Ch. 1261..1270

Chapter 1261 Led The Child Astray

Struggling to sit up, Cecilia asked, “And then?”

Nathaniel didn’t want to deceive her any longer, so he answered truthfully. “After that, I felt that you were a perfect match for me, and we could potentially build a wonderful family together.”

Back when the Smith family hadn’t broken their promise, Nathaniel had contemplated how to be a good husband and a good father. Unfortunately, his pride had always been his downfall.

After they broke the promise during Magnus‘ wedding, he became the laughingstock of the high society. Following this, he vented all his anger on Cecilia.

Cecilia gave a nod. “All right, then.”

Concerned about any possible misunderstandings, Nathaniel then declared, “However, I’m absolutely certain now. I like you.”

The sudden confession left Cecilia somewhat flustered. She closed her eyes and said, “Yes. I know. Let’s sleep.”

Nathaniel, unwilling to let it go, asked, “What about you? Have you really stopped liking me?”

Cecilia found herself at a loss for words, only to hear him adding, “I’ll handle the online news for you. You can rest easy and don’t worry about it.”

“Aren’t you going to ask if it’s true?” Cecilia teased him intentionally.

“Even if it were true, I’d handle it,” Nathaniel declared resolutely.

Cecilia then grew too weary to even bother talking to Nathaniel. Why can’t he just say that he doesn’t believe it? After marrying him, I never did anything to betray him. He just doesn’t seem to have an ounce of trust in me.

“Go to sleep.”

Cecilia fell silent after that, gradually drifting off into dreamland.

Nathaniel was lying alone on the ground, unable to fall asleep. His gaze would often drift toward Cecilia.

When he heard the woman’s steady breathing, he could no longer resist embracing her.

The moment Cecilia leaned against him, he finally felt at ease, a hint of sleepiness creeping over him. Unaware, he drifted off to sleep.

The sunlight outside the window gently fell upon the two of them.

Cecilia woke up because of the heat. The temperature at that time was inconsistent, fluctuating between hot and cold.

She was wary of harming her health, so she maintained a constant temperature in her room, which generally didn’t fluctuate much.

She opened her eyes, somewhat puzzled. Why is it so hot today?

However, she soon realized that Nathaniel was holding her as he slept.

In a flash, Cecilia was filled with anger. She pulled away from his arms and wriggled out of his embrace. “Nathaniel, why do you always go back on your word?” she questioned.

He had agreed to sleep on the floor, yet somehow, he still ended up in her bed.

Nathaniel slowly opened his eyes, groggy from sleep. “How did I end up sleeping here?”

Seeing him play dumb, Cecilia was so frustrated that she could hardly contain herself. She was on the verge of kicking him off the bed when the room’s door was suddenly pulled open from the outside.

“Sc*mbag daddy, Mommy, you guys slept together last night, huh?” Elliot asked loudly.

The three ladies who had just gotten up outside had all heard it, their ears perking up one after another.

In the presence of the child, Cecilia couldn’t possibly kick Nathaniel again. She explained with a forced smile, “No. Your daddy was initially sleeping outside. He sleepwalked last night and ended up sleeping next to me.”

Elliot was quite the trickster. “Mommy, I’m not three years old anymore. I understand that you and Daddy were a man and a woman alone together, so you two were unable to help yourselves. That’s how it’s always portrayed on TV.”

Cecilia had made up her mind that, in the future, she would ensure that Lucille and the others watched television less frequently when Elliot was around. They’ve led such a young child astray.

Nathaniel shamelessly said, “Eli, you make a fair point. After all, it’s been a while since I’ve spent time with Ceci. I just couldn’t help myself

He was so serious that he didn’t even seem like he was playing the fool.

Cecilia then rose from the bed, not wanting to engage with him.

Chapter 1262 Caught In Bed

“Let’s go, Eli. I will take you to freshen up.” Cecilia reached out to take Elliot’s hand.

Elliot stood outside, giving Nathaniel a quick wink. “No need, Mommy. You should stay with Daddy. Poor Daddy, living all alone out there, enduring the cold and hunger without any family to care for him.”

Cecilia was somewhat at a loss for words. This young man only cares about his father. Is Nathaniel even that pitiful? He’s wealthier than almost all of the people worldwide. If someone like him could be considered pitiful, wouldn’t the rest of the world have given up on life already?

“In that case, you stay here with him. I’ll go freshen up.” Cecilia had had enough of Elliot’s antics and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

After she finished freshening up and stepped out, she could hear a commotion coming from the living room. As she approached, she realized that it was Elliot, engrossed in sharing some juicy gossip with Lucille and the others.

