Chapter 12 Searching the Orphanage Natalie blinked twice , her lashes fluttering uncontrollably as she read the message . It probably meant that the inmate's daughter had finally found a lead . She quickly dialed Lucy's number and held the phone to her ear . The call connected . Lucy's voice came through . " Finally ! I've been trying to reach you ... " " Did you find something about Lily ? " 38 Finished " We dug up some basic info . Apparently , she was placed in an orphanage three years ago . We don't know which one yet , but the most likely are Love Orphanage and Cinder Orphanage- they're the closest to her home . " " Is the info solid ? " Lucy hesitated . " I can't say for sure . It's just what we found in the initial search . I've got an important meeting tomorrow , so I probably won't be able to check either place until the day after . " " I'll go ask around tomorrow . " " Alright . If you find anything , let me know ." " Okay . " She ended the call and placed the phone on her nightstand , setting it on top of the black business card . She glanced at it briefly , then lay back down and pulled the covers over herself . Natalie had planned to visit the orphanages in the morning , but when she woke up still feeling drained , she decided to wait until the afternoon . The two orphanages were far apart . After checking the first one , the director told her they didn't have a child by that name . So she made her way to the second one - Cinder Orphanage . When she arrived , she met with the director . " She stayed with us for a year ," the director said , " but her biological father came and took her away . After that , we didn't hear anything more . Her records were deleted as well . " 19:32 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 12 Searching the Orphanage The words hit Natalie like a blow to the chest . : 38 Finished Cindy , the inmate on death row , had once saved her life . Her daughter's father was said to be a gambler who constantly mistreated her . Cindy had placed the child in the orphanage before going to prison , hoping she'd have a better life and escape from him . But now Lily had been taken back . As she left the orphanage , Natalie decided to update Lucy and ask her to help track down Lily's father . He was the only link left . She pulled out her phone , but a deep voice suddenly came from behind . " I told you to go home ." Natalie turned around quickly . Her brows knit at the sight of the man walking toward her . Jackson . Her expression tightened , wariness flashing in her eyes . " How did you know I was here ? " " I told you to come home today . Why didn't you ? What are you doing in a dump like an orphanage ? " Jackson strode over and grabbed her wrist , trying to pull her toward the street . A familiar black Cullinan was parked nearby . His car . Natalie's voice dropped . " Jackson , are you following me ? " She resisted and stopped walking . Looking up at him , her eyes were ice cold . " If you'd just gone home like I asked , I wouldn't have had to assign someone to tail you . " Natalie looked around in disbelief . She scanned left and right but didn't see anyone suspicious . " Why are you going to so much trouble to drag me back to Clear Estate ? " She yanked her arm free . " I already told you I want a divorce . Why are you still making this difficult ? " " If you don't come back today , Grandpa's going to kick both me and Aiden out tomorrow . " He suddenly stepped closer , staring down at her beautiful face . " I'm not going to let you destroy 2/5 19:32 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 12 Searching the Orphanage this family with your own hands . " So that was it . It was Grandpa who was blocking the divorce . Z " ) ' Finished No wonder Jackson had called in the middle of the night , begging her to come home no matter what . And no wonder he said something as ridiculous as refusing to sign if she didn't return . Before Natalie could react , Jackson suddenly bent down and hoisted her over his shoulder . The world tilted beneath her . Instinctively , she grabbed at the back of his suit for balance . Once steady , she pounded on his back . " Jackson , put me down ! " He ignored her and carried her across the street . The car door opened , and he shoved her into the back seat . He looked up and told his assistant , " Drive . " " Yes , Mr. Jackson . " As the car started to move , Natalie tried to open the door to get out . But Jackson grabbed her wrist again , firmly holding her in place . She didn't know why , but she just couldn't bring herself to go back to Clear Estate . That house had been their marital home - the place where the three of them had lived together for years . And it was there that Victoria had ruined her life . Just the thought of it made her want to stay far away . If she could , she'd never set foot in that place again . " Let go ." Natalie glared at him , her eyes ice cold . " Just sit still . I'm not going to hurt you . As long as Grandpa stays calm , we can talk about everything ." But his grip on her wrist only tightened . 3/5 19:32 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 12 Searching the Orphanage She winced slightly from the pain . : Now that she knew his real reason for forcing her back , a fire rose inside her . Without thinking , Natalie grabbed his hand and bit down hard . She poured all her anger and frustration into that bite . Jackson grunted and furrowed his brows . 38 Finished He let go and glanced down at his wrist . A deep bite mark had been left behind - almost to the point of bleeding . His chest heaved with rage . In his memory , Natalie had always been gentle . She'd never even spoken harshly to him before , let alone bitten him . " Are you a damn dog ? " " I am , actually ," Natalie said with a cold smirk . " Mr. Jackson , I guess you've been too busy with other women to remember that . " Jackson let out a laugh of disbelief . Natalie ignored him and turned to face the window . The car was already moving . There was no getting out now . On the way back to Clear Estate , her thoughts ran wild . She had taken this road countless times . Every trip had been filled with hope . In that house , she'd waited every day for her son to come home from school , for her husband to return from work . She'd given up her passions and career , cooking and cleaning for them with her own hands . And in the end , they'd thrown her in prison . Now , after everything , she was going back - and all she felt was emptiness . " Get out . " His low voice broke through her thoughts . Without even looking at him , Natalie got out of the car . 4/5 19:32 Fri , Sep 19 ... 38 Chapter 12 Searching the Orphanage Finished She looked up at the villa and garden she hadn't seen in three years , her heart sinking like a stone . Just then , Jackson grabbed her wrist again and dragged her toward the house . " Come inside . We need to talk face to face . " Send Gifts 20