Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother novel Chapter 301

Chapter 301: How Did She Get Married?

When she was finally tired of crying and had calmed down, Justin offered her the water bottle he had brought. Natalie took a few sips, trying to steady her mind as she sat in silence, lost in memories of the past.

"I used to come here with my mother when I was a kid," she said at last. "This is the only place that hasn’t changed—neither in its view nor in the way it makes me feel. After she left me, I would always come here whenever I was hurt, felt like I had nowhere to go, or thought no one could understand me. This place has always been my comfort."

"It is indeed comforting," Justin replied, gazing at the sky. "But I want you to know that this doesn’t have to be the only place where you find comfort or feel less lonely. I’m here to take care of you when you’re hurt. I’ll be the one you can always come to, the one who will always try to understand you. I can be your comfort. And I’ll never let you feel lonely. Just like this place, I won’t ever change—I’ll always remain the same for you. I give you my word."

Natalie looked at him, and he met her gaze. "I mean it, Natalie."

Not knowing what to say, she stared at him for a while as if grappling her thoughts and finally said, "I warn you, my limits of handling betrayal and heartbreak is entirely over."

"I’ll keep that in mind," he replied, removing his coat and draping it over her shoulders. "The air is getting cold."

Natalie didn’t refuse. They sat there for a long time, letting the peace of the place surround them.

"Don’t you have work to do?" she asked, still looking ahead.

"I’m doing the most important work right now," he replied, following her gaze toward the horizon.

A light smile finally appeared on her lips. "Am I a ’work’ for you?"

"You’re everything to me," he answered smoothly.

Natalie didn’t know how to respond to his words. She stayed quiet, her smile lingering. No one had ever made her feel this special and important the way Justin always did and that too in the most simple way.

They headed home together, and Justin made sure to stay by her side. He personally cooked a meal for her, and they had dinner together.

As they went on stroll after dinner, Justin asked as he caressed her hand he was holding, "Are you feeling alright now?"

Natalie hummed replied as they continued the walk, "Now I don’t feel guilty about what happened on my wedding day. I’m glad I didn’t marry him."

"Good."

Natalie looked up at him and asked, "I still don’t fully understand how I ended up marrying you."

"Hmm, let me guess and explain how and why it happened," Justin began. "About a year and a half ago, my twin brother, the other Aiden, came to Imperial City to get your blood sample to check if you were a match as a bone marrow donor for your mother. He had to do it without letting you know anything. But while he was here, he overheard your grandpa and Ivan talking about your upcoming marriage. He learned that Ivan was marrying you for his own selfish reasons.

"My twin brother was raised by your mother, so he values her deeply. He couldn’t stand the thought of her daughter marrying someone like Ivan, so he devised a plan. He needed someone to register your marriage with. He could have used his own name—Aiden Shaw—but he realized that if you searched for him later, you might find him and, through him, your would reach mother as well which he didn’t want it to happen. He needed a safer option, someone you couldn’t easily trace and who wouldn’t harm you either.

"I don’t know why he had an ID with the name Aiden Handrix, but he used it to register your marriage. He didn’t expect the real Aiden Handrix to still be alive. As for how he managed to take you to the registry bureau and how you willingly signed the papers—that’s still a mystery. Only he can explain that part."

"Maybe he fed me some kind of drug..." Natalie speculated.

"That’s highly possible since you have no recollection of what you did that day," Justin added. "If you were drugged—or even hypnotized, for that matter—he’s skilled enough to take you away without anyone noticing."

"For whatever reason or method he used, I’ll always be thankful to him," Natalie replied. "Can I meet him?"

Hearing her questions, Justin paused, bound by the promise he once made to James Harper. "Natalie, what if I say I don’t want to talk about it yet?" _{freewebnovel.cσ๓}