“I woke up early today, and when I went to look for Mommy, I saw her and Daddy sleeping

together. Daddy wasn’t wearing any clothes,” Elliot said.

“Uh huh? And then what?” Lucille’s eyes were filled with curiosity.

Madeline was also listening intently.

Charlotte, who had not really experienced love before, was curious. However, her face had already turned a deep shade of red. She felt she shouldn’t be listening to these things, yet she couldn’t help herself.

“After that, I called out to them. They seemed quite nervous as if they were afraid I’d discovered something. Their eyes kept evading mine.”

Those words inevitably led one to ponder.

Cecilia truly hadn’t expected this side of Elliot. She walked over and said, “Eli, no more nonsense. Go and freshen up. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

Elliot simply wanted the several ladies to understand that Cecilia and Nathaniel were together so that they wouldn’t harbor much hostility toward Nathaniel in the future.

Sure enough, after he left with his head hung low in disappointment, the first to advise Cecilia was Madeline. “Cecilia, have you and Nathaniel made amends yet? Don’t take my previous words to heart. After all, you two already have two sons, and you’re carrying twins. You really need to think about whether or not you should remarry for the sake of giving your children a complete family,” Madeline said.

Charlotte chimed in, “That’s right, Boss. You’re pregnant now, so everything is a struggle for you. If you reconciled with him, you’d have some help.”

Lucille, who was standing to the side, found herself in complete agreement with their views, nodding repeatedly.

Cecilia didn’t know what to say. “Don’t worry. I’ve been thinking about the matter.”

As she was speaking, a faint noise echoed from upstairs, likely indicating that Nathaniel had emerged.

Everyone promptly fell silent.

Nathaniel hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. After freshening up, he intended to change his clothes, only then realizing that this place was not Daltonia Villa.

He told Mason to deliver some clothes before he emerged from the room, still clad in the previous day’s attire.

The few women downstairs were all gazing at Nathaniel. Thankfully, Amelia’s crying in Madeline’s arms broke the odd atmosphere that had settled.

“Amy is hungry. I’m going to feed her.”

Madeline found an excuse to leave.

Lucille also promptly got up. “I have a meeting at the company this morning, so I won’t be having breakfast. I’ll head to the company first.”

Charlotte pondered for quite a while before saying, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

These individuals had intentionally left a private space for Cecilia and Nathaniel to be alone.

Nathaniel strolled over to Cecilia, his demeanor calm. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Not at all. It was unbearably hot.” Cecilia had no idea what was going on with him. Despite the intense heat, he continued to hold me tightly without letting go. Didn’t he realize how hot it was?

Nathaniel seemed somewhat innocent as he said, “When you feel hot next time, let me know.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Cecilia responded in a cold tone.

Right then, the sound of the doorbell echoed from outside.

Chapter 1263 Expressing Emotions

Upon reaching the door, Cecilia saw that it was Mason who had arrived, carrying several large bags in his hands.

She was somewhat puzzled, but she still instructed the security guards to let Mason in.

Upon his arrival, Mason treated the place as if it were Nathaniel’s private residence. After laying out his clothes, he asked, “Boss, what do you think of these outfits? If they’re not suitable, I can fetch some more later.”

“Mr. Sanders, have you perhaps misunderstood something?” Cecilia felt as if Mason meant that Nathaniel was planning to stay there permanently. “He said he was only staying for one night.”

Nathaniel gave Mason a meaningful look.

Mason understood immediately. “However, I’ve already brought all the clothes over. How about we just keep them here for now? You never know when they might come in handy, right?”

Before Cecilia could even agree, Nathaniel asked, “Did you bring the thing you were supposed to?”

“Here it is.”

Mason emptied another bag, revealing it to be filled with documents.

He then said to Cecilia, “Mrs. Rainsworth, these are the past business documents of Orion Corporation that Mr. Rainsworth has brought for you.”

It was a heavy stack of documents.

“These are the hard copies, and I’ve already sent a portion of them in digital format to your email.”

Surprised, Cecilia asked, “How did you know I needed these?”

Nathaniel was afraid she might overthink things, so he chose not to mention that he knew about Cecilia’s resignation and her plans to start her own company. Instead, he said, “Remember when I handed over Evans Group to you? I gave you all these documents because I was worried you might not know how to run it. If you want to look at them, go ahead. If not, feel free to toss them out.”

In truth, those items represented the past dedication and effort of Nathaniel, something he had never shared with anyone else before.

Cecilia certainly wanted the documents, so she said. “I want them. Thank you.”

Previously, she had finished reading all the information that Nathaniel had given her, and she had found it incredibly beneficial.

Since she had received so much information, she thought she ought to devote herself fully to learning.

