Chapter 216: I’m Not Here To Hurt You

A few days after the engagement party.

Celine walked down the street after parking her car a short distance away, heading toward the quiet restaurant she and Natalia often frequented.

She had asked Natalia out that day because she had barely seen her since the engagement party.

That night, Natalia had vanished without a word. Even after the celebration ended, Celine had not caught another glimpse of her.

Later that evening, Celine had tried calling, but Natalia did not answer. Instead, she sent a text apologizing, saying she had suddenly felt unwell and did not want to disturb the party.

Celine had immediately asked if she was alright, but Natalia kept insisting she would be fine, so Celine reluctantly gave her space, though the worry had never left her mind.

Now several days had passed.

Normally, Natalia would have flooded her with excited messages by now, bubbling over with enthusiasm about wedding plans and teasing her endlessly about becoming Mrs. Grayson. But Natalia had gone strangely quiet.

And that silence unsettled Celine more than anything.

The wedding preparations could wait. Her friend mattered more.

The moment Natalia finally agreed to meet, Celine had invited her out, determined to find out what was wrong.

She already knew something had happened.

Natalia was not the kind of person who withdrew from everyone without reason.

As Celine neared the restaurant, an eerie sensation crept up her spine.

Someone was following her.

Her steps faltered for only a second, her brows drawing together in a faint frown.

Though every instinct urged her to turn around, she resisted. If someone really was tailing her, she did not want to alert them.

Instead, she continued walking as though she had noticed nothing.

Casually, she opened her handbag and pretended to search for something, using the motion as cover to glance behind her.

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a man dressed in dark clothing.

He was definitely following her.

A chill slid down her back.

Who was he?

And why was he following her?

Up ahead, she spotted a corner and quickly turned into it as if it were her intended path. The moment she was out of sight, she pressed herself flat against the wall, her heart pounding.

It was evening, and the street was only sparsely populated. If the man meant her harm, there would be little chance to call for help in time.

Celine quickly pulled out her phone before the man would reach her, however she had just begun hastily dialling a number… but before she could finish, the man rounded the corner and appeared directly in front of her.

Startled, Celine let out a sharp cry and swung her handbag hard into his face.

“Argh!”

The man staggered with a grunt of pain.

He was blocking her path, and panic surged through her. She raised her bag again, ready to strike him a second time, but he quickly threw up his hands.

“Ma’am, please calm down! I mean you no harm!”

“What?” she snapped.

“There’s no need to panic,” he said hurriedly, eyeing her warily as the handbag hovered inches from his face. “I’m not here to hurt you!”

“Then who are you,” Celine demanded, still gripping her bag tightly, “and why are you following me?”

“I’m only a bodyguard,” he explained. “Mr. Blakewood asked me to bring you to him. He wants you to come meet him.”

Celine narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

She was not about to repeat the mistake she had once made with Ryan.

“Which Mr. Blakewood?” she asked warily, she had met quite a few members of the Blakewood family at the engagement party, most of them Tristan’s uncles. Why would anyone of them stealthily come to meet her like this?

“Mr. Ryan Blakewood,” the man answered.

“Ryan?” Her hand tightened around her bag again.

How dare he even think of showing his face to her after what he did at the islands that night?

Celine might no longer be pursuing the matter but she most definitely held a grudge for that.

“Why does he want to meet me?” she asked cautiously.

“I’m not certain, ma’am. He only instructed me to bring you to him. He’s waiting at the restaurant just down the street.”

Celine sneered coldly, he had the nerve to send someone to pick her up at his whim, but the audacity in the fact that he actually thought she would go if he randomly called for her.

“Are you very good at sending a message?” Celine asked the guard, quirking her head the side.

“Yes ma’am.” The guard hastily replied.

“Then tell him this, word for word…” The guard nodded readily but his eyes widened in shock as he heard the words she expected him to relay.

“You bastard, I am just one step away from chopping off that abomination between your legs, it seems to be the very reason you won’t leave me alone, show your face to me again and I won’t hesitate.”

“Uhm…” The guard swallowed nervously. For some reason, this woman in front of him looked and sounded really scary.

“Did you get that word for word?” She asked in a more gentler tone than the harsh way she had spewed such a savage threat.

“Yes ma’am.” The guard nodded quickly.

“Good.”

He quickly stepped aside for her to leave, fearing if he barred her way one more time she might send him to a hospital just from hitting him with that bag.

Celine had just entered the restaurant when her phone beeped with an incoming message.

She glanced down.

It was from Natalia.

Hi Celine, I’m sorry, I can’t make it today. Something came up. We’ll meet another time, okay? Kisses!

Celine sighed softly.

So Natalia had canceled after all.

Her suspicion deepened. Natalia was always bubbly, at least most of the time, the rare times she got serious was when circumstances required her to be. Celine knew naturally that her personality was just a way to hide the things she didn’t want to show. Natalia had been through so much in the past, so much she grew from, broke free from and decided to live her life.

Celine feared that her suddenly pulling away was a result of the demons from her past surfacing again.

One thing was certain, something was definitely wrong.

But if Natalia would not talk, then perhaps Celine would have to go find her herself later…

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