Ch. 1111..1120
Chapter 1111 Sowing Discord
In the afternoon, there was a meeting involving everyone.
When Cecilia saw Cassina at first, she merely thought the latter looked vaguely familiar, unaware that she was Bailey’s daughter.
“Ms. Smith, this is Cassie, my younger sister,” Cassandra said. “She’ll be around when we discuss work matters. If I’m not in the office, feel free to speak directly with Cassie.”
She was well aware of the status Cassina held in Queene’s heart. If anything were to happen to Cassina because of Cecilia, Queenie would undoubtedly not let Cecilia off the hook.
“Sure,” Cecilia agreed.
Once the meeting had concluded, Cecilia had someone investigate the relationship between Cassina and the Jamieson family. It was then she discovered that she was the long–lost biological daughter Queenie had recently found.
Cecilia couldn’t help but feel astonished.
One of her subordinates knocked on the door and said. “Boss, I just had a meeting with Cassina. Turns out, she doesn’t know anything.”
Cecilia looked up and asked, “What about Ms. Evans?”
“Ms. Evans mentioned that her pregnancy has reached a crucial stage, so she needs to focus on taking care of herself instead of work. She also said that if there are any issues, we should consult Cassina.”
The subordinate was somewhat speechless. Such a large project was, astonishingly, entrusted to someone who didn’t understand anything at all.
“Then you should proceed according to our company’s regulations first.”
“Alright.”
Meanwhile, in Cassina’s office, she was overwhelmed by the endless stream of people coming over to ask her questions.
“Why are there so many problems?”
She had initially thought that taking up the position of vice president would be quite leisurely.
While Cassina was wearing a frown, Miranda, in her high heels, arrived at her office. She knocked on the door. “Ms. Cassina.”
Cassina gave her a clueless look. “And you are?”
“My name is Miranda,” she said with a smile. “I’m both a friend and a relative to Ms. Evans. She’s gone back home due to her pregnancy and was worried you might struggle to handle things here. So, she asked me to come and assist you.”
Cassina’s face lit up with joy “Perfect timing! Could you lend me a hand? I can’t make heads or tails of all these things.”
She was genuinely naive, or perhaps she hadn’t been hardened by the harsh realities of life. She assumed that because Miranda knew Cassandra, they must be good people.
Miranda stepped into the office. “Alright, don’t panic, Il guide you.”
Throughout the day, Miranda was meticulously guiding Cassina, while casually mentioning that Cecilia was intentionally giving her a hard time.
“You really don’t need to deal with these tasks. They are supposed to be done by Cecilia’s subordinates. She’s way out of line, taking advantage of you just because you’re new here. Sigh.”
On the surface, Miranda appeared to be considering Cassina’s feelings, but her actions insinuated that Cecilia was making life tough for her on purpose.
Cassina didn’t understand the project at hand. After hearing Miranda’s explanation, she really thought that Cecilia was intentionally causing trouble for her.
The crux of the matter was that she had a skeleton in her closet. She was fearful that Cecilia would discover her identity switch, which only served to heighten her unease.
“All these tasks should have been done by Cecilia! Never mind, Cassie, could you place all these documents over at my desk? I’ll take care of them and bring them back once I’m done.”
“Thank you.” Gratitude brimmed in Cassina’s eyes.
Miranda added, “However, you should still discuss this matter with Mdm. Queenie. You can’t just be bullied for no reason. After all, you’re the prominent young lady of the Jamieson family, a major client of Orion Corporation. Cecilia should have given you due respect!”
Throughout the day, as Cassandra and Miranda jointly disparaged Cecilia, Cassina also began to resent Cecilia.
“Alright, I’ll let my mom know.”
She had already stopped believing the words of her own mother.
When she returned to the Jamieson residence in the evening, Queenie gave her a look of concern. “Cassie, you went to work at Orion Corporation with Cassandra today. How did it go?”
Cassandra was also present, her eyes encouraging Cassina to speak the truth.
After a moment of silence, Cassina finally spoke up. “Mom, I feel like Ms. Smith, who’s in charge of our families‘ collaboration, doesn’t seem to be very responsible.”
Chapter 1112 Impending Drama
“Ms. Smith?” Queenie was somewhat puzzled. “Which Ms. Smith?”
She was somewhat perplexed. Why did Orion Corporation send someone I don’t even know to handle such an important collaboration?
“It seems her name is Cecilia,” Cassina said.
Upon hearing Cecilia’s name, Queenie’s complexion immediately turned grim.
“Cecilia again?”
Cassina was startled by her sudden change of expression. “Wh–what about it?”
“Before this, Cecilia has always been bullying your sister, and now she’s turned her attention to you. She’s acting as if she’s the lady of the Rainsworth family,” Queenie said, her anger particularly palpable.
