Chapter 99 Will You Hate Me?
The two of them left without closing the cabinet door. Though I still couldn’t escape the cage, at least I could.
see the light now, which made things a bit more comfortable.
Just a little longer, and I’d be reunited with my sister.
My heart was racing with excitement!
Not long after Cadell left, I saw Cyril again.
This time, however, he caught my eye from a distance through the window.
He was accompanied by several people and didn’t have time to speak to me, but he gave me a meaningful look.
I understood what that look entailed–he was telling me not to be afraid.
I let a small, barely–there smile curl my lips.
A smile so faint it could easily be missed, but I was certain Cyril saw it.
As expected, his eyes softened noticeably before he casually looked away, as though nothing had transpired.
The people around him probably had no idea we’d had a fleeting, wordless exchange.
I overheard someone speaking in a worried tone, “Cyril, it seems Cadell has been working on a
countermeasure recently. If this continues, it’s not good for us…”
I couldn’t hear the rest, but I could piece it together. If Cadell gained Philip’s support, it would be a serious setback for Cyril.
Cyril couldn’t risk losing his standing in the Hartman family.
Thinking of this, I took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention and activated the Fluoro Track under my tongue, sending a message to Darian.
It had already been a few days since I started collaborating with Cyril, and it was time to sweeten the deal.
The news didn’t need to be released just yet, but we could begin hashing out the details of the jewelry
collaboration and the investment amounts.
At the very least, we needed to show Cyril’s worth to the Hartman family’s decision–makers. Only then would people support him in going head–to–head with Cadell.
I knew very well that, apart from the stubborn Charles, most people had little respect for Cadell. Compared to Cyril, he was utterly inferior. His recent mistakes were downright embarrassing, and it was no wonder people didn’t respect him.
If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t back someone like that either. What if he ran the family business into the
ground?
Everyone’s motivated by self–interest. They all want their fortune to grow. No one would choose a failure over
a capable leader.
After all, no one’s that naive.
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As long as I could make Cyril shine bright enough, Charles‘ preference for Cadell would count for nothing.
Darlan received my message in no time. After he responded, I quickly stashed the Fluoro Track back under
my tongue. With my phone gone, this was now my lifeline–I couldn’t risk anyone finding out about it.
Half an hour later, Cadell stormed back in, alone–Lorna had vanished into thin air. His face was pale, his eyes burning with desperation. Clearly, Darian had followed through, handing the Hartman family a win on a
silver platter. With Cyril now in the spotlight, it was no wonder Cadell was losing his cool.
Sure enough, the moment he stepped in, he dropped to his knees in front of me, silently ripping the tape from my mouth. I could finally speak, but I kept my mouth shut, glaring at him with icy indifference.
Cadell’s voice cracked as he asked, “Aurora… do you hate me?”
His question caught me off guard. We were already at each other’s throats–Was he out of his mind?
When I didn’t respond, a layer of fake guilt crept into his eyes. “Aurora,” he murmured, his voice barely audible,
“I… I regret it.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Cadell, the ultimate egoist, actually regretted something? That was crazier than the apocalypse.
“I shouldn’t have fought with you,” he stammered, his voice shaking. “After I told Grandfather about sending
you to Philip, I… I regretted it. Aurora, he’s not a good man. You’ll suffer if you go there.” He even forced out a
few fake tears.
His acting was cringe–worthy, and I couldn’t help but feel a wave of disgust.
“So?” I sneered, my voice oozing sarcasm. “What are you getting at? You’re not sending me to Philip now?” I
didn’t want to watch his act, so I asked with a hint of sarcasm.
Cadell flinched like I’d slapped him, his face going blank for a heartbeat. Then, he forced a painful smile, his
voice breaking. “I’m sorry, Aurora. But… I can’t stop this.”
I let out a derisive laugh, my voice sharp with disbelief. “If you can’t control it, then why are you even saying
this to me?”
He choked on his words, his breath hitching. Shame burned in his eyes, raw and unmistakable.
He clenched his jaw, clearly trying to keep his temper in check, and kept up the charade. “Aurora, I was too impulsive. I didn’t think things through before making that decision. But it’s not entirely my fault. You gave your shares to Cyril, and that really got to me. He’s out to take away my status as the heir.”
I nearly burst out laughing. Was Cadell seriously trying to pin all the blame on me? Was he really trying to excuse his own dirty deeds?
“Your status can be shaken by a measly five percent of the shares? That’s… something,” I trailed off, letting the unspoken meaning hang in the air. Almost instantly, Cadell’s face darkened.
He barely managed to keep his composure. “Aurora, it’s not that simple. But never mind, there’s no point in arguing now. I’m sorry, Aurora. I’ll make it right to you, I swear.”
I stayed silent, curious to see where he was going with this.
When I didn’t take the bait, he squirmed uncomfortably. After a moment of hesitation, he finally got to the point. “Aurora, could you vouch for me with Mr. Hodge? Once I’m the heir, I’ll get you out of there. What do you
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think?”
Letting out a sharp laugh, I arched a brow and met his gaze head–on. “Cadell, you can’t seriously think I’d fall
for that.”
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