Chapter 368 Conspiracy (10) Satirizing Dominic
Cecilia's face twisted a bit when she saw Dominic's name pop up on her phone.
She knew exactly what he was up to.
Wasn't he just trying to rub it in?
After being under her thumb for so long, now he thought he was some kind of hero and wanted to come gloat.
She ignored Dominic's call and told Rose, "Just tell them I'm not feeling well and won't be at the board meeting."
"But..." Rose looked a bit uneasy.
She'd just gotten a notice from the chairman's secretary's office saying Cecilia had to be at the board meeting.
It was clear the board wanted to pin the project's failure on her today.
Showing up would mean facing a ton of criticism, but skipping it would look like a huge slap in the face, making things even worse.
Rose always thought Cecilia wasn't the type to dodge problems, so her current attitude really threw her off.
"I'll call Theodore. You go do your thing," Cecilia said, sounding indifferent.
Rose nodded but couldn't help adding as she left, "Ms. Lockhart, don't stress it. Everyone messes up sometimes. Plus, I always thought the Kingsley Group's win was kinda shady. How'd they come up with such a perfect plan? They're not even pros, and their bid was suspiciously low. We bid 2 billion dollars, and they bid 1.9 billion, just a hair less. Too perfect, right?"
The more she talked, the more Rose felt something was fishy.
Cecilia chuckled lightly, not explaining much to Rose, and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll handle the rest. Go on."
Rose didn't say more.
She knew that capable people don't need much comforting; the more you comfort them, the more they feel their failure.
After Rose left, Cecilia called Theodore, "Dad."
Theodore's voice was heavy, "Why aren't you coming up? All the board members are waiting for you."
"I'm not coming up," Cecilia said flatly.
Theodore frowned.
He didn't think Cecilia would be so stubborn.
He also didn't think a project's failure could break her.
In fact, while other board members might complain, his main goal was to support Cecilia.
"Don't worry, Dad. I'm fine. I'm just really tired and need a break. I don't want to lie to the board, so I'm not coming up."
Theodore got the first part, but the last bit left him puzzled.
He thought, 'What does she mean by lying to the board? What's Cecilia trying to hide?'
"Dad, can I take a week off?" Cecilia suddenly asked.
Theodore was clearly shocked again.
He knew how much of a workaholic Cecilia was.
She'd even been working weekends lately, not giving herself any time to rest.
Now she suddenly wanted a break.
He quickly said, "Cecilia, you can take leave anytime you want, but if you suddenly take off now, people will talk."
Folks would definitely say Cecilia was bailing because she lost the bid.
"It's okay, it's all part of the process. The result is what matters," Cecilia said with a light smile.
"You're making me worried." Theodore didn't care that he was still in the meeting room, making a call in front of all the board members.
To him, Cecilia was the most precious.
Wasn't it just a two-billion-dollar project?
Theodore could totally handle the loss!
Cecilia insisted, "Don't sweat it, Dad. I just need a few days to chill. Seriously, it's no biggie. I'll be back at it next Monday."
Theodore hesitated for a bit and finally caved, "Alright, if you need a break, I'll allow it. But if you're taking time off, come home and let your mom fuss over you."
Cecilia was a bit speechless.
Theodore still thought she was all torn up.
She really couldn't explain it now.
She had to let things simmer, wait for the Kingsley family to screw up more.
And taking a break now was a perfect cover, making people think she was really throwing in the towel.
She was gonna make the Kingsley family crash and burn!
"I'm heading to Alaric's place," Cecilia replied.
Theodore was clearly caught off guard.
"I'm gonna see how he's doing over there. He's been gone for a month, and I wanna check on him," Cecilia continued.
Theodore laughed and said, "Well, if that's what you want, go ahead. Call me when you get to Harborvale so I know you're safe."
"Okay." Cecilia put down her phone and stretched.
She had to admit, she really missed Alaric a bit.
Even though they called and texted each other every day, it couldn't ease her longing for him.
Taking this chance, she finally had time to see Alaric.
She wondered if Alaric would be stoked to see her!
She smiled lightly.
But her face darkened again when she saw the incoming call on her phone screen.
Dominic was really persistent.
She pressed the answer button.
When the call connected, there seemed to be some surprise on the other end.
Dominic slowly, sarcastically said, "You finally decided to answer my call?"
Cecilia shot back, "I usually don't waste my time on people who don't matter."
"Cecilia, do you know that your sharp tongue really makes you unlikable to men?" Dominic said coldly.
"Whether you like me or not doesn't matter to me, as long as Alaric likes me."
"Alaric?" Dominic laughed even more sarcastically, "A guy sent to the middle of nowhere. Do you think he can still help you?! You lost so badly this time, I bet he didn't even call you!"
Cecilia's face changed slightly.
Answering Dominic's call was really a waste of her time.
"What, are you spying on Alaric?" Cecilia suddenly asked, hitting the nail on the head.
That moment made Dominic's face change.
Obviously, Cecilia had hit the mark.
"I was just guessing," Dominic denied. "Honestly, you're fun for a while, but eventually, things get a little... boring, you know?"
"Have you ever truly had me?" Cecilia asked.
Dominic's face darkened.
"You never had me, so what right do you have to say I'm boring?" Cecilia mocked, "Dominic, do you know that you look just like a jealous man right now?!"
Dominic shouted, "Cecilia, you're flattering yourself!"
"Am I? You can fool others but not yourself," Cecilia said confidently.
It wasn't that she really thought Dominic liked her, but from what she knew about Dominic, the one thing he couldn't stand was not getting what he wanted.
The more he couldn't get something, the more he wanted it.
Dominic couldn't accept any failure, and he thought he could trample everyone underfoot!
Dominic was arrogant, self-righteous, and egotistical to an extreme degree.
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