Ch. 921..930
Chapter 921 My Children
Secing that his grandfather wanted to help Jessica hide the truth, Nathaniel felt speechless. “They are mine.”
Niel threw his cane at him, nearly hitting him.
“At this point, you still won’t tell the truth?”
Faced with this situation, Nathaniel had no choice but to explain the crisis that had occurred that day, as well as how Cecilia had to delay the situation.
After listening, Niel was left in shock, unable to process what he had heard.
“So you’re saying that what Cecilia said was all false?”
“Of course. The children are mine. How could I not know that?” Nathaniel retorted.
Only then did Niel relax. “So that’s how it is. Jessica told me nonsense before making things clear.”
Nathaniel knew Jessica had been speaking carelessly, and a chill crossed his eyes.
Niel belatedly realized he had exposed Jessica.
He then tried to smooth things over. “Nathaniel, Jessica meant well. She was afraid you’d be deceived by Cecilia. The Quill family has always followed our family, so don’t hurt her feelings.”
Nathaniel nodded, remaining calm.
“I know.”
Niel had saved Fabian’s life, and Fabian had been grateful. He always supported the Rainsworth family no matter what happened.
When Nathaniel first took charge of the family, Fabian’s support was crucial. He was not an ungrateful person.
“Grandpa, can I go out now?”
“Yes, go ahead. It’s rare for the family to be together, so have a good chat with your cousins,” Niel replied.
Once Nathaniel left, he was taken by Mason to meet some confidants with whom he used to have a good relationship.
Meanwhile, Elena was happily introducing her grandson to some female relatives.
They couldn’t stop praising Elliot for looking so much like Nathaniel and that he had a promising future. Elliot was very considerate of Elena and obediently charmed the older women.
Once most of the introductions were done, Elena noticed that Elliot seemed tired and suggested he take a seat.
“Okay.”
Elliot readily agreed, then looked around, wanting to find his mother.
Felix noticed he was alone and seized the opportunity.
He followed Elliot through the crowd and grabbed him. “Elliot!”
Elliot looked back in confusion and frowned when he saw Felix.
“It’s you! What do you want with me?”
Elliot sensed that Felix had bad intentions.
Felix’s eyes were filled with hostility. “What do you think I want? You’ve made Grandpa and the others like me less. I want you dead!”
He glanced at the nearby artificial pond. Taking a deep breath, he forcefully pushed Elliot toward it.
Elliot’s gaze narrowed. He wasn’t a pushover. Although he wasn’t as strong as Felix, he clung tightly to Felix’s shirt.
When Felix pushed him toward the pond, Elliot refused to let go. As a result, both boys fell into the water.
Splash! Splash!
A servant shouted, “Mr. Elliot and Mr. Felix have fallen into the water!”
Everyone turned to look, and some rushed over to save them.
Cecilia was a bit far away and didn’t know what was happening, but as soon as she heard the news, she ran toward the crowd.
She never expected something would happen while Elliot was out there with Elena.
Those closest to the pond were in panic, but Nicholas imme
Chapter 922 Dragged Into The Pond
Felix never expected that when he pushed Elliot into the water, he would also get pulled into the pond himself.
Although he had learned to swim, this pond was not a swimming pool.
Moreover, Elliot was clinging to him tightly, and he couldn’t escape.
D*mn it!
Someone swam over to them. Felix thought that person was coming to save him. Instead, the person directly lifted Elliot.
Elliot let go of Felix’s shirt as he was being rescued.
In less than a minute, Elliot was pulled up by Nicholas. Fortunately, he hadn’t swallowed any pond water and just looked a bit pale.
Felix was quickly rescued by the security staff as well.
When Cecilia pushed through the crowd, she saw that it was Nicholas who had saved Elliot. She rushed over and hugged her child. “Eli!”
Others were calling for ambulances.
What was supposed to be a nice gathering ended prematurely due to the conflict between the two kids.
In the hospital, the doctor examined both boys.
Cecilia held Nathaniel’s hand tightly.
Nathaniel gently reassured her, “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”
Not far from them, Nicholas stood by, completely soaked from rescuing Elliot.
