Chapter 729

The verbal blow was devastating. Not only did she cement the fact that Kristin was indeed Hamilton's child, but the harsh reality of how he had treated his own daughter over the past few weeks suddenly hit him like a freight train.

"I... I didn't know..."

"Why don't you go ask Maria? Ask her about all the wonderful things she's done. Then, if you still have any shred of dignity left, you can come looking for us!" With that, Natalie clutched Kristin tightly against her chest, grabbed Marico's arm, and marched toward the door.

Marico still wasn't satisfied. He brandished his lighter, taunting Hamilton. "Light me up if you've got the balls, you coward!"

Outraged, Natalie whirled around, kicked him in the shin, and snatched the lighter right out of his hand.

Stepping out into the cool night air outside the Amos estate, both of them finally let out a long sigh of relief.

It was past midnight, and Kristin had already fallen asleep against Natalie's shoulder. The walk down the long driveway to the main gate was grueling, and carrying a heavy, sleeping toddler was pushing Natalie to her physical limits.

"You take her," she ordered Marico.

Marico gave her a petulant look. "Are you treating me like your personal servant?"

Despite his complaints, he stripped off his gasoline-soaked jacket, tossed it onto the grass, and gently took Kristin from Natalie's arms.

The little girl let out a soft whimper, but upon recognizing Marico's face, she settled comfortably against his broad shoulder.

"Marico."

"Yeah, kiddo."

"I knew you'd come with Mommy to save me."

Something shifted sharply in Marico's chest, a sudden, overpowering wave of affection turning him to mush. "I promise you, that bad man is never going to bully you again."

"Mmhmm. I believe you."

Marico clicked his tongue. Catching Natalie's amused smile, his usual arrogant streak flared back to life.

He leaned in close to Natalie, lowering his voice. "I don't even believe in myself, yet she actually trusts me."

Natalie shot him a glare. "Don't you dare lie to my daughter!"

Marico sighed theatrically. "My biggest flaw has always been my weakness for gorgeous women. But since you're so stunning, if you let me take you to bed a few more times, maybe I'll... Ouch! Damn it, did you just kick me with your stiletto?"

Natalie ground her teeth in sheer annoyance. She had almost started to change her opinion of him, but it only took two seconds for him to destroy whatever tiny shred of goodwill he had earned.

As they walked out of the Amos family's grand gates, Natalie spotted a sleek black Range Rover parked a short distance away. She was just about to ask Marico who it was when he strutted toward it with an unmistakable look of annoyance.

As he approached, the driver's side window slowly rolled down.

Theodore's face appeared in the shadows. He tilted his head, offering Natalie a polite nod, before turning his cool gaze onto Marico—and the sleeping child resting against his shoulder.

A dry chuckle escaped his lips. "Word is you showed up at the Amos estate with a jerrycan of gasoline, planning to take them all down with you?"

That laugh sent a shiver straight down Marico's spine. He wasn't afraid of heaven, hell, or his own parents, but he was absolutely

terrified of Theodore. To the net

rest of

the world, Theodore was the golden boy competent, patsed, and fiercely principled. But they had no idea how thoroughly he had tormented Marico their entire lives.

Like when they were six. Marico had tossed a kitten into a pond to see if it could swim. Theodore had walked up and casually kicked him into the water, telling him to learn alongside the cat.

When they were ten, Marico had threatened their parents that he was going to run away. Theodore offered to help him hide, shoved him into à van and abandoned him deep in the mountains. He had wandered for three days, surviving on bugs, only to be dragged back home and grounded.

Then there was the time he was sixteen. He would occasionally sneak a bottle of their grandfather's prized liquor. One day, after he took a single bottle, the entire cabinet went missing. The whole family immediately blamed him. After enduring the collective wrath of his relatives, Theodore magically 'found' the missing bottles hidden in Marico's room.