Cassandra, who was quietly observing from the side, added fuel to the fire. “Mom, perhaps it was because went for a prenatal checkup today. Cecilia saw that I wasn’t around and assumed that Cassie was a subordinate. That’s why…”.
How could Cassie possibly be a subordinate? She’s my daughter! Didn’t you tell her?” Queenie was even more upset.
Cassandra explained, “When I introduced Cecilia to her, I told her that Cassie is my younger sister. Now that you’ve said this, I feel like she’s just looking down on me.”
“It’s not you she’s looking down on; it’s the Jamieson family.”
Initially, Queenie had intended to stay in her lane, but now, she couldn’t bear it any longer.
“I’ll accompany you to Orion Corporation tomorrow, let’s see just how brazen she can be.”
“Alright, Mom.”
Cassandra was looking forward to seeing how Cecilia would suffer the next day.
Meanwhile, Cecilia was at the manor, simultaneously taking care of Nathaniel and working.
Previously, Miranda had been assigned several projects, and now she had managed to successfully negotiate a few more. Today, as usual, Adrian handed over more projects to Miranda.
Those projects were all the result of Cecilia’s old acquaintances while abroad.
“Boss,” Charlotte said over the phone, “when Miranda is close to sealing the deal, we’ll have the big shots pull out.”
“Right, it’s best to make them suffer some losses. Otherwise, Miranda will think I’m a pushover,” Cecilia said.
“Alright.”
At that moment, Cecilia had no idea that the next day, Queenie would come looking for her, making her
By the time she was done with work, it was already quite late.
Cecilia went to Nathaniel’s room as usual, but when she pushed the door open, there was no one in sight.
She immediately went out to ask the housekeeper, “Where’s Nathaniel?”
The housekeeper voiced her confusion. “Isn’t he in the room?”
Realizing the housekeeper was of no help, Cecilia began to search around by herself.
Yet, throughout the night, she was unable to locate Nathaniel. The butler, upon learning of Nathaniel’s disappearance, immediately called Nicholas.
Many people searched for Nathaniel but couldn’t find him.
“How did this happen? Where on earth did he go?” Nicholas’s face was filled with distress.
The butler stood before him, head bowed. “He stayed in the room all day, and there was no surveillance footage of him ever leaving.”
Without any hesitation, Nicholas knew that Nathaniel must have been taken away by someone.
Imust be either Mason or Zachary. Darn it, despite my precautions, I still wasn’t able to prevent it.
However, he had guessed wrong this time.
At that very moment, in the Faust residence hundreds of kilometers away, Darren was gently cradling a newborn, a child not even a month old, in one arm, while simultaneously posing questions to Nathaniel.
“Nathaniel, how are you feeling now?”
Nathaniel was seated on a medical device, slowly opening his eyes. His gaze focused on Darren. “I’m feeling much better now.”
“Should we invite Zachary and the others over?” Darren asked again.
“No rush. My situation is quite unstable at the moment If you let Zachary and Mason know that I’m with you, it won’t be long before Nicholas comes looking for me too.”
Nathaniel knew just what a maniac his younger brother could be.
In case something was amiss with his health, relying solely on Darren could potentially cost him his life.
Chapter 1113 The Darling Daughter
Moreover, Darren just had a daughter, who he absolutely adored.
Thus, Nathaniel didn’t want to be a burden to him.
“Alright.”
Darren obeyed Nathaniel’s wishes.
In recent times, he was preoccupied with his wife’s childbirth, hence he had little contact with Nathaniel and Zachary.
For this reason, Nicholas seldom paid attention to him
After he finished speaking, Darren presented his daughter to Nathaniel proudly. “Nathaniel, look,” he said. “she can even blow bubbles.”
The little girl was still so small, barely larger than the size of two palms. Her tiny mouth spitting saliva had utterly melted Darren’s heart.
He had previously feared that, just like Nathaniel, he would have two sons and eventually grow too weary To discipline them. Fortunately, he was blessed with an adorable daughter.
Nathaniel was somewhat speechless, but he reacted politely still. “Yeah, she’s quite adorable.”
“Ah, daughters are truly a blessing. They’re the sweethearts of their fathers. Nathaniel, from a young age, you must educate your two sons well. Don’t let them turn out like you and Nicholas,” Darren said, an unmistakable sense of pride in his voice.
He was certain his darling daughter would surely honor him in his old age.
Darren longed to kiss his daughter, but unfortunately, the doctor had cautioned him from doing so. Adults carried bacteria, and kissing a child’s face could be harmful to the child.
Left with no other choice, he could only bear with it.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel couldn’t bear Darren’s constant bragging. “I’ll also have a daughter. In fact, there are two babies in my wife’s belly right now.”
“What if both of them turn out to be sons?”
“Impossible.”
“Ah, such things are hard to predict.”
Darren chuckled heartily.
Nathaniel looked upset, as he didn’t want any more sons either. Instead, he envied Darren for having a daughter as his first child.
