Chapter 178: The True Nature of Stella

It took Cecilia a while to regain her clarity. She found her forehead, hands, and legs bandaged. The sky outside was unusually dark in the early morning hours; the ward lights remained on. Turning her head, she saw someone sitting beside her.

“Calvin…” she whispered, her lips pale.

Calvin, a light sleeper, had been roused by her faint cry. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”

“I’m fine,” Cecilia replied. “The driver…”

“He’s all right. He received timely treatment.”

Relieved, Cecilia asked, “What happened after I fainted?”

“Not long after, I brought my men and apprehended the fleeing assailant. Nathaniel was also there; he brought you to the hospital,” Calvin explained honestly, though he omitted Nathaniel’s rescue from the car and his vigil throughout the night, leaving only half an hour prior.

Cecilia knew Nathaniel’s men shadowed her, and the driver was also in his employ. Any incident affecting her would quickly reach him. Thankfully, Calvin’s arrival had frightened Sean into fleeing; otherwise, she might not have survived. She sensed Calvin arrived before Nathaniel and believed he'd saved her. Perhaps loving someone is inherently selfish, but Calvin hadn't explicitly said so.

“Nathaniel has always forbidden me from seeing you. Does he know you’re here?” Cecilia asked, voicing her concern.

Calvin reassured her, “Don’t worry. He knows.” They had arrived at the hospital one after the other, maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor in the emergency room.

Nathaniel had left an hour earlier due to urgent business, but not before stationing numerous bodyguards at the entrance. The ward was under his watchful eye; any actions by Calvin and Cecilia wouldn't go unnoticed.

Noticing Cecilia's dry lips, Calvin fetched warm water, gently feeding it to her. “I’ve already had someone watching Sean. In the future, when Sven is away, others will protect you.”

Cecilia nodded. “Okay.”

Calvin helped her sit up. “I’ve investigated. Sean, the man responsible, was a small business owner abroad. Stella initially approached him; he even had a fiancée. He was smitten, breaking off his engagement for her, investing heavily in her singing career, even writing songs. But he went bankrupt, unable to support her, leading to her return to the country.”

Cecilia wasn't surprised; she'd heard of Stella’s past, though not in such detail. She believed Stella would abandon Nathaniel if he went bankrupt—a sentiment many wouldn't understand.

“He’s not the only one who wants me dead. Stella does too. He did it to please her. I don’t want to send him to prison,” Cecilia said, knowing Stella was the true threat. Imprisoning Sean would only benefit Stella.

“I want him to see Stella’s true nature.” Cecilia feared releasing Sean without consequence left her vulnerable. Perhaps helping him abandon Stella altogether would be wiser.

She also realized, from their conversation, that Sean was an extremist. Given Stella’s malice, Cecilia decided to let Sean exact his own retribution.