Seeing that Cecilia was willing to accept the documents, Nathaniel realized that their relationship was not beyond repair.

“There’s no need to thank me,” he said.

Aware of the obligations of accepting favors, Cecilia looked up at him and asked, “Is there anything you need my help with?”

Nathaniel pondered for a moment before asking, “How about accompanying me to a party in a few days?”

“All right.”

Cecilia readily agreed.

Only then did Nathaniel take the clean clothes brought by Mason and change into them.

Mason felt that being Nathaniel at that moment was indeed challenging. If it were in the past, Cecilia would definitely not have treated him this way.

Cecilia was practically glued to Nathaniel all day long in the past. At that moment, everything had changed.

Women’s hearts are quite fickle. It seems I need to hurry and make Lucille my wife. Mason was getting worried.

Once Cecilia agreed, Nathaniel’s mouth curled up in a broad smile. After changing into a crisp, new outfit, he stepped out.

“I’ll head off to work first. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me anytime,” Nathaniel said.

“All right.”

Cecilia watched him leave.

In a spot she hadn’t noticed, three ladies were sneakily watching them.

After Nathaniel had left, they finally emerged, with Elliot also joining them.

“Mommy, when Daddy goes to work in the future, you must remember to kiss him goodbye, okay?” Elliot said.

Cecilia was somewhat speechless. “Who on earth taught you that?”

“The belle from my class told me that her parents have always done that. They believe it’s the key to a stronger bond. We shouldn’t be stingy with our own emotions.”

Cecilia hadn’t expected that these topics would actually come up in the preschool class.

She then said with a sense of helplessness, “Everyone has their own way of expressing their feelings. Your daddy and I are different.”

“Oh, I get it. Your way of expressing emotions is by cuddling together early in the morning.”

Chapter 1264 A Small Fry

Exasperated, Cecilia didn’t bother engaging with this lively character anymore. “All right. Go have your breakfast. Once you’re full, head to school.”

She was grateful for the necessity of children going to school. At times, the child was well- behaved, and at others, he could be quite exasperating.

“All right, then.”

Reluctantly, Elliot went to have breakfast.

The other three ladies gradually came out to have their breakfast.

That day, they had a significant event, and that was the visit to the new company.

The previous day, Lucille heard that Madeline was planning to join Cecilia’s company. Consequently, she also spoke to Cecilia, expressing her intention to resign from her current job and apply for the administrative receptionist position at Ceci Corporation.

Everyone quickly finished their breakfast and then headed together to the new company.

When the new company had just started, everyone was swamped with work to the point of exhaustion, including Cecilia. As a result, she paid no heed to the rumors and gossip circulating online.

Inside a café, Cassandra had also learned from Miranda that Cecilia had resigned. She then thought that her actions had taken effect.

“I knew she wouldn’t last long,” she said, brimming with smug satisfaction.

Miranda took a sip of her coffee before voicing her agreement by saying, “Exactly. Your aunt really is something. How did she manage to get so many people to criticize Cecilia?”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. “What’s so difficult about that? If I wanted, I could easily make certain people socially irrelevant.”

After speaking, she added in a tone that was half–joking, half–threatening, “Miranda, we must get along well in the future.”

With a fake smile, Miranda said, “Of course.”

She felt a twinge of regret in her heart. She had just gotten rid of Cecilia, only to then have to deal with Cassandra.

Cassandra had such a strong backing, and Miranda was simply no match for her.

However Cassandra was incredibly arrogant.

If not for the fact that she was Queenie’s daughter, she would have been in trouble long ago.

After sharing a cup of coffee, the two individuals parted ways.

When Miranda got into the car, her eyes were filled with coldness. “Cassandra is just lucky. Does she think it’s all because of her own abilities?”

An assistant nearby immediately tried to console her, “Ms. Miranda, why bother getting upset over someone like that? She probably won’t be able to act so arrogantly for much longer.”

“Why do you say so?” Miranda asked.

“Hasn’t Queenie already found her biological daughter? It’s rare for a mother not to love her biological child and favor an adopted one. I suspect that Queenie might be treating her well on the surface now, but before long, she’ll likely be completely devoted to her biological daughter,” the assistant said.

Miranda had also given it some thought. If it were me, I would also favor my biological child.

“Let’s hope so.”

Miranda didn’t want her son’s future to be jeopardized after the birth of Cassandra’s child.

Ironically, Adrian was still in the hospital at that time. The mere mention of Nathaniel’s name would scare him to death.

Meanwhile, Cassandra was engrossed in her phone after she returned. She dismissed the occasional comments that popped up in defense of Cecilia with disdain.

