The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

A gentle smile appeared on Natalie's face as she tenderly stroked her belly.

"Timothy's just worried about me," she said. "I know that. I'll go cheer him up."

She reached into the bag she carried around, pulled out a notebook, and tore off a sheet of paper. She started folding the piece of paper, and in no time at all, she had crafted a small paper dog.noveldrama

"Mason, help me give this puppy to Timothy."

"What about me? Don't I get one?" Mason clutched his chest. "My heart hurts. My little sister only loves Timothy but not me. My heart is broken into pieces. Only my little sister can make me feel better."

Natalie burst out laughing. She would never forget that the first person she truly accepted after returning to the Walker family was Mason.

The crystal ball Mason had given her back then made her feel what it was like to have a brother who truly cared.

Her gaze softened a little as she smiled. "I'll make a bigger one for you. As for cheering Timothy up, I'll let you take care of it."

"It's a piece of cake." Seeing Natalie smile, he smiled back at her. He wasn't jealous or vying for attention. He was just messing around, trying to make her laugh. "I'll handle Timothy. I guarantee that by the time we get to Dithoria, he'll be smiling like a child.

He continued, "Nat, I heard from Elijah that you and Marcus both went through a lot in Ashford Vale. I can tell you didn't rest well just by looking at the motel. The two of you should get some rest. Once we arrive, I'll wake you both up."

Mason stepped forward to make the bed for Natalie. "Nat, sleep here. Marcus can sleep on the opposite bed." He pointed at the bed across from her. "You don't have any objections, do you, Marcus?"

Even if he did, he could only keep them to himself. "No, I don't. Thank you, Mason."

"Nat, get some rest."

Marcus gazed at her with tender affection. These days, he'd gotten used to falling asleep with her in his arms. But with Mason's watchful eyes on him, he had no choice but to sleep on the other bed.

The RV Mason and Timothy brought was top-notch. It was spacious and fully equipped. Staying in it felt no different from being in a hotel.

As soon as Natalie lay down, Mason quickly pulled the blanket over her, leaving Marcus no chance to care for her.

"Nat, get some rest. I'll pull the curtains for you," Mason said, drawing the blackout curtain around her bed.

Marcus watched silently from the side. After a while, he lay down on his bed.

"Marcus, don't think I'm biased. I love you too." Mason grinned mischievously as he pulled out his phone and showed a QR code, placing it in front of Marcus. "Help a brother out. Lend me some money."

Marcus was speechless for a moment. Still, he took out his phone and scanned Mason's code.

"How much do you need?"

"Not much, just 2,000 dollars. I'll pay you back after I win my next tournament."

Marcus nodded and sent him 20,000 dollars. They were family, so there was no need to be shy.

"Thank you, Marcus. I'll make sure to pay you back."

Mason accepted the money, but he wasn't planning to spend it on himself. He actually wanted to buy a gift for his unborn nephew or niece.

Among all the brothers, he was the only one who hadn't graduated yet. He was the poorest of them all. But still, he was confident he'd earn plenty of money in the future.

"You don't have to pay me back." Marcus smiled. "Mason, we're family. There's no need to be so formal.

"This time, you and Timothy came all the way to pick me and Nat up. You've both worked hard. Consider that money as my token of appreciation. If you insist on paying me back, it means you don't consider me family."

Mason scratched his head. "Marcus, that's not how it works. I can't take advantage of you. How about this? Once+win a tournament, I'll give you the gold medal. Since you don't want money, I'll pay you back with that."

"Sure." Marcus agreed without hesitation. Money was the one thing he lacked the least. However, there weren't any national champions by his side.

"Mason, if you ever run into any trouble in the future, just tell me. I'll do everything I can to support you in your tournaments."

"Alright. Thank you, Marcus."

Mason grinned, his eyes crinkling. "I'll head back and start training right away. The next time we meet will probably be after my tournament.

"Marcus, when I know the dates, I'll let you and Nat know ahead of time. You guys have to come watch me, okay?"

Marcus nodded. "Of course. Don't worry, we'll definitely be there."

"Alright, get some rest." Mason stepped forward and pulled the blanket over Marcus. "Have a good rest."

"Alright. Mason, you guys were on the road last night too. You should get some rest yourself."

"I'm good. Don't worry about me. Just sleep." Mason grabbed his phone and sat down beside them. Then, he typed in the search bar, "What kind of toys do newborn babies like?"

Just as he was scrolling through the search results, a WhatsApp message popped up.

Charlotte: "Mason, you and Timothy should just bring Natalie straight home. She will stay with us throughout her pregnancy. After she gives birth, she'll raise the child here too."

Mason: "What? We can bring Natalie home, no problem. But will Holdens agree?"

Charlotte: "It doesn't matter whether they agree or not. I've already discussed this with your dad. We'll have custody of Nat's child."

Mason was shocked at how Charlotte was skipping over Natalie and Marcus, the parents, and going straight for a custody battle with Laura and Wesley, the grandparents.

But Mason couldn't just sit back and let things escalate to that point. He wrote, "Mom, I don't think that's necessary. Nat may have twins. If so, there is no need to fight over anything. Both sides will get a baby."

Charlotte: "Don't be ridiculous. Even if they're twins, we can't separate them. Anyway, we've decided. Your father and I are still young, so there's no way Laura and Wesley can outmatch us. They won't have the nerve to fight us."

Mason: "Alright. Got it."

Just as Mason replied to Charlotte's message, an unknown number texted him.

When Mason saw the text, his hand shook so hard that he nearly dropped the phone. He quickly composed himself and read the message.

"Mason, this is Wesley Holden. I heard you and Timothy went to pick Natalie and Marcus up. I was wondering if I could trouble you to bring them straight to Holden Residence. Would that be alright?"