Chapter 183: Did I Do Something Wrong?
After chatting with Vivian, Cecilia put away her phone, abandoning her contemplation of the flowers outside. Instead, she went to the music room to play the piano.
After a while, however, Cecilia’s unease persisted, prompting her to leave the music room and step outside. Immediately, she saw Liam, whom she hadn't seen in years. Clad in a tailcoat, his once dark hair now a striking white, he radiated vitality. He was overseeing a group of workers when he noticed Cecilia. He briefly withdrew his gaze, then, after instructing the workers, approached her.
“Ms. Smith, are we disturbing you?”
His politeness was superficial. His following words were far more cutting than any vulgarity: “You have a hearing problem. I thought you couldn’t hear. However, I must remind you that it’s now ten in the morning. Other ladies of high society wouldn’t be idling at home at this hour. If you really have nothing better to do, I suggest you leave first. Don’t disturb the workers. Am I right?”
At the time, Cecilia had believed Liam was genuinely advising her on how to be a good wife to Nathaniel. She dutifully followed his instructions. One day, she overheard him discussing her with his daughter, Lily, describing her as a naive country girl who believed everything she was told. Only then did she realize he enjoyed controlling her. After all, she was legally married to Nathaniel and the openly acknowledged daughter-in-law of the Rainsworth family. The audacity of a servant disciplining his boss!
“Mr. Liam, I believe you’re mistaken. I am not the lady of high society you speak of, nor can I meet the standards you hold.”
She had planned to go to the office later, but now she didn’t want to. “I’m not going anywhere today. If you want me to leave, you should call Nathaniel.”
For the first time, Liam was taken aback by her retort. Before he could react, Cecilia returned to the music room and resumed playing the piano. Once the music room’s windows were closed, most of the outside noise was blocked out.
Liam cast a cool glance toward the music room, then continued to direct his subordinates. Due to Nathaniel’s instructions to replace the flowers with those containing less pollen, there weren’t enough readily available to complete the task in a single day. Furthermore, many of the newly transplanted flowers wouldn't survive long, necessitating regular replacements. Liam decided to frequently visit to guide Gera on becoming a proper Rainsworth lady.
That day, Cecilia remained at the villa. Learning this, Nathaniel couldn't help but smile. Unexpectedly, a few flowers had prevented her from leaving. His sudden smile caused a visiting senior executive to shudder.
“Mr. Rainsworth, did I do something wrong?”
Regaining his composure, Nathaniel resumed his usual icy demeanor. “You can leave now.”
The executive breathed a sigh of relief. Nathaniel checked the time before calling Liam to inquire about the flower replacement progress. Liam reported that they had removed the high-pollen flowers and would gradually replace them with low-pollen varieties. After hearing this, Nathaniel gathered his things and left.
“Nathaniel, how’s Ceci—the deafie—doing?” Zachary asked later that day.
“She’s all right,” Nathaniel replied curtly, walking past him. Zachary felt helpless. He wanted to know how Cecilia was doing, but couldn't directly inquire without risking Nathaniel's displeasure.
After leaving Rainsworth Group, Zachary had other matters to attend to. He had already located his illegitimate child, who was attending an international preschool.