Cassandra anxiously wiped the water from his face. “Nicholas, your clothes are wet. We should go change.”
Nicholas refused, “I’m fine.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he kept glancing at Cecilia and Nathaniel’s tightly clasped hands.
Cassandra noticed and felt a surge of jealousy but couldn’t show it.
Elena approached. “Nicholas, what happened? How did the kids fall into the water?”
Nicholas shook his head. “I’m not sure. By the time I heard the noise, they had already fallen into the pond.”
Elena didn’t press further and waited for the doctor’s results.
Not long after, the doctor came out. Since the boys were rescued in time, there were no serious effects.
“Is Eli okay? He’s not in great health to begin with,” Elena immediately asked.
“I examined him thoroughly. He’s fine.”
Elena let out a sigh of relief.
Cecilia also felt relieved. She released Nathaniel’s hand and walked over to Nicholas.
“Nicholas, thank you for saving my son.”
Nicholas smiled gently. “It’s nothing.”
“Mm.” Cecilia nodded.
Nathaniel joined in. “Thank you for saving, Eli. We’ll always remember it.”
In fact, Nathaniel felt somewhat frustrated. If it weren’t for his blindness, he wouldn’t have needed anyone. to save his child.
“Okay, let’s go check on the kids,” Niel said.
He was more concerned for Felix.
In the ward, both boys were lying together.
When Felix saw Niel come in, he immediately called out, “Great–grandpa!”
“Hey, how are you doing, Felix?”
Felix quickly played the victim “Great–grandpa, it was Eli who pushed me into the pond!”
“What?” Niel was instantly furious.
Elliot looked weak and had no energy to speak. He just shook his head at Cecilia.
Cecilia understood immediately.
“Sweetie, don’t talk. I know you’re a good boy.”
She turned to Niel. “Grandpa, Eli would never push Felix into the pond.”
Felix argued back, “He did push me!”
“Isn’t there surveillance at the party? We can check the footage. If Eli really did push you, I’ll make him apologize,” Cecilia said. She didn’t think a child could harbor much malice.
With the series of incidents, she knew she had to resolve this matter thoroughly.
Chapter 923 Owe Him An Apology
Felix was frightened when he heard there was surveillance cameras at the party.
But he still stubbornly said, “Fine.”
Cecilia continued, “So if the footage shows that Eli didn’t push you but that you pushed him, shouldn’t you also apologize?”
Felix didn’t think apologizing was a big issue, so he nodded in agreement.
“Okay.”
While they were talking, Nathaniel had already handed the matter over to the butler of Rainsworth Manor. Soon, the surveillance footage from that time was sent over.
Cecilia took the footage and showed it to everyone present.
In the footage, it was clear that Felix had pushed Elliot. The reason Felix had fallen into the pond too was that Elliot had been holding onto his clothes.
At this point, everything became clear.
Initially, Niel had been on Felix’s side, but now he was furious.
“Felix, how could you lie?”
Once was forgivable, but Felix had lied more than once.
Niel still remembered that during All Souls‘ Day, Felix had intentionally pushed Elliot. In the end, Felix had fallen himself.
Felix was still a child. His tears began to fall.
Elena had always disliked him. She frowned upon seeing him bully her grandson over and over again.
“At such a young age, you’re already so malicious. Is this what your parents taught you? Do you even know that Eli has leukemia? Pushing him into the pond was like pushing him to his death!” Elena was furious.
Felix cried even louder. “I was wrong! I won’t do it again!”
Being scolded by several adults made him completely break down.
Cecilia was puzzled. How could a child hold such a grudge and even want to put another child in danger?
This time, Niel wasn’t swayed by Felix’s tears.
“Apologize to Eli!”
Felix had no choice but to cry while apologizing to Elliot, “I’m sorry, I won’t push you again.”
Elliot still wasn’t feeling well, but he understood that Felix was only a five–year–old child.
No matter what he had done, there wouldn’t be any real consequences.
“It’s okay, I forgive you,” Elliot said weakly.
He hadn’t really forgiven Felix, but he wanted to show everyone who the real well–behaved child was.
As expected, after Elliot said that, Niel felt a surge of sympathy for him. He took out a white bead from his pocket, which looked like emerald, and handed it to Elliot.
