Deceiving Her Ears: Ignoring Your Call-Chapter 73: It’s Over!

Franklin Finch looked up and saw Isaac Vaughn. Instantly, he started bouncing around. "Isaac! Hurry up and tell them to let me in!"

Isaac Vaughn: "..."

"Surprise!" Once in front of Isaac, Franklin warmly gave him a hug, but got pushed away in disgust.

"Bro, just tell me—aren’t you moved? I went over mountains and rivers to come see you!"

Isaac Vaughn gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Franklin pushed him inside as he walked, asking, "Where is she? Where is she?"

Suddenly, Franklin went silent.

A few meters away, he saw Natalie Kendall walk out from the dining room.

Expressionless, a cold beauty like an ice sculpture.

It really was Natalie Kendall!

"Are... are you okay?" Franklin looked Natalie up and down. "That accident scene was so awful..."

"What accident scene?" Natalie frowned.

Isaac’s expression changed. He immediately pulled Franklin off to the side.

After listening to what he’d said.

Franklin was shocked. "Amnesia? You mean that kind they have in TV dramas? Isn’t that stuff all made up? It happens for real? Damn!"

"So stop mentioning the accident to her. Better yet, just don’t talk to her at all. Otherwise you’ll just say something you shouldn’t again."

Isaac didn’t bother to hide the annoyance in his tone.

Franklin pouted, angrily making a zipping gesture across his lips. "All right, all right!"

Isaac still had things to handle at work and couldn’t stay.

Before leaving, he squeezed Natalie’s hand, glanced at Franklin over by the couch, and told her:

"He has problems—talks nonsense. Don’t pay him any mind. If you don’t want to come down for lunch, I’ll have them bring it to your room, but you have to eat, okay?"

Natalie nodded expressionlessly.

Isaac’s lips curled; he kissed her forehead, then turned to leave.

Franklin slouched on the couch playing with his phone, when he suddenly sensed someone beside him.

He looked up and saw Natalie.

Natalie’s gaze landed on the phone in his hand.

Franklin remembered Isaac’s warning not to talk to her, so he opened his mouth, but in the end didn’t say anything and bowed his head, continuing to play with his phone.

But Natalie didn’t leave, just stood there watching him.

Even without looking up, Franklin could feel her gaze, and it made his skin crawl.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He asked, "Can I help you?"

Natalie said, "I don’t have a phone."

Franklin let out an "ah?"—looking confused.

Natalie: "Can I borrow your phone to make a call?"

Franklin answered without thinking, "No."

This place was remote as hell, and there were people stationed outside in the yard.

Anyone with half a brain could tell what was going on here.

Even though he didn’t agree with Isaac’s crazy habit of keeping people locked up, he was sure there was a reason for it.

No way he was going to make trouble for his bro.

"I just want to call home, let them know I’m safe. They’re probably worried about me."

Natalie could have just called the cops directly.

But considering the other person was Isaac Vaughn...

She just wanted to leave here.

She didn’t want Isaac getting investigated and taken away by the police.

So her plan was to ask her family for help.

Franklin recalled that for a while back, the Beckett family really had been looking for her everywhere.

Then for some reason, they suddenly stopped searching.

But surely her family still wanted to know for sure she was safe.

Seeing Franklin start to waver, Natalie pressed her advantage: "I’ll call right here, you can listen in. I’m only letting them know I’m safe, I don’t want them to worry. Is that okay?"

In Franklin’s eyes, Natalie was always cold and aloof, a flower on a lofty peak.

Her lowering herself like this to ask him—he really couldn’t bring himself to refuse again.

Besides, she said it was just to let them know she’s safe.

Franklin thought about his own family—if something happened to him, wouldn’t his parents be worried sick?

Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Gritting his teeth, he handed the phone to Natalie. "Fine, go on then, let them know you’re safe."

"Thank you."

Natalie took the phone, kept her promise, and right in front of Franklin, dialed a number she knew by heart.

She’d meant to call her father, Matthew Beckett.

But as she finished the last digit, she suddenly realized the number she’d dialed wasn’t her father’s—it was her mother’s, Cynthia Kendall’s.

She froze for a second.

But her finger had already pressed "call" out of habit.

Well, now that it was done...

Natalie exhaled, holding the phone to her ear.

Time passed—

Just as she thought her mother wouldn’t pick up and she was about to give up, the call finally connected.

Cynthia Kendall’s chilly female voice came through the line.

"Hello? Who is this?"

Natalie instinctively gripped the phone tighter.

"Hello, Mom. It’s me."

As soon as she spoke, she heard Cynthia’s breathing turn suddenly heavier.

"Who—who did you say you are?"

"Mom, it’s me. Mom, can you tell Dad for me..."

Before Natalie could finish, Cynthia’s sharp voice cut her off: "You’re not dead? You’re still not dead?"

"What..."

Natalie stared, stunned.

Cynthia was yelling so loudly her voice leaked out—Franklin could hear it too.

He felt something was very wrong, and quickly tried to take the phone back from Natalie.

He meant to hang up, but in his panic hit the wrong button—putting it on speaker instead.

The next second, Cynthia Kendall’s crazed, cold voice rang out through the living room:

"You still aren’t dead? I should have been crueler! You little bastard! You should die!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!"

Franklin’s face turned green with panic.

He stabbed frantically at the screen.

Finally managed to hang up.

He gulped air, turning to look at Natalie.

She was as pale as paper.

Shit.

He’d made a mistake, a huge one!

"Uhh..."

Franklin’s mouth was dry. He was thinking maybe he should try to say something comforting, but before he could, Natalie just turned and quietly went upstairs.

——

Isaac Vaughn hadn’t felt at ease about leaving Franklin and Natalie alone at the house.

He rushed through the company matters he had to deal with that day, then immediately drove back.

Stopped at a red light, he got a message from Franklin, saying he’d bought a plane ticket to go home and was now on his way to the airport.

Isaac’s first thought was that Franklin had messed something up!

His face instantly darkened—he dialed Franklin’s number.

But Franklin declined the call, wouldn’t answer.

He was definitely too scared to pick up.

Isaac’s eyes went cold.

The light changed, and he floored the gas; the car shot off like an arrow.

Half an hour later—

He strode up to the second floor and pushed open the door.

Natalie was there like that first day, sitting quietly on the bed hugging her knees.

Isaac walked over, stood by the bed, and called her: "Little Ear."

Natalie heard him, and looked over, turning her face his way.

The corners of her eyes were a little red.

No telling if she was about to cry, or had just finished crying.

"Did Franklin go running his mouth again? Should I drag him back here so you can hit him?"

Natalie shook her head.

"Isaac, I think I’ve forgotten something."

Isaac felt a sudden ache in his chest, making it hard to breathe for a moment.

"The thing I forgot... it must be something really bad, right? Is that why you brought me here?"