Those comments were quickly drowned out.

“She truly overestimated her own abilities. So what if she has a son as an influencer? What did that amount to?” In Cassandra’s eyes, an influencer was nothing more than a small fry.

However, she was unaware Cecilia wasn’t the only one dealing with this matter.

Cecilia didn’t completely disregard it. Instead, she had lawyer’s letters sent to those who were tarnishing her reputation.

They were truly undaunted, not even bothered by any potential consequences. They even had the audacity to flaunt their lawyer’s letters online, thinking it was no different than any ordinary situation.

Cecilia had hired Norman to represent her company. Norman was the chief legal advisor for Regas back. At that moment, he served as Cecilia’s chief legal advisor.

When he caught sight of Cecilia’s Ceci Corporation, he was somewhat moved to tears.

“Ms. Smith, did you know it was your father who brought me into Smith Corporation back then? Back then, Smith Corporation was massive,” Norman sincerely remarked. “I believe our company can also reach the same scale as Smith Corporation.”

Chapter 1265 Being Followed

Cecilia nodded. “From now on, we’re all founding members and shareholders of the company.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Norman began to prepare for work.

He was also aware of the defamatory news about Cecilia circulating online and had started addressing it early on.

“Moving forward, our company will need its own dedicated team of lawyers. We can’t let others lead us by the nose,” he said.-

Cecilia nodded. “In this regard, we really need to rely on your expertise.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have everything prepared.”

Cecilia kept nodding in response.

Over the years, Norman had always been there for her, and she trusted him completely.

To effectively manage a large corporation, one had to learn to delegate authority.

Charlotte was in charge of management at that time, with Madeline assisting her, while Lucille was responsible for hiring staff.

Cecilia had plans to establish an online new media company, a decision, that was influenced by public opinion at that time.

From then on, things gradually progressed in a different direction.

Charlotte soon shared the news about the new company with Eric, who had been persistently inquiring about what Cecilia had been up to lately. In response, Eric brought Cecilia a basket of flowers to congratulate her.

“Ms. Cecille, you set up a company back home and didn’t even think to tell me?” Eric said with a pitiful tone. “You’re not treating me like a friend at all.”

Cecilia responded helplessly, “My company has just been established. I didn’t want to draw too much attention. I initially planned to tell you all once the company was running smoothly.”

As she spoke, her attention was subtly directed toward what was happening behind Eric.

“No one followed you here, right?”

If the paparazzi had caught a glimpse of Eric arriving at Cecilia’s company, it could have sparked a maior controversy.

Eric scratched his head and replied, “I don’t think so.”

You don’t think so? Cecilia was impressed by his nonchalant demeanor.

However, it wasn’t surprising. After all, in the past, Eric had no scandals and was widely praised.

Cecilia was the one who had landed him in trouble, and she blamed herself for it.

When Charlotte saw that Eric was there, she cheerfully ran toward him, exclaiming, “Eric, you’re here!”

“Yes. I’m here.”

Eric and she high–fived.

Sven, who came with Cecilia to oversee the security near the company, couldn’t help but glance over this way a couple of times, swiftly withdrawing his gaze afterward.

At that moment, Charlotte said to Cecilia, “Boss, I pondered over this for a long time last night. I’ve come up with a brilliant plan that could catapult our company to fame while also helping Eric shake off some negative press.”

“What is it?”

“We simply need to get Eric to sign a contract with us. Once he is contracted to our company, we can publicly state that your initial meeting with him was for business discussions pertaining to the company.”

With that, Charlotte turned to look at Eric. “I’ve done my research. Eric, did you return this time to terminate your contract with Imminence Corporation?”

Before, Eric had simply considered Charlotte as an ordinary administrative worker. He hadn’t expected her to be so adept at gathering information.

“How did you know?” he asked.

“This kind of thing can be guessed from small clues.” Charlotte didn’t elaborate further. Instead, she said, “You collaborate with my boss all the time, anyway. Why not simply sign a contract with our company this time? I’m sure my boss won’t let you down.”

Upon hearing those words, Cecilia tried to stop her. “Lottie.”

She knew Eric well, and she knew he didn’t like being constrained. Hence, she thought he certainly wouldn’t want to sign a contract with her company.

What she hadn’t expected, however, was that without any hesitation, Eric said, “I think Lottie’s idea is excellent. I’ll be the first artist you sign.”

What Cecilia was considering at the moment was starting an internet company. The contracts were likely going to be with some minor influencers. She hadn’t even thought about signing any major stars.

Chapter 1266 A Lawsuit

Cecilia was somewhat bewildered. “However, our company currently has no resources. We don’t even have an agent-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Eric pointed toward the door. “Isn’t there an agent?”