“Eli, here, this is a relic from a high priest who passed away. I’m giving it to you to keep you safe.”
Niel’s words surprised everyone present.
Relics were something that couldn’t be bought with money. This particular one had been obtained by Niel through certain means when he was younger, and it was worth a fortune.
Felix was especially envious and jealous. He had once asked Niel for the relic, but Niel hadn’t given it to him: Now he was giving it to Elliot.
Felix thought Elliot would eagerly take it, but instead, Elliot shook his head. “Great–grandpa, I don’t want it. You keep it for yourself and live a long life.”
Niel’s face broke into a broad smile. He insisted on giving the relic to Elliot.
“Don’t worry, I have many of these. You’re not in good health, so you should keep it.”
It was in this moment that Niel truly seemed to accept Elliot as his great–grandson.
Seeing this, Elliot no longer refused. “Thank you, Great–grandpa.”
And just like that, the whole situation was resolved.
When Adrian and Miranda arrived, Niel scolded them, telling them not to bring Felix along anymore.
“I’ll hire a personal tutor for Felix. You two only need to check on him occasionally.”
They had raised the child all wrong.
Chapter 924 Fetch A Lot Of Money
Cecilia and Nathaniel brought Elliot back to Rainsworth Manor. On the way, Elliot was holding the seemingly ordinary bead.
“Daddy, Mommy, can this bead fetch a lot of money?”
Cecilia nodded. “Yes, relics are very precious. You must take good care of it in the future.”
Besides, Niel had mentioned that it came from a high priest after his passing and wasn’t easy to acquire.
“Okay,” Elliot agreed without hesitation.
He soon fell asleep, leaning against Cecilia.
Cecilia held him, not daring to let him out of her sight for even a second.
Back at Rainsworth Manor, Cecilia placed Elliot on the bed and covered him with a blanket.
Only after making sure he was settled did she go wash up and get ready for bed.
Nathaniel finished washing up first and lay on the bed.
That night, as they slept together, Cecilia had a nightmare, dreaming that something terrible happened to Elliot. She woke up in a panic.
“Eli…”
Nathaniel was a light sleeper. When he heard her call out, he held her close. “Did you have a nightmare?”
It took Cecilia a moment to come to her senses in his arms.
“Yeah, I dreamed something bad happened to Eli again.”
Nathaniel gently patted her back. “It’s okay, it was just a dream.”
“Mm.” Cecilia nodded, though she couldn’t fall back asleep. “Why do you think Felix would push Elliot?”
Back when she saw the video, she was shocked. How could a child be so cruel?
“Kids are often influenced by their parents. My father and my uncle never got along, so from a young age, Adrian saw me as a competitor,” Nathaniel explained.
To the past Nathaniel, however, Adrian was never a true rival.
It was the first time Cecilia had heard Nathaniel talk about these things.
Though she’d been married into the Rainsworth family for years, she hadn’t seen much of Nathaniel’s uncle, having only heard that he primarily managed overseas businesses and only returned for the occasional New Year celebration.
“We’ll have to keep a close eye on him from now on,” Cecilia said.
“Of course.” Nathaniel tightened his embrace around her.
The next morning, when Cecilia woke up, Nathaniel was no longer in the bedroom.
After getting up, the temporary nanny who had come to care for Elliot told her, “Mr. Nathaniel went out with his cousins.”
Cecilia nodded.
Elliot looked much better now. He had changed into a brand–new, custom–made little suit, which him a more serious appearance.
“Mommy.”
Cecilia walked over. “Is this the outfit Grandma bought for you?”
Elliot nodded.
gave
He still preferred the cute clothes his mommy picked out for him, but the nanny had chosen this set for him to wear.
The nanny approached, “Mrs. Rainsworth, Mr. Elliot, once you’re both ready, shall we go over for breakfast? Mdm. Elena has been waiting for you.”
After what had happened last night, Elena hadn’t had a chance to talk much with Elliot.
“Okay.”
Cecilia took Elliot along to Elena’s place.
It was only a few minutes‘ walk. When they arrived at the dining room, they saw Cassandra and the cousins gathered there, but Elena was absent.
