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Novel Catalog
Chapter 74: Are You Afraid of Me
Nathaniel didn’t make a scene, choosing not to discredit Stella in front of the gathered crowd.
Stella, sensing an opening, leaned in with a smile that barely masked her intent. “Nathaniel, will you join us at the gathering later?”
Nathaniel, still irritated by Cecilia’s earlier words, decided to agree out of spite. “Sure.”
The gathering was held at a five-star hotel, with an entire floor reserved exclusively for the event.
As soon as Nathaniel arrived, Stella and a group of prominent scions immediately surrounded him, vying for his attention. Meanwhile, Cecilia sat at the side, isolated.
It was then that a woman, dressed in a sweet, innocent style, approached her.
“Did you see that? Only Stella can get the attention of Mr. Rainsworth. After all, his first love was Stella.”
Cecilia recognized the speaker immediately—Yvette Harrison, Stella’s best friend.
Taking a casual sip of her wine, Cecilia shot back, “Judging by your behavior, anyone would think you were Nathaniel’s first love.”
Yvette bristled, her attempt to defend her best friend almost backfiring. She bit her tongue, unwilling to escalate the situation, and watched as Cecilia stood up and walked away.
By the time Nathaniel managed to extricate himself from the crowd, Cecilia had already disappeared.
After exchanging a few words with Stella, Nathaniel left the venue, his mind more occupied with Cecilia than anything else.
Outside, the torrential rain soaked the streets, and a luxurious Cadillac trailed behind Cecilia’s car.
It wasn’t until Cecilia reached Ninth Ville that the person in the Cadillac—Nathaniel—finally broke his gaze away from her retreating car. He picked up his phone and dialed Mason.
“How’s the investigation going?” Nathaniel’s voice was low, a hint of impatience in his tone.
“Someone’s been obstructing our progress, but we’ve traced Ms. Smith to Erihal after she left the country. It will take some time to gather more details,” Mason replied.
“Erihal…” Nathaniel muttered, leaning back in his chair as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn’t expected Cecilia to have lived there all these years. It explained why he’d never found her, despite years of searching.
The strange behavior he’d witnessed from Cecilia only cemented his belief that she was hiding something from him.
Meanwhile, Cecilia finished a phone call with her sons, only for her phone to ring again. It was Stella.
“I’m outside your place. Let’s meet.”
When Cecilia stepped outside, she saw Stella standing beside a minivan. She gave the area a cursory glance, as though measuring it against something.
“This place really is grand, comparable to the Smith residence,” Stella remarked, her tone casual, but her words heavy with meaning.
Cecilia’s mind sharpened—she knew exactly what Stella was implying. Stella had purchased the Smith residence after achieving success and fame. It was a well-known fact that she’d spent a fortune to buy it, taking over the property that once belonged to Cecilia’s family.
With a dry smile, Cecilia responded, “Surely, you didn’t ask me out here just to talk about houses, Ms. Ross?”
Stella’s smile remained unchanged as she stepped closer, her voice steady. “Of course not. I’m here to ask you to step down from Rainsworth Group and return overseas.”
Cecilia arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “On what grounds?”
Stella paused, caught off guard by the question, but her unease quickly turned to determination. “Everything Nathaniel’s done for you lately… it’s unnerving. I’m afraid he might have fallen for you,” she said, her voice dripping with jealousy.
Cecilia let out a low laugh, the sound sharp and mocking. “Are you afraid of me?”
The words hit Stella like a slap. She blinked, caught off guard by the venom in Cecilia’s voice, but she quickly recovered. “Afraid? What could I possibly be afraid of?” she scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “Do you still see me as that penniless orphan from before? I can have anything I want now. I used to envy you, Cecilia, but now, I pity you. I pity you for losing your father and watching your family fall apart. I pity you because, even though your mother’s alive, it feels like you’ve lost her too.”
Stella’s eyes hardened as she stepped closer, her hand resting lightly on Cecilia’s shoulder as a false smile curved her lips. “After all these years, do you know where Paula and your younger brother have gone? If you don’t want them to find out you’re back… then you should get lost. Go back overseas. Someone like you, who’s lost everything, should stay there and never return. Understand?”
Cecilia’s heart tightened at the mention of her family, but she kept her expression cool. The words Stella had spoken were laced with malice, but Cecilia refused to show any weakness.
“You don’t scare me, Stella,” Cecilia said quietly, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. “And if you think you can manipulate me like you did before… you’re sorely mistaken.”
Stella’s smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, turning her back on Cecilia with a final sneer. “We’ll see about that.”
As Stella walked away, Cecilia stood rooted to the spot, her thoughts swirling. The storm outside mirrored the one brewing inside her—a storm of old memories, regrets, and the undeniable truth that the past still held a grip on her.
