Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Throwing Out the Idea
Cecilia Croft turned and entered the Croft family’s main gate. As she walked into the courtyard, she saw Ruby Croft standing on the second-floor balcony.
The light from inside the house backlit her, making it impossible to see her expression.
Cecilia Croft took a few steps forward and tilted her head up slightly, her eyes holding a trace of frustration and disappointment.
"Sister, I didn’t complete my task."
Ruby Croft looked down, her gaze condescending. Her face was expressionless, and her brown eyes seemed exceptionally cold.
"It’s fine. He’ll let you join the company."
Her voice was certain, as if everything was unfolding exactly as she had predicted.
Hearing her words, Cecilia Croft felt a sense of relief.
Ruby Croft’s gaze fell on her neck brace.
"What happened to your neck?"
Cecilia Croft gave an awkward smile. "It’s just a minor thing. I caught a chill, which caused a muscle spasm, and then I got a stiff neck. It’s not a big deal."
Ruby Croft’s brow furrowed, her eyes like pools of clear water, making it difficult to discern her emotions.
"Find some time to get a full-body check-up."
Cecilia Croft hummed in agreement. "Okay. When I start at Hawthorne Group, they’ll surely arrange for a physical."
’This way, I can even save on the check-up fee.’
Ruby Croft said no more and turned back into the house.
Perhaps it was her sister’s reassurance, but Cecilia Croft, who had been feeling utterly lost about joining Hawthorne Group, now found her confidence inexplicably restored.
「The next day.」
Just as Ruby Croft came downstairs, Cecilia Croft followed her out of her room. She had woken up extra early today specifically to have breakfast with her sister.
"Good morning, sister."
Cecilia Croft walked to the dining chair across from her sister and sat down, greeting her in high spirits.
Ruby Croft: "Morning."
Her voice was faint.
Auntie Zane served Cecilia Croft a bowl of millet porridge.
Cecilia Croft took it and began to eat, chatting with Ruby Croft about the Croft Group’s situation.
Ruby Croft barely spoke the entire time. She just frowned, looking unwell.
"Sister, are you not feeling well?"
Cecilia Croft realized something was wrong and looked at Ruby Croft with concern.
Ruby Croft shook her head. Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up. "You eat by yourself. I have to go."
With that, she grabbed the briefcase sitting to the side and walked away while on the phone.
Cecilia Croft’s eyes followed her sister’s retreating figure. She felt that something was off about her posture as she left today.
Her back wasn’t as straight as it used to be; it was slightly hunched, as if she were exhausted.
Only when Ruby Croft’s figure completely vanished from sight did Cecilia Croft look away. For some reason, she felt a sting in her nose.
The phone she had set aside vibrated a few times.
Cecilia Croft picked up her phone and glanced at it. It was a message from an employee at Vantage.
[President Croft, when are you coming back to Vantage? The company has been affected by public opinion recently, and many clients who had already agreed to deals are now holding back and haven’t signed contracts with Vantage.]
[President Sheridan has been pulling all-nighters at the office almost every day. He’s already done it twice in a row. If this keeps up, his health is going to collapse.]
[All our colleagues at the company are waiting for you to come back and take charge. We really don’t know how Vantage should move forward.]
Cecilia Croft read the messages without a change in expression, calmly tapping out a line of text on the screen.
[If you really can’t make a decision, then form a liquidation team and dissolve the company.]
「Silvercrest, Vantage Headquarters.」
The employee who saw the message Cecilia Croft sent was speechless.
Jude Sheridan stood behind the computer, his face cold as ice. He stared intently at Cecilia Croft’s reply, his eyes blazing with a murderous look.
"President Sheridan, President Croft probably hasn’t cooled down yet. She’s just saying that because she’s angry."
"Yeah, she cares so much about Vantage. There’s no way she could bear to watch something happen to it."
The employees chimed in softly, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at Jude Sheridan.
Jude Sheridan snorted coldly, his body radiating anger as he turned and went back into his office.
Soon, the employees heard the sound of things being smashed coming from inside his office.
Everyone in the executive office held their breath, exchanging glances but not daring to utter a word.
「...」
Cecilia Croft knew the employee had sent her those messages under Jude Sheridan’s orders.
The person on the other end didn’t reply again, but she didn’t give it a second thought.
It was just...
Cecilia Croft stared at the message she had sent, lost in thought as a new idea began to form in her mind.
As she calmed down, the idea became clearer and clearer.
Soon, she put down her porridge bowl, stood up, and left, heading straight for Hawthorne Group.
「Hawthorne Group.」
When the receptionist saw Cecilia Croft arrive again, her smile was still polite, but her eyes were wary and guarded, afraid that Cecilia Croft would rush into an elevator the second she looked away.
"Miss Croft, you don’t have an appointment. Perhaps you could wait in the reception hall again?"
The mere sight of the reception hall made Cecilia Croft’s neck, which had just started to feel a little better, ache intensely.
She quickly shook her head.
"No, I’ll wait right here."
She had called Sebastian Hawthorne on her way over, but he didn’t pick up. She then sent him a message.
Even now, the message remained unread.
Cecilia Croft waited in the lobby for about half an hour, frequently checking her phone, but there was no activity.
"Miss Croft?"
A familiar voice called out from behind her.
When Cecilia Croft saw it was Assistant Scott, her eyes lit up.
"Assistant Scott, you’re back?"
"Yes. Are you here to see Mr. Hawthorne?" Assistant Scott waved a hand, dismissing the receptionist.
Cecilia Croft leaned in and whispered to Assistant Scott, "I’m here to talk to Mr. Hawthorne about the Silvercrest project, but I don’t have an appointment and I can’t reach him, so I have to wait here. Can you take me up?"
She didn’t mention she was here to ask for a job, much less that Sebastian Hawthorne had left her waiting downstairs all day yesterday.
Assistant Scott agreed without a second thought.
"Of course."
Cecilia Croft gave him a thumbs-up. "Thank you so much."
Assistant Scott raised an eyebrow, then, as if thinking of something, added, "No need to be so polite. But let’s just say you owe me one. If I get into trouble in the future, you have to have my back."
Cecilia Croft: "Huh?"
Assistant Scott didn’t explain, just smiled mysteriously. "It’s enough for Miss Croft to remember what I said today."
With that, he strode toward the elevators and made a "please" gesture to Cecilia Croft.
Cecilia Croft hurried to follow.
Once they reached Sebastian Hawthorne’s floor, Assistant Scott settled her into Sebastian Hawthorne’s office.
Cecilia Croft sat quietly on the sofa, her eyes admiring the room’s understated yet luxurious decor.
As expected of the Hawthorne Group’s Crown Prince’s office, it was at least ten times larger than her own office at Vantage. The seating area with the sofa and coffee table alone was bigger than her entire office.
’How can the gap between people be so vast?’
Just as Cecilia Croft was sighing to herself, the office door was pushed open, followed by a cold, merciless sneer.
"On the next sunny day, take your brain out and let it get some air!"
The man who strode into the office had a deathly chill in his eyes, and his face was a mask of frigid hostility.
The person being reprimanded fell silent upon seeing someone else in the office. When Cecilia Croft’s gaze met his, they both looked away in embarrassment.