Jessica was among them, chatting and laughing. However, when she saw Cecilia enter, she immediately fell silent.
The lively atmosphere instantly turned to dead silence.
Seeing this, Cassandra spoke up, “As you hadn’t come by yet, Mom was busy and had to leave. Come, sit down.”
“Okay.”
Cecilia pulled out a chair and told Elliot to sit first.
After what had happened yesterday, the cousins didn’t dare speak ill of Elliot anymore. They knew he was Elena’s beloved grandson.
Chapter 925 My Husband
However, not talking about Elliot didn’t mean they wouldn’t talk about Cecilia.
Each of them held their heads high. “My husband has been traveling overseas for business every day lately. He has so many deals to negotiate and hasn’t had time to come here with me.”
“My husband is the same. Every day he has to work and meet clients. He couldn’t come with me this time either.”
“Let’s not talk about that.”
On the surface, they were complaining about their husbands being busy, but in reality, they were boasting about their husbands‘ capabilities.
Someone even flattered Cassandra, “No matter how busy our husbands are, they can’t be busier than Nicholas. Now that Nathaniel isn’t in charge, Orion Corporation is managed by him, and yet he still finds time to be with his wife.”
Cassandra smirked proudly, “That’s because Nicholas is considerate of me. No matter how busy he is, he always makes time to accompany me for my check–ups.”
Everyone chimed in with their own words, but Cecilia acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing.
Elliot focused on eating his meal, understanding that these ladies were purposely saying all this for his mother to hear.
Perhaps noticing that Cecilia remained unmoved, one of them directly addressed her, “Cecilia, you have it easy. Now that Nathaniel can’t see, he doesn’t have to work and can be with you every day.”
Cecilia paused. “Yes, we have money and don’t need to work. We have it easy.”
The others were momentarily speechless.
Elliot had finished eating and asked curiously, “Who said my daddy doesn’t work? He has a big company.”
The cousins were surprised.
“Eli, your daddy has a company? Where is it?”
They didn’t believe that someone like Nathaniel, who had lost his sight, could still run a company.
Elliot gazed at them. “Do you want to know?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not telling you.” Elliot had seen Nathaniel’s company before, and it was certainly no smaller than Orion Corporation.
All he could say was that these ladies were ignorant.
Seeing that Elliot wouldn’t say, the others felt disdain.
It must be a small company barely getting by, which was why he felt embarrassed to mention it.
Seeing that Elliot had finished eating, Cecilia took him by the hand, eager to leave this place full of trouble.
“Cecilia, are you leaving?” one of them asked.
“Yes, we’re full. You can continue eating,” Cecilia replied.
After she and Elliot left, the sound of the women’s mocking laughter could be heard behind them.
“She’s so pretentious. Does she think Nathaniel is still the man he used to be?”
“Exactly, and she’s not the Smith family’s prominent young lady anymore either.”
“A deaf woman and a blind man, truly a perfect match
Overhearing this, Jessica was a little upset. “I think Nathaniel is still doing well. It’s mainly Cecilia, who’s a jinx. If it weren’t for her, Nathaniel wouldn’t have gone blind.”
After hearing that, the others quickly agreed.
“Right, I heard that before Nathaniel went blind, he was planning to divorce Cecilia, wasn’t he?”
This immediately piqued Jessica’s interest.
“Really?”
“You can look up the news from back then. It caused a stir.”
Jessica didn’t say anything more, but she made a mental note of it.
She was curious why Niel hadn’t punished Cecilia yet, especially since she was pregnant with someone else’s child.
“I’ve had my fill. I’ll be leaving first.”
Jessica got up and limped away.
The Rainsworth cousins never thought much Jessica, who was from the Quill family. If it weren’t for Niel, they wouldn’t even bother eating with her.
Sensing Jessica’s thoughts, Cassandra said her goodbyes to the others and followed after her.
Chapter 926 Just Like Me
“Jessica.”
Cassandra quickly caught up to the limping Jessica.
Jessica stopped and looked at Cassandra. “Cassandra, what is it?”
Because of Nicholas, Jessica was somewhat afraid of Cassandra.
