Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Her Phone
The atmosphere seemed to fall silent.
It felt like everyone around them was staring.
A chill ran down Cecilia Croft’s spine.
’It can’t be that much of a coincidence, can it?’
She and Giselle Sullivan exchanged a look.
Giselle Sullivan looked back at her.
They both turned to look behind them at the same time, only to see Sebastian Hawthorne standing there in a high-end, custom-tailored suit. He looked as if he were gracing them with his presence, his noble air completely out of place with the surroundings.
"What a coincidence, Mr. Hawthorne."
Giselle Sullivan was the first to speak, taking the initiative to greet him.
Sebastian Hawthorne’s gaze fell upon the slightly awkward-looking Cecilia Croft as he said flatly,
"It is quite a coincidence."
"I just walked over and heard someone badmouthing me."
Cecilia Croft wished she could find a hole to crawl into and hide.
Giselle Sullivan also laughed awkwardly.
"Mr. Hawthorne, you must have misheard. President Croft was just complimenting you..."
"Her way of complimenting is just a little... unique."
Sebastian Hawthorne raised an eyebrow.
"Then I suppose I should thank President Croft for her praise."
Cecilia Croft averted her gaze, avoiding Sebastian Hawthorne’s deep, dark eyes. Her smile was laced with guilt.
"No need to be so polite."
Assistant Scott had been parking the car and walked over just in time to hear Cecilia Croft’s words.
He very consciously pulled out the chair opposite Cecilia Croft and Giselle Sullivan and sat down.
"Then I won’t be polite!"
Giselle Sullivan and Cecilia Croft fell silent again.
After Assistant Scott sat down, he saw Sebastian Hawthorne was still standing. He pulled out the chair next to him and gestured for Sebastian Hawthorne to join them.
"Cousin, hurry up and sit. I’m starving."
Sebastian Hawthorne sat down beside Assistant Scott, his expression impassive.
The owner brought over the grilled skewers that Giselle Sullivan and Cecilia Croft had ordered earlier.
Assistant Scott wasted no time, grabbing a skewer and starting to eat.
Sebastian Hawthorne just watched quietly, not touching anything.
Giselle Sullivan quickly snapped out of her daze and slipped into social mode.
"Mr. Hawthorne, you should try some. This place’s skewers are famous around here for being delicious."
Sebastian Hawthorne frowned, not reaching out to take the skewer Giselle Sullivan offered him.
Giselle Sullivan had no choice but to pass the skewer to Cecilia Croft.
Cecilia Croft took the skewer and was about to bring it to her own lips when Giselle Sullivan nudged her with an elbow.
She could only offer the uneaten skewer to the man sitting across from her.
"Mr. Hawthorne, care to try?"
’A man like Sebastian Hawthorne, pampered since birth, probably rarely gets the chance to sit at a roadside stall eating skewers.’
’He’s probably never even eaten at a roadside stall before.’
’His noble stomach is probably only filled with the most high-end, nutritious ingredients.’
"It won’t kill you."
’At worst, it might not agree with your stomach and give you a bit of an upset.’
Cecilia Croft casually picked up another skewer and took a bite.
Only then did Sebastian Hawthorne raise his hand, take the skewer from her, and begin to eat it slowly and methodically.
The speed at which he ate one skewer couldn’t keep up with the pace of Assistant Scott eating five.
Giselle Sullivan called the owner over to bring a case of beer and then ordered more skewers.
Cecilia Croft wasn’t in a good mood. She sat silently, drinking beer and eating skewers, occasionally exchanging a few words with Assistant Scott when he asked a question.
Assistant Scott could also see she wasn’t in the mood to chat, so he thoughtfully turned to strike up a conversation with Giselle Sullivan instead.
Giselle Sullivan, of course, didn’t dare to be as casual with him as Cecilia Croft was. He was Sebastian Hawthorne’s right-hand man, not to mention a relative. She answered every topic he brought up with exceptional seriousness.
Just as Cecilia Croft downed another glass of beer, the man across from her spoke in a low voice.
"The repair shop called me today. They said Miss Croft’s insurance probably won’t cover the full cost of the repairs. We’ll need to negotiate a private settlement for the remaining balance."
Cecilia Croft numbly set down her beer glass.
"But my coverage limit is two million!"
