Chapter 11 No Signature Without a Meeting Jackson's face darkened as he stared at his son , the pressure in the room dropping to an oppressive low . She had changed completely since her release from prison . A sudden surge of resentment swelled in his chest . It all stemmed from the way that woman had changed . 38 Finished Maybe she didn't love him that much anymore . Or maybe , just maybe , everything had slipped out of his control . " Absurd ! Natalie's already filing for divorce , and you still have the nerve to say something so callous ? " A hoarse , aged voice came from the stairs . With Stella at his side , Gabriel slowly descended . When he reached them , his expression turned even darker . " Grandpa , I'm just telling the truth ! She came out of prison and immediately asked me for a divorce . But a woman like her - where could she possibly go if she left me ? " Jackson's voice was heavy . " You look down on Natalie ? " Gabriel snapped , " She can handle guests and manage a household . She even hand - sewed most of the child's clothes those early years and kept this house in perfect order . She's been an outstanding wife . Jackson , what exactly are you dissatisfied with ? " Jackson was left speechless . Victoria , sitting on the side , didn't dare say a word . " She's more than good enough for you . You didn't cherish her . And to make it worse , you never even looked into the case back then - you just testified against her . You and your father worked together to send her to prison . Of course she feels wronged . That's why she wants a divorce . " Victoria looked up with a wounded expression . " Mr. Gabriel , are you saying this is all my fault ? " " She'll dig into the truth eventually . Don't say I'm taking sides . The innocent don't need to explain themselves . I believe in Natalie's character . " Gabriel's stance was crystal clear . 1/4 19:32 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 11 No Signature Without a Meeting " Dad , calm down ... " Stella stood nearby , anxious . 、 ( 38 ) Finished She had brought them back to smooth things over with the old man , not to poke the hornet's nest . " She may have saved your life once , but people change . You saw what happened today - she even laid hands on the child . Who knows what else she's capable of ? " " And that sauce - Victoria handled it too . Why are you so sure it wasn't her doing ? " Gabriel raised his sandalwood cane and slammed it hard against the floor . The loud thud silenced everyone in the room . The grievance in Victoria's eyes vanished in an instant . The flicker of panic and unease in her expression didn't escape the old man's gaze . " Grandpa , we should rely on evidence . Without proof- " " Oh , but when you accused Natalie , where was the evidence then ? You didn't ask me for proof when I told you it was her . But now suddenly you care about evidence ? " Gabriel's grip on the cane tightened . " The mighty president of Collins Group , so selfish . Don't be surprised if someone catches you slipping one day ." " Dad , enough . " Stella shot her grandson Aiden a look . " Aiden's not feeling well today . Let's not say such heavy things in front of the child - you'll scare him . " Aiden caught his grandmother's signal right away . He climbed down from the couch and walked over to Gabriel . " Grandpa , don't be mad . If you keep getting mad , your beard's gonna grow longer and longer ... " The boy's innocent comment softened Gabriel's mood . He looked down at the child . " Leave him here tonight . Let his grandma take care of him . No need to drag him around so late . You two - go . " Jackson opened his mouth but said nothing . " And another thing ... " Gabriel stood up and fixed his gaze on Jackson . " I heard Natalie didn't return to Clear Estate . Go bring her back . If she doesn't come home , I'll throw you out . " With that , the old man took the boy's hand and headed upstairs . 2/4 19:32 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 11 No Signature Without a Meeting Aiden glanced back at his father but didn't dare say a word . 38 Finished After returning home , Natalie took a shower and lay down in bed . Her temperature had started to drop , and the dizziness was fading . When she turned over and saw her bag on the nightstand , she reached in and pulled out a high - quality piece of paper , then laid back down , holding it up to the light . A sleek black business card . Marcus . President of Anderson Corp. The second her eyes landed on those words , her lashes fluttered . Among the entire Collins family , the most powerful man was him . She grabbed her phone and saved his number from memory . She might not need it now - but someday , who knew ? Just as she finished saving the contact , an unfamiliar number lit up her screen . She recognized it instantly . It was Jackson . After getting out , she'd bought a new SIM card . But if he wanted her number , it wasn't hard for him to find . She hesitated but answered the call . His low voice came through . " I don't care where you are . You better be back at Clear Estate tomorrow . " Natalie's mind was still echoing with the words she'd overheard in Marcus's study . Every insult was like a thorn , piercing her skin and embedding deep into her chest . But she didn't feel pain - just a bitter kind of amusement . Her voice was ice - cold . " Mr. Jackson , did you have a little too much to drink tonight ? I announced the divorce in front of everyone , and you still expect me to come back to Clear 3/4 19:32 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 11 No Signature Without a Meeting Estate tomorrow ? Did I not speak clearly enough , or are you just hard of hearing ? " Jackson went silent . ZA ( 38 ) Finished If Natalie didn't come back tomorrow , Grandpa would probably kick him out the day after . Natalie didn't know that , though . " We'll discuss the divorce when you're back . I'll be waiting at home tomorrow evening . You'd better give me a satisfying answer . Otherwise , I won't sign so easily . " " What's there to discuss ? " Natalie's grip on her phone tightened . The divorce was a done deal . For the past three years in prison , her one goal had been to get away from him . Now that he was pulling this stunt , it had caught her off guard . " If you want my signature , you'd better come back . If I don't see you , I'm not afraid to drag this out forever . " Before she could respond , Jackson hung up . Natalie frowned deeply . She stared at the darkened screen , her frustration rising . He was the one who couldn't let go . And now he was the one refusing to sign ? She suddenly couldn't figure out what this man really wanted anymore . Ding- A message popped up on her screen . It was from her best friend , Lucy . " Your line was busy . I need to talk to you urgently . Text me back as soon as you see this . " Send Gifts 20