“Nothing, I just wanted to chat with you. Where are you heading? Let’s walk together,” Cassandra said.
Jessica found it hard to refuse.
The two of them walked toward Niel’s residence.
Cassandra couldn’t help but ask Jessica, “Are you dissatisfied with Cecilia?”
Jessica was startled and quickly denied it, “No.”
How can I admit I dislike Cecilia?
“Okay, I thought you, like me, had issues with her,” Cassandra sighed.
Hearing this, Jessica asked curiously, “Cassandra, you don’t like Cecilia either?”
Cassandra nodded. “Dislike? That’s not it. I detest her. She’s such a two–faced woman. Do you think she’s content with just being Nathaniel’s wife?”
Jessica looked at her, eager to hear more gossip.
“She has feelings for Nicholas too,” Cassandra said.
It seemed as though Jessica had stumbled upon a monumental secret. She couldn’t believe it and dropped her pretense.
“How shameless! Isn’t a few men enough for her?”
“What men are you talking about?” Cassandra was confused.
Jessica didn’t hold back anymore. “Cassandra, do you know about Eric?”
Eric?
Cassandra thought carefully and quickly remembered.
Not because of anything else, but because during the recent online scandal, this Eric had spoken up for Cecilia.
“You mean that international singer?”
“Yes.” Jessica nodded, “I live in Daltonia Villa, and I’ve seen Eric secretly meeting Cecilia several times. Oh, and I’ve also heard that Cecilia is involved with someone named Calvin.”
She bid Cassandra goodbye.
Cassandra smiled as she waved her off and then left.
“Eric,” she muttered to herself, deciding that she must investigate Cecilia’s relationship with him.
If it was true, just like Jessica said, there would be a good show to watch.
Jessica went to Niel’s residence. He was relaxing and meditating, but when he saw her, he remembered the misunderstanding from the previous day and frowned. “Jessica, what are you doing here?”
“Grandpa Niel, remember what I told you? How is it going?” Jessica asked.
Niel felt that Jessica lacked tact. If he hadn’t sought her out, didn’t that imply the result?
“From now on, don’t believe rumors easily.”
Jessica was taken aback, “Grandpa Niel, you don’t believe me? I heard it with my own ears when Cecilia said her child isn’t a Rainsworth…”
“Hold your tongue!” Niel interrupted her sharply.
Jessica had no choice but to shut up.
“Nathaniel has already explained everything to me. What Cecilia said at the time was just to stall for time and keep Ethan from harming you all. You were foolish enough to take it seriously,” Niel didn’t even want to look at her now. “Leave now.”
It took Jessica a while to regain her senses. “Yes.”
After leaving, she recalled the conversation between Cecilia and Nathaniel after they were kidnapped. Now, she finally understood that she had been played.
D*mn it!
She had gone to complain to Niel, and now it was all for nothing.
Fortunately, Niel didn’t blame her too much as he still respected Fabian.
Jessica didn’t feel comfortable staying at Rainsworth Manor any longer and left early to return to Daltonia-
Chapter 927 I Am Not Involved
At a tall building in Rainsworth Manor, Nathaniel and Nicholas stood together.
“Did you already know about Ethan’s actions?” Nathaniel asked.
Nicholas lazily leaned against the railing, looking at the overcast sky outside. “I wasn’t involved this time.”
That was an indirect admission.
Nathaniel had long known that his younger brother wasn’t as gentle and kind as he appeared, but he still found it hard to believe that brothers would turn against each other.
“You’ve already taken control of Orion Corporation. What more could you want?”
What more could he want?
Nicholas laughed. “I want a lot more. The thing that dissatisfies me the most is that you married the woman I love and act as if you don’t owe me anything!”
Hearing this, Nathaniel hardened his resolve. He raised his hand and grabbed Nicholas by the collar, tightening his grip.
The two of them looked identical, but Nicholas had been frail and sickly since childhood. He was no match for Nathaniel, even though Nathaniel couldn’t see now.
Some distance away, Jocelyn witnessed this scene and was ready to step forward, but Mason blocked her.
“Ms. Wright, it’s best to let our bosses settle their own matters,” Mason said.
Nicholas’s collar was tightly gripped, making it hard for him to breathe, but he didn’t show any fear.
