Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Give Her a Little More Time
She admitted it was foolish to have chosen Jude Sheridan, only seeing his true nature after seven years.
"Even if it was foolish, it was a brave foolishness! It’s far better than some people who skulk in dark corners, unable to face their own hearts, too afraid to love the woman they love."
Sebastian Hawthorne’s face darkened as he stared at her, and the temperature in the air seemed to drop several degrees.
Cecilia Croft knew she had struck a raw nerve.
She even had the unnerving feeling that he was about to rush over and strangle her.
In a standoff, one person always has to be the first to back down.
Honestly, her confidence was faltering.
But she refused to back down.
In the end, it was Sebastian Hawthorne who looked away first. He turned and walked toward the end of the hallway.
Cecilia Croft pressed her lips together. Watching his somewhat lonely retreating figure, she felt no sense of triumph.
She stood quietly in place, her expression tinged with guilt as she reflected on what she’d done.
’Had she gone too far just now?’
Cecilia Croft knew that as heirs to the Great Families, they shouldered the burden of generations of their ancestors’ hard work and sacrifice. They enjoyed the glory and privileged lives their families provided, but there was always a price to pay.
Love was a luxury they could do without.
They often had to make choices that were not their own.
Still, humans are emotional creatures. To be able to suppress one’s feelings for so many years required a superior level of self-control. Compared to her own so-called bravery, his restraint was, in a way, a higher form of strength.
Cecilia Croft pursed her lips, suppressed the discomfort in her heart, and walked further down the corridor.
When she reached her room, she let out a sigh and gently knocked her forehead against the door, trying to clear her head. Only then did she key in the passcode to enter.
The door across from hers, which had just closed, was pulled open.
Cecilia Croft turned to the side, looking at the man standing in the doorway.
’He can’t be that angry, can he? Is he going to hit me?’
She tightened her grip on the doorknob, ready to dart into her room at a moment’s notice.
Sebastian Hawthorne’s profound gaze was fixed on her, his voice as deep and heavy as the night.
"I hope you stay this brave forever."
With that, he slammed the door shut with a BANG.
Cecilia Croft stood there, stunned. She couldn’t make heads or tails of it, unable to tell if Sebastian Hawthorne was genuinely wishing her well or mocking her.
After all, he had just implied that her "bravery" was the same as "foolishness."
’So he wanted her to be forever foolish?’
’She had been brave once and ended up with a scumbag.’
’Did he want her to stay foolish and keep running into scumbags?’
’How cruel!’
’She knew his words held a malicious undertone.’
Cecilia Croft felt as if her heart had taken a critical hit.
She glared at the tightly shut door across the hall and ground her teeth.
’Can’t win an argument with him! Can’t win a fight against him!’
’She was so sick of this feeling of helpless frustration.’
’Just because she called off her engagement, did she have to endure a lifetime of his personal attacks?’
’She had to admit, being too "brave" didn’t seem to be a good thing.’
Cecilia Croft took several deep, deliberate breaths, then opened her door and went inside.
Closing the door behind her, Cecilia Croft threw herself onto the bed, feeling utterly exhausted, both mentally and physically.
A message notification popped up on her phone.
She unlocked the screen and tapped the notification. It was a video from one of Boss Sawyer’s men.
Just a glance at the video’s thumbnail made her stomach churn. She figured watching it would be enough to burn out her eyes.
Below the video, the sender had also left a message.
"Miss Croft, the boss wants to know if you’re satisfied with what happened to Zane Keller."
Cecilia Croft replied.
"It doesn’t matter if I’m satisfied. As long as Boss Sawyer is."
There was no reply.
Boss Sawyer probably wasn’t satisfied. After all, his only daughter had been tormented by the matter for the last three years.
Zane Keller probably wouldn’t be able to attend Jude Sheridan’s wedding tomorrow.
Cecilia Croft had no interest in what would happen to him for the rest of the night. After all, she had another tough battle to fight tomorrow.
After washing up, Cecilia Croft lay in bed. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, yet her mind was unusually clear.
She didn’t feel the least bit sleepy, not even when the night outside her window had gradually faded to a hazy gray and the makeup artist came knocking on her door.
Jude Sheridan had gotten drunk the night before and been put in a downstairs room by Assistant Zimmer.
He was also woken up early by the stylist. The first thing he did upon waking was call Cecilia Croft. He was well aware he had partied a little too hard the day before and had ignored her.
Now that he had a rare moment of clarity, he naturally had to appease her.
When the video call connected, Cecilia Croft was sitting at her vanity, letting the stylist work on her.
"Cecilia..."
A smile spread across Jude Sheridan’s face as he watched her radiant features, sitting quietly while the stylist worked their magic.
"You look so beautiful today."
The corners of Cecilia Croft’s lips curled into a smile, hiding the mockery in her eyes.
"Is that so? Thank you. From today on, I’ll always be this beautiful."
Jude Sheridan’s eyes filled with tenderness. "To make sure you stay this beautiful from now on, I promise I’ll work hard to provide for you and make you the happiest woman in the world."
"Alright." Her voice was faint, showing neither surprise nor pleasure.
"Your mother must be busy. Once you’re ready, you should go downstairs and help her greet the guests. I’ll come down when the ceremony begins."
Jude Sheridan agreed with a smile.
"Okay."
Mrs. Sheridan had waited all night for good news from Zane Keller. Frustratingly, he refused to send the video, but he did take her call and confirm the matter was handled, which finally put her mind at ease.
She had rushed to the hotel early in the morning and was now busy greeting guests.
When Jude Sheridan came downstairs, Mrs. Sheridan was in the middle of a crowd of relatives, beaming.
Seeing Jude Sheridan’s eyes scanning the crowd, Mrs. Sheridan walked over to him and spoke in a low voice.
"Don’t worry, Jessica isn’t here. I’ve already settled things with her. She’s sensible; she won’t come and make a scene."
Jude Sheridan nodded, relieved.
"Thank you, Mom. You’ve worked so hard lately."
The smile on Mrs. Sheridan’s lips was impossible to hide. "Why be so polite with your own mother? As long as you’re happy, as long as it’s good for you, I’ll do anything for you."
She glanced behind Jude Sheridan and asked.
"Why isn’t Cecilia Croft down yet?"
Jude Sheridan replied, "She’s still getting ready. She’ll come straight down when the ceremony starts."
A mocking smile touched Mrs. Sheridan’s lips.
"Giving her a bit more time to compose herself is probably for the best."
’Cecilia Croft must be desperately trying to cover her tracks right now, hoping they wouldn’t find out.’
’She’d already planned her opening remarks for the ceremony. If Cecilia Croft refused to sign the Vantage stock transfer agreement, she would make everything from last night public.’
’In front of everyone, Cecilia Croft would have no choice but to obediently comply.’
’Once all the company’s assets were under Jude Sheridan’s name, Cecilia would be powerless to stir up any more trouble.’
’Then, when her precious grandson was born, he could naturally be raised at Jude Sheridan’s side.’
