Ignored When Chasing: Why Cry After I Got Engaged-Chapter 66: What Do You Think of Selina Nathan?
Those two words, "kept woman," made Cecilia Nathan’s brow furrow, and she didn’t bother to hide her disgust.
The subtle movement did not escape Damian Hawthorne’s eyes.
She was dressed better today than he had ever seen her.
He had to admit, freed from his preferences, Cecilia Nathan’s current style suited her far better.
No wonder she was attracting flies.
"Mr. Hawthorne, you don’t object to what I said, do you?" the man asked again, unwilling to give up.
"I do," Damian Hawthorne said, his lips curling into a cold smirk. "Even if Cecilia isn’t with me, she’s still under my protection. And with your level of wealth, you’re not nearly qualified to keep her."
With that, Damian Hawthorne reached out and placed his hand on Cecilia Nathan’s waist.
A searing heat spread from her waist. Cecilia shifted slightly, but Damian’s large hand was like a shackle, holding her still.
"Cecilia doesn’t like being kept. If you want to court her, you’re welcome to try."
The man’s eyes lit up at Damian Hawthorne’s words.
’I can court her?’
’Doesn’t that mean I have a chance?’
In the next second, Damian Hawthorne’s words brought him crashing down. "But you’re too ugly. You’d best save yourself the humiliation."
With that, Damian Hawthorne grabbed Cecilia Nathan and pulled her away.
"Oh, right, I remember now." Damian Hawthorne’s lips curled into a taunting smile. "I recall you saying you wanted to find a decent man and settle down. Did I just get in the way of your meal ticket?"
’He helped me, but he still can’t say a single nice thing.’
Cecilia Nathan parted her lips slightly, her voice gentle. "He’s not a decent man."
’She actually considered it?’
Damian Hawthorne shot her a sidelong glance, his eyes landing on her long eyelashes. They were as delicate as a cicada’s wings, fluttering against the sides of her fair nose.
He’d always known she was beautiful.
But he never imagined that after these past few years, she could have become even more so.
The thought of the woman who had been with him for years being handed over to another man so easily made Damian Hawthorne’s brow twitch.
"Is the ’decent man’ you’ve set your sights on Hugo Grant?"
’Compared to these garbage men, Hugo Grant is a decent guy.’
’At least his romantic history is a blank slate, and his looks and wealth are comparable to my own.’
Cecilia felt a sense of exasperation when he brought up Hugo Grant.
’After today, the rumors about me and Hugo Grant are only going to get worse.’
"I’ve told you, we’re just friends."
’Hugo Grant and I are just friends,’ Cecilia thought. ’If these rumors keep spreading, it won’t be fair to him.’
"Just friends with him... then what about Hugo?" Damian Hawthorne’s voice was deceptively light, but his words struck Cecilia’s heart like a heavy hammer.
’Hugo...’
Cecilia pressed her lips together, remaining silent for a long moment.
"The day you had your accident in the desert... you kept calling out that name." Damian Hawthorne didn’t want to recall it, but he couldn’t help but speak.
He had never dared to ask Cecilia about "Hugo."
He had even prepared himself to gracefully accept it if "Hugo" turned out to be Hugo Grant.
But if he wasn’t...
’...then just how long, and how deeply, had this person been hidden in Cecilia’s heart?’
The thought of it kept him up at night.
He told himself it was just wounded pride.
He was indignant that there was someone else hidden in Cecilia’s heart.
"What do you want to ask?" Cecilia lowered her gaze, her voice clear.
Her fair face flickered in and out of the light.
"This Hugo you speak of... who is he?" He’d had Justin Bell investigating for so long without finding a single clue.
’Sometimes, the cleanest trails—the ones without a single trace—are the ones hiding the biggest secrets.’
"That’s my business." Cecilia raised her eyes, a bright smile gracing her lips. "Damian Hawthorne, for you to be so concerned about my affairs... could it be that you’ve realized you’re in love with me?"
Damian Hawthorne froze for a second, then scoffed. "You have quite an imagination."
"Hugo is my secret, and I don’t want to tell you," Cecilia said, her voice serious and devoid of emotion.
Cecilia’s words made Damian Hawthorne’s expression darken.