Eric’s agent, Marcus Woodard, was among the best, both domestically and internationally. He wouldn’t just agree to represent any ordinary person.

Initially, recognizing Eric’s potential led Marcus to take Eric under his wing.

Back then, Marcus planned to leave for a rookie after making Eric famous.

However, after becoming friends with Eric, he no longer took on rookies.

Marcus heard Eric’s words from outside the door, and he approached them somewhat helplessly. “If you don’t mind, I can represent him and the rookies.”

“Marcus, you’re impressive,” Eric said with a smile.

“Don’t praise me just yet. There’s currently a bit of a snag with Eric’s contract termination at Imminence Corporation. You might need to step in to resolve it,” Marcus said to Cecilia.

The color drained from Eric’s face in an instant.

“Imminence Corporation again…” Cecilia had heard about this company countless times and never thought her good friend would also be duped.

“Tell me the details,” Cecilia said.

Upon seeing the look on Cecilia’s face, Eric figured she had absolutely no clue that Nathaniel was the CEO of Imminence Corporation.

Afraid that Marcus would say things he wasn’t supposed to, Eric immediately said, “Well, I’ve been tricked, but it’s nothing serious. I can handle it myself.”

“What do you mean it’s nothing serious? The penalty for terminating the contract is two billion,” Marcus quickly retorted.

“Two billion?” Charlotte was stunned and in disbelief.

For an average person, this amount of money was astronomical, something they might not be able to earn even in ten lifetimes.

“Why would a contract termination cost so much?” Charlotte couldn’t understand why even the most talented artist would need such a high termination fee.

“They might’ve exploited a loophole in the contract.” Marcus sighed before adding, “I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

Initially, the conditions offered by Imminence Corporation seemed acceptable, and it just so happened that during that period, Eric was in need of money.

“All right. It was a trap, then.” Charlotte wanted to speak up against injustice.

Cecilia also thought it was absurd. “Is there a need for a lawsuit?”

Eric nodded. “Absolutely, but the odds of winning are not high. Don’t worry, Ceci. I’ll figure out a way to raise the money.”

“Selling off the assets you currently hold would only net you several hundred million. Where are you going to get two billion?” Marcus didn’t hesitate to expose him.

Eric gave him a look, signaling him to keep quiet.

Reluctantly, Marcus closed his mouth.

After some thought, Cecilia realized that considering Eric’s fame, even signing a contract with him would require a fortune. Consequently, she decided to say, “Eric, calculate how much you’re short of. Whatever amount you’re lacking, I’ll cover for you.”

Marcus, standing next to Eric, lost his composure.

At that moment, he finally understood why a fine young man like Eric would cling to a married woman, a mother no less. This woman, Cecilia, is indeed overly generous.

Upon hearing those words, Eric felt nothing but a deep sense of humiliation.

“Are you kidding? How could I possibly take your money?” Eric, being a man, could never accept a woman’s money. “Don’t worry. I have my own money. Let’s go, Marcus.”

Eric then left in a huff, taking Marcus with him.

Cecilia wanted to explain, but it was already too late.

Charlotte sighed and gave Cecilia a pat on the shoulder, “Boss, how could you discuss giving money to Eric? It’s such a blow to his pride. Any self–respecting man wouldn’t accept a woman’s money. He isn’t a boy–toy, after all.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Cecilia let out a sigh. “I thought I would need to compensate him for our collaboration. That money could be deducted from his future earnings.”

She hadn’t expected that the usually amicable Eric would be so angry that day.

Chapter 1267 Asking For Money

“Lottie, when you have a moment later, could you explain things to him?” Cecilia asked.

“All right.”

Charlotte readily agreed.

After stepping outside, Eric chastised Marcus for unnecessarily dragging Cecilia into the situation.

“Marcus, I don’t mean to be blunt, but have you considered how it would look if Cecilia were to do us this favor? People might assume I’m just a gold digger trying to latch onto a wealthy woman. They might label me as the other man, only interested in Cecilia for her money, even going so far as to pit her against her own husband.”

Marcus was somewhat speechless. Well, your current one–sided infatuation with Cecilia is already morally questionable.

“I understand. It won’t happen again,” Marcus responded with a hint of resignation in his voice.

Eric nodded before asking, “Okay. Could you assist me in selling all my properties, both domestic and abroad, as soon as possible?”

He wanted to terminate his contract with Imminence Corporation as soon as possible and then go to work at Cecilia’s company.

Marcus had no choice but to comply, but he still warned Eric, “Selling all your properties will only get you around a billion at most. You’ll have to figure out another way to get the rest of the money.”