“I’m going to rest now. You go keep our wife company.”
When the topic of his wife came up, Darren’s expression shifted subtly. He responded, “Alright.”
After handing his daughter over to the nanny. Darren returned to the master bedroom.
On the expansive bed in the master bedroom, laid a woman with long, jet–black hair, her skin as fair as snow.
Upon hearing Darren’s entrance, the woman didn’t even open her eyes, simply shifting a bit to the side.
Darren pulled back the covers and lay down.
The woman said, “I’ve just given birth, don’t sleep next to me.”
Darren slightly furrowed his brows. “I’m not going to do anything to you.”
“I don’t want you lying here either!” The woman’s words were icy cold.
Darren decisively pulled her into his embrace. “Aren’t you tired of all those years we’ve spent quarreling? Can’t you tell who’s been good to you and who hasn’t?”
“I don’t need you to be good to me!” The woman opened her red–tinged eyes.
The way she looked at him made Darren feel an inexplicable bitterness in his heart. “You’ve just given birth,” he said. “I won’t argue with you now. Be good and go to sleep.”
The woman glared at him, her eyes welling up with tears.
“I despise you, and I swear I’ll never forgive you in this lifetime,” she spat out, her voice shaking with fury. “Even if I had born you a child, just the sight of you still disgust me!”
Disgust?
Darren clenched his teeth tightly.
“Fine, then you can just be disgusted for the rest of your life.”
He reached out to turn off the light, holding the woman tightly in his arms. Regardless of how she fought or bit, he refused to let go.
At last, the woman grew tired, succumbing to a weary slumber.
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Chapter 1113 The Darling Daughter
Moreover, Darren just had a daughter, who he absolutely adored.
Thus, Nathaniel didn’t want to be a burden to him.
“Alright.”
Darren obeyed Nathaniel’s wishes.
In recent times, he was preoccupied with his wife’s childbirth, hence he had little contact with Nathaniel and Zachary.
For this reason, Nicholas seldom paid attention to him
After he finished speaking, Darren presented his daughter to Nathaniel proudly. “Nathaniel, look,” he said. “she can even blow bubbles.”
The little girl was still so small, barely larger than the size of two palms. Her tiny mouth spitting saliva had utterly melted Darren’s heart.
He had previously feared that, just like Nathaniel, he would have two sons and eventually grow too weary To discipline them. Fortunately, he was blessed with an adorable daughter.
Nathaniel was somewhat speechless, but he reacted politely still. “Yeah, she’s quite adorable.”
“Ah, daughters are truly a blessing. They’re the sweethearts of their fathers. Nathaniel, from a young age, you must educate your two sons well. Don’t let them turn out like you and Nicholas,” Darren said, an unmistakable sense of pride in his voice.
He was certain his darling daughter would surely honor him in his old age.
Darren longed to kiss his daughter, but unfortunately, the doctor had cautioned him from doing so. Adults carried bacteria, and kissing a child’s face could be harmful to the child.
Left with no other choice, he could only bear with it.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel couldn’t bear Darren’s constant bragging. “I’ll also have a daughter. In fact, there are two babies in my wife’s belly right now.”
“What if both of them turn out to be sons?”
“Impossible.”
“Ah, such things are hard to predict.”
Darren chuckled heartily.
Nathaniel looked upset, as he didn’t want any more sons either. Instead, he envied Darren for having a daughter as his first child.
“I’m going to rest now. You go keep our wife company.”
When the topic of his wife came up, Darren’s expression shifted subtly. He responded, “Alright.”
After handing his daughter over to the nanny. Darren returned to the master bedroom.
On the expansive bed in the master bedroom, laid a woman with long, jet–black hair, her skin as fair as snow.
Upon hearing Darren’s entrance, the woman didn’t even open her eyes, simply shifting a bit to the side.
Darren pulled back the covers and lay down.
The woman said, “I’ve just given birth, don’t sleep next to me.”
Darren slightly furrowed his brows. “I’m not going to do anything to you.”
“I don’t want you lying here either!” The woman’s words were icy cold.
Darren decisively pulled her into his embrace. “Aren’t you tired of all those years we’ve spent quarreling? Can’t you tell who’s been good to you and who hasn’t?”
“I don’t need you to be good to me!” The woman opened her red–tinged eyes.
The way she looked at him made Darren feel an inexplicable bitterness in his heart. “You’ve just given birth,” he said. “I won’t argue with you now. Be good and go to sleep.”
The woman glared at him, her eyes welling up with tears.
“I despise you, and I swear I’ll never forgive you in this lifetime,” she spat out, her voice shaking with fury. “Even if I had born you a child, just the sight of you still disgust me!”
Disgust?
Darren clenched his teeth tightly.
“Fine, then you can just be disgusted for the rest of your life.”