“Go ahead, kill me. But don’t forget, Cecilia has always truly loved me. If I die, she’ll never forgive you.” His handsome face twisted slightly.
Nathaniel lowered his voice, “Stop hanging around those lowlifes, or I really will kill you.”
With that, he shoved Nicholas away.
Nicholas staggered back several steps, coughing violently.
Nathaniel didn’t stay any longer and left.
As soon as he was gone, Jocelyn rushed over to support Nicholas. “Mr. Nicholas, are you okay? Let’s go to the hospital.”
Nicholas waved her off in refusal.
“No need.”
His breathing gradually steadied, and the coughing subsided.
Jocelyn knew him well. If he said he didn’t want to the hospital, then he definitely wouldn’t go.
After reprimanding Nicholas, Nathaniel took Cecilia and Elliot back to Daltonia Villa.
After dropping them off at home, he left under the pretense of work.
An hour later, in a dimly lit basement. Ethan lay on the ground, spitting blood. His body was covered in wounds.
For the past day or two, he had endured torment unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
When Nathaniel walked in, Ethan saw a glimmer of hope and immediately crawled to Nathaniel’s feet, begging, “Mr. Rainsworth, I was wrong. I beg you, have mercy and spare me this time. I’ll serve you for the rest of my life.”
Nathaniel glanced behind him, and his men immediately dragged Ethan further away, restraining him roughly.
“Who else was involved in this besides you?” Nathaniel asked.
Ethan certainly wasn’t about to implicate Francis and lied, “Nicholas.”
Nathaniel had already spoken with Nicholas. He knew Nicholas well enough. If Nicholas had been involved, he would’ve admitted it.
“So you’re not going to tell the truth?” Nathaniel’s voice was soft, but to Ethan, it sounded like it came from hell.
“I’m telling the truth. Nicholas ordered me to do it. He’s afraid that once your health improves, you’ll compete with him for the position of Orion Corporation’s heir.”
Ethan stubbornly stuck to his lie.
A few minutes later, his screams filled the basement.
Having gained no useful information, Nathaniel walked out. He turned to Mason and asked, “Have you found Francis yet?”
Chapter 928 Follow Your Orders
Mason was just about to report this matter to Nathaniel. “Boss, Francis is kneeling at the gate of Daltonia Villa. He claims to have had no knowledge of what Ethan did. He also says that as long as you show him mercy, he will obey your orders from now on.”
Nathaniel knew things couldn’t be that simple, but they hadn’t uncovered anything else.
“Since Ethan isn’t willing to say more, there’s no need to press further.”
“Understood.”
Mason grasped Nathaniel’s meaning.
There was no reason to keep Ethan around.
“What about Francis then?”
Nathaniel wasn’t ready to be ruthless yet. Besides, he knew Francis was a timid man, only interested in women.
“Let him stay.”
“Yes.”
At Daltonia Villa, Cecilia was resting on the couch, when Jessica mentioned that the third son of the Murdock family had been kneeling outside, begging for forgiveness.
Jessica asked Cecilia, “Has Stella been caught yet?”
She vividly remembered how Stella had stomped on her injured leg with those high heels.
Cecilia opened her eyes. “Probably not. I’m not the police. How would I know?”
Her dismissive response made Jessica quite displeased.
“What do you mean, ‘probably not“?”
Jessica deliberately stirred things up. “Cecilia, Stella is your love rival! Have you forgotten how arrogant she was when we were both kidnapped?”
Cecilia glanced at her. “I haven’t forgotten, but what can we do about it?”
Jessica was momentarily stunned.
“You should have Nathaniel find someone to capture Stella and teach her a lesson!”
Cecilia deliberately declined. “No, I think the main culprit in this plot to harm us was the Murdock family. As you said, Stella was just hiding behind the Murdock family. Let’s not waste our energy on such a petty person.”
Jessica never expected Cecilia to suddenly become a saint and decide to let Stella off the hook.
“Cecilia…”
Of course, Cecilia understood her intentions–Jessica wanted to use her and Nathaniel to exact revenge.
“Jessica, sometimes it’s better to be merciful.”
