Chapter 224 The Real Her
"Darian, where have you been?" Sandra asked anxiously. "I went to pick up Griffin and Rowan," Darian replied before quickly leaving. Seeing his hasty departure, Sandra shook her head in resignation. He was clearly lying.
Owen descended the stairs at a leisurely pace. Observing Darian's return and subsequent departure, he snorted, "He's so unpredictable. Where is he off to now?" Sandra simply replied, "He went to pick up Griffin and Rowan. Let's eat, Dad. We don't have to wait for them." Owen remained silent.
Darian urged the driver to reach the restaurant as quickly as possible. Clutching his cell phone, he felt an inexplicable sensation. Could it be that woman? The thought heightened his anticipation, accelerating his heartbeat.
Meanwhile, Cecily had just finished ordering in a private booth at the restaurant, and they were awaiting their meal. She poured two glasses of juice for Griffin and Rowan, then listened as Aurelie recounted the events of the past two months.
When she heard about Ophelia's two-month disappearance, Cecily was taken aback. "She's missing?"
"Yes, I haven't seen her since that night. She didn't even attend their family's perfume launch last month. There were rumors that she felt humiliated by the engagement, so she chose to stay hidden," Aurelie explained.
Cecily shook her head. "No, that's not like Ophelia. She's always been brave and faces challenges head-on. She wouldn't hide like that."
"It's strange."
"Do you think she's a bad woman?" Griffin swallowed his juice before speaking. "It seems like Daddy locked her up."
Cecily and Aurelie exchanged a glance. So, that was the reason for Ophelia's disappearance.
Aurelie snorted, "She deserved it. If I were Darian, I would have done the same to teach her a lesson. Cecily, you mentioned being poisoned before. It must have been her."
Cecily shook her head. "It wasn't her."
"How can you be so sure it wasn't her?"
"If she had poisoned me, she could have waited for me to die slowly. That way, no one would suspect her. Why would she take such a big risk to send someone to kill me?"
That night, Ophelia was so angry that she didn't consider much. She just wanted Cecily dead.
When Griffin and Rowan heard Cecily mention being poisoned, they immediately looked at her, their expressions filled with concern. Cecily reached out and touched their heads. "I'm fine now. Don't worry."
"Then who could it be? Besides Ophelia, no one else would hate you so much," Aurelie pondered, but she couldn't think of anyone else. It couldn't be Owen, could it? He wouldn't use such despicable means.
Cecily furrowed her brows. Fragmented memories flashed through her mind. A woman in a cloak appeared in her memories as she tried to recall the woman's face, a sharp pain shot through her head.
Cecily suddenly clutched her head, her delicate face contorted in pain. The other three immediately stood up, "Mommy, what's wrong?"
"Cecily?" Aurelie anxiously supported her.
Cecily shook her head, and the pain slowly subsided. She held her chest and took a few deep breaths. "I'm fine. I'll go to the restroom." She hurriedly walked out.
"Do you need me to accompany you?"
"You don't have to." Cecily had already left the booth. Aurelie, Rowan, and Griffin watched her with concern. Aurelie reassured them, "She's fine, don't worry."
At that moment, Darian had arrived at the restaurant. It was easy for him to find the private booth. As he reached for the door handle, he hesitated for a moment. A sense of emptiness flashed across his face. He was afraid that all his speculations were just wishful thinking. The dream would shatter as soon as he touched it.
After a two-second hesitation, Darian grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. Inside the booth were Aurelie, Rowan, and Griffin. There was no sign of that woman. Darian chuckled self-mockingly. Had he been overthinking? The woman hadn't come back at all.
"Daddy?" Griffin and Rowan turned to Darian. "Daddy, why are you here? Are you here to have dinner with us?"
The combination of high expectations and sudden disappointment worsened Darian's already bad mood. He could hardly contain his emotions, let alone have dinner. He was on the verge of collapse.
Darian glanced at them. His originally cold voice softened a bit, "You go ahead and eat. I'm not hungry." Aurelie looked at Darian, feeling a sudden sense of suffocation. The oppressive atmosphere was terrifying.
Rowan and Griffin didn't understand why Darian was still unhappy. Their mother had returned. Both of them got up from their chairs and reached out their little hands to hold Darian's. "Daddy, come and eat with us."
Darian didn't want to show his bad mood in front of them, but he really wasn't in the mood to eat with them. "I won't eat. I'll come to pick you up after you finish." Darian turned around. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a "click." The door was pushed open from the outside. Suddenly, all the surrounding sounds quieted down. Darian was stunned, his body tense. His deep gaze fixed on the woman in front of him.
The woman in front of him was wearing a brown coat, her hands in the pockets. Her exquisite and perfect face overlapped with the woman he had missed every day. And at this moment, the woman's clear brown eyes were staring straight at him.
Was it really her? Or was it another illusion? A tumult of emotions swept over him. Without any hesitation, Darian walked towards the woman. Cecily was surprised by Darian's sudden appearance. She seemed unable to move as he approached her, so she didn't avoid him at first. The man's breath was near her. Cecily was a little nervous. The man lowered his head and stared at her intently, not even blinking. The next second, he reached out and pulled her into his broad embrace. His strong arms held her tightly. He was holding the real her!
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