《Dumped Her Ex, Married A Secret Billionaire》全部章節：第 391 章 - 第 400 章

The worst decision Cecilia had ever made in her life was agreeing to accompany Vicky on a drunken rampage in the middle of the day.The sun beat mercilessly against the pavement, the heat shimmering in the air.Cecilia felt like an idiot, trailing behind a lunatic and cleaning up her mess.Vicky was like a wild horse that had slipped its reins.She kicked off her high heels and ran barefoot around the fountain at the center of the square, completely unhinged.Spinning in circles, she threw her head back and bellowed an off-key song with a shredded voice, drawing stares from all directions. Cecilia watched as passersby pulled out their phones, fingers flying across screens, and her heart sank lower and lower.She could practically see tomorrow's carefully packaged gossip headlines and mocking memes spreading through their social circle at lightning speed."Vicky! Stop it!" she hissed, forcing her voice low, clinging to the last shred of dignity she had.Vicky didn't hear a word.She st

"That was back in the late eighties..." Sally's voice grew even weaker, barely above a whisper. "Your grandfather... he became involved with an actress."Cecilia remained silent."At the time, those kinds of... explicit films were becoming popular. A lot of minor actresses made their names that way. At first, Mr. Hardy probably thought it was just a fling."Sally swallowed hard. "But not long after, that woman showed up at the door carrying a little boy, insisting the child was Mr. Hardy's.""You're saying my grandfather might have had an illegitimate son?"Cecilia tugged at the corner of her mouth, forming a smile devoid of any warmth."That sounds like something straight out of a trashy soap opera.""I thought it was ridiculous too!" Sally hurried to say. "The previous housekeeper told me in secret and warned me never to repeat it. I heard things got ugly back then. That woman wanted to use the child to climb the social ladder. Mr. Hardy may have been... indulgent in his personal li

Inside the hospital room, the lighting was soft and muted.Cecilia lay curled up on the wide white bed, her entire body tucked beneath the covers.Her face was so pale it almost blended into the sheets, with only the faint tremble of her eyelashes betraying that she was awake.Liam returned to her bedside and gently gathered her--blanket and all--into his arms.He rested his chin against the crown of her head, his fingers moving slowly and carefully as he smoothed through her slightly tangled hair."Don't worry about what's happening outside," he said in a low, steady voice. "MT is covered. I'm here. Nothing is going to collapse."Cecilia gave a barely perceptible nod against his chest.She slipped her arms out from beneath the blanket and wrapped them tightly around his waist, burying her face against him.After a long while, she finally spoke, her voice dry and hoarse from too much silence."The news... it's all been released?""Yes. The official obituary has gone out through every

Inside the Golden Estate, the memorial hall was solemn and hushed.Dignitaries from every circle arrived dressed uniformly in black formal attire, their expressions grave as they bowed deeply, one by one, before Edward's memorial portrait.Cecilia, also dressed in pure black, stood quietly on the right side of the hall, returning each condolence bow with measured courtesy.Her back was straight, her posture flawless--but the deep shadows beneath her eyes and the exhaustion she could not quite conceal betrayed her true condition.Liam remained half a step behind her at all times.The moment he sensed her sway ever so slightly, he reached out at once. His warm hand closed around her icy fingers, gentle yet steady.Leaning closer, he murmured near her ear, in a voice meant only for her. "I'll stay here. Go rest in the lounge for a bit--even ten minutes will help."This time, Cecilia didn't push herself.Her nerves had been stretched to the breaking point by days of relentless strain. She

The lighting in the room was dim, everything deceptively calm.Cecilia was curled up on the sofa, seemingly fast asleep.On the small table beside her, the plates of pastries and the teapot were arranged neatly, looking completely undisturbed.The tension in Liam's chest eased slightly. Maybe the bodyguards had misunderstood. Or perhaps it was just routine service from the estate staff.But the bodyguard who followed him in went pale in an instant. He realized something was very wrong--someone had impersonated an order and slipped inside.Lowering his voice, filled with self-reproach, he said, "Sir, I'll pull all the nearby surveillance footage immediately. I'll find whoever pretended to be authorized."Liam raised one hand, signaling him to stop speaking. His eyes never left the figure on the sofa.He gestured for the bodyguard to step out first. The door was quietly closed behind him.The room fell into near silence, broken only by Cecilia's faint, almost imperceptible breathing.Th