He reached out to turn off the light, holding the woman tightly in his arms. Regardless of how she fought or bit, he refused to let go.
At last, the woman grew tired, succumbing to a weary slumber.
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Chapter 1114 The Confrontation
“Boss, Ms. Wright from the CEO’s office was looking for you earlier,” the subordinate reported to Cecilia “She wants you to stop by the CEO’s office once you’re here.”
Cecilia was just about to head over when one of her subordinates spoke up. “I heard that Mdm. Queenie is here. Seems like she’s here to cause you some trouble.”
Queenie?
Nodding, Cecilia responded, “Alright, thank you.”
She first made a quick trip to the restroom, followed by a phone call. Afterward, she took the elevator to the CEO’s office.
Outside the office, several secretaries looked at Cecilia nosily.
Jocelyn approached her, cautioning, “It seems Mdm. Queenie is quite upset right now, apparently over something to do with her youngest daughter.”
Cecilia hadn’t expected Jocelyn to give her a heads up. She looked at her gratefully before knocking on the
CEO’s office door.
“Come in.”
Nicholas‘ voice echoed from within.
When Cecilia pushed the door open, she saw Nicholas seated at the head of the table, with Queenie and her daughters occupying the couch.
Cassina didn’t know if it was because she felt guilty about what she had done, but she found herself somewhat hesitant to meet Cecilia’s gaze.
Queenie assumed that her daughter was being bullied by Cecilia, which explained her fearful reaction.
“It’s already ten o’clock, Mr. Rainsworth. Your staff sure do have a lot of freedom with their work hours,” Queenie said with a hint of sarcasm.
Nicholas glanced at Cecilia before replying, “Ms. Smith is not like the other employees. She usually only works for three to four hours a day.”
“People with connections are indeed different. However, when it comes to business, we, the Jamieson family, are certainly not pushovers.”
Queenie stood up, pulling out a stack of documents. “Up to now, this is the trash our collaboration has produced.”
She tossed the documents at Nicholas.
Turning back, she pointed at Cecilia. “Nicholas, is it because you look down on us, the Jamieson family, or is it due to a special relationship with someone? How could she, a mere department manager, be in charge of our cooperation? She hasn’t even been working at Orion Corporation for a full year yet.”
After hearing what was said, Cecilia couldn’t help but speak up.
“Mdm. Queenie, firstly, Ms. Evans specifically requested that I be in charge Secondly, do you judge a person’s ability to handle work based on their years of service? If that’s the case, wouldn’t the employees who’ve been working on the assembly line for decades be better suited for this job?”
Queenie’s face turned ashen from the backlash she received from Cecilia.
She chuckled first. “No wonder my two daughters are no match for you. You certainly have a way with words.”
She gradually made her way closer to Cecilia.
Before Cecilia could even react, a hand was raised, and a slap fell on her cheek, one that was too fast for her to avoid.
Cecilia’s cheeks flushed hot, causing the hearing aid she was wearing to fall off.
Her right ear was buzzing at that moment.
Nicholas immediately rose to his feet. “Mdm. Queenie
Queenie certainly wasn’t going to back down on his account. She looked down at Cecilia, who was bending down to pick up her hearing aid, and stated, “I warned you long ago about who you can mess with and who you can’t.”
Cecilia, clutching her belly, picked up the hearing aid, stood up, and looked up at Queenie.
Her icy gaze sent a chill through Queenie’s heart.
For reasons unknown, as Queenie locked eyes with her a hint of regret surprisingly emerged.
Cecilia responded emphatically, “I’ll remember this slap.”
She knew she was no match for the Jamieson family currently.
With Nathaniel absent, it was easy for Queenie to deal with her.
She didn’t care much about herself, but the fact remained that she had two children and was carrying another two in her belly. They were all where her vulnerabilities lay.
Meanwhile, Queenie hadn’t expected Cecilia to dare threaten her.
She gave a slight laugh. “Alright, I’ll be waiting. However, before that, you owe my two daughters an immediate apology. They are your clients, not your employees to be ordered around at your whim,” Queenie asserted.
Chapter 1115 Her Refusal
Cecilia clenched her fist. “And what if I don’t apologize Queenie turned her head to look at Nicholas.
“Nicholas, is there really a need to keep such an employee?”
Nicholas looked at Cecilia with narrowed eyes and said to her, “Cecilia, I’m sorry.”
He, just like Cecilia, couldn’t afford to upset Queenie.
After all, Orion Corporation was in dire need of the Jamieson family.
Moreover, Queenie had her ways, and Nicholas was well aware of his own limitations. He knew he couldn’t fully protect Cecilia from Queenie’s harm.
Cecilia understood the situation as well. With a grit of her teeth, she made her way toward Cassandra and Cassina./
“I’m sorry.”
Cassandra watched with satisfaction as Cecilia reluctantly apologized to her.
However, she didn’t want to let her off so easily.
