Chapter 2190
Andrew had no idea what the Langley family was planning at that moment. Then again, even if he did, he would not have cared.
Later, he and Natasha made their way to the Vostokoff residence on the outskirts of Terror Town.
The Vostokoff family was just a minor clan in the area with virtually no influence or reputation.
Natasha’s return was met with no welcome whatsoever. Instead, the family patriarch, Terrence Vostokoff, had an explosive reaction when he saw her.
“You worthless woman! After all these years, you’re still alive? Why did you come back? Do you want to drag the Vostokoffs into ruin by getting us killed by the Langleys?”
Terrence was Natasha’s own father, now well into his elderly years. As he cursed at her, he raised his hand to slap her across the face. Meanwhile, the rest of the Vostokoff family, including Natasha’s mother, just stood there watching with cold indifference.
“Dad, I…” Natasha’s eyes filled with tears as the words caught in her throat.
Even though she knew her family would not welcome her back, she never imagined it would be this brutal. After all, she had been away for years and had even secretly sent money home during that time.
Yet, instead of gratitude, she was being thrown out and verbally abused for her troubles.
Andrew could not stand watching this anymore and grabbed Terrence’s wrist mid-swing.
“W–Who are you? What do you think you’re doing?” Terrence stammered, trying to pull his hand free but finding it completely immobilized.
As Andrew applied pressure, Terrence could feel his wrist about to snap.
A young Vostokoff family member charged forward in rage, aiming a kick at Andrew’s head. However, Andrew did not even glance at the kid. With a casual backhand, he sent the hothead flying across the room before he could even get close.
“Back off! If anyone in the Vostokoff family dares to mistreat Natasha again, I won’t be so gentle next time.”
Andrew released Terrence and fixed the entire family with an ice-cold stare, making their blood run cold.
The Vostokoffs were all shocked and furious, some shouting questions, others showing disdain, but none of them dared to actually make a move.
Andrew turned to Natasha with frustration. “Let’s get out of here. If they don’t want you around, why bother coming back?”
Natasha gave a bitter smile through her tears. “This is still my home, no matter what. I can’t spend my whole life in the underground world or following you around forever. Besides this place, where else would I even go?”
Andrew’s anger flared at her resignation. “What are you afraid of? I can take care of you! One more person isn’t going to bankrupt me, is it?”
Natasha wiped away her tears and managed a sad smile, shaking her head. “Forget it. I can already see that there’s no future for us together. Chantelle and the others are younger than me, with more power and status… They’re the ones who really suit you.
“Darling, I’m just a widow. As your status and power keep growing, I’m realizing I’m getting further and further away from your world. I’m actually a very selfish person. At first, I just wanted to latch onto you for security and comfort in my later years.
“But then my feelings changed… I fell for you, so I couldn’t bring myself to just use you as a meal ticket. I’d rather see you happy and get everything you deserve. As long as I can see that, I’ll be content. That’s all I need.”
With that, she turned to face Terrence directly. “Dad, I’ll never come back here again. And don’t worry. I’ll handle the Langley family situation myself. Whatever Mrs. Langley Senior wants to do to me, I’ll accept it to make sure our family doesn’t get dragged into this mess.”
Terrence snarled back at her with venom. “You cursed woman! You should have done this from the beginning. I can’t understand why you even bothered coming back after staying away all these years.”
Natasha’s heart broke even more at his cruelty. She had come back because she missed home, and that was the real reason.
However, Terrence’s heartless words were like a knife stabbed into the softest part of her soul.
Andrew was seething with anger. He suddenly realized that he had been deliberately ignoring Natasha’s importance in his life all this time. He thought back to when they first met in Jayrodale.
Natasha had started out as just a seductive woman, but gradually became devoted to him, following him to Blumedale and helping him with countless tasks along the way.
Andrew had promised her that he would give her something to depend on for the future.
Although Natasha had always wanted to become his woman to feel truly secure, and nothing else would put her mind at ease, Andrew understood her feelings but simply could not make that commitment.