Cecilia slammed her hands down on the table, leaning in toward him, "The incident at Supreme World was my doing, but what you did with Fred..." Her voice trailed off, then continued, "Let's settle this matter. My aim is to become Mrs. Jardin." Zach tapped off the ash from his cigarette, "Isn't being the Deputy CEO of Jardin Corporation enough for you? Do you think you're fit to be Mrs. Jardin?" Cecilia burst into laughter as if she had heard a joke that was too good to be true, "Zach, you really shouldn't be the one saying that. Remember how you treated Madelyn in her previous life? Need a reminder? You were upset that she couldn't have kids, had an affair with me for eight years, and then brought my child into your family." She looked at him with a mocking smile, "You only got rid of Yvonne because she found out your secret. You're just scared. You're afraid that Madelyn will discover the awful truth about her own brother and that you want to marry her. Now—ah!" With that, she screamed. Zach grabbed her hair and slammed her head onto the table. His eyes were cold and angry, and his demeanor was chilling as he held her there.
"If | ever hear these words again, not only will | remove you from your position, but I'll ensure that you experience the horror of having your tongue cut out before being sent to Sin City to work as a prostitute. You've known me long enough to realize | show no leniency to anyone... especially not to you. Greed is a person's downfall.” Indeed, Cecilia had been a substantial help, which was why Zach had tolerated her up to this point.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtCecilia struggled to breathe as Zach's grip tightened around her neck, her face turning red. Her vision started to blur from the lack of oxygen. She tried to free herself, leaving red marks on Zach's hand, but he remained unmoved. The menacing look in his eyes sent chills down her spine. Just when she thought Zach would strangle her, he let go. As she clutched her throat and coughed, Zach calmly stood up. He took a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his hand, and tossed it onto her.
"Remember this moment. There won't be a next time." He paused before asking, "Are you leaving, or should | escort you out?" Cecilia slowly rose to her feet, trembling slightly. "You'll regret what you did today. And just so you know, Yvonne had a backup plan set up long ago. Do you really think you can hide this secret forever? | can't wait to see Madelyn's reaction when she learns the truth. Your relationship won't last," she said.
Not long after Cecilia left the office, Zach called out, "Kevin!" Kevin stepped into the room. "Mr. Jardin, how can | help?" he asked.
"Did Yvonne leave anything behind before she was taken to the plane?" Zach's voice was cold and stern.
Kevin paused before answering, "There was nothing unusual before she boarded the plane." Annoyed, Zach snatched up a folder from the desk and flung it at him. "Go check now. If you can't find anything, burn the Young residence to the ground,” he said.
Kevin looked up, shocked. "Mr. Jardin, we can't target the Young family now. Ms. Jent just got out of the hospital, and the situation with the Amold family isn't resolved yet. If we take action against the Young family at this moment, the fragile bond you've managed to rebuild with her will break again. Have you forgotten all your efforts at Mistral Monastery over the past few months? I'll investigate this matter first and report back as soon as | have any information." Zach's voice rose with irritation. "Since when do you dictate my actions?" The mention of Madelyn clearly bothered him.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmQuickly, Kevin said, "Mr. Jardin, for Ms. Jent's sake, we need to approach this discreetly. Even if we're careful, secrets can't be hidden forever; Ms. Jent will suspect us if anything unusual happens. We can't let Ms. Samford's words derail us.” Zach glanced at the photo of Madelyn and the child on the desk, closing his eyes for a moment. "Have someone keep a close eye on Cecilia. Tell Fred to ensure she stays out of trouble." Seeing that Zach had calmed down, Kevin breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, Mr. Jardin." As Cecilia walked out of the company's entrance, she flashed a sly smile. ‘Zach, to reach this position, one shouldn't have any weaknesses; that's what you taught me. Now, | want to see how far you'd go for Madelyn and how long you can protect her." At the Jent residence, Madelyn had dinner, then bathed the child upstairs. They played for a while before going to bed.
As usual, the maid called to provide an update. "Mr. Jardin, Mrs. Jardin has gone upstairs. Everything's as usual; she didn't do anything out of the ordinary, nor did she mention going out." Hearing a disconnected tone from the phone, the servant realized Zach had hung up, so she hung up the phone.
At Supreme World's Nightfall.
"So, instead of going home to be with her, you came to drink with me?" Kai said with annoyance. "Don’t you know I've been really busy lately? If you want to win her back, better spend this time at home with her." Zach said, "Do you think she can run away now?" Kai picked up his glass, looked at the swirling liquid, and eyed Zach with a mix of amusement and skepticism. "Are you asking me?"