Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie) novel Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Go and Apologize**

**Landon’s POV:**

A deep furrow creased my brow as I absorbed Natalie’s words; they resonated sharply in my ears, like the clang of a bell tolling a warning.

“Right now, my head is full of how to save the Richardson Group’s projects. But the family just keeps pulling me back,” she continued, her tone unnervingly composed, as though she had steeled herself against the storm brewing around us.

Then, with a precision that felt like a physical blow, she delivered a statement that left me momentarily speechless. “How about this? You tell Grace I’ll resign from the Richardson Group. I’ll focus solely on preparing Anna’s nursing meals at home. After all, my efforts seem pointless anyway.”

“Are you out of your mind?” I exclaimed, my voice rising in disbelief. “Resign now? What about the Richardson Group? We can’t afford to lose you!”

“Then you decide,” she replied, her voice flat and devoid of emotion, as if she were discussing the weather rather than her career. “Either Grace and Anna apologize to me and promise not to interfere with my work again, or I become a full-time nanny, and the Richardson Group has nothing to do with me.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. She paused, letting the weight of her ultimatum settle in. “Landon, make a choice. Do you want me to stabilize the Richardson Group and negotiate life-or-death projects? Or do you want me to cater to your sister’s lactation whims?”

A silence so profound enveloped the conversation that I could almost hear my heart pounding in my chest. I understood, in that moment, that Natalie was not jesting. Without her, the tangled mess at the Richardson Group would remain unsolved, a ship lost at sea.

“Natalie, my mother and Anna…” I attempted to placate her, but she cut me off with a calmness that felt like ice.

“No explanations needed. I just need them to understand. I’m here to work, not to be a nanny. If I don’t get that assurance, there’s no point in wasting my energy.”

In that instant, I realized the Natalie who once acquiesced to my every whim was gone, replaced by a woman who demanded respect and recognition. She was no longer a pawn in the family game; she had become a queen.

Yet, I knew my mother’s temper was as fierce as a raging storm, and Anna, well, she was spoiled and headstrong. Convincing them to apologize to Natalie would surely unleash a tempest within our already fragile family dynamics.

“Natalie, you know how my mother is. Making her apologize…” I gritted my teeth, stalling for time. The Richardson Group was my top priority, and I needed to navigate this treacherous path carefully.

“Landon, for my sake, and for the Richardson Group, I hope you will consider this carefully and seriously.” With that, she hung up, her decision final, her phone going dark in my hands like a door slamming shut.

I dialed her number again, desperation creeping into my heart, but the call wouldn’t connect. Frustration bubbled inside me, and I yanked at my tie, loosening it as if that could relieve the pressure building in my chest. Anger surged like a wildfire, consuming my thoughts. Aaliyah was right; I had spoiled Natalie, and how dare she act out at such a critical moment?

Blinded by my fury, I ceased the search for Natalie. I refused to accept the notion that I couldn’t push the Richardson Group’s IPO forward without her.

**Natalie’s POV:**

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