“I heard about how you were bossing my sister around yesterday. Do you really think a simple apology is enough?”
“So, what do you want me to do?”
Cassandra pointed at the ground.
“Only when you apologize on your knees would it be sincere enough.”
Upon hearing these words, Cassina, standing to the side, was somewhat taken aback. She tugged gently at Cassandra’s sleeve. “Let it go, sis.”
“Cassina, you’re just too kind–hearted,” Cassandra said. “If Mom wasn’t here to stand up for us, wouldn’t you be bullied to no end?” After saying this, she turned to Cecilia. “Kneel down now, and we’ll forget about yesterday’s incident.”
It was only then that Cecilia came to understand why Queenie was so angry.
She found it a bit odd, wondering when she had ever ordered Cassina around.
Cecilia was not about to take the blame for this inexplicable accusation. Instead of kneeling, she questioned Cassina, “Ms. Cassina, could you please explain how I supposedly mistreated you yesterday and how I allegedly ordered you around?”
When Cassina was asked, she was momentarily at a loss for words.
plan on bullying my sister in front of everyone again?”
At that moment, Cecilia was on the verge of laughing.
“Cassandra, I just wanted to clarify things. Yesterday, we were merely discussing work as usual. I was in no way ordering Cassina around, let alone bullying her.”
She quickly added, “Besides, what would I gain from bullying her?”
“Who knows what you’re up to? Apologize right now!” Cassandra didn’t want Cecilia to say more, fearing that it might cause some problems.
In spite of that, Cecilia maintained her gaze at Cassina, questioning her, “Ms. Cassina, if you want me to apologize, at least you should let me know what for, shouldn’t you?”
Upon seeing the situation, Cassina found herself somewhat at a loss.
Cassandra took her hand. “Don’t be afraid. Just say what’s on your mind.”
Only then did Cassina speak up. “Ms. Smith, your staff handed me tasks yesterday that weren’t originally mine. Isn’t that taking advantage of me?”
“Can you tell me what those tasks were?”
Cassina pursed her lips. “Ms. Miranda has already taken care of those tasks for me. What’s the point of bringing it up now? If you don’t want to apologize, then I’ll forget it!”
Queenie stepped forward.
“We can’t just forget it. Either you apologize now, Cecilia, or leave Orion Corporation,” Queenie asserted,
“Exactly, if you kneel down and apologize, we can let bygones be bygones. No need to create an awkward situation for everyone,” Cassandra chimed in.
Cecilia tightened her fists.
At that moment, the door was pushed open from the outside.
“Mdm. Queenie, could there be some sort of misunderstanding here?” The one who spoke was Elena.
When Cassandra saw Elena, she was completely taken aback. Clearly, she had not anticipated that her future mother–in–law would speak up for a former daughter–in–law.
Chapter 1116 An Unexpected Ally
“Young people can be somewhat thoughtless in their actions. Mdm. Queenie, I would like to apologize to you and your daughter on behalf of my daughter–in–law. As for kneeling, let’s forget about it. We’re all family here. Besides, my daughter–in–law is pregnant.” This was the first time Elena had spoken so gently to a woman of the same age.
Queenie was nonetheless swayed by Elena’s intervention on Cecilia’s behalf and her apology. Her mood visibly lightened.
Elena once again addressed Cecilia, “Quick, offer another apology to Ms. Cassina. Mdm. Queenie is a magnanimous woman. She won’t fuss over a misunderstanding with a naive girl like you.”
Compared to the domineering Cecilia, Elena was more tactful and diplomatic.
Cecilia was as apologetic as she could be. “Ms. Cassina, I’m sorry. There must be some misunderstanding here, I deeply regret this.”
At this point, Queenie and Cassina found it inappropriate to push it any further. If they persisted, it would only show their lack of magnanimity.
Moreover, Queenie had picked up on some clues earlier. Perhaps Cecilia truly hadn’t been giving her own daughter a hard time. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to confront Cassina.
“Alright, you can go back to work now. I still have things to discuss with Mdm. Queenie.”
“Understood.”
Cecilia turned and walked away.
She felt relieved that she had called Elena before heading to the CEO’s office. Otherwise, it would have definitely been challenging for her to come out unscathed.
Cassandra could only watch as Cecilia retreated, her heart filled with an intense sense of indignance. Yet, there was nothing she could do about it.
If it wasn’t for the two b*stards in Cecilia’s belly, Elena would certainly not have spoken up for Cecilia.
“Cassandra, why don’t you show your sister around the company? Your mother and I have some catching up to do,” Elena suggested.
Cassandra responded with a forced smile before rising to her feet. “Alright.”
With that, she left with Cassina.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Cassina trailed behind her. “Cassandra, I can’t thank you enough for standing up for me today.”
Cassandra rolled her eyes, then said, “It’s nothing. But you need to remember to rely more on yourself in the future. People are already walking all over you. How can you be so timid?”
