Chapter 10 The Fall Of Smith Corporation

When Cecilia turned on the news, the headline that caught her eye was a press conference held by Rainsworth Group. They announced that Nathaniel had successfully acquired Smith Corporation. From that moment, Smith Corporation ceased to exist. On the screen, a photograph of Nathaniel appeared—his profile was strikingly handsome, exuding an air of confidence and vigor. Beneath the photo, comments flooded in. Nathaniel is incredibly handsome, so young, and already the CEO of a corporation. It’s a pity he’s married, but isn’t his wife the daughter of the Smith family? A business marriage, remember? Three years ago, when it was time to get married, Nathaniel simply abandoned the bride and left… The internet had a long memory. Cecilia had almost forgotten about the day three years ago when she was abandoned at the altar. The memory of Nathaniel storming off in anger had started to fade. She continued scrolling through the comments. For the past three years, she had known that Smith Corporation would fall, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. Recently, Nathaniel had been particularly at ease. The acquisition of Smith Corporation marked the settling of a great score. Zachary chuckled and said, “Three years ago, the Smith family deceived you with that marriage, and now they’ve finally gotten what they deserve.” He turned to Nathaniel, who was working beside him, and asked, “Nathaniel, has the little deaf been begging these past few days?” Nathaniel paused, his pen hovering over the paper. For some reason, people around him kept bringing up Cecilia. Why, even after the divorce, is she still lingering in my mind? “No,” he responded tersely. Zachary was surprised. Despite the major incident with the Smith family, could Cecilia really remain so composed? He continued, “Could she have really figured it out? I heard her family is searching for her everywhere, but no one knows where she’s hiding.” Nathaniel’s irritation grew, his brows furrowing. “Get out!” he snapped. Zachary was taken aback by the sudden outburst. Realizing Nathaniel was angry, he quickly left the CEO’s office. Once alone, Nathaniel unconsciously picked up his phone, but there were no messages or calls from Cecilia. She really hadn’t reached out. Outside the office, Zachary was concerned. Nathaniel’s behavior was off. On the surface, he seemed the same, but whenever Cecilia was mentioned, he grew agitated. Zachary stepped out and called his assistant. “Have we located Cecilia yet?” he asked. “Yes, she’s staying at a small motel at Hillscester.” Zachary had his assistant send him the location and then he drove to the destination. Cecilia had held up Nathaniel and Stella for over three years. Even if they agreed to divorce now, it wouldn’t be fair to let her off so easily. Outside, the rain was gently falling. After finishing her volunteer work, Cecilia made her way to the hospital to pick up some medicine. Then, she walked toward the motel, umbrella in hand. The streets were almost empty. Zachary, driving his luxury car, spotted Cecilia’s slender silhouette. He deliberately sped up, driving through a puddle that splashed all over her. As Cecilia’s vacant gaze turned toward him, Zachary caught sight of it in the rear-view mirror and felt a sudden, inexplicable jolt of unease. Cecilia recognized Zachary’s lavish dark gray Bugatti but quietly looked away, pretending not to see him. Zachary, however, wasn’t ready to let it go. He slowed down, driving close to her. “Hey, are you upset? You see me and don’t even greet me anymore? Weren’t you quite enthusiastic before? Didn’t you enjoy pleasing me?” Cecilia showed no reaction to his insults. In the past, because she was fond of Nathaniel, she had tried to ingratiate herself with everyone close to him, including Zachary. She had been unaware of how much Zachary despised her and had treated him kindly, hoping that one day Nathaniel’s family and friends would accept her. But her dreams were too idealistic. At a gathering, Zachary had bluntly told Cecilia that he was a friend of Stella’s. To stand up for Stella, he had abandoned his gentlemanly demeanor, mocking Cecilia, calling her lowly and shameless. He had even pushed her into a swimming pool, leaving her to fend for herself. Since then, Cecilia had avoided him. When Cecilia didn’t respond, Zachary grew annoyed. He pulled over, opened the car door, and with a few quick strides, stood in front of her, firmly grasping her arm. His demeanor turned serious. “What kind of game are you playing this time?” Cecilia winced in pain. Looking up at him, she said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She tried to free her arm, but Zachary brushed her off with a sneer. “Don’t touch me with your filthy hands!” Cecilia stumbled back, and with a loud thud, she fell hard onto the ground. Zachary stood there, somewhat in disbelief. Has she learned to fake an accident? I only gave her a gentle push—how did she end up falling? Seeing people around starting to stare, Zachary felt uncomfortable. He got back into his car but not before issuing a warning. “Cecilia, just because you’re disabled doesn’t give you the right to interfere with Stella. She’s not like you. She’s worked hard to get where she is today, so stay out of her and Nathaniel’s way.” After driving off, Zachary considerately informed the Smith family of Cecilia’s whereabouts. Cecilia lay on the ground, her hands and knees scraped raw. The pain was intense, and she struggled to get up. She couldn’t understand why Zachary had become so morally corrupt. She still remembered four years ago when she had risked her life to pull Zachary from a car that was about to explode. He had been covered in blood, his eyes blinded, yet he spoke with unusual gentleness. “Thank you. I will surely repay your kindness.” Is this his way of repaying me? Cecilia had never expected anything in return, but she certainly hadn’t anticipated that he would repay kindness with enmity. Fortunately, a passerby helped Cecilia to her feet. “Miss, who was that? Should we call the police?” Cecilia’s ears were ringing, making it impossible to understand what they were saying. Assuming they were showing concern, she shook her head. “I’m fine, really, thank you…” After bowing deeply to them, she limped away. Onlookers watched her leave, their hearts filled with sympathy. But even if Cecilia had heard their concern, she would have declined their help. The Sinclair family, to which Zachary belonged, was no less influential than the Rainsworth family. Their medical business had a global presence. As the eldest son of the Sinclair family, Zachary could have taken over the family empire long ago if not for his dedication to Nathaniel and his disinterest in medicine. In her current state, Cecilia couldn’t afford to offend someone like him. After returning to the motel, Cecilia took a shower and applied medication to her injuries. Feeling exhausted, she lay down, the day’s events strengthening her resolve to leave Nathaniel behind. When she woke up, dawn was just breaking. She walked into the living room and found Paula, dressed in a traditional dress, seated comfortably on the couch. “Awake now, are we? You sure gave me a hard time finding you,” Paula said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Cecilia listened to her mother’s sharp remarks, her eyes dimming. “Mom…” Paula looked at Cecilia, noting her pale face devoid of color, yet she showed no concern. She walked up to her daughter, lifted her hand, and harshly slapped Cecilia across the right cheek.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.