Chapter 2231

Nathaniel told the bodyguards, “Keep him awake all night. Go easy—no real damage—and have a doctor check on him. I want him alive.”

He had promised to make Nicholas experience a living hell, and he intended to keep that promise.

Death would be far too easy. Twins or not, Nathaniel had no intention of granting him that kind of release.

The next morning, a shrill ringtone yanked Cecilia out of sleep.

Without opening her eyes, she groped across the sheets, her movements slow with fatigue.

Nathaniel’s longer reach got there first. “It’s my phone,” he murmured. “Mom’s calling.”

“Oh,” she mumbled.

He answered, and Elena’s anxious voice came through immediately. “Nathaniel, your brother is missing. I can’t find him anywhere.”

The volume was loud enough for Cecilia to hear every word, and she instinctively turned to look at Nathaniel.

She already understood that this disappearance could only be his doing.

“Mom, he’s an adult,” Nathaniel said evenly. “If he’s gone, it’s because he’s hiding from you on purpose. Let him.”

“But his health is fragile,” Elena pleaded. “How can we leave him out there alone?”

“Then keep searching, Mom. My schedule’s packed—I don’t have time to babysit a man in his thirties,” he replied.

With that, he ended the call.

Cecilia couldn’t help asking, “Wasn’t that a little harsh?”

Nathaniel met her gaze. “Harsh? Nicholas chose his fate the moment he acted.”

She nodded slowly.

“Alright.”

Conflicted emotions still tugged at her. Part of her wanted Nicholas to pay for what he’d done, yet the blood ties between them made her worry about everyone involved.

Nathaniel pulled her into his arms.

“Stop overthinking it. I won’t regret a single step,” he said.

After a moment, he added, “And don’t even think about mercy. If his victim had been you, the law wouldn’t have shown any.”

A faint, brittle smile appeared on her face.

“Given the circumstances, he’d probably serve a year or two at most,” she murmured.

It had only been an attempt, after all. She doubted he would even spend much time behind bars.

“Exactly why I’ll handle it my way,” Nathaniel said, a dark glint flashing in his eyes as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

The gesture calmed her nerves, and she wrapped her arms around him in return.

“Come on—breakfast, then we’ll head to work together,” he said.

“Mm-hmm.”

Cecilia assumed they would part ways for their respective offices, yet he climbed into her car again.

“Why are you—” she began.

Nathaniel cut her off. “Is it so terrible that I want to work beside you?”

“And your own company?” she asked.

“There are plenty of executives. If they need me for every task, why am I paying them?” he replied.

She had no real argument for that.

“Fine.”

He then asked his assistant to forward any pending work directly to him.

Cecilia teased, “Looks like my senior staff are freeloading—leaving mountains of work for me, and now for you too.”

Nathaniel lifted his head with a grin. “Then hire me. I’ll waive the salary.”