Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Another Personal Attack
The driver pulled up to the entrance of the Silvermere Hotel. Without waiting for him to open her door, Cecilia Croft let herself out.
"Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. I appreciate it."
Even though they hadn’t exchanged a single word the entire ride, Cecilia Croft knew she still had to observe the basic courtesies.
The man inside the car didn’t respond.
Cecilia Croft pressed her lips together. Wisely deciding not to say anything more, she gently closed the car door.
Yet, just as the door was about to latch, it was pushed open from within.
Cecilia Croft froze. Sebastian Hawthorne ducked and stepped out of the car.
He walked past her, his face a blank mask. His deep, dark eyes held an unapproachable indifference.
When Cecilia saw him walk into the hotel, a flicker of astonishment crossed her face. She hurried after him to ask,
"Mr. Hawthorne, are you staying here tonight too?"
Sebastian Hawthorne didn’t answer. He didn’t even spare her a glance as he kept walking.
Cecilia pouted. ’All I did was gently prod at his little agenda—I didn’t even expose it—and he gives me the silent treatment for the entire ride.’
’Looks like my understanding of him is still too shallow. He’s not just sharp-tongued, he’s also a master of the silent treatment.’
Cecilia couldn’t help but think of her older sister’s chilly disposition. ’If those two ever got into a fight, who would win at the silent treatment?’
’Probably my sister.’
’Logically, back when I insisted on breaking off the engagement, given my sister’s relationship with Sebastian Hawthorne, she could have just said a few nice words. Sebastian probably wouldn’t have let the Hawthorne family give the Croft family a hard time.’
’And yet, all these years, my sister has adamantly avoided any collaboration with the Hawthorne family, never once backing down.’
’Sebastian probably can’t do anything about my sister, either.’
’Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be single after all these years.’
’He probably wanted to fish for some news about my sister, but I shut him down, and now he’s angry out of humiliation.’
’No wonder he was fuming the whole ride.’
’This must be what the world of two powerful heirs is like—each one waiting for the other to show weakness.’
Compared to how they had been at odds for so many years, Cecilia suddenly felt that her own failed relationship had, at least, come to a clean end.
She suddenly felt a sliver of solace.
As they entered the elevator, Sebastian Hawthorne turned. The moment he looked up, his gaze collided with the pitying stare Cecilia was directing at his back.
He frowned instantly.
Cecilia looked away and slowed her pace.
’I’d rather not walk into a critical hit from his frost magic.’
Fortunately, Sebastian Hawthorne didn’t wait for her, and the elevator doors soon closed.
Cecilia secretly breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to press the call button.
A second later, the doors slid open again. Sebastian Hawthorne stood ramrod straight inside, looking down at her imperiously.
"Avoiding me?"
Cecilia stood at the entrance, blinking thoughtfully.
Sebastian Hawthorne watched her in silence, his expression unreadable.
Cecilia, of course, wasn’t about to admit she was hiding from him. She smiled and said,
"Of course not. I just figured you were tired and in a hurry to get back to your room, Mr. Hawthorne. I thought you didn’t want to talk, so I didn’t want to disturb you."
Sebastian Hawthorne offered no reply.
Cecilia could only bite the bullet and step into the elevator.
She glanced at the floor panel and pressed her lips together.
’So he got in the elevator and just... didn’t press a floor button?’
’My mistake.’
’I should have lingered at the front desk for a bit. Someone on a higher floor might have called the elevator, and it would’ve gone up on its own.’
Instead of pressing the button for her floor, Cecilia turned to the man beside her, who seemed determined to see his silent treatment through to the bitter end.
"Mr. Hawthorne, what floor are you on? I’ll press it for you."
Sebastian Hawthorne remained silent, simply raising his own hand to press "32" before letting it fall back to his side.
Though silent, his presence was overwhelming.
Cecilia was speechless. She raised her hand to press the button for her own floor, only to see it was already lit.
She froze.
"Mr. Hawthorne, you’re on the 32nd floor too?"
Sebastian Hawthorne remained silent.
"What a coincidence," she said, her voice laced with awkwardness.
When he didn’t answer, she lost the will to keep trying.
’I have to admire people who can give the silent treatment,’ she thought. ’How do they manage to not speak to the other person?’
The ride to the 32nd floor would take a moment. The elevator was so quiet with just the two of them in the small space that Cecilia felt she could hear her own breathing.
They couldn’t just continue in this standoff.
Not him and her sister, not the Croft Group and the Hawthorne Group.
"Mr. Hawthorne..."
She spoke softly, breaking the silence.
Sebastian Hawthorne lowered his gaze to look at her.
Cecilia smiled. ’Well, it’s not a completely blank response. At least he’s looking straight at me.’
"Actually, when my sister called earlier, she didn’t say anything important. If you want to know how she’s doing, once I get back to Karthus, I could..."
She didn’t get to finish her sentence.
"Who said I want to know about her?"
’Look at him, still so stubborn.’
’If you’re so tough, why not just keep giving me the silent treatment like before!’
His reaction was exactly what Cecilia had expected.
She continued as if talking to herself.
"My sister has a very strong personality. After all, my grandfather groomed her to be the heir, passing over my father. She had to shoulder far more pressure than most girls. Her assertiveness is just a facade."
Sebastian Hawthorne watched her coolly, giving no reaction.
Cecilia smiled at him, deciding to offer a little unsolicited advice on their predicament.
"My sister doesn’t actually want a man who’s her equal in a power struggle. What she needs is a more delicate kind of affection, something that can warm her heart gently, like a soft rain. If a man really loves a woman, he should want to protect her, not just wait for her to back down in an endless standoff."
’Sebastian Hawthorne is a smart man. After hearing all that, he should try to change his approach.’
However, he didn’t give her any of the reactions she’d anticipated. He just stared at her, his expression deep and unreadable.
"You should save that speech for all the other men who are trying to woo your sister."
Cecilia: "..."
’Still playing tough!’
"And I suppose you aren’t included among those ’other men’?"
She looked up, her gaze locking directly with his profound stare.
Sebastian Hawthorne looked down his nose at her. "I’m not."
Cecilia’s elegant brows arched slightly as she watched his face for any change in expression.
Just then, the elevator doors slid open.
Sebastian Hawthorne’s gaze swept past her as he strode out, giving her no further chance to scrutinize his emotions.
Cecilia followed him out. Watching his retreating back, she sighed and said,
"Neither of you is as brave as I am."
The man ahead of her stopped abruptly and turned around.
Cecilia froze for a second, then boldly met his gaze.
"Am I wrong?"
Sebastian Hawthorne didn’t shy away from her stare. A cold sneer played on his lips, and the emotion in his eyes was faint. His voice was low, raspy, and just as faint.
"Sometimes I really can’t tell if you’re clever or just stupid."
Cecilia: "..."
’Another personal attack!’
