathing her son and soothing him to sleep and before she knew it, it was nearly

8:00 PM Time seemed to slip away unnoticed.

She was taking a moment to admire Jasper’s peaceful slumber, and a faint glow of contentment

washed over her. If Trevon ever reconsidered and attempted to challenge her for custody of Jasper,

she would fight him fiercely with every ounce of her being

However, her tranquility was abruptly interrupted by an ill-timed phone call Glancing at the caller ID.

she recognized it to be Harry scall. Opting to ignore she dismissively declined the call, convinced he

had nothing to discuss. But to her

ion, the relentless ringing perusted

Her mood soured, and due donned her i

“ith a gentle push, she opened the balcony door and closed it behind her

dy answered the call. “What’s the matter? No pleasantries were exchanged, nger across the w teen

she relucta

be bothered even to utter Harry’s name

Harry’s voice on the other end seethed with anger, has volume rising. You come back and don’t bother

to give me a heads up” The implication behind ! ords made Natalie feel she needed has permi on to

return

She let out a mocking laugh, unable cleared up. How big is your ego the establish dominance engage

in

to contain her amusement “Mr. Foster, its been two years, and your mind still hasn’t I have to inform

you? Do you think you can dictate my actions? If you desire to

aling mani with a tiger at the zoo”

Engaging in conversation with such a per voi him. There was no point in t ng further It

utterly frunless. At this moment, she regretted not immediately blocking umply a waste of her time and

energy

Harry stone softened slightly on the other end, no longer engaging point, saying. Transfer one mullion

dollars to me

outing match with Natalie. He got straight to the

Hearing his demand, Natalie burst into laughter, her voice filled with frustration She wished she could

perform a cramotomy on him right then and there “Mr. Foster are you sure you dialed the right number!

I am Natalie, not your beloved Emily Instead of seeking out your flesh and blood daughter, you come to

me, your abandoned child”

Harry had caught wind of the news a few days back hearing about Natalie’s return and her residence at

Evergreen Gardens. He was well aware that the houses had a hefty price tag and believed that Natalie

had struck it rich With his recent string of bad luck and mounting losses in gambling he saw an

opportunity to ask her for some money. After all, what was one mulhon dollars to someone who could

afford such a lavish property?

However, now that an unknown entity had taken over his company, he held only a meager ten percent

stake. If he couldn’t secure the funds and settle lus gambling debts, he feared losing even that tiny

percentage, leaving him utterly destitute.

Upon sensing Natalie’s reluctance to comply with his request. Harry’s voice grew louder, abandoning

the previous softness veneer “Natalie, handing over the money would be in your best interest. I know

you have a daughter and a son If you care about their well-being you better figure out a way

But Natalie drew the line at her children. While Harry could try to intimidate her, using her children as

pawns only fueled her anger Giving hun money was out of the question.

She refused to show an ounce of fear in front of Harry. “Well, let’s see who meets their demise first. My

bet is on you, as you’re the one playing a dangerous game.”

The words barely escaped Natalie’s lips before she abruptly ended the call. A tinge of frustration

lingered, but pretending not to worry would be disingenuous. After all, Harry was the kind of person

capable of anything Just to be safe, she decided to send a message to Sherri. “Sherri, please tell

Juana not to take Ruby out lately Harry asked me for a sum of money, but 1 refused. I fear he might

lose control and exploit the children.”

Upon receiving the message, Sherri angrily exploded and swiftly replied, “la he insane? He won’t spare

even the children- How much money did he demand from you?”

Natalie responded. “One million dollars. He discovered my whereabouts and assumed I could afford

such an expensive house”

Sherri’s reply came swiftly. “Don’t give him a cent. He’s an endless pit. Once you give in, there will be

no end to his demands. Rest assured. I’ll make sure Juana keeps a close eye on Ruby”

Natalie replied. “Alright, sorry for dragging you into this mess agam”

Sherri shot back an annoyed expression with a caption that read, “Can’t we have a pleasant chat

anymore! Are you intent on sabotaging our friendship?”

Natalie responded with a surrendering emoji, followed by an “Im sorry emoji, finally appeasing Sherri.

As she turned to retreat to her room, she caught sight of a familiar silhouette on the neighboring

balcony. Dressed in a deep blur pajamas, casually leaning against the railing, putting on a cigarette, the

wispy smoke blurred their distinct features. However, the balcony lights illuminated the scene, forcing

her to acknowledge that it was Trevon.

Since when did he move in next door’ She had been entirely unaware, which explained the several

encounters in the neighborhood and his playtime with Jasper today

Trevon lingered on the balcony throughout the evening, keenly observing her every move. His gaze

momentarily grew colder, but when their eyes met, he gave a subtle nod, maintaining his trademark

aloofness. It seemed Natalie had let her

ald

Natalie needed to be more knowledgeable about Trevon’s intentions, but considering the Wilson

Group’s extensive property holdings in every neighborhood, it wasn’t entirely surprising or

unfathomable Without nodding or acknowledging him, she pushed open the balcony door and retreated

into her room.

As he watched her retreating form, her unce gentle countenance turned somber instantly. Stepping into

the room, he reached for a cigarette, lighting at while unlocking his phone’s screen. Determined, he

dialed Jim’s number and commanded. Find out Harry’s recent whereabouts”

On the other end of the line. Jim promptly responded, “Understood. Mr. Wilson. I’ve heard rumors of

Harry’s gambling addiction Ell dig deeper to gather more information”

“Good”

The following morning, the property management hurriedly arrived at Natalie’s door

Lena opened the door and inquired, “May I ask who you’re looking for?”

The property manager appeared visibly agitated To Miss Foster around? We’ve got an urgent matter to

discuss with her.”

“Just hold on a moment. I’ll go get her She was just about to knock on the door when the master

bedroom swung open. “Are you looking for me. Lena?

Lena nodded in confirmation

The property manager, observing Natalie’s presence, hastened to explain. “Miss Foster, you better

come down and see for yourself. A man claiming to be your father is causing quite a scene at the

community entrance. He’s adamant that you owe hum money This neighborhood has a reputation for

being upscale, and the residents………”

Natalie grasped the implication. This community was renowned for its top-notch management, security,

and services, where a place Joseph had chosen for her “Alright. I’ll head there right away”

Lena’s unease was evident when she heard the name Harry. She swiftly grabbed Natalie’s arm.

preventing her from leaving. her face filled with concern. “Miss Natalie, you better bring Ethan along.

I’m afraid…”

Natalie turned toward Lena and offered a comforting pat on her hand. “Don’t worry, Lena. He can’t

harm me and won’t be able to exploit me, either. I won’t give him a penny, even if I have the money. I’d

rather donate it to charity than hand it over to Harry”

Noticing Lena’s lingering worry. Natalie reassured her, “Believe me, Lena, I won’t be alone. Ethan will

be by my side, and he won’t let anything happen to me.”

Lena’s face remained tense, reflecting years of witnessing Harry’s actions. She couldn’t help but worry.

How could a loving father stoop so low? If it weren’t for Thea’s protection, Miss Natalie wouldn’t be in

her current position.

Such a tragedy it was, indeed. How could someone as pure-hearted as Miss Natalie be burdened with

such a father!