“Alright.” Cassina nodded repeatedly, increasingly convinced that Cassandra was a good person.
Thus, she wasn’t wary of the latter at all.
“By the way, have you been in touch with your foster mother recently?” Cassandra suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, Cassina couldn’t help but frown. “I called her, but she didn’t pick up. I have no idea. what’s going on.”
Cassandra advised her, “Perhaps it’s because you’ve returned to the Jamieson family and she can’t accept it. Give her some time to calm down. Maybe next month, or after some time has passed, you can try reaching out to her again.”
Cassina nodded.
Not long after Cecilia returned to her office, she received a message from Elena: I’ve handed over the Jamieson family project to someone else. From now on, you can focus on other work.
Elena, being a seasoned veteran, knew that Cecilia was being wrongfully accused.
Moreover, assigning such an important task to Cecilia, who hadn’t been with the company for very long, was somewhat suspicious.
Cecilia replied: Thank you.
Elena: Don’t worry about it. If anything like this happens again in the future, don’t hesitate to tell me.
Upon reading Elena’s response, Cecilia felt a genuine sense of gratitude.
She carried on with her work and before long, Miranda came over.
“Ceci, I heard you’ve recently secured a few international projects? I’ve always been in charge of the overseas operations, so Aaron wants you to hand over all the projects to me.”
Her greed is truly insatiable.
Cecilia pretended to mind. “I worked so hard to secure them, and you’re taking them away just like that? That’s hardly fair, isn’t it?”
“Why are you expecting fairness when you’re working for my husband?” Miranda said sarcastically.
Chapter 1117 Unfair Treatment
After she finished, Miranda stepped forward. In front of everyone, she seized the contract.
After doing so, Miranda taunted the employees of Team Five as she was leaving. “With a boss like this, you’d better leave while you can.”
With that, Miranda left with a smug look on her face.
The employees of Team Five were fuining with anger. Those overseas contracts, which their boss had fought so hard to secure, were now being taken away by Miranda.
All of them subsequently sent messages to Cecilia in the group chat:
Boss, let’s all resign together. There’s no point working in this company.
That’s right. This is so unfair.
I used to think that Orion Corporation was a well–managed conglomerate, but now I realize it’s full of nepotism.
Perhaps this is due to the change in leadership. Back when Nathaniel was in charge, there was never any sign of nepotism.
Everyone in the group was complaining.
Considerate of their feelings, Cecilia typed out a message to them: Please bear with it for a little while longer. I promise that in a few days, I will provide you with an explanation. I will not let you be mistreated for no reason.
Cecilia knew very well that the current Nicholas was nothing like the former Nathaniel.
Nathaniel had painstakingly climbed his way to the position of CEO. After that, he used a variety of bold and decisive strategies to finally secure his seat.
In contrast, Nicholas‘ appointment as the CEO of Orion Corporation was purely because he was Nathaniel’s younger brother, on top of his good looks.
During his time at Orion Corporation, he was on shaky ground and was absolutely incapable of leading members of the Rainsworth Group, especially Niel.
Someone chimed in: The boss has already spoken. Let’s just do what she says.
Others added: Exactly, we follow her lead. Whatever she says, goes.
Alright, let’s get back to work. We’re aiming to be the top performers in sales this month as well.
Seeing her employees regain their enthusiasm so quickly, Cecilia too was filled with joy.
However, she had not forgotten about the existence of a traitor within her department.
By now, Cecilia had already discovered who had betrayed her.
Meanwhile, as expected, Miranda had indeed learned about the chat messages within the group. She found it somewhat amusing. “I’m actually curious to see how she’s going to exp in the group. She this to her employees.”
The sales department was teeming with attractive women. Unfortunately, he was under the strict supervision of an iron lady.
“How has Cecilia been doing lately?” Adrian casually asked his assistant.
The assistant replied, “She’s just continues to work.”
“Give her all the difficult clients, the ones that are hard to win back, and tell her that she needs to meet her targets this month.” Adrian was confident that he could handle Cecilia.
“Understood.”
Following Adrian’s instructions, the assistant dumped a whole mess of problems onto Cecília.
Cecilia was rather nonchalant about it. “Alright, I got it.”
The assistant felt a pang of sympathy for her, realizing that the amount of work was simply too overwhelming to be completed.
What he didn’t know was that Cecilia never intended to finish it from the start. After instructing the assistant to put down the files, she simply left the documents aside and began to focus on her own work.
Due to being swamped with work, she stayed back late that day.
Adrian didn’t leave either. He came up with an excuse and waited for Miranda to get off work. After that, he arrived at the doorway of Cecilia’s office.
Without knocking, Adrian entered directly. “Cecilia, how’s work?”
Upon seeing him approach, Cecilia frowned slightly, asking, “Everything’s fine, Mr. Rainsworth. Do you need something?”
