Shattered Then Healed By His Love (by Haley Blanton) novel Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Framed at the Family Dinner

After two days of rest, Natalie was feeling a little better.

But on the day of the family dinner, her head still felt foggy.

That evening, after getting herself ready, she grabbed a cab to the Collins estate.

The Collins estate sat halfway up the hill. It had been three years since she last set foot there, and everything about it felt different now. She felt different.

As she walked up to the front door, her eyes landed on a familiar Rolls–Royce with a custom plate.

So he really did come back.

“Mom, dinner’s about to start. What took you so long? You’re always dragging your feet…” Aiden’s voice rang out from the front door, clearly annoyed.

Natalie glanced at the boy, but her eyes quickly shifted to two figures slipping past behind him.

Jackson and Victoria.

He actually brought her to a family dinner?

Natalie strode through the doorway, and right away, Victoria’s eyes locked onto her.

“Ms. Foster, perfect timing. The kitchen’s short–handed. Come help out.”

The Collins family usually had plenty of staff, but with the holiday, several had taken the day off.

At past family dinners, Natalie used to cook a few dishes herself–hoping Jackson and Aiden might actually enjoy the food.

But in their eyes, she was just trying too hard.

Looking back now, it was honestly pathetic.

Natalie watched Victoria head into the kitchen but didn’t move an inch.

“Mom, go help Ms. Victoria already! She’s been running around all afternoon. Don’t let her wear herself out,” Aiden chimed in from behind, giving her a little shove.

Jackson stood talking to his mother, Stella Vaughn, not sparing Natalie a single glance.

She didn’t bother looking at them either and headed straight into the kitchen.

The moment she stepped in, Victoria shoved a small dipping dish into her hands.

“Ms. Foster, this one’s just for Aiden. I don’t have time to bring it out. Could you handle it for me? Just leave it by his seat.”

Natalie was about to refuse, but one of the maids passed the dish right into her hands before she could say a word.

As she walked back out with it, she spotted two familia

“Natalie, you’re back?” Gabriel’s voice called out.

She quickly turned toward the sound,

figures coming down the stairs.

The first thing she saw was the sharp, handsome face of the man beside him–intense and magnetic.

He was dressed in a tailored black suit, a sleek black ring on his index finger making his hand look even more refined. There was something about him–controlled, commanding. He gave off the kind of energy that told people not to get too close.

Every time Natalie saw him, the same words echoed in her mind: cold and untouchable.

Marcus walked beside Gabriel, making his way down the stairs.

His eyes flicked over to her, calm and unreadable, and didn’t linger. Natalie’s fingers tightened slightly around the dish in her hand.

That man–powerful, untouchable, and completely out of her league.

She never imagined the next time they’d meet would be like this.

After a brief pause, she looked away. “Long time no see, Grandpa…”

Gabriel hadn’t seen Natalie in three years. He pulled her down beside him on the couch and spent a while checking in on her before everyone moved to the dining room.

Gabriel took the head seat, with Marcus on his right.

Natalie sat next to Jackson. Aiden sat between him and Victoria.

Halfway through dinner, the sound of gagging shattered the cozy vibe.

“Dad, I feel sick… my skin’s all itchy… Aiden groaned, just as his plate clattered to the ground.

He clung to Marcus’s hand, trembling and throwing up.

Jackson immediately rolleen’s sleeve. His arm was covered in a red rash.

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