Chapter384 The Reason He Loves Her
Everyone around instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to look at the distinguished Darian.
He stepped forward, and the high-ranking officials behind him immediately followed.
A grand procession entered Fitzgerald Group, and the atmosphere in the lobby instantly grew more oppressive.
Today, Darian brought his team to inspect the work and discovered several issues, especially with the project Victor was responsible for, which was riddled with problems.
Larkin stood behind Darian, feeling a chill just from looking at his back.
Before long, Darian, who was about to enter the elevator, halted his steps. His already handsome face tightened even more.
Larkin looked up in confusion and saw people standing together not far away. ‘Cecily and Victor?’
Cecily's clear eyes were icy. "Is it up to you to decide whether Fitzgerald Group falls into Darian's hands?"
Provoked by Cecily, Victor chuckled, "Of course, it's not up to me, but how about we make a bet?"
Cecily laughed lightly. "You want me to bet that you can become the president of Fitzgerald Group? If I remember correctly, Darian gave you a chance when he fell out with Owen a year ago. But even if he didn't want the position, you couldn't get it, and even if you did, you wouldn't be able to hold onto it."
This had always been a sore point for Victor, and now that Cecily brought it up, his expression instantly darkened.
He never thought he was inferior to Darian; it was Owen who was biased from the start.
Owen was biased towards Patrick first, and after Patrick died, he started favoring Darian!
‘If it weren't for Owen's bias, I could have competed for the position of Fitzgerald Group's heir. Now, even a woman discarded by Darian looked down on me.’ Victor's eyes turned vicious, and he grabbed Cecily's wrist tightly. "Say that again."
Cecily's eyes turned cold. She noticed Darian and his entourage and didn't immediately break free from Victor's grasp. Her gaze fell on his wrist, icy cold.
She lifted her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips, her clear eyes revealing no emotion. "What if I say it again? Are you so incompetent that you need to find a sense of existence in me, a woman? Or do you think that if you can successfully toy with me, Darian's former wife, you've won against him? Are you that jealous of Darian?"
With just a few words, Cecily laid bare Victor's petty thoughts.
Victor clenched his jaw, his handsome face growing more severe, anger boiling in his eyes.
Cecily frowned slightly.
His grip was so strong, it felt like he wanted to break her wrist.
It hurt, really hurt.
But Cecily's face showed no expression, her gaze firm and cold, making Victor fearful.
From their first meeting, Cecily had seen through Victor's intentions.
Even after he repeatedly provoked her, Cecily never took him seriously.
"Jealous of Darian? He's nothing special! And you, Cecily, don't think too highly of yourself. Darian doesn't want you anymore. If I fancy you, it's your good fortune. Don't be ungrateful."
Cecily's gaze grew more pitying. She lifted her head, smiling lightly. "Thank you for fancying me, but I don't fancy you."
"You!"
Cecily's words seemed to touch Victor's raw nerve. He flung her hand away with great force, causing Cecily to fall.
"Miss Watson!" Larkin exclaimed. It was as if a gust of wind had swept past him. When he turned around, Darian, who had been standing in front, was already by Cecily's side.
Cecily felt a strong force suddenly come upon her, and an arm steadily supported her back. She fell into Darian's embrace, preventing her from falling in a more embarrassing manner.
"Darian." Victor's drunkenness cleared up a bit upon seeing Darian.
Before he could react, Darian, after steadying Cecily, kicked him directly, sending Victor sprawling.
Despite being first cousins, Darian had always spared Victor's dignity before, but not this time.
The people in the lobby watched this scene, their breaths held. It was the first time they had seen Darian personally hit someone, and for a woman, no less!
Not just them, even Larkin looked terrified.
Darian usually didn't get his hands dirty, but this time, in front of everyone, he showed no mercy and kicked Victor to the ground.
He coldly stared at the man on the floor, his voice chilling to the extreme. "Who told you I don't want her anymore?"
Everyone present was even more astonished. The receptionist who had just refused to announce Cecily's arrival wished she could disappear into thin air.
