Chapter 96 Marrying Me
Cecily gently touched her face and replied, "I've already hit back. Let's just leave for now."
...
Outside Fitzgerald's estate.
After getting into the car, the expressions of the three Flores family members turned grave. Tabitha clenched her teeth and cursed, "Damn it! Why is Darian protecting that wretch, Cecily? What's he thinking? Has Cecily bewitched him? And who's that man in black, acting so high and mighty?"
"It's best not to mess with that guy," Tristan stated coolly, his voice laden with gravity.
Tabitha's brows knitted together as she asked in a serious tone, "But really, who is he?"
"A man you don't want to cross."
"He's helping Cecily!" Ophelia suddenly recalled her encounter when she visited Cecily's apartment and was inexplicably intercepted by him—it seemed he was aiding Cecily.
And the same was true now.
Ophelia's expression fell somber as her fingers traced the injuries on her body, a sense of unease creeping in as she pondered how Cecily became entangled with someone of such formidable influence.
Through gritted teeth, Tabitha said, "I must tell Grandpa Owen about all this. With Darian's attitude, if Ophelia marries into his family, she's bound to suffer."
Tristan was visibly agitated. "Enough about Grandpa Owen already," he said. "The old man is abroad. Whatever he says about things back home hardly makes a difference. The most important thing is for Ophelia to win over Darian's heart."
Tristan didn't usually get involved in their romantic issues, but during their recent meeting, it was clear that there was a serious problem.
His daughter Ophelia couldn't hold a candle to Cecily in Darian's eyes.
Upon hearing this, Tabitha couldn't help but look at her daughter, Ophelia.
"Ophelia, tell me what's going on with you and Darian," Tabitha implored. "Hasn't he always had feelings for you? Why is he so protective of Cecily?"
Ophelia clenched her fists, her eyes quickly brimming with tears.
"Ever since Cecily came back, she's been seducing Darian relentlessly," Ophelia cried out. "Darian thought he was responsible for her and her child's death. He felt so guilty that he'd been taking care of her child. Now, Cecily's using the child as an excuse to get close to Darian. She wants to use the child to win back his affection.
"What's worse, that child is actually Darian's own flesh and blood. Mom, Dad, what if Darian finds out? I'm so scared."
Ophelia's tearful, pitiful look said it all.
Tristan and Tabitha were well aware of the situation. The child was indeed a huge complication.
"If only we had dealt with the situation more decisively back then, none of this would be happening," Tabitha said bitterly. "It's our fault for being too lenient and not getting rid of her when we had the chance. Ophelia would already be Mrs. Fitzgerald."
Ophelia herself was full of regret.
"But it's okay, it's not too late," Tabitha assured herself. "We still have more than enough means to deal with one Cecily."
A fierce glint flashed in Ophelia's eyes. "You're right, Mom. I've already had people arranged for it, but unfortunately, the opportunity hasn't presented itself yet."
"Patience," Tabitha counseled. "We have plenty of time. The opportunity will come. For now, just play it cool. Don't let your relationship with Darian suffer over someone like Cecily. Once you're Mrs. Fitzgerald, Cecily will be easy to crush."
Tabitha's words comforted Ophelia. "I understand, Mom."
Ophelia's phone rang, and she glanced at it before answering the call. "What's up?"
"Ms. Ophelia, I'm at my wit's end trying to reach the head of Star Rise today. It's incredibly frustrating. If they weren't planning to come, they should have informed me sooner. Instead, they left me waiting for over an hour before notifying me. I can't shake the feeling that they're deliberately keeping me in the dark about something." Lucinda's voice, tinged with annoyance, carried through the phone.
Ophelia clenched her jaw, wondering why everything was getting so complicated.
"I understand. I'll deal with this at the office later," she said.
Her mind was a mess, and she was hardly in the mood to worry about anything else.
"What's the matter? Why the long face?" Tristan asked.
"It's that perfume company, Star Rise. Their boss is so secretive, and so is their perfumer. I still have no idea who our competitor is," she replied.
"Star Rise? Some small-time company I've never even heard of," Tabitha snorted dismissively.
Tristan, however, furrowed his brow – the perfume sector was indeed lagging behind the company's other areas, and he had heard about Star Rise from numerous contacts.
"That little company has made commendable achievements in just a few years in the industry. Didn't they also plan to make a move on Fitzgerald's Group department stores?" Tristan inquired.
"Yes, they even tried to compete with us for the same spokesperson. However, I've already secured the deal with the spokesperson ahead of time," Ophelia stated with a sigh.
Tabitha laughed coldly and said, "A shabby company like that trying to compete with us? Dream on."
"Let's not underestimate them. I'm rather intrigued by this boss myself. A colleague brought them up recently, and I wouldn't mind having a chance to meet them," Tristan mused.
Ophelia's eyes lit up. "Dad, do you have a way?"
"They've scheduled a meeting with our associates in two days. You could join them and meet the boss in person," he suggested.
Ophelia pursed her lips. "It's useless. Why would a boss personally attend such a negotiation?"
"I've got this. Trust me, if I promise you'll meet them, you will. Just ensure you're at your best," he assured her confidently.
Ophelia, trusting her father's word, nodded without hesitation. "Understood, Dad."
...
Cecily sat in Blaise's car, too quiet for her own good. Blaise, with one hand on the steering wheel, glanced at her and asked, "Why so silent?"
Cecily shifted her gaze and, after a moment to gather her thoughts, turned to face him. "It's nothing. How did you know about what happened to me last night?"
"Intuition."
"Intuition?" Cecily let out an exasperated laugh. "Stop joking around. You had a hunch I was in trouble? What do you think you are, a prophet?"
Blaise chuckled nonchalantly and said, "How are you going to thank me?"
"How do you want me to thank you?"
Blaise regarded Cecily leisurely, "How about marrying me?"
Cecily almost choked on his words, failing to perceive the gravity in his gaze and mistakenly assuming he was joking. "No, thanks. I prefer not to deal with your bad temper."
Blaise frowned and suddenly slammed on the brakes.
Cecily lurched forward, caught off guard by the sudden stop, and stared at him in astonishment. "What are you doing? We're in the middle of the street—keep driving!" She feared they might get rear-ended.
Blaise's expression turned annoyed. "When have I had a bad temper?"
Cecily really felt like shoving a mirror in his face so he could see his own expression and realize just how volatile he could be.
"Fine, you have the best temper in the world. Please, sir, drive," she pleaded.
"Bang!" The sharp sound of metal colliding with metal echoed after Cecily spoke, causing their car to lurch forward as it was nudged from behind. Quickly, Cecily cinched her seatbelt tighter.
What followed was a succession of "bangs" – a chain reaction of cars crashing into each other. Four times! What a disaster, especially since all the cars were from his own fleet.
The people in the car behind couldn't help but shout, "Boss, what the heck are you doing?"
Cecily turned to the brooding man in front of her and quickly clasped her hands in a pleading gesture. "Okay, please drive on. It's all my fault, I admit it. If anyone dares to speak ill of your temper in the future, they'll be my number one enemy."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