Adrian stepped inside, casually shutting the door behind him.
“Cecilia, stop being so stubborn,” he said. “There’s still time for you to beg for mercy.”
Chapter 1118 Make Him Bleed
Upon observing the repulsive Adrian, Cecilia suddenly had an idea.
“Mr. Rainsworth, I want to ask you a question.”
“Yes?”
Cecilia pressed the record button. “If I were to agree to secretly be with you, how would you protect me from Miranda’s harm? And what should I do if she finds out about us?”
Naturally, Adrian had never considered being on guard against Cecilia.
He had quite a number of women fawning over him, which bolstered his confidence tremendously. He believed that Cecilia would inevitably fall for him, too.
After all, Nathaniel had turned into a fool while Adrian was still in his prime.
“You don’t need to worry,” he said. “I would never let that iron lady harm you. Furthermore, I won’t let her know about us. To be honest, every time I go on a business trip, there’s no shortage of women throwing themselves at me.”
Adrian added with a smug glint in his eyes, “Miranda is completely clueless about all this. She’s so naive. She believes whatever I tell her.”
“Can I count on you to return the projects you previously gave to Miranda if I agree to your terms now?” asked Cecilia.
Adrian found himself in a bit of a bind. “This is a tricky situation. You’re aware that Miranda doesn’t fancy you. I can’t openly favor you, but I can arrange for you to be transferred to another department. Whatever you need, I’ll provide it for you.”
Upon hearing these words from Adrian, Cecilia couldn’t help but laugh.
“Mr. Rainsworth, do you have any idea how much Elena pays me each month?”
Adrian asked, puzzled, “How much?”
“Ten million.” Cecilia paused before continuing, “If you want to be with me, can you give me that much money in a month?”
Adrian looked rather upset. An idea struck him, and he immediately said, “Elena is giving you all that amount of money because of your pregnancy. Do you really think she cares about you? You’re overthinking it.”
“Just tell me how much money you can offer me and what benefits you can provide.” Cecilia got straight to the point. “I know you enjoy the novelty. After all, who really likes a married woman, let alone a pregnant one?”
“How much do you want?”
Indeed, Adrian merely wanted to get on intimate terms with Cecilia. He had no intention of taking responsibility.
something to boast about in the future.
“How about five hundred million?” asked Cecilia.
Chapter 1119 Working Overtime
Nathaniel didn’t respond. The next moment, he leaned in, pressing his lips against Cecilia’s.
Cecilia’s cheeks were burning like fire, and with the presence of the driver in the car, she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
She gently tapped on Nathaniel’s shoulder.
The man finally let her go. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why is your face so red?”
At that moment, Cecilia was certain that he could truly see.
However, she thought the questions he asked were simply hilarious. Why am I blushing? Isn’t it all because of his unexpected advance?
“I’m fine.” Cecilia turned her head away. “I’ll send a message to the driver, letting him know that he doesn’t need to pick me up.”
Upon seeing the situation, Nathaniel just stared at her, watching her send messages.
Cecilia found it rather peculiar. “Why are you constantly looking at me?”
A knot tightened in Nathaniel’s throat.
“I can finally see you now. Naturally, I want to see more.”
His gaze fell on Cecilia’s slightly rounded belly. He then pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her more tightly. “You’ve had a rough time…”
When those words fell, Cecilia was somewhat angry and pushed him away.
“Don’t bother explaining to me. We’re already divorced. I’m just pitying you, that’s all.”
Nathaniel couldn’t help but chuckle. “Silly.”
“You’re the silly one.” Unable to resist, Cecilia gently pinched him.
Nathaniel didn’t resist, allowing her to pinch him. “I came to see you this time because I didn’t want you to worry,” he said. “My health hasn’t fully recovered yet, so I might not be able to visit you in the upcoming days.”
Upon hearing this, Cecilia looked at him with a touch of concern. “Have you had a check–up?”
“Yes, but it’s still under observation for now.”
As Nathaniel spoke, he couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her.
In a hurry, Cecilia raised her hand to shield her face. “Don’t do this.”
“Should we make a trip to the hotel?” Nathaniel asked again.
Cecilia asked, perplexed, “What are we going to do at the hotel?”
Cecilia’s face grew even hotter.
She truly hadn’t expected that all these thoughts were swirling around in Nathaniel’s mind.
“I don’t want to. I’m not going.”
Upon hearing her words, Nathaniel drew her in for another embrace. “In that case, be good and stay at home. If you need anything, just let me know.”
He had also explored this aspect, but he didn’t want Cecilia to be left unsatisfied and unhappy.
“Okay. Okay.”
Cecilia was truly at a loss for words.
As they neared the Smith residence, Cecilia alighted from the carriage ahead of time, bidding farewell to Nathaniel.
As the vehicle departed, Cecilia completely let go of her worries. Now, I can stay peacefully at home and look after the children while working during the day.
