Shattered Then Healed By His Love (by Haley Blanton) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Close Encounters

Chapter 19 Close Encounters

Jackson walked in with confident strides, a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes.

Natalie’s brows drew together. “What are you doing here?”

“If Grandpa hadn’t called me first thing this morning and told me to pick you up, I wouldn’t have come,” he replied, his tone laced with annoyance.

Only then did Natalie remember–Marcus was supposed to be coming too.

If Jackson ran into him…

Knowing Jackson’s nature, he would definitely press for answers. Even if he didn’t care about her anymore, some things just didn’t change.

They both turned their heads the moment they heard footsteps.

And there he was–Marcus, standing at the doorway.

Jackson’s expression shifted to one of disbelief. “Uncle Marcus? What are you doing here?”

Marcus raised his gaze and glanced at Jackson, then instinctively looked toward Natalie. Seeing the way she seemed caught off guard, he could pretty much guess what was going on. “I came on behalf of the orphanage. Ms. Foster was injured during an incident at the facility we sponsor. I’m here to assist with her discharge,” he said coolly.

Natalie finally exhaled in relief.

He was sharp. His ability to assess the situation on the spot–impressive as always.

If Marcus had said she called him, given her current situation with Jackson, things would have gotten complicated fast.

“I see.” Jackson narrowed his eyes. “So you’re the one who brought the fruit basket the other day too?”

“Yes.”

Marcus brushed past them, walked over to the bed, and picked up her discharge form.

Jackson stared in stunned silence.

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6:20 Fri, Sep 26

Chapter 19 Close Encounters

Hadn’t Marcus said back then he was just visiting a friend?

“Uncle Marcus…”

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Jackson stepped forward, clearly wanting to intervene. When Marcus turned back toward him, Jackson held out a hand. “Let me handle it. I’ll take care of the discharge papers–you don’t need to bother.”

Before Marcus could answer, Jackson had already taken the form and left the room.

Now it was just Natalie and Marcus.

“Mr. Collins… my friend was supposed to help me check out, but she had something urgent this morning and never made it back,” Natalie said in a low voice. “And I didn’t know he would come.”

Marcus looked down at her, his dark eyes reflecting the softness of her face.

She was wearing a long white chiffon dress. The hem brushed her ankles, where faint burn marks were still visible.

“It’s fine. Not surprising he showed up,” he said mildly. “You filed for divorce, but convincing the old man won’t be easy. I’m guessing he pressured Jackson into coming.”

Natalie gave a slight nod. “Yeah. It was Grandpa who sent him.”

But Marcus’s earlier words–convincing the old man won’t be easy–echoed in her mind.

Gabriel’s authority in the Collins family was absolute. Other than Marcus, no one dared go against him.

And Gabriel doted on Marcus more than anyone.

Marcus’s place in the family hierarchy was second only to Gabriel himself.

“Your ankle–did you not get it treated?” Marcus asked, his voice steady as his gaze dropped.

His low tone pulled Natalie out of her thoughts.

She looked down instinctively. “It’s not that serious. I didn’t ask the doctor to treat it.”

She wasn’t used to Western medicine and usually relied on herbal remedies. She planned to apply a poultice later–it wasn’t a big deal.

She lowered her head to inspect the burn. Her heel was slightly raised, exposing the red,

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