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Novel Catalog
Chapter 16 Desperate Measures
The second will, addressed to Martha, was left beside Cecilia’s bedside, and as Calvin opened it, his eyes fell on the very last line, where an address was scrawled. Without wasting a second, he rushed out of the room, his steps urgent and swift as he made his way to the car, his heart pounding with a sense of dread he couldn’t shake. The drive to the western suburbs wasn’t long—just a little over twenty minutes—but it felt like an eternity to him, the seconds stretching endlessly. He couldn’t fathom how someone who once radiated so brightly, full of life and hope, could choose such a dark, hopeless path.
Meanwhile, Paula, too, was heading in the same direction, her mind focused on one thing—getting Cecilia back, no matter what it took. The wedding needed to proceed, and Cecilia was the key to securing the three hundred million that would ensure their future.
At the cemetery on the western outskirts, the rain fell in torrents, soaking everything in sight. Cecilia lay collapsed before her father’s tombstone, drenched to the bone. Her long dress clung to her fragile form, and she seemed so small, so delicate, like a piece of duckweed drifting aimlessly in the storm, ready to vanish into the rain.
Calvin’s heart raced as he neared her, desperation pushing him faster. “Cecilia!” he called out, but his voice was swallowed by the wind and rain. There was no answer, only the deafening sound of the storm. When he finally reached her, he saw the empty bottle of medicine beside her, a chilling sight that sent waves of panic crashing through him.
Her body was unnaturally light in his arms, as though the life had already started to drain from her. He gripped her tighter, shaking her gently. “Cecilia, wake up! Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep!” His voice was a frantic plea, each word punctuated by the pounding of his heart.
Without hesitation, Calvin started down the mountain, carrying her as fast as he could, his breath shallow and quick with fear.
Meanwhile, Paula’s car finally arrived at the cemetery. As the driver stopped, she peered out the window and caught sight of an unfamiliar man holding… Cecilia. Her fury ignited immediately.
“You’ve got some nerve, Cecilia!” Paula shouted, stepping out of the car with an umbrella in hand, her heels sinking slightly into the wet ground. She was dressed in a bright red gown, the fabric now soaked and clinging to her as she marched forward, her expression sharp and impatient.
But as she got closer, her steps faltered. When her eyes fell on Cecilia, lying in the arms of a stranger, something in Paula froze. She was about to ask what had happened, but then the wind caught a medicine bottle, carrying it toward her. She picked it up and, as her eyes fell on the label, her breath caught in her throat. Sleeping Pills.
It was as if a veil had been lifted, and memories of Cecilia’s words echoed in Paula’s mind: “If I were to return my life to you, would you cease to be my mother? Would I no longer owe you the debt of giving birth to me?”
The umbrella slipped from Paula’s hand, the rain falling on her as tears mixed with the water on her face. She stared at the bottle, her grip tightening around it, her chest tightening with disbelief.
“You ungrateful wretch! How dare you do this?” Paula’s voice shook with rage, her words cutting through the storm. “Your life was given by me!” Her lips trembled with the venom of years of resentment.
Magnus, who had been sitting in the car, watched his mother in confusion before rushing over. When he saw what was happening, he froze, his mind struggling to process the scene before him. He had never expected things to escalate like this, never thought it would come to this.
Finally, snapping out of his shock, he turned to his mother with a hint of panic. “Mom, what should I do? I’ve used all of Mr. Larke’s money to start a new company. What happens now?”
The words hit Calvin like a slap, and everything clicked into place. He understood now why Cecilia, the once strong and vibrant woman, had been reduced to this fragile shell.
Paula’s grip on the bottle tightened, her eyes narrowing into a glare of pure hatred as she looked down at Cecilia. “I always said: we shouldn’t have had you! But your father insisted!” Her voice seethed with venom. “Now look at what you’ve done. You’d rather die than let us live in peace!”
She let out a scream, a mix of exasperation and fury. “Why didn’t you marry first, then die? Why?!” Her voice cracked, the words stabbing the air like daggers.
Calvin couldn’t take it any longer. His eyes, red with anger and frustration, turned to Paula and Magnus. His voice was icy, cutting through the storm. “Get out of my sight!” he ordered, the coldness in his tone making it clear that he would not tolerate any more of this madness. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Magnus, still bristling with defiance, stepped forward. “Who are you to tell us what to do?” he demanded, his voice sharp. “She’s my sister. What gives you the right to tell us to leave?”
Ignoring Magnus, Calvin turned to Paula with a glare. “If we don’t get her to Mr. Larke soon, we’re done for,” Magnus reminded his mother urgently, his voice trembling with fear.
Paula, her resolve hardening in the face of the situation, clenched her jaw. “Get her in the car,” she ordered, her voice unwavering. “Even if it kills her, she must attend the wedding.”
