Chapter 172: Why Are You Crying

Nathaniel lifted his hand and caressed Cecilia's neck. "Look at the state you're in. It seems like you've been doing more than just having a meal."

These words struck Cecilia like a bolt of lightning. "What does he mean by that?" she wondered. She evaded his touch. "Only someone with a dirty mind would think that."

Nathaniel's hand froze. His eyes narrowed coldly. "What did I say that is dirty? The dirty one is you!" He knew why she was like this; he simply wanted her explanation. Instead, she scolded him. "If I'm dirty, then why are you still here? Get out. Spare your eyes."

Nathaniel's anger intensified. He pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice laced with mockery. "Do you really think dressing like this today would hide the marks on your body from him?"

Cecilia stared at him, then looked down. Her collar button had come undone. No wonder I noticed something odd in Calvin's gaze earlier, she thought. "H-How did you know? Are you spying on me again?"

Her eyes, red and brimming with tears, were like needles aimed at Nathaniel. He felt a pang in his heart. "Do I have to spy on you to know? I saw it at a glance." He wasn't sure why he'd lied about not spying; the sight of her on the verge of tears was unbearable. He truly didn't want her to cry.

Cecilia remained deeply embarrassed. Even if Vivian had been there instead of Calvin, her reaction would have been the same. She felt dirty and didn't want to be seen like this. She'd always believed such intimacy should be shared only between lovers, not those without love. She knew she'd been naive; such things happened, even without love. But it was hard to accept, given the beautiful love she'd witnessed between her grandparents.

They'd stood together through thick and thin, their bond unbreakable even in her childhood. She remembered her grandmother, in her sixties, suffering from Alzheimer's, forgetting everyone. Yet, her grandfather, a wealthy man, never abandoned her. He stepped down as Chairman and devoted over a decade to her care, until her death in her seventies. Afterward, he never smiled again.

Cecilia once asked him why he'd cared for her grandmother so selflessly. He replied, "When you encounter someone as dazzling as a rainbow, and everyone else seems insignificant, then you'll understand." Less than a year later, he passed away.

Since then, Cecilia believed in true love. She, too, would find someone like her grandfather—someone who loved her unconditionally. Unfortunately, she wasn't as lucky as her grandmother. The person she loved didn't love her back. Her grandfather never told her what to do when that "dazzling rainbow" didn't love you in return.

Tears streamed down Cecilia's face. Nathaniel's heart sank. He gently brushed away her tears.