Cecilia patted her on the shoulder.
Hearing this, Jessica finally gave up and bitterly swallowed her frustration.
In truth, over an hour earlier, Cecilia had received an apology text from Stella.
Stella claimed she regretted everything and that she had been manipulated by Ethan.
Cecilia knew very well that Stella had only sent those messages out of fear. Naturally, she wouldn’t just let her off the hook.
Simply sending Stella to prison or banishing her from Tudela would be far too easy on her.
Cecilia had already instructed Sven to investigate why Stella got entangled with the Murdock family.
At that moment, a call came in. When Cecilia picked up her phone, she saw it was Paula.
She wasn’t sure what Paula was up to this time, so she answered.
“Mdm. Paula, what can I do for you?”
On the other end, Paula was unexpectedly emotional upon hearing Cecilia’s voice.
“I, I…”
Having been a malicious mother for so long, Paula now regretted her actions and wanted to make amends, but didn’t know how to begin.
After a long pause, Paula finally spoke. “I sent you something. Have you received it?”
“What is it?” Cecilia asked, puzzled.
Hearing Cecilia’s confusion, Paula realized that she hadn’t received the package yet, so she decided to keep her in suspense.
“You’ll know once it arrives.”
“Anything else?” Cecilia’s tone was particularly cold.
Paula hesitated. “No, nothing else.”
“Goodbye, then.”
Cecilia abruptly ended the call.
Paula stared at the disconnected line, disappointment filling her eyes.
Meanwhile, the security guard had already brought in the package.
Chapter 929 Childhood Belongings
“You have a parcel, Mrs. Rainsworth,” the security guard said.
Cecilia rose to her feet and walked over to the door. There lay a paper box, over a meter in length.
“Alright, thank you.”
She was somewhat curious, wondering what Paula might have sent her.
Upon hearing about the arrival of a parcel, Elliot also emerged from his room, joining his mother in opening the package.
When they opened the parcel, both mother and son were taken aback.
Inside the box were toys and items typically used by girls, all of which had clearly seen better days.
Cecilia instantly recognized these things as items from her childhood.
Previously, Magnus and Paula had auctioned off the Smith residence and mortgaged it to the court. Later on, it was bought by Stella. Then, Nathaniel subsequently repurchased the rights to the house and gave it back to Cecilia.
However, Cecilia never saw anything from her childhood after moving back in.
“Why did she have these things?”
She didn’t think Paula would have kept all her childhood belongings.
Surprise filled Elliot’s large eyes. “Mommy, did you use all these when you were little?”
He was certain after spotting a diary with Cecilia’s name on it.
The woman nodded. “Yes, Mommy used all of these when she was in school.”
She, too, picked up the yellowed diary and opened the first page. This was from the time she had just returned to the Rainsworth Manor in Tudela.
It wrote: August 22nd, sunny. I finally met Mommy and Daddy. I have a mommy and daddy too. I’m so happy, so very happy.
Beneath the diary entry was a large smiley face.
Cecilia flipped to the next page.
August 23rd, light rain. Why do I get the feeling that Mommy doesn’t like me? It must be my fault. Martha said as long as I behave, both Daddy and Mommy will like me. It must have been because I didn’t behave.
August 24th, rain. Today, Mommy hit me. I don’t understand It was clearly Magnus‘ fault. He was the one who played with Mommy’s makeup. Why doesn’t she believe me?
September 1st, sunny. Today’s the first day of school. I’m going to study hard and make Mommy and Daddy proud.
December 30th, gloomy. I placed first in the exams, but why Mommy still not happy? Why did she say I’m not worthy
The more Cécilia flipped through the pages, the more discomfort grew, and she swiftly closed the diary.
She didn’t understand. After everything that had happened, why on earth did Paula send all these things back to her?
Was it to mock her?
What other reason could there be?
As Elliot went through Cecilia’s belongings, she made her way to her room upstairs. After closing the door, she dialed Paula’s number.
Seeing a call come from Cecilia, the older woman immediately picked it up.
“Ceci.”
“Why?” Cecilia clenched her fists. “Why did you send those things back to me, and where did you get them?”
Upon being questioned, Paula could only explain the origin of the items.
