Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Saw Miss Croft Crying
The next second, Sebastian Hawthorne’s cold, deep voice rang out again.
"Get out."
It was rare to hear such anger in Sebastian Hawthorne’s voice.
Cecilia Croft froze for a moment, but she was sensible enough to get up from the sofa.
After all, Sebastian Hawthorne needed to speak with his employee, and it wasn’t appropriate for her to overhear the conversation.
She walked toward the door, and her eyes met those of the employee being reprimanded. The other person’s gaze was full of grievance.
Cecilia Croft pressed her lips together. She was powerless to help.
As she passed Sebastian Hawthorne, her arm was grabbed.
Cecilia Croft paused. A flash of understanding crossed the reprimanded employee’s eyes. He quickly left, shooting Cecilia a grateful look on his way out.
As the employee left, he thoughtfully closed the office door behind him.
Only she and Sebastian Hawthorne remained in the spacious, bright office.
Sebastian Hawthorne lowered his gaze, casting an indifferent glance at her before striding toward his desk.
Cecilia Croft quickly composed herself and followed him.
Once Sebastian Hawthorne was seated in his office chair, she hurriedly presented the documents she had stayed up all night preparing.
"Mr. Hawthorne, could you please spare a moment to look over the detailed plan and proposal I’ve prepared before making your decision?"
Sebastian Hawthorne glanced down at the file she offered with both hands, his expression indifferent and unreadable.
"We already discussed this yesterday. Why waste time on it again today?"
He picked up another file from his desk, seemingly uninterested in her proposal.
The hand Cecilia Croft was using to offer the file stiffened slightly, but she refused to be intimidated by his words. She withdrew the document and spoke with calm composure.
"If you don’t have time to read it, Mr. Hawthorne, then I will simply summarize it for you."
"After further consideration, I’ve devised a method that will allow the Hawthorne Group’s subsidiary to establish a firm foothold in Silvercrest much more quickly."
The hand Sebastian Hawthorne was using to flip through the file paused for a second before he resumed his review.
Cecilia Croft observed his subtle physical reaction, and her confidence surged. She continued, unruffled.
"Mr. Hawthorne, you already control the majority of Vantage’s shares. We don’t need to use it as a stepping stone; we can simply choose to absorb it."
Her words piqued Sebastian Hawthorne’s interest. He finally set down his file and deigned to look up at her again.
A hint of doubt appeared in his deep, dark eyes, and his lips curved into a smirk.
"Are you certain, Miss Croft, that you want the Hawthorne Group to absorb Vantage?"
An absorbed company is dissolved. Sebastian Hawthorne clearly didn’t believe her plan was feasible.
Cecilia Croft nodded.
"Of course. This is a crucial opportunity for the Hawthorne Group to seize the initiative. And with me involved, the plan will only proceed more smoothly."
She spoke with earnest conviction, her clear, almond-shaped eyes free of any ulterior motive.
Sebastian Hawthorne didn’t answer right away. He simply pulled a cigarette case from a side drawer, took one out, and lit it with a practiced motion.
The slender cigarette rested between his long fingers. He took a light drag, the cherry at its tip glowing and dimming.
Grayish-white smoke drifted through the air, obscuring the emotion in his eyes.
Cecilia Croft stood silently before his desk, patiently waiting for the man to give her an answer.
She was brimming with confidence, certain that this time, Sebastian Hawthorne would have no excuse to refuse her.
"How can you guarantee me that you won’t go easy on Vantage, Miss Croft? After all..."
Sebastian Hawthorne trailed off, leaving the rest of his sentence unsaid.
But Cecilia Croft knew exactly what he meant. She met his gaze calmly, her eyes locking with his, which glinted, deep and dark, from behind the veil of smoke.
"Why would you think I’m incapable of doing what’s necessary, Mr. Hawthorne? I will have many shining moments in my life; I certainly won’t be defined by Vantage."
’It was true that Vantage held many traces of her hard work and struggle.’
’When she discovered Jude Sheridan was cheating, she’d felt conflicted and lost.’
’But one has to move on.’
’She had worked so hard for so many years to better herself; she couldn’t let a moderately successful company like Vantage keep her trapped.’
Sebastian Hawthorne placed his cigarette in the ashtray and stubbed it out, slowly, repeatedly grinding it down.
"And how can you assure me, Miss Croft, that once you’re back at Vantage, your judgment won’t be clouded by your lover of seven years? After all, this is the man you were willing to abandon your own family for."
He looked up at Cecilia Croft as he spoke, his deep-set eyes narrowing.
His question made Cecilia Croft’s mind go blank for a moment.
’From the moment the plan had formed in her mind, she hadn’t even considered Jude Sheridan a factor.’
’Once she made a decision, it was rare for anyone to be able to change her mind.’
’That was why she hadn’t considered Jude a problem at all.’
Sebastian Hawthorne watched her coolly. Seeing her hesitation, a hint of frost crept into his expression.
Cecilia Croft quickly searched her mind for the right words to answer him.
’After all, she really had abandoned her family for Jude Sheridan. She needed something more persuasive to convince Sebastian Hawthorne to accept her proposal.’
"Mr. Hawthorne..."
She had just begun to speak when Sebastian Hawthorne cut her off, not intending to give her another chance. His tone was cold and heavy as he spoke.
"Get out."
Cecilia Croft froze, then spoke in a rush. "Mr. Hawthorne, he’s a jinx. Even before I returned to Karthus, I had already decided he would never again be a factor in any decision I make."
"So when you just mentioned him, I only found it distasteful."
’Giving up her family for Jude Sheridan was the stupidest thing Cecilia had ever done.’
’She couldn’t find a powerful enough argument to persuade Sebastian Hawthorne.’
’A single relationship with Jude Sheridan had left a black mark on her permanent record, and it left her feeling both speechless and helpless.’
"Mr. Hawthorne, I can only prove my resolve through my actions."
The man in the office chair gave no response.
His expression was aloof. Without sparing her a glance, he simply looked down at his documents.
Looking at him, Cecilia Croft felt a wave of helplessness wash over her.
"Then I won’t disturb your work any longer, Mr. Hawthorne."
As Cecilia Croft left the office, she glanced back at Sebastian Hawthorne, but the man in the chair showed no sign of wanting her to stay.
A flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes. With no other choice, she left, pulling the office door closed behind her.
The moment the door clicked shut, Cecilia Croft let out a soft sigh. She walked to the elevators and pressed the "down" button.
After suffering setbacks two days in a row, she felt utterly crushed. Every ounce of strength seemed to have drained from her body. She waited for the elevator, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
The air conditioning in the Hawthorne Group’s building was cranked high. A chill seeped into Cecilia Croft, and she couldn’t help but sniffle.
Just as Assistant Scott was passing by, he saw Cecilia Croft step into an elevator, her face a mask of despair. Her shoulders were trembling slightly, as if she was crying.
He froze for a second before hurriedly pushing open the door to Sebastian Hawthorne’s office.
"Cousin, what did you do?"
Sebastian Hawthorne looked up at him, a chill concealed within his deep eyes.
"This had better be important."
Assistant Scott felt a murderous aura wash over him. He lowered his voice and said,
"I just saw Miss Croft crying outside."