At home, Charlotte was busy setting up the dishes and cutlery, preparing for dinner. Seeing Cecilia returning at this hour, she couldn’t help but ask, “Boss, why did you finish work so late today?”
“I worked overtime for a while.”
“I see… Try to cut down on your overtime. Remember, you’re pregnant,” Charlotte reminded her.
Cecilia knew she was showing concern for her. “I understand. Should we eat now? You all must be hungry aren’t you?”
“Perfect timing, Ceci. You’re back just as the food is ready,” Lucille responded.
“Mommy, come sit with me.” Elliot beckoned to Cecilia with his hand.
Cecilia walked over and said, “All right.”
They were dining together, enjoying the serene passage of time.
After finishing their meal, they sat together, chatting and catching up on their favorite series. It was particularly enjoyable.
Meanwhile, Cassandra was unwilling to let Cecilia off the hook. She was still contemplating how to deal with her when she unexpectedly received a call from Nicholas.
“Nicholas, what’s going on?”
Nicholas said, “I don’t want a repeat of what happened at the office today.”
Cassandra’s expression shifted immediately. She quickly clarified, “I don’t understand. Today’s incident had nothing to do with me. It was Cecilia who offended Cassina, and it was Cassina who informed my mother.”
Nicholas wasn’t a fool, and he wouldn’t believe her words.
“Cassandra, we’re getting married next month, so you don’t need to worry about Cecilia anymore. I have no feelings for her,” said Nicholas. In an attempt to assuage Cassandra’s concerns, he moved up the wedding.
Initially, joy filled Cassandra’s eyes. However, upon reflecting on his words later, she felt somewhat unpleasant.
“You’re not planning to marry me just because of Cecilia, are you?”
“If I were fond of her, why would I choose to marry you?” Nicholas retorted.
In an instant, Cassandra didn’t know what to say.
Indeed, no one knew whose child she was carrying in her womb, yet Nicholas was still willing to marry her. It was safe to assume he liked her.
Cecilia is likely just his first crush. It’s quite normal for a man to have several women in his heart. Cassandra reassured herself and promised Nicholas,, “Nicholas, don’t worry. I’ll have a good talk with Cassie. All that happened today was a misunderstanding.”
“All right, prepare well this month,” Nicholas uttered softly.
“All right.”
Cassandra was beyond thrilled. After hanging up the phone, she immediately shared the wonderful news with Queenie and the others.
Cassina sat next to Queenie. Having heard that Cassandra was about to marry Nicholas, she couldn’t help but express her envy, saying, “Cassandra, congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Cassandra said, her eyes and eyebrows filled with laughter.
Cassina watched her, impeccably dressed and exuding an air of sophistication in every gesture. An inexplicable pang of jealousy stirred within her. If I had managed to reach Queenie earlier, would I be in the same situation as Cassandra?
Upon having that thought, Cassina immediately shook her head. How could I think like this? After all, I’m not Queenie’s biological daughter.
Perhaps Queenie could see the loneliness in Cassina’s eyes, and she responded simply, “Cassandra, you should really focus on preparing yourself now. You’re pregnant, so you need to be even more cautious about the wedding.”
“Indeed.”
Hearing the tone of Queenie’s voice, Cassandra felt that she was not as invested in her affairs as she used to
At this point, Queenie turned to Cassina and said, “Cassie, when will you bring your husband over for us to meet?”
Cassina felt a bit uneasy. “Mom, he’s just a junior employee…”
During those days, accompanying Cassandra and Queenie, Cassina had been exposed to a great deal of prominent figures.
She didn’t dare to let her husband meet Queenie at that time, fearing he would embarrass her.
“What’s wrong with being a junior employee? He earned his position fair and square, without resorting to theft or violence. It’s fine. Let him come. In the future, I’ll support you and your family,” Queenie comforted.
The more Cassina acted this way, the more Queenie felt guilty.
Had she not lost the child back then, Cassina wouldn’t have had to endure so much hardship.
After Queenie had spoken, it was difficult for Cassina to continue refusing.
“All right.”
The mother and daughter were deep in conversation, essentially rendering Cassandra invisible.
She clenched her hands and made her way outside.
When Cassina emerged from Queenie’s room, Cassandra stopped her and said, “Cassie, I need to have a word with you privately.”
“What’s going on?” Cassina found it odd but didn’t overthink it.
“Come with me, and you’ll find out.”
Cassandra led her to a secluded spot and then got straight to the point. “I know you’re an impostor, pretending to be a prominent young lady.”
Cassina’s complexion turned deathly pale in an instant devoid of any trace of color.
“You’re talking nonsense!”
Cassandra smirked coldly. “I’ve already conducted a DNA test for you and Queenie. I’ve also overheard your phone conversations with your birth mother. What’s the matter? Do you want me to show those proofs to Queenie?”