“Your father had stored all those items in a safety deposit box. I figured you’d definitely like them, so I went ahead and took them out.”
Only then did it start to make sense for Cecilia. Indeed, how could Paula possibly have stored those items?
As expected, it was her father who had kept them.
“Did you send them over just because you thought I’d like it? Were there no other intentions?” Cecilia asked again.
Paula was well aware of all the times she had wronged Cecilia.
It was also understandable that this woman didn’t trust her.
“I have no other motives. I just wanted to return your belongings. Don’t overthink it. To me, those things are nothing but a pile of junk.”
Chapter 930 No Cure For Regret
Despite the woman referring to those possessions as junk, Cecilia didn’t feel as upset as she usually would, nor was she angry.
“Thank you, then,” she expressed. “I wish you a swift journey to paradise, Mdm. Paula.”
With that, she hung up the phone.
Cecilia was initially feeling rather calm, but she began to reflect on her childhood days. She thought back to how she used to constantly seek Paula’s approval, treating this woman as her own mother, only to be hurt time and again. Eventually, she found it increasingly difficult to contain herself.
Back at the hospital, Paula clutched onto her phone as Cecilia’s words echoed in her mind.
I wish you a swift journey to paradise, Mdm. Paula.
Paradise?
She was surely destined for hell after death.
Paula put down her phone and opened up the photo album. Astonishingly, it contained the diaries of Cecilia written during her childhood.
In reality, after Paula first got her hands on Cecilia’s childhood belongings, she took a moment to look them over.
Leafing through Cecilia’s old diary entries over and over again filled her with utter regret. If she could have lived her life once more, she would have undoubtedly cherished this daughter of hers.
The caregiver could tell that Paula was genuinely sorry now.
Alas, there was no such thing as a cure for regret in this world.
“Mdm. Paula, I just got back from the law firm after inquiring about your case. They’ve agreed to take it on, but given your lack of funds, you’ll have to proceed with a contingency fee agreement. You won’t have to pay anything if you lose, but if you win, you’ll pay the lawyer ten percent of the winnings.”
Paula was currently incapacitated, so she had her caregiver consult a lawyer on her behalf to file for divorce from Ralph.
If she were to win, ten percent of the money awarded to Paula had to be paid to the lawyer as a legal fee.
If she were to lose, there would be no need to pay anything.
“That’s fine.” The woman knew she could only take this risk.
“I’ll have the lawyer come over, then,” said the caregiver.
Paula nodded. “Alright. If I win the lawsuit, I’ll give you one percent of the payment.”
It was only on the brink of death that she truly understood who had been kind to her, and who had not.
The caregiver waved her hand dismissively. “Let’s talk about this only if you win.”
She simply wanted to help without any thought of monetary compensation.
“Thank you.”
Cecilia remained unaware of Paula’s intention to file for divorce from Ralph.
She had simply asked Magnus to get Ralph to reclaim all the properties that once belonged to the Smith family.
As Cecilia stepped out of the room and returned downstairs, Elliot turned to her. “Mommy, can I take pictures of all this stuff and send them to Jon?”
“Of course.” Cecilia nodded.
Elliot showed Jonathan every single item that Cecilia had used during her childhood.
Jessica also noticed these things, but she dismissed them with contempt.
It’s all just trash. Why are they treating them as gold?
A fine drizzle began to fall outside the window without anyone realizing it. A knock came at the entrance, and when Cecilia looked over, she saw Sven standing at the door, his hair thoroughly soaked from the rain.
The woman stepped forward involuntarily.
Upon seeing her actions, Jessica also limped along and asked, “Cecilia, is there something you need to talk to Sven about?”
Wasn’t this a case of asking the obvious?
Cecilia was exasperated.
“Yeah, so are you planning to eavesdrop?” she retorted.
Jessica’s face stiffened.
“Why would I have to–unless the two of you are up to no good?”
She sure had some nerve, standing there with an attitude that suggested she wasn’t going anywhere.
In response, Cecilia summoned Sven into her own room to talk.
Jessica was stunned. “Should you really be doing this, Cecilia?”
“What’s the problem? It’s not like we’ve got anything to hide.