’The old Cecilia never kept secrets from me.’
’To think this "Hugo" has been hidden in her heart for so long.’
Damian Hawthorne let out a scornful laugh, finding the situation—and himself—absurd.
"Do you still love me?" Damian Hawthorne asked.
Cecilia lifted her gaze to meet his. "That’s all in the past," she said softly.
"Aren’t you and Serena Hughes doing well together? She’s the heiress of the Sinclair Family, and you’re the head of the Hawthorne Family. A match made in heaven." Cecilia’s voice was devoid of any emotion.
It was this very tone that made Damian Hawthorne feel agitated.
"You want me to marry someone else that badly?"
’The old Cecilia would have begged me to marry her.’
’And now she thinks Serena Hughes and I are a match made in heaven.’
’A match made in heaven, my ass.’
"I don’t like Serena Hughes anymore," Damian Hawthorne said, shooting her a sidelong glance. He crossed his arms, a nonchalant smile on his face. "What do you think of... Selina Nathan?"
’Selina Nathan?!’
Cecilia frowned, looking at Damian Hawthorne as if he were an idiot.
"You like her?"
The corner of Cecilia’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.
’It wasn’t that she was one to judge by appearances, but compared to Serena Hughes, today’s "Selina Nathan" was lacking in every aspect except for a slightly better family background. And it wasn’t just by a little bit.’
"You can’t be seriously considering a marriage alliance with the Nathan Family, can you?" Cecilia asked, a knot of tension forming within her.
’She had once dreamed of marrying Damian Hawthorne, but never as a member of the Nathan Family.’
’If Damian actually fell for this fake Selina Nathan, things would become incredibly messy.’
"Why not?" Damian Hawthorne narrowed his eyes, drawing out his words. "You said my family background was a match for Serena Hughes. Well, it’s an even better match for Selina Nathan’s."
After saying his piece, Damian Hawthorne started to walk away.
Seeing that he seemed serious, Cecilia couldn’t stop herself from calling out, "Damian Hawthorne!"
"Selina Nathan... she’s not a good person."
’She had already seen what kind of person this imposter was, and it was absolutely unacceptable.’
’She could be indifferent about who Damian ultimately married, but it couldn’t be Selina Nathan.’
"I don’t care about character."
With that, Damian Hawthorne left without a backward glance.
Just then, a bell chimed through the banquet hall, and Damian Hawthorne’s maternal grandfather was wheeled out.
With matters weighing heavily on her mind, Cecilia put down her gift, declined Hugo Grant’s offer to see her out, and prepared to leave.
It was already late when she arrived home.
Several bodyguards were standing at her door.
’A familiar scene.’
Cecilia asked, "What are you all doing here?"
The bodyguards parted, opening a path to reveal the woman standing in the middle.
Though she wore makeup, her well-defined features were starting to show some smudging.
She was still in her dress from the banquet, and she hadn’t changed her jewelry.
Seeing Cecilia, Sharon Quincy smiled faintly. "Miss Cecilia Nathan, we meet again."
Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "You’re certainly good at finding people."
"I came to ask you something." Sharon Quincy crossed her arms, lifting her chin arrogantly. "Did you and Serena Hughes conspire to drug me?"
Although Cecilia had seemingly helped her, Sharon Quincy hadn’t lowered her guard.
Her bodyguards had told her that both Cecilia Nathan and Serena Hughes wanted to set her up.
Hearing this, Cecilia immediately understood why she was here.
’Serena Hughes was the one who did it, yet she’s convinced it was me.’
’I’m being framed, and it looks like I have no choice but to take the fall.’
"What do you want?" Cecilia didn’t beat around the bush.
’She wouldn’t bring this many bodyguards just for a chat.’
"Oh, nothing much." Sharon Quincy leaned in closer, the corners of her lips twisting into a malevolent smile. "Take her."
At Sharon Quincy’s command, the bodyguards surged forward.
Just as Cecilia was about to angrily reveal her true identity, a burlap sack was thrown over her head.
Her vision went black, and her body went limp.
’When did my family’s bodyguards become kidnappers?’
’I’m going to report this to that old man, Linden Nathan.’
’Every single one of these bodyguards is getting fired!’
