When She Rose From the Ashes (Natalie and Jensen) novel Chapter 488

hapter 488 The Disk of Secrets

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Natalie was still worried, but Yvonne’s reassurance calmed her somewhat.

When they arrived back at the Stone villa, Waylon had yet to return. Zoey and Payne had already taken the two children away, leaving behind a note with an address. According to it, Mason wasn’t feeling well and needed to take his medication at home. The kids liked spending time with him, so Payne had brought them along to the Mateo estate.

Worried Natalie might be uneasy, Payne even had the children record a short video, which Zoey sent to her.

Seeing her kids smiling so brightly on camera made Natalie’s heart soften.

“Be good at Mr. Payne’s house, all right? Don’t run around or cause trouble. I’ll come pick you up later,” she reminded them gently.

“Okay, Mommy! We’ll call you after we’re done playing. Mr. Payne said you and Daddy are busy, so don’t worry! There’s lots of fun stuff here, Mommy–we’ll tell you all about it later!” Sean said before ending the call cheerfully.

Natalie didn’t know what was so fascinating about the Mateo estate, but since the kids were clearly happy, she relaxed a little.

Flynn told the servants to prepare some food and drinks and called the family doctor. Yvonne was injured, Ruby’s mental state was fragile, and he wanted to make sure both were looked after properly.

Natalie steadied herself and helped her mother to her room.

Ruby, surprisingly, was calm.

She patted Natalie’s hand and said, “Natalie, I know you’re worried about my condition. Don’t be. I already took my medication on the way back. I’m fine now. Let’s go check on Yvonne instead.”

“She’s your Uncle Xenon’s only child. And with that disk your uncle left behind, I want to know the truth about how you were switched at birth.”

Natalie felt the same curiosity burning inside her. Seeing that Ruby really did seem stable, she still hesitated. “Mom, let’s wait for the doctor to examine you first.”

Ruby didn’t argue.

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10:45 Sun, Oct 19

Chapter 488 The Disk of Secrets

96

+5 Free Coins

The family doctor arrived quickly, examined Yvonne’s wounds, then checked Ruby’s vitals. After confirming there was nothing serious, Natalie finally agreed to go with her mother to see

Yvonne.

But Yvonne wasn’t in her room–she was in Waylon’s study.

Flynn had dismissed all the servants. The air in the study was heavy and still.

Flynn looked at Yvonne and Ruby, drew in a deep breath, and said, “Should we wait for Dad before checking the disk?”

Natalie paused.

As head of the family, Waylon should technically be there. Opening the disk without him was bold–but she couldn’t shake the urgency gnawing at her. They didn’t know when Waylon would return, and if something happened in the meantime, they could lose their only chance.

She didn’t speak, but her silence said enough. Yvonne looked conflicted too, her gaze drifting to Ruby.

Ruby understood immediately. She wasn’t used to making decisions in the family–her husband and son usually handled everything, while she’d spent her years being protected and coddled. But now, both Natalie and Yvonne were looking at her with a mix of respect and expectation, waiting for her to decide.

The feeling stirred something in Ruby’s heart.

She looked gently at Natalie. “Natalie, what do you think? I’ll follow your lead.”

Natalie froze for a second. She was the youngest in the family, and she hadn’t been back with the Stones for long. Her mother’s words left her unsure, so she turned to Flynn.

He smiled. “Mom’s right. You can decide. Our family believes in democracy, not dictatorship. Even if Dad were here, he’d hear you out first. And since we don’t know when he’ll be back, if something happens in the meantime and we haven’t looked at the disk, we could lose an advantage.”

Hearing that, Natalie nodded slowly.

“All right. Since you both agree, I’ll say it. I think we should look. Things are too uncertain right now. We don’t know who that fake cop was, or whether he was after this disk—but the fact that he got inside with so many real officers around means he’s no ordinary man. Either his skills are exceptional, or the people behind him are.”

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