"It didn''t take all of my time," Nathaniel replied.

    "Thank you."

    He lowered his head and kissed the space between her brows. "Do we still need to thank each other, silly girl?"

    Cecilia looked up at him; their eyes met and lingered, neither willing to look away.

    His throat tightened. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

    The next morning, just after dawn, Cecilia woke nestled in Nathaniel''s arms. The moment she opened her eyes she was greeted by his striking face.

    She watched him quietly, realizing that, after all these years, he hadn''t remainedpletely unchanged.

    There was a new steadiness to his features and a tenderness she had never seen before.

    Perhaps feeling her gaze, Nathaniel stirred; his long-slit eyes opened a fraction.

    Seeing her watching him, he rolled over and hugged her tighter, brushed a kiss across her lips, then asked, “Why are you awake so early?”

    She rested against his chest.

    "Couldn''t sleep."

    Lately, she had been having all sorts of dreams.

    Nathaniel stroked her hair. “Then let''s lie here and talk for a while, okay?”

    "Okay."

    Cecilia recounted, one by one, everything that had happened recently.

    Nathaniel listened in silence, and only after she finished did he say, "Seems Magnus really has changed."

    "Mm, I hope he keeps it up." She paused, "Honestly, I still hate him and can''t forgive him for selling me back then, but I owe this to my dad."

    If it weren''t for Regas, Cecilia truly wouldn''t care whether Magnus lived or died.

    "As long as our conscience is clear,” Nathaniel said.

    He shifted the topic. "By the way, how are the Escobars doing?"

    "It looks like Eloise has moved back to her parents, and the familypany has steadied a little," Cecilia answered.

    Their two small businesses survived only because Heather shamelessly went to Chelsea''s house and took about six million.

    Six million meant nothing to the Rainsworths, but to the Escobars'' modest family business, "Do you want to strike at them?" Nathaniel asked.

    was a lifeline.

    Heather had smeared Cecilia''s name and now hoped to walk away unscathed; that felt far too easy.

    "Let it go." Cecilia sat up, ready to rise, "There''s no need."

    She no longer cared about anyone in the Escobar family.

    The Escobars, however, kept trying to reach her, especially Eloise.

    Cecilia blocked Eloise. The woman even used a new ount to add her again and left an apology.

    Cecilia knew perfectly well that Eloise was only backing down because Cecilia now wielded wealth and influence.

    Elsewhere, at the Escobar residence, Heather returned with six million in hand.

    Seeing her granddaughter Eloise

    sent home in disgrace, she

    exploded, "Shameful! You''re already

    married off. How dare you crawl back here!"

    Eloise knew her grandmother adored sons and disdained daughters.

    In the past, she would have snapped back, but now, driven out by her inws and living on charity, she had to swallow it.

    “me Cecilia,” Eloise said. “She set me up and made me waste so much money for nothing."

    "Cecilia again! That ungrateful

    naxebr

    wretch, Does she want to destroy our family?” Heather red, itching to cause Cecilia trouble.

    Eloise, eager to fan the mes,ined, Exactly! Dad even swallowed his pride to plead with her, yet she acted all high and mighty as if we were ants beneath her feet. I added her to our family group chat, and she actually said the Escobar family isn''t worthy to be her rtives."