Chapter 20 The Reason for Marrying You
Cecilia thought nothing could shatter her further after she saw the video of Kolton’s infidelity and heard those cruel words from him.
But now she realized Kolton’s betrayal cut even deeper.
The pain he inflicted made the minor injuries on her face seem trivial in comparison.
After the doctor treated her wounds and prescribed some medication, she thanked him and left.
The devastation Kolton had brought her far outweighed the abandonment she felt when her parents used her as a pawn.
After all, she knew Garrett well. Leaving his daughter behind without a second thought was exactly the kind of thing he would do.
She returned to Veronica’s place to shower, and as soon as she stepped out, Jasmin called.
“Cecilia, you got away, didn’t you?“:
Cecilia let out a faint sound in response.
“Good. Your father knew you’d find a way out. That was why he left you there. I know you’re angry with him, but you can’t just abandon Quincy. She adores you as her elder sister. You can’t be heartless…”
Jasmin wasn’t calling out of concern. She was afraid Cecilia would take her anger out on Quincy by cutting ties.
But Cecilia would never abandon Quincy.
“From now on, the only duty I have left is being a sister.”
With that, she hung up and dialed Moses instead.
Moses had already seen the news online about her being cornered by a crowd.
It was a video taken by onlookers and quickly went viral.
“Ms. Bradshaw, please be careful when you go out from now on. But this kind of news is actually good for us. Many rational netizens have said that no matter what, attacking innocent people is wrong.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hooper. But my abilities are limited. So far, I haven’t done anything. Is there anything you need me to do?”
Cecilia curled up on the sofa, her arms around her knees.
Her slender frame looked helpless and pitiful.
Yet her expression was dull, her gaze unfocused.
“I need you to investigate one thing.”
Moses had already negotiated with the police, and they agreed to give him some time to gather evidence.
Judging from the insurance fraud suicide case, the deceased either had a terminal illness or had faced some terrible circumstances that drove her to suicide. But she couldn’t bear to leave her child behind, so she staged the incident to get compensation money for her child.
“You could have someone check major hospitals for the victim’s medical records, then investigate her movements and activities in the months leading up to her death.”
Moses emphasized the words “have someone“.
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If the deceased’s family knew their plan, they’d be wary of Cecilia.
She had already appeared in the public eye; they’d recognize her immediately.
Checking all hospitals in Sevarin for the deceased’s records in a short time wouldn’t be easy.
At the very least, the Bradshaw family didn’t have the resources to pull it off.
The Thompson family could.
But Kolton would never help her.
At this point, there was no use clinging to pride in front of Kolton.
The divorce was inevitable. She didn’t care how much he looked down on her for still trying to use the Thompson family’s influence to save Quincy.
She went to the Thompson’s residence to find Braden.
Braden just got back from a business trip. He’d been accompanying Kolton’s mother for the past couple of days.
When Cecilia arrived, the Thompsons‘ suitcases were still in the living
room.
“Cecilia, you came at the right time,” Braden said, sitting in the living room reading a newspaper.
When he saw her enter, he took off his glasses and set the paper aside. “How are things with your brother?”
He actively brought up Quincy’s case, and Cecilia briefly summarized the situation before mentioning Moses’s words.
“Braden, do you have any way to help check medical records across major
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hospitals?”
Braden answered without hesitation, “That’s a small matter for our
Thompson family. I’ll make a call later and have them send the records to your email.”
Cecilia was overjoyed. The gloom that had weighed on her for days finally lightened a little.
“What brought you over?” Braden asked.
“Just for … the hospital matter,” Cecilia explained.
Braden frowned. “Couldn’t you have just mentioned this to Kolton?”
Cecilia stayed silent.
Braden seemed to understand and chuckled, “Since you’re here, stay for dinner. Grandma’s napping right now, but she was just talking about you earlier.‘
“No, Braden. I have other things to take care of.”
Even though Cecilia knew Kolton rarely came back, she was afraid that if Kianna saw her, she’d call Kolton and make him return as well.
Braden didn’t stop her, knowing she was upset about the Quincy situation, and offered a few comforting words.
After Cecilia left, Braden picked up the newspaper again.
His eyes focused on the front–page headline: “NimbusCore Group CEO Goes to Great Lengths for Vice CEO’s Beloved Dog…”
He seemed lost in thought for a while before making a phone call.
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Cecilia left the Thompson’s residence and learned from the police station about the deceased’s workplace, an electronics factory in the suburbs.
When she arrived, two reporters were still at the entrance taking photos and interviewing the elderly security guard.
She waited until they left before approaching the guard for information.
The guard lifted his eyelids to look at her. “Which newspaper sent you?”
“Just a small local one. You see…” Cecilia casually took a box of cigarettes from her car.
Garrett had bought them, and they were probably expensive.
The guard’s eyes lit up when he saw them.
“Alisa Moody was an ordinary assembly line worker. She hadn’t shown up for work two or three days before the incident. She’d only been at the factory for less than a month, so none of us knew her well.”
The guard shared these few sentences in exchange for the cigarettes, then promptly closed the security booth window.
Cecilia’s hands were now empty. She blinked, then turned, and walked away.
Either the security guard truly didn’t know the details, or she hadn’t offered him enough money.
For now, she could only go back, make thorough preparations, and try again later.
By the time she returned from the suburbs to Jerome’s villa, the sky had darkened completely.
She parked her car outside the apartment complex and walked in on foot.
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After being out all day, her phone had died. As she walked along the cobblestone path, the streetlights stretched her shadow long and thin.
Suddenly, a harsh beam of light hit her from the intersection.
Instinctively, she raised a hand to block the glare, but she couldn’t make out what kind of car it was.
It drove over and pulled up beside her and the door swung open.
Kolton stepped out, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He flicked the ash, then strode over and grabbed her wrist without a word, yanking her toward the back seat.
His sudden appearance and swift movements left Cecilia stunned. She only snapped back to her senses as she was dragged to the car door and instinctively struggled.
But Kolton gave her no chance to escape. One arm wrapped around her waist, the other cupped under her thigh, and before she could react, he’d already pushed her inside and slid in after her, blocking her exit.
The dim interior light flickered on as Cecilia shrank into the corner, turning to him.
He rolled the window halfway down, his slender fingers resting the cigarette on the edge.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
Kolton’s tone was sharp. “Are you aware of what you did today?”
An aura of displeasure radiated from him.
Not wanting to provoke him further, Cecilia turned to open the door, only to find it locked.
She looked back at him. “I don’t want to see you. Open the door.”
“Do you know why I married you in the first place?” Kolton tossed his cigarette stub and rolled up the window, his deep, unreadable eyes locking onto her.