Eric had never considered relying on his parents for financial support, but he was then out of options. He had no choice but to call them.

Back then, he had made quite a name for himself and earned a substantial amount of money, a significant portion of which he had given to his parents.

Eric thought it would be easy to get the money. However, Alan wore a stern expression and asked, “What do you need so much money for? Is it for that married woman?”

“Dad, what are you talking nonsense about?”

“Am I talking nonsense? It’s all over the news. They’re saying you’re involved with a woman who has a child. What on earth is going on? Instead of dating a decent girlfriend, you’ve chosen a woman who’s already married and has a child. Let me tell you something. Neither your mother nor I will approve. If you want money, go ask that woman!” Alan abruptly hung up the phone after that.

Eric felt rather helpless, so he tried reaching out to some of his celebrity friends over the phone.

However, those so–called friends were merely fair–weather friends. Upon hearing the recent negative news, they flatly refused to lend him any money.

With a somewhat helpless look, Marcus gazed at him and said, “I still have two hundred million at my disposal, which I can lend to you.”

“Marcus, you’re the best. Once I start earning, I’ll share half my salary with you.”

“Don’t say that. You should just focus on singing!

While the two were engaged in conversation, Eric received a call from Charlotte.

Marcus snatched the phone and began discussing the contract signing with Charlotte.

He also finally understood what Cecilia meant earlier, so he said, “All right. Sure. I’ll relay the message to Eric.”

He then ended the call and relayed Cecilia’s words to Eric.

“It’s like knowing your salary in advance,” Marcus said.

Eric was still not ready to agree, but at that moment, a call came through from the lawyer, Ernest.

“Hey, Mr. Palmer. Is your payment ready yet? If not, our company will have to initiate legal proceedings to protect our rights,” Ernest said,

It had to be said that Nathaniel had a knack for reading people. The lawyer he chose was relentlessly pressing.

“I’ll stick to our agreement and terminate the contract next week,” Eric enunciated.

Ernest was somewhat puzzled. Where is he getting the money from? According to the investigation, he simply doesn’t have that much money.

After hanging up the phone, Ernest quickly relayed the matter to Nathaniel.

Nathaniel’s fingers paused on the keyboard. “Have someone tail him. Check where he’s getting his money from.”

“Understood.”

Ernest was just about to leave, but Nathaniel stopped him again and asked, “Why haven’t those online public opinions been dealt with yet?”

A rare look of difficulty emerged on Ernest’s face. “I found out that the instigator of this incident was Cassandra’s aunt, who is also Queenie’s younger sister. She has significant influence, and she has restricted the circulation of our clarifications.”

It’s someone from the Jamieson family again! Once I’ve dealt with Orion Corporation, I should deal with the Jamieson family. Otherwise, they’ll continue to act lawlessly. Nathaniel was deep in thought.

Chapter 1268 Venting Her Anger

“Do you have a way to contact Queenie’s sister? Give me her contact. I want to speak with her personally,” Nathaniel said seriously.

Without further ado, Ernest found the contact information and informed Nathaniel.

A few hours later, the tide of public opinion online began to shift. Those self–media platforms that had previously slandered Cecilia started to issue apologies one after another.

Cassandra was still in a hospital for a prenatal checkup when she saw the news. She completely lost her mind and immediately called Brooklyn.

“Aunt Brooklyn, what’s the story with what happened online?” Cassandra asked.

“Cassandra, you’ve crossed someone you shouldn’t have. I almost had to pay the price for it this time.”

Although Brooklyn doted on Cassandra, she also understood the importance of playing safe.

“Who shouldn’t I have crossed?” Cassandra inquired.

Brooklyn didn’t respond to that question. Instead, she said to Cassandra, “You’ve vented your anger, and after this incident, Cecilia has learned her lesson. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“But-”

“All right. That’s it for now.”

Brooklyn hung up abruptly, leaving Cassandra utterly frustrated.

Cassina, who had accompanied her for the prenatal checkup, could sense the tension in the room. She couldn’t help but advise, “Cassandra, the doctor said you need to stay cheerful and avoid getting angry.”

Cassandra gave her a frosty glance. “Obviously, I want to be happy! However, I can’t just let Cecilia off the hook!”

Upon hearing those words, Cassina lowered her head, finding it difficult to persuade further.

Cassandra got angry as she looked at Cassina and thought about how Queenie had been attentive toward Cassina and would rather accompany that unwanted child, Dylan, instead of accompanying her to her prenatal checkup.

Cassandra then picked up a pillow and hurled it toward Cassina.