’What kind of car costs two million to fix after a minor collision, and that’s not even enough?’
In an instant, she no longer had the heart to be upset over trivial matters of love.
Sebastian Hawthorne: "Your insurance company should be contacting you tomorrow."
Cecilia Croft’s face was a mask of pain, as if she were physically feeling the loss of money.
"It was just a rear-end collision! It can’t be that bad."
Assistant Scott leaned in, thoughtfully clarifying for Cecilia Croft.
"Miss Croft, have you ever heard of a Rolls-Royce’s parts-to-whole ratio?"
Cecilia Croft shook her head.
She had always thought of cars as mere tools for transportation and had never researched them.
"What does ’parts-to-whole ratio’ mean?"
Assistant Scott pondered for a few seconds before replying.
"It’s like this: you have a one-and-a-half-million-dollar heart, a seven-hundred-fifty-thousand-dollar kidney, and two-million-dollar bone marrow, all making up... me, a guy who earns a few thousand a month."
Cecilia Croft understood instantly, and her expression stiffened.
’If she remembered correctly, she had completely destroyed the entire rear bumper of Sebastian Hawthorne’s car that day.’
’Although she had a little money on hand now, that little bit of money was the startup capital she planned to use to reopen her company when she returned to Karthus.’
’The Croft Group’s current situation was growing more dire by the day; this amount of money definitely wouldn’t be enough.’
’Still, the rear-end collision was her fault.’
Cecilia Croft gave a smile that was dripping with misfortune.
"Don’t worry, Mr. Hawthorne. After the insurance claim, whatever the remaining costs are, I won’t dodge the bill. I’ll definitely pay it."
Sebastian Hawthorne nodded.
"Good."
After hearing the news from Sebastian Hawthorne, Cecilia Croft suddenly lost her appetite. She only ate a little more afterward and stopped drinking.
Giselle Sullivan received a sudden call and had to return to her company.
While Cecilia Croft was standing by the roadside trying to book a designated driver, Assistant Scott pulled the car up in front of her.
The rear window rolled down, revealing Sebastian Hawthorne’s handsome face.
His eyes were dark and deep as he spoke softly.
"Get in."
Cecilia Croft waved her hand, refusing.
"No, thank you. I’ve already booked a driver."
Sebastian Hawthorne frowned.
"We drank at the same table. If something were to happen to you, I would also be held responsible."
He opened the rear door, got out, and gestured for Cecilia Croft to get in the car.
Completely enveloped by his shadow, Cecilia Croft felt an inexplicable, intense pressure.
Under his serious gaze, Cecilia Croft had no choice but to brace herself and get in the car.
Throughout the ride, Sebastian Hawthorne kept his eyes closed, resting.
Cecilia Croft, her mind heavy with worries, didn’t say a word either.
Following her directions, Assistant Scott stopped the car at the entrance of an alleyway.
Cecilia Croft opened the door, got out, and turned to glance at Sebastian Hawthorne, saying softly,
"Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. Sorry to trouble you."
Sebastian Hawthorne didn’t answer, his eyes still closed.
Cecilia Croft pressed her lips together, then turned and walked into the alley.
From the back seat, he lifted his eyelids slightly. As he watched her figure gradually melt into the thick darkness of the night, his expression darkened.
Assistant Scott was just about to restart the car and leave.
Sebastian Hawthorne spoke in a low voice, "Stop."
Assistant Scott was confused. "What’s wrong?"
Sebastian Hawthorne lowered his gaze to the phone lying quietly on the seat beside him.
"I’ll take it to Miss Croft right now."
Assistant Scott said, undoing his seatbelt and reaching for the phone in the back seat.
Before his hand could even touch the phone, Sebastian Hawthorne had already picked it up.
Under his assistant’s bewildered gaze, Sebastian Hawthorne had already opened the car door, gotten out, and followed that pretty figure into the alley, disappearing into the darkness.
Just as Cecilia Croft reached her door and was about to take out her keys to open it, Jude Sheridan stepped out from the shadows.
"Cecilia..."
"We need to talk."
He startled her. When she saw who it was, her expression immediately darkened.
"I have nothing to talk to you about."
Jude Sheridan frowned and stepped forward to grab Cecilia Croft’s wrist.
Just then, Sebastian Hawthorne’s voice sounded from behind them.
"President Croft, your phone."
