Chapter 29 A Place to Call Home Finished Though it was her first time meeting the child , Natalie could tell from Lily's reactions that she'd been mistreated - likely by both her father and the people around her . Poor kid . She couldn't help but think of herself . When you're weak , no one respects you . They don't just look down on you - they spit on you , tear you apart with words , or even fists . And it didn't only happen to her in prison . Natalie reached out and gently pulled Lily into her arms . " I won't hit you . You don't need to be afraid ." " Okay , " Lily said firmly . " As long as you don't hit me and give me something to eat , I'll you ." Natalie held her hand and walked her straight to the director's office . She explained everything and began the adoption paperwork . go with Because she was a close friend of the child's mother and had all the necessary documentation , the process wasn't complicated . By the afternoon , everything had been settled . The director even had Lily washed up and dressed in new clothes , then personally walked her out . " Ms. Natalie , this child is very well - behaved and easy to care for . I hope you both get along well . " " We will . Thank you , Director ." Natalie held Lily's hand as they left the orphanage , glancing around to make sure no one was watching them . Only after confirming there were no eyes on them did she let Lily into the car . That evening , Lucy came by to welcome Lily to her new home . Natalie made dinner herself , unsure what Lily liked to eat , so she prepared the same dishes Aiden had always loved . 1/3 19:37 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 29 A Place to Call Home After all , kids usually liked the same kinds of things . Finished After dinner , they all sat on the couch chatting . The mood was light and warm . Lily was still a little shy and somewhat withdrawn - she didn't talk much . But with some gentle guidance , she started to slowly open up . Once Lily had gone to bed , Natalie and Lucy sat on the balcony with a glass of wine . The summer breeze lifted the strands of hair at Natalie's temples . Just then , Lucy pulled out her phone . A message popped up , and she froze . " Gabriel's been hospitalized ? Did you know about this ? " Natalie's brows furrowed . She hadn't heard a word about it . Lucy quickly handed her the phone . Natalie looked down . Gabriel had experienced chest tightness the previous night and had been rushed to the hospital . His condition had stabilized , but he was still admitted for observation . Something that serious - and not a single person in the Collins family had told her . Marcus not telling her made sense . Their relationship wasn't close enough for that . But Jackson and Stella ? They hadn't said a thing either . It was clear - they had never truly seen her as one of their own . " So what are you going to do ? " Lucy asked gently . " Are you going to see him ? " The question broke Natalie out of her thoughts . She turned and met Lucy's curious gaze . Natalie was highly skilled in traditional medicine - a discipline she'd learned from her grandfather , who was not only a renowned scholar but also an exceptional doctor . Since she was seven , she'd studied herbs and acupuncture under him and had developed deep expertise . She had a decent understanding of Gabriel's health as well . 2/3 19:37 Fri , Sep 19 Chapter 29 A Place to Call Home : She'd even performed acupuncture for him before . " I'll ค . 0 Finished go see him tomorrow , " she said quietly . " He's the only one in the Collins family who ever treated me kindly ." " Good . It's the weekend , so I'm off . I'll watch Lily for you . " " Thanks , Lucy , " At that same moment , in the hospital parking lot . Marcus got into his car . From the front seat , James spoke up . " Mr. Marcus , I spoke with the attending doctor about the old man's condition . He says conventional treatment is the best route for now . But he also mentioned a specialist - if we can find her , she might be able to significantly improve his condition . " " Who ? " Marcus tightened his grip on his phone and looked up toward the driver's seat . " A female doctor named Claudia . Apparently , her mentor was an incredible healer , but their name never spread through traditional medical circles . Probably because they retired years ago -or maybe they've already passed on . But Claudia is known as their last student ." Send Gifts 20 .. 3/3