apter 107
Chapter 107
༥ ཊཱི, 89%
13
“A mistake? Mrs. Weiss, I didn’t think I would one day hear something like this from you,” Izzy snorted. This conversation had so many surprises. But the biggest surprise of them all was Cecil’s attitude. She never once thought that the woman was capable of something like this. “So you knew about the baby,” Izzy muttered. “And perhaps arranged everything.”
“How could a small woman like you understand how the outside world works?” Cecil responded. “Izzy… let me tell you this…” She took a step toward her and smiled. “The world is vast, it’s cruel, and it’s brutal. To survive, you must learn to live with that fact. You must be flexible.”
Cecil’s fingers twitched as though she intended to adjust a strand of Izzy’s hair. However, Izzy subtly moved her head, avoiding the touch altogether. Her eyes locked onto Cecil’s.
“This conversation has been… enlightening,” Izzy remarked, crossing her arms. “I’ll keep all of it in mind.”
Cecil chuckled softly and tilted her head. “You’re not scared, are you? Of being sued?”
Izzy’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. “Why would I be scared? I didn’t do anything. And without evidence, there’s not much anyone can hold over me.”
“You think so?” Cecil took another step closer, leaning in just enough to lower her voice conspiratorially. “There are no CCTV cameras in the area where it happened. With your history involving both Calen and Monica, the jury won’t need much convincing. They’ll see a jealous woman driven to do something… tragic.”
Izzy snorted at the suggestion. “Is that your strategy? To play the victim’s grieving family and spin a fantasy? To be honest, I didn’t know you are so good at making us stories.”
“Perceptions matter more than truth in court,” Cecil replied, her smile widening. “You know that better than anyone.”
Izzy squared her shoulders and stared Cecil down. “Then do it. Sue me. Make your move, and I’ll be waiting for it.” She took a step forward, brushing past Cecil without sparing her another glance.
Cecil remained in place as Izzy exited the restroom, the sound of her heels echoing in the sterile corridor. Alone, Cecil’s smile faded, and her jaw tightened ever so slightly.
Cecil stared at her reflection. She fixed her hair, making it look a bit lopsided, then adjusted her expression. She couldn’t actually show that she was happy, right? With a forlorn expression, she walked out of the restroom. She wasn’t surprised to learn that Izzy and Liam Horvath had already left.
Cecil barely made it out of the restroom before Calen appeared, grabbing her arm with enough force to make her stumble slightly.
“Mom, we need to talk,” he demanded, his eyes narrowing.
Cecil sighed and glanced around, noting the people passing by. “Not here,” she replied curtly. She tugged her arm free and gestured toward the exit. “Let’s talk in the car.”
Within minutes, they were seated inside her luxury sedan. Cecil instructed the driver to start driving and not to disturb them. The moment the partition went up, Calen turned to her, his jaw clenched.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked. “What’s your plan now?”
Cecil leaned back in her seat, her hands calmly resting on her lap. “I’m cleaning up your mess, Calen,” she said. “You weren’t able to control Monica. Someone had to step in.”
12:38 Wed, 5 Feb MM ·
Chapter 107
89%
+13
Calen ran a hand through his hair. “I did handle it. I sent her to Nevada. I scheduled everything. I was told the abortion was done.”
Cecil chuckled softly, shaking her head. “And you believed that? Oh, Calen… Monica played you. She came to me days ago, begging for money.”
His face twisted in disbelief. “She lied to me?” His secretary clearly informed him that the procedure was a success.
“Of course she did,” Cecil said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You gave her an opportunity, and she took advantage of it. That girl has no intention of giving up her leverage. She wants security–money, power, and maybe even your name.”
Calen slumped back into his seat, rubbing his face in frustration. “What happens now? If we acknowledge the child, it’ll be public knowledge. Everyone will know I had an affair with Monica. Izzy will never forgive me for that.”
Cecil arched an eyebrow and smiled faintly. “Let me worry about that. I have everything under control. Monica won’t get in the way for much longer.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “And how exactly do you plan to make that happen?”
“I have my ways,” Cecil replied cryptically. She leaned forward slightly. “Your focus should be on regaining Izzy’s trust–or at least appearing to. You’ve already damaged things enough as it is. Leave the rest to me.”
Calen exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “This is all spiraling out of control.”
“It wouldn’t have if you’d kept your affairs in check,” Cecil said without sympathy. “But since you didn’t, I’ll do what needs to be done. Just stay out of my way.”
“Monica wouldn’t just allow me to have Izzy,” Calen muttered. “She needed money, and her child is dead. If—”
“What makes you think she doesn’t know about my plans?” Cecil asked.
“You-” Calen’s expression turned even uglier. “What do you mean by that?”
“She wanted money. I need to get rid of the child and make Izzy marry you. It’s a win–win.” Cecil shrugged as if she were simply talking about the weather or something irrelevant. “At the end of the day, we all win. Isn’t that the most important thing?”
“That is only if Izzy agrees to marry me,” Calen said. This is getting messier. Things were spiraling out of control, but he understood his mother’s motives clearly. The sudden appearance of Renard’s illegitimate children had undoubtedly shaken her to the core. Now, she saw his marriage to Izzy as a way to solidify his position and secure his claim to the Weiss family inheritance.
The car fell into an uneasy silence. Calen stared out the window, his thoughts unclear. Meanwhile, Cecil sat calmly, adjusting the hem of her blouse, a smile appearing on her face. “She will,” she said. “Unless, of course, she wanted everything that she worked hard for… gone.”
“What do you mean?” Calen asked.
“You will know once the time comes,” Cecil said.
