Echoes of a Forsaken Heart (Natalia and Hamilton)

Hamilton scoffed and let her go.

Natalia glared at him, "Hamilton, are you out of your mind, lurking by my bed in the middle of the night! Get out, and give me back my room key!" Hamilton chuckled, "You gave it to me, it's mine now!"

He then pulled another key card from his pocket, "This is for my room. To make it fair, let's swap. If you can't sleep here, feel free to crash at mine." Natalia, fuming, grabbed the key card and threw it at his face.

"Get lost!"

Hamilton didn't plan on overstaying his welcome anyway. He just wanted to check on her.

Seeing she was alright somewhat eased his mind.

He wrapped her in a tight embrace and whispered, "Natalia, sweet dreams tonight."

Then, without waiting for her to react, he let her go.

Natalia watched him leave, her feelings a jumbled mess.

After two days of hustle, the summit kicked off right on schedule.

Natalia moved through the crowd, making sure everything was running smoothly.

Collin watched her with a smile that never faded.

Hamilton couldn't get into the venue, but he still managed to catch glimpses of Natalia through the live broadcast.

Looking at her on screen, he realized for the first time how stunning Natalia truly was.

She seemed to belong there, shining like a beacon.

Yet, for some reason, his heart sank.

The more exceptional she became, the further she seemed from his reach.

Her independence only seemed to grow with her achievements.

At that moment, Hamilton found himself wishing she wasn't so outstanding.

But now, even if he wanted to, he no longer had any right to hold her back.

The summit ended with a surprise: a translator became an overnight sensation, trending across social media.

The celebration dinner hosted by the Foreign Affairs Department was the next big event.

Natalia initially resisted going.

But Collin insisted, and she reluctantly agreed.

What she hadn't anticipated was Hamilton, that infuriating man, showing up.

Hamilton entered alongside Dawson.

The moment he stepped in, his eyes found Natalia.

Natalia averted her gaze after a brief eye contact.

She was mingling, wine in hand, greeting people who came up to her.

Ryan approached her, "Natalia, congratulations."

She raised her glass to his, "I should be thanking you, Ryan. Without your help, who knows how long it would've taken me to get back on track." Ryan's smile held a touch of bitterness, "Gold will always find a way to shine. Even without me, you'd have made it back."

He paused, then added, "Natalia, I've agreed to start dating, arranged by my family."

Natalia was taken aback, but after a moment, she said, "Ryan, you'll find someone even better."

Ryan nodded, "I hope so."

After a pause, he asked, "Would you dance with me later? As a way to say goodbye."

Natalia agreed, but before she could take a step towards the dance floor, Hamilton swept her into his arms and into the throng of dancers. Natalia's face flushed with anger.

"Hamilton, what are you doing!"

"Dancing. Isn't it obvious?" Hamilton retorted, his gaze intense.

Furious, Natalia stepped hard on his foot.

Hamilton winced, his grip on her waist tightening.

"Natalia, try that again!"

She obliged, stomping once more, causing his face to pale.

"How can you be so heartless!" he hissed.

Natalia shot back, "And how can you be so shameless!"

Silence fell for a moment before Hamilton spoke, "If I had a bit more shame, would you have danced with Ryan?"

Natalia's lips tightened, "Who I dance with is my choice!"

With that, she tried to leave, but Hamilton's hold on her waist remained firm.

"Natalia, please don't dance with him."

His eyes were a mix of emotions hard to decipher. "Just don't dance with him, okay?"

Natalia bit her lip, eventually stating, "I'll dance with whoever I want."

With those words, she walked away.

Hamilton's face darkened as he watched her leave.

Natalia returned to Ryan, apologizing.

Ryan, though disappointed, simply sighed.

Despite drinking little, the continuous toasts soon left Natalia feeling dizzy.

She excused herself to the restroom to splash some water on her face, hoping to clear her head.

But as she was about to leave, Thalia barged in with a man carrying a camera.

They locked the door behind them, trapping Natalia.

Panic surged through her as she reached for her phone, only for the man to knock it away.

"What are you doing, Thalia?" Natalia demanded, fear lacing her voice.

A malicious glint flickered in Thalia's eyes.

She sneered, "What's up? Natalia, you got Eveleen locked up in the loony bin, and now it's your turn to get a taste of your own medicine!"

Natalia's face turned even grimmer at Thalia's words.

"Thalia, you better get your facts straight. Eveleen got what she deserved!"

"Bullshit!" Thalia was fuming. "It's all because of you, you witch. If it weren't for you, Mr. Fowler would've never treated Eveleen like that! And Ronin, he would still be talking to me if it wasn't for your meddling!"

With that, she waved at the man next to her, "Go on, strip her down! Let's take a few snaps and see if Mr. Fowler still wants this tramp!"

Natalia backed away, frantically searching for something she could use to defend herself.

"Thalia, we're in the Foreign Affairs Department!"

But Thalia just sneered, "So what if we're at the Foreign Affairs Department? Don't tell me you forgot my grandma was the former Secretary of State? Even Mr. Dawson treats me like his own daughter. Natalia, do you really think you're something special here?" With a glare at the man next to her, she barked, "Hurry up, what are you waiting for?"

The man, not daring to hesitate, advanced towards Natalia.

Natalia grabbed a mop nearby and swung it at the man.

But her feeble attempt was laughable in front of him.

He grabbed her in one swift motion.

Natalia screamed, but at that moment, the bathroom door was kicked open.

Hamilton stood at the doorway, his eyes blazing with fury.

He stormed over and punched the man in the face.

"You think you can touch what's mine?"

The man, reeling from the punch, somehow pulled out a switchblade and lunged at Hamilton.

Hamilton dodged, but not completely.

The blade grazed his arm, drawing blood instantly.

Natalia's face went pale.

"Hamilton!"