Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother novel Chapter 171

Chapter 171: Angry Like Volcano

Justin remained unfazed, his tone calm and measured. "As long as my wife accepts me, I don’t care about anyone else’s approval." His gaze didn’t waver as he added, "And certainly not from someone she clearly dislikes."

Sephina scoffed, her disdain evident. She turned to Albert with a mocking grin. "Did you hear how he talks? And you expect me to welcome him into our family."

Albert’s frown deepened. "Sephina, watch your words. This is Natalie’s husband—how can you..."

Before Albert could finish, the door opened, and Natalie stepped inside, her gaze steely. "What my husband is or isn’t isn’t any of your concern, Grandma."

Sephina’s lips curled into a cold smile. "I wouldn’t concern myself if your grandfather wasn’t so stubborn about you." She turned back to Albert. "Clara has arranged a small gathering for our anniversary—just close friends and family. Naturally, they’re invited too."

"There’s no need to celebrate," Albert said flatly. "Neither I nor they will be attending."

Sephina rose from her seat, her eyes narrowing. "What are you afraid of? That our relatives will see the kind of man your granddaughter married?"

Albert’s expression didn’t change. "That’s the last thing I’d ever worry about."

"I’m not here to argue with you." Sephina’s tone remained cold but steady. "If you insist on keeping her in the family, then she and her husband will attend. If they don’t, it’ll be clear where they stand." She turned her sharp gaze to Natalie. "Let your husband see what kind of family he’s tied to. Maybe after that, he’ll learn some manners."

She stepped toward the door but paused, adding with a sneer, "You’ll receive the invitation soon. No need to bring anything—you can’t afford anything good, and I won’t accept anything cheap."

With that, Sephina left the room to talk to the doctor, her presence lingering like a bitter aftertaste.

Albert turned to Natalie, his eyes filled with regret. "Don’t take her words to heart, my dear. You don’t have to go. They’ll only use it as an excuse to humiliate you."

"Don’t worry, Grandpa," Natalie said softly. "We’ll be there."

"Are you sure?" Albert asked, concern creasing his brow.

Natalie nodded and turned to Justin. "Is that okay with you?"

Justin met her gaze calmly, his expression unreadable. "Whatever you decide."

As they left the hospital, Natalie broke the silence. "Are you sure you want to go to the Fords’ event?"

Justin gave her a sidelong glance. "Are you worried they’ll try to humiliate me?"

She scoffed lightly. "That’s the last thing I’m worried about. No one can outdo you when it comes to humiliating someone."

Justin smirked. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

As they reached the car, Natalie asked, which she had been wondering for a while now. "When will John return to work?"

"Never," Justin replied casually.

Natalie froze, staring at him in disbelief. "What do you mean, never?"

Without a trace of concern, Justin answered, "Exactly what it means."

An uneasy feeling began to creep into Natalie’s heart. "Justin... what exactly did you do to him? I haven’t been able to contact him—his phone is off."

"You don’t need to know," Justin replied calmly, his expression unreadable. "Ryan will—"

"I want John, or no one," Natalie snapped, cutting him off, her voice sharp with frustration. "You might not care about him, but I do. I haven’t even thanked him properly for protecting me that day. If you insist on assigning someone to stay by my side, it has to be him."

"That’s not possible," Justin said flatly, as if the matter was already closed.

Natalie’s anger flared, her eyes glinting with fury. "I’m not obligated to obey you, Justin!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "If you’ve killed him, you’d better bring him back to life and send him to me! I want John or no one—got it? And if you can’t make that happen, you can go to hell."

She turned sharply toward Ryan, who stood silently nearby. "And don’t you dare follow me. If you do, you’ll find out exactly what I’m capable of."

Inside the Car

Noah continued, "He’s not ordinary. In fact, he seems well aware of our actions. It’s almost as if he wants us to find him—he isn’t even trying to hide."

In another country.