Free Web NovelChapter 223: Chapter 226: PUA Successful
"Oh?" Cecilia Quincy arched an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips. "So if you’re not belittling me, you must be praising me?"
"Cecilia." Ethan Lockwood lowered his gaze to her, the coldness and sarcasm in his eyes instantly melting into tenderness.
"Cecilia, don’t be hasty. Let me explain everything."
Cecilia Quincy: "Fine. I’m listening to Ethan ’slowly explain.’"
A faint smile touched Ethan Lockwood’s lips. "We were in love. Even if we’ve had a bit of a falling out, I wouldn’t go out of my way to hurt you. I wasn’t trying to humiliate you just now. I was trying to remind you."
"To remind you to be realistic, and to not be led around by a false need to compete with others."
"You’re still young, and you still have opportunities. You can’t let yourself get caught in a trap of your own making."
"..." Cecilia Quincy tilted her head back to look at him, saying nothing.
He reached out and gently stroked Cecilia Quincy’s hair, his eyes filled with a suppressed, aching tenderness.
"We were together for four years. We shared everything. And even though we’re at odds right now, it doesn’t change how much I care about you. I’m someone whose bark is worse than their bite. A lot of the time, I’ve already given in emotionally, but my pride won’t let me admit it."
"Cecilia, you’ve been by my side for so long. Don’t you know me by now?"
"..."
Cecilia Quincy’s expression wavered. Caught in a web of conflicting emotions, the sharp thorns of her defensiveness began to retract, one by one.
She was wavering.
"Ah..." Ethan Lockwood sighed at the perfect moment. "Cecilia, I admit, I’m no saint. But most of the dishonorable things I’ve done... I did them for you."
"When I first came to Aethelburg, I was all alone. I had no family, no friends. Starting a business is incredibly difficult. Without leveraging the influence of others, it would have been impossible for me to make a name for myself in this city."
"I was so in love with you back then, but your father looked down on me. To prove myself, to build a career so I could give you a life everyone would envy, I had no choice but to ride the Quincy Group’s coattails to climb higher."
"I’m a man. I have my pride. A lot of the time, I felt what I was doing was humiliating. The Quincy Group helped me, but it felt like I was just taking advantage of them."
"I was in agony during that time. I was conflicted, anxious, and unsettled. I couldn’t sleep, night after night. It was Cecilia who never left my side, who helped me slowly pull myself out of that emotional spiral."
"I still remember what Cecilia told me. She said that we would be family one day, so sharing resources for a while was no big deal. She also said that everything I was doing was for our future, so it was only natural for the Quincy Group to lend me a hand."
Ethan Lockwood’s words were soft and slow, hypnotically pulling Cecilia Quincy back to that difficult, yet sweet, period of their lives.
Back then, her relationship with Ethan Lockwood had been genuinely wonderful—so wonderful that everyone around her was envious.
"Cecilia." Ethan Lockwood opened his arms and gently pulled Cecilia Quincy into his embrace. "Just like you said, we’re partners with the best chemistry. If we join forces again, I know we can complete this mission perfectly."
"Are you ready to win this?"
"..." Cecilia Quincy did not speak.
The cologne on Ethan Lockwood’s body was the same one he always wore—a crisp, cool scent reminiscent of a forest after the rain. Just one whiff was enough to make a person feel an unconscious sense of calm.
Cecilia Quincy closed her eyes. Her body, which had been tense for so long, finally began to relax, and she leaned into Ethan Lockwood’s embrace with a sense of peace.
Ethan Lockwood’s lips curled into a smile that spread across his face, but it never reached his eyes.
"Cecilia, I’ve already figured out how to deal with Felix Preston. I just need you to work with me."
Her voice softening, Cecilia Quincy asked, "How do I help?"
Ethan Lockwood said, "We’ll pull the same old trick, but this time the star of the show won’t be Azure Studio. It’ll be..."
"The Quincy Group," Cecilia Quincy said, her eyes snapping open.
...
"ACHOO!"
"ACHOO!!"
Charlotte Shaw was looking over banquet options for the baby’s full moon celebration when she suddenly let out two sneezes in a row.
"Oh dear." Mrs. Preston set down the toy she was holding and hurried over to gently pat Charlotte Shaw on the back. "Why are you sneezing so much lately? Did you not dress warmly enough? Have you caught a chill?"
"I don’t think so," Charlotte Shaw said, rubbing her nose. "The house is very warm, and I’ve been bundling up. I haven’t felt cold at all."
Mrs. Preston took a shawl that was draped nearby and carefully wrapped it around her shoulders. "If you haven’t caught a chill, then why are you sneezing so much?"
Charlotte Shaw thought for a moment, then said jokingly, "Maybe someone’s talking trash about me behind my back. After all, I’m a huge internet celebrity and a famous jewelry designer. There are bound to be plenty of people who are jealous and full of hate."
"..." Mrs. Preston couldn’t help but laugh at her self-love. "With that personality, you’re not much more mature than Sandy."
"Now you’re exaggerating," Brianna Bell said, walking over with Sandy in her arms. She sat down snugly next to Mrs. Preston. "Charlotte’s level of immaturity is clearly on par with Sandy’s. When Sandy gets a little older, he’ll have to learn how to take care of his mom."
"Oh my god!" Hannah Sutton exclaimed, coming downstairs with a tablet in her arms. "Is Sandy really that precocious? He’s going to be taking care of his mom at just a few months old?"
Lynn Preston chimed in, "Of course he is. According to the schedule I’ve planned out for him, Sandy will have to start stir-frying in the kitchen when he’s four months old."
"..." Mrs. Preston was speechless. "On Sandy’s behalf, I thank you."
"Hey," Lynn Preston said with a mock-humble wave of her hand, "It’s the least I can do."
"Charlotte," Hannah Sutton said, shuffling over in her slippers. She snuggled up close to Charlotte Shaw as if she were cold. "How’s the search for the banquet hall going? Find any you like?"
Charlotte Shaw shook her head. "I’ve looked at so many options, but I still think the one Dad picked is the best."
"Mom, why don’t we just book the one Dad recommended?"
Brianna Bell replied, "I think that one’s great, too. Besides, the owner of that hotel is a good friend of your father’s. If we book with them, we should be able to get a good discount."
Hannah Sutton asked, "So, it’s settled then?"
"Not so fast," Brianna Bell said. She placed Sandy in his bassinet and straightened up, stretching her back. "Let’s wait for Felix and Mason to get home. We should run it by them before we make a final decision."
"Felix has already made his decision!" Charlotte Shaw said with a smile, closing her tablet. "Felix was with Dad when he was looking at venues. That hotel was a unanimous choice for both of them."
Brianna Bell said, "Then there’s no need to wait. Let’s book that one. Hannah, you can just let Mason know when he gets home tonight."
"Hahaha!" Hannah Sutton laughed mischievously. "Mason’s standing in this family is even lower than the turtle in the fish tank!"