Just at that moment, Queenie pushed the door open, only to witness the sight of her biological daughter being attacked by Cassandra

Instinctively, Queenic positioned herself protectively in front of Cassina “Casandra, wive are you doing?”

Cassandra was completely frozen. “Mom… Let me explain. This is a misunderstanding

“What misunderstanding could possibly justify you laying a hand on your sister? Have I been too lenient with you, allowing you to act so recklessly?” Queenie criticized her mercilenty.

For the first time, Cassandra encountered Queenie speaking to her in such a manner. Disbelief instantly filled Cassandra’s cycs,

The hands she had hanging by her sides slowly clenched into fists.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I think my hormones might be out of balance after I got pregnant,” Cassandra said.

* return

“I don’t care about your reasons. Cassina has suffered out there. I don’t want her to home just to get bullied by you. Do you understand?” Queenie stated, each word punctuated with a firm resolve.

Queenie realized that over the years, she had been excessively indulgent to Cassandra. She knew she had to change certain things.

“All right. I understand.”

Reluctantly, Cassandra nodded her agreement.

She didn’t forget to shoot a fierce glare at Cassina from the shadows.

Cassina knew she wasn’t Queenie’s biological daughter, so she quickly came to Cassandra’s defense by saying, “Mom, you’ve misunderstood Cassandra. She was merely joking around with me just now.”

“Cassie, don’t speak for her. I know what kind of person she is.” Queenie pulled out a newspaper and tossed it in front of Cassandra. “Who gave you the right to deal with your aunt privately without my permission? Do you have any idea how much this has affected Jamieson Group?”

Cassandra questioned, “What kind of impact could there be?”

She picked up the newspaper and, upon reading it, she discovered that several influencers affiliated with the Jamieson family’s online platform had been sued. Even some major self- media companies were involved, their losses immeasurable.

“Your aunt is indeed kind–hearted, even helping you make a fuss after all the trouble you’ve caused. Didn’t Cecilia already leave Orion Corporation? What more do you want?”

Chapter 1269 Working Too Hard

Cassandra was filled with an intense feeling of resentment after Queenie reprimanded her. Sure enough, once she has her biological daughter, my importance as an adopted child has diminished. Before Cassina showed up, she would step in to help me deal with Cecilia. Now, she’s even preventing me from confronting Cecilia!

“Mom, you’re being overly partial to Cassina now. Do you even realize she is actually-” Cassandra suddenly stopped speaking.

If Cassandra were to inform Queenie that Cassina was not her daughter, Queenie would inevitably trace it back to Cecilia. That would certainly spell trouble for Cassandra.

“What is she actually?” Queenie was baffled.

“It’s nothing. I just feel that after all these years, it’s always been me by your side. Now, with Cassie around, you suddenly find all sorts of faults with me. I came here for a prenatal checkup today, and the stuff online has already been a headache. Yet, here you are, giving me a lecture.”

With that, Cassandra left the ward.

Seeing her retreating figure, Queenie couldn’t help but feel regret, thinking the words she had spoken earlier were too harsh.

“Cassie, was I too harsh with my words just now?” Queenie asked.

Cassina wasn’t sure what to say. “Mom, should you maybe call Cassandra and explain things a bit?”

“Forget about it.” Queenie didn’t want to keep indulging Cassandra. After all, she was aware that she, too, would age one day. “How did her prenatal checkup go?”

“Everything is normal.”

“That’s good, then.” Queenie gave a nod.

Meanwhile, as the afternoon drew near to the end of the workday, Cecilia also noticed the shift in online sentiment.

The previous day, the evidence she had allowed Charlotte to release had been posted online. At that moment, netizens were all criticizing the unscrupulous media outlets for stirring up trouble.

Someone commented: Make sure to keep your eyes open in the future. Don’t trust everything you read online.

Exactly. It’s not like Cecilia committed some unforgivable crime. So what if she’s dating a young hunk?

That’s right! The main issue is that they didn’t do it, yet they were falsely accused by others.

Charlotte was scrolling through the comments online, finally feeling a great sense of relief. “Finally, this matter has been resolved. Otherwise, it would have been utterly infuriating.”

“Yes…” Cecilia paused for a moment before saying, “However, it’s not entirely resolved. Those people I asked you to sue before, don’t let them off the hook. Hand them over to Mr. Jenkins. Let them know that spreading rumors comes with a price.”

“All right. I’m on it.”

Madeline assisted Charlotte, and as she watched Charlotte hustle about, it stirred an inexplicable excitement within her.

Madeline hoped that in the future, she could be like Charlotte, capable of standing on her own.

Meanwhile, the news of Madeline working for Cecilia naturally reached Darren’s ears as well.

He called Nathaniel eagerly and said, “Nathaniel, did you know? My wife is working for Cecilia.”

