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Novel Catalog
Chapter 10 The Fall Of Smith Corporation
As Cecilia opened the news app, a headline caught her eye: Rainsworth Group Acquires Smith Corporation.
The image on the screen showed Nathaniel at a press conference, standing tall and confident, his striking profile exuding power and control. Beneath the photo, the comments flooded in.
“Nathaniel is so handsome, and so young, yet already the CEO of a major corporation. He’s got everything.”
“It’s a shame he’s married. Isn’t his wife the daughter of the Smith family?”
“A business marriage, right? Remember when he abandoned her three years ago? Left her at the altar in front of everyone…”
The internet had an impeccable memory.
Cecilia’s chest tightened as she scrolled through the comments. It had almost slipped her mind—the day Nathaniel had stormed off, abandoning her. The vivid sting of it had faded with time. But now, it came rushing back.
Three years ago… She shook her head. I should have known this day would come. Smith Corporation would fall eventually, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.
Cecilia paused, the screen flashing with a picture of the newly acquired corporation’s future under Rainsworth’s leadership. She couldn’t deny the satisfaction radiating from Nathaniel—his victory had been long overdue.
In Nathaniel’s office, the phone buzzed, pulling him away from his thoughts. Zachary’s voice came through on the other end.
“Has the little deaf girl been begging yet?” Zachary chuckled.
Nathaniel didn’t respond right away. For some reason, Cecilia lingered in his thoughts. Even after the divorce, she still occupied a corner of his mind, like a shadow he couldn’t escape.
“No,” Nathaniel finally said, his voice clipped.
Zachary raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. “Really? She’s that composed? She hasn’t tried to make a scene?”
Nathaniel’s fingers gripped the pen in his hand. The mention of Cecilia stirred an unexpected annoyance in him.
“Get out,” he growled, his patience wearing thin.
Zachary, caught off guard by the sudden snap, quickly left the office. Outside, his thoughts churned. Nathaniel was usually unflappable, but whenever Cecilia came up, a strange irritation flashed in his eyes.
Zachary stepped out of the building and called his assistant. “Have we located Cecilia yet?”
“Yes, sir. She’s staying at a small motel in Hillscester,” the assistant replied.
Zachary’s eyes narrowed. Cecilia’s hiding out in a motel?
He decided to pay her a visit. She had been a thorn in Nathaniel’s side for far too long, and even if they had agreed to a divorce, she shouldn’t get off so easily.
Later that day, as Cecilia made her way back to the motel after her volunteer work, the rain fell steadily, creating a serene atmosphere that contrasted sharply with her inner turmoil. She clutched the umbrella tightly, walking along the nearly empty street.
In the distance, Zachary’s sleek dark gray Bugatti appeared, its engine purring as it sped toward her. Without warning, he swerved through a puddle, drenching her with a spray of cold water.
Cecilia’s gaze flickered toward him, her expression unreadable. But Zachary noticed. The moment their eyes met in the rearview mirror, something unfamiliar stirred inside him. Is she really this calm?
Cecilia recognized Zachary’s car instantly, but she refused to acknowledge him. She looked away, pretending she hadn’t seen him.
But Zachary wasn’t going to let it go. He slowed down, trailing her like a predator closing in on its prey.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he called out from the car. “You see me and don’t even say hello anymore? Wasn’t I good enough for you back then? Didn’t you like pleasing me?”
Cecilia didn’t respond. She had been naive once, trying to win over everyone in Nathaniel’s circle, hoping they would accept her. But Zachary had never been kind to her. He’d made his disdain for her clear from the start, mocking her and even humiliating her at a social gathering. The worst had been when he’d pushed her into a pool, leaving her to drown.
She hadn’t forgotten that.
Zachary’s words hung in the air, but she remained silent. He was growing more impatient, annoyed that she wouldn’t engage.
He slammed the car door, stormed over, and grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her to a stop. “What game are you playing now, huh?”
Cecilia winced from the sharp pain. Looking up at him with a mix of exhaustion and indifference, she replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She tried to pull away, but Zachary sneered, shoving her roughly. “Don’t touch me with your filthy hands.”
Before she could steady herself, he pushed her again, sending her crashing to the ground. The harsh thud of her fall echoed through the quiet street.
Zachary froze, his expression flickering with disbelief. How did she fall like that? I barely touched her.
The onlookers who had witnessed the scene began to murmur, their sympathy evident. Zachary felt his discomfort grow, realizing the eyes of strangers were upon him. He hastily returned to his car, but not before issuing a warning.
“Don’t think just because you’re disabled that you have the right to interfere with Stella and Nathaniel. She’s worked hard to get where she is, so stay out of their way.”
As Zachary drove off, he dialed the Smith family’s number. He didn’t care what happened to Cecilia, but he’d let them know her whereabouts. They’ll take care of it.
Cecilia lay on the cold pavement, her hands and knees scraped raw. She struggled to push herself up, the pain from the fall searing through her body.
Is this how he repays me? she thought bitterly. After all I’ve done for him?
She remembered that moment four years ago when Zachary had been in danger of dying in a car accident. She had saved him, pulling him from the wreckage despite the risk to her own life. He had been covered in blood, his vision blurry, but he had looked at her with gratitude. “Thank you. I’ll repay you, I swear,” he had promised.
Cecilia, don’t expect anything in return. You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t turn on you, she reminded herself.
A passerby came to her aid, helping her to her feet. “Are you alright? Should we call the police?”
Cecilia’s ears rang, and she could barely make out their words. She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Thank you…”
She bowed deeply to them and limped away, the sharp ache in her body matching the weight in her heart. Even though the bystanders had shown concern, she knew better than to get entangled with them.
Zachary belonged to the Sinclair family, one of the most influential families in the country. His medical empire spanned the globe, and he had enough power to crush anyone who crossed him. As weak as she was, Cecilia couldn’t afford to make an enemy of him.
Later that evening, after taking a shower and applying medication to her injuries, Cecilia lay down on the bed. Exhausted, her mind replayed the events of the day. She had always imagined her life could be different, that she could start over and leave Nathaniel behind. The divorce was almost finalized. But today’s encounter with Zachary had hardened her resolve even more.
As she fell into a restless sleep, she didn’t know what awaited her the next day. But she knew one thing for sure—she was done being anyone’s pawn.
