NovelEnglishChapter 1026
"No worries," she said, lounging back on the couch, "You're pretty cute."
Cute?
The staff member blushed a little; no one had ever complimented her like that before. Ms. Flora was genuinely
kind. Cecelia, with her striking looks and knack for finding the camera, had wrapped up the photo shoot in just
half an hour.
After changing back into her regular clothes, Henrik checked his watch and said, "It's lunchtime. How about we
grab a bite?" "Sounds great!" Cecelia nodded eagerly. Lunch with Henrik alone might have been a no-go, but
with Flora in the mix? She was all in!
As the three of them headed out, Cecelia's phone buzzed inside her bag.
When she checked it, her face fell. The smile disappeared in an instant.
"What's up?" Henrik asked, noticing her shift in mood.
"Oh, it's nothing," Cecelia replied, forcing a smile. "Just a sudden stomach ache. Mind if | hit the restroom? Can
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtyou guys wait forhere?"
Henrik studied her for a moment before nodding.
Flora shrugged it off, agreeing without a fuss.
Cecelia grabbed her bag and hurried off-not to the restroom, but instead down a side corridor and out to the
building's entrance.
Outside, a middle-aged couple was lurking, looking sketchy.
They wore shabby jackets, their skin was weathered and their faces lined with deep wrinkles. The cold had them
huddled with their hands tucked into their sleeves, giving them a shady appearance. "What are you doing here?"
Cecelia snapped, her nerves on edge. She glanced around to ensure no one was watching before quickly pulling
them to a more secluded spot.
"You can't be here at my work!"
"You've been dodging us, so we had no choice but to cfind you," the man said, revealing yellowed teeth as
he spoke, "Hand over the $200,000!"
"I told you, | don't have that kind of money!"
She had no interest in seeing them!
But they'd managed to snap photos of Henrik and Flora, threatening to stick around unless she cdown to
meet them.
Reluctantly, she had cdown.
She didn't want Mr. Raul or the young lady to encounter these unsavory people.
"You, a big star, without money?" the man scoffed, "Don't act like | don't know-you rake in millions per film! Just
fork over the cash!"
"Con, Celja, it's just $200,000...
please," the woman pleaded, her voice soft with the shyness of a country woman, "Your siblings need money for
school, and those creditors are always breathing down our necks about your father's debts. If we don't pay,
they'll break his legs!"
"He's not my dad!" Cecelia shrieked, the memories she'd buried deep down, ones that filled her with despair and
disgust, resurfacing. She felt sick to her stomach.
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The man, enraged, swung a hand at her, "I raised you for over a decade, and this is how you repay me?"
"If I hadn't taken you in, you'd have
e
frozen to death! We gave you your life, and now you're earning big bucks, what's a few hundred grand
su?"
Cecelia glared at him, her eyes red and fierce, like a leopard freshly freed from its cage.
Knowing Cecelia's temper, the woman quickly pulled the man back, urging him to cool off, as aggression
wouldn't get them the money.
"Celia, please," she begged, clutching
Cecelia's hand with desperation,
"Just help us out a little. Can you really stand by and watch us suffer? Even if you don't think of us, please your
siblings. They're about kicked out of school for not paying their tuition..."
the II of
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