Chapter 50 Wanting to Fight for Custody of Rowan
With Darian currently in the hospital, Cecily was unable to visit her child. For now, her only option was to leave.
Straightening her clothes, Cecily turned to walk away.
Ophelia, however, kept on talking and grabbed Cecily's arm.
"Cecily, where do you think you're going? I haven't finished," she said.
Cecily shook off her grip. "What more is there to say? You want to brag about all Darian has done for you, and tell me to stop clinging to him? I've heard it all before, and I'm tired of it."
"You!"
Ophelia raised her hand, but Cecily grabbed her arm firmly. "Still nursing the wounds from last time? Don't act tough with me. I haven't forgotten how you drugged me. If you keep bothering me, don't blame me if you get another scar to match."
With a swift motion, Cecily freed herself from Ophelia's grip.
Ophelia took a few unsteady steps backward, her eyes seething with hatred as she watched Cecily walk away.
As soon as Cecily left the hospital, she received a call from Aurelie.
"Cecily, where are you?"
After settling into her car and connecting to Bluetooth, Cecily replied, "Just left the hospital, what's up?"
"You went to the hospital? Are you okay? Are you sick?"
Cecily started the engine and smoothly pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward her apartment, "I'm not sick, Aurelie; I met the kid."
With excitement barely contained in her voice, Aurelie sensed something and boldly asked, "That can't really be your kid, can it?"
"Yes, that's my kid.“
"AHHHHH!!!"
Aurelie shrieked so loud that it blasted through the earpiece in Cecily’s ear.
Cecilia flinched and nearly ripped it off; she was almost deafened.
"For real? This isn't a joke, is it?"
Aurelie was about to explode with excitement.
"No joke. Today, I showed Ophelia a picture of Griffin. She mistook the boy in the photo for Rowan, the kid being raised by Darian. They look exactly alike."
"Oh my God!" Aurelie's voice was thick with thrill. "But... but... What on earth are you going to do? Wasn't that child supposedly— How did he end up with Darian?"
Cecily frowned, "That, I don't know."
She was intensely curious about this mystery; she recalled how the doctor told her that her first child had died.
But clearly, both her children were alive and well.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
"What are you going to do now?"
Cecily's gaze was resolute, “The child isn't doing well with the Fitzgerald family. I can't let him stay there."
"So, you're planning to fight Darian for the kid? Do you have any plan?"
Cecily's thoughts halted for a moment as Ophelia's words echoed in her ears.
‘Rowan made a mistake last night, and Darian punished him. He left him outside, not allowing him to come home. Can you imagine? In this freezing weather, the child spent all night alone, only to be rushed to the hospital today with a fever of 102 degrees.'
Cecily's train of thought jolted to a stop, her heart squeezing tight.
If Darian despised her child so much, would he willingly hand him over if she asked? And if Darian stood his ground and refused to return her son, what could she possibly do?
Cecily frowned, and her expression turned sour.
"My mind is a mess; I just can’t figure out what to do."
"Don’t worry, Cecily, these things take time. I can't imagine Darian, a grown man, taking his spite out on a child. That would be incredibly petty. Let's take it slow. For starters, we should try to get close to the boy and see how he's doing."
Cecily felt the same way. She needed to find an opportunity to see her son.
"Okay."
"Let me know if you need any help, alright?"
"Alright, thanks Aurelie."
After ending the call, Cecily reflected deeply and decided to consult a lawyer about the possibility of regaining custody of Rowan.
After explaining her situation with Darian to the lawyer, he regretfully informed her the odds weren't in her favor.
Unless Darian voluntarily gave up his custodial rights, it would be an uphill battle to win her child back.
Rowan was with Darian since he was a young child, and it wasn't just about whether the boy would want to leave Darian—it was a matter of Darian’s influence. Financially and in terms of power, she couldn't compete with him.
This was going to be tough.
Although she owned a company and had a respectable job, with substantial financial strength, going to court against the Fitzgerald family was an entirely different realm.
The Fitzgeralds were the most powerful family in Silver Frost Capital.
Overwhelmed and without legal recourse, she couldn't very well just snatch her son back, could she?
After several hours of fruitless consultations, Cecily returned empty-handed.
Back in the hospital, Darian didn't leave until Rowan was full. Darian was content and full.
After slipping into his car, Darian rubbed his temples as Larkin shared the results of his investigation.
"Mr. Fitzgerald, the surveillance from last night has been completely tampered with; they’re no traces left. According to Ms. Ophelia though, the crew from last night was skilled. It seems likely that they were not affiliated with Silver Frost Capital," Larkin reported.
Ms. Ophelia remarked on their brazenness. Apparently, the the way they dismissed the Fitzgerald family as if they were nobody was quite astounding.
In Silver Frost Capital, even with the Fitzgerald family's numerous foes, nobody would dare openly confront them like that unless they had a death wish.
"Is that all we've got?" Darian asked.
"Uh... for now, yes." Larkin lowered his head.
Darian frowned, "Let's head to the office then."
"And how should we explain things to Ms. Sandra and Ms. Ophelia?"
"Explain it as you must."
"Understood."
Larkin choked back an internal sob. He was going to face those formidable women again.
The thought of Sandra's scornful and outraged face made him tremble with fear.
...
Cecily spent the entire afternoon at the office. Having just returned to the country, she was swamped with tasks that needed her attention.
It was past six when Cecily left the office and headed home.
She drove into the apartment complex with a thoughtful expression.
As she was about to pull into the parking lot, she noticed a crowd gathered at the base of her building.
After rolling down the window, she caught snatches of excited whispers among the group of young women.
"That man is seriously handsome! He’s been hanging around for a while now. Is he waiting for someone? Maybe his waiting for his girlfriend?"
"He must be. He's so good-looking; he’s a real knockout—practically more attractive than my celebrity crush."
"It's not just his looks, it's his presence. I know he’s not even looking at me, but his aura is so overpowering that my knees are going weak."
"I'm about to faint from his hotness! Should we get his number?"
"He seemingly has a 'stay away' vibe. Plus, the man seems to be waiting for someone. He's probably for his girlfriend."
"Ah, I can't believe it, but I totally love it. It's like a god descended from heaven; he’s absolutely gorgeous," a teenage girl squealed with an excitement that could have easily been mistaken for a celebrity sighting.
Cecily chuckled quietly to herself. A god descending from heaven, really? That was a bit much.
After parking her car, she was about to cross through the crowd into the building when she decided to take a look at the man these girls were idolizing as a divine being.
Upon lifting her gaze, she locked eyes with Darian's brooding countenance.
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