Chapter 104 Mutually Beneficial
"Shameless." Out of nowhere, Rowan blurted out one blunt word.
Even a kid could tell how shameless his words were. Where did he get the confidence to say such things?
Did he really think she was a fool?
Raphael also faintly heard that remark, his voice getting heavier, "Who's talking? Who? Cecily, who was just speaking?"
Cecily didn't answer his question, simply saying, "Remember to close the window before you go to sleep tonight."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid the strong wind might wake you up."
Upon hearing Cecily's words, Raphael raged, "Are you insisting on opposing me?"
"We've always been on opposite sides. This is nothing new."
Raphael snorted angrily, and Cecily could almost hear the sound of his teeth grinding, "Fine, if you're going to be so stubborn, I'll leave the entire Watson family inheritance to Elysia, and you won't get a dime."
Cecily left a cold laugh and hung up the phone.
Everything from the Watson family would be hers in time, and she intended to claim every last bit of it.
Aurelie shook her head and rolled her eyes at the absurdity of the Watsons. She couldn't understand how someone as peculiar as Raphael could have produced a daughter like Cecily.
They say daughters take after their fathers, but Cecily and Raphael didn't even seem to share a single hair in common.
"How do you put up with such a bizarre family?"
"I'm just used to it."
Aurelie grimaced. Only Cecily had the patience of a saint. If it had been Aurelie, whether she was accused of being extremely disrespectful to her parents or told that lightning would strike her down, she'd probably have to throw a punch, or she wouldn't be able to sleep the whole night.
"It's too late tonight, don't go back. Stay here with me."
Aurelie perked up immediately. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Cecily chuckled. "I knew you were waiting for me to say it."
"I'm going to take a shower," Aurelie said, bouncing to her feet.
"Mhm, pajamas are in the closet. Help yourself."
"Got it." Aurelie, clutching her pajamas, scampered into the bathroom, only to poke her head back out and ask vigilantly, "Darian isn’t going to show up suddenly, is he?"
At the mention of Darian, Cecily's expression darkened. "Why bring him up out of the blue?"
"He just spooks me. I'm afraid that Darian will be standing right there when I come out. If that happens, I'll probably faint on the spot."
"Don't worry, he won't. Get going, have your shower."
Cecily, thinking of Darian, felt her mood sour. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, but it was definitely not pleasant.
Cecily pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to push thoughts of him out of her mind. Raphael would likely be looking for trouble tomorrow, and she needed to figure out how to handle it.
After his call abruptly ended, Raphael slammed his phone down on the desk. "The nerve of her, such a curse."
"Dad, does sister not agree? But I want her company. Why does she have it and not me?" Elysia asked, her voice filled with grievance.
Raphael soothed his darling daughter gently. "It's all right. I’ll find a way to get that company from her."
"Thank you, Dad."
"But..."
"But what?"
Raphael stroked his chin, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. "I thought I heard a child's voice just now."
"A child's voice?" Elysia pursed her lips, then suddenly covered her mouth in shock. "Dad, you don’t suppose sister has a child..."
...
As Cecily arrived at work the following day, she was right to anticipate trouble. The moment she entered her company, she ran into Raphael.
Cecily's face turned steely, knowing that troubles were inevitable with her family knowing she owned a company. However, she was mentally prepared for just such challenges.
"Cecily, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to sever ties with the Watson family completely?" the man asked with a mix of disbelief and anger.
Cecily's lips curled into a scornful smirk. "Sever ties with the Watson family? Haven't we been estranged for a while now?"
Raphael clenched his fists, barely containing his temper amid the bustling crowd surrounding them. If it weren't for the public setting, he would have liked nothing better than to give his daughter a good slap for her insolence.
"Fine," he said, resigned. "If you're so eager to cut ties with the Watson family, I won't stop you. Transfer the company's ownership to me, and you can do as you please. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise, what? You'll cause a scene at my company every day? Did Ophelia put you up to this, or was it Elysia? You should at least save some face for yourself as the chairman of Watson Enterprises."
Cecily turned and entered the elevator without another word, leaving Raphael behind. He wanted to follow her, but it was too late. Too many eyes were watching, and his pride wouldn’t allow him to make a scene, so he stormed off in frustration.
...
Flores household.
Ophelia clutched her phone with a ruthless expression. "Incompetent fools, of course, she wouldn't just hand the company over if you ask her outright. Find a way to threaten her."
"Ophelia, we don’t have anything over her to make credible threats..." a voice trailed off.
"Useless."
"Though, my father mentioned last night that my dad heard the sound of a child near Cecily," another voice chimed in cautiously.
"A child’s voice?" Ophelia’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Are you suggesting Cecily has a child?"
"It’s unclear, but my dad was certain he heard a child, and they sounded quite young."
Elysia sounded sure of herself as she ventured a bold guess. "Ophelia, considering how successful Cecily has been overseas and her ability to start her own company, could it be that she's attached herself to some man, had his child, and that’s why she has a man supporting her from behind?"
Her speculation wasn’t without basis. She continued, "Ophelia, remember when we were at Dragon's Wok Restaurant? Someone was backing her even then."
Ophelia paced back and forth, her eyes lit with excitement as she mulled over Elysia’s conjectures.
"Yes, it must be true. How on earth could Cecily have the money to run a company if it weren't? Someone must be backing her. Look into it—I want to know immediately whether this child really exists."
If it turned out that Cecily had indeed given birth to another man's child, it would surely shatter Darian's illusions, and he'd divorce her without a second thought.
And perhaps he would even reject that illegitimate child as well.
Ophelia was beyond excited.
Her chance to turn the tables had arrived.
"Okay, Ophelia, I'll find a way to confirm this as soon as possible."
"Mhm, Elysia, this is our joint opportunity. Once we confirm this, it will be easy for Darian to despise Cecily. Then, you can pressure her to hand the company over to you, and we both win."
The prospect of taking over Cecily's company filled Elysia's eyes with unstoppable excitement, "I understand, Ophelia. I'll handle it as fast as I can."
"Mhm."
After hanging up the phone, Ophelia couldn't help but smirk, her eyes glittering triumphantly.
'Cecily, you've handed us the perfect opportunity this time.' Ophelia thought.
"What’s making you so happy?" Tabitha came over with a plate of freshly cut fruit, noting Ophelia's beaming smile.
Ophelia hurried over to Tabitha's side, "Mom, Cecily might have had a child abroad."
"Really?"
"It's being looked into. Once confirmed, Cecily's is over. She got mixed up with another man and had a child. Darian will undoubtedly reject her."
A grin spread across Tabitha's face as well, "This is the perfect chance to strike at Cecily. Make sure you seize it."
"Don't worry, Mom. This time, I will ensure Cecily vanishes from Darian's life for good." A ruthless gleam filled Ophelia's eyes.
The mother and daughter burst into laughter, "But don't forget to visit Sandra at the hospital. She is your future mother-in-law, after all."
Mentioning Sandra caused Ophelia some irritation since Sandra hadn't wanted anything to do with her after the last incident.
Sandra was a fiery woman, and Ophelia had pride too. After several attempts at warming a cold shoulder, she didn't feel like trying anymore.
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