She had almost driven Cecily away! How blind she had been.
Victor clutched his abdomen. "Darian..."
Larkin helped Victor up from the floor.
Darian glanced at Cecily's wrist, which was red from being gripped. His eyes narrowed, and his anger surged. "Pack your things and get out of Fitzgerald Group."
Victor was terrified and tried to follow, but Larkin stopped him. "Stay put."
Before anyone else could react, Darian bent down and scooped Cecily into his arms, carrying her into the elevator under the watchful eyes of everyone.
In the office, Darian placed Cecily on the sofa, his tense face revealing his anger.
Cecily rubbed her wrist, which still ached from Victor's grip, and blinked at Darian, trying to discern his thoughts.
Darian glanced at her wrist, finding it impossible to ignore. He walked over and made a phone call.
Cecily overheard him instructing his secretary to bring some bruise ointment.
After hanging up, Darian's gaze swept over her. "You did it on purpose."
Cecily smiled. "What?"
"You deliberately provoked Victor to make him lay hands on you, testing your place in my heart."
Cecily blinked her starry eyes and smiled lightly, not denying it.
The secretary soon brought in the bruise ointment. Darian grabbed Cecily's hand, his movements far from gentle.
"Gently, it hurts," said Cecily.
"You know what pain is?" Darian sneered, his dark eyes deepening.
"Am I too scheming?" Cecily propped her head on her hand, looking at him.
"Do you have a grudge against Victor?" asked Darian.
If she didn't have a grudge against Victor, she wouldn't have schemed against him like this.
"No, I just wanted to use him to test my current standing in your heart," Cecily said, her face showing a sincere smile.
That smile almost made Darian believe her words. He said, "Really? Then I must have been blind before."
Cecily said, "What do you mean?"
"To have taken a liking to such a scheming, short-sighted woman like you. Wasn't I blind?"
Cecily met his gaze, unhurriedly saying, "Then maybe you were quite blind before."
Darian's grip tightened a bit.
Cecily said, "It hurts."
Darian glanced at her.
Cecily bit her lip. "Alright, I'll tell you. He has tried to lay hands on me more than once. I've been annoyed with him for a long time."
Darian's eyes darkened. "Go on."
Cecily looked at Darian frankly. "Is he really incompetent? He's also greedy, always causing trouble for you with his little schemes in the company."
Darian asked, surprised, "How did you know that?"
Cecily explained, "I heard it from people in your company when I arrived. The project he's in charge of has run into problems, and from what they said, it's not the first time."
It seemed Darian understood something. "So, in front of everyone, you deliberately provoked him to say those things and let him lay hands on you. On one hand, to test your place in my heart, and on the other hand, to use my anger and the public's eyes to get him kicked out of Fitzgerald Group, right?"
Cecily didn't deny it.
Darian smiled. "What if I didn't go along with your plan?"
"You wouldn't. You've wanted to deal with Victor for a long time, but for some reason, you couldn't find a suitable excuse. Now you have one. He's incompetent and has ulterior motives. Wouldn't you hurry to get rid of him?"
Darian silently released Cecily's hand, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "He is indeed incompetent, but a few stubborn board members are still backing him. Anything else? Keep talking."
"Don't you think you have too many women around you? So many beauties were waiting for you in the lobby. They all saw you helping me just now."
Darian looked at Cecily's cunning expression and smiled. It seemed there were reasons why he had loved her so much before, willing to give her everything.
She was excessively clever.
Just by hearing a few words, she had designed such a big trap, involving everyone present.
She knew Victor was brainless and easily angered, so she deliberately provoked him, making him say those things in front of everyone, giving Darian a reason to deal with him. If anyone asked later, it would be Victor's own fault.
There were also many women in the lobby pursuing him. By defending her in front of everyone, she was telling those women that he already had someone in his heart, so they shouldn't waste their efforts on him.
Rather than testing his heart, she was using his feelings for her to solve his problems. If there was any selfishness, it was to help herself get rid of rivals.
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