Chapter 545 Putting a Ring on Cecily
Karen urgently asked someone to break up the fight, Evander and Landon also went to help, but they still couldn't bring the two back to their senses.
"The livestream is still on! Everyone is watching you two, you will be famous!" Landon frowned, his eyes sharp behind his frameless glasses.
In an instant, the two froze as if someone had hit the pause button.
It was only then that Josep noticed a whole row of cars parked in front of him, filled with people who had witnessed everything he had just done.
Additionally, there was a large recording device set up nearby.
The two quickly let go of each other.
Percy's face was still full of panic.
Landon immediately asked someone to turn off the livestream, but it was already too late.
Percy's eyes blazed with anger as he glared at Josep. Without a second thought, he grabbed Josep by the collar. "Josep, this isn't over!"
He shoved Josep away, sending him stumbling several feet back. The cocky demeanor Josep had displayed was gone, replaced by sheer terror. Percy held the most damning evidence against him; if Percy chose to expose it, Josep's life would be ruined.
As Josep watched Percy's furious back, he noticed Cecily emerging from the car. For a moment, he felt a bit more secure. After all, while Percy had leverage over him, he had his own dirt on Percy. If Cecily learned that Percy was behind everything, she would likely despise Percy, making any plans for her to marry into the Lockwood family impossible. That realization gave Josep some comfort.
The rain had stopped, and Cecily stepped out of the car, casting a glance at Josep, who seemed lost in thought.
Cecily could sense a strange equilibrium between the two men. Each had dirt on the other, but if that balance shifted, things could escalate beyond today's brawl. She was intrigued to see how their mutual animosity would play out.
The venue had been wrecked by the storm, and with Percy's dignity in tatters, the proposal could not proceed. The guests, who had come to witness the event, were gradually leaving.
Percy wanted to say something to Cecily, but before he could, Vivienne and Bryan approached her. After a few words, they escorted Cecily away.
In the car, Sam drove while Bryan, sitting in the passenger seat, kept glancing back. Vivienne shot him a cold look. "What's wrong with your neck?"
Bryan seemed to have something on his mind. Cecily noticed and said, "If you have questions, just ask."
"Are you afraid of Percy?"
Cecily looked up, surprised. "Why do you ask?"
"Otherwise, why would you be so accommodating? Or are you hoping to get something out of him?"
Though Bryan was unaware of the full details, he could tell that Cecily's motives were complex.
Cecily's expression shifted, settling into a detached demeanor. "I need to get something, and as for being accommodating, I don't see any other way."
It would be easy enough to deal with Percy directly—hiring someone to take him out was no challenge. But the Lockwood family wasn't made up of fools. If she had Percy killed, the family would seek revenge, perpetuating a cycle of hatred. Would it be worth risking everyone in the Lockwood family for Percy's sake?
Absolutely not.
So instead of resorting to murder, Cecily preferred to expose Percy's crimes. She wanted everyone to see his true colors and realize he deserved what was coming to him. Moreover, watching Josep and Percy tear each other apart was quite entertaining. As long as Percy was preoccupied with fighting Josep, he would be more inclined to protect her until she was officially married to Evander.
Bryan was headed back to the hospital, Vivienne was going home, and Cecily went to a private clinic with her medical kit. By the time she emerged, night had fallen.
Feeling a chill in her thin clothes as she stepped outside, Cecily tightened her jacket and looked up at the sky. The moon was bright, and the stars were few. She thought, 'The weather hax been so pleasant—why hax it rained so suddenly?'
Lost in thought, Cecily felt a warm coat draped over her shoulders. She turned to find Darian's brooding face.
"Thanks," Cecily said softly.
Darian didn't respond, his silence indicating his displeasure. Cecily knew him well enough; when he was quiet, he was upset.
She hadn't told him about it today. She had deliberately kept him away, fearing that if he saw it, he would ruin the proposal scene. But in reality, he might have already disrupted the scene.
That rain was probably his doing.
Darian shot Cecily a piercing look, waiting for her to speak. Instead, she stood there, unmoving, as if deep in thought. She frowned occasionally and didn't utter a word.
Darian's eyes blazed with anger.
He thought, 'Cecily! If it weren't for the video I've seen online, would you have kept this from me forever?'
Suddenly, Cecily felt her medical kit grow lighter. A large hand had taken it from her. Darian's expression remained stoic.
"Thank you," Cecily said, pressing her lips together and squeezing out a reluctant thanks.
Darian's face grew colder. "Is 'thank you' all you have to say tonight?"
"Don't be angry. It was all fake."
"You might think it's fake, but Evander's gaze at you was all too real. You deliberately kept this from me." Darian's anger flared even more at the thought of Evander's loving look. He saw that Evander was genuinely immersed in the proposal, even showing a flicker of sadness when the ring wasn't slipped onto Cecily's finger.
Cecily bit her lip, glancing at Darian's stern face. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to react impulsively."
Darian stepped closer and grabbed Cecily's slim waist. "So, you think you're in the right? You knew they were planning this, and you deliberately kept me away."
"I did it to spare you from getting hurt," Cecily said, feeling the tension close in. She placed a hand on Darian's chest, her eyes sincere. "Really."
"Should I thank you for looking out for me?" Darian frowned.
He was seething, wishing he could summon lightning just to strike down Percy and Evander instead of bringing artificial rainfall.
Cecily softened her voice, gently patting Darian's chest. "No need to thank me."
Darian fell silent. He felt utterly powerless against her.
"I'd rather deal with it through violence."
Cecily said, "Then they'd just retaliate with more violence. Someone would get hurt. Darian, I don't want that."
Darian's brow tightened.
"And honestly, isn't it more fun and less tiring to let them fight it out themselves? Percy wants shares from me, and so does Josep. Let them have at each other until they're finished."
Cecily's reasoning was sound. But Darian's frown didn't ease.
"You're right, you're always right."
"See? You're admitting I'm right, so don't be angry." Cecily raised her hand, her cool fingers smoothing out Darian's furrowed brow.
Darian finally released her, and Cecily let out a slight sigh of relief. He lifted his hand, and Larkin immediately stepped forward to take the medical kit from him.
Suddenly, Darian took Cecily's hand in his warm, dry grip. Without giving her a chance to react, he pulled a small, exquisite object from his pocket and slid it onto her finger. The ring fit perfectly.
Cecily was caught off guard. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Darian. "You?"
Darian examined her hand closely, admiring how perfectly the ring fit her slender finger. "Do you like it?"
"When did you prepare this?" Cecily's voice trembled with emotion.
"While you were in the hospital, unconscious, you had already promised to remarry me. Naturally, I can't lose anything that belongs to you," Darian's low, magnetic voice was utterly enchanting.
"I was unconscious. How could I promise to marry you?" Cecily blinked in confusion.
"You didn't say anything, so I took it as a yes," Darian replied matter-of-factly.
Cecily bit her lip. "Isn't that just cheating?"
"Well, you are mine regardless," he said and then leaned down to gently kiss her lips.
"What if I never wake up?" she asked, her voice suddenly serious.
Darian stiffened for a moment, a flicker of pain crossing his features as he recalled those dark times. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "Then I'll take care of everything and come back to be with you."
Cecily gazed at Darian's handsome face, and there was no hint of jest in his expression. Her heart clenched, feeling as if it were being squeezed tightly at that moment.
Darian pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "I've already lost you once. I can't bear to go through that again. So even if it means becoming a ghost, we'll be together."
Cecily closed her eyes, her heart aching. "Darian, I don't want that for you. If there's ever a next time, don't plan anything like that again. I want you to be okay, even if I'm not by your side."
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