Nathaniel wasn’t concerned with these matters. “Is there a problem?”

Darren hesitated for a moment. “No… I just wanted you to ask Cecilia if Madeline is finding her work tiring.”

Nathaniel initially thought there was a serious issue, only to realize that Darren’s concern was simply about Madeline working too hard.

“Don’t worry. Cecilia isn’t the type of boss who exploits others,” Nathaniel said.

After hearing that, Darren was still not entirely at ease. “Nathaniel, didn’t you go to the Smith residence? How are Madeline and Amy doing now?”

Nathaniel’s return was solely to see Cecilia. Naturally, he paid no attention to Madeline and Amelia.

“Next time, I’ll help you check them out.”

“All right, then…” Darren ended the call with a sense of disappointment.

It had been almost a month, and shockingly, Madeline hadn’t reached out to him even once.

It seemed like her decision to leave this time was truly set in stone.

Darren had lost his enthusiasm for work at that moment. Just then, his phone rang. He picked up his phone to see a call from an unknown number.

Chapter 1270 Over My Dead Body

Without hesitation, Darren answered the call.

During this period, he answered countless calls, be it nuisance or scam calls, for fear of missing one from Madeline.

This time, he finally heard the familiar voice on the other end of the phone.

“Darren!”

At that moment, Madeline had already returned to the Smith residence, and she gathered her courage to make this call to Darren.

That day, she received her first paycheck and even bought a new phone.

Darren was exceptionally stirred, so much so that he found himself speechless for quite some time.

Madeline thought her call hadn’t gone through, so she raised her voice. “Darren, can you hear me? This is Madeline.”

“I–I hear you… Y–You’ve finally called me…” Darren’s voice trembled as he spoke. Madeline is truly heartless. She didn’t even look for me this entire time.

He initially thought that Madeline couldn’t handle work and was calling to plead for his help. However, he didn’t expect the woman on the other end to say, “If I don’t call you, how am I supposed to bring up divorce?”

Darren’s expression changed in an instant. “What did you say?”

“I want to divorce you! Did you hear me clearly?” Madeline enunciated. “I’ve found a job now. I can support Amy on my own. I don’t need you.”

Madeline’s final words pierced Darren’s heart like a needle.

She doesn’t need me… Darren’s throat felt as if it was stuffed with cotton, and he ended up letting out a soft chuckle.

His chuckle unnerved Madeline, and she said, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you chuckling? Are you really that happy about getting a divorce? In that case, let’s head to the City Hall first thing tomorrow morning to file for our divorce. We need to go through a cool off period, isn’t it? If we file tomorrow, we should have our divorce certificate by this time next month.”

Madeline was really looking forward to the time when she would leave Darren.

No sooner had she finished speaking than an enraged voice came from Darren on the other end of the line. “Divorce? And take Amy with you? Over my dead body!”

He then promptly hung up the phone.

Madeline stared at the disconnected call, her brows furrowed in concern, Cecilia walked up to her and asked, “How did it go?”

“He didn’t agree. It seems he couldn’t bear to part with Amy.” Madeline felt that Darren wasn’t doing it for her sake.

However, she had to concede that Darren was extremely fond of his daughter, almost obsessively so.

When Amelia was just born, one of Darren’s friends made a jest, suggesting his son would marry Amelia. This almost led to Darren severing ties with that person.

Moreover, when Amelia was still very young, Darren built her a small castle, declaring that she was his princess.

“What’s next, then?” Cecilia felt that having a child between two people and fighting for custody was the hardest part.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take him to court. I’ll file a lawsuit against him.” Once Madeline had finished you manage speaking, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Cecilia. “Ceci, how did to divorce Nathaniel in the past? How did he agree to leave both sons in your care?”

Cecilia felt somewhat awkward.

If it hadn’t been for Nathaniel’s illness, it would have been incredibly difficult for her to consider divorcing him and taking the children with her.

Cecilia truthfully informed Madeline.

Madeline seemed thoughtful. “It seems to me Nathaniel truly has feelings for you. I believe you two can genuinely consider remarrying.”

Elliot had joined them at some point unnoticed, and upon hearing their conversation, he chimed in, “Exactly! Mommy, Daddy truly loves you.”

Cecilia felt somewhat helpless. “Why do I see you everywhere?”

“Mommy, why hasn’t Daddy come home today?” Elliot’s large eyes were fixed on Cecilia.

That day, Cecilia also received a call from Nathaniel, who offered to pick her up. However, she refused him righteously and firmly.

Therefore, she had no choice but to lie to Elliot, saying, “I